9       $1,5 

 - 2022        -- ()   $1 541 .
Dutch English

Papendrecht, 12 January 2017

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has over the last couple of weeks acquired a number of medium sized and various smaller projects in the Netherlands with a combined contract value of more than EUR 200 million.

Today, Boskalis was awarded the project for the expansion and doubling of the N62 road (Tractaatweg) in the province Zeeland. Preparations are due to start in spring 2017 and the project will be completed in the spring of 2019. The project carries a contract value of approximately EUR 30 million.

Also today, the Dutch Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) announced that it intends to award the contract for the canal expansion Twentekanalen phase 2 to the combination Boskalis and Van den Herik. The project is aimed at the expansion of three sections of the Twentekanalen which is necessary to increase the accessible of the regional inland ports and to cater for larger inland barges. The project is expected to commence in the second half 2017 and will be completed by 2020. The contract carries a value of more than EUR 50 million with a 50% share for Boskalis.

The remaining acquired projects include the reinforcement of the Houtrib dike with a contract value of EUR 45 million, two coastal protection projects for Rijkswaterstaat and a number of smaller road infrastructure projects.

For further information

Investor relations:

Martijn L.D. Schuttevaer

ir@boskalis.com

Press:

Arno Schikker

press@boskalis.com

T +31 78 6969310

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world with services including the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection. In addition, Boskalis offers a wide variety of marine services and contracting for the oil and gas sector and offshore wind industry as well as salvage solutions (SMIT Salvage). Furthermore, Boskalis has a number of strategic partnerships in harbour towage and terminal services (KOTUG SMIT Towage, Keppel Smit Towage, Saam Smit Towage and Smit Lamnalco). With a versatile fleet of 1,000 units Boskalis operates in around 75 countries across six continents. Boskalis has over 8,200 employees, excluding its share in partnerships.

This press release can also be found on our website www.boskalis.com.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PreveCeutical Medical Inc. ("PreveCeutical", or the "Company"), a health and wellness company focused on utilizing nature and science for the benefit of health conscious consumers, announces it has closed a debt financing, a revolving convertible line of credit, for $1,000,000 CAD from non-arms' length parties (the Loan), Stephen and Kimberly Van Deventer who are current Directors of the Company (the Lenders). Proceeds from the financing shall be used for product and market development, and for general corporate purposes.



In consideration for the Loan, the Company has agreed to pay simple interest of 5.0% per annum, and the loan can be paid off at any time with no penalty to the Company. Additionally, at the discretion of the Lenders, the outstanding balance of the Loan and interest is convertible to common shares at a deemed price of $0.50 CAD per share.

About PreveCeutical

For more information about PreveCeutical, please visit www.preveceutical.com, follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/preveceuticals, or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Preveceutical

On Behalf of the Board,

"Stephen Van Deventer"

Chairman & CEO

This news release may contain forward-looking statements, including without limitation, future operations of PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (the "Company"). Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as may, expect, estimate, will, anticipate, intend, believe and continue or the negative thereof or similar variations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. In particular, there is no guarantee that the Blue Scorpion Venom will effectively treat or cure cancer or other diseases. Accordingly actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

The Company has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things: the effectiveness of its products; the demand for its products and the stability of economic and market conditions. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: that the Company may lose or abandon or may fail to receive necessary licenses and permits; labour disputes; the Company may not receive the necessary regulatory approvals for its products; the increase in cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; general economic and market conditions may worsen; market shifts may require a change in strategic focus; the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; litigation; and competition. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, consumer sentiment towards the Companys products, competition, the failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, and fees charged by service providers.

All forward-looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's operational expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward looking information, will prove to be accurate.
FORECASTERS have warned of snow and ice as a band of wintry showers make their way across the country.

The Met Office have issued yellow be aware warnings for both snow and ice for overnight on Thursday and into Friday.

It said: "Snow showers, initially affecting Northern Ireland and southwest Scotland, will progressively extend southeast to affect the rest of the warning areas during Thursday.

There is the potential for disruption to transport networks with longer journey times. Icy stretches on untreated roads and pavements are also possible.

Rotherham Borough Council said gritters will be out on more than 338 miles of roads across the borough with temperatures expected to drop as a low as -3 C overnight.
The official web site of the 2017 Presidents Meeting and Finance Seminar has gone live, allowing participants to register for the February 5-8 biennial gathering of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), says a press note from WFDB.

The four-day gathering, organised by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and the Bharat Diamond Bourse, will take place at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai, starting with committee meetings of the WFDB and IDMA on February 5, followed by a Finance Seminar; the Presidents Meeting ; and gatherings of WFDB and IDMA Presidents.

WFDB President Ernie Blom said, "We have invited experts from the banking and finance community, as well as industry stakeholders to participate and provide crucial input. There are many issues to be tackled, and I look forward to extremely interesting and challenging discussions. We aim to establish a regular dialogue between banks and other providers to develop solutions for the diamond industry, and create a financing task force to drive forward solutions. We also seek to create online education courses for all members of WFDB affiliated diamond bourses, and roundtable discussions to be held in all the leading diamond centres. This Summit will play a critical role so we ask members of all trade organisations to attend," Blom added.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Dubai has imposed a 5% import duty on gold and diamond jewellery, a move which is likely to hurt Indian exports.

Jewellery design in Dubai is expected to get a major boost as dependence on imports from India reduces. The import duty is being seen as a precursor to the introduction of a value added tax regime in Dubai.

Not all exports from India to the Emirates will be affected as the jewellery from India is mostly re-exported from Dubai to other parts of the world. Only the jewellery exported for local use in Dubai will attract a 5% duty.

The new levy may, however, boost bridal jewellery sales in India because many Indian shoppers had turned to Dubai owing to the cheaper gold there and the price difference may no longer be attractive enough.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Diamond Fields International Ltd. announced that offshore marine bulk sampling operations conducted by International Mining and Dredging Holding Ltd. recovered 26,965.45 carats from the company's ML 111 concession.

The diamonds were recovered during 62 days of bulk sampling. The two vessels conducted exploratory trenching over the period of July 10 to September 10, 2016, and vertical drill sampling operations.

The diamonds were exported to Antwerp and, after minor losses from check-weigh reconciliation and cleaning, 26,912.20 carats were rendered available for sale. Of the diamonds made available for sale, 8,975 carats have been sealed in Antwerp for future sale. The remaining 17,936.52 carats were sold at a reported sales value of US$4,73 million, or $263.78 per carat.



Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow




The bells, which the cows have to wear when they walk to and from the pasture, are especially heavy.[]The animals carry around five kilograms around their neck. It causes friction and burns to their skin. She sustains also that the noise from the bells hurts the cows ears. The answer of that local Swiss community is based on the interdicion to blame the local traditions. A local government spokesman said the application was rejected because Holten keeping rebelling against traditional things, making people wonder why she even wants to be Swiss. Holten declared she will not stop for the sake of a Swiss passport arguing she has the freedom to express any opinion she wants.
Alaska Airlines Wednesday announced new flights from Rose City to four new , including Baltimore, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Albuquerque.

The airline will start new seasonal flights from Portland to Philadelphia on May 22, Portland to Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 5, and to Baltimore on June 6. New nonstop year-round service between Portland-Albuquerque will start on August 18.

John Kirby, Alaska's vice president of capacity planning, said, "We're super excited to launch four new nonstop daily routes from Portland, further enhancing our offerings for our guests in the Rose City. At 55 nonstop destinations and counting, we continue to connect our valued Portland customers to the places they want to go."

Alaska Air noted that flights to Philadelphia and Baltimore will be operated with fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft. Flights between Portland and Milwaukee will be operated by SkyWest Airlines and flights between Portland and Albuquerque will be operated by Horizon Air.

Both carriers will serve the routes with 76-seat E175 jets, which feature 12 seats in first class, 12 seats in premium class and 52 seats in the main cabin. The E175 boasts cabin dimensions on par with a narrow-body jet.

The company said the tickets for the new routes will go on sale starting Wednesday.

David Zielke, Port of Portland director of air service development, said, "We're happy that Alaska is once again expanding its network from PDX with four new service announcements. Albuquerque, Baltimore and Philadelphia offer Portland-area travelers more convenient nonstop options. And, until now, Milwaukee was one of the top 10 markets to which Portland didn't have nonstop service."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The British pound weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Thursday, as traders' sentiment dampened amid looming uncertainty around Brexit.

Last Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said in her New Year TV interview that Britain will not attempt to cling on to "bits of EU membership". Therefore, the currency is likely to drop after May triggers Article 50 in March.

The lack of clarity on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policies despite his first press conference yesterday also weighed on investor sentiment.

Wednesday, the pound showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the pound rose against the euro and the Swiss franc, it fell against the U.S. dollar and the yen.

In the Asian trading, the pound fell to nearly a 1-1/2-month low of 139.79 against the yen, from yesterday's closing value of 140.89. The pound may test support near the 135.00 region.

Against the euro, the Swiss franc and the U.S. dollar, the pound dropped to 0.8702, 1.2334 and 1.2168 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.8665, 1.2379 and 1.2207, respectively. If the pound extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 0.89 against the euro, 1.20 against the franc and 1.18 against the greenback.

Looking ahead, Eurozone industrial production for November is due to be released at 5:00 am ET.

At 7:30 am ET, European Central Bank's publishes monetary policy meeting accounts.

In the New York session, Canada new housing price index for November, U.S. import price index for December, and U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ended January 7 are set to be published.

At 8:30 am ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart are expected to speak about the economic outlook and monetary policy at the American Council of Life Insurers, in Naples.

At the same time, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker will deliver a speech at the Desmond Hotel, in Pennsylvania.

At 1:15 pm ET, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard gives a presentation on the U.S. and monetary policy before the Forecasters Club of New York.

At 1:45 pm ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan participates in a moderated Q&A before the Dallas Regional Chamber Annual Meeting, in Dallas, U.S.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Forex News
It has now emerged that some of Best Buy Co. Inc.'s (BBY) Geek Squad technicians have acted as paid FBI informants.

The information came to light in the case of a California doctor, Mark Rettenmaier, who has been accused of possessing child pornography and is facing federal charges.

The doctor had taken his computer to Best Buy's computer repair services for repair in 2011. One of Best Buy's Geek Squad technicians was an FBI informant, who reported that he accidentally located in the computer an image that met the definition of child pornography.

The information was then conveyed by the technician to the FBI and the hard drive of the doctor's computer was seized.

Rettenmaier's lawyer has claimed that FBI paid the Best Buy employee for turning over illegal content found on the doctor's computer.

While the possession of child porn picture is illegal, Rettenmaier's attorney is questioning the legality of how it was found. The pending court case raises questions about privacy and searches at computer repair shops.

Legal analysts say that the FBI could be violating the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from government searches without a warrant.

In addition, the files were said to have been found on the computer's "unallocated space," or the hard drive space that temporarily holds deleted files. A federal court has ruled that pornography found on unallocated space is not sufficient to prove that the user possessed it.

A Best Buy spokesman said the company and Geek Squad have no relationship with the FBI.

"From time to time, our repair agents discover material that may be child pornography and we have a legal and moral obligation to turn that material over to law enforcement. We are proud of our policy and share it with our customers before we begin any repair," the Best Buy spokesman said.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Majedie Asset Management Limited (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):



The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:



Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree



E2V TECHNOLOGIES PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:



For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 11 January 2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?



If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" No





2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:



ORD 5P



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 1,479,168 0.67 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL:



1,479,168



0.67

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit ORD 5P Sale 1,287,637 273.0000 ORD 5P ORD 5P ORD 5P

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description



e.g. CFD Nature of dealing



e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit





(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type



e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description



e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing



e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:



Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:



(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or



(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:



If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 12 January 2017 Contact name: Matthew Hambly Telephone number: 0207 618 3900

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.




Amsterdam - January 12, 2017 - Intertrust N.V. ("Intertrust" or "Company") [ticker symbol INTER], the leading global provider of high-value trust, fund and corporate services, is pleased to announce that during the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held today, Mr. Maarten de Vries was appointed as a member of the Management Board and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Intertrust N.V.

Mr. de Vries's appointment has also been approved by Dutch regulators and he will start in his new role as of January 16, 2017, for a first term of four years.

For further information

Intertrust N.V.

Anne Louise Metz

Director of Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications

annelouise.metz@intertrustgroup.com

Tel: +31 20 577 1157

About Intertrust

Intertrust is the leading global provider of high-value trust, fund and corporate services, with approximately 2,400 employees located throughout a network of 41 offices in 30 jurisdictions across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle-East. The Company delivers high-quality, tailored services to its clients with a view to building long-term relationships. Intertrust's business services offering is comprised of corporate services, fund services, capital market services, and private wealth services. Intertrust has leading market positions in selected key geographic markets of its industry, including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands and Jersey. Intertrust works with global law firms and accountancy firms, multi-national corporations, financial institutions, fund managers, high net worth individuals and family offices.
Dublin, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Airfreight Forwarding Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.



The global airfreight forwarding market to grow at a CAGR of 3.49% during the period 2017-2021.



The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global airfreight forwarding market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the volume of air cargo transported by vendors in the market. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is rising demand for integrated services. Freight forwarders provide customers with a wide range of integrated services. This includes not only the usual transport of cargo from source to destination but also a range of other services. These services include customs brokerage while exporting and importing, origin consolidation and destination deconsolidation services such as supporting government inspections, transloading, and contract logistics services.



According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is increase in trade agreements among nations. The resurgence of the global economy has resulted in the increased trade volumes between countries. The increasing imports and exports between nations have lowered the trade barriers because of the relaxation of government trade policies. Favorable government trade policies have resulted in an increased demand for freight forwarding services to keep pace with the increased freight transportation needs of importers and exporters. This provides an immense opportunity for the existing vendors to expand their base globally.



Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is increase in reshoring and nearshoring manufacturing. Manufacturers are reconsidering their offshoring policies. The advantages that drove offshoring, such as low labor and overhead costs, are diminishing rapidly, and companies are, therefore, shifting toward reshoring and nearshoring. Reshoring is the process of bringing offshore production back to the home country.

Key questions answered in this report



What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?

What are the key market trends?

What is driving this market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in this market space?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

Key vendors



Deutsche Post DHL Group

Kuehne + Nagel

DB Schenker

NIPPON EXPRESS

UPS Supply Chain Solutions

DSV

Sinotrans

Expeditors

Other prominent vendors



C.H. Robinson

CEVA Logistics

CJ Korea Express

DACHSER

Dimerco

GEODIS

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

Hitachi Transport

Kerry Logistics

Logwin

NNR Global Logistics

Panalpina

Pantos Logistics

Pilot Freight Services

Bollore Logistics

Toll Holdings

Yusen Logistics



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/k6vgq9/global_airfreight




Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl Lob'STAR auditions open

Video auditions are open for the first LobSTAR to have a starring roll in the 2023 Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl. Often we get people who say, 'How do I get to help Lucy the lobster come out of the Atlantic?' or 'How do I get to be a judge at the ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrote to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, condemning the terror attacks in Kabul and Kandhar.

"I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the dastardly attacks in Kabul and Kandahar. On behalf of the people and the Government of India and on my own personal behalf I offer our sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and pray for early recovery of the injured," Modi said in the letter.

"India condemns these attacks on Afghanistan, and on its legitimate authority. Such attacks are unacceptable and are aimed at undermining the progress made by the people of Afghanistan against all odds. These attacks deserve universal condemnation and their perpetrators and supporters need to be brought to justice," he added, reiterating India's support to Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism.

Deadly attacks ripped across Afghanistan on Tuesday, with two suicide bombings near the Afghan Parliament in Kabul, an explosion at a Kandahar province government compound and a suicide bombing in Helmand province leaving dozens of people dead and wounded.
After the BSF and CRPF troopers, now the video of the Indian Army's Lance Naik Yagya Pratap has surfaced, in which he has raised his voice against the service conditions, alleging the soldiers are being exploited by their officers.

This prompted the army to immediately issue a statement on Thursday that "individual grievances" cannot be ruled out in a large army and that the concerns raised by the soldiers are being addressed.

Lance Naik Pratap alleged that soldiers are being exploited by the army officers. He said he wrote letters to the President, the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Home Minister and the Supreme Court, after which his officers accused him of sedition and also threatened his court martial.

"I have been in the army for 15 years. I have been concerned about the exploitation of jawans in the army, I was gathering courage to raise my voice. All powers are with the officers... if we complain, they get angry and take action against us," Pratap says in the video.

"But ultimately I decided to raise my voice and wrote an application, dated June 15, 2016, to the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister and the Supreme Court."

"...When the PMO sought an answer, Brigade Commander tortured me. Any other soldier would have either committed suicide or would have done something wrong with the officers. But I did not do that. I am a soldier, and I felt it would not be right as it would taint my uniform," the soldier says.

"The officers tell us you will be court-martialled. I did not divulge any service details in the letter, then how is this sedition? This is my last letter. Jawans are taking dogs for walk, looking after children," he goes on.

The Indian Army soon after issued a statement saying the grievances of the soldier are being addressed through established mechanisms.

"Ours is a very large army wherein 'individual grievances' cannot be ruled out," an official statement from the army said.

"The army has an effective grievance redressal mechanism for addressing individual complaints, most satisfactorily. In the instant case of Lance Naik Yagya Pratap, cognizance of his communication has been taken and complaints made by him are being addressed through the existing mechanisms," the statement said.

Earlier, BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav's video became viral on social media, which had alleged that troopers are served bad quality food and at times they are forced to go the bed hungry. He also accused unnamed officers of illegally selling off the food supplies meant for the troopers.

This led to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar saying that he is personally monitoring and evaluating the conditions as far as food is concerned.

"In last two years, for the army, we have been continuously evaluating that whether satisfaction level for the food being served has increased or not. I am myself monitoring it," he said talking to the media on the sidelines of ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017.

In another video that went viral, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable Jeet Singh asked why the para-military force personnel are not provided facilities at par with their army counterparts when they are also performing similar tasks.

Jeet said: "We (CRPF personnel) do all kinds of duties inside the country like deployment for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Gram Panchayat elections. We contribute services in most places in the country. Despite doing all these duties, there is a big difference between the facilities provided to the Indian Army and the CRPF."
Invoking Swami Vivekananda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the youth to guide people to increase cashless transactions.

"The life of Swami Vivekananda shows what one can achieve at a young age. The work that the youth are doing today will impact the future of the nation," Modi said while addressing inaugural event of National Youth Festival at Rohtak in Haryana via video conference.

He expressed happiness over the theme - 'Youth for Digital India' for the festival celebrated on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's 154th birth anniversary, observed as the National Youth Day.

The Prime Minister also said the youth's support was needed to fight corruption and black money which has adversely affected the progress of the nation.

He said times have changed due to the influence of technology and the need of the hour is collectivity, connectivity, and creativity.

"The support from the youth in the fight against corruption convinces me that it is possible to bring a positive change in the nation," he added.
Political temperature in Bihar's ruling Grand Alliance will be reflected in the warmth with which guests are treated at the residences of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD-U state President Vashisht Narain Singh here during the Makar Sankranti festival celebrations, say observors.

In Patna, two big feasts are being organised -- one by Lalu Prasad and the other by Vashisht Narain Singh -- for their party leaders and workers as well as for members from the opposition. People from different walks of life have also been invited.

"Both feasts are important for leaders and workers of the ruling Grand Alliance of Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress. The gathering will send a political message of whether everything is fine or not," a senior RJD leader close to Lalu told here on Thursday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to join in the festivities at both places.

"Nitish Kumar will visit the 10 Circular Road house allotted to former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, where Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap also reside," a Janata Dal-United leader said.

Lalu Prasad will also visit Singh's residence along with his sons to meet JD-U leaders on the occasion.

In 2016, contrary to speculations, Lalu had applied a 'tilak' of curd on Nitish Kumar's forehead to indicate cordial relations between them.

Lalu is popular for helping Rabri Devi in serving the traditional 'dahi-chura' (curd and flattened rice) to party leaders and visitors. In fact, his entire family, including sons Tejaswi and Tej Pratap, and daughter Misa Bharti, joined the two leaders in taking care of the guests.

According to RJD leaders, more than 30 quintals of curd and 'chura' each, were arranged for the feast at Rabri Devi's official residence while JD-U leaders put the quantity used at their feast at over 20 quintals of curd and 'chura' each.

Senior RJD and JD-U leaders, including ministers, legislators and MPs, joined the festivities while savouring traditional food items like 'chura', 'tilkut' (a sesame seeds sweet) and 'khichdi' (rice and pulses mash).

_

_SHOW_MID_AD__
Two Trinamool Congress workers were killed and three others injured when unknown assailants opened fire inside the West Bengal ruling party's office in West Midnapore district on Wednesday, police said.

Party workers were chatting inside the office in Kharagpur when they were attacked.



Srinu Naidu and V Dharma were declared dead in a Kolkata hospital.



The three injured workers were being treated at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.
Hope Fades for a Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Only 31% of Americans overall support the United States' blocking international recognition of Palestinian statehood. So who's calling the shots?



Mother Palestine

By Carlos Latuff (2009)



(SAN FRANCISCO) - The election of Donald Trump may mark the end of any realistic hope of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And don't expect the Democratic Party to try to save it, it appears.

Trump has appointed two strident advocates of Israel's right-wing settler movement to the key positions of U.S. ambassador to Israel and chief negotiator.

Ambassador-designate David Friedman insists the United States should end the "two-state narrative" and claims that moderate Zionist groups like J Street who support it are "far worse than kapos  Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps."

With the incoming administration's rejection of the long-held international consensus that Israeli colonization of the Palestinian West Bank is both illegal and an obstacle to peace, and with his pledge to block any international action to prevent it, there will be nothing to stop Israel's right-wing government from consolidating its control over the occupied territory.

With Palestine's remaining population centers in the West Bank increasingly surrounded by large Israeli settlement blocs, a viable contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel would become physically impossible.

Palestinians would then have no choice but to demand equal rights within a greater Israel, forcing Israelis to choose between being a Jewish state or a democratic state. They could no longer be both.

This was the message on Dec. 28 in Secretary of State John Kerry's address, strongly denounced by the Israeli government, the Republicans, and a surprisingly large number of congressional Democrats.

On Jan. 5, in one of the first acts of the new Congress, the majority of House Democrats joined virtually all the Republicans in siding with Trump against President Barack Obama in a resolution condemning the United Nations for opposing illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, claiming it was "anti-Israel" to object to the Israeli colonization of the West Bank.

Meanwhile, Trump and his appointees have reiterated plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, a provocative move certain to inflame regional tensions, given the ancient city's importance not just to Jews, but to Muslims and Christians as well.

All foreign embassies are currently in Tel Aviv in recognition of Jerusalem's special international status as determined by the United Nations and the fact that the eastern half of the city is formally recognized as being under foreign belligerent occupation.

The formal congressional authorization to move the embassy to Jerusalem, which passed in 1995 and would serve as the legal basis for Trump's forthcoming order, was supported by 80 percent of House Democrats and 95 percent of Senate Democrats.

In late November, Rep. Eliot Engel, ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the party's leading foreign policy spokesman in the House of Representatives, successfully pushed through a resolution by voice vote opposing Palestinian statehood outside of what Israel's right-wing government would agree to, calling on the U.S. government to oppose any United Nations involvement in the peace process, and calling for the U.S. to veto any U.N. resolutions critical of Israel.

The broadly bipartisan effort not only called for the United States to block U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state, but threatened to cut all assistance to any international body, such as the World Health Organization, that did.

On Dec. 29, the White House made clear that not only would it refuse to join the overwhelming majority of the world's nations in recognizing Palestine, it would veto any U.N. Security Council resolution allowing Palestine to join the United Nations.

These hardline anti-Palestinian positions taken by the Democrats have nothing to do with constituent pressure. For example, a recent poll shows only 16 percent of Democrats and only 31 percent of Americans overall support the United States' blocking international recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Despite this, both parties appear determined to recognize Israeli expansionism and its annexation of lands seized by military force. This past year has seen the passage of a series of bills and resolutions by bipartisan majorities in Congress that explicitly define "Israel" as including "territories controlled by Israel."

Such a legal redefinition of what constitutes "Israel" has in large part been designed to make it more difficult to oppose the Israeli occupation or colonization of the West Bank, such as through boycotting or even simply labeling products produced in illegal settlements.

The 2016 Republican platform not only fails to support the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, as it had in previous years, it puts the party in opposition to virtually the entire international community by proclaiming Republicans "reject the false notion that Israel is an occupier."

It also insists that Israel "stands out among the nations as a beacon of democracy and humanity," that "support for Israel is an expression of Americanism," and that there should be "no daylight between America and Israel."

The platform also declares that the United States will withhold funding from the United Nations, the World Court, or any other international authority that attempts to pressure Israel to withdraw or attempts to impose any kind of peace settlement.

The only mention of Palestine or Palestinians in the platform is in the environmental section, where the GOP demands an immediate halt to U.S. funding for the 2014 Framework Convention on Climate Change signed in Paris because it "grants Palestinians membership as a state."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party platform  while supporting the concept of a two-state solution in theory  insists such a solution could only come on Israeli terms through direct negotiations.

Not only did the Democrats refuse to oppose or even acknowledge the occupation and settlements, it criticized the U.N. and civil society movements for their opposition and praised Israel's commitment to "equality, tolerance, and pluralism."

Both Republican and Democratic supporters of an Israeli takeover of much or all of the occupied Palestinian territories assume it would somehow be good for Israel.

In reality, not only will Jewish Israelis be faced with ongoing Palestinian resistance and international isolation, the demographic realities would eventually lead them to become a minority within their own country and therefore they would have to either accept Palestinian leadership or impose what would essentially be apartheid.

In other words, the very politicians who consider themselves "pro-Israel" may actually be sowing the seeds of the end of Israel as a Jewish state.

_________________________________________
SNc Channels:



Search

About Salem-News.com



Jan-11-2017 22:44 TweetFollow @OregonNews A Few Good Men, Too Many Chemicals: Toxic Exposure of US Marines and Government Lies The year after TCE was found in agricultural wells on and off the base at El Toro, the entire set of water distribution engineering drawings were redrawn.

A Few Good Men, Too Many Chemicals documents the denial of responsibility and the cover-up by Marine Corps leadership.

(SOMERDALE, N.J.) - This explosive new book details the tragic story of U.S. Marines at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, CA, and Camp Lejeune, NC, who were exposed to organic solvents, benzene, and other carcinogens in the drinking water, and through dermal contact and inhalation while working with toxic chemicals without protective clothing and face masks. Thousands of veterans and their families were once stationed at El Toro, now an "EPA Superfund site" and the premier Marine Corps jet fighter base until it closed in July 1999. At Camp Lejeune, an active Marine Corps base and EPA Superfund site, the base wells were contaminated with organic solvents from 1953 to 1987 with an estimated one million people exposed to contaminated well water. EPA Superfund sites are the nation's worst hazardous waste sites, requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contamination. Since 1980, the EPA has maintained the list of such locations, and managed the cleanup. The Navy and the Marine Corps initially refused to acknowledge any health effects from the Lejeunes contaminated well water until Marine veterans and dependents enlisted the help of the North Carolina Congressional delegation and took the battle for VA health care to Congress. Reported health problems in people of all ages from drinking water contaminated with TCE and/or PCE include: An estimated one million people were exposed to contaminated well water at Camp Lejeune. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma

Bladder cancer

Breast cancer

Lung cancer

Hodgkins disease

Cervical cancer

Kidney cancer

Liver/biliary cancer

Ovarian cancer

Prostate cancer

Neurological effects (delayed reaction times problems with short-term memory, visual perception, attention, and color vision) Legislation to provide health care for Camp Lejeune was passed in the 112th Congress. In September 2016, Lejeune veterans were eligible for presumptive VA disability compensation for 8 of the 15 health conditions that the VA agreed are linked to toxic chemicals in the base's water wells. There is no presumptive health care and disability for El Toro Marines, as of yet. El Toro veterans have to fight for health care and disability one veteran at a time. A Few Good Men, Too Many Chemicals documents the denial of responsibility and the cover-up by Marine Corps leadership of environmental contamination from veterans, their dependents, and the public at El Toro. The book reveals astonishing details: The USMC has demonstrated no usage records on TCE and other organic solvents used on the base for decades;

denial of ownership for 16 years of a major TCE plume spreading for miles into Orange County until a lawsuit forced the government to accept responsibility;

loss of all of the original well construction drawings (permanent records) and over 40 years of water distribution engineering drawings;

no records on the dates the base wells were abandoned;

denial of the use of base wells by the Corps and Navy when a small quantity of softened municipal water was purchase in 1951, there was no evidence of contaminated well water or insufficient supply of water from the aquifer under the base, and the early purchase was inadequate to meet the demand for water without access to the wells;

engineering drawings showing the base wells part of the water distribution system after the purchase of municipal water;

the unexplained cut-off of pumping records when the base wells were clearly shown as not abandoned in an El Toro engineering drawings from 1975;

a radiation contaminated hangar shuttered and sealed in 2016, years after the Navy reported the hangar free of radiation, and dioxin 2,3,7, 8 (TCDD), the deadly toxin in Agent Orange, listed on the California Department of Toxic Substances Controls database as a probable contaminant of concern, and the VAs confirmation of the death of an El Toro Marine from Agent Orange exposure who never served in Vietnam. At El Toro, 55-gallon drums of TCE waste were buried on the base to hide them from the Marine Corps Inspector General after their use was not authorized; the entire set of water distribution engineering drawings were redrawn in 1986, the year after TCE was found in agricultural wells on and off the base, and during the period when ten of Camp Lejeunes wells were found contaminated with TCE and abandoned. The Navy's mantra, "No need to worry" falls on deaf ears. GET YOUR OWN COPY OF "A Few Good Men, Too Many Chemicals": CLICK HERE _________________________________________

Veterans | Military | United-states | Most Commented on





Articles for January 10, 2017 | Articles for January 11, 2017 | Articles for January 12, 2017
MIAMI and HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HEICO Corporation (NYSE:HEI.A) (NYSE:HEI) today announced that the highly-regarded Institutional Investor magazine (II) named HEICO to its All America Executive Team and named Laurans A. Mendelson, HEICOs Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, the best CEO in Aerospace & Defense Electronics sector. In addition, Institutional Investor named HEICOs Investor Relations program as the second best such program in the Aerospace & Defense Electronics sector.



Institutional Investor conducts a survey of the top 3,100 portfolio managers and analysts to assemble its list of the Countrys best companies and management teams. The survey looks at various factors which investors, analysts and the magazine consider to be important characteristics of a strong management team. Ultimately, Institutional Investor selected 171 U.S. companies out of the roughly 20,000 U.S. publicly-held companies for inclusion in the All America Executive Team.

Laurans A. Mendelson remarked, These honors by Institutional Investor magazine result from our nearly 5,000 Team Members outstanding and diligent work and commitment to excellence. Our Team Members are responsible for HEICOs success and we are honored to have been recognized by so many highly regarded investment professionals.

Institutional Investor will present the awards at a major ceremony in New York City on March 7, 2017. For more information about the event and the awards, please see Institutional Investors special website, www.iimosthonoredcompanies.com

HEICO Corporation is engaged primarily in the design, production, servicing and distribution of products and services to certain niche segments of the aviation, defense, space, medical, telecommunications and electronics industries through its Hollywood, Florida-based Flight Support Group and its Miami, Florida-based Electronic Technologies Group. HEICO's customers include a majority of the world's airlines and overhaul shops, as well as numerous defense and space contractors and military agencies worldwide, in addition to medical, telecommunications and electronics equipment manufacturers. For more information about HEICO, please visit our website at http://www.heico.com.
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.
Christmas. Many people are thinking about sitting around an open fire, Slade on the stereo, a pot of mulled wine in between your frosty fingers, surrounded by family and friends, stuffed from a traditional dinner and exhausted from all the gift giving and taking.

Christmas for so many of us means this scene, and most importantly, being home with the people you love the most.

But for many of us, many of us travellers especially, Christmas can take on a different meaning.

This year Ive spent the time of contemplation on the other side of the world, far away from home, in Samoa which has been a completely new experience.

Spending time on white sand beaches under swaying coconut trees and sitting in an open fale in the small village Leauvaa on a pleasantly thirty something degree day.

Music filters the air everywhere  Christian rap, pop, reggae  all seem to have a Christmas theme.

Christmas in Samoa is about togetherness and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Although giving gifts at Christmas time was a concept introduced by Palagi, Samoans have adopted this custom with relish.

Church activities play a prominent role in the festivities.

Choirs ring in the time of contemplation and accompany it to the very end.

On Christmas morning thousands of umu-fires burn all over Samoa.

The food cooking is more plentiful and varied. Special culinary dishes will be prepared especially for this day.

The Christmas day begins with church and a sense of renewal takes place as everyone remembers the miracle of Christs birth.

Afterwards food, presents, some noisy games, traditional dancing or a leisurely nap have filled the Christmas day.

Even if everything has been quite different, one thing did not change.

I havent been alone. Ive been surrounded by my Samoan host family and new friends.

It was a great opportunity to see how other cultures celebrate Christmas.

Safe to say, this was no Christmas I had imagined, but it was a different kind of Christmas, and one I loved just as much and I wont forget.

*Julia is a volunteer from Germany. She is in Samoa with Projects Abroad and she has been working for the Samoa Observer for the past two months.
Technology is a great tool.

But it can also be a very disruptive force when it is misused.

And for a small developing country like Samoa, the negative impact of technology is starting to scare some people.

Sina Seumanu from the village of Salelologa Savaii is one of them who has cautioned about the negative influence of technology.

Aged 31, Sina said a lot has changed in Samoa because of technology.

I believe that the changes we have in our country nowadays are mostly influenced by technology, she told the Village Voice.

Life is not the same anymore and I can see that technology is one of the main reasons why.

While she accepts that technology has many positive impacts, its the wrong use of it that worries her.

A lot of people are not using it wisely. We see a lot of young people fighting over the internet and most of them spend more time on the internet and with their phones than their families, she said.

I am a mother of eight, and my children are growing up very fast and this is what I have been telling them.

I always tell them to be careful when it comes to technology. They should only use it for the right reasons.

I also try and stop them from going on the internet and use phones until they finish their school. Because I want them to have a good education so they can have better jobs for the future.

Phones and internet will only disturb them from their studies.

I know a lot of people can agree with me that technology is affecting a lot of our children. And we as parents are not careful, the results will be so bad.

Weve seen it on television and heard it on the radio that some have committed suicide because of a small fight on the internet or because of a text.

Sina believes that its just natural for a development to have both negative and positive impacts.

Like I said before, technology has negative and positive impacts. But for me, if our people are not doing anything about the negative impacts we have already, it will spread out like a disease and it will only get worse.

We should never stop telling our children to keep their eyes open and to only use it for the right reasons.

I believe that we should work together to make sure that our children do not suffer from the over-use or the abuse of technology and internet.

It can affect them in so many ways if we dont do something about it. And to me, I dont want my children to suffer because of their addiction to technology and the internet.
A chief from the village of Lufilufi has some advice for the government.

While Magele Lene appreciates the hard work they are doing, he wants them to slow down and consider the impact of some of the developments on people.

Aged 55, the village mayor of the village of Lufilufi believes that our future generation will suffer if we dont do anything about it now.

He told the Village Voice that the government is interfering a lot with issues within villages and families in Samoa.

God chose matais to look after and take care of Samoa. Not our government, said Magele. This is worrying me because our government is interfering with a lot of things in our country.

And the way I see it, if we continue this, it is not going to end well.

He went on to say that our government should look at this very careful.

The government should never interfere with the authority of the matais within the villages and families.

The way I see it, it seems like our government is trying to control our families, villages and everything in Samoa.

Sometimes it looks like they are interfering with the decision making in our families.

But we have high chiefs; they are the ones responsible for taking care of our families and especially with the decision makings.

The truth is, if the government interferes with the decisions within families, it will break families apart.

Magele makes it clear he doesnt have anything against the government.

However, he is just voicing his own opinion about what he think is wrong in Samoa nowadays.

To me, our government is not doing anything bad. Its just that sometimes they cross the line and they go overboard, he said.

The other thing I dont like is the abuse of power. Just because they are running the government doesnt mean that they can do whatever they want. That is so unfair.

He believes that if this continues, then we need to change the Constitution.

Our country is founded on God. But if this behavior continues, then we really need to change this Constitution.

What is worrying me is our future generation. I worry for them and I feel sorry for them. I dont want to grow up in an environment where authority is being abused.

There will be no unity and our children will suffer. And this is something we need to change.
Its seven days before Donald Trump is sworn in as the next president of the United States of America, and yet the man has been described by the New York Times as a contemptible liar, and a person with the maturity and the schoolyard viciousness, of an 8-year old.

Now thats scary.

So that perhaps its time now for every country in the free world to get a firm grip on oneself, and watch closely as to which hole in the ground almighty Donald Trump is likely to drag each one of them into.

In an editorial dated 10 January 2017 and headlined: Trump, Trapped in His Lies, Keeps lying. Sad! Lawrence Downes wrote: He hasnt taken office yet, but Donald Trump is lost, wandering in a labyrinth of lies and trying to drag the country in with him.

Downes was referring to a speech by Trump in South Carolina in 2015 where he targeted the Times reporter, Sege Kovaleski, who has arthrogryposis, a condition that leaves his right arm and hand, bent and rigid.

In his address, Trump mocked the reporter as he was telling his audience: You ought to see this guy, and now he was demonstrating the reporters disability by flailing his own right arm and hand in the air making spastic movements, and according to Downes, as Trump was demonstrating he was disgracing himself.

The act was contemptible, Downes wrote, and in a way unbelievable; a future president showing the maturity and the schoolyard viciousness of an 8-year old.

It all began when the actress, Meryl Streep, speaking at the Golden Globes back in 2015, said she had been stunned and heartbroken seeing Donald Trump mock the reporter with that physical disability, and she was referring to Sege Kovaleski.

I still cant get it out of my head, she said. Because it wasnt in a movie. It was in real life. And this instinct to humiliate, when it is modelled by someone in the public forum, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybodys life because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing.

Disrespect invites disrespect, violence invites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.

And then, just as Meryl Streep had feared, Americas President-elect, Donald Trump, attacked; this time he was swearing he was innocent, and he was saying:

Hillary flunky who lost. For the 100th time, I never "e; mocked"e: a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him .

- Donald J. [email protected])

January 9, 2017.

"grovelling" when he totally changed a 16 year old story that had been written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media!

- Donald J. Trump (@real Donald Trump)

January 9,2017.

In response, Lawrence Downes wrote: Just more lies upon lies. It all goes back to Mr Trumps baseless claim that he saw Muslims dancing in the streets by the thousands after the towers fell on 9/11.

It gets more interesting though. Now in defence of her boss Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway, went on TV where she told the American public: He has debunked this so many times.

Why is everything taken at face value? she said. You cant give him the benefit of the doubt on this and hes telling you what was in his heart?

You always go by whats come out of his mouth rather than look as whats in his heart?

Now thats fresh! Since when has the human heart become adept at articulating words the way the mouth does so that they are perfectly understood to the brain?

Would Kellyanne Conway be kind enough to reciprocate?

Lets face it. Politicians are by disposition skilful liars. It comes with the job. Indeed, there is a lot of manipulation involved; this is to say the more gifted the manipulator, the longer one remains in the job.

Back in 1973, when it was proven that President Richard Nixon had lied to America he had played no role in the Watergate Break-in, Nixon was forced to resign.

Later when Vice President Gerald Ford took over as President, Congress dropped impeachment proceedings against Nixon, but not the criminal ones.

Congress announced then there was still a possibility that Nixon could be prosecuted.

Which was when President Ford stepped in and issued a full and unconditional pardon of President Nixon.

He said: The pardon immunizes Nixon from prosecution for any crimes he had committed or may have committed or taken part in as President.

And then in a television address on 8 September 1974, President Ford gave America his reasons for his pardon proclamation, saying: I feel the pardon is in the best interest of the country in that the Nixon familys situation is an American tragedy, in which we all have played a part.

It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must.

Now the question is: Is this why Trump, Trapped in His Lies, will just Keep on Lying and lying no matter what, as Lawrence Downes has pointed out?

What about us here in blissful paradise?

Are our politicians wandering in a labyrinth of their lies and as theyre doing so, theyre trying to drag our small country down in the dregs with them?

Tell the rest what youre thinking.
The behaviour of street vendors on the streets of Apia is cause for concern, especially for businesses in the Central Business District.

In light of videos showing the vendors beating up innocent members of the public and fighting among themselves, some of the shop owners have expressed concerns that one day someone will be killed.

This is why they want the government to do something about these vendors now  if possible remove them completely.

About the fight that was captured on video, Salelavalu Tanielu, said it was started because one of the vendors was caught stealing from a shop.

But its not the first time they have been caught stealing.

Mrs. Tanielu who works for Farmers Store told the Samoa Observer shopkeepers are always on the alert when they are around.

They have become very bad with stealing, she said.

Whats more, the vendors have become very aggressive and rude.

Everyday they come and say really bad things to us and to members of the public, she said.

They have become very rude. Their behaviour shows they are not being taught well at home.

Mrs. Tanielu believes the parents are to blame.

If the children become used to the bad company, of course they will continue to misbehave. They act like they are the only ones in the public.

Other businesses in the area expressed similar concerns.

I allow them to sell but once they start asking the customers for food I will tell them to leave, says a worker at Todah Cafe at the S.N.P.F Plaza.

They always tease people, almost everyday. They touch things and they like teasing people and the workers and then they run away.

One day, the worker said he confronted the mother of some of the children.

But she simply did not care at all.

At McDonalds Restaurant, its the same problem.

An official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they are fed up with the behaviour.

It seems that despite all the efforts of sending them home there has been no improvement.

We do not allow them to sell in here but this is not what the reality shows. We seem to be powerless. The worrying thing for us is that its increasing.

And we see that its becoming more and more obvious.
A senior lawyer has urged the government to appoint Counsels for Childrens Rights in Samoa.

Unasa Iuni Sapolu of the Sapolu Law Firm raised the point during an interview with the Samoa Observer.

It followed the Polices decision to keep Unasas 65-year-old brother Eti Sapolu at the Police station with his 3-year-old daughter, Malu Sapolu.

Mr. Sapolu went with his daughter to the Police station inquiring about a matter he was asked to give evidence.

However, when he arrived, he was told he would be held at the station.

He spent all the time there with his daughter by his side.

Unasa said it was wrong of the Police to involve the young child.

I mean for this situation, Eki is an adult; he can fight for himself, but what about the daughter? she said.

The Police are supposed to protect the rights of those vulnerable children.

But nothing was done to protect the 3-year-old.

She went on to say that the police shouldve looked for someone to look after the three-year-old and not take her in with her father.

In New Zealand, the first thing you need to do is to make sure there is an authority or someone to look after the child, when they are going to use the power to arrest someone.

You have to make sure that the children are safe. That is the very first step. But over here, we dont give two hoots about children.

And I want that to be the most important thing here.

In this situation, Eki is an adult, he can use whatever he can for himself, and he can get a lawyer and fight for him. What about this child? Where is her right to have a lawyer? Children have rights to get a lawyer.

They are called Counsel for Childrens Right.

In New Zealand, these lawyers are senior lawyers who protect the rights of the children.

We dont have that here, and we need to start having that here for the sake of our children.

Unasa believes the government should pay for lawyers to stand up for our children in such situations.

I had to be the lawyer for Eki and for my niece (Ekis daughter).

What about 99.9% of Samoan children in this situation? They have nobody. And it is becoming too regular. The government should fund the lawyers for these young children.

Their rights are being ignored. We have ratified the United Nation Convention for the Right of children, and we have ratified C.E.D.A.W and yet not enough is being done to protect our children.
The fire at the Peace Chapel Church last Saturday evening was most likely caused by an electrical fault.

Thats the conclusion drawn by the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services (F.E.S.A) after its investigation into the matter.

This was confirmed by F.E.S.A Commissioner, Lelevaga Faafouina Mupo, during an interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday.

We suspect an electrical fault as reported earlier, probably the weather, said.

The heavy downpour is likely to have played a part, he added, igniting an electrical wire in the building.

According to the Commissioner, the flame was first ignited in the middle of the ceiling in the building and soon caught fire to surrounding flammable objects such as curtains that caused the fire to spread with haste.

Members of the church had just concluded their practice for their Sunday service but luckily no one was hurt during the inferno.

The Commissioner tips his hat to the fearless team of fire fighters that reacted quickly and arrived on the scene in time to subdue the fire before it could spread further.

He also thanks the assistance of the church members and neighbours for their cooperation during the incident as well as during the recovery process.

On a lighter note, the Commissioner has received word that the building was covered by insurance.

Due to the nature of the ignition of the fire, F.E.S.A suspects there is no foul play but rather an unfortunate incident.
SOLON EIENDOM ASA

STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, HONG KONG, SWITZERLAND OR THE UNITED STATES

Solon Eiendom ASA - Approval of prospectus, listing of new shares tomorrow and further information on the subsequent offering

(Oslo, Norway, 12 January 2017) Reference is made to earlier stock exchange announcements by Solon Eiendom ASA ("Solon" or the "Company", ticker "SOLON") regarding the acquisition of Solon Eiendom AS, a private placement and the completion of an extraordinary general meeting (the "EGM").

At the EGM the Company's shareholders passed, inter alia, the following resolutions: (i) issuance of 6,666,666,666 new shares (the "Consideration Shares") as transaction consideration to the sellers of shares in Solon Eiendom AS, (ii) the completion of a guaranteed private placement to selected new investors (the "Private Placement"), and (iii) a guaranteed subsequent offering (the "Subsequent Offering") to shareholders in the Company as per the end of 23 November 2016 (as registered in the VPS per the end of 25 November 2016, the "Record Date") who shall have preferential rights to subscribe for new shares, provided such shareholders are (i) not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful, or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway) require any prospectus filing, registration or similar action, (ii) and/or who were not allocated shares in the Private Placement, (iii) and/or who did not participate in the guarantee consortium for the Private Placement (the "Eligible Shareholders").

The Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (the "NFSA") has approved the prospectus of the Company dated 12 January 2017 (the "Prospectus") prepared in connection with (i) the listing on Oslo Brs of 6,666,666,666 Consideration Shares; (ii) the listing of 1,000,000,000 new shares (the "New Private Placement Shares") issued in connection with the Private Placement at a subscription price of NOK 0.15 per share; and (iii) the Subsequent Offering and listing of 666,666,666 new shares (the "Offer Shares") at a subscription price of NOK 0.15 (the "Subscription Price") per Offer Share with transferable subscription rights for Eligible Shareholders. The Prospectus will be published prior to the opening of the Oslo Stock Exchange tomorrow, 13 January 2017.

The Prospectus will, subject to regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions, following publication be available on the following websites: www.bionorpharma.com, www.dnb.no/emisjoner, www.arctic.com/secno/offerings and www.sb1markets.no. Hard copies of the Prospectus may be obtained by contacting the Company (telephone: +47 22 29 66 90), DNB Markets (telephone: +47 23 26 81 01), Arctic Securities (telephone: +47 21 01 30 40) or Sparebank 1 Markets (telephone: +47 24 14 74 00).

The Consideration Shares and the new Private Placement Shares (which since issue has been temporarily registered under a separate ISIN) will assume the regular ISIN of the Company's shares under the ticker "SOLON" following publication of the Prospectus and thus become tradable on Oslo Brs. The Company will issue a separate announcement of the listing of the Consideration Shares and the New Private Placement Shares prior to such listing. The Consideration Shares and the New Private Placement Shares will become tradable following listing of such shares. It is expected that the exchange of ISIN will be registered outside of normal trading hours.

Further information about the Subsequent Offering

The Subsequent Offering comprises 666,666,666 Offer Shares, each with a par value of NOK 0.10, offered by the Company at a Subscription Price of NOK 0.15 per Offer Share, thereby raising gross proceeds of NOK 100 million. Eligible Shareholders will be granted 0.65129 tradable subscription rights (the "Subscription Rights") for each Share registered as held in the VPS by such Eligible Shareholder at the expiry of the Record Date. The Subscription Rights will be rounded down to the nearest whole Subscription Right. Subscription rights will not be awarded based on the New Private Placement Shares or the Consideration Shares. Subject to applicable law, the Subscription Rights provide preferential rights to subscribe for and be allocated Offer Shares in the Subsequent Offering at the Subscription Price. Oversubscription and subscription without Subscription Rights will be permitted.

The subscription period for the Subsequent Offering will commence on 13 January 2017 at 09:00 CET and will end on 27 January 2017 at 16:30 CET (the "Subscription Period").

The Subsequent Offering is fully underwritten by an underwriting consortium which has agreed to secure the full subscription of the Subsequent Offering (the "Guarantee"). The Guarantee is unconditional and irrevocable. The underwriting consortium consists of certain existing shareholders and other investors. Each underwriter's liability is pro rata and no underwriter is liable for the subscriptions or payments of other underwriters. The Company shall pay a fee to the underwriters equal to 2% of each underwriter's underwriting obligation in relation to the Offer Shares. Please see section 7.11 of the Prospectus for further information about such underwriting and the underwriting consortium.

The Subscription Rights will be listed and tradable on Oslo Brs in the period commencing on 13 January 2017 at 09:00 CET and ending on 25 January 2017 at 16:30 CET (the "Trading Period") under the ticker code "SOLON T". The Subscription Rights are expected to have an economic value if the Solon shares trade above the Subscription Price during the Subscription Period. Subscription Rights that are not exercised before the end of the Subscription Period (i.e. before 27 January 2017 at 16:30 CET) or sold before the end of the Trading Period (i.e. before 25 January 2017 at 16.30 CET) will have no value and will lapse without compensation to the holder. Holders of Subscription Rights should note that subscriptions for Offer Shares must be made in accordance with the procedures set out in the Prospectus and that holding Subscription Rights in itself does not represent a subscription for Offer Shares.

If an Eligible Shareholder held shares in the Company registered through a financial intermediary on the Record Date, the financial intermediary will customarily give the Eligible Shareholder details of the aggregate number of Subscription Rights to which it is entitled. The relevant financial intermediary will customarily supply each Eligible Shareholder with this information in accordance with its usual customer relations procedures. Eligible Shareholders holding their shares in the Company through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary if they have received no information with respect to the Subsequent Offering.

The Subscription Rights and the Offer Shares are being offered only in those jurisdictions in which, and only to those persons to whom, offers and sales of the Offer Shares (pursuant to the exercise of the Subscription Rights or otherwise) may lawfully be made.

Subject to timely payment of the entire subscription amount in the Subsequent Offering, it is expected that the Offer Shares will be issued and delivered to the VPS accounts of the subscribers to whom they are allocated on or about 7 February 2017. The Offer Shares allocated in the Subsequent Offering are expected to be traded on Oslo Brs from and including the same date.

For complete information about the Subsequent Offering and the risk factors in connection with the Company and the shares, please see the Prospectus, in particular Section 7 "The Subsequent Offering" and Section 2, "Risk Factors". For a description of restrictions in respect of subscription of Offer Shares and trading in and/or exercising Subscription Rights, reference is made to Section 22, "Selling and Transfer restrictions", in the Prospectus.

A letter containing information about the Subsequent Offering will be submitted to the Company's shareholders as registered in the VPS on the Record Date who are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful, or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway) require any prospectus filing, registration or similar action. Please see a copy of the letter attached to this stock exchange announcement.

DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA, Arctic Securities AS and SpareBank 1 Markets are engaged as managers for the Subsequent Offering.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Further information

Simen Thorsen

Chairman of the Board, Solon Eiendom ASA

E-mail: st@soloneiendom.no

Cell Phone: +47 918 86 886

Andreas Martinussen

Chief Executive Officer, Solon Eiendom ASA

E-mail: am@soloneiendom.no

Cell Phone: +47 400 00 405

About Solon Eiendom

Solon Eiendom is a Norwegian residential real estate development company focusing on the Oslo and Akershus region. Solon Eiendom was established in 2006 by founder Simen Thorsen and investor Tore Aksel Voldberg. The company has since its incorporation delivered 570 units with a corresponding sales value of close to NOK ~3 billion and sold more than 800 units with a total sales price of more than NOK ~4 billion.

Important Information

The release is not for publication or distribution, in whole or in part directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia).

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. It is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities, in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia Canada, Japan, Hong Kong or the United States. The issue, exercise, purchase or sale of subscription rights and the subscription or purchase of shares in the Company are subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company, DNB Markets, Arctic Securities nor SpareBank1 Markets assumes any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.

The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The beginning of 2017 has become a very sad period for the family of Kaisara Tangatauli, of Faatoia.

The 33-year-old was found dead in his car last week Friday.

This was confirmed by the Police Spokesperson, Sua Muliaga Tiumalu.

The deceased, his sister and his brother in law went on Thursday morning to drop off one of their family members at Satapuala because it was closer to the airport, said Sua.

On their way back, the deceased's sister was driving while the deceased and his brother in law were sitting at the back of the car.

The Police said a dispute broke out into a fight.

The two were having a fist fight from Satapuala all the way to Faatoia. When they arrived home, the sister and her husband went in the house while the deceased went to sleep in the car.

The next day one of the deceased's brother went to put up the windows of the car and found him inside the car. The brother tried to wake him up but there was no response. The family rushed him to the hospital but it was too late.

Sua said the Police have arrested a suspect who is scheduled to appear in Court on 23 January. He has been charged with murder.

It was not possible to get a comment from the family.

But people who knew Mr. Tangatauli said he was a wonderful person and he would be sorely missed.

A friend and a colleague Sua Hesed Ieremia told the Samoa Observer he was very humble.

Kaisara used to work at the Samoa Tourism Authority at our Human Resource Department and it was just last year that he resigned from here because he got a position at the Petroleum Products Supplies, said Sua.

Kaisara is a harmless person, a very humble human being. He is someone that nobody will get angry at because he was very humble and harmless.

If you had an argument with Kaisara he would not say anything that will make you get angry. He was a sensible and responsible guy and in our office here at S.T.A he would be the go to guy whenever we need anything done.

Sua recalls many special moments with Mr. Tangatauli.

We would plan to go hiking because we wanted to lose some weight, he said.

He was a very dear friend to me and its sad to see someone who is harmless like him gone the way he did. I couldnt believe how someone could do something like this to him.

Sua also recalled the day he was told of the news.

It was on Friday when we were preparing for the Excellence Award that I was told of the news, he said. [And] as busy as we were on that day we paused, reflected and mourned the sudden passing of our dear friend.

Like I said he was one of a kind friend he was loved by everyone here at S.T.A and even when he left for his new job we missed him here because of the kind of person he was.

It was a shock when we were told of the news we couldnt believe it and it still hurts when I think of all the good times we spend together.

The Managing Director of P.P.S, Fanene Etuale Sefo, said Mr. Tangatauli was their Administration Manager.

We are very saddened to hear of the unexpected passing of Kaisara, he said.

He was our Admin Manager and has only worked here since October last year. He was an excellent worker and will be sorely missed.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult and sad time.

Mr. Tangataulis Facebook page is full of his friends and families messages to him.

I was showing your cousins your photos tonight telling them who you were to us all, said Saipele Maika. You were molded differently than most people.

Kind and gentle heart, full of life, you were a blessing to us and all you meet. Can't believe you are really gone. Your memory will never fade. God needed the best. Love u sweet Sala. Sooner than later we will meet again. Te amo!!!!
A businessman and mechanic has questioned the Land and Transport Authority over the use of coloured tyres mainly green ones, whether they are illegal.

Francis Uhrle bought green tires from one of the local companies some months ago.

However, when a relative of his used the car he was stopped by an officer of L.T.A. saying the tyres are not allowed and should be removed.

Mr. Uhrle asked where in the law does it state that coloured tyres are prohibited.

I have had the tyres for more than six months and all of a suddenly they say we cannot use them, he told the Samoa Observer.

I had also queried the Police traffic officers whether there is a law about coloured tyres which they responded no.

As a qualified mechanic from New Zealand any product that is sold is passed by inspections to be safe and I dont see anything unsafe about the coloured tires.

So I dont understand the L.T.A and it is not good to have people with personal issues sitting on high government officials.

Mr. Uhrle said he had also contacted the local distributor of the tyres who made it clear they had consulted with L.T.A. who approved the tyres to go on the shelves.

It was not possible to get a comment from L.T.A. yesterday. The C.E.O. was in a meeting.

The employees at the authority also declined to clarify if there is a law that prohibits the use of coloured tires.

Asked for a comment, Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, PapaliI Niko Lee Hang said he was unaware of any law prohibiting coloured tyres.

If they are cheaper then why not, said Papalii.

But I cant recall any law prohibiting vehicles from using coloured tyres I cant see the problem with a car driving around with coloured tires. Those days we used to have white wall tyres. I dont see that anymore.
Catholic Education has a new Director.

He is Father Mikaele Tuimavave (SM) who takes over from former Director Aeau Chris Hazelman.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Fr. Tuimavave said he is humbled by the new role but he also knows the road ahead is not easy.

I humble myself before God for He has brought me to where I am today and all things are possible when we trust in the Lord, Fr. Tuimavave.

I also want to thank Achibishop Alapati Lui Mataeliga especially Aeau for all the hard works the past years.

Looking ahead, Fr. Mikaele is optimistic.

Im currently looking into bringing back sisters (taupou sa) and fathers (patele) to teach in our schools like the past years, he said.

As we all know, they were the ones that raised many of the good leaders in the government, families and villages of the past and today.

They had worked from their heart and sacrificed their times while carrying out their duties from time to time while served Samoa through Catholic schools.

I think its time to go back to the root of good education in Catholic schools for a change.

The professional development of teachers is also on top of the Directors agenda.

It is critical to have ongoing and regular programmes for teachers as well for theyre the ones that provide many good opportunities for students.

Most importantly is the development of students in different fields of education.

Fr. Mikaele said the way forward is bound to be fraught with challenges but he believes God will make a way.

All callings are from God and I have faith and trust in him for this new journey.

Im now ready to serve to the best of my ability for I am just a servant and I am very humble by this calling.

And we know that all things work together when we support each other to the best of our ability.

The appointment of Fr. Mikaele Tuimavave became effective at the beginning of the month.

But the Catholic education system is not new to him.

Fr. Mikaele attended Marist Brothers Primary School and graduated from St Josephs College.

After several years working in the private sector, he entered the Marist Fathers, undertook his training for the priesthood at the Regional Seminary in Fiji and was ordained in 2006.

Fr. Mikaele worked as a teacher at Chanel College, Moamoa for three years before returning to Fiji to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Education.

From 2012-2015 he was Principal of Chanel College.

In 2016, he undertook a sabbatical renewal programme at the East Asia Pastoral Institute in Manila, Philipines before returning to Samoa to continue teaching at Chanel College.

Fr. Mikaele Tuimavave brings his experiences as a worker, a priest, a teacher, a pastor and a leader to the significant role of Director of Catholic Education.

The Board has every confidence that Fr. Mikaele will continue the work of his predecessor and ensure that Catholic Education remains a vital role force for the development of Samoa.

We pray that God will bless him and the Holy Spirit guide him as he takes up his new appointment, Chairman of Catholic Education Board; Fr. Patolo Matiasi, stated.

The new Director of Catholic Education, Fr. Mikaele Tuimavave is well placed to build on the achievements and successes of his predecessor.

His appointment comes at the conclusion of the fourth contract of appointment of Aeau Hazelman after twelve years of dedicated and faithful service to Catholic Education in Samoa in the role o Director.

During his tenure, Aeau has given specific attention to the needs of schools, principals, teachers and student.

His support of the principals and schools has been outstanding as has his representation of Catholic Education within the wider education sector and with government and statutory authorities.

The Catholic Education Board is deeply grateful for the service of Aeau during his long tenure as Director of Catholic Education Chairman of Catholic Education Board; Fr. Patolo Matiasi

We pray that the Lord may reward him and continue to bless him and his family in the next phase of his life.

Fr. Tuimavave is 44-years-old from the villages of Amaile and Satitoa, Aleipata.
San Diego County received more than $243 million in federal aid in 2016 to house its poorest residents.

Thats why all eyes were on Ben Carson on Thursday morning as president-elect Donald Trumps nominee to run the federal agency that distributes the money was questioned by a Senate committee.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate, has in the past rallied against government dependency, and criticized federal assistance for healthcare, food and housing.

Advertisement

Yet he was much more subdued in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, saying the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided an essential service.

I see HUD as a part of the solution, helping ensure housing security and strong communities, Carson said.

He was sparse on details about what his plans were for current spending. The nominee did say his campaign pledge to cut spending of federal agencies by 10 percent was now 1 percent, wanted a larger role for the private sector in addressing poverty and made passing reference to his mother not taking assistance as a hardworking poor single mother in Detroit.

Her strong desire was not to be dependent on anybody else, Carson said. She would say, You know the person who has the most to do with where you live? Its you. Its not somebody else.

Steve Russell, executive director of affordable housing advocate San Diego Housing Federation, said Carsons vagueness and rolling back of tougher talk left him unsure of what to think.

It was only mildly concerning instead of severely concerning, he said of Carsons latest comments.

Russell said he was worried about what he saw as Carsons lack of understanding of housing policy but was pleased to hear the nominee plans to take a listening tour of the nation to talk to housing leaders.

I would relish the opportunity, he said.

Much of the news coverage Thursday focused on Carson refusing to answer if Trumps business interests would benefit from HUD money. Politics aside, San Diego County could be drastically changed by funding cuts.

In 2016, San Diego County received $104 million in rental assistance for low-income households, called Section 8. The city, through the San Diego Housing Commission, received $139 million.

It also gets federal money for new subsidized housing projects, including $168 million in tax credits over the last decade.

Rick Gentry, CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission, said he hopes Carson will be flexible toward the citys issues instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, be an advocate for subsidized housing and keep funding around the same amount.

A 1 percent reduction is a lot better than 10 percent, he said. Money is the fuel that makes what we do work. Funding is essential.

Gentry said he has reached out to friends of friends of Carson to see if he would like to come to San Diego.

My perception of Dr. Carson is positive, not all negative, he said. For somebody to overcome the obstacles he has overcome, and rise to the levels of expertise that he has done, means hes a smart guy.

Theres at least a good chance that Carson would not do anything drastic to funding in the short term. He told the committee he would not get rid of safety net programs without having an alternative program

Would we love to put every single person in a wonderful unit forever? Absolutely. That would be ideal, Carson said. But we we dont necessarily have the necessary funding.

Carson appeared to be displeased by a recent move by current HUD Secretary Julian Castro to reduce the annual insurance premiums most borrowers pay by a quarter of a percent. The move will save the average San Diego County homeowner around $1,200 a year if they have a federally-backed loan.

I, too, was surprised to see something of this nature done on the way out the door . . . Certainly if confirmed, Im going to work with the FHA administrator and other experts to really examine that policy, he said when answering a question from Pat Toomey, R-Pa.

It was only mildly concerning instead of severely concerning.  Steve Russell, San Diego Housing Federation, on Ben Carson hearing

Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Ben Carson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. (AP Photo/Zach Gibson) (Zach Gibson / AP )

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

ALSO

Half your income on rent? Youre not alone

What does Ben Carsons appointment mean for San Diego?

What a President Trump could mean for SoCal housing
Joe Mosca, a former mayor of the small Los Angeles foothills town of Sierra Madre and a relative newcomer to Encinitas, will be the citys newest council member.

In a 3-1 vote, with Councilman Mark Muir opposed, the council selected Mosca on Wednesday night to fill the post vacated when Catherine Blakespear was sworn in last month as the citys new mayor. The council made its decision after hearing presentations from 13 applicants for the council spot --- originally 16 people applied, but three recently withdrew their names.

Mosca is a 44-year-old San Diego Gas & Electric Co. manager who lives in the citys Olivenhain community and serves on the Encinitas Parks & Recreation Commission.

Advertisement

His political experience  both running for election and serving on a city council  made him the best choice out of the outstanding pool of applicants, Blakespear said as she announced that he was her pick.

I feel like I want to set up the council for success, she said. I want us to work with somebody who seems to be collaborative, whose colleagues speak highly of him, who doesnt come as a one-issue candidate or (with) a perceived political direction in any way.

For his part, Mosca vowed to hit the ground running and said he will focus on preserving open space, enhancing residents quality of life and promoting public safety. During his time on the Sierra Madre City Council, where he served from 2006 to 2011, the city opened its first new public park in decades and overhauled its 100-year-old water system, he said.

He left Sierra Madra so that his husband, a doctor who conducts research on HIV/AIDS, could accept a one-year dream job in London, he said. After that position ended, they and their two children came back to the United States and decided to settle in Encinitas. In 2015, Mosca was appointed to the citys Parks & Recreation Commission where he has been an advocate for community trail projects.

Fellow parks commissioner Marge Kohl praised Moscas work Wednesday night and told the City Council that he has given her new ideas for city trail routes. Bob Nichols, founder of the nonprofit Surfing Madonna Oceans Project, told the council that Mosca would be an outstanding addition to the council, saying he was very respectful toward others and a visionary who deeply cares about his community.

While a series of public speakers praised Mosca, he also faced some probing questions about his service in Sierra Madre.

Councilman Muir, who recommended selecting applicant Tony Brandenburg for the council spot, said he had been sent a video showing Mosca in verbal conflict with fellow Sierra Madre council members and also said he had heard Mosca faced a recall campaign. He asked Mosca to respond to those issues.

Mosca said there was an attempt by a few people to recall him early in his time in office, but said it never got off the ground. His opponents failed to obtain enough signatures to qualify their proposal for the ballot, and he was the top vote-getter when he ran for re-election, he said. As for the video, he said, it was a highly edited, hit piece  a poster child for negative politics  and not a minute-by-minute recording of a council meeting.

Councilman Tony Kranz, who later in the evening said he would like one more week to review the materials presented by the 16 applicants before selecting a person for the post, asked whether Mosca felt he would have a conflict with his employer if he was appointed to the council post. Encinitas currently is exploring whether to set up a community choice energy program, an alternative to using SDG&E.

If selected, I would always be representing our community, not my employer, Mosca responded, adding that he would recuse himself from voting on energy issues if advised to do so by the city attorney.

Henry is a freelance writer in Encinitas.
Superheroes and sandwiches make for an all-American combo in Bess Wohls dark comedy, now getting its San Diego premiere in Ocean Beach.

The play, which premiered off-Broadway in 2014, centers on a trio of workers doing their best to keep the foot-longs coming even as their own prospects have been downsized to within an inch of their lives.

Kristen Fogle directs Lydia Lea Real, Michael Christopher Shantz, Keala Milles and Claudette Santiago in this saga of ordinarily people struggling for a last shot to be the big cheese  or at least carve out a tolerable place for themselves.

Advertisement

American Hero

When: 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays. Through Jan. 21.

Where: Different Stages at the OB Playhouse, 4944 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach.

Tickets: $22

Phone: (619) 795-9305

Online: differentstages.biz.

Twitter: @jimhebert

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com
The FDA has apparently pressured a Minnesota company into repairing a flaw that made its implantable pacemakers and defibrillator devices vulnerable to hackers  a threat thats been of growing concern to cybersecurity experts.

St. Jude Medical of St. Paul said in a statement this week that it will immediately deploy the latest release of cybersecurity updates for its Merlin remote monitoring system that is used with implantable pacemakers and defibrillator devices. The improvements include security updates that complement the companys existing measures and further reduce the risk of hacking, which the company described as extremely low.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been investigating the flaw, which was revealed last year by a security firm. The agency issued a special warning about St. Judges devices Monday.

Advertisement

Officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also have been looking into the issue.

Its good to see that the FDA is now recognizing these vulnerabilities, and its even more interesting that the medical devices are not being blamed, rather a part that is in the medical device is at fault, said Rod Schultz, vice president of the San Francisco-based company Rubicon Labs.

The FDA has learned a lot from the automotive industry, and the transmitter is the new airbag, he said. Hopefully, the FDA can take another page from the automotive safety and security manual and begin to acknowledge these vulnerabilities much faster in the future.

Ashton Mozano, who teaches cybersecurity at the University of San Diego, said Wednesday:  Are many medical devices currently in the market vulnerable to existing cyber threats? Probably yes.

Will most existing devices become vulnerable to future cyber threats if left unimproved? Without a doubt. The key question is, what is the industry as a whole planning to do about these challenges, and why is it taking so long?

Hacking of medical devices has been a hot topic of discussion in cybersecurity circles since the mid-2000s, Mozano said. I dont believe consumers would have tolerated the same level of uncertainty for so long if the topic of discussion was the safety of automotive airbags or tires.

Eric Topol, chief academic officer for the San Diego-based Scripps Health network, agreed that The ability to hack into medical devices, such as pacemakers, that have a wireless connection to the Internet is not new. In fact, when (then Vice President) Dick Cheney had a device implanted, this concern was raised some years ago. And hacking into insulin pumps and glucose sensors has been shown to be possible.



Cybersecurity Playlist  On Now Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) slams Equifax On Now LA 90: Yahoo data breach worse than originally reported On Now Lifelock offers to protect you from the Equifax breach  by selling you services provided by Equifax 1:02 On Now California beer maker thrives in Germany On Now Cyberattacks on Hollywood On Now Hackers gain access to OneLogin On Now What is WannaCry? On Now Senate overturns privacy rules for Internet providers On Now Online pirates claim to hold Disney's latest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie hostage, demand ransom On Now Yahoo warns users of malicious activity

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
A state agency that enforces campaign finance laws has launched an investigation in response to a Times report on political donations connected to the developer of a Harbor Gateway apartment project.

A spokesman for the Fair Political Practices Commission said the agency opened its probe after receiving a letter from a Times reader, who pointed to the newspapers investigation into donors with ties to Samuel Leung, developer of the 352-unit Sea Breeze project. The reader asked the agency to look into whether donors mentioned in the story had violated campaign finance laws.

FPPC spokesman Jay Wierenga declined to provide further details, saying that the commission does not comment on open investigations.

Advertisement

The Times reported in October that donors linked directly or indirectly to Leung gave more than $600,000 to support 11 L.A.-area politicians as Sea Breeze was being reviewed at Los Angeles City Hall. Several people who are listed as campaign contributors said they could not remember making those donations or denied doing so.

Campaign finance experts said those responses raised questions about whether someone else had provided the money, a practice that would violate campaign finance laws.

The Times also reported that a Chatsworth resident who has ties to a Leung business associate said she had been reimbursed for at least one donation by a relative. The practice of reimbursing donors, also known as campaign money laundering, is prohibited because it obscures the true source of funding and can be used to circumvent limits on political giving.

The FPPC takes all complaints under an initial review, but opens an investigation only if there is sufficient evidence of a possible violation of the California Political Reform Act, Wierenga said. That law regulates campaign finance, financial conflicts of interests for public officials, and other governmental ethics issues.

The agency can impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation. In the past, it has worked with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission to investigate local cases, including a 1993 money laundering case that resulted in a nearly $900,000 penalty for a shipping company.

Neither Leung nor his representatives responded to requests for comment Wednesday. Approached by reporters last year, Leung said he did not reimburse any donors and declined to discuss the matter further.

Allegations surrounding the political contributions are also under review by the office of Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey. The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, which enforces campaign finance laws at the city level, declined to comment on whether it too was investigating the donations, saying that the City Charter and administrative code require that its investigations be kept confidential.

This is an important safeguard that helps to ensure due process for those affected by our laws, Deputy Executive Director David Tristan said in a statement. However, both laws also require us to review all complaints and conduct investigations into alleged violations. We take that mandate very seriously.

Political donations from real estate developers have come under renewed scrutiny in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, five members of the Los Angeles City Council proposed a ban on political donations from developers during and shortly after city reviews of their building projects.

Several candidates vying to unseat incumbents in the March 7 election have pledged not to take contributions from developers. And concern about the political influence of developers has been a recurring theme in the campaign for a controversial ballot measure that would temporarily restrict development.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesEmily

ALSO

How to make L.A. housing more affordable? One vision is on Tuesdays city ballot

DAs office will review campaign contributions from donors with ties to Sea Breeze developer

Political donations flow as Rick Caruso seeks approval for a 20-story tower near the Beverly Center
A new legal chapter has opened in the debate over a gang conspiracy law that was used to send dozens of alleged gang members in San Diego to jail.

Rapper Brandon Tiny Doo Duncan, 35, and student Aaron Harvey, 28, who both spent about seven months in jail charged under the law only to have a judge dismiss the case against them in 2015, filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit Wednesday against the San Diego Police Department and two gang detectives.

The lawsuit slams police for arresting the two men under the law, Penal Code 182.5, which was being used for the first time in San Diego and possibly in California.

Advertisement

Passed in 2000, the state law says gang members with general knowledge of a gangs criminal activities can be prosecuted for crimes others commit as long as they willfully benefited from, furthered, promoted or assisted in some way.

Duncan and Harvey were among 15 alleged gang members arrested in connection with nine shootings in 2013 and 2014. There was no evidence that either man committed the actual shootings. Instead the evidence used against them included rap lyrics and social media postings that prosecutors argued promoted gang violence and created a sense of fear in the community.

Aaron Harvey, left, and Brandon Tiny Doo Duncan celebrate in front of San Diego Superior Court on March 16, 2015, after a judge dismissed the criminal case against them. (Misael Virgen / San Diego Union-Tribune )

The District Attorneys Office, which prosecuted the case, defended its use of the law at the time, calling it a powerful tool to take down gangs as an organization.

A San Diego Superior Court judge ultimately disagreed with the use of the law against both men, dismissing the case against them in March 2015.

In the lawsuit, Duncan and Harvey claim their lyrics and social media postings were protected free speech under the First Amendment. They also allege unlawful search and seizure.

Here there are two individuals who were arrested and incarcerated for seven months for committing no crime whatsoever, based entirely on things they wrote or said.  Thats not the way we do things around here, said attorney Mark Zebrowski, whose firm is handling the case pro bono.

Both men claim they were traumatized by the ordeal, including their months of incarceration, and are asking for damages to be determined by a jury.

San Diego police referred questions to the City Attorneys Office, which had not yet been served with the lawsuit and declined to discuss the claims Wednesday.

Duncan and Harvey grew up in southeastern San Diegos Lincoln Park neighborhood and have said in previous interviews they are not gang members as authorities have alleged but were punished for associating with those who are.

Duncan, an aspiring rapper who earned a living laying tile, was arrested June 19, 2014, by police officers as he prepared to go to work. Officers then searched his home without his consent or a warrant, according to the lawsuit.

Harvey, who had moved to Las Vegas and was studying to become a real estate agent, was arrested by U.S. marshals a month later as he left his apartment. The marshals told Harvey he was wanted for a number of murders in San Diego, according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Harvey had no idea what the marshals were referring to and assumed that there had been a serious mistake that would be quickly resolved, the suit states.

Harvey spent about three weeks in a Las Vegas jail before the detectives came for him and drove him to San Diego.

Harveys bond was set at $1.1 million, while Duncans bond was set at $500,000. Neither could afford to post the bond amount and stayed in jail until a judge lowered their bonds at a hearing seven months later.

The lawsuit said Detectives Rudy Castro and Scott Henderson were the lead investigators on the shootings. The suit accuses the detectives of targeting Duncan and Harvey, then aiding in their prosecution with testimony and investigative reports, the lawsuit says. Duncan and Harvey are not suing the district attorney because the office is apparently protected by immunity, Zebrowski said.

The prosecution  at least regarding PC 182.5  began to unravel when a judge found there wasnt enough evidence to try some of Duncans and Harveys co-defendants under the law. Another judge then held a hearing on Duncan, Harvey and others and came to a similar conclusion, dismissing the case entirely against Duncan and Harvey.

Judge Louis Hanoian said it was problematic that no specific person had been arrested or convicted of carrying out some of the shootings. He also ruled that for someone to be charged with PC 182.5 the person must have specific knowledge of that crime and have carried out a specific act that furthered or assisted in the crime, or have specifically benefited from the crime.

The dismissal was widely celebrated by a large community of supporters who had rallied around Duncan and Harvey and the others being prosecuted. The men and civil-rights leaders argued the law amounts to guilt by association and unfairly targets young, minority men.

The prosecution went ahead for 11 of their 15 co-defendants. The judge allowed the PC 182.5 charge to remain on some, while others faced various felony charges such as attempted murder and general conspiracy. The cases ended with guilty pleas and two jury convictions. A few also faced charges in a similar federal case.

The District Attorneys Office simultaneously used PC 182.5 in another case involving gang shootings. The charges were dismissed against one of those defendants, while the remaining 17 either pleaded guilty or were convicted of various violent crimes.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OffsiteDataSync, a global provider of cloud services including Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service, and cloud-based backup, proudly announces it has been selected as the 2016 Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) Growth Partner of the Year by Veeam Software, the innovative provider of solutions that deliver Availability for the Always-On Enterprise. The winners of the 2016 Veeam Impact Partner Awards were announced at Veeams 2017 North American sales kickoff in Orlando, Fla. on January 11, 2017. The second annual awards ceremony recognize North American Veeam ProPartners who have not only demonstrated success in providing Veeam Availability solutions to their customers, but who have also provided first-class support, expert knowledge, continued product education, and a true Veeam strategy incorporated into their business.



OffsiteDataSync was recognized as Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) Growth Partner of the Year for the VCSP partner who demonstrates the most progress, growth, and dedication toward Veeams overall business, as well as in selling Veeam cloud-based solutions.

We are excited to recognize and honor OffsiteDataSync as the Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) Growth Partner of the Year, said Matt Kalmenson, Vice President of North American Cloud & Service Provider Sales, at Veeam. Our partnership with OffsiteDataSync has enabled us to provide Veeam Availability solutions to our joint customers, empowering them to meet the ongoing demands of 24.7.365 availability. We extend our congratulations to OffsiteDataSync and look forward to an even more successful and collaborative 2017.

We are honored and delighted to be awarded the Growth Partner of the Year by Veeam Software, said Matt Chesterton, CEO of OffsiteDataSync. Were projecting continued explosive growth with Veeam in 2017. Were positioned to deliver always-on availability at scale with a 100% Nimble Storage and Cisco UCS powered backend.

About OffsiteDataSync

OffsiteDataSync is a global provider of cloud services including Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service and cloud-based backup. OffsiteDataSync was one of the first cloud providers to join the Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) program and also one of the first providers to become a platinum partner. Founded in 2000 and privately owned, OffsiteDataSync has been recognized as one of the 20 Most Promising Disaster Recovery Solution Providers by CIOReview magazine and ranked as a Top 100 Global Cloud Service Provider by Penton Media since 2013. OffsiteDataSync delivers availability for the enterprise through the worlds most advanced data centers based on Tier IV Gold-rated Switch LAS VEGAS multi-tenant/colocation data centers in Nevada, United States.
A San Diego man who killed three people outside a Mission Valley mall on Christmas Eve in 2013 didnt know his victims, a prosecutor said Thursday.

But that didnt stop Carlo Mercado from shooting each of them in the head in what was described as a road rage or carjacking incident that turned deadly.

More than three years after the shootings, Mercado, 31, admitted in San Diego Superior Court that he killed the first of the victims  Gianni Belvedere  after arguing with him in the mall parking lot and then took his car.

Advertisement

When Mercado returned to the scene less than two hours later, he unexpectedly ran into Belvederes younger brother, Salvatore, and Ilona Flint, Giannis fiancee.

They confronted me because I had Gianni Belvederes car, the defendant admitted in a written statement.

Mercado pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of first-degree murder. Immediately after he entered the pleas, he was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Deputy District Attorney Brian Erickson said several theories about possible motives for the killings had circulated publicly over the years, and he took some time at the sentencing hearing to make one point clear: This was a random act of violence.

Gianni, Salvatore and Ilona had nothing to do with their demise, the prosecutor said. This could have been any one of us in that parking lot. It literally is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

By pleading guilty to murder, Mercado avoided the possibility of the death penalty if the case had gone to trial.

Judge Frederic Link accepted the pleas and ordered the sentence mandated by law.

I still have questions, Link said, referring to what occurred in the shopping mall parking lot the night of Dec. 23, 2013, and early the next morning.

Its just too bad that Mr. Mercado doesnt wish to say everything, Link said. Maybe someday he will.

San Diego police discovered the bodies of Salvatore Belvedere and Ilona Flint, both 22, on Christmas Eve outside Westfield Mission Valley shopping center, where Flint worked at a shoe store.

Gianni Belvedere, 24, was considered a missing person until his body was found in Riverside weeks later on Jan. 17, 2014, in the trunk of his green Toyota Camry.

Mercado, who lived in Mira Mesa, was arrested in June 2014. Authorities were able to connect him to the shootings through DNA and ballistic evidence.

Erickson explained during the hearing that investigators concluded from the evidence that Mercado crashed his motorcycle near the mall, rendering it disabled, and then approached Gianni Belvedere, who had been waiting to pick up his fiancee from work.

Mercado needed a car, so he shot Belvedere, then pushed the body over into the front passenger seat.

The defendant drove the car to Mira Mesa, where he filled it with gas, and then returned to Mission Valley about 90 minutes later to remove his motorcycle from the crime scene.

Meanwhile, Flint had called her finances brother, Salvatore Belvedere, to pick her up from work. They were sitting in a car, making calls to try to locate Gianni, when they spotted his Toyota.

They knew something was wrong. Flint was already wounded when she called 911.

Mr. Mercado doesnt even give her a chance, Erickson said, explaining that the defendant fired at both victims with a .22-caliber handgun, with a silencer, hitting Flint in the back and then the head.

And then he drove off again.

Three weeks later, when Mercado went to Riverside to buy another vehicle, he left the Toyota in the lot of a fast-food restaurant.

A can of air freshener and boxes of baking soda were found in the trunk near Gianni Belvederes body, the prosecutor said. The trigger on the air freshener can was duct taped down so it would spray on its own.

Mercados DNA was found on the can and the tape, some of which was found on the cars license plate, as well as on the vehicles gas cap.

Authorities said bullets recovered from all three bodies had been fired from the same small-caliber handgun that was registered to the defendant.

Mercado had the murder weapon and two other guns with him on Jan. 18, 2014  the day after Gianni Belvederes body was found  when he was stopped at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 5.

After he was prosecuted on weapons charges, his DNA profile was compared against a national database. Investigators got a hit on the items found in Belvederes car.

At the sentencing hearing Thursday, one of the Belvedere brothers three sisters read letters from the family, including a long one by their mother, Grace.

The mother wrote about her boys musical talent  Gianni on the piano, Salvatore on the guitar  and family dinners on Sundays that had been boisterous and happy.

Now its quiet, she said in the letter read by sister Antoinette Belvedere. The laughter and loudness have been replaced by silence and sorrow.

Inga Flint-Jones spoke about her daughters birth in the Soviet Union just before it broke apart, and the strength and compassion Ilona Flint had demonstrated in difficult times. She said her daughter fell in love with Gianni Belvedere in high school when she was just 15.

Life held so much promise for her, the mother said.

Family members brought with them to court a few snapshots of the brothers and Flint in happier times. They handed them to the prosecutor.

Do me a favor, Judge Link said. Show those to Mr. Mercado.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield

UPDATES:

This article has been updated with additional details from the sentencing hearing. The article was originally published at 9:30 a.m.
Word that a high school freshman urinated in a bucket at the direction of a teacher who denied her a bathroom break fueled campus gossip, lewd texts and viral news reports.

That caused depression, humiliation and a suicide attempt by the student, according to her attorney in his opening statement Wednesday as her lawsuit against the teacher and the San Diego Unified School District went to trial in Superior Court.

The 2012 incident at Patrick Henry High School in San Carlos drew widespread media attention and has haunted the then-14-year-old ever since  even after she transferred schools at least twice, said attorney Brian Watkins, who is seeking unspecified damages on her behalf from the San Diego Unified School District.

Advertisement

It was devastating. Shes a 14-year-old girl at the time and she cant handle it, Watkins told the jury, adding that the girl had a medical condition that prompted frequent bathroom trips. The World Wide Web made it news from Pakistan to the U.K... The next thing you know, her whole high school experience is gone.

Lawyers for San Diego Unified said art teacher Gonja Wolf never meant to embarrass or harm the girl by showing the student to a supply room adjacent to the classroom where she could privately urinate in a bucket and dump the contents in a sink. Rather, the teacher thought she had found a solution to what she mistakenly thought was a strict no-bathroom-break policy for students enrolled in 25-minute advisory classes, according to an attorney for the district.

In a lapse of judgement, she thought that was a good idea, said Katheryn Martin, an attorney representing San Diego Unified, who added that no students in the advisory class said or did anything to suggest in any way that they knew of what transpired that day or in the following days.

New to the campus at the time, 25-minute advisory classes were intended to provide study time and build team work among students.Teachers were frequently told the short periods would be undermined by frequent bathroom breaks by students, attorneys said.

Although teachers were advised against issuing bathroom passes during the short classes, the school expected them to use common sense, Martin said.

But Wolf took a strict interpretation of the rule, and had recently purchased a bucket to serve as a make-shift toilet in the case of a security lock-down. She had even urinated in the bucket a couple of times herself while working late at school, according to attorney Wolfs, Fern Steiner.

On Feb. 22, 2012, the student told a classmate she urgently needed to use the bathroom but was afraid the teacher wouldnt give her a pass. The student informed the teacher of his friends request and Wolf instead offered use of the bucket.

Once the Patrick Henry administration found out about the incident, the popular teacher with no record of discipline was put on paid administrative leave and never returned to campus. Administrators apologized to the girl and her mother and extended offers (which were declined) of assistance, including the opportunity to discretely rearrange the girls schedule and assign her to another advisory period, Martin said.

It wasnt until the incident made news that the girls family obtained a lawyer and the student appeared to feel uncomfortable on campus, according to Watkins. Television news crews lined up near the school to report on the matter, with some even showing up at the homes of the teacher and student, attorneys said.

After leaving Patrick Henry, the student transferred to San Diego High School and a charter school but has never gotten over the anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress caused by the ordeal, Watkins said. She has been in and out of therapy since then and once ended up in the emergency room after a suicide attempt, he told the jury and Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal.

The lawsuit claims the student was directed to use the bucket within earshot of classmates to humiliate and disgrace her for asking for a bathroom pass. The lawsuit also said teachers should have been made aware that the bathroom break ban policy had exceptions, and the school should have known that students would mercilessly tease, mock, humiliate and shame the student over the incident.

During the trial, both sides are expected to call witnesses, including former students, educators and a now-retired San Diego Unified spokeswoman.

maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com

Twitter:@MaureenMagee
On the front stoop of her familys El Cajon apartment on Friday, six-year-old Limar Alzoubi spent hours making cupcakes.

She wore an apron that Ray Salazar helped fasten over her pink, penguin sweater. Her long hair, tied in two pig tails, swayed as she moved around the toy kitchen set that Salazar and his family had just given her, one of many gifts for the Alzoubi family that the Salazars transported on a 45-minute trek from their home in San Marcos.

Salazar, his wife, Kristin, and three sons were inside the apartment, meeting for the first time with the rest of the seven-member Alzoubi family, whom they recently adopted.

Advertisement

As San Diego continues to take in high numbers of refugees, local organizations are matching those families with American households to help them adjust and foster friendships in their new home. Almost 1,200 refugees arrived in San Diego County in the last three months of 2016. More than 200 of them were Syrian, the second largest arriving group after Iraqis.

The Syrian Community Network of San Diego, also known by its social media alias Heart4Refugees, began signing up American families for its adopt-a-family program over the holidays. It has already paired more than 100 Syrian refugee families with Americans, including the Salazars and Alzoubis, according to Bayanne Mihtar, president of the local group.

The Salazars had talked about wanting to do something to help after seeing the war footage coming out of Aleppo, but they didnt know what to do. A week later, Kristin Salazar said, a friend of hers shared information about the Heart4Refugees adopt-a-family program on Facebook. That same day, she signed up her family.

We figured something would come up, and we would know it would be right, Kristin Salazar said. Im happy were doing it this way.

Ray Salazar, who works as a project manager for implementing emergency call systems, said his wife, Kristin, convinced him and their sons, ages 14, 12 and 10, to participate in the match-up.

Me actually witnessing how its helping someone, I want to get more involved and make as many trips as needed, he said.

Kristin Salazar, who is from North County, blogs about do-it-yourself home improvement and crafts. The couple has lived in San Marcos for at least 16 years, she said, and the family is Christian. Ray Salazar is originally from Chicago and moved to San Diego in high school.

The Alzoubis are originally from Daraa in southern Syria and are Muslim. They have three sons ages 16, 17 and 18, and two daughters ages 6 and 14.

After fleeing Syria, they spent four years in Jordan, where they registered as refugees with the United Nations. Through coordination between the U.N. and the U.S. State Department, the Alzoubis were selected as candidates for resettlement in the U.S.

After the family went through the State Departments vetting process, including background checks and health screenings, they were placed in San Diego. The State Department makes that decision based on weekly meetings with nine resettlement agencies to determine specific needs of incoming families and which agency locations have the resources to meet those needs as the family gets settled.

The Alzoubis flew to San Diego at the beginning of October 2016.

Yasmin Alkhal, a case worker from the Syrian Community Network, facilitated the families first meeting this past Friday, translating between Arabic and English as the families shared bits of their histories and cultures.

Nahida Alsalamat, the mother in the Alzoubi family, prepared tea for her guests while her husband, Mohammad Alzoubi, told the Salazars about their early struggles with language, transportation and finances.

The American accent is particularly difficult for them to understand, he explained. Syrian schools teach some basic English, but with British accents.

Its like the words are crossing each other, he said through the interpreter.

He and his wife take English-language classes at the International Rescue Committee office, and his children are learning English in school. They didnt go to school when the family lived in Jordan, he said.

His 14-year-old daughter, Maya, spoke the most English of anyone in the family.

She told the Salazars about kids bullying her in school. Her parents, seemingly worried about the impression that might give, tried to downplay the issue, but Alkhal, the translator, stepped in and explained Californias bullying laws and the rights that Americans have. The parents relaxed.

I feel a responsibility as part of the Syrian community to help them with items, but also to give them advice to fit into the culture and feel confident, Alkhal said.

The Alzoubis dont yet have a car, so they travel by bicycle and on foot, which makes it difficult to drop off Limar at school before their own English-language classes start, Mohammad Alzoubi said.

He also talked about the struggle of finding a job while taking English classes for so many hours a day. He said he felt pressure to find one soon. The assistance money that his family received at the beginning will start decreasing, and it already doesnt cover the $1,450 they pay in rent for their modest apartment. He said they currently receive $1,078 per month.

In a few months, the family will also have to start paying the U.S. government back the cost of their plane tickets from Jordan, he said.

Im willing to do anything at the beginning, Mohammad Alzoubi said through the interpreter, adding that he used to own a grocery story in Syria.

The Alzoubis didnt go into much detail about the struggles theyd been through to get here, but it lingered in their answers to other questions.

When asked about her favorite thing in the U.S. so far, Nahida Alsalamat said, simply, There is law here. People treat each other with respect.

Kristin Salazar asked neighbors and friends for donations in a Facebook post and received enough to fill the familys gray pickup twice with household items and clothing for the Alzoubi family.

The Salazars brought the first load with them on Friday, which included the kitchen play set, a laundry hamper, an iron and a trash can.

It makes me happy and relieved when you have people that ask about you and care about you and care about what you need, Mohammad Alzoubi said.

The first set of gifts also included a meat grinder, which the Alzoubis will use to make kibbeh, a traditional Syrian dish, when the Salazars visit next. The family is also raising money online.

After the first meeting, Kristin Salazar said she felt a mix of sadness and excitement  sadness because she hadnt realized how hard the transition was for new arrivals and excitement because her family was able to do something to help.

Our hearts were just completely full, she said, recalling the drive home.

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Donald Trumps pick to head the CIA, told senators at his confirmation hearing Thursday that he would not carry out orders from the White House to use torture, a position that potentially puts him at odds with the president-elect.

During his campaign last year, Trump repeatedly said he would bring back waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics that the CIA has abandoned, that President Obama labeled torture, and that now are illegal.

In a 2-hour hearing, Pompeo repeatedly assured members of the Senate Intelligence Committee that he would not restart the CIAs use of secret prisons and brutal interrogation tactics.

Advertisement

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), ranking Democrat on the committee, pressed Pompeo to pledge he would not do so even if ordered by Trump.

Absolutely not, he promised, adding, I cant imagine I would be asked to do that by the president-elect.

He said he had voted for the law that restricted CIA interrogation methods to those in the Army Field Manual, and that any attempts to go beyond those guidelines would be illegal and require Congress to pass a new law.

Feinstein was one of the harshest critics of the CIAs network of black sites to secretly hold terrorism suspects overseas, and its use of waterboarding, sleep deprivation and other harsh tactics to interrogate them in the years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The program is widely considered a dark stain on the CIA record, not least because Feinstein and other critics say the evidence shows the torture utterly failed to produce significant intelligence.

The hearing was interrupted shortly after it began when the lights suddenly went out. That led to jokes about Russian sabotage while technicians scrambled for half an hour to fix the glitch, which officials later blamed on repairs that mistakenly tripped a breaker.

Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), who was criticizing Russian hacking when the room went dark, joked when the lights came back, To be sure we dont have the lights turn out again, I wont do the second half of my statement.

Senate confirmation for Pompeo appears all but assured. He received largely friendly questions before the committee moved to a secure room to ask about classified matters.

During the public session, Pompeo promised repeatedly to give Trump unvarnished assessments of U.S. intelligence, even if the incoming president doesnt like them.

Pompeo also broke with Trump when he endorsed a classified intelligence report that concludes Russian intelligence agencies hacked computers and spread fake news in an effort to help elect Trump.

The report was sound, said Pompeo, who joined Trump last week when four top U.S. intelligence officials briefed the president-elect.

Its pretty clear what took place here about Russian involvement in efforts to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy, Pompeo said. Im pretty clear-eyed about that.

If confirmed, he said he would continue to investigate Russias attempts to influence the U.S. political process, even if it led to problems for Trump.

I promise you I will pursue the facts wherever they take us with respect to this issue and with respect to every other issue, he said.

Trump said Wednesday for the first time that he believed Russia was responsible for hacking Democratic Party computers, but he denied the subsequent leaks of thousands of emails were intended to boost his chances.

Although Trump has praised Russia for fighting Islamic State forces in Syria, Pompeo agreed with Obama administration assessments, saying Moscow is doing nothing to engage in the defeat of ISIS, using an acronym for the militant group.

Pompeo agreed with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the committee, that Russian-backed forces in Syria had committed war crimes by bombing civilians in Aleppo. Pompeo said Russian President Vladimir Putin probably gave the order.

As a member of Congress, Pompeo opposed the Iran deal designed to curtail the nations ability to develop nuclear weapons. If confirmed as CIA chief, he said, he would ensure CIA analysts have the time and resources to make objective assessments on the state of Irans compliance with the deal.

Pompeo testified a day after James Clapper, outgoing Director of National Intelligence, phoned Trump to deny that U.S. intelligence agencies had prepared or had circulated a 35-page document filled with unverified allegations against the president-elect.

In tweets and at his news conference on Wednesday, Trump accused intelligence agencies of leaking the document, a tactic he compared to that of Nazi Germany.

Pompeo said he hasnt seen evidence that Trumps mocking and insults in recent weeks had hurt morale at the CIA.

What I have seen from the spirited warriors in the CIA is [the desire] to get out of those political fights and perform their function, he said.

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

An outsider takes charge of the Border Patrol  and yes, hell wear the green uniform

UPDATES:

12:25 p.m.: This article was updated with more details and the hearings end.

9:11 a.m.: This article was updated with details from the hearing.

This article was originally posted at 6 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump amplified his already heated war with the intelligence community Wednesday, accusing agents of disseminating an ugly and unsubstantiated report about him, and comparing the leak to Nazi tactics.

The showdown threatens to further undermine trust between the next commander in chief and Americas spies amid heightened threats to national security from terrorist groups and adversaries around the world with powerful new cyberweapons.

Trump, for the first time, acknowledged intelligence findings that Russia hacked Democratic files in an effort to interfere with the election, but he denied that Moscow tried to help him win, and he praised President Vladimir Putin, even suggesting that the hack ultimately helped American voters.

Advertisement

Hackings bad and it shouldnt be done, he told reporters. But look at the things that were hacked, look at what was learned from that hacking.

The claim was one of several bizarre moments at a wide-ranging news conference, Trumps first since July, that also touched on his business conflicts, his biggest campaign promises and another of his main foils, the media.

The event went off with a typical level of theatrics: Trump stood in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York next to stacks of file folders, ostensibly containing documents detailing the handover of his businesses to his older sons, though they were acknowledged only as an afterthought. Several other speakers took turns at the lectern, including a tax lawyer, a spokesman and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Trump briefly argued with a CNN correspondent, refusing to take his question.

Trump was asked to rule out the possibility of contacts between his associates and Russian intelligence agents during the campaign and would not do so. But he lashed out against media organizations that published unverified allegations Tuesday from a report that claimed that Russians had gathered blackmail material against him and that people in his orbit had met with Russian agents during the campaign.

The unsubstantiated information was contained in a 35-page file released Tuesday by BuzzFeed, which said it was publishing the material in the interest of transparency. No news organization has been able to verify any of the material in the report, which CNN reported was prepared by an outside source. Media reports conflict about whether it was disclosed to Trump and President Obama in intelligence briefings last week.

Trump said it was sick people who put that crap together, including unproven assertions that he encountered prostitutes at a Russian hotel.

Im also very much of a germaphobe, by the way, he said. Believe me.

It was disgraceful  disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out, Trump said. Thats something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do.

Intelligence officials and their allies have stewed over Trumps broadsides and were angered by his latest declarations of distrust.

Kill the messenger and divert attention: That is the only trick Donald Trump has, and he does it viciously, said Glenn Carle, a former senior CIA officer who spent more than two decades as a spy.  The relationship is essentially damaged beyond the possibility of repair before it has even begun.

Trump continued to dismiss criticism of Russia, much of it waged by members of his own party, over the hacking of Democrats. He noted that China also has breached U.S. government systems and insisted it is not getting the attention it deserves, one of several instances when he was asked about Russia and invoked China instead in his answer.

He praised Russia for denouncing the report that it was gathering blackmail material against him as pulp fiction. And he insisted that Russians would have released damaging information about him during the campaign if they had it, ignoring the possibility that Putin could hold onto it as leverage and contradicting intelligence officials conclusions that the Kremlin was specifically trying to aid Trump.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? Thats called an asset, not a liability, Trump said.

He added that he did not know yet whether he would ultimately get along with Putin.

I hope I do. But theres a good chance I wont. And if I dont, do you honestly believe that Hillary [Clinton] would be tougher on Putin than me? he said. Does anybody in this room really believe that? Give me a break.

Trump spoke positively of improving relations with Russia during his presidency, praising Putin and saying Moscow can help us fight [Islamic State], which, by the way, is, No. 1, tricky.

Some of those views not only put him at odds with some U.S. intelligence officials but also many Republican members of Congress who call Putin an autocrat who violates human rights and unlawfully invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. That tension played out Wednesday on Capitol Hill, where Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice for secretary of State, faced sharp questions during his initial Senate hearing from members of both parties. The former Exxon Mobil chief has had deep business ties in the country.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican who ran against Trump for president, showed particular frustration that Tillerson would not use the term war criminal to describe Putin, in light of atrocities reported in Syria, where Russian troops are aiding government forces.

And although Tillerson criticized Russias invasion of Ukraine and said policy toward Russia had to be clear-eyed, he stuck with his skepticism toward economic sanctions, which he said too often end up hurting U.S. businesses. They have been a key tool for the Obama administration to punish Russia for its incursions into Ukraine.

Another top Trump Cabinet pick will face senators Thursday. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), an aerospace entrepreneur and former Army officer whom Trump has selected to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, may be asked how he intends to run an agency that has been openly mocked by his future boss.

CIA leaders in the seventh-floor suites of the agencys headquarters in Langley, Va., are bracing for a confrontation when Trumps team enters the White House. Trump said he has ordered his national security team to launch a 90-day review of the nations cyberdefenses as soon as he takes office. And he roiled intelligence officials when his transition team issued a statement in December knocking down the CIAs assessment that Putin had ordered the hacks in a deliberate effort to damage Clinton and bolster Trumps election prospects.

The rift has grown wide enough that Trump doesnt seem to trust the intelligence briefers to keep their encounters private. During the news conference, Trump said he recently wanted to test whether U.S. intelligence officials were telling reporters about their briefings with him, so he met with intelligence officials without anyone in his tightly knit organization knowing, he said.

Nobody knew, not even Rhona, my executive assistant for years, she didnt know  I didnt tell her, he said.

The meeting was had, the meeting was over, they left, and immediately the word got out that I had a meeting, he said.

Its pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press, Trump said at another point.

He also issued a veiled threat, pointing out that releasing classified information would be a crime.

Democrats warned that Trump was being shortsighted.

Trump may think that denigrating the intelligence community is good politics, or a useful way to deflect attention from the gravity of Russias intervention on his behalf during the election, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

At some point, Trump may need to rely on intelligence reports to justify military action overseas, he said.

By casting doubt on their integrity, by mentioning the intelligence community in the same sentence as Nazi Germany, President-elect Trump is undermining the authority and credibility that he will need as president, Schiff said.

Times staff writers Tracy Wilkinson and Michael A. Memoli contributed to this report.

noah.bierman@latimes.com, brian.bennett@latimes.com

@noahbierman, @bybrianbennett

ALSO:

Obama delivers emotional final speech to the nation: Yes, we did. Yes, we can.

Trumps pick for Homeland Security chief says border wall will not do the job

Tillerson, Trumps pick for secretary of State, seeks to allay fears about his ties to Russia

UPDATES:

3:10 p.m.: This story was updated with comment from a former spy.

This story was originally published at 2:15 p.m.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer will focus on homelessness and San Diegos shortage of affordable housing Thursday night in his annual State of the City speech, which typically features a few bold policy proposals.

Faulconer either achieved or made significant progress on most of the goals he set during last years speech, which focused on upgrading San Diegos parks system, getting homeless veterans off the streets and rebuilding the citys middle class.

Thursdays speech, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in downtowns Balboa Theatre, will mark the third consecutive year the mayor has discussed homelessness, a problem thats gotten steadily worse in San Diego in recent years.

Advertisement

Last summer, officials counted 43 percent more people living on the citys downtown streets than a year earlier, and 71 percent more compared to 2014.

In his January 2015 State of the City speech, Faulconer touted a plan to replace the citys temporary homeless shelters with a permanent facility, which happened that summer.

In his January 2016 State of the City speech, the mayor promised to get 1,000 homeless veterans off the streets by the end of last year.

Through Tuesday, the housing our heroes campaign had enrolled 749 homeless veterans by providing them a housing voucher. Of those, 468 have secured housing and an additional 281 have vouchers and are in the process of searching for an apartment.

While the city didnt meet the Dec. 31 deadline, Faulconers staff has stressed that the campaign is fully funded, meaning there is money to provide vouchers and housing for 1,000 veterans regardless of how long it takes.

It wasnt part of Faulconers speech last year, but he hired former Clinton White House staff member Stacie Spector in October to serve as the citys homeless czar and help coordinate efforts by dozens of local agencies.

The mayors previous speeches havent focused on the citys shortage of affordable housing, but the topic has recently risen in prominence and has been blamed as a contributing factor in the homelessness problem.

City officials have been touting incentives for developers to build housing affordable to people with relatively low incomes.

Goals from last years State of the City that the mayor achieved include launching a new city website, creating a special reserve to cover spikes in the citys pension payment and requiring half of new revenues be devoted to infrastructure.

That third goal was achieved by a June 2016 ballot measure approved by more than 65 percent of city voters.

Several other goals from last year speech have also been achieved.

The city last year launched an effort to revamp the northeast corner of Mission Bay Park in the wake of the De Anza Cove mobile home park closing after years of litigation.

That effort led to the unveiling in November of three separate proposals for turning 120 prime acres there into a combination of recreational amenities, restored marshland, campsites, restaurants and other features.

Continuing his focus on boosting the quality of San Diegos streets, the mayor exceeded a promise in his speech to repair at least 27,000 potholes by fixing an estimated 33,000.

In addition, a comprehensive new assessment released in September showed the overall condition of San Diegos roads has significantly improved since 2011. The survey, however, found that only 60 percent of city streets can be classified as in good condition.

The mayor fulfilled another promise from his 2016 speech in December when the first venture capital office for San Diego startups opened in San Francisco.

Faulconer also achieved his goal of launching an effort to create the first comprehensive vision for San Diegos parks in more than 60 years. The city solicited proposals in September for consultants to create a new parks master plan; interviews with some of the eight firms that responded are scheduled for March.

The mayor also promised last year to build four new library branches by the end of his term in 2020, and he appears to be on track for achieving that goal.

In October, the city opened its first library branch in a decade in the Skyline Hills neighborhood of southeastern San Diego. The city also awarded a contract in November for a new Mission Hills/Hillcrest branch, with construction slated to begin this year and conclude in 2019.

A community workshop was held last fall to help design a new branch in San Ysidro, which is also expected to open in 2019. Design work began late last year on a branch in Pacific Highlands Ranch near Carmel Valley, with construction expected to begin in 2019.

Faulconer also came close to fulfilling a promise to have 100 local businesses come together to offer jobs to 1,000 San Diego high school and college students. So far, 1,035 youth have been placed in jobs and internships with 97 businesses participating in the program, city officials said Wednesday.

The mayor is making progress toward achieving a goal he set in last years speech of building or upgrading dozens of parks on school properties through a new partnership with the San Diego Unified School District.

Of the 32 sites identified in the play all day park program, 22 are currently being designed, constructed, or are open to the public.

The completed new joint-use parks include one each at Montgomery Middle School, Wegeforth Elementary and Angier Elementary. And a fourth joint-use park is under construction at McKinley Elementary and will be open to the public early this year.

Some goals from last years speech the mayor hasnt achieved include five youth labs being opened by prominent local companies this year, helping 100 adults get high school diplomas online and putting a waterfront convention center expansion on the ballot.

A Faulconer spokesman said Wednesday that the youth labs are a work in progress, with two opened by the San Diego Unified School District and one each by Raytheon and Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute.

The spokesman, Craig Gustafson, said the city is in discussions with three other companies to create new labs.

On the high school graduation effort, called career online high school, only 25 people have graduated this year, but another 101 students are enrolled.

On the convention center, Gustafson said the mayor never specified when he would introduce a ballot measure.

The mayor did, however, say last January that its time to settle this once and for all and get the convention center expanded.

Thursday nights speech will be streamed live on CityTV and the citys website, sandiego.gov.

A reception at the U.S. Grant Hotel will immediately follow the speech, which is expected to last about one hour.

Faulconer was elected mayor in March 2014 and re-elected last June.

The Balboa Theatre is at 868 Fourth Avenue off Horton Plaza Park. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
A man behind two San Diego bank robberies since late November tried to rob a third Wednesday, and authorities are asking the public to help identify him.

The first holdup occurred about 3 p.m. at the Wells Fargo bank on Garnet Avenue near Fanuel Street in Pacific Beach on Nov. 28, FBI spokeswoman Davene Butler said. Then, on Jan. 3, the man robbed the U.S. Bank on Federal Boulevard near Euclid Avenue in Oak Park about 4:30 p.m.

In each instance, the thief gave a teller a note saying he had a gun and demanding money, Butler said. The man ran away once he got an undisclosed amount of cash.

Advertisement

On Wednesday, the suspect was unsuccessful in his attempt to rob the Wells Fargo bank on Scripps Ranch Boulevard near Pomerado Road in Scripps Ranch about 1:50 p.m., Butler said.

Witnesses have described the robber as black, between 23 to 27 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall and between 120 to 140 pounds, with a medium build.

FBI officials asked anyone with information to call (858) 320-1800.

Breaking News

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
Hundreds of marijuana edibles and concentrates were seized from an unlicensed dispensary in Paradise Hills during a raid that lasted several hours Wednesday morning.

Nature Meds is the 17th unlicensed pot shot to be searched since San Diego police and the city attorneys office started cracking down on them in May, said San Diego police Lt. Matt Novak.

About 20 officers armed with a search warrant arrived at the business on Reo Drive near Albemarle Street around 6 a.m.

Advertisement

In about three hours they had seized 25 pounds of marijuana, 800 edibles and 600 concentrates, Novak said. They also took $7,000 in cash, a handgun and business records.

Two employees were given misdemeanor citations for operating an illegal business and are expected to be cited for selling marijuana.

Investigators will be working to determine other individuals involved in the enterprise, Novak said.

Officials initially identified about 50 unlicensed dispensaries citywide, but when police started executing search warrants, a number of shops willingly closed. There are still about 15 under investigation, said the lieutenant.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A fugitive accused of murder in Stanislaus County was arrested at the San Ysidro border Wednesday, federal authorities said.

Victor Manuel Valdovinos, 31, is suspected of fatally shooting a 19-year-old man at a park in Patterson in January of 2012, according to Stanislaus County Crime Stoppers.

Wednesday, Valdovinos tried to cross into the U.S. at the Ped West pedestrian border crossing about 3:20 p.m. He handed a Customs and Border Protection officer his California birth certificate and an expired California drivers license, customs officials said.

Advertisement

A routine search of law enforcement databases showed that Valdovinos had two outstanding arrest warrants each for murder and assault with a deadly weapon, customs officials said.

The warrants were issued at the request of the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department. Bail was set at $1 million.

Valdovinos was booked into jail in San Diego where he will remain as Stanislaus County authorities seek his extradition.

Breaking News

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
On Jan. 20, the American people hand over the executive, legislative and  soon  judicial branches of government to one party. Preferring checks and balances, U.S. voters have only turned over complete control of government to one party twice in 68 years.

In the face of this new Republican hegemony, my thoughts have turned to England and to one of the most distinctive thinkers on party politics the country of my birth ever produced, as much needed now as he is neglected.

The story is perhaps worth telling. Some time ago I made what turned out to be an abortive attempt to produce an edition of the selected works of Sir George Savile, first marquess of Halifax. Once widely studied, and now available in an affordable Penguin edition, the writings of this 17th-century statesman and true founder of conservatism had languished away into obscurity.

Advertisement

Though demonstrably unfashionable, Halifaxs wisdom about the dangers of party pushed its way back into my consciousness while watching Barack Obamas final 2016 press conference, a performance which seemed to be our outgoing presidents own version of George Washingtons Farewell Address to the People of the United States.

Obama, in his characteristically restrained manner, bewailed the corrosive partisanship that has allowed foreign power to gain unprecedented influence in American political life: What I worry about  more than anything  is the degree to which because of the fierceness of the partisan battle, you start to see certain folks in the Republican Party and Republican voters suddenly finding a government and individuals who stand contrary to everything that we stand for as being OK, because thats how much we dislike Democrats.

This would appear to be true: It is allegiance to party that resulted in the wholesale changing of previously cherished Republican attitudes regarding marriage, family, foreign policy and free trade for the promise of governmental control. We are now in a situation where principal figures in the new administration have opened Americas doors to Russian influence.

And this is where Halifax can help us, not to like this damnable situation, but at least to understand it. For all along, the target of his ire was party, and what party allegiance did to a person and to the health of a nation.

Nothing is more evident, he wrote, than that the Good of the Nation hath been sacrificed to the Animosities of the several Contending Parties; and without entering into the dispute which of them are more or less in the right, it is pretty sure, that whilst these Opposite Sets of Angry Men are playing at Foot-ball, they will break all the Windows, and do more hurt than their pretended Zeal for the Nation will ever make amends for.

There can hardly be more appropriate and prescient words than these, written over 300 years ago, to describe our present dire situation. For do we see anything other than two factional blocks  Democrat and Republican  focused almost exclusively on beating their opponent, now the object of unbridled loathing, in that blindly undertaken battle using any means whatsoever  simply to win?

Halifaxs reference to Foot-ball also illustrates how like a sport our politics has become. Our system contributes to this with its lengthy electoral process; the news media contributes, with its coverage more befitting a UFC fight than a democratic election; and peoples identifications with party have contributed to it: a person just is a Republican (or a Democrat), just as a person is a Packers fan or a Patriots fan, and embraces the personalities and changed policy positions as unthinkingly as they embrace their team.

The servility of the party type makes them peculiarly contemptible and peculiarly dangerous, as Halifax clearly saw: When a man is drowned in a Party, plunged in it beyond his depth, he runneth a great hazard of being upon ill terms with good Sense, or Morality, if not with both of them. Such a man can hardly be called a Free-Agent, and for that reason is very unfit to be trusted with the Peoples Liberty, after he hath given up his own.

To cope with our situation, one may need to prepare to drown in a domestic, trade or foreign conflict, or; one may simply need to embrace Halifaxs weary sense of detachment, dripping with his contempt for tribalistic servility or the crowd: It is the Fools and Knaves that make the Wheels of the World turn. They are the World; those few who have Sense or Honesty sneak up and down single, but never go in Herds.

Clack is professor of philosophy and director of the Humanities Center at the University of San Diego. His new book, Philosophy and the Human Condition, will be published by Oxford University Press in late 2017. He previously wrote or co-wrote five books and taught at Oxford.
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP:



To: All persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired American Depositary Receipts of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) between April 30, 2015 and October 27, 2016.

You are hereby notified that a securities class action lawsuit has been commenced in the USDC for the District of New Jersey. To get more information go to:

http://www.zlk.com/pslra/novo-nordisk-as

or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@zlk.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you.

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, Novo Nordisk issued materially false and misleading earnings and forecasts; said reports were inflated by collusive price fixing concerning the Companys insulin drugs. The complaint further alleges that the Company misrepresented and concealed the true extent of the pricing pressures it was experiencing from pharmacy benefit managers.

If you suffered a loss in Novo Nordisk you have until March 13, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. The firms attorneys have extensive expertise and experience representing investors in securities litigation, and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Today, with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer poised to deliver his high-profile, annual State of the City address and lay out his priorities for the coming year, The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board has a request.

Mr. Mayor, please, start your speech with a simple declaration: Im not running for governor.

Advertisement

We endorsed Faulconer for re-election last year, after he told us he was committed to serving all four years of his second term. Yet last week San Diego political circles were abuzz following a headline in Politico that said Faulconer was quietly mulling a run for governor of California. Not that quietly, apparently. The story quoted former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan as saying Faulconer visited him in L.A. last year, told him he plans to run for governor and asked for his support, which Riordan resisted giving, saying, I dont know him well enough to make that decision.

Theres no need for anyone to be quiet about this: The city needs Faulconer too much for him to contemplate a gubernatorial campaign.

San Diego cant afford to have Faulconers attentions divided for the next two years, or worse, have a lame-duck mayor limp back to San Diego in 2018, devoid of political capital. Such a campaign would dominate Faulconers time and attention over the next two years, leaving little chance important issues would be addressed in San Diego through 2018 and less of a chance anything would get done in the two years after that.

Not to mention the undeniable fact that Republican candidates for statewide office routinely lose to their Democratic counterparts.

The only Republicans to win statewide office this century were Arnold Schwarzenegger in a rare gubernatorial recall election in 2003 and in being re-elected in 2006 and Steve Poizner in the 2006 insurance commissioners race against Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who had been vilified for running against fellow Democrat, then-Gov. Gray Davis, in that 2003 recall election. Two years ago, Fresnos Ashley Swearengin, a moderate, media-savvy Republican mayor from a big Democratic city like Faulconer, lost her statewide campaign for controller by a half-million votes, a signal that the GOPs statewide prospects still remain slim now.

But thats all beside the point.

A month into his second term, Faulconers job may never have been harder. San Diego faces budget cuts in its next fiscal year for the first time since the Great Recession. Homelessness is a bigger problem than ever before in San Diego. Meanwhile, poverty levels are higher in the county than they were during the recession, and a housing crisis has turned rent and mortgage payments into a monthly scramble for many low- and middle-income households in San Diego and elsewhere. Beyond that, the contentious issue of short-term vacation rentals still divides neighbors and needs to be resolved. And recreational marijuana regulations need to be drafted to safeguard San Diego when the state starts issuing retail licenses in 2018.

Moreover, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman must retire by March 1, 2018, because of her 2013 enrollment in the citys Deferred Retirement Option Plan, meaning the mayor needs to nominate her replacement before then. And if the Chargers stay in San Diego, the mayor would need time to help piece together and promote a financing plan for a new stadium proposal that could appear before voters in November 2018 or November 2020.

This year, as it has done for several years, Faulconers communications team, at personal expense, sent area journalists bottles of craft beer ahead of his speech bearing State of the City Beer Enjoyment Tips that suggest taking a drink any time the mayor says words such as neighborhood, housing, climate or  wait for it  governor.

Thanks for the beer, mayor. But heres our tip: If you run for governor, youre doing San Diegans a disservice.

Please tell everyone you wont so we can drink to that.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
HOUSTON, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Era Group Inc. (NYSE:ERA), one of the largest helicopter operators in the world, today announced that its search and rescue (SAR) program is the 2017 winner of Helicopter Association Internationals Salute to Excellence Airbus Helicopters Golden Hour Award. The annual award is presented to those who have advanced the use of helicopters in the vital mission of air medical transport.



We are honored by the recognition for the excellence of Eras SAR program, which offers the highest level of life-saving support for those in need, said Chris Bradshaw, Eras President and CEO. Eras SAR program is the premier search and rescue provider in the U.S., and this award is a testament to the dedicated teams at Era and our partner Priority 1 Air Rescue who have worked so hard to position our SAR program at the forefront of the industry.

Era pioneered the first U.S. commercial SAR program, in partnership with Priority 1 Air Rescue (P1AR). Eras SAR program has responded to more than 1,050 emergency calls from more than 70 companies in the Gulf of Mexico. As the only search and rescue provider that is medically licensed in Texas and Louisiana, Eras SAR program provides 24-hour offshore advanced life support medical care on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Our partnership with Era SAR is a natural fit for Priority 1 Air Rescues search and rescue mission support expertise and I believe the programs proven capability and success is evidence of that, noted Brad Matheson, President of Priority 1 Air Rescue. Together weve built a world-class SAR program and it is truly an honor for our SAR team members to be recognized by HAI for their efforts.

The SAR program is supported by dedicated Era dispatchers certified as Emergency Medical Dispatchers, experienced pilots qualified in instrument flight rules, night-vision goggles, air ambulance and hoist rescues, and P1AR medically qualified rescue specialists  making it the most comprehensive program serving the OCS. Eras SAR program can support local, state and federal crisis emergency response efforts for various emergency situations.

About Era

Era Group is one of the largest helicopter operators in the world and the longest serving helicopter transport operator in the U.S. In addition to servicing its U.S. customers, Era Group also provides helicopters and related services to third-party helicopter operators and customers in other countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, India, Suriname and the United Kingdom. Era Group's helicopters are primarily used to transport personnel to, from and between offshore oil and gas production platforms, drilling rigs and other installations. In addition, Era Groups helicopters are used to perform emergency air medical, search and rescue, firefighting, utility, VIP transport and flightseeing services. Era Group also provides a variety of operating lease solutions and technical fleet support to third party operators as well as offering unmanned aerial solutions.

About Priority 1 Air Rescue

P1AR, commonly referred to as the "One Stop SAR Shop" is solely focused on Helicopter SAR, Air Ambulance, and Tactical Training and Operations. With over 18 years of experience, and Search & Rescue Tactical Training Academies (SART/TAC) in the USA and France, P1AR has provided industry-leading synthetic and live flight mission training to well over 6,000 commercial, government, and military aircrews, on 26 helicopter types in 25 countries worldwide. P1AR also delivers and maintains dedicated aircrew staffing 24/7/365 comprised of Advanced Life Support SAR Paramedics, Hoist Operator/EMTs, and Helicopter Rescue Swimmer/EMTs, to support world class emergency aeromedical and SAR response for commercial operators performing Commercial Oil and Gas, Government, and Military DOD SAR and Air Ambulance services.

For additional information concerning Era Group, contact Andrew Puhala at (713) 369-4646 or visit Era Group's new website at www.eragroupinc.com.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2017 -- Achiote powder is extracted from the seeds of ever green shrub Bixa Orellana, commonly known as annatto. Achiote is traditionally being used as spices, food color, and medicinal purpose and as commercial dye. Achiote is originated from Mexico and being used for decoration, rituals and in paintings since 16th century. It is traditionally being used as coloring and flavoring agent in Latin America.



In central and South America seeds were originally used to make red body painted and lipstick, and hence achiote is sometimes called as lipstick tree. Oil can also be extracted from achiote and used in different dishes for giving them nice color. Apart from seeds plant leaves have medicinal properties and also used in skin diseases treatment.



As looking at achiotes properties and important uses achiote powder global market demand is high.



Achiote PowderMarket Segmentation



Achiote powder market is segmented on the basis of its applications in different industries. In condiments or spices, as a dye in textile industries, as food colorant in bakery and other food products, in cosmetics and in Pharmaceutical industries. Achiote powder is traditionally being used and sold as spice in the South American market. As containing color pigments it is being used in textile industry as natural dying agent .Uses of achiote powder in cosmetic industry is quite popular as traditionally being used in lipsticks as well as in skin infections. It has been popular as medicine recently due to its therapeutic properties like antifungal, antimalarial laxative, antibiotic and many more, and its medicinal properties have derived its market demand.



Achiote powder market is further segmented on the basis of its forms. Achiote powder is available in market in different forms as water soluble extracts, mainly used in the water based food items and water based products. Another form is oil soluble extract for oil soluble products and cosmetics. And dry spray form is also available in market.



Request for sample report: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1997



Archiote powder market is later segmented on the basis of region asLatin America, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia pacific excluding Japan and Japan. Where Peru from America and Kenya from Africa are the major exporter of achiote. Japan possess major import market for achiote powder as all synthetic coloring is banned in japan.



Achiote Powder Global Market Trends



Achiote powder possess significant demand in all the regions due to its therapeutic, food ingredient applications. Increasing emphasis on Ayurveda medicines, natural dyes, and natural food colorants is a major trending factor for achiote powder market.



Also banning of certain synthetic pigments/colorants by major players like Japan. And research and development in plant medicines sector is another market trend setter for achiote powder market due to its therapeutic properties.



Achiote Powder Market Drivers



Achiote powder is in high demand due to its applications in several industries. Principle factor driving market demand are continuous rising demand for natural colorants products due to rising regulations on uses of synthetic color agents in food and other materials by various governments. Also growing health consciousness in consumers and hence rising market demand for natural products based cosmetics and pharmaceutical products becoming another market driver for achiote powder.



In countries like Peru achiote powder uses and production is high as traditionally known for its medicinal properties. In Japan, Europe and North America markets achiote powder is highly sought due to high regulated uses of synthetic colorants. In Japan market the uses of synthetic colorants are banned and hence recent year's Japanese market has grown as another major exporter of achiote powder. In Europe Netherlands and UK are the major users of achiote powder as a colorant for hard cheese and uses in margarine. In North America U.S. market is the major exporter of achiote powder from Peru.



Request for TOC: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1997



Achiote PowderMarket Key Players:



Achiote tree has been traditionally grown and marketed in Latin American countries, however Peru and Kenya are the major exporters of the achiote powder.Small volume producers and exporters market includes the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Colombia, Angola in Africa, and India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines in Asia.



Key players operating in achiote powder market include Brownana Gh Ltd.,MG Natura Peru SAC, Mama Sita's, Marven bio chem, Amerilure, Kolorjet Chemicals Pvt.Ltd., Denton Spice Company, SENSIENT Pharmaceuticals etc.
Doylestown, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2017 -- On January 18th, 2017, Dr. Julie Lachman will speak at the Doylestown location (150 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, PA) of the Bucks County Free Library System. Her presentation will center around her five secrets to lasting weight loss.



Dr. Julie Lachman wants to highlight the commonly overlooked causes of being overweight, thereby helping others improve their overall quality of life. Naturopathic medicine seeks natural solutions to many underlying problems within the body. According to Dr. Lachman, "when you see a medical doctor, he or she tends to treat just the symptom itself. With naturopathic medicine, the treatment is designed to address the underlying causes of that symptom and to restore balance to the whole body."



A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that as many as one in three U.S. adults could develop diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. The good news is, however, that adult-onset diabetes and obesity are completely preventable diseases. Diabetes is not genetic and no one is doomed to have it just because her mother or father had it. Although certain races are more susceptible to diabetes, it is something that is, in fact, developed, not inherited.



Dr. Lachman's presentation will highlight why people gain weight and discuss factors commonly overlooked in the care of diabetic patients. Many patients treating with Naturopathic doctors are able to get off insulin once their health and weight improves. Dr. Lachman stresses that there is hope for diabetes and obesity. Uncovering the reasons for extra weight empowers a patient to manage their conditions and ultimately lose weight.



Additionally, Dr. Lachman helps her patients develop adequate meal plans. "I discourage all of my patients from ever skipping breakfast while trying to lose weight," Dr. Lachman continues, "...skipping breakfast is sending a red flag to the rest of your body. To compensate, the body will store fat instead of burning it and your metabolism will go out of balance." Dr. Lachman's secrets also helps rid the body of toxins, and she notes doing so creates an incredible improvement in weight loss as well as overall health.



About Dr. Julie Lachman

Dr. Julie Lachman is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She studied natural medicine at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. Her office is located in Doylestown Pa, and has presented at Doylestown Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center in Langhorne Pa. She has also been in association with the Pediatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians.



For more information on Dr Julie Lachman, her practice and Naturopathic services she offers, please visit http://drlachman.com, or contact her at 267-895-1733 Monday through Friday during daytime hours.
Deerfield Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2017 -- Latest Research Report on Europe Breast Imaging Market 2016: Industry Size, Share, Analysis, Price, Strategy, Segment, Trends, Key, Development, Forecast to 2021



Breast Imaging is an equipment to examine the women's breast, and it is used as a diagnostic and screening tool. Breast Imaging Equipment is for the early detection of breast cancer, typically through characteristic masses' detection.



Scope of the Report:



This report focuses on the Breast Imaging in Europe market, especially in Germany, UK, France, Russia, and Italy.



This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.



Download Brochure for In-feature Information, here @ http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/europe-breast-imaging-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-83344#RequestSample



Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers



SIEMENS

Philips Healthcare

Hologic

Perlong Medical

ANKE

Angell

Sinomdt

Macroo

Orich Medical Equipment

GE Healthcare

Planmed Oy

Metaltronica

Toshiba Medical

MEDI-FUTURE

FUJIFILM

IMS Giotto

Genoray



Market Segment by Countries, covering



Germany

UK

France

Russia

Italy



Inquiry For Buying This Premium Report @ http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/europe-breast-imaging-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-83344#InquiryForBuying



Market Segment by Type, covers



Type 1

Type 2

Type 3



Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into



Application 1

Application 2

Application 3



Contact Us:

Joel John

3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,

Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442, USA

USA Tel: +1-386-310-3803

GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714

USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651

Email: sales@marketresearchstore.com

Web: http://www.marketresearchstore.com/
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GCP Applied Technologies Inc. (NYSE:GCP) recently donated $10,000  a combination of employee and company donations  to the Mayors Fire Relief Fund in support of victims of a recent major fire in Cambridge. In a separate fundraising event, an additional $2,600 was collected and donated to local charities, including the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Cambridge Community Center and the Semper Fi Fund.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aec3cd84-a444-4db9-b29e-aaa0387cbaad

In December, a fire damaged over a dozen buildings in an East Cambridge neighborhood, leaving more than 125 residents displaced. Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons established the fund to collect donations for affected families and individuals.

Weve been privileged to operate in Cambridge for many years and we want to help our neighbors as they recover from this devastating fire, said Gregory Poling, GCP President and Chief Executive Officer. Cambridge is not only GCPs global headquarters, but home for a significant number of our employees.

GCP employees rallied together to help, donating online and in person. Over 300 employees work at GCPs Cambridge location.

Donations can still be made on the Mayors Fire Relief Fund Gofundme page.

About GCP Applied Technologies

GCP Applied Technologies is a leading global provider of products and technology solutions for customers in the specialty construction chemicals, specialty building materials, and packaging sealants and coating industries. Our products help improve the performance of our customers products, increase productivity in their application or manufacturing processes, and meet the increasing regulatory requirements impacting their industry. GCP has approximately 3,000 employees on six continents, and serves customers in more than 110 countries. More information is available at www.gcpat.com.
Suzhou, China -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/11/2017 -- Suzhou, China has fast emerged as the nerve center of the local silk industry in China. Started in 1980s, Suzhou wedding garments manufacturing market has grown by leaps and bounds and the Suzhou based wholesale dress manufacturers in China are now growing faster than the older manufacturers that are primarily based out of Chaozhou and Guangzhou, two other major bases of Chinese wholesale garments manufacturing industry. Brides from all across the country often visit Suzhou to find their favorite apparels, as the prices are often surprisingly low due to the intense competition among local players.



The Suzhou market looks a lot different from the swoosh boutiques which are commonplace in the largest wholesale markets in Europe and North America. The market in Suzhou is more of a conglomerate of smallish shops that are located on the four sides of the busy market area nestled at the foothills of Huqiu, which is a popular tourist destination in Jiangsu province of China. While many buyers visit the place with a predetermined preference for quality or budget, there are stores like Fannybrides.com that offer high quality for low price. Bulk of the store's business comes from overseas selling or export of wholesale wedding dresses, while walk-in customers often also find good bargain deals on wedding apparels and bridesmaid dresses that the Suzhou based ecommerce store sells through its physical store.



Since Suzhou is the largest base for wholesale wedding dresses in China, Fannybrides.com draws significant advantages for its strategic location, its enormous pool of human resources as well as the high-end technologies that the store uses. The store now sells discounted products with attractive offers for returning customers, majority of whom are domestic and overseas retailers that prefer Fannybrides.com over other stores in Suzhou, China for their low shipping rates, drop-shipping and other offers as well as competitive prices. The store also strives to offer the designs that reflect the latest trends to their customers, thereby becoming one of the fastest growing ecommerce enterprises in Suzhou specializing in wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses.



About Fannybrides.com

Fannybrides.com is a leading supplier and wholesaler of wedding dresses from Suzhou, China.



To know more, visit http://www.fannybrides.com/
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/11/2017 -- Allergy Diagnostics Market: Scope and Methodology



Allergy diagnostics includes products and tests that are used to determine the presence of allergens such as grass, weed, peanuts, milk, or drugs etc. in the samples by determining the presence of antibodies developed by the immune system. The report on global allergy diagnostics market, analyzes the current and future prospects of the market. The report consists of an executive summary that provides information about the products, its segments and sub-segments, market opportunity analysis, along with a market snapshot and comparative analysis by geography, in terms of revenue %, for 2015.



The global allergy diagnostics market is poised to witness healthy growth during the next few years, driven primarily by the rising instances of allergies around the world and significant growth in diagnostic and treatment options for the same. The opportunity presented by the global market was pegged at US$1.3 bn in 2015 and is projected to be worth US$3.8 bn by 2024, expanding at a strong CAGR of 12.8% therein.



Download Complete Healthcare Analytical Brochure: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=5147



This report provides in-depth analysis of the allergy diagnostics market. The stakeholders for this report include companies involved in the manufacturing of products for allergy diagnosis. For providing a snapshot of this market to the stakeholders, executive summary section is included in this report, which summarizes the market size, trends and competition in different regions. Market share analysis among the market players is analyzed to signify percentage share of the major players operating in the allergy diagnostics market. Furthermore, the report incorporates market attractiveness analysis by geography that depicts the most attractive and significant region in the global market in 2015.



The research methodology is a combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research includes information collected via e-mails, and telephonic interviews of Key Opinion Leaders (KOL), and forms the bulk of our research. Secondary research includes information collected from various sources, by study of company websites, annual reports, stock analysis presentations, press releases, and various national and international databases.



Allergy Diagnostics Market: Segmentation



Based on products, the global allergy diagnostics market has been segmented into assay kits, consumables and instruments. The instruments considered in the study include blot analyzers, luminometers, mass spectrometers, ELISA analyzers, immunoassay analyzers etc. Based on allergen type, the allergy diagnostics market is segmented into inhaled allergens, food allergens, drug allergens, and others. Based on tests, the allergy diagnostics market is segmented into In-vivo tests and In-vitro tests. Based on end users, the market is segmented as hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, academic research institutes, and others.



Based on geography, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The regions are further segmented into major countries which include, U.S., Canada, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific, Brazil, Mexico, Rest of Latin America, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa.



Allergy Diagnostics Market: Competitive Landscape



The report also comprises list major players in the market, their SWOT analysis, market share of these players in the Allergy Diagnostics market, key business strategies, product portfolios, and recent developments. Key market players profiled in this report include, Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc., Quest Diagnostics, Inc., BioMerieux SA, Stallergenes Greer, Omega Diagnostics Group Plc, Siemens Healthineers, and HAL Allergy group, among others.



Browse Full Research Report on Allergy Diagnostics Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/allergy-diagnostics-market.html



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.



Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.



Contact

Transparency Market Research

90 State Street, Suite 700

Albany, NY 12207

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com

Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Browse market research blog: https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2017 -- Later in 2005, Journal of Molecular Nutrition listed Hops as Anti-Infective. Due to its properties, Hops became a critical ingredient in beer production and achieved a significant role in the same. In 1405, Hops was first legalized in Flanders (currently Belgium) which witnessed high growth in production since then. In 1516, REINHEITSGEBOT (German Beer Purity Law) passed a bill in Bavaria State of Germany which requires only water, barley malt, hops, and yeast may be used for crafting beer. This is one of the oldest law still applied globally. Almost all the countries have a market for Hop and Hop Extracts. During the time, many unique Hop Extracts are developed in order to satisfy the taste buds of people and their preferences. Hops are used to give flavor, aroma, color and taste to a beer when mixed in appropriate proportions during the brewing process. While many factors create overall beer flavors, hops will have the biggest impact on how beer is perceived. Hop Extracts market is strong in Americas and Europe because a large portion of the population consumes beer which is driving the Hop Extracts market. While a large population of APEJ and MEA still don't drink alcoholic beverages which have restricted the Hop Extracts market in these regions. However, countries like India, have shown significant growth in beer consumption; India is the most growing beer market in the world is likely to become next home of many international Hop Extracts producers in next 5 to 10 years. Although, India doesn't produce Hops which create a great opportunity for companies to start producing hops in the country. Apart from India, China and Hong Kong are also one of the most growing markets of Hop Extracts in APEJ region due to their historical relation with beer. Hop Extracts market is expected to witness an escalating demand among the consumers because of its significant use and increasing presence of beer, ale and other beverages throughout the globe.



Growing demand for beer and ale is driving the Hop Extracts market globally. Consumers all around the world are getting attracted towards Hop Extracts because of its ease and low production costs which is driving the market. Hop extracts save time and energy while producing beer. Hops are generally added in Wort in order to give bittering, aroma and flavour to beer. Countries like China, India, and Hong Kong, are the future markets for alcoholic beverage and thus a promising market for Hop Extracts. Perception towards alcoholic beverage in the Middle East and APEJ is changing, and with the rise of per capita income, people changed their way of living and shifted towards beer from fruit juices. Hop Extracts serves best for the purpose of brewing when one needs to save time which won't be possible without Hop Extracts. Hence, Hop Extracts market is expected to grow during the forecast period due to its versatile benefits.



However, Hop Extracts comes along with some restraints. Hop Extracts cannot be easily found in developing markets. Most of the people have no knowledge of Hop Extracts in most of the countries which is a big restraint for this market because of limited advertisement. People also fears of dangers such as change in alcoholic content, conversion of liquid to poison or acid and others that they perceive in using Hop extracts instead of pellets or hop fruit.



Hop Extracts market has an opportunity to expand in APEJ and MEA region. In the past decade, hundreds of Hop Extracts players entered China because of decent Hop production in the country and all of them are doing great. There is a need to increase the presence throughout the region.



Hop Extracts market can be segmented on the basis of type which includes oil, pellets and aroma. Hop Oil is the most commonly used ingredient in beer. Hop Extracts market can be segmented on the basis of Hop variety which includes Cascade, Nugget, Willamette, Citra, Crystal, Cluster, Centennial and Others (Chinook, Columbus, Mosaic, etc.). Hop Extracts market can also be segmented on the basis of types of applications which includes brewing, herbal treatment and pharmaceutical.



Request to view table of content @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13060



Regional coverage for Hop Extracts market includes North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Hop Extract's market witnesses a high demand in North America and Europe because of the high consumption of beers in the region. However, the Hop Extracts market is expected to grow significantly in APEJ region as consumers have widely adopting beer and ale.



A sample of this report is available upon request @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13060



The market players in Hop Extracts market are Hopsteiner, BSG, Northern Brewers, The Malt Miller, MoreBeer, Charles faram and many more.
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2017 -- Later in 2005, Journal of Molecular Nutrition listed Hops as Anti-Infective. Due to its properties, Hops became a critical ingredient in beer production and achieved a significant role in the same. In 1405, Hops was first legalized in Flanders (currently Belgium) which witnessed high growth in production since then. In 1516, REINHEITSGEBOT (German Beer Purity Law) passed a bill in Bavaria State of Germany which requires only water, barley malt, hops, and yeast may be used for crafting beer. This is one of the oldest law still applied globally. Almost all the countries have a market for Hop and Hop Pallet. During the time, many unique Hop Pallet are developed in order to satisfy the taste buds of people and their preferences. Hop Pallet are used to give flavor, aroma, color and taste to a beer when mixed in appropriate proportions during the brewing process. While many factors create overall beer flavors, hops will have the biggest impact on how beer is perceived. Hop pellet is produced by crushing up dried hop flower and pressing them into pellets. Hops are commonly used for bittering and aroma in beer. Hop Pellet have a higher extraction efficiency that Hop flower when it is used for bittering purpose. Hop Pellet is more stable than Hop Flower due to grinding, compression and removal of moisture. Nowadays, Hop pellets is commonly used in commercial brewing and home brewing purposes. Hop Pallet market is strong in Americas and Europe because a large portion of the population consumes beer which is driving the Hop Pallet market. While a large population of APEJ and MEA still don't drink alcoholic beverages which have restricted the Hop Pallet market in these regions. However, countries like India, have shown significant growth in beer consumption; India is the most growing beer market in the world is likely to become next home of many international Hop Pallet producers in next 5 to 10 years. Although, India doesn't produce Hops which create a great opportunity for companies to start producing hops in the country. Apart from India, China and Hong Kong are also one of the most growing markets of Hop Pallet in APEJ region due to their historical relation with beer. Hop Pallet market is expected to witness an escalating demand among the consumers because of its significant use and increasing presence of beer, ale and other beverages throughout the globe.



Growing demand for beer and ale is driving the Hop Pallet market globally. Consumers all around the world are getting attracted towards Hop Pallet because of its ease and low production costs which is driving the market. Hop Pallet save time and energy while producing beer. Hops are generally added in Wort in order to give bittering, aroma and flavour to beer. Countries like China, India, and Hong Kong, are the future markets for alcoholic beverage and thus a promising market for Hop Pallet. Perception towards alcoholic beverage in the Middle East and APEJ is changing, and with the rise of per capita income, people changed their way of living and shifted towards beer from fruit juices. Hop Pallet serves best for the purpose of brewing when one needs to save time which won't be possible without Hop Pallet. However, Hence, Hop Pallet market is expected to grow during the forecast period due to its versatile benefits.



However, Hop Pallet comes along with some restraints. Hop Extracts is a substitute of Hop Pellet which can be used much easier as compared to Pellets. Most of the people have no knowledge of Hop Pallet in most of the countries which is a big restraint for this market because of limited advertisement. Hop Pallet market has an opportunity to expand in APEJ and MEA region. In the past decade, hundreds of Hop Pallet players entered China because of decent Hop production in the country and all of them are doing great. There is a need to increase the presence throughout the region.



Hop Pallet market can be segmented on the basis of type which includes Type 90 (T-90) and Type 45 (T-45). Hop Pallet market can be segmented on the basis of Hop variety which includes Cascade, Nugget, Willamette, Citra, Crystal, Cluster, Centennial and Others (Chinook, Columbus, Mosaic, etc.). Hop Pallet market can also be segmented on the basis of types of applications which includes brewing, herbal treatment and pharmaceutical.



A sample of this report is available upon request @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13063



Regional coverage for Hop Pallet market includes North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Hop Extract's market witnesses a high demand in North America and Europe because of the high consumption of beers in the region. However, the Hop Pallet market is expected to grow significantly in APEJ region as consumers have widely adopting beer and ale.



Request to view table of content @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13063



The market players in Hop Pallet market are Hopsteiner, BSG Craft Brewing, Northern Brewers, The Malt Miller, Charles faram and many more.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/11/2017 -- Rosin is resin in solid form that is obtained from plants, crude oil, wood, and gum among others. Tall oil rosin is a major derivative and co-product of commercially important Kraft pulping. Pulp mills are the major suppliers of this product. When pine pulp is treated, crude oil is obtained as a by-product. It is then further distilled and tall oil rosin is obtained as one of the major derivatives. It finds diverse uses in industries such as paint and varnish, pulp and paper, rubber, chemical, and polygraphic among others. The major application of tall oil rosin is in pulp and paper production and for obtaining forest produce. Tall oil rosin is the prime segment among all the derivatives obtained from tall oil. Tall oil rosin accounts for more than one-fourth of the total crude oil derivative in the world.



Download exclusive Sample of this report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18059



The global market for tall oil rosin is expected to rise substantially between 2016 and 2024. Major drivers of the global tall oil rosin market includes moderate growth of tackifier resins. Domestic consumption of tall oil resins in major regions such as the U.S. is also driving the otherwise slow tall oil rosin market in a positive way. Increasing prices of crude oil is a major factor that has positioned tall oil rosin in a competitive spot in the binder resins and tackifier market. The major restraint hindering market growth includes lack of supply. Even if the demand increases moderately due to various reasons, lack of supply of tall oil rosin is deterring growth of the tall oil rosin market considerably. This has resulted in a very slow and flat growth rate of the global tall oil rosin market in recent times as supply cannot meet the demand. In addition, limitation in terms of major application areas is another reason which is impeding market growth.



Geographically, the tall oil rosin market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. North America is the dominant market for tall oil rosin as the region produces this type of rosin at a global level. Europe closely follows North America in the global market and countries such as the U.S., Finland, and Sweden account for about 70% of the world exports. Most of the tall oil rosin is produced in the US. Asia Pacific is poised to grow at a substantial rate over the forecast period. High adoption of tall oil resin, mainly as an emulsifier coupled with increased use of tall oil rosin in the rubber and soap industry, will give a positive push to the market in this region.



The global market for tall oil resin is highly consolidated in nature with majority of the players in the U.S. The companies in this market compete on the basis of pricing. It is anticipated that the competition in the market will intensify further during the forecast period due to an increase in adoption of tall oil rosin, especially in the Asia Pacific region. Pricing strategies play a significant role in driving the growth of this market.



Browse Full Report with ToC: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/tall-oil-rosin-market.html



Major players in the global tall oil rosin market includes Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC (Oregon, U.S.), Kraton Corporation (Almere, Netherlands), and Eagle Imports (Texas, U.S.). Other players in the global tall oil resin market are PAG KIMYA SAN. TIC. LTD. STI. (Istanbul, Turkey), GrantChem, Inc. (California, U.S.), LLC PK "XimProm" (Omsk, Russia), AKAY TIC SAN KOLL STI - YUKSEL AKAYLAR (Istanbul, Turkey), Fujian Qina Trading Co. Ltd. (Fujian, China), IBRAHIM WALI MOHAMMAD & CO. (Sind, Pakistan), G.C. RUTTEMAN & Co. B.V. (Rotterdam, Netherlands), MALPLAST INDUSTRIES LIMITED (Nairobi, Kenya), Akay Ticaret Ve Sanayi Koll.Sti. (Istanbul, Turkey), and Matole Ltd (Budapest, Hungary).
Milky Ways 11 most distant stars are located roughly 300,000 light-years away from us. According to a team of astronomers at Harvard University, five of those stars might have been ripped from another galaxy, the Sagittarius dwarf elliptical galaxy.

The Sagittarius dwarf elliptical galaxy (SagDEG), also known as the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy, is one of the nearest dwarf galaxies.

It was discovered in 1994 by University of Cambridge astronomer Rodrigo Ibata and co-authors.

SagDEG is in a near polar orbit around the Milky Way and has experienced multiple passages through the disk, the Harvard astronomers said.

The resulting stream of tidally stripped stars wraps a full 360 degrees around the celestial sphere.

Coincidentally, the Suns location is close enough to the SagDEG orbital plane to likely lie within the width of the debris trail.

Harvard University Professor Avi Loeb and PhD student Marion Dierickx used computer models to simulate the movements of SagDEG over the past 8 billion years.

They varied its initial velocity and angle of approach to the Milky Way to determine what best matched current observations.

The starting speed and approach angle have a big effect on the orbit, just like the speed and angle of a missile launch affects its trajectory, Prof. Loeb said.

At the beginning of the simulation, SagDEG weighed about 10 billion times the mass of our Sun, or about 1% of the Milky Ways mass.

The teams calculations showed that over time, the dwarf galaxy lost about 1/3 of its stars and 9/10 of its dark matter.

This resulted in three distinct streams of stars that reach as far as one million light-years from the Milky Ways center.

They stretch all the way out to the edge of the Milky Way halo and display one of the largest structures observable on the sky.

Moreover, five of the 11 most distant stars in our Galaxy have positions and velocities that match what you would expect of stars stripped from SagDEG.

The other six do not appear to be from SagDEG, but might have been removed from a different dwarf galaxy.

The research has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. The article is also publicly available at arXiv.org.

_____

Marion Dierickx & Abraham Loeb. 2017. Predicted Extension of the Sagittarius Stream to the Milky Way Virial Radius. ApJ, accepted for publication; arXiv: 1611.00089

This article is based on a press-release from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
It is a well-known fact that about 85 percent of the Earth's innermost part is made of iron, while 10 percent is comprised of nickel. However, the remaining 5 percent that makes up the planet's core has remained a mystery. Now, a team of researchers from Japan has suggested that the mysterious element that comprises the missing 5 percent is actually silicon.

The Earth's core is located about 3,000 kilometers below the surface and is said to have a radius of about 1,200 kilometers. The depth of the core makes it impossible to directly carry out tests to find out what it is made up of. Incidentally, the deepest mines on the planet reach down to only mere depths of 4 kilometers.

According to a BBC report, the research team from Japan's University of Tohoku has been searching for the missing element for decades. The scientists carried out their study by creating a miniature Earth, complete with a core, mantle and crust in the laboratory instead of digging into the planet.

The team created alloys of nickel and iron and mixed them with silicon, and the resulting product was subjected to the high temperatures (about 6,000 degrees Celsius) and pressures that prevail within the Earth's core. The conditions were at par with the seismic data of the Earth's core and gave the researchers ample evidence that silicon was probably the missing element that constitutes 5 percent of the Earth's core.

"These difficult experiments are really exciting because they can provide a window into what Earth's interior was like soon after it first formed, 4.5 billion years ago, when the core first started to separate from the rocky parts of Earth," said Simon Redfern, professor of mineral physics at the University of Cambridge. However, Redfern also added that "other workers have recently suggested that oxygen might also be important in the core."
Research funds allotted by the Canada Foundation for Innovation were sliced up among various research centers. Canadian federal Science Minister Kirsty Duncan made the announcement of the release of funding last Monday.

The main focus of the funding is to promote scientific research at the 17-key national scientific research facilities. The University of Saskatchewan received $69 million in total, which will be divided between its three research centers, including the Canadian Light Source, a powerful X-ray facility. The facility that helps researchers in studying molecular structures and processes was granted $48 million.

The International Vaccine Centre that functions under the aegis of the university received $19.3 million, which will be used in the process of infrastructure development necessary for the study of infectious diseases and development of vaccines.

$1.56 million was allotted to SuperDARN Canada, which is an initiative made by the University of Saskatchewan towards mapping of space weather in the Canadian region, Saskatoon Star Phoenix reported.

The allotment of such a huge amount of funding to the University of Saskatchewan research centers "affirms the value to Canada of the world-class science being done within these unique centres," said Peter Stoicheff, President of the University.

Globe and Mail reported that The Ocean Networks Canada center received $46.6 million, which is meant for the furtherance of research at sea floor observatories employed for monitoring of oceans. Canada's Genomics Enterprise, the collaborative genomic project that sequences numerous genomes every year was allotted $32 million.

Compute Canada received the highest individual grant of $70 million, which will be used to develop the facilities necessary for building high-speed computing access to scientists working on diverse fields. The research icebreaker ship named Amundsen was allocated $18.2 million to develop its infrastructure and facilities, which will in turn help in conducting highly advanced scientific programs in the Canadian Arctic region and undertaking health surveys of the northern communities.

As per the federal rules of Canadian government, 40 percent of each research grant is provided by the government, while the rest is collected from provincial and other sources. Scientists are of the opinion that this policy obstructs the furtherance of research and innovation in Canada and demand that it should be reformed as soon as possible.
The school science textbooks teach that Appendix is a vestigial organ in human beings just like wisdom teeth and tail bone. Evolutionary scientists at Midwestern University traced back the evolutionary history of appendix, which indicates that the organ is not vestigial. Instead, they have specified anatomical and physiological functions inside the body.

The researchers studied several ancestral mammalian lineages and the presence and absence of appendix in them indicated that appendix evolved 29 times in the last 11 million years, Science Alert reported.

"This statistically strong evidence that the appearance of the appendix is significantly more probable than its loss suggests a selective value for this structure," the team of scientists proposed.

Though the exact function of the organ is still unclear, it is proposed that the human body is not ready to give up the organ yet. "Thus, we can confidently reject the hypothesis that the appendix is a vestigial structure with little adaptive value or function among mammals," scientists say.

Textbook knowledge states that the human appendix is the result of evolutionary non-use of the organ for over millions of years. Scientists propose that the reason appendix still exists in the human body, even after causing life threatening conditions due to inflammation and rupturing, is because it is too "evolutionarily expensive" to be eliminated.

The study revealed that the appendix has a close relationship with concentration of lymphoid tissue in the cecum, which implies that the organ may be functioning as a secondary immune organ and as a "safe house" for beneficial gut bacteria, Irish Examiner reported.

The findings of the study were published in the Comptes Rendus Palevol journal. The article states that, "While these links between the appendix and cecal factors have been suggested before, this is the first time they have been statistically validated."

It seems biology textbooks will soon be edited and the next generation will know appendix not as a vestigial organ but as an evolutionary conserved secondary immune organ.
Researchers unearthed the skeleton of a Byzantine pregnant woman, from what is believed to be the part of the ancient city of Troy. The genomic analysis of the bone samples indicated the presence of bacterial genomes belonging to Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Gardnerella vaginalis, which led to the speculation that the woman must have succumbed to bacterial sepsis.

The skeleton is estimated to be 800 years old, buried in a grave that is lined with stones on both its sides. Henrike Kiesewetter, archaeologist in the Project Troia at Tuebingen University, while curating the skeleton observed the presence of two strawberry-shaped calcified nodules near her rib cage.

Pioneer researcher Caitlin Pepperell, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, "Calcification made little tiny suitcases of DNA and transported it across an 800-year timespan."

The nodules were further analyzed by experts and indicated the presence of "ghost cells" containing the genetic material of the bacterial strains, Fox News reported.

Hendrik Poinar, scientist at the McMaster University's Ancient DNA Centre, said, "Amazingly, these samples yielded enough DNA to fully reconstruct the genomes of two species of bacteria, Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Gardnerella vaginalis, which infected the woman and likely led to her death."

The researchers were also able to find out the age and the sex of the unborn fetus of the dead woman. The researchers said that the woman must have been around 30 years old and she was pregnant with a boy when she contracted the bacterial infection and died.

University of Wisconsin-Madison News stated that the skeleton's bone structure indicated her hard-agrarian lifestyle. The study was published in eLIFE journal and states that Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a strain that lived in livestock animals in the ancient past and jumped to humans during the time when human population started to cohabitate with these animals.

Pepperell said, "The strain from Troy belongs to a lineage that is not commonly associated with human disease in the modern world." She also added, "We speculate that human infections in the ancient world were acquired from a pool of bacteria that moved readily between humans, livestock and the environment."
Key to the framework of the agreement is knowledge sharing and cooperation on resolving commercial disputes in the UAE and abroad.

Under the terms of the MoU, DIAC and EMAC will cooperate to host and lead workshops, seminars, conferences, presentations and educational activities focusing on arbitration, conciliation, mediation and dispute resolution in general.

The two organisations will assist each other in identifying suitable arbitrators, conciliators and mediators who can provide their expertise in resolving disputes received by the two centres.

In addition, the two centres will exchange information and publications on various dispute matters whenever possible, while the agreement also aims to facilitate coordination in representing UAE-based arbitration centres internationally.

Majid Obaid bin Bashir, vice chairman and secretary general, EMAC, said: We are honoured to partner with Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and look forward to harnessing the mutual benefits of this collaboration for our members with a focus on raising awareness together.

The MoU is one of the first major agreements signed by EMAC, which was formed in 2016 by the Dubai government to provide arbitration and mediation services across the UAE, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the MENA region.

Last week, EMAC announced it is accepting new corporate and individual memberships.
Benjamin Lawson Blake Krum Charles Ludlow Daniel Burns Steve Timmer

AVB has recently added five people to its team including a business development associate, two new commercial construction project engineers, a residential construction framer, and a residential estimating intern.



Daniel Burns has been hired as a commercial construction project engineer. He will coordinate all necessary documents and communications for all commercial projects. As a full-time member of the AVB team, Burns will carry out communication processes for all AVB commercial projects and will use his experience in construction to ensure that project coordination on all commercial projects are accomplished.



Burns recently graduated from Western Michigan University with his bachelors degree in construction engineering and a general business and mathematics double minor in December 2016. He previously gained experience in the construction industry as an intern at Black & Veatch as well as Louis Padnos Iron and Metal Company.



AVB also recently hired Ben Lawson as a commercial construction project engineer and assistant superintendent. His role with AVB includes coordinating all necessary documents and communications for all commercial projects and handling the on-site management of projects. Lawson will carry out communication processes for all AVB commercial projects and will use his experience in construction to ensure that project coordination on all commercial projects are accomplished.



Lawson is a recent graduate from Western Michigan University. He earned his bachelors degree in industrial and entrepreneurial engineering in December, 2016. Formerly, Lawson was a United States Marine and first joined the AVB team as a Monroe Brown intern. Now a full time employee with AVB, he will be working on various projects, including the on-going projects at the Corner@Drake development.



Blake Krum as been hired by as a business development associate. His role with AVB includes assisting with the contract coordination, marketing and prospecting of AVB land developments.



Krum is currently pursuing a masters in business administration at Western Michigan University. He graduated cum laude from Olivet College with a bachelor of arts degree in Business Management. He has experience in the business management field as a business analyst for Cole-Krum Chevrolet. As a full time member of the AVB Team, Blake will carry out tenant and land prospecting responsibilities and use his experience to maintain and market all AVB properties.



Charles Ludlow was recently hired as a residential construction framer and Stephen Timmer as a residential estimating Intern.



Ludlow has a bachelor of business administration with a focus in sales and business marketing from Western Michigan University. His experience in residential real estate and residential contracting has given him an in-depth knowledge of home construction. At AVB, Ludlow will be working with the residential team to build custom homes throughout the community.



Timmer is currently pursuing a bachelor of science with a focus in civil engineering from Western Michigan University. At AVB, he will be working closely with senior residential estimator Dave Timmer and assisting him with the issuance of purchase orders, helping compile job estimates and managing job files.



AVB currently employs several interns, like Timmer, from a number of universities including Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, and Kalamazoo College. AVB has had the opportunity to provide training and real world experience, along with meaningful responsibility, to more than 25 interns hired over the past several years.



AVB has been building southwest Michigan since 1981. The company's commercial division focuses on construction management in the healthcare, education, office and retail markets. AVBs custom residential building division specializes in single-family homes, condominiums and neighborhoods. AVBs development group focuses on property development for commercial, residential, and mixed uses.



Source: AVB


Before we launch into another year of stories about the issues, people and programs that impact local kids, we wanted to revisit the best-read 2016 Michigan Nightlight stories  from Battle Creek to Kalamazoo and all points near. (Michigan Nightlight is our series of solutions-focused stories about improving outcomes for vulnerable children.)This May piece on LGBTQ policies in Kalamazoo schools presented a case for tolerance, understanding, and acceptance  and deconstructed some myths that persist around LGBTQ issues. Sarah Leineke, a ninth-grade math teacher at Loy Norrix, and an advisor for the schools Gender and Sexuality Alliance student organization, was interviewed for the story: "I didn't really even know that much about what it means to be trans and the trans experience and trans issues  it's really interesting how quickly we can change our mindset just by talking to people and listening to people."Two other popular stories showcased food systems work. The feature on Rachel Bair and Kalamazoo Valley Community Colleges Food Innovation Center looked at how southwest Michigans local and regional food system is being rebuilt, using new ways to get food from farms to markets to consumers.And the f arm to school story that ran in the fall investigated how a Migrant Head Start program brings fresh, local food to Spartas youngest learners and why a superintendent in Boyne Falls Public School System procures locally grown produce for student lunches.Finally, the article on Battle Creek Business Bootcamp for food entrepreneurs was also a top read. The story looked at what business owners  from a taco restaurateur to farmers to an ice cream maker  gleaned from the training and how that knowledge hopefully will be a bridge to success.If you havent had a chance to read these pieces, please do. We look forward to bringing you more Michigan Nightlight stories in 2017.This article is part of Michigan Nightlight, a series of stories about the programs and people that positively impact the lives of Michigan kids. It is made possible with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation . Read more in the series here
Speakers who work to make a difference in the world and who are expected to encourage and inspire others to take practical steps toward a more just society will offer their insights at Lee Honors College's fifth annual Spring Lyceum Lecture Series.Beginning Jan. 18 and running through April 12, this year's theme is Fulfilling America's Promise: Racial Equity and Justice .The afternoon lecture features topics, such as Women in the Civil Rights Movement, racial bias in law enforcement, and activist tools you can use. The series culminates with a keynote, An Evening with Ms. Sybrina Fulton, activist and mother of Trayvon Martin at Chenery Auditorium on March 29.Jane Baas is Associate Dean of the college and, as acting interim Dean through the end of the year, was involved in planning the lecture series. The Honors College recently welcomed a new Dean at the first of the year, Dr. Gary Bischof. Bischof spent 12 years as a faculty member in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at WMU prior to his new position with the Honors College. He holds a PhD from Purdue, a Masters from Virginia Tech, and an undergrad in Philosophy from Bethany College, WV.Bischof says that the impetus for the spring 2017 series around racial equity and justice manifested well before the 2016 election but he acknowledges, the timing is good for the facilitation of civil discourse around issues of racial equality and social justice given where we are in our nation's history.It is possible that some individuals may learn methods to pursue sustained social justice work related to a response to the current political climate, Bischof says. This year's series came from a desire to help students and others in the community with examples of sustained, impactful social justice work.That work is particularly important now. Baas says, In discussion this past summer, Honors College staff noted that with each media firestorm, many people seemed to work toward improving situations for the short term, but did not seem able to sustain that work in order to effect true transformation. In addition to providing information, another goal of the lecture series is to encourage people to take practical steps toward making our society more just.I believe there is considerable anxiety and uncertainty about what the U.S. will be like under the new federal administration, Bischof says. Based upon the content and tone of the presidential election cycle, there is good reason for cause for concern. This current generation of students tends to exhibit more anxiety than previous generations, and the election process has added to that anxiety, especially for those with marginalized identities, he explains.While America is supposedly founded on fair and equitable treatment of all people, history, and present-day experiences -- especially along racial lines -- tell a different story. Race is a key driver of inequality. According to the Lecture website, Scholars and activists who dedicate their work to promoting equity and justice point out that all Americans are impacted by systemic racism, and that only sustained attention can fulfill the promise of justice for all. This series features speakers who work to make a difference and who will encourage (and inspire!) us all to take practical steps toward a more just society.The most anticipated lecture of the series is the keynote with Sybrina Fulton, activist and mother of Trayvon Martin. Fulton created The Trayvon Martin Foundation, a social justice organization committed to ending senseless gun violence, strengthening families through holistic support, S.T.E.A.M. education for women and minorities, and mentoring. Through that work, Fulton is an example of the type of sustained social justice work the lecture series hopes to inspire.The keynote evening, at Chenery Auditorium at 7 p.m. March 29, will include remarks by Sybrina Fulton and a discussion between Fulton and WMUK's Earlene McMichael. There will also be an audience question and answer period.The evening is expected to last approximately 90 minutes, and tickets are not required. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Chenery Auditorium accommodates 1,500 people and is the second largest venue in Kalamazoo. Baas says that based on previous experiences with high profile speakers, they expect there will be more than enough seating for interested campus and community members.The rest of the weekly lectures will take place at the Lee Honors College lounge on the main campus of Western Michigan University on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. Lectures are free and open to students, staff, faculty and the general public. Lunch is not provided, but the audience is welcome to bring brown bag lunches.Kathi Valeii is a freelance writer, living in Kalamazoo. You can find her at her website, kathivaleii.com
Rain and snow from multiple Pacific storms were expected to fall into Thursday. The National Weather Service on Wednesday said flooding had occurred or was expected on several rivers in California through the end of the week.

"Atmospheric rivers occur every winter, it's just a matter of where they occur," Marty Ralph, director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at UC San Diego, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "The last two years they've been missing in California. In the past three months we've had a large number."

A weather system called an atmospheric river has swept huge amounts of moisture across the Pacific, dumping it on California and recharging reservoirs that have seen years of deficits.

California has suffered a statewide drought since 2011, what some have called the worst drought in more than a thousand years, but powerful winter storms since the beginning of the year could mean it's finally over.

"The best news of all is that the Sierra Nevada snowpack has suddenly jumped well ahead of average for the date - something we haven't seen in quite a few years," said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and author of the the California Weather Blog.

Just last week mountain snowpack was measured at 70 percent of normal for this time of year. On Wednesday, snowpack was measured at 158 percent of normal. California relies on snowpack to provide drinking water and irrigation in warmer months when rainfall is limited.

RELATED: Historic 'Drive-Through' Sequoia Tree Was Felled by California Storms

"In the very northern part of California, yes, the drought is over," Ralph told the Chronicle. "In the south, not so much." About  of the state remains in drought, largely in the southern part of the state.

In the north, the "groundwater deficit caused by years of low precipitation, high temperatures, and active pumping by humans remains enormous," Swain said. "Most of the water used in California's urban areas actually comes from geographically distant regions, including the northern California watersheds that have done so well, precipitation-wise, over the past couple of months. On the other hand, ecosystems and groundwater aquifers really do depend on local precipitation, and there's still a long way to go before the drought is broken in Southern California in that regard."

The effects of the drought go beyond the the environmental concerns. A new report from the Pacific Institute and the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water "found that low-income households, people of color, and communities already burdened with environmental pollution suffered the most severe impacts."

The report recommended a number of steps for local and state agencies take to safeguard water supplies for future droughts, including creating contingency plans for water shortages and increasing oversight of public and private wells to protect the state's residents, including disadvantaged communities, from a lack of household drinking water and price hikes related to shortages.

WATCH: Will the World Ever Run Out of Water?
When temperatures rise even a modest amount, insects' ability to reproduce is affected, according to a new study from UK researchers at the University of Sheffield.

Scientists there exposed a species of fruit fly (Drosophila subobscura) collected from both Spain and Sweden to a mild increase of 5.5 C. (9.9 F.) above temperatures considered environmentally normal for the species in each location.

What happened when the heat rose? The researchers say, in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, that juveniles exposed to the temperature boost saw reduced chances of producing offspring as adults.

The insect's location seemed to play a role, the study found. The flies from the lower latitude of Spain fared better with the temperature increase than did those from Sweden.

"Our study is unique, as we only exposed the insects to mild heat but tested the long-term impact this had on them as both juveniles and when they reached adulthood," explained the study's lead researcher Rhonda Snook in a statement.

"The results show that even small increases in temperature may still cause populations to decline because, while these insects don't die because of the mild heat, they produce fewer offspring," she added.

Shook pointed out that juvenile insects are generally more susceptible to changes in their environment because at that age they are either larvae or too young yet to have wings that would allow them to fly away and seek relief.

Because the flies from a lower latitude country fared better in the study, the scientists say insects from higher-latitude countries are more vulnerable to climate change and could suffer declining populations.

"We already knew that insects are feeling the effect of climate change," Snook said, "but we now know they are felt at much lower temperatures."

RELATED: Bumble Bees Decimated by Climate Change: Study

The researchers noted that their experiments were performed only on fruit flies. However, they wrote: "This may be common in other organisms with complex life cycles, and current models predicting population responses to climate change, which do not take into account the impact of juvenile heat stress on reproductive performance, may be too conservative."

Next up, the University of Sheffield team plans to have a closer look at the genetics of the flies from Spain and Sweden to see if they can discern why those from Spain fared better at reproduction after the juvenile heat exposure.

"Identifying genes that are linked to increased and decreased reproduction is something which may be very useful not only in understanding how insects will cope with climate change but from the perspective of controlling insect pests," said Snook.

WATCH VIDEO: How Do Insects Poop?
Working full time in Japan can be extremely demanding. Most people end up working nearly 80 hours a week. There are a lot of things they miss out on, one of which is having enough time to own a pet and be able to properly take care of it. This is where pet cafes come in.

Japan has cat, dog, and even reptile cafes, but until recently there weren't many exotic animal cafes. That's why Ryusuke Akedo decided to open a The Bird Cafe that houses parrots, owls, cockatoos, and even falcons. He has places for customers to relax and watch the birds through a glass window, or they can go to the Asakusa branch and the birds will come land on their arms. Ryusuke began purchasing birds in Tokyo several years ago, and at one point had 5 owls at home along with a hawk, an eagle, and a cockatoo. Now they live at the cafe and help entertain the customers. Watching people leave his cafe with huge smiles on their face is the ultimate satisfaction for him.

If birds aren't really your thing, you can head over to the Yokohama Subtropical Teahouse (Reptile Cafe for short) owned by Mutsumi Nagano and hangout with iguanas, turtles, and snakes. Mutsumi has always had a love for living things and dreamed of opening a business where humans and animals could interact together. The Reptile Cafe is her dream come true. She used to work in a biology lab as a researcher so caring for reptiles is second nature to her. They're fairly easy to care for so she's able to do it almost completely on her own. Mutsumi wants people to realize that even animals who aren't furry need love, and are pretty good at giving it too.

Ra.a.g.f Cafe is a bit more on the cuddly side. The only animals you'll find here are lots and lots of furry rabbits. Many people assume rabbits aren't very friendly, but Maria Fuwa believes that isn't true. They are very intuitive, and will often come over to visit and play with the regular customers. The customers always have their favorite bunnies too and will often request to specifically play with the ones they like best. Maria says that rabbits offer a lot of emotional support. Her rabbit at home always knows when she's sad and cuddles with her to help her feel better.

Watch more All Points Project:

Meet the Afghan Bruce Lee
If the predictions for futuristic transportation come true, our skies are going to be full of aerial passenger drones - and jetpacks. You thought navigating metro areas during rush hour is a challenge? Well, get ready. Flight entrepreneurs are determined to send the daily commute into the clouds.

Martin Aircraft Company, based in New Zealand, has been working on developing jetpacks for years. Their current gas-powered prototype can fly up to 2,500 feet, goes about 25 mph and can stay aloft for about 30 minutes, according to the specs. A price for one of their jetpacks hasn't been announced, but is expected to start well above $100,000 once it's ready to hit the market.

Peter Coker, who was previously the company's CEO and is now an executive for their Chinese shareholder KuangChi Science Limited, recently told the BBC that he thinks jetpacks will be part of future cities. "I see it as being the Uber of the sky," he said.

Speaking of which, Uber already wants to be the "Uber of the sky." Last fall the ride-sharing company released a white paper outlining a vision for one day deploying fleets of electric aerial vehicles to pick up passengers. Hailing a jetpack would probably be a very different experience from hailing a plane-like aerial vehicle, though.

That doesn't mean it will be impossible. Today KuangChi launched an investment fund worth $250 million, which it will use to support research in - among other areas - smart cities. Martin Aircraft's leadership thinks that their jetpacks, which the company calls "optionally piloted hovering air vehicles," will be part of that urban landscape because they're designed to be safe, practical, and flown unmanned.

RELATED: Real-Life Jetpack Flies at Futuristic Conference

"We're trying to make the world's easiest-to-fly aircraft," Martin Aircraft's then-CEO Richard Lauder told Discovery News in 2013, when the company was talking about putting its jetpack into production. At that point, the goal was to create "a Segway for the sky." Although the company has made progress since then, including obtaining certifications for manned test flights, the jetpacks aren't ready for everyday takeoff.

I expect that, given the high price of a jetpack once they're available, the intense technological challenges of producing efficient unmanned aerial vehicles, plus all those regulations left to clear, commuters will be sticking to wheels for a while yet. Whether or not a robotic car picks them up remains to be seen.

Now, the idea of sending aerial vehicles on rescue missions seems much more promising to me. From a distance, the jetpack does look a little bit like Iron Man.
The Pentagon's laser program is getting a big boost in funding this year, as military planners try to turn a long-held dream of science fiction writers into a combat-ready weapon that can swiftly knock down enemy drones, ships or vehicles.

The most recent defense spending bill, passed in December 2016, includes $328 million for developing and procuring "directed energy" weapons in 2017, a 51 percent increase over the previous year. That money will go to building more laser weapons that operate with a beam of concentrated light, as well as microwave and electromagnetic weapons that can knock out electronics or engines on an airplane, or even give enemies a powerful jolt without killing them.

"There is a growing realization on Capitol Hill and the Department of Defense that its time to transition these technologies," said Mark Gunzinger, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and former deputy assistant secretary of defense under President George W. Bush. "There are some technological challenges, but it's apparent to us that it's a case of inadequate funding. We do believe there are directed energy technologies that are ready to transform now."

All four branches of the military have already built prototype laser weapons that have worked during tests. But the next step is building and testing operational ones, according to Gunzinger.

"Lasers have been around since the 1960s, and there have been decades and hundreds of millions of dollars invested into laser technology," said Gunzigner, who authored a comprehensive 2012 report on directed energy weapons for CSBA.

Early laser weapons combined chemicals reactions to generate a beam of light. The Air Force mounted a chemical-based airborne laser on a Boeing 747 and tested it, but Pentagon strategists conceded it wasn't useful to put a big relatively slow airplane in range of surface-to-air missiles. The airborne laser took more than $1 billion to develop between 1996 and 2010 and made several test flights and test shots at drones, but it wasn't very accurate and the project was abandoned.

Since then, the Navy Laser Weapon System (LaWS) has been installed on the USS Ponce operating in the Persian Gulf. It generates uses heat energy and uses a laser to destroy drones and floating targets at sea.

RELATED: Laser Weapon Stops Truck - from a Mile Away

The Army mounted a 10-kilowatt laser on the back of a military vehicle and tested it in 2014, when it knocked down 150 aerial targets including both mortars and drones, while the Marines use a smaller short-range 30-kilowatt laser mounted in the back of a Humvee transport.

Great Britain's Ministry of Defense awarded a $36 million contract this month to a group of European defense companies to produce a prototype laser that could track and target incoming targets. .

The Air Force has switched gears from using an offensive laser on a big plane, to a defensive laser that could be mounted on a fighter jet. In August 2016, Northrop Grumann won a $39 million contract to build a control system for the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The idea is to see whether such a device works better than other countermeasures to knock down incoming anti-aircraft missiles.

For all the promise and Pentagon research dollars spent over the years, laser weapons still have a couple of problems. First, they don't work well in rainy, cloudy weather. That means they won't likely be deployed to the ships patrolling the northern or southern latitudes, but perhaps a better option for tropical regions or places like the Persian Gulf where visibility is generally good.

They also require a lot of electrical energy to produce the laser beam, and producing that energy requires carrying around a big generator of some kind.

"The problem is the battery right now," said Brig. Gen. Julian Alford, commander of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory/Futures Directorate in Quantico, Va. "When the scientists figure out how to make the size, weight and power much smaller, that would be something we can use."

Mark Neice, director of the Directed Energy Professional Society, a group of scientists and engineers in the laser community, expects some of these problems to be solved in the next five to 10 years.

"The biggest issue in terms of transitioning directed energy capabilities is now the policy and perception of using this technology, vs. the old 'bombs and bullets' mentality," he said in an e-mail to Seeker. "From an engineering perspective, we need to make the direct energy systems efficiency higher, which will reduce the overall size of the weapons package. Acquisition costs are higher, but the life cycle costs are lower."

WATCH VIDEO: Are Lasers The Weapons of the Future?
British archaeologists have found a treasure trove of Victorian condiment bottles and jam jars beneath a former nightclub, according to the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).

Over 13,000 bottles of historic ketchup, pickle pots and marmalade jars were found in the heart of Soho, where the Astoria nightclub once stood.

The nightclub was demolished in 2011 during the construction of Crossrail's new Elizabeth line station at Tottenham Court Road, which is due to open in December 2018.

The work revealed the club's clients were partying above the remains of a Crosse & Blackwell factory which manufactured popular sauces, condiments and jams from 1838 until 1921.

The archaeologists unearthed kilns, furnaces, a refrigeration system and cisterns originally used to power the steam engines. However, when the factory was redesigned in the 1870s, the cisterns were taken out of use and turned into a dumping ground for the pots.

"One cistern alone contained nearly three tons of Newcastle-made marmalade jars with stoneware bottles and jars. We think this is the biggest collection of pottery ever discovered in a single feature from an archaeological site in London," Nigel Jeffries, medieval and later pottery specialist at MOLA, said.

RELATED: 3,000 Skeletons Recovered at London Train Station Site

Jeffries and colleagues detailed their findings in a book released this month, called "Crosse & Blackwell 1830-1921: A British Food Manufacturer in London's West End."

"The important themes that emerged from examining this real treasure trove of glass and ceramics was that it provided a real insight into the varied tastes, Indian and French influences and adventure of the Victorian palates," Jeffries told Seeker.
Press Release

January 12, 2017 Support rationalization of fiscal incentives law, not

new taxes, Drilon tells economic managers Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin M. Drilon on Thursday urged the government to push for the review and rationalization of fiscal incentives granted to businesses as a way of increasing government revenue, rather than continue its plan to raise taxes on petroleum products. Drilon said that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the country's economic managers must focus its efforts in supporting the proposed rationalization of tax incentives "to generate additional revenues to help offset projected dip in revenues that may arise from income tax cuts." "I hope that our economic managers will work closely with Congress for the long-sought Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives law instead of spending its time on a tax hike on petroleum products that will surely negatively affect our people," Drilon said. "If our aim is to increase revenues, then the government should look at reviewing the various laws on the grant of tax incentives and plug the leakages in our tax system," he added. Drilon said that President Duterte's economic managers should try to exhaust other means to compensate for the expected foregone revenues from the proposed income tax cut instead of raising the taxes on petroleum products. "We should not pass the buck and shift the burden to our people," Drilon said. Drilon is the author of Senate Bill No. 229 seeking to review the government's system of granting incentives to business enterprises in the country "in order to ensure that grant of incentives promotes social and economic benefits to Filipinos." He said that his proposed measure will cover all incentives granted by all investment promotion agencies (IPAs) such as the Board of Investments and Philippine Economic Zone Authority to foreign and local business enterprises. By reviewing the grant and administration of incentives to business enterprises, Drilon said the government would be able to assess the economic impact of these incentives. There are about 186 laws on numerous fiscal and no-fiscal incentives and subsidies in the country, including income tax holidays, deductions, exemptions, credits or exclusions from the tax base, he noted. These various and sometimes redundant tax incentives, according to Drilon, have resulted in billions of forgone revenues which could have been utilized to fund much-needed social services. "Through this measure, we can ensure that the foregone revenues resulting from all fiscal incentives given by the state to private entities really translate to economic benefits for Filipinos -such as additional jobs or financial opportunities, countrywide development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises," he said. He recalled that during discussions on the same bill during the previous Congress, the DOF itself said that if passed into law, the measure is estimated to generate a whopping P30 billion around a period of time."
We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today
(L-R) Kirabo Jackson, James Spillane, Carol Lee, David Figlio For the fifth consecutive year, researchers from Northwestern Universitys School of Education and Social Policy have been named to Education Weeks Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, which recognize 200 of the most influential academics in education policy. The list includes professor David Figlio, director of Northwesterns Institute for Policy Research, James Spillane, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change, Kirabo Jackson, associate professor of human development and social policy, and Carol Lee, the Tarry Professor of Education and Social Policy.

Figlio (No. 45) and Lee (148) have been on the list every year since 2013. Spillane (64) is making his fourth straight appearance while Jackson (138) has been recognized the last two years.

The rankings were created by American Enterprise Institute director of education policy Frederick M. Hess, who used nine metrics to calculate how well university-based academics move ideas from academic journals into the national conversation.

The list includes the top 146 finishers from the previous year, augmented by 54 at large additions, named by a selection committee.

This is a serious but inevitably imperfect attempt to nudge academe to do more to encourage and recognize scholarship that impacts the real world, wrote Hess, an Education Week blogger.

Hess concedes the rankings include only a sliver of the faculty who are tackling education or education policy. Given that the ratings are a snapshot, the results also favor scholars who published a successful book or a big study over the last year, he said.

But thats why its done yearly, and the annual data-driven effort is designed to spur discussion about the nature of responsible public engagement: whos doing a good job, how much these things matter and how to gauge a scholars contribution, Hess said.

Hess calculated how much academics contribute to the public discourse by using Google Scholar citations, books authored, Amazon book rankings, education press mentions, blog mentions, newspaper mentions, Congressional Record mentions and Twitter activity.

Christopher Emdin of Teachers College, Columbia University, made the biggest single leap from last year, a rise fueled by the success of his book For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood. Northwesterns Jackson also made a significant jump.

Filgio, who repeatedly makes the list despite a notable absence from Twitter, was one of twenty scholars who maxed out on syllabus points. The syllabus category scores researchers by identifying the work of each scholar that is used most often on syllabi from across American, British and Canadian universities and then tallying how frequently the work was assigned.

School of Education and Social Policys 2017 Edu-Scholars

David Figlio, the Orrington Lunt Professor of Education and Social Policy is the director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern. His research on education and social policy, including influential work on school accountability, standards, welfare policy and policy design, has been published in numerous leading journals and funded by major agencies and foundations.

James Spillane, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change, researches the policy implementation process at the state, school district, school and classroom levels. An expert in school leadership and educational policy, he is the author of several books, including Distributed Leadership, Diagnosis and Design for School Improvement and most recently Challenging Standards.

Carol Lee is the Tarry Professor of Education and Social Policy and a former president of the American Education Research Association. Her books include Culture, Literacy and Learning and Signifying as a Scaffold for Literary Interpretation. Several major awards have recognized her contributions to education. Lee is widely known for her research that shows the importance of drawing on students cultural knowledge to support rigorous learning, and she is the co-founder of four African-centered schools with a 40-year history.

Kirabo Jackson is a labor economist who studies education and social policy issues. His recent work analyzes the role of peer learning in teacher effectiveness and how student demographics directly affect the distribution of teacher quality across schools. He is a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and faculty fellow at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Splashy extensions in recent years have taken BART down the Peninsula, deeper into the East Bay and tantalizingly close to Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, its core is falling apart.

Some transit observers  and even some of the people who run BART  say the attention the agency lavished on shiny new stations and rails into fast-growing suburbia distracted it from the health of the systems heart: its original stations, its train control system and its rail cars.

All of the extensions we built from the core system without being able to maintain the core system have been a mistake, said Joel Ramos, regional planning director for TransForm, a transit advocacy group that fought the Oakland Airport Connector, BARTs extension to Oakland International Airport. If the core system is not maintained, the extensions are good for nothing.

The crisis that hit BART last week  with dozens of train cars disabled by mysterious power surges, service shut down between the North Concord/Martinez and Pittsburg/Bay Point stations, and angry riders being squeezed into shortened trains  has drawn attention to whether the agency is spending enough time and money on the unglamorous task of keeping infrastructure in working order.

Where the money was

When it came to ignoring its nuts and bolts, BART had plenty of help.

For BART and other transit agencies, the big money available in the 1990s and early 2000s was for expansion, said Randy Rentschler, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Areas transportation planning and financing agency. Federal, state and even local governments were interested in funding rail extensions, not maintaining or rebuilding existing systems, he said.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Money was designed for extensions exclusively, Rentschler said. In almost every case, it focused on expansion. In almost no case did it focus on maintaining what we had in those days.

Around the Bay Area, the idea of extensions was also popular. After cities were built up in the far eastern reaches of Contra Costa and Alameda counties, BART got a line that runs out to Pleasanton and laid plans for an extension to Antioch that is due to open in 2018.

On to Millbrae

San Francisco wanted the system to serve San Francisco International Airport, and San Mateo County, even though it wasnt part of the BART district, wanted some stations in its cities on the way to SFO. Thats why trains now run to the airport and to Millbrae instead of the line ending at Daly City.

The money San Mateo County paid to help make that happen brought BART not just to the Livermore Valley, but also to Bay Point and the soon-to-open Warm Springs Station in southern Fremont.

Ridership boomed: The 440,000 patrons who take BART on an average weekday represent a 25 percent increase in just five years. But BARTs expansions didnt come with any additional money to buy more rail cars or modernize increasingly busy stations like those in downtown San Francisco.

In the budget year that starts July 1, BART plans to spend $120 million from its $1 billion operating budget on capital projects, including new rail cars, a train control system and a maintenance yard expansion.

The feeling on BARTs elected Board of Directors was that the maintenance issues were manageable, Rentschler said. Directors, who set the systems priorities and oversee the transit professionals who make the trains run, jockeyed to get extensions in their districts built first.

That was just the business model at the time, Rentschler said. There was a culture of trying to complete the BART system, a sense that this was the right thing to do.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Stretched thin

Board of Directors member Tom Radulovich of San Francisco was on the board through some of the expansion years and was an early, and often lonely, voice for pumping money into the core system.

BARTs mistake with the extensions, he said, was that it stretched its resources thin. There were no new rail cars, no new maintenance shops or train yards, no expansion of downtown San Francisco stations capacity.

It was not wrong to expand, he said. It would be great to serve all corners of the Bay Area, but we cant expand at the expense of the existing system. And thats what BART did.

BART learned some lessons from those mistakes, Radulovich said. As part of a deal to extend its rails south from Fremont to San Jose, BART negotiated a buy-in deal with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority that called for the VTA to pay for and build the extension, cover its operating costs, buy new rail cars, help expand the Hayward maintenance facility, and pay for other effects on the core system.

Well have to do that with future extensions, Radulovich said, even within the BART district.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

BART is also trying something new in far eastern Contra Costa County, building an extension to Antioch that uses cheaper diesel-powered rail cars. It will cost in the neighborhood of $500 million, instead of the $1.2 billion it would have taken to extend the existing system east of Bay Point.

Oakland airport link

Among the most controversial extensions of recent years was one of the shortest: the 3.2-mile Oakland Airport Connector. Transit advocates, including TransForm, battled the airport link, saying the $484 million it cost would have been better spent on new BART cars and maintaining the aging parts of the system.

Joel Keller, like Radulovich a 20-year veteran of the BART board, pushed for the earlier extensions and supported the Oakland airport link. Now, he said, he realizes the need to make reinvesting in the existing system a priority. He said that was clear to him even before last weeks breakdown crisis, which affected thousands of his constituents in eastern Contra Costa.

I have evolved to the point that I think we need to invest in the core system until it is reliable and dependable again, Keller said. Then we can think again of other priorities.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
A nearly unthinkable idea  that City College of San Francisco could be forced to shut down  is a nail-biter that will be settled this week by the commission that has tried for five years to revoke the colleges accreditation.

The threat has cost taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and state subsidies since 2012, when the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges first put City College in its crosshairs. It has also led to a court trial, picket lines, federal reprimands and many headaches as employees worked to elevate the schools governance and finances to appropriate standards. The quality of its instruction was never an issue, although the colleges failure to measure students learning outcomes was.

Yet the public may still be left waiting to learn the fate of the college, where the reported enrollment has plunged to 65,000 from 90,000 students since the accreditation crisis began.

The 19-member commission  a private, nonprofit entity supported by dues from the colleges it accredits  has 30 days to announce the decision after its three-day meeting in Sacramento ends Friday. City College trustees and the colleges interim chancellor, Susan Lamb, will make their case to the commission in a private session Thursday afternoon.

I would be exceedingly surprised if they didnt maintain our accreditation. Theres nothing in the air that would suggest thats not whats going to happen, said Rafael Mandelman, president of the college Board of Trustees, which was replaced from 2013 to 2015 by a state-appointed special trustee with unilateral decision-making powers in hopes of accelerating progress and saving the college.

Lambs spokesman, Jeff Hamilton, said college administrators wont comment until they learn how the commission voted.

Adding to the uncertainty is that, under a 2015 deal giving City College two more years to comply with accreditation standards, the college has to satisfy all 14 standards and numerous substandards to perfection, and give up its right to appeal a negative ruling. While City College has submitted a self-evaluation that says it has achieved this goal, administrators have said all along that perfection is always elusive.

For example, the college still has no permanent chancellor  the last one was forced out in 2015 after bungling the job  and this fall, the state ordered City College to repay nearly $39 million because administrators couldnt prove that instructors actually taught 16,000 students in hundreds of online classes from 2011 to 2014. Already starving for cash because of the enrollment decline, City College has been cutting course offerings by the hundreds  an action that, while unfortunate, reflects a new ability to live within its means.

Mandelmans confidence in the accreditation outcome is echoed by other college trustees, while student and faculty leaders say they are hopeful.

All we have ever asked for is to be treated fairly. If that happens, City College will pass with flying colors, said Tim Killikelly, president of the faculty union.

Five years ago, employees felt highly confident that City College would pass its accreditation inspection  and were stunned to learn that their seal of approval was in jeopardy. They were even more shocked when the commission announced it would revoke the schools accreditation in 2014.

Without it, schools get no public funding and students are barred from receiving financial aid. The school is forced to shut down, as happened in California to one public community college: Compton College, near Los Angeles, which closed in 2005.

City College never lost its accreditation, thanks to a lawsuit by the city, a court trial and the reluctant decision by the commission to give the college the two extra years to comply with standards.

Those two years are up now. But as the commission weighs the survival of City College, the landscape has changed.

For one thing, the decision-makers are almost entirely different from those who lowered the boom on City College and, in 2014, paid lawyers $2.3 million to argue in court that the school should die.

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.

Only five of the original 19 remain on the commission. Former Chairwoman Sherrill Amador and Vice Chairman Steven Kinsella, who initially resisted the U.S. Department of Educations efforts to let them extend the compliance period for City College, are gone. Also gone is the influential president of the agency, Barbara Beno, who in December was placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons.

In 2012, Beno had the support of state college officials. But as her commission revealed that its intention was less about helping City College improve and more about shutting it down, state officials began to share the alarm shown all along by college faculty. Soon it was the subject of two lawsuits, a state audit and a reprimand from the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees it. Now, a federal hearing is pending to determine whether the commission should continue to receive federal recognition, the equivalent of accreditation for accreditors.

I have every faith that the new commission and new leadership will understand that City College has a history of world-class instructors and administrators, and that our students deserve to have an institution that stays open, said college trustee Alex Randolph.

For students, the decision means everything.

Im hoping the commission recognizes that City College is very crucial  it saves lives, said Bouchra Simmons, the nonvoting student member of the Board of Trustees. A student activist who has studied at City College since the accreditation crackdown, Simmons said her school specializes in helping students who might otherwise never get to college: immigrants like herself, foster youth, former prisoners and the very poor. This institution is full of possibilities. It helps students prepare for the work force  students who would otherwise be lost. It gives them a chance, and hope, and a future.

The commission knows what we do, she said. Were not going to stop.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov

To see all Chronicle stories on the City College accreditation crisis, visit sfchronicle.com/ccsf.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Despite a barrage of powerful storms throughout Northern California that brought 6.5 inches of rain and flood warnings to Santa Cruz in the past 10 days, the city ended up with a water shortage.

When a major reservoir pipeline split during a deluge in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Monday morning, city officials found themselves urging residents to conserve water this week. The irony is that the U.S. Drought Monitor has since declared the drought over in the coastal city and most of Northern California.

The city of Santa Cruz declared a local emergency Wednesday as officials rushed to repair the pipeline in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, along with city infrastructure damaged by the inclement weather.

By Thursday, the Water Department was testing a second repair on the ruptured 24.5-inch diameter pipe.

Wed really appreciate everyones effort to curtail their use. We ask that everyone continue their efforts until its all clear, said Eileen Cross, a spokeswoman for the Water Department. Its hard to get your mind around a water shortage when theres so much rainfall.

The Santa Cruz Water Department asked its 96,000 customers to reduce water use by 30 percent as city production couldnt keep up with demand.

The city tapped into storage tanks and imported water from the Soquel Creek Water District to fill the gap, according to Deputy City Manager Scott Collins.

At this point, were still operating off of our storage, Collins said Thursday morning. Were hopeful this fix will hold.

Although Santa Cruz receives 95 percent of its water from surface runoff, when theres storm activity, water from rivers and streams is too dirtied from debris and sediment to treat. Instead, Cross said, officials rely nearly exclusively on water from the citys reservoir when storms hit.

But one of the reservoirs main pipelines, buried 10 to 12 feet in soil prone to slides and erosion in the Santa Cruz Mountains, split at a joint. Cross suspects the pipe gave way under pressure from the movement of saturated soil, she said.

After pipeline repair attempts were unsuccessful Tuesday, the city continued to urge water conservation in the form of shorter showers, postponing laundry, using paper plates, limiting toilet flushing and curtailing water use in other simple household tasks.

The second repair Wednesday appeared to be holding, but the department will need another day to continue tests as workers gradually increase water pressure in the newly welded pipe.

Cross said she was cautiously optimistic the second repair will hold, noting the paradox of a storm causing a water shortage.

People dont get it, she said. We just had a storm, we have all this water, how can we have a shortage?

The next few days will be a bit less convenient for Santa Cruz resident Lucy Kemnitzer, who said shell keep stacks of dirty laundry, avoid doing dishes and opt for sponge baths until the shortage ends. Kemnitzer, 69, said she had been cutting back about 15 percent on water during the drought, so a short-term 30 percent cut didnt faze her.

We had too much rain and now we have a water shortage, she said. As catastrophes go, I think its really doable.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @JennaJounro
President-elect Donald Trumps plan to keep his complex business interests from conflicting with his role as commander in chief drew skepticism bordering on incredulity Wednesday.

Just nine days ahead of his inauguration, Trump fielded a smattering of questions from reporters at his first news conference after the election before yielding the floor to Sheri Dillon, an attorney from the prominent law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius hired to assist the president-elect and his company, the Trump Organization, with conflict-of-interest issues.

Dillon outlined a plan that she claimed would completely isolate (Trump) from the management of his company, in part by placing his assets into a trust and turning over all control of the sprawling real estate empire to Trumps eldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr. Theyll be assisted by the family business chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.

Theyre going to run it in a very professional manner. Theyre not going to discuss it with me, Trump said.

But despite such assurances, experts in the law and government ethics said the safeguards outlined by the president-elect and his team to hedge against conflicts were not serious and woefully inadequate.

Hes thumbing his nose at the country, said Robert Gordon, a professor at Stanford Law School. Ive never heard of a solution to the problem of financial entanglements being that you put your business under the management of your family. A benefit to your family is a benefit to you.

Brookings Institution government-ethics scholars Norman Eisen and Richard Painter told The Chronicle: The Trump plan to deal with his business conflicts announced today falls short in every respect.

Mr. Trump did not make a clean break with his business ownership interests as his predecessors for four decades have done, they wrote, adding that Mr. Trumps ill-advised course will precipitate scandal and corruption.

The nations top government ethics officer also weighed in on Trumps plan.

Walter M. Shaub Jr., the director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, released remarks Wednesday saying, We cant risk creating the perception that government leaders would use their official positions for profit. Shaub said that he at first had been heartened to see in a tweet from Trump that he wanted to in no way have a conflict of interest with his business, but that unfortunately, his current plan cannot achieve that goal.

To be clear, OGEs primary recommendation is that he divest his conflicting financial interests. Nothing short of divestiture will resolve these conflicts, Shaub wrote.

Gordon confirmed remarks made by Trump and Dillon Wednesday that there was no law explicitly preventing him as president from running the country and his business simultaneously, but I dont want to do that, Trump said.

The absence of an explicit rule is true, Gordon said, but its a commonsense reading of the law that if all lower federal officials are subject to (conflict-of-interest laws), surely the highest is subject to the law.

At the news conference, Dillon dismissed the notion that it was necessary for the president-elect to place his assets in a blind trust, a financial arrangement in which a public officers assets are transferred to and overseen by a third party who doesnt share how they are being handled. Most past presidents have done so; President Obama did not, but his financial holdings are mostly in mutual funds and savings accounts, which do not pose direct conflicts of interest.

Dillon argued that public scrutiny, not divestment, would best address such conflicts.

President Trump cant unknow that he owns Trump Tower, and the press will make sure that any new developments at the Trump Organization are well publicized, Dillon said.

Other measures Trumps team plans to put in place prior to his taking office include the appointment of an ethics adviser, who will sign off on any new business dealings that could potentially raise conflict concerns. The Trump Organization will also hire a chief compliance counsel to further vet deals that could be perceived as exploitative of the presidents office.

As many as 30 pending Trump Organization transactions have also been canceled, Dillon said, and severe restrictions would be put on any new deals. Trumps team also put a freeze on all foreign deals for the duration of his presidency.

Gordon said that the apparently flimsy firewall that Trump and his advisers intend to put between the presidency and the Trump Organization may also compromise the incoming administrations ability to comply with a constitutional ban on U.S. officials exchanging services for money or gifts, commonly referred to as the Title of Nobility Clause or, sometimes, the Emoluments Clause.

A foreign government allowing the Trump Organization to suspend a debt, for instance, is pretty clearly an emolument under the Constitution in the sense that it does a business favor for Trump enterprises, which Trumps family is continuing to run, he said.

More straightforwardly, stays by foreign government officials at Trumps hotels would constitute a direct violation of the clause. Dillon said Trump would donate any such payments to the U.S. Treasury.

Given the degree of immunity that the president has from many conflict-of-interest laws, there appears to be precious little legal recourse for holding Trump accountable for violations if they did occur.

With few exceptions, unless a particular act falls within the reach of the federal criminal code, the only remedy is impeachment, Gordon said.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle Twitter: @dominicfracassa
San Francisco Police Commission President Suzy Loftus tearfully bade farewell at her last meeting Wednesday as the commissioners voted in a new leader to guide the oversight board through a time of change for the police force.

Community members, activists and youths who have worked with Loftus in her almost five years on the commission went up to the podium to thank her for her service, and she thanked them and her fellow commissioners in return.

Its been an honor, Loftus said. I love this city and Im grateful for the time I got to serve.

After her final presidents report, the commission unanimously voted in current Commission Vice President L. Julius Turman as the new president, and Commissioner Thomas Mazzucco as the new vice president. Mazzucco had served as president before Loftus took over the position.

The change in leadership comes as the Police Department undergoes a series of changes as well, under pressure to enact a slate of reforms recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice. Later this month, former Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief William Scott is expected to take over as San Francisco chief.

In the past year, the commission helped lead the charge for reform, reopening the departments use-of-force policy following the December 2015 shooting death of Mario Woods, rolling out body cameras to officers, and helping to select Scott after the May 19 fatal shooting of an unarmed black woman prompted the resignation of Police Chief Greg Suhr.

Loftus fellow commissioners credited her for pushing much of these efforts through.

To me, theres no way we could have made it through the last two years without her, Commissioner Joe Marshall said. When you have these types of crisis - and it was a crisis - you need a leader. And she just led and she did it in a way where she brought a lot of consensus and community groups together, a lot of ideas.

Loftus, who worked for Kamala Harris in the state attorney generals office before Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, is joining the San Francisco Sheriffs Department as assistant chief legal counsel for the law and policy team. She resigned from the Police Commission after Sheriff Vicki Hennessy determined the role could create conflicts of interest with the duties of a police commissioner.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @VivianHo
The leader of the Facebook group Fiber Artists and Yarn Spinners has banned any discussion of pussy hats on the site (more information at www.pussyhatproject.com). The hats are being knitted and crocheted for wearing during womens marches scheduled for Jan. 21.

The very mention of these hats IS a political statement, said a statement from the leader. We have ... 22k members. Some of those voted. Some of those votes were for the person who will be sworn in. Some of those votes were for someone who will not be sworn in. The point is, this group has people in it from ALL political and religious persuasions. And as Admin, we are tasked with keeping this group about the FIBER. ... I respect the fact that each person here is entitled to their opinion. I love that! But there is a time and a place for expressing it. And this forum IS NOT THE PLACE FOR POLITICS.

All posts about the hats and march will be deleted, she wrote.

Most high-toned newspapers (including the New York Times and The Chronicle) made general reference to but avoided specifically describing some of the scatological tales in this weeks purported revelations about Donald Trumps sojourns in Moscow. (You might think twice before having him as a houseguest.) Leave it to NPR to get all dirty on us. The networks earliest transcript of the Wednesday morning press conference included the section where the president-elect was asked how he is expecting Mexico to pay for his wall, even after the wall is built. Trump was quoted as saying he would get help from my pants. (Advice for future press conferences: When you say the name of the vice president, enunciate.)

Meanwhile, Madame Tussauds has announced that as locations prepare to unveil their newest figures of Trump later this month, the San Francisco museum is planning to keep its wax figure of Barack Obama on display, along with that of one other president: Abraham Lincoln.

Omid Khazaie, an immigrant from Iran, was one of 1,200 new Americans sworn in as citizens last week. Lydia Bransten, who works with him at a Tenderloin social services agency, handed him a small life preserver, telling him, Congratulations on jumping on the ship right before it sinks. Youre going to need this.

 Vice President Joe Biden, in town for a speech at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, stopped his entourage at the Melt on Howard Street so he could have a sandwich for lunch. His specific order: Grilled cheese with tomato and a chocolate shake (dairy-heavy choices of a man eager to kick back and enjoy life).

Elizabeth Manning describes a Sunday, Jan. 15, event at the Marin Humane Society as a workshop on bored cats. The formal schedule reveals, however, that the society frames it in fancier terms: Workshop: Feline Environment Enrichment. ... Boredom can be stressful for kitties.

 From the Lamorinda Patch, Ruth Bailey forwards the headline, Update: BART Resuming Normal Service: Expect Major Delays. And Terry Gordon was struck by The Chrons headline: Shooting by police renews anger / Nonlethal option would have been safer, union says  You think? asks Gordon.

Receptions and celebrations of weekend art fairs, including Fog Design + Art at Fort Mason, Untitled, San Francisco at Pier 70 and Mind Control at Alter Space gallery, began Tuesday night, when the storm provided every reason to stay home. Nonetheless, out-of-town dealers, advisers and curators werent here to sit in their hotel rooms, and a hearty group of local art lovers was undeterred.

Their raincoats were dripping together on the coatrack just inside Mission Bowl, where San Francisco art dealer Jeffrey Fraenkel was hosting his by-now traditional Bowling, Burger and Cocktail Extravaganza. The boldest-face names were author Michael Lewis and moviemaker/artist John Waters, the most famous mustache in town, who mingled with such local cultural stars as San Francisco Museum of Modern Art director Neal Benezra, San Francisco Film Society board president David Winton and an array of collectors and patrons.

As to the bowling itself, the real names of the bumblers were kindly omitted from the electronic tally boards, which listed only the names of artists. But in truth, a woman I know very well (me) and photography curator Sandy Phillips bowled together for about five frames. Together, our grand total of pins knocked over was one. No matter, I always love an occasion to put on some new shoes.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

The ankle bracelet I had to wear for house arrest really got in the way of using the treadmill.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

San Francisco food delivery service Munchery recently laid off 30 employees, a move that new CEO James Beriker said was necessary to streamline its operations.

The layoffs, all of which took place at Muncherys Mission District headquarters, come on the heels of Bloomberg reports that the company has struggled with food waste and has had difficulty finding a profitable business model.

Beriker came to Munchery in November after time at search engine Simply Hired. Before taking the job, he said, he was a customer of Munchery, using it to provide quick dinners for his four kids. He said the company is in a position to expand to other parts of the country, despite rumors to the contrary.

We think theres demand for our product across the whole U.S., Beriker said.

We have no intention of making any further layoffs, he added. Its a hard decision to reduce the team. He did not specify which positions were cut.

Munchery prepares meals in four giant kitchens: in Seattle, Los Angeles and New York, as well as the 35,000-square-foot flagship in San Francisco.

Munchery, operational since 2010, has roughly 900 employees at all its sites. It both cooks and delivers meals to customers.

But the layoffs are another indicator of how food delivery companies are adjusting to difficult times. Bloomberg News reported that Muncherys two founders will leave the company this month.

SpoonRocket closed last year when it failed to raise enough capital to continue operating.

Recipe provider Din made its final delivery in October.

Bento, a Bay Area food delivery service started in 2015, shut down in December. In a letter posted on the companys website, founders Jason Demant and Vincent Cardillo said the closure was due to a number of factors, including their decision to sell their meal boxes wholesale.

The volatility in the industry doesnt seem to concern Beriker, who repeatedly has said that hes confident with the Muncherys direction.

Were moving forward in 2017 from a position of strength, he said.

The numbers, according to Beriker, show that the company was profitable in 2016, outpacing at certain points its profitability in 2015.

That year, Menlo Ventures, one of Muncherys two main financial backers, led an $85 million funding round for the company.

For now, the company will focus on addressing factors that have bedeviled other fledgling food delivery services, such as finding ways to balance the number of meals that get prepared on a daily basis with actual demand.

Ultimately, Beriker said, the 30 layoffs dont represent the direction and future potential of the company.

This is an extraordinary platform. Im extremely bullish and very excited for the future, he said.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
Dear Mick: I was a bit surprised that you only gave Manchester by the Sea a review of the Little Man applauding in his chair. I was even more surprised when I saw it in your Top 10 list for 2016, yet Indignation, Race, Barbershop and Popstar, all of which you gave jumping-out-of-the-chair reviews, were absent from the list. Was this a matter of re-evaluating, grading on a curve, or my not understanding how your system works?

Mark Grand, Redwood Shores

Dear Mark: Maybe a little of all three. Rating movies isnt scientific, but intuitive. Also a movie, like any work of art, must be judged mainly in terms of itself, not in comparison to other work. This is why, for example, an extraordinarily ambitious film that doesnt succeed is a failure, and an unambitious film that works is an artistic success. The unambitious film perhaps cant be a great success  a genre film that doesnt transcend its genre can only reach a certain level  but it can still be watched with more pleasure than the ambitious failure. Now, its possible I overrated some of those earlier films. They may have come out at a time of year when movies were so bad that I was excessively grateful.

But this is my rationale with regard to Manchester by the Sea: Its an attempt to do something new, and it has one of the years best performances at its center. There are problems built into the dramatic design  all springing from having a protagonist who is essentially frozen in place  and these problems make it, at times, monotonous. So I dont love it. But the ambition is so colossal, and its success is so close to being complete without actually being complete, that I put it in my top 10 list  and a top list is also an intuitive product. Indeed, theres really nothing scientific about arts criticism, at all, because to apply rules and conditions is to be out of sync with the art. Basically, as a critic, if youre not flying by the seat of your pants, youre doing it wrong.

Cher Monsieur LaSalle: I have visited Paris a few times, and I always notice the advertisements in the Metro stations and on the street for mainstream French movies. These films never get distribution in America. Since you are a connoisseur of French cinema, do you ever see these types of films when you visit France? How do they compare to the average American release?

Sue Trowbridge, Alameda

Chere Madame Towbridge: My French is at the point where if everyone in France would just speak one sentence at a time and then wait 10 seconds for me to do the translation in my head, Id be fluent. But since they refuse to cooperate, going to movies in France is an iffy proposition. Ive seen films where Ive been able to follow almost everything, and Ive seen others where Ive understood absolutely nothing. As for quality, Id say the average French movie is no worse or better than the average American movie. However, because they have low budgets, they tend to be small-scale human stories, and if you like that type of movie, generically, youll prefer average French movies. Heres the weird thing, though: The French movies that dont get released here are not necessarily average movies. Theyre often the best. What we get here is just a random sampling.

There are two reasons for this. The first is that American distributors dont know how to market French films. (Id tell them if theyd ask me.) Also, some French production companies are crazy and demand insane fees for movies that will only have a limited market. Ultimately, its up to the French to figure out that theres an audience for their product in the U.S., but they need to plan for the long haul. And they need to be putting English subtitles on all their DVDs and Blu-rays. As it stands, the vast majority of French films released to DVD are without English subtitles, which means that few Americans who see, for example, a Lea Seydoux movie can take that inspiration and go off and start ordering the back catalog. Anyway, this is a big frustration because I see the American audience, who would like these films, and I see these French films that would really like an American audience, but theres a gulf separating them. Its like knowing two lonely people whod be great for each other, but you cant persuade them to meet.

Have a question? Ask Mick LaSalle at mlasalle@sfchronicle.com. Include your name and city for publication, and a phone number for verification.
The flames were hellish but the landmark would survive.

The Chronicles front page from Jan. 12, 1966, covers a fire at Old St. Marys Church in the heart of San Francisco.

A stubborn, murky fire all but engulfed historic Old St. Marys Church at Grant Avenue and California Street last night, the story read. The four-alarm blaze apparently broke out in the upper regions of the handsome brick structure  presumably in the attic above the altar.

The Catholic church run by Paulist priests was built in Chinatown in the 1850s and was the tallest building in the state at the time of its founding. It remained a city landmark for decades until the great earthquake of 1906, when it stood tall through the shaking but was nearly destroyed by the fires.

The sanctuary reopened in 1909 and continued to serve Catholics from across the city, until a cold night in 1966, when a fire roared again.

The flames flared up into the belfry of the church, casting a dense pall of smoke over Chinatown, the story read. Traffic on busy California Street was blocked for more than an hour after the 8:22 p.m. blaze. Firemens hoses crisscrossed the cable car tracks.

The fire was confined to the top section of the church, although there was extensive water damage to the main portion of the building. The flames did not reach the neighboring skyscrapers  such as the 33-story Hartford Building.

Things Have Changed Department: A story on the front page talks about a strike by workers at the citys parking garages. In the story, it mentions the hourly cost of parking in 1966. If you guessed 25 cents an hour, you won the chance to pay $75 outside AT&T Park during the Giants home opener.

See more front pages: Go to SFChronicle.com/covers to search a database of hundreds of Chronicle Covers articles that showcase the newspapers 151-year history.

Chronicle Covers is a yearlong project that will highlight one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken and producers Kimberly Chua, Alexandra Irving and Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

(Click to enlarge)




John F. Kennedy was fond of quoting Winston Churchill on the subject of courage. The British lion regarded it as the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others. As we head into the perilous unknown with President Donald John Trump (the words alone send shivers), we will need ample supplies of this virtue. Thats why I was eager to sit down with several members of the Red Warrior Camp, the frontline water protectors at the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, when they recently came through San Francisco on their Right of Resistance Tour.

The Red Warriors visited the Bay Area to thank the community for all the support it has provided Standing Rock. Among those at the forefront of this assistance is Dr. Rupa Marya, a UC San Francisco professor of medicine and the faculty director of the Do No Harm Coalition, which is partnering with the Native American Health Alliance to build a clinic near the camp.

In early December, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would reroute the oil pipeline away from the reservation. It was a major victory for Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and their supporters, who feared the black snake that Energy Transfer Partners was about to extend under the Missouri River just north of the reservation would endanger the regions water supply. With their training and discipline - and their willingness to put their bodies in harms way - the Red Warriors emerged as among the bravest of the Standing Rock resisters.

But as the incoming president fills his administration with a cast of environmental villains  from ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to a pack of Koch brothers stooges - its clear that the Standing Rock victory is only temporary. Rick Perry, Trumps pick for energy secretary, sits on the board of Energy Transfer Partners and has been the beneficiary of campaign contributions from ETP boss Kelcy Warren, as has Trump himself, who recently divested himself of stock in the company. In a post-election interview with Fox News Chris Wallace, Trump announced he will clear the way for the currently stalled pipeline.

The showdown at Standing Rock has grown into something more epic than a tribal sovereignty battle. Its seen by many indigenous people and environmentalists as a final stand for water, the essence of life, against a rapacious corporate energy system that is destroying the natural world on which our existence depends. The Trump era will only further unleash the forces of what columnist David Brooks, the New York Times voice of rational conservatism, calls savage capitalism.

Standing Rock was only the preparation for something bigger  the battle to protect land and water is going to spread everywhere, Olowan Martinez told me, as we sat in my living room with several of her fellow Red Warriors, including her three daughters, ages 16, 15 and 10. Martinez, a 42-year Oglala Lakota activist who grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, was among the charismatic female leaders who emerged at Standing Rock. Were creating a network of resistance. Trump has no idea whats bubbling out here.

Martinez pointed out that women often took the lead in some of the boldest actions at Standing Rock, including cutting the fence and occupying a pipeline construction site soon after the encampment began last August on land bordering the reservation. Thats how we physically stopped the pipeline, by getting in the way.

Some of the more traditional male leaders at Standing Rock objected to women playing a central role. But we finally said, F that, and stepped forward.

Martinez was arrested in September after she chained herself to piece of heavy construction machinery. Hundreds gathered outside the Morton County jail where she was held to protest her arrest. She was later extradited to Nebraska, where she was wanted for leading the battle against a cluster of liquor stores in the small town of Whiteclay, which Martinez accuses of inciting liquid genocide on the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation, where alcoholism is estimated to afflict eight out of 10 families. They just kept me overnight in Nebraska; they like to mess with me.

Martinezs family has a heritage of resistance. Her mother and father met during the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee by American Indian Movement followers, which led to a bloody showdown with FBI agents and other law enforcement officers. My mother was the last generation of native people to be taken from their homes as children and put in boarding schools, where she was placed at the age of 5 and beaten. Because of AIM, my generation was the first to be born free.

When I visited the Standing Rock camp in November, North Dakota seemed frozen in a cowboys and Indians past. White people I spoke with in nearby Bismarck talked with open disdain about the Indians who are acting up and causing trouble down there. But the camp itself - which had grown to a small city of a few thousand people - seemed remarkably peaceful and well-run, with posters and banners everywhere stressing non-violence and prayerfulness. If there was a threat of violence, it loomed from the ridge around the camp, where armored vehicles and uniformed men kept a menacing watch. Surveillance drones and helicopters frequently flew over the camp. The law enforcement presence was so heavily militarized that some native military veterans in the protesters ranks, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, needed to be treated for PTSD flashbacks at the camps medical tents.

Martinez said the Red Warriors, who occupied their own separate area within the larger camp, were subjected to particularly intense law enforcement scrutiny. The warriors - who included men and women from 27 tribal nations and 10 different countries - suffered from rubber bullets, police batons and pepper spray. Unsurprisingly, the Red Warriors took more security precautions than the rest of the camp, carefully screening people who came into their area and expelling those who were suspected of being police infiltrators or struggle tourists.

Our camp had a security culture, but the big camp didnt, said Anthony Sul, a 26-year-old Ohlone Tribe member from Oakland who joined the Red Warriors. There were lots of people who said they were with the media, just wandering around and taking pictures with their phones and video cameras. We had to always be on guard, and ask, Who is this person?

In November, the Standing Rock Tribal Council  concerned about how the camp was being portrayed by the media as increasingly militant  voted to evict the Red Warriors, but they stood their ground. Im an Oglala Lakota matriarch  they knew they couldnt push us out, said Martinez. Dave Archimbault (Standing Rock Tribal Council chairman) had no real appreciation of direct action tactics, but he used our warrior energy when it was in his interest.

The Lakota people are among historys most fierce warriors against colonization, Dr. Marya told me. Its a history of valor and sacrifice that stretches back to the days of Little Big Horn and Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

Near the end of our visit, Martinez remarked that volcanoes helped create the earth, spewing the gases and hot water vapor that gave rise to life, and scalding lava that produced new rock formations. Thats the same fiery energy were using to create our movement, said Martinez, and to protect Mother Earth.

The spiritual aspect of Standing Rock was an important part of our struggle. But I can pray while running and taking Mace to the face.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist David Talbot appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Email: dtalbot@sfchronicle.com
Every December, my OB/GYN office typically is busy with college students and teachers taking advantage of winter break to come in for a checkup. These are some of my favorite visits: I love seeing my young patients grow up and start their careers and families. We talk about their coursework and plans, relationships, birth control and, for some, planning for pregnancy. This year, I noticed something different. Women were coming in specifically to get IUDs.

I placed four intrauterine devices in the space of a few hours on Tuesday last week, all for young women who said they fear that birth control is going to be inaccessible once the new administration takes over in Washington.

They have good reason to worry.

President-elect Donald Trump and the congressional Republicans have claimed that they are going to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something terrific. There are no details so far on what that replacement might entail, but if it doesnt include access to contraception, then my patients will suffer.

And my office isnt the only one seeing an uptick in requests for IUDs: Planned Parenthood reported Tuesday that demand for that service at its offices has increased 900 percent. Google Trends showed an enormous surge in searches on IUD two days after the November election.

A key aspect of expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act has been access to preventive care  without a co-pay. This includes well-woman visits, all FDA-approved contraceptives, screening and counseling for HIV, breastfeeding support and supplies, and domestic-violence screening.

It can be hard to remember that just a few years ago, before the act required these preventive services in 2011, my birth-control counseling included financial considerations. A co-pay of even a few dollars a month might mean that my patient couldnt afford her preferred method.

Some women got pregnant because they couldnt afford effective birth control or even an appointment to discuss options  a wrenching irony because unplanned pregnancy is exponentially more costly than contraception.

Coverage under the Affordable Care Act is, of course, not perfect. Many insurers offered low-price plans initially and now need to raise premiums sharply to stay solvent. There are many ways that the exchanges and subsidy structure could be improved.

But repealing the law risks losing important gains toward comprehensive, affordable health care nationwide.

I am hopeful that the Affordable Care Act may remain the law of the land. I am fairly optimistic that California will maintain expanded Medi-Cal coverage even if federal law changes. However, my patients are right to take action now and not leave their health, autonomy and future to chance.

IUDs last five or 10 years, depending on the type  long enough, as one of my patients pointed out, to get through the next four years.

I call on our California congressional delegation and Congress as a whole to make similarly practical, clear-sighted decisions to make health care truly affordable and sustainable. Repealing the Affordable Care Act is not the means to this end.

Emily Cronbach is an OB/GYN physician in Walnut Creek.
President-elect Donald Trumps ongoing fight with the nations intelligence community exploded Wednesday, as he accused spy agencies of leaking unsubstantiated, yet potentially damaging, information about him  a tactic he compared to what was done in Nazi Germany.

Yet Trump acknowledged, for the first time, a key finding of the nations top sleuths  that operatives directed by Russia hacked his political opponents, including the Democratic National Committee.

As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, Trump said Wednesday during his first news conference in six months. However, Trump doubled back within the hour, saying but you know what, it could have been others also.

That was one of several contradictions, half-truths and vagaries Trump issued at Trump Tower in New York. The centerpiece of his presentation was how he will separate himself from his international businesses to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

However, that plan, which revolves around Trump turning over his businesses to his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, is wholly inadequate, Walter Shaub, director of the nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics, said later Wednesday during a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Stepping back from running his business is meaningless from a conflict of interest perspective, Shaub said.

While Trump was vague about the policy specifics of issues like replacing the Affordable Care Act or building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, he was unequivocal in his criticism of the nations intelligence operatives.

I think it was disgraceful  disgraceful  that the intelligence agencies let any information that turned out to be so false and fake to get out, he said. Echoing a tweet he fired off earlier Wednesday, Trump said thats something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do.

Analysts say the larger danger is how Trumps deteriorating relationship with the intelligence community could erode voters trust, which has already started to wane. A Quinnipiac University survey out this week shows that voters disapprove of how he is handling his role as president-elect by 51 to 37 percent.

He will steadily lose public support if he continues to treat the intelligence community as he did Secretary Clinton or the other Republican candidates, said Louis DeSipio, political science professor at UC Irvine.

At this point, the public is giving him the benefit of the doubt, but that will steadily change, particularly if senior Republicans in Congress begin to articulate a different position on the intelligence.

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told The Chronicle Wednesday that it was alarming the information has been leaked. Asked if Trumps public fight with the nations intelligence agencies concerned him  Nunes, also a member of Trumps transition team  said I would never use Twitter like he does. But Im not president-elect of the United States. He was elected. I wasnt.

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Here are some other issues Trump touched on Wednesday.

On Health care

What Trump said: Trump said that as soon as Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., his nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, is confirmed he will unveil a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. It will be, essentially, simultaneously.

What he didnt say: His timeline doesnt take into account that Congress moves at a different speed, especially for something so complex. Repealing and replacing simultaneously is going to be a big challenge, said Nunes, also a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, Wednesday agreed, telling The Chronicle that I think youll see repeal right away. And youll start to see the elements of replace.

On building the wall

What Trump said: Trump said he will proceed quickly with building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexico, in some form, and there many different forms, will reimburse us and they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall. ... Whether its a tax or whether its a payment  probably less likely that its a payment  but it will happen.

What he didnt say: That means U.S. taxpayers are going to have to pay for the wall first, which Trump never mentioned during the campaign.

Trumps plan is totally unrealistic. Why would Mexico pay? said Lisa Garcia Bedolla, a professor of education and political science at UC Berkeley. What leverage would the U.S. have to make Mexico pay? They are one of our largest trading partners. We need them now as much as they need us.

On his tax returns

What Trump said: To clear up questions about whether he was being financially blackmailed by Russia, Trump was asked if he would finally release his tax returns. He replied that I have no loans, no dealings, and no current pending deals with Russia. But he declined to release them.

What he didnt say: Trumps reason for withholding his return  that theyre under audit  is invalid. In February, the Internal Revenue Service released a statement saying nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information.

A Pew Research Center poll this month found 60 percent of respondents thought Trump should cough up his returns, compared with 33 percent who said he shouldnt.

On his relationship with Russia and President Vladimir Putin:

What Trump said: If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia, he said when asked whether he thought Putin had directed the hacking to help him win the White House.

He shouldnt be doing it, Trump said later of Putin. He wont be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when Im leading than when other people have led it.

What he didnt say: Trump dodged a question about whether he could say that no one connected to you or your campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
The Womens March on Washington, and its sister marches in the Bay Area and elsewhere across the nation the day after Donald Trump is inaugurated, will be a high-profile act of resistance to the incoming administration.

But the long-term work of the resistance will begin the day after that, says Ilyse Hogue, a former San Francisco activist who now leads the 1.2 million-member NARAL Pro-Choice America, formerly known as the National Abortion Rights Action League.

And the power of that work wont come just from big gestures like street demonstrations. The most powerful statements will be what Hogue calls acts of daily resistance.

I think of people like my sister, Hogue told me the other day from NARALs Washington, D.C., office. Her sister isnt an activist; shes a physical therapist. But she wrote a letter to Rabbi Marvin Hier, the founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance, urging him to rescind his decision to appear at Trumps inauguration. Then Hogues sister posted the note on social media.

Mike Kepka/By Mike Kepka/special to the Chronicle

She has been doing things like that every day, Hogue said.

Those small acts will fuel national progressive leaders like Hogue as her organization stares down a threat not only to access to abortion but also to contraception.

Theres the Republican Congress, which could defund Planned Parenthood, making it harder for lower-income women to get routine exams like Pap smears and also birth control. And Trump has vowed to appoint an antiabortion justice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy and move it closer to overturning Roe vs. Wade.

Rep. Tom Price, a Georgia Republican who is Trumps pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, loathes the Affordable Care Act, particularly its requirement that health insurers cover contraception.

That attitude has alarmed some health care providers. A friend told me that her 17-year-old daughters doctor recently asked if she wanted an IUD for birth control, because with a life span of five years it would last through Trumps first term.

Mike Kepka/By Mike Kepka/special to the Chronicle

The threat to womens health coverage is not just true for our community, but for the majority of Americans who didnt vote for this guy, Hogue said.

Hogue said the grassroots energy of these post-election months reminds her of what she saw during the run-up to the Iraq War in 2002. Then, much of the pushback against the White House came from outside the activist community. Then, it was common to see families with strollers marching down Market Street in antiwar protests. They were performing acts of daily resistance.

Her time as a local activist  she lived in the Mission District from 2000 to 2008  taught her the power of making highly visible small gestures. She used that knowledge recently when NARAL posted signs last month in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood where Vice President-elect Mike Pence is renting a home. The signs read, This Neighborhood Trusts Women.

But look for big gestures soon, too, as NARAL gears up to fight repeal of the Affordable Care Act. It is working with several corporate partners with the goal of showing that it us up to corporations to offer whatever health benefits they want to their employees if the law is repealed.

After the election, more than 200,000 people joined NARAL and 10,000 people donated $350,000 in Pences name  another small act of resistance. As a longtime activist, Hogue knows its important to encourage her members to do more than just call their member of Congress: Theyve got to be engaged constantly  like those signs in Pences neighborhood  beyond getting hit up via email for donations.

As President Obama said in his farewell address Tuesday night: If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing.

If youre disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself, Obama said. Show up. Dive in. Persevere.

On the day after Trumps inauguration, Hogue will have a prominent spot in the Womens March on Washington. It will be a cathartic moment, she said, for women to make a show of strength  of resistance  toward a president whose policies they feel could hurt them.

But, Hogue said, that should just be the beginning, not the end.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Our waiter had such a thick and utterly charming French accent that it bordered on cliche. Yet that was only a passing thought, because nothing about Cafe Claude is cliche. Classic, yes, but cliche, no.

And thats a big distinction. Many restaurants that try to evoke a Parisian feel come across as authentic as the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. This restaurant, located on the alley-like Claude Lane that runs between Sutter and Post streets near Kearny, comes by its pedigree naturally. The cozy interior, with a large covered outdoor patio that takes up a good portion of Claude Lane, has always evoked a Gallic sensibility, though the massive earthquake beams give away its actual location. In a culture that seems to have turned away from French cuisine, Cafe Claude, which has been open since 1989, shows us what weve been missing.

For a while, owner Franck LeClerc, who has been involved with Cafe Claude since 1995, was in expansion mode, opening nearby restaurants like Gitane and Gaspare Brasserie, as well as a short-lived Cafe Claude spinoff in the Marina.

In the past, the food at Cafe Claude has vacillated between acceptable and very good. However, with the kitchen now under Justin Minnich, it has never been better.

The menu isnt groundbreaking; you can rattle off most of whats on it without hesitation  steak tartare, French onion soup and so on. Yet with Minnich at the helm, the preparations have been gently re-examined and arent prepared by rote. Roast chicken ($24), for example, is served with black trumpet mushroom and foie gras bread pudding. A heaping pile of mussels ($14/$19) is bathed in hard cider flavored with pancetta, leeks and shallots, then smoothed with cream. A beautifully realized salade maison ($10) looks like an open flower strewn with shallots, fines herbes, radishes and a Champagne vinaigrette.

Few restaurants do coq au vin ($24) better. The plump leg and thigh are stained purple from red wine that gets a boost from bacon and mushrooms, and the meat is accompanied by pearl onions, carrots and fingerling potatoes. Truite amandine ($25) is the whole, boned trout scaled with toasted almonds, capers, golden raisins and a meuniere sauce. Tender-cooked haricots verts add color and substance to the dish. While the fish was a tad overcooked, the surrounding components made up for that slight misfire.

Steak frites ($28) is also as it should be  a thick bavette cut that our waiter told us should be cut on the bias for maximum tenderness. Its topped with a thick pat of bone marrow butter and crowded onto the plate with pommes frites, which are about as good as youll find. No matter what else is ordered, dont pass up the fries. Theyre available as a side ($8) as are the haricots verts ($8) with shallots, toasted almonds and lemon.

From start to finish, the service is warm, informed and casual. The attitude fits nicely with the dining room, which includes two seating areas, a bar and a space in front where live music is offered between 7 and 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Desserts (all $8), like the main courses, are also familiar  warm chocolate cake with creme anglaise, chocolate mousse and an exceptional creme brulee with a thick caramelized sugar crust that protects the buttery rich vanilla pudding underneath.

All the elements go together in a very convivial way, making me wonder why French ever went out of style.

Michael Bauer is The San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic and editor at large. Email: mbauer@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michaelbauer1

  

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Cafe Claude

Food:   

Service:   

Atmosphere:   

Price: $$$

Noise: Four Bells
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Warriors briefly retained former San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr as a security consultant, but ended the relationship Thursday just hours after it was announced amid backlash on social media from activists.

The once-embattled top cop was hired to advise on security issues on an as-needed basis. He was supposed to help the team prepare for its groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday at the site of its new arena in Mission Bay, a few blocks from the police headquarters he previously oversaw.

Chief Suhr is an expert on public safety, security issues, event planning and operations, VIP protection, risk assessment, and other related matters, the team said in an initial statement. The organization is happy to have him on board.

But Thursday afternoon, the team released a second statement, which read: The Warriors and former San Francisco Police Department Chief Greg Suhr have mutually agreed to discontinue his consultant arrangement with the organization, effective immediately.

Suhr, 58, who was appointed chief in 2011, quit in May at the request of Mayor Ed Lee after several controversial police shootings. Hours before he handed in his resignation, a Bayview sergeant shot and killed an unarmed woman in a stolen car.

The 30-year veteran of the department also fielded criticism as chief when a scandal came to light involving a number of officers exchanging racist and homophobic text messages.

The last thing I want to do is cause a distraction for the Warriors during this incredibly positive time for the team and organization, Suhr said in a statement. I think this is in the best interest of everyone.

Suhr rose through the ranks of the Police Department, starting his career as a beat patrol officer and later holding positions as a narcotics investigator, patrol commander and captain of two stations. In the year and a half he led the Bayview station, homicides dropped almost 50 percent.

Last month, Lee named William Bill Scott, a longtime Los Angeles deputy police chief, to take Suhrs place following a months-long search.

Some activists who had campaigned for Suhrs firing were less than thrilled to hear that he had received the job helping the Warriors.

On Twitter, Shaun King, a columnist for the New York Daily News, called it a mess and claimed the team was propping up police brutality and misconduct.

Sellassie Blackwell, a protester who refused to eat food for 17 days to demand Suhrs resignation, said he wasnt surprised at the decision by the team to hire him, given that players didnt speak out during the demonstrations against Suhr last year.

I dont want to throw the Warriors under the bus, said Blackwell, a San Francisco hip-hop artist. But I think everyone in the Bay Area knows who Greg Suhr is. It rings a bell in everyones mind. Why would the Warriors hire him with his spotty record as a police chief?

Amid the social media fury, Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala tweeted, On it ... A spokesman for the team declined to say whether pushback from players contributed to the short-lasting deal with Suhr.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

He drove around the flooded streets of Guerneville for a while Wednesday morning, searching for a person to bring some life to photos amid the submerged homes and the businesses where sandbags couldnt keep away the swollen Russian River.

San Francisco Chronicle photographer Santiago Mejia found what he was looking for in Lorin Doeleman, the woman he captured kayaking through her living room inside her mothers flooded home on River Road, just east of downtown Guerneville.

Outside Doelemans abode, a moving truck first caught Mejias attention. She was moving her flooded belongings from her family home to her current residence in Sacramento. Mejia slowed, then stopped.

Donning hiking boots, not high ones, and ski pants, and bringing along a towel to dry his camera if needed, Mejia tempered his expectations for comfort early on.

I knew I wasnt going to stay dry, Mejia said. I didnt stay dry.

After speaking with the photographer, Doeleman invited the photographer into her mothers flooded home, where two or so feet of water lined a hallway. Right before Mejia got there, she told him she had first taken to the kayak to save the brandy endangered in the kitchen.

Camera in hand, Mejia trekked inside the flooded house, first into the hallway, where there was more than a foot of pooled water. He followed Doeleman, by now used to the strange scene, further inside the house toward the stairs leading down to the living room.

It was at this drop-off point, down a small set of stairs, that the serious flooding started  and it was at this point that Doeleman used the stairs as a makeshift dock to hop in the kayak and shove off into the living room, leaving Mejia clinging to the stairs.

Mejia said he wasnt sure how deep exactly the water was where she was kayaking, but it was deep enough to prevent him from standing with a camera without getting it soaked.

But he wanted the shot to be on Doelemans level. He wanted to see her skimming smoothly just above the water, and that was tricky from his vantage point above. So, Mejia ever so slowly lowered his camera to the murky water just below him on the stairs, closer and closer, careful not to let the expensive piece of equipment drop.

He positioned himself for an iconic shot, extending himself and his camera as far as he could, absent a kayak to get in on his own.

Only the paintings hung high on the wall as Mejia composed the first of several shots were visible, a window into some alternate, and flooded, reality, he said.

He later took in the worst of it all along a footbridge right above the Russian River, which surged Wednesday afternoon to its highest level in a decade, forcing hundreds of people around the Sonoma County town to seek higher ground. The scores of flooded houses were expected to grow to about 650 around the secluded community.

Thats when I got to see a lot of the debris and the Russian River and the flood in its entirety, the massiveness and the scale of it, and it was just incredible and horrible to see at the same time, Mejia said.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day? For some reason, by some luck, the lights inside Doelemans flooded home were still on. The Russian River did its worst, but the electricity flickered through.

It didnt hit me that the lights were on, and that this was really dangerous, until after, Mejia said. I was just trying to take the picture.

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 day of judgment theyd waited on for nearly a year came Thursday, and the soup kitchen nuns of San Francisco saw their prayers answered.

The San Francisco Planning Commission voted 6-0 to allow a pair of French nuns to move their soup kitchen from the Tenderloin to the Mission District. The commissioners made the point so enthusiastically that the acting chair of the panel even promised to come eat their food.

The commission had convened to consider some Mission District residents objections to the nuns plans to relocate to a space near the 16th Street BART Station. Business advisory media star Tony Robbins purchased the space for the nuns last year after their landlord moved to evict them from their current Tenderloin location.

ALSO Donate to Season of Sharing

In the end, it was no contest.

Amazing work you do, commission Vice President Dennis Richards told the nuns just before the vote. A City Hall hearing room crammed to the walls with nearly 100 people  business owners, clergy members, nonprofit leaders and Mission District residents  burst into applause as his gavel fell on the tally.

I am very, very happy, said Sister Mary of the Angels as a crowd formed around her and her soup kitchen partner, Sister Mary Benedicte, and Sister Mary Valerie  who flew in from their orders main office in Chicago to help.

When you give your heart to the homeless, you give your heart to God, and I thank this board for everything, Mary of the Angels said.

The few opponents who spoke at the meeting said they thought the kitchen should not be located in their neighborhood, but nonetheless professed admiration for the nuns feeding operation.

They have a good cause and a good heart, said Gerry Ramsey, who lives in the building at 1930 Mission St. where the new kitchen will be housed and was one of those urging a no vote. This will feed the homeless, but will it solve the overall problem of homelessness in our neighborhood or in our city? Im afraid not.

The vote was the culmination of a 10-month legal journey that began when the landlord of the Fraternite Notre Dame Mary of Nazareth House soup kitchen at 54 Turk St. moved to raise the nuns rent by more than 50 percent and then evict them.

Robbins and other powerful friends had assembled over the past year in a huge effort to rescue the sisters  and before the Planning Commission meeting Thursday, Robbins was joined at the Turk Street operation by Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, Roman Catholic Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Mission District-area Supervisor Hillary Ronen and dozens of business owners and other supporters.

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my, Mary Benedicte, one of the two nuns who started the soup kitchen in 2008, said in a heavy French accent. This is so nice to see.

We are praying for you, sisters, Robbins said as he hugged the nuns.

We are so happy that Mr. Tony came in to help, and we are praying that everyone can work things out so we can continue to help the poor people who need us, Mary Benedicte said. We dont just feed homeless people  we feed anyone who has a need for food so they can afford to pay rent at the end of the month, too.

Some people have told us they like the idea of our new soup kitchen, and that we should all do more for poor people. But some people dont feel like that. We pray for them all.

Ronen, elected in November, said, I cant imagine a more compassionate, appropriate service to come to the Mission. She later led off the line of speakers who came before the commission to support the nuns.

Benioff called the nuns enterprise an example for the city. ... This is the kind of thing we need to do in our city of love.

Robbins, a lifelong advocate for feeding the poor, got involved in the nuns plight in February after being moved by a story in The Chronicle about their landlords plans. He negotiated a yearlong reprieve on the rent hike and eviction, bought them the new kitchen, and then with Benioffs help bought them a separate place in which to live.

Since then, the nuns have talked to hundreds of residents in the Mission District, walking door-to-door and attending neighborhood meetings, and Robbins and others drew together a volunteer team of lawyers and supporters to advocate for the soup kitchen. A change.org online petition in the nuns support had 19,351 signatures as of Thursday morning.

The neighborhood around the soup kitchens new site has been a nexus for rough street life for decades, and tent camps and poverty-level residential hotels dot the area. The citys first Navigation Center, an intensive aid and shelter center for the homeless, is next to the building that will house the soup kitchen.

The kitchen space has been empty for years, and the rest of the building is home to a medical marijuana office and 17 condominiums.

Some residents say they are afraid food lines will draw more homeless people and reduce their property values. An appeal for a public hearing from the homeowners association for 1930 Mission St.s residents was the reason the Planning Commission heard the matter Thursday.

Others say the nuns operation will instill a measure of calm to the area around 16th and Mission, noting thats the effect they have at their current spot. Among those is Archbishop Cordileone, who said the nuns bring a motherly love to what they do.

The Planning Commissions staff recommended approval of the Mission Street soup kitchen, pointing out that the citys Food Security Task Force has determined that 31 percent of the people living in the neighborhood are at risk for food insecurity, and that city policy encourages support for human service providers in the area.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf  facing mounting pressure to beef up building safety and shield warehouse artists from eviction  took the unusual step Wednesday of endorsing a measure by one of her political foes.

The measure by city Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan would strengthen tenant protections by nearly doubling the relocation fee property owners must pay residential occupants they evict on grounds that they must repair code violations.

The proposed ordinance is especially timely as property owners have been evicting tenants from non-permitted housing and live-work spaces in the wake of the Dec. 2 Ghost Ship fire, which killed 36 people at a music event in a non-permitted warehouse. Schaaf urged the City Council to approve the measure during a special hearing on Tuesday.

This is intended to protect the many vulnerable communities that live in Oakland, and that live in fear because of this unprecedented affordability crisis, Schaaf told The Chronicle. She said she wants the new law to benefit many people  not just the artists who have garnered attention after the Ghost Ship fire, but also other struggling populations, including undocumented immigrants and low-income families living on the margins of a booming city, in storage sheds or garages that have been illegally turned into homes.

Relocation fees apply to residents of nonpermitted housing as well as to people living in legal spaces that have been poorly maintained. The current fees are $3,446 for a one-bedroom and $4,346 for a two-bedroom, plus $200 for move-in costs. The proposed ordinance would raise payments to $6,500 for a studio or one-bedroom unit, and $8,000 for a two-bedroom unit. Tenants evicted from a three-bedroom unit could be entitled to $9,875 under Kaplans proposal  significantly more than the current payment of $6,034.

These new rates would match the payments that the City Council approved last year for Ellis Act evictions, which prompted strong objections from property owners, who said they were being unfairly penalized.

Kaplan ran against Schaaf in the 2014 mayoral race and frequently butts heads with the mayor.

But in this instance, she welcomed the mayors support. Her law, she said, is mostly aimed at landlords who knowingly keep a rental unit in disrepair, and then use the code violations as an excuse to boot out their tenants once the real estate market picks up.

Code compliance has been used as an excuse to oust tenants so that the property owner can renovate the building and then rent it out to people with a higher income, Kaplan said. And then sometimes the people who get ousted dont get relocation payments at all, or under the current law, they dont get enough money to move in this economy.

The new law would not apply to everybody. Oakland cannot compel a landlord to pay a relocation fee to tenants who create code violations themselves.

If a master lessee illegally converts the building and then rents it out to others, as was the case at the Ghost Ship, then that tenant would likely be held liable for relocation payments, Kaplan said. But those situations would probably be decided in case-by-case hearings.

Schaaf threw her support behind the ordinance as she rolled out an executive order to achieve two pressing political goals: to ensure warehouse safety, but avoid displacing tenants at all costs.

Her executive order relies on existing laws and calls for property owners to enter an abatement and compliance plan with the city within 60 days after a building official or fire marshal cites the property for permit or zoning violations. Schaaf urges building owners to cure those violations without giving tenants the boot.

Meeting with reporters Wednesday, the mayor stressed the importance of protecting Oaklands warehouse community, which she has long touted as a cultural asset.

Kaplan said she wants the new protections to cover a wide demographic in Oakland. She said she began crafting the ordinance well before the Ghost Ship fire shocked and roiled Oakland.

My ordinance will be helpful to the artist community, Kaplan said. But it applies to a whole range of people who are low-income. Maybe they live without electricity or working plumbing, and then someone discovers they live without electricity or working plumbing. They shouldnt just be put on the street.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @rachelswan
Steven G. de Polo / Getty Image

Police identified on Thursday a 77-year-old man who was killed in Pleasant Hill when he lost control of his pickup truck, slammed into two cars, plunged off a freeway and rammed into a vacant house.

Wallace Ryburn, a Danville resident, was driving south on Interstate 680 on Tuesday in a Ford pickup truck when he suddenly swerved to the right and struck two other cars just south of Monument Boulevard before driving through a cyclone fence, said Officer Brandon Correia of the California Highway Patrol in Contra Costa County.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

William K. Bowes Jr., a pioneer investor in the biotechnology industry, an ardent supporter of basic medical research, and long an active philanthropist, died of cardiac arrest at his home in San Francisco on Dec. 28 with his wife, Ute, by his side. He was 90.

Mr. Bowes was a founder of U.S. Venture Partners, the wide-ranging Silicon Valley firm that has backed more than 450 startup companies in varied new fields, and that focuses now on information technology and health care.

As an investment banker nearly 40 years ago, Mr. Bowes became aware of a new and still controversial gene-splicing science known as recombinant DNA, and it led to his investment in one of the first commercial ventures in genetic engineering, a young Emeryville gene-splicing company called Cetus.

When management issues plagued that company in 1983, Mr. Bowes recruited a team of scientists and founded a new firm at first called Applied Molecular Genetics. He raised $200,000 from six other investors to finance it.

The firm became Amgen, and it is now the largest independent pharmaceutical company in the world, valued at more than $120 billion.

Its first bioengineered product was the recombinant hormone called erythropoietin, which treats the often fatal anemia from chronic kidney failure and cancer. It still saves lives.

As his venture capital investments in varied companies grew through U.S. Venture Partners, Mr. Bowes turned to what he called venture philanthropy, and over the years he became a major contributor to UCSF. His most recent investment in the university was a $50 million pledge to support young medical researchers and it brought his gifts for the medical center to more than $100 million.

With his wide range of interests in science, culture, the environment and humanitarian causes, Mr. Bowes created the William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation and gave financial and often leadership support to many local and national organizations.

Among them were the Exploratorium, where he had served as chairman of the board; the San Francisco Opera; the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; the Asian Art Museum; the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; the Environmental Defense Fund; the interdisciplinary biosciences institute called Stanford Bio-X; the Harvard Stem Cell Research Institute; the Institute for Systems Biology; the California Academy of Sciences; Teach for America; and the International Rescue Committee.

He was also a dedicated supporter of San Franciscos Grace Cathedral and of Bishop William E. Swings United Religions Initiative, an international organization that promotes interfaith cooperation, and seeks to end religiously motivated violence.

Bill was so widely respected and beloved in the Bay Area community that when he said something was worth investing in, others trusted his instincts and followed his lead, said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood.

Mr. Bowes was born in San Francisco and graduated from Lowell High School. He interrupted his college years at Stanford to join the infantry during World War II, and served in the Philippines and Japan before returning to Stanford to earn his bachelors degree in economics in 1950. He obtained his MBA from Harvard in 1952.

He is survived by his wife, Ute Conchita Bowes; by Frances Fay Bowes, the widow of his late brother, John; and by his nieces, Alexandra, Diana and Elena Bowes.

Memorial services will be held at Grace Cathedral on Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.

David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicles science editor. Email: dperlman@sfchronicle.com
Two passengers who were injured in the Long Island Railroad derailment at Atlantic Terminal in early January are suing the MTA, claiming that the agency's negligence allowed the crash to happen.

Wanda Rich, 63, of Valley Stream filed a $15 million suit against the MTA on Wednesday, the NY Post reports. When the train veered off the tracks, several passengers landed on top of Rich, fracturing her ribs and damaging her nerves, the suit claims. Rich says she continues to suffer headaches and blackouts.

"I just think that something more needs to be done to prevent these kinds of accidents when it's not like it's the first time it's happened at this point," Rich's attorney Robert Vilensky told the Post. The suit claims that the LIRR and MTA failed to ensure that the engineer was "fully cognizant and aware of his faculties" while driving the train, citing reports that the engineer may have suffered from sleep apnea and fallen asleep.

Rich is the second commuter to file a suit against the MTA after the crash. On January 5th, the day after the crash, Queens Village resident Clifford Jones filed a $5 million suit against the MTA. Jones's attorney Sanford Rubenstein filed a notice of claim against the LIRR and the MTA, which said that Jones's injuries were the result of "careless, reckless, negligent acts" of the LIRR and its employees.

Jones was commuting from Queens Village to Brooklyn on the train that derailedhe was in the last car and reportedly suffered injuries to his neck, shoulder, and knees, the Daily News reports. "It was like a horror scene," Jones, 48, said of the crash. "A lot of people were crying, upset."

106 passengers were injured as a result of the crash, which is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Commuters on board the train told reporters that up until the moment the train crashed into a bumping block at the end of the tracks, the train seemed to be running normallybut then "The train just didn't stop," passenger Audrey Foster told the Times.

It's still unclear what caused the crash, but investigators found that the train was going at twice the speed limit inside the station. The NTSB said that the train's engineer, Michael Bakalo, does not remember the crash.

"He does recall entering into the station and controlling the speed of the train," NTSB investigator Ted Turpin said at a press conference last week. "But the next thing he realized was after the collision." Turpin added that Bakalo, 50, was nearing the end of his overnight shift which had started at midnight when he crashed into the block around 8:30 a.m.

Senator Chuck Schumer called for the LIRR to begin testing engineers for sleep apnea last week.

Last October, an NTSB investigation found that the conductor of an NJ transit train that slammed into a wall at the Hoboken terminal had been asleep at the time of the crashin November, he was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. The train had accelerated from 8 mph to 21 mph before the crash, which killed one woman who was standing on the train platform.

MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan did not comment on the suits or on whether the engineer had been tested for sleep apnea, citing the agency's policy to not comment on pending litigation. Donovan noted that last April, the MTA announced that it was expanding its program on sleep apnea testing on the Metro-North, LIRR, and New York City Transit.
Sarah Ravani / Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle

A woman crossing the street in San Franciscos Cow Hollow neighborhood in the Marina was struck and killed by a truck, police said.

The woman was struck by a truck towing a trailer at Union and Buchanan streets around 12:30 p.m., said Michael Andraychak, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.
Facebook is increasingly owning up to its role as one of the worlds largest distributors of information by taking more responsibility for the millions of stories that flow through its site.

On Wednesday, the social network made its latest move to acknowledge that role by announcing the Facebook Journalism Project.

The effort calls for the company to forge deeper ties with publishers by collaborating on publishing tools and features before they are released. Facebook will also develop training programs and tools for journalists to teach them how to better search its site to report on news and events. And Facebook wants to help train members of the public to find news sources they trust, while fighting the spread of fake news across its site.

The project will begin soon in partnership with publishers including the Washington Post and Vox.

The effort is Facebooks most explicit acknowledgment that it has some responsibility for the consumption and mass distribution of media. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously said he considers Facebook a technology entity, but the social network has faced more questions over the past 18 months about how what it shows on its site affects its roughly 1.8 billion members.

Last month, Facebook announced partnerships with outside groups to help fact-check stories on its site and to more clearly denote which ones may be false. At the time, Zuckerberg said that while he thought of Facebook as a tech company, I recognize we have a greater responsibility than just building technology that information flows through.

In an interview about the Facebook Journalism Project, Fidji Simo, a director of product at the company, said: Weve heard loud and clear over the last year that there are questions about our role in this ecosystem. It has added an extra motivation for us to be involved even earlier on.

The new project is something of a peace offering from Facebook to publishers who share news content on the network.

Publishers have long considered Facebook a kind of frenemy  increasingly relying on the social network to spread their stories but often wary of depending too much on one medium to reach an audience. Facebook also regularly changes its algorithms, which can make or break a publishers traffic and revenue. Because of such changes, sites like Elite Daily and Upworthy have experienced wide swings in traffic.

Facebook is also partly responsible for an upheaval in the advertising industry, with online ad dollars now being spent on the social network and Google instead of directly with publishers. Google and Facebook accounted for nearly all the growth in the U.S. digital advertising market in the first half of 2016, according to estimates from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and company earnings reports.

Facebook has sometimes treated publishers cavalierly. In the past, the company would send business development employees to news organizations to brief them on coming products and to solicit partnerships. That was the case with the companys Instant Articles product, which loads publishers mobile content inside Facebook more quickly than on a traditional mobile browser. Publishers complained that Facebook approached them late in the development process and expected them to conform to its technical requirements.

There would be times when Facebook would come to us with a new product or function, but by the time we were invited to participate, product development was already kind of a done deal, said Shailesh Prakash, the chief intelligence officer and vice president for digital product development for the Washington Post. You had to fix your content and design into their parameters.

Now were finally coming to a more formal positioning of a model where we can begin working together much earlier in the process, Prakash said.

Facebook and Prakash said that earlier collaboration could improve relationships and perhaps help overcome some of the challenges that publishers face, such as how to increase subscriptions or newsletter signups from inside Facebook. The company has also expressed interest in working with publishers to build products for local news and in promoting small, independent news media.

Facebook also plans to make CrowdTangle, an analytics tool it acquired in November, free to use. CrowdTangle is popular with publishers and journalists searching for Facebook data.

Other components of the project may help repair Facebooks status as a place to discover news, after it attracted criticism over the number of fake stories appearing on the site. Facebook said it hopes to train audiences with news literacy programs to better spot false news, as well as by producing public service announcements about how to determine which news sources to trust. Facebook may dole out financial assistance grants for such projects.

Facebook cautioned that its journalism project is in the early stages and will evolve as the needs of publishers, readers and journalists change. But the company said it will not shy from questions about its role in news media.

As an industry, we have a lot to learn collaboratively, said Simo, the Facebook director of product. What youre seeing is an increased commitment to that.

Mike Isaac is a New York Times writer.
WASHINGTON  Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany were indicted in the U.S. on Wednesday in the VW emissions-cheating scandal, while the automaker itself agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion  by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

In announcing the charges and the plea bargain, Justice Department prosecutors detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside VW to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

Volkswagen obfuscated, they denied and they ultimately lied, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

VW installed software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the U.S. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times the legal limit.

U.S. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences between testing and actual emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the defeat device, but finally admitted it in September of 2015.

Even after that admission, prosecutors said, company employees were busy deleting computer files and other evidence.

The fine easily eclipses the $1.2 billion penalty levied against Toyota in 2014 over unintended acceleration in its cars.

The German company pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importing vehicles by using false statements. Under the agreement, VW must cooperate in the continuing investigation, which could lead to the arrest of more employees.

The automaker also agreed to the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee its compliance for three years.

Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion civil settlement with environmental authorities and car owners in the U.S. under which it agreed to repair or buy back up to a half-million of the affected vehicles.

The six supervisors indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit were accused of lying to environmental regulators or destroying computer files containing evidence.

All six are German citizens. Five remained in Germany and were not immediately taken into custody. The only one under arrest is Oliver Schmidt, who was nabbed over the weekend in Miami during a visit to the U.S.

Schmidt was in charge of VWs compliance with U.S. environmental regulations. Those indicted also included two former chiefs of Volkswagen engine development and the former head of quality management and product safety.

All six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by making false statements to regulators and the public. Three were also charged with fraud and clean-air violations.

Government documents say one engine development supervisor asked an assistant to search another supervisors office for a hard drive that contained emails between them. Then another assistant was asked to throw it away, prosecutors said.

According to the plea agreement, Volkswagen officials began deceiving the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulators starting in 2006, when they realized new diesel engines wouldnt meet 2007 emissions standards.

Under the direction of supervisors, VW employees borrowed the defeat device idea from VWs Audi luxury division, which was developing different engines with similar software.

In November 2006, some employees raised objections to the defeat device to the head of VW-brand engine development, prosecutors said. That official allegedly directed the employees to continue and warned them not to get caught.

In 2014, VW employees learned about a West Virginia University study that identified emissions discrepancies in VWs. Three of the supervisors and other employees decided not to disclose the defeat device to U.S. regulators, prosecutors said.

In August 2015, a VW employee ignored instructions from supervisors and told U.S. regulators about the device.

VW also faces an investor lawsuit and criminal probe in Germany. In all, 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the software.

Michael Biesecker, Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin are Associated Press writers.
Santa Rosa police dropped their request for prosecutors to charge a onetime vineyard whiz kid jailed last week for allegedly robbing a bank.

Investigators arrested 20-year-old Kyle Cameron on Jan. 4 in connection with a robbery at a U.S. Bank on Guerneville Road last month. But at a hearing last week, Cameron was told he wouldnt face charges.

Police said a bandit walked into the bank on the morning of Dec. 15 and presented a note to a teller, demanding money. Once he got it, the man walked out of the building and was seen dropping some of the cash, possibly in an attempt to get rid of security devices, police said.

Officers accused Cameron of being the bandit and arrested him on suspicion of robbery, burglary and violating his probation.

At age 14, Cameron was named the youngest vineyard manager in Sonoma County and possibly the youngest in the country, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

I couldnt get past it when he looked me in the eye and said, Dad, Ive never been in that bank in my life, said Gerry Cameron, his father.

The elder Cameron said hes glad to have his son out of jail and in the clear.

Obviously were happy. Hes done some things in his life that hes trying to correct, but hes certainly not anywhere close to being a bank robber, he said. They incarcerated the wrong gentleman.

Sgt. Josh Ludtke, a police spokesman, said they found exculpatory evidence that we have a responsibility to investigate prior to filing charges. He said investigators may still seek charges against Cameron at a later time, though he didnt elaborate.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A nature educator and graduate of UC Santa Cruz was identified by police as the victim of a deadly stabbing last week in Berkeley allegedly committed by a UC Berkeley student, who is also suspected of stabbing a second woman.

Alameda County prosecutors have yet to lodge charges against Pablo Gomez Jr., 22, who was arrested over the weekend in Southern California in the killing of the young woman, 27-year-old Emilie Inman. A spokeswoman for the district attorneys office said Thursday it had not yet reviewed the case.

Gomez of North Hollywood was arrested Saturday in Burbank. Investigators were expected to bring the suspect back to the Bay Area to face murder and assault charges in court next week.

In addition to Inmans stabbing death, Gomez is accused of stabbing another young woman, a student at UC Berkeley, whose injuries werent fatal.

The suspect  who friends say uses the nonbinary gender pronoun they  is enrolled at the UC Berkeley campus with a major in Chicano studies, according to Janet Gilmore, a school spokeswoman. Gomez is an undergraduate senior, Gilmore said.

Police first got wind of the killing Friday just before noon, when they were called to the intersection of La Loma Avenue and Ridge Road  just north of the UC Berkeley campus on a block where several student cooperative houses are located.

A student who lives in one of the co-ops had been stabbed and flagged down a passing motorist, who stopped and helped her call 911, officials said.

Paramedics transported the student to a nearby hospital, and she is expected to make a full recovery.

The stabbing led detectives to Inmans apartment on Ashby Avenue near Telegraph Avenue in South Berkeley, where they found the scene of an apparent violent crime. Police said it wasnt until much later that they discovered the body of Inman, who had been stabbed to death.

Investigators have yet to disclose a motive for the stabbings.

A musician who is a native of France, Inman graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2011 with a degree in environmental studies. Her SoundCloud is filled with original folk songs that touched on progressive issues. In one song she sings, Wake up and live while you can, you dont have to side with the man and When you look out from your eyes, do you see what you want to see? Its time to realize the potential for humanity.

Most recently, Inman worked as a science teacher for fifth- and sixth-grade children at Sienna Ranch, an outdoor nature program in Lafayette.

The director of Sienna Ranch, Chris Lauf, said he has been inundated with messages from parents whose children were influenced by Inman, whom he described as a brilliant, passionate, creative teacher and a sparkling, joyful, sincere person.

A parent of a child with special needs sent Lauf a message saying, Emilie knew just how to transport this diverse group of friends from one world to another filled with fascinating plants, fuzzy-tailed friends, mud puddles, hillside daydream, and original songs she had written. As the group evolved to include more students from our extended community, Emilie continued to embrace ALL children, especially those with special and complex needs.

Inmans longtime partner, Matt  who asked that his last name not be published  said in an email, She had nothing but positive energy, love, passion, creativity, and kindness radiating from her mind, body, and soul. From her deeply caring hugs, to her passion for educating and relentlessly being the change she wanted to see in the world, Emilie has been nothing but a source of encouragement and inspiration to those who interacted with her.

The slaying suspect, Gomez, was involved in progressive issues, too. In high school, Gomez worked for the Alliance for Climate Education and in college gave a speech at a summit held by the organization.

A spokeswoman for the climate program said Gomezs arrest came as a total shock to us.

On Facebook, Gomez frequently posted about transgender issues, Palestinian liberation and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Friends of the suspect said they are in disbelief that Gomez would attack anyone and didnt know Gomez to be violent.

Matt, 29, who was with Inman for eight years, encouraged those hoping to honor her memory to constantly strive to be the very best version of yourself you can be.

In my experience, she was happiest seeing people passionately pursuing what they love to do, he said. I know that she helped many of us find our purpose or provided validation that we were on the right path. Simply put  and in language she would use  she got stoked seeing other humans stoked on what they love to do.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
Samantha Bee returned from winter break on a new night and at a new time yesterday, and immediately jumped into the "Comedy Christmas" that was the past week in politics. "The only verifiable thing about this report is how much joy it gave me," she said regarding the Trump dossier, which includes unverified allegations that Trump hired two prostitutes to pee on a bed in a Russian hotel room that the Obamas stayed in.

"Theres a high probability this story is bullshit, but the fact that its plausible bullshit is a terrifying statement about what our nation has come to, Bee added. "We absolutely believe that Donald Trump is petty enough to hire someone to take a whiz in a bed his predecessor sat in."

Bee moved past the "Peeus Ex Machina" to get into the confirmation hearings for Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III ("No, that is not the name of a cartoon rooster from a banned Disney movie"). "Being too racially insensitive for 1986 is like being too into piss play for R. Kelly," she said. "That joke was in the script before yesterday, thank you very much."

She also had a piece about "white plight," focusing on complaints from D-list celebrities like Bo Bice, who was very upset after being referred to as "white boy" at a Popeyes. "Do you know how I can tell this wasn't systemic racism oppressing you?" Bee asked. "Because you're 41-years-old and this seems to be the first time you're experiencing it."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Helen Diller Foundation is pledging $500 million to UCSF  the biggest gift in campus history and among the largest to any public university in the United States  to recruit faculty and students and fund high-risk, high-reward research.

The gift, to be announced Thursday, comes on top of a series of hefty donations to the school over the past decade, including a previous $35 million contribution to support cancer research from Diller, a philanthropist who died in 2015 at her home in Woodside, and two $100 million gifts from Salesforce founder Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne Benioff, for the UCSF childrens hospital.

The donation matches in size one made last year by Nike co-founder Phil Knight to the University of Oregon, which was at the time the largest in history to a public university.

The impact of this gift goes beyond just the one institution, particularly coming on the back of now several major gifts, said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood. The Bay Area right now is like the Florence of the Renaissance. Well be able to use these resources to bring additional brain power, not just to UCSF, but across all institutions here, plus the Googles and the Facebooks and the Genentechs.

Its like a total transformative opportunity, he said.

The bulk of the donation, $400 million, will go toward recruiting and retaining top faculty and students and will increase UCSFs $2.25 billion endowment by 18 percent. Half of this new money will create a funding stream to support UCSF faculty looking toward leadership positions as well as the recruitment of senior professors from other institutions. The other half will support students at UCSFs four professional schools.

But in addition to the size of the donation, whats especially noteworthy is that it leaves $100 million unrestricted. The university can spend the money at its discretion and put it toward innovative projects that are difficult to pay for.

That kind of untethered giving is almost unheard of, university officials said. Last year, UCSF raised $747 million from philanthropic sources, but less than one-half of 1 percent of those funds were unrestricted.

Dillers daughter, Jackie Safier, said the unrestricted money is a sign of the confidence her mother had in the leadership at UCSF and the work of the doctors and scientists there.

My mother recognized that discretionary dollars are very rare, are very coveted, said Safier, who is president of the Helen Diller Foundation board. She had a lot of confidence and trust in UCSF and wanted to set an example to other generous donors. When you have incredible leadership at institutions like UCSF, they need to make decisions on a dime, and flexibility is important.

Hawgood said the unrestricted gift is critical at a time of pinched federal funding, when available money tends to go toward research that is relatively conservative and has a good chance of success. Science thats newer and riskier, but potentially groundbreaking, is a much tougher sell.

The discretionary money will allow the university to invest in the most exciting fields of research, which will in turn draw innovative students and faculty to its ranks, Hawgood said.

Historically, I have not had a significant pool of unrestricted money that I can just say, Go to the races. Not spending stupidly  but allowing me to really invest in those high-reward scientific ideas that are going after the big hairy problems, Hawgood said. This fund allows you to grease the wheels on that big thinking.

Sue Cunningham, president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in Washington, said the gift was a remarkable act of philanthropy.

When gifts of this significance come about, its the result of a relationship that has been developed over a considerable period of time, Cunningham said. A gift of any scale to invest in education is enormously valuable. But this demonstrates a real confidence and understanding on the donors part.

Faculty members who were told of the gift before Thursdays announcement were thrilled. More money for students, they said, means the university can recruit talented young people who may not be able to afford advanced education, and allow them to graduate with little or no student debt.

Dr. Matthew State, chair of psychiatry, said recruiting top faculty is a constant challenge. The Diller gift wont just provide the money to lure new faculty and retain young stars, he said, but also is a really important statement, too.

Weve had several of these announcements over the last couple of years and that really reflects how special this place is, State said. Its a source of pride not only in terms of our competitive nature, but in what it reflects about what people feel about the work UCSF is doing. That alone helps with recruitment.

Including this donation, the Diller foundation has given $650 million to UCSF. Safier said her mother was dedicated to philanthropy in education and childrens needs, but had a special affection for the university. A San Francisco native, Diller was born at Mount Zion Hospital before it became part of UCSF, and volunteered in various capacities at UCSF over her lifetime.

She and her husband, Sanford Diller, who founded Prometheus Real Estate Group, built a legacy of philanthropy in the Bay Area. The Helen Diller Foundation has donated to parks, playgrounds, museums and educational programs, especially geared toward teenagers. The familys first large gift to UCSF was the $35 million that established the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Care Center.

Safier said her mother had been the one to initiate conversations about the $500 million gift, though she wasnt able to see the process to its end.

My mother wanted to have a global impact on health care, for all humanity. And she knew if you want a global impact, you have to invest deeply, Safier said. She really believed UCSF was the place to do it.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com
The Honest Company, co-founded by Hollywood actress Jessica Alba, has struggled with customers who question their honesty.

Customers using its sunscreen filed a class-action lawsuit last year saying the product didn't work, and questions persist over the legitimacy of Honest's marketing claims that its laundry detergent is free of sodium lauryl sulfate.
20th Century Women isnt a great film, but it does something great. It replicates a quality of memory in a way that Ive never quite seen before. It captures the way we think about people we knew and the lives they lived when we remember them from the distance of decades.

Written and directed by Mike Mills, and loosely based on his own childhood, it tells the story of a teenage boy being raised by a single mother in a big house in Santa Barbara. To make extra money, Mom has two boarders, a teenage girl and a young woman in her 20s. They become a kind of family, and all three end up raising the boy.

Mills was born in 1966, and for a lot of us who lived a substantial portion of our lives in the last century, theres a weird thing that sometimes happens as we think of people from our past, who were older than we were. They were 20th century people. They saw the world through 20th century eyes. They had the options that were available at the time, and now we know how things worked out for them. Looking back brings mixed feelings of omniscience and helplessness, as well as awe before the mystery. And that is the feeling that Mills creates and instills.

He does this, at least in part, by consistently reminding the audience that its looking at the past. He doesnt establish an illusion of the past and try to bring the audience into it. Instead he establishes convincingly the 1979 setting and then keeps the audience mentally in the 21st century. For example, mini life histories are given for the three central women  played by Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning. These are presented in documentary style, with archival photos and voice-over narration. Each has a history, and each is part of history.

Mom (Bening) is in her mid-50s, which means she had her son in her early 40s. Shes a fretting mother and yet a free spirit, with odd idiosyncrasies, such as inviting random people over for dinner. As the story begins, she finds herself losing contact with her son, unable to penetrate his adolescent angst, and so she asks Julie (Fanning) and Abbie (Gerwig) to look out for him, too. Each does her best, within the limits of her ability.

Abbie tries to teach Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) to be a sensitive man and tells him about womens orgasms. With Julie, the situation is especially fraught. She is only a couple of years older than Jamie, and he is in love with her. But she regards him as a best friend, leans on him for relationship advice and has the habit of stripping down to her underwear and climbing into his bed to express sisterly closeness.

Tangentially, the world outside goes by  the world is always tangential, except in times of calamity  and so we hear and see manifestations of things like punk rock. One Sunday, family and friends gather around to hear President Jimmy Carter deliver the national sermon that went down in history as the malaise speech. The moment is real. The nation really did stop everything to take in that speech. As any modern viewer will recognize while revisiting it, much of what Carter warned about has already come to pass.

Bening is wonderful, as she always is when she gets a role worthy of her. The narration insists that Mom was a total original and a magnificent force, and Bening gives us that. She smokes constantly in the film  it borders on distracting, like watching an actress and a character try to kill themselves. But its not exactly inaccurate. In 1979, it was still possible to find otherwise intelligent, sensible people smoking around the clock. They were duly toasted by their survivors on New Years 2000.

20th Century Women is not especially dramatic. At times, it eschews drama. Every time the story is on a knife edge and can drop deeper into turmoil or recede back to the normal flows and ebbs of life, Mills chooses the latter. But this time, the strategy works. It feels real. And though Mills never makes us care about these people as much as he does, we receive 20th Century Women as a privileged communication. It meant something to him, and thus reminds us of what means something to us.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

20th Century Women

Comedy-Drama. Starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig. Directed by Mike Mills. (R. 118 minutes.)

To see a trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxcvng_CpMQ
1 New VA pick: President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped the Department of Veterans Affairs top health official to lead a beleaguered agency struggling to meet the health needs of millions of veterans. David Shulkins nomination signals a more modest approach to change at the VA after Trump repeatedly pledged an overhaul. During the presidential campaign, Trump described the VA as the most corrupt agency and probably the most incompetently run agency. If confirmed, Shulkin would have the rare distinction of being an ex-Obama administration official serving in the Trump administration. Shulkin would lead the governments second-largest agency with nearly 370,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $167 billion.

2 Police reform: A spokesman for Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh says the city and the U.S. Justice Department have reached an agreement on a consent decree that will require the city to reform its Police Department. Anthony McCarthy said Wednesday that the negotiations are done but the deal has not yet been signed. Justice Department began an investigation of the Police Departments patterns and practices after the death in 2015 of a 25-year-old black man, Freddie Gray. He was fatally injured in the back of a police van. Six police officers were charged in his arrest and death, but there were no convictions.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

WASHINGTON  Barraged by questions about Russia, Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state promised a far more muscular approach toward the Kremlin on Wednesday, abandoning much of the president-elects emphasis on improving ties between the Cold War foes. Instead, Rex Tillerson suggested the outgoing Obama administration responded too softly to Moscows takeover of Ukrainian territory.

The surprising shift in tone by Tillerson, a former Exxon Mobil CEO and Russian Order of Friendship recipient, reflected the difficulty Trump will have in persuading Democrats and Republicans to broach a broad rapprochement with President Vladimir Putins government. Calling Russia a danger to the United States, Tillerson said he would keep U.S. sanctions in place and consider new penalties related to Russian meddling in the presidential election.
WASHINGTON  Senate Republicans took their first major step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, approving a budget blueprint that would allow them to gut the health care law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster.

The vote was 51-48. During the roll call, Democrats staged a highly unusual protest on the Senate floor to express their dismay and anger at the prospect that millions of Americans could lose health insurance coverage.

One by one, Democrats rose to voice their objections. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington said that Republicans were stealing health care from Americans. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said he was voting no because health care should not just be for the healthy and wealthy.

The presiding officer, Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., repeatedly banged his gavel and said the Democrats were out of order because debate is not allowed during a vote.

The approval of the budget blueprint, coming even before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, shows the speed with which Republican leaders are moving to fulfill their promise to repeal President Obamas signature domestic policy achievement  a goal they believe can now be accomplished after Trumps election.

The House plans to give final approval Friday to a budget that would shield the forthcoming repeal-and-replace bill from a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, the Associated Press reported. Stripping Democrats of their ability to endlessly delay that bill  a tactic that takes 60 votes to thwart  is crucial for Republicans, who have just a 52-48 edge in the Senate.

Republicans say the 2016 elections gave them a mandate to roll back the health care law. The Obamacare bridge is collapsing, and were sending in a rescue team, said Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo. and the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. Then well build new bridges to better health care, and finally, when these new bridges are finished, well close the old bridge.

Republican leaders say they will work closely with Trump developing legislation to repeal and replace the health care law, but it is unclear exactly how his team will participate in that effort.

The Affordable Care Act has become ingrained in the U.S. health care system, and unwinding it will be a formidable challenge for Republicans. More than 20 million people have gained coverage under the law.

The budget blueprint instructs House and Senate committees to come up with repeal legislation by Jan. 27.

Thomas Kaplan and Robert Pear are New York Times writers.
Business

Here's how this free app turned amateurs into UAE's top professional stock market traders

Going into business without first having some basic knowledge of how the market works and the tools at our disposal increases your risk of getting into trouble. Simulators provide learning platforms for people who want to start learning how to invest.
One reason the California Supreme Court rejected a challenge to teacher tenure laws was that some members decided any problems should be addressed by lawmakers rather than judges, the courts chief justice said Wednesday.

The court voted 4-3 in August to leave intact an appellate ruling upholding the tenure system, which requires a finding of good cause to fire a teacher after two years of service. A Superior Court judge had earlier ruled that the system protected incompetent teachers and assigned them disproportionately to schools in poor and minority neighborhoods.

The Supreme Courts dissenting justices said an issue of such importance should be decided by the states highest court. But Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, part of the majority that voted to deny review, said Wednesday that the court is not required to resolve every important legal issue.

Reasonable minds differ as to what belongs here (in the court) and what belongs in the Legislature, Cantil-Sakauye said in her annual meeting with reporters.

She said the courts closed-door debates on the case involved sharp disagreements but (were) absolutely respectful, though she couldnt disclose details of the discussions. The issue is not going away, she said.

Cantil-Sakauyes reference to possible legislative action touched on a key issue in the tenure case: whether any flaws in the system can be resolved in a legal challenge.

In his June 2014 ruling declaring the tenure laws unconstitutional, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu said that two years was not enough time to evaluate a teacher properly, and that the laws made it prohibitively time-consuming and expensive to remove incompetent teachers with tenure. But he left it unclear whether it would be constitutional to extend a teachers pre-tenure probationary period to three or more years, or whether the entire system had to be abolished.

A state appeals court set that question aside in April, finding that Treu had failed to cite any evidence that tenure laws, or laws protecting teachers with seniority from layoffs, were to blame for substandard education.

Cantil-Sakauye was also asked about Proposition 66, a voter-approved November initiative that seeks to speed up executions in California. One of its provisions would require the states high court to decide all death penalty appeals within five years, more than twice as fast as its current pace.

The court has put Prop. 66 on hold while it considers a lawsuit by opponents arguing that it intrudes on judicial authority and also would lead to erroneous convictions and death sentences. Cantil-Sakauye and Justice Ming Chin have removed themselves from the case because they are on the states policymaking Judicial Council, a defendant in the lawsuit.

The initiative, if it took effect, would take a substantial portion of our resources for death penalty cases, the chief justice said. She said the court now devotes about one-fourth of its time to capital cases.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
The Handmaiden

At the Myrna Loy

(R)

Grade: B

In an attempt to warn or to woo moviegoers to the Myrna, one might well describe the South Korean erotic thriller Handmaiden as a variation on the Swedish sensation The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Both films are replete with (prolonged) explicit sex and graphic violence, showcasing misogynistic villains.

Both films are sewn with alternating threads of politics and gender.

Both films are constructed as elaborate thrillers, with unpredictable mysteries winding their way through a maze of sex, crime and punishment.

And, finally, both films are ultimately, victoire pour les femmes  albeit one film is Swedish and the other South Korean.

Modest moviegoers best avoid Handmaiden.

Aside from the sex  some violent, some sweet, some misogynistic, some lesbian  we are treated to a close-up of a guillotine paper cutter as it removes digits from a distraught man.

And some swats to bare bottoms.

And black gloves gripping the faces of innocent women.

Yes, there are lots of persuasive reasons to avoid Handmaiden.

Youve been warned.

But as 2016 ended, Metacritic tabulated all the top 10 lists of critics around the nation, and produced an aggregate list of the critics favorites for the year. Predictable ones were at the top  La La Land, Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea  but there at number nine was Handmaiden.

Rotten Tomatoes gave Handmaiden a stunning 94 rating, representing universal critical acclaim.

Like Dragon Tattoo, Handmaiden is saved by a seductive script that unravels a convoluted elusive mystery.

Tattoo also featured phenomenal acting by Noomi Rapace. Handmaiden has fine acting, too, but its signature attractions are stunning sets, costumes and cinematography that compensate for the salacious detours into misogyny.

The photography is exquisite, with dozens of scenes worthy of a South Korean art gallery. Interiors are elegant and exteriors are breathtaking.

The story is set in the 1930s in South Korea. A small-time criminal trains a band of young female pickpockets. One day he sets his sights higher  to bilk a wealthy heir out of her fortune by marrying her, declaring her insane and having her institutionalized.

He solicits one of his young trainees to assist in the elaborate plot. Sooki will serve as the handmaiden to the target lady, encouraging her to accept the overtures of the handsome scoundrel.

The plot unfolds as expected  until it doesnt.

At that point, we blink and say really? and settle back to see where this is going. By the time were done the script has taken some truly surprising turns, fooling us continually on the way to a stunning ending replete with political and gender overtures.

The politics of Handmaiden are wrapped inside the story of the Japanese lady being courted by a South Korean man while Japan occupies South Korea in the 1930s.

The story is told in thirds, and each segment features a new view of events from new eyes  a variation on The Rashomon Effect.

Kurosawas Rashomon masterfully told a story four ways through four characters, giving rise to whats now called the Rashomon Effect, a psychological theory about the subjectivity of perception.

Handmaiden follows a similar path, replaying scenes through an entirely new lens, forcing us to adjust our assumptions time and time again.

In the hands of a confident director, Park Chan-wook, Handmaiden emerges as a compelling film thats clearly artful, while just as surely being sexist, exploitive and misogynistic.

And yet the victims triumph, leading some critics to suggest the film has a feminist sensibility.

Thats because, in the end, Japan and South Korean kiss and make up.

Ironically  and fittingly  it took women to set things straight.
Moonlight snowshoe hike tonight

Join the Montana Discovery Foundation on a moonlight hike tonight, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. We have snowshoes for feet of all sizes and will be leading a group up the Continental Divide Trail under the full moon. Meet at the Quigley Day Use area on MacDonald Pass (head west on Highway 12 from Helena, turn left at the top of the pass toward Cromwell Dixon, then turn left again toward the day use area). Carpooling is encouraged. RSVP 406-495-3718 if youd like to attend. The event is free.

***

Hunter access seminar Saturday

As part of the 2017 Montana Outfitters and Guides Association Winter Convention the public is invited to a Montana Hunter Access Symposium on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Radisson Colonial Inn, 2301 Colonial Drive.

The issue of access for hunters to both private and public lands has been with us for decades. Come listen and participate in a forum designed to explore all perspectives of this issue in a respectful and informative setting.

Agency and Others Panel: Pat Tabor, moderator

Leanne Marten, U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester, Norther Region

Ryan Weiss  DNRC Access Coordinator

John Bloomquist  Legal Issues on Access

Hank Worsech, FWP

Sportsman Panel: Mac Minard, moderator

Dave Chadwick, MWF

Kendall Van Dyk

Jim Loessberg

Outfitter Panel: Wagner Harmon, moderator

Eric Albus

Rob Arnaud

Rich Birdsell

Cody Carr

Landowner Panel: Chuck Rein, moderator

Dusty Crary, Choteau

Karl Rappold, Dupuyer

Ron Ingersol, Wolf Creek, Rogers Pass

Matt Wickens -- The time is now

Lunch Speaker: George Betis

***

Polar bears topic of outdoor club program

Helena Outdoor Club's January meeting features Dawn North sharing stories and photos of the Churchill, Manitoba, area and the polar bears living there. The program is Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Montana Wild Center, 2668 Broadwater Ave.

The Norths joined a field course with Missoula's Great Bear Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated since 1981 to conserving bears and their habitat around the world and being a "voice for the bears." The trip begins with a train journey of 48 hours (1,048 miles) from Winnipeg is part of the adventure, and is an important route for the native people -- their only access to the outside world.

Churchill is touted as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World" -- join us and hold on for the ride.

***

Community pond grant money available

Groups or individuals interested in constructing or improving a community fishing pond have until Feb. 1 to apply for a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks for Community Pond Program grant.

Applicants must provide at least 30 percent of the total project cost, which can include contributions such as heavy equipment time, construction materials, labor, engineering services, and more. Anyone wishing to sponsor a project may apply. A total of $28,000 in grant funds is available.

Applications, which are accepted each year, must be submitted on or before Feb. 1. Applicants are encouraged to work with their local FWP fisheries biologist to plan the project. For more information, call FWP at 406-444-2432.

***

Shooting range grant deadline nears

The deadline for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks shooting range development grants is rapidly approaching. The deadline to apply for range development grants is Feb. 1.

Montana's Shooting Range Grant Program, administered by FWP, provides funding to shooting clubs, organizations, local governments, and school districts to build and improve public shooting ranges throughout the state.

To learn more about the Shooting Range Grant Program, and to download this year's new grant application, visit FWP's website at fwp.mt.gov. Click "Recreation", then "Activities" and then "Shooting Ranges".

Online registration is available via the Montana Grants & Loans website at fundingmt.org. For information call 406-444-9947.

Completed Shooting Range Grant applications may be mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Shooting Range Grant Program, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

***

Recreational trails, OHV grant cycles open

Montana State Parks reminds the public that the grant application deadline for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and the Off-Highway Vehicle Program (OHV) has moved to Feb. 1. Typically, March 1 has been the deadline for RTP and July 1st for OHV. Both grant programs are now accepting applications through the online system at fundingmt.org.

A coordinated grant cycle between two important trail-related funding sources will allow applicants to apply to both programs and receive funds in the same time frame to allow better planning for projects and expenditures.

For more information on applying for RTP and OHV grants visit: stateparks.mt.gov/recreation.

For questions about RTP grants, contact Beth Shumate at 406-444-4585 or bshumate@mt.gov.

For questions about OHV grants, contact Erin Proctor at 406-444-7642 or eproctor@mt.gov.

***

Final decision signed on travel plan

Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest Supervisor Bill Avey signed the final Record of Decision for the Blackfoot Non-winter Travel Plan on the Lincoln Ranger District.

The final Record of Decision for the travel plan is a modified version of Alternative 4 and specifies the on-the-ground changes to the motorized and non-motorized routes for non-winter travel across the Lincoln Ranger District. Along with travel designations, the final ROD specifically designates six trailheads and two parking areas, to help improve public safety by facilitating better travel flow in these popular recreational areas.

Blackfoot Non-winter Travel Plan decision maps are available for free online www.fs.usda.gov/helena/ or at your local Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Service offices. All project documents, including the final Record of Decision, are also available online.
BILLINGS -- Landowners willing to enter into a contract with Fish, Wildlife and Parks to allow public elk hunting on their property would be eligible for free elk hunting licenses under a bill that revises a measure already on the books.

House Bill 96 had its initial hearing in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee in Helena on Tuesday, prompting several questions from legislators along with support from a variety of groups.

The bill is an attempt to provide hunter access to elk while also giving landowners an incentive to provide access, said Rep. Zach Brown, D- Bozeman, who sponsored the bill. For every four elk hunters allowed onto their property, the landowners would receive one free tag to also hunt on the land. FWP would choose the four hunters through a random drawing of available applicants.

So it expands their hunting opportunity, said Hank Worsech, License Bureau chief for FWP.

The one-to-four ratio could be applied to four or 100 hunters or more, depending on the details of the landowners contract. If the landowner allowed 100 hunters, FWP would award them 25 free elk licenses. The landowner could share his or her permits with immediate family members, whether they are residents or nonresidents, as well as full-time employees. The contracts, which could also be negotiated with nonresident landowners, would be subject to approval by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

We think this is a very good tool, testified Jay Bodner, natural resources director for the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

His support of the bill was echoed by the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Farm Bureau and the Montana Wildlife Federation. Speaking in opposition to the measure was Chuck Denowh of the United Property Owners of Montana.

The vast majority of landowners allow people access to their property, but few would qualify under the dictates of this bill, he said.

He said landowners should be able to choose who they want to hunt on their land and be given permits to kill elk any time a landowner asks for it.

The bills language was developed by the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council as a compromise measure. The group is composed of landowners, hunters, anglers and outfitters. Questions and suggestions for changes by some of the committee members about how parts of the bill were worded bumped into the councils spirit of compromise.

Rep. Bob Brown, R-Thompson Falls, suggested the ratio be one landowner license for every four days of public hunter access. But Rep. Zach Brown said that would change the intent of the bill and he discouraged micromanaging its contents.

We want to leave flexibility intact, provide flexibility for the landowner to work with the department and the commission, so that it works on their operations, Zach Brown said. Everyone deals with access in different ways.

In response to Rep. Kerry Whites question about whether FWP would assume any responsibility for the hunters it randomly selects, Worsech said no, but added that landowners could negotiate with FWP to include some type of right of refusal into their contract.

Although landowners who enroll their property in the Block Management Program to provide hunter access would be able to take part in the program, they would not be compensated for any hunter chosen through the random drawing.

Wildlife management is a very controversial topic with lots of different views, Zach Brown said. PL/PW wanted to increase access while respecting private property rights  and meet elk management population objectives. This helps us move closer to those goals.

Other bills

In other action, the committee held the first reading of HB 128, which would revise the waiting period for some who receive bighorn sheep hunting licenses. The current language requires a seven year wait for hunters who receive a tag before they can apply again, as it does for successful moose and goat hunters.

FWP ran into a problem in southwestern Montana when it created an open season on bighorn sheep in the Tendoy Mountains, which contains a herd that has been persistently infected with pneumonia. After deciding to wipe out the herd, FWP allowed unlimited hunting in the region. But few hunters were willing to buy a tag to kill a young ram if they would be subjected to a seven year waiting period.

Out of the 35 sheep that lived in the Tendoys herd, about 10 still remain, said Quentin Kujala, FWPs Wildlife Management Section chief. FWP will have to remove those animals on its own, he added.

This will provide an important management tool that does not penalize hunters, said Kurt Alt, staff biologist for the Wild Sheep Foundation. Its important for disease management and separation, since young rams are the ones that leave and seek company with domestic sheep.

The third bill the committee heard, HB 150, would modify the language of a law allowing the spouse and dependents of those serving in the armed forces who meet the requirements of statehood to also qualify for resident hunting and fishing licenses.

This bill is intended to correct an aberration in the law, said Jim Brown of the Citizens for Balanced Use. Theres no loss to the state of Montana but it will be a big win for members of the military.

The committee took no action on any of the bills since it was the first reading.
A hearing on proposed limitations to motorized watercraft drew a standing-room-only crowd in Helena Wednesday evening, with most testifying against any new restrictions.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks held public hearings on Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Quiet Waters Initiative in Helena and Great Falls Wednesday, following earlier meetings in Billings, Kalispell, Missoula and Bozeman.

In May, BHA petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Commission, saying new regulations would prevent conflicts between recreationists, improve safety and maintain traditional use. The commission agreed a proactive approach was a discussion worth having, and put the petition into rulemaking to seek public input.

FWP opposed the initiative, citing current laws as adequate to protect safety.

The initiative proposes various seasonal and horsepower restrictions as well as the closure of some small tributaries for motorized use. Regulation changes are sought on the Yellowstone, Flathead, Marias, Stillwater, Sun, Teton, Bitterroot, Missouri, Swan and Whitefish rivers, with additional changes for multiple tributaries.

Testimony on changes for the Missouri River dominated the Helena hearing. Proposals include closure of tributaries to motorized watercraft over 10 horsepower from May 15 to Sept. 15 from the headwaters to Prewett Creek. Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge would be restricted to no-wake speeds and all vessels could only travel with the direction of the river. Motorized watercraft would be limited to 10 horsepower or less between June 1 and Sept. 15 from Wolf Creek Bridge to Pelican Point.

FWP staff answered questions about the proposed rules before the public commented.

As written, the rules would restrict all watercraft, including nonmotorized, from moving upriver from Wolf Creek Bridge, perplexing several people in the crowd. Staff also noted that because the Missouri is considered a federally navigable waterway, discussion with the U.S. Coast Guard could alter the rules. A statewide look at boating accidents since 1998 showed two or three involving a motorized versus nonmotorized vessel, according to FWP.

Public comment remained civil and largely focused on concerns about pitting user groups against each other, particularly by jet boat owners saying they would be shut out of some of their favorite waters.

I think this proposal is a divisive proposal, Al Weinert testified. It alienates a single user group, and you lose the goal of maintaining healthy rivers.

As we can see, its going to cause continued hard feelings between fly-fishermen and other boating recreationists, Jay Reardon commented.

If we respect and are courteous to one another, we can all enjoy the beauty of Montanas waters, Rick Burger testified.

Others took a harder line, saying that Quiet Waters benefited river outfitters at the expense of the general public.

This enhances the incomes of groups that use public water for financial gain, testified Patti Buckingham, adding that it is a trend of locking motorized users out of land and water. Weve got to stop this behavior.

Austin Carlson suggested, and several others agreed, that two commissioners had a conflict of interest pertaining to Quiet Waters and should abstain from voting on it. Chairman Dan Vermillion is a Livingston-based outfitter and Commissioner Gary Wolfe is executive director of the Cinnabar Foundation, which lists BHA as a conservation partner.

Other testifiers commented that technology will improve motorized use, making it quieter and more environmentally friendly.

Jeff Lukas with BHA spoke in favor of the petition and reiterated that the proposals intend to reduce user conflicts, not create them. Motorized restrictions are an emotional issue for both sides, he said, but gave an example of a members canoe swamped by a jet boat on the Marias as one situation that could be avoided.

Public comment on Quiet Waters has been extended until Feb. 12. Written comments may be submitted to: Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Attn: Quiet Waters Petition, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, Montana, 59620-0701; or e-mail QuietWaters@mt.gov.

Comments will then be taken to the commission, which will decide whether to proceed, alter or reject the petition.

A full listing of proposed regulation changes is available at http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/rules/pn_0218.html.
The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has decided to proceed with a nearly 5,700-acre forestry project southwest of Helena aimed at protecting firefighters in heavily beetle-killed forest.

Forest Supervisor Bill Avey on Monday signed a record of decision for the Telegraph Vegetation Project. The nearly 24,000-acre project area is located 15 miles southwest of Helena and 5 miles south of Elliston, and includes logging and prescribed burning.

The interdisciplinary team determined that the need for action in this analysis area is compelling, the Forest Service decision says. By taking actions now, a more diverse and more sustainable forest will be the outcome, moving the area towards meeting the Forest Plan direction of having a healthy, resilient and productive forest ecosystem.

Additionally, action is needed to improve conditions for firefighter safety, reduce extensive fuel loading related to insect mortality, and move the landscape towards desired conditions described in the Forest Plan.

The project, first proposed in 2009, seeks greater resiliency to fire, insects and drought through diversifying age classes of trees. Reducing fuels adjacent to private lands offers protections while providing an estimated 25 million-board-feet of commercial timber.

I am pleased that with this decision we are able to begin the implementation phase of this project, Avey said in a statement. We have worked with the local public, our partners, and other agencies to develop this science-based project that addresses forest health concerns and helps our local economies.

Environmental groups objected to the project, saying the Forest Service violated environmental laws and would degrade water quality, wildlife and fish habitat. The agency added additional information to the final decision but said it has complied with all laws and regulations.

Fire science has been a central issue, with critics contending that beetle-kill has little impact on wildfire and is important biologically. Critics have also spoken out about the cumulative impact of the Telegraph project, when considered in conjunction with the proposed Ten Mile-South Helena Project to the east, and other area logging.

A biological opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the project may affect and is likely to adversely affect federally protected grizzly bears, Canada lynx and bull trout. The opinion goes on to say that the activities will not likely jeopardized the continued existence of the bears or lynx. Measures to limit sediment released into the Little Blackfoot drainage will likely be effective in reducing short-term impacts to bull trout.

The project secured $125,000 from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation towards bridge replacement on one of the haul routes.

Work is scheduled to begin this spring and last through 2026.

More information is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=30353.
Shortly before Christmas, men and women across Montana were notified that the road construction projects they were depending on to put presents under the tree this year would be canceled. The jobs they were depending on to provide for their families in 2017 would be lost. The construction of critical state highway projects would be delayed or defunded altogether. Our highway fund is facing an unprecedented budget shortfall, and unfortunately its just one small part of the budget crisis that Governor Steve Bullock handed the 65th Legislature on day one.

The timing of Governor Bullocks announcement was not insignificant. While he was running a reelection campaign on job creation, infrastructure and sound fiscal management, he buried a looming crisis facing Montana workers, families and businesses.

Then, just weeks after winning a reelection campaign, the Montana Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a severe budget shortfall that would delay or even cancel $144.5 million of highway projects across the state. Its also notable that this announcement came around the same time that DOT Director Mike Tooley assured his employees via email that his commitment to them remains a top priority, citing a multi-year trend of increasing hiring and assuring that pay raises and career advancement would remain in tact.

Meanwhile, they cut 30 approved highway infrastructure improvement projects that it had previous knowledge of. To complete these projects, Montana needs to supply $14.5 million to leverage a matching federal grant of $130 million. Montana can choose to leverage these federal funds or sit back and watch the money flow back to Washington, D.C., only to be transferred to other states to build their highways.

Action must be taken swiftly to move my bill  House Bill 203  to save these projects and the thousands of jobs that they create for the men and women who keep our highways safe.

Our Republican caucus is working hard to create more opportunities for all Montanans, with a focus on a long-term commitment to funding critical infrastructure projects across our state. By leveraging scarce state resources with matching federal funds, we can ensure that these important projects are completed and thousands of people can continue working in Montana.

Its no easy task finding $14.5 million in our states budget, but Republicans in the state legislature are committed to making sure that we dont lose these federal matching funds while our infrastructure needs pile up.

It is my hope that this bill moves swiftly through the legislature, on to the Governors desk and is signed into law. I encourage the people of Montana to contact the Governor and urge him to support these critical infrastructure projects across our state and the thousands of jobs they support.

Rep. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, is speaker pro tempore in the Montana House of Representatives.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

In the late 19th century, a handful of German families settled in a remote jungle of Paraguay, where they intended to create a racially pure utopian settlement called Nueva Germania.

The experiment was a colossal failure.

The settlers were unprepared for the devastating diseases and other hardships of jungle life, and their descendants -- some of whom intermarried with the darker-skinned locals -- are among the poorest people in one of the poorest countries in South America.

But now they have an unlikely champion: a Wagner-loving San Francisco composer who is mounting a determined crusade to rebuild the Aryan dream and has sought assistance from Vice President Dick Cheney, two U.S. philanthropic groups, a Southern California town council, Bay Area artists, and a U.S. filmmaker best known for the underground movie "Scorpio Rising" and the book "Hollywood Babylon."

"As an artist who is fed up with much of the pretentious nonsense that has come to define Western culture, I am drawn to the idea of an Aryan vacuum in the middle of the jungle," says David Woodard, who lives on Mount Davidson and studied musical composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Woodard, who is also the musical director of the Los Angeles Chamber Group, a 14-member ensemble that specializes in playing at memorial services, insists he is not a white supremacist, but rather a man driven by a vision of his musical hero that happened to bear fruit in a patch of land located about 120 miles north of Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay.

"Nueva Germania represents an aesthetic sanctuary conceived by Wagner; a place where Aryans could peaceably go to experience life and pursue the advancement of Germanic culture," he said. The Germans currently populating Nueva Germania number about 100 families, most descended from the original colonists, who arrived in 1886.

Among the pioneers was Elisabeth Nietzsche-Foerster -- sister of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche -- who sailed to Paraguay with 14 German families to start a socialist, vegan utopia along the Aguaraya River. She got the idea after reading an 1880 essay by Richard Wagner called "Religion and Art," in which the composer ranted against Germany's 1871 emancipation of the Jews.

But the colonists were unable to get crops to grow, and many fell victim to malaria, tuberculosis, snakebites and sand fleas. After two years, Nietzsche-Foerster's husband, a notorious anti-Semitic propagandist named Bernhard Foerster, committed suicide by swallowing poison after a drinking binge. His widow returned to Germany in 1893.

Today, the Nietzsche-Foerster home in Nueva Germania lies in ruins, the original Lutheran church and the German school have been closed for more than a decade, while the German-speaking descendants barely eke out a living as subsistence farmers.

Woodard, born and raised in Santa Barbara, is a thin man with stooped shoulders who favors large, dark sunglasses. Now in his mid-30s, he also manufactures replicas of a psychedelic contraption called a Dreamachine, a motorized cylinder that spins and creates a strobe effect. Invented in 1959 by the Beat writer Brion Gysin, it is supposed to paint pictures inside the viewer's head. Woodard says his clients have included rockers Kurt Cobain, Iggy Pop and Beck.

When Woodard first visited Nueva Germania last year, he found most of its residents living in tin-roofed adobe homes with no indoor plumbing, electricity or telephones. The children walk seven miles to the nearest Spanish-language school.

Still, Woodard found that some have not given up on the idea of a racially pure homeland and prefer to marry their cousins rather than non- German Paraguayans.

Compelled by what he had witnessed, Woodard, on his return to San Francisco, wrote a seven-minute anthem called "Our Jungle Holy Land" and managed to get several Bay Area artists to participate.

"I thought it was an intriguing project, a bizarre thing of a colony of Germanic people in the jungle," said Kimarie Torre, a San Francisco soprano who sings on the recording. "I know this colony was started as an Aryan nation, but I saw the music as an homage to their country."

Woodard says he first learned of Nueva Germania after reading "Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche," a 1992 book by a London Times journalist, Ben MacIntyre.

As a part-time resident of the Los Angeles County town of Juniper Hills, Woodard tried to convince fellow council members to take advantage of a unique opportunity to become a sister city to a town "conceived by a master composer. " Council members in the small town of 500 nestled in the foothills on the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains decided to consider the request in 2003, council minutes show.

In December 2003, the council removed Woodard for failure to attend meetings and for "pursuing his own agenda" regarding Nueva Germania, according to council treasurer Dave Reichel.

"He told us it was a quaint town with a musical background. We knew nothing of an Aryan utopia or Nietzsche," recalled Reichel. "If we had known, I am 100 percent sure we wouldn't have messed with that."

Reichel said the council was dismayed to later find a link to Nueva Germania and the mention of a sister city alliance on the community's Web site, www.juniperhills.net, which Woodard developed.

The link includes a recording of "Our Jungle Holy Land," which "celebrates our sister city project with Nueva Germania," as well as a written response from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney. "The Vice President was pleased to learn of your community's interest in establishing sister city status with Nueva Germania" reads the letter.

The mention of a sister city alliance on the Juniper Hills Web site has attracted at least two U.S. philanthropic groups.

Dr. Larry Nichter, who heads a Huntington Beach (Orange County) group that sends plastic surgeons to poor Third World communities to help those suffering from physical deformities, sent a letter to the White House last March that read: "The Plasticos Foundation is delighted to support and join Juniper Hills' sister city project with Nueva Germania, Paraguay. We are concerned about severe phenotypic mutations accrued over 125 years of inbreeding and the profound effects these are likely to have on the daily life of Nueva Germania's inhabitants."

Reached at his office, Nichter said he is still waiting for more information before sending a team to Paraguay. "We are on hold, but this incredible history fascinates me," he said.

Woodard also contacted the Kansas-based humanitarian group Heart to Heart International, which donated $12,500 of medicines to Nueva Germania. The group's officials, when told, were surprised to learn that no sister city relationship exists.

"David Woodard's application described their needs and the sister city project," said Dan Neal, the group's international program manager. "That's how it came about."

The Juniper Hills town council is now trying to distance itself from both Woodard and Nueva Germania. Council President Vance Pomeroy said the town has created a new Web site -- www.juniperhills-ca.org -- and will ask the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which assigns domain names, to shut down the original Web site.

Woodard is certainly no stranger to eccentric undertakings -- and potentially unpopular causes.

In 2001, Woodard wrote and conducted a 12-minute piece called "Ave atque Vale" -- which he called "Onward, Valiant Soldier" in English, although the direct translation is "Hail and Farewell" -- for Timothy McVeigh on the eve of his execution near the Terre Haute, Ind., federal prison where the convicted perpetrator of the Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people, 19 of them children, was incarcerated.

After being denied permission to perform the piece at the prison, Woodard played it at a nearby Roman Catholic church 12 hours before the execution.

"McVeigh was portrayed as this insane, dangerous person who had no basis or reason," Woodard said, "but that omits the importance of his ultimate motivation -- to stem the rise of the inappropriate actions of the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) and the FBI."

Woodard has also been commissioned by Exit, a Swiss right-to-die group, to orchestrate the "Bach-like pastoral pieces" written by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the controversial Michigan doctor who is serving 10 to 25 years in prison on charges connected with assisted suicide.

And the San Francisco musician-entrepreneur continues his South American crusade.

Early next month, he will return to Nueva Germania with American filmmaker Kenneth Anger, director of the 1963 cult favorite, "Scorpio Rising," and author of the best seller "Hollywood Babylon." Prominent Swiss novelist Christian Kracht will accompany them.

"I shall be assembling ideas for an historical Swiss novel," Kracht said in an e-mail message from Nepal, where he publishes a German-language magazine. Woodard said has also bought Elizabeth Nietzsche-Foerster's old property with the intention of building a "scaled-down version" of the Bayreuth Festival House, an opera house designed by Wagner in 1876. "I know it sounds absurd, but there are a lot of Wagner fans, and with satellite Internet connection and Web casting, I could use this historic land to compose and record music," he said.

He also says he is planning to build a "Dreamachine factory" on the site where Josef Mengele, the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp doctor who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Jews and other Nazi victims, once lived while hiding out after World War II.

The devices, which cost between $500 and $6,000 each, would bring badly needed employment for "disillusioned Aryan youths," he says. "We have a chance to help Caucasians in the middle of the jungle. I would like to see this unlikely concept go someplace positive, and not crumble into a lost subculture, " he said.

"With the reopening of the school, church and building of an opera house, the spirit of these people would have a new light. It would please me to see a light at the end of the tunnel after 125 years."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Future residents of this SoMa penthouse in San Francisco will live in a time machine.

Located in the striking Clock Tower Building beside Highway 80 and the Bay Bridge, the listing revolves around a room in the actual clock. Here, clock faces and gears on all four walls surround guests as city and bay vistas come into focus through period glass.

Take in panoramic views of the city while the sun casts a bronze glow on the brick buildings of South Beach. After dark, the iconic clock faces come to life yet again, illuminated by the towers eye-catching spotlights, said Robert Levy of Sothebys International Realty, who is co-listing the home with Sothebys Eric Turner for $6.995 million.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse covers more than 3,000 square feet and boasts a blend of period elements like exposed structural steel and brick walls. Modern designs like the living rooms glass fireplace accent the captivating home. Hardwood and concrete flooring span an interior serviced by automated Hunter Douglas window shades, vaulted ceilings, custom cabinetry and ample shelving.

Built shortly after the 1906 earthquake and fire that leveled much of San Francisco, the Max Schmidt Lithograph Corp. erected the Clock Tower in 1921, granting lithographers more than ample access to natural light to produce labels for fruit companies and other clientele.

Schmidt cherished the location so much he wouldve left San Francisco had the tower been destroyed to make room for the Bay Bridge during the 1930s. The lithographer  then the largest printer on the West Coast  stood his ground, forcing officials to alter the path to the iconic span.

Schmidt threatened to take his successful business to the East Bay if the tower was touched. Thankfully, city officials relented and redesigned the viaduct plans to preserve the tower, Levy said.

Though Schmidts ties to the building ended decades ago, his legacy continues. The Landmarks Preservation Advisory officially recognizes the towers significance and board and has named the structure a Contributory Building to the South End Historic District.

A lofty, open-plan living room anchors the main level. Illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights and warmed by a dual-sided fireplace, this expansive central hub graced by dark-stained hardwood flooring opens to the scenic wraparound terrace.

Nearby, the contemporary kitchen houses a built-in desk and an island anchored by a support pillar. Frosted glass covers the custom display cupboards. An integrated Liebherr refrigerator, a Bosch wall oven and a Dacor cooktop are among the kitchens high-end appliances.

Industrial details like exposed masonry and steel braces adorn the den off the great room that segues into the clock room.

A lavish master suite has textured carpet and city views beneath a soaring ceiling. Radiant heating warms the floor of a spa bathroom boasting dual vanities, six mirrored storage cabinets and a glass shower.

There are views of AT&T Park  home of the San Francisco Giants and the occasional concert  below the penthouses wraparound deck. The unforgettable city skyline is in the background as SoMas vibrancy awaits a mere few steps below.

Architect David Baker and the McKenzie, Rose & Halliday development firm remodeled the tower to convert it to a live-work space in the early 1990s. A few years later, Tom and Carol Burkhart put their own spin on the trilevel residence before moving in from across the street.

Wed just sit there in our living room, salivating, thinking it would be amazing to live in that tower, Tom Burkhart said to The San Francisco Chronicle in April 2016. And then it went on the market and then we went to the open house. Our real estate broker happened to be there and said, Most people couldnt live in this place, but you two could. Wed just spent nine months remodeling across the street, but I couldnt resist.

Learn more at www.theclocktowersf.com.

Listing agents: Robert Levy Sothebys International Realty, (415) 385-8011, robert.levy@sothebyshomes.com; Eric Turner, Sothebys International Realty, (415) 425-1516,

eric.turner@sothebyshomes.com.

Details

Address: 461 Second St., Unit 651, San Francisco.

Price: $6.995 million.

Features: The two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse has more than 3,000 square feet of living space and a wraparound terrace. Period elements include exposed structural steel and brick walls. Modern designs like the living rooms glass fireplace accent the interior.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

After a 2016 that many consider to be one of the worst years of the century to date, Americans could really use a hug.

But where is a good place to find one? A new study that gauges levels of empathy state by state suggests that New England and the West Coast might be good places to start.

Psychologists Rachel Bach of Beloit College and William Chopik of Michigan State University led researchers who found that more empathetic states tended to have lower rates of violent crime and higher levels of well-being.

A total of 79,563 American adults from all 50 states and the District of Colombia filled out a survey in which they reacted to seven statements reflecting empathic concern, indicating their agreement on a scale of 1 to 5. For example, one statement was, "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective."

Scores on the emotional and intellectual components of empathy were combined to create a "total empathy" rating.

A self-fulfilling prophecy may be at work in states that were judged more empathetic than others. Utah, for instance, is known for its charity  not surprising since many faithful Mormons donate 10 percent of their income every year. Their example may inspire other Utahns to generous behavior.

Utah ranked No. 7 of the most empathetic states.

The study found that total empathy ratings "were positively related to state-level volunteering and higher well-being," along with "lower rates of violent crime, aggravated assault, and robbery."

While the study did not examine politics, it is interesting to note that seven of the 10 most empathetic states are "blue" states  that is, they backed Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. Meanwhile, eight of the 10 least-empathetic states are red states that helped Donald Trump win the election.

That's not to suggest that red-state residents are any more likely to be less empathetic than their counterparts in blue states. After all, Montana  which has a long tradition of voting Republican  ranked No. 2 among the most empathetic states.

But factors such as a economic satisfaction, overall health of citizens and crime rate "may be attributable to psychological characteristics of people living (there)," according to the study.

In a article Tuesday, the statistics-crunching site Five Thirty Eight made the case that areas with the highest concentrations of economic anxiety  unease over one's financial future rather than one's current status  strongly supported Trump.

See the above slide show for the top- and bottom-10 states for empathy.
SAO PAULO  For more than 30 years, the bones of Josef Mengele, a German doctor who conducted horrific experiments on thousands of Jews at Auschwitz, lay unclaimed inside a blue plastic bag in Sao Paulos Legal Medical Institute.

Dr. Daniel Romero Munoz, who led the team that identified Mengeles remains in 1985, saw an opportunity to put them to use. Several months ago, the head of the Department of Legal Medicine at the University of Sao Paulos Medical School obtained permission to use them in his forensic medical courses. Today, his students are now learning their trade studying Mengeles bones and connecting them to the life story of the man called the Angel of Death.
Flash back to the year 2000. George W. Bush became president of the United States with the help of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and a politically motivated, right-leaning Supreme Court. Later, George W. Bush would do the worst thing any U.S. president could ever do: hed lie to start a war.

President Obama followed President Bush. And even though Obama would arguably become the best U.S. president in 50 years, Republicans would see him as the worst, and do everything possible to demean and destroy his two terms.

Why? The Republican politicians in office had one goal in mind  power. And they had no qualms about putting party before country to achieve their goal. As for Republican voters, there is a reason the GOP, Fox News and fake news creators have targeted them. They are, perhaps, the biggest suckers to ever walk the planet. Not only can they be convinced to vote against their own interests, but they can also be convinced to believe practically any conspiracy theory put before them.

Now that Donald Trump will soon take office, we can safely say that none of the Obama conspiracy theories came true. Here are just a few of the hundreds of conspiracy theories millions of Republicans believed  and Montanans parroted on newspaper editorial pages throughout the state:

President Obama was born in Kenya; he was a Muslim, secretly working to help other Muslims take over the country; he would replace U.S. law with Sharia Law; his wedding ring was emblazoned with There is no god except Allah; he would declare martial law to cancel elections and remain president beyond his two terms; he ordered the murders of Antonin Scalia and Andrew Breitbart; he faked Osama bin Ladens death; he would create death panels; he would open youth re-education camps; he would order FEMA concentration camps; he was behind the Aurora movie theater shooting and numerous other mass murders on American soil; he refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance; he was the Antichrist; he would come for your gold; he would come for your IRA; and he would  most certainly  come for your guns!

The gun industry and the NRA, incidentally, would like to thank Republican voters for the more than 100 million guns they purchased during the Obama presidency. They will have no worries about limping through the Donald Trump presidency either. Since Trump is the king of conspiracy theories, theyll soon find another angle to get Republicans to continue increasing their weapons stockpiles.

Could there be a more embarrassing time to be a Republican voter? In electing Donald Trump, they will forever be known as the people who voted with the Ku Klux Klan and were the pawns of Vladimir Putin. They also sold out the possibility of anyone ever taking their claims of being Christian seriously again. Think about it. Donald Trump is exactly the self-serving, greedy, rich man that Jesus preached against in the Bible. And people like Donald Trump werent some fringe issue for Jesus either. They were a huuuge issue! Consequently, Republicans can no longer honestly declare that Republican values are Christian values. Instead their values are merely whatever is convenient.

That being said, I hope Republicans enjoy their win. They certainly paid a high price for it. And if Trumps erratic, thin-skinned and vindictive personality gets the United States into another war, they had better be first in line to volunteer for military service. The Trump-voting demographic is much older than the war-fighting demographic, but thats not an excuse. Neither are their bad knees, arthritic hips or other age-induced maladies. Trump is the responsibility of those who voted for him. Never again can we have thousands of our brave young men and women dying because of an unnecessary war.

As for those of us who voted against Trump? Our candidate might have lost, but at least we still have our dignity  and Nov. 3, 2020, as a date to look forward to.

Marty Essen is a college speaker and the eight-time award-winning author of two environmentally themed books, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents and Endangered Edens. His third book, a snarky politically themed novel, is in the works. His website is www.MartyEssen.com. He resides in Victor.
GAZA CITY  Thousands of people took to the streets Thursday to protest chronic power cuts during the cold winter season in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, in one of the largest unauthorized protests in the territory since the Islamic militant group took power a decade ago.

Hamas has shown little tolerance for dissent, and it moved quickly to contain Thursdays demonstration. Police fired in the air to disperse a crowd of stone-throwing protesters and blocked journalists from the area.

A day earlier, Hamas-run authorities arrested local comedian Adel al-Mashwakhi, who made a viral video that received more than 250,000 views. In the one-minute video, titled Hamas, its enough, he lists the basics missing in Gaza, including jobs and the ability to travel. Take everything but electricity, Hamas, he says, facing the camera.

The demonstration began in the Jebaliya refugee camp, and as it grew in size, the crowd marched toward the nearby offices of an electricity distribution company, chanting: Raise your voice, electricity cuts mean death.

Hamas police made way for the crowd, but took up positions outside the electricity companys building. When a group of youths threw stones at them, they fired into the air to disperse the crowd. Later, the protesters arrived at the building and gathered peacefully.

Hamas forces blocked journalists from filming the gathering, and an Associated Press journalist was briefly detained at gunpoint until he handed over his mobile phones to plainclothes security men.

Life has become increasingly difficult for Gazas 2 million residents, who are squeezed into the tiny coastal territory. Hamas violent takeover a decade ago triggered a border blockade by Israel and Egypt that, among other things, sharply aggravated power shortages.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israels destruction, has ruled the territory since 2007, routinely clamping down on critics.

Despite the hardships, anti-Hamas rallies have been sporadic, in part because of fear and because even disgruntled Gazans believe theres no realistic path to toppling the militants.

Gazas Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned the comedians arrest, and said it was the third time since last year that he was taken into custody for criticizing Hamas

Fares Akram is an Associated Press writer.
MIAMI  The looming presidency of Donald Trump has created a deep sense of uncertainty for inmates at Guantanamo on the 15th anniversary of the arrival of the first prisoners at the U.S. base in Cuba.

Nineteen of the remaining 55 prisoners are cleared for release and could be freed in the final days of Barack Obamas presidency, part of an effort to shrink the prison since the administration couldnt close it on his watch.
1 Peace summit: French authorities are expecting 72 countries to attend Sundays Middle East peace conference in Paris  but not Israel or the Palestinians. Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said Wednesday that both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been invited to come to France after the conference to be informed of its conclusions. Netanyahu has declined the invitation  saying only direct negotiations will produce a solution. Abbas is expected to visit the French capital at the end of the week on the sidelines of the conference. Participants will include Secretary of State John Kerry.

2 Iceland government: Iceland has a new center-right government almost three months after an election that produced no outright winner. The Independence Party, which won the largest share of seats, has formed a coalition with the smaller Reform and Bright Future parties. Together the parties hold the slimmest of majorities  32 of 63 seats in Parliament. Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson will become prime minister in the new administration, state broadcaster RUV reported.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

PRAGUE  Almost 30 years ago, Donald Trump was confident he would win the U.S. presidential election  as an independent in 1996, according to recently uncovered files from Czechoslovakias Communist-era secret police.

Czechoslovakia was the home nation of Trumps first wife, Ivana, a model, athlete and businesswoman who became the mother of his three oldest children: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.

A year before the 1989 collapse of communism in many parts of Europe, details about Ivana Trumps 1988 visit back to her homeland were recorded in a classified police report. The Oct. 22, 1988, report said that Trump refused to run for president in 1988  despite reported pressure to do so  because he felt, at 42, he was too young. But the secret report said he intended to run in the 1996 U.S. presidential race as an independent, when he would be 50.

Even though it looks like a utopia, D. TRUMP is confident he will succeed, the police report said, based on information from an unspecified source who talked to Ivana Trumps father, Milos Zelnicek, about her visit.

It was unclear where the reported pressure was coming from.

But Trump didnt create an exploratory committee until about a decade later, when he started a bid for the Reform Party nomination ahead of the 2000 presidential election. He dropped that effort about four months later.

Trumps first wife was born Ivana Zelnickova in 1949 in the Czechoslovak city of Gottwaldov. She married Trump, her second husband, in 1977. As she kept traveling home across the Iron Curtain on a regular basis, Ivana became a tempting target for the powerful, deeply feared Czechoslovak secret police agency known as the StB.

Karel Janicek is an Associated Press writer.
Mayor Javier Gonzales wants the city to find a way to bump salaries across the board rather than focusing strictly on a proposal from the police chief on law enforcement pay hikes.

"Theres just been too many years that we couldnt provide pay increases for our own employees, Gonzales said. Im not just talking about police. Im talking about fire and park. My request of the council would be to provide a pool of money that could be used to address this issue."

Gonzales admonition to city staff came as the Santa Fe City Council discussed adjustments to the police department pay scale aimed at preventing officers from jumping ship to other forces. City Council last year asked the city manager and Finance Committee to work with police officials to make Santa Fes police department more competitive and this report was the result. It's not clear what the next step will be.

Last fall, Albuquerque sweetened the incentive package for officers who join the citys police department from elsewhere, including an $8,000 signing bonus and starting salary of $28 an hour. Newly recruited Albuquerque cadets receive a $5,000 bonus.

Santa Fe cadets dont receive signing bonuses and make a starting salary of $19.11, with pay increases with each promotion up to $27.14.

One potential fix presented by Police Chief Patrick Gallagher would reduce the time it takes for a cadet to reach the highest pay tier, from seven years to four years. Other options would be to increase the max and starting salary rates to $28 and $21, respectively; reduce officers contribution to the citys retirement fund; and implement a flat dollar increase for all officers and sergeants.

Any changes would have a significant impact on the citys budget, which is already facing constraints to cover the roughly 1,600 employees and vast array of services they provide.

Santa Fe Police union president Troy Baker says he agrees with the mayors assessment that the talks on officer pay have been too narrow. Baker, who represents non-officer staff alongside cops, says, We cant just do this knee-jerk response of focusing on officers. We have to address everyone.

The union and police department will undergo another round of negotiations on Tuesday, but Baker doesnt expect much progress from the talks. He says, Without direction from the council, were at the same place were were last time: Nowhere."

Santa Fe Reporter
Auckland-based Veritas Investments said on Friday it is still working through the process ahead of a deadline to present a plan for its unprofitable Nosh supermarket business to ANZ Bank New Zealand.

In mid-December the company, which also owns the Mad Butcher franchise, said it had until Jan. 15 to deliver either an unconditional contract for the sale of Nosh Group Ltd, or a proposal to close and wind it down to its lender.

At the time, it said the sale or closure of the loss-making Nosh business would result in non-cash asset write-downs and one-off expenditure related to the sale or closure but provided no further details.

On Friday, chairman Tim Cook said he had no comment other than we are working through the process. ANZ was not immediately available for comment.

Veritas took on a $5 million funding line with ANZ to buy the Nosh stores in 2014, but has struggled to turn the gourmet supermarkets into a profitable business. The food and beverage investor renegotiated its banking arrangements in October to reduce its repayments and reschedule its debt, as its Mad Butcher and Nosh businesses weighed on the group.

Shares were unchanged Friday at 20 cents. They've fallen 60 percent since this time a year ago.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings

PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update

November 4th Morning Report

FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022

ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States

Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform

BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022

GEO - Quarterly Operating Update


Milk collections by Fonterra Cooperative Group this season are continuing to track below the previous year, mainly due to lower production on the North Island.

Collections in the seven months from June 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2016 were 881 million kilogrammes of milk solids, a fall of 5.5 percent on the same period in 2015, when prices were much lower. Some 186 million kgMS were collected in the month of December, down 5 percent on the same month a year ago.

There was a clear gap between the two main islands of New Zealand. Collections on the North Island fell 7 percent from June to December, while on the South Island they dropped just 2 percent in the same period. The fall in New Zealand production over the period is ascribed to a particularly wet spring, especially in the key dairying area of the Waikato.

Australian production was down 8 percent between July 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2016. However, in the month of December, collection actually rose 1 percent on the same month in 2015, suggesting farmers had responded to the rapidly rising price at the GlobalDairyTrade auction. Many farmers had also culled their herds early in 2016 due to a persistently low dairy price.

Dairy prices soared in the second half of 2016, but have since fallen back slightly. At the most recent GDT auction, prices fell for the second consecutive auction as the market struggled to absorb the increased volume on offer.

Units in the Fonterra Shareholders Fund, which offers investors exposure to the cooperative's earnings, rose 1.8 percent to $6.25. They've risen 2.3 percent since the start of 2017, and have risen 9.4 percent compared to this time a year ago.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings

PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update

November 4th Morning Report

FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022

ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States

Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform

BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022

GEO - Quarterly Operating Update


A Kalispell legislator proposed Wednesday that the state should roll back some campaign finance reporting requirements, two years after the Montana Legislature narrowly passed a disclosure law hailed by open government advocates as one of the nations strongest.

Rep. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, has introduced Senate Bill 87, which would remove the requirement for donors to report their occupation and employer. Currently only 12 states do not mandate that disclosure.

The candidate and the (campaign) treasurer does not have to verify the employer and occupation information given to them is accurate. It is also cumbersome for the contributor. Often the information is left off of contributions and the candidate or the treasurer has to pursue for that information, Regier told members of the Senate State Administration Committee.

Denise Roth Barber, managing director of the Helena-based National Institute on Money in State Politics, was one of seven opponents who spoke about the bill. No one testified in support of it.

It would be a real step backward for the state of Montana, said Barber, noting her group is a nonpartisan nonprofit that collects campaign finance records from every state, compiles them into a publicly searchable database and conducts research with the information.

In the 2015 legislative session, Gov. Steve Bullock partnered with Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, to carry a campaign finance reform bill, known as the Disclose Act, after the Supreme Court of the United States in two related opinions struck down large portions of the existing disclosure laws. The bill passed the Legislature when a handful of Republican legislators joined Democrats to secure the needed majorities.

Regier was among the 70 legislators who voted against the Disclose Act. The Senate committee that heard his bill Wednesday included several others who did so as well: Chairwoman Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse; Vice Chairman Doug Kary, R-Billings; Ryan Osmundson, R-Buffalo; Nels Swandal, R-Wilsall; and Gordon Vance, R-Belgrade. Senators Lea Whitford of Browning and Sue Malek of Missoula, both Democrats, supported the bill. Committee member Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, did not serve in the 2015 session.

Barber argued that requiring donors to disclose their employer and occupation provides critical information for watchdog organizations and state campaign enforcers to identify contributors who have exceeded limits and flag potential cases of illegal money laundering.

The public needs to be able to know who is giving to Montana campaigns and if all you have is a persons name and street address, its not always possible to know who that person is, she said, noting that people often will use multiple addresses or different people with the same name will use the same address.

She used Wayne M. Boich as an example. Two men with the same name  a father and son  contribute heavily to state campaigns, she said, including in Montana.

They both use the same address in Florida and Ohio, so its really hard to distinguish junior from senior, she said. In order to tell them apart, you must know the occupation and employer.

She noted that nearly half of the $99 million contributed to influence Montana campaigns since 2010 came from individual donors required to report this information.

Individual donors are limited to what they can give to candidates, but they can give unlimited amounts to political party committees, incidental committees and ballot measure committees, Barber said. When somebody is giving hundreds of thousands of dollars like Wayne Boich, its really important the public can know who that person is.

In the 2016 election, for instance, the Montana Supreme Court race involved a record $1.6 million in fundraising. More than one-third of that amount came from trial lawyers. Many made maximum individual contributions to Dirk Sandefurs campaign then contributed hundreds of thousands more to committees for which there are no limits and that spent on his behalf. Identifying the scale and scope of trial lawyers' spending would have been difficult or impossible to pinpoint without the employment information disclosed by donors.

Regier suggested that even with that information disclosed, dozens of other lawyers might have obscured their contributions by identifying as self employed.

Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl also spoke against the bill, for which he said had no practical reason, no policy reason, no legal reason, no cost reason to have been proposed. He said removing the requirements would reduce the ability of his office to ensure state law is followed.

Both Motl and Andrew Huff, the governors chief legal counsel, said it would particularly hinder the states ability to identify cases of illegal straw donors, where a corporation directs employees to donate to a specific candidate and then reimburses them with a bonus, raise or other compensation. The practice, they said, effectively circumvents disclosure laws and could allow corporations and unions to avoid the state ban contributing to candidates.

In November federal officials launched an investigation of a Massachusetts law firm that apparently used a straw-donor scheme to bypass contribution limits and give more than $260,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a major political fundraising organization chaired by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana. The illegal contributions were first revealed by The Boston Globe and Center for Responsive Politics after reviewing campaign finance reports that included employment information.

Without the information on occupation, there would be no way to catch that, Huff said.

Regier disagreed, saying cases like those presented Wednesday are exceptions.

Theyre all out of state, he said, arguing a lack of employment information in campaign disclosures would not hinder investigators from finding those details other ways. That could still show up in names and addresses.

Malek asked several questions of Regier after public testimony.

Is there any overriding reason you think we should deny them that ability to know whos donating to their candidates? she asked.

My experience is its just onerous. I cant verify the information. I think a lot of it is made up, he said.

Regier said donors will look at me funny when he tells them he needs their job information. Overall, he thinks it is more personal information than the state should collect.

I fail to see how its important in the election process, he said.

The committee is not expected to vote on the bill until Monday.
The Senate on Thursday passed a resolution to hire its own attorney and join into a lawsuit over the length of the term of Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl.

At the end of last year a group that includes the past secretary of state, former legislators and others filed a lawsuit that seeks to extend the term of Motl.

Motl is still in the position, but Republicans have said they will challenge any decisions he issues.

The commissioner was appointed in a letter from Gov. Steve Bullock in 2013 and confirmed by the Senate that same year. Both Bullock's letter and the resolution confirming Motl say his term ended Jan. 1.

Commissioners serve six-year terms and the lawsuit argues Motl's started in 2013. Opponents say Motl did not start his own term but assumed the one of past commissioners who were never confirmed by the Senate.

Senate Resolution 2 passed on a 33-17 vote. Republicans hold a 32-18 majority.

Sen. Nels Swandal, R-Wilsall, who carried the resolution, said the Senate needed its own attorney and couldn't be represented by Legislative Services Division because it was too busy with the Legislature in session. He added the attorney general, who has joined as a defendant along with Bullock in the suit, cannot represent the Senate.

"The fact the attorney general has filed something will help us out, certainly reduce our costs," he said. "But it doesn't mean as a Senate, as a body, we should not defend our rights."

Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso, D-Butte, said that while he doesn't question the end of Motl's term, the Senate shouldn't join in the suit.

"If the resolution were only to state our firm belief that Jan. 1, 2017, is the date, then I guess it's worth stating that for the court's benefit to reiterate what is already in the record. But to go so far as to start spending money and intervening in a lawsuit is not what I can support at this time."

The resolution was passed without a fiscal note to indicate how much it might cost to hire the attorney.

Republicans have criticized Motl as unfair, saying he goes after members of their party for campaign violations more than he puts Democrats' financial filings under the microscope. Motl has said he looks at each party with the same scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Senate President Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, and House Speaker Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, sent Secretary of State Corey Stapleton an undated letter asking Stapleton to withhold Motl's salary until a new commissioner is appointed.

Stapleton, though, says his office has no administrative oversight of Motl, and recommended that Sales and Knudsen take their request to the Department of Administration. So they sent a letter to Department of Administration director John Lewis, referencing a state law that says an official's salary will be withheld if there is a court proceeding contesting the official's title.

"We expect your department to adhere" to the law, their letter to Lewis said.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Administration said the letter had been received and department officials are looking into the matter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NEW DELHI: Chinese tech giant Lenovo on Wednesday launched P2 smartphone at 16,999 that comes with a massive 5,100mAh battery.

Coming in two variants 3GB/32GB and 4GB/32GB, P2 will go on sale on e-tailer Flipkart starting from January 11 midnight.

"We are kicking off 2017 in a fully charged way by launching Lenovo P2, a powerhouse smartphone with longest battery and fastest charging," said Sudhin Mathur, Executive Director, Lenovo Mobile Business Group India, in a statement.

Running on 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 2.0GHz octa-core processor paired up with to 4GB of RAM, the smartphone features 5.5-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display. With its Rapid charger, it gives you 10 hours of power in just 15 minutes.

The Lenovo P2 also comes with TheaterMax technology that turns all your existing media and games into a large screen experience boasting smooth graphics, life-like surround sound and responsive 3D gameplay.

The device comes with 32GB in-built storage that can be expanded up to 128GB via micro-SD card.

The company is also offering up to 15,000 off, plus additional 2,000 off on exchange of old smartphone and 10 per cent instant discount with SBI credit card. The offer is valid for January 12 and January 13 only.

Read Also:

ASUS Unveils Notebook With 7th Gen Intel Processor In India

Boltt Unveils AI-Enabled Smart Wearables At CES 2017
NEW DELHI: India and Kenya on Wednesday decided to further consolidate their security and defence cooperation.

A joint statement, after a high level meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, said: "Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in areas of maritime surveillance, maritime security; sharing of white shipping information and joint hydrographic surveys."

India also invited Kenya to participate in defence exhibitions like Aero India and DEFEXPO.

According to the statement, both sides "condemned terrorism in all its forms and reiterated their commitment to working together in this regard, including expediting the finalisation of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism".

"The two leaders committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from extremist groups."

India and Kenya also agreed that a "Joint Working Group on Security be expedited to prepare an action plan for enhancing security related collaboration. Both sides agreed to continue sharing information and expertise in counter terrorism, cyber security, combating drugs and human trafficking".

On developmental assistance, President Kenyatta appreciated the power transmission line projects being executed by Indian companies under a Line of Credit (LOC) of $61.6 million.

Both leaders noted the implementation of $29.95 million LOC for upgradation of Rift Valley Textiles Factory (RIVATEX) and $15 million LOC for development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Both sides welcomed the signing of $100 million LOC for agricultural mechanisation in Kenya.

President Kenyatta thanked India for the progress in installation of a telecobalt cancer therapy machine - the Bhabhatron II at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi and appreciated training given to Kenyan oncologists under the India Africa Forum Summit Framework (IAFS III).

India invited Kenya to join the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). It also offered to help Kenya in the area of LED smart street lighting and LED bulbs for domestic use.

Earlier during the day, Kenyatta was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Pranab Mukherjee welcomed him.

Kenyatta, here on a three-day state visit, later met Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House for official-level talks.

The Kenyan President, who is accompanied by several of his Ministers, arrived in India on January 10. He attended the inaugural session of the three-day Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017 at Gandhinagar which was declared open by Modi on Tuesday.

Read Also:

Top 4 Hacks to Ensure Efficiency in Construction Business

Digital Governance Will Bring Efficiency, Says Modi
BERLIN: The Indian Embassy in Berlin has launched a portal for Indian students to ease their transition here and to keep them abreast of opportunities and events back home.

The portal -- www.indianstudentsgermany.org. (ISG) -- provides information to Indian students studying, or aspiring to study, in Germany by disseminating information on job opportunities, internships, scholarships, accommodation, visa and student related issues.

According to a release by the Indian Embassy, it serves as an extended arm of the mission to reach out to the Indian students. The ISG platform now has 16 student associations and over 2,600 students registered on the database.

Germany offers low-cost or even free education to students at its schools and universities. The country is becoming an attraction for Indian students, with their numbers tripling in the last six years.

Through its cultural wing, the embassy also gives support to some Indian students' associations in Germany to celebrate annual festivals from time to time.

Most of the Indian students here are involved in research in scientific and technological aspects and participate in the high standards of German education in these sectors.

Read Also:

'U.S.-India Ties Strengthened During Obama's Tenure'

Indian Inventors Help IBM Top 2016 US Patent List
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If your perfect match was right in front of you, would you even know it? Well, Mike Cerasani of Staten Island is looking to find out on MTV's "Are You The One?"

With his muscle T-shirts and jean shorts in check, the 25-year-old Eltingville native made his TV debut on Wednesday night's season premiere, titled "Find Love Win Money." The episode was coincidentally filmed on his 25th birthday.

Cerasani started off the competition with a bang -- literally. After hooking up with housemate Katheryn in a room where the majority of his roommates sleep, Cerasani pretty much has "player" tattooed on his forehead.

The next day, the two said their fling was alcohol driven and probably not something "real."

"I probably shouldn't have did what I did," Cerasani said during the episode. "Because she's a really nice girl and I'm not a d*** like that."

BRINGING THE 'HEAT'

The roommates got to see each others true, and slightly tipsy, colors in the first episode. Cerasani made it clear he's a Staten Islander, whether you like it or not.

"I don't like to say I'm a typical Staten Island guy, but I probably am," Cerasani said.

The workout enthusiast said he takes pride in maintaining his image by getting his eyebrows done and dying his hair. Cerasani attempted to coin the term "HEAT" to explain how he keeps on top of his physical appearance: Haircut. Eyebrows. And. Tan.

"Some people would make jokes about how I'm a 'guido' and all that," Cerasani told us before the show aired. "I don't care, though. I was being me, I was owning it."

ABOUT THE SHOW

With the usual total of contestants being 20, "Are You The One?" is bigger, and arguably better, than ever. The hit dating show, set in the Dominican Republic, puts 22 singles together to fall in love and win the cash prize of a million dollars.

"I wanted to find my match and see how it feels to have a conversation with someone that was chosen for me by a professional," said Cerasani.

Throughout the show, the singles will compete with one another for the chance to go on dates and get alone time with those they feel the strongest connection with. The rest of the house have to vote for one couple a week to head into the "Truth Booth" that determines if the couple selected is a "perfect match."

It all comes down to the matching ceremony. At the end of each episode, the singles come together, choose who they think their "perfect match" is and host Ryan Devlin reveals how many couples are right using beams of light.

THE 'TRUTH' RESULTS

The couple the contestants sent into the truth booth, Gianna and Hayden, were no match.

Although the contestants declined to switch the "truth booth" results for a $150,000 raise in their prize, two beams of light representing two perfect matches illuminated during the matching ceremony.

Tune in to MTV at 9 p.m. Wednesdays to follow S.I.'s Mike Cerasani on his booze-infused journey to finding "true love." Full episodes are up on MTV.com.
nws pattern.jpg

Police are asking for the public's help identifying three individuals sought for questioning in connection to a series of car thefts in the 121st Precinct. (Courtesy: NYPD)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the public's help identifying three individuals sought for questioning in connection to a series of burglaries in the 121st Precinct.

The first incident happened around 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 at a Mariners Harbor home in the vicinity of Van Name Avenue and Walker Street. The individuals gained access to the 31-year-old victim's garage and made off with two motorcycles, fleeing north on Van Name, according to the NYPD.

Three weeks later, on Nov. 25, at approximately 12:00 a.m., the individuals gained access to a garage in the vicinity of Trantor and Hooker Places in Elm Park, removed two ATVs and a dirt bike and fled south on Trantor Place, police said.

Then on Dec. 17, at approximately 5:15 a.m., someone broke a chainlink fence, and forced open a box container at Mil Enterprise on Pulaski. They stole four items; two ATVs, a chainsaw and a grinder, that were later recovered near the scene. They fled in a minivan equipped with a roof rack, police said.

Police only describe the three men as wearing dark-colored clothing.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD probe continues on Thursday into anti-Semitic "bomb" graffiti at the JCC in Sea View.

Police have made no arrests or released a description of a suspect in the incident that has been classified as a hate crime against the JCC at 1466 Manor Road, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The graffiti reported at about 9 a.m. Wednesday in a bathroom stall of a men's locker room included the word "bomb," a time of 11:11 and two swastika symbols, a police spokeswoman said.

No bomb was found during a search of the building, police said.

Officers prevented people from entering the building during the investigation on Wednesday.

The message was considered "inappropriate," according to Ruth Lasser, the JCC's director of communications.

On Monday, threats were called in to Jewish Community Centers in New Jersey and four other states, according to NBCNewYork.com.

It is yet not clear if those incidents are connected to the JCC incident, police said.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) expressed "deep concern" about the Staten Island note.

"The unfounded threats that led to evacuations and police investigations have deeply unsettled Jewish community members," said Evan R. Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director. "At this time, it is not known if the Staten Island threat is directly linked to other incidents that have afflicted JCCs across the East Coast.

"No community center should ever be subjected to bomb threats or hate symbols. Although the threat was deemed to be not credible, these incidents create anxiety and fear and have zero place in our society."
Page Content

Based on the recent appointment of Rafael Boasman as Minister of Justice, the Ministry has received concerns from the unions and media regarding the mediator position. Minister of Labor Emil Lee provided clarity on the situation at Wednesdays press briefing.





Currently, the Ministry of VSA is in the process of establishing a pool of mediator, as opposed to a full-time mediator. The pool of mediators will be on-call and will operate on case-by-case basis in line with ILO standards. Minister Lee eluded to 3 candidates who are slated to be appointed pending approval from the Governor.





The idea of the pool gives us a set of people with different skills sets, experiences, and knowledge. When you have one mediator, if one of the parties has an issue with the mediator it doesnt leave them any choices and may in the end hurt the mediation process. With the pool of mediators you open the possibilities for parties who have a justified reason for not working with one of our mediators to have an alternative option. However, more importantly each of the mediators have a different set skills. Therefore, depending on whatever the dispute may be, the right mediator can be selected for the case, stated Minister Lee.





In addition, the Minister is exploring the possibility of bringing in mediation trainers to train more persons, and possibly expand the pool. VSA is also looking at restructuring the mediation services through the establishment of an Independent Mediation Bureau. How it will function and be structured is something that is still being worked on, however the main objective is to separate the mediator services from the Department of Labor.





In the meantime, unions can rest assure that business as usual will continue and all matters will be handled by the assistant mediator Ms. Marcelina Loblack. Ms. Loblack has been functioning in the position of Assistant Mediator since 2012 and therefore has extensive knowledge and experience in the area of Mediation. All mediation inquiries can be directed to her via e-mail marcellina.loblack@sintmaartengov.org or via telephone numbers 542-3704 or 542-3702. The office is located on Cannegieter Street #46, below the Law Offices of Duncan & Brandon.




Page Content

Due to the recent court case filed by VAMED against SZV, the development of the new hospital and most importantly quality care close to home has been delayed. This does not mean that a new hospital will not be built. It will! St. Maarten NEEDS a new hospital!, stated Minister Emil Lee at press briefing on Wednesday.





Based on the court ruling, SZV has appealed the case and is complying with the verdict. Minister Lee provided an elucidation of the ruling, identifying why everyone is so careful with what they say, and why there is the so-called radio silence about the new hospital.





Within the court judgement, SZV is prohibited from directly or indirectly, signing an agreement with INSO, or an entity within INSO, with the aim to build the hospital, and prohibits SZV to comply with the already signed agreement, or to provide cooperation thereto, on a penalty of a fine of $1 million per offence, whereby the total fines that can be given is a maximum of $25 million. Therefore, everyone is very cautious and careful about what they say. However this does not mean that work is not progressing in terms of the legal case and discussions about how we will improve the quality of health care are still on-going, stated Minister Lee.





To provide at least some sort of insight regarding the developments of the new hospital and to provide some level of comfort to the public and media, Minister Lee gave a brief explanation about the claim from VAMED that the price from INSO was too low. I want the public to know that SZV is working diligently on the appeal so that we can see the new hospital become a reality, and all stakeholder including Government is supporting that appeal.





During the court case, VAMED presented two arguments to justify their claim that the price of INSO was too low. (1) They used a benchmark report from an American company that was commissioned by VAMED to justify the average construction cost per square meter, and (2) was a reference to construction cost per m2 as outlined by SMMC for the expansion plans in 2009.





VAMED argued that the construction price per m2 in 2009 is higher than the one from INSO. However, I am going to illustrate why it is very difficult to use the construction price for the expansion in 2009 in order to compare to INSOs competitive proposal.





The new hospital and the 2009 expansion plans both proposed to construct 4 operating theatres. When constructing hospitals there are a number hot floors and cold floors. An operating room is considered a hot floor as it is a room that requires technical, intricate construction details and material. Cold floors are very basic construction with walls, tiles, etc.





In the 2009 expansion, the price per construction was based on constructing all hot floors, whereas the new hospital included hot floors plus cold floors. In essence, the high cost of building an operating theatre is the most expensive square meter for the hospital. Therefore, when you divide that costs over the square meters, of course the average square meter price is a higher price. For example, if your building a house and you want a gourmet kitchen, if you only took the price per m2 for your gourmet kitchen, the price for construction would be higher than if you would calculate the price of your living room which would be merely walls and tiles.





In addition, the 2009 expansion they had planned to construct two floors, but they were only going to build the first floor in their expansion project . Therefore, the foundation and structure had to be stronger to support a two floor structure. Therefore that beefed up excavation and foundation is divided over a smaller square footage, stated Minister Lee.





Minister Lee expressed that he is very comfortable that the price is not too high. From the beginning of the process Royal HaskoningDHV and ICE with local experience, who has extensive experience in building hospitals, was hired as an engineering consultant throughout the whole process. A budget was formulated to illustrate how much should the new hospital cost. These number were carefully calculated to provide a benchmark figure for the evaluation of the bids received.





When you try to do everything right in an open and transparent bidding process, it is kind of surprising to me that this is where we end up; but it is what it is. In the end all parties, SMMC, Government, and SZV all have an incentive for the hospital to be built. Namely: to reduce health care costs, to improve quality of service, to provide care locally, and to provide a professional working environment for the staff of SMMC with modern equipment. While we all want and need a new hospital, the possibility of making this reality is currently being held hostage for financial personal interests.





Minister Lee called on the media to not only seek information from our local entities but to perhaps hear from VAMED what their intentions are in terms of moving forward. Is it there intention to pursue the long legal battle at the expense of improved health care for the people of the country?




DECATUR  Anna Waters Head Start would be in line for a double whammy under a new law that would require older Illinois elementary schools and day care centers to test their drinking water for lead and notify parents of the results.

The Effie Oliver center, built in 1942, would have to be tested the tune of $500 to $1,000. Then the same would likely have to happen at the New Horizon center, completed in 1994.

We certainly want to provide a safe environment, said Gail Evans, executive director of Decatur-Macon County Opportunities Corp., the community action agency that runs the preschool program. It could impact our delivery of the service, but you have to try to work it out with the resources you have available.

One saving grace for the program, designed to prepare 378 disadvantaged children for kindergarten, is that the Decatur Housing Authority owns the Effie Oliver Child and Family Center at 1075 N. Morgan St. and would have to foot that part of the bill.

Area school superintendents, while acknowledging that validating the safety of their drinking water could only be a good thing, say leaving schools to find a way to pay the cost leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Pana's David Lett said if the state would just pay schools the funding they are owed  in his district's case, about $350,000  such concerns would be diluted greatly.

No one is excited about unfunded mandates, but the reality is if we could just kind of get our house in order in Illinois and get a budget passed and start paying the existing bills, I'd be ecstatic, he said.

Senate Bill 550, which passed 108-1 in the House Monday, also has Gov. Bruce Rauner's support, according to a spokesperson in his office.

The proposal follows the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint, Mich., which shed light on the dangers of lead contamination. Children are most at risk to the effects of elevated lead levels, which can cause developmental delays.

"Testing drinking water in all Illinois schools and day cares is an inexpensive way to immediately identify and stop lead exposure in young children that would otherwise cost families, schools and government much more," Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement.

Since last year, her office has called for mandated lead testing in schools with the Illinois Environmental Council, which says there is a lack of information available to parents about water supplies.

One of the sticking points was cost: Earlier versions called for water suppliers to pick up the tab and they objected.

Unveiled as lawmakers gathered for the final days of the current legislative session, the proposal applies to all public and private schools with students up to grade 5 and facilities built before 2000.

Schools built before 1987 would have to test by the end of the year. Those constructed between 1987 and 2000 would have until the end of 2018. Lead pipes were banned nationwide in 1986.

Rules for testing at day cares will not be in place until Jan. 1, 2018.

There are about 2,500 elementary schools in Illinois, and according to the IEC, many have already been tested for lead.

This includes more than 300 schools in Chicago that were tested last year and all Decatur public schools tested in the early 1990s, including 17 buildings serving younger students.

Jim Gortner, director of buildings and grounds, said his predecessor Mike Sotiroff hired the work done and that water sources identified as having unacceptable levels of lead were repaired in a timely fashion.

We are confident that the district's drinking water is safe and exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's minimum requirements, Gortner said.

Illinois also has about 11,000 licensed day care centers and homes that would be affected.

"This is going to be more of a burden for some than others," said Zach Messersmith with the Illinois Association of School Boards. He gave possible examples of post-testing changes, such as having to replace pipes or drinking fountains; the bill does not mandate those fixes.

DeAnn Heck, superintendent of Central A&M covering Assumption and Moweaqua, said she is waiting for the state to make good on $740,000 currently owed her school district.

She predicted superintendents will swap notes on the best firms charging reasonable prices to do the new lead testing, which she supports.

Heck also has some other ideas on how the state might allow schools to pay for the testing.

They could let us use money from life-safety funds, she said. Normally, life-safety pays for things that pertain to the safety of the children within buildings, so we'll see.

Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, said the proposal does indeed allow school districts to use life-safety funds.

Kristen Kendrick-Weikle, superintendent at Warrensburg-Latham, said her district's elementary building was built in 1970 and would have to test for lead this year.

The idea is an admirable one, she said. The part that is most concerning to me is this is another unfunded mandate that is being placed upon schools. Many of the ideas behind mandates have good intentions, but they can quickly add up, diverting money away from supplies, materials and staff.

Shauna Ejeh, executive director of Baby TALK, said something similar about her agency's Early Head Start program serving children birth to 3 in a building constructed in 1972.

We need to put children's safety first, but we also need to manage the financial burden, Ejeh said. Many of us are already out here providing services without payment.

Jim Alpi, executive director of the Decatur Housing Authority, said the pipes in the Effie Oliver center, a former Longview Place apartment building converted to a preschool in the early 1970s, are copper, joined with a bit of solder that may or may not contain lead.

We absolutely will have the water tested, but I am confident we won't find a public health problem there, he said.
DECATUR  Austin Fullenwider, 24, of Decatur is facing three criminal charges after he allegedly strangled a woman, tripped her and bent back her finger.

The victim reported to police that she was in her residence Dec. 26 when Fullenwider arrived to take part in a gift exchange.

Austin and (the victim) got into a heated verbal argument that became physical when Austin grabbed (the victim) by the shirt and intentionally tripped her, causing her to fall on her back and hit her head on the ground, said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Joseph Duncan.

Fullenwider then choked her to the point that she was completely unable to breathe, Duncan said, adding he observed that she had a horizontal bleeding scratch on the right side of her neck, about 1 to 1 inches long. She also suffered bruises to her neck.

Fullenwider was arrested Jan. 2 by deputy U.S. Marshal Lorne Sturdivant and booked into the Macon County Jail. He was arraigned Jan. 5, on one felony count of aggravated domestic battery and two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery.

Fullenwider, who is free on bond, is due in court for his preliminary hearing in his two most recent cases on Wednesday.
DECATUR -- Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz said while Decatur officers aren't policing less because of the high-profile uses of force against black citizens and the backlash they've caused, he did say training on how to deal with volatile situations is always evolving.

Its been called the "Ferguson effect," officers backing off of policing out of fear that their actions will be questioned after the fact. A recent Pew Research Center national survey reported that three-quarters of officers asked say theyre hesitant to use force, even when appropriate, and are less willing to stop and question suspicious people.

Getz and Macon County sheriff's Lt. Jon Butts said theyd heard of the Ferguson effect but said they didnt feel their officers were tentative or any less vigilant because of possible repercussions.

None of my officers have indicated to me theyre hesitant in making decisions in use of force in situations like that, Getz said.

Butts said hed first heard of the Ferguson effect at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, a program of the FBI Academy for active U.S. law enforcement personnel. He said he didnt see it among his officers.

Its something everyone is aware of, but in our office, we have a job to do, and our officers are staying diligent, Butts said. Our officers carry a badge and a gun for a living, but they practice great discretion and do things within the accordance of the state. We live, work and police in the community; we treat people with dignity and respect. 

In 2014, a white officer in Ferguson, Mo., shot and killed black teenager Michael Brown, setting off a movement drawing greater scrutiny of police use of force against black citizens. In the years since, other fatal encounters with police in such cities as Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Milwaukee, Chicago and New York have put officers under the microscope, especially as video has captured more of these events.

In 2016, Decatur police officer Andrew Wittmer shot black man Lonnie D. Mitchell but was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Macon County States Attorney's Office. Mitchell was armed with a knife strapped to his wrist and a BB gun that looked like a semiautomatic handgun. Mitchell survived.

There has been a concern nationally, largely shared in anecdotes, of officers holding back on stopping suspicious people or other policing out of concern that they'd be cast as racist. The Pew survey provides the first national evidence that those concerns may be having a real impact on how officers do their jobs.

"Officers are concerned about being the next viral video and so that influences what they do and how they do it and how they think about it," said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He added that he doesn't believe it's rampant or that officers are turning a blind eye, "but I still have to believe it may be in a marginal-call situation where there's a reasonable suspicion on the bubble ... that those are the ones they pass up."

Getz said that while he doesnt believe his officers are backing off out of fear of repercussions, he said their training is constantly updated.

Training will always adapt to the times, Getz said. Force has always been used in my 18 years with the department, but theres a lot more decision-making that goes into use of force. That decision-making is always being adapted and added to.

Getz said use of force is always a last resort.

An officers presence and communication are always the first tools: Before any force is used, were always going to try what we call verbal judo first, Getz said. It would be great if our presence and communication would get everyone to comply, but thats not how it happens in the real world. Officers often have to decide in a matter of seconds whether to go hands on, use the Taser or use a lethal weapon.

Butts said Macon County sheriff's deputies attend regular training through the Law Enforcement Training Advisory Committee in Springfield and have regular discussions about how to handle volatile situations.

Policing in the 21st century is different from what it was in the past, and the training reflects that, Butts said. We pride ourselves on being well-trained. We want officers to be aware at all times. Nothing is routine, and they should handle each call objectively and professionally.

The nonpartisan Pew Research Center questioned at least 8,000 officers from departments with at least 100 officers between May 19 and Aug. 14 last year, most of it ahead of the fatal shootings of five officers in Dallas and three officers in Baton Rouge.

Some of the key findings:

86 percent of officers said that fatal encounters between blacks and police have made policing more difficult

93 percent said they're more concerned about safety

76 percent said they're more reluctant to use force when appropriate

75 percent said interactions between police and blacks have become more tense

72 percent said they or their colleagues are more reluctant to stop and question people who seem suspicious

The survey also showed a stark difference in how white and black officers view the protests that have taken place after some of the high-profile shootings of black suspects in the past several years, with black officers believing the protests are genuine acts of civil disobedience designed to hold police accountable, while white officers are more skeptical of the protesters' motives.

"White officers and black officers have very different views about where we are as a country in terms of achieving equal rights," said Kim Parker, the director of social trends research for the Pew Research Center.

The survey also suggested a divide between police and the communities they serve on some social issues of the day.

For example, two-thirds of all officers say deadly encounters with blacks are isolated incidents, but 60 percent of the general public said they believe they are signs of a broader problem between police and blacks.

Count Butts as one of those who sees the encounters as isolated incidents.

There are a lot of good police officers in this country, Butts said. You hear about two or three a year who have a negative impact. But the rest of those 900,000 police officers go out and do an awesome job, day in and day out, in some pretty tough circumstances.
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
DECATUR -- Another effort to help fund the Macon County Sheriff's Office will likely head back to voters this spring.

The county board is expected to approve a resolution at tonight's meeting that would allow voters to decide on the April ballot on whether to implement a quarter-cent sales tax increase to help the sheriffs office retain deputies.

This money would go to the sheriffs department and help them out with their financial situation, said county board Chairman Jay Dunn.

If approved, the increase would bring in about $2.5 million per year to pay for the operations of the sheriff's office and the county jail.

The language of the resolution is nearly identical to that which was placed on the November ballot, as the plan would still cost consumers an additional 25 cents for each $100 spent. That plan was handily voted down, 64 percent to 36 percent.

Since it was voted down, the sheriffs office was able to avoid layoffs by transferring four officers to the patrol division and eliminating their specialty positions. Those nongrant positions, referred to by Sheriff Thomas Schneider as "proactive policing," included the school resource officer, drug interdiction detective, narcotic detective and a deputy U.S. marshal.

Six positions have also remained unfilled in the department.

Like other county departments, the sheriffs office was asked to make cuts of 7 percent for its current budget, equaling to about $660,000. And with personnel about 85 percent of the budget, Schneider said at the time that there were not many other places to go other than elimination of staff.

If the resolution is approved, Dunn said efforts would be made to better clarify exactly where the money would be used, in this case, just to the sheriffs office.

The county board meets at 6 p.m., Room 514, in the Macon County Office Building, 141 S. Main St.
The lawmakers' testimony brought two days of confirmation hearings for Sessions to a close. He has solid support from the Senate's Republican majority and from some Democrats in conservative-leaning states. He is expected to easily win confirmation. But Democrats are using the hearings to try to show that Sessions  and Trump's administration  won't be committed to civil rights, a chief priority of the Justice Department during the Obama administration.
STREATOR  Police are investigating the slaying of a 41-year-old rural Streator woman while a suspect remained jailed Wednesday awaiting charges.

LaSalle County sheriff's deputies and Streator city police were called about 4 p.m. Tuesday to a residence in the 1300 block of East 16th Road northeast of Streator for a reported domestic dispute, said Sheriff Tom Templeton in a news release. They found Damares Pacheco, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Police did not release a suspected cause of death. An autopsy is scheduled in Joliet.

Shortly after the body was discovered, police learned a person of interest was driving an older model black Lincoln Continental. Police did not say how they received that information.

A car matching that description was spotted by a sheriffs deputy on northbound Illinois 23 on the south side of Ottawa, the sheriff said.

When the deputy attempted to stop the car, the driver fled into the city where Ottawa police joined a pursuit. The pursuit ended when the car struck an unoccupied vehicle in the Caseys General Store parking lot at 300 W. Norris Drive.

The man, Carl Lenard, 38, who was described by police as transient, was taken into custody, but no charges were filed as of Wednesday. Officials say he is expected in LaSalle County Circuit Court on Thursday.

Templeton said Lenard came to the area during the summer and is believed to be a carnival worker.

Illinois State Police also are assisting the investigation.
The ACT Labor Club has been given the green light for its hotel development next to the club in Belconnen.

The club plans to demolish two buildings on the corner of Cameron Avenue and Chandler Street in Belconnen, and replace them with a 12-storey building.

An artist's impression of the Belconnen hotel planned by the Labor Club, which will now be redesigned to change the look of the lower floors of carparking.

It is unclear what lease variation tax the club will have to pay. The tax is calculated on the difference between the value of land before a development and after a development, but a valuation from Colliers says the land will be worth just $5000 more after the hotel is built, at $535,000. That would attract a minimal tax of less than $4000.

The Labor Club, which is controlled by the ACT Labor Party, plans to have restaurant and shopping space on the ground floor, with four levels of carparking above that, and five levels of hotel space above the carparks, with 90 units. The top two levels will be office space and in the basement, the club plans a gym and conference room.
Let's call it a delayed Christmas present for Canberra's own Mr and Mrs Claus.

We told you recently that Kambah couple John and Beryl Fillery, who make wooden toys to give away to charities and children at Christmas, had run out of timber.

Toymaker John Fillery (right)l had a huge response to his call for timber including from Magnet Mart Queanbeyan's Andrew Busch who made a special delivery on Thursday. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

The workshop had come to a stop. The couple, both in their 80s, appealed for help with some donated timber.

But in the true spirit of Canberra, the city responded with a big heart.
Brothers Owen and Louis Birchenough have arrived in Canberra just in time to enjoy a scorching 37 degrees on Friday.

Mum Rachel Leach said the Sydney family had adjusted their plans to suit the hotter than usual weather.

Brothers Owen, 7, and Louis, 5, Birchenough enjoying ice creams in heat in the city on Thursday afternoon. Credit:Rohan Thomson

"We wanted to try and cycle around the lake and hike up Red Hill, but I think it's going to be a bit hot for that," she said.

"We'll go to the Australian War Memorial and look at the inside space then we'll come back to the hotel for a swim."
The body responsible for primary health care services in Canberra has called for an audit of the demand for suicide prevention services in the ACT, in the absence of reliable data on the need for such programs.

While the latest ABS statistics, from 2014, show the ACT had the lowest suicide rate of all Australian jurisdictions, at 9.2 per 100,000 deaths, the Capital Health Network has called for a study to examine the demand for suicide prevention services and gaps in the existing services.

Capital Health Network has called for an ACT-wide study to examine the demand for suicide prevention services in Canberra. Credit:Rob Homer

CHN chief executive Gaylene Coulton said there was a lack of reliable and "appropriately coded" data on the existing suicide prevention services in Canberra.

She said it was especially pertinent for those people who may be at a high risk of self-harm, but "may not present at a health service", and there was also a need to be able to include ambulance and police data on responses to such incidents.
ActewAGL will push ahead with a scheduled power outage in parts of Hawker and Hughes on Friday despite the government asking the energy company to review its plan.

About 115 customers are expected to go without power on the 37 degree day. Police and Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman said the government asked ActewAGL to look into rescheduling its works but was told the maintenance was "essential".

ActewAGL employees and the ETU were concerned workers and customers would be at risk during Friday's planned outages with high forecast temperatures. Credit:Colleen Petch

The government can only intervene when its Extreme Heat Plan is activated, which would require the mean temperature over a 24 hour period to be equal to or greater than 28 degrees over three consecutive days.

ActewAGLsaid on Thursday it would work as quickly as possible to restore power by Friday lunchtime.
It's meant to be an $86 million road to ease traffic congestion in rapidly growing Queanbeyan but it is turning into a political problem for the city's administrator and a source of contention for locals who say the bypass is being built only to pander to developers.

The federal Department of the Environment and Energy on Tuesday approved with conditions the controversial Ellerton Drive Extension, the final green light needed for the 4.6km road which will bypass the central business district on the eastern side of Queanbeyan, running through bushland and crossing the Queanbeyan River.

Protesters on Thursday gathered at the scene of tree-clearing for the Ellerton Drive Extension in Queanbeyan (l-r)Felicity Gare of Karabar, Frank Briggs of Queanbeyan East, Annette Schneider of Burra and Asha Gare of Karabar. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

A three-person panel led by Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council administrator Tim Overall approved the road locally but Mr Overall, alone, gave the go-ahead for the council to contribute $36 million to the project.

The federal and state governments are also each providing $25 million. Tenders for the road are yet to be called.
Organisers are calling for stronger security at the ANZAC Day march in Yass following concerns about the Blue Mountain events.

The Blue Mountains RSL sub-branch announced on Wednesday it would cancel several ANZAC Day commemorations as it could not afford increased security measures.

Crowd members wave an Australian flag as marchers go past on Swanston St during the ANZAC day march in Melbourne 2003.

It claimed the NSW government imposed the requirement of new bollards and water barriers to block streets - reportedly in light of last year's terrorism attacks in Nice and Berlin.

The next morning, Mayor Mark Greenhill threw a lifeline and said he would help them meet the costs.
You haven't been able to buy fireworks in Fyshwick since 2009 but somehow the Chinese turn up to this year's Australia Day party with a big box of crackers.

This year's Meat and Livestock Australia annual Australia Day ad has guests arriving on our shores and when the Chinese arrive with the pyrotechnics and are asked "Where did you get those?", they proudly reply "Fyshwick".

Then industrial relations minister John Hargraeves was instrumental in the ban saying it was necessary because of property damage, injury to domestic animals and wildlife, and the general disruption caused by illegal use of fireworks.

He told the Assembly a tear-jerking story about his cat Andy, who some years before the ban was in place, had been tormented by children with fireworks.
Rising inequality and social polarisation are set to shape world developments for the next decade after contributing to Britain's decision to leave the European Union and the ballot-box success of US president-elect Donald Trump, the World Economic Forum says.

Climate change was underlined as the third major global trend in the WEF's annual assessment of global risks, published on Wednesday at an event at Bloomberg's European headquarters in London. It said world leaders must work together to avoid "further hardship and volatility in the coming decade".

"There's a wide array of potential threats; growing social and political turmoil, potential business interruptions which could stem from inter-state conflict, from social instability, terrorist attacks," John Drzik, president of global risk at Marsh USA, which contributed to the study, said in an interview.

"This whole social and political context creates the potential for disruption."
SPRINGFIELD  A banner hanging above the stage at Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield on Wednesday during the Illinois House inauguration ceremony offered advice to members of the 100th General Assembly.

Quoting President John F. Kennedy, it read: Let us not seek to fix blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

After the 99th General Assembly failed to enact a comprehensive state budget during its two-year term, theres plenty of blame to go around. Members of both political parties and both legislative chambers acknowledge that an end to the budget standoff is long overdue.

It remains unclear how the Democratic-controlled legislature will find enough common ground to approve a budget that will also satisfy Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners call for changes to the states business and political climate.

Despite new crop of state representatives and senators taking the oath of office for the first time Wednesday in separate ceremonies, the lay of the land in Springfield is relatively unchanged.

On the Democratic side, long-serving House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both of Chicago, were easily re-elected to their positions, as were House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

Despite a monthslong campaign by the Illinois Republican Party to pressure Democrats to vote against Madigan, none did. The lone holdout among the 67 House Democrats was state Rep. Scott Drury of Highwood, who voted present.

In accepting a 17th term in the position he has held for all but two of the past 33 years, Madigan laid out an agenda that he said would boost economic growth in the state without competing in a race to the bottom on issues like workers compensation and collective bargaining, a shot at Rauners policy agenda.

Madigan called for increased investment in higher education, which has been hard hit by the budget turmoil of the past two years, along with transportation and communication infrastructure.

The speaker also called for cutting the states corporate income tax rate in half while also ensuring that all businesses pay something. And in an op-ed Wednesday in The (Springfield) State Journal-Register, Madigan also promoted a tax surcharge on income of more than $1 million to fund education and an increase in the states minimum wage.

I believe we can grow the economy and create jobs without hurting middle-class families, Madigan said.

For his part, Durkin said Republicans would work with Democrats on their policy agenda if it includes things like paying down the states $11 billion backlog of bills, reforming the severely underfunded public pension systems, reducing unemployment and enacting truly balanced budgets.

If that is your intention, then we will work with you every step of the way, Durkin said.

He said Republicans are desperately seeking to be part of the solution and encouraged bipartisan cooperation.

That kind of bipartisan cooperation has been on display of late in the Senate, which held its inauguration simultaneously at the Capitol. Rauner presided until Cullerton retook the role of president.

After the oaths were taken and Cullerton and Radogno were re-elected, the Senate kicked off its new term by unanimously approving a change to the chambers rules that going forward will limit the Senate president and minority leader to five two-year terms in those leadership roles.

The move was a down payment on an ambitious budget compromise worked out between Cullerton and Radogno, which includes tax increases, six new casino licenses, reforms to the states pension systems and workers compensation laws, and a host of other initiatives.

We have made it clear that the Senate will offer solutions and leadership, Cullerton said in accepting a fifth term as Senate president. We are filing more than a dozen proposals. The intent is to quickly pass them in this new session.

Cullerton said he and Radogno made a promise during the 2009 inauguration to work together and have made good on that promise.

Radogno said its going to take lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for the Senate to pass a compromise that includes the new revenue and structural reforms needed to address the states problems.

It is my hope today that this is not just the beginning of a new General Assembly, Radogno said. My hope is that this is a new day for a better Illinois.

State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who formally nominated Durkin as the GOP candidate for House speaker, said hes cautiously optimistic that the impasse can but brought to an end, but he said it will take continued pressure from rank-and-file lawmakers on leadership.

There has to be that communication there (between Madigan and Durkin) that presently is going on in the Senate between President Cullerton and Leader Radogno, Brady said. That has to extend over to the House. Jim Durkin has extended his hand to do that; I hope the speaker will accommodate.

State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said hes glad to see a new session of the General Assembly begin with substantive discussions about policies to grow the states economy and balance the budget.

Thats a positive step forward that is necessary to break the current impasse, Manar said. I hope all of these things lead to a balanced and permanent state budget.
There is a lot of false rhetoric being tossed around about fake news today, which is a pity because, although it is new, "fake news" is an important term that means something specific, a term worth keeping alive if it has not already been rendered meaningless.

By my count President-elect Donald Trump used the term nine times during his press conference, most notably when he refused to take a question from a CNN reporter, telling him during what devolved into a shouting match: "You are fake news!"

Trump has made it clear he intends to use public browbeating and threats to get companies to keep jobs in the US. Credit:AP

At other points during the 50-minute exchange, he dismissed allegations aired by CNN and BuzzFeed that Russia had gathered compromising personal material on him and had cultivated and supported him throughout the campaign, as "fake news".

It was not, and it is worth explaining why, especially at a time when democracy is being damaged due to the poor relationship between news reporters and news consumers.
But as he prepares to hit a couple of personal milestones early this year  March 24 marks a decade in the NSW Parliament and on April 17 he notches up three years as Premier  it's timely to assess the condition of these crucial aspects of Baird's political armoury. The evidence, including from successive opinion polls, is that they have taken a significant hit. The most high-profile example was the furious response to Baird's overhaul of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. The decision to force ICAC commissioner Megan Latham to reapply for her job in a restructure led to claims Baird was facilitating payback on the woman who oversaw Operation Spicer during which the careers of nine of his Liberal colleagues were terminated. Baird vehemently denies the restructure has anything to do with wreaking revenge on behalf of his former Liberal colleagues; in fact, unusually for Baird, he is deeply angered by the suggestion.

Yet mud sticks, especially when it is thrown by political opponents amid criticisms about the restructure from former ICAC commissioner David Ipp and former ICAC assistant commissioner Anthony Whealy, who also happens to be chairman of the anti-corruption group Transparency International Australia. There can be few more effective ways to skewer the integrity of a Premier than by accusing him of weakening the state's premier anti-corruption agency. In the coming year, Baird is facing another test, this time relating to the political donations and election funding issue and his reputation as a "non politician". Cleaning up election funding in NSW was a keystone promise, yet the government's response to the recommendations of a parliamentary committee that has been considering changes advised by Kerry Schott's panel leaves a lot to be desired. In a classic case of "taking out the trash" then acting premier John Barilaro quietly released the response on the Joint Select Committee on Electoral Matters web page three days before Christmas.

In it the government says it will ignore the Schott panel's recommendations for deciding how much money taxpayers give political parties  a move that would have seen public funding slashed significantly. Instead, the government says it will pursue a so-called "dollar per vote" model at the next state election in 2019. This will see political parties in NSW receive at least $14 million in extra public money each four-year election cycle  a result directly at odds with the Schott panel's advice that funding should be reduced. At a time when politicians' entitlements are in the spotlight federally, it risks Baird being seen as issuing the invitation for NSW MPs to stick their snouts into the trough. As well, the government is baulking at recommendations that would have applied strict liability to the failure to lodge political donations declarations. This, again, is antithetical to his pledge to clean up the political donations system.

It comes across as all very politics as usual from a Premier who the public is increasingly seeing as just another politician. This matters because going into 2017 we can expect to see the Baird government enter a period of consolidation and attempt to rebrand itself with a new agenda for the 2019 election. The first iteration of this will be the reshuffle expected next month. But already there are suggestions of a political compromise that would fail any "pub test". There is pressure on health minister Jillian Skinner to quit cabinet in the spirit of renewal. Yet she is deeply reluctant to do so. Should she be forced out there is a risk she would quit Parliament, sparking a byelection in the seat of North Shore where the Coalition is historically vulnerable to independents.
Ben Hall was an architect and also a recognised painter who could make and play musical instruments, teach classical guitar and design and make houses, furniture and jewellery. In fact Ben Hall's life was packed with creative pursuits. Some might say he attempted too much.

He was the firstborn of Cyril (known as Bill) Duncan Hall, a country dentist and Mavis Raines who had studied piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, before marriage. She encouraged her son to learn the piano from "the nuns" in Dubbo; an unsuccessful and terrifying episode, which resulted in an aversion to musical tuition for years.

The range of instruments Ben Hall could create expanded after he made his first lute from drawings in 1966.

Dubbo-born John Duncan Hall was nicknamed Ben when he attended Scots College in Sydney but he was always John in his birthplace. Painting was his great passion and he received tuition from Roland Wakelin in his studio in George Street during the boarding school years. Art school was not even considered a possibility by his parents and his next move was to the University of Sydney and Wesley College where, briefly, he followed in his father's footsteps studying dentistry. He then switched to arts/law for a year and finally settled into architecture where the emphasis on art and the Lloyd Rees studio seemed the right fit.

After graduating there was a spell at an architect's office in Wagga Wagga then back to Sydney to work before sailing to Europe in 1960 with two other graduates from his year. A car tour of all the classic and great architectural sites and galleries followed.
In 2009, Nigerian-born author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivered a TED talk called "The danger of the single story". It has been viewed more than 11 million times. "Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become," Chimamanda said. The single story becomes the only story.

Irrespective of its accuracy, the single story becomes the definitive account of a person, group, country or continent simply through repetition. Researchers at Toronto University found that plausible falsehoods become accepted as truth if repeated often enough.

Faysal Ishak Ahmed, centre, was not just an asylum seeker. He was a son, husband, father and friend.

Unfortunately, it is beyond the power of the subject of the falsehood to counter and correct such commentary.

As Professor Emeritus of Psychology Philip Zimbardo, who conducted the Stanford prison experiment, writes: "Our sense of identity is in large measure conferred on us by others in the ways they treat or mistreat us, recognise or ignore us, praise us or punish us ... we often become who other people think we are, in their eyes and in our behaviour."
Ley has stepped down pending an investigation, temporarily replaced by the notoriously forgetful Arthur Sinodinos , but her future remains a massive headache for the PM. He could attempt to keep Ley in the portfolio, but like the gaffe-prone Attorney General the longer she's there, the more of a liability she remains.

(And just as an aside, wasn't it adorable to see former MP Bronwyn Bishop  herself dumped first as Speaker of the House and then as the candidate for Mackellar  to blame Ley's travails not on the exact same flavour of blithe greed and entitlement that ignominiously ended her own career, but on " socialists "? Bless.)

There's also the odd fact that Ley has claimed expenses for 27 trips to the Gold Coast on official business. That seems an awful lot, especially for someone whose electorate of Farrer is in rural southwestern NSW. By pure coincidence her partner Graham Johnston happens to run a business in the Gold Coast - why, what are the odds?

Ley's humiliation has been given extra spice by a fun conspiracy theory positing that the reason that a reliably pro-Liberal news source broke the story of her housing spree was to use it as leverage to force Turnbull to return deposed Prime Minister Tony Abbott to the ministry.

Abbott, you might recall, was health minister under John Howard and Turnbull is currently presiding over an increasingly shallow pool of plausible alternatives should Ley not be able to return. That's not least because Malc's already lost a bunch of supporters through scandal (ministers Mal Brough and Stuart Robert), being turfed out at the election (Wyatt Roy, Peter Hendy), or both (Jamie Briggs).

And Turnbull is reticent to reward his vanquished foe, since he knows well that handing one's rival a ministry provides them with a great position from which to stage a successful coup. For example, in the case of Tony Abbott's Communication Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The sheer effrontery of a minister seemingly getting the public to pay for a trip on which she bought an investment property seemed somewhat at odds with a government simultaneously obsessed with recovering spurious-seeming debts from the unemployed based on laughably false premises such as that the amount that one earns in a fortnight (which is how Centrelink determine eligibly for benefits) is identical to the amount one earned over the entire year divided by 26 (which is how the debt collection process appears to be working off Australian Taxation Office data), to the point where the commonwealth ombudsman has called for its suspension pending an enquiry.

Thankfully, there's nothing else humiliating the government right now. Except for that Brandis inquiry to come.
As NSW residents brace themselves yet again for a scorching day, with the mercury set to rise above 40 degrees in some areas, authorities have issued a total fire ban for most of the state.

The forecast of unexpectedly strong north-westerly winds has prompted the NSW Rural Fire Service to increase the areas with total fire bans from 11 to 12.

Among these is the Greater Sydney area, which incudes the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast.

Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons from the NSW Rural Fire Service said that the strong winds, low humidity and high heat would combine to pose a deadly bushfire risk.
Leading international human rights advocates have slammed the Turnbull government's hardline and highly secretive offshore immigration detention regime as well as its attempts to strengthen counter-terrorism laws in a review of practices around the world.

The latest report by Human Rights Watch also highlights the rise of populist politicians such as US President-elect Donald Trump and strongmen leaders in Russia, the Philippines, Turkey and China as putting the postwar system of universal rights at risk, warning that converging trends of authoritarianism, fake news and rejection of fact will challenge efforts to promote tolerance and equality.

The offshore immigration detention centre on Manus Island. Credit:Andrew Meares

Australia's asylum seeker boat turn-backs, silencing of offshore medical staff and service providers and ineffective resettlement schemes in Papua New Guinea and Cambodia are highlighted in the report, which singles out immigration detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru for specific breaches of human rights and describes the policies as highly secretive and draconian.

The annual review of more than 90 countries, which was released on Thursday in Washington DC, says Indigenous Australians remain disproportionately subject to the criminal justice system and criticises political blocks to same-sex marriage and effective administration of the Human Rights Act.
Three men have reportedly been charged over the robbery of Kim Kardashian in her Paris hotel room last year.

The reality star and entrepreneur lost jewellery worth a reported $US9 million ($12 million) when she was bound and robbed at gunpoint by a group of men at her suite in Paris' Hotel de Pourtales on October 3 last year.

According to Page Six, a 63-year-old suspect, named by the prosecutors as Yunice A, received charges of armed robbery in an organised gang, kidnapping and criminal association on Thursday.

Florus H, 44, received complicity charges in the alleged robbery and kidnapping, as well as a criminal association charge. A third suspect Marceau B, 64, faced charges of handling stolen goods and criminal association.
The last time I remembered seeing the fur coats I was wearing the fluffy brown one.

I was eight years old, playing dress-up at my aunt's inner-city semi in the late 1970s, and utterly captivated by her immense wardrobe of treasures. She and a previous partner had owned nightclubs in Sydney so her evening wear glittered with sequins and beautiful fabrics.

Chelsea the ringtail possum in an old fur coat, recycled for wildlife rescue animals by charity Snuggle Coats. Credit:Judi Gray

It felt so sophisticated to be snuggled up in a fur, sitting on a paisley-covered lounge with Max the dachshund, with my aunt's jewellery box open on my lap.

My child's mind never gave the provenance of the four furs a thought. As I grew up I forgot about them, as my aunt must have done too when she moved to steamy south-east Queensland for nearly three decades.
The RSL is pleased several Anzac Day marches in the NSW Blue Mountains region won't be cancelled after a row erupted over who would pay security costs.

It was announced on Wednesday that marches in four towns - Katoomba, Blackheath, Springwood and Glenbrook - had been cancelled because RSL groups said they could not afford to pay for the anti-terrorism measures required by police and the state government.

The ANZAC Day march in Katoomba in 2016. Credit:Blue Mountains Gazette

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay on Thursday slammed the Blue Mountains local mayor, saying he had sent a letter to the Katoomba RSL sub-branch on December 15 saying the state government would stump up half the security costs and it was acknowledged several days later.

Mr Gay told 2GB Radio on Thursday the letter was also sent to the Blue Mountains council.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 85F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 52F. NNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
Justice Elizabeth Fullerton rarely just walks into a courtroom - she dashes.

After the three door-knocks that signal her arrival, Justice Fullerton usually zooms up the stairs and into her seat.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton has presided over many high-profile cases.

Her enthusiasm and dedication for her work is evident, even in a complex, convoluted and trying case like that of Lian Bin "Robert" Xie.

As the second judge in the Xie matter Justice Fullerton had her work cut out for her, having to deal with a hung jury at the end of the third trial, which ran for most of the 2015 law term.
The father of a man arrested by counter-terrorism authorities has also been arrested for breaching a weapons prohibition order.

Two days after he expressed concern to Fairfax Media about his son's arrest, Mohammed Elzamtar, the caretaker of Sefton mosque, was arrested on Thursday morning by the NSW Joint Counter-Terrorism Team at his Sefton home.

Mohammed Elzamtar, caretaker of Sefton Mosque, has been arrested by counter-terrorism police. Credit:Brendan Esposito

Mr Elzamtar, 60, is charged with breaching a weapons prohibition order by being in possession of, and using, a flick knife.

The prohibition order, which police can serve on people if they believe it is in the public interest, was served on Mr Elzamtar in January 2016.
A group of NSW state MPs is pushing for civil celebrants to be required to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies if the federal Parliament makes the unions legal.

But the group argues that if existing civil celebrants are granted the right to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages, an "opt-out" system should apply and all newly registered celebrants should be required to conduct the ceremonies.

The proposals are contained in a submission to the Senate Select Committee examining the draft Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill put up for consultation by the federal Attorney-General.

The draft bill contains an exemption for civil celebrants.
If federal LNP MP Andrew Laming's response to this teacher was a school report - it would have received a 'D'.

Teacher Katrina Crook decided to write to the member for Bowman following his Facebook post about whether teachers were 'lesson planning' from home.

Teacher Katrina Crook marked federal member for Bowman Andrew Laming's response to her via email.

But after being surprised by his short reply, littered with punctuation and other errors, Ms Crook marked it as she would one of her papers.

The Brisbane bayside MP incited a backlash on social media on Tuesday after questioning whether teachers had returned to work yet.
A father who watched an aircraft carrying his son crash in central Queensland on Tuesday has spoken of how he had to cut his son free from the wreck.

Jason Lonnon and his son Jesse, 13, were travelling in two separate aircrafts for a trip to Middle Island, organised through adventure company 1770 Castaway.

Mr Lonnon told 7 News he was travelling in the second aircraft when he saw the plane carrying his son start to turn down.

"We thought they were getting ready to land but they disappeared out of sight behind the sand dune and within a few seconds later we saw the plane wreck on the ground," he said.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

Pauline Hanson has not ruled out sacking a One Nation candidate whose website published a conspiracy-laden article about a refugee Syrian toddler found lying dead on a Turkish beach and a claim the Port Arthur massacre was fabricated.

Former One Nation candidate Peter Rogers. Credit:Facebook

Peter Rogers, the party's candidate for the Queensland state electorate of Mulgrave, published an article on his website under the headline "The Drowned Boy, the lie that changed the world".

Mr Rogers claims the post was written by a friend and his website now redirects to a page operated by a man called Paul who claims to have built the site and says One Nation has pressured him to shut it down.
One child has been found as police continue their appeal to find two more children reported missing in separate incidents from Moreton Bay.

An 11-year-old boy was found safe and well on Friday after he was last seen at a Logan home on January 10.

This girl, 12, was last at an address on Mackie Road, Narangba on January 10. Credit:Queensland Police Media

Two girls, aged 12 and 13 remain missing in separate circumstances.

The 12-year-old was last seen on January 10 at a Narangba property in the Moreton Bay region.
Two men have been charged after a woman was sexually assaulted in her Cairns home on Wednesday.

The woman, in her 30s, was sleeping in her Kanimbla home when she woke about 1am to find a man assaulting her.

Two men have been charged after a woman was sexually assaulted. Credit:Glenn Hunt

She screamed and the man fled from the room.

Police allege the woman was also robbed after phones, wallets and a handbag were missing from the property.
What started on a whim now has millions of visitors daily and a community of users eager to share, comment on and absorb good news. It's so highly regarded that Reddit made it one of the default subreddits users are automatically subscribed to when they start an account.

Sheldon is the man behind the popular UpliftingNews subreddit, a forum on the news aggregation site Reddit. It links to articles from around the world intended to make the reader feel uplifted, inspired or generally better about the state of humanity.

Then, as now, he noticed how the rush to denigrate the perpetrators, while appropriate, was louder than efforts to support the afflicted.

When Razor Sheldon saw the sickening news last week that a Chicago teen with a mental-health condition was violently attacked on Facebook Live, he was reminded of the last time a viral video moved him to act on behalf of the victim.

This image from the video a frame shows the man with his mouth taped shut. Credit:AP

Initially, Sheldon, who lives in San Francisco, but prefers to keep other details of his life private and separate from his online role, did most of the curating on his subreddit. But the page received a lot of attention after he put out a "call to arms" in June 2012 to rally around the 68-year-old widowed middle school bus monitor, Karen Klein, shown on video enduring vicious taunts and harassment from kids. "Let's figure out ways to show her that there are still good people out there," he wrote. Someone saw it and started an online fundraiser to send Klein on a vacation. It raised more than US$700,000.

"You just knew there was enough outrage, justice would be served for these kids, but it was more of: 'Here, I had a community that cared about goodness and kindness. Let's rally this community around her,' " Sheldon said. "It was about reaching out and supporting her."

Sheldon created the subreddit after reading about the Miami cannibal who chewed the face off a homeless man in May 2012. He felt he needed some counterprogramming to offset the horror of that story. But when he Googled "good Samaritan" all he found was stories about bad things that happened to the people when they did good. He said he wanted to create a space where people were "always able to access a feel-good story when they needed one."

In the five years since, he has only used the platform a handful of times to call people to action or raise money for a deserving person. He has kept his goals modest. For instance, Sheldon created an online fundraiser to raise US$2,000 for a man in Cape Town to build a canopy over a makeshift gym he created as a place for "gangsters" to get out their aggression rather than turn to violence. In another case, he used it to fix a pickup truck of a man who cut a hole in his vehicle to rescue a kitten trapped inside.
Danielle says she feared for her life in the Brighton carjacking. Credit:Courtesy of Nine News But the men, who were all of African appearance, caught up and pounced upon her. "They cornered me, and punched me, grabbed the keys out of my hand," she said. A Mercedes sedan similar to the car stolen from a Port Melbourne home on Thursday morning. "I am so scared. I have never been so scared in my life."

Luckily, she had the presence of mind to throw her phone into a garden of another house. A Mercedes sedan similar to the car stolen during a Port Melbourne home invasion. After the men left, Danielle called the police. "I just hid, I just hid, I don't know how long, maybe five, 10 minutes before the police came," she said. Danielle said the encounter has left her with a black eye.

"They pulled my hair, I am just sore, just shock, I am not in a happy space," she said. "I don't know how you are supposed to deal with this. "We live in Melbourne not in Johannesburg, this is not the norm, and it is becoming the norm, this is ridiculous." Police said the men also stole jewellery from the woman. The men fled in the Corolla, which later collided with a Holden Statesman at the intersection of Glen Huntly Road and St Kilda Street in Elwood.

The driver of the Holden, a 55-year-old Eltham woman, was uninjured, but her car was wrecked. The men fled in a dark sedan. It is unclear whether this sedan was also stolen, a police spokeswoman said. In a separate attack, about 4am on Wednesday, a family were woken in their Port Melbourne home by three intruders. One of the intruders struck a 53-year-old man who lived in the house with an axe, leaving him with a cut to the head. Police said the trio then stole mobile phones and the keys to the family's 2014 Mercedes sedan before fleeing the Ross Street property.

The men were last seen travelling east on Ross Street in the car, which has the registration VAS 469. The victim's son told 3AW the attackers appeared to be aged in their teens and of African descent. "To see three ... people like standing at my door, attacking my dad with an axe has even more mentally scarred me and my mother," he said. "And just the fact that they are bloody 16-, 17- year-old pathetic low-life scums that get paid by people to do these acts." Family friend, Jim Neskakis, told 3AW the family feared the thieves may have followed his friend home in his Mercedes.

"They took one of the cars, but the car was parked across the road in parallel parking. That car could have belonged to 20 houses in the area .. they came in there to take the car ...all of a sudden they knew where he lived." He said the father was treated in hospital, but was lucky to be alive. "He received a heavy hit to the head with an axe. Luckily he got hit by the blunt side of it, otherwise he wouldn't be here to speak to anyone," Mr Neskakis said. "He is angry, he is shaken, his wife is breaking down, crying  complete mess." Mr Neskakis said the thugs also caused extensive damage to the house. "The staircase balustrade has been smashed, doors have been smashed, holes put through the wall with an axe."
It took the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs twelve days to release a statement regarding the December 29 Azerbaijani attempted military incursion along the border with Armenias Tavoush Province near the village of Chinari.

The statement basically accused Armenia for not returning the body of an Azerbaijani soldier would was killed in the ensuing firefight.

Armenias military still holds the body of an Azerbaijani soldier killed in the battle, the statement reads, followed by the most important assertion, the crux of the statement.

The Co-Chairs also urge the return, without delay, of human remains, in accord with the agreements of the Astrakhan Summit of 2010, bearing in mind the exclusively humanitarian nature of this issue. We call upon the Parties to cease mutual accusations and undertake all necessary measures to stabilize the situation on the ground.

The Co-chairs have nothing specific to say as to why the body of the Azerbaijani soldier wound up on the Armenian side in the first place.

For example, they note: Baku and Yerevan continue to accuse each other of a December 29, 2016 attempted incursion on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border resulting in casualties.

They avoid any mention of which country attempted the incursion, into which country, and the situation on the ground resulting in loss of life. Then too, following their traditional line of displaying equality towards the sides in the conflict, the Co-chairs again urge the leaders of the two countries to adhere to the agreements reached at the 2016 Vienna and St. Petersburg summits, including obligations to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism.

However, they avoid specifying which side is violating these agreements and hindering the process of creating an investigative mechanism. Such a failure only leads the side responsible for such incursions to feel even more unpunishable, with all the ensuing consequences.

Thus, the statement of the Co-chairs does not directly relate, at all, to the attempted Azerbaijani incursion attempt. The statement has just one goal  to pressure the Armenian side to return the body of the Azerbaijani soldier, without conditions, to Baku as soon as possible. This is why the statement was released twelve days after the incident, and not immediately after, when it became clear that the Armenian side was deliberately postponing the return of the body for political reasons.

Two things are evident as a result. First, the Co-chairs are more open to hearing the demands of Baku rather than Yerevan. In this case, they conceal such an approach in the guise of humanitarianism. Second, this statement of the Co-chairs is the fruit of Azerbaijani diplomacy. It both confirms the inactivity of Armenias foreign ministry, its toothless ineptitude, and the failure of Armenian diplomacy as a result.

After the December 29 Azerbaijani incursion attempt, Armenias foreign ministry declared that it was taking all necessary steps in regarding the incident. The first and fundamental result of these steps would have logically been for the Minsk Group Co-chairs to have immediately issued a statement condemning and warning the side responsible for the assault. Nothing of the kind happened, even after Armenias defense ministry announced that it had evidence proving that Azerbaijan was the aggressor.

The fact that the Co-chairs said nothing regarding this latest violation by Azerbaijan of its agreements, but rather focused on the return of the dead Azerbaijani soldier, leads us to conclude that either Armenias foreign ministry didnt demand that the Co-chairs point fingers at the aggressor, or else the Co-chairs simply brushed aside such a demand by the ministry.

This is confirmed by the reaction of Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian to the Co-chairs latest statement. Nalbandian, commenting to ArmenPress, continues his same tired line of agreeing with the opinion of the international community and the Co-chairs, and expressing hope that the three Co-chairs will immediately and severely react to every display of force, or the threat of force, in the conflict zone, especially when ceasefire violations lead to loss of life.

In these conditions, when the Co-chairs basically seem to overlook the dangerous and provocative tactics of Baku leading to loss of life, for Armenias foreign ministry to react merely by expressing hope raises serious doubts regarding the ministrys capabilities. In addition, Minister Nalbandian also notes: when an Azerbaijani scout is destroyed in Armenian positions, it is clear to all, without any mechanism, as to who is the aggressor. As to whom he means by all is unclear. Nevertheless, it doesnt necessarily follow from the Co-chairs statement that this is how they view the situation.

With their clearly ill-timed statement, the Co-chairs are encouraging Azerbaijan to take new and even more provocative military action. The Co-chairs are strengthening the confidence within the Aliev regime that, regardless of the scope of the provocations, they will not change their tactics of overlooking Bakus violations of its obligations.

The Co-chairs, just like official Yerevan, are committing the same mistakes they made prior to the April 2016 war. Those mistakes actually led to the war.

The Co-chairs, by neglecting the causes and only looking at the effects and proposing situational solutions, are continuing their failed and dangerous tactics. In this light, they assume full responsibility for any possible future warfare and for any possible flare-up along the Line of Contact.

Official Yerevan, with its unjustified circumspection and passivity, is feeding this irresponsible policy of the Co-chairs. The unsuccessful diplomatic jugglery after the April 2016 war, and the self-deception of taking the lead, by hiding under the overall mood of the international community, no longer can be viewed as rational.

Rather than asserting that the NKR must again be a full-fledged participant at the negotiating table, starting the process of international recognition for the NKR, or raising the issue of signing a joint military assistance treaty with Artsakh, Armenias foreign ministry is busy trying to delude its people in order to cover up its own failures.

The April 2016 war already proved what such an approach can lead to.

Photo: president.am
Greg Kasarik is a drug user who is probably too honest for his own good.

This week, when he had a charge dismissed by a magistrate after pleading guilty, he volunteered to Melbourne Magistrates Court that he was again breaking the law by possessing a drug of dependence.

Greg Kasarik and his golden retriever Saasha. Mr Kasarik uses LSD every couple of months to achieve "mystical transcendence". Credit:Eddie Jim

He was escorted outside the court by three police officers, arrested and charged again, and is due to return in three months.

Far from trying to avoid the law, Mr Kasarik's preparedness for repeat offending is based on wanting the drug LSD regulated by the state government, so he and others can buy and use it safely.
Tigerair Australia has asked the Indonesian Government to grant the airline a 'grace period', after hundreds of passengers were left stranded between Australia and Bali due to new legal requirements made by the Director of Air Transport.

The airline said 'new administrative requirements' by the Indonesian Government would continue to ground its flights to and from Bali, and flights up until January 13 would continue to be affected.

Tigerair.

Tigerair chief executive Rob Sharpe said the cancellations were a result of the Indonesian Government's attempts to change an agreement that currently allows the airline to operate flights between Bali and Australia - up until March 25, 2017.

"Under the existing agreement, we are not able to sell tickets in Indonesia and we are fully compliant with this," he said.
President-elect Donald Trump urged people to buy products from L.L. Bean after the founder's granddaughter sparked controversy by donating to a political action committee that supported his campaign.

Linda Bean, who serves on L.L. Bean's board and owns a stake in the 105-year-old company, had contributed $US60,000 to the Making America Great Again LLC, according to the Federal Election Commission. That led the anti-Trump group Grab Your Wallet to call for a boycott of L.L. Bean, a outdoor clothing and equipment company perhaps best known for making wet-weather boots.

LL Bean boots in its factory in Brunswick, Maine. Credit:AP

"Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L. Bean for your great support and courage," Mr Trump said on Twitter Thursday. "People will support you even more now. Buy L.L. Bean."
Buenos Aires: About 1000 people have been evacuated in the northern Argentine province of Jujuy after intense rains caused a mudslide that killed two women and injured at least five other people.

The town of Volcan and Tumbaya were the communities most heavily affected by the mudslide caused by a downpour on Tuesday.

Roads are covered in mud after a landslide triggered by a storm in the village of Volcan, Argentina. Credit:AP

Two stretches of Highway 9, one of the main roads through the region, were washed out.

The two women were found Tuesday inside a vehicle that had overturned and on Wednesday Red Cross authorities confirmed that five people were injured in assorted incidents in the area.
Peter Thiel, centre, listen as President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology industry leaders on December 14. Credit:AP One could have predicted Thiel's affinity for Trump by reading his 2014 book, Zero to One, in which he offers three prongs of his philosophy: 1) It is better to risk boldness than triviality. 2) A bad plan is better than no plan. 3) Sales matter just as much as product. But he was portrayed as an outcast in Silicon Valley and denounced as a jerk for supporting Trump and giving him $US1.25 million ($1.67 million). "I didn't give him any money for a long time because I didn't think it mattered, and then the campaign asked me to," he says. He recalls that he went through a lot of "meta" debates about Trump in Silicon Valley. "One of my good friends said, 'Peter, do you realise how crazy this is, how everybody thinks this is crazy?' I was like: 'Well, why am I wrong? What's substantively wrong with this?' And it all got referred back to 'Everybody thinks Trump's really crazy.' So it's like there's a shortcut, which is: 'I don't need to explain it. It's good enough that everybody thinks something. If everybody thinks this is crazy, I don't even have to explain to you why it's crazy. You should just change your mind.'" The reaction from the gay community has been harsh, with one writer in The Advocate going so far as to suggest that Thiel was not even a gay man, because he did not "embrace the struggle."

"I think Trump is very good on gay rights," Thiel says. "I don't think he will reverse anything. I would obviously be concerned if I thought otherwise." I ask him if he worries about the bromance with Vladimir Putin and Trump's bizarre affinity for dictators. "But should Russia be allied with the West or with China?" Thiel says. "There are these really bad dictators in the Middle East, and we got rid of them and in many cases there's even worse chaos." So he doesn't worry about Trump sending an intemperate tweet and spurring a war with North Korea? "A Twitter war is not a real war," Thiel says. Thiel and Trump are strange bedfellows, given that much of Thiel's billions came from being one of the original investors in Facebook and Trump recently said it's better to send important messages by courier. ("Well," Thiel notes, "one does have to be very careful with what one says in an email.")

Trump, with his litigious streak and his pugilistic attitude toward the press and his threat to change the libel laws, naturally admired Thiel's legal smackdown of Gawker. The tech titan was disturbed by the "painful and paralysing" stories published on the gossipy website and other blogs under the Gawker banner, including a 2007 post that originally appeared on Valleywag blithely headlined "Peter Thiel Is Totally Gay, People." So he secretly financed the lawsuit filed by Terry Bollea (the real name of wrestler Hulk Hogan) against Gawker for posting an excerpt from a sex tape showing Hogan with a friend's wife. A court ruled in Bollea's favor, in a judgment of $US140 million ($187 million), which drove the site into bankruptcy. (Gawker founder Nick Denton, who is also gay, described Thiel to Vanity Fair as "interesting - and scary.") "It basically stands for the narrow proposition that you should not publish a sex tape," Thiel says. "I think that's an insult to journalists to suggest that's journalism now. Transparency is good, but at some point it can go in this very toxic direction." Just as there was "a self-fulfilling Hillary bubble" where "everybody was just too scared to say this was a really bad idea" to support this "very weak candidate," Thiel believes Gawker manufactured "a totally insane bubble full of somewhat sociopathic people in New York." When the case went to court in Florida, he contends, the culture that "you could do whatever you wanted and there were no consequences" was exposed. "There's some resonances between Hogan beating Gawker and Trump beating the establishment in this country," Thiel says. Hulk Hogan was "this crazy person" who didn't seem like the best plaintiff, but "he didn't give up."

Using two wrestling terms he learned, Thiel says that many people assumed Trump was "kayfabe" a move that looks real but is fake. But then his campaign turned into a "shoot" the word for an unscripted move that suddenly becomes real. "People thought the whole Trump thing was fake, that it wasn't going to go anywhere, that it was the most ridiculous thing imaginable, and then somehow he won, like Hogan did," Thiel says. "And what I wonder is, whether maybe pro wrestling is one of the most real things we have in our society and what's really disturbing is that the other stuff is much more fake. And whatever the superficialities of Trump might be, he was more authentic than the other politicians. He sort of talked in a way like ordinary people talk. It was not sort of this Orwellian newspeak jargon that so many of the candidates use. So he was sort of real. He actually wanted to win." While many predict that Trump will crash and burn, Thiel does not think he will regret his role. I ask him how Trump, who is still putting out a lot of wacky, childish tweets, has struck him during the transition. Isn't he running around with his hair on fire? Loading
Washington: Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, Donald Trump's pick to be the next US defence secretary, placed Russia first among principal threats facing the United States, arguing for greater US support for European allies to counter what he said were Moscow's attempts to "break" the North Atlantic alliance.

Mattis, a revered combat leader who made his name in the wars following the September 11, 2001 attacks, cautioned that sustained cuts to military budgets and personnel meant that the US military is no longer strong enough to easily outmatch Russia and a host of other threats.

As the president-elect's other Cabinet picks face intense questioning in their own confirmation hearings, the 66-year-old former officer faced virtually no challenges from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to his suitability, despite a pending vote that would allow a recent veteran to assume the top Pentagon job.

Legislators are considering whether his confirmation could set a dangerous precedent in ceding civilian control of the military because he is so recently retired.
The foundation funded by billionaire George Soros will continue to work in Hungary despite a pledge by the ruling party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a past recipient of a scholarship from the philanthropist, to crack down on the group after Donald Trump takes office.

The Open Society Foundations responded to a pledge on Tuesday by Orban's ruling Fidesz party to "sweep out" the non-governmental organisations funded by the Hungarian-born financier. The group, which finances over 60 Hungarian NGOs, has spent more than $US1.6 billion on democratic development in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

"The Open Society Foundations will continue to work in Hungary despite government opposition to our mission of fairer, accountable societies,"' the organisation's president, Christopher Stone, said on Wednesday. "In Hungary and around the world we are more focused than ever on working with local groups to strengthen democratic practice, rights, and justice."

Orban, the first European leader to publicly back Trump's campaign, has ignored criticism from the European Commission and the Obama administration for building a self-described "illiberal state" modelled on authoritarian regimes including Russia, China and Turkey. In 2014, Orban said civil society groups financed from abroad were covers for "paid political activists", and lawmakers will start debating a bill this year to let authorities audit NGO executives, according to parliament's legislative agenda.
Taipei: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met a former US State Department official who is seen as a leading candidate for a position in the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned from diplomatic sources that President Tsai met Randall Schriver while she was in the US at the weekend, in the first confirmed contact between Tsai and a person with close ties to Mr Trump.

China, which sees Taiwan as its territory and has demanded the US continue to uphold the "one China" policy, strongly objected to Tsai's visit to the US. The meeting appears to signal that the incoming US administration will take a hard line against China, and could further escalate tensions between the two countries.

President Tsai and Schriver dined together and were joined by Walter Lohman, director of the Asian Studies Centre at the Heritage Foundation, a US think tank.
"If (Vladimir) Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia," President-elect Donald Trump declared in his wild ride of a news conference. "Now, I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there's a good chance I won't."

The specific nature of Trump's relationship with the sinister president of Russia has been giving foreign policy experts shudders for months, climaxing this week in the publication of a dossier with allegations so salacious that they practically gave smelling salts a comeback. Beyond Putin, Trump's voracious hunger to be liked seems to be one of the defining elements of his personality and, likely, of his presidency. He doesn't yet seem to have learned that being liked can be a very bad thing and that there are times when it's worth making an active effort to earn a good enemy.

For the purposes of argument, and given Trump's well-documented and exceptionally high self-regard, I'm going to assume that Trump believes that Putin likes him because Putin appreciates and admires the quality Trump values most in himself. That's not unusual; most of us hope to be loved for ourselves, and to be seen in the best possible light. Relationships that proceed on these terms are based on respect and give us reason to expect that the other person involved will be willing to work with us in a constructive fashion, to accept our wishes and ideas as legitimate and to reach compromises that are genuinely agreeable.

This isn't the only road to being liked, though. For plenty of people, Trump included, the primary criteria for whether someone is likable isn't whether he or she possesses a strong character, sparkling conversational skills or a well-calibrated moral compass: It's whether the person gives you what you want and tells you what you want to hear. No matter how much Trump would like to believe that Putin genuinely likes and respects him, it would be prudent - if not within his capacity - to consider the possibility that Putin has treated Trump warmly because he believes Trump can be easily manipulated into behaving like an obedient toady. Trump's desire for Putin's approval may be a more valuable asset for Putin than Putin's ostensible affection for Trump will be for the president-elect.
For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser
Police in Spain arrested 61 Georgian mafia members specializing in house burglaries, Spanish authorities announced Wednesday in a press release.

The operation was carried out over the span of several months with the help of Europol, and the French and Georgian police, Spanish police said.

The criminal organization comprised nine cells operating in Madrid, with links to the Spanish cities of Malaga, Seville, Sabadell, Barcelona, Alicante and Bilbao, according to the release.

Most of the arrested were Georgian nationals, along with eight Spanish citizens, Sputnik News reported.

An increase of house burglaries forced the Spanish authorities in early 2016 to open an investigation, which resulted in operation "Aikon I," when nearly 50 suspects were arrested.

However, the illicit activity continued, prompting police to launch operation "Aikon II", when more arrests were made. Police also searched 26 houses, seized cash, vehicles, tobacco, jewelry as well as picks and false keys used for burglaries, according to the report.

occrp.org
POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten in collaboration with SXM Airport and local stakeholders are currently in the Netherlands attending the 47th edition of the Dutch Vakantie Beurs Utrecht (Tourism and Leisure Fair), considered the trade show for the Dutch travel industry.

The Vakantie Beurs is being held from January 11-15, 2017 at the Convention Center in the Dutch city of Utrecht and the port has its destination promotion booth in the Caribbean Village.

Dutch and European consumers started to converge on the tourism and leisure fair as of Wednesday and this will continue up to Sunday. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the trade fair. The first fair was in 1917 based on the initiative of the Utrecht branch of the Association Nederlandsch Fabrikaat. The first trade fair attracted 150,000 visitors, and today it caters to approximately 2.5 million visitors a year.

Port St. Maarten took the lead once again as it did in January 2016 to make sure that the destination had representation at the trade show in the Netherlands in order to promote and drive business to the island from the Dutch and European market. The port and SXM Airport are supporting each other at the 2017 fair.

Port St. Maarten has committed itself to attend five editions of the trade fair over the next few years. The objective is to connect with luxury cruise lines in order to further expand the cruise sector with passengers who have a higher disposable income and spend more while visiting a destination.

In November Port St. Maarten took the lead in inviting travel professionals such as Travel agents/Tour operators to attend the Dutch Vakantie Beurs and be part of the ports destination promotion booth. The aforementioned stakeholders are essential in creating travel experiences as they can engage with clients and help them plan that perfect stay-over or cruise.

Sint Maartens Minister Plenipotentiary visited the booth to show support and was very pleased with the design and support team in attendance.

Discussions have already been held with Air Berlin representatives regarding possible collaboration with certain cruise lines in order to further enhance homeporting services.

Port St. Maarten is moving full speed ahead in establishing itself as a homeport destination in the northeastern Caribbean catering to small and medium size vessels as well as the high-end market of the luxury cruise sector. The homeporting business will translate into a significant positive impact on the countrys economy with spinoffs to the majority of business sectors.

Cruise lines such as Seabourn that caters to luxury cruising participates in tourism travel fairs such as Vakantie Beurs Utrecht. Seabourn Encore will be making its inaugural call to the destination in March. Holland America Line (HAL) also has a presence at the fair. Back in November Port St. Maarten welcomed HALs latest and largest ship in its fleet, the ms Koningsdam. HAL caters to European travelers and is widely recognized as a leader in the premium segment of the cruise industry. A number of HAL vessels call at Port St. Maarten.

22 cruise lines, river cruises and travel operators have a presence at the Vakantie Beurs under the Cruise Worldwide Pavilion. The Dutch branch of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is also a participant at the fair. Various personal stories of past cruisers were highlighted in the cruise world hall in an effort to increase the number of Dutch people taking a cruise.

Additional discussions have also taken place with European cruise line executives who are also taking part in the fair.

Vakantie Beurs Utrecht is the perfect opportunity to connect the thousands of travelers that visit the tourism and leisure fair every January with a vacation experience, and travel agents are the ambassadors.

Vakantie Beurs Utrecht caters to business to business and business to consumers. More Dutch travelers are becoming aware of cruises, and the St. Maarten cruise brand is the largest and most developed cruise port in the Dutch Kingdom.

In 2016, approximately 121,593 visited the Vakantie Beurs. This expo fits into the ports destination strategy to infiltrate the European Union tourist market.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The entire top brass of Parliament has flown off to Curacao, for the entire week of January 9th, to attend the Tripartite meetings and the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO).

While the President of Parliament, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, and First and Second Vice Presidents, MP drs. Rudolphe Samuel and MP Frans Richardson, respectively, are off island, the Parliament of Sint Maarten is left without a leader. In any normal functioning organization, when the president is absent, the vice- or deputy president automatically assumes full responsibility of the organization. If, for example, a letter or a request needs to be signed urgently this week, this will have to wait, until the leadership returns to the island. Suppose parliament needs to be represented officially at a last-minute event? Not one member of the leadership would be present to officially represent parliament? For the entire Presidium (President and Vice Presidents) to be off island at the same time is very irresponsible and should never happen again.

The consequence of the absence of Parliaments leadership became very evident at the National Day of Prayer (NDP) that was held on Sunday, January 8th in front of the new Administration Building. The NDP is an annual event that has been decreed by Government and has been held for the last twelve years. His Excellency Governor Holiday and his wife were present as well as Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt. Prime Minister Marlin and wife, as well as Minister Gibson were also present. Parliament on the other hand was conspicuously absent. During the welcome and acknowledgement of guests there were no apologies from Parliament. When the Honorable Prime Minister was called to make some remarks, he prefaced his address by apologizing for and explaining why the other ministers were unable to attend the NDP. However, no mention was made concerning the absence of Parliament. Had one of the Vice Presidents been present, the absence of Parliament would not have been so conspicuous. Could the absence of the entire Presidium be an indication of how serious Parliament takes the peoples business?

In addition, to the absence of the leadership of Parliament, the nonattendance of individual parliamentarians, with the exception of the Honorable MP, Chanel Brownbill, was also very noticeable. It is a known fact that, during the campaign, leading up to elections, political parties and aspiring MPs target the Christian community and even attend church services, in order to gain the attention of the various congregations. Why is it then, that after the elections many of our elected MPs dont seem to respect the voters faiths anymore? Their nonattendance at the five annual ecumenical services, decreed by government, speaks volumes. My simple conclusion is that it was probably all about getting the persons vote and not about genuinely connecting with the voter.

In my quest to review the last parliamentary debates pertaining to the national budget for 2017, I went to parliaments website to the section Documents. I opened the document that read Final Report National Ordinance Budget 2017. This document should actually constitute the final minutes of the five-day parliamentary debates on the budget that were held last December. But to my great surprise, this report only contains the questions and comments posed by members of parliament during the debate. The answers and commentaries made by government concerning the 2017 Budget are not included in the final minutes. I call on the President of Parliament to still make Governments responses and reactions available to the people of Sint Maarten.

With regard to the various parliamentary committees, I must point out that the law makers considered these committees pivotal to the functioning of parliament. Hence, according to Parliaments Rules of Order, article 18, these committees are to be established in the very first meeting of a new parliament, unless Parliament decides otherwise. After the swearing in of Parliament on October 31st 2016, it took several weeks before these committees were formed. Then, before the committees could have met to appoint chairpersons and begin to function, four parliamentarians resigned to take up ministerial posts. It has now been two and a half months since the new parliament took office and regrettably the realization of committees has not even yet been formalized. What message is parliament sending to the voters, to the hundreds of civil servants and to the man on the street? Lamentably, the message that the people are getting is that their business is not being taken seriously and that parliament is dragging its feet with regards to its duties and responsibilities. Parliament seemingly does not realize that, it is setting the tone and the stage, in this country as far as work ethics is concerned. The display of such a lackadaisical attitude by our highest legislative body is not a good example at all, for government departments, civil servants and the general public. Let me end with a statement made by King David in the Bible: the kings business requires haste. May I say to our parliamentarians that the peoples business requires haste! Hence, the formation of all the parliamentary committees should be finalized post haste.

Wycliffe Smith

Leader of the Sint Maarten Christian Party
COLE BAY:--- Dijtham Tools & Fastners St. Maarten recently signed on to become the latest client for FactorPlus growing customer base in St. Maarten.

With the agreement, Dijtham will be able to focus on their core business which is selling their high-quality products from their convenient store on Orange Grove Road in Cole Bay. According to Dijtham St. Maarten Manager Willie Janssen: We are very happy to start factoring our invoices as per this month and have FactorPlus manage our Accounts Receivables for us. Its a win-win situation.

Equally elated is FactorPlus Northeastern Caribbean Area Manager Paul Dijkhoffz who stated: For us it is great to continue to expand our growing customer base here on St. Maarten as our services are being welcomed by businesses that seek to improve their cash flow and substantially decrease their credit risk, which will help them grow their business.

Dijtham Tools & Fastners St. Maarten has been operational on St. Maarten since 1994 when it took over Antillean Paint (Antilliaanse Verf Fabriek). Besides selling the highest quality in professional paints, the company also offers a wide array in fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts: you name: theyve got it) and top quality power tools. According to Willie Janssen: We are proud to be the official distributor of Bosch products, the world's leading providers of cordless & corded power tools, tool accessories & measuring tools.

FactorPlus, incorporated in St. Maarten in 2010, was established on Curacao in 2006 and has been helping large, medium-sized and small companies to manage and control their businesses with non-recourse factoring. FactorPlus has offices in Holland, Curacao, Bonaire, Aruba, St. Maarten and Miami. For more information about factoring, visit www.factorplus.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Cogeco Inc. Releases its Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2017

MONTREAL, QUEBEC  (Marketwired)  01/11/17  Today, Cogeco Inc. (TSX: CGO) (Cogeco or the Corporation) announced its financial results for the first quarter ended November 30, 2016, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

For the first quarter of fiscal 2017:

We are quite satisfied with the overall results for Cogeco Inc. in this first quarter of our fiscal year 2017, declared Louis Audet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Inc. In our communications subsidiary, Cogeco Communications Inc., we are very pleased with the results of Cogeco Connexion, given the high level of competition in the Canadian broadband market and the maturity of this industry. The business continues to maintain tight control on costs and has once again reported results that are in line with expectations.

Our American broadband services business, Atlantic Broadband, continues to show a solid performance with strong organic growth, added M. Audet. We are very satisfied with results so far in fiscal 2017 and see potential for further growth, particularly in the Connecticut and Florida markets.

At Cogeco Peer 1, our Business ICT services business, we have a solid senior leadership management team and a new go-to- market strategy in place, stated Mr. Audet. While market conditions are changing faster than ever before, we continue to focus on bringing more relevant solutions to market and cross-selling our services, positioning ourselves as a trusted advisor offering the whole breadth of relevant enterprise services. In addition, we have generated meaningful free cash flow reflecting our focus on optimizing our asset base.

As for our radio subsidiary, Cogeco Media, we continue to maintain our leadership position in the Quebec radio market, thanks to strong audience ratings and a solid financial performance, concluded Louis Audet. We are performing according to plan and I am very proud of the teams excellent work in this sector.

ABOUT COGECO

Cogeco Inc. is a diversified holding corporation which operates in the communications and media sectors. Through its Cogeco Communications Inc. subsidiary, Cogeco provides its residential and business customers with video, Internet and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks. Cogeco Communications Inc. operates in Canada under the Cogeco Connexion name in Quebec and Ontario, and in the United States under the Atlantic Broadband name in western Pennsylvania, south Florida, Maryland/Delaware, South Carolina and eastern Connecticut. Through Cogeco Peer 1, Cogeco Communications Inc. provides its business customers with a suite of information technology services (colocation, network connectivity, hosting, cloud and managed services), through its 16 data centres, extensive FastFiber Network and more than 50 points of presence in North America and Europe. Through its subsidiary Cogeco Media, Cogeco owns and operates 13 radio stations across most of Quebec with complementary radio formats serving a wide range of audiences as well as Cogeco News, its radio news agency. Cogeco Inc.s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CGO). The subordinate voting shares of Cogeco Communications Inc. are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Contacts:

Source:

Cogeco Inc.

Patrice Ouimet

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

514-764-4700

Information:

Media

Rene Guimond

Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs and Communications

514-764-4700
Cybersecurity Visionary Nir Gaist Announces Expansion of Nyotron into the US Market

SANTA CLARA, CA  (Marketwired)  01/12/17  Nyotron, the creator of threat-agnostic security, today announced its expansion into the U.S. market. The company developed PARANOID, a breakthrough solution that can proactively detect, prevent, respond to and analyze threats, known or unknown, regardless of the type of attack; who generated it; or how, where or when the attack penetrated the organization. The innovative cyber-security company started in Israel, led by cybersecurity prodigy Nir Gaist, who was an accomplished computer programmer by the age of six and company founder by the age of nine. As CEO, Gaist is expanding his company into the U.S. with a disruptive new endpoint protection platform that he believes will one day change the security paradigm on a global scale.

As part of that vision, Gaist today is introducing the Nyotron new-generation endpoint security platform, which includes PARANOID, PARANOID War Room and Nyotron Managed Defense Services. PARANOID is designed to block all attacks, including Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and Zero-Day attacks, before they occur, regardless of threat type or method used to access the network. The technology is more effective than competing endpoint security solutions, including signature-based antivirus, containers or products that use machine learning, artificial intelligence or mathematical algorithms.

The security market is inundated with numerous endpoint security vendors. Yet, as anyone can see from the constant cyber breach news headlines, theyre clearly not working. Todays advanced malware is able to bypass traditional and so-called next-generation endpoint products to avoid detection, said Gaist. Our customers have realized that their security is increasingly complex, and they simply dont have the people or the cybersecurity expertise to understand the new advanced attack methodologies and threat vectors. They have come to us to outsource their security functions and protect their data from targeted attacks.

Leveraging an agent/server architecture, PARANOID is able to protect enterprises from tomorrows threats today by understanding what normal computer behavior looks like and what to do when suspicious behavior tries to damage data on an endpoint. This means that regardless of the type of threat or the methodology used to infiltrate the network, PARANOID can stop the attack. Using this threat-agnostic defense approach, only PARANOID can address the unknown threats that other technologies simply cant stop.

High-profile enterprises that deal with targeted attacks on an ongoing basis benefit from the real-time visibility that the PARANOID War Room delivers with its unique 3D representation of the security status of their endpoints. Analysts use this technology for forensics, intelligence and analysis of the attacks that infiltrate their networks.

Recognizing that enterprises are not staffed with enough cyber-security experts, Nyotron is offering its Managed Defense Services, which operate the endpoint security of organizations via the companys Global War Room facilities in California and Israel. These services can deliver monitoring, alerting, management, intelligence, research and incident-response services.

The PARANOID platforms approach to protection is opposite that of traditional antivirus and next-generation endpoint vendors. They chase the attackers methodologies and threat types, Gaist continued. Rather than acting as a gate (which attacks ultimately bypass), our unique threat-agnostic approach assumes threats will get into the network and focuses on the damage stage of an attack. We can identify threats before theyre able to damage an organizations critical assets. I firmly believe the PARANOID platform provides a much-needed answer for enterprise organizations looking to resolve current and future cybersecurity challenges.

As a major U.S. law enforcement agency, we always have to be vigilant about being targeted by cyber attackers, which could potentially have disastrous consequences for civilians in our jurisdiction, said a CISO at a major United States law enforcement agency. Like an all-seeing, all-knowing, always-vigilant eye, PARANOID has proven itself to be able to detect and block every type of threat thats been thrown our way. The platform has positively protected us from smart and highly advanced cyber attackers and given us the peace of mind that we need to do our jobs on the ground.

PARANOID works by mapping normal computer behavior with a patented technology that includes a new programming language called Behavior Pattern Map (BPM) that maps operating systems. Once PARANOID is implemented, the software can monitor system calls for normal, suspicious or malicious behavior attempts. This innovation enables PARANOID to detect and prevent breaches regardless of the type of sophisticated attack or technique that the threat uses to gain entry into a targeted network.

Nir Gaist, the company CEO and founder, started programing at the age of six. Three years later, he and his brother Ofer Gaist, now COO, started Nyotron as a penetration testing company. Before founding the company, Nir hacked an Israeli service provider, which was so impressed with his skills it ended up hiring him. From there, he went on to test telephone systems, online banking protocols, ATMs and more for the largest banks in Israel. When he was 10, Nir began his studies at the Israeli Technion University and wrote a curriculum for the Israeli Ministry of Education on offensive security that he taught in high schools throughout Israel. He has also worked on a number of security projects with Microsoft, winning an organizational best practice award from Bill Gates when he was 12.

Nyotron is a privately held cyber-security company that has developed a disruptive threat-agnostic defense technology to cope with the biggest challenge of todays digital era  the unknown threat. PARANOID is designed to prevent targeted and advanced national-level cyber-attacks on high-profile enterprises, and it does so without any previous knowledge about the threat or its methodologies. Based on a unique last-line-of-defense approach, the companys technology is designed to protect enterprise data and critical assets by mitigating threats that were able to outsmart all security layers. Nyotrons customer base includes all major industries, such as transportation, government, banking, healthcare and the public sector. The companys headquarters are in Santa Clara, California, and R&D is in Israel. To learn more, visit .

Rick Popko

10Fold

415-800-5381

Donna St. John

Vice President of Marketing

Nyotron

408-780-0752
Snowflake Surges Past Competition and Nearly Doubles Customer Base for 2016

SAN MATEO, CA  (Marketwired)  01/12/17  , the , today announced another year of record growth in 2016 as it continues to beat enterprise data warehouse and big data vendors by supplying the best technology and the best architecture at the best price. Snowflake increased its customer base by 90 percent and executed nearly two billion customer queries, totaling more than one million hours of cloud processing time. All of this performance happened at speeds and with an ease of use that transformed the customer experience when compared to all other data warehouses.

In addition, customer data storage in Snowflake surged by over 300 percent in 2016, with multiple customers storing more than one petabyte of data and still experiencing the fastest and most affordable data warehouse on the market. All of Snowflakes innovation and success in 2016 culminated in December, when Snowflake was ranked the #1 cloud data warehouse, beating all of the largest data warehouse vendors in the market across six product attributes.

Weve made major strides in 2016 to deliver on our promise of providing the most powerful, affordable, accessible and flexible cloud-build data warehouse for enterprises big and small, Snowflake CEO, Bob Muglia said. Through significant product developments, partnerships and programs, and further building our world-class team, weve done just that. We continue to knock down the technology, access and cost barriers to storing all of your data in one location for fast, affordable and limitless data analytics. At the end of the day, nothing should stop you from being a data-driven enterprise.

Competitive momentum

Beat competitors, including Google BigQuery, Teradata, IBM dashDB, HPE Vertica, Microsoft Azure SQL, SAP HANA and Oracle Exadata, to take the top spot in Gigaom Researchs : Sector Roadmap: Cloud Analytic Databases 2017.

Reduced cloud storage pricing by to make Snowflake the most affordable data warehouse available. Promised continued price reductions to match S3 pricing from Amazon Web Services, Snowflakes cloud storage provider. Organizations of all sizes no longer have a cost barrier to storing all of their data in one location.

Product innovation

Announced enterprise-grade , including support for HIPAA compliance and federated authentication to deliver a new standard in built-in security for data platforms.

Issued to eliminate the manual and administrative overhead and complexity associated with managing and protecting data warehouses for multi-structured big data. These features include automatic concurrency scaling, results caching, time travel, and adaptive data management.

Customer acquisition

Acquired new customers from a variety of industries including HotelTonight, PDX, Rue La La, Telltale Games and University of Notre Dame.

Announced , a fast and simple sign-up process for data users of any type to have easy access to the most affordable and effective data warehouse. Available since November, Snowflake On Demand has dramatically increased the pace at which customers sign up and start using Snowflake.

Established of Snowflake in the EU (Frankfurt) region to address European customer demand.

Ecosystem expansion

Expanded partner ecosystem with the announcement of Snowflakes .

Added several new strategic partnerships with , , , and .

Developed optimized and certified connectors for a broad array of tools including , Node.js and Python, expanding Snowflakes integration into the larger data and analytics ecosystem.

Achieved partner status through proven customer success and technology proficiency.

Corporate momentum

Received leading industry accolades and recognition including the , CRNs and , and the San Francisco Business Times . Snowflakes CEO, Bob Muglia, was also named to list of 2016 and to list for 2016.

Added key executives including , chief marketing officer; , vice president of engineering; and , chief legal officer. Snowflake also welcomed and as new board members.

Snowflakes momentum demonstrates the growing realization among enterprises that traditional data warehousing solutions, on-premises and cloud, are obstacles to becoming data-driven organizations. Frustrated by the challenges of outdated technology, businesses are shifting to Snowflake to acquire the best architecture, technology, service and price.

Snowflake Computing:

Snowflake Twitter:

LinkedIn:

YouTube:

Google+:

Snowflake is hiring:

Snowflake Computing is the only data warehouse built for the cloud. Snowflake delivers the performance, concurrency and simplicity needed to store and analyze all of an organizations data in one location. Snowflakes technology combines the power of data warehousing, the flexibility of big data platforms and the elasticity of the cloud at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions. Snowflake: Your data, no limits. Find out more at .

Eszter Szikora

Snowflake Computing

(408) 666-5694
Solodev Web Experience Software Solution Helps K-12 School Districts Build Scalable and Secure Websites

ORLANDO, FL  (Marketwired)  01/12/17  today announces its web experience software solution is optimized to meet the needs of the education industry. Facing growing concerns about cybersecurity, school districts require a next generation website that complies with ADAs website accessibility regulations. With the Solodev platform, school districts across the country can build beautiful, powerful websites with unparalleled levels of security and scalability  without compromising design.

Recently, Solodev partnered with (SCPS), one of the largest school districts in Florida, to launch its new website. Designed, built and hosted on the Solodev platform, the new site is secure, mobile responsive and scalable in order to accommodate future growth.

Being a central online destination for roughly 70,000 students, in addition to their parents and families, SCPS required a secure and mobile responsive website that could grow along with Seminole County, said Shawn Moore, CTO at Solodev. With a combination of the Solodev web experience platform, our rock-solid cloud infrastructure and world-class support team, SCPS now features a mobile responsive website with dynamic and engaging content. Even more, weve empowered the SCPS team with the end-user tools to take the wheel from here for easy management.

Following the website launch, the SCPS team was trained on features and functionality to add and edit content with powerful inline editing tools, including SEO-optimized web pages, content scheduling, dynamic site navigation and breadcrumbs, as well as the ability to create custom apps and easily add entries to existing apps  making the staff completely self-sufficient.

We are extremely pleased with the new website design Solodev has created for our district, said Dr. Walt Griffin, Superintendent, Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS). The new layout, responsive design and interactive school mapping tool makes our site immensely user-friendly for our students, families and community to find the information theyre seeking in a quick and easy way.

With Solodev being optimized for the education industry, the web experience software company identifies five website trend predictions for the education industry in 2017:

1. School districts should consider website solutions that offer a dynamic school listings map application. By using an API integration with Google Maps to display all schools within the district in relation to any given location, school districts can help visitors identify the top schools in their area.

2. Schools should implement website features that make it easier for site visitors to find what theyre looking for and engage with their selected school. Examples include sortable calendars, prominent social media icons and an alert manager to communicate quickly with students, parents and staff.

3. Many public schools have begun to sell advertising space in order to raise much-needed funds. School districts can capitalize on this budget-boosting opportunity by using a custom application to manage and dynamically display specific ads on certain pages of their websites.

4. Increasingly, educational organizations are shifting from in-house computing architecture to a remote cloud infrastructure, like the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud. In addition to its world-class security, AWS helps a school district drastically increase the delivery speed of its website.

5. Its imperative that growing school districts invest in websites that can auto-scale capacity up and down as their computing requirements change. By choosing a solution that offers elastic storage capacity, school districts can have the storage they need, when they need it, growing and shrinking automatically as files are added and removed.

For more information about Solodev, visit .

Solodev is an industry-leading web experience software solution that empowers organizations with Total Design Freedom. Companies of all sizes can now build beautiful, powerful websites with unparalleled security and scalability  without compromising design. Creators of the worlds first on-demand enterprise web experience platform, Solodev powers leading global brands, including Universal Health Services, OneBlood, City of Miami Beach, CNL Financial Group, State of Florida and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Named The Best Cloud CMS in 2016 by CMS Critic, Solodev ensures total customer success with its Tenacious Tech Support, featuring 24x7x365 U.S. based service. Solodev Web Experience Platform is currently sold directly at , on the Amazon Marketplace and via the Federal GSA contract.

Melissa Landy

Uproar PR for Solodev

(321) 236-0102 x233
Shaw Declares Dividend Payable on Preferred Shares

CALGARY, ALBERTA  (Marketwired)  01/12/17  Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX: SJR.B)(TSX: SJR.PR.A)(TSX: SJR.PR.B)(NYSE: SJR)(TSX VENTURE: SJR.A) (Shaw) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared dividends for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017 of $0.17444 per Cumulative Redeemable Rate Reset Class 2 Preferred Share, Series A (Series A Share) and $0.15681 per Cumulative Redeemable Floating Rate Class 2 Preferred Share, Series B (Series B Share), payable on March 31, 2017 to holders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2017.

The Series A Shares and Series B Shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the respective ticker symbols SJR.PR.A. and SJR.PR.B.

The foregoing dividends are designated as eligible dividends for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and any similar provincial legislation.

Shareholders will not be entitled to receive this dividend unless they are holders of record on the record date. There is no entitlement to any dividend prior to such date.

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, video and fleet tracking services. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX  SJR.B, SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE  SJR, and TSXV  SJR.A). For more information, please visit .

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Investor Relations
Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated

With Novus Light Technologies Today

Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies.



Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter





CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER






























Justin Omans of Roseville said he was devastated to learn his mothers' body was discovered in the covered bed of a truck.
Mex Express Grill blends authenticity, value and speed

Mex Express Grill recently opened in the spot that was occupied by a long-time neighborhood tavern in South Bend.
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.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High 77F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low near 65F. 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
WASHINGTON  The head of NASA's Earth science division says he does not expect major changes in his programs for the remainder of the fiscal year despite a change in administrations.

In a presentation Jan. 10 to the Earth science subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council's science committee at the Kennedy Space Center, Michael Freilich said despite concerns that the incoming Trump administration will seek to make major cuts or other changes to NASA's Earth science efforts, he did not expect immediate effects to his programs.

NASA, along with most other federal government agencies, is operating under a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government at fiscal year (FY) 2016 levels. The current CR remains in effect until late April, or more than half of the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. [Related: The US Presidential Transition and NASA: Changes to Come]

Freilich said that, for Earth science, operating under a CR is a not a major problem. The division received $1.92 billion in 2016, and requested $2.03 billion for 2017. "Our funding under the continuing resolution is not bad," he said. "We're able to do the plan we have laid out. Nobody has told us to stop doing that plan."

He added that he did not expect Congress to ultimately make major changes to the budget when the current CR runs out in April and it must either take up an appropriations bill or another continuing resolution, in part because of competing priorities in the new Congress and administration. "It is quite likely that, come to the end of April, Congress is going to want to put FY '17 behind them so that the administration can focus on an FY '18 budget," he said. "I suspect that we're going to get through FY '17 at the same level we're at right now."

"We have a level of stability in FY '17," he concluded. "We have a plan, we have funding, and the best thing to do is to use the funding that we have to amass more accomplishments along the line of the plan."

Many in the Earth science community have expressed concern about the future of the agency's work in this area since Donald Trump won the presidential election. In policy statements made before the election, and confirmed afterwards, the Trump campaign argued for de-emphasizing Earth science work at NASA, including transferring that work to other agencies.

Freilich noted that NASA's Earth science work has been attracted congressional criticism in recent years, with some Republican members suggesting that the Obama administration was putting too much money into Earth science at the expense of human spaceflight.

However, the appropriations bills ultimately approved by Congress funded Earth science at about the level the administration originally requested. "Given all the sturm und drang that we have every year, especially recently, on Earth science in NASA, it has been that Congress has basically appropriated whatever it is, when all was said and done, that the administration requested," he said.

NASA's Earth science program currently accounts for about 10 percent of the agency's overall budget, a fraction that Freilich said closely matches the long-term historical average. That fraction dipped during the administration of President George W. Bush, but has increased under President Obama back to that average level, in part after scientists expressed concern about a lack of investments in new satellites and other research capabilities.

The Trump transition landing team at NASA was taken by surprise by those figures, he suggested in his remarks to the committee. "They didn't know that ten percent of the agency [budget] for Earth science was about the amount that we had usually had," he said, saying that team members thought Earth science had historically received a smaller fraction of the budget. "They didn't know that the increase over the last eight years was leading to a level that was close to historical" rather than much higher than the historical average.

The increase in Earth science's share of the NASA budget over the Obama administration, he noted, has been from about 8 percent of the budget early in the administration to 10 percent today. "The question is, does this represent a tremendous refocusing of the agency on Earth science and climate to the detriment of human spaceflight and planetary exploration and all of that sort of stuff? The answer is no."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
The perigee full moon or "supermoon" of Aug. 10, 2014, as seen from Washington.

You can get the skinny on the full moon of January, known as the "Wolf Moon," during a free webcast by the Slooh Community Observatory tonight (Jan. 12).

The show will feature live views of the moon, which officially reached its full phase this morning, from Slooh's telescopes in Chile and Spain's Canary Islands. You can watch the webcast at Slooh.com, beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST (0130 GMT on Friday, Jan. 13).

You can also watch the full moon show here at Space.com, courtesy of Slooh.

Slooh host Gerard Monteux, Slooh astronomer Bob Berman and Slooh's "human spirit correspondent," Helen Avery, will discuss historical and cultural components of the Wolf Moon and other full moons during the webcast, which will also feature live footage of real-life wolves.

"Myths and legends surrounding wolves and their interaction with the moon run deep through a number of cultures," Slooh representatives wrote in a statement.

"From werewolves to lupe-garu, the idea that the moon had an effect on men pops up in one form or another across the globe, dating back all the way to antiquity," they added. "Helen will explore a number of these tales throughout the show to help our viewers decide if they or their neighbors could be one of these mythical beasts."

All of the year's full moons have names, which were given to them by Native Americans living in the central and eastern parts of North America. For example, August's full moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon, and September's is the Corn Moon or Harvest Moon.

Editor's note: If you snap an awesome photo of the moon that you'd like to share with Space.com and our news partners for a potential story or gallery, send images and comments to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
A thin black line against a sea of white is all that connects Antarctica's Concordia research station to life.

This line, captured in a sobering satellite image, is a convoy of heavy-duty tractors pulling tons of fuel, food and equipment to one of the most isolated places on Earth. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), France's Pleiades satellite captured this view of the convoy from orbit at 435 miles (700 kilometers) above the icy surface.

Concordia research station is known as the "remotest base on Earth." It's so far from other humans  372 miles (600 km) from the nearest base, Vostok in Russia  that it's more remote than the International Space Station, according to the ESA. (The ISS orbits at an altitude of between 205 and 270 miles, or 330 to 435 km.)

The station is located on the Antarctic Plateau at an elevation of 10,499 feet (3,200 meters). Despite the snow and ice, Antarctica is the largest desert on the planet, and the air at Concordia is extremely dry. It's also extremely cold: The yearly average temperature is minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 50 degrees Celsisu), according to the ESA, and lows can dip to minus 112 degrees F (minus 80 degrees C). [Images: Life at Concordia Research Station]

A closer look at part of the convoy in Antarctica, as seen by France's Pleiades satellite. (Image credit: PleiadesCNES 2016, Distribution Airbus DS)

It takes 10 days for a convoy like this to travel from Dumont d'Urville on the coast to Concordia, according to the space agency. After three days of unpacking as much as 330 U.S. tons (300 metric tons) of supplies, the convoys return to the coast, a trip that takes about eight days, traveling faster as they descend the plateau.

Research at Concordia station depends on the isolation found there. The ESA sends crews to study the effects of isolation, sensory deprivation and close quarters on human psychology, mimicking the effects of long-distance space travel.

Getting supplies to the base is no picnic, either. It's an 807-mile-long (1,300 km) journey from the coast to Concordia. ESA writer Didier Schmitt described taking part in this convoy run on the ESA website. With only a few hours' practice driving a 24-ton (22 metric tons) tractor, Schmitt joined the most recent convoy to the base.

"During the first snowstorm, I felt what it is to work in such extreme conditions," Schmitt wrote. He called the experience a "slow-motion Mad Max adventure."

Original article on Live Science.
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement
Churkin raises his eyebrows derisively. "We were telling them, sorry, if you want to topple the regime, please go ahead, but the council has nothing to do with it. It's not the responsibility of the council to topple regimes."

That is true, of course, but it has been the council's job to end wars since 1945. "We the peoples of the United Nations, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind " -- that is how the Charter of the United Nations, the body's founding document, begins.

The war in Syria is the darkest chapter of our times. It was sparked by Bashar Assad, the Syrian president, when he unleashed his henchmen on peacefully protesting citizens in 2011. According to estimates, more than 400,000 people have since lost their lives in Syria, with over half of the country's population having been forced to flee.

When severe human rights violations occur, the UN has the responsibility to protect, with the Security Council allowed to interfere in a country's internal affairs in such cases. Who then, if not the UN, could put a stop to the horrors in Syria? And, if the UN fails, as it did in Rwanda, Bosnia and Chechnya, what is the point?

It is an auspicious time to ask such questions. Since Jan. 1, the United Nations has had a new secretary-general, Antonio Guterres of Portugal. It marks a new beginning after 10 years under the leadership of the South Korean Ban Ki-moon. It is also a good time to take inventory: What has become of the UN, this bureaucratic colossus where pretense and reality are so far apart? What role does the global organization play in this era of autocrats and populists who glorify the nation-state and have nothing but disdain for international institutions? In these times of Assad , Putin and Trump?

The Appeal of the German President

Fall was in full swing in Hamburg when Ban Ki-moon stopped by for a visit last October. The light varied between a sickly gray and dark gray as a cold drizzle fell from low-hanging clouds. Inside, though, in the great banquet hall of Hamburg City Hall, the chandeliers glowed bright and a string ensemble was playing. The staid audience, dressed in appropriately dark tones, listened quietly. The event was the 20th anniversary of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, an institution established on the banks of the Elbe River in Hamburg under the auspices of the UN.

The court, like many UN initiatives, is theoretically a fantastic idea. Equipped with 21 judges from 21 different countries, the tribunal is charged with peacefully resolving differences at sea. The problem, though, is the fact that only 30 countries have thus far recognized the court. The rest of the world apparently prefers to resolve their maritime conflicts in a different manner, with the result that the tribunal has only adjudicated 25 cases since its 1996 founding.

Nevertheless, its anniversary was celebrated and the German president made an appearance to hold a speech. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, said Joachim Gauck, is a "great asset." But he then turned to Ban Ki-moon and didn't mince words: "The Security Council is now just as polarized as it was before the Wall came down," Gauck said. "Millions of people are paying the price for this paralysis of the Security Council."

In such surroundings, Gauck's words seemed like the shrill screeching of a violin's bow. The German president brought the ghastly present inside the banquet hall, speaking of war and of the "belief that the nation-state is the sole instance able to solve problems." He also spoke of the noble goals contained in the UN Charter. When he finished, applause filled the room -- and continued for longer than was strictly necessary.

And Ban Ki-moon, who had been the face of the UN for the previous 10 years? He listened motionlessly to Gauck's speech, his posture slightly bent. When it was his turn to speak, he invoked the 14th UN Sustainable Development Goal, which focuses on the protection of the world's oceans, and he noted the importance of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which forms the foundation for the tribunal, and the significance of the 21st case addressed by the tribunal.

But it was difficult to listen. Here was the man whose duty was actually that of reminding the governments of the world of their responsibility to peace. The UN secretary-general has very little actual power, but he can demand attention as the voice of the world's conscience, as a kind of worldly pope. Ban, though, simply read out his speech, stoically and with a quiet voice. He didn't respond at all to the passionate speech he had just heard from German President Gauck.

The Birth of a Grand Idea

The UN is actually well situated to exert a positive influence on the world. With 193 members, almost every country in the world belongs. It is the only international organization with an almost incontrovertible legitimacy.

The League of Nations, formed in 1920 following the destruction of World War I, was the first attempt to form a global, political organization. But it was unsuccessful because the United States never joined and other countries soon left. But during World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and later Josef Stalin revisited the idea. It wasn't out of idealism: The Allies wanted to create a postwar organization that could help protect their interests.

The result was that the U.S., Great Britain, China, the Soviet Union and France received permanent seats on the Security Council. China at the time was far away from being a great power, but among the world's leading powers, it was seen as a welcome counterbalance to Japan, which hadn't yet capitulated at the time.

Today, the world order looks completely different, with the Western view no longer the only one with significant influence. Russia and China carry an equal weight on the geo-political stage and emerging nations are demanding their own seat at the table of power and influence. The trauma of World War II is fading into the past.

It is now possible to see the veto rights given to the five permanent members as a fatal design flaw, one that has paralyzed the Security Council and prolonged Syria's tragedy -- or, in a more sober formulation, as a reflection of postwar power relations that is no longer appropriate for today's multipolar world. Because despite all of its noble goals, the UN is not divorced from reality.

In the almost 72 years since its founding, the UN has seen some notable achievements: During the Cold War, it was the forum where the superpowers could speak with one another; it has helped give birth to a number of nation states; and in 1948, the body agreed on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. More recently, it was instrumental in the formation of the Paris Climate Agreement and also issued the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim at eliminating war, hunger and poverty.

Such plans are a feather in the UN's cap, but the higher the aims, the more frustrating is the reality. UN peacekeeping troops, which are charged with establishing security in war zones, have often failed or, worse, even abused those who need protection. For decades, there have been repeated accusations of UN troops engaging in sexual abuse, trafficking in women or forced prostitution -- in Sarajevo, Liberia, Haiti and most recently in the Central African Republic. Investigations into such scandals often leave plenty to be desired.

Perhaps the UN simply has too much on its plate. Over the years, it has grown to become a monstrous apparatus. It's most important organizations are the Security Council (SC), the General Assembly (GA), the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Secretariat, headed by the secretary-general. Beyond that are dozens of suborganizations, funds and programs. Some 44,000 people work for the UN and its annual budget of 2.7 billion dollars is, when measured against its mandate, absurdly tiny.

A Visit to the Secretary-General

The UN headquarters building in New York rises above the shores of the East River, a looming skyscraper paired with a low building next door. The building was designed in 1947 by Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer and symbolic works of art decorate the forecourt, including a bronze globe donated by Italy and a sculpture of a pistol with a knotted barrel from Luxembourg. Inside there are splendid halls along with a reproduction of Picasso's "Guernica," but there are also plenty of places were the plaster is peeling off the walls and many of the offices are badly in need of renovation.

We visited Ban Ki-moon for an interview just a few weeks before he handed control of the UN to his successor. The building's entrance hall includes portraits of all eight of the secretary-generals who have thus far led the UN, all of them men. On the 37th floor, the door opens to the secretary-general's office and Ban Ki-moon rises from his desk. "Guten Tag," he says quietly in German, offering a weak handshake. The man at the head of the United Nations seems reserved, almost fragile.

When Ban looks back at the past several years, he is able to identify several things of which he is proud: the climate agreement, the sustainability goals and the share of women in management, for example. But he doesn't find it nearly as easy to talk about the failures. "Syria," Ban says, "is a tragedy." The defining tragedy of his tenure. When Ban became secretary-general in 2007, Damascus was seen as a hip city in the Middle East while Aleppo and Palmyra were among humanity's antique treasures. The international community should have spoken with a united voice, he says, sounding resigned.

Could not Ban have forced them to do so with the moral authority of the office he holds? He says he has always spoken from his heart, as is his style. Sometimes, he says, he struck a more forceful and explicit tone while in other instances he preferred quiet diplomacy. Sitting across from him, it is difficult to imagine Ban being forceful and explicit.

On the other hand, what good are passionate words when they don't change anything anyway? Following the debates in the Security Council is to experience the kind of frustration that many who take part in those debates feel.

Shortly before the fall of eastern Aleppo, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power turned to her Russian counterpart Churkin. "Is there literally nothing that can shame you?" she asked. "Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child that gets under your skin?" Churkin jeered back, saying that Power, an American, was acting "as though she were Mother Teresa herself."

Stephen O'Brien, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, has repeatedly reported to the Security Council about the hardships facing the Syrians. In one such presentation at the end of October, he said: "These are people just like you and me -- not sitting around a table in New York but forced into desperate, pitiless suffering, their future wiped out."

One month later, he said: "I am more or less at my wit's end as a human being."

When diplomacy fails, all that's left is the area for which O'Brien is responsible: emergency relief. But not even that has been sufficiently effective in Syria.

On the Syrian Border

It's the Thursday before Christmas and an icy wind is blowing through the Turkish border city of Reyhanli. Tanks are rolling through the streets and soldiers are patrolling between the checkpoints.

Bediako Buahene tromps through the mud as sleet blows into his face. A Canadian asylum attorney in an elegant winter coat and white scarf, Buahene organizes aid convoys for Syria on behalf of the United Nations. On this pre-Christmas Thursday morning, 24 trucks full of diapers, washing powder, tooth brushes and heating coal are to be sent across the border . In November and December, up to 30 such vehicles departed for Syria from Reyhanli every day and Buahene estimates that the UN has provided for around 5 million Syrians.

Such aid is particularly urgent now. The conquering of Aleppo by Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime has left tens of thousands of people without a roof over their heads and many don't know where to look for shelter. The refugee camps in Syria's rebel-controlled north are overflowing and the border to Turkey has been sealed off.

Some 200 kilometers away in Gaziantep, UN humanitarian aid organizer Trond Jensen sits in an office that looks more like a fortress. A metal wall protects it from the street and security personnel pat down visitors as they search for weapons. Previously, Jensen worked for the UN in Sudan, Yemen and Liberia, but none of them, he says, are comparable to Syria. "People wonder why we don't just bulldoze our way in. But it's not as simple as that," he says.

In the early years of the war, UN emergency relief workers couldn't do much. It was only in July 2014 that the Security Council managed to pass a resolution allowing the humanitarian arm of the UN to transport aid supplies across four additional border crossings into Syria.

Jensen and his team investigate which items people need the most and they ensure that they are then transported into the country with the help of their local partner organizations. Before a convoy can depart for Syria, Jensen sends an overview of the freight to UN workers in Damascus who then inform the Syrian government.

It is relatively easy to reach areas that are under regime control, but it is extremely difficult to assist those who live in rebel-held locations. Aid workers are often blocked or are prevented from doing anything due to security concerns. In September, a UN convoy came under fire as it was heading toward rebel territory, presumably from Russian warplanes. Around 20 people died in the attack. Some within the UN believe that the organization should show more self-confidence in its dealings with Assad -- and maintain a greater distance.

Starting in August 2015, Britain's Guardian newspaper began publishing a series of reports calling the UN's neutrality into question. The paper alleged that the UN had paid dozens of millions of dollars to Syrian aid organizations that have close ties to the Assad clan, including $8.5 million to one organization that stands under the patronage of Assad's wife.

But Assad's regime doesn't just profit from the aid, it also interferes in the work of the aid workers themselves by way of blockades, by confiscating medicines or by preventing evacuations.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator O'Brien says demands that his aid workers should refrain from contact with the Syrian regime result from a "misunderstanding of the role and the constitution of the UN." The humanitarian arm of the UN, he says, is impartial, independent and neutral, which means that it must reach out to all parties in a conflict in order to reach people in need.

O'Brien and his team face extremely difficult conditions in their effort to reduce the suffering of Syrians. But they cannot resolve the conflict. That can only happen if the Security Council takes the initiative.

Parallel Realities in New York

We asked Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador to the UN, what would have to happen for his country to relinquish its veto in the Security Council. He smiles smugly. "In the future perfect world, I am sure this is going to happen," he says. "But the composition of the current political world is such that the U.S. and its allies almost always have nine votes in the Security Council, which is what they need in order to adopt a resolution. So if we didn't have the veto power, each week or twice a week someone from Washington would send a draft revolution, Russia votes no, nobody cares, the resolution is adopted." Churkin's speech becomes more rapid and biting. "The U.S. wouldn't even care to talk to anybody. The Security Council could just move to Washington."

But what's the point of a Security Council that is just as polarized as it was during the Cold War? "No, no, no," Churkin says. "This is an overdramatization." Many years ago, he says, an older diplomat told him about the Cold War days. "If the U.S. was voting for a resolution, the Soviet Union was supposed to abstain or vote against. ... This is not the attitude today at all. We are trying our best."

Even Churkin, though, doesn't deny that the mood has become frigid. He has represented his country at the United Nations since 2006, making him the longest-serving ambassador on the Security Council. "I arrived here at what might seem an innocent time," he says. "The only big problem at the UN was climate change."

But then the Arab Spring began. In 2011, the Security Council passed a resolution on Libya on which Churkin abstained -- and which was, from the Russian perspective, then abused to overthrow the regime of Moammar Gadhafi. Now, Russia is seeking to protect a Syrian government with which it has enjoyed good relations for decades.

If Russia hadn't come to Assad's aid, his government would have been "toppled by terrorists," Churkin says, adding that the West is to blame. "It was the U.S. and U.K. intervention in Iraq that created the whole problem" in the Middle East, Churkin says. When Western counterparts attack him over his votes on the Syria conflict, "I remind them they should look into the mirror more often."

Twenty blocks from the Russian mission to the UN, in a sun-drenched corner office with a breathtaking view of Manhattan, the East River and UN headquarters, sits Churkin's British counterpart Matthew Rycroft, 48, shaking his head vigorously. "The Russians have a policy ... to distract attention away from the truth, create what they call facts, but what we call fantasy," he says. The U.K.'s top UN diplomat finds it difficult to hide his frustration. "Russia's vetoes are paralyzing the Security Council," Rycroft says. "They're killing the reputation of the council."

Rycroft continues: "Our goal in Syria is peace" and "a transition away from Assad" -- which, he says, is basically the same thing. "There will only be peace when Assad leaves." Syria's president, he says, lost his legitimacy when he used chemical weapons on his own people. By supporting Assad, he continues, Russia is merely prolonging the conflict.

Churkin and Rycroft often find themselves sitting in the same room with the same mandate: that of ending the war in Syria. But an abyss has opened up between the West and the East, one which gets deeper with each passing day. China, the fifth veto power, usually sides with Russia, primarily because it is opposed on principle to the UN interfering in countries' internal affairs.

The UN hesitated for a long time, too long, when the Syrians rose up in peaceful protests against the Assad regime. Ban Ki-moon took a wait-and-see approach and the Arab League proposed possible solutions that went nowhere. UN officials met with Assad and reached understandings with him, but the dictator merely broke them and unleashed the war. In spring 2012, the UN and the Arab League named Kofi Annan as special envoy to Syria whereupon Annan presented a six-point plan calling for a dialogue between the regime and the opposition. But the plan failed: Russia remained loyal to Assad and the opposition defended itself. Annan gave up.

The next special envoy, Ladakh Brahimi, was forced to stand by and watch in 2013 when Assad transgressed the American "red line" and deployed chemical weapons, whereupon US President Barack Obama quietly disregarded the line he had drawn . Brahimi's successor, Staffan de Mistura, has been enduring his position's impotence since 2014. He is hoping that peace talks might once again take place in Geneva in February.

But Russia and the West find themselves living in parallel realities. With the Syrian crisis, the UN too has entered the post-fact era.

British UN Ambassador Rycroft mentions the results of an independent commission that was charged by the Security Council with investigating the report of chemical weapons use in Syria. The commission came to the conclusion that such weapons had been deployed against civilians on at least three occasions. Churkin, however, accuses his Western counterparts of having exerted pressure on the commission.

Even more absurd is the dispute over a bomb attack on a school in Idlib, in which 22 children and six teachers were killed at the end of October. There are indications that the Russian air force was involved in the attack and Rycroft has condemned the bombing. Churkin, though, maintains that the school was never even attacked in the first place.

And whereas Churkin insists that his country is fighting terrorism in Syria, Rycroft counters: "There are terrorists in Syria. There is also a coalition of 60 countries that is fighting against IS in Syria and elsewhere. Unfortunately, Russia isn't part of that coalition."

What Will Become of the UN?

The council whose purpose is to make the world a safer place works about as well as a windmill with broken blades. There have been numerous efforts to reform it, to forcibly shape it into a body that can fulfill its mandate.

The Security Council has an arsenal of means at its disposal to put a stop to fighting: cease-fires, peacekeeping missions, military observers, economic sanctions, weapons embargoes, travel moratoriums, the freezing of diplomatic relations or collective intervention. But none of these means is employed if one of the veto powers vote against it.

The UN, though, must often pitch in once war has come to an end, no matter what the result. In the case of Syria, that could mean that Vladimir Putin and future U.S. President Donald Trump will strike a deal to keep Assad in power. That would result in the UN having to work on behalf of Assad in an official capacity. Were that to happen, the United Nations, whose job it is to limit the lust for power among its members, would find itself stuck deep in the muck of realpolitik.

What, then, can be done to limit the power of those countries with too much of it?

Germany and other countries have long insisted that the number of permanent Security Council members be increased. Doing so, however, could result in even more complicated stasis. Another concept foresees the creation of a new category of nonpermanent members who would remain in the council for longer than the current two-year term. France and Britain, meanwhile, are in favor of permanent members renouncing their veto rights in instances where crimes against humanity have occurred. But who would have the last word on whether a crime against humanity has taken place? The West? Russia?

Michael Moller, director-general of the UN office in Geneva, has a vision for how the Security Council could look in the future. The council, he says, "has to be more representative." He proposes five regional councils that would address crises in their geographical areas. "They will have knowledge of the regions." Each regional council would have 15 members and three members of each regional council would have a seat on the global council.

Moller, though, also believes it will be impossible to abolish the vetoes currently held by the five permanent members. He is hoping that the pressure to reform will come from civil society. Some UN achievements would never have come about without public pressure, he said, and mentioned the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an example. He adds that a global movement focusing on the UN is necessary.

It is a nice idea. But despite all of the images from Syria, there have been no mass protests against the Security Council and no demonstrations in front of UN offices. There have only been myriad impotent expressions of dismay.

Guide to Saving the World

Is it unfair to expect the UN to be grander and better than its member states? The organization itself raises this expectation by way of its declarations of purpose and avowals. At UN headquarters in New York, a poster even hangs in front of the basement restrooms proclaiming "Guide to Saving the World."

But the organization's central body, the Security Council, is only as strong as the willingness to compromise shown by its five permanent members. These five countries alone can bring wars to an end -- if it's in their interests.

The General Assembly, which represents all 193 UN member states, could become the forum of a true global democracy -- if it had control over such a development. But in order to strengthen the General Assembly to the point that it might become relevant in crises such as the one ongoing in Syria, it would need -- surprise, surprise -- the agreement of the Security Council.

The UN fails to live up to its own, self-proclaimed mission: It neither unites the nations nor does it save the world. Indeed, it can't do so because the world doesn't allow it. But we need it nonetheless in these uneasy times. Perhaps now more than ever before.

The UN, after all, holds up a mirror to humanity and reminds us that things could be different. And perhaps that is the UN's greatest merit, that it shows us what could be possible -- living together in peace, stopping the catastrophic warming of our planet and ending hunger. More than anything, the UN is an inspiration, an incentive. Therein lays its authority, but also its failure.

A December morning in New York serves to demonstrate how grotesque and cumbersome it can be. Hundreds of diplomats are streaming into the General Assembly Hall for the swearing-in of Antonio Guterres. The day's agenda includes the document A/71/L.40 and Agenda Item 113 -- and all of the items are faithfully fulfilled: the adoption of the resolution paying tribute to the outgoing secretary-general, a 90 minute speech praising Ban Ki-moon and a farewell speech from Ban, all accompanied by standing ovations.

Then, the 67-year-old Guterres takes his oath of office. He hugs everyone on the stage, one after the other, and receives kisses from many of them.

The expectations of the new UN secretary-general are immense. It is hoped that he will provide stronger leadership than Ban Ki-moon and that he will be listened to by those in power. As a former head of the UN Refugee Agency and an ex-prime minister of Portugal, he knows both the UN and the ins-and-outs of politics. Guterres is considered an intellectual, as someone who can lose himself for hours in a book store. He grew up as a leftist Christian in a dictatorship. As a politician, he proved to have a knack for forging consensus.

Even without the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States, Guterres would not have been faced with an easy task. Now, many at the UN are concerned that the incoming U.S. administration will seek to further weaken the global body. If Trump continues to deny climate change, to express contempt for multilateralism and to denigrate the UN on Twitter, it will be a difficult test for the efficacy of Guterres' reason and pragmatism.

Elements of his inaugural speech in December sound promising. "The United Nations must be ready to change," he said in his 20-minute address. He speaks of his reform ideas, talks about sexual abuse committed by UN peacekeepers, demands less bureaucracy and insists on the need for improved legal protection for whistleblowers.

It is conspicuous that he only briefly mentions Syria in his inaugural address -- and the fact that the crisis hardly got a mention in his new year's address either. After his swearing-in, however, reporters in the foyer ask him about the ongoing conflict. "This is a war in which everybody is losing," he says before promising that he would "engage personally" in efforts to stem the violence. Even though, he adds, he knows that "the secretary-general is not the leader of the world .... The primacy of the work comes to member states."

By Katrin Kuntz, Marc Pitzke, Maximilian Popp, Gordon Repinski and Samiha Shafy
Algiers (Algeria), January 12, 2017 (SPS) - The decision of the European Union Court of Justice, whose verdict, issued on 21 December, indicates that the association and liberalization agreements between the EU and Morocco are not applicable to Western Sahara, is pressure to the Union and its members, a senior European diplomat in Brussels said, according to the Algerian daily El Moujahid.

"The CJUE ruling is pressing for the EU and its Member States. We live in a state of law, and we must abide by every decision taken by justice, "Nicholas Westcott, Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa in the European External Action Service, said during an exchange of views with members of The Committee on Foreign Affairs in, the European Parliament.

The Ambassador of Algeria in Brussels, Amar Belani, congratulated himself on the "clear" statements of the European diplomat, stating that the latter "are not suffering from any ambiguity" and "confirm the well-founded analysis we had made of the judgment of the CJUE of December 21, 2016 ". SPS

125/090/TRA
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  City preservationists are looking east for their next project.

The Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program was awarded a $30,000 state grant to comb the East Side for historic structures, architecture and infrastructure. The neighborhood contains a fair number of intact residential blocks and late 19th and early 20th century street scapes that have not been accounted for, according to a statement from HNP.

The state Historic Preservation Office defines such an inventory as a tool for municipal officials, local planners, preservationists, property owners and researchers.

As HNP wraps up a similar inventory in Glenbrook, secretary Wes Haynes said the nonprofit group looked to the East Side, which was bisected by I-95 in the 1950s.

The East Side was a much more cohesive neighborhood prior to I-95, and any widening of the interstate could take out the remaining abutting historic resources, he said, citing the Federal Railroad Administrations interest in streamlining the Northeast Corridor between New York City and Boston. We want to identify those resources and minimize damage to neighborhoods in that kind of undertaking.

HNP has used the state grant to hire Rachel Carley, a preservation consultant, author and guest curator at the Litchfield Historical Society, who will aid in the historic sweep of the neighborhood.

While Haynes said hes not entirely sure what the inventory will uncover, he has his eye on an old brick building at 39 Courtland Ave., St. Basils Seminary and St. Johns Park  a World War I memorial.

Thats a monument thats been forgotten a little bit because it was developed around, he said. It was one of the first World War I monuments in the Northeast ... that would be a public monument that could be eligible for the National Register (of Historic Places).

A rushed, though successful, effort to save a cluster of abandoned homes and a historic factory in the South End from the wrecking ball late last year is motivating preservationists to stay ahead of the curve in 2017.

Inventories are the first step in making sure that we have historic information on buildings and neighborhoods before someone has a development plan, he said. Instead of chasing fire engines and trying to put out the fire, were being proactive. This is the longest-range kind of step to take in that process.

There isnt the same development pressure on the East Side as the South End, where the preservationist groups actions led Building and Land Technology to rescind demolition permits for the abandoned properties late last year. But Haynes said many East Side residents are house proud, and getting these homes on the national or state register of historic places could open the door to tax credits that would make necessary upkeep more attainable for the average homeowner.

We want to help the neighborhood hold onto its historic homes, he said.

nora.naughton@scni.com; @noranaughton
STAMFORD  State Rep. Terry Adams, now in his second term, has been named assistant majority leader of the House Democratic Caucus.

The city resident, who will serve under Majority Leader Matthew Ritter, has also been appointed to the legislatures Human Services, Public Safety and Banks committees. He will serve as vice chairman of Human Services.
WESTON  Christopher Byron, a veteran investigative business reporter and New York Times best-selling author, died Saturday. He was 72.

Byron, of Weston, was a prolific writer with roughly 40 years of experience at some of the worlds top news and magazine publications. He published six books.

Described by those who knew him as the David to some of the business worlds most ruthless Goliaths, Byron was perhaps best known for his knack at uncovering the unsavory past or secret wrongdoings of prominent business figures.

He loved calling people out and holding their feet to the fire, said Katy Poats, Byrons daughter and managing editor of news at Snapchat. He didnt care if he had the unpopular opinion, if he had the facts and evidence to back it up.

Byron was a high school dropout who served a stint in the Navy before graduating from Yale and eventually Columbia Universitys School of Law. He got his start in journalism as a beat reporter for The Hour in the late 1960s. He went on to work for Time magazine, Forbes, New York magazine, Esquire, Playboy, New York Daily News, New York Observer and New York Post. He also was the owner and host of the syndicated network radio program, Wall Street Wakeup.

Many of Byrons six books were published despite objections from the individuals they portrayed. Martha Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart, which chronicled Stewarts rise to success, appeared for 13 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and was made into an NBC Movie of the Week.

Roddy Boyd, Byrons former colleague and the founder of the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation (for which Byron was a board member), said Byron had a fearless drive to hold business figures accountable with his storytelling.

Whether youre talking about a company, an investment bank, somebody who is in the shadows or a popular CEO, Boyd said. He had no fear.

His entire writing career was designed simply  at some level  to illuminate the many ways in which the guys in Washington and guys in Wall Street screw the little guy, Boyd said. He stuck up for them against big companies and against penny stocks.

Ultimately, Byrons reporting triggered handfuls of federal criminal law enforcement investigations, which led to the arrest, indictment and conviction of a dozen felons, including Martha Stewart.

Byrons work, however, did not come without criticism. Over the years, he was sued several times and even received death threats. In 2006, Byron and his family were given round-the-clock protection after he and his wife received a death threat in response to one of his articles.

Byron is survived by his ex-wife, Maria, his children, Jana, Katy and Nick, and his brother Kevin Byron.

Outside of his work, which his family said was difficult to separate from his personal life, Byron was described as a funny guy with an amazing sense of humor.

He was a long-distance runner and weight-lifter in his younger years, appreciated ballet and oil painting and enjoyed throwing large dinner parties. He also loved being out on the water aboard his boat, The Fancy Diver (named after one of his books), which he kept in Saugatuck.

At the time of his death, Byron was still working on two books. One was on the pharmaceutical industry, which Poats said Byron was having a difficult time getting published because of its critical portrayal of parts of the industry.

He always played by the rules. He loved catching people who were breaking the law, Poats said. Thats what he lived for and that really translated into the rest of his life.

A wake will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Collins Funeral, 92 East Ave., Norwalk. A memorial service will follow. The public is welcome.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203- 354-1049; @kevinedschultz
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  A city man who leaped over the White House fence in 2015 has been sentenced to three years probation.

Joseph Caputo pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful entry onto restricted grounds and appeared before Judge Christopher Cooper for sentencing Thursday morning in Washington.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to not seek the maximum one-year jail sentence and Caputo agreed not to enter the District of Columbia and any facilities, sites or come into contact with people under Secret Service protection.

The then-23-year-old Caputo went to the nations capital on Thanksgiving Day 2015 to deliver his own version of the U.S. Constitution. The Stamford resident vaulted the fence wearing white pants, sneakers and an American flag tied around his neck like a cape while carrying his rendition of the Constitution in a binder tightly clenched in his teeth.

Caputo told the Secret Service he did not intend to harm the president and was there to share his thoughts about what the country should stand for, according to authorities.

Caputos attorney, Stephan Seeger, said during a telephone interview Thursday as he drove back to Stamford that the sentence was fair.

You wont see Joe Caputo in court in the future, Seeger said. He wants to move on and put this all behind him now.

Seeger said his client will no longer be required to have the electronic monitoring device that hes been wearing for the past year. He said his client will need to cooperate with the Secret Service if they want to interview him and Caputo will undergo another psychiatric evaluation.

Seeger had argued his clients actions were protected by the same rights every American has to free speech, expression and protest and requested a one-year probation sentence.

Joseph Caputo had a noble reason for going over the White House fence, Seeger said. The shocking part was the way he delivered his message and that is what we primarily addressed in court.

Following his arrest by the Secret Service, Caputo was released into the custody of his mother in Stamford, given a curfew and an electronic monitoring device.

Seeger submitted letters for the sentencing from former college professors and friends and even cops praising Caputo, who studied criminal justice at the University of Bridgeport. One of the letters was written by a retired Stamford police sergeant, Anthony Butch Lupinacci.

Joseph is a young man with much compassion for his fellow human beings, Lupinacci wrote. He always places people before himself and truly wants to help others. Joseph loves our country and is truly proud to be an American.

Seeger said Caputo has accepted his sentence.

The funny thing was his passion and love for this country led to his decision to deliver the message in the wrong way, Seeger said. But after going through the court system, he is a better American for it and that is the way he feels.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NORWALK  In an otherwise cheery neighborhood, at the intersection of two busy streets, the house at 319 Flax Hill Road can only be described as ominous.

Surrounded by a stone wall that screams keep out, the home is covered with dark, faded peeling paint, some windows are boarded while others are hanging on only by a hinge. Mud tracks through the yard indicate someone was there recently, but likely only to place a large white sign by the bright red front door.

Demolition, it reads in all caps.

What is likely one of the oldest homes on the historic Flax Hill Road is facing its last days as a new property owner prepares to tear down the 1770s-era house despite the best efforts of the Norwalk Preservation Trust and the Norwalk Historical Society.

It was built around 1776, said Tod Bryant, president of the Norwalk Preservation Trust. At that time Flax Hill Road was the Post Road. So that means that anybody  armies, ordinary citizens, George Washington  anybody traveling from New York to Boston traveled on that road. That house and that road have seen a lot of history. To lose it means were losing one of the few houses that is vintage on the original Post Road.

Upon learning the property might be demolished, Bryant and David Westmoreland, vice chair of the Norwalk Historical Commission, invoked a demolition delay. The delay, which prevents the owner from further action for 120 days, was designed to allow the pair to speak with the owner and present alternatives.

Property records show the property, which is actually comprised of three separate lots, was purchased by Don Sturges in December 2016. Sturges, co-founder of the Ridgefield-based construction company Sturges Brothers, Inc., did not return requests for comment on the property, but Westmoreland and Bryant said he has been amenable to listening to their concerns, and although he still plans to tear down the home and build three new ones, has tentatively agreed to salvage some aspects of the historic property.

The property owner has been very gracious and invited us in numerous times to look at the building and try to determine which parts are really historic, Westmoreland said. ... Hes trying to be sensitive to the community and well see what happens. Its part of our history. Its part of the defining character of our town ... Ultimately it is private property and we respect the rights of property owners, we just hope they respect how their buildings fit in to the larger community.

Property records show the home was foreclosed on in 2015, and by every indication it hasnt been occupied since. Constructed in the 1770s, the home was expanded upon multiple times and most recently in the 1920s when colonial revival was trendy.

What sometimes happened to these houses was even though they were real 18th and 19th century houses, they sometimes were not colonial enough, Bryant said. They added some conjectural details that were in the colonial vein but not necessarily totally accurate. What you have is a core of an 18th century house and then early 20th century colonial revival modifications, all of which are significant.

Claudia Joslyn-Tzucanow, who now lives in Mexico, purchased the home with her husband in 1969 and lived there for nearly 30 years. At the time, Joslyn-Tzucanow said she attempted to have the property added to the National Registry of Historic Places but was unsuccessful because property records dating back to the homes original construction had been destroyed in a fire.

In hindsight I should have pushed harder to have it recognized, Joslyn-Tzucanow said.

In an attempt to protect the property from the development of the surrounding area, the Tzucanows purchased neighboring properties. Unfortunately Bryant said that seems to be what has doomed the property to demolition.

What you have there is zoned as three buildable lots so you can build three houses there, Bryant said. So the current owner is a builder who was able to buy three lots in the middle of Norwalk for a pretty good price ... and to rehab a house like that and be able to sell it in todays market, it wouldnt be cheap. Its a considerable loss.

KKrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt
A SOS was on Thursday celebrating bumper Christmas trading, but a row over working conditions at the online retailer remains unresolved.

Chief executive Nick Beighton said he has heard nothing formal from politicians since inviting them to tour Asoss warehouse in October. They were invited in response to allegations of a highly pressurised environment.

I have not been invited to attend a Select Committee hearing, he said. I have constantly denied the allegations and I, and particularly our staff, find it upsetting.

Beighton was more upbeat about the firms performance in the four months to December 31.

Revenues rose 36% to 621.3 million, helped by the weaker pound tempting overseas buyers, and strong Black Friday and Christmas sales.

Bestsellers in menswear included skinny jeans, while dresses and make-up proved popular with female shoppers.

The company now expects annual revenue growth to be between 25% and 30%, against previous guidance of 20% to 25%.
P rimark has shrugged off concerns that the retailer was over-reliant on store openings, after new space caused sales to rise 11% in its first quarter.

Shares in parent Associated British Foods today fell 82p, or 3%, to 2612p, but finance chief John Bason said the firm was confident in our retail proposition.

ABF declined to give a figure but said UK same-store sales were good. Barclays put growth at 2%.

The beauty of Primark is that weve not only got [growth in existing stores], we have store expansion, Bason said.

However Bason did admit that womenswear spending had been softer, reflecting Next boss Lord (Simon) Wolfsons belief that consumers are shifting spending away from fashion to leisure and experiences.

Group revenue at ABF, which also has big sugar and grocery businesses, rose 22%. Stripping out a boost from the weak pound, sales were 10% higher.

Sugar sales rose 22%, on rising prices and greater production in Africa. UK sugars performance will improve substantially across the year amid higher prices, lower beet costs and the fall in sterling, ABF said.

In the grocery business, sales of tea brand Twinnings grew strongly in the UK, North America and Australia.
What do you do?

Im the general manager for Bayer consumer healthcare in the UK and Ireland. My division includes brands ranging from Berocca and Rennie to the womens intimate health range Canesten.

Positives?

I like that our products are genuinely helping people feel better, faster. Were also helping save the NHS millions by providing products, advice and self-diagnosis tools for people that allow them to care for themselves and save them from visiting a GP until they need their expertise.

I like that my job allows me to build brands and customer relationships, be that through retailers, pharmacists, GPs, nurses or specialists.

Negatives?

As a leader, youre always outnumbered. The calls on your time from internal demands like email can take over your life if you dont manage it properly.

Biggest break?

My biggest break was that, when I was 11, my grandmother tried to marry me off in our village in Cameroon to a very respectable family.

I explained that I did not want to get married at 11 because I wanted to graduate from university and run a company one day.

She looked at me in the middle of the bush and stared intensely after working hard to arrange such a marriage, and simply said: Then surround yourself with the best, learn from the best, strive to be the best, and lift as you climb.

I knew as we walked back to our village that evening, looking at other young women with families, that I had my first big break in life.

Wow! And professionally?

It was in my final year at secondary school in America. I knew I wanted to be a general manager of a business and asked one of the professors how to do it.

He said I needed an internship at Procter & Gamble because theyd trained more CEOs than any other company. I said: how do I get one of those? and he said I wouldnt: I was only 16 and they only hire MBAs.

Nothing spurs me more than being told I cant do something, so I asked every adult I met for a year if they could help, and eventually one said P&G were opening up their intern programme to a few non-MBA students.

I applied and got a P&G internship at 17 and had exceptional mentors. I worked hard to get an invitation back every summer through college, and the experience was so positive I stayed for 18 years. I took my African grandmothers advice and learned from the best.

Biggest setback, and what did it teach you?

I got a job as Mercks general manager for Western Europe consumer care and moved my husband and two young kids over here.

But just a few months later the business was sold to Bayer. It felt like being the child of a single parent who suddenly tells you theyre getting married and the weddings tomorrow. It was, like: Who is he? Do I still get to live in the house? Do I get to keep my bedroom?

Eventually, after being interviewed many, many times, I secured my dream job, which I have now. After sleepless nights of the unknown for myself and my family, it turned out great.

I tell young people all the time: get experience because one day when things get shaken up, and they will, your experience is all you can rely on.

How is your work-life balance?

You have got to accept that there is no balance. I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and I work eight to 12 hours a day.

I only have a few hours to be with my family and perform all those other roles too. So I found that striving for harmony, not balance, helped me stop feeling guilty.

I focus on trying to make sure everything is working well, and if not, I pause and work it out.

We have childcare and I have taken the lessons from my upbringing and created a supportive village around us of fellow parents and friends to help out with things. It really does take a village to raise a family.

Whats helped you most in your career?

So many things! I was born and raised in the US but my dad is African, and every summer when I was growing up, wed go to my familys village. It has its own king and a tribe. You had to walk to get water and carry it back on your head. Youd bathe out of a bucket, make your own toys.

Growing up with that, you will rarely hear me complain or think something is impossible: there is always someone who has it worse and I believe anything is possible!
T he Gym Group could benefit if Brexit dampens consumer spending power, the boss of the budget fitness chain said on Thursday as he revealed a sales leap.

John Treharne, whose firm typically charges members 17 a month, said: If Brexit has an adverse impact on the economy, we will inevitably see people pricing down their [expensive] gym memberships to more affordable ones.

As Britons pursue New Year fitness goals, the 89-site chain said membership numbers surged 19.1% to 448,000 in 2016.

Full-year revenue increased 22.6% and the firm is on track to hit 8.8 million profit forecasts.

The Gym Group has secured sites for 17 new branches this year, including in Holborn, Streatham and Kingsbury.

Treharne said he was looking forward "to continued profitable progress in 2017".

But shares fell 5.39p to 194.86p amid City jitters over the pace of expansion.

Numis analyst Wyn Ellis said: Structural growth opportunities for low-cost gym operators continue to be very promising.
W hy is the political class so obsessed with 18-year-olds going to university? Is it because they assume that what worked for them will work for everybody else? Bring back night schools  learning isnt one-size-fits-all and it certainly doesnt end at 18 or 21.

I remember a time when Londoners could do part-time courses in the evening to gain new skills that would let them move into a better job and build a better life for their family. Floodlight, a Yellow Pages for adult education, was available at every newsagents. New York puts us to shame when it comes to lifelong learning  anyone travelling on the subway passes walls plastered with adverts for evening classes alongside the salaries commanded by each profession.

Too many Londoners are trapped in low-paid work with no real prospects of moving into more fulfilling and better-paid work. What opportunities are there for those working in call centres, or on zero-hours contracts in retail or hospitality, to learn new skills if they missed out as teenagers?

Night schools change lives. My own mother  an unskilled working-class mum who was uncertain about her future  took an evening course in shorthand at the local college, stooping over her typewriter after long days working as a home help.

Thirty years later, with her City and Guilds certificate still sitting pride of place on her living room wall, she retired from her position as a manager at Haringey council. In many ways I owe everything that I have to the opportunities that she seized to become a single-parent breadwinner for our family.

But night schools are closing their doors across London and the rich tradition of adult education in our capital stretching back to the establishment of Birkbeck University and City Lit in 1823 and 1919 respectively is on the brink of collapse. A toxic combination of budget cuts amounting to 40 per cent since 2011 and political neglect from successive governments has all but destroyed opportunities for working-class people to climb the ladder.

Night schools epitomise something that is at the very heart of what makes London great  the idea that this is a place of opportunity for those willing to work hard, which attracts the brightest and the best from across our own country and indeed the globe.

The situation is made even more urgent in the context of Brexit. Not only will we be more reliant on our own labour force to plug the huge skills gaps that plague our economy, many Londoners in outer boroughs who voted to Leave did so because they feel left out of the citys growth industries. The average worker in Barking and Dagenham earns on average nearly 40 per cent less than the average Londoner  it is blindingly obvious that we must provide them with opportunities to acquire new skills and benefit from the best job opportunities London has to offer.

A new era of night schools and a renewed culture of adult learning would do so much to provide opportunities for more people to fulfil their potential. This is why I have called a debate in Parliament tomorrow on the future of adult education and night schools. Since 2010, Parliament has discussed education on 339 occasions but there has been practically no debate on adult education. Its time for things to change: learning is a lifelong affair.

David Lammy is the Labour MP for Tottenham
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.
T he retailers results from Christmas are in, and a succession of them are reporting upbeat sales: M&S, Tesco, Morrisons and John Lewis. Its all part of an optimistic economic story that runs counter to the gloomy prognostications that followed the referendum. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, who had predicted a possible recession, now says the immediate risks from Brexit have diminished and the threats to financial stability are greater in Europe than for Britain. None of which should be taken as proof that we have surmounted the risks, just that the economy has proved robust in a way that economists did not predict. There will be bad effects from the weakness of the pound on prices, which will certainly affect retailers, but we should be grateful that for now, at least, London is booming. And not just spending: the labour market remains relatively strong and so do wages.

Part of the good news for London is that there are record numbers of Chinese visitors here, spending more than they do in Europe. This is heartening; if London is open for business, it is especially open for wealthy Chinese whom we have been wooing with easier visa requirements for a long time. Bookings for January, which includes the start of the Chinese New Year on the 28th, are 81 per cent up on last year. For the first three months of 2017 they are up 43 per cent on 2016. Granted, some of the upsurge is attributable to the relative weakness of the pound but it all promises a welcome fillip for tourism.

There are of course areas where we could be doing better. House prices remain prohibitively high, which is why the Chancellor should pay heed to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industrys criticism of stamp duty, a tax on property mobility. We also need rapid reform of iniquitous business rates. But lets be glad for good news: a spirit of optimism is what we need now.

Follow Hamburg

We should listen to the Germans. And we should pay special heed to the wisdom of Christoph Lieben-Seutter, the general and artistic director of the magnificent new Hamburg concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie, which cost 684 million to build and which opened last night. He observed that existing institutions in London could not compete with modern acoustically superior buildings. It cannot, he said, be too much for a city of 10 million people to have a contemporary concert hall. Is there a demand for it? You can make the demand. Hes right.

Shamefully, last year the Government withdrew business plan funding for a new concert hall in London, which had been promised by former Chancellor George Osborne. It is notable that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, attended the opening concert of the Elbphilhar-monie German politicians understand that a state of the art concert hall is a necessity for a world-class city. Our political class should take note: a concert hall is not for the elite but for the people. Hamburg can do it; so can we.

Toxic air: the fightback

Sadiq Khans toxicity charge on Londons most polluting vehicles may not cleanse the filthy air overnight but it is nonetheless an important step in the right direction  and a symbol of the Mayors commitment to this crucial issue for Londoners. The daily 10 levy comes into force later this year and is expected to affect around 9,000 drivers. It will be a burden for some but in time it should encourage the removal of older, highly polluting vehicles from our streets  and that is something which will benefit all of us. We have to start somewhere.
A friend of mine is an author called Edward Brooke-Hitching. His new book, The Phantom Atlas, was published just before Christmas, and is about the lies and myths that end up on maps  California was once believed to be an island; giants were thought to roam Patagonia. Its fascinating (Im biased, but The Times reviewer thought so too) and beautifully illustrated  you can tell money was spent on it by the publisher, Simon & Schuster.

Ah yes, its publisher is the UK arm of S&S. And for some readers, this is a problem. I was going to buy this but I see youre publishing a book by Milo Yiannopoulos so I wont, one wrote on The Phantom Atlass Facebook page. Brooke-Hitching has also received Twitter messages along the same lines.

Yiannopoulos, as youre probably tired of hearing, is the pro-Trump troll who peddles hate under the guise of free speech and was banned from Twitter for inciting a harassment campaign against Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones. He recently signed a $250,000 deal with Threshold, a Right-wing US imprint of Simon & Schuster, for a book titled Dangerous. Threshold also published Crippled America by one Donald Trump.

There has been much debate about how to respond to Yiannopouloss deal. Its galling to think his pockets will get lined for the kind of mind junk shock-jocks have spouted for years but I think wed be better attacking his arguments than try to muffle them. He will only scream louder, any boycott acting as an accelerant spreading his views.

But it matters how we protest as well as what were protesting against. Clearly the way to make a stand against Yiannopouloss toxic spewings is not to buy a book about maps written by an author who has never met him. Even though that author had his book deal before Yiannopoulos. And S&S UK isnt publishing Dangerous. Yes, youre hurting the right person there. Not at all baby, bathwater.

This perverse logic feels part of something broader. The term virtue signalling has been debased by being thrown at anyone who expresses concern for a drowning child refugee. Ive probably been accused of it myself. But here I think it does apply. Thats why the Phantom Atlas non-readers had to put this on Facebook or Twitter. Theyre like the rich folk who give ostentatiously at the temple in Jesuss parable  they want their morality to be seen.

One of the reasons Twitter has become so insufferable is that its now the epicentre of this behaviour. I was scolded by another journalist for calling the Calais camp the Jungle, even though refugees living there called it that, and were using the word to illustrate how dehumanising the conditions were. It wasnt enough to tell me off  he ensured his followers saw too (incidentally, the problem was more the camps existence than what it was called).

Im not knocking having ideals, nor calling people to account. That would be rather hypocritical. What I wish, though  whether its book-boycotting or Twitter-whining  is that we hit the right targets with our rage.

Papa dont preach  Madonna is a pioneer

Madonna, the queen of pop who has seen off countless pretenders, has spoken to this months Harpers Bazaar about the sexism she suffers, and the way shes attacked for having younger lovers.

Im on team Madge here. And its often the same men who envy Mick Jagger  a man who now has a son younger than his great grand-daughter  who suggest Madonna should be on Mature Singles scouting silver surfers. Guys, this is Madonna! Shes a pioneer. She has always challenged sexual conventions about women. Inappropriate is her modus vivendi.

And shes pops Hillary Clinton: a forerunner, shifting the plates for the rest of us.

I bet, in 2050, a nonagenarian Madonna will be showing off her 22-year-old squeeze.

First Facebook, next stop the White House?

Mark Zuckerberg  the Facebook boss who makes me feel woefully inadequate by being both my age (32) and worth some $50 billion  has just made a hire.

President Obamas campaign manager David Plouffe will become the Chan Zuckerberg Initiatives president of policy and advocacy. Ken Mehlman, who was George W Bushs campaign manager, will also head the organisations board.

This has sparked speculation that the Zuck is planning a run for the Oval Office. He just happens to have found God. He just happens to have pledged to visit all 50 states this year. By 2020 hell have passed the minimum age (35) to be President.

After Trump, it makes sense: it wont just be the guy who can manipulate the news agenda, itll be the guy whose website controls how you see it.

Moonlight should be an awards shoo-in

The Hollywood awards machine and I rarely agree on greatness. The Revenant? A pretty tourism ad for Canada, sure, but 150 minutes of Leo gurning shouldnt have earned him a Best Actor Oscar (he should have got his statuette for The Wolf of Wall Street). And how, in 2015, was Birdman better than Boyhood? So when a film I adore triumphs, its as though, after years of parental raised eyebrows at my boyfriends, Ive finally brought home an inamorato they embrace.

On Sunday, Moonlight won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. No awards for its stars Naomie Harris or Mahershala Ali, or its score, but small steps. The film  released next month  tells the story of a black gay man, Chiron, during three chapters of his life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood. Chiron is shy, conveying the pain of eye contact and the fear of being touched with a simultaneous desperation to be touched.

Im as in love with Moonlight as members of Momentum are with Jeremy Corbyn. Its delicate, yet there are moments that feel like sucker punches. It forces viewers to confront their prejudices. And it feels utterly anti-Trump. Do see it.
I f you're finding January a little too grey, now is the time to plan for some colour in your life by booking an art-filled holiday.

City breaks may be a great bet for a trip to world-famous art galleries, but if you want to go to the places that inspired some of the finest artists, we have a few suggestions.

New Mexico

Georgia OKeeffe had a major retrospective at Tate Modern last year, acknowledging her importance as one of the foremost modernist American artists. Later in her career, she went to New Mexico where she took a new artistic direction and produced some of her best work, inspired by its rich landscapes. The sun-drenched colours of the city are enough to make you want to get out a paintbrush yourself, and you can visit the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe if you want to enjoy its cultural scene.

Venice

The Venice Art Biennale is one of the biggest events on the international arts calendar. It takes place every two years, and in 2017 director Christine Macels exhibition title is Viva Arte Viva - an expression of passion for art and the role of the artist. More than 500,000 people now attend, so get your hotel booked quick - it runs from 13 May to 26 November. While there, why not walk the streets of the famous Venetian school, credited with being the first major influence on the development of painting.

Helsinki

See the landscapes that inspired Finnish artist and Moomin creator Tove Jansson, and make your way around the many art galleries littering the city. The contemporary art scene is thriving, with Galerie Anhava offering a chance to find out more about contemporary Finnish and Nordic conceptual artists. If you love public art, you can see a sculpture dedicated to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius in Sibelius Park, along with a monument to Finnish epic poem The Kalevala.

Sussex

If you dont fancy leaving the country but need to get your art fix, Sussex has plenty of beautiful British art gems. Head to Charleston house to see where the Bloomsbury Group lived, worked and loved ahead of Dulwich Picture Gallerys Vanessa Bell exhibition in February, then make your way over to Monks House, where her sister Virginia Woolf lived. Petworth House isnt far and will allow you to see the magnificent landscapes created by Capability Brown. If you dont mind a bit of driving, you could also pop over to Margate and visit the Turner Contemporary, one of the most intriguing new galleries outside of London.

Milan

Although best known for high fashion, Milan is vastly underappreciated as an arts hub. Perhaps the most famous of its museums is Pinacoteca di Brera, known as the Brera, which houses some of Italys true masterpieces. Its highlight is the extraordinary St Mark Preaching in Alexandria by Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, which has hung there since 1809, but take your time at the Brera: there are countless wonders throughout, and occasional piano recitals in the evenings too. Since James Bradburne became director, the gallery has been updated, repainted, and most of the art is now accompanied by details, making it all the more accessible. A little walk away is the beautiful Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses Leonardo da Vincis last supper, while theres more da Vinci in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana close by, which also boasts one of Caravaggios earliest still life paintings, Basket of Fruit. If youre treating yourself, stay in the splendid Mandarin Oriental, which is convenient for all the major museums and the Duomo. Its raspberry and pea risotto is heavenly. David Ellis

This article was brought you in association with Hiscox Home Insurance, providers of expert cover for valued homes, art and high-value items. Visit hiscox.co.uk/home to find out more.

For more Hiscox

How to curate your own art collection

What does David Bowie's art collection say about him?

Would you buy a painting online?
L ondoners are in with a chance of trying the first cocktail to go into space.

The drink, which the Standard can only assume tastes out-of-this-world, was launched 27km above the earths surface by Mayfair bar Mr Foggs Residence and food mavericks Bompas & Parr.

The video above shows the bottle on its journey, which lasted more than two hours and utilised a special space balloon. The drink was exposed to temperatures as low as -57C before returning to the ground.

The well-travelled liquid is now being turned into bitters which will flavour a limited edition cocktail at the bar, From The Earth to The Stars, a riff on a classic Negroni using the celestial bitters, campari, gin, lavender, grapefruit peels, orange peel, lemon peel, fresh chamomile and angelica root. There will only be 50 of these available, each costing 25.

Drinkers will get a certificate with their order, announcing that theyve drunk something thats done something more exciting than they have.

Though thought to be the first cocktail in space, it's far from the first alcohol to have been up there. The Russian Mir space station had a supply of cognac and vodka on board, while Buzz Aldrin famously took communion when he stepped foot on the moon in 1969, which seems like an ingenious way to legitimize drinking wine up there. Japanese distillers Suntory sent whisky into space in August 2015 to see how zero gravity would affect their spirit.

The best bars in London 1 /64 The best bars in London Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com/london

The Rosewood is doubly wonderful for drinkers, as theyve two fine spots. In the modern Dining Room, sit at the gin bar, which outstocks anywhere else in London, with more than 400 gins and 27 tonics. Trying to choose is impossible, but what a lovely impossibility to have. The bar staff clearly had one hell of a tasting session as they know the list perfectly. Across the way is Scarfes Bar, a brilliant, brilliant bar gladly shaken free from all the stuffiness usually found in hotel bars. The drinks are stunning, theyve often live music, it gets wonderfully busy and crackles with laughter. Go a little later and its busier, people drink more, everything is better. Bar Americain 20 Sherwood St, W1F 7ED, brasseriezedel.com

As the name suggests, this is a classic American bar, and done near perfectly. One can become very fond of Bar Americain and very quickly: passing through Piccadilly Circus, it acts as a magnet  a quick negroni becomes a temptation impossible to resist. Its a very beautiful place, calling to mind grand Parisian hotels of the 20s and 30s, bottles winking from the bar, staff floating through with their finery and litres of charm. Youre here to drink the classics: theyve a killer Clover Club and a straight-down-the-line Manhattan. But ask: the bartenders know their stuff and bring their A-game to any challenge  tell them what you like, and theyll bring you something new. They often have specials on, as well. Top marks for the attentive staff, bringing plenty of water and bowl after bowl of popcorn  both essential after a few here. Oriole Smithfield Markets, E Poultry Ave, EC1A 9LH, oriolebar.com

The team behind Nightjar took their winning formula, gave it a bit of a shake up and created Oriole. Theyve live music throughout the week  from Wednesday to Saturday, theres a charge per person, so watch out for that  which gives any night here a bit of zip. This is a strictly seated spot, so be sure to book: once inside, its a whirlwind tour of the world, with fine details from across the globe, both in the styling and the drinks and so much cheaper than booking a holiday. Drinks are excellent, whether youre into New Orleans style classics or something from the depths of Asia: explore the menu (split into Old World, New World and The Orient) and expect something unusual and faintly brilliant, with a touch of the Tiki. Put it this way: Oriole is ideal whether you prefer drinking from a crystal tumbler, a teacup or, er, a silver crocodile. Piano Works 113-117 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3BX, pianoworks.bar

Full credit to this fun Farringdon spot: theyve worked hard to make the place better and better since opening, which is pretty good going for what was already a decent spot to begin with. The Piano Works sounds like a quiet jazz bar but instead is a hell-raising house of sound, splendidly raucous, where a house band take requests and belt out your favourite songs. The more you get involved, the more fun it is, and the place heats up the later it gets. Wine starts at 16, house cocktails are 8, but they've tons of terrific deals during the week  including cocktails for a fiver (!!) Drink lots, dance lots and leave in the early hours with someone you shouldnt do. Thats what we did. Hawksmoor, Spitalfields 157A Commercial St, E1 6BJ, thehawksmoor.com

Its hardly surprising the bar snacks are a highlight here  have the oxcheek nuggets with a side of chips, then call the waiter over to order them over again  given how good the steak upstairs is. The drinks and setting, though, match them pound for pound. The old tube tiles on the walls, the beautiful parquet floor, the copper tops and silvery black ceiling make the large space a place to settle in for the night no matter your seat, while the cocktails come with oodles of thought in each one: the new menu has homemade bitters, shrubs and syrups, and its bloody obvious everyone behind the bar is more than a little nerdy about building drinks. Shaky Petes Ginger Brew is the classic, so have it, but follow up with the Shadow Boxer, a mix of scotch, sherry and Fernet-Branca. Odd, oddly delicious. Its also a cracking place to sit for a bottle of wine. Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington St, W1F 0LP, andrewedmunds.com

Perhaps better than its ever been, Andrew Edmunds recently won The Good Drinking prize in our Restaurant Awards, and for good reason. Its a small spot, cramped to the point that coming here on a first date feels like youre being very forward indeed , with the best tables upstairs and not much to look at  just settle for being distracted by someone beautiful. The food, French-ish/English-ish, is fine, but its the wine that's extraordinary. And youre here for wine: forget cocktails, they have. What a list, and so quietly marked up that youre getting a steal with almost every bottle  indeed, the more expensive the better the deal. Having been going 30 years, those who knew old Soho say its one of the last bastion of such things. Drink too much gorgeous wine and come back often. The Connaught Bar Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, the-connaught.co.uk

A bar for the impossibly beautiful, a bar of high heels and glimmering lights, of perfume and leather. Aside from oddly thumping music, the Connaught is wonderfully detached from the world  a place of its own, cosy and winter warm when it needs to be, light and summer when desired. The drinks, naturally pricey, are well put together and while classic in tone, come with crackles of theatre: washes in perfume bottles, branches as garnishes, smoke, the lot. Still, the martini trolley is what theyre famed for, so its only right to indulge. Afterward, head to the Champagne Room: sadly the law stops it being the cigar haven it once was, but it's still gorgeous: romantic and charming with its fireplace, dramatic with its glass ceiling and sculpture swan diving. Treat yourself to the Ruinart blanc de blanc. Damned good olives, too. Milk & Honey 61 Poland St, W1F 7NU, mlkhny.com

You know a bar is good when local bartenders love it, and Milk & Honey has long been a Soho favourite for those in the know. Hidden in plain sight this terrific bar has been doing its thing for just shy of 15 years. The talent hasnt diminished, and neither has the care put into the drinks. Cocktails are strong and proper and happily, they're updating the list soon to freshen things up. At around 10 a drink, M&H is also a bargain for central London, and the quality outstrips the price. It functions as a members bar, but non-members can book up until 11pm  though going earlier in the week means youre more likely to score a table. Milk & Honey is civilised, without the crushing formality. Next door is the Blind Pig, another top 'hidden' spot. Mark's Bar HIX Soho, 66- 70 Brewer St, W1F 9UP, hixrestaurants.co.uk

The bad: you might not get in. If its busy, they dont squeeze people into this basement, so either be there early, or bamboozle them with charm, or dazzle them with your brilliant wit. Were kidding: just take someone hot. The good: pretty much everything else. Naturally, the bar snacks are distractingly tasty, but the drinks list is excellent, and unusual too, with a few historical recipes brought back to life. Attention to detail is everything here, so if youre not sharing one of the big old Chesterfields, head to the bar and sit and watch  theres something about it thats like seeing a cardmaster turn tricks. And have a Hix Fix, just to say you have. The Beaufort bar and the American Bar at The Savoy The Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EU, fairmont.com

Glitz, glamour and lots of gold: both Savoy bars are wonderfully opulent. The world-famous American bar, recently revamped, is still up there as one of the best bars on our humble planet. The bartenders bible, Harry Craddocks The Savoy Cocktail Book, was written here, and the cocktails served today remain as finely tuned as they ever were. Whereas as other bars try to recreate the glamour of such places, The Savoy neednt pretend: everything is genuine. The palatial Beaufort is absurdly romantic, and drinks are extravagantly presented: it works for the most special of special occasions, and theres something undeniably grand about sipping away in the same place Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway all did. If youre planning a few drinks, either be rich or take someone rich  seriously. Artesian 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA, artesian-bar.co.uk

Artesian won its accolades for its team, Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who ran the place for eight years and earned its reputation as the best bar in the world. Theyve sadly departed, but have left the place in capable hands, and the feel is much the same as it ever was, which is chic, glamorous, and not taking itself too seriously. While the beautiful and the rich rub shoulders, the bartenders are mixing up excellent but often slightly silly drinks  but its their mischievousness that makes them so winning. Seriously impressive. Les Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels 8-10 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP, cvssevendials.com

Call it CVS and your night becomes considerably easier to pronounce. Sat in Neils Yard, it is one of Londons finest wine bars. Thoroughly French, of course: New World wines barely get a sideways glance, while even Italys finest is only begrudgingly given a little space on the considerable menu. This doesn't mean there is a lack of choice  to the contrary, it is almost overwhelming, though they have a short by-the-glass list, and the charming staff are both well informed and passionate about what to have. In the summer, sit outdoors, in the winter, cosy up by the bar. Wherever you are, try the mystery wine; if you guess it, youll win a bottle. Have food  small plates made to share, and terrifically good  and drink plenty, so the bill doesnt hit as hard. The Shrub & Shutter 336 Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8QH, theshrubandshutter.com

This Brixton bar felt new in the area, taking a little of east London and bringing it down south. Theyve a pleasingly patchwork approach to decor: there are jars and bottles and shakers everywhere, which gives the place a kitchen feel. The cocktails, lovely to drink on their own, are made better with the food, which is designed to match what youre drinking. The pairings initially sound a little gimmicky  crayfish with vodka, venison on the side of The Deerhunter (an old fashioned, basically)  but they work, so drop that sceptical streak for a moment. It gets busy, so book up, get in early, and stay late. Theyve a license until 3am, so itd be rude not to. Sky Pod at the Sky Garden 1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF, skygarden.london

The truth of it is, you come for the view, but good God it's a great view, and 360-degrees at that. Up 35 floors, if you can think of a London icon, you can probably see it. When the weather's good, get outside for some fresh air. With completely free entry and minimal security fuss, its worth making a reservation, though if youre ok to queue, theyll have you in. Cocktails arent torturously expensive, at around 11.50, and are very enjoyable  the cognac-chocolate-caramel-port mix that is Black and Gold is particularly good so it doesn't feel like they're relying on the sights.

Theres a sense of special occasion, and all the more so with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Theyre hoping for jazz on Wednesdays, too. If youre tempted to eat, Fenchurch and the Darwin Brasserie are well worth trying  Fenchurch is particularly good for veggies. The Gilbert Scott St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, NW1 2AR, thegilbertscott.co.uk

Given the golden hue here, where luxury hangs in the air like perfume, its remarkable that wine starts at as little as 5 a glass. Wine is its strong point, and likeable head sommelier Joris Beijn is a man worth knowing: he is passionate about his list, knowledgeable and accommodating. The bar is flexible, in that it is by turns ideal for a date, or a catch up with old friends, or a pre/post dinner drinks. The room is a stunner: high painted ceilings, dramatic red walls, great big bells as art, marble bar top and crystal glasses catching the light. Cocktails come in at around 14, and err on the light side: lots of gin and floral concoctions. The restaurant, next door, isnt to be missed, either, just be prepared to get an Uber home: invariably, youll stretch and tease out the evening to stay just a little longer. Gerry's Club 52 Dean Street, W1D 5BJ, gerrysclub.com

A word of warning: this is technically a member's club, but you'll probably be fine if you flirt enough  and don't ask for Gerry, he's long since passed. Michael looks after this place now. We've only been once  very late, very drunk and with very good friends. Most old-school Soho drinking dens are dead, but this hub of actors and writers is what remains of 'Old Soho'. If you're boring, steer clear: it is a place to drink wine and beer and tell stories, to laugh uproariously and to give yourself a monumental hangover in a faintly discreet way. 68 and Boston 4-5 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DD, 68andboston.com

Boston, the bar upstairs, looks like glamorous train carriage from the golden age of cocktails but plays it a little bit safe. Wine bar 68, downstairs, is the real gem, with a wonderful way of pricing: every bottle on the list is 20, so choose what you like, not what you can afford. Better yet, if you don't fancy a bottle, they're served by the carafe (14) or glass (5.50). Wines are well picked and Denise Medrano, wine blogger and lover found behind the bar, is always working to update the list  so go back to try something new. Youll probably end up getting drunk here: the pull of another bottle at just 20 is monumentally hard to resist, but hey, thats what Soho is for. If you fancy drinking something more upscale, ask  theyve a few hidden wines kept hidden away for those in the know. Thats you, now. The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion 25-27 Brewer St, W1F 0RR, elcamion.co.uk

Forget house infusions and drinks that take half an hour to make: sometimes a good night needs tequila and dancing. The Pink Chihuahua is built for it: theyre providing the tequila  more than 300 different types of it, in fact  youre there to drink it down and dance it up. Theyve all sorts of twists on Margaritas and Daiquiris, and, given youre downstairs from Mexican restaurant El Camion, plenty of bar food to indulge in too. Lots of fun, and if youre feeling more in the mood just to sit back and sip something slowly, ask about their choice of Mezcal. There's real talent here, but fun too. The Gibson 44 Old St, EC1V 9AQ, thegibsonbar.london

Given the dearth of decent cocktails in Farringdon, the tiny Gibson is a God-send. Its a parlour pitched somewhere between Edwardian and Art Deco, and drinks arent simply poured here, theyre tended to, built, thought about, adored. All unsurprising, really, given the team learnt their trade at the likes of Nightjar and The Connaught.

This place is doing more creatively to push bartending forward than any bar that's opened up in a while, so ask the team for recommendations and youll be presented with something magic. Youll need to ask, actually, as the menu is a novel and theres the risk of wasting the evening reading instead of drinking, and that simply wouldnt do at all. Peg+Patriot Patriot Square, E2 9NF, talentedmrfox.com

The Talented Mr Fox, Matt Whiley, offers is a nice blend of things here: while the menu takes a sophisticated trip around London, with each cocktail a column of flavour, some managing chameleonic taste all within the space of a sip, the actual bar is surprisingly spare and understated. The effect is such that while drinks are upmarket, one doesnt feel obliged to sit demurely to enjoy them. Relax, have a few  you might want to, as the serves arent huge. It should be said that these cocktails are among Londons most interesting, rather than Londons best: they are talking points, oddities, they put flavours together in a way that isnt available elsewhere. If youre big on trying new things, different experiences, seeing what a cocktail can do, come, its a must. If its just something reliably delicious you fancy, elsewhere may be better. Worship Street Whistling Shop 63 Worship St, EC2A 2DU, whistlingshop.com

One presumes the staff here have night vision, otherwise its a complete and utter mystery how they see customers, let alone their ingredients. Still, they must do, for the output is pretty much excellent through and through at this dark spot. Its Victorian-inspired, which sounds tired and not a little tacky, but the gang from Purl have done it properly. Drinks are busy  lots of fusions, blends, gasses and pressure and all sorts  so its appropriate they come out of a lab. Still, all this engineering seems to be worth it, as the drinks slip down easily, the alcohol often hidden away. Make sure to take a seat in the Dram Shop, and pop in to the Gin Closet too, which operates as an honesty bar. Kansas Smitty's 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH, kansassmittys.com

Below bar Off Broadway  a long way off, its Mexican  sits this glorious den of jazz and juleps. It is a speakeasy for 2016: that is to say, it has none of the contrived mannerisms of bars which proclaim to be speakeasies, it just happens to actually be one: youll need to knock to get in, the music raves loud and hot, and the place is so crowded strangers become family after a drink or two. The house band, for which the place is named, have envy-inducing talent, and the bar has fairly recently overhauled its drinks list, and the results are good. Youll be absorbed by the music, and stay afterwards to ride the buzz of the crowd. GONG 52, Shangri-La Hotel, the Shard, SE1 9QU, .gong-shangri-la.com

Gong is in the Shard, so youre there for the view alone. View it certainly does: at 52 floors up, its by far Londons highest spot to drink: consequently, sipping on a martini, one feels a little like a Bond villain pondering all thats below. Its not a huge bar, but that somewhat adds to the sense of exclusivity. Prices are, naturally, sky high: expect to pay at least 18. The drinks have plenty about them to compete with the view: presentation is everything. Theyve not skipped on the spirits making the mix, either: expect the likes of Zacapa 23 rum (heavenly stuff), Talisker scotch and Tanqueray 10 for the gin. All top drawer stuff. If this all sounds a bit intimidating, bear in mind they operate a no reservations policy, so youve as good a chance of getting in as anyone else. Mr Fogg's Salon 58 St Martin's Lane, Theatreland, WC2N 4EA, mr-foggs.com

Downstairs is a pretty decent pub, busy from theatreland. Upstairs, the salon is quieter, but only a little. The walls are a glittering ballgown of 19th century curiosities, unsubtle nonsense winking away. Head to a chaise longues with a couple of friends or a date and take in something from each one of the five acts which split the menu. Drinks seem to smell especially good here, rich, relying heavily on the likes of rum, cognac and sherry. Gin lovers need not despair: theyve a room with 300 different types next door. Come elegantly dressed. Bar Termini 7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE, bar-termini.com

Do Bar Termini right and youll love it: do it wrong, and you may be underwhelmed. Tony Conigliaro, cocktail chap par excellence, and coffee maestro Marco Arrigo have built a revolving-door of a place: dont come here to linger. Expect a night of cocktails and youll leave disappointed: instead, love it in the day for the 1 espressos, and swing by in the evening for a negroni (6). Theyre small, but some of the best in the capital. One swishes in and out here, and that way, it adds a touch of Italian glamour to any evening. Trisha's (New Evaristo Club) 57 Greek St, Soho, W1D 3DX



Drinks dont make a bar, and thank goodness, as the stuff served at Trishas  named for its owner  is uniformly pretty awful: red and white wine youd consider an insult if a friend served it at supper, prosecco wildly overpriced, terrible spirits ecetera ecetera. At more than 70, the club is Sohos oldest, and while nobody who goes there can ever remember anything changing  its often quite hard to recall much about Trishas in crystal detail, as it happens  nothing needs to. The bad wine and expensive mixers and paint stripper spirits are all part of the point: its a glorious drinking den, and marvellous, marvellous fun. There are characters here: the last time we were in, we sat being scared witless by an old East End gangster who said hes known the Krays. Tremendous. Long may this place live. The Fumoir Claridge's, 49 Brook St, W1K 4HR, claridges.co.uk

The Fumoir will confuse you, as youll be torn between shouting about it and keeping it all to yourself. This plush purple and leather spot, deco decadence with a touch of welcome pomp, is hidden away behind a secret door at Claridges. Tiny and glitzy enough to feel like a Hollywood dressing room from the Golden Age, its little surprise the likes of Christina Hendricks adore it. For such a small place, they squeeze an awful lot in: plenty of wines, classic cocktails given a stern shake up, buckets of gin, a lovely choice of armagnac and a magnificent scotch list, gleaming with rarities. 69 Colebrooke Row 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA, 69colebrookerow.com

Once known as the bar with no name, henceforth they shall be called the bar with Bernards watch, as there is no other explanation for the speed with which their finely mixed cocktails arrive. Another bar from Tony Conigliaro, its earned its reputation for turning out hit after hit: the drinks list is endlessly tempting. The piano is a nice touch; that is gets played a much nicer one, and make sure to order the Prairie Oyster  fun to drink, and one even for those who cant eat seafood. Bear in mind its a small spot, so youre close to your neighbours, and if you dont like strong drinks where the booze kicks, this wont be for you. Happiness Forgets 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU, happinessforgets.com

Dont expect frills and fuss or the rest of it here: Happiness Forgets is cocktail bar distilled down to its very essence, and done very well  their tag High End Cocktails/Low End Rent sums it up best. The bartenders are all top drawer, and their creations impeccable. Unsurprisingly, this Hoxton space has its regulars, so the crowd is always good. Tables can be booked, but half are always kept for walk-ins: try your luck, its worth it. Dry Martini by Javier de las Muelas Melia White House Hotel, Albany Street, NW1 3UP, melia.com

Come to this one to brag: Dry Martini is known as Barcelonas best cocktail bar, and has been rated the fifth best bar in the world by the Worlds 50 Best Bars panel. Renowned bartender Javier de las Muelas has bought over his concept to us lucky Londoners, and with it, finely mixed and classic cocktails. No prizes for guessing that the Dry Martini is the house special  if you dont think you like them, heres a place to change your mind. With more than 80 gins on the list, you could easily lose a week here. Gordon's 47 Villiers St, WC2N 6NE, gordonswinebar.com

Gordons seems to get more and more crowded with each passing day, but perhaps rightly so: the beloved Embankment institution is made for knocking back bottles of wine in. Eat a few cold bites and chat into a long, unwinding evening. The wine list is good enough, but youre really here for the atmosphere: in summer, the terrace, buzzing, in winter, the caves indoors, crammed with noise, spilt wine, and joy. Social bar at City Social 25 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HQ, citysociallondon.com

Youd think youre at City Social, up 24 stories of Tower 42, to eat, but if you stop in the bar, theres a good chance you wont make it to your table. The drinks come as something of a surprise: theyre so much better than one expects from a restaurant bar, inventive, put together carefully but not staidly, retaining a sense of fun. And, crucially, damned tasty. Its a dark room, and full of city types, but perfect for a few late night cocktails soaking up the view, which is really quite wonderful. Bloody pricey, but thats part of it. Ladies and Gentlemen 2 Highgate Rd, NW5 1NR, twitter.com

William Borrells bolthole transcends its gimmick (which, if you hadnt guessed, is that its a converted public loo), with the help of some very handy bartenders, and its house-brewed gin, Highwayman, of which twelve bottles a day get distilled. Ladies & Gents manages well as a place for a quiet drink, or better yet, a place to quietly get roaringly drunk. Convenient indeed. The drinks are strong, very interesting, and theres plenty of odd sods on the wall to keep your conversation up. It maintains a veneer of being somewhere faintly upmarket, but youll probably end up reading from one of the books scattered around or trying to dance to the live music. Perfect for a date that gets out of hand. Bull In A China Shop 196 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6LG, bullinachinashop.london

Truth it, youll need to catch this place on a good night, as weve been in often enough to know it has its good nights and its meh nights. But when the place is on, its really cooking, and easily one of the best bars in town. The cocktail list is short, but thought through, and care is taken in even the small things: they even make sure the water glasses are chilled. The chamomile and charcoal Old-Fashioned is a must, and any whisky lovers should get chatting to the bar staff, as theyve bottles which arent available anywhere else in the capital. Sager + Wilde Arch, 250 Paradise Row, E2 9LE, sagerandwilde.com

Wine lovers rejoice, wine bores look elsewhere. Sager + Wilde admirably keep things unpretentious: the exposed brickwork sets the tone: theyre keeping things low key. The specials list changes regularly, and always with interesting choices introduced. Some of the wines are exclusive to this place, so youre all but guaranteed to try something new. Have a SHE + T (sherry with tonic, delicious), and absolutely do not leave without having the grilled cheese sandwich. 7 Tales at Sosharu 64 Turnmill St, EC1M 5RR, sosharulondon.com

Underneath Jason Athertons Sosharu is this sexy, seedy Japanese drinking den, where youll find the hazy, debauched glamour of Tokyo after dark. Unlike so many bars underneath restaurants, 7 Tales doesnt feel like a holding pen, and drinks are precision made, with flavours leaning beyond the usual  think rice-washed gin, sake, infusions of sesame, snacks like tempura. Bar snacks are an irresistible must. Callooh Callay 65 Rivington St, EC2A 3AY, calloohcallaybar.com

Eccentric doesnt seem to quite cover it: enter the surreal world of Callooh Callay through an old Victorian wardrobe, catch sight of a throne and order punch out of a gramophone from a menu thats more of a sticker book. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the bartenders really know their stuff, so for all the quirks, drinks are fundamentally pretty excellent. On the weekends, its a party bar, and DJs spin music to match: youre here for a good time. Any detectives in your gang will find there are two extra rooms in Callooh Callay to explore  theyre hidden away, too, naturally. If youre good, you might even get an invite upstairs to the Jub Jub Room, where the 10-long cocktail list changes every three weeks. Fans should also head to their new offering in Angel, Little Bat. Dukes Bar Dukes Hotel, 35 St James's Pl, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com

Dukes is known for one reason: martinis. The St Jamess hotel was a favourite haunt of James Bond author and (very) keen drinker, Ian Fleming, who supposedly came up with the shaken, not stirred line here. Their martinis are exceptionally strong, and very large: theres a reason they wont serve you more than two. But look, break the mould: theyre a classic hotel bar, they serve a fine range of classic cocktails. Theres also a cognac and cigar garden, if youre so inclined. NOLA 1st Floor, 68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY, nola-london.com

It would be too easy to miss this place, so do your homework and saunter in: its must more attractive than sweatily asking anyone if theyve seen the place. Drawing inspiration from the home of proper cocktails, New Orleans, the bar loves traditional drinks, builds them properly and serves them in a den of music and laughter. Unlike some places specialising in old school serves, NOLA is a place for fun: sure, it seems to say, you could have a quiet drink  but why would you want to? Theres a cracking cigar terrace too, small enough that everyone talks before heading back in for one hell of a Vieux Carre. Call Me Mr Lucky 11 Southwark St, SE1 1RQ, twitter.com

All the hidden bars at the Breakfast Clubs around the capital are popular, with perhaps The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town being the best known. Call Me Mr Lucky, on Southwark Street, happens to be our favourite. Once youve flirted with the staff  ask to get lucky  youre taken through the restaurants kitchens to a lively bar decorated like some twisted take on a kids party. Have a go on the wheel of fortune, where youll really want to get lucky, and win a free shot, and then work your way through the cocktail list. Like any good-time bar worth its salt, this place is big on tequila, and the drinks are light-hearted fun, but  here we go getting lucky again  along with the quirks comes quality. By the of the evening, before youre porured back onto the street, youll swear tequila is your new favourite drink, and youll be singing the party hits they play all the way home. K Bar at The Kensington 109 - 113 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, townhousekensington.com

K bar feels majestic  and there is no other word for it  because drinking here is a little like being in the captains quarters of the Titanic, albeit without the sinking feeling. There is glamour here: a kind of place to be seduced in. Cocktails wise, bar manager Ben Manchester is the man to ask for, but theres a fine list to choose from. It avoids stuffiness, and just needs to be packed out to really get cooking. Nightjar 129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB, barnightjar.com

Nightjar has fame which means writing about it is redundant: people think it marvellously good, and theyve live music most of the week. Its seating only and worth booking: just be sure not to cancel, or theyll charge a steep 10 per person. They do the speakeasy theme, but well enough that it isnt too tired yet, and have plenty of old school style on the list. Pick up a pack of cards from the bar on your way out. Reverend J W Simpson 32 Goodge St, W1T 2QJ, revjwsimpson.com

Bourne and Hollingsworth run this rather lovely little bar, downstairs from a small doorway on Goodge St. Service is friendly and speedy, it's comfortable, and drinks more than hold their own  there's both obscure traditional mixes and modern serves made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Luckily, with good drinks come good people, and it's a loud, happy place. Albertine 1 Wood Ln, W12 7DP, albertinewinebar.co.uk

Albertine hasnt changed much since the day East Enders was commissioned there. A wine bar through and through, youll struggle to get anything else (though there are a couple of ales on the menu.) Its a place with spirit, which draws a regular, devoted crowd. They sell everything they serve, and its well worth splashing out: the mark-up gets less and less as the bottles get more expensive, meaning you can get an absolute bargain at the top end of the list. Its also the kind of wine bar you go to to overindulge. First Aid Box 119 Dulwich Rd, SE24 0NG, firstaidbox2015.com

This place really is worth travelling to Herne Hill to, which must be saying something. The team behind Shrub & Shutter have thickly laid on the pharmacy theme here, with cure-all drinks. Its not an idea which sounds like it should work, and yet, how much better life would be if they were one of the emergency services. Expect saline drips, syringes, and the likes of plastic lungs  their take on thirst aid  but rest assured, flavours arent medicinal in the slightest. At 8 - 10 a drink, its reasonable for London, and wonderful to see a bar really trying something new. Bravo. Media Wisdom Photography - Giles Christopher Nam Long Le Shaker 159 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 0LJ, namlong.co.uk

It gained fame for its celebrity fans, which include Mick Jagger and Prince Harry, but Nam Long has held on longer than most A-list haunts: its been going 30 years, and recently was given an overhaul. Its quite possibly the most Chelsea place imaginable  there are literally MIC cast members floating about  and its a go-to spot to drink far too much and party. The upstairs area is bright, airy, and well looked after by the excellent bartenders, while downstairs  "the Opium Den"  is as it sounds (though there was no opium available when we asked... ) The drinks upstairs were made with more care, but downstairs is more intimate, opulent, and better for a small groups. Some of those Chelsea types who go really are the very worst, and the drinks are outrageously expensive, but hey, its a laugh. The Vault at Milroy's 3 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4NX, shop.milroys.co.uk

A bar through a bookcase: were sold. Better yet, its underneath one of Sohos finest whisky shops  with stiff competition from The Vintage House  so if youre taken with something downstairs, buy it on your way out. Its a simple little bar and the service is decidedly so-so, but its usually pretty busy, they play good music and have an excellent range of spirits. The menu is changed regularly, but its a good place to cram into with friends or on a date. You mightnt spend the entire night here, but for a couple of drinks on the way somewhere, or on the way back, it fits the bill perfectly. Bounce 241 Old St, EC1V 9EY, bouncepingpong.com

There are two Bounce bars, one on Old Street and one on Holborn. The Old Street spot is a little more fun, graffiti adorning the walls,the Holborn spot somewhat more upmarket. Still, they both deserve a mention, and for the simple reason theyre damned good fun. Drinks here are good, with a decent spirit selection at both (and a huge number of gins in Farringdon) and a respectable selection of beers. Food is fine, simple. Still, you come to play ping pong. Theyve tables everywhere. Theres little to fault with Bounce: its a laugh, and sometimes thats all somewhere needs to be.

The journey was inspired by the bars love of exploration; Mr Foggs is named for, and inspired by, Jules Vernes Around the World in 80 Days. Verne also wrote From The Earth to the Moon and Around The Moon.

Charlie Gilkes, co-founder and owner, said: Space has been on the forefront of everybodys minds of late with Tim Peake, Richard Bransons tourism in space endeavours and science fiction films like the Arrival.

Mr Foggs ethos has always been based on exploration and weve held many talks with everyone from Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Levison Wood - so it was a natural step for us to explore the possibility of a cocktail from space.

Though happy to explain why they put booze into space, Gilkes did not reveal how long it to planet.

Follow David Ellis on Twitter @dvh_ellis

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESGoingOut
E milia Fox plays a stranger to social media in her new role, but says that away from the stage she finds it an amazing way to communicate with her audience.

In Sex With Strangers, the Silent Witness star is a largely unnoticed novelist trapped in a snowed-in house with a blogger who shares his life online with millions.

The actress, 42, said it would be naive to think social media was positive for everyone but her experience had been lovely. She added: I was introduced to it with Twitter and Instagram and you think, Why am I doing this? because Im the sort of person who considers their life to be quite private. But I can see the benefits and I think it is amazing professionally to be able to communicate with people you wouldnt otherwise be able to speak to.

Fox says her co-star in the comedy  Theo James, 32  showed her a different side to the story: At first I thought it was about a difference of opinion between the sexes and in the generations about  changing times in relationships and technology and social media.

Emilia Fox - In pictures 1 /39 Emilia Fox - In pictures Emilia Fox as Nikki Alexander in 'Silent Witness' BBC/Jonathan Ford Emilia Fox for Comic Relief shoot Alex Lentati British actor Edward Fox at the Fitzroy Nuffield Hospital with his family, Joanna Fox (back), Lucy and Emilia Fox in 1978 Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard Emilia Fox as Angel in 'Fallen Angel' Zodiak Rights 'The Secrets' with Joanne Froggatt as Lexie and Emilia Fox as Zara BBC/WTTV/Joss Barratt Emilia Fox as Nikki Alexander and David Caves as Jack Hodgson in 'Silent Witness' BBC Emilia Fox as Morgause in 'Merlin' Shine Emilia Fox as Lady Portia Alresford with Alex Kingston as Dr Blanche Motterhead in 'Upstairs Downstairs' BBC/Nick Wall Emilia Fox in Bear Grylls' Mission Survive PA Silent Witness with Emilia Fox as Dr. Nikki Alexander Emilia Fox and Theo James in Sex With Strangers, Hamsptead Theatre Manuel Harlan Actress Emilia Fox is surrounded by exotic butterflies in the 'RHS Butterfly Dome with Eden' at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show on July 8, 2013 in London Oli Scarff/Getty Images Emilia Fox and her husband Jared Harris attend the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2005 Getty Images Actress Emilia Fox arrives at the British Fashion Awards at the British Fashion Awards at the Victoria & Albert Museum on November 10, 2005 in London MJ Kim/Getty Images Actress Emilia Fox attends the premiere of the movie "Bobby" held at the Odeon West End on October 26, 2006 in London MJ Kim/Getty Images Emilia Fox poses at the British Academy Television Awards 2008 at The Palladium on April 20, 2008 in London Chris Jackson/Getty Images Actress Emilia Fox poses for a photograph before the Jasper Conran Spring/Summer 2009 collection at the Royal Academy during London Fashion week on September 15, 2008 Chris Jackson/Getty Images Emilia Fox arrives at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel on October 3, 2008 in London Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Emilia Fox arrives at the Elle Style Awards 2009 Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Actress Emilia Fox attends the Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 at the Royal Opera House Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends The 2012 Arqiva British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall Tim Whitby/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the launch party for the Fashion Rules exhibition, a collection of dresses worn by HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace on July 4, 2013 in London Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the EE British Academy Film Awards at The Royal Opera House on February 10, 2013 in London Ian Gavan/Getty Images Actress Emilia Fox poses in the 'Forget-Me-Not' Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 20, 2013 in London Chris Jackson/Getty Images British actress Emilia Fox poses for photographs as she arrives for the British Film Institute (BFI) Charity Gala "Luminous" in London on October 8, 2013 Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the WGSN Global Fahsion awards at Victoria & Albert Museum on October 30, 2013 in London Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends The Radio Academy Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel on May 12, 2014 in London Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images Emelia Fox attends the BAFTA Television Craft Awards at The Brewery on April 27, 2014 in London Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Emelia Fox attends the The British Comedy Awards at Fountain Studios on December 16, 2014 Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the Temperley London show during London Fashion Week Spring Summer 2015 at on September 14, 2014 in London Danny E. Martindale/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the Isabel Garcia SS15 Show during London Fashion Week at Freemasons Hall on September 16, 2014 in London Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the 2014 TRIC Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel on March 11, 2014 in London Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Emilia Fox in the winners room at The Olivier Awards at The Royal Opera House on April 12, 2015 in London Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the UK film premiere of "Mum's List" at The Curzon Mayfair on November 23, 2016 in London John Phillips/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends the London Evening Standard British Film Awards at Television Centre on February 7, 2016 in London Chris Jackson/Getty Images Emilia Fox attends a VIP preview of the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2016 on June 7, 2016 Dave Benett Emilia Fox at Hampton Court Palace flower show in 2016 Roland Hoskins Emilia Fox attends The Serpentine Summer Party Co-Hosted By Tommy Hilfiger at The Serpentine Gallery on July 6, 2016 Dave Benett Getty Images

But as soon as we did the read-through, I realised it is actually a love story and that took it to a whole other level because you want to see whether the relationship can work between these two.

Sex with Strangers, Hampstead Theatre, from January 27 to March 4.

Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene.

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout
W hat angers you about the world you live in? What would you say to world leaders if you were given time with them?

These are some of the questions playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz is asking young women ahead of the Womens March on London, part of a global movement of people taking to the streets on the first day of Donald Trumps presidency. She will shape a text from the contributions she receives, and a version will be read in front of the American Embassy on the day  January 21.

More than 60 cities in 32 countries are marching in solidarity with a planned march in Washington DC, and the Facebook page for the London event already has 10,000 people listed as attending. Londons event counts Amnesty International, Liberty, Pride in London, Unite, and the Womens Equality Party amongst their supporters, and celebrity supporters include Ian McKellen, Alexa Chung and Frankie Boyle.

Lenkiewiczs 2008 play about suffragettes, Her Naked Skin, made her the first living female playwright to have had her work staged on the National Theatres Olivier stage. She co-wrote the screenplay of Oscar-winning film Ida, and is currently working with Twelve Years a Slave director Steve McQueen on a series about racism in 1970s Britain. Its no stretch so say that shes opened doors for womens voices in the arts.

Thousands to march on Trump's inauguration day

Recent political events have been so dark and terrifying, and this is a chance for people to get on to the streets and voice their unity in discontent, Lenkiewicz says. She cites the American election and ongoing events in Aleppo and Syria as events that left people reeling  but a march is galvanising, she says.

Rebecca Lenkiewicz / Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Its a choice between holing up in a cave in despair or coming into the air together and having a voice, she says. Social media is like white noise at times and you need to venture out and see other people shoulder to shoulder.

A team of eight women have been organising the marches, but a huge cross section of groups are involved. The event is a Womens March as their rights are being threatened very specifically in America, but we are marching for justice for all, Lenkiewicz says. Trump is unapologetically pro-life, and has said he will cut funding to Planned Parenthood, a non-profit reproductive health organisation which provides women with abortions.

Lenkiewicz says the responses she has received so far from women for the text she is shaping have been fascinating.

They seem to have a staunch optimism about the future along with a profound and articulate anger. Most of the rage is that various catastrophic decisions are being made on their behalf, she says. They voice a very real fear for the physical future of the planet which will affect them and their children directly, whilst the politicians who are ignoring the dangers and creating the issues will be long gone.

The text will be read before a march to Trafalgar Square, where a rally with speakers and music will link up live with other marches. It has been gathered via youth groups, social media and word of mouth.

The passion and deep intelligence of this millennial generation has been acute, Lenkiewicz says. Their thoughts have a fierce but articulate rage; theyve been very honest and open. Many of them have faith that they can right past wrongs; its been very moving to read them.

A global activist movement suggests women will continue to make themselves heard throughout Trumps presidency. Lenkiewicz says there has been a heinous, historical need to shut women down or silence them; from locking them into servitude to burning them. But that misogyny is still very present even if were experiencing more freedom than ever before as women.

Women will defy any attempt to be sidelined or bypassed, she says. Although women in London are more privileged than many others across the world, there is still much work to be done here, with ongoing inequalities needing to be challenged.

I have great faith in women; were resilient, fantastic and the young millennial women taking up the suffragette banner will continue the fight with flint and grace, she says.

Her most well-known play documented the early 20th-century suffragette movement, but it was based around one specific aim, Lenkiewicz points out. Who knows what the Womens March on London could spark in terms of a new movement? she wonders. Its aim is an international day of solidarity, bringing together people from all walks of life to celebrate the right to protest  but Lenkiewicz says it would be fantastic to build on this event.

If you see the march as an artery of very potent human pumping blood snaking through the streets of London on that day, the hope is that new veins will happen naturally and adrenaline, a really beautiful physical thing in itself under the microscope, will kick in to create mass networks of thought and debate, she says. The suffragettes marched under the banner Deeds not words  this march is an epic modern day deed, inviting people to come away from the neon shield of their computer and be human together.

Find out more at www.womensmarchlondon. com and facebook.com/womensmarchlondon

Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene.

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout
M odern love is in flux. Granted, it is easy to romanticise the past: to mislabel it as simpler and purer. But the rules of contemporary courtship are confused and confusing and require a manual to decode the terms and micro-behaviours, not to mention a smartphone contract.

Future Sex is not this manual but is an eloquent meditation on the need for one. Written by 35-year-old New York-based journalist Emily Witt, who has contributed essays to the New Yorker, London Review of Books and its New York counterpart, the book captures the new, unfixed mood of relationships in the modern age. It examines internet dating, pornography, contraception and sexual identities without pretending to offer any decisive answers.

Yet it is far more than an extended lament about Tinder. Witt has done the fieldwork: in her early thirties, jaded by the relentlessness of the New York dating scene and exhausted by the end of yet another relationship, she moved to San Francisco for six months to test the limits (or limitlessness) of free love. There she attended a workshop on orgasmic meditation, experimented with webcams, explored polyamory and attended the live filming of a sadomasochistic porn film. Read between Witts spare, economical reportage and you realise she finds it all rather discomfiting if often fascinating.

These graphic eyewitness accounts are absorbing (and occasionally eye-watering) but the books weight is in its more serious philosophical passages. Her opening chapter, Expectations, summarises the loneliness of a generation of twentysomethings who are both spooked by the traditional model of marriage and children and simultaneously crave its security. Indeed, the resounding tone of the book is one of loneliness.

But Witt is not self-pitying; she is, however, wry about the rituals of online dating, capturing why it is such a poor simulation of chemistry. The epistolatory run-up to the date rarely revealed the truth of a mans good humour or introversion, she writes. People cheerily listed their favourite movies and hoped for the best, but darkness simmered below the surface.

Future Sex is also underpinned by Witts nuanced, intelligent take on internet-wave feminism. Whether she is talking about sadomasochism or contraception, it is clear she believes women are being shortchanged by the new systems and rituals (or lack thereof), all of which she found forced me into a gendered role that I resented. How the conflict between tradition and modernity affects women is at the forefront of the chapter on internet dating.

For ultimately, despite the permissiveness of 21st-century San Fran and the prolific hook-ups made possible by futuristic technologies, Witt remains largely convinced that human relationships are too messy to solve with social theories and apps. Internet dating had evolved, but at no point did it offer guidance on what to do with such a vast array of possibility, she writes. It brought us people but did not tell us what to do with them.

The future is here, but you cant solve this one with algorithms  or a webcam.
A s if January wasn't bleak enough already. Now, we may not even be able to eat one of our favourite comfort foods anymore without knowingly risking our health.

Foods that contain palm oil could pose a cancer risk, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and Nutella has so far faced the brunt of the public backlash.

Other popular products that contain palm oil include Cadbury's chocolate, Ben & Jerrys ice cream and Clover spread, reported The Independent.

The report by EFSA said palm oil is more carcinogenic than any other oil, echoing similar claims made by the World Health Organisation. Several retailers in Italy  including Coop, the country's biggest supermarket chain  have even boycotted the chocolate and hazelnut spread over the claims.

But Ferrero, which makes the spread, has hit back by launching an advertising campaign to assure people that its product is safe. Nutella is the company's flagship product and makes up about a fifth of its sales, The Telegraph reported.

The company said it will keep using palm oil in Nutella, despite fears over its safety, to preserve the spread's quality. The oil is apparently used to give the spread its smooth texture, Ferrero said, adding that no other oils would work in the same way.

Vincenzo Tapella, Ferrero's purchasing manager, told Reuters: Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward."

Ferrero didn't mention that palm oil is one of the cheapest oils and that switching to alternative oils, such as sunflower or rapeseed, could increase the cost of making Nutella by up to as $22m (18m), Reuters reported. Ferrero hasn't yet commented on these figures.

Posh chocolate spreads - in pictures 1 /9 Posh chocolate spreads - in pictures Scroll to see our pick of the best chocolate spreads... Shutterstock Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel & Pecan Chocolate Spread From the award-winning British chocolatier comes this moreish spread made up of finely ground pecans, milk chocolate, caramel and a dash of salt. Its rich, sweet-salty flavour makes it perfect for adding to ice cream. 6, Hotel Chocolat, Buy it now Pierre Marcolini Classic Collection Jams & Spread Haute chocolatier Pierre Marcolini is famed for its innovative creations made with exceptionally high-quality chocolate. This tempting trio includes the Pate Fraiche spread, which tastes just as succulent as the chocolate makers bars and truffles. 29.90, Selfridges, Buy it now La Molina Gianduja Chocolate Spread The creamy one. Rich and velvety, La Molinas gianduja spread is crafted from a traditional Piedmontese recipe. It contains 55% hazelnuts and has a milky flavour thats pretty similar to the super-sweet Nutella. Great for romancing, the jar is finished with an adorable I Love You message. 13.99, Selfridges, Buy it now Waitrose Seriously Chocolatey Chocolate Spread With intense cocoa aromas, here's one for dark chocolate fans. Created with Belgium chocolate and dairy cream, it contains less fat and calories than traditional chocolate spreads and is great for decorating cakes with. 2.79, Waitrose, Buy it now Biona Organic Dark Chocolate Spread A deliciously dark vegan-friendly spread made with organic ingredients. As its pretty light on the nuttiness, this one might not serve well to those looking for a Nutella-knockoff. Try mixing it into cake icing to create a delicious topping. 3.60, Ocado, Buy it now Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend Heavy on the nutty flavour, this one contains 50 percent less sugar than most hazelnut spreads and is created with organic ingredients. Its packed with protein, which makes it an ideal companion at your breakfast table, but its slightly gritty texture means its best suited to the serious nut-lovers out there. Also suitable for vegans. 13.76, Amazon, Buy it now

Palm oil is dangerous because it produces compounds called glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE) when it's heated above 200 degrees celsius, a process involved in the manufacturing of many foods.

There is sufficient evidence that glycidol is genotoxic and carcinogenic," said Dr Helle Knutsen, chair of Contam, the EFSA panel that investigated palm oil in May. "Therefore the Contam panel did not set a safe level for GE.

These compounds can also be found in other vegetable oils, margarines and processed foods, but they are found in higher, potentially dangerous, amounts in palm oil, the ESFA report said.

Palm oil has been controversial for a while  and not just for health reasons. According to a report by Amnesty International in November, global brands such as Colgate-Palmolive, Kellogg's, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever have been using palm oil produced by children  some as young as eight  working on hazardous Indonesian plantations.

It has a well-known harmful impact on the environment, too, having been linked to mass deforestation and the loss of habitats of endangered species such as orangutans.

It's a sad state of affairs, but it's probably time to look for a healthier and more ethical alternative to our favourite chocolate spread.

Read more from Refinery29:

"Dry Jan", Week 2: Report From The Front Lines Of Dry January

7 Reasons You Need More Fat In Your Life

This Food Writer Has The Best Reason For Not Using The Phrase "Clean Eating"
F rom the mouthwatering cuisine to the colourful culture, characterful cities, surf beaches, and national parks teeming with wildlife, Sri Lanka has a whole lot on offer.

Add to that list a plethora of first-class hotels; whether youre looking for a peaceful lake-front eco suite, a colonial villa complete with butler, or a luxury hut on the beach, youre covered.

So which will it be? Heres our pick of the very best hotels in Sri Lanka

Tri, Koggala

Chances are your first stop south of Colombo is going to be Galle, a historical fort town thats well worth a visit. Your next stop should be Tri, a new, sustainable luxury hotel on Lake Koggala, thats the ultimate spot for a little R&R. A glorious day would be spent simply dipping your toes in the striking infinity pool, though if you want more than that, theres a yoga studio complete with jungle breeze, a well-being library, and a spa with Ayurveda treatments, all set in the most serene of surroundings. Comprised of just 11 contemporary villas and rooms, Tri is wonderfully private; each of the suites are contemporary and comfortable with spacious modern bathrooms, airy balconies with beautiful views, and private pools.

A family villa at Tri

Enjoy breakfast on the lake jetty, zone out with a swim, and dont miss the opportunity to take a boat across to Cinnamon Island to try local cinnamon tea. The food here is excellent: breakfast is endless courses with fresh fruits, juice and Sri Lankan classics, and come dinner time, feast like king on fresh seafood and modern Sri Lanka flavours.

Rates from 305/night; trilanka.com

Ceylon Tea Trails, Hill Country

Up in Hill Country, Ceylon Tea Trails (Cape Weligamas sister hotel) is a characterful oasis of calm with stunning views and a welcoming attitude that nothing is too much trouble. Made up of four colonial bungalows, decadent rooms have wood-fires, claw foot bathtubs, bay windows and libraries  plus butlers too. The setting is simply idyllic, youll struggle to drag your eyes away from the views, but when you do, youll see its the perfect base to explore the surrounding tea estates, ravines and waterfalls. Later, theres afternoon tea (the most local kind!), and mountain-fed pools to bathe in. Heaven? Pretty much.

Ceylon Tea Trails / Sansoni Norwood

Rates from 500/night; resplendentceylon.com

Ulagalla Resort, Cultural Triangle

Set among rice paddies with 58-acres of lush grounds, the eco-friendly Ulagalla Resort is where luxury and nature collide, and its the perfect base for exploring Sri Lankas Cultural Triangle. The 20 villas are simply breathtaking; glass walls bring the outside in and they all have plunge pools or jacuzzis. Jump on your his and hers bicycles and get out and explore the landscaped grounds, the stables, 150-year old mansion house, and later on, the wine cellar. Along with fellow human guests, dont be alarmed to see monkeys, peacocks, elephants and horses sharing the place with you too

Smith Hotels

Rates from 430/ night; ugaescapes.com

Cape Weligama, Weligama

Like to just kick back and do nothing when on holiday? Cape Weligama is just the place to do just that, with its grand colonial villas scattered around an Indian Ocean headland, each complete with ocean views, pools, and private butlers too. The pace of life here is luxuriously leisurely: wake up with a dip, wander down to explore the few bays, spot the fishermen stilt fishing, watch sunset from the crescent-shaped infinity pool, and later, fall asleep to sound of the ocean. There are activities on offer included in your stay if you fancy them though, and the guided bicycle ride around Weligama is totally underrated and the best way to witness the day-to-day life of the locals. Cape Weligama is perfect for couples  villas are tucked away and feel very private  but great for families too, with a separate childrens pool and play area. Dining is a sure highlight here too. Start the day with the authentic Sri Lankan breakfast of hoppers, and in the evening, its Sri Lankan curry buffet is fantastic.

Tom Parker

Rates from 459/night; resplendentceylond.com

Chena Huts, Yala National Park

Yala National Park is at the top of the list for many visitors to Sri Lanka, eager to see its leopards and elephants, and theres no better base than Chena Huts  a series of luxurious huts scattered along the beachfront, five minutes drive from Block 5s entrance to the park. Location aside, this place wows. I say huts but really, theyre far more than that; each naturalistic open-plan abode is complete with a giant bed, a standalone bathtub, a private pool on the terrace, and a glass front that looks straight out to the wilderness and ocean. Kudos to the chefs as the food here is superb, very authentic and fresh, plus, the dining experience itself is special; it isnt unusual for an elephant to wander along the beach to join you for dinner Hows that for close to nature?

Chena Huts

Rates from 758/night; ugaescapes.com

Alice Tate is a fitness and travel writer. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram
A London brewery boss on trial for cheating the taxman of nearly 730,000 has had a 3 million debt from a drug trafficking conviction wiped out by prosecutors because he does not have the money to pay, a court heard.

Jules Whiteway-Wilkinson, the founder of London Fields Brewery in Hackney, was ordered to repay 2.1 million of criminal profits after being jailed in 2004 for supplying drugs to warehouse partygoers in Shoreditch.

His debt had risen to more than 3 million because of interest charges.

But Wood Green Crown Court - where Whiteway-Wilkinson and his wife Rosemary Spence are facing tax evasion charges - was told that prosecutors have agreed to write off the debt after receiving a 100,000 payment from the brewers parents.

The disclosure came as barrister Andrew Campbell-Tiech QC began his defence of Whiteway-Wilkinson by describing his plight as a morality tale of our times involving redemption, trust and betrayal, callousness and an extraordinary bureaucratic farce involving the taxman and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Whiteway-Wilkinson is accused of deliberately failing to pay VAT, national insurance, PAYE and student loan contributions totalling 727,203 to HM Revenue and Customs over a three year period.

Both he and Ms Spence, who is facing the same charges, deny the allegations.

Prosecution barrister Timothy Godfrey said the pair had deliberately failed to pay very large amounts of tax in a long-running tax evasion on a large scale during which they had provided false and misleading information about their business.

Mr Campbell-Tiech rejected the allegation, however, and insisted that although the brewerys accounts had been a mess Whiteway-Wilkinson had always intended to pay the taxes owed.

Debt is not fraud. All the unpaid tax did not enrich him or his wife. All of it was ploughed back into what was ultimately a failed business venture, the barrister told the court.

Mr Campbell-Tiech said the root of the saga dated to 1996 when Whiteway-Wilkinson had come to London as a young man from a privileged background who had rebelled against the strictures of family by setting up an edgy business in Shoreditch running hugely successful warehouse parties.

These attracted luvvies and minor celebrities but Whiteway-Wilkinson, a former public schoolboy who had his own unattractive drug habit, began supplying drugs to partygoers to stop other dealers operating at his parties.

He was arrested and jailed in 2004 for 12 years for drug trafficking before attempting to rebuild his life after his release in 2010 by setting up the London Fields Brewery.

The brewery won prize after prize but had suffered a devastating blow after prosecutors attempts to make him pay his confiscation order attracted negative publicity.

Mr Campbell-Tiech said Whiteway-Wilkinsons business inexperience and criminal past, which stopped him obtaining loans, created further difficulties, but that he had continued to see the brewery as his lifeline and the way to pay his confiscation order.

That prospect was dashed when tax investigators arrested Whiteway-Wilkinson and his wife in December 2014 only months after other Revenue officials had been seeking to help the brewer, who had been liasing with the authorities, sort out his affairs.

Mr Campbell-Tiech said the varying approach of different branches of HM Revenue and Customs was part of an extraordinary bureaucratic farce during which officials had also blocked attempts by Whiteway-Wilkinson to register for and pay beer tax while at the same time pursuing him for the money.

He said that prosecutors had also recently changed tack by abandoning efforts to enforce the 3 million confiscation order debt, in return for a 100,000 payment, after accepting Whiteway-Wilkinsons argument that he had never had the hidden asset money previously deemed to be in his possession.

He added: This case is a almost a morality tale of our times. It is a very human story. It deals with issues of redemption, naivety, trust and betrayal and it deals with issues of bureaucracy and callousness.

The trial continues.
A manhunt has been launched for a thief who stole a womans handbag while she was loading a Christmas tree into her car in east London.

The bag, holding belongings worth 2,000, was stolen from a car at B&Q in Tangent Link, Harold Hill, just after 1pm on December 5.

While the victim was preoccupied fitting a Christmas tree into the boot of her car, the thief snatched her bag from the drivers seat.

A suspect was traced to a McDonalds restaurant in Romford through the find my phone app and police have now released CCTV footage of a man they want to question.

A suspect was traced to McDonald's using the 'find my phone' app / Met police

The suspect is described as a white man in his 30s with short black hair and beard. He was wearing a black leather jacket, black jeans and black trainers.

Police Constable Sam Barton, from Havering borough, said: "We are keen to identify the man in the CCTV footage so we can speak to him about the incident. We would also urge anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us."

Anyone with information or any witnesses are urged to call police on 101, contact police via Twitter @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A man found carrying knives near Buckingham Palace just days before the Queens birthday celebrations has been detained in hospital.

John Bolton was found with three lock knives at Hyde Park Corner, London.

The weapons were discovered on June 9 last year, two days before the official celebration for the monarchs 90th birthday began.

The 48-year-old, who went on the run last summer prompting a warrant to be issued for his arrest, had also pleaded guilty to a 2015 offence of having a commando knife in Parliament Square, where Remembrance Day events were taking place.

Bolton, with an address in Banbury, Oxfordshire, was given an indefinite Mental Health order at a sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.

A second man who climbed over a gate at the palace last year has also been detained in hospital.

Daniel Sheehan, 21, was detained under the Mental Health Act at Westminster Magistrates' Court, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of trespass.

Sheehan, of no fixed abode, was discovered by police officers in the palace grounds near the south gate at around 13.45pm on Friday October 7.
A man has been found injured in a park after an assault in south-west London.

The victim, who is believed to be in his late teens, was rushed to hospital with chest injuries after he was found by members of the public in the park in New Malden.

Police were called to the scene off Blagdon Road shortly after 10.30am on Wednesday by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service.

The man remains in a stable condition and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

A spokesman for the Met said: Detectives from Kingston CID are investigating and would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the assault.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or @MetCC.

Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A woman was seen shouting for help while being dragged into a car in west London.

The car is believed to have driven off once the woman was pulled inside at about 3.30am on Thursday in Staines Road, Feltham.

Police believe there may have been a man and woman inside the car when the incident happened.

The woman is described as white, and wearing a green coat with a fur trim around the hood.

Her age is not known.

The car is described as a small or medium-sized silver or grey vehicle.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call detectives from Hounslow CID on 020 8247 6157.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit the crimestoppers-uk.org website.
A murder probe has been launched after a grandmother died in a house fire in south London.

Eulin Hastings, 74, was dragged from the blaze at the semi-detached house in South Norwood, Croydon, on Tuesday.

She was pronounced dead at the scene in Birchanger Road just after 3.15pm.

Close friend Margaret Birusingh described Ms Hastings as the most caring and loving person.

She told the Croydon Advertiser: "She was the most loving and caring person, very family orientated and devoted to church.

"She used to send me inspirational quotes over text most days, and I would send her one back.

"She was born on February 14 so I used to call her 'My Valentine'."

A 26-year-old man was later arrested after climbing down from the roof of an address in Davidson Road following a five-hour stand-off with police.

Officers had initially been called to reports of a burglary by residents who described seeing a man with a knife, Scotland Yard said.

Detectives have now confirmed that they believe the two incidents are linked.

The man is currently being held at a south London police station on suspicion of murder and burglary.

A post-mortem examination into Ms Hastings' death took place on Wednesday but a cause of death could not be determined and officers await further test results.

Police are urging anyone with any information to come forward.

A spokesman said: At this early stage detectives believe that the murder and the burglary are linked and enquiries are underway to establish the circumstances that led to her death and the burglary.

The man remains in custody having been arrested on suspicion of murder and burglary.

Both incidents occurred during the middle of the afternoon and there is a possibility that someone may have seen something that could assist detectives with their investigation.

Anyone who witnessed or has any information about either incident is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4805, or police via 101 or via Twitter @MetCC.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
P atients at the biggest hospital in Europe are returning from operations to find their bed already taken by another person, the Standard can reveal.

The extraordinary situation at the Royal London hospital, in Whitechapel, is the latest dramatic indication of the unprecedented demands on the NHS  which the capitals health chiefs expect to last until April or May.

One medical source said there had been three occasions in the past week when patients undergoing routine surgery at the 647-bed hospital had lost their space on a ward while in theatre, due to the extreme demand for beds.

This meant they had to be kept on trolleys in the recovery area until a new space could be found.

The operations are understood to have involved a broken hand, a hernia repair and the control of infection. The patients would have needed to remain on a ward for several days to recover.

The senior staff member told the Standard: Until this week I have never heard of patients losing their beds while on the operating table.

Another source said: This is something that doesnt normally happen. Its like going to the loo in the pub and you come back and someone has nicked your seat.

The Royal London has seen an 8.7 per cent annual increase in the number of patients attending its A&E, peaking at a record 575 on one day in November.

Its four-hour A&E performance has fallen to 82.2 per cent  the current target is 95 per cent. The pressure means it has done 10 per cent fewer non-emergency operations than last year.

The news comes as the head of the NHS in London, Anne Rainsberry, admitted the pressure on hospitals was already unprecedented  with worse to come.

She told BBC London: It is the busiest we have ever seen it. We are about 10 per cent up on where we were, in terms of hospital activity, year on year. [Calls to the NHS] 111 [non-emergency helpline] during the Christmas period and first few weeks into the New Year are about 40 per cent up, ambulances up about 13 per cent. We are very, very busy, but we planned to be busy.

Barts Health, which runs the Royal London, Newham and Whipps Cross, said about 10 per cent of its 1,200 beds were occupied by mostly elderly patients who were medically fit to leave but needed community care, or patients ready but unable to transfer to another hospital.

A Barts Health spokesman said: As a major trauma centre on occasion we will be required to provide a bed urgently for people involved in serious incidents such as road accidents and victims of violence.

In busy periods, beds which would have been used for patients following surgery are sometimes allocated to these trauma patients. This does not mean surgical patients go without a bed, however they may spend longer than normal being cared for in the recovery ward.

Our hospitals are currently particularly busy and our staff are pulling out all the stops to keep patients safe. An average of 1,300 people have been attending our A&Es every day yet eight out of 10 are being seen within four hours.
C riminals preying on London school pupils to deal drugs have influenced many to believe it is normal to carry a blade, a former gangster said today.

Junior Smart, who once went armed with a kitchen knife on south London streets, now does charity outreach work with young people across the capital.

The Southwark-born criminology PhD student was jailed for 12 years after being caught in possession of several kilos of crack cocaine.

After being freed he founded the Camberwell-based St Giles Trust SOS Project, which employs former offenders and serving prisoners to help hundreds of young people a year at risk of grooming by street gangs.

He said young Londoners are being groomed or gassed up by criminals who con them into believing theres a lot of money to be made in the drug game.

His teaching techniques include dissecting how a cut they would get from dealing an ounce of crack is much less than they think.

Ex-con: Former gangster Junior Smart speaks out about gang crime / London Live

Mr Smart said he regularly witnessed gang-influenced behaviour by pupils, some as young as eight, who had normalised the violent lifestyle.

He spoke out after Richard Taylor, whose 10-year-old son Damilola was stabbed to death with a broken bottle on a Peckham estate in 2000, last week warned that children were roaming the streets with knives and were un- afraid of the consequences.

Mr Smart told how at one school assembly a boy of 14 exhibited the clinical knife skills of a gang hitman.

The trust founder had asked teenagers to put on paper smocks and use marker pens to stab their classmates to demonstrate the damage a blade can do.

He said: This kid was 14 but moved like a professional. If it was a knife in his hand hed have killed the other kid.

He was aiming for the kids heart, liver and lungs. It scared the life out of me.

Without the so-called protection of carrying a knife youngsters dont feel safe going into some areas.

Most of those were working with see it as a way of life  theyre desensitised to violence.
P hotos of the Queen, Prince Charles and Princess Diana are among a historic collection published by London City Airport on its Facebook page to mark its 30th anniversary.

It includes a visit by Charles on May 29, 1986, when he laid one of the foundation stones and by the Queen on November 5, 1987, for the official opening, far left.

The Queen returned in the Nineties with her corgis, pictured right leaving an aircraft. Princess Diana is shown opening a runway following an extension project in March 5, 1992.

Some of the images are from the personal collections of staff. One shows the former Royal Docks site before it was turned into an international airport.

A 1997 pamphlet with a foreword by Prince Philip reveals he found the airport wonderfully convenient, being able to reach it from Buckingham Palace in 19 minutes.

The airport will begin a 344 million project this year which will see seven new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway and an extended terminal being built by 2025.
B usiness bosses have added their voices to demands for a shake-up of stamp duty to boost the struggling central London property market.

Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the current system disproportionately punished the capitals home buyers and called for reform in Marchs Budget.

Mr Stanbridge said Chancellor Philip Hammond should launch a review of the 12 per cent rate on purchases of 1.5 million introduced by his predecessor George Osborne in December 2014.

It means that a buyer of a 1.6 million family home in London has to pay more than 100,000 in tax before walking through the door.

The rate has been blamed for a dramatic collapse of London house sales, particularly the most expensive neighbourhoods in the centre. Estate agent Foxtons said yesterday its commission from house sales had slumped from 20 million to 12 million in the last three months of 2016.

Mr Stanbridge said: One of London Chambers primary concerns is that ordinary Londoners can afford to live and work in the capital, helping businesses attract and retain the best talent.

The 2014 reforms were introduced in a very different political and economic landscape. Since then we have had a new government and, most crucially, seen a vote to leave the EU. As a result, the London economy has seen some seen uncertainty.

The new 1.5 million-plus bracket, with 12 per cent tax rate, disproportionately impacts London given the profile of property in the capital.
L ondon should make a bold statement and build another concert hall, according to the man in charge of Hamburgs spectacular new venue.

The capitals existing institutions cannot compete with acoustically superior modern buildings, said Christoph Lieben-Seutter, general and artistic director of the German citys 684 million Elbphilharmonie, which opened last night.

Plans for a new concert hall near the Barbican stalled last year after the Government withdrew funding to a business case for it.

Mr Lieben-Seutter said: A new concert hall for London would be making a bold statement. The Royal Festival Hall acoustics are not that good. They have spent a fortune on improvements but it does not make that much difference.

I know the RFH well, I like the hall and there is always a lot of things going on but it does not excite me.

It cannot be too much for a city of 10 million people to have a contemp- orary concert hall. Is there a demand for it? You can make the demand.

Hamburg has rediscovered its musical tradition. And orchestras from all over the world want to come to play at the Elbphilharmonie.

The Hamburg building, whose opening gala was attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, was designed by Tate Moderns architects Herzog & de Meuron and has more than 2,000 seats.

It is built on top of an old riverside warehouse in the port city. The ground-breaking design means no member of the audience is ever more than 30 yards from the conductor, while 10,000 individually shaped panels ensure that the music reaches every corner of the hall.

The venue attracted criticism over delays and budget increases  but the citys councillor of state for culture, Carsten Brosda, said the opening showed that people can say of Hamburg: they dared it and they delivered it.

Former chancellor George Osborne provided 5.5 million to develop a business case for the London Con- cert Hall.

But ministers decided it did not offer value for money and withdrew it after about 1.25 million was spent examining the project.

Plans for the venue, earmarked for the site at London Wall currently occupied by the Museum of London, include exhibition space, cafes, bars and meeting rooms.

Visitors would also be able to watch rehearsals from specially equipped pods while digitally accessing information on performances.

There would be no formal front and back of house areas dividing the musicians from the audience.

Supporters are still confident that the project will go ahead and other backers are being sought after the Treasury withdrew its support.

The scheme is also supported by Sir Simon Rattle, who spoke about the need for a new high-quality concert hall when he agreed to take over as musical director of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Morning briefing: Meth use in Wisconsin nearly tripled over last 4 years, according to study
P lans to create a Jewish eruv around several neighbourhoods in north London have sparked an angry row.

Hundreds of objectors have asked Westminster council to throw out plans to enclose a large swathe of the north of the borough  including St Johns Wood, Little Venice, Maida Vale, Regents Park, and parts of West Hampstead  within a perimeter of fishing wire suspended from 51 telegraph poles up to 18ft tall.

Critics claim a religious boundary has no place in a secular society and could become a target for terror attacks.

The symbolic boundary would give religious Jews living within it greater freedom from the restrictions of the Sabbath, when all work is banned.

Hundreds of supporters have written to Westminster pointing out that eruvs are unobtrusive and allow Jews to carry out essential activities within them  including pushing a pram or wheelchair, or carrying basic items including keys and glasses  which are deemed as work and therefore banned on the Sabbath, which begins on Friday evenings and lasts until Saturday sunset.

Nikola Sutherland, who lives within the proposed eruv zone, said: The erection of unsightly intrusive hardware into an area where people live, solely for the benefit of a small subsection of the Jewish community is unacceptable. It will be a constant reminder of the religious demands of one group versus the norms of the neighbourhood as a whole. This is not how London has evolved into the tolerant multi-cultural society that we love.

However, Rebecca Gozlan, who also lives within the eruv, accuses anti campaigners of spreading misinformation about its potential impact on the area, adding: Ive seen many eruvs in my life  Golders Green, Miami, New York City, Strasbourg in France  and it is barely noticeable.

There are already several eruvs in London, including one covering Golders Green and Finchley in Barnet and another covering Brondesbury, Cricklewood, West Hampstead, Queens Park, Willesden and Kilburn in Brent, which would link up to the Westminster eruv.

Proposals for an eruv covering Camden, Hampstead, Primrose Hill and Kentish Town were submitted to Camden Council last year, to the concern of many local residents. A decision on that is still pending.

Westminster councils planning committee will rule on its eruv at a meeting on Tuesday. The proposals would see 51 posts erected around the borough.

Councillor Robert Rigby, who represents Regents Park, one of the countrys most ethnically diverse council wards and the location of a high-profile mosque, said: We need to create a harmonious, open and inclusive society  [we]  do not want to create division or upset this harmony especially at this very sensitive time.

The St Johns Wood Synagogue, which is leading the proposal alongside several other synagogues, calculates that about 8,700 people will benefit from the plan, while 545 people have written to the council to support of the proposals.

Council officers also support the plan. The public benefits of the proposal to members of the Jewish community could be considered to outweigh the identified harm, said John Walker, the councils director of planning.
S adiq Khans toxicity charge will cost Londoners 23 million a year despite having only a negligible impact on air pollution, it was claimed today.

Transport for Londons own consultation document into the proposed 10 levy found that the impact of the scheme on air quality would be low.

The T-charge, due to come in later this year, will only cut the most poisonous emissions by a small amount.

Nitrogen oxides are expected to fall by between one and three per cent and PM10s by less than one per cent.

It would also only bring about a small decrease in the amount of greenhouse gases, such as C02, that are pumped out by thousands of vehicles that drive into central London every day.

However, TfL said the charge gave a strong signal that the Mayor was prepared to make polluters pay to tackle poisonous air which contributes to the deaths of 9,400 Londoners every year.

Announcing his plans last year, Mr Khan said: I want to act before an emergency, which is why we need big, bold and sometimes difficult policies if London is to match the scale of the challenge.

Around 9,000 drivers a day are expected to pay the new 10 levy when it comes into force later this year, costing them an estimated 23 million. They will also pay the 11.50 congestion charge.

London Assembly Conservatives warned that small businesses with older vehicles would be hit hard, facing charges of 2,600 a year or having to fork out thousands to renew their cars or vans.

Tory environment spokesman Shaun Bailey claimed the T-charge was a pointless pollution tax that did little to tackle poor air quality and urged Mr Khan to rethink his plans.

He said: If the Mayor wants to impose a 23 million annual cost to Londoners that disproportionately affects small businesses, he needs a strong justification for doing so.

Unfortunately TfLs own assessments of his T-charge show it to be little more than a vanity project that will do next to nothing to improve Londons air pollution.

The charge will inflict crippling additional costs on small businesses and sole traders that could be the difference between folding or surviving, as well as causing expense, disruption and bureaucracy for London residents.

The TfL document said: As this scheme affects just seven per cent of vehicles entering the C-charge zone, the anticipated reduction in air pollution is low.

However, it added that the T-charge was an important transitional scheme ahead of the expansion of the ultra-low emissions zone, which would have a much more significant impact on air pollution. The emissions surcharge is a strong signal from the Mayor and shows he is tackling air quality, removing older polluting vehicles and ensuring the polluters pay, it said.

Mr Khan has also proposed a dramatic extension of the ULEZ, already planned for the city centre, running inside the entire North and South Circular roads. It is expected to be introduced before 2020 and to be the toughest emission standard of any major city in the world.

City Hall insiders claimed the 23 million cost was misleading as they expected 40 per cent of motorists to switch to cleaner vehicles in the first year alone.

Simon Birkett of Clean Air in London said: "It's disappointing that anyone is campaigning against action on diesel less than a week after London breached the legal limit for hourly exposure to nitrogen dioxide for a whole year in five days.

"Let's face it, diesel vehicles are responsible for 90-95 per cent of the most harmful exhaust emissions including nitrogen dioxide.

"I urge all politicians in London to press the Government to produce a plan to comply with air pollution laws and support the Mayor in implementing a bigger, stronger and smarter ultra low emission zone sooner."

Mr Khan said: The Tories should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for opposing plans, supported by environment and medical experts, businesses and Londoners to tackle air pollution that will help save Londoners' lives including children.

Ive campaigned alongside the Evening Standard to improve air pollution because its the right thing to do.

Loading....

The T-charge will reduce polluted emissions and will help remove the oldest, most polluting vehicles from central Londons streets - a vital first step to delivering the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
T he owners of the Shard today declared Britains tallest skyscraper virtually full, four and a half years after it was opened by the Qatari prime minister and Prince Andrew.

A huge new letting by designer label retailer Matchesfashion.com means that only three per cent of the office space in the 1,017ft London Bridge landmark remains empty  with most of that held back for further expansion by current tenants.

The milestone represents a huge coup for developers of a building once condemned as the tallest white elephant in the world. Critics predicted the Shard would never attract occupiers because of its then-unfashionable location south of the river.

The latest deal will see the supplier of clothes by designers such as Alexander McQueen, Amanda Wakeley and Stella McCartney boost its total presence in the building by 40 per cent.

The online retailer initially moved its headquarters from Wimbledon to the Shard six months ago and is now taking an extra 13,153 sq ft on the 11th floor on a 10-year lease.

Tom Chapman, co-executive chairman of Matchesfashion.com, said: Since moving to the Shard in June 2016, we have seen continued growth acceleration of the business. As a result, we require additional space to support Matchesfashion.com to offer an inspiring working environment to the many diverse and talented people driving the success of the business.

It follows last months announcement that Kraft Heinz has taken 38,000 sq ft of space on the 20th and 21st storeys on a 12-year lease. The food giant will move its European and UK headquarters from Hayes to the Shard this summer.

A total of 29 companies now have offices in the building, which was officially inaugurated in July 2012. They include broadcaster Al Jazeera, Italian drinks brand Campari, jewellers Tiffany and law firm Mathys & Squire. As well as offices there are three restaurants, Aqua Shard, Oblix and Hutong, as well as the Shangri-La hotel and the View from the Shard gallery. The 10 apartments at the top of the tower remain empty and have never gone on the market for rent or sale.

Irvine Sellar, co-owner and vice-chairman of the Shards developer REM  a joint venture between his family property company and the Qatari government  said: We have a responsibility to support our 29 diverse occupiers, so we are considering holding back some of the limited remaining space for existing businesses that are already committed to this rich and inspiring location.@JonPrynn
A muddled Brexit could inflict severe damage on Londons economy, Sadiq Khan is set to warn.

The Mayor will also call on ministers to give the capital more control over the economic levers needed to boost future growth, including powers over skills, infrastructure and housing.

On Thursday night, he will announce his plans for London to write its own industrial strategy, which would feed into the Governments UK-wide White Paper expected this year.

He will warn that the Government is increasingly heading for a muddled Brexit  the only thing as damaging as a hard Brexit for the capital.

In a speech at the London Government Dinner in Mansion House, he will urge political and business leaders to work with him on a blueprint for the capitals future. He has already backed infrastructure projects including Crossrail 2, the Bakerloo line extension and new river crossings in east London, and has plans to build 90,000 new homes. But he will say he believes London needs to move further and faster in the aftermath of the EU referendum to retain its competitive edge.

We cant stand idly by when there are things we can be doing right now to reassure investors and help to stimulate economic growth, he will say.

So I want to work with every London council and business to ensure we have the tools we need to implement a new industrial strategy for the capital.

The bottom line is this: if we want an industrial strategy that works for London, and therefore for Britain, we must have more control.

Mr Khan will also call on business leaders to continue their campaign to put access to the single market and skilled workers at the heart of the Governments Brexit strategy.

The only thing that would be as damaging as a hard Brexit is a muddled Brexit and  unfortunately  it looks like that is where we are heading without urgent action, he will say.

So I urge you to join me in continuing to put pressure on ministers to fight for the right deal. It means fighting to avoid a reckless hard-headed, hard Brexit approach without any transitional plans in place.
T he former British spy at the centre of salacious claims Donald Trump is vulnerable to blackmail has fled his home telling neighbours: look after my cat.

Chris Steele left his house in Surrey last night after he was named as the author of the dossier revealing the President-elect spent a night in a Moscow hotel with prostitutes.

It is understood the 52-year-old, who runs a London based intelligence agency, has gone into hiding and fears a backlash from the Kremlin.

A neighbour told the Telegraph: He asked me to look after his cat as he would be gone for a few days. Im not sure where hes gone or how to contact him. I dont really know much about him except to say hello.

The report allegedly penned by the former M16 officer contains compromising claims about Mr Trumps sex life and states that Russia planned to use the material to blackmail him.

It is said to have been funded initially by anti-Trump Republicans and then by Democrats, and was handed to the FBI and then leaked to the press.

Mr Steele is the co-founder of Orbis Business Intelligence based in Belgravia and worked in UKs Moscow embassy in the 1990s.
A n Essex village was being evacuated over fears heavy rain and high winds could spark severe flooding.

Police were going from house to house in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea, on Thursday afternoon to warn people of a full evacuation plan.

Officers were informing residents that from 7am on Friday, they would be transported to a rest centre about 10 miles away in Tendring, which has been set up by the district council.

Residents were told they could stay there with their pets until it was safe to return.

They could also make their own way to the rest centre or seek shelter with friends or relatives outside the village.

Loading....

It comes after driving snow and high winds hit large parts of the UK, disrupting travel and closing schools.

Severe weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office across swathes of the country for high winds, snow and ice. At Heathrow Airport, 80 flights were cancelled as a forecast of snow and windy weather is expected to impact on services while four flights were cancelled at Gatwick Airport.

Chief Inspector Russ Cole, district commander at Tendring, said: "Acting on all the professional guidance and experience of our colleagues at the Environment Agency and the Met Office, a partnership decision has been taken to evacuate the homes in Jaywick to ensure the safety of all residents.

"My officers will start calling at all residences in Jaywick from 4pm this afternoon, to advise them that from 7am tomorrow we will be transporting people out of the town to the rest centre.

"We will also advise that from 4pm they can of course self-evacuate and make their own way to the rest centre or to another place of safety at a friend or relative's home outside of Jaywick.

"This decision has not been taken lightly and has been made in the best interests of all residents to ensure their safety until the severe weather passes."

Police will be patrolling the areas people have been evacuated from to ensure property left unattended is as secure as possible.

Residents were being advised to follow directions from officers, pack a bag of clothes and essential medical items for when they needed to leave home, store valuables and expensive items in higher areas in homes and contact friends or relatives to see if there is somewhere outside Jaywick to stay.

The Environment Agency has warned coastal communities in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex they are particularly at risk from gale force winds combining with high tides to create large waves that could carry dangerous debris including rocks.

People are being urged to take extreme care near the coast and avoid walking along coastal paths and promenades if possible.
H opes were rising today that a historic agreement to reunited Cyprus is close after four decades of division.

A new power-sharing government looks set to be agreed, ending the partition between the Greek and Turkish sectors of the holiday island.

The future of British military bases which have a strategic role in the region are expected to be secured under a draft being discussed between local leaders, Greece, Turkey and the United Nations.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who flew in to take part in the talks, said a settlement was in reach

The Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops staged an invasion in response to a coup by Greek Cypriots who wanted to become part of Greece.

UN peacekeepers currently patrol a buffer zone between the Turkish Cypriot north - recognised only by Turkey - and the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot south.

More than 30,000 Turkish troops are still based in the north and their future is under discussion.

Any settlement will be subject referenda in both north and south. A previous agreement in 2004 was vetoed by Greek Cypriot voters.
F rances far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been spotted visiting Trump Tower in New York.

The French National Front leader was spotted grabbing coffee with aides inside US President-elect Donald Trump's skyscraper before being whisked upstairs in an elevator.

It was not clear who she was meeting with but Mr Trumps incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said she was not scheduled to meet the President-elect or his team.

Her surprise visit to New York comes just months before Frances next presidential election.

Ms Le Pen previously described Mr Trumps victory as a sign of hope for her own campaign.

The French politicians chief of staff was quoted as saying the trip to New York was a private visit and that a meeting with Mr Trump was not on her public agenda.

Ms Le Penn currently holds a narrow lead in opinion polls ahead of the first round of voting in Frances presidential election, which takes place in April.
N orth Korea now has enough weapons grade plutonium to make 10 nuclear bombs, according to the South Korean government.

The country now has 50kg of plutonium, up from previous estimates of 40kg in 2014, a paper released on Wednesday by the defence ministry in Seoul suggests.

This comes after the reactivation of its Yongbyon nuclear power plant in 2013 - the source of plutonium for North Korea's nuclear weapons programme - following the collapse of an international non-proliferation agreement.

The conclusion is based on the reckoning that each warhead would require an average of four to six kilograms of nuclear material.

The figures do not include material generated by North Korea's programme of secretly enriching uranium which, Seoul says, is beyond its capacities to estimate.

The report comes at a time when the country's tyrannical leader, Kim Jong-un, is believed to be accelerating the countrys ballistic missile capabilities.

Earlier this month the North Korean dictator said the country is in the "final stages" of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile.

In a 30-minute televised New Year's speech he said Pyongyang had "soared as a nuclear power", adding it was now a "military power of the East that cannot be touched by even the strongest enemy".
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
President-elect Donald Trump speaks Wednesday during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York.
A Portage High School student accused of beating his girlfriend, causing injuries that required surgery, could face more than 15 years in prison if convicted of the crimes.

Gary Worthley, 18, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday charged with felony substantial battery, strangulation and suffocation, felony bail jumping, as well as misdemeanor criminal damage to property and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.

Given the repeat-customer nature of Mr. Worthley, the state is requesting some cash, probably in the $500 neighborhood, because he is alleged to have violated bond conditions a couple times over, said Assistant District Attorney Troy Cross.

The most recent incident happened Nov. 29, according to court documents, when after staying overnight with Worthley, he allegedly woke the woman by slapping her in the face. After she pushed him off and began picking up her things, Worthley punched her in the side of the head, she told officers, hard enough that after she screamed, Worthley went to get ice and she threw up as a result of the pain she was in.

Worthleys mother, who was not in the home at the time, returned and drove both of them to the Divine Savior Healthcare emergency room. As Worthley waited outside, the woman saw a doctor with Worthleys mother sitting in the room with her as she told nurses that she had tripped on a toy and fallen into a wall.

After visiting the emergency room, the woman was referred to an optometrist. On Dec. 3 she saw a doctor at University Hospital in Madison, where she learned that a bone in her orbital socket had been broken, requiring surgery the next day.

While seeing the doctor in Madison, she said that she told him what happened and he wrote it all down.

Over the seven months she had been with Worthley, she told officers that he had been possessive and manipulative and never wanted me to be alone. Another incident she described involved waking up to find Worthley holding a knife to her throat, accusing her of cheating.

Following the surgery in December, she broke up with Worthley, at which point, she told officers, he began to choke her until she was able to get away with help from Worthleys mother.

On Monday, a Columbia County Sheriffs Office detective visited Worthley as he was about to leave for school. After the detective asked Worthley if he knew the woman in question, he said that he did and that they had broken up a month ago. His mother told the detective that it had been two months.

When a deputy asked about the last time she was there, Worthley said that he wanted a lawyer. As Worthley was taken into custody, according to officers, audio and video recordings from inside the squad car picked up an exchange Worthley had with the detective:

Could I have just said the truth and I would be going to school? If I just said the truth about what I did, would I be going to jail? said Worthley. I really hope I dont go for a long time.

This arrest marks Worthleys third criminal case since last April when officers responded to a disturbance involving Worthley throwing things in the home and attacking his mother, resulting in two charges of misdemeanor battery and one of disorderly conduct.

In August, Worthley was arrested with his then-girlfriend for delivery of marijuana as a party to a crime. The two were taken into custody after being found with Trenton Lilly, 20, of Portage, who was arrested on suspicion of delivery of marijuana.

Worthleys girlfriend, whose charges were later dismissed, told officers that she and Worthley had been used, asked by Lilly to give him a ride to various places where he purportedly sold marijuana. Upon arrest, police searched Worthleys backpack, finding a marijuana grinder, rolling papers, a scale and clear plastic baggies.

He is not working; he is a student at the local Portage high school and he is missing school as we speak, said defense attorney Tristan Eagon, asking for a maximum $100 cash bond, given Worthleys minimal flight risk.

Due to the repeat nature of this offense, along with the very violent allegations that are contained in the underlying complaint, Judge Todd Hepler ruled that cash bond would be necessary. There is a public protection aspect to this as well and the court is going to apply a $300 cash bail.

Worthley is scheduled to appear next in court Feb. 9.
On a beautiful spring day in May 2016, Kaitlin Hewitt found herself sitting in the Sauk County jail for the second time in eight months. She had stolen from work.

She had no money, no job and nowhere to go when she got out. She had broken relationships with her friends and family. She had been kicked out of a sober living home. Hewitt, now 25, was a recovering heroin addict.

It was an eye opener; I realized I could either stay in the drug court program and stay straight or sit in jail, the Baraboo resident said about that day in May. I realized staying with the program had to be better than what I was doing. And I was right  things are so much better now.

Hewitt already was a participant in the Sauk County Drug Court, a program that just reached the one-year mark at the start of this month. The court is a collaborative effort by the Sauk County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council that aims to break the cycle of addiction and reduce crimes associated with drug use such as forgery, theft and robbery.

Participants undergo a comprehensive assessment and treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues, are subjected to intensive supervision, random drug and breath testing, regular court appearances and sanctions or incentives based upon their behavior. Proponents say the program is built upon honesty and individual accountability.

Warning sign

In September 2015, Hewitt was arrested for the first time. She was charged with felony forgery after stealing checks from her grandfather to buy drugs, misdemeanor criminal damage to property and misdemeanor theft for breaking in to his home.

Looking back two years ago was the worst part of my addiction, Hewitt said. I only cared about myself and how to get more money for drugs.

She said her grandfather pressed charges because he wanted her to get help. At that point, Hewitt knew she needed it.

I was offered a signature bond but I turned it down because I wanted to get help, but I didnt know how to get it, she said. So I decided to sit in jail. People thought I was crazy.

Thats when Hewitt met Janelle Kruger, Sauk Countys Criminal Justice Coordinator, who thought Hewitt might be a good prospect for the countys new rehabilitation program.

My first instinct was not to go to drug court because honestly theres a lot to do to be a part of it, she said. But of course looking back now, Im so glad I decided to do it.

High risk

Krueger said the program specifically targets high-risk drug users who have the greatest need for intervention.

Evidence has shown us where we want to focus our resources, Krueger said. Those low-risk, low-need individuals have a greater chance of self-correction. If we can break the cycle of recidivism, you see the greatest savings within the system.

Krueger said the program is very intentional in selecting medium to high-risk people for the drug court program, which is tailored specifically to their needs.

Also interesting is that research has shown us that mixing those two populations increased the likelihood the low-risk individuals will get in trouble again, she said.

New approach

Sauk Prairie Police Chief Jerry Strunz is a member of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and said anyone who has been charged with a drug-related crime can seek to have their case reviewed by the drug court. Circumstances of the case are considered and used to determine whether that person would be a candidate for the program or be kept in the traditional criminal justice system. Once part of the program, participants in the Sauk County Drug Court can remain involved for 18-24 months, depending on their progress.

The program provides a great deal of structure for the individual and they are immediately connected with the resources they need, Strunz said.

Participants are assigned a probation and parole agent as well as a drug court case manager, who help them make living arrangements. They also ensure they participate in any prescribed treatment, attend appropriate meetings and show up for court appearances.

Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock presides over the drug court, typically held at 10 a.m. on Fridays at the Sauk County Courthouse.

Way back society thought that these people needed to be punished and prison was the default mechanism, Screnock said. But of course we were finding this was not helping them.

Strunz said thats because the criminal justice system wasnt dealing with the root cause of the criminal behavior: addiction.

We needed to be addressing whats driving them to commit these crimes, he said.

Screnock said part of the evaluation process to be accepted into drug court is finding people who are willing to change.

They have an entire team of professionals working with them toward that goal, he said. Its help and support at a level they wouldnt have otherwise.

Not only does drug court offer people the help they need to fight their addiction, it also aims to lower the rate of crimes associated with drug use such as burglary and other property crimes as well as forgery.

Part of the support in addition to treating addictive behaviors is helping the individual get set up with a job, learn budgeting skills, have housing lined up so they have a platform where they are then able to go and succeed in life, Screnock said.

Last chance

The fifth time Hewitt used heroin, she overdosed. That wasnt even enough to open her eyes. But that second time she landed in jail, something changed.

I felt like an idiot going back there. I was worried I wasted an opportunity, Hewitt said. In my mind what I did  stealing from work  wasnt a big thing because I wasnt using.

Her case manager saw it differently.

The people in the drug court program realized I was already starting back mentally with my addictive behavior, Hewitt said. It really was the biggest thing for me because the week I sat in there I didnt know what was going to happen; my mind really started running. It was me sitting in there with my own thoughts.

Ultimately, Hewitt lost her job for stealing. However, because the business owner did not seek further criminal action against her, she was allowed to stay in the drug court program.

Strunz said the programs heavy oversight of participants isnt designed to find a reason to kick them out.

Were trying to help them do the right thing, not catch them doing something bad, Strunz said.

Sauk County District Attorney Kevin Calkins said in the past when someone like Hewitt repeatedly offended, they would be sentenced, released and often come right back under similar circumstances.

The old process of catch and convict wasnt working. he said. It was lather, rinse repeat and it wasnt stopping the behavior.

Calkins said the program ends the cycle by working with participants and not turning them away after they have finished their sentences.

We started treating addiction like a disease rather than punish people for being addicted, he said.

Measuring success

Not everything has gone smoothly during the first year of the drug courts implementation. Some participants havent been able to meet the expectations. Hewitt nearly became one of them.

Krueger said the county sought to have 30 participants in the program in the first year. So far, the program has enrolled 22. Krueger said the program has faced staffing constraints, which prevented it from ramping up to full capacity.

We knew we might not reach 30, Krueger said. But we have always been very interested in making sure we are putting the right people in this program.

Screnock said there are more barriers to success for participants than many realize. In addition to any individual challenges, issues such as a lack of health insurance, transportation and housing are difficulties faced by many in the program.

Its been interesting to me to see the numerous barriers that can pop up at any given time, any of which can derail the success of these individuals, Screnock said.

Hewitt is one of the lucky ones. After serious consideration, her father let her move into his Baraboo home. That keeps her close to all the resources she needs and to her job housekeeping at a local hotel.

Since I have been sober, the relationships I have with my family have been better, she said. Some people dont have family to depend on. Its nice to have that support, even when they can be tough on you. I dont think I would have gotten through this without the support of my family and of course, the drug court team.

Changing the game

Some people have now reached one year of sobriety or more in the program.

To see that transformation and the amount of pride they have in their own recovery is really rewarding to see, Strunz said.

People who may have been written off have proven even they can come back from addiction.

The single most gratifying thing I hear is with law enforcement officers who have known these individuals for a long time that they truly never thought that individual could succeed and now they see the changes in them and have hope for them, Screnock said.

For Calkins, its all about breaking the cycle of addiction.

I am coming up on my 29th anniversary, and I am seeing the third generation of addiction in some of these families, he said. And think about all of the crimes that have been committed in the name of addiction. The pull is very strong.

Krueger said there is an entire team working to help participants put it all together.

Nothing compares to what these people do every day to make that recovery lifestyle fit, said Krueger. I really give credit to the professionals who commit so much time to making drug court a priority.

Hewitt is working on her own independence as she finishes the drug court program. Shes making her own money, walking to work and other places she needs to be instead of depending on others. But most of all, shes clean and sober and accountable.

If I could go back and tell myself something, Id just say, Open your eyes, what are you doing? You are either going to end up in jail, an institution or dead, Hewitt said. And frankly, I was on my way to all three of them.

When she first started the program, Hewitt said she didnt know how she could live without drugs and alcohol.

But I have, she said. Now I can say Ive been clean for 14 months without a single relapse in the program.
LINCOLN  The presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer has been detected for the first time in southeastern Nebraska, according to findings by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The Commission conducted a CWD sampling operation in its Southeast District deer check stations during the 2016 November firearm deer season. Four samples tested positive for CWD. Those samples were taken from deer harvested on private land in Thayer, Saline, Cass and Polk counties.

There were 753 deer sampled in three deer management units: Wahoo, Blue Northwest and Blue Southeast. No extensive sampling for CWD had taken place in these units until 2016.

The goal of this sampling effort is to assess the spread and prevalence of the disease through periodic testing in each region of the state, which in turn helps biologists predict when and if future effects on deer numbers may occur. Testing will take place in the Southwest, Northwest and Northeast districts in the next several years.

Although present in Colorado and Wyoming for several decades, CWD was first discovered in Nebraska in 2000 in Kimball County. Since 1997, Commission staff have tested nearly 49,000 deer and found 296 that tested positive. CWD has been found in 34 Nebraska counties, but no population declines attributable to the disease have yet occurred.

CWD is prion disease that attacks the brain of an infected deer and elk, eventually causing emaciation, listlessness, excessive salivation and death. It is generally thought that CWD is transmitted from animal to animal through exchange of body fluids, but other modes of transmission may exist.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no person is known to have contracted CWD; however, hunters should cautiously handle and process deer and avoid consuming animals that test positive or look sick. Livestock and other animals not in the deer family also do not appear susceptible to CWD.

Hunters can help prevent the spread of CWD by using proper carcass disposal methods. CWD prions, the infectious proteins that transmit the disease, can remain viable for months or even years in the soil. Hunters should field dress animals at the place of kill, avoid spreading spinal cord or brain tissue to meat, and to dispose of the head (brain), spinal column and other bones at a licensed landfill.

Learn more about CWD at OutdoorNebraska.gov/cwd/.

Spring turkey permits now available

Spring turkey hunting permits are available from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Nebraska offers the best turkey hunting opportunities in the entire country. Nebraska offers birds in every county of the state, including the highly-sought-after Merriams in some areas. The state also offers plentiful and affordable permits, long seasons, great public access and $5 permits for youth.

Wild turkey hunters in Nebraska enjoy high success rates. In the spring, hunters can purchase as many as three permits, with a bag limit of one turkey per permit.

The spring archery season opens March 25, youth shotgun on April 8, and the regular shotgun on April 15. All spring turkey seasons close May 31.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.org or Game and Parks permitting offices to purchase permits. For more information on turkey hunting in Nebraska, read the 2017 Turkey Guide or visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/wildturkey.

Join Game and Parks for Eagle Viewing Days at Lake Ogallala

Watch bald eagles soar or feed on the ice of Lake Ogallala during Eagle Viewing Days each weekend in January.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host the event at the Lake Ogallala Eagle Viewing Center, located below Kingsley Dam. A park naturalist will give a presentation at 9 a.m. and noon each Saturday and Sunday in January. The presentation will be followed by open viewing of the eagles and crafts for the kids. Coffee and hot chocolate will be provided.

The Lake Ogallala Eagle Viewing Center will be open to the public each Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. until early March.

A park entry permit is not required to park at the viewing center; however, a permit is required for visitors to Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala state recreation areas.

For more information, contact Alison Bleich at 308-284-8800 or at alison.bleich@nebraska.gov.

Big game meetings Jan. 18 in Elkhorn, Jan. 19 in Wilber

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will hold a big game informational meeting Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Elkhorn Eagles Club, 20276 Wirt St. The public is invited.

Commission biologists will begin with a presentation on deer management. Other wildlife management topics will be discussed as time allows.

Another big game meeting will be held Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Wilbers Sokol Auditorium, 315 S. Wilson St. That meeting will be streamed live on the Commissions Facebook page.

Commission to consider changes to boating regulations

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider at its Jan. 20 meeting a regulation amendment that would allow people to obtain boating safety certification via an online course. The meeting is at 8 a.m. in the third-floor conference room of the Commissions Lincoln headquarters, 2200 N. 33rd St.

If passed, the amended regulation would help streamline boater education by increasing opportunities for constituents, while retaining the classroom and home-study options for obtaining certification.

Another boating regulation amendment up for consideration would update the maps in the Special Rules and Regulations for Nonpublic Lake Associations.

Also on the agenda are recommendations to:

 Approve grant awards for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Assistance Program to Beatrice, Beemer, David City, Elmwood, Fullerton, Ord, Paxton, Greeley, Lexington, Lincoln, and Palmyra.

 Approve the following outdoor trail projects for federal funding through the Recreational Trails Program: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail, Fullerton for the Powerhouse Park Trail, Tekamah for the Tekamah Tiger Trail Loop, and Norfolk for the Underpass Trail.

 Amend wildlife regulations regarding game breeding and controlled shooting areas.

 Approve an increase to the Cash Change Fund at Summit Lake State Recreation Area to support the coinage requirements at the new shower house.

For a complete meeting agenda, visit: OutdoorNebraska.gov/commissioners/.
Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (440) Jan 2014 (544) Feb 2014 (475) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (441) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (921) Nov 2015 (801) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (946) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sep 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (93)
Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu welcomed on Thursday France's Ambassador to Romania Francois Saint-Paul, on which occasion the two had an opinion exchange on the bilateral relations and the challenges the European Union is currently facing. According to a release the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) sent to Agerpres, the two officials discussed about the prospects of the Romanian-French relations, as well as the calendar of the bilateral contacts in the next period, "underscoring the common commitment for strengthening the privileged bilateral relations and the continuation of implementing the updated roadmap of the Strategic Partnership in all its dimensions."

At the same time, Melescanu and Saint-Paul also approached the prospects of consolidating the European project, the Romanian chief diplomat reiterating "the importance of a structured and consistent Romanian-French coordination on a European level." During the dialogue, they evoked the excellent collaboration of the sides in preparing the Romania-France Cultural Season, a complex bilateral cultural programme which will take place between 1 December 2018 and 30 June 2019, the release also reads.
Sectors of A2 highway Lehliu - Drajna and Bucharest - Fundulea were opened to traffic, in both directions, informs the Press Office of the Inspectorate General of the Romanian Police (IGPR).

At the same time, A2 highway sector Drajna-Fetesti, between km 105-143, as well as the A4 highway were opened to traffic on Thursday.

The two highway were closed on Tuesday evening, in both directions, due to inclement weather conditions - Code Orange for snowfalls and blizzard.

agerpres.
Chris Drosner Chris Drosner writes the Beer Baron column for the Wisconsin State Journal. Follow Chris Drosner 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

MILWAUKEE  Clear your mind for a moment and embark with me on a journey of free association.

Milwaukee beer.

You thought about Miller, right? Pabst? Schlitz? Blatz? Shotz, the made-up brewery from Laverne and Shirley?

In the past couple of decades a few Milwaukee craft brewers, notably Lakefront and Milwaukee Brewing, have been working to change the Cream Citys beer image, but a 150-year history of fizzy yellow beer casts a long shadow.

Milwaukees newest beer export, however, has very little to do with legacy and everything to do with whats happening right now in the beer world.

Good City Brewing, which opened last June, could be a veritable checklist of how to open a craft brewery in 2016:

Sharp branding including a cool catchphrase, and a stirring (and true) story: friends coming together to open a business together. A sense of place, and of love for that community.

A beer portfolio heavy on hops  especially sexy ones. Simple but elegant styles that come in a broad range of ABVs. A sought-after limited release.

A cool, refined tap room, repurposed from another use into a brewery, that emphasizes overall experience, with food and culture presented with as much care as the beer.

Do these things, as Good City has, and Id expect a brewery to do well, as Good City has. In its first six months it sprinted to 500 barrels of production, nearly all of it destined for the tap room or draft lines in one of about 100 bars and restaurants in the Milwaukee area.

Thats about three times the market penetration that Good Citys founders expected at this point, they told me on a snowy December evening in the tap room on Milwaukees hip East Side.

The brewery represents a pledge of sorts by the three founders  Dan Katt, 34, a real estate developer; David Dupee, 35, an attorney and founder of the CraftFund online investment platform; and Andy Jones, 32, a pro brewer whos an alum of Goose Island in Chicago and spent nearly eight years at Milwaukees Lakefront, leaving the company as plant manager  to each other and to Milwaukee.

The three got serious about opening a brewery at the 2015 Craft Brewers Conference in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by the red-hot craft beer industry and by the type of beer that inspired them to take their passion to the next level.

Dupee described Good Citys approach to beer as unabashedly hophead, with a key inspiration in the West Coast IPAs so common to the Pacific Northwest.

The founders cite test batches of Risk, the IPA at the top of Good Citys tap list, as the final push they needed to move forward with the brewery. The double IPA Reward (get it?) grew into a hit on tap lines across Brew City the latter half of last year, and its juicy tropical fruit profile won it an honorable mention in my Year in Beer column last month. Motto, a crisp single-hop, single-malt American pale ale deploying the Mosaic hop, is the tap rooms No. 1 seller.

Good Citys other beers also skew hop-forward and stick mostly to straightforward adaptations of established styles: pilsner, porter, session IPA, scotch ale, imperial stout. Now that the recipes have been dialed in, Jones said, hes excited to experiment with different flavors within the existing beers by using casks, rather than adding, say, fruit to an actual IPA recipe.

With the amount of real flavors you can get with malt and hops, you dont need to do a lot with adjuncts, he said.

Some batches of the imperial stout, Density, went into bourbon barrels beginning in midsummer for aging.

The outcome, released in bombers at the brewery last month, was a chocolatey-bourbon delight that drank a bit like a more robust version of Central Waters revered Bourbon Barrel Stout. Good City plans Barrel-Aged Density as an annual release.

December also saw the debut of Motto in cans, packaged for now using a mobile canning line.

And this, patient reader, is where Madison comes in; Motto six-packs are expected to drop in the capital city in early February.

Good City aims to add an in-house canning line this spring, and the plan is for four beers to be canned by the end of 2017, with Risk, Reward and Good City Pils joining Motto.

That APA with an exceptionally dry West Coast profile is as much of a Good City mission statement as the brewerys slogan, Seek the Good. Lets dig in and get a preview of the newest beer to Madison.

Motto

Style: American pale ale

Brewed by: Good City Brewing, 2108 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee

What its like: Every brewery is different, but I keep finding myself comparing Good Citys early run to the fast start by a brewery here in Madison: Karben4. And Karben4 just happens to have a Mosaic pale ale of its own. Dragon Flute is chewier and more bitter than Motto, but if you like one youll probably like the other.

Where, how much: Dupee described this first drop of Motto for our market as limited, and its unclear how regular Madisons supply of the self-distributed Good City beer will be going forward. Your best bet will be beer-centric bottle shops, and your price will be around $10 per six-pack.

The beer: Hazy amber topped with a lacy white head, Motto asserts itself with a robust, distinctly Mosaic aroma of pineapple and other bright tropical fruit undercut with resinous, slightly dank pine. The flavor follows the aroma, with the malt  a variety known as Crisp Pale Ale  playing a deep second fiddle to Mottos hops.

Its yet another beer that reminds us that hoppy does not always equal bitter, as only a modest bitterness comes in on the finish. Aside from the Mosaic character perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Motto is an assertive dryness  a thread that runs through many of Good Citys beers.

Booze factor: Mottos 5.2 percent ABV  not to mention the bright flavor profile  positions it nicely for summer quencher/lawnmower beer status, if winter ever ends.

The buzz: Good City was one of seven breweries to open in Brew City last year, leading some to wonder whether Milwaukee was suddenly over-beered. Dupee chuckles at such talk of a Milwaukee craft beer bubble and believes the city is just getting started.

The energy level for Milwaukee is high and the energy from our customers is high, Katt said of the citys big beer year. I think everyone wants to see each other do well.

As tap handles from Good City and the other new breweries proliferate around Brew City, Katt said hes seeing the out-of-state options crowded out rather than, say, beers from Lakefront or Milwaukee Brewing. Were competing against lines from out of town.

That has to be satisfying for Katt, Dupee and Jones, who see the revival of Milwaukee as a key reward that so far has made their risk worthwhile.

Good City Brewing is built on the conviction that everyone should live life as if they have been granted a key to their city, the brewery says on its website. To have a key is to seek the good as a friend and ally of your local place. We are committed to brewing beer that inspires others to live with a key and participate in Milwaukees resurgence.

Bottom line: 4 stars (out of five)
5 Star Korean BBQ has a generic name and thats too bad, because it offers wonderful Korean food. The Blair Street restaurant is operating at a three-star level, however, when you take its atmosphere into consideration.

Korean native Chulkee Chang opened the restaurant in mid- October as 5 Star BBQ. He later added Korean to the name, clarifying a lot. Chang has a successful Korean restaurant outside of Champaign, Illinois, where the name gives even less away: Star Karaoke.

Chang may one day offer karaoke in Madison, too, he said.

A year ago, Chang also bought the 30-year-old Fitzgeralds supper club in Middleton, and is making dramatic changes there, planning to add Asian items to the usual steaks, seafood and prime rib.

Meanwhile, 5 Star sticks to a largely Korean menu with some Japanese items like miso soup, vegetable tempura and chicken teriyaki sprinkled in.

The name is also misleading because, while the restaurant offers three versions of the Korean staple bulgogi, that hardly qualifies it as a barbecue joint. The menu also offers a section with grill items, with a few qualifying as BBQ. Why it wants any connection to the two barbecue restaurants in the space before it is anyones guess. Maybe Chang just wanted to utilize the leftover signage.

That said, the dukbokki ($10.99) are a good place to start if you like spicy food. The soft, chewy rice cakes were cylindrical and paired with fish cakes cut in thin triangles. They were swimming in a spicy orange sauce with green onions, zucchini and fantastic black, wrinkly Chinese mushrooms.

The mushrooms were so good I asked chef Chon Sohwan  who delivered our entrees  about them. She said she gets them shipped over dry from South Korea. They proved worth the extra effort.

The yaki mandu ($5.99) was less impressive. The six fried dumplings were filled with cabbage, green onion and translucent noodles. Sohwan later said they came from a package, but added that the meat version is homemade.

What was impressive were the restaurants renditions of Koreas two most famous dishes: bibimbap and beef bulgogi.

The bibimbap is $12.99 without the beef, which is the same beef as in the bulgogi. We opted to have the rice dish served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, which is an extra buck. Its a traditional New Year dish and we ate it New Years Eve, when 5 Star was doing an OK business, or nothing that couldnt be handled ably by one waitress.

Topping the big bowl of white rice was spinach, bean sprouts, delicious shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced zucchini, turnip, carrots, and a fried egg. Youve got to stir fast so the prized rice on the bottom browns, but doesnt burn.

Our waitress told us to mix in the dark red-orange sauce  made with Korean chili paste, kochujang  from a squeeze bottle sitting on our table, but we preferred to blend it with the leftover sauce from the rice cake and fish cake appetizer.

The bibimbap arrived with five chilled side dishes: excellent strips of fish cake; steamed broccoli, which helped augment the vegetables already in the bowl; and tasty ribbons of pickled radish. Im not a lover of kimchi, Koreas national dish, and there were two kinds: a traditional cabbage version and a radish kimchi.

On top of all the sides, the dish also came with an unexpected cup of miso soup, traditionally Japanese, and stocked with more seaweed and cubes of tofu than Ive ever seen in miso soup. My main complaint about miso soup is that its almost always lacking in those categories. This was a happy break from the norm.

The beef bulgogi ($15.99) featured high-quality meat that was tender and well-marinated, but not without fat. It had a fine texture, pulling apart easily. There were a few stray onions, carrots and mushrooms, and the serving was large  more than most anyone could eat in one sitting.

The main dining room at 5 Star is casual with tables and chairs that dont all match, and theres not much for decor. The night I was there, colored Christmas lights adorned a counter, and a miniature Christmas tree glowed on a table next to us. A handmade sign advertised free Wi-Fi.

Even less congruous was the choice of local country music radio station 96.3 FM playing over the sound system, commercials and all.

Its also best not to sit near the door in cold weather, or you could feel an arctic blast whenever it opens. What 5 Star needs is a vestibule.

Chang has owned his restaurant in Savoy, Illinois, a bedroom community outside Champaign, for more than 10 years.

He said Downtown Madison needed more Korean food to make it more diversified. The Champaign area has more Korean restaurants than the Madison area, he pointed out, adding that Madison has lots of potential.

(With 5 Star, both areas now have three Korean restaurants.)

The only thing that ever seemed to do well in the 5 Star location was Pizza Extreme, which mostly did a delivery business. A succession of restaurants there, two of them barbecue places, another a roast beef shop, have failed in the past six years.

5 Star has some potential, but when it comes to ambience, its untapped.
Never trust a person who doesnt like potatoes.

Raghavan Iyer was joking, but only a bit.

The Mumbai-born author, cooking instructor and restaurant consultant had potatoes on his mind, as he should while on a book tour with his new volume. The spectacularly named Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked  and Fried, Too! (Workman, $16.95, 250 pages) is as delightful as its title, an immersion into Iyers obsession with the lowly spud, which he pushes to its creative limits.

The author of five books on Indian or Asian cooking  and a James Beard Award winner  has shifted gears in this new publication to focus on an ingredient that finds its place at dinner tables throughout the world.

You know the predictable potato drill for Americans: potato soup, potato salad, hash browns in the morning, mashed on the holidays, fries all day. In another authors hands, these recipes would be limited to the perfect way to prepare the vegetable.

Iyer offers that, too, of course, but given his mastery of flavors and wizardry with spices, were in for a treat. Think cheesy tarragon tots, water chestnut potato potstickers, Moroccan potato stew with saffron biscuits.

He stuffs chiles rellenos with potatoes, builds nests of the shredded vegetable to hold a stir-fry and creates layers for lasagna with slices that sub for pasta. He steams potato-chive buns and bakes a savory version of Danish aebleskivers. The recipes go on to include 75 ways you never dreamed of preparing the worlds favorite vegetable.

And still, all those recipes later, in a recent interview not far from his Minneapolis home, he reached for a french fry at a restaurant.

I always need to have a taste, he said.

Q: Why the obsession?

A: Ive had a passion for potatoes forever. (In Mumbai) Mother would ask, What do you want for dinner? It was always potatoes. Finally she got tired of asking. It was something we had growing up, every day, so it stuck with me. Even before and after this book, I have to have potatoes at least once a day, in one form or another.

Q: How did your family embrace this subject, knowing they would be eating potatoes for a long time?

A: Terry (his partner) rolled his eyes and said, We have to live through this now. But it was fun. They (Terry and their son, Robert) jumped right in and tasted everything I made. Because its a smaller book, I was able to test recipes so many times over so I was comfortable with the result. Someone asked if me if I was tired of potatoes. I went to the farmers market at Linden Hills, and a farmer had grown four kinds of organic potatoes. I came home with 20 pounds.

Q: What advice do you have for cooking with potatoes?

A: One of the biggest mistakes is to choose the wrong variety of potato for a task. For mashed potatoes, a cook should use russets, which are high in starch, low in moisture and floury, which makes them easily mashed. Salads need waxy potatoes that are low in starch and hold their shape.

Q: Your favorite varietal?

A: I love the Peruvian purple, because its so beautiful to look at and there are so many things you can do with it. One of my recipes showcases it in a purple potato focaccia. Im also pleased with some of the fingerlings that are red on the outside and have red flesh. These are especially nice in salads to throw in some color.

I use these red potatoes in a recipe for a mojito potato salad. Im pleased to see more and more varieties in the marketplace.
About 50 people protested Thursday outside of the headquarters of Hardees in downtown St. Louis, calling for a $15 minimum wage and blasting the nomination of the burger chains CEO as the next U.S. labor secretary.

Organizers for Show Me 15 said the protest, which included fast food cooks and cashiers, was one of two dozen planned across the country at Hardees and Carls Jr. offices, restaurants and U.S. Department of Labor branches.

Both the Hardees and Carls Jr. chains are owned by CKE Restaurants, which is led by president and CEO Andy Puzder, a former St. Louis lawyer picked by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Labor Department.

Hardees has been based in St. Louis since 2001 but is moving its corporate headquarters to Nashville, Tenn., in March. The company notified state officials this month that 24 St. Louis corporate employees who are not relocating to Nashville are being laid off.

Protesters gathered at 11 a.m. outside an office building at 100 North Broadway in downtown St. Louis, where Hardees is based. Then they marched a couple of blocks away to a Hardees restaurant, which had a sign saying it was temporarily closed.

Some protesters carried signs that said Andy Puzder is paid more in a day than his workers make in a year. Another sign said Workers against Puzder.

Fast food workers across the country, organized by the group Fight for $15, have held protests for several years seeking to raise the hourly minimum wage to $15. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and Missouris minimum rose by a nickel to $7.70 an hour on Jan. 1.

I feel like we should get paid more, said Terrence Dixon, 32, a cook at a Hardees in Bridgeton who makes $8.50 an hour. Dixon, who marched at the rally and spoke in favor of a higher minimum wage, said he has five children and cant support them on his wages.

With $15 an hour, it could help me take care of my responsibilities and make my kids be successful in life, he said.

Frances Holmes, 54, who works at McDonalds in Webster Groves as a cashier and cook, also spoke out against Puzder at the rally. She said its no longer the case that mostly high school-aged students staff fast food restaurants for extra spending money.

There are parents and grandparents working there, and we work hard, Holmes said. Its no longer just a kids job. I support a $15 minimum wage because it would make lives for low-wage workers so much better.

Puzder has been a critic of raising the federal minimum wage. On his blog last year, andy.puzder.com, Puzder said dramatically raising the minimum wage would lead to fewer job opportunities for youths.

Puzders comments on the use of robots in the workplace have also drawn ire.

In a Business Insider article last year, Puzder said machines are always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall or an age, sex or race discrimination case, according to the publication.

One protester at the rally downtown Thursday carried a sign that said: I am not a robot.

Through a company representative, Puzder declined to comment for this story.

In a statement last month, CKE Restaurants said Puzder has led CKE for the past sixteen years and during that time has transformed the company into an internationally prominent and growing business, creating and preserving thousands of jobs in the process. As someone who runs two of the nations most popular restaurant franchises, Carls Jr. and Hardees, Andy has distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for economic policies that create jobs and opportunities.

Matt Haller, senior vice president of public affairs at the International Franchise Association, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group whose members include large restaurant chains, said in a statement that the protests distract from the real issues at hand for our nations leaders  how to create economic growth at all levels, which is the only real solution to income inequality in America.

Puzder resigned from the IFAs board after he was nominated by Trump.

Puzders U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, which was scheduled for Thursday, was postponed this week  and may not be held until February, several news organizations have reported.
A Madison police detective testifying Thursday at a hearing for a man accused of shooting two women, one of them fatally, last month at a Far East Side group home said investigators still dont know why the shooting happened.

Detective Mark Hull, testifying at the preliminary hearing for Ali A. Hassan, 25, of Fitchburg, said police dont have specific information about the motives or motivations for the Dec. 21 fatal shooting of Fatoumatta Jallow, 23, and non-fatal shooting of a co-worker whom police and prosecutors have not identified publicly.

He said the investigation is still ongoing.

One of Hassans lawyers, Tracey Wood, said she also doesnt know what would have caused Hassan to go to the REM Wisconsin group home at 5333 Kevins Way and shoot Jallow and the other woman.

Everyone wants to know what happened in that home, what would have led to this, Wood said.

Dane County Circuit Judge Julie Genovese, who clamped down on defense attempts to elicit more information about Hassans arrest, questioning and detention from Hull, ordered Hassan to stand trial after finding probable cause that he committed a felony. Such questions, Genovese said, were irrelevant at a preliminary hearing, where she was only to determine whether evidence presented against Hassan is plausible and sufficient to establish probable cause that he committed a felony.

Pleas of not guilty were entered for Hassan after prosecutors filed a formal charging document. In addition to first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide, new charges added Thursday include arson and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.

It was not mentioned in the criminal complaint that was issued in December, but Hull described how the woman who survived the shooting told police that after the shootings, Hassan placed balled-up paper towels onto a stove in the kitchen and somehow set it ablaze, not far from a group home resident who uses oxygen because of her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hull testified that the woman who survived told him that she was working about 6:30 p.m. when Hassan arrived at the group home, then went directly into the basement without speaking. She said she knew Hassan and had worked with him numerous times.

After he went into the basement, the woman said, she went to help one of the homes three clients get into bed, which takes about 15 minutes. She heard Jallow go into the basement, then heard two pops and heard Jallow scream.

The woman went to the basement stairs, Hull testified, and looking down she saw Hassan carrying a handgun. Hassan then shot the woman three times.

The woman said Hassan told her to get onto the floor in the kitchen. She asked Hassan to call 911, but he said he didnt want to because he didnt want to go to jail. The woman told Hull that she went into the bedroom of the man who she had helped into bed, got his cellphone and used it to briefly call 911, not wanting Hassan to know.

After she hung up, she told Hull, the phone rang. She tried to hide the phone, and when Hassan came to her she said it was the husband of a client who was trying to call. Hassan took the phone from her, removed the battery and put the phone in the kitchen sink.

After that, the woman told Hull, he took paper towels, balled them up and set a fire.

The client who needs oxygen was in a sitting room just off the kitchen, Hull testified.

The woman said she heard banging on the door into the garage, which was locked, as police arrived and tried to enter. But before they entered, she told Hull, Hassan ran out the front door.

During the incident, another client, who uses a wheelchair to get around, had been knocked to the floor in a hallway, where police found that person.

I shot everyone

Hull testified that Officer Timothy Liston, responding to the call, spotted a man fitting the description of the shooting suspect running in the area and took him into custody. At one point, Hull said, Liston heard Hassan say, I shot everyone in that house.

Police soon learned after the shooting that a car driven by Hassan had been in a crash at the intersection of Inwood Way and Open Wood Way, a few blocks from the group home. The driver of the other car sustained a concussion in the crash, Hull said. Hassans wallet was found in the car he had been driving, Hull said.

The gun, a 9mm handgun, was found in a hallway at the home a few feet from where the resident had been knocked from a wheelchair, Hull said.

REM Wisconsin had employed Hassan as a floater, Hull said, working as needed at various locations, including at the Kevins Way house. The last time he had worked there was in July, Hull said. He added that Hassan would have known about the medical conditions of the residents.

REM Wisconsin executive director Shelley Hansen-Blake said last month that Jallow and Hassan had never worked a shift together at the Kevins Way home, though they had worked there once on the same day, but hours apart.

Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said the woman who survived the shooting has since been released from UW Hospital.
WASHINGTON  He had done it before, after Tucson, Aurora, Fort Hood and Sandy Hook: taken on the mantle of the pastor-in-chief before a crowd of mourners for lives taken too soon by a man with a gun.

But when President Barack Obama stood among African-American bishops in Charleston, S.C., to eulogize the minister slain with eight of his flock after welcoming the stranger to their Bible study, what he did was unlike anything hed done before.

After eulogizing the Rev. Clementa Pinckney and discussing the moral and spiritual dimensions of racial hatred and gun violence, the president broke out into the first stanza of Amazing Grace, bringing the overflow crowd in Charlestons TD Arena along with him.

It was like  wow. Wow, said Bishop Vashti McKenzie, who was standing just behind Obama when he spoke at the funeral on June 26, 2015.

McKenzie, who heads the African Methodist Episcopal Churchs General Board, said the speech was an answer to those who questioned if this president  who some had thought was reticent about his faith and about his role as the nations first black president  was a Christian.

It reminded us that he is a man of faith, the bishop added. And it said a lot for his faith and it said a lot to the faith community.

But aside from that noteworthy moment, the 44th president has had successes and failures in calming the nations culture wars.

Its been a mixed legacy for both sides of a divided country, said former White House staffer Michael Wear, author of the forthcoming book Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House about the Future of Faith in America.

One of Obamas earliest executive orders kept open the doors of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships started by his predecessor George W. Bush under a slightly different name.

Over the course of eight years, beneficiaries of government-funded religious social services have won greater religious liberty protections and an interfaith college initiative has grown to include hundreds of campuses involved in service projects.

His advisory councils of religious and secular leaders have included transgender, Sikh and evangelical members, and have promoted goals such as eliminating poverty, preventing lead poisoning, and improving relations between communities and law enforcement.

But the administration also maintained a rule that has roiled church-state separation activists because it allows government-funded religious organizations to hire based on faith.

It was a rule Obama had promised to change.

If you get a federal grant, you cant use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you cant discriminate against them  or against the people you hire  on the basis of their religion, he said in 2008.

For the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, it was a big disappointment.

Theres no question that the worst provision, the worst policy contained now in both the Bush setup of the program and the Obama continuance of it was this absolutely indefensible permitting of discrimination by religious recipients of tax dollars, he said.

Some of those who favored maintaining that hiring rule were concerned when he signed a 2014 executive order providing protections for sexual orientation and gender identity to LGBT employees of companies that do federal government work.

They make it more murky because here are categories that overlap significantly with religion, said Stanley Carlson-Thies, senior director of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance. So where is the line that can be drawn on that?

Obamas support of reproductive rights brought out his fiercest critics on the religious right.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins wrote in December that with half of U.S. states permitting elective abortion as part of the Affordable Care Act, it was failing millions of pro-life Americans who dont want their taxes subsidizing insurance that covers the brutal killing of innocent unborn babies.

Republican nominee Mitt Romney, whom Obama defeated in 2012, accused the president of starting a war on religion with the ACAs contraception mandate, which has prompted some 100 lawsuits by religious opponents.

On gay marriage, Obama cited his faith as he shifted his position to ultimately supporting it. [I]ts also the golden rule, you know? Treat others the way youd want to be treated, he told ABC News.

The transition was hailed by religious progressives but posed a dilemma for others, including many religious black people.

African-American clergy praised the expansion of health care to the uninsured as well as the My Brothers Keeper initiative, which provided mentors for many black and Latino boys.

But there was heartache in many corners over the presidents switch on same-sex marriages, said McKenzie, whose AME Church does not sanction them.

On Islam, Lynn of Americans United credits Obama for distinguishing between most Muslims and terrorists who claim to be defending the faith.

I think that his efforts to make it clear that you cannot blame an entire religion  Islam  for the acts of some people who at least claim an affiliation with that  those are very powerful statements, he said.

Despite talking at prayer breakfasts about his belief in the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, Obama couldnt seem to shake the notion in some Americans minds that he was a Muslim. As recently as 2015, more than a quarter of U.S. residents  and 43 percent of Republicans  surveyed said they thought he was.

Wear, an evangelical Christian who worked in the faith-based office, said he and other White House staffers at times fielded emails  even one about rumors that the president was holding Muslim prayers on the South Lawn  from people questioning the presidents faith.

But, as in the case of his Charleston eulogy, when the president chose to speak about his faith, those were remarks people remembered  and wished his opponents had noticed.

I always thought, boy, if certain critics of the president would just hear what the president said without knowing who it was, they would say, I wonder if this is so-and-so preacher that I really admire,  said Carlson-Thies, referring to Obamas words at Easter prayer breakfasts the president hosted at the White House.

Infrequent churchgoing also prompted questions.

Wear, who early on scoped out potential churches for the first family to join, said the decision not to have a Washington congregational home prevented an ongoing logistical nightmare for any church that might have been chosen.

On inclusiveness, he was the first president to include nonbelievers in an inaugural address, to light the diya, an oil lamp that symbolizes good overcoming evil during the Hindu holiday of Diwali, and to issue a statement on Vesak, a day honoring Buddha.

Legal expert Douglas Laycock said the presidents administration mostly worked to lift up religions place in society.

At last years meeting of the Religion News Association, he cited examples such as the Justice Departments siding with the town of Greece, N.Y., whose sectarian prayers were affirmed by the Supreme Court, as well as supporting churches in zoning battles and prisoners rights cases.

Theyve been right on religion and right on religious liberty more often than they have been wrong, said Laycock, of the University of Virginia School of Law. And however you characterize the scorecard, it is nothing like a war on religion.
SOUTH ROXANA  Police here said they arrested a Metro East man who was caught driving 70 miles over the speed limit Wednesday afternoon.

The police chief even expressed surprise that the type of car the man was in could go so fast.

Benjamin Henke, 27, was issued a citation for speeding and released on a notice to appear in court in February, according to charging documents. He was allegedly clocked at 125 mph on a road with a 55-mph limit.

Henke was driving his friend's new Ford Focus on Illinois Route 111 just after 4 p.m. when the officer caught him speeding, police said.

In a news release announcing the arrest, South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said Henke was "seeing how fast his friend's car would go" at the time of the incident.

"Im thankful no one got hurt in this incident," Coles said.

He added that Henke, who lives in the Mitchell area near Granite City, was "apologetic for his actions."

"On the lighter side of things, we have all done dumb things while growing up and I am glad to know Henke understood his actions were wrong," Coles said. "Plus, I never would of guessed a Ford Focus could go so fast."
This story originally was published on Jan. 12, 2017.

It was called the Missouri Miracle. For once, a screaming headline was an understatement.

On January 12, 2007, FBI agents and police officers entered a small apartment in Kirkwood to cap their search for Ben Ownby, a boy who had been snatched four days before from a rural school bus stop in Franklin County. Sitting quietly on a sofa was a second boy, a teenager.

He was Shawn Hornbeck, who had disappeared more than four years earlier from his own rural neighborhood in Washington County. He was still listed as a missing person, and almost everyone but his family had given up hope of finding him alive.

The man who kidnapped them both was Michael J. Devo Devlin, 41, a portly social misfit and pizza-restaurant manager in Kirkwood who grew up in neighboring Webster Groves. He lived in a cluttered one-bedroom apartment in the 400 block of South Holmes Avenue, near the Union Pacific rail line.

On the day of the second kidnapping, another boys good memory of seeing a beat-up white pickup near the scene led investigators to Devlin, then to his apartment  and to the miracle double discovery.

Gary Toelke, then the Franklin County sheriff, made the announcement outside his office in Union as cold rain fell: We have some good news for you and probably some unbelievable news. We located Ben this afternoon in the city of Kirkwood and we also located Shawn Hornbeck, who was at the same residence.

A short time earlier, Devlin had confessed to investigators, saying, Im a bad person.

74 life sentences

On that day  Jan. 12, 2007  the news flashed worldwide, quickly inspiring the enduring headline. Grateful families were reunited. The boy with the good memory, Mitchell Hults of Franklin County, was rewarded with a bounty that included a new pickup, even though at 15 he wasnt quite of driving age.

That fall, Devlin pleaded guilty in four courthouses of multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault, and was sentenced to 74 life sentences in Missouri prison and 170 years of federal time. He remains in a protective-custody wing of the state Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron, in northwestern Missouri.

Almost strangled

Shawn was 11 and riding his bike alone on Oct. 6, 2002, when Devlin, who had been patrolling quiet roads for months in search of a young victim, spotted him. Devlin, driving his white pickup, knocked Shawn off his bike and drove off with him.

Devlin kept Shawn tied up for a month in his Kirkwood apartment. At one point, he tried to strangle the boy but stopped after Shawn promised he would never tell anyone.

For the next four years, with Shawn believing his family would be harmed if he fled, the two lived alternately as father and son or just family friends.

Devlin eventually let Shawn hang out with buddies, get a cellphone and go on dates. He didnt go to school. Shawn said nothing, and nobody in Kirkwood noticed he was the missing boy from Richwoods, 50 miles away. Inside the apartment was a childs hell of sexual abuse.

His parents created the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation to help search for missing children. On Oct. 6, 2006, the fourth anniversary of their sons disappearance, they circulated a computer-generated photo of what an older Shawn might look like.

Devlin would later tell FBI agents that he began looking for another boy because Shawn was getting too old. That led him on Jan. 8, 2007, to Beaufort, in western Franklin County, where he kidnapped Ben Ownby from the bus stop. Shawn was with him in the pickup.

Mitchell, a truck enthusiast who happened to be nearby, got a good look at the 1991 Nissan, giving Toelke and the FBI a solid lead.

Three days later, two Kirkwood police officers answered a call at Devlins apartment building for an unrelated complaint. Preparing to leave, Officer Gary Wagster asked his partner, Chris Nelson, Are you seeing what Im seeing?

It was a pickup of the sort on the bulletins, down to Mitchells description of dirt and rust. Devlin appeared, taking out his trash. The officers knew him from the Imos restaurant where he worked, around the corner from the police station. They asked questions; Devlin would not let them search his apartment.

Police zeroed in. Officers kept watch on the apartment and Devlin, whom investigators confronted the next morning at Imos. Finally confessing to Bens kidnapping, he stunned his questioners by saying he also had Shawn.

Toelke was in his office at the Franklin County Jail as officers down the hall began talking about the stunning possibility.

At first, I thought it was some kind of sick police joke, Toelke later recalled. Then Roland [Corvington of the FBI] came in and said its true. The command post erupted.

People talk about life-changing events, he continued. Thats what it was.
A Nekoosa man who pretended to be a teenage girl to get pictures of naked kids was sentenced to 97 months in prison on child pornography charges.

Adrian Jaimes, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Paterson in federal court in Madison on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in October to a charge of receiving child pornography.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jaimes used the Kik app beginning in August of 2015, acting like a teenage girl to convince an 11-year-old boy to send nude pictures to him.

"When the victim later told the defendant he didn't want to send any more pictures, the defendant pretended to be a second teenager in order to get the victim to continue sending sexually explicit pictures and videos," the release stated.

A search warrant executed at his home turned up 103 images of five different victims in Jaimes' Dropbox account on his computer. He admitted to communicating with the victims to obtain the photos, which he then sent to others.

Jaimes will also serve 20 years of supervised release after the prison term.

The investigation was conducted by the Wood County Sheriff's Office, the Plainfield Illinois Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
ST. LOUIS  One of the carjackers who robbed a woman leaving Christmas Mass in downtown St. Louis also robbed a newly elected state legislator of his car, gun and cellphone days earlier, prosecutors allege.

The woman was carjacked at gunpoint at 12:50 a.m. Christmas Day as she and a friend left Mass at Christ Church Cathedral, in the 1200 block of Locust Street.

Within days, two men  Tavion Regans and William Nelson, both 20  were charged with robbery, armed criminal action and tampering with a motor vehicle.

Now authorities say Regans is one of two men who robbed State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. at gunpoint Dec. 19 on the parking lot of the Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street.

Regans was already being held without bail for the Christmas Day robbery when the St. Louis circuit attorney filed additional charges against him on Sunday in the Franks case. Bail in the Franks robbery was set at $80,000, cash only.

Regans had a different accomplice in the Franks holdup, according to police. Maurice Green, also 20, was arrested Saturday and charged Sunday with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. His bail in the Franks case is also $80,000, cash only.

Regans, of the 1500 block of Biddle Street, already had pending criminal cases for robbery and tampering. Green, of the 8000 block of Busiek Avenue in Berkeley, was on probation for a 2015 burglary case in St. Louis County at the time of the robbery, authorities said.

When Franks was robbed, he was days away from being sworn in as a new state legislator. Franks said he had been at the Tap Room for a holiday party and was returning a phone call while sitting in his car.

I looked up and the guy had a gun and he told me to get out, he said. I got out and he pointed a gun at me and told me, Get the hell out of here.

Franks was unharmed in the robbery, but the robbers made off with his Toyota Camry, two cellphones and a black .40-caliber Smith and Wesson gun he stored in the console.

Franks identified Regans as the man who ordered him at gunpoint to get out of his car. Franks car was recovered the next day by Ferguson police.

The woman robbed after leaving Mass on Christmas told police she and a friend had walked to her Hyundai Tucson and got inside to drive home. Police say Regans and Nelson walked up and ordered the cars owner to get out at gunpoint. Both women obliged.

Regans and Nelson jumped into the Tucson and drove off, police say.

Hours later, Regans and Nelson were seen driving in the Tucson, police say. Police arrested them as they tried to escape.

Nelson, of the 1000 block of North 17th Street, was also charged with resisting arrest and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident.

Earlier in December, the wife of Gov.-elect Eric Greitens was robbed in the parking lot of a cafe in the Central West End.
ST. LOUIS  Two more defendants have been added to a criminal case that claims that former employees and contractors ripped off the John Cochran VA Medical Center.

The U.S. Attorney's office said that David Graham, 24, of DeSoto, was arrested Wednesday and Tony Pedretti, 43, of Whiting, Indiana, was arrested last week. Both were indicted Jan. 4 on a felony charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S.

As the Post-Dispatch reported last month, a former employee and contractor, Scott Geary, 54, of DeSoto, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to steal government funds and admitted conspiring with a VA official to bill for unnecessary work.

The conspiracy cost the government more than $270,000, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Albus said in court at the time.

Albus said that Geary initially worked as an outside contractor and paid kickbacks to Pedretti for each job he was awarded. Geary was later hired, and recruited Graham to take his place, Albus said.

All the contracts were intentionally billed at amounts under $2,500, the level that would have required complex bidding, he said.

The official apparently no longer works there. A VA spokesman told the Post-Dispatch last month that both Geary and Pedretti "have not been employed here for some time."

Geary is scheduled to be sentenced March 15 and could face up to five years in prison.
JEFFERSON CITY  Jeremy McCormick checked all the boxes.

He was loyal, quick with a joke and worked hard enough to impress his future wife by owning a home in Bridgeton's Spanish Village in his 20s.

A few years after BrieAnn McCormick, now 33, met him through a mutual friend, they married and moved in together. A son followed. They started making improvement to the ranch-style house when they could.

And then, she told a Missouri Senate committee through intermittent tears Wednesday afternoon, she found out about the Superfund site next door.

It turned out, she said, that the obnoxious smell that occasionally permeated the house was a toxic chemical cocktail burning off the smoldering Bridgeton Landfill less than a mile away. Next to that was the now-infamous West Lake Landfill, where uranium used to fuel nuclear weapons in the Manhattan Project was dumped decades ago.

Now her kids stay inside when it smells. They've had to evacuate a few times when the Environmental Protection Agency or Army Corps of Engineers try and mitigate the pollution. She said she now lives in fear of the rare cancers and other sicknesses nearby residents have long blamed on the radiation.

"They say cancer can take up to 20 years to develop after exposure to radiation," she said. "Will we be one of the unlucky ones?"

McCormick and other residents implored the committee to help pass a proposal sponsored by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, that would allow her and 90 other Spanish Village homeowners to apply to have their property purchased by the state.

Robbin Dailey, who moved into the neighborhood in 1999, said she and her husband would have never spent more $110,000 on their house had they known it was irradiated. She emphasized a part of Chappelle-Nadal's measure that would mandate that sellers and realtors disclose the issues with the landfill before signing a deed over.

"We are all working hard for our money, no matter how little it may be to someone else" she said. "And we surely did not think we would be retiring next to a radioactive, burning SuperFund site."

Chappelle-Nadal's bill is a pared-down version of last year's proposal, which sought to include the more than 63,000 homes within three miles of contaminated Coldwater Creek at an estimated potential cost of $7 billion.

This year's measure would only offer $12.6 million and apply to homes within the Spanish Village subdivision.

No vote was taken on the bil.

"This is a much, much bigger issue that needs to be taken care of," she said. "But for the moment, I'm just dealing with the 91 homes that comprise the Spanish Village area."

Chappelle-Nadal said the state could also eventually be reimbursed by the federal government.

Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, expressed disappointment that federal agencies hadn't stepped in to offer aid and said he hoped the measure might nudge them in the right direction.

"This is one small step that we can take while we continue to make that case to them that they need to clean up their mess," Silvey said.
JEFFERSON CITY  Two Republican state lawmakers want to reverse plans to name Missouris newest state park for former Gov. Jay Nixon.

Angry that a 1,200-acre tract in Reynolds County was named after Nixon just before he left office Monday, state Sen. Gary Romine of Ste. Genevieve and Rep. Paul Fitzwater of Potosi have filed legislation that would change the name to Proffitt Mountain State Park.

Romine says his motivation is two-fold.

First, he thinks Nixon is being selfish in having a park named after him. And Romine believes the former Democratic chief executive upset people in the region when he used millions of dollars in lead mining settlement money to transform land in Missouri into state parks.

This is tantamount to a slap in the face of my constituents, Romine said. Nixon must think pretty highly of himself to think he could get by with naming a park after himself after he misused the funds meant for remediation and restoration of the lead belt area. Its a double whammy.

Nixon argued that expanding the park system will help draw tourism spending to the state. In the weeks before he left office, Nixon oversaw the opening of four additional parks and said visitors to the state topped 20 million in 2016.

The naming of the wilderness area after Nixon also riled the family of a man killed in a 2010 dispute related to the property.

Relatives of the late Carl Jones said the parcel should be named after Jones, not Nixon, because of the Middlebrook farmers ties to the land and the manner in which he was killed.

In June 2010, Jones, 63, was shot to death outside of the Town and Country Supermarket in Ironton. Police said the shooter, Thomas Hennessey Jr., 54, of Dedham, Maine, left the scene but was then fatally shot by an Ironton police officer as he fled.

Troy Jones told the Post-Dispatch that his father and Hennessey, the former owner of the parkland, had been in a long-running legal fight over an easement on the property.

Jones granddaughter Kayleena launched an online petition saying the park should be named after Jones.

As of noon Thursday, the petition had 983 supporters.

Romine said he and Fitzwater decided to name it Proffitt Mountain to honor one of the regions pioneer families.

Fitzwater agreed.

A park should be named to honor someone of historical significance and ties to the area. Our bills will correct this wrong, he said.

It was not clear Thursday why the legislation spells the mountain as Proffitt. Other designations spell it as Proffit. A request for clarification was not immediately returned by Romines office.

The legislation is Senate Bill 294.
JEFFERSON CITY  Hoping to be not caught flat-footed as a winter storm bears down on Missouri, Gov. Eric Greitens activated the National Guard Thursday.

With a winter storm expected to bring icy conditions to the Show-Me State, the new governor said he had deployed all of the state's road crews, canceled leaves and time off and told the National Guard to be ready to help.

"We're getting ahead of this event," Greitens told reporters gathered at the state's emergency operations center east of the capital city.

Greitens, who is in Day 4 of his job as Missouri's chief executive, said cost was not a factor in deciding to activate the guard for the first time since last year's winter flooding event that ravaged the St. Louis area.

"We're going to bring all of the resources to bear that we need to keep every citizen safe and that's our focus. We will find the resources," Greitens said.

"We see this coming," said Greitens, a Republican. "We're going to be prepared for whatever this storm brings."

Adjutant General Stephen Danner, who oversees the National Guard, told the Post-Dispatch that as many as 510 troops could be on the ground Friday morning. As of Thursday afternoon, 280 had already mustered out and were preparing to assist if the storm tracks as expected.

It is the 19th time since 2009 that the National Guard has been activated, Danner said.

Along with the National Guard, the Missouri Department of Transportation has 1,500 trucks available to clear roads. More than 3,500 first responders are set to work 12-hour shifts for the duration of the weather event, he added.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety has placed over 100 generators in areas across the state in anticipation of power outages due to heavy ice on utility lines.

"The bottom line is that we see this coming," Greitens said.
O'FALLON, Mo.  The City Council's selection of the apparent high bidder to operate the city trash transfer station was legally flawed, two critics are alleging in a court challenge.

Mary Laulo, a member of the city public works advisory committee, and her husband, Wilbur Laulo, on Dec. 22 asked the courts to disqualify Republic Services - the winning company in the process - and two rival companies which also submitted bids.

The Laulos complain that although city rules required the companies to deal only with the city purchasing agent through the entire process, three council members have said publicly they had contact with one or more of the firms before the contract was finalized Nov. 10.

The Laulos also say Republic shouldn't have been allowed to submit a bid because of a pending environmental lawsuit by the Missouri attorney general's office against the company concerning the firm's Bridgeton Landfill.

Allowing Republic to seek the O'Fallon contract, they contended, violated bid specifications requiring companies to be in compliance with all state laws and regulations.

City officials have declined to comment so far on the issues cited in the court challenge. St. Charles County Circuit Judge Jon Cunningham has set a hearing for Jan. 20.

City spokesman Tom Drabelle pointed out that the council, which is to hold its regular meeting Thursday night, has yet to be briefed on the suit.

The court challenge is the latest wrinkle in a months-long fight over the contract.

Mayor Bill Hennessy last July vetoed the council's selection of Republic, noting that an analysis by city staffers had concluded that it would result in the city spending between $5 million and $25 million more than under the lowest bidder, Waste Connections.

Republic was chosen to operate the station for 10 years beginning in November of this year. The deal carries with it two 10-year options.

The council voted to override Hennessy's veto and authorized city officials to negotiate a contract with Republic. That was done by October.

Hennessy, while saying the contract was an improvement over the terms the council accepted in July, said it still was too expensive and vetoed it as well. The council then overrode the second veto.

O'Fallon uses its own workers and trucks to pick up trash and take it to the transfer station. The city pays a company to operate the station and move the trash to landfills at other sites.

The initial city analysis had said Waste Connections would actually pay the city $785,750 during the initial 10-year period and the city would start paying the firm after that. In contrast, the city would have to pay Republic an estimated $5.1 million during the first decade, the analysis said.

Some council members said the analysis didn't consider all factors. Among them, Councilman Dave Hinman has said, was Republic's pledge to spend $500,000 to enlarge the transfer station if waste volumes reach a certain level.

Councilman Jeff Schwentker complained that the mayor didn't cite increased royalties to be paid to the city by private haulers which bring refuse to the transfer station.

The court challenge follows an earlier move by Laulo and two other critics to circulate petitions to put the issue before voters in a referendum at the upcoming April city election.

City officials, however, ruled that the issue couldn't go on the ballot because the city charter exempts administrative or executive matters from the referendum process.
Rock County deputies have converged on two highways between Beloit and Madison to search for Stuart Austin, 84, a town of Beloit man who has been missing since Jan. 3.

The Sheriff's Office said on Thursday deputies on foot and in cars will be driving along Highways 51 and 213, two roads Austin used to go to Madison so he could avoid driving on the major highways.

The searchers are also looking along connecting roadways to the two highways in hopes of finding Austin.

"Deputies will be driving marked and unmarked vehicles, and a few deputies will be non-uniformed dressed," said Sheriff's Office Capt. Jude Maurer.

"This information is being disseminated to mitigate citizen alarm, due to an increased presence of uniformed and non-uniformed personnel in the areas identified," Maurer said.

Austin, who drives a white 2013 Lincoln MKS with Wisconsin license plate 308 CFL, was last seen around noon on Jan. 3 in Madison.

"We are asking all property owners along Highways 51 and 213 to check their properties for the missing vehicle," Maurer said. "If the missing vehicle is found, call 911 immediately."
On Tuesday, digital editions of the acclaimed British newspaper the Guardian featured this headline on their home pages: Americas worst spot for gun violence isnt in Chicago or Baltimore.

The Guardians remarkable analysis of gun killings in 2015 by census tracts showed the worst spot for gun violence in America is along a four-mile stretch of Natural Bridge Avenue in St. Louis. Of the more than 73,000 U.S. census tracts, only 63 had more than five gun killings in 2015. Eight of them are in St. Louis, and five of them lie along Natural Bridge.

For all of President-elect Donald Trumps attention to Chicagos 762 homicides in 2016, the fact is that St. Louis homicide rate is twice as high on a per-capita basis. Chicago spreads 762 killings among 2.7 million people. St. Louis spreads 188 among 320,000.

Yes, if you allocate the citys homicides among the larger city-county population, things dont look quite so bleak. That point is lost on people who dont live here.

City officials present crime statistics in the least-damaging way. Politicians argue about crime plans. The Guardians report emphasizes what cops already know: The nations homicide surge is, for the most part, isolated and intractable.

Homicides are most likely to occur not just within small geographical areas, but among small networks of people. In Chicago, analysts found that over a six-year period, 46 percent of gun homicides could be traced to a social network made up of 6 percent of the citys population.

In what we think of as the most dangerous places, very, very few people are actually at any meaningful risk for violent offending, David Kennedy of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice told the Guardian. Most of the folks in those places are in no way a part of the problem.

But those who are at risk  young black males with easy access to guns  are at extreme risk. Sometimes its about drugs or turf. Poverty plays a key role. Sometimes its mere disrespect. Violence, some researchers say, may spread like a virus within the affected network.

No one wants to fight out here any more, one young man told the Guardian. Its straight to pistols  thats just what time it is.

Often cops know who the players are. They cant get witnesses to cooperate. The community assumes that police have given up. The circle goes round.

Last year, Mayor Francis Slay rolled out an ambitious plan to address some of these problems. The city still had as many homicides in 2016 as it did in 2015.

Now the race is on to replace Slay, and crime is a big, vague issue. The stories in the Guardian dont do St. Louis any favors, but they can help candidates and residents alike understand what theyre up against.
I took my children into the voting booth with me and later my grandchildren so they could learn the procedure and why it is so important.
A Madison woman charged with robbing an East Side bank on Dec. 13, and is now tentatively charged with two other bank robberies last month, was eight months pregnant when police arrested her, according to court documents.

Lisa Harding, 31, who was arrested after robbing U.S. Bank, 4602 East Towne Blvd., on Dec. 13, now faces charges in the Dec. 5 robbery of Associated Bank, 448 S. Gammon Road, and the Dec. 10 robbery of Old National Bank, 5750 Raymond Road, Madison police said Thursday.

According to a search warrant filed Wednesday in Dane County Circuit Court, a woman who appeared to be pregnant demanded money from a teller at Old National Bank, and received money along with a dye pack.

A witness who saw the woman in front of the bank told police that he saw her walking and then a red poof as the dye pack exploded. He said the dye caused red stains on her clothing.

Harding was arrested three days later after police said she took a taxi to U.S. Bank near East Towne, robbed the bank, and then left in the taxi. Police detained her after stopping the taxi. She was taken to Meriter Hospital, 202 S. Park St., and police obtained a search warrant to extract money from inside her after noticing currency falling from her crotch area after she had changed into a hospital gown, court records state.

In addition, the search warrant states, while at Meriter police saw red discoloration on one of Hardings hands, along with several patches of dry skin. An official from the vendor that provides dye packs to Old National Bank told police that dye packs are intended to stain currency and people, and that they can also include tear gas that can irritate skin.

Harding told a Madison police detective that the dye got on her and on the steering wheel of the Cadillac that she had driven to Old National Bank, the search warrant states.

After the Dec. 5 robbery at Associated Bank, a teller told police that a woman who had a large stomach and was wearing pajama pants and a hooded sweatshirt had approached his station and demanded money, the search warrant states.

Harding spent about 3 years in federal prison for the 2006 robbery of a bank in Beloit, according to court records.
Actor Michael Mears pictured with friend Cordula Kempe, who is hosting This Evil Thing at the Kempe Studio on Sunday.

WELL-KNOWN actor and playwright Michael Mears brings his one-man play, This Evil Thing, about conscientious objectors in the First World War to Stratfords Kempe Studio this Sunday. The play marks 100 years since conscription was bought in in 1916, here Michael tells Herald arts about the play and his inspiration for writing it.

How would I describe This Evil Thing? Its the compelling and rather shocking, and also inspiring, story of the First World War conscientious objectors (COs) in Britain, which has rarely been told or even talked about. In this period of commemoration of the war theres a lot of focus on the battles, but I knew there would be plenty of material on that and wanted to write about something else. My grandfather fought in the First World War and my father in the Second but I dont seemed to have inherited the genes, Im a pacifist  so it seemed appropriate to focus on that.

I didnt know much about conscientious objectors and then by chance I came across the story of a young Yorkshire schoolteacher called Bert Brocklesbury. As I read more about him, the more I became fascinated by him. I discovered all these things  like there was an organisation of young men of all political and religious opinions who got together once war was declared to try and prevent conscription being bought in; because that was the real crisis point in 1916. Up to that point, volunteers, of which there were hundreds of thousands, came forward, but obviously, as casualties increased, it was clear the government were going to have to bring in conscription in order to get enough men to send to the front. These young men, who were passionately against war because of their political or religious beliefs, organised themselves to resist conscription and to help young men claim exception if at all possible, and then to assist them and their families if they were subsequently punished and treated brutally, which some of them were.

Bert Brocklesbury, who is a protagonist in my play, was an absolutist, which meant he wanted nothing to do with the war  some of the other COs took jobs as medics etc, on the grounds that they werent willing to kill but would help with the war effort. So there were divisions in the CO movement.

I wrote war is illogical on my pencil case aged 15, for which I was mocked at my north London school. Like Bert, pacifism is just in my DNA. Bert just didnt have an aggressive personality; its not like he lacked testosterone, I mean he played rugby! He was a Methodist, so he did have a religious belief. My play was originally called Thou Shall Not Kill, the Sixth Commandment

So many interesting things happened while I was putting the play together Bert wrote a memoir and I read it at the Quakers HQ in London, which has a wonderful, small specialist library. Reading it I was inspired to write about him. The play uses verbatim pieces; I use Berts words and testimony spoken by COs and others at the time, including philosopher Bertrand Russell. Once I started writing the play I realised I would need to get permission to use these extracts and the library said: We havent got the copyright you will need to contact with the family. Serendipitously I went to an International Conscientious Objectors Day event  which is held yearly on 15th May  and one of the speakers was Berts granddaughter, Jilly Gibbon. I told her about writing the play and she was thrilled and immediately gave me permission and a photo of him.

The other thing that happened, I was up at Richmond Castle, where Bert and some of the other COs were sent. They were called up, applied for exemption, were refused, then arrested and taken to barracks anyway and Bert was put into a cell in solitary confinement and I was able to visit it. On the walls hed drawn graffiti of his girlfriend, a man struggling under the weight of a cross and some Latin words.

One of the most horrific stories I heard about how COs were treated involved a young lad who was taken to barracks where the sergeant tried to break him. Soldiers tied a rope around him, dragged him around a field and dunked him in a pond full of sewage eight or nine times. He gave in  I dont blame him I would have given in. Others were taken to the point where they thought they were going to be executed, although none actually were. Around 70 died in captivity through illness and poor conditions.

I always try and find humour and comedy in my plays although in this there is less. Although Bertrand Russell features, who is amazing  he gave up all his academic work to become an administrative dogsbody to the No Conscription Fellowship. Ive used some of his writings words and letters, and they are often very witty, and so they offer a bit of levity. Theres a bit in the play, based on a true story, where he is swimming naked in a lake at an Oxfordshire estate and emerges to find himself face-to-face with Prime Minister Henry Asquith.

The format of the This Evil Thing is like high-octane storytelling. I play about 52 characters  some of them only have one line and I can hear them in my head at night going cant you build up my part?!

John Prescott loved the show... I took This Evil Thing to the Edinburgh Fringe last summer and the response was very moving. A lot of Quakers came to see it  whose involvement in CO movement was so significant during the First World War. After the penultimate performance a rather elderly man came down and grabbed my hand shaking it, saying that was tremendous  it was Labour politician John Prescott  hes 78 now and looks smaller and older than you might imagine. He confessed he thought being a CO was an intellectual struggle and had no real idea what they went through until he saw my play; he was amazed about what went on. And thats been a usual reaction: surprise at the bravery of the COs and what they went through.

Its hard to imagine a huge war with appalling casualties that would involve conscription in modern Britain. But one thing I ask myself in the play, via the audience, is would I have the courage to be a CO if Id been born 100 years ago? Would I be courageous enough? I dont know

WHEN AND WHERE: This Evil Thing is at the Kempe Studios at The Studio, Waterside, Stratford, on Sunday, 15th January, at 5pm. Tickets are available from the Stratford ArtsHouse or from www.rudolfkempesociety.or A talkback session follows the performance.

The plays is also on at Sibford School, Sibford Ferris on Friday, 3rd February. The performance will take place from 3.05pm to 4.15pm, and Sibford is extending the audience to include a limited number of free seats that are being made available to the general public. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the schools community development officer, Ali Bromhall, on 01295 781216 (email abromhall@sibfordschoo.co.uk).
LONDON (Reuters) - Asset management giant PIMCO said on Thursday it thought there was a chance China could freely float its currency, the yuan, this year.

The firm's head of Asian portfolios, Luke Spajic, said in a note Beijing was finding it impossible achieve three goals simultaneously: a stable or fixed foreign exchange rate, free capital movement and an independent monetary policy.

Combining tighter financial conditions with this policy trilemma therefore means the yuan would probably remain an "escape valve".

"Over the year, our base case is for the yuan to decline against the U.S. dollar by a mid- to high-single-digit percentage," Spajic said.

"However, we also think the possibility that the PBOC will allow the yuan to float freely, or at least widen its trading band, has increased."

(Reporting by Marc Jones, editing by Nigel Stephenson)
The Office of Quality Improvement at UW-Madison has named Darin Harris as interim director, choosing the long time consultant to the office to take over after Maury Cotter retired.

Harris has been a consultant and facilitator to the office since 2004 and was appointed a faculty affiliate with the La Follette School of Public Affairs, according to a news release from the university on Thursday.

The Office of Quality Improvement works with departments across campus on strategic planning, process improvement, transforming curriculum, restructuring programs and departments, developing effective academic units and improving administrative services, the release said.

Before coming to OQI, Darin spent 10 years as a policy facilitator, conflict resolution specialist, and organizational consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, according to his profile on the OQI webpage.
Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, in the oil rich Orinoco belt, near Morichal at the state of Monagas April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

By David Gaffen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose more than 1 percent on Thursday on news that key crude exporters, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, were cutting production to reduce a global crude glut, and on forecasts of record demand in China.

U.S. crude futures settled up 76 cents to $53.01 a barrel, a gain of 1.5 percent. Brent crude oil settled up 91 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $56.01, off the session high of $56.43 a barrel.

Oil prices have stayed in a range in the last month-and-a-half, with buyers encouraged by news of output cuts by major world producers but wary of past tendencies by these nations to produce more than agreed.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed in November to cut production at the start of the year to try to reduce a supply glut that has depressed prices for more than two years.

"The market is in a consolidation pattern, and as we get more and more signs of them implementing cuts we'll have another test of $55, and the market try to push higher and wait to see if they cheat," said Gene McGillian, manager of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom had cut production to its lowest in almost two years.

Falih told a conference in Abu Dhabi that global demand for oil would grow by well over 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2017 and the market would tighten in two to three years.

Several OPEC members, including Iraq and Kuwait, said they were implementing the deal and OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo said the group expects global oil inventories to fall by the second quarter.

Separately, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said the country was starting to implement its own planned cuts, in conjunction with an agreement among non-OPEC producers.

BMI Research estimated overall compliance with production cuts at about 73 percent.

China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said the country's net crude imports will rise 5.3 percent to 396 million tonnes in 2017, with crude consumption headed for a record 594 million tonnes or 12 million bpd this year.

The country's top state-owned oil producer, however, cautioned that demand growth for products like gasoline and diesel will slow and the domestic fuel glut will remain.

In the United States, inventories of crude and products last week rose more than anticipated, while a sharp increase in refining production to record highs pointed to solid demand.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by David Gregorio and Marguerita Choy)
US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) announced today that Dirk J. Locascio will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer, reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Satriano, effective February 6, 2017. Locascio has served in a variety of finance and accounting leadership roles with the company since 2009 and played an integral role in the development of the companys long-range strategic plan. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, Financial Accounting and Analysis, responsible for oversight of the companys corporate finance and accounting functions. Prior to joining US Foods, Locascio held senior finance roles with United Airlines and in public accounting with Arthur Andersen LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Locascio replaces Fareed Khan who is leaving to pursue a new opportunity outside the company. Khan is resigning as CFO effective February 6, 2017 and will stay on in an advisory capacity until mid-February to ensure a smooth transition.

Im pleased to welcome Dirk as our new CFO. His deep knowledge of US Foods as well as his strategic leadership, financial acumen, and track record in delivering results make him highly qualified to take on this new role, said Satriano. Id also like to thank Fareed for his leadership over the past three years. He was instrumental in our successful initial public offering and leaves US Foods well-positioned for the future.

The company also announced today that Kristin M. Coleman will join US Foods as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, effective February 1, 2017. Reporting to President and CEO Satriano, she will oversee all legal and compliance matters, as well as support the Board of Directors in corporate governance matters for the company.

An experienced general counsel, Coleman joins US Foods from Sears Holdings Corporation, where she served as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since 2014. Prior to joining Sears, Coleman served as the Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Brunswick Corporation since 2009. Before moving in-house, Coleman was in private practice with Sidley Austin LLP.

Coleman is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Michigan Law School. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago.

Kristin is a proven leader with exceptional experience managing legal, regulatory, compliance, and public policy issues. We are delighted to have her on board, said Satriano. She joins a strong management team focused on growing with our target customers and executing our strategy of Great Food. Made Easy.
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) January weekly call option implied volatility is at 52, January is at 51, February is at 29; compared to its 52-week range of 21 to 56 into the expected release of Q4 results on January 13.
Exceptional growth calls for new regional structure, greater focus on innovation and globalization

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint is entering an accelerated growth path to its target of 1 billion in revenue by 2020. Having established presences in China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, the UAE and the US over the last three years, BearingPoint has reorganized its regional structure and appointed three new regional leaders to ensure sustainable growth and agility; it will also have a greater focus on innovation and globalization.

The Central Continental Europe region has seen especially strong development, and the region has been divided into two new regions, GCR (Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania) and SIA (Switzerland, Italy, Austria), which took effect January 1, 2017. Iris Grewe, a Swiss Partner in Financial Services with a focus on banking and capital markets, joins the global Management Committee of BearingPoint as leader of the SIA region. Kiumars Hamidian takes over the GCR lead in addition to his role as Service Line leader in the global Management Committee. He is also in charge of the innovation process including BearingPoint Ventures.

In the last years, BearingPoint has also expanded its geographical market coverage outside Europe. It is present in the US, the UAE, China and Singapore and has established alliance partnerships with West Monroe Partners in North America, Grupo ASSA in South America and ABeam in Asia. Marcel Nickler takes over responsibility for BearingPoints further globalization. Under his leadership, the Central Continental Europe region has grown by almost 35 percent since 2012 and greatly contributed to the firms overall development. In his new role, he assumes responsibility for further developing BearingPoints presences outside of Europe as well as the global consulting network comprising the alliance partnerships.

I am very pleased that Iris Grewe, Kiumars Hamidian and Marcel Nickler, three very experienced BearingPoint Partners, are taking over these three key positions. Each of them has demonstrated outstanding expertise over a long period of time and achieved considerable success for our clients. The new organization helps us to expand our business for our clients, and we are well on our way to our target of 1 billion in revenue by 2020, said Peter Mockler, Managing Partner of BearingPoint.

The three new regional leaders at a glance

Iris Grewe becomes the leader of the SIA region and joins the firms Management Committee. As a Partner in Financial Services with a focus on banking and capital markets, Iris has led business strategy, transformation and integration projects and programs across Europe, APAC and the US for over a decade. Her clients include local and global banks and financial services providers as well as trading, clearing and settlement organizations tackling digital and regulatory change as well as operational excellence. As author of various BearingPoint studies, Iris deals with front-to-back process optimization in different functional banking areas and a broad range of regulatory topics that require financial services providers to transform as well as innovate. After starting her career in a bank and completing a Master in Economics, Iris ventured into consulting in 1998. At BearingPoint, she was promoted to Partner in 2010. Iris joined the Swiss Management Board in 2015 and was a member of the firm-wide Supervisory Board from 2014-2016.

Kiumars Hamidian takes over the role as leader of the GCR region in addition to his role as Service Line leader in the Management Committee. He is also in charge of the innovation process including BearingPoint Ventures. After completing a Master in Industrial Economy, Kiumars joined the consulting business in 1993. With more than 20 years of experience in consulting, he has a proven track record across different industries and often in an international environment. He focuses on global standardization and harmonization of business processes, reorganization of marketing and customer services and restructuring of IT. Kiumars has established the BearingPoint service portfolio of adaptive and innovative client solutions and the firm-wide delivery model. In 2012, he was appointed to the German Management Board of BearingPoint. Kiumars has been a Partner at BearingPoint since 2002.

Marcel Nickler is a member of the Management Committee and takes over responsibility for the firms globalization efforts. In this role, he is in charge of further developing BearingPoints presence outside of Europe as well as the global consulting network. As a strategic advisor, Marcel has led various projects for multinational organizations and companies, especially in the financial services sector. He has experience from a high number of consultancy projects with leading insurers in Europe and worldwide. His main focus is on digital transformation and innovation, process optimization and transformation of business models. He has written numerous articles and book contributions and given many keynotes on digitalization and general management topics. Marcel Nickler holds a degree in actuarial mathematics and is a lecturer at several Swiss Universities. He has been a Partner at BearingPoint since 2000.

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint consultants understand that the world of business changes constantly and that the resulting complexities demand intelligent and adaptive solutions. Our clients, whether in commercial or financial industries or in government, experience real results when they work with us. We combine industry, operational and technology skills with relevant proprietary and other assets in order to tailor solutions for each clients individual challenges. This adaptive approach is at the heart of our culture and has led to long-standing relationships with many of the worlds leading companies and organizations. Our global consulting network of more than 10,000 people serves clients in over 75 countries and engages with them for measurable results and long-lasting success.

For more information, please visit:

Homepage: www.bearingpoint.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bearingpoint

Twitter: @BearingPoint

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005047/en/

BearingPoint

Alexander Bock

Manager Communications

Tel. +49 89 540338029

[email protected]

Twitter: @BearingPoint

Source: BearingPoint
PARIS, ZURICH, BONN, Germany, MILAN and STOCKHOLM, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Effective immediately, FreeMove and Sunrise Communications AG announce that Sunrise has joined the international telecommunications organisation as a partner. Formed in 2003, FreeMove brings together four leading mobile operators: Orange, Telecom Italia, Deutsche Telekom and Telia Company, and collectively serves 400 million customers across the world.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456516/FreeMove_Logo.jpg )



The partnership increases FreeMove's capacity to serve multinational companies with advanced mobile solutions in Switzerland, a key market in Europe. FreeMove seeks to continuously improve its way of operating to offer only premium-quality networks and services.

FreeMove members are already leaders in key countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and Finland. Under the agreement, FreeMove will now be able to access Swiss operator Sunrise's leading mobile network, which is being further developed to incorporate 4G+ technology. It already provides transmission speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s for 99% of the population, and was recently rated 'OUTSTANDING', with the highest score ever by Europe's leading telecom journal connect.

Stephan Fauser, General Manager of FreeMove, stated: "We remain committed to supporting the growth and ambitions of our customers. Our partnership with Sunrise marks an important step in our ability to offer the best network quality and services to enterprise customers in their key European markets."

Both partners share the same commitment to providing high performing networks and customer service. The move will also further strengthen the Sunrise offering to its multinational customers thanks to the organisation extended footprint and streamlined processes.

Max Nunziata, Chief Business Officer of Sunrise, commented: "By accessing FreeMove's global reach and seamless mobility services, Sunrise continues to strengthen the offering for its customers and reinforce its ability to accelerate growth in particular in the business market."

About FreeMove

FreeMove is a telecommunication organisation that combines the national capabilities of Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Telecom Italia and Telia Company. Its mission is to deliver high-quality international mobile services to multinational customers by synchronising the know-how and capabilities of its members. This includes best-in-class connectivity, streamlined commercial arrangements, dedicated account support and value added services across their footprint. For further information please visit http://www.freemove.com

About Sunrise

Sunrise Communications Group AG (Sunrise) is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich and is the leading fully-integrated challenger delivering a full range of services across all market segments. Sunrise is the leading non-incumbent operator in both the mobile (prepaid and postpaid) and landline retail voice markets, as well as the third-largest landline internet provider with IPTV, with approximately 3.3 million customer relationships, as of December 31, 2015. Sunrise is committed to deliver a best-in-class convergent experience.

For more information regarding Sunrise, please visit: http://www.sunrise.ch

SOURCE FreeMove and Sunrise
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Funding Circle, the world's leading lending platform focused exclusively on small business finance, today announced it has raised a further $100 million in equity capital. Led by Accel, the round saw participation from existing Funding Circle investors, including Baillie Gifford, DST Global, Index Ventures, Ribbit Capital, Rocket Internet, Sands Capital Ventures, Temasek and Union Square Ventures.

The new investment follows significant growth at Funding Circle over the last 12 months. Globally, investors on the Funding Circle platform have lent more than $1.4 billion to small businesses in 2016, with approximately $485 million lent in Q4 alone, a record amount for any SME direct lending platform. Additionally, in Q4 Funding Circle UK recorded 90 percent year-on-year growth and reached profitability.

Samir Desai, CEO and co-founder of Funding Circle, said: "Funding Circle is changing the financial landscape for small businesses and investors globally, ensuring a better deal for everyone and helping to create a more sustainable and fairer economy. Today's news is the next step on our journey to create a category-defining company that helps thousands of small businesses access finance and create jobs. Over the next 12 months, lending through the Funding Circle platform will create a further 50,000 new jobs, supporting economic growth in the UK, US and continental Europe."

Funding Circle facilitates lending to small businesses from investors including 60,000 individuals, local and national government, the European Investment Bank and financial institutions such as pension funds. The investment comes as lending to small businesses through the platform passes $3 billion globally, benefitting over 25,000 businesses and creating 50,000 new jobs.

Harry Nelis, Partner at Accel, said: "We've been impressed by the Funding Circle team since our early investment in the company. It has achieved significant growth across multiple international markets by delivering an appealing lending option to SMEs and attractive risk-adjusted returns to investors on the platform. This investment makes Funding Circle the largest and best capitalized SME lending platform in the world, and we're thrilled to continue to support its journey."

Launched in 2010, the Funding Circle model has opened up small business lending to a wide range of investors, improving competition in the market, creating jobs and reducing dependency on bank lending. This latest investment is recognition of the efficiency of the direct lending model, and its ability to channel much-needed funds to the real economy, while providing investors with attractive, stable returns. In total, Funding Circle has now raised $373 million in equity funding from some of the world's largest and most respected investors.

By bringing together industry leading risk management and cutting edge technology, creditworthy businesses typically access the capital they need in days rather than months.

About Funding Circle Funding Circle (www.fundingcircle.com) is the world's leading lending platform for business loans, matching small businesses who want to borrow with investors who want to lend in the UK, US and Europe. Since launching in 2010, investors at Funding Circle  including 60,000 individuals, financial institutions, the listed Funding Circle SME Income Fund and Government  have lent more than $3 billion to 25,000 businesses globally. Approximately 10 percent of investor money now comes from Government sources, including the British Business Bank, European Investment Bank, KfW, the German government-owned development bank, and local councils across the UK. Funding Circle was the first lending platform to announce a formal referral partnership with Santander, one of the UK's leading high street banks, and has since announced a similar partnership with RBS. It has raised $373m in equity capital from the same investors that backed Facebook, Twitter and Airbnb.

About AccelAccel is a leading early- and growth-stage venture capital firm, powering a global community of entrepreneurs. Accel backs entrepreneurs who have what it takes to build a world-class, category-defining business. Founded in 1983, Accel brings more than three decades of experience building and supporting hundreds of companies. Accel's vision for entrepreneurship and business enables it to identify and invest in the companies that will be responsible for the growth of next-generation industries. Accel has backed a number of iconic global platforms, which are powering new experiences for mobile consumers and the modern enterprise, including Atlassian, Avito, BlaBlaCar, Deliveroo, Dropbox, Etsy, Facebook, Flipkart, Funding Circle, Kayak, QlikTech, Simplivity, Slack, Spotify, Supercell, WorldRemit and others.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/funding-circle-announces-100-million-equity-investment-to-help-thousands-more-small-businesses-globally-300389846.html

SOURCE Funding Circle
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/11/17 -- Gran Tierra Energy Inc. ("Gran Tierra" or the "Company") (NYSE MKT: GTE)(TSX: GTE), a company focused on oil and gas exploration and production in Colombia, announced that management of Gran Tierra is evaluating a proposal relating to the Company's assets in Peru (the "Peruvian Assets") which will involve a spin-out of such assets to a separate entity ("SpinCo") in which Gran Tierra will retain an equity interest (the "Proposed Transaction"). The proposal contemplates that SpinCo would engage in external capital raising activities to fund the ongoing development of the Peruvian Assets.

The Company had previously advised that the Peruvian Assets were not core to its ongoing plans and that it was considering a sale, farm-out or SpinCo of such assets. The Company has not entered into a binding agreement to pursue the Proposed Transaction or any other transaction relating to the direct or indirect disposition of the Peruvian Assets. There are no assurances or guarantees that such a transaction, including the Proposed Transaction, will be undertaken by the Company or, if such a transaction is undertaken, with respect to the type, terms or timing of such a transaction. It is the Company's intention not to disclose developments with respect to the status of discussions until the Board of Directors has approved a specific transaction or otherwise determines that disclosure is necessary or appropriate.

About Gran Tierra Energy Inc.

Gran Tierra Energy Inc. is an international oil and gas exploration and production company, headquartered in Calgary, Canada, incorporated in the United States, trading on the NYSE MKT (GTE) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (GTE), and operating in South America. Gran Tierra holds interests in producing and prospective properties in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. Gran Tierra has a strategy that focuses on establishing a portfolio of producing properties, plus production enhancement and exploration opportunities to provide a base for future growth. Additional information concerning Gran Tierra is available at www.grantierra.com. Investor inquiries may be directed to [email protected] or (403) 265-3221.

Gran Tierra's Securities and Exchange Commission filings are available on a website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov and on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Information Advisory

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Proposed Transaction, the interest of Gran Tierra in the SpinCo, the development and capital raising activities of SpinCo and the pursuit of other transactions relating to the direct or indirect disposition of the Peruvian Assets.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on certain assumptions made by Gran Tierra based on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, anticipated future development and other factors believed to be appropriate. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Gran Tierra's control, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements. These include the factors discussed or referenced under the heading "Part 1. Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Gran Tierra's 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K, under the heading "Part II. Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Gran Tierra's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in the other reports and filings with the SEC.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made, and Gran Tierra undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Gran Tierra's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosures and risk factors in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in the other reports and filings with the SEC, available from the Company's offices or website. These forms can also be obtained from the SEC via the internet at www.sec.gov or by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

Contacts: Gran Tierra Energy Inc. Gary Guidry Chief Executive Officer 403-767-6500 Gran Tierra Energy Inc. Ryan Ellson Chief Financial Officer 403-767-6501 Gran Tierra Energy Inc. Rodger Trimble Vice President, Investor Relations 403-698-7941 [email protected] www.grantierra.com

Source: Gran Tierra Energy Inc.
BLOOMFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kaman Corporation (Kaman) (NYSE: KAMN) announced today that its 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due later this year (the Convertible Notes) will continue to be convertible during the first quarter of 2017, subject to the requirements of the indenture governing the Convertible Notes as described below.

The Convertible Notes are convertible by the holders thereof during the current fiscal quarter of Kaman because the last reported sale price of Kamans common stock was greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price in effect for the Convertible Notes for at least 20 trading days during the 30 consecutive trading-day period ending on the last trading day of the fiscal quarter of Kaman that ended on December 31, 2016, subject to and in accordance with the requirements of the indenture governing the Convertible Notes.

If a holder of Convertible Notes validly surrenders any of its Convertible Notes for conversion in accordance with the requirements of the indenture governing the Convertible Notes, Kaman will settle such conversion in cash, up to the principal amount of such Convertible Notes, and will settle amounts in excess of such principal amount, if any, in cash, shares of Kamans common stock or a combination thereof, at Kamans election.

Kaman expects that any such conversion of Convertible Notes will result in the exercise of a corresponding number of options under the privately-negotiated convertible note hedge transactions entered into with several financial institutions (in this capacity, the option counterparties) in November 2010. These transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential equity dilution, and/or offset in part any cash payments due in excess of the principal amount of any such Converted Notes, as the case may be, upon any such conversion. Kaman also entered into separate, privately-negotiated warrant transactions with the option counterparties in November 2010, which warrants could have a dilutive effect to the extent that the price of Kamans common stock upon exercise exceeds the strike price of those warrants (and to the extent that such warrants otherwise have option value in the case of any early unwind prior to their scheduled expiration commencing in February 2018).

Kaman has been advised that the option counterparties and/or their affiliates may modify their hedge positions with respect to the convertible note hedge transactions and warrant transactions by entering into or unwinding various derivative transactions and/or purchasing or selling Kamans common stock or other of Kamans securities in secondary market transactions from time to time (and are likely to do so during any observation period related to any conversion of the Convertible Notes). The potential effect, if any, of these transactions and activities on the market price of Kamans common stock or the Convertible Notes will depend in part on market conditions and cannot be ascertained at this time, but any of these activities could adversely affect the value of Kamans common stock, which could affect the ability to convert the Convertible Notes, the value of the Convertible Notes and the amount of cash and/or the number of and value of shares of Kamans common stock, if any, holders will receive upon conversion of the Convertible Notes.

The Convertible Notes and the shares of Kamans common stock, if any, issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

About Kaman Corporation

Kaman Corporation, founded in 1945 by aviation pioneer Charles H. Kaman, and headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut conducts business in the aerospace and industrial distribution markets. The company produces and markets proprietary aircraft bearings and components; super precision, miniature ball bearings; complex metallic and composite aerostructures for commercial, military and general aviation fixed and rotary wing aircraft; safe and arming solutions for missile and bomb systems for the U.S. and allied militaries; subcontract helicopter work; restoration, modification and support of our SH-2G Super Seasprite maritime helicopters; manufacture and support of our K-MAX manned and unmanned medium-to-heavy lift helicopters; and engineering design, analysis and certification services. The company is a leading distributor of industrial parts, and operates approximately 240 customer service centers and five distribution centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Kaman offers more than four million items including bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical, material handling, motion control, fluid power, automation and MRO supplies to customers in virtually every industry. Additionally, Kaman provides engineering, design and support for automation, electrical, linear, hydraulic and pneumatic systems as well as belting and rubber fabrication, customized mechanical services, hose assemblies, repair, fluid analysis and motor management. More information is available at www.kaman.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112006044/en/

Kaman Corporation

Eric Remington, 860-243-6334

VP, Investor Relations

[email protected]

Source: Kaman Corporation
VANCOUVER, BC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/11/17 --

Mission Ready Services Inc. ("Mission Ready" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: MRS) announces that, further to the news release dated January 4, 2017 announcing a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 11,000,000 units (the "Units") at $0.10 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to CDN $1,100,000 (the "Offering"), the Company has closed the first tranche of 4,660,000 Units raising gross proceeds of CDN $466,000.

Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.15 per Warrant Share until December 21, 2018. The Units were sold, on a private placement basis, to persons who qualified as "accredited investors" or by other such exemptions available under applicable securities legislation in Canada and other jurisdictions determined by the Company. The securities offered are subject to resale restrictions of four months plus one day pursuant to the applicable securities laws.

The Company has paid cash commissions of $19,680 and issued 196,800 Broker Warrants to finders as compensation in relation to the closing of this tranche.

About Mission Ready

MRSI's mission is to save lives and enhance the performance of military personnel, first responders, and those who protect us by working to ensure they are equipped with the best possible personal protective equipment.

Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Mission Ready has three distinct, synergistic operating divisions:

Strategic consulting services and manufacturers representation

Equipment inspection, cleaning/decontamination and repair services of personal protection equipment

Product research and development

Mission Ready's management team offers over 100 years of combined industry experience and is composed of industry experts in developing products, contracting, and selling to the federal government, first responders and tactical markets through open market procurements, teaming arrangements, and a variety of federal contract tools.

Mission Ready Services Inc.

(signed "Rod Reum")

Rod Reum,

President & CEO

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "budget", "schedule", "may", "will", "could", "might", "should" or variations of such words or similar words or expressions. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Mission Ready Services Inc. as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Mission Ready Services Inc. to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable. Although Mission Ready Services Inc. has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Mission Ready Services Inc. does not undertake to update any forward-looking information that is included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information visit MissionReady.ca Contact:Terry Nixon Director, Corporate CommunicationsTelephone: 1.877.479.7778

Source: Mission Ready Services Inc.
PHOENIX, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A global, one-of-a-kind program developed by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix is changing the lives of thousands of Hispanics outside of the United States who are living with Parkinson's disease. What started as a small group in 2007 with few Spanish education classes and support groups has grown into a comprehensive and far-reaching program with a presence in 16 countries on three continents.

"This kind of outreach program is exactly what Muhammad and Lonnie Ali wanted when they agreed to help open the center in 1997," says Holly Shill, MD, director of Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. "Muhammad wanted to ensure that everyone, patients and caregivers alike, would have access to the same great care and support that he received."

The center's Hispanic Outreach Program is led by Claudia Martinez, who has been instrumental in both growing the program and developing its unique cultural sensitivities. The program emphasizes helping people with Parkinson's and their caregivers to maintain a positive quality of life.

The first expansion of the program began after two patients from different cities in Mexico came to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center for a Spanish Parkinson's education course and stressed that there was no education or support like this in their communities.

In response, the outreach program held its first international education seminar for which the University of Chihuahua and a group called Parkinson Sinaloa in Mexico, and the Parkinson's organization called Fundacion Parkinson Colombia in Colombia streamed the live internet event. From there, Martinez was contacted by other Parkinson's support groups and programs throughout the world.

"The Spanish-speaking Parkinson's community in the Americas is indeed large, committed, and also in need of resources and outreach. In the last three years, our comprehensive Hispanic outreach program has expanded to create a network of Spanish-speaking people with Parkinson's disease and caregivers in 16 countries," says Martinez. "The outreach resources that we provide through the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center were previously scarce or non-existent in many of these communities. This unique network has stayed active via social media and online conferences."

Interacting with this international community inspired Martinez to launch a unique initiative to give Hispanics with Parkinson's the opportunity to represent their countries at the World Parkinson Congress which was held late last year in Portland, Oregon. The language barrier and cost were prohibitive for them to participate. However, with Martinez's direction and the help of art instructor Gregory Pearce, the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center developed a mosaic-style poster which allowed more than 100 people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers to represent the Spanish-speaking Parkinson's communities in North, Central and South America.

Comprised of a variety of activities, the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center's Hispanic Outreach Program includes support groups, education classes, workshops for caregivers, and exercise and art classes. It also offers a Promotores Program for Hispanics with Parkinson's, which is a first-of-its-kind course taught by specially trained Hispanic volunteers who provide in-home visits for people who otherwise would not receive important education and support. Additionally, its Spanish choir, called Voces Unidas, has received special recognition by the World Parkinson Congress for the song and video they produced which continues to attract media attention.

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute is one of the most comprehensive Parkinson's treatment centers in the world, coordinating patient care, physical therapy, pharmaceutical and surgical care, research, and patient education and outreach. Headquartered at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center is a Center of Excellence designated by the National Parkinson Foundation.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/muhammad-ali-parkinson-center-creates-worlds-leading-outreach-program-for-hispanics-with-parkinsons-300389994.html

SOURCE Barrow Neurological Institute
While Middleton native Emma Vigy may not have a front row seat to the inaugural parade, she wont have a bad view of the festivities. Instead of standing in the crowd on Jan. 20, Vigy will be riding her horse down the parade route.

Vigy, 17, a senior at Culver Girls Academy in Indiana, will ride with the 24-member girls mounted Equestriennes, joined by the 56-member boys Black Horse Troop from Culver Military Academy, in the parade in Washington, D.C.

Vigy is the daughter of Carine and Olivier Vigy, owners of La Baguette bakery in Madison.

Vigys love for horses and riding started at a young age  just 5 years old.

She was watching some TV show, and she decided she wanted to ride, Carine Vigy said. Her dad never told her, No, you cant ride. 

Her mother said Vigy took one lesson, then another, then started competing and then never stopped.

Despite her longtime experience, Vigy said she still gets the jitters when riding down parade routes.

I am a little nervous, she said. Were riding horses, and it can be very unpredictable.

During their months of practice for the inaugural parade, the Equestriennes rode their horses in their stadium and had the schools band members play instruments while walking around, played emergency sirens and threw paper to imitate the distractions that can occur in a city like Washington, D.C., on a day like the inauguration.

This is the 17th time the Culver horses will be part of the inaugural parade, dating back to the 1913 parade for President Woodrow Wilson and Vice President Thomas Marshall, a former governor of Indiana.

The Equestriennes started practicing for the parade in September, months before the invitation to participate in it. The team began practicing to be well-prepared for the event it had a long history with.

Vigy said it was very nerve-wracking waiting for the invitation to come, but that it was exciting when it finally did.

Going away to boarding school at Culver Academies was Vigys idea. While visiting her brother Jules while he attended the boys school, Vigy saw all the opportunities she would have to ride if she went to Culver.

The college prep Culver Academies, located on Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Indiana, about midway between Gary and Fort Wayne, is for boys and girls in grades 9 through 12.

The Equestriennes is an honor organization at Culver with membership dependent on academic standing, satisfactory citizanship and proficiency in horseback riding, according the Culver Academies website.

The team performs choreographed, musical drill rides on horseback at multiple events throughout the year at the school and around the region, but at the inaugural parade, Vigy said, the team will simply follow the parade route in formation.

At the inaugural parade, Vigy will ride Testimonial KD, the horse shes owned for 6 years but donated to Culver this year.

Vigy said Culver does not typically allow students to bring or ride their own horses at the school, but it made an exception to allow Vigy and Testimonial KD to ride together in the parade.
Partnership provides streamlined access to Radian MI for Non-Delegated Customers and ValuAmerica Appraisal Orders

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Radian Guaranty Inc., the mortgage insurance (MI) subsidiary of Radian Group Inc., and LendingQB, a provider of 100% web browser-based, end-to-end mortgage loan origination software (LOS), have expanded their partnership to offer lenders easy access to non-delegated MI and appraisal services. These integrations are designed to provide lenders with simple access to best-of-breed settlement services.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005341/en/

The Radian MI integration allows lenders to order Radian MI for delegated and non-delegated loans and get real-time rate quotes directly via one simple process through the LendingQB end-to-end LOS. ValuAmerica, a subsidiary of Radian Guarantys sister company Clayton Holdings, provides an integration for lenders to order appraisal directly through LendingQB.

At Radian, we are always looking for ways to make it easier for our customers to do business with us, said Brien McMahon, chief franchise officer at Radian. This expanded partnership is a clear win for Radians customers utilizing the LendingQB LOS, because it will provide a broader selection of services that can be delivered efficiently, helping lenders make their operations as lean as possible.

The integrations further enhance Radian and LendingQBs commitment to simplifying the loan process and providing added convenience and efficiency in obtaining top-quality settlement services. Clients have the ability to order appraisals as well as upload documents and track the status of their orders using Radians online portal.

These new integrations add to existing services available in LendingQBs LOS platform, such as Radians delegated MI. The integrations further enhance Radian and LendingQBs commitment to simplifying the loan process and providing added convenience and efficiency in obtaining top-quality settlement services.

Providing easy access to Radians products makes the lenders process more efficient, said Tim Nguyen, president of LendingQB. The ability to obtain quotes and submit orders for appraisals, non-delegated and delegated MI within our LOS saves lenders time by simplifying the origination process. It demonstrates how two companies can align their technologies to help lenders improve the overall lending experience.

ABOUT RADIAN

Radian Group Inc. (NYSE: RDN), headquartered in Philadelphia, provides private mortgage insurance, risk management products and real estate services to financial institutions. Radian offers products and services through two business segments:

Mortgage Insurance , through its principal mortgage insurance subsidiary Radian Guaranty Inc. This private mortgage insurance protects lenders from default-related losses, facilitates the sale of low-downpayment mortgages in the secondary market and enables homebuyers to purchase homes more quickly with downpayments less than 20%.

, through its principal mortgage insurance subsidiary Radian Guaranty Inc. This private mortgage insurance protects lenders from default-related losses, facilitates the sale of low-downpayment mortgages in the secondary market and enables homebuyers to purchase homes more quickly with downpayments less than 20%. Mortgage and Real Estate Services, through its principal services subsidiary Clayton, as well as Green River Capital, Red Bell Real Estate and ValuAmerica. These solutions include information and services that financial institutions, investors and government entities use to evaluate, acquire, securitize, service and monitor loans and asset-backed securities.

Additional information may be found at www.radian.biz and www.valuamerica.com.

ABOUT LendingQB

LendingQB is a provider of Lean Lending solutions for residential mortgage banking organizations. The Lean Lending solution consists of a 100 percent web browser-based, end-to-end loan origination system, best of breed integrations with key industry partners and adoptimization' services that result in faster cycle times and lower costs per loan. For more information, please call 888.285.3912 or visit www.lendingqb.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005341/en/

Radian Group Inc.

Emily Riley, 215-231-1035

[email protected]

or

LendingQB

Angelo D. Jones II, 678-781-7209

[email protected]

Source: Radian Group Inc. and LendingQB
President of the Republic of the Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (not seen) attend a joint news conference at Prime Minister Office in Tokyo, Japan, on November 7, 2016. REUTERS/David Mareuil/Pool

ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's veteran leader Nursultan Nazarbayev gave the green light on Wednesday for constitutional reforms that could dilute the sweeping powers he has amassed as president and force his eventual successor to share power with other institutions.

Kazakhstan, an exporter of oil and metals, is the only former Soviet republic that is still run by its communist-era leader. Now aged 76, Nazarbayev has so far not identified a clear successor and investors fear what may come after him.

His office said in a brief statement that Nazarbayev had set up a working group tasked with drafting legal reforms to redistribute powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

The group includes members of the cabinet, parliament, Supreme Court and other bodies, it said, without elaborating.

Nazarbayev has governed the vast Central Asian state of 18 million people with a firm hand since 1989, first as regional Communist Party chief and then, after the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, as the president of a newly independent nation.

The decision to revise the constitution follows the death last September of Islam Karimov, president of neighboring Uzbekistan who had also been in power since 1989.

Among the people viewed as potential successors to Nazarbayev are his eldest daughter Dariga, who is a parliamentary deputy, Deputy Prime Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov and Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev, speaker of the Senate.

Under the Kazakh constitution, Tokayev would automatically assume the presidency in the event of Nazarbayev's death pending fresh elections.

(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Gareth Jones)
A logo of Alibaba Group is pictured at its headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, October 14, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer/File photo

SOFIA (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba is considering setting up a European logistics center in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian government and Xinhua said on Wednesday.

No comment was immediately available from Alibaba.

Representatives of Alibaba Group, GS-Solar Company and GoldPoly Group met Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Wednesday to explore investment opportunities, the government said in a statement.

Bulgaria has yet to take advantage of China's plans to expand its presence in central and Eastern Europe under its "One Belt, One Road" strategy to carve out new export markets between Asia and Europe.

"Alibaba Group's ideas for investments are linked to setting up a logistics center to back up their operations in Europe. The project will also include trading of Bulgarian goods and foods in the international market," the government said.

The government has also said solar module producer GS-Solar is considering a plant to produce solar panels, while GoldPoly Group was interested in buying Bulgarian tobacco.

(Reporting by Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru and Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia; Editing by Alexander Smith/Ruth Pitchford)
Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Randall Stephenson testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee Antitrust Subcommittee during a hearing on the proposed deal between AT&T and Time Warner in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

By Laila Kearney and David Shepardson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) Chief Executive Randall Stephenson on Thursday met in New York with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, an opponent of the company's acquisition of Time Warner Inc (NYSE: TWX).

A spokeswoman for Trump confirmed the meeting after Stephenson was seen entering Trump Tower. Stephenson, who was accompanied by Robert Quinn, AT&Ts senior executive vice president for external and legislative affairs, would not answer questions from reporters.

AT&T said later on Thursday that the company's $85.4 billion deal for Time Warner was not discussed.

"The conversation focused on how AT&T can work with the Trump administration to increase investment in the U.S., stimulate job creation in America, and make American companies more competitive globally," AT&T said in a statement.

During his campaign for the White House, Trump said AT&T's proposal to buy Time Warner, owner of CNN and the Warner Bros movie studio, was an example of a "power structure" that was rigged against him and voters.

"It's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few," said Trump, who has repeatedly accused the media of being biased against him and his campaign.

Since the election, Trump has not commented publicly on the AT&T-Time Warner deal, but he has been critical of CNN. He sparred with a CNN reporter on Wednesday during a televised news conference.

A person briefed on the matter said AT&T requested the meeting with Trump late last week.

As Thursday's meeting was about to get under way, Trump tweeted: "@CNN is in a total meltdown with their FAKE NEWS because their ratings are tanking since election and their credibility will soon be gone."

Representatives from AT&T and Time Warner declined to comment on Trump's tweet.

A Trump transition official told Reuters earlier this month that the president-elect still opposed the deal, which would require antitrust approval by the U.S. Department of Justice.

It could also face a review by the Federal Communications Commission, although the companies are considering ways to structure the deal to avoid that.

Time Warner shareholders will meet on Feb. 15 to decide whether to approve the merger.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney, David Shepardson, Diane Bartz and Anjali Athavaley; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Steve Orlofsky)
By Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A foreign exchange dealer for Citigroup (NYSE: C) who specialized in central and eastern European, Middle Eastern and African currencies has pleaded guilty to conspiring to fix currency prices.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday that Christopher Cummins worked with other foreign exchange dealers to manipulate exchange rates from about 2007 to 2013.

A spokeswoman for Citigroup declined comment on the guilty plea. Cummins could not be reached for comment.

Cummins is the second trader to admit guilt in the probe. The first was Jason Katz, a former trader at Barclays who later worked at BNP Paribas SA and who pleaded guilty on Jan. 4.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department brought charges against three former traders at Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM), and Barclays Plc arising from a global probe into the manipulation of foreign exchange rates at major banks.

The three were Richard Usher, formerly of JPMorgan, Rohan Ramchandani, formerly of Citigroup, and Christopher Ashton, formerly of Barclays.

JPMorgan, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS) and a Citigroup unit pleaded guilty in May 2015 to conspiring to manipulate currency rates, agreeing at that time to pay more than $2.5 billion in criminal fines.

Those plea deals contributed to the more than $10 billion that some of the world's biggest banks have agreed to pay to resolve U.S. and European probes into the manipulation of foreign exchange rates.

(This version of the story was refiled to include first name of dealer in second paragraph)

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Grant McCool)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar was given a tour of a Russian aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, Russian media reported, a show of Kremlin support for the faction leader who opposes Libya's U.N.-backed government.

Russia's courting of Haftar, who some Libyans see as the strongman their country needs after years of instability, has prompted some to draw parallels with Syria, where the Kremlin stepped into a chaotic civil war to prop up President Bashar al-Assad.

Haftar was welcomed on board the aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, as it was on route from the coast off Syria, where it has been taking part in operations, back through the Mediterranean to Russia.

He was greeted by the ship's officers, given a tour, then spoke via video-conference from one of the ship's wardrooms with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russia's RIA news agency cited the defense ministry as saying.

"They discussed pressing issues in the fight against international terrorist groups in the Middle East," the agency quoted the ministry as saying.

Libya splintered into rival political and armed groupings after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It remains deeply divided between factions based in the east and west that back rival governments and parliaments.

Haftar, who is aligned with the eastern parliament and government, has been fighting a two-year military campaign with his Libyan National Army against Islamists and other opponents in Benghazi and elsewhere in the east. Many suspect he seeks national power.

In November last year he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow and asked for Russia's help in fighting Islamist militants at home. The Kremlin has not said if it will offer Haftar military support.

A U.N. arms embargo in place since 2011 prohibits the transfer of weapons into Libya. Only the country's U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, which Haftar opposes, can bring in weapons and related materiel with the approval of a U.N. Security Council committee.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
LONDON (Reuters) - The euro zone will go ahead with its bailout program for Greece with or without the involvement of the International Monetary Fund, Belgium's finance minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

Johan Van Overtveldt said the involvement of the IMF - which has said can only happen if it is the last bailout for Athens and includes debt relief for Greece - would be preferable, but that Euro countries would go ahead even without it.

"As the Eurogroup, and as a monetary union, we would have to go ahead anyway. Preferably with the IMF, but we will go ahead anyway," he said.

"If the IMF really insists on other issues than those that we consider to be important within the Eurogroup, then we have to face the consequences of that. But there can be no doubt that the presence of the IMF is in every respect a very desirable and efficient thing to have."

Van Overtveldt added that he was confident that a solution would be found so that the IMF can join the bailout program.

The Eurogroup holds its next meeting on Jan. 26, when Van Overtveldt said the issue of the bailout would be on the agenda.

(Reporting by Jemima Kelly; editing by Marc Jones)
Gabor Vona, leader of the radical Jobbik attends an interview with Reuters in Budapest, Hungary, January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

By Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's main opposition Jobbik party is moving from its roots as a far-right, anti-Semitic radical group to target the mainstream, and plans to challenge ruling Fidesz for power in 2018 elections, its leader Gabor Vona told Reuters.

Jobbik has openly vilified Jews, gays and foreigners, and its paramilitaries used to march through areas where Roma people live. It also favored forging ties with Russia, Iran and Turkey rather than the European Union, of which Hungary is a member.

But last month Vona sent Hannukah greetings to local Jews.

His party had a lot to atone for, he said in an interview this week, insisting the shift would yield substantial political results, elevating the party to government sooner or later.

Mimicking a move by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz - which ditched its liberal roots and rose to power as conservatives in 1998 - Vona plans to take voters from the left, where parties are in disarray, and right.

"We will need several bridges ... to voters on the left, not to parties on the left," he said. "Jobbik offers a message, a program both to former leftist and former rightist voters."

He said the party's new "modern conservatism" borrowed both from progressive and right-wing agendas, such as environmental protection and wage equality across the EU, and countries growing their economies without relying on immigrant workers.

Vona also drew a stark contrast between his own party and Fidesz, which has put pressure on independent media and plans to "sweep out" civil society groups.

"Independent institutions, checks and balances ... it may have been hard to imagine but a Jobbik government would create a far more democratic political system in Hungary than Fidesz has built in the last seven years."

In the latest opinion polls Jobbik scored about 10-13 percent, while Fidesz' support was about 31-36 percent. A large chunk, about 40 percent of the population, is undecided.

Jobbik claims its core voter base is about 20 percent of eligible voters, and Vona said the party's own surveys show it as the least unpopular of all major groupings, and voters' most popular second choice.

"We have very serious reserves," he said. "I am certain Jobbik will govern Hungary at some point - it is only a matter of time. Obviously we are working to make it happen in 2018."

He said the double credibility gap Jobbik had - its hardline supporters felt cheated and its potential new voters need to be convinced - was temporary and natural in a transition phase.

"We are growing out of our teenage years," he said. "So many times teenagers realize, wow, I was so wrong... (Jobbik) may be a teenager who collided with brick walls a few times before realizing life is not black and white."

He cited the row over his Hanukkah greetings.

"We were right to do what we did during the holidays," he said. "If you want to govern you need to partner with all religious and other groups. I will do the same thing (send greetings) in the next holiday season, too."

In future, Jobbik would treat Israel like any other nation, he said.

"If we disagree, we want to be able to criticize Israel like we criticize Sweden or Germany, but naturally we respect its right to exist, form its own identity, opinions and articulate its interests," he said.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)
A real estate sign advertising a new home for sale is pictured in Vienna, Virginia, outside of Washington, October 20, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing/File Photo

By Beth Pinsker

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dan and Kelly Neubeck do not know what sunk the deal to buy their dream house in Chicago last fall. The process was rolling along after they signed the contract for a full-price offer, but somehow their love was unrequited.

The sellers abruptly pulled out and left them bereft.

"It is difficult to not quickly become attached to a home that you really want," said Dan Neubeck, 37, who works for the city of Chicago. "I would definitely advise home buyers to stay open-minded and not fall in love with a property until the whole process is complete."

Home sale deals always fall through from time to time, but in today's tight housing market, the numbers are jumping. A new study released on Wednesday from housing website Trulia.com compiled data on homes that were reported to be "in contract" before their status changed back to active.

Nationally, the failed sales rate nearly doubled in 2016.

Many sales that never closed involved first-time buyers eager to jump into a hot market. Starter and trade-up housing was on the shakiest ground, while deals for new homes and those built before 1920 were the least likely to unravel.

Some metropolitan areas exhibited bigger failure rates than others.

Since 2014, when Trulia began to aggregate data from local multiple listing services all over the country, Las Vegas has led the pack with 7.6 percent of listings reverting back to "for sale" at least once.

Last year, Charleston, South Carolina, had the biggest rise in failure rates, jumping to 10.2 percent from just 1.6 percent in 2015. Other hot spots include Ventura County, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Atlanta.

In Charleston, real estate agent Mark Mitchell attributes most of the failed sales to buyers' rushing into an extremely popular market where few homes are available.

Mitchell, as associate broker at Dunes Properties, had two sales fail in the last 30 days. One couple was moving to the area from Indianapolis to retire and start a business on the side. Even though Mitchell tried to send them to a mortgage broker before signing a contract, they skipped that step and missed out on a purchase because they did not qualify for the financing they sought.

"They were making an emotional move," Mitchell said, and now they are downsizing their dreams from a $500,000 house to condos in the $250,000 range.

Another Charleston broker, Jan Snook of Carolina One Real Estate, said her office had about seven failed contracts out of more than 50 last year. Some were because of mortgage problems on the buyer's side, but more often than not, sales failed because of issues with the houses.

One buyer was intent on a house that Snook knew would have problems because of the age and condition of the roof. The client wanted to try anyway, but lo and behold, the inspection said the roof would need to be replaced to qualify for a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

"It was unrealistic expectations on both sides," Snook said. "But that's why those FHA protections are there."

Felipe Chacon, the Trulia housing data analyst who authored the sales failure study, said buyers need to do their homework and be willing to wait for the right home at the right price.

"You want to get your preapproval for a mortgage and ask a lot of questions because you don't want surprises to come up," he said.

From the seller side, Chacon said the most important thing is to be honest about problems and fix what you can.

Also, list the house at a reasonable price so the appraisal does not come back lower than that and cause banks to deny a mortgage.

David Liu, a 33-year-old who works in healthcare information technology, learned that lesson when he put a house on the market near San Francisco in 2014.

Despite the hot market there, two deals fell through because the buyers had financing issues. He eventually sold the house after several price cuts.

Sellers may also want to get a pre-emptive inspection on the property they are trying to sell and start making the needed repairs, said USRealty.com Chief Executive Officer Colby Sambrotto.

This is key in a market like Austin, Texas, said Redfin.com agent Andrew Vallejo. He said most of the failures he has seen recently are because the topography of the area causes foundation problems for concrete slab homes that are 50 to 80 years old.

Vallejo has hopes for better houses coming on the market this spring. "It almost feels like it was leftovers on the market this past year," he said.

(This story was refiled to corrects spelling of real estate company's name to Dunes from Dune in paragraph 11)

(Editing by Lauren Young and Lisa Von Ahn)
Patients as well as medical professionals are debating prostate cancer screening.

Several recent studies have shown that diagnosed cases of prostate cancer have decreased over several years, with a reduction in screening for the prostate cancer marker, PSA. In 2015, 220,000 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed with almost 28,000 deaths.

As with mammography for breast cancer, advocates insist prostate cancer screening saves lives while detractors argue it leads to too much unnecessary treatment. I would argue a middle ground that the two opposing camps may both agree to.

Clearly, too much screening has occurred in the past. The medical community now realizes that many prostate cancers do not grow very quickly, and they are unlikely to affect a mans lifespan. More and more of these cases are simply monitored.

But a set of aggressive cancers do progress quickly. In these cases, screening does save lives. The importance of screening these high-risk cancers was demonstrated in two large studies that followed patients for more than 12 years. Regardless, the identification of these cancers requires PSA screening as an entry point.

Also, its very unlikely that men with less than a 10- to 15-year life expectancy will benefit from PSA screening. This was emphasized in a recent study examining treatment versus non-treatment of slow growing prostate cancer.

Therefore, many older men and those with significant health problems should not get PSA screening.

Fortunately, we can improve the deployment of PSA testing in several ways:

Recent data suggest that using an interval of two years or longer may be preferred over annual screening.

Using an improved PSA measurement (the free-to-total PSA ratio) adds specificity to the test and helps men avoid unnecessary biopsies.

Finally, it may be possible to individualize PSA screening strategies by quantifying baseline risk for high-risk prostate cancer. A single PSA of less than 1 ng/ml at age 50 is associated with a six-fold lower risk of dying of prostate cancer. So PSA can be treated to a certain extent like a colon cancer screening. Men identified as low-risk can simply get a PSA every 10 years. By using a more strategic approach, maximizing benefits while minimizing harm, some of the false positives leading to overtreatment can be decreased.

The decline of prostate cancer screening is of concern, especially in light of a major U.S. screening trial being invalidated recently, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. This trial, which made a mistake in tracking how many participants had been screened, had been the basis of the United States Preventive Health Services Task Force criticism of PSA screening. I would argue a reevaluation of the strengthening data for screening is due.

PSA is not a perfect test and the hunt is on for new approaches. Investigation into other blood tests is encouraging, and research using urine as a detection source is ongoing here at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center and other institutions. We know a more specific marker exists for detecting just the high-risk prostate cancers.

While in the past, physicians and patients have been overly aggressive in their approach to screening, I am concerned that the pendulum may be swinging back too far the other way. This is a health issue that is becoming increasingly important as the population ages.

By approaching men in a more tailored fashion, many of the critiques of PSA screening may be addressed while also improving survival outcomes for those men who would benefit from screening.
By Devidutta Tripathy and Sankalp Phartiyal

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's $100 billion salt-to-software Tata conglomerate named veteran insider Natarajan Chandrasekaran as the new chairman of its holding company on Thursday, looking to soothe investors after a bruising public spat over the ouster of his predecessor.

Chandrasekaran, 53, currently chief executive of IT outsourcing giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (NYSE: TCS), India's most-valuable company with a market capitalization of $67 billion, will take over as Tata Sons executive chairman on Feb. 21, according to a company statement.

Tata Sons, the holding company in a business empire ranging from car maker Jaguar Land Rover and steel mills to aviation and salt pans, is embroiled in a legal battle with former chairman Cyrus Mistry, who was forced out in October.

It has convened an extraordinary general meeting on Feb. 6 to remove him as a director, which Mistry has challenged.

"The first thing for him to do will be to clean up the muck and get rid of all the ongoing court cases," said a Tata group insider who is close to Chandrasekaran, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Second will be to win over the trust of other Tata executives. And the third will be to define the direction for the group."

Chandrasekaran takes the helm at a time when several companies in the conglomerate have seen profits come under pressure. Former chairman Mistry has warned of big writedowns and stressed the need for governance reforms at Tata Sons, the charitable trusts that own two-thirds of the holding firm, and Tata group companies. Tata Sons has denied Mistry's accusations.

Chandrasekaran, a former Tata Group intern widely known as Chandra, said in a statement he was "humbled and honored" to be chosen to lead Tata Sons.

"At the Tata Group, we are at an inflection point. I am aware that this role comes with huge responsibilities," he said in a statement.

UNANIMOUS CHOICE

A masters degree holder in computer applications, Chandrasekaran joined the Tata Group in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become TCS CEO in 2009. He was named to the Tata Sons board in October, after Mistry's ouster. Chandrasekaran also serves on the board of India's central bank.

A biography on the central bank's website describes him as an avid photographer, music aficionado and a passionate long-distance runner who has completed marathons across the world.

Although the appointment of a group lifer shows a desire for continuity, Chandrasekaran is not related to the Tata family and will be the first non-Parsi chairman of Tata Sons.

Like the Tatas, the Mistrys are part of Mumbai's tight-knit Parsi religious minority, and Cyrus Mistry's sister is married to Ratan Tata's half-brother. Chandrasekaran, by contrast, was born into a south Indian agricultural family.

A selection committee appointed by Tata Sons board to choose a new chairman had unanimously recommended Chandrasekaran for the job, according to the company statement.

The five-member selection committee that included group patriarch Ratan Tata had initially set out to appoint a new chairman within four months. Ratan Tata had taken over as interim chairman of Tata Sons after the board fired Mistry.

TCS chief financial officer Rajesh Gopinathan was named as the company's new CEO, according to a separate statement. TCS earlier on Thursday reported a better-than-expected third-quarter profit growth of nearly 11 percent, but faces headwinds in the United States, the biggest market for Indian software services exporters.

Senior bankers including lenders to Tata Group companies such as State Bank of India (NYSE: SBI) and ICICI Bank (NASDAQ: ICBK) welcomed Chandrasekaran's appointment.

(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy and Sankalp Phartiyal; Additional reporting by Aditi Shah, Euan Rocha, Promit Mukherjee, Swati Bhat and Suvashree Choudhury; Editing by Alex Richardson)
FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi attends a joint news conference with U.S. President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

By Isla Binnie and Francesca Piscioneri

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a bid by the country's biggest trade union to force a referendum on former prime minister Matteo Renzi's law making it easier to fire workers.

The ruling is likely to prove a relief for new Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who has pledged to build on his predecessor's reforms, and it also spares Renzi the humiliation of having his two flagship projects thrown out in referendums.

Italy's bond yields fell, while the euro and Italian stocks rose after the ruling.

Renzi stepped down last month after losing a referendum on constitutional changes. He flagged the 2015 "Jobs Act" and the planned constitutional reform as vital measures to revive Italy's economy, the most chronically stagnant in the euro zone.

Big businesses welcomed the scrapping of a rule that gave people fired from large private sector companies the right to be re-hired if a court deemed their dismissal unjustified. Under the reform they only receive financial compensation.

The CGIL union, which opposed most aspects of the Jobs Act from the start, asked the court to approve a referendum on restoring the right to re-instatement and extending it to smaller companies.

CGIL leader Susanna Camusso said the union would consider appealing to the European Court of Justice. "We are convinced that this battle must continue," she told a news conference.

Renzi hoped making dismissals easier would prompt firms to hire, but the unemployment rate rose in November to its highest since June 2015, shortly after the measures began to be applied.

The judges did however approve two other referendums proposed by CGIL: on the use of vouchers to pay workers who have no contract and on extending the rights of people working on projects assigned by tender processes.

Italy has one of the highest jobless rates in the euro zone and almost 40 percent of people aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed.

Work vouchers, which are worth 10 euros (dollars) each and give workers no rights to sick pay, holidays or leave, were introduced as an experiment in 2008, but their use shot up 70 percent in 2015.

Governments across Europe have allowed greater labor flexibility to boost employment as their economies slowed, but Italy has acknowledged the voucher scheme is out of control and is planning to take action to curb its use.

The two referendums permitted by the court could now take place on a Sunday between April 15 and June 15, unless new laws on the topics in question are passed before then.

(Editing by Gavin Jones and Louise Ireland)
RIYADH (Reuters) - Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said his country's ties with Saudi Arabia were recovering, after tensions linked to the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran led Riyadh to cancel $3 billion of military aid to Beirut last year.

Aoun, an ally of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, visited Saudi Arabia this week, trying to mend relations with the Sunni Muslim monarchy which has traditionally backed Hezbollah's opponents in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia cancelled the military aid in February last year when the Lebanese government failed to join other Arab states in condemning attacks by Iranian demonstrators on Saudi missions in Iran.

It has also warned wealthy Saudi visitors to stay away from Lebanon, depriving the country of vital tourism revenue.

Aoun told the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Wednesday - a day after he held talks with King Salman - that Saudi tourists would soon return to Lebanon.

Asked if his visit had turned a new page in relations with Saudi Arabia, Aoun said: "Yes. When this transient era clears, we will be certain that it had no roots from the Lebanese people's side."

"It is obvious that ties should be normal, regardless of any differences that may arise, or that may have arisen in the past, in relation to the Syrian file," he added, referring to the civil war in neighbouring Syria - one of several Middle East conflicts where Tehran and Riyadh back opposing forces.

The dispute has also cast a shadow on the fate of an estimated 750,000 Lebanese nationals living and working in Saudi Arabia and in other Gulf Arab states, who transfer between $7 and $8 billion each year to support extensive families.

Asked about the fate of Saudi aid to the Lebanese army, he said: "This issue will be discussed by the defence ministers of the two countries."

Aoun, who was in Qatar on Wednesday on the second leg of his first trip abroad since he was elected in October, said Saudi Arabia has already decided to allow tourists back to Lebanon, and that details were being worked out between experts from both sides.

In talks in Doha, Aoun agreed with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to resume meetings of the higher joint committee between the two countries, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

Aoun invited Tamim to visit Beirut and asked the emir to keep up his efforts to free nine kidnapped Lebanese army soldiers believed to be held by Islamic State militants as well as two Orthodox bishops and a Lebanese journalist who were abducted in Syria in 2013.

"There was a promise from the emir to continue the efforts in this regard despite the sensitivity of the subject," the statement said.

(Reporting by Sami Aboudi and Tom Perry in Beirut; Editing by Dominic Evans and Hugh Lawson)
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel reviews an honour guard during an official visit to Luxembourg, January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The 27 members of the European Union negotiating with London on Britain's exit from the bloc must stick together and not allow themselves to be divided, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

Merkel, speaking against the background of a planned reduction in corporation tax in Britain, also said EU members must agree on a joint approach to corporation tax.

"We all know that we need more harmonization," she told a joint news conference with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

Refering to Britain's decision to leave the EU and what looks like being a difficult and complex negotiating process on the divorce terms, Merkel said: "It is important that we do not allow ourselves to be divided, the 27 must act together in the negotiations."

The chancellor also stressed it was important for EU member states to increase the exchange of data to improve security in the bloc, and that they should quickly implement a register of people entering and leaving.

Since a Tunisian failed asylum seeker rammed a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people, last month before fleeing to Italy where he was shot dead, Merkel has stepped up her calls for cross-border cooperation on security issues.

"Everyone sees the urgency and everyone knows that if we do not succeed, each country will introduce its own border controls and free movement won't be possible," said Merkel, adding that meant freedom of services as well as of people.

"It makes me optimistic that a lot of countries have sadly had the experience that terrorism is a big challenge for all of us and only cross border cooperation in the (passport free) Schengen area will help us," she said.

(Reporting by Michele Land, Writing by Madeline Chambers in Berlin, Editing by Paul Carrel and Angus MacSwan)
By Anastasia Moloney

TAPACHULA, Mexico (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From morning to night, Mexican banda music blares out from the dingy bars in Mexico's southern border city of Tapachula where thousands of Central American women sell sex to fund their dream of reaching the United States.

Rights groups estimate 30,000 migrants, mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, are working in bars in shopping streets and red light districts in the bustling city near the Guatemala border that has become a trafficking hotspot.

This includes increasing numbers of women and children fleeing Central America due to the deteriorating situation, said Francesca Fontanini, spokeswoman for U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

UNHCR figures show the number of Central American migrants seeking asylum abroad surged five-fold in the four years to 2015 to around 110,000.

The number of families, mostly from Central America, stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border jumped 122 percent in the six months to April 2016 compared to a year earlier as authorities cracked down on security, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

"The majority [of Central American women] come with the hope of crossing the border, looking for the American dream," said Adriana Rebollo, who heads the prosecutor's human trafficking office in Chiapas state where Tapachula is located.

But while chasing their dreams, migrants make easy prey for traffickers on their journey north. Often poor and with little education, they are lured with false promises of good jobs in restaurants and hotels.

"Migrants are ideal victims for trafficking and prostitution because at one stage they have needs, a need to survive, a need to earn money," said Elsa Simon, a women's rights activist.

"A female migrant is the most vulnerable. She has no support networks. She doesn't know her rights."

LURKING IN SHELTERS

Traffickers, called enganchadores, lurk in migrant shelters on the prowl for potential victims, often young female migrants traveling alone with their children.

At the Belen shelter, a poster with a photograph of a man reads: "Enganchador: Be careful of this man."

Flor Maria Rigoni, an Italian priest who founded the shelter two decades ago, helps migrants and those who have been rescued from prostitution rings run by organized criminal gangs.

The shelter provides weekly talks about the tactics that traffickers use to dupe their victims.

"Despite the talks, some still fall into the trap," Rigoni, with a long silver beard, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

It usually starts with a trafficker befriending a migrant, showering her with gifts, kind words and offers of help to cross into the United States and pretending to fall in love with the woman, even marrying her, Rigoni said.

"The new boyfriend takes them out for dinner, treats them well for a couple of nights ... Then by the third night a car without number plates and blacked-out windows comes and snatches them away," he said.

Over the past six years Rigoni has helped nearly 100 migrants, mostly Honduran women and girls, who have been trafficked into sex work. But, frustrated by government officials, he is closing the program in March.

"It's a lost battle. If there's cooperation with the state we can do it but without it we can't," Rigoni said.

"As far as the government is concerned, trafficking doesn't exist. They don't follow up on the issue."

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Mexico says it has taken important steps to tackle human trafficking, including a 2012 law that punishes those convicted of the crime to up to 40 years in prison and a free hotline.

Rebollo said authorities have stepped up raids across Chiapas, leading to the closure of scores of bars and the rescue of about 670 trafficking victims since 2009.

But conviction rates remain low. Of some 330 people charged for trafficking since 2009 only about 87 people were convicted.

"The hardest thing for us is for the victim to say she is obligated and to recognize she is a victim," said Francisco de Jesus Esteban, prosecutor and deputy head of the Chiapas office.

Local campaigners say corruption, including police accepting bribes, fuels human trafficking and keeps conviction rates low.

"In eight out of every 10 cases the police are involved in some way," said Jose Alfredo Zunum, a lawyer who has worked on dozens of cases.

According to the U.S. State Department's 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report in Mexico "official complicity continued to be a serious and largely unaddressed problem."

SURVIVAL

Not all migrants working as prostitutes in Tapachula's bars are victims of trafficking but a blurry line often exists between those who voluntarily engage in adult prostitution, which is legal in Mexico, and those coerced into sex work.

Blanca, 45, who fled gang violence in Honduras, says working as a prostitute is the only way she can survive.

"I can't get work anywhere else because I don't have the proper paperwork," Blanca, who declined to give her full name, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"If I don't work my kids don't eat and I can't send money back home to my family," said Blanca, who charges $25 for sex with a client of which a female pimp takes a cut.

Like many migrants, Blanca had planned to stop briefly in Tapachula to earn money before carrying on to the United States with her three children but eight months later she's still here.

"I never imagined I'd be living in Mexico, doing what I do. Some of the other women at the cantina have been here for years," said Blanca.

"Only God knows if I'll ever make it to the United States."

(Reporting by Anastasia Moloney, editing by Ed Upright. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Luke Mintz

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - An iconic photo of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi washed up dead on a Turkish beach had a greater impact on fundraising efforts for Syrian refugees than hundreds of thousands of deaths, a study has shown.

The photo of Kurdi appeared in media across the world in the days after he drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in September 2015. His family were Syrian refugees of Kurdish origin, attempting to flee the war to Europe.

"People who had been unmoved by the relentlessly rising death toll in Syria suddenly appeared to care much more after having seen Aylan's photograph," said the report, from science research institute 'Decision Research'.

The study used fundraising data from the Swedish Red Cross, which showed a significant increase in donations after news of Kurdi's death, as well as data from Google Trends, which showed a major spike in searches for the terms "Syria" and "refugees".

Both the number of donors and the total raised increased after the photo circulated.

In the week after Kurdi's death, the study said the average number of daily donations to a Syrian refugee fund run by the Swedish Red Cross rose 100-fold. Before the photo circulated, the charity received fewer than 1,000 donations in a day; afterwards, it rose to almost 14,000.

It said the average amount raised each day by the fund was 55 times higher, netting an extra 1.9 million crowns ($210,730) per day. While the surge in interest faded quickly, long term donations did rise.

The study, authored by Paul Slovic from the University of Oregon, found the "newly created empathy waned rather quickly" after the initial burst of interest in Kurdi's story, but Kurdi's death prompted a 10-fold rise in those signing up for regular monthly donations. Only 0.02 percent of these donors had canceled by January 2016.

"The main take-home message of this paper is that emotional reactions ... can influence actual donation behavior strongly," Arvid Erlandsson, a contributor to the report, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"Emotional reactions are ... prone to fade out quickly, thus resulting in sharp increases and decreases in helping behavior, despite the existing need being very stable."

Erlandsson went on to suggest that charities and governments could try harder to channel "emotional reactions" into their fundraising efforts.

The image of Kurdi joins other iconic photos that have come to symbolise human conflicts and tragedies, including Sharbat Gula, or 'Afghan Girl', whose image on the front cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985 is among the most famous of the Soviet-Afghan War.

Similarly, the 1972 image of nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack in Vietnam came to symbolise the horrors of the Vietnam War.

Kurdi died in September 2015, along with his five-year-old brother. Their family had fled from their home in the northern Syrian town of Kobani.

Shots of the small boy's body being cradled by a Turkish policeman circulated worldwide and galvanized several governments into policy changes, with the German government agreeing to admit thousands of refugees then stranded in Hungary only two days later.

Over 5,000 refugees were killed in 2016 while traveling across the Mediterranean, according to the Missing Migrants Project.

($1 = 9.0162 Swedish crowns)

(Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)
By Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - Qatar Airways said on Thursday it was seeking guarantees from a potential new engine supplier after delays to Airbus jet deliveries, but said Boeing was ahead of schedule on its latest version of the 777, leaving scope to bring those jets forward.

The comments from one of the industry's toughest buyers reflect the stakes involved in meeting manufacturing targets for large aerospace industry orders after a series of costly delays.

Qatar Airways remains in talks with CFM International about supplying engines for an upgraded order for Airbus Group's (NYSE: AIR) A321neo medium-haul jets, which it expects to finalize "soon", Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker told Reuters.

The carrier has canceled four A320neo jets powered by delayed engines made by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies (NYSE: UTX), and plans to swap the overall aircraft order, which originally covered 50 jets, to the larger A321neo.

CFM, owned by General Electric (NYSE: GE) and France's Safran (NYSE: SAF), competes with Pratt & Whitney to power Airbus' medium-haul jets.

Al Baker acknowledged Qatar had received competitive launch prices when it originally ordered Pratt & Whitney engines, but said a decision on whether to keep those or switch to CFM for the upgraded A321neo order would depend on other guarantees.

"It is a factor, but what we decide will be based on what sort of guarantees we get on deliveries and at the same time performance," he said in an interview.

Qatar plans to take delivery of around 10 Airbus A350s and 6 Boeing 777s this year. It will also receive some Boeing 737s on behalf of Italy's Meridiana, in which it aims to buy 49 percent.

Qatar is also one of the launch customers for the newest Boeing long-haul jet, the 777-9, formerly code-named 777-9X.

Boeing plans to deliver the 406-seat jet from 2020, but aviation news site FlightGlobal reported last year it could advance deliveries to late 2019 due to spare cushion in the development schedule.

"We have already told Boeing that as they are bringing ahead the (777-)9X deliveries, we would be interested. The 777-9X program is ahead of schedule and we have no problem if they want to bring our deliveries ahead, Al Baker said.

A Boeing spokesman said: "Development of the 777X program is progressing to plan and we will deliver to the schedule we committed to our airline customers."

FUEL SURCHARGES

Al Baker was speaking after opening a 1,000-square-metre lounge at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, the airline's third such facility abroad after London Heathrow and Dubai.

It is also building lounges in Beirut and Bangkok and negotiating space in seven other airports.

The expansion comes as Gulf airlines have seen premium yields suffering due to low oil prices and rising capacity.

Qatar Airways plans to unveil a new premium cabin in March and is investing an unspecified amount to attract passengers "with the right yield," Al Baker said.

But he suggested fuel surcharges may soon be back on the agenda.

"(Qatar Airways) had to lower (prices in 2016) because oil prices were going down, but now we are starting to put prices up because oil prices are starting to go up," he said.

"Soon, I think not only Qatar Airways but most of the airlines will re-introduce the fuel surcharges because they budgeted on lower fuel price and prices are now rising rapidly."

Oil prices have risen 20 percent in three months.

Al Baker said the airline had not seen traffic to France fall after recent attacks. The carrier plans to serve Nice five times per week from July and expects to announce a similar service to Lyon soon.

It also continues to experience double-digit growth in passenger numbers, Al Baker added.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Mark Potter and G Crosse)
Marijuana plants for sale are displayed at the medical marijuana farmers market at the California Heritage Market in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on July 11, 2014. REUTERS/David McNew/File Photo

(Reuters) - A pair of lawmakers want to make Rhode Island the ninth U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana and the first to do so through the legislature rather than with a ballot initiative, they said on Tuesday.

State Senator Joshua Miller and state Representative Scott Slater, both Democrats, want to prevent Rhode Island residents from simply buying the drug in neighboring Massachusetts, which approved recreational use in a November ballot.

"Our constituents think it is time for lawmakers to pass this legislation, and we should listen to them," Miller said in a statement. "If we fail to pass the bill this year, we will lose significant ground to Massachusetts."

Democrats control both chambers of the state legislature and Governor Gina Raimondo, also a Democrat, has said she would be open to the idea of legalization.

The proposal, which has not yet been formally submitted in the legislature, would allow adults aged 21 and above to use the drug for recreational purposes and impose a 23 percent tax on the drug.

A similar effort in Vermont last year failed and earlier efforts to legalize the drug in Rhode Island also were unsuccessful.

Lawmakers in Massachusetts and Maine, the only other northeastern state to legalize the drug, have moved to delay the sale of the drug in their states.

Massachusetts lawmakers late last month delayed until July 2018 when legal recreational pot sellers can being doing business, and Maine legislators were preparing similar moves to delay the sale of the drug.

An October poll by Gallup showed that 60 percent of Americans now support the legalization of recreational use of marijuana. Even more approve of the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical use, a step that 28 states have taken.

The drug remains illegal under federal law, and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has sent mixed signals about his views on it.

(Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
A Shell logo is seen reflected in a car's side mirror at a petrol station in west London, Britain, January 29, 2015. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

By Tom Bergin

LONDON (Reuters) - The widow of an activist executed after protesting against Royal Dutch Shells oil production in Nigeria has won access to legal documents for use in a legal case for damages against the oil giant that she says she plans to launch in the Netherlands.

A U.S. judge in December told Shells U.S. lawyers to give Esther Kiobel documents about Shells activities in Nigeria, according to her lawyers and a court transcript obtained by protest website royaldutchshellplc.com and seen by Reuters.

Kiobel alleges that Shell was complicit in the execution of her late husband, alongside author and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, by the Nigerian military in 1995 because it provided support and funding for the army in its crackdown of opposition to a Shell-led joint venture in the Niger Delta.

Shell said in a statement that it denied the allegations, previously made in a lawsuit against Shell in the United States.

"We have always denied, in the strongest possible terms, the allegations made by the plaintiffs in this tragic case," a spokesman said in the statement.

It made no comment about the possibility of legal action in the Netherlands or the December court ruling on the documents.

Kiobel previously gained access to the documents and deposition transcripts she is now seeking but only for use in the U.S. lawsuit.

Kiobel's lawyers said a court order prevented her from using the files in other legal actions or publicly discussing the contents.

Nonetheless, in an October filing Kiobel's lawyers said they sought the documents as part of their aim of proving cooperation between "the Nigerian junta and Shell in committing human rights violations".

The previous U.S. case was unsuccessful because the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that claims could only be taken in the United States if an alleged transgression was guided from inside the country.

Kiobels Dutch lawyer, Channa Samkalden, said the Dutch civil case would be filed in the next couple of months. Any damages are likely to be immaterial for Shell, analysts said, as Dutch courts rarely make the kinds of multi-million dollar awards common in the United States.

Marco Simons, a lawyer with environmental group Earth Rights in Washington who has seen the documents because he represented Kiobel in the U.S. lawsuit, said the material to be turned over would support the lawsuit against Shell in the Netherlands, where the courts have already agreed to hear other cases involving Shells overseas activities.

It would be extremely critical to have access to all of this evidence, he said.

Reuters has not seen the documents and cannot independently verify what Simons says about the relevance of their content.

Shell's law firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, which asked the court to reject Kiobel's request, did not respond to requests for comment.

(Editing by Alison Williams and Alexander Smith)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian provincial governor said on Wednesday the government and rebels had agreed on a plan to repair damage to a spring in the Wadi Barada area that supplies water to the capital, state television reported.

The report could not be immediately confirmed with rebel fighters. The local media office for activists in rebel-held Wadi Barada, where the spring is located, denied any agreement had been reached between rebels and the government.

The spring was knocked out of service in late December, reducing water supplies to the 70 percent of residents of Damascus and surrounding areas that it serves.

The government and rebel groups in Wadi Barada, a mountainous valley about 20 km (10 miles) northwest of Damascus, agreed for technicians to enter the damaged spring facility, state television said.

The United Nations has said the spring was damaged because "infrastructure was deliberately targeted", without saying who was responsible, leaving 4 million people in Damascus without safe drinking water supplies.

The U.N. warned the shortages could lead to waterborne disease outbreaks, and a spokesman has said sabotaging civilian water supplies constituted a war crime.

Rebels and activists have said government bombardment damaged the spring. The government said insurgent groups polluted the spring with diesel, forcing the state to cut supplies.

Clashes and air strikes in Wadi Barada have threatened a shaky nationwide ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey nearly two weeks ago to pave the way for peace talks.

The governor of the Damascus countryside province said in comments published on state news agency SANA on Wednesday, that a preliminary agreement had been reached with local fighters in parts of Wadi Barada to hand over their weapons to the government. Fighters not originally from the valley will be evacuated out of the area.

The Syrian army will then enter the areas to remove explosives and technicians will repair damage to the spring, governor Alaa Ibrahim said.

"In the coming hours it will become clear if it is possible to implement the agreement," SANA quoted Ibrahim as saying.

Rebels in the area could not be reached immediately, but local activists denied that any agreement had been reached.

Through a series of local deals, sieges and army offensives, the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been steadily suppressing armed opposition around its heavily-fortified capital.

The Syrian army and allied fighters from the Lebanese group Hezbollah launched an offensive in late December to capture Wadi Barada, overlooked by pro-government military positions.

The government says it wants to enter the valley to secure the capital's water supply. Rebel groups and local activists say pro-government forces are using the water issue to make political and military gains.

Rebels in Wadi Barada have allowed government engineers to maintain and operate the valley's pumping station, the capital's main water source, since they took control of the area in 2012.

Fighters have, however, cut water supplies several times in the past to put pressure on the army not to overrun the area.

The United Nations estimates 45,000 people live in the Wadi Barada area, and thinks at least 7,000 people have been displaced form the area in recent fighting.

(Reporting by Ellen Francis and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Arctic air has started to move into Wisconsin Thursday afternoon, with temperatures expected to drop to single digits overnight, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service said following a high of 21, temperatures will drop to around 4 overnight, then only rise to 15 on Friday.

Wind chills should be in the 5 below to 5 above range in Madison, but wind chills could fall to the 10 below to 19 below range north of Madison and Milwaukee for Friday morning.

The next likely chance for precipitation is Sunday night into Monday, with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain hitting Madison once again.

The day-to-day outlook:

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, low around 4. Wind chill values between 5 below and 0.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, high near 15. Wind chill values between 5 below and 5 above.

Friday night: A 20 percent chance of snow, low around 13.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, high near 27.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, low around 12.

Sunday: Partly sunny, high near 29.

Sunday night: A 50 percent chance of snow before 3 a.m., snow and sleet between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., and sleet after 5 a.m., low around 23.

Monday: An 80 percent chance of freezing rain and sleet before 11 a.m., rain and freezing rain between 11 a.m. and noon, then rain after noon, high near 35.

Monday night: A 70 percent chance of rain, mainly before midnight, low around 32.

Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of rain, snow and sleet, high near 37.

Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, low around 28.

Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of rain and snow, high near 37.
Rex Tillerson, former chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil, is seated prior to testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be U.S. secretary of state, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S.

By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state has set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

In comments expected to enrage Beijing, Rex Tillerson told his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China's building of islands and putting military assets on those islands was "akin to Russias taking Crimea from Ukraine.

Asked whether he supported a more aggressive posture toward China, he said: "Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.

The former Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE: XOM) chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands it has built up from South China Sea reefs, equipped with military-length airstrips and fortified with weapons.

Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for specifics on how China might be blocked from the artificial islands.

China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

When asked repeatedly about Tillerson's comments on blocking access to islands, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he couldn't make any guesses as to what Tillerson was referring to and would not answer hypothetical questions.

China's right to carry out 'normal activities' in its sovereign territory in the South China Sea is 'indisputable', Lu said, speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday. He did not elaborate.

Tillerson also said Washington needed to reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, but stopped short of Trump's questioning of Washington's long-standing policy on the issue.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging that China takes the position that there is "one China" and Taiwan is part of it. But the United States is also Taiwan's biggest ally and arms supplier.

"I dont know of any plans to alter the 'one China' position," Tillerson said.

Tillerson said he considered Chinas South China Sea activity "extremely worrisome" and that it would be a threat to the "entire global economy" if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway.

He blamed the current situation on what he termed an inadequate U.S. response. "The failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this," Tillerson said.

"The way weve got to deal with this is weve got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia," he said.

Democratic President Barack Obamas administration conducted periodic air and naval patrols to assert the right of free navigation in the South China Sea. These have angered Beijing, but seeking to blockade China's man-made islands would be a major step further and a step that Washington has never raised as an option.

Under his strategic "pivot" to Asia, Obama has increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and Trump has vowed a major naval buildup.

Tillerson's words also went beyond Trump's own tough rhetoric on China.

Regional military sources said while the U.S. navy had extensive capabilities in Asia to stage blocking operations with ships, submarines and planes, any such move against China's growing naval fleets would risk dangerous escalations.

RELUCTANT TO CHALLENGE

Obama has sought to forge a united front in Southeast Asia against Chinas pursuit of its territorial claims, but some allies and partners who are rival claimants have been reluctant to challenge Beijing.

Tillerson called China's South China Sea island-building and declaration of an air defense zone in the East China Sea it contests with Japan "illegal actions."

"Theyre taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas," he said.

The response was muted from the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally that last year won an international arbitration case that included a challenge to China's island-building within its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

"These are not policies yet and let us wait if they will implement what was said in the hearing," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Thursday.

"Let's wait until Trump is in office."

His comments reflect the sharp change in Manila's approach to China under new President Rodrigo Duterte, who wants good diplomatic and business ties with Beijing and says challenging it is provocative and pointless. He makes no secret of his lack of trust in the Obama administration and has chided it for what he considers inaction in the South China Sea.

Tillerson also said the United States could not continue to accept "empty promises" China had made about putting pressure on North Korea over that country's nuclear and missile programs.

He said his approach to dealing with North Korea - which recently declared it is close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile - would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation.

Asked if Washington should consider imposing "secondary sanctions" on Chinese entities found to be violating existing sanctions on North Korea, Tillerson said: "If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions, then it's appropriate ... for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply."

He accused China of failing to live up to global agreements on trade and intellectual property, echoing past remarks by Trump, who has threatened to impose high, retaliatory tariffs on China. But Tillerson also stressed the "deeply intertwined" nature of the world's two biggest economies.

"We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said.

(Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila and Michael Martina in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Tarrant)
Donald Trump Jr. (L) and Vice President-elect Mike Pence are seen in the background as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump gives a press conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

By Scott Malone

BOSTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted his support of Maine catalog retailer L.L. Bean after an activist group opposed to the U.S. president-elect called for a boycott of the company.

The boycott call began online last week after reports that a member of the Bean family that owns the company, best known for its rubber-bottomed hunting boots, had donated money to Trump's candidacy.

"Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L. Bean for your great support and courage," Trump said in a tweet early on Thursday. "People will support you even more now. Buy L.L. Bean."

The "Grab Your Wallet" website added L.L. Bean, based in Freeport, Maine, to a lengthy list of retailers it is urging Trump opponents to boycott because of their ties Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

L.L. Bean scrambled to distance itself from Linda Bean's donations, noting that she was one of more than 50 members of the founding family associated with the 105-year-old company, which described itself as politically neutral.

"Our owners, employees, and customers hold views and embrace causes that are individual and diverse," the company said in a statement late on Sunday. "We fully acknowledge and respect that some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors."

A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Trump's tweet drew responses from supporters and opponents on Thursday, some of whom vowed to boycott the company, others who said they planned to buy its merchandise.

Trump has taken on several prominent U.S. companies, including United Technologies Corp's (NYSE: UTX) Carrier air conditioning unit and General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) for manufacturing products outside the United States.

His track record of pouncing on high-profile executives has left the leaders of corporate America wary of waking up one morning to find themselves Trump's latest target.

Maine is politically divided. It has a split Congressional delegation and a two-term Republican governor, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton carried the state in the Nov. 8 election.

On Thursday, Governor Paul LePage, a vocal supporter of Trump, praised Linda Bean.

"It is reprehensible how progressives have bullied her and her family's company," LePage said. "I encourage Mainers and customers around the globe to continue their strong support of L.L. Bean."

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
GENEVA (Reuters) - Peace talks in Geneva to resolve the decades-long division of Cyprus are 'on track', the U.N. envoy for the island said on Wednesday, saying many issues dividing the sides had been resolved.

Espen Barth Eide said however that there was 'still work to do' in the reunification negotiations between estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

"We have dealt with some of the most difficult issues. We have touched upon almost all of them, we have solved many of them and we are close to resolving some other issues.

"...There is still work to do," he told a news briefing.

Eide, a former Norwegian foreign minister, is overseeing talks between Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

Talks moved to Geneva on Monday after 18 months of intensive peace talks.

(Reporting By Tom Miles and Michele Kambas)
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with ministers at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela December 17, 2016. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

(This January 100 story was refiled to correct typographical error in paragraph 8)

CARACAS (Reuters) - Recession-hit Venezuela's imports plunged by more than half to nearly $18 billion in 2016, President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday, as the country prioritized foreign debt payments despite chronic product shortages.

Maduro, in a meeting with businessmen, said the private sector accounted for $11 billion of imports, while the cash-strapped public sector brought in $6.8 billion of products.

"You accounted for 60 percent of imports for the first time in 100 years," Maduro told the businessmen, blaming the oil price fall since mid-2014 for shrinking state coffers.

Imports have fallen during three years of recession in the member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries from a record high of $66 billion in 2012 to $36.9 billion in 2015, according to Central Bank figures.

Despite plunging oil revenues, Venezuela managed to pay $17 billion in foreign debt and build 360,000 new homes in a state housing project last year, Maduro said.

But Venezuela's 30 million people have been suffering long shopping lines, while basic foodstuffs, medicines and other products have been running short. Price controls and nationalization have hurt domestic production.

Maduro said, "2016 was the hardest, longest and most difficult year we have known."

In a research note on Monday, Torino Capital said Venezuela's import data demonstrated the Maduro government's commitment to keep paying maturing debt despite market speculation it may be heading toward an eventual default.

"The bottom line is that the data continues to show a very strong import contraction which shows no sign of abating and may even be intensifying," the note said.

This "supports the hypothesis that the government is restricting foreign currency allocations for imports to free up resources that will allow it to continue servicing its external obligations," Torino Capital said.

Also on Monday, Maduro announced the government would start selling Colombian pesos at state-run exchange houses along the border "very soon."

"The exchange houses will have fair offers in pesos and bolivars," Maduro said, without specifying what rate would be used.

The ruling Socialists introduced currency controls in 2003, but with demand vastly outpacing supply, many have turned to the black market. Venezuela's cash-strapped economy has been in recession since 2014.

(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne, Corina Pons and Alexandra Ulmer; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Richard Chang and Grant McCool)
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 12, 2017

DIVALL INSURED INCOME PROPERTIES 2, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Wisconsin 000-17686 39-1606834 (State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation) (Commission

File Number) (IRS Employer

Identification Number)

1100 Main Street, Suite 1830

Kansas City, Missouri 64105

(Address of principal executive offices)

(816) 421-7444

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) [ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) [ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) [ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure

Attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1, is a copy of a letter sent by the General Partner of DiVall Insured Income Properties 2, L.P. (the Partnership) to the Partnerships Limited Partners (the Limited Partners) on or about January 12, 2017, in connection with, among other things, the Partnerships annual statement of the Net Unit Value (NUV) of each Limited Partner Unit (Unit), being the Partnerships estimate of the NUV for purposes of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended (ERISA), which letter is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this report.

In order for qualified plans to report account values as required by ERISA, the Partnership provides an estimated NUV on an annual basis. As of December 31, 2016, the annual statement of NUV for Limited Partners subject to ERISA was estimated to approximate $340 per Unit. The estimated NUV was determined by the use of independent third-party appraised valuations conducted during 2016. The annual statement of estimated NUV as provided to Limited Partners subject to ERISA, and as provided to certain other plan investors, is only an estimate and may not reflect the actual NUV. It should be noted that ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA custodians may use estimated NUV valuations obtained from other sources, such as prices paid for Units in secondary markets, and that such estimated Unit valuations may be lower than those estimated by the General Partner. As with any valuation methodology, the independent third-party appraised valuation methodology is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated NUV. Accordingly, with respect to the estimated NUV, the Partnership can give no assurance that:

 an investor would be able to resell his or her Units at this estimated NUV;  an investor would ultimately realize distributions per Unit equal to the Partnerships estimated NUV per Unit upon the liquidation of all of the Partnerships assets and settlement of its liabilities;  the Units would trade at the estimated NUV in a secondary market; or  the methodology used to estimate the Partnerships NUV would be acceptable under ERISA for compliance with their respective reporting requirements.

The information furnished pursuant to this Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure, of Form 8-K and the information contained in Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed to be filed for the 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. Such information may only be incorporated by reference in another filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), if such subsequent filing specifically references this Current Report on Form 8-K. In addition, the furnishing of information in this Current Report on Form 8-K is not intended to, and does not, constitute a determination or admission by the Partnership that the information is material or complete.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K and the information contained in Exhibit 99.1 incorporated herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Such forward-looking statements include statements describing the objectives, projections, estimates or future predictions of the Partnerships operations. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as anticipates, believes, could, estimate, expect, will, or other variations on these terms. The Partnership cautions that by their nature forward-looking statements involve risk or uncertainty and that actual results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of such risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: changes in general economic conditions, changes in commercial real estate conditions and markets, inability of current tenants to meet financial obligations, inability to obtain new tenants upon the expiration of existing leases, and the potential need to fund tenant improvements or other capital expenditures out of operating cash flow.

All forward-looking statements contained in Exhibit 99.1 incorporated herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice. The reader should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, since the statements speak only as of the date that they are made and the Partnership has no obligation and does not undertake publicly to update, revise or correct any forward-looking statement for any reason.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

The following exhibits are included with this Report:

99.1 Letter to Limited Partners of DiVall Insured Income Properties 2, LP from the General Partner, as distributed on or about January 12, 2017.

2

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.

DiVall Insured Income Properties 2, LP

(Registrant) Date: January 12, 2017 By: /s/ Lynette L. DeRose Lynette L. DeRose Chief Financial Officer

3

December 31, 2016 Re: DiVall Insured Income Properties 2, L.P. (the Partnership) Dear Limited Partner: Each limited partner who has a qualified plan is subject to annual reporting requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). To assist you in filing this information for your investment in DiVall Insured Income Properties 2 Limited Partnership, we have estimated the Net Unit Value of each interest of the Partnership to approximate $340 at December 31, 2016. Because no formal market exists for the Partnerships interest, actual sales prices of interests may vary. In addition, there is no assurance that these values will be obtained upon the future sale of the Partnerships assets. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact Investor Relations at 800-547-7686.
UNITED STATES* SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 11)* MFS Government Markets Income Trust ------------------------------------------------ (Name of Issuer) Common ------------------------------ (Title of Class of Securities) 552939100 -------------- (CUSIP Number) December 31, 2016 ------------------------------------------------------- (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement) Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed: [ X ] Rule 13d-1(b) [ ] Rule 13d-1(c) [ ] Rule 13d-1(d) *The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page. The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes). - 1 - CUSIP No. 552939100 1. Names of Reporting Persons, I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only): First Trust Portfolios L.P.: 36-3768815 First Trust Advisors L.P.: 36-3788904 The Charger Corporation: 36-3772451 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a) [ ] (b) [ ] 3. SEC Use Only 4. Citizenship or Place of Organization of each Reporting Person: Illinois, U.S.A. Number of 5. Sole Voting Power: 0 Shares Bene- ficially Owned by Each 6. Shared Voting Power: Reporting Such shares are held by the following entities in the Person With: respective amounts listed: First Trust Portfolios L.P.: 0 First Trust Advisors L.P.: 0 The Charger Corporation: 0 7. Sole Dispositive Power: 0 8. Shared Dispositive Power: Such shares are held by the following entities in the respective amounts listed: First Trust Portfolios L.P.: 5,156,099 First Trust Advisors L.P.: 5,156,099 The Charger Corporation: 5,156,099 9. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person: 5,156,099 10. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) - 2 - 11. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9): 15.82% 12. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) First Trust Portfolios L.P. - BD First Trust Advisors L.P. - IA The Charger Corporation - HC ITEM 1. (a) Name of Issuer: MFS Government Markets Income Trust (b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices Attn: Legal Department 111 Huntington Avenue 24th Floor Boston, MA 02199 USA ITEM 2. (a) Name of Person Filing First Trust Portfolios L.P. First Trust Advisors L.P. The Charger Corporation (b) Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence First Trust Portfolios L.P. 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton, Illinois 60187 First Trust Advisors L.P. 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton, Illinois 60187 The Charger Corporation 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton, Illinois 60187 (c) Citizenship of each Reporting Person: Illinois, U.S.A. (d) Title of Class of Securities Common Stock (e) CUSIP Number 552939100 - 3 - ITEM 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to Sec. 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a: (a) x Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o); (b) Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c); (c) Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c); (d) Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8); (e) x An investment adviser in accordance with Sec. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E); (f) An employee benefit plant or endowment fund in accordance with Sec. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F); (g) x A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Sec. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G); (h) A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813); (i) A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3); (j) A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Sec. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J); (k) Group, in accordance with Sec. 240.13d-1(b)1(ii)(K). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Sec. 204.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: _____________________________________________ ITEM 4. Ownership Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in Item 1. (a) Amount beneficially owned: 5,156,099 (b) Percent of class: 15.82% (c) Number of shares as to which the person has: (i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 0 (ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 0 (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 0 (iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 5,156,099 - 4 - Instruction. For computations regarding securities which represent a right to acquire an underlying security see Sec. 204.13d-3(d)(1). ITEM 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following [ ]. Instruction: Dissolution of a group requires a response to this item. ITEM 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person This Schedule 13G filing is jointly filed by The Charger Corporation, First Trust Portfolios L.P. and First Trust Advisors L.P. pursuant to Rule 13d-1(k)(1). The Charger Corporation is the General Partner of both First Trust Portfolios L.P. and First Trust Advisors L.P. First Trust Portfolios L.P. acts as sponsor of certain unit investment trusts which hold shares of the issuer. The total number of shares of the issuer held by these unit investment trusts is set forth in Row (8) above with respect to First Trust Portfolios L.P. No individual unit investment trust sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. holds more than 3% of any registered investment company issuer's shares. First Trust Advisors L.P., an affiliate of First Trust Portfolios L.P., acts as portfolio supervisor of the unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P., certain of which hold shares of the issuer. Neither First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P. nor The Charger Corporation have the power to vote the shares of the issuer held by these unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. These shares are voted by the trustee of such unit investment trusts so as to insure that the shares are voted as closely as possible in the same manner and in the same general proportion as are the shares held by owners other than such unit investment trusts. The difference, if any, between the aggregate amount of shares beneficially owned by each reporting person, as set forth in Row (9) above, and the number of shares of the issuer held by the unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. represents shares of the issuer which are either held in other registered investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and/or separately managed accounts for which First Trust Advisors L.P. serves as investment advisor and/or investment sub-advisor. Each of First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P. and The Charger Corporation disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of the issuer identified in this filing. ITEM 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company or Control Person See Item 6. ITEM 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group Not Applicable. - 5 - ITEM 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group Not Applicable. ITEM 10. Certifications By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect other than activities solely in connection with a nomination under Sec. 240.14a-11. SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS L.P., FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P. and THE CHARGER CORPORATION Date: January 12, 2017 By: /s/ James M. Dykas --------------------------- Name: James M. Dykas Title: Chief Financial Officer of First Trust Portfolios L.P. and First Trust Advisors L.P., and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Charger Corporation - 6 -

Exhibit 99.1 EXHIBIT 99.1 - JOINT FILING AGREEMENT The undersigned hereby agree that they are filing this statement jointly pursuant to Rule 13d-1(k)(1). Each of them is responsible for the timely filing of such Schedule 13G and any amendments thereto, and for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning such person contained therein; but none of them is responsible for the completeness or accuracy of the information concerning the other persons making the filing, unless such person knows or has reason to believe that such information is inaccurate. In accordance with Rule 13d-1(k)(1) promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the undersigned hereby agree to the joint filing with each other on behalf of each of them of such a statement on Schedule 13G and any amendments thereto with respect to the equity securities (as defined in Rule 13d-1(i)) of the issuer, beneficially owned by each of them. This Joint Filing Agreement shall be included as an exhibit to such Schedule 13G and any amendments thereto. Date: January 12, 2017 First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P. and The Charger Corporation By: /s/ James M. Dykas --------------------------- Name: James M. Dykas Title: Chief Financial Officer of First Trust Portfolios L.P. and First Trust Advisors L.P., and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Charger Corporation
A giant wooden spool has been causing quite a commotion on the Eduljee Dinshaw Road in Kharadar. Visitors from all over the city drop by to stare at the spool  or wooden reel, which was put on display last week and has around 70 animals, fauna and flora from across the country on it.

The spool, an art piece by Italian wildlife artist Maurizio Boscheri, is a present from the Italian government to the citizens of Karachi to celebrate the rich biodiversity of Pakistan and a part of the Karachi Biennale Trust.

The idea behind this was to put 70 animals, flowers, plants, insects  basically nature, to represent 70 years of Pakistan, said Mr Boscheris translator Mario Liberali. This is our present to the Pakistani people.

Read more: Italy comes to Pakistan, creates a markhor mural at Jinnah Airport

On their third visit to the country, Mr Liberali and the artist said that they were enamoured by the city. The city has been good to us and the people very kind, said the artist, adding that he had been to the country twice before  once for an exhibition at the Mohatta Palace Museum.

Mr Boscheri, who works mostly with mixed mediums, oil paints, Swarovski crystals, laces, cloth and stone, said that he wanted to create an awareness about animals and nature in the country.

When he was young, he was in love with nature, had a lot of pets and would often look after injured animals, said Mr Liberali.

It wasnt till after a trip to Australia, Madagascar and India at the age of 40 that he decided to start painting, he said. He was so inspired he started right away. His first exhibition was titled Nature and Dreams.

Explaining how Mr Boscheri got involved in the project, Mr Liberali said that during their last trip to Pakistan, the World Wildlife Fund got in touch with him.

Since he feels very strongly about nature it was something he wanted to pursue and here we are, he added.

Discussing their itinerary, his translator said that they had held talks at Karachi University, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and many other places.

Maurizio [Boscheri] doesnt care if people buy his work, he loves it if people say they like his stuff or if it makes them feel closer to nature, said Mr Liberali.

His style has evolved so much over the years, he said, adding that the artist likes to make his work look very dreamlike.

Sometimes while looking at his works people feel like the animals are talking to them  he wants them to feel a connection with nature, he added.

According to Italian Consul General Gianluca Rubagotti, he was approached by the Trust and WWF to nominate and invite an artist who would like to paint and be a part of this project.

I immediately thought of Maurizio because he has already been to Pakistan twice before  this is his third visit in 12 months. He didnt know anything about Pakistan and he fell in love with the country, people and culture after his first visit, said Mr Rubagotti.

He had a very successful exhibition at the Mohatta palace last August  he was the first foreign artist to have a solo exhibition there, he added.

Maurizio is a wildlife artist, said the consul general, he embraces nature and this call for preservation and conservation of nature.

The idea behind this spool, he explained is that in 2017 Pakistan will turn 70 years old so this is a gift from the Italian people to the people of Karachi and Pakistan, a gift which should remind everybody of one treasure  one of the many treasures that Paksitan has to offer-- the rich biodiversity of the country.

So to represent 70 years we decided to put 70 different species of birds, insects, flowers, plants, animals  each one of which can be found in Pakistan and has been validated by the WWF, he said.

All these animals can co-exist together on this small space and its a message to the Pakistani people to be more careful and take care of these animals and this natural treasure, he added.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday welcomed a proposal to start a ferry service between Karachi, Gwadar and Oman's capital Muscat.

This initiative will start a new chapter of friendship between both countries, the premier said in a meeting with Dr Yahya Mahfoodh Salim Al-Manthri, President of State Council of Oman at the PM House in Islamabad.

The prime minister said the ferry service would provide an affordable alternative source of movement for a large number of people who travel on these routes regularly.

He said Pakistan and Oman are natural allies due to geographical proximity and the leadership and people of Pakistan hold the people of Oman in high esteem.

Sharif said Pakistan was grateful to Oman for its support in connection with Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement.

On people-to-people contacts, the prime minister expressed satisfaction that Oman was hosting a sizeable Pakistani diaspora working in various sectors.

Pakistan can further provide both unskilled and highly professional manpower in various fields including medicine, engineering, information technology, accountancy, education and technical workers, he added.

He said both countries could benefit immensely through mutual exchange of experts in the field of education, and science and technology.

He invited investment by Oman in energy related projects, infrastructure development and consumer based industry.

The Omani delegation comprised Sheikh Hamed Mohammed Abdallah Bahwan Al Mukhaini, member of the Education and Research Committee, Mohamed Ahmed Ali Al Rawas, member of the Culture Media and Tourism Committee; Dr Ahmed Sulaiman Saleh Al-Maimani, member of the Economic Committee, Wafa Salim Ali Al Harrasi, Deputy Chairman of the Social Committee, and Dr Aisha Ahmed Yousuf Al Washahi, Member of the Social Committee.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, Senator Taj Haider and other senior officials were also present.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) authorities recently conducted the first ever archaeological survey in the tribal belt after the restoration of peace, uncovering 110 heritage sites including 30,000-year-old rock art.

Troops who launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan in June 2014 helped make the survey possible by driving militants out of the tribal belt. The Khyber Agency political administration, assisted by the Pakistani army and the KP Directorate of Archaeology, initiated the two-month-long pilot project.

Archaeologists documented sites dating back to the pre-historic, Buddhist, Islamic and British eras, officials announced in early December.

The various military and security operations since 2014, including Zarb-e-Azb, created a peaceful environment for archaeologists conducting the survey, authorities say.

Archaeological breakthrough

British archaeologists during the colonial era laid the groundwork to excavate the area, but local resistance and harsh terrain thwarted their efforts, Director of Archaeology and Museums in KP Abdus Samad said.

"We made a breakthrough in the area," he told Pakistan Forward. "The reason behind this success story is favourable conditions stemming from the improved law-and-order situation."

The military defeat of militants in the tribal area "paved the way for launching the survey, which can be termed the first of its kind", he said.

"Our whole tribal belt, especially Khyber Agency, is rich in archaeological sites of various eras, which if properly explored would reveal much to the world," he said.

"Excavations have been planned in other areas of the tribal area, and we have received a letter indicating foreign interest in mapping the land," he said.

In addition, the KP Directorate of Archaeology recently suggested to the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) Secretariat that it establish an archaeology department to conduct future excavations and set up museums in tribal areas to attract tourism, he said.

Preserving heritage, history

"Jamrud Tehsil was selected as the site of the first survey with the technical expertise of the KP Directorate of Archaeology, but the success in the initial phase has boosted our spirits to start efforts in Bara, Landi Kotal and later in the remote Tirah Valley," said Khyber Agency Political Agent Khalid Mehmood.

The archaeologists found the remains of various historic structures in Khyber Agency, which hint of the rich heritage and historic treasures hidden underneath the mountains of the tribal area, he said.

"The much better law-and-order situation and extended assistance of the Pakistani army helped us to take the initiative and launch the survey in Khyber Agency," he told Pakistan Forward, adding that he is optimistic that archaeologists will find more as peace prevails.

"We want to acquaint the world with the rich cultural heritage of the area," he said.

"We are making efforts to preserve the historic sites in Khyber Agency as tribal areas are beyond the domain of the KP Antiquities Act of 2016, and some of the areas where sites were discovered belong to tribesmen," Mehmood said, adding that the authorities are encouraging landowners to preserve these areas.

Efforts are also under way to restore a 17km-long train track passing through a maze of 34 tunnels, he said, adding that resurrecting the train will revive the tourism industry and will bring lasting benefits to the tribes' socio-economic circumstances.

Unearthing relics of pre-history

"We are fortunate that archaeologists made discoveries on the first attempt without any digging or excavation," said Noman Anwar, assistant research officer at the KP Directorate of Archaeology and supervisor of the team that made the discovery. The team included five members of the directorate and ten employees of the Khyber political administration.

"Everything achieved would have been an insurmountable task without the congenial environment provided to the team by the army and assistance from the political administration," he told Pakistan Forward.

The sites discovered in Jamrud include carvings inside the Lowara Mena Cave, which date back 30,000 years, he said. The archaeologists calculated the site's age by comparing its items and stone carvings depicting hunting scenes and images of ibex and jackals with those found recently in the Sanghu cave in Mardan, which archaeologists began excavating almost 11 years ago, according to Anwar.

Archaeologists carrying out the survey made above-ground discoveries in Khyber Agency but have yet to conduct excavations because of security concerns, Anwar said. "But the situation is improving with each passing day, and we are hopeful that more archaeological expeditions will be sent to the tribal areas, which are richly endowed with sites of significant historical importance."

"We are also planning to open more sites in Landi Kotal, Bara and the remote Tirah Valley, where conditions are becoming satisfactory after the security forces' cleansing operation," he said. "However, our efforts will be [better] co-ordinated and result-oriented if the FATA Secretariat establishes a proper archaeology department."
Portland woke up to about 9 inches (23 cm) of snow yesterday, with snow continuing to fall, and I had a chance to watch a bit of the transport situation.

Unfortunately, that morning I was booked to fly out to a client visit in Southern Oregon, so I had to do the ritual of going to the airport so that I would be there in the unlikely event our flight wasnt canceled at the last minute. When I checked my options at 8 am, with snow still coming down hard, Lyft was nonexistent, Uber had a 20+ minute wait with 2.5x normal pricing, but a bus was coming soon. I had a small adventure carrying a heavy suitcase through snowdrifts, but once on the bus everything was fine. The driver even had to stop for a minute because he was running early. Drop-down chains are great!

I connected to light rail, and because of snow operations I had to connect again within the light rail system, but it all worked fine. Each station I visited had a friendly transit employee with a snow-shovel. I got to the airport in about 1.2 times the usual travel time, faster than would have been possible by any other mode of transport. By then, many freeways were partly blocked by abandoned cars, including some especially dimwitted truck drivers who thought they could get over our highest bridge without chains.

It was funny to hear some people grumbling, as though the snow were the transit agencys fault or their staff werent obviously doing their best. Remember, everyone whos at work at 7 am in a snowstorm somehow got out of their houses at 4-5 AM. Levels of heroism should not be underestimated. Our agency, TriMet, did an amazing job. So, as you must do when you see staff working heroically, I sent a tweet:

Epic snowstorm in Portland. No @lyft. Very few @uber at 2.5x price. Driving very treacherous. Most transit is running fine!. Go, @trimet ! pic.twitter.com/It2OtasQwM  Jarrett Walker (@humantransit) January 11, 2017

Of course, it was not so easy for everyone. The transit agency had pre-designed snow routes for buses that avoided most steep hills. (If you live on a hill, this is a feature of your location choice!) Trees were an issue; some trees bowing under the snow touched the catenary of the light rail and streetcar downtown, shutting them down for a while. Only so many arborists, @pdxstreetcar tweeted sensibly. (Another city might cut down trees that presented this risk, but you just dont do that in Portland.)

So we got what you expect. We had made some local value judgments (not cutting down trees) that reflected our values but caused some trouble yesterday. Most people accepted that consequence of their values. And the transit agency staff really were amazing. In situations like this, I make a point of thanking every transit or city employee that I meet. On a snowy morning, a good greeting is: Hey, I realize you got out here at 5 AM, and I really appreciate it. Adjust to taste, but dont say nothing. And as studies of gratitude have shown, this will actually help you feel better about your own inconveniences.

Finally, do not use the words apocalypse and armaggedon. Your parents and grandparents got through snowstorms without needing those words, so they mark you as a hysterical kid. Those words should be reserved for nuclear war, the Rapture, climate-induced civilizational collapse, and snow for those thin-skinned drama-queens in Seattle.
Coach had large impact in small amount of time A s you meander your way through life, there are certain people you meet that come into it for just...

Michigan Achievement Scholarship will make attending college more affordable for students LANSING  Recent high school graduates will now be eligible for a new scholarship to make attending college more affordable,...

Politicians should not legislate medical care Dear Editor, After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, several states have banned or strictly limited reproductive rights. This has...

Please read full proposals before voting Dear Editor, Although I tend to agree that every woman should be able to decide for herself about abortion, I...
Pumicelands Rural Fire Authority is suspending all open air fire permits in the Western Bay of Plenty, brought about by nearly two weeks of hot, dry weather.

Current conditions have made it too dangerous to light open air fires and the suspension will take immediate effect, says Principal Rural Fire Officer Alan Pearce.

A large scrub fire on Wednesday threatened several houses and farm buildings in Aongatete before it was brought under control, he says.

Scrub, grasses and ground litter are now dangerously dry and will ignite easily. The intensity of these fires makes them very difficult to control in the hot and windy conditions were experiencing.

The authority is now actively considering imposing a total fire ban, as part of its safety strategy, if conditions do not improve in the next seven to ten days.

We need a good quantity of rain to alleviate the fire danger.

Applications for open air fire permits are suspended in the Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City rural areas are suspended from today.

However, Tauranga City Council says urban areas of the city remain unaffected by the suspension.

Alan is asking current permit holders to refrain from open air burning when possible.

He also reminds people any fire is the responsibility of the person causing it, and they can be liable for the often very costly efforts to suppress an uncontrolled wild fire.

Alan is happy to discuss matters relating to open air fires and can be contacted on 07 571 8008.

Niwas forecast over the next three months is for an even chance of average or above average temperatures. The chances are about equal for rainfall being normal or below normal. Soil moisture which is a drought indicator has an even chance of being below normal.

Rain is forecast for the Bay of Plenty on Friday and Sunday.

To keep updated on fire permit conditions and for more information visit the Western Bay of Plenty District Council website.
DairyNZ is appealing the Advertising Standards Authoritys decision to reject its objections to the controversial Greenpeace television advertisement which blames dairying for polluting waterways.

Were appealing the decision as we believe the information provided by Greenpeace in its response to the original complaint made by DairyNZ, and the other complainants, is also misleading, says chief executive Tim Mackle.

DairyNZ lodged a complaint with the ASA late last year about a Greenpeace television advert.

The advert featured images and statements about rivers, industrial dairy farming, and irrigation, effectively blaming dairying as the sole polluter of waterways. Eleven other complaints about the advert were also received by the ASA.

The ASA initially rejected our complaint, but they have given DairyNZ and the other 11 complainants until January 23 to lodge an appeal on the ruling.

Unfortunately, Greenpeace have commented on the ASAs ruling publicly, before the ASA complaints process is complete, resulting in the media coverage over the last couple of days. We are working with the ASA to complete the process towards a final decision, says Tim.

Greenpeaces sustainable agriculture campaigner Genevieve Toop says in its ruling, the ASA accepted Greenpeaces position that the impact of industrial dairy farming on water quality is widely documented.

Its simple. The more dairy cows there are, the more polluted our rivers and streams become. This is the message that the dairy industry has tried, and failed, to stop the public from hearing, says Genevieve.

Attempts by the dairying lobby to get the video banned actually had the opposite effect. It became known as the ad they didnt want you to see, she says.

Following Dairy NZs complaint, more than a quarter of a million New Zealanders went online and viewed it on Greenpeaces Facebook page.

The complaint laid by Dairy NZ claimed statements and images in the ad were false and misleading.

However, says Genevieve, the ASAs complaints board agreed that the statements made in the advertisement would not come as a surprise to most New Zealanders.

We would encourage Dairy NZ to concentrate its resources into addressing the very real problems of river degradation, rather than trying to pretend the problem doesnt exist, says Genevieve.

Cows near water: Picture: Supplied.

Greenpeace provided the ASA with a 13 page file of scientific evidence pointing to nitrate and pathogen pollution of waterways as a result of industrial dairying.

Genevieve says the governments own figures show 62 per cent of New Zealands monitored rivers are already unsafe for swimming.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has repeatedly drawn a clear link between industrial dairying and water pollution.

However, Tim believes the advert does not reflect any of the information DairyNZ shared with Greenpeace when it met with them in November about the extensive work being carried out on dairy farms to protect the environment.

While there is still work to do, dairy farmers have made tremendous progress with fencing off waterways, riparian planting, wetland restoration and the installation of effluent management systems, he says.

Over the past five years farmers have spent more than $1 billion carrying out this work  and done it voluntarily. The countryside is where dairy farmers live and work, and they are great stewards of their environment.

While we have seen successes in water measurements already, including in the Waikato and the Manawatu, this is a long-term effort and dairy farmers are fully committed.
Anyone who has day dreamed about owning a second home in France or, even of spending any length of time across the channel, may want to free up their diary later this month.

The France Show returns to Londons Olympia from 27  29 January, bringing the very best of France to the UK capital, from tasting fine French wines and food to getting holiday inspiration to finding your dream property. Indeed, it will host the largest French property exhibition anywhere in the UK.

The event will also feature talks from well-known chefs who specialise in French cuisine, cookery workshops, wine tasting, and guest speakers including property experts on purchasing a home abroad and the effects of Brexit.

Visitors will have the chance to sample delicious French gastronomy, shop in a French market, watch cookery demonstrations, enjoy tutored wine tastings, learn about the language and culture, discover holiday ideas, and even play a classic game of petanque, a form of boules.

The France Show director, Debbie Macleod, said: Were really looking forward to another year of The France Show. With Brexit on the horizon, what better time for the UK to celebrate all things French? The event offers a unique chance to engage with those who truly love France and meet experts in their fields.

Highlights for 2017 include actress and writer Carol Drinkwater sharing her love of France, recipe inspiration from top chefs and wine-tasting with Bordeaux wines.
Wrecks of the Gulf, Mexico

Over 20 ancient wrecks, exotic wildlife, rivers under the sea in Yucatan and primeval forests off the coast of Alabama, there is nothing quite as mysterious or adventurous as the Gulf of Mexico. One dive site in particular is the Cenote Angelita, where hydrogen sulphide creates a flowing river on the seabed creating a natural wonder ready for divers to explore.

If natures mysteries arent enough, the 200 year old dive site of an ancient wooden ship is just one of the incredible wrecks to be found off Mexico. Cancun even has its own underwater museum, offering something for everyone at every feasible depth.

Chuuk Lagoon, South Pacific

Filled with WWII planes, boats and wrecks, the haunting dive site of Chuuk Lagoon off the coast of north-east New Guinea is a crystal clear vision into the past. Explored by Jacques Cousteau himself, the mysterious underwater landscape is a mecca for wreck-divers and adventurers cruising the waters of the Pacific.

The Ruins of the Aegean, Greece

This ancient settlement - dubbed the underwater Pompeii - was discovered off the island of Delos near Mykonos, Greece. Discovering terracotta pots, kilns and breakwaters, scientists believe this dive-spot to be the ruin of the ancient city of Kane which succumbed to the sea over 4500 years ago. Otherwise known as the site where the main battle between Athens and Sparta took place.

The Bimini Wall, Bahamas

Divers have always looked to the Caribbean, especially the Bahamas, as a source of adventure due its crystalline waters and natural serenity. However, not many people know of the mysteries under the waters of North Bimini. The Bimini Road, or Bimini Wall, was considered a road to the lost city of Atlantis. The large arrangement of sandstone blocks runs half a mile and remain a mystery to the world.

The Yonaguni Monument, Japan

Located six metres below the water surrounding the island of Okinawa, the unknown structure known as the Yonaguni Monument (or Atlantis of Japan) is the source of great debate. Believed to have succumbed to the water thousands of the years ago, this temple-like structure is either an incredible work of ancient Japanese craftsmen or an anomaly of science. Either way, this is something to be seen.

The Great Blue Hole, Belize

This one may take some confidence to approach. The Great Blue Hole, located off the coast of Belize, lies near the centre of Lighthouse Reef 70km from Belize City. Almost perfectly circular, this mysterious 300m wide submarine sinkhole formed 15,000 years ago. The Great Blue Hole is Jacques Cousteaus finest discovery, the last known measurement of depth in this natural wonder was 125-metres but even the crystal clear waters wont help to see the bottom.

Photos: Seann McAuliffe / The TerraMar Project / Paul Yudev / Ameila Tennakoon
Able to navigate the extreme ice conditions of the Arctic, King Shark brings the yachting lifestyle to the furthest reaches of the world. The freedom of moving from Caribbean to the sub-zero conditions of Antarctica encapsulates the freedom of yachting, and the DNA of King Shark.

When asked about the project, Rossinavi COO Federico Rossi commented: after the Vector project with a length of 63-metres, we are very satisfied to be chosen again for this mega yacht construction and especially in this ice classification.

King Shark is a truly befitting name for a vessel of such sleek, harmonious design and aggressive capability. This master of the water is not only a spacious yacht with a beam of 12.70m and 1560GT, but extremely comfortable at ranges of over 6,000nm.

A deceptive explorer, the Enrico Gobbi style and design which runs throughout is more elegant than the rugged profiles of the explorer market; however, King Shark is equally at home in the most adverse and exotic environments.

King Shark is the next stage of evolution from Rossinavi's 49-metre Prince Shark superyacht range, and is now due for construction in Viareggio, Italy to Rina and Lloyds registration.

After selling the exciting project to a new owner, Rossinavi are continuing their legacy and furthering their evolution with one of the finest explorer projects under construction to date. We look forward to bringing you more information on the project as and when it emerges.

Rossinavi also gave us an exclusive video insight with the owner of the brand-new 63-metre superyacht project Utopia IV at the tail end of 2016, which you can watch here.
Traffic produces nearly 50 per cent of emissions, although figures show that the maximum levels were only exceeded occasionally in 2015

An air quality control station near the entrance arch to Marbella. :: Josele-Lanza

There may be a continual increase in urban traffic, but Malaga province still has the lowest level of environmental pollution in Andalucia and one of the lowest in Spain, according to statistics for 2015 which have been issued recently by the Junta de Andalucias Environmental Ministry.

The ministry uses a network of measuring devices throughout the region to obtain information about pollution levels in real time. The figures show that only one specific contaminant, ozone, exceeded permitted levels in 2015, on three days during July and August.

In the case of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM10 particles (less than 10 micrometres), the report warns that in Malaga legal levels have not been exceeded but a potential problem does exist.

With regard to the PM10s, it should be taken into account that corrective factors are applied because of natural phenomena such as the calima, the name given to suspended dust from Africa. If this were not the case, the registered levels would be much higher.

The other provinces in Andalucia - not to mention cities such as Madrid, where there are increasingly frequent warnings about pollution - suffer more environmental problems than Malaga.

The worst case is Huelva, because of its chemical industry, but Cordoba, Granada and rural areas such as Villanueva del Arzobispo, in Jaen, also stand out. In fact, according to environmental experts, within Spain as a whole, the Costa del Sol is one of the places with the lowest levels of air contamination, behind only Galicia and the Levante region.

Traffic is the worst problem

The Junta directly manages six measuring stations in the province: Juan XXIII, El Atabal, Carranque and Campanillas in the city, plus Marbella and Campillos. In addition, there are two belonging to Gas Natural, one for its thermal power station on the Andalusian Technology Park and the other at the cement plant at La Arana.

Although the situation is not bad, the experts warn that traffic causes almost 50 per cent of emissions in the province. Cars produce problems of all types for the environment: carbon monoxide, particles, nitrogen oxide etc. Urban pollution is the only type to affect Malaga province because of the lack of industry, apart from the combined cycle thermal power plant (which emits mainly water vapour) and the cement plant at La Arana, where emissions are primarily particles.

Heat consumption is also very low in this region. On top of this, the majority of the population lives on the coast, subject to continual easterly and westerly winds and these, together with the sea, act as drains for the gases.

Particles are considered the biggest problem of atmospheric contamination in this area, and these are mainly caused by the African calima. The highest permitted level is 50 micrometres per cubic metre, but in this area it reaches 55 on some days. However, the official measurements show that it is caused by the dust from the Sahara. Normally, the measurement in the province is 48 micrometres, and the maximum levels are only exceeded on occasion.

Principal contaminants

The second form of pollution is ozone, which has two characteristics, one positive and one negative. On one hand, it filters ultraviolet rays, which is good, but on the other hand a higher concentration than normal distorts the formation of cells in the organism, such as photosynthesis in plants. Its production is directly related to exhaust fumes from vehicles. In Malaga the maximum permitted level is only exceeded occasionally, on no more than three days a year. The legal limit is measured every eight hours, on average. However, its presence is often close to the maximum and for that reason it needs to be closely monitored. In Seville, warnings about excessive levels were given on four occasions in 2015. Experts at the regional government say that the only way of controlling this pollution is by restricting use of private vehicles, especially in the most congested areas of cities.

The worst levels occur in summer and when the terral wind is blowing, for several reasons. There is more atmospheric stability, no rainfall and the Saharan intrusions also occur at this time of year; in addition, the weather is hot and that also has a negative effect.

The Andalusian Strategy for Air Quality says the province needs to reduce private traffic in large cities as a way of controlling the emissions of particles and nitrogen oxide. In addition, it apportions some of the blame to transportation and extraction such as the quarrying of aggregates.

The conclusion from environmental experts is that the air in Malaga is good quality in general, but that nobody should drop their guard.
A senior officer from the National Union of Students has been implicated in a plot to oust the president Malia Bouattia, along with the Israeli embassy, claims the Middle East Eye.

NUS Vice-President Richard Brooks, who was secretly filmed by an undercover Al-Jazeera reporter, asserts that he was a key individual in attempts to remove Bouattia, the article alleges. The video is not available publicly.

The journalist, known only as Robin, apparently told Brooks that he was a political activist with links to the Israeli diplomat Shai Masot.

Robin is said to respond: So how can we get in touch with the people who are trying to oppose her?

Brooks is then said to have replied: drop me a line whenever you want to have a conversation if he wants to talk to others opposed to Bouattia. If you want to speak with someone in a certain geographical area, Ill point you at the right people.

The video also supposedly records Brooks telling Robin that he visited Israel on a trip funded by the Union of Jewish Students.

Since the article was published in the Middle Eastern Eye, NUS Women's Officer Hareem Ghani tweeted: "Just going to say it as it is, I've never been so disappointed work for this organisation [sic]. Solidarity to @MaliaBouattia." Ms Ghani also alleges that the NUS President has been in hospital five times his year, and has dealt with "endless amounts of racism, xenophobia and sexism".

Cambridge NUS delegate Joshua Jackson took a different approach, tweeting: We have actual NUS officials working with the Israeli embassy to oust and organise against the NUS President  gross.

The Campaigns Director of the Jewish Union of Students, Josh Nagli, issued a statement on Facebook in which he said there is "no plot and nothing secret about us supporting our students", adding that the "insidious suggestion that Jewish students  or Jews in Britain more broadly  slavishly support specific government policies or actions, conspire with or take direction from Israeli officials, is grossly offensive."

Nagli also emphasised that their "taking student leaders to Israel and Palestine is not secret", blaming the fact that some participants choose not to share their experiences on the "toxic nature of student politics" surrounding those trying to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict.

He did, however, retiterate the UJS President's calls on Ms Bouattia to apologise for her previous anti-Semitic remarks, the failure of which would "suggest a need to step down".

Bouattia, the first black female president of the NUS, has been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism by Jewish students, with a cross-party report published by the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee in October condemning her description of Birmingham University as a Zionist outpost as outright racism.

The video was apparently filmed as an investigation into how much influence the Israeli embassy exerts on British politics.

It comes in the wake of Masots disgrace earlier this week, when another video filmed by 'Robin' caught him plotting to take down MPs regarded as hostile, including Sir Alan Duncan, a Conservative MP and outspoken supporter of a Palestinian state.

An Israeli spokesperson described these remarks as completely unacceptable, and the embassy said that Masot will be ending his term of employment with the embassy shortly.

The sting operation also claim that, in the run-up to the 2016 NUS presidential elections, Brooks received funding from the Israeli government.

In response to the claims, an NUS spokesperson said: "NUS takes these allegations seriously. We are looking into them and, when we have all the information available, the behaviour of NUS officers will be reviewed and appropriate action taken."

TCS has contacted Richard Brooks and the Israeli Embassy for comment.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. This article was last updated 11/01/2017 at 12:58
Christopher Steele, a former MI6 intelligence officer who graduated from Girton in 1986, is alleged to be behind the Donald Trump Russia dossier. Steele was also President of the Cambridge Union Society.

The existence and alleged authorship of the dossier was first reported by CNN on 11 January, fatally compromising Steeles anonymity according to The Telegraph, as his nationality is referred to.

The 35-page file contained claims that the Kremlin was involved in Trumps presidential campaign, and that Trump was made vulnerable to blackmail whilst in Russia. The Russian security services are alleged to be in possession of videos proving that Trump paid sex workers to defile a bed slept in by the Obamas in a Moscow hotel.

The entire series of reports, which are unsubstantiated and in some places erroneous, have since been published by BuzzFeed.

It is understood that Steele left his home just hours before he was publicly named and is now in hiding. A source close to Steele said on Wednesday night that he fears a potentially dangerous reaction from Moscow. Steele is said to have once worked with the former spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was killed by radioactive poisoning in November 2006 in suspicious circumstances.

Apparently Steele had been hired by a Washington firm to research Trumps connections to Russia, funded by anti-Trump Republicans and then Democrats. The information was also shared with the FBI.

Christopher Burrows, who is co-director of Orbis with Steele, has refused to confirm or deny whether the firm had produced reports on Trump. Trump, meanwhile, has denounced the dossier as fake and phony, blaming intelligence agencies for alleged leaks. Some also claim that the story is an elaborate '4Chan' hoax.

Vladimir Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reports were a "complete fabrication and utter nonsense" and the Russian government "does not engage in collecting compromising material".
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
SPRINGFIELD - Activists - encouraged by signals that the incoming presidential administration and Republican majority in Congress will tilt federal policy back towards protecting human life - will once again brave the cold in Chicago and Springfield to show their support later this month.

The annual March for Life Chicago will start at 2:00 PM Sunday, January 15th at Chicago's Federal Plaza. After a rally, the attendees will march on a planned one-mile route, returning to the Plaza.

Another March for Life will be held in Springfield Friday the 20th, starting at St Katharine Drexel Parish House on 12th Avenue at 1:30 PM.

Starting at 2 PM on January 22, a Recommitment to Life rally will be held at the State Capitol.

The marches are held annually near the anniversary Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States in 1973.
Many decades ago, electrical products such as TVs and audio systems often contained large amounts of wood in their construction. Metal and plastic builds eventually became more popular, but Computer Direct Outlet has taken inspiration from that retro wood style with the Volta V, a PC that comes in a handcrafted wooden case.

Modders have been putting PCs into all sorts of weird and wonderful cases over the years, but the Volta V is the first of its kind to be commercially available. And don't be fooled into thinking the stylish chassis means Computer Direct has ignored the hardware; this PC can be customized with high-end components like the Titan X Pascal and Nvidia's Quadro P6000, as well as a Skylake, Broadwell E, or Xeon CPU.

Each case comes in either Bamboo or, for $41 more, walnut. The material is sustainable and eco-friendly, designed to last a very long time. Moreover, Computer Direct Outlet says a percentage of the profits from each Volta V will go to Upstate Forever, a nonprofit that "Promotes Clean Air & Water, Sustainable Communities, and Land Trust" in South Carolina.

As with other similarly small PC cases, the Volta looks as if heat could be an issue. But the company says it has been designed with airflow in mind. It comes with an Asetek 545LC compact liquid CPU cooler, uses only blower style GPUs, and pulls cool air from below the case, which is then pushed out of the sides. There are also two large, easily removable magnetic dust filters for easy cleaning, and even a hideaway underneath for storing your keyboard when not in use.

Computer Direct Outlet considers the Volta V to be a piece of classic furniture as much as it is a PC. And the fact it's made from domestically-sourced, selectively cut trees is reflected in the price. You can reserve one now for $399, with shipping set for this March.
There are some horrific videos and images floating around the internet, and those whose job it is to seek out and report this content need psychological support to help them cope. But two former Microsoft employees from its Online Safety Team are suing the company over claims that exposure to extreme material caused them to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Henry Soto and Greg Blauert were asked to screen Microsoft users' communications for child pornography and illegal images, using the team's "God-like status" to "literally view any customer's communications at any time."

The lawsuit, filed in the superior court of the state of Washington last month, claims the company acted in a neglectful manner by refusing to pay for therapy or provide a trained therapist to the employees, who suffered psychological problems following years of having to watch the internet's "most twisted videos."

According to the suit, the work involved viewing "horrible brutality, murder, indescribable sexual assaults, videos of humans dying and, in general, videos and photographs designed to entertain the most twisted and sick-minded people in the world."

While Microsoft provides mental health support and protections to staff within its similar Digital Crimes Unit, which also reports illegal material to the police, it's alleged that no such help was available to the Online Safety team. The Daily Beast reports that the only support offered was in the form of a "wellness program," in which a undertrained counselor diagnosed them with "compassion fatigue." Moreover, employees were only offered half-days if they broke down from emotional strain while at work.

Soto didn't even ask to join the team. He was "involuntary transferred" in 2008 without any knowledge of what was in store. Microsoft merely informed him that it involved reviewing "terms of use violations." Both men asked for improvements to the mental health program, but their suggestions went ignored, according to the suit.

Soto and Blauert were eventually diagnosed with PTSD and doctors recommended medical leave. Both applied for worker's compensation but were allegedly denied coverage.

Microsoft isn't the only firm to be accused of not supporting employees whose job it is to identify extreme content. Facebook has also been criticized for not providing enough training and help to those in the similar jobs, which often pay just above the minimum wage. And while more companies are using algorithms to identify images of child abuse that pass through their systems, a human element remain part of the process.
Amazon may have invested more than $5 billion in India over the last two years, but the company has felt the wrath of one government official following the discovery of doormats depicting the Indian flag on Amazon Canada.

India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, sent out a tweet yesterday asking the Indian High Commission in Canada to take up the issue with Amazon at the highest level. A later post stated that the retail giant "must tender unconditional apology" and immediately withdraw all products "insulting our national flag" from its Canadian site.

Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. https://t.co/L4yI3gLk3h --- Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

Swaraj threatened to refuse an Indian visa to any Amazon official and rescind visas that had previously been issued if the company didn't take action.

Doormats showing flags from other countries, including the US and the UK, were also available from third-party sellers Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL. Indian law prohibits any desecration of its flag - anyone who does so faces fines and imprisonment.

Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. /1 --- Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

The Indian mats were removed yesterday. "The item is no longer for sale on the site," said an Amazon spokesperson.

It's not too surprising to see Amazon get rid of the offending item so quickly. It continues to battle against local companies Flipkart and Snapdeal in the world's fastest growing internet services market. And last year, CEO Jeff Bezos said Amazon is growing faster in India than in any other region.

Swaraj has 7 million followers on Twitter and has previously used the platform to organize an operation to rescue Indians detained in Iraq.
Should you ever feel the urge to flash a peace sign when having your photo took, it's probably best that you ignore it. Striking the pose isn't always a good look, and you also risk having your biometric data stolen.

That's the opinion of researchers at Japan's National Institute of Informatics (NII), who warn that the increase in high-quality cameras, smartphones, and social media sites mean someone could scan fingerprints from an image and use them for nefarious purposes, such as accessing devices, entering secure areas, or stealing identities. Until modern camera technology arrived, this method was only possible using close-up photographs of a person's prints.

The team at NII said fingerprints could be read even if when someone was up to 10 feet away from the camera, as long as the index finger and middle finger are clearly visible. "Fingerprint data can be recreated if fingerprints are in focus with strong lighting in a picture," researcher Isao Echizen told the Sankei Shimbun newspaper and broadcaster Yomiuri TV (translated by International Business Times).

Echizen added that advanced technology was not necessary and anyone could easily copy fingerprints.

The NII researchers have developed a solution for selfie takers who love showing off peace signs: a transparent film containing titanium oxide printed with a specific pattern. These can be placed over the end of a finger, band aid-style, showing only fake fingerprints that will fool criminals. They also come with an authentication device so you don't have to keep peeling them off when you want to use your real fingerprint.

Stealing fingerprint data in this way isn't new. Back in 2014, Chaos Computer Club member and biometrics researcher Jan Krisller claimed he reproduced the fingerprint of German Federal Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen by photographing her fingers from different angles.
A recent report suggested that Samsung may unveil the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus a month or two ahead of its release date. A new report claims the company has confirmed the pair will be released in "mid-April, possibly in the third week."

With the speculation about when Samsung is planning to launch its next-generation flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 edge/Plus has been making headlines over the last couple of months and appears to be intensifying.

Conflicting Reports Of When Samsung Will Launch Galaxy S8 Series

It has been reported that Samsung has been planning to hold an event in March or early April to officially unveil the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus to the world at an event in New York City. We just reported that a source claims Samsung may surprise everyone and show off the smartphones a month or two ahead of its release, which means the company could continue to follow tradition and debut the smartphones at Mobile World Congress 2017, kicking off on Feb. 27. Samsung has used this trade show to launch both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 series.

The Investor, the same publication that just revealed that Samsung will showcase the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus earlier than expected, is back with new details about when Samsung is planning to release the new smartphones to consumers.

"Samsung Electronics has confirmed that the release schedule has been set in mid-April, possibly in the third week," an industry source told The Investor on the condition of anonymity.

If the report is true, this would place the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus release date sometime between Monday, April 17 and Sunday, April 23.

Samsung May Release Galaxy S8 And S8 Edge/Plus On Friday, April 21

An official release date of April 18 has been floated, but a spokesperson from Samsung told the publication it could not confirm the details of the Galaxy S8 launch. If we look back at the dates of when the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, Galaxy S7, and S7 edge were released, it might provide a better idea of the actual date and not just the week.

Samsung released the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge on Friday, April 10, 2015. The following year, the company chose to release the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on Friday, March 11, 2016. If Samsung uses another Friday to release its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus, it's very possible that the handsets could get an official release on April 21, 2017.

If Samsung does indeed release the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus during the third week of April, do you think it will stick to a Friday release? Please let us and our readers know in the comments below.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HTC is holding a press event on Jan. 12 and the company is expected to launch some new smartphones. New details regarding the HTC U Ultra/Ocean Note claim it will feature the same camera as Google's Pixel and an LG V20-like secondary ticker display.

Smartphone companies are always looking for ways to stand out from the sea of rivals in the market. Apple focuses on design, creates its own powerful processors, and its proprietary OS, iOS.

Samsung appeals to Android fans with high-end specs, slick designs, and innovative features like the Note series' much-loved S Pen, which might make its way to the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus.

LG most recently went modular with its current flagship LG G5 and the company has continued its secondary ticker display, which first debuted on the LG V10 in 2015 and has been enhanced on the V20. It looks like HTC will follow in LG's footsteps by adding a secondary ticker display to its upcoming HTC U Ultra/Ocean Note smartphone, which will be announced on Jan. 12. In addition, it will use the same highly rated 12-megapixel rear camera found on Google's Pixel and Pixel XL, and unseat the Pixel's high DxOMark score.

HTC To Take Inspiration From LG And Samsung

Images of the HTC U Ultra/Ocean Note were posted to Weibo and captured by Android Police and show the smartphone will feature a secondary ticker display above the Android Status Bar, just like the LG V10 and V20. The images also appear to show that HTC is taking inspiration from Samsung by using an all-glass frame like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

HTC To Unseat Google's Pixel With Highest DxOMark Camera Score

We recently reported that HTC was reportedly planning to use a very similar rear camera to that of the one currently found on Google's Pixel and Pixel XL, which have the highest DxOMark score. A new report claims that HTC's new smartphone will, in fact, use the same 12-megapixel rear camera found on Google's current flagship smartphones and will actually top Google's Pixel's scores thanks to software tweaked by HTC.

The HTC U Ultra /Ocean Note is expected to pack in a 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD display and will supposedly be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. The smartphone is believed to include 64 GB of internal storage, 4 GB of RAM and a microSD expansion slot to add additional memory to the device. The smartphone is expected to run Android 7.0 or possibly 7.1.1 out of the box.

We'll be sure to keep you posted on HTC's event and any additional details before its Jan. 12 press event where it will make the HTC U Ultra/Ocean Note official.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The U.S. Department of Defense has already tested a revolutionary weapon that is being touted as the biggest thing since the nuclear bomb. This involves a swarm of drones that has a single brain for collective decision-making and complemented by self-healing capabilities.

The test was conducted at China Lake, California last October 2016 but it was only revealed by the DoD last Jan. 9 in a press release.

It was also documented by CBS' 60 Minutes.

The entire affair was quite impressive as it involved 103 Perdix drones launched from three F/A-18 Super Hornets. According to DoD, it is one of the world's largest micro-drone swarm to date.

"Due to the complex nature of combat, Perdix are not pre-programmed synchronized individuals, they are a collective organism, sharing one distributed brain for decision-making and adapting to each other like swarms in nature," William Roper, Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) Director, said. "Because every Perdix communicates and collaborates with every other Perdix, the swarm has no leader and can gracefully adapt to drones entering or exiting the team."

Watch the actual footage of the exercise in the video below:

Perdix Drone Technology

The Perdix drone was developed by a group of MIT students and was further modified by DoD's SCO in partnership with the Naval Air Systems Command. The drones on display last October is already the sixth generation and are already considered reliable under potential deployment conditions.

Each Perdix drone is 3-D printed and costs cheap. The nature of its manufacture and functions make it a strategic weapon and tool of war.

A Perdix swarm can be given different tasks such as scouting or serving as a decoy and would perform them with very little human intervention. They can execute their mission as a collective organism setting it apart from commercial drone fleets. They communicate and adapt to each other in the same way swarms found in nature behave.

Perdix Swarm In Actual Deployment

The Perdix drones were already used in military exercises in Alaska in 2015. The technology was able to display how it is able to complete tasks without risking the lives of human pilots.

Aside from its role in reconnaissance, some observers also expect that the automated drones could ultimately carry weapons. Once outfitted with smaller technology, they can collectively overwhelm a target. They could also obliterate military installations when used to deploy bombs.

DoD underscored that the Perdix drones are only part of its automated technologies that constitute America's so-called future battle network. The agency hinted that Perdix and other technologies in this stable could display fully automated capabilities, which means they can select and fire at targets on their own.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA has released a photo of a cosmic object with a turbulent story. The image shows two galaxies destructively colliding into each other.

Image With A Violent Story

On Monday, Jan. 9, NASA shared on its website the image of IRAS 14348-1447.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured this photograph of two galaxies colliding into and eventually destroying each other about 1 billion light years away from planet Earth.

The photograph shows a smudge of bluish object amid the dark expanse of space dotted with other glittering cosmic objects. The object was named after the space telescope that helped discover it, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, or IRAS.

Infrared Astronomical Satellite Mission

The IRAS mission was the first to put a telescope in space to survey the sky in infrared. Launched in January 1983 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the space telescope discovered the core of our galaxy, six new comets and evidence of solid material around the stars Fomalhaut and Vega. The mission ended in November 1983.

IRAS 14348-1447

IRAS 14348-1447 is comprised of two gas-rich spiral galaxies that got too near to each other. NASA said that the process eventually caused the two galaxies to merge into one and destroy each other.

"This doomed duo approached one another too closely in the past, gravity causing them to affect and tug at each other and slowly, destructively, merge into one," NASA said in its photo release.

Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy

IRAS 14348-1447 is one of the most gas-rich examples of ultraluminous infrared galaxy, which belongs to a class of cosmic bodies that are characterized by incredibly bright shining in the infrared part of the spectrum. Nearly 95 percent of the energy generated by IRAS 14348-1447, is in fact, in the far-infrared.

The large amount of molecular gas present in IRAS 14348-1447 serves to fuel its emission.

The whirling and ethereal appearance that creates the wisps and tails that extend away from the galaxy's main body is likewise attributed to this high amount of molecular gas.

The molecular gas is also known to undergo a number of dynamical processes while it interacts and moves around.

Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) captured the image. Despite its age, the space telescope continues to be an important astronomical tool. Launched in 1990, the telescope, which is jointly operated by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015.

Scientists have been using the telescope to observe the most distant stars and galaxies as well as the other planets that reside in the solar system. Along with data from X-ray telescopes such as the Chandra observatory, Hubble also helps unveil the mysteries of black holes.

Just last year, Hubble spotted an irregular dwarf galaxy called UGC 4879 which does not have the distinct shape of spiral and elliptical galaxies.

It has also detected two dwarf galaxies migrating to a cosmic big city, a region in space full of intergalactic gas, after spending most of their lifespan in the Local Void.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
When a small spider eats up a snake, it makes the news. This is what happened in Brazil when a Tarantula spider devoured a snake under a rock.

This surprised scientists at the Federal University of Santa Maria, who were searching for Tarantulas in Serra do Cavera in Southern Brazil, when they spotted the rare "dinner" live. The victim was an Almaden ground snake, which is about a foot in length.

The researchers saw the Tarantula  Grammostola quirogai  chomping down the snake  Erythrolamprus almadensis, and reported their observations in the journal Herpetology Notes.

Brazil's Serra do Cavera is known to house many species of Tarantula, particularly sedentary females that live in the rocks.

"Most likely, the snake was surprised upon entering the spider's environment and hence was subdued by it," said the researchers.

Rare Dinner

The study's first author Leandro Malta Borges, a graduate student at the Federal University who also witnessed the horrible dinner live, is credited with many papers in Herpetology Notes about lizards and amphibians being eaten up by bugs. Borges also studied Aglaoctenus oblongus, a spider that was seen eating up a tree frog.

According to Borges, the high surprise in the incident is the size of the snake versus the tiny size of the predator spider, which is just a fraction of the former.

Grisly Discovery

The grisly discovery is perhaps the first ever recorded evidence of a Tarantula eating a snake in the wild.

"To the best of our knowledge, we present here the first documented case involving the predation of a snake by an individual of the Theraphosidae family in nature," the researchers noted.

The snake had a snout-vent length 390.60 mm with most damage to the middle and anterior regions of the victim's body. The snake's body was in a state of decomposition due to the extracorporeal digestion process executed by the arachnid.

Cases of captive Tarantulas occasionally eating snakes were reported in 1926 by Brazilian researchers Jehan Vellard and Vital Brazil.

"They eat pretty much anything they can grab and overpower," noted Chris Hamilton, a Tarantula expert, and researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

It is likely that the snake sneaked into the Tarantula's rock in a bid to use it as a den or simply slithered by it. The fatal attack of the Tarantula must have come from the less than an inch long fangs usually used in subduing preys.

When the researchers saw the spider, it was consuming the snake's body after liquefying it like a goo for making it more digestible.

Borges noted that some spiders, such as the black widow, are known for feeding on snakes, with their webs for capturing and strong toxin for killing.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SPRINGFIELD - Former state representative Ron Sandack is returning to Springfield in 2017 - but now as a lobbyist representing the Gaido & Fintzen law firm, where he is a partner.

Sandack resigned from the Illinois House last fall when he became involved in an embarrassing internet "sextortion" scheme. Several people reportedly viewed a sexually graphic video featuring Sandack that was temporarily posted to Facebook.

Sandack will represent his firm that lists an array of topics they may address with members of the General Assembly and the governor - who Sandack often supported on the House floor during his service. The topics he may address as a lobbyist for the firm include education, labor, pharmaceuticals, racing or wagering and marijuana/cannabis:
Fears over the presence of a cancer-causing contaminant in palm oil did not deter Italian confectionery firm Ferrero from using the edible oil as ingredient in its best-selling hazelnut and chocolate spread Nutella.

Process Contaminant In Palm Oil Can Damage DNA, Cause Cancer

In May last year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) raised potential health concerns over consumption of palm oil and some processed foods following results of a study that looked into the process contaminants in vegetable oils and food products.

The process contaminants glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE), 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD), and 2-monochloropropanediol (2-MCPD) are not intentionally added into food products but are formed during processing of food. In the case of producing edible oils, these substances form when refining vegetable oils at high temperatures of about 200 degrees Celsius.

EFSA revealed that the highest levels of GE, 3-MCPD, and 2-MCPD were found in palm oil and palm fats. GE though is of particular concern as evidence from animal studies show it is genotoxic, which means it can damage the DNA, and carcinogenic.

Food Companies Boycott Palm Oil

EFSA did not recommend that consumers stop consumption of palm oil but some food companies already started boycotting the product as a precautionary measure.

Italy's largest supermarket chain Coop boycotted palm oil. The country's biggest baker, Barilla, also removed it as an ingredient and started to use "palm oil-free" labels. Italy's farming association Coldiretti and an online food magazine also asked all food firms to boycott palm oil following the results of the EFSA study.

Ferrero Assures Public About Safety Of Nutella Chocolate Spread

Ferrero was not deterred by calls to boycott palm oil. The Nutella maker has in fact launched an advertising campaign to give assurance to the public about the safety of Nutella, which uses palm oil as a key ingredient.

Nutella, which accounts for about a fifth of Ferrero's sales, relies on palm oil to achieve its smooth texture and shelf life. Ferrero said that using other substitutes such as sunflower oil will change the chocolate spread's character.

"Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward," said Ferrero's purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella.

Controlled Temperatures

As for the high temperatures associated with the formation of the carcinogenic contaminant GE in edible oils, Tapella in a TV ad said that the palm oil they use comes from freshly squeezed fruits and the processing is done under controlled temperatures.

Ferrero said that it uses an industrial process that combines a temperature of just below 200 degrees Celsius and extremely low pressure to minimize the formation of contaminants.

Ferrero said that although the process takes longer and is 20 percent more costly compared with high-temperature refining, it allows to bring down GE to levels so low scientific instruments can hardly find traces of the chemical.

EFSA has not yet issued a statement on the potential risks associated with refining palm oil at lower temperatures.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Two former Microsoft online moderators are suing the company for failing to offer adequate psychological support to help them deal with the gruesome content they had to watch.

The two ex-Microsoft employees had to monitor child pornography and other criminal material and claim the job gave them post-traumatic stress disorder.

Microsoft reportedly did nothing to treat their PTSD so the former employees haunted by their past online moderator job are now suing the company, as the Daily Beast first reported.

Monitoring Violent Material Caused PTSD

The two former Microsoft employees, Greg Blauert and Henry Soto, were part of the company's Online Safety Team and were responsible for monitoring material flagged as potentially illegal.

Microsoft's Online Safety Team monitors material flagged either by algorithms or by users, aiming to confirm that the material is illegal before giving it to law enforcement.

According to the lawsuit, Soto had to watch "horrible brutality, murder, indescribable sexual assaults" and other types of content "designed to entertain the most twisted and sick-minded people in the world" as part of the job.

Blauert, meanwhile, was in charge of monitoring "thousands of images of child pornography, adult pornography and bestiality that graphically depicted the violence and depravity of the perpetrators."

Involuntarily Assigned To Microsoft's Online Safety Team

The complaint [PDF] points out that Soto did not seek to assume that job. He was simply assigned to the online safety team and forced to stay in place for one and a half years. He was involuntarily transferred back in 2008 and Microsoft's policy prevented him from requesting a transfer sooner than 18 months after being assigned to the team. At that time, the team was newly assembled and Soto had limited knowledge of what the position would entail.

According to the filing, Soto did not understand how involved he would have to be in a number of areas, such as assisting law enforcement in operations to crack down on crime rings, the triad, the mob and other violent groups, reviewing images and videos containing horrible brutality, murder, sexual assault and other gruesome content.

Neither Soto nor Blauert received any warning about the heavy toll the job would take, although Microsoft was aware of the psychological implications.

"Plaintiffs Henry Soto and Greg Blauert were not warned about the likely dangerous impact of reviewing the depictions nor were they warned they may become so concerned with the welfare of the children, they would not appreciate the harm the toxic images would cause them and their families," adds the complaint.

Microsoft's Solution: 'Walks And Smoking Breaks'

It seems that rather than providing its safety team with assistance from trained therapists, Microsoft implemented a "Wellness Program" that recommended "walks and smoking breaks" for employees who were disturbed by the content they had to monitor. The men say there were also advised to play video games to clear their mind and stop thinking about the gruesome images they saw.

Both Soto and Blauert say the job caused them "vicarious trauma" and symptoms linked to PTSD, including anxiety, nightmares and hallucinations. The Wellness Program Microsoft created after they complained of the symptoms was not enough and the therapist assigned to the program was not qualified to treat their problems.

Microsoft Disagrees

Contacted by The Guardian, a company spokesperson said that Microsoft "disagrees" with the claims of its former employees. The company added that it's committed to its responsibility to report and remove any content depicting child abuse and other illegal content shared on its services. At the same time, Microsoft said it's not cutting corners when it comes to the health of its employees who have to handle such work.

The spokesperson added that Microsoft reduces the "realism of the imagery" seen by employees by using special technology, and it limits the time workers spend reviewing such content.

The lawsuit seeks damages for Soto and Blauert and recommends that Microsoft change its policies and practices to protect the health and resilience of other employees. Recommendations include regular psychological consultations, more time off, as well as a wellness program for the employees' spouses.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Government Warns Amazon Over Selling Indian Flag Doormats | TechTree.com

American e-commerce giant Amazon has a huge network of third-party sellers that help the company rake in cash. However sometimes, these sellers put Amazon in tricky situations. An incident took place recently, when India's external affairs minister took notice of the Indian flag doormats being sold at Amazon Canada.



Many Indians have been complaining about such products to Amazon India's Twitter handle. Amazon's standard answer was that, "These Products were never sold on Amazon.in. We have escalated this to our concerned teams and are working on the issue." Finally, a Twitter user @atulbhole tagged Sushma Swaraj in his tweet regarding Amazon selling Indian flag doormats.







India's external affairs minister then asked the Indian High Commission in Canada to take this up with Amazon. She also threatened that India will not issue visas to any Amazon official if the company fails to withdraw products that insult the tricolour.



Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. https://t.co/L4yI3gLk3h  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

After all this, Amazon removed the Indian flag doormats from its Canadian website. It seems that the seller in question XLYL is known for selling doormats resembling flags of different countries. Its doormats based on the US and UK flags are still available for purchase. That's probably because in developed countries, people see it as a way to show their love for the flag.

TAGS: Amazon
Security Researcher Cautions Against Striking Japans Favorite Picture Pose That Could Steal Your Identity

The last few years has seen an upsurge in a strange phenomenon called the selfie. Powerful cameras and vast reach of social media along with expansion of mobile technology have contributed to making selfies a craze.

While selfies can be fun, it can put one in dangerous situation too. Besides, being responsible for many selfie related deaths, did you know that your selfie could put you up for identity theft too, albeit a certain pose?

According to a security researcher from Japan, a particular picture pose that is very popular among Asians, can set you up for a disaster. The pose in question is the flashing of the peace (V or victory) sign in a selfie. Apparently, doing this exposes two fingerprints, which may possibly lead to identity theft.

Isao Echizen, a professor at the Digital Content and Media Sciences Research Division of the National Institute of Informatics, told that he could successfully obtained fingerprints from photos of exposed fingers taken from up to three metres (9.8 feet) away. Based on his experiments, taking a selfie while giving a peace sign may, in fact, put your fingerprint data, and your identity, at risk.

For several people, holding up two fingers to make a V or peace sign while smiling for the camera is celebratory in nature. The pose, which apparently started in Japan in the late 1980s, has since wildly spread throughout Asia and some other parts of the world. As a result, Echizen has specifically warned against the rampant peace sign pose that is popular in Japan.

For instance, if youre using one hand to take the picture, Echizen says its wise to keep the fingertips of the other out of frame. Considering that the fingerprint technology is being widely used nowadays, from smartphone locks to computers to security entrances, people should be extra careful with the sign they pose for the selfie. Thats because image quality from current consumer camera technology has already progressed to such a level that your fingerprint data can be derived from a photo of your fingertips, Echizen says.

However, Echizens team at the National Institute of Informatics have developed a fingerprint anti-theft prevention technology. The titanium-oxide based substance can obscure and even generate false images of any fingerprints that find their way into frame.

According to Echizen, if someone hacks your password, you can change it, but with biometric security like fingerprint or retina you cannot do much as you are born and stuck with it.

Source: CNET
The polls claimed Hillary was all set to break that glass ceiling and her team was so confident in her winning they had her coronation all planned. To their credit, American voters were paying more attention to the facts than they were the media or latest poll results and decided to take a chance on Trump rather than elect the terribly flawed candidate who would continue the liberal direction in which Obama had taken America. The 2016 election was a rejection of Obamas policies and Hillarys arrogance, combined with the hope Donald Trump would/could keep his campaign promise to make America great again.

Donald Trump's unprecedented victory will be discussed and debated for many years as experts ponder how an outspoken, brash, non-politician, 70 year old ma n won the presidency over Hillary Clinton, with all her experience, money, media, and Hollywood elites support.

Voters expect Trump and his administration to make the needed course corrections. We may differ about which issue should receive the most immediate attention, but illegal immigration must be at the top of the list knowing his promise to build the wall was what first caught and held the public's attention. It may not need to be a physical wall, but voters confirmed we want and need the security that only a strong, effective, strictly enforced border policy can provide.

There are many serious issues in America today, all of which need a great deal of attention; however, one in particular should take precedence as it could lay the groundwork to help resolve the many others. Our nation must return to the roots provided us by our forefathers. We have strayed from so many of the outstanding values that made us special, which caused us to be respected and thus great. All of us, but especially our elected officials, need to revisit those principles and be reminded of the following famous quote from Alexis de Tocqueville whose long visits within America and writing about what he witnessed prompted his countrys people to ask what made America so great. His simple response is awesome, but it comes with a warning to us: America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.

We may disagree on what made or makes America great, but hopefully we all agree that it is wise for our leaders to be very cautious when they initiate new laws and remove or revise established ones. It is particularly dangerous and foolish to reverse established laws that have proved profitable, especially when the revisions are untested and thus offer no proof of being superior. Unfortunately, people in power have ignored this wisdom and changed our established laws based more on personal preferences than facts. Our generation has witnessed the repercussions of those ill-devised decisions.

Separation of Church and State: an ill-devised decision



Consider a liberal Supreme Courts insistence upon a separation of church and state. Historic evidence and precedents were clearly ignored in that decision, such as proof that our forefathers strongly valued and thus intentionally inserted religion into their private and public lives.

Evidence of this is found in early manuscripts, documents, and statements from these early leaders. Proof can also be found in the preambles to most every state constitution as well as in Bible verses imprinted on and within federal buildings and monuments throughout our states and Washington D.C. An example is the Washington Monument in D.C. which honors our first President. It has two words written at the very top: Laus Deo, purposely placed atop the highest monument that overlooks the capitol of the United States. The words Laus Deo mean Praise be to God suggesting our founder, Washington, as well as those in other powerful positions, believed God played a major part in their lives, their successes, and even Americas amazing victory for independence against a British army that was considerably larger and much better equipped than ours.

The Washington Monument is just one of many within our nation's capitol city and throughout America that has biblical inscriptions etched within or upon them. Together, they clearly testify that our forefathers believed God to be an integral part of our governing, people, and country. The proof is overwhelming and yet the highest Court in our land ignored it and subsequent generations and courts have chosen not to challenge the flawed decision.

Christianity and our Forefathers

Consider that most but not all of our forefathers were Christian, yet none advocated that every American need confess their faith or even be a member of a church. Compelling evidence proves our founding fathers believed the Bible to be essential for a just and harmonious society. President Washingtons Farewell Address testifies to this with the powerful statement: Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.

Ben Franklin substantiated that belief when he warned the irreligious Thomas Paine, If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it? We need only look at the World today for the answer to this question, as we see crime and depravity increase at about the same proportion that church attendance decreased.

Although our forefathers did not believe Christianity should be forced upon our citizens, they fully understood human nature and thus the advantages to society of Christianity being practiced and fully supported by its leaders to help prevent crime and chaos.

Historian Larry Schweikarts research work substantiated this as well. He confirmed that the founding documents of every one of the original thirteen colonies reveal them to be awash in the concepts of Christianity and God. Our early textbooks were written using Scriptures from the Bible, and our first American universities were chartered to teach the Christian doctrine. Students could not even enter Harvard, Yale, or Princeton without agreeing to follow the "Westminster Confession, which listed strict rules of biblical based behavior. In 1844, the Supreme Court challenged the idea of using Bible verses to teach English and morality in public school. That and three other similar court cases resulted in verdicts that upheld the use of the Bible in public schools. This begs the question how and why a subsequent Supreme Court ignored such precedents and have not since been legally challenged.

Supreme Court precedent uphold Bible use in public schools



One of those Supreme Court cases, Vidal verses Gerard, regarded a Philadelphia school that wanted to teach morals without using the Bible. The Court decision proclaimed: "Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament be read and taught as a divine revelation in the schools? Where can the purest principals of morality be learned so clearly or perfectly as from the New Testament? Thus the court concluded and confirmed that reading the New Testament in schools is not only acceptable but preferable.

In another challenge the court ruled and confirmed the former conclusion saying: "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind, and it is impossible that it should be otherwise: and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." The court quoted 87 different historical precedents to back up this decision, stated by the Founding Fathers, Acts of the Founding Fathers, and Acts of Congress.

Noah Webster, writing in the History of the United States, 1833, stated "the moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and lawAll the miseries and evils which man suffer from: vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible. Webster, one of the most respected scholars of his time, also made this statement on July 4, 1800 during an oration at Hanover, New Jersey:

To preserve the government we must also preserve morals. Morality rests on religion; if you destroy the foundation, the superstructure must fall. When the public mind becomes vitiated and corrupt, laws are a nullity and constitutions are waste paper.

If the above facts are not convincing enough that our forefathers believed it essential that our schools introduce and teach Bible scriptures in our schools, consider that the National Education Association (NEA), founded in 1892, stated the following in their published record: "if the study of the Bible is to be excluded from all state schools; if the inculcation of the principles of Christianity is to have no place in the daily program; if the worship of God is to form no part of the general exercises of these public elementary schools then the good of the state would be better served by restoring all schools to church control.

1962 ushered in a major change in Christianity and its role

Scholars and historians differ as to when and exactly what began the major change in Americas culture regarding Christianity and its role in our country. Some point to the year 1962 as the start, when the U.S. Supreme Court ignored established laws and former decisions on the subject to decide a similar case by ruling on the questionable basis that the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment indicated that the government could no longer sponsor a prayer and require schoolchildren to say it. This was considered a serious mistake by many law experts, including Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, a wise man and a visionary, who voiced this powerful dissent:

With all respect, I think the Court has misapplied a great constitutional principle. I cannot see how an official religion is established by letting those who want to say a prayer say it. On the contrary, I think that to deny the wish of these school children to join in reciting this prayer is to deny them the opportunity of sharing in the spiritual heritage of our Nation.

While it is easy to understand why a Court would want to protect a student who preferred not to recite a prayer, it is nevertheless questionable why a court would deny historical precedence and thus forbid prayers that the vast majority of students and parents prefer. This Court denied precedent, the opinion of other Justices, and the majority of citizens to render the unpopular decision.

It is important to consider that evidence gathered since that Court decision indicates Justice Stewart was correct. Our schools, society, even new laws reflect what our forefathers predicted: a decline in the principles that made us great. Even Supreme Court justices are saying that we appear to be descending into tyranny.

There will always be the temptation to change an established law to satisfy a specific and immediate concern. An example is the recent crowds protesting against what they perceive as police brutality. However, changing or making new laws should always be a carefully studied process in which those in authority consider potential unintended consequences which could ultimately cause more harm than good.

A Word to the Wise

American citizens just elected a new President who in turn will select a new administration. There is no doubt these newly elected officials will make specific changes. We can hope and pray they are positive ones. Americas past indicates our successes were mostly seen when men and women relied on God and His Word for guidance. That should be our prayer for the Trump team, now tasked with the job to keep America strong.

They would be wise to closely examine the words and intent of our amazing Constitution and Bill of Rights because these documents were not meant to be living and changing documents. No indeed, these historical documents contain the wisdom of centuries which deserve and must be passed on to future generations for the continued success of our great country.

May God bless our new President and his administration with wisdom and discernment that will ultimately benefit all our people and hopefully the World.
Israeli bombing will only make the Palestinians more determined to resist the occupation, Hamas spokesperson stressed. | Read More
The President who promised to fundamentally transform the country, ticked off a list of what he deemed as his administrations accomplishments. Interestingly, he neglected to explain why such accomplishments ultimately led to Democrats losing the White House, Congress, and elected offices up and down state ballots over the past eight years.

Tuesday night, exactly 2,899 days after his 2008 election victory speech in Chicagos Grant Park, President Barack Obama returned to his adopted hometown to give his farewell speech to the nation.

Illinois Review is honored to share with our readers an op-ed penned exclusively for you by Heritage Foundation's and the Daily Signal's Genevieve Wood about President Obama's farewell speech in Chicago Tuesday night:

When Obama entered office, our national debt was 10.6 trillion dollars. Today? Its 19.5 trillion and counting.

On his watch, there was an unparalleled expansion of the regulatory state. Since taking office in 2009, over 200 new major regulations have increased the regulatory burden by $108 billion annually. And these burdens fall directly onto the shoulders of everyday Americans.

The Heritage Foundation economists predict that Obamas regulations to counter climate change alone will kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and also increase what American households spend on electricity by 13 to 20 percent over the next 20 years.

And then there is the Presidents signature policy, the Affordable Care Act, which has proven to be anything but affordable. Contrary to what he originally promised, many Americans have not been able to keep their doctors.

So far, over half of the 23 co-ops have failed, costing taxpayers $1.2 billion and forcing more than 740,000 people in 14 states, at last count, to scramble to find new health insurance.

Premiums did not go down, they went up. And by 2025, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that employment-based coverage will cost about 60 percent more than it does today because of Obamacare.

When it comes to fighting poverty, instead of building on successful measures, such as requiring able-bodied adults on welfare to work, prepare for work or do a job search, the Obama administration gutted work requirements. And though unemployment has dropped in recent years, the food stamp program has grown dramatically. In 2008, fewer than 30 million Americans were receiving food stamps. By 2014, that number had risen to 46.5 million.

Then there was his tendency to act like an imperial President.

From granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants to mandating transgender bathroom policies on public schools, the Obama administration showed a complete disregard for Congress and the peoples elected representatives, using executive orders to get its way.

And, as President Obama comes to the end of his two terms in office, is the world a better place? Is it a safer place?

Lets take a look

By any objective, transnational terrorist threats are far greater today than when Obama took office in 2009. There have been over 90 Islamist related terror plots aimed at the United States since 9/11 and most of them have occurred on his watch.

The Iran nuclear deal can already be deemed a failure as Iran is now more aggressive than ever. It is accelerating its ballistic missile program and has escalated its military intervention in Syria and continues to stoke the sectarian divisions in Iraq.

Our relations with China are worse and weve done nothing to stop its attempts to lay claim to the South China Sea in defiance of international norms. President Obama clearly feels that getting the Chinese to sign the Paris agreement on climate change matters more than their island-building and tests of new ballistic missiles in that region.

President Obama promised to reset relations with Russia and signed the New START agreement. The result? Russia continues to modernize nuclear weapons. It seized Crimea and continues to conduct a proxy war in Ukraine and support genocide in Syria.

And closer to home, there is little evidence that Obamas normalizing of relations with Cuba have done anything but strengthen the Castro regime. Violent beatings against pro-democracy activists have escalated, and the number of political dissidents being detained is on schedule to break previous records.

But perhaps one of the most concerning outcomes of Obamas policies is that the state of our military has deteriorated - primarily as a result of inadequate funding leading to a shrinking force that possesses aging equipment and modest levels of readiness for combat. The Heritage Military index now grades the state of the US military as marginal  not exactly a term that puts fear in the hearts of those who might seek to challenge us.

Despite President Obamas attempt to suggest otherwise, America is not better off and the world is not a safer place after his eight years in office.

I doubt this was the hope and change most Americans were counting on. And Americans followed his Yes we can mantra by electing a completely new direction for the country in November 2016.

Genevieve Wood is the Senior Fellow in Communications at The Heritage Foundation and the Senior Contributor for The Daily Signal. You can follow her @GenevieveWood
For Spy In The Wild, John Downer Productions infiltrated the animal world with 30 robotic creatures kitted out with miniature cameras

John Downer Productions has built a business out of covertly filming animals with spy cameras. Back in 2000, Bristol-based JDP invented a boulder-cam to film intimate shots of a pride of lions for Lion  Spy in the Den. A year later, a dung-cam did the same for elephants, while an iceberg-cam captured polar bears in 2010. More recently, Penguins  Spy in the Huddle took the concept a stage further by creating animatronic penguins to infiltrate colonies of the birds.

Yet Spy in the Wild is on a different scale entirely. Its not just a single species film. For this 560-min series, JDP has built 34 different animatronic spy creatures  from crocodiles to hippos, wild dogs, orangutans, langur monkeys and parrots. It is a genuine step on from what you have seen before with Johns Spy series, says BBC head of natural history commissioning Tom McDonald.

However, like its predecessors, Spy in the Wild is also full of new revelations and insight in to the natural world, says McDonald. Many of these come from close observation of animal family life that the robotic animals capture.

The first episode, for example, is subtitled love: it features prairie dogs rearing their young as part of an extended family, crocodiles tenderly caring for their hatchlings, and a chimpanzee befriending an abandoned kitten in some of the first footage ever captured of cross species rearing.

In particular, the series sheds a light on the similarities in behaviour between animals and humans. Endowing animals with human emotion used to be frowned upon by scientists. But that has changed over the past ten years, says Downer. You cant spend any time with animals without realising that so much of what they do is so much like us. Its inevitable really. We are animals.

Needless to say, making Spy in the Wild has not been easy. Each of the robotic animals is bespoke and takes up to nine months to make. Downer wont put a price on each one, but says they are all expensive. Every one that is destroyed is a disaster for us.

The crocodile-cam, for example, has to be able to walk along a riverbank, clamber into the water and to swim  while being able to film and look lifelike enough not to alarm other crocodiles. Its carbon fibre skeleton was built by a bio robotics laboratory in Switzerland, while its exterior was created in London.

Producer Rob Pilley say it is an industrial process to build the animals, encompassing robotics, programming and aesthetics. You have to make them functional, practical and beautiful.

Inside are remote controlled miniature cameras, shooting in 4K, and often hidden in the eye sockets of the animatronics. Producer Matthew Gordon says the cameras come from a wide range of manufacturers, but have been stripped down and modified to fit inside the spy creatures.

Deploying such expensive kit in the wild can be a fraught process, with producers fearful that it will be destroyed in an instant by suspicious animals. Its nerve wracking, admits Downer.

So the team went to great lengths to make sure this doesnt happen. A prairie dog cub, for example, was programmed to be able to make submissive signs  like wagging its tale, moving its ears and play bowing  so it would not be torn apart by the pack. The robotic meerkat, meanwhile, had meerkat poo rubbed on it so it would carry the scent of the group. In the end, only a few were destroyed, such as a spy tortoise crushed by an elephant. We lost a lot less than we thought we would, says Downer.

The team also had to choose very carefully where to place the hidden cameras. Chimps, for example, are very unpredictable so the filming team worked closely with local scientists to work out the places they might frequent. When placing the robotic animals, they had to be aware of their own safety as well as trying not to upset the animals. Pilley, for example, says he would wait till the heat of midday to place an animatronic crocodile egg inside a crocodiles nest as that was the moment the mother crocodile would seek refuge in the river from the hot African sun.

The robotic animals werent the only ones filming each scene. Up to ten cameras at a time  from boulder-cams, dung-cams to termite mound-cams would also be placed in situ to contribute footage, as well as a long lens camera. We can cut between them to get lots of different angles, which you cant do in natural history very often, says Downer.

Each animatronic shoot was a huge undertaking in its own right. JDP filmed for six weeks with langur monkeys in India, shooting from dawn till dusk each day. This meant, of course, lots of footage. The production team recorded 8,000 hours in total. Its quite a record as far as we are concerned, says Pilley. And of course you have to go through it all.

Spy in the Wild airs on BBC1 on 12 January

Details

Spy In The Wild deployed 34 ultra-realistic animatronic Spy Creatures to go undercover in the animal world, filming their behaviour.

They included: Spy Orangutan, Spy Sea Otter, Spy Sloth, Spy Wild Dog pup, Spy Hippo, Spy Meerkat, Spy Macaw and Spy Rattlesnake. The series shot in 31 locations in 21 countries, and took three years to film, completing nearly 800 filming days.

Production company

John Downer Productions

BBC commissioner

Tom McDonald

BBC executive

Lucinda Axelsson

Exec producer

John Downer

Series producers

Matt Gordon

Philip Dalton

Rob Pilley

Series director

John Downer

Editors

Stuart Napier

Imogen Pollard

Composer

Will Gregory

Narrator

David Tennant

This article first appeared in Televisuals January 2017 edition. To get your copy of the magazine, email circulation@televisual.com

Share this story
Heads up to prevent injury from falls Morning walks in my neighborhood are one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. I love the coolness of daybreak and the special sightings of the stag and two does that frequent our open space. I also enjoy my walk because each day at...

Signs that point to the best time for retirement Ive been thinking a lot about retirement lately. One of our amazing staff members, who has been with Senior Concerns for the last 13 years, retired last month. It just doesnt seem real. I always thought of Dana as young. Certainly not the person to...

Rethinking the mandatory retirement age How old is too old for working at a job? Last week a news story hit my inbox and it really got me to thinking about age and retirement. The article noted that Target Corp. abandoned its mandatory retirement age of 65 for its CEO,...

Tips to promoting a healthy nights sleep for children Question: Help, please. My daughter is almost 2 years old and has been an easy child to put into her own bed. Yet in the past few weeks she is purposefully stretching out the bedtime routine longer and longer. She wants more: more stories, more...
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
Text of Gov. John Bel Edwards' speech, as prepared for delivery, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017:

Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here.

A year ago today, I took the oath of office with a vision for a better Louisiana. A better Louisiana to work in, to live in, and to go to school in. My vision was simple  Put Louisiana First.

None of us knew that day what the year would bring. We were just beginning to realize the extent of our budget crisis. We didnt know that over the course of the year 56 of our 64 parishes would receive federal disaster declarations. We didnt yet know about the tragic shootings that would happen in July or that we would lose three brave law enforcement officers to a heinous act of violence.

But on that day one year ago, from the steps of the Capitol, you heard me say that Louisianas brightest days are ahead. Today, as I begin my second year as your Governor, Im going to say it again. Louisiana is headed towards a bright and prosperous future.

Now, with all of the challenges we faced in 2016, you might wonder why I am still so optimistic one year later. But, Ill tell you what - Im even more optimistic about our future because Ive seen what all we can accomplish in one year in spite of the significant obstacles weve faced.

And today, I want to take a moment to highlight some of the good things weve accomplished together and discuss some of the things well be focusing on in the year ahead.

Tomorrow is another one year anniversary, and well celebrate one of the things Im most proud of from my first year. On my first full day in office, I signed an executive order to expand the Medicaid program in Louisiana. Since coverage began five and a half months ago, more than 370,000 working poor people of our state have health care coverage who didnt before  all because we brought our federal tax dollars back to Louisiana to help our own citizens. Tomorrow, you will meet some of the citizens whose lives have literally been saved or changed because of the Medicaid expansion. In the process of doing this, we saved the state of Louisiana $184 million in the first year alone.

But thats not the only way were helping create healthier families in Louisiana. In September, we announced a partnership with Our Lady of the Lake to bring a much needed emergency room to North Baton Rouge to provide the families in that community the access theyve needed for so long.

Speaking of strengthening families, the Department of Children and Families Services found more permanent homes for foster children over the past year than in any year on record. Thats 532 families that welcomed 735 children into their hearts and homes.

For the first time in many years, we made multimodal transportation a priority and began addressing our neglected roads, bridges and ports. Among the many transportation highlights from this past year is the $100 million in FASTLANE grant funds we received  the fourth largest award in the country. By bringing home our federal tax dollars to help our people in Louisiana, we are able to make critical infrastructure investments all across our state.

And while this is a tremendous accomplishment, Im cognizant of the fact that we have a $12 billion backlog that we have to address. Last week, the transportation task force, which includes elected officials of both political parties, business leaders and community leaders, made their recommendations about possible solutions to this problem, and I look forward to working with the legislature to address the issues raised in this report.

Weve also been committed to strengthening our states economy by promoting Louisianas attractive business climate and putting our people back to work. The Louisiana Department of Economic Development led the charge this year to secure 12 new projects for Louisiana in 10 different parishes, totaling over $21.6 billion in capital investment and 5,638 total new jobs.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission helped 172,427 Louisianans find jobs this year, and we are thrilled to report that the Baton Rouge and Lake Charles areas hit all-time employment highs in October. Louisianas healthcare industry reached record employment in October as well. We know a strong economy requires a strong, skilled workforce, which is why we used our Incumbent Worker Training Program to expand the skillsets of 34,584 Louisiana workers in 2016, and we are working to double the more than 3,500 apprentices currently taking part in our registered apprenticeship program.

Im also incredibly proud of the work Secretary Joey Strickland and his team have accomplished in turning around our Department of Veterans Affairs. This year, through legislation, I expanded the Military Family Assistance Fund to include veterans as well as active duty military personnel. That means that, for the first time, we were able to help more than 1,000 veterans and their families with financial assistance of more than $385,000, including flood relief to help the more than 171,000 veterans directly affected by the August flood. We also passed legislation allowing the Secretary to negotiate or waive burial plot fees, so that a spouse can be interred with their veteran. Beyond that, we have now staffed our parish veterans benefit offices so that all 336,000 veterans who live here in Louisiana dont have to travel outside of their parish to file for VA benefits. And we have cleaned up and addressed the remaining audit issues in all five of our veterans homes in Louisiana, where our 785 veteran home residents are now each receiving the top-quality services they deserve.

Also important, we began the arduous task of stabilizing our finances after the worst budget crisis in our states history. Naysayers will tell you that I have only proposed raising taxes, but that would be wrong. In my first year alone, my administration made more than $850 million in painful government spending cuts. Were producing honest budgets for the first time in nearly a decade. The budget gimmicks of the past are gone. Were taking a responsible approach to balancing our budget while trying to protect our states most critical services - like higher education, for example. For the first time in 8 years we were able to stabilize funding for higher education and prevent the most severe cuts in nearly a decade. And for the first time in nearly a decade, tuition increases were the smallest theyve ever been. But I know thats not good enough for students and families across the state, and we have to do better.

We still have a lot of critical work ahead of us. The Revenue Estimating Conference will be meeting soon and are expected to identify another deficit. We cannot and will not live in a financial fantasyland. We knew the task of righting so many years of mismanagement would not be easy, nor would it happen over night.

I am not willing, however, to allow our budget problems to be balanced on the backs of our students or by sacrificing the health care of our most vulnerable citizens. This is especially pertinent when it comes to the ability to fully fund TOPS. The plan I presented last year would have fully funded our states flagship scholarship program. Those recommendations were by no means new ideas. In fact, experts have been saying for years that comprehensive tax reform is necessary to establishing a budget with stability and predictability. So I am, again, asking the legislature to continue working with me in this year on a realistic and responsible approach to solving our long-term budget problems.

In the coming year, flood recovery will also remain a top priority. My number one desire is to have every person affected by the March or August floods back in their homes, back in their communities, and back on their feet. On Friday, we submitted our final Action Plan for the first $438 million Congress approved for federal disaster assistance to Louisiana  more than six weeks ahead of the federal deadline, and we are well on our way to approving a plan for the next $1.2 billion approved as we wait for the federal guidelines. All the while, I will continue to work with our entire congressional delegation to bring home the additional $2 billion needed for a robust recovery.

Finally, looking ahead into 2017, were going to focus on real, bipartisan approaches to criminal justice reform. We began this critical work in 2016 with the passage of the Raise the Age Act. Before this law passed through our legislature with bipartisan support, 17 year olds who committed delinquent acts were automatically tried as adults. Because of Raise the Age, young people can now be held accountable for their actions in age-appropriate settings.

However, weve got more work to do if were going to end the days of Louisiana having the top spot in the country when it comes to our incarceration rate. The Justice Reinvestment task force will soon present their recommendations to safely reduce Louisianas prison population, strengthen probation and parole supervision in the community, and reinvest savings into evidence-backed prison alternatives. The difference between first place and second place when it comes to the incarceration rate is nearly $50 million per year, and by the end of my first term, Louisiana will not be at the top of this list. That work begins very soon.

For 365 days, Donna and I, along with our family, have been honored to call this place home. I am humbled to serve the most resilient, hard-working people in the country.

A year ago, I said that if theres two things well never run out of in Louisiana its gumbo and gumption. Little did I know how much that sentiment would be tested over the course of my first year in office, but I stand by it now more than ever before.

Ive seen the best that our state has to offer, and Ive seen how, even in the most challenging of times, a Louisianans bond with another Louisianan cannot be broken by water or gunfire. That bond is as thick as steel. We stand together, even in the most trying times and help each other out. As we faced each challenge that came our way, I felt that breeze of hope that got us here today  in every community meeting in the aftermath of the shooting of Alton Sterling, in the memorials of slain law enforcement officers and even as I toured this state to offer assistance to families whose homes were flooded.

I still feel that breeze of hope today. Its what wakes me up in the morning. It is that desire to make our state the best it has ever been. Its that desire from so many people across the state to Put Louisiana First. I share that with you each and every day.

The Louisiana spirit is alive and well, and from the bottom of my heart, I cant thank the people of this great state for giving me this honor and I promise I will not let you down.

God Bless you all, and God Bless the Great State of Louisiana.
Advocate staff file photo by MATTHEW HINTON-- Former Jefferson Parish public information officer Kriss Fortunato holds the U.S. flag on a windy opening of the newly redesigned Family Gras site across form Lakeside Mall on the Veterans Boulevard neutral ground in Metairie, La. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014.
Council member Stacy Head talks before the New Orleans City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to allow people charged with minor city municipal offenses to be released without bail in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. The ordinance doesn't apply to criminal offenses.
Canberrans filling up their cars on Friday ahead of journeying to the coast for some heat relief could be paying 15 cents more per litre than the last time they filled up.

Average prices jumped from an average of 128.9 cents per litre in the first week of the year to 143.9 cents on Friday.

There could be a few surprised faces at petrol station counters in Canberra on Friday.

Friday's figures - which were on par with Thursday's - were between three and four cents higher than neighbouring Yass and Goulburn and two cents higher than Sydney, though they were just slightly trailing Batemans Bay.

The Australian Institute of Petroleum data showed average petrol prices in Canberra stayed between 128 and 129 cents from December 11 until the jump in the New Year.
Tigerair Australia has been given a four-day reprieve to get stranded passengers out of Bali after Indonesian authorities imposed what critics say is a "totally unreasonable" flight ban on the carrier.

Tigerair on Wednesday cancelled flights between Bali and Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne when the Indonesian government imposed what the airline called "new administrative requirements".

Late on Thursday, the Indonesian government agreed to let Tiger operate scheduled flights out of Denpasar on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to get about 2000 stranded passengers back to Australia.

Flights from Australia to Indonesia from Friday to January 20 have been cancelled and all other services are under a cloud as the airline continues to negotiate with authorities.
"Why don't you go back to where you came from?" There is a lot of that sentiment around at the moment. So says Donald Trump to Mexicans and Muslims; half the population of Britain to the rest of the population of Europe; Pauline Hanson to Muslims (and, not so recently, people from Asia); some people who once moved into Footscray to some other people who more recently moved into Footscray; and a drunk man in a Coburg park to  well, he wasn't exactly sure who they were, or where they needed to go back to.

There is a trickle-down effect in public expressions of racism and xenophobia: the more people with big voices such as Trump, Hanson and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage say racist stuff, the more people with small, inarticulate and sometimes slurred voices feel empowered to say it too.

"Patriots" in Melbourne: It can't be said that these people represent Australia. Credit:Mathew Lynn

There is no shortage of irony trickling down either. Trump (like so many Americans) is the grandson of migrants; the people of Great Britain are descended from half the other peoples of Europe; Hanson, like all of us "white" Australians, is the metaphorical grandchild of boat people; and the people who moved into Footscray whenever are people who moved into Footscray whenever.

I don't believe that politicians such as Hanson speak for some "silent majority". I do believe, in the interests of getting along in a society where people come from all over the world, there are uncomfortable feelings about people who might appear a little different that the majority would do better to remain silent about, and, in fact, just get over.
"Well, Pop, I did a lot of things," Eric says. "You know we can't talk about them," Don Jr. says. "I ate a healthy breakfast," Eric adds, quickly. "Fruit." "Huh," Donald says. "Fruit." Don Jr.'s fork clicks on his plate. "I had a waffle." "Good for you, Don," Trump says. "I like waffles."

"I'm just trying to watch my health," Eric says, a little defensively. "Well," Donald says, "that's important, too." Silence falls again. Don Jr.'s fork clinks. SUMMER: "So things are good?" Donald asks. "Yes," Eric says. "Good." Donald eats a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "You do anything else? Read a book?"

Don shakes his head. "No," Trump says. "I didn't figure you would have. Probably don't have time, what with all the " Eric touches his arm and shakes his head gently. AUTUMN: "I can't believe they won't let me talk to my sons!" Trump says. "Unbelievable!" The ethics adviser shakes his head. "No," he says. "You can talk to them as much as you want. Just not about business." "What else is there to talk about?" "Well," the adviser suggests, "your feelings  or  your thoughts, or memories you had together, or  things like that."

A long silence ensues. "I never felt my father loved me," Donald Trump says, suddenly. "I never felt my father knew me. He seemed to see me as an extension of himself that he could mold and do with as he pleased. I never felt he saw me there at all." "But, Pop," Eric says. His voice cracks. "I'm almost afraid to ask whether the two of you felt the same way." "I didn't," Don Jr. says. "A memory " Trump says. "I remember when I held you for the first time, at the hospital, before I gave you back to the people who changed you and fed you and cleaned you and loved you until you were old enough to talk to like a reasonable man  and I always wished I'd held on longer. When I saw you again, you were a little stranger in a little suit." Trump sighs. "But it's no good, regretting things. It makes you soft."

"I never thought you were soft, Pop," Eric says. "I wish I'd changed your diapers," Donald Trump says. "Even once. Is that too weird to say?" "Yes," Don Jr. says. "Pop," Eric asks earnestly, "what do you do when you get lonely? When you worry that nobody who is around you actually wants to be around you for you? Are you ever afraid that there might not be a real person who is you, deep beneath all the layers, that you're just a set of expensive things that people like to be around because it is comfortable for them?" "There isn't an answer," Trump says. "I try to see the answer in myself, but  I find nothing. Only a sort of clammy void. Do you think I've failed you as a father?"

"Good potatoes," Don Jr. says. "Really good." "Sometimes I wonder if I will be saved," Trump says. "I have such dreams  I could not begin to tell you. I wake up and I cry out for my mother and then for your mother and then I remember that the woman who would answer is a stranger, and I have nothing to say to her. What can I say to her?" Eric nervously reaches out to touch his shoulder. They sit there a moment. "I don't like you seeing me with her," Trump says. "I don't like the way I've made you think about women or about life or about anything. There are so many things about myself  so many things, and in me they look strong, and good, but when I see them in you  my heart breaks a little." "Pop " Eric says. His voice cracks. "Do you love me?" "Of course," Trump says. "Do you doubt it?"

"Never once, ever in my life, have I felt truly secure that I was loved," Eric says. "Not since you sent my nanny back to London." "I didn't know we'd sent her," Donald says. "I know," Eric says. "That was what hurt the most." "I'm sorry. Group hug?" Trump asks. He glances down the table at the ethics adviser. "Pop, I wrote a poem this week." "A poem?"

"Yeah," Eric says shyly. "I think maybe that should have been my dream, but I've been so busy all my life living other people's dreams that I didn't have any of my own." "Do you have the poem with you, son?" Trump asks. "Let's hear it." Eric reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded sheet of lined paper with "Daddy" written on the top in uneven large block letters. Don Jr. hits his head against the table. "Dad," he says, "Dad, please, you have to divest." "What?" Trump looks wildly at him. "If you divest, you can end this, and we'll never have to do this, ever again."
In a modern day version of Disney's Lady and The Tramp, hitmakers Selena Gomez and the Weeknd have unexpectedly been spotted sharing pasta in the rain before locking lips outside one of LA's hottest celebrity spots.

An eyewitness told People that the pair shared a three-hour private dinner at Giorgio Baldi and, while they are yet to confirm their budding romance, it seems like Gomez can't keep her hands to herself in 46 different intimate shots snapped outside the restaurant.

Selena Gomez is the followed person on Instagram. Credit:Getty Images

The dinner seemed to be a low-key affair with Gomez opting to wear frayed jeans and patent booties, while The Weeknd wore a cap and hoodie.

In many of the images, Gomez, 24, is smiling towards the camera with her arms wrapped around the 26-year-old Starboy crooner.
The latest Meat and Livestock Association Australia Day ad has been widely hailed as diverse and progressive on social media, but many Indigenous Australians have reacted very differently.

Ryan Griffen, creator of ABC drama Cleverman, believes the ad to be in "poor taste", telling Daily Life: "as important as it is for Australians to celebrate multiculturalism, I feel for us to be able to appreciate an ad like this on screen a lot of work needs to happen off screen."

The ad, featuring Cathy Freeman and TV chef Poh Ling Yeow, was notable for making no mention of Australia Day or the genocide of Aboriginal people, opting for a seemingly simple message of unity and celebration.

Apart from a brief reference to Aboriginal people having been "here forever", the thousands of years of Aboriginal Australian history and lived culture before colonisation is virtually ignored, and whilst Australia Day might not be explicitly mentioned, the celebratory symbols of fireworks and beach barbecues are indicative enough that viewers can fill in the blanks.
Far more buses have applied to secure parking through the city for the Women's March on Washington the day after inauguration than for the inauguration itself, a D.C Council member has said.

Charles Allen said at least 1200 buses have applied for permits to park at RFK Stadium in Washington on January 21, the day of the Women's March on Washington, while 200 have applied for parking the day before, Inauguration Day. NBC4 first reported the figures.

Now, more than 100,000 people have registered their plans to attend the Women's March on Washington. Credit:Getty Images

RFK Stadium has a capacity of 1300 buses and is the main city-run parking option for charter buses over that weekend. Buses can still find their own parking outside RFK, so these numbers do not necessarily reflect all of the buses that will be headed to the District for inauguration or the Women's March.

The D.C Council is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday on inauguration readiness and logistics.
Australian teachers, parents and recruitment agencies have lashed out at deceptive marketing practices which have turned the working-holiday dreams of some young Australian teachers into "unsustainable" experiences.

The migration of young Australian teaching graduates overseas has boomed on the back of a chronic shortage of teachers in the UK and an oversupply of teachers at home, where up to 47,000 remain on a waiting list in NSW.

Contracts that "trap" teachers in poor conditions where up to 40 per cent of wages are taken through commission are just two of the concerns outlined by Australian agencies and teachers working in the UK.

"The turnover is just incredible, the workload is unsustainable, when you are working 65 hours a week, there is no time for a holiday, there's hardly time to do your shopping," said Renee Butcher, the mother of an Australian teacher based in the UK who asked her daughter not to be named to protect her future employment prospects.
As Norway switches off its FM radio network this week, other nations have abandoned similar plans, leaving the Scandinavian country a lonely beacon of digital-only broadcasting in a world that's rapidly moving on to music streaming and podcasts.

The switch to digital audio broadcasting, a first for any country, will be watched closely by other European nations, which are starting to question the benefits of shutting down analog networks. Success in Norway may be the last hope for enthusiasts and electronics retailers to revive digital-radio plans that have largely ground to a halt in the rest of the world.

Norway's blueprint to replace FM has been in place for years, originating with its first digital broadcasts back in 1995. Credit:Louise Kennerley

"Norway is a thought leader, certainly a technology leader," Ford Ennals, chief executive officer of Digital Radio UK, said in a telephone interview. "In the UK, we are definitely more cautious. We want it to be listener-led. We don't want to force everyone to do this."

Norway's blueprint to replace FM has been in place for years, originating with its first digital broadcasts back in 1995. The technology offers better sound than analog FM, is easier to tune and more affordable for broadcasters because it uses spectrum more efficiently. But in the intervening decades, a different technology took hold: internet radio and music streaming from companies such as Spotify Ltd and Apple Inc, and Pandora Media Inc in the US.
The awkward moment came on air.

The radio host kept referring to Rory Blundell using the pronoun "she" during an interview - ironically - about the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in the media and film.

Rory Blundell. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Blundell is a trans man who uses the pronoun "he", so he gently corrected the host on air.

There was an awkward silence. "Most of the time people feel a bit embarrassed," says Rory. "All that's needed is a quick apology, it doesn't have to be a huge deal. The less of a big deal the better."
The spike forced police to close liquor shops in South and Port Hedland due to the sudden increase in alcohol-fuelled violence. Abbott Native Title Trustees has gone to ground since the uproar over the handouts, refusing to respond to repeated requests from WAtoday for comment. Other Aboriginal trusts, however, have been quick to condemn the decision. Njamal People's Trust chairman Rodney Carter said the move was in direct contradiction to the purpose of native title trusts. "The object of virtually every single one of these charities is to reduce hardship and domestic violence and all the things associated with it," he said.

"We just couldn't believe it that they were giving out that amount of money all at once  it's unsolicited, that should have stopped 20 years ago." He said there was a better way for trusts to help ease the burden at Christmas time, with his trust providing similar $250 Coles e-vouchers to around 1000 recipients in Port Hedland, but with a clause they could not be used to purchase alcohol or exchanged for gift cards. Other trusts, such as those managed by IBN Corporation - one of the largest aboriginal corporations in the Pilbara - are charitable trusts which are not allowed to give mass cash payments, rather spending their income through investments in services and programs to help their people. WAtoday understands how the income into a native title trust is distributed depends on the agreement signed off between the mining company, or land user, and the native title claimants. Some agreements stipulate cash as the main income stream for recipients while others stipulate the opposite, and require the money be invested in projects and services rather than transferred directly into people's bank accounts.

Gumula Aboriginal Corporation also distributed nearly 900 $200 goodwill Christmas gift vouchers to its members that could be redeemed at "a range of outlets". In a letter to its members, chairman Steven Dhu said media reports about the gift card distribution had not told the "full story". "Let it be clear - Gumala Aboriginal Corporation does not condone or encourage alcoholism and anti-social behaviour in any form," he said. "Contrary to police comments, the gift cards distributed by Aboriginal corporations have not created this problem. "Alcohol and drug abuse is a long-running and widespread issue fought by many Australian communities, both indigenous and non-indigenous.

"We cannot be accountable for how members choose to spend their money, just like mining giants are not responsible for how its employees and executives spend their bonuses." Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma elder Maureen Kelly OAM, from Port Hedland, agreed individuals should be accountable for their own finances, but called for more to be done to prevent native title benefits being misappropriated. "At the end of the day, it's the individual person's responsibility and those native title groups were trying to ensure everyone had food on their table for Christmas," she said. "Lore meetings were on at Yandeyarra, I was there and I saw people pulling up with tray loads of food  people need to look at that side of the fence. "There were about 20 or 30 Christmas puddings, custard and cakes... that's what it's for  that's what needs to be remembered."

She and Mr Dhu called for the entire community to come together to address the problems plaguing the town. "At the moment alcohol and drugs have got a grip on the town and it's affecting everybody, it affects every second or third member of the community, we need to stand united and say 'no more'," Ms Kelly said. "You can't tell people what to do with their money and their lives, but you can put in place measures that, maybe, change people's behaviour. "I'm all in support of a [cashless] welfare card because what we have in place now is not working." Loading
French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen was seen at Trump Tower on Thursday, but she declined to say whether she was there to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump, according to a Reuters witness and a media pool report.

An aide to Ms Le Pen, who leads in the latest opinion poll for the presidency, declined to comment on her reason for being in the lobby of the building on Thursday. Ms Le Pen waved off reporters when approached.

Donald Trump had no plans to meet with Ms Le Pen, according to an aide to the president-elect, who asked not to be identified without authorisation to speak publicly. Neither is she on Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon's schedule, a person familiar said. Ms Le Pen's campaign chief of staff, David Rachline, said earlier that she was making a private visit to New York.

"It's not on her public agenda," Mr Rachline said in a text message exchange, when asked if she planned a meeting with Mr Trump or officials close to him. "We don't communicate about private visits."
Casablanca: Morocco has reportedly banned the sale and production of the burqa in what appears to be the latest stage of the kingdom's tough stance on Islamic extremism.

Letters announcing the ban were sent to market vendors this week, with businessmen given just 48 hours to get rid of their stock.

It is unclear whether the ban, which is linked to security concerns as the burqa fully conceals the wearer's face, extends to wearing the garment in public places.

"We have taken the step of completely banning the import, manufacture and marketing of this garment in all the cities and towns of the kingdom," a senior Moroccan government official said. The kingdom's government has not confirmed the ban and it was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has repeated threats to kill municipal mayors involved in drugs as the number of Filipinos killed in his deadly crackdown tops 6200.

"I might go down in history as the butcher. It's up to you," Mr Duterte told 1635 town and city mayors he summoned to the presidential palace.

"I will ask the chief of police to shoot you," he said.

Antonio Halili, the mayor of Tanauan City, near Manila, said that during the meeting Mr Duterte fumed about drugs destroying "the moral fabric of society".
DETROIT, MI, Jan. 11, 2017 ;The Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC), met today, during the North American International Auto Show, in Detroit, to discuss the growth and competitiveness of Canada's automotive industry. CAPC members were joined by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Honourable Brad Duguid, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development and Growth, and Deputy Minister Jocelin Dumas, Quebec's Deputy Minister of the Economy, Science and Innovation.

At the meeting, Mr. Ray Tanguay, Automotive Advisor to the Governments of Canada and Ontario, reported on his ongoing activities to promote Canada as a valued jurisdiction for manufacturing and developing new technologies. Mr. Tanguay continues to develop Canada's value proposition for investments in the automotive industry. Recognizing the work by Mr. Tanguay, CAPC also discussed key issues to address ongoing competitiveness challenges and priority recommendations focusing on advanced technology, attracting talent and growing the automotive industry.

"It is imperative that we keep people passionate about the future of automotive and the role our country can play in it," said Don Walker, Magna CEO and Chairman of CAPC. "Keeping manufacturing strong in Canada and building its innovation economy should be priority number one for government, industry, labour and academia."

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Honourable Navdeep Bains stated that "the federal government's support for innovation in the auto sector is a key part of our plan to create better jobs, opportunities and living standards for all Canadians. We invest in automotive innovation as a full and active partner to secure and create jobs in the sector across the country. We also leverage that support to attract additional investments that build on the sector's technological and engineering strengths. These efforts will allow Canada to maintain its position as a global innovation leader as it designs and produces the cars of the future."

Following the meeting, Minister Brad Duguid commented, "We're seeing tremendous momentum in the Canadian/Ontario auto sector  more than $2 billion in new investment in the past several months alone. Meanwhile, Ontario-based engineering talent, both within the auto industry, and across the broader technology sector, is at the forefront of connected, autonomous and alternative fuel technologies. I want to commend CAPC for its leadership in boosting collaboration between industry, government, labour and academia that is driving innovation and growth across the Great Lakes auto cluster."

Looking ahead in 2017, CAPC agreed on the continued importance for all stakeholders (government, industry, labour and academia) to be actively involved in measures for growing Canada's automotive footprint. Canada's automotive industry is built on a foundation of strong partnerships and it is this foundation that will be key to driving growth through innovation. In the coming year, CAPC will continue working to implement its priority recommendations and to keep abreast of the ever evolving changes affecting the industry.

Background

The Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC) is an industry-led organization whose mandate is to address the key competitiveness issues facing the Canadian automotive industry. Membership comprises the CEOs of Canada's five automotive assemblers, CEOs of Canada's leading parts suppliers, representatives from labour, academia, and aftermarket and dealer associations, as well as federal, Ontario and Quebec industry ministers. Today's meeting was chaired by the Chair of CAPC, Don Walker, who is also the President and CEO of Magna International Inc.
Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...
City of Columbias Pet of the Week Meleas is a five-month-old pit bull puppy who is looking for a home to call her own. Meleas is happy to hang around with her humans, sunbath, snooze on a...

For Dogs, its Trick and Treat Its almost Halloween, a great time to teach your dog a trick and give him a treat. Most trainers are fans of trick training. Its not as silly as it...
When Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein opened Jeff Sessionss congressional grilling, she admitted the process would be tough for her.

The senator before us this morning is someone who many of us on this committee have worked with for 20 years, she said. That makes this very difficult for me.

But for the Congressional Black Caucus, ripping would-be Attorney General Sessions was easy.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, hastily added a final panel to the end of the confirmation proceedings, including African-American congressmen who vehemently criticized Sessions. The panel included Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Cedric Richmond, and Rep. John Lewisa civil rights icon. The three said Sessions would undo much of the progress of the civil rights movement. And Richmond compared Grassley to segregationists.

Three African-American men who worked with Sessions also testified on the panel, working to counter their criticism. The ensuing clash foreshadows whats likely to be a top area of scrutiny for Sessions: his approach to voting rights as attorney general.

Because of the Supreme Courts 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Justice Departments ability to enforce the Voting Rights Actseminal civil rights legislationhas been significantly weaker. Conservatives, including Sessions, have praised that ruling, arguing it freed local voting jurisdictions from onerous federal oversight. Progressives and civil rights advocates, meanwhile, argue it gave those jurisdictions the power to make voting much harder for African-Americans and other minority groups.

As Attorney General, Sessions would oversee the federal agency responsible for both protecting Americans access to the voting booth and keeping voter fraud from impacting election outcomes. Theres no evidence that voter fraud had a meaningful impact on the 2016 elections. But that didnt keep Donald Trump from tweeting that millions of people voted illegally in the presidential contest, an assertion his staff doubled-down on repeatedly even after his won. During the final day of the Sessions confirmation proceedings, Democrats argued Trumps administration is likely to use this as an excuse to make voting even harder for people who typically oppose Republicans, especially African-Americans.

Sessions passed on criticizing Trumps voter fraud tweet during his hearing on Tuesday.

I do believe we regularly have fraudulent activities occur during election cycles, he said when Democratic Sen. Al Franken asked if Trump had explained the baffling tweet to him.

The Alabamans reply fueled his critics concerns.

He will be expected to defend voting rights, but his record indicates that he wont, said Booker.

Lewis also ripped into Sessions over voting issues.

After the Shelby v. Holder decision, minorities were in mourning as Senator Sessions was celebrating, he said. He declared the decision was good news for the South. Alabama and other States immediately adopted voter ID legislationmaking it harder for minorities to execute their right to vote.

As a fellow Southerner, I have no doubt that Senator Sessions is polite to all he meets, Lewis added. My concern is not about how nice he is. My concern is about where he will take the Department of Justice and whether he will respect the dignity and worth of every, single person in our countryregardless of race, color, or background.

And Richmond went further than either Booker or Lewis, comparing the committee Republicanswho initially didnt invite them to testify and then had their panel as the final part of the confirmation proceedingsto segregationists.

I want to express my concerns about being made to testify at the very end of the witness panels, he said. To have a senator, a House member, and a living civil rights legend testify at the end of all of this is the equivalent of being made to go to the back of the bus.

Lindsey Graham, a white South Carolina Republican on the committee, told The Daily Beast after the hearing that he didnt appreciate Richmonds comment.

I find that highly offensive, he said. I think Sen. Grassley has been great. Theres no requirement for him to allow three Democratic politicians to come and beat up a Republican nominee, but he chose to do it. I respect his decision, and I had been chairman, I dont know if I would have let them do it at all.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Sessions nomination sometime this month, and then the full Senate will vote on him. Republicans control the Senate, and none of them oppose Sessions.

That means Sessions will almost certainly head to the Justice Department, where hell have a chance to prove Democrats wrongor right.
In so many ways, Wednesdays event made it feel as though nothing had changed at all since the summer. We were back at Trump Tower, the atrium decked out with 10 American flags set before a sky blue curtain and a lectern stamped with the Trump sealonly now, of course, it says, president-elect.

He embellished, deflected, and flat out lied. He attacked the press, even yelling at one reporter and accusing him of being fake news. But every once in a while, as Trump made a half-hearted attempt to quell concerns about himself and his businesses, the enormity of the role hes about to assume became clear, and everything felt much different.

Spokesman Sean Spicer kicked off the press conference by taking to the lectern to condemn the gossip of the moment, published Tuesday evening by BuzzFeed. Its frankly outrageous and highly irresponsible for a left-wing blog that was openly hostile to the president-elects campaign to drop highly salacious and flat-out false information on the internet just days before he takes the oath of office, Spicer said to the dozens of members of the media and tv cameras, his anger palpable.

BuzzFeed had taken the controversial step of publishing in full a document of wholly unverified allegations, some of them sexually explicit and some of them already disproven, against the president-elect. The information was said to be collected by a former British intelligence official, and many other journalists and news organizations had decided, over a period of months, that because the claims couldnt be proven, they shouldnt be published. When CNN reported, Tuesday afternoon, that senior U.S. intelligence officials had briefed President Obama and President-elect Trump about the content of the dossier, BuzzFeed took the extra step of making the entire thing a matter of public record.

Trump and his ilk were not pleased, with Trump himself comparing the move to something that might be done in Nazi Germany and calling it fake news.

And it was in the shadow of this murky scandal that Trump held his first press conference since late July. The event had initially been scheduled to take place in December but was canceled a few days prior. Ostensibly, it was intended to allow Trump an opportunity to explain how he planned to address the potential (and likely) conflicts of interest that might arise due to his international brand, which includes real estate, hotels, and licensing the Trump name. But BuzzFeeds decision and the mayhem it wrought was making Trump and the media unfocused. As was the fact that, since itd been so long since hed answered any questions, there was so much ground to cover: Why did he undermine U.S. intelligence to defend Russia? Why was he enlisting a vaccine denier to lead a task force on vaccines? How could his kids run his business in a blind trust if that meant, by definition, the trust wasnt blind?

Its a very familiar territory, news conferences, because we used to give them on an almost daily basis, Trump said, falsely, when he first took to the lectern. He then added a bizarre claim: I think we probably, maybe, won the nomination because of news conferences.

He began by thanking the news outlets who werent BuzzFeed or CNN for coming out so strongly against that fake news. He said, I have great respect for the news and great respect for freedom of the press and all of that.

He added that some outlets had been so professional that his opinion of them had improved.

He gave a brief version of his standard stump speechjobs, outsourcing, healthcare and drugs, veteranspromising, as he often has, to be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created. He added that he was looking forward to his inauguration, which he said would be a very, very elegant day very, very special, very beautiful.

While questioned by the press, Trump couldnt decide if he thought Russia had hacked the Democrats. First he said, as far as hacking, I think it was Russia, before adding that other countries and other people could have also been responsible.

He reiterated that assertion later on, along with his Twitter-assertion that publishing the unproven allegations against him was something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. He called BuzzFeed, a failing pile of garbage and promised they would suffer the consequences for what they did.

As for a specific allegation made in the dossier and published by BuzzFeed, involving Russian women, a bed, and an unconventional sex act, Trump said, cheekily, Im also very much a germaphobe, believe me. Although, in 2015, he told The Hollywood Reporter, Im not germaphobic.

Although he added that he always knew cameras, tiny ones, were festooned in hotel rooms and even went as far as to warn his pageant contestants about the phenomenon when they went abroad. Trump didnt explain if such cameras were in his own international hotels.

He touted his chummy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin as an asset, not a liability and promised the country wouldnt hack the United States once hes assume office because then Russia will respect us.

But when it came to the topic of his business interests, Trumps answers only led to more questions.

It started when they tumbled from the gilded elevator in Trump Towers lobby like an overgrown litter, delivered in two parts.

First: Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner, and Rudy Giuliani, the president-elects most trusted advisers. With the exception of the former mayor of New York, they are responsible for his election, and now theyre preparing to assume central roles in the incoming administration. They made their way to their marks, stage left, and they chatted amongst themselves while they waited for the doors to part once again.

When they did, out marched Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and the president-elect himself. Eric and his father dressed identically in dark suits, crisp white shirts, and red ties that hung just a bit too long. Meanwhile, Don Jr. looked the part of an 80s Wall Street villain, all gelled hair and gleaming pastels, while Ivanka dressed for summer despite the January chill, in a green shift dress with bare arms and legs.

Jared stood with the staffa departure, as he normally stands next to his wife, the incoming first daughter. But things had changed. It was announced earlier this week that the cherubic real-estate baron would serve as a senior White House adviser to his father-in-law.

Trump was as unconcerned and confident as ever about his unprecedented predicament.

He wont, he said, divest from his holdings. Instead, hell turn over the business to Eric and Don Jr. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. Theyre not going to discuss it with me. Again, I dont have to do this. Theyre not going to discuss it with me, he said. Meanwhile, Ivanka has stepped down as the head of her company and will focus on her children rather than the Trump organizationa claim that felt particularly funny given the setup of the press conference: The blue curtain that served as the backdrop didnt quite conceal Ivankas fine jewelry storefront, where her diamond creations, like her custom engagement ring, can be bought right before you stop over at Gucci.

Trump then trotted out his lawyer, Sheri Dillon, and referred to a table stacked with manila folders, which he said were filled with just some of the many documents hed signed related to turning his business over to his kids.

Dillon made a series of questionable claims, beginning with the fact that Trumps empire is not dissimilar to the fortunes of Nelson Rockefeller when he became vice president.

The conflicts of interest laws simply do not apply to the president or the vice president and they are not required to separate themselves from their financial assets, she said, not mentioning the long tradition of presidents doing so regardless.

Dillon argued that asking Trump to divest fully and sell everything was unfair. She said, dubiously, that doing so would not eliminate the possibilities of conflicts of interest but would exacerbate them. She added that without rights to his brand the value of his business would decline and create a fire sale.

Dillon promised that, as to not violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, Trump would donate the profits from foreign government payments to his hotel, located near the White House, to the United States Treasury. This way, Dillon claimed, it is the American people who will profit.

In reality, this creates a clear pathway for foreign governments and dignitaries to bribe the president-electand it violates the clause, which states that gifts must be rejected, not diverted to charity.

President-elect Trump should not be expected to destroy the company he built, Dillon saidalthough she didnt explain why the interests of Trumps company should be put before the interests of the country.

That question is likely to arise again and again in the Trump era.
When TBS decided to move Full Frontal With Samantha Bee to Wednesday nights and scheduled the first show of the new year for Jan. 11, they had no idea it would fall on the same day President-elect Donald Trump defended himself against accusations of enjoying golden showers in Russia by telling reporters: Im a germaphobe.

Yet here we are.

Bee began by talking about President Obamas emotional farewell speech in Chicago the night before. Here come the waterworks, she said. And speaking of waterworks

From there, we were off and running on #GoldenShowerGate. Hallelujah! Its comedy Christmas! Bee exclaimed as the words People are saying Trump likes pee???!!! appeared behind her. Oh bullshit, she said in response to the unsubstantiated rumors that Trump paid women to urinate on a hotel bed in front of him. Like were supposed to believe Trump has started paying people who do work for him?

The only verifiable thing about this report is how much joy it gave me, Bee admitted. It also claims the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin, which would be a capital offense, but oh my God, DJT likes to douse beds in floozy pee!

She went on to say that theres high probability that this whole story is bullshit, but the fact that its plausible bullshit is a terrifying statement about what our nation has come to. No one would ever believe the same thing about President Obama, Bee added, because hes got people who do that for free, referring to Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan.

But we absolutely believe that Donald Trump is petty enough to hire someone to take a whiz in any bed his predecessor has slept in, Bee said. In fact, if we believe doing something nasty and petty is what gets Trump hard, then his late-night tweets about Alec Baldwin make a lot more sense.

And while CNN broke the seal on the story, Bee said it was BuzzFeed that said fuck journalistic standards, here you go! But as she explained, this story has been around for a while and even FBI Director James Comey would never confirm nor deny a report of this nature. Unless, of course, she added, his rebellious agents think Americas about to elect a total bitch.

As ludicrous as the allegations against Trump are, Bee joked that to believe theyre true you would first have to accept that the president-elect has some bizarre fixation with women and their bladders. Cut to the clip of Trump calling Hillary Clintons mid-debate trip to the restroom disgusting.

On the mornings press conference, Bee said, While its fun to watch a livid Orange Julius explain that he cant be into watersports because hes a germaphobe, we may have just witnessed what the history books might call the end of Americas tradition of a free press.

We can only hope that the incontinent sex-worker frosting draws attention to the reports less delicious details about Russia manipulating our president, Bee concluded. After all, as the old Disney song goes, a spoonful of hooker urine helps the treason claims go down.
Donald Trump just found out how it feels to be slandered by the powerful and he doesnt like it.

After powering his way to the presidency with innuendo, slander, and lies, Trump was painted as a sexual pervert, corrupt businessman, and Russian pawn in an explosive dossier published by BuzzFeed.

None of the claims have been proven, as BuzzFeed noted at the time. Some, like a purported meeting between Trumps attorney and the Russians, have been proven false since publication.

BuzzFeed was no doubt motivated to publish the dossier because it believed it was telling truth to power. But now Trump is using BuzzFeeds decision to try to delegitimize the entire press as fake news. No one has done more to spread fake news than Trump, from promoting birther nonsense to retweeting false crime statistics to giving interviews to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

This provides an opportunity to cut through the sickening situational ethics of the past few months. If it was wrong when Trump used gossip to slander his enemies, then its wrong when journalists publish gossip that slanders Trump.

Gossip is the most appropriate term for damaging claims made by anonymous sources, unless and until they can be proven. And thats the right word for what was spread when BuzzFeed published embarrassing and criminal allegations against Trump and several advisers made by sources of a former spy working as a political operative. In other words, news organzations didn't know who the reporter was or who his sources were.

Despite that, Buzzfeed's stated defense for publishing was that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations.

Thats not journalism, its passing the buck. In fact, its more important to prove or disprove allegations when the public has already made up their own minds.

The truth isnt subject to popular vote.

The allegations against Trump couldnt be substantiated by any news organizationincluding The Daily Beastafter months of investigation, so thats why we resisted publishing them, even after CNN reported on their existence Tuesday evening.

Claiming the allegations were newsworthy because they are circulated at the highest levels of the U.S. government gives anyone in power permission to slime his opponents, anonymously, through the press. CNN did it the right way by reporting on the dossiers existence and doubts about its veracity, without exposing specific allegations.

We have seen what happens when claims are raised to the level of facts, without vetting, because they are touted by the powerful: The weak are destroyed.

Senator Joe McCarthy did this to great effect while he hunted imaginary communists everywhere from the U.S. Army to CBS News. At his side was attorney Roy Cohn, who became the Trump family consigliere and taught young Donald how to fight, with the admonition to never apologize, always attack.

If Cohn were still alive, he would be beaming at his former protege. After all, McCarthy never made it out of the Senate; Trump will move into the Oval Office in 10 days.

Of course the greatest irony is that Trump has finally gotten a taste of his own medicine.

When he prepared to run against Barack Obama six years ago, Trump said the president couldnt prove he was born in America. When Obama produced his birth certificate showing he was born in Hawaii, Trump said an extremely credible source told him it was fake.

When Ted Cruz threatened him in the primaries two years ago, Trump publicized a National Enquirer story claiming Cruzs father helped assassinate JFK. I have no idea whether it was right or not, Trump said.

When Hillary Clinton stood between him and the White House last year, Trump said she doesnt have the stamina to hold office, implying she was critically ill.

But perhaps the worst thing Trump said to get to the White House wasnt against any candidate: it was against millions of Americans.

I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down, he said in 2015, adding later, there were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down.

When asked about this specific claim of Trumps, the editor of The Wall Street Journal said journalists should be careful of about using the word lie.

Lie implies much more than just saying something thats false, Gerald Baker told Meet the Press. It implies a deliberate intent to mislead.

Trump didnt make this claim once, though. He repeated it, over and over, in the face of numerous investigations that failed to find any evidence that dozens, let alone thousands, of people were cheering mass murder.

When someone repeats something they are told is not supported by evidence or facts, it is a lie. In fact, it was worse than a lie: It was a slander against the more than 3 million Muslims living in America, implying that they are terrorist sympathizers.

The closest thing Trump found to evidence was a Washington Post report that people said others were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks. Serge Kovaleski wrote that story and in 2015 told me he tried to substantiate the claims then, but could not.

We did a lot of shoe leather reporting in and around Jersey City and talked to a lot of residents and officials for the broader story. Much of that has, indeed, faded from memory. But I do not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating. That was not the case, as best as I can remember.

Kovaleski didnt say Trump was wrong, only that he couldnt remember.

Trumps response to this measured quote that didnt line-up with his propaganda was to mock Kovaleskis physical handicap as if he were mentally disabled.

Kovaleski told the truthin spite of Trumps power, in spite of growing popular opinionbecause he is a good journalist.

Trump thanked the journalists who like Kovaleski tried to substantiate allegations (this time against Trump), but couldnt and as a result didnt publish them.

I want to thank a lot of the news organizations for some of whom have not treated me very well over the yearsa couple in particularand they came out so strongly against that fake news he said at Wednesdays press conference.

Trump only applauded reporters and editors for doing their jobs because it was to his benefit this time. He doesnt care about truth, only power. But when theres no discernible truth, all youre left with is power, and that should be chilling to all journalists when the most powerful man in the world is also the enemy of the free press.
At Donald Trumps press conference this morning, the president-elect claimed that the allegations he engaged in urine play  better known as golden showers could not be true because he is a germaphobe.

As many were quick to note after Trumps statement, however, urine is commonly believed to be sterile, thanks, in part, to survival television shows .

And while recent studies show that urine isnt completely bacteria and germ-free, urine has been shown to have antibacterial and antiviral properties , likely leading to the the myth that urinating on a wound is a good idea (which its not .)

Whats more, the bacteria present in urine is similar to the so-called flora living symbiotically other places in the body such as the mouth or gastrointestinal tract.

Its like any other niche on our body, Evann Hilt, a microbiology researcher at Loyola University of Chicago , told the audience at a conference of the American Society for Microbiology back in 2014, you have a good flora that keeps you healthy.

While bacteria that are safe and healthy for your own biological ecosystem, they arent necessarily meant to be shared with others, says Dr. Hunter Handsfield, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Washington Center for AIDS and STDs and Chief Medical Advisor for the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) .

Yet urine exposure likely wont put you at risk for an STD or illness, according to Handsfield. In fact, its far less risky than vaginal or anal sex, and even less risky than oral sex.

 STDs are not merely infections that happen to involve the genitals , Handsfield told The Daily Beast. The bacteria and viruses that cause them evolved to require the intimate contact of sex to be transmitted. Thats why you dont see them transmitted by people shaking hands or transmitted among co-workers. Sex, or sex per-se, is required.

Contact with urine or urine-play as part of sexual activity would not facilitate the transfer of the large amounts of causative bacteria and viruses needed, Handsfield explains. The little bit of sexual secretions or concentration of virus that would be in urine if you were exposed this way would be unlikely to cause disease.

Handsfields statements are backed up by his own experience as the former STD program director for the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health and recent CDC guidelines for disease transmission of common viruses like cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other STDs .

According to Handsfield, deriving sexual pleasure from urine or urine-related acts known by sexual psychologists as urolagnia can easily be included along the normal spectrum of human sexual behavior, even if golden showers arent for you.
CHARLESTON, South CarolinaFor the third time in a little more than a month, Felicia Sanders stared down her sons killer in a courtroom.

Twice before she had testified from the witness standonce to help establish the guilt of Dylann Roof and again to help a jury decide to sentence him to death.

On Wednesday she spoke in court for a third time as part of Roofs formal sentencing at the Charleston Federal Courthouse, describing how he upended a Bible study she attended at Emanuel A.M.E. Church on June 17, 2015, by suddenly spraying 77 bullets and shooting nine people dead as they closed their eyes and stood to pray.

Speaking from a lectern in the center of the courtroom, Sanders was allowed to address the convicted killer directly, 19 months after surviving his racially-motivated attack by playing dead and smearing herself in the warm blood of his victims, all while hushing and clutching her young granddaughter and witnessing the death of her 26-year-old son, Tywanza Sanders.

Felicia Sanders said Roof has been in her head since the shooting and was responsible for her adopting an attitude of I cant.

I cant hear balloons pop. I cant see the fireworks. I cant (hear an acorn drop from a tree). Most importantly I cannot shut my eyes and pray, said Sanders. I have to keep my eye on everyone around me.

She said she forgave the killer, who had documented his extensive racist thoughts in two manifestos and assorted drawings featuring racist symbols, along with photographs of himself posing with a gun and the Confederate flag.

But you cant help someone who wont help themselves, said Sanders, and that is you. May God have mercy on your soul.

Sanders daughter, Shirrene Goss, then addressed Roof, describing him as the worst kind of evil and remarking on the pointlessness of his crime.

You didnt start a race war. You didnt rid the world of black people, said Goss. You didnt accomplish anything but deep hurt for a lot of people.

Goss was followed by her father, Tyrone Sanders, who challenged Roof to look his way. When Roof did not heed Sanderss command and looked straight ahead at a wall, as was his habit for nearly the entire trial, Sanders taunted his sons killer by telling him to close his eyes and imagine a member of his family procreating with a black man in Zimbabwe.

Tyrone Sanders said he wished they could enact a law in which they cut off a limb every time you appeal. Sanders then said that once Roof exhausted his supply of limbs, he wished the amputee would then be turned over to his parents care in order to save taxpayers money.

Following these comments from Tywanza Sanders parents and sister, more than 30 people from eight other families took to the lectern to voice similar sentiments, all while Roof seemed to pay them no attention, much to some family members annoyance.

Many expressed confidence Roof would rot in hell, with witnesses describing him as the devil, the spawn of Satan and Satan himself, filled with evil and hate.

How dare you sit there every day looking dumb-faced, acting like you did nothing wrong, said Ashland Temoney, a niece of victim Depayne Middleton.

How dare you smile or smirk, said Temoney. You are the biggest coward I have ever seenyou cant even be a man and look at us as peoplethe very sight of you makes me sick.

Temoney told Roof that he failed in his objective to divide blacks and whites through the onset of a race war, referencing the public dialogue about race relations that has followed in the wake of the massacre at Emanuel A.M.E. Church and other racially-tinged shootings.

Blacks and whites, believe it or not, are having meaningful conversationswere becoming closer, said Temoney. Your mission failed. FAILED! FAILED! FAILED! FAILED!

You brought all nine families together. We are Charleston strong, said Temoney. We are the family that love built.

Other relatives and friends of the victims spoke in gentler, though still hurtful, tones, forgiving Roof and urging him to repent for his actions.

The only thing wrong with him is his heart, said Blondell Gadsden, a sister to victim Myra Thompson. I ask God to please work on his heart.

A sister-in-law to victim Cynthia Hurd, Sheila Capers, offered to visit Roof in prison and pray with him.

I pray that God sends someone to you to reach you, said Capers, so when you are executed youll be able to go to heaven, too.

Gary Washington, a deaf man who lost his mother, Ethel Lance, in the shooting, used sign language to described how freaked out he became when he learned his mother was involved in the church massacre.

Now I dont have anybody to help care for me, signed Washington. To you, Dylann, I know youll be burning in hell.

No family or friends spoke on Roofs behalf. The killer, convicted in December on 33 charges related to the church shooting, made no comments himself except to ask for new court-appointed attorneys, saying he did not trust his current legal counsel.

United States District Judge Richard Gergel denied that request, telling Roof his lawyers had been loyal and zealous, even as Roof sidelined them twice during the trial, acting as his own attorney during jury selection and sentencing proceedings.

Acting on the verdict reached on Tuesday by a jury, Gergel formally sentenced Roof to the death penalty on 18 federal charges and life imprisonment on 15 federal charges.

This trial has produced no winners, only losers, said Gergel.

Despite the trials closure, some observers were still left mystified by Roofs decision to unload dozens of bullets into a group of worshipers that had welcomed him into their fold for Bible study.

What are you? What kind of subhuman miscreant could commit such evil? said Marsha Spencer, a member of Emanuel A.M.E. Church who likened Roof to the mass murderers Timothy McVeigh, Charles Manson and Adolf Hitler before labeling him a pathetic and reviled excuse for a human being.

The last image I want to see of you is you being led away in handcuffs to await your gruesome destiny, said Spencer.

Moments later Spencer got her wish. Officially sentenced to death, Roof was escorted out of the courtroom by U.S marshals, soon to take his place on death row.
Dear Caitlyn,

Rumor has it that youll be attending Donald Trumps inauguration next week. Or, at least thats what Us Weekly heard from a source. Your publicist is saying that your attendance cannot be confirmed at this time but given your history of accepting Trumps invitations, I wouldnt be surprised if you were seriously considering it.

The last time you took Trump on an offer, you used the womens room in the lobby of his Manhattan tower. That act had a certain sort of subversive value, but attending his inauguration sends the wrong message at a pivotal moment in the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. So Im asking you, one transgender woman to another, not to go.

For the record, I have been one of your staunchest defenders in the press. After your Vanity Fair cover, I called out critics on the right and on the left for trying to put you in a box. When you indicated that you might want to date men and the tabloids promptly lost their minds, I pointed out that a woman dating a man is not exactly a newsworthy arrangement. And when even CBS News circulated the myth that you had decided to detransition, I did my best to put a stop to it.

But weve reached the point at which a Trump-embracing transgender Republican celebrity is no longer an unusual benchmark of progress. Im not asking you to turn your back on your political partyif you want to try to change it from within, be my guestbut the inauguration is not a party for women like us.

It should worry you that Breitbartthe same outlet that loudly championed Trump throughout the campaign and landed its former chairman a place in the White House cant even bring itself to gender you correctly in its coverage of your inaugural invite. (I wouldnt recommend reading the comments on that post either, either, unless you want to see the worst anti-trans slurs and transphobic myths swirling together in a primordial ooze of hatred.)

These are the people who got Trump this far and theres no reason to expect theyll show you any kindness in return for your tacit display of support.

It should make you nervous that Trump once chastised North Carolina for passing its hateful anti-transgender law HB 2 but quickly changed his tune and said that states should make the decision about our bathroom rights instead. Look, I get it. Youve already changed your birth certificate. So have I. But there are transgender people less privileged than us who cant even urinate without fearing for their safety.

Trump once seemed like precisely the sort of unorthodox figure who could look at this whole bathroom thing, see through the moralistic bullshit, ignore the myths about bathroom predators, and call a spade a spade. There have been very few problems with the way things were before the current bathroom panic, Trump once said and he was right. But Trump isnt that guy anymore. He sold you out in exchange for people who hate us.

And thats what should terrify you most: The fact that, if you go to the inauguration, youd be rubbing shoulders with some of the most virulently anti-LGBT cabinet picks and advisors in recent history. His inevitably right-wing Supreme Court choice could at their worst dismantle marriage equality.

Ben Carson said that being transgender was the height of absurdity. Betsy DeVos and her family have donated to Focus on the Family, an organization that sees itself as being locked in a spiritual war with transgenderism. Dont forget our next Vice President Mike Pence supported virulently anti-gay policies as Governor of Indiana, and has already promised a talk radio host that the Trump administration will roll back protections for transgender students. (Transgender youth, as you know, have an already alarming suicide rate and initial research on the subject suggests that being denied bathroom access is significantly related to suicidality.)

These are not people you want to share a cocktail with; these are people who have funded, supported, and sustained attacks on your personhood, and your lesbian, gay, and bisexual fellows.

Go ahead and take private meetings with them after January 20th if you really want to punish yourself. Keep on trying to become the trans ambassador to the president of the United States if youre looking for a Sisyphean task to fill up the next four years of your life. I suspect a Trump White House would only try to transform you into a smiling puppet that they can use as a distraction from anti-LGBT policy, but if and when the proselytizing mood strikes you, then go preach on Pennsylvania Avenue.

But theres a symbolism to the inauguration in particular that you cant ignore. You didnt ask to be the most famous transgender person in the world. But you are. And your attendance strikes an off celebratory note on the eve of a renewed political battle against people like us. State legislatures in Texas and Virginia are readying bills that explicitly go after transgender people. The Supreme Court could soon turn back years-worth of judicial protections for our rights. There will be a time for gowns one day, but now is the time for shirt sleeves.

Ill leave you with a scene from Trumps campaign to consider: Last October, he took a rainbow pride flag from one of his supporters and displayed it onstage. It was upside down. Someone had scrawled LGBTs for Trump on the yellow stripe. Trump held it up and beamed.

The photographers went wild. For months now, people have cited those photos as proof that I shouldnt be afraid of a Trump White Houseas if a simple publicity stunt were more significant than the stated policy positions of the incoming administration. I cant count the number of times I have seen those photos sent to LGBT people on social media to mock them for having any trepidations whatsoever about the next four years.

You, too, are a symbol, whether you like it or not. Be you. But dont be Trumps rainbow flag.

Sincerely, Samantha

P.S. If you do decide to go, say hello to Hillary Clinton again. Shes the reason you can get the gender marker on your passport changed. And if you havent done that alreadyyou said it was in the process last Aprilyou might want to take care of that before the inauguration. The after-party in Washington could very well be the elimination of our already tenuous rights. Just looking out for you.
Gen. Jim Mattis, long a skeptic of putting women in combat roles, assured senators during his first day of confirmation hearings that he would not roll back Obama-era policies which some on the right have derided as social experimentation.

The standards are the standards and when people meet the standards then thats the end of the discussion on that, the general said, telling the committee that if confirmed as Defense Secretary, he would not enter the office with an agenda to oppose women in combat.

Like other Donald Trump administration nominees, the retired general was ready to break with the president-elect on a number of issues.

Mattis, the nominee for Defense Secretary, also praised NATO as the most successful military alliance, probably, in modern world history, maybe ever, one that Russia is trying to break. He told senators he had a very, very high degree of confidence in our intelligence community, despite Trumps ongoing feud with them.

Mattis has had a history of public statements outlining his concern that men and women cannot serve in combat services without love or affection compromising their judgement. Trump appears to agree: he has previously blamed the high rate of sexual assaults in the military on gender integration.

In March 2016, current Secretary of Defense Ash Carter approved plans from the military to open all combat roles to women.

And the general was singing the same tune before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday afternoon.

Fifteen percent of the military is made up of women, and if they can meet the same physical standards of men, they should be allowed to serve, Mattis told Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who has been a key advocate for female service members.

I have no plan to oppose women serving in any aspect in our military. In 2003, I had hundreds of Marines who happened to be women, serving in my 23,000 person Marine division. This is 10 years before I retired. I put them right into the front lines just like everyone else, Mattis said. If someone brings me a problem, Ill look at. But Im not coming in looking for problems Im looking for ways to get the department so its at its most lethal stance.

Dont Ask, Dont Tell, a law prohibiting LGBT individuals from serving openly in the military, was repealed during the Obama years. In an indication of how things have changed culturally in the military with regard to the topic, in the last decade, Mattis didnt show much concern about it.

Frankly, senator, I have never cared much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with, he told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

While Mattis is unlikely to be an aggressive advocate of LGBT rights or of women in combat, outside groups took Mattis statements as an optimistic signal.

We were happy to hear during the hearing today that Mattis does not intend to arbitrarily roll back the policy allowing qualified women to compete for all positions in the military, said Kate Germano, a spokesperson for the Service Womens Action Network. We applaud him for his appreciation of the evolving role of women in the military as the reason for his own evolution in thinking on the issue.

Added Outserve SLDN and the American Military Partner Association, both of which advocate for LGBT service members in a statement: We are heartened by General Mattis stated commitment during his testimony not to reverse the profound progress we have made in ensuring LGBT service members and their families are able to serve our nation with pride.

Much of Mattis popularity among Capitol Hill and military service members stems from a warrior-monk reputation that he developed through decades of military service. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he was the subject of a campaign to draft him into the race as an independent candidate.

But despite his popularity amongst the troops, he faces an additional hurdle that most Secretary of Defense nominees do not face. Federal law requires that military officers be out of uniform for at least seven years before becoming Secretary of Defense, which is meant to codify the concept of civilian control over the Pentagon.

Because of this law, Mattis will require a Congressional waiver to pass through the House and Senate. He advanced his case through the committee Thursday: the panel voted 24-3 to grant him the waiver, which still needs to be voted on by the full House and Senate.

His confirmation hearings took a mere four hoursalmost a formality as compared to the nine hour grilling that Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson receive Wednesday.

Though known by the troops as Mad Dog and Chaos, Mattis found a way to be, well, diplomatic:saving the bared teeth and growling for the Pentagons targets, and all but ensuring his confirmation later this month.
Senator Jeff Sessions, Donald Trumps pick for attorney general, has come under fire for accepting an award from right-wing extremist David Horowitz.

What Sessions said when he accepted it may prove to be even more explosive.

Ultimately, freedom of speech is about ascertaining the truth, Sessions, an Alabama Republican, told Horowitzs audience on Nov. 14, 2014. And if you dont believe theres a truth, you dont believe in truth, if youre an utter secularist, then how do we operate this government? How can we form a democracy of the kind I think you and I believe in I do believe that we are a nation that, without God, there is no truth, and its all about power, ideology, advancement, agenda, not doing the public service.

The comments have not been previously reported, nor have any of Sessionss colleagues asked about them at his confirmation hearings.

While plenty of elected officials may hold similar beliefs, Sessions is a nominee for attorney general, the chief law enforcement officer in the country. His comments raise questions as to which set of truths, religious or secular, would motivate his Justice Departments decisions on which laws to prosecute, which liberties to protect, and which interpretations of legal and constitutional texts to adopt.

It goes against the values our country was founded on to intertwine religion and government in the way that Sessions described, Michael Keegan, president of the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way, told The Daily Beast. The equality of every American, regardless of his or her religious beliefs or nonbelief, is one of the core principles of our democracy. If Jeff Sessions cant understand that, hes unfit to serve as attorney general.

Indeed, to describe freedom of speech as being about ascertaining the truth flies in the face of 200 years of Supreme Court precedent, which protects artistic expression, commercial speech, and free expression of all types, regardless of whether they are intended to ascertain the truth.

Other comments made to Horowitzs Freedom Center raise further questions regarding Sessionss beliefs.

Ive seen some great people receive this [award], David, and its a special treat and pleasure for me because you know how much I admire you as we battle for, I think, for right and justice and law and American peoples legitimate interests and expectations from their government, Sessions said.

At the time, the most recent recipients of the Daring the Odds award included the extreme anti-Muslim blogger Pamela Geller and former Senator Russell Pearce, who was the co-author of Arizonas draconian anti-immigrant law. (This year, it was awarded to alt-right icon Milo Yiannapoulos.)

And at an earlier Freedom Center event, held on Feb. 13, 2013, Sessions praised Horowitz for having made a profound contributions to the conservative movement, and praised his book A Point in Time as being a good book, a wise book, well in the tradition of the Western heritage of faith and reason. Sessions stated that after reading Horowitzs book Radicals, I had an epiphany. Sessions telephoned Horowitz who gave me some ideas itll make a difference in how we approach things.

Most recently, of course, Sessions described Horowitz as brilliant at his confirmation hearing.

The close relationship between the two, which Sessions effusively described four years ago but omitted from the questionnaire he provided to the Senate, raises questions about how Sessions regards Horowitzs profound contributions, which often tilt to the extreme far right.

For example, Horowitz has accused Hillary Clinton and Grover Norquist of being secret agents of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2014, shortly before Sessions received his award, Horowitz called Nancy Pelosi a Jew-hating bitch on Twitter. In 2016, he called anti-Trump conservative Bill Kristol a renegade Jew. Other choice quotes include No people have shown themselves as so morally sick as the Palestinians and that African-American demands for special treatment are only necessary because some blacks cant seem to locate the ladder of opportunity within reach of others.

Horowitz has also attracted controversy by drawing an annual salary in 2013 of $540,000 and for his subsidizing the work of Geller, Robert Spencer (cited 162 times by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik), and conspiracy theorists.

Horowitzs website, FrontPageMag, regularly incites rage in broad hit pieces, such as one a few weeks ago calling President Obamas Chanukah party an abomination of a mockery, calling rabbis in attendance Rabbis and calling an Orthodox yeshiva leftist. Headlines on todays front page alone include Obama says goodbye to a nation he despises; You cant fight anti-Semitism without exposing Islamophobia as a lie; and one describing the joint intelligence report on Russian hacking as a one-sided report [that] smells like a political hatchet job.

Sessions has attended at least five of Horowitzs Freedom Center conferences, and, so far at least, has doubled down in his support of Horowitz himself.

But it is the 2014 remarks that raise the greatest questions about the prospective attorney general, for they constitute not merely an embrace of Horowitzs extremism but a theocratic vision of American democracy at odds with that of the Founding Fathersnot to mention a misunderstanding of secularists who, from Mark Twain to Stephen Hawking, Thomas Jefferson (a deist), to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, have often been very interested in the pursuit of truth.

If Sessions believes that without God, there is no truth, and that secularists cannot operate the government, how will he discharge his duties to enforce the rule of (secular) law, investigate the truth or falsity of crucial allegations, and ensure that all people are treated equally?
What the lord tweeteth, the lord taketh away. No, that is not, strictly speaking, scripture. But the message very much applies to the soon-to-be primetime presidency of Donald Trump. Over the past weeks of the transition, Trump has proven adept at taking credit via tweet for a series of decisions by multinational companies to invest in factories and hiring in the United States, most recently the announcement by Fiat (which is part of Chrysler Motors) to invest $1 billion to modernize two of its auto plants in Michigan and Ohio. Trump tweeted its finally happening, and linked both that move and last weeks announcement by Ford to, as Trump described it in another tweet, scrap Mexico plant, invest in Michigan due to Trump policies.

Its all fine and good to take credit for the winds blowing in the right direction. Trump may be unusually good at that game, but he would hardly be the first or last politician to do so. Whats intriguing is that by so closely aligning these decisions with his rhetoric of America First and his threats of potential tariffs, he is inadvertently creating a future liability: What will happen if and when the winds shift? Will Trump manage to bask in the glory of what goes right and avoid responsibility (or avoid being held responsible) for what does not?

Its clear that for now, there have been a series of announcements by companies about investing and hiring in the United States that Trump has astutely taken credit for. Its also clear that, even in the face of the fact that only one of those announcementsthe one by much-maligned Carrier not to shutter its furnace plant in Indiana but instead maintain it and a few hundred jobs with millions in aid from the governmentwas actually a product of the election results in November. All of the others, from Ford to Fiat to Japans Softbank (which controls the telecom carrier Sprint) announcing more investment in America, had been in the works quite some time before the November election. As Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, explained, decisions about where to build today were made two, three, four years ago.

That means that Trump was not the primary determinant of these decisions, though his election and concern about future friction were certainly factors in whatever boardroom discussions took place in these companies. The CEO of Ford, Mark Fields, explained to CNBC last week that Trump was by no means the main reason for canceling plans for a $1.6 billion small-car plant in Mexico. The bottom line is that were not seeing the volume and demand that we expected for that plant, Fields said. Ford then looked at existing plants in the U.S. and concluded that demand for small cars was less than expected and could therefore be met by existing facilities in Michigan. That said, Fields did acknowledge that the prospect of a more pro-growth environment under Trump was seen by Ford as a positive for manufacturing domestically.

In a related vein, the decision of Japans Softbank to invest up to $50 billion in the United States, much touted by Trump tweets after Trump met with Softbank head Masayoshi Son at Trump Tower in early December, had actually been announced a month before the election. Trump took credit for the decision; the Softbank CEO did not contradict him; and that became yet another piece of tweeted evidence that Trumps policy of cajoling and strong-arming companies to invest in America was paying off.

Why didnt any of these companies state the facts more loudly? The answer is rather simple: What would be the point? If you are Ford, Fiat, or Softbank, and the president-elect tweets out praising your investment and growth plans and then takes some credit, that makes him look better, yes, but it also makes your company look better. Why bother getting into a spat with a new administration over the timing and why bother denying Trump some credit, however tenuous that credit may be? Companies gain from letting Trump bask in the glory, and would gain nothing by rebutting him.

Trumps style is in marked contrast to Obama. Obama, much like say George H.W. Bush, found the idea of constantly touting his achievements somewhat crass. So he didnt. And in a world that appears to reward those who consistently remind others of what they have done, not aggressively taking credit for things going well can be a liability. It is not one that Trump will likely suffer.

But what happens when factories close and stores shutter? Last week, Macys announced layoffs of up to 10,000 people and the closing of multiple stores. Sears and Kmart did the same; Kohls announced dismal sales; and The Limited abruptly shut all of its retail outlets across the country. Trump supporters actually took to Twitter to take credit for Macys plight. Macys last year dumped Trumps clothing line, and in response, some Trump supporters boycotted Macys. They then connected those dots to suggest that Macys tanked because it took on Trump.

Trump himself, however, was notably silent about these retail closures. Whatever he gains from trumpeting the moves by auto companies, he gains zero by drawing attention to attrition in the retail sector that trade and tariff policies cannot and will not fix. Sure, he could conceivably attack Amazon for the hollowing-out of retail, but that would only serve to pit American companies against each other without doing an iota to generate sales and employment.

No matter how good Trump is in marketing himself, the presidency is not likely to function the way his previous ventures have. JFK once famously said in the wake of the Bay of Pigs fiasco that victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan. Trump has managed to invert that formula in his business career, and surely many who support him will give him a considerable benefit of the doubt before holding him responsible for job losses just as they now grant him credit for job gains.

Outside of that core support, he will own those problems eventually. Not in the first year, where he like all incoming presidents can effectively pawn off issues on his predecessor, but that wears thin.

If he is as lucky as he has been, the economy he has inherited will be a wage-growth and job-growth engine, as it has been the past year. We will receive a torrent of triumphant tweets. Structurally, that will not be the whole story. A Trump administration cannot reverse the chaos in the labor market unleashed by technology even if it succeeds in halting some globalization. Even if these trends are ultimately conducive to greater prosperity and increased living standards for most, in the near term, no one has figured out how to address those changes effectively. Tweets only go so far. At some point in the next four years, 140 characters of success will strike exactly the wrong note as millions lose jobs to efficiencies and automation even as millions more find engaging careers in thriving areas of the country. Live by the tweet; die by the tweet.
KeiChoura Cathey was in jail when she realized she was pregnant.

But when she asked the Maury County, Tennessee sheriffs office to obtain an abortion, she claims in a new lawsuit they denied her on the grounds that her pregnancy was not life-threatening. When she finally left jail, it was too late for her to legally terminate the pregnancy.

Access to abortion, already limited for many Americans, can be even more complicated for incarcerated women. While inmates have a constitutional right to health care, inmates abortion rights are the subject of a murky set of policies that vary state by state, and even county by county. In her $1.5 million suit against Maury County and its sheriff, Cathey says her decision was left to the whims of county officials, who deemed the procedure unnecessary. She gave birth in April 2016.

Cathey, 29, realized she was pregnant two weeks after her arrest July 2016 arrest for aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit murder. Facing a million-dollar bond, she couldnt afford to bond out of jail for the procedure. Within a month of discovering the pregnancy, she contacted Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland, informing him of her wish to obtain an abortion. Without an official abortion policy at the jail, Catheys access to the procedure depended on the sheriffs decision. But he allegedly refused to provide transportation to or funding for the procedure, calling her abortion unnecessary if Catheys life wasnt at risk.

Rowland and his department didnt return The Daily Beasts request for comment, but he told local outlets that the county treated inmate abortions on a case-by-case basis.

"We did not have a specific policy," Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland told Columbia, Tennessees News Channel 5. Tennessee Corrections does not have a specific policy. It's really a gray area.

But in Catheys case, the gray area looked more like an anti-abortion platform, allowing the procedure only if Cathey had been raped or her life was at risk.

The sheriffs department allegedly told Catheys legal counsel that it would not provide funding or transportation for purposes of obtaining an abortion unless the abortion was deemed to be medically necessary to save the mothers life or the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, her suit reads.

Rowland also characterized Catheys birth as her decision. "She decided to stay the course," he told Channel 5.

But Cathey lawsuit, which describes the ordeal as cruel and unusual, suggests she never had a choice.

Rowland denied that the jail refused to transport Cathey to a health clinic. But he described the procedure as voluntary if Catheys life was not at risk. "I brought in my command staff and medical team to research guidelines," he told Channel 5. "We felt this was a voluntary procedure, which we do have guidelines for."

Carolyn Sufin, an ob/gyn and researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine said Rowlands description of an abortion as voluntary created a false dichotomy of patients needs.

When I think of an elective procedure, as a health care provider, I think of ones where, if you delayed it indefinitely there would be no significant impact on a patients health or life, she said. That is just not true when it comes to a patients pregnancy. The decision about whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy has tremendous and lifelong consequences.

A voluntary procedure would require Cathey to bond out of jail and pay for the procedure. But while Catheys lawyers negotiated her bond down, she was unable to pay even the reduced penalty. Rowland confirmed to Channel 5 that her final bond was set at $8,000, of which she was expected to pay $800 upfront. By the time of her January release, she had entered her third trimester, at which point it was illegal for her to terminate the pregnancy. She gave birth in April, and has required treatment for postpartum depression since the delivery, her suit alleges.

Sufin said inmates have a constitutional right to health care, but that lack of written policies on procedures like abortions can leave incarcerated people without the care they need.

When it comes to health care for incarcerated people, there is tremendous variability, she told The Daily Beast. Although incarcerated people have a Constitutional right to health care and the correctional facilities are Constitutionally mandated to provide them with health care, there are no mandatory national standards for health care ... So when it comes abortion care, the best established recommendations come from the legal record.

Tennessee has legal precedent for temporarily releasing an inmate so she could obtain an abortion. In 2005, a U.S. district court allowed a Knoxville woman temporary prison leave to terminate her pregnancy. But other pregnant Tennessee inmates have suffered in the corrections system, after allegedly being denied health care.

Unfortunately things like this have happened before, Allison Glass, a director for Healthy and Free TN, a group focuses on expanding reproductive rights in Tennessee told The Daily Beast. There was a suit against the Corrections Corporation of America (which has its headquarters in Tennessee) in 2014 on behalf of a woman who was formerly incarcerated and gave birth while incarcerated. She did not receive the health care she needed and the baby died.

Her lawyers described the countys lack of an abortion policy as negligence at best, and open malice at worst.

By their deliberate indifference to a serious medical need by knowingly, intentionally, negligently and/or maliciously failing to establish proper customs, policies, and practices regarding access to abortions by pregnant inmates, Maury County violated Catheys constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment, her suit accuses.

Other inmates have made similar arguments when seeking abortions behind bars, to mixed results. Supreme Court rulings in 2005 and 2008 have allowed women in New Mexico and Arizona to leave detention to receive abortions, while in 2015, an unnamed Alabama woman was denied a medical release to terminate her pregnancy, and informed that she could only receive the procedure on a court order. The Alabama woman reportedly backed out of the case, deciding to give birth.
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 ...
What to know about daylight saving time 2022 in Iowa
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

For the most part, panelists at the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerces annual economic outlook luncheon on Tuesday came to the same conclusion that most observers of the U.S. economy have: Its hard to tell what might happen.

Given the uncertainties over how President-elect Donald Trump and his cabinet will deal with financial issues here and abroad, two of the panels three speakers repeatedly said that their opinions and advice were essentially guesswork.

Lucjan Orlowski, economics professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, instead provided an overview of what he considered the biggest risks facing global economies and financial markets. Those included longevity, as seen in the increasing life expectancy of pensioners, which will put an increasing strain on national economies.

In Japan, for example, there are now three actively working people for every one retired, Orlowski said. Twenty years ago that was six to one.

Orlowski also looked at global gross domestic product figures, which he said should be of concern. While the United States recorded a roughly 3.2 percent GDP growth in the third quarter of 2016 and will likely show a growth of about 2 percent for the year, the United Kingdom recorded a third-quarter growth of 0.6 percent, while the European zone grew by 1.4 percent, China by 7.4 percent and the Russian Federation by 0.6 percent.

Such imbalance ultimately bodes ill for the global economy, Orlowski said, noting that the forthcoming exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union will likely lead to a recession. Russia is already in a recession due to its economys lack of diversification and its political climate, he said. And Chinas impressive growth is less so when compared to the 12 percent growth it was experiencing a few years ago. The bubble created by that countrys huge private debt  two times that of its GDP  is due to burst, he added.

Where the United States could be headed is hard to predict, Orlowski said. He did, however, note that Trumps proposed corporate tax cuts  from the current 35 percent to a destination-based cash-flow tax at a 20 percent rate for corporations and 25 percent for unincorporated businesses  could spur further growth, and bring the nation more in line with competing countries like Germany, whose corporate tax rate is 29.72 percent, and the United Kingdom, where it stands at 20 percent but is due to fall to 17 percent by 2020.

Peter Gioia, vice president and economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, provided a mostly sunnier view, at least for the state. The Connecticut economy has great economic potential, he said. Were certainly not hitting it, but the potential is there.

The states business diversity  including manufacturing, bioscience and financial services  combined with an education system and workforce that are the best in the United States make Connecticut attractive to businesses, at least on paper, he said. In addition, Banks have money to lend and want to lend.

The problem, Gioia added, was with the states lawmakers. We need to spend within our means and establish long-term predictability, he said. Weve been saying that forever, so its really refreshing to see the governor now reading from that script.

Saying that Connecticuts fiscal condition has been a 20-year problem, Gioia urged the roughly 130 people in attendance at the DoubleTree Hotel to contact legislators at all levels. We dont need any more budgets that are balanced for 10 minutes, he said.

Gioia said the perception of Connecticut as an anti-business state also needs to be addressed. Thats a perception that is easy to change, he said, but without long-term predictability, companies are reluctant to come here when they dont know what their tax burden is going to be five, 10, 15 years from now.

He said he also sees potential gains over the next five years tied to Britains exit from the European Union, which Gioia predicted will see an influx of London-based multinationals to New York, with a positive spillover effect for Fairfield County  but only if lawmakers can get their collective act together.

This is the most critical legislative session weve had in my lifetime, Gioia said.

Kevin Zimmerman writes for the Fairfield County Business Journal. For more, go to www.westfaironline.com.
The owner of the New Haven Pizza Truck has signed a lease for a brick-and-mortar location in Milford nearly four years after starting the traveling pizzeria.

Frank Bernardo started his mobile business out of a 1946 International Harvester fire truck in 2013. The truck features a wood-fired brick oven and the thin crust pizzas are made on site. The business offers private catering for events and parties.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

MILFORD  Conservationist are scrambling to understand the depths of the piping plover crisis, after the birds numbers took a nosedive in October when Hurricane Matthew swept through winter habitats in the Caribbean and along the beaches of the South.

If you look at a map of the Hurricane Matthew path and a map of where they spend their winters, youre looking at the same places, said Scott Kruitbosch, the conservation and outreach coordinator for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Now, as to the extent of their losses, we simply dont know that right now. But they certainly would have great difficulty surviving 140-mile-per-hour winds.

Kruitbosch said there was little that the birds could do to save themselves as the storm ravaged more than 1,000 miles of coastline between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10.

It was a Category 4 storm, and birds like that on a beach will be carried away, suffer broken wings, things like that, he said, adding that preliminary data seems to point to a greater than 50 percent drop in Plover population.

But that was a very small sample size, so the fact is, we really dont know how bad the situation is, Kruitbosch said. Potentially, a significant population of the species was impacted.

Piping plovers have been nesting on the beaches of the Northeast, including Connecticuts shoreline, since the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet about 15,000 years ago. They have had to bounce back from scores of deadly hurricanes since then, but the arrival of dense human habitation along the shoreline in the last 75 years or so has changed that script.

More Information The Piping Plover Scientific name:Charadrius melodus Summer habitat:Beaches of the Northeast and lake and pond shorelines from Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to Nebraska. Winter habitat:Beaches of the Caribbean and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico to North Carolina. Diet: Not well known. Probably insects, insect larvae, marine worms and small crustaceans. Eggs:2-4 Incubation:By both male and female, 26-28 days. Conservation status: It's a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act and it's a state threatened species in Connecticut. Species nearly absent from the Great Lakes where it was once common. See More Collapse

The piping plover was never one of the more robust wild creatures, and evolution left the species ill-equipped to deal with humans and the animals that follow them around.

Cats, raccoons, rats, skunks all take their share, said Milan Bull, senior director of science and conservation for the Connecticut Audubon Society. And dogs can frighten them to the point where theyll abandon their nests. Then theres human activity.

Bull said one particular cause of plover mortality are the over-sand vehicles allowed on some Cape Cod beaches.

When they feel threatened, theyll naturally seek a depression in the sand, he said. Well, more often and not, thats the tire tracks of these vehicles, and when the next one comes along ....

Experts agree that this summers nesting season will be a critical one for piping plovers.

Our Audubon Alliance Project will be more important than ever in 2017, Bull said. Well be fielding about 200 volunteers who will be monitoring the plovers as well as other beach-nesting birds. Theyll also be informing the public, putting up string fencing and signs. Its a big project.

Bull said most beach-goers want to do the right thing and will do what they can to protect the birds.

There was some pushback in years past in the Hamptons (of Long Island) when entire beaches were put off-limits to humans, he said. When you have someone spending $5,000 a week to rent a beach house, hes going to want to use the beach.

One factor in the species favor is the fact that the summer of 2016 was one of the best ever in terms of successful nesting pairs, Kruitbosch said.

Both the National Audubon Society and Connecticut Audubon, which are not affiliated with each other, are seeking donations to fund programs to help the piping plover survive.

We had a pretty good year last year, Kruitbosch said. We had 63 pairs in Connecticut, and they produced 87 checks, which is the fourth-highest total of fledged chicks. While the hurricane was a natural event, natural events have an unnatural effect on the global population because of the activities of humans.

jburgeson@ctpost.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NORWALK  As public input always seems contentious in major construction projects, the state Department of Transportation is trying to stay ahead of the curve on its latest Norwalk plan.

The department held its 19th informational meeting since early 2016 Wednesday night, regarding the U.S. Route 7 and Route 15 interchange, a project more than a decade in the making.

Were really trying to reach out to as many small groups as possible to have these informal informational meetings, said DOT Project Manager Andy Fessenmeyer. In the old days, we would have just had big public meetings, and thats not always the best way to have these conversations. Were doing the best we can to get public input, and its important to come out early when we really have very little done. No one can say later that we did all this work without them.

The groups present at Wednesdays meeting included Harbor Watch, Earthplace, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound, and others with environmental concerns. The environmental groups are concerned about the water quality of the Norwalk River and the protection of wetlands and natural habitats in the watershed.

The DOT brought members of its primary consulting team, Santec, and Mark Alexander from the Office of Environmental Planning.

The largest concern, it seemed, was not necessarily the impact of the interchange project, but the combined effect of several projects along the Norwalk River set to take place over the next few years. Projects include the Walk Bridge replacement project, repairs to the Yankee Doodle Bridge and the interchange.

Overhaul of the Route 7/Merritt Parkway/Main Avenue interchange has been more than a decade in the making, receiving both support and opposition.

The purpose of the project hasnt changed  to create a full-directional interchange between U.S. Route 7 and Route 15, otherwise known as the Merritt Parkway, while maintaining access at Main Avenue to and from the parkway, according to the DOT.

As it is, motorists traveling west on the Merritt Parkway cannot exit to either the northbound or southbound Route 7 connector. Motorists driving either north or south on the connector cannot exit to the eastbound parkway.

In May 2005, the Merritt Parkway Conservancy and other preservationist groups filed a lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration and the DOT to get the state to downsize its original design, which the groups considered too large, too costly and destructive to the parkway.

The following year, U.S. District Court in New Haven found that the Federal Highway Administration had not met its legal obligation to ensure that all possible planning was done to minimize harm prior to approving the interchange project.

Design work began anew and community consensus was reached in 2009 on design Alternate 21C, which would create the four missing connections and improve existing connections while minimizing the impact on wetlands and bridges.

While the project faced opposition and was ultimately shuttered, Fessenmeyer said he is optimistic the revised project would be completed, given that it has been designated a priority in the states Lets Go CT initiative.

We got the word to get going before Lets Go CT was even announced, Fessenmeyer said. So we know this is a priority for the state.

To move forward with the new project, the DOT will have to meet the requirements of the Environmental Policy Act and obtain various regulatory approvals. Community outreach also will be part of the process as design work advances.

The DOT plans to spend much of the next year holding meetings and informational sessions. A rough timeline for the project doesnt have construction beginning until 2021.

Were forming an advisory committee and wed like to have someone from each of these stakeholder groups that were meeting with, Fessenmeyer said.

Staff writer Robert Koch contributed to this report.

KKrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt
NEW CANAAN  A Norwalk man is facing felony charges after police say he tried to pick up a child from St. Aloysius School while intoxicated.

Police were notified of an intoxicated parent trying to pick up a child at the school about 2:50 p.m. Jan. 11. Police said officers stopped Paul Sayegh, 45, of Lori Lane, Norwalk, as he was backing out of a space in the school parking lot.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  Gail Lieberstein  known for her signature French twist hairdo  has been a prominent host for decades in her Long Ridge Road neighborhood.

During her 33 years in Stamford, Lieberstein has hosted bridal showers, graduation parties and countless dinner parties in her Long Ridge Road contemporary colonial.

Its a great house for entertaining, she said in a phone interview this week from Florida. During warm months, you have the decks off the back of the house. I also use the family room for indoor entertaining, because it has a wet bar and its a very large room.

Fitting with the style of the 1970s when Liebersteins home was built, every room is designed to host a party. From the bright open foyer with its cathedral ceilings to the family room and the formal dining room, a feeling that guests could arrive at any moment still lingers.

I have had many a glass of wine and eaten many a dinner out on that deck, Liebersteins close friend Joan Breslow said during a tour of the home this week. Gail is really a gourmet chef.

Breslow, who first met Lieberstein and her husband, Eugene, when they were members of the Long Ridge Swim and Tenis Club, has been selling homes in Stamford for 38 years.

As Gail, 75, and Eugene, 78, prepare to downsize, they recruited Breslow, of William Raevis, to list their home for $665,000.

We have always been very, very happy with this house. At this point, its just time for us to downsize, Lieberstein said. Both of our children have been married 20 years, Eugene is looking at retiring soon. Its time to look for something smaller and maybe think about the snowbird life.

Lieberstein says being the host has become a chore and has limited herself to a few small gatherings a month in recent years.

I havent done a big gathering in a while, Lieberstein said with a hint of guilt in her voice. When youre younger, anything is possible, but now its a lot to take on.

Meant to be

When the Liebersteins relocated from Westchester County in the 1980s, they stumbled on what Gail calls a hidden gem in North Stamford.

The couples contemporary colonial was actually a second choice, after the first home they bid on became a pawn in the previous owners divorce.

That whole process started to become too complicated, so we started looking again, Gail Lieberstein said. Im glad that we did, because when I first saw this house, I fell in love with it.

She recalled her first night in the house, which was more than three decades ago.

Even after all of this time, I remember looking out over Long Ridge Road that night and seeing all of the lights, she said. It was breathtaking, and something about that moment always solidified for me that this house was meant to be.

The thought of leaving her Long Ridge Road home is disheartening, but Liberstein says she doesnt plan to stray too far.

We will not leave Stamford, she said. If we get a place in Florida, it would just be for the winter. We would want to try to spend the summers in a condo or apartment somewhere in Stamford.

nora.naughton@scni.com; @noranaughton
BROKEN BOW  Ransom Ran Varney, 78, of Broken Bow died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte.

Ransom (Ran) Dennis Varney, along with twin brother, Michael Varney, was born May 14, 1938, at the Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Norfolk to Edgar and Dorothy (Welte) Varney. The family lived in Norfolk until early 1939 when they moved to Ainsworth for Edgars work. In 1941 they moved to Broken Bow to be closer to Dorothys family. It was at this time Edgar took a job as a pharmacist with Dr. Landis at Landis Drug.

Ran and his brother, Mike, were the first of four boys born to Edgar and Dorothy, with Tim coming along four years after the twins and Matthew four years after Tim. Ran attended Broken Bow grade school, Jr. High and High School, graduating with the class of 1956.

Ran enjoyed every aspect of school, participating in sports, music, art and academics. After graduation, Ran first attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in engineering. He continued on this path until January of 1958 when he decided to join Mike at Chadron State College, where he graduated in 1961 with a business degree. During the summer of 1961, Ran worked for the State Department of Roads and even though he enjoyed this work, it was at this time he made the decision to follow in his fathers footsteps and attend Pharmacy College. Ran started Pharmacy College in Lincoln in 1961 and became a Registered Pharmacist in 1965, a career he loved and practiced for the next 50 years. Ran started working at Varney Rexall Drug following graduation. Ran worked closely with his parents in 1973 when they purchased the former Meston Motor building, demolishing it to erect a new structure at the junction of state highways 2 and 21. This new Varney Rexall Drug Center opened in April 1974. In 1978, Ran purchased the business from his father and made significant changes to the business to meet the changing needs of pharmacy. In 1988 Varney Rexall became Varney HealthMart. Ran sold the business to Marge Trythall in February 2005. Ran and Marge had worked side-by-side since she joined the staff in 1981. Ran was extremely pleased to be able to sell the business to Marge and to be able to keep it as an independent owned pharmacy. After selling the business, Ran continuing practicing pharmacy as a relief pharmacist at Barmore Drug in Lexington, Right Drug in Callaway, and at Holcomb Pharmacy in Broken Bow.

One of Rans many interests was music. During his college years he organized and played in two Rock n Roll bands, The Challengers and The Kountdowns. The posters said it best when they advertised The Chilling Sounds of the Challengers. He shared his love of music with his brothers, Tim and Matt, who also played in the bands. One of the highlights of his rock n roll years was playing with rock n roll musician Del Shannon and his band while performing in South Dakota.

Anyone who knew Ran was aware of his love of the railroad and anything related to trains. He and his twin, Mike, spent many hours traveling to and photographing trains, depots and any railroad activity. Whenever the two of them could get away at the same time they would be following trains to photograph them. Their pictures have preserved an era we will never again experience. Special friend and railroad author Francis GSchwind and Ran spent many afternoons and weekends doing what they referred to as chasing trains.

In 1980, Ran and Nancy Ferguson started their lives together. Their home was always filled with family, pets, friends, pets, commitment to each other and did we mention pets. Many homeless dogs and cats found a forever home with them. Ran and Nancy completed each others lives.

Ran loved Broken Bow and strived to contribute to it through his involvement in many civic and professional organizations. A few of them included the Broken Bow Chamber Board, the Jaycees, CNCS Board of Directors, Loup Basin Health Department Board of Directors, and Knights of Columbus. Ran belonged to many pharmacy professional organizations and enjoyed attending pharmacy conventions, trainings and seminars. Ran was elected to the Custer County Board of Supervisors and served District 3 from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2014. He loved this experience and was especially pleased to serve alongside former classmate Larry Hickenbottom. Ran spent his entire life with the St. Joseph Catholic Church family. His unwavering faith was a part of who he was.

Ran was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include Nancy and his brothers, Mike (Joy) Varney, Tim (Mari) Varney and Matthew (Nancy) Varney. Ran especially loved his nieces and nephews. They are Mark and Sheila Varney and family, Jeff and Cathy Marsh and family, Jeff and Shari Prince and family, David and Michele Varney and family; Dr. Bob and Stephanie Bossart and family, Myron and Julie Cunningham and family, Jeff Varney and Patrick and Nikki Varney and family.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Broken Bow, with the Rev. Jim Hunt officiating. Burial will be in the St. Josephs Catholic Cemetery.

Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow is in charge of the arrangements.

Memorials are suggested to the St. Josephs Catholic Church or the Custer County Foundation.
WASHINGTON  If there is one thing Congress has historically lacked, it is consistency. That is, except in one category: stupidity.

While we cant know quite yet whether the current batch of lawmakers will live up to their branchs reputation for chaos, the opening week of the new legislative session provided little evidence that they wont. Thats especially true of those in the House.

In fact, the representatives first-day assault on good sense once again affirmed the sagacity of the late Louisiana Gov. Earl Long, who said ethics play a major role in politics  except when they dont, which is often.

The foolish act ended with the Republican House majority being chastised by the amateur television personality about to enter the White House. The rowdy GOP caucuss decision to abolish the independent watchdog office of congressional ethics was chided by nearly every thinking, honest person in America  and Donald Trump  forcing the group to quickly reverse its remarkable misstep.

What the House GOP caucus didnt do, of course, is pay any attention to its own leadership, including Speaker Paul Ryan, who had tried to explain that it wasnt a good idea to even appear to open the door to integral disregard and major scandal as the first gambit in a new chapter of the perpetual chess game of democratic governance.

Does the episode leave any hope that this unruly crowd can be reasonably disciplined in the coming months in dealing with a highly controversial Trump agenda? Will the president-elect, who used a Twitter scolding to prompt the Houses about face, always be successful in tweeting his own troops into submission? Stay tuned.

Meantime, the majoritys unshakeable intention to obliterate the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, appears totally intact. A concrete replacement for the legislation, which would go a long way toward reassuring millions who need their health coverage, however, seems far from established.

Ryan said a plans coming, but its more than fair to wonder how long developing it will take.

A solution seems illusive, and theres general agreement  even among the most vehement ACA opponents  that items from the act like providing treatment for pre-existing conditions and allowing offspring to remain on their parents policies until they are 26 years old should be retained.

Not to cry over spilled milk, but it does seem worth mentioning that the Republicans might have done us all a better service had they participated in shaping the act instead of leaving it for political purposes entirely up to the Democrats.

But I digress.

The Republicans certainly got their way in our most recent election, which left us with the impression the masses had spoken, even if Hillary Clinton was the choice of 3 million more voters than Trump but lost their nationwide contest thanks to the Electoral College, a stupid institution to maintain in this day and age.

It will be interesting and probably quite painful to follow the machinations of a majority party still divided over some tough issues, including the worth of our intelligence operations and whether it was given an electoral leg up by outside forces like Russia and an arrogant FBI director.

Trump doesnt quite believe that his pal, Russias Vladimir Putin, would do a thing like interfere with an election. Really? Once again, the word stupid comes to mind.

And now were learning that the GOP is split on whether Julian Assange, the master leaker of classified information, is a hero. Those in favor of honoring him cite the good he has done by leaking information about the hated Democrats. Meanwhile, those who regard him as a traitor and thief of government information still takes pains to condemn Hillary Clinton for not adequately protecting sensitive emails while secretary of state. Thats stupid too.

But whats really stupid is not taking into consideration how they will feel when it happens to them; and it will. I never believed in the adage that we have the best Congress money can buy. I think we pay too much.
As several new lawmakers begin their tenures in the Nebraska Legislature, we are reminded of the pride and excitement we felt being able to represent our constituents in the Unicameral.

Serving in the Legislature was among the greatest honors of our lives and we felt and continue to feel great pride when we share our Unicameral experiences with those who served in other state legislatures.

On countless occasions we have seen looks of envy from legislators from other states as we described the collaborative, independent and efficient manner in which the Nebraska Unicameral operates.

Compared to the partisan gridlock and relentless infighting that occurs at the federal level as well as in many other states, Nebraskas Unicameral has long stood out as a model of how representative democracy should be conducted. The non-partisan nature of our Legislature is a main reason our system works so well.

This is why we are concerned with potential changes that would affect how legislative committee chairs are selected and that would reduce lawmaker ability to oppose legislation they find harmful to their constituents. These changes would invite more partisanship in our Unicameral and put us on a slippery slope toward D.C.-style gridlock.

Since the Unicamerals inception in 1934, closed elections for committee chairs have empowered senators to vote for committee leaders without fear of retribution from their own parties. Our state has benefited greatly from this as the most qualified people have been named committee chairs regardless of their political affiliation. This meant committees have been well-run and legislation that was sent to the Unicameral floor for debate was well-vetted and properly amended. This, in turn, led to better policies that truly benefit the state. Some propose votes for committee chairs be made public, which would put pressure on senators to vote along party lines. In such a scenario, party priorities are likely to take precedence over choosing the most qualified candidates. Ultimately, thats a losing game for Nebraskans.

Its also important to note that historically, major legislative debates have been waged along urban and rural divides more than along party lines. Increasing the votes needed to stop a filibuster, which some propose, would reduce a legislative minoritys ability to resist legislation that would adversely affect their constituents. With their ability to resist legislation reduced, its likely minority members will become more entrenched in their opposition to legislation and less able to be part of crafting the most effective solutions.

Having input from a variety of voices is essential in ensuring legislation works to meet the needs of all Nebraskans. The non-partisan nature of the Unicameral fosters an environment where this type of cooperation can occur and the outcome is better policies for all Nebraska residents. Increasing the role of political parties in the Unicameral will quiet diversity of opinion and increase the likelihood that policy choices will be made that leave many Nebraskans out in the cold.

Our sincere hope is that current lawmakers will experience the satisfaction of working with a diverse array of Nebraskans to craft policies that truly benefit our whole state. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of serving in the Unicameral. Rejecting changes that increase partisanship and push us more toward D.C.-style gridlock will help ensure the Nebraska Legislature remains an environment that empowers legislators to be as successful and as productive as our state needs them to be.
Rex Tillersons testimony at Wednesdays Senate confirmation hearing for secretary of state offered some relief for those worried about a foreign policy meltdown under Donald Trump.

The former Exxon Mobil CEO got a bipartisan grilling about his close ties to top Russian leaders. Senators wanted to know if Tillerson could pivot from pursuit of oil in the Russian Arctic to protecting U.S. interests from a hostile Kremlin.

Not all his answers were clear. But he came across as well-informed and serious (in comparison with the president-elects performance at a press conference in New York City). Most surprising, his positions often failed to track with those of Trump, including on Russia.

This raises an obvious and fascinating question: Will Trump even listen to Tillersons advice? Nobody knows.

There was good reason why members of the Senate Foreign Relations committee gave Tillerson such a grilling. His close relationships with Vladimir Putin, and with Putins key ally, the much-feared Igor Sechin, led to a half-billion-dollar joint venture for Exxon Mobil in the Russian Arctic. In 2013, Putin bestowed the Order of Friendship on Tillerson.

In June 2014, after Russia had seized Crimea and was attacking eastern Ukraine, Tillerson was schmoozing with Sechin at an oil conference in Moscow. So senators wanted to know whether Tillerson would support continuing the sanctions imposed on Moscow for its Ukraine aggression  including sanctions on Sechin and the Rosneft state oil company he heads. Exxon Mobil reportedly lobbied to end those sanctions, because they froze the arctic deal.

The senators also wanted to know if Tillerson backed Putins claim that Russia was legally entitled to annex Crimea. Trump has indicated hed consider that claim and might drop the sanctions.

No, Russia does not have legal claim to Crimea, Tillerson replied. Russia was taking territory that was not theirs.

As for sanctions, he insisted Exxon had never lobbied to end sanctions over Ukraine, only to get a brief reprieve so they could wind up their Arctic-drilling operation. He also insisted he supported sanctions so long as they did not unduly penalize U.S. companies over European competitors (that reply is a bit wobbly). Sanctions are an important tool, he added.

Where things really got interesting, however, was when Tillerson laid out why the Obama team should have responded more firmly to Russias invasion of Crimea. Putin would move forward, Tillerson made clear, when he met no resistance, and stop when he did.

Tillerson said the Russian leader moved on eastern Ukraine because there was no firm military response to the taking of Crimea. Washington should have provided intelligence and air support to Ukrainian military forces, which should have been moved entirely to its eastern border.

At that time, Ukrainian forces were so weak such a move might not have worked, but the concept is clear: an act of force by Russia required a proportionate show of force to deter Russia from moving forward.

Russia, he says, has a long-term geographical plan to reestablish what it sees as its role in the world order. If they dont receive a response, they will execute the next step of that plan, Tillerson said. That, he added, doesnt rule out cooperation where interests converge  as happened on Afghanistan  but on other issues we may be adversaries.

Tillerson said he supported NATO, along with enhanced NATO backing for the Baltic nations and Poland  states Moscow has been threatening. The oilman refused Florida Republican Marco Rubios insistence that he brand Putin a war criminal. But he said he was troubled by the Jan. 26 U.S. intel report on Russian hacking and that it was a fair assumption Putin was behind it.

Contrast that hard-nosed approach with the Trump news conference, where the president-elect finally admitted to Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee but blew it off  and refused to discuss the hacks in any broader strategic context.

Instead, Trump insisted the hacking was useful because it reflected badly on Hillary Clinton, and once again praised Putin. If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, he stated.

In other words, everything was about him, with no mention of Putins strategic goal of undermining the United States.

Will Tillerson be able to persuade his boss to look at the big strategic picture? Will the oilman be able to convince Trump that Putins flattery is meant as manipulation? Tillerson appears able to put Kremlin friendships into proper perspective, but well have to see him in action.

Ditto, for what impact he will have on his boss thinking. Tillerson admitted that Trump had not yet discussed Russia with him, despite the centrality of that issue to the oilmans bio.

Even GOP legislators grasped the challenge Tillerson will face. Sen. Todd Young, R.-Ind., asked how the secretary-designate would ensure that the legs were not cut out from under him by Trump tweets when he was visiting foreign capitals.

It would be my expectation, Tillerson delicately replied, that any way the president chose to communicate would facilitate the policy wed agreed on.

Any contingency plan? Young asked. Tillerson held up his cell phone and replied, I have his number and hes promised to answer.

Lets hope for the best, said Young.
Eagles were in a struggle to stay unbeaten until this safety saved them

eagles
A couple of Detroit men are accused of using fake IDs to buy several iPhones at an AT&T store in Granite City. They, along with a Minnesota man who accompanied them on the outing, have been charged by the Madison County States Attorneys office with felony counts of forgery and identity theft.

Prosecutors are hoping to have the money they were carrying on them at the time forfeited to them, citing a provision of the Illinois Money Laundering Act that allows for such forfeitures.

Both Nikko Brown, 26, and Adrian Odum, 21, are from Detroit; a third man, Raymond E. Durr, 25, is from Oak Park, Minn., according to court records.

Brown remained in custody Monday at the Madison County Jail, in lieu of $75,000. Odum and Durr have been released.

The trio were arrested on Christmas Eve after Granite City Police received a call from an AT&T employee informing them that someone had just tried to buy several iPhones  at $950 apiece  using a fake ID.

They arrived and detained Brown, who was found to be carrying $3,360 as well as the drivers license of a Maryland man, according to an affidavit from Granite City police. When they got ahold of the Maryland man, he confirmed that someone had indeed stolen his identity.

Odum and Durr were arrested in a car in the parking lot. Odum was carrying $470 with him, and Durr had $1,764, according to the affidavit.

Investigators soon began to suspect that Durr was behind an earlier theft from an AT&T store in Wood River.

When Durr was arrested in the AT&T store parking lot in Granite City, police found several iPhones in the car that they determined had been taken from the Wood River AT&T, according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors filed a Request for Preliminary Review to Determine Probable Cause for Forfeiture, citing the states money laundering statute. Information in the document alleges that none of the three had any visible means of support and did not have a legitimate source of income that would account for so much money.

It also claims that statements made by the three suspects were inconsistent and lacking in veracity.

Granite City police says that after speaking with AT&T security employees, they learned that this is a trend they have been seeing with the subjects obtaining multiple $950 phones with a stolen identity and then selling the phones to make money.

But its unclear whether the use of fraudulent IDs to purchase iPhones for resale is simply a national trend or whether it has trickled down to the local level.

Sheriffs Capt. Mike Dixon said he has yet to see the trend here locally.

But identity theft has increased tremendously in the last five years, he said. Its an ever-growing burden with people buying and selling goods nationally at an exponential rate.

The sheriffs department encourages victims of identity theft to:

 file a police report with your local police department;

 contact the fraud department of the three major credit card bureaus  Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and place an alert on your account;

 notify your bank, credit card company, utility company or any other creditor or institution that you believe may have been tampered with, or opened fraudulently;

 File a report with the Federal Trade Commission.

More information can be obtained on the Madison County Sheriffs Department section of Madison Countys website, at www.co.madison.il.us.
The Glen Carbon Residents Advisory Board invites local residents to attend a program focusing on Heroin Addiction and Drug Issues on January 19, 2017 at 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Glen Carbon Centennial Library located at 198 Main Street, Glen Carbon, IL. This is an informational presentation about the topic of heroin use, the general status of this issue in the Glen Carbon, Illinois area and the resources and support groups available to assist those with needs or questions.

There will be several speakers and handouts will be provided. Glen Carbon Police Lieutenant, Wayne White will provide general facts regarding heroin issues in Glen Carbon. Jason Kelly, from SMARTRecovery, will talk about the four-point program which helps people deal with recovery from various types of addictions and addictive behavior. Jack Wilcox will present information about his Just Keep Walking effort to help families who have lost a friend or family member to addiction. Shane Patton will provide information about the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Christian Donny Putranto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017 13:35 2122 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bacc834 3 Opinion cyber-security,cyber-security-agency,privacy,freedom-of-expression,human-rights Free

In the wake of hoax news items and hate speeches circulating online, the government has reinstated and accelerated a plan to establish a cyberagency. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has affirmed that this agency, to be named the National Cyber Agency (BSN), will coordinate with existing entities dealing with cyberactivities in different government bodies such as the polices cyberunit and the communication ministrys cyber task force.

Wiranto brushed aside fears about violations of freedoms and private rights of citizens by the new agency. The BSN, rather, will focus on the protection of peoples cyberactivities, he said.

Wirantos statements appear to distance the BSNs establishment from human rights discussions that oftentimes shroud government policies. With BSN inception imminent, the government needs to fully inform the public of the agencys scope of activities and how it will implement its mandate. It is vital for the government to inform the public about these two issues since there is a valid concern that such an agency might unjustifiably interfere with the publics life as has happened even in the United States, a champion of democracy.

The governments public statements on the BSN are contradictory. Notwithstanding Wirantos remarks, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara later asserted that the BSN would only oversee the chatter without spying, which sparked confusion.

How can the BSN oversee peoples online activities without tampering with their privacy? What are the thresholds in selecting which activities to monitor?

It is just a fallacy if the government attempts to distance the BSN from the human rights perspective.

Every governments policy for better or worse will have impacts on human rights, albeit small perhaps.

As such, such questions should be responded to with human rights as a leading factor to be taken into account.

Although the right to privacy and freedom of expression are not unlimited, any restrictions on these rights must be provided by law and are necessary to respect other peoples rights or reputation as well as to protect national security, public order, health or morals.

These conditions are stipulated in Article 70 of Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights and Article 19(3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia is a party to.

Let us now deconstruct those conditions in order to have a clearer picture on the extent of the governments authority to restrict peoples privacy and freedom of expression.

First, a governments restriction must be provided by law. This condition essentially means that a restriction on a human right must be expressly stipulated in a law. Such a restriction is ideally in the form of legislation, in which a detailed and circumscribed set of provisions are outlined.

Legislation is preferred since it allows a deliberation with and supervision by the House of Representatives. It is unknown till now whether the BSN will be established through a law.

Nevertheless, considering Wirantos commitment to officiating the agency later this month, it appears the BSN will be one of President Joko Jokowi Widodos executive orders established under his own authority through a presidential decree.

As such, there is a huge gap needed to be clarified by the government before the BSN is operational. The government is obliged to publicly present a sufficiently detailed regulation covering the scope of the BSNs works and the thresholds for any censorship or blocking.

Such a regulation should serve as a temporary framework while the government should endeavor to adopt legislation as a proper legal framework for this purpose.

More importantly, there should also be a means of redress if later on it is found that a restriction is unlawful.

Second, a restriction on rights must be necessary. This means that a restriction should be proportionate when it infringes on ones privacy or freedom of expression. A recent judgment on this matter in Europe can assist as an example.

Late last year, the European Court of Justice ruled that the United Kingdom was breaching the right to privacy with its mass surveillance on peoples cyber activities in the UK.

The court held that generalized and indiscriminate surveillance or data retention was a breach of the right to privacy. If the government were to restrict peoples privacy and freedom, it should do so proportionately. A blanketed rule to do otherwise is thus at odds with human rights values.

Since the BSN is still in the making and will play a very important role in the nations future, the government should not avoid discussions on human rights related to this matter.

Instead, it should embrace such discussions to ensure a balanced response to hoax news items and hate speeches. In turn, a balanced response will help shape both the government and the countrys image as a true democracy.

Last year, Freedom House categorized Indonesia as partly free for freedom of expression and opinion. Let us hope that with the presence of the BSN, Indonesia does not fall into the not free category, where countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Iran are.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Testriono (The Jakarta Post) Dekalb, Illinois  Thu, January 12, 2017 10:47 2122 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bac069d 3 Opinion religious-issue,religious-tolerance,intolerance,extremism,radical-group,radicalism,law-enforcement,police Free

With religious intolerance on the rise, we have been confronted with a question as to why the police fail to act against hard-line groups and individuals that have continued to promote intolerance and spread hatred.

It seems rather clumsy because, in fact, the police have been really forceful in dealing with other crimes, including terrorism. For instance, in collaboration with the military, the police launched Operation Tinombala to hunt down members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group last year. The operation, involving thousands of troops and a substantial budget, managed to kill the most-wanted terrorist suspect, Santoso.

It is also undeniable that the police have been capable in uncovering criminal cases from burglary to drug trafficking, such as the recent case of robbery with murder in Pulo Mas, East Jakarta. In short, the police in numerous cases have proven their merit.

However, when dealing with acts of intolerance perpetrated by hardline groups, such competence vanishes and the police look powerless. Why has it happened?

The answer lies in the ramified devotion of the police. On one hand, the police are devoted to the Constitution and law as they should be, but on the other hand, they rest on public support.

As acknowledged by National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, the police need two things to take firm measures against intolerant groups: legal-constitutional legitimacy and public legitimacy (cnnindonesia. com, Nov. 25, 2016).

Such a statement shows that the constitutional authority is not legitimate enough for the police to enforce the law against acts of intolerance. For them, public support is another vital element they need.

Two reasons might underline that attitude. First, the police apparently worry that taking harsh measures against conservative Islamic groups would make them appear to be defying Islam. They fear being regarded as hostile toward the Muslim community as the vigilante groups always act under an Islamic banner, such as their upholding of amar maruf nahi munkar (enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong).

Second, a too careful response to the intolerant acts uncovers the tendency of the police to avoid confrontation with the masses, in the form of either a physical clash or discourse in mass media. If their actions spark anger in religious leaders and their followers, the police fear it will adversely affect political stability and their duties include maintaining order and security.

The problem is that such halfhearted measures in tackling intolerance surely endanger civil liberties and thus threaten democracy.

As a matter of fact, Indonesias democracy has been consolidated as most political actors and majority citizens have preferred democracy as being the only game in town  a concept introduced by political scientists Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan in 1996. Nonetheless, since 2014 the Freedom House has categorized Indonesia as a partly free country, a decrease from the status of being a free country that Indonesia enjoyed from 2007 to 2013. The continued intolerance, discrimination and violence against minority religious groups have contributed to the decline noted by the democracy watchdog.

Furthermore, the countrys freedom status confirms that even though political liberties have improved, our civil liberties have worsened. There are still some civil organizations that do not help deepen democratic consolidation such as by monitoring government, but instead perpetrate intolerant acts and lower the quality of Indonesian democracy.

The failure of the police in policing the intolerant groups is a sign that the police have not really been professional and are easily subjugated by mass pressure. Argentine political scientist Guillermo A. ODonnell reminded us in 2004 that the rule of law is among the essential pillars upon which a high quality democracy relies, which ensures not only political rights, but also civil liberties from potential constraints. It may derive from either state power or vigilante groups.

According to a survey by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in October 2016, the police gained 63.5 percent public trust, a percentage lower than that of the military, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Improving public support, however, is obviously not done by tolerating intolerant groups and succumbing to public pressure.

Firm measures will somehow trigger disagreements or even opposition from some religious leaders who support intolerant actions. Yet the police should know that the Muslim community is not a single entity that speaks with one voice and has one leader.

Muslims are divided along different currents and socio-political attachments. For example, despite the presence of the moderate Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, with which the majority of Muslims are affiliated, there are a lot of smaller Islamic groups that have grown in this country. That includes those that have gained influence through Middle Eastern Islamism, which promotes an intolerant mindset.

Such different but moderate manifestations of Indonesian Islam imply two things. First, intolerant groups are small in number. Second, the intolerant acts of some Muslim leaders and groups do not reflect the will or opinions of the majority of Muslims, although they are outspoken in expressing their agendas and hence the police should not hesitate to police them.

Finally, research conducted by a team from the Paramadina Foundation, Policing Religious Conflicts in Indonesia (2015), discloses that intolerance and religious conflicts can be diminished when the police behave professionally. When the police are lenient toward such vigilante groups, conflicts and intolerance increase and lead to violence. The police should be aware of such a snowball effect.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Thu, January 12, 2017

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya recently made a special visit to the Sri Baduga Water Fountain Park in Purwakarta, West Java.

This Jan. 6 visit served as a follow-up to a recent trip he made to the Bale Panyawangan digital museum in the same regency. He went to the venue with Purwakarta's regent, Dedi Mulyadi, by his side.

Designed by Mulyadi himself, the three-hectare fountain park, launched last year, is said to be the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Once there, the tourism minister was greeted by the park's mix of musical and dancing water and light shows. He only had to spend 15 minutes watching the spectacle before heaping it with lavish praise.

"Just two words: extremely cool," Yahya said about the show, while giving the park's overall design a two-thumbs-up gesture.

He saw enormous potential in the park as a place that could attract all types of visitors. He said that the park, with its colorful water and light backdrop, ought to be used as a venue for art performances.

"There should be colossal shows here. The lighting and sound systems could be further expanded upon," Yahya suggested.

-(-/-)

Yahya is confident that these changes could transform Sri Baduga Water Fountain Park into a world-class attraction.

Such a change could turn the park into the kind of must-see place a tourist would sorely regret not visiting when in Purwakarta.

"What we have is already on an equal level to what is in Dubai and Guangzhou. Purwakarta should be able to beat these two famous world cities because what we have here is even better," Yahya said.

Mulyadi said that he will take the tourism minister's recommendations into account. He guaranteed that in the near future, when the park gets officiated, the minister's vision will become real.

"Yes, in order to perfect the park, we definitely will realize these things. We are also still focused on adding more seats so that visitors can be comfortable. We are also working to make the water tunnels as attractive as can be," Mulyadi said.

Efforts are currently underway to build two rows of seats around the fountain areas that can help accommodate 5,000 visitors per show.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin David Bauder (Associated Press) Pasadena, California, United States  Thu, January 12, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump and his team on Wednesday attacked news organizations that spread unsubstantiated reports about a damaging dossier collected on him by Russia, an incident that illustrates how old rules of journalism are tested in today's rapidly changing media world.

Trump called BuzzFeed "a pile of garbage" for publishing the allegations and got into a spat with CNN's Jim Acosta during his first news conference since July. He praised organizations that didn't follow BuzzFeed's lead.

The untraditional news conference, less than two weeks before Trump's inauguration, was dominated by questions about Russia and the president-elect's relationship with the intelligence community.

CNN on Tuesday reported that Trump had been briefed by intelligence officials about compromising personal and financial information that Russia had collected on him. The network did not give details about the information, saying the charges had not been verified, but BuzzFeed soon published them. Most reputable news organizations, following up the story, also did not report the details.

(Read also: Trump asks skeptic to probe vaccine safety, alarming doctors)

Despite those decisions, it took only the single report for the news to spread so rapidly that within hours, one specific, salacious allegation was a top trending topic on Twitter.

At his news conference, Trump set up a bad cop-good cop dynamic. Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer and Vice President-elect Mike Pence both preceded Trump and sharply condemned those who spread the story. Spicer called BuzzFeed's decision "outrageous and highly irresponsible," while Pence said it was an effort by some in the media to delegitimize the election and discredit the incoming administration.

"The American people are sick and tired of it," Pence said.

Meanwhile, Trump credited The New York Times, a newspaper he's often been at odds with, for its decision not to publish what it could not independently verify.

Under questioning, he criticized both CNN and BuzzFeed. He said BuzzFeed is "going to suffer the consequences. I think they already are."

He got into a sharp back-and-forth with Acosta, who said to the president-elect, "you are attacking our news organization. Can you give us a chance to ask the questions?"

(Read also: Chinese delegation open to meeting Trump's team at Davos)

Trump told Acosta, "don't be rude."

"I am not going to give you a question," he said. "You are fake news."

He later took a question about intelligence leaks from another CNN reporter, Jeremy Diamond.

CNN's Jake Tapper criticized Trump for conflating CNN and BuzzFeed, since CNN did not publish the specific allegations and BuzzFeed did. The network said reporting on the inner workings of government represented the core of what the First Amendment protects.

"Given that members of the Trump transition team have so vocally criticized our reporting, we encourage them to identify, specifically, what they believe to be inaccurate," CNN said in a statement.

However, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti on Wednesday compared BuzzFeed with other news organizations that made a very different decision on how to proceed with the story.

"We were criticized by the incoming administration," Peretti said. "We are not going to respond to these divisive comments, which put us in great company, by the way  The New York Times, CNN and The Washington Post have all been attacked. So has Meryl Streep and the cast of 'Hamilton,' but we'd never compare ourselves to people that talented."

BuzzFeed's decision did revive what has become an increasingly common debate in the media world. News organizations can make very careful decisions about what to publish when they are not certain of the veracity of the information, but it only takes one rival with different standards to undermine those deliberations.

While admitting that some of the allegations may not be true, BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith explained that he wanted to publish the information so Americans can make up their own minds about allegations circulating throughout government.

(Read also: Trump's business ties around the world)

Here's the note I sent to @buzzfeednews staff this evening pic.twitter.com/OcAloWzVzb  Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 11, 2017

"People of good will may disagree with our choice," he wrote. "But publishing this dossier reflects how we see the job of reporters in 2017."

The Associated Press is among the news organizations that has been aware of the documents and has attempted to authenticate them. The AP determined publishing the details did not meet its criteria.

"The purported sourcing was anonymous, which made it impossible for AP to determine if the sources were credible or in a position to know the facts about any allegations being made," said John Daniszewski, vice president for standards and editor at large.

"After learning these documents were included in a high-level briefing to the president and the president-elect by intelligence officials, the AP decided it newsworthy to report their existence. However, it continues to refrain from reporting specific material that has not been verified or corroborated."

Kelly McBride, a media ethicist for the Poynter Institute, compared BuzzFeed's action to document dumps by websites like WikiLeaks.

Smith "says that this is the job of reporters in 2017," McBride said. "What I want to ask back is, 'Where's the reporting?' The job of reporting is to actually report."
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Good Indonesian Food (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017 08:24 2122 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0baba322 3 Food chicken,restaurant,food,#food,Bakmi-Karet-Krekot,#restaurant Free

There are restaurants out there that require you to go the extra mile just to sample its food. One fine example is Bakmi Karet Krekot Pasar Baru.

The first hurdle that one must overcome is finding this place. First-timers will find difficulty in pinpointing the exact whereabouts of it  the map I was using did not even accurately show its position. I ended up having to walk and ask around. It is not situated near Pasar Baru, rather it is closer to KCU BCA Pasar Baru.

The second obstacle is its opening hours. Dont be surprised to show up for lunch only to find that it has already closed for the day  it is only open from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

My fear of losing out on its noodles meant that I made a move early in the morning in order to get a taste of the joint's legendary signature dish. It was 7:30 a.m. when I got there, and the place was already packed with customers having their breakfast. Now, having noodles for breakfast may seem a rather odd choice, but the loyal devotees of Bakmi Karet Krekot would think otherwise.

(Read also: Video: Bakmi Godok, Javanese-style boiled noodles)

Founded in 1970, dont expect a big restaurant with a mob of waiters and waitresses akin to celebrated noodle franchises. Secluded and with only a signboard that displays its name in tiny font, newcomers walking past it would probably be unaware of its existence. However, every morning, one can see a row of cars parked in front of it  an indicator of how popular the place is, even in the morning. Its interior can only hold around 40 people and its kitchen is built in the dining area, providing a firsthand look at the cooking process from start to finish. Despite having been around for quite a while, Bakmi Krekot has just the one branch in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.

Its menu actually offers a variety of choices, but the waiting staff would only suggest a portion or half-portion of its bakmi karet (chewy noodles). In addition to various noodle dishes, one can also order the likes of cakwe (cruller)  eaten here by dipping them into spicy peanut sauce or meatball soup  kroket (croquette), pangsit (wontons) and swekiau (shrimp-and-pork dumplings). We would advise you to inquire of their prices prior to ordering because the damage here can be a bit steep.

I had bakmi karet, along with portions of kroket and pangsit. The noodles here are thick, chewy and oily  it tastes delicious, although some may consider it half-cooked. It is topped with chunky and savory steamed cuts of chicken meat. The pangsit here is different from the norm in that despite its rather flat appearance, it is savory and stuffed with a tasty beef filling. The chicken-and-vegetable kroket was beefy and delectable, even more so if dipped in the provided peanut sauce. My noodle breakfast was rounded off with a glass of hot sweet tea, which relieved my flu-ridden throat. Delightful. (kes)

Jl. KH Samanhudi, Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta

Open daily from 6 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Rp 70,000 (US$5.10) per person

Explore more legendary Indonesian cuisine here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Shin Ji-hye (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) South Korea  Thu, January 12, 2017

LG Electronics said Thursday its ultralight laptop has secured its place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The companys 14-inch (35.6 centimeters) ultralight Gram, which was launched early this month, weighs 860 grams.

Guinness World Records confirmed LGs new ultralight Gram is the lightest in the world after measuring around 70 models of 14-inch laptops being sold in 25 nations, a LG Electronics official said.

This is LG Gram series second title in the Guinness Book of World Records, following the first title of the predecessor 15.6-inch Gram (39.6 centimeters), which set the record last year.

The ultralight Gram series include a 13.3-inch (33.8 centimeters) model weighing 830 grams, a 14-inch model that weighs 860 grams and a 15.6-inch model weighing 980 grams. They each offer 12 hours of battery life.

(Read also: Samsung, LGs OLED dominance may last at least 5 years)

The companys 14-inch (35.6 centimeters) ultralight Gram, which was launched early this month, weighs 860 grams.(LG/File)

The demand for ultralight laptops has been growing in Korea amid a declining, sluggish personal computer market.

According to research firm IDC Korea, ultralight laptops accounted for 47 percent of total laptop sales in Korea last year, a 25 percent rise from the previous year. Around 1 million units of the slim devices were shipped here

IDC Koreas senior analyst Kwon Sang-joon said, Tech firms may find new opportunities in ultralight laptops or all-in-one desktops amid a declining demand trend for personal computers at home and abroad.

Alongside the ultralight Gram, LG said it would employ a two-track strategy with its All-Day Gram, which highlights greater battery capacity.

The All-Day Gram series, which come in 13.3 inch, 14 inch and 15.6 inch, offer 24 hours, 23 hours and 22 hours, respectively, of battery life.

With the 13.3-inch laptop, users can watch videos up to 17 hours nonstop, which means they can enjoy movies throughout a flight from Incheon to New York without concern about charging, a LG official said.

The 13.3-inch All-Day Gram weighs 940 grams. The 14-inch model weighs 970 grams and the 15.6-inch model weighs 1,090 grams. Users may still find it lightweight because they dont have to bring adapters, which can add another 200 to 300 grams, the company said.

This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Masajeng Rahmiasri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017 15:23 2122 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bad1f8e 1 People Obama,BarackObama,Barack-Obama,inauguration,#Obama,eva-mazrieva,adinda-rania,letter,Donald-Trump,#DonaldTrump Free

United States President Barack Obama has just delivered his final speech as POTUS in Chicago on Tuesday night local time, and warm sentiments flooded social media; not only among Americans, but also from around the world.

The anxious anticipation of the power transfer to president-elect Donald Trump has affected Indonesians in America, one of them being Adinda Rania, the 9-year-old daughter of Voice of America journalist Eva Mazrieva.

(Read also: Obama's speech marks unofficial countdown for black Americans)

Adinda was so anxious that she decided to write a letter to President Obama; and he sent his reply last Friday.

I just wanted to share my feelings about the current situation, the third grade student of an academic advanced program class at an elementary school in Virginia told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, referring to the letter she sent in November, which was a four-page folio letter, handwritten in pencil. The letter consists of drawings of her surroundings, as well as lingering questions on her mind, such as Is it still safe for us to be here? and Can I still go to the same school?

Adinda said she wanted to ask about why people say bad things. Donald Trump keeps saying that he will not allow Muslims to come to the US, or that Muslims are terrorists, she shared. My mom and my teacher have taught me to respect others, but I saw how Trump imitated disabled people on TV. I also saw some women who had cried because of him, but my mother did not want me to watch these [videos]."

Eva said that her daughters concerns might also be stemming from the election-related news she sees daily. The family regularly checks for news updates every morning, be it from the television or daily newspaper.

Adinda, who wanted to be a chemist, said that things around her had started to change even since September last year, or before Trump was elected. "I started to see bad signs in my school, such as drawings of eyes with the words 'I see you' and Swastika signs. I actually didnt know about that [sign] until my friends told me that it was a bad symbol," she said. I like to recite the Quran. I wonder if I can still do so if Trump becomes president, because he keeps saying that he does not like Muslims."

(Read also: Forceful and tearful, Obama says goodbye in emotional speech)

Obama's reply to a letter sent by Adinda. (Eva Mazrieva/File)

In the letter written on Jan. 3, Obama thanked Adinda for her writing. He also said, Passionate debates about equality and fairness have always been at the heart of our American story, as well as I am glad you took the time to tell me how you feel.

He remarked that the country is a home of people of every background and belief, and that all Americans are united in our belief that all of us deserve the same rights and the same opportunities. He also said, The more we practice those values in our neighborhoods and reflect them in our laws, the better off we will all be.

The US president had also sent pictures of his dogs, Bo and Sunny, alongside his letter, as Adinda had mentioned them in her letter.

(Read also: Trump says BuzzFeed 'garbage' for publishing allegations)

Adinda said that she had hoped that President Obama would reply to her letter, since he had done so to other children in the US.

The youngest member in her family, she also said that she actually wanted to meet the president himself. But I know that as a president, he is so busy. So I was so excited when he replied to my letter."

Safety concerns

One of the recent concerns of immigrants staying in the US is safety. Beyond what Adinda had seen, Eva said that she had also experienced unpleasant encounters. Once I was waiting to cross the road with several people, which happened to be made up mostly of immigrants, then a car passed by in high speed and a passenger rolled the window down, shouting go back home! she said.

She also said that although her family, which had moved to the country in 2010, had no plans to return to Indonesia, she had been fervently warning her children to always stay safe, especially in the wake of recurring violence in the US recently, even on school grounds. Moreover, it is an era in which people are becoming more accustomed to expressing their disappointment and hate, right? she said.

Dear @POTUS Thank you so much for replying my daughter' letter. It really convinced her that US is safe for her. pic.twitter.com/gRf3Hr1inh  Eva Mazrieva (@mazrieva) January 10, 2017

Regarding the US president-elect, Eva said, We hope that president-elect Donald Trump will fulfill his promise to be the president for all, just like what he had promised after he won the election last November.

Meanwhile, Adinda said, I don't know. My sister said that she hoped Trump could be the president for all. But for me, I just want to feel safe. I want to be a chemist.

When asked whether she would write a letter to Donald Trump, she said, I don't want to. He has been saying so many bad things. I don't like it. (kes)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Good Indonesian Food (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017 14:19 2122 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bace584 3 Food porridge,#porridge,bubur-ayam,meals,food,#food Free

Bubur Ayam (chicken porridge) is a traditional Indonesian dish and has its fans by the dozen. Besides being a breakfast staple, bubur ayam is just as perfect as a meal after the sun settingespecially for those looking to eat something light. The following are seven bubur joints that we recommend you try at nighttime.

Bubur Ayam Bang Roby

Bubur Ayam Bang Roby. (Good Indonesian Food/File)

Located on Jl. Sabang right across Robinson, Bubur Ayam Bang Roby also serves the likes of nasi goreng (fried rice), nasi goreng gila (fried rice with various side dishes), and a variety of bihun (rice vermicelli), kwetiau (flat rice noodles), and mie (noodle) dishes. Its closing time of 2 a.m. makes it the ideal spot for when youre hungry late at night. Dont forget to order its bubur ayam telur kornet (chicken porridge with egg and corned beef) to satisfy your hungry tummy.

Jl. Sabang, Menteng (across Robinson Department Store), Central Jakarta

Contact: 0813 8753 3500

Open daily from 5 p.m. - 2 a.m

Bubur Ayam Cikini HR Sulaiman

Bubur Ayam Cikini HR Sulaiman.(Good Indonesian Food/File)

At a glance, the bubur ayam at this establishment may resemble any other of its kind. However, the warung situated on Jl. Cikini Raya adds a dash of emping (gnetum gnemon seed crackers) on top of its masterpiece. The texture of its porridge is velvety smooth and full of flavor, while the placefounded in 1987also offers the likes of martabak (stuffed fried pancake) and nasi goreng.

Jl. Cikini Raya No. 90, Central Jakarta

Open daily from 6:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Bubur Ayam Barito

Bubur Ayam Barito.(Good Indonesian Food/File)

Have a conversation regarding bubur ayam joints in Jakarta and the name Bubur Ayam Barito will inevitably pop up. Established in 1992, it is famous for pioneering the use of unique toppings long before others followed in its footsteps. Imagine tucking into a bowl of hot porridge with a raw egg that has become half-boiled on top due to the heat from the bubur, along with a few cheese sticks to replace the quintessential kerupuk (crackers).

(Read also: The legendary eateries you must visit in Blok M)

Jl. Gandaria Tengah No. 3, South Jakarta

Contact: 0813 8148 8989

Open daily from 4 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Bubur Ayam Sukabumi

Bubur Ayam Sukabumi.(Good Indonesian Food/File)

This eatery is open 24/7, so it doesnt matter whether you come here in the morning, during the afternoon, or even in the dead of the night. Found on Jl. Tebet Barat Dalam, Bubur Ayam Sukabumi offers a variety of dishes on its menu besides its trademark bubur, including nasi goreng, Chinese delicacies, and siomay (steamed fish dumplings). They can place an optional raw egg in the middle on your porridge too. Besides Tebet, you can also find its branches in Radio Dalam and Pondok Gede.

Jl. Tebet Barat Dalam No. 2, South Jakarta

Contact: 021 831 2257

Open 24 hours daily

Bubur Ayam Tangki 18 Wawah

Seafood porridge at Bubur Ayam Tangki 18 Wawah.(Good Indonesian Food/File)

The culinary utopia that is Kelapa Gading is also home to a number of fine bubur joints. Located not far from Kelapa Gading shopping mall, this place is open from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m., before it closes up shop only to resume business again from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Its soft and flavorful porridge is topped with various delights, including chicken meat, pork meat, and even seafood. It also provides its own homemade mustard to enrich the flavor of its bubur.

(Read also: Kelapa Gading's tasty 'bubur' with mustard on the side)

Jl. Boulevard Raya QF1, No. 26, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta

Contact: 021 450 7706

Open daily from 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Bubur Ayam Garut Bogasari

Bubur Ayam Garut Bogasari.(Good Indonesian Food/File)

One of the most popular bubur ayam eateries in South Jakarta, it is located nearby SMK 57 and tends to be crowded during the nighttime. Similar to Bubur Ayam Barito, the chicken porridge here is also topped with cheese sticks. Theres also the additional option of grated cheese in great amounts on top that will guarantee to elicit cheers from cheese lovers.

Jl. Taman Margasatwa, Ragunan (near SMK 57), South Jakarta

Open daily from 6 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Bubur Ayam Keluarga Pak Beng

Bubur Ayam Keluarga Pak Beng.(Good Indonesian Food/File)

Slightly veering outside of Jakarta is Bubur Ayam Keluarga Pak Beng in Tangerang, which is open from 2 p.m. until midnight. Their Chinese-style bubur ayam here is delicious mainly because its rice is cooked with chicken stock that lends a very savory taste to its proceedings. It is halal too, so Muslim diners need not worry about giving it a go. (kes)

Jl. Ki Samaun, Tangerang, Banten, West Java

Open daily from 2 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Explore more Indonesian cuisines here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (Associated Press) Washington  Thu, January 12, 2017

President Barack Obama's tweet following his farewell address to the nation has become the most popular post on the presidential account.

Obama tweeted from the @POTUS account Tuesday night: "Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believe - not in my ability to create change, but in yours."

Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believenot in my ability to create change, but in yours.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 11, 2017

(Read also: Trump says BuzzFeed 'garbage' for publishing allegations)

As of midday Wednesday, the message had been retweeted more than 500,000 times. Twitter spokesman Nick Pacilio says that outperforms his previous top tweet, a message posted after the Supreme Court's June 2015 decision to overturn state bans on gay marriage.

The @POTUS account has more than 13 million followers. Obama's personal @BarackObama account has more than 80 million followers.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

Some 1,000 university students are set to stage a rallythey call Defending Peoples Action 121in Jakarta on Thursday to express their concerns on soaring staple food prices and the high rates and fees for electricity, drivers licenses and vehicle registration documents, a police official has said.

They [students] will number about 1,000, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Thursday as reported by kompas.com, adding that students in several cities in the country reportedly would stage similar rallies.

Argo said the students would begin their rally from their respective campuses around Greater Jakarta to then gather at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta before marching to the Presidential Palace.

(Read also: 8 arrested on treason charges ahead of rally)

He said a number of police officers had been prepared to guard the rally, which had been approved until 6 p.m.

The number of police officers we will be prepare will depend on the situation in the field, he said, hoping that the rally could run smoothly without any disturbances.

The last massive rally in the capital, which was joined by hundreds of thousands of people, led by conservative Muslim groups, occurred on Dec. 2 in the National Monument (Monas) complex, which ran smoothly. Hours, before the rally, police arrested several political activists for allegedly planning to take advantage of the rally to launch a coup detat.

Another rally on Nov. 4 led by the same groups ended in violence with two police trucks set on fire and several people, including police officers, being injured in several parts of Jakarta. (jun)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

Association of Air Ticketing Companies in Indonesia (Astindo) is eyeing a significant jump in revenue from this years travel expo, Astindo Fair, which will gather hundreds of airline companies and travel agents in Jakarta and Surabaya on March 24 to 26.

The 2017 Astindo Fair is expected to lure at least 150,000 visitors and generate transaction value of up to Rp 200 billion (US$15 million), up 25 percent from last years revenue of Rp 160 billion from 105,000 visitors.

We have high expectations because this years venues are bigger than in previous years and we have been more aggressive in promoting this event, Astindo chairwoman Elly Hutabarat said Thursday.

The expo, set to be held at the Jakarta Convention Center's Plenary and Assembly halls in the countrys capital city and Pakuwon shopping mall in Surabaya, will bring together 150 exhibitors consisting of various airline companies and travel agents.

Elly also said the fair was in line with the governments Pesona Indonesia campaign, which is projected to boost the number of domestic travelers in the country.

Indonesia is seeking to spur significant growth in the tourist sector in a bid to lure 20 million tourists a year by 2019, nearly double last years figure of around 12 million per year.

To meet the target, the government is working on developing 10 new tourist destinations, including Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur Temple in Central Java and Thousands Islands in Jakarta. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Desy Nurhayati (The Jakarta Post) Bali  Thu, January 12 2017

Teaching wildlife conservation through interactive education can be an amazing experience for children.

Nurturing an appreciation of nature in children will not only safeguard the environment but will make them open-minded and able to make a difference in the future.



At the Begawan Foundation in Sibang, Badung, the education program aims to give students greater knowledge and increase their appreciation for wildlife and the environment, as well as teach strategies on how to combat poaching of the islands iconic species, the Bali Starling.



The year 2016 was a busy one for the foundation. Besides running education awareness classes in the foundations breeding and release center in Sibang and at local schools, it also focused on the newly created after school Ambassadors Club to protect the critically endangered bird.



The foundations main program, a 10-week education program conducted one hour a week, gives students the opportunity to learn about bird conservation. The students learn, among other things, about the important role played by birds in the ecosystem, the threat of extinction of many bird species and how the foundation works closely with the community to protect and preserve the Bali Starling.



Last year, the foundations team either made presentations or conducted 10-week courses with students from kindergarten to senior high school students at a local tourism school. The participants reached 2,000 students last year.



The foundation believes learning by doing is important, and thus the students are expected to participate in all activities. This approach has worked, with students now eager to offer their own views and ideas, rather than expecting to be spoon-fed by the teacher.



Nest boxes, painted by students, hang in trees at SD 2 Sibang Kaja state elementary school, painted cloth bags are now used by proud parents to replace plastic bags. Meanwhile, kindergarten students created a poster featuring a flock of Bali Starlings.

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 Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

Private lender Commonwealth Bank Indonesia expects the large number of Indonesian students studying in Australia to positively affect its business as it rolls out a revamped product to cater to them.

Commonwealth retail banking director Rustini Dewi said on Thursday that it was looking to facilitate the needs of at least 20 to 30 percent of all Indonesian students studying in Australia whose studies were financed by their parents.

"The market share is quite big. We set a quite significant target [for the product] because this is a kind of product that has not been offered yet [by other banks]," she said, referring to its AusStudent Study Package.

Commonwealth, part of the Commonwealth Bank Australia Group, launched the product on Thursday to provide not only financial services for the students but also other related assistances, such as medical checkups and student visa arrangements.

Data from the Australian Embassy in Indonesia said more than 19,300 Indonesians continued their studies in the continental country throughout 2015.

The AusStudent Study Package is a revamped product of the lender's existing AusStudent. It offers two programs, Premium and Platinum, in which customers have to place Rp 1 billion (US$75,255) to Rp 1.5 billion, respectively, to meet the students needs.

Commonwealth Bank Indonesia had booked Rp 12.74 trillion in third-party funds as of September last year, a drop of more than 20 percent compared to the same period in 2015. (tas)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Christian Donny Putranto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12 2017

In the wake of hoax news items and hate speeches circulating online, the government has reinstated and accelerated a plan to establish a cyberagency. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has affirmed that this agency, to be named the National Cyber Agency (BSN), will coordinate with existing entities dealing with cyberactivities in different government bodies such as the polices cyberunit and the communication ministrys cyber task force.

Wiranto brushed aside fears about violations of freedoms and private rights of citizens by the new agency. The BSN, rather, will focus on the protection of peoples cyberactivities, 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 Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

President Joko Jokowi Widodo received on Thursday letters of credentials from eight new foreign ambassadors at the State Palace in Jakarta to mark the start of their official duties in Indonesia.

Five of the eight diplomats are resident ambassadors, namely French Ambassador Jean-Charles Berthonnet, Moroccan Ambassador Ouadia Benabdellah, Portuguese Ambassador Rui Fernando Sucena, United States Ambassador Joseph R. Donovan and Bangladesh Ambassador Maj Gen Azmal Kabir.

Meanwhile, the three others are non-resident resident diplomats, namely Mauritian Ambassador Issop Patel, Rwandan Ambassador Guillaume Kavaruganda and Republic of the Marshall Islands Ambassador Thomas D. Kijiner.

Right after the submissions, President Jokowi invited each of them for talks to discuss bilateral issues.

Jokowi held separate talks that last around three minutes with each ambassador, in which most of them expressed their willingness to increase economic cooperation with Indonesia, a country which they considered had managed to maintain good economic growth in 2016.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the eight ambassadors also appreciated Indonesias roles at the regional and international levels, specifically citing Indonesias active role in pushing for Myanmar to find a solution to the escalation of violence in Rakhine state.

For example, Bangladesh, which has a population of around 170 million, wants to improve economic cooperation with Indonesia after seeing that Indonesia managed to maintain relatively high economic growth, above the world average, Retno said. (dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12 2017

The countrys doctors association announced on Wednesday that it would push for a revision of a healthcare law to scrap a provision that would become the basis for the training of family doctors.

Article 7 and 8 of the 2013 Medical Education Law have mandated the existence of primary care physicians, otherwise known as family doctors, a profession that has yet to be available in Indonesia since it now only recognizes general practitioners and specialists.

Doctors and specialists have protested the law provisions, saying the new profession would create confusion among patients and threaten their jobs.

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 (Associated Press) Seoul  Thu, January 12, 2017

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has returned to native South Korea amid widespread expectations he'll run for president.

Ban arrived at Incheon International Airport near Seoul on Thursday as hundreds of supporters shouted his name.

He told a televised conference that he's willing to dedicate himself to achieving a national unity. He previously made similar comments that analysts say hint at presidential ambitions.

Opinion polls show Ban is one of the favorites to succeed impeached President Park Geun-hye. Park is now on trial at the Constitutional Court that will determine whether to formally end her rule and hold a new election.

Ban, a former South Korea foreign minister, ended his 10-year service at the UN last month.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The government needs to improve its efforts in curtailing the growing dissemination of fakes news by providing effective counter narratives and clarifications, a media expert has suggested.

Founder of the Press and Development Study Institute (LSPP) Ignatius Haryanto said the government should make a concerted effort to tackle untrue or misleading information, purportedly spread by individuals or parties pushing their own business or political agenda.



The government should optimize its public relations to provide balanced information to counter false news, he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.



He said government efforts were necessary amid the rampant spread of false news and the publics tendency to believe news or information that only supports their assumptions.

(Read also: Experts question government's plan to impose fines for fake news)



In their declaration of war against hoaxes and false news, the government has intensified censorship against websites thought to contain false information. Recently, the Communications and Information Ministry shut down 85 news sites that allegedly promoted radicalism.



The regional coordinator for the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network, Damar Juniarto, criticized the governments move, saying that shutting down the websites without undergoing legal procedures through the courts might endanger freedom of expression. (dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The government aims to restore 400,000 hectares of critical peatland in 2017, a lower target compared to 600,000 ha in 2016.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has said the government will speed up canal and pond construction to maintain water levels in peatland areas.

"We need to keep the water level at least 40 centimeters below the surface. During the latest fire in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, the water level was only 50 to 60 centimeters from the surface," Siti said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, adding that from 2009 to 2016 the permissible water level for palm oil plantations was 80 cm.

(Read also: Indonesia's forest concessionaires required to restore peatland)

In 2016, 16,615 canals and 2,581 water ponds were built in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki said Indonesia had 2 million ha of critical peatland that had to be rewet, of which 1.4 ha was located on concession land. The government therefore has to work with plantation companies.

"The companies have to build wells and use real-time water level detectors as an early warning system," Teten said.

Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) head Nazir Foead said palm oil companies actually objected to the new rule as high water levels would reduce productivity and because the water detectors were costly. However, the government will offer productive alternatives such as mixing oil palm with other plants like rubber or combining plantations with breeding livestock.(jun)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The government issued a fourth revision of Government Regulation No. 23/2010 on the management of mineral and coal businesses on Wednesday, allowing miners to continue exporting copper concentrates, certain amounts of low-grade nickel ore and washed bauxite.

The newest revision, Government Regulation No. 1/2017, provides an export exception to those semiprocessed minerals as long as companies have converted their permit status from a contract of work (CoW) to a special mining license (IUPK).

There is no obligation [to convert] as long as they do not ask for a recommendation to export mineral ores or concentrates, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said during a press conference on the revised regulation on Thursday.

Furthermore, mining companies holding IUPK must officially sign a commitment to build a smelter within five years. Foreign-owned mining companies must also commit to divesting 51 percent of shares to the government a decade after production in order to continue exports.

If they want the export recommendation for any of the minerals, then first they must convert to an IUPK with all the consequences, they must build a smelter within five years and they must also divest up to 51 percent, Jonan explained. (ags)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12 2017

Local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are set to receive more support from the government to digitalize their businesses.

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the ministry was working to provide programs to promote the digital SME industry such as the e-Smart IKM initiative, which provides training and guidance to SMEs to encourage online trading.

According to the ministrys data, the use of digital technology by SMEs is able to contribute to the countrys economic growth. It has become a dominant industry in pushing growth and that is why we will allocate more time and resources to developing it, the minister 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 Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The government will issue a ministerial regulation on over-the-top (OTT) content providers after the Google tax saga ends.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said on Thursday that the internet giant was still discussing their tax issue with the Finance Ministry and the results of the discussion would become a reference for the regulations final draft.

"After the problem with Google is done, we will issue the regulation," Rudiantara said.

(Read also: Indonesia demands documents from Google in tax investigation)

The regulation will rule for a level playing field between foreign and domestic OTT content providers, through a legal basis, which includes aspects on taxation.

Rudiantara said although the regulation would be issued by his ministry, the articles related to taxation would be discussed with the Finance Ministry.

He hoped the Google tax saga could be resolved by mid-year. "We are always supportive of the Finance Ministry, but it [resolving the Google case] should not take too long," he added.

Regarding calculations made by the Directorate General of Taxation, Google has to pay US$400 million in tax arrears including penalties for its five years of operation in the country.

The directorates special tax head, Muhammad Haniv, said the company had lobbied the government to not include penalties. The bill was reduced to $73 million but Google tried to lobby the government again in late December last year.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati previously said the government would continue negotiations with Google at the beginning of 2017. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12 2017

A freshman student of the state-run Indonesian Merchant Marine Academy (STIP) died on Tuesday after allegedly being assaulted by his seniors.

Amirulloh Adityas Putra, 18, had suffered serious injuries to his chest and stomach when found at the academys campus in Cilincing, North Jakarta, the head of the investigation unit at the Cilincing Police, Adj. Comr. Andre Soeharto, said on Wednesday.

The victim was [allegedly] beaten by four second-year seniors with their bare hands. He died when he was rushed to the doctor. We are still investigating the case, Andre said, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

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 Kelvin Chan (Associated Press) Hong Kong  Thu, January 12, 2017

Hong Kong's No. 2 government official said Thursday that she was resigning to prepare for a leadership bid for the southern Chinese city's top job.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said she tendered her resignation to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and asked him to submit it to Beijing for approval.

Lam, 59, is the third person to announce plans to join the contest for the job of leading the former British colony, the scene of increasingly bitter political divisions between pro-democracy activists and Beijing loyalists.

"There's only one reason for me to resign at this juncture and that is, if my resignation is approved by the central people's government, I intend to prepare to contest in the upcoming chief executive election," Lam said she wrote in her letter.

Current leader Leung is deeply unpopular and announced last month that he won't seek another term, citing family reasons. His five-year term, which ends in June, was marked by 11-week pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement" protests in 2014 against Beijing's plan to restrict electoral reforms.

Lam, who said she would go on leave starting Friday, has been nicknamed the "good fighter" because of her reputation for being pragmatic and effective; she was Leung's pick to negotiate with student protests leaders two years ago.

Another potential contender, Finance Secretary John Tsang, quit last month but Beijing has yet to approve his resignation and he hasn't yet officially announced he will run.

Hong Kong leaders are chosen by a 1,200-member panel of mostly pro-Beijing tycoons and elites, which is scheduled to make its pick in March. So far, retired judge Woo Kwok-hing and lawmaker Regina Ip have publicly declared their intention to run for the job of leading the city of 7.2 million.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

In its latest move, the government has called for importers of horticulture to purchase domestically grown fruits and vegetables to support local farmers.

Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said Wednesday that the move would help promote local horticulture products, of which production was being boosted by the Agriculture Ministry.

Indonesia launched the Orange Revolution late last year to push up local fruit production, aiming to become the biggest tropical fruit exporter in ASEAN by 2025, and in the world by 2045.

(Read also: Indonesia en route to popularize tropical fruit)

Enggartiasto underlined that the government had not banned imports and that the compliance to the request was voluntary. However, the local purchase call could become obligatory in the future, he added.

If they still dont absorb them [local horticulture products], well make it mandatory. Consequently, we will not give them import recommendations if they dont buy local products of a certain amount, he said.

The Trade Ministry has not set a timeline for how long the local purchase call will apply.

Indonesia imported US$666.37 million worth of fruits and $558.08 million worth of vegetables in 2015, according to data from Trade Map. (lnd)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The government may completely ban tobacco companies from advertising their products on television and radio in the future, according to a tobacco watchdog.

The National Commission on Tobacco Control (Komnas PT) said on Thursday that the latest draft of the broadcasting bill stipulated that the content of a broadcast advertisement was prohibited from promoting alcohol, cigarettes, and other addictive products. The bill is a revision of Law No. 32/2002 on broadcasting.

The banning of [tobacco] advertisements, promotion and sponsorship in the bill is a policy by the House of Representative that is progressive and conforms to the Health Law and several Constitutional Court rulings, Komnas PT law and advocate department member Muhamad Joni said.

(Read also: Cigarette ad ban gets irate manufacturers in a puff)

Joni pointed out that the latest draft of the bill indicated the country was showing progress in tobacco control efforts as previous drafts did not contain such stipulations.

The House has proven to be in favor of tobacco control and the publics protection. Therefore, the bill must be secured in its deliberation process until it is passed, Joni said. (dan)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

In an attempt to curb the dissemination of hoaxes and false news in cyberspace, the government will meet with social media behemoth Facebook to discuss the matter, a minister said.



We will meet [Facebook] later this month. We will work together to clear the dirt on social media, Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara said on Thursday on the sidelines of an event held by the Health Ministry in Jakarta.



Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki said on Tuesday that the government was drafting a regulation that would enable authorities to fine over-the-top (OTT) content providers, such as Facebook, that failed to retract hoaxes or false news from their newsfeeds within 24 hours.



Commenting on it, Rudiantara said holding a direct meeting with Facebooks representative was an important step, as the result of the meeting may enhance the governments consideration in drafting or revising prevailing laws.



Its OK to prepare for it, but revising the Electronic Information and Transactions Law will take time. Hence, we invite Facebook to come and solve the problem here, he said. (evi)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12 2017

More than 1.5 million people in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost end of Java, never imagined life could be as easy as it is these days.

Complicated applications from birth certificates to poverty statements are now just a click away thanks to a fiber optic network that has provided fast online access.

Under the so-called smart kampung program launched mid-last year, the local administration aims to improve public services, including online administrative processes, and address various problems faced by residents, such as poverty and access to health care.

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) Manado  Thu, January 12 2017

The detention of four students from Papua who have been accused of treason by the Manado Police has been extended to Feb. 17, 40 days after their arrest.

Manado Police crime unit head Comr. Edwin Humokor said Tuesday that case dossiers had been submitted to the prosecutors office. Their detention has been extended to simplify the investigation process, Edwin said.

He claimed the suspects violated Article 106 of the Criminal Code on treason, which carries a minimum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a maximum of life.

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
A revision to a government regulation that may relax a ban on the export of semi-processed minerals remains up in the air, as the government has yet to sign the revision a mere 24 hours before the prescribed deadline.

The government has been working hard on a fourth revision to Government Regulation No. 23/2010 on the management of mineral and coal businesses, which is expected to postpone a ban on semi-processed mineral exports and provide different options for divestments of shares in foreign-owned mining companies.

However, the government had yet to issue the revision by Wednesday evening despite the fact that the bans implementation was set to begin the next day.

Even so, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan claimed that if the revision was not issued by Thursday, then companies would have to temporarily halt any concentrate exports.

If there arent any new regulations then they must stop [exports] tomorrow. This is clear, he said, declining to disclose whether the export ban would be immediately lifted once the revision was issued.

(Read also: Govt may lift mineral export ban)

The 2009 Mining Law prohibits the export of raw mineral products and requires mineral ore miners to complete their smelter developments by 2014, the time when the export ban should have been fully enforced.

The measure was issued to develop the downstream sector and to avoid the further importation of Indonesian-produced natural resources processed overseas.

However, because none of the proposed smelters were completed by the original deadline, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos administration issued Government Regulation No. 1/2014 as an amendment to a 2010 government regulation in order to extend the deadline to Jan. 11, 2017.

Mineral products exported by Indonesia.(JP/File)

Although no official details have been revealed about the planned revision, Jonan disclosed that it would cover an extension on mineral concentrate exports in exchange for a commitment to build processing smelters as well as the obligation to convert contracts of work into special mining licenses (IUPKs).

Furthermore, it will also maximize the governments efforts to push for- eign miners to divest 51 percent of their shares to the Indonesian State.

The latest revision draft Government Regulation No. 23/2010 obtained by The Jakarta Post shows only the export of copper concentrates will be allowed, despite the 2009 Mining Law prohibiting such exports.

Companies operating under contracts of work must also convert into IUPKs before they are allowed to export. Furthermore, the latest draft also stipulates that a new list of exports will be determined through a ministerial regulation, which is also similar to the prevailing regulation.

Any postponement in issuing the revision could affect the countrys efforts to boost state revenues. In 2015, out of nine raw minerals that should have been totally banned from export, Indonesia only banned four of them, namely manganese, chromium, nickel and aluminium.

While the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys latest data shows that non-tax revenues from the mineral and coal sector reached Rp 24.29 trillion (US$1.82 billion) by mid-December from the 2016 target of Rp 30.1 trillion, the government is hoping to increase the figure to Rp 45.2 trillion this year.

Even so, the potential relaxation of a total ban on mineral exports has received mixed views from industry players.

The Bauxite and Iron Ore Companies Association (APB3I) approves of the governments potential move to allow a limited number of companies to continue exporting semiprocessed minerals so long as there are real commitments from the companies to develop smelters.

The government should at least give a chance to players in the mineral commodities sector to build smelters by allowing exports for a limited amount of time, APB3I chairman Erry Sofyan said in a press release made available to the Post.

Erry explained that the export ban had been disadvantageous to the countrys gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in areas that are rich in bauxite. He cited West Kalimantan, whose GRDP decreased to 5.02 percent in 2014 from 6.04 percent the previous year, as an example.

Meanwhile, the Processing and Smelting Companies Association (AP3I) has vehemently put its foot down against a possible relaxation of the export ban.

Chairman Jonatan Handojo said extending the relaxation would create uncertainty among business players, who would then be reluctant to take part in the governments mission to develop the downstream sector.

However, he agreed that the government regulation needed to be revised in order to ensure legal certainty for the processing and purification of minerals.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu held on Thursday an annual meeting with other ministers, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, to discuss the countrys defense strategy this year, including the controversial Bela Negara program.

The meeting, which was closed to journalists, discussed, among other things, Indonesias cooperation with neighboring countries, the countrys roles in peacekeeping operations and Bela Negara for all Indonesian citizens, the ministry said in a statement.

The Bela Negara program has received harsh criticism from democracy activists, with protests intensifying recently following an event in which Lebak Military Command trained members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI).

Minister Tjahjo told reporters after the meeting that the government was finalizing regulations on the Bela Negara program, which he said would later be incorporated into school and university curriculum to familiarize citizens with the basic ideas of the states ideology, Pancasila, and the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) principle.

If we do not implement the Bela Negara program, 100 years from now, [our generations] will have no idea when asked about Pancasila, Tjahjo said. (evi)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The Transportation Ministry says it will revoke the flying licenses of two foreign pilots of Susi Air, an airline owned by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, if they test positive for drugs.

The ministrys airworthiness and aircraft operation director, Muzaffar Ismail, said his side was waiting for the final laboratory results from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

If the results are positive, we will revoke [their licenses], he said over the phone on Thursday.

The ministry has temporarily grounded the pilots pending the lab results.

(Read also: Ministry, narcotics agency to intensify supervision of Indonesian pilots)

The pilots preliminary tests indicated they had used drugs. They underwent a random urine check at Tunggul Wulung Airport in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday.

They were then flown to Jakarta to be further assessed by the BNN, with the results expected to come out next week.

The ministry previously revoked the license of former budget carrier Citilink pilot Capt. Tekad Purna for being deemed unfit and violating air regulations, after passengers accused him of being drunk while on duty on Dec. 28. (tas)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The Workers Association of state-owned electricity company PLN has blamed the governments decision not to cut the gas price for PLN as the reason why electricity rates are high.

The price of gas for PLNs gas-powered power plants (PLTG) was higher than US$9 per one million British Thermal Units (MMBTU), which was more than the gas price for industries at only $6 per MMBTU, said Workers Association chairman Jumadis Abda.

The gas price is the main contributor to the high electricity rates experienced by the people, Jumadis said as reported by tribunnews.com on Thursday.

(Read also: Tariff rise only for non-subsidized 900-watt users: PLN CEO)

The government has decided to cut gas prices only for three industrial sectorssteel, fertilizer and petrochemicals.

He told the government to include PLN as recipient of the cut to help PLN customers have lower electricity bills.

The high electricity rates are becoming a burden to customers, he added.

The government has started to gradually increase the electricity rate, including the non-subsidized 900-volt ampere (VA) category, since Jan. 1, following a decision to revoke the subsidy for 18.85 million customers in this bracket.

With the new rate, customers will have to pay Rp 1,114.74 (8 US cents) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from around Rp 605 previously. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The Cirebon District Court in West Java handed the death penalty on Wednesday to six of nine defendants for dealing 40 kilograms of crystal methamphetamines and 180,000 ecstasy pills in March last year in a case that involved an international drug ring.

Presiding judge Mukhlis said the six defendants were proven guilty of smuggling drugs into the country for distribution.

"The defendants have violated Article 114( 2), Article 113(2), Article 112(2) and Article 132(1) of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics," said Muklis, when reading out the verdict as quoted by Antara.

The death sentence was what the prosecutors demanded.

(Read also: Indonesia will maintain death penalty for drugs traffickers)

The six defendants were Ricky Gunawan, 34, Jusman, 52, Karun, aka Ahong, 40, Yanto, aka Abeng, 50, Sugianto, aka Acay, 29 and M. Rizki, 30.

Two other defendants, Hendri Unan, 28 and Gunawan Aminah, 60, avoided capital punishment but were both sentenced to eight years in prison and fined Rp 1 billion (US$75,414).

In March last year, National Police detectives arrested nine drug traffickers at a rest area by the Cikampek toll road. (dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

Susi Air, an airline owned by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, has stated it will dismiss two of its pilots if they test positive for drugs.

Susi Air business commercial and legal manager Irvino Samuel Moniaga said the airline had acknowledged that the pilots had undergone a three-day test conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

We are waiting for more accurate results. If [the drug use] is proven, of course we will dismiss them dishonorably, Irvino said in a text message on Thursday.

(Read also: Urine test results of two Susi Air pilots will be ready next week: BNN)

He said Susi Air had conducted regular medical checkups on its pilots every six months, as required by a prevailing regulation. He, however, declined to comment on whether the pilots had undergone medical checkups before flying on Wednesday.

They underwent a random urine check at Tunggul Wulung Airport in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday, and were then flown to Jakarta to be further assessed by the BNN, with the results expected to come out next week.

The Transportation Ministry previously revoked the license of former budget carrier Citilink pilot Capt. Tekad Purna for being deemed unfit and violating air regulations, after passengers accused him of being drunk while on duty on Dec. 28. (tas)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Brendan Scott and Ting Shi (Bloomberg) Hong Kong  Thu, January 12, 2017

Taiwan accused China of interference after the Nigerian government ordered the island to move its trade mission from the capital Abuja to Lagos.

Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama announced the move Wednesday after meeting with Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said. Onyeama said Taiwan would stop enjoying privileges because it wasnt a country recognized under international law, Xinhua said. During the talks, Onyeama also reaffirmed his countrys commitment to the One-China policy.

Taiwans foreign ministry protested the decision in a statement Thursday. The foreign ministry strongly protests and condemns the unreasonable, rude and outrageous act of political hype carried out by the Nigerian government in complying with mainland Chinas political goals, the ministry said.

China has shown a willingness to use its growing economic and military might to put pressure on Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which swept the more Beijing-friendly Kuomintang from power last year. The move comes less than a month after the tiny West African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe broke off ties with Taiwan and established formal relations with China, leaving the self-ruled island with just 21 diplomatic partners.

The Communist Party considers the self-governed island a province and has criticized President Tsai Ing-wens refusal to accept that both sides belong to One China, its precondition for ties. China had refrained from actively wooing away any of Taiwans diplomatic partners during the eight-year tenure of Tsais predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, who advocated increased ties with the worlds second-largest economy.

Tsai is wrapping up a a week-long Central American tour, in which she has been shoring up relations with her dwindling roster of diplomatic friends. The Nigerian move suggests she also might need to be concerned about Taiwans business interests in countries that lack formal ties to Taipei.

Nigeria has been seeking Chinese support after a slump in oil prices pushed the African nation to the brink of its first full-year recession since 1991. The two countries have been discussing various deals spanning oil production to infrastructure, with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returning from a visit to Beijing in April with promises for US$6 billion of loans.

Wang told Buhari on Wednesday that China appreciates that the Nigerian side made good on its pledge to implement the One-China principle, and carried out concrete and decisive measures to clear political obstacles to the development of bilateral relations.

--With assistance from Miaojung Lin and Debra Mao To contact the reporters on this story: Brendan Scott in Hong Kong at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Ting Shi in Hong Kong at tshi31@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Debra Mao, Andy Sharp
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Eileen Sullivan and Deb Riechmann (Associated Press) Washington  Thu, January 12, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump speculated Wednesday that US intelligence agencies might have leaked details about a classified briefing with him that included unsubstantiated allegations that Russia had collected compromising sexual and financial information about him.

He said any such information was not true: "It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen."

"I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press," Trump said.

His comments marked his latest round of insults thrown at US intelligence agencies, the same agencies he will have to rely on to help him make major national security directions once he takes the White House next week.

Trump was referring to a dossier that contained unproven information about close coordination between Trump's inner circle and Russians, including details about Russian hacking into Democratic accounts as well as unsubstantiated claims about unusual sexual activities by Trump, attributed to anonymous sources. The Associated Press has not authenticated any of the claims.

On Tuesday, FBI Director James Comey refused to say whether the FBI was investigating any possible ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, citing a policy not to comment on what the FBI might or might not be doing.

There is nothing to suggest the intelligence agencies told news outlets that a summary of the dossier was included in Trump's classified briefing last week about Russian election meddling. President Barack Obama was also briefed on the dossier last Thursday.

A summary of the allegations was included as an add-on to a classified assessment of Russia's suspected election- interference efforts. That classified report tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to the hacking of email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, including Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta.

Trump acknowledged Wednesday, for the first time, that he believed Russia was responsible for the hacking.

"As far as hacking, I think it was Russia," Trump said. "But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people."

Trump condemned what he said was "maybe" leaks by US intelligence agencies.

It would be a "tremendous blot on their record if they in fact did that. A tremendous blot, because a thing like that should have never been written, it should never have been had and it should certainly never been released," Trump said at a news conference.

He likened the release to Nazi Germany, saying it is "disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information  that turned out to be so false and fake  out."

The CIA and the office of the director of national intelligence declined to comment. Although they had not been able to verify details in the dossier, the belief in the intelligence community was that it needed to be shared with Trump, given how many media outlets were already aware of the file.

The briefing about the separate dossier was first reported Tuesday by CNN.

Shortly after news reports were published about the dossier, Trump tweeted: "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!"

Before he was even briefed on the intelligence agencies' findings last week, Trump called the focus on the Russian hacking a political witch hunt, as well.

Similar denunciations came from Moscow. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the dossier as a "complete fabrication and utter nonsense." He insisted that the Kremlin "does not engage in collecting compromising material."

Collecting such material  known as kompromat in Russia  is standard operating procedure for the Kremlin.

"Kompromat is the life blood  one of the many life blood tactics of Russian intelligence agents," said Laura Galante, a Russia expert and director of intelligence analysis at cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc. "Needless to say, the Russians are not going to say that they have compromising information about Donald Trump."

The unsubstantiated dossier on Trump, which has been circulating in Washington for months, was compiled by a former Western intelligence operative, identified Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal as Christopher Steele of London-based Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd. Efforts to reach him or the company for comment were not immediately successful.

The dossier was part of an opposition research project originally financed by a Republican client who opposed Trump, and later funded by Democrats, according to Mother Jones, which published an article about the report in October and said the operative had turned over the report to the FBI. The New York Times reported the operative had previously worked for British intelligence.

Steven Hall, a retired chief of Russia operations at the CIA, said it was unlikely that intelligence agencies told Trump about the report as payback for his regular criticism.

"In my 30 years of briefing some pretty senior folks downtown in the national security structure, I've never seen politicization like that where you use the threat of some sort of retaliation, or some sort of, 'things are going to get very difficult for you in the future if you somehow mess with the intelligence community.' I've never seen that," Hall said.

Hall said senior intelligence officials were likely in a no-win situation.

If they decided not to share the information with Trump, the details still would likely get out, and they would be accused of withholding evidence, he said. "If you do brief it, then you of course put the imprimatur of some sort of believability, some sort of veracity to it."

Trump's attacks on the intelligence agencies have been "stinging" said former CIA counsel Jeffrey Smith.

"Most president-elects or presidential candidates are very suspicious to the CIA or hostile to it," Smith said. "Once they become president and discover that it's their CIA, the attitude changes."

___

Associated Press writers Vivian Salama and Kathleen Hennessey contributed to this report.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Matthew Lee (Associated Press) Washington  Thu, January 12, 2017

Barraged by questions about Russia, Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state promised a far more muscular approach toward the Kremlin on Wednesday, abandoning much of the president-elect's emphasis on improving ties between the Cold War foes. Instead, Rex Tillerson suggested the outgoing Obama administration responded too softly to Moscow's takeover of Ukrainian territory.

The surprising shift in tone by Tillerson, a former Exxon Mobil CEO and Russian "Order of Friendship" recipient, reflected the difficulty Trump will have in persuading Democrats and Republicans to broach a broad rapprochement with President Vladimir Putin's government. Calling Russia a "danger" to the United States, Tillerson said he would keep US sanctions in place and consider new penalties related to Russian meddling in the presidential election.

Although he said he hadn't read last week's classified assessment by the US intelligence community, Tillerson said it was a "fair assumption" that Putin would have ordered the operation that purportedly included hacking, propaganda and internet trolls to harm Hillary Clinton's candidacy and advance Trump's. But in a puzzling revelation, Tillerson conceded he hadn't yet talked with Trump about a Russia policy.

(Read also: Moscow denies having compromising information about Trump)

"Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests," Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He added that Trump's administration would be committed to the defense of America's NATO partners, an obligation the president-elect called into question during the campaign if allies failed to meet defense spending pledges.

While his prepared statement reflected some of Trump's desire for improved ties, Tillerson quickly pivoted under pressure from both sides of the aisle. On Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea region, he said, "That was a taking of territory that was not theirs."

Still, he criticized President Barack Obama's sanctions on Russia, which ended up costing Exxon hundreds of millions of dollars. And he declared that he would have responded by urging Ukraine to send all available military units to its eastern border with Russia and recommending US and allied support through defensive weapons and air surveillance, to send a message to Moscow.

"That is the type of response that Russia expects," he said in a response to questions from Sen. Marco Rubio, Tillerson's toughest GOP inquisitor, who later lectured the oil man on human rights and hinted he might withhold his support. "If Russia acts with force," Tillerson said, "they require a proportional show of force."

Trump offered a sharply different account of Ukraine during the presidential campaign and never proposed a show of US military force in Ukraine. In an August interview, he claimed Russia would not enter Ukraine, not seeming to know Russian troops were already there. He suggested Crimea didn't count because the peninsula's people preferred being part of Russia, restating Putin's reason for taking the territory in 2014.

Like Trump, Tillerson vowed complete support for Israel, which he called America's "most important ally" in the Middle East. He said the new administration would undertake a full review of the Iran nuclear deal to deny the Islamic republic the ability to acquire an atomic weapon. He said that might only be possible if Iran can no longer enrich uranium, which the accord permits under strict constraints and without which Tehran wouldn't have made the deal.

Some of the questioning reflected the traditional friction between a Congress that wants to prescribe foreign policy and an executive branch that traditionally seeks to maintain broad flexibility in its international affairs, tinted by Tillerson's vocal opposition to economic sanctions as a business leader.

Addressing some of Congress' most experienced architects of US economic pressure, Tillerson called sanctions "a powerful tool" in deterrence that could, however, also project weakness if applied poorly.

He said neither he nor Exxon had lobbied against sanctions. But the company did try to influence sanctions legislation on Russia two years ago, congressional records and data from the Center for Responsive Politics show, and Tillerson made numerous White House visits, to no avail. Given a second chance on the subject, Tillerson sought to clarify his answer by saying he had expressed concerns related to security in shutting down an Exxon operation newly prohibited under the sanctions.

Tillerson represents a break in a longstanding tradition of secretaries of state with extensive military, legislative, political or diplomatic experience. Yet his supporters point to Tillerson's lengthy career as a senior executive in a mammoth multinational company as proof he has the management and negotiating skills to succeed in the State Department's top post, particularly when facing tough foreign governments.

"It's brilliant what he's doing and what he's saying," Trump said of Tillerson during a news conference in New York that occurred as Tillerson was testifying. "He ran incredibly Exxon Mobil. When there was a find, he would get it."

His Exxon experience, however, has been criticized by Democrats for possible conflicts of interest because of the company's far-flung business dealings. Tillerson, who stepped down as CEO at the end of 2016, said he understood being secretary of state meant different responsibilities. He pledged to be a steward for US national interests rather than corporate ones.

"He is not prepared to be our secretary of state," said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat.

If all 10 Democrats on the committee vote against Tillerson, and Rubio or any other Republican joins them, the nomination would then be referred to the full Senate with "no recommendation." That would be an embarrassment for such a high-profile Cabinet nominee and could signal a larger confirmation battle.

"He's got to convince me he sees Russia for who they are," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, another skeptical Republican. On Tillerson's proposed response to the election hacking charges, Graham said, "Real fuzzy answer."

___

Associated Press writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Vanessa Gera (Associated Press) Warsaw  Thu, January 12, 2017

American soldiers are rolling into Poland, fulfilling a dream Poles have had since the fall of communism in 1989 to have US troops on their soil as a deterrent against Russia.

US Army vehicles and soldiers in camouflage crossed into southwestern Poland on Thursday morning from Germany and were heading for Zagan, where they will be based.

US and other Western nations have carried out exercises on NATO's eastern flank, but this US deployment will be the first continuous deployment to the region by a NATO ally.

Despite the celebrations, a cloud also hangs over the historic moment: anxieties that the enhanced security could eventually be undermined by the pro-Kremlin views of President-elect Donald Trump.

Poland and the Baltic states are nervous about Russian assertiveness displayed in Ukraine and Syria.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 13 2017

The Constitutional Court has given human rights activists a chance to present their final arguments against a proposal filed by conservative groups to outlaw sex between unmarried and same-sex couples.

Hearings on the controversial judicial review petition against the adultery articles in the Criminal Code (KUHP) had been set to end on Thursday, with the session having been dominated by expert witnesses that supported the proposal.

However, Naila Rizki of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), which opposes the judicial review petition, requested that the court extend the hearings to give members of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) a chance to present their arguments, as they were not able to attend Thursdays hearing.

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
TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.

Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Semarang  Fri, January 13 2017

A riot broke out during a rally, held by several university student executive bodies in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday, protesting the governments policies over the fuel price and electricity tariff hikes.

The rally, held at the front gate of Central Javas regional legislative council, went orderly at first under the security of dozens of police officers.

The students protested government policies deemed unfavorable to the public, such as the fuel price and electricity tariff hikes, said Aditya, the coordinator of the rally.

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 Tama Salim and Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 13 2017

Indonesia will offer to co-host a workshop on best practices for hydro-powered electrification during an upcoming Pan-Asian forum in the United Arab Emirates, officials have revealed.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi is slated to attend the 15th Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 17, with the main theme of renewable energy.

Indonesia will offer to co-host a workshop alongside prime movers in food, water and energy, said Benyamin Carnadi, the Foreign Ministrys director for regional cooperation in Asia, Pacific and Africa, on Thursday.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Daily Star)  Thu, January 12, 2017

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday renewed her call for Myanmar to take back its nationals from Bangladesh.

She made the call when visiting Myanmar State Minister for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin met her at the Gono Bhaban in the evening, reports UNB.

The PM said the two countries can permanently resolve the refugee problem through discussions.

During the meeting, U Kyaw Tin handed over a letter of Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to the PM.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the premier reiterated Bangladesh's zero tolerance policy against terrorism.

Bangladesh doesn't allow any armed insurgent group to use its territory against any of its neighbors, the press secretary quoted Hasina as saying.

Expressing satisfaction over the existing ties between the two countries, she said Bangladesh values its relations with the neighbors. I'll do whatever is necessary for further strengthening the ties with Myanmar, she added.

Highlighting Bangladesh's stunning socioeconomic development, the PM said Myanmar can learn from its experience in this regard.

She invited Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Bangladesh.

The Myanmar state minister laid emphasis on setting up a border liaison office. He also stressed the need for exchanging information between the border forces of the two countries.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Principal Secretary to the PM Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka U Myo Myint Than were present.

Earlier in the afternoon, U Kyaw Tin had a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh foreign ministry officials at the State Guest House Padma.

Expressing deep concern at the continued influx of Rohingya Muslims from the Rakhine state, Dhaka at the meeting asked Naypyidaw to immediately halt the exodus of Rohingyas and repatriate all the Myanmar citizens staying in Bangladesh for years, reports our diplomatic correspondent.

Dhaka also expressed readiness to engage with Naypyidaw to discuss the process and modalities of repatriation to ensure a sustainable solution to the problem facing the Muslims in Rakhine.

U Kyaw Tin, also the special envoy of Aung San Suu Kyi, led a three-member Myanmar delegation to the meeting while the Bangladesh side was led by the foreign minister.

The Myanmar delegation stated that it would take back 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh, which is only a tiny fraction of the 300,000 Myanmar citizens who took refuge, but made no decision on the large number of unregistered Rohingyas living in Bangladesh for years, said meeting sources.

According to diplomatic sources, the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting said at least 65,000 Myanmar citizens took shelter in Bangladesh since Oct. 9, 2016, which is in excess of over 300,000 Myanmar nationals staying in Bangladesh for years.

Dhaka also asked Naypyidaw to urgently address the root cause of the problem in Rakhine so that the Muslims there need not be desperate to seek shelter across the border.

Bangladesh made it clear that it is solely Myanmar's responsibility to resolve the Rohingya crisis and reiterated that it would cooperate with the neighboring country for a longstanding or permanent solution to the Rohingya issue.

Sources said the Bangladesh side asked the Myanmar delegation to immediately stop persecution and ethnic cleansing in Rakhine to stop influx and restore confidence among the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh so that they feel encouraged to return home.

The Myanmar delegation dismissed the allegations of abuses by security forces in Rakhine, but admitted that troops poured into northern Rakhine since insurgents believed to be from the mostly stateless Rohingya minority attacked border posts on October 9, killing nine police officers.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and other senior foreign ministry officials took part in the meeting.

Officials said the number of registered refugees in Nayapara and Kutupalong camps in Cox's Bazar now stands at around 33,000. Besides, over 300,000 undocumented Myanmar nationals have been living in slums and villages mostly throughout Cox's Bazar and its adjoining districts. The refugees at the camps had earlier declined to return home fearing persecution.

Undocumented Rohingyas were damaging the local environment, creating social problems. They were also impacting negatively on the Bangladeshi citizens' job markets abroad.

Rohingyas began fleeing the Buddhist-majority country in the late 1970s, although the biggest influx was in 1992 when an estimated 250,000 fled to Bangladesh. Most of them were repatriated following an agreement between the two countries under the supervision of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

This article appeared on The Daily Star newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Teresa Cerojano (Associated Press) Manila  Thu, January 12, 2017

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived Thursday for a two-day visit to Manila as the Philippines has boosted ties with China while taking a hostile stance toward Tokyo's main ally the United States.

The Philippines is Abe's first stop in a four-nation swing as the Japanese leader presses efforts to boost his country's trade and security engagements amid China's rise to Asian dominance. He will later travel to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Accompanied by his wife and a business delegation, Abe is the first head of state to visit since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June. It's an important affirmation of Duterte's leadership at a time he faces domestic and international criticism for a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed more than 6,000 lives.

(Read also: Most Filipinos trust US, Japan; distrust China, Russia: Survey)

"Japan is one of our strongest friends and ally and partner in this part of the world and we value this friendship," Duterte's foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr. said ahead of Abe's visit.

The two sides plan to sign agreements to bolster cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure and security. After Manila, Abe will travel to southern Davao city, Duterte's hometown where Yasay said the president may host breakfast for the Japanese premier at his home.

Japan may also provide help in the construction of rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, Yasay said.

China has backed Duterte's bloody crackdown on drug users and pushers, and a Chinese real estate magnate financed the construction of the biggest drug rehab center in the country, drawing praises from the president.

While Duterte has cozied up to China and Russia, he has railed at President Barack Obama's outgoing administration for raising alarm over human rights concerns. The brash-talking Duterte has repeatedly vowed to scale back joint military exercises and other defense engagements with the U.S., his country's treaty ally, but has walked back on many of his threats.

Duterte visited Japan in October when he and Abe agreed to cooperate in promoting regional peace and stability and acknowledged the importance of their alliances with Washington.

About two dozen activists led by four women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops in World War II protested outside the Japanese Embassy, calling for justice for their sufferings in a call that has largely been muted by the blossoming relations of the Asian neighbors.

Narcisa Claveria, 87, said she and other former sex slaves were treated "like pigs" by Japanese troops during the war, lamenting that many of her fellow victims had died without getting justice.

"Shinzo Abe, end the issue of women now," Claveria said at the protest. "You are meeting again with the president, will you bring forces of aggression here again? Are you going to make women here like pigs again?"

It's not clear if the demand by the former sex slaves would be raised by Duterte in his talk with Abe.

Japan is now among the top trading partners of the Philippines and one of its largest aid providers. It has also provided patrol ships to help the Philippines protect its territory amid longstanding territorial rifts with China.

Japan has expressed readiness to finance a major railway project in the south, where Duterte hails from, something that China also pledged.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Star) Beijing  Thu, January 12, 2017

Malaysia and China have reached an understanding in the fight against transnational crimes, including fraud carried out by syndicates from China but based in Malaysia, one of which is the Macau scam.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said tens of billions of dollars were lost to these syndicates, which were targeting the Chinese.

Over the years, we have arrested 744 people and all have been deported to China, he told a press conference here during his working visit to Beijing and Kunming.

On counter-terrorism efforts, Ahmad Zahid said China would be providing high-technology gadgets to enhance and expand the Regional Digital Counter-Messaging Communications Centre set up by Malaysia.

He said China thanked the Malaysian government for taking the initiatives and actions in tackling crime and terrorism issues.

He has held meetings with State Counselor and Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China secretary Meng Jianzhu and International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) president Meng Hongwei since Tuesday.

Topics : China agreement crime terrorism

This article appeared on The Star newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Yuji Vincent Gonzales (Inquirer.net)  Thu, January 12, 2017

Despite President Rodrigo Dutertes separation from the United States and so-called pivot to its rivals, majority of Filipinos still trust the global superpower and its ally Japan, and distrust China and Russia, a recent survey by Pulse Asia showed.

The survey, conducted from Dec. 6 to 11, 2016, showed that the US and Japan both scored high majority trust ratings of 76 and 70 percent, respectively, among 1,200 respondents. This was the majority sentiment in all geographic areas (ranging from 69 percent to 83 percent for the US and 58 percent to 76 percent for Japan) and socio-economic classes (74 percent to 82 percent and 62 to 83 percent, respectively), Pulse Asia said.

Distrust in the US and Japan was expressed by 23 and 29 percent of Filipinos, respectively, while only one percent of respondents were undecided. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to arrive in Manila for an official visit on Thursday and drop by Dutertes hometown in Davao.

More than half of Filipinos in most geographic areas and socio-economic groupings expressed distrust to China (61 percent). High distrust was also recorded for Russia (58 percent) and Great Britain (55 percent).

Amid criticisms of human rights abuses in the administrations crackdown on narcotics, Duterte has taken steps to seek alliances with China and Russia as he veered away from the West. In his state visit to Beijing last year, the President sealed billions in credit pledges and investment and agreed to enter into bilateral talks on the South China Sea dispute.

Duterte, who is set to visit Moscow in April, has also repeatedly said he would buy firearms and weapons from Russia.

Majorities in most geographic areas [53 percent to 68 percent] and all socio-economic groupings [52 percent to 62 percent] distrust Great Britain while the majority sentiment in Metro Manila is one of trust [55 percent]. For its part, Russia registers majority distrust scores in the rest of Luzon [61 percent] and the Visayas [69 percent] as well as in every socio-economic class [56 percent to 65 percent] but it has virtually the same trust and distrust figures in Metro Manila [46 percent versus 50 percent] and Mindanao [50 percent versus 46 percent], Pulse Asia said.

In the case of China, it obtains majority distrust figures in almost all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings [60 percent to 67 percent and 60 percent to 70 percent, respectively], with Mindanao and Class ABC being the exceptions. In both subgroupings, China records essentially the same trust and distrust ratings [47 percent versus 50 percent and 48 percent versus 49 percent, respectively], it added.

Topics : survey ally

This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Tan Hui Yee (The Straits Times/ANN) Bangkok  Thu, January 12, 2017

Portraits of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn now adorn government offices, alongside those of his parents. His flood relief kits have been distributed to affected families in the south. But the new monarch has asserted his presence most visibly through his recent request to amend the draft Constitution that was almost a done deal, having already sailed through a national referendum last August.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha broke the news on Tuesday, stressing that the changes requested had nothing to do with the rights of citizens, only the authority of the 64-year-old king. Deputy Premier Wissanu Krea-ngam revealed that the articles to be amended include those that detail what the government should do in a crisis, and the way laws are formalized.

The legal implications, even for a coup-installed government which grants itself absolute power, are more convoluted. The carefully worded draft Constitution is the second to be drawn up under this military administration and is set to expire on Feb 6 without the king's endorsement. To keep it alive, the appointed legislators convening Friday are expected to amend the interim charter in three consecutive sittings. This temporary Constitution, now in force pending the promulgation of a new one, is also expected to be amended to remove the need for the monarch to appoint a regent when he is not in the country, or unable to perform his duties.

In a kingdom where power negotiations are rarely made in public, the monarch's intervention has raised questions about relations between the palace and the military, and about the future political landscape of ASEAN's second-largest economy.

The celebrated 70-year reign of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was buttressed by symbiotic relationships with key military leaders. One of them was 96-year-old General Prem Tinsulanonda, who headed the late monarch's Privy Council, and was similarly tapped by King Maha Vajiralongkorn to lead his council of advisers. The current monarch has also drawn several junta-linked men into his Privy Council - former justice minister Paiboon Kumchaya, former education minister Dapong Ratansuwan, former army chief Teerachai Nakvanich and former assistant army chief Kampanat Ruddit. But analysts, who decline to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, say these appointments are no guarantee the status quo will be maintained.

Public discussion about the royal family in Thailand is constrained by its lese majeste law, which allows for up to 15 years' jail for each count of insult or libel against the monarch.

"Each king has a different character and I think this current king sees this amendment as important to him," said Siam University law academic Ekachai Chainuvati, who points out that past Thai Constitutions have required the sitting monarch to sign off on all laws anyway.

Despite official assertions to the contrary, a constitutional amendment could delay the elections yet again. Polls can take place only after the promulgation of a new Constitution, and the chances of them taking place at the end of this year - as promised by General Prayuth - now appear slim, say analysts.

In addition, the government is preoccupied with preparations for an elaborate cremation ceremony for King Bhumibol, to be held late this year. His remains, ensconced in the Grand Palace since his death in October, continue to draw masses of Thais wishing to pay their last respects to the revered patriarchal figure.

This draft Constitution, if approved, will be Thailand's 20th in its 85 years as a constitutional monarchy. The country's most recent coup in 2014 put an end to a decade of political turmoil marked by tussles between the popularly elected government supported by exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and royalist, urban-based elites who threw their weight behind street protests that triggered military intervention. The draft Constitution would have crimped the influence of the former faction, while giving military appointees control over the entire Upper House.

In the end, many Thais who dislike military rule voted for the charter anyway, out of a desire for the country to move on. That turning point now seems further away as Thailand treads unfamiliar ground.

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Nikki Ekstein (Bloomberg)  Thu, January 12, 2017

It wasnt long ago that travelers recoiled at the idea of visiting Iceland in the wintertime. Iceland? In winter? The countrys name should dismiss the very premise. But Sif Gustavsson, the former director of Icelands tourism board, had an epiphany: She could brand the slow winter months as northern lights season, and all those frozen-over landscapes might take on new appeal.

Fast-forward a few years, and you know how that story ended: Iceland has become one of the hottest travel destinations on earth, and the coldest months are seeing unprecedented interest. In fact, interest has almost outpaced development, with hotels racing to open their doors in the capital city of Reykjavik while intrepid outfitters beef up their offerings for upscale travelers.

All thats to say, if youre going to do an Iceland trip, youd better do it right. And youd better do all you can to see the northern lights, because coming home without glorious pink- and green-hued photos of the night sky is simply not an acceptable answer. Heres where to start.

When to go

Gustavsson, who now works as a sustainable tourism consultant with the independent marketing brand Iceland Cool Communications, has seen the northern lights as early as August and as late as April. But if you want to maximize your odds at a sighting, she says, go between November and February.

Tempting as Icelandairs stopover program isyou can get a free extended layover in Icelandyoull want more than just a long weekend. Plan to spend a couple of days eating your way through Reykjaviks cutting-edge food scene, and then head to the countryside for a few nights of sky-gazing.

When people try to chase the northern lights, thats when they wind up disappointed, says Gustavsson. You just have to be patient. Thats why she recommends booking a single hotel in the countryside for three or four nights and simply staying put. If you stay in the countryside, you have nature on your sidethe south shore and far east of Iceland are the best places.

Erupting geysers in Iceland. (Shutterstock/File)

A case for group tours

Watching the northern lights might feel like a solitary activity, but Gustavsson says the camaraderie of picnicking and drinking in the ice fields is an experience not to be missedand points out that tour operators will take you even farther into the middle of nowhere, where the skies will be darkest and the lights most vibrant. (If you want to explore the backwoods on your own, always check road conditions; this new resource has tons of essential, up-to-the-minute information.)

Another benefit of group tours? Most of them will let you rebook for free if your outing doesnt result in a colorful display. If youre booking a tour, book it on your first night, advises Gustavsson, so you can keep trying each subsequent night until you succeed. And if you feel like giving up, or know the weather will be poor, you can often pick an alternative tourlike whale watching by boat. She recommends Reykjavik Excursions and Special Tours for the widest variety of experiences, all well-executed.

(Read also: From Antarctica to Iceland, Chinese seek 'lung-cleansing' trips)

When to book

According to data provided to Bloomberg by fare-tracking company Hopper, you should shoot to book flights 50 to 80 days before departure. That means youve still got time to hit the tail end of the prime January-February windowand still snag a deal. But if price is no object, consider a last-minute trip: Youll pay more, but youll have a better shot at predicting the lights themselves. Just last month, Icelandair launched a three-day outlook that tells you your odds at a northern lights sighting based on the KP index, a metric that helps track the earths geothermal activity. (Look for a KP index of 5 or more if thats the basis for your impulsive vacation.)

No matter when you go, flights to Reykjavik are 28 percent cheaper this year compared with last; Hopper says if you snag a flight for $708 or less, you should feel good about the deal. But of course, that can fluctuate depending on your point of origin. From Boston or Baltimore, flights can be as affordable as $480; from D.C. and the West Coast, flights are more often in the $800 range.

Where to stay

Good northern lights viewing requires as little light pollution as possibleso the more remote your hotel, the better. Most travelers head south, to the countrys more iconic sights, such as Skogafoss waterfall or Solheimajokull glacier. That makes for an easy-to-navigate sightseeing route thats full of drama, but the drawback is that its packed with visitors. Heading east gets you farthest away from the crowds. Its perfect for adventure travelers who dont want to see another soul the entire day, Gustavsson explains. This, she adds, is where most films set in Iceland are shot, and where a volcano eruption in 2013 created a lava field and thermal lagoon thats perfect for hiking and midwinter swims. (She suggests booking activities through Travel East Iceland.)

Youll feel totally removed from the bustle when youre sleeping in a tiny town like Breiddalsvik (population 139). There, check out the basic but charming Hotel Blafell or its new sibling property, Aurora Lodge, with five rooms that wouldnt feel out of place in a Gstaad chalet. Another good option: at the eclectic Hotel Ranga, the night guides are trained to give you professional photography tips.

Dont want to venture so far from the capital? Try Hotel Husafell, a year-old, carbon-neutral operation on the edge of Icelands uninhibited highlands, roughly an hour and a half north of Reykjavikits right near the countrys second-largest glacier and has round-the-clock access to a series of five thermal pools. (So you can catch the aurora borealis from Mother Natures Jacuzzi.)

Even closer is the Ion Adventure Hotel, which has drawn attention as the most architecturally ambitious build in the Icelandic countryside. The hotel is a stunner, with minimalist Scandinavian-inspired rooms in a cantilevered building, and its less than 45 minutes from Reykjavik by car.

All four properties will wake you upupon request onlywhen northern lights are spotted in the vicinity. In fact, Husafell just launched the countrys first automated wake-up call system, in which all guests who opt in get an automatic phone message the second the northern lights spotter detects geomagnetic activity.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Shanghai, China  Thu, January 12, 2017

Thrill-seekers at the newly opened Shanghai Disneyland got more than what they bargained for when their ride broke down on Tuesday night, leaving them hanging in mid-air for half an hour.

The "Soaring Over the Horizon" 4D ride, an indoor flight motion simulator that shows scenes from around the world on a big projection screen, stopped working five minutes after lifting visitors into the air on a mechanical arm, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

"It was pitch-black. The background audio began to play an English message telling everyone there was a malfunction and we should all keep calm and wait for the machine to get fixed," a student, Xiao Wan, who was among the visitors stuck on the ride, was quoted as saying by the Shanghai Morning Post.

Even though the machine broke down, fear did not sink in until the lights came back on, said Xiao Wan.

(Read also: Shanghai park triggers huge Disney rush)

Shanghai #Disneyland ride breakdown leaves visitors suspended in air for half an hour https://t.co/JjL4cTuDwX pic.twitter.com/irLIbBb3ER  SCMP News (@SCMP_News) January 12, 2017

"It was then when everybody realized they had been elevated so high from the ground. Many people started to freak out," said Xiao Wan. "Our legs were dangling, it was rather terrifying."

One visitor, Leo Hou, who was on the ride at the time, told the SCMP some people were hanging up to six storeys high when the ride broke down.

Later, the hapless visitors were able to climb off the ride one group at a time with help from theme park workers who arrived with rope. The last group of people who got off the ride were very upset and many tourists said their travel plans were disrupted, said Xiao Wan.

Affected visitors were later given a "Fastpass ticket" each as compensation.

Shanghai Disney Resort issued an apology statement on Wednesday.

(Read also: Lego opens world's largest store at Shanghai Disney)

"One attraction within the theme park stopped working briefly last night. We offer our deepest apology towards the affected visitors. The cast members on the ground rendered their services and assistance to the visitors in a timely manner."

Since its debut on June 16, 2016, Shanghai Disney Resort has been marred by a string of malfunction cases. Its "TRON Lightcycle Power Run", a steel roller coaster attraction, broke down for one hour just one day after its opening.

Another attraction, "Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure", a water-based ride, malfunctioned on August 1, followed by wet adventure ride "Roaring Rapids" on August 6.

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Felicia Choo (The Straits Times) Singapore  Thu, January 12, 2017

The Serangoon Plaza branch of home-grown retailer Mustafa will shut its doors permanently in February.

The outlet has been operated by retailer Mohamad Mustafa & Samsuddin since 1985, but the mall will be redeveloped into Centrium Square, a 19-storey mixed development property.

Mustafa, a store synonymous with cheap bargains and huge crowds, will be left only with its 200,000 sq ft Mustafa Centre store at Syed Alwi Road. The closure of its 65,000 sq ft branch reduces its total retail space by about a quarter.

Mustafa offers not just an array of goods but caters to other needs as well, such as money changing, travel and visa services, and for hungry shoppers, a rooftop restaurant.

Here are five things you should know about Mustafa before its Serangoon Plaza branch closes.

1. Mustafa started out in shops which were later acquired by the Government

Selling ready-made garments, the first Mustafa store was opened in 1971 at Campbell Lane in Little India by the current managing director, Mr Mustaq Ahmad, with father Mustafa and uncle Samsuddin.

A second shop was opened two years later at Serangoon Road, and it began to sell electronic items as well.

After the shops were acquired by the Government for conservation in 1985, Mr Mustaq opened his flagship store at Serangoon Plaza.

He then bought shophouses at Syed Alwi Road and converted them into Mustafa Centre, which opened in April 1995.

2. Mustafa the first major retailer in Singapore to operate a 24-hour store

The retailer took the plunge in June 2003, hoping to boost profits in a then-slowing retail market.

The move was targeted at tourists, particularly transit travellers, according to a report in 2002.

There were concerns that the business model would not work after the closure of Yokoso, Singapore's first 24-hour supermarket and department store, in the late 1980s.

However, the 24-hour concept proved to be a runaway success and Mr Mustaq was even ranked 37th in Forbes magazine's list of the 40 richest people in Singapore in 2011, with a reported worth of US$240 million.

Mr Mustaq Ahmad at the newly-renovated Mustafa Centre at Serangoon Plaza.(Berita Harian via The Straits Times/File)

3. Mustafa's managing director started out peddling handkerchiefs on the street

Mr Mustaq was only five years old when he first arrived in Singapore from Uttar Pradesh in India in 1956. His father, Haji Mohamed Mustafa, had come to the country four years earlier and sold food from a pushcart.

He decided to bring his young son over when Mustaq's mother died.

Despite being educated only up to Secondary 4, Mr Mustaq defied the odds and his retail business has flourished.

(Read also: Five destinations in Indonesia to visit this year)

In a 2006 report, he said: "Talent is not just about paper qualifications. It's really about people doing something with passion and a great deal of interest."

The entrepreneur became a citizen in 1991, and according to a 2006 report, has four children.

4. Mustafa has been popular with budget-conscious shoppers from all over the world

Shoppers perusing through products on the shelves of Mustafa Centre's supermarket.(The Straits Times/File)

Keeping prices as low as possible has been a mainstay of Mustafa - and a reason why customers keep flocking back.

Affordability, coupled with the great variety of goods and services sold, has continued to reel in locals, foreign workers and tourists.

Even officials from developing countries visiting Singapore for training under the Singapore Co-operation Programme had Mustafa as their favourite haunt, according to a 1997 report.

The draw? Cheap electronic goods.

5. Fined for fire safety breaches and for using a warehouse as a store

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel inspecting the ground floor of Mustafa Centre on April 8, 2010.(The Straits Times/File)

In 2010, Mustafa Centre chalked up 45 fire safety violations - the highest by any building here - from 2005 to 2010.

While exit points and fire-fighting equipment were obstructed, the greatest fire safety concern had been overcrowding on the first floor.

In fact, the Singapore Civil Defence Force considered it such a serious problem that it obtained a court order to suspend business on the ground floor for 40 hours.

The retailer was required to implement stricter crowd-control measures or review existing ones. That same year, Mustafa Centre even restricted the maximum number of shoppers to 431 in the building at any one time.

In 2010, Mustafa was fined $10,000 for unauthorised commercial use of its Mustafa Warehouse building on Kallang Pudding Road.

The six-storey building had been approved for warehouse use by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2001, but it turned down Mustafa's 2004 application to change the building's use to a wholesale centre for household goods and appliances.

However, Mustafa operated a department store on the first level and a supermarket on level two for a few weeks in 2009.

Topics : mustafa superstore Singapore

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

South Korea's latest hit drama Goblin has received tons of tourists at its filming sites visited by Kim Shin the Goblin (Gong Yoo) and his bride, Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun).

Antara reported that among the most popular places was the breakwater area on Jumunjin Beach in Gangneung, where the couple met and talked for the first time. Ji was blowing out her birthday candles and making a wish when she accidentally summoned the Goblin to the beach.

Local merchants took the opportunity to sell flowers, red scarves and umbrellas, which are the props used in the drama, for 1,000 won (less than US$1) each to visitors who wanted to reenact the dramas scene.

(Read also: Korean drama 'Goblin' popular but controversial)

Among the most popular places was the breakwater area on Jumunjin Beach in Gangneung, where the couple met and talked for the first time. (tvN Goblin's official Facebook/File)

Kim Ye-min told local newspapers that she went to the area the weekend after she saw the beautiful ocean view in the drama. She mentioned that she needed to wait in line because there were many people who wanted to take a picture in the same spot.

Hanmi, an old bookstore in Incheon featured frequently in the drama, has also become a popular spot among K-drama enthusiasts. Bookstore owner Jang Won-hyek shared that the number of visitors to his store had increased tenfold on the weekends and tripled on weekdays. We have received several foreign visitors since the drama aired, he said.

(Read also: Korean drama Goblin' styles sweeping fashion industry)

Hanmi bookstore owner Jang Won-hyek shared that the number of visitors to his store had increased more than tenfold on weekends and tripled on weekdays.(tvN via The Korea Herald/File)

Jang said that the street where the bookstore is located was revived, thanks to the drama.

Unhyeon Palace, a Renaissance-styled building situated inside Deoksung Womens University in Seoul, has also been visited by many tourists. Previously used as a filming place for the 2006 drama Princess Hours, it serves as the white mansion where the Goblin lives.

Other popular filming sites are Dragon Peak ski resort atop Mount Balwangs summit in Yongpyong region and Woljeongsa Temple. Cheongna Lake in Incheon was also used as the background of a scene where the Goblin told Ji about the sword stuck in his heart.

As a response to the dramas popularity, Incheon local administration reportedly planned to create a special tour for Goblin fans. (mas/kes)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, January 12, 2017

The State Council of China has imposed a new cyberprotection law on internet addiction rehabilitation facilities. The law aims to stop the institutions from threatening and abusing minors during their recovery.

The law will reportedly also extend to smartphone games, online game firms and internet cafes to persuade them to implement a limit on the hours that internet addicts are permitted to play each day, in a bid to stop youth being glued to their screens around the clock.

China is known to have drafted serious protocols to encourage a digital detox among the web-obsessed. Dangerous digital dependency has long been dubbed a clinical disorder in the country. Statistics reveal that 24 million of the 632 million people who are digitally connected in the country are children who are hooked on the internet.

(Read also: No online games for Chinese kids after midnight?)

Nonetheless, mainland media reports suggest rehab centers that were established to mitigate the disorder do not hesitate to use violence, electric shocks and drugs to change minors behavior. To buttress this claim, teenage web junkies have complained of receiving electric shocks more than 135 times in 100 days.

In 2009, such practices were banned by Chinas Ministry of Health but despite this, they are still being exercised. Those who misbehave or attempt suicide are reportedly put through more electric shock therapy.

The unconventional methods used in these centers, which have become profitable due to high demand, are said to have caused emotional trauma to minors. Chen Xinran, an attendee at an internet addiction boot camp in Shandong, reportedly shackled her mother to a chair and demanded money in revenge for being sent away.

According to Mashable, Chen wrote a blog post where she described her experience of being abused by school officials, forced to eat her meals near a latrine pit and being assaulted. Soon after her post was circulated online, other teenagers revealed they had been tasered and deprived of rest. (nik/kes)
On Monday, Mayor de Blasio said hes pleased that President-elect Donald Trump has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as White House senior adviser. As Politico reported, de Blasio said of Kushner, Hes someone who really cares about New York City and is someone that would be very helpful to us. Leaders of two Lower East Side not-for-profit groups were less than thrilled by the mayors endorsement. Heres a statement sent to us late last night from the Cooper Square Committee and Fourth Arts Block:

Mayor de Blasio seems hopeful that his friendly relationship with Jared Kushner may be of some benefit to New York City, but our community has not benefited at all from Kushners ownership of close to forty buildings in the East Village. Kushner has brought nothing but unaffordable, luxury housing to this community and to NYC at large. While we are in the grips of an intense housing crisis, and homeless rates are at an all-time high & virtually every regulated tenant in the city is facing harassment, Kushner has converted scores of affordable rent regulated apartments into luxury housing that rent for $3,000-$5,000 per month. In doing so, Kushner has faced allegations of harassment and lack of essential services repeatedly. Numerous articles have chronicled Kushners bad-acting over his four years of ownership here in East Village. We say to the Mayor that Jared Kushners actions are not those of somebody who cares deeply about New York City. We say that Kushners actions have contributed greatly to the loss of affordable housing. Furthermore, if the Mayor stands by his words and thinks Jared Kushner is reasonable and moderate, we suggest the Mayor come meet with Kushner tenants in the East Village to hear what theyve been through under his ownership.

Cooper Square Committee has helped tenants in several buildings battle Kushners real estate companies. The Village Voice talked with some of those tenants for a story published earlier today.

Save
According to research from, this is because employees are returning to the office after their Christmas break, including staff responsible for hiring, so jobseekers have a higher chance of their application being picked up. However jobseekers need to be wary of National Sickie Day, which falls during the first week in February, where sick days are at their highest due to post-Christmas blues. Most jobseekers use this time to apply for jobs so it is advised to avoid this period. Come March, most of the New Years vacancies have been filled; applications therefore need to have been sent before this period in order to increase the chances of getting hired. For the tourism, hospitality and construction industries there is a peak in hiring in April and June, as this is their busiest period and employers will be gearing up for the summer rush. For other industries, there is also usually a recruitment rush to hire new employees before staff decide to take their summer holidays. The months to avoid applying for a job are July and August. Summer positions have already been filled and the employees responsible for staffing are more likely to be sunning themselves in the Caribbean then picking up CVs. However, come September and October everyone is back in the office and the hiring process picks up again. November and December are peak times for companies to hire seasonal staff to cope with the increased demand of the festive period. Competition also decreases during these months as many jobseekers postpone their job search to the new year and are more focused on preparing for the upcoming holidays.
Our writing team has spoken, and these are our most anticipated releases of the next year.

Its a totally mixed bag over the next 12 months, with everything from blockbuster reboots to blockbuster reboots and, the occasional blockbuster reboot keeping our cinema seats warm.

There are obviously a whole bunch of other more extravagant features coming our way too of course, from J-Law playing a Russian spy, to Dev Patel hunting for his long lost family. Its an emotional rollercoaster ride already, and its barely begun.

So without much further ado, herere the main movies to keep an eye out for in 2017:

La La Land (13th January)

La La Land has been talked about for so long already, its hard to believe that it hasnt even been released in the UK yet. Being one of the most anticipated films of the year, the film has already received widespread critical acclaim across the board from critics and cinema-goers alike, but also most recently smashed the record for most wins for a single film at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards.

Set for an Oscar haul, La La Land will undoubtedly transport us all to the wondrous city of stars, taking us on a journey of joy, pain and music alongside the ineffable duo of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Time to start quickstepping your way to the cinema.

Words by Kirstie Sutherland

Lion (20th January)

The debut feature from award-winning commercial director Garth Davis, Lion tells the moving true story of Saroo Brierley, an Indian street child adopted in Australia, and his search for the family he lost. Starring Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, and introducing outstanding new talent Sunny Pawar, its a brilliantly moving exploration of a life torn between two worlds. Definitely bring tissues. We can confirm: it's a tear-jerker.

Words by Sneh Rupra

T2: Trainspotting (27th January)

Trainspotting is one of the most iconic films of the 90s, showcasing the dark underworld of the Edinburgh drug scene. It's been over 20 years since Danny Boyle's film, which put him on the map as one of Britain's best directors. It's also been 20 years since Mark "Rent-Boy" Renton (Ewan McGregor) betrayed his friends and stole 16,000 in cash, and this new outing sees Mark finally deciding to return home to make amends. Its safe to say theres matters to be dealt with between the boys in T2, and its going to be awesome to see the original characters reunited - although whether thats on good or bad terms is less certain

Words by Hollie Geraghty

Logan (3rd March)

Logan is the next Wolverine-focused X-Men spin-off from James Mangold, and is looking like it will be equipped with both the dark, dramatic tone and exceedingly bloody violence that a stand-alone Wolverine film has always been lacking. If this is truly Hugh Jackmans last stab at the clawed hero, then it looks set to be an explosive and emotional send-off for a character who was part of the birth of the ever-popular superhero movie.

Words by Jack Barton

Kong: Skull Island (10th March)

Indie hotshot Jordan Vogt-Roberts takes a stab at Legendarys new-look huge monster universe with this King Kong reboot/sidequel to Gareth Edwards 2014 Godzilla (yes, theyre in the same universe, theyve always been in the same universe). Recasting Kong as more of a gigantic, ape-like god, the latest story sees Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell and who else but Samuel L. Jackson traipsing around the titular island in the 1970s. Groovy. Expect word of a new Kong vs. Godzilla any day now.

Beauty and the Beast (17th March)

The Beauty and the Beast live action film is something were all incredibly excited for this year. Directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as Beast/Prince Adam, its a remake of the 1991 Disney film about a girl who is taken prisoner in an enchanted castle by a beast, with her eventually learning to look through his exterior while avoiding possibly the worst Disney villain ever, classic fuckboy Gaston.

Some say Stockholm Syndrome, I say possibly Stockholm Syndrome but also it just looks to be a beautiful film which also has Ewan McGregor in it. Itll have magic, new songs, and Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts. How could you not be excited?!

Words by Carly-May Kavanagh

Ghost in the Shell (31st March)

A legendary Japanese sci-fi anime franchise, Ghost in the Shell has been begging for a live action adaptation for a while. Its probably one of the most popular examples of the sci-fi sub-genre cyberpunk, helped along considerably by the likes of Blade Runner, and focuses on a story about a technologically advanced society that still suffer from unfairness, segregation and poverty in their social order. In the near future, where everyone is at least part cyborg, The Major (Scarlett Johansson) and her task force have to fight a dangerous enemy hell bent on destroying their technology. Sci-fi fans take serious note of this one.

Words by Borislava Todorova

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (28th April)

Talking trees, angry space racoons, and Chris Pratt with muscles. The magic trio that brought so much fun to the first Guardians of the Galaxy film is set to return this April, promising heaps more Walkman-based adventure in a galaxy not so far away. With the first film being such a huge hit, its exciting to see where James Gunn will take the franchise as it grows  especially with Baby Groot taking centre stage as the newest and most adorable member of the team. Who would have thought an intergalactic ent would be such a huge hit?

Words by Ashleigh Millman

Alien: Covenant (19th May)

Despite taking a bit of a kicking for the philosophical mess that was Prometheus, Ridley Scott is diving back into the Alien universe with this second prequel to his original 1979 thriller. Promising a new xenomorph, more android Fassbender, some super gory R-rated horror and of course, no more of those frankly stupid-looking Engineers, Covenant could put the series well and truly back on track. We hope. We really, really hope.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (7th July)

Following his first bow in last years Captain America: Civil War, Tom Hollands new-look Spidey is swinging back into action against Michael Keatons Vulture in his first standalone adventure under the Marvel Studios banner. Director Jon Watts is apparently going for a more John Hughes teen-comedy vibe with this one too, so expect plenty of awkward 80s dancing and adolescent romances to show up alongside Robert Downey Jr.s Marvel staple Tony Stark.

War For the Planet of the Apes (14th July)

Matt Reeves broke some serious technical and emotional ground with 2014s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, so thank Caesar he stuck around for this follow-up effort that takes us even closer to the long-awaited human extinction event (yay, genocide(!)). Woody Harrelson stars as a deluded army colonel opposite Andy Serkis in full mo-cap ape mode, as they engage in what can only be described as a war. If this is anything even near the same quality as the Apes predecessors, expect magical things.

Dunkirk (21st July)

Christopher Nolan is back after the epic transcendence of Interstellar with what looks set be another set piece spectacular. The film will follow the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches of France in 1940 after being surrounded by Nazi soldiers at Dunkirk.

A full length trailer just dropped recently, and with its screaming aeroplanes, fireball explosions, and eerily beautiful wide-angle shots of terrified soldiers lining the beach, it showcases Nolans eye for the spectacular. With a star-studded cast of well-worn veterans (Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh), box-office magnets (Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy) and surprising newcomers (Harry Styles), this is easily one of the most exciting projects of 2017.

Words by Sam Collings-Wells

Baby Driver (11th August)

Edgar Wright hasnt made many films, but somehow theyve all proven to be total cult classics in their own right. From Shaun of the Dead to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Wright has arguably one of the most distinctive directorial voices in the industry so his latest: an original thriller starring Kevin Spacey, John Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Jamie Foxx and Ansel Elgort is understandably, hugely anticipated. Telling the story of a young getaway driver who operates to his own (varied) soundtrack, its also oddly similar to a music video Wright directed way back when. Coincidence?

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (29th September)

Theres not much info about Matthew Vaughns Kingsman sequel just yet, other than that itll see Taron Egerton and Mark Strong taking things stateside, joining forces with Channing Tatum. And with a cast thats rounded off by Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore and, erm, Vinnie Jones, you know its going to be explosive. Plus a certain supposedly deceased character may well be making an appearance in some capacity. Colin Firth fans, get your tickets now.

Blade Runner 2049 (6th October)

Denis Villeneuve made our favourite movie of last year in Arrival, so whatever his next step was going to be was highly likely to be a big un. But a sequel to 80s classic Blade Runner? Starring Ryan Gosling? With Villeneuve re-teaming with cinematographer extraordinaire Roger Deakins and master conductor Johan Johansson, early footage is looking exceptional and all signs are currently pointing to sci-fi masterpiece in waiting. Jump on this one as soon as you can.

Thor: Ragnarok (27th October)

Marvel Studios third and final effort in 2017 is a bit of a weird one: a Thor threequel, following the God of Thunder, but directed by New Zealands cult comedy king Taika Waititi. From its 80s title-treatment, to comparisons to Midnight Run, Hemsworths latest outing as the famed nordic hammer-thrower is looking set to amaze. Especially considering it co-stars fan favourites Tom Hiddlestons Loki and Mark Ruffalos Hulk, not to mention last years Dr. Strange, Jeff sodding Goldblum and oh, did we mention Cate Blanchett as the villain? Hurry up, October.

Red Sparrow (10th November)

Based upon the best selling spy novel by Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow stars Jeremy Irons and Joel Edgerton alongside Jennifer Lawrence in her fourth feature film with veteran Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence.

A novel famous for exposing the inner workings of both American and Russian intelligence, Matthews weaves deception and espionage into a tale in a way only a retired CIA agent could, hinting at stories and events that could once be considered classified but are now seen only as fiction. If this translates well to the big screen, the world is in for a treat with this star studded adaptation.

Words by Olivia Firth

Star Wars: Episode VIII (15th December)

We dont even know the full title and havent seen so much as the tiniest glimmer of footage and yet, Episode VIII is easily the most anticipated release of 2017. With Loopers Rian Johnson taking over directing and scripting duties, diving deep into the next chapter in Rey, Finn and Kylo Rens story expect more magic. Plus extended roles for franchise faves Luke Skywalker and the late Carrie Fishers punchy Princess Leia. Once again, its looking like Star Wars is going to own the year.
Time Out

Thats right, the pop up cafe that delighted Creme Egg fanatics in London last year is returning, with a twist. This year you'll be able to visit the Creme Egg Hunters' Lodge as it tours throughout the country, where you can enjoy the finest Cadbury Creme Egg hunting paraphernalia and indulge in some delicious treats. But as well as chowing down on some sweet snacks, you'll also have the chance to crack come clues as part of The Ultimate Egg Hunt in the Creme Egg Hunting HQ room. The Hunters' Lodge will be visiting London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh ( full details available here ). When you visit you'll be able to enjoy one of four Creme Egg themed delicacies: Gooey Creme Egg Smores, Creme Egg Hunters Hot Choc, Creme Egg Forest Fridge Cake or a Creme Egg Black Forest Toastie. Tickets are, but there will also be a limited number of walk-in entries. So if you're desperate to go, don't put all your eggs in one basket and rick-up on the day...
For the first time in six months, The Donald got in front of a press pool to take questions from reporters.

The televised conference in New York was dominated by allegations of shady dealings with Russia, following salacious and unverified documents published by Buzzfeed News.

During the hour-long event, the incoming 45th US president called BuzzFeed News a failing pile of garbage and refused to take a question from a CNN reporter, saying: Your organisations terrible You are fake news.

(Evan Vucci/AP)

Here are five things we learned.

1. Were not going to see his tax returns

Retweet if you care about @realDonaldTrump's tax returns  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 11, 2017

When questioned about this, he replied:I won. I dont think they (the American people) care at all.

He also said journalists seemed to be the only species of people interested in seeing them.

2. Hes going to hand over the Trump business empire to his sons

(Evan Vucci/AP)

Sons Donald Jr and Eric will now apparently take control of the vast Trump brand. He even brought along a tower of papers to prove it.

Trump also claimed he rejected a $2 billion deal in Dubai last weekend to prove he was putting America First.

Unless these papers say Trump will stop speaking to his sons for the next four years, this is just smoke and mirrors  Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) January 11, 2017

Daughter Ivanka will apparently be removed from her positions in the company as her husband is a senior aide.

Plus, he promised to donate profits from foreign government payments to his hotels to the US treasury.

And, if his sons do a bad job at the end of his tenure as president theyll be met with his youre fired slogan, he said, signing off with the cheesy line.

3. His relations with intelligence agencies are at rock-bottom

Trump pointed the finger at US spooks, suggesting they may have released the eyebrow-raising documents about him.

He said it would be a tremendous blot on their reputations if it was proved they had leaked it.

The dossier alleges Russia had compromising information on Trump and that the Kremlin and his campaign team were in contact.

It also detailed alleged detailed prostitution use and acts of sexual depravity, which Trump furiously denied.

Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA  NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

4. Somehow, Mexico WILL pay for the wall

(Evan Vucci/AP)

Despite reports he was rolling back on the famous campaign pledge, he was adamant Mexico will reimburse us through a payment or a tax. Probably not a payment.

So a tax, then?

Former Mexican president Vicente Fox Quesada tweeted about the affair.

Neither today, nor tomorrow nor never Mexico will pay for that stupid wall. If Trump wants a monument to his ego, let him pay for it!!  Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 11, 2017

5. Trump hates uncleanliness

Some of the more, ahem, vivid claims in the leaked dossier couldnt possibly be true, Trump said, as he was germaphobe.

Trump IS a germaphobe, fyi.

I've personally seen him recoil from shaking hands (not mine, obviously..) many times.  Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 11, 2017

The high-profile billionaire also said he had long been acutely aware of the existence of tiny hidden cameras in hotel rooms.

In your hotel rooms, youre probably going to have cameras in the strangest places you better be careful or youll be watching yourself on nightly televison, he said.
It may sound a little bit hard to believe but new research suggests not everyone who posts selfies is self-obsessed.

A study by Brigham Young University (BYU) investigating what motivates people to take and share selfies has found, rather surprisingly, narcissistic motives are not the top reason.

After conducting surveys and interviews, BYU communications students identified three categories of selfie-takers: communicators, autobiographers and self-publicists.

(BYU)

And defying common perception, self-publicists are actually the smallest of the three groups.

Its important to recognise that not everyone is a narcissist, says study co-author Steven Holiday.

Fellow co-author Harper Anderson defines self-publicists as those who love documenting their entire lives.

She adds: And in documenting and sharing their lives, theyre hoping to present themselves and their stories in a positive light.

Communicators take selfies primarily to engage their friends, family or followers in a conversation.

As co-author and current student Maureen Elinzano explains: Theyre all about two-way communication.

#SpaceWalkSelfie Back on the grid! Great first spacewalk yesterday. Now on to the next one next week. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/7qXLiKzaKA  Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 29, 2015

Communicators want to spark a conversation  think hashtag movements like Emma Watsons #HeForShe, Anne Hathaways #IVoted and Tess Hollidays #EffYourBeautyStandards.

The second group  who are autobiographers  use selfies as means to record important life events. Researchers say autobiographers arent necessarily seeking engagement like communicators, but may still want other people to see their photos.

Self-publicists, on the other hand, are people who love documenting their entire lives. Researchers say people in this category include Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and the Kardashian sisters.

Holiday says identifying the three groups is important because its a different kind of photography than weve ever experienced before, adding: Its an opportunity for them to express themselves and get some kind of return on that expression.

Co-author Matt Lewis believes understanding peoples motives can be valuable, because years from now, our societys visual history is going to be largely comprised of selfies.

He adds: To find out why people do it, that contributes a lot to the discussion on selfies and visual communication in general.
Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: 

Home Page
Tentang Situs Slot Online Resmi MGS88 Nama Situs  MGS88 Minimal Deposit  Rp. 10.000,- (Sepuluh Ribu Rupiah) Proses Deposit   2 Menit Metode Deposit  Bank Transfer,  Pulsa,  E-Wallet Judi Online Terbaik  Slot Online,  Judi Bola,  Casino Online,  Togel Online,  Tembak Ikan Provider Slot Gacor Mudah Maxwin  Pragmatic Play,  PGSoft,  MicroGaming,  Habanero Slot Gacor Gampang Menang  Gates of Olympus,  Sweet Bonanza,  Wild West Gold,  Starlight Princess Win Rate 98%

RTP Live Slot Gacor Tertinggi Hari Ini Terbaru Terlengkap

Selamat datang di halaman RTP live dan informasi soal slot gacor hari ini dari situs MGS88 yang setiap hari selalu update. Berdasarkan RTP Live MGS88, Anda bisa mendapatkan informasi tentang slot online yang saat ini yang sedang Gacor atau onfire dengan persentase yang terbukti akurat, ini bisa menjadi rekomendasi anda sebelum memilih permainan slot online di situs MGS88. Cek RTP Slot sekarang juga bosku

Klik Provider Slot Untuk Mengetahui RTP Slot Secara Real Time

Selamat datang bagi kalian yang sedang mencari situs RTP Live terlengkap dan terkini hari ini. Sangat sesuai jika Anda mengunjungi website MGS88 RTP live untuk informasi tentang permainan slot yang lagi gacor dengan slot RTP yang terupdate. Persentase kemenangan yang kami berikan tentunya diambil dengan data yang sangat valid dan hanya untuk permainan slot yang tersedia di situs MGS88. RTP yang tersedia juga akan selalu diperbarui setiap hari berdasarkan level kemenangan yang diberikan kepada member kami.

Memang sih untuk bermain slot itu tergantung hoki dari setiap pemain, Namun RTP live atau bocoran slot dari yang kami sediakan ini adalah data autentik dari banyaknya pemain yang telah bermain dan mencapai kemenangan tinggi. Sederhananya, kalau banyak pemain yang menang di dalam 1 permainan slot, karena itu permainan slot tersebut akan mempunyai persentase RTP yang sangat tinggi.

Namun kami tegaskan sekali lagi, ini bukan sebuah paksaan kami situs MGS88 untuk anda bermain di game slot yang mana. Ini bisa dijadikan sebagai referensi atau tolok ukur, boleh dicoba kalau anda mempunyai feel yang kuat dalam memainkan permainan game slot. Anda dapat mengakses kapan saja dan di mana saja selama anda siap bermain. Jangan ragu untuk bertanya ya seputar pola putaran terhadap kami, sebab kami juga menyediakannya loh.

Apa itu RTP Live?

RTP Live ialah informasi mengenai persentase tertinggi saat ini dari hasil RTP Live dengan bocoran kemenangan pemain saat ini. RTP Live merupakan singkatan dari Return To Play atau bisa juga diartikan sebagai Return to Player. Karena itu, para pemain slot sekarang jika ingin mengetahui seberapa besar kemenangannya, bisa dengan memainkan permainan yang akan dimainkannya dan bisa untung dengan mudah dan tentunya maksimal.

Apa itu RTP Slot?

RTP Slot juga dikenal sebagai return to player atau pengembalian ke Pemain. RTP slot ialah persentase dari nilai pengembalian semua uang yang dipertaruhkan pemain dari waktu ke waktu. Dengan kata lain, RTP juga dianggap sebagai salah satu fitur slot yang mengembalikan uang pemain saat pemain kalah.

Persentase digunakan untuk menghitung RTP dalam permainan slot. Misalnya, jika slot memiliki RTP 97%, itu berarti untuk setiap 100.000 koin yang hilang di slot, slot dapat mengembalikan 97.000. Jika Anda mengetahui RTP sebuah permainan slot, Anda dapat memutuskan permainan slot mana yang akan dimainkan tanpa kerugian besar.

Apakah Angka Persentase RTP Slot Itu Penting?

Biasanya pemain slot itu tidak memperhatikan RTP dalam permainan yang akan dimainkan, biasanya setelah anda mengisi saldo utama anda akan langsung buru-buru memainkannya. Yang terakhir 90-96% mempengaruhi jumlah kemenangan. Semakin tinggi jumlah RTP yang digunakan, semakin luas peluang untuk mendapatkan keuntungan.

Akan namun itu segala tak secara 100% menjamin kemenangan kau dalam bermain, RTP itu cuma sebagai kalkulasi pengeluaran anda saja selama bermain slot.Dengan adanya RTP, kau dapat mengerjakan pengaturan atas uang yang akan kau pertaruhkan nanti pada ketika bermain.Untuk itu pada ketika kau bermain slot dan telah mengalami banyak kekalahan di satu permainan, direkomendasikan kau pindah ke permainan slot lainnya yang RTP nya lebih tinggi dari permainan yang tadi kau mainkan.

Keuntungan Menggunakan Bocoran RTP Slot Hari Ini

Situs MGS88 Akan dengan senang hati akan beberapa keuntungan yang didapatkan jika anda bermain slot dengan menggunakan RTP Live yang telah disediakan. Berikut Keuntungannya :

Peluang Kemenangan Meningkat Tentu saja, saat bermain slot online, menang adalah hal yang paling penting. Di sinilah RTP berperan sebagai metode atau metode baru yang akan membantu Anda memilih permainan slot persentase tinggi. Mendapat variasi dalam Memainkan Game Slot Pastinya banyak pemain slot online yang hanya memainkan 3-5 permainan slot saja. Namun dengan RTP Live slot akan memberikan banyak game slot lain yang bisa anda coba. Tentunya semua permainan slot memiliki potensi kemenangan yang besar, jadi jangan hanya mengandalkan beberapa permainan saja. Menambah Pengalaman Dalam Bermain Slot Keuntungan terakhir adalah Anda tentu saja menambah pengalaman dan keahlian dalam permainan slot online. Dengan berbagai macam permainan slot yang dimainkan, Anda pasti mengetahui karakteristik dari setiap permainan slot yang Anda mainkan. Akibatnya, Anda pasti bisa dianggap sebagai pemain slot yang andal, yang pasti akan meningkatkan peluang Anda untuk menang besar menggunakan RTP.

Daftar 8 Situs Dengan RTP Slot Live Tertinggi Hari Ini

Ada banyak penyedia mesin slot online di internet. Tetapi tidak semuanya memiliki peluang tinggi atau RTP Live Slot yang sangat tinggi. Tapi jangan khawatir, berikut ini adalah situs slot gacor yang akan memberikan bocoran slot dengan RTP Live Tertinggi:

RTP Live Slot Pragmatic Play (RTP Slot 97.85%) RTP Live Slot PG Soft (RTP Live 96.15%) RTP Live Slot Habanero (RTP Slot 95.89%) RTP Live Slot CQ9 (RTP Live 98.83%) RTP Live Slot Spade Gaming (RTP Live 94.99%) RTP Live Slot Micro Gaming (RTP Slot 95.39%) RTP Slot Live Top Trend Gaming (RTP Live 96.14%) RTP Slot Live JOKER123 (RTP Live 97.45%)

Itulah Daftar 8 Provider Slot Gacor dengan RTP Live teratas diatas tentunya kami analisa terlebih dahulu. Anda bisa membuktikannya langsung dengan mengklik banner atau meprovider game slot yang sudah tersedia di atas. Saran kami yaitu Anda harus memainkan semua penyedia slot di atas untuk mencapai peluang kemenangan terbaik.

Daftar Slot RTP Live Tertinggi Sering Kasih Jackpot

Selain mempertimbangkan RTP Slot Gacor yang ada, sebenarnya ada banyak faktor penting untuk menang dalam permainan judi online. Sebab ada banyak game yang memiliki fitur dan mekanisme unik dan bisa membantu anda meraih Jackpot yang sangat besar.

Berikut ini akan kami ulas daftar 5 game slot paling populer karena sering memberikan jackpot:

RTP Live Gates of Olympus Gates of Olympus adalah game slot teraneh dan terbaik di Indonesia. Karena permainan mesin slot ini paling populer karena kakek Zeus dapat mengizinkan pengganda x500. Selain itu, fitur dan mekanik Gates of Olympus juga sangat menguntungkan untuk memenangkan Grand Jackpot. Secara teoritis, RTP slot langsung Gates of Olympus bernilai 96,50%, yang berarti peluang Anda untuk memenangkan MaxWin cukup tinggi. RTP live Sweet Bonanza Sweet Bonanza adalah permainan slot terpopuler kedua. Game slot bertema buah dan permen yang lezat ini sepertinya akan menarik banyak perhatian karena tergolong slot gacor yang mudah menang. Secara teoritis, slot Sweet Bonanza RTP bernilai 96,48%, yang berarti peluang Anda cukup tinggi untuk memenangkan jackpot. RTP Live Wild West Gold Wild West Gold adalah permainan slot bertema koboi yang juga populer di kalangan penggemar konspirasi. Permainan slot Wild West Gold sendiri kerap menawarkan kejutan jackpot bagi para pemainnya. Selain itu, nilai RTP Live Slot menunjukkan indeks tertinggi hari ini, yang berarti sangat layak dan sangat direkomendasikan. RTP Live Starlight Princess Slot Starlight Princess ini memiliki gaya dan fitur yang mirip dengan Gates of Olympus. Perbedaannya hanya pada desain dan karakter gamenya saja, karena memiliki fitur dan mekanik yang sama tentunya RTP slot teoritis pada game slot ini sama yaitu 96,50%. RTP Live Cash Elevator Mungkin sebagian dari Anda baru mengenal slot Cash Elevator. Namun dari data benchmark yang diungkap, ternyata banyak sekali yang menikmati permainan slot ini. Dengan fitur dan mekanisme unik seperti Lift up and down asli, slot ini juga memiliki slot RTP Live dasar 96,64% yang juga memiliki mekanisme yang sangat menguntungkan untuk memperlancar tingkat kemenangan besar.

Bocoran Jam Main Slot Gacor Hari Ini

Dalam bermain permainan slot online itu tidak bisa dilakukan dengan sembarangan yah. Jadi, Jika anda bermain pada waktu tertentu seperti yang akan kita bahas sesaat lagi, ada kemungkinan anda untuk mendapatkan kemenangan lebih tinggi. Jam RTP Slot Gacor merupakan bocoran jam main slot yang akan memberikan anda kapan waktu yang pas dalam bermain game slot.

Tentu saja seluruh provider slot online memiliki jam tertentu dalam memberikan peluang kepada para pemainnya untuk mendapatkan kemenangan. Disini kami akan memberikan anda Bocoran Jam Slot Gacor yang Paling Akurat Hari ini:

Jam Slot Gacor Pragmatic Play 02:30 WIB - Jam 05:25 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Habanero 14:26 WIB - Jam 17:38 WIB Jam Slot Gacor CQ9 00:45 WIB - Jam 05:53 WIB Jam Slot Gacor PG SOFT 14:25 WIB - Jam 17:35 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Joker123 17:41 WIB - Jam 20:42 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Microgaming 22:30 WIB - Jam 00:35 WIB

MGS88: Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Pay4D Resmi dan Terpercaya

MGS88 adalah situs game slot online Gacor terbaru yang bermitra dengan Pay4D, Pay4D sendiri merupakan daftar situs game slot online terpercaya dengan berbagai macam permainan judi yang mudah dimenangkan seperti Game Bola, Casino Online, Slot Pay4D, Tembak Ikan dan Pay4D Online Permainan togel seperti Singapura, Hongkong, Sydney dan lain-lain. Tujuan utama kami adalah menjadi situs judi online Pay4D yang menyediakan layanan judi online terbaik di Indonesia.

Kami juga salah satu situs resmi PAY4D di Indonesia yang pasti akan membayarkan semua kemenangan kepada semua member kami, karena kepercayaan dari semua member kami adalah prioritas utama kami sebagai mesin slot 4d Asia terbaik di Asia, khususnya di Indonesia.

Dalam melakukan sistem transaksi sistem simpanan dapat dilakukan dengan mudah melalui mobile banking dan electronic banking berupa bank BCA, BSI, BRI, BNI, Cimb Niaga, Permata dan Mandiri. Selain itu, transaksi e-wallet juga tersedia melalui Dana, Gopay, LinkAja dan Ovo serta dapat digunakan untuk pulsa tanpa dipotong.

Untuk mempermudah dan kenyamanan dalam melakukan registrasi atau melakukan setiap transaksi, MGS88 menyediakan layanan live chat dan Whatsapp terhubung langsung dengan customer service online 24 jam.

Mengenal Istilah Dalam RTP SLOT

Di slot RTP Live Anda akan melihat berbagai fitur yang mungkin tidak Anda pahami masing-masing. Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini.
Several Michigan State Police Troopers, including two based out of the Metro South Post in Taylor were awarded the Cpl. Samuel A. Mapes Criminal Patrol and Investigation Award Jan. 11.

The award was named for Mapes, described as an early pioneer in criminal patrol and investigation. He was killed during the prohibition era, but continues to be remembered through the annual awards.

The award honors the top five percent of troopers in each district for looking past the traffic stop to excel in proactive criminal patrol and criminal investigations closed by felony arrests.

Troopers Timothy Madison and Christoper Kurish were the two stationed in Taylor who won the award. Troopers Adam Diroff and Chad Bloom, who are assigned to the Hometown Security Team were also given the honor. They patrol an area that includes Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties

The Troopers were awarded a special service ribbon to wear on their uniforms. It includes seven blue stars in honor of Corporal Mapes, who was the seventh MSP trooper to die in the line of duty.

They will also be among the first Troopers assigned new special edition black and gold patrol cars that were bought to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Michigan State Police. In all there are 50 fully equipped 2016 Dodge Chargers are painted to resemble MSPs iconic 1937 Ford Model 74 patrol car.

For more information about the MSPs 100th Anniversary, visit www.michigan.gov/MSP.
Chinese tourist drowns at Phuket beach

PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket Lifeguard Services has confirmed that a Chinese tourist who was pulled unconscious from the water at Karon Beach on Monday afternoon (Jan 9) died upon arrival at Patong Hospital.

accidentsdeathChineseweathertourismmarine

By Yutthawat Lekmak

Thursday 12 January 2017, 11:20AM

Lifeguards administered CPR to Mr Xui before transporting him to Patong Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Photo: Phuket Lifeguard Services

Lifeguards recovered 25-year-old Mr Xui Aushang from the water at Karon Beach at around 12:30pm on Monday, Phuket Lifeguard Chief Prathaiyut Chuayuan told The Phuket News today (Jan 12). The man was unconscious when lifeguards brought him onto the beach, Mr Prathaiyut said. Rescue workers administered CPR before transporting him to Patong Hospital. However, he was pronounced dead at 1pm. Doctors confirmed the cause of death as drowning, he added. Mr Xuis girlfriend told lifeguards that he was not a good swimmer and that she had told him he should not go swimming as the red flags were flying but he ignored her advice. The Chinese Embassy has been notified of Mr Xuis death.
Phuket Wow crew safe after breakages bounce them out of Cape2Rio race

PHUKET: The Phuket crew on board the Asia Catamarans Wow, designed, built and based in Phuket, are all safe after two dagger boards broke in succession in the trans-Atlantic Cape2Rio race, which started at Cape Town on Jan 1.

marinetransport

By Chris Husted

Thursday 12 January 2017, 12:27PM

The all-Phuket crew of Wow, safe after making landfall in Namibia after retiring from the epic Cape2Rio race. Photo: Courtesy of Allan Mossop

On board, all from Phuket, were Owner David Liddell; Skipper Helen Ruud  originally from Sweden, now Phuket-based and part of the well-known Lady Sevenstar all-women racing crew; Navigator Allan Mossop; Crewmen Mathew Bryant and Samuel Liam Alfie Rowson from the Phuket Yacht Club; and Alan Carwardine, designer and builder of the Phuket Stealth catamarans, including Wow.

Mossop, a regular crewman on Wow in the Phuket Yacht Club race series, confirmed to The Phuket News yesterday (Jan 11), We are all safe and accounted for. We got into Walvis Bay, Namibia, last Friday (Jan 6).

(We) Put the boat on the beach to do some checks and work that needed to be done. Crew in fine form and heading home in a few days, he added.

Regarding the conditions that brought on the breakages, Mossop explained, Winds and swell were perfect. The boat was making a bit more noise under the bridge deck than Alan had expected, but for those of us who had sailed her across the Indian Ocean it was nothing new.

Great conditions all in all with 20 knots S/SE and the 3-4 m swell on the beam. We were pushing 18-25 knots surfing the swell with the boat handling tremendously well. 

Then one dagger board, designed with a crumple zone at the tip to better cope with scrapes in shallow waters, gave way. Then the replacement dagger board also broke.

Disappointed is too impotent a word to describe the current situation, Mossop noted in first reporting Wows retirement from the race, noting is was The kind of day that Douglas Adams says would make St Francis of Assisi want to kick babies.

We all knew that we were heading into the unknown with the boat before we started and were immensely proud to be the first to race a Stealth across the Atlantic and to have had Alan on board.

David has never made any bones about how he races his boats and pushes hard to achieve results. Something we love and respect him for, he explained.

Its not the first time we have had to retire from a race and wont be the last, although this time it was not just a hop round Koh Lone for repairs and a beer.

We have all raced together over the years and formed a tight crew immediately and understood that results are not possible without pushing the envelope. We all agree that Alans Stealth design is a superb blend of cruising racer. A gentlemens racer if you wish. Mat says he has never been so comfortable on an ocean race. Dry warm and well fed, he explained.

The crew will now head in different directions, Mossop noted.

Alfie and Alan will head to Phuket in the next few days. Mat will stay on for a bit before heading to the States, he said.

David and Helen will continue to the Caribbean in the next few weeks once the new dagger boards have been completed, he added.

Wow was not the only victim of the harsh pace set in the early stages of the race. The crew on the 60-foot Lavranos Trekker 2 experienced a rudder failure and started taking in water, prompting the crew to elevate their Pan Pan (request for assistance) to a Mayday (vessel and lives on board in immediate danger). MRCC Maritime rescue diverted two cargo vessels to assist, with MV Golafruz taking them safely on board.

Meanwhile, the crew on board the Farr 40 Dark Matter made their way safely back to Cape Town under their own power.

The Cape2Rio, traversing roughly 3,600nm (more than 6,000km), is the longest continent-to-continent yacht race in the southern hemisphere. With its origins tracing back some 46 years, the epic journey is also known throughout its history as the South Atlantic Race.

The race record was set in 2014 by Italian Open 70 Maserati, skippered by Giovanni Soldini, smashing the previous record with a time of 10 days 11 hours and 29 minutes.
Wild pig-tailed macaque runs amok in Phuket village

PHUKET: Rescue workers used fruit as bait to catch a wild pig-tailed macaque that was running amok in Pa Khlok yesterday (Jan 11).

animalsconstructionlandnatural-resourcesenvironment

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Thursday 12 January 2017, 10:55AM

Kusoldham rescue workers were informed by locals at 2:30pm yesterday that a large pig-tailed macaque was running around Pa Khlok causing alarm to a number of residents.

Rescue workers went to the scene and using fruit as bait lured the animal into a cage. Once trapped inside rescue workers transported the macaque to the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area in Thalang.

Mr Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area received the monkey from rescue workers before sending it on to the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station.

Mr Pongchart said, Monkeys often come out and bother local residents. This happens in some parts of the island because what used to be the animals natural habitat has been turned into urban areas.

This change in environment leaves them with limited food sources so they come out looking for alternatives in community areas, he said.

If anyone seen any monkeys come into residential areas they should inform rescue teams or us. Please do not hurt the animals because this could lead to legal action, he added.
$2.5M state loan will help finance manufacturing facility in Watertown

The Watertown Development Company has a new logo and receives $2.5 million for a new facility in Calvin Park
Nepal and India are set to sort out the crisis situation faced by tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers after the November 8 demonetisation of high-value Indian currency notes. A team led by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Deputy Governor Chintamani Siwakoti is in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.

Last week, the Indian Finance Ministry wrote to the Nepali authorities to propose a date for sending delegates to New Delhi to discuss and devise the modalities for facilitating exchange of the banned Indian currency for the new notes.

Responding to the letter, the Nepali side requested that the meeting be held on Thursday in New Delhi. It is expected that two sides will sort out the crisis that Nepal is facing following the November 8 ban on Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes by India, a source said.

Siwakoti will hold talks with senior officials at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and, if required, with Finance Ministry officials.

During the meeting, according to Nepal's central bank, Nepali delegates will also request the Indian government to allow exchange facility through the banking channel.

"We will ask them to provide exchange facility for up to Rs 25,000 in the banned denominations," Siwakoti told local media ahead of his visit.

The Siwakoti-led panel has already come up with a suggestion to ease the process of exchanging the banned currencies in Nepal  including a software developed to facilitate and authenticate the exchange and other modalities.

Nepal has over 36 million banned Indian currency notes within its banking channel, according to NRB sources.

The NRB proposes to collect the demonetised notes from Nepali citizens and send them to the RBI for verification before offering an equivalent exchange in Nepali currency.

As per the NRB, Nepali citizens have to open bank accounts in a bilateral financial institution and deposit the demonetised bank notes to receive the equivalent exchange directly in their bank accounts.

The Nepali delegates, according to Siwakoti, will also query about the status of new currency bills of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 in Nepal.

The technical team will also request the government to increase the annual quota of Indian currency supplied to Nepal.

Currently, India supplies Rs 6.2 billion in cash to NRB every year.

Tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers employed in India as security guards, daily wagers, domestic help and others who receive salary in cash were hit hard by the demonetisation move.
After strong protest by India over Amazon selling doormats depicting Indian flag, the e-retail giant on Thursday removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.

A spokesman for Amazon based at its headquarters in Seattle told The Washington Post that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website.

Taking strong exception to Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The minister also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India.

"Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable.

Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.

"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj said in her tweets after she received a complaint on Twitter.

Swaraj's tweets went viral and led to an outrage on the social media by Indians and people of Indian-origin.

"Her tweet storm escalated the protest into a possible diplomatic spat," The Washington Post said.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeffrey P Bezos is also owner of The Washington Post.

Amazon Canada removed the offensive doormat from its website. However, it was selling similar doormats with US and British flags.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services, will be the new chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company that controls the $100 billion Tata conglomerate, sources said on Thursday.

Chandrasekaran has been chief executive of TCS since 2009 and was appointed as a director on the board of Tata Sons days after Cyrus Mistry was removed as chairman of the group in October.

Chandrasekaran joined TCS in 1987 after completing a Masters in Computer Applications from the Regional Engineering College, Trichy in Tamil Nadu.

Tata Sons had on October 24 removed Mistry as chairman in a surprise move and named group patriarch Ratan Tata as interim chief as Mistry's ouster has been followed by a bitter public spat between him and the group.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to reconsider its decision to auction the iconic Taj Mansingh hotel in the heart of the national capital.

The apex court said that the Attorney General has opined against auction of the hotel in Delhi. Therefore, the NDMC should reconsider its decision.

The NDMC is all set to auction the 38-year-old Taj hotel but the hotel would not be allowed to demolish and instead will be modernised using retro-fitting.

The five-star hotel started operations in 1978 after the Tata Group-owned Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. (IHCL) signed a 33-year lease with the NDMC in 1976.

Though the lease expired in 2011, the NDMC granted IHCL nine extensions before the matter went to court.
Contra legem facit, qui id facit quod lex prohibit, in fraudem uero, Quisaluis uerbis legis sententiam eius circumuenit One who does what a Statute forbids transgresses the Statute; one who contravenes the intention of a Statute, without disobeying its actual words, commits a fraud on it.

It is a mistake to generalise two opposing theories of law: natural law and legal positivism, or to put it simply morality and law. Both level charges against the other. Some are perceptive; others are unfounded. What is less well known, but equally true, is that historically both the natural law defenders and the proponents of legal positivism have disagreed as much among themselves as with their opponents.

Fuller, a leading American legal philosopher in his classic The Morality of Law contended that all systems of law contain an internal morality that imposes on individuals a presumptive obligation of obedience. Fuller argues that certain moral standards, which he calls principles of legality, are built into the very concept of law, so that nothing counts as genuine law that fails to meet these standards. In virtue of these principles of legality, there is an inner morality to the law that imposes a minimal morality of fairness.

A hard core legal positivist like Hart too believed that there is a minimum content of morality that a legal system must incorporate. But, this minimum morality vanishes when we enter into the realm of politics. When there is decline in democratic standards across the globe, Indian political scenario is leading with deep and distressing decline. The Modi governments well planned and strategic decision to advance the Union budget in the light of assembly elections in five states is the newest example of this loss of morality.

Free and Fair Elections: A Basic Feature

The Constitution of India contemplates free and fair election. Justice H.R. Khanna in Election case AIR 1975 SC 2299observed that democracy is a basic feature of the Constitution and includes free and fair elections. This sentiment has also been echoed in many other decisions of the Supreme Court. The Constitution Bench in Mohinder Singh Gill v. The Chief Election Commissioner, New Delhi [(1978) 1 SCC 405] while dealing with a contention that Election Commission has no power to cancel the election and direct re-poll, referred to the pervasive philosophy of democratic elections which Sir Winston Churchill invigorated: At the bottom of all tributes paid to democracy is the little man, walking into a little booth, with a little pencil, making a little cross on a little bit of paper  no amount of rhetoric of voluminous discussion can possibly diminish the overwhelming importance of the point.

If we may add, the little large Indian shall not be hijacked from the course of free and fair elections by mob muscle methods or subtle

perversion of discretion by men dressed in little, brief authority. For be you ever so high, the law is above you. The moral may be stated with telling terseness in the words of William Pitt: Where laws end, tyranny begins. Embracing both these mandates and emphasizing their combined

effect is the elemental law and politics of Power best expressed by

Benjamin Disraeli: I repeat . . . that all power is a trust that we are

accountable for its exercise  that, from the people and for the people,

all springs, and all must exist.

In* P.V. Narasimha Rao v. State (CBI/SPE) [(1998) 4 SCC 626]* the Supreme Court further professed: Parliamentary democracy is part of the basic structure of the Constitution. It is settled law that in construing the constitutional provision the Court should adopt a construction which strengthens the foundational features and basic structure of the Constitution.

Election Commission: Custodian of Free and Fair Elections?

Constitution vests comprehensive powers and responsibilities of

superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of elections in the Election Commission. This responsibility cover powers, duties and functions of many sorts, administrative or other depending on the circumstances guaranteeing the limpidness of the electoral process.

To accomplish this constitutional objective the commission can draw upon all incidental and ancillary powers. The Supreme Court in Union of India v. Association of Democratic Reforms held that (Para 26): Under Article

324, the Commission can issue suitable directions to maintain the purity of election and to bring transparency in the process of election. The phrase Superinten-dence and control over the conduct of elections is held to be of very wide amplitude which would include power to make all necessary provisions for conducting free and fair elections. The transition of election commission from a nominal body to an effective autonomous institution has been realized by construing liberally these provisions.

The Election Commission is subject to only two limitations. Firstly, the Constitution and secondly, when Parliament or any State Legislature has made valid law relating to or about elections, the Commission shall act in conformity with, not in violation of, such provisions. But where such law is silent Article 324 is a reservoir of power to act for the avowed purpose of, not divorced from, pushing forward a free and fair election with expedition.

It is difficult for any constitution, howsoever immense it is, to list all

the contingencies and vest powers accordingly to deal with them. That the Constitution does not expressly prohibit presenting a budget before elections cannot be stretched to the extent that power lies inherently within the domain of the Executive.

Supreme Court of United States in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer 343 U.S. 579 has rejected this analogy that the Executive to be capable, as a steward of the people, of exerting all power save that which is specifically prohibited by the Constitution or the law.

Pre-emptive Action designed to benefit ruling party

The budget is generally presented on last working day of February but the Union Governments plan to advance it just before election campaigns in five states were getting into full gear appears to be deceitful. It may be argued historically that such political manoeuvers have not worked for

governments in powers. Manmohan Singhs budget (1996), Jaswant Singhs feel good and India shining budget (2003), Chidambarams dream budget (1997) could not save their governments, but can this be cited as precedent to give government a free hand?

In the past too, Union budget was presented just before state elections but not on such a large scale. Advancing budget of the Modi Government would be indispensably unethical for quite a few reasons. Firstly, it is clearly a pre-emptive action considering elections in five States which are very critical for Modi Government for conquering majority in the upper house and approaching the Presidential election.

Secondly, this budget is shadowed by Governments demonetisation drive that suddenly slowed down the pace of the economy and thirdly; BJP portrays Narendra Modi in all the states elections and hence possibly this might affect the purity of elections. Popular budget is not the only device in fact; increasing the list of backward classes and addition of other backward classes into Scheduled Castes are also consistently used by governments in power to lure voters, which is unscrupulous. This disturbs the parity of power between political parties contesting elections and the party in the government and encourage more corrupt practices.

Vigilant Election Commission Needed

Is it not the duty of the Election Commission to devise mechanisms to prevent these unethical practices? Why is the election commission not

mooting the idea of holding general, state and panchayat elections together although ruling party has shown its inclination towards this? The Election Commission is not only to conduct elections but also to prepare the roadmap for the future reforms. Political parties and politicians are unswervingly

making a mockery of model code of conduct. The image of Election Commission is now seen as a toothless tiger.

A vibrant, election commission is necessary to ensure that basic structure of the Constitution is not eroded by declining politics. The attitude of Government towards developing decent conventions towards a vibrant democracy is not only playing mayhem with the democratic values but threatening to spoil the expectations of people. But the approach of the

Election Commission is somewhat more frightening.

(The writer is Associate Professor of Law at National Law University Odisha and is currently on deputation as Deputy Registrar, Supreme Court of India.)
Demonetisation has left us almost cashless. In these times of acute financial emergency, providing job options for the weaker section and younger lot is the need of the hour in West Bengal and across the country. It comes as really good news to hear that a big-ticket project worth Rs 700 crore from battery major, Exide Industries Limited has taken off in the industrial town of Haldia. The project is incidentally the first-of-its-kind in the country to make lead acid storage batteries with the help of punched grid technology. Inaugurating the factory in Haldia, Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal said, Bengal has emerged as the industrial destination of the country with a number of significant projects riding on its shoulders. A new port is coming up at Tajpur in the vicinity of Digha that has sound potential. Haldia has received Rs 10 crore worth of investment last year and we are sprucing up the connectivity of the industrial town. With the tourism sector emerging quite well in Digha, the beach resort is all set to get a new international convention centre. We are also setting up a Software Technology Park worth Rs 100 crore in Salt Lake in Kolkata. Panagarh Industrial Park is coming up as well in the district of Burdwan. Bengal Information Technology Park has also taken off in Haldia. The chief minister further said, Demonetisation has made an impact in Bengal and a number of people have become jobless. The new industries being set up can break new grounds in employment. Industries along with ancillary setups are big assets of the country and West Bengal leads the country in micro, small and mediumscale enterprises. Around 37 per cent of the batteries are made by the small-scale sector. Gautam Chatterjee, managing director and chief executive officer, Exide Industries Limited informed, Punched grid batteries are highly premium products that have low corrosion and last long. These batteries last five years more than the common ones, which have a lifespan of only three years. We cater to the motor bike industry with our batteries. The sale of motorbikes is usually high in rural areas and it depends upon the flow of cash. There has been a decline in the sale of motorbikes owing to the demonetisation move. The sale of motorbikes has dipped by 30 per cent since December, last year. Exide Industries has around 11 battery-making factories across the country. Chatterjee added, Haldia has been chosen for setting up the punched grid battery factory owing to its sound work culture. Our companys production is highest in Haldia among other factories in the country. When it comes to making batteries, we provide cutting-edge technology in the sphere of global battery technology and our products are at par with those made in China and Vietnam.
Director Garth Davis said he put star Dev Patel "through hell" for his film "Lion" to ensure that the actor was prepared for the daunting role.

During an interview with Variety, the director discussed the film's journey to the big screen.

"I just wanted to see if Dev could do something that wasn't 'Marigold Hotel'," Davis said about the audition process.

"I put him through hell in his house in London, we had this acting workshop and he was just astonishing in that room."

"Lion" is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley (Dev), a young Indian boy, who gets separated from his brother and mother when he ends up 1,000 miles away from his home, lost at a train station in Kolkata.

He gets adopted by an Australian family but eventually tracks down his lost family in India via Google maps years later.

The film also stars Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara and David Wenham.
Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface, was on Thursday launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) here.

Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi (Yard 11876).

The submarine was launched by the Union minister's wife, Bina Bhamre.

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled.

The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using a precision guided weapon.

The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The stealth features will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines.

The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force.

It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of France, as part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. The first one, Kalvari, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy, a defence official said.

The Indian Navy's submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8, 2017.

The Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on December 8, 1967, it said.

India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki.

The MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul, on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service today.

Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.

The submarine is built according to the principle of modular construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and outfitting them concurrently.

The equipment is mounted in a special manner and then embarked into the sections. The complexity of the task increases exponentially as it involves laying kilometres of cabling and piping in extremely congested compartments.

All equipment has been installed in the submarine, with 95 per cent cabling and piping also being completed.

Pressure testing, setting-to-work and commissioning of various systems of the submarine is presently in progress, and would continue after the launching of the submarine.

The important safety milestone of vacuum-testing was completed in the first attempt itself, and within a single day on January 5.

This matched the record of 'Kalvari', which also completed the vacuum test in one go.

Till December, the submarine will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea, while on surface and whilst dived.

These trials are designed to test each system to its fullest capacity. Thereafter, it would to be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Khanderi.

This would be preceded by the commissioning of Kalvari later in 2017. The other four submarines will follow in the wake of Khanderi at intervals of nine months.

As per tradition, ships and submarines of the Navy are brought alive again after decommissioning. The first Khanderi was commissioned into the Navy on December 6, 1968 and decommissioned on October 18, 1989.

The submarine is built according to the principle of modular construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and outfitting them concurrently.

The equipment is mounted in a special manner and then embarked into the sections. The complexity of the task increases exponentially as it involves laying kilometres of cabling and piping in extremely congested compartments.

All equipment has been installed in the submarine, with 95 per cent cabling and piping also being completed.

Pressure testing, setting-to-work and commissioning of various systems of the submarine is presently in progress, and would continue after the launching of the submarine.

The important safety milestone of vacuum-testing was completed in the first attempt itself, and within a single day on January 5.

This matched the record of 'Kalvari', which also completed the vacuum test in one go.

Till December, the submarine will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea, while on surface and whilst dived.

These trials are designed to test each system to its fullest capacity. Thereafter, it would to be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Khanderi.

This would be preceded by the commissioning of Kalvari later in 2017. The other four submarines will follow in the wake of Khanderi at intervals of nine months.

As per tradition, ships and submarines of the Navy are brought alive again after decommissioning. The first Khanderi was commissioned into the Navy on December 6, 1968 and decommissioned on October 18, 1989.
Pakistan military authorities have committed to release the Indian soldier Chandu Chavan, who inadvertently strayed across the border last year, Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said here on Thursday.

"They (Pakistan) have admitted that Chandu Chavan is alive, and that they will soon release him after inquiry, which is nearing completion," Bhamre said after the launch of second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi, at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in south Mumbai.

"We are trying at the level of DGMO (Director General of Military Operations), to secure his release. So far, the DGMO has spoken to their Pakistan counterpart at least 15 to 20 times," the minister said.

"The last time such talks took place was two days ago.

They (Pakistan) said that the inquiry is getting over and Chandu Chavan will soon be released," he said.

Incidentally, Chavan hails from Bhamre's Lok Sabha constituency.

"I have been in regular touch with his family," the minister said.

On September 30 last year, Chavan had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday greeted people as they prepare to celebrate Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal.

"On the joyous occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal, I convey warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens in India and abroad," an official release quoted him as saying.

"Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal are expressions of joy and prosperity ushered in by a fresh harvest," he said.

Lohri would be celebrated on Friday and Makar Sankranti and Pongal on Saturday.

"May the celebrations of these festivals bind all sections of our society together with the spirit of love, compassion and joy.

"May these festivals which celebrate the hard work of our farmers and offer gratitude to mother nature bring happiness, peace and prosperity in every one's life," the President added.
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking to lift the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu during Pongal festivities, officials said.

The apex court said that the draft of the judgment was ready but it was not possible to pass the verdict before Saturday.

The court further said that it was unfair to ask the bench to pass order.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the bull's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps made by the bull.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned Jallikattu.

The court held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu or for bullock cart races anywhere in the country.

There has been a growing demand for holding the bull-taming sport this year on the occasion of Pongal on January 14. Jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities.

Political parties have been pressing the Centre as well as the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to let people hold the sport. Protests have been held in the state in support of the sport.


One development which has gone unnoticed in the confrontation between Trinamul Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the delineation of relations between the Centre and the states. When the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) protected the West Bengal BJP office, it gave a message that the Centre was the ultimate authority and it had its own force to ensure implementation of its word.

When West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that they too were a government, she threw down the gauntlet to the Centre that the state was supreme in their own affairs. India is a federal polity. The states have their autonomy as spelled out in the constitution. The Supreme Court has said in many judgments that the Centre could not run roughshod to suppress the states in their own spheres.

This is the same old story: the states assertion against the Centres. It has happened in the case of certain states earlier. Kerala, which has often seen Communists at the helm of affairs, was disturbed many a time by New Delhi, including imposition of Presidents rule for the first time ever in the

country.

Soon after independence, E.M.S. Namboodiripad was the chief minister of Kerala. He differed with New Delhi, ruled by the Congress. It wanted to extend the Preventive Detention Act. But Namboodipard argued that it was an instrument of British rule and did not fit into the democratic structure of the country. He opposed the enactment. Among the chief ministers, he was the only one to do so.

Chief minister B.C. Roy of West Bengal, present at the meeting, was so offended that he chided him and said that you are the only patriot among us. Namboodiripad did not budge from his stand and merely said that he did not want to join issue with him. But he wanted his no to be registered. When it came to his party on whether or not to endorse his stand, it gave him full support.

However, it did not take long to prove what he had said. Soon after, the Centre faced the Railways strike. Kerala government supported the demands of the railwaymen. The encouraged workers in Kerala threatened set on fire the Central governments offices in the state. New Delhi deployed the CRPF to protect its properties. This was an odd situation to face when the states police force would not do anything to ensure that no harm came to what belonged to the country, not a particular state. Fortunately, there was no showdown because the Central government accepted the workers demands and the strike was averted.

The fallout of the threat of railways strike led to the creation of zonal councilsEast, West, North, South and Centralpresided over by the Union Home Minister. The purpose was that the states could discuss the matter among themselves so that they could iron out differences before it came to parliament. The councils lasted till the Congress ruled both at the Centre and the states. When other parties came to power in the states, the arrangement did not work. The experiment ultimately ended in 1977 when the Janata Party, a combination of several parties, ruled at the Centre. It was given out that the zonal councils were not required because the party in power represented all of them.

Even otherwise, Centre-state relations have not been cordial, particularly ever since the BJP came to power. It tends to enforce its ideology on states ruled by parties other than the BJP. The RSS provides its foot soldiers. This is resented by the opposition. If the BJP continues to formulate such policies which reflect its ideology, the coherence of the very federal structure is threatened. The elders in the BJP should look up and take necessary measures so that the unity of the country is intact.

But, unfortunately, with five statesUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goagoing to the polls the BJP is bent on adopting all possible methods to capture power in these states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will go to any extent to extend their rein. Their pre-poll speeches in recent times indicate what the party has in mind.

To a large extent, the BJP cause has been served by the family feud in the Samajwadi Party (SP). Although Mulayam Singh has said that he was the party chief and would see to it that there was unity in SP, his brother Shivpal Yadav appears to be the spoiler. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has the majority of MLAs with him and there is no question of him being displaced.

May be, it is only a storm in a tea cup, but it has dented the image of the party. Akhilesh is bound to gain because his image before the voters is that of a clean person who was trying to govern transparently. His welfare measures, too, will stand him in good stead. Not surprisingly, even the Congress wants to have a pre-poll alliance with the SP to prevent the BJP coming to power.

The scenario in Punjab is no different. The Akali-BJP combination may still get a majority because the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) does not have a Punjabi face to project. In Uttarakhand, the Congress may scrape through after how the BJP tried to dislodge the Rawat government before the courts intervention. In Manipur and Goa, the local elements may come to matter the most. But one cannot rule out the BJPs ascendancy when the Congress no longer remains the only alternative.

Whatever the outcome of the polls, the BJP-ruled Centre cannot turn a Nelsons eye to the developments in the states, particularly West Bengal where it is the weakest. The daily bickering between the Trinamul Congress and the BJP will only aggravate the situation and drive the people to question the democratic system itself.

(THE WRITER IS A NOTED JOURNALIST, COLUMNIST AND COMMENTATOR)
Haseena Faras knows how to fight the rabid communalists in Islam  the reactionary and conservative Maulvis. Her election as Mayor of Kolhapur in Maharashtra is a big slap on the face of reactionary and conservative Maulvis who have all along been opposing equal rights to Muslim women in society. Now Haseena has emerged as a source of inspiration for Muslim women.

In fact, Maulanas and Maulvis along with some conservative women were opposing Haseena for contesting the local body elections in Kolhapur. Their argument was that women entering the election arena was against the tenets of Islam. I wonder if the so called thekedars of Islam forget that Benazir Bhutto, a woman was Prime Minister of Pakistan and Sheikh Hasina is currently Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

The Maulvis had issued a fatwa barring women from contesting civic body polls in Kolhapur. Despite that 19 Muslim women entered the fray and five of them won the elections. This is broad indication that women in Muslim society are no longer ready to live in the dark age of religious sanctions.

Haseena Faras refused to live behind the veil of religion by rejecting the fatwa of Maulvis. But her real fight begins now. She has to bring in more and more women from her religion to the mainstream of social life. She has to encourage women to become equal partners in life with men and fight for their fundamental rights to which they are entitled as per our Constitutional provisions.

Life is becoming increasingly difficult for Muslim women under the practice of triple talaq and practice of halal. She is fully aware and knows it well that in a changing world where social reforms are taking place, women cannot lag behind the changes in society for the better. The problem is that Muslim society appears to be not ready to reform and change.

In Muslim society in India, there is no scope for debate and discourse. Anyone trying to advance the cause of reforms in society is ridiculed by religious leaders. His leg is pulled or even broken for talking about reforms. It is increasingly becoming clear now that the advocates of triple talaq in Islam are not prepared to listen to any argument against the practice. Nobody dares to raise a voice against such social practices in Muslim society for fear of reprisal by

hardcore Muslims. Such conservative Muslims on the other hand want that their women folk should remain where they are and should live and die within the confines of their homes.

It is high time that moderate and modern men in Muslim society who want to support progress and development should come out on the streets and support whole heartedly women like Haseena Faras. Women in Muslim society are far less independent socially and economically compared to other women in the country. They are totally dependent on men. Perhaps it is because of this that they live in a suffocated atmosphere. They are less educated. Wars that cannot be won with guns and swords can be won by learning and education. According to official statistics, more than 60 per cent Muslim women are deprived of any education and only 10 per cent women are lucky enough to get higher education.

A novel by Abdul Bismillah titled  Jhini Jhini Bini Chunaria gives an insight into the plight of Muslim women in North India. The writer has described the condition of a wage-earning Muslim family where women are second and third rate members. A woman character in the novel says, what is the role of a woman  cook food, sleep on bed with husband, give birth to children and serve the man as bonded labourer. If you fail in your duty or in the estimation of your husband then face..talaq talaq talaq. A Muslim friend of mine says even Allah does not like talaq.

(The writer is a BJP Member of the Rajya Sabha and Chairman, Hindusthan Samachar.)
Technically, Rahul Gandhi played no part in the unsuccessful legal action seeking a Supreme Court authorised probe into the contents of documents seized by the Income-Tax authorities from two business houses. However, having tried to ride piggy back on the controversy in the hope of political dividends, the vice-president of the Congress party has no alternative to facing the flak resulting from the judicial rejection of the demand from the NGO-activist Common Cause. Having threatened an earthquake and launching a fiery attack on Mr Narendra Modi, that included accusing him of personal corruption, the future of the oldest political party in the country must look back in sorrow at having made a bit of a fool of himself. Significantly, no senior Congress leader had joined Rahuls tirade, obviously aware that he was on flimsy, stale ground: because even before the conclusive verdict on Wednesday the apex court had indicated it was not very impressed by the basis upon which the demand for a probe was being made. Try as they might now, the Rahul-backers cannot shake off the embarrassment that has befallen them. There had been no formal statement from the party after the verdict pronounced by their Lordships Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, but the discomfort in 24 Akbar Road was evident when a Congress loudmouth tried to duck the issue by stating on TV that by the same token the BJP must stop talking of corruption in the Bofors deal. Shamelessness is part of a politicians DNA, so Rahul cannot be expected to admit to having blundered: he would be well advised to focus his anti-Modi assault on demonetisation, for which he has the solid backing of experienced stalwarts like Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram. Rahul must learn to retain a focus in his political battle-plan ~ he is no Muhammad Ali who could flit like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

The more significant operative part of the Supreme Court verdict is that it slams the increasing tendency to make unsubstantiated allegations, and then insist that the target is duty-bound to clear himself. There is a degree of relevance to the claim of petitioner Prashant Bushan that the Prime Minister, and others in high authority, must not be accorded a protective shield unavailable to all. Yet the solution to that is for the PIL-fraternity to be more selective in their attacks ~ the court has put the petition under focus through the paper-shredder. Clearly a slur on the reputation of Common Cause, that has earned a name for itself challenging big government. Back to politics, Rahul should recall his father having once said there was no requirement for him to respond to every dog that barks.
The new year promises to usher in a time when pragmatism, which takes a cold, hard look at the relations among nations at the expense of soft sentimentalism, will be the driving force in many world capitals. While America under Donald Trump, the post-Brexit Britain and the European far right are likely to shun any humanitarian concern for the refugees fleeing Islamic terror and adopt a stern anti-immigration stance which mocks the Statue of Libertys call to the huddled masses, India, too, is reorienting its policies in the harsh light of the present-day realities.

If, in the process, it has to dispense with official positions which have lasted for years, so be it. The first example of the abandonment of the decades-old adherence to the so-called strategic restraint was in the matter of dealing with Pakistan.

It is not only the surgical strikes by the Indian army inside Pakistan following repeated attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists on Indian targets which showed how New Delhi has decided to adopt a more muscular approach towards its pesky neighbour, the new army chief, General Bipin Rawats observation about Indias preparedness for a war on two fronts ~ against Pakistan and China ~ also underlined an appreciation of the need to keep the powder dry.

The comment was of considerable significance since in March last year, the vice-chief of the Indian air force, BS Dhanoa, had said just the opposite. According to Air Marshal Dhanoa, India was not ready for a two-front scenario because our numbers are not adequate.

It is possible that in the intervening 8/9 months, the government and the army have reassessed their position and beefed up the armoury. Otherwise, General Rawal would not have been so categorical.

What the shift of emphasis shows is how the priorities have changed under the Narendra Modi government.

The change does not relate to military affairs alone, but also to diplomacy. A significant development in this regard is the transformation in India-Israel relations from cool to fairly warm.

As the Israeli ambassador in India, Daniel Carmon, has said, In the last couple of years, we have seen a shift in various votes (by India in the UN) which reflects the present improvement in relations.

However, even under the earlier non-BJP governments, Indias ties with Israel were gradually changing for the better. But the pace was slow because of the unstated fear in political and official circles that overt proximity towards Tel-Aviv would antagonize what New Delhi considered its traditional friends in the Arab world and also the Indian Muslims.

Furthermore, there was the Palestine factor with both the Congress and the communists being displeased with what was seen as an Israeli undermining of the so-called two-state solution by the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

The BJP has always been the odd man out in this respect from the Left-Liberals. And, now, under Modi, it has become far more active in moving close to Israel.

The catalyst for this development is Pakistan. There is a feeling in India ~ and not only among Right-wingers ~ that in the matter of countering terrorism, India and Israel are natural allies.

Israel, too, shares this perception. As the Jewish Virtual Library says, both the countries are isolated democracies threatened by neighbours that train, finance and encourage terrorism. A cooperative relationship, therefore, is a strategic imperative.

This imperative was in evidence when India under the Atal Behari Vajpayee government secured military hardware from Israel during the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan.

Since then, India has struck a deal with Israel for the supply of anti-tank guided missiles as well as missile launchers. But it is not weapons which interest India so much as Israels highly effective counter-insurgency measures. Lessons in this field can help India both against Pakistani terrorists and the home-grown Maoists.

It will be wrong to believe, as the Left-Liberals do, that closeness to Israel will be resented by the Indian Muslims. It is a truism that the latter are as much patriotic as any other community in India and will welcome the strengthening of the countrys defences against Pakistan and China.

As for the Arab countries, India has long been unhappy with their tilt towards Pakistan. As the recent statements of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said to be the largest inter-governmental organization after the UN, on Kashmir and the Indus waters treaty show, the OICs bias against India is obvious.

It has denied observer status to India although the Muslims in India number 172 million. This ambiguity in the OICs stand was noted by the Khaleej Times, which asked why if Russia with its 25 million Muslims and the predominantly Buddhist Thailand can have observer status, why not India?

The reason is that many of the 57 countries which are the OICs members are monarchical and authoritarian, including Pakistan where the army has a greater say in governance, especially with regard to India, than the civilians.

It is for this reason why the Jewish Virtual History called India an isolated democracy (like Israel) as it is surrounded by countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Myanmar where democracy is yet to establish firm roots. It is just as well, therefore, that the bonds of friendship between New Delhi and Tel-Aviv are being strengthened.

(The writer is a former Assistant Editor, The Statesman)
To find an answer for the above proposition it is essential to go back a century when Britannia ruled the waves. The heartland hypothesis was enunciated by Sir Halford Mackinder in 1904. This theory regards political history as a continuous struggle between land and sea powers with the ultimate victory going to the continental power. He predicted: Whoever rules East Europe, will rule Heartland; whoever rules the Heartland, will rule the World Island. Whoever rules the World Island, will rule the world.

During World War II, Mackinders theory was put to the test. The Heartland (or pivot area) could have become the focus of power if either Russia had united with Germany or Russia had been overthrown according to some analysts of the period. Today the heartland is controlled by Russia and China, the latter gradually overtaking the predominance of the former. The US, NATO and the West have absolutely no role to play in the heartland as the world moves into 1917. It is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) of which India and Pakistan have recently become members that holds sway over Central Asia.

A fillip to the SCO was given by the US moving into Afghanistan with bases in the Central Asian Republics after the 9/11 attacks on the US mainland. China is now taking full advantage by pushing its most important OBOR (One Belt One Road) through the heartland at a cost that could ultimately go beyond one trillion dollars as per some estimates.

The Afghan war is well into its sixteenth year. Its end is still unpredictable. Washington will try to ensure that whoever it allows to come to power in Kabul is neither pro-Iranian nor pro-Russian. By having a military presence whose numbers remain flexible, Washington is able to ensure that no other major power in the region is able to station troops. A clear divergence of interests exists, which continues to further aggravate the situation. While it cannot continue to fight the war indefinitely, leaving Afghanistan wide open to interests that are or could become inimical to the US is something that the U.S. might not be able to countenance. In a testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. John Campbell was reported to have said, Afghanistan is at an inflection point and it could easily explode into the worst possible scenario than the U.S. might have hitherto faced.

In a few days a new US administration will be faced with the Afghan imbroglio where numerous US lives have been lost and enormous sums have been expended. At this stage nobody can predict with any degree of certainty as to how Donald Trump and his team comprising old security hands who have been dealing with the Afghanistan-Pakistan (Af-Pak) region since long will proceed. The Obama White House, while it may have appeared tenuous about its policy in West Asia did not pull out of Afghanistan as had been stated by the President at a famous speech at West Point where he set a time limit for the Afghan pullout  end 2014. Looking afresh at the situation in Central and West Asia the incoming president would not be unmindful of the fact that Russia, Turkey and Iran have sidelined the US in Syria and Iraq.

Having been ousted from Central Asia and marginalized in West Asia the new administration would take a very hard look at Afghanistan; and what they see would not seem reassuring. China, Russia and Pakistan have come together to engage with the Taliban for reaching an accommodation with Kabul. It is uncertain as to how it will play out. The US and UK that were earlier in the forefront for a dialogue with the Taliban have been left out. There is strong likelihood of Iran joining the three powers that are not only attempting to bring the Taliban into the fold, they would be looking ahead to shape the future of Afghanistan and bring it solidly into the SCO fold.

The US is not part of this process. Nor is India. Mr. Trump might not like it one bit. It should be recalled that even while President Obama announced troop reductions and eventual pullout, the US actually added a few more bases on the ground. The Pentagon planners evidently had no doubt about the continued importance of remaining in Afghanistan. Mr. Trump in all likelihood would endorse that line.

It affords US the ability to keep an eye on China, Iran, Central Asian Republics and Pakistan. In the last case the US would be able to monitor the situation developing in Baluchistan, the Chinese build up in Gwadar and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) linking Kashgar to Gwadar; a 46 billion dollar project that is unlikely to sit well with USA. Neither is India comfortable with Chinese troops immersing themselves so deeply in the Northern Areas of J&K, territory claimed by India, presently under Pakistan occupation.

The new US administration would also look askance at large Chinese troop deployment for protecting CPEC in areas that are relatively close to the Afghan border. Further more in a recent pronouncement President-elect Trump is said to have stated that Pakistan was today the most dangerous and unstable country in the world. Pakistan television debated the implications of the statement (https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=_eMuJ87hZPs) that made several of the speakers shudder.

Pakistan has been declared a bigger menace than Iran that does not yet have a nuclear capability. Pakistans growing nuclear arsenal has been a big worry for all US administrations. Many overlooked it. Not so Mr. Donald Trump. Neither North Korea nor Iran has the global reach of radicalized Sunni Islam to cause destruction and mayhem almost anywhere in the world. The most likely source of nuclear weapons for non-sate actors remains Pakistan. Among others it becomes the most important reason for the US remaining in Afghanistan till this strongest threat to the global equilibrium is neutralized.

(The writer is excutive director of the Eco Monitors Society)
Over one million Chinese visited Los Angeles in 2016, making the Tinseltown their No.1 tourist destination in the US.

Los Angeles has become the first ever American city to receive more than one million Chinese visitors, Xinhua news agency reported citing US officials.

The year 2016 was a big year for LA's tourism industry.

Besides reaching the mark of one million Chinese visitors, both the city's domestic and international visits reached an all-time high, according to a report released by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism).

Last year, total domestic visits to LA reached 40.2 million  a 3.8 percent increase over 2015.

An additional 7.1 million international visitors also made the second largest city of the United States their ultimate destination  a 3.5 percent rise over the previous year, statistics showed.

"Tourism is booming in Los Angeles, and it's helping to drive our whole city's economy forward," said LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

LA also plans to attract more tourists in the future, especially Chinese tourists.

In 2016, China was the second largest international market for LA after Mexico.

China accounted for 75 percent of the destination's overall growth of international tourism and the number of Chinese visitors grew nearly 22 percent the seventh consecutive year of at least 20 percent visitation growth from that country.

Buoyed by Chinese visits, LA tourism will open its fourth office in China's Chengdu also called "Land of Pandas".

Offices of LA tourism already exist at Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Flights were on Thursday cancelled amid warnings of blizzard conditions set to sweep across the UK.

London's Heathrow Airport said there were about 100 cancellations, the BBC reported.

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" weather warnings for snow for much of the UK up until Saturday.

Airports, including Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast International and Belfast City airports, were operating as normal with no reported weather-related disruption.

Frequent snow showers and strong winds were expected widely across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the north of England on Thursday.

A combination of high tides and strong winds are expected to result in a large tidal surge down the east coast of England, which the Environment Agency is monitoring.

The conditions are likely to cause localised flooding due to waves overtopping the flood defences and wind-blown spray.

Meteorologists are predicting rare "thundersnow" for parts of Wales, where snow falls instead of rain.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia on Thursday appeared in court for two graft cases that accuse her of embezzling around Tk 50 million (around $600,000).

The former prime minister was scheduled to continue her defence statement in the case over the Zia Charitable Trust, bdnews24 reported.

In the Zia Orphanage Trust case, the investigating officer was set to provide fresh testimony.

The two cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) were being heard at Dhaka's Third Special Judges Court set up at a temporary location at Bakshi Bazar.

Khaleda began delivering her defence statement in the Zia Charitable Trust case on December 1 and pleaded not guilty to the charge of embezzling Tk 31.5 million ($400,000) from the charity.

She then moved to the High Court for an order to freeze the graft case. Her plea said the prosecution's 32 witnesses were not under proper oath and should therefore testify again.

Khaleda's lawyers on December 15 submitted a 225-strong list of witnesses for the defence. But the hearing over her statement had to be put off after she was absent on two instances.

The court has fixed January 26 for the next hearing in Zia Charitable Trust graft case in response to a time petition filed by the BNP chief, Dhaka Tribune reported.

On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the charitable trust case with Tejgaon police, accusing four persons, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds and its management.

The commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008, at the Ramna police station, accusing Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others over embezzlement.
Nearly 70 per cent of all listed pharma companies lost between 2.5-7.4 per cent on Thursday as investors took fright from a statement made by US President-elect Donald Trump wherein he accused drug makers of higher prices in the world's largest market for prescription medicines.

As many as 87 export oriented pharma companies out of 126 lost ground on the Bombay Stock Exchange. They fell in line with their US counterparts after Trump criticised drug makers in his address.

The NSE's healthcare index also slumped 1 percent to 10,363 points, making it the top losing benchmark. The index had opened sharply lower but saw a mild recovery as traders partially covered the short positions.

Our drugs industry has been disastrous. They are leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but do not make them here,'' Trump told a televised audience in his first appearance after his surprise electoral win.

The other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drugs industry because they are getting away with murder. We are the largest buyer of drugs in the word and yet we don't bid properly. we are going to save billions of dollars over a period of time.''

India's $36 billion pharma industry has the US as its main export market. More than half of the topline for major drug makers comes from the US and other overseas markets as Indian generic medicines are priced inexpensively and are of top quality.

Prescription drugs worth $325 billion were purchased in the US during 2015, data shows. Indian drug makers are among the most competitive globally when it comes to making quality generics.

The past year has been the toughest in a decade for the Indian drugs sector as increasingly intrusive scrutiny from the US Foods & Drugs Administration has resulted in warning letters, import alerts and, in one case, an outright ban on export of Indian medicines to the US.

The top three companies  Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy's and Lupin  have fallen between 29-46 percent from their highs mostly as a consequence of USFDA's actions. The top five pharma companies get about half of their yearly sales from the US, the world's largest market for medicines.

There could be a silver lining to the current dispute. Trump's stance may actually benefit Indian generic makers in the medium term as lower prices would actually result in quicker processing of applications and permissions by the US FDA.

Here is some price action on pharma stocks on Thursday:

Sun Pharmaceuticals, India's top drug exporter, fell 1.6% to 637.80 rupees. Dr. Reddy's dropped 1.7% to 2,990 rupees. Aurobindo Pharma lost 1.9% to 691.40 rupees. Lupin fell 1% to 1,506 rupees and Cadila Healthcare down 2.3% to 348.40 rupees.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the Philippines on Thursday, becoming the first foreign leader to visit since President Rodrigo Duterte took office last year and launched his deadly war on crime.

Abe is intent on maintaining Japan's strong ties with the Philippines as Duterte shakes up his nation's foreign policy with a shift away from the United States, both nations' longtime ally, in favour of China and Russia.

After his two-day stay in the Philippines, Abe will head to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam with a business delegation as he looks to the region to boost Japan's economy dragged down by a greying and shrinking population.

"I would like to exchange views on bilateral and regional issues and hold frank talks on how we should contribute to the peace and stability of the region," Abe said before departing for Manila.

While Duterte has pivoted away from the United States, he has gone out of his way to maintain close relations with Japan  the Philippines' largest donor and top trading partner.

"Japan has really been our biggest helper," Duterte said on a visit to Tokyo last October when he met Abe.

His warm words for Japan have been helped by Abe and his government offering no criticism of the Philippine crime war, which has claimed about 6,000 lives since Duterte assumed the presidency in the middle of last year.

Duterte has repeatedly railed against US President Barack Obama and his administration for alleging widespread human rights abuses in the crime war.

Duterte has travelled overseas extensively as president.

However Abe is the first head of government to visit the Philippines since Duterte took office.

Abe and Duterte are scheduled to meet in the presidential palace today, the Philippine foreign affairs department said.

Abe will also visit Duterte's home town of Davao in the southern region of Mindanao, where Japan has supported the peace process with Muslim rebels through development and poverty eradication programmes.

Japan was the Philippines' top trading partner in 2015, with 18 billion in trade, according to official figures.

With a severely under-equipped military and coast guard, the Philippines has also looked to Japan to boost maritime security as the two nations face separate sea disputes with China.
Hundreds of Indonesian students on Thursday marched through the streets of capital Jakarta to protest against the high cost of living.

About 500 people, according to the students, protested in downtown Jakarta against possible government moves to increase electricity prices and cut subsidies for low-income earners, Efe news reported.

Students from several universities in Jakarta joined the "121" rally  named for the 12th day of January  and was one of more than a dozen such protests held across the archipelago in cities including Medan, Surabaya and Makassar.

Several students were heard saying that they do not want Indonesians to become poorer and they hope that people's incomes will rise.

Some 2,000 police officers reportedly turned up to provide security at the Jakarta protest, though there were no arrests or disturbances.
President-elect Donald Trump has said that Russia and its President Vladimir Putin would be assets in fighting the Islamic State terror organisation, which he called the "number one" issue, and blamed President Barack Obama's policies for creating a void in the Middle East that gave it room to grow.

In his first news conference as President-elect on Wednesday that was slim on foreign policy, a recurring theme was regaining global respect for the US.

While trying to make Russia an ally in the war on terror, Trump also warned of a hardline if he had a falling out with Putin. He said he would take a tough stand, stronger than what his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton would have.

He also seemed to admonish Putin for his role in the hacking of the Democratic Party servers, saying he shouldn't have done that  and wouldn't do it during his presidency.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia," he said. "Russia can help us fight IS (Islamic State), which, by the way, is, number one, tricky (issue)."

"This administration created IS by leaving (Iraq) at the wrong time," he claimed. "The void was created, IS was formed."

As for future relations with Russia, Trump said, "I don't know that I'm gonna get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there's a good chance I won't. And if I don't, do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me?"

Moving away from his earlier position of questioning Putin's involvement in the hacking scandal, Trump said, "He shouldn't be doing it. He won't be doing it."

Projecting his tough-guy image, Trump asserted, "Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading than when other people have led it."

He added, "Other countries, including China, which has taken total advantage of us economically, totally advantage of us in the South China Sea by building their massive fortress, total. Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, all countries will respect us far more, far more than they do under past administrations."

He poked fun of Clinton for having given Russian Foreign Minister a red button labeled "Reset" at the start of her tenure as Secretary of State in 2009 to signify an attempt at renewing frayed ties.

"I won't be giving a little reset button like Hillary, 'Here, press this piece of plastic', were relations with Putin to run into problems," he said, adding, "There's no reset button. We're either going to get along or we're not. I hope we get along, but if we don't, that's possible too."
President-elect Donald Trump has said he had formally handed over "complete" control of his business empire to his two sons and they will not discuss its operations with him, in a move to avoid conflicts of interest once he assumes office.

"My two sons  Donald Jr. and Eric  are going to be running the company. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. They're not going to discuss with me its operations," Trump, surrounded by his sons, daughter and son- in-law, said in his first formal press conference in six months.

"I have signed documents turning over complete and total control to my sons," he said, before handing the stage to his lawyer Sheri Dillon.

Dillon said Trump's assets will be transferred to a trust under the control of his sons before his inauguration and he will step down from his role as an executive at his company.

His commercial real estate assets and licensing businesses will be placed into the trust, along with his cash holdings.

She said Trump's business empire will undertake no foreign deals while he is US president, but underlined that he "should not be expected to destroy the company he built".

"The trust agreement as directed by President Trump imposes severe restrictions on new deals. No new foreign deals will be made whatsoever during the duration of Trump's presidency," she said, adding that the group has terminated more than 30 pending deals in recent weeks.

Trump said his organisation's business will continue to pursue deals in the US.

He disclosed that over the weekend he was offered "USD two billion" to do a "number of deals" in Dubai "from an amazing man, a friend of mine" but he turned it down even though he was not required to do so.

"I turned it down. I didn't have to turn it down. I could actually run my business and government at the same time. I don't like the way it looks. But I don't want to do that," he said.

The press conference comes nine days before Trump is set to be sworn in as the 45th president of the US and nearly a month after Trump cancelled his last scheduled news conference.

With Trump's swearing-in just days away, key members appointed by him to his cabinet are facing nomination hearings.

There is intense scrutiny about how Trump will distance himself from his global business empire and avoid conflict of interests as leader of the most powerful country in the world.
A United Nations human rights expert has called on the Pakistani authorities to make it a top priority to locate and protect four disappeared human rights and social media campaigners, saying no government should tolerate attacks on its citizens.

"I strongly urge the Government of Pakistan to take every step possible to locate the four missing activists, a first step toward reemphasising its commitment to freedom of expression at the beginning of the year," said David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, in a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The four activists Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed, Salman Haider and Ahmed Raza Naseer went missing this month. They had been accused of promoting blasphemy, a criminal offense in Pakistan.

"No government should tolerate attacks on its citizens," the human rights expert said.

"By making the investigation of these disappearances an urgent priority, the Pakistani authorities can send a strong signal that they take seriously the responsibility for the life and security of all of its citizens, particularly in cases involving freedom of expression."

"Free expression campaigners and experts have long called for the abolition of criminal blasphemy provisions in Pakistan, which may carry the death penalty," Kaye said.

"Not only are such laws incompatible with international human rights law, but they also facilitate threats by state and non-state actors seeking to target expression."

The Special Rapporteur stressed that "all States have an obligation to promote a diverse space and culture for expression, but such culture does not create itself.
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.


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.
On the Central Vista project, Deepak said, "The larger message is perhaps Bharat is moving away from colonial vestiges and trying to reinvent itself, on its own terms, using its own philosophy."
Organisation: United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Position No.: 10013982

Vacancy Notice: 032/2017

Reports to: Head of Office

Duty Station: Mbarara, Uganda

Post Grade: GL4

About UNHCR:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was

established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.

UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection

to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and

safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate

concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under

Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Job Summary: The Secretary

will provide secretarial and administrative support to the UNHCR Unit as a

whole. The incumbent will receive regular guidance from his/her supervisor. As

per specific instructions, the incumbent will require liaising with other

internal or external entities, to ensure effective delivery of services and

achievement of objectives. The assignments are mostly standard tasks including

limited interpretation of subject matter and information exchange between staff

in the office, at the duty station and external officials of other institutions

to ensure mutual understanding.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:

The incumbent will prepare correspondence

for signature, checking enclosures and addresses, and draft correspondence

on routine matters.

Arrange appointments/meetings both

internal and external, some involving high ranking officials.

The jobholder will also receive visitors,

place and screen telephone calls, respond to routine requests for

information and take notes at meetings as and when required.

Type a wide variety of material from

drafts and printed texts using a word processor. Proof-read for

correctness and maintain office records and reference files on various

subjects.

Offer support in making travel arrangements.



Receive, review, sort and distribute all

incoming and outgoing material, highlight priority items and attach necessary

background information.

May be required to maintain/update

confidential files.

Perform other relevant duties as required.









Key Performance Indicators: The

UNHCR Office has sufficient secretarial and administrative support thus better

able to meet its objectives. TheUNHCR Office has sufficient secretarial and administrative support thus betterable to meet its objectives.



Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The ideal candidate for the United Nations

UNHCR Secretary career opportunity should have completed Secondary

education or equivalent technical or commercial school with Secretarial

training and/or certificate.

At least three years of previous job

experience relevant to the function.

Computer skills (MS office and People soft

applications).

Fluency in English and working knowledge

of another relevant UN language.

Excellent knowledge of local language is an added

advantage.

How to Apply:

All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are

encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions

after reviewing the job details.

Deadline: 18th December 2017




Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 with the counting of votes on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced today.
The 8th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit concluded in Gandhinagar on Thursday with the state government announcing that Micro Small and Medium Enterprises led the number of MoUs and LoIs. The 2017 summit, a biennial event since 2003, saw Business2Business meetings on its fourth and final day on Friday.

Speaking at the valedictory function, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said that a total of 25,578 MoUs were signed this year, an increase of 2,500 MoUs from last edition. However, unlike the previous editions, the state government refrained from giving amount of the MoUs.

Following his predecessor Narendra Modi's foot steps, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani extended invitation for the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit to be held in 2019. He said that the event would help in establishing Gujarat as a gateway to Indian economy.

Rupani said that the GIFT City would create 10 lakh jobs in the years to come. On January 9, Modi had inaugurated BSE's international operations there.

The 8th edition of the summit had 12 partner countries. CEOs, businessmen and top politicians from more than 100 countries participated. Out of more than 74,000 registered delegates, over 2,700 delegates were from abroad.
With controversy surrounding the allegations levelled by a BSF jawan that he was served unpalatable food refusing to settle down, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has stepped in, seeking a report from the union home ministry.

Sources said the PMO has asked the MHA about the allegations and the systemic failure that led to the jawan reaching out to the home minister and prime minister directly using the social media platform to highlight his concerns.

The PMO wants to be apprised about the roadblocks that prevent the facilities from reaching the jawans, especially those posted in the forward areas.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spent his New Year with the jawans of ITBP in the border areas, while Rajnath Singh has been laying special emphasis on the supreme sacrifices of the central paramilitary personnel in battling terrorists and insurgents to keep the borders and hinterland safe.

But the video posted by BSF constable Tej Bahadur Singh showed a complete different picture, even as he alleged corruption in the system which prevented the central government facilities from reaching them.

While the BSF has launched an inquiry against the constable and raised doubts about his past conduct in the force, both the central force and the home ministry are realising that they cannot put a lid on the controversy just yet.

According to government officials, with the PM himself reaching out to jawans using social media platforms as well as personalised messages to the troops on occasions like the Independence Day and Republic day, it becomes incumbent upon the PMO to take note of any such allegations. It will not shy away from acknowledging the concerns and take corrective steps once an issue has been flagged by the government.

Sources indicated that as soon as the controversy broke out on the social media, the ruling party evinced interest and inquired about the veracity of the allegations and wanted the issue concerning the jawans to be addressed immediately.
Transport minister Gayatri Prajapati has been accused of violating the model code of conduct in force ahead of assembly polls after the UP police seized 4500 saris which were being transported to Amethi assembly constituency for distribution to lure the voters.





The police, while inspecting a mini truck on Banda-Tanda highway, found that thousands of sari were being transported inside. The truck driver, after interrogation, revealed that the saris belonged to Transport Minister Gayatri Prajapati. The police registered a case of violation of code of conduct.





According to superintendent of police (SP) Balikaran Yadav, the incdent took place on Wednesday when the police discovered during vehicle inspection that minister Prajapatis name was written on the consignment.





Driver Ankit Shukla and his associate Rahul Singh are the residents of Unnao and Kanpur districts of UP respectively.





They revealed that they were asked to drop these bundles of saris to Kodhvan Degree College in Amethi.





According to police, the matter was under investigation. Prajapati is not new to controversies. The minister, who is close to Mulayam, triggered a controversy a couple of years ago when he reportedly became a reason for Mulayam making a threatening phone call to an IPS officer Amitabh Thakur. His wife Nutan Thakur, a social activist, had lodged a complaint to Lokayukta in 2015 against Prajapati.





Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had sacked Prajapati in 2016 after allegations of corruption mounted against him. He was even acused of promoting illegal mining when he held the charge of minister for mining.
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

If you are looking for an out of town community where  and   are the focal point, then Rochester may be the place for you. We are a warm, caring community located in a safe, beautiful neighborhood where you can purchase a 3-4 bedroom home for under $200,000. In Rochester you are not just another face in the crowd and you can truly be part of building a growing community. Additionally, Rochester is only a 3 hour drive from Toronto and 4 hours from Monsey, making it easy to visit family and friends.

Baruch Hashem 18 new families have made Rochester home since the spring of 2015. See what some of them have to say about their new lives here on our Testimonials page.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROCHESTER, NY

Whatever your stage in life, Rochester has something to offer. There are schools and Yeshivos to guide a person from preschool through Kollel, as well as many learning programs for adult men and women. Children receive personalized education from dedicated Morahs and Rabbeim who strive to help each student reach his or her potential through a variety of learning styles. Several Shuls and various Davening options for both weekdays and Shabbos, along with daily Shiurim round out the deal. Despite our size, Rochester is definitely a true Makom Torah.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROCHESTER, NY

The quality of life in Rochester is further enhanced by the low cost of living- 45% lower than in NYC! (source: www.salary.com) Practically, that means that if you are earning $80,000 a year now, you will need to earn less than $44,000 in Rochester to maintain the same standard of living! Career opportunities are available in a variety of fields, and we are happy to aid in job searches using our local connections and relationships with staffing agencies. Due to the ease of highway travel here (where rush hour is defined as having to drive at the speed limit), commuting to jobs in nearby cities is a breeze.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROCHESTER, NY

If all that isnt enough to pique your interest, here is one more incentive for considering Rochester. Derech HaTorah of Rochester, our Yeshiva elementary school, is currently offering a fantastic tuition break for new students. New families pay a rate of only $1,000 per child for their childrens tuition for their first two years in Rochester. That gives you two years without a major financial burden to help you settle in Rochester.

So, if you are looking to relocate your family to a community where you can make a difference, where your children will have wonderful, wholesome friends, and where Torah hashkafos guide your way of life, dont waste another day. We are waiting to welcome you!

See our website www.TorahRochester.com for more details or contact us at [email protected]ail.com or call or text 585-340-7143 to learn more or to schedule a visit!
A local court in Pune, which Pooja approached, has now admitted her application and will soon start hearing the case. The actor wants a criminal case to be registered against the two websites.

By Vidya : Actor Pooja Mishra, who is living in Pune these days, is upset with the Lashkar police station in the city for not registering an FIR against popular search engine Google and video-sharing website YouTube. The Big Boss 5 contestant, who filed sexual harassment cases in Udaipur and Jaipur over the last two years, is upset with a couple of videos in particular which the websites throw up that, according to her, are maligning her image.

advertisement

A local court, which Pooja approached, has now admitted her application and will soon start hearing the case. The actor wants a criminal case to be registered against the two websites.

Also read | Pooja Misrra assaults Delhi store staff

Pooja, who is currently producing a film titled Jad and in which she herself stars as the main lead, is currently shooting the film in Pune.

WHAT POOJA MISHRA'S APPLICATION SAYS In her application, the 28-year-old actor has specifically shared a couple of links of videos where she is not shown in the right light. Her lawyer Wajid Sheikh said, "There are a total of 89 videos of her, but we are specifically upset about a couple of them. There is a video on YouTube, which is a CCTV footage of a fight that had happened 3 months ago at a medical store in Mumbai. In that fight, some of her private parts can be seen which is a clear cut violation of her modesty. Such videos should not have been allowed to be uploaded by YouTube." Although what Pooja and her lawyers have filed is a criminal complaint, they have also sought compensation for damage to her reputation which amounts to Rs 25 crore. Going by the number of views that each of the sites have been getting, Pooja has calculated an estimated Rs 2.80 crores being earned by them.

--- ENDS ---
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

After coming out of the monumental Herodian structure atop the Maaras HaMachpelah, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said:

We are here at the Machpelah of the Patriarchs in Hebron where our fathers fathers walked and were even buried. Lately, much has been said regarding our rights to this land, and many legal issues as well. Let us teach to those who do not know: Abraham our father, bought this place paying full price and a written dead, maybe the first of its kind in the world, and therefore it is obvious the Jewish community has every right to be here, including by purchase right. It is specifically at this time, when the UN condemns Israels right to build in Judea and Samaria, it is important to come here, to strengthen the Jewish community in Hebron and to proclaim that we will indeed hold the right to keep building in Yehuda and Shomron.

The Jewish community of Hebron was honored to host the Justice Minister. Yishai Fleisher, International Spokesman of the Jewish Community said: Post-Zionist and global anti-Israel organizations have donned the veneer of human rights, and with that cover have put Hebron in their cross-hairs. They have set up set up shop here and attack us with constant lies, delegitimization, and incitement to terror. Incredibly, they are actually utilizing Israels own justice system to undermine Jewish rights. But we are confident that the Justice Minister, who has proven abilities to get things done.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

The first-ever global center combining research and treatment of child abuse opened this week at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at Mount Scopus.

The Haruv Childrens Campus brings together for the first time, in one location, a comprehensive array of services for abused and neglected children, including emergency treatment, therapeutic facilities and child advocacy assistance. It houses seven organizations working on all aspects of identifying, diagnosing and treating children, allowing for unprecedented levels of cooperation and coordination. It is also home to a world-class research center and training services for a wide range of professionals.

This multi-disciplinary campus provides a holistic, child-centered approach to treating, studying and addressing the global issue of child abuse and creates new opportunities for groundbreaking collaboration between institutes and organizations in Israel and around the world. Partnering with the new campus are Hebrew University and the Hadassah Medical Center, internationally renowned institutes in research and treatment, respectively.

Child abuse and neglect occurs in all sectors of society and has a destructive impact on growth and development, said Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh, director of the Haruv Institute. We are striving to create the first-ever comprehensive research and treatment center for maltreated children, based on the widely-admired university hospital model. The campus will attract top researchers, professionals and students from Israel and abroad, creating opportunities to affect real change for at-risk children.

According to the World Health Organization, every fourth child worldwide is a victim of child abuse. Within Israel, about 400,000 youth are considered at-risk for child abuse. In 2015, there were an estimated 44,000 new cases of child abuse reported, with every third Israeli child suffering some form of neglect, 11 percent involving sexual abuse and 20 percent involving children with special needs. The problem is so acute that child services workers routinely deal with unmanageable levels of caseloads.

The Mount Scopus campus was chosen for its strategic location and general accessibility. The site also offers proximity to the chareidi and Arab communities, which predominate in nearby residential areas, and the center will bring a culturally sensitive approach to its work with these populations.

Leading this innovative initiative is the Haruv Institute, with the support of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, JDC-Israel, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, the National Insurance Institute and the Jerusalem Municipality Welfare Services.

The Haruv Childrens Campus will house several organizations devoted to dealing with child abuse, including: The Schusterman Emergency Center, The Beit Lynn Child Protection Center, The Israel National Council for the Child, The Center for Treatment of Sexually Abused Children, The Israel Medical Stimulation Center, The Municipal Child Welfare Center and The Goshen Program for Comprehensive Child Health.

The Haruv Institute is the leading authority on child abuse and neglect in Israel and a leader in the field worldwide. Its mission is to greatly reduce child abuse by creating and educating a capable and skillful community of professionals dedicated to the wellbeing of children who have suffered all types of abuse including psychological, emotional and sexual as well as neglect.

Ever since its founding in 2007, Haruv has served as a beacon of hope and a source of strength for victims of child abuse and their families. It has been a forceful advocate for those least able to defend themselves, and it has trained thousands of professionals responsible for preventing and treating abuse and neglect, said Lynn Schusterman, founder and co-chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. The opening of the Haruv Childrens Campus ushers in the next phase of this critically important mission and is a striking example of how Haruv has grown to become an international center of excellence in its field. We are proud to have partnered with others to make the new center a reality and look forward to continuing to help Haruv establish itself as the preeminent organization in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

The planning and design of the campus reflects its emphasis on addressing the needs of children and families. Throughout the campus, calming elements have been introduced, such as water, pastoral greenery and play areas created from natural materials. The interior spaces have colorful playrooms, work areas that provide privacy, and a school and kindergarten for children at the emergency center.

The opening of the Haruv Campus for Children in Jerusalem is not just a major step in the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect in Israel and beyond. It champions a holistic approach ensuring critical players in this field can learn from and inform each others success, something we understand full well from our own work in Israel, said David Schizer, CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Were proud of our partnership with the Haruv Institute and the Schusterman Family Foundation to once again foster innovation of new program models to support Israels most vulnerable and of the larger effort to provide a safer and brighter future for children and families who will benefit from the one-of-a kind Haruv Campus.

Photos:

The Haruv Childrens Campus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Mt. Scopus.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Dror Sithakol)
More than 2.4 million tons of edible food, with a market value of NIS 19.5 billion (US $5 million) is wasted in Israel annually, according to the second national Food Waste and Rescue in Israel: The Economic, Social and Environmental Impact Report, released on Tuesday, 12 Teves 5777 by Leket Israel and BDO Ziv Haft Israel. 1.2 million tons of this food can be rescued and is suitable for human consumption; valued at NIS 8 billion (US $2 billion). Of that, 450 thousand tons, 19% of the wasted food, would bridge the national food insecurity gap.

The report highlights the economic, social and environmental benefits of rescuing unused food for the more than two million Israeli citizens living below the poverty line. BDO applied a unique model that evaluated the loss of food in Israel throughout the value chain: from agriculture to packaging, industry, and distribution.

The emphasis of this years report is on food loss in the institutional sector (hotels, banquet halls, military bases, hospitals etc.) as well as a review of the valuable steps that have been taken around the world in the last year to reduce food loss. In the institutional sector, 214 thousand tons is lost annually; 30% of what is produced valued at NIS 3.5 billion (US $900+ million). Approximately one third of the food produced in the institutional sector can be rescued, meaning 64 million meals annually valued at NIS 1.1 billion (US $286+ million).

According to Joseph Gitler, Leket Israels Founder and Chairman: Western countries have worked extensively to reduce food waste this year and it is incumbent on the Israeli government to follow suit. Since the publication of the Inaugural Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report, Leket Israel has been successful in advancing the law encouraging food rescue. The law passed the Knesset preliminary reading and is currently awaiting approval in the labor, welfare, and health committee. This is a positive step; however, in order to make significant strides, it is imperative to set a national goal similar to the UNs resolution of a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030 since adopted by the US administration.

In addition, private organizations that participate in government tenders supplying services to the State and that have sources of rescuable food available, must be required to collaborate with registered food rescue NPOs as a prerequisite for contracting with the State.

According to Chen Herzog, Chief Economist at BDO Ziv Haft Israel: Surplus food in institutional kitchens is inevitable due to the need to supply food in varied conditions of uncertainty. Our analysis shows high viability to rescue surplus food from military bases, hotels and banquet halls for the benefit of the needy. For every shekel invested in food rescue, there is a NIS 3.6+ return on the investment. If you take into account the environmental and social impact, then every shekel invested yields NIS 7.2 return. Waste reduction is a wining solution for the environment; lowering pollutant levels, greenhouse emissions and a reduction in the use of finite land and water resources.

Food rescue allows for a narrowing of the food insecurity gap by 73% of what it costs to the economy. There is a clear economic benefit in providing for the needy with rescued food rather than with government stipends, subsidies etc. considering the unique characteristics of turning waste into food. With NIS 810 million (US $210+ million), it is possible to rescue food valued at NIS 3 billion (US $780+ million) which is equivalent to the entire consumption gap between Israelis suffering from food insecurity and Israelis who enjoy normative levels of consumption.

Click here to view highlights of the report.

Photo: Joseph Gitler, Leket Israels Founder and Chairman

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Yossef Cohen)
On Tuesday 12 Teves, YWN-ISRAEL reported on a Channel 2 sting investigation in which persons affiliated with the Hamodia newspaper, which is tied to Health Minister Litzman, accepted cash to arrange meetings with the minister via is closest confidants. The report also shows how members of the senior ministry staff, physicians, were willing to turn a blind eye to importing electronic cigarettes, which reports show are harmful to the tziburs health, all to accommodate the e-cigarette company representatives, who were distributing cash envelopes.

As explained in the first report, the undercover reporters established a fictitious company, SEC (Smoke Electric Cigarettes) and approached macherim in Hamodia, primarily Yaakov Reinitz, who in exchange for cash, arranged meetings with senior ministry officials and with Minister Litzman himself. The first meeting was arranged during Chanukah, less than two weeks before they first met with officials in the Hamodia office in Jerusalem. The SEC representatives were seeking approval from the Health Ministry, or at least to refrain from interfering with importing their e-cigarettes to Israel.

It was also explained that Channel 2 has documented Litzman has met with heads of international tobacco companies, which he is prohibited from doing as per the FCTC (WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) Agreement that was signed by many countries, including Israel. If the Health Minister does meet with such persons, the public must be advised, which did not happen here.

Channel 2 also points out that Litzman, to the surprise of all, has been a lone vote objection to legislation to get tougher against the tobacco industry, hinting that he may have been bought out by persons representing the tobacco companies interests.

In the final chapter of the report, Reinitz is recorded telling SEC folks I am sitting in the ministers office and I am told representatives of Phillip Morris were already here and they are supposed to meet with the minister.

The SEC representatives (Channel 2 reporters) entered Litzmans office with their hidden video cameras and met with the minister along with personal aide and confidant to the minister, Moti Bobchik and of course, Reinitz.

They get right to the point, telling Litzman they wish to import electronic cigarettes in the coming weeks and seek the ministrys assistance, adding we already met with Prof. Itamar Grutto who said at the moment it cannot be authorized, but added you, the minister has the ultimate say in the matter.

Litzman explains the matter is still being debated and at first, the thought was to prohibit the e-cigarettes, then instruction the SEC officials to continue to remain in contact with Prof. Grutto. He added Whatever Itamar decides is what will be. I am not getting involved with this. At present I am dealing with junk food, not this.

It is pointed out during this tenure, Litzman has not moved ahead any legislation seeking to curtail smoking and tobacco. The minister has also blocked legislation that seeks to limit or prohibit electronic cigarettes. Litzman advises them to remain in touch with Reinitz, who will be updated by him. The meeting lasted for seven minutes, during which they learned Litzman has given Phillip Morris permission to go ahead advertising a new product.

In a subsequent call with Reinitz, he promises SEC officials A client of mine will not be  and they neednt worry.

Once again Litzmans office insists it has no knowledge of anyone asking for money or persons paying to see him. He insists his office is open to all and accepting money for such meetings is illegal and unacceptable. Regarding electronic cigarettes, Litzmans office reports it is working to advance bills seeking to limit them in Israel. However, the ministers voting record and ministry actions in recent months tell a different story, that the minister is not working against tobacco companies. In addition, Phillip Morris has invested billions in a new electronic smoking product and appears to have received a green light in Israel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Police and border police during the night found a quantity of stolen property in the home of a PA (Palestinian Authority) resident.

Authorities arrested a 31-year-old PA resident after finding stolen goods in the suspects home, items stolen from people inside the Green Line including jewelry, weapons, TVs, and much more as the photos show. There were also IDF uniforms and forged documents.

Authorities report the suspect broke into homes and businesses. The suspect was arraigned in the Jerusalem Magistrate Court. Police call on anyone recognizing the stolen items to contact them.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Police spokesman unit)
Barraged by questions about Russia, Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state promised a far more muscular approach toward the Kremlin on Wednesday, abandoning much of the president-elects emphasis on improving ties between the Cold War foes. Instead, Rex Tillerson suggested the outgoing Obama administration responded too softly to Moscows takeover of Ukrainian territory.

The surprising shift in tone by Tillerson, a former Exxon Mobil CEO and Russian Order of Friendship recipient, reflected the difficulty Trump will have in persuading Democrats and Republicans to broach a broad rapprochement with President Vladimir Putins government. Calling Russia a danger to the United States, Tillerson said he would keep U.S. sanctions in place and consider new penalties related to Russian meddling in the presidential election.

Although he said he hadnt read last weeks classified assessment by the U.S. intelligence community, Tillerson said it was a fair assumption that Putin would have ordered the operation that purportedly included hacking, propaganda and internet trolls to harm Hillary Clintons candidacy and advance Trumps. But in a puzzling revelation, Tillerson conceded he hadnt yet talked with Trump about a Russia policy.

Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests, Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He added that Trumps administration would be committed to the defense of Americas NATO partners, an obligation the president-elect called into question during the campaign if allies failed to meet defense spending pledges.

While his prepared statement reflected some of Trumps desire for improved ties, Tillerson quickly pivoted under pressure from both sides of the aisle. On Russias 2014 annexation of the Crimea region, he said, That was a taking of territory that was not theirs.

Still, he criticized President Barack Obamas sanctions on Russia, which ended up costing Exxon hundreds of millions of dollars. And he declared that he would have responded by urging Ukraine to send all available military units to its eastern border with Russia and recommending U.S. and allied support through defensive weapons and air surveillance, to send a message to Moscow.

That is the type of response that Russia expects, he said in a response to questions from Sen. Marco Rubio, Tillersons toughest GOP inquisitor, who later lectured the oil man on human rights and hinted he might withhold his support. If Russia acts with force, Tillerson said, they require a proportional show of force.

Trump offered a sharply different account of Ukraine during the presidential campaign and never proposed a show of U.S. military force in Ukraine. In an August interview, he claimed Russia would not enter Ukraine, not seeming to know Russian troops were already there. He suggested Crimea didnt count because the peninsulas people preferred being part of Russia, restating Putins reason for taking the territory in 2014.

Like Trump, Tillerson vowed complete support for Israel, which he called Americas most important ally in the Middle East. He said the new administration would undertake a full review of the Iran nuclear deal to deny the Islamic republic the ability to acquire an atomic weapon. He said that might only be possible if Iran can no longer enrich uranium, which the accord permits under strict constraints and without which Tehran wouldnt have made the deal.

Some of the questioning reflected the traditional friction between a Congress that wants to prescribe foreign policy and an executive branch that traditionally seeks to maintain broad flexibility in its international affairs, tinted by Tillersons vocal opposition to economic sanctions as a business leader.

Addressing some of Congress most experienced architects of U.S. economic pressure, Tillerson called sanctions a powerful tool in deterrence that could, however, also project weakness if applied poorly.

He said neither he nor Exxon had lobbied against sanctions. But the company did try to influence sanctions legislation on Russia two years ago, congressional records and data from the Center for Responsive Politics show, and Tillerson made numerous White House visits, to no avail. Given a second chance on the subject, Tillerson sought to clarify his answer by saying he had expressed concerns related to security in shutting down an Exxon operation newly prohibited under the sanctions.

Tillerson represents a break in a longstanding tradition of secretaries of state with extensive military, legislative, political or diplomatic experience. Yet his supporters point to Tillersons lengthy career as a senior executive in a mammoth multinational company as proof he has the management and negotiating skills to succeed in the State Departments top post, particularly when facing tough foreign governments.

Its brilliant what hes doing and what hes saying, Trump said of Tillerson during a news conference in New York that occurred as Tillerson was testifying. He ran incredibly Exxon Mobil. When there was a find, he would get it.

His Exxon experience, however, has been criticized by Democrats for possible conflicts of interest because of the companys far-flung business dealings. Tillerson, who stepped down as CEO at the end of 2016, said he understood being secretary of state meant different responsibilities. He pledged to be a steward for U.S. national interests rather than corporate ones.

If all 10 Democrats on the committee vote against Tillerson, and Rubio or any other Republican joins them, the nomination would then be referred to the full Senate with no recommendation. That would be an embarrassment for such a high-profile Cabinet nominee and could signal a larger confirmation battle.

(AP)
Frances government has quietly backtracked on a policy that allowed children to leave the country without their parents permission, after years of complaints from families of radicalized teens who left to join extremist groups.

The new rules requiring parental permission go into effect Sunday, five years after the government lifted the restriction with little fanfare, citing a need to streamline bureaucracy.

At the time, the war in Syria was picking up and France became Europes largest source of recruits in the war zone, notably for the Islamic State group. Families said they were blindsided when their teenage sons and daughters were allowed to pass through border control no questions asked and even leave Europes passport-free zone for Turkey.

We have to do everything we can to prevent minors from going into the terrorist zone, lawmaker Patrick Hetzel told France 3.

But critics say the reversal comes far too late.

Samia Maktouf, a lawyer for two families that sued the government over their teenagers departures for Syria, has called for this policy shift for years.

Unfortunately, theyre taking action rather late, she told The Associated Press. Four hundred French minors are now at the gates of Hell.

(AP)
Israels prime minister is condemning an upcoming conference in Paris aimed at reviving the Israel-Palestinian peace process.

Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with Norways foreign minister on Thursday: Its a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances. This pushes peace backwards. Its not going to obligate us. Its a relic of the past. Its a last gasp of the past before the future sets in.

The Palestinians have welcomed the French initiative, which takes place Sunday.

Netanyahu insists the conflict can only be resolved in direct peace talks and has repeatedly called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume them. Abbas refuses unless Israel ends settlement construction first.

The U.S. mediated the last round of talks, which collapsed in 2014.

(AP)
The stage is set for President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration  not just the traditional swearing-in platform on Capitol Hill, but a massive security presence amid protest plans to shut down the nations capital.

Most crowd estimates for the Jan. 20 festivities are far short of the record-setting 1.8 million visitors for President Obamas historic 2009 inauguration. But the throngs of spectators and protesters alike are enough to create transit, security and hospitality challenges.

Security is my greatest concern, Missouri GOP Sen. Roy Blunt, chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, recently said. No question that on inaugural day, this would be the most appealing target in the world.

He suggested the city could have as many as 750,000 demonstrators alone.

More than three-dozen law enforcement agencies are working together on security and safety plans in anticipation, including the Capitol Police, FBI, Secret Service and National Guard.

Roughly 7,500 Guardsmen from across the country will come to Washington, along with about 3,000 police officers from various states, with the Secret Service taking the lead on security.

Essentially everybody involved already is rehearsing for the big weekend, which kicks off next Friday morning with the swearings-in on the Capitols West Front, followed by official events including the traditional parade on Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House and the inaugural balls.

The Joint Task Force  National Capital Region  58th Presidential Inauguration has held several table top sessions in which agencies plot strategy over a large-scale, three-dimensional map.

Its a rehearsal, but in the military we call it a drill, Navy Cmdr. Jonathan Blyth, the groups spokesman, told FoxNews.com on Wednesday. Weve been preparing for this since the last inauguration. Were focused to protecting and honoring a new commander in chief.

The task force and its Capitol Hill counterpart are holding a dress rehearsal this weekend for the swearings-in, the Presidential Review of troops and the parade along the roughly 2.5-mile stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Several protest groups planning large-scale demonstrations have permits in place and have already held organizational meetings, among them the collaborative DisruptJ20.

Were planning a series of massive, direct actions that will shut down the inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations, the group says. Were also planning to paralyze the city.

Organizers say they are targeting everything from the parade to the balls and plan to use blockades and protesters to stop traffic, public transit and parties.

The group RefuseFacism.org is planning a small-scale protest Saturday in the citys McPherson Square, just blocks from the White House, that organizers hope will grow into larger inauguration-weekend protests.

The group burned U.S. flags this summer at the Democratic and Republican national conventions and this week tried to disrupt the Senate confirmation hearing for Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions to become Trumps attorney general.

I wouldnt want to meet with [Trump], but I would say to him, Youre a fascist. Your regime is illegitimate. And it must not be allowed to take power, the groups Carl Dix told Fox on Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Dix acknowledged the group doesnt have a federal or city permit to protest but still intends to stop the regime.

The two major groups with permits are a pro-Trump organization and the ANSWER Coalition, which turned out the largest anti-war protests during the Bush years and next weekend has a permit for a mass protest at Freedom Plaza, near the parade route.

The other group is Bikers for Trump, a familiar presence on last years campaign trail and visitors to both 2016 major-party conventions. The groups permit shows members at John Marshall Park, near the Canadian Embassy and close to the parade route.

The biggest protest is expected to take place the following day  the Womens March on Washington. Organizers have finally received a permit and estimate 200,000 attendees, with celebrities such as Amy Schumer and Scarlett Johansson reportedly among them.

Blyth said the big variable next weekend, as usual, will be the weather.

Eight inches of snow fell the night before John F. Kennedys inauguration in 1961.

The weather is always the biggest challenge, Blyth said. Were reading the Farmers Almanac and always checking forecasts.

The 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee will hold at least two official  or sanctioned  balls.

Among the other balls that week will be the Deplorables Inaugural Ball, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and the Salute to the Heroes Inaugural Ball, at the Renaissance hotel downtown.

Trump boasted this week that so many people are attending balls and other events that dress shops are sold out. However, Calypso St. Barts womens shop, in Georgetown, said Wednesday it has plenty of options still available.

We still have many nice pieces, including some cocktail dresses, store manager Briona Jackson said. We have items on sale and can get gowns from our other stores.

(AP)
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today inaugurated Airtel Payments Bank of Bharti Enterprises, which is being rolled out across the country with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore.

"As more and more telecom companies enter into the fray, I think we will hopefully, see competition not only amongst telecom companies which we read a lot about these days, but probably see a competition between conventional and new mode of banking," Jaitley said at the launch.

advertisement

Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said that just as mobile telephony leapfrogged traditional telecom networks to take affordable telecom services deep into the country, Airtel Payments Bank aims to take digital banking services to the unbanked over their mobile phones in a quick and efficient manner.

"With Airtel Payments Bank, we are starting another important chapter in our journey, with the potential to truly transform lives and contribute to financial inclusion in the country," Mittal said.

Airtel first started its payments bank pilot in Rajasthan across 10,000 retail outlets on November 23, 2016, and later rolled out pilot services in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Mittal added that Bharti holds 80 per cent stake in the payments bank, while the rest is held by Kotak Mahindra Bank.

"We have invested around Rs 1,000 crore. We are looking at total investment of Rs 3,000 crore over a period of time. We will look at getting some more equity partners but there is no immediate plan as of now," Mittal said.

He also said that Bharti retail outlets will be used as touch points for the payments bank and within Airtel, a target has been set to convert 100 million of the 270 million customers to Airtel bank account.

Mobile numbers of Airtel customers opening account in the payments bank will become their account number.

"We have been running pilot across four states and after demonetisation, response has been heartening," Mittal said.

Airtel Payments Bank Managing Director and CEO Shashi Arora said that the bank will look at reaching out to customers across 6 lakh retail outlets in a year.

"We are starting operations with 2.5 lakh outlets," Arora said.

The payments bank will offer interest of 7.25 per cent per annum to attract customers.

Customers having Airtel payment bank account will be able to transfer money to any bank or mobile wallet.

"There will be no charge on money transferred between Airtel to Airtel account," Arora said.

advertisement

He also said that people can open their Airtel Bank account in just three minutes with help of Aadhaar.

"There will be no need to submit paper documents. People only need to share their Aadhaar number for customer verification. We are also taking PAN number which in the back-end gets validated from NSDL," Arora said. PTI PRS DP PRS JM

--- ENDS ---
The organisers cited law and order issues following the molestation incident during New Year eve as the reason for scrapping the show.

By Nolan Pinto, Rohini Swamy: The organisers of the big-ticket show of David Guetta, one of the top disc jockeys in the world, cancelled his concert which was scheduled for tonight.

The organisers cited law and order issues following the molestation incident during the New Year eve as the reason for scrapping the show, which was billed as one of the biggest events in the city's annual cultural calendar.

advertisement

The organisers said they hope to reschedule the concert if they get permission from the authorities and the artist but there is no clarity at the moment.

"We at Sunburn tried our very best to make it happen but the authorities understandably are not prepared to take any chances. Hence today's concert unfortunately stands cancelled," the organisers said.

POLICE DENY CLAIM

Bangalore Rural Police, however, said the organisers sought permission for the event on January 10. Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police said the concert has not been cancelled, but the organisers have been asked to fix a different date due to the APMC polls.

Bangalore IG (Central) Seemanth Kumar Singh denied any law and order issue and said police will seek a clarification from the organisers.

ALSO READ: Bengaluru mass molestation survivors: First time ever we felt unsafe

CONCERTS IN OTHER CITIES

A Grammy award winner, Guetta is a French DJ, record producer, remixer and songwriter. Guetta enjoys immense popularity in India and first performed in the country in 2012.

The profits from the special charity performance at the gig, put together by the organisers of Sunburn -- one of the India's biggest electronic dance music festivals -- was supposed to go towards educating underprivileged children.

"India is a magical place. The energy that I get from the country and the fans creatively inspires me. Music can change lives," Guetta had said in a statement last month.

Best known as the big daddy of EDM, Guetta is on a four-city tour which was expected to begin from Bengaluru and then move to Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

Guetta first toured India in 2012, and has subsequently performed to massive crowds all across the country. Other than his charity gig, Guetta will performing in Mumbai on January 13, in Hyderabad on January 14, and in Noida on January 15.

ALSO READ:

Bengaluru mass molestation issue been blown out of proportion, says Karnataka energy minister

Bengaluru mass molestation: Mumbai youth group initiates online campaign in protest

advertisement

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Tuesdays are the cheapest days to fly while Fridays will cost you the most

January is one of the busiest times of the year for booking holidays as winter-weary Brits look for something to cheer themselves up after Christmas.

Millions of households are expected to have their holidays booked by February, and this year will be harder than most as they are likely to get between 15 and 25 per cent less for their money because of the devalued pound.

But there are exceptions to this if Britons are prepared to go off the beaten track and in Mexico, Egypt and Turkey sterling can be exchanged for the same value in 2017 as it was last year.

The pound is down 12 per cent against the euro and 26 per cent against the Icelandic Krona

The vote to leave the European Union in June caused the pound to plummet while Donald Trumps election win in November also caused ruptures on the global economy which have resulted in a weakened pound.

However, this doesnt mean you need to abandon plans of having a summer holiday, or resolve yourself to getting into debt by jetting off to the sun.

There are lots of tips and tricks to cut down the cost of your holiday, without compromising on the experience.

To make the most of your money, Cheapflights.co.uk has compiled some top tips for cutting down your holiday costs in 2017. Weve picked some of the best and added in a few of our own.

If you have others, please let us know in the comments section.

1. Choose a less popular holiday destination

Depending on where you decide to travel, its worth checking the currency exchange rate first to see how much youre likely to get for your money.

If you are willing to visit a country which isnt on the usual tourist trail, you can get more money in exchange for your sterling but you will also need to factor in other costs, such as flights and accommodation.

The pound is up 95 per cent on the Egyptian Pound, for example, while in Argentina, Turkey, Mexico and Tunisia youll get roughly the same as you did last year.

The pound fell by 12 per cent against the euro in the past year and while this may seem a lot its less than the difference in some countries.

Against the Russian Ruble the pound is down 30 per cent, year on year, while its fallen 27 per cent against the Brazilian Real, 26 per cent against the Icelandic Krona and 26 per cent against the South African Rand.

Tuesday is the cheapest day of the week to fly while Friday is the most expensive

2. Get 18 consecutive days off work (but only take nine as annual leave)

This year because of the way the Easter and the May bank holidays fall its possible to take nine days annual leave and get 18 days off in a row.

Good Friday is April 14th this year while the spring bank holiday is 1 May so youll need to take the 18th  22nd off work and the 25th  29th in order to get the full 18-day holiday benefit.

Just make sure you get your request in early as its likely to be a popular time to take holiday leave.

3. By choosing a different destination you can save hundreds

The most expensive holiday destinations are also the most popular so choosing somewhere slightly off the beaten track can save you money. Travelling to Phuket instead of Koh Samui in Thailand will save an average of 150 in flights while youll save 112 by choosing Cuba over Cancun.

4. Tuesdays are the cheapest day to travel on

Tuesdays are the least popular day to fly on and therefore the cost of flights is cheapest . Therefore if you can arrange your trip to start and end on a Tuesday it will save you money.

Friday, on the other hand, is the most expensive day of the week to fly as this is when people are most likely to be travelling for a weekend away.

Travelling on unpopular days like Christmas Day and flying late at night will also be cheaper with early morning flights the most expensive.

5. Start looking for your flight around 50 days before you travel

The cheapest time to book a flight is 50 days before you travel, according to Cheapflights.co.uk, while the most expensive is three days before you fly.

The website Momondo has a flight insight tool which when you search for potential journeys will tell you the cheapest and most expensive times of the year to book your flight.

Costly currency: Save by choosing Argentina or Egypt instead of South Africa or Iceland

6. Travelling from a different UK airport could be cheaper

If youre flying from an airport in the South West of England you can expect to pay 200 more, per person, than if you go from an airport in the South East of England, the research from Cheapflights.co.uk shows.

This is because there are more airports in the South East of England so competition is higher. Travelling to New York, for example, from London would cost you 464 compared to 718 if going from Newquay.

Youll need to factor in the travelling time, and cost, but as these prices are per person its worth looking into before you book.

7. Delete browsing history before searching for flights

The cost of flights can increase based on the number of times searchers revisit a particular page or website, according to Cheapflights.co.uk. Therefore if you clear your browsing data and cookies there is no trail so the price cant be influenced by what youve previously searched for.

8. Dont be afraid to haggle with travel agents

If you spot a flight you want on a comparison site, dont be afraid to call or email the airline directly and ask if it can offer the same price, or cheaper.

Its not obliged to change its price but youve got nothing to lose by asking and even if the price doesnt change, it may offer to throw in a freebie or extra perk instead.

9. Sign up to travel newsletters to be told first about upcoming sales

Travel companies often launch flash sales and these are usually announced via newsletters or emails which you need to sign up to, although even when theres a sale on you might find a cheaper price elsewhere so its worth checking on a range of comparison sites first.

Many airlines also have loyalty programmes where you can build up points when you fly while websites such as Expedia, offer points when you book through it.

10. Bring your own food on board
Low-cost airline Ryanair has sparked a summer flight war with nine new routes from Londons Stansted airport, including daily trips to Nice and Naples and a three times-weekly service to Cagliari in Sardinia.

Customers will be able to fly direct from the Essex-based airport as part of the new deal, which also includes routes to Copenhagen in Denmark and French destinations Beziers, Clermont, Grenoble, Nimes and Strasbourg.

The budget carrier said the move was part of its push to sustain growth in the UK and would boost passenger numbers to more than 20million a year while supporting around 15,000 jobs.

Ryanair has sparked a summer flight war with nine new routes from Londons Stansted airport

It has also added more flights to 13 existing routes, including French destinations Bordeaux, Carcassonne and Marseille.

But the firm, which threatened to base all 50 of its planes outside the UK following the decision to leave the EU, refused to admit the expansion was a win for Brexit.

David OBrien, chief commercial officer, said: Brexit hasnt happened and if were to wait around until some thinking emerges we wouldnt do anything.

So well do the prudent thing, which is to continue a modest growth of the UK and prudently allocate our capacity elsewhere and also be prudent about the capacity allocation in the UK.

Stansted, which has been pushing for a second runway, said Ryaniar's additional nine routes marked exciting times for its business and would enable it to outmanoeuvre rivals

The group also revealed it was in the process of finalising deals with long-haul carriers Aer Lingus and Norwegian to create a transfer service which would allow passengers taking Ryanair flights to book their whole trip with a long-haul airline and have their baggage automatically transferred between planes.

It expects its business in the UK to grow around 7 per cent this summer, compared to last years growth of around 15 per cent to 16 per cent, as remote parts of Europe - such as Romania and Bulgaria - compete for the UKs share of the market.

OBrien said: If you take Romania and Bulgaria combined, it has a combined population of around 30million. Their share in absolute terms is larger than the UKs.

Ryanair, which recently surpassed Lufthansa to become Europes biggest passenger airline by numbers, said it would make a formal submission to the Bundeskartellamt  the German competition authority - to protest against Lufthansas merger with Air Berlin, claiming federal and regional government bodies had participated in the rescue plan.

Meanwhile Stansted, which has been pushing for a second runway, said the additional nine routes marked exciting times for its business and would enable it to outmanoeuvre rivals.

The firm said it was currently operating at around 24.5million passengers, with a capacity of around 43million and, unlike its competitors, had plenty of room to expand.

Both Heathrow - which has two runways - and Gatwick - which has one - operate near full capacity, meaning that disruptions, such as yesterdays snow warning, quickly lead to delays and cancellations.
Investors who have a total of 8.15million tied up in Providence mini-bonds are 'highly unlikely' to see their money again, an update from the administrators has warned.

Two mini-bonds, launched by a firm called Providence Financial in 2014 and 2015, attracted 825 investors at an average of 10,000 each after offering quarterly interest payments of 8.25 per cent and 7.5 per cent.

Providence then went into administration in September 2016 and now the update from Deloitte shows that a huge 20 per cent of the value of the bonds issued was spent on launch and marketing costs.

Money drain: An update on Providence bonds from Deloitte shows that investors are unlikely to get their money back

It was believed there could have been recoverable assets in two Brazilian factoring businesses owned by Providence Group.

However, Deloitte has since discovered that these assets are comprised of bad debts, meaning it is doubtful investors will see their money again.

Many investors were tempted into the bonds  and others similar  thanks to falling savings rates on the high street.

But This is Money warned in 2014 that the bonds were risky, especially as neither were covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Alarm bells started to ring at the start of last summer when we discovered an interest payment to investors was late.

The UK mini-bond documents were approved by Financial Conduct Authority related company Independent Portfolio Managers.

This is Money has dealt with IPM in the past after it emerged it had signed off the documents for another bond which went bust, Secured Energy Bonds. That left investors 7million out of pocket.

Without IPM's regulated status, the bonds could not have been marketed in Britain.

Administrators: Delotte unearthed a letter of intent for the Providence Global to purchase IPM - who approved the bond documents

To make matters murkier, in its probe, Deloitte found a letter of intent for Providence Global to purchase IPM, signed in May 2015 and initiated by one of the Providence Bond directors, Antonio Buzanelli.

He 'wanted to acquire an FCA regulated entity in the UK'  but the move did not occur.

Investors of both the Providence and Secured Energy Bonds have formed action groups.

Both groups are clinging onto hope that the Financial Ombudsman will give the green light for them to formally complain to it about IPM's role in the bonds.

Documents for Providence Bonds show that investor money was not used for its stated purpose which was to finance factoring businesses, essentially buying unpaid invoices, in Asia, Brazil, Britain and the US.

Cash was instead lent to Providence Group Finance and Providence Global, where it was mixed with other money.

There were four directors of the bonds. All four have been required to submit a statement of affairs according to Deloitte  but so far, just one has done so.

This is Money has received numerous e-mails from concerned investors about both Providence and Secured Energy Bonds.

One reader with 6,000 in the Providence Bond described his investment as a 'hard lesson'.

Investors can contact the two action groups on providencebonds.iag@gmail.com and secured.energy.bonds.iag@gmail.com.

Investors can also see the latest update from Deloitte in this 11 page letter on its website.
Dozens of account holders have been venting their

Lloyds Banking Group has been hit by thousands of complaints after ongoing problems with online services across its banks.

Customers with Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland have taken to Twitter over the last two days to vent frustration at being blocked from accessing their online accounts and banking apps.

A spokesperson from the financial conglomerate told This Is Money that the 'intermittent issues [have impacted] a small number of customers' and engineers are 'working hard to restore a full service.'

Financial woes: Lloyds Banking Group has been hit by thousands of complaints after ongoing problems with its e-banking facilities

Lloyds Banking account holders revealed two days ago that they were having trouble with internet services and the thread of complaints is ongoing today.

One Twitter user, Chris Gledhill. wrote: 'Black horse blacks out: Lloyds Bank website goes out,' while Susanne quipped 'NO access to my online account for two days now and no updates? When will this service be restored please.'

An equally angry Antonia added in a Tweet to @AskHalifaxBank: 'Haven't been able to access the site or app for over 36 hours now - is anything being down about this? Clearly not just me.'

In response to the grievances, a spokesperson from the Lloyds Banking Group told This Is Money at midday Thursday: 'We have been having intermittent service issues with Internet banking.

The banking group has told said what triggered the issues but it reassured that it was not the result of a cyber attack

'We are working hard to restore a full service for our customers and apologise for any inconvenience caused.'

The representative highlighted that 'the vast majority of our customers can access our internet banking sites normally.'

The banking group has told said what triggered the issues but it reassured that it was not the result of a cyber attack.

Lloyds Banking Group serves 30 million customers and has 22 million current accounts, making it the largest retail bank in the UK.

More than five million customers are said to bank online, using their relevant bank's desktop and app services. There are said to be 2.5 million logs ons per day.

The groups four major financial services brands are Lloyds Bank Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows.

Last New Year similar technical glitches impacted those banking with Natwest and HSBC.

However, Natwest/RBS suffered from one of the most infamous and prolonged outages back in 2012, where millions were left without their salaries and unable to withdraw cash for a number of days, which was blamed on a software update.

It was fined 56million in 2014 by the Finance Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority for the glitch.

As a result a leading bank academic said all Britons should have two current accounts in case a major bank falls victim to a cyber-attack.
The call centre task of Bigg Boss 10 will bring out the worst in contestants.

By India Today Web Desk: Bigg Boss 10 house will turn into a call centre tonight and Lopa, Mona and Manveer will be required to act like call centre executives, while other housemates will be given the role of callers.

However, the conversation will be anything but pleasant. As callers, the housemates will get a chance to vent out their feelings, and the result will no doubt be explosive.

advertisement

Rohan will choose to call Manu. He will lash out at him saying the latter is only interested in gossip and hardly contributes to household work. He will also question Manu over his jail connection, saying he had heard that the aam aadmi contestant had been to jail many a time.

Also read: Congrats! Manveer has become the first finalist of Bigg Boss 10

Manu will be shocked by Rohan's conjecture and will share with other housemates that he didn't expect such behaviour from Rohan and compared him to Priyanka Jagga.

Nitibha will take this opportunity to question Manveer's fake friendship. She will ask him if the term friendship means anything to him.

Also read: Bigg Boss 10: When a fan asked Manveer for a kiss, and he obliged! While he will try to brush this off with his--I want more than friendship--remark, Nitibha will cut him off saying she didn't want such friendship where she feels used.

Bani will definitely take away the rudest caller award. She will call up Lopa and call her a gold digger. Bani will ask Lopa if she would like to marry a not-so-good-looking man. When the latter will say that she'd like to marry a person with good heart, Bani will reply saying--Dil se matlab dher saara paisa hai?

To know more watch tonight's episode of Bigg Boss 10. The show airs Mon-Fri at 10:30pm and Sat-Sun at 9pm on Colors TV

--- ENDS ---
Addressing fire safety Living in San Diego County, the threat of fires is constant, that is why I have made fire safety one...

Supporting animals As a trained Project Wildlife Native Songbird Rehabilitator, my experience raising orphaned and injured songbirds and returning them to the...
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 12 (PTI) Bihar cadre IPS officer Shivdeep Lande today joined Mumbai Police as DCP of Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC).

Maharashtra Home Department issued orders of his posting today, an official said.

Lande, who hails from Akola district in Vidarbha, had expressed a desire to work in his home state a few years ago, he said.

advertisement

The 2006-batch IPS was transferred to Maharashtra Police while on central deputation a few months before, but was on wait list for posting, he said.

Lande succeeds Jayant Naiknavare, who sometime back was sent on Central deputation and posted in the CBI. PTI DC RSY

--- ENDS ---
MANZINI- A businessman was viciously attacked by a Mozambican national while inside his office and hacked with a bush knife several times all over the body, allegedly over a woman.



Information gathered is that the suspect, Tomas Faustino (31), of Mozambique, arrived at the businessmans offices situated near the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) on Tuesday afternoon and allegedly found him in the company of clients.



enquired



He first called his mobile number and enquired where he was. the businessman, however, did not inform him of his whereabouts.

After a while, we saw him waiting near the premises but we did not suspect any foul play, a well placed source, who preferred not to be named, said.



He added that after realising that the businessman was with clients inside the office, the suspect waited and when they left, he pounced on him and hacked him with the bush knife, ordering him to leave his partner.

We were all shocked because the person the suspect was talking about is married to the businessman.



profusely



He hacked him in the head, shoulder and other parts of the body several times and we all raised the alarm and called the police. At the time, he was bleeding profusely and blood was splattered all over his offices, the source added.

When the police arrived at the scene, the businessman was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital where he was admitted and stitched by medical doctors as he had gaping wounds, especially on the head.



Meanwhile, the suspect, who tried escaping from the incident- scene, was eventually chased after and apprehended by Manzini Police Officers under the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), who had been around the vicinity.
MANZINI - With the promise of lucrative returns, about 20 Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) officers have reportedly been robbed of about E200 000 through a supposed stokvel.



Information gathered is that the woman who helped the officers join is a lecturer in one of the colleges in the capital city.

According to officers, the woman told them that one of the stokvels managers, who was also responsible for taking out the dividends had fled to South Africa with their money.

The police officers are based at the headquarters and various police stations, mostly Mbabane.



ranging



The officers are said to have paid various amounts of money ranging from E500 to E1 000 into the informal organisation since 2015.

Most of them are said to have obtained loans from financial institutions to join the stokvel and make meaningful contributions.

They had been promised to get dividends twice a year; in June and December.



Last month, the officers reportedly expected money totalling up to E24 000 per person.

However, when this did not happen, they realised that they had been robbed.

It could not be ascertained whether the stokvel was only limited to police or not but according to sources, the officers made the majority of members.



Feeling embarrassed about their situation, the officers preferred not to be named.

In the beginning all was well. we would get our dividends as promised and that gave us confidence to recruit more members. We would deposit money monthly and also borrow from the stokvel. We were hoping that in December we would get our money and be able to pay school fees in January, said one of the officers.
Bihar's IPS officer Shivdeep Lande has been posted as DCP of anti-narcotics cell in Mumbai.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Bihar cadre IPS officer Shivdeep Lande has been posted as DCP of anti-narcotics cell in Mumbai. He was transferred to Maharashtra Police while on central deputation.

An electronic engineer from Ankola in Maharashtra, Lande served as superintendent of police (SP) in Arania, Purnia and Mungar districts of Bihar. The Dabang cop, as he is popularly known, also served as SP of Patna Central region.

advertisement

Lande had expressed desire to work in his home state a few years ago.

ALSO READ | 'Dabangg' Patna SP catches inspector demanding bribe from cyber cafe owner

When Lande was transferred from Patna to Arania, many people in the city took out candle-light march and protested against the government's decision. In Araria too, Lande played a vital role in bringing down the crime rate through frequent operations.

He is popular for taking quick and strict action against eve teasers as well, which is why he has a considerable female fan following.

There are many drug rackets active in Mumbai and many international gangs are also operating from the city hence; Lande's experience and approach is likely to be helpful.

ALSO READ | Aurangabad resident who ran fake FB account identified

--- ENDS ---
The four jawans had an argument with the accused over sleeping arrangement at their barrack following which he opened fire on them with his service INSAS rifle.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: Four jawans of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were killed today in firing by a fellow soldier at the upcoming Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project in in Aurangabad district of Bihar. The jawan, Balbir Kumar, is believed to have had an altercation with the four deceased following which he opened fire on them.

The incident is reported to have taken place at around 1:30 pm.

advertisement

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED:

According to police sources, the four jawans had an argument with Balbir over sleeping arrangement at their barrack following which he opened fire on them with his service INSAS rifle.

Two jawans were killed on the spot while other two died at a local hospital. Balbir is a resident of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Balbir has been arrested and further probe is on in the incident.

The Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project is a joint venture between NTPC Limited and Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited.

Names of those killed: Amarnath Misra, Darbhanga; Baccha Sharma, Patna; Arvind Kumar, Muzaffarnagar, UP; Gaurishankar Ram, Garhwa, Jharkhand.

ALSO READ:

BSF jawan video: Prime Minister's Office asks Home Ministry for report on food provided to soldiers

After BSF jawan, now CRPF constable posts video on lack of amenities

--- ENDS ---
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Gina Martinez

Crime in the 109th Precinct, which covers part of northeast Queens, has gone up slightly in 2016, according to NYPD crime statistics through Dec. 18.

The precinct, which includes Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Whitestone, College Point, Bay Terrace and part of Auburndale, has seen a 2.04 percent overall rise in crime, most notably for robbery, which is up 14.3 percent.

Rape and murder rates have decreased drastically. In 2015 there were three murders in the 109th Precinct, while this year the number has dropped to two for a 33.3 percent decrease.

In 2015 20 rapes were reported, but this year the number fell 25 percent to 15.The number of burglaries have held steady at 313 incidents both last year and this year. Grand larcenies were up by 1.1 percent from 904 reported in 2015 to 914 so far this year. Felony assault has gone up 6 percent from 233 last year to 247 in 2016. The NYPD data also showed there were 155 cases of grand larceny compared to 162 last year, a 4.3 percent decrease.

There were only two shooting incidents this year, down 50 percent from 2015, when there were four. At a community council meeting in October, Deputy Inspector Judith Harrison pointed out a specific pattern of grand larcenies occurring in downtown Flushing. She said groups of two or three people would work together to rob unsuspecting victims.

What they would do is pour a substance on you and one person would bring it to your attention, she said. Then you start looking down, patting yourself and while you are so busy trying to get the substance off of you, you dont realize theres someone behind you going into your bag.

According to Harrison, there were three confirmed cases of this scheme in the 109th Precinct, one confirmed case in the 111th Precinct and one in the 108th Precinct.

While the 109th has recorded a small spike in crime, collectively New York City is as safe as its ever been.

As of Tuesday there had been fewer than 1,000 shootings in the city, a record low. With less than a week left in the year, shooting incidents totaled 985, compared to 1,124 at this time last year, a 12.3 percent drop. In 1992 there were 5,000 shootings by the end of the year.

According to stats for the entire city, crime is down in every major category besides assault, which rose by 2.1 percent. There were 20,452 assault cases in 2016 compared to 20,033 in 2015.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Patrick Donachie

The message was clear at the Greater Allen AME Cathedral: Congregations and houses of worship can act as intermediaries for parishioners and community residents endangered by foreclosure or rising rent prices.

An event to inform the public on their rights and avenues of action in the face of housing pressures was held in the basement of Allen AME in Jamaica Monday morning. Numerous representatives from multiple city, state and independent agencies attended, setting up tables to answer any questions community members had.

Rev. Andrew J. Wilkes, the cathedrals director of social justice ministry, said the church community and parish should work to support each other.

Often in the city, we think of congregations as centers of inspiration with folks who are exalting things that are eternal and matters divine, he said.

But congregations are also critical cavaliers of democracy, Wilkes added, citing the role houses of worship play in delivering social services as well as being key amplifiers and aggregators of policy preferences.

Wilkes said the information was particularly important for southeast Queens residents. Queens accounted for 42 percent of first-time foreclosures in the city, with many of those foreclosures concentrated in southeast Queens, according to a recently published PropertyShark report on the rate of foreclosures in the city between 2015 and 2016.

In southeast Queens, weve seen foreclosure rates through the roof, Wilkes said, adding that residents needed informed advocates. Theyre looking for an expert to give trusted advice and be an intermediary between banks, if need be.

Agencies present included the citys Commission on Human Rights and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal program, as well as independent nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. LISC launched the New York Land Opportunity Program last fall, which offers pro bono expertise for mission-driven organizations like houses of worship or NPOs in how they can develop affordable housing on underutilized land.

Such expertise is sorely in demand, according to Jonathan Soto, the senior community liaison with the mayors Community Affairs Unit. Soto said houses of worship were often approached by developers interested in purchasing underutilized space. Those developers might not have an interest in including affordable units in any development, but the spiritual centers might want to make that a necessity for developing on their space.

Were providing free technical assistance for houses of worship to join in developing affordable housing, Soto said about the partnership with LISC.

One attendee traveled all the way from her home in Washington Heights in upper Manhattan to learn more about rent relief options for elderly tenants. She said her buildings owner often tried to get her and other rent-stabilized tenants to leave the building, in order to maximize revenue in a market of skyrocketing median rents.

And as soon as people leave, they turn two bedrooms into three bedrooms, studios into one bedrooms, she said.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Patrick Donachie

An array of events throughout southeastern Queens will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the weekend before the holiday celebrating his life this coming Monday.

MLK 2017 will be held at Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Ave. on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The event aspires to honor the remnants of The Dream among us by acknowledging certain individuals in the community working to further the goals set by Dr. King during his life.

State Sen. James Sanders (D-Rochdale Village) will host a debate on the legacy of the Obama administration, asking whether it was fruitful or fruitless in the Black Spectrum Theatre inside Roy Wilkins Park at 2 p.m. Sunday. Sanders will be on the panel, along with Queens College Assistant Professor Deidre Owens, Dr. Alfonso Wyatt and Dr. Lessie Branch, a senior research fellow at the DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy at Medgar Evers College. The debate will be moderated by Dr. Ron Daniels, president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century.

Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) will hold an event at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center at 151-03 Jamaica Ave. Monday, with a keynote speech by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica). The event will also include performances from local dance groups, according to Millers office.

 Reporter Patrick Donachie
BJP's senior leader Dushyant Gautam, who had also held the post of president of the BJP's SC-ST wing during former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's term, claimed that even 'Baba Saheb' was in the favour of demonetisation, whereas Opposition parties were misleading people in the name of Ambedkar.

By Siraj Qureshi: As the Dalit community plays kingmaker in deciding which party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, wooing this section of society tops the agenda of most political parties, except the BSP. While the Congress is banking on its secular and non-partisan image to lure the Dalits, the BJP is projecting itself as championing the cause of the community by of late heaping praise on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

advertisement

BJP's senior leader Dushyant Gautam, who had also held the post of president of the BJP's SC-ST wing during former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's term, claimed that even 'Baba Saheb' was in the favour of demonetisation, whereas Opposition parties were misleading people in the name of Ambedkar.

He demanded that a museum of Dr. Ambedkar be set up in Delhi where objects connected to his life could be displayed just like the memorials of Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Attacking BJP's opponents, Gautam said that those who should be remembering Dr. Ambedkar and treading the path laid down by him were sleeping on mattresses filled with notes.

Also read: BJP's first list of candidates for UP elections to be out by January 15

Gautam added that Dr. Ambedkar had advocated regular demonetisation every 10 years so that the economic progress of the country could continue unhampered by black money. But till date, no political leader or party had the courage to take this big step to clean the economy. Only PM Modi heeded this idea and memorialised Dr. Ambedkar by demonetisation and by launching the BHIM app. Gautam was in Agra to attend the BJP's 'Swabhimaan Sammelan'.

BSP LEADER ATTACK ON DUSHYANT GAUTAM :

Hitting back at Gautam, a senior BSP leader said that some members of the Dalit community such as Gautam had sold their souls to the BJP, which was using people like him to mislead Dalits ahead of the polls. The BSP leader added that the Dalit community was well aware of such nefarious tactics and would not get tricked by the BJP.

He said that the Dalits would only vote for the party that can best take care of their interests and that was the BSP led by Mayawati.

Also read: BJP grappling with insider versus outsider battle ahead of UP polls

Also read: BJP to launch major welfare schemes for Dalits to save skin after demonetisation effects

--- ENDS ---
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.
ALBANY - City residents and elected officials Wednesday called for reform and more transparency when hiring in the Albany Fire Department.

"One of the main issues that curtails blacks from being hired for the job is the test," said Elston Mackey, a 26-year veteran of the city fire department, during the Albany Common Council's Human Resources and Human Rights Committee meeting Wednesday evening.

Mackey, who is black, retired from the department in 2013, but said for years he advocated for format changes in the civil service exam. He said the questions are written above an eighth grade reading level, putting minority applicants at a disadvantage since area schools teach to an eighth grade reading level.

Still others, like Councilman Frank Commisso Jr., called for city officials to provide data why some people were passed on being hired during the most recent round.

The September hiring of Nicholas Vita, 26, a relative of County Executive Daniel McCoy, raised eyebrows with many wondering how McCoy's nephew had jumped past many of the 75 candidates, including minority applicants, who scored higher on the city civil service exam.

"They should release the documents if they have nothing to hide," Commisso said. "Without the data, it's very hard for the Common Council to verify what's being said by Mayor (Kathy) Sheehan's staff."

City officials said the candidates were bypassed for myriad reasons, including not being a city resident, failing the psychological exam and not responding to canvassing letters.

The civil service exam is not the only measurement by which candidates are judged by the Albany Civil Service Commission.

Among other factors in the point-system ranking are city residency, education and professional experience. It also includes a psychological exam, which sparked clear scrutiny by some council members expressing concern over its execution.

Interim Corporation Counsel Bill Kelly said divulging the determinations on the psych exams "would be an unwarranted invasion of their privacy."

He added that releasing that information could jeopardize the individual's chance at a position elsewhere.

Albany fire officials recognized that diversity in the department is a challenge, but said they're actively working to address the issue and come up with creative solutions to entice more minorities to join the department.

Deputy Chief Joseph Gregory said diversity in fire departments is a nationwide issue, but was confident that, "We'll get there."

He outlined some of the strategies the department currently is working on, including more advertising and participation in community events, getting a trainer to give tips on preparing for the agility test and mentoring and classes for taking the civil service exam.

Gregory said they want to let residents know that firefighters are part of the community as well.

"We want to take the mystique out of being a firefighter," he said. "Once we can open up our door and get them in, we can help them along."
ALBANY - With 20 years of public service experience, Albanys Common Council president is setting her sights for a higher office in order to bring greater change.

Lifetime Albany resident Carolyn McLaughlin, 62, is poised to announce her run for Albany mayor on Saturday, a position shes been eyeing for years.

I believe that you are put on this earth to be of service to other people, she said. I know I have so much more to give, and I want the opportunity to do it as mayor of the city of Albany.

Her run would pit her in a Democratic primary against incumbent Kathy Sheehan and Councilman Frank Commisso Jr., who both say theyre considering running for mayor but havent officially announced their campaigns. West Hill activist Marlon Anderson also said hes planning on running for mayor.

McLaughlin said she wants to be an advocate for all city residents and seeks to promote an administration that is inclusive of all ideas and people. If elected, she would be the first African American woman mayor in Albany, but she doesnt see herself as an African American candidate.

I am a candidate for mayor of Albany to represent all of the city of Albany, she said. Throughout my life, Ive tried to present myself in such a way that all women would be inspired, that all girls would be inspired to think smartly and to think boldly.

McLaughlin began her career as an elected official in 1997 as the 2nd Ward councilwoman, serving for three terms, before being elected in 2009 as council president. She also served as chairwoman of the Albany County Democratic Committee starting in 2014 before she was ousted by Albany Councilman Jack Flynn last September.

Despite this upset, McLaughlin said she doesnt see it as a hindrance to her running for mayor. She added while chair she helped get the first African-Americans elected to state Supreme Court for the Third Judicial District and Albany County Court.

Quite frankly, I think it enhances my chances because people understand that that was not done as a testament of my lack of leadership or my ability to run effectively, she said.

There have been several recent power grabs within the county committee, with many seeing them as attempts to influence the city election.

NAACP President David Traynham recognized the impact and influence McLaughlin has had over the years.

I want the most qualified individual to run our city, he said. And Carolyn has proven as the president of the Common Council that she has the ability to do that.

Betty A. Gilmore, Albany resident and reverend at Call to Pray Ministries on Clinton Avenue, said McLaughlins focus on inclusiveness will ensure no one is left behind.

We need a person with experience who can speak to the people on whats going on, relate to them and have them listen to what she has to say, she said. When Carolyn speaks, people pay attention.
Union minister J.P. Nadda said, the Central Election Committee of the party has cleared the name of V.D. Dhupad from Dinanagar (SC), Rakesh Gill from Amritsar West (SC), Tarun Chugh from Amritsar Central, Rajesh Hani from Amritsar East and Arunesh Shakar from Mukerian.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today released its first list of 17 candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections on February 4.

The BJP has fielded its sitting MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu from Sujanpur, Seema Kumari from Bhoa (SC), Ashwani Sharma from Pathankot, K.D. Bhandari from Jalandhar North and Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi from Dasuya.

Click here to Enlarge BJP's list of candidate for upcoming elections

advertisement

Announcing the names of the other candidates, Union minister JP Nadda said the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party has cleared the name of VD Dhupad from Dinanagar (SC), Rakesh Gill from Amritsar West (SC), Tarun Chugh from Amritsar Central, Rajesh Hani from Amritsar East and Arunesh Shakar from Mukerian.

Also read: Punjab polls: Why BJP's list of candidates was delayed because of a Union minister

Click here to Enlarge BJP released its first list of 17 candidates for the Punjab assembly elections on February 4

Candidates have also been announced for Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana Central, Ludhiana West, Ludhiana North, Firozpur city, Abohar and Rajpura.

Also read: AAP turns to technology to get leg up over rivals in Punjab polls

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Albany

The Capital District Transportation Authority unveiled a new smartcard program that enables customers to load cash onto their card and then tap it to pay their fare.

Called Navigator, the program will be expanded later this year to enable people to use it on their phones.

"Our Navigator smartcard prepayment system is changing the way the Capital Region looks at transit," said David Stackrow, chairman of CDTA's board of directors. "After a year of field testing, we're happy to announce CDTA's Navigator is ready to hit the streets."

Customers will get a discount for using the cards. While a standard fare is $1.50 paid in cash, it will be $1.30 using the smartcard.

When the transportation agency launches a bike-share program this year, users will be able to use the Navigator card to pay for that service too, said CDTA CEO Carm Basile.

"The biggest change in my career at CDTA has been technology," he said.

The Navigator card, he said, would allow customers to manage their account online, adding cash when needed or linking it to a credit card for automatic renewals.

Using the card rather than cash or the swipe-card system will make getting on the bus faster, he said.

"The boarding process is sped up," he said. "Cash is still there. We'd like to see that go away but it's never going to go away."

The cards are now available at Albany Public Library branches, Regina's Cash Checking in Albany, Schenectady and Troy; the CDTA sales center at 85 Watervliet Ave. in Albany; the visitors center at the Empire State Plaza, the Amtrak station in Saratoga Springs, Proctor's in Schenectady and the Palace Theater in Albany. Price Chopper stores in Bethlehem and Glenmont also carry them, with more of the supermarkets expected to add them.

Mark Eagan, chief executive officer of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, praised CDTA.

"It's really been an innovator in our community," he said. "A few years ago, they brought bus rapid transit to our community, and the results were amazing."

The Albany Public Library staff tested the program for the past year. Scott Jarzombek, the library's executive director, said 70 percent of the staff lives in Albany and many use the bus.

Jedda Ray-Gayle, senior library clerk, and Chris Sagaas, head of the central branches, said they found the system convenient, especially as they often have to shuttle between the main Washington Avenue branch and the Arbor Hill branch.

"I love it. I think it's absolutely convenient," Ray-Gayle said. "It gets me from one branch to another."

Sagaas said the card is easy to use. "It's really simple. It's user friendly," he said. "Training is minimal."

tobrien@timesunion.com  518-454-5092  @timobrientu
Albany

There is a wide disparity in the way New York's universal prekindergarten programs are monitored for health and safety, a new audit from the state Comptroller's office found.

The office is urging the state Education Department to provide better oversight and monitoring of site inspections, which are currently left to either the school district operating the pre-K program or the state's Office of Children and Family Services to conduct. Some providers are inspected regularly for health and safety, the audit found, while others are reviewed mainly for curriculum.

There are 460 school districts operating state-funded universal pre-K programs, which provide 4-year-olds with early childhood education. State regulations require buildings and classrooms for these programs to be safe, sanitary and in good condition, and to comply with fire safety, health and building codes.

Outside of New York City, inspections by school districts have varied widely, the audit found.

As part of the review, auditors visited 48 providers across the state and while they did not find any conditions "of immediate and significant danger" to children, they did find issues ranging from leaking and non-functioning bathroom stalls and fixtures, missing and damaged floor and ceiling tiles, exposed wires and tripping hazards, according to the report.

Hoping to bring some consistency to the inspection process, the state Education Department emailed districts a "Prekindergarten Health and Safety Checklist" and guidance memo in October 2016, with plans to reissue the list each school year.

The comptroller's office also recommended the department implement a structured system to monitor school district oversight and inspections. In response, the department agreed to start requiring districts to electronically report any deficiencies noted during site visits, including the date they were found and the date they were corrected. The department will review these, and follow up where necessary, it said.

View the full audit below.

16s10 by Bethany on Scribd
Seriously? Is President-elect Donald Trump so thin-skinned that even criticism from Meryl Streep triggers a nasty, over-the-top response? What kind of crybaby have Americans elected as their leader?

"One of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood," Trump absurdly called the most acclaimed actress of our time, demonstrating he is no more prepared to become critic in chief than commander in chief.

Are there more important things to think and write about than Trump's latest Twitter tantrum? Yes and no. Trump threatens to snatch health insurance coverage from millions, enact huge tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, reverse progress against climate change, destabilize the Western alliance, pick fights with China while cuddling up to Russia  the big-issues list is long and frightening. But I believe it would be foolish not to examine the personality and the psychological makeup of the man who will soon be in the White House.

My view, then, is that we cannot ignore his vitriolic tweet storms. No, we should not let them distract us from other news about the incoming administration. But the Twitter rants offer a glimpse into Trump's psyche, and it's not pretty.

For anyone who missed the whole thing, Streep received a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. She began her acceptance speech by apologizing for having lost her voice. But while she could only speak softly, her words took a two-by-four to Trump's fragile ego.

"There was one performance this year that stunned me," she said. "It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good. There was nothing good about it. But it was effective, and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. I still can't get it out of my head because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life."

Streep was incorrect in only one fact: The incident to which she referred actually took place at a rally in November 2015, when candidate Trump mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a medical condition that limits the motion of his arms. While denouncing Kovaleski, Trump gestured similarly to the way the reporter does.

"This instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful," Streep said, "it filters down into everybody's life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing."

Streep was hardly the first critic to attack Trump, and she won't be the last. But Trump must have stewed about it all night, because he rose to tweet his response at 6:27 a.m., calling her "overrated" and "a Hillary flunky who lost big."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

But Trump's knee-jerk reaction is worthy of comment because it is so typical. The man who is about to become president is enveloped by a shell of self-regard that at first seems armor-like but turns out to be delicate and brittle.

I don't believe Trump's tweets are part of some sophisticated strategy to draw attention away from other = topics. This looks like simple action and reaction. When someone criticizes him publicly in a way that threatens his stature, he seems compelled to hit back.

That's a sign of weakness, not strength  as Putin and other world leaders surely have figured out.

eugenerobinson@washpost.com
When a Canadian mayor learnt to tie a Sikh turban, and showed his Bhangra moves to surprise many around the world after the video went viral.

By India Today Web Desk: City of Canada Whitehorse, and its mayor were in for a Punjabi treat after the mayor -- Dan Curtis -- agreed to meet Gurdeep Pandher, an Indian living in the city.

Whitehorse mayor Dan Curtis admitted he wasn't prepared for the meeting. And soon he became an online sensation.

"I had no clue," Curtis said. "I was out of my comfort zone, to be honest. No one with my physique is that comfortable with juggling around.

advertisement

"I thought it was going to be a couple of still photos," CBC News quoted.

Gurdeep recorded a video showing mayor Dan Curtis figuring out how to tie a Sikh turban. He was taught the famous Bhangra, and it all happened inside the council chambers of the city.

The seven-minute video was posted on Facebook on Friday and since then, it has gotten more than a million views. Curtis said he's been receiving calls and emails from across Canada, as well as the US, India, and Japan.

"It's really surreal," Curtis said. "I kind of wish I had more practice and knew what I was doing, now."

Gurdeep, who is a writer, is known for his poetry and has written three books. He has cultivated an international following on the internet with his Bhangra dance videos he makes in Yukon.

"I feel that when we know about different cultures, we connect better and it brings us together. And as Canada is a multicultural country, I strongly believe this is the best way to deal with the hate and racism.

"The message we tried to give is that we are one Canada."

Here's the video:

Also read: Amazon Canada sells doormats with tricolour, Sushma warns

Also read: Amazon removes Indian flag doormats from website after Sushma's angry tweet

--- ENDS ---
Irish Rail has confirmed that it has halved the number of train carriages in use on the Limerick to Ballybrophy rail line.

The line serves Cloughjordan, Nenagh and Birdhill and has come under threat of closure in the past few months over the high subsidy cost of keeping it open.

However, the State rail agency has said that the decision to cut the number of carriages from four to two is because the platform at Birdhill is no longer considered safe for the longer trains.

The platform at Birdhill is only suitable for two carriages trains and two carriage trains are ample for the numbers that we have travelling on this route, a spokesperson for Irish Rail told the Tipperary Star.

Meanwhile, the line was discussed at this Monday's Tipperary County Council meeting when county CEO Joe MacGrath informed councillors that the council had made a submission on the line under the National Rail Review.

Mr MacGrath pointed out that out of the four lines under review, two were in Tipperary. Apart from the Nenagh line, the Limerick Junction to Waterford line is also under threat of closure.

The service is not at the level we expect, said Mr MacGrath.

He said the council's submission outlined the importance of rail to the continued development of the county.

He also pointed out that, even if the line closed, IE would still face a bill of 7.5m annually.

The submission received the support of councillors, with Cllr Michael O'Meara pointing out that under the National Spatial Strategy it was being proposed that Limerick be developed as the country's second city.

This could be a vital piece of infrastructure. We are going to need proper rail services into Limerick. We should talk to our colleagues in Limerick. We are not going to win this on our own, he said.

Cllr O'Meara said that the two things holding the service back were speed and having to change at Ballybrophy.

Mr MacGrath said he had contacted Limerick and Waterford on the issue.

It is important we make a submission, said Cllr Seamus Morris. We are trying to keep Tipperary alive. Rural Ireland is under siege and the last thing we want is another service being taken out. 

He stated that the Ecovillage in Cloughjordan would not have gone ahead were it not for the village's rail links.

Cllr Ger Darcy and Cllr Mattie Ryan also pointed out that the line had sufffered from a lack of investment and a poor timetable.

The line's potential has not been realised, said Cllr Joe Hannigan. There is so much at stake, closure just can't happen.
FIVE people were arrested on suspicion of drink driving in the Nenagh Garda District over the last week.

A female driver was arrested at Martyr's Road, Nenagh, at last Wednesday. Two males were arrested at Tyone on Saturday and Sunday.

A fourth drink driving arrest was made at Puckane, where a male was stopped last Saturday. And a youth was arrested on suspicion of drink driving at Stereame, Nenagh on Saturday.

Three men were arrested for breaches of the Public Order Act at Castle Sreet, Roscrea, on Tuesday of last week. One man was arrested after 419 of alcohol was reportedly stolen from Lidl, Roscrea, last Saturday. Twenty bottles of Captain Morgan rum were taken from the supermarket.

Meanwhile, Gardai in Nenagh are following up on the large number of unlicensed firearms in the district.

People in possession of firearms without a valid licence are advised that they are committing an offence and are liable to have their firearms seized and face prosecution in the district court.

Licence holders who have received a renewal notice should bring it to their local garda station immediately. If you have a difficulty or have not received your renewal notice, please contact your local garda station. Gardai say they cannot entertain the high number of unlicensed firearms in the Nenagh district and are warning that prosecution of offenders is being considered.
Having completed Clonlisk National School and Sacred Heart Convent School, sisters Eileen and Mona Maher joined the Sisters of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph Congregation, and went to Uganda in 1970 and 1972 respectively.

We have both lived and worked there ever since, always being involved in education, both formally and informally, believing in the empowerment of women and girls as a means of uplifting the standards of people and alleviating poverty in family life, says Sr. Mona.

In 2010, as both of us were thinking that our time for retiring had come we were asked to assist in the administration of a new primary boarding school for girls. It has been a great privilege and challenge for us and now seven years on, the school is growing and developing very well, thanks to the people of Roscrea, Birr and the surrounding areas.

Roscrea Comhaltas are holding a fundraising concert in aid of the children of Uganda on Sunday 12th February in Racket Hall Roscrea. This week and next week, we delve further into the school where they are now working.

The sisters' story begins in 1959, which  was a great year for the Sisters of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph Congregation, when they opened a mission in Uganda, East Africa. Five Sisters left Europe for this work  2 English, 1 Irish  Sr Bridgid Stokes, from Mullingar, 1 Swiss and I Trinidian, writes Sr. Mona.

They had been invited to begin a boarding secondary school for Catholic girls in a catchment area greater than the size of the whole of Ireland. It was a daunting work but within two years the first 16 girls were admitted. That same school continues today to grow and develop as one of the best schools in Uganda. It now has 1,300 boarding teenage girls - unthinkable for Ireland isnt it? Uganda js a small country relative to its neighbours in East Africa. It has a population of nearly 40 million and continues to increase. According to international statistics it has the highest number of children under 14 years % wise in the whole world. This is a great asset in a developing country  there are always people available whenever work needs to be done. When a vehicle gets stuck in the mud in the wet season the men just surround it and lift it out! The average number of children per woman is estimated to be 7 - 8. However this high population puts a great stress on resources  land, education, health and results in a high unemployment of the youth.

The land is being exploited and forests cut for firewood, both of which are adversely affecting the climate, resulting in reduced rainfall and newly created drought affected areas. The country is beautiful with many hills and valleys, lovely people and a lovely climate. The temperature is normally between 22 and 27 degrees . There are 2 dry and 2 wet seasons. During the dry season there is no rain for about 3 month and everywhere the grass and plants get burnt up. During the wet season the rain can be torrential and everywhere is green and with fast growing vegetation. (It can look like what Ireland experiences all the time). The soil is generally fertile and food is plentiful with fruits in abundance.

In the 1980s Uganda was the first country in Africa to go public about HIV/AIDS. The epidemic reached 18% of the population. However through a very comprehensive programme in schools, on radio, in villages and in Churches the % is now as low as 6-7%. As a result of the epidemic the country has as many as 2 millions orphans. Many families are headed by children as young as 12 years, while many others live with grandparents. The Church, the missionaries give high priority to the care and welfare of these orphans. Many of these are very poor

Series continues on Roscrea pages next week.
Tipperary motorists are being advised to drive carefully over the coming days as the first real blast of winter hits the Premier County.

With snow on high ground this Thursday morning and temperatures hovering around zero in most places, the forecast is for icy roads and snow and sleet showers up to the weekend. Temperatures are expected to rise again over Saturday and Sunday.

Drivers are being warned that not all roads will be salted or gritted during the cold snap as Tipperary County Council has a list of priority roads for its winter maintenance programme.

Its first priority are motorways and main roads, along with some routes that are used by Expressway buses, and those giving access to hospitals and fire stations and bus and train depots.

The second priority routes include regional roads with a high volume of traffic road and those giving access to major schools and industries.

Among these routes are the Thurles to Nenagh road; the old N8 Thurles to Cashel road; the Thurles to Limerick road and Thurles to Tipperary Town. Other routes include roads around Fethard and Killenaule.

The remaining priority three roads are other regional roads, town streets and local county roads on a priority basis.

A full detail of the council's winter maintenance programme can be found at www.tipperarycoco.ie
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
Donald Trump speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, in New York  his first as president-elect.
net2phone Unveils Unlimited Calls to Brazil

By Michael Guta - Contributing Writer

Today's small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are able to have a global presence because of the digital technology available in the marketplace. A small company can establish a local presence in the other side of the world without ever setting foot in the country. One of the tools available to make this possible is a virtual PBX, and net2phone is offering unlimited calling to land lines in Brazil to U.S. customers through its hosted virtual PBX platform using its national channel partners and master agents.

As a cloud-based communication service provider, net2phone routes millions of minutes every day over data networks offering voice services with a comprehensive suite of UCaaS solutions in over 160 countries around the world, which includes Brazil.

In addressing Brazil, Jonah Fink, President of net2phone, said, "net2phone has been serving the needs of US companies operating in Brazil for over a decade." He added, "Now, through our channel partners, we are pleased to provide US based businesses that serve the large and dynamic Brazilian market with unlimited calling to Brazilian landlines and as part of our robust, feature rich Hosted PBX telephony solution. Our extensive experience and infrastructure in Latin America ensure best-in-class service when calling Brazil.

Under this new plan, the company's hosted virtual PBX service along with channel partners and agents will be offering their customers options that have been tailored to address their communications needs with operations and/or customers in Brazil. This will include low per minute rates to Brazilian cell phones and unlimited calling to landlines throughout the country. Virtual numbers with prefixes from some of the biggest cities in Brazil can also be obtained along with flat monthly rate per seat Hosted PBX service.

The numbers lets customers in the US have many of the VoIP calling features, such as voicemail-to-email, customized auto-attendants, and find me/follow me call management, and porting of existing numbers to net2phone's Hosted PBX solution.

The virtual PBX and other IP communications solutions net2phone provides are completely hosted, managed and maintained by the company with enterprise grade features without the cost of on premises deployments. For SMBs this means not having to make large capital expenditures on purchasing and maintaining PBX equipment as well as the man power needed to operate them.

Please enable JavaScript to view the

Edited by Maurice Nagle
[January 12, 2017] Longtime Ascension Executive Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, to Retire

Ascension is announcing three key changes to its senior leadership effective July 1, 2017. Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, plans to retire on June 30, 2017, from his position as Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascension Healthcare.

Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Ascension Healthcare, will become Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Healthcare. In this role, she will have responsibility for the strategic and operational aspects of Ascension's Healthcare Division, with more than 141 hospitals and 2,500 sites of care in 24 states and Washington, D.C.

Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, CM, EdD, who currently serves as President of DePaul University in Chicago, will join Ascension as Executive Vice President, with oversight responsibility for the Ascension Solutions Division subsidiaries of Ascension Information Services and the Ascension Ministry Service Center, as well as Ascension's national Strategy and Advocacy functions. Last year he announced his intention to step down from his position as President of DePaul University at the end of the 2016-2017 school year after serving as president for 13 years. Fr. Dennis, who serves as Chair of the Ascension Board of Directors, will step down from his position on the Board and a new Board Chair for Ascension will be appointed. In addition, Ascension is forming a new subsidiary, Ascension Consulting Network. Through this initiative, retired senior leaders from the national health ministry - including Bob Henkel - will have the opportunity to continue to offer their gifts and talents to serve the Catholic health ministry in various capacities. "An ever-evolving health ministry such as Ascension - based on personal encounters and interpersonal relationships - is defined by the people who serve within it," said Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension. "Each of these three tremendous leaders adds to the long legacy of Ascension and strengthens our ability to fulfill the Mission of compassionate, personalized service we continue to bring to life on behalf of our historical religious sponsors. "Bob Henkel has been one of the most influential and important leaders of Ascension and the entire healthcare industry," he said. "To state that Bob is a virtuous servant leader is woefully inadequate. His career and his life have defined the term. His service has been a blessing and gift not only to Ascension, but to all of Catholic healthcare. "While it is difficult to think about saying goodbye to Bob, it is an opportunity to reflect upon the many contributions and blessings he has brought to our great ministry. As a colleague and a friend, I will miss him greatly. "At the same time, we are blessed to have a leader of the caliber and strength of Pat Maryland in Ascension to take on the additional responsibilities of leading our Healthcare Division. I can think of no better way to ensure a seamless transition that will support the continued success of our work in support of our Mission. "Similarly, we are grateful that Fr. Dennis Holtschneider has agreed to apply his determination, his vision and his skills in a more direct, day-to-day way to our ministry. I'm looking forward to working more closely with him as we provide compassionate, personalized care with special attention to people living in poverty and those most vulnerable." Following are more details about these three Ascension leaders and their roles. Robert J. Henkel, FACHE Robert J. Henkel earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Union College, Schenectady, New York, and a master's degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh, an education that opened his eyes to a world of possibilities. He had the opportunity to study abroad in Israel in 1974-1975, where he experienced the Holy Land at both Christmas and Easter and met and learned about people of different religions. "I began to understand that as people we have more in common than we have in differences," he said. Before joining Ascension, Henkel's career included executive positions at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, and Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida. In 1992 Henkel began his association with the Daughters of Charity when he joined DePaul Health Center in St. Louis, which at the time was part of the Daughters of Charity National Health System. In 1998 he took a leadership position with the national system, which the next year joined with the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System in founding Ascension Health. Henkel's steadfast leadership was vital in guiding the creation of the new organization from two strong, faith-filled healthcare ministries. His first role in Ascension was President of the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic States Operating Group, with responsibility for healthcare operations in Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. Working with colleagues from the former Daughters of Charity and Sisters of St. Joseph systems, he helped shape the vision of how Ascension would contribute to building a strong, vibrant Catholic health ministry and lead the transformation of healthcare. In 2004 Henkel assumed operational responsibility for all of Ascension Health, serving as President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer. As the ministry evolved with the addition of new health systems and the departure of some ministries, Henkel maintained a focus on Mission and serving the needs of individuals and communities, working tirelessly to make Ascension's operations the best in healthcare with great energy and enthusiasm. Under his leadership and guidance, Ascension made great progress toward achieving its Strategic Direction promise to provide Healthcare That Works, Healthcare That Is Safe, and Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind, for Life. This included achieving tremendous advances in patient safety and high reliability; building the capacity to provide exceptional experiences for those it serves and those who serve through delivering person-centered care; and making exciting progress toward achieving 100 percent access and 100 percent coverage. In 2012, as the national health ministry created Ascension as the parent organization over Ascension Health and its other subsidiaries, Henkel assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer for Ascension Health, now known as the Healthcare Division of Ascension. At the time, Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC, then Chair of the Ascension Health Board of Trustees, said: "Bob's commitment to Ascension Health's Mission, Vision and Values is apparent in everything he does. He is a strong leader who will assure the Mission of serving all with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable continues to be central in all Ascension Health activities."



In addition to his work with Ascension, Henkel has been a vital member of the local and national community, serving as Board Chair for Marian Middle School, which is sponsored by several religious communities including the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and is the only all-girls middle school serving urban adolescent youth in the St. Louis community; Board member with the United Way of Greater St. Louis; Board member with the Coalition to Protect America's Health Care; Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives; and member of the Healthcare Executives Network. But even as he has grown to become a national healthcare leader, his primary focus has been on the ministry of Catholic healthcare. At his 2012 commissioning, Henkel spoke of his deep passion for the ministry: "I am humbled to have this opportunity to be part of this community, a community that sees one nation, one ministry, and will assure access to care for all regardless of the environment."

Last July this passion found a new avenue of expression as Henkel began a one-year term as Board Chair of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. "Through the CHA, the [Catholic health] ministry raises a collective, passionate voice for compassionate care," Henkel said at last year's CHA Assembly. "But as we move into the future - a future that we know will be full of change - how ought we continue to model in our ministries the Mercy of Christ, and the Culture of Encounter? In an increasingly secular world, it's a daunting challenge." It's a challenge that Henkel called all people serving in the ministry to meet, as he said: "I believe we should redouble our efforts to embrace diversity and inclusion, and eliminate health disparities - which we continue to see in vulnerable minority populations, and in populations with significant percentages of persons in poverty. To me, the continuing reality of healthcare disparities is an obvious gap in our ability to convey God's mercy and to live the culture of encounter - a gap we should aggressively work to remedy, using our creativity and passion with a distinctive urgency." "Striving to close gaps in access, in safety, in compassion, and in personalized care has been a hallmark of Henkel's work throughout his career in Ascension," Dr. Tersigni said. "Because of him, we are a stronger, more compassionate and more faithful community of caregivers." "Bob told me that he and his wife, Roseanne, are looking forward to spending more time together and with their family as he gives up his grueling work and travel schedule," Dr. Tersigni said. "He does plan to continue to serve the Catholic health ministry and U.S. healthcare through various boards and committees, in addition to his work through the Ascension Consulting Network." "As I reflect upon my career I realize that I have been blessed beyond measure," Bob Henkel said. "It has been both gratifying and humbling to work alongside so many compassionate, faith-filled individuals dedicated to meeting the deepest human needs of our sisters and brothers, both within Ascension and in my previous roles. Although I will miss my colleagues, I'm looking forward to having more time for family and friends. And I will continue to be blessed by the ongoing opportunity to help members of the Catholic health ministry navigate our evolving world through the Ascension Consulting Network and other opportunities." Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, will assume the position of Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Healthcare, effective July 1, 2017. In this role she will have responsibility for the strategic and operational aspects of Ascension's Healthcare Division, with more than 141 hospitals and 2,500 sites of care in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Dr. Maryland has served as President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Ascension Healthcare since 2013. She previously served as the Michigan Ministry Market Leader for Ascension and the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. John Providence Health System, Warren, Michigan, where she provided strategic and operational leadership for St. John Providence while promoting alignment among health ministries within Ascension Michigan and the System Office on issues related to Mission and Vision. Prior to that role, Dr. Maryland served as President, St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, and also as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for St. Vincent Health. In this dual role she oversaw operations for St. Vincent Hospitals and Health Services, the flagship tertiary hospital of the St. Vincent system. Dr. Maryland has extensive experience in strategic planning, patient care operations, service line management, finance, clinical program development and evaluation. Before joining St. Vincent Health, she served as President of Sinai-Grace Hospital and Senior Vice President of Detroit Medical Center. She also served as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at North Oakland Medical Centers, Pontiac, Michigan, and worked for 15 years at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Maryland received a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from Alabama State University, Montgomery, and a master's degree in biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a Doctorate of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, concentrating in health services administration and planning. While at St. Vincent, Dr. Maryland served as Chair of the Citizens' Health Care Working Group, a group mandated by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, National Association of Health Services Executives and the Medical Group Management Association. Dr. Maryland was named one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2016 and 2015 by the publication Modern Healthcare, Woman of the Year in 2014 by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, and one of Modern Healthcare's Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare that same year. In 2006 she was given the top healthcare executive award by the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, and in 2003 she received the Leadership in Healthcare Award from the Detroit Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the 2003 Woman of the Year Award from the Beta Omicron Zeta Chapter for outstanding accomplishments in improving and providing quality healthcare. Earlier, the Cleveland Clinic honored her with a Women of Professional Excellence award. Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, CM, EdD On July 1, 2017, Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, CM, EdD, will assume a newly created position of Executive Vice President, Ascension, overseeing the Ascension Solutions Division subsidiaries of Ascension Information Services and the Ascension Ministry Service Center, as well as Ascension's national Strategy and Advocacy functions. Fr. Dennis currently serves as President of DePaul University in Chicago, the nation's largest Catholic university and the largest private university in the Midwest. He also is Chair of the Board of Directors of Ascension; he will leave the Board on June 30, 2017. He joined the Board of Ascension Health in 2009 and moved to the Board of Ascension in 2012, where he chaired the Audit Committee before becoming Board Chair. Last year he announced his intention to leave his position at DePaul at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Fr. Dennis's leadership experience at DePaul and throughout his career, coupled with his deep commitment to Catholic healthcare, will serve him well in his new Ascension role. He became DePaul's 11th president on July 1, 2004, and oversees 23,539 students, and 924 full-time faculty members on four Chicago and suburban campuses. He has led the DePaul community through two successful strategic plans, increasing its national reputation, putting the university on firm financial footing, and seeing through an extensive expansion and improvement of its facilities. Deeply committed to the poor, Fr. Dennis strengthened the university's outreach to first-generation students and raised more than $460 million in philanthropic support for the university, the largest portion of which was earmarked for student scholarships. A Detroit native, he studied at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and received his doctorate in administration, planning and social policy in 1997 after writing a dissertation on the early history of financial aid in the United States. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Niagara University, New York, in 1985, studied for the priesthood at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, Pennsylvania, and was ordained in 1989. Fr. Dennis was an administrator with St. John's University in Queens, New York, from 1996-1999, first as Assistant Dean of Notre Dame College and later as Associate Dean of the university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Concurrently, he served as an assistant professor of higher education in St. John's Graduate School of Education. He served as Executive Vice President at his alma mater, Niagara University, from 2000-2004, where he directed the university's strategic planning efforts and daily operations. Fr. Dennis is the author of one book and numerous articles on U.S. higher education and Catholic higher education, as well as a frequent consultant and speaker on these topics. He is a professor of education at DePaul and a faculty member in the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Management Development Program, as well as a faculty member at Boston College's Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education. Fr. Dennis has been honored widely for his work on a variety of issues, including being listed as one of Diversity MBA Magazine's Top 100 under 50 Diverse Executive Leaders (2012). He received the ACE Council of Fellows Mentor Award in 2015, recognizing his guidance in preparing the next generation of academic leaders in higher education. He also holds honorary doctoral degrees from Adamson University, Manila; College of St. Elizabeth, New Jersey; Marywood University, Pennsylvania; Niagara University, New York; Soka University, Tokyo; St. John's University, New York; and St. Thomas Aquinas College, New York; and received the Vincentian Charism Award from All Hallows College in Dublin. About Ascension Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2016, Ascension provided more than $1.8 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 150,000 associates and 36,000 aligned providers. Ascension's Healthcare Division operates 2,500 sites of care - including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities - in 24 states and the District of Columbia, while its Solutions Division provides a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005331/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
By Press Trust of India: Washington, Jan 12 (PTI) Chimpanzees are more likely to reproduce with mates whose genetic makeup most differs from their own when taking the plunge into parenthood, a new study has found.

Many animals avoid breeding with parents, siblings and other close relatives, said Kara Walker, postdoctoral associate at Duke University in the US.

However, chimpanzees are unusual in that even among nonrelatives and virtual strangers they can tell genetically similar mates from more distant ones.

advertisement

The researchers are not sure yet exactly how they discriminate, but it might be a best guess based on appearance, smell or sound, said Anne Pusey, professor at Duke.

They took DNA samples from the feces of roughly 150 adult chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, and analysed eight to 11 variable sites across the genome.

From these, they were able to estimate the genetic similarity between every possible male-female pair.

In chimpanzees, as in other animals, only some sexual encounters lead to offspring. When the researchers compared pairs that produced infants with those that did not, they found that females conceived with sires that were less similar to them than the average male.

Chimps are somehow able to distinguish degrees of genetic similarity among unfamiliar mates many steps removed from them in their family tree, the study shows.

In Gombe National Park, some females stay in the same group for life, but most move out as they reach adolescence, leaving their fathers and brothers behind to reproduce in a new group, researchers said.

These immigrant females, which have few or no male relatives in their community, showed even stronger preference for genetically dissimilar mates than the native females did.

Part of what is driving their mate choices, researchers said, is inbreeding depression, which is when offspring inherit the same harmful version of a gene from both parents and genetic vulnerabilities that are normally masked become active.

Conception between parents and offspring or between siblings is rare in chimpanzees, but studies suggest that when it occurs, the infants that result are less likely to survive to maturity than their outbred counterparts.

Unlike humans, chimpanzees can not take genetic tests to help them find their perfect match.

Now the researchers are trying to figure out how chimpanzees recognise and favour mates whose DNA is more different from theirs, even among unfamiliar partners.

The animals do more than simply avoid mates they grew up with and are therefore likely to be related to, the study shows. PTI SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
[January 12, 2017] Madrona Venture Group Names S. Somasegar Managing Director

Madrona Venture Group, an early-stage venture capital firm, announced today the appointment of S. "Soma" Somasegar to the role of Managing Director. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005263/en/ S. Somasegar (News - Alert) was appointed managing director at Madrona Venture Group. (Photo: Business Wire) Soma joined Madrona in November 2015 as a Venture Partner, following a more than twenty five year career at Microsoft leading the company's Developer Division and responsible for the Visual Studio and .NET (News - Alert) family of products that enable tens of millions of developers to build applications and services for client, server, mobile and cloud platforms. Soma was also responsible for Microsoft's (News - Alert) R&D labs in Boston, China, India and Israel. As a Venture Partner at Madrona, Soma became a powerful voice at the table on key investment areas including Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality, next generation cloud infrastructure and intelligent applications. Soma led investments in Shyft and CloudCoreo, and he is also the Board Chair at Pixvana.



Soma also led an initiative focused on machine learning and artificial intelligence, authoring several articles and hosting Madrona's first annual conference on machine learning in Seattle attended by more than 150 members of the business, investing, and engineering community. "Madrona is in a unique position. We sit at the center of the cloud industry with Microsoft and Amazon at our front and back doors - and Google's (News - Alert) cloud team growing quickly," commented S. Somasegar. "There is a tremendous amount of talent base here. The opportunity for entrepreneurs is immense and I'm looking forward to taking on a bigger role helping founders build and scale successful companies, which in turn will foster the vibrant and growing Pacific NW technology ecosystem."

As Cloud Native technologies and DevOps take hold, the technology industry is seeing a shift that puts developers at the center of technology innovation and value creation. Soma's background and expertise in working with the developer community is invaluable to driving Madrona's investment thesis, thought leadership, and strategic partnership with entrepreneurs. "Soma has had a huge impact in the year he has been on board with Madrona. His operating experience and technology expertise have been essential as he worked with portfolio companies at all stages to create product, business and management practices for sustainable growth," commented Matt McIlwain, managing director, Madrona Venture Group. "As we continue to invest in and work with companies driving the emergence of machine learning and intelligent apps, Soma will be a crucial contributor to our region's leadership in setting the technology agenda." Over the last decade, Soma has been an active angel and seed investor, nurturing and supporting companies across the information technology landscape in the US as well as internationally. Some of his investments as an angel include Highspot, Buuteeq, Amperity, Discord, Indix, Sulekha.com, and Talentwise. Soma holds a master's degree in computer engineering from Louisiana State University and a bachelor's degree in electronics and communication engineering from Guindy Engineering College, Anna University in Chennai, India. Soma aso received an Honorary Doctorate from Anna University for accomplishments in the fields of Technology and Computer Science. About Madrona Venture Group Madrona (www.madrona.com) has been investing in early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest since 1995 and has been privileged to play a role in some of the region's most successful technology ventures. The firm invests predominately in seed and Series A rounds across the information technology spectrum, including consumer Internet, commercial software and services, digital media and advertising, networking and cloud computing, and mobile. Madrona manages approximately $1 billion and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon.com (News - Alert), Apptio, Rover.com, and Redfin. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005263/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Mayor Kasim Reed, 10 corporations, Georgia Tech launch Engage, an accelerator program and venture fund

ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the CEOs of 10 of Atlanta's leading corporations today jointly announced the launch of Engage, a mentorship-driven accelerator program and venture fund. The Atlanta-based Engage accelerator is open to startups across the country, with a focus placed on mentoring and market access strategies. Applications will be available in early 2017, with programming scheduled to begin in the spring. Up to 48 startups could go through the program in the first three years. Mayor Reed proposed the fund following his 2013 visit to Silicon Valley, where he met with venture capital funders and tech sector entrepreneurs. Mayor Reed recognized the need for a dedicated stream of funding for startups based in Atlanta, the State of Georgia and the Southeast region, to support entrepreneurs and emerging technologies as well as support the city's overall competitive edge. "Atlanta is the Southeast's technology, innovation and entrepreneurship capital, with the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country," said Mayor Reed. "We must take advantage of these unique assets to further stimulate our growing ecosystem of start-ups and growth-stage companies, connecting them to capital, talent and mentorship. This new venture fund and accelerator program will offer an unmatched opportunity for entrepreneurs in Atlanta and the region, and I am confident its success will lead to greater interest and investment in our emerging technology companies." The 10 corporations have committed a total of $15 million to the venture fund and will actively support the accelerator through mentoring, education and collaboration. Engge will offer programming and other services through its affiliation with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), which was established at Georgia Tech by the state of Georgia in 1980 to launch and build technology companies.



Following the trip to Silicon Valley, Mayor Reed asked for the support of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP), a coalition of leading CEOs and university presidents which supports important mayoral initiatives. The ACP focuses on critical issues facing the city, and one of its key priorities is furthering Atlanta's development as a leading technology hub with increased access to funding for startups in the area. In addition to getting direct support from the founding companies, Engage entrepreneurs will be connected to more than 30 companies that are ACP members. You can learn more about the ACP at www.atlprogress.org. The founding companies contributing capital, expertise, time and resources in support of Engage include AT&T, Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Georgia-Pacific, Georgia Power Foundation, Inc., Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Invesco Ltd., The Home Depot and UPS. Executives from these firms will serve as mentors to the companies receiving financial support from Engage.

"The robust level of participation from the city's leading corporations will help ensure Engage's success by providing a world-class incubation program for high-potential start-ups," said Martin L. Flanagan, president and CEO of Invesco and a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress. Educational programs, mentoring and follow-up services will be administered by ATDC at Georgia Tech, the state's technology incubator. "Georgia Tech is committed to continue working with both large corporations and startups to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast," said Georgia Tech President G. P. "Bud" Peterson. "By engaging the business community to maximize our collective strengths, we can attract and grow new companies, foster economic development and retain talent in Georgia." Each of the 10 founding companies committed $1.5 million to a venture fund that has been formed to make equity and equity-related investments into companies admitted to Engage. The fund will be managed by Tech Square Ventures. "By combining mentoring from executives of Atlanta's top companies and experienced entrepreneurs with programming from ATDC, Engage will give entrepreneurs unparalleled market access and connectivity to help them bring their ideas to market," said Blake Patton, managing partner of Tech Square Ventures. Mr. Patton is former chairman of Venture Atlanta and a former general manager of ATDC. For more information about Engage, visit www.engage.vc. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mayor-kasim-reed-10-corporations-georgia-tech-launch-engage-an-accelerator-program-and-venture-fund-300390174.html SOURCE Invesco Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] PeopleDoc grows SaaS revenue by 90% while achieving 100% client retention

French tech start-up goes global as HR tech market matures NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /CNW/ -- PeopleDoc, the European start-up standout, grew its core business by 90% in its most recent fiscal year which ended December 31, 2016. The company expanded global operations and now has more than 500 clients using its solutions to provide app-like HR cloud services for 2.9 million employees in 165 countries. New or significantly expanded clients during the last year include BCD Travel, Biogen, Bureau Veritas, Canfor, Equinox, GoDaddy, IGT, EDF, Nestle, Omnicom Health Group, Total, Travelex, Solvay, Ubisoft and UMass Memorial. PeopleDoc also extended its perfect record of 100% client retention, a key measure of company health in the Software as a Service industry. In 2016, PeopleDoc clients reported HR productivity gains of 30-80% and improved employee satisfaction. As enterprises have sought to reduce HR service costs and improve employee engagement, they are remaking their internal operations into digital service centers. The first wave of investment focused on implementing HR information systems to digitize employee data. Now companies are investing in HR Service Delivery solutions to use that data to provide employees efficient and personalized help while putting less stress on their HR resources. There is plenty of room for improvement: in a recent survey PeopleDoc conducted with Changeboard, 68% of HR leaders said their function still spends too much time on administrative tasks. PeopleDoc growth was also fueled by the increasing popularity of user-friendly cloud solutions. By specifically designng for HR teams and end users, PeopleDoc solutions can be fully implemented in only eight to twelve weeks. Because HR teams can use PeopleDoc independently, they don't need to invest in customizing generic enterprise solutions or in ongoing coding, IT maintenance or hardware expenses.



With the growth of its client base, PeopleDoc has grown its ecosystem. It has documented integrations with more than 200 HR systems to share data and create more seamless processes for employees. PeopleDoc HR Service Delivery was a featured solution in the launch of the new SAP SuccessFactors App Center in Q4 2016. The company has expanded its relationships with HR consultants and systems integrators in 2016 including new relationships with Change Associates in the UK and with HR Campus in Switzerland. "With the new PeopleDoc platform, HR Campus is enhancing its portfolio of solutions to help HR departments in Switzerland," says Marek Dutkiewicz, CEO and founder of HR Campus. "Fast and efficient HR processes, reduced lead time for employee requests and fully integrated HR document management are only some of the added values. This solution bridges an important gap in administrative HR systems of our clients."

PeopleDoc grew its employees to 165 adding offices or employees in Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Nordics. New executive hires included Edwin Neumann as Chief Financial Officer and Aimee Stone Munsell as Chief Marketing Officer, both based out of the global HQ office in New York. An unusual story for the tech world, PeopleDoc began in Paris and grew next to North America before expanding into northern Europe. The company has raised $55M in capital making it one of the most funded startups in French history. About PeopleDoc PeopleDoc is on a mission to make the difficult job of HR easier. The PeopleDoc HR Service Delivery platform helps HR teams more easily answer employee requests on demand, automate employee processes, and manage compliance across multiple locations. PeopleDoc cloud solutions include case management, process automation and employee file management. 100% software as a service, PeopleDoc solutions integrate with existing HR systems, can be implemented in 8-12 weeks, and are designed for agile ongoing use by HR teams serving diverse workforces. PeopleDoc serves more than 500 clients with employees in 165 countries in nine languages with a 100% customer retention rate. More information is available at www.people-doc.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/peopledoc-grows-saas-revenue-by-90-while-achieving-100-client-retention-300390288.html SOURCE PeopleDoc

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Weston, Connecticut Unveils "The Weston Way," a Town Marketing Plan and Branding Initiative

The Town of Weston, Connecticut today unveiled a new marketing and branding initiative that officials said could be the first such project undertaken by a town of its size. Called "The Weston Way," the program includes a variety of initiatives to highlight what residents see as superlative attributes of the town, including its number one statewide-ranked K-12 public school system, hiking, biking and access to beaches, an easy commute to New York City, and more. "Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Weston know what an exceptional town it is for residents of all ages," commented First Selectman Nina Daniel. "However, there is one area we realized had room for improvement: letting the outside world know how truly special Weston is. That is why we were inspired last year to draw on the abundance of talent in our town to form a Strategic Planning Committee, made up of local volunteers. This marketing initiative is a key element of the Committee's work." Attributes of Weston the town Committee intends to highlight include: #1 ranked comprehensive school system in the entire state, according to both US News & World Report and Newsweek

and The Weston schooldistrict combines the best attributes of private and public schools on a single unified bucolic campus.

Hiking at your backdoor via Devil's Den, Connecticut's largest continuous wildlife preserve, with over 1,750 acres and a long, looped hiking trail

The Beach! Weston is the only town (other than Westport) whose residents may purchase parking permits for Compo Beach

An organic, "farm-to-table" lifestyle enabled by two-acre zoning and a pristine environment.

A long history of attracting artists and other creatives from New York City and elsewhere

Among the lowest crime rates in the nation.

A remarkably educated populace: 84% have a bachelor's degree, 32% a master's degree and over 17% a professional degree or doctorate

Weston offers superb homes of architectural distinction from antique to contemporary and across a range of prices.



Key elements of the initiative: The Weston Way website: www.thewestonway.com A window through which potential homebuyers and others can get to know the town

Weston Ambassadors Introduces potential homebuyers with long-time Weston residents via meet and greets. It is hoped that prospective residents can come away from these introductions with a true sense of the Weston way of life. More info on the Weston Ambassadors program is available here. Ms. Daniel concluded, "Through this program and other efforts, we hope that Weston will no longer be Connecticut's "best-kept secret". Whether you're looking to relocate from New York City boroughs such as Brooklyn and Manhattan, from Long Island, New Jersey, or Westchester, from far away or just from a different part of Fairfield County, Weston represents a life better lived. We want to share it, so please visit our new website www.thewestonway.com, meet our local Ambassadors, and come spend some time in Weston. The welcome mat is out. We hope to see you soon." View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005355/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Ziyen Inc. acquires stake in leading Iraq News Agency

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ziyen Inc., a US business intelligence and software company, announced it has acquired a stake in Iraq TradeLink, a leading news agency based in Baghdad.

The stock purchase by Ziyen Inc. for 10% stake in Iraq TradeLink News Agency fits into the companys strategy to establish a presence in Iraq, and the partnership agreement reached between the two companies to cooperate in the fields of media, news and advertisement. The agreement was signed by the Editor in Chief of the Iraq TradeLink News Agency, Mr. Mohammed Jaffar Dawood, and Alastair Caithness, the CEO of Ziyen. As part of the agreement Mr. Dawood was elected a member of the board of directors of Ziyen. Ziyen Inc., who was qualified by the SEC under Regulation A+, currently operates the procurement portal, Rebuilding Iraq, which provides US and other International companies information about oil and gas, construction and other infrastructural contracts in Iraq. Rebuilding Iraq has seen rapid growth over the last 12 months, and has over 220,000 followers across social media. Iraq TradeLink News Agency (http://www.iraqtradelinknews.com) has its affiliation publicatio of the only economic newspaper in Iraq, both in Arabic and English language, called The New Economist, which was established in 1998. Despite the changes in the ruling of the country, it remained the only Iraqi economic newspaper. Iraq TradeLink, also, operates in collaboration with The New Economist specialized publications for Oil and Gas, Construction, Healthcare, Finance and IT industry sectors, as well as working directly with the Iraqi governmental establishments, with plans to hold a number of international exhibitions.



Alastair Caithness, the CEO of Ziyen Inc. said, Our company has been looking to establish a presence in Iraq, and by creating a partnership agreement with the number one economic news agency in the country, it allows us to diversify our portfolio and fits in with our strategy of becoming the leading International news and business intelligence company operating in Iraq.

More about Ziyen Inc. and Regulation A+ Ziyen Inc. a US business intelligence and software company, was qualified by the SEC under Regulation A+ in October 2016 and is aiming for quick completion of the listing process on the OTC in 2017. In the past only wealthy institutions, venture capitalists and angel investors could provide early stage private investments in the latest start-ups, but this has all changed through the JOBS Act. Through Regulation A+, the barriers everyday citizens have experienced in participating in early stage private investment have now vanished. For more information about the company and investment opportunities visit http://www.ziyen.com and http://www.crowdfundingrega.com Forward Looking Statements



Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements related to anticipated commencement of commercial production, targeted pricing and performance goals, and statements that otherwise relate to future periods are forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the Companys periodic reports filed with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made and based on information available to the Company on the date of this press release. Ziyen Inc. assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release. Ziyen Inc. 1623 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001 [email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 11, 2017] Top 5 Vendors in the Stun Gun Market From 2017 to 2021: Technavio

Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent global stun gun market report. This research report also lists four other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111005609/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global stun gun market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) Over the last couple of decades, the use of non-lethal weapons has been on the rise, due to concern over undesired fatalities from the use of lethal weapons. Along with other types of non-lethal weapons, like pellet guns, rubber bullets, and smoke grenades, the use of stun guns or CEW has been gaining acceptance among law enforcement agencies, riot control forces, and correction centers. Competitive vendor landscape The primary users of stun guns are law enforcement agencies and special forces who are shifting their focus from quantity to quality of impact. There is also an increased emphasis on the use of next-generation stun guns that are less hazardous to the health of the targets. Simultaneously, cost-efficiency remains as one of the major challenges that vendors may face during the production. "Maintaining a balance between cost and quality while providing adequate supply to address the requirement of the modern law enforcement agencies can be a significant challenge for the vendors. Therefore, vendors are required to ensure multidirectional raw material supply networks to avoid cost overrun and a shortage of raw materials," says Moutushi Saha, a lead defense analyst from Technavio. Similarly, the manufacturers of commercially available stun gun are also required to adhere to certain standards, both in the production and marketing. The increase in the use of commercially available stun guns has also raised concern among law-enforcement agencies. Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55590 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain mltiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.



Top five stun gun market vendors Euro Security Products (ESP)

ESP produces and supplies a comprehensive array of security-related products and solutions to the law enforcement agencies and private citizens for self-defense applications. The company exports over 90% of the products to more than 30 countries across the globe. The company manufactures and markets stun guns and associated weapons primarily in the European countries including Germany, France, the UK, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Owing to the growing demand from Germany and France, the company has been engaged in enhancing its production capability to supply an adequate number of stun guns to the law enforcement agencies of countries. MARCH GROUP MARCH GROUP held a share of around 60% in the Russian civilian stun gun market as of November 2016, where it has been a major vendor since last 20 years. It supplies stun guns and associated components to over 150 private security providers across the globe. As of November 2016, the company had supplied over 200,000 stun guns and 170,000 shoot cartridges globally. The company, through its distributors and representatives, exports products to over 10 countries including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, France, India, Argentina, and Jordan. Nova Security Group Nova Security Group offers stun guns and associated devices to both law enforcement and private citizens in the US. The use of such devices in emergency situations delivers less lethal effects on the targets while incapacitating the targets. Shyh Sing Enterprise Shyh Sing Enterprise manufactures and sells stun guns like multi-function stun guns, mini stun guns, expandable stun guns, stun batons, and high voltage stun guns. The multi-function guns are integrated with pepper spray, flashlight, and alarm capabilities to ensure enhanced protection. The company offers stun guns to militaries, law enforcement agencies, and private security companies. TASER International The company designs, develops, and markets CEWs that transmit an electrical current to the suspect's body that affects the motor and sensory functions of the peripheral nervous system of the suspect. The advantage of using TASER weapons is a less lethal countermeasure against hostile individuals. As per the company's claim, since the launch of its first TASER weapon in 2000, it managed to prevent fatalities or serious injuries over 160,000 times as of December, 2015. Such weapons are used by the law enforcement agencies, military police agencies, correction centers, and private individuals. Browse Related Reports: Global Sensor-Based Gun Systems Market 2016-2020

Global Small Arms Market 2016-2020

Global Smoke Grenade Market 2016-2020 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 aerospace, homeland security, and space. 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/20170111005609/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 11, 2017] GTL Recaps Record Expansion of its Innovative Service and Solution Portfolio in 2016

RESTON, Va., Jan. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GTL, an innovation leader in correctional technology and payment services solutions for government, today announced a range of 2016 achievements across multiple areas of the company's business. "GTL continued last year to make major investments in our people, technology, patents, infrastructure, and the communities we serve. This was reflected in the many accomplishments of 2016 and will also lead to exciting advances in products in 2017 that increase safety and security and provide our customers with better tools for effective rehabilitation and successful reentry, which reduces recidivism," said Brian Oliver, GTL CEO. "2016 was what I would characterize as the 'year of product deployment'," said Jeff Haidinger, President and COO at GTL. "We processed billions of minutes of inmate phone calls  including over 12 million minutes on Christmas Day alone  connecting inmates with their families." This past year, GTL deployed over 1,000 Flex Link multi-service kiosks, providing communications and self-service functionality for inmates and increasing the efficiency of our customers' operations. Over 5 million visits were arranged through GTL's market-leading visitation scheduling software, eliminating wait times for friends and family members to see their loved ones and helping to clear crowded facility lobbies, which only increased security in facilities nationwide. "Our government payment services division is now collecting child support payments in 10 states, thereby enabling custodial parents to receive funds faster in order to provide for their families. To support those making government-mandated payments or, on the corrections side, consumers making inmate phone deposits or sending money to incarcerated loved ones, we have now installed many hundreds of conveniently located payment and deposit kiosks across the country," added Mr. Haidinger. This was also a big year for new GTL product releases for facility customers and their inmates. "The five layers of security we have built into our inmate tablet product are driving their acceptance into more correctional institutions. With the security of the devices proven, GTL has focused on new service additions to our Inspire inmate tablet, starting with a comprehensive educational offering including a learning management system to track an inmate's progress and provide customized content based on their current grade level," stated Tim Skaja, Senior Vice President of Product Management & Service Delivery at GTL. "We also introduced the first corrections-grade streaming music service in the market, added subscription-based e-books and games, and also introduced a next-generation tablet  Inspire 1.5," concluded Mr. Skaja. Friends and family members also benefited from our innovations this year. "GTL relaunched ConnectNetwork, its friends and family member website," said Steve Montanaro, Vice President, Consumer Channels at GTL. The relaunch of ConnectNetwork has provided users with a better, faster, and easier online experience, including improved mobile phone applications for Android and iOS mobile devices, a mobile messaging app, and payment and deposit features for those on the go. "We also gave correctional facilities more tools to control deposits and detect fraud by introducing a new and improved ConnectNetwork Facility Portal, which GTL launched for facility staff on December 15," added Mr. Montanaro.



GTL signed the contract and began implementation of its GTL Offender Management System (OMS) with the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston, Texas, which is the third-largest sheriff's office in the United States. GTL's OMS will manage over nine thousand inmates on a daily basis, helping the agency streamline operations from booking through release. "This brings our deployments of OMS to well over 300 facilities representing the largest percentage of inmates housed in county-managed and privately operated correctional facilities. GTL's OMS also became available on General Services Administration (GSA) IT Schedule 70 this year. With this, government-operated corrections facilities at the federal, state, and local levels can achieve greater efficiency and reduce costs by following a simplified procurement process to acquire our OMS," stated John Lowry, Senior Product Manager for OMS at GTL. GTL's premier annual customer event, the User Group Conference, held in Nashville, Tennessee, was the most well-attended customer event in company history. "With hundreds of attendees, the customer interaction and feedback we received was extremely helpful in determining the direction that we will take our products in the future," said Anthony Bambocci, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at GTL.

Serious investments were also made by GTL into combatting contraband cell phones in facilities using the company's blended technologies approach, which combines a number of technologies and investigative forensic tools. "Managed access systems are also part of our approach, and we deployed three times more of these systems than anyone else in our industry. Every week our managed access systems block more than 350,000 illicit inmate phone calls and texts that originate from dangerous contraband cell phones, and we have protected the public in the process. The blended technologies approach evolved from our many years of expertise in deploying managed access and recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem," said Mitch Volkart, Product Manager for Intelligence Tools at GTL. At the start of 2016, GTL made a commitment to formalize corporate giving opportunities and increase employee volunteerism efforts nationwide by developing its Give To Live initiative. In 2016, GTL contributed a corporate match to all Give To Live team donations made to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides program. "The success of these efforts has been personally rewarding," said Teresa Ridgeway, Senior Vice President at GTL. "Although the coordination of nationwide volunteerism is important for us, we are firmly committed to supporting local programs so we can give back to the communities where we work and live." GTL employees in the South rallied to deliver much needed survival supplies to victims of the floods in Louisiana. Additionally, GTL provided sponsorship for several Ronald McDonald House fundraising events. During the recent holiday season, each GTL office chose a children's charitable organization and provided gifts to programs including Prison Fellowship Ministries' Angel Tree program, the Scottish Rite Hospital, the St Mary's Children's Home, and Toys for Tots, to name a few. Mrs. Ridgeway added, "We are looking forward to finding more ways to give back in 2017. It is an exciting time for GTL in so many ways." "While we made investments in technology and infrastructure, GTL could never have realized all of these accomplishments without investing in the right people. We renewed our focus on providing them with the tools they need to get the job done such as new education and training programs as well as opportunities to achieve security and engineering certifications. We also added some bright new talent to supplement our established team. Their hard work throughout the year was the catalyst for everything we attained. I am excited about the expertise that we have brought on board and look forward to the products, technology, and services GTL will bring to our current and new customers in 2017 with this experienced team," concluded Mr. Oliver. About GTL

GTL leads the fields of correctional technology and government payment services with visionary solutions and customized products that integrate seamlessly to deliver security, financial value, and ease of operation for our customers. As a trusted industry leader, GTL provides service to 85 percent of inmates nationwide, including service to 30 state departments of corrections, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and 73 of the 100 largest city/county facilities, including 39 of the top 50. GTL is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and maintains several regional offices across the country. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net or our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About ConnectNetwork

GTL's ConnectNetwork is the one-stop resource for friends and family members to connect with their incarcerated loved ones. Friends and family can deposit money into an inmate's accounts, schedule and conduct video visits, and send messages. To learn more about ConnectNetwork, please visit www.connectnetwork.com. You can also view us on Facebook and Twitter. Press Contact: Vinnie Mascarenhas

703-955-3894

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gtl-recaps-record-expansion-of-its-innovative-service-and-solution-portfolio-in-2016-300389849.html SOURCE GTL

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 11, 2017] Bluedrop Signs Over $5.5M Contract as Part of CFTS Program

Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. ("Bluedrop") (TSX-V: BPL) through its subsidiary Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc.,has received a contract of over $5.5M from KF Aerospace Defence Programs, operators of the Canadian Forces flight training program in Southport, Manitoba, to deliver a new Bell 206 Level 7 Flight Training Device (FTD) for the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) Program. This new Level 7 FTD will provide the helicopter pilots with the most up to date flight training simulator available, equipped with a 220 deg. field of view visual system and 6-DOF cueing and vibration systems. The simulator will be installed at the CFTS Training Centre as part of the flight training program led by KF Aerospace Defence Programs and supported by Bluedrop Training & Simulation, Canadian Helicopters (HNZ) Ltd., and Canadian Base Operators. Located in Southport, Manitoba, the CFTS program has a majority role in training 80% of new pilots in the RCAF every year. "We are very pleased to be a trusted member of the CFTS Program supplying, integrating and supporting state-of-the-art training devices for the air force" said Jean-Claude Siew, Vice President of Technology & Simulation, Bluedrop Training & Simulation. "This project underlines our extensive capabilities as a complete training systems integrator." This new project is part of a larger scope of work that sees KF Aerospace Defence Programs and Bluedrop providing the Royal Canadian Air Force`s Primary, Rotary Wing and Multi-engine Pilot training until 2027. About Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. designs and develops advanced training systems and state-of-the-art simulation products to safely train operators and maintainers of complex equipment. Our approach leverages innovative technology to provide cost-effective blended-media training content, from classroom instruction and computer-based training (CBT) through to high-fidelity training devices. Bluedrop Training & Simulation i a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) providing a strong value proposition offering 100% Canadian designed and developed solutions.



For more information about Bluedrop, visit www.bluedrop.com

You can follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @Bluedrop_BPL About KF Aerospace

Founded in 1970, the company provides a wide range of aviation services to corporate, commercial and military customers worldwide. KF Aerospace is a strong contributor to the Canadian Aviation community for 47 years. Head quartered in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, KF Aerospace is privately owned and one of the top aviation service providers in Canada. With about 800 highly skilled employees in locations across Canada, the company provides air cargo operations, aircraft leasing services, heavy aircraft maintenance and modifications, and military pilot training. KF Aerospace Defence Programs trains 80% of Canada's RCAF pilots to Wings Standard in both multi-engine and rotary wing roles; and oversees all aspects of training and facilities management at the Portage La Prairie, Manitoba location. This news release may contain "forward-looking information" as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the impact of the operational restructuring and future plans and objectives of Bluedrop, constitute forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information but which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions in connection with the operational efficiencies associated with the integration of technological and financial systems and general economic and market conditions. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Bluedrop's expectations include general global economic conditions. For additional information with respect to risk factors applicable to Bluedrop, reference should be made to Bluedrop's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with securities regulators, including, but not limited to, Bluedrop's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition For the Year Ended September 30, 2015. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date of this release and Bluedrop does not undertake to update publicly or revise the forward-looking information contained in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111006179/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 11, 2017] IP ServerOne Partners with SmarterTools, Officially Launching its Smart Enterprise Email Solutions World Wide

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IP ServerOne, a premier IT hosting solutions provider partnered with SmarterTools Inc. on 18 of October 2016 to distribute SmarterTools software as an international authorized reseller. According to Mr Lee Cheung Loong ( Founder of IP ServerOne ), under the terms of the partnership, IP ServerOne will resell the SmarterTools product line, including the SmarterMail mail server, SmarterStats Web log analytics and SEO software, and SmarterTrack customer service software. The partnership will benefit companies & enterprises who are looking for complete communication email tools. Their range of enterprise email solutions for business like SmarterMail which is a cost-effective Microsoft Exchange alternative, bringing enterprise-level functionality to businesses, ISPs, and Web hosting environments. Features include a rich Webmail interface, file storage, detailed reporting, events/notifications, throttling, email archiving, itrusion detection/prevention, advanced synchronization, out-of-the-box antispam and antivirus and optional add-ons for Exchange ActiveSync, Cyren Premium Antispam, Cyren Zero-hour Antivirus, and Message Sniffer.



Then there is Smartertrack that performs powerful help desk application built for tracking, managing, and reporting on customer service and communications, including sales and support issues. Features include a ticket system, live chat, call logs, time logs, Who's On, branding and language support, cost analysis, data mining, reporting, surveys, a task management system, and a knowledge base. Lastly, a comprehensive Web log analytics knows as SmarterStats and SEO software that cost-effectively delivers relevant, accurate, and detailed website statistics to help businesses increase conversions and maximize ROI.

About IP ServerOne Established in 2003, IP ServerOne aims to provide a comprehensive range of hosting solutions for customers to accomplish operational success on the Internet. The company empowers customers with reliable web hosting innovations to grow their business and gain competitive edge in their respective industries. The company's key strength is demonstrated through its proven technical expertise to seamlessly integrated system, network and software application as a complete solution for today's competitive environment. With over 3500 managed dedicated servers running simultaneously, IP ServerOne covers variety of servers while providing real value whether bandwidth, disk type or RAID level customization which is crucial to deliver optimum performance and reliability with a complete solution. IP ServerOne servers are located in AIMS, CX2, NTT Data Centres in Malaysia and AIMS in Singapore. Generally, the offered solutions are in these key areas: Dedicated server hosting, Cloud hosting, Co-location, Email hosting, Shared hosting, Managed hosting services and Domain name services. For more information, visit www.ipserverone.com. About SmarterTools Founded in 2003, SmarterTools Inc. is an information technology management software company based in Phoenix, Arizona. SmarterTools builds a Windows mail server, customer service software, and Web log analytics and SEO software that simplify and automate the day-to-day IT operations of businesses and hosting environments in over 100 countries. Additional information about SmarterTools Inc. and the SmarterTools product line is available at the company website: www.smartertools.com. Visit http://www.ipserverone.com/email-services for more information.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Easy and Gemalto improve quality of mobile services in Brazil

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, has teamed up with Easy, the largest transport app solution in Latin America, available in 12 countries, to greatly improve the quality of mobile services in Brazil. More than 150,000 taxi drivers in Brazil will use Gemaltos CE Quality of Experience (QoE) solution to collect Key Performance Indicators from mobile devices as they travel throughout 24 major cities. The detailed data and up-to-the-moment QoE event maps are used by mobile operators, Over-The-Top service providers and device makers to improve networks, handsets and value-added services for customers while boosting competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Gemaltos QoE solution operates unnoticed in the Easy app, securely collecting anonymous data such as type of mobile device, device behavior, network traffic patterns, battery consumption data, no service areas, 2G, 3G and 4G handover, WiFi consumption and many more. It operates across different devices and networks and provides unique benchmarking and competitive analysis insights that help mobile operators optimize connectivity performance and improve subscriber offerings. Consumer usage data available by region helps service providers develop attractive segmented rates and value added offers while information about events that lead to device and battery strain help Original Equipment Manufacturers optimize designs to improve device performance. Gemaltos QoE is compatible with virtually all operating systems and will initially launch for driver Android devices before expanding to other platforms and customer apps. With strong global mobile operators relationships and outstanding consulting support, the partnership with Gemalto is ideal to help us leverage our Easy app to expand new services to the wireless industry while gaining a new revenue stream, said Jorge Pilo, Global CEO at Easy. The intuitive, easy to use Gemalto QoE software helps us quicky personalize the app, dashboard and reports to meet varying needs of wireless industry customers, concludes Pilo.



Easy is uniquely positioned to disrupt traditional business models by leveraging Gemaltos QoE solution, said Rodrigo Serna, President for the Americas at Gemalto. Easy has a clear visibility of network and connectivity performances, enforcing the quality of their service to thousands of daily users. About Easy

Our mission is to make transportation from point A to point B with efficiency and convenience. Founded in 2011 in Rio de Janeiro as Easy Taxi, the company has since then expanded to cover over 400 cities, and now offers numerous services, including on-demand premium cars, traditional taxi services and ridesharing. In December 2015 it merged with Colombias leading taxi app, Tappsi. The app is available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, as well as for B2B clients through Easy Corporate. In July 2016, the company rebranded from Easy Taxi to Easy and presented its new brand promise of affordable urban mobility services at quality price tag.

About Gemalto Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the global leader in digital security, with 2015 annual revenues of 3.1 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world. Our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between. Gemaltos solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software  enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things. Our 14,000+ employees operate out of 118 offices, 45 personalization and data centers, and 27 research and software development centers located in 49 countries. For more information visit www.gemalto.com or follow @gemalto on Twitter. Gemalto media contacts: Philippe Benitez

North America

+1 512 257 3869

[email protected] Peggy Edoire

Europe & CIS

+33 4 42 36 45 40

[email protected] Vivian Liang

????? (Greater China)

+86 1059373046

[email protected] Ernesto Haikewitsch

Latin America

+55 11 5105 9220

[email protected] Kristel Teyras

Middle East & Africa

+33 1 55 01 57 89

[email protected] Shintaro Suzuki

Asia Pacific

+65 6317 8266

[email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
By Press Trust of India: Patna, Jan 12 (PTI) A CISF jawan today shot dead his four senior colleagues with his service rifle in a fit of rage following a heated argument over leave issues in Bihars naxal-hit Aurangabad district, officials said.

The fragging incident was reported around 12:45 AM at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit which is guarded by the force.

advertisement

Constable Balveer Singh, hailing from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, fired about two dozen bullets, killing Head Constables Bachha Sharma and Amarnath Mishra on the spot, while Assistant Sub-Inspector G S Ram and Head Constable Arvind Kumar later succumbed to grievous injuries in a nearby hospital.

The incident took place when the victims and some others had assembled for a shift change.

Balveer, who had recently undergone a month-and-half-long de-stressing course in Yoga, was reportedly agitated over an administrative issue regarding his leave after he resumed duty on January 4. A heated argument ensued and the CISF jawan lost his cool, firing his rifle multiple times, Superintendent of Police Satyaprakash said.

He was quickly overpowered by other CISF personnel and handed over to police who arrested him. But before that could be done his targets lay sprawled on the blood splattered floor.

Sources said the trooper was sent for a special yoga session between November 10 and December 24 last year at the CISFs training institute in Deoli in Rajasthan. Following that he had gone on leave to his home before resuming duty on January 4.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit in Nabinagar is deployed at the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility against threats from naxals and other extremist elements.

NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

The CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident. PTI NES/CORR SK SK

--- ENDS ---
[January 12, 2017] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories' Management Completes Meetings with Vietnamese Officials

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB:KBLB) (Company), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, announced today that the Companys management just completed a series of successful meetings with government officials in Vietnam designed to outline a collaborative path to large scale production of the Companys high performance silk technologies. Following the meeting with provincial leadership, Company management toured mulberry production, silkworm rearing, and textile weaving facilities in the province of Quang Nam to better assess the regions capacity.

We were very impressed with what we saw in Quang Nam, its people, history, and capacity makes it a great location for our advanced silk production, said COO Jon Rice. We would, again, like to thank the Chairman, Vice Chairman and numerous other leaders of the province for their support and enthusiasm in exploring the opportunity to bring our technology to Quang Nam province, added Company founder and CEO, Kim Thompson. This meeting was also recently reported by officials in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. http://ipaquangnam.gov.vn/eng/tin-tuc-chi-tiet/lanh-dao-ubnd-tinh-tiep-va-lam-viec-voi-lanh-dao-cong-ty-kraig-biocraft-laboratories-hoa-ky.html



To view the most recent edition of Kraigs Spider Sense quarterly newsletter and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/newsletter About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a fully reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC (720) 288-8495 [email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Luxury Furniture Company The Baby Cot Shop to Open First Shop in Chelsea

LONDON, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Opening on Saturday 14th of January at 408 Kings Road, the boutique will feature a selection of furniture, linens and decor in tranquil room settings which will help parents and parents-to-be make informed purchases. The Baby Cot Shop will also serve as a resource for interior designers creating spaces for their clients. Customers will be able to conveniently design their rooms in store with access to wallpaper samples, fabric swatches and furniture paint options. The shop will feature products of the brand including premium baby furniture, bedding, cribs, Moses baskets and rugs- a selection from their online store http://www.thebabycotshop.com "The opening of our shop is in response to our customers' demands to see our beautiful furniture before purchasing. We are excited at the prospects of meeting and serving our clients in person as we extend our customer service beyond the web and into a physical space", said owner Toks Aruoture. The Baby Cot Shop (previously called Punkin Patch Interiors) was established in the UK in 2008 after Aruoture eturned to England from her travels to the United States and Europe where she became infused with the values of high quality and craftsmanship. She sourced furniture that was reminiscent of a bygone era and the company has since expanded to include designs of their own which are sold alongside hand-selected products from respected craftsmen. Their ethical wood sourcing policy is employed in the selection of partners, choosing to work only with companies that respect their workers and the environment. Some of their products are made in England, such as their Nursery Glider Chairs which has proved to be popular with nursing mums.



Using 60% renewable energy sources to run the shop, shoppers' consciences can be kept green and clean whilst they create their new room or pick up that one-off hand crafted piece for their little one. The store will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00p.m, Sundays from noon to 4p.m., and Mondays reserved for private appointments or events.

The Baby Cot Shop 408 Kings Road Chelsea, London SW10 0LJ http://www.thebabycotshop.com Product page links:



http://www.thebabycotshop.com/belgravia-upholstered-cot-bed/



http://www.thebabycotshop.com/creative-split-cabinet/



http://www.thebabycotshop.com/marseille-cot-bed/



http://www.thebabycotshop.com/luxury-hand-crafted-cradle/ Press contact:

Kelly Jackson

+44 (0) 20 3371 7530

[email protected]



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Julie Sandler Named Partner at Madrona Venture Group

Madrona Venture Group, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Seattle, today announced the promotion of Julie Sandler to Partner and Daniel Li to Senior Associate. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005267/en/ Julie Sandler, Partner, Madrona Venture Group (Photo: Business Wire) Sandler has led investments in several companies including Integris, Poppy, and Julep, serving on boards across the Madrona portfolio as a board director and observer. Sandler is a prominent voice in the Pacific Northwest startup ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs, founders and students. "Julie is invaluable to our team. Her strategic, analytical and passionate approach makes her a champion for entrepreneurs and at the same time a steward for our investors," commented Tim Porter, managing director, Madrona Venture Group. "She dives in and does everything it takes to help founders succeed, and this hands-on approach exemplifies what we strive for in all our companies. She embodies the Madrona culture, and we are excited to recognize her with this promotion." Sandler launched the Seattle Entrepreneurial Women's Network an informal forum for women entrepreneurs, startuppers, and aspiring entrepreneurs to connect in the greater Seattle area. She is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Washington Foster School of Business and teaches an MBA course on Entrepreneurship for which she has been named a UW "star teacher" several years running. In 2016, Sandler was named by Governor Inslee to the Board of Directors for Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, an innovative private public partnership that has helped fund higher education for thousands of Washington State students annually in STEM fields.



Prior to joining Madrona, Sandler was a senior product manager at Amazon where she managed digital marketing for Kindle Books and led the design and implementation of new web and mobile shopping experiences for Kindle Content. She also worked in product management at TeachStreet (a Madrona portfolio company acquired by Amazon) and Accenture (News - Alert) where she designed and launched worldwide Disaster Response operations for Microsoft's Volume Licensing division. Sandler earned an MBA with Honors from Harvard Business School and a BA and Masters in Psychology from Stanford University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Madrona also promoted Dan Li to Senior Associate. Li joined Madrona in 2015, where he helps develop investment themes, sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and works with portfolio companies to develop strategies for success. Dan has helped drive the firm's investment strategy in areas like autonomous transportation and virtual reality, and is an inventor, having developed both internal tools and a mobile game called Babel. Li serves as a board observer for several Madrona portfolio companies, including Matcherino, SayKara, and Eventbase. "Dan is a force of nature inside of Madrona. From developing mobile applications to make us more productive, to analyzing the role of autonomous vehicles in our regional transportation system, to helping an entrepreneur think through her pricing strategy, he does it all," said Scott Jacobson, managing director, Madrona "We are lucky to have him and look forward to his next investment recommendation - or invention - in 2017." Prior to joining Madrona, Li worked in the Seattle office of the Boston Consulting Group. At BCG, Li worked on a variety of strategy and operations projects, ranging from developing go-to-market strategies for cloud services to deploying new technology systems to improve the quality and speed of insurance claims processing. Li graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with majors in Finance, Psychology, and International Studies. About Madrona Venture Group Madrona (www.madrona.com) has been investing in early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest since 1995 and has been privileged to play a role in some of the region's most successful technology ventures. The firm invests predominately in seed and Series A rounds across the information technology spectrum, including consumer Internet, commercial software and services, digital media and advertising, networking and cloud computing, and mobile. Madrona manages approximately $1 billion and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon.com (News - Alert), Apptio, Rover.com, and Redfin. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005267/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Mirantis Becomes First Vendor to Offer Support and Managed Services for OpenContrail SDN

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mirantis today announced commercial support for OpenContrail, one of the most popular software-defined networking (SDN) platforms used with OpenStack.

With the addition of OpenContrail, Mirantis becomes a one-stop support shop for the entire stack of popular open source technologies used in conjunction with OpenStack, including Ceph for storage, OpenStack/KVM for compute and OpenContrail or Neutron for SDN. SDN is no longer a disruptive innovation, but an integral, commodity part of any large scale cloud environment. It needs to be supported and managed as a part of the stack, not as a standalone software component, said Boris Renski, Mirantis co-founder and CMO. To provide the best experience for our customers, we need to serve as a single throat to choke for managing core OpenStack and adjacent open technologies, including SDN. The news follows Mirantis acquisition of TCP Cloud, a company specializing in managed services for OpenStack, OpenContrail and Kubernetes. Mirantis will use TCP Clouds technology for continuous delivery of cloud infrastructure to manage the OpenContrail control plane, which will run in Docker containers. As a part of the effort, Mirantis has also been actively contributing to the OpenContrail open source project.



OpenContrail is an essential project within the OpenStack community, and Mirantis is smart to containerize and commercially support it. The work our team is doing will make it easy to scale and update OpenContrail and perform seamless rolling upgrades alongside the rest of Mirantis OpenStack, said Jakub Pavlik, Mirantis director of engineering and OpenContrail Advisory Board member. Commercial support will also enable Mirantis to make the project compatible with a variety of switches, giving customers more choice in their hardware and software. OpenContrail is an Apache 2.0-licensed project that is built using standards-based protocols and provides all the necessary components for network virtualizationSDN controller, virtual router, analytics engine, and published northbound APIs. It has an extensive REST API to configure and gather operational and analytics data from the system. Built for scale, OpenContrail can act as a fundamental network platform for cloud infrastructure.

About Mirantis

Mirantis helps top enterprises build and manage private cloud infrastructure using OpenStack and related open source technologies. The company is the top contributor of open source code to the OpenStack project and follows a build-operate-transfer model to deliver its OpenStack distribution and cloud management services, empowering customers to take advantage of open source innovation with no vendor lock-in. To date Mirantis has helped over 200 enterprises build and operate some of the largest OpenStack clouds in the world. Its customers include iconic brands such as AT&T, Comcast, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, eBay, Wells Fargo Bank and Volkswagen. Learn more at www.mirantis.com. Contact information: Sarah Bennett Mirantis PR Manager [email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Redwood to Launch Series of Active Exchange Traded Funds on NEO

Redwood Asset Management ("Redwood"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Purpose Investments Inc. ("Purpose"), and Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc. ("NEO Exchange" or "NEO") are pleased to announce that Redwood plans to launch four exchange traded funds, consisting of six ETF listings, on NEO. This is the first series of Redwood ETFs to be launched on the public markets, and will provide investors with a suite of ETF solutions managed by best-in-class specialist investment boutiques. "Offering ETF series of these successful, actively managed mandates has always been a part of our long-term plans for growth, and Purpose has provided the depth of resources and expertise to further accomplish this goal," said Peter Shippen, President, Redwood Asset Management. "There has been a significant evolution in the investment fund industry, and ETFs are now an integral part of the portfolio strategy of many Canadian investors. This launch represents not only a necessary extension of distribution for Redwood's unique strategies, but also an expansion of access and choice for investors seeking truly active ETFs." The following Redwood ETFs have been granted conditional approval by NEO and will be listed on the NEO Exchange. Redwood Floating Rate Preferred Fund (RPS)

Redwood U.S. Preferred Share Fund (RPU, RPU.B and RPU.U)

Redwood Emerging Markets Dividend Fund (REM)

Redwood Unconstrained Bond Fund (RUB) "We are impressed with NEO's service, support, and depth of kowledge," said Mr. Shippen. "NEO's steadfast focus on bringing competition and alternative solutions to the Canadian ETF landscape was a key consideration in solidifying the partnership. We look forward to working with NEO."



"At NEO, we are committed to doing things differently to build a level playing field for investors and to ensure public companies and investment products have the liquidity they need to succeed. We are not constrained by conventional wisdom and have found a forward-looking partner in Redwood who also believes in unconstrained thinking to deliver innovative investment mandates. We are very excited to work with Redwood, and the entire team at Purpose Investments, to make Canadian markets better for all investors," stated Jos Schmitt, President and CEO, NEO Exchange. "The commitment from Redwood to list with us is yet another vote of confidence in our innovative solutions that try to do the right thing for the Canadian capital markets." About NEO Exchange

Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc. is a new Canadian stock exchange using a bold new blueprint that puts investors, businesses looking to raise capital and dealers first. Launched in March 2015, the NEO Exchange currently offers an innovative trading venue and a value added listing venue for capital raising companies and investment products. The NEO Exchange is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aequitas Innovations Inc., a company founded by a diverse group of prominent investors representative of all Canadian capital market stakeholders. For more information, please visit: www.aequitasNEOexchange.com. About Redwood Asset Management Inc. Redwood Asset Management is a Toronto-based investment fund manager, focused on delivering unique investment solutions managed by boutique global investment managers to Canadian investors. Redwood Asset Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of Purpose Investments Inc. More information about Redwood's product offerings is available at www.redwoodasset.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005277/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Microsoft Achieves Strong Recognition In Chinese Startup and Innovation Ecosystem

BEIJING, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 14 startups from Microsoft Accelerator Beijing 8th batch program have presented their innovations during the Demo Day stage. After 4.5 years of deep engagement with the Chinese innovation ecosystem, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has gained strong recognition by empowering Chinese startups to achieve more. At Chinese National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week last October, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing's booth was the only multinational company's accelerator program among the 4,600 attending incubation and accelerator programs represented and received visits from the Vice-Premier of China. Microsoft Accelerator Beijing also received visit from the Vice-Minister of Science and Technology of China, who once again recognized Microsoft Accelerator Beijing's efforts and achievements. "The past four and a half years have witnessed the strong growth of Microsoft Accelerator Beijing, as well as the Microsoft Accelerator globally, since its beginning in 2012 in Israel. The goal of the Microsoft Accelerator initiative is to empower entrepreneurs around the world on their journey to build great companies," said Tzahi (Zack) Weisfeld, General Manager, Microsoft Accelerators. "Microsoft Accelerator has rolled out globally to 6 countries with 7 accelerators in operation. A total of 534 statups have passed through and 82% of them have received funding totaling US$2.1 billion, plus 3 IPOs and 38 acquisitions."



"Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has gained strong recognition among the startup and innovation ecosystem in China," said Bin Luo, CEO in Residence, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing. "Now we are not only one of the best accelerators in China but the connecting and sharing platform for startups and the innovation ecosystem in China. We are pushing the boundaries of the traditional accelerator model to include business development and leads generation, marketing and sales support, operations efficiency, and more. By integrating tightly into the business operation of startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing is empowering Chinese entrepreneurs to build great companies." For the past four and a half years, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has accelerated 140 startups in China with 93% of them successfully raising funding during the enrolled period with total valuation reached of over 40 billion RMB and a growth rate of over 600%. 20% of the alumni have acquired new customers with the support of Microsoft Accelerator Beijing.

During the 5 months of the 8th batch program, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing hosted over 100 events including resource matching with multiple Chinese government organizations and associations, marketing and sales lead generation events targeting large enterprises and corporations, and joint marketing promotions with other accelerators in addition to training, media promotion and alumni events. Microsoft now can accelerate Chinese startups faster by offering more internal resources. To speed up the business of the 8th batch of startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has brought in more resources such as those offered by overseas funds including Sequoia, IDG, Fidelity International and Temasek. And for the first time, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing organized business development programs that directly engaged with global 500 companies as well as large enterprises in China, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, IBM, Intel, Foxconn, Accenture, Pactera, China Development Bank, and more. By building strategic partnerships and flagship customers for startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing enables startups to expand both domestically and globally. And to be better prepared for IPOs, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing also invited KPMG for a special training on auditing for publish listing and full entrepreneurship skills. With the 8th batch program, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has focused more on cloud computing, big data, IoT, artificial intelligence, VR/AR and information security in the enterprise and business sector. Microsoft Azure has become the world top cloud computing platform for building intelligent, cross-platform apps and services. And graduates from Microsoft Accelerator Beijing have grown into the Microsoft Azure cloud ecosystem as well. Together, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing will be able to empower the Chinese digital economy in the long run. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-achieves-strong-recognition-in-chinese-startup-and-innovation-ecosystem-300390143.html SOURCE Microsoft Accelerator Beijing

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017]

Sectra Announces Breast Imaging PACS Contract With Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

SHELTON, Connecticut, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

International medical imaging IT company Sectra (STO: SECT B) announces that the Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, has entered into a multi-year agreement to utilize Sectra PACS for all their breast imaging workflow. This solution was purchased to provide the breast radiologists a comprehensive means to support the full patient pathway from screening to diagnostic exams, with the end goal of improving cancer detection and care.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120601/537255 )

Northwestern Memorial Hospital offers screening mammography and a full range of diagnostic breast imaging services, including 2D and 3D mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, breast biopsies and needle localizations. The Sectra PACS wil be integrated with the existing IT infrastructure including the EMR, radiology PACS and VNA.







About Sectra Breast Imaging PACS

Sectra PACS features world-leading functionality for efficient mammography screening and diagnostic breast imaging workflows. True vendor-neutral, multi-modality capabilities enable display of breast images from any modality-including digital pathology and breast tomosynthesis-side by side with the mammograms. This provides a complete patient overview for the reading radiologist.

About Sectra

With more than 20 years in the business, Sectra develops and sells IT systems and services for radiology, pathology, women's health and orthopaedics. More than 1,700 hospitals, clinics and imaging centers worldwide use the systems daily, making Sectra one of the world-leading companies for handling digital images. For more information, visit www.sectra.com .

About Northwestern Medicine

For more information about Northwestern Medicine, visit http://news.nm.org/about-northwestern-medicine.html.

Contact: Andrea Sowitch, Vice President of Marketing

Sectra North America

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +1-203-925-0899 ext 268

www.sectra.com/medical



Torbjorn Kronander, President and CEO

Sectra AB

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +46-705-23-5227



SOURCE Sectra North America
[January 12, 2017] Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductors to Demonstrate a High-Efficiency, Wide-Band Doherty Amplifier for Next Generation LTE Base Stations at RWW2017 in Phoenix January 16-17, 2017

Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. will present a hands-on mini lab showcasing its high-efficiency, wide-band Doherty Amplifier at their booth at Radio & Wireless Week (News - Alert), Jan. 16-17, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency, Phoenix, AZ. On January 16 at 10:50 a.m., they will also present a technical paper describing this wide-band Doherty power amplifier design technique for next generation LTE (News - Alert) base stations using the latest Mitsubishi Electric GaN transistor technology. Mitsubishi Electric will be located at booths #1 and #2. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005007/en/ Mitsubishi (News - Alert) Electric high-efficiency, wide-band Doherty Amplifier (Photo: Business Wire) To break the inherent narrow-band limitation of conventional Doherty design methodology, the paper proposes a frequency dependency compensating circuit and a modified quarter wavelength inverter incorporating the transistor package parasitic elements. With improved bandwidth and efficiency compared to earlier design methodologies, this compact design delivers more than 2.5 watts of average ower with efficiencies above 45.9% across the full 3.0-3.6GHz band (20MHz LTE signal). This allows customers the ability to design more competitive LTE amplifiers capable of carrier aggregation scenarios in this band. In conjunction with digital pre-distortion to maintain -50dBc ACLR, the use of the wide-band efficient GaN Doherty design can reduce the complexity and energy consumption of the radio, further reducing the base station total cost of ownership. Attendees are encouraged to stop by the Mitsubishi Electric (News - Alert) booth at RWW2017 for more information and to view the latest GaN technology in action.



Mitsubishi Electric's full line-up of GaN devices, with frequencies in L-, S-, C-, and Ku-bands at output powers ranging from 2 to 100 watts, supports a wide variety of end-communications applications, including cellular base station, satellite, ground station and point to point. Session MO2D-3

3.0-3.6 GHz Wideband, over 46% Average Efficiency GaN Doherty Power Amplifier with Frequency Dependency Compensating Circuits About Mitsubishi Electric US Semiconductor Division Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc.'s Semiconductor Division presents a portfolio of semiconductor and electronic devices that helps advance information processing and telecommunications. The division offers next-generation optical devices that support today's rapidly evolving optical telecommunications networks. They include high-frequency gallium nitride, gallium arsenide and silicon RF devices used in a variety of applications from two-way radios to telecommunications satellites. The division also provides leading-edge color TFT-LCD modules designed for high reliability and superior visibility. Mitsubishi Electric's TFT-LCD modules deliver exceptional performance and excellent color quality in a broad range of indoor and outdoor operating environments. They can be used in such industrial applications as medical, factory automation, agriculture, construction, marine, and aviation. Most recently, the division added contact image sensors for machine vision applications to its product line. Additional information is available at http://us.mitsubishielectric.com/semiconductors/en/index.html. In addition to semiconductor devices, Mitsubishi Electric US group companies' principal businesses include factory automation equipment, automotive electrical components, elevators and escalators, heating and cooling products, solar modules, electric utility products, and large-scale video displays for stadiums and arenas. Mitsubishi Electric US group companies have roughly 50 locations throughout North America with approximately 4,000 employees. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005007/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] ProQuest Integrates Text and Video in Seamless Search to Improve Research Experiences

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- One fast, comprehensive search now encompasses content in the ProQuest platform and Alexander Street's popular Academic Video Online, connecting researchers seamlessly to documentaries, training videos, journal articles, news, dissertations, primary sources, ebooks and more in one place. Subscribers to the ProQuest platform and Academic Video Online can now offer their users a more powerful user experience and better contextual and serendipitous discovery. "This integration puts vetted, authoritative videos that are aligned with curricula into the research workflow of the student," said Allan Lu, ProQuest Vice-President, Research Tools, Services and Platforms. "It's a particularly important advancement as video is playing an increasingly significant role in the learning experience." Visual education aids like video are being embraced in both classroom and in research as studies show their impact on improving learning outcomes. Searching text and video in one place enables users of all kinds to find the breadth of reliable content they need faster, shifting their time from the hunt for information to analysis and learning. "Video brings a subject to life in a way tha more traditional formats can't," said David Parker, Head of Video Licensing for Academic Video Online: Premium. "This integration pairs it with high quality text, providing an exceptionally rich research experience."



"For faculty and students, finding and accessing relevant videos is now a one-step process, which helps the library support teaching and research,"said Steve Bosch, Budget and Licensing Librarian at the University of Arizona. "We expect that this is the first of the benefits we'll see from the integration of Alexander Street and ProQuest." The ProQuest platform is the foundation for hundreds of ProQuest's most popular resources for researchers and faculty, with an extraordinary range of content types. Interoperability with Alexander Street's Academic Video Online will enable users to discover all the library's ProQuest platform content along with more than 50,000 video titles spanning essential subject areas including anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history, music and others.

"Our goal is to provide the most efficient knowledge discovery solution to inspire research and learning," said Mr. Lu. "This is an important step forward, and the first in many we have planned to help researchers get the best possible outcomes." About ProQuest (http://www.proquest.com) ProQuest connects people with vetted, reliable information. Key to serious research, the company's products are a gateway to the world's knowledge including dissertations, governmental and cultural archives, news, historical collections and ebooks. ProQuest technologies serve users across the critical points in research, helping them discover, access, share, create and manage information. The company's cloud-based technologies offer flexible solutions for librarians, students and researchers through the ProQuest, Alexander Street, Bowker, Dialog, Ex Libris and SIPX businesses  and notable research tools such as the RefWorks citation and reference management platform, the Pivot research development tool and the Ebook Central, ebrary, EBL and MyiLibrary ebook platforms. The company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with offices around the world. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/proquest-integrates-text-and-video-in-seamless-search-to-improve-research-experiences-300389795.html SOURCE ProQuest

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] BillingTree's HFMA Western Region Symposium Activities include Wayne Newton Keynote

PHOENIX, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BillingTree, a leader in healthcare payment technology, sponsors Wayne Newton's keynote at the upcoming 19th Annual HFMA Western Region Symposium January 15-18. Wayne Newton has been named one of the "Top Three Entertainers of the Century, in Nevada and Around the World," along with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. BillingTree works with organizations of all sizes in the healthcare industry and recently, announced the results of its first Healthcare Operations and Technology Survey which explored the key collection concerns of U.S. healthcare companies. The results showed healthcare organization collection processes were lagging behind their counterparts in other industries, relying primarily on manual paper-based payments over offering digital payment channels. BillingTree staff will be on-site to discuss how both providers and collectors can improve revenue cycle management while increasing compliance with payment solutions. The 19th Annual HFMA Western Region Symposium is anticipated to be one of the largest HFMA events in the country. This year, for the first time, the meeting will bring together healthcare industry experts from 13 Western chapters in one location. "Introducing 'Mr. Las Vegas' Wayne Newton is a fantastic way to kick-off the BillingTree team's attendance at this year's symposium," said Greg Mallin, BillingTree's Director of Business Development. "With more patient payment responsibility, 2017 sets the stage as one of the most challenging years yet for healthcare provider's receivables. BillingTree's support and participation at one of highest-profile annual healthcare events is an important opportunity to educate and serve the industry with knowledge, technology and the right tools to improve revenue cycles," he concluded. About BillingTree

BillingTree is the leading provider of integrated payments solutions to the healthcare, ARM and financial services industry verticals. Through its technology-enabled suite of products and services, BillingTree enables organizations to increase efficiency and decrease the costs of payment processing while adhering to compliance regulations. Leveraging more than a decade of market experience, BillingTree is dedicated to growing payments with technology through an integrated omni-channel offering, suite of proprietary products and value-added services, and a Company-wide focus on delivering extraordinary customer service.







Contact: Contact: Dave Yohe Jamie Kightley VP of Marketing PR for BillingTree BillingTree IBA Tel: 602.443.5948 Tel: 561.228.1940 [email protected] [email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billingtrees-hfma-western-region-symposium-activities-include-wayne-newton-keynote-300390258.html SOURCE BillingTree

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, Jan 11 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court today directed the city police commissioner to decide within 24 hours an application seeking permission for RSS rally on January 14 to be addressed by its chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Sardul Singh Jain, a Sangh pracharak, moved the high court today on behalf of RSS, claiming that police authorities had not yet acted on their application that was submitted on December 29.

advertisement

The petitioner sought a direction to Kolkata Police authorities to give permission for holding the rally at Bhukailash Road in Kidderpore area in south-western part of the city on January 14.

Appearing for RSS, counsel Anindya Mitra submitted that by not acting on their application for the rally scheduled on January 14, Kolkata Police authorities were impinging on the fundamental rights of people on freedom of expression.

Justice Joymalyo Bagchi directed the Kolkata Police chief to consider the application in accordance with law and take a decision within 24 hours and communicate it forthwith.

The rally is scheduled to be addressed by RSS supremo Bhagwat and the petitioner stated that it was amenable to holding the rally at either Bhukailash Road or at Brigade Parade Ground in the heart of the city. PTI AMR MD RT

--- ENDS ---
[January 12, 2017] Goodwin Continues Expansion of International Private Equity and Funds Platform with Addition of Partners Marie-Laure Bruneel and Arnaud David in Paris

Goodwin, a leading Global 50 law firm, announced today the continued expansion of its Private Equity and Private Investment Funds practice with the addition of partners Marie-Laure Bruneel and Arnaud David, resident in the firm's Paris office. "The skills and talent of Marie-Laure and Arnaud, who are both well-known in the market, allow us to offer a complete range of services and cover all the needs of our clients, including investment banks and managers," said Maxence Bloch, Chair of Goodwin's Paris office. "Their arrival is a significant step in our strategy of becoming an industry leader in the private equity, infrastructure and real estate investment spaces, not only in the United States, but also in Europe and Asia." Bruneel, who joins Goodwin from De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, specializes in corporate taxation, including the tax aspects of structuring and financing mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, real estate investments and restructurings, and has significant experience with alternative asset investments. Her client work has included representing industry leaders such as Eurazeo PME, Siparex and Credit Agricole Immobilier. David, one of the industry's foremost investment fund practitioners, joins Goodwin with a team of four lawyers: Sarah Michel and Pierre-Charles Kaladji, senior lawyers, and Thibault Dupont and Xavier Couderc-Frani, junior lawyers. The team, formerly with the Paris office of King & Wood Mallesons ("KWM"), has extensive experience with a wide range of funds - including buyout, mezzanine, infrastructure and debt - incentive schemes and co-investment agreements. It also has particular expertise with infrastructure funds and its representation in this area has included work for clients such as InfraVia and Antin Infrastructure Partners. These developments at Goodwin Paris follow significant expansion of the firm's London office. Partners Mark Soundy, former co-head of private equity and global head of private capital at Shearman & Sterling, and Sarah Priestley, former London head of tax at Shearman & Sterling, joined Goodwin last month. Yesterday, Goodwin announced that partners Michael Halford, Ed Hall, Laura Charkin, Shawn D'Aguiar, Patrick Deasy, and Ajay Pathak, as well as 15 associates and five trainees have joined Goodwin London from KWM.



Goodwin's Paris office opened in July 2016, with Maxence Bloch, Christophe Digoy, Jerome Jouhanneaud, Thomas Maitrejean, William Robert and Pierre-Louis Sevegrand as partners, along with counsel and associates. The team specializes in mergers and acquisitions, in particular LBOs, private equity and "public to private" transactions for private placement funds, both French and international. They were joined in October 2016 by a market-leading acquisition and corporate finance team, led by Arnaud Fromion and Frederic Guilloux.

These new arrivals bring to 10 the number of partners and to 40 the number of lawyers at Goodwin's Paris office. About Marie-Laure Bruneel

A lawyer with the Paris Bar since 2001, Bruneel holds a degree in International Taxation from the University of Paris II Pantheon-Assas (1999), and is also a graduate of HEC (1999). She previously worked for law firms Andersen Legal (2000-2001) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (2001-2005), before joining De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, where she worked for nearly 12 years, including six as a partner. About Arnaud David

David holds an LL.M. from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall School of Law) and a postgraduate degree in Business Law from the University of Paris II - Pantheon Assas. A lawyer with the Paris Bar since 1997, David began his career at Gide before taking part in the creation of SJ Berwin in 2001, a firm in which he quickly became a partner. He is a member of the AFIC legal committee, where he participates in numerous studies on the legislation and regulation of risk capital. He is also recognized by Chambers & Partners Europe as a leading individual in the field of private equity funds and is classified in Legal 500 and Who's Who Legal Private Funds. About Goodwin

At Goodwin, we use law to achieve unprecedented results for our clients. Our 900 plus lawyers across the United States, Europe, and Asia excel at complex transactions, high-stakes litigations and world-class advisory services in the financial, life sciences, private equity, real estate, and technology industries. We partner with our clients to practice law with integrity, ingenuity, agility and ambition. To learn more, visit us at www.goodwinlaw.com and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @goodwinlaw and on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005831/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] eHealth to Strengthen Delivery of Care for Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa

LONDON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Narrowing the Accessibility Gap through Partnerships, Growth Opportunities Created by Increased Disease Prevalence This study aims to analyse the eHealth market in Africa and its application in the mitigation of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The major focus is on market trends (mHealth, wearables, and video telemedicine) and regional trends (Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, North Africa, and Indian Ocean Islands), focusing on the main competitors in each region. The major NCDs include various types of cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Mental health diseases are also noticeably growing in the continent. Africa's healthcare systems continue to struggle to adequately cater to the growing population, worsened by a high incidence of poverty in most parts. Low-resource communities bear the brunt of NCDs, as treatment is often costly. This then results in an increase in premature deaths as several individuals go untreated either due to lack of finances or late detection. However, as the economic growth rate is on an upward trajectory in many nations, the need for the improvement of healthcare facilities, IT systems, and infrastructure becomes more apparent. As the populations become more economically enabled, changes in lifestyle begin to be noticed. Smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity, and excessive salt/sodiumintake are some of the negative lifestyle activities associated with prosperous and prospering nations, and NCDs.



Also, the disease burden continues to increase for both communicable and non-communicable diseases, requiring new technology to manage populations. This study looks at the market leaders in each African region and how East Africa is leading the revolution as well as Southern Africa, with a focus on mHealth, wearables, and video telemedicine. These regions are led by Kenya and South Africa, respectively. The disease categories in this study are cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, and respiratorythe 4 largest NCD classes, responsible for over 80% of the NCD deaths around the globe. The main drivers and restraints of the market are highlighted in this study along with cross-country healthcare and IT trends. It proposes the growth opportunities available for companies and other eHealth stakeholders in implementing and improving eHealth in Africa as well as future perspectives. Key Questions This Study Will Answer

- Why is eHealth important for Africa?

- What are the main eHealth markets, segments, and regions?

- What are the main drivers and restraints for the eHealth market in Africa?

- What are the utilities of eHealth in mitigating non-communicable diseases in Africa?

- What are the growth opportunities in the African eHealth markets?

- Which key companies are set to lead the market for eHealth?

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4595308/ About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ehealth-to-strengthen-delivery-of-care-for-non-communicable-diseases-in-africa-300390464.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Philippe Friedlich Named Division Chief at Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Philippe Friedlich, MD, MSEpi, MBA, has been selected as division chief of Neonatology and director of the Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (CFNM) at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In this role, he will oversee the Division's clinical, training and research efforts. The Division's integrated team is part of the CFNM, along with the CHLA Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112006012/en/ Philippe Friedlich, MD, MSEpi, MBA, will serve as division chief of Neonatology and director of the Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (CFNM) at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Photo by Children's Hospital Los Angeles. This multi-institutional collaboration led by CHLA brings the hospital together with the LAC+USC Medical Center, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Providence Tarzana Medical Center, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Providence Saint John's Health Center and Good Samaritan Hospital-including the expertise of more than 25 pediatric medical, surgical and radiology divisions. The Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine is home to the 58-bed Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit at CHLA. Here, infants have access to Level IV, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services and consultations from faculty of virtually all existing pediatric subspecialties. CHLA is ranked among the top hospitals in the nation for neonatology care in the latest US. News & World Report Best Children's Hospitals survey. For 2016-2017, the CFNM was ranked the top neonatal center in California and seventh nationally.



"Dr. Friedlich is a longtime and highly respected member of the CHLA family," says Paul S. Viviano, president and CEO of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "We look forward to Philippe's ongoing leadership of the Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, which provides advanced care for more than 2,000 critically ill newborns and infants and mothers-to-be in the Greater Los Angeles area each year." Friedlich, a Malibu resident, is also a professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, he holds memberships with the Society of Pediatric Research and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Perinatal Pediatrics. He is also a member of the California Children's Medical Services/California Children's Services NICU Technical Advisory Committee.

After earning his medical degree at USC, Friedlich completed his pediatric residency and internship at CHLA. He also completed a fellowship in neonatal and perinatal medicine at the USC Women's and Children's Hospital before joining the faculty of the Division of Neonatal Medicine in 1998. In 2004, he completed a Master of Science in applied biostatistics and epidemiology at USC and earned an MBA in medical management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2006. Friedlich's research interests include the epidemiology of congenital malformations and neonatal health care delivery and outcomes. He directs the Epidemiology Research Program, which provides guidance for neonatal fellows and other investigators interested in epidemiology and outcomes research in newborn infants. He has published over 150 abstracts, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and supports strong research collaborations between surgical, medical and health care-related disciplines in areas of clinical, translational and basic science. "Under Dr. Friedlich's direction, education and training will continue to be priorities for the Division, providing an environment that supports the care of critically ill neonates and the educational experience for the largest neonatal fellowship program in Southern California," says Roberta Williams, MD, interim chair of the hospital's Department of Pediatrics. "The division will also focus on training for neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists and others dedicated to saving and improving the lives of our most vulnerable newborns." About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children's hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children's Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children's Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram, or visit the institution's child health blog (www.WeTreatKidsBetter.org) or its research blog (www.ResearCHLABlog.org). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112006012/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 12, 2017] Lightning Protection Safety Standards Driving the Global Lightning Rod Market: Technavio

The global lightning rod market is expected to grow at a CAGR of close to 8% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest report. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005960/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global lightning rod market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global lightning rod market for 2017-2021. By end-users, the lightning rod market is divided into industrial, commercial, and residential segments. Lightning protection systems are installed to ensure a safe passage for the lightning current to travel to the ground, without harming people or infrastructure. Currently, the majority of the manufacturers in the market are adhering to the safety standards provided by various international, national, and regional organizations. This provides customers the safety assurance for installing lightning rods. These standards are majorly affecting the increased adoption of lightning rods in the market, thus driving market growth. Technavio's research study segments the global lightning rod market into the following regions: Americas

EMEA

APAC Americas: largest lightning rod market segment "The market for lightning rods in the Americas is driven by the North American market, which is an established region accounting for maximum sales. The US registers the highest frequency of lightning strikes in North America, mainly from states like Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The high levels of consumer awareness in the region is driving the adoption of lightning rods," says Sarah Haque, one of the lead analysts at Technavio.







This region is also home to Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The lake is along the Northern Andes Mountains, and the climate around the lake creates nocturnal thunderstorms 260 days in a year, the highest in the world.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55687 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. EMEA: demand from the Middle East driving lightning rod market The adoption of lightning protection systems is highest from the already existing buildings in Western Europe, and from newly constructed buildings in the Middle East. In Africa, the small town of Kifuka, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, experiences 158 lightning strikes per square kilometer per year on an average. The increasing awareness of lightning protection systems to prevent any accidents will have a positive impact on the lightning rod market in EMEA. Also, the construction of tall buildings in the Middle East will have a massive impact on the adoption of lightning rods. Including Burj Khalifa, 19 of the tallest buildings in the world are in the Middle East. These buildings require lightning protection systems as they are more susceptible to lightning strikes. APAC: fastest growing lightning rod market segment "APAC is expected to post the highest growth globally, recording a CAGR of more than 8% through the forecast period. This growth is due to the increasing penetration of manufacturers of lightning protection systems in this region. The increased manufacturing is complemented by the increasing awareness programs for lightning protection, which is also a key driver for the region's growth," says Sarah. The Lightning Awareness and Research Centre in India conducts lightning protection training programs, awareness camps, and workshops to create awareness among people, which will help lightning rod manufacturers to increase market penetration. Similarly, Sri Lanka conducts awareness programs through the school, administration, engineering, and research levels, thus driving market growth. The top vendors in the global lightning rod market highlighted in the report are: Pentair

A. N. Wells

Alltec Browse Other Reports: Global Aluminum Conductors Market 2017-2021

Global Toilet Seat Market 2017-2021

Global Power Cables Market 2016-2020 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 agricultural equipment, health and wellness, and outdoor gear. 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/20170112005960/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017
A massive exercise to reach out to all Opposition parties has already begun wherein leaders are interacting with each other and brainstorming to come up with a plan to corner the government.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: Battle-ready Congress has not just intensified its anti-demonetisation campaign, but the party is also reaching out to leaders of other Opposition parties to get everyone to speak in one voice on the issue in the upcoming Budget session.

Sources say back-channel talks are on. The Opposition had appeared divided during the press conference of opposition leaders led by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.

advertisement

Also read | Opposition trying to disrupt PM Modi's war against corruption: Amit Shah at BJP's office-bearers' meet

A massive exercise to reach out to all Opposition parties has already begun wherein leaders are interacting with each other and brainstorming to come up with a plan to corner the government.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, told India Today, "The entire Opposition is one on the issue of demonetisation. We will together raise this matter in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament."

OPPOSITION'S BALANCING ACT: POLL AND PARLIAMENT

The strategy for Parliament's Budget session is being charted out in such a fashion that it gives each opposition party ample time to carry out its election campaigns in poll-bound states.

Also read | Opposition to launch anti-demonetisation drive next week, to take note ban battle to states

Rajya Sabha MP and CPI leader D Raja said, "There is convergence on the positions of Opposition parties on demonetisation. Elections are also there. These elections are very important. Many members may not be able to attend the Budget session. A coordinated effort will be made and on a rotation basis, we will ensure leaders are present in Parliament. And they can go for campaign."

COORDINATED STRIKE

D Raja added, "During the Budget session, there will be a coordinated effort from various Opposition parties to fight against this government policy, which has slowed down the economy and increased unemployment."

PROTEST AGAINST BUDGET SCHEMES

A series of protests are being planned by Opposition parties. Leaders from these parties say that they will be keeping a close watch on the announcements made during the Union Budget. They feel that many schemes will be announced by the Centre to lure voters in poll-bound states.

Also read | Opposition seeks President's appointment to complain against BJP over demonetisation

JD-U senior leader KC Tyagi said, "We will protest inside and outside Parliament and if sops are given, they are like 'political bribe'."

--- ENDS ---
Council approves rules to limit self-storage growth Future self-storage facilities in the city of Thousand Oaks will be excluded from prime commercial areas, according to a new ordinance adopted by the City Council this month. In a...

Dealership does Distinguished thing SPECIAL TRIPChildren from Boys & Girls clubs in Camarillo, Simi Valley and Moorpark, and Oxnard and Port Hueneme attended Misty Copelands Oct. 18 appearance in the Distinguished Speaker Series at...

Stagecoach Inn honors veterans The Stagecoach Inn Museum is honoring those who served with a Veterans Day exhibit featuring museum volunteers who have served in the military as well as family members who have...
By Press Trust of India: "The international communitys determination to combat

"The international communitys determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat," he said, in a veiled message to China.

On the future course of action on the Azhar issue, the French Foreign Minister said, "We will now discuss with India what should be done. This will be in the agenda of our bilateral working group on counter-terrorism, which will meet in Paris...India knows it can count on our support."

advertisement

China, despite presentation of a lot of evidence by India regarding Azhars role in terror activities in this country, had put a "technical hold" for a long time on the proposal in the UNSC to sanction the Pakistan-based terror mastermind. Finally, it recently blocked the proposal.

Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, was one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange of 166 hostages of Indian Airlines plane IC-184 which was hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999. Azhar, at that time, belonged to Harkat-ul Mujahideen, and soon after his release, he floated the new outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan which carried out several attacks in India, including one on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

The French Foreign Minister also spoke about the scope of cooperation between India and his country in combating terror the footprint of which is expanding and intensity increasing.

"France and India are both victims of terrorism, and they are in full solidarity vis--vis this scourge," Ayrault said.

He said the fight against terrorism is one of the cornerstones of India-France strategic partnership.

In concrete terms, he said, France and India hold "constant and very operational exchanges" on the terrorist threat.

"We have a bilateral working group that brings together all the players concerned over counter-terrorism, and, among others, cooperation with regard to investigations and between our respective intervention units, the GIGN from the French side, and the National Security Guards from the Indian side. I welcome the development of all these cooperations," he said. (More) PTI AKK SC

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: London, Jan 12 (PTI) A 9mm double-barrel gun designed like an iPhone has placed police in Europe on high alert after authorities received a warning that it could be flooded illegaly into the continent when it goes on sale in the US.

The "iPhone Gun" which has been preordered 12,000 times, is disguised as an iPhone ? but can transform into a lethal weapon at the touch of a button.

advertisement

It is believed the weapon will be imported to European criminals within days, as officials struggle to control the borders amid terror fears, The Evening Standard reported.

The device will go on sale for around 330 pounds ? half the price of an actual iPhone 7. Belgian police, who are already on high alert following a spate of terrorist attacks in Europe in recent months, were issued a warning about the gun, the report said.

An alert sent to Belgian police at the weekend said that although no copies had yet been found, the weapons were expected to turn up on European streets soon.

"To the eye, nothing can distinguish it from a mobile telephone," said the Belgian police alert, reported by Dernire Heure newspaper.

"Most people possess a smartphone, meaning that it can pass completely overlooked."

Created by Minnesota-based manufacturer Ideal Conceal, the gun goes on sale in the US next week. The company said on its Facebook page: "Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with todays environment. In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight."

In July last year, a passenger travelling through Stansted Airport in Essex was stopped by police for carrying an iPhone case designed to look like a gun. PTI AMS AKJ AMS

--- ENDS ---
"Virgin Mobile is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint. The article states that  Missouri agreed to grant Virgin up to $1.87 million in incentives through its Missouri Works program if the company creates 84 jobs At the same time Sprint is laying off hundred in the area. Bottom line: There are fewer jobs in the area and the taxpayers are coughing up $1.87 million to the Sprint subsidiary."
Even the critics of KCK Mayor Holland have to be impressed by his recentfundraising . . . As the newbie politico isn't afraid to sing for his supper or tap dance for campaign cash . . .His latest campaign finance report reveals that the KCK honcho has been busy raising a lot of money . . .He's up more than $50K after what must've been an exhausting round of political asking . . .With that,send ussuggesting this is a NO-NO . . . Let's not forget that Mayor Holland has been strident in his advocacy for the Downtown YMCA in KCK.Still . . . Campaign finance is a tricky biz and these forms are always being amended.For for now we can simply take a closer look at these forms and start today with a bit of TBT goodness . . .You decide . . .
This may sound too magical to be real, but it is.

By India Today Web Desk: For years, JK Rowling's Harry Potter series has inspired fandoms and lives alike. And now, a Singapore cafe has taken embraced its elements in a rather incredible fashion.

Located at 1094 Serangoon Road in Singapore, the latest Harry Potter-themed eatery is called Cafe 1094, that boasts of magical elements like wands, food items straight out of the fantasy-fiction series and most importantly, a real-life Goblet of Fire drink!

advertisement

Also Read: Toronto's new Harry Potter-themed bar is for expert wizards only

Yes, your muggle eyes aren't fooling you. Cafe 1094 serves a special rum-infused blue curacao liqueur that 'magically' lights up when you sprinkle some cinnamon powder over it. But this Goblet of Fire-inspired drink isn't the only great thing about the cafe. It also boasts of other things like Liquid Luck Pineapple, truffle Wizard's Cup, non-alcoholic Elixir of Life, and Bloodberry dessert, a report in Travelers Today reads.

Quite a rage among the locals, the cafe also allows its visitors to embrace the Hogwarts spirit by posing with hats and wands aside from indulging in a tasty, Goblet of Fire!

--- ENDS ---
China is crazy-big. How crazy-big? Lets just say if they were having a contest for biggest, craziest nation on planet Earth, the Middle Kingdom would not only win hands down, it would leave all the other countries scratching their heads and saying whoa, get a load of that guy.

There are 1.357 billion people living in China today, a whole billion more than there are living in the USA. The nation is big geographically, too; only Russia and Canada cover a larger land area. And you better believe all this bigness leads to craziness. Craziness so big and bigness so crazy that its impossible to fit it all into a single top ten list. But, by gum, were gonna try.

10. They Have a Dam So Big it Slowed the Earths Rotation

Forget the Eiffel Tower, the Forth Bridge or the Hoover Dam. The Three Gorges Dam is the only true engineering marvel on this planet deserving of the title mind-blowing. The largest dam yet built, it created a reservoir the size of the Kingdom of Bahrain. It holds back some 39.3 cubic kilometers of water. But the truly crazy part? The dam is so big that its construction slowed the rotation of the entire planet.

Time for a quick science lesson. Theres something called the moment of inertia, which basically describes how fast an object can rotate about its axis. If the object is wider, it can rotate less-quickly, which is why Olympic divers curl up into a tight little ball when doing those crazy flips. Raise a whole load of river water 175 meters into the air, and youre gonna affect the moment of inertia for the entire planet. The end result? Earth itself slows down.

Now, we should point out that the effect is microscopic. As in, the Three Gorges Dam adds only 0.06 microseconds to the length of the day. But to look at it another way: holy cow, that dam is so big it adds a measurable amount to the length of each day!

9. 30 Million Chinese People Still Live in Caves (and enjoy it)

Imagine being so poor you were forced to move into a cave. Itd suck, right? Like, thats the sort of thing that nobody has done outside of a warzone in centuries. Well, not quite. Even as you read this, there are currently 30 million people in China still living in caves (equivalent to the entire populations of Australia and New Zealand combined). The craziest part? Most of those 30 million freakin love their living arrangements.

The majority of Chinas cave dwellers live in Shaanxi province, where the porous soil and limestone cliffs make for easy excavation. Most have been wired up to the mains, many have plumbing, many come with multiple rooms and a lawn, and some even have mod-cons like refrigerators and TV. More importantly, in a country where people still earn low wages, you can rent a big cave for about $30 a month. Thats if its not for free. Some families have been passing down luxury caves for generations. And the majority of these caves are bigger, nicer, and quieter than Beijings apartments.

The LA Times even managed to interview city workers and Communist Party officials who wanted to retire to Shaanxi caves. Were betting 90 percent of overcrowded New Yorkers would happily do the same, too.

8. Millions of Kids Have Names that Sound Like Hashtags

Remember last time tragedy struck, and you showed your solidarity by retweeting a hashtag? Chinas parents laugh in the face of your low-level commitment to good causes. In the Peoples Republic, citizens dont merely use hashtags to show support on social media. They name their children after them.

In mid-2008, a huge earthquake shook the province of Sichuan, killing nearly 70,000 people. In the weeks after, the BBCs China service reported a wave of new parents naming their children things like Hope for Sichuan. Noble as this is, its also pretty bizarre. Imagine meeting a couple with a kid called Black Lives Matter or Je Suis Charlie and youll get some idea of how kooky this trend is.

But then people are always naming their kids after slogans in China. Also in 2008, 4,104 babies were registered with the name Olympics, in honor of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The BBC found records of kids called everything from Defend China, to Build the Nation, to Space Travel, and Civilization. That last one, by the way, was so popular nearly 300,000 babies wound up with it. And you thought your name was uncool in junior high.

7. The Army has an Official Division of 10,000 Pigeons

In 2011, Chinese State media made a surprise announcement. No, not the unveiling of Beijings first stealth fighter (though well done for remembering that. We knew you were a clever sort of a guy). No, the announcement concerned the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) latest recruits. 10,000 of them had just been assigned to the Chengdu division. Theyd been tasked with special military missions along the nations borders. Oh, and they were all pigeons.

Thats right. Chinas PLA has a 10,000-strong official division of birds whose only discernable skill is pooping on statues of famous people. All snark aside, the reasoning here is actually pretty sound. Beijing is way paranoid about a nuclear or cyber attack knocking out their communications systems. In the event this happens, the pigeons would be tasked with delivering messages at high speed between the countrys military installations, especially along the remote stretches of border where keeping in touch is hard enough as it is. Theres even some precedent for this. When Japan invaded in WWII, messenger pigeons were a vital part of Chinas defensive effort.

6. On-the-Go Organ Harvesting and Executions

You dont want to commit a capital crime in China. While plenty of countries still have the death penalty, none kill criminals with the speed, efficiency or sheer gusto of the Peoples Republic. China executes more people each year than every other executing country combined, a number thats even crazier when you realize it includes Iran, Saudi Arabia, and North freakin Korea. And this bloodlust has led to some bizarre and unsettling innovations, the most-unsettling of which has to be the Death Bus.

First reported in 2009, Chinas death buses are essentially mobile execution vans that travel from village to village snuffing out the lives of local prisoners. Even more morbidly, the buses have a surgeon on standby so the dead prisoners organs can be quickly harvested after they kick the bucket, and sold on for profit. The key word here is quickly. These vans can rock up in villages and knock off 2-3 criminals in a single morning. Thats death row efficiency even the state of Texas would balk at.

5. Theres Only One Time Zone (and its crazy)

Before we can do this entry justice, we need to reiterate again just how big China is. Its roughly the same size as the US. Its over twice as big as the entire European Union. It dwarfs Australia. Each of those comparative nations/unions has at least 3 time zones, and as many as five. China, on the other hand has only one: Beijing time. And it applies everywhere.

This means Chinese time tends to make sense in Beijing, and is completely mad elsewhere. In the far western province of Xinjiang, for example, the sun doesnt rise until 10 a.m. in winter, and sets after midnight in summer. That might make sense in Norway or Siberia, but China is way south of either of those places. In effect, locals at the extreme western points of the country have to put up with a timescale that makes zero sense for their circumstances.

As an additional headache, various ethnic groups in China refuse to recognize Beijing time, seeing it as cultural imperialism on the part of the Han Chinese majority. So a doctors appointment made for 3 p.m. in Tibet or Xinjiang may mean 3 p.m. Beijing time, or 3 p.m. on illegal Tibetan or Uighur time, and you probably wont know until you get there and find the place shut.

4. You Must Have Official Permission to be Reincarnated

Lets say youre religious and believe in reincarnation. Now, lets say that you wind up shuffling off this earthly plane in China. What do you think happens next? According to the governing CCP, the answer should be depends on if I filled in the correct forms or not. Since 2007, Beijing has required citizens to get official permission before reincarnating.

The law, issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, states that anyone intending to return to this mortal coil must follow a strict set of procedures, including informing the Communist Party of who they intend to come back as. Those who fail to do so will well, were not sure, to be honest. Powerful as the Chinese government is, it seems doubtful even they have the ability to stop transmigration of the soul from taking place.

Of course, the real reason China brought in this hilariously odd law is to scupper the Dali Lamas plans to get reincarnated and keep campaigning for Tibetan autonomy. The Dali Lama responded by saying hed simply choose to reincarnate outside Chinese-controlled territory.

3. Books are Sold by Weight

The key to selling a book in the west is its title or author. A slim classic novel or a mega-blockbuster by a famous writer will go for far more than a bigger book by a total unknown. Not so in China. Go shopping for books on the streets of Shanghai, and youll find yourself paying not according to how good or famous a book is, but according to how much it weighs.

In practical terms, this means a 1,000 page tome by a guy who writes in crayon and cant string a sentence together is considered far more valuable than a short book like, say, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. Mad as this sounds, its actually kinda useful for students. A short, glossy volume of common Spanish phrases, for example, will attract a mid-range price in the US. In China, you can have it for pocket change.

Before readers in China flood the comments section to point out our bone-headed ignorance, we should note that selling books by weight isnt standard across the entire country. Its mainly prevalent around Shanghai and the eastern provinces. But since this includes some of the biggest, busiest cities in the whole of China, were gonna go ahead and include it here.

2. Censorship is Even-Crazier than You Think

Quick: what do time-travel, cleavage, The Big Bang Theory, South Korea, and Western lifestyles all have in common? The answer is that China censors every single one of them (theyre all awesome is another acceptable answer, depending on your level of tolerance for the weekly antics of Sheldon Cooper). These are only a fraction of the innumerable things Beijing feels the need to block its citizens from ever encountering.

Some of the things China considers beyond the pale are crazy even by the standards of authoritarian regimes. Until April 2016, one of the nations top-rated programs was Dad, Where are We Going?, a travel show where fathers took their little tykes on trips around Chinas historical landmarks. Then party functionaries suddenly banned celebrity children and the show had to be canceled. Other recent bans have included shows featuring gay people, and shows that depict smoking, drinking, South Korea, ghosts, reincarnation, or feudalism. Wed guess there probably arent that many primetime shows about feudalism out there, but then again, what do we know?

We could go on. China has officially banned talking animals in movies, depictions of online dating when it involves army personnel, and anything starring Brad Pitt. At least they didnt have to suffer through Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

1. One in Five Humans Alive Today are Chinese

If you need any proof that China is the planets future, this amazing statistic is it. Its one thing to hear that China has a population of 1.357 billion people. Its quite another to see it put down in such blunt terms. 20 percent of all human beings alive today are Chinese. By way of comparison, Americans account for less than 4.5 percent of the global population.

The only country that comes even remotely close to this mind-boggling figure is India. India has a population of 1.252 billion; still several million short of China, but at least within the same ballpark. After that, its a long, long drop to the US, in 3rd place, with a comparatively tiny population of 325.3 million. Chinas Pearl River Delta urban conurbation alone has a population of around 42 million, more than the entirety of Poland, Canada, or Australia.

Its worth remembering that all this comes after decades of a crazy one child policy that saw the countrys birthrate plummet. If the CCP hadnt dreamed up its oddball family-limiting plan, probably even Indias population figures wouldnt be within touching distance. Believe it or not, crazy-big as Chinas population is, it could be even crazy-bigger.

Other Articles you Might Like
ND will lead the country out of the crisis with a 'different policy mix', he says from Aegean islands of Pserimos and Kos

The next government will be that of New Democracy, which will successfully lead the country out of the crisis by adopting a different policy mix, main opposition ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday, in a meeting with local government officials and business people on the island of Kos.

"A condition for this is that we escape from the vice of populism," Mitsotakis added, stressing that ND will not make promises that it cannot keep. "We will leave behind us the days of easy promises, the long lists of measures and actions that, as a rule, are never implemented. Those few things that we say, we will turn into action," he said.

Mitsotakis said that growth would come from the private sector and not a state sector bloated with new hirings, as in the past, while ND's policy will be to lower taxes and trim spending in the state sector. He also emphasised tourism, which he said was an essential element of growth in Greece, calling for targeted policies and the development of alternative forms of tourism.

Among others, he welcomed the concession of 14 regional airports in Greece to an international consortium as a very positive development and referred to the refugee and migration problem, where he claimed the present government had been proved "inadequate". He stopped short of promising that the hotspot on Kos will close, however, noting that its existence was foreseen by the agreement between Greece and the EU.

Mitsotakis also said that Greece sought positive relations with Turkey within the framework of international law during his visit to the island of Pserimos. Mr. Mitsotakis praised the military staff stationed on the small island in the Dodecanese, located off the west coast of Turkey, for their significant contribution in safeguarding the nations borders. I would like to tell those serving on the borderlines of Greece how much we appreciate their efforts and that Greek society embraces them with confidence. The Mayor of of Kalymnos, John Galouzis welcomed Mr. Mitsotakis to the island and showed him the settlement of Pserimos. The leader of ND visited the islands church and the agricultural infirmary, while he also spoke with locals who expressed their grievances.

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 historic Conference on Cyprus in Geneva has ended

The historic Conference on Cyprus is underway, where the crucial security and guarantees issues will be exclusively discussed between President Nicos Anastasiades, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and the island's three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, and the UK).

The Foreign Ministers of the three Guarantor Powers, Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu, Greece's Nikos Kotzias, and the UK's Boris Johnson have all arrived, for the first meeting of the three with Cypriot leaders.

The EU delegation has also arrived at the historic talks on the security and guarantees issue, with the heads of the delegation being EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini.

Anastasiades and Akinci are to meet from 11:30am to 11:50am (Cyprus Time) with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres prior to the Conference beginning.

At 12pm (Cyprus Time) an opening ceremony will be held for the Conference, where the UN and parties present will make statements. Bilateral meetings between the Conference participants will follow the opening ceremony.

The Conference is officially expected to begin at 12:15 (Cyprus Time) and will run until 1pm, before reconvening at 7pm and continuing until 9pm (Cyprus Time).

Guterres, who will chair the Conference, is also expected to address the press alongside Anastasiades and Akinci at 3:45pm (Cyprus Time).

SOLUTION WITHIN REACH

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced he'll be attending the Conference, with EU Foreign Affairs chief Federica Mogherini having already arrived.

The three guarantor powers will be represented at the Conference by their Foreign Ministers, with higher representation to follow should a solution be within reach.

Yesterday, UN Special Adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, said that the EU would be called into the meetings being held between Anastasiades and Akinci and the guarantor powers as needed.

Eide stated that there was no timeframe for when the discussion on the security and guarantees issue would close.

History was made yesterday, when the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides submitted their territorial adjustment maps for the very first time, with three cartographers (one from each side and one from the UN) behind closed doors.

Cyprus Government Spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides added, yesterday, that the Conference would begin today as planned, despite some apprehension from the Greek Cypriot side on the territorial adjustment map submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side.

BACKGROUND

Anastasiades and Akinci decided last December 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.

SigmaLive English will be following events in Geneva as they unfold.

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
English site Guardian is highly critical of the Greek government in dealing the refugees exposed to arctic weather conditions

English site Guardian is highly critical of the Greek government in dealing the refugees exposed to arctic weather conditions on the island of Lesvos:

From the Guardian:

"Thousands of refugees are enduring freezing temperatures in flimsy tents across Greece as a result of the arctic blast that has swept across Europe, triggering criticism abroad and putting the government on the defensive.

In a robust exchange in parliament the migration policy minister, Yannis Mouzalas, conceded that people trapped in the country were living in appalling conditions exacerbated by severe cold weather and unprecedented snowfall nationwide.

The situation in the hot spots is very bad, he said. Conditions on the islands are awful.

The government has faced severe criticism over conditions in reception centres, which pose health and safety risks in the depths of winter.

Footage of tents weighed down by snow in the vastly overcrowded Moria camp in Lesbos has elicited particular consternation  and embarrassment for Mouzalas, who only days ago insisted that in light of government preparations there would be no refugees living in the cold. Reports of illness among elderly and infirm refugees have been rife, with agencies attributing outbreaks of pneumonia and flu to the lack of adequate shelter. On Monday the images drew a sharp rebuke from the European commission. The situation is untenable, said a spokeswoman, Natasha Bertaud. But we also have to be clear  that ensuring adequate reception conditions in Greece is a responsibility of Greek authorities.

Temperatures have plunged to 5C on Lesbos, where authorities have struggled to cope with refugee numbers that surpassed capacity long ago. In other parts of Greece, including the southern island of Crete, the cold snap has seen temperatures drop to an unprecedented 14C. In the Attica region surrounding Athens  where efforts have been under way to place people in rented apartments  sub-zero temperatures were also recorded with snow blanketing ancient monuments.

The unusually cold readings are expected to continue through to Thursday.

Many of Greeces most populated refugee camps are near or over capacity amid freezing temperatures

On Tuesday, a flight carrying Mouzalas to Lesbos, where the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, is leading efforts to move people into hotels, was turned back because of the bad weather.

Efforts are under way to move people as quickly as possible into hotels, the islands mayor, Spyros Galinos, told the Guardian. Ive not seen so much snow, ever. Electricity supplies have been knocked out. There are villages that are isolated, without light or heating or running water. Its difficult for everyone.

An estimated 62,000 migrants and refugees have been stranded in Greece following the closure of borders by countries further north and Europes deal with Turkey to curb flows last March. About 10,000 of those are trapped on the Aegean islands, including Lesbos.

Although the number of arrivals has dropped dramatically since sea patrols were stepped up, more than 180,000 people have managed to reach Greece since March. Official figures released on Tuesday showed 5,491 refugees on Lesbos alone. Moria, the islands main facility, was built to house less than half that number. The governments migration spokesman, Giorgos Kyritsis, said fewer than 1,000 refugees were still living in tents on the islands.

The burden has to be reduced, said Galinos. Refugees have to be moved inland to other centres on the mainland.

In northern Greece, where the deep freeze worsened at the weekend, the plight of refugees living in tents in abandoned industrial warehouses was further complicated by water and electricity cuts.

NGOs attributed the chaos to the absence of a national response plan, saying despite warnings of bitterly cold weather the state had been woefully ill-prepared.

Writer: Helena Smith

More at theguardian.com 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
Ongoing fiscal reforms and higher oil prices could bring Saudi Arabia's current account deficit nearer to balance over the coming years as the external breakeven oil price hovers around $60/barrel, a report said.



The drop in SAR Fx forward points reflects this but capital outflows and fiscal slippage remain risks, said the Bank of America Merrill Lynchs Emerging Insight report.



The balance of payments (BoP) data for the kingdom suggests financial outflows are continuing, likely reflecting private sector hedging and official outward flows, the report said.



Methodological compilation issues mean the size of such outflows may be difficult to ascertain accurately. Within

the official sector, the outward investment mandate of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) needs to be carefully managed in order not to pressure reserves.



If outflows persist, authorities may consider resorting to administrative measures as the commitment to an open capital account is central to attracting foreign investment under the economic reform programme, said the report prepared by Bank of America Merrill Lynch Mena economist Jean-Michel Saliba and the banks GEM Fixed Income Strategy & Global Economics research team.



Fiscal discipline over the first nine months of 2016 has helped narrow the current account deficit. The current

account deficit stood at 5.2 per cent of GDP over the period, compared to 8.7 per cent of GDP in 2015.

Furthermore, the current account balance recorded a small surplus of $2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2016,

while the trailing current account deficit stood at $46.7 billion (7.6 per cent of GDP).



Government fiscal consolidation has been the main driver of external balances, alongside oil prices. The quarterly trade surplus improved in 3Q16, standing at $19.5 billion (oil prices of $45.8/bbl), compared to a low of $3.3 billion in 1Q16 (oil prices of $34.5bbl). Quarterly imports compressed materially, plunging by 32 per cent year-on-year to $25 billion, down from a quarterly peak of $40 billion. The invisibles balance has also improved, largely on the back of lower government payments for goods and services and stabilization in outward remittances.



Non-oil sector recession

Narrowing of the current account deficit mirrors the sharp slowdown in non-hydrocarbon sector activity over recent quarters. The non-oil economy was in recession over 9m16 as real non-hydrocarbon GDP growth contracted by 0.3 per cent YoY, from 3.2 per cent YOY in 2015. This was largely driven by contraction in the non-oil government sector, as the non-oil private sector maintained a marginally positive real growth rate, said the report.



Oil prices approaching external breakeven levels

With the external breakeven oil price around $60/bbl, higher oil prices and ongoing fiscal reforms are likely to drive the current account nearer to balance over the medium term. Stabilization in real terms of government spending suggests that imports are likely to rebound. Even if crude oil production cuts are fully reflected into exports, the higher oil price compared to September levels more than fully compensates for this.



While the market is focused on the fiscal outlook, this should not obscure the other challenge facing authorities, which is to tame the capital outflows. This situation is relatively peculiar for the Saudi authorities. Historically, Saudi current account surpluses were associated with financial account deficits as sterilization of oil export receipts translated into acquisition of foreign assets.



"Our breakdown of the net International Investment Position (IIP) shows large holdings of foreign assets by the semigovernment and private sector. The repatriation of Fx assets by government entities, part of which is managed by Sama off-balance sheet, minimized Fx reserves loss," said the report.



Financial flows were the largest driver of Fx reserve loss in 9m16. Adjusting for the issuance of a $10 billion sovereign syndicated loan, the pace of financial outflows in 9m16 would have picked up over the same period of 2015. While the financial account gap augmented by net errors and omissions stood at $36 billion in 9m16, the current account deficit stood at $25 billion over the same period. This compares unfavourably to 2015, where the drain from both sources was roughly matched at $57 billion, it said. - TradeArabia News Service
The Saudi government has awarded a $30-million contract to Hyundai Elevator for the installation of its escalators in Security Forces Medical City, a large-scale medical complex under development in Riyadh.



Under the latest contract, Hyundai Elevator will supply its products in stages from the third quarter this year to the end of 2018, reported Business Korea, citing a company spokesman.



"Saudi Arabia is a main market of our globalisation strategy. So, it is meaningful in that we bagged the deal at the moment when the economy of the Middle East is contracted due to lower oil prices," he added.



Hyundai Elevator said after proving its excellence in quality to the Saudi Arabian government by clinching this contract, there is scope for winning another elevator deal in the second complex to be built in Jeddah in the future, the report added.
The UAE government plans to build a 15-km extension to the new Fujairah Expressway, which is aimed at improving the connectivity between Oman and the emirates, said a report.



Once the road gets ready in 2018, drivers to Oman will be able to bypass the city of Fujairah and branch out into two inter-connected highways, one linking with E99 or the East Coast Road and the second meeting E102 or Sharjah-Kalba Road, reported The Oman Observer.



Currently, the Hatta border road is the main link between the UAE and Oman, while the Al Ain-Buraimi exit and the Khatam Malaha post in Kalba accessed either through Fujairah or from the old Sharjah-Kalba road are used by road travellers between the two countries.



The first phase of the project stretching 4.5 km will be ready by August this year, it added.
An American government watchdog will examine the US Justice Department's and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's actions before the election in connection to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

By AP: In yet another aftershock from the chaotic US presidential campaign, the US Justice Department's internal watchdog on Thursday opened an investigation into the department's and the FBI's actions before the election, including whether FBI Director James Comey followed established policies in the email investigation of Hillary Clinton, who lost the presidential election to the Republican Donald Trump.

Members of Clinton's Democratic Party have blamed Comey's handling of the inquiry into her use of a private email server, and his late-October public letter about the case, as one reason for her loss in the presidential election to the Republican Donald Trump.

advertisement

Workers are now putting final touches on preparations for next week's Inauguration Day, when Trump will formally take charge as the president of the US, and the new probe will not change the election results. But it revives questions of whether the FBI took actions that might have influenced the outcome.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department's internal watchdog, will direct the investigation, which comes in response to requests from members of Congress and the public.

Also read: Hillary Clinton blames FBI for losing the race to White House, says probe into emails did the damage

FBI DIRECTOR COMEY: PLEASED ABOUT THE REVIEW

Comey said he was pleased about the review and the FBI would cooperate fully with the inspector general.

"I hope very much he is able to share his conclusions and observations with the public because everyone will benefit from thoughtful evaluation and transparency regarding this matter," he said in a statement.

One part of the review will concern Comey's news conference last July in which he said the FBI would not recommend charges against Clinton for her use of a private email system during her tenure as secretary of state. Trump repeatedly criticised that practice, contending it put national security secrets at risk.

Trump also declared at raucous rallies during the campaign that he would seek a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton and that she would be in jail if he were elected. But he said after the election that he did not intend to seek a new investigation of her.

Also read: Trump won't lock her up

Comey, during his announcement in the summer, broke protocol when he chastised Clinton and her aides as "extremely careless" in their email practices. It's highly unusual for federal law enforcement officials to discuss a criminal case that ends without charges being filed.

CONTROVERSY BEFORE ELECTION DAY

Comey reignited the email controversy on October 28 when he informed the US Congress that agents would be reviewing a cache of emails between Clinton aide Huma Abedin and Clinton for any new evidence related to Clinton's handling of sensitive State Department material.

That move boiled in the campaign for nine days, before Comey announced on November 6 - two days before Election Day - that the inquiry had found no new evidence of wrongdoing.

advertisement

Clinton and her aides have said the disclosure of the "new" emails, found on a laptop belonging to former New York Representative Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of a close Clinton aide, hurt the candidate in several battleground states. Trump won the election in part with narrow victories in Democratic-leaning states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Comey's statements prompted outrage from Clinton and other Democrats who said they needlessly placed her under fresh suspicion when the FBI didn't even know whether the emails were relevant.

Asked about the new investigation, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch told The Associated Press in Baltimore that "we let them conduct their review before we make any statement about that." She added that "obviously everyone's going to await the results of that."

Also read: Who is Amitabh Bachchan? Hillary Clinton asks in leaked emails

Also read: Lost election due to unprecedented Russian cyberattacks, says Hillary Clinton

--- ENDS ---
Iran is ready to cooperate with Omani private sector in fisheries, said a top Iranian government official.



Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad and Head of the Fisheries Organization Hassan Salehi and the Omani counterpart Hamed bin Said al-Oufi in Muscat also discussed ways to promote the two-way relations in fisheries, reported Irna.



Salehi provided a report on the volume of fishing in the northern and southern waters of Iran as well as in the Oman Sea and the Indian Ocean.



The ministers discussed fish, shrimp and sturgeon farming, especially by method of marine caged culture.



Salehi added that fishery processing and production have promoted in Iran, so the country is ready for cooperation with the private sector of Oman.
You can opt out of certain types of cookies (e.g. those used in social media sharing) by choosing "I do not accept". The website will still largely function well, but with slightly less functionality in places. To manage your cookie preferences in future, visit the "Cookie Statement" link at the bottom of any page.
London, United Kingdom  January 12, 2017  Crehana, an online training platform for creative professionals in Spanish-speaking markets, announced today that it has completed a $750,000 seed capital round with the help of ClearlySo, Europes leading impact investment bank, and HOWZAT Partners. Crehana plans to use the funding for product development and for further expansion across Latin America.

Crehana offers a wide range of affordable courses in creative disciplines such as web design, photography, design, animation, audiovisual and 3D. Addressing a gap in the provision of creative education between limited public university places and expensive, private tuition, Crehana has quickly become a valuable resource to an under-served and growing community of creative professionals in Spain and Latin America. By completing Crehana courses, students are able to continually develop skills, build an online portfolio of work and ultimately enhance their employment prospects.

We are selling in more than 15 countries in Latin America, helping aspiring professionals learn the skills they need to progress their career. Our plan is to democratize creative education through affordable learning, said Diego Olcese, Crehanas co-founder and chief executive officer.

Further commenting, Mike Cowell, investment manager at ClearlySo: Crehana has built an impressive platform, empowering creative people from all backgrounds to further their learning and develop new skills. The scalability of the platform, social impact and Crehanas strong traction to date made it an appealing proposition for impact investors. We are proud to have supported Crehana on this transaction.

About Crehana

Crehana is an integrated web platform that delivers creative education through project-based courses where students learn in-demand skills and connect with the teacher and other students through class forums and an online community. Launched in April 2015, it has built a catalogue of +300 courses across 15 creative disciplines. Training modules are currently delivered in Spanish and are curated by a network of over 120 expert content creators from around the world.

About ClearlySo

ClearlySo is Europes leading impact investment bank, working exclusively with businesses and funds delivering positive social, ethical, and/or environmental impact as well as financial return.

Originally founded in 2008, ClearlySo has helped more than 100 clients raise more than 108 million in impact investment from its extensive network of high-net-worth individual and institutional investors.

In addition, ClearlySo ATLAS helps investors assess the social and environmental impact of their venture capital and private equity investments and guides them towards choosing sustainable businesses that deliver long term benefit to people, planet and the bottom line.

ClearlySo is headquartered in London.

About HOWZAT Partners

HOWZAT Partners is a London and Luxembourg based Venture Capital Investor with an international portfolio. Founded in 2006, the fund focuses on investments in digital start-up companies between the early Seed to Series A phase. For further information on the fund, its managers and a current list of investments please refer to www.howzatpartners.com.
Introverts have excellent personalities, but they're not too sociable or, let's be honest, ridiculous as some extroverts may be at times. Introverts take more time to show their character since they find comfort in well-recognized scenarios.

It might be concealed under some shyness, but the character is undoubtedly there. When they travel, they like a chillax environment. They want to go out and explore on their own so to keep the experience to themselves.

They don't mind interaction as long as they have enough privacy to digest the sceneries. If you're an introvert, here are some great spots for you.

Bergamo, Italy. The place is perfect for people who are into art, literature, and history. Bergamo looks like time stood still during the medieval ages with its cobblestone streets and brickworks. For the introvert, it's a place of thought, drama, and flair. Sites worth visiting are the Torre del Campanone, Accademia Carrara, La Rocca, and Chiesa del Santo Spirito among many others.

Sion, Switzerland. The sun-blessed town of the Swiss has only 30,000 citizens and boasts of having 7,000 years' worth of history. The mountains, valleys, lakes should be visited as to refresh or recharge the introvert's old soul. The Castle Church of Valeria houses one of the world's oldest playable organs, while the Old Town has lines and lines of historical monuments. Head to their museums and wine-making regions and talk to thought-industry individuals. There are also thermal spa resorts for some down time.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA. If you want to contemplate your place in the world, this American park, takes your mind off and sets your eyes towards the heavens. Why? The Aurora Borealis glows brightly at Voyageurs and the stars gleam luminously at night. If you're heaven's child, there is no better place than to camp here and talk to your nightly constellations.

Pilgrim's Rest, South Africa. The entire town has been declared as a National monument. Pilgrim's Rest is pretty chill and quirky, so, it would bode well to an introvert's characteristics. This part of Africa boasts scenic routes and sights. If you drive up to Robbers Pass up to the Wild Horses, no other song would be more appropriate than blasting "Here I Am" and "I will always return" by Bryan Adams. Bask in the great outdoors and wonder at the sights of Pinnacle Rock, Lisbon Falls, Blyde River Canyon and Bourke's Luck Potholes among many others.

Skopje, Macedonia. Try walking on cobble streets reminiscing what was like in the past before the advent of technology. Carsija is a destination you might want to go if you want to head to the market area, craftsmen's stores and teahouses. But who says it's all full of old stuff? Archaeological Museum of Macedonia also offers 3D renditions of Macedonia's history. Other sites worth visiting are the Tvrdina Kale Fortress, Museum of Contemporary Art and Plostad Makedonija.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Traveling to far destinations can be a lot of fun, adventurous and intriguing, however not everybody has the time or the financial means to travel to other continents, especially with family in the picture. In the previous months when the campaigning was intense, the Mexican peso was seen dropping by a small percent, which could mean more drop on the currency when the new government comes into the white house. This makes Mexico a suitable option for US citizens who want to travel without going too far or spending a fortune. Below is a comparison between Us and Mexico costs.

According to Yahoo, for US travelers to Mexico, a restaurant meal that costs $15-$60 in the US, will cost $4-$27 in Mexico. And a $3 taxi fare in Chicago USA is equivalent to $1 when using a taxi in Mexico. A $5 beer in the US will cost 95 cents in Mexico making it an affordable destination in comparison.

The August signed the deal on transportation agreement between Mexico and US, has a resolution on removing the airline limit between the two countries and promote economic growth for both countries due to improvement in transport facility. This being the case, a drop of about 36% is expected for flights between Mexico and US.

As reported by Expertvagabond, moreover airlines have brought in new crafts that are expected to begin the routes early February. The new airline introduced called "volaris" is expected to cost $99 for a one-way trip. And the airlines that existed like the Hawaiian, Norwegian air and Delta are expecting to add new routes going to Milwaukee to Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta.

Back in 2015 Mexico was the most visited destination of the year and an average cost for a room was about $147. Its stats for being most visited destination dropped in 2016 when it ranked second with an average room cost of $136. With the current trend of currency drop this year a cheaper accommodation in Mexico is expected. Currently, the hottest deals in Mexico hotels are in Mino Real Polanco hotel for $111 and the Hotel Royal Reforma for $7.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Germany's Oktoberfest has been known to be the most popular beer festival in the world for decades. However, what many people don't know is that they don't have to go to Germany just to enjoy festive celebrations of the world's most popular drink - beer.

According to a report from Paste Magazine, one popular beer festival that no one should miss is the Great American Beer Festival which has been established in 1982. One of the most popular beer festivals in the United States, it is a celebration of thousands of different varieties of beer from more than 800s breweries across the fifty states. It is usually celebrated every October in the Colorado Convention Center.

Another part of Europe that also celebrates their own, unique flavors of ale and craft beer would be the Great British Beer Festival. Usually celebrated in August of every year, this beer festival is as crazy as it can get. It is one of the biggest celebrations of beer in Europe just before the Oktoberfest of Germany. Better make sure you reserve a ticket early through their website as it can get easily sold out. A week-long event, it is a celebration of locally brewed beer with a secret, special twists.

Although it is more common for Canadians to love their Scotch, the Great White North is also a great place to celebrate beer. Their festival known as the Mondial de la Biere is a free-for-all event that recognizes all the best beers in the world, as reported by Buzzfeed. They hold tastings and competitions in this Canadian beer festival.

Of course, Asia is also home to their own celebrations of the Oktoberfest. But some countries, like China, can pretty much party in their own right. In China, they have their own 21-day beer festival known as the Qingdao Beer Festival which is held every August of the year. This is probably one of the longest beer festivals in Asia.

Beer has been a famous beverage for centuries. Each country has its own special ingredient, secret recipe and special brewing techniques that make each beer have a unique flavor. It's just a matter of where you are in the world to celebrate it.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Traveling alone is a very different experience not just than traveling with friends or family, but traveling for business as well. There is a lot to learn traveling being alone in a new environment not just from the destination but from yourself as well. You will better know yourself on how you act around different people around, how well you take care of yourself in a strange new location and maybe even discover a new interest, free from the opinions of others.

But hey, let's admit it, traveling solo can be fun and unique but it can be pretty expensive as well with no one to share the costs with. Here is a chosen list of the best places in America for solo travel.

According to Flip Key, Boulder, Colorado is located at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills and with 30,000 acres of land open to the public, Boulder is every solo traveler's dream to fulfill. Spend your time in this part of Colorado hiking Chautauqua Park and the Flatirons everywhere which is the symbols of the city of Boulder. Bring your camera along to capture the stunning beauty of the whole location and just appreciate life.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina offers solo travelers a fusion of both virgin beach delight and spirited nightlife. During the day, try walking along the 1.2 mile long Oceanfront Boardwalk for prime people watching, and grab something to eat on the go from the Boardwalk Snack & Ice Cream, which is the heart of the boardwalk.

At night, the city comes to life as activities everywhere pop up all the sudden. Start your night at The Bowery, which is a landmark in Myrtle Beach for years. Bars are open late night here, so hop from place to place or bar hopping with new friends that you meet along the way.

According to Insider Monkey, Miami, Florida is perfect for people who love the beach and partying. Miami is also the perfect destination for food lovers looking to sample a wide variety of international food fair but not much if you're on a tight budget as it can get really expensive.

San Francisco, California is a city that welcomes solo travelers as it has the best free summer concerts and festivals in town where you can dance almost everywhere at the lively Stern Grove Festival to Bay Area Bike Share, which makes it easy and less costly to roam around the whole city.

According to Rough Guides, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas is best if you want to try trekking through America's wilderness. Hot Springs National Park is one of the smallest and oldest national parks in the United States which is quite interesting and very historical as well making it a good location for solo travelers to learn more of the history while experiencing true beauty of the wild. For more of the best locations to visit in America 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
The famous giant sequoia tree tunnel in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, California has been beaten down by massive storms occurred in the country. The Pioneer Cabin Tree, as it is known, is one of the last giant trees standing at the park and was carved in the middle allowing passersby to cross beneath it.

It's one of the oldest tourist attractions in the States, having been around for more than 1,000 years. It stood 100 feet tall and has a width of 22 feet in diameter.

According to its news release, the park said, "A combination of trunk and root decay and storm water runoff appears to have brought the giant sequoia down at its base, shattering it and a nearby cedar tree." They also reported that the trees on the park fell when the trail to the giant sequoia was closed due to a heavy downpour and rising creek.

"Flowing water and fallen tree branches are current public safety concerns being addressed by state park staff. Almost a foot of rain has fallen at Calaveras Big Trees State Park near Arnold in the last two weeks, with more than three inches falling Sunday," they said.

During the 1800s, lightning struck the tree and hollowed it, which knocked off its crown. In 1881, the tree was squared and for sixty years, tourists rode horses and carriages through the Pioneer Cabin Tree, while in the 1920s, automobiles passed through it.

The CA State Library shared its blues to Twitter by posting photos of how the tree looked like decades ago. "So sad the #PioneerCabinTree didn't make it through the storm. Here's how it looked in the 1930s."

The Pioneer Cabin Tree was one of the last of the historic tunnel redwoods in the Sierra. The park said that the Palace Hotel Tree and Smith Cabin Tree remain standing in the more remote South Grove Nature Preserve at Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

"A temporary trail bypass around the fallen Pioneer Cabin Tree may be established as soon as flood waters recede and the trail can be reopened safely," they wrote.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
A study was conducted testing hygiene standards of the hotel across the UK. The result surprised everyone as it revealed that a five-star accommodation bedroom gets the most bacteria levels.

The confounding research by Leeds Beckett University was formed for an episode of BBC One show Rip Off Britain: Holidays reported on Monday morning. Areas investigated are the ones that are most likely to come into contact with guests. The team tried swabbing light switches, bathroom door handles, a glass, the remote control, the desk and the bedspread from rooms in five different hotels in every star rating category.

These swabs were tested in a laboratory by medical microbiologist Dr. Margarita Gomez-Escalada. This is to see the level of bacteria that grew under strict conditions. The result would be an indicator of the cleanliness of the broader area. The greater the bacteria level the higher the chance that the room had not been recently cleaned, says, Daily Mail.

The worst delinquent in the study was a luxury hotel room where three out of the six areas tested had a substantial amount of bacteria on them they could not even be counted in a laboratory. The bacteria levels on the blanket bed cover were described as off the scale, which means the germ count is immeasurable, reported Today.

Other bacteria hotspots were the bathroom door handle, the main light switch, and the remote control. Four-star hotels were found to have some bacteria levels potentially dangerous. Excluding the bathroom door knobs, there were great levels of bacteria in all the other areas of the room. It was the glass found in the bathroom that went off the scale for the bacteria count. Express reported that Dr. Escalada notes on the glass because potentially guests might be ingesting the bacteria and that could make them sick.

The three-star hotel had surprisingly high levels of bacteria in several areas, particularly in the main light switch. The budget and two-star hotels performed better, with the two-star emerging winner as the cleanest room. There were no bacteria found on the door knobs as well as on the light switch, and the other items recorded low bacteria levels.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
A Hyderabad man has sent a legal notice to a 16-year-old schoolgirl who was forced to marry him, asking her to resume her conjugal duties.

By India Today Web Desk: A Hyderabad man has sent a legal notice to a 16-year-old schoolgirl who was forced to marry to him, asking her to "resume" her "conjugal duties". The girl had left him and returned home after being subjected to physical and sexual abuse for two months.

The girl is now seeking help from an NGO working for child rights, after the police declined to take action, saying child marriage is "not automatically illegal."

advertisement

SEX OFFENDER TAKES LEGAL ROUTE FOR SEX WITH MINOR

#1 According to an NDTV report, the girl returned to her parental home after she was physically and sexually abused by her cousin-turned-husband every day for two months.

#2 She was forced to marry the man -- 20 years older than her -- in February last year after her family urged her saying "her aunt was dying and would like to see her son married".

#3 The girl was preparing for Class 10 examinations at the time and requested she be allowed to sit for the exams and study further. After her exams, she was sent to her husband's home.

#4 Once the girl returned home due to the abuse, her parents welcomed her back and asked the husband's family to return the Rs 1 lakh and the gold they had given them as dowry. That was when the man sent the legal notice asking her to 'resume sex'.

#5 After the police expressed their helplessness, the girl turned to an activist from a government-run social action group. A Panchayat meeting was called where the husband showed up with two lawyers, saying, "instead of returning money to her parents, he would pay lawyers."

#6 Child Rights Commission member Achyutha Rao has told NDTV they will file a criminal case against the lawyer for serving a legal notice on sexual duties to a minor.

#7 The lawyer, meanwhile, says he had no idea that the girl is a minor. He told The News Minute that the husband told him his wife was 18-years-old, and that he will not pursue the case further.

#8 The girl does not want to go back to her 'husband' and wants to study further. She's required to get the marriage annulled within one year.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

#1 The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 dictates that every spouse has an 'obligation' to have sexual intercourse on a regular basis. It is one of the reasons that marital rape is still not considered illegal in India - if a woman refuses to have sex with her husband, he can file for divorce on grounds of "mental cruelty".

advertisement

#2 According to Rao, however, this particular marriage is 'void' and illegal as the girl is a minor. He told TNM that consummation of the marriage was a criminal offence and can invite rape charges.

#3 This scenario, however, is complicated as well. Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code defines rape as "sexual intercourse with a woman against her will, without her consent, by coercion, misrepresentation or fraud or at a time when she has been intoxicated or duped, or is of unsound mental health and in any case if she is under 16 years of age."

Unfortunately, it includes an exception: "Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape."

#4 In light of these legal complications, the most accessible legal recourse for the girl now is to seek annulment. Child rights activists aiding her have also approached local police to file a case against the husband.

--- ENDS ---
JetBlue Airways saves all travelers' dilemma for an airline ticket; remarkably its flash-sale brings it as low as $34 today! Learn more about the crazy fare drop here, when, where, and how to get it. Also, get ideas about the amazing destinations it offers and the affordable price for each. Notably, it's a dream come true for those planning a nice trip.

To start, the sale is just a 48-hour flash which will end on January 11, 2017 (11:59 EST). Seat availability and booking interactions will be online. Moreover, the passengers must save early because the travel period will only be from January 18 until March 8. Technically, it's the company's winter promotion, although it can also be a good Valentine marketing. Incredibly, it covers the romantic date but not February 17 to February 26, it's their one-week blackout.

With regards to the destinations and prices, the JetBlue's official website lists down about a hundred of their flights. They have fares below $100 on (West Palm Beach) Florida, (Charleston) South Carolina, (Las Vegas) Nevada, (Long Beach) California and more. Indeed, their ranges from the lowest $34 dollars to the highest $230.

Moreover, USA Today adds that JetBlue's sale will cover their Blue tag fare, it means some fare's inclusions will not be covered by the discounted amount. Some of the exclusions will be free checked and extra capacity baggage. Accordingly, this type of marketing is done to answer the dwindling airline sale after the holiday season. From mid-January to March, people focus on saving before they will again splurge on sunny vacations. Indeed, there will be no sales for the companies and they need to do something to retract the effects of it.

To conclude, travelers will really save a lot for JetBlue's flash sale! Though, everyone just need to be fast in reserving a seat because they go instantly. For more travel news and updates, keep following Travelers Today.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
A couple whose aim is to travel around the world with their three kids is in need of a traveling companion. Recently, the pair posted a video appeal on their Facebook page for a nanny who will be paid $1,200 monthly. The lucky applicant will travel with the family.

Her accommodation, food, and flights will be shouldered by the family including her travel back home to spend holidays with her family. The only expense not included is the phone bill.

According to Derek and M'Kenzie Tillotson, those who want to grab the rare opportunity is so much that they have to cut the deadline from late January to January 8. The video post went viral with 7.4 million views as reported by Daily Mail.

The job description will be cooking, cleaning and homeschooling the kids. Mrs. Tillotson said that her main duty is to teach the kids so she must have a background in education. She will pitch in for the couple in any task as they stay at home most of the time. They have a product distribution business that has given them contacts all over the world.

The itinerary will be from the New York to Iceland in July, then a grand tour of, then a Christmas back in Utah. They will then proceed to Hawaii, the Pacific, and Asia until next June. It will be a whole year traveling spree.

The mother of Beckett, Porter, and Wren said that they are looking for someone who will love the kids the way they do. She even posted a photo of her children rioting and she expects the possible nanny to put up with them.

The globe-circling couple explained that the candidate will have two days off each week to have time to explore on her own. They also said that the employee will be an honorary member of the family and will be respected and can openly say her opinion.

For those who are wondering how they were able to save for this once-in-a-lifetime voyage, the couple revealed about their Nu Skin business and global connections.

Many have expressed praise for the plan but there are those who criticized the meagerness of the salary offered. It is 70 percent less than the recommended salary for travel nanny as per Berkeley Parents Network. Some commented that the salary is not good enough with the duties that come with it. However, the majority of the comments were positive and hopes that someday they can travel around the world also.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
There's an island in Slovenia that looks like a place from a fairytale. Situated in the middle of a lake, Bled Island is just a small tear shaped isle that has a few buildings on it. There's also a wishing bell on the island and legend has it that for those people who ring the bell three times, their wishes will come true.

The island is well-known for its pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary. According to BBC, it was once a place of worship for polytheistic pagans. However, a war broke out between the pagans and Christians so the altars of the former pagan temple were destroyed. After that, a church was built in dedication to the Virgin Mary.

According to the Lonely Planet, travelers are welcome to tour around the island for free. The only fees that you're going to pay for are your travel expenses. However, the church charges an admission fee for those who want to enter its premises.

Travelers need to take a pletna or a traditional wooden boat to get to the island. For those adventurous people, they can even rent a pletna and row by themselves. After getting to the island, you can climb the 99-step staircase leading to the church.

Now, there are a few traditions and legends about this church. Some people say that there's a magic bell at the top and people can ring it three times and have one wish granted. According to Travel Slovenia, it's also a custom for a groom to carry his bride and walk the 99-steps. It's believed that this will bring them good luck.

There aren't a lot of attractions on the island because it's really small but there are a souvenir store and a cafe. You could also take pictures with the beautiful scenery surrounding the island.

For those people who would love a beautiful wedding location or just want to experience nature's beautiful scenery, this is the place for you. It's a small island but there's much to do here.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Ecotourism is earning more recognition among travelers as environmental campaigns stress the significance of maintaining the environment as is after every tour. Ecotourism also encourages thinking about the environment especially around UNESCO Heritage Sites. Here are five great ecotourism trips travelers could plan for this 2017.

Alaska's almost-eternal winter has its share of wildlife such as penguins, brown bears, sea otters, sea lions and bald eagles. Most tourist groups would encourage travelers to help preserve the natural habitat of these animals by preventing global warming. Seeing the beauty of Alaska -- especially if well-timed with the Aurora Borealis -- definitely encourages the preservation of the environment.

The Barbadian government has made efforts to strictly implement sustainability and the preservation of its long coastlines -- the premier destination of many tourists especially during the summer season. Encouraging messages in many resorts and bars raise awareness of how travelers can help preserve the environment. According to Green Global Travel -- citing Ecotourism Expert Jeff Greenwald -- Barbados is a great place of political progress.

According to Shermans Travel, the Amazon is known as the "Lungs of Our planet" producing 20 percent of breathable oxygen through its rich rain forest and other plant life. As a natural habitat, the Amazon has thousands of varieties of animal life, from mammals, birds, and reptiles. Being on the site itself for a few days will give travelers perspective about the importance of the Amazons and the world's oxygen production.

Australian Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a great slope for skiers but has hikes that feature amazing plantlife. Australian Koalas and hundreds of other species live on top of these slopes. Travelers can also enjoy rock climbing, mountain biking and even horseback riding high in the mountains.

In Africa is the beautiful wildlife surrounding deserts living in rainforests and hidden lakes in the many oasis of Botswana. No safaris here except observation of elephant herds, white rhinos and chacma baboons in well-guarded sanctuaries. Resorts are naturally environmentally-friendly, meaning less technology and a guaranteed connection to nature.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Visiting a country that has an unpleasant reputation is one thing. Countries like Venezuela, Brazil, and even Turkey already had 'warning labels' for travelers. However, any nation plagued by terrorism is a whole new level of life-threatening danger that one must avoid at all cost.

Unlike violent crimes like homicide and public disturbance, terrorist attacks are something that even the standing army would struggle to control. Bombing, kidnapping, and public executions make terrorist groups like ISIS a menace worth purging. And no other places on earth are more precarious than these top 5 countries plagued by terrorists.

Iraq

According to World Atlas and Forbes, Iraq is listed as the most terrorist-plagued nation on earth. This country has earned a terror scale of 10, making it a ground-zero territory with a threshold measurement for danger. The death toll reached a total of 6,960 deaths and 11,900 injuries within a single year (2015) - all these orchestrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Afghanistan

The reason why the United States considers Afghanistan as a country one must avoid at all cost is because of the nation's popular support for the fundamentalist political movement called the Taliban. In 2016, the Taliban killed over 5,312 and maimed another 6,429 of its countrymen, reaching the terror 9.23 terror scale.

Nigeria

Military and political authorities consider the Boko Haram as an African offshoot of ISIS. This group has subjected Nigeria into a series of vicious attacks that it became one of the top 5 countries plagued by terrorists. The Boko Haram has accumulated a death toll of 4,950 since 2015, resulting in a 9.21 terror scale in Nigeria.

Pakistan

Insular terrorist groups like the Taliban have managed to inspire sympathizers in neighboring countries. Hence, the Pakistani branch of Taliban forces claimed over 1,086 lives in 2015 alone. Curiously, the MI5 intelligence in the United Kingdom only placed Pakistan at Level 32 threat assessment despite its 9.07 terror scale.

Syria

The acronym for the terrorist group ISIS would not be complete without including Syria. Even though this country has bitterly fought back with the help of Russian allies, ISIS is not yet expelled from the country. The fight between the Russian-backed government and the renegade caliphate claimed a total of 400,000 deaths as of 2016. Syria has a terror scale of 8.11.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Kids and even adult travelers can get tired of the same camping site all over again. Whether it is a great backyard of an amazing American home or somewhere in Yellowstone National Park, camping in America and even Europe can be tiring and repetitive. Sometimes, travelers need to fly and camp elsewhere and experience the wilderness in the most unusual places in the world.

Desert camping is one way to change the scenery. Travelers with kids who love sandboxes can truly enjoy camping in Villavieja in Colombia, home of the Tatacoa Desert. There is magic in sleeping under the stars. See all the rock formations during the evening too!

Dubai is a country rich in natural beauty and the Al Hayer forest highlights Dubai's cultural and tall Ghaf Trees. According to Lovin Dubai, the forest is better with an off-road vehicle for adventures. The travel website also said it is better to bring firewood as the trees in the area are non-renewable.

In Africa's west coast features an amazing by-the-sea camping ground in the Tietiesbaai beach camp. It can suit kids of any age. Set up camp anywhere near the rocks or in the grass near the blue waters. But the strong winds can topple the weakest tents. Luckily, village lodging is available in Paternoster just a few klicks away.

Tired of the Grand Canyon? Dubai also has its own Wadi Sana in Dibba Al Fujaira. Dubai's mountain canyons feature a spectacular view with great camping grounds on top of its mountain plateaus. The trip to this amazing canyon is truly breathtaking and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

India has the famous Himalayas all to themselves but the need to head there could be delayed if travelers head to Nainital first. Lakeside camping sure sounds fun and according to We Are Holidays, there is paragliding and rafting available. Add in the fact restaurants are nearby and camping spots are guaranteed in-location and the experience just gets better.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Romania is surrounded with beautiful castles and amazing viewing spots around it, though some of the castles in the land are not as they used to be, they still look remarkable and stunning as usual. The country also has a huge amount of virgin forest full with wildlife especially brown bears, making it a great destination for nature lovers and wildlife seekers.

With the Carpathian mountains running through the center of the country, the combination makes for some unforgettably memorable views that will capture your imagination. Planning a vacation? Here some of the best reasons and destinations why you should visit Romania this year.

Romania has some of the continent's most amazing wildlife. Thousands of brown bears roam the Carpathian mountains. The best thing to do if you want to see these bears is to join an organised bear watching trip for you to really see and experience the brown bears of Romania.

Other animals in the Carpathians are lynx and wolves as well, though they cannot be spotted more frequently as well as the brown bears, they are a thing of beauty if you ever snap or capture one of these elusive creatures. Red deers are all over the land and getting a chance to see them is very high.

The virgin land of Danube Delta which is already a World Heritage Site offers they best bird sightings in Europe. From herons, red breasted geese and white tailed eagles as well as the rare dalmatian pelicans.

Romanian Architecture and Design. Most Romanian cities still showcase some of the best architectural designs all over the world. Brasov brags an elegant Baroque design dominated by the stunning Black Church, while on the other hand, Timisoara ranks highly for its wonderful confection of Secessionist and Hapsburg era architecture.

As stated by Rough Guides, the enchanted Romanian landscape is one of the best places in Europe for hiking opportunities. The two most celebrated mountain ranges well known in the country are the Fagaras and Retezat. Fagaras Mountains of the Southern Carpathian has the country's highest peak which includes Moldoveanu while Retezat has the most amazing views which is very awarding after a long and exhausting hike.

Visit The Enchanted Castles. Romania is home to three of Europe's top castles.One is the elegant Peles Castle which is located in the Carpathian Mountains near the town of Sinaia. The other one is Bran Castle also known as Vlad's Castle which was originally built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in the late 1200's and lastly the Hunedoara Castle, also known as Corvin Castle is reported by locals as the place where Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned for seven years and it is reported to be haunted as well.

Budget Destination For Everyone. Romania is still a budget destination where dollar goes a long way as per Travel Notes and Beyond. Hotel and food prices are very low compared to other European countries like London and Paris. Restaurants and cafe shops can be slightly more expensive near the tourist sites, but still affordable for everyone to enjoy. The public transportation in Romania is very affordable. For more about Romania and other destinations around it, feel free to visit Travelers Today.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
With heat waves expected to soar incredible levels this month, many locals and tourists in Australia have been warned to stay alert and cautious. Just this week there had been reports that the air quality in Sydney is expected to reach an all-time low, sending local health authorities to a frenzy about reminding residents to stay cautious.

According to a report from Huffington Post, the quality of air in the region has been recorded to have beyond comfortable levels of air pollution. It has also been indicated that the poor air quality is largely attributed to the high ozone levels.

Exhaust from industrial fumes and cars that get released in the atmosphere are collectively known as ozone pollution. Ground level ozone are chemical reactions between oxides of Nitrogen in combination with what is known as volatile organic compounds, as explained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The addition of sunlight, particularly warm temperatures during this time of the year, makes this chemical reaction much worse. Presence of the by-products of this chemical reaction makes it difficult for people to breathe, particularly those that are suffering from lung disorders.

A report from the Guardian has indicated that the local health authorities, the New South Wales Health office, are expecting the temperatures in Sydney to reach about 38 degrees Celsius this week. Since the condition of ground level ozone gets worse at high temperatures, they have issued health warnings to anyone with a lung or respiratory problems such as asthma and pneumonia. There are instructions that they must take medication as necessary and follow their health plans accordingly

Just last November, a situation of almost a similar kind haunted Australia as thunder-triggered asthma has claimed the lives of a considerable number of people, as CNN reports. Although this event is not entirely caused by air-pollution, both locals and tourists are still expected to be in their best caution.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Deep within the ancient jungles of southern Mexico, there's still a Mayan group that still holds on to their native and traditional ways. The Lacandon Maya has been living in the jungle for almost 500 years since they fled from Spain's colonization to avoid being converted and abused by the Spanish people.

According to BBC, the Lacandon Maya has cut all possible contact from the outside world and called themselves Hack Winik, meaning True People. However, it all changed during the 20th century, when missionaries, archeologists, and loggers started to come.

The original traditions of the native group are somehow starting to vanish because of the strong influence of the Christian Missionaries. The southern group has been converted to Christianity compared to their northern counterpart where some traditional practices are still present.

National Geographic reported that most of the old people who knew much about the old ways are mostly dead. This is why the younger generation of the Lacandon Maya knows nothing about their history despite their interest in knowing more.

Now, the sources of living of the Lacandon are mostly connected to tourism. A lot of natives are building cabins for tourists and travelers while some are becoming certified rafting guides. There are actually a lot of activities to do in the Lacandon jungle.

In fact, according to Lonely Planet, you can experience a jungle tour and explore the exotic and rich wildlife of the Lacandon Jungle. You can also have an adventurous river rafting experience in the rivers of Lacanja while you admire the lush vegetation of the jungle.

There are also other natural wonders like the Moctuniha waterfall where you could take pictures or just experience the calm and soothing ambiance of nature. Aside from that, you can also visit the ancient city of Lacanja that lies deep within the jungle.

This group of native Mayan dwellers that live deep in Mexico's Lacandon jungle is just a fascinating culture. Aside from that, the jungle that they live in is also full of amazing natural wonders.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Travel junkies usually travel the world because of their deep love and appreciation for the Earth, in general. May it be their love for language and culture, the urban life, or nature, travelers often travel for love. So why not, turn that love into something useful and help in a cause, like saving polar bears?

With the ongoing issues of global warming and climate change, people are now confused if the two issues are 'real'. Regardless of which one whether climate change is truly manmade or not, people are now starting to forget the damage that is being done to the Earth. It does not change the fact that whatever is happening changes the ecosystem and affects a number of our well-loved species.

There are many ways for which an individual can help in saving the Polar bears. WWF has listed down a few things mankind can do to help in saving the polar bears. This includes supporting and funding researchers on how climate change affects their lives. Another is by joining advocacies in stopping oil and gas companies from further drilling on the arctic. There are also organizations to join that helps in keeping the peace between humans and bears.

There are now easy-to-join activities and advocacies in turning Arctic tourism into a carbon footprint-free and sustainable system. This is due to the unexpected shift in Arctic tourism over the years. A report from the Daily Mail has also explained that the new climate change reports are expected to change the tourism in the Arctic, creating a significant boom in the number of tourists until 2050.

The great thing is that Polar bears are quite intelligent creatures. According to a report from The National Geographic, they have done ways to adapt to their changing environment and lack of food. These include saving left-overs for later by putting them on top of ice, preserving their freshness. A few polar bears have been reported as well to deal with eating food out their usual menu of seals, fish, and dolphins by eating tiny goose eggs.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) India grew fastest among major economies worldwide at over 7.5 per cent in 2016 and will continue to drive global growth in 2017 with its share in the world GDP expected to rise to 17 per cent, a study said today.

"Asia will remain the fastest growing region of the world, but the spotlight will shift away from China to India and Indonesia," PwCs global economy watch (GEW) said, adding that Indonesia is set to become the worlds 16th trillion dollar economy.

advertisement

As per the projections Chinese growth to remain at around the 6 per cent mark, while Indias contribution to world GDP growth could reach almost 17 per cent this year.

The study noted that China will feel the costs of higher private sector debt burden.

"Chinas non-financial sector debt stands at more than 250 per cent of GDP. If non-financial debt grows at the same average rate as it has since 2010, China could add over USD 650 billion to its total debt pile by the end of 2017," the study said.

Economists predict that globalisation will take a backseat this year and world trade is expected to see slow growth.

"The resurgence of economic nationalism in some parts of the world means World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules will be put to the test. The worlds biggest bilateral trade route (US-China) is likely to come under pressure," it said.

Besides this, the other major global economic themes that could prevail in 2017, are that the US monetary policy is expected to move back towards normalcy and politics would drive uncertainty and economics.

Other key predictions for this year include that the US would drive growth in the G7; Core Eurozone employment to hit all-time high but peripheral economies will create more jobs; while population growth is likely to put pressure on Gulf countries to reform public finances. PTI DRR BJ BAL

--- ENDS ---
Nokia, one of the leading mobile phone makers in the history is coming back soon. They are returning in the market place this year with their first android phone. It was the HMD Company, which founded to create phones under Nokia's name, revealed that a new Nokia android phone is coming by February.

According to the Verge, the so called Nokia 6 is already available in the market of China in the next month and further, Nokia has plans to unveil more smartphones as they are mocking February 26 as the official day of announcement. In their recent Facebook post, the company simply revealed that more announcements are to follow on the given date.

Their official date is in line with the forthcoming Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona where Nokia also planned to set the release of Nokia 6. They are making a big comeback and the company is trying to recreate Nokia's classic hardware from what they used to give the users long before. The nabbed Nokia 6 is a fairly mid-range smartphone made by HMD global while trying to match the hardware design of Nokia classic with Android.

During the world's largest mobile show in Spain that will take place at the end of next month, Nokia too will debut its first android phone. According to CNET, although Nokia 6 is an android phone, it won't run away from Google services like Google Play Store, Google Maps, or the Google account.

Further, being the official and licensed creator of Nokia phones, HMD has owned a license to exclusively sell Nokia-brand products labeled as Nokia mobile. The global release of Nokia's first android phone is a lot crucial since everyone will be putting Nokia on the map.

Nokia still exists being a separate company that sells telecommunications infrastructure equipment and they are now ready for the world's largest mobile show!

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
The Forbidden City in Beijing will have its branch in Hong Kong but the latter would have much appreciated it if China has given them a heads up rather than "forcing" Hong Kong to accept the building of this museum. Dozens of people in Hong Kong have staged a protest against the proposed building.

According to the BBC, Lee Cheuk-yan, an ex-member of the Legislative Council said it seemed like China forced Hong Kong to accept the Museum. "If you do it in a proper way, well, Hong Kong people appreciate museums. We appreciate art," he said.

"But this time, there was no consultation at all. It seems to be a dictation from China, ordering Hong Kong that we should accept this museum without any proper consultation." Critics also expressed their anger saying that the museum is cultural brainwashing to Hong Kong.

Chairman of the League of Social Democrats, Avery Ng, said, "It's not simply brainwashing -- it is cultural whitewashing by introducing more Chinese history and culture that is perceived to be positive." She continued to say that China's move to build another Forbidden City disregards Hong Kong's story.

Soon to be dubbed as the Hong Kong Palace Museum, it is slated to open in 2022 in West Kowloon Cultural District - a premiere arts hub of the country - with a $450 million grant. China will loan most of its artifacts in a long-term contract with Hong Kong.

While it is seen as a boost in the tourism culture of Hong Kong, many felt that it was simply a political move. Hong Kong's deputy leader Carrie Lam is currently the chairman of the cultural district authority's board and is expected of her to run for city leader in March.

Without China's approval, critics say she has little chance of winning the election. "I know that today's society is full of mistrust, but for this issue, we really do not have any selfish motives and private interests," Lam said.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Known for big resorts with various bars, restaurants and nightlife activity, Cancun in Mexico does all-inclusives right. Although some have excellent dining, water sports, and sleek guest rooms, others serve mediocre food alongside dated interiors. So here we present to you top 5 best all inclusive resorts in Cancun:

The Excellence Playa Mujeres is an adults-only luxury resort that offers a nice all-inclusive experience with variety, a gorgeous spa, various dining options, several beautiful pools, and other activities. The rooms here are spacious and modern, with large bathrooms, Jacuzzis, and amenities such as big flat-screen TVs, iPod docks and free Wi-Fi. Some have a wide rooftop terrace with a private plunge pool with ocean views.

The 109-room sleek, sexy Beloved Playa Mujeres boutique hotel is a luxurious, adult-only all-inclusive found in the Playa Mujeres region north of Cancun. It's on a beautiful long white-sand beach and has three chic pools with food and drink service. Oyster says rooms are all-white, huge and have big whirlpool tubs, as well as private balconies, some with plunge pools and many with ocean views. The 35,000-square-foot spa is gorgeous, with an impressive hydrotherapy circuit, and the fitness center is vast.

The appearance of the 288-room adults-only Hyatt Zilara Cancun goes against the often bad reputation all-inclusives have gained. Suites look updated and differ from traditional room layouts with a centrally located bed and spacious balcony . The bathrooms has massive walk-in showers and Jacuzzi tubs with fantastic views. The quality of the food is good and varied, including the convenient 24-hour VIP lounge.

The all-inclusive, family-friendly Hyatt Ziva Cancun is in a convenient location near shops and restaurants, but still maintains a relatively quiet atmosphere. The property occupies a unique spot in the Hotel Zone, with sprawling grounds that sticks out into the ocean. Features include a cheery kids' club, massive pool, serene spa and saltwater lagoon where guests can swim with dolphins. Rooms are spacious, but could use an update: some have old model TVs, and the beach-inspired decor in some rooms verges on gaudy.

The luxurious, 260-room Le Blanc Spa Resort is the best adult-only all-inclusive in town. It stands because of its gorgeous white-sand beach in the middle of the Hotel Zone, decadent spa , stunning pools , and especially its pampering service. Butlers will unpack your clothes and pool attendants will provide cool towels. It has a gorgeous aesthetic throughout the entire unspoiled white property, and the modern, bright rooms have two-person whirlpool tubs; most have either ocean or lagoon views. Clients' feedback on the LeBlanc Spa Resort and other Cancun, Mexico resorts can be seen here.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Although Belize is tiny nation in Central America--roughly the size of Massachusetts--this country is blessed with diverse natural ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef's huge collection of assorted corals and marine life creates a communal respite to any tourist who will visit it. Plus, the Mayan ruins hidden on its lush rainforest will take any traveller back in ancient times.

Belize has a rich history and culture. People here are from different ancestors, adding to the diversity of Belize as a country. Here are some of the reasons why you should visit this beautiful place in 2017.

The U.S. News and World Report website ranked Belize as #1 Best Affordable Winter Vacations. The same site ranked it both number 8 in Best Places to Visit in Central and South America and Best Affordable Vacations in Central and South America. Find out here how the site ranks vacation destinations.

Dangriga and Hopkins Village, the face of real Belize. It is not the usual commercially tourist tailored-fit destination. It shows Belize indigenous culture and music. It gave birth to the world-famous Punta Rock music genre and a witness to the music's continuous evolution.

You should not leave Belize without seeing one of these. These enchanting ancient landmarks are collection of temples and underground chambers. The Maya ruins also show rich collections of ancestral Mayan jewelleries, precious stones, pottery, paintings, and intricate stone carvings.

The beautiful beaches. The country's 175 miles stretch of the Caribbean is heaven for beach bummers, snorkelers and divers. Relaxing activity on the beach include sipping young coconut juice while swaying lazily in a hammock tide between two coconut trees. For thrill-seekers, diving at the Great Blue Hole and meet some sharks is a fantastic idea.

Belize is a bewitching country that even Leonardo DiCaprio is bedazzled with its beauty. Travelers Today runs a story about a private mansion the actor owns in Belize.



See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Modern eco-tourism industry has played a big role in making it easier for nature-lover travelers to have a safe access to jungle landscapes. Dense rainforests with exotic plants and animals may not be popular for most tourists yet but are appealing to adventurous travelers. Here are the five best rainforest destinations that you may consider in you next travel adventure.

Darien National Park is a massive land of dense jungle and low mountains located in one of the largest protected areas in Central America. You can find various unique mammal species, five endemic avian species and hundreds of other types of mammals and birds. Unlike other rainforests, it is not suitable for zip-line riding. However, day trip guided tours are available.

Dominica is a less developed eco-tourism in a small island located in the Lesser Antilles. Ideal place to see sea turtle nesting areas, dip into hot spring and a trek across the undeveloped rainforests and highlands. Jungle trails will lead you to a picturesque view of waterfalls and geothermal springs. Spending a night or two at a resort offering small cottages and tree houses surrounded by forests would be truly relaxing.

Manu Wilderness is one of the most exciting eco-tourism destinations in the lowlands of Peru. Hundreds of mammals and a thousand of bird species nest in this dense forest. It's a pristine rainforest travel destination with its wildlife, flora, and fauna as the main attractions.

Danum Valley is where carnivorous pitcher plants and gigantic rafflesia flowers can be found. One of Southeast Asia's first eco-resorts with an exotic and almost primordial feel. Borneo Rainforest Lodge offers guests jungle treks, canopy tours and river adventures aside from a nice place to stay.

Tasmania is a temperate rainforest covering ten percent of the island. Considered as one of the most unnoticed destinations in Australia. Leafy trees and vegetation normally found in tropics are rare in this wet landscape. With only approximately 500,000 residents, enjoying the rainforest in solitude is not impossible.

Too scared to have this kind of adventure yet? Try an easy escape through Google Map's virtual tour which is less risky.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Two factors that burdens travelers are plane tickets and lodging. Here is a rundown of the top places for affordable travel this 2017 based on those two factors.

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena is a harbor city on Colombia's Caribbean shore. The place is founded in the 16th century with squares, cobblestone streets, and colorful colonial buildings. The city has a tropical climate and a popular beach destination. Flights vary from $397 in January to $748 in December. The best time for affordable travel in this place is in May with flights at $399 and hotels at $125. The Isla de Baru laced with white-sand beaches and palm trees, and the Islas del Rosario, known for their coral reefs are among the two famous beach destinations of the city.

Quito, Ecuador

Quito is Ecuador's capital, which stands tall in the Andean foothills at an altitude of 2,850m. Quito is recognized for its well-preserved colonial center, flourishing with 16th and 17th-century churches. Other edifices blend European, Moorish and native styles, says Lonely Planet. Flights to Quito are as low as $466 in October and rises to $636 in the month of December. Hotels are approximately at $100 throughout the year. The best time for affordable travel in this place is in April where average flight costs $475 and hotels are only $98. Quito prides its cathedral in the Plaza Grande square, and Compania de Jesus Jesuit church.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik is Iceland's capital and biggest city. It is filled with National and Saga museums, sketching Iceland's Viking history. Among the many places to visit is the Hallgrimskirkja church. The striking concrete church and revolving Perlan glass roof offer sweeping views of the sea and adjacent hills. The place is also sprawling with geothermal Blue Lagoon spa, near the village of Grindavik. The best time for affordable travel to Reykjavik is toward the end of the year, with flight prices at $479 and hotels at $165 in October. In July, the average price for flights is $704 and $215 for hotels.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
There are two types of travelers; the first ones are those who like the idea of traveling with friends and families as it creates irreplaceable adventures and unforgettable memories; and the second those who would rather want to travel alone and survive in a foreign place without having to think about the others but themselves.

However, traveling alone is not only to avoid getting stressed out about other travelers. There are just some who tend to travel alone to have some peace and quiet time for themselves, and there are perfect travel destinations for those who like to travel solo. Here are the best cities to explore in Europe for solo travelers:

Czech Republic's capital city of Prague. The city is not that big and all the great attractions are just a few steps away from each other. From Old Town, down to Prague's castle and Petrin funicular, a hilltop where a traveler can take a deep breath, and look deep into the majestic view of the city. To Gothic cathedrals, Baroque churches, and Renaissance palaces, they're all just a walking distance away. Good for solo travelers who plans on exploring by foot.

London, one of the most famous cities in Europe, is filled with nice people and fun interesting activities. A great city convenient for people who likes to explore alone, as it's very easy to navigate transportations and go from places to places without getting lost. (It's okay to get lost, though. Getting lost means adventure!) London is also perfect for Harry Potter lovers as the Levensden's Warner Bros. Studio is located in the city where there is a Harry Potter Tour.

Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland. Since Iceland is known to be the most peaceful country in Europe, it is also a perfect getaway for people who seek to have some time for themselves and peace. The city is quite pricey but it's definitely worth the visit. However, there are companies that offer free city walking tours, which is a good deal already. Check out the new and hottest restaurants opening in London this year on Travelers Today.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
If you want to travel more this year, then Emirates has good news for you. The airline company has launched "Hello 2017" promo to attract more passengers this year. The tickets on sale are available up to January 23. With this New Year sale, you can get tickets from London to Dubai for only 299.

"Hello 2017" will offer discounted fares in a global scale- to more than 8o destinations. This is the best time to book for your dream vacation- be it on the coasts of Caribbean, streets of New York, or island hopping in Greece. This winter, it is recommended to escape the cold and go to Dubai for a stashed ticket price.

Both economy and business class are included in the sale. The sale to travel travel destinations like Phuket, Hanoi, Christchurch and Sydney are heavily discounted. Flights will depart from major airports in Britain like Gatwick, Birmingham, Heathrow, Glasgow, Manchester and New Castle.

Here are the top economy cheap flight deals:

Heathrow/ Gatwick to Dubai, from 299; New Castle to Dubai, from 339; Birmingham to Phuket, from 419; Glasgow to Hanoi - from 449; and Manchester to Sydney, from 679.

Top business class cheap flight deals include Birmingham to Phuket, from 1,839, London Heathrow to Dubai, from 1,999; and Newcastle to Christchurch, from 3,809.

The departure dates for the flight sales are between January 16- December 7, January 13- December 7, and February 7- June 30. To book your tickets now, click here.

On the other news, Travelers Today reported last month that Emirates created aviation history when it flies Airbus 380 from Dubai to Doha in 80 minutes. Airbus 380 is the world's biggest passenger aircraft and it travelled a total distance of 375 km, making the travel the world's shortest flight. The flight took off from Dubai and was welcomed at Hamad International Airport with a water cannon salute.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
The United States' Justice Department announced the federal indictments of six high-level Volkswagen (VW) employees about an elaborate and wide-ranging scheme to commit fraud and then cover it up. Five of the six executives are in Germany, while one has been arrested and charged in Miami earlier this week. VW is asked to cooperate in a continuing probe, and more employees could be arrested as a result.

According to ABC News, the company agreed to pay a record $4.3 billion penalty. This is the largest ever levied by the government against an automotive manufacturer, surpassing Toyota's $1.2 billion fine in 2014 over safety issues related to unintended acceleration.

According to the Department of Justice, VW plead guilty to participating in conspiracy to defraud the US and American consumers by " lying and misleading the EPA and U.S. customers about whether certain VW, Audi and Porsche branded diesel vehicles" complied with the emission standards of the US. Volkswagen installed software into diesel engines on about 600,000 vehicles which made the engines turn on pollution controls during government tests, and switch them off for real-world driving.

The software, which is called a "defeat device", defeats the emissions controls, therefore improving the engine performance, when in fact, it spews out harmful levels of nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times beyond the legal limit. A VW supervisor is accused of deleting emails and files related to the deceptive device. The government also said that about 40 VW employees were involved in destroying evidence.

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said that companies cannot be put in jail, but "we can hold their employees personally accountable and we can force companies to pay hefty fines." A spokesman for Volkswagen declined to disclose the employment status of the six indicted executives.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Joseph Fiennes stars as Michael Jackson in a 30-minute episode of "Urban Myths". "Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon" will also star Stockard Channing as Elizabeth Taylor and Brian Cox as Marlon Brando. The series excites some people, but not Paris Jackson.

The first trailer of the TV anthology was just released and Paris is not happy. "I'm so incredibly offended by it, as I'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit," Paris posted on Twitter. "It angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother [Elizabeth Taylor] as well," she added. The King of Pop's fans share the same sentiment as Paris and created a petition to boycott the movie.

According to Rolling Stone, the show released the trailer on Wednesday. It shows Fiennes' Jackson remains mostly silent, but said "I sense the danger" to Channing's Taylor towards the end of the clip. The trailer also shows a highway patrolman pulled over the trio and was shocked to see three megastars in a rented sedan.

ET Online interviewed Fiennes last January where he said that he was "shocked" to be cast in the role. The British actor also said that the made-for-television comedy is not in any way malicious, and that it's actually "endearing".

"Urban Myths" is a project which features several short stories about urban legends of some of Hollywood's famous myths. The story about Michael Jackson refers to the urban legend that long-time friends Jackson, Taylor and Brando hopped into a car for a cross-country road trip out of New York City following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The TV anthology will also include stories of Cary Grant's alleged love of LSD, a story about Adolf Hitler and "Hitler's friend" and another involving Samuel Beckett. "Urban Myths" will air on January 19 on Sky Arts.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
By Press Trust of India: Islamabad, Jan 12 (PTI) Pakistan today cautioned members of MTCR that introduction of "destabilising systems" like "missile defence programmes" and "inter-continental ballistic missiles" in South Asia pose a "risk" to regional stability, in an apparent reference to India.

Pakistans "serious concerns" over the introduction of such systems in South Asia were expressed to a delegation of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a 35-member elite grouping that includes India and controls export in high-end missile technologies, a Foreign Office (FO) statement said.

advertisement

"Pakistan highlighted the risks posed to regional peace and stability due to the introduction of destabilising systems such as missile defence programmes and inter-continental ballistic missiles," the FO statement said.

India is the only country in South Asia having successfully tested inter-continental ballistic missiles.

"Pakistan was, however, committed to avoiding any kind of arms race in South Asia," it said, adding that Pakistans proposal on establishing Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR) in South Asia which covers nuclear and missile restraint remains on the table.

"Pakistan believes that progress on this proposal (SRR) through meaningful dialogue can promote peace and stability in the region," it said.

Highlighting Pakistans non-proliferation credentials, Additional Secretary, FO, Tasneem Aslam told the MTCR that Pakistan has always remained in the "forefront to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction" and has "always followed international standards while delivering weapons".

Aslam also briefed the delegation led by by Ham Sang- Wook, the current MTCR Chair, about the administrative, legislative and regulatory measures taken by Islamabad for the establishment of a robust command and control system, an effective and comprehensive export control regime, and the steps taken to improve physical security at all levels.

"Pakistans export control regime is at par with the best international standards and its national control lists encompass the items and technologies controlled by the MTCR," Aslam said.

A countrys non-proliferation record is one of the key criteria to join MTCR.

Pakistan has intensified its efforts to join the exclusive club of countries, controlling exports in missile technology, since India joined the elite grouping last year as its 35th member.

Notably, India was successful in joining MTCR, ahead of Pakistans all-weather ally China, whose application is pending since 2004.

However, experts say that Pakistans controversial record in nuclear proliferation and absence of its patron China inside the club are major obstacles in Islamabad becoming a formal member of MTCR. PTI SUA AKJ SUA

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) Homegrown firm Indus OS has partnered Snapdeal-owned FreeCharge to integrate the latters digital payment solutions within the operating system on a smartphone.

Following the integration, over 6 million users of Indus OS will now be able access features like call charges, balance and recharge in one click with FreeCharge.

advertisement

"Recharge 2.0 on the Indus Dialer will, for the first time ever, empower and allow for a seamless and simplified recharge experience for Indian smartphone users powered through FreeCharge," Indus OS CEO Rakesh Deshmukh said.

Powered by an OS-level integration, Recharge 2.0 encourages smart usage of prepaid balance (that makes up for over 90 per cent of Indias telecom market) along with an intuitive mobile recharge experience powered by FreeCharge, he added.

Users get instant information of current balance on the main dialer screen. They can also analyse historical balance and compare daily, weekly and monthly balance usage across talktime, data and SMS. They can also set thresholds to receive low balance alerts. PTI SR BAL

--- ENDS ---
To gain a Travelife Gold certification the Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa is assessed against 150 sustainability criteria and after two years, this will be reviewed.



(TRAVPR.COM) GREECE - January 12th, 2017 - The Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa in Amoudara, Crete has achieved the internationally recommended Travelife for Hotels & Accommodations Gold Certification since 8 years. Travelife, the sustainable tourism certification system, has assessed the Apollonia Beach Resort & Spas performance in responsibly managing its socio-economic and environmental impacts.

To gain a Travelife Gold certification the Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa is assessed against 150 sustainability criteria and after two years, this will be reviewed. The assessment criteria includes environmental issues, such as minimising the amount of energy, waste and water. The social criteria recognises positive actions for employee welfare, working with the local community and businesses, child protection and human rights. They must also show how they are protecting local traditions and wildlife.

Travelife is an international certification system, promoting sustainability within the tourism industry. It helps tour operators, hotels and accommodations to manage and monitor their social and environmental impacts, as well as communicate their achievements to customers. It is an easy to use sustainability system which provides members with a practical framework to improve their business.

For more information about the Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations please visit: www.travelife.org or www.travelifecollection.com

Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa is located directly on the long and sandy beach of Amoudara, just a few kilometres away from Heraklion only a few minutes away from famous archaeological sites (like Knossos) and landscapes of natural beauty.

With 334 rooms, bungalows and suites - that make up the five-story main building and 3 bungalow complexes - the hotel offers all the comforts necessary for an enjoyable accommodation and a memorable vacation.

Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa is a member of Cyan group of hotels. The hotelgroup was founded in 1977 and represents three hotels. The Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa - 5 * star with 334 rooms, the Santa Marina Beach - 4 * star with 208 rooms and the Sitia Beach City Resort & Spa - 5 * star with 161 rooms. The workforce consists over 350 employees. The hotels situated at Ammoudara in Heraklion and Sitia.

Contact info:

Cyan group of hotels

P.O. Box 32, Gazi 71414

Heraklion, Crete

Greece

Tel.: +30 2810 821602

Fax: +30 2810 821433

E-mail: marketing@cyanhotels.com

Web: http://www.cyanhotels.com/

###
The van is the quintessential practical vehicle, whether it's for hauling things, kids, pets and going on camping trips. We've already seen great DIY conversions of vans into full-time homes, as well as self-built rear kitchens for better off-road cooking. In this clever conversion by Frank Persson, a retiree from Sweden, we get a bit of both: the pull-out kitchen morphs into an actual extension that includes the rear hatch door, closing off the interior into a comfortable camper. See it transform:

Berlingo House Transforming Van

Dubbed the Berlingo House, the conversion is made from a Citroen Berlingo that can transform from a ordinary-looking, road-worthy van into a full-blown camping set-up with stove, sink, tables, storage, and interior benches that convert into a bed. The Berlingo House can transform in stages: first, one opens the hatch, pulls out one side of the extension to form the "outdoor kitchen". Extra custom-made panels which close off the whole thing are progressively added, and are stored in a cargo bin on top of the van.

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Then the second stage involves pulling out the other side of the extension, setting up steps and panels for the floor and door to form the "day house." The hatch forms a skylight here. Inside, upholstered panels will form sitting benches can be set up around a removable plexiglass panel that serves as a table.

Night House

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Familjen Persson / YouTube

For the "night house", one adds some extra supports to create an interior bed that's made with more upholstered panels. One rolls down some curtains, and voila, a private sleeping area inside a van, with easy access to a kitchen!

Familjen Persson / YouTube

Persson told us that he spent around 50 to 100 hours and USD $1060 on the conversion. It's mostly built with 6-millimetre plywood. He and his wife chose to go this route as mass-manufactured campers are "too clumsy and much too expensive," while vans are smaller and "flexible to drive, and cheap to buy". It only takes 5 minutes to set up, and can also be converted back to a regular van once everything is taken out. Says Persson:

The reason for me to build this camping car was that my wife and I very much like to travel round by car in Europe, and we think that camping life gives us the optimal freedom. We don't have to make reservations in advance. We don't need to have a detailed route plan, we can plan day by day.

So far, the couple has traveled to the Baltic Sea, Poland, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, as well as touring around Sweden and enjoying a well-earned retirement. We're seeing so many different clever rebuilds, but this one in particular is a delightfully ingenious creation that shows van conversions are limited only by the imagination. More over on YouTube.
On December 26 last year, the Hyderabad High Court directed the Andhra Pradesh government to take all possible measures to prevent cockfights during the Sankranti (Pongal) festival.

By India Today Web Desk: While the debate on lifting ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu is getting intense every minute, neighbour Andhra Pradesh too is walking a tightrope on cockfights during Sankranti.

On December 26 last year, the Hyderabad High Court directed the Andhra Pradesh government to take all possible measures to prevent cockfights during the Sankranti (Pongal) festival.

Like the traditional bull-taming sport of Jallikattu, cockfights are extremely popular in Andhra Pradesh and have been one of the major draws during the festival. Betting worth crores of rupees take place during the annual traditional sport.

advertisement

Cockfights usually feature two roosters, often fitted with razor-sharp blades on their legs, fighting till one of them dies or gets grievously injured.

ALSO READ: Jallikattu ban: Supreme Court refuses to pass interim order before Pongal

NO CARE FOR THE BAN

Despite the ban, there have been reports that organisers of cockfights are busy making preparations ahead of Sankranti.

According to The Times of India report, some organisers even plan to use drones to give police a slip. These drone cameras, the organisers said, will track the police movement in areas close to where the cockfights are expected to take place.

ALSO WATCH

Perhaps, in anticipation of such meticulous planning by cockfight organisers, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi recently wrote to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, urging him to ensure the "barbaric" sport does not take place in the state.

ALSO READ: Maneka seeks AP CMs active intervention to curb cockfights

WHAT DID THE COURT SAY

The Hyderabad High Court last month said that collectors must ensure that no cockfights take place in their respective districts.

The court's ruling came on a petition filed by several rights' organisations including Animal Welfare Board of India and Humane Society International.

Cockfighting is already banned under the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act, 1966, and the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act, 1974.

Last week, the Supreme Court upheld the high court order on banning cockfights in the state. BJP leader K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju had filed a special petition in the apex court seeking a stay on the Hyderabad High Court order.

ALSO READ: Law was amended after Shah Bano case, can do it for jallikattu too: Venkaiah at India Today Conclave

SUPPORT FOR THE SPORT

BJP leader Ramakrishna Raju and others have argued that cockfights are a part of tradition and culture, and without them, the festival will lose its significance.

Last year, a Member of Parliament from the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) raised a political storm after he inaugurated a cockfighting event in West Godavari district of the state.

advertisement

ALSO READ:

No cockfights on Sankranti, orders Hyderabad High Court

Former Supreme Court Justice Katju urges President to permit jallikattu

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Jammu and Kashmir government today said that over 4,000 Kashmiris are still in Pakistan.

Kashmiri people mourn the death of a militant, who was killed by Indian soldiers in a gun battle, during his funeral in Handoora, south of Srinagar January 28, 2015. (Photo: REUTERS- Danish Ismail)

By Shuja-ul-Haq : The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that around 4,088 persons are still missing from Kashmir and that they have gone to Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (POK) in 1990s to join militancy.

The state government said this in the Assembly while answering a question related to the issue.

As per the govt 377 ex militants have returned via Nepal and Bangladesh routes since 2010. However, none of them have been able to avail the benefits of the rehabilitation policy as they have not come back through the recognised routes

advertisement

The approved routes are JCP Wagah/Attari, Salamabad/Chakkan-da-Bagh crossing on the Line of Control and through the Indra Gandhi International Airport.

RETURNEES DENY CLAIMS

But those who have returned have said that it was almost impossible for anyone to come through these routes as Pakistani authorities would not let them do that.

"377 ex-militants along with their 86 family members have returned via Nepal route and Bangladesh since 2010. Reportedly 4088 missing persons/militants are still in Pakistan/PoK," said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti quoting the CID records.

The government in its reply said these youth were not entitled to any benefit available under the 2010 rehabilitation policy as they didn't return through approved routes.

Also read:

Kashmir: Army jawan, 2 militants killed in gunfight in Bandipora district, another encounter underway in Sopore

Kashmir: 1 militant killed, soldier injured in encounter in Shopian

Fresh firing in Jammu's Nagrota where attack on Army base killed 3 soldiers and 4 terrorists

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

After a massive road show powerful Akali Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today filed his nomination papers from the Majitha Assembly seat today.

The value of total assets declared by him in his papers is Rs 11.89 crore, which is slightly higher than previous Assembly elections, when these were pegged at Rs 11.21 crore. His annual income was about Rs 35.57 lakh in 2015-16. He has also taken a little over Rs two lakh loan.

The value of his total agriculture land stands at Rs 6.2 crore. As per details of his movable and immovable assets over 28 acre was procured at Rania village in Sirsa in 2007 at Rs 19.85 lakh, whose value rose to Rs 4.96 crore. It also includes Rs 6.50 lakh worth Fat Boy model 2013 make Harley Davidson. Over five acre was purchased in Mohammadpura village in Sirsa in 2004-06, which is worth Rs 1 crore today. He also bought 2.11 kanal in Majitha village in 2010.

His wife Ganieve Kaur recorded a jump in value of her assets from the last elections. In 2012, his wifes moveable assets were worth Rs 43 lakh. She owned land worth Rs 3 crore. No vehicle was declared in her name.

However, this time she has declared Rs 2.40 crore in cash, savings, shares, vehicle and jewellery. She owns land in Sangrur, Shimla and Majitha, whose value is worth Rs 3.56 crore. Her annual income was Rs 9.79 lakh in 2015-6. She has also taken loan of Rs 1.14 crore, including Rs 65 lakh, from her father-in-law Satyajit Singh Majithia.

This time Majithiass two minor sons Tejvir and Prahlad also have land in their names at Guruwali village in Amritsar. Collective value of these properties stands at Rs 23 lakh.

In 2012, Majithia declared total assets worth Rs 11.21 crore. This included his moveable assets worth Rs 5 crore, bank balance and other deposits Rs 9.5 lakh, and jewellery worth Rs 24 lakh.

Having taken his formative education at DAV School, Patiala, and graduation from Delhis St Stephen, Bikram is seeking re-election from Majitha for the third consecutive time.

Returning officer Damanjot Singh Mann accepted his nomination papers. In a statement to the media he termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhis description of his party symbol as palm of Guru Nanak Dev a sacrilege. He added that the Congress leaders had invariably hurt feelings of Sikhs.

Earlier, he was accompanied by a serpentine queue of vehicles from historic Gurdwara Guru Ke Ber at Mattewal village during his road show.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

Two men, who were operating as property consultants in Sector 38, were today ordered by a local court to undergo a three-year jail term each for duping a Sector 30 resident of Rs 12 lakh on the pretext of buying him a flat. A fine of Rs 10,000 was also imposed on them.

Harjinder Singh, a resident of Sector 30, and Harnek, a resident of Sector 56, were awarded the sentence while co-accused Deepak, a Mohali resident, was declared a proclaimed offender. The economic offences wing of the Chandigarh Police had arrested them in January 2012 in the cheating case.

The case was registered at the Sector 39 police station on a complaint of Ashok Kumar, a resident of Sector 30. He stated that Harnek and Deepak approached him through Harjinder Singh Dogra for arranging an MIG flat at Phase II in Mohali.

After some days, they introduced him to Tajinder Singh Shergill and made a settlement that Harnek, Deepak and Shergill would arrange a flat for the complainant for Rs 11 lakh on the condition that he would take possession within a day or two and the allotment letter would be served within two months. The complainant made the payment to Deepak and Harnek.

Later, they asked the complainant to arrange Rs 1 lakh more. However, they neither arranged a flat nor returned the amount paid. On the contrary, Deepak and Harnek issued cheques to him which were dishonoured.

At that time, Ashok was an employee of a co-operative society and the deal was struck in 2009.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

The court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge today pronounced a 10-year jail term to a 31-year-old taxi driver in a case in which a final-year graduation student of Government College, Sector 42, died after taking some intoxicant at a room in a guest house in Sector 43. Judge Anshu Shukla also fined him Rs 50,000.

He was booked and arrested on May 14, 2014, under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC at the Sector 36 police station. The 22-year-old girl had gone to the guest house with the taxi driver, Arshad, who was known to her for the past two years.

According to the police, the girl, a resident of Shanti Nagar in Mani Majra, went to the guest house at the ISBT with her friend Arshad in the morning. Earlier, she went to the college where she spent five minutes and then met Arshad after he called her up. The girl reportedly had physical relations with him in the guest house room and later died after she allegedly took some intoxicant.

Arshad had told the police that the girl went to the washroom and complained of uneasiness after coming out. She was feeling nauseated and foam was oozing out of her mouth. She collapsed following which he called a taxi and took her to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16 where she was declared brought dead.

The police suspected Arshad gave the girl a drug or some intoxicant, which she took and died. The police interrogated Arshad during which he denied having given her any intoxicant.

The girls family had stated he poisoned her to death.

According to the police, Arshad was employed with the girls father earlier and became friends with her.
Shelley Walia

This is the dead land

This is cactus land

Here the stone images

Are raised, here they receive

The supplication of a dead man's hand

Under the twinkle of a fading star.

 T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

SYRIA has been in the grip of a violent internal strife since 2011. It began as a prank when a group of kids wrote an anti-government graffiti on their school wall, a provocation leading to their incarceration and torture. The people, freshly imbued with the spirit of rebellion on the heels of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Tunisia, demonstrated for extensive reforms and liberalisation. This quickly spiralled with the defection of few soldiers who collectively formed the Free Syrian Army. The rebel army subsequently became a formidable force, with a disparate collection of rebel militia throwing in their support. Thus began one of the fiercest civil wars in human history.

Left to its own resources, life would have returned to normalcy after a short period of fierce turbulence. However, to the tragic misfortune of a wretched population, Syria turned into a conflagration with international actors aligning with opposite factions. And into the arena arrived the ruthless soldiers of the Islamic State, exacerbating the war for its hard-nosed ambition of establishing a Caliphate in Syria. What began as a small rebellion for reform escalated into a regional conflict, with the entire Middle East embroiled in fighting the larger war between Shia and Sunni, while the country systematically desecrated with hundreds of thousands of people killed and displaced.

The ultimate metaphor of this historic global disgrace is the annihilation of the city of Aleppo, often referred to as the jewel of Syria, a bustling city of over two million citizens and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The shining city, with its famous citadel built in 3000 BC, and a treasure of antiquities, lies stripped off its roots, its people beleaguered, a powerless pawn in the hands of the government and the rebel militia. Kurtz's last words at the end of Joseph Conrad's novel, The Heart of Darkness echo the fall of Aleppo: The Horror! The Horror!

In 2012, its eastern part fell to rebel hands. The Syrian army failed to end the rebel hold which gradually became stronger. In a rapidly deteriorating situation, Assad failed miserably to make substantial headway in recovering Aleppo. And when other parts of Syria began to slip out of his control he sought help from his unswerving international ally Russia to counterbalance the pressure exerted by the US on him to agree to free and fair elections.

For Russia, this turned into a strategic coup, serving Putin's grand scheme of becoming the saviour of the besieged rulers who were being strong-armed by the US. With Russia's help and sponsorship, Assad began a relentless war of incessant shelling of rebel-occupied Aleppo, including chemical weapons to obliterate the entire landscape of the city. Putin even threatened to visit upon Aleppo the fate of Grozny, the Chechen capital razed to the ground by Russian bombers in 1990.

The war continued for six years, nearly 400,000 people lost their lives, and more than 11 million were displaced, out of which nearly 5 million are now refugees in other countries. Since September this year, more than 600 civilians have been killed, more than 200,000 remain in rebel hands, and there is no food, fuel, water or medical care as the area is choked by the army. And finally Aleppo has fallen. After the ceasefire deal brokered by Turkey, Iran and Russia, the evacuation of thousands from Eastern Aleppo has begun. More than 131 have been taken to Turkey for medical attention and many have died in the bitter winter cold. President Assad's victory in the six-year-old war is at the cost of one of the most terrible catastrophes, which the United Nations has called a complete meltdown of humanity. However the war is far from over. Large parts of the country still remain under the insurgents. The Syrian army is engaged in a ruthless purging of the rebels and citizens as they flee from their homes. The retribution will be swift and merciless, and Assad will unleash his machinery of extermination on the remainder of the rebel areas till the entire country is brought back under the repressive regime. There are hard lessons to be learned, especially that authoritarian rulers cannot impose their iron will on the majority as the will of the people is irrepressible; any outside intervention has to be astutely deliberated and judiciously implemented. While it is morally unconscionable for a dictatorial ruler to perpetrate this ruthless suppression on his people, the cost of trying to dethrone such well-entrenched regionally supported heads of State is heaviest on the most vulnerable populace. A disturbing aspect of this war has been the entrenchment of ISIS in parts of Syria, which continues its reign of terror on citizens exhausted from a prolonged conflict. The only silver lining in this dark scenario would be if US President Elect Donald Trump can use his positive social capital with Putin and negotiate with Assad and the regional powers to bring an immediate end to the war in Syria and focus on ISIS, the one enemy that is equally culpable in terrorising both the East and the West.

Before we relegate this unfortunate war to the annals of history, we need to ask some fundamental questions: Are we not, as a global human community, accountable to nearly half a million members of our race who have been wiped off the face of the earth? Do we not owe five-year-old, blood-smeared Omran Daqeesh and thousands like him a commitment that we will not let this horror unfold again, and that we recognise and honour his right to grow and flourish in his native land without the spectre of violence haunting him? Unless these questions are pondered and given due consideration, this dark chapter in our human civilisation will recur, and the next Aleppo may very likely be in our own backyard.

It is said that to the Victor go the spoils, but as in most wars, the spoils here constitute the remains of a country scorched, its people scarred, mercilessly dehumanised, homeless and abandoned. Shame on Assad, on the rebels and all their proxies for unleashing the most ferocious armed conflict on the Syrian citizens since World War II. Shame on all the nations that have participated in this unspeakable cataclysm, and on those who have remained mere bystanders.





The writer is former Professor at the Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University.
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd)

THE year 2016 had so much negativity for Jammu and Kashmir that in the new year every article or essay related to the state is tending to be negative. Recalling the year gone by; the state of polity, level of alienation or the continued Pakistani role, are among the subjects being discussed by analysts but rarely do we find suggestions on the way forward. 2016 will probably be most remembered for the reverse in the tide although we have witnessed equally serious situations in the past and bounced back to full control thereafter.

There have been constants in all these situations as well as dynamic and fluctuating aspects too. Strategic planners, who are reviewing and re-examining future strategy, need to be aware of the reverses and the bounce backs of the past. They have to be aware of the constants, the imponderables and the definitives. It is not as if India sat back on its haunches and did not respond in equal measure and more when its security was threatened in Jammu and Kashmir. What perhaps it did lack was the killer instinct to resolve the issue or send an appropriate message to adversaries that there was no question of their success in the face of Indias comprehensive resolve.

There are different ways of looking at the situation and this can be done by reviewing what happened at some junctures in the 28-year asymmetric conflict in the state. In 1996, militancy was still at a high but the mercenary content from outside South Asia was diluting. A bold decision was then taken to go in for elections, with the full knowledge that neither was the situation conducive for electioneering, nor would the turnout indicate any major success. This was just a year after the Al Firan kidnapping incident which had sent shock waves around the world. Alienation was high, Kashmir's media and intelligentsia were spewing venom at the Indian government and Army but militarily some success had been achieved with the setting up of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) headquarters in south Kashmir. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had succeeded in building a political consensus of sorts with his February 22, 1994, joint parliamentary resolution indicating India's full resolve to not only defend its stance on Jammu and Kashmir but also recover all its former territories. The Indian position on Jammu and Kashmir and human rights was projected at the 1994 meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission at Geneva by none other than a delegation which had the presence of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Salman Khurshid. Could there be a better message of political consensus on a national security issue? This brilliant period of national consensus diplomacy needs reiteration in today's environment. It was India all the way.

Later, 1996 proved to be a crucial year in which the democratic process was re-seeded in Jammu and Kashmir after a fairly long time. The effects of it may not have been immediate but the long-term effect was profound.

In 1999, the situation was the worst in a decade. North Kashmir had been denuded of troops with the move of 8 Mountain Division to Kargil. Tension on the LoC remained high even after withdrawal of the Pakistani troops in Kargil. There were incidents in Gurez, Gulmarg, Lipa and elsewhere even post-withdrawal. The so-called Fidayeen had just commenced their suicide attacks in mid-1999, which had got all security forces in a defensive mode, at least for some time. Yet, the Parliamentary elections were held, though again with low but a marginally better voter turnout. There was no flinching from the difficult task.

I remember running battles with terrorists and sounds of blasts all around our location at Avantipura on polling day. In 2003, the LoC was still alive with heavy artillery exchanges when we decided to commence construction of the LoC Fence. As the then Commander of the Uri Brigade even I had serious doubts about its viability. However, the ingenuity and energy of the troops in taking ownership of respective segments ensured that the terror mathematics was reversed in three years. Along the way, President Pervez Musharraf announced a unilateral ceasefire. We supported it and played along. There was no change whatsoever in the levels of alienation or activities of the separatists but the effect of changed strategy of focusing closer to the LoC, led to reduction in successful infiltration and dilution in terrorist strength in the hinterland. This had a cascading effect on future operations. The period 2001-7 was the consolidation stage. The Army had the sagacity to fully support Muftis healing-touch campaign, even as it undertook proactive operations against the terrorists and achieved spectacular results.

In 2008-10, the separatists changed strategy and took their struggle to the streets. There was paralysis of administration and chaos in the streets but it could not be sustained. With an outreach programme for the youth, the public at large and greater political activism, we turned 2011-12 around. This gave Jammu and Kashmir probably its most peaceful period in two- and-a-half decades and its best tourism and horticulture figures in some years. Infiltration was reduced to the lowest ever and the ratio of security men to terrorists killed during the year was also by far one of the best. A hope was rekindled in the public.

Unfortunately, new militancy, lack of continuity, out-of-context demands by the state government, without considering the security situation and a general apathy by the leadership allowed a drift. This resulted in the mayhem of 2016, post the killing of Burhan Wani. The current situation has been described as an ominous silence awaiting outburst from pent- up passion. 2017 could witness this or, going by our past record, fresh initiatives could come from any quarter. This could once again witness a turnaround, this time hopefully sustainable.

There is no need for despondency among those who matter in India's strategic discourse. Such campaigns by our adversaries are open-ended, without pegged way points to objectives. The world is witnessing a change in the strategic environment.

This is the time when those with a grasp of geopolitics have to be in sync with those looking at geo-strategic aspects. Initiatives must include incentives for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. A general theme giving sustained peace a chance, along with means by which all core issues can be discussed by the people most affected, could be the need.

For that, leaders have to come forward, shed inhibitions and take issues by the horns, as was done in the past. The stakes of peace must be dwelt upon minds and hearts with a resolve that 2017 will never be a repeat of 2016.

The writer, a former General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, is now associated with the Vivekanand International Foundation .
Rupert Cornwell

JIM Angleton would have loved this. Angleton, admired and despised in equal measure, was the legendary (or notorious) CIA director of counterintelligence in the 1960s and 1970s, who spent those years in a Captain Ahab-like search for a Soviet mole in the Agency. He described the universe in which he operated as a "wilderness of mirrors." Welcome to the crazy, cross-reflecting world of Donald Trump, Russia and Election 2016.

Amid the latest flurry of allegations  ranging from "perverted sexual acts" in the presidential suite of Moscow's Ritz Carlton hotel to claims that Moscow had been "playing" Trump for five years and that Russia's intelligence services and Trump operatives were in cahoots throughout the campaign  one thing above all must be remembered: not one whit of it has been confirmed.

It all may sound superficially plausible, given Trump's record lewd remarks about women, his dogged refusal to accept evidence of Russian cyber-meddling in the campaign, and his slashing attacks on the US intelligence agencies who produced evidence of that cyber-meddling. But nothing in the dossier, as far as we know, has been corroborated, despite the best efforts of the FBI and CIA, and digging by the American media who, it now emerges, have known about this for months.

That, of course, may change. Something may be corroborated. In which case, all bets are off, and who knows what might happen. This was already the most extraordinary election ever: the new allegations raise it to the level of the utterly incredible. Nothing like this has occurred before.

The nearest parallel is probably the "October Surprise" conspiracy theory that top Reagan campaign officials had secret contacts abroad with America's sworn enemy Iran during that month in 1980, to delay the release of the Tehran Embassy hostages until after the election. But these claims were never remotely proven. The Trump affair also involves reputed meetings between his staffers and Russians in Prague and Moscow. But it has broader, far more alarming dimensions.

The most worrying claims are not so much salacious goings-on in a Moscow hotel room  even if they were confirmed, Trump has already raised that bar so high  but that his operatives had colluded with Russia throughout the campaign, and that the Kremlin had been cultivating him for years. That would make him the Manchurian Candidate to end all Manchurian Candidates. Again, to repeat, these allegations are precisely that: all unproven claims that no one has yet managed to substantiate.

The Kremlin itself has denied the claims, not that that means anything. Fact or fiction, this entire affair works to Russia's advantage Trump, meanwhile, has dismissed the whole thing as "fake news". "Russia has never tried to use leverage over me," he said during a tweet barrage. "I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA  NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!" Was this Nazi Germany, he wondered.

Remember too that the allegations emanated from the dark world of opposition research, where truth is an infinitely malleable commodity. They are, we are told, the result of work by a former British MI6 officer who had worked in Moscow and now heads a political consultancy. He was first hired by anti-Trump Republicans, then by Democrats. That the findings were appended to the top-secret dossier distributed to Trump, Obama and a handful of top Congressional officials was apparently because his work, and the sources he used, had proved credible in the past. But then again, nothing is as it seems. His Russian informers had every motivation to exaggerate and lie. The more trouble they could cause in the 2016 election, the better. True, nothing has been proved, but then again, it can be equally hard to prove a negative, that nothing happened. Such is the wilderness of mirrors in which America finds itself now, just nine days before the inauguration  and that's why the affair may be so damaging, not just to Trump, but to the country.

Throw a heap of mud, and some inevitably will stick. Opponents of Trump will now find further reason to dislike him. This new firestorm will complicate the confirmation hearings of top appointees like the Secretary of State-in-waiting, the former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, already accused of having too cosy a relationship with the Kremlin. It increases the likelihood of a bipartisan Congressional select committee probe into the imbroglio, a full-scale investigation that so far has been resisted by Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader.

Worst of all, it can only further poison Trump's relations with the US intelligence community, the same agencies who will be advising him at a moment's notice on North Korean missile strikes and  yes  malign Russian behaviour in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.

Trump surely has a point when he asks what on earth these agencies were doing by taking seriously a hodge-podge of unsubstantiated smears and committing it to paper, in a town in which everything leaks. "An absolute disgrace," he called it at his press conference.

If Trump believes the intelligence community were part of a last-ditch effort to delegitimise his election by an establishment which still can't accept him, then who can blame him? But then again, he also has himself to blame. No one has done more to promote phony news than Donald Trump, starting with his embracing of the birther nonsense about Barack Obama, and continuing through the myriad falsehoods that studded his campaign. And if there's a factual vacuum around Trump, then that largely reflects his refusal to publish his tax returns, as well as his slowness until now in tackling conflict of interest issues involving his multi-billion-dollar businesses, managed through an opaque private company. This is a story you can read any number of ways. Welcome to the wilderness of mirrors.

The Independent
Indias democracy has been smeared by corruption and black money, and the Supreme Court has just missed a chance to do a bit of clean-up. In two separate orders the court has taken a politically correct line, shying away from contributing to probity in public life. By dismissing documents and diaries recovered in income tax-CBI raids on the Birla-Sahara groups as loose sheets inadmissible as evidence, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy has ruled out a probe, saying  no democracy can function if investigation is set in motion against high constitutional functionaries without cogent material. The apex court appears to be reviving the jurisprudential thrust imparted by Justice JS Verma in the Jain hawala case.

Already constitutional functionaries facing charges manage to escape conviction by influencing the process of investigation. Those with experience in under-hand deals leave no evidence of wrongdoing. If somehow some proof of corruption still emerges now and then, the apex courts latest order will ensure that it is not relied upon even for further investigation. Computer entries, diaries, emails and excel sheets may not meet the requirements of the Evidence Act but why these should not prompt a further probe to help the dignitary come clean or face the law is not clear. Cogent material can be collected only after  and not before  an investigation since bribe givers are not expected to maintain books of account on a regular basis.

A bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud has held that there is no illegality in the income tax exemption granted to political parties. This is very technical reading of the law. An exemption of income tax is normally available to those individuals, corporate and other entities which maintain proper records of income and expenditure audited by independent auditors. Sources of political funding are non-transparent. The government and the Election Commission have accepted that a large number of political parties are inactive and exist just to launder black money. There is a move to de-register them. The court had an opportunity to force political parties to disclose sources of all money received. The Supreme Courts status-quoist, play-safe and timid approach in both cases is a disappointment.
By Press Trust of India: Washington, Jan 12 (PTI) US President-elect Donald Trump is under fire from Jewish groups who sought an apology from him for his remark comparing reports about him to Nazi-era propaganda, saying his statement was erroneous, offensive and denigrating to Holocaust survivors.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect condemned Trump for what they characterised as trivialising one of the singular horrors of the 20th century to score a political point, The New York Times reported.

advertisement

"Has he no sense of shame?" Steven Goldstein, executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, said.

The Center is the American chapter of an international group that fights prejudice to honor the legacy of Anne Frank, the teenage diarist who perished in the Holocaust in 1945.

"The president-elect has shown the grossest possible insensitivity to survivors of the Holocaust before he even takes office," Goldstein was quoted as saying by the paper.

"Either he is completely callous in attacking US intelligence, or he is so ignorant of history that you would never want this man to be president."

Jonathan A Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti- Defamation League, said that Trumps analogy was "not only an inappropriate comparison on the merits, but it also coarsens our discourse."

Asserting that no one should cavalierly draw analogies to Nazi Germany, Greenblatt said it would be helpful for Trump to explain his intentions or apologise for the remark.

Trump made the offending remark on his Twitter account in response to media reports that Russia has a dossier with compromising personal and financial information about him.

"Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to leak into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?" he tweeted yesterday.

The American Jewish Committee tweeted back: "We regret @realDonaldTrumps use of Nazi Germany regarding the media ? an inappropriate comparison that diminishes the horrors of that time."

This is not the first time Trump has gotten into trouble with Jewish groups while making a political point.

Last July, during the presidential campaign, he was criticised for posting a tweet with a photo of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton next to an image of the Star of David and a background of USD 100 bills. The text read, Most Corrupt Candidate Ever! PTI ZH AKJ ZH

--- ENDS ---
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

Some unidentified assailants gunned down two persons sitting in the office of a kinnow waxing plant of INLD worker Pradeep Godara at Chautala village of Sirsa late last night.

The assailants, perhaps two in number, came in a vehicle and started firing indiscriminately immediately on entering the office where the victims Satbir Punia (40) and Amit Saharan (38) were sitting.

The assailants fired nearly 40 rounds and both the victims died on the spot.

Ranbir Singh, another person who was sitting in the room, hid himself to save his life.

Sources said though CCTV cameras were installed in the kinnow plant, they were out of order for the past some days.

The police was informed, which came and took the bodies for postmortem.

Kinnow plant of Godara, a close associate of the Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala, is situated on the Dabwali  Sangharia highway at Chautala.

Last evening, Godara was in the office with some other INLD workers.

Sources said that a few minutes before the incident, Godara and some others went inside the plant while the victims and Ranbir were sitting in the office.

Talking to media persons after the incident, Godara said he had suspicion on some persons and he had revealed their names to the police.

He said for the past some days some criminals behind the Nabha jailbreak were hiding in this area and the Punjab Police had conducted raids too.

He said the manner in which the murders had been committed, he suspected that services of professionals who were behind the jailbreak had been taken.

Sirsa SP Satinder Kumar Gupta said that the police have constituted teams and he was confident of getting a clue to the crime very soon.

He said the police was acting on various angles, including on the leads given by Godara in his complait.

Meanwhile, Abhay Singh reached Chautala village in the afternoon and attended the cremation of the two victims.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

A day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs claimed absence of a serious threat to senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewalas life from terrorist outfits, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Central government to provide him with Y category security.

Justice Amit Rawal issued the direction after Surjewalas counsel Girish Agnihotri, JS Toor, Arvind Seth and R. Kartikeya argued that he was spending most of his time in Delhi and should be considered in the list of central protectees.

Responding to the assertion, Assistant Solicitor-General of India Chetan Mittal sought time to seek instructions from the Central Government regarding the inclusion of Surjewala in the list of central protectees.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Rawal adjourned the hearing for February 20 and ordered the central government to provide Y category security to Surjewala till further orders.

Owing to the advent of elections during the interregnum or till the Union of India files a reply as an interim measures, I direct the Union of India to provide immediately Y category security under the central protectees list to the petitioner being a resident of Delhi , ordered Justice Rawal.

Surjewala had earlier sought security cover after alleging a sinister conspiracy to eliminate him due to political considerations. Haryana has already claimed that he has been provided adequate security. In a reply before the High Court, Haryana SP Surinder Singh said Randeep had been provided Y category security since November, 2014. No less than 11 cops were in his security, considering the threat perception to his life on reports from the state and central agencies.
Gurugram, January 11

The Central government plans to set up 18 electronics manufacturing clusters in 400 towns and cities, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

He said that Indias electronics manufacturing market would be of USD 400 billion by 2020 and the government was focusing on domestic production of technology products.

Prasad was speaking at a session on IT-ITeS and ESDM: The next era of States Growth and Innovation at Pravasi Haryana Diwas-2017, here.

He lauded the initiative taken by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his government to promote IT services in the state. He said that when he assumed the office of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the total export of India was worth Rs 11,000 crore which had increased up to Rs 1,26,000 crore till December 2016.

Indians have passion for technology, therefore, the digital eco system in the country would change in future, he said.

He said that digital payments were going to create a new infrastructure in India. Therefore, digital payment infrastructure and service would become a rising industry, he said.

He said that a minimum of 10 million Point of Sale (PoS) machines and industrial machines were needed apart from mobile wallets.

He said that Haryana had a lot of potential and possibilities for innovations in the fields of digital payment, internet, artificial intelligence, digital education and cyber security. He said that the number of mobile phones in India was equal to the population of France and Italy.

About 42 mobile phone manufacturing companies and 30 component factories had been established in the country, he said. He said that India had nearly 105 crore mobile phones, 10 crore Aadhaar cards, 500 billion internet connections and 350 billion smart phones.  PTI

Set up scrap-based steel units: Birender

Gurugram: Union Steel Minister Birender Singh on Wednesday stressed the need for setting up of scrap-based steel production units. He said the Centre was contemplating to bring a policy in this regard. Addressing the second and final day of the Pravasi Haryana Divas here, Singh urged the Pravasi Haryanavis to come up with such projects since making steel from scrap is not only cost-effective but also environment-friendly. Singh said India at present is the third largest producer of steel after Japan but, as per recent data, the country would surpass Japan in steel production in the coming few months. While exhorting the Pravasi Haryanavis to connect with their roots, Singh said: Haryana has a lot of potential in youth and by supporting and contributing a bit, they could produce best of shooters, wrestlers and athletes. You should help in the speedy development of the state, he told the Pravasi Haryanavis.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 12

Tilting the scales of justice for expeditious disposal of long-pending cases, Justice Rajiv Narain Raina of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided to take up five oldest cases daily. Justice Raina has also made it clear that adjournments would be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

Justice Raina has already embarked upon the practice of deciding old-pending cases on merit when neither the petitioners nor their counsel appear before the Bench for arguments.

Chief Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar has already made it clear that cases up to 1990 would be taken up on priority . Justice Raina has added that from January 16 two oldest cases of regular second appeal (service) and three oldest cases of labour and industrial disputes, listed on the regular board of his Bench, would be shown in the list for final disposal/hearing on all working days, except Wednesday.

The decision comes at a time when the High Court with just 47 Judges against the sanctioned strength of 85 is reeling under pendency of more than 2 lakh cases. It is among the top three courts in the country in terms of vacancies; the other two courts facing an acute shortage being Allahabad and Madras.

The decision was reflected during the hearing of three civil writ petitions filed by Ramesh Chand Verma and other petitioners against HUDA and others respondents.

Justice Raina asserted neither the petitioners nor their counsel appeared when the petitions were taken up for final disposal of oldest cases. Justice Raina added it was indicated in the list of cases that adjournments would not be granted for the success of this drive to take up everyday five old cases. As such, counsel for the respondents was heard on merits. The record on the writ file was also perused.

Referring to the facts of the case, Justice Raina asserted the prayer was for treating work-charged service as regular satisfactory service for grant of additional increments and higher standard pay scales. Justice Raina ruled: Since work-charged service does not qualify for regular satisfactory service, it cannot be counted for grant of additional increments and higher standard pay scales.

Justice Raina had recently asked a state counsel to come out with a draft order to save court time. The draft order became judgement after minor changes, prompting the Judge to express hope that the trial may after this become the modus operandi to deal with pending old cases.
Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, January 12

On the direction of the Director, Urban Local Bodies, Haryana, a vigilance team has been constituted to inspect the quality and quantity of development works being carried out by the Municipal Corporation (MC) of the twin cities of Yamunanagar and Jagadhri.

Jagadhri SDM and MC Joint Commissioner Bharat Bhushan Kaushik has been made the chairman of the team while municipal engineer of the area concerned and senior accounts officer shall be the members.

Sources said the state government was receiving a number of complaints of low quality and less quantity of material being used in development works being carried out in the areas under urban local bodies of the state, following which the Director, Urban Local Bodies, issued directions to constitute vigilance teams in all urban local bodies.

On the local MC Commissioners order, the team was constituted on January 4.

According to information, the team will collect samples from the sites of development works and send these to laboratory for testing. The team will also pay random visit to various sites besides attending to the complaints marked to it.

The team will submit its report directly to the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies and propose suitable action against the officials, officers and contractors for irregularities, if any, in the works. The expenditure incurred on the collection and testing of samples will be deducted from the account of the contractor concerned.

MC Joint Commissioner Bharat Bhushan Kaushik said he had asked the Executive Engineer of the MC to prepare a list of development works being done here. After getting the list of the development works, they would soon start lifting samples, said Kaushik.
Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 12

Three more persons died last night due to biting cold in Shimla district.

Reports here said Khushi Ram (43), a resident of Khadrala in Rohru, was reportedly found dead at Khadrala. He was away from home for the past three days. His body was found lying in open.

In another case, Nepali labourer Dev Singh (45) was found dead near Anu Kansakoti village, Rohru. Preliminary inquiry by the police revealed that he died of hypothermia. Another body of a Nepali national was also found in a nullah below Bihar village.

Earlier, five migrants from Bihar were asphyxiated last Tuesday, while the body of Senior Superintendent in the Directorate of Animal Husbandry Gopal Singh Kapatia (46) was found in his house in Chakkar on Wednesday. A kidney patient yesterday collapsed on the way to the IGMC.

The doctors, who appeared in the High Court today, maintained that the infant at Kamla Nehru Hospital died of ill-health. Two persons from Uttrakhand Ajit Sharma and Ram Sharma were found unconscious in Amar cottage in Toland. They were using angithi to warm the room last night. They were taken to the hospital by the police.

The traffic from Sanjauli to Victory Tunnel was restored only for light vehicles till evening and a large number of link roads were yet to be restored. Contrary to the claims of the state government that water had been restored, most localities were without water and people trying to heat snow.

The biting cold wave brought down temperatures as most of the places shivered at freezing point while Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti recorded the lowest temperature at -14.9 degree C. Kalpa recorded -8 degree C while Manali and Shimla recorded a low of -7.2 degree and -0.6 degree followed by Solan -0.6 degree, Kangra 0.3 degree, Una 1.4 degree and Nahan 3.7 degree C

The local Met office has warned of heavy rain and snow at isolated places on January 15 and 16.

Most areas get power: Pharka

Reviewing the preventive steps taken by departments in the wake of heavy snowfall and rain, Chief Secretary VC Pharka directed the departments of I&PH, Health and the MC, Shimla, to take steps to prevent water-borne diseases due to heavy snowfall and rain.He said 480 roads had been opened for vehicular traffic out of 607 roads closed due to heavy snowfall. In Shimla, power supply in 80 per cent areas had been restored while 90 per cent areas in Rampur and Rohru had power.
Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 12

The Department of Horticulture today ordered pathological test for two varieties of imported plant material from Italy to ascertain suspected visual presence of virus in 15 plants, which are kept under quarantine in its nursery at Duttnagar.

Farmers expressed concern over the diseased plants demanding complete surveillance on each imported plants by private and government agencies so that they should not face the outbreak of any viral or bacterial diseases in apple orchards.

The government must quarantine each and every plant imported from Italy, US or elsewhere, said Ashutosh Chauhan, vice-president, Progressive Growers Association.

If diseases like phyotoplasma and fire blight come, it will be fatal for the apple industry, he cautioned expressing concern over the reported visual presence of virus in some plants kept in the Horticultural Department.

Apart from buying the plants from the government, many private players too are importing plants from abroad and selling them to farmers at an exorbitant price, Chauhan claimed.

There should be strict post-entry quarantine laws on the import of plants and they should be quarantined first and distributed to farmers after a thorough investigation, he added.

Farmers should get certified virus-free imported plant material. Those found guilty must be punished and companies or nurseries doing this should be blacklisted, farmers demanded.

Rival private companies from Italy with their dealers and agents who are active in Himachal are out lobbying for the supply of the plant material in the state under the Rs 1,143-crore horticultural modernisation project, the farmers added.

On the other hand, Principal Secretary, Horticulture, JC Sharma, assured the farmers that the department would distribute certified virus-free plant material under the project. It is yet to be verified under the new scientific test. Thus we have ordered an investigation from the third party as we have got certificates issued by the Italian company from the Indian quarantine authority at the Mumbai airport and post-entry certificate from Nauni university, he added.

Dr HC Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, said it was premature to say that some of the plants were infected with virus unless proper pathological tests were conducted on the suspected plants. The plants are imported by the Horticulture Department last year and if it demands, we will conduct the test and submit our recommendation whether to destroy the plants or not, he added.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 11

The Army foiled an infiltration attempt in Poonch sector by killing two terrorists on the Line of Control. The alert troops present on the LoC detected the movement of two terrorists along the Betar Nala in the wee hours of January 10 and engaged them with heavy automatic fire.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

While one terrorist was eliminated by afternoon of January 10, the second was eliminated on January 11.

The bodies of the slain terrorists along with their weapons continue to lie on the LoC.

Pakistan has shown no restraint in its support to aiding and abetting infiltration across the LoC. The latest attempt comes close on the heels of the terror attack at Battal in the Akhnoor sector where three labourers were killed in the GREF camp on January 9.

The Army is keeping a strict vigil and is prepared to thwart the nefarious designs of the Pakistan sponsored terrorists.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 12

Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftis decision to give Rs 5 lakh compensation and government jobs to the next of kin of stone-throwers killed during summer unrest in Kashmir has created fissures within the BJP. Saffron party leaders are blaming its ministers in the coalition for their failure to oppose this highly controversial decision.

Fearing that the decision has the potential to boomerang in the partys bastion, the Jammu region, the panic-stricken BJP leaders have convened a meeting of partys state office-bearers on January 14 to discuss the issue.

A meeting the state office-bearers of the party will be held on January 14 to discuss the prevailing political situation. They will also discuss the decision of the state government to give ex gratia to kin of youth killed during action taken by the security forces to restore peace in the Valley, said a senior BJP leader, who did not wish to be quoted.

Mehbooba, while winding up debate on the Governors address on the floor of the Assembly on Monday, had announced the decision on the compensation. She had also announced setting up of district-level special investigation teams (SITs) to probe the unrest killings. While the Jammu-based opposition parties like the Panthers Party has termed the compensation as premium for separatism, the BJPs own MLAs have also opposed the decision of the government on the floor of the Assembly.

On Wednesday, BJP lawmakers Ravinder Raina and Rajeev Sharma vociferously opposed the decision. The duo warned that the decision would demoralise the security forces fighting proxy war in the Kashmir valley.

Fearing that its political rivals would exploit the decision in the Jammu region by raking up sentiments of the people, the BJP leadership called for a meeting of its office-bearers to devise a strategy on the issue.

There is also the apprehension that due to pressure from supporters some more BJP legislators could come forward to criticise their party ministers for demoralising the security forces. Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh has already accused the BJP-PDP government of glorifying militants and subversives. He had questioned the rationale behind the compensation and government jobs for kin of stone-throwers who had waged a war against the state and security forces in Kashmir.
Our Correspondent

Samrala, January 12

Sher Jung Singh Chahal, Principal of Nankana Sahib Public School, Samrala, will be felicitated with Dr Abdul Kalam Outstanding Principal Award on January 17 in Chennai by the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Ch Vidyasagar Rao.

Out of 3,000 schools affiliated to the CBSE, twenty principals from India and ten from abroad are selected for this award.

Having a distinguished background in his alma mater PPS Nabha, where he taught for sixteen years, Chahal is recognised for his dedication to serve the humanity through his administration, academics, abilities, school management skills, capabilities and outstanding contribution to the field of education.

He has already been honored with several awards, including DEAS gold award by King Phillips (England), Jewels Award of India (2005) given by the Chief Election Commissioner and International Gold Star Millennium Award 2007 at Bangkok (Thailand)

The Nankana Sahib Education Trust and school management congratulated Chahal on his achievement.
By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, Jan 12 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) today declared the result of class 10 examinations, which were delayed last year due to unrest, with over 83 per cent of the 58293 students qualifying for the next class.

The JKBOSE, however, this time introduced the system of grades instead of the usual marks system in the papers.

advertisement

30070 boys and 28223 girls appeared in the examinations of which 84.61 per cent boys and 81.45 per cent girls passed, JKBOSE chairman Zahoor Ahmad Chatt said here.

He said of the successful candidates, 3413 secured A1 grades - 90 to 100 per cent marks, while as many as 7898 students secured A2 grade (80-89 per cent) and 9353 secured B1 grade (70-79 per cent).

The annual examinations to class 10 and 12 were held in November last year after being postponed due to the unrest which followed the killing of top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces along with two of his associates on July 7.

The unrest, which claimed the lives of 86 persons and left thousands injured, forced closure of all educational institutions for months, forcing the government to announce mass promotion of the students of the classes one to nine and class 11.

However, the authorities announced 50 per cent relaxation in the question paper for the students appearing in class 10th and 12th examinations in the month of November, but such relaxation would not be available for those students who opted to write their exams in the month of March.

Chatt said the results for class 12th would be declared within a fortnight. PTI SSB TA KJ

--- ENDS ---
Brig Suresh Chander (Retd)

THE wife launched the sneakiest attack of all times. Without a twitch of her facial lines, she demanded to know why I had messed up my promotion to the exalted ranks. I was shell-shocked as that phase was dead and buried nearly a generation back. Before I could activate my disintegrating grey cells, barely held together by a strict regime of yoga, she launched multiple offensives on many fronts. She fumed: You have about the same career profile as the new Army Chief. She thundered: You always claimed to be a counter-insurgency specialist and an expert on the hot areas of J&K, and yet, instead of superseding others, you got eliminated so early!

I meekly replied that almost all Infantry officers have similar career profiles. My answer, instead of satisfying her, seemed to totally destabilise her. I could see her nostrils flaring and I knew the tell-tale signs of a fight to my finish or total submission.

She asserted that the Chief also has a Burma connection. That was an easy one. I told her condescendingly that he led a successful deep strike against the insurgents whereas we enjoyed a diplomatic, but educative, assignment in Burma.

What about the Congo connection? You also served with some distinction there, she wouldnt give up. I was taken aback as I had forgotten the tales that I may have spun for a bit of self-glorification. I dont normally fib, but I most certainly exaggerate to make all stories a bit colourful. But for the love of my life, I could not remember any achievement in Congo except stories generally associated with young officers in foreign land. I just let it pass.

She continued relentlessly that the Chief also had a shaky record at the NDA, like yours, and yet has done very well. I must admit that I was stumped with that one. I only knew that Napoleon had done well despite passing out at the bottom of his class in the French Academy, but not many others. She lamented that she, as an Infantry wife, had also seen some very tough days. It was then that I realised that I was under broad-based attack for all the sins of omissions and commissions that were attributable to me after our tying the knot. This happens once in four-five years. I tried diversionary tactics by asking her if the distinguished Infantry officer had two Labradors! She looked at me in disgust. What has that got to do with all this? I replied that if that were the case, our professional and personal profiles would match to the button. At that point, she walked off.
Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Shutrana, January 11

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, addressing a rally in Badshahpur village in Shutrana constituency of Patiala today, said the partys chief ministerial candidate would be from Punjab, scotching speculation that he was himself in the race.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had yesterday triggered a Delhi vs Punjab debate when he urged the people at a rally in Mohali to vote as if you are voting for Kejriwal as CM.

Kejriwal said: It will be my responsibility to ensure that the promises made to the people of Punjab are honoured, irrespective of whosoever becames Chief Minister. Sisodia simply meant that I will be personally monitoring the Punjab affairs to ensure that the party delivers on its promises. I dont understand what wrong did he do?

Kejriwal said being the Delhi CM, he could not disrespect that mandate, but you can directly hold me accountable for any lapses in the functioning of AAP, if it comes to power. Taking a jibe at Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, he said: I have got to know that he (Sukhbir) woke up thrice last night, shouting Kejriwal aa gaya.

Thousands of AAP supporters attended Kejriwals rallies in Shutrana, Samana and Nabha in support of the party candidates. A large number of them were women. We have come to catch a glimpse of our leader. We have decided to put our fate in his hands, a few of them said.

Claiming that a survey had revealed that Punjab had 40 lakh drug addicts, he said AAPs first priority would be to eradicate this menace, if voted to power. He said the addicts would be provided treatment and not treated harshly.
Washington, January 12

After strong protest by India over Amazon selling doormats depicting Indian flag, the e-retail giant on Thursday removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.

A spokesman for Amazon based at its headquarters in Seattle told The Washington Post that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website.

Taking strong exception to Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting the Indian flag, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon would be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier would also be rescinded.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The minister also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India.

Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.

Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.

If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier, Swaraj said in her tweets after she received a complaint on Twitter.

Swarajs tweets went viral and led to an outrage on the social media by Indians and people of Indian-origin.

Her tweet storm escalated the protest into a possible diplomatic spat, The Washington Post said.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeffrey P Bezos is also owner of The Washington Post.

Amazon Canada removed the offensive doormat from its website. However, it was selling similar doormats with US and British flags. PTI
New Delhi, January 11

Taking strong exception to Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The External Affairs

Minister also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier, Swaraj said in a series of tweets after she received a complaint on Twitter.

@SushmaSwaraj Madam. Amazon Canada must be censured and warned not to sell India flag doormats. Please

take action, tweeted Atul Bhobe, who also posted a screenshot of the products.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

The BJP is set to announce lists of its candidates for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on January 15 and 17 with party leaders from the two states being engaged in meetings to finalise the probables.

The Central Election Committee, comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, will meet on Sunday and Tuesday to make announcements.

Sources say Shah had held several meetings, including one at his residence today, with UP leaders, including Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra and Uma Bharti, and state leaders Keshav Prasad Maurya, OP Mathur and Yogi Aditynath, apparently to build unanimity. There are reports of Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath being unhappy over certain issues.

While it may not be possible for the saffron party to repeat its 2014 Lok Sabha performance, given the inherent differences between national-level elections and state-level polls and the stiff competition from main rivals the Samajwadi Party and BSP it remains confident of emerging a winner in the state divided by caste and religion politics.

Battling the growing stature of incumbent CM Akhilesh Yadav and the silent supporters of BSP chief Mayawati, the BJP has not announced any CMs candidate, so far. There are many reasons for it, one it lacks a leader with a popular base like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati and two, it does not want other potentials to be upset.
R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 12

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would not direct the Centre to provide protection to those exposing corruption as Parliament was considering amendments to the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2011.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud disposed of a PIL by NGO Parivartan as the judiciary had no power to go into an issue pending in Parliament. It told the petitioners counsel, Prashant Bhushan that his client would be at liberty to challenge the new law after the proposed changes were approved by the lawmakers.

The apex court passed the order as Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said the amendments had been approved by the Lok Sabha and the Bill was likely to be placed in the Rajya Sabha during the coming session of Parliament.

Bhushan said the amendments would dilute the 2011 Act, which received Presidential assent on May 9, 2014, but was not notified and enforced.

The government said there was a rethink on the issue as the provisions of the 2011 Act were found to be running counter to the Right to Information Act 2005. The proposed changes were aimed at providing protection only to those who exposed corruption by obtaining information through RTI.

At one stage, the bench questioned the logic behind treating RTI activists as whistleblowers, but did not go further into the issue, observing that we have to remain within the constitutional parameters as Parliament is seized of the matter.

The bench did not agree with Bhushan that the whistleblower PIL was similar to a case on the safety of women at workplaces. The SC had put in place a law, known as Visakha guidelines, for protecting the interest of women, citing the absence of any legislation for the purpose. The bench said the apex court had issued the guidelines when the climate was entirely different.
Patna, January 12

A CISF jawan allegedly opened fire on his colleagues, killing four of them at their unit at a thermal power station in Aurangabad district of Bihar on Thursday.

Officials said the incident was reported at about 12:30 am at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit in the said district where the force is deployed for security duties to guard the facility.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The accused jawan has been identified as Constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the deceased personnel have been reported to be three personnel in the ranks of Head Constable (HC), and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI).

The CISF jawan lost his cool following a dispute over leave and fired from his rifle, Superintendent of Police Dr Satyaprakash said.

Balveer has been arrested, they said.

Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his other colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident. While three were killed in the firing, one another succumbed at a nearby hospital later, they said.

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit is deployed in the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility.

They said the incident took place when Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said.

NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

While the SP said senior officials have rushed to the spot, the CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.  PTI
New Delhi, January 11

Saudi Arabia has increased Indias annual Haj quota from 1.36 lakh to 1.7 lakh, biggest such expansion in last 29 years, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Wednesday.

An agreement to this regard was inked by Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Naqvi with Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten at Jeddah today, making the expansion effective from the current year.

The Saudi authorities had five years ago slashed quotas for foreign pilgrims coming from each country by 20 per cent in view of safety of the devotees as they undertook expansion of Grand Mosque there.

Accordingly, India's quota was brought down to 1.36 lakh from nearly 1.7 lakh in 2012.

Expressing pleasure at signing of the agreement, Naqvi said his meeting with Benten was "very fruitful" as constructive discussion was held on the whole gamut of issues related to the pilgrimage, transport and accommodation facilities for pilgrims and their safety.

"On behalf of the people and Government of India, we also extend gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Excellency Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, for his keen personal interest and initiative in organising a successful Haj 2016," Naqvi said in a statement.

Naqvi exuded confidence that under the visionary leadership of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, the "excellent" relationship between India and Saudi Arabia will be further strengthened.

Stating India and Saudi Arabia share ideals of global peace, progress and prosperity, Naqvi said the two countries are tied together with strong civilisational, cultural, economic and political links.

"The regular visits by the leaders and senior-level officials of the two nations have further strengthened the relationship between the two nations. The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia during April last year added new dimensions to our vibrant relationship," he said.

The Minister also expressed satisfaction over the improvements in services offered to pilgrims which indicates Saudi Arabia's firm commitment towards welfare and betterment of pilgrims.

The NDA government has started issuing Haj applications from January 2. The last date for submission of applications is January 24.

As part of its efforts to streamline the process, the government has urged pilgrims to submit their applications online. In December last year, a new Haj website was launched which provides all necessary information to Haj pilgrims, the statement said.

On January 2, the Minister had launched the Haj Committee of India mobile application to help pilgrims apply online.  PTI
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

The central BJP on Thursday officially declared the list of 17 candidates for Punjab but kept pending six names given the differences in the Central Election Committee on the issue.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Indications are that some of these six sitting MLAs may be dropped from the second list, which is expected to be announced on January 15 when the CEC meets next.

In the list of 17 candidates announced by senior party leader JP Nadda, five are sitting MLAs. Notably the saffron party has 12 MLAs in the outgoing Akali Dal-BJP government.

Meanwhile, it has also finalised the candidature of Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina for the bypoll to Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

The seat has fallen vacant following the resignation of Congress leader Amarinder Singh, who had defeated Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 2014 polls.

Among the six constituencies held back, four are represented by ministers in the SAD-BJP government. While two of them, who are above 75 years of age, could be dropped given that they do not meet the strict age-limit criteria set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, apparently some of the CEC members are also not in view of supporting the claim of Forest Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat, who is requesting for his constituency to be transferred to his son Mahinder Bhagat.

Notably, the Prime Minister is also strictly against party-men lobbying for relatives for tickets  a factor which is expected to cause a whole lot of heartburn for those seeking such favours from the party leadership in the Assembly elections to five states.

As far as retaining the sitting MLAs is concerned, sources say Finance Minister Arun Jaitley  a key pointsman for Punjab polls  was quite in favour of giving them another chance. But it seems that a majority of other members of the high-profile CEC favoured trying out some new names to defeat the anti-incumbency factor stacked against BJP and better its chances.

Apparently, an internal survey conducted by the party had indicated a huge anti-incumbency factor against some of the sitting MLAs in the SAD-BJP combine.

A view was expressed by some members in the meeting yesterday that if some of the names are not changed, they could end up with embarrassing defeats.

Of the 23 seats in the BJPs kitty, at least on five there were vast differences between Jaitley and BJP chief Amit Shah, which is the main reason why the list was not officially announced last night after the CEC meeting was over.

Even a late night meeting between Punjab in-charge Prabahat Jha and Jaitley failed to resolve the differences  the reason why it was decided to put on hold the decision on the remaining six names for January 15.

Though Industries Minister Madan Mohan Mittal (75) is believed to be seeking his constituency to be transferred to son Arvind Mittal, sources say in his case there are other issues.

The committee also withheld a decision on the seats of ministers Anil Joshi (Amritsar North) and Surjit Kumar Jyani (Fazilka) along with those represented by Som Parkash (Phagwara) and Manoranjan Kalia (Jalandhar Central).

The five MLAs in todays list are Dinesh Singh Babbu, Seema Kumari, Ashwani Sharma, K D Bhandari and Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi from Sujanpur, Bhoa, Pathankot, Jalandhar North and Dasuya constituencies, respectively.

BJPs national secretary Tarun Chugh will contest from Amritsar Central.

The CEC, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, had met last evening to finalise the names.

Here is the list:

Constituency: Candidate

Sujanpur: Dinesh Singh Babbu

Bhoa (SC): Seema Kumari

Pathankot: Ashwani Sharma

Dinanagar (SC): V.D. Dhupad

Amritsar West (SC): Rakesh Gill

Amritsar Central: Tarun Chugh

Amritsar East: Rajesh Hani

Jalandhar North: K.D. Bhandari

Mukerian: Arunesh Shakar

Dasuya: Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi

Hoshiarpur: Tikshan Sood

Ludhiana Central: Gurudev Sharma Devi

Ludhiana West: Kamal Chetli

Ludhiana North: Praveen Bansal

Ferozepur City: Sukhlal Singh Nannu

Abohar: Arun Narang

Rajpura: Harjeet Singh Grewal
Chandigarh, January 12

The Election Commission is seriously concerned over the possibility of huge distribution of cash and inflow of drugs in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls even as it promised an adequate security apparatus to maintain peace and harmony at the hustings.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The full Election Commission under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi winded up its two-day visit to Punjab today after collecting "valuable inputs from all the stakeholders".

"Our biggest challenge in Punjab is to ensure that the Model Code of Conduct is strictly adhered to, peace and harmony are maintained...no clashes take place, misuse of money and inflow of drugs are effectively checked," Zaidi told reporters here, adding that so far, Rs 68 crore have been recovered and heroin worth Rs 63 crore has been seized.

He said an "unprecedented" deployment of central forces will be ensured in the poll-bound state to instil confidence among the voters to exercise their franchise "fearlessly".

Zaidi, however, did not divulge how many companies of central forces will be deployed in the state. Already, 50 companies of central forces have been deployed in Punjab.

"Unauthorised cash movement from different channels might take place in the state for which, a strict vigil will be kept by the enforcement agencies...on inputs, the authorities concerned will pounce upon those involved in distribution of cash," he said.

Referring to the incidents of stone-pelting and hurling of objects at candidates during campaigning, the CEC said the commission had directed the state police chief to take steps to ensure that such instances were stopped immediately.

"Strict action will be taken against those involved in throwing stones and objects at the candidates during campaigning," he said.

When his attention was drawn towards an incident in Lambi Assembly segment where a person had hurled a shoe at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Zaidi said, "The DGP has been asked to look into it and take stern action."

He said the commission was against speeches inciting violence and added that if a complaint was brought to its notice in this regard, strict action will be taken.

When asked about the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal's complaint against AAP candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann for delivering "instigating" speeches during campaigning, Zaidi said it was "under consideration".

As regards Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal reportedly giving an inciting speech, he said no complaint was received by the commission against her.  PTI
A semi-paralysed man from Kerala dug out a motorable road, all by himself to make his house accessible to a three wheeler, to ensure a livelihood. Here's the incredible story of Sasi Gangadharan, now dubbed Dashrath Manjhi of Kerala.

Sasi Gangadharan, a semi-paralysed man from Kerala, dug out a motorable road, all by himself, in three years

By Revathi Rajeevan: Eighteen years ago, Sasi Gangadharan, a coconut tree climber from the outskirts of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district, fell down from a coconut tree. The fall paralysed the right side of his body and he was bed-ridden for years, with no job or source of income.

Sasi reached out to the panchayat to help him with a three-wheeler to set up a small business, but they turned down his repeated requests stating that there is no motorable road till his house.

advertisement

Seeing his plea falling on deaf years, the semi-paralysed man decided to make things work, all by himself. The 59-year-old man got his hands on a pickaxe, a shovel, and carved out a 200-metre stretch of kachha road through the plateau, working 6 hours daily for the past three years.

Talking to India Today, Sasi said, "the old route to my house was from above that plateau. I used to slip and fall, my clothes tore. That is when I requested the panchayat to give me a three wheeler so that I could go do some small business. They said what's the point in giving you the vehicle when you have no road there?"

Omana, Sasi's wife told India Today, "he did all this by himself without any help from the panchayat or the neighbours. But then there were people who complained that he was causing them trouble, that he is selling the mud he is digging out."

Sasi even had cases filed against him for causing nuisance to the neighbours by digging the plateau.

Sasi, Omana and their two sons live in a house, expecting revenue recovery notices from banks since they were unable to repay loans with their meagre income.

Raveendran, a neighbour, said, "I first thought he is only digging out a path for walk. He was so determined to finish the road. Nobody here helped him in these three years."

Sasi said he is almost done with the work, and hopes to get a three-wheeler so that he could do something support his family financially.

--- ENDS ---
The mid-winter festival of Lohri is by common consent one of the most picturesque in the Indian calendar. As a seasonal festival it is not confined to any particular community but is enjoyed by all alike. The feeling is natural to the people on this day that the rigour of winter has been reached, and henceforth they might look forward with pleasure to the advent of spring. The day is celebrated in every town and village by bonfires and young and old alike participate in the joy of the occasion. An esteemed correspondent in a letter apprising elsewhere points out that it is nothing short of a pity that on this day people should be drawn for their homes to attend courts, because for the first time since the British advent the Chief Court has dropped Lohri day as a public holiday.
BDKasniyal

Pithoragarh, January 12

Ahead of allotment of tickets, the prospective candidates of the Congress and the BJP have started mass contact programmes in their Assembly constituencies. They are blaming each other for backwardness of the regions.

Harish Dhami, Congress leader from the Dharchula Assembly constituency, today concluded his meet the voters rally at Nachni town. The rally was attended by thousands of Congressmen and residents from the region. On Tuesday, the rally was started from Dharchula town and concluded at Nachni town of Munsiyari sub division today. Party workers in the rally attended several meetings at different places and blamed the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for stopping development of the state by withholding several grants, the state had received earlier, said Harish Dhami.

Prakash Pant, a BJP ticket aspirant, today contacted voters in Jakhpuran, Rawalgaon and Aincholi areas of Pithoragarh Assembly constituency and told people that the development works planned by the BJP for the area were ignored by the ruling Congress government. He said the local MLA from Pithoragarh was boosting his achievement by citing developmental works started during the BJP rule in the state.

Lalit Pharswan, Congress MLA from Kapkot in Bageswar district, today visited villages in Shama and Bharari regions of the Assembly area and explained to the villagers that it was the leadership of Chief Minister Harish Rawat that paved the way for record development like education, health and transportation in the Assembly constituency. Due to poor performance of former BJP MLA from this Assembly segment, the region could not get attention towards development of its villages, which have been taken at priority by the present government, alleges Lalit Pharswan.

Chandan Ram Das, BJP MLA from Bageswar, today toured Malta, Mohan Nagar, Dhungapatli and Pagna villages of Bageswar Assembly constituency and explained the people that due to ill intentions of the Congress government in the state, BJP MLAs were neglected from allocation of developmental schemes, resulted in failure to fulfil the promises given by him at the time of last election. The deferring of sewer line in Bageswar town is one of the examples of neglect of Assembly by the Rawat government, said Das.
Islamabad, January 11

Pakistan will soon be recognised as a minorities-friendly country, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said as he ordered renovation of Katas Raj complex, one the most sacred places of Hindus in the Muslim-majority country.

Pakistan is pursuing policies to establish the countrys identity as a minority-friendly country and followers of all religions have equal rights in the country, Sharif said speaking at the Katas Raj Temple Complex in Chakwal.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The day is not far when Pakistan will be recognised as a minorities-friendly country due to steps being undertaken to better the lives of minority groups, he was quoted as saying by the state-run APP news agency.

The Prime Minister said he has advised government officials to spare no efforts in hosting pilgrims and the protection and expansion of minorities places of worship.

He said he is the Prime Minister of everyone and not just Muslims and instructed Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman Siddiqul Farooq to restore the holy sites in the area to their original state by renovating them.

He said he would ensure his full support for the construction of Baba Guru Nanak and Gandhara universities. Sharif referred to historic examples to elaborate that it was a part of the Islamic faith to treat the majority and minorities equally.

He said Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Bahais are working hand-in-hand to defend the country and contribute their share to its peace and prosperity. Sharif visited the Katas Raj in Chakwal district near Islamabad to inaugurate water filtration plant of Amrat Jal.

The filtration plant set up at the temples holy Amrat Jal pond will provide clean drinking water to the Hindu pilgrims visiting the place.

The renovation should be done to restore the building to its original shape. It should be done within the one and half year of remaining tenure of my government, he said. He also planted a sapling on the occasion.  PTI
With Pongal round the corner, Kushboo like other Tamilians wanted ban on Jallikattu to be lifted. But the Supreme Court was on her expected lines.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: A sudden sadness gripped silver screen's diva Kushboo Sundar today after she heard that Supreme Court had refused to pass judgement on jallikattu before Pongal.

The actress, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was in Delhi to attend Jan Vedna Sammelan, which took place on Wednesday, was spotted shopping in Delhi haat at INA. She even enjoyed Delhi's mouth savouring local cusinies.

advertisement

With Pongal round the corner, Kushboo like other Tamilians wanted ban on Jallikattu to be lifted. But the Supreme Court was on her expected lines.

"Am not surprised by SC order on Jallikattu, was expecting this. AIADMK government misguided the people of Tamil Nadu, played with their emotions. They will say we tried our best but SC didn't give us the order," she said.

Kushboo reiterated that ban on Jalikattu has to go. "We all political parties needs to come together and work towards lifting of ban."

--- ENDS ---
By Mail Today Bureau: The Narendra Modi government never pushed him to act against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal even as Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) indulged in acts of "nepotism, favouritism and cheating". These damning claims were made on Wednesday by former lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung, who also clarified that he had asked the PM to let him "move on" on several occasions, but Modi gave his endorsement only the third time.

advertisement

In an exclusive interview with India Today TV's Karan Thapar, Jung tried to clear the air over the circumstances of his exit. "Life has its own chapters and phases. It (as L-G) was an interesting phase and now it is over," he said, adding that he had "absolutely no" idea what he was going to do next.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal a man in a hurry to perform: Najeeb Jung to India Today

ON KEJRIWAL: INEXPERIENCED MAN IN A HURRY

On being asked why he had such a fractious and publicly acrimonious relationship with the Delhi government, Jung squarely blamed the CM. "I think on Mr Kejriwal's side it was exuberance of age, perhaps a bit of inexperience and an approach that you have overwhelming majority and you could do as you please," said Jung.

"He is a young man in a hurry to perform; perhaps with time it will get tempered." The Kejriwal government has been jostling with the Centre for control on land, police and administrative powers over the bureaucracy that is currently in the hands of the L-G who reports to the union home ministry.

Coming to the report submitted by the Shunglu Committee which he appointed, Jung said: "A large number of decisions were taken in the previous one and a half years that were not strictly legal or constitutional."

Kejriwal had alleged that the panel set up by the L-G to examine key decisions of the AAP government since it took power in February 2015 was looking to frame deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Explaining the functioning of the body, Jung also clarified that files were sent by the secretaries "where they thought wrong decisions were taken". "It was admittance by the secretaries and ministers that they had acted illegally."

Jung said the CBI was looking at several files under charges of "cheating, nepotism". "These are cases of malfeasance which are punishable under the criminal code of procedures."

NEPOTISM, GROSS FAVOURITISM AND VIOLATES ARTICLE 16: JUNG

Over Kejriwal's wife's relative Nikunj Agrawal, Jung said he was first appointed irregularly as resident doctor at a hospital, then made officer on special duty in the office of health minister Satyendra Jain and then irregularly sent to China and later to IIM-Ahmedabad. "This is irregular. This smacks of nepotism, gross favouritism and violates Article 16 of the Constitution. CBI has registered an FIR," Jung said.

advertisement

Coming to the case of Soumya Jain, daughter of Satyendra Jain, Jung said, "She is an architect and wrote to her father that she will advise on construction of mohalla clinics; she is appointed. All hell broke loose when some TV channel broke the news and also that she had taken money. Jain said she did not. Later we found that she had but the money had been returned. The statement was incorrect. It was nepotism."

Also read: Najeeb Jung resigns as Delhi Lt Governor; thanks PM Modi for help, Arvind Kejriwal for 'association'

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) In their upcoming film "Ok Jaanu", they play a couple in a live-in relationship and actors Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor say they are "open minded" about the idea in real life too but wont do anything that will upset their parents.

The movie, directed by Shaad Ali is a remake of Mani Ratnams Tamil hit "Ok Kanmani". Aditya and Shraddha are reuniting on the screen after the success of "Aashiqui 2".

advertisement

When asked about her thoughts on marriage and live in relationships, Shraddha said, "I am open minded about the idea but it will be a bit difficult because I live with my parents. I have been living with them ever since I was born. I think it also depends... if I meet someone with whom I see a future, then maybe I will be open to the idea."

"I am definitely open. After you are in an experience then only you can talk about the pros and cons. But I would not like to do anything that my parents dont like," Aditya added.

The 31-year-old actor, however, believes live-in relationship and marriage dont need to be mutually exclusive. Also marriage as an institution is not under threat because of live-ins.

"Marriage is not an institution of the past. Most people get married because there is some weight to it, it means something. It has some relevance.

"Live-in relationships and marriages dont have to be mutually exclusive. Most people in live-in relationships either end up getting married or breaking up. But marriage as an institution is not under any threat," he said.

The actors are excited to meet Mani Ratnam at a screening in Mumbai tonight but say the celebrated director has already seen the Hindi version and he has liked it.

"We are looking forward to meeting Mani sir and (A R) Rahman sir tonight," Aditya said. PTI RDS BK JCH

--- ENDS ---
Guatemalan volunteer Andres pictured in his home near the border with Mexico.  UNHCR/Tito Herrera

EL CEIBO, Guatemala  Bordertown resident Andres makes only a modest living from his small grocery store and odd jobs as a mechanic and electrician.

But that does not stop him doing what he can to help the stream of families fleeing murderous street gangs in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador who trek through the town of El Ceibo as they head north in search of safety in Mexico and the United States.

For eight years he and his wife Francisca have made a room available in their familys small, tin-roofed home to shelter men, women and children in need.

Its for them to feel a bit safer. Some of them are chased away from their countries by organized crime, street gangs, says Andres, who senses the fear they carry with them as they pitch up in this sultry town in the jungle lowlands of Guatemalas Peten Department bound for Tabasco State in Mexico

You can see it in their faces. You can see their desperation because they have to continue their search for safety, he adds.

In 2015, the last year for which complete figures are available, nearly 110,000 people fled the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Central America  El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras  and sought asylum abroad, most in the United States and Mexico.

Guatemala: volunteer shelters families fleeing street gangs

Each month, a few thousand of them pass through El Ceibo, often clutching just a change of clothes and a few cherished belongings in a shoulder bag or backpack. They slip over the border and into Mexico on jungle trails, or cross informally on boats plying the San Pedro River.

"When people arrive at the border they dont know anything about what is waiting for on the other side, says Marion, a Salvadoran who was among the 50 or so refugees and migrants helped by Andres and Francisca last month.

Their help is a blessing when one is in the most difficult situation. With all my heart I thank all that they have given me, she adds.

The powerful street gangs or maras operate throughout the Northern Triangle, where their crimes include extortion, drug dealing and murder. Many of those making the journey in search of safety report being robbed and assaulted. Women are also particularly vulnerable to rape and sexual assault.

For Andres, the humanitarian work is not without risks. On different occasions, local criminal groups have approached him and his family, demanding that they stop helping those in transit, and instead work for them as informants. Despite threats, he refuses.

Andres, who does not accept any money for the food and shelter that he provides, is a volunteer with Catholic Church group Pastoral Social, a local partner of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

To better protect the refugees in transit, UNHCR is supporting the construction of a shelter with capacity for 16 people in El Ceibo, which will be supported by Pastoral Social and managed by the three volunteers, including Andres, who vows to remain engaged.

I work with all my heart because I see their suffering. I am fighting for these people, he says.
Among all those who have welcomed this decision, bird lovers are the happiest, but they say that the ban should also be on manjha (thread) which is made of glass.

By Saurabh Vaktania: The Mumbai police on Thursday issued a circular stating that using plastic string (manjha) for kite-flying was totally banned and that action would be taken under the IPC against anyone doing so. A copy of the circular copy is available with India Today.

Mumbaikars have welcomed this initiative by the police. Among all those who have welcomed this decision, bird lovers are the happiest, but they say that the ban should also be on manjha (thread) which is made of glass. Many manjhas are made of broken glasses. In the past, there have been many instances when several birds, crows and pigeons in particular, have got entangled in these manjhas (kite-flying threads). While most of these creatures die, others get so much badly injured that they never fully recover.

advertisement

And it is not just birds. Many bikers have been killed or seriously injured after having their throats slit while driving. Many in Mumbai avoid using bikes on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

HELPLINE NUMBERS ISSUED

Several NGOs and bird lovers mention helpline numbers and actively ensure that there is no untoward incident during Makar Sankranti. As a precautionary measure, the Mumbai police this year has banned use of all forms of manjha -- one made of plastic or nylon Manja or made of other synthetic materials.

Also read | Supreme Court ropes in NGT for petition seeking ban on Chinese manjha

During kite-flying festivals, people and birds get injured due to the pucca thread made out of plastic or similar such synthetic materials, commonly known as nylon manjha. In most cases, these injuries prove fatal.

PLASTIC THREADS NON-BIODEGRADABLE

Plastic threads also have a very long life. Being non-biodegradable in nature, they can cause serious damage to ecology and animals. After coming in contact with the soil, these manjhas cause problems such as blockages of sewers drainage lines and natural waterways such as river and streams.

Interestingly, the Mumbai police seems to have comprehensively studied the perils manjhas are to one's safety before giving out the circular as is evident by its having listed all possible warnings.

Read the circular of Mumbai police here.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wrote to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to convey Indias condemnation of the heinous terror attacks in Kabul and Kandahar and reiterated New Delhis support to the war-torn nation in its fight against terrorism.

India also expressed condolences to the bereaved families of UAE nationals, killed in the terror blast in Kandahar and said, "These cowardly attacks once again bring in sharp focus the inhumane suffering inflicted on the peace loving people of the region by the abominable phenomenon of international terrorism, which sadly continues to have its epicentre in our region and is pursued brazenly as an instrument of state policy to achieve narrow political objectives."

advertisement

In his message to Ghani, Modi said, "I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the dastardly attacks in Kabul and Kandahar...

"India condemns these attacks on Afghanistan, and on its legitimate authority. Such attacks are unacceptable and are aimed at undermining the progress made by the people of Afghanistan against all odds. These attacks deserve universal condemnation and their perpetrators and supporters need to be brought to justice."

He also reiterated Indias support to Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism.

"On behalf of the people and the Government of India and on my own personal behalf I offer our sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and pray for early recovery of the injured," the Prime Minister said in the letter.

In a separate statement, MEA said, "We are deeply saddened with the news of the death of several UAE nationals, among others, and the serious injuries suffered by the UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan resulting from a bomb blast that took place at a guest house in Kandahar on 10 January during a meeting between senior Afghan officials and UAE diplomats.

"This dastardly terrorist attack is all the more condemnable as the UAE Ambassador was in Kandahar on a humanitarian mission to lay foundation stone for the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan centre for orphans."

Deadly attacks ripped across Afghanistan on Tuesday, with two suicide bombings near the Afghan Parliament in Kabul, an explosion at a Kandahar province government compound and a suicide bombing in Helmand province. The terror strikes left more than 30 people dead and scores of others injured, according to Afghan officials. MORE PTI PYK ZMN

--- ENDS ---
You are surely aware that lakhs of Ganga Sagar-bound pilgrims from different parts of the country congregate in the transit camp area during the period which necessitates elaborated police arrangements. Thousands of Ganagasagar bound vehicles remain parked in the entire Maidan area.

By Indrajit Kundu: The Kolkata Police has denied permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's "Hindu Sanmelan" scheduled for January 14 in the city. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was scheduled to be the key speaker at the event. Uncertainty looms large on the two day programme as the Kolkata Police has turned down permission for both the venues sought by the RSS.

advertisement

In its response to permission sought for the venue of the event, Kolkata Police said, "In the interest of general security and public order, you are, therefore asked not to organise the proposed meeting at either of the proposed venues on January 14 and to defer to a subsequent date under intimation to this office well in advance."

ALSO READ: Dhulagarh riots: BJP national executive terms Mamata government "draconian"

Initially, the saffron organisation had sought to conduct the event at Bhukailash grounds in Khidderpore area, but was flatly refused by police stating that the venue had possibilities of overcrowding and a stampede. RSS Bengal unit had subsequently sought the Birgade parade ground at Kolkata maidan as an alternate venue.

But on Thursday the Kolkata police once again denied permission to venue stating that preparations for the Gangasagar Mela had commenced at the area.

Notice to RSS from Kolkata Police

The letter sent by Kolkata police Joint Commissioner, headquarter, Supratim Sarkar states that keeping in view of the law and order commitments and attendant security considerations towards ensuring the safe and smooth passage for lakhs of Gangasagar-bound pilgrims stationed in the Maidan area and its surroundings, permission for the event can not be granted.

"The proposed event by RSS on January 14 at Brigade Parade Ground, situated in the heart of the Maidan area, and likely to be attended by about 4000 participants in the presence of Sarsangchalak Mohan Bhagwat, who has been provided Z+ security by the government, as intimated to this office,is not advisable under any circumstance," the letter stated.

The Kolkata police response comes at a time when the Army has given a green signal to the RSS for the proposed event at the Brigade grounds, an area that is under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. In fact, RSS got a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Army's Bengal Area HQ on January 10.

ALSO READ: Kashmir event 'banned' at prestigious Calcutta Club due to Kolkata Police pressure

ALSO READ: New Rs 2,000 notes to be phased out within 5 years, says RSS ideologue Gurumurthy

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
There is a general belief or perception that we are naturally given a certain level of intelligence and there is nothing much we can do to enhance it but just to live up to our full potential. However, most of these are not true because there are actually so many things that a person can do in order to make them smarter.

According to science, we do things that we enjoy and at the same time increase our brain's potential to work. Hobbies or past times are some of the things that are fun and entertaining and at the same time contribute significantly in our intelligence. So if you are in college and you think that the only way for you to increase your intelligence is by studying, there's actually a lot more ways than you realize and here are some of them.

Question everything you read

Learning more information is good but you have to make sure the information your receive are accurate and are not misleading, according to The Student Housing Guide. Fake news are spreading everywhere which it why it is only imperative that you check the sources and find out if they are stating facts. The more you research, the more you will know.

Play board games

With the wide use of social media nowadays, only few kids are left enjoying playing board games but this a good way to practice creative thinking, problem and puzzle solving so you can utilize the part of your brain which you do not normally use on a daily basis. Instead of using up your hours browsing the social media during your free time, invite your roommates or classmates for some board games to increase your intelligence while having a good time.

Learn a new language

Learning a foreign language to improve your brain power and memory according to Entrepreneur. It's because when you learn a new foreign language, your brain is being trained to perform better when it comes to mentally demanding tasks.
Fans are looking forward to see "Spiderman" reunite with Iron Man and Captain America in "Avengers: Infinity War." It's not surprising after the web-slinger somewhat stole the show in "Captain America: Civil War." However, Marvel fans are getting worried that Spidey might be out-of-sight in the upcoming movie, but Tom Holland (Spiderman) hinted that he will be involved thanks to Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.

After the final cast listing was revealed and some characters confirmed, Spiderman fans got worried and were waiting for any news about his involvement. To everyone's surprise, Tom Holland (Spiderman) has hinted his participation in the "Avengers Infinity War" when he was interviewed by Vogue Italy, Comicbook reported.

Avid fans of Spiderman used Google to translate Tom Holland's statement in English in which he said Downey and Evans convinced Marvel to include Spiderman in the cast. He also said that the producers just made sure that he is the right person for the role in the next three installments of the franchise within four years and that includes "Avengers: Infinity War," Digital Spy reported.

With Holland's confirmation, fans of the web-slinger need not worry anymore. But while fans are happy about the new addition to Spiderman's projects this year, it could be hard for Holland becuase he will have to shoot three movies within a span of one year. It is going to test how he could handle such pressure, but Evans and Downey trust Holland that he will be able to make it and will deliver what fans are looking forward to.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" is slated to premiere on July 7, 2017 while the "Avengers Infinity War" is set for May 4, 2018.
Artificial Intelligence is fast tracking its way to modern technology. Which is why the tech industry is looking to ensure that society is well protected from it through the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund.

This was made possible by Reid Hoffman and Pierre Omidya, LinkedIn and eBay founders. According to Hoffman, it is urgent that the positives coming from artificial intelligence is beneficial to society and minimizes harm.

Which is why these tech billionaires have recently donated $20 million total to the cause, as reported by The Guardian. The fund will go to academic research that will work on difficult ethical problems when it comes to artificial intelligence. Hoffman stresses that education, health care, transportation, criminal justice and the economy involve decision-making. And if artificial intelligence is to be used on these areas, then specific researches must be done to insure that the technology is built under ethical and moral codes.

Aside from Hoffman and Omidya's donations, The Knight Foundation also contributed $5 million, and the William and Flora Hewlett Institution, plus Raptor's Jim Pallotta, have also donated $1 million each.

MIT Media Lab and the Berkman Klein Center at the Harvard University will both serve as the academic institutions for this research initiative. Both schools, centered on science and technology, will bridge the gap in global challenges when it comes to artificial intelligence and its effect on social sciences. According to Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center, the shift of reasoning and judgment away from people can have its pros and cons.

But these MIT and Harvard researchers are not acting alone. They will also be working with other potential collaborators from both public and private sectors, as reported by Robo Hub. In this manner, they hope to have a collaborative work that encourages an open dialogue from different intersections.

Watch the video below by the MIT Media Lab to further understand the challenges of artificial intelligence:
The rising cost of tuition fees and university expenses are still a problem for most families. Both parents and students are trying to find ways to minimize or zero out higher education expenses and at the same time minimize out of pocket expenses. And for those trying to get a graduate degree, the cost can sometimes be greater.

But there is one university that is enticing professional graduate degrees and it is reported to be free. In a time where everyone is keeping an eye on budgets and competition, a West Hartford university may just provide the answer.

West Hartford's University of St. Joseph has announced that undergraduates who are studying accounting and business management can qualify for a fifth-year master's degree with no additional tuition costs, as reported by Fox 61.

Rhona Free, the university president, hopes that their losses in graduate tuition will be recovered by attracting more undergraduate students to enroll in the program, as reported by Patch. The University of St. Joseph basically wants students to come for their higher education but stay for a master's degree for free. Boosting the enrollment rate is one way to ensure the success of their academic programs. This is also one way of making sure the school stays in business because they have faced financial strain after the recession.

This university is not the only school to offer such program. Clark University in Massachusetts also offers the same tuition free program for the fifth year. This is open to their finance, public administration and management undergraduates.

In other related news, the West Hartford school is also thinking of allowing male students to enroll. The University of St. Joseph, according to The Gazette, has enrolled female students only since 1932. Because of the decline in enrollment, the school is thinking of opening its doors to males.

Know more about University of St. Joseph and their scholarship programs through their promo video below:
Tuition costs and fees are rising. And for those living in New York, it can get really expensive. Which is why New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently announced that he has plans to provide free tuition.

This is good news for the state's public two and four year colleges. Cuomo has the support of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Confident in his plan, Cuomo explained that a college education is not a luxury.

For Cuomo, higher education is an absolute necessity, as reported by The Atlantic. He is committed to make sure that New Yorkers have access to college education. Aside from Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and United States Education Secretary John King has also voiced their support for Cuomo's plan.

Cuomo insisted that every state resident will get the same treatment regardless of zip code. But the hype suddenly dimmed after critics pointed out that there are weaknesses in this plan, as reported by The Washington Post. Matt Chingos, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, pointed out that the $163 million plan would not benefit low-income students.

Although the cost of living in New York is high, Chingos points out that New York has the lowest tuition in the country. Assistant professor at Seton Hall University, Robert Kelchen, says that students face a lot of expenses in addition to the tuition which means Cuomos' plan would offer little to no help.

Both critics point out that free tuition does not make college free. Instead of using the funds for Cuomos' plan, these critics suggest to use the funds to pay for the additional expenses instead. This will help the disadvantaged students to alleviate debt.

Chingos wants people to understand that there is a trade-off between free colleges and other things that the state wants to do. These critics want everyone to look at options first before taking the leap. Because the word "Free" may be appealing to everyone but the fine print may mean different.

Watch the Associated Press video below to view Cuomo's speech on free tuition:
University experts have warned the Members of Parliament over the damaging effects that a "hard Brexit" could have over the U.K.'s best industries. This, they predict, will happen through its impact on education.

Times Higher Education reported that Brexit could lead to the "biggest disaster for the university sector in many years." An evidence session at Pembroke College, Oxford on Jan. 11 was held by the House of Commons Education Committee.

The event was focused on a discussion about the impact of the nation's exit from the European Union on higher education. Neil Carmichael, the Conservative chair of the committee, opened the talk with a question to the witness panel on what the implications on higher education of a "hard Brexit," which is defined as an exit from a single market and end to free movement.

University of Oxford's head of Brexit strategy Alastair Buchan said that Brexit would lead to high risks of damage on one of the nation's best industries. He described this industry as the "knowledge-based economy" in the country.

John Latham, vice-chancellor of Coventry University, also implied that this would change the way people would view the U.K. University of Cambridge's EU Law professor, Catherine Barnard, explained that Brexit would turn the lives of EU higher education staff in the nation upside down.

Moreover, the exit would most likely lead to the cutting off of the flow of excellent people to Britain. As Oxford Brookes University's vice-chancellor, Alistair Fitt, phrased it: this may be the "biggest disaster for the university sector" in recent years.

According to The Guardian, Professor Buchan added that the Brexit would mean giving up on 500 to 950 years of exchange. He warned that the government should be cautious about the type of exit they want to achieve.

He also explained how they have been leading as universities in the past decades and reminded the committee on how they weren't as influential when they joined the EU. He noted that losing that power would be like "shooting ourselves in the foot."
Los Angeles Valley College has paid $28,000 to hackers in order to end the ransomware attack on its computer network. Officials confirmed that the cyber-payment was sent using bitcoins.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that the cyber-attack disrupted the school's online, email, financial aid and voicemail systems. It also locked out over 1,500 students and teachers from their computers.

The hack happened on Dec. 30. It compromised the data of 20,000 students.

LA Valley College officials paid the cyber-ransom of $28,000 in bitcoins to unlock the ransomware. They decided to pay because paying the ransom was cheaper than removing the virus.

After the ransom was paid, the hackers gave the school a key to re-open access to its data. The school has confirmed that, so far, no data breach has been identified. Moreover, it seems that LA Valley College had been randomly targeted.

College president Erika Endrijonas admitted that the officials of the school consulted with the cybersecurity experts before they went through with paying the ransom. One of the major factors that they took into consideration was how the locked computers affected its students, faculty and staff.

According to the school newspaper, The Valley Star, the college was able to pay the ransom using its cyber-security insurance policy held by the Los Angeles Community College District. LACCD has also shouldered the cost of resetting the systems.

LA Valley College's IT department has said that it is prioritizing the restoration of student email in order for the administration to communicate with students. They are also slowly bringing back other services.

Speaking to CBS Local, Philip Lieberman, a cyber-security expert and CEO of Lieberman Software Corporation, said that this type of cyber-attack happens all the time. He noted that attackers are usually based in Eastern Europe and they are attacking the U.S. because our government does not have pacts with those nations about the prosecution of cyber-attacks.
A phishing email was sent to Lehigh University students and staff. This is part of the culprit's attempt to trick the students into revealing their passwords.

The Morning Call reported that an email was sent on Wednesday morning to students and staff at Lehigh University. Attached to it was a file that, when opened, would give the unknown sender access to the recipient's passwords as well as other personal information.

Officials as Lehigh confirmed that the phishing email claimed to be from university president John D. Simon. It was entitled "New Development" and asked the recipients to view a PDF file which it described as an "essential document."

In order to view the file, though, students and staff were required to type in private data. Officials warned that this would compromise the security of online university accounts.

On Wednesday, Lehigh's Library and Technology Services office has advised everyone who received the email to delete it and not open the file. Those who already opened the file would need to submit a work order at the LTS office Help Desk to change their passwords and credentials.

In its official website, Lehigh University has provided guidelines for its community about what to look out for in terms of phishing and identity theft attempts. Just last month, students and staff of the school received an "Urgent-Important Campus Alert!" from an unverified source.

In the email sent last December, students and staff were urged to click on a suspicious link. Another was about a supposed IT concern where recipients were asked to fill out a form.

Schools are the most common targets for these types of cyber-attacks. Recently, the University of Alberta in Canada was hit by a security hack attack where its computers were installed with malware, which put over 3,000 students, faculty and staff at risk.

Apparently, the student installed the malware on 300 computers in 20 classrooms and laboratories in the Library Knowledge Commons, Computing Science Centre and in the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science. The main target was to get University of Alberta's primary identification password, which is known as the campus computing ID.
Stanford University researchers were able to create a cheap alternative to a common tool in modern medicine: the centrifuge. This can help in detecting diseases in people from countries who can't afford this type of medical support.

In its official website, Stanford University confirmed that its bioengineers were able to develop "an ultra-low-cost, human-powered centrifuge." It can separate blood into its individual components in just a minute and a half.

The device is created from 20 cents of paper, twine and plastic. Deemed as a "paperfuge," it can spin at speeds of 125,000 rpm and can exert centrifugal forces of 30,000 Gs. Manu Prakash, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford, said that this may be the fastest spinning object that works just with human power.

A centrifuge plays a significant role in the detection of diseases such as malaria, African sleeping sickness, HIV and tuberculosis. The low-cost device can help provide accurate diagnosis and treatment in places, which are usually poor and difficult to reach, where the said diseases are most rampant.

The study was published online on Tuesday in the journal "Nature." The centrifuge separates blood components and makes it easier to detect parasites, like the ones that cause malaria, because it settles in the middle of the tube.

Prakash specializes in low-cost diagnostic tools for underserved places. He saw the need for a new, inexpensive type of centrifuge after he found an expensive centrifuge being used as a doorstop in a Ugandan clinic because it was useless without electricity.

According to Live Science, Prakash won a 2016 MacArthur "genius" award. He is known for the creation of the Foldscope, which is an origami-like paper microscope that only costs about $1.50.

Inverse noted that, in 2015, more than 400,000 people died from malaria. Moreover, as the Earth's temperature continues to rise, climate change is expected to be the primary cause of more people dying from malaria, malnutrition, diarrhea and heat stress every year between 2030 and 2050.
Scientists discovered a massive peatland in the Congo Basin in Central Africa. It reportedly has an area that is larger than New York State.

According to the New York Times, English Professor Simon Lewis, from the University of Leeds, expressed his astonishment about their recent finding. The peat was said to have been accumulating for over 10,000 years.

Peats are composed of decomposing vegetation in swamp forests. One problem, though, is that it is a natural storehouse of carbon which is taken from the atmosphere.

This particular peat is estimated to have about 30 billion metric tons of carbon. It is equivalent to two decades' worth of carbon from fossil fuel emissions in the United States.

Dr. Lewis and his colleagues published their discovery in the journal "Nature." They first came up with their hypothesis about peatlands years ago when they were working on the Cuvette Centrale wetlands.

The current study utilized satellite imaging and analysis to figure out how massive the peat is. It has an area of about 55,000 square miles. This data, along with the depth of the peat which is about 20 feet, was used to determine the calculation of the amount of stored carbon.

The Washington Post reported that, as per the researchers, forests made up of certain species of hardwood trees and palms produce peats. The Congo Basin peat was estimated to have the same amount of carbon emitted by the entire world in three years.

Indonesia still has the greatest peatland area. This recent study has placed Congo and Congo Republic to second and third, respectively. It was noted that the African continent may be storing up to 34.4. billion tons of carbon in peatlands.

Speaking to AFP, via Yahoo News, Lewis warned that the peat should not be destroyed. If that happens, billions of tons of carbon would be released to the atmosphere.
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 12 (PTI) Sikhs in America are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers after it issues a new regulation on religious liberty to accommodate people who sport turbans and beards for religious reasons.

In a significant move to enable all religious minorities in America, including the Sikhs, the US Army last week issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs.

advertisement

The new set of rules allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.

"This is a historic day for Sikhs in the US," said Rajwant Singh secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, which organised an event to celebrate the US Army announcement in this regard.

Sikhs are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers, he said.

"This is a well-timed policy change that the Department of Defence and the White House made for the Sikh community since it aligns with the auspicious occasion of the 350th birth-anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who taught us to stand up for who you are and work for the religious freedom of all," Singh said.

Sikhs have been campaigning for quite some time to get the restrictions removed and we were pressing the White House to push the changes in the waning days of the Obama Administration.

"We are thankful to President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Army Eric Fanning for making sure that these restrictions against religious articles are removed. Sikhs are thrilled and there are many young people who are eager to serve. This will provide an opportunity to people of faith who are loyal and patriotic Americans to serve this country with dignity and without compromising their faith," Singh said.

"We must realise that there can be no dagger into the heart of bigotry and divisiveness than to see all of the worlds cultures, standing visibly in one formation, united against hate," said Ravi Chaudhary, a former Pentagon official and who served as a member of the Presidents Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Joining the celebration, Dilpreet Kaur Sidhu, an official from the National Security Council at the White House, said, there is lot of work to be done.

"The administration worked really hard to achieving in what they did and there a lot more to be done. There are not too many Sikhs working in the Federal government. It is important that we encourage Sikh youth to opt for career in public service," he said.

advertisement

"This is the result of that continued struggle but we need to continue. Only one agency has changed the rules and we need to work on other agencies. This would be possible only with the support of the community," he said. PTI LKJ AMS AKJ AMS

--- ENDS ---
Following an overwhelming success of "Making A Murderer" Season 1, showrunners Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi has announced their interest to make another season for the docuseries that revolves around the story of Steven Avery and nephew Brendan Dassey. Both were involved in the killing and raping of Teresa Halbach in 2005.

The American documentary television series, which premiered on Netflix in Dec. 18, 2015 had since hooked viewers in the case of Avery and Dassey. It gathered 25 million viewers with some fans even signing a petition asking the court to grant a pardon to both convicts, Enstarz reported.

Netflix has already confirmed a second season of "Making A Murderer," although the release date has not been announced at present. With the buzz created by the docuseries , the White House has even issued an official statement as to why they cannot pardon the pair stating that it cannot pardon a state criminal offense.

According to sources, season two will see Dassey's freedom as one judge has ordered for his release and ruled in August that he was tricked by investigators into confessing he helped his uncle in the Halbach case, Independent has learned. Filmmakers confirmed that season two will feature a mock trial, recreating the scenes from within the courtroom.

Another interesting angle to watch out for are the recorded conversations of both show creators Demos and Ricciardi with Avery, which is seen to be included in the future episodes. It will also show lots of evidences that never made into the first season.

Although Prosecutor Ken Kratz declined the offer to be featured in season one, docuseries fans are hopeful that he might eventually appear in season two as he has been very outspoken about the case ever since "Making A Murderer" was released. Meanwhile, appeal lawyer Kathleen Zellner disclosed there will be new tests done on Avery in an attempt to prove his innocence, which fans believe will certainly be featured in season two.

For now, fans will have to wait for a while in order to follow again the life and story of both Avery and Dassey unravel right before their eyes especially that Zellner promised to bring justice to Avery and bring him out of prison this year.
Remember Google Tango? Google's augmented reality platform project that was started development three years ago and first introduced in 2014. Google's primary goal was to equip a smartphone with some sort of computer vision abilities.

Google Tango is making a strong comeback and finally coming out in a consumer device. But this is not the launch of a new flagship product or technology.

For a quick start, Google Tango is an augmented reality computing platform, developed by Google and launched in 2014. The augmented reality platform enables apps to track a device's position and orientation within a detailed 3D environment. It uses computer vision to enable mobile devices to detect their position relative to the world around them without using GPS.

Google Tango Gets A Big Boost From An Art Museum

Google hasn't set Google Tango on fire at CES 2017 and it seems it's not interested in the augmented reality computing platform. Google Tango didn't get too much buzz and even a Google-led launch event or press release. The most the search giant could muster was a mere blog post about its possible applications.

But this doesn't mean that Google Tango would not get a shot at augmented reality. There's certainly a chance of life for Google Tango in the consumer space.

In a bid to get a second life for it's promising augmented reality platform Google Tango, Google is teaming up with a number of museums around the world, starting with the Detroit Institute of Arts.

According to TechCrunch, A Detroit art museum is currently leveraging Google Tango for an augmented reality history lesson. Google is currently offering museum visitors with Google Tango-enabled mobile devices that can be used to explore exhibits and artworks in augmented reality mode.

The Detroit Institute of Arts is betting hard on the Google-built augmented reality app as a way to create better engagements with its visitors, following in the footsteps of Barcelona's Museum Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.

At the Detroit museum, visitors can now request a Google-enabled Lenovo Phab 2 Pro from the front desk and use it to find out more about artifacts, Engadget reported.

The Google Tango-enabled device can peer inside sarcophagi to reveal mummified bodies, and even visualize lost architecture like the six-story Babylonian Ishtar Gate. It can also restore ancient limestone reliefs to their original setup.

Google first introduced Google Tango in January 2016, when it announced a partnership with Lenovo to release a consumer smartphone during the summer of 2016. That smartphone partnership will feature Google Tango technology marketed at consumers, noting a less than $500 price-point. At the same time, both Google and Lenovo announced an application incubator to get more application developers on board and get them developed more applications for the Google Tango-enabled device.
The college admission process is a very stressful time for everyone, especially for parents who are torn between letting their college-age children be independent and make decisions for themselves. Although they know they might not be the best decisions and the ordeal in doing so can take its toll on both parents and child bound for college, here's how you can survive the whole process and avoid the pitfalls.

Act as their mentor

It might be difficult but at this point in time, parents need to serve as guides and mentors instead of an authority figure. Avoid forcing your decision to them instead ask questions that would make them stop for a while and consider. Instead of saying, "I think this major is good for you," try asking, "how would that major help you in the future?"

Focus more on their goals in life

Just talking about college will come across as nagging them to make a decision right there and then. To remove the pressure that could lead to misunderstanding between you and your child, ask them about their hopes and dreams as well as their doubts and anxieties. The conversation would be much better if it's spontaneous.

Talk to the school counselor

If your child's school has a counselor, talk to them to keep you up-to-date with deadlines and requirements. Don't muddle your decision by listening to friends and relatives regarding what is right and 'best.' Although they mean well, nothing beats the expert who has the first-hand information.

Be aware about the process

What you and other's experiences are different than what your child will experience. What worked in the past, even if it's just a year the went by, might not work now. Instead, educate yourself by researching online and attending college nights. Searching college websites for information is also a good step to informing yourself.

Avoid nagging

Stopping yourself from nagging might probably be the most difficult to accept because it's the most natural thing parents do. However, it won't work to your advantage. Instead, create a calendar and schedule and place it where everyone can see it and be reminded what needs to be done next.
The Revelation 12 Sign Compendium









A Great Sign

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.



- Revelation 12:1-5

The Constellation Virgo





The Sun

The Moon

A Crown Of Twelve Stars





The Planet Jupiter





The Complete Picture

The Significance





The Woman: Mary And Israel

The Dragon: Satan And The Kingdom Of Antichrist

The Male Child: Christ And His Church

1. Consistency in Symbolism. The woman represents a corporate entity (Israel, see Genesis 37:910); the Dragon represents a corporate entity (the world system controlled by Satan, see the total of seven heads and ten horns in the series of monsters in Daniel 7:17) and the male child as the body of Christ would also represent a corporate entity (Christ in union with His body, the Church, see 1 Corinthians 12:12, etc.).



2. Allusion to Isaiah 66:7-8. The use of the neuter adjective arsen (male) modifying the masculine noun huios (son) and the image of Israel giving birth points careful readers back to Isaiah 66:78, where we read in the Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament): Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy (arsen). Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her children. The image is parallel in Revelation, and John explicitly breaks the rules of Greek grammar (modifying the masculine son with the neuter male) to point us back to this passage in Isaiah 66. The child in both cases is corporate, not individual.



3. Symbolic Background of Daniel 7. I think John uses the term huios (son) in Revelation 12:5 to connect us to the vision of the Son of Man in Daniel 7:1314, which is interpreted corporately as the Messiah and His saints in 7:18; 2627. John uses the term son in Revelation 12:5, literally she gave birth to a son, a male, not the term child, as most translations render it. Most people miss that the Son of Man in Daniel 7 is interpreted by the angel corporately, which fits well with Revelation 12:5s male son interpreted corporately as the body of Christ. Also, the image of the seven heads and ten horns of the dragon symbol earlier in this vision already pointed us back to Daniel 7, which seems to stand behind this vision of Revelation 12.



4. The Male Child is Snatched Up. The word in Revelation 12:5 is the word for rapture, harpazo, and always means a sudden removal, a snatching. In contrast, for the ascension of Christ, the New Testament uses terms such as to be lifted up, epairo (Acts 1:9), to ascend, anabaino (John 20:17; Ephesians 4:8-10) and to take up, analambano (Mark 16:19; Luke 1:11). These are neutral terms meaning a removal from one place to another. Revelation 12:5 has the male child being suddenly snatched away from the dragon, who wants to devour the child. The ascension of Christ was gradual (Acts 1:10), not sudden. Also, Revelation 12:5 is a context of rescue from the threat of the dragon. The word rapture, harpazo, is appropriately used in the New Testament for a rescue in Acts 23:10 and Jude 23. In His ascension to heaven, Christ was not rescued, but ascended victoriously and was in no danger from the devil or anybody else. The term rapture, harpazo, is never used of Christs ascension to heaven. Thus, the use of harpazo in a rescue context like Revelation 12:5 is completely inappropriate to describe the ascension of Christ, but is completely appropriate to describe the rapture of the church as a rescue from Satans emerging efforts to destroy the church as we approach the end times.



5. Corporate application of Psalm 2:9 in Revelation 2:26-27; 12:5; and 19:14-15. In Psalm 2:9, God tells the Messiah, You will break them [the nations] with a rod of iron, You will shatter them like earthenware. In Revelation 2:26-27, Christ extends this promise to the Church, the body of Christ: And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received [authority] from My Father. In Revelation 19:14-15, Christ and the armies come to earth, fulfilling the promise: And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. This same Psalm is quoted in Revelation 12:5 and applied to the male child. Thus, the male child as Christ in union with His body, the Church, is most consistent with the application of the promise of Psalm 2:9 extended both to Christ and the Church.

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you...

Claims And Critiques

FALSE

FALSE

August 27th, 70 AD:

September 11th, 3 BC:

August 5th, 3915 BC:

And I will put enmity

between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.



To the woman he said,

I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;

with painful labor you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband,

and he will rule over you.

FALSE

FALSE

TRUE

TRUE

FALSE

9:00 PM In Israel On October 13th, 2017:





10:00 AM In Israel On November 13th, 2017:





Midnight In Israel On December 25th, 2017:





This is FALSE . Several people have pointed out that the disc of the Sun rests on the shoulder of Virgo rather than over her midsection. This is evidence, they say, that the woman is not clothed with the Sun. As far as the astronomical alignment is concerned, this is the only point that can withstand any scrutiny, but it doesn't ultimately hold water for several reasons:











Second, the Greek word for "Sun" in Revelation 12:1 is , transliterated helion, which is helios. The word can carry several meanings: the Sun, the rays of the sun, sunlight, and daylight. Ancient Greek didn't have different words for these four meanings as we do in English, so helios carries other connotations beyond just the literal meaning of "Sun". The use of the word in the Septuagint with its definite article in 2 Samuel 12:11 is perhaps a good example of this where the idea is "broad daylight" -  . The Revelation 12 Sign not only appears in its fullness over Israel during the day on September 23rd, but because the Sun is in the area of the constellation, the woman appears fully "clothed" in the Sun's rays.



Third, and lastly, arguing that the disc of the Sun doesn't "clothe" the woman is an impossible standard. Virgo is the only constellation in the biblical Mazzaroth that represents a woman and out of 88 constellations in the sky, one of only three that represent women. Of those three, it is the only one that the Sun moves through - hence Virgo being part of the Mazzaroth - the twelve constellations that lie along the Sun's ecliptic. For this reason, if John's vision was of a literal sign in the sky (which is what the text in Revelation 12:1 plainly says), Virgo is the only possible constellation in the entire sky that could symbolize the woman. The Sun's ecliptic is exactly the same every year and the only time the Sun ever enters the torso of Virgo is when it passes just behind the angle formed by Spica as seen below:





The image above shows the deepest possible point in the constellation that the Sun traverses (the red line is the Sun's unchanging path every year). The Sun will never hover over Virgo's neck or chest, or be centered anywhere in the quadrangle of the constellation's womb, nor will it ever cover her legs, so "clothed with the Sun" must simply mean that the Sun is passing through the constellation as it does every Fall for a little over one and a half months. You can test this yourself using any astronomy software - whether you choose 3000 BC or 3000 AD makes no difference. It is interesting to note that if you bisect Virgo into two equal parts, the Sun's position on September 23rd, 2017 is about as close as the Sun ever gets to being perfectly centered over the constellation. "Clothed in the Sun" probably also draws on the connotations mentioned in the second point above, which is that the woman is clothed in sunlight or the rays of the Sun.



In September 2017 we see a perfect match with John's prophecy.





CLAIM: The male child of Revelation 12:5 is Jesus, not the corporate Church.



This is FALSE . Many watchers are making the connection between the Revelation 12 Sign and the rapture based on the male child's possible corporate identity as the Body of Christ - the Church. A number of detractors dismiss this possibility, but in my opinion the evidence is simply too powerful to ignore and even if the astronomical alignment on September 23rd is not the Revelation 12 Sign, I would still argue that the man-child in Revelation 12:5 is meant to represent the Church in union with Christ. Here are the reasons:



First, it is repeated ad infinitum by detractors that the Church is the bride of Christ and thus the man-child cannot represent the Church. This is a very exegetically weak argument for several reasons.



For starters, the Church is called a man in Ephesians 2:15. There are a number of metaphors for the Church in Scripture besides a bride. The most common is actually Christ's body (e.g. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 12:12-13, 25-27; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18, 24, 2:19, 3:15; Ephesians 4:4, 11-13). And what might come as a shock to some, the Church is never explicitly identified as the bride of Christ. The closest you can come to that analogy is in 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:22-24. In the Ephesians passage the Church is likened to a bride in that that the Church is subject to Christ who is the head, but the Church is not said to actually be the bride. The only explicit reference to Christ's bride is found in Revelation 21:2, 9-10. The bride is the city of New Jerusalem, which is revealed after the millennial reign of Christ. New Jerusalem has characteristics from both Israel and the Church, with gates named after the sons of Jacob (men who died long before Christ's first advent), and foundations named after the Twelve Apostles. Zion, which is a prophetic term for heavenly Jerusalem, is likened to a woman in labor in Isaiah 66:8, so in a certain sense it is really Zion, the mother of all the saints both pre- and post-Christ, that is the wife of the Lamb. We need to remember that bride is just one analogy of many for the Church, just as body is. The Church is just as often compared to a temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5).



Second, the Apostle John makes a grammatical error in Revelation 12:5 when he modifies the masculine huios (son) with the neuter word arsen. If you believe that God's Word is infallible, then you're only left with one option: John made this mistake intentionally. And sure enough, his use of arsen appears to come directly from the Septuagint version of Isaiah 66:7-8 where we see the same imagery of a woman in labor with a male child. Isaiah 66:8 gives the male child an unmistakable corporate identity - he is a nation born in a single day. 1 Peter 2:9 says the Church is a holy nation.



Third, Revelation 12:5 says that the male child "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter". This is an important clue. There is no question that this phrase relates to Christ as can be seen in Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 19:14-15. However, Revelation 2:26-27 unmistakably gives the promise to "rule with an iron scepter" to the Church, as well. There is no way to get around verse 27 - Christ, in union with His Church, will rule the nations with a rod of iron.



Fourth, the corporate identity of the male child preserves the symbolic pattern of Revelation 12: the woman is Mary and Israel, the dragon is satan and his kingdom, and the child is Christ and His Church.



Fifth, the use of harpazo in Revelation 12:5 is a huge clue. Harpazo is the same word used for "rapture" or "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and means a sudden removal by force. Jesus' ascension was never once described using this word and in fact the Apostle John himself (the author of Revelation) calls Jesus' ascension anabaino in John 20:17 - meaning to go up, ascend, or rise. When Jesus ascended to Heaven He had already conquered death and sin. He was in absolutely no danger from anyone. The Bible says He left not to escape satan, but because it was beneficial for the Church (John 16:7). There is simply no way to reconcile the context of Revelation 12:5, which is a sudden snatching away by force from the imminent danger of the dragon, with Jesus' ascension.



Sixth, Revelation 12 is significantly placed right in the middle of the book and is an interlude presenting a broad overview of Christ's first coming all the way up to the end of the Tribulation: Christ's birth, the gestation and birth of the Church, the war in Heaven, the rise of antichrist's kingdom (seven heads and ten horns), Israel being pursued by the dragon during the first-half of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13), Israel being miraculously protected by God for the last-half of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:14), and even satan's pursuit of the Tribulation Saints once he realizes he can't touch the divinely protected Jews (Revelation 12:17).



Seventh, I firmly believe that the early Church was dispensational, premillennial, and pretribulational. However, with the rise of Augustinianism, the Church went through a 1,400-year hiatus where prophecy tended to be mistrusted and allegorized. The founders of modern dispensationalism who re-popularized the pre-trib rapture such as Darby and Ironside found Revelation 12:5 to actually be the chief proof-text of the pretribulational rapture of the Church. By the early 1900s, this proof-text was largely forgotten by pre-trib proponents and arguments in favor relied primarily on secondary evidence, which led to the rise of mid-trib, pre-wrath, and post-trib views in the Evangelical churches. I find it fascinating that around the same time the Revelation 12 Sign was first spotted using astronomy software (sometime in 2011 or 2012), a number of scholars,





CLAIM: Virgo already has a crown of twelve stars.



This is FALSE . Some detractors are arguing that Virgo already has a crown of twelve stars



Answering the last objection first, the Bible does not make a distinction between stars and planets. We get our English word planet from the Greek word planetes, which means "a wanderer" and refers to "wandering stars". However, this word does not stand alone. It modifies the normative Greek word for "stars", asteres, and occurs only one time in the Bible in Jude 1:13. This in fact becomes a powerful confirmation of the plausibility of the theory that the nine stars of Leo and the three planets Mercury, Mars, and Venus form the crown, because asteres is the same Greek word used in Revelation 12:1 in regards to the twelve-star crown and Jude 1:13 connects planets directly with stars - the implication being that planets are a type of star (from the biblical perspective). Additionally, we see the planet Venus or Jupiter plainly called a star in Scripture such as in Revelation 2:28 and Revelation 22:16.



The first objection that Virgo already has a crown of twelve stars is not accurate. For starters, there are nearly 10,000 visible stars in the night sky, including dozens and dozens in Virgo and Leo. From a super-literal perspective you could say that Virgo is always wearing a crown of dozens of stars and therefore she could never have a crown of just twelve, but this isn't the meaning or sense of the text. The Bible frequently describes constellations (such as the Pleiades, the Bear, and others) and so what we are looking for are which constellations are in view in the text. The only woman that can ever be clothed with the sun is Virgo, so her identification is unmistakable. Directly above her head is a single constellation, Leo, which according to the most prevalent





First of all, Coma Berenices is not on Virgo's head and Revelation 12:1 says the crown of twelve stars is on her head. Virtually all artwork for the constellation Virgo has her head portrayed near where the sun is in the image above - directly below the "crown" of Leo.



Secondly, and most decisively, as you can plainly see above, Coma Berenices has three main stars, not twelve. As a matter of fact, I can't find a single source saying Coma Berenices has twelve stars. It has three main stars and 44 "minor" stars - definitely not twelve.



First, from the perspective of an earth-based observer, the Sun itself is significantly smaller than the constellation Virgo and so regardless of where the Sun is positioned, the woman could never be fully clothed with the Sun if the disc itself is in view in Revelation 12:1. Even if the disc rested over Virgo's midsection, it would only cover a small portion of her torso. On September 23rd, 2017, the Sun clothes the woman's shoulder, which in my opinion is just as significant as any other part of her body. You can see the vast difference in apparent size between the constellation Virgo and the Sun below, and why its location within the constellation makes no difference:Second, the Greek word for "Sun" in Revelation 12:1 is , transliterated, which is Strong's 2246 . The word can carry several meanings:, and. Ancient Greek didn't have different words for these four meanings as we do in English, so helios carries other connotations beyond just the literal meaning of "Sun". The use of the word in the Septuagint with its definite article in 2 Samuel 12:11 is perhaps a good example of this where the idea is "broad daylight" -  . The Revelation 12 Sign not only appears in its fullness over Israel during the day on September 23rd, but because the Sun is in the area of the constellation, the woman appears fully "clothed" in the Sun's rays.Third, and lastly, arguing that theof the Sun doesn't "clothe" the woman is an impossible standard. Virgo is theconstellation in the biblical Mazzaroth that represents a woman and out of 88 constellations in the sky, one of only three that represent women. Of those three, it is thethat the Sun moves through - hence Virgo being part of the Mazzaroth - the twelve constellations that lie along the Sun's ecliptic. For this reason, if John's vision was of a literal sign in the sky (which is what the text in Revelation 12:1 plainly says),. The Sun's ecliptic is exactly the same every year and the only time the Sun ever enters the torso of Virgo is when it passes just behind the angle formed by Spica as seen below:The image above shows the deepest possible point in the constellation that the Sun traverses (the red line is the Sun's unchanging path every year). The Sun willhover over Virgo's neck or chest, or be centered anywhere in the quadrangle of the constellation's womb, nor will it ever cover her legs, so "clothed with the Sun" must simply mean that the Sun is passing through the constellation as it does every Fall for a little over one and a half months. You can test this yourself using any astronomy software - whether you choose 3000 BC or 3000 AD makes no difference. It is interesting to note that if you bisect Virgo into two equal parts, the Sun's position on September 23rd, 2017 is about as close as the Sun ever gets to being perfectly centered over the constellation. "Clothed in the Sun" probably also draws on the connotations mentioned in the second point above, which is that the woman is clothed in sunlight or the rays of the Sun.In September 2017 we see a perfect match with John's prophecy.This is. Many watchers are making the connection between the Revelation 12 Sign and the rapture based on the male child's possible corporate identity as the Body of Christ -. A number of detractors dismiss this possibility, but in my opinion the evidence is simply too powerful to ignore and even if the astronomical alignment on September 23rd is not the Revelation 12 Sign, I would still argue that the man-child in Revelation 12:5 is meant to represent the Church in union with Christ. Here are the reasons:First, it is repeatedby detractors that the Church is the bride of Christ and thus the man-child cannot represent the Church. This is a very exegetically weak argument for several reasons.For starters, the Churchcalled a man in Ephesians 2:15. There are a number of metaphors for the Church in Scripture besides a. The most common is actually Christ's(e.g. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 12:12-13, 25-27; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18, 24, 2:19, 3:15; Ephesians 4:4, 11-13). And what might come as a shock to some, the Church is never explicitly identified as the bride of Christ. The closest you can come to that analogy is in 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:22-24. In the Ephesians passage the Church isto a bride in that that the Church is subject to Christ who is the head, but the Church is not said to actuallythe bride. The only explicit reference to Christ's bride is found in Revelation 21:2, 9-10. The bride is the city of New Jerusalem, which is revealed after the millennial reign of Christ. New Jerusalem has characteristics from both Israel and the Church, with gates named after the sons of Jacob (men who died long before Christ's first advent), and foundations named after the Twelve Apostles., which is a prophetic term for heavenly Jerusalem, is likened to a woman in labor in Isaiah 66:8, so in a certain sense it is really Zion, the mother of all the saints both pre- and post-Christ, that is the wife of the Lamb. We need to remember thatis just one analogy of many for the Church, just asis. The Church is just as often compared to a temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5).Second, the Apostle John makes a grammatical error in Revelation 12:5 when he modifies the masculine(son) with the neuter word. If you believe that God's Word is infallible, then you're only left with one option:. And sure enough, his use ofappears to come directly from the Septuagint version of Isaiah 66:7-8 where we see the same imagery of a woman in labor with a male child. Isaiah 66:8 gives the male child an unmistakable corporate identity - he is aborn in a single day. 1 Peter 2:9 says the Church is a holyThird, Revelation 12:5 says that the male child "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter". This is an important clue. There is no question that this phrase relates to Christ as can be seen in Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 19:14-15. However, Revelation 2:26-27 unmistakably gives the promise to "rule with an iron scepter" to the Church, as well. There is no way to get around verse 27 - Christ, in union with His Church, will rule the nations with a rod of iron.Fourth, the corporate identity of the male child preserves the symbolic pattern of Revelation 12: the woman is MaryIsrael, the dragon is satanhis kingdom, and the child is ChristHis Church.Fifth, the use ofin Revelation 12:5 is a huge clue. Harpazo is the same word used for "rapture" or "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and means a sudden removal by force. Jesus' ascension was never once described using this word and in fact the Apostle John himself (the author of Revelation) calls Jesus' ascensionin John 20:17 - meaning to, or. When Jesus ascended to Heaven He had already conquered death and sin. He was in absolutely no danger from anyone. The Bible says He left not to escape satan, but because it was beneficial for the Church (John 16:7). There is simply no way to reconcile the context of Revelation 12:5, which is a sudden snatching away by force from the imminent danger of the dragon, with Jesus' ascension.Sixth, Revelation 12 is significantly placed right in the middle of the book and is an interlude presenting a broad overview of Christ's first coming all the way up to the end of the Tribulation: Christ's birth, the gestation and birth of the Church, the war in Heaven, the rise of antichrist's kingdom (seven heads and ten horns), Israel being pursued by the dragon during the first-half of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13), Israel being miraculously protected by God for the last-half of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:14), and even satan's pursuit of the Tribulation Saints once he realizes he can't touch the divinely protected Jews (Revelation 12:17).Seventh, I firmly believe that the early Church was dispensational, premillennial, and pretribulational. However, with the rise of Augustinianism, the Church went through a 1,400-year hiatus where prophecy tended to be mistrusted and allegorized. The founders of modern dispensationalism who re-popularized the pre-trib rapture such as Darby and Ironside found Revelation 12:5 to actually beof the pretribulational rapture of the Church. By the early 1900s, this proof-text was largely forgotten by pre-trib proponents and arguments in favor relied primarily on secondary evidence, which led to the rise of mid-trib, pre-wrath, and post-trib views in the Evangelical churches. I find it fascinating that around the same time the Revelation 12 Sign was first spotted using astronomy software (sometime in 2011 or 2012), a number of scholars, such as Michael Svigel , re-discovered the use of Revelation 12:5 as the chief pre-trib proof-text. The timing is impeccable.This is. Some detractors are arguing that Virgo already has a crown of twelve stars or that Leo does not have nine stars and therefore the alignment on September 23rd is not unique. Alternatively they may argue that Mercury, Mars, and Venus cannot form part of the crown because they are planets and not stars. Both of these objections fail to hold water.Answering the last objection first, the Bible does not make a distinction between stars and planets. We get our English wordfrom the Greek word planetes, which means "a wanderer" and refers to "wandering stars". However, this word does not stand alone. It modifies the normative Greek word for "stars",, and occurs only one time in the Bible in Jude 1:13. This in fact becomes a powerful confirmation of the plausibility of the theory that the nine stars of Leo and the three planets Mercury, Mars, and Venus form the crown, becauseis the same Greek word used in Revelation 12:1 in regards to the twelve-star crown and Jude 1:13 connectsdirectly with- the implication being that planets are aof star (from the biblical perspective). Additionally, we see the planet Venus or Jupiter plainly called a star in Scripture such as in Revelation 2:28 and Revelation 22:16.The first objection that Virgo already has a crown of twelve stars is not accurate. For starters, there are nearly 10,000 visible stars in the night sky, including dozens and dozens in Virgo and Leo. From a super-literal perspective you could say that Virgo is always wearing a crown of dozens of stars and therefore she could never have a crown of just twelve, but this isn't the meaning or sense of the text. The Bible frequently describes constellations (such as the Pleiades, the Bear, and others) and so what we are looking for are. The only woman that can ever be clothed with the sun is Virgo, so her identification is unmistakable. Directly above her head is a single constellation, Leo, which according to the most prevalent sky cultures , and many ancient maps, has nine stars. Leo has also been directly connected with the Tribe of Judah and the events surrounding Jesus' first coming (see here ). On September 23rd, three of the five visible planets are in near-perfect alignment within Leo, forming the crown, or garland, of twelve stars. Mercury, Mars, and Venus are also much brighter than most stars, so they will certainly "stand out" alongside the existing nine stars of Leo. Now some detractors argue that Virgo's crown is composed of the twelve stars of the constellation Coma Berenices. Take a look at the image below (from the article The Sky Don't Lie ) of this constellation and judge for yourself:First of all, Coma Berenicesand Revelation 12:1 says the crown of twelve starson her head. Virtually all artwork for the constellation Virgo has her head portrayed near where the sun is in the image above - directly below the "crown" of Leo.Secondly, and most decisively, as you can plainly see above, Coma Berenices has three main stars, not twelve. As a matter of fact, I can't findsaying Coma Berenices has twelve stars. It has three main stars and 44 "minor" stars - definitely not twelve.

By now you've probably heard about what a number of Christians are calling thethat will supposedly occur on Saturday, September 23rd, 2017. There is a lot of rampant speculation on the internet both for and against the legitimacy of this sign and much information to weed through.The goal of this article is to provide readers with a comprehensive and straightforward analysis of the purported sign, addressing many questions and concerns. The three sections below cover the sign itself, it's possible significance, and claims and critiques about the sign. I suspect this article will be updated as new information is uncovered,The astronomical alignment that so many are now pointing to comes from a literal reading of Revelation 12:1-5, which describes a sign in the sky involving a woman who is crowned with twelve stars, clothed with the sun, having the moon under her feet, and giving birth to a male child. The text itself, which validates the view that this passage is in fact describing a real astronomical event visible to the inhabitants of the earth -. Each of the elements described in the sign have significant prophetic and allegorical meaning as will be shown, but the passage itself describes first and foremost aand so any accurate interpretation must begin with that premise. Lacking any evidence that the Apostle John wasdescribing a sign visible in the sky as the text plainly says, the burden of proof is entirely upon those who would argue that this passage is only pure allegory.There has been much confusion over both the Hebrew and Greek words for. In the Greek, the word in Revelation 12:1 iswith a definite article, which can be translated as "in heaven" or "in the sky." The distinction is a big deal, because many who deny a literal one thousand-year kingdom of Christ and the earthly fulfillment of Old Testament covenant promises, will opt for "heaven" being the translation. The same goes for Revelation 21:1. John sees what is often translated "a new heaven" and "a new earth." However, it may be better to translate this as "a new sky," rather than confusing modern readers by using a word in modern English most often associated with God's dwelling.It is also important to note that these first five verses in Revelation 12 purposefully distinguish between. The first sign, which the text calls "a great sign", involves only a woman in labor, and so includes Revelation 12:1-2 and Revelation 12:5. The second sign, called "another sign", is described in Revelation 12:3-4. The signs are connected in the narrative, but their distinction tells us that they are not the same and this is the likely reason that only the first sign has been apparently identified in the Fall of 2017. A number of different explanations for the second sign have been offered, such as an as of yet unseen stellar or planetary body, but that is not the topic of this study. Our focus is entirely on the "great sign".There is some question as to who first made the discovery in its most primordial form, but sometime in 2011 it was observed using astronomy software that a specific alignment of constellations, planets, the sun, and moon would appear to fulfill a literal reading of Revelation 12:1-2 and Revelation 12:5. Here are each of the elements involved in the alignment:Virgo, Latin for "virgin" or "maiden", is the second largest constellation in the sky and one of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac and Jewish Mazzaroth (the constellations that the sun appears to move through during the course of the year). In most depictions it features twelve principal stars as can be seen in the picture above. Spica, along with three other stars, forms a womb-of-sorts at the center of the constellation. Virgo is universally depicted as a woman, even in the ancient Grecian, Roman, and Assyrian-Babylonian cultures and for this reason it is argued that this is the "woman" John saw in the sky. It is the only constellation in the Zodiac and Mazzaroth that represents a woman, and out of the 88 constellations in the entire celestial sphere, it is one of only three constellations that represent women (the other two being Andromeda and Cassiopeia ).Our solar system's star is mentioned by name in Revelation 12:1 as part of the sign. It is said to "clothe" the woman. From the perspective of a viewer on earth, the sun is always much smaller than Virgo and therefore it cannot be the disc of the sun itself that clothes her in any arrangement, but on September 23rd it will rest upon her shoulder and the sign will be entirely "clothed" in sunlight during the day on September 22nd and 23rd, hiding Virgo from view.The lunar body is also mentioned by name in Revelation 12:1, described as residing under the woman's feet. On September 23rd, from the perspective of a viewer in the Middle East, Virgo will appear prone and the moon will appear directly under the feet of the constellation.It is not uncommon for Virgo to be "clothed" in the sun and to have the moon under or near her feet - in fact it happens every year for a number of days in the Fall. It is the crown of twelve stars that John saw that really begins to set this sign apart. This is far, far more rare. The Hebrew and Greek words for "star" do not distinguish between stars as we know them today and planets. From the perspective of an earth-based observer, stars and planets look the same except that planets appear to move through the field of fixed stars. For this reason, planets were sometimes described in the ancient languages as "wandering", but they were still called. Situated directly above the head of the constellation Virgo is the constellation Leo ("The Lion"), composed of nine principal stars as shown above. On September 22nd and 23rd the visible planets Mercury, Mars, and Venus will join Leo's nine stars to form a "crown" of twelve stars on the head of Virgo.Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is said to represent the male child that the woman is giving birth to. There seem to be some very good reasons for making this connection.First of all, almost all commentaries on Revelation 12 throughout Church history have identified the male child in the passage with Jesus Christ (though notJesus Christ as will be discussed later). It seems obvious enough: on one level the woman represents Mary, the baby is Jesus, and the dragon in the second sign represents satan. The child is "caught up" to God's throne in the passage and Jesus ascended into Heaven. Jesus will also rule all the nations when He returns as the passage describes the child as doing. A number of theories about the Star of Bethlehem have posited that Jupiter was that very star - Christ's star . Like Christ, Jupiter is covered in stripes (Isaiah 53:5) and has a very prominent hole called the Great Red Spot , similar to Christ's spear wound (John 19:34). Also like Christ, Jupiter "takes the blow" for us (Isaiah 53:4-6), absorbing most of the lethal comets and asteroids from the outer solar system that would otherwise strike earth.Second, the planet is named after the king of the gods in the ancient Roman and Greek pantheons (Jupiter and Zeus, respectively). In ancient Babylonian and Germanic pantheons the planet represented the son of their respective chief deities: Marduk son of Ea, and Thor son of Odin. In other words, in the ancient world Jupiter was always associated with either the greatest male deity or that deity's son. Jupiter is therefore frequently called the "king planet".Third, on November 20th, 2016, the planet Jupiter entered the womb of the constellation Virgo where it will remain for exactly 42 weeks, the precise length of a long human gestation . The 42 week gestation is interesting in light of the 42 generations from Abraham to Christ (Matthew 1:17) and the 42 months that transpire in each of the first and second halves of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:2, Revelation 13:5, Daniel 7:25,). A crown of twelve stars above Virgo's head is rare,. In order for Jupiter to remain in the womb for such a lengthy and precise amount of time, it undergoes an extremely rare retrograde motion in the constellation. The planet actually appears to make a giant circle within the womb during this time before exiting on September 9th, 2017. The sign in Revelation 12 completes in verse 5 after the child is born and likewise two weeks after Jupiter exits the womb, it moves down the celestial birthing canal and the complete sign is formed in the sky. It could be said that the woman is in labor for two weeks as the baby moves out of the womb and through the canal.The picture above shows the complete sign as it will appear from Israel on September 23rd, 2017. It also shows the different positions of Jupiter within the womb of Virgo as it circles around during the 42 week gestation. Scottie Clark, the first to put all these pieces together, talks about the precision of the sign here:My personal study of Revelation 12 (much credit given to Jeff E. , Scottie Clark, and Daniel Matson , among many others) has led me to believe that the entire chapter, which occurs right in the middle of the book, is an interlude and broad overview of the entire Tribulation, describing all of the key events except for the Second Coming of Christ. Revelation 12 appears to describe the Tribulation in chronological order, except for verse 6:Revelation 12:1-5: The rapture of the Church.Revelation 12:7-12: The future war in Heaven that occurs simultaneously with the rapture or very shortly after. The accuser and his accusing angels are cast out of Heaven as the Church gains entrance into Heaven. You might call this the: the Church goes up and the devil comes down. Satan and his angels are then confined to earth.Revelation 12:13: The persecution of the Jewish remnant on earth during the first half of the Tribulation.Revelation 12:14-16, 6: The Jewish remnant's protection and provision while the remaining three and one-half years of the Tribulation comes to a conclusion.Revelation 12:17: Recognizing that the Jewish remnant is then untouchable, satan turns his attention towards the remaining Gentile Tribulation Saints.In order to fully understand the chapter's narrative you have to understand that the three key players represent both individuals and corporate entities:Throughout Church history it seemed self-evident to identify the woman in this passage with Mary, the mother of Jesus: she gave birth to the male child who will rule all the nations. She was also persecuted by a dragon-of-sorts in the form of Herod and God protected her and her family in Egypt. This is the individual that the woman represents.Corporately, however, the woman represents Israel. This is indicated not only by the very Jewishness of a crown of twelve stars (the twelve tribes of Israel per Genesis 37:9-10), but by the narrative overall. The woman is the one protected in the wilderness on earth and a key distinction is made between her and her offspring (first the male child and second her other offspring in verse 17). Some have argued that the woman represents the Church, but this position is untenable because the Church didn't give birth to Christ. For these three reasons, virtually all dispensationalists and even many covenant theologians associate the woman with Israel.The dragon is an explicit representation of satan (Revelation 12:9), which leaves no guesswork on our part.Corporately, it is straightforward to understand that the dragon represents the antichrist and his kingdom, because it is through the kingdom of antichrist that the dragon actually persecutes Israel and the future Tribulation Saints. This corporate understanding is further proven by the dragon's seven heads and ten horns, which are connected to the antichrist's dominion (Revelation 17:9) and the world rulers who will give him his authority (Revelation 17:12, Daniel 7:20-22).Jesus Christ is clearly in view in the passage. He was born from Mary, is coming to rule all the nations, and ascended to Heaven.However, just as the woman and the dragon have corporate meanings, the child follows the same pattern. In the passage itself there are five key pieces of evidence that tell us the Church is also in view, borrowing from Dallas Theological Seminary professor Michael Svigel In summary, the significance of the Revelation 12 signthe rapture of the Church, the beginning of the cosmic war in Heaven, and God's redemptive focus returning to Israel and the Jews (Micah 5:3). The Revelation 12 sign on September 23rd, 2017, also happens to fall on what will likely be the first or second day of Rosh Hashanah, determined by the sighting of the new moon . This could be incredibly significant because for many years students of Bible prophecy have speculated that Rosh Hashanah (also called Yom Teruah or "The Feast of Trumpets") is the most likely time of year for the rapture.There are seven biblical feasts (Leviticus 23:4-44) and Jesus fulfilled the first four in order:- fulfilled by His death- fulfilled by His sinless life and burial- fulfilled by His resurrection- fulfilled by Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to indwell the ChurchThe very next feast in chronological order is, which happens to fall on September 22nd and 23rd in 2017 - when the possible sign occurs.Pentecost has often been called "the birth of the Church" because on that day Jesus' first coming ministry was fully completed and Believers became indwelt with what would ultimately be their seal of eternal redemption (Ephesians 4:30). In light of the birthing portrayed in the sky in September 2017, consider the account of the conception of Jesus in Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:35. It was theof Christ when the Holy Spirit came into Mary, not His birth. Could it be that Pentecost was actuallyand the Revelation 12 Sign portrays? Even from a soteriological perspective this makes a lot of sense when you compare the process of salvation to the development and birth of a baby: conception is like justification when a new spirit enters in and a new life is formed, gestation is like sanctification as we grow in our faith, and birth is like glorification when the baby is finally complete and fully formed. Perhaps Jesus was being more literal than we thought when He said in John 3:7 "You must be born again." Consider also the Apostle Paul's admonition in Galatians 4:19:This is. Astrology is an idolatrous and occultic practice that often involves the deification of stars, planets, and moons. Astrologers often teach that these heavenly bodies control life on earth. To the contrary, the search for biblical signs in the heavens recognizes that it is the Creator God who made all things and set everything into motion in a preordained pattern. The heavenly bodies themselves have no power over our lives and we do not worship them.The Bible explicitly says that there will be signs in the sky preceding the return of Christ (Matthew 24:30, Luke 21:11, Luke 21:25, Revelation 12:1-3). The Bible also says that the sun, moon, and stars were created for three reasons: 1. To separate day from night, 2. To give light to the earth, and 3. To indicate days, years, seasons,(Genesis 1:14-15). Prophetic language frequently makes mention of lunar and solar eclipses (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12) and God often focuses our attention on the stars (Genesis 15:5, Isaiah 40:26, Job 38:31, Amos 5:8, Psalm 19:1).Interestingly, the magi from the east were able to find the baby Jesus by following prophetic descriptions found in Numbers 24:17 and Genesis 49:9-10. They were able to identify the constellation Leo ("The Lion") with the tribe of Judah and followed the Star of Bethlehem as it moved west and came to rest over Bethlehem. Adam at the Parable of the Vineyard has a great rebuttal to the claim that the Revelation 12 Sign is astrology.This is also, with. Some argue that this sign occurred in 3915 BC, 3 BC, and 70 AD. It definitely did not occur in 3 BC or 70 AD, but it came close to occurring on August 5th of 3915 BC. So the caveat is the 3915 BC occurrence where Saturn was in the crown, but Mars was absent. Jupiter also underwent an approximately nine month retrograde through the womb of Virgo during this time (October 28th, 3916 BC to August 5th, 3915 BC), but a large portion of Jupiter's retrograde took place outside of the womb. Three separate studies have shown that the September 23rd alignment is a once-in-human-history event.The woman has a crown of twelve stars, but Jupiter and Venus are so close together it makes them hard to distinguish. The sun and moon are in place, but she has no "male child". The womb is completely empty. You could also argue that the moon is below her knees, not her feet.Many have argued that Rosh Hashanah of 3 BC (September 11th) also featured the sign as evidence Christ was born that day, but this only gets two things right: the sun clothes the woman and the moon is under her feet. There is no crown of twelve stars, the moon is very far away, and she is not giving birth to a "male child".There is a near perfect match on this date (though not as precise as the 2017 alignment). In fact it is such a close match that it has been speculated that this could have been the date of the Fall of Mankind when God spoke these eerily relevant words to the devil and to Eve in Genesis 3:15-16:Interestingly, in this dialogue the same three entities mentioned in Revelation 12 are also present:(Revelation 12:9),, and. The planet Saturn, which some have speculated represents satan, happens to be near the heel of The Lion.This is. I'm not sure who first made the argument that the constellations in question (Virgo and Leo) will not be in the sky above Israel in Fall 2017, but it simply isn't true. The entire sign will be in the western sky above Israel and Jerusalem on Saturday, September 23rd - and how fitting that the sign that may be heralding the end of the Church Age will be seen right where the sun sets and the day ends. One might argue that observers can't see the alignment because the sun is up, but that's exactly what John saw - the woman is clothed with the sun. And, as a matter of fact, after the sun sets, everything but the woman's crown will be visible in the night sky.As mentioned, from Israel the sign will be visible in the west. The possible occurrence in 3915 BC was visible in the east, where the sun rises. Perhaps this indicates the sun rising and setting on the age of fallen humanity.This is. When I initially studied the alignment I was misled by images showing the woman standing upright with the moon to the right of her feet. The text makes clear that the moon should be under her feet, not beside her feet. For this reason I viewed the heavenly sign with some skepticism. After all, God's Word is perfect and for His Word to be fulfilled it must be fulfilled perfectly. Every condition in the text has to be fulfilled, which is why 70 AD, 3 BC, and 3915 BC don't fit the bill. However, a woman in labor is not standing when she gives birth, she's lying prone, and that's exactly how the alignment is arranged in the sky - the woman is lying prone with her feet up and the moon is directly below her feet, almost as a pillow of sorts.This is. I think we can all agree that the sign John saw had definite symbolic and prophetic meaning - that is not in dispute. However, the text itself makes abundantly clear that this is more than just a parable: "A great sign appeared in heaven..." (Revelation 12:1).I'm not saying the rapture will occur in September 2017, but I am saying that the heavenly sign John saw in Revelation 12 appears to be happening before our very eyes with whatever implications that brings and I believe Jesus will be calling us home very, very soon. John describes a literal astronomical alignment that appears to occur on September 23, 2017.This is eitheror. That might sound like a cop-out answer, but the truth of the matter is, it eitheror it. It isn't a possibility, it's eitheror. Whatever God has plannedhappen and I'm committed to not date setting. As a fallen human being, I'm the one prone to intellectual deficiencies and lack of understanding, but God's Word is true and will stand the test of time.The "great sign" described in Revelation 12:1-2 portrays the woman pregnant and in labor, but the male child is not yet born. It isn't until verse 5 that the male child is said to be born. If the intervening second sign of Revelation 12:3-4 signals that there is a gap between the "great sign" of the woman in labor and the subsequent birth of the child and the child being "caught up", then there are three other significant dates to watch:About three weeks after the "great sign" has occurred, Jupiter finally exits all the boundaries of the constellation Virgo - crossing over the boundary between Spica and Algafar I at almost exactly 9:00 PM IST. This area looks somewhat like the belly of a pregnant woman. Could this be the birth foretold in Revelation 12:5?One month after the possible October 13th "birth", Jupiter comes into an extremely close conjunction with the Morning Star, Venus, separated by less than one-third of a degree. Jesus says that He is the Morning Star in Revelation 22:16 and Rick Larson had previously identified a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus as heralding the birth of Christ. Could this date possibly portray the Church meeting the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and/or the glorification of the Church when we shall be made like Him (1 John 3:2)?After the October 13th "birth" and the November 13th conjunction, Jupiter continues its trek through the ecliptic and won't return to Virgo for many years. Jupiter now makes its way to the constellation Libra. An interesting thing to note about Revelation 12:5 is that the male child is "caught up" to. The September 23rd event doesn't portray this catching up in the sky, but only the birth of the child. Should we expect to see the rapture itself portrayed in the sky? I don't think we necessarily will, but I should point out that after Jupiter is "birthed" from Virgo it travels to the constellation Libra and, the male child Jupiter enters Libra where it stays for 41 weeks and three days, undergoing. Libra (Latin for "scales") is associated with justice and judgment and some depictions of the constellation resemble a throne. From the throne of God justice and judgment are given. While everyone is focused on September 23rd, is it possible that the rapture happens on Christmas Day, a little over three months later?After undergoing retrograde Jupiter leaves Libra on October 11th, 2018. I think it is unlikely that the rapture will happen on Christmas Day in 2017 for two reasons: 1. Libra is not categorically associated with a throne - the connection is more tenuous to make, and 2. The December 25th date would not easily fit with any Tribulation timeline where Jesus' second coming could occur on a Fall feast day. However, I offer it as a possibility and we should all be humble, open, and watchful, so that we are not caught unaware.I encourage you to be extremely watchful this Fall, especially on September 21st to 23rd, October 13th, and November 13th. The rapture occurring around any of these dates would allow for a Second Coming on a Fall feast day in 2024.
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jan 12 (PTI) Nepal is set to host Interpols Asia-Pacific regional conference next week with about 250 top police officials from 50 countries expected to take part in the deliberations.

The 23rd Asia-Pacific regional conference of the Interpol will be held in Kathmandu from January 18 to 20.

advertisement

Around 250 senior police officers from 50 countries will take part in the conference, said Bigyan Raj Sharma, Additional Inspector General at Crime Investigation Department of Nepal Police, the organiser of the event.

Observers from three countries, including the US and France, will also participate.

Interpol president, Meng Hongwei, who is also a vice minister of Peoples Republic of China, will also be in Kathmandu to take part in the conference.

The world conference of Interpol held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2016, had elected Meng as its president.

The Interpol conference held in Singapore two years ago had proposed holding the 23rd regional conference of the world policing body in Nepal.

The conference will focus on terrorism, human trafficking, organised crime and cybercrime among other issues.

At the three-day conference, Inspector General of Nepal Police Upendra Kanta Aryal will present a working paper on steps that his country has taken against human trafficking and the prevailing situation. PTI SBP ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
A smoked glass office block at 150 St Vincent Street is in line for a dramatic overhaul at the hands of Sheppard Robson and LDA Design to better complement the surrounding conservation area..

An uninhabited Argyll village is to live on as a contemporary craft distillery under plans filed by Organic Architects and Portavadie Distillers to resurrect the brownfield site..

A ruinous B-listed Borders castle is set for a new lease of life with proposals for its full refurbishment as a palatial home..

Glasgow Academy is to erect a new sports building at its Kelvinbridge campus to mark the centenary of the school's re-establishment following the First World War..

Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh is the result of a five year project to convert the former Bank of Scotland headquarters at 37-39 St Andrews Square into a hotel and private members club as part of an expansion of the Gleneagles Hotel brand.

City of Edinburgh Council has finalised designs for the transformation of George Stre...

A novel three-dimensional bridge has opened to the public in North Glasgow, improving ...

Cameron House Hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond has completed a Phoenix-like revival...

Glasgow City Council has opened a public consultation concerning proposed changes to t...

A vacant building in Glasgow city centre is to be replaced by a 35m aparthotel ...

Fusion Development Company has teamed up with Marks & Spencer to propose the mixed...

Cruden Homes has opened a public consultation over plans to deliver affordable homes...

Dundee City Council has set out its vision for the coming 30 years with a detailed roa...

Inside this home, in the famous city of Gouda, Netherlands, an elegant

HIMACS in Dark Night S111 was selected for the bar and reception

Ahead of the official opening on the 19th July, Holmes Miller are delighted to share some early shots of the newly completed Meadowbank Sports Cen...

Blogs Latest

Monday - 17/10/22 No comments

Engineering can solve the carbon conundrum of Scotlands old and new buildings

Jamie Paterson wrote: Buildings are responsible for more than one third of all global energy consumption, so it...

Sunday - 31/07/22 No comments

Close but no dice

Mark Chalmers wrote: An acquaintance tells laypeople that architects learn something new every day  and its...

Wednesday - 06/07/22 No comments

Colour conventions in architectural drawing

Mark Chalmers wrote: During a recent trip to an archive north of the Highland Line, I began to ponder the evolution...
Retired Navy Lt. Jim Downing is many things: World War II and Korean War veteran and, at 103, the second oldest known survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Colorado Springs resident shared his story of military service with scores of Air Force Academy Preparatory School students here Jan. 6.

The first Japanese plane I saw was flying straight toward me, Downing said of the Dec. 7, 1941 sneak attack by the Imperial Japanese. It banked and fired but it banked too high and the bullets went right over my head.

The attack began at 7:48 a.m., when 353 Japanese fighter planes, bombers and torpedo planes struck in two waves. All eight Navy battleships were damaged, and four ships were sunk.

Downing was 28 years-old on that Sunday morning attack, a gunners mate 1st class and postmaster assigned to the anti-aircraft battleship, U.S.S. West Virginia. He lived off base with his wife of five months, Morena.

After narrowly surviving a hail of Japanese bullets, he caught a ride to the harbor. He arrived to find the West Virginia in flames and the beach shrouded in clouds of oily smoke.

It was hit by a Japanese torpedo and was sinking, and oil from the damaged ships was rising to the surface of the harbor, Downing said. A battleship is designed to be bulletproof. It carries about 1 million gallons of crude oil so most of the smoke came from oil.

Downing grabbed a fire hose from one ship to try quenching a fire on another.

I didnt want the fire to reach the ammunition on that ship, he said.

He noticed several bodies and memorized their names.

We had fireproof name tags, Downing said. I thought, their parents will never know what happened to them.

Downing wrote as many relatives of the deceased as he could.

I thought they would want to know, he said. The main thing I wanted to provide was closure.

In all, 2,404 Americans were killed and 1,178 wounded in the attack, which led the U.S. to enter World War II.

Downing said the surprise of the attack overwhelmed him, but this emotion soon gave way to resolve and pride.

I felt pride because we were without leadership but everyone relied on their training and instantly did the right thing, he said. Everyone was a hero. I was proud of the reaction everyone had.





Castle Bravo

Later in his career, Downing earned an on-the-spot promotion to ensign and became the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Patapsco, a gasoline tanker.

As nerve-wracking as his Pearl Harbor experience was, Downing said the most exciting event in his military career occurred while aboard the Patapsco in the Central Pacific Ocean near the Marshall Islands. He survived Castle Bravo, the code name given to the U.S.s first test of a hydrogen bomb.

Downing said a mysterious man boarded the vessel April 30, 1954 and peppered him with ominous questions.

He asked, What type of protective equipment does your crew have? Downing said. When I asked why he was asking all these questions, he said, Im sworn to secrecy. He asked me how fast can this ship go? and suggested I take the ship in a different direction.

Downing said hed need orders from a senior officer to take the ship off course.

He said, I am that officer so I changed course, Downing said. It was about 6:30 a.m. March 1, 1954, and we were about 100 miles from where wed been. We saw this light coming over the horizon. It was a fireball four miles wide, 1,000 times hotter than the sun.

The damage radius of a hydrogen bomb is 1,000 miles and the Patapsco and its crew were exposed to radiation levels 470 times above the safe limit.

Most of the crew was seriously burned and damaged, Downing said. When I got back to the harbor, there were people who wouldnt shake my hand.

Morena died in 2010 but Downing carries on, routinely attending Pearl Harbor memorial ceremonies across the U.S. and sharing his story with his Colorado Springs community.

He said his Christian faith helps him cope with the challenges of life, but proved especially handy during his Pearl Harbor experience.

I knew Id had my ticket punched in a minute, he said. I said, Lord, Ill be with you in a minute.' Im glad instead of fear, that I had a deep peace.

Prep School Cadet Candidate Jonathan Imperial said Downings life of service is an example for all cadet candidates.

He exemplifies the action and risk it takes to be that guy -- the leader we all look up to and can take advice from, even at 103, Imperial said. It was an honor and privilege to hear him talk, look him in the eyes, and shake his hand and say thank you."





(Editors note: Downing was born Aug. 22, 1913 in Oak Grove, Missouri. He enlisted in the Navy in 1932 and retired in 1956. Hes the father of seven children and author of The Other Side of Infamy: My Journey through Pearl Harbor and the World of War. The oldest known survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor is 104 year-old Ray Chavez, 104.)
With more than 16 million Americans who served in World War II, only a fraction of them still live today. Even fewer can claim to have reached the age of 100. John J. O'Leary, a retired Marine first lieutenant, is one of the lucky few.



He celebrated his 100th birthday at the Evergreen Community of Johnson County, Olathe, Kansas, Dec. 23, 2016.



O'Leary saw combat on Guam and witnessed the bombardment on Iwo Jima. Even after the war ended, his pride for the Marine Corps never faded.

December 21, 2016 - Retired 1st Lt. John J. O'Leary, a Marine veteran of World War II, looks at pictures on his dresser at the Evergreen Community of Johnson County, Olathe, Kansas. O'Leary fought on Guam and witnessed the bombardment of Iwo Jima as a member of 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company. He celebrated his 100th birthday on December 23, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ian Leones) The first time I met him I was immediately impressed by his love for the Marine Corps, said Col. Thomas M. Fahy, commanding officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 4, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve. We are losing World War II veterans every day. I think it is important to have their stories memorialized.



Fahy learned about O'Leary through a website his unit was using to promote their 241st Marine Corps Birthday Ball in November. O'Leary reached out to the unit and Fahy traveled to the Evergreen Community to meet him.



I knew we had to have him as the guest at our birthday ball, Fahy said. "He is very enjoyable to be around, he is very sharp and he has a great sense of humor."



With his wife Dixie accompanying him as his date, O'Leary attended the ball as the oldest Marine present and the only person in attendance to have served in World War II. His story dates back almost 75 years.



When John J. O'Leary enlisted in the Marine Corps in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he had no idea what was in store for him.



I didn't know anything about the military, O'Leary said. I was the first of three brothers to serve in World War II. I joined because of all the good publicity the Marine Corps was getting at the time.



In 1942, after attending recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and radio operator school in New York, O'Leary volunteered to be part of the newly formed 4th Raider Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California. There O'Leary served as Col. James Roosevelt's personal radio operator.

Retired 1st. Lt. John J. O'Leary, a Marine veteran of World War II, in his Marine Corps uniform during the WWII era with date and location unknown. O'Leary fought on Guam and witnessed the bombardment of Iwo Jima as a member of 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company. He celebrated his 100th birthday on Dec. 23, 2016. (Photo courtesy of John J. O'Leary) He was the president's son, O'Leary said. He was a nice guy and a good officer.



However, O'Leary was not fated to stay with the Raiders. The colonel learned O'Leary had a college degree and sent him to officer candidate school in Quantico, Virginia.



I was a private first class and had been in the Corps for 18 months, O'Leary said. Our entire class was made up of all enlisted men.



In June 1944, after finishing all of his training, O'Leary was sent among the first replacements for the 3rd Marine Division in Guam. He was assigned to take over a shore beach party with 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company. His company was there through the retaking of the island from the Japanese.



I had to become a good ducker, O'Leary said with a wry smile. I spent a year and a half on Guam. That's a long time. I have a lot of memories.



On Feb. 19, 1945, O'Leary was assigned to 3rd Marine Regiment and waited from a troop ship to land on Iwo Jima. What he didn't know at the time was that his regiment was the only regiment out of the nine present that was held in reserve. Although he witnessed the battle from the sea, he never saw the shore. His ship became a hospital ship, Fahy said. Many of the dead and wounded from Iwo Jima were transferred to his ship.



As the battle continued, O'Leary witnessed tables in the galley converted into operating tables.



Those were rough times, O'Leary said. There were a lot of dead and injured.



In his room, among images of friends and family, hangs an original copy of the photograph of the second flag-raising on Iwo Jima, signed by photographer Joe Rosenthal.



One morning on Guam, after Iwo Jima, I looked out my tent and saw a small guy signing photographs which he had just made of the flag raising, O'Leary said. At the time, I didn't know how significant the photo would become.

December 21, 2016 - Retired 1st Lt. John J. O'Leary sits in front of his signed photo of the second flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi at the Evergreen Community of Johnson County, Olathe, Kansas. O'Leary was given the photo by the photographer Joe Rosenthal a week after the flag raising. O'Leary fought on Guam and witnessed the bombardment of Iwo Jima as a member of 3rd Joint Assault Signal Company. He celebrated his 100th birthday on December 23, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ian Leones) More than 70 years after the photo was taken and the war ended, in a small retirement home room, O'Leary still holds the Marine Corps and his memories of his service close to his heart.



"His love of his country and his love of his Marine Corps is undying," Fahy said. "I'm very proud to have met him and honored to have spent the short amount of time I have spent with him. I look forward to seeing him at our next birthday ball."



This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Marine Corps Reserve. By the end of World War II, Reserve Marines made up 70 percent of total wartime Marine Corps personnel, including O'Leary. Having witnessed generations of Marines put on the uniform after him, O'Leary is confident that the Corps is still in good hands.



"The Marine Corps is a great organization," O'Leary said. It's full of a lot of dedicated individuals. I'm very proud of my time as a Marine. By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ian Leones

Provided through DVIDS

Copyright 2016 The U.S. Marines | Comment on this article
Published: January 12, 2017

CEOs of Port Tampa Bay, Manitowoc Foodservice and Times Publishing Co. to Speak at UTs Next Business Network Symposium Jan. 24

The leaders of Port Tampa Bay, Manitowoc Foodservice and Times Publishing Co. are slated to speak at the next Business Network Symposium at The University of Tampa on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins with a continental breakfast at 7:15 a.m. with the program running from 7:459 a.m. on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd.



Paul Anderson is president and CEO of Port Tampa Bay, the largest port in the state of Florida. In the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2016, the port handled more than 37 million tons of cargo including virtually every imaginable commodity and ranked among the top eight U.S. cruise ports.



Hubertus M. Muhlhauser is president and CEO of Manitowoc Foodservice, a global leader in professional foodservice equipment and systems, including refrigeration, ice-making, cooking, holding, food preparation and beverage-dispensing technologies.



Paul C. Tash is chairman and CEO of Times Publishing Co., a newspaper and magazine publisher. Its flagship publication, the Tampa Bay Times, is Floridas leading newspaper and is widely considered among the countrys best newspapers with 12 Pulitzer Prizes.



The Business Network Symposium is hosted by The University of Tampa Board of Fellows and the presenting sponsor is LCG. Other sponsors include the Tampa Bay Business Journal and Sodexo Campus Services.



The Board of Fellows holds this networking event three times a year to allow businesses that are well known, changing or new to the Tampa Bay area the opportunity to share their accomplishments and plans with the business community. The final symposium in the 2016-2017 series is scheduled for April 25.



For more information, contact Niti Shah, director of Fellows and Counselors, at (813) 253-6220 or nshah@ut.edu.
By Press Trust of India: Chennai, Jan 11 (PTI) The Madras High Court today ruled that a certificate issued by the chief kazi on talaq is only an opinion and has no legal validity.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, gave the ruling while passing interim orders on a PIL by lawyer and former MLA Bader Syed.

advertisement

Syed, in his petition, assailed the declarations issued by kazis certifying a talaq and sought restraining them from giving certificates and other documents certifying or approving it.

The bench, which referred to Section 4 of The Kazis Act, 1880, held that the office of the kazi does not confer on the person any judicial or administrative power.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Shariath Defence Forum submitted that the nature of certificates issued by the chief kazi was only an opinion having expertise of Shariath law. To support this, they referred to Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariath) Application Act, 1937. Syed and others supporting him, including Women Lawyers Association, submitted that the certificates issued by kazis were causing immense confusion in matrimonial proceedings and also in the understanding by both spouses of what was the effect of such a certificate being issued.

In this regard, they produced some certificates issued from 1997 to 2015, which just stated that on a representation of the spouse of a particular date, the talaq pronounced in respect of the wife was valid as per Islamic Shariath.

The bench pointed out that neither had the facts which prompted the kazi to opine so been set out nor had it been clarified that was only in the nature of an opinion.

The Board said it was willing to examine the format in which a certificate may be issued purely as an opinion of the chief kazi having expertise on shariat law so as to ensure no ambiguity before any legal forum or otherwise.

The bench granted time to the Board to formulate the format and place a draft before it so that inputs from other stakeholders are made available.

It held that no certificate in respect of talaq would be issued as an opinion by the chief kazi.

It clarified that the certificate issued by the chief kazi is only an opinion and has no legal sanctity, more specifically in view of Section 4 of The Kazis Act.

It said this order must be circulated by the registrar to judicial forums for clarity and it was open to the petitioners concerned to give adequate publicity to it.

advertisement

The bench then posted the matter to February 21. PTI COR APR ZMN

--- ENDS ---
SBA Honors UW's Gern for Small-Business Efforts

Bill Gern

Recognizing his efforts to boost small business development in Wyoming for more than two decades, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has given one of its highest honors to University of Wyoming Vice President for Research and Economic Development Bill Gern.

Gern received a 2016 Tibbetts Award Tuesday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., for his unique contributions to the SBAs Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Many of the SBIR/STTR successes under the direction of Dr. Gern have brought about positive economic impact in Wyoming, providing jobs and opportunities across the state, the SBA awards publication states. Under Dr. Gerns leadership, the University of Wyoming has been following a three-pronged approach: Grow the research enterprise, harvest technology, and support the creation and growth of technology-related businesses while supporting existing small businesses in Wyoming.

Named for Roland Tibbetts, the acknowledged father of the SBIR program, the prestigious Tibbetts Awards recognize individuals, organizations, firms or projects that made a visible technological impact on the socio-economic front and exemplify the best in SBIR achievements. Award winners are selected based on the economic impact of their technological innovation and the extent to which that innovation served federal research and development needs; encouraged diverse participation; and increased the commercialization of federal research.

Gern founded the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI) in 1996. Shortly thereafter, he created the WSSI Phase 0 Program, the first of its kind in the state and one of the first in the nation. It has become a model for programs across the nation.

During the first year of operation, WSSI helped Wyoming small businesses secure more SBIR/STTR awards than the previous 13 years combined. In all, the awards secured since the start of WSSI have totaled more than $54 million, resulting in UW submitting 633 patent applications while creating numerous spinoff technology companies using UW-licensed technologies.

Gern also initiated UWs Wyoming Technology Business Center incubator system, helping SBIR/STTR companies achieve growth and commercial success. His work with WSSI has made Wyoming one of the fastest-growing states in terms of high-tech startup activity.

Economic development programs under Gerns direction have generated nearly $750 million in capital impact and 20,000 new jobs in the last 20 years. The Laramie community alone has gone from being home to six tech firms in 2000 to more than 60 at present.

Bill Gern is one of the best strategic thinkers and planners I have ever met. His vision for ever improving research and continuing economic development in our state has been far-reaching and tremendously effective, says David Walrath, emeritus UW professor of mechanical engineering and interim director of Wyomings Manufacturing-Works center. His vision and leadership have helped foster a climate where research and entrepreneurship can grow and flourish in our state.
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...
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has requested Naidu for immediate release of Krishna river water so as to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai.

By Ashish Pandey: Two days after declaring entire Tamil Nadu drought-hit Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will hold a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in Guntur.

Panneerselvam has requested Naidu for immediate release of Krishna river water so as to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai. The Tamil Nadu capital has been severely affected due to the Cauvery Water dispute.

advertisement

Under the Telugu Ganga Project, Chennai gets its drinking water from the river Krishna, which is over 400 km away and flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh before converging into the sea.

Although Chennai or even Tamil Nadu is far away from the Krishna basin, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra contribute drinking water to Chennai from their share under the project.

On Tuesday, Panneerselvam had declared every district of the state to be drought hit. As the monsoon failed last year and the unavailability of Cauvery water due to an ensuing political battle, the farmers have suffered extreme loss as their crops failed.

SCANTY RAINS, CROP FAILURE, FARMER DEATHS

More than 144 farmers have died in Tamil Nadu within the past three months due to crop failure even pushing NHRC to issue notice to the state government.

CM OPS stated that after receiving various inputs from the ministers regarding the farmers distress he constituted a committee to access the situation on January 3.

The State environment and forest Minister, Dindigul Srinivasan and State PWD minister Edapadi Palanisamy submitted a report on January 9 along with other ministers and officials.

Following which, the CM has decided to declare all districts drought hit due to failure of monsoon. Also, the farmers are not needed to pay land tax for the year. Exemptions would be given to farmers from paying Cooperative Bank loans.

Also read:

As talks of Sasikala heading Tamil Nadu grow louder, CM Panneerselvam says will follow Amma's path

Issue ordinance for conduct of jallikattu: O Panneerselvam to Centre

CM O Panneerselvam declares entire Tamil Nadu drought hit, announces various schemes

--- ENDS ---


UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm Incorporated, through its wholly owned subsidiary Qualcomm Life, Inc., has donated $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The donation, which will be shared by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and the nonprofits national organization, is the culmination of a fundraiser that was held during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017. UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm gave away 500 activity trackers to CES attendees, encouraging participants to each walk 10,000 steps on Saturday, Jan. 7, for a combined total goal of 5 million steps; participants collectively walked 6.5 million steps as part of the challenge.

This week at the Lied Memorial Clubhouse in Las Vegas, the two companies presented a $50,000 check to Andy Bischel, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada.

UnitedHealthcare also donated 200 NERF Energy Game Kits, a limited-release game that tracks physical activity and rewards kids for being active. As children participate in physical activity, they earn energy points that are tracked by the activity band, and these points turn into screen time to play the mobile game on a smartphone or tablet. The Nerf Energy RUSH mobile game is an endless runner game that requires players to turn, jump and avoid obstacles to complete courses and earn power-ups to continue playing.

The donation is part of a recently launched national initiative featuring Hasbros NERF products that encourages young people to become more active through exergaming. UnitedHealthcare is donating 10,000 NERF ENERGY Game Kits to elementary schools and youth-focused organizations across the country, enabling children ages six to 12 to receive the kits at no cost.

This generous donation from UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm will help us improve the lives of young people in Nevada by encouraging healthy living, good nutrition and regular physical activity, said Bischel. We believe these new NERF ENERGY Game Kits will help young people in our community learn that exercise can be fun.

Studies indicate that exergaming has the potential to reduce the growing obesity epidemic among children and adults. A study by George Washington University found exergames spurred students to move enough to meet the recommended intensity criteria for vigorous activity, and that these games are a useful alternative to traditional physical education.
By Press Trust of India: London, Jan 12 (PTI) Over 80 flights have been cancelled in pre-emptive action as heavy snow began falling amid warnings of blizzard conditions sweeping across the UK today.

Londons Heathrow Airport said airlines had cancelled 80 out of 1,350 flights, with disruption expected from 1500 GMT.

Four flights at Gatwick Airport have also been cancelled.

advertisement

Heathrow Airport said without the cancellations it could not reschedule any flights delayed by the weather as 6 per cent of its usual daily flights were cancelled.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for snow for much of the UK from today.

The "be aware" warnings are in place for many areas of the country until Saturday.

Frequent snow showers and strong winds are expected widely across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the north of England on Thursday and in the south, rain is forecast to turn to snow.

Severe wintry weather has already hit Scotland,Wales, Cumbria and Bradford and is expected to move acrossthe UK during Thursday and Friday, with temperatures plummeting to -10C in areas.

Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said "Most northern areas are very likely to see snow showers at times over the next few days, but the situation over the southern half of England is more complicated".

"Southern counties of England and Wales can expect a cold and wet day with some heavy rain on Thursday, but theres an increasing chance this will turn to sleet or snow, especially over hills, during the afternoon and evening.

"There is a chance of snow settling bringing disruption to transport during the evening rush hour and possibly interruptions to power supplies, this more likely across East Anglia and southeast England. As skies clear on Thursday night it is likely to become icy in many areas".

On Friday the cold weather is expected to continue with snow showers will becomingmore isolated. PTI AK KUN

--- ENDS ---
This edition of Tax, Accounting, and Audit Guide for 2021, produced in collaboration with our tax experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, aims to provide an...
Opening on January 10, the Vietnam National Treasures exhibition aims to honour and promote the value of the national treasures while offering a chance to visitors to examine Vietnams history and culture, as well as stories behind the national treasures themselves.

The event features 18 national treasures among around 200,000 documents and artefacts preserved at the museum, dating from the Dong Son Culture (2,000 years ago), through Dai Viet Civilisation and feudal dynasties, to the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Historical and cultural related stories will be presented to offer the public further understanding about the creation of arts and craftsmanship of Vietnamese people, thus encouraging patriotism and national pride, as well as contributing to conserve and promote Vietnamese cultural values.

Among the 18 treasures, there are two that have recently been recognised in December of last year, which are the Golden Seal Dai Viet quoc Nguyen Chua vinh tran chi bao and the Storage Jar with brown glazed ceramic pattern from the Tran Dynasty.

The Gold Seal was made in the Vinh Thinh 5th Year (1709) under the reign of Le Du Tong King of Restored Le dynasty. It was passing to Gia Long Emperor (1802-1820) and then chosen as the treasure for the royal throne of the Nguyen Dynasty.

The Storage Jar is a typical unique artefact with distinct patterns from the Tran Dynasty. It was discovered at the Tran Temple in Tuc Mac Village, Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City, in 1972.

Other precious treasures can be mentioned as Hoang Ha Bronze Drum under the Dong Son Culture, which was discovered in the Noi Thon Neighbourhood, Hoang Ha Village, Phu Xuyen District, Ha Son Binh Province (Hanoi now). Hoang Ha Drum is designed with unique thematic decorations from Dong Son Bronze Culture and is relatively intact.

Dao Thinh bronze jar is the largest-sized jar of the Dong Son. It is decorated with refined and unique aesthetic patterns, reflecting the traditional aspiration for the reproduction and proliferation by residents of wet rice agriculture.

The statue of a panpipe-playing couple piggypacking is the most vivid one in the Dong Son object system, with several angles and curves, requiring complex moulding techniques.

Therefore, it is not only evidence of a type of traditional ethnic music originated from the Dong Son Culture, but also reflects the rich spiritual life, optimism and the peak of copper casting of the ancient Vietnamese.

The exhibition also showcases important historical works such as "Nhat ky trong tu" (Prison Diary), "Duong Kach Menh" (Revolutionary Road) and the handwritten draft of Call for National Resistance by President Ho Chi Minh.

In addition, the organisers also display scientific documents related to the treasures such as drawings, pattern stamping and illustrations with modern technologies applied in presentation to highlight the value of each national treasure.

Dr Pham Quoc Quan, former director of National Museum of Vietnam History, said that the exhibition was to promote the nomination and recognition of Vietnams national treasures.

Over the last five recognitions by the government with nearly 400 artefacts, the number remains low compared with the nations rich history and culture.

For that reason, Dr Quan suggested that the work be facilitated to honour the legacy left by the ancestors, while encouraging locales and museum system to register more treasures to recognise as national heritages. That could help promote Vietnams culture and history to the world, he added.

The special exhibition will open to public until May this year.
Some visitors have recently complained that the new colour does not suit with the architectural style of the site. Others are expressing concerns that a careless renovation project may destroy the attraction.

However, director of the Temple of Literatures Scientific and Cultural Activities Centre, Le Xuan Kieu, confirmed with the Sport and Culture Newspaper that they did not do any renovation but just cleaning and preservation work at the site.

We started the preservation work last November, including repainting the walls surrounding the lake, and the gates which were covered with dust or had their old coat of paint peeling off, Kieu explained. We didnt use chemicals, just a mixture of lime and peat to create a gray paint colour. We also cleaned all the wooden structures.

Kieu also added that they would propose a renovation project at the temple later this year as many parts including the main gate, courtyard gates and Thai Hoc House were showing signs of deterioration.

The wall at the main gate shows signs of deterioration.

The Temple of Literature was constructed in 1070 under Ly Thanh Tongs dynasty, initially to honour Confucius. In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong continued the work and transformed it into the first university of Vietnam. It has now become a famous tourist attraction in Hanoi where visitors can admire the special architectural style and learn about Vietnams feudal education system.
The accident took place at the construction site of Alphanam Groups Luxury Apartment project.

According to initial information, the accident occurred at around 9.35 PM when the workers were pouring concrete beams, and the nine-metre-high scaffolding collapsed.

At least four workers were injured, two of whom have been rushed to Danang Hospital for further treatment.

Alphanam Group claimed the error leading to the accident was done by contractor Delta.

Phan Anh Son, a project supervision representative at the site, said: Right after the accident, we asked the contractor to cooperate with us to allocate responsibilities as well as find a way to prevent similar accidents in the future.

Alphanam Group is also cooperating with the local authorities to support the injured workers after this labour accident.
The decree will make sure less buyers get their fingers burnt

Among the big projects to be launched is An Khanh New City Developments sale of its first phase this quarter. The mega $2 billion project is developed by South Koreas Posco E&C and Vietnams Vinaconex, located in Hanois Hoai Duc district, along the Thang Long Boulevard.

Scheduled for completion in 2013, the city is expected to supply 6,440 apartments, equivalent to 392,319 square metres of accommodation, enough for 30,000 people.

Even though Hoa Phat Group, the investor in a more than 1,000 apartment Mandarin Garden in Cau Giay districts Tran Duy Hung road, refused to release its launching time, real estate experts predicted the project would be soon launched.

At the beginning of this month the CT7D, located in Le Van Luong street and invested by Nam Cuong Group and the FLC Landmark Tower of FLC Group will also be launched, with a total of 200 units and prices ranging from VND23 million ($1,200) to VND28 million ($1,470) per square metre.

In Gia Lam district, over the Red River, the second lot of Rung Co Residentials belonging to the Eco Park is also being launched, with around 1,500 apartment units.

In addition, Victoria Van Phu, Star City, Diamond Tower and Song Da City View will also add apartments to the mix.

Real estate consultant CBRE Vietnam expected that there would be 3,000 units in Hanoi launched this quarter, compared to 1,950 units in the third quarter. There were more than 4,600 units launched in the second quarter.

This decline, according to CBRE Vietnam, could be due to the Decree 71, effective on August 8, 2010 providing guidance on the Housing Law, which caps the proportion of units sold via capital contribution contracts at 20 per cent with the remaining 80 per cent sold on transaction floors.

This decree, CBRE Vietnam said, had put a pressure on developers with low financial capabilities and enhanced market transparency.

However, CBRE Vietnam executive director Richard Leech said new project launches would continue trending towards more affordable options.

With the opening and improvement of major infrastructure routes, the capitals western and southern districts are attracting new residents with easier access for commuting into the core urban districts, Leech said.

He said that the Decree 71 was expected to benefit the market by enhancing transparency, placing pressures on developers with low financial capabilities, lessening the threat of price bubbles and limiting speculative forces.

Tran Nhu Trung, Savills Vietnam associate director, said the Decree 71 had showed off its advantages to clearly regulate five types of mobilising capital investment. However, Trung said the procedures to implement Decree 71 were still complicated and wasted customers time and energy.

The more simple it [decree] regulates, the more it is practical in the real life, Trung said.
Vietfoods sausages were confirmed to not contain banned substances.  Photo tienphong.vn

Earlier, on April 20 last year, sausages manufactured by Hung Anh Commerce Co Ltd in Ha Nois Hoang Mai District were seized by Ha Noi Market Surveillance team No 14 on the suspicion of containing banned substances that could lead to cancer.

The media then broadcast the news that the sausages contained banned substances and therefore the companys plant must stop its work.

This inaccurate information led to concerns among customers and also affected the sausage manufacturer. Customers returned more than 10 tonnes of sausages to the company.

More than 100 workers were forced to temporarily halt work, causing losses worth several billions of dong.

On May 19 last year, food processor Vietfoods submitted a petition requesting help from the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Health and the citys Peoples Committee to investigate and address the issue.

Following the report of the two ministries, the Prime Minister ordered punishment in accordance with the law.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was asked to step up training on legal knowledge and professional skills for officials of market surveillance teams to avoid repeated violations.

The Viet Nam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health also confirmed that 2.2 tonnes of Vietfoods sausages, which had been confiscated by the Ha Noi Market Surveillance, were safe.

The additive Sodium nitrate INS 251, which was used to make the sausages, is safe and is not listed as a banned substance by the Ministry of Health.

According to the health ministrys regulations, a maximum of 168mg of the substance can be used in 1kg of food. Vietfoods sausages contained 100mg of the substance per kg.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 12 (PTI) Pakistan military authorities have committed to the release Indian soldier Chandu Chavan, who inadvertently strayed across the border last year, Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said here today.

"They (Pakistan) have admitted that Chandu Chavan is alive, and that they will soon release him after inquiry, which is nearing completion," Bhamre said after the launch of second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi, at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in south Mumbai.

advertisement

"We are trying at the level of DGMO (Director General of Military Operations), to secure his release. So far, the DGMO has spoken to their Pakistan counterpart at least 15 to 20 times," the minister said.

"The last time such talks took place was two days ago. They (Pakistan) said that the inquiry is getting over and Chandu Chavan will soon be released," he said.

Incidentally, Chavan hails from Bhamres Lok Sabha constituency.

"I have been in regular touch with his family," the minister said.

On September 30 last year, Chavan had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control. PTI VT GK AYP

--- ENDS ---
Man who bragged about planning 9/11 is allowed to send a letter to Obama
President-elect Donald Trumps news conference turned combative with reporters Wednesday in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York.
Indians have gone local with its pornographic choices, with searches ranging from 'Indian' bhabhis and wives to superstar Sunny Leone.

By India Today Web Desk: A website named The Timeliners has called India "an Embarrassment" citing Pornhub's Year in Review data for 2016.

The "embarrassment" they are talking about are the metrics of India's porn-browsing behaviour.

Being the 4th highest source of traffic on Pornhub in past year, The Republic of India brought it down to three porn stars they could not stop searching for.

advertisement

The first position was scored by Sunny Leone, 2nd by Mia Khalifa, and the 3rd by Lisa Ann. Among the searches which got escalated were "Indian Honeymoon" and "Indian Cartoon".

'Japanese' and 'Indonesia', which figured prominently on the list of 'Top 10 Searches of 2015', were replaced mostly by local searches like 'Desi' and 'Indian Aunty With Young'.

The 'Indian Teacher' search jumped 13 places, grabbing the 7th position on the list -- which seems like a result of higher internet penetration among school kids.

Initiatives have been taken in the past by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar government to ban porn in college campuses, but the stats apparently speak otherwise.

TOP 5 SEARCHES OF 2016 ARE: Indian Indian Wife Indian College Indian Bhabhi Indian Devar Bhabhi

"Most countries take great pride in their nationality, but India takes it to a whole other level as made evident by their top searches on Pornhub. The majority of searches (top, relative and gaining) include 'Indian'. One top term that came seemingly out of nowhere to make it into the top 10 list was 'Indian aunty with young', flying up to the top by 81 spots. India's own Sunny Leone is again, the number one searched pornstar in the country and 'Lesbian' makes it to the number two spot in the top categories," Pornhub noted in its blog.

Women's participation also incremented as 30 per cent Indian women visited Pornhub.

Unfortunately for Pornhub, visitors gave it a miss on Diwali, bringing down the traffic by 17 per cent. The case was similar on Ramzan, where traffic tanked by 15 per cent.

Surprisingly, the steepest fall in traffic came on New Year's eve, when Pornhub lost 19 per cent of its traffic to Indians' party plans.

Here's India's 2016 in review on Pornhub:

Photo: Screenshot

--- ENDS ---
Disgraced former Phnom Penh Municipal Court President Ang Maltey has had his sentence reduced by six months by royal decree.

Maltey was given a three-year sentence in early 2016 for unlawful exploitation of his position for appropriating an Audi SUV confiscated as evidence from a drug dealer, but one year of the sentence was suspended.

In a letter from King Norodom Sihamoni dated November 17, the King requested that Malteys sentence be reduced by six months, along with 45 other offenders.

The letter said Maltey met all of the requirements for a sentence reduction, including displaying good behavior.

He is now due to be released in mid-February.

Chin Malin, Ministry of Justice spokeswoman, said Maltey would not be able to work in the judicial profession after his release. He will be a normal citizen after being released.

Critics pointed out that pro-opposition detainees had not been granted sentence reductions.

Am Sam Ath, monitoring manager at local rights group Licadho, said the government had acted unfairly.

When those who benefited the ruling party were sentenced, they often received amnesty or have their penalty reduced. Even if they were charged with the same offense, they were often sentenced differently.
Ahead of the first talks between Cambodias two major political parties expected later this month, protesters took to the streets to demand the release of four detained rights workers and an election official.

The demonstrators, largely drawn from the Boeung Kak lake area of the capital, handed in petitions to the National Assembly and Interior Ministry on Tuesday.

The leaders of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party are due to meet later this month for the first time since last year in a bid to end political tensions.

General Khieu Sopheak, Interior Ministry spokesman, said politicians could not interfere in the judicial process.

The rights workers, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, Nay Vanda and Lim Mony of local NGO Adhoc, and a former National Election Committee official, Ny Chakrya, were detained in April on suspicion of offering a witness in a case against CNRP deputy leader Kem Sokha a bribe.

Their arrest sparked a protest movement known as the Black Monday campaign.

The mother of Tep Vanny, a prominent Boeung Kak activist jailed during the Black Monday protests, called for her release this week.

They brought my daughter to jail and split her from her children and mom. They treated my family so bad, Sy Heap said.

Leng Peng Long, National Assembly spokesman, said officials had received the petition and were considering forwarding it to government ministries.
The incoming U.S. government should make North Korean human rights a key part of its policy toward the communist country, a senior U.S. official says.

Tom Malinowski, the U.S. assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, told VOA Wednesday he expects bipartisan support for the North Korean human rights issue during the Donald Trump administration.

My advice is that any long-term solution to the security issues that have troubled us, coming from North Korea for many, many years, is not likely to come until the North Korean people have the power to shape the future of their country, Malinowski said.

Fresh sanctions

Speaking shortly after the announcement of new sanctions on North Korean officials and government entities for human rights violations, the official said Washington is trying to send a clear message to those engaging in human rights abuses that theres a price to be paid.

Malinowski said the U.S. is targeting human rights violators in the North with the support of the South Korean government and civic groups.

[We want] to tell the leadership, the individual members of the leadership, that we know who they are, we know their names, they cant hide under a cloak of anonymity. He said Washington is committed to continuing the effort to hold the violators accountable.

Strong warning

Its a regular process and it is done now in accordance with law that our Congress has passed, said Malinowski, in reference to the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016. The legislation requires the U.S. State Department to submit to Congress the details of human rights violations in North Korea and a list of entities and individuals responsible for committing such acts.

According to Malinowski, North Koreans are becoming more aware of the outside world because of the influx of information to the country.

I think over time, that is bound to have an impact on the thinking of people up and down the chain in North Korea, the official said.

On Wednesday, the U.S. sanctioned seven North Korean individuals, including Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns younger sister, and two government entities, for human rights abuses. The first blacklist came last July, designating eight entities and 15 individuals, including Kim Jong Un.

Lee Jeeeun contributed to this report, which was produced in collaboration with VOA Korean Service
Cambodias economic growth will ease slightly in the coming years, the World Bank has forecast.

The Bank said that the Cambodian economy would slow to a growth rate of 6.9 percent this year, compared with 7 percent in 2016, and would see a further decline to 6.8 percent in 2019.

The figures compare with a projected global average growth rate of just 2.3 percent.

The Bank, in a report titled Global Economic Prospects: Weak Investment in Uncertain Times and released on Wednesday, said the economy remained strong despite the slight downturn, boosted by strong growth in the garment, real estate and construction sectors.

Stagnant global trade, subdued investment, and heightened policy uncertainty marked another difficult year for the world economy, the report says.

The Bank said Cambodia needed to improve revenue mobilization, regulatory oversights and supervision for the non-banking financial sector.

It suggested structural reforms be prioritized due to Cambodias consistently low ranking in annual corruption indexes and other governance indicators.

Chap Sotharith, a senior researcher at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said he was still optimistic about Cambodias economic prospects.

When we are able to maintain a stable growth rate of 6.9 percent, I dont think we need to worry about anything, he said.

However, he added that the government should improve transport infrastructure to maintain these levels of growth.
The BJP CEC continued till late evening, and at around 9.45 pm the journalists were informed curtly that the list will be release on Thursday.

By Brijesh Pandey: On January 11, at around 6 pm BJP held its Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting to announce its list of candidates for the state of Goa and Punjab.

The CEC continued till late evening, and at around 9.45 pm the journalists were informed curtly that the list will be release on Thursday. The situation was unprecedented as the list is usually announced few hours after the CEC.

advertisement

So what led to the deferment of the list to be announced on 11th Jan? According to highly placed sources a union minister was not happy with the way tickets were distributed in Punjab.

This union minister wanted that several sitting MLAs should be repeated. However, according to the internal survey done by the party showed massive anti-incumbency wave and even most of the party leadership including Amit Shah were of the view that tickets should be given to a new set of candidates.

Out of 23 seats, there were 4 seats in which the opinion of this union minister was different from the opinion of the CEC including Shah. This is the reason why the release of the Punjab's list was not declared on Wednesday. After CEC, senior leaders held a meeting with the concerned central minister till late night.

RISKY MOVE

According to sources, a top leader had told one of the leaders holding talks with the minister that if the candidates were not changed there was a chance of losing the deposit.

Despite the situation, the union minister wanted to give tickets to at least four sitting MLAs. Later on after several round of deliberations, a consensus was reached over the list of 23 BJP candidates.

Earlier on Wednesday, the BJP CEC met for hour and half to decide on the list. Later on the PM left the meeting as he had an appointment at President House. There were several efforts to make sure that the party release the list but that could not happen because of lack of consensus.

Also read:

Ruling BJP's Goa pitch queered; Shiv Sena, MGP, GSM form Grand Alliance

Arjun Rampal, Jackie Shroff likely to campaign for BJP

BJP's first list of candidates for UP elections to be out by January 15

--- ENDS ---
More than 9,400 undocumented Afghans have returned home from Iran and Pakistan in the first week of 2017, raising concerns over how the war-torn Asian nation will cope with the rising influx, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The vast majority were young men crossing the border from Iran.

Although repatriation is not compulsory, the Pakistani government has stepped up pressure to send people back amid growing local animosity towards Afghan refugees.

The United Nations migration agency  the International Organization for Migration (IOM)  said most returnees from Iran were young men deported while looking for work, or on the migration route to Europe. Future patterns were hard to predict.

It can be very unpredictable as there are a lot of factors at play that could push returns up at any day, said Matthew Graydon, a U.N. spokesman in Afghanistan.

Many returnees unregistered

Graydon said unregistered Afghans face greater challenges than returnees who are officially logged as refugees because they are not entitled to cash grants from aid agencies, nor other benefits such as education or government-allocated land.

In the first week of 2017, 1,643 unregistered Afghans chose to return or were deported from Pakistan, and 7,776 returned from Iran, according to the IOM, with more expected as the weather improves in the next two months.

Another half a million undocumented Afghans are expected to be repatriated from Pakistan by the end of 2017. Numbers of returnees have been steadily rising over the past two years, with no letup in sight.

Since January 2016, more than 700,000 unregistered Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, up 50,000 on the year before, the IOM said, stretching limited resources in a country still under threat from the Taliban, al-Qaida and Islamic State.

Increase in attacks

The rise in returnees comes amid a precarious security situation in Afghanistan, which has seen a steady increase in attacks since international troops ended combat operations in 2014, with record numbers of civilian casualties.

There's still a lot of fighting here and it's put a lot of strain on the services and economy, said Graydon.

We're ramping up and scaling up our facilities at the borders to be able to support a lot more families and we are anticipating that a lot more people will come, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.

After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, more than 6 million Afghans crossed into neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

Helping families resettle

IOM transit centers near the borders are providing basic accommodation, protection for unaccompanied minors, healthcare, household items such as pots and pans, as well as transport for families to resettle in their desired location.

It's going to take a concerted effort within the humanitarian community and the government to make sure that their reintegration needs are met, said Graydon.
More than 9,400 undocumented Afghans have returned home from Iran and Pakistan in the first week of 2017, raising concerns over how the war-torn Asian nation will cope with the rising influx, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The vast majority were young men crossing the border from Iran.

Although repatriation is not compulsory, the Pakistani government has stepped up pressure to send people back amid growing local animosity towards Afghan refugees.

The United Nations migration agency - the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - said most returnees from Iran were young men deported while looking for work, or on the migration route to Europe. Future patterns were hard to predict.

"It can be very unpredictable as there are a lot of factors at play that could push returns up at any day," said Matthew Graydon, a U.N. spokesman in Afghanistan.

Graydon said unregistered Afghans face greater challenges than returnees who are officially logged as refugees because they are not entitled to cash grants from aid agencies, nor other benefits such as education or government-allocated land.

In the first week of 2017, 1,643 unregistered Afghans chose to return or were deported from Pakistan, and 7,776 returned from Iran, according to the IOM, with more expected as the weather improves in the next two months.

Another half a million undocumented Afghans are expected to be repatriated from Pakistan by the end of 2017. Numbers of returnees have been steadily rising over the past two years, with no letup in sight.

Since January 2016, more than 700,000 unregistered Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, up 50,000 on the year before, the IOM said, stretching limited resources in a country still under threat from the Taliban, al Qaeda and Islamic State.

In 2016, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, officially repatriated 372,577 registered Afghans. The rise in returnees comes amid a precarious security situation in Afghanistan, which has seen a steady increase in attacks since international troops ended combat operations in 2014, with record numbers of civilian casualties.

"There's still a lot of fighting here and it's put a lot of strain on the services and economy," said Graydon.

"We're ramping up and scaling up our facilities at the borders to be able to support a lot more families and we are anticipating that a lot more people will come," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.

After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, more than 6 million Afghans crossed into neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

IOM transit centers near the borders are providing basic accommodation, protection for unaccompanied minors, health care, household items such as pots and pans, as well as transport for families to resettle in their desired location.

"It's going to take a concerted effort within the humanitarian community and the government to make sure that their reintegration needs are met," said Graydon.
International aid groups have begun helping Zimbabwe fight an outbreak of typhoid. Some stakeholders say President Robert Mugabes government has not been taking the outbreak seriously.

Officials say the waterborne disease, which has struck more than 200 people in Harare, killing two, has been detected in other parts of Zimbabwe.



Health Minister David Parirenyatwa is appealing for international assistance, citing help the country received during a major cholera outbreak in 2008.



When we had cholera, I called the partners and other countries came out. Yes, with typhoid we will welcome partners, particularly the usual partners like UNICEF, MSF and others, said Parirenyatwa.



The British charity Oxfam has responded, supplying water treatment chemicals to typhoid-affected areas, and deploying volunteers to educate people on ways to avoid the disease.



Zimbabwe has been hit hard by waterborne diseases before, most notably a cholera outbreak during the 2008-2009 rainy season that killed 4,000 people.



In an interview, Fortune Nyamande, the spokesman for the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, said the government is

not fulfilling the right to health enshrined in the countrys constitution.



We have not seen tangible action from the Harare city council ," said Nyamanda. " At the central government level, what we have seen is more blame game. People should concentrate more on dealing with typhoid. It is unacceptable for anyone to lose his or her life because of typhoid. They are the diseases of the 1900's.

That is when cholera and typhoid used to kill people. People should come together and deal with the root cause of typhoid and the nation should move forward.



Typhoid, an infectious bacterial fever, can be treated with antibiotics, but still kills more than 220,000 people worldwide each year. It can be prevented through improved water and sanitation.



In Mbare township, the epicenter of the current outbreak, sewer water can be seen flowing on the streets and garbage has gone for days without being collected.



After the outbreak began, authorities banned vendors from selling food in Harare; but, seller Chenai Mananga says vending is not the cause of typhoid.



Garbage is not being collected. Burst sewer pipes are not being repaired. It is junk all over, she said. "If there is junk there will be disease outbreaks. So it is not vendors problem.



In some areas, residents say faucets have been dry for days, forcing them to rely on water from open sources like lakes and rivers for daily chores. Those waters are not clean, making it harder to end Zimbabwes typhoid outbreak.
Hong Kong's No. 2 government official resigned on Thursday in what is widely seen as preparation for a bid for the southern Chinese city's top leadership job.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam tendered her resignation to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who in turn submitted it to Beijing, the Hong Kong government said in a statement. Lam will be on leave from Friday.

The labor and welfare secretary, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will become acting chief secretary.

Hong Kong leader Leung is deeply unpopular and announced last month that he won't seek another term, citing family reasons. His five-year term ends in June.

Another potential contender for his job, Finance Secretary John Tsang, quit last month.

Hong Kong leaders are chosen by a 1,200-member panel of mostly pro-Beijing tycoons and elites, which is scheduled to make its pick in March. So far, retired judge Woo Kwok-hing and lawmaker Regina Ip have publicly declared their intention to run for the job of leading the city of 7.2 million.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived Thursday for a two-day visit to Manila as the Philippines has boosted ties with China while taking a hostile stance toward Tokyo's main ally the United States.

The Philippines is Abe's first stop in a four-nation swing as the Japanese leader presses efforts to boost his country's trade and security engagements amid China's rise to Asian dominance. He will later travel to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Accompanied by his wife and a business delegation, Abe is the first head of state to visit since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June. It's an important affirmation of Duterte's leadership at a time he faces domestic and international criticism for a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed more than 6,000 lives.

Japan is one of our strongest friends and ally and partner in this part of the world and we value this friendship, Duterte's foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr. said ahead of Abe's visit.

The two sides plan to sign agreements to bolster cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure and security. After Manila, Abe will travel to southern Davao city, Duterte's hometown where Yasay said the president may host breakfast for the Japanese premier at his home.

Japan may also provide help in the construction of rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, Yasay said.

China has backed Duterte's bloody crackdown on drug users and pushers, and a Chinese real estate magnate financed the construction of the biggest drug rehab center in the country, drawing praises from the president.

While Duterte has cozied up to China and Russia, he has railed at President Barack Obama's outgoing administration for raising alarm over human rights concerns. The brash-talking Duterte has repeatedly vowed to scale back joint military exercises and other defense engagements with the U.S., his country's treaty ally, but has walked back on many of his threats.

Duterte visited Japan in October when he and Abe agreed to cooperate in promoting regional peace and stability and acknowledged the importance of their alliances with Washington.

About two dozen activists led by four women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops in World War II protested outside the Japanese Embassy, calling for justice for their sufferings in a call that has largely been muted by the blossoming relations of the Asian neighbors.

Narcisa Claveria, 87, said she and other former sex slaves were treated like pigs by Japanese troops during the war, lamenting that many of her fellow victims had died without getting justice.

Shinzo Abe, end the issue of women now, Claveria said at the protest. You are meeting again with the president, will you bring forces of aggression here again? Are you going to make women here like pigs again?

It's not clear if the demand by the former sex slaves would be raised by Duterte in his talk with Abe.

Japan is now among the top trading partners of the Philippines and one of its largest aid providers. It has also provided patrol ships to help the Philippines protect its territory amid longstanding territorial rifts with China.

Japan has expressed readiness to finance a major railway project in the south, where Duterte hails from, something that China also pledged.
A decades-long commitment to preserving a dark sky for stargazers and wildlife is paying off for Flagstaff, with satellite images showing far less excess artificial light here than in cities of comparable size, the National Park Service said.

The state, with mountain peaks and stretches of desert sky that are a haven for astronomers, is a leader in efforts to protect the dark, including using fewer lights or dimmed LED lights, the International Dark-Sky Association said. Arizona is home to three of the nation's largest telescopes.

Darkness preserves people's ability to see stars and spot the Milky Way, an ever-dwindling phenomenon, and is critical to bird migration and survival of insects that larger animals eat, the park service said.

"This issue goes beyond astronomy. It has impacts on wildlife ecology, public safety, potentially public health," said John Barentine, program manager for the Tucson-based dark sky group.

Flagstaff, home to the Lowell Observatory, embraced dark-sky efforts nearly 60 years ago, and the images from July show those efforts are making a difference, Christian Luginbuhl, a retired U.S. Naval Observatory astronomer who helped collect data for the analysis, told The Arizona Daily Sun newspaper.

The images taken by a panoramic camera developed by the park service show nighttime light emissions in Flagstaff are nearly 14 times fainter than those of Cheyenne, Wyoming, the newspaper reported.

In the images, light represented by a rainbow of colors blooms from Phoenix, Cheyenne and Fort Collins, Colorado, but only a faint halo of yellow and green can be seen around Flagstaff.

Critics say efforts to protect the night sky from street lights, electronic signs and other sources of excess artificial light, known as light pollution, raise concerns about public safety and crime. Many cities are wary of going dark.

Electronic billboards

And businesses have fought back against regulations. The billboard industry, which has increasingly put up electronic signs along freeways, has opposed strict regulations in Arizona such as a state-mandated buffer around main observatories and a 2012 agreement that banned electronic signs in two counties.

Legislation introduced last year would have allowed electronic signs to be posted in those western Arizona counties but ultimately failed. Advocates said electronic billboards would not harm rural areas known for dark skies because they would never go up on untraveled roads.

Republican state Senator Sonny Borrelli said Wednesday that he was negotiating with opponents of last year's proposal and might introduce it again.

The National Park Service is studying the effect of different types of lighting that cities use, and the new images are part of that effort, said Ashley Pipkin, a regional specialist with the agency's natural sounds and night skies division.

Other measurements have compared Flagstaff's light pollution to other places, but this study's on-the-ground data are "pretty pioneering," said Luginbuhl, who is part of the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition.

"The results have shown we have done even better than we might have expected," he said.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will fly to Kyiv on Sunday on a farewell visit by one of Ukraine's strongest political supporters, as the country looks forward with apprehension to the new administration of Donald Trump.

Biden, whose visit was announced by the office of President Petro Poroshenko, has been the front man for U.S. policy towards Ukraine since street protests in 2013-2014 forced a Russian-backed leader to flee and the pro-Western opposition took over, promising sweeping reforms whose delivery has been patchy.

The United States has invested heavily in the reform process, providing over $3 billion in economic assistance. It has imposed sanctions against Russia for annexing Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and backing separatists in a conflict in the east of the country.

Biden has been closely involved, visiting Ukraine four times since the change in power and maintaining regular telephone contact with Poroshenko and the prime minister.

Officials in Ukraine have expressed concern that U.S. support could wane following the Jan. 20 inauguration of Trump, who has voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a desire to improve ties with Moscow.

Biden, who last year promised the "unwavering support" of the United States for Ukraine, has nevertheless chastised officials for lacklustre reform efforts, warning that endemic corruption risks undermining international will to maintain sanctions on Russia.

During Biden's last visit to Kyiv in December 2015, he made an impassioned speech to the Ukrainian parliament, saying lawmakers needed to do more in "a historic battle against corruption."
Irregularities detected in contracts awarded to Brazilian builder Odebrecht SA, a family-owned conglomerate at the center of a growing graft scandal in Latin American, have cost Peru at least $283 million, the comptroller said on Wednesday.

Authorities in Peru have been scrambling to gauge damages that Odebrecht may have wrought in the Andean country since the company acknowledged bribing unnamed officials there and in other countries in the region in a record $3.5 billion global plea deal signed in the United States.

Odebrecht won 23 public work contracts worth at least $16.94 billion in Peru between 1998 and 2015, including 16 that have been audited over the years, the comptroller's office said.

Highway cost almost doubled

Irregularities detected include unjustified cost overruns, improperly forgiven penalties for breaking contractual obligations and higher price tags for projects that competitors offered to do cheaper, Comptroller Edgar Alarcon told a news conference.

A project for building a highway across the Amazon that Odebrecht won in 2005 ended up costing nearly twice as much as initially proposed, the comptroller said in a report that described stretches of the highway as subpar.

Odebrecht did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company's local unit said last week that its top priority was to assist prosecutors and eventually pay Peru reparations.

Details to be provided

The company agreed to pay Peru an initial $8.9 million in a gesture of goodwill last week as it promised to give prosecutors in the attorney general's office details on kickback schemes.

The $29 million in bribes that Odebrecht has admitted to giving officials in Peru span three presidencies, threatening to expose high-level corruption in the governments of former presidents Ollanta Humala, Alan Garcia and Alejandro Toledo.

Current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski served as finance minister and prime minister in Toledo's government and will be one of eight former ministers asked to offer testimony in a parallel probe into Odebrecht in the justice ministry, prosecutors said this week.
The strike by English-speaking professionals in Cameroon has taken another turn with the government shutting down an independent radio station. The station hosted a discussion of what the striking lawyers and teachers say is the overbearing use of French in the bilingual country.

Cameroon is officially a bilingual country but only about a fifth of the population speaks English. Professionals in anglophone parts of the country complain that English is being sidelined. For example, they say the government has failed to provide official documents in English as well as French.



Teachers are also demanding reforms amid what they say is the proliferation of French-oriented schools. However, the months-long strike has actually pushed some families in affected areas to move their children to French-speaking schools so they wont miss the academic year.



Radio Hot Cocoa is based in Bamenda in Cameroons northwest region, the center of the strike by English-speaking lawyers and educators.





Authorities sealed the stations offices Thursday, after a call-in program in which participants criticized the government over its handling of striking professionals grievances.



VOA reached the manager of Radio Hot Cocoa, Gideon Taka, by phone.



"The governors office accused us of broadcasting information that could incite the public to violence, incite the public to hatred, and incite the public to civil disobedience, he said.

Taka said the regions governor is mad that the shows hosts took the side of the callers, not the government, during the live debate.



Activists say the radio shutdown is part of a wider clampdown on public debate in Cameroon.



Restrictions on media



At least 20 journalists and dozens of media outlets were suspended last year. In December, the minister of communication ordered radio and TV stations to stop round table discussions and call-in programs.Talk shows on state media that examined topical issues were suspended.



As for the strike, English-speaking lawyers and teachers have refused to work since October, effectively bringing the justice and education systems to a halt in the northwest and southwest.



The situation degenerated in December when youths set fire to police stations and vehicles and burned a national flag. Several hundred people have been arrested.



Negotiations to end the strike deadlocked over two issues. The government has released about 50 of the people who were detained, but has refused to release them all. And some union leaders called for the English-speaking parts of Cameroon to seek independence.



Professor Ghogomo Paul Mingo, chief government negotiator in the teachers grievances, wants to get talks back on track.



"The government cannot negotiate anything that has to do with the form of the state, but every other thing they can bring to the table," he said. "The ad-hoc committee which I head is still ready to welcome the six leaders of the trade union who left the hall."


During his confirmation hearing, Tillerson said that 'he is going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.'

By Santosh Chaubey: Rex Tillerson, former Exxon Mobil CEO and US President Elect Donald Trump's pick for his 'Secretary of State', has told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China will not be allowed to build more islands in the South China Sea and at the same time, will not be allowed access to those islands it has already built.

advertisement

During his confirmation hearing, Tillerson said that 'he is going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed', a Reuters report said.

He compared Chinese acts in the South China Sea to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. The Reuters report quoting him said that Tillerson considered Chinas South China Sea activity "extremely worrisome" and that it would be a threat to the "entire global economy" if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway.

CHINA DISMISSES TILLERSON'S REMARKS

The spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lu Kong, has dismissed Tillerson's words 'as hypothetical' in his initial response while asserting the Chinese supremacy over the South China Sea. Lu Kong said that the situation in the South China Sea has cooled down as countries in the region have come round to the agreement. We hope that countries outside the region will respect such an agreement that serves the common interests of the region and beyond.

BUT CHINESE EXPERTS WARN THE US

While Lu Kong said that Tillerson's words didn't matter, Chinese experts have warned that China is going to retaliate heavily to any US attempt to block China access to the South China Sea.

South China Morning Post wrote 'whats been built has been built', quoting Wu Xinbo, head of American Studies at Shanghais Fudan University. It quoted another expert as saying China is not Cuba, and the South China Sea is not the Caribbean. The South China Sea is not under the US sphere of influence, its Chinas territorial waters.??

South China Morning Post is a prominent English language newspaper of China and is now controlled by Hangzhou based e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. And we know that nothing appears in the Chinese media, especially on international policy matters like this, without the state approval.

SETTING A CONFRONTATIONAL TONE?

Though analysts have pointed out that it may be Tillerson's personal opinion and he would have said so to hide his inexperience in diplomatic affairs, when we see it in the context of what Donald Trump has been saying about China, Tillerson's words well may be the indication of the things to come.

Trump has been targeting China pre or post his election, especially on trade imbalances and the loss of US jobs to China. He quotes Russia and China when he makes pitch for military and nuclear expansion of the US. He became the first US President-Elect in decades to defy the US policy of following One China norm and called the Taiwanese President angering Beijing. China considers Taiwan as its renegade province.

advertisement

DISPUTED WATERS

Territorial dispute in the South China Sea involves seven countries, i.e., China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. A busy trade route passes through it and all other countries except China are in favour of keeping its status as free, international waters. China wants to control it as it imports most of its oil through this trade route. Doing so would enable China to establish hegemony in East and Southeast Asia that no other country involved in the dispute is capable of.

Also, it would keep foreign military forces like the US away from the region. The US Navy has a sizeable presence in the South China Sea and it routinely carries out patrols in the area to deter the Chinese efforts maintaining that the South China Sea waters remain free for international navigation. China doesn't recognize these claims including the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) and says China exercises control over these areas since ancient times and if there is any dispute it should be resolved by the countries directly concerned as Lu Kong said in his press briefing today.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
The U.S. accused China Thursday of illegally dumping aluminum on the world market at artificially low prices to boost its aluminum industry at the expense of U.S. competitors.

The Obama administration, in its waning days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week, alleged that Beijing is providing cheap loans and illegal subsidies for low-priced raw materials to its aluminum manufacturers to undercut the price of the metal on the world market.

"China gives its aluminum industry an unfair advantage," President Barack Obama said in announcing the complaint it had filed against China at the World Trade Organization. "These kinds of policies have disadvantaged American manufacturers and contributed to the global glut in aluminum, steel and other sectors.

"America succeeds when our workers and businesses have a fair shot to compete in the global economy. That's why when other countries cut corners and break the rules on trade, my administration stands up for strong trade enforcement."

Washington has won all 16 trade dispute cases it has brought against China, which U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said illustrates the outgoing administration's commitment to U.S. workers. It is unclear exactly what tack Trump and his trade officials will take, however, on the latest standoff with China and other disputes.

At his news conference Wednesday, Trump on a related issue continued to assail U.S. trade deals, much as he did during his lengthy run for a four-year term in the White House. He said China has "has taken total advantage of us economically."

"Our trade deals are a disaster," the president-elect said. "We have hundreds of billions of dollars of losses on a yearly basis. Hundreds of billions with China on trade and trade imbalance, with Japan, with Mexico, with just about everybody. We don't make good deals anymore."
U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Wednesday he told President-elect Donald Trump the intelligence community did not create a document featuring claims Russia compiled information to attempt to compromise Trump.

Earlier this week, the BuzzFeed digital media site posted online what it said was the full dossier in question, which alleges tawdry personal Trump conduct on a visit to Moscow and that Russias government had been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for years.

Clapper said in a statement Wednesday that he told the president-elect the intelligence community has not made any judgment that the information is reliable, and that he emphasized to Trump that he does not believe it was leaked to the media by intelligence sources. Clapper said it is part of his obligation to make sure policymakers have the most complete picture possible of matters that might affect national security.

Trump acknowledged Clapper's call in a Twitter comment Thursday, claiming that Clapper denounced "the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts. Too bad!"

Unsubstantiated info

The president-elect was given a two-page synopsis of the unsubstantiated information last Friday, when he also was given a classified briefing on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. President Barack Obama was given the same information a week ago.

Trump angrily rejected the reported claims during his first news conference as president-elect on Wednesday.

"I think it is a disgrace that information would be let out. I saw the information. I read the information outside of that meeting. Its all fake news. Its phony stuff. It didnt happen," he said.

WATCH: Trump denounces 'fake news'

The president-elects attorney, Michael Cohen, told reporters the allegations in the document are false and were invented to malign Trump.

In Moscow, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday the claims were meant to hurt U.S.-Russian relations.

"No, Kremlin doesn't have any compromising information on Trump. This information [the report] does not correspond to reality and is nothing else by an absolute fabrication," he said.

Pelosi's concerns



House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Wednesday any financial or personal allegations against President-elect Donald Trump "cannot have an impact on the national security of the United States of America."

Pelosi declined to get into the details of the latest revelations alleging ties between Russia and Trump, noting the information had been in circulation among journalists for some time and had remained uncorroborated.

Pelosi did say she had broader concerns about the president-elect's approach to the U.S.-Russia relationship. "I always wondered what did Russia have on Donald Trump?" she told reporters.

Pelosi cautioned that her judgements were based on information in the public domain and not on any classified briefings she has received. The House Democratic leader declined to speculate on the consequences of the allegations if they are found to be true.

'Kompromat'

Such materials, known in Russian as kompromat, are frequently prepared by some intelligence agencies to create negative publicity for purposes of blackmail and to ensure loyalty.

It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Russians are always looking for dirt on any politician, House of Representative intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes told reporters.

I would not jump to any conclusions. This seems maybe taken a little out of context, added Nunes, a Republican who has worked with the Trump transition team.



The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an operation to meddle with the U.S. election with the aim of hurting the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton and helping Trump win. He won the decisive Electoral College count over Clinton, but lost the popular vote to her.

Trump, who acknowledged at his press conference that Russia meddled in the election, assumes power on January 20 for a four-year term in the White House.

He said Thursday that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, an early campaign supporter, will advise him on private sector cyber security problems and the latest technology to combat hacking intrusions.
Leaders of Cyprus's ethnic Greek and Turkish communities exchanged maps outlining rival proposals for territorial boundaries on Wednesday in a groundbreaking move diplomats hope could form part of a deal ending decades of division.

Presented, submitted and then sealed in a United Nations vault, territorial adjustments form an integral part of solving the decades-old Cyprus conflict which has kept Greece and Turkey at loggerheads and obstructs Turkey's membership bid to the European Union.



Rival sides did not disclose detail. Both maps will form the basis for more intensive discussions on defining boundaries.

"Never before have we had an exchange of maps, or a presentation of maps, created by the delegations themselves," Espen Barth Eide, the United Nations envoy for Cyprus, said before the handover.

Eide said the talks, aimed at creating a bizonal state with some form of shared central administration, were "on track." The island has been split since Turkish forces invaded in 1974 in response to a short-lived coup by Greek Cypriot militants seeking union with Greece.

"We have dealt with some of the most difficult issues. We have touched upon almost all of them, we have solved many of them and we are close to resolving some other issues," said Eide.

Emotions still run high over issues such as territorial exchange and restoration of property lost on both sides as the island was partitioned amid bloodshed in 1974.

Diplomats say Greek Cypriot leader and President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, two moderates, have a unique opportunity to settle a dispute which has dragged on for decades.

The foreign ministers of Greece, Turkey and Britain, guarantor powers of Cyprus's independence, were scheduled in Geneva on Thursday to discuss security parameters of any deal.

Moving boundaries

Turkey has 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus. Their presence will be strongly contested by the Greek side, which says a deal is not possible without them pulling out.

The Greek Cypriots want the guarantor system dismantled, calling it an anachronism which could keep the island under the perpetual influence of Turkey. Turkish Cypriots, fearful of past experiences since the 1960s when they were targeted by Greek Cypriot nationalists, want Turkish guarantees to continue.

Any adjustment would modify the existing cease-fire boundary splitting Cyprus east to west and limit territory under Turkish Cypriot control from about 36 percent to just under 30 percent.

Past peace negotiations have reached a ballpark range of between 28.2 and 29.2 percent of Cypriot territory remaining under Turkish Cypriot control.

There are about 800,000 Greek Cypriots and 220,000 Turkish Cypriots.

Greek Cypriots want an arrangement which would see the maximum possible number of their internally displaced returning to their homes under Greek Cypriot control.

The 1974 invasion uprooted 165,000 Greek Cypriots, while about 40,000 Turkish Cypriots were displaced in intercommunal violence in the 1960s and a population transfer in 1975.

Property ownership in Cyprus is well defined and virtually impossible to dispute, a legacy of Britain's Lord Kitchener who established the country's land registry more than a century ago.
An international conference on the reunification of Cyprus has opened with a sense of "cautious optimism" that an agreement, which has eluded the divided Mediterranean island for more than four decades, can finally be achieved.

Newly appointed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in Geneva on Thursday in an effort to reach a deal.

"It is my hope that there will be a breakthrough and I think that is what the people of Cyprus deserve, and I think that it is also what the world needs today, Guterres said. We are facing so many situations of disaster. We badly need a symbol of hope. I strongly believe that Cyprus can be the symbol of hope at the beginning of 2017 in the world."

Guterres, however, lowered expectations of a quick fix.

Watch: UN Says Cypriot Leaders Close to Reunification Deal

"You cannot expect miracles or immediate solutions. We are not looking for a quick fix. We are looking for a solid and sustainable solution for the Republic of Cyprus and for the communities of the Republic of Cyprus," he told reporters during a break in the talks.

The top diplomats from Britain, Greece and Turkey joined the U.N.-hosted talks, marking the first time they have discussed security issues with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders. Security guarantees are a crucial element in ensuring a peaceful, stable settlement.

Guterres said many proposals were offered Thursday, including ones that address the central questions that have been holding up a final agreement for so many years  territory, property rights and relations with the European Union.

"Enormous progress was made in all those dossiers, he said. So, we are coming very close to what is the settlement in relation to the creation of a bi-zonal, bi-community federal institution in the Republic of Cyprus. We are coming very close to it."

Another difficult issue is Turkey's demand that it be allowed to keep Turkish troops on Cyprus, which Greek Cypriots regard as a threat.

But in an unprecedented sign of major progress, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders exchanged maps Wednesday showing proposed borders including land the Turkish side has agreed to give back to the Greek side.

Cyprus has been split between a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded the island after a military coup aimed at reunifying Cyprus with Greece.

Only Turkey recognizes a separate Turkish Cypriot government.

The U.N. hopes to create a single Cypriot nation that would become a full European Union member. Only the Greek Cypriot south enjoys EU benefits.

Guterres says he expects talks to resume next week, adding that any agreement must be ratified through a referendum by the divided Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities before reunification becomes a reality.
The second phase of political talks about how to implement a New Year's Eve deal on the transfer of power has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If applied, the agreement will pave the way for the departure of President Joseph Kabila and elections this year.

The DRC's political deal was signed by Kabila's ruling alliance and the Rassemblement, the largest opposition coalition.

Delayed elections, originally scheduled for November, and Kabila's decision not to leave office when his second term expired on December 19 launched the DRC into uncharted and volatile waters. There were widespread fears that Kabila wanted to change the constitution to permit him to serve a third term.

But the new agreement stipulates its signatories will not attempt to alter the constitution. It also states elections to find Kabila's successor should be held in late 2017 and provides for the establishment of a government of national unity headed by a prime minister from the Rassemblement.

Analyst Stephanie Wolters of the Institute for Security Studies told VOA that "the deal on paper is a good deal, and if we could get this political accord implemented and get all the people who have not signed it yet to sign it, then it is an extremely good road map. It is an actual resolution of the crisis that we had all last year."

The Catholic bishops of the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo, known as CENCO, are mediating the talks, and their vice president, Bishop Fridolin Ambongo, has said this second phase will be "the most difficult part."

An agreement is needed on the composition of the new government, the electoral commission, and the committee tasked with monitoring implementation of the accord.

Possible obstacles

Wolters said several obstacles stand in the way of the smooth implementation of the agreement. One is the logistical challenge of holding presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections in this huge, mostly undeveloped country by the end of this year.

Another is Prime Minister Samy Badibanga, who was appointed in November after a previous set of negotiations boycotted by the Rassemblement. Badibanga and some of his ministers have refused to recognize the new agreement.

"Of course, Badibanga is key to the implementation of this whole thing, because the accord calls for the formation of a new government and the appointment of a new prime minister," Wolters said. "And if Badibanga stands in the way, that is going to be a problem."

Even though Kabila's ruling alliance has signed the deal, some senior members have criticized the accord for its lack of inclusivity, and they have suggested the new government cannot be put in place until March, when parliament reopens.

There are many questions, Wolters said, "about whether or not this was a calculated move by the ruling alliance to essentially sign something knowing full well that they could still scupper it in a number of ways, and also knowing full well, it has to be said, that the opposition itself may still be an obstacle, because it can not agree on exactly who is going to take what post in the various different new structures."

Monseigneur Marcel Utembi, CENCO's president, said Wednesday that he wanted to conclude this phase of negotiations within four days.
Bipartisan caution held sway Wednesday on Capitol Hill as both House Republicans and Democrats addressed the controversial and uncorroborated reports in some media outlets alleging Russia had collected sensitive material on President-elect Donald Trump.

The full House is expected to receive access to the finished report within days, Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes told reporters following a committee's vote to make the finished intelligence product available.

It was unclear if the 35 pages of material referred to by Buzzfeed and other media sources would be part of that finished product.

"It doesn't look like a very good intelligence product to me," said Nunes, a Republican, referring to the 35-page document "I'm just glancing at it. I haven't had time to read it."

"We will take the finished product  like we take all finished intelligence products  and comb through it and mine sources, data and methods. I have no idea if this 35-page document was part of that assessment or not," he said when asked if the allegations merited further investigation.

This is not a partisan issue

But House Democratic Minority Whip Steny Hoyer told reporters in a briefing earlier Wednesday that "Allegations surrounding this are of such magnitude that we believe there needs to be an independent commission to review the facts, make findings and recommendations to the Congress and to the administration."

Urging media to be very careful with material relating to scandal or election interference, Hoyer said, "This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue about American democracy, integrity of our elections  which is the basis of our democracy  and I would urge President Trump to be as energized and focused and open to a commission that would look at this issue in a nonpartisan way as would anybody else in this country."

But Republican Congressman Chris Collins told VOA he isn't personally concerned by the newest allegations and does not see a need for a Congressional investigation.

"I'm concerned about CIA and other intelligence people leaking confidential information to the press in a slanderous way," Collins said. We need to know who in the CIA or the intelligence community was leaking confidential information to the press and there needs to be repercussions for that. Secondly, none of us know what's true or not, fake or not. We don't know."

Pelosi weighs in

Earlier, House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters any financial or personal allegations against Trump "cannot have an impact on the national security of the United States of America."

Pelosi declined to get into the details of the latest revelations that allege ties between Russia and Trump, and noted the information had been in circulation among journalists for some time and remained uncorroborated.

Pelosi did say she had broader concerns about the president-elect's approach to the U.S.-Russia relationship.

"I always wondered what did Russia have on Donald Trump?" she told reporters.

Pelosi cautioned that her judgments were based on information in the public domain and not on any classified briefings she has received. The House Democratic leader declined to speculate on the consequences of the allegations, should they be found to be true.

Democrats' cautious approach extended to the White House, where Press Secretary Josh Earnest addressed Trump's tweeted response to the allegations in which he compared the intelligence community to Nazi Germany.

"The men and women of our intelligence community are patriots," Earnest said. "These are men and women who have served our country under Democrat and Republican presidents, and they made a decision when they began in their career to set aside their own personal and ideological views and focus solely on the facts."
Djibouti's president says African leaders believe President-elect Donald Trump will pay little attention to Africa, but is hopeful that Djibouti can continue a strong bilateral relationship with the U.S.

Africa does not appear on the foreign agenda of the U.S. president-elect, Donald Trump, but as Djibouti, we had a good and deep relationship with U.S. government which I am hopeful will continue, Ismail Omar Gulleh said in an exclusive interview with VOA Somali Service on Thursday. Our relationship was not with an individual but with U.S. institutions.



Ending his 2015 visit to Africa, U.S. President Barack Obama warned the continent would not advance if its leaders refuse to step down when their terms end. "Nobody should be president for life," Obama said.



However, last April, President Guelleh won third term in a disputed re-election boycotted by opposition parties. In order for Guelleh to win that election, parliament had to change the countrys constitution because presidents were limited to two terms.



Mind your business



Referring to Obamas warning and the recent U.S. election results, Guelleh said, Those who used to say we are giving lessons to Africa, you see what they are facing. It is none of their business to determine any incoming or outgoing African president, he said.



The tiny East African country hosts the United States only military base on the African continent. In 2014, the U.S. and Djibouti signed a 10-year lease on the military base, Camp Lemonnier.



At the time, the based housed about 4,000 U.S. soldiers and other military personnel. The United States regards it as a major staging area for attacks against terrorists in Yemen and Somalia, where Djiboutian solders are part of the African Union force that has had some success against al-Shabab militants.



Chinese influence



Djibouti is also home to a military base from former colonial power France. Japan has also leased a military base, while there is a growing Chinese influence in Djibouti.



On Wednesday, Djibouti and its neighbor Ethiopia officially launched the first fully electrified cross-border railway line in Africa, a project 70 percent financed by China's Exim Bank and built by China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction.



Guelleh says his country is capable of managing those different and sometimes rival foreign interests.



All those countries which have bases and interests in Djibouti have been brought together by common interests, including the global anti-terrorism efforts, the piracy and economic interests. So that, we are capable of managing and maintaining good relationship with our friends.

Falastin Iman contributed to this report from Djibouti
Rather than uniting Turkey, the so-called Islamic State attack on an Istanbul nightclub, which killed 39 on New Year's Day, appears to have only deepened societal divisions.

Some social media posts have supported the attack, denigrating the revelers as decadent and anti-Islamic and therefore having gotten what they deserved. One theologian declared the attack was a message that Turkey is not the old Turkey, and that the pious will bring all others to their knees.

There were those who gloated over this attack and who seem to celebrate it, rather than mark the tragedy that happened in front of them, said Semih Idiz, a political columnist for the website Al-Monitor. This all goes back to this post-modern civil war that has been going on between Islamists and secularists, between the ultra-conservative nationalists and the more pro-European elements."

Idiz also cast blame on official Ankara. We have a government that hasn't really helped in overcoming divisions," he said. "In fact, at times the approach of the government and the president is divisive rather than unifying.

The atmosphere before the nightclub shooting was widely seen as toxic, with pro-government media slamming New Years Eve celebrations as anti-Muslim. That stance was backed by the state-appointed head of Turkey's powerful Religious Affairs Directorate, which administers the Islamic faith.

Still, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed back against critics. Nobodys lifestyle is under systematic threat in Turkey," he said. "We will never allow this. Those who claim this have to prove it. It is my duty to protect everyones rights.

Officials say steps are being taken against "divisive" social media posts. But, to date, the only person detained was a women in Istanbul who appeared in a viral video calling on people to fight for secularism and stand up against Islamic State.

The New Years attack has put a spotlight on government policy toward Islamic State and other jihadist groups.

Turkey did choose to support Islamist-leaning members of the Syrian opposition with the expectation that the support would accelerate regime change in Syria, said Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels. But weve discovered that these groups in the meantime [have] taken advantage of this position of the Turkish government, by establishing their own network and structures within Turkey, and they are using this to orchestrate terror attacks against Turkey.

President Erdogan has rejected charges that his government has failed to crack down on IS. "No one in the world fights Islamic State more than Turkey, he said following the New Years attack.

Turkish authorities suspect the gunman, who is still at large, was a foreigner, a member of the Uighur Muslim minority. However, fears are growing about the domestic threat posed by Islamic State.

There is a strong power base within Turkish society; millions share their ideology, said Haldun Solmazturk, head of the 21st Century Turkey Institute, an Ankara-based think tank. Some polls - for example, one run by the Pew research institution of the United States - indicate about 8 percent of Turkish society is sympathetic to [Islamic State's cause]. This would make up about six million Turkish people. And I see how radical certain groups within Turkish society are becoming. I watch it in day-to-day business, watching TV stations, listening to radio; it's all around.

The government has promised to crack down on Islamic State within the country, and dozens of people have been detained. Ulgen says the crackdown is flawed.



Turkey does have experience in articulating and implementing counter-terrorist strategies," he said. "But where it has not really led or displayed a lot of progress is on the accompanying aspect of counter-radicalization. And the experience of many other countries in the world that are trying to stave off the threat of Islamic extremism is that these two strategies need to go hand in hand.".

Despite the Istanbul nightclub attack, Ankaras priorities remain in question.

The real public enemy for the Turks and the government at the moment is the PKK (Kurdish rebel group) and any group related (to) the PKK, said Idiz. And you will find a significant disparity between those arrested for PKK crimes and those arrested for ISIS-related crimes, and that on its own speaks volumes about the situation.

With the Turkish military stepping up its campaign against Islamic State in Syria and jihadists calling on their Turkish supporters to stage attacks, Ankara could be in a race against time.
A self-declared prime minister said Thursday that his forces have seized at least three ministries in Libya's capital, declaring what appeared to be a miniature coup after what he described as a yearlong failure of the current U.N.-backed premier.



Khalifa Ghwell told The Associated Press by phone from Tripoli that his forces control the ministries of defense, labor and the "martyrs and the wounded.'' His so-called National Salvation government was formed by the outgoing parliament after a disputed 2014 transfer of power that led to the establishment of rival governments, each backed by an array of militias.



The U.N. helped establish a third government in Tripoli last year under Fayez Serraj, a Western-backed technocrat, hoping he could unify Libya and lead the fight against Islamic extremists. The oil-rich North African country slid into chaos after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.



A spokesman for Serraj's government dismissed the moves by Ghwell's forces, saying "they are trying to sow chaos but they have no means to control.'' He said the ministries Ghwell claimed to have seized are either under maintenance, not controlled by Serraj's government, or were seized briefly before being let go.



"This is nothing more than a media hoax,'' Ashraf Tulty said. "They are trying to sabotage the only internationally-recognized government in Libya.''



In a televised speech, Ghwell declared that all the past arrangements brokered by the U.N. are "invalid,'' and described Serraj's government as "expired.'' Referring to his forces as the "Presidential Guard,'' he ordered them to secure the capital and warned other militias to stand down. He also called for new talks among Libyan factions without foreign mediators.



"We are the ones with legitimacy,'' said Ghwell. "We extend our hands to our Libyan rivals,'' he added, saying "God's Shariah will rule among us,'' without elaborating.



Ghwell's earlier government was closely allied with Islamist groups, including some hard-line factions.



He said conditions have gone "from bad to worse'' in the year since Serraj's government was formed, as the country has grappled with a financial crisis. Libyans line up in front of banks for days in order to get cash, while the capital suffers from frequent power outages and shortages of basic goods.



The cash crisis stems from a dispute between Serraj and the head of the central bank, who has declined to release funds needed to run the U.N.-brokered government since March, when Serraj arrived aboard a vessel to Tripoli. Only this month, the central bank approved a $26 billion annual state budget.



"We gave him a year, and when he failed, we decided to return (to power)'' Ghwell told the AP. When pressed for details, including on how he plans to fund his Cabinet, he replied: "Wait, and you will see what happens in the coming days.''



The internationally recognized parliament, based in Libya's far east, does not recognize the authority of Serraj or Ghwell. It is closely allied with Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, whose forces have been battling Islamic militants in recent years.



Hifter's forces overran several oil terminals last year, and he has cultivated support from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. On Wednesday, he visited a Russian aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea.



There have been nationwide calls for amending the UN-brokered deal. Members of the internationally-recognized parliament told the AP that the army, the state-run oil corporation, and the central bank should be placed under the assembly's control.



"We need to go back to the political agreement and start all over again,'' said Al-Hadi Belaour, a lawmaker who had earlier supported Serraj's unity government.




When former President Jimmy Carter announced he was battling cancer in an August 2015 news conference at his Atlanta-based nonprofit Carter Center, he shared that one of his hopes was that the last Guinea worm would be eradicated before he died.

"I still have the same hope," Carter told VOA in an exclusive interview at the Carter Center, almost 17 months after his cancer announcement.

He is still focused on promoting the fight against Guinea worm, also known as dracunculiasis, a neglected tropical parasitic disease that as recently as the 1980s afflicted millions of people in 21 countries.

It is transmitted by drinking water that is contaminated with microscopic larvae that carry the parasite. The worm matures in the human body over the course of a year. Once mature, the worm, sometimes as long as one meter, slowly emerges through blisters on the skin, generating intense pain for those infected.

"They afflict people in the poorest and most isolated places in the world," Carter told an audience gathered at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum on Wednesday, during an unveiling of its newest exhibit "Countdown to Zero," a look at disease elimination and eradication programs produced in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History.

The Carter Center also has released its annual update on global Guinea worm eradication numbers.

In 2016, three countries reported cases of Guinea worm  South Sudan, Ethiopia and Chad. A fourth country, Mali, which had cases of the disease in 2015, is reported to be free of the parasite for the first time.

"It means you've had a 25 percent reduction in the number of countries reporting cases," said Frank Richards, who heads several of the Carter Center's eradication and elimination programs.

While the eradication effort now focuses on those three countries where the parasite remains, the overall number of cases has slightly increased.

"The difference between 22 cases last year and 25 cases this year is trivial," said Donald Hopkins, former director of the Carter Center's health programs and an expert on disease eradication.

But the challenge that remains is reaching and maintaining a presence in those villages where the parasite is still infecting unsuspecting hosts.

"When you get to the final numbers of cases, generally they are in the places that are the most difficult to reach," Richards explained, "either because of remoteness or insecurity and instability, and Mali is one of those examples, as is South Sudan."

"Those last few cases in any eradication program are always the most severely problematic," Carter told VOA.

Carters health

As the Carter Center's global fight against Guinea worm wages on, so does his battle with cancer.

"I'm doing fine, I'm much better than I was when we had the press conference here," he told CNN's Sanjay Gupta during a panel discussion on eradication efforts in the Carter Center's auditorium. "I had cancer in my liver, part of it that was removed, and I had four spots on my brain that were malignant. I get another MRI tomorrow, but so far my brain and liver have been clear of the disease."

While his battle with cancer appears successful, Carter, 92, is mindful that even if his hope of outliving the last Guinea worm isn't realized, he is confident the Carter Center and its partners will reach the goal of complete eradication.

"I'm not looking forward to not being here," he told VOA, through his signature grin, "but I think when I'm gone, the effort will not be abandoned, it will be continued, maybe with an even greater degree of enthusiasm because it would be in my memory and that sort of thing. So I don't feel concerned about the future."

Of the effort, Richards told VOA, "I think it's in our human DNA to reach a supreme accomplishment, and this is the supreme accomplishment in public health."
By Press Trust of India: Pune, Jan 11 (PTI) A court near here today sentenced a 25-year-old man to two-years rigorous imprisonment in a stalking case barely 48 hours after police filed charge sheet.

Judge Y J Tamboli of the Khed court, nearly 45 km from here, also imposed on Atul Patil, a security guard with a private firm in Chakan, a fine of Rs 500 for sending text messages to a woman working in the same office.

advertisement

According to Chakan police, the 22-year-old woman complained that an unidentified person was harassing her by sending text messages.

"The woman, who was harassed by the constant messages, blocked his number, however, the person kept on sending messages using his friends mobile phones, which prompted her to lodge a police complaint on January 2," said senior police inspector Santosh Girigosavi of Chakan police station.

He said during investigation it was found that the man had taken her number from the firms register and was harassing her by sending messages.

"We arrested him on January 8 under section 354 (D) (stalking) of the IPC and a day after his arrest, a charge sheet was submitted in the court," he added.

He said public prosecutor Rajiv Tadvi examined five witnesses. Police claim that it is one of the "fastest judgements" pronounced. PTI SPK RMT ZMN PTP

--- ENDS ---
Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon arrived back home Thursday in South Korea amid mounting expectations that he will run for president.

Ban was greeted by crowds of supporters at Incheon Airport near Seoul when he arrived in the early evening. When asked about entering the race for president, he would not commit, but he did indicate he is leaning in that direction.

"I have already said that I am ready to give my all [for the country] and my determination remains unchanged," he said to the cheering crowd.





Bribery charges

The former U.N. Secretary-General is highly regarded in South Korea for how he represented his home country on the world stage for the last decade. He is referenced in high school textbooks, and his biography, recounting his childhood struggles in war torn Korea to his rise as a world leader in charge of the United Nations, is a best seller.

Upon his return, however, Ban also found himself facing questions about his younger brother Ban Ki-sang and his nephew Joo Hyun Bahn, who were accused Tuesday in a Manhattan federal court of a scheme to bribe a Middle Eastern official for an attempted $800-million sale of a building complex in Vietnam.

Ban denied any knowledge or involvement in the alleged bribery scheme.

Political crisis

Once considered the heir apparent to the conservative President Park Geun-hye, Ban returns to a changed political landscape in his homeland.

President Park has been impeached by the National Assembly, and her reputation is in ruins over her alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar influence peddling scandal.

The president is accused of colluding with her longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil, to force or bribe Korean conglomerates to donate more than $65 million to two dubious foundations.

Parks single five-year term of office was to end in January of 2018, but if the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment motion, then a new presidential election will be scheduled sometime in the next few months.

I have a heavy heart. It is sad. Behind our global prestige we built, I realized that there is a dark shade deeply surrounding us. Our country is ripped, our economy has lost vitality and our society is tainted with corruption, said Ban.

After carrying out weeks of massive countrywide protests to force Park out of office, the electorate is demanding real change in the form of greater political transparency and real economic reforms.

There is a very humbling and undeniable recognition that the South Korean system is at a crossroads. The system that has contributed to rapid industrialization and gradual change toward liberal democracy seems to have reached a saturation point, said political analyst Bong Young-shik with the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies.

Election maneuvers

A number of progressive opposition candidates have declared their intention to run for president, including Moon Jae-in who, along with Ban, led the prospective field of likely South Korean presidential candidates with recent approval ratings hovering around 20 percent.

Moon has staked out populist economic positions calling for sweeping corporate reforms, and he wants to increase dialogue with North Korea to defuse tensions over its nuclear development program.

Ban, 72, was South Korean foreign minister from 2004-2006 under the liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, but was a non-partisan career diplomat.

He is now considered the best hope to unite the divided conservative party in the next presidential election, but he remains non-committal about running.

If he gets into the race, Ban will need to more directly address the ongoing political turmoil and present his own plan for economic growth and job creations.

Foreign policy is his major strength and his major currency, but foreign policy cannot help him win the presidential election, said Bong.

'Comfort Women'

Like Hillary Clinton, who recently lost the U.S. presidential election, Bong said, the established diplomats position and experience could work against him in a changed election year.

Bans past support as Secretary-General for the 2015 comfort women settlement could become a liability. "Comfort Women refers to the over 200,000 women throughout the Pacific region who were forced into prostitution by the Japanese military during both WWII and Japans colonization of Asia.

The deal reached between President Park and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe relieved Japan of any further responsibility and liability for all past wartime grievances in return for a written apology from Abe and a pledge by Tokyo to provide $8.9 million to support the surviving victims.

Tokyo also asked for Seoul to remove a comfort women statue that has been placed across the street, where activists hold weekly rallies denouncing Japans wartime atrocities.

The settlement was denounced by comfort women advocates and is unpopular with a large segment of the public. The recent placement of a second comfort women statue in front of the Japanese consulate in the South Korean city of Busan has reignited the conflict.

Japan this week recalled its ambassador and consul general to South Korea, and last week suspended currency swaps with its neighbor.

Ban said Thursday that while he supported the agreement, it is still incomplete and the concerns of the surviving victims must be addressed until they are satisfied.

Youmi Kim contributed from Seoul.
Google may be famous for its search engine and its numerous internet-related services, but the Silicon Valley giant also has an international physical presence through an initiative called Google for Entrepreneurs, which aims to promote entrepreneurialism all over the globe.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are thriving all over the world, not just here in Silicon Valley," said Mary Grove, director of Google for Entrepreneurs. "We see that all over the world, so its really exciting to see this tidal wave. Its never been easier, in some ways, to start a company and your audience has never had the potential to be more global.

The internet makes that possible. Grove said startups and entrepreneurs are the backbone of economic development.

We ourselves began as a startup in a garage about 18 years ago and weve really been through the entrepreneurial journey and understand some of the challenges, some of the opportunities," she said. "Now, 18 years later, we really want to be a platform to help empower the next generation of startups to launch and grow and ultimately be successful."

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Google for Entrepreneurs created Google campuses in London, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Warsaw, Tel Aviv and Seoul.

Each campus provides combined working and meeting spaces that are free and open for anyone in the startup community. Entrepreneurs can network, attend classes and collaborate with mentors to help their startups grow.

Korean entrepreneur Yeram Kwon has attended events at Googles Seoul campus.

Through these events I could learn new business opportunities or new ideas relative to a business problem, Kwon said.

Baby-friendly spaces

The global campuses all feature a bit of Silicon Valleys innovative culture.

One example is a nine-week, parent-friendly accelerator program called Campus for Moms.

In the startup world, an accelerator is an intensive program in which entrepreneurs work to achieve a goal for their business within a short time. This program condenses the curriculum into one day a week for nine weeks, making it easier for entrepreneurs with small children to attend. And they can also bring the kids to campus.

In this case, parents can bring their young children onto Googles campuses while working on their startups. These spaces have cry rooms, play rooms and feeding rooms.

Outside the six global campuses, Google for Entrepreneurs also works with partner programs in other regions of the world to reach even more entrepreneurs.

Watch: Google Brings Silicon Valley to Entrepreneurs Around the World

Being partners means a few things. One, it does mean financial support and resources to help grow and run their organizations, and more importantly to us, it means being part of this global community that is truly a network, Grove said.

As an example, "we may work with an amazing organization like Startup Grind, which starts [nurturing startup ecosystems] in a couple dozen cities, and our help and support is able to expand their work to over 80 cities, she said.

Entrepreneurial ecosystem

Grove said the key to creating a healthy entrepreneurial environment is to have a talent pool, a business-friendly government, and a culture that is not afraid of taking risks.

One such place is South Korea.

It is true that entrepreneurs are considered as risk-takers in Korea. Most Korean people think that it is much safer to work for big companies like Samsung and LG because there is more risk if you choose to be an entrepreneur in Korea," Kwon said.

"But recently that kind of perception has changed a lot since the Korean government and companies like Google have supported many startups, Kwon added.

Access to capital is another key component to a healthy startup environment, Grove said. And Google for Entrepreneurs works with numerous partners around the world to find financial resources.

We know capital is concentrated now in Silicon Valley. How can we work in some of these markets to help foster the next generation of angel investors or seed investors, bringing in international investors and helping them have visibility in these markets? she asked.

Since launching globally in 2012, through its campuses and partner programs, Google for Entrepreneurs said it has reached 330,000 entrepreneurs in 140 countries, raising $1.8 billion in funding while creating more than 20,000 new jobs through these startups.
Guatemala said on Wednesday it expected Taiwan to deepen economic ties with the region, as President Tsai Ing-wen is visiting Central America at a time when China suspects she is seeking formal independence from the mainland.

Tsai landed in Honduras and Nicaragua this week on a trip that will also take in El Salvador. She met with U.S. Republican lawmakers in a Houston stopover last weekend, angering China.

"I'm sure that her administration will strengthen economic ties and cooperation in the region," Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said at a news conference with Tsai.

Beijing was furious when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump broke years of diplomatic tradition by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai on his surprise election win. Beijing regards the one-China policy as the basis of its relations with the United States.

Tsai said at the news conference that Taiwan was ready and able to contribute to the world, needs a more active role, and thanked Guatemala for its support.

On Tuesday, Nicaragua said it wanted to secure bigger international recognition for Taiwan.
France is partnered with the United States and Russia in a global battle against Islamic militants. Francs, not euros, fill the pockets of French citizens. Borders are so secure that illegal immigration no longer fuels fears of terror attacks or drains public coffers.



That is France as envisioned by far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a leading candidate for president in the spring election: no globalization, no European Union, no open borders. The nation is its own master.



It's a vision that holds increasing appeal for voters once put off by the image of Le Pen's anti-immigration party as a sanctuary for racists and anti-Semites. A series of deadly extremist attacks, 10 percent unemployment and frustration with mainstream politics have helped make the party she has worked to detoxify a potentially viable alternative.



Early polls place her as one of the top two contenders. The other is former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, a conservative who would slash the ranks of civil servants and trim state-funded health care  an untouchable area for Le Pen whose campaign slogan is "In the Name of the People."



Le Pen believes her chance of victory has been bolstered by Britain's decision to leave the European Union and Donald Trump's election to the U.S. presidency, for her revelatory signs of a world in transition with nationalism and protectionism the new watchwords. She speaks with confidence of winning, saying "I will" change France.



"This page in the history of the world is turning. We will give back to the nations reasoned protectionism, economic and cultural patriotism," she said recently. She assured such an approach won't stop a deepening of international ties.



Like Trump, Le Pen, 48, a mother of three and lawyer by training, envisions improved relations with Russia, which she and other National Front officials have visited. But she takes it further.



"I want an alliance to emerge between France, the United States and Russia to fight Islamic fundamentalism because it's a gigantic danger weighing on our democracies," she said at a meeting last week with the Anglo-American Press Association.



"Terrorism is a pistol in the hand of the guilty" and only an alliance can defeat it. "I don't only fight the pistol. I fight the ones who hold it," she said.



For Le Pen and her supporters, "massive migration," notably from Muslim North Africa, is supplanting French civilization and at the root of many France's modern woes. "On est chez nous" ("We're in our land") is a mantra at National Front rallies.



Le Pen insists she has no problem with followers of the Islamic faith, but wants people who espouse radical political ideas in the guise of religion to be put on trial and expelled before they install Sharia, or Islamic law, in France.



Traditional Muslim dress, which many in France consider a gateway to radicalization, could disappear from public view should Le Pen win the presidency. The National Front's No. 2, Florian Philippot, said last weekend that Le Pen's platform calls for extending a 2004 law banning "ostensible" religious symbols like Muslim headscarves from French classrooms to include the streets. Philippot assured on the France 5 TV channel that "yes, it is part of her project."



Le Pen took over leadership of the National Front in 2011 from her father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. Her make-over included sidelining him. The elder Le Pen's party membership was revoked last year after he repeated an anti-Semitic reference that had drawn a court conviction.



But the slogan "French First"  coined by the elder Le Pen in 1985  remains alive under Marine Le Pen.



Newcomers of all stripes would have to spend several years paying a stipend before availing themselves of free school and health care, Le Pen has said, benefits she considers a draw for immigrants. A National Front statement this month linked lack of shelter for French homeless with the "massive migrant flux."



Nonna Mayer, a leading expert on the party and its electorate, said Le Pen has "gone half-way in changing the party," ridding it of its long-time anti-Semitic image, but making Islam the enemy.



"At the heart of the party of Marine Le Pen ... there is something which is not really compatible with the values of democracy. That's national preference," she said. "It's the idea that one must keep housing, social benefits, family stipends, employment to the French."



For Le Pen,"The enemy is the other. The other is the immigrant and the immigrant is Islam," Mayer said.



Le Pen emphatically rejects the label of extremist, proudly calling herself "a patriot." The words "democracy" and "democratic" roll often off her tongue.



Yet her entourage includes one-time members of an extreme-right movement once noted for its violence. A former leader of the hard-core Identity Bloc in Nice, Philippe Vardon, joined National Front ranks and quickly won a councilor spot in regional elections.



Under Le Pen, the National Front was France's big winner in 2014 European Parliament elections, taking more seats than any other French party. But she wants to do away with the EU, which she claims has stolen national sovereignty, and the euro currency, which she describes as a ``knife in the ribs'' of nations, ruining economies.



Her EU exit formula is "very simple:" try immediately to negotiate a return of borders, currency, "economic patriotism" to protect French jobs and industry and freedom to pass laws unadulterated by directives from Brussels. Six months later, she would call a referendum and counsel remaining in a "new Europe," if negotiations are fruitful, or advise bailing out as Britain has done.



"My program cannot be put into place if we remain subjugated by European diktats," she said. "I see the grand return of nationalism."



Le Pen is expected to present her full presidential agenda during a Feb. 4-5 convention. But she set the tone with her New Year's greeting to the French, a "wish of combat" to defeat political adversaries she contends represent the interests of banks, finance, the media  the "system" she decries.
The tiny nation of Lesotho is threatening to erupt into violence again, less than a year after one of its former leaders fled into exile in South Africa. Now, the brutal killing of a top military officer has sent former leaders back into South Africa - where they are watching anxiously as regional officials head into Lesotho to try to restore peace.

Lesotho has had a disproportionate share of troubles in the last year - from a reported coup attempt in August to a recent spate of violence and reports of a growing political crisis.

The landlocked nation surrounded by South Africa has seen years of political feuding and tension between the police and army.

The trigger for the most recent tension was the brutal slaying of the former army chief in front of his children last month.



That, said opposition leader Thesele Maseribane, spurred him and two top leaders - including the former prime minister and a top female leader - to flee to South Africa.

Maseribane, who heads the opposition Basotho National Party, spoke to VOA News from Johannesburg, where he said he plans to apply for political asylum.



Maseribane said reliable sources told him that he was on the list of targets of controversial army commander Tlali Kamoli, who Maseribane said is the man who orchestrated the killing of former Lesotho Defense Force commander Maaparankoe Mahao. The two men were bitter rivals.

We are running away from the Lt. Gen Kamolis orders that we must be arrested and must be assassinated. We flee for our lives. Thats how simply I can put it, said Maseribane.



South Africa involvement

South Africa has sent its deputy president into Lesotho in an attempt to reduce tensions. Regional leaders from the Southern African Development Community handled last years crisis by bringing elections forward, a move that temporarily brought calm; but, Maseribane says mediators have consistently failed to address a major issue in Lesotho.

One of the issues is Kamoli himself, whose firing last August led to the attempted coup. He then was reinstated by the new leader, against mediators recommendations.

The security issue has been an outstanding issue that was never addressed by the facilitators or by the SADC," said Maseribane. "The issue of the defense force succession, the issue of the arrest of those special forces members that killed people, the issues of the 29th of August, has not been addressed.

The United States has urged Lesotho to investigate Mahaos death and to conduct urgent security sector reform.

Maseribane said the Lesotho government also needs to clean up its affairs.

I think that the most important thing that has to happen is that we need a special independent investigation into the matters. We need arrests, we need to see arrests, we need to see justice being outlined in Lesotho," said Maseribane.



"We need to see those people going behind bars, who have killed people. Nobody can just go on hurting people on any day in front of his children," he said. "Nobody has the right to kill people and refusing to go to justice because he is a soldier. This is something that the world has to support.



This is an issue that affects South Africa directly -- as Lesothos only neighbor, violence in the mountainous enclave could spill over into South Africa.
Mali has eliminated Guinea worm disease, bringing the world a step closer to eradicating the debilitating parasitic disease, the U.S.-based Carter Center said, citing provisional government figures.

Guinea worm infections afflicted 3.5 million people 30 years ago but are now endemic only in South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, where there were 16 reported cases last year, according to the organization set up by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn.

Jimmy Carter, 92, has made the fight against the disease, for which there is no vaccine or medical treatment, a cornerstone of his organization's work.

"The progress we have seen in restricting Guinea worm disease to these few cases in only three countries is testament to the dedication of people in endemic areas to caring for their health and that of their communities," said Dean Sienko, the Carter Center's vice president of health programs.

Guinea worm disease is spread by drinking unboiled, stagnant water containing the larvae. The worms can grow up to a meter long before emerging through the host's skin; those afflicted with the disease suffer fevers, blisters and extreme pain when the worms emerge.

The Carter Center said the disease is being wiped out through community programs that show people how to filter drinking water and prevent contamination.

Although the global number of cases has declined, one worm can cause 80 new cases after its incubation period of 10 to 14 months, so keeping cases low signals the battle is being won.

The World Health Organization has said the battle to eradicate Guinea worm is being hampered by insecurity; health workers and volunteers often must venture hundreds of miles into lawless areas in countries where the disease is endemic.

Another challenge is that dogs  mainly in Chad, but also in the other countries  are picking up Guinea worm infections, too.
The claims were so salacious, they could have appeared in a cheesy, paperback spy novel. Russian intelligence agents were said to have carefully cultivated the next U.S. president for years, and in the process collected information on him that was so damning it could be used for blackmail.

At least that's what the news reports released late Tuesday by CNN and other media outlets alleged. The decision to report the existence of the claims, which were unverified and based on anonymous sources, ignited a fierce debate about journalism ethics and prompted a quick denial from President-elect Donald Trump, who slammed the report as a "political witch hunt."

"I think it's a disgrace," Trump said at a Wednesday news conference. "It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen."

The drama began Tuesday, when CNN first reported that U.S. intelligence chiefs had presented Trump and President Barack Obama with claims that Russian operatives gathered compromising personal and financial information about the president-elect.

The information was presented to Trump and Obama last week during separate briefings on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections, according to the unnamed U.S. officials who spoke with CNN. The claims were said to have come from a former British spy.

According to CNN, U.S. intelligence officials had determined the former British operative's past work was credible. But the network stressed that it could not report what information the Russians were said to have collected on Trump, saying the allegations could not be verified.

However, a short time later, BuzzFeed, an online news outlet, published the claims in full, which were included in a 35-page dossier the ex-British spy wrote.

The dossier contained explosive accusations. It said there had been a continuing exchange of information between Trump aides and Russian operatives. It also contained graphic claims of sexual acts between Trump and prostitutes  acts said to have been recorded by the FSB, Russia's main security agency.

Questionable claims

There is a long list of reasons to question the claims found in the dossier  a fact that helps explain why it was published only Tuesday, even though it reportedly had been circulating among journalists and lawmakers for months.

None of the claims has been substantiated. They not only come from an unnamed source (the British ex-spy), the unnamed source himself quotes anonymous sources.

The report also contains several basic mistakes. It misspells the name of a Russian company and incorrectly states that Barvikha, a settlement outside Moscow, is "reserved for the residences of the top leadership and their close associates."

Political motivations also could be at play, as the dossier was said to have been the result of opposition research funded by Trump's election opponents.

Nonetheless, BuzzFeed defended its decision to publish the document. While acknowledging there was "serious reason to doubt the allegations," it said that ultimately U.S. citizens should be able to "make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of government."

In its own statement, CNN said its decision to go with the story was "vastly different" from BuzzFeed's.

"We are fully confident in our reporting. It represents the core of what the First Amendment protects, informing the people of the inner workings of their government; in this case, briefing materials prepared for President Obama and President-elect Trump," said the CNN statement.

"We made it clear that we were not publishing any of the details of the 35-page document because we have not corroborated the report's allegations," it added.

Valid argument?

But in the opinion of many journalism ethics scholars, that argument doesn't add up.

"They're still reporting on an unsubstantiated claim from what they think is a credible source," said Jeffrey Seglin, an ethics and policy expert at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. "To have so many qualifiers in front of your material, it strikes me as problematic."

Seglin questioned whether the desire to be the first media outlet to report the story outweighed journalism ethics considerations. "That does great damage to the media, and it raises suspicions in the minds of the readers and the viewers," he said.

Judith Matloff, who teaches at Columbia University's School of Journalism, said if she were an editor, she would not have published the document if its contents could not be verified.

"I understand why they did what they did, because Trump's the president-elect and there's been a lot of questions about what Trump's relationship is with Russia," she said. "Obviously, people are very interested to get more information on this, but they shouldn't be getting potentially false information."

Others supported the decision to go with the story. Most notably, ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative media outlet, said BuzzFeed was justified in printing the dossier once it became a matter of public discussion.

"Once [the] CNN story [came] out, citizens should have evidence to consider for themselves," ProPublica President Richard Tofel said in a tweet.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said Wednesday that he wanted good relations with the incoming Trump administration in the U.S., but he repeated that Mexico would not pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"All the issues that define our bilateral relationship are on the table, including security, migration and trade," Pena Nieto told a group of ambassadors.

But he said Mexico "of course will not pay for" a wall Trump wants to build to help curb illegal immigration into the United States.

"At no time will we accept anything that goes against our dignity as a country and our dignity as Mexicans," he said.

After Trump threatened to impose huge tariffs on companies that move to Mexico and try to sell their goods in the U.S., Pena Nieto said he rejected efforts to influence foreign investors with "fear or threats."

But Pena Nieto, who plans to meet with Trump soon, said overall he wanted healthy relations with the new president, including a trade agreement that benefits both the United States and Mexico.

Trump has threatened to tear up and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying the current deal is more beneficial to Mexico than to the U.S.
As the extreme weather grips southeast Europe, thousands of migrants are sleeping in empty warehouses or abandoned buildings that provide shelter from the driving snow, but inside the temperatures are well below freezing.

I have not seen this kind of place in my dreams. This situation is too much bad and the weather is too much cold, said asylum seeker Muhammad Yusuf Navid, who added that it is so cold he finds it impossible to sleep.

The Serbian government has urged all migrants to move to official camps. But aid groups say they are full.

Frostbite and death

The aid group Doctors Without Borders says many migrants have died from the cold. The groups head of mission in Serbia, Stephane Moissaing, told VOA via Skype they are treating a range of health problems, including respiratory infections, an outbreak of scabies and body lice.

In addition to that, Moissaing said, for the new arrivals who cross the border from Bulgaria mainly, we have in the last few days several cases of frostbite.

About 100 migrants a day continue to arrive in Serbia, despite Hungarys efforts to cut off the Balkan route by constructing border fences along the shared border.

Many come from Greece, where tens of thousands migrants remain stranded.

Facing international criticism over conditions in the camps, authorities have moved hundreds of migrants into empty hotel rooms under a U.N.-sponsored program. A navy ship docked Wednesday at Lesbos Island to house 500 migrants during the cold weather.

European problem

Aid agencies have criticized the European Union for failing to help the stranded migrants. Speaking Wednesday in Malta, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for member states to implement the EU relocation plan.

The problem of refugees cannot be left to Greece, to Italy, to Malta, Junckker said. It is a European problem and we need a European response of solidarity.

Meanwhile, Germany reported a sharp fall in the number of asylum seekers entering in 2016 to 280,000 people, compared with 890,000 the previous year.
When we got out of the house, we ran. A sniper's bullet nearly hit my aunts foot, says Nouradine, a former tile worker in a tiny grocery store in Mosul.

Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants had been fighting for a month in Nouradine's area, so when he saw his chance a few days ago, he ran.



When Nouradine reached a neighborhood firmly controlled by the Iraqi army, he shaved his IS-mandated beard immediately. When I came, everyone was afraid of me, he jokes.



The next day, the fighting finally stopped. Iraqi forces had secured it and several other fiercely contested neighborhoods in the past week, building momentum as the military fights toward its immediate goal of recapturing all of the city east of the Tigris River.

WATCH: Heather Murdock's report from Mosul



Iraqi forces supported by an international coalition have been battling to re-take Mosul, and all of Iraq, from IS since mid-October. As the New Year began, forces began a new push, intensifying their efforts. Fighters in eastern Mosul, one of the few urban fronts of the current battle, say they think speed will help them defeat their enemy.



We are attacking them as fast as possible, says Iraqi Special Ops. Forces 1st Lt. Ali Sahaf, outside his Mosul base, which was once the home of a Christian family, but later occupied by IS militants. It is because we dont want to give them time to reorganize their units and build defense lines for themselves.

If and when Iraqi and coalition forces take all of eastern Mosul, the urban battle will once again change drastically, as IS will be protected by the Tigris River on one side, and IS-controlled territories around the city on the other. As of Saturday, Iraqi forces had breached one section of the river inside Mosul, but IS currently controls most of the river inside the city.

Already militants are deploying new tactics, such as using drones to drop bombs on Iraqi forces, according to soldiers.



Before, they used drones to take video of the Iraqi army to plan attacks, said Captain Ahmed Haidar, an Iraqi Special Ops. Forces officer fighting in Mosul. More recently, they changed tactics and they have been arming drones with small bombs and dropping them on us.

Civilians remain



While 145,000 people have fled their homes since this offensive began, Mosul remains crowded with families, desperate to rebuild their lives and their decimated city after two-and-a-half years under IS control.



Othman Taha keeps a picture of his son, Abdulrahman, hanging on the wall of his small grocery store. Abdulrahman was 3 years old when he was murdered under IS, says Taha.



They call themselves Islamic State but they are not Muslims, he says. Islam does not allow murdering children or anyone else.



With almost no government services, including running water and electricity, residents are living among massive piles of garbage and rubble from bombs. People who were poor are now destitute, trying anything to eke out a living.



Some young men collect scraps of rubber from the wreckage to sell. Others find bushes and trees to cut down and use for fuel. Shops slowly restock their shelves with items imported from Kurdish Iraq as the goods imported from Syria under IS stopped coming when Iraqi forces cut the militants' escape route last year.



Very few people are buying much, locals say, because most were unemployed with IS in control.



No one has enough water in this area, says Rayed Zaida, a 55-year-old former taxi driver. IS cut water pipes when they fled this area to punish the people. We put pipes into the ground five meters, and the water we bring up is not clean.
By Manjeet Sehgal: The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of hobnobbing with the separatist groups to incite violence in Punjab.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today alleged that AAP's national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recently met three separatist leaders including a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) frontal organisation.

"Kejriwal met Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) frontal organisation Akhand Kirtani Jatha spokesperson RP Singh over breakfast three days back. He also met radical Sikh leader Amrik Singh Ajnala, whose brother attacked chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday," Sukhbir said after filing his nomination in Jalalabad.

advertisement

ALSO READ | AAP challenges Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on his home turf

According to Badal, the AAP chief also met radical leader Mokhan Singh, who heads the United Akali Dal (UAD). This group had indulged in spreading violence in the state in the past.Sukhbir also accused AAP leaders of conspiring with the radical elements which, according to him, were part of a strategy to create trouble in Punjab.

"AAP leader Bhagwant Mann had recently admitted to having instigated people to resort to violence. The video in which Bhagwant was asking people to pelt stones at Akali Dal leaders has gone viral," Sukhbir said.

A mob had also pelted stones while Sukhbir's procession underway in Jalalabad on January 8. Bhagwant Mann is pitted against Sukhbir from the Jalalabad constituency. "We have brought this to the notice of the Election Commission. The AAP is resorting to violence as people have rejected its anti-Punjab agenda. The Jalalabad and Lambi incidents took place after Kejriwal met the separatists," Sukhbir said.

This is not the first time when AAP has been accused of striking an alliance with the radical Sikh groups. In February last year, Kejriwal's photograph with slain Khalistan terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale had gone viral.

ALSO READ | Shoe thrown at Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal in Bathinda

--- ENDS ---
U.S. President Barack Obama has ended a controversial policy that let any Cuban who steps foot on U.S. soil remain in the United States without a visa and become a legal resident.

"Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities," Obama said in a statement Thursday. "By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries."



Thursday's repeal of the 22 year-old so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy required Cubans who were caught at sea trying to reach the U.S. to return home, but allowed those who reached land to stay and eventually obtain legal residential status.

The repeal effectively guts the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, which presumed Cuban migrants were political refugees who required protection. The act allowed those who remained in the U.S. for more than a year to become eligible for legal residency.

Cubans who are concerned they will be persecuted upon return to the island nation will still be allowed to apply for political asylum when they reach the U.S.



WATCH: White House spokesman explains decision to change policy







Not surprised



Average Cubans and opponents of the island's communist leaders said they expected repeal of the law that siphoned off the island's most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island.

This law, originated to protect Cuban political exiles, had become a means of abuse that helped people to defraud the United States government, said Jose Azel, a senior scholar at the University of Miamis Institute of Cuban and Cuban-American studies.

This is a decision that was expected, Azel said in a Friday interview with VOAs Spanish Service. However, he noted, no one thought that it would be taken in the last week of the Obama administration. Even if you don't like it, [it] is part of the unilateral concessions the president made with Cuba.

Lorena Pena, who is four months pregnant and left Cuba four months ago on a journey to the U.S. with her husband and four-year-old daughter, is now staying in a Catholic shelter in Panama City. "We feel sadness because we are all coming with a dream that comes from pain, hunger and a lot of work to get this far," she said.









Clinton policy



Former President Bill Clinton approved the "wet foot, dry foot" policy in 1995, when Cubans who were returned home after trying to escape were subjected to harsh treatment and more repression.

Cuba had long complained that the policy encouraged Cubans to put their lives at risk trying to get to the U.S. across the sometimes dangerous Straits of Florida.

Geoff Thale, head of the Washington Office on Latin America, praised Obama's decision Thursday, saying the policy had given Cubans an advantage over other Latin Americans who are trying to escape violence and poverty in Central America.

Thale calls the new rules a "positive step toward a more sensible Cuban immigration policy."

But New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat whose parents were Cuban immigrants, said Thursday's announcement "will only serve to tighten the noose the Castro regime continues to have around the neck of its own people."
The head of OPEC said on Thursday that he remains "confident" that the cartel and outside members will stick to an agreement to cut production to help boost oil prices.



The comments by OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeria come as the cartel and nonmembers try to stick to the landmark deal after oil prices collapsed last year.



OPEC agreed in late November to cut its production by 1.2 million barrels a day, the first reduction agreed to by the cartel since 2008. Nearly a dozen other countries pledged in December to cut an additional 558,000 barrels a day.



"I remain very confident with what I have seen in the last several months,'' Barkindo said at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi. "The level of commitment from both sides ... is unparalleled."



He added that there's been "a high level of compliance." However, how that compliance will be verified has yet to be determined.



Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouq, who leads a five-nation OPEC committee monitoring compliance, said that should be judged on the average at the end of the six-month cut.



Al-Marzouq declined to offer any other specifics ahead of a planned committee meeting in Vienna beginning Jan. 21. However, Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi pledged his country would meet its required cuts by the end of January.



Crude oil sold for over $100 a barrel in the summer of 2014, before bottoming out below $30 a barrel in January 2016. Crude oil futures closed at $52.25 a barrel in New York on Wednesday.



Producers acknowledged they hoped for higher prices, especially those in the Persian Gulf, whose crude-based economies have been hurting. Also hurting are the oil-dominated economies of Venezuela and Nigeria.



Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazroui said there is "a fair movement" toward higher prices, though it isn't at a price his nation would like.



"he real correction will happen when we see the actions of all of those ... concerned nations who came together to try to help the market," he said.



Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih echoed that viewpoint.



"We want moderation. We want to reduce volatility; we cannot eliminate it," al-Falih said. "We also want prices that are supportive of continued production, as well as equally important continued consumption."



However, Patrick Pouyanne, the CEO of French oil firm Total SA, offered a stark warning, saying that there's a lot still unknown in the market  especially ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Oil ministers, most notably al-Falih, dodged answering questions about Trump's protectionist views could mean for international markets.



"I'm not sure we fully understand what would be Mr. Trump's policies, but I'm sure it will be America first," Pouyanne said.
The standoff between the Vatican and the Knights of Malta has taken a new twist, with the ousted foreign minister of the ancient aristocratic lay Catholic order appealing his suspension to the Knights internal tribunal.



Albrecht von Boeselager was removed December 8 after he refused a demand by the top knight to resign over revelations that the orders charity branch distributed tens of thousands of condoms in Myanmar under his watch. Catholic teaching forbids the use of artificial contraception.



In a statement Thursday, von Boeselager said that he filed an appeal with the Knights tribunal January 4. The appeal argues that not even one of the conditions governing suspension of members applied to his case.



Specifically, he said there was no reason to initiate a disciplinary procedure against him, and that regardless the one used to suspend him was invalid.

Pope gets involved

Pope Francis has intervened in the dispute, setting up a commission to investigate what the Vatican No. 2 has said was an unprecedented crisis within the order. The leadership of the Knights, however, has refused to cooperate with the popes inquiry, citing its status as a sovereign entity under international law.



Aside from the unusual clash between a Catholic order and the head of the Catholic Church, the case has drawn attention because of the role played by conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke.



Burke is the popes ambassador to the Knights, but he is also a Francis critic and hardliner on sexual ethics. Boeselager has said he was told, during a meeting attended by Burke, that the pope wanted him to resign as grand chancellor over the condom scandal.



The Vatican secretary of state has said the pope wanted no such thing and wanted the issue resolved through dialogue.

Ancient order

The Order of Malta has many trappings of a sovereign state. It issues its own stamps, passports and license plates and holds diplomatic relations with 106 states, the Holy See included.



But in a December 22 announcement of its investigation, the Vatican cited its status as a lay religious order that is at the service to the faith and the Holy Father.



The knights trace their history to the 11th century with the establishment of an infirmary in Jerusalem that cared for pilgrims of all faiths. It now counts 13,500 members and 100,000 staff and volunteers who provide health care in hospitals and clinics around the world.
Police arrested dozens of protesters and fired tear gas and pellets to disperse crowds in Peru's capital Lima on Thursday after thousands of residents marched against new road fees in a contract awarded to corruption-plagued Brazilian builder Odebrecht.

Protesters demanded cancellation of the tolls and marched with signs that read "No to Tolls" and "Down with Corruption" before clashes erupted. At least one policeman was injured, the government said.

Television footage showed riot police hauling away protesters as others ran or threw rocks. The government said extremist groups infiltrated the protest.

Anger at Odebrecht in Peru has been swelling since the family-owned conglomerate acknowledged last month that it spent years bribing unnamed officials in a dozen countries including Peru.

In December, the Odebrecht-founded road consortium Rutas de Lima imposed new fees starting at 5 soles ($1.49) to use the only highway that connects populous shantytowns and working-class districts on the outskirts of northern Lima with the city's center. The minimum wage in Peru is 850 soles ($252)

a month.

Residents called the fee, which has pushed up bus fares, abusive and said it was likely the result of a corrupt deal by the company to secure the 30-year, $500 million concession in 2013. Susana Villaran, mayor of Lima when the contract was signed, has denied wrongdoing.

"The roads belong to the people and not to corporations!" said Carlos Rossini, a protest leader who called for Odebrecht and its partners to "disappear" from Peru.

Rutas de Lima said it was open to dialogue and that the fees allow it to recover 1.7 billion soles in investments.

Odebrecht sold its majority stake in the consortium to Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc last year as it faced a massive corruption inquiry in Brazil that hobbled its access to financing. Odebrecht now controls a quarter of Rutas de Lima and local investment fund SIGMA 18 percent.

On the eve of the protest, the city of Lima announced a month-long suspension of the fee while an alternative was sought.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has barred Odebrecht from future public work contracts but said not all it has done was corrupt.

Odebrecht Peru said its top priority is to assist local prosecutors and pay Peru eventual reparations.

The $29 million in bribes Odebrecht said it distributed to win contracts in Peru span three presidencies, threatening to expose high-level officials involved in its schemes.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies to ensure free access to contraceptives for 6 million women who cannot obtain them, officials said Wednesday, in a move expected to be opposed by the dominant Roman Catholic church.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the intensified drive to make contraceptives available and ensure zero unmet need for family planning is important to reduce poverty. He said the government's target is to cut the poverty rate from 21.6 percent in 2015 to 14 or 13 percent by the end of Duterte's term in 2022.

The executive order Duterte signed Monday said out of the 6 million women with unmet needs for modern family planning, 2 million have been identified as poor. The 2 million women should have access to them by 2018, and all the rest thereafter, the order added.

It also directs government agencies to locate couples with unmet family planning needs, mobilize agencies up to the village level, and partner with civil society in intensifying the drive.

The Philippines is the only Asia-Pacific country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the last two decades, the U.N. Population Fund said last year. It said the slow decline of the country's overall fertility rate may deprive the Philippines of faster economic growth expected in similar countries that have more working-age people than younger and older dependents.

Court order

In 2015, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on certain provisions of a landmark Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law following appeals by anti-abortion groups that view contraceptives as causing abortions. The court prohibited the distribution of a contraceptive implant and put on hold the renewal of licenses for other contraceptives. The government has appealed for the lifting of the temporary restraining order.

The government cannot continue to tolerate this delay in judgment because time is of the essence as far as the implementation of the RPRH Law is concerned, Pernia said.

He said 11 Filipino women die each day from complications of pregnancy and delivery, and the law will reduce maternal deaths and teen pregnancies in addition to enabling families to have the number of children they want.

Juan Antonio Perez, executive director of the Commission on Population, said if the contraceptives are made available to the 6 million women with unmet family planning needs, the contraceptive prevalence rate can increase to 65 percent, from the current 40 percent.

The Philippines' population, now at 104 million, is growing at a rate of around 1.7 percent yearly, but the growth may be reduced to 1.4 percent if the campaign is fully implemented by 2022, Perez added.
Detection of a rare strain of polio in Pakistans southwestern Baluchistan province has alarmed authorities and prompted them to launch special immunization campaigns for children younger than 5.

After concluding a five-day response campaign across the provincial capital of Quetta earlier this month, health officials said they plan to give anti-polio drops starting January 16 to millions of children across 27 districts of the province, including those near the Afghan border.

The new, intensified immunization effort follows detection of the rare Type 2 strain of polio, which the World Health Organization found in sewage samples in one of the districts in the province.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only three countries in the world where the crippling virus is still active.

Remarkable progress

Despite security challenges and administrative weaknesses in national immunization efforts, Pakistans anti-polio fight achieved remarkable progress in 2015 when the country of about 200 million reported only 19 cases, down from a record of 309 cases in 2014.

Aftab Kakar of the provincial emergency operation center in Quetta says that Type 2 polio struck about 15 children three years ago in the Killa Abdullah district toward the Afghan border.

But routine immunization campaigns coupled with special response efforts at the time stopped the transmission of the virus until WHOs findings released a couple of weeks ago confirmed its re-emergence in Baluchistan, where only one polio case was reported in 2016, Kakar said.

The international community has shown its concern over the detection of this (Type 2) virus in Pakistan because the rest of the world has eliminated it and reported no new cases for years, he noted.

Type 2 virus

Pakistan stopped vaccinating children against the Type 2 polio during routine immunization campaigns since last April, believing the strain had been successfully eliminated from the country as in the rest of the world, Kakar said.

Now, our major concern and fear is that the group of children who were born after April 2016 are not immunized against Type 2 poliovirus. That group is now vulnerable and is in danger of contracting the virus, he warned.

On Wednesday, provincial health officials reported the first polio case of the new year in Killa Abdullah, but the strain of the virus was not known immediately.

Border campaign

Baluchistan shares a nearly 1,200-kilometer border with Afghanistan and as many as 20,000 people move across the main Chaman border crossing everyday, where special vaccinating teams are deployed to ensure children moving in both directions are given anti-polio drops.

Col. Changez Zeb, in charge of Pakistani border forces, explained the anti-polio operation to VOA during a visit to the busy crossing point.

This is the sign of the polio vaccination, he said while pointing to the inked fingers of three young Afghan children driven in an improvised cart by their parents after receiving the medicine. The polio team has given them the vaccination while entering and while exiting from Pakistan. They have three to four teams here. If one of them misses (the children) the other one catches them.

Pakistani authorities insist that successes against polio is the outcome of national immunization efforts coupled with recruiting hundreds of thousands of influential Muslim clerics to persuade parents in remote, relatively conservative districts who used to resist the vaccination drops for their children because of religious beliefs or suspicions it would hurt fertility.

The refusals and militant threats to vaccinating teams undermined anti-polio drives in recent years. But Kakar says that refusals have lately dropped from thousands to hundreds, while improved security in Baluchistan has also played a key role in conducting effective immunization campaigns.

Extremist groups view anti-polio campaigns as a cover for Western spies, prompting deadly attacks on vaccinators during immunization campaigns across Pakistan. A bomb explosion in January 2016 killed 15 people outside a vaccination center in Quetta. The anti-state Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bloodshed.

Opposition is also blamed on a fake CIA-sponsored immunization campaign that led to the famous May 2011 covert American military raid against fugitive al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad, killing the worlds most wanted man.
Long before the desert sun has had a chance to heat the dusty prison yard, some 20 inmates at an Arizona state prison begin quietly tending horses.

The men - many with violent histories - gently maneuver bits into the mouths of mustangs still unaccustomed to human touch; they remove caked mud from hooves and tighten girths against bulging bellies. And the horses, which just weeks ago roamed free, mostly comply with what is asked of them.

Both the men and the horses are still learning how to live behind fences.

Prisoners participating in the Wild Horse Inmate Program train mustangs that will eventually be adopted by the U.S. Border Patrol, providing the agency with inexpensive but agile horses, and inmates with skills and insights they hope to one day carry with them from prison.

For Brian Tierce, 49, who has served about five years of his seven-year sentence for domestic violence and assault, the horses have taught him "a lot of things I didn't know I had in me - patience, perseverance, kindness, understanding."

"I've got to be a compromising person, otherwise I'll never get this job done."

At least 80 percent of the U.S. Border Patrol's current stable of 400 horses come from inmate training programs in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and Nevada. The horses are critical for patrolling the rugged and remote stretches of the Mexican border to detect illegal crossings by migrants and drug trafficking.

And, at $500 to $800 for a saddle-ready horse, the price is right.

Some 55,000 mustangs roam the Western U.S., more than double the number public land can support, said Bureau of Land Management spokesman Jason Lutterman. Those that do not end up in adoption programs face an uncertain future.

Gentle the horses

At the prison in Florence, a cactus-dotted town about 140 miles north (225 km) of the Mexican border, participating prisoners round up their horses before dawn and work all day under the watchful eyes of Randy Helm, the third-generation rancher, former narcotics officer and self-proclaimed "cowboy preacher" who supervises the program.

Over the course of four to six months, the men train their horses - with names like Billy, Rocky and Patches - to tolerate bridles and saddles, respond to commands to trot and canter and perform footwork that will come in handy on the uneven desert terrain along the border.

Helm, 62, teaches the men not to "break" the horses, but to "gentle" them. The method relies on incremental steps and rewarding the horses for good behavior. Any inmate that raises a hand to a horse gets booted from the program.

"It's more working on us than on them," said Rick Kline, 32, who has served five years of a seven and a half year sentence for stealing cars. "It's a new understanding of calming down."

He hopes to apply that skill of staying calm to parenting his two kids when he gets out of prison.

Bret Karakey, 35, who is in prison for identity theft, recently broke his hip when he was thrown from a horse. But he came back without hesitation.

"I kind of need this," he said.

Most prisoners who apply for the program don't have experience with horses, and Helm prefers it that way. They tend to be gentler with the animals.

Florence began its horse training program in 2012, and while it is too early to assess the long-term effects on participating inmates, of the 50 or so who have gone through it and been released, none has returned to prison, Helm said. The national recidivism rate is about 68 percent within three years of release.

Helm says he sees real transformations in inmates who stay with the program.

"A lot of them haven't really bonded with a person, let alone an animal," he said. "It's been really interesting to observe these guys' lives change."

Sure-footed, spry on patrol

U.S. Border Patrol adoptions are key to the government's effort to stem the nation's growing population of mustangs. A federal law passed in 1971 tasked the Bureau of Land Management with managing wild horse and burro populations in the American West, both to protect the animals and to ensure that vegetation was not overgrazed and water sources depleted.

But with the soaring cost of hay and dwindling public interest in horse ownership, the BLM can place only about 2,000 into adoption each year, severely limiting the number it can capture from the open desert and plains, Lutterman said.

Fifteen years ago, the BLM was rounding up more than 10,000 mustangs and putting about 6,000 into new homes each year.

Border Patrol is the biggest single purchaser of mustangs from the inmate programs.

On horseback, the agents can navigate desolate stretches land that vehicles cannot. The mustangs are sure-footed on steep terrain, crossing creekbeds without hesitation and stepping spryly over rattlesnakes.

"It really feels like the Wild West out where we patrol for sure," said Bobby Stine, supervisory agent of the San Diego Sector Horse Patrol Unit. "There's just not a lot of law enforcement presence, except for us."

The border is an unforgiving place; just 654 miles of fence exist between the United States and Mexico, accounting for about a third of the border. The rest is defined by mountains, rivers, private ranches and wild country - terrain more suited for horses, which all agents had back when Border Patrol was founded in 1924.

The San Diego border patrol unit has 28 horses, and the Tucson unit more than 130. Fifteen horses from the Florence prison were adopted in 2014 and 2015.

The task of the Florence inmates who train the horses is, at times, thick with irony: Some are Mexican nationals, apprehended on the border for drug-related offenses.

The inmates, though, say they don't mind that the horses help law enforcement. They are simply happy the animals no longer face thirst and starvation in the drought-stricken West.

"All the 'inmates against cops' stuff - that's not true," said Kline. "They're just doing their job. And we're doing our job. These horses depend on us."
Russia expressed concern Thursday about the arrival of U.S. soldiers and tanks in Poland, saying they are a threat to its security.

The first contingent of American soldiers arrived in Poland from Germany Thursday, leading Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to call the operation a threat to Russias interests and our security.

Eventually the U.S. plans to station more than 3,000 soldiers in Poland, marking the largest troop build-up in the country since the Cold War ended.

The mission, dubbed The Atlantic Resolve, will see the soldiers, along with 87 Abrams tanks and more than 500 vehicles, rotate between Poland and several other nearby NATO countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.

This is even more pronounced when a third party reinforces its military presence on our doorstep in Europe, the Kremlin spokesman told reporters.

The deployment was ordered by the Obama administration in 2014 as a response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

U.S. soldiers, part of the Armored Brigade Combat Team, crossed the Polish border Thursday at the city of Olszyna and headed for their base in Zagan.

A formal welcome ceremony is planned for Saturday and will be attended by Polands top officials.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh was right to fire 12 top envoys who failed to defend the Banjul government after the disputed December 1 election, the country's acting U.N. ambassador says.

The 12 envoys had called on Jammeh to hand over power peacefully to Adama Barrow, whom the Independent Electoral Commission declared winner of the vote. The fired envoys included the ambassadors to the United States, Senegal, China and Turkey.

"They did not defend the government that they are supposed to represent at this very trying time, when they were expected to do so," Samsudeen Sarr, Gambia's acting permanent representative to the United Nations, said this week. "The Gambian government really gave them the position with the expectation that during circumstances like this, they would stand by the government and explain at least the conditions or the situations that are not very clear to the world."

Opposition supporters said the dismissed envoys were true heroes who had spoken on behalf of the people, following more than two decades of gross human rights violations and a clampdown on free speech during Jammeh's rule.

Sarr disagreed. One could understand the envoys' actions, he said, "if there were to be no controversy over the election." But Jammeh, who initially accepted the election results, later backtracked, alleging that voting irregularities had tainted the outcome.

"I think these guys owe it to the government they are representing to show it to the world," Sarr said of the dismissed envoys. "But the world has seen that they made their decision even before the facts were presented."

Civil society groups have said that if Jammeh loves the country as he claims, then he should peacefully hand over power without bloodshed.

Senegal ready

Meanwhile, Senegal reportedly put its army on standby, waiting to see whether the regional Economic Community of West African States bloc, of which Senegal is a member, decides to use force to remove Jammeh.

ECOWAS officials have said they will be in Gambia on January 19 to witness Barrow's installation as president, despite strong opposition from Jammeh.

Senegal's president, Macky Sall, was the first West African leader to congratulate Barrow on his election victory. Sarr said Sall's government "has not been a good partner to President Jammeh's government. They have not gotten along for a long, long time. They don't like each other, and apparently you can see that being manifested in the recent election controversy."

"Macky Sall is the one who is telling the world that President Jammeh came out with no reason whatsoever for changing his mind, which is false," Sarr added. "There are ... very compelling reasons why he changed his mind. But why would you misinform the world that he conceded, bought some time, and came back and changed his mind without any reason? And this is what misled the whole world."
American diplomacy could soon become leaner and meaner.

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday vowed to streamline the State Department to make it more efficient and achieve "cost savings."

"I noticed there are a few more boxes" that have been added to the department's organizational chart in the last few years, Rex Tillerson told senators at his confirmation hearing.

The communications director for committee chairman Bob Corker said there would not be a second day of hearings for Tillerson. Senator Jeff Sessions faced two days of questions about his nomination for attorney general.

Tillerson also signaled Wednesday a much tougher line with the Chinese, specifically in regard to its military activities in disputed waters.

Beijing's military constructing facilities on islands in the South China Sea "is akin to Russias taking of Crimea," Tillerson told senators in one of his more forceful comments during the 9-hour confirmation hearing.

China needs to receive a clear signal that its island building must stop and further construction "is not going to be allowed," he said.

Tillerson gave the impression of being generally well-prepared, speaking without notes, and answered most of the questions thrown at him by senators with varying degrees of sympathy from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

"Tillerson strikes me as a country club Republican oil man right out of central casting," said Weston Konishi, a visiting lecturer at Johns Hopkins University. "Most of his responses during the hearing also reflected the kind of world view that you would expect from the CEO of a major oil company. He is no Wilsonian idealist, to be sure."

Protesters and hecklers in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building interrupted the proceedings several times.

Tillerson, as is the case with President-elect Donald Trump, would take the job without any previous government or military experience.

Oil, Cuba and Iran

Among issues of concern raised by senators was whether his career at one oil company will color his global outlook.

"Obviously there is a statutory recusal period which I will adhere to on any matters that might come before the State Department that deal directly and specifically with ExxonMobil," Tillerson said. "Beyond that though, in terms of broader issues dealing with the fact that it might involve the oil and natural gas industry itself, the scope of that is such that I would not expect to have to recuse myself.

What became clear from Tillerson's responses Wednesday is that there is likely to be a quick shift in some international agreements made by the Obama administration. These include possibly shutting down the recent opening to Cuba and re-examining the multi-national Iran nuclear deal.

Tillerson, in replies to questions from senators, broke with Trump, who has said that allies currently under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, such as Japan and South Korea, perhaps should be permitted to develop their own such weapons.

WATCH: Tillerson Breaks with Trump on Nuclear Proliferation

TPP, climate change

Tillerson, who just retired as chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, also said he is not opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was supported by President Obama but opposed on the campaign trail by both Trump and his Democratic Party challenger, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The nominee expressed support for leaving intact the Paris accord on climate change  while noting skepticism about the science behind it.

That was not a strong enough position for environmentalists.

"We're looking for a secretary of state who is not going to lie about climate change and climate science," said Jason Schwartz, a Greenpeace media officer.

Watch: Tillerson on Russia, China, Risk of Climate Change

"The Paris Agreement doesn't enforce itself. It requires an ambitious policy at home and abroad," Schwartz told VOA.

Tillerson expressed unwavering American support for defending its NATO and Asia treaty allies  another diversion from the president-elect's rhetoric.

Russia

Tillerson also offered tough talk about Moscow's espionage activities directed toward the United States and sanctions against Russia already in place.

"I would leave things in the status quo so we are able to convey this can go either way," Tillerson said, but also argued that Russia should not be considered an adversary all the time because there should be issues on which the two countries could cooperate.

WATCH: Tillerson Says Russia Must Be Held Accountable

Russia's increased assertiveness, Tillerson said, stems from the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.

"Russia, more than anything, wants to re-establish its role in the global world order," he said.

Tillersons views on Russia sparked some cause for concern.

"I would say that Tillerson's performance during the hearing has been stylistically solid but substantively a bit worrying given his repeated efforts to cast Putin in a more positive light than he deserves," visiting lecturer Konishi told VOA.

Trump Nominees Interactive Map Click here for a look at Trump's nominees for Cabinet and other leadership posts.

Tillerson, like others in the incoming Trump administration, "seems to hold a beyond-the-ordinary sense of optimism that Russia will cooperate with the United States on a range of issues, including eliminating ISIS," Konishi said, using an acronym for Islamic State. "What they fail to recognize is that ISIS may be less of an existential threat to the United States than a Russia that is undermining our election process and democratic system.

Tillerson had extensive business dealings with Russia during his decades at ExxonMobil, the only company at which he has ever worked.

Human rights

One topic of questioning in which Tillerson became entangled with senators, especially Florida Republican Marco Rubio, was human rights.

"We need a secretary of state who will fight for these principles," said Rubio, expressing disappointment that Tillerson would not label Russian President Vladimir Putin "a war criminal."

Some rights groups warned that Tillerson's testimony called into question his effectiveness as secretary of state.

"Tillerson's claims that he cannot pass judgment on these countries' abuses until he has access to U.S. intelligence briefings ignores the U.S. government's own previous findings," said Sarah Margon, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch.

His comments Wednesday suggest he "is either ill-informed or apathetic to human rights issues worldwide," Margon told VOA.

In his closing comments, Corker, a Tennessee Republican, declared Tillerson very much in the mainstream of foreign policy thinking.
The Commission held that the remarks were a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and rejected the Uttar Pradesh MP's contention.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Election Commission today censured BJP MP Sachchidanand Hari Sakshi, better known as Sakshi Maharaj, for his controversial statements in which he blamed 'Muslims' for India's population boom.

The Commission held that the remarks were a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and rejected the Uttar Pradesh MP's contention that the statements were not in a public or election meeting and as such did not come in the ambit of the poll code.

advertisement

The Commission has considered your reply and has not found it satisfactory. Any statement to the effect of promoting enmity between different classes of society in connection with election on the grounds of religion made during electioneering or otherwise is violative of MCC, the poll panel said. Censuring Sakshi Maharaj, the Commission warned him of stern action for any further violation of the MCC.

ALSO READ: Nitin Gadkari at Agenda Aaj Tak 2015: Listen to Modi and Rajnath, not Sakshi Maharaj

Addressing a gathering of seers in Meerut, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader 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 had said on January 6 address.

Besides the poll panel subsequently issuing notice, the Meerut police registered a case against him for several offenses. The Lok Sabha member from Unnao in UP has repeatedly defended his remarks, claiming that he did not name any religious community.

ALSO READ: Defiant Sakshi Maharaj says didn't name any religion in '4 wives, 40 children' remark

ALSO READ: Sakshi Maharaj in trouble over hate speech, EC seeks reply by January 11

--- ENDS ---
A South Sudan Army (SPLA) spokesman alleged that American, British and Norwegian government officials held a secret meeting with South Sudanese armed opposition officials loyal to former first vice president Riek Machar in Nairobi, Kenya, earlier this month to plot a regime change in Juba.

South Sudan's Deputy Military spokesman Colonel Santo Dominic Chol made the accusation at a news conference Thursday in Juba.

The United States says it categorically denies the allegation, insisting it supports an end to fighting and a return to development in South Sudan.

A State Department official told VOA on Thursday that the statements are an irresponsible misrepresentation of U.S. policy.

Britain has also flatly denied the allegation. In a statement released Thursday, the British embassy in Juba said that similar allegations expressed in an article in an East African newspaper are "a fabrication that does not reflect the policy of the British government."

Chol alleged that participants at the Nairobi meeting decided to use the ongoing economic crisis to affect regime change, adding they agreed to inject huge amounts of money to the armed opposition to bribe SPLA junior officers so that they would distance themselves from Chief of Staff General Paul Malong and President Salva Kiir's administration.

At the alleged meeting, according to Chol, participants identified ways to sabotage South Sudan's army leadership that would create mistrust between President Kiir and Malong, and possibly lead to Malong's replacement.

Chol asserted that no one will change the Kiir administration except the people.

"How does the SPLA look or describe this team which is calling itself a team for regime change in South Sudan?" Chol asked.

He went on to say, "the only authorized people that can change the regime in South Sudan in the upcoming election are the people of South Sudan. It's not anybody beyond the borders of this country."

Chol also claimed that participants at the alleged meeting also recommended the assassination of Malong either by poisoning, a stage-managed traffic accident, or a plane crash.

"They concluded that regime change in South Sudan would not be possible in the presence of Malong because Malong is known for support for the people of South Sudan and to the democratically elected leadership of this country. Therefore, it's very difficult to talk about regime change in this country unless the first strategy is to eliminate Malong physically," Chol added.

Chol charged that participants decided if all else fails, officials would mobilize the support of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to approve a secret indictment against Malong, General Gabriel Jok Riak, and Information Minister Michael Makuei.

"To me it looks like the so-called international experts on South Sudan and this present team for regime change in South Sudan, of course, they will still fail because they haven't gotten the right person," Chol said.

Chol also asserted that the next meeting between American, British and Norwegian officials and rebel representatives led by South Sudanese Lieutenant General Bapiny Monytual Wejang would be held on January 23 in New York.

Chol did not reveal to reporters the source of his information.
Officials in Spain say the number of tourists visiting the country has soared by 10 percent in 2016, setting a record figure for the fourth consecutive year as economic concerns and terrorism fears continued to lure visitors away from rival Mediterranean destinations.

Energy and Tourism Minister Alvaro Nadal said Thursday that 75.3 million tourists arrived in Spain last year.



Spain, Europe's most popular destination after France, hosted 68.1 million tourists in 2015.



Britons again topped the list with 17 million visitors in 2016. Tourism represents some 11 percent of Spain's gross domestic product.
What's the future of wearable technology like the Fitbit or the Apple Watch when it comes to our health? Right now we can count on these devices to do quite a few very cool things. Not only are they in touch with GPS to count steps, they can also monitor heart rate, body fat composition, perspiration, health, temperature and muscle activity, just through touching our skin.

But researchers at Stanford Medical Center say that when it comes to wearables, that's just the tip of the health monitoring iceberg.

A nurse on your wrist

A wearable device likely won't ever replace the diagnosis of a real doctor, but your smart watch, fitness tracker, or other body-touching tech may be able to give you some clues about what's going on inside your body, sometimes before the brain gets word something's not right.

In a study published online today in PLOS Biology, Stanford researchers decided to discover exactly what wearables might be able to do. So they began by collecting a whopping 2 billion baseline measurements from a group of 60 people and entering that information into a database. A few of the entries included data "from each participant's wearable biosensor devices and periodic data from laboratory tests of their blood chemistry, gene expression and other measures."

With these baselines established, the volunteers wore a whole range of wearables currently available on the market. These collected more than 250,000 measurements a day. In a press release, the researchers say that included "...data on weight; heart rate; oxygen in the blood; skin temperature; activity, including sleep, steps, walking, biking and running; calories expended; acceleration; and even exposure to gamma rays and X-rays."

Armed with all that information, and with the constant feedback from the devices, researchers said it became possible to tell when the body wasn't working the way it was supposed to.

Start getting well, before you get sick

The senior author of the study, Stanford professor Michael Snyder told VOA the technology to gather all of this information exists right now. "All but weight and blood oxygen can be collected from a smart watch," he notes. "A patch can get the blood oxygen."

From there "... given a baseline range of values for each person," the team said, "it is possible to monitor deviations from normal and associate those deviations with environmental conditions, illness or other factors that affect health."

One great example: Snyder was also one of the participants in the study. On a family trip to Norway, Snyder's vitals veered off the norm after a long transatlantic plane flight. Soon after, based on the deviation, Snyder says "I wasn't completely surprised when I went on to develop a fever and other signs of illness."

Ultimately Snyder was diagnosed with Lyme disease, something he'd already decided was likely based on his activities before the trip. And he was already receiving treatment by the time he was diagnosed.

A lot of these technologies, Snyder says, are available right now in an "experimental phase," as he calls it. That means they already "exist, and companies and groups like ours are validating them."

That doesn't mean you'll be able to get one next Christmas, but Snyder can see a day when consumers could strap on some tech and it would just grab all the data it needs all by itself. "It could all be automatic," he told VOA. "The device can have algorithms that determine your baselines and deviations from that. In a sense, this is like a oral thermometer."

As with all kinds of information, there are privacy considerations, and concerns about what could happen if all your health information gets hacked.

But the authors say it's easy to imagine a world where your "automatic data analysis could spot patterns of outlier data points and flag the onset of ill health, providing an opportunity for intervention, prevention or cure."

Taking it one step further, there could come a day when your watch is tied in to to your doctors office, which could generate a text suggesting you might just have just gotten the flu, or a cold.

The team also says the technology could monitor blood sugar levels, or the status of a pacemaker, and has the potential to change the world of preventive care.

Jessilyn Pearl Dunn, one of the other authors of the study, says this could also save the health care industry a significant amount of money. "You can foresee," she told VOA, "savings on the healthcare data acquisition and data entry side, as well as a tele-health component (long-term potential for reducing number of in-person clinic visits)." She says it's hard to estimate the savings simply because "the potential of this technology is so huge."
President-elect Donald Trumps choice to be the nations top diplomat vowed to streamline the State Department to make it more efficient and achieve cost savings.

Rex Tillerson was grilled by Democrats and Republicans alike on everything from climate change to potential ethics problems for the former ExxonMobil CEO.

Here are some of the issues discussed during Tillersons first appearance on Capitol Hill:

Watch: Tillerson Says Russia Must Be Held Accountable

Russian actions are troubling

Tillerson said a U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia waged cyberattacks to influence the 2016 presidential election clearly is troubling, but noted that he does not yet have the security clearance to view the full report. He also acknowledged during Wednesdays confirmation hearing that such a cyber intrusion would not have happened without Russian President Vladimir Putins sign off.

He talked a lot tougher when asked about Russias seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.

Asked if Moscow had a legal claim to the region, Tillerson replied, No sir. That was a taking of territory that was not theirs.

Asked what he would have done differently, Tillerson went even further.

I would have recommended that Ukraine take all of the military assets that it had available, put them on the eastern border  [and] announce that the U.S. was going to provide them intelligence, he said.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio asked Tillerson that given Russias actions in Chechnya and Syria that have resulted in civilian deaths, does that make Putin a war criminal?

Tillerson responded: I would not use that term.

Watch: Tillerson Nuclear Proliferation

Risk of climate change does exist

Tillerson said the risk of climate change does exist and action should be taken to combat it.

Asked by committee Chairman Bob Corker if climate change is a result of human activity, Tillerson did not answer the question directly, saying, The increase in the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect. Our ability to predict that effect is very limited.

Breaks with Trump on Muslim registry

Trump Nominees Interactive Map Click here for a look at Trump's nominees for Cabinet and other leadership posts.

In stark contrast to the harsh tones embraced by Trump, Tillerson called Islam a great faith and insisted that part of fighting terrorism must involve working with moderate Muslims around the world.

But he did not completely oppose Trumps call for a Muslim registry.

I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed, Tillerson told Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well, other groups that are threats to the U.S. It would just require me much more information around how that would even be approached.

Watch: Tillerson on Russia, China, Risk of Climate Change
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday his choice to head the Department of Veterans Affairs is David Shulkin, a physician who already works at the VA as chief executive of the Veterans Health Administration.

Shulkin, 57, is Trump's first Cabinet nominee who was appointed to his current position by outgoing President Barack Obama. He was nominated and confirmed in mid-2015 to head the Veterans Health Administration, the nation's largest integrated health-care system, with 300,000 employees caring for nearly 9 million veterans.

If confirmed, Shulkin would be the first VA chief without prior military service -- a detail that has aroused some concern by veterans groups. However, he has a family history of military service and of providing military medical care. Both of his grandfathers served in World War I. His father was a psychiatrist who was an Army captain and his grandfather was chief pharmacist at the VA in Madison, Wisconsin.

The nonpartisan veterans group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said Shulkin "is well known to us, [as] a man of character and has been a trusted partner." But the group also noted the "unprecedented" selection of a non-veteran to lead the VA, and added that its members "overwhelmingly supported the selection of a veteran for this critical position."

In announcing Shulkin as his choice, Trump said Wednesday he has no doubt the physician "will straighten out the VA" and "restore the level of care we owe to our brave men and women in the military."

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the VA health-care system will be designated a "high risk" issue by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office in a forthcoming report. The GAO's biennial report lists federal programs that could face significant problems due to waste, fraud, mismanagement or structural flaws.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (known as the Veterans Administration before it was reorganized in the late 1980s) was hit hard by a scandal in 2014, when falsified records were found responsible for unacceptably lengthy waiting times for veterans' enrollment and for the provision of medical services.

A report by the agency's inspector general issued two months after Shulkin's appointment found that there were 800,000 stalled records for veterans trying to enroll for health care. Of that number, 307,000 belonged to veterans who had already died, according to the report.

Shulkin was born on an Army base in Highland Park, Illinois, in 1959. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, interned at Yale University School of Medicine and has held a number of other academic positions. At the time he was brought into government by Obama in 2015, Shulkin was president of Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey. During that time he also founded and served as the chairman and CEO of DoctorQuality, a consumer-oriented information service.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

For the first time, President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee's computers to meddle in the U.S. presidential election. During a press conference Wednesday, Trump strongly denied an unconfirmed report that Russia has compromising personal information about him. VOA White House Correspondent Mary Alice Salinas has more.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's choices to lead the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency distanced themselves from the incoming president by advocating a tougher approach toward Russia during congressional testimony Thursday.

Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo, Trump's nominee to head the CIA, said Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election "was an aggressive action taken by the senior leadership inside of Russia," and he called for an "incredibly robust American response."

Pompeo's remarks before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence come amid a tense standoff between Trump and the intelligence community over Russia's computer hacking during the election.

Trump has frequently criticized the U.S. intelligence community, and speculated that the agencies were responsible for leaking unsubstantiated allegations about his ties to Russia. But Pompeo told lawmakers he sees "nothing to cast any doubt on" the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia was responsible for the cyberattacks.

Mattis speaks out

Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, retired Marine General James Mattis, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the global balance of power established after the second world war is being threatened more than ever, in part, by Russia.

I think its under the biggest attack since World War II, sir, and thats from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea, Mattis said.

Mattis went on to say "deterrence is critical right now," but added that the U.S. armed forces are not currently strong enough to meet the challenges.

LIVE: Watch the confirmation hearing for Gen. Mattis

He told lawmakers that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is trying to break the north Atlantic alliance [NATO]," a campaign that requires the U.S. and its allies to defend themselves with an integrated diplomatic, economic and military response.

Mattis said he favors exploring areas of cooperation with Russia, "but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to and there is a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and an increasing number of areas where were are going to have to confront Russia."

Mattis testified he and the president-elect have discussed the importance of the NATO alliance, which he described as the most successful military alliance "probably ever."

Mattis has expressed concerns about security threats posed by Iran, and has said he does not support enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding.

Exception required

If confirmed by the Senate, Mattis would become the first career military member to lead the Pentagon in more than 50 years. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2013 after serving as the head of U.S. Central Command and leading forces during the war in Afghanistan and two wars in Iraq.

A law bars military officers from becoming defense secretary until they have been retired for at least seven years, so Congress will have to pass legislation granting a one-time exception for Mattis.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a waiver for Mattis on Thursday, followed a few hours later by the House Armed Services Committee. But the entire House would have to approve the bill for Mattis to become defense secretary.

The only other U.S. Secretary of Defense to have gotten the retirement waiver was the legendary Army General George C. Marshall in 1950.

WATCH: Mattis responds to question about sanctions against Russia

Pompeo, Carson hearings

Pompeo has criticized President Barack Obama's administration for reining in interrogation techniques, saying the methods were "within the law, within the Constitution, and conducted with the full knowledge" of appropriate lawmakers.

Pompeo, a graduate of Harvard Law School and the West Point military academy, drew criticism in 2013 after he suggested Muslim leaders who don't publicly condemn terror attacks are "potentially complicit" in the attacks.

WATCH: Pompeo on Russian cyber threats, hacking report

At a third confirmation hearing Thursday, the man who is up for the job of leading the Department of Housing and Urban Development declined to guarantee that no money from the agency would benefit the resident-elect or his family, which own and operate a global real-estate business.

"It will not be my intention to do anything to benefit any American. It's for all Americans, everything that we do," Ben Carson, a celebrated retired neurosurgeon, said before the Senate Banking Committee.

After Trump took the lead in the race about a month after he declared he was running for president, Carson was the only challenger in the Republican field who managed to pull ahead of him in national polls, though that lasted only a few days. He supported Trump quickly after dropping out of the race.

Carson lacks public policy experience, but a collection of former HUD secretaries who served under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush wrote a letter to the committee stating they believe he would listen to the agency's civil servants to help create affordable homes and inclusive communities.

In the past, Carson has voiced opposition to government programs that encourage what he says is "dependency," and has touted the virtues of individual effort in becoming successful.

Trump tweeted his praise for his Cabinet nominees Friday morning.
President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to lead the CIA promised to maintain a clear-eyed view of Russia and said he would not comply with any White House order to restart the use of torture tactics.

You have my commitment that every day I will speak truth to power, said Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday.

Pompeo said he accepts the U.S. intelligence communitys assessment that Russia meddled in last years presidential election won by Trump, describing the report as sound.

Its a longstanding effort of the Russians, he added. It is something America needs to take seriously and a threat that we are vulnerable to today.



"I have no doubt that the discourse thats been taking place [in America] is something that Vladimir Putin would look at and say, wow, that was among the objectives that I had, to sow doubt among the American political community," he said.

WATCH: Pompeo on Russian cyber threat



Enhanced interrogation



Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California noted that, during the campaign, Trump spoke favorably of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques to extract information from terror suspects. Pompeo himself criticized President Barack Obama for reining in the tactics.

If you were ordered by the president to restart the CIAs use of enhanced interrogation techniques that fall outside of the Army Field Manual, would you comply? Feinstein asked.

Absolutely not, Pompeo replied. I cant imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect or, then, the president  Ill always comply with the law.

WATCH: Pompeo on torture



Feinstein also pressed the nominee on his opposition to the international nuclear accord with Iran. Pompeo did not discuss the merits of the pact but pledged continued close monitoring of Tehrans compliance with it.

Mass data collection

Another Democrat, Ron Wyden of Oregon, pressed the nominee for limitations on the massive amount of data on ordinary citizens that U.S. intelligence agencies can scoop up.

Are there any boundaries, in your view, to something this sweeping? Wyden asked.

Pompeo noted that legal boundaries already exist, but added that he supports metadata collection.

The American people demand that if there is publicly available information  someone has out there on their publicly-available site  I think we have an obligation to use that information to keep Americans safe.



Of Trumps picks for top administration posts, Pompeo, who has served on the House Intelligence Committee, is among those most likely to earn bipartisan Senate backing. Introducing him at his confirmation hearing was a fellow-Kansan, former Republican senator Bob Dole.



I know this man and I know hell do a great job, Dole said. Youve got a good candidate here.

Trump himself chimed in on Twitter Friday morning.
Tunisian police firing tear gas clashed on Thursday with hundreds of youths who tossed rocks and petrol bombs in protests over jobs and a lack of development in a town in the country's south, residents said.

Six years after their revolt ousted autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's central and southern regions are still flashpoints for rioting in marginalized towns where many young Tunisians see little economic progress since the uprising.

Local residents said police clashed with several hundred young men in the center of Ben Guerdane, and that protesters lobbed rocks and petrol bombs and set tires ablaze.

"Police are firing tear gas to try to disperse hundreds of youths who are protesting in the center of the town demanding work," Fethi Chandoul, a local resident, told Reuters.

Residents and local media said shops and offices were closed for a general strike in Ben Guerdane, the site of an Islamic State attack last year by militants crossing over from nearby Libya.

Around 4,000 protesters also marched peacefully in the central town of Meknessi to demand work opportunities and development projects.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed was sending a ministerial delegation to Ben Guerdane on Friday to talk with protesters, according to the state news agency TAP.

Since the 2011 uprising, Tunisia has mostly avoided the political violence that has plagued much of the Arab world. The North African country emerged as a model of peaceful democratic transition with free elections, a new constitution and compromise between Islamist and secular rivals.

But economic progress, a central demand of many Tunisians, has failed to match the country's political advances. In rural southern and central regions, where farming remains one of the few sources of income, tensions often flare over the dearth of jobs.
India's quota has been brought down to 1.36 lakh from nearly 1.70 lakh in 2012.

By Press Trust of India: Saudi Arabia has increased India's annual Haj quota from 1.36 lakh to 1.70 lakh, biggest such expansion in last 29 years, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.

An agreement to this regard was inked by Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Naqvi with Saudi Arabias Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten at Jeddah today, making the expansion effective from the current year.

advertisement

The Saudi authorities had five years ago slashed quotas for foreign pilgrims coming from each country by 20 per cent in view of safety of the devotees as they undertook expansion of Grand Mosque there.

Accordingly, India's quota was brought down to 1.36 lakh from nearly 1.70 lakh in 2012.

Expressing pleasure at signing of the agreement, Naqvi said his meeting with Benten was "very fruitful" as constructive discussion was held on the whole gamut of issues related to the pilgrimage, transport and accommodation facilities for pilgrims and their safety.

"On behalf of the people and Government of India, we also extend gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Excellency Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, for his keen personal interest and initiative in organising a successful Haj 2016," Naqvi said in a statement.

SAUDI ARABIAN LEADERSHIP

Naqvi exuded confidence that under the visionary leadership of Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, the "excellent" relationship between India and Saudi Arabia will be further strengthened.

Stating India and Saudi Arabia share ideals of global peace, progress and prosperity, Naqvi said the two countries are tied together with strong civilisational, cultural, economic and political links.

"The regular visits by the leaders and senior-level officials of the two nations have further strengthened the relationship between the two nations. The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia during April last year added new dimensions to our vibrant relationship," he said.

The Minister also expressed satisfaction over the improvements in services offered to pilgrims which indicates Saudi Arabias firm commitment towards welfare and betterment of pilgrims.

The NDA government has started issuing Haj applications from January 2. The last date for submission of applications is January 24.

As part of its efforts to streamline the process, the government has urged pilgrims to submit their applications online. In December last year, a new Haj website was launched which provides all necessary information to Haj pilgrims, the statement said.

On January 2, the Minister had launched the Haj Committee of India mobile application to help pilgrims apply online. PTI ENM RG

advertisement

Also read:

Over 3,000 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh to go on Haj

--- ENDS ---
A senior United Nations official says a water crisis affecting Syria's capital, Damascus, could trigger military action with devastating consequences unless vital supplies from the nearby, rebel-held Wadi Barada area, are restored.

Damascus gets most of its water from the Wadi Barada Valley. Damage to the infrastructure during battles between rebel and Syrian forces has cut off this vital source of water to the Syrian capitals population of 5 million since December 22.



The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, says it is a matter of great urgency that Syrian government engineers be allowed to go into the area to repair the damage so water once more can be pumped to Damascus. He says rebels in charge of the main water source in one of the five Wadi Barada villages will not agree to this.

Therefore, there is a danger, substantial danger, imminent danger that this may develop into a further military escalation and the consequence of it, unavoidably, no water solution for the people in Damascus, he said.

Fear of diseases



De Mistura warns of an outbreak of diseases in Damascus if the population continues to be deprived of safe water. He says failure to restore this vital water source also will have a negative impact on efforts to restart the peace process for Syria.

He says discussions that are under way in Russia and Turkey to try to resolve this issue are important for two reasons.

"The first one, water in Damascus is vital because it is affecting 5 million people. And B, because it does have potentially, if it escalates, an impact on the Astana talks and meetings, which is based as you know on the concept of a well-established, potentially, even better established cessation of hostilities.

Russia and Turkey are scheduled to broker talks aimed at negotiating a cease-fire in Syrias long-running civil war in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on January 23. Iran and the United Nations have been invited to attend.

The U.N. hopes to resume dormant political negotiations for an end to Syrias nearly six-year-long civil war on February 8. De Mistura says a successful outcome of the Astana talks could be a stepping stone for a successful political meeting on Syria.
A senior U.N. official in Iraq said Wednesday that about 750,000 civilians were still trapped in the western part of Mosul, where the Islamic State group is in control.

U.N. humanitarian coordinator Lise Grande told reporters via video from Irbil that the military offensive against the IS-controlled part of the city could "begin shortly," possibly within "weeks."

She said Mosul had 1.5 million residents when the Iraqi army began its battle on October 17 to retake it from IS fighters who seized control of the area in 2014.

The city is divided by the Tigris River into eastern and western portions, and most of the fighting has taken place in the eastern part of the city. Grande said 140,000 people had fled Mosul since October.

She said that since combat intensified on December 29, 75 percent to 80 percent of eastern Mosul had come back into the control of Iraqi security forces. That has allowed the U.N. and its humanitarian partners to reach about a half-million people with lifesaving assistance in liberated neighborhoods and camps for the displaced.

Possible danger

Grande warned that despite those gains, civilians could face serious dangers and siege-like conditions when the battle for western Mosul begins.

"Siege is a very real possibility," Grande said. "A siege of 750,000 people would have absolutely enormous implications."

She said the U.N. was trying to pre-position as many humanitarian supplies in western Mosul as possible. But an agreement with Iraqi security forces and the coalition about how to do that  be it through arranging air drops, scattering small packages of field rations, or bringing supplies from the eastern part of the city  has not been finalized.

"For humanitarians, knowing a siege is a possibility, this is one of our top priorities," Grande said.

Humanitarians began planning for the Mosul offensive nearly a year ago, looking at scenarios that calculated for worst-case situations, including the displacement of 1 million people. So far, the most dire predictions have not materialized, but some of the biggest battles still lie ahead.
A joint military operation in northern Afghanistan in early November killed 33 Afghan civilians and wounded 27, the U.S. military said Thursday in releasing details of its investigation into the incident.

The attack in Boz village in restive Kunduz province flattened dozens of houses, residents and Taliban insurgents said. The joint operation was conducted to capture Taliban leaders who were plotting to seize the provincial capital of Kunduz, Afghan and U.S. military officials said.

"To defend themselves and Afghan forces, U.S. forces returned fire in self-defense at Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions," U.S. military officials said.

"Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives.  I wish to assure President [Ashraf] Ghani and the people of Afghanistan that we will take all possible measures to protect Afghan civilians," the statement quoted General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, as saying.

Afghan special forces had planned the raid against the Taliban hideout in Kunduz with the help of a small group of American military advisers. But the insurgents swiftly engaged them, opening fire from multiple civilian buildings, the U.S. military said in its investigation.

"U.S. and Afghan forces were forced to request aerial fire support from U.S. platforms in self-defense. Aerial fires were also used to suppress Taliban who were firing on U.S. medical evacuation assets as the dead and wounded were evacuated," it said.

No further action

It has been determined that no further action will be taken because U.S. forces acted in self-defense and followed all applicable law and policy, the statement said.

Human Rights Watch said Thursday that while there have been "some improvements in the way such operations were conducted," U.S. and Afghan forces must take care to ensure that they "minimize harm to civilians." The attacks, it said, "may be neither indiscriminate nor cause disproportionate civilian loss."

The international rights watchdog also urged the U.S. government to "provide timely and adequate compensation to victims of airstrikes."

The U.S. military said it would not offer compensation payments to the victims' families, something the Pentagon previously has offered to civilian victims of its counterterror or counterinsurgency operations.

"The government of Afghanistan made condolence payments to the families of those killed in the operation and to those wounded," Captain Bill Salvin, director of public affairs for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told VOA.

The fire exchange killed two U.S. soldiers, three Afghan commandos and 26 Taliban militants, including their leader, the military statement said. Roughly 26 Taliban were wounded, it said.

"A Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded, which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians," the statement said.

The Taliban insurgency claimed at the time that only three of its members were in the area when they came under attack from Afghan and U.S. forces.

Medical facility hit

A U.S. airstrike in Kunduz in October 2015 hit a facility run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, killing at least 42 people, including 24 patients and 14 staff. About 40 people were wounded in the raid, which destroyed the only treatment center in the area.

The attack happened after the Taliban had briefly captured Kunduz. Days later, Afghan forces, with the help of U.S. air power, evicted the insurgents from the city.

The U.S. military said the attack that hit the medical facility was a "mistake" and apologized for it. That did not calm MSF criticism or ease demands for an impartial inquiry into the incident.

Kunduz province has since been under attack from the Taliban, and the insurgents came close to retaking the provincial capital in October.

VOA's Afghan service contributed to this report.
Most visitors easily recognize Washington, D.C., landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol or the White House. However, many might not know these and other iconic structures in the nation's capital were built by black slaves during one of the darkest chapters in American history.

More than a century-and-a-half after slavery was abolished in the United States, the hardships and sacrifices blacks endured are being recognized.

Outside a sprawling U.S. government office building not far from the Capitol, two historical markers were unveiled, pointing silently to the site of a notorious slave prison where hundreds of black men, women and children were confined, waiting to be sent to white slave owners.

"It was one of the most horrible examples of what humans can do to each other," said Anthony Foxx, who heads the U.S. Department of Transportation. Foxx, whose ancestors were slaves, joined several other federal government leaders dedicating the signs marking the site where the Yellow House Slave Pen once stood.

"These historical signs clearly outline the past and make people realize how much progress the country has made in more than 150 years," said Foxx, adding that they also serve as "a reminder that we as Americans are all involved in making things better."

Washington slave trade

The slave prison, a yellow house with tall walls, was owned by W.H. Williams. After slaves were sold, they typically worked in some form of domestic service, although others helped construct buildings as the city grew in the first half of the 19th century.

The history of the slave jails was brought to light by Solomon Northup, who wrote about his imprisonment there in 12 Years a Slave  a book that became a highly acclaimed movie in 2013.

Northup, a free-born African-American from New York, traveled to Washington as a musician but was kidnapped by white men and put in the slave pen. His writings described the jail as being "within the very shadow of the U.S. Capitol."

After being sold into slavery in 1841, Northup spent 12 years trying to regain his freedom. Slavery existed in Washington until April 16, 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation freeing thousands of African-Americans bound by the capital city's slave code.

Educational tool

The people who worked to establish the historical markers at the slave pen site say the signs will educate people, especially younger generations, about the lucrative domestic slave trade in the District of Columbia.

"If we are going to work together to build a brighter future, we have to acknowledge and remember the mistakes of the past," said Michael Huerta, who heads the Federal Aviation Administration and helped to unveil the plaques.

"There's the old saying that those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it," Huerta told VOA. "It is important that we understand what happened here and move beyond that to make this a greater country" in the future.
Soon after President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, left the hot seat in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearings, the committee voted in a business meeting to advance Montenegro's bid to join NATO to the Senate floor.

In December, the Senate failed to approve the treaty unanimously. Two Republicans  Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah  objected to the move. According to VOA sources, Paul was not present at the Wednesday business meeting.

A Foreign Relations committee source said Montenegro's NATO treaty "heads now to the full Senate, but that manner is not clear yet." International treaties are approved by a two-third's majority.

Assurances of U.S. support

Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, assured Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic via phone that the U.S. Senate will ratify Montenegro's Accession Protocol to NATO soon, according to a statement released by the Montenegrin government press service. During the call, McCain also said a group of U.S. senators will visit Montenegro as soon as possible.

Also Tuesday, Italy and Norway joined 19 other members of the alliance that already have finalized their approval of Montenegro's accession to NATO, which means 21 of 28 alliance allies have officially backed the move.

NATO endorsed the Balkan country's accession bid at its July conference in Warsaw. The endorsement of U.S. lawmakers could signal others to give the green light for the expansion through their own legislative action.

In an interview with VOA's Serbian Service last month, Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic said he hoped his country's membership in NATO will be formalized in the first half of 2017. "For us," he said, "it is important that the U.S. Senate ratifies the Accession Protocol."

Russian opposition

Russia opposes NATO expansion and, therefore, Montenegro's accession.

Moscow is suspected of involvement in a failed October coup plot to install a pro-Russian government and derail NATO expansion in the Western Balkans. Montenegro's acceptance would be the first since Croatia and Albania were admitted in 2009.

Allegedly, suspects arrested in the failed coup attempt on Montenegro's Election Day had connections with Russian intelligence elements, and some of them fought with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine. They were, the state prosecutor said, planning to attack the parliament and assassinate the pro-Western prime minister.

Experts on European security are somewhat anxious to see if Trump's policy toward Russia will adversely impact Montenegro's NATO bid.

But the president of Montenegro believes the Trump administration's policy toward the Balkans likely will remain focused on stability, economic development, and European and NATO integration of the region. Vujanovic also hopes Montenegro's relations with Russia will improve once the country officially comes under the NATO flag.

"We are in some ways already in NATO," Vujanovic said. "Russia has voiced its well-known objection to NATO expansion. Montenegro needs to be patient and wait until it officially becomes a full member of NATO. After that, I hope our relations with Russia will improve, because Russia cooperates with, and has good relations with, many NATO countries."
U.S. President Barack Obama lifted some sanctions on Sudan today in response to what he calls "positive actions" by the country's government. They include ceasing hostilities in Darfur, improving humanitarian access, ending negative interference in South Sudan, "enhancing cooperation on counterterrorism," and ending the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army.

The move allows the U.S. Department of the Treasury to immediately authorize expanding trade and investment in Sudan. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the executive order also provides Sudan "with a clear path to the permanent revocation of sanctions in six months if progress in these five areas continues."

Under Obamas order, section one of President Bill Clintons 1997 executive order freezing Sudan's assets would be lifted in six months if Sudan's good behavior continues. It would also lift section two, which blocked all Sudanese imports into the U.S.

But one human rights observer says lifting sanctions forgives the government for decades of war and human rights violations in Sudan, and overlooks the continuing conflict in Darfur.

HRW skeptical

Leslie Lefkow, Deputy Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, said Friday she is skeptical that lifting sanctions will have any positive impact on Sudanese civilians. She says the Sudanese government has a track record of not respecting the basic human rights of its people, and the move to ease sanctions sends a message to Sudan and other repressive governments that abuses will be ignored.

"So to suggest that somehow this change of policy is going to suddenly encourage the type of human rights reforms that are so desperately needed, I think it naive at best," Lefkow said.

The sanctions were expanded in November 1997 by Clinton, who imposed a comprehensive trade embargo against Sudan and blocked assets of the Sudanese government.

The sanctions were first implemented because the Sudan government failed to end a brutal civil war with rebels in then-southern Sudan, which continued for over two decades. In addition, during the 1990s, terrorist leader Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan, under the knowledge of the Sudanese government.

The sanctions had restricted U.S. foreign aid, banned defense exports and sales, and imposed various financial restrictions on U.S. citizens doing business with Sudan.

The Obama administration says the Sudan government has made progress in ending military aerial bombardments in the Darfur region and has helped counter the terrorist Islamic State group, including limiting movements by fighters.

Little progress seen

Lefkow argues that HRW researchers have not seen objective progress in many of the key benchmarks to justify changing U.S. policy. She says humanitarian conditions in many parts of Sudan are some of the worst in the world, and conflicts in both Darfur and South Kordofan continue following attacks on civilians by government forces.

"We had a team in the Nuba Mountains just last month, where the humanitarian situation is dire. There has still been no agreement by the government to permit humanitarian agencies into the Nuba Mountains into the Blue Nile," Lefkow said, adding that "people are at incredible risk of food insecurity, they have very limited health facilities; there is virtually no education."

Lefkow says the Obama administration could have used its leverage to demand that the Sudanese government end abuses in the country.

"They should have demanded that there be concrete progress on these benchmarks prior to lifting sanctions, Lefkow said. This is just a gift to the Sudanese government, and I have no expectations that there will be the kind of progress that we all like to see."

The State Department seemed to agree with human rights organizations, saying in a statement released Friday that despite the advances, "there is still much more to be done to end Sudan's internal conflicts, ensure accountability for crimes of international concern, improve its human rights record, allow unfettered humanitarian access to vulnerable populations, and create space for greater political participation, civil society activity, and media freedom."

The U.S. Treasury Department says certain activities related to the Darfur sanctions may be allowed if they are licensed by OFAC, and that it has issued guidance and statements on specific licensing policies.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has for years faced charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes committed against civilians in Darfur. He has yet to be arrested.
The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate has taken the first step to scrap President Barack Obama's health care reforms, but has yet to produce a replacement plan.

Republicans have made repealing the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as "Obamacare," one of their top priorities when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a week.



Trump congratulated the Senate on the vote on Twitter Thursday. "Congrats to the Senate for taking the first step to #RepealObamacare - now it's on to the House!" he tweeted.

WATCH: Paul Ryan on ObamaCare overhaul



The Senate voted 51-48 early Thursday to approve rules that allow repeal legislation to go forward with a simple majority and not be subject to a filibuster by Democrats that would require a 60-vote majority to repeal the 2010 law. Republicans control 52 of the Senate's 100 seats.

"The Senate just took an important step toward repealing and replacing Obamacare by passing the resolution that provides the legislative tools necessary to actually repeal this failed law while we move ahead with smarter health care policies," Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

The House of Representatives, where Republicans also have a majority, is expected to vote on the resolution Friday. Republican leaders plan to have the actual repeal legislation drafted by the end of January.

The big outstanding question is what would happen if they repeal it. So far, there has not been a consensus Republican plan about how to replace the health care law that brought insurance to 20 million Americans who previously lacked coverage.

Trump said Wednesday he wants to "get health care taken care of in this country." The president-elect called for both the repeal and replace efforts to take place at virtually the same time, something Congress is unlikely to be able to do because of lawmaking rules and almost-total Democratic opposition to abandoning the current law.

Democrats passed the reforms when they controlled both houses of Congress, with Obama in his first term, and have celebrated it as a way to help slow the growth in health care spending while also bringing coverage to the poor and those who had previously been denied because of pre-existing conditions.





'Collapsing under its own weight,' critics claim

But Republicans have staunchly opposed it, especially the requirement that all Americans buy insurance or pay a fine if they do not. Republicans have argued that the law is too expensive and that individual states should have more control over health care spending and not the federal government.

Obama said Tuesday in his farewell address that if anyone creates a plan that is "demonstrably better" and covers as many people at a lower cost, then he will publicly support it.

Republican Senator David Perdue said the program is "collapsing under its own weight" and that his party does have proposals to make it better.

"There are various common-sense Republican health care solutions that would provide greater coverage options, drive down costs, and improve continuity of care," he said.

Democratic senators criticized the Senate vote, particularly the effort to move forward with dismantling the program without a clear replacement.

"It's official, Senate Republicans have taken the first step to take away your health care without a replacement. Shameful," Senator Bob Menendez said in a Twitter comment after the vote.

Senator Ben Cardin said repealing the law would eliminate key protections, including letting children stay on their parents' plan until age 26 and a ban on lifetime coverage limits.

"The Republican repeal of the ACA is an outrageous and reckless partisan move that will leave millions of middle-class Americans and small businesses at financial risk," Cardin said.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has angrily rejected reported claims Russia compiled information to attempt to compromise him.

After tweeting his reaction to the unsubstantiated reports over the past day, he reiterated his denial at his first news conference as president-elect Wednesday.

"I think it is a disgrace that information would be led out, he said. I saw the information. I read the information outside of that meeting. It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen."

Media reports say a briefing document prepared by U.S. intelligence officials includes allegations that Trump campaign officials colluded with Russian intelligence. It is also said to discuss alleged sexual activities by Trump.

The president-elect's attorney, Michael Cohen, told reporters the allegations in the document are false and were invented to malign Trump.

In Moscow, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday the claims are meant to hurt U.S.-Russian relations.

"No, Kremlin doesn't have any compromising information on Trump. This information [the report] does not correspond to reality and is nothing else [but] an absolute fabrication," he said.

Intelligence briefing

Trump was told last week by the heads of U.S. domestic intelligence agencies that Russian operatives claimed to have compromising personal and financial information about him, government sources confirmed, stressing that the information in the documents is still unsubstantiated and originated with a private company.

Trump was given a two-page synopsis of the unsubstantiated information last Friday, when he also was given a classified briefing on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election

President Barack Obama reportedly was given the same information Thursday.

House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Wednesday any financial or personal allegations against Trump "cannot have an impact on the national security of the United States of America."

Pelosi declined to get into the details of the latest revelations alleging ties between Russia and Trump, noting the information had been in circulation among journalists for some time and had remained uncorroborated.

Pelosi did say she had broader concerns about the president-elect's approach to the U.S.-Russia relationship. "I always wondered what did Russia have on Donald Trump?" she told reporters.

Pelosi cautioned that her judgments were based on information in the public domain and not on any classified briefings she has received. The House Democratic leader declined to speculate on the consequences of the allegations if they are found to be true.

Russia 'assisting' Trump

CNN, which first reported the allegations Tuesday, did not give details of the compromising information. But the BuzzFeed digital media site posted online what it said was the full dossier alleging Russia's government had been "cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump" for years.

Such materials, known in Russian as "kompromat," are frequently prepared by some intelligence agencies to create negative publicity for purposes of blackmail and to ensure loyalty.

"It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Russians are always looking for dirt on any politician," House of Representative intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes told reporters.

"I would not jump to any conclusions. This seems maybe taken a little out of context," added Nunes, a Republican who has worked with the Trump transition team.

U.S. intelligence agency chiefs last week testified to the Senate that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an operation to meddle with the U.S. election with the aim of hurting Clinton's campaign and boosting that of Trump who won the decisive electoral college count but lost the popular vote to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

The latest news reports linking Trump and Moscow came on the eve of the president-elect's planned news conference and of the Senate confirmation hearing on his nominee to run the State Department, former chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil Rex Tillerson, who has enjoyed close ties with Russia.
The independent watchdog at the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday he is launching a probe of the agency's handling of the investigation of Democrat Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, one of the most contentious issues of last year's presidential election campaign that she lost.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said he would look at how Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey conducted his year-long probe of Clinton, the top U.S. diplomat from 2009 to 2013 who was trying to become the country's first female president.

Comey, while saying Clinton's handling of classified material on her email server was "extremely careless," cleared her four months ahead of the election of criminal wrongdoing. But Comey reopened the investigation in the days just ahead of the November 8 voting and then said two days before the election investigators had found nothing new.

Clinton has attributed Comey's reopening of his investigation 11 days ahead of the official Election Day  a time when millions of voters already were casting early ballots  as a key factor in her stunning upset loss to Republican Donald Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul turned politician who next week is taking office as the country's 45th president.

WATCH: Earnest on Inspector General probe

"Presumably, the stakes are even higher for the inspector general who has a responsibility for conducting these kind of investigations of independent law enforcement agencies. I can tell you that the White House was not involved in that decision and anything the inspector general chooses to investigate is something that he or she will do based on their own view of the situation, their own knowledge of the facts and hopefully they will follow the evidence where it leads, if they find any evidence," White House spokesman Josh Earnest added.

Election issue

Across the U.S., Clinton won nearly 3 million more votes than Trump, but lost the election under the system the U.S. uses to pick its presidents, with state-by-state results determining the outcome in the Electoral College. Clinton won two big states, California and New York, by huge margins, to account for her edge in the national popular vote, while Trump captured several states by much narrower margins in the country's industrial heartland to win the presidency in the Electoral College.

Clinton on numerous occasions called her use of the private email server a mistake, but she said she never knowingly sent or received classified material on the unsecured email system she used rather than a secure government computer server. But investigators found some classified material among thousands of Clinton emails.

The issue plagued Clinton's campaign, leaving some voters to question her honesty and forthrightness in answering questions about the issue.

Despite Trump's repeated campaign taunt describing her as "Crooked Hillary," the Clinton campaign thought the issue was behind it with Comey's decision in July to not pursue criminal charges.

Clinton emails

But FBI investigators, in the month before the election, found thousands more Clinton-related emails on the computer of a disgraced former congressman, Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of a key Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, leading Comey to reopen the probe. As it turned out, many of these emails were duplicates of ones the FBI had already examined in reaching its July decision to not file criminal charges against Clinton.

During the campaign, Trump said that if he were elected, he wanted a special prosecutor to pursue the case against Clinton. After he won, however, Trump retreated from a pledge to prosecute her.

Horowitz's office said he will investigate whether Comey erred in publicly stating in July he would not pursue criminal charges against Clinton, whether Justice and FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information about the case, and whether Comey should have announced publicly that he was reopening the investigation just before the election.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) The Supreme Court today directed that Rs 2 crore deposited by real estate major Unitech Resorts Ltd with its registry be distributed among 39 home buyers who have sought refund of their amount for delay in handing over the possession of flats in the firms Vista housing project in Gurugram.

advertisement

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi said the the flat buyers can withdraw the money from the apex court registry on pro-rata basis.

The court said it would take a decision on the rate of interest and compensation to be paid to the investors at a later stage.

"The appellant has deposited Rs 2 crore which shall be distributed among 39 respondents on pro-rata basis. As far as interest and compensation is concerned the matter to be taken up on February 4," the bench said.

It noted that Rs 16.55 crore was deposited by the 39 home buyers who had booked flats in Unitech Vista project in sector-70, Gurugram and are before the court.

It also said that the company had earlier deposited Rs 15 crore with the apex court registry in compliance with an order.

The apex court had on August 17 directed the embattled real estate firm to deposit Rs 15 crore principal amount by September-end to pay back investors and home buyers who were not given possession of the flats on time.

The investors had told the court that they had paid money to the firm on time and the company was scheduled to hand over the possession of flats in 2012 but had not done till date.

Over two dozen home buyers of Unitechs housing projects in Noida and Gurugram had approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) after the builder had failed to give them possession of the flats as the per schedule.

The consumer forum had asked Unitech to refund the money to the home buyers with interest.

The apex court had earlier asked the company to deposit an interim penalty of Rs 5 crore with the court registry after the firm challenged the order of the consumer forum which had asked the developer to pay Rs 5 crore penalty to three buyers of its Burgundy project.

The court had said the penalty deposited with the court will be awarded to the buyers or returned to Unitech, depending on the outcome of the case.

advertisement

PTI MNL PKS SJK RKS SC

--- ENDS ---
Ben Affleck directing on the set of Live By Night Photo: Claire Folger/Warner Brothers

With Live by Night, his fourth movie as a director, Ben Affleck really went for the hyphens. Affleck is the writer-director-producer-star of the Prohibition-era gangster film, which was adapted from a novel by Dennis Lehane. In that way, it seems to mark a culmination of his prior efforts, which saw him take on some, but not all, of these duties: Gone Baby Gone (co-writer, director), The Town (co-writer, director, star), and Argo (director, star, producer). But while you might expect this concentration of power to also make Affleck increasingly the focus of his pictures, the opposite has actually been the case. Live by Night solidifies a theme thats been developing throughout Afflecks filmography to date: As a director, hes an excellent facilitator of the loaded ensemble casts he employs  a wingman, if you will, for the supporting actors of the world.

Here is a (very partial) list of the actors who have appeared in Afflecks four movies so far: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, Michael Kenneth Williams, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper (twice), Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Clea Duvall, Scoot McNairy, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina (twice), Richard Kind, Sheila Vand, Philip Baker Hall, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Miguel, Zoe Saldana, and Anthony Michael Hall. Between them, theyve earned three Oscar nominations for their work in Afflecks films, with Ryan, Renner, and Arkin all getting noms in the Supporting Actor category. Affleck tends to make movies that have a broad, expansive canvas  its no coincidence that his last three films were shot in wide-screen, 2.35:1 format  and that includes huge casts of characters whose connections to each other are the focus of his films, whether its the detectives and kidnappers of Gone Baby Gone, the cops and robbers of The Town, the hostages and rescuers of Argo, or the gangsters and gang-adjacent Floridians of Live by Night.

In Afflecks movies, identities are constantly in flux  and that provides rich material for actors. Affeck has followed a similar playbook for all four of his features so far: At the center of his films is a man, played by either him or his brother, who has been set adrift by a crime or a loss, and then finds his purpose in either a woman or a cause, or some combination of the two. So far, thats had diminishing returns. The most interesting lead performance in an Affleck film is Caseys in Gone Baby Gone, and its not a role that Ben wouldve been right for; the character is too bereft, too compromised for Afflecks adamantium jaw and superhero neck size, and his moral crucible provides perfect fodder for Casey, whose mere presence onscreen tends to suggest an almost mythological torment.

When Ben takes the lead in The Town, though, its for an ideal Ben Affleck role, the bank-robbing townie who wants to make good. The Town allows Affleck to hold the screen while still sharing it, and it contains one of the best pieces of acting hes ever done, a speech he gives to Rebecca Halls Claire Keesey in which he tells the story of his mom walking out on him and his father, mostly in one long, sustained take. If The Town isnt necessarily Afflecks best movie  Id probably choose Gone Baby Gone, and I imagine some would argue for Argo, misguided as they may be  its probably his best-made, and certainly his best-looking: His DP on the film was the virtuoso Robert Elswit, and the polish only adds to his performance.

The leads in Afflecks first two features moved the story along by their own actions from time to time, but the supporting players were given plenty of room to work. Harris and Freeman both received some choice monologues in Gone Baby Gone, with Freemans role proving deceptively large by the end of the movie, while Amy Ryans masterful work as a grieving, imperfect mother is key to the films conceit. And in The Town, Jeremy Renner is allowed to devour the set every time hes in front of the camera, often overshadowing Affleck; the park of an unhinged bank robber is an ideal vehicle for Renners caffeinated intensity, and for most of the film, it feels like hes literally baring his teeth. Meanwhile, Rebecca Hall brings crucial pathos to the potentially filler part of a robbery victim turned love interest, Chris Cooper has a good scene as Afflecks father, and Blake Lively gets to vamp it up in a very Blake Lively way. Most impressive of all, however, is Afflecks decision to cast Jon Hamm as the movies FBI agent. Seen a few years removed from his work in Mad Men, Hamms natural charisma and commanding presence gives the movie a necessary counterweight to the Affleck-Renner combo, the three men occupying a dynamic that is, come to think of it, more or less identical to that of this years highly praised Hell or High Water. It suggests Hamms career will increasingly benefit from the years put between him and Don Draper, and its a credit to Affleck that he saw it in the moment.

Argo changed things. First of all, it didnt take place in Boston, and its subject was international statecraft and the movie industry, not small-time criminals and the cops who chased them. But more than that, the lead role began to fade in importance. If Gone Baby Gone and The Town had casts that convincingly suggested the tight-knit ecosystems of Boston neighborhoods, Argos embraced its continent-spanning concept. There are a million actors in that movie, and they all stand out except for Affleck, whos content to hide behind a beard and a bit of Character Motivation 101  estranged wife and son  so he can work primarily as a facilitator of plot. There are many scenes in Argo in which Affleck sits in a room with John Goodman or Alan Arkin and doesnt say a word, while those two men  supporting actors par excellence  run away with the film. Argo is a high-pitched affair, and as the Hollywood operators tasked with creating the movie-within-a-movie, Goodman and Arkin provide the necessary sense of levity, self-awareness, and joie de vivre that keeps it from floating off into space. They are the engine that makes Argo go, along with the hostages  DuVall, Donovan, and McNairy among them, all getting at least one scene to tear into  and government apparatus, filled with faces like Cranston, Chandler, Messina, and Hall, serious men who lend some gravitas to the least-interesting parts of the film.

And then theres Live by Night. Live by Night is, by consensus, Afflecks least-accomplished film so far, and it marks the nadir of Afflecks favorite archetype, the noble man driven into circumstantial filth. But despite the movies sag and bloat, he still manages to make his cast look great. Live by Night spans two cities and many years, and despite the demands of that scale, Affleck finds at least one moment for each of its characteristically large cast to shine. As Afflecks father, Brendan Gleeson gets a couple of strong speeches at the beginning in which he does some poetic Irish moralizing, his character-actor bread and butter. Sienna Miller is dynamite as Afflecks love interest who never quite cops to whether shes as interested as he is, and her physicality in the film  shes either sauntering around underneath an overweight fur, curled up on Afflecks lap, or leaning on a fence like a queen  is a revelation. Chris Messina gets what might be his biggest movie role to date, playing Afflecks right-hand man, and hes put on a gut and a terrible mustache for the occasion; its like he treated this part as a chance to unequivocally prove that hes killed Danny Castellano and thrown him in a river. Matthew Maher is sufficiently disturbing as the Klan sadist R.D. Pruitt, and Cooper gets to cry over pictures of his corrupted daughter.

Best of all, though, is Elle Fanning. Fanning announced herself in a big way in 2016, with varied and successful performances in Nicolas Winding Refns The Neon Demon, Mike Millss 20th Century Women, and now Live by Night. Affleck does what every good director of actors should do: He gives Fanning a rich part and gets out of the way. As Loretta Figgis, a victimized girl turned fire-and-brimstone preacher, Fanning is the most interesting element of the movie, a female riff on Paul Danos Eli Sunday from There Will Be Blood. Fanning preaches from behind the altar and has a pair of fierce encounters with Affleck, the last of which shows her going off the rails; she infuses the scene with a bereft, childish confusion at herself and the world around her. She casts her eyes away from Affleck and says, mostly to herself, Were all going to Hell. If you remember one moment from Live by Night, itll be that one.

Even if Affleck mightve hit a rut in whats been, otherwise, a charmed first act in his directing career, Live by Night does show that the talent is still there. The film looks good, if a little dark  once again, he conscripted a terrific DP, frequent Quentin Tarantino partner Robert Richardson  and the actors still shine under his supervision. Now, the trick will be for the director, who has The Batman and Witness for the Prosecution  a remake of the Billy Wilder courtroom drama  coming down the pike, to get back on the same page as his writer, producer, and star.
Just imagine his Oscar speech. Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Though Iggy Pop may be on the verge of retirement, he wont bow out without going through the awards-season ringer first. He and Danger Mouse have contributed a song to Matthew McConaugheys Gold  in which McConaughey plays a literal gold digger of sorts  that may very well earn them an Oscar nomination. Gold has already been nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes, and though it lost to the more whimsical City of Stars from La La Land, its still on the list of Oscar-eligible hopefuls, along with 90 other songs. All that recognition and few have even heard the song, co-written by the films director Stephen Gaghan, until today. Iggy Pop has finally released Gold in all its Leonard Cohenchanneling glum Western glory; according to Gaghan, it pops up during a crucial scene where something goes wrong, you know its bad, you just dont know how bad its gonna be. The movie is about a guy who sets out to the Indonesian jungles with very greedy intentions, but one listen to Gold and you might just confuse it for a period piece about the California Gold Rush.
(L-R): Actor Lucas Hedges, director Kenneth Lonergan, and actor Casey Affleck at the AOL Build Series to discuss Manchester by the Sea. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Like Casey Afflecks character in Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan is trying, but he definitely does not want to be here right now. Lonergan, who wrote and directed Manchester but is primarily known as a playwright, has had to suffer through the months-long cavalcade of indignities that constitutes awards season. By now, he is very. Very. Exhausted. Kenneth Lonergan is proud of his movie. Kenneth Lonergan is trying really hard to be genial. Kenneth Lonergan is all of us if we were forced to take part in the never-ending circus of celebrity culture. Kenneth Lonergan would like to go now, please.

Our journey begins in Sundance, where Manchester by the Sea first premiered to widely positive reviews. Here, Lonergan brings along his cast, his daughter, his wife J. Smith-Cameron, and Matt Damon, who just seems like a calming presence.

He also gets to wear a nice parka. Things arent looking too bad.

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 24: (L-R) Actor Lucas Hedges, Writer/Director Kenneth Lonergan and Actor Casey Affleck are seen around town at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2016 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco/GC Images) Photo: Mark Sagliocco/GC Images

At Sundance, Amazon picks up Manchester by the Sea with a $10 million deal. Great news! But for Lonergan himself, the next few months proceed as normal.

In September, Manchester heads to Telluride. Lonergan poses with Emma Stone.

TELLURIDE, CO - SEPTEMBER 03: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Actress Emma Stone and director Kenneth Lonergan attend the Telluride Film Festival 2016 on September 3, 2016 in Telluride, Colorado. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images) Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

He gets to answer questions with Casey Affleck outside. It is tiring, but okay.

TELLURIDE, CO - SEPTEMBER 03: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Director Kenneth Lonergan and actor Casey Affleck speak during a seminar in Elks Park during the Telluride Film Festival 2016 on September 3, 2016 in Telluride, Colorado. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images) Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

On to the Toronto Film Festival. Damon appears once again for moral support.

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 13: (L-R) Actor Casey Affleck, writer/producer Kenneth Lonergan and producer Matt Damon attend the Manchester by the Sea premiere during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festivalat at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images) Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Michelle Williams is very happy. That helps.

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 13: (L-R) Actor Casey Affleck, writer/director Kenneth Lonergan, actors Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges and Kyle Chandler and producer Matt Damon attend the Manchester by the Sea premiere during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images) Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

In October, Lonergan travels to the New York Film Festival with his wife and daughter. He is tired, but bravely carries on.

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Nellie Lonergan, director/writer Kenneth Lonergan and actress J. Smith-Cameron attend the 54th New York Film Festival - Manchester by the Sea World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 1, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic) Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic

Manchester by the Sea premieres in London on October 8.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 08: Actors Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and director Kenneth Lonergan attend the Manchester By The Sea International Premiere screening during the 60th BFI London Film Festival at Odeon Leicester Square on October 8, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI) Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI

Then it goes to Rome, where Lonergan finally gets to sit in a chair.

ROME, ITALY - OCTOBER 14: Director Kenneth Lonergan attends a photocall for Manchester By The Sea during the 11th Rome Film Festival at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on October 14, 2016 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images) Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

In November, the film also premieres in Los Angeles. (Whyd we have to do two premieres? Just show up, Kenny.)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - NOVEMBER 14: Actor Lucas Hedges, actress Michelle Williams, director Kenneth Lonergan, actors Casey Affleck and Matthew Broderick attend the premiere of Amazon Studios Manchester By The Sea at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on November 14, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Swisher Productions) Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Swisher Product

The Manchester by the Sea team goes to something called the AOL Build Series. Nobody quite knows whats going on.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) Actor Lucas Hedges, director Kenneth Lonergan and actor Casey Affleck attend AOL Build Series to discuss their new film Manchester By The Sea at AOL HQ on November 18, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Lonergan has to do a bunch of interviews.

So.

Many.

Interviews.

This one is an hour long!

Manchester by the Sea wins Best Screenplay at the Critics Choice Awards. Kenneth Lonergan smiles, trying to figure out who exactly these critics are.

SANTA MONICA, CA - DECEMBER 11: Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan, winner of Best Original Screenplay for Manchester by the Sea, poses in the press room during The 22nd Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on December 11, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

At the Golden Globes, Lonergan bravely turns the surveillance apparatus against the press.

SANTA MONICA, CA - DECEMBER 11: Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan, winner of Best Original Screenplay for Manchester by the Sea, poses in the press room during The 22nd Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on December 11, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Photo: Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Casey Affleck scores a big win at the Golden Globes, and then gives a very Casey Affleck speech.

And Lonergan is in the audience, watching, cringing, fighting, holding on.

The Oscars take place on Sunday, February 26. As Kenneth Lonergan surely repeats to himself under his breath every morning, there are only six weeks left to go. He can make it. He can make it.
Yesterday we got the first trailer for Urban Myths, a British TV comedy that takes a slightly tongue in cheek, mischievous  and deliberately ambiguous  look at what might have happened in the context of various pop-culture folk yarns. Its otherwise known as the thing that Joseph Fiennes was cast in to play Michael Jackson. The first look at the intentionally strange anthology program from Sky Arts hit its most discomfiting note when Fiennes pops up onscreen as Jackson, outfitted with an extra-grotesque facial prosthesis that seems to intentionally caricature how the pop icon actually looked. As was inevitable, Jackson family members have since seen the clip, and his daughter, Paris, and nephew, Taj, have both voiced their strong displeasure with it via Twitter.

@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast it angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother liz as well  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast where is the respect? they worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. shameful portrayal  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@soledadobrien Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect. https://t.co/WKCiwOqPpN  Taj Jackson (@tajjackson3) January 11, 2017

Fiennes has directly addressed questions regarding his decision to play Jackson, telling The Hollywood Reporter in February of last year that Urban Myths is not a biopic, that he wrangled with whether or not to take the part, and that we need a fair playing field for performers of all races and have to entertain colorblind casting at all levels. To the Jackson family, he also wanted to express that he fell in love with the performer all over again during the course of playing the part, but based on the reactions of Paris and Taj, it seems Fienness comments fell short of comforting.
The worlds greatest mystery, were sure. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Months after the fact and the Weeknd just cannot wrap his head around the way in which Donald Trump says he would sexually assault women. Its the physical mechanics of Trumps threat that particularly has Abel Tesfaye stumped. In a new GQ profile, when asked to consider how fame can increase the opportunity for sex and somehow skew ones sense of consent, the Weeknd says he couldnt fathom anyone ever behaving like Trump. Referencing Trumps infamous grab her by the pussy comments caught on video, he said, I dont know anybody that would do that. I know a lot of people in the industry, and I dont know anybody. Like, a random girl that like you just spoke to? No. I mean  No. How do you even grab a pussy? Like, is it even grabbable? And if anyone would know, its self-professed sexual deviant (in song, anyway) the Weeknd. Despite being Canadian, the Weeknd previously protested Trumps election by refusing to appear on a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live where Trump was also appearing. His GQ interview now reveals the Weeknds post-election reaction to his neighboring country actually making Trump president: America, man. They never fail you. How dare we let him down!
Scorpene submarine Khanderi, known for its superior stealth, was launched by Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: Khanderi, the second Kalvari class submarine, was today launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

Scorpene submarine Khanderi, known for its superior stealth, was launched by Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre.

HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

"I'm confident that the day is not too far when Mazagon Dock Limited will build submarines for other nations as well," Union minister Subhash Bhamre said soon after the launch. The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine includes superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The Stealth features will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine i.e Anti-Surface warfare, Anti-Submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, Mine Laying, Area Surveillance etc. It is built according to the principle of Modular Construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and outfitting them concurrently. Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Honky Tonk Kid BBQ

Westview Village parking lot / 254-749-2368 / On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Hours: 11 to 3 Wednesdays and Thursdays, additional days added as weather warms.

Price: $ (guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: No

On the menu: Texas Prime beef. babyback ribs, locally made sausage, chicken, pulled pork and pork belly loin; sides of cole slaw, potato salad baked beans. Both meats and sides prepared with Asian spice spin.

Good to know: Global fusion take on traditional Texas barbecue with flavoring approaches such as Korean and Hawaiian rotated every two to three weeks.

Restaurant origin: Honky Tonk Kid BBQ has been open since Oct. 2016 after owner/chef Davie Gorham, a former pitmaster with Uncle Dans Barbecue, spent two months in Australia cooking Texas barbecue and other American fare.

The Blasian Asian

202 S. University Parks Drive / 254-640-2940 / On Facebook

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Price: $ (guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: No

On the menu: Cambodian dishes including jakak (grilled beef, pork or chicken on skewers), chicken curry, pad thai, fried rice, egg and spring rolls.

Good to know: Customer favorites are the chicken curry and jakak combo plates.

Restaurant origin: Owners Chavrat Chevy DuBose and her husband Mike DuBose found Cambodian cuisine lacking in Waco after moving here in 2015.

Barnetts Public House

420 Franklin Ave. / 254-714-1356 / www.barnettspublichouse.com and also on Facebook

Hours: 4-11 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays; 4 p.m.-midnight Thursdays; 10:30 a.m.- 1 a.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Price: $-$$ (guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Full bar with specialty cocktails, local craft beers. Wassail available through January.

On the menu: Gourmet sausages served with flatbread, shrimp and jalapeno grits, cheese-based appetizers. Soups on Fridays. Weekend brunch features locally sourced specials, three versions of eggs Benedict, artisan breads. New menu debuting January will include street tacos, more vegetable offerings and lighter fare.

Good to know: Four-course, four-cocktail prix fixe specialty dinner at 7 p.m. Fridays; reservations required.

Fuzzys Taco Shop

215 S. University Parks Drive, Suite 107 / 254-732-1818 / www.fuzzystacoshop.com and also on Facebook

Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Price: $-$$ (see guide below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Full bar

On the menu: Baja-style Mexican food including fish tacos, burritos and nachos plus enchiladas and fajitas plates; salads; and all-day breakfast items including migas, huevos rancheros.

Good to know: Indoor and outdoor patio seating with pet-friendly outdoor seating. Specialties include The Big Fuzz breakfast sandwich (two fried eggs, bacon, potatoes and jalepenos on teleras bread) and a Fuzzy Rita (peach margarita) Laurentiu and Casie Cernat and Mike and Sandy Sandlin opened the Waco location Nov. 4.

Dunkin Donuts

1200 N. Valley Mills Drive / 254-732-0629 / dunkindonuts.com

Hours: 5:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. daily.

Price: $

Takeout: Yes

Good to know: Extensive coffee offerings including espresso, cappuchino and latte; blended coffee drinks and cold brew.

The Mad Hasher

University Parks Drive at Franklin Avenue / 254-299-7971 / madhasherwaco.com / On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-midnight Thursdays-Saturdays.

Price: $ (see guide)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: No

On the menu: Breakfast hashes (basics of fried potatoes, meat and cheese, topped with fried eggs) with multiple optional toppings; and sandwiches (Cuban, two with breakfast sausage/ground sirloin patties, two jalapeno waffle sandwiches).

Good to know: Vegetarian The Green Thumb hash is locally sourced. Candied bacon featured on some sandwiches. Waffle sandwiches have fillings of fried chicken and maple syrup or brisket with barbecue sauce.

Restaurant origin: Owned by Jonya Williams of Rio Brazos Catering Company and opened by Williams and general manager Dean Covic in early September.

Moroso Wood Fired Pizzeria

4700 Bosque Blvd. / 254-235-6000 / morosopizzeria.com / On Facebook, Instagram

Hours: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 5-10 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. Fridays.

Price: $-$$

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Yes Beer, imported and craft, and Italian wines

On the menu: 13 types of Neapolitan pizza (dough from 00 flour, fresh yeast, sea salt and purified water; San Marzano tomatoes; cooked at very high temperature); appetizers including aranchini (fried ravioli balls), made-from-scratch meatballs, charcuterie board; salads; desserts including cannoli, risotta cheesecake and torta al cioccolato (flourless chocolate cake).

Good to know: Tomatoes and flour are imported from Italy with Italian sausage custom-made in Texas. Pizza oven, dough mixer designed for neapolitan pizza. Many recipes are from owner Dan Morosos family.

Restaurant origin: Dan Moroso trained in restaurant and hotel service before following a career as a television production and writer. He and his wife Robyn, a Baylor University graduate with family in Waco, moved to Waco after 17 years in Miami to set up their own restaurant.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 11 (PTI) Hollywood actor Vin Diesel is all set to visit India tomorrow to promote his upcoming film "xXx : Return of Xander Cage" and there are elaborate security arrangements made for his trip.

After promoting the film "xXx : Return of Xander Cage" which marks actress Deepika Padukones debut in Hollywood, in London, Deepika will be hosting Vin Diesel over the course of promotions in Mumbai, a media release issued here said.

advertisement

According to sources, security has been beefed up for Vins maiden visit to the megapolis which will last for two days.

Detailed security measures are being looked into to ensure that the promotions are undertaken smoothly. In order to make arrangements, Vins security team visited India earlier to conduct a recce, they added.

Vin along with Deepika will address the media, then there will be interaction with fans followed by a grand premiere tomorrow.

The Hollywood star will be staying at a luxury hotel in Central Mumbai.

According to sources, the "Bajirao Mastani" actress has planned an after party after the premiere.

"xXx : Return of Xander Cage" also casts Donnie Yen, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Tony Jaa, Nina Dobrev, Toni Collette and Samuel L. Jackson.

Directed by DJ Caruso, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage is a sequel to the 2002 film xXx and 2005 film xXx: State of the Union.

The movie will hit the theatres in India on January 14. PTI KKP NRB PTP

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 12 (PTI) Serbias Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic today invited Indian investors to his country and called for improved bilateral economic ties.

Vucic is on a four-day visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vucic highlighted Serbias will to improve economic ties with India, and further "attract Indian investors to our country".

advertisement

At a meeting hosted by Indian Council on Global Relations, Mumbai in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, Vucic called for boosting trade between the two countries.

He also discussed a long-term goal of creating a visa-free regime between the two nations.

He said Serbia is a land-locked small nation of 7 million which is located between Europe and Asia, and therefore has a keen interest and engagement with both continents.

Vucic said Serbians liked Indians, and both were "freedom-loving peoples".

He admired Indian entrepreneurship, saying that his country would like to embrace such spirit.

"Serbias strategic goal is to be a full member state of the European Union," he added. PTI AP NRB ABM

--- ENDS ---
The PIL has been filed by Mohan Bhide, a chartered accountant and a professor by profession who runs Bhide Kapasi classes in Mumbai.

By Vidya : A Public Interest Litigation in Bombay High Court seeks the scrapping of Maharashtra government's much touted Shivaji statue in Arabian Sea.

Prime minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of 192-meter high statue las month. The statue is expected to be built at the cost of Rs 3,600 crore.

The PIL has been filed by Mohan Bhide, a chartered accountant and a professor by profession who runs Bhide Kapasi classes in Mumbai.

advertisement

Bhide in his petition states, "I have full respect and honour for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But I am against the huge expenditure of hard earned tax payers' money. The project of constructing a statue in the middle of the sea is nothing but a political stunt of all the political parties operating in Maharashtra." He added that the construction of the statue was "illogical and uncalled for".

The petition asks for the project to be scrapped. Bhide's petition states that the government has spent Rs 77 crore on the inauguration ceremony when crores of money is needed for construction of the statue. This comes at a time when, "the government is itself facing financial crunch. Thus it is unnecessary. Last year the government declared drought in over 25,000 villages so the government should focus on addressing these issues first," the petition states.

"Public at large is not concerned with building of such memorials. The public expects the state to provide a better standard of living and better public amenities which is the priority of the day," the petition further elaborates that, "if political parties want to create a memorial for Shivaji Maharaj they should first take steps towards maintaining the forts built by Shivaji and his descendants across the state." The petition alleges that many of these forts are in a dilapidated condition and the government has not taken any measures to retain them.

Bhide's lawyer Ketan Parekh presented the petition today before a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice GS Kulkarni who would take it up for hearing in due course of time.

However, Chief Justice Chellur said, "Have you seen the statue at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu or the statue on Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad? If those state governments can afford it we are sure Maharashtra government is richer even they can afford."

--- ENDS ---
The Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees recently announced the districts first step in its search for a new superintendent.

School board members announced in a press release Tuesday they have hired the Texas Association of School Boards Executive Search Services to assist with the superintendent search.

The board also is asking interested residents, families and parents to sound off about desired qualifications and characteristics for the next superintendent during several community involvement meetings next week. A Texas Association of School Boards search consultant will facilitate the meetings.

Superintendent Bonny Cain announced her retirement in December after serving six years in the district. Though its not clear when a new superintendent will be named, Cains last day is expected to be after graduation in June. She will stay on in the meantime to help with the transition, she said after her announcement.

As Cain looked back on her time with the district, she said she considers herself fortunate to be part of a district that increasingly meets the challenges of a high percentage of families living in poverty. More than 80 percent of the districts students are economically disadvantaged.

WISD must always work with, advocate for and enthusiastically educate its students accordingly, knowing from the start how difficult preparing students for an unknown future can be, she said during her retirement announcement in December.

Cain said she is confident Waco ISD has a bright future ahead and gave two pieces of advice for whoever takes her place: Dont be afraid to ask questions, and hire the right people for the right positions.

My suggestion to the next person coming in or to anybody in this situation: When you have a struggling district, be so careful who you hire. There is no substitute for leadership and getting the right people in those positions, Cain said in December.

Theres an old saying in education that if youve got a weak staff and a strong principal and you have the choice of a strong staff and a weak principal, you choose the weak staff and strong principal, because a strong principal will turn that staff around.

The meetings will be held Tuesday, Wednesday and Jan. 19. Tuesdays meetings will be at 5:10 p.m. at J.H. Hines Elementary and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the University High School Cafeteria and the Dean Highland Elementary Library.

Wednesdays meetings start with one from 11:15 a.m. to noon at the Region 12 Education Service Center, which will be followed by two more from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tennyson Middle School and Cesar Chavez Middle School cafeterias.

Jan. 19s meetings will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the J.H. Hines Elementary Cafeteria and at Carver Park Baptist Church.

Waco ISD Board President Pat Atkins said in the press release he hopes as many community members as possible attend to share their thoughts on the selection process. Input sessions also have been scheduled for Waco ISD faculty, staff, administrators, student leaders, advisory groups and more, according to the press release.

For more information, visit www.wacoisd.org.

-----

If you go

Public meetings to weigh in on Waco ISDs search for a new superintendent

Tuesday, Jan. 17

5:10 p.m., J.H. Hines Elementary cafeteria

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., University High School cafeteria

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dean Highland Elementary library

Wednesday, Jan. 18

11:15 a.m. to noon at Education Service Center Region 12, 2101 W. Loop 340

11:15 a.m. to noon, Waco ISD board room, 501 Franklin Ave.

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tennyson Middle School cafeteria

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Cesar Chavez Middle School cafeteria

Thursday, Jan. 19

1:15 to 2:15 p.m., Waco ISD board room annex A/B, 501 Franklin Ave.

1:15 to 2:15 p.m., Waco ISD board room  media session, 501 Franklin Ave.

2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Waco ISD board room, 501 Franklin Ave.

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., J.H. Hines Elementary School cafeteria

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Carver Park Baptist Church, 1020 Herring Ave.
The entrance to the McLennan County Courthouse could look a little different in coming months as county staff looks to improve security before the first Twin Peaks trial.

Thats not to say the courthouse isnt secure, County Judge Scott Felton said. But with money available from the latest county-issued bond and with a security review already underway as leaders address Americans With Disability Act violations, the timing is right to make some changes, Felton said.

County staff is working with the sheriffs office, courthouse security and an architecture firm to determine the scope of work.

As with all security matters, some details will remain secret, Felton said. There have been discussions of adding a bulletproof glass wall near the entrance of the courthouse where residents must pass through metal detectors monitored by courthouse security to enter the building, Felton said.

Theres a line-of-sight issue at the courthouse anyone can notice, Felton said. The layout of staircases and pillars in front of the glass entry doors limits officials ability to see people approaching the entrance, and the best way to address the issue is still under discussion, he said.

Commissioners received information behind closed doors a few weeks back about possible security devices and measures, County Administrator Dustin Chapman said.

The courthouses age and historic status also presents challenges for many security measures, Chapman said.

A bulletproof glass wall, for instance, might require a heavy gauge steel stud to support the weight, but how that works with the historic building is still under review, he said.

Chapman said the county has a courthouse security fund that could pay for projects. Modifications to the front of the old downtown jail may need to be funded from the countys permanent improvement fund, he said.

Its too early in the process to estimate a cost, he said.

Once we know which direction they are taking with what level well start having those discussions, Chapman said.

High-profile trials tend to draw a lot of people to the courthouse that normally wouldnt be around, and officials expect a crowd at the Twin Peaks trials, Felton said. Courthouse security has already increased foot patrol in the area, he said.

County officials expect tensions and emotions to run high, as they did in the gang-related 2012 capital murder trial of Rickey Cummings, who was later sentenced to death for the March 2011 murders of two men. Potential witnesses in the capital murder trial moved more than once to escape repeated threats, according to Tribune-Herald archives. At least two individuals faced charges of intimidating and threatening potential witnesses in the case.

Sheriffs deputies threatened to clear the courthouse two hours into the first day of the trial as a packed courtroom left a crowd of noisy spectators in the rotunda.

The first Twin Peaks trial is set for April 17, 23 months after the shootout left nine dead and two dozen wounded. Judge Ralph Strother of Wacos 19th State District Court is set to preside. The first biker to stand trial likely will be Christopher Jacob Carrizal; his father, Christopher Julian Carrizal; or Jerry Edward Pierson, all Bandidos from Dallas. Seven other bikers with tentative trial dates from June through December are either Bandidos or Cossacks, according to court records.
Mart police welcomed a newly certified, four-legged member to the departments patrol team Wednesday, thanks to regional outreach and Houston-based nonprofit K9s4COPs.

After three weeks of training in Harris County, Mart police Sgt. Chris Mayfield hit the streets with his new partner, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Nora, and became the first K-9 unit for the department, Mart Police Chief Paul Cardenas said. The pair graduated as a certified K-9 unit in Houston on Tuesday before Mayfield and Nora started their work to reduce drug activity in the small town of about 2,400 people.

Weve been doing some significant drug arrests, even within the last few months, so that is something we are really hoping we can do a lot more interdiction and stop drug activity before it hits the streets, Cardenas said. Before, we would have had to wait for the county or Wacos K-9 unit, but now we finally have our own detection dog.

Cardenas said the five-man department lacked the money and ability to put a single-purpose drug detection dog to work before, but the need has grown as the city has seen more drug activity.

Mayfield is working as a K-9 handler for the first time in his career and said he has always had an interest in working with a police dog.

We would cover vehicle searches, conduct in schools, searching industrial buildings, open lots and everything from chemical smells to loud noises were mixed in, Mayfield said. The class was also moving to different locations just to test the dog, so I really hope she is going to help with the drug problem that the whole area is seeing.

Mart police arrest between 15 and 20 people each month, and about half of the arrests include a narcotics charge, police said. On her first day on the job, Nora successfully searched her first vehicle and found a small amount of marijuana, resulting in a misdemeanor citation for a 21-year-old driver.

The driver refused a vehicle search, so we called for our K-9 and found evidence of drug paraphernalia, Cardenas said. Without K9s4COPs, we never would have been able to get the funding for a K-9 unit.

K9s4COPs

Last month, K9s4COPs founder Kristi Schiller orchestrated a K-9 donation to neighboring Limestone County as a part of the foundations efforts to help law enforcement agencies acquire top-quality police dogs and fund their lifetime of training. Through the nonprofit group, Schiller has worked with the Harris County Sheriffs Office to establish training sessions and certified dog donations, and she said she wanted to expand her outreach in Central Texas to create a stronger K9s4COPs presence in the region.

We gave a dog to Limestone County about a month ago, so I asked the sheriff and handler if they knew of anyone in the area who is deserving of a K-9, Schiller said. Immediately, the handler said I needed to call the Mart police chief, so we touched base and within a few days, they were getting a dog.

In December 2009, Schiller, a former journalist and Houston philanthropist, saw a news report about Harris County Precinct 4 Deputy Constable Ted Dahlin and his K-9 partner, Blek, becoming involved in a foot chase with three burglary suspects. One of the suspects strangled and killed Blek.

Back then, there was not a charity in the United States that did this, but now, we are in 37 states and we are in Paris, France, and we have taken about $175 million in contraband in 51/2 years, Schiller said. I am so incredibly proud of our K-9s, our handlers and all the departments we have been able to help and make communities safer, and I know (Bleks) death wasnt in vain.

About a year ago, K9s4COPs also placed Gero, a single-purpose detection dog, with Waco Independent School District. Schiller said many agencies struggle with funding or ongoing training requirements, but the average K-9 cost of $10,000 to $15,000 is a donation K9s4COPs is happy to cover.

Cardenas said the police department is extremely appreciative of the donation and knows the community is ready for the K-9 unit.

Based on the amount of drug arrests, I think a K-9 unit is definitely needed, and when you look at it from a community relationship-building effort, I think it is definitely a no-brainer, he said. While this is all still new to us as a department, (Nora) and Sgt. Mayfield will be able to do a lot for our community.

For more information, go to k9s4cops.org.
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 boy 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 America  notwithstanding Obamas rather robust drone operations, which eliminated quite a few bad actors who happened to be, or claimed they were, Muslims.

Noteworthy is that these same Obama doubters werent bestirred to suspicion when then-President George W. Bush visited a mosque after 9/11. Nor did they express any concern about Trumps cavalier denial of Russias cyberattack on the United States.

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?

Answer: 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 dismisses as lousy intelligence. And he knows this how? 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.

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.

Obviously, he 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?

Further, Trump would rather make common cause with our fiercest geopolitical adversary than take the word of our best people. Moreover, he has said he wont receive daily security briefings and plans to drastically reduce our security agencies.

Pray tell, whose side is this man on?

Last Friday, Trump met with real American spies who attempted to explain things to him, leaving open the question: Can Trump learn? From his statement following the meeting, it doesnt seem so.

The day before, James Clapper, director of national intelligence, told the Senate Armed Services Committee 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.

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.

Kathleen Parker is author of Save the Males: Why Men Matter, Why Women Should Care.
Congressman Tom Price of Georgia, an orthopedic surgeon, is President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of health and human services. As a physician with concern for our elderly depending on Medicare and our indigent population depending on Medicaid, Im very concerned about his nomination, and heres why.

HHS is the major government body that administers Medicare and provides Medicaid funding to states, programs that primarily help the elderly (especially elderly with limited financial resources) and the indigent (receiving medical coverage under Medicaid and children receiving medical coverage under the Childrens Health Insurance Program). Almost without exception, past secretaries of this agency have reflected a long tradition of physicians as advocates for the most vulnerable, defenders of public health and enthusiastic proponents of scientific approaches to clinical care.

Prices House of Representatives record represents a different tradition. His major interests reflected in his voting record reveal less concern for the sick, the poor and the general health of the public and much more concern for the economic wellbeing of their physician caregivers.

In 2007-2008, he was one of only 47 representatives to vote against the Domenici-Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which improved coverage for mental health care in private insurance plans. He has voted against funding for combating AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and against expansion of the State Childrens Health Insurance Program.

He opposed reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and voted against legislation prohibiting job discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. He opposes stem-cell research and voted against expanding the National Institutes of Health budget and against the recently enacted 21st Century Cures Act, showing particular animus toward the Cancer Moonshot.

Clearly, Prices voting record does not reflect the tradition of the physician as advocate for the poor and vulnerable. He has voted in favor of allowing hospitals to turn away Medicaid and Medicare patients seeking nonemergency care if they could not afford copayments. And he has proposed legislation that would dramatically affect medical-care costs to Medicare patients in his Empowering Patients First Act. Currently, physicians participating in Medicare must agree to accept Medicares payment for services rendered. They may only then bill patients for the remaining 20 percent not covered by the Medicare payment. Under Prices scheme, physicians could set their bill at any higher amount and then bill that increased amount to Medicare patients. Thats empowering physicians income, not empowering patients.

Price has consistently fought strategies for value-based purchasing (i.e., pay for quality, not quantity of care provided), and he has consistently opposed guideline development evidenced by medical literature research. Most amazingly, he has proposed physician specialty societies hold veto power over the release of studies showing that a cheaper drug or medical procedure has equal efficacy to a much more expensive drug or procedure.

Im ashamed to admit that when I was a delegate to the American Medical Association years ago, I financially donated to his initial run for a congressional seat. If only I had known then what I know now. Tom Price is not the physician nor person we want running HHS.

Rodney Richie, M.D., FACP, was medical director of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Centers Hospice Program for many years and recently became medical director of Providence Health Centers nascent Palliative Care Program. He also was on the Medical Ethics Committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. He has been published in multiple journals.
"You have been given a lot of time. You must make the scheduled payment by February 6 to stay out of jail," the top court told Sahara counsels.

By Anusha Soni: The Supreme Court today warned Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy that his parole will be cancelled if he fails to pay Rs 600 crore by February 6. The Sahara Group is engaged in a long legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) over refund of Rs 24,000 crore to investors.

"You have been given a lot of time. You must make the scheduled payment by February 6 to stay out of jail," the top court told Sahara counsels.

advertisement

Roy, 68, is currently out of jail on parole which was granted to him following his mother's death in May, 2016.

Roy and two other directors of Sahara were sent to Tihar jail in New Delhi on March 4, 2014 over their failure to comply with the Supreme Court's August 31, 2012 order asking the company to return to investors the money the two companies had raised with 15 per cent interest.

Sahara had raised Rs 24,000 crore through its two group companies in 2008-09 through optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs).

The Supreme Court is hearing a contempt plea by SEBI against the two companies - Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Finance Corp Ltd (SHICL) - for not complying with its order directing the companies to return investors Rs 17,600 crore.

ALSO READ:

Sahara chief Subrata Roy is going back to Tihar jail, says Supreme Court

Disclose source of funds raised: Supreme Court to Sahara

--- ENDS ---
WAHOO  The Saunders County Board of Supervisors made annual position and committee reappointments at Tuesdays Board meeting.

District 2 Supervisor Doris Karloff will remain as board chair and District 1 Supervisor David Lutton will remain vice chair.

There were no Board committee changes, but two new committees were added to the boards list of duties.

Ed Rastovski will attend Greater Wahoo Development Foundation meetings, with Craig Breunig serving as alternate.

A lake level committee for LakeWanahoo will have Craig Breunig as representative. Doris Karloff and Larry Mach will serve as alternates on that committee.

The Board approved five resolutions that will keep Steve Mika as public works director, Terry Miller as emergency manager, George Borreson as planning and zoning administrator, Herbert Barnes as veterans service officer and Ed Sladky as weed control supervisor.

In other business, contracts were approved for the construction of two box culverts.

Vogtscapes of Bennet will build a box culvert for just under $240,000 and Yong Construction of Valley will build a box culvert for $137,343.

One bridge project near Ithaca was tabled though bids were opened the week prior. Public Works Director Steve Mika said the project could be changed from a bridge to a low water crossing based on information from a different consultant.

Mika said putting in a low water crossing instead of a bridge could save the county several hundred thousand dollars.

Mika also said that three of the eight projects submitted recently to the County Bridge Match program through the Nebraska Department of Roads were approved.

The three projects would replace three structurally deficient bridges with corrugated metal pipes.

The Board also went into closed session for negotiation matters and litigation matters.
WAHOO  Construction of the new hog barn on the Saunders County Fairgrounds in Wahoo showed some obvious progress last week.

Were in the erection of the building phase, said Saunders County Agricultural Society President Kurt Ohnoutka.

Central Confinement Service of Columbus, who the building was purchased from, is also completing this phase of construction and began installing steel beams into the concrete footing early last week.

There is no timetable for completion, but it should not take too long, Ohnoutka said.

Central Confinement Service will install the framework of the building and the roof.

Then, depending on the weather, electricity, plumbing and the concrete flooring will be installed in the spring, Ohnoutka said.
In a blow to the Tamil Nadu government in November last year, the Supreme Court had dismissed the state's plea seeking recall of its 2014 verdict banning the bull fights, holding that the practice amounted to cruelty to the animals

By India Today Web Desk: In the wake of growing chorus for removal of the ban on Jallikattu, the Supreme Court today ruled out an interim order on the bull-taming sport before Pongal.

According to ANI, the Supreme Court said the draft of Jallikattu judgment had been prepared but it was not possible for the court to deliver it before Saturday when Pongal will be celebrated in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is held during the festival.

advertisement

Two days ago, the Tamil Nadu government urged the Centre to consider promulgating an ordinance to resume the sport this year.

The Centre had then said said it would take a stand on the issue once the matter was decided by the Supreme Court while hoping that the apex court would "take care" of the sentiments of society.

"The moment the decision comes, tomorrow or day after tomorrow, we will take our stand. I think the Court will take care of the sentiments of society. It is the tradition. The moment decision will come, we will examine and we will go ahead," Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave had said.

ALSO READ: Law was amended after Shah Bano case, can do it for jallikattu too: Venkaiah at India Today Conclave

SUPPORT SWELLS FOR JALLIKATTU

In the last few days, several people have spoken in support of the sport at public forums. Actor Kamal Haasan said all those who want to ban the sport should also give up on biryani.

"If you want a ban on jallikattu, let's also ban biryani," Kamal Haasan had said at the India Today Conclave South on January 9.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave South, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had hinted that the Centre, in view of the emotional connect the people of Tamil Nadu have with the sport, is thinking of a way out after the Supreme Court banned it in 2014.

In a blow to the Tamil Nadu government in November last year, the Supreme Court had dismissed the state's plea seeking recall of its 2014 verdict banning the bull fights, holding that the practice amounted to cruelty to the animals.

ALSO READ:

Kamal Haasan at India Today Conclave: If you want to ban jallikattu, ban biryani too

Centre will take a stand on Jallikattu once SC decides about it

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 12 (PTI) Donald Trumps secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson has said he does not support blanket travel ban against Muslims even as he asserted that the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but in the war of ideas.

"I think whats important is that we are able to make a judgement about the people that are coming into the country. And so no, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people," the 64-year-old former ExxonMobil CEO told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

advertisement

"But clearly, we have serious challenges to be able to vet people coming into the country particularly, under the current circumstances because of the instability in the parts of the world that its occurring," he said.

"Its a huge challenge and I dont think we can just close our eyes and ignore that. We have to be very clear-eyed about recognising that threat and developing a means to deal with it," Tillerson said.

President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to temporarily ban Muslim travel and immigration to the country after a wave of terrorist attacks carried out or inspired by the Islamic State in Europe and the US.

He has since walked back that promise, instead saying he would ban immigration from countries where terrorism is prevalent.

Tillerson, however, said he would require more information on how the government would approach constructing a registry of Muslims before he would consider lending his support to creating one.

"I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well ? other groups that are threats to the US," he said.

Tillerson said the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but must triumph in the war of ideas.

Tillerson said that because of his past work, he has travelled extensively to Muslim countries.

"Ive gained an appreciation and recognition of this great faith. Thats why I made a distinction that we should support those Muslim voices that reject this same radical Islam that we reject," he noted.

"Now, this is part of winning the war other than on the battlefield. I mentioned we have to win it, not just on the battlefield. Weve gotta to win the war of ideas and our of our greatest allies in this war is going to be the moderate voices of Muslim, of people in the Muslim faith, who speak from their perspective and their rejection of that representation of what is otherwise a great faith," he said.

advertisement

"My expectation is that were going to be able to reengage with our traditional friends and allies in the region. Not just in the middle east but I think as you pointed out there are large Muslim populations in South East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, other important countries in that part of the world where we have serious issues of common issues as well," he said.

Radical Islam, he said, poses a grave risk to the stability of nations and the well-being of their citizens.

Tillerson said eliminating ISIS would be the first step in disrupting the capabilities of other groups and individuals committed to striking Americas homeland and allies. PTI LKJ PMS

--- ENDS ---
"I've always said if you've nothing nice to say about someone, then you should say nothing. So I'll say nothing."

"We were filming the scene where Roger slips between the sheets when Grace suddenly produced a huge black dildo from under the covers. She was screaming with laughter for about 10 minutes, although I'm not sure Roger saw the funny side."

"I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off cliffs."

"When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?"

You May Also Like

1. A View To A Kill was the second film in Roger Moore's lucrative two-picture deal negotiated to entice him to reprise the part of Bond in time for the 20th Anniversary feature, Octopussy , and although there was talk in the press that Moore would be back for yet another outing as 007 after this, he was never once offered an eighth picture. Albert R. Broccoli even went so far as stating he felt that retaining Moore, who turned 57 during filming, had been a mistake.However, Roger Moore remembers it differently. He said that he finally realised enough was enough and decided to end his run as James Bond himself. He came to the decision when Tanya Roberts, who played his love-interest in A View To A Kill, Bond Girl Stacey Sutton, introduced him to her mother who was visiting her on-set. Moore discovered she was younger than him!2. On the subject of this film's Bond Girls, in his 2008 biography My Name Is My Bond, Roger Moore says he never felt there was any chemistry between him and Tanya Roberts, which may not be surprising considering he was twice her age. Moore also revealed something of a dislike of one of A View To A Kill's other Bond Girls, May Day, as played by Grace Jones.Well, I say hea dislike for Jones, this is actually what he wrote...Director John Glen can shed some light on their relationship, as in his memoirs he wrote,3. David Bowie was first in line to play Max Zorin, and was officially offered the part. He became so close to taking the role that early publicity for A View To A Kill in 1984 included an announcement that Bowie would be playing the Bond villain in the film.That press release jumped the gun a bit as he ended up turning it down, saying,After Bowie passed on the role it was offered to Sting, who also declined, and finally to Christopher Walken, who became the first Academy Award-winning actor to star in a Bond film. Not bad company to keep.4. As well as being Roger Moore's final Bond film, A View To A kill also marked Lois Maxwell's final appearance as Miss Moneypenny. She was the only actor still working on the series since the first release, way back in 1962 with Dr. No After she was told that she would be retiring from the role, she asked if her character could be killed off or even become the M character as a promotion. Maxwell later said that at the time Cubby Broccoli told her that audiences would not accept James Bond being given orders by a woman.5. Maud Adams revealed that whilst visiting her friend Roger Moore on location she ended up appearing as an extra in the crowd during one of the Fisherman's Wharf scenes. Director John Glen also later confirmed Adams appearance.Adams, of course, had already appeared in two other Roger Moore Bond films. In 1973 she played Andrea Anders in The Man with the Golden Gun, and the title character in 1983's Octopussy. You can see her above, she's behind and to the left of David Yip's character Chuck Lee, she's wearing sunglasses and walking with her then boyfriend.6. It seemshad visitors whilst they were on location filming A View To A Kill. Dolph Lundgren, who was dating Grace Jones at the time, made his debut on screen appearance whilst he was visiting Jones on set. One of the extras hadn't turned up so John Glen asked Lundgren if he wanted to fill in for him.Lundgren's character is called Venz, he's one of General Gogol's KGB Agents, and you can see him during the confrontation between Gogol and Zorin at the racetrack, standing several steps below Gogol.7. When a company with a name similar to Zorin (the Zoran Corporation) was discovered in the United States, a disclaimer was added to the start of the film affirming that Zorin was not related to any real-life company. Making A View To A Kill the first Bond film to feature a disclaimer.8. Duran Duran was chosen to record the theme song for A View To A Kill after bassist John Taylor (a lifelong Bond fan) approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party, and somewhat drunkenly asked,Duran Duran's A View to a Kill reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, thus becoming the most successful song in the James Bond series.9. The mayor of San Francisco at the time of filming, Dianne Feinstein was a big Bond fan, and Roger Moore was her favorite of the first three actors to play 007. Because of this she granted all the necessary permits to film in the city without hesitation.Thanks to this unprecedented level of co-operation from the San Francisco authorities, producer Albert R. Broccoli insisted that the film's premiere take place in the city, at the Palace of Fine Arts on May 22nd 1985. Making A View To A Kill the first Bond film to premiere outside the UK.10. The title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story From a View to a Kill (although the film has an entirely original screenplay), and it's a title which didn't translate well, meaning the film was totally renamed in nearly every foreign territory. Among them, it was known as In The Face Of Death (Germany), Dangerously Yours (France), Moving Target (Italy), The Beautiful Prey (Japan), Dangerous Mission (Belgium), Operation: Moving Target (Greece), and Living Target (Sweden).Maybe it's because of the change of title that the Swedish dub and subtitles were incorrect for almost 15 years. As Max Zorin and May Day are hovering over the Golden Gate Bridge in their airship, she says "Wow, what a view", to which Zorin should add "...To a kill!" However, in the Swedish dub Zorin inexplicably says "Tokyo!"
By Press Trust of India: crisis

Amaravati, Jan 12 (PTI) Stating that Chennai was facing a grave drinking water crisis even before the onset of summer, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today requested Andhra Pradesh to immediately release at least two TMC ft of Krishna water from the Telugu Ganga project.

While promising to consider Tamil Nadus request, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu suggested his counterpart that he exert pressure on upper riparian states Maharashtra and Karnataka --through the Centre -- to release water downstream in Krishna.

advertisement

"We will assess the water availability position here and take a decision on releasing more water as we have already released one TMC ft. We are also facing water shortage here," Chandrababu said.

Panneerselvam, who flew down here from Chennai this morning, held a meeting with Chandrababu at the AP Secretariat at Velagapudi and discussed the Telugu Ganga water issue.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister told his AP counterpart that only 1.5 TMC ft of water was currently available in Chennai city, though it had tanks with a total storage capacity of 11.5 TMC ft.

"We are facing a grave drinking water crisis even before the summer. So we need at least two TMC ft of water immediately to mitigate the crisis," Panneerselvam told Chandrababu.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, AP Planning Board vice chairman Kutumba Rao said AP had already released one TMC ft of water that would soon reach Chennai.

"Our CM told the Tamil Nadu CM that dams and reservoirs in Maharashtra and Karnataka are full of water and they should release it downstream since our reservoirs are not full. He suggested that Tamil Nadu bring pressure on those two governments through the Centre for release of water," Kutumba Rao, who also took part in the meeting, said.

Chandrababu also told Panneerselvam that the issue of water release to Chennai through Telugu Ganga project would be taken up with the Krishna River Management Board.

"The KRMB should decide the proportionate share of water to be released by Telangana and AP post bifurcation," Chandrababu added.

AP also asked Tamil Nadu to release Rs 443 crore as the latters share in the Telugu Ganga project.

"There are differences in claims over this between the two states but we told the Tamil Nadu delegation that the accountant generals estimate was final. Panneerselvam agreed to release some amount soon but did not specify how much," Kutumba Rao said.

Officials of water resources departments of AP and Tamil Nadu would soon meet in Tirupati for further talks on Telugu Ganga water sharing. PTI DBV DK ARK

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Volkswagen took a major step toward resolving one of the darkest chapters in its history Wednesday, pleading guilty to an emissions-cheating scandal and agreeing to pay $US4.3 billion ($5.8 billion) in criminal and civil charges as the US announced charges against five new individuals.

As part of its settlement, VW pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and using false statements to import cars to the US. VW executives Heinz-Jakob Neusser, Jens Hadler and Richard Dorenkamp were among those charged with conspiracy.

The court filings detail a scheme in which the German automaker deceived regulators and customers for years, and dozens of employees destroyed documents, even after the scandal broke in September 2015.

The emissions-cheating disclosures undermined the sterling reputation of German engineering and threatened the viability of a company that vies with Toyota as the world's biggest carmaker. Volkswagen pressed to resolve investigations and lawsuits as quickly as possible, while working to repair its reputation with car buyers and dealers. It's now selling more cars and trucks then ever, offsetting declines in the US with strong sales in China.
Australia's dodgy oil and gas treaty with East Timor is dead. Now it's time to negotiate fair and permanent maritime boundaries with our tiny neighbour.

This week's joint announcement from the governments of Australia and East Timor that the 2006 Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS) Treaty will soon be terminated is a modest, but important first step towards resolving a long and bitter feud.

At least 10,000 people gathered outside the Australian embassy in Dili, the capital of East Timor, on Tuesday to protest against Australia's stance on the oil and gas meridian line in the Timor Sea. Credit:Wayne Lovell/Timor Photography

Terminating CMATS has the potential to clear away some of the debris that successive Australian governments have generated in their unscrupulous pursuit of Timor's oil and allow the two nations to start afresh on the fundamental problem at the heart of the dispute; where exactly to establish permanent maritime boundaries.

However, the odds are that the Timorese still have a long and bumpy road ahead of them given Australia's track record of stalling and derailing similar negotiations in the past. As was the case during Timor's long struggle for independence, fair-minded voices in the Australian community will be needed to maintain pressure on the Australian government and hold it to account.
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 12 (PTI) The US will send a "clear signal" to China that it must abandon its artificial islands in the South China Sea, Donald Trumps secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson has warned, hitting out at the communist giant for its "extremely worrisome" activities in the disputed waters.

advertisement

"Were going to have to send China a clear signal that first, the island-building stops, and second, your access to those islands also not going to be allowed," the 64-year-old former ExxonMobil CEO told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

"Chinas activity in this area is extremely worrisome and I think, again, a failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this," he said in response to a question.

The former oil executive said Chinas island-building activities in the disputed waters and its declaration of an air defence identification zone over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea were "illegal actions".

"They are taking territory or control or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas," he said, asserting that "building islands and then putting military assets on those island is akin to Russias taking of Crimea."

He said it is a "threat to the entire global economy" if China is allowed to somehow "dictate" the terms of passage through these waters.

"So this is a global issue of great importance to many, many of our important allies, but certainly to people in the region," Tillerson said.

"We find we are where we are and we just have to deal with it, and the way weve got to deal with it is were going to have to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia and I think use some existing structures to begin the re-engagement," he said, adding that there is USD 5 trillion of economic trade going through those waters every day.

Throwing enough hints that the US will adopt a strong stance against China under a Trump Administration, he said, "I think part of where we struggled with China is we do have important economic relationships. Our economies are intertwined. But weve got to step back and look at all of Chinas activities."

He said there are international processes for dealing with that and China should respect those international processes.

"Some of their actions have already been challenged at the courts in the Hague and they were found to be in violation," he noted.

advertisement

China claims almost the whole of the resource-rich South China Sea (SCS). Its claim, however, is strongly contested by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

An international tribunal -- whose jurisdiction Beijing rejected -- ruled last year that there was no legal basis to such claims. (MORE) PTI LKJ PMS

--- ENDS ---
This week Sydneysiders will have their first opportunity to view the hauntingly beautiful artworks painted by Myuran Sukumaran during his final days on death row in Bali's Kerobokan prison.

While the exhibition, Another Day in Paradise which opens at the Campbelltown Arts Centre on Friday, is a chance to reflect on his life and the brutality of the death penalty, we mustn't shy away from a difficult home truth: the Australian Federal Police's role in his death.

A woman walks past a series of paintings of the Bali Nine by Myuran Sukumaran that are a part of the Another Day in Paradise exhibition. Credit:Kate Geraghty

In April 2015, Indonesia executed Sukumaran by firing squad, alongside Andrew Chan, a fellow member of the so-called Bali Nine who had also been convicted of drug trafficking offences.

The execution of the two men united Australia against the death penalty as never before. The men's rehabilitation during their 10 years in prison, as well as the harshness of the ultimate penalty, had struck a chord. Hundreds of thousands of Australians campaigned for mercy and gathered together for candlelight vigils and protests around the country.
The Duke of Cambridge comforted a nine-year-old girl who had lost her father, and told her how important it is to talk about her grief.

During a visit to an east London bereavement centre with the Duchess of Cambridge, the prince asked Aoife: "Do you know what happened to me?

"You know I lost my mummy when I was very young too. I was 15 and my brother was 12. So we lost our mummy when we were young as well.

"Do you speak about your daddy? It's very important to talk about it, very, very important."
Is it because, despite the leaps and bounds the industry is making, Asian men are still seen as unmarketable? Is it the same prejudice that sees Hollywood cast white actors in roles that should have gone to people of colour (Ghost in the Shell, Doctor Strange, Aloha) or, worse still, make up white actors to look like Asian people (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Short Circuit)?

We face an uncomfortable double standard when it comes to sexual perceptions of Asian people. Asian women are often fetishised as docile, subservient creatures whose sole purpose is providing sexual or emotional satisfaction (see: Xu Qing's silent character in 2012's Looper, credited as "Old Joe's wife", because we don't have identities outside our relationships with white men; or Harry Potter's love interest Cho Chang, a "bestselling caricature", as Rachel Rostad brilliantly puts it). Or we're oversexualised and "crazy" (see: Brenda Song in The Social Network). These characters exist solely as pawns in the white man's game, and the "yellow fever" trope rings true in real life too  being an Asian woman on online dating sites is a truly terrifying experience, let me tell you.

On the other hand, Asian men are often stripped of sexuality altogether, commonly portrayed only as karate masters (see: Jackie Chan) or socially hopeless, high pants-wearing nerds with thick accents (see: Brian Tochi in Revenge of the Nerds). Every time Gedde Watanabe's Long Duk Dong appears on screen in 1984's Sixteen Candles, a gong plays, and he's only perceived as desirable by a character nicknamed "Lumberjack" for her large, awkward physique. Of course the only girl who wants the Asian guy is also undesirable by Hollywood standards. Though said films were released decades ago, these stereotypes continue to pigeonhole Asian actors.

It plays out the same way in the off-screen world: statistics show that Asian men receive the fewest hits on online dating websites and are rated lowest across the board heterosexually, while "no blacks, no Asians" is a common catch-cry on gay apps like Grindr. The opposite has been shown to be true for Asian women. As Asians, we're a blank fantasy or nothing at all.
The travel plans of hundreds of Australian holidaymakers are uncertain with Tigerair cancelling flights in and out of Bali due to approval issues with the Indonesian government.

About 700 customers were stranded during the busy January holiday period on Wednesday after Tigerair cancelled four Bali flights due to what it referred to as "new administrative requirements imposed by the Indonesian government".

Tigerair has cancelled all flights to and from Bali on Thursday.

A flight from Bali to Melbourne on Friday morning has also been cancelled, with the five remaining Friday flights currently under review.
Four young children were allegedly left inside a locked car in Sydney's west on Wednesday afternoon, as the mercury hit its peak of 40.9 degrees.

Police and paramedics were called to the Officeworks car park on Canterbury Road at Bankstown at 3pm, after being alerted by a concerned passerby.

The children, aged 9, 8, 7 and 6, were crying inside the car at the time, the passerby said.

The children were helped from the vehicle by witnesses and were not injured.
Last week gaming hardware company Razer debuted Project Valerie, a cutting-edge laptop concept that switches automatically between one and three displays. On Sunday, two prototype models were stolen from the Razer booth at CES 2017. The company is offering $US25,000 ($33,960) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

The news of the theft was posted to Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan's Facebook page this week. Tan noted that two unspecified prototypes had been taken from the Razer booth, condemning the act of potential "industrial espionage" as "cheating".

Razer's prototype can automatically switch from a single-screen setup to three screens.

"At Razer, we play hard and we play fair. Our teams worked months on end to conceptualize and develop these units and we pride ourselves in pushing the envelope to deliver the latest and greatest", he wrote.

"We treat theft/larceny, and if relevant to this case, industrial espionage, very seriously  it is cheating, and cheating doesn't sit well with us. Penalties for such crimes are grievous and anyone who would do this clearly isn't very smart".
A wealthy Melbourne family is putting up $4 million to build more than 50 portable homes for disadvantaged people on vacant VicRoads properties in a unique project to tackle the city's homelessness crisis.

The social housing project is mostly being privately funded by philanthropists Brad Harris, who co-owns the Sporting Globe Bar and Grill chain of nine restaurant-bars, and his father, Geoff Harris, who co-founded Flight Centre.

Brad Harris said homelessness was the No. 1 issue facing Victoria.

"Having a roof overhead and food in your stomach is fundamental. It's unacceptable that in a wealthy society like ours we've allowed this problem to grow worse," Mr Harris said.
The class gap is growing in Australia.

The delineation between the "haves" and the "have nots" is becoming more pronounced, particularly in Aboriginal communities, and people are genuinely suffering financially.

Some were handed out gift vouchers for $1500, redeemable at alcohol outlets like Liquorland.

Christmas time can only exacerbate this issue.

In December, Gumala Aboriginal Corporation decided to make a goodwill gesture to ensure there was some festive cheer for our members, including food on the table, clothes on their backs and toys for their kids.
Police have charged a 37-year-old man over shooting 19-year-old Jake Turner in the thigh on Tuesday in Midvale.

Police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said the man was wanted by police to help with inquiries in the matter, and was charged after being located at a Hazelmere property on Wednesday night.

Police are searching for a red Holden Monaro in relation to the shooting. Credit:WA Police

Mr Turner was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital after he was shot in the thigh outside a Ferguson Street property around 12.45pm.

Earlier reports suggested the shooting may have been drug-related.
Police have clashed with protesters at the Roe 8 building site, after the fences guarding the area were pushed down, a woman holed up in a tree platform and more people chained themselves to machinery.

Protests ramped up on Thursday morning in Coolbellup, where clearing of bushland is due to continue to make way for the controversial Roe 8 road, which is part of the planned Perth Freight Link.

6PR journalist Belinda Cameron said a large amount of people had gathered at the site early in the morning, singing and chanting "give it up Colin".

"Things have really kicked off this morning. When I arrived there were about 1000 people lining the gates that surround the site."
State chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that students of all government colleges across Madhya Pradesh will have to follow a uniform dress code from the new academic session.

By Hemender Sharma: Students of all government colleges across Madhya Pradesh will have to follow a uniform dress code from the next academic session. State chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement today at a student panchayat organised at his residence in Bhopal.

A final call on the implementation of common dress code in all colleges of the state is yet to be taken; however, the state education minister has already given enough hints suggesting uniform dress for students of all government colleges. Penalties for breaking the dress code rule has not been announced as yet.

advertisement

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW According to the decision making panel, the move is likely to usher in a sense of discipline among the students. The panel believes the common dress code is required to prevent the visible economic disparity among students coming from different sections of the society. Some colleges, however, have objected to the idea of having a uniform dress code. According to sources, the government has been petitioned by some of these colleges stating that the decision could create problems rather than solving them. The state government has also decided to introduce a common half-sleeve jacket for all college teachers. The National Institute of Fashion Design has been roped in to design jackets for the teachers. The design of the jacket is identical to the Nehru jacket; however, the government is refraining from calling it a Nehru jacket. The state government has also decided to reintroduce board exams in class 5 and class 8 in all government schools. "The state government will also pay the fees of those students who score above 85 per cent and get admission in good colleges. Those students who are keen on appearing for the state civil services can also avail free coaching, irrespective of their caste," Shivraj Singh said today. Currently, the government provides free coaching only to students from the SC and ST category.

ALSO READ | Strict dress code imposed on Kolkata law college students

No more colour dress, wear pink and brown uniforms: Bhopal's Sarojini Naidu Government college authorities to students

--- ENDS ---
WA Environment Minister Albert Jacob has rejected calls to stop clearing 98ha of bushland for the controversial Roe 8 road project and wait another eight weeks until the state election, given Labor opposes it.

Mr Jacob says he is "comfortable" with the land being cleared now, despite the fact the clearing would be wasted if Labor wins office, with Opposition Leader Mark McGowan last week committing to axing the $450 million project.

The project has already been significantly delayed enough, has been subjected to strict environmental approvals and what happens after the election is a matter for a future government, he says.

The delays are partly due to legal action to stop it by opponents.
CNN published a story Tuesday saying that much. And with the door cracked open, BuzzFeed pushed through. In doing so, the digital behemoth - which for years has balanced a tension between its start as a lighthearted click factory and, under Smith and a serious news team, a purveyor of investigative journalism and breaking news. "Publishing this dossier reflects how we see the job of reporters in 2017," Smith wrote. In other words, readers are grown-ups and deserve to be treated as such, not paternalistically protected from information that might upset them. True enough, but it avoids the larger point: It's a bad idea, and always has been, to published unverified smears. The decision certainly resulted in clicks. It also brought approval and disapproval, in some cases from unexpected quarters. Richard Tofel, president of ProPublica, praised the decision: "Kudos to @buzzfeedben and his team for publishing the dossier. Once CNN story out, citizens should have evidence to consider for themselves." Vice columnist Michael Tracey noted that while WikiLeaks had been "relentlessly attacked" for publishing verified, authentic information, BuzzFeed was being "cheered for publishing what appears to be a total sham."

And in the New York Post, columnist and longtime magazine editor John Podhoretz made a solid point: "In my experience, there is no source of whom you need to be more skeptical, and whose information you need to verify to the letter before you can even begin to think of publishing it, than an 'intelligence' source." Once BuzzFeed published, of course, the dam burst. Slate followed, publishing the documents itself, and anyone in the world had access with a few keystrokes. Trump immediately took to Twitter to brand the information "fake news" and to blame a political witch hunt. The publication of the documents does, indeed, give fuel to the notion that the press is out to get him.

Most mainstream outlets even now are staying away from the specifics of the report, said to be prepared by a former British intelligence official. Those media organisations don't get much credit these days for skepticism and editorial judgment, but for the most part, they have shown it here. I don't fault BuzzFeed for lack of skepticism here. Smith was clear with readers that the information he was publishing couldn't be verified and, indeed, there was no reason to believe that much of it was true. What I fault him for was plunging down a slippery ethical slope from which there is no return. In an era when trust in the media is already in the gutter, this does absolutely nothing to help. But even that isn't the core point, which is far simpler: Loading
In India, as elsewhere around the world, touching something with the bottom of your feet, especially if they are dirty, is considered a sign of immense disrespect. It is customary to remove one's footwear before entering someone else's home or a place of worship.

So when Phoenix-based Ratnesh Mishra came across a picture of an Indian flag doormat on Amazon's Canadian website, he was incensed. He wrote a Facebook post and tagged India's prime minister, its ruling party and its famously social-media-savvy foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj.

An Indian flag Credit:AP

On Wednesday, a week after Mishra's post, Swaraj took up his cause on Twitter, responding to one of the hundreds of people who have petitioned her to demand action from Canadian authorities. Her tweet storm escalated the protest into a possible diplomatic spat.

Her Twitter messages included: "Indian High Commission in Canada This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level"; "Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately"; and "If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier."
President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by family members, waits to be introduced for the news conference. Credit:AP What have we got here? We have reports on an explosive document that has been floating around Washington for the best part of a year - but which was first alluded to in print only in the weeks before the November election, by Mother Jones magazine, and which has been published in its entirety only this week, and only by BuzzFeed. Vladimir Putin's people have denied they were spying on Trump. Credit:AP A report from Moscow - Vladimir Putin's guys deny they were spying on Trump, claiming that the dossier on their efforts to compromise Trump as far back as 2013 and its contents are "pulp fiction". To which a reasonable man could respond, "Well they would say that."

And reports from New York - Trump denies it all too. To which a reasonable man again could respond, "Well he would say that." President-elect Donald Trump with Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Credit:AP And a long report by Molly McKew in Politico magazine last week, in which this one-time adviser to the governments of Georgia and Moldova, attempts to put the minutiae of Moscow's messing with the West, and especially the back-and-forth about the Democrats' emails being hacked and, now, the Moscow fling that Trump did or didn't have, into an over-arching, geopolitical narrative. McKew's thesis, contained in two paragraphs, is worth considering: "Even this week, as Barack Obama tries to confront Russia's open and unprecedented interference in our political process [by hacking the Democratic Party's computers], the outgoing White House is so far responding to 21st century hybrid information warfare with last century's diplomatic toolkit: the expulsion of spies, targeted sanctions, potential asset seizure. The incoming [Trump] administration, while promising a new approach, has betrayed a similar lack of vision. Their promised attempt at another 'reset' with Russia is a rehash of a policy that has utterly failed the past two American administrations. Rex Tillerson put Russia and China back on the global fear map. Credit:Bloomberg

"What both administrations fail to realise is that the West is already at war, whether it wants to be or not. It may not be a war we recognise, but it is a war. This war seeks, at home and abroad, to erode our values, our democracy, and our institutional strength; to dilute our ability to sort fact from fiction, or moral right from wrong; and to convince us to make decisions against our own best interests." Seen in that light, is there an argument that the unfolding, Hollywood-esque scenario of hacked Democratic emails and the political and personal embarrassment of an incoming Republican president all are a part of a Putin plot to delegitimise American democracy? It's not as though Putin was going to hold a press conference to announce that his intelligence agents had been poking around in the Democrats' emails and, look at this, would you believe what Jon Podesta was saying about Hillary Clinton? Or that in the interests of American democracy, he thought it was important that his guys keep the cameras running 24/7 while Trump was in Moscow and, "Here you go, here's the video of his antics at the Ritz-Carlton!" No. It's far more plausible and destructive for all this material, on the Democrats and on Trump, to arrive in the public domain as it has - through WikiLeaks in the case of the Democrats, and through the US intelligence agencies and/or reporters in the case of Trump, as witting or unwitting puppets of Putin. That's not to say that this is what has happened - but certainly, it's a plausible reading of events.

Equally plausible, and not mutually exclusive, is that Trump and the US intelligence services are being gamed into an impossible relationship on the eve of him taking over the White House. Throughout a gruelling election campaign Trump frequently rebuked and ridiculed the intelligence services over the Iraq War and the non-existent WMD, and more recently over their finding that the Russian hacking of the Democrats and the release through WikiLeaks of bundles of sensitive and damaging emails was a deliberate bid to help his campaign. Obviously, there was going to be payback, which might just have been the intelligence chief's decision to include a summary of the dossier in their briefing to Trump - on which Obama and eight Congressional chief were CC-ed. And given Trump's accusation that the intelligence services had leaked the dossier, there might even be more payback. The President-elect's unsubstantiated charge against the agencies ignored the fact that news of and versions of the dossier have been floating in media and political circles since early 2016. Trump's over-weaning bromance with Putin and Moscow makes him a sitting duck for this kind of play - as early as 1987 he was urging a US-Soviet alliance against France and Pakistan; his campaign questioning of NATO's relevance was music to Moscow's ears, as was his praise for Moscow's intervention in Syria and as is his continuing refusal to criticise Putin or Moscow.

Similarly, replete as the public record is with so many accounts of Trump cutting corners and scarpering with other people's money, if Moscow was looking around for a sitting duck, how could it pass Trump as a target? And for all that, a possible breach of the bromance was evident during Wednesday's press conference, when Trump conceded, after denying and deflecting for months, that Moscow might have been responsible for the Democratic hacking. "I think it was Russia," he told the reporters. But then he did what his opponents will do with accounts of the Moscow dossier - he implicitly defended the hacking because of the political value, as he saw it, of the Democratic emails leaked after the hacking. But there was still that yearning to hold hands and play. "if Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability," he said. "I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin - I hope so, but there's a good chance that I won't." Perhaps Trump has been talking to his secretary of state designate Rex Tillerson, the former chief executive of ExxonMobil, who was being grilled at a Senate confirmation hearing at the same time as Trump was being grilled by the press.

Explaining that Putin wanted to rebuild Russia's global prestige, he told the senators that the Moscow mindset was "Russia is here, Russia matters and Russia is a force to be dealt with". Revealing a bit more steel than Trump, Tillerson said that Russia had to be asked, "Do you want this to get worse, or does Russia desire a different relationship?" Observing the clash in values between the US and Russia, he concluded: "We're not likely ever to be friends." But describing Russia as possibly an "unfriendly adversary" as opposed to an across-the-board "enemy", Tillerson said: "With Russia, engagement is necessary in order to define what is that relationship going to be. There is scope to define a different relationship that can bring down the temperature around the conflicts we have today." Loading Trump, who in the months between Wednesday's press conference and his last such outing had fired off about 1600 tweets, was belting them out through Wednesday morning - one of which included: "intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?"
The Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs was in Patna on a four-day tour of Bihar.

By Press Trust of India: Union Minister and LJP president Ramvilas Paswan was admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Patna late Thursday evening after he complained of breathlessness.

His younger brother and Bihar LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras told PTI from the hospital that the minister complained of breathlessness and was taken to the hospital around 8:30 PM where doctors were examining him.

advertisement

As the news of Paswans admission in the hospital spread, LJP supporters started gathering outside the hospital on Bailey road here.

Paswan, Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, earlier arrived here today on a four-day tour of the state during which he had some political engagements in Patna, Khagaria, Begusarai and Mokamah before hosting Makarsankranti feast in Patna on January 15.

LJP spokesman Ashraf Ansari said that the ministers wife and MP son Chirag Paswan are with him in the hospital.

Also read: Service charge paid by consumers should be given to poor waiters: Ram Vilas Paswan

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma may not be getting married just yet, but it looks like they are taking their relationship to the next level. The lovebirds were spotted on Tuesday visiting Virat's sprawling sky bungalow at Omkar 1973 Worli, sparking rumours that they might move in together once the residence is ready.

PHOTOS | Virat-Anushka's romantic holiday comes to an end

advertisement

ALSO READ | Virat-Anushka's match fixed: Looking back at their love story

Virat and Anushka recently spent the New Year together in Uttarakhand with each other's families. In fact, it was being speculated that the two were planning to tie the knot, when 'guests' Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Anil Ambani were snapped at Dehradun airport.

However, Anushka's spokesperson denied the news and Virat himself took to Twitter to write: "We aren't getting engaged & if we were going to, we wouldn't hide it. Since news channels can't resist selling false rumours & keeping you confused, we are just ending the confusion."

ALSO WATCH: Virat-Anushka's bhangra at Yuvraj-Hazel's wedding is too good to miss

--- ENDS ---
Trump engaged in a war of words with the CNN reporter over the release of an unverified dossier by BuzzFeed, which he termed as "failing piece of garbage".

By Press Trust of India: Donald Trump today got into a shouting match with a CNN reporter during his press conference as the President-elect refused to allow him a question and slammed the news network as "fake news".

Trump engaged in a war of words with the CNN reporter over the release of an unverified dossier by BuzzFeed, which he termed as "failing piece of garbage".

advertisement

With Trump looking to call on other reporters, CNN journalist Jim Acosta yelled out, "Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?"

"Not you," Trump said, adding that, "Your organisation is terrible!"

Also read: Trump says for first time: I think Russia hacked Democrats

The reporter pressed on saying, "You are attacking our news organisation, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?" Trump countered by telling him "don't be rude".

"Im not going to give you a question," Trump responded.

"Im not going to give you a question. You are fake news!" the President-elect asserted.

Also read: Donald Trump will maintain ownership of businesses while in White House

Trump dismissed as "nonsense" the media claims that Russia has compromising information on him, saying the allegations may have been leaked by US intelligence agencies and it would be a "tremendous blot" on their record if they did that.

"Its frankly outrageous and highly irresponsible for a left-wing blog to drop highly salacious and flat-out false information on the Internet just days before he takes the oath of office," he said, referring to BuzzFeed.

"The fact that BuzzFeed and CNN made the decision to run with this unsubstantiated claim is a sad and pathetic attempt to get clicks," he said during the press conference.

Also read: Former Mexican President Vicente Fox tweet blasts Donald Trump, says game not fair

--- ENDS ---
Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit

Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools:

Portfolio Monitoring

Top Stock Lists

Premium Reports

Stock Screeners

Live News Feed

Premium Support

Free for your first month.
Everest Re Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, and internationally. The company operates through Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations segments. The Reinsurance Operations segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Insurance Operations segment writes property and casualty insurance directly, as well as through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents in Bermuda, Canada, Europe, South America, Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The company also provides treaty and facultative reinsurance products; admitted and non-admitted insurance products; and property and casualty reinsurance and insurance coverages, including marine, aviation, surety, errors and omissions liability, directors' and officers' liability, medical malpractice, mortgage reinsurance, other specialty lines, accident and health, and workers' compensation products. In addition, it offers commercial property and casualty insurance products through wholesale and retail brokers, surplus lines brokers, and program administrators. Everest Re Group, Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.
The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. Amer Agency, AHC Digital LLC, AIX Limited, AJG Coal LLC, AJG Financial Services LLC, AJG Meadows LLC, AJG North America ULC, AJG RCF LLC, AJGRMS of Louisiana LLC, ARM RE Ltda., AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES, AVRECO, Ace IRM Insurance Broking Group, Acumus Holdings Limited, Acumus Interco Limited, Acumus Ltd, Adams & Associates International, Adaptive Marketing LLC, Adco General Corporation, Advanced Benefit Advisors, Aequus Trade Credit, Affinity Marketing Group, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Aires Consulting Group, Alesco Risk Management Services Limited, Alize Limited, Allied Claims Administration Inc., Alternative Market Specialists, Altman & Cronin Benefit Consultants, American Freedom Carriers Inc., American Security Services Corp., American Wholesalers Underwriting Ltd, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Anthony Hodges Consulting Limited, Antrobus Investments Limited, AquaSurance, Argentis, Argentis Financial Group Limited, Argentis Financial Management Limited, Argus Benefits, Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Artex (SAC) Limited, Artex Cedar Hill, Artex Corporate Services (Malta) Limited, Artex Corporate Services Limited, Artex Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Holdings (Malta) Limited, Artex Insurance (Guernsey) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance (Tennessee) PCCIC Inc., Artex Insurance Brokers (Malta) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance ICC Limited, Artex Intermediaries Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Cayman) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Guernsey) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (International) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Malta) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (UK) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions Inc., Arthur J Gallagher (Norway) Holdings AS, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AUS) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Illinois), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance Brokers of California Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher (Aus) Pty Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Bermuda) Holding Partnership, Arthur J. Gallagher (Life Solutions) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (U.S.) LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Asesoria S.A.C., Arthur J. Gallagher Australasia Holdings Pty Ltd., Arthur J. Gallagher Brokerage & Risk Management Services LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Broking (NZ) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Financial Services Professionals Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Group Quebec ULC, Arthur J. Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Latin America LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Management (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Real Estate Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services (Hawaii) Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services of Utah Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher School Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Service Company LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Ltd, Ashmore & Associates Insurance Agency, Atlantic Risk Management Corp., Atrex Insurance (Cayman) SPC Limited, Avantek Pty Ltd, Axe Insurance PCC Limited, BIS Insurance Services, Baker - Tillys employment benefits solutions, Ballard Benefit Works, Bankers Financial Benefits, Barmore Insurance Agency, Behnke & Co. Inc., Bellisle Pty Ltd, Belmont Associates Consultants, Belmont Insurance Holdings Limited, Belmont International, Belmont International Limited, Benefit Development Group, Benefit Management Group, BenefitLink Resource Group, Benefits Planning & Insurance Agency, Benefits Unlimited, Bennett & Shade Co., Bergvall Marine, Bergvall Marine A.S., Besselman & Little Agency, Big Savings Insurance Agency Inc., Blenheim Park Ltd, Blenheim Park Services Limited, Blue Holdings Pty Ltd, Blue Horizon Insurance Services, Blue Water Benefits, BluePeak Advisors, Blueleaf Consulting Pty Ltd., Bluewater Incorporated Cell Insurance Company, Bollinger Inc., Bollinger Insurance Services Inc., Bowen Miclette Britt & Merry of Arkansas Inc., Brendis & Brendis, Brim AB, Broker Benefit Services, Brokerage Professionals, Brown Hobbs & McMurray Insurance, Bultman/Bell Associates Inc., Burkwald & Associates, Burns-Fazzi Brock & Associates, Bushong Insurance Associates, C&B Consulting Group, CGM Gallagher Insruance Brokers (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, CJM Solutions Inc., CMA Solutions LLC, Cairnstone Financial, California Insurance Center, Capital Bauer Insurance Agency, Capitol Benefits Group, Capsicum CRLA LLP, Capsicum Re Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Capsicum Re Latin America Corretora De Resseguros Ltda, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Bermuda Limited, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Miami Inc., Carefree Marketing Inc., Carpenter Cammack & Associates, Cashan & Co., Castle Insurance Associates, Centennial Insurance Agency, Charity First Insurance Services Inc., Charles Allen Agency, Charter Lakes Insurance Agency, Chris Schroeder Insurance, Christie-Phoenix, Cintran Claims Canada Limited, Classic Insurance Services, Cleaveland Insurance Group, Cohen & Lord Insurance Brokers, Cohn Financial Group, Coleman Group Holdings Limited, Coleman Holdings Limited, College and University Scholastic Excess Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Commercial Insurance Brokers, Complete Benefit Alliance, Complete Financial Balance, Complete Financial Balance Pty Ltd, Consolidated Casualty Specialties LLC, Construction Risk Solutions, Contego Underwriting Limited, Contego Underwriting Ltd, Continental Excess & Surplus, Convergence Risk Services Ltd, Copper Mountain Assurance Inc., Cornwall & Stevens Co., Corporate Benefit Advisors, Corporate Life Consultants, Countrywide Accident Assistance Limited, Coverdell & Company Inc., Coverdell Canada Corporation, Cowles and Connell, Craig M. Ferguson & Co., Crist Elliott Machette Insurance Services, Crombie Lockwood (NZ) Limited, Davis-Poston & Associates, Denman Consulting Services, Detlefs Johnson & Partners, DiBrina Group, Dickinson & Associates, Discount Development Services L.L.C., Discovery Benefit Solutions, Dodson-Bateman & Co., Donald P. Pipino Co. Ltd., E. S. Susanin Inc., EHE Holdings LLC, EHS Holdings Limited, Elantis Premium Funding (NZ) Limited, Elantis Premium Funding Limited, Elite Benefits Insurance Marketing Services, Employee Benefits Analysis Corp., Employee Benefits of The Carolinas, Encore Insurance & Bonding, Everett James, Evolution Risk Services Limited, Evolution Technology Services Limited, Evolution Underwriting Group, Evolution Underwriting Group Limited, Evolution Underwriting Limited, Excel Insurance Services, FYI Direct Canada Corporation, FYI Direct LLC, Farallone Pacific Insurance Services, Fenchurch Faris Limited, Fidelity Benefits & Insurance Services, Financial Profiles Inc., Finergy Solutions Pty Ltd, First Agency, First Iowa Insurance Agency, First Premium Inc., First Premium Insurance Group, Fish & Schulkamp, Fishermans Insurance Services, Foley Healthcare Limited, Fortress Financial Solutions Pty Ltd, Fortress Insurance LLC, Foundation Strategies, Fox Lawson & Associates, Franklin-Case Agency LLC, Fraser MacAndrew Ryan Limited, Friary Intermediate Limited, Fuller & O'Brien, G.S. Chapman & Associates Insurance Brokers, G.S. Levine Insurance Services, GBS (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd, GBS Administrators Inc., GBS Insurance and Financial Services Inc., GBS Retirement Services Inc., GBS Specialty Markets LLC, GGB Finance 1 Limited, GGB Finance 2 Limited, GGB Finance 3 Limited, GGB Finance 4 Limited, GPL Assurance, GPL Assurance Inc., Gabor Insurance Services, Gale Smith & Co. Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. Reda & Associates, James R. Weir Insurance Agency, Jenkins and Associates, Joe E. Martin Inc., John P. Woods Co. Inc., Jones Brown, Jones Brown Group Inc., Jones Brown Insurance Solutions Inc., Joseph Distel, Joseph James & Associates Insurance Agency, Just Landlords Insurance Services Ltd, KDC Associates, KRW Insurance Agency, Kahl Insurance Services, Kaler Carney Liffler & Co. Inc., Kane Group - Insurance Management Operations, Kelly Financial, Kent Kent & Tingle and RBS, Keyser Benefits Corp., Kingspark Enterprises Pty Ltd, L&R Benefits, LSG Insurance Partners, Learn About Money Limited, Lewis & Associates Insurance Brokers, Leystone Insurance & Financial, Life Plans Unlimited, Lincoln Financial Management, Longfellow Financial, Lucas Fettes Limited, Lucas Fettes and Partners Limited, Lutgert Insurance, MA Underwriting Pty Ltd, MDM Insurance Associates, MG Advanced Coal Technologies-1 LLC, MGA Insurance Services, MRS Holdings Ltd., Madison Scott & Associates, Managed Healthcare Solutions, Mannequin Insurance PCC Limited, Marchetti Robertson & Brickell Insurance, Marine Insurance Service, Martin Gordon & Jones Inc., McDowall Associates Human Resource Consultants, McIntyre Risk Management, McLean Insurance Agency, McNeary, McPherson Benefits Group, McRory & Co., Mecacem Insurance SPC Ltd, MedInsights Inc., Melton Insurance Associates, Memberworks Canada LLC, Merit Insurance, Metcom Excess, Metzler Bros. Insurance, Meyers-Reynolds & Associates, Mid America Group, Midwest Surety Services, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Limited, Mike Henry Insurance Funding Limited, Miller Buettner & Parrott, Miller-Harrison Insurance Services, Milne Alexander Pty Ltd, Minvielle & Chastanet Insurance Brokers, Monument Insurance (NZ) Limited, Monument Llc, Monument Premium Funding Limited, Mortgage Insurance Agency, Murphy Consultants, Mutual Insurance Services, NationAir Aviation Insurance, National Administration Co., National Ethics Association, National Transportation Adjusters, Nelson/Monarch Insurance Services, Nicoud Insurance Services, NiiS/Apex Group Holdings, Nonprofit Insurance Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Noraxis Capital Corp, Nordic Forsakring & Riskhantering AB, North Alabama Insurance, Nourse Insurance Brokers, O'Gorman & Young, OAMPS (UK) Limited, OAMPS Gault Armstrong Pty Ltd, OAMPS Limited, OAMPS Special Risks Ltd, Offshore Market Placements Limited, Optimum Talent, Orb Financial Services, Orb Financial Services Limited, Osprey Insurance Brokers Limited, Oval Group, Oval Healthcare Limited, Oval Insurance Broking Limited, Oval Limited, Oval Management Services Limited, Oxygen Insurance Managers, P2 Group, PEN Insurance Management Advisors Ltd, PT IBS Insurance Broking Service, Pacific Insurance Agency, Palmer Atlantic Insurance, Palmer Atlantic Insurance Ltd, Palmer Atlantic Risk Services Ltd., Park Row Associates, Parkstar Enterprises Pty Ltd, Parmia Pty Ltd, PartnerSource, Pastel Holding (NZ) Company, Pastel Holdings Pty Limited, Pastel Purchaser (NZ) Limited, Pastel Purchaser Pty Limited, Pavey Group Holdings (UK) Limited, Pavey Group Holdings Limited, Pavey Group Limited, Pearson Dunn Insurance Inc., Pen Underwriting Canada Limited, Pen Underwriting Group Pty. Ltd., Pen Underwriting Limited, Pen Underwriting Pty Ltd, Persing Dyckman & Toynbee Inc., Personal Advice Services Pty Ltd, Petty Burton Associates, Pointer Insurance Agency, Portmore Insurance Brokers (Wilshire) Limited, Portmore Insurance Brokers Limited, Potter-Holden & Co., Powell Insurance Agency, Premier Insurance Services Inc., Premier Risk Services, Premium Finance Corporation, Preston-Patterson, ProSource Financial, Professional Agents Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Proinova AB, Proinova Agency AB, Pronto California Agency LLC, Pronto California General Agency LLC, Pronto Florida Claims LLC, Pronto Florida General Agency LLC, Pronto Franchise LLC, Pronto General Agency Ltd, Pronto General Agency Management LLC, Pronto Holdco Inc., Pronto Holding California LLC, Pronto Holding Florida LLC, Pronto Insurance Agency of Laredo Inc., Pronto Premium Finance LLC, Property & Commercial Ltd., Property Insurance Initatives Limited, Property and Commercial Limited, Protected Insurance Company, Protection Plan Association Inc., Protek Group Limited, Providium Consulting Group, Ptarmigan Underwriting Agency Limited, Ptarmigan Underwriting UK Limited, Purple Bridge Claims Management Limited, Purple Bridge Finance Limited, Purple Bridge Group Limited, Purple Bridge Investments Limited, Purple Bridge Online Services Limited, Purple Bridge Publishing Limited, Quantum Underwriting Solutions Limited, Quillco 226 Limited, Quillco 227 Limited, R. L. Youngdahl & Associates, R.G. Speno Inc., R.W. Scobie, RA Rossborough (Guernsey) Ltd., RA Rossborough (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, REGENCY Group inc., RGA Referencing Limited, RGA Underwriting Limited, RIL Administrators (Guernsey) Ltd., RJ Dutton Inc., RSM Insurance Services Limited, Reassurance Holdings Inc., Rebholz Insurance Agency, Reid Manson Ltd., Reimbursement Services, Rentguard Limited, Reward Management Limited, Reynolds & Rodar Insurance Group, Riley & Associates, Rio 587 Limited, Rio 588 Limited, Risk & Reward Group, Risk Management Partners Limited, Risk Placement Services Inc., Risk Planners, Risk Services (NW) Limited, Risk Services (NW) Ltd., Risk Solutions Group Limited, Robert A. Schneider Agency, Robert Keith & Associates, Roberts & Roberts Insurance Service, Robinson-Adams Insurance, Rossborough Healthcare International Ltd, Rossborough Insurance (IOM) Ltd., Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd. (Jersey), S. A. Freerks & Associates, SEG Insurance Ltd, SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers, SHILLING Ltd, SKANCO International, SMERI AB, SRS Underwriting Pty Ltd, Secure Enterprises Pty Ltd, Securitas Re, Sellers Group, Sentinel Indemnity LLC, Septagon Insurance PCC Limited, Shuford Insurance Agency, Sigma II Insurance Agency, Sinclair Billard and Weld Limited, Sobieski & Bradley, Solid Benefit Guidance, Spanjers Insurance Agency, Spataro Insurance Agency, Specialised Broking Associates, Specialty Risk, Stackhouse Poland, Stackhouse Poland Bidco Limited, Stackhouse Poland Group Limited, Stackhouse Poland Holdings Limited, Stackhouse Poland Midco Limited, Stackouse Poland Limited, Stanton Group, Stark Johnson & Stinson Inc., Steel Agency, Strata Solicitors Ltd, Strategic Health Plans Corp., Strathearn Insurance Brokers, Strathearn Insurance Brokers (Qld) Trading Trust, Strathern Insurance Group Pty Ltd, Strathern Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Strathern Unit Trust, Strong Financial Resources, Summit Insurance Group, Sunday and Associates, Sunderland Insurance Services, Super Advice Corporate Services Pty Ltd, Taylor Benefits, Texas Insurance Agency, Texas Insurance Managers, The BeneTex Group, The Buchholz Planning, The Chapman Group, The Commonwealth Consulting Group, The Daniels Group Inc., The EHE Group LLC, The EHE Insurance Agency LLC, The Eagle Insurance Agency LLC, The Eriksen Group, The Forker Company, The Gleason Agency, The Great Lakes Agency, The HR Group, The Hawk Agency, The Human Capital Group, The Lance Group, The Levitt/Kristan Co., The MW Bagnall Company, The Old Greenwich Consulting Group, The Parks Johnson Agency, The Plus Companies Inc., The Presidio Group, The Producers Choice, The Rains Group, The Splinter Group, The Titan Group, The Treiber Group, The Woodsmall Companies Inc., Title & Covenant Brokers Ltd., Title Investments Limited, Tom Sherwin Insurance Agency, Total Reward Group, Total Rewards Group (Holdings) Limited, Towle Agency, Transwestern, Tri-State General Insurance Agency, Triad Insurance Agency, Triad USA, Tribeca Strategic Advisors, Trinder & Norwood, Trip Mate, Trissel Graham & Toole, Tropp & Co., Tudor Risk Services, Tyloma Holdings Limited, Uni-Care Inc., Unison Inc., Universico Group, Unoccupied Direct Limited, V2V Holdings LLC, VEBA Service Group, Vasek Insurance Services Limited, Velo ACU LLC, Velo Holdings Inc., Verbag AG., Vertrue LLC, Victory Insurance Agency, Vincent L. Braband Insurance, Vital Benefits, Voluntary Benefits Solutions, W. E. Kingsley Co. Inc., WM. W. George & Associates, Walker Taylor Agency, Welling Associates, Wesfarmers Insurance - Insurance Brokerage Operations, Western Benefit Solutions, White & Company Insurance, Whitehaven Insurance Group, William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers, William H. Connolly & Co., Williams Insurance Agency Inc., Williams-Manny Insurance Group, Winn & Company Insurance Brokers, Wischmeyer Benefit Partners, Woodbrook Underwriting Agencies, Woods & Grooms, WorkCare Northwest, Worksite Communications, Y. S. Liedman & Associates, YOA Capsicum Reinsurance Broker Limited, Zenor Limited, Zuber Insurance Agency, and e3 Financial.

Read More
Geographer to Speak at WSU on Environmental Change, Living Well

January 11, 2017

OGDEN, Utah  Author, geographer and professor Diana Liverman will visit Weber State University to discuss the role of social sciences in explaining the causes and consequences of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, and in developing solutions to environmental problems.

The lecture, The Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change: Living Well Within Planetary Boundaries, is this year's installment of the annual College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Distinguished Lecture Series. The public is invited to the free presentation, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Hurst Center Dumke Legacy Hall.

Dr. Liverman represents the core of geography in terms of her work and the intersection of environment and the society that is so clearly central to it, said Eric Ewert, WSU geography professor. She is passionate about the importance and applicability of geography as a discipline and geographic education more broadly."

Liverman will address issues society faces as a result of human interaction with the environment in the Anthropocene (the recent period in which human impact began to transform the earth system). She will also discuss the prospects of eradicating poverty and hunger while protecting climate and biodiversity and providing safe water, energy and food for all.

Before joining the University of Arizona, Liverman taught geography at several institutions including Oxford University in the U.K. and Penn State. She has been instrumental in building interdisciplinary environmental programs at those and other institutions throughout her career. She also has advised national and international organizations such as the U.S. National Research Council and the International Council for Science.

Liverman is interested in finding solutions to the issues facing society, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, women and those in poverty.

My research focuses on the human and social dimensions of environmental issues, including vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, environmental change and food security, Liverman said. We are facing unprecedented challenges in ensuring that all people can meet their basic needs for water, energy and food without further degrading the environment or causing irreversible changes to the planet.

The presentation will draw on her research in the Southwest U.S. and Mexico, particularly from work on land use change, climate and the impact of trade.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 58F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
By The Associated Press Jan. 11, 2017 | 09:10 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is in Detroit to attend the North American International Auto Show.

Bevin's office says the governor and Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Terry Gill are speaking with automotive industry leaders and promoting the state. This is Bevin's second trip to the show since he took office in December 2015.

The Kentucky Automotive Industry Association says the auto industry employs more than 90,000 people in Kentucky. Last year, the industry announced 70 new location or expansion projects in Kentucky. The governor's office says if those come to fruition, they could add nearly 3,200 full time jobs.

Bevin's trip comes days after he signed a law outlawing mandatory union dues. Bevin says the bill will attract more companies, while opponents say it will weaken unions' bargaining power.
This quick and easy Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Tahini Sauce will have you falling in love with cauliflower. Its naturally vegan and gluten-free, and easy to make. Read on, or jump straight to the recipe, HERE.

You guys, I just realized as I edit these photos how freakin Christmasy they look. Like unintentional little red-white-and-green Christmas trees. Oops! Guess I shouldve shared this recipe back in December? But hey, Im not going to let that stop me, because its just way too tasty to keep all to myself.

Cauliflower doesnt get talked about a ton, but its one of my favorite veggies. (Shhh, dont tell the green beans!) And I KNOW you know what Im about to say: my favorite way to prepare it is roasting it in the oven.

I am so predictable. But seriously, cooking cauliflower any other way can leave it soggy and bland. Roasting brings out the sweetness and gives the edges a beautiful golden-brown char. Without a doubt, roasting is the way to go.

This is actually a re-vamp of an old recipe I shared way back in 2011. To this day that recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat cauliflower, but this time I decided to mix it up a little by simplifying the ingredient list and making the sauce entirely vegan.

You might be wondering, how can a creamy sauce possibly be vegan? The answer is, cashews. Cashews are like the magic ingredient in vegan sauces, because they have a super mild and creamy flavor when blended up with other ingredients.

In this case, a little tahini and a whole head of roasted garlic bring tons of flavor to the sauce. The richness and protein from the cashews and sesame seeds make it super filling, too, so even though this dish is basically just vegetables, youll be surprised how hearty and satisfying it is.

Before we jump into this recipe, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine  Lauren over at the blog Lauren Caris Cooks. Lauren and I have been blog buddies for going on two years now, and though weve never met in person, Im pretty sure she and I would get along like sisters in real life. If only we didnt live half a world apart!

While I was over here in Michigan making this roasted cauliflower with tahini garlic sauce, Lauren was in Zurrick, Switzerland, making these Roasted Cauliflower Detox Bowls. (How good does this look?!) We decided to work together on this one by using the exact same creamy, delicious sauce in both our recipes. This way, you get two ways to use it for the price of one! (Er free?)

(Click the image above to check out Laurens recipe, and try this sauce and cauliflower two ways.)

It was actually Lauren who inspired me to do these 31 Days Of Healthy Recipes in the first place. Back in December, she did a recipe advent calendar  thats 24 days of recipes leading up to Christmas  which I thought was such a cool idea. Even though the holidays are over, those recipe are still season appropriate and yummy as ever, and you can check them all out here. If youre in the market for more healthy and simple vegan recipes, Laurens blog is the place to go!

Are you a cauliflower lover or hater? Do you have a favorite way of preparing it? Share in the comments below!



4.8 from 4 reviews Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Tahini Sauce and Pomegranate Print Prep time 15 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 45 mins Author: Willow at Will Cook For Friends Recipe type: vegan, gluten-free, whole 30 friendly Serves: 2-4 Ingredients For the garlic tahini sauce:  cup raw cashews, soaked and drained (OR roasted cashews, as they are -- if your cashews are salted, reduce the salt in this recipe as needed)

2 TBSP room temperature tahini

1 head garlic, roasted*

4-6 TBSP water, or more as needed

-1/2 tsp. kosher salt, to taste For the cauliflower: 1 large head cauliflower

1-2 TBSP olive oil

Salt and pepper

-1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (arils)

2-3 TBSP fresh chopped parsley, or cilantro Instructions For the garlic tahini sauce: Add all ingredients except the water and salt to a food processor. While blending, drizzle in the water a little at a time until the sauce starts to become smooth. Continue processing, scraping down the sides or adding additional water as needed, until the sauce is as smooth as your food processor can make it. Add salt to taste. For the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the leaves from the base of the cauliflower, but leave the stem intact. Slice the cauliflower into 1-inch thick slabs (I like to call them "steaks" just for funsies). The center of the cauliflower should hold together, while the edges may crumble into florets, but that's okay. Place all the cauliflower on a baking sheet (line with foil or parchment for easier clean-up) and drizzle with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the edges are golden brown. Drizzle cauliflower with garlic tahini saucce, and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley (whichever you prefer) and dig in! Notes



I like to throw my garlic in the oven about 15 minutes before the cauliflower, and pull it out a few minutes before the cauliflower is done. This way I can make the cream sauce and have everything ready at about the same time.



This recipe works well as a side dish (and will serve about four that way) or you can make it as light main course, in which case it will serve 2-3, depending on how hungry you are. You can mix it up by serving the cauliflower over a bed of salad greens, or a bowl of rice, if you'd like to bulk it up a little. *You can find my tutorial for how to roast garlic, here: How To Roast Garlic 3.5.3226
Busy calendar for the Brazilian leather sector

Brazil

As one of the worlds biggest player in the leather and footwear sector, the Brazilian trade fair calendar starts with a busy first semester of 2017.

Brazils leather sector calendar kicks off the year with two trade events that take place almost simultaneously. The 44th edition of Couromoda, the International Shoe, Leather Goods and Accessories Fair, takes place January 15-18 in Sao Paulo, and inaugurates a fresh working year for the Brazilian footwear industry. However, Inspiramais, the design and innovation exhibition organised by Assintecal (the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear and Manufactured Goods) to be held January 16-17, is readily establishing itself as a key meeting place for tanners and manufacturers alike.

If Couromoda has changed venues and integrated Sao Paulos Pret-a-Porter, the trade show for the fashion and accessories industry, to strengthen the link between the sectors and benefit from the synergy, some from the leather industry seem to think the event is losing its attractiveness, while Inspiramais, which expects to generate over US$2 million in business over the two days, is better adapted to their needs. Further, Couromoda also faces competition from Expo Riva Schuh taking place in Italy on January 14-17, where a number of Brazilian companies are exhibiting.

18 tanners from 5 different Brazilian states are participating at the January 2017 edition of Inspiramais. Innovative products showcased include bovine leather, goatskin, sheepskin and exotic leathers. The Leather Preview area of the show will focus on the Autumn/Winter 2018 trends and lead visitors through unique applications on suede, vacuum, fish and snake, among others. A seminar will also be held by the Brazilian Leather Sustainability programme (CSCB).

Further on into spring, Fimec, the international trade fair for leather, footwear, accessories, chemicals and machinery, will be held March 14-16 in Novo Hamburgo-RS. For this upcoming edition, visitors will be offered a daily visit to Senai (the Institute for Leather Technology and Environment) to experience the live processing of leather, with the latest technology and machinery.

Finally, the 49th edition of Francal, the international shoe and accessories fashion fair, takes place July 2-5 in Sao Paulo. The 2016 registered around 35,000 trade visitors from 46 countries, according to the organisers.
Amnesty International described the charges as ludicrous, stating that she was effectively being punished for using her imagination.

In an article for the Independent Journal Review, Soona Samsami, representative in the United States for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), writes that Ebrahimis temporary release was effected by the attention brought about over her husbands staggering 71 day hunger strike.

He, Arash Sadeghi, was imprisoned before her, charged with national security crimes stemming from his activism regarding human rights. On Tuesday, he was finally prompted to end his fast, after learning of Ebrahimis release, and food touched his lips after 71 days.

Even though the social network Twitter is banned in Iran, support for Sadeghis protest became a top trending topic on the popular news and messaging service. The widespread use of Twitter is one more sign that that the regimes control is eroding despite recent security crackdowns, possibly targeting Sadeghi and Ebrahimi.

As well, the fact that extraordinary numbers of Iranian activists are willing to risk arrest and reprisal by gathering in support of causes like Ebrahimis and her husbands is another sign.

Its doubtful that humanitarian concerns motivated Ebrahimis release. More likely was a response to the outcry from hundreds of activists gathered outside Evin Prison on Monday, and reflected the regimes fear of another uprising like 2009s.

Four years after the protests to the election of 2009 were suppressed, Hassan Rouhani was elected president, which was viewed by some as a victory for moderation. Critics of the Islamic Republic reject this narrative.

Skeptics, such as Western officials and Irans domestic resistance movements, chiefly the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), viewed Rouhani as an unlikely agent of change, which has been corroborated more than three years later by the ongoing struggles of the Iranian people and of political prisoners like Sadeghi and Ebrahimi.

The protestors outside Evin Prison were responding to more than just Sadeghis hunger strike or his wifes unjust imprisonment, but these event focused attention on the the regimes criminal behavior, and that Iranian people are keenly aware of it. Efforts by prominent activists have brought to light past crimes for which the regime has never been held accountable.

An audio recording was released last summer. On it, a former regime official revealed new information about a 1988 massacre, in which some 30,000 political prisoners were hanged over the course of just a few months. The slaughter, targeting the MEK, has enjoyed a conspiracy of silence, but recently it has become an issue that is discussed openly across society in spite of the threat of government reprisal.

The activist community continues to keep attention focused on the topic. Political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared filed a formal complaint demanding an investigation of the execution of her siblings in the 1988 massacre, from her cell, while serving a sentence for enmity against God.

Several other political prisoners have followed her lead, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Their actions, along with those the NCRI is taking, are urging the United Nations to establish a commission of inquiry into the 1988 massacre. This is but one of the ways in which the international community can break the silence and bring human rights issues to the forefront of its dealings with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Its evident that the Iranian regimes hold over the people is weakening. Domestic activists were able to compel a repressive regime to release one of its political prisoners and prevent the death of another.

That victory is inspirational, and so much more could accomplished if they had the support of the international community. Perhaps the Trump administration will take note, and do the right thing..
Alavi believes that this group poses an alarming threat for the future of Iraq. This sectarian group of dangerous armed elements is resorting to any and all crimes with the objective of pursuing Tehrans policies across Mesopotamia, he writes.

Established in 2014, the PMU has allegedly taken part in the war in Syria and now, even though they participated in the offensive to retake Mosul from Daesh (ISIS/ISIL), they may pose the most grave of threats for Iraqi.

Alavi says that major concerns about the PMUs presence and its foreign connections have been raised. Human rights violations and crimes by this group against dissidents in areas retaken from Daesh are alleged and have intensified anxieties about the very nature of the group. The PMU is also accused of launching revenge attacks and atrocities against displaced Sunnis attempting to flee from these areas.

He says, A strange and disturbing irony lies in the fact that the arms provided by a broad spectrum of the international community are being used for ill purposes.

Paramilitary militias nominally operating as part of the Iraqi armed forces in the fight against the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS) are using arms from Iraqi military stockpiles, provided by the USA, Europe, Russia and Iran, to commit war crimes, revenge attacks and other atrocities, Amnesty International reported. The alarming statement adds that the PMU have used those arms to facilitate the enforced disappearance and abduction of thousands of mainly Sunni men and boys, torture and extrajudicial executions as well as wanton destruction of property.

Additionally, the report highlights four main militias that Amnesty International has documented committing serious human rights violations: Munathamat Badr (Badr Brigades or Badr Organization), Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) and the Saraya al-Salam (Peace Brigades).

Other international human rights organizations have exposed crimes committed by PMU ranks and files. Human Rights Watch and the UN have previously blamed the pro-government militias for perpetrating atrocities against civilians, Alaraby reported.

In January 2016 HRW warned, Members of Shia militias, who the Iraqi government has included among its state forces, abducted and killed scores of Sunni residents in a central Iraq town and demolished Sunni homes.

While such warnings fell to deaf ears, HRW demanded from Baghdad to prevent militias with records of serious abuses from taking part in planned military operations for the city of Mosul.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein cited strong evidence that Kataib Hezbollah perpetrated atrocities against a Sunni community.

Adel al-Jubair, the Saudi Foreign Minister, has described this group as extremely sectarian and run by Iranian military officers, one of whom is the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force chief Qassem Suleimani.

In late 2016 the Iraqi Parliament adopted a bill recognizing the PMU as an official security entity, which threw a wrench into efforts to adopt a national settlement proposal  basically a grand plan to abolish sectarian and ethnic quotas, stated Al-Monitor.

The law violates the Iraqi Constitution Article 9 that bans the establishment of any militia group not falling under the command and control of the armed forces. The PMU is a force parallel to the Iraqi military, similar to Irans IRGC working alongside its classic army, but not part of its structure and framework. Their existence lacks any legality.

It is an undeniable fact that the PMU pursues the fundamental interests of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, receiving their orders directly from Tehran. The Iranian opposition, itself the target of the Iranian regimes attacks, has time and again warned of Tehrans increasing meddling in Iraq, writes Alavi.

According to a report posted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an umbrella group of Iranian dissident organizations including the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and others, Commander of Iraqs al-Hashd al-Shaabi militant group affiliated to the Iranian regime, referring to the possibility that these mobilization forces are present in Syria to help Assad regime for more killings and massacre of Syrian people, claimed that Hashd al-Shaabi could help Syria to get rid of terrorism.

While the international community is attempting resolve crises in the Middle East, Alavi says that one necessary step is to bring an end to Irans meddling across the region. Maryam Rajavi NCRI President-elect explained, 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.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An independent review has ruled no criminal charges will be laid in a police shooting investigators have described as a tragic case of suicide by cop.

Haki Sefa, 44, was shot and killed by Winnipeg Police Service officers who pulled him over outside city limits on Sept. 20, 2015.

The Independent Investigation Units report, released Thursday, considered whether Winnipeg Police Service officers acted properly in pulling over Sefa and, later, shooting him. It found they did, and deemed the shooting justified.

FACEBOOK PHOTO Haki Sefa, 44, died Sept. 20, 2015 after a standoff with Winnipeg police officers on Highway 59, just north of the city.

Sefa, who was not named in the report, pointed a pistol at police as he stepped out of the white van he was driving after being pulled over, leaving officers with no other option but to shoot him, said Ron MacDonald, director of the Serious Incident Response Team in Nova Scotia.

MacDonald stepped in to oversee the review because of a conflict of interest with IIU civilian director Zane Tessler, who, in his previous work as a Crown attorney, had some involvement with Sefa.

The officers evidence about what occurred that day was credible. It painted the situation of a male who chose to end his life by instigating police to shoot at him, something which is a recurring circumstance in Canada, quite unfortunately.

This case is a tragedy, yet the males actions left these officers with little choice but to fire upon him. Thus their actions were justified at law and there are no grounds for charges, MacDonald said at a news conference Thursday morning.

Family members called police

Many times throughout the evening of Sept. 20, 2015, several of Sefas family members called 911 warning Sefa may have been armed and headed to Selkirk to hurt himself and possibly a young male, the report says.

His relatives reported that Sefa, a father of four who owned a plumbing business, was depressed. His girlfriend had broken up with him days earlier, he was dealing with the recent death of his 21-year-old niece, and a relative had made criminal accusations against the young male in Selkirk.

The family members reported to police that evening that Sefa had left a bag of money and letters in his brothers yard. The letters said Sefa was planning on killing himself, his brother told police.

Just before 10:30 p.m., after a 21-kilometre pursuit, tactical support unit officers in two SUVs boxed him in and forced him to stop along Highway 59 near Birds Hill park.

Sefa got out of the van and pointed his gun at the officer driving the SUV in front, MacDonald said.

The driver thought he was going to be shot and killed. The three other officers had their guns at the ready and fired at the male. He was struck four times, two shots causing fatal injuries.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS At left, Zane Tessler, civilian director of the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba with Ron MacDonald at a news conference Thursday regarding the officer-involved shooting that occurred on Highway 59 in September 2015, resulting in the death of a 44-year-old man.

Officers returned to active duty

The sequence of events was confirmed by examining forensic evidence, including damage to Sefas pistol caused by police bullets as would be expected had the gun been pointed straight ahead at the driver of the front vehicle, with the shot coming from the right-hand side. That is entirely consistent with what the officer said, that the gentleman opened the door, pointed the gun, and after which they fired, MacDonald said.

Forensic testing of Sefas van and all firearms involved  officers also found a sawed-off shotgun inside the vehicle along with more than 50 rounds of ammunition  had to be done at the RCMP lab in Ottawa and contributed to much of the delay in completing the investigation, MacDonald said.

The police officers involved have all returned to active duty and Sefas family has been informed of the reviews outcome, MacDonald said.

They had lots of questions. However they, at the end of the day, understood the circumstance and were accepting of our findings. It was a good meeting, he said.

Sefas relatives could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay

final_report_jan12_2017
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/01/2017 (2123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipegs Somali community and refugee advocates are hailing the appointment of the first Canadian refugee to become an immigration minister.

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, who arrived in Canada as a refugee at age 16, faced many challenges and obstacles to become a successful lawyer, MP and, since Tuesday, a high-ranking federal cabinet minister.

For Somalis around the world, this is a proud moment, said Abdi Ahmed, director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg and a refugee from Somalia. Canadian flags will be flying in Somali communities around the world, Ahmed predicted.

SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Ahmed Hussen poses with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov.-Gen. David Johnston after being sworn in as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship during a cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday.

This is the senior-most Somali in any western government, he said.

Since the mid-1980s, people have been running for their lives from Somalia, escaping human rights abuses by the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre and the civil war that followed in 1991. Somalia is still unstable and unsafe. More than 300,000 Somalis are in the worlds largest refugee camp at Dadaab in Kenya. Hundreds of thousands of others have fled to countries around the world.

Now, all over the globe, theyre celebrating the success of their fellow refugee, Hussen, Ahmed said. He knows because of the global response to the story about Canadas new immigration minister that he posted on Facebook.

For refugee kids from Africa struggling to find their place in Canada, its important to see someone who looks like them and struggles as they have to achieve a leadership role, Ahmed said.

They come here and go through a lot of hurdles and issues and dont think they can make it, said the community leader, who has received the Order of the Buffalo Hunt. This is a huge, huge boost for the self-esteem of these kids.

Last year, Hussen visited Winnipeg twice. Before becoming minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, he met with Somali youth and encouraged them to become civically engaged.

Some people have their hearts back in Somalia and their bodies in Manitoba, Ahmed said. He said, You need to invest yourself in civic activities here.

Hussen also took part in a community forum with about 200 community members in Winnipeg who called on Canada to have a targeted refugee policy for Somalis similar to ones its had for Afghans, Congolese, Bhutanese and boat people who fled Vietnam, Ahmed said.

There are a lot of expectations from the Somali community, Ahmed said.

And from those who want Canada to open its doors to more privately sponsored refugees.

BADRI ABDULLAHI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Canadas new Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, met with members of Manitoba Somali Youth Link in Winnipeg in August to encourage them to get involved in civic engagement.

For the first time were going to have an immigration minister who was himself a refugee when he came to Canada, said Tom Denton, executive director of Hospitality House Refugee Ministry in Winnipeg. The organization receives no government funding and is responsible for privately sponsoring the highest number of refugees to Canada.

In November, the faith-based charity established a waiting list for Winnipeggers who want to sponsor loved ones. More than 2,400 Winnipeggers signed up, hoping to sponsor more than 30,000 refugees. At the same time, they signed a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to increase the number of privately sponsored refugees Canada will accept. One of the Winnipeggers who signed up to sponsor relatives, Munira Mohamed, volunteered to address the hundreds of envelopes to the prime minister by hand.

The Somali-Canadian, Denton discovered, is married to a close cousin of the new immigration minister.

He wonders if the flood of letters sent to the prime minister from Winnipeg late last year helped in the decision to make Hussen immigration minister.

Either way, Canada should still accept more refugees, Denton said. Prime minister Wilfrid Laurier said after the turn of the last century  when Canadas population was just six million  that the country should have at least 60-million inhabitants to thrive. Were not even close to that number in 2017 because successive governments have taken a gated approach to immigration, said Denton.

Were so concerned about protecting what weve got, we dont realize the wealth of a country is not in its minerals or oil fields, its their people.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/01/2017 (2123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether its because of pounding back too many beers before jumping in a vehicle or not putting on a seatbelt when getting behind the wheel, more Manitobans are dying on the provinces streets and highways.

Statistics released by Manitoba Public Insurance on Wednesday confirm that 2016 was the deadliest year on the provinces roads since 2006.

The statistics compiled by MPI show that deaths due to drunk driving or not using seatbelts have almost doubled in a single year in Manitoba.

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Statistics released by MPI on Wednesday indicate that 2016 was the deadliest year on Manitoba roads since 2006.

Forty-one of the provinces 112 road-related fatalities last year are being blamed on impaired driving  and thats a statistic almost 100 per cent higher than in 2015.

And another 16 fatalities  a more than 100 per cent jump from the year before  are due to not putting on a seatbelt.

Ward Keith, MPIs vice-president business development and communications, said with a total of 112 road-related fatalities in 101 collisions, up 37 per cent from the number of fatalities the year before, the numbers are both a challenge and a concern.

Its not just the numbers. The reality is the last time we had more than 100 killed was in 2006 when there were 119. It hasnt been as high as 112 in the last decade.

I hope this is an anomaly. I hope it isnt a trend. But this is concerning.

Keith said he doesnt understand the high no-seatbelt statistic because, for most people, their use is almost automatic.

Ninety-five per cent is the seatbelt wearing rate  almost everybody wears it  but then 30 to 45 per cent of fatalities are people not wearing seatbelts.

It should be a reminder for everybody to wear seatbelts at all times.

Keith said speed is also a factor, accounting for at least 29 of the fatalities, but that doesnt necessarily always mean someone died speeding way above the speed limit.

Speed isnt just going over the posted limit, but it is also driving too fast for conditions, he said.

Overall, what it tells us is in so many of these cases these fatalities could be prevented. Its sad, thats what it is.

The provinces Crown Services Minister Ron Schuler said in a statement that 2016 was a tragic year for road fatalities in Manitoba.

Our sincere condolences go out to the families and friends of the 112 Manitobans who lost their lives in roadway crashes. These terrible outcomes must serve as a reminder to all Manitobans to drive safely in 2017.

Keith said there are things Manitoba drivers can do to reduce their risk of becoming a fatality statistic including having a plan to take a cab home or pick a designated driver before you go out to drink, pull over and stop before you text, dont get into a vehicle with an intoxicated driver, drive to road and weather conditions, and buckle up no matter where in the vehicle you are sitting or how long or short the trip will be.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/01/2017 (2123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He admitted committing armed robbery and fleeing from police who tried to arrest him, but Anthony Raposo is adamant he never meant to hurt anyone.

Raposo, 51, took the stand at his attempted murder trial Wednesday, testifying that he was having a manic episode when he fired a homemade gun during a gas bar robbery around 3:30 a.m. last January. He had also smoked crack beforehand and wanted to get money to pay back a debt, he told court.

Among the many charges against Raposo are three counts of attempted murder of the gas station clerk and two police officers whom he shot at during the robbery and charges involving a subsequent high-speed chase that led to police returning fire.

An example of a pen gun and a .22-calibre bullet similar to the ones used by Anthony Raposo.

While he admitted many of the accusations against him during his testimony, Raposo maintained he never tried to kill anyone. He said he was not aiming the gun directly at them when he fired .22-calibre bullets.

In my mind I was sure that I did not want to harm anyone, but I was doing stupid things that I wouldnt normally do, he said under questioning.

My manic state is what made me do that because I wasnt in control of myself.

Raposo went to a Petro Canada gas station in the 1700 block of Kenaston Boulevard armed with a pen gun that fires .22-calibre bullets out of the body of a pen. He went into the gas bar, brought a four-litre jug of milk and two cans of Redbull to the counter, and then demanded money from the clerk, who initially refused.

He fired the gun, saying he was pointing it in the air just to give her a little scare so shed hand over the money. He made off with about $74, but once in the parking lot, he reloaded the gun and tried to pump gas. The pumps required prepayment.

The pumps were off, so I kinda got mad, Raposo testified.

From outside the gas bar, he fired at the glass window as the clerk on the other side phoned 911. He maintained under questioning from defence lawyer Mike Cook that he aimed the gun to the side a bit and upwards and said he knew the glass was bulletproof. Cook asked him repeatedly whether he wanted to hurt anyone that night.

No, Raposo answered.

The bullet didnt penetrate the glass and no one was hurt. Raposo took off in his Honda Civic. Hed stolen licence plates from other Honda Civics and affixed the plates over his real ones to evade law enforcement, he admitted under questioning from the Crown.

The trial previously heard testimony from police officers involved in the pursuit and arrest of Raposo, who is accused of shooting his gun at pursuing officers at least twice. One of the .22-calibre bullets punctured the windshield-washer-fluid pump on the police cruiser, court heard.

When police pursued him and tried to pull him over, Raposo said he stopped his car.

I was going to get out of the car and give up but then I panicked, and sped away.

He said he didnt remember firing the gun until the second time officers stopped him, and at that point he testified that he was blinded by police lights and aimed the gun toward the air before speeding away again when he heard the ping of police bullets hitting his car. He was eventually arrested by the canine unit after he said he hit police spikes on Springfield Road and crashed his car into a snowbank. He claimed police beat the sout of me, grabbing him by the hair, kneeing him in the head and kicking him in the ribs during his arrest. Court heard police on the stand acknowledge an officer punched Raposo in the face during his arrest.

During cross-examination, Crown attorney Chris Vanderhooft pointed out inconsistencies between the accuseds testimony and what hed told police in a videotaped statement.

On the stand, Raposo claimed he bought the pen gun for $200 from someone at a local Portuguese club, but he told police he made it himself. Raposo said he faintly remembered making comments to police after his arrest, including If it wasnt so slippery, Id have gotten away, and I wasnt trying to hurt anyone; I just wanted to scare (the clerk) so shed give me the money. But he said he didnt remember telling police if Id had one of your guns I could have killed you all.

Court of Queens Bench Justice Joan McKelvey is set to hear lawyers final arguments on Friday.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY, ALTA.  Canadians pondering our energy future might do well to take into account how others see us.

It would give them comfort to know the sector is actually in pretty good hands  at least in the opinion of folks able to view things from a neutral perspective.

For a relatively young country, we have an old (and honourable) energy history. But because we live with it daily, were perhaps not as acutely aware of how important that energy history is in a global context. Nor do we recognize that other jurisdictions see Canada as an international role model.

For many outside of Canada, the things Canadians take for granted about energy development are looked upon with envy.

Canadians would do well to see  as others do  our energy record as something worthy of pride rather than disdain or even despair.

Those who believe the mainstream media coverage might be tempted to believe that the Canadian energy record blots an otherwise sterling international reputation.

But talk to the men and women in charge of other countries energy dynamics and an entirely different view of Canadas energy competencies emerges.

Whats the common link between Canadas diverse capabilities?

The ethical approach we take to energy development that balances environmental dynamics and economic realities.

On a recent energy tour of Poland, Hungary and Croatia, discussions with diverse energy stakeholders provided interesting perspectives on what Canada has to offer in terms of technical, safety, regulatory, educational, political, experience and practice.

The tour was organized by Ottawas trade commissioner service to showcase Canadian investment opportunities and heighten trade opportunities.

Our domestic dynamic has evolved to make Canada attractive as both a trade partner and supplier of expertise, perspective and social conscience.

Energy freedoms are also a major difference between our approach and theirs.

Take our systems transparency as an example.

Many Canadians are largely ignorant of the transparency on which our energy systems are built.

Want to know what an energy company paid to lease Crown land? No problem. Interested in knowing who was issued a well licence yesterday? Again, no problem. Curious about a companys hydrocarbon production volumes? Easy.

Its all in the public domain  and it makes for an incredibly vibrant and competitive industry. Making data available to anyone with an interest is core to how many of our systems function, not just for the energy sector, but for Canadian society as a whole.

Thats one dimension the Poles, Hungarians and Croatians deeply admire, because the system works for the citizens who actually own the molecules.

And that system of data transparency has been evolving and improving over the decades to create robust, competitive and accountable markets.

How we balance energy development and environmental sustainability are also of great interest, as are how we consult on major energy issues.

Canadians might be confused, given perceived failures to consult about major pipeline projects. But central Europeans would give their eyes and teeth to have our processes.

The other area drawing attention is the way Canada is advancing its energy systems mix, the balanced approach that recognizes no single energy system can be wholly independent. Whether this is driven by regulation or the market, Canadas approach is eyed with admiration.

Central Europeans are particularly interested in Canadian energy dynamics because they would like to be less dependent on a less-than-dependable source for the bulk of their domestic energy. The 12 countries of central Europe want to be less reliant on Russian natural gas, from pricing and security of supply perspectives. Theyre making a variety of moves to become more energy self-sufficient, as well as wean themselves off coal over the long term.

For Canada, that means new market opportunities for our hydrocarbons, and our energy products and services.

Certainly, Canada shouldnt rest on its laurels simply because others admire our systems and approaches. Being an energy leader comes with the burden of running a race that has no finish line.

But its nice to know were well ahead of a large part of the pack.

Its too bad more Canadians cant see that.

Bill Whitelaw is president and CEO at JuneWarren-Nickles Energy Group.

 Troy Media
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It is rarely noted in the news that Canadas new minister of foreign affairs has Prairie roots.

The news items following Chrystia Freelands appointment this week have been filled with her considerable accomplishments, from being a Harvard graduate and a Rhodes Scholar to having a career in Moscow, London and New York as an influential journalist and writer of such books as Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else, which landed on the New York Times bestseller list.

But there was scant mention of Peace River, Alta. Freeland frequently mentioned her birthplace, and the family farm there, during the two years I worked a few feet away from her in Toronto in the early 2000s.

SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alongside Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa Tuesday after she was sworn in as minister of foreign affairs.

Its a part of her background as important as her deep knowledge of the United States and Russia as she undertakes the job as Canadas top diplomat, representing our country to the world.

Freeland was deputy editor of the Globe and Mail and my boss when I was its national editor.

She was then what she appears to be now  full of energy, ambitious, smart and absolutely driven to succeed. Shes the kind of person you want on your side in a fight or, say, in a difficult negotiation with an aggressive Trump administration. Feisty Western Canadians would recognize those traits as homegrown.

Freeland kept going, no matter the challenge. She got the Globe job about the time she turned 31, a young woman parachuted from the Financial Times in London into a senior role at Canadas national newspaper, a job that would normally go to a much older person.

It was a rough ride. She was portrayed as a brainless kid by some of the crusty old reporters at the paper who were not known for praising their bosses in any event.

If the criticism bothered her, or her self-confidence wavered, I never saw it. She was brought in as part of an effort to modernize a stuffy old newspaper facing new competition from the upstart National Post, and she was up to the task.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, she pulled herself out of a meeting with publisher Philip Crawley after the first airplane crashed into the World Trade Center, and she was quickly directing coverage of the biggest news story any of us had ever seen. She stayed in charge for days, as editor Richard Addis was stranded in Great Britain while air travel was stopped around the world.

Freeland tended to do things her own way. After giving birth to her first child, she took off only a few weeks and was soon back in her office, complete with all the equipment needed to express breast milk with minimal interruption to her workday.

That drive soon took her elsewhere, to work for Thomson-Reuters and the Financial Times in New York. She came back to Toronto in 2013 to enter politics and won the riding Bob Rae had vacated. Shes had the same meteoric rise in politics that she had in journalism.

Her Toronto home, and career around the world, could leave the impression she is a sophisticated globetrotter and always has been.

There is no doubt about her global credentials. But the main thing I remember about her is when she would stop by my desk to mention something about Alberta.

I arrived at the Globe from Edmonton, so perhaps its natural she would do so. But she could have just as easily shown off by talking about Moscow, London, New York, Boston or any of the other exotic places she had lived and worked.

But she remembered the West, a part of the country that helped form her character. Its a background that will serve her well as a fully rounded representative of Canada abroad.

Bob Cox is the publisher of the Free Press and chairman of the Canadian Newspaper Association.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you take a tour of the Lower Ninth Ward, an area in New Orleans still struggling to rebuild after hurricane Katrina, youll have the opportunity to see the homes built by American actor Brad Pitts Make it Right charity. Pitt, who founded the charity in 2007 to give back to the Louisiana city, organized the building of 100 new houses to replace the homes destroyed by Katrina back in 2006.

After the headlines about star architects hired to design the new homes and after the photo opportunities of Pitt with local children, those living in the Lower Ninth Ward are now left with 109 homes that were expensive to build and are now rotting because the wood didnt withstand the moisture. One local tour organizer suggested the homes designs mean they are too expensive to keep cool in the summer or warm when the temperatures dip in the winter months. And they are simply too expensive to buy for people living in a ward that remains impoverished.

This is what sometimes happens when celebrities with their hearts on their sleeves swoop in to help. While their charity isnt questioned, their egotism certainly should be.

Jason Franson / THE CANADIAN PRESS Jane Fonda speaks during a press conference along with indigenous leaders in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday.

So is the case with Jane Fonda. The American actress has made a career of taking on political causes and touring to countries to flaunt her political ideology. After all, she did get the moniker of Hanoi Jane after visiting Vietnam to protest the war in 1972. Her heart may have been in the right place, but her execution was clumsy.

Not content to learn from her mistakes, Fonda flew into Fort McMurray, Alta., Tuesday to look at the oilsands, or, as we used to call them back when I lived in Alberta in the 1970s  the tarsands. Those in the oil and gas industry decided that tarsands was too dirty a phrase for Albertas bitumen deposits, and the use of the term oilsands became widespread.

Fonda flew to Alberta on an airplane, of course. She viewed the oilsands by air, via a helicopter. Then she spoke at the University of Albertas convention centre in Edmontons south side, currently in the middle of a cold snap, with temperatures hovering in the -20 C range with a windchill just like Winnipegs. All things she got to enjoy because of the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry got her plane and helicopter in the air, and it kept her warm while she spoke, along with other participants, at an oilsands conference.

Dont get me wrong. I am a big believer in being environmentally responsible. I know climate change is real and I recognize that we need to start taking important steps to ensure we dont make an already barely tenable situation worse, much worse.

But its hard to take from a celebrity whose financial bottom line could keep 10 out-of-work oilpatch workers fairly happy for the rest of their life.

Fonda, when confronted by some locals in Fort Mac Tuesday, said, Listen, Im not against you. But for the 2,500 people who lost their homes after a massive forest fire ravaged the city, it certainly wouldnt feel that way.

Fonda suggested the forest fire was a result of global warming and similar to wildfires in California along with devastating drought. She said now is exactly the time to talk about the effect the oil and gas industry has had on creating those situations.

However, what Fonda fails to understand is this: no one from Alberta, or Winnipeg or Ottawa for that matter, flew into Los Angeles recently to lecture that city about its over reliance on the automobile. No one flew over the Hollywood Hills in a helicopter to decry the drought-like conditions of California while viewing the multitude of bright blue swimming pools in oasis-like backyards.

Fonda can and should be political. She can and should raise money to address the issues affiliated with climate change and global warming. She should use her gravitas to put a face on an important issue that is threatening this planets future for generations to come. But she should do it at home.

Shannon Sampert is the Free Press perspectives and politics editor.

shannon.sampert@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @paulysigh
So says Benny Avni in his January 11 article in The New York Post.

Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State-designate, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that under Obama, America was too willing to ignore violations of international accords, as we have done with Iran.

Tehran has more than once produced more plutonium than the deal allows. Reportedly, the Obama administration helped Iran avoid this violation by buying the excess heavy water that Iran was overproducing. They argued that by getting heavy water out of Iran, wed be slowing its path to a bomb.

The Associated Press reported this week that in addition to some $8.6 million that the United States paid Iran to ship out its excess heavy water, Iran also received compensation in the form of 116 metric tons of raw uranium.

Avni writes, Now, its true that under the nuclear deal Iran is allowed to possess raw uranium, which can be used for peaceful energy production. But if further enriched, it can be used to make bombs. In this case, the raw uranium we gave Iran, once enriched, could make up to 10 nuclear bombs.

Olli Heinonen, former UN nuclear inspector, reports that Iran is acquiring raw uranium from other sources as well, saying that this suggests [Iran] may be stockpiling uranium to reach nuclear breakout before the deals initial limitations expire.

Avni wonders what happens if President-elect Trump tears up the deal, now that the Iranians have all the raw material they need. He says, It almost sounds like wed be foolish to break the deal, because that would ensure Irans fast-track path to a nuke. Obamas insurance against his deal being undone was, in effect, to make the whole situation much more dangerous.

If confirmed, Tillerson said that hed order a full review of the Iran deal, and that therell be no nuclear enrichment in Iran, no storing of nuclear materials in Iran, and wed hold [the Iranians] to that agreement.

Avni outlines another concern, that of Iran being willing to risk a military confrontation with us. President Obama argued that the improvement in Irans economy that the deal enables will strengthen Iranian moderates and weaken the hardliners.

Yet Iran has become more aggressive since the deal was struck. It has sent weapons and fighters to Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the rest of the region increasingly destabilizing it.

A UN report this week, documented Iranian weapons transfers to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, in violation of a UN Security Council ban on such Iranian exports.

Additionally, Iranian boats got dangerously close to an American destroyer, the USS Mahan, in the Strait of Hormuz, also this week. The Mahan was forced to fire warning shots, risking a major confrontation in a busy commercial naval passage.

And again this week, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a rival of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died. Allegedly, this is good news for Khameneis allies, the Revolutionary Guard, which is now set to further dominate Irans politics, and already controls much of Irans economy, while backing an extremely hard line against America and advancing the clandestine nuclear program.

Avni asks what the incoming administration should do

Tillersons preference would be to negotiate a better deal. Designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terror organization would be one way to do that.

Recommitting to ridding Persia of the clerical regime is another powerful signal we could send. By doing so, wed put it on notice that making the wrong move will risk confrontation with the worlds foremost superpower.
Winona County 4-H member Rachael Nunemacher of St. Charles has been given the opportunity of a lifetime, to watch the inauguration of the next president of the U.S. Nunemacher is one of 50 4-H students from Minnesota chosen through the competitive application and interview process of the Presidential Inauguration Focus program.

Rachael is the daughter of Mark and Theresa Nunemacher and a freshman at University of Minnesota, where she studies theatre and acting. She is a member of Little Valley Victors 4-H Club.

Her trip begins Jan. 16 and concludes Jan. 21. The inauguration is held in Washington, D.C. on the western front of the United States Capitol on Jan. 20, in which President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office.

At the National 4-H Youth Conference Center and other select events, Rachael will join other delegates from around the country to get a first-hand look at the democratic process. They will also explore the history of the presidency, examine the role of press in politics and enhance their role in citizenship through service and hands-on learning, according to the program goals. Never before has a Citizen Focus event been held during the inauguration and Rachael is excited to be there.

Im hoping to learn more about the democratic process than I would in school because of the change in environment. Im looking forward to seeing history happen and being able to say, in future years, that I was there, she said.

Rachael said she would like to help others understand the Democratic process better so more people will vote and take part in making America better. Upon returning to Minnesota, the delegates will be responsible for creating a follow-up project that could include community presentations, a county fair project, or a service/educational activity.

Rachael said she is grateful to the Winona County Federation for the scholarship sponsoring her trip.
Baraboo residents will be asked whether theyre willing to pay a $20 fee to help the city keep up with road repairs.

On Tuesday, the City Council discussed a proposal to implement a wheel tax, a vehicle registration fee that would help pay for street work. The councils public safety committee has discussed the idea for several months, and sought broader feedback.

The council agreed to turn to the public, perhaps by holding a public hearing, issuing a survey and/or establishing an ad hoc committee to evaluate the proposal. Theres a lot of discussion that has to happen, said Mayor Mike Palm. I dont know where the public is at.

How it would work

Municipalities across Wisconsin have enacted the so-called wheel taxes, charging $10-25 on top of the annual vehicle registration fee the state collects. Its a response to declining state aid for road work, through a funding mechanism that doesnt raise property taxes. A $20 fee could generate $270,000 for Baraboo street repairs.

It would improve our ability to maintain the infrastructure, said City Engineer Tom Pinion.

In recent years, the city has borrowed $450,000 annually for street repairs. But it has 65 miles of roadway to maintain, and one much-needed project alone  repairing Lake Street  will cost more than the city currently budgets each year for road work.

Were really not gaining on things, Pinion said.

You cant necessarily do a lot of work on $450,000 per year, Palm said, adding that borrowing money to fund road repairs isnt cost-effective.

Citizen feedback

Aldermen acknowledged the need for navigable streets, but expressed concern about the fees impact on residents pocketbooks. Alderman Mike Plautz said the fee would further stress taxpayers already supporting a recently approved school referendum and construction of a new police station and city hall. Everythings hitting all at once, he said.

Alderman Joel Petty said the fee would be borne by locals, but drivers from outside Baraboo would enjoy smooth streets. Council members fielded calls from constituents concerned about being priced out of their homes. Its an extra financial burden to them, Petty said.

Some council members received positive feedback on the wheel tax proposal. Alderman Scott Sloan said residents told him they support the fee, as long as the money goes to street work as required by state law. Alderman John Ellington said commercial trucks using Baraboos streets require extra service, which increases the cost of consumer goods. People forget that cost, Ellington said.

Potholes in the system

Council members expressed frustration that statehouse politicians score points with voters by refusing to increase taxes and fees, then leave municipalities to pay the freight. Some communities are borrowing for road work like Baraboo. Others are considering going back to gravel roads to save money.

They can pat themselves on the back, and we look like the bad guys, said Alderman Tom Kolb.

The mayor said prompt action may be needed, as the Legislature may not allow municipalities to enact wheel taxes forever. We dont know how long that window is going to be open, Palm said.

Alderman Phil Wedekind said good streets are essential, and they must be funded. Somewhere along the line youve got to pay for it, he said. We cant go on the way were doing it.

In other business Tuesday, the Baraboo City Council took the following action:

Approved the sale of $15 million in bonds to pay for construction of a new police station and city hall

Agreed to hire the Stafford Rosenbaum law firm to represent the city in its tax assessment dispute with Menards

Approved an ordinance change requiring that the unfinished side of a fence, the one with supports, face the home of the property on which the fence is placed
RANDOLPH  When the doors open on the new additions and renovations funded by the $17.6 million referendum in the Randolph School District, the new space will offer a much needed service to the community.

A daycare center.

In December, the Randolph School Board unanimously approved offering a five-year lease to Melissa Smedema to operate the Randolph Early Learning Center.

Smedema said the center will offer services to families with children from birth to age 13. Her background includes work in early childhood education, running a summer day camp and a stint as a rating observer for the Wisconsin Early Childhood Associationassessing childcare environments, staff interactions and business practices to rate the service and help provide information to create plans to improve quality.

This is something I have been wanting to pursue for a long time, Smedema said.

District administrator Kevin Knudson said the building plan included extra classroom and office space in hopes of future growth, and the lease will give that space a use that will serve the district. He said he learned of several families who opted to take their children to other school districts because there was no licensed daycare in Randolph.

I believe this is a win-win for Mrs. Smedema and the school district, Knudson said.

Knudson said it will be good for the school district to bring back early childhood education, and offering a daycare will also help employees with young children.

Im proud the board approved it, Knudson said.

Smedema said she does not have exact numbers on how many children the Randolph Early Learning Center will be able to accept. That will have to wait until the licensing process is complete.

She will begin hiring in the next several months, and estimates hiring anywhere from four to 10 people. She already has a Facebook page for families seeking more information about enrollment. The Randolph Early Learning Center will offer before- and after-school care. Smedema also plans to offer a summer camp program in 2018.

She said the program will be offer play-based learning, which encourages exploring and discovery.

Play is the most important part of a childs life, Smedema said. Children learn problem solving through play.
Internships offer college students the opportunity to gain work or volunteer experience in a field related to their major. For Jason Braunschweig, his internship offered even more  a chance to help make a difference.

Braunschweig, who graduated from Central Wisconsin Christian High School in 2014, attends Judson University, a Christian college in Elgin, Illinois.

Braunschweig said he always wanted to go into the music business, but started his freshman year of college as an architecture major before opting to switch to the music business and entrepreneurship program.

I missed music too much, Braunschweig said. Im a musician at the core. Its always been my passion.

Braunschweig said he fired off emails, inquiring about intern opportunities related to his major and accepted an offer to help Edgewood Community Church in Fond du Lac. His internship began in May 2016 and ended Nov. 14 and focused on helping plan a concert for the churchs 20th anniversary.

Braunschweig worked with Tom Castillo.

He mentored me, Braunschweig said. He let me kind of take over and head up the concert.

Braunschweig helped find bands, a location and sought volunteers for the concert. Braunschweig said it took about 120 volunteers to help make the concert possible.

We owe a lot of people thanks, Braunschweig said. There was an army behind us putting in a lot of work.

He worked with booking agents and helped line up Contemporary Christian artists Josh Wilson, JJ Heller and Jason Gray.

They are just quality people, Braunschweig said. Top musicians.

He said in early August while working through the volunteer lists, he received a message from Paul Peterson, who shared that his wife Dawn really wanted to attend the concert, but could not due to a recent diagnosis of leukemia. Paul asked if it would be possible to arrange a brief, private visit between Dawn and her favorite musician, JJ Heller.

Braunschweig said it was a long shot, but he promised to give it his best shot. He began emailing the management teams, hoping to get in touch with the musicians and run the idea past them.

He found out the artists would love to get involved.

It ended up working out, Braunschweig said. Instead of a surprise five minute visit, it turned into a 40-minute private concert. It was such an incredible experience to be a part of.

To hear the story in Braunschweigs own words, and see footage of Dawn Peterson meeting the musicians, visit www.wiscnews.com/bdc.
On Sunday, Aug. 14, after a night of unrest prompted by the fatal police shooting of a black man, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said his review of body camera video of the incident proved the officer had acted appropriately.

The individual did turn toward the officer with a firearm in his hand, Flynn stated, later saying the man, 23-year-old Sylville Smith, was raising up with the gun.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said a still photo he was shown from the video demonstrates, without question, that (Smith) had a gun in his hand. In fact, Barrett declared, the officer ordered that individual to drop his gun, the individual did not drop his gun.

This purportedly exculpatory video itself was not promptly released, despite requests from Barrett and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that this occur. It still has not been released. But we know now that public officials did not give an accurate account of what it shows.

We know that because, in mid-December, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm filed criminal charges against Dominique Heaggan-Brown, the former Milwaukee police officer who killed Smith. (Heaggan-Brown was fired over an alleged sexual assault shortly after the shooting.)

According to the criminal complaint charging the officer with first-degree reckless homicide, Smith held a gun as the officer fired his first shot. Smith, struck in the arm, pitched the gun over a fence and fell to the ground. The officer then fired a second, fatal shot to Smiths chest.

A review of the body camera video from (both officers at the scene) confirms that at the time of the second shot, Smith was unarmed and had his hands near his head, the complaint says.

A 2014 state law governing investigations of police shootings requires that gathered materials be released if a decision is made not to file charges. The law is otherwise silent as to whether and when these materials are released.

Barrett has renewed his call for release, while Flynn has weighed in against this. Chisholm told me his office will not release this evidence prior to its use in a criminal proceeding.

In this case, I believe, it is already too late to restore confidence in the integrity of the process. Flynns representations about the video were at best misleading, and Barretts statements suggest he was misled, as was the public.

The whole point of outfitting police with cameras, at taxpayer expense, is to ensure truthfulness and enhance accountability. That did not happen here. And many more months may pass before the video is released.

Other jurisdictions have more enlightened policies. In Chicago, for instance, videos of police shootings are normally released within 60 days, and posted online.

In the legislative session that begins in January, there will likely be renewed efforts to establish consistent state policies regarding police body cameras; a bill to do so in the last session went nowhere.

Now is the time, in the wake of this regrettable case, for the citizens of Wisconsin to insist that the video records they are paying for are not kept secret, or used to mislead them.
Every presidential race has its big moments. This one, more than most. Here's a look back at some of the historic, amusing and cringe-inducing
A book discussion and signing with author James Campbell will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage.

Campbell, author of The Final Frontiersman and The Ghost Mountain Boys, will be joined by his daughter Aidan to talk about his latest book Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey Into The Alaskan Wilderness, a powerful and affirming story of a fathers journey with his teenage daughter to the far reaches of Alaska.

Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, home to only a handful of people, is a harsh and lonely place. So when Campbells cousin Heimo Korth asked him to spend a summer building a cabin in the rugged Interior, Campbell hesitated about inviting his 15-year-old daughter, Aidan, to join him: Would she be able to withstand clouds of mosquitoes, the threat of grizzlies, bathing in an ice-cold river, and hours of grueling labor peeling and hauling logs?

But once there, Aidan embraced the wild. She even agreed to return a few months later to help the Korths work their traplines and hunt for caribou and moose. Despite windchills of 50 degrees below zero, father and daughter ventured out daily to track, hunt, and trap. Under the supervision of Edna, Heimos Yupik Eskimo wife, Aidan grew more confident in the woods.

Campbell knew that in traditional Eskimo cultures, some daughters earned a rite of passage usually reserved for young men. So he decided to take Aidan back to Alaska one final time before she left home. It would be their third and most ambitious trip, backpacking over Alaskas Brooks Range to the headwaters of the mighty Hulahula River, where they would assemble a folding canoe and paddle to the Arctic Ocean.

For more information, call the library at 742-4959.
A Portage High School student accused of beating his girlfriend, causing injuries that required surgery could face more than 15 years in prison if convicted of the crimes.

Gary Worthley, 18, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday charged with felony substantial battery, strangulation and suffocation, felony bail jumping, as well as misdemeanor criminal damage to property and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.

Given the repeat-customer nature of Mr. Worthley, the state is requesting some cash, probably in the $500 neighborhood, because he is alleged to have violated bond conditions a couple times over, said Assistant District Attorney Troy Cross.

The most recent incident happened Nov. 29, according to court documents, when after staying overnight with Worthley, he allegedly woke the woman by slapping her in the face. After she pushed him off and began picking up her things, Worthley punched her in the side of the head, she told officers, hard enough that after she screamed, Worthley went to get ice and she threw up as a result of the pain she was in.

Worthleys mother, who was not in the home at the time, returned and drove both of them to the Divine Savior Healthcare emergency room. As Worthley waited outside, the woman saw a doctor with Worthleys mother sitting in the room with her as she told nurses that she had tripped on a toy and fallen into a wall.

After visiting the emergency room, the woman was referred to an optometrist. On Dec. 3 she saw a doctor at University Hospital in Madison, where she learned that a bone in her orbital socket had been broken, requiring surgery the next day.

While seeing the doctor in Madison, she said that she told him what happened and he wrote it all down.

Over the seven months she had been with Worthley, she told officers that he had been possessive and manipulative and never wanted me to be alone. Another incident she described involved waking up to find Worthley holding a knife to her throat, accusing her of cheating.

Following the surgery in December, she broke up with Worthley, at which point, she told officers, he began to choke her until she was able to get away with help from Worthleys mother.

On Monday, a Columbia County Sheriffs Office detective visited Worthley as he was about to leave for school. After the detective asked Worthley if he knew the woman in question, he said that he did and that they had broken up a month ago. His mother told the detective that it had been two months.

When a deputy asked about the last time she was there, Worthley said that he wanted a lawyer. As Worthley was taken into custody, according to officers, audio and video recordings from inside the squad car picked up an exchange Worthley had with the detective:

Could I have just said the truth and I would be going to school? If I just said the truth about what I did, would I be going to jail? said Worthley. I really hope I dont go for a long time.

This arrest marks Worthleys third criminal case since last April when officers responded to a disturbance involving Worthley throwing things in the home and attacking his mother, resulting in two charges of misdemeanor battery and one of disorderly conduct.

In August, Worthley was arrested with his then-girlfriend for delivery of marijuana as a party to a crime. The two were taken into custody after being found with Trenton Lilly, 20, of Portage, who was arrested on suspicion of delivery of marijuana.

Worthleys girlfriend, whose charges were later dismissed, told officers that she and Worthley had been used, asked by Lilly to give him a ride to various places where he purportedly sold marijuana. Upon arrest, police searched Worthleys backpack, finding a marijuana grinder, rolling papers, a scale and clear plastic baggies.

He is not working; he is a student at the local Portage high school and he is missing school as we speak, said defense attorney Tristan Eagon, asking for a maximum $100 cash bond, given Worthleys minimal flight risk.

Due to the repeat nature of this offense, along with the very violent allegations that are contained in the underlying complaint, Judge Todd Hepler ruled that cash bond would be necessary. There is a public protection aspect to this as well and the court is going to apply a $300 cash bail.

Worthley is scheduled to appear next in court Feb. 9.
The best thing state leaders can do for Wisconsins rural economy this year is commit more attention and resources to high-speed internet.

That message came through loud and clear during the fall election campaign, when dozens of candidates for the statehouse from across south-central Wisconsin met with the State Journal editorial board, seeking our endorsement. Voters were stressing the need for faster digital connections so local businesses could sell products around the globe, so schoolchildren could do their homework, and so farmers could operate high-tech equipment, the candidates told us.

Republicans and Democrats alike said they were committed to the effort. Now its time for them to deliver.

Gov. Scott Walker recently proposed increasing funding for faster internet, called broadband, by $35.5 million. That would be on top of $16.5 million already committed. The state money will help encourage private investment and maximize $570 million from the federal Connect America Fund II thats supposed to bring high-speed connections to 230,000 homes and small businesses across mostly rural areas of Wisconsin.

Broadband allows fast internet browsing, online commerce and video streaming that businesses need to sell products, and students need to access modern educational tools.

For example, some school districts offer students access to online sites from home that track and challenge each student in reading and math, adjusting the lessons to their abilities. Teachers get instant reports on each childs online activities and performance.

AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier have secured federal dollars to help improve and provide fast internet to large swaths of the state. The companies also are investing money of their own. AT&T told State Journal business editor Larry Avila last week it invested about $835 million in Wisconsin between 2013 to 2015 for communications infrastructure.

Increasingly, companies are extending broadband to remote areas using wireless technology and existing cellphone towers.

Its not just a rural issue. Parts of Dane County still have weak and unreliable internet. And Madison officials are trying to provide fiber-optic internet service to more low-income residents.

President-elect Donald Trump has talked about rebuilding Americas roads, bridges and other infrastructure. He should add broadband to the list.

Rural voters, especially in Wisconsin, were key to helping Trump win the White House. If the Republican president-elect truly wants to help rural economies and promote job growth, keeping the Connect America Fund going strong will be key. So will including broadband in any federal building plan.

Gov. Walker rejected millions of dollars in federal funding for broadband years ago. That was a mistake.

But with Republicans running Washington, the governor appears much more inclined to accept federal help.

Thats good. This shouldnt be a partisan issue. Wisconsin needs strong digital connections across the state to succeed in the global marketplace and to keep and attract more young people in smaller towns and cities.
The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Credit Management LLC, AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe Holdings S.a.r.l, AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Operations Inc., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund II GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund III GP LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund IV GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American International Group UK Limited, American International Realty LLC, American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A. en Liquidacion S.A., Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., C.A. de Seguros American International, Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Glatfelter Underwriting Services Inc., Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Illinois National Insurance Co., Inversiones Segucasai C.A., Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, Lexington Specialty Insurance Agency Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PCG 2019 Corporate Member Limited, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SAFG Capital LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., and Western World Insurance Company.

Read More
Graco Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets systems and equipment used to move, measure, control, dispense, and spray fluid and powder materials worldwide. The company's Industrial segment offers proportioning systems to spray polyurethane foam and polyurea coatings; equipment that pumps, meters, mixes and dispenses sealant, adhesive, and composite materials; and gel-coat equipment, chop and wet-out systems, resin transfer molding systems and applicators, and precision dispensing solutions. It also provides liquid finishing equipment; paint circulating and supply pumps; paint circulating advanced control systems; plural component coating proportioners; spare parts and accessories; and powder finishing products to coat powder finishing on metals under the Gema and SAT brands. The company's Process segment offers pumps to move and dispense chemicals, water, wastewater, petroleum, food, lubricants, and other fluids; pressure valves used in the oil and natural gas industry, other industrial processes, and research facilities; and chemical injection pumping solutions for injection of chemicals into producing oil wells and pipelines. It also supplies pumps, hose reels, meters, valves, and accessories for fast oil change facilities, service garages, fleet service centers, automobile dealerships, auto parts stores, truck builders, and heavy equipment service centers; and systems, components, and accessories for the automatic lubrication of bearings, gears, and generators in industrial and commercial equipment, compressors, turbines, and on- and off-road vehicles. The company's Contractor segment offers sprayers to apply paint to walls and other structures; and viscous coatings to roofs, as well as markings on roads, parking lots, athletic fields, and floors. It sells its products through distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and home center channels; and directly to end-users. The company was incorporated in 1926 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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.
W&M professor awarded NSF grant to research diversity leadership in geosciences

Altering reality: Jason Chen, assistant professor of educational psychology at W&M, is developing virtual reality training systems to teach university faculty in the geosciences how to recognize and address prejudice. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

In the world of virtual reality, flying, climbing Everest and traveling back in time are just a few of the feats one can accomplish. But all of that pales in comparison to the mission of Jason Chen, assistant professor of educational psychology at William & Mary, who plans to use virtual reality for a greater good  to eliminate prejudice and fuel innovation in higher education.

Thanks to a recent grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Chen is embarking on a two-year project this month that aims to develop a virtual simulation training system for university faculty in the geosciences that addresses ways to recognize and eliminate prejudice in the field. GEOscience Diversity Experiential Simulations, or GEODES, will give participants firsthand practice at confronting issues of prejudice in the workplace and starting conversations with key gatekeepers within their institutions around diversity.

A lot of what traditional diversity training does is to try and change peoples beliefs, said Chen. Theyll often show slideshows or videos that tell you what to do and what not to do. The philosophy is that if you change peoples beliefs youll start to change the way they behave, and that never really works. So were taking an opposite approach; were helping people come up with the behaviors that reflect those beliefs.

Chen was awarded the grant after responding to a call for proposals from the NSF, which was interested in funding projects that trained a cadre of diversity champions in the geosciences, a field notorious for a lack of diversity, said Chen, compared to other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The reason why diversity is so important is that theres a lot of evidence developing that shows that heterogenous groups consistently out-perform and out-innovate homogenous groups, said Chen. So if the geosciences continue to remain so homogenous, they might be missing out on opportunities to create more innovative science.

During the early stages of GEODES, Chen will be finding and interviewing geosciences students and professors around the country to learn more about the ways in which prejudice affected them or the ways in which they observed prejudice at their home institutions.

If you want to know what impedes diversity efforts in the geosciences you have to know what it looks like, where its coming from and what context it takes place in  does it happen in job interviews, in classes or in field work? said Chen.

The information gleaned from the interviews will be the inspiration for developing the scenarios portrayed in the simulations. Each of the three simulations developed will present a different environment familiar to geoscientists where discrimination might take place and ask them to recognize the issue and address it in an appropriate manner. Once the simulations are developed, Chen will test them out on geosciences faculty around the country.

Prejudice in the present day looks very different than it did in the 70s and 80s, said Chen. Its often rooted in coded language and actions, which makes it easy as a bystander to just shrug your shoulders and move along. It takes a lot of social tact to know when and how to say the right thing.

In addition to training participants to confront prejudice as it happens, theyll also be learning ways to be proactive in starting conversations around diversity at their institution in the hopes of creating change on a systemic level.

This is a leadership development program, so we also want to help these participants become advocates at their institutions for diversity and dismantling prejudice, said Chen. Well teach them the places they need to go, the people they need to talk to, and the ways to start those conversations and see them through to the end.

While the simulations are just for research purposes at the moment and will be tailored to the geosciences, Chen said he could see the simulations someday being available on a larger scale for all institutions to adopt and altered to fit the needs of different fields as well.

I dont think any intervention either works or it doesnt, said Chen. Its a lot more nuanced than that. So if we find out what works well for these types of people in these contexts, we might be able to figure out how we can make it work for more people in larger contexts. Those are the questions were trying to answer right now.
Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia with an incredible diversity of wildlife. The country hosts a rich array of diverse avifauna including both land and water birds. Several factors like poaching, habitat loss, wetland drainage, etc., threaten the bird life of the country. Here we discuss the most threatend birds of the country.

8. White-winged Duck -

The white-winged duck (Asarcornis scutulata) is an elusive, nocturnal species that inhabits standing or slow-flowing wetland areas. The birds have suffered a sharp decline in population due to loss of riverine habitat, destruction of habitat, and also hunting. There are only about 1,000 ducks surviving today of which around 100 individuals live in Cambodia. In the country, the white-winged ducks live in watering holes and rivers in semi-evergreen and evergreen forests.

7. White-shouldered Ibis -

The white-shouldered ibis (Pseudibis davisoni) is a highly threatened species of bird living in Cambodia. Only about 500 individuals survive today with around 400 of them inhabiting eastern and northern Cambodia. Two small populations of the white-shouldered ibis also live in Lao PDR and Indonesias Kalimantan. Drainage of wetlands, hunting, human disturbance, and deforestation has dramatically reduced the population of this species which was once widespread in distribution. In Cambodia, the birds are mainly observed in the Siem Pang district, and along the stretch of the Mekong River that lies between Stung Treng and Kratie.

6. Vultures -

The slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), and the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) are three critically endangered species of vultures living in Cambodia and other parts of Asia. Organizations like the WWF and Bird Life International are constantly working hard to save the last remaining birds. The vultures died in masses in the Indian sub-continent upon feeding livestock carcasses containing diclofenac, a poison for these birds. Thus, conserving the population of these vultures in Southeast Asia is of vital importance.

5. Sarus Crane -

The sarus crane (Antigone antigone) is the worlds tallest flying bird, and some individuals grow up to 1.80 meters tall. Though once widespread in distribution, the sarus crane population has been reduced to fewer than 1,000 birds mostly living in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The collection of sarus crane eggs and chicks, poaching of adults for food, capture, and habitat destruction have endangered the lives of these avians.

4. Masked Finfoot -

Masked finfoots (Heliopais personatus) are aquatic birds with tapered bills and long necks. These birds live in slow-flowing rivers, streams, ponds, creeks, and the edges of lakes in mangroves and lowland forests. Since these birds are very shy, they hardly make an appearance to make proper population estimates. The birds have been observed in the Mondulkiri Protected Forest of Cambodia, and it is believed that the large rivers in the Eastern Plains region of the country serve as ideal habitats for these birds.

3. Green Peafowl -

Green peafowls (Pavo muticus) are one of Cambodias most iconic birds. For years, these birds were used as royal pets by Cambodias ruling dynasties. The birds have suffered a rapid decline due to hunting for wild meat and feathers. Wild birds are also captured for the pet trade. Thus, small populations of green peafowl now remain confined to the eastern and northern provinces of Cambodia.

2. Greater Adjutant -

The greater adjutants (Leptoptilos dubius) are distinctive and large-sized storks that inhabit tropical wetlands where they feed on small terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The greater adjutant populations have reduced greatly due to wetland destruction and human disturbance, and Cambodia is the last remaining place where these birds still breed. Two-thirds of the population of these birds live in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. Small populations are also estimated to live in the dry forests of the northern plains and along some parts of the Mekong River.

1. Giant Ibis -

The giant ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea) is a critically endangered species of bird that has a highly reduced population primarily residing in Cambodia. Hunting, habitat loss, deforestation of lowland areas have pushed these birds to the brink of extinction. The Preah Vihear and Mondulkiri province of Cambodia houses a small population of the giant ibis. If luck prevails, one can observe these birds at the watering holes in the dry forest habitat. The giant ibis which has been declared as the national bird of the country is now protected by law, and efforts are on to recover the population of this species.
The eight national parks of Nigeria covering 20,156 km2, or about 3% of Nigerias total area, play a vital role in conservation. The biggest of these parks is the Gashaka Gumti National Park which stretches for 6402 km2 in Adamawa and Taraba States. The first national park in Nigeria was founded in 1979 as Kainji Lake. Subsequent national parks have been established since then, all under the jurisdiction of the Nigeria National Park Service (NNPS).

The Wildlife Of Nigeria

Nigeria is home to iconic African animal species as well as endemic fauna. Mammals found in Nigeria are the African elephant, pygmy hippopotamus, African wild dogs, leopards, buffaloes, lions, hyenas, bushbuck, waterbuck, shrews, and bats. Primates roaming the region include the white-throated monkey, red colobus monkey, Cross River gorilla, chimpanzee, mandrill, and the scalter's guenon. Avifauna in Nigeria total to 940 species and range from parrots, warblers, ostrich, flamingos, herons and egrets, cormorants, pigeons, hawks, kingfishers, hornbills, flycatchers, crows, ravens, crossbills, and seedeaters. The wildlife of Nigeria also includes populations of amphibians and reptiles. The wetlands of Nigeria are home to aquatic animals such as mongoose, otter, manatee, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and fish species.

The Threats To Nigerias Wildlife

Animals in Nigeria face numerous threats which impede on their sustainability. Top among these threats is poaching, which has reduced populations of some of the countrys important species such as the elephants, lions, and hippopotamus. The animals are a source of bushmeat especially in the rural areas where hunting of species such as antelopes is most rampant. Extensive deforestation is one of the major factors leading to habitat loss in Nigeria. Wood and Charcoal are prized as affordable energy sources in a country where poverty levels are high. Agricultural projects, infrastructure development, and plantations have also contributed to habitat loss. Loss of forests has made animals more vulnerable to external threats. Domestic and industrial pollution have contributed to the degradation of aquatic habitats and consequently threatened aquatic fauna.

The Need To Conserve: Establishment Of National Parks In Nigeria

The legal framework for the establishment of national parks in Nigeria was provided for by Decree No. 46 of 1979 which facilitated the founding of the Kainji Lake National Park. This decree was followed by Decree No. 36 of 1991, which enabled five additional national parks to begin operations. Act 46 of 1999 is the current legal instrument enabling the operations of national parks in Nigeria under the Federal Government. The countrys eight national parks occupy different ecological zones and have their own unique natural and biophysical characteristics.

The Current Role Played By The National Parks Of Nigeria

The national parks in Nigeria serve to protect the countrys diverse flora and fauna. The parks offer local and international visitors the best opportunities to sample Nigerias natural habitats as well as biodiversity. The national parks portray the success or failure of government environmental policies as implemented and provide opportunities for improvement on conservation policies. The national parks are especially critical in mitigating environmental threats. The parks ensure that the natural ecosystems remain intact and shield them from negative external factors. The eight national parks have been invaluable in boosting the countrys lucrative tourism sector.
A newspaper is a serial publication containing news on current events in politics, sports, business, arts, and advertising. A variety of material and information has been published in newspapers besides the news and opinion. These publications may also include weather forecast, creative stories, local services, obituaries, crossword, and pictorials among other material. Most newspaper printing companies are business ventures which generate their revenues from subscriptions, advertising, and newsstand sales. Some newspapers are funded or run by the government and carry mainly the interests of the government. Newspaper printing companies either assemble news directly from the field or subscribe to news agencies like Associated Press.

Categories Of Newspapers

While most newspapers target the broader spectrum of readers, some focus on the different groups of readers defined by their interests rather than location. However, newspapers can be broadly categorized according to their frequency. The most common form of the newspaper is the daily newspaper which is printed every day. The daily newspaper contains the news of the previous day and is always printed overnight and distributed very early in the morning. Weekly newspapers are printed once every week, either at the beginning or the end of the week and contain the weeks highlight. Other forms of newspapers include bimonthly, monthly or quarterly newspapers.

Oldest Newspapers Published In Africa

The first newspaper in Africa was established in Mauritius in 1773 by the French. Annonces, Affiches et Avis Divers pour les Colonies des Isles de France et de Bourbon newspaper, which was the first in Africa, was first published on January 13, 1773, by Nicolas Lambert. The newspaper was printed in French and published weekly. The first Indian Ocean newspaper contained the local announcements, posters, and miscellaneous notices for the colonies of Isles of France. The newspaper was printed at the Royal Printing Office in Port Louis. The second oldest newspaper is Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser which was the first South African newspaper. The newspaper was printed weekly from August 16, 1800, to around 1929 by the British South African Government. The mouthpiece was published in both English and Dutch and was simply used by the government as its mouth-piece. Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser is credited for paving the way for most of the newspapers in Africa today. South African Commercial Advertiser was the first independent newspaper in South Africa whose publication began in 1824. It was printed in both English and Dutch. It was censored several times by the orders of Governor of Cape Town. However, the newspaper was a powerful voice for the democracy of the Cape Colony.

Impact Of Newspapers In The History Of Africa

The publication of newspaper was restricted by the government policies and lack of sufficient technology for frequent and bulk production. However, in countries such as South Africa, the publication of newspapers came as a relief to many who could now access government information and services. The government used newspapers for most of its advertisements announcements reaching a larger audience. The critics of the government and colonies also used newspapers to air their grievances and opinion. However, the government had to censor some of the newspapers like South African Commercial Advertiser to redeem its image.
[January 11, 2017] Ransomware Protection Market by Solution, Service, Application, Deployment, Organization Size, Vertical, Region - Global Forecast to 2021

LONDON, Jan. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "The rise in phishing attacks and security breaches will drive the ransomware protection market"

The ransomware protection market size is expected to grow from USD 8.16 billion in 2016 to USD 17.36 billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.3% during the forecast period. The ransomware protection market is driven by factors such as rise in phishing attacks and security breaches, and emergence of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. Whereas, the availability of free anti-ransomware tools, may limit the growth of the ransomware protection market.



"Secure web gateway solution is expected to have the largest market share, during the forecast period"

Secure web gateway solution is expected to contribute the largest market share in the ransomware protection market, during the forecast period. As web and internet access to employees is business critical and cannot be avoided, enterprises have been encouraging the application of secure web gateways for real time protection against dynamic malwares such as ransomware and enforcement of strong company policies.



"Managed services segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during forecast period"

Both SMEs and large enterprises are rapidly growing their partnership networks to deploy the ransomware protection solutions across the globe. Thus, the managed services segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. However, professional services segment is expected to have the largest market size in 2016.



"Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expected to have the highest growth rate during the forecast period"

APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the high secuitry spending by nterprises in major countries such as China, Australia, India, Singapore, and Japan, for ransomware protection. Furthermore, North America is expected to have the largest market size in 2016, as they are the early adopters of the security technologies.







In-depth interviews were conducted with CEOs, marketing directors, innovation & technology directors, and executives from various key organizations operating in the ransomware protection market.



- By Company Type: Tier 1: 55%, Tier 2: 20%, Tier 3: 25%

- By Designation: C-Level: 60%, Director Level: 25%, Others: 15%

- By Region: North America : 10%, Europe : 20%, APAC: 40%, RoW: 30%





The report includes the study of key players offering ransomware protection solutions such Intel Security, Symantec Corporation, Trend Micro, FireEye, Sophos, Bitdefender, Kaspersky Lab, Malwarebytes, Zscaler, SentinelOne, and others.





Research Coverage:

The report provides a picture on ransomware protection solutions and associated services across different verticals and regions. It aims at estimating the market size and future growth potential of this market, across different segments such as solution, services, application, deployment mode, organization size, verticals, and regions. Furthermore, the report also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market along with their company profiles, SWOT analysis, recent developments, and key market strategies.







Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall ransomware protection market and the subsegments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitor landscape and gain more insights to better position their businesses, and to plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities, in the ransomware protection market.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4604333/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ransomware-protection-market-by-solution-service-application-deployment-organization-size-vertical-region---global-forecast-to-2021-300389486.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Cambodia houses a diverse array of wildlife. The country registers 212 species of mammals, 536 species of birds, 176 reptilians, 850 freshwater fishes, and 435 species of marine fish. Like wildlife in most other parts of the world, Cambodias wild species face significant threats from human activities. Here we discuss the threatened and iconic reptiles and fishes of Cambodia and the reasons that put the survival of these species in danger.

5. Mekong Giant Catfish -

The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is an indicator of the ecological integrity of the Mekong River and is one of the flagship species in the region. The giant catfish is one of the worlds biggest freshwater fish and is endemic to the Mekong Basin. Since the 1970s, the population of the fish has been drastically decreasing due to reasons that are not yet fully understood. Overfishing and habitat destruction could be the two biggest reasons behind this rapid decline of the Mekong giant catfish population. Dam constructions over the river in the future continue to threaten populations of this species.

4. Giant Freshwater Stingray -

The giant freshwater stingray (Himantura chaophraya) is like the Mekong giant catfish, one of the worlds biggest and heaviest freshwater fish species. In Cambodia, the populations of this fish inhabit the waters of the Mekong River. Not much is known about the status of this fish in Cambodia, although the fish is classified as endangered in Thailand. Since the fish is a benthic feeder, higher rates of siltation due to human activities could affect the giant freshwater stingray populations adversely. Also, the construction of dams threatens to isolate reproductive populations of this fish.

3. Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle -

The Cantors giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is a broad-headed turtle with eyes set close to the snouts tip giving it a distinctive frog-like appearance. Significant populations of this turtle are housed in swamps, rivers, mudflats, and estuaries of Cambodia. The turtles are threatened due to poaching for meat and are also affected by habitat destruction.

2. Elongated Tortoise -

The elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) is a heavily exploited species of tortoise that is frequently confiscated in Cambodias Eastern Plains Landscape. These animals inhabit the forests in Southeast and South Asia and are easily distinguished easily by their elongated shells. Populations of the elongated tortoise have been observed in the Cardamom Mountains and the southwestern and eastern Mekong Plains of Cambodia. Besides the elongated tortoise, other threatened turtle species like the yellow-headed temple turtle (Heosemys annandalii) and four-toed terrapin (Batagur baska) are also found in Cambodia.

1. Siamese crocodile -

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is one of the worlds most threatened reptiles. The last remaining habitats of these reptiles can be traced to the wetlands of Cambodia and the Mekong River basin. However, these areas are also not free of threats like habitat fragmentation, hunting, and human disturbance. Only about 100 to 300 wild adult Siamese crocodiles are estimated to remain in Cambodia.
Shoppers were shocked to see a man walking around totally naked in front of them and their children, according to police in the United Kingdom.

Huddersfield police said that they have arrested 52-year-old Patrick McCarthy, after being accused of walking into an Asda supermarket without his clothes.

McCarthy has been charged with one count of outraging public decency. In court, McCarthy pleaded guilty to a lesser charge as part of a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors.

He will be sentenced for using threatening behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

According to the criminal complaint, early on Wednesday morning, McCarthy walked into the Asda supermarket on Bradford Road.

Two police officers who were in the store to buy refreshments during their break, confronted McCarthy after being informed by members of the public that a man was walking naked.

When the officers asked him where his clothes were, he said that he did not know. McCarthy then swore at the officers.

Police warned McCarthy, and after he ignored them, he was arrested.
Egypt Moneeck Robinson and Aries Juan Acevedo

By: Wayne Morin WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A mother who believed that her son had the soul of Adolf Hitler, decided to stab him to death, according to police in Florida.

The Bay County Sheriffs Office said that they have arrested 27-year-old Egypt Moneeck Robinson, after being accused of killing 3-year-old Aries Juan Acevedo.

Robinson has been charged with one count of first-degree murder. She was booked into jail, and was denied bail. If convicted, Robinson faces the death penalty.

According to the criminal complaint, Robinsonas boyfriend walked into a fire department on Tuesday, to report that his girlfriend killed her son.

Police officers who arrived at the scene, found a suitcase floating in a swamp behind Robinsonas house. Police opened the suitcase and found the body of the child.

An autopsy revealed that the boy died of a stab wound. In jail, Robinson told her cellmate, 28-year-old Tiffany Powell, that she killed her son because he had the soul of Adolf Hitler.
(Scroll down for video) A police officer was punished after leaving his horse without food and water for many hours, according to police in Colorado.

The Denver Police Department said that Officer Joseph Teeter, lost one vacation day for leaving his horse without food and water.

After 16 hours, the horse became sick and it was euthanized.

Teeter lost one day of vacation because he failed to take care of his horse, MC Hammer. According to the police investigation, Teeter finished his shift and returned to the Denver Police Mounted Patrol Barn.

Teeter tied the horse with a rope and forgot about it. The horse was discovered 6:15 a.m., the next morning. The horse had no access to food or water for 16 hours.

Although the horse was given food and water, the animal began suffering of pain and was taken to the Littleton Equine Medical Center.

The horse became colic and had to be euthanized after vets determined that the condition would be irreversible.
[January 11, 2017] Gerald Loeb Awards Kickoff 60th Anniversary Year with Call for Entries for 2017 Journalism Competition

UCLA Anderson School of Management and the G. and R. Loeb Foundation invite all journalists and outlets from print, online and broadcast media to submit entries in 12 competition categories and nominations for two career achievement awards for the 60th Anniversary Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111005857/en/ Celebrating 60 years of awarding the best in business journalism, The Gerald Loeb Awards open the 2017 Call For Entries. (Graphic: Business Wire) The Gerald Loeb Awards are the most prestigious honor in business journalism in the United States and were established in 1957 by the late Gerald Loeb, a founding partner of E.F. Hutton. His intention was to encourage reporting on business and finance that would inform and protect the private investor and the general public. All competition categories encourage submissions in all journalistic forms (including those produced for mobile distribution) and in any combination of forms - broadcast (video, audio and podcasts), digital/online, print, still photography, graphics, interactives, data visualization, blogs and social media. Detailed descriptions of category changes and submission guidelines for the 2017 competition can be found online at http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/gerald-loeb-awards/2017-competition-categories. All entries must be submitted online at www.loeb.anderson.ucla.edu no later than Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at 11:59:59 p.m. Consideration is limited to entries that were published or broadcast in the United States during calendar year 2016. Entries Accepted in 12 Competition Categories: AUDIO - Exemplary spoken-word coverage (including podcasts), story-telling or expository journalism on a contemporary business, financial or economic subject.

BEAT REPORTING - Exemplary coverage of a business, financial or economic beat.

BREAKING NEWS - Exemplary coverage of a competitive business, finacial or economic news story within seven days of an event, with special attention paid to the first 24 hours.

COMMENTARY - Including business, financial or economic editorials, columns, syndicated columns, blogs, on-air or video commentary or analysis.

EXPLANATORY - Exemplary in-depth analysis and clear presentation of a complex business, financial or economic subject.

FEATURE - Pieces in any medium that explain or enlighten business topics with exemplary craft and style.

IMAGES/GRAPHICS/INTERACTIVES - Recognizes the exemplary use of images, graphics, and interactives (still photography, video, charts, data visualizations, graphics, illustrations, news apps) to tell stories. These visual elements should be essential to the reporting in order to explain, enlighten or educate the reader/viewer/user about contemporary business, financial or economic topics. The images, graphics, or interactives, and any accompanying text, voice track or sound, can appear in any media.

INTERNATIONAL - Covering international business, financial or economic stories. Must be English language and published in the US.

INVESTIGATIVE - For a business, financial or economic story or group of up to five (5) stories in any medium or in a combination of media. Factors the judges will consider include originality, creativity and persistence in gleaning information, storytelling power and impact.

LOCAL - Recognizes excellence in the coverage of a business, financial or economic story centered in a particular geographic area and offered primarily to consumers in that area. Pieces would be from a local newspaper, magazine, television, radio station or website.

PERSONAL FINANCE - Excellence in business, financial or economic journalism that informs and protects the individual investor and consumer. Eligible entrants include journalists and also experts who are determined not to have conflicts of interest or personal agendas related to the submitted material.

VIDEO - Exemplary coverage, story-telling and presentation in video (delivered in any form - including mobile and social) of a business, financial or economic story.



UCLA Anderson has been presenting The Gerald Loeb Awards since 1973 and the awards use a two-tier judging process comprising a preliminary round and final round. The Gerald Loeb Awards is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization that operates primarily from sponsorship and private support.

Follow The Gerald Loeb Awards on Twitter (News - Alert): @LoebAwards. Experience The Gerald Loeb Awards by searching: #LoebAwards The Gerald Loeb Awards Final Judges: STEPHEN J. ADLER, Editor-in-Chief, Reuters (News - Alert)

DAVID BOARDMAN, Dean of the School of Media and Communications, Temple University

DAVID CALLAWAY, Chief Executive Officer, TheStreet

KEVIN DELANEY, Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder, Quartz

PATRICK FOULIS, New York Bureau Chef & U.S. Business Editor, The Economist

DAVAN MAHARAJ, Editor & Publisher, Los Angeles Times

TYLER MATHISEN, Co-anchor, CNBC's Power Lunch / Vice President for Strategic Editorial Initiatives, CNBC

GRETCHEN MORGENSON, Assistant Business & Financial Editor, The New York Times

ALAN MURRAY, Editor, Fortune / Chief Content Officer, Time Inc. (News - Alert)

MATT MURRAY, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, The Wall Street Journal

JUDY D. OLIAN, Dean, UCLA Anderson School of Management

ANDY SERWER, Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo Finance

MELANIE SILL, Vice President of Content, Southern California Public Radio

LIZ SPAYD, Public Editor, The New York Times

PAUL STEIGER, Executive Chairman, ProPublica

MATTHEW WINKLER, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus & Founder, Bloomberg (News - Alert) News About UCLA Anderson School of Management: UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the leading business schools in the world, with faculty members globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Located in Los Angeles, gateway to the growing economies of Latin America and Asia and a city that personifies innovation in a diverse range of endeavors, UCLA Anderson's MBA, Fully-Employed MBA, Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, Master of Financial Engineering, doctoral and executive education programs embody the school's Think In The Next ethos. Annually, some 1,800 students are trained to be global leaders seeking the business models and community solutions of tomorrow. Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter or on Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111005857/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Last week in Chicago, four young people posted a live video on Facebook showing them beating and abusing a schizophrenic 18-year-old. The attackers were African-American and the victim was white.

The 28-minute video, a disturbing exhibition of cruelty, provoked a public outcry, with many asking: How could this happen, and why?

The nearly universal response of the media to the video, which includes racial taunts of the victim, was to focus exclusively on the issue of race. While racism may very well have played a role in the incident, the facts by no means support the assumption that it was the primary motivation in the attack.

To investigate the more fundamental causes is not to excuse this indefensible act but to try to understand it. The backwardness and violence expressed in the actions of the perpetrators cannot be seriously considered apart from the conditions of grinding poverty that dominate the Chicago neighborhood in which they live and the impact of reactionary political and ideological trends such as racial politics that are so relentlessly promoted by the Democratic Party political establishment and the media.

The four attackers, Jordan Hill, 18, Tesfaye Cooper, 18, and sisters Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, face multiple charges, including kidnapping and battery. All four have been denied bond and are currently in prison.

Hill and the victim attended an alternative high school together in Aurora, Illinois. The victim, with his mothers permission, met Hill at a McDonalds in a north Chicago suburb and slept over at Hills grandmothers home for two nights. The victims mother subsequently lost contact with the victim on January 2. On the same day, she reached out to Hill on Facebook and asked him to return her son home. At this point, Hill became angry, beat the victim, and drove him to his sisters apartment in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicagos west side, meeting the rest of the attackers.

The video, broadcast live on Facebook on January 3, shows the attackers, amongst other things, harassing, beating, and strangling the victim with a cord, and forcing him to say fuck Trump. The two male attackers are also heard shouting fuck Trump and fuck white people multiple times.

Right-wing elements have attempted to exploit the video to legitimize their political agenda. TV personality Glenn Beck tweeted last week, Stand up with me and demand justice in Chicago for the beating of a disabled Trump supporter by BLM [Black Lives Matter].

There is no evidence that the white victim was a Trump supporter or that the attackers were linked to Black Lives Matter.

At the same time, pseudo-left advocates of racial and identity politics have rushed to deny any connection between the racialist conceptions Black Lives Matter and they themselves promote and the brutal incident in Chicago. On January 9, Keith Rosenthal wrote an article on socialistworker.org, the web site of the International Socialist Organization (ISO), reiterating his organizations promotion of BLM as a progressive, anti-racist representative of black people in America.

Rosenthal wrote: The fact that the Black Lives Matter movement has been at the forefront of challenging these abuses makes it all the more perversely ironic that right-wingers and racists are trying to claim that the abuse of a disabled man is the logical outgrowth of the movement.

The claim that Black Lives Matter is engaged in a genuine or progressive struggle against racism is false. It is not an organization of the African-American masses, but rather of a privileged layer of upper-middle class blacksacademics, entrepreneurs, government officialsthat is wholly devoted to acquiring more money, power and status and a bigger share of the income and wealth of the top 10 percent in America.

Closely integrated into the Democratic Party and allied to the Obama administration, it has, in fact, promoted a deeply reactionary racialist narrative, branding the white working class as racist and blaming it for the election of Trump. In November, the Black Lives Matter Global Network wrote, What is true todayand has been true since the seizure of this landis that when black people and women build power, white people become resentful. Last week, that resentment manifested itself in the election of a white supremacist to the highest office in American government.

In rushing to the defense of BLMs politics, the ISO is seeking to whitewash its own role in working to divide the working class along racial lines and conceal the class issues that underlie the growth of poverty, social inequality, police violence and militarism, as well as the rise of right-wing and racist political forces.

Entirely absent from Rosenthals comment on the Chicago video is any examination of the actual social and economic context of the incident in question. Also unmentioned is the political responsibility for the pervasive conditions of grinding poverty and social desperation in working class and minority areas of Chicago, which belongs primarily to the Democratic Party that has run the city for decades.

This is not an accident or oversight. The ISO is itself integrated into the Democratic Party and its agencies, such as the trade union bureaucracy, and speaks for privileged layers of the middle class that have moved ever further to the right.

From former mayor Harold Washington, ex-Black Panther and current US Congressman Bobby Rush, multi-millionaire Jesse Jackson, White House advisor Valerie Jarrett to Obama himself, the citys Democratic Party machine has been a conduit for affluent African Americans to attain economic and political power. These layers enriched themselves as Chicago Democrats oversaw the deindustrialization that destroyed the jobs and communities of black, white and immigrant workers and the party replaced its reformist war on poverty with a war against the poor.

The video took place in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods of Chicago. According to city-data.com, 51 percent of East Garfield Park residents live below the poverty level. According to the Chicago Tribune, in the past 365 days there have been 591 thefts, 109 burglaries, 230 motor vehicle thefts and 7 acts of arson in the neighborhood.

A study by the city of Chicago determined that between 2007 and 2009, the infant mortality rate in the East Garfield Park neighborhood was among the highest in the Chicago, averaging at least 13 infant deaths per thousand babies born, double the national average.

Overall, roughly 33 percent of Chicagos black residents live in poverty, approximately double of the white population. Last year, Chicagos murder rate reached 746 last year, the highest in two decades.

These social conditions are the direct result of the policies carried out by the Democratic Party and accelerated under current Democratic Party mayor and Obamas former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. This includes the largest ever mass closings of public schools in the United States, primarily affecting poor and minority neighborhoods. Last year, the Emanuel administration attacked the salaries and pensions of Chicago public school teachers, instituting a seven percent pay cut to cover the cost of teachers pensions.

Along with the austerity measures, the Democrats have systematically built up and militarized the police to defend the wealth and property of the corporate and financial elite. They have also covered up police killings, such as the murder of Laquan McDonald in 2014, and the torture of city residents by the Chicago Police Department.

Less than a half a mile away from the filming of the Facebook video is the Homan Square black site operated by the Chicago Police Department (CPD). In 2015, the Guardian reported that over 7,000 individuals disappeared there, meaning that no public records of the thousands detained there exists. Detainees have stated they were tortured, sexually assaulted and provided with no access to legal representation. Mayor Emanuel has consistently defended the site, stating the police there follow all the rules.

This is the social and political climate that produced the despicable scenes captured on Facebook video last week. Millions are deprived of the most elementary necessities of lifejobs, decent homes, education, foodwhile the political establishment offers them nothing but police killings and torture, the relentless promotion of racial politics and a culture that glorifies militarism, wealth and power. It is no surprise that the brutalization of society inevitably produces such brutal and anti-social acts.
 the left muddleheads are incapable of power; but if through the turn of events it fell into their hands they would hasten to pass it over to their elder brothers on the right. They would do the same with the state as they are doing now in the party. (Leon Trotsky, Where is Britain Going?)

Nearly a century later, Trotskys warning retains its full force in relation to Jeremy Corbyn, the nominally left leader of the UK Labour Party.

Corbyn was elected by a landslide following Labours electoral wipeout in the 2015 general election. He had the enthusiastic backing of hundreds of thousands of Labour members and supporters on the basis of his pledge to oppose austerity and war. Following an attempted inner-party coup mounted by the right-wing Parliamentary Labour Party, he was reelected last September with an increased majority.

Time after time, he has betrayed his mandate by capitulating before Labours right wing. He named Blairite warmongers to his first cabinet, granted a free vote in support of bombing raids on Syria and the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme, and resigned his presidency of the Stop the War Coalition he had helped found. He instructed local Labour councils to abide by the law and impose austerity cuts demanded by the government, and then abandoned his lifelong oppositionbased on a programme of economic nationalismto the European Union.

Events on Tuesday leading up to his first speech of the New Year, delivered in the city of Peterborough, showed Corbyn once again in political free-fall. By the time he took the stage he had already backed down from the previously worked out script, following attacks from Labour MPs, the press and corporate figures.

The Peterborough speech was supposed to be the culmination of the efforts of Corbyns advisers to rebrand him as an anti-establishment populist figure, prepared to lead a party that would stand up for people and battle corporate interests.

To this end, Corbyn spoke of his concern over growing inequality, the onslaught on wages and conditions and destruction of public services. The welfare state was failing to provide essential care, he declared, the National Health Service was in record deficit and faced a humanitarian crisis, and workers were faced with a sea of insecurity while fat cat chief executives reaped the benefits.

This was all a rhetorical cover for Corbyns efforts to prove Labours political worth to a crisis-ridden ruling elite, torn asunder by the consequences of the Brexit referendum. The fate of the City of London and UK-based companies, half of whose shares are in foreign hands, lay in the balance.

Corbyns team chose Peterborough because it voted strongly in favour of leaving the European Union in last years referendum vote and has a large Eastern European migrant population. It was meant as a signal that Corbyn was prepared to make the political shifts demanded of him by the partys right-wing by adopting an anti-immigration agenda.

A key part of the upcoming negotiations with the EU over the terms of the UKs exit concerns the free movement of labour within the EU, which is opposed by many Labour MPs, led by right-wing figures such as Stephen Kinnock, Jon Cruddas, Rachel Reeves and Caroline Flint. This clique is demanding a new two-tier system of controls on EU migration. Tier one would include skilled professional workers and EU students with a place at British universities. Tier two would be made up of less skilled EU workers subject to quotas, to be negotiated between government, industry and the trade unions.

The Fabian Society, led by prominent figures in the attempted removal of Corbyn as party leader, such as Tristram Hunt, has called for an embrace of patriotism that includes listening to concerns over migration.

Trade union leaders, including Len McCluskey of the Unite union, Corbyns major backer and a vocal proponent of British jobs for British workers, also oppose free movement.

Until now, Corbyn and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott have opposed limits and quotas. However, in the Peterborough speech this was unceremoniously ditched, with Corbyn declaring, Labour is not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle.

Having heeded the demand of his nominal opponents, Corbyn felt obliged to add a caveat, stating, I dont want that to be misinterpreted; nor do we rule it out.

It was impossible to know for certain whether this was supposed to be a sop to the majority of his supporters, who voted to remain in the EU and support free movement, or to business concerns that do not want an end to free movement to prevent the UK maintaining access to the Single Market. However, the rest of Corbyns speech strongly indicated that the latter consideration was paramount.

Labour supports fair rules and the reasonable management of migration as part of the post-Brexit relationship with the EU, he said. His priority was to maintain full access to the European Union single market.

Corbyn tried to pragmatically combine a pledge to free trade, at least in Europe, with a promise to implement protectionist measures by repatriating powers from Brussels for the British government to develop a genuine industrial strategy essential for the economy of the future

Referring to his earlier denunciation of the Conservatives for not implementing protectionist measures against Chinese steel dumping, he declared, Tory governments have hidden behind EU state aid rules because they dont want to intervene. They did so again last year when the steel industry was in trouble.

To complete his appeal for Labour to be seen as the guardian of the nations economic future, Corbyn declared Prime Minister Theresa Mays Conservative Party government unfit to negotiate Brexit for having so recklessly put the country in such an exposed position without a plan.

The one concrete measure trailed by Corbyn as proof that he would stand up to the fat cats on behalf of working people was his promise to back a maximum wage to prevent excessive CEO salaries. In morning media interviews, he urged some kind of high earnings cap and railed against the ridiculous wealth of the super-rich.

But by the time of the afternoon speech, Corbyn restricted himself to proposing nothing more than a pledge that a Labour government would not offer public contracts to private companies that paid executives more than 20 times the wage of their lowest-paid worker.

The fact is, his declaration that free movement is not a principle is entirely sufficient to judge Corbyn as a political figure.

His speech demonstrated yet again that he is bereft of principles. His sole concern is to preserve the unity of the Labour Party, i.e., unity with the right wing that enforces Labours pro-capitalist, pro-austerity and pro-war agenda, while employing empty left rhetoric in order to maintain the partys deadly grip on the working class. As such, there is nothing of his professed anti-establishment rhetoric that he will not abandon if told to do so by his party and trade union overseers.

The author also recommends:

Corbyns six months as UK Labour leader: A record of capitulation and betrayal

[24 March 2016]
The Amalgamated Transit Union reached a deal late Wednesday night in state-mediated talks with Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) officials to end the three-day strike by 463 bus drivers, mechanics and other transit workers in Dayton, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati.

The tentative agreement must be approved by transit workers and the RTA board before the strike, which affected 30,000 riders a day, ends. But ATU Local 1385 President Glen Salyer insisted full bus service would be resumed at 4 a.m. Friday. We all had the same interest, Salyer said, getting the public service back on the street.

The union has not released any results of deal and it is questionable whether a full agreement was even reached. Specifics of the tentative agreement were not disclosed because a state mediator asked both sides not to release details before it was finalized, the Dayton Daily News reported.

The behind-the-scenes character of the process makes it clear that the ATU has accepted major concessions, which should be rejected by rank-and-file workers. Workers, who have not had a raise since 2014, walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. Monday to demand increased wages, overtime pay owed to them and to oppose the transit authoritys demand for increased premiums and deductibles on their health care plans. Under RTAs proposed health insurance plan, the union says, workers with families would pay $4,472 in insurance premiums and the first $5,000 in medical expenses before the plan contributes a penny.

Salyer, RTA officials and a mediator from the State Employment Relations Board met for 14 hours Wednesday before the agreement was announced at 11:30 p.m. Also present at the downtown Crowne Plaza hotel was the president of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, who has complained that the strike has hurt business.

During the walkout, the union worked to minimize the impact of the strike. ATU officials asked striking workers to stay away from the hotel where negotiations have been being conducted.

Despite the efforts of the ATU to sabotage the strike, transit workers on the picket lines who spoke with the World Socialist Web Site expressed their determination to beat back managements concession demands. One veteran worker, expressing the sentiments of many, said, It is time to fight back.

Drivers of passing cars shouted support or blew their horns to express solidarity with the striking transit workers. The city, formerly a major manufacturing center for General Motors, has been hit by years of plant closings, layoffs and a relentless lowering of living standards, all aided and abetted by the United Auto Workers and other unions. There is widespread support for a fight back.

Striking workers expressed concern that they would be forced to take many concessions, including the hiring of more part-time workers, because they had no confidence that the ATU would fight. One driver in his late 60s said he had retired, but went back to work because he wasnt making enough money on his retirement to make ends meet.

Workers said they determined to defeat the proposal for a $5,000 deductible before insurance kicks in. It is like having no health care at all, one worker noted. Others expressed strong opposition to getting a signing bonus in lieu of a pay raise, noting this had often happened in previous contracts.

Many workers complained about multiple pay tiers negotiated by the ATU in past contracts that stipulate different pay rates and different pay progressions depending on hire date. One worker in Project Mobility said she, at top pay, currently makes $16 an hour after working at RTA since 2008. Another driver said she would have to wait three or four more years to get to top pay, 10 years altogether. Others noted the irregular hours, and the fact that their workday was often split between shifts.

Picketers also complained about lack of information from the ATU. One worker said he thought it would be two weeks before they were eligible for strike pay, but had heard nothing concrete, and that nothing is being put in writing by the ATU.

Having taken the measure of the ATU, transit officials remained intransigent. RTA CEO Mark Donaghy said high-deductible plans are needed to cut costs and told the Dayton Daily News that the unions counter-demands had been an absolute non-starter that would drain the agency of $3 million in additional costs. RTA is using management personnel as strikebreakers to operate Project Mobility buses to transport the disabled.

ATU Local 1385 officials said they would never have called the strike in the first place if RTA management had accepted the unions proposal for binding arbitration.

Had we went to binding arbitration this contract would have been settled and the public would have never been in the middle, Local 1385 President Salyer wrote in a letter last month to RTA. I would be willing to have language in all new contract[s] for binding arbitration, so the public can never be put in the middle of a strike.

This is a thoroughly antidemocratic scheme that strips workers of the right to strike and places their fate in the hands of a supposedly neutral arbitrator. It is not surprising that Republican state legislators want to impose the same measure on transit workers.

State Rep. Niraj Antani, a Republican from Miamisburg, told the Daily News that he is seeking legislative action to prevent future strikes, including forcing transit workers, like firefighters and cops, into binding arbitration. Certainly, this is not working, Antani said. I will look into a legislative solution to make sure this situation never happens again. Its absolutely unacceptable for a strike to happenor the threat of a strike to happen.

The Republican legislator praised Democratic US Senator Sherrod Browns efforts to prevent the strike. I commend him for not taking sides, Antani told the Daily News. Hes a labor guy, if he took the side of labor, people would understand. But hes above reproach.

RTA officials rejected the proposal for binding arbitration, calculating that they could get even deeper concessions by relying on the ATU to strangle the strike and impose managements dictates. RTA CEO Donaghy said the agency would not delegate our responsibility to the local taxpayers to a third party to determine the future cost of operating this agency.
Hidden Figures, directed by Theodore Melfi, screenplay by Melfi and Allison Schroeder, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly; Passengers, directed by Morten Tyldum, screenplay by Jon Spaihts

Hidden Figures

Directed by Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures recounts the story of three brilliant African-American female scientists who made extraordinary contributions to NASAthe National Aeronautics and Space Administrationin the 1960s. The movie is based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.

The film centers on Katherine Goble Johnson (born 1918), a physicist and mathematician who excelled in computerized celestial navigation for Project Mercury, the first US human spaceflight program (including the flights of Alan Shepard and John Glenn) from 1958 through 1963, the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon and the Space Shuttle program. She was also involved in the early plans for a mission to Mars.

Additionally, Melfis film features Johnsons colleagues Dorothy Johnson Vaughan (1910-2008), a mathematician who worked for NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), the precursor to NASA and Mary Winston Jackson (1921-2005), a mathematician and aerospace engineer at NACA/NASA.

In certain regards, Hidden Figures is a moving, intriguing account of these pioneering women who rose to the highest echelons of the aerospace program during the Cold War and the attendant space race between the US and the USSR. And, furthermore, as Shetterly states in her book, The social and organizational changes occurring at Langley [NASAs Langley Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia] were buoyed by the civil rights forces gathering momentum in the country.

But any merely or largely official version of the political and historical issues bound up with these events, such as the filmmakers adopt, is fraught with contradictions.

The movie opens in Hampton, Virginia in 1961. Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) are on their way to work at NASA when their car breaks down. A cop pulls up behind them and is astonished to learn that the agency hires not only women, but black women! Overcoming his shock, he accompanies them to their destination.

In her book, Shetterly writes: Getting hired by the laboratory as a professional mathematician had been an important and groundbreaking stride for the black womenfor all of Langleys women, of course. Their employment represented an expansion of the very idea of who had the right to enlist in the countrys scientific workforce.  Dorothy was proud of the way she had navigated through the days of racial segregation, proud of whatever small share she might claim in contributing to the demise of that backward practice.

Hidden Figures establishes early on that Katherine is a mathematician of virtually unequalled skills, while Mary is a brilliant engineer, although without an engineering degree because of her race and gender. Dorothy already supervises, but without the administrative title, the African-American mathematical womens department at NASA. She reports to the officious, unsympathetic Mrs. Mitchell (Kirsten Dunst), who bristles at the black womens ambitions and talent.

The heads of the US space program, as well as the American government, are apoplectic over news that the Soviet Union has put the first human, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, into a single orbit aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961.

NASAs Space Task Group is run by a fictionalized Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), who, unlike many of his colleagues, is entirely colorblind when it comes to beating the Russians. He soon recognizes Katherines gifts and places her under his lead mathematician Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons), who is not as oblivious to race as his boss. Katherine, now in another location than the rest of her black female co-workers, finds out that the nearest colored bathroom is in a distant building.

Meanwhile, giant IBM computers are installed and Dorothy knows that her job as well as those of her fellow human computers depend on their ability to master the new technology. She accomplishes this with such expertise that she outshines the bewildered IBM technicians.

Greatly respected by her Polish-born departmental leader, Marywhose supportive husband Levi (Aldis Hodge) is a staunch civil rights activistis nonetheless required to take advanced courses only offered at a white segregated high school. She successfully challenges this injustice in the courts.

With fierce intelligence and determination, Katherine finally wins the right to attend the meetings of those in charge of the space program and in that rarified milieu is even able to push the program forward.

Spaceship-flying computers might be the future, asserts Shetterly, but it didnt mean [astronaut] John Glenn had to trust them. He did, however, trust the brainy fellas who controlled the computers. And the brainy fellas who controlled the computers trusted their computer, Katherine Johnson. It was as simple as eighth-grade math: by the transitive property of equality, therefore, John Glenn trusted Katherine Johnson.

It is to the filmmakers credit that they have brought this episode to light. All the actors are up to the task. Hidden Figures is assisted by Pharrell Williams lively score, particularly his track Runnin.

Attempting to answer why the fascinating story of Johnson, Jackson and Vaughan is so little known, director Melfi told an interviewer that we celebrate the astronaut, but we dont celebrate all the scientists and researchers and mathematicians that did the work to put a man in space, and then the last thing is that a lot of this stuff is classified. The entire program was classified for the longest time, especially during the Cold War where their deep fear over Russian spying and Russian hacking which strangely enough is even more relevant today then it was then. So everything was classified, top secret.

This uncritical acceptance of the US government version of the Cold War, as well as the American establishments current anti-Russian propaganda campaign, helps explain some of the films weakness. (Significantly, Shetterly notes that Mary Jackson began working at NASA on April 5, 1951, the same day a New York federal court handed down a death sentence against Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, the couple accused of spying for the Soviet Union at the height of the anticommunist hysteria.) Hidden Figures is very much the state-sponsored story, and suffers from the untruth of that story.

Whether the filmmakers have thought it through or not, the implication of this particular brand of liberal identity politics is that America needed during the Cold Warand needs todayto overcome its internal racial problems and achieve national unity so as to confront its greater enemy, Russia, or some other power. The movie displays a noxious and unthinking patriotic attitude towards the US governmental, military and intelligence apparatusan apparatus at war with the worlds population.

Of course, this is not the fault of those who worked at NASA, but that the filmmakers have swallowed the US governments line whole makes at times for a quasi-embalmed drama. The goings-on are often slightly static and stiff: the racists are hopeless and the black scientists are canonized"separate but equal forces in an uneasy truce to guarantee Americans space supremacy. Moreover, when Hidden Figures goes beyond science and attempts to deal with the central characters personal lives, it takes on a constricted and unreal character.

Furthermore, it is absurd to pay homage to NASAs space program without including the fact that it was largely demolished by George W. Bushs government, then more or less put in its grave by the Obama administration. The end of the manned space program, along with the ongoing war by the US ruling elite on scientific knowledge, testifies to the long-term decline of American capitalism. None of this crucial reality animates the creators of Hidden Figures and it weakens the much-deserved tribute to Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan.

Passengers

The science fiction thriller, Passengers, directed by Morten Tyldum, is, like many current movies of this genre, visually imaginative. But also, like much of todays fare, its ideas and drama are insufferably banal.

The starship Avalon is on a 120-year journey to Homestead II, organized by a private corporation that markets its destination as The jewel of unoccupied worlds! As Earth is overcrowded, there are many partakers in the colonization of an uninhabited planet. The Avalon has on board more than 5,000 passengers and crew, all put in deep hibernation until the spaceship reaches its objective.

For some reason, however, the pod containing Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) fails and he awakens 90 years too early. A good thing hes a mechanic and has the company of an android bartender called Arthur (Michael Sheen). But after some time without human companionship, Jims mental state deteriorates until he figures out how to awaken a beautiful female passenger, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence).

Alone in their ultra-luxurious and massive machine, the couple have a wonderful time until Arthur tells Aurora that her hibernation was deliberately interrupted by Jim. And seeing that there is no way to re-hibernate, she views his actions as tantamount to murder. But when the pod of a crew member (Laurence Fishburne) also fails, and a number of the ships systems begin to malfunction, the three become aware that the ship has been damaged by a collision with an asteroid. (Why the designers of a vehicle set to travel 120 years in space have not anticipated possible collisions with debris and why no technology for re-hibernation is in place are only two of the numerous holes in the narrative.)

The movies silliness and predictability are occasionally offset by visual set-pieces. In one such, the water in a pool where Aurora is swimming erupts like a volcano when the Avalon suddenly loses gravity; the scene of her rescue mission outside the ship is also very striking.

There are vague anti-corporate (and anti-airline) digs here against the Avalons classed-based services and the mega-profits raked in by the sponsors of the voyage. As an exploration of human isolation and a moral fable about personal freedom, however, Passengers is threadbare and trite.
A major focus of political debate in the United States as 2017 begins is what will happen to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, the legislation restructuring the US health care system enacted in 2010, which took effect in 2014.

While Republicans denounce Obamacare as a total failure, and Democrats defend it as a progressive, all be it limited, success, the entire discussion revolves around an unstated assumption: that US health care is the best in the world, requiring only minor adjustments in a system based on the profit drive of privately owned corporations that sell health insurance, drugs and medical equipment, and operate hospitals and other facilities.

A recent survey shows that this consensus in favor of the for-profit medical system in the United States is based on a lie. The Commonwealth Fund questioned adults in 11 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It found the US ranked at the bottom in access to and affordability of health care.

Compared to the 10 other high-income countries, the survey found: Adults in the U.S. are more likely to go without needed care because of costs and to struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing and healthy food. U.S. adults are also more likely to report having poor health and emotional distress.

There are numerous indicators of the failure of the U.S. for-profit healthcare system:

 One-third of US adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick, or did not fill a prescription because of costs.

 Fifteen percent said they worried about having enough money for nutritious food and 16 percent struggled to afford their rent or mortgage.

 Half of US adults struggled to get health care on the weekends and evenings without going to an emergency department.

 Fourteen percent of chronically ill U.S. adults said they did not get the support they needed from health care providers to manage their conditions.

While the ten other countries outside the US offer universal insurance coverage, their health care services have faced cutbacks in recent years. In Britain, for example, dozens of hospitals, Accident and Emergency units, maternity units, mental health units, childrens heart units and GP surgeries have been downgraded or shut down, despite popular opposition. However, even after cuts, the countries surveyed have better cost protection and a larger safety net than the US, giving more people the ability to get medical care.

The Affordable Care Act has increased the number of people with private health insurance, but only by so redefining the meaning of insurance. People are said to be insured when they are enrolled in policies that require enormous out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles, which means they cannot afford to use medical services and if they do, may go bankrupt. In the jargon of the industry, they are underinsured. In fact, 31 million Americans were underinsured in 2014 .

Obama and the Democrats based their health care reform bill on the tendencies already prevailing in the private insurance market. In the US, more and more employees getting group health insurance through their employer and individuals buying insurance through a marketplace or an exchange are only being offered high-deductible health plans (HDHP).

A health plan with a deductible means that other than certain preventive services, the plan holder must pay for all medical care until the deductible is met. So people with high-deductible plans are hit hard paying for medical services before the health plan starts to pay. Even when the health plan starts to pay, a person still must pay a copayment for health care services that could be as much as 40 percent of the cost.

A Kaiser Family Foundation report found that the average annual out-of-pocket costs per patient rose almost 230 percent between 2006 and 2015. A survey of employers found employee deductibles increased 67 percent from 2010 to 2015. In the last year for which figures are available, for example, workers wages increased a mere 1.9 percent between April 2014 and April 2015, whereas out-of-pocket medical expenses went up 9 percent.

Kaiser reported that 43 percent of insured patients said they delayed or skipped physician-recommended tests or treatment because of high associated costs. When patients put off medical care, they are more likely to end up in a hospital Emergency Room. About 80 percent of emergency physicians said they are treating insured patients who have sacrificed or delayed medical care due to unaffordable out-of-pocket costs, co-insurance or high deductibles. This represented a 10 percent increase during the first six months of 2016.

The American College of Physicians noted: Evidence shows that cost sharing, particularly deductibles, may cause patients to forgo or delay care, including medically necessary services. The effects are particularly pronounced among those with low incomes and the very sick. In the private insurance market, cost sharing typically is used as a blunt instrument, without regard for an individuals income or health status ... higher cost sharing is associated with adverse health outcomes among vulnerable populations, including individuals with a low income, poor health or chronic illness, or those who are elderly.

In the individual market, almost 90 percent of enrollees in Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces are in a high deductible health plan. A HDHP is one where the deductible is at least $1,300 for self-only coverage or $2,600 for family coverage. So if your 2017 ACA plan has a $1,500 deductible and you find out in January you need a CT scan that costs $1,500, you would be responsible for paying the full amount. Its easy to see why someone would put off such a test.

The increasingly poor health of people in the US is the result of a health care system based on increasing the profits of the health care stakeholders. The health insurance companies have set up models of patient treatment to maximize their profits and with lucrative benefits for doctors and hospitals.

The modus operandi in health care, which underlies patient treatment, is called value-based health care, in which the business model and the care model become increasingly intertwined. The ACA includes provisions that promote this trend in Medicare, the federally funding health insurance system for the elderly and disabled.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and private health insurance companies are moving from a purely fee-for-service payment system to payment models that reward health care providers based on the quality and cost of care provided. CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services began implementing value-based programs in 2001, billing them as Quality Initiatives.

Through these various doctor and hospital programs, the insurance industry and CMS regulate patient care. They decide what services health care providers will be paid for (and what they will not be paid for), how much money providers have to save and how much they will be reimbursed for patient careand their incentive payment if they cut costs.

One of the tenets of this model is to declare patients to be health care consumers who must be held responsible for the financial management of their own care. They must shop around to find the least expensive care or be able to afford the best care. One idea being floated by large employers, for example, is to set a fixed dollar amount they will pay for common but expensive procedures. For hip replacement, they could limit payment to $5,000. Since the best doctors and hospitals charge more, only the wealthy could get the best care.

The stakeholders involved with creating Obamacarehealth insurance companies, the Department of Health and Human Services, hospitals, physician groups, drug companies and employersall will be involved in what comes next. The structures and systems are already in place to make sure the stakeholders benefit and population suffers, unable to get good quality, affordable care.
[January 12, 2017] Comcast Business Provides Enterprise Customers with Private Ethernet Connectivity to the Microsoft Cloud

Comcast Business today announced that it now provides enterprise customers with private links to the Microsoft Cloud, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Comcast (News - Alert) Business customers can now receive up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) of private network service to the Microsoft cloud, supporting the diverse mix of enterprise class cloud services offered by Microsoft (News - Alert). This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005197/en/ Comcast Business today announced that it now provides enterprise customers with private links to the Microsoft Cloud, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. (Graphic: Business Wire) Private cloud connectivity provides businesses with predictable and often better performance, security and availability compared to conncting over the open internet, and is backed by a service level agreement (SLA). Joining the Microsoft ExpressRoute partner program, Comcast Business is making the Azure ExpressRoute service available to its more than one million Ethernet-enabled buildings nationwide.



"As businesses increasingly rely on cloud services to virtualize more of their IT applications, they require connectivity with measurable performance, reliability and security," said Rosemary Cochran, principal at Vertical Systems Group. "The addition of Comcast Business to the Microsoft ExpressRoute partner network offers companies the cloud connectivity they need, backed by the reach and flexibility of Comcast's expansive Ethernet service footprint." More than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies use the Microsoft cloud, and more than 120,000 new businesses are joining Azure every month. In addition, Microsoft indicates that one in four of its enterprise customers are using Office 365.

"A key part of our cloud and data center initiative is giving businesses private, secure access to cloud providers for increased options and flexibility as they build out and customize their hybrid architectures. Working with a market leader in cloud services like Microsoft is a great benefit for our customers," said Jeff Lewis, vice president of data services at Comcast Business. "And as CIOs and IT leaders look to expand their use of Microsoft Azure for more line of business applications where performance and security are critical, we can give them a new Ethernet network option that turns their WAN into a LAN, connecting their dispersed office locations, data centers and cloud services." Comcast Business' network connects to over 500 data centers as well as cloud exchanges for dynamic access to multiple cloud providers. About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice and TV solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by a next-generation, fiber-based network, and backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the Ethernet market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as its fastest growing provider and service provider of the year. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter (News - Alert) @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005197/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Donald Trumps press conference Wednesday morning was an hour-long demonstration of oligarchic arrogance and contempt for democratic principles that has no parallel in modern American history.

The occasion for the press conference was the president-elects announcement of plans to put the Trump Organization, his main business entity, under the management of his two sons, Donald Jr. and Eric. The senior Trump would step down from all formal management roles while retaining his status as the principal owner.

These arrangements have been denounced by former government ethics officials as a travesty of longstanding norms: every US president in the modern period, no matter how wealthy, has been compelled to place all his assets in a blind trust to prevent overt conflicts of interest.

The event was dominated, however, by the issue of alleged Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign during the 2016 elections, with many questions relating to a document containing unverified allegations that the Russian government collected compromising material on Trump with an eye to future blackmail.

While the Democratic Party has chosen to center its critique of Trump on material provided by its allies in the CIA, the real assault on the public embodied in the incoming administration was visibly demonstrated at the news conference.

A significant portion of the event was given over to Trumps legal advisor, who declared that the business empire built by President-elect Trump over years is massive, and proceeded to explain why conflict-of-interest statutes do not apply to Trump. She assured the American people that Trump is not exploiting the office of the presidency for his personal benefit.

Trump aides piled up hundreds of manila folders allegedly comprising documents showing the various arrangements to be made with respect to the Trump Organization. While the president-elect boasted of his wealth and success, he reiterated that he is exempt from conflict-of-interest rules (due to an obscure 1978 law passed to retroactively legitimize the free pass given to billionaire Nelson Rockefeller when he was appointed vice president by Gerald Ford in 1974).

Trump was not just citing a legal technicality. He was declaring the complete immunity of the capitalist oligarchy from the laws and regulations that apply to the general population. All laws and democratic principles are subordinate to oligarchic privilege.

Insisting that he had the right to do whatever he wanted, Trump at one point declared: As president, I could run the Trump organization, great, great company, and I could run the companythe country. Id do a very good job [at both], but I dont want to do that.

The Freudian slip, mixing up company and country, was the most revealing moment in the press conference. For Trump, the country and the companyand, more broadly, the oligarchyare one and the same.

Particularly significant during the news conference was Trumps menacing of the press. He flatly refused to take a question from CNN reporter Jim Acosta, accusing the network of being fake news because it was the first news outlet to report on the document claiming that Russia had obtained compromising material on him. Trump also made an ominous threat against the Buzzfeed website, which published the document online, declaring, Theyre going to suffer the consequences. They already are.

There was a heavy-handed atmosphere of bullying throughout the event, which had a fascistic smell to it. There is no question that the administration is prepared to use extreme levels of violence abroad and within the United States against what it perceives to be its main threat, the working class.

The personnel of Trumps cabinet showsin such figures as billionaire asset stripper Wilbur Ross, multi-millionaire fast food magnate Andy Puzder, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, and billionaire heiress and charter school advocate Betsy DeVosthat the new administration will be one of unrelenting war against the working class, destroying jobs, social services such as education and Medicare, and any remaining restrictions on the exploitation of labor.

Behind it all is an overpowering element of decay, nepotism and social filtha new low, even by the tawdry standards of American capitalist politics. It represents the establishment in the United States of government of, by and for the financial oligarchy.

The new occupant of the White House is the personification of what has been developing over decades: an ever-increasing concentration of wealth at the very top of American society, and the crystallization of a semi-criminal ruling class whose wealth is derived from financial manipulation, not the development of the productive forces.

The Democratic Party bases its opposition to Trump not on the social character of the new administration as a government of the oligarchs, but on disputes over foreign policy, in which the Democrats happily embrace the opportunity to adopt a neo-McCarthyite anti-Russian stance and align themselves closely with the military-intelligence apparatus.

This is because the Democratic Party too is a political instrument of the billionaires, a different variant on the same theme. Indeed, everything that Trump will implement has been prepared by the Obama administration.

There is deep and growing anger among workers and youth. According to the latest poll figures, Trumpthe most unpopular president-elect in historynow has a favorable rating of only 37 percent, with the majority of the population viewing him unfavorably. This is before he even takes a single action as president of the United States. Masses of people are in for a shock beyond anything they are prepared for.

There must and will be mass opposition. It will come from the working class, the vast majority of the population that is completely excluded from official political life. To prepare for these struggles, the working class must be politically organized and mobilized, and armed with a revolutionary and socialist perspective.
Last Friday, a 32-year-old man died on a commuter train traveling from the south suburbs of Chicago to Fox Lake, Illinois.

Jamal Parks died from a gunshot wound to the head in Deerfield, Illinois, in the midst of a dangerous police shootout aboard a passenger-filled train. The details of his death remain quite murky.

A preliminary autopsy report from the Lake County coroner released on Tuesday claimed that his death was self-inflicted by a single gunshot wound to the head. However, initial reports also suggested that police officers shot and killed him. The findings were released by the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force, but the coroners office is expected to provide a final ruling after further forensic testing.

Parks was alleged to have been a suspect in the death of a man in the suburb of Evergreen Park. Video footage showed that three men killed a man inside an SUV in a Walgreens parking lot, according to Orland Park police chief Tim McCarthy, spokesperson for the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.

Parks departed from Evergreen Park last Friday night on the Milwaukee District North Line Metra train. According to Illinois State Police, the West Division police officers of the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force followed him in plainclothes on the train. When the train stopped at the station at 10:30 p.m. in Deerfield, Illinois, north of Chicago, the officers requested assistance from the Deerfield Police Department.

According to the Illinois State Police, the plainclothes officers and the Deerfield police surrounded the stopped train. Officers both inside and outside were allegedly preparing for Parks to leave the train at Deerfield. When he failed to do so, they attempted to apprehend him.

Parks reportedly spotted the officers in plainclothes and ran to the top level of the train. Three officers chased him on the upper level, according to McCarthy. One officer reportedly tried to take him into custody, but according to official reports, he broke free, pulled out a handgun and allegedly fired at the police. The officers began to fire back and initial reports suggested he was struck by police bullets in the ensuing melee.

Subsequent reports from the police claim that Parks likely killed himself. As of right now, there is no independent testimony or corroboration of what actually transpired in the train compartment. Parks was taken to nearby Highland Park Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The officer that fired at Parks, however, was placed on desk duty pending the investigation into the shooting, according to McCarthy. It is not clear at present to which department he belongs, whether from the south suburbs or from Deerfield.

The shootout took place on board a passenger-filled train, alarming everyone on board. According to a Metra spokesperson, at least 40 passengers were traveling aboard the Milwaukee North District Line No. 2155 when the shootout began in Deerfield.

Passengers speaking to the Chicago Tribune noted that they were terrified after hearing shots fired and seeing other passengers run away. When conductors became aware of the situation, they quickly tried to direct passengers away from the train car where the shootout was taking place.

Metra spokesperson Meg Reile stated passengers were not initially evacuated from the train because of concerns they would be in the line of fire. It is not clear if this directive came from the police or not, but passengers were finally evacuated and detained at a nearby Home Depot store for more than five hours for questioning by police.

One passenger, Brian Johnson, a comedian, was traveling back on the train when he heard the gunshots. Speaking to the Tribune, he said, I thought it would be a normal train ride, as usual. We stopped (at the Lake Cook station) and the conductors said there was a problem with a signal ahead. I was having an allergy attack and went to the bathroom to blow my nose, then I was hearing gunshots. The conductor was yelling for us to get in the other car.

Johnson was one train car away from the shooting and he, along with four others in that car, was directed out of the car by the conductor. Trying to figure out what happened in the midst of the panic, Johnson said, One of the passengers first thought it was a terrorist attack. Another passenger (who had been asleep on the train) couldnt get his stuff and had to go with no shoes.

Whatever transpired in the train car during the shootout, there are a lot of details that remain completely unclear. The contradictory reports that have come out since Parks's deathwhether Parks was shot by an officer or shot himselfand the police shootout on the commuter train suggest not all may be as it seems. While it is possible that Parks may have pulled a handgun after an officer tackled him, this claim remains unverified at present and uncorroborated by any other witnesses.

Also unanswered by the official reports is why the police sought to confront an alleged suspect on a train full of passengers, thereby risking the lives of everyone on the train. The entire operation seems to have been quite reckless. The end result of the police shootout was the death without trial of a young man, an increasingly common phenomenon in American life.

Police and media have pointed to Jamal Parks's criminal history, including being sent to prison for possession of a firearm in 2009, armed robbery in 2002, and other minor crimes, including charges filed against him for possession of cannabis and failure to stop at a stop sign. Parks's criminal record is little more than a reflection of the social conditions facing wide swaths of working class youth in Illinois and around the country, with few economic and social opportunities, frequent run-ins with the law, and a criminal justice system stacked against them.

In various incidents of police shootings around the country, police officers have been known to fabricate evidence, falsify the facts, and frequently claim that they feared for their lives when, in fact, they were the aggressors. Last year, police killed more than 1,150 people, and at least 30 people have been killed in the first week and a half of 2017, continuing the unending reign of police terror that has become routine. Police departments across the United States have become highly militarized and increasingly respond to even minor incidents with overwhelming violence, a reflection of the brutalized state of class relations in this country.

The majority of those killed by the police across the country have been the poorest sections of the population. While Wall Street surges to new heights at the expense of the working classa consequence of the policy of the Obama administration and both political parties following the financial crash of 2008millions of working people endure economic and social hardship daily, with increasing attacks on their democratic rights and living standards.
The meetings between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and senior Republicans in Dallas, Texas last Sunday will only heighten tensions between the United States and China ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration as US president next week. Tsai met with Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a stop-over on the way to visit several Central American countries.

Yesterday, to underline Beijings concerns about closer US ties with Taiwan, the Chinese navy sailed its aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese military scrambled F-16 jet fighters and dispatched a frigate to surveil and control the passage of the Chinese warships.

Trump has already destabilised relations with China by declaring last month he would not be bound by a One China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things. Under the One China policy, formally adopted in 1979, the US recognised Beijing as the sole legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan, and ended diplomatic relations with Taipei.

Trumps threat to overturn the One China policy was accompanied by denunciations of China over trade, its failure to rein in North Korea and its land reclamation activities in the South China Sea. Just days earlier, Trump upended decades of diplomatic protocol by taking a phone call from the Taiwanese presidentthe first direct contact between US and Taiwanese leaders since 1979.

During his congressional confirmation hearing yesterday, Trumps nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, signalled his determination to challenge China in the South China Sea. Describing Chinese activities as extremely worrisome, he declared: We are going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.

Likening Chinas island building as akin to Russias taking Crimea, Tillerson accused the Obama administration of an inadequate response. His remarks set the stage for a direct military confrontation between China and the United States, two nuclear-armed powers. Any attempt by the US to block Chinese aircraft and ships from accessing the islets it controls in the South China Sea would lead to a clash that could rapidly escalate into war.

After his meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai on Sunday, Senator Cruz also took a provocative stance toward China. Beijing is particularly sensitive to any hint that the US is treating Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province, as a sovereign nation, and has warned that it will take military action to prevent any formal declaration of Taiwanese independence.

Cruz, who challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, declared in a statement that he had been honoured to meet Tsai, who belongs to Taiwans Democratic Progressive Party and champions greater Taiwanese autonomy, which is anathema to Beijing. Cruz described the meeting as an opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations in a wide-ranging discussion that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations.

In what amounted to a slap in the face to Beijing, Cruz publicly rebuffed Chinas appeals for US officials not to meet Tsai. China needed to understand, he said, that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves. This is about the US relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend.

Cruzs strident tone reflects a broader anti-China stance taken by the Republican Party in its 2016 platform, which bluntly declared: Chinas behaviour has negated the optimistic language of our last platform concerning future relations with China. It contained blistering denunciations of China over human rights, its preposterous claim to the entire South China Sea and island building, its currency manipulation and mockery of copyright in an economy based on piracy. The document also reaffirmed strong support for Taiwan, including through greater trade, arms sales and backing Taiwans participation in international organisations.

Trumps incoming administration contains officials, such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who are committed to trade war measures against Beijing, including branding China as a currency manipulator and imposing huge tariffs, of up to 45 percent, on Chinese goods. Among the officials are also figures with strong ties to Taiwan, such as Trumps Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who met with Tsai in 2015 before she became Taiwanese president last year.

Commenting on Tsais meeting with Cruz, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman declared: We firmly oppose leaders of the Taiwan region, on the so-called basis of a transit visit, having any form of contact with US officials and engaging in activities that interfere with and damage China-US relations.

A spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, Ma Xiaoguang, did not draw a direct connection to Tsais discussions and the passage of the Liaoning through the Taiwan Strait, saying only that it was part of scheduled training. However, he did warn that the Taiwan-China relationship would face increasing uncertainty, looming risks and challenges in the coming year.

An editorial in Beijings hard-line Global Times issued a menacing warning against further provocations by the United States or Taiwan. The US and Taiwan should restrain, or be forced to restrain, themselves, it stated. The state-owned newspaper continued: If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining.

Chinas flexing of military muscle, which included a flight by an H-6 strategic bomber into the South China Sea last weekend, plays directly into Washingtons hands and only heightens the danger of conflict. The Chinese Communist Party regime, which represents the tiny layer of super-rich oligarchs who have enriched themselves through the processes of capitalist restoration since 1978, is organically incapable of making any appeal to the international working classthe only social force that can halt the US drive to war.

Tsai is due to transit the United States again over the weekend after visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvadorfour of the 21 small, impoverished countries globally that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan rather than China. She is desperate to shore up these ties as Beijing ramps up its own diplomatic offensive to encourage these countries to break with Taiwan. Last month, the tiny African nation of Sao Tome and Principe ended diplomatic ties with Taipei.

The Trump transition team has indicated that neither Trump nor his advisors would meet with President Tsai, who is due to stop over in San Francisco on January 14. Asked on New Years Eve about Tsais trip, Trump declared: Im not meeting with anybody until after January 20, because its a little inappropriate from a protocol standpoint. But, he added, well see.

Any further meeting by US officials, especially Trump, with Tsai would only add further fuel to what is already a looming confrontation between the US and China following Trumps inauguration on January 20.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology last week issued its annual Climate Statement, detailing several record-breaking temperature anomalies caused by global climate change during 2016.

Around the world, climate change is causing new and dangerous weather patterns and irregularities. Last year saw the planets hottest year ever recorded, marking the third consecutive year in which a new record has been set.

Arctic sea ice levels reached a new historic minimum, with long-term warming accelerating sea ice thinning. This is creating what climate scientists call a negative feedback loop, with less ice resulting in less of the suns energy being reflected back into space, which in turn further reduces sea ice levels and causes more heat to be absorbed by land and ocean.

In Australia last year, average temperatures were the fourth highest recorded, surpassed only by 2005, 2013 and 2014. Last years mean temperature was 0.87C above the 19611990 average. The minimum recorded daily temperatures were 1.03C above average, the second warmest on record.

The bureaus Climate Statement noted that 2016 saw Australias hottest ever autumn, largely due to a prolonged heatwave that affected much of the country in late February and the first half of March. The report noted: Autumn was marked by long runs of days with above average temperatures, as well as many record-high temperatures.

Within an overall warming trend, the statement identified significant regional variations. Several of Australias urban centres recorded their hottest-ever year.

These included Sydney, the countrys largest city, which saw 28 days reach a maximum of 30C or higher, the highest number since 1940. The average maximum temperature in the city was 23.9C, which is 2.2 degrees above average. Also registering highest-ever average temperatures was Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Hobart, state capital of Tasmania, and Darwin in the Northern Territory.

The Bureau of Meteorology attributed the record temperatures in several eastern and northern coastal cities to the record sea surface temperatures in these regions.

Average ocean temperatures around Australia reached a record 0.73 C above the 19611990 average, surpassing the previous high registered in 2010. The record is consistent with a recent warming trend, with above-average Australian sea surface temperatures registered every year since 1994. The Climate Statement noted: There has been a total increase of approximately 1C since 1900, very similar to the increase in temperature observed over land.

The record high ocean temperature in 2016 had significant adverse effects on the marine environment. The statement noted that coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef was the worst on record, affecting some 1,000 km of reef north of Lizard Island, while in Western Australia it was the third time a bleaching event has ever been recorded.

The Climate Statement also reviewed the impact of notable and anomalous weather events across Australia in 2016. These included bushfires in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia at the beginning of the year, floods in eastern and northern Australia, and severe lightning storms in Victoria in November that triggered grassfires as well as a pollen-related spate of asthma attacks that hospitalised thousands and killed several people.

These incidents underscore the dangers that climate change poses to the lives of ordinary people around the world.

The Bureau of Meteorology noted the climatic impact of the very strong El Nino effect in the first half of 2016: The year commenced with one of the three strongest El Ninos on record already underway in the central Pacific, and record-warm waters across much of the Indian Ocean.

The El Nino effect, and its alternative La Nina, is a cycle of alternating warm and cold temperatures in the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean. The effect has been occurring for tens of thousands of years, but climate change may be intensifying the global impact. With greater ocean warming in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, extreme El Ninos and La Ninas appear to be occurring with increasing frequency.

The most recent El Nino, which ended in May 2016 after lasting two years, was among the strongest in recent decades.

The World Socialist Web Site previously noted: It has been held responsible for record flooding in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Brazil, as well as flooding and landslides in Ethiopia, which killed more than 100 people. It has been thought to have directly caused droughts in South Africa, Thailand, and Venezuela, affecting millions of people and, in the latter case, resulted in electricity rationing. It has also been blamed for the intensity of Tropical Cyclone Winston, which destroyed parts of Fiji in February, as well as having enhanced the Pacific cyclone season generally.

The first half of 2016 saw significantly lower rainfall in northern Australia, and the least active tropical cyclone season seen since the beginning of satellite records in 1970. After the breakdown of El Nino in May, record rainfall was registered in much of Australia. Annual rainfall in 2016 was 17 percent higher than average.

Anomalous climatic conditions in Australia and internationally are quickly becoming the new normal amid accelerating climate change.

Climate scientists have known for decades about the phenomenon, and have issued detailed proposals on how to resolve the crisis. National governments around the world, however, have failed to take the necessary steps. In Australia and internationally, the ruling elite has been far more concerned to protect the profit interests of key corporate interests than it has been to address the environmental crisis.
Wednesdays Senate confirmation hearing for Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state, took the form of an anti-Russian witch-hunt, with senators from both parties demanding that the nominee, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, declare Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and murderer.

Tillerson, while distancing himself from the more hysterical statements of some senators, took an aggressive line against Russia, declaring it a danger to the United States and criticizing President Barack Obama for not doing enough to retaliate against Russia following the secession of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

The appointment of Tillerson, the multi-millionaire former CEO of the worlds largest energy corporation, embodies the oligarchic character of Trumps cabinet, which is packed with multi-millionaire and billionaire business executives committed to expanding the wealth of the US financial elite at the expense of the working classes of the United States and the world.

This, however, was not of concern to the Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Their opposition was focused entirely on the reluctance of Tillerson and Trump to endorse the campaign against Russia that has been underway since the eve of the Democratic National Convention last July.

At that time, the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign sought to divert attention from damaging revelations contained in leaked Democratic emails by accusing Russia of hacking their computers and arranging for WikiLeaks to publish the internal communications. On this basis, the Democrats sought to outflank the billionaire right-winger Trump from the right by portraying him as a stooge of Putin.

The anti-Russia campaign was revived after the elections, when it became clear that Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air support, were close to driving US-backed Islamist militia out of their last urban stronghold in eastern Aleppo. The retaking of Aleppo by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad further inflamed the anti-Russian agitation.

Tillerson is a particular target of this campaign because of his close business relations with Moscow during his tenure as CEO of Exxon Mobil. Much has been made of the fact that he was awarded the Order of Friendship by President Putin in 2013.

In his opening remarks, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, pointed to recent news accounts that Russia may have information about Mr. Trump they could use to compromise our presidency. He was referring to a dubious document released Tuesday by Buzzfeed News and reported by CNN alleging that while he was visiting Russia, Trump was filmed engaging in perverse sexual acts that were arranged and monitored by the Russian Secret Service.

Cardin then announced that he, together with other Democrats and Republicans such as John McCain and Lindsey Graham, had submitted legislation Tuesday to impose new economic sanctions against Russia for its interference in our election and its ongoing aggression in Ukraine and Syria.

Speaking for a faction of the Republican Party that opposes Trumps less aggressive posture toward Russia, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida asked Tillerson, Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal? When Tillerson said he would not use that term, Rubio cited Russias military intervention against Washingtons regime-change operation in Syria and its support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and declared that he was disappointed in Tillersons response.

He further demanded, Do you believe that Vladimir Putin and his cronies are responsible for ordering the murder of countless dissidents, journalists and political opponents? When Tillerson declared that he did not have sufficient information to make that claim, Rubio directly accused Putin of organizing the assassination of political opponents in Russia and around the world.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire continued along these lines, chiding Tillerson for being unwilling to agree with Senator Rubios characterization of Vladamir Putin as a war criminal. She declared, The State Department has described Russia as having an authoritarian political system dominated by President Vladimir Putin, and asked whether Tillerson had any reason to disagree with that assessment, to which the latter replied, No.

Shaheen then displayed a placard, based on a discredited New York Times article titled More of the Kremlins' opponents are ending up dead, with photos of political opponents whom Putin allegedly murdered.

When pressed by senators to admit to the existence of a Russian plot to subvert the 2016 US election, Tillerson acknowledged that a report issued earlier this month by US spy agencies indicates that all of the actions you described were undertaken, a fact that he called troubling.

He proceeded to characterize as insufficiently aggressive the Obama administrations response to the 2014 crisis, in which Crimea seceded from Ukraine and was annexed by Russia following a fascist-led, US-backed coup in Ukraine.

The absence of a firm and forceful response to Crimea was judged by Russia to be weak, Tillerson said, and paved the way for [Russias] later invasion of Ukraine. He said he would have supported the US sending weapons to Ukraine in 2014, instead of imposing sanctions on Russia after the fact.

Just as significant were Tillersons comments on China, which marked an escalation of the Trump administrations already confrontational stance against that country. Declaring that Chinas construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea was akin to Russias taking Crimea, Tillerson said, Were going to have to send China a clear signal.

He said he would demand that China end its construction of the islands, and that the Trump administration would seek to deny China access to the islands it has already constructed. He called the construction of those islands and the setting up of air defenses in the East China Sea illegal actions, adding, Theyre taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas.

Tillersons anti-Chinese statements get to the heart of the conflicts that have emerged in recent months at the highest levels of the American state. While a section of the political establishment aligned with Trump favors a more openly confrontational stance against China, potentially including an anti-China alliance with Russia, a larger faction, encompassing the Democratic Party, a section of the Republicans, and the intelligence agencies, see an escalation against Russia, including moving against Russias ally, Syria, as the first order of business.

The hearing, with its hysterical accusations and war-mongering by all parties involved, was a microcosm of the entire US political establishment, which is uniformly committed to continuing the onslaught against the social rights of the working class at home and pursuing military conflict abroad.

The accusations hurled against Putin by senators Rubio, Shaheen and Cardin recall the type of rhetoric used to demonize a series of foreign leaders targeted by Washington for invasion and/or assassination. The list includes Manuel Noriega of Panama, Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

There is a logic to the saber-rattling agitation against Russia. Though the agitators generally dont spell it out, knowing it has no popular support, it leads inexorably to war with nuclear-armed Russia, a conflict that could trigger a nuclear holocaust.
The funeral of the latest victim of a UK police killing took place last Friday in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

On January 2, Yassar Yaqub, a 28 year-old father of two, was shot dead through his windscreen when armed police swooped on his car on a slip road off the busy M62 motorway in Huddersfield.

The killing, said the police, was related to information received about criminal possession of a firearm. Five arrests were madethree at the scene of the shooting and two in a simultaneous related stop of another vehicle in Bradford.

Yaqub was killed when armed officers, using four unmarked vehicles, boxed in Yaqubs car before firing at least three shots through his windscreen.

Gemma Wilson, a Conservative councillor who was in the area at the time, said five or six police cars appeared to be acting as a barricade on Ainley Top roundabout, off the M62, with the scene a sea of blue flashing lights, and an absolute hive of police activity.

The following day armed officers searched a number of properties across Bradford and Huddersfield, including Yaqubs family home where around 20 grieving relatives and friends had gathered. At least five police vehicles spread out in the surrounding streets, including a dog van, and officers with guns were positioned at the front and back of the house for around half an hour.

That same evening dozens protested Yaqubs killing, many wearing scarves or balaclavas to hide their faces. One demonstrator told the Telegraph & Argus newspaper, Police had no proof he was a danger but they killed him. Police in riot gear, accompanied by a police helicopter, confronted the protestors as the three-hour long protest moved towards Bradford city centre.

Nearly 900 people joined a Facebook group, Justice 4 Mohammed Yassar Yaqub, in less than 18 hours after it was set up.

Speaking of his sons death, in an interview in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Mohammed Yaqub said, I cant believe that the police could do that to someone, to someone sat in the car. My wife said, This is what you see in America.

Yaqubs father said that having looked at the photographs of the cars on the slip road, he believed police had targeted his son. He said, I think that he was cornered, shot instantly without any warning... He had no convictions for firearms or drugs, only minor assault. I believe he was targeted, a pre-planned assassination.

I am well aware of what happened with Mark Duggan [a victim of a police killing in 2011] and because of what was revealed first, and what the outcome was of that, it has worried me a lot, he said.

Duggans death was the spark for riots that began two days later in Tottenham, London and quickly spread across the country.

Yaqub said he would pay to privately prosecute the police officer that killed his son.

Media attempts to justify the police shooting have centred on allegations that he was a violent drug dealer, with the media citing social media comments that he deserved to die.

References have been made to a May 2010 court case in which Yaqub was acquitted of attempted murder in Huddersfield. Aged 21 at the time, he was accused of being one of the gunmen in a drive-by shooting in September 2009. The case against him at Bradford crown court was dropped due to a lack of evidence.

Given the record of the police, allegations relating to Yaqubs character can no more be taken at face value than any of the other unproven assertions related to the circumstances leading to his death. They have no bearing as to whether Yaqub posed an imminent threat to the officers involved in his arrest. Rather, their constant citing is meant to convey tacit endorsement by the media of police vigilantism and the dispensing of summary justice.

On the basis of the known facts, the police summarily executed Yaqub.

All police killings are now automatically referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which said in a statement, A non-police issue firearm, found in the Audi, [Yaqubs car] was secured in the presence of the IPCC investigators at the scene and is undergoing ballistics and forensic testing. Forensic tests are also being carried out on the two vehicles stopped and an unmarked police car. None of the police officers involved were wearing body worn video cameras. So far no relevant CCTV footage of the incident has been found.

Bradford Coroners Court heard Yaqub had been shot through the windscreen of his car three times after a hard stop on the motorway slip road, adding that he died on the scene from gunshot wounds to his chest.

Four unmarked police cars were involved in the incident with one, a Mercedes, cutting across the front of the Audi, the coroner's officer Chris Dalby told the hearing. The cars were reported to have collided. During the incident an officer discharged a firearm in the execution of his duty, Dalby said.

The inquest was adjourned until March 31.

The police claim that a gun was found in the passenger footwell of Yaqubs car, but no evidence has been presented that it belonged to Yaqub or that he either intended to use it or did use it. As Yaqub was driving the car on a busy motorway, it is highly unlikely that he was holding a gun when he was abruptly stopped. The police have made no claim that the alleged firearm was discharged against them.

Among numerous unanswered questions are: Why the police chose to swoop on Yaqubs car on a busy motorway slip road after a high-speed pursuit through Bradford? Why were the armed police who killed him not wearing supposedly standard-issue (following the case of Duggan) police body cameras?

Human Rights group Just Yorkshire chairman, Nadeem Murtuja, said, Given that the police say it was a pre-planned operation why wouldnt they wear body cameras? This was a planned operation. It was not a risk that the police stumbled upon. Theres a big difference.

The killing of Yaqub was the fifth fatal police shooting in England and Wales in the past nine months and the first involving West Yorkshire Police since December 2010. Deaths in police custody nationally (including shootings) reached 45 in 2016the highest figure since 2008 when 64 were recorded. Last years total of four police shooting deaths was the third highest annual figure recorded since 1990.

In March 2015, the IPCC, which has been involved in the cover-up of every police shooting, cleared the police of wrongdoing or misconduct in the killing of Duggan, whose death bears some striking similarities with that of Yaqub.

Duggan, a 29-year-old father of six, was unarmed when he was shot twice in Tottenham, north London by an armed police officer on August 4, 2011. He was killed after the taxi he was travelling in was stopped, in a pre-planned operation in which three police cars surrounded the taxi.

Known only as V53, the police officer belonged to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) CO19 Tactical Support Team. The IPCC exonerated the police, concluding that Duggan was killed with reasonable and proportionate force.

The IPCC was implicated in the cover-up of the circumstances surrounding Duggans death from the outset. It initially told journalists that Duggan had opened fire on police. It was later forced to acknowledge this was a lie, but not until eight days after Duggans killing, when it admitted disseminating misleading information.
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say 45 cats, five dogs, a parrot and a raccoon are dead after a central Florida house fire.

Florida Today (https://goo.gl/8myHKp) reports that rescue workers responded early Wednesday morning to the Merritt Island home.

Brevard County Sheriff's Office officials say a couple living at the house managed to escape without injury. One cat and 13 dogs were rescued and taken to a nearby animal shelter for a routine quarantine.

The cause of the blaze wasn't immediately reported. Fire officials say efforts to stop the fire were hampered by some windows that were boarded up and the distressed pets inside attempting to get out.

Deputies say they're reviewing the fire as part of an animal cruelty investigation. Sheriff's spokesman David Jacobs called the conditions in the home "nothing less than deplorable."

___

Information from: Florida Today (Melbourne, Fla.), http://www.floridatoday.com

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
GRADY COUNTY, GA- We're learning about the award-winning "Ready Georgia Mobile App."

It's an interactive tool that makes it easier for residents to be prepared for emergencies.

Grady County Fire Chief and EMA Director Richard Phillips visited Sunrise to inform people the app is ready to download.

The award-winning Ready Georgia mobile app, created by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), is an interactive tool that makes it easier than ever to be ready for emergencies.

The Ready Georgia app is available for iPhone and Android platforms.

For more information, visit ready.ga.gov.

Features include:

o Ready Profile emergency planning tool

o Weather and emergency alert notifications

o Live traffic map and list of active traffic incidents

o Map of nearby open Red Cross shelters

o Hurricane evacuation routes map

o Visual and text Ready kit checklists

o Information on what to do before, during and after different types of

emergencies

o "I Am Safe" one-touch notification to emergency contacts

What's New in this Version:

o Overall redesign of user interface to enhance usability throughout the

app

o Ability to monitor weather alerts for up to three Georgia counties

o "I Am Safe" functionality which allows users to text emergency

contacts to let them know they are safe following an emergency

o An interactive visual supply checklist that allows users to check off both

essential and suggested items for their Ready kit

o Ability to import emergency contact information from phone address

book

o Progress tracker for the user's customized emergency plan

o Mapped locations and website links for each county's local

emergency management agency

Development Team & Timeline:

The Ready Georgia app was originally developed in 2011 in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).

The app underwent its first major update in 2014 when GEMA, the National Weather Service, Georgia Dept. of Transportation, Georgia Tech and The Weather Channel partnered to significantly expand its capabilities.

In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evaluated the app and provided grant funding for enhancements.

The result is a completely upgraded app released in December 2016.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- On Wednesday afternoon in the Capital City, members of the community packed the north rotunda of the courthouse as Leon County paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Junior.

The tribute entitled "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community" allowed for people to reflect upon the ideals of Martin Luther King and how they are relevant in Leon County.

Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor and the MLK Foundation joined forces to host this celebration.

During the event, the presidents of Florida State, and Florida A&M Universities, as well as Tallahassee Community College shared words of wisdom, challenge and inspiration.

They also came together and signed a "Resolution of Educational and Civil Unity" stating that each institution will continue to honor the rights and dignity of all who attend.

"The resolution is a historic event, says Bill Proctor, District 1 Leon County Commissioner. "Three presidents, a majority university, an HBCU, and a community college, signed an agreement that they're going to provide the leadership and set a tone that our students are going to respect each other. It's something Dr. King would have asked for."

Leon County pays tribute to Dr King every year on the Wednesday before the actual holiday the following Monday.

Had Dr. King lived, Monday would have been his 88th birthday.
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - The Valdosta Police Department said that they have arrested three after they searched a home and found evidence of them dealing drugs.

Police said that they had received numerous complaints from residents on South Troup Street about illegal drug activity. When they began investigating, they were able to find enough probable cause to get a search warrant for a home in the 700 block of South Troup Street.

VPD said that they searched the home on Wednesday around 12 p.m. and found weed, crack, a handgun, and tools typically used for selling drugs. They also found $4,300.

Two people, Charles Hosea and Regina Harris, were arrested and charged with possession of weed and cocaine with intent to sell, and possession of narcotic equipment.

A third person, Walter Stokes, was later arrested for use of a communication facility in facilitating a drug transaction.
Submit An Obituary

Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.

Go to form
If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules:

Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy.

The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party.

We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste.

Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters.

Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month.
There is no choice but to reach the conclusion that something is rotten in Israels legal system. In the past 20 years, all prime ministers, senior ministers, a president, a chief rabbi and a long list of public figures have been interrogated here. Some were prosecuted, convicted and sat in jail. Others were let off due to lack of evidence or the attorney generals decision.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



What they all have in common is the long time they were subject to the mercy of the law and legal system, and mainly the storm on the background of the investigations.

The sword comes into the world for the delay of justice, it says in Pirkei Avot (a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims of Mishnaic-period rabbis)and the State of Israel has officially adopted the Jewish tradition on this issue, but only officially.

Defense Minister Avgidor Lieberman was investigated for 10 years, and eventually came out with nothing. During this time, the attorney general had trouble deciding which case to focus on, how many and why. Witnesses disappeared, files were covered with dustuntil it was over.

Netanyahu and Mandelblit. Advising a person on legal issues, sitting next to him during work meetings, and then deciding to turn over his life and ruin his career (Photo: Reuters)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked around with the shadow of the Bibi Tours affair for years, until the shadow disappeared by virtue of the statue of limitations. Rachael Risby-Raz, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts advisor from the Rishon Tours affair, has been in legal proceedings since 2009. Now the eighth year is beginning, and its not over yet.

If the religious parties really cared about the State of Israels Jewish identity, such matters would cause them to take to the streets. A mobilization order for a yeshiva student is not prohibited by the Torah, but the Torah does prohibit delay of justice, holdover of pay and other damage caused to common people and high-ranking officials.

Investigations of public figures are always complicated and sensitive and are always characterized by interests, yet there is not one logical reason for the unreasonable time they take. The more basic problem lies in the job of the attorney generala legally engineered hybrid that is supposed to be at once a defense counsel and a prosecutor, both a close advisor and the individual responsible for prosecution at the same time.

There is not a single human being who is capable of accomplishing this mission and getting out of it in one piece. And in Netanyahus context, advising a person on legal issues, sitting next to him during work meetings, and then deciding to turn over his life and ruin his career. Whoever decides to launch an investigation, as Avichai Mandelblit did, does so unwillingly. And when the time arrives to decide on an indictment, most attorney generals will crumble.

Former PM Ehud Olmert in court: (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The only solution to this situation is a separation of powers: One person who will serve as an advisor and defense counsel and another person who serve as head of the prosecution. Prosecuting and defending a client at the same time (regardless of whether it is the Israeli government or the prime minister) is a bad Israeli invention.

Another problem is the multiple investigations of public figures and the fact that they are turned into a political tool. Last week, someone brought out of the archives calls made by Yuval Steinitz and Benjamin Netanyahu on Ehud Olmert to resign as prime minister as soon as a criminal investigation was launched against him.

They were adamant and uncompromising in their support for the police and their demand that he resign. The political rule is: What is hated by you, do to your rival. Those who were against handling Olmert with kid gloves began handling Netanyahu with kid gloves last week. And those who were in favor of keeping Olmert out of public criticism in the past are now calling for an investigation and urging Netanyahu to draw conclusions.

In this case too, the only solution is changing the attitude towards an incumbent prime minister: Preventing investigations until a certain criminal limit, while restricting a prime ministers time in office to two terms. I accept Netanyahus statement from the 1990s: What a prime minister failed to do in two terms he will fail to do after that. Eventually, time turns most of the job into an ongoing political campaign. A prime minister needs limited time and full immunity during that time in order to be able to work peacefully and efficiently.

And here are the ramifications of Netanyahus current investigations. So far, while we dont know much, a few things must be said: First of all, hedonism necessarily leads to investigations. Grey areas are painted black at some point, regardless of the results of the investigation. This is a repeated lesson which has not been learned. It is the difference between the days of Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Menachem Begin and those who came after them.

Second, a prime ministers investigation harms the state. The twilight period is dangerous. Therefore, the investigation must be quick and conclusions must be drawn one way or the other. Third, another prime minister in jail is a very dubious certificate of good character, even for those who dont support Netanyahu. And fourth, the malfunctions must be repaired on the day the investigation ends, and not as Likud MK David Amsalem suggested.
LONDON - British foreign minister Boris Johnson will attend Cypriot-led negotiations in Geneva on Thursday aimed at ending the decades-long division of the island, the Foreign Office said.

The strategically located island in the eastern Mediterranean, a former British colony, was split after a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup.

For the first time in more than a decade, Greek and Turkish Cypriots plan to submit maps to the United Nations detailing their proposals on territorial boundaries between constituent states in a two-zone federation.

"I welcome the continued courage and commitment that has been shown by both sides," Johnson said in a statement. "The talks in Geneva on the Cyprus settlement offer both sides a unique opportunity to find a solution."
TAIPEI - Taiwan objected on Thursday to a Nigerian request to the island to relocate its representative office in the African country, a request Taiwan sees as more pressure by China to isolate it.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations, and to be taken back by force if necessary, especially if it makes moves toward independence.

Taiwan has no diplomatic ties with Nigeria, but has an office for handling business affairs in Abuja.

But Taiwan's foreign ministry said Nigeria has asked Taipei to move its office from Abuja to its former capital, Lagos.
A massive surreptitious weapons factory was sealed off in the West Bank overnight Wednesday in a joint operation led by the IDF with the Shin Bet and Judea and Samaria District Police in the city of Hebron.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The factory was discovered three weeks ago by security forces in the city of Hebron and has been described as the largest of its kind to have been exposed in 2016 in the West Bank.

IDF seal off weapons factory (: ")

X

Following field intelligence gathered by the security forces and military activities in the area stretching over a number of weeks, the factory was discovered last month in a large underground space, concealed under a residential home in the southern industrial area of Hebron.

Operations sealing off weapons factory (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Two owners of the factory, a father and son, were arrested and taken in for questioning. During their preliminary investigation conducted immediately upon their arrest, the father protested innocence, insisting that he only manufactured in his home parts for agricultural systems.

Shortly thereafter, the soldiers discovered that just meters underground was the large factory producing hundreds of high-quality weapons, above which the suspects family lives.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

During the operation, more than 100 barrels for a Carlo sub-machine gun and Russian caliber sniper rifles capable of hitting a targets head from a distance of 600 meters were found.

Furthermore, for the first time, parts were found for the M-16 machine gun along with assembly instructions.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

In addition to the sealing off of the factory, 8 wanted individuals were arrested, seven of whom are suspected of involvement in terror activities, disruption of public order and violence against civilians and security forces across the West Bank.

The IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police are registering marked success in an intense crackdown over the last few months against clandestine Palestinian factories in which weapons are illegally manufactured, as cost of acquiring such weapons have soared since the operations inception.
Everyone is a suspect: The prime minister, whoaccording to the reports initiated the meetings ; the publisher, whoaccording to the reportsnegotiated and promised; the bureau chief, who participated in the alleged meetings and recorded them; the attorney general, who is playing the poker game around the investigations involving the prime minister in distorted ways.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



And I am a suspect too, not just because the aforementioned publisher is my breadwinner, but also because I have an instinctive appreciationunless proven otherwisefor someone who instead of sinking into self-pity and complaining, fights tooth and nail for his livelihood and his employees livelihood. For the same reason, I have a lot of appreciation for Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken.

I dont know what happened in the conversations between Benjamin Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, which were apparently secretly recorded by Ari Harow, who served as the prime ministers bureau chief at the time. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit would do well by ordering the police to release the recordings for publication. That way, we would know what was said in them, how it was said and what it means for the public.

After the people who participated in the conversations have been questioned under caution, there is no reason left to keep them confidential. All the more so as in the current reality, the content is leaked bit by bit, and even the journalists who cheerfully publish details have no idea whether the information they have received is true or not. Once the tapes are aired, we will know what we are talking about.

The troubling thing here is not the actual meetings. There have always been meetings between publishers and prime ministers, even face to face. Its a shame that Netanyahu doesnt hold such meetings more often.

The troubling factor is that these meetings were held during a period in which the newspaper harshly criticized Netanyahu, and Netanyahu described its publisher as a multi-headed monster who secretly controls all the government systems through dark means. Superman on the one side, and Lex Luthor on the other side; Harry Potter on the one side, and Voldemort on the other. Its hard to imagine Netanyahu and Mozes gathering the amount of trust required for a deal at the same time, especially a deal which could embroil them in a criminal investigation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Yedioth publisher Arnon Mozes (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, AFP)

Even more troubling are the two sides expectationsassuming there is a grain of truth in the reports. A prime minister can complain to a publisher about articles published in his paper, demand a correction, blast reporters. He cannot dictate a line. That may be possible in Turkey, but not in Yedioth. And a publisher cannot promise to emasculate the writers in his newspaperthat wont happen, not in real life.

Neither can he promise, as Channel 2 reported on Tuesday evening, that he will do anything to ensure that Netanyahu remains in the prime ministers bureau. What was discussed in the prime ministers bureau, if it was indeed discussed, remains in the prime ministers bureau.

The reports that are being published are hard to process for the newspapers editors and writers, who are doing an excellent job fearlessly and unbiasedly. They are difficult for me too. Nonetheless, I can only praise the work being done by our colleagues: In this profession, there are no favors and there is no leniency. Thats the way it should be.

To the readers who asked me this week, both in writing and orally, why I hadnt expressed my opinion about this affair, I said that I did not know anything beyond what had been published. That didnt stop you, they told me, from expressing your opinion on other affairs. They were right, except for one thing: The reader assumes that when a journalist talks about his workplace, he knows more than he usually knows. That is not the case this time. In this affair, all those who have been questioned under caution are forbidden to discuss their investigation for fear of its disruption. Had I turned to Arnon Mozes, and I didnt, I would not have received an answer.

The work procedure which Arnon Mozes has adopted with meand with others too, as far as I knowis simple: He doesnt call. Neither do I. I have been working in the newspaper for 28 years, and until this very day he has not expressed his opinion to me on a single word I have written, has not asked to remove anything and has not suggested any additions. I am grateful to him. Not every publisher would act the same way.

The newspaper can, of course, hire the services of other columnists with a different professional approach and different opinions. Im happy to say that the newspaper is doing just that. The more opinions, the more writers, the better.

Now that I have clarified my part in this story, lets get to the substance. The investigation in this case has one positive result: It has made it clear to everyone that the initiative called Israel Hayom is not a legitimate business but rather a forbidden gift. When Netanyahu negotiates on behalf of the free newspaper, he basically admits that it is an asset controlled by him.

We have heard a lot in recent days about the sums spent in the secret gift system established for Netanyahu and his family by Arnon Milchan and others. The sums are impressive: There was a report of NIS 300,000 (nearly $78,000); there was also a report of NIS 400,000 ($104,000). All these sums are nothing compared to the forbidden gift Netanyahu received from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. According to a Haaretz report on Tuesday, Adelson lost NIS 730 million on the newspaper in its first seven yearsabout NIS 100 million a year.

Imagine what the government could do with such a sum: Solve the hospital density problem once and for all, establish a university in the Galilee, get thousands of Israelis out of the poverty circle. So much money just to organize a cult of personality for one family and sabotage free press in Israel. Isnt it a pity?

Adelson is of course entitled to do what he wants with the money of the gamblers in Macau, but Netanyahu gets his salary from the state. There are gifts he is not permitted to accept, especially as there was an alleged return: During the battle over the gas deal, Netanyahu received a letter from Adelson urging him to reach a compromise with the Noble Energy company. Netanyahu did just that.

When the free newspaper was founded, nine years ago, the different gatekeepersin the State Attorneys Office, in the Treasury, the state comptroller, the Knesset memberspreferred to bury their heads in the sand. I wrote that such a product has no economic model and cannot have an economic model. They saw the market dumping, and the dumping prices for ads, and did nothing. The fact that Haaretz, a newspaper with a lot of influence on the legal system and on the regulators, printed the free newspaper in its printing house, contributed to the repression. The deciding factor was, possibly, the extent of the impudence: The government gatekeepers may be able to deal with small gifts somehow, but not with gifts of such magnitude.

This week, when Netanyahu needed advocates in the gift affair, Jewish American lawyer Alan Dershowitz came to the rescue. He explained that everything was fine, everything was legal, everything was wonderful. In an interview to Channel 10 News from New York, he was presented as Netanyahus associate. They left out the fact that Dershowitz was hired by Sheldon Adelson about a year ago to defend him in a lawsuit filed against him in Las Vegas. What a small world.

And one last footnote in this affair: When the Knesset engaged in a heated debate over the law trying to force Israel Hayom to compete against other newspapers by outlawing free daily papers, Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Gal-On voted against the law. I was surprised by her vote. I thought Gal-on would realize how much damage this sweeping gift was causing to the strength and actual existence of the democratic game. How will Meretz exist in a state which has no free, strong and critical press? But apparently, its much easier to preach against cigars.
MK Eitan Cabel (Zionist Union) has provided evidence to the police as part of an investigation into alleged meetings that took place between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, Arnon Mozes.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The MK said Thursday morning during a radio program hosted by Army Radio that he provided the evidence.

The prime ministers wife, Sara Netanyahu also said that yesterday she had provided testimony on the investigation into the apparent gifts affair at the National Fraud Investigations Unit.

Mrs. Netanyahu secretly arrived at the Israel Police's Anti-Fraud Unit Lahav 433 in Lod on Wednesday where she answered a series of questions for a number of hours put to her by investigators.

MK Eitan Cabel and Sara Netanyahu

Cabel said during the radio show that two days ago he was invited by the police to give evidence.

The testimony was short. They wanted to see if I gave all the things that I could know because really, I had no idea whatsoever of any dialogue between the two people, this disrespectful and embarrassing dialogue, he said.

report published in the Haaretz newspaper on Wednesday by reporter Gidi Weitz revealed alleged new details into the Netanyahu-Mozes affair.

According to sources close to the case, Mozes explained to Netanyahu that the attacks against him in the press, which are authorized by him (Mozes'sed), are the result of him not being able to sit quietly while the prime minister tries to destroy his family's work," Gidi Weitz reported.

According to the report, "Netanyahu, on his part, informed Mozes that if Yedioth Ahronoth pummels him during the election, he's going to come after them. The conversation was recorded. Netanyahu was careful to add that any retaliation would be done so legally. It is interesting to think what legal moves the prime minister and minister of Communication could take against a privately-owned newspaper."

On Sunday, the police gathered further evidence from Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin (Likud), who was called in by the National Fraud Investigations Unit to give testimony. Levin served as the chairman of the Knesset House Committee in 2014.

According to some of the details known about the case thus far, the police suspect that businessman Arnon Milchen gave gifts to Netanyahu.

According to the reporter Amnon Abramovich, for 7-8 years Milchen gave, among other things, cigars and bottles of alcohol worth thousands of shekels.

For his part, Netanyahu is suspected, according to the official statement by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, of receiving favors from businessmen.

It was also reported that in 2014, the prime minister spoke three times with Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to take care of a problem Milchen was facing with his visa. According to the report, Milchens problems were, indeed, resolved.

Channel 10 reported that during searches that were conducted at Milchens offices in Ramat Gan, receipts were found recording the acquisition of cigars, bottles of champagne and other gifts.

Baruch Kra of Channel 10 reported that as far as we know, more than NIS 400,000 on the same receipts were found in Milchens office. People connected what is happening were investigated yesterday.

Arnon Mozes is the publisher and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth Group, which includes Ynet.
Rex Tillerson, US President Elect Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state, said the United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned settlements as illegal was not helpful and actually undermines setting a good set of conditions for talks to continue between Israelis and Palestinians on Wednesday.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



In a confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the former ExxonMobil CEO pledged to restore the US-Israel relationship after eight years of tumultuous ties between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Rex Tillerson speaking about Israel (: )

X

Taking the step of directly criticizing current Secretary of State John Kerry, Tillerson said: The secretarys speech, which followed that UN resolution, I found quite troubling because of the attacks on Israel and in many ways undermining the government of Israel itself in terms of its own legitimacy and the talks.



Tillerson also spoke of his desire to improve bilateral relations between Washington and Jerusalem.

Israel is, has always been and remains our most important ally in the region, he said. I think in the Trump administration, the president-elect already made it clear and, if Im confirmed, I agree entirely and will support (Israel).

Rex Tillerson at his Senate confirmation hearing (Photo: AP)

We have to recommit  that were going to meet our obligations to Israel as our most important strategic parter in the region, he added.

As a former oil executive, Tillerson spent his career fostering deep ties to Sunni Arab and Gulf states. Since rising to the top at one of Exxon Mobile in January 2006, much of his professional life has involved working with Israels petroleum-rich neighborsbut not Israel itself.

Full review of the Iran deal

During the hearings, Tillerson also expressed concerns about the Iran nuclear deal, specifically that he believed it did not prevent the Iranian regime from purchasing a nuclear weapon, only from developing one.

Rex Tillerson at his Senate confirmation hearing (Photo: Reuters)

Tillerson called for a full review of the agreement once the Trump administration takes the helm, and said the United States should enforce a policy that ensures Iran cannot enrich uranium.

The real important question is what comes at the end of the agreement, he said. And what comes at the end of this agreement must be a mechanism that does, in fact, deny Iran the ability to develop a nuclear weapon. That means no uranium enrichment in Iran.

Asked how he would respond to BDS activities, Tillerson replied that he would change the relationship with countries that cooperated with the boycott movement against Israel.

Those countries (supporting BDS) need to understand that it does shape our view of them, Tillerson said.
In the shadow of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City lies the "African Quarter" -home to a little-known community of nearly 50 Arab families of African descent.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Descended from Muslim pilgrims from a variety of African countries, they now consider themselves Palestinians, despite widespread poverty and occasional discrimination. Several have even participated in terror attacks against Israel.

"We regard ourselves to be Afro-Palestinian," said community leader Ali Jiddah.

Afro-Palestinians at a wedding in Ramallah (Photo: AP)

He is now a well-known tour guide in the Old City, offering what he calls an "alternative" perspective on the conflict with Israel.

Afro-Palestinians reside in various cities, with large communities in Jerusalem, Gaza and Jericho.

Some are the descendants of slaves or soldiers brought in during Ottoman times. The forefathers of Jerusalem's African Quarter are mostly Muslim pilgrims from Chad, Sudan, Nigeria and Senegal who settled there or got stuck during periods of war.

"My father came from Chad, from the Salamat tribe," said Mousa Qous, 55, director of the African Community Society, a grassroots center that serves black Palestinians in Jerusalem.

Standing under posters of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Nelson Mandela, he said his father came to Jerusalem on a religious pilgrimage in 1959 and "then decided to stay to fight (against Israel) in the 1967 war."

Others came with The Arab Salvation Army, an army of volunteers that fought on the Arab side against Israel in 1948.

"We are originally Nubians from Aswan," in southern Egypt, said 30 year-old Hanan Bersi.

Some still have their ancestors' identification documents, like Ibrahim Firawi, whose grandfather came from Sudan.

"We have documents and letters, and even tried to contact the Sudanese Embassy in Jordan to help connect us with family in Sudan," he said.

Showing off his father's old passport, he said he has not been able to track down any of his relatives.

Israel before 1948 was a crossroads for different cultures, and many Palestinians trace back their roots to a range of non-Arab groups, from Kurds to Indians and Afghans. Afro-Palestinians were denied Jordanian citizenship after the Six Day War as they were not seen as Palestinians.

Israel has treated members of the group like other Palestinians with varying degrees of rights depending on whether they live in east Jerusalem, the West Bank or Gaza.

But even after decades in the region, fitting in has not always been easy. As newcomers, many faced discrimination because of their skin color.

"Our parents were foreigners. They were more sensitive as foreigners, and people would tell them that they were foreigners, that their color was such and such," said Hawa Balalawi, a shop owner whose father was from Chad.

Most of Jerusalem's Afro-Palestinian residents live in old buildings that were originally built in the 10th century for the city's poor. Made later into prisons by the Ottomans, the buildings were handed over to the Old City's Islamic trusteeship during the British Mandate, which rented them to members of the African community because many served as guards or servants at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Afro-Palestinians claim Palestinian ancestry after three generations in the Middle East (Photo: AP)

Despite these decades long roots in the area, some Palestinians still refer to them with a local derogatory term, "abeed," Arabic for "slaves," and to their neighborhood as "habs al-abeed" or the "slaves' prison."

"We fought the usage of this term and mentality for many years," Quos said. "Less people use it now." But he said racism can still surface, in marriage proposals, for example.

"Sometimes when a black Palestinian wants to marry a white Palestinian woman, some members of her family might object," he said. "It's not a phenomenon, and recently, there have been more inter-marriages."

Jiddah, the tour guide, blamed ignorance for any type of racism among Palestinians, and points out that he has experienced similar racism from Israelis.

"We Afro-Palestinians are dually oppressed, as Palestinians and because of our color the Israelis call us "kushis" -- a derogatory word for blacks.

Afro-Palestinians in terror attacks against Israelis

Jiddah is a former terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who spent 17 years in Israeli prison for taking part in a 1968 bombing that wounded nine Israelis

He says that the involvement of Afro-Palestinians in the struggle against has elevated their status in the eyes of their fellow countrymen.

"The respect we get from Palestinians is because of our role in the national struggle," said Jiddah, who sits daily at a cafe near the Old City's Damascus Gate sipping Turkish coffee, chain smoking and waving hello to constant passers-by.

"More Catholic than the Pope? We are more Palestinian than Palestinians," he said.

The first female Palestinian arrested on terror charges was Fatima Bernawi in 1968, of Nigerian ancestry. She was imprisoned for a failed bombing attempt on a cinema in 1967.

After an interim peace accord in 1993, Bernawi returned to serve as a senior Palestinian police official, and now lives in Jordan.

Speaking to Filasteen TV in 2015 after being awarded for failed bombing attempt by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Bernawi said "This is not a failure because it generated fear throughout the world. Every woman who carries a bag needs to be checked before she enters the supermarket, any place, cinemas and pharmacies."

Qous, the director of the Jerusalem center, spent five years in prison for terrorist activities during the first Palestinian intifada in the early 1990s. Like Jiddah, he is a former member of the PFLP who claims to have put his militant days behind him.

A third generation of Afro-Palestinians is now growing up within the walls of the African Quarter, more integrated and confident about their place.

Ahmad Jibril, 17, who fashions a haircut reminiscent of a young Bobby Brown and recently was put under house arrest for taking part in protests, says he has no ambiguity about his national identity.

"I am Palestinian, it shouldn't matter if I'm white or black," he said.
Following the revelation that the head of the Kfir Brigade, Col. Guy Hazut, pushed Elor Azaria's father, Charlie to argue for a deal with the defense team, legal officials from the State Military Prosecutor's Office have said "it appears that the head of Kfir acted naively in trying to help (Elor) Azaria."

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



"(Hazut) is still (Elor's) commander, but he should have let the defense know. (Hazut's) behavior is, to say the least, problematic," the statement continued.

A recording of Kfir Brigade Commander Guy Hazut was made public on Wednesday, in which he is heard pushing Charlie Azaria, the father of Sgt. Elor Azaria to cut a deal with the defense, in an effort to lighten Elor's sentence, due to be announced in a month's time . The conversation was recorded on Monday, and was revealed by Channel 2 News journalist Amit Segal.

Elor Azaria (Photo: AP)

The IDF still has not officially clarified that the Kfir commander was speaking on behalf of the prosecution, or on behalf of the IDF.

IDF prosecutors said on Thursday that "the Kfir Brigade Commander wasn't sent by or instructed (to speak to Charlie) by the IDF prosecution team."

Given that Hazut is not a lawyer, his actions do not violate any law. Had he been a lawyer, he would have been up for review by the Israeli Bar Association for his actions.

Kfir Commander Guy Havut (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued a statement following the release of the recording, saying: "The IDF Spokesperson's Unit wishes to clarify that he will not detail the content of the meeting that took place between the family of Sg.t Elor Azaria and his commander, but he denies the false report of Channel 2 News, which insinuated that a deal was offered in regard to a lighter punishment or to the appeal or any other interference in the legal proceeding."

The IDF Spokesperson continued to say that "Sgt. Elor Azaria is entitled to a clean legal proceeding that is free of added pressures and that is treated by his commanders in a continuous and smooth manner as it would be for any other IDF soldier." He added that "The point of the meeting was to see whether the family needed additional assistance."
MANILA- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the Philippines on Thursday for a two-day visit aimed at shoring up ties with its mercurial new leader, and boosting Tokyo's economic foothold in the face of anticipated competition from China.

Abe's visit is the first by a head of state to the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte and comes amid a changing geopolitical landscape, much to do with a dramatic foreign-policy shift by the firebrand leader in Manila.

Duterte has been hostile towards traditional ally the United States while reaching out towards historic adversary China, putting Japan in an uneasy spot given its warm ties with Washington and rivalry with Beijing.

Upon arrival, Abe headed straight for a meeting with Duterte at the presidential palace in Manila. He will travel to Duterte's native of Davao on Friday, during which he and his wife will visit Duterte's family home.
Israeli media are reporting that police questioned the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of an investigation into allegations that he improperly accepted gifts from wealthy supporters.

Israel Radio and other media outlets Thursday reported that Sara Netanyahu was interviewed by police the night before. Police had no immediate comment.

The prime minister has been questioned twice by police over allegedly receiving gifts from high-powered Hollywood and business figures. Much of the details of the spiraling scandal have emerged from media reports.

Earlier this week, media reported that Netanyahu tried to negotiate a deal for more positive coverage by a major Israeli newspaper in 2014 in exchange for diminishing the impact of a free pro-Netanyahu daily.
BEIRUT- Activists say an airstrike on a Syrian village near the once-contested city of Aleppo has killed six civilians, including at least three children.

The Syrian Civil Defense search and rescue group, also known as the White Helmets, says rescue workers are pulling victims from the rubble of a home destroyed in a strike Thursday morning in the village of Babka, in the opposition-held countryside west of Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says four of the victims were children.

Fighting and airstrikes have continued across Syria despite a cease-fire between the government and rebels that came into effect on December 30. U.S.-led coalition forces have also stepped up raids against Qaida-linked militants in northwestern Syria.
MADRID- Officials in Spain say the number of tourists visiting the country has soared by 10 percent in 2016, setting a record figure for the fourth consecutive year as economic concerns and terrorism fears continued to lure visitors away from rival Mediterranean destinations.

Energy and Tourism Minister Alvaro Nadal said Thursday that 75.3 million tourists arrived in Spain last year.

Spain, Europe's most popular destination after France, hosted 68.1 million tourists in 2015.

Britons again topped the list with 17 million visitors in 2016. Tourism represents some 11 percent of Spain's gross domestic product.
Voices of despair were heard this week. Voices calling for the construction of a separation wall in Israels capital, Jerusalem. Unintentionally, these voices seek to give terror a sweet victory. Where the knife, or the murderous truck, passes  that is where the border will pass. That is the meaning of their proposal.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



In the past, the guideline was different: The border will pass where a community is established. But today, we are afraid to hold on to the land and like to escape, leave our problems behind a fence or a wall and create a virtual reality for ourselves. We did so in Lebanon, which turned into Hezbollahland; we did so in Gaza, which turned into Hamastan; we did so in Judea and Samaria, which turned into Fatahland (before returning to Israel security control in Operation Defensive Shield). Now they want to copy this failed model to Jerusalem, and build a wall in the heart of the city. Divide Jerusalem.

Jewish neighborhood overlooking Jabel Muakber. Jerusalems Arabs cannot be denied their freedom of movement and freedom of choice (Photo: Amit Shabi)

With the wall, these voices also seek to revoke the identity cards and National Insurance allowance of hundreds of thousands of citizens of the state, Jerusalems Arab residents. Its unthinkable that people carrying an Israeli identity card will be able to walk around freely and carry out attacks undisturbed, say those who support the separation. Why keep 22 villages around Jerusalem, within the citys jurisdiction, they ask, and turn Jerusalem into a city where most young people are Arabs?

Those are good, difficult questions. The answer to these questions is not withdrawing and rewarding terror  because those who know Jerusalem well know that there is no way to separate between the different populations living together in the city. Today Arabs live inside Jewish neighborhoods like Pisgat Zeev and Ramat Eshkol, and residents of Jabel Mukaber work in East Talpiot. How can we create a separation in a city where Jews and Arabs live and work together every day? How can we separate between two populations that are hospitalized side by side, with Arab and Jewish doctors curing everyone? We cant.

Whoever says this is possible is selling an illusion which cannot be implemented in reality. Jerusalems Arabs cannot be denied their freedom of movement and freedom of choice, and we cannot lead a move of racial-based revocation of citizenship. Its so strange seeing left-wing people, who speak highly of human rights, supporting such an immoral move. We can and we must revoke the citizenship of individuals who support terror, but most of Jerusalems Arabs do not support terror. On the other hand, we must lead an educational revolution in the Arab educational institutions in the city, fight incitement, implement the sovereignty by enforcing the planning and building laws and invest in infrastructures. We must deal with the problems instead of sweeping them under the wall.

The demographic problem can be solved in the opposite way: Instead of dividing Jerusalem, expanding it and strengthening the Jewish majority in it. How? Annexing Maale Adumim to Jerusalem will have a dramatic effect on the demography in the city. This is the proper response to terror. The terrorists and their supporters who hand out candy wish to see the Jews fleeing Jerusalem  and instead, Jerusalem will be expanded by Jews joining the city.

To all the lovers of Jerusalem, I would just like to say that this is the time to visit the city and increase the Jewish presence in it. At the enchanted East Talpiot promenade, in the alleys of the Old City market, in the museums, in the cafes and cinemas. Its freezing in Jerusalem, yet it warms ones heart to walk around constructed and united Jerusalem.
SPRINGFIELD -- A banner hanging above the stage at Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois Springfield on Wednesday during the Illinois House inauguration ceremony offered advice to members of the 100th General Assembly.

Quoting President John F. Kennedy, it read: Let us not seek to fix blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

After the 99th General Assembly failed to enact a comprehensive state budget during its two-year term, theres plenty of blame to go around. And while members of both political parties and both legislative chambers acknowledge that an end to the budget standoff is long overdue, it remains unclear how the Democratic-controlled Legislature will find enough common ground to approve a budget that will also satisfy Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners call for changes to the states business and political climate.

Despite a new crop of state representatives and senators taking the oath of office for the first time Wednesday in separate ceremonies, the lay of the land in Springfield is relatively unchanged.

On the Democratic side, long-serving House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both of Chicago, were easily re-elected to their positions, as were House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

Despite a months-long campaign by the Illinois Republican Party to pressure Democrats to vote against Madigan, none did. The lone holdout among the 67 House Democrats was Rep. Scott Drury of Highwood, who voted present.

In accepting a 17th term in the position he has held for all but two of the past 33 years, Madigan laid out an agenda that he says would boost economic growth in the state without competing in a race to the bottom on issues like workers compensation and collective bargaining, a shot at Rauners policy agenda.

Madigan called for increased investment in higher education, which has been hard hit by the budget turmoil of the past two years, along with transportation and communication infrastructure.

The speaker also called for cutting the states corporate income tax rate in half while also ensuring that all businesses pay something. And in an op-ed Wednesday in The (Springfield) State Journal-Register, Madigan also promoted a tax surcharge on income of more than $1 million to fund education and an increase in the states minimum wage.

I believe we can grow the economy and create jobs without hurting middle-class families, Madigan said.

For his part, Durkin said Republicans will work with Democrats on their policy agenda if it includes things like paying down the states $11 billion backlog of bills, reforming the severely underfunded public pension systems, reducing unemployment and enacting truly balanced budgets.

If that is your intention, then we will work with you every step of the way, Durkin said.

He said Republicans are desperately seeking to be part of the solution and encouraged bipartisan cooperation.

That kind of bipartisan cooperation has been on display of late in the Senate, which held its inauguration simultaneously at the Capitol. Rauner presided until Cullerton retook the role of president.

After the oaths were taken and Cullerton and Radogno were re-elected, the Senate kicked off its new term by unanimously approving a change to the chambers rules that going forward will limit the Senate president and minority leader to five two-year terms in those leadership roles.

The move was a down payment on an ambitious budget compromise worked out between Cullerton and Radogno, which includes tax increases, six new casino licenses, reforms to the states pension systems and workers compensation laws, and a host of other initiatives.

We have made it clear that the Senate will offer solutions and leadership, Cullerton said in accepting a fifth term as Senate president. We are filing more than a dozen proposals.  The intent is to quickly pass them in this new session.

Cullerton said he and Radogno made a promise during the 2009 inauguration to work together and have made good on that promise.

Radogno said its going to take lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for the Senate to pass a compromise that includes the new revenue and structural reforms needed to address the states problems.

It is my hope today that this is not just the beginning of a new General Assembly, Radogno said. My hope is that this is a new day for a better Illinois.

Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who formally nominated Durkin as the GOP candidate for House speaker, said hes cautiously optimistic that the impasse can but brought to an end, but he said it will take continued pressure from rank-and-file lawmakers on leadership.

There has to be that communication there (between Madigan and Durkin) that presently is going on in the Senate between President Cullerton and Leader Radogno, Brady said. That has to extend over to the House. Jim Durkin has extended his hand to do that; I hope the speaker will accommodate.

Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said hes glad to see a new session of the General Assembly begin with substantive discussions about policies to grow the states economy and balance the budget.

Thats a positive step forward that is necessary to break the current impasse, Manar said. I hope all of these things lead to a balanced and permanent state budget.
A legal battle waged by the parents of a baby who was killed in a jerusalem vehicular terror attack has ended in a victory after a US court ordered Iran and Syria to pay out a compensation package of $178 million.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The attack took place in 2014 at a Jerusalem Light Rail station when a Hamas terrorist, 21-year-old Abed Abdelrahman Shaludeh , a Palestinian from Silwan in East Jerusalem, rammed his car into a baby stroller carrying Haya Zissel-Brown , a 3-month-old baby who died as a result of her wounds.

Haya Zissel-Brown killed in Jerusalem terror attack

Her father Shmuel was wounded in the attack while her mother, Hanna sustained no injuries.

Keren Yamima Mosquera , a 22-year-old Ecuadorian who came to Israel to convert to Judaism, was also killed in the incident.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack and praised the terrorist his actions.

Terror attack in light rail

Hayas parents decided to launch a legal fight against terror and since their murdered daughter possessed American citizenship, they submitted a lawsuit to an American court against Iran and Syria on the grounds that they finance Hamas terror attacks.

With the conclusion of the legal proceedings finally reached, the two sponsors of terrorism will now be forced to pay the huge sum.

The parents were represented by lawyer Darshan-Leitner, the manager of Shurat HaDin Israeli Law Center which seeks to wage a legal struggle around the world against terror.

This ruling sends a clear message that the heavy price will be imposed on anyone who finances terror and spills the blood of innocents, Darshan-Leitner said. We will continue to constantly pursue Syria and Iran through any legal means at our disposal to ensure that the victims of terror have justice.
Just three days before foreign ministers from 70 different countries are set to descend upon Paris for a conference aimed at solving the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "there are more attempts to destroy any attempt at peace, and one of these attempts will be happening in Paris."

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances. This pushes peace backwards," Netanyahu continued.

The prime minister then said that "(this conference) is not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past, it's a last gasp of the past before the future sets in."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)

Netanyahu made these statements after a meeting with the Norwegian foreign minister.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a message to 70 embassies criticizing the conference. It read in part, "The Paris Conference is an idle exercise and an attempt to circumvent the route of direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions. This is a 'Palestinian conference' that is meeting the Palestinian desire to avoid direct negotiations and internationalize the conflict, and therefore Israel opposes the conference."

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande said that talks to discuss the Middle East peace process in Paris on Sunday do not aim to replace bilateral negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel is worried that whatever text is passed during the conference will be then put to a vote at the UN Security Council during a meeting set to be held on the Middle East on December 17, two days after the conference.

After the US stated that they will veto any anti-Israel resolution, it seems like the French will try and make a proposal which will be signed by all of the members of the UN Security Council.

Therefore, the various countries who are set to participate in the conference are hurriedly putting together their closing statements, and getting their recommendations ready.

The Americans are working to add a provision to the working document which was originally written by the French side, and to delete a statement saying that both side should "disown officials who do not believe in a two state solution."

Additionally, the US is trying to remove wording taken from UNSCR 2334 which termed Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem as illegal, specifically the sentence stating "there will be no recognition of the changes made in the area since 1967, including in Jerusalem."

The US is also trying to scrap a clause which calls on the various countries to "differentiate between Israeli territory and occupied territory."

Netanyahu with the Norwegian Foreign Minister (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

Meanwhile, over 1,200 Israelisamongst them public figures and former diplomatswent to the French Embassy in Tel Aviv to give a letter calling on the peace conference to announce the declaration of a Palestinian state.

Amongst those in attendance were Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, Former Israeli Attorney General Michael Ben Ari, five former ambassadors, Israel Prize winners, academics, and others.

"We are sorry that we had to take this initiative," said the document given to the French Embassy. "The current Israeli government has decided not only to boycott the conference, but has also spewed unsubstantiated hate speech towards the French government. All we can do, as Israeli citizens who care deeply about the future of their nation, is to do that which private citizens are able to do in such a situation."
Donald Trumps upcoming inauguration as the next president of the United States is causing Israeli intelligence officials to lose sleep as well. Discussions held in closed forums recently raised fears of a leakage of Israeli intelligence top-classified information, clandestine modus oprandi and sources, which have been exposed to the American intelligence community over the past 15 years, to Russia  and from there to Iran.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The cause of concern are the suspicions of unreported ties between the president-elect or his associates and the Kremlin, whose agents are also associated with intelligence officials in Tehran.

Trump (L) and Putin. American officials believe the Russian president has leverages of pressure over the US president-elect (Photo: AFP)

These fears, which began upon Trumps election, grew stronger following a meeting held recently between Israeli and American intelligence officials (the date of the meeting is not mentioned to protect the sources of the report). During the meeting, according to the Israelis who participated in it, their American colleagues voiced despair over Trumps election, as he often lashes out at the American intelligence community. The American officials also told the Israelis that the National Security Agency (NSA) had highly credible information that Russias intelligence agencies, the FSB and GRU, were responsible for hacking the Democratic Party (DNC) servers during the elections and leaking sensitive information to WikiLeaks, which hurt Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The American officials further added that they believed Russia President Vladimir Putin had leverages of pressure over Trump  but did not elaborate. They were apparently referring to what was published Wednesday about embarrassing information collected by the Russian intelligence in a bid to blackmail the president-elect.

The Americans implied that their Israeli colleagues should be careful as of January 20, Trumps inauguration date, when transferring intelligence information to the White House and to the National Security Council (NSC), which is subject to the president. According to the Israelis who were present in the meeting, the Americans recommended that until it is made clear that Trump is not inappropriately connected to Russia and is not being extorted  Israel should avoid revealing sensitive sources to administration officials for fear the information would reach the Iranians.

If Israels secrets are indeed not kept confidential, this is a serious danger to the states national security: Since the early 2000s, the cooperation between the Israel and US intelligence communities has been intensified. It was led by the head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) at the time, Aharon Zeevi Farkash (who even received a citation from the NSA Chief General Michael Hayden), late Mossad chief Meir Dagan and his successor, Tamir Pardo, who served earlier as the commander of one of the secret operational units that cooperated with the Americans.

Most of the joint operations between the two countries intelligence communities were directed, according to reports, against Iran, and a small part of them  against Hezbollah and Hamas. The ties became even tighter in the previous decade on the backdrop of Primes Ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmerts close relations with US President George W. Bush.

In 2008, the intelligence cooperation between Israel and the US received a sort of authorization in the form of an official agreement for comprehensive cooperation and exposure of sources and methods of action, which was defined by a senior state official as complete mutual striptease between Bush and Olmert. The deep cooperation, which went on for years, led to impressive results, including the disruption of the Iranian nuclear program.

These operations were led, according to the media outside of Israel by Operation Olympic Games, which included the creation of computer viruses such as Stuxnet, which badly damaged the Iranian nuclear program. Non-Israeli media outlets even reported that the Mossad and the CIA collaborated in the assassination of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyah in Damascus in 2008.

When the secret talks between the US and Iran over a nuclear agreement began in 2013, President Barack Obama put an end to any offensive activity against Iran. However, this did not stop the depth of Israels intelligence exposure vis-a-vis the US. A leakage of some of these secrets could cause great damage. Israel is not just afraid of Russia  but also of Iran.

In their meeting with their Israeli colleagues, the American intelligence officials were able to point to information included in the Snowden documents about specific highly secret American operation in Iran. The Americans are convinced that Edward Snowden handed the information over to the Russian intelligence  as part of the deal for receiving political asylum  and that parts of it were handed over to Tehran as part of Putins policy to increase Iranian dependence  not just Syrian dependence  on Moscow, all aimed at serving one final purpose: To restore Russias position as the influential world power in the region.
The State Prosecutors Office submitted an indictment against Asraf Salam Abu Ali, 39 from Qalandiya on Thursday for threatening to attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the demolition of illegal homes in the city.

According to the indictment, Abu Ali said to policemen who arrested him: I will travel to Tel Aviv to Bibi Netanyahus home and blow him up.
WARSAW -- American soldiers rolled into Poland on Thursday, fulfilling a dream some Poles have had since the fall of communism in 1989 to have US troops on their soil as a deterrent against Russia.

Some people waved and held up American flags as US troops in tanks and other vehicles crossed into southwestern Poland from Germany and headed toward the town of Zagan, where they will be based. Poland's prime minister and defense minister will welcome them in an official ceremony Saturday.

"This is the fulfilment of a dream," said Michal Baranowski, director of the German Marshall Fund think tank in Warsaw. "And this is not just a symbolic presence but one with a real capability."
The Jewish Federation of New York and the City of Jerusalem announced a joint project to create a groundbreaking arts center in downtown Jerusalem, to be called the Jerusalem Campus for the Arts.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The project will cost $50 million and is part of a project to turn Jerusalem into a world capital of culture and the arts. It is expected to open in 2020.

Photo: Yossi Zwecker

Speaking at a ceremony honoring the Kirsch Family Foundation, a major backer of the project, Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat thanked the family and said the center will be welcome gift as the city marks the 50th anniversary of re-unification during the1967 Six Day War.

The Jerusalem Center for the Arts will be yet another important step in reestablishing the downtown area as a place that is pulsing with life and energy, with thousands of young people and university students. it will provide a permanent home for Jerusalems leading arts institutions, said Barkat.

Nir Barkat (Photo: Amit Shabi)

The new center will be located on a 2.5 dunam lot adjacent to the Gerard Behar Center. The campus will serve as home to the citys leading arts ventures, including the Nissan Netiv acting studio, Sam Spiegel film and photography school and others.

Approximately 1,100 students will learn at the center at any given time.
Shai Masot, the Israeli diplomat who was covertly filmed by Al Jazeera saying that he wanted to "take down" various British parliamentarians, resigned, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



On Sunday, Al Jazeera released footage gathered by one of their reporters who was posing as a pro-Israel advocate that shows Masot speaking to Maria Strizzolo, a civil servant who was formerly an aide to Conservative Minister Robert Halfon. In the video, the former embassy employee asks, "Can I give you some MPs that I would suggest you would take down?" he asks, without elaborating what that entailed. He also calls British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson "an idiot" in the recording.

Israeli diplomat caught on Al-Jazeera hidden camera

The Israeli Embassy in the UK was quick to issue an apology, with Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev personally apologizing to Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Duncan, who was one of the parliamentarians "targeted" by the employee.

The Al Jazeera footage

X

Masot's business card says he is a "Senior Political Officer" at the embassy who, according to his LinkedIn page, has worked there since November 2014. He describes his role at the embassy as being the chief point of contact between the embassy and MPs and liaising with ministers and officials at the Foreign Office. He was also a major in the IDF between 2004 and 2011.
In an interview with Ynet on the Paris peace conference next week, France's ambassador to Israel, Helene Le Gal, said the international community "has a right to express a position on the issue."

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



In regards to comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he referred to the conference as a "French sponsored Palestinian fraud," Ambassador Le Gal said, "Of course I don't agree. We think this conference will be effective because at the moment there are no negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians."

Interview with French Ambassador Le Gal

X

According to Le Gal, Netanyahu was invited to take part in a meeting after the conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Francois Hollande, but refused.

"Netanyahu did not want to come, but the idea was to respond to his desire to have direct talks with Mr. Abbas. We are open to that," said Le Gal. "In any case, future negotiations should be made between the two sides and on that, we completely agree with the Israeli +prime minister. We want to encourage that through the conference."

Ambassador Le Gal (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

According to Le Gal, conference participants will discuss "incentives in various fields, especially economics, in order to ensure that peace will be profitable for both sides."

Additionally, the ambassador also referred to the impending transition of governments in the United States, with President-elect Donald Trump set to assume power. "The fact that the American government is set to change in another few days is another reason to show where we stand. In another few days we can show our new American partners where 70 nations stand on the issue."

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)

Israel is worried that whatever text is passed during the conference will be then put to a vote at the UN Security Council during a meeting set to be held on the Middle East on December 17, two days after the conference.

After the US stated that they will veto any anti-Israel resolution, it seems like the French will try and make a proposal which will be signed by all of the members of the UN Security Council.

Therefore, the various countries who are set to participate in the conference are hurriedly putting together their closing statements, and getting their recommendations ready.
WASHINGTON -- Retired Gen. James Mattis, poised to become the first career military officer to lead the Pentagon since the 1950s, said Thursday he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to "break" the NATO alliance that has anchored American and European security for more than half a century.

Under questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing, Mattis portrayed Russia as a strategic adversary. He said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is short on successful efforts at lasting cooperation, something President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pursue.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: "He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance."
In a conversation with the heads of Gaza border communities, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman referred to the recent quiet in the area, saying, "If the quiet on the border with the Gaza Strip continues, we will allow for a significant increase in humanitarian aid."

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Moreover, Ynet has learned that for the first time, a decision was made to establish a conveyor system for transferring fuel and basic construction materials from the Erez border crossing to the northern Gaza Strip.

(Photo: Roee Idan)

Construction on the transfer system is set to begin in roughly a year.

This decision marks a significant gesture by Israel as currently, the only crossing for equipment into the Gaza Strip occurs at the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

In addition to the decision to increase humanitarian shipments and open another border crossing to the transfer of materials, the Ministry of Defense has also decided to allow an increase of workers. The decision was made following demands from the heads of several border communities for more agricultural workers.

Aid trucks to the Gaza Strip (Photo: Roee Idan)

Furthermore, restrictions on vehicles being imported into the Gaza Strip have been loosened, with several hundred vehicles passing through the Erez Crossing in the last three months.

The easing of restrictions has been made possible as a result of the relative quiet on the border and was approved by the Minister of Defense. All this despite the knowledge that materials transferred to the Gaza Strip remain in the hands of Hamas, who uses the materials to strengthen their position. However, Israel is well aware of the difficult humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and has taken action to reduce the difficulty as much as possible.

Nevertheless, Israeli officials acknowledge that these measures can be halted at any moment should an escalation occur.

At present, roughly 1,000 trucks a day transfer supplies to the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing. Before Operation Protective Edge, roughly 300 trucks transferred supplies a day.
I don't know a whole lot about Russia or Russians, except that it's cold over there and they are often depicted wearing big fuzzy hats.

And, in the 1980s, jokes -- not really funny, when you think about it -- were that the repressed Russian (U.S.S.R.) people had to get on a waiting list for things like a toaster, and valued American blue jeans because they didn't have jeans there.

Or maybe that was just that one episode of "The Golden Girls," where Stan's cousin visits and gets hooked on Slurpees and ...

Never mind.

Not being able to go to Russia personally -- the JG-TC jetliner is in the shop -- I have to learn what I can from reliable sources online and in other ways. I've taken to researching this more after the Russian hacking related to the U.S. presidential election, of course.

We know from multiple studies over the years that most people don't read much past headlines in the paper or online. I like to be educated beyond the headlines as much as possible.

So I looked a little closer, largely but not solely via the Associated Press's coverage.

Last week's new, declassified report regarding Russian work to influence the 2016 presidential election had a big headline: Russia's government isn't done interfering in U.S. politics and policymaking, the AP reported.

Well, now, that's not really a surprise. But the report released to the public -- with many classified portions inaccessible to the average person, still -- had a lot of alarming points.

More recently, it was just after Election Day when Russia started moves to try to trick people into revealing email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy, the report said, as the AP reported.

"This campaign could provide material for future influence efforts as well as foreign intelligence collection on the incoming administration's goals and plans," the report said.

The U.S. intelligence agencies' report explicitly ties Russian President Vladimir Putin to the meddling and says Russia had a "clear preference" for now-President-elect Donald Trump in his race against Hillary Clinton.

The report, 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, the AP reported.

It said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks even though the website's founder, Julian Assange, an on-the-run alleged sex offender, 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, the AP stated.

Vocally skeptical of the U.S. intelligence agencies' assertions on this topic so far, Trump, after receiving a classified briefing on the issue, said in a statement, "There was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election" and that there "was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines," the AP reported.

Our intelligence leaders, though, have never said that. They did say that they don't think the systems targeted by the Russians were "involved in vote tallying," the AP reported.

So for Trump to consider the alarm about Russian hacking regarding the election as some kind of "witch hunt," as he's said, to delegitimize his upcoming presidency is a bit prematurely defensive.

The intelligence report on the Russian activities related to our election does not say how operatives learned what they say they know; that information remains classified, for obvious reasons.

Interestingly, the unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal, the AP reported.

"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.

President Barack Obama announced sanctions against Russia for their actions before our intelligence agencies finished their assessment. He's since announced more.

But even Democrats have called out Obama for not doing more -- and not doing it earlier -- about the hacking issue. Plus, several senators on Tuesday challenged Trump to do more to address Moscow's meddling, the AP reported, calling it a nonpartisan issue.

Of course it is. Cyberattacks for whatever reason and with whatever goal against our country should be a huge concern for all Americans. And Putin should never be underestimated.

I've studied up on him enough to back up my belief that he's a good old-fashioned Communist, and that runs counter to America's values and basic freedoms.

To sum it up, the former KGB agent, born in 1952, has served as prime minister or president of Russia since 1999. More than one of his re-elections has been dogged by election-rigging accusations. He's known to suppress journalists who aren't loyal to the Kremlin, and his human rights record is abysmal.

Putin sent Russian troops into neighboring Crimea in 2014, seizing it from Ukraine. The subsequent referendum that had more than 90 percent of residents of Crimea allegedly vote to secede and join Russia was internationally rejected.

In other words, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...

When the incoming president of the United States expresses admiration for Putin, it makes me sick to my stomach.

At least, on Wednesday, Trump did admit that he now believes Russia is behind the election-related hacking. That's encouraging.

I'm not a Trump supporter overall, as I assume you all know, but I certainly do support his success as leader of our country. I look forward to his success upholding all that is near and dear to America, including the freedoms we enjoy and all work to keep secure.

On behalf of all Americans, Trump strongly rejecting Putin and Russian dabbling in U.S. affairs is a must for that success. Some of his remarks in his Wednesday press conference are a step in the right direction, but he must do more, and consistently.

Even if he likes big fuzzy hats.
US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, James Mattis, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he considered the capital of Israel to be Tel Aviv.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The 66-year-old retired Marines general was responding to questioning in his confirmation hearing for the position. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham asked the senator directly, "What's the capital of Israel?"

Mattis answers Sen. Graham's questions

X

Mattis replied, "The capital of Israel that I go to, sir, is Tel Aviv because that's where all their government people are, but" and trailed off. While Israel's legislature, executive and Supreme Court are located in Jerusalem, its military leadership, with whom Mattis has previously met in his military capacity, are based in Tel Aviv. The nominee headed America's Central Command from 2010 to 2013, which included overseeing all US forces in the Middle East.

Graham persisted and asked, "Do you agree with me that the capital of Israel is Jerusalem?"

Mattis (Photo: AFP)

Mattis held firm, saying, "Sir, right now I stick with the US policy." The incoming US president has said that he intends to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy there.

During the questioning, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was also raised. Mattis said that he supported a two-state solution and added, "I think ultimately we're going to have to promote peace between the Palestinian and the Israeli authorities there, and that's going to take time to build that kind of trust, and we should be a partner in trying to build that resolution between those peoples."

The nominee briefly discussed Israel's "qualitative military edge."

For Mattis to be confirmed, Congress would first have to approve legislation bypassing a law that bars retired military officers from becoming defense secretary within seven years of leaving active duty. The general retired only in 2013.
Alois Brunner, an Austrian SS officer responsible for the World War Two deportation of 125,500 European Jews to Nazi death camps, died in a Syrian jail cell in 2001, according to a report by two journalists published in France.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Until now, Brunner was reported to have died around 2010 in Damascus, where he fled in 1954 and lived under government protection, according to leading Nazi hunters.

Nazi war criminal Alois Brunner (Photo: AFP)

But in a report published in the quarterly magazine Revue XXI, Hedi Aouidj and Mathieu Palain say information gleaned from three of his bodyguards showed that Brunner died shortly after the death of Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad in 2000.

In a French public radio interview, Aouidj said Brunner had effectively been an employee of the Syrian leadership, where he trained top level intelligence services staff.

"He trained Assad's innermost circle. He got a salary from the Damascus regime. He was clothed by the Damascus regime and he was lodged by the Damascus regime," Aouidj said.

But things went badly awry for Brunner when the current Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, took over from his father in July 2000. Brunner was confined to a cell and ultimately died in deplorable conditions.

"He was ditched by Bashar," Aouidj said.

Brunner was previously reported to have been seen alive in Damascus as late as 2003. Efraim Zuroff, head of the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center's Israel office, told Reuters in 2014 Brunner was thought to have died in 2010, but the center had never been able to forensically verify Brunner's death.

Brunner was described as the right-hand man to Eichmann, a leading Holocaust architect who was captured in Argentina in 1960 and later hanged after a trial in Israel.

Although never brought to justice, Brunner was tried and sentenced to death in absentia in France in 1954 for crimes against humanity. He lost several fingers and an eye in two letter-bomb assassination attempts attributed to Israeli agents.
MOSCOW -- Russia's defense ministry says it has signed an agreement with the Turkish army to ensure flight safety over war-torn Syria.

The Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the memorandum lays the groundwork for coordination between the two countries' air forces to "prevent accidents involving planes and drones" in Syrian air space.

The ministry says a Turkish delegation traveled to Moscow to sign the agreement.
 Passionate Lawyers Working around the World

Sakai Kohei

Fellow, Chuo Law School (Director of the International Cooperation Department, Research and Training Institute, Ministry of Justice)

Area of Specialization: The Practice of Criminal Law, and Practical Support for the Development of Legal Systems

Read in Japanese

What is needed to support railways in another country?

As part of the G7, Japan has now become a globally-recognized member of the worlds most developed countries, and supporting developing nations has become an important responsibility for Japan. This could be described as Japans way of paying back the debt it owes international society for the help it has received since the Meiji Period.

Japan introduced the equipment and technology for its railways from Europe, and the railways have now become an indispensable part of everyday life in Japan. Japans railway technology, which has been fostered through the painstaking efforts of our predecessors since the Meiji Period, has now become the envy of developing nations, and Japan supports the development of railways around the world.

Supporting the development of railways has a variety of different phases. Firstly, in order to operate trains in locations where there are no railways, you need to start by preparing the rail bed and laying the tracks. Next, you need to manufacture trains to run on the rails; it goes without saying that you also need people with the right skills to drive the trains and maintain and manage the rail bed. This is more or less all you need to do to run a train. However, if a railway line has just a single track or non-electrified track, it will not have sufficient transportation capacity. In order to transport people or goods efficiently or in large volumes, it becomes necessary to build state-of-the-art trains, electrify the tracks, and make the rail bed and aerial wiring capable of handling state-of-the-art trains. It also becomes necessary to expand the number of rail lines, and to establish operational systems to allow trains to run freely across those rail lines.

The beginnings and spread of support for legal systems

Another sophisticated system that was developed by Japan after introduction from the West, similarly to the railways, is Japans legal system. Requests for support in this field have been made to Japan by a number of different countries.

Japan began to respond to these requests in 1991, when Vietnam, which was implementing the Doi Moi Policy with the goal of promoting a market economy, called upon the support of Japan for the development of its legal system. Support began with the drafting of basic laws, including civil law. It goes without saying that laws already existed in Vietnam in relation to transactions and family relationships, but in effect the reforms were equivalent to laying new tracks and building new trains.

After Vietnam, legal support was started in Cambodia, where many existing laws had been abolished during the Pol Pot regime of the 1970s, and many intellectuals, including lawyers, had been massacred. Here, in addition to drafting civil law and civil procedures, support was given in order to train legal practitioners  the equivalent of training train drivers and mechanics for the railways.

Rather than forcing Japans laws onto other countries as an entire package, Japans method of supporting the development of legal systems was to ask legally qualified professionals to spend long periods living overseas, where they trained the equivalent of railway mechanics based on the traditions, customs and particular circumstances of the country in question. In this way, Japans methods became highly regarded in a number of countries, and later spread to the likes of Laos, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Nepal.

A new wave of support for the development of legal systems

The types of legal fields for which developmental support has been provided has moved on from basic law, to encompass real estate registration law, intellectual property law, bankruptcy law, and the like; more recently, there have been strong calls for support in fostering human resources, which includes the education of legal professionals and the provision of legal education at universities. Japans system of collectively selecting and training the so-called three legal professions (judges, prosecutors and lawyers) has come to be highly regarded; Laos, where there has been a strong influence from France as its former suzerain state, was inspired by Japans system to introduce a bar examination and legal training similar to Japans system.

Whats more, in addition to the drafting and operation of laws, Japan has been asked for support with efforts to strengthen the vertical and horizontal compatibility of laws, and the compatibility between laws and regional regulations. In Myanmar and Indonesia, where support in this field was recently launched, a new dimension of this support can be seen whereby priority is given to the perspective of developing the investment environment for Japanese companies operating locally. In terms of the nature of support for the development of legal systems, there has been a shift away from voluntary activities by lawyers and towards the export of soft infrastructure as a national policy. To return to the analogy of supporting the railways, this could be described in terms of moving from laying new lines and introducing new trains, onto focusing on the construction of an efficient railway system.

Competition has arisen between other countries and international organizations already supporting, or planning to support, the countries in question; this too has created a phenomenon similar to exports of railway systems and competition for orders; accordingly, Japan can no longer afford to rest on its laurels simply because of its track record and the trust it has gained.

The people supporting the development of legal systems

Supporting the development of legal systems has become a very trendy field, and there are now many young legal professionals, graduate students and undergraduate students who want to become directly involved.

Supporting the development of legal systems has now become an actively implemented Japanese government policy that makes use of official development assistance (ODA); the most significant form this has taken is the implementation of technological assistance projects promoted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The scope of the supported laws may be broadening, but the main focus remains basic laws governed by the Ministry of Justice; it would be no exaggeration to say that unless the Ministry of Justice takes the strong initiative, progress will not be made by Japan in supporting the development of legal systems.

It is the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Justices Research and Training Institute that is responsible for supporting the development of legal systems at the Ministry of Justice. Public prosecutors and career track employees at the Civil Affairs Bureau serve as instructors and hold negotiations both in Japan and overseas, and officials from the various bureaus of the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutors Office work as experts to support the instructors activities.

Some of the public prosecutors are judges who have sought transfers; the International Cooperation Department also attracts government lawyers who have become strongly involved in JICA projects while carrying out activities to support the development of legal systems. The International Cooperation Department has dispatched public prosecutors to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia as JICA experts on long-term postings, and all of these experts were appointed to their overseas posts after serving as instructors at the International Cooperation Department. There are many times when day-to-day negotiations with the judicial and legal representatives of the countries being supported meet with difficulties; however, public prosecutors who have developed their human skills at organizations such as the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutors Office work tirelessly in each country alongside lawyers on long-term postings as JICA experts and local staff to provide support in a way that allows the development of legal systems to enter a new phase.

The activities of the International Cooperation Department are reported in the departmental bulletin ICD News, which is published four times per year.

This can be read online, so please access the bulletin and get a sense of what is happening on the front line of efforts to support the development of legal systems. You can find the ICD News section on the International Cooperation Department website .

Unlike the railways, which are a tangible object, law is not visible. However, the platform for a countrys prosperity and the happy lives of its people can be found in the rule of law and the trust placed in the judiciary, and everyone at the International Cooperation Department is carrying out hard work with a high spirit.
YORK  Emily Anderson, 23, of York, has been sentenced to a term of lengthy probation for her role in a case involving arson and burglary.

Her actual conviction was a Class 4 felony  aiding and abetting theft.

Her co-defendants were Matthew Aunkst and Brian Schall.

According to documents filed with the court, investigators allege that the three drove to a rural vacant house southeast of York, started the house on fire and then burglarized the personal residence of the owner of the burning house while the owner was at the scene of the fire.

The crimes include an intentional burning of a residence, burglary and the theft of $29,300 in cash, as well as other items, including firearms, court documents say.

It is alleged that Aunkst and Schall stole the items from the house while Anderson was an alleged look-out person.

It is alleged that the three went to a house in Lincoln where they split the stolen cash between themselves and the resident of the Lincoln residence. They were later traced to a casino in Iowa and were subsequently arrested.

There are times in life where people hit rock bottom, said Andersons attorney, Lisa Meyer. For her, that was last February. She was with the wrong crowd and was using more and more drugs. She said she did meth that day and was lounging in the truck during the arson and burglary. She does admit she received some of the stolen property.

She since decided to make changes, Meyer said. She left York and severed her ties with that crowd. She got clean and sober. She got a job. She agreed to an evaluation even after she became sober. She has been attending therapy sessions. She is a good worker, she has her own apartment and is working toward a car. And she has entered an agreement with the understanding she will pay restitution to the insurance company. She also paid $1,000 up front. All these actions are ones she has already taken and Ive seen her remorse. She recognizes not only the monetary loss but also the loss of the owners sentimental items. Shed like probation and the chance to repay the restitution.

The amount of restitution being sought from Anderson is $16,976, at a pay-back rate of $283 a month. Judge Stecker asked Anderson if she had the ability to pay that amount and she said she could.

Clearly you have had a substance abuse problem but to your credit you sought treatment, Judge Stecker said to Anderson. You have accepted responsibility and you have made some other changes in your life. In consideration of everything, I find you fit for probation.

The term of probation is five years. She also was ordered to write a letter of apology to the victims and perform 100 hours of community service. Anderson was also sentenced to two 30-day terms in jail  but both can be waived if she is in compliance with the terms of her probation.
GENEVA  The proposed bond issue that would have funded a large renovation project at the FillmoreCentral High School has failed.

An all-mail special election was held in the school district, with the final day to vote being Tuesday, Jan. 10.

According to the Fillmore County Clerks office, the final vote count showed 834 people against the bond issue, with 624 in favor.

The proposed $4.9 million bond issue would have been for an improvement project that included two locker rooms, a 500-seat practice/competition gymnasium, a multi-purpose/wrestling room, a weight-fitness room, additional restrooms and storage.

The plans  if the bond issue would have passed  were to have construction start this summer and be completed in August, 2018.

This is the second time in recent years Fillmore Central voters have turned down a bond issue for school improvements. In 2012, the majority of patrons said no to a $9.8 million measure that would have added more than 19,000 square feet of space to the north side of the school for a practice gym, locker rooms and additional classrooms, as well as 17,000 square feet to the south side of the school for an auditorium and theater, a music room, restrooms and an expanded commons area.

The original high school building in Geneva was built for $1.4 million in 1975 and no new major remodeling/renovation projects have taken place there in 42 years.
YORK  Xzajanee Turner, 22, an inmate at the Nebraska Center for Women, will be serving additional time after being found guilty of assaulting another inmate.

In mid-November, a York County jury quickly found her guilty of a Class 3A felony.

The most damning evidence was video recorded in the prison at the time of the assault, which included the use of a padlock and attempts made to hide the weapon.

This case proceeded to trial and what stood out was the way she hid the padlock on her person and denied doing anything, said York County Attorney Candace Bottorf. She denied it, and with assistance from her mother (also an inmate at the prison) disposed of the padlock. Even with video evidence of her placing the padlock in her pants, she still denied doing anything. I also want to note her 2015 conviction for the same offense in Douglas County. This must be served consecutively with her current sentence. Last time, she was given one year for this offense. I am now asking for this sentence to be two years.

According to information from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services,

Turner is currently serving a five-year sentence for second degree assault in Douglas County. She is also serving a one-year concurrent sentence for attempted assault by a confined person. Her sentences began on June 11, 2015, with her parole eligibility date being April 14, 2017.

She has a long and complicated past, said York County Public Defender Nancy Waldron. We are asking that this court not sentence her beyond a year.

I just want to say that I went to trial hoping the evidence was obvious that I didnt commit this crime, Turner said.

Your priors include theft, arson, assault and assault by a confined person, Judge James Stecker said to Turner. What I dont understand is your comment about the evidence as it was obvious you committed the crime. That was one of the quickest jury decisions Ive ever seen. There is no reason to excuse or defend the offense. I am sentencing you to a term of 18 months, to be served consecutively with your current sentence. The bottom line here is that each time you commit an offense, your time will go up and up. Good luck with your future but you will have to control yourself and leave other inmates alone.
100 years ago, Jan. 12, 1917

MATTOON -- Pedestrians today found the dust clouds anything but agreeable. On Broadway Avenue especially were conditions trying for those who had business along that thoroughfare. The wind of the morning was strong, and particularly violent gusts would pick up dust particles by the thousands and whirl them, in eddies, into the faces and clothing of those compelled to walk. The street sprinkler which makes its rounds only during the summer would have been hailed with delight by people today... CHARLESTON -- Up at Oakland, Edward Bailey was holding a chisel while a young Coffel was doing the heavy work of using a sledge hammer to knock the heads off rivets. They were making great progress until Bailey gave a glance at the shapely shoe of a passing Pinhook belle and promptly went hypnotized. Coffel was attending strictly to the business of wielding the big sledge hammer and the next blow took off one of the fingers of Bailey, who had gotten the member between a rivet and the chisel.

50 years ago, 1967

MATTOON -- William D. Price Jr. of Louisville, Ky., today was named administrator of Mattoon Memorial Hospital. The new administrator succeeds Raymond Fleetwood, who resigned in September to accept a hospital position in Alton. Price has been in hospital administration for about 13 years. He is currently administrator at Louisville Memorial Hospital. Price will assume his duties here about Feb. 13... MATTOON -- Eugene W. Hogan was named president of the Mattoon United Welfare Fund at the organization's annual meeting yesterday. Hogan was chairman of the 1966 United Fund Drive. He succeeds Joseph Schilling as president. Charles Appel was named blood recruitment chairman of the Mattoon chapter of the American Red Cross for 1967. Appel replaces Tom Hay, who served as chairman of the 1966 blood recruitment campaign.

25 years ago, 1992

Sunday. No paper.

100 years ago, Jan. 13, 1917

TUSCOLA -- Douglas County now has 39 miles of improved highways. Douglas County has seven and one-half miles of brick-paved highway, two miles of concrete-paved construction and 30 miles of macadamized roads. The greater part of the macadamized roads is in Bowdre Township around Hindsboro, where the matter of hard roads first was undertaken. The matter of brick-paved roads was pioneered in the county by Newman Township. Experts say the first brick roads laid there several years ago are as good today as when they were put down. Tuscola Township has a mile of concrete pavement running east and west. This concrete paving was put down in the summer of 1915 and it is claimed by many that it is showing the wear by traffic and will be short lived... SHELBYVILLE -- The Shelby County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Wednesday re-engaged J.L. Heinz and his wife for another year as superintendent and matron of the county home and farm. Mr. Heinz is given a salary of $600 and Mrs. Heinz receives $500. Mr. Heinz has been superintendent of the county farm and home since 1892. Mr. Heinz's report indicates the high cost of living is not driving people to the poor house very rapidly, for there are but 27 inmates of the county home, two less than last year's report. Of the present number, 10 are males and 17 are females.

50 years ago, 1967

MATTOON -- Mr. and Mrs. Don Shields, Route 4 Mattoon, were notified today that their son, Marine 2nd Lt. Gary D. Shields is missing after a helicopter crash off the coast of Vietnam. Lt. Shields was the co-pilot of the helicopter. The craft was on a logistical and medical evacuation mission when it went down near Chu Lai. Engine failure is suspected as the cause of the crash, according to the telegram received by the Shields. Lt. Shields is a 1960 graduate of Mattoon High School and later attended the University of Illinois. He is married with two sons... MATTOON -- Someone developed an overwhelming hunger about noon yesterday. William Bean of Mattoon told police that when he returned to his Moultrie Avenue home about noon yesterday that he spotted someone in the house. Before he could unlock the door, the intruder fled out a rear door. Bean discovered the person had been cooking meat on the stove and that other food was set out on the table. Bean said a pellet gun, some beer, a package of cigarettes and about $4 in change were taken by the hungry burglar.

25 years ago, 1992

CHARLESTON -- Illinois official old-time stringband is playing again, er, still. The Indian Creek Delta Boys, who were regular performers at festivals and historic events in the 1970s and early 80s, have undergone some personnel changes. But they are still playing the traditional Illinois stringband music that prompted the Illinois General Assembly to give them the official designation in 1981. But when once there were five regular musicians in the band, now there are three who played at the Contra and Square Dance in Charleston Saturday. Garry Harrison, one of the bands founders, plays fiddle. John Doc Holliday plays guitar. Holliday joined the group in the mid-70s, while the newest member of the group is banjo player David Danner MATTOON  Willaredt Oil Co. looks at a change in its supplier as upward progress. All 10 of the companys Gasland service stations have changed from Sunoco to Citgo. Willaredt began the move in December. Dean Willaredt, special operations manager for the oil firm, said Citgo is the third-largest service station company in the country with 11,500 locations nationwide. Citgo also has a refinery in Cicero, near Chicago. Willaredt operates Gasland stations in Mattoon, Charleston, Arcola, Pesotum, Neoga, Sullivan and Mount Zion.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

Happy shootin' my friends!

Buying Guides:

Firearms

Firearm Accessories

Ammunition

Gun Safes

Scopes & Optics

Hunting

Air Rifles

Best AR-15

Best AR 15 Scope

Best Hunting Rifle

Best Gun Safe

Best AK 47

Best AR 10

Best Glock Triggers

Best Glock

Best Home Defense Shotgun
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Senate acting president Alina Gorghiu declared on Monday that the National Liberal Party (PNL) wants the three ruling coalition parties to continue their governing cooperation "under terms of respect and mutual loyalty", noting that one should not forget that the Liberals have increased the pensions

- MV Petrom Group has reported RON 9.156 billion in net profit nine months into 2022, more than five times higher than the one reported in the same period last year, of 1.676 billion lei, amid high prices for coal and natural gas, according to the company's unaudited financial reports for January -

- Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Friday stated, on the occasion of a visit he paid to the company Astra Vagoane Calatori Arad, that he considers to "substantially" increase the budget for research next year, while also committing to help Romanian industry in the difficult context of the high energy

- President Klaus Iohannis declared, on Friday, that his express request for the Government and Parliament regarding the package of Justice laws was to take into account the known recommendations, adding that he does not believe that the opinion of the Venice Commission will be different from those

- Around 1,000 flights to and from France were cancelled on Friday as the countrys air traffic controllers went on strike, causing delays across European airspace, according to France 24. Frances DGAC civil aviation authority said 16 airports were operating a skeleton service, as were traffic control

- Romania's Andreea Cristina Verdes finished 10th in the individual all-around rankings on the first day of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Cluj-Napoca, after the hoop and ball competitions on Friday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe

- The government will approve on Friday the rise of public sector wages, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced at the beginning of the government meeting. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know

- The Fiscal Council considers that Romania's cash budget deficit is likely to be around 7% of GDP, compared to 5.84% of GDP in the revised budget projection, as this negative balance takes into account revenues from overtaxing of over 12.8 billion RON and total expenses with energy suppliers of approximately
Imagine everyone calling you big ears. <br><br>Not that big ears are bad things to have; think of all the extra earrings you could wear (for girls) and all the extra earrings you could wear (for boys)! But for a minimalist like me who cant really stand jewellery, having big ears becomes a bitermheavy on the head. <br><br>So, before all those who rejoice in reminding me of my twin assets (OFCOURSE, ears I mean), I drop names of some personalities with similar anatomy- Gandhi, Buddha, Ganesh.the last name warms ones heart, no? But as far as Ganesh goes, I am happy that the similarities end at ears.<br><br>For, imagine everyone calling you big nose, big paunch, elephantine and toothy, apart from big ears. Of course, only the ignorant can call Ganesh such names intending literal meanings. There, I wish, were more similarities between Him and me. <br><br>Ganesh doesnt have a pan-India approach for nothing. With Mallus cladding Him in mundu, Gujaratis depicting Him as the ideal dandiya boy, the northerners happy to see Him perched on a rat and the ancient Afghans sculpting Him in their traditional turban et al, I dare say Ganesh one of most popular Gods of the Indian pantheon and with the unique position of being prayed to first. <br><br>And, as I said, its not for nothing.<br><br>Such is the appeal that from the millennia old Rig Veda to the Shahrukh Khan starrer Don, no one can do without a swish of His ears and the aroma of His modak. Though the Rig Veda, contend a few, may not be referring to the Ganesh that we welcome to our homes every year with a lot of pomp and show.<br><br>May we worship Ganapati,<br>The Protector of Noble People,<br>The Best Poet,<br>The Most Honourable,<br>The Greatest Ruler and<br>The Treasure of all Knowledge<br><br>(Rig Veda 2.23.1)<br><br>goes an invocation to Lord Ganapati in the oldest Veda. This probably is the only reference to Ganapati- another name of Ganesh. But is that the same elephant headed God who is being sung about in the Veda? Cant say, for the imagery that we associate with Ganesh appeared only in the Gupta period. <br><br>But, better late than never!<br><br>We should thank Ganesh for appearing and Adi Shankaracharya for categorizing Him as one of the 5 eternal deities of Hindu religion (the other 4 being: Sun, Vishnu, Shiva, Durga) <br><br>Just imagine (again) whom would we call upon to clear our path of obstacles had it not been for Ganesh; the Karmayogi Krishna (would probably say: You will reap as you sow) or the Mahayogi Shiva (would just mutter Ommm)? <br><br>But why is Ganesh called Vighneshwara, the Lord of Obstacles, if he is supposed to destroy the obstacles? In Hinduism and Buddhist tantra, Vinayakas were four mischief-making entities. If they were propitiated, they obliged one by not causing any trouble. Some just point out that it is Ganeshs job to give trouble to those who are up to no good, thats why the name. <br><br>Whatever the history/hearsay, the reason that Ganesh endures as the God of small and big things even today is that He is so real and ideal at the same time. <br><br>He is the child in all of us. He wants to be loved by His parents- even more than His sibling. Even if He has to forsake his desires (symbolized by flashy mounts viz lion, bull, peacock etc.) and choose the humble mouse, he will happily do so just so His parents favour Him. <br><br>Like a good, obedient lad He will follow instructions of the mother even if He has to risk His ego (symbolized by the human head that Shiva axed). In return, He got the dignity, respect and wisdom that are captured only in the head of an elephant. That wisdom made him circumambulate his parents when he was asked to take the round of the Earth- Shiv Parvati are His world. <br><br>With that one sacrifice, Ganesh the boy became Ganesh the God. <br><br>And he is loved by millions because He is always ready to listen. His big ears are a solace to those who have been wronged and need to empty their troubled souls. His trunk helps Him discriminate between right and wrong- as also indicating His great reach. His beady eyes enable Him to see only the good in people. His single tooth signifies that there is only One God, that He is all wisdom (elephant head) & love (the modak). <br><br>Bowing to Ganesh means understanding and appreciating all of the above, hence attaining the Truth. The 10-day Ganesh festival also has a deep meaning to it. Though an ancient tradition, it was turned into the grand affair that it is today by Lokmanya Tilak to drum up nationalistic pride and unity among people. <br><br>But Ganesh is beyond any country. He has got nothing to do with national pride (though, internationally, He is an India icon) but everything to do with existential essence. <br><br>For Ganesha is called Pranavakaar- in the shape of OM. <br><br>To You whom the wise exclaim<br>As the single-syllabled Supreme sound,<br>Stainless & peerless<br>Primeval One, I bow in adoration<br><br>(Adi Shankaracharya in Ganesh Bhujangam) <br><br>Ganeshs form resembles OM and in that He is a universal entity, present at the very core of Being. <br><br>Welcoming of Ganesh means bringing out the Lord that resides within us, in order to thank Him and serve Him. For 10 days, everything & everywhere becomes Ganesh i.e one sees the good aspect within all. At the end of the festival, we ask Ganesh to not just remain outside but enter our stream of consciousness- that is Visarjan. And all of it is done with joy and playfulness- as Ganesh likes it. <br><br>For thats what being Ganesh is: giving up the ego, remaining above materialism (symbolized in His one feet always being above the ground and one on the seat), yet using materials when needed, being an exceptional leader (Gana-pati) and yet keeping humble (He travels on a mouse). In short, living it and loving it too. <br><br>So this time, when you are grabbing a modak after prayer and somebody calls you Big Paunch, just know that there is someone else who is a big paunch and its doing a lot of good!
Well, The Wall finally stood tall. And tall in a way that it thwarted any attempt of his critics to penetrate or demolish it.<br><br>A century at a time when the world would not be missing even ONE chance to criticize him. Believe me when I say that I had no doubts about it. It was just a matter of time before the Club 10000 member did what he does best- frustrate the opposition and score for the nation with grace and elegance. He has given us, at least me, and himself, a respite, a sense of liberation. He is one cricketer, who seamlessly blends an old-world class approach with new-age professionalism. <br><br> It was emotional, truly. A chill went down my spine and I stood up to clap and salute this unsung Master. Before that my heart was pounding. Will he, wont he? It was out of fear and not out of my trust in his capabilities. I feared his fading into history when he still has years of cricket in him. I have been an ardent fan of Dravid and his approach to his game for long now. For me it was special. It is not easy arguing with many and explaining to them that 10 years and 10000 runs in both formats cannot simply be fluke. When I find it difficult tackling his critics, imagine what he might be going through over the past months. I sighed as he played one off his pads to bring up the much, much needed century. <br><br> It wasnt as if it was his first or anything. He has done it before and he will continue to do so for long. But what was special about this innings was the spirit of this warrior - the never dying spirit, the I-can-do-it and I-will-do-it attitude. He is a man who has never shirked the enormous responsibility that he has always been loaded with. He has never moaned, he has not cried. Instead, he has carried the load of the expectations of over a billion people with a smile. <br><br> And even now, the man of few emotions said, Its during this time that you realise that so many people want you to do well. Some of the people didnt need to do that but still they supported me. I felt as if so many people have gone through the journey with me. Now that is a true gentleman. <br><br> To overcome the worst phase of ones career with a fighting century and displaying no emotions except raising his bat to applaud the salutation by the crowd and the dressing room, it can only be Dravid. He is not a player who would jump up in the air throwing his fist and smile as if advertising for a toothpaste brand. He knows how much he has contributed to his country, our country. He knew he could do it. It was just a matter of time. <br><br> But impressive as his statistics are, they can never represent the extent of his importance to India, or the beauty of his batsmanship.
Thursday, January 12, 2017 ABQ Mayoral Contenders Hits Double Digits But Will They All Last? Plus: Food Tax Talk Proved Sticky For One State Rep. Keller (Bralley) Maybe we should charter a bus for all the ABQ mayoral candidates and drive them around town to make their case to the public. We're well on the way to filling up a bus. The latest to shout "'all aboard" is Dem State Auditor Tim Keller who made



Keller is being closely watched as insiders place him among the top tier of the many candidates seeking to replace two-term Republican Mayor Berry this year. Veteran GOP consultant Bob Cornelius is among them:



Keller's announcement message was good and his video was good. A line that may resonate with Democrats is: 'We don't just need a mayor. We need a mission and a movement." Democrats need to light a fire under their base to get the vote out. The lower the turnout the better it will be for the R's. Keller is mindful of that.'



Keller will be one of the few candidates to go the public financing route and if successful will collect $379,000 to run his campaign. Insiders say if he takes off he could also win support from a political action committee backed by labor and/or other interests. PAC's are free to play in the city election with few restrictions.



He was welcomed to the race by the state GOP which said:



Keller has evidently temporarily abandoned his gubernatorial aspirations and set his sights on adding another line on his resume. The voters of Albuquerque deserve a Mayor that views the office as an opportunity to make a positive impact upon the city, not as another step towards higher office.



Keller says he will answer that GOP call to make "a positive impact" by replacing APD Chief Gorden Eden and Assistant Chief Huntsman on "day one." Republican City Councilor and mayoral candidate Dan Lewis did not go that far in his Sunday announcement, saying, if elected, he will bring in new police leadership but did not explicitly say Eden would be out.



With so many candidates lining up our Alligators and analysts have formed a first tier and second tier of contenders as we wait and see who submits enough signatures of registered voters (3,000) on April 28 to win a place on the Oct. 3 ballot. Until then, the race will be in flux.



So far, there are four officially registered candidates on the



In the first tier is Keller; former NM Dem Party Chairman Brian Colon who announces January 25; former Dem BernCo Commissioner Deanna Archuleta who announced earlier this year; GOP BernCO Commissioner Wayne Johnson who will announce next month; GOP City Councilor Dan Lewis who announced Sunday and possibly '13 Dem mayoral hopeful Pete Dinelli and Dem City Councilor Ken Sanchez who may instead opt for a run at the ABQ congressional seat.



That gives us nine certain contenders and 11 if you count Sanchez and Dinelli. We told you that bus was filling up fast.



STRANGE BEDFELLOWS



Reps McCamley, Gentry and Harper Las Cruces area Dem State Rep.



Rep. McCamley is not in favor of reinstating the gross receipts tax (GRT) on purchases of food. If the legislature is considering reforming the GRT structure, including repealing the deduction for food purchases, he wants to make sure that repeal is coupled with legislation to assist the poor and middle income residents who will get hit the hardest by that change. He presented a bill with Rep. Harper that would offset some of the regressivity of reimposing that tax by allowing SNAP recipients to use their EBT card to not pay GRT on all food purchased. The bill would have also increased the amount of and income threshold amount to receive the Low-Income Comprehensive Tax Rebate. But he made it clear at that meeting that he is not in favor of the repeal, and has serious concerns about the entire proposed reform package. He even said something like "The only reason I agreed to get on this political suicide train..." is to ensure poor people are not significantly hurt by the legislation.



McCamley



What happens is that at the very very least, you come out even because youre getting the same amount of money you wouldve spent on food tax anyway...but...youre paying less of a tax on everything else that youre buying.



Maybe next time the majority Democrats might want to present their own comprehensive tax package (minus the food tax) instead of trying to slow down the "suicide train" that voters had already derailed at the polls in November when they stripped Harper and the Republicans of their House majority.



Meanwhile, Santa Fe's Alan Webber, toying with another run for the Dem Guv nomination in 2018, continue to court the progressive crowd. About taxes to resolve the budget crisis, he says:



--Impose a state-wide tax on sugar-laced drinks. Increase sin taxes on tobacco and alcohol

--Health care providers are volunteering to pay an assessment because they know their contributions will underwrite critically important Medicaid for New Mexicans.

--Pegging the gas tax so it goes up and down with the price we pay at the pump will provide money for infrastructure investments, create jobs and make the actual tax adjustable to changing circumstances.



Guess we can call our tax coverage today food for thought.



Enjoy the holiday weekend. See you back here Tuesday.



This is the home of New Mexico politics.







Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.



( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017 Maybe we should charter a bus for all the ABQ mayoral candidates and drive them around town to make their case to the public. We're well on the way to filling up a bus. The latest to shout "'all aboard" is Dem State Auditor Tim Keller who made his entry official Wednesday, coming with a website, a video announcement and a flurry of media interviews.Keller is being closely watched as insiders place him among the top tier of the many candidates seeking to replace two-term Republican Mayor Berry this year. Veteran GOP consultant Bob Cornelius is among them:Keller will be one of the few candidates to go the public financing route and if successful will collect $379,000 to run his campaign. Insiders say if he takes off he could also win support from a political action committee backed by labor and/or other interests. PAC's are free to play in the city election with few restrictions.He was welcomed to the race by the state GOP which said:Keller says he will answer that GOP call to make "a positive impact" by replacing APD Chief Gorden Eden and Assistant Chief Huntsman on "day one." Republican City Councilor and mayoral candidate Dan Lewis did not go that far in his Sunday announcement, saying, if elected, he will bring in new police leadership but did not explicitly say Eden would be out.With so many candidates lining up our Alligators and analysts have formed a first tier and second tier of contenders as we wait and see who submits enough signatures of registered voters (3,000) on April 28 to win a place on the Oct. 3 ballot. Until then, the race will be in flux.So far, there are four officially registered candidates on the city clerk's website . They are Democrat Stella Padilla, talk show host and independent Eddy Aragon; Dem Scott Madison who works at Kirtland AFB and independent Michelle Garcia Holmes. Independent Susan Wheeler-Deichsel, founder of Urban ABQ, is expected to join the race next month. All of those candidates are in our second tier.In the first tier is Keller; former NM Dem Party Chairman Brian Colon who announces January 25; former Dem BernCo Commissioner Deanna Archuleta who announced earlier this year; GOP BernCO Commissioner Wayne Johnson who will announce next month; GOP City Councilor Dan Lewis who announced Sunday and possibly '13 Dem mayoral hopeful Pete Dinelli and Dem City Councilor Ken Sanchez who may instead opt for a run at the ABQ congressional seat.That gives us nine certain contenders and 11 if you count Sanchez and Dinelli. We told you that bus was filling up fast.Las Cruces area Dem State Rep. Bill McCamley styles himself as a progressive but he ran afoul of them when he teamed with GOP State Rep. Jason Harper on a tax reform plan (no bill was introduced) that included a reinstatement of the food tax. We mentioned that here Wednesday, noting that Gov. Martinez will not support any such reinstatement. As for McCamley, a sympathizer asserts he never explicitly supported the reinstatement:McCamley said this at a December legislative hearing that drew the scrutiny of the anti-food tax crowd:Maybe next time the majority Democrats might want to present their own comprehensive tax package (minus the food tax) instead of trying to slow down the "suicide train" that voters had already derailed at the polls in November when they stripped Harper and the Republicans of their House majority.Meanwhile, Santa Fe's Alan Webber, toying with another run for the Dem Guv nomination in 2018, continue to court the progressive crowd. About taxes to resolve the budget crisis, he says:Guess we can call our tax coverage today food for thought.Enjoy the holiday weekend. See you back here Tuesday.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Links HOME

E-MAIL ME

About Joe

Google News

Real Clear Politics

Huffington Post

Drudge Report

The Politico

New Mexico newspapers

NM TV stations

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

NM Legislature Archives Select: 9/28/03 - 10/5/03 10/5/03 - 10/12/03 10/12/03 - 10/19/03 10/19/03 - 10/26/03 10/26/03 - 11/2/03 11/2/03 - 11/9/03 11/9/03 - 11/16/03 11/16/03 - 11/23/03 11/23/03 - 11/30/03 11/30/03 - 12/7/03 12/7/03 - 12/14/03 12/14/03 - 12/21/03 12/21/03 - 12/28/03 12/28/03 - 1/4/04 1/4/04 - 1/11/04 1/11/04 - 1/18/04 1/18/04 - 1/25/04 1/25/04 - 2/1/04 2/1/04 - 2/8/04 2/8/04 - 2/15/04 2/15/04 - 2/22/04 2/22/04 - 2/29/04 2/29/04 - 3/7/04 3/7/04 - 3/14/04 3/14/04 - 3/21/04 3/21/04 - 3/28/04 3/28/04 - 4/4/04 4/4/04 - 4/11/04 4/11/04 - 4/18/04 4/18/04 - 4/25/04 4/25/04 - 5/2/04 5/2/04 - 5/9/04 5/9/04 - 5/16/04 5/16/04 - 5/23/04 5/23/04 - 5/30/04 5/30/04 - 6/6/04 6/6/04 - 6/13/04 6/13/04 - 6/20/04 6/20/04 - 6/27/04 6/27/04 - 7/4/04 7/4/04 - 7/11/04 7/11/04 - 7/18/04 7/18/04 - 7/25/04 7/25/04 - 8/1/04 8/1/04 - 8/8/04 8/8/04 - 8/15/04 8/15/04 - 8/22/04 8/22/04 - 8/29/04 8/29/04 - 9/5/04 9/5/04 - 9/12/04 9/12/04 - 9/19/04 9/19/04 - 9/26/04 9/26/04 - 10/3/04 10/3/04 - 10/10/04 10/10/04 - 10/17/04 10/17/04 - 10/24/04 10/24/04 - 10/31/04 10/31/04 - 11/7/04 11/7/04 - 11/14/04 11/14/04 - 11/21/04 11/21/04 - 11/28/04 11/28/04 - 12/5/04 12/5/04 - 12/12/04 12/12/04 - 12/19/04 12/19/04 - 12/26/04 1/2/05 - 1/9/05 1/9/05 - 1/16/05 1/16/05 - 1/23/05 1/23/05 - 1/30/05 1/30/05 - 2/6/05 2/6/05 - 2/13/05 2/13/05 - 2/20/05 2/20/05 - 2/27/05 2/27/05 - 3/6/05 3/6/05 - 3/13/05 3/13/05 - 3/20/05 3/20/05 - 3/27/05 3/27/05 - 4/3/05 4/3/05 - 4/10/05 4/10/05 - 4/17/05 4/17/05 - 4/24/05 4/24/05 - 5/1/05 5/1/05 - 5/8/05 5/8/05 - 5/15/05 5/15/05 - 5/22/05 5/22/05 - 5/29/05 5/29/05 - 6/5/05 6/5/05 - 6/12/05 6/12/05 - 6/19/05 6/19/05 - 6/26/05 6/26/05 - 7/3/05 7/3/05 - 7/10/05 7/10/05 - 7/17/05 7/17/05 - 7/24/05 7/24/05 - 7/31/05 7/31/05 - 8/7/05 8/7/05 - 8/14/05 8/14/05 - 8/21/05 8/21/05 - 8/28/05 8/28/05 - 9/4/05 9/4/05 - 9/11/05 9/11/05 - 9/18/05 9/18/05 - 9/25/05 9/25/05 - 10/2/05 10/2/05 - 10/9/05 10/9/05 - 10/16/05 10/16/05 - 10/23/05 10/23/05 - 10/30/05 10/30/05 - 11/6/05 11/6/05 - 11/13/05 11/13/05 - 11/20/05 11/20/05 - 11/27/05 11/27/05 - 12/4/05 12/4/05 - 12/11/05 12/11/05 - 12/18/05 12/18/05 - 12/25/05 1/1/06 - 1/8/06 1/8/06 - 1/15/06 1/15/06 - 1/22/06 1/22/06 - 1/29/06 1/29/06 - 2/5/06 2/5/06 - 2/12/06 2/12/06 - 2/19/06 2/19/06 - 2/26/06 2/26/06 - 3/5/06 3/5/06 - 3/12/06 3/12/06 - 3/19/06 3/19/06 - 3/26/06 3/26/06 - 4/2/06 4/2/06 - 4/9/06 4/9/06 - 4/16/06 4/16/06 - 4/23/06 4/23/06 - 4/30/06 4/30/06 - 5/7/06 5/7/06 - 5/14/06 5/14/06 - 5/21/06 5/21/06 - 5/28/06 5/28/06 - 6/4/06 6/4/06 - 6/11/06 6/11/06 - 6/18/06 6/18/06 - 6/25/06 6/25/06 - 7/2/06 7/9/06 - 7/16/06 7/16/06 - 7/23/06 7/23/06 - 7/30/06 7/30/06 - 8/6/06 8/6/06 - 8/13/06 8/13/06 - 8/20/06 8/20/06 - 8/27/06 8/27/06 - 9/3/06 9/3/06 - 9/10/06 9/10/06 - 9/17/06 9/17/06 - 9/24/06 9/24/06 - 10/1/06 10/1/06 - 10/8/06 10/8/06 - 10/15/06 10/15/06 - 10/22/06 10/22/06 - 10/29/06 10/29/06 - 11/5/06 11/5/06 - 11/12/06 11/12/06 - 11/19/06 11/19/06 - 11/26/06 11/26/06 - 12/3/06 12/3/06 - 12/10/06 12/10/06 - 12/17/06 12/17/06 - 12/24/06 12/31/06 - 1/7/07 1/7/07 - 1/14/07 1/14/07 - 1/21/07 1/21/07 - 1/28/07 1/28/07 - 2/4/07 2/4/07 - 2/11/07 2/11/07 - 2/18/07 2/18/07 - 2/25/07 2/25/07 - 3/4/07 3/4/07 - 3/11/07 3/11/07 - 3/18/07 3/18/07 - 3/25/07 3/25/07 - 4/1/07 4/1/07 - 4/8/07 4/8/07 - 4/15/07 4/15/07 - 4/22/07 4/22/07 - 4/29/07 4/29/07 - 5/6/07 5/6/07 - 5/13/07 5/13/07 - 5/20/07 5/20/07 - 5/27/07 5/27/07 - 6/3/07 6/3/07 - 6/10/07 6/10/07 - 6/17/07 6/17/07 - 6/24/07 6/24/07 - 7/1/07 7/1/07 - 7/8/07 7/8/07 - 7/15/07 7/15/07 - 7/22/07 7/22/07 - 7/29/07 7/29/07 - 8/5/07 8/5/07 - 8/12/07 8/12/07 - 8/19/07 8/19/07 - 8/26/07 8/26/07 - 9/2/07 9/2/07 - 9/9/07 9/9/07 - 9/16/07 9/16/07 - 9/23/07 9/23/07 - 9/30/07 9/30/07 - 10/7/07 10/7/07 - 10/14/07 10/14/07 - 10/21/07 10/21/07 - 10/28/07 10/28/07 - 11/4/07 11/4/07 - 11/11/07 11/11/07 - 11/18/07 11/18/07 - 11/25/07 11/25/07 - 12/2/07 12/2/07 - 12/9/07 12/9/07 - 12/16/07 12/16/07 - 12/23/07 12/23/07 - 12/30/07 12/30/07 - 1/6/08 1/6/08 - 1/13/08 1/13/08 - 1/20/08 1/20/08 - 1/27/08 1/27/08 - 2/3/08 2/3/08 - 2/10/08 2/10/08 - 2/17/08 2/17/08 - 2/24/08 2/24/08 - 3/2/08 3/2/08 - 3/9/08 3/9/08 - 3/16/08 3/16/08 - 3/23/08 3/23/08 - 3/30/08 3/30/08 - 4/6/08 4/6/08 - 4/13/08 4/13/08 - 4/20/08 4/20/08 - 4/27/08 4/27/08 - 5/4/08 5/4/08 - 5/11/08 5/11/08 - 5/18/08 5/18/08 - 5/25/08 5/25/08 - 6/1/08 6/1/08 - 6/8/08 6/8/08 - 6/15/08 6/15/08 - 6/22/08 6/22/08 - 6/29/08 6/29/08 - 7/6/08 7/6/08 - 7/13/08 7/13/08 - 7/20/08 7/20/08 - 7/27/08 7/27/08 - 8/3/08 8/3/08 - 8/10/08 8/10/08 - 8/17/08 8/17/08 - 8/24/08 8/24/08 - 8/31/08 8/31/08 - 9/7/08 9/7/08 - 9/14/08 9/14/08 - 9/21/08 9/21/08 - 9/28/08 9/28/08 - 10/5/08 10/5/08 - 10/12/08 10/12/08 - 10/19/08 10/19/08 - 10/26/08 10/26/08 - 11/2/08 11/2/08 - 11/9/08 11/9/08 - 11/16/08 11/16/08 - 11/23/08 11/23/08 - 11/30/08 11/30/08 - 12/7/08 12/7/08 - 12/14/08 12/14/08 - 12/21/08 12/21/08 - 12/28/08 12/28/08 - 1/4/09 1/4/09 - 1/11/09 1/11/09 - 1/18/09 1/18/09 - 1/25/09 1/25/09 - 2/1/09 2/1/09 - 2/8/09 2/8/09 - 2/15/09 2/15/09 - 2/22/09 2/22/09 - 3/1/09 3/1/09 - 3/8/09 3/8/09 - 3/15/09 3/15/09 - 3/22/09 3/22/09 - 3/29/09 3/29/09 - 4/5/09 4/5/09 - 4/12/09 4/12/09 - 4/19/09 4/19/09 - 4/26/09 4/26/09 - 5/3/09 5/3/09 - 5/10/09 5/10/09 - 5/17/09 5/17/09 - 5/24/09 5/24/09 - 5/31/09 5/31/09 - 6/7/09 6/7/09 - 6/14/09 6/14/09 - 6/21/09 6/21/09 - 6/28/09 6/28/09 - 7/5/09 7/5/09 - 7/12/09 7/12/09 - 7/19/09 7/19/09 - 7/26/09 7/26/09 - 8/2/09 8/2/09 - 8/9/09 8/9/09 - 8/16/09 8/16/09 - 8/23/09 8/23/09 - 8/30/09 8/30/09 - 9/6/09 9/6/09 - 9/13/09 9/13/09 - 9/20/09 9/20/09 - 9/27/09 9/27/09 - 10/4/09 10/4/09 - 10/11/09 10/11/09 - 10/18/09 10/18/09 - 10/25/09 10/25/09 - 11/1/09 11/1/09 - 11/8/09 11/8/09 - 11/15/09 11/15/09 - 11/22/09 11/22/09 - 11/29/09 11/29/09 - 12/6/09 12/6/09 - 12/13/09 12/13/09 - 12/20/09 12/20/09 - 12/27/09 12/27/09 - 1/3/10 1/3/10 - 1/10/10 1/10/10 - 1/17/10 1/17/10 - 1/24/10 1/24/10 - 1/31/10 1/31/10 - 2/7/10 2/7/10 - 2/14/10 2/14/10 - 2/21/10 2/21/10 - 2/28/10 2/28/10 - 3/7/10 3/7/10 - 3/14/10 3/14/10 - 3/21/10 3/21/10 - 3/28/10 3/28/10 - 4/4/10 4/4/10 - 4/11/10 4/11/10 - 4/18/10 4/18/10 - 4/25/10 4/25/10 - 5/2/10 5/2/10 - 5/9/10 5/9/10 - 5/16/10 5/16/10 - 5/23/10 5/23/10 - 5/30/10 5/30/10 - 6/6/10 6/6/10 - 6/13/10 6/13/10 - 6/20/10 6/20/10 - 6/27/10 6/27/10 - 7/4/10 7/4/10 - 7/11/10 7/11/10 - 7/18/10 7/18/10 - 7/25/10 7/25/10 - 8/1/10 8/1/10 - 8/8/10 8/8/10 - 8/15/10 8/15/10 - 8/22/10 8/22/10 - 8/29/10 8/29/10 - 9/5/10 9/5/10 - 9/12/10 9/12/10 - 9/19/10 9/19/10 - 9/26/10 9/26/10 - 10/3/10 10/3/10 - 10/10/10 10/10/10 - 10/17/10 10/17/10 - 10/24/10 10/24/10 - 10/31/10 10/31/10 - 11/7/10 11/7/10 - 11/14/10 11/14/10 - 11/21/10 11/21/10 - 11/28/10 11/28/10 - 12/5/10 12/5/10 - 12/12/10 12/12/10 - 12/19/10 12/19/10 - 12/26/10 12/26/10 - 1/2/11 1/2/11 - 1/9/11 1/9/11 - 1/16/11 1/16/11 - 1/23/11 1/23/11 - 1/30/11 1/30/11 - 2/6/11 2/6/11 - 2/13/11 2/13/11 - 2/20/11 2/20/11 - 2/27/11 2/27/11 - 3/6/11 3/6/11 - 3/13/11 3/13/11 - 3/20/11 3/20/11 - 3/27/11 3/27/11 - 4/3/11 4/3/11 - 4/10/11 4/10/11 - 4/17/11 4/17/11 - 4/24/11 4/24/11 - 5/1/11 5/1/11 - 5/8/11 5/8/11 - 5/15/11 5/15/11 - 5/22/11 5/22/11 - 5/29/11 5/29/11 - 6/5/11 6/5/11 - 6/12/11 6/12/11 - 6/19/11 6/19/11 - 6/26/11 6/26/11 - 7/3/11 7/3/11 - 7/10/11 7/10/11 - 7/17/11 7/17/11 - 7/24/11 7/24/11 - 7/31/11 7/31/11 - 8/7/11 8/7/11 - 8/14/11 8/14/11 - 8/21/11 8/21/11 - 8/28/11 8/28/11 - 9/4/11 9/4/11 - 9/11/11 9/11/11 - 9/18/11 9/18/11 - 9/25/11 9/25/11 - 10/2/11 10/2/11 - 10/9/11 10/9/11 - 10/16/11 10/16/11 - 10/23/11 10/23/11 - 10/30/11 10/30/11 - 11/6/11 11/6/11 - 11/13/11 11/13/11 - 11/20/11 11/20/11 - 11/27/11 11/27/11 - 12/4/11 12/4/11 - 12/11/11 12/11/11 - 12/18/11 12/18/11 - 12/25/11 12/25/11 - 1/1/12 1/1/12 - 1/8/12 1/8/12 - 1/15/12 1/15/12 - 1/22/12 1/22/12 - 1/29/12 1/29/12 - 2/5/12 2/5/12 - 2/12/12 2/12/12 - 2/19/12 2/19/12 - 2/26/12 2/26/12 - 3/4/12 3/4/12 - 3/11/12 3/11/12 - 3/18/12 3/18/12 - 3/25/12 3/25/12 - 4/1/12 4/1/12 - 4/8/12 4/8/12 - 4/15/12 4/15/12 - 4/22/12 4/22/12 - 4/29/12 4/29/12 - 5/6/12 5/6/12 - 5/13/12 5/13/12 - 5/20/12 5/20/12 - 5/27/12 5/27/12 - 6/3/12 6/3/12 - 6/10/12 6/10/12 - 6/17/12 6/17/12 - 6/24/12 6/24/12 - 7/1/12 7/1/12 - 7/8/12 7/8/12 - 7/15/12 7/15/12 - 7/22/12 7/22/12 - 7/29/12 7/29/12 - 8/5/12 8/5/12 - 8/12/12 8/12/12 - 8/19/12 8/19/12 - 8/26/12 8/26/12 - 9/2/12 9/2/12 - 9/9/12 9/9/12 - 9/16/12 9/16/12 - 9/23/12 9/23/12 - 9/30/12 9/30/12 - 10/7/12 10/7/12 - 10/14/12 10/14/12 - 10/21/12 10/21/12 - 10/28/12 10/28/12 - 11/4/12 11/4/12 - 11/11/12 11/11/12 - 11/18/12 11/18/12 - 11/25/12 11/25/12 - 12/2/12 12/2/12 - 12/9/12 12/9/12 - 12/16/12 12/16/12 - 12/23/12 12/23/12 - 12/30/12 12/30/12 - 1/6/13 1/6/13 - 1/13/13 1/13/13 - 1/20/13 1/20/13 - 1/27/13 1/27/13 - 2/3/13 2/3/13 - 2/10/13 2/10/13 - 2/17/13 2/17/13 - 2/24/13 2/24/13 - 3/3/13 3/3/13 - 3/10/13 3/10/13 - 3/17/13 3/17/13 - 3/24/13 3/24/13 - 3/31/13 3/31/13 - 4/7/13 4/7/13 - 4/14/13 4/14/13 - 4/21/13 4/21/13 - 4/28/13 4/28/13 - 5/5/13 5/5/13 - 5/12/13 5/12/13 - 5/19/13 5/19/13 - 5/26/13 5/26/13 - 6/2/13 6/2/13 - 6/9/13 6/9/13 - 6/16/13 6/16/13 - 6/23/13 6/23/13 - 6/30/13 6/30/13 - 7/7/13 7/7/13 - 7/14/13 7/14/13 - 7/21/13 7/21/13 - 7/28/13 7/28/13 - 8/4/13 8/4/13 - 8/11/13 8/11/13 - 8/18/13 8/18/13 - 8/25/13 8/25/13 - 9/1/13 9/1/13 - 9/8/13 9/8/13 - 9/15/13 9/15/13 - 9/22/13 9/22/13 - 9/29/13 9/29/13 - 10/6/13 10/6/13 - 10/13/13 10/13/13 - 10/20/13 10/20/13 - 10/27/13 10/27/13 - 11/3/13 11/3/13 - 11/10/13 11/10/13 - 11/17/13 11/17/13 - 11/24/13 11/24/13 - 12/1/13 12/1/13 - 12/8/13 12/8/13 - 12/15/13 12/15/13 - 12/22/13 12/22/13 - 12/29/13 12/29/13 - 1/5/14 1/5/14 - 1/12/14 1/12/14 - 1/19/14 1/19/14 - 1/26/14 1/26/14 - 2/2/14 2/2/14 - 2/9/14 2/9/14 - 2/16/14 2/16/14 - 2/23/14 2/23/14 - 3/2/14 3/2/14 - 3/9/14 3/9/14 - 3/16/14 3/16/14 - 3/23/14 3/23/14 - 3/30/14 3/30/14 - 4/6/14 4/6/14 - 4/13/14 4/13/14 - 4/20/14 4/20/14 - 4/27/14 4/27/14 - 5/4/14 5/4/14 - 5/11/14 5/11/14 - 5/18/14 5/18/14 - 5/25/14 5/25/14 - 6/1/14 6/1/14 - 6/8/14 6/8/14 - 6/15/14 6/15/14 - 6/22/14 6/22/14 - 6/29/14 6/29/14 - 7/6/14 7/6/14 - 7/13/14 7/13/14 - 7/20/14 7/20/14 - 7/27/14 7/27/14 - 8/3/14 8/3/14 - 8/10/14 8/10/14 - 8/17/14 8/17/14 - 8/24/14 8/24/14 - 8/31/14 8/31/14 - 9/7/14 9/7/14 - 9/14/14 9/14/14 - 9/21/14 9/21/14 - 9/28/14 9/28/14 - 10/5/14 10/5/14 - 10/12/14 10/12/14 - 10/19/14 10/19/14 - 10/26/14 10/26/14 - 11/2/14 11/2/14 - 11/9/14 11/9/14 - 11/16/14 11/16/14 - 11/23/14 11/23/14 - 11/30/14 11/30/14 - 12/7/14 12/7/14 - 12/14/14 12/14/14 - 12/21/14 12/21/14 - 12/28/14 12/28/14 - 1/4/15 1/4/15 - 1/11/15 1/11/15 - 1/18/15 1/18/15 - 1/25/15 1/25/15 - 2/1/15 2/1/15 - 2/8/15 2/8/15 - 2/15/15 2/15/15 - 2/22/15 2/22/15 - 3/1/15 3/1/15 - 3/8/15 3/8/15 - 3/15/15 3/15/15 - 3/22/15 3/22/15 - 3/29/15 3/29/15 - 4/5/15 4/5/15 - 4/12/15 4/12/15 - 4/19/15 4/19/15 - 4/26/15 4/26/15 - 5/3/15 5/3/15 - 5/10/15 5/10/15 - 5/17/15 5/17/15 - 5/24/15 5/24/15 - 5/31/15 5/31/15 - 6/7/15 6/7/15 - 6/14/15 6/14/15 - 6/21/15 6/21/15 - 6/28/15 6/28/15 - 7/5/15 7/5/15 - 7/12/15 7/12/15 - 7/19/15 7/19/15 - 7/26/15 7/26/15 - 8/2/15 8/2/15 - 8/9/15 8/9/15 - 8/16/15 8/16/15 - 8/23/15 8/23/15 - 8/30/15 8/30/15 - 9/6/15 9/6/15 - 9/13/15 9/13/15 - 9/20/15 9/20/15 - 9/27/15 9/27/15 - 10/4/15 10/4/15 - 10/11/15 10/11/15 - 10/18/15 10/18/15 - 10/25/15 10/25/15 - 11/1/15 11/1/15 - 11/8/15 11/8/15 - 11/15/15 11/15/15 - 11/22/15 11/22/15 - 11/29/15 11/29/15 - 12/6/15 12/6/15 - 12/13/15 12/13/15 - 12/20/15 12/20/15 - 12/27/15 12/27/15 - 1/3/16 1/3/16 - 1/10/16 1/10/16 - 1/17/16 1/17/16 - 1/24/16 1/24/16 - 1/31/16 1/31/16 - 2/7/16 2/7/16 - 2/14/16 2/14/16 - 2/21/16 2/21/16 - 2/28/16 2/28/16 - 3/6/16 3/6/16 - 3/13/16 3/13/16 - 3/20/16 3/20/16 - 3/27/16 3/27/16 - 4/3/16 4/3/16 - 4/10/16 4/10/16 - 4/17/16 4/17/16 - 4/24/16 4/24/16 - 5/1/16 5/1/16 - 5/8/16 5/8/16 - 5/15/16 5/15/16 - 5/22/16 5/22/16 - 5/29/16 5/29/16 - 6/5/16 6/5/16 - 6/12/16 6/12/16 - 6/19/16 6/19/16 - 6/26/16 6/26/16 - 7/3/16 7/3/16 - 7/10/16 7/10/16 - 7/17/16 7/17/16 - 7/24/16 7/24/16 - 7/31/16 7/31/16 - 8/7/16 8/7/16 - 8/14/16 8/14/16 - 8/21/16 8/21/16 - 8/28/16 8/28/16 - 9/4/16 9/4/16 - 9/11/16 9/11/16 - 9/18/16 9/18/16 - 9/25/16 9/25/16 - 10/2/16 10/2/16 - 10/9/16 10/9/16 - 10/16/16 10/16/16 - 10/23/16 10/23/16 - 10/30/16 10/30/16 - 11/6/16 11/6/16 - 11/13/16 11/13/16 - 11/20/16 11/20/16 - 11/27/16 11/27/16 - 12/4/16 12/4/16 - 12/11/16 12/11/16 - 12/18/16 12/18/16 - 12/25/16 12/25/16 - 1/1/17 1/1/17 - 1/8/17 1/8/17 - 1/15/17 1/15/17 - 1/22/17 1/22/17 - 1/29/17 1/29/17 - 2/5/17 2/5/17 - 2/12/17 2/12/17 - 2/19/17 2/19/17 - 2/26/17 2/26/17 - 3/5/17 3/5/17 - 3/12/17 3/12/17 - 3/19/17 3/19/17 - 3/26/17 3/26/17 - 4/2/17 4/2/17 - 4/9/17 4/9/17 - 4/16/17 4/16/17 - 4/23/17 4/23/17 - 4/30/17 4/30/17 - 5/7/17 5/7/17 - 5/14/17 5/14/17 - 5/21/17 5/21/17 - 5/28/17 5/28/17 - 6/4/17 6/4/17 - 6/11/17 6/11/17 - 6/18/17 6/18/17 - 6/25/17 6/25/17 - 7/2/17 7/2/17 - 7/9/17 7/9/17 - 7/16/17 7/16/17 - 7/23/17 7/23/17 - 7/30/17 7/30/17 - 8/6/17 8/6/17 - 8/13/17 8/13/17 - 8/20/17 8/20/17 - 8/27/17 8/27/17 - 9/3/17 9/3/17 - 9/10/17 9/10/17 - 9/17/17 9/17/17 - 9/24/17 9/24/17 - 10/1/17 10/1/17 - 10/8/17 10/8/17 - 10/15/17 10/15/17 - 10/22/17 10/22/17 - 10/29/17 10/29/17 - 11/5/17 11/5/17 - 11/12/17 11/12/17 - 11/19/17 11/19/17 - 11/26/17 11/26/17 - 12/3/17 12/3/17 - 12/10/17 12/10/17 - 12/17/17 12/17/17 - 12/24/17 12/24/17 - 12/31/17 12/31/17 - 1/7/18 1/7/18 - 1/14/18 1/14/18 - 1/21/18 1/21/18 - 1/28/18 1/28/18 - 2/4/18 2/4/18 - 2/11/18 2/11/18 - 2/18/18 2/18/18 - 2/25/18 2/25/18 - 3/4/18 3/4/18 - 3/11/18 3/11/18 - 3/18/18 3/18/18 - 3/25/18 3/25/18 - 4/1/18 4/1/18 - 4/8/18 4/8/18 - 4/15/18 4/15/18 - 4/22/18 4/22/18 - 4/29/18 4/29/18 - 5/6/18 5/6/18 - 5/13/18 5/13/18 - 5/20/18 5/20/18 - 5/27/18 5/27/18 - 6/3/18 6/3/18 - 6/10/18 6/10/18 - 6/17/18 6/17/18 - 6/24/18 6/24/18 - 7/1/18 7/1/18 - 7/8/18 7/8/18 - 7/15/18 7/15/18 - 7/22/18 7/22/18 - 7/29/18 7/29/18 - 8/5/18 8/5/18 - 8/12/18 8/12/18 - 8/19/18 8/19/18 - 8/26/18 8/26/18 - 9/2/18 9/2/18 - 9/9/18 9/9/18 - 9/16/18 9/16/18 - 9/23/18 9/23/18 - 9/30/18 9/30/18 - 10/7/18 10/7/18 - 10/14/18 10/14/18 - 10/21/18 10/21/18 - 10/28/18 10/28/18 - 11/4/18 11/4/18 - 11/11/18 11/11/18 - 11/18/18 11/18/18 - 11/25/18 11/25/18 - 12/2/18 12/2/18 - 12/9/18 12/9/18 - 12/16/18 12/16/18 - 12/23/18 12/23/18 - 12/30/18 12/30/18 - 1/6/19 1/6/19 - 1/13/19 1/13/19 - 1/20/19 1/20/19 - 1/27/19 1/27/19 - 2/3/19 2/3/19 - 2/10/19 2/10/19 - 2/17/19 2/17/19 - 2/24/19 2/24/19 - 3/3/19 3/3/19 - 3/10/19 3/10/19 - 3/17/19 3/17/19 - 3/24/19 3/24/19 - 3/31/19 3/31/19 - 4/7/19 4/7/19 - 4/14/19 4/14/19 - 4/21/19 4/21/19 - 4/28/19 4/28/19 - 5/5/19 5/5/19 - 5/12/19 5/12/19 - 5/19/19 5/19/19 - 5/26/19 5/26/19 - 6/2/19 6/2/19 - 6/9/19 6/9/19 - 6/16/19 6/16/19 - 6/23/19 6/23/19 - 6/30/19 6/30/19 - 7/7/19 7/7/19 - 7/14/19 7/14/19 - 7/21/19 7/21/19 - 7/28/19 7/28/19 - 8/4/19 8/4/19 - 8/11/19 8/11/19 - 8/18/19 8/18/19 - 8/25/19 8/25/19 - 9/1/19 9/1/19 - 9/8/19 9/8/19 - 9/15/19 9/15/19 - 9/22/19 9/22/19 - 9/29/19 9/29/19 - 10/6/19 10/6/19 - 10/13/19 10/13/19 - 10/20/19 10/20/19 - 10/27/19 10/27/19 - 11/3/19 11/3/19 - 11/10/19 11/10/19 - 11/17/19 11/17/19 - 11/24/19 11/24/19 - 12/1/19 12/1/19 - 12/8/19 12/8/19 - 12/15/19 12/15/19 - 12/22/19 12/22/19 - 12/29/19 12/29/19 - 1/5/20 1/5/20 - 1/12/20 1/12/20 - 1/19/20 1/19/20 - 1/26/20 1/26/20 - 2/2/20 2/2/20 - 2/9/20 2/9/20 - 2/16/20 2/16/20 - 2/23/20 2/23/20 - 3/1/20 3/1/20 - 3/8/20 3/8/20 - 3/15/20 3/15/20 - 3/22/20 3/22/20 - 3/29/20 3/29/20 - 4/5/20 4/5/20 - 4/12/20 4/12/20 - 4/19/20 4/19/20 - 4/26/20 4/26/20 - 5/3/20 5/3/20 - 5/10/20 5/10/20 - 5/17/20 5/17/20 - 5/24/20 5/24/20 - 5/31/20 5/31/20 - 6/7/20 6/7/20 - 6/14/20 6/14/20 - 6/21/20 6/21/20 - 6/28/20 6/28/20 - 7/5/20 7/5/20 - 7/12/20 7/12/20 - 7/19/20 7/19/20 - 7/26/20 7/26/20 - 8/2/20 8/2/20 - 8/9/20 8/9/20 - 8/16/20 8/16/20 - 8/23/20 8/23/20 - 8/30/20 8/30/20 - 9/6/20 9/6/20 - 9/13/20 9/13/20 - 9/20/20 9/20/20 - 9/27/20 9/27/20 - 10/4/20 10/4/20 - 10/11/20 10/11/20 - 10/18/20 10/18/20 - 10/25/20 10/25/20 - 11/1/20 11/1/20 - 11/8/20 11/8/20 - 11/15/20 11/15/20 - 11/22/20 11/22/20 - 11/29/20 11/29/20 - 12/6/20 12/6/20 - 12/13/20 12/13/20 - 12/20/20 12/20/20 - 12/27/20 1/3/21 - 1/10/21 1/10/21 - 1/17/21 1/17/21 - 1/24/21 1/24/21 - 1/31/21 1/31/21 - 2/7/21 2/7/21 - 2/14/21 2/14/21 - 2/21/21 2/21/21 - 2/28/21 2/28/21 - 3/7/21 3/7/21 - 3/14/21 3/14/21 - 3/21/21 3/21/21 - 3/28/21 3/28/21 - 4/4/21 4/4/21 - 4/11/21 4/11/21 - 4/18/21 4/18/21 - 4/25/21 4/25/21 - 5/2/21 5/2/21 - 5/9/21 5/9/21 - 5/16/21 5/16/21 - 5/23/21 5/23/21 - 5/30/21 5/30/21 - 6/6/21 6/6/21 - 6/13/21 6/13/21 - 6/20/21 6/20/21 - 6/27/21 6/27/21 - 7/4/21 7/4/21 - 7/11/21 7/11/21 - 7/18/21 7/18/21 - 7/25/21 7/25/21 - 8/1/21 8/1/21 - 8/8/21 8/8/21 - 8/15/21 8/15/21 - 8/22/21 8/22/21 - 8/29/21 8/29/21 - 9/5/21 9/5/21 - 9/12/21 9/12/21 - 9/19/21 9/19/21 - 9/26/21 9/26/21 - 10/3/21 10/3/21 - 10/10/21 10/10/21 - 10/17/21 10/17/21 - 10/24/21 10/24/21 - 10/31/21 10/31/21 - 11/7/21 11/7/21 - 11/14/21 11/14/21 - 11/21/21 11/21/21 - 11/28/21 11/28/21 - 12/5/21 12/5/21 - 12/12/21 12/12/21 - 12/19/21 12/19/21 - 12/26/21 1/2/22 - 1/9/22 1/9/22 - 1/16/22 1/16/22 - 1/23/22 1/23/22 - 1/30/22 1/30/22 - 2/6/22 2/6/22 - 2/13/22 2/13/22 - 2/20/22 2/20/22 - 2/27/22 2/27/22 - 3/6/22 3/6/22 - 3/13/22 3/13/22 - 3/20/22 3/20/22 - 3/27/22 3/27/22 - 4/3/22 4/3/22 - 4/10/22 4/10/22 - 4/17/22 4/17/22 - 4/24/22 4/24/22 - 5/1/22 5/1/22 - 5/8/22 5/8/22 - 5/15/22 5/15/22 - 5/22/22 5/22/22 - 5/29/22 5/29/22 - 6/5/22 6/5/22 - 6/12/22 6/12/22 - 6/19/22 6/19/22 - 6/26/22 6/26/22 - 7/3/22 7/10/22 - 7/17/22 7/17/22 - 7/24/22 7/24/22 - 7/31/22 7/31/22 - 8/7/22 8/7/22 - 8/14/22 8/14/22 - 8/21/22 8/21/22 - 8/28/22 8/28/22 - 9/4/22 9/4/22 - 9/11/22 9/11/22 - 9/18/22 9/18/22 - 9/25/22 9/25/22 - 10/2/22 10/2/22 - 10/9/22 10/9/22 - 10/16/22 10/16/22 - 10/23/22 10/23/22 - 10/30/22 10/30/22 - 11/6/22 website design by website design by limwebdesign
Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said output had fallen below 10 million barrels per day  more than it had promised as part of a global output cut deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers, Reuters reports.

Such levels were last seen in February 2015, when Riyadh began to steeply raise production to deal a blow to U.S. shale oil producers, effectively becoming the architect of a prolonged oil price crash.

Falih, speaking at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi, said output was not significantly below 10 million bpd currently and the Kingdom planned to make even deeper cuts in February.

This means Saudi Arabia has cut oil production by more than the 486,000 bpd it agreed to late last year under a global deal to curb production and stem a fall in oil prices.

Falih also said he expected the oil market to tighten in two to three years, aided by the agreement of OPEC and non-OPEC producers late last year to curb production.

We have been moving toward rebalancing the markets for some time, Falih said.

Even better, the pace of rebalancing will be accelerated by recent production agreements within OPEC and outside. I have confidence in these agreements to bring stability to the global markets.

Falih predicted oil demand would grow by over 1 million barrels a day this year.
The US Geological Service measured the quake at a magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale. It said it was centered south of the lakeside town of Betafo, in central Madagascar, just a few miles from the border between Antananarivo and Fianarantsoa provinces, Joinfo.com reports with reference to Africa Times.

The quake occurred just after 1 a.m. local time and was felt in Antananarivo, Antsirabe and the Atsimo-Andrefana region. Witnesses described fairly strong shaking that felt like a long time, with some estimates that the earthquake lasted about 15 to 20 seconds in duration.

In Antsirabe, a hotel guest described a cracked ceiling and broken pipes that sent water into the room, but no serious damage. Guests went outside into the parking lot until it seemed safe to go back inside.

Others affected said they were awakened from their sleep, with houses shaking and rattling furniture. Some described things falling off the walls, and the paintings hung on them turned crooked and awry.

Earthquakes are infrequent but not uncommon in Madagascar, which sits off the southeastern coast of the African continent and atop the Somali Plate tectonic zone.

It should be recalled that a massive 7.3-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of the Philippines on Tuesday.
Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab said rapid shifts in technology, economies and social structures have fuelled "a certain anxiety"

The man behind the annual Davos forum that for decades has been singing the praises of global trade insists that globalisation is only one factor in dramatic shifts provoking angst and anger.

Klaus Schwab, the 78-year-old founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, told AFP in an interview this week he understood that rapid changes in our societies were provoking anxiety, but stressed that globalised trade was not the sole culprit.

"It's not just a backlash against globalisation," he said, adding that "what we are witnessing is a time of enormous change."

Rapid shifts in technology, economies and social structures have fuelled "a certain anxiety of the people, (who) are looking for an identity in this new world," he said.

This year's Davos meetings take place next week, and Schwab's comments come after a wave of anti-establishment populism over the past year which saw Britain vote to leave the European Union and maverick billionaire businessman Donald Trump elected as US president.

Other populists have also been gaining ground in many Western democracies, largely by stoking fears about globalisation, immigration and refugee flows.

Schwab said the world appeared to be in "emotional turmoil" but said the turbulence was rooted in a range of factors, including deep concerns over how new technologies are threatening jobs.

Globalisation, he insisted, is simply "a very easy scapegoat."

- A more fragile world -

But while globalisation is easy to blame, there are no good alternatives to it, he suggested, warning of the dangers of growing isolationism.

A more isolationist world would be "different from today's world," he said, including a likely return of borders and border controls in Europe "with all the inconvenience for business but also for people that borders represent."

"But what I'm much more concerned with is the fact that countries become much more egotistical under the pressure of the national electorate," he said.

Story continues

An isolationist world would be one that is no longer "based on shared values, but a world which will be characterised by interests," he warned, saying that if global cooperation happened at all it would be based on shared interest alone.

"But a global cooperation which is based just on sharing interests will be very unstable because values remain the same, but interests move over time," he said.

"We will be in a much more fragile world," he said.

WEF, which for the past 47 years has been organising the Davos forum of political and business elites, pointed out this week that Schwab had been sounding the alarm on this issue for decades.

The organisation pointed to an opinion piece in the New York Times that he co-authored in 1996, in which he warned that the "mounting backlash against (globalisation's) effects ... is threatening a very disruptive impact on economic activity and social stability in many countries."

Schwab said Davos is the perfect place to begin addressing the problem, with its strong focus on "the need for responsive and responsible leaders."

"Responsive means that if you are a good leader, you have to listen to the people who have entrusted you with leadership," he said.

"But in the end, it's not enough just to listen. You have to solve the issues. You have to address... the root causes."

"Why the people are angry, and why they are not satisfied. That's responsibility which needs courage and which needs decision-making and which needs action orientation," Schwab said.

But Davos is not just about political leaders, he said, insisting that the forum offered a unique platform for cooperation across politics, business, civil society and experts.

"The big issues in the world cannot be solved by governments alone or by businesses alone," Schwab said.

"I think in a world which is disintegrating and which is polarising, you need a clue, and you need a mechanism for interaction, you need a mechanism for dialogue," he said.
Centrelinks new automated data-matching system is a source of ongoing controversy. It has resulted in a significant increase in the number of current and former welfare recipients assessed as having been overpaid and required to repay debts.

The shadow human services minister, Linda Burney, has requested the auditor-general investigate Centrelinks procedures. And independent MP Andrew Wilkie asked the Commonwealth Ombudsman to step in after receiving more than 100 complaints to his electoral office about problems with the debt-recovery process. The Ombudsman subsequently launched an investigation.

Also read: Watchdog to probe Centrelink 'system'

But debt problems do not really appear to be the fault of IT failure or the inappropriate use of big data. Rather, they appear to reflect an over-simplistic application of policy to the complexity of workers lives in a flexible labour market.

How the issue reared its head

Human Services Minister Alan Tudge has claimed that Centrelinks system is working.

Earlier, Social Services Minister Christian Porter, who is not directly responsible for Centrelink, described the approach as about as reasonable a process as you could possibly derive. He claimed the system was actually working incredibly well, with a complaint rate running at 0.16%  or only 276 complaints from 169,000 letters.

Porter also said that 20% of review letters were sent to people who did not owe anything. However, he claimed these were not debt letters, but simply asked for more information to explain a discrepancy between employment data held by Centrelink and the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

The former head of the governments Digital Transformation Office, Paul Shetler, has described this error rate as cataclysmic.

Data-matching by Centrelink (or its predecessors) started in 1991. The automation of the system was increased in 2011.

Also read: Christmas to decide Aussie recession: economists

The current controversy appears to arise from changes proposed by the Coalition during the 2016 election campaign, and related changes introduced in the 2016 Omnibus Budget Bill.

Story continues

This bill, supported by Labor:

introduced an interest charge on the debts of former recipients of social welfare payments who were unwilling to enter repayment arrangements;

brought in Departure Prohibition Orders for people who were not in repayment arrangements for their social welfare debts; and

removed the six-year limitation on debt recovery for all social welfare debt.

Centrelinks procedures appear to have several problems that can give rise to incorrect debt assessments. One problem is the names of employers provided to the ATO and Centrelink do not always match, and some people are having the same income counted twice. This is because the assessment process appears to match names rather than Australian Business Numbers.

A more significant problem is that when individuals are asked to confirm their annual income reported to the ATO, the formula used by Centrelink can produce false estimates of debts by dividing by 26 the annual wages employers report paying. This approach will only work correctly if individuals receive exactly the same income each fortnight.

For students, this is very unlikely. The beginning and end of the academic year do not coincide with the tax year, so someone who combines part-time work and study, and then graduates and moves into full-time work, is likely to have six months at a much higher wage  and therefore potentially incur a debt.

Similarly, people who move between different jobs, or who have short interruptions to work and claim sickness benefits because they are casuals and not entitled to paid leave, are also potentially exposed to debts under Centrelinks approach.

So, apart from those who are deliberately understating their earnings, it is people who move from welfare to work who are most exposed to having debts miscalculated.

Systems dont reflect the reality

A large share of Australians experience income changes over the course of a year. This reflects family and demographic changes  in partnership status or numbers of children  and labour market changes, such as starting, changing or stopping jobs.

Data for Australia suggest high levels of labour market flows. The most recent data show that in the 12 months to February 2011, more than 4 million people changed their work status. While the average number of unemployed people in each month of 2011 was around 600,000, overall 1.7 million people looked for work at some time during the year. But, of these, fewer than 150,000 (8%) spent the whole year looking for work.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013 Labour Mobility Survey shows that in February 2013, there were 11.5 million people aged 15 years and above who were working. Of these, more than 2 million had worked for their employer for less than 12 months.

About half of these had changed their employer/business in the last 12 months. A further 1 million had not changed their employer because they either were not working 12 months earlier, or they had multiple jobs, or were temporary or seasonal workers.

The degree of mobility is related to the type of job people held. Those most likely to have been with their current employer/business for ten years or more were managers (38%), professionals (29%) and clerical and administrative workers (28%).

The occupation groups with the highest proportion of people who had worked with their current employer/business for less than 12 months were generally lower paid. They included sales workers, labourers and community and personal service workers (all 25%), and machinery operators and drivers (21%).

The industry with the highest proportion of people who had been with their current employer/business for less than 12 months  about one-third  was accommodation and food services. This is an area where young people and students are particularly likely to work.

Between 70% and 80% of the more than 1 million people who received Austudy, Newstart or various forms of Youth Allowance for study or apprenticeships in 2014-15 were not on any income-support payments in the following year.

Around half of the 375,000 people receiving either Youth Allowance (other) for the unemployed or Parenting Payment Single also completely left the income-support system in that year. This is because they had made the transition from welfare to work. This has been one of social security policys main objectives for all sides of politics for many years.

The debt controversy has sometimes been blamed on faulty IT or the application of inappropriate big data approaches. Rather, it is the assumption of regular and unchanging income that is a major problem. This shows a lack of knowledge of the actual working and family patterns of a large share of Australians.

The Conversation

Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Lee Jae-yong (C) vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, is to be questioned over bribery allegations in the corruption scandal surrounding South Korean President Park Geun-Hye

Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong was grilled by South Korean prosecutors Thursday after becoming a criminal suspect in the corruption scandal engulfing impeached President Park Geun-Hye.

Lee, chairman of Samsung Electronics and the son of the Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-Hee, was being questioned over allegations of bribery, prosecutors said Wednesday.

He is also accused of committing perjury during a parliamentary hearing last month into the affair, they said.

"I am sorry for causing concern among the people over this incident", Lee said as he arrived at the office of the special prosecutor investigating the case.

Lee and his lawyer were greeted by scores of journalists as well as dozens of protesters waving banners and chanting "arrest Lee immediately" and calling him a "co-culprit" in the scandal.

Prosecutor's office spokesman Lee Kyu-Chul said they would decide whether to seek a court warrant to arrest him formally when his questioning is completed.

"We will, of course, also investigate accusations that vice chairman Lee committed perjury" during the parliamentary hearing, the spokesman told journalists.

Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified investigator as saying the likelihood of prosecutors seeking an arrest warrant was "high".

Lee was named a criminal suspect in the widening investigation on Wednesday.

- Controversial merger -

The scandal centres on Park's secret confidante Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her ties to the president to coerce top firms into "donating" tens of millions of dollars to two non-profit foundations which Choi then used as her personal ATMs.

Samsung was the biggest contributor to the foundations.

It is also accused of separately giving millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany.

Prosecutors have for months questioned Lee and other senior Samsung officials to determine whether Samsung bribed Park and Choi in order to win state approval for a controversial merger which it sought in 2015.

Story continues

The merger of two Samsung group units -- Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T -- was seen as a crucial step towards ensuring a smooth third-generation power transfer to Lee Jae-Yong.

It was criticised by many, who said it wilfully undervalued Samsung C&T's stocks. But the National Pension Service (NPS) -- a major Samsung shareholder -- voted in favour of the deal and it eventually went through.

Prosecutors have raided multiple Samsung offices as well as the NPS in connection with the scandal. The fund -- the world's third largest pension fund -- is overseen by the welfare ministry.

A former welfare minister was arrested last month for allegedly pressuring NPS officials to vote in favour of the Samsung deal.

Last month, Lee Jae-Yong told a parliamentary hearing that he was unaware of Samsung's involvement in funding Choi's daughter's equestrian pursuits and lavish life in Germany and denied that his company was seeking to win government favours.

Prosecutors on Wednesday asked parliament to file a complaint against Lee for giving false testimony at the hearing.

Samsung officials reportedly argued that although they were coerced to offer money, they sought no favours in return and thus the payments were not a bribe.
Kingdom Holding Co, which owns a 34 percent stake in Saudi low-cost airline flynas, said it had finalised the "deal with Airbus for the purchase of new aircraft"

Low-cost Saudi carrier flynas has concluded an $8.6 billion purchase deal with Airbus, a major shareholder said Thursday, as competition grows in the kingdom's expanding market.

Kingdom Holding Co, which owns a 34 percent stake in the airline, said flynas has finalised the "deal with Airbus for the purchase of new aircraft".

It gave no details of the number or type of planes that flynas will acquire but a source close to the negotiations told AFP they are from the A320 family of single-aisle aircraft.

Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that a flynas order for A320 short- to medium-haul jets was imminent, and that the airline had been considering a deal for 60 planes with an option on 40 more.

The 10-year-old airline exclusively operates the A320, with a fleet of 29 as of last February, according to its website. It serves 33 domestic and international destinations in the Arabian Peninsula and immediate vicinity.

With new-found cash flow and profitability, flynas is ready to expand its fleet -- currently all leased -- to more than 100 planes over the next decade, CEO Paul Byrne told arabianbusiness.com in an interview last March.

He said flynas passenger numbers were expected to rise from 5.5 million in 2015, and that there was room for growth even as competition increased.

"Nobody knows how big the Saudi market is yet," he was quoted as saying.

Two new entrants, Nesma and SaudiGulf, have launched domestic flights.

State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines, known as Saudia, is the dominant player and aims to expand its own fleet to 200 aircraft by 2020.

Saudia flew more than 29 million passengers in 2015, and in June last year placed an $8-billion order with Airbus for 50 planes for domestic flights.

- Saudi diversifies economy

Under its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan announced in April, Saudi Arabia aims to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

Among the measures is development of the tourism sector, privatisation of state-owned services including airports, and a linking of transport networks to position Saudi Arabia as a regional logistics hub.

Story continues

Even before it unveiled its economic reform plan, the Arab world's largest economy was spending billions of dollars on building and upgrading airports.

Riyadh-based Kingdom Holding is chaired and 95 percent owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

It is a vast global investor with shares in the Euro Disney theme park, Apple, News Corporation and US banking giant Citigroup, among others.

Airbus said on Wednesday that it had outstripped its own delivery expectations in 2016, closing the gap with Boeing and beating its US rival on orders.

The European manufacturer said it delivered a record 688 commercial planes, exceeding its own target which was raised in November from 650 to 670.

The figures were buoyed by a last-minute surge in December when it delivered 111 aircraft.

Airbus also booked a total of 731 net orders, beating Boeing despite a significant drop on the previous year when it logged demand for 1,036 aircraft.

Last week, Boeing confirmed orders of 668 planes throughout the year, also down 13 percent on 2015 when net orders reached 768.
BARCELONA, SpainExoClick, the innovative ad network, today announced that it has gone fully programmatic by being the first ad network to offer RTB (Real-Time Bidding) to the adult industry. This new feature gives ExoClick's advertisers three different ways in which to maximise their revenues on the fourth largest ad network platform: Self-service, Automated hybrid with the companys API and Programmatic RTB.

Programmatic RTB is a means by which advertising inventory is bought and sold on a per-impression basis, via automated instantaneous auction, similar to the model used by financial markets. With RTB, advertisers bid on an impression and, if the bid is won, the buyers ad is instantly displayed on the publishers site. These auctions are held in the milliseconds it takes for a web page to load.

The big advantage for advertisers is that they can now automize their bidding and integrate their own optimisation software and algorithms in order to improve their ROI.

Benjamin Fonze, founder and CEO of Exoclick, remarked, ExoClick offers the most advanced ad-serving technology in the industry as we continue to introduce new, ground breaking innovations. Our proprietary RTB technology is capable of managing hundreds of thousands of RTB requests per second, selecting the highest bid in real-time. The RTB feature has been successfully tested with a broad range of beta partners during the last six months and we are now opening up the feature to a wider audience of premium advertisers.

Built respecting the IAB's (Interactive Advertising Bureau) industry standard Open RTB protocol, ExoClick's RTB technology is now available for affiliate platforms, advertising networks, demand-side platforms (DSPs) and marketers who are willing to plug their advertising inventory into ExoClick, tapping into the company's global marketplace of direct publishers.

Fonze continued, Our RTB Demand-side integration provides direct real-time access to one of the largest inventories in the world with over 5.5 billion daily impressions. By offering clients three options in order to convert their offers on our platform, we are continuing with our strategy to make ExoClick the platform of choice for publishers and advertisers.

For further information, visit exoclick.com/rtb or contact [email protected]

ExoClick will be exhibiting at Internext Expo in Las Vegas this Saturday through Monday at Booth #203 at Hard Rock Hotel.
Isao Echizen, a researcher at Japan's National Institute of Informatics, told a reporter from the Sankei Shimbun that he had successfully captured fingerprints from photos taken at 3m distance at sufficient resolution to recreate them and use them to fool biometric identification systems (such as fingerprint sensors that unlock mobile phones).

Echizen's research page doesn't provide any more details, and the English-language accounts do not provide links to the Japanese newspaper article, so details are sketchy. According to Agence France Press, the technique requires well-lit photos that are in focus, but does not appear to require special cameras.

The news hook for this is that flashing the peace-sign in photos  as is common in Japan and elsewhere  could expose your fingerprints. This is true! It's also true that cameras' resolution, sensor-speed, low-light sensitivity and autofocus capabilities are on the rise, so this is eminently plausible (after all, a fingerprint sensor is just a camera that takes pictures of your fingerprints).

Recreating fingerprints from photos isn't new. In 2012, a military contractor claimed it could undertake this feat from 6m; in 2014, Starbug demonstrated a DIY method for doing the same.

What's more, efforts to harden fingerprint sensors against recreations have been a failure: in 2013, CCC hackers defeated Apple's countermeasures. Last year, researchers at MSU built showed a method for manufacturing fake fingerprints that could fool phone sensors, all for less than $500; then a design student at RISD made a clever, rubber finger that did the same. There's even a gory procedure for grafting fake fingerprints onto your real fingertips.

Biometrics are poor authentication tokens, because they're intrinsically not secrets. In 2008, privacy activists lifted the German Interior Minister's fingers off a waterglass and printed 10,000 sets on acetate that were distributed with a national magazine.

What's more, when your fingerprints leak, you can't get new ones (just ask the 22,000,000 Americans whose fingerprints were leaked to Chinese spies in the OPM hack.

Given all this precedent for this kind of thing, it's worth asking why this unpublished, unreviewed research caught so much news attention. I give credit to the news-hook: this is being reported as a risk that young women put themselves to when they flash the peace sign in photos. Everything young women do  taking selfies, uptalking, vocal fry, using social media  even reading novels!  is presented as a) unique to young women (even when there's plenty of evidence that the trait or activity is spread among people of all genders and ages) and b) an existential risk to the human species (as in, "Why do these stupid girls insist upon showing the whole world their naked fingertips? Slatterns!")



Japan researchers warn of fingerprint theft from 'peace' sign

[AFP]

(via /.)





(Image: Sweet Japan, Ragez, CC-BY)
By Emma Thomasson

BERLIN (Reuters) - Discount fashion store Primark, owned by Associated British Foods (ABF.L), saw a rapid programme of new store openings eat into sales at existing shops in the Christmas period in Germany and the Netherlands.

AB Foods shares, which have underperformed the FTSE 100 in the last month after rival Next (NXT.L) reported poor Christmas trading, were down 2.5 percent at 0955 GMT, compared to a 0.3 percent weaker FTSE.

"The lack of return to like-for-like growth at Primark in Q1 will disappoint, even if largely linked to Europe self cannibalisation," said Jefferies analysts in a note.

Sales at Primark rose 12 percent in the 16 weeks to Jan. 7, matching the pace at which average retail space increased in the period, meaning sales like-for-like sales were effectively flat.

While AB Foods said like-for-like sales in its main market Britain were positive - rising about 1-2 percent according to analysts - they declined in Germany and the Netherlands.

Primark has been on a big expansion drive in continental Europe in recent years, putting pressure on rivals such as Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz (HMb.ST). It now has 38 Dutch and German stores, out of a total of 328, but does not sell online.

AB Foods finance chief John Bason said the changes to trading patterns were not a cause for concern.

"Existing stores see a reduction of sales densities but from really high levels. It is a normalisation of sales densities," he told Reuters, noting that mothers with strollers could now access one Berlin store that had previously been too packed.

AB Foods has already opened 0.8 million square feet of the 1.3 million it plans for the financial year to September, with Bason saying more new stores were planned this year in the Netherlands, Spain, the United States, Belgium and Britain.

In Britain, Primark reported growing market share, despite falling shopper numbers on high streets due to e-commerce. Primark is active on social media but has no plans to sell its low-price clothes online as the logistics are too expensive.

Story continues

Bason said sales of women's fashion have been weaker, echoing comments by Next Chief Executive Simon Wolfson, who believes Britons are spending less on clothes and instead using spare cash on holidays, eating out and events.

Primark can compensate by giving more space to children's and menswear as well as home furnishings, Bason said.

On a group basis, the company, which also has big sugar and grocery businesses, said its outlook for the year was unchanged, with the weak pound after Britain's vote to leave the European Union boosting the value of overseas sales.

AB Foods reiterated that Primark's operating profit margin will fall during the year as it has pledged to keep prices low despite the weaker pound, which pushes up the cost of goods sourced in Asia in U.S. dollars.

AB Foods said foreign exchange hedging contracts were in place for most remaining purchases for the financial year, with Bason adding that Primark was having good negotiations with its suppliers, where productivity was increasing.

(Reporting by Sarah Young and Emma Thomasson; editing by Costas Pitas/Keith Weir)
This airline is selling $0 plane tickets to Dubai and Cape Town  but theres obviously a catch

Attention travel bugs and wanderlusters, we have your next ticket abroad and SURPRISE, its $0. Yep, you read that right. Qatar Airlines is offering 0 dollar golden tickets for flights to dreamy locations like Cape Town, Dubai, and the Seychelles. Could there BE anything better than that? What better excuse to take some time off work, splurge a little on local food and fun and maybe a hotel, than FREE transportation to and from? Of course, theres a catch.

This promotional deal is part of a treasure hunt; those that find the ~secret~ flights will have to pay the taxes and fees, but the base fare is, as advertised free.

Luckily, were not flying (jokes for days) totally blind when it comes to looking for the golden ticket. You dont have to buy any chocolate bars, or sign up for any email lists, or take any surveys. Qatar released a video that gives us some idea as to how were going to locate these rock bottom priced flights, and were seriously taking notes.

After watching the video, youll need to visit the Qatar website between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST on Thursday, January 12th and search for your preferred dates from any of Qatars U.S. cities to the Treasure Hunts featured destinations. Annnnnd you just might find your $0 airfare.

The featured locations are as follows:

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB) in February, March, and April 2017

Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (RKT) in February and March 2017

Yereven, Armenia (EVN) in February and April 2017

Tbilisi, Georgia (TBS) in February 2017

The Seychelles (SEZ) in February and April 2017

Cape Town, South Africa (CPT) in March 2017

Happy hunting, yall.
Reuters

BENGALURU (Reuters) -WhatsApp is globally rolling out a feature called Communities to organize various chat groups in larger structures, as well as other features such as bigger group video calls and in-chat polls, the messaging service owned by Meta Platforms said on Thursday. The Communities feature will bring together various chat groups under bigger umbrellas where administrators could send alerts to a community of thousands  a feature that could be used by workplaces or schools. The app will now also allow chat groups to have up to 1,024 users, much higher than the 256 participants restriction it had until recently, according to a company statement.
The Canadian government has fired 17 local recruits from its embassy in Haiti after uncovering a system of fraud that cost the diplomatic mission $1.7 million over 12 years, Global Affairs Canada says.

The majority of that staff, 12 people, worked for Global Affairs Canada. The other five worked for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Global Affairs told Radio-Canada, CBC's French-language service, the investigation began in spring 2015 and uncovered "inadequate practices" at the embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Investigators found the staffers inflated bills, diverted and stole materials and colluded with local suppliers between 2004 and 2016.

Global Affairs said the embassy has stopped dealing with all suppliers implicated in the fraud and an investigation is underway to see if Canadian staff were involved in any way.

No criminal charges have been laid so far.

Global Affairs said the relief efforts related to Hurricane Matthew were not affected.

The department is also reviewing practices at embassies in Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, India and Russia to determine whether similar activity has taken place.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brought along a fellow MP and the Liberal Party president on his family vacation in the Bahamas to the private island property of billionaire spiritual leader, the Aga Khan.

The PMO confirmed that Liberal MP Seamus O'Regan and his husband Steve Doussis, as well as Liberal Party President Anna Gainey and her husband Tom Pitfield, were guests on the family trip. The story and new details were first reported by The National Post.

PMO spokesman Cameron Ahmad told CBC News that no other MPs or designated public office holders were on the trip, and that none travelled on Challenger government planes.

"As the prime minister said yesterday, we are of course happy to answer any questions the [ethics] Commissioner may have. Beyond that, we are not in a position to comment further," he said.

O'Regan, a former television host and long-time friend of Trudeau's, said he flew on his own and did not travel with the prime minister.

"It was personal time, private time. When I returned to Canada I went to the commissioner's office and voluntarily disclosed the trip," he told CBC.

He said he reported the trip to the commissioner's office on Jan. 8, days after he returned home and after media reports on Trudeau's trip. O'Regan declined to comment on how he or the prime minister made their way to Bell Island, and said he travelled from there on to Cuba for an extended vacation.

'It's inappropriate'

NDP ethics critic Alexandre Boulerice said he initially took Trudeau's explanation at his word  that it was a family vacation. But he said the latest developments suggest it was something much different and it "doesn't look good."

"It's less and less a private meeting with a friend of the family and more like a lobbyist trying to get something from the Trudeau government," he said. "And it's inappropriate."

Today, Conservative ethics critic Blaine Calkins sent a letter calling for an investigation into the transportation and hospitality extended on the trip. If Trudeau's relationship is so close with the Aga Khan that he is deemed a "friend" under the rules, then the prime minister was obliged to have an ethics screen and recuse himself from any discussions involving the Aga Khan's foundation, his letter argues.

Story continues

Calls for ethics investigation

"In light of the many unanswered questions and the serious concerns that they raise, I think it is important that you open a full investigation," Calkins says.

Earlier this week, Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson's office said it was considering an investigation into Trudeau's holiday after receiving a complaint from Conservative leadership candidate Andrew Scheer.

The Saskatchewan MP wrote a letter Monday asking Dawson to rule on whether Trudeau's stay on the Aga Khan's private island is a gift that violates the Conflict of Interest Act.

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is the hereditary spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims and a multimillionaire philanthropist.

Government funds foundation

The federal government has contributed millions to the Aga Khan Foundation to help fund its international development projects. The most recent grant was a five-year, $55-million project to improve health services in Afghanistan that was announced in December 2015 under the Trudeau government.

Scheer pointed to Section 14.1 of the act which stipulates an MP should not accept "directly or indirectly, any gift or other benefit ... that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence the [MP] in the exercise of a duty or function of his or her office."

Asked about the trip Tuesday, Trudeau insisted it was a private trip and that the Agha Khan is a long-time family friend who served as a pallbearer at his own father's funeral.

"This was our family vacation, and I will answer any other questions that the ethics commissioner has for me," he said. "And I'm sure we will have more discussion about this in the coming weeks."

According to the Open and Accountable Government guide Trudeau brought in shortly after taking office, ministers and parliamentary secretaries must not accept sponsored travel on chartered or private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances, and "only with the prior approval of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. "
A Syrian refugee child walks barefoot on frozen ground at the refugee camp of Ritsona about 86 kilometers north of Athen on Jan. 11, 2017. Photo from The Canadian Press

In a typical year, a Manitoba front-line refugee organization sees 60 or 70 people ask for their help in seeking refuge in Canada.

In just 10 months last year, the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council saw more than 80 new clients come through its doors.

Eighty per cent of them crossed the border into Manitoba from the United States.

Were seeing a huge increase, Rita Chahal, the organizations executive director, told Yahoo Canada News.

Most of those coming from south of the border have had their applications rejected in the U.S., she said.

They fear deportation, and so theyre seeking another opportunity and taking extreme risks to seek protection and freedom, Chahal said. If somebody fears for their life, theyre looking for safety. So they are taking extreme, extreme risks.

Those risks became very real last month when two men from Ghana suffered frostbite and ended up in hospital after walking seven hours in -20 C temperatures to cross the border near Emerson, Man.

One is expected to lose some of his fingers to frostbite.

I dont regret it, Seidu Mohammad told CBC News. Thats life  trying to survive.

Chahal said the agency is seeing an increase in similar high risk attempts.

In the nine months from April to December, figures provided by Canada Border Services show 410 refugee claimants crossed the border illegally near Emerson.

For comparison, there were 68 from April 2013 to March 2014, 136 in that period of 2014 to 2015 and 340 in 2015 to 2016.

The majority of people crossing the border illegally near Emerson to make a refugee claim are from Somalia, according to the agency.

The increase appears to coincide with the election of Donald Trump as president in the U.S.

Trump ran a campaign heavily focussed on illegal immigrants, promising mass deportations and floating the idea of a Muslim registry.

While reluctant to comment on the political climate in the U.S., Chahal said anecdotally that the majority of the claimants over the past few months seem to be Muslim, most from Somalia, Eritrea, Ghana and Djibouti.

Story continues

In 2015, a man from Somalia made headlines when he swam the Red River from North Dakota to Manitoba. While most claims fail, Yahya Samatar was granted permanent resident status.

The spike is straining resources at the organization, which offers paralegal help and services for refugees seeking asylum in Manitoba.

The council does not receive federal funding and has a commitment of provincial funding only until March. Without a cash infusion, Chahal said they expect to run out of funds by October.

As for the two men who crossed the border in frigid temperatures, they have been taken on as clients. And while Chahal declined to give specifics on their condition, she did say the pair are in good spirits.

Theyre really happy to be alive and to know that there is help for them, whatever the outcome may be.




A rare weather phenomenon recently lit up the northern Ontario sky like a science fiction movie, and one local man managed to catch it on camera.

It happened when North Bay resident Timothy Joseph Elzinga was checking in on his two-year-old at around 1:30 a.m., reports the CBC. He happened to look out the window and was surprised to see rays of bright coloured lights shooting up into the sky.

Elzinga was intrigued and headed outside to snap some shots of the bizarre sight  a phenomenon known as light pillars.

You can see him explain more on his experience with the lights here:

According to the New York Times, the light pillars occur when hexagonal-shaped ice crystals form close to the ground. These crystals reflect nearby light sources like street lights or car headlights back up into the sky.

Last January a photographer in Kauttua, Finland managed to snap a shot of light pillars from directly below. From where she was standing, it appeared as if a street map of her town was being projected into the sky in light.

Light pillars happens with some frequency during the winter months in colder regions, so northern Canadians have the best chance of spotting the otherworldly display.

Update: Yahoo Canada Facebook user Justin Oertel sent us this photo of his view of the pillars.
The B.C. government has given the green light to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, after reaching an "unprecedented" agreement with Kinder Morgan for up to $1 billion in investment over 20 years.

"We always said that the five conditions were a path to yes," said Premier Christy Clark in a Wednesday news conference, referring to B.C.'s stated terms for pipeline approval.

"That's where we are today."

Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman issued the environmental assessment approval for the interprovincial twinning of the pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C., after what Clark described as years of "long and intense" negotiations to get "as much for B.C. as we possibly can."

In a joint statement, Polak and Coleman said, "We have always been clear economic development will not come at the expense of the environment.

"We believe environmental protection and economic development can occur together, and the conditions attached to the EA certificate reflect that."

Clark repeatedly said that B.C.'s role was to extract value and protection for the province through negotiations, based around the five conditions the government issued in 2012 for approving any pipelines.

"This wasn't a project that was ours to approve. It was the federal government's.... Our job was to fight for the best interest of British Columbians," said Clark.

"Had the five conditions not been there, [it] might mean that this project might not have been approved without additional coastal protections."

New conditions, new funding

B.C. was required to provide its own environmental assessment  separate from the National Energy Board's  after a court ruling stated it could not assign the matter on projects of this magnitude. That assessment came with 37 new conditions, above and beyond the 157 conditions required by the National Energy Board.

Story continues

The conditions are meant to address concerns that have been raised by Aboriginal groups during consultation undertaken for the project, including impacts on vegetation and wildlife, parks and protected areas, greenhouse gas emissions and terrestrial and marine spills.

Kinder Morgan has also agreed to pay B.C. between $25 and $50 million per year for 20 years, to go into a fund for environmental protection, according to the province.

"Much of that fund will be devoted to work that community groups are taking on," Clark said. "Community groups will apply for the money, and if it fits the criteria, that money will be dispersed to them."

The deal also "has British Columbians first in line for jobs" on the pipeline, the government said in a news release.

The federal government granted approval in November, saying the project was in the national interest. The $6.8-billion expansion would triple Kinder Morgan's oil capacity to 890,000 barrels a day, in the 987-kilometre pipeline.

Shortly after the decision was announced, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley expressed her approval.

"I'm very happy. It's good news for Alberta," she said.

"I'd like to welcome this news from our neighbours in British Columbia, and I thank Prime Minister Trudeau and the federal government for the work they have done to make sure this project is safe and that the conditions British Columbia set out were met."

B.C. premier 'has just conceded'

The pipeline faces strong local opposition, including from Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, who said the project would bring seven times the number of oil tankers into Burrard Inlet, off Vancouver's coast.

"I am surprised they have made this decision without negotiating any resolve on the conditions," said Corrigan. "I guess [Clark] has just conceded to the federal government on the issue and put up conditions to look like she has gained something."

The Burnaby mayor said the project is still before both the Federal Court of Appeal and the B.C. Court of Appeal.

A provincial election is scheduled for May 9, and NDP opposition leader John Horgan made clear his party would make its criticism a central point of its campaign.

"Some risks are too great. Some messes you just can't clean up," said Horgan, holding up a glass of bitumen he said was given to him by someone who lives in Hope, B.C., one of the communities the pipeline passes through.

"I will do everything I can between now and election day to work with every British Columbian who wants to make sure that this does not find its way into our marine environment."

Construction is scheduled to begin in September, with an expected completion date of late 2019.
A new education centre will open at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in April. Photo from The Canadian Press.

Joshua Dauphinee admits hes invested in the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. After working on the site as a guide in 2004, and again in 2006 as a head guide, the Luxembourg-based Canadian said he remains attached to the site and its future. So when he discovered a promotional package on the Vimy Foundations website that solicited donors for a new education centre at the memorial, it made him uncomfortable.

Its a bit odd that this was the only route to be able to achieve those ends, he told Yahoo Canada News. Im not personally comfortable with there being any level of corporate sponsorship at any memorial site.

The memorial honours the Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed in WWI. The new education centre is set to open in April to mark the centennial anniversary of the battle, which involved all four divisions of the forces and took nearly 3600 Canadian lives.

The idea for the site came in 2007, while the memorial was undergoing renovations and a temporary visitor centre was erected, with the intention to build a permanent one.

In 2013, Veterans Affairs announced it would allot $5 million to build a visitor education centre on the site. The Vimy Foundation then committed to matching that number.

I think that was essentially a political decision at the time to work with a non-government entity in the delivery of the building of this project, said Craig Kenney, director general of European operations for Veterans Canada.

He adds that working in partnership with the foundation also helped in getting public participation in the project.

I think accepting donations, and the work Vimy Foundation does in promoting the site and the memorial and what it stands for, I think that probably culminated in the decision to work with (the foundation) in accepting the funds they were able to raise, Kenney said.

Ottawa-based architect firm Robertson Martin designed the centre, which will feature displays, artifacts and exhibits about WWI. Its located in the forest, a short distance from the towering limestone monument built by Walter Seymour Allward. Admission to the centre will be free.

Story continues

Last year, 775,000 people visited the memorial. Those numbers are expected to rise after the education centre opens.

Jeremy Diamond, executive director of the Vimy Foundation, assures the name of donors will be featured on a wall in a noticeable but subtle manner, and the size and design of the acknowledgment wont take away from the focus of the centre.

We allocated a number of spaces inside the centre that would be tied to naming recognition, he said. Not the building itself but a gallery, and education room and a learning centre within the space inside. That would be related to the size of donation received by the foundation.

Diamond points out that all the donors who contributed agreed that they didnt want their recognition to overshadow anything in the building.

Everybody whos made a donation towards this project understands that the subject matter is sensitive and important and a seminal moment in our history, he said.
Enterprise Content Management

John Carroll U Streamlines Campus Workflows With OnBase

John Carroll University has deployed a campuswide enterprise information platform to support student engagement, data-informed decision-making and simplified workflows.

Previously, the university used an array of locally developed custom applications, but the custom code bases and difficult-to-use workflows created challenges for IT support staff. To tackle the issue, John Carroll's Information Technology Services (ITS) department partnered with Hyland to roll out 10 OnBase by Hyland systems, all of which are hosted in the Hyland Cloud.

The phased implementation began in January 2016 with the launch of the Undergraduate Academic Petition Process system in the registrar's office. Since then, the team has continued to expand OnBase across campus, with systems for graduate student petitions, new hire and annual evaluations, core curriculum review and IT change management. The university expects to continue rolling out OnBase to more departments over the next 12 months.

"Through our partnership with Hyland and the strength of the OnBase platform, we have quickly developed multiple, easy-to-use campuswide solutions without significantly increasing IT support efforts," said John Sully, director of enterprise applications at John Carroll University, in a prepared statement.

Response to the new platform has been positive. The system resides in Hyland's secure, privately managed, multi-instance cloud hosting architecture. It's also browser- and platform-agnostic, so faculty, students and staff can access it without installing software and without the need for extensive training, according to information from the company.

John Carroll is a private university serving about 4,000 students in University Heights, Ohio.
THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Current medical science has proven there are legitimate medical uses for marijuana and cannabis-derived drugs, a new report from the National Academy of Sciences states.

Conclusive or substantial scientific evidence has shown that marijuana products are effective at treating chronic pain, calming muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, and easing nausea from chemotherapy, the report said.

However, there's little to no evidence supporting any of the other numerous health claims related to marijuana, the report said.

And there's a downside as well -- marijuana use comes with a host of potential health risks, whether someone is using the drug medicinally or recreationally, according to the report.

The report calls on government to ease regulations that hamper research into marijuana, so scientists can sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to medical claims and health risks associated with pot.

Medical marijuana has been authorized in 28 states, and eight states have legalized recreational pot use. The trend toward normalizing pot use isn't going away, and must be met with hard data on benefits and harms, said report co-author Sean Hennessy. He's a professor of epidemiology with the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

"Many people are using cannabis and cannabis-based products for conditions for which there aren't good data," Hennessy said. "That's growing. That's only going to go up. It's not going to go down. The committee feels it's very important to develop the data so people know whether or not there's going to be benefit."

The National Academy of Sciences released The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids on Jan. 12, following an extensive review of all available medical research.

The review found conclusive evidence that oral cannabis-derived drugs can ease chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and substantial evidence that oral cannabinoids can effectively treat spasms from multiple sclerosis.

Either oral cannabinoids or smoked cannabis are effective in treating chronic pain in adults, based on substantial medical evidence, the report states.

Oral cannabis-based drugs contain THC, the intoxicating compound in pot, or cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating chemical in marijuana that appears to have some therapeutic benefit, Hennessy said.

"Most of the data related to therapeutic use is not with smoked cannabis, but primarily oral forms," Hennessy said. "Some of them are mixtures of TCH and CBD, and some of them were CBD alone."

There's also moderate evidence that cannabis or cannabis-derived products can help people who have trouble sleeping due to health problems like sleep apnea, fibromyalgia or chronic pain, the report stated.

The review found little to no evidence to support claims that marijuana or its products can help treat anorexia, Tourette's syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or neurological problems such as epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.

Limited evidence also suggests that marijuana is of no use in treating glaucoma and reducing depression linked to chronic pain.

"There are many potential therapeutic uses that people use cannabis and cannabis-based products for," Hennessy said. "There's a strong level of evidence for its efficacy only in a few areas. All of the other areas, it's mostly the case there isn't enough data to tell one way or the other whether they work or not."

Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, said the report adds more weight to the argument that marijuana should be legalized.

"For far too long, this growing body of science, as well as our real-world experience with marijuana, have largely been ignored by policymakers and pundits," Armentano said. "It should not be."

But the report also stated that there's strong evidence that marijuana use can create a number of health hazards:

Kids who use marijuana at a young age are at risk for problematic cannabis use later in life.

Pregnant women who smoke cannabis have an increased risk of delivering a baby with low birth weight.

Long-term pot smoking can cause chronic breathing problems.

Marijuana use prior to driving increases the risk of a motor vehicle accident.

Frequent cannabis use increases the risk of developing schizophrenia or social anxiety disorders.

As with the benefits, there's not enough evidence to rule one way or the other on most of the harms that have been linked to pot use, the report concluded.

One bright spot -- the report said smoking pot doesn't increase the risk for cancers often associated with tobacco use, such as lung cancer.

Dr. Michael Bostwick, a psychiatrist with the Mayo Clinic, said that's likely because pot isn't smoked as often as tobacco.

"Part of what's dangerous about cigarette smoke is that you get exposed to so much of it for such a long time," Bostwick said. "People don't smoke two packs a day of marijuana."

Federal regulators should consider reclassifying marijuana and making it more easily available to researchers so these outstanding questions can be addressed with solid research, the report said.

Researchers also need to establish firm ways of measuring exposure to pot, said report co-author Dr. Bob Wallace. He is a professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health in Iowa City.

Levels of THC and CBD vary widely between strains of marijuana, and it will be difficult to measure the impact of pot if researchers don't create standards for measuring exposure to those compounds, Wallace said.

"We need better ways to understand and summarize how much of a dose people are getting," he said.

More information

For more on medical marijuana, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
James Clapper DNI

The Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday night announced that he had spoken with President-elect Donald Trump about an unverified report that Russia had incriminating personal and financial information about Trump.

James Clapper released a statement saying he had informed Trump that the US intelligence community "has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable."

Trump  who has not acknowledged whether he was presented with a summary of the document during the intelligence briefing he was given on Russian hacking last Friday  tweeted on Thursday morning that Clapper called him on Wednesday "to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated."

But Clapper, in the statement he released Wednesday night about the dossier's leak to the media, appeared to confirm that Trump was made aware of the dossier's existence and that the dossier itself was a matter of national security.

"The IC," or intelligence community, "has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions" that Russia attempted to sway the outcome of the presidential election in Trump's favor, Clapper wrote. "However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security."

CNN reported on Tuesday that a two-page summary of the dossier, which contained memos documenting unconfirmed details linking Trump to the Russian government, had been included in a classified report on Russian meddling in domestic political affairs that was presented to President Barack Obama last Thursday and to Trump on Friday.

Former CIA operatives and analysts who spoke with Business Insider on Wednesday said the CIA and the FBI would not have briefed the president and the president-elect on claims that Russia had compromising information on Trump if they were not taking the allegations seriously.

Weiterlesen

"The intel community is not in the business of reporting vague rumors," Glenn Carle, who served 23 years in the CIA as the deputy national intelligence officer for transnational threats, said in an interview.

"They clearly considered it, in its aggregate, so serious  meaning plausible, but perhaps unproven  that they briefed only the top eight officials in the US government, known as the Gang of Eight," Carle added. "It was considered that sensitive."

The 35-page dossier, published in full by BuzzFeed on Tuesday, included unverified claims that Trump cooperated with Russia in operations that targeted Trump's political opponents.

Clapper said in his statement that he told Trump he was "dismayed" that details from the dossier had been published by the press. He said that making the dossier public had been "corrosive and damaging to our national security" and that he reassured Trump that he did not think US intelligence agencies leaked the documents to the press.

The dossier has apparently been circulating among journalists and top lawmakers since early last year. Sen. John McCain of Arizona obtained a copy that he handed over to the FBI before the election. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada obtained an early copy of the dossier as well.

Trump had been engaged in a one-sided battle with the US intelligence community  mostly on Twitter  for some weeks after the CIA concluded that Russian agents employed cyberattacks to boost Trump and damage the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election.

Some US intelligence veterans have said the president-elect's tantrums against their organizations are troubling. Former CIA Director Leon Panetta last week said of Trump's conduct: "This is just unheard of and unprecedented."

This evening, I had the opportunity to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss recent media reports about our briefing last Friday. I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security.

We also discussed the private security company document, which was widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of Congress and Congressional staff even before the IC became aware of it. I emphasized that this document is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.

President-elect Trump again affirmed his appreciation for all the men and women serving in the Intelligence Community, and I assured him that the IC stands ready to serve his Administration and the American people.

James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence

NOW WATCH: 'You are fake news': Watch Trump attack a news reporter during his first press conference as president-elect





More From Business Insider


The Nebraska Farm Bureau on Thursday said Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposed tax reduction package "fall(s) short of moving Nebraska toward overdue tax reform" by not providing adequate property tax reduction.

"I understand politics, but I also understand good public policy," Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson said.

The Farm Bureau has proposed broadening the state sales tax base to provide dollar-for-dollar reductions in local property taxes, thereby creating more balance in the reliance on property, sales and income taxes.

"It's time for major solutions," Nelson said.

"It's critical the Legislature and Gov. Ricketts demonstrate to the vast majority of Nebraskans who want property tax reform that they've not only heard the message, but are willing to show leadership to act on property tax reform."

The Farm Bureau has "made it clear to the governor and others that smaller, Band-Aid solutions that provide minimal property tax relief are not the solution to the property tax problem," Nelson said.

In other reaction centering on property taxes, Mark Fahleson, chairman of Reform for Nebraska's Future, said "we hope (the governor) makes truly meaningful property tax reform a priority."

"Balanced reform is necessary to make Nebraska's tax code more equitable and sustain necessary investments in things like education," he said.

Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska State Director Matt Litt praised the governor for his focus on cutting taxes and controlling spending.

"Governor Ricketts was right on target in his address," Litt said.

"We applaud (him) for pledging to tackle our budget crisis while providing Nebraska's workers and families with the tax relief they need."

OpenSky Policy Institute raised concerns about the income tax cut trigger mechanism proposed by the governor.

That provision could result in automatic tax cuts "even if the state doesn't have the resources needed to adequately fund schools, roads and other drivers of a strong economy," OpenSky executive director Renee Fry said.

The income tax cut plan proposed by the governor would result in "little to no tax savings" for middle-class Nebraskans, she said, while granting large tax reductions to the wealthiest Nebraskans.

The Holland Children's Movement in Omaha said that "limiting the state's future ability to invest in children and adapt to unforeseen crisis is unwise."

"We don't want Nebraska to follow Kansas down a road to fiscal crisis where all bets are off," Holland chief operating officer John Cavanaugh said.

Meanwhile, Democratic State Chair Jane Kleeb said Ricketts is "modeling our state after Kansas" and that would result in "a lose/lose for everybody."

Kleeb posted a Democratic rebuttal on Facebook following the governor's State of the State address to the Legislature.

"We need a hard-hat revolution to create jobs, keep young people from leaving our great state and to ensure working class families can stop treading water," Kleeb said.

"Gov. Ricketts failed to deliver any bold plans on extending public education, developing clean energy, making health care affordable and ensuring our public is safe from the risks of overcrowded prisons," she said.

"Pulling ideas from extremist groups is no way to lead our great state," Kleeb said.
- Abia state government has donated N14million to ailing veteran actor, Prince James Uche

- The state governor donated N3million while his wife gave N1million to the actor

- The state raised the remaining N10million for the kidney transplant to be carried out

Abia state governor donates N14m to sick actor Prince James Uche

The Abia State government has donated the sum of 14 million naira for the treatment of ailing Nollywood actor, Prince James Uche who needs to carry out a kidney transplant.

READ ALSO: Actor, Prince James Uche returns to the hospital

The state governor Okezie Ikpeazu led the donation with the sum of N3million, his wife raised N1million while the state raised 10 million naira for the actor.

Abia state governor and save Prince Uche's team

Below is the official press statement from the Save Prince Uche Team who showered thanks on the Governor and everyone that has contributed for the actor's treatment.

READ ALSO: Ailing actor, Prince James Uche evicted from hospital

We the campaign team ( #saveprincejamesucheteam ) just want to take a moment to thank his excellency the governor of Abia state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu for his support to Prince James Uche...

We had a crucial meeting with his Excellency on Sunday 8th of January between the hours of 11pm-2am at the government house, Umuahia-Abia state and a sum of N3million physical cash was dropped on Monday 9th January at 1:29pm as his personal contribution to continue Prince Jamess treatment via the chief press secretary of Abia state--Mr Enyinnaya Appollos.

His Excellency also approved the sum of N10million as Abia state government donation after advising us all (especially entertainers) to live a healthy lifestyle and remember to pray always.

Special thanks to:

(1).Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

(2) The first lady of Abia state Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu who deposited N1million yesterday (Tuesday, January 10th) as her personal contribution.

3) The chief press secretary-Mr Enyinnaya Appollos who welcomed us and gave all the needed support/encouragement,

(4) The good people of Abia state,

(5) press/media houses,

(6) Pastors,

(7)Nollywood

And you all who have donated and prayed, god bless you all.

God bless Abia state...god bless Nigeria...amen....the needed amount is almost complete as we have paid some to the hospital and now started plans to get him a home (he's been living in the hospital) and fly him abroad with his son, best friend and kidney donor.

We still need your support via Prince James Uche-Zenithbank-ACCT-1001063788 ...OR..http://mk2.gofund.me/saveprincejamesucheteam?rcid=15d8 ....INFO CALL-Torino Emeka Ojukwu-08023200557...Ejiro Okurame--08030519374.

Source: Legit.ng
- Plans are in full gear for one of Maiduguri's billionaire Alhaji Inidimi son to wed niece of former governor of Borno state Ali Modu Sherrif

- The bride, Fatima Sherrif pose with her husband-to-be for adorable pre-wedding photos

- The wedding is slated for January 14

Fatima Sherrif is niece to former governor of Borno state. The beautiful lady is a graduate of prestigious Harvard university and is set to be joined with her beau in a few days. Her beau, son of Maiduguri billionaire Alhaji Indimi is all smiles as he poses to take pre-wedding photos with his wife-to-be.

READ ALSO: 6 things you must not do when planning your wedding

The wedding which is slated for January 14 is said to be the talk of the town as the families involved are prominent and powerful ones. See photos of the cute couple below:

Gorgeous bride in pink

Simple and sweet couple

Congratulations to the lovely couple. May Allah bless their union.

READ ALSO: These pre-wedding pictures will erase your doubt and make you go after your dream girl

Source: Legit.ng
BOSTON, MA USA (January 4, 2017) - How humpback whales use marine habitats off the eastern coast of Africa is only partially understood, and that has become a conservation concern as offshore energy exploration expands in the region. However, a new study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series found that humpback whales that were satellite tagged off the coast of Madagascar during peak breeding season are traveling much further in the southwest Indian Ocean than previously thought. This research can help define potentially sensitive areas that should be protected from the disruption of seismic testing or other industrial development that could be destructive to the humpback population and this globally important marine habitat.

For this field research, twenty-three humpback whales were satellite tagged off Madagascar during the height of breeding season, a scientific first.

The study was led by the New England Aquarium's Dr. Salvatore Cerchio, while working with the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, in a broad international collaboration with the University of Paris Sud, the Madagascar-based NGO Cetamada, and NOAA's National Marine Mammal Lab in Seattle. The research team sought to examine movements of humpback whales in the southwestern Indian Ocean where they breed and calf during the southern hemisphere's winter months, after migrating from their sub-Antarctic summer feeding waters.

"It's our hope that this work will help us understand more accurately the breeding and migratory behavior of humpback whales in the southwest Indian Ocean," said Dr. Cerchio who is also affiliated with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "As more development and industry encroaches on their habitat, it will be important for us to know how these potentially sensitive areas should be protected for this vital species."

Among the more significant discoveries was that males and females had different movement patterns. Males were more localized as they seemed to establish preferred areas from which to broadcast their famous songs, while females - quite unexpectedly - showed more long distance travel patterns presumably in search of more mates.

Two areas along Madagascar's 900 mile length were also found to be important and possibly distinct breeding habitats. Whales tagged in northeastern waters spent more time on the central east coast, while whales tagged in the southwest frequented the southern coast of the world's fourth largest island. Several whales from the northeast study group swam westward across the Mozambique Channel to near the African mainland where there is also another significant sub-population of wintering humpbacks. This is a movement corridor that was previously unknown.

An historic humpback first was also documented as a male cruising up the east African coast swam all the way to southern Somalia. En route, he crossed the equator making him the first known humpback to do so in the Indian Ocean. Humpback populations are found around the world in both the southern and northern hemispheres feeding during their respective summers in high latitude, cold waters then migrating to tropical waters for the winter to breed and give birth. Humpbacks have been documented crossing the equator in only two other parts of the world. "This was very exciting" added Cerchio, "because there is a highly endangered population of humpback whales in the northern Indian Ocean that is believed to be completely isolated from the Southern Hemisphere populations. That this male from Madagascar crossed into the northern Indian Ocean was very unexpected."

Another impressive long distance traveler was a mother and calf tagged off of Madagascar that swam all the way to Kenyan waters. The movement of individual whales from Madagascar to East Africa suggests there is more to learn about the mixing of regional humpback populations across the southwest Indian Ocean. This has direct relevance to efforts by the International Whaling Commission to more accurately assess the recovery of humpback whales in the region after their depletion by commercial whaling in the 20th Century.

Dr. Laurene Trudelle of the University of Paris Sud noted, "Breeding areas of humpback whales are typically located in coastal habitats and are generally subject to strong human pressures that affect the quality of these breeding habitats." Recently, the southwest Indian Ocean has experienced expanded industrial development with more oil and gas exploration and production, mineral mining, and coastal development. Major processing of mined materials around the central and southern Madagascar coast is occurring, and seismic surveys are increasing throughout the region, which is commonly known to disturb humpback whales and their singing breeding behavior. Trudelle added, "Providing knowledge on the movements and the distribution patterns of humpback whales off Madagascar and more broadly in the southwestern Indian Ocean can be used to assist future management decisions." Dr. Trudelle published a companion paper on the influence of environmental parameters on the tagged whales in Royal Society Open Science, as part of her doctoral dissertation at University of Paris Sud using data from the collaborative study.

###

This research was funded by contributors to the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Total Foundation to NeuroPSI and the University of Paris Sud.
Dublin, Jan. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Blood Glucose Device Market & Forecast (SMBG) (Test Strips, Lancet, Meter) - Worldwide Analysis" report to their offering.



It is estimated that 642 Million people will develop the disease by 2040. This is putting pressure on governments and social institutions to take necessary steps to keep the disease in check and avoid complications in order to ensure that diabetic impact is kept to a minimum. United States is the single largest market for SMBG devices market followed by Russia and United Kingdom. However, China has the highest self-monitoring of blood glucose users compared to other countries.



United States, Russia and United Kingdom together hold more than 63 percent of the total test strips market share whereas in blood glucose meter market China is the dominating country. All big players such as Roche, Bayer and Abbott Laboratories are continuously losing their market share.



Blood Glucose Device Market & Forecast (SMBG) (Test Strips, Lancet, Meter) - Worldwide Analysis analyzes the worldwide market for, blood glucose test strips market, blood glucose lancet market and blood glucose meter market.



This is the 3rd publication on the Glucose Device Market. This report studies separate comprehensive analytics for the 15 countries: United States, European Countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland), BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), Australia and Kuwait. Annual estimates and forecast are provided for the period of 2016 through 2020. A nine year historic analysis is also provided for these markets.



This 269 page report with 257 Figures and 12 Tables provides a complete analysis of top 15 countries of worldwide self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) market.



Test Strip, Lancet, Glucose Meter Market, Diabetes Population of 15 Countries covered as follows:



- Diabetes Population Scenario and Forecast in all 15 countries

- Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Scenario and Forecast in all 15 countries

- Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose (SMBG) Devices Users and Forecast in all 15 countries

- Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Devices (SMBG) Market and Forecast in all 15 countries

- Blood Glucose Test Strips Market and Forecast in all 15 countries

- Blood Glucose Lancet Market and Forecast in all 15 countries

- Blood Glucose Meter Market and Forecast in all 15 countries



4 Companies Revenue (Sales) from Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose (SMBG) devices have been analyzed in this report:



- Roche Diagnostic

- LifeScan Inc.

- Bayer HealthCare

- Abbott Laboratories



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Worldwide Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose (SMBG) Users and Forecast



3. Worldwide Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose (SMBG) Market and Forecast



4. Worldwide Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) Market Share and Forecast



5. United States



6. United Kingdom



7. Germany



8. Spain



9. Italy



10. Netherlands



11. Norway



12. Sweden



13. Switzerland



14. Russia



15. Brazil



16. India



17. China



18. Australia



19. Kuwait



20. SMBG Market Growth Drivers



21. SMBG Market Challenges



22. Key Players Analysis



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/bwfbpx/blood_glucose




Spanish English Portuguese

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, has teamed up with Easy, the largest transport app solution in Latin America, available in 12 countries, to greatly improve the quality of mobile services in Brazil. More than 150,000 taxi drivers in Brazil will use Gemaltos CE Quality of Experience (QoE) solution to collect Key Performance Indicators from mobile devices as they travel throughout 24 major cities. The detailed data and up-to-the-moment QoE event maps are used by mobile operators, Over-The-Top service providers and device makers to improve networks, handsets and value-added services for customers while boosting competitive advantage in the marketplace.



Gemaltos QoE solution operates unnoticed in the Easy app, securely collecting anonymous data such as type of mobile device, device behavior, network traffic patterns, battery consumption data, no service areas, 2G, 3G and 4G handover, WiFi consumption and many more. It operates across different devices and networks and provides unique benchmarking and competitive analysis insights that help mobile operators optimize connectivity performance and improve subscriber offerings. Consumer usage data available by region helps service providers develop attractive segmented rates and value added offers while information about events that lead to device and battery strain help Original Equipment Manufacturers optimize designs to improve device performance. Gemaltos QoE is compatible with virtually all operating systems and will initially launch for driver Android devices before expanding to other platforms and customer apps.

With strong global mobile operators relationships and outstanding consulting support, the partnership with Gemalto is ideal to help us leverage our Easy app to expand new services to the wireless industry while gaining a new revenue stream, said Jorge Pilo, Global CEO at Easy. The intuitive, easy to use Gemalto QoE software helps us quickly personalize the app, dashboard and reports to meet varying needs of wireless industry customers, concludes Pilo.

Easy is uniquely positioned to disrupt traditional business models by leveraging Gemaltos QoE solution, said Rodrigo Serna, President for the Americas at Gemalto. Easy has a clear visibility of network and connectivity performances, enforcing the quality of their service to thousands of daily users.

About Easy

Our mission is to make transportation from point A to point B with efficiency and convenience. Founded in 2011 in Rio de Janeiro as Easy Taxi, the company has since then expanded to cover over 400 cities, and now offers numerous services, including on-demand premium cars, traditional taxi services and ridesharing. In December 2015 it merged with Colombias leading taxi app, Tappsi. The app is available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, as well as for B2B clients through Easy Corporate. In July 2016, the company rebranded from Easy Taxi to Easy and presented its new brand promise of affordable urban mobility services at quality price tag.

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the global leader in digital security, with 2015 annual revenues of 3.1 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world.

Our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between.

Gemaltos solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software  enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things.

Our 14,000+ employees operate out of 118 offices, 45 personalization and data centers, and 27 research and software development centers located in 49 countries.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

Gemalto media contacts:
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB:KBLB) (Company), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, announced today that the Companys management just completed a series of successful meetings with government officials in Vietnam designed to outline a collaborative path to large scale production of the Companys high performance silk technologies. Following the meeting with provincial leadership, Company management toured mulberry production, silkworm rearing, and textile weaving facilities in the province of Quang Nam to better assess the regions capacity.



We were very impressed with what we saw in Quang Nam, its people, history, and capacity makes it a great location for our advanced silk production, said COO Jon Rice.

We would, again, like to thank the Chairman, Vice Chairman and numerous other leaders of the province for their support and enthusiasm in exploring the opportunity to bring our technology to Quang Nam province, added Company founder and CEO, Kim Thompson.

This meeting was also recently reported by officials in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. http://ipaquangnam.gov.vn/eng/tin-tuc-chi-tiet/lanh-dao-ubnd-tinh-tiep-va-lam-viec-voi-lanh-dao-cong-ty-kraig-biocraft-laboratories-hoa-ky.html

To view the most recent edition of Kraigs Spider Sense quarterly newsletter and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/newsletter

About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a fully reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP) (OTCBB:CYDVF) (Frankfurt:C1Z1) (Cypress or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company has received solubility study assay results from Cypress 2,700 acre Dean Lithium Brine/Claystone Project located in the heart of the Clayton Valley lithium exploration area of Esmeralda county, Nevada.



Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada location map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-topo-satalite-small.jpg

The Company's Dean Project is located adjacent to producing lithium brine wells belonging to the Albemarle Silver Peak mine on its west boundary, Pure Energy's resource area on its southwest boundary and Cypress' Glory Project, optioned to Pure Energy, on its southern boundary.

Highlights:

Cypress completes solubility studies on 48 previously assayed Dean claystone samples;

A deionized water leach process returns 36.15% Li recovery on average;

A modified dilute acid leach process returns 94.72% Li recovery on average;

Permit application made to BLM, Nevada for a series of drill holes into new Frontera Verda Zone;

Cypress anticipates drilling to begin at the end of January.

September and October 2016 surface sampling on the Dean Project has revealed a 2 square kilometer area of strong lithium mineralization up to 3,700 ppm Li (0.82% Li20 equivalent) in calcareous, volcanoclastic, claystones, mudstones and volcanic ash units. The mineralization is essentially identical to the acreage being jointly explored by Cypress and Pure Energy Minerals on Cypress Glory Project immediately to the south.

Dean sample locations and assay values map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/Dean-Sample-Map-Nov16.jpg

Cypress has now completed solubility studies with 48 previously assayed claystone samples from the Dean property. A modified dilute Aqua Regia (dilute acid) process (ME-MS41W) and a deionized water leach process (ME-MS03) has been carried out by ALS/Chemex lab in Reno, Nevada in order to provide Cypress with further data on the potential feasibility of a large-scale leach extraction method of lithium from the abundant mineralized claystone.

The additional assay procedures recently carried out on the samples by ALS/Chemex from the Dean property clearly show that the lithium in the uplifted exposed lake bed sediments is easily leached by a dilute acid solution and deionized water process.

Dean Lithium Solubility Study Assay Results:

Sample







*ME-

ICP61

Li ppm



*ME-

MS41W

Li ppm



*ME-

MS03

Li ppm



% Li

Recovery

with Dilute

Aqua Regia

% Li

Recovery with

Deionized

Water

Dean-1 1010 1010 105 100.00 % 10.40 % Dean-2 1770 1720 1100 97.18 % 62.15 % Dean-3 1480 1500 302 101.35 % 20.41 % Dean-4 1250 1240 122 99.20 % 9.76 % Dean-5 930 910 164 97.85 % 17.63 % Dean-6 1130 1070 124 94.69 % 10.97 % Dean-7 1560 1520 832 97.44 % 53.33 % Dean-8 1720 1640 854 95.35 % 49.65 % Dean-9 2090 1990 1100 95.22 % 52.63 % Dean-10 830 790 195 95.18 % 23.49 % Dean-22 790 750 239 94.94 % 30.25 % Dean-24 2940 2780 1100 94.56 % 37.41 % Dean-25 950 880 528 92.63 % 55.58 % Dean-26 640 560 188 87.50 % 29.38 % Dean-27 900 880 125 97.78 % 13.83 % Dean-28 1350 1340 247 99.26 % 18.30 % Dean-29 960 920 190 95.83 % 19.74 % Dean-30 510 480 103 94.12 % 20.20 % Dean-31 350 348 111 99.43 % 31.71 % Dean-32 960 940 70 97.92 % 7.28 % Dean-33 1440 1420 279 98.61 % 19.38 % Dean-41 1100 1020 826 92.73 % 75.09 % Dean-42 1030 970 634 94.17 % 61.55 % Dean-43 1000 920 237 92.00 % 23.70 % Dean-44 1890 1840 590 97.35 % 31.22 % Dean-45 360 298 54 82.78 % 15.11 % Dean-46 650 590 510 90.77 % 78.46 % Dean-47 910 850 487 93.41 % 53.52 % Dean-48 670 550 229 82.09 % 34.18 % Dean-49 1100 1040 104 94.55 % 9.41 % Dean-50 1250 1120 865 89.60 % 69.20 % Dean-51 1020 960 155 94.12 % 15.15 % Dean-52 1380 1400 1100 101.45 % 79.71 % Dean-53 1200 1140 978 95.00 % 81.50 % RKCV-00810 1480 1390 553 93.92 % 37.36 % RKCV-00811 1320 1270 273 96.21 % 20.68 % RKCV-00812 1750 1820 1100 104.00 % 62.86 % RKCV-00813 2130 2040 1100 95.77 % 51.64 % RKCV-00814 1000 980 298 98.00 % 29.80 % RKCV-00815 390 369 108.5 94.62 % 27.82 % RKCV-00816 780 690 280 88.46 % 35.90 % RKCV-00817 780 730 278 93.59 % 35.64 % RKCV-00818 1640 1560 790 95.12 % 48.17 % RKCV-00819 1450 1400 618 96.55 % 42.62 % RKCV-00820 800 760 279 95.00 % 34.88 % RKCV-00821 1150 1050 567 91.30 % 49.30 % RKCV-00822 810 780 157 96.30 % 19.38 % RKCV-00823 570 500 196 87.72 % 34.39 % 94.72% AV 36.15% AV

* ME-ICP61 is a 4 acid digestion that will extract lithium from any mineral including silicates

* ME-MS41W is a highly dilute version of Aqua Regia that will dissolve carbonate minerals

* ME-MS03 is a leach method that uses deionized water to extract lithium in the sample

* Li = Lithium Metal

* ppm = parts per million

* AV = Average

Several first order drill targets have been defined on the Dean property that include extensive outcropping of altered green evaporate-rich volcanoclastic claystone / mudstone exposures known as the Frontera Verde Zone. The Frontera Verde Zone covers an area of greater than 2 square kilometers. The average lithium grade of the Frontera Verde Zone is greater than 1500 ppm Li (>0.32% Li2O).

Outcropping lithium-rich mudstones at Dean Project:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/Dean-Chip-Channel-Samples-Far-South.jpg

Donald Huston, President Cypress Development, stated, "The results generated from the most recent assays consisting of a highly dilute weak Aqua Regia solution and a deionized water solution on the Dean Project samples has returned very encouraging results relating to the lithium recovery from the claystone that is known to exist on the majority of the Dean Project in Clayton Valley, Nevada. It is evident that the use of differing solutions in the assay procedure, as noted above, that the abundant lithium-rich claystone could be amenable to an extraction methodology that could be cost effective with a very high recovery of lithium content expected from processing. Cypress management are very encouraged with the progress seen to date and will continue with work on potential lithium extraction methods from the claystone.

All Data compiled by Cypress to date indicates that a readily soluble non-hectorite mineral form of lithium-rich claystone exists at surface over wide areas of Cypress Glory and Dean Clayton Valley projects.

Cypress has made application to the BLM, Nevada for an area of disturbance Permit to allow for a series of drill holes into the new Frontera Verda Zone on the Dean Project. The Company anticipates mobilizing a drill crew into the Clayton Valley by the end of January.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance:

All samples were submitted to ALS Chemex Labs in Reno, Nevada for analysis using a modified weak Aqua Regia (dilute acid) process (ME-MS41W) and a deionized water leach process (ME-MS03). Blind sample blanks were inserted into the sample sequences at a rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples.

Robert Marvin, PGeo, Exploration Manager for Cypress Development Corp., is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release.

About Cypress Development Corp.:

Cypress development Corp is a publicly traded lithium and zinc exploration company that continues to acquire and develop potentially viable mineral projects in the State of Nevada, U.S.A.

Cypress is very active in Clayton Valley, Nevada with its team committed to systematically exploring its properties for both a lithium-brine resource and expanding exploration relating to the potential for a lithium resource that exists within the large area of non-hectorite claystones discovered at surface that has seen recent high lithium assays recovered from these same claystones.

Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 33.4 million shares issued and outstanding.

To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP), visit our website at www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com.

CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Don Huston



DONALD C. HUSTON

President

For further information contact myself or:

Don Myers

Director

Cypress Development Corp.

Telephone: 604-687-3376

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@cypressdevelopmentcorp.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ziyen Inc., a US business intelligence and software company, announced it has acquired a stake in Iraq TradeLink, a leading news agency based in Baghdad.



The stock purchase by Ziyen Inc. for 10% stake in Iraq TradeLink News Agency fits into the companys strategy to establish a presence in Iraq, and the partnership agreement reached between the two companies to cooperate in the fields of media, news and advertisement. The agreement was signed by the Editor in Chief of the Iraq TradeLink News Agency, Mr. Mohammed Jaffar Dawood, and Alastair Caithness, the CEO of Ziyen. As part of the agreement Mr. Dawood was elected a member of the board of directors of Ziyen.

Ziyen Inc., who was qualified by the SEC under Regulation A+, currently operates the procurement portal, Rebuilding Iraq, which provides US and other International companies information about oil and gas, construction and other infrastructural contracts in Iraq. Rebuilding Iraq has seen rapid growth over the last 12 months, and has over 220,000 followers across social media.

Iraq TradeLink News Agency (http://www.iraqtradelinknews.com) has its affiliation publication of the only economic newspaper in Iraq, both in Arabic and English language, called The New Economist, which was established in 1998. Despite the changes in the ruling of the country, it remained the only Iraqi economic newspaper. Iraq TradeLink, also, operates in collaboration with The New Economist specialized publications for Oil and Gas, Construction, Healthcare, Finance and IT industry sectors, as well as working directly with the Iraqi governmental establishments, with plans to hold a number of international exhibitions.

Alastair Caithness, the CEO of Ziyen Inc. said,

Our company has been looking to establish a presence in Iraq, and by creating a partnership agreement with the number one economic news agency in the country, it allows us to diversify our portfolio and fits in with our strategy of becoming the leading International news and business intelligence company operating in Iraq.

More about Ziyen Inc. and Regulation A+

Ziyen Inc. a US business intelligence and software company, was qualified by the SEC under Regulation A+ in October 2016 and is aiming for quick completion of the listing process on the OTC in 2017. In the past only wealthy institutions, venture capitalists and angel investors could provide early stage private investments in the latest start-ups, but this has all changed through the JOBS Act. Through Regulation A+, the barriers everyday citizens have experienced in participating in early stage private investment have now vanished. For more information about the company and investment opportunities visit http://www.ziyen.com and http://www.crowdfundingrega.com

Forward Looking Statements



Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements related to anticipated commencement of commercial production, targeted pricing and performance goals, and statements that otherwise relate to future periods are forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the Companys periodic reports filed with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made and based on information available to the Company on the date of this press release. Ziyen Inc. assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
Boston, MA, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The culmination of over twenty years of advocacy, on January 11, Governor Baker added Massachusetts to the list of states that acknowledge the value of alternative healthcare from a qualified professional. Massachusetts will become the 22nd U.S. jurisdiction to regulate naturopathic medicine. The new law ensures patients can trust that their wellness professional holds a graduate degree from an accredited naturopathic medical school.

Amy Rothenberg, N.D., and president of the Massachusetts Society of Naturopathic Doctors (MSND), says, This law allows the people of Massachusetts access to well-educated and trained naturopathic doctors and their expertise in both preventative medicine and natural integrative care.

The MSND members worked for the last 24 years with the state legislature to advance the much-needed recognition of this growing medical field. Their goal was to increase the credibility and minimize the confusion between professionals with an advance degree and the self-study practitioner. Naturopathic doctors are trained to collaborate with medical professionals and refer patients when more conventional approaches are required. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has a division called National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, explains Rothenberg.

Under the new law, the terms Naturopathic Doctor and N.D. would be reserved exclusively for those who have attended four-year, post-graduate level programs at institutions recognized by the United States Department of Education. This protects the scope-of-work and title for graduates from an accredited N.D. program, and affords the public safety measures and standards of practice through a licensing board, offers Dr. JoAnn Yanez, executive director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges.

Naturopathic Doctors are general practitioners trained in primary care medicine who have a specialty in natural therapies. The alternative approaches they offer include: nutrition, herbal medicine and supplements. An N.D. teaches patients how to harness their bodys innate ability to stay well via preventative measures and lifestyle changes.

Naturopathic doctors are currently regulated in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, District of Columbia, Maryland, Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Naturopathic physicians also are licensed to practice in these provinces in Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan.

The law will go into effect September 2017.

The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (http://www.aanmc.org) supports the work of its seven member colleges and promotes the naturopathic medical profession. The AANMC website is a clearinghouse for information about this growing health field and serves as a resource for prospective students of naturopathic medicine. Request Info on our colleges.

AANMCs member schools are: Bastyr University (Seattle, Washington and San Diego, California), The Boucher Institute (British Columbia, Canada), Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto, Canada), National University of Natural Medicine (Portland, Oregon), National University of Health Sciences (Chicago, Illinois), Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences (Phoenix, Arizona), University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine (Bridgeport, Connecticut).

######




Gov. Pete Ricketts presented the Legislature Thursday with an agenda that combines proposed income and property tax reductions with state budget cuts and restrained spending growth.

"The reductions we make to the budget to balance it and continued attention to controlling spending will allow us to cut taxes and grow Nebraska," the governor said in his State of the State speech to the Legislature.

"This isn't easy," Ricketts acknowledged. "It will require Nebraska grit."

Ricketts said he will partner with Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, chairman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, to propose a gradual reduction in the top state income tax rate beginning in 2020 as long as state revenue growth exceeds 3.5 percent at the time.

In addition, he said, he will support legislation sponsored by Sen. Lydia Brasch of Bancroft, chairwoman of the Legislature's Agriculture Committee, to change the methodology of assessing ag property value from a market-based system to "an income-potential system."

That, he said, would slow the growth of agricultural land valuation increases beginning in 2019. If the system were in place for 2017, he said, it would reduce ag land valuations in Nebraska by about $2.2 billion.

While the governor said local taxing entities and county assessors would have "plenty of time to prepare" for such a change, the new valuation formula presumably would have a moderate-to-substantial impact on future funding available to support local schools and local government, particularly in agricultural areas of the state.

Ricketts said his current budget proposal would provide a 2.7 percent average annual increase in state aid for local schools.

However, in the long term, history has demonstrated that additional state aid without local school spending restraint only leads to additional spending and higher local property tax rates, the governor said.

The balconies in the legislative chamber were almost filled for the governor's address, a ceremonial moment in the Legislature.

Ricketts said his overall plan is based on "controlling spending" and not only avoiding tax increases to address the current shortfall of state revenue, but building in future tax cuts as a means of stimulating economic growth.

At the state government level, the governor said, he has instituted reforms and is proposing efficiencies, including merger of the Department of Roads and Department of Aeronautics into a new Department of Transportation. Nebraska is the only state with a Roads Department instead of a Transportation Department.

Earlier, Ricketts announced a proposal to move the Division of Veterans Homes from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

He also is proposing repeal of a number of regulations that he said are unncessary and hamper job growth.

A dramatic decline in farm income led to the current state revenue shortfall.

"Farm income has gone from $7.5 billion a few years ago to $4.5 billion in 2015 and may have declined to about $4 billion last year," the governor said.

"In a year where we have to make difficult budget decisions, we have to favor the taxpayer," Ricketts said. Thus, despite declining revenue and budget shortfalls, he said he is determined to pursue built-in future tax cuts.

"I will not support any effort to raise taxes on Nebraskans," he said.

"Raiding the property tax credit relief fund, raising sales taxes (or) taxing food and groceries would all harm Nebraska families and be bad for our economy," Ricketts said.

"The way to grow revenues is to grow the number of people who live here and create more and better-paying jobs," the governor said. "To do that we have to be more competitive."

The income tax plan he is sponsoring along with Sen. Smith would reduce the top rate by roughly one-tenth of 1 percent per year, beginning in 2020, as long as revenue growth exceeds 3.5 percent. The proposal would ultimately take the top rate down from 6.84 percent to under 6 percent.

"If our revenue doesn't grow fast enough, the tax rate doesn't come down," Ricketts said.

The top rate in Nebraska applies to any income above $29,830 for individuals annually or above $59,660 for couples.

At a news conference following his address, the governor said he will remain determined to "keep trying to provide tax relief."

Later, Ricketts embarked on a statewide tour that will take him to 17 events over the next seven days. The governor headed to Norfolk, Grand Island and Aurora on Thursday.
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
A proposal by Gov. Pete Ricketts to slash state aid to Nebraskas community colleges this year will negatively affect the states future workforce and economic development, one college president said.

Greg Smith, president of Central Community College, said Tuesday Ricketts has not engaged leaders at the states six community colleges in meaningful dialogue on his proposal to cut 4 percent from their 2016-17 budgets.

It is an open question whether he understands community colleges crucial role in the Nebraska economy, Smith said in an email, adding the vast majority of new jobs in the state will require two-year degrees offered by the community college system.

Nebraskas six community colleges were set to receive a total of $100.8 million in state aid this year, the second of a two-year budget approved by lawmakers in 2015.

That was before projected revenue shortfalls prompted Ricketts to propose a $276 million budget adjustment last week for the fiscal year ending in June.

Proposed cuts also include a 2.3 percent reduction in state aid to the University of Nebraska and 4 percent cuts to the Nebraska State College System and the state's community colleges.

Even before the Legislature discusses the proposal on the floor, each of the states community colleges is looking for ways to absorb the loss in revenue, said Greg Adams, executive director of the Nebraska Community College Association.

They have to look internally at what they can do, what they can postpone, said Adams, a former speaker of the legislature.

Southeast Community College, which was slated to receive $28.1 million in state aid this fiscal year, is already reviewing which position openings could be frozen or eliminated, said SCC President Paul Illich.

Equipment purchases and maintenance projects also are being put on hold, he said.

Western Nebraska Community College President Todd Holcomb said the college in Scottsbluff, Alliance and Sidney will look for approximately $500,000 in reductions -- a cut he said will put new programs for in-demand job fields needed in the region on hold.

"Every time we absorb a budget cut, it's one step backward from meeting that workforce demand," Holcomb said.

Central Community College will absorb an estimated $385,000 cut through cost savings or dipping into its reserves.

Any cuts would steer clear of the colleges central focus, CCC President Smith wrote in an email in which he challenged the governors proposal to cut state aid to community colleges that served more than half of the 139,000 students who attended a public college or university in Nebraska in 2015.

Smith said Ricketts needs to address how cuts will figure into a statewide education plan put forward by the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education and whether he believes students at NU deserve better resources and facilities than those who attend community colleges.

The governor must explain how cutting state aid for community colleges will help us lower property taxes, he said. This blunt-tool approach to balancing the budget will not work in the long run -- although I certainly understand why it is used as a starting point.

The problem, said Adams, is that any cut implemented by lawmakers this year becomes the new base for building the next biennial budget.

Community colleges rely on a three-legged revenue stool of state aid, tuition revenue and property taxes. When one funding source drops, the others are used to compensate.

Last year, lawmakers considered a proposal that would limit budget growth at community colleges and their ability to collect some property taxes.

If the colleges find themselves with less state aid and limited ability to raise their tax levies, the only way left to raise revenue is through tuition hikes.

Illich said SCC will look at all possibilities, including a tuition increase. Students pay $61.50 per credit hour, including a $1 tuition hike implemented last year by the Board of Governors.

With learning centers across its 15-county district set to begin offering educational opportunities, Illich said the college expects to increase its tuition revenue over the $21.7 million it collected last year. Whether it will be enough to offset any state-aid cuts remains to be seen.

While we want to look at everything, we also want to make sure were meeting the focus of our mission, which is providing a qualified workforce for Southeast Nebraska, he said.

Holcomb said any loss of state aid hurts Western Nebraska Community College, which has the lowest property valuation as well as the highest tuition costs -- $115 per credit hour -- of the six community colleges in the state.

Smith said raising tuition would not likely drive students away from Central Community College -- as NU saw after a run of double-digit tuition hikes from 2002 to 2005.

Students at Central pay $84 per credit hour this year.

The societal problem involves students leaving colleges with large debt, he said. Every dollar spent repaying debt is a dollar that is not being invested in the Nebraska economy.

Would we rather see recent graduates using earnings to purchase homes than the repay debt?

Holcomb added the cuts to community college funding could become a hardship for businesses and manufacturers seeking to replace retiring Baby Boomers.

"Ninety percent of community college students stay in the state," he said. "We're a great economic engine and by investing in community colleges, you invest in the future of Nebraska."
Beneath the muddy salt marsh in Lancaster County lurks a vicious predator.

The Salt Creek tiger beetle pounces on prey using mandibles to capture meals as large as it is, about half an inch long. Its larvae ambush bugs from the safety of a burrow, then drag them down to be devoured.

The tiny predator can be found only in four small colonies along the Little Salt Creek near Lincoln. And like the big feline it gets its name from, the beetle is in danger of extinction. A 2015 population survey found 184 of the olive-green insects.

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a road map for ongoing efforts to preserve the beetles existence and conserve the habitat it calls home.

The Salt Creek Tiger Beetle Final Recovery Plan lays out a 30-year path to remove the insect from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife. It made the list as an endangered subspecies in 2005.

If followed, the recovery plan would cost as much as $30 million.

But it's a map only. Federal, state and local governments aren't obligated to follow it.

The biggest chunk of money would go to buy land and easements and to restore habitat.

Land is expensive, especially for areas north of Lincoln, said Bob Harms, a biologist in the Fish and Wildlife Services Grand Island field office.

The plan also calls for land use planning, extensive research of the beetle and its habitat, public outreach, monitoring of populations, breeding and reintroduction of beetles into the wild.

Money to pay for all of this would come from many sources, including federal, state and local partners, Harms said.

While the beetle once was widespread in Lancaster County and around Lincoln, it has been decimated by habitat loss through urbanization, agriculture development and bank stabilization. Other issues that may be contributing include erosion and pesticides from farm runoff.

The Fish and Wildlife plan lists two major milestones for Salt Creek tiger beetle recovery. The first is establishment of three new wild colonies with populations of 500 to 1,000 in recovery areas along Rock, Oak and Haines Branch creeks.

The second milestone will mean the insect is ready for delisting, when three more wild populations are established in a minimum of four recovery areas and the populations remain stable over 10 consecutive years.

The Wildlife Service is working with Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha and the Children's Zoo in Lincoln to raise tiger beetle larvae in test tube-like environments, then introducing them into the wild.

Scott Black, executive director at Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, praised the plan, saying its a major step toward saving the beetle.

Could it be better? Of course. We always would do more for these animals. But this recovery plan is a very positive step, he said.

The next thing well be looking for is how the state and Wildlife Service implement the plan, because a plan is only as good as it is implemented.

Black said history shows once a recovery plan is finalized, species usually get additional conservation attention.

The Xerces Society, along with the Center for Biological Diversity and Rocky Mountain Wild, sued the Wildlife Service several years ago to force it to designate critical habitat for the tiger beetle. The service ended up designating 1,110 acres as critical habitat.

Scientists have recommended 36,000 acres be protected, according to the Xerces Society.

Local organizations working toward preservation of the Salt Creek tiger beetle include the Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, city of Lincoln, Nebraska Environmental Trust, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Childrens Zoo, Henry Doorly and the Master Naturalists.
BBC Focus on Africa television and radio, along with the BBC Swahili TV programme, Dira ya Dunia, will hit the road together in January to broadcast live from Uganda for a week from 23rd to 27th January. This will be the first time the programmes will come together to broadcast from the continent, which will feature special guests and studio audiences on TV, radio and online.

Focus on Africa is the flagship news and current affairs programme for Africa, broadcast every weekday on BBC World News television and BBC World Service radio. The show is presented by some of the biggest names in African journalism, including Peter Okwoche , Sophie Ikenye and Paul Bakibinga, as well as Salim Kikeke and Dayo Yusuf from Dira ya Dunia.





There is so much to explore and discuss in Africa at the moment, that we felt it was the right time for the shows to collaborate and bring something fresh to our audience of 111 million people in Africa, says Sophie Ikenye. Were giving Focus on Africa and Dira ya Dunia a different dimension by coming live from Kampala and featuring voices from the region. It promises to be a fascinating week in one of the worlds most vibrant cities.





Throughout the week, exclusive stories from BBC correspondents in Malawi, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone will be featured on the programmes, showcasing the breadth and depth of the BBCs coverage across the continent, and holding those in positions of responsibility to account.





The shows will also feature some of Ugandas biggest and best in the entertainment and sports world. There will be live performances from musicians, dance troupes and comedians, as well as special reports from our reporters in Gabon for the Cup of Nations, where well join Ugandan fans for the Cranes final group match against Mali.




HMD launched its first Nokia-branded smartphone in China recently. But the Nokia 6 might get some company soon.

Total Tech has posted a brief video showing a phone that may come to market soon as the Nokia 8. It was reportedly on display at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, where folks were told not to film it (whoops).

Update: It was already pretty clear from the videos that Qualcomm was positioning the device in question as a reference design for demonstrating image stabilization technology in the Snapdragon 835 chip. Total Tech claims it had Nokia branding, but theres no actual picture showing that, and its possible the YouTuber (formerly known as TK Tech News) was jumping to conclusions (to put it generously).

Update 2: Qualcomm says the phone caught on film is a reference design and not a Nokia handset.

hat tip to Android Authority, /r/Android, and @rquandt

It looks like the phone was being shown off at the Qualcomm both, and the phone is said to come in two models. One has a Qualcomm Snadpragon 835 processor and a 24 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization features.

A second model has a Snapdragon 821 chip and a less capable camera, but a lower price tag.

Both versions feature 2560 x 1440 pixel Super AMOLED displays and dual front-facing speakers.

Its possible that HMD could officially launch the phones at Mobile World Congress in February. The company has scheduled an event for February 26th.

While well probably have to wait a little while for details on the price and release date, its a safe bet that the Nokia 8 will be more expensive than the Nokia 6, which sells for $245 and features a 1080p display, a Snapdragon 430 processor, a 16MP camera, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage.
Freshman Rep. Don Bacon has wrangled a seat on the House Agriculture Committee.

The Papillion Republican -- who represents Nebraskas Omaha-dominated 2nd District -- grew up on a farm in Illinois and calls Nebraska agriculture a national treasure.

I lived on a farm until I was 21 until I joined the Air Force. I was on a corn and soybean farm with beef cattle and baled hay, he said in a phone interview.

One out of every three people in Nebraska has a job associated somehow with agriculture. Its very important we get that right.

His predecessor, former Rep. Brad Ashford, also served on the committee.

Bacon will be the only Nebraska Ag Committee representative during the 115th Congress, a fact that helped leverage him into the committee seat where he said his priorities will be expanding overseas markets for agriculture and rolling back onerous regulations.

Now its even more important we have somebody on there," he said.

Sen. Ben Sasse said last week he'll leave the Senate Ag Committee and serve on the committees for Banking, Judiciary and Armed Services, meaning this will be the first time in nearly half a century that the Senate Ag Committee will convene without a Nebraskan on it.

Both Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen and Nebraska Cattlemen President Troy Stowater praised the news that Bacon will be on the House committee.

It is critical that agriculture, Nebraskas largest single industry, be represented on the Ag Committee with the development of the farm bill, especially at a time when farmers and ranchers are facing the worst financial squeeze since the mid-1980s, Hansen said.

You are either on the inside helping guide the process, or you are on the outside looking in.

The Ag Committee oversees issues dealing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as markets, trade, rural development, conservation programs and the federal nutrition program formerly known as food stamps.

Crafting of the next farm bill, up for renewal in 2018 and sure to cause fireworks, begins in the House and Senate Ag Committees. Conservative groups have taken aim at both the food stamp program, which makes up 80 percent of the farm bill, and the financial underpinnings of the farm insurance safety net.

Calls to separate food stamps from farm subsidies might make sense, Bacon said, but he is going to listen and learn before making up his mind on the issue.

I know we need a farm bill, and I know we need a safety net. It really comes down to, how high is that safety net, he said. When I talked with farmers out in Gretna and Valley during the campaign the number one request they had was to maintain some form of affordable crop insurance. I got that message loud and clear.

Bacon will be one of six new members on the House Ag Committee.

Committee Chairman Michael Conaway said Bacons skill set as a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and farm experience will be a welcome addition to the committee.

With nearly 49,000 farms in Nebraska, I am confident Don will be a tremendous asset and strong voice for his home state, Conaway said in an emailed statement.

Bacon also gained a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, where he pledged to be a good wingman to Offutt Air Force Base, which he commanded before retiring.


Ronald Reagan

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Albert Einstein

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill





It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so.

With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts.

Winston Churchill





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Harvey S. Firestone





It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken



Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.

Jean Cocteau
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Wearable sensors that monitor heart rate, activity, skin temperature and other variables can reveal a lot about what is going on inside a person, including the onset of infection, inflammation and even insulin resistance, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

An important component of the ongoing study is to establish a range of normal, or baseline, values for each person in the study and when they are ill. "We want to study people at an individual level," said Michael Snyder, PhD, professor and chair of genetics.

Snyder is the senior author of the study, which will be published online Jan. 12 in PLOS Biology. Postdoctoral scholars Xiao Li, PhD, and Jessilyn Dunn, PhD, and software engineer Denis Salins share lead authorship.

Altogether, the team collected nearly 2 billion measurements from 60 people, including continuous data from each participant's wearable biosensor devices and periodic data from laboratory tests of their blood chemistry, gene expression and other measures. Participants wore between one and eight commercially available activity monitors and other monitors that collected more than 250,000 measurements a day. The team collected data on weight; heart rate; oxygen in the blood; skin temperature; activity, including sleep, steps, walking, biking and running; calories expended; acceleration; and even exposure to gamma rays and X-rays.

"I was very impressed with all the data that was collected," said Eric Topol, MD, professor of genomics at the Scripps Research Institute, who was not involved in the study. "There's a lot herea lot of sensors and a lot of different data on each person."

The study demonstrated that, given a baseline range of values for each person, it is possible to monitor deviations from normal and associate those deviations with environmental conditions, illness or other factors that affect health. Distinctive patterns of deviation from normal seem to correlate with particular health problems. Algorithms designed to pick up on these patterns of change could potentially contribute to clinical diagnostics and research.

The work is an example of Stanford Medicine's focus on precision health, whose goal is to anticipate and prevent disease in the healthy and to precisely diagnose and treat disease in the ill.

An unexpected diagnosis

On a long flight to Norway for a family vacation last year, Snyder noticed changes in his heart rate and blood oxygen levels. As one of the 60 participants in the digital health study, he was wearing seven biosensors. From previous trips, Snyder knew that his oxygen levels normally dropped during airplane flights and that his heart rate increased at the beginning of a flightas occurred in other participants. But the values typically returned to normal over the course of a long flight and after landing. This time, his numbers didn't return to baseline. Something was up, and Snyder wasn't completely surprised when he went on to develop a fever and other signs of illness.

Two weeks earlier, he'd been helping his brother build a fence in rural Massachusetts, so his biggest concern was that he might have been bitten by a tick and infected with Lyme disease. In Norway, Snyder persuaded a doctor to give him a prescription for doxycycline, an antibiotic known to combat Lyme disease. Subsequent tests confirmed that Snyder had indeed been infected with the Lyme microorganism.

In this photo provided by Steve Fisch, Michael Snyder, professor and chair of genetics at the Stanford University School of Medicine sports wearable gadgets. Wearable gadgets gave a Snyder an early warning that he was getting sick before he ever felt any symptoms of Lyme disease. Credit: Steve Fisch

Snyder was impressed that the wearable biosensors picked up the infection before he even knew he was sick. "Wearables helped make the initial diagnosis," he said. Subsequent data analysis confirmed his suspicion that the deviations from normal heart rate and oxygen levels on the flight to Norway had indeed been quite abnormal.

"The fact that you can pick up infections by monitoring before they happen is very provocative," said Topol.

More discoveries

For Snyder, the Lyme diagnosis is just the tip of the icebergpart of very early work to begin querying massive data sets of health information. The results of the current study raise the possibility of identifying inflammatory disease in individuals who may not even know they are getting sick. For example, in several participants, higher-than-normal readings for heart rate and skin temperature correlated with increased levels of C reactive protein in blood tests. C reactive protein is an immune system marker for inflammation and often indicative of infection, autoimmune diseases, developing cardiovascular disease or even cancer. Snyder's own data revealed four separate bouts of illness and inflammation, including the Lyme disease infection and another that he was unaware of until he saw his sensor data and an increased level of C reactive protein.

The wearable devices could also help distinguish participants with insulin resistance, a precursor for Type 2 diabetes. Of 20 participants who received glucose tests, 12 were insulin- resistant. The team designed and tested an algorithm combining participants' daily steps, daytime heart rate and the difference between daytime and nighttime heart rate. The algorithm was able to process the data from just these few simple measures to predict which individuals in the study were likely to be insulin-resistant.

The study also revealed that declines in blood-oxygen levels during airplane flights were correlated with fatigue. Fortunately, the study showed that people tend to adapt on long flights; oxygen levels in their blood go back up, and they generally feel less fatigued as the hours go by.

"The desaturation of oxygen in flight was not something I anticipated," said Topol. "Whenever you walk up and down the aisle of a plane, everyone is sleeping, and I guess there may be another reason for that besides that they partied too hard the night before. That was really interesting, and I thought it was great that the authors did that."

Topol noted that one of the biosensors used in the study doesn't work very well and that another has been recalled. "A few are not going to hold up," he said. "Either they are not going to be available or they are going to be proven to not be very accurate. But what is good about what the authors did here is that they weren't just relying on one device. They did everything they could with the kind of sensors that are available today to get data that was meaningful."

The future of wearable devices

During a visit to the doctor, patients normally have their blood pressure and body temperature measured, but such data is typically collected only every year or two and often ignored unless the results are outside of normal range for entire populations. But biomedical researchers envisage a future in which human health is monitored continuously.

"We have more sensors on our cars than we have on human beings," said Snyder. In the future, he said, he expects the situation will be reversed and people will have more sensors than cars do. Already, consumers have purchased millions of wearable devices, including more than 50 million smart watches and 20 million other fitness monitors. Most monitors are used to track activity, but they could easily be adjusted to more directly track health measures, Snyder said.

With a precision health approach, every person could know his or her normal baseline for dozens of measures. Automatic data analysis could spot patterns of outlier data points and flag the onset of ill health, providing an opportunity for intervention, prevention or cure.

More information: Li X, Dunn J, Salins D, Zhou G, Zhou W, Schussler-Fiorenza Rose SM, et al. (2017) Digital Health: Tracking Physiomes and Activity Using Wearable Biosensors Reveals Useful Health-Related Information. PLoS Biol 15(1): e2001402. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001402 Journal information: PLoS Biology

Provided by Stanford University Medical Center
Credit: Martha Sexton/public domain

Bone fractures in diabetic mice heal better in the presence of a protein that stimulates the activity of skeletal stem cells, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The protein counteracts a decrease in stem cell activity that the researchers observed both in mouse models of diabetes and in bone samples from diabetic patients who had undergone joint replacements. The researchers hope the discovery will lead to ways to help people with diabetes heal more efficiently from broken bones.

"We've uncovered the reason why some patients with diabetes don't heal well from fractures, and we've come up with a solution that can be locally applied during surgery to repair the break," said Michael Longaker, MD, co-director of Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. "Diabetes is rampant worldwide, and any improvement in the ability of affected people to heal from fractures could have an enormously positive effect on their quality of life."

The study will be published Jan. 11 in Science Translational Medicine. Longaker, a professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery, shares senior authorship of the study with Charles Chan, PhD, an instructor at the stem cell institute. Postdoctoral scholar Ruth Tevlin, MD, is the lead author.

Healing difficulties

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by the inability to either produce or to respond appropriately to insulin. It affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is increasing in prevalence. In addition to causing dangerous swings in blood sugar levels after meals, the condition leads to many other debilitating symptoms, including an impaired ability to heal soft tissue injuries and skeletal fractures. The precise molecular reason behind this impaired bone healing has been unknown, however.

Longaker, Chan and Tevlin built on previous research in which they and colleagues in the laboratory of co-author Irving Weissman, MD, professor of pathology and of developmental biology, identified and described a population of cells in the bones of mice that serve as skeletal stem cells, or SSCs. These adult stem cells can become all components of the skeletal system, including bone, cartilage and a part of the bone marrow known as the stroma. They subsequently showed that fracture healing in mice was severely impaired when these stem cells were depleted. That finding got them thinking.

"We wanted to apply what we knew about skeletal stem cells to the problem of impaired bone healing in people with diabetes," said Chan. "Does the disease affect fracture healing by somehow modulating the activity of these stem cells?"

The researchers used a mouse model of Type 2 diabetes, in which the disease arises when the animals are about 4 weeks old. Prior to the development of the disease, the prediabetic mice were able to heal leg bone fractures as effectively as wild-type mice, the researchers found. In contrast, after the disease had manifested itself, the repaired bone was significantly weaker and less dense than the bone in the control animals. When they compared the numbers of SSCs in the healing bone seven days after fracture, they found that the diabetic mice had significantly lower numbers of these cells than did the control animals.

Signaling problem

A series of experiments ruled out a systemic reason for this reduction in stem cell numbers, and also confirmed that the cells themselves were fully functional. That left only a potential problem with the signals the cells were receiving from the surrounding environment, or niche. When Tevlin and her colleagues analyzed that environment, they found that the diabetic animals produced significantly lower levels of a family of signaling proteins called hedgehog that are known to play a critical role in many biological processes, including embryonic development and tissue regeneration.

The researchers collaborated with co-author Philip Beachy, PhD, professor of biochemistry and of developmental biology, to test whether artificially blocking the hedgehog signaling pathway could impair bone healing in nondiabetic mice. They found that control mice exposed to a molecule that blocked the pathway regrew bone that was weaker and more brittlejust like the diabetic animals.

"Next we had to test whether adding the hedgehog signaling proteins back into the local environment in diabetic animals restored their ability to heal fractures," said Longaker. The researchers collaborated with co-authors Fan Yang, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering and orthopaedic surgery, and postdoctoral scholar Xinming Tong, PhD, to devise a biologically friendly hydrogel into which the hedgehog signaling proteins were embedded. The gel was applied directly to the fracture site. "And these animals healed just like normal mice," said Longaker, who holds the Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professorship in the School of Medicine.

Clues in human bone samples

Finally, the team reached out to co-author Stuart Goodman, MD, PhD, professor of orthopaedic surgery, to obtain bone samples from patients with diabetes who were undergoing joint replacement for osteoarthritis. They compared the expression of proteins important to the hedgehog signaling pathway from these samples with others obtained from non-diabetic patients. Normally this tissue would be discarded by the surgeon, but in this case it held important clues.

"What we saw in these human samples completely echoed what we saw in the mice," said Chan. "The bones from the diabetic patients displayed significantly reduced expression of these important signaling proteins."

Longaker, Chan and Tevlin believe the inhibition of the hedgehog signaling pathway arises from diabetes-associated inflammation that causes high levels of a molecule called tumor necrosis factor alpha. TNF-alpha levels are known to be elevated in patients with diabetes, and the researchers observed a corresponding increase in their mouse models of the disease. They also showed that these increased levels of TNF-alpha inhibited the expression of some hedgehog family members. Directly inhibiting all TNF-alpha activity, however, could have other dire consequences for an animal or a human patient because TNF-alpha plays many important biological roles.

"Here we've devised a feasible strategy for reversing a tissue-specific pathologythe inability to heal skeletal fractures efficientlyin a complex metabolic disease like diabetes, through the local application of a compound to stimulate the activity of adult stem cells," said Longaker said. "We anticipate that hedgehog-mediated molecular therapies that directly target stem cells in human patients could be therapeutic."

More research is necessary before trying this approach in humans, but the researchers are hopeful that local application of hedgehog proteins will be shown to be both safe and effective. Their findings further validate the idea that tissue-specific stem cells are likely to play vital roles in tissue regeneration and response to injury.

"This research represents a significant step forward toward realizing the promise of Proposition 71, which established the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine," said Chan. "We've looked to stem cells to learn why people with diabetes don't heal bone fractures properly, and come up with an approach that we are excited to try in the clinic."

More information: "Pharmacological rescue of diabetic skeletal stem cell niches," Science Translational Medicine, stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/  scitranslmed.aag2809 Journal information: Science Translational Medicine "Pharmacological rescue of diabetic skeletal stem cell niches,"
A rash on patient's stomach. Credit: The New England Journal of Medicine

Following the recent Zika outbreak in Miami-Dade County, a multidisciplinary team of physicians with the University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine published a case study today in The New England Journal of Medicine, describing in detail the nation's first locally-transmitted case of Zika.

The findings of the case study, titled "Cutaneous Eruption in a U.S. Woman with Locally Acquired Zika Virus Infection," largely center on the skin rash associated with the then-23-year-old pregnant patient's diagnosis and provide a glimpse of the skin manifestations of the Zika virus. The report may have implications for future Zika screening, diagnoses and linkage to care throughout the United States and abroad.

"Dermatologists and clinicians had an idea of what the Zika rash looked like, but it wasn't until the patient presented here that we were able to get an up-close and personal look and photograph the skin," said Lucy Chen, M.D., a Jackson Health System dermatology resident and lead author of the case study. "Any doctor now has a visual sense of the rash to properly diagnose and refer patients to the appropriate specialists."

The young woman whose case is detailed in the report was 23-weeks pregnant in July 2016 and had experienced three days of low-grade fever, a widespread rash and sore throat. The rash consisted of small pink bumps on the patient's chest, back of her arms, legs, palms and soles, said Chen, who saw the patient upon admission. Her symptoms later advanced to muscle and joint pain. The patient tested positive for Zika although neither she nor her partner had traveled outside of the U.S. The case was confirmed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Health as the first non-travel-associated case of Zika in the U.S.

The virus was present in her system for two weeks in urine samples and six weeks in blood samples. Tests, thus far, on the patient's infant show normal development, head size and intracranial anatomy, with no calcifications. The infant, who was born in October 2016, did not test positive for Zika.

Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus, is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. As Miami-Dade County has the highest number of locally-transmitted and travel-related Zika cases in the U.S., University of Miami physicians at Jackson Memorial Hospital are uniquely positioned to document cases of Zika in adults and children and contribute to the growing knowledge of the virus, which has heavily impacted countries throughout Latin American, the Caribbean and parts of the U.S.

A rash on patient's back. Credit: The New England Journal of Medicine

Christine Curry, M.D., Ph.D., who leads the care of Zika-infected pregnant women at the University of Miami and Jackson Health Systems, said the patient is "an example of how the virus can circulate in the body of a pregnant woman for more than the typical one to two weeks." While there isn't enough definitive evidence, Curry, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UM Miller School of Medicine, said some tests suggest that the virus may have a tendency to linger longer in pregnant women.

In addition to Chen and Curry, the case study was co-authored by George W. Elgart, M.D., professor and Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Dermatology and Jackson Health System dermatology resident Farheen Hafeez, M.D.

Chen said people who experience a rash often do not seek care from a provider until it has cleared up. However, as Miami-Dade County is ground zero for the U.S. Zika outbreak, physicians and health workers have been on heightened alert for patients presenting with symptoms associated with Zika.

UM and Jackson have taken a multidisciplinary approach to combating Zika transmissions, caring for patients and studying cases.

Chen and a team in the UM Department of Dermatology took a biopsy of the skin and noted seeing neutrophil cells, which Chen said are not commonly present with viral rashes but help fight infections.

"This is an interesting finding but we would need to study additional cases to determine whether these cells help distinguish Zika rashes from other viral rashes," said Chen.
Stress is part of our everyday lives  while some thrive on it, it makes others sick. But what does stress do to our senses?

When we train them, we can sharpen our senses thereby improve our perceptual performance. The stress hormone cortisol completely blocks this important ability. In the current issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology, neuroscientists of the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) report on this finding.

"Previous research has already shown that stress can prevent the retrieval of memories. But now we have discovered that it also has a major effect on our perception and perceptual learning," explains Dr Hubert Dinse, one of the authors of the study.

Tactile sense in training

In their study, researchers investigated how the sense of touch of 30 study participants could be changed after a training phase. Half of them received a medium dose of the stress hormone cortisol, while the other half received a placebo drug.

To make training comparable across all participants, the researchers employed the well-established approach of passive finger stimulation. Previous studies and several therapy approaches have shown that this method leads to an improved tactile acuity.

Tactile performance was assessed using the so-called "two-point discrimination threshold". This marker indicates how far apart two stimuli need to be, to be discriminated as two separate sensations  the closer they are, the better the sense of touch.

No learning effect after cortisol

The placebo group improved their tactile acuity, as expected, by about 15 percent. In contrast, the cortisol given to the other group blocked almost all the stimulation-induced improvement. Cognitive psychologist Prof Dr Oliver T. Wolf explains:" Our data show that a single dose of cortisol not only disrupts memory in the hippocampus, but it also has a substantial effect on the plasticity of sensory areas of the brain."

Cortisol blocks synaptic connections

In previous studies on a cellular level, neuroscientists have demonstrated that cortisol suppresses the strengthening of synaptic connections, and therefore the plasticity of the brain  its ability to learn. The team led by Hubert Dinse therefore suggests, their results could also explain by cortisol-induced suppression of synaptic plasticity.

Effects on clinical treatments

The results of the study could also affect clinical treatments. Corticosteroids, of which cortisol is one, are often used in the treatment of immunological and neurological diseases. However, the effects on perceptual learning observed in this study may counteract rehabilitation efforts, which rely on just these mechanisms. It is therefore necessary to find out which effects the clinical treatment with these substances has on learning mechanisms in the brain.

More information: Hubert R. Dinse et al. The stress hormone cortisol blocks perceptual learning in humans, Psychoneuroendocrinology (2017). Journal information: Psychoneuroendocrinology Hubert R. Dinse et al. The stress hormone cortisol blocks perceptual learning in humans,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.12.002
Pregnancy test. Credit: public domain

Success rates advertised on the majority of IVF clinic websites are highly misleading, even if published in good faith, because they can cherry-pick their results, according to a new study.

Jack Wilkinson, a medical statistician at The University of Manchester, argues an outright advertising ban should be considered if no binding standard of reporting is brought in.

The National Institute for Health Research Doctoral Research Fellow said: "Our study shows that success rates are advertised on 67% of IVF clinic websites, and many of these may be highly misleading, because clinics can cherry-pick their results from a dizzying array of options.

"The concern is that clinics can always construct figures that show their own performance in the best possible light while making competitors look bad.

"This is not helpful to patients, who may struggle to understand differences in what each clinic reports and may be misled into making comparisons on the basis of incomparable results.

"Even if clinics are acting in good faith, the current system does not produce clear or reliable information for the people that need it.

"Just as advertising of prescription drugs to patients is not permitted, a ban on advertising IVF should be considered if there is no binding standard of reporting."

The research is published in BMJ Open and funded by NIHR and The University of Manchester.

As over half of all IVF in the UK is privately funded, clinics can compete for patients by advertising success rates on their websites.

Although direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is banned in the UK, there are no such restrictions on IVF.

The study's lead author, based at the University's Centre for Biostatistics , added: "IVF is expensive and likely to fail though couples may not get that impression when visiting these IVF clinic websites.

"There is a strong incentive to selectively report success rates in a way that exaggerates performance. A lack of binding guidance means that clinics are free to do this."

The research team identified IVF clinic websites using the online registry of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Of the 53 clinic websites reporting success rates, out of a total of 79 investigated:

Pregnancy rates were reported more frequently (83% of these clinics) than birth rates (51%), despite the latter being the item of importance to patients.

The team found 33 different ways of reporting pregnancy rates and 9 different ways of reporting birth rates. Each of these may be reported for different subgroups of patients and different time periods.

72% presented results without specifying the sample size, 26% without giving the ages of patients, and 23% without giving the calendar period.

More information: Direct-to-consumer advertising of success rates for medically assisted reproduction: a review of national clinic websites. BMJ Open 2016;6:e012218. Journal information: BMJ Open Direct-to-consumer advertising of success rates for medically assisted reproduction: a review of national clinic websites.2016;6:e012218. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012218
Anopheline mosquito blood-feeding. Credit: US CDC

For the first time, researchers have shown that the number of parasites each mosquito carries influences the chance of successful malaria infection.

The finding has implications for vaccine development and studies into how the disease spreads in the field.

The findings, from scientists at Imperial College London, may also explain why the only registered malaria vaccine, RTS,S, has had only partial efficacy in recent trials.

Malaria is spread when mosquitoes bite humans and release microscopic parasites, which live in the salivary glands of the mosquitoes, into the person's bloodstream.

The parasites then travel to the liver, where they mature and multiply for 8-30 days before spreading throughout the bloodstream and causing the symptoms of malaria.

Not every infectious mosquito bite will result in malaria. To determine the intensity of malaria transmission, researchers and international organisations like the World Health Organisation currently rely on a measure called the entomological inoculation rate (EIR): the average number of potentially infectious mosquito bites per person per year.

However, this does not take into account how infectious each of those bites may be - each bite is considered equally infectious. Previous studies using needle-injected parasites have suggested this may not be the case, but there have been no comprehensive studies using biting mosquitoes, which more accurately reflect real-world scenarios.

Now, in a study funded by the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and the Medical Research Council, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, researchers have determined that the number of parasites each individual mosquito carries influences whether a person will develop malaria. Some mosquitoes can be 'hyperinfected', making them particularly likely to pass on the disease.

In studies in mice, the researchers determined that the more parasites present in a mosquito's salivary glands, the more likely it was to be infectious, and also the faster any infection would develop.

Study co-author Dr Andrew Blagborough, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, said: "These findings could have significant implications for public health. We have shown that the concept of relying on the number of bites alone to predict malarial burden is flawed, and has probably hampered the successful use of control measures and the development of effective vaccines.

"It is surprising that the relationship between parasite density and infectiousness has not been properly investigated before, but the studies are quite complex to carry out."

The team set up repeated cycles of infection, so that groups of infected mosquitoes containing variable numbers of parasites repeatedly bit sedated mice, transmitting malaria to them under a range of transmission settings.

This allowed them to track how many individual parasites different mosquitoes harboured, how many mice were infected as a result of exposure to them, and how long it took the mice to develop malaria.

By conducting further studies with mice and human volunteers, the team were also able to explain why the malaria vaccine RTS,S is effective only around 50 percent of the time, and why any protection rapidly drops off after three years.

The vaccine was less effective when mice or humans were bitten by mosquitoes carrying a greater number of parasites. The researchers think this is because the vaccine can only kill a certain proportion of the parasites, and is overwhelmed when the parasite population is too large.

All malaria-affected regions will have a mix of mosquitoes carrying different parasite amounts. Dr Blagborough said: "The majority of mosquitoes in the wild are either uninfected or infected at quite low levels, but some individual mosquitoes are regularly very highly infected.

"As the levels of malaria drop in an area due to the successful use of interventions, the number of these hyperinfected mosquitoes is expected to drop - but they're not totally prevented unless the intervention is very powerful."

Study co-author Dr Thomas Churcher, from the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial, said: "Vaccine development has come a long way, and this new insight should help future vaccine studies to be tested more rigorously.

"However, in the end, it is unlikely that one magic bullet will eradicate malaria, and we should continue to seek and apply combinations of strategies for reducing the burden of this disease."

Dr Morvern Roberts, programme manager for global infections at the Medical Research Council who funded the research, said: "Researchers have long wondered whether the more malaria parasites in a mosquito's mouthparts, the more likely they are to infect a host with the disease. No one has been able to demonstrate this until now but the authors of this paper have shown that this is the case in both mouse models and in humans.

"As they suggest, this knowledge is extremely important to take into account when trying to develop vaccines for malaria and other vector-borne diseases."

More information: "Probability of Transmission of Malaria from Mosquito to Human is Regulated by Mosquito Parasite Density in Naive and Vaccinated Hosts" by Thomas S. Churcher et al, Thursday 12 January in PLOS Pathogens. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006108 Journal information: PLoS Pathogens "Probability of Transmission of Malaria from Mosquito to Human is Regulated by Mosquito Parasite Density in Naive and Vaccinated Hosts" by Thomas S. Churcher et al, Thursday 12 January in
Controlled human malaria infection is an important and powerful tool in clinical malaria vaccine development: healthy volunteers are exposed to mosquitoes infected with malaria in a highly controlled environment to evaluate a possible protective effect of the candidate vaccine. Credit: CC-BY: Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

To find an effective vaccine against malaria it is crucial to test candidate vaccines on larger groups of people than previously thought - according to a new study published in PLOS Computational Biology. The researchers from Erasmus MC Rotterdam and Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen developed a mathematical model to determine the minimum number of people required for a good vaccine trial.

Malaria continues to be a major public health challenge; killing 438,000 people every year and being the leading cause of death in children worldwide. Before a malaria vaccine may be tested on a large group of people, there must be sufficient evidence for a relevant and beneficial effect, with minimal risks and side effects. Few candidate vaccines meet these requirements.

Over the past ten years, only 40 of the many candidate vaccines were actually clinically tested on humans. Only one vaccine (RTS,S vaccine) appears to be promising, which means that children are 45.7 percent protected from malaria for 18 months after vaccination. "By vaccinating a larger group of people in clinical studies with a candidate vaccine in the early testing phase, we increase the likelihood of finding a greater number of promising vaccines, and therefore also accelerate the discovery of an effective vaccine against this disease", says Luc Coffeng, researcher at Erasmus MC's Department of Public Health.

One of the first steps in testing candidate vaccines on humans occurs in CHMI (controlled human malaria infection) studies. In these studies, healthy volunteers are infected with malaria in a highly controlled environment to evaluate a possible protective effect of the candidate vaccine. "It is important that enough volunteers participate so as to be able to draw accurate conclusions. On the other hand, we want to keep the groups as small as possible to avoid exposing people to malaria unnecessarily", says Robert Sauerwein, Professor of Medical Parasitology at Radboud University Medical Center.

In this study the researchers show that the search for an effective vaccine can be accelerated if the group of clinical trial volunteers participating in CHMI studies is enlarged. Their mathematical model is able to determine the ideal size of the group of volunteers and it also highlights the drastic impact of the loss of any study subjects - This can occur as a result of experimental failure and can have a negative impact on trial power. Coffeng: "We hope that this model will contribute to more effective studies and ultimately to eliminating malaria."

More information: Coffeng LE, Hermsen CC, Sauerwein RW, de Vlas SJ (2017) The Power of Malaria Vaccine Trials Using Controlled Human Malaria Infection. PLoS Comput Biol 13(1): e1005255. Journal information: PLoS Computational Biology Coffeng LE, Hermsen CC, Sauerwein RW, de Vlas SJ (2017) The Power of Malaria Vaccine Trials Using Controlled Human Malaria Infection.13(1): e1005255. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005255
The U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti is administering cholera vaccines to a police unit from India months after it arrived in the impoverished Caribbean nation without the required protection, officials said Tuesday.

The failure to ensure that U.N. police personnel from a cholera-endemic country were vaccinated comes after the waterborne disease was introduced to Haiti's largest river in October 2010 by sewage from a base of U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal, one of the units that have rotated in and out of a multinational force here since 2004.

Over six years later, Haiti continues to wrestle with the globe's worst outbreak of the preventable disease in recent history. Cholera has sickened roughly 800,000 Haitians and killed at least 9,500.

Vaccination for cholera is now mandatory for all U.N. troops and police deploying to peacekeeping operations. The U.N. puts responsibility for peacekeeper vaccinations on member states, according to Ariane Quentier, spokeswoman for the U.N. mission in Haiti.

But critics say failure to enforce the vaccination requirement with the 140-member Indian police unit is another breakdown in the world body's effort to minimize the risks of introducing epidemics by rotating UN troops.

"It cannot duck its own responsibilities by pointing its fingers at the countries that supply the troops," said Brian Concannon, executive director of the Boston-based advocacy group Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

Quentier told The Associated Press that the Indian police unit has received second cholera vaccine doses this week "to take in the coming hours, days." She said it was one of three police units from India, and the others were fully vaccinated.

At a Monday press briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, told reporters that the world body was looking into the situation and "trying to get more information, obviously, from the Indian authorities."

The U.N. last month acknowledged not doing enough to help Haiti fight cholera, while stopping short of an admission of responsibility for introducing the disease. It has announced a new $400 million fundraising plan to battle cholera and assist victims in Haiti. The proposed plan would equip rapid response teams for areas where cholera cases are reported and would also try to boost Haiti's underfinanced sanitation and clean water systems.

Spread by contaminated water, cholera is easily treatable but can lead to death within hours if unattended. It showed up in the hemisphere's poorest nation 10 months after a devastating earthquake in the south of Haiti, deepening the country's misery at a time when it was ill-equipped to cope with a second crisis.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Using animals to research potentially life-saving treatments for humans is a necessary part of the scientific process, though progress has been made in reducing the number of animals involved. In a new commentary publishing January 12 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, scientists in the UK led by Professor Valerie Speirs describe a framework designed to make remaining material derived from animal studies in biomedical research more visible and accessible to the scientific community. The framework, called SEARCH (Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings), encourages scientists to share before considering developing new or additional models, with the ultimate aim to reduce the number of animals used in biomedical research.

The first SEARCH prototype, called SEARCHBreast, has been developed through funding from the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). SEARCHBreast is a database that lists tissues associated with mouse models of breast cancer, and makes them available without charge to scientists. It is run by the University of Leeds, alongside the Barts Cancer Institute, the University of Sheffield and the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute.

Leeds-based Professor Speirs, project PI, explains that resource's goal to make maximum use of any animal used in research. "We know that several animals are needed to produce reliable results. But in general only a fraction of each tissue sample is required to perform an experiment. Scientists typically store the rest of the material away which is often never re-visited," Speirs said.

Rather than duplicating what already exists, scientists can first check the database to see if an existing resource matches their needs. That benefits researchers because the database means tissue can be made available faster and cheaper than would be possible if they had to obtain new animals for each experiment. It also serves the goals of the 3Rs which aims to Reduce, Replace and Refine the use of animals in biomedical research. "By using more of the available tissue, less animals will need to be used in first place," Speirs said.

The team's goal in creating the resource is twofold. "We want to foster a culture of collaboration, and by doing this, we're reducing the number of animals needed for research all round," Professor Speirs said. "This is the first tissue-sharing website of its kind and I feel it's a good contribution to make to science and to animal welfare. We have shown this concept works for breast cancer and our research shows a desire from scientists in other disciplines to adopt SEARCH in their own field".

More information: Morrissey B, Blyth K, Carter P, Chelala C, Jones L, Holen I, et al. (2017) The Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) Framework: Encouraging Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement in Animal Research. PLoS Biol 15(1): e2000719. Journal information: PLoS Biology Morrissey B, Blyth K, Carter P, Chelala C, Jones L, Holen I, et al. (2017) The Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) Framework: Encouraging Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement in Animal Research.15(1): e2000719. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000719
It was a mystery that captivated Australia for years, inspired a Meryl Streep movie and tormented a couple for more than three decades.

Now, one of the central figures in the case  in which a dingo, a type of wild dog found in Australia, was found to have killed the couples nine-week-old baby girl  has died.

Michael Chamberlain, a former pastor who fought for decades to prove to the world that the animal was responsible for his daughters disappearance, died on Monday, his former wife, Lindy Chamberlain, told The Associated Press. He was 72.
Antionette Brown-Hall, who is 67 and a widow in Philadelphia, said she was desperate when, about two years ago, the government began docking $197 from her monthly Social Security check of about $1,300, to cover a federal student loan she had taken out three decades earlier. The benefit must cover her mortgage, utilities, telephone bill and food, she said. When the deductions began, she said, I literally did not have any money to eat with.

Ms. Brown-Hall, a former tax preparer, said she had borrowed to attend a business school that took her money, but soon closed. The loan of about $5,200 had ballooned to nearly $17,000 by early 2015. With the help of a lawyer at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, she was able to stop the offset and enroll in a federal student loan repayment program that reduced her monthly loan payments to zero, because of her limited income. The catch: She must remember to file paperwork each year to remain eligible for the program. Im on it, she said.

Ms. Canan urged older borrowers to contact their loan servicers as soon as they encountered problems making payments to discuss flexible repayment options before they fall too far behind.

The bureau said borrowers also complained that servicers often misallocated payments they made on loans they co-signed for children and grandchildren. (Student loans from private lenders often require co-signers.) One borrower, for instance, said his payment was allocated to all of the borrowers loans, rather than the specific loan that he co-signed. Borrowers have the right to see account information if they are co-signers, the bureau said, to make sure the payments are correctly applied.

Here are some questions and answers about older borrowers and student loans:

What if I want to co-sign a student loan for a child or grandchild?

Ms. Canan urged older people to be cautious about co-signing student loans. Many people do not understand that they are not just vouching for the borrower, but are in fact agreeing to be responsible for the loan. Theres a lot of confusion about co-signing, she said. If the primary borrower runs into financial difficulty, you as the co-signer are responsible for the full amount of the loan. Really think it through, she advised, and co-sign only if you think you will be in a position to repay the loan down the road, if needed.

If I took out a Parent Plus loan, can I enter a flexible repayment plan?

Borrowers of Plus loans, the only federal loans available to parents of undergraduates, have fewer flexible repayment options and people must jump through some hoops to qualify for them, said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success. Parent Plus loans must first be consolidated into a new loan to become eligible for a federal program offering lower payments. The program, known as income-contingent repayment, is less robust than options for other types of loans, Ms. Canan said, but may still offer relief to older borrowers.

Can my Social Security check be docked if I fail to pay a private student loan?

Generally, no. Borrowers have complained about threats by debt collectors to reduce their Social Security payments if they fail to repay private student loans, which are made by banks or lenders other than the federal government. But such offsets can occur only with federal debts. The bureau said, Debt collectors may not offset your Social Security benefit in order to repay a private student loan.
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
Zimbabwean telecommunications operators have had enough of ridicule and complaints from subscribers venting their frustrations on social media over new steep mobile data prices.

And, subsequently, the companies have asked Zimbabwes government for a review of the new fees.

The regulator said at the beginning of this month that the floor price for traditional voice services shall be set at 12 US cents per minute and set the the floor price for data at 2 cents per megabyte.

Following this directive, 250MB is now costing at around $5 (R67) while US 50 cents (R6) gives gives subscribers about 5MB.

However, it appears that Econet, which is owned by businessman Strive Masiyiwa, is the only company that has implemented the new tariffs.

Meanwhile NetOne and Telecel Zimbabwe  both owned by the government  are yet to implement the new fees.

Douglas Mboweni, the chief executive officer of Econet Wireless, said in a statement to subscribers on Thursday afternoon that the steep data prices were in compliance with a directive from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) to all mobile operators in the country.

Our recent implementation of the new floor pricing of data  was done in compliance with the directive that was issued to all mobile network operators by the industry regulator, Potraz, said Mboweni.

He added that Econet Wireless was engaging the regulator on the matter as it was feeling the pain that subscribers are experiencing.

Although Telecel Zimbabwe, in which the government of Zimbabwe recently completed the takeover of a 60% controlling stake from VimpelCom, has not yet announced an official position on the new data tariffs, it has been advertising daily data tariffs set at $1 for 150MB valid for 24 hours.

Another state owned telco, NetOne, says it is engaging the government on the new tariffs.

Insiders said the company had decided to hold off on the new tariffs. NetOne has previously had bitter fights with Econet over outstanding call termination arrears.

I cannot disclose any position as we are currently in consultation with the regulator, Brian Mutandiro, chief executive officer of NetOne, was quoted saying by the state run Chronicle newspaper.

Social media has been abuzz, with the #DataMustFall hashtag dominant on Twitter and similar discussions also popular on Facebook.

Econet Wireless, the countrys largest telco, has been the most targeted for verbal attacks as it was the first operator to implement the new floor tariffs as directed by Potraz this month.

Fin24
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said National Treasury will act against municipalities which have failed to settle their debt to Eskom, Fin24s sister publication Netwerk24 reported.

In a letter to Democratic Alliance MP for the Free State David Ross, Gordhan raised his concern over Eskoms planned power cuts on January 16, saying that National Treasury would consider withholding national grants to the non-paying municipalities.

Judge Hans Fabricius on Thursday ruled in the North Gauteng High Court that Eskom may cut off power supply to the eight indebted municipalities as a means to recover outstanding debt. The ruling came after AfriForum filed an urgent court bid to prevent Eskom from cutting the power supply to the eight indebted municipalities.

Fabricius said the municipalities  Nala, Dihlabeng, Mantsopa, Nketoana, Moqhaka, Masilonyana, and Tokologo municipalities in the Free State and Naledi, Ditsobotla, Lekwa Temane, Maquassi Hills, Ramothsere Moiloa, Kgetleng, Tswaing, Mamusa and Ventersdorp municipalities in the North West  should be held accountable for not settling their debts.

Fin24 earlier reported that Eskoms acting CEO Matshela Koko said the power utilitys capital expenditure for municipalities was R70m, and the outstanding debt by municipalities stood at R12bn. This was one of the reasons why rating agency Standard and Poors downgraded the power utility over uncertainties.

Meanwhile, the DAs Kevin Mileham said in a statement that the African National Congress must take full responsibility for the impending electricity crisis in a number of municipalities across South Africa.

Cuts will cause jobs bloodbath

The people of these municipalities have been let down by dishonesty, corruption and maladministration, which has led to non-payment to Eskom and major debt, Mileham said, adding that the planned electricity cuts will not only severely undermine basic service delivery, but will also collapse local economies and cause a jobs bloodbath.

All eight affected municipalities are under ANC rule.

Ross addressed a letter to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), requesting its intervention to ensure that the electricity of paying consumers will not be cut.

Nersa spokesperson Charles Hlebela however told Netwerk24 the regulator is not aware of any requests to intervene in the matter between Eskom and municipalities.

Fin24
Advertise Here

Be seen advertise here. Contact us.


Ankara says U.S. may approve sale of F-16s to Turkey within few months

IMF: Turkey should tighten monetary policy and give the Central Bank more independence

Pope urges religious leaders to keep the world from brink of abyss

Putin awards Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II with Order of Honor

U.S. says G7 countries realize need for coordinated response to China

Round-the-clock curfew is introduced in Kherson

Borrell says they can't put China and Russia on same level

Olaf Scholz calls on China to influence Russia

G7 foreign ministers express 'unwavering commitment' to protecting Ukraine, criticized PRC and IRI

Political technologist explains why Pashinyan was elected chairman of board of ruling party in Armenia

Erdogan signs up for TikTok

China's army is constantly preparing for war amid provocative U.S. actions

Kalin: Armenia is constructive about normalization of relations

Poland asks EU to suspend fines

Putin: Situation in Ukraine was deadly for Russia

Portugal to test a four-day workweek

US embassy in Armenia issues statement ahead of November 5 protests in Yerevan

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Baku authorities once again refuse to allow PFPA to hold protest rally

Iranians commemorate anniversary of US embassy seizure

Richard Kauzlarich: Azerbaijan, Armenia FMs meeting in Washington 'will send message to Putin'

Russia ratifies protocol on requirements for length of service of EEU bodies' employees for pensions

Armenia deputy defense minister in Russia, discusses military cooperation

Yerevan receives proposal to hold Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan interparliamentary talks

Health minister: We will work with fallen Armenia detainees relatives one more time after which bodies will be buried

Putin allows mobilization of citizens with unexpunged criminal record for serious crimes

Arnika, NESEHNUTI NGOs of Czech Rep. issue joint statement on plan to expand gold mine in Armenias Karaberd

Putin urges to evacuate civilians living in Kherson from the war zone

Iran parliament speaker to visit Armenia

Ruling force MP: Canada is opening embassy in Armenia because we are one of worlds most democratic countries

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

Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity

Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia

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

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

Armenia ruling party recounts congress voting results

Quake jolts Turkey

Newspaper: Armenia PM once again manipulates topic of negotiations, Karabakh conflict

Newspaper: Studies underway on Armenia MPs business involvement

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

Turkish Vice President to visit Azerbaijan and occupied Shushi

Britain buys 250 million pounds worth of oil from Azerbaijan from July 2021 to June 2022

Yair Lapid congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu on winning election

Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense spreads another disinformation

ENISA: War in Ukraine, geopolitics fuel cyberattacks

Armenian MFA: Yerevan and Baku agree to speed up work on agreeing procedure of Commissions' activities

Zelenskyy will not participate in G20 summit if Putin participates in it

WP: Man who attacked Pelosi's husband was in the U.S. illegally

At Upper Lars, 30 cars are allowed through per day instead of previous 300: What are authorities doing?

Bloomberg: Turkey unlikely to sign Sweden's bid for NATO membership before the end of the year

Military servicemen in Armenia to be attested: Discussion at parliamentary standing committee

IEA calls for urgent action on gas shortages in Europe

French Senate to consider resolution demanding immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenian territory

Papikyan: The final number of dead will be published after the identification is complete

Armen Grigoryan presents to Patrushev consequences of Azerbaijani aggression

Indonesia reveals its own kamikaze drones

UN: Russia resumes participation in inspection of ships in Black Sea

Grigoryan: Armenia interested in using communication routes through Azerbaijan

Investigative Committee: 10 officers charged in Armenia

FT: Azerbaijan demands EU funding and long-term contracts for gas supplies

Security Council Secretary: Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenian territory

US becomes 2nd largest gas supplier to EU

Russian Defense Ministry reports release of 107 Russian servicemen from Ukrainian captivity

How U.S supports Azerbaijan in 20 years by suspending 907th Amendment?

Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive less funds in 2023 than in previous two years

German government urges its citizens to leave Iran

Armenian MFA: Unblocking infrastructures is one of the main directions of talks

Armenia MFA: We expect positive results in relations with Turkey in near future

Armenia to open diplomatic representations in several countries in 2023: Uruguay among them

Former Pakistani Prime Minister injured in shooting of election motorcade

Russian MFA: Great Britain transferred underwater drones to Ukraine

Armenia FM: International community has sent very clear signal to Azerbaijan

Prime Minister receives Arin Karapet, Swedish MP

Dollar, euro drop in Armenia

Armenia FM: In few days there will be meeting between me, Bayramov, Blinken in Washington

IRNA: Iran's IRGC eliminated a group that was planning attacks on government agencies

Lawcoster 'Pobeda' to resume flights to Armenia at end of this year

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: One cannot despair, struggle must continue
Theres a lot to unpack from Chicagos latest racial outrage, the Facebook Torture Case, and its ugly, so lets get to it.

You know the news. Four African-Americans were charged last week with hate crimes in the alleged kidnapping and torture of a bound, white and mentally disabled young man.

Police said they beat him, forced him to drink toilet water, jabbed at him with a knife and cut his scalp, shouting F-white people! and F- (Donald) Trump! and laughing while smoking blunts and streaming it all live on Facebook.

I watched some, not all of that video, the way they brutalized that young man, the terror in his eyes, hearing their laughter. And I realized these were human beings, amusing themselves with the pain of a mentally disabled man. There are many words for this, but irredeemable is the one that comes to mind.

And when Chicagos top cop talked of it, he said something worth considering again.

It makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that, said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. It still amazes me how you still see things that you just shouldnt. Im not going to say it shocked me, but it was sickening.

Johnsons been a cop in Chicago for decades, so hes seen worse. We havent, but he and other police have.

With City Hall pushing body cameras for all police, I figure the rest of us should soon be able to see what cops see, at the crime scene, with all the brutality that we try to shield ourselves from.

Because cops work in that world where people do such things to each other. Where criminals laugh and inflict pain, on babies, old people, anyone. Most of the rest of us havent been to that place and wed be psychologically damaged if we did.

There are other elements of this heater case that should be acknowledged, like the politics of this thing. Its crawling with politics now.

Its partly a racial thing so lets talk race. If the races were reversed, and a mentally disabled black kid were tortured by white barbarians, the political left would be screaming that over-the-top political rhetoric from the right had trickled down and encouraged the brutes. You can argue with me about this, but that wont change it.

Yet its the other way now, isnt it? And the political right is arguing that anti-Trump rants from the left  including casting white males as the political enemy  have given license to this kind of thing. The two sides will slap-fight each other over this on social media, in anonymous and hateful comments under online news stories, and theyll slap each other in the journals.

And this is how we craft political weapons from human misery.

But there is another kind of politics at work here as well, the politics of Chicago musical chairs. From the moment the torture video went viral, picked up by the cable news networks and replayed, over and over, and as talking heads debated whether evil was the appropriate word, Chicago politicians hunkered down.

Most of it was left to Johnson, and he made sure to hit his main political talking point early in his news conference last week, as the charges were read and national news was made.

There was never a question whether this incident qualified to be investigated as a hate crime, Johnson said.

The F- white people! and F- Trump! commentary on the video left no other options. So hate crime it was.

But what is a hate crime if not thought crime? I dont like the idea of hate crimes, because peoples thoughts should belong only to them, not the government. Whats important is action.

And binding and gagging a disabled man, poking at him with a knife as he cowers in a corner, carving a chunk out of his scalp as he whimpers while the kidnappers laugh, all that brutality is certainly hateful enough.

Were sickened and shocked because we watched it all on video.

But I wonder how wed feel if we had access to those police body cam recordings, to see what cops see when they walk up and look into a victims eyes.

Like Eddie Johnson wed be sickened. And like him, eventually, we wouldnt be shocked.
How about if we let Jesus answer Kellyanne Conway?

Donald Trumps indefatigable apologist was at it again Monday on CNN, defending her boss against, of all people, Meryl Streep. The 19-time Oscar nominee got under Trumps famously thin skin with a speech at Sunday nights Golden Globes.

In it, she chastised him for, among other things, mocking Serge F. Kovaleski, a New York Times reporter who has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that causes abnormal muscle development and severely restricted joint movements. Trump, lying as is his wont, has frequently denied what he did, even though the proof is as near as a Google search.

He denied it again while tweeting about Streep. Conway, appearing on CNN, took umbrage when anchor Chris Cuomo expressed skepticism. Why dont you believe him? she asked. Why is everything taken at face value? You cant give him the benefit of the doubt on this and hes telling you what was in his heart? You always want to go by whats come out of his mouth rather than look at whats in his heart.

It bears repeating because even by the standards of Trump World, its a humdinger. Dont listen to what the president-elect says, she says. Go by whats in his heart.

Jesus saw that one coming 2,000 years ago: A good man, he taught, brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

For those of you playing along at home, thats Luke 6:45, the Son of God calling BS on the son of Fred, and on Conways bizarre insistence that somehow people have  repeatedly  misread his intentions all these months. Sorry, but if the eyes are windows to the soul, then the mouth is its megaphone, and Trump has used his repeatedly and effectively to tell us what sort of person he is.

So its funny, but frankly also chilling, to see Conway scurrying around at this late date, in effect asking America to grade Donald Trump on a curve. Dont go by what comes out of his mouth?

Seriously?

Seriously!?

She does know this man is about to be president, right? She realizes, doesnt she, that a presidents words can incite revolution? That they can move the stock market? That they can get people killed?

Yet this woman thinks the problem with Trumps diarrheal mouth is the fact that we listen to it. In other words, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. Is that to be the message our ambassadors give our foreign friends  and foes  for the next four years?

Oh, dont worry about it, Mr. Prime Minister. Thats just Donald. Hes just talkin.

Yeah. Thats totally not ridiculous.

To hear Conway tell it, some combination of Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama has been hiding in plain sight all along, except that somehow, Trumps unruly mouth failed to properly represent Trumps saintly heart and its all your fault, anyway, for believing words and actions have meaning. The trouble is, inconvenient realities like this one insist on telling a different story. Indeed, the Kovaleski case is the whole tragedy of Donald Trump in microcosm: the scorn, the bullying, the pettiness, the lying, the self-delusion.

In the face of that, Conways entreaty to disregard Trumps mouth and look into Trumps soul is beyond asinine. Sorry, but Jesus  big surprise  was right. The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Trumps mouth has made it starkly clear what fills his heart.

And, sadly, what does not.
YEREVAN. - Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan on Thursday met with the foreign ambassadors accredited in Armenia, as well as heads and representatives of international institutions and organizations.

At the meeting reference was made to the activity of the Armenian Government, agenda of reforms, economic development programs, as well as measures and steps aimed at countering corruption.

The Prime Minister underscored the importance of holding regular meetings with the diplomatic corps in this format in terms of raising the efficiency of cooperation. He also noted that the Government is open to recommendations, criticism and proposals. I attach great importance to your [mission of] taking our ideas on the development of Armenia to the countries and institutions you represent. The expectations from the cooperation are quite great, starting from investors and professional culture to tourism, since we wont be able to develop our country without giving relevant signals to the world and showing that we are open and expect them. From this perspective, we expect your support, Karapetyan said.

Touching on the upcoming parliamentary elections, the PM stressed: We expect principally new quality from these elections. We are ready to do our best for these elections to be transparent.

He also added that the newly formed Government has summed up 100 days of its activity. During this period the Government exerted maximum efforts to diagnose the issues they face, the PM noted.

Karapetyan also informed that the work carried out per sectors will in the near future be presented by a relevant report. I think the members of the Government team already feel the pulse of their areas and what has to be done. The issues are various but the main issue of the economic bloc is to create maximally equal, open and just conditions for the business. From this perspective, we have announced that we should carry out many changes and first of all change ourselves, he noted.

In Karapetyans words, in order to improve the investment climate, it is planned to facilitate the tax and customs administration process and completely shift to the electronic system, which will reduce the corruption risks.

Referring to the struggle against corruption, the PM stressed that it is constantly in the center of the Governments attention and consistent steps will be taken to reduce the level of corruption indexes through changing the climate. The report to be published will include the steps taken by the Government also in that direction.

We will present which part of them is inclined to the business environment and changing in order to create maximum obstacles for them. We wont be able to ensure progress without struggling against the shadow, moving the shadow into a white field and creating just and transparent climate for business, he stressed.

During the Q&A session, the PM responded to all the questions of interest to those present.
Founded in 1949, the NIH Record is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

It is produced by the Editorial Operations Branch, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Published 25 times each year, the NIH Record comes out on payday Fridays.
State senators have a window of opportunity at the start of a legislative session to change the rules by which they operate.

In one sense, they took full advantage of that this week by proposing 27 changes covering everything from the use of cellphones to the number of days allowed for bill introductions.

But they apparently will miss the chance to take meaningful action to limit the power of the filibuster.

In fact, some of the proposals would move in the other direction.

Thats surprising, given the way the filibuster clogged up the legislative pipeline in the past few legislative sessions. Last year the number of votes to end debate rose to 24, almost double the previous high.

Now, it takes 33 votes to cut off debate. Two years ago, then-Speaker Galen Hadley interpreted the rules to shut off debate after six hours, rather than eight. (The time allowed for debate remained at four hours for second reading and two hours on final reading.)

The Journal Star editorial board is on record in favor of reducing the number of votes needed for cloture from 33 to 30, which is the same number needed to override a gubernatorial veto. Most state legislatures require only a majority vote.

Thirty votes ought to give the minority enough power to restrain the majority from approving extreme measures without proper consideration.

To be sure, a reduction in the number of votes needed might sometimes result in passage of bills opposed by the editorial board. But the filibuster is used by senators on both ends of the political spectrum.

One of the significant problems stemming from overuse of the filibuster is that it creates so much collateral damage. Filibusters suck up huge amounts of time in a 60- or 90-day session. Sometimes valuable bills die simply because the clock runs out.

When Hadley reduced the amount of time allowed for debate on first round, he said he was making the change because he did not want Nebraskas legislature to become as dysfunctional as Congress. In the federal government members of Congress no longer have to actually talk during a filibuster. Merely giving notice is enough to shut down the legislative process.

Surely state senators want to do better.

With inexperience at a record high in the Legislature, the lessons of history may not carry much weight.

As the dates on the legislative calendar roll by, however, it should surprise no one if the filibuster once again proves a popular tool, and senators will think ruefully of what they could have done to curb its power.
Workers Exposed to Multiple Fall Hazards While Roofing Residential Home

Redhawk Roofing has been cited for four repeated safety violations

OSHA has cited Redhawk Roofing of Libertyville, Illinois, for four repeated safety violations according to a report. Employees were observed working at heights up to 23 feet while roofing a residential home in Winnetka without adequate fall protection.

An inspection found the company exposed workers to fall hazards due to lack of fall protection and eye injury without eye protection.

"Each year, hundreds of workers suffer severe injuries when they fall on the job," said Angeline Loftus, area director of OSHA's Chicago North Office in Des Plaines. "Redhawk Roofing needs to immediately review its safety procedures, and follow OSHA standards to protect workers on the job before disaster strikes."




A man digs a car out of the snow in a suburb of the Bulgarian capital Sofia after heavy snowfall on January 7, 2017

The death toll from the cold snap hitting parts of Europe rose to at least 65 on Wednesday as Bulgarian authorities reported seven fatalities.

They included a couple in their 80s, the only inhabitants of a village in the mountainous region of Smolyan in southern Bulgaria, who were found dead in their home on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the country two Iraqi migrants died in a snowstorm, a couple both aged 55 were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning caused by faulty heating and a homeless man froze to death.

Temperatures sank to minus 18 Celsius (minus 0.4 Fahrenheit) in the capital Sofia and Bulgarian authorities said electricity and gas demand have reached 20-year highs.

Most of the deaths over the past week have been in central and south-eastern Europe, with homeless people and migrants stranded in Greece, Serbia and elsewhere most at risk.

In Turkey snow over the weekend paralysed Istanbul, forced the closure to ships of the Bosphorus Strait and the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Maritime traffic on rivers including the Danube, one of Europe's busiest waterways, has also been severely hampered.

 2017 AFP
The grooves in fingerprints enhance our ability to sense textures, according to a recent study. Image credit: Wikimedia.

Could flashing the "peace" sign in photos lead to fingerprint data being stolen?

Research by a team at Japan's National Institute of Informatics (NII) says so, raising alarm bells over the popular two-fingered pose.

Fingerprint recognition technology is becoming widely available to verify identities, such as when logging on to smartphones, tablets and laptop computers.

Bu the proliferation of mobile devices with high-quality cameras and social media sites where photographs can be easily posted is raising the risk of personal information being leaked, reports said.

The NII researchers were able to copy fingerprints based on photos taken by a digital camera three metres (nine feet) away from the subject.

"Just by casually making a peace sign in front of a camera, fingerprints can become widely available," NII researcher Isao Echizen told the Sankei Shimbun newspaper for an article published Monday.

"Fingerprint data can be recreated if fingerprints are in focus with strong lighting in a picture," Echizen also told Yomiuri TV.

He added that advanced technology was not necessary and anyone could easily copy fingerprints.

But NII says it has developed a transparent film containing titanium oxide that can be attached to fingers to hide their prints, the reports said.

The film prevents identity theft but does not interfere with fingerprints being effective in identity verification, the Sankei Shimbun reported.

But the technology would not be ready for another two years, the paper said.

 2017 AFP
CITIZEN and ERPLY Provide Peace-of-Mind and Value to Retailers #NRF17

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/  Citizen Systems America Corporation, a leading manufacturer of world-class printing technology, is pleased to announce certification of its printer products with ERPLY, a recognized leader in the world POS marketplace.

With its home and birthplace being in Tallinn, Estonia, ERPLY began as a retail payment solution for small to medium-sized businesses to give the easiest and most powerful platform to manage inventory and shops across multiple locations and devices in 2010. ERPLY now helps large retailers and offers complete packages including POS technology, inventory control, billing, business reporting, and custom barcodes using a cloud-based back-end software and hardware.

With ERPLYs cloud-based software system as a recognized leader in the POS marketplace and Citizens high-quality, value-priced POS printer products, the new established partnership brings the best of both worlds to retailers large, small, and everywhere in between. Citizen and ERPLYs comprehensive solution provides reliable hardware with flexible retail software infrastructure that works for enterprises of all sizes. Retailers worldwide can rest assured knowing both companies are multinational and ERPLY provides a support helpdesk team to assist them when needed. ERPLY also has a multi-channel ecommerce platform so merchants may sell online as well as offline.
Touch Dynamic to Attend #NRF17 Retails BIG Show 2017



Stop by Booth #4342 to Check Out Touch Dynamics Latest Innovations

Irvington, NJ January 12, 2017 Touch Dynamic, a leading manufacturer of all-in-one touch systems, industrial PCs, and mobile POS devices, will be showcasing its most recent technology innovations at NRF 2017.

The National Retail Federations Big Show 2017 is an opportunity for industry professionals to communicate, collaborate, and network. Key players in the industry attend to display the latest and greatest in their retail technology arsenal. The convention & EXPO will be held January 15-17, 2017 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, NY.

Among the technology displayed by Touch Dynamic at booth #4342, will be:

Quest II Tablet: The Quest II Tablet is ruggedized for retail applications with an IP54 rating, but with the sleek look and feel of a consumer tablet.

The Quest II Tablet is ruggedized for retail applications with an IP54 rating, but with the sleek look and feel of a consumer tablet. Acrobat J1900: The Acrobat J1900 offers superior speed and reliability all while looking modern and chic in sharp white.

The Acrobat J1900 offers superior speed and reliability all while looking modern and chic in sharp white. Podium Kiosk: The Podium Kiosk is an affordable kiosk option for retailers with a high-end aesthetic. Customizable and compatible with any Touch Dynamic All-In-One mounted on the Touch Dynamic printer base, its perfect for any retail application.

We are looking forward to participating in NRF 2017, said Craig Paritz, President of Touch Dynamic. Our innovative and rugged POS technology hardware is extremely valuable in the retail space and we cant wait to get it in front of our retail industry audience.

About Touch Dynamic

Founded in August of 2001, Touch Dynamic is a certified manufacturer of all-in-one touch terminals, small form factor PCs, mobile POS tablets and touchscreen monitors for a variety of industries. We understand the demands on our channel partners and provide unique products and additional value-added services to help them meet the specific needs of their customers. To learn more, visit www.touchdynamic.com.



Other Point of Sale blogs of interest:
- The PDP urges the APC to leave Ekweremadu alone and face its problem in the National Assembly

- The party says no amount of conspiracy against the deputy Senate president can stand

- The national vice chairman of the party, Chief Austin, vows that PDP will protect Ekweremadu

Ali Ndume has been replaced with Ahmed Lawan as the news Senate leader.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the threat by some All Progressives Congress (APC) senators to Ekweremadu to join the ruling APC or be disgraced out of office like the deposed Senate leader, Ali Ndume.

READ ALSO: Tinubu, Akande, other Yoruba APC chiefs meet in Ibadan

The PDP on Thursday, January 12, urged the APC to leave Ekweremadu alone and face its problem in the National Assembly.

The New Telegraph reports that the national vice chairman of the party, Chief Austin, in a statement in Abakaliki said no amount of conspiracy against the deputy Senate president can stand.

Austin vowed that PDP will protect Ekweremadu.

He attributed the internal crisis rocking the APC Senate caucus to the ouster of the former majority leader, Senator Ali Ndume.

The party called on the APC to stop issuing threats and making overtures to Ekweremadu.

READ ALSO: I did not remove Ali Ndume as Senate leader - Saraki

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that 39 out of the 63 members of All Peoples Congress (APC) senators signed the letter which demanded the replacement of Ali Ndume with Ahmed Lawan as the Senate Leader.

According to Premium Times, the letter titled: Notice of Vote of No Confidence/Change of Leadership was read by Senate President Bukola Saraki before the Senate adjourned on Tuesday, January 10.

Recall that Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South was removed as Senate Leader on Tuesday while the name of Senator Ahmed Lawan of Yobe North was forwarded as the new Senate leader.

APC has 63 members in the 109-member Senate.

Senator Ali Ndume has since accepted his exit and thanked his colleagues for giving him the opportunity to lead them.

Source: Legit.ng
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has said recent activities of the National Assembly show that it has passed a vote of no-confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari.

Fayose says the National Assembly has passed a no-confidence vote on Buhari

The governor, believed to be very controversial, also thanked the legislators for standing firm against the reported anti-people policies of the current government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in recent times.

"The persistent rejection of the President Buharis policies by a National Assembly that is controlled by his own party is an indirect way of passing vote of no confidence on the president and a call to action by the president and his men to take proper stock.

READ ALSO: Fayose says God will reveal next Ekiti governor to him

"Even the National Assembly members have now seen what he had seen since the beginning of the present APC-led federal government and are now standing up in defence of the ordinary Nigerians, who are suffering as a result of bad policies of the federal government," he said.

Speaking on Thursday, January 12 through a statement from his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said it was heart-warming that the National Assembly helped Nigerians to prevent the planned data tariff increase, with the National Communication Commission (NCC) suspending the new minimum pricing template for data services by mobile operators in deference to the Senate resolution.

"In the last few months, the National Assembly as an institution has come to the aid of the suffering masses of Nigeria by stopping the federal government bad policies.

Some of such major interventions were the stoppage of the planned data tariff increase, resolution urging the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to suspend the ban on the importation of vehicles through land borders, and opposition of the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for the repairs of its runway and the diversion of flights to the Kaduna airport.

Particularly, even though elementary economists should know that ban on the importation of vehicles through land borders would cause loss of several thousands of jobs and further make vehicles unaffordable for ordinary Nigerians, the federal government adopted the policy without minding its adverse effects on Nigerians.

READ ALSO: FG persecuting ex-governor Shema over 2019 - Fayose

Also, they knew that a complete shutdown of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and diversion of flights to the Kaduna airport will endanger the lives of both local and international air travellers that will have to travel by land from Kaduna to Abuja and further jeopardise the economy of the country.

Instead of closing the Abuja airport completely, why not use the VIP section?

It appears this government of President Buhari is just here to inflict hardships on Nigerians and I commend the National Assembly for standing firmly on the side of the masses by showing to the whole world that the President and his government no longer enjoy the confidence of the people, especially the suffering masses, the governor said.

Source: Legit.ng
BEATRICE  As lawmakers begin crafting the states two-year budget and consider bills to reduce the tax burden on property owners, farmers in Gage County find themselves in an evermore precarious situation.

Any tax relief passed by the Legislature this year might be wiped away entirely if an appeals court upholds a $28.1 million federal jury judgment against the county.

Assuming no insurance money comes through and the county turns to property taxes to pay the judgment in the case of the "Beatrice 6," the countys 1,447 farmers  roughly 15 percent of the countys population  would foot 72 percent of the bill.

Its a problem Don Schuller, chairman of the Gage County Democrats, said has moved beyond a political matter to a full-blown crisis.

All property owners will be affected, Schuller said Wednesday night at a meeting of landowners and elected officials at the local Valentinos.

The roots of the crisis extend back more than 30 years to the rape and murder of 68-year-old Helen Wilson in her downtown Beatrice apartment in 1985.

Six people were sentenced to prison for committing the crime  Joseph White, Ada JoAnn Taylor, James Dean, Thomas Winslow, Kathleen Gonzalez and Debra Sheldon  spending a combined 75 years behind bars before DNA evidence showed a seventh person committed the crime.

The six sued Gage County, former sheriffs Deputy Burdette Searcey and Reserve Deputy Wayne Price for violating their civil rights in the cold-case investigation, and last summer, a federal jury awarded them a total of $28.1 million  $1,000 for every day they spent incarcerated.

The county has since appealed to the 8th Circuit Court, asking the panel to overturn or reduce the judgment. The countys deadline to submit written briefs to the court is Friday; attorneys for the six will have a month to respond.

To date, the county has spent more than $1.4 million on its defense.

In the meantime, taxpayers in Gage County are on edge and looking for solutions that have not yet materialized.

County Board Chairman Myron Dorn, who farms near Adams, said the county has been told that any potential remedy from the state Legislature will have to wait until the slow-moving legal process wraps up.

Weve been told the Legislature will not do anything as long as the case is in litigation, Dorn said.

Earlier Wednesday, a spokesman for Gov. Pete Ricketts confirmed that the governors office was waiting to see how the case played out in court.

Gerry Oligmueller, the state's budget administrator, said no line item providing a state payment in the Beatrice 6 case would be included in the governors biennial budget proposal, which will be unveiled Thursday.

Gage County citizens say any help from the state could come too late.

If the appeals court sides with the six, forcing Gage County to pay more than $30 million in penalties and attorneys fees, that payment will largely fall on property owners.

Farmers like Larry Gronewold, who say they are shouldering most of tax burden in the county already, said he believes the county will be required to pay the judgment, calling the decision rendered by a federal jury last summer a done deal.

I want to be realistic, he said.

This year, Gage County will levy approximately 26 cents per $100 of valuation to raise a little more than $8 million for its annual operations.

Raising the county levy 12 cents to the state-imposed cap would only generate an additional $3.8 million annually, Dorn told the roughly three dozen people gathered for the meeting.

At that rate, Gage County would need nearly a decade levying its maximum property tax levy to pay the judgment.

Asking for a show of hands for who would support adding 12 cents to the levy, Schuller found no takers.

District 30 Sen. Roy Baker said the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys has asked him to sponsor a measure that would allow Nebraska political subdivisions to obtain a low-interest loan from the state treasurer to pay judgments once other options are exhausted.

Bill introduction in the Legislature ends Jan. 18. Baker said if he doesnt introduce the measure, another senator might.

That didnt assuage farmers like Gronewold, who pays nearly $16,000 in property taxes each year on roughly 160 acres of land.

Greg Lauby, one of the co-organizers of Wednesdays meeting, said the property tax relief package passed by lawmakers in the last biennium totaled only $20 million  far less than the amount needed to pay off the Beatrice 6 judgment.

If all else fails, Lauby said, one landowner offered a bleak prognosis for Gage Countys future.

He asked: Couldnt we just give the county back to the state if this goes south?
Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether 

Read more
Bitcoin prices plummeted after China's central bank announced it was investigating exchange platforms trading in the virtual currency.

The People's Bank of China (PBoC) said it had dispatched inspection teams to several of the country's major bitcoin trading platforms in Beijing and Shanghai.

The move, announced Wednesday, has triggered fears Beijing is mulling a crackdown on the digital unit as part of its widening battle against money flowing offshore.

The vast majority of the world's Bitcoin trading takes place in China, and prices surged above $1,100 early this month as investors flocked to the virtual currency with the yuan hitting eight-year lows.

The PBoC announcement sent its value plunging, with the Bitcoin Price Index, an average of the major exchanges, dropping more than 15 percent to an intraday low of $752.11 on Wednesday.

On Thursday prices recovered slightly to $768.76, still far below its highs last week.

"China giveth and China taketh away," Gil Luria, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told Bloomberg News.

"The rally in bitcoin over the preceding few weeks was likely driven by Chinese capital flight and speculation, which is why concerns about China taking a firmer stance against the use of bitcoin is likely putting pressure on the price."

The PBoC investigation was targeting foreign currency exchange, market manipulation, money laundering and financial security risks, the bank's statement said.
(Bloomberg) -- Nigeria ordered Taiwan to move its trade mission from the capital, Abuja, to the commercial hub, Lagos, following a visit by the Chinese foreign minister during which his government pledged to invest $40 billion into infrastructure in Africas most populous country.

Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama announced the move Wednesday after meeting with Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said. China has said it will invest $40 billion in Nigerian infrastructure projects, presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said by phone from Abuja Thursday, without giving further details.

Onyeama said Taiwan would stop enjoying privileges because it wasnt a country recognized under international law, Xinhua said. During the talks, Onyeama also reaffirmed his countrys commitment to the One-China policy.

The foreign ministry strongly protests and condemns the unreasonable, rude and outrageous act of political hype carried out by the Nigerian government in complying with mainland Chinas political goals, Taiwans foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday.

Nigeria has made a correct political judgment, Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in Beijing Thursday. The West African nation has promised not to have any official dealings with Taiwan, Lu said.

China has shown a willingness to use its growing economic and military might to put pressure on Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which swept the more Beijing-friendly Kuomintang from power last year. The move comes less than a month after the tiny West African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe broke off ties with Taiwan and established formal relations with China, leaving the self-ruled island with just 21 diplomatic partners.

The Communist Party considers the self-governed island a province and has criticized President Tsai Ing-wens refusal to accept that both sides belong to One China, its precondition for ties. China had refrained from actively wooing away any of Taiwans diplomatic partners during the eight-year tenure of Tsais predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, who advocated increased ties with the worlds second-largest economy.

Story continues

Dwindling Friends

Tsai is wrapping up a week-long Central American tour, in which she has been shoring up relations with her dwindling roster of diplomatic friends. The Nigerian move suggests she also might need to be concerned about Taiwans business interests in countries that lack formal ties to Taipei.

Earlier this month South Africas government rebuked the mayor of a municipal area including its capital city, Pretoria, for visiting Taiwan saying the trip contravened its One China policy. The mayor, Solly Msimanga, is a member of the opposition Democratic Alliance.

Nigeria has been seeking Chinese support after a slump in oil prices pushed the African nation to the brink of its first full-year recession since 1991. The two countries have been discussing various deals spanning oil production to infrastructure, with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returning from a visit to Beijing in April with promises of $6 billion in loans.

This administration is very serious about infrastructural development. We want rail, road, power, skill acquisition for our people, Buhari said in a statement Wednesday. We will keep our side of the bargain in all the agreements we have signed.

Nigeria loses at least 2 percent of gross domestic product growth annually due to a deficit in infrastructure, mainly electricity, according to the government.

Wang told Buhari on Wednesday that China appreciates that the Nigerian side made good on its pledge to implement the One-China principle, and carried out concrete and decisive measures to clear political obstacles to the development of bilateral relations.

(Updates with comment from Nigerian president in fourth paragraph under Dwindling Friends subheadline.)

--With assistance from Miaojung Lin Debra Mao and Elisha Bala-Gbogbo To contact the reporters on this story: Brendan Scott in Hong Kong at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Ting Shi in Hong Kong at tshi31@bloomberg.net, Yinka Ibukun in Lagos at yibukun@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Dulue Mbachu, Antony Sguazzin

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Warburg Pincus is forming a consortium to bid for Global Logistic Properties Ltd., the Singapore-based warehouse operator, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Warburg Pincus has been speaking with banks and potential bidding partners about an offer for the industrial property owner, which has a market value of about $8.5 billion, the people said. GLP, which has assets in China, Japan, the U.S. and Brazil, has asked for first-round offers by early February, people with knowledge of the matter said previously.

Shares of GLP rose as much as 4.8 percent Thursday, hitting the highest intraday level since June 2015. They were up 3.2 percent to S$2.59 at 9:44 a.m. in Singapore, making GLP the best performer on the benchmark Straits Times Index. A consortium including Chinese buyout firm Hopu Investment Management has also held talks about making an offer for GLP, people with knowledge of the matter said in November.

Purchasing GLP would help Warburg Pincus take advantage of a boom in demand for warehouse space from e-commerce companies like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc. Any transaction would add to at least $8.4 billion of deals that the private equity firm has announced in Asia over the past three years, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

For investors going long on Asia, logistics offers a direct play into the urbanization story as Asian consumers seek developed-world standard of goods and services, Priyaranjan Kumar, regional executive director of capital markets at Cushman & Wakefield Inc. in Singapore, said by phone Thursday. It is not surprising to see likes of Warburg Pincus wanting to take advantage of market dislocations and further strengthen their Asia platform.

Management Support

Bidder groups see the support of existing company management as key to the success of their offers, one of the people said. Representatives for Warburg Pincus and GLP declined to comment.

GLP said last month it would conduct a strategic review of options to improve shareholder value after a request from its biggest investor, Singapore sovereign fund GIC Pte. The companys clients include Adidas AG, French retailer Carrefour SA and luxury-goods giant LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, its website shows.

Story continues

Warburg Pincus has previously invested in e-Shang Redwood Group, which owns a portfolio of logistics properties in China, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. private equity firm is also leading a buyout of ARA Asset Management Ltd. that was announced in November, valuing the Singapore real estate investment firm at S$1.78 billion ($1.2 billion).

In November 2015, Warburg Pincus announced it had completed fundraising for a $12 billion global private equity fund. The firm opened a Singapore office last year led by Managing Director Jeffrey Perlman to seek growth investment opportunities across Southeast Asia.

Warburg Pincus said at the time it has invested in more than 140 Asian companies, including Chinese package delivery firm ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. and Indian developer Piramal Realty. In August, Warburg Pincus and KKR & Co. led a $550 million round of funding for Indonesian startup Go-Jek, which provides motorcycle rides on demand.

(Updates with analyst quote in fifth paragraph.)

--With assistance from Prudence Ho Cathy Chan and Pooja Thakur To contact the reporters on this story: Jonathan Browning in Hong Kong at jbrowning9@bloomberg.net, Joyce Koh in Singapore at jkoh38@bloomberg.net, Vinicy Chan in Hong Kong at vchan91@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Scent at bscent@bloomberg.net, Marcus Wright at mwright115@bloomberg.net, Timothy Sifert

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
GENEVA (AP)  Top diplomats from Turkey, Greece and Britain temporarily suspended talks aimed at helping unify long-divided Cyprus after failing to narrow differences Thursday on security guarantees for its ethnic Greek and Turkish communities.

Envoys to the U.N.-hosted talks in Geneva said foreign ministers from Cyprus' three "guarantors" now will step back from the process and let their deputies thrash out the options starting next Wednesday, with hopes of returning to the table if progress is made.

"Today, as the foreign ministers, we frankly shared our position on different issues  particularly on security and guarantee issues," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavotoglu told reporters late Thursday. "At the end, we found out that we have totally different positions."

"Today's meeting was very useful, (I'm) not disappointed," Cavusoglu added, saying that ideas were floated even if differences were not reduced.

The talks on post-reunification security featuring the foreign ministers came following three days of discussions between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on internal issues. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sought to play down expectations, saying there was no "quick fix" for decades of division in Cyprus.

Turkey invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 following a coup aimed at making Cyprus part of Greece. Turkish Cypriots, the minority, see Turkey's military might as their sole insurance against any Greek Cypriot hostility, and want those troops to remain in a final accord.

"The participants recognized that this is the time to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion," a U.N. statement said, alluding to years of failed efforts for a deal. "This is a historic opportunity that should not be missed."

The Greek Cypriot president and the Turkish Cypriot leader are to keep discussing differences on issues such as returning homes and property to owners who were displaced when the island was cleaved along ethnic lines more than four decades ago.

Story continues

Guterres said work will continue toward "a solid and a sustainable solution for Cyprus" that "will be a symbol of hope in a world where so many conflicts are emerging, where so many problems do not seem to come to an end."

"You cannot expect miracles and immediate solutions," he said.

Guterres said Anasastaides and Akinci made progress on issues like territory, property and relations with the European Union since they started meeting in Geneva on Monday.

The arrival of foreign ministers Boris Johnson of Britain, Nikos Kotzias of Greece and Turkey's Cavusoglu brought talks about security  a key issue for both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots  to the table for the first time in years of peacemaking efforts.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also participated in the talks.

Turkey's Cavusoglu said the future talks would succeed if all sides "are sincere about a solution. But if we go around in circles, and if there is maneuvering for short-term political interests, there will be no results."

Kotzias said earlier Thursday that the the main point of disagreement continues to be Turkey's insistence on keeping troops in Cyprus and the right to militarily intervene, which Greece opposes.

"We believe, and rightly so, that the guarantee system must be abolished," Kotzias told reporters.

He said Greece favors a plan to cobble together an international team of observers under U.N. Security Council auspices to oversee the implementation of a peace accord. Any deal should foresee the swift withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, he said.

Greek Cypriots see the Turkish troop presence as a threat and an instrument of Ankara's influence on the island. They insist that Turkey, which isn't an EU member, should neither keep troops on Cyprus, which is part of the 28-nation bloc, nor have the right to intervene militarily there.

Anasastaides floated the possibility an international police force for Cyprus, without specifying who might set it up or lead it, a diplomat who attended the session said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to provide details about the talks.

The ministers hoped to pave the way for their prime ministers to join, a possible signal that a wide-ranging accord could be on tap. Britain is a former colonial overseer in Cyprus, and today has two military bases on the island.

Any final accord would go before voters in both the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus that's recognized only by Turkey and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south. Guterres acknowledged that "referenda are not an easy challenge."

___

Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia, Cyprus. Suzan Frazer in Istanbul, Cinar Kiper in Ankara, Turkey, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.
With the ambition to make building communications satellites more affordable, the Bandung-based company takes part in the record-breaking Menembus Langit project

Founder Dian Rusdiana Hakim poses with ATS drones

In late October 2016, the Menembus Langit project launched a rocket consisting of an Ai-X1 drone from a technological research and observation centre belonging to the National Aviation and Aerospace Institute (LAPAN) in Garut, West Java, Indonesia.

On the first day of the launch  which was broadcast live via Twitter  the drone was propelled with the help of a weather balloon and managed to reach 10 kilometres above sea-level.

But a GPS glitch forced the drone to activate its fail-safe scenario: The drone released itself from the weather balloon and performed return-to-home procedure to get back to its launching spot. Bad weather has been reported as the main culprit behind the failure.

On the second day of the launch, despite having experienced issues with its GPS again, the drone had successfully reached 19.3 kilometres above sea-level.

It was eventually awarded the National Museum of Record accolade for being Indonesias first stratospheric space shuttle drone to reach such height.

The Ai-X1 drone

The Ai-X1 drone. Image Credit: Menembus Langit

Also Read: NASA is developing an Alexa-enabled robot for its Mars mission 2020

Menembus Langit project is a result of a collaboration across 18 governmental and private institutions and 95 individuals. The project aims to inspire the rise of Indonesian aviation and aerospace industry, proving the role of collaborative efforts in it.

The drone used in the project was built by AeroTerrascan (ATS), a subsidiary of PT. Aero Terra Indonesia.

On a fine afternoon, e27 paid a visit to the companys drone factory to talk with ATS founder Dian Rusdiana Hakim. While the companys head office is located in the downtown area of Bandung, the company chose a village just outside of the city as the location for their factory.

Story continues

The idea for Menembus Langit has been around since long ago, but only in 2016 that we managed to make it come true, Hakim began the story behind the project.

Before the flight, we visited several universities, meeting with aviation experts to consult the project. That is how we found out that the data that we need for the mission do not exist, because nobody has ever done this before. Thats how we decided to jump into this, certainly by using scientific approach such as aerodynamic calculation, trajectory, and many more, he explained.

Preparing for flight

Preparing for flight. Image Credit: Menembus Langit

Also Read: This ex-NASA scientist is using big data to raise yields on Chinas small farmlands

Together we fly

From the trial flight in October, the team managed to gather vital atmospheric and aerodynamic data that would benefit preparation of their next launch, which is due to happen in late 2017. Eventually, it will also be used in building much bigger aircraft.

The team also plans to keep the data open for public consumption, so that individuals and research institutes will be able to access it  and if possible, to join the project, Hakim expects.

These days, you just cannot do anything by yourself. If we look at what happened abroad, even European aviation giants like Airbus turned out to be supported by several small and medium enterprises (SMEs), he said.

Crowdsourced resources are believed to be the key to the rise of the Indonesian aviation and aerospace industry, which had previously been a monopoly of state-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI).

In the past, everything was very centralised, [using] top-down [approach]. Everything is already being arranged by the leader. But today is a new era when everything begins from below, from bottom-up. Perhaps we  SMEs or individuals who are able to move Indonesian aerospace industry forward  should be able to back-up the existing institutions, he explained.



Also Read: Space tempeh: Indonesian high schoolers join forces with NASA to send rice, yeast to ISS

There is hope in the horizon as in 2013, constitutional changes finally allowed LAPAN to conduct aviation technology researches on their own.

This is why we recently joined in the Indonesian Aeronautics Engineering Centre (IAEC), a hub for aviation industry players  We want to be able to support this industry by helping PTDI. Small enterprises like us might also be involved in setting up national programmes for aviation, Hakim explained.

Menembus Langit Programme Director Azhar T. Pangesti at the Command Center

Menembus Langit Programme Director Azhar T. Pangesti at the Command Center

Launching to the future

Despite having set national records, this is not the end of the road for Menembus Langit, as the project is set to conduct at least two more sets of trial in 2017.

Hakim says that his goal is for the drone to reach 30 kilometres above ground, and eventually, to fly for up to six months in the air.

In the long run, he hopes that the projects will make building communications satellites more affordable.

If this turns out to be a success, we can build it for Indonesia, he said.

Also Read: Singapores Infinium Robotics in talks with NASA to build drone software

ATS itself is one of the four subsidiaries of PT Aero Terra Indonesia. Some of its sister companies are AeroGeosurvey (focussing on services such as geo-mapping), Global Inovasi Informasi Indonesia (focussing on drone manufacturing), AeroVisualStudios, and HiberNagen (drones for hobbyists).

ATS was incorporated when Hakim decided to focus more on civilian-based clients, after years of servicing clients in the military and government.

By late 2016, the startup claimed to have sold 500 batches of its Ai-450 drones. Through its clients use of the products, it has mapped up to seven million hectares of land in the country.

The startup had also worked for several disaster risk management projects, such as a project with Gadjah Mada University. An ATS drone managed to reach 3,400 metres above-sea-level to create 3D mapping of Mt. Merapi. The mapping enabled scientists to correctly predict the direction of the eruption.

This year, ATS is going to see more product launches and it is planning to start selling its drone to international markets.

Everything that we created, if it manages to bring impact into peoples lives  Then there is a certain pride in it, he closed.

View from above

View from above. Image Credit: Menembus Langit

-

The post How AeroTerrascan plans to skyrocket Indonesias aviation and aerospace dream appeared first on e27.
AFP News

Zhang Yao recalls the moment he realised something had gone deeply wrong at the Chinese mega-factory where he and hundreds of thousands of other workers assembled iPhones and other high-end electronics. In early October, supervisors suddenly warned him that 3,000 colleagues had been taken into quarantine after someone tested positive for Covid-19 at the factory. "They told us not to take our masks off," Zhang, speaking under a pseudonym for fear of retaliation, told AFP by telephone. What followed was a weeks-long ordeal including food shortages and the ever-present fear of infection, before he finally escaped on Tuesday. Zhang's employer, Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, has said it faces a "protracted battle" against infections and imposed a "closed loop" bubble around its sprawling campus in central China's Zhengzhou city. Local authorities locked down the area surrounding the major Apple supplier's factory on Wednesday, but not before reports emerged of employees fleeing on foot and a lack of adequate medical care at the plant. China is the last major economy committed to a zero-Covid strategy, persisting with snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines in a bid to stamp out emerging outbreaks. But new variants have tested officials' ability to snuff out flare-ups and dragged down economic activity with the threat of sudden disruptions. - Desperation - Multiple workers have recounted scenes of chaos and increasing disorganisation at Foxconn's complex of workshops and dormitories, which form a city-within-a-city near Zhengzhou's airport. Zhang told AFP that "positive tests and double lines (on antigen tests) had become a common sight" in his workshop before he left. "Of course we were scared, it was so close to us." "People with fevers are not guaranteed to receive medicine," another Foxconn worker, a 30-year-old man who also asked to remain anonymous, told AFP. "We are drowning," he said. Those who decided to stop working were not offered meals at their dormitories, Zhang said, adding that some were able to survive on personal stockpiles of instant noodles. Kai, a worker at in the complex who gave an interview to state-owned Sanlian Lifeweek, told the magazine Foxconn's "closed loop" involved cordoning off paths between dormitory compounds and the factory, and complained he was left to his own devices after being thrown in quarantine. TikTok videos geolocated by AFP showed mounds of uncollected rubbish outside buildings in late October, while employees in N95 masks squeezed onto packed shuttle buses taking them from dormitories to their work stations. A 27-year-old woman working at Foxconn, who asked not to be named, told AFP a roommate who tested positive for Covid was sent back to her dormitory on Thursday morning, crying, after she decided to hand in her notice while in quarantine. "Now the three of us are living in the same room: one a confirmed case and two of us testing positive on the rapid test, still waiting for our nucleic acid test results," the worker told AFP. Many became so desperate by the end of last month that they attempted to walk back to their hometowns to get around Covid transport curbs. As videos of people dragging their suitcases down motorways and struggling up hills spread on Chinese social media, the authorities rushed in to do damage control. The Zhengzhou city government on Sunday said it had arranged for special buses to take employees back to their hometowns. Surrounding Henan province has officially reported a spike of more than 600 Covid cases since the start of this week. - Distrust - When Zhang finally attempted to leave the Foxconn campus on Tuesday, he found the company had set up obstacle after obstacle. "There were people with loudspeakers advertising the latest Foxconn policy, saying that each day there would be a 400 yuan ($55) bonus," Zhang told AFP. A crowd of employees gathered at a pick-up point in front of empty buses but were not let on. People in hazmat suits, known colloquially as "big whites" in China, claimed they had been sent by the city government. "They tried to persuade people to stay in Zhengzhou... and avoid going home," Zhang said. "But when we asked to see their work ID, they had nothing to show us, so we suspected they were actually from Foxconn." Foxconn pointed to the local government's lockdown orders from Wednesday when asked by AFP if it attempted to stop employees from leaving, without giving any further response. The company had on Sunday said it was "providing employees with complimentary three meals a day" and cooperating with the government to provide transport home. Eventually, the crowd of unhappy workers who had gathered decided to take matters into their own hands and walked over seven kilometres on foot to the nearest highway entry ramp. There, more people claiming to be government officials pleaded with the employees to wait for the bus. The crowd had no choice as the road was blocked. Buses eventually arrived at five in the afternoon -- nearly nine hours after Zhang had begun his attempt to secure transport. "They were trying to grind us down," he said. Back in his hometown, Zhang is now waiting out the home quarantine period required by the local government. "All I feel is, I've finally left Zhengzhou," he told AFP. bur-tjx/oho/je/mca/cwl
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Brazil's most powerful criminal gang, First Command, is exploiting overcrowding and squalid conditions in the country's penitentiaries to expand its reach across the national prison system, an incursion at the center of massacres that have left nearly 100 inmates dead in the new year.

Some prisoners were beheaded or had their hearts and intestines ripped out in two recent prison massacres in northern Brazil, one launched by inmate members of the First Command and the other directed against them by a rival gang trying to stop the expansion.

Legal and security experts say the government's failure to improve conditions that make Brazil's prisons seem more like dungeons has only strengthened the First Command, based in the southern city of Sao Paulo and known by the Portuguese acronym PCC.

"The state has lost control over prisons," said Claudio Lamachia, who has visited many penitentiaries as chairman of Brazil's bar association.

Inside the lockups, survival often depends on gang protection and financial help. A slow legal system means a large percentage of prisoners wait years for their cases are heard. Meanwhile, First Command recruits new members, orders hits on rivals and runs drug-trafficking operations both inside and outside prisons even though many of its leaders are in maximum security penitentiaries in Sao Paulo state.

"Death is often the only alternative for an inmate who doesn't want to cooperate with gangs like PCC," said Lamachia.

The recent string of violence began on Jan. 1-2, when 56 inmates were killed in the northern state of Amazonas. Authorities said that the Family of the North gang targeted PCC members in a clash over control of drug-trafficking routes in northern states. It's not yet known how many died from each gang, but many of those killed were beheaded and dismembered.

Then on Jan. 6, in the neighboring state of Roraima, 33 prisoners were killed, many with their hearts and intestines ripped out. Uziel Castro, Roraima state's security secretary, said First Command members instigated the bloodshed against other prisoners for motives not entirely clear.

Story continues

"There was no confrontation; this was a killing spree. It was barbaric," said Castro, adding that the Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo was built for 700 prisoners but housed 1,500.

Between Jan.2-9, another 10 inmates were killed in smaller prison clashes in Amazonas and the northeastern state of Paraiba.

On Monday, the federal government sent 200 soldiers to prisons in Amazonas and Roraima states. Several other states have requested similar help.

President Michel Temer, who was criticized for a slow response and calling the first massacre "a terrible accident," has since announced plans to build five new prisons. But Temer has not provided details, and it could take years to build new facilities.

"The penitentiary system has been in crisis a long time and gotten worse in the last 10 years," Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes said recently, noting there has been a lack of investment amid a ballooning prisoner population.

Brazil had 233,000 prisoners in 2000, compared to 622,000 in 2014, according to Ministry of Justice data. The prisons combined were built to house roughly half that current number.

First Command was founded after a 1992 riot-turned-massacre when heavily military police stormed a prison, killing at least 111. Since then, the gang's rise has paralleled a deteriorating prison system.

Police investigators say the gang controls Rio de Janeiro's largest slum even though the city is home to the rival gang Red Command. Called "the party" by its members, First Command also has operations in Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, according to Brazilian federal authorities.

Journalists are rarely given access to prisons, but photos and video shot with inmates' cellular phones show cells so packed there is little room to move around. Toilets and showers are filthy. There are often infestations of scorpions, poisonous centipedes and rats in the tropical heat.

Recent transfers of prisoners to avoid more riots have exacerbated bad living conditions inside the lockups, making it more difficult for inmates to get medical care, said Marlon Barcellos, legal coordinator for prisoner representation in Rio de Janeiro state. He gave the example of a prisoner who had trouble changing his colostomy bag after a recent transfer.

"The situation is desperate," said Barcellos. "There hasn't been a recent uprising (in Rio state), but the conditions for riots are there."

Contributing to overcrowding is a justice system that often essentially locks people up and throws away the key even before a trial is held.

Ivar Hartmann, a law professor at Fundacao Getulio Vargas, a think tank in Rio de Janeiro, says a study he conducted found that 40 percent of inmates have not been convicted, waiting sometimes years for even non-violent crimes to be processed.

And while they bide their time, they must figure out how to survive.

"The newbies feed the gangs like PCC in exchange for protection," said Hartmann. "That's one of the reasons why Brazil has a failed system."

___

Follow Peter Prengaman on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/peterprengaman ; Follow Mauricio Savarese on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MSavarese .
Nearly 400 guests gathered at the Great Plains Art Museum in downtown Lincoln Jan. 6 to see the opening premiere of Bridges: Sharing Our Past to Enrich the Future, a statewide traveling photo exhibit.

The juried exhibit features 93 winning photos of historic sites and hidden treasures  one from each county  that help tell Nebraskas story as part of this years sesquicentennial statehood celebration.

Several photographers  professionals and amateurs alike  attended the opening premiere and shared the stories behind their winning photos.

I actually do more clay work than photography  Im a clay artist, said Kelly Rush, who shot the winning photo of the Salem Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1898 in Kearney County. I happened to hear about the contest, and I went out with a borrowed camera during a cold winter sunset and took the picture.

The winning photos were selected from over 800 entries submitted by 129 photographers from all 93 counties.

Judges for the Bridges photo contest were Joel Sartore, contributor to National Geographic Magazine and NEBRASKAland Magazine; George Tuck, University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor emeritus; and Bobbi and Steve Olson, regular contributors to Nebraska Life Magazine.

As we looked through the photo entries, we found that there are many talented photographers in the state and some beautiful places to take pictures of, said Tuck. We saw a lot of different perspectives and techniques.

Sartore said he enjoyed learning about the state through the historic presentations that accompanied the photo entries. It was an education like Id never had before, he said.

Theres a lot of information there, added Bobbi Olson. The photographers told the local stories behind the photos. People can look at the 93 photos in the book (Nebraska: 150 Years Told Through 93 Counties by David Hendee) and use them as a scavenger hunt while traveling across the state.

The Bridges photo exhibit is sponsored by Hildegard Center for the Arts in collaboration with the Nebraska Tourism Commission and Nebraska State Historical Society.

Kim Einspahr, Hildegards founder and president, praised the work of Bridges project chair Cathy Harrington at the Jan. 6 opening premiere.

Cathy has brought out the very best in each of us, and ultimately this sesquicentennial exhibit, Einspahr said. We wouldnt be here tonight appreciating all of these wonderful photographs had it not been for her vision, steadfast leadership and drive for excellence.

Harrington shared that the Bridges photo project began two years ago as an initiative to connect the past to the present by highlighting Nebraskas historical treasures. At the same time, we were celebrating Nebraskas sesquicentennial, she said. We couldnt have asked for more.

As the project progressed, it became much more than the original initiative, Harrington said.

Invisible bridges were being built that added an extra depth of meaning to the Bridges project, she said. We noticed reignited community pride, rekindled memories from days gone by, renewal of family relationships, reinforcement of state unity and re-energized love for this beautiful state.

These invisible bridges are the personal stories behind the 93 photos that you see in this gallery, Harrington continued. For me, that has been the most satisfying.

The exhibit is on display at the Great Plains Art Museum through March 25 before moving on to five other Nebraska regions throughout the year. For museum hours and to inquire about group tours, see unl.edu/plains/about/contact.shtml. To learn more about this Nebraska 150 exhibit and to see all submitted photos and exhibit locations, visit hildegardcenter.org.
FILE PHOTO: Chinas Liaoning aircraft carrier with accompanying fleet conducts a drill in an area of South China Sea, in this undated photo taken December, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer/File photo

Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships on Wednesday as a group of Chinese warships, led by its sole aircraft carrier, sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the latest sign of heightened tension between Beijing and the self-ruled island.

Chinas Soviet-built Liaoning aircraft carrier, returning from exercises in the South China Sea, was not encroaching in Taiwans territorial waters but entered its air defense identification zone in the southwest, Taiwans defense ministry said.

As a result, Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships to surveil and control the passage of the Chinese ships north through the body of water separating Taiwan and China, Taiwan defense ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said.

Taiwan military aircraft and ships have been deployed to follow the carrier group, which is sailing up the west side of the median line of the strait, he said.

Taiwans top policymaker for China affairs urged Beijing to resume dialogue, after official communication channels were suspended by Beijing from June.

I want to emphasize our government has sufficient capability to protect our national security. Its not necessary to overly panic, said Chang Hsiao-yueh, minister for Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, during a news briefing in response to reporters questions on the Liaoning.

On the other hand, any threats would not benefit cross-Strait ties, she said.

China has said the Liaoning was on an exercise to test weapons and equipment in the disputed South China Sea and its movements complied with international law.

On the weekend, a Chinese bomber flew around the Spratly Islands in a show of strategic force, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

The latest Chinese exercises have unnerved Beijings neighbors, especially Taiwan which Beijing claims as its own, given long-running territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Story continues

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Chinas ships couldnt always remain in port and the navy had to hone its capabilities.

The Taiwan Strait is an international waterway shared between the mainland and Taiwan. So, it is normal for the Liaoning to go back and forth through the Taiwan Strait in the course of training, and it wont have any impact on cross-Strait relations, Liu said at a briefing on Asia-Pacific security.

China claims most of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

China distrusts Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and has stepped up pressure on her after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump broke years of diplomatic protocol and took a congratulatory call last month from her.

Trump then riled China by casting doubt on the one China policy that Beijing regards as the basis of U.S.-Chinese relations.

Tsai drew anger from China again when she met senior U.S. Republican lawmakers in Houston on Sunday en route to Central America, in a transit stop that Beijing had asked the United States to not allow.

Beijing suspects Tsai wants to push for the islands formal independence, a red line for the mainland, which has never renounced the use of force to bring what it deems a renegade province under its control.

Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China.

(Reporting by J.R. Wu and Faith Hung; Additional reporting by Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)

The post Taiwan scrambles jets, navy as China aircraft carrier enters Taiwan Strait appeared first on UNTV News.
By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state has set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea. In comments expected to enrage Beijing, Rex Tillerson told his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China's building of islands and putting military assets on those islands was "akin to Russias taking Crimea from Ukraine. Asked whether he supported a more aggressive posture toward China, he said: "Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed. The former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands it has built up from South China Sea reefs, equipped with military-length airstrips and fortified with weapons. Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for specifics on how China might be blocked from the artificial islands. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. When asked repeatedly about Tillerson's comments on blocking access to islands, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he couldn't make any guesses as to what Tillerson was referring to and would not answer hypothetical questions. China's right to carry out 'normal activities' in its sovereign territory in the South China Sea is 'indisputable', Lu said, speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday. He did not elaborate. Tillerson also said Washington needed to reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, but stopped short of Trump's questioning of Washington's long-standing policy on the issue. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging that China takes the position that there is "one China" and Taiwan is part of it. But the United States is also Taiwan's biggest ally and arms supplier. "I dont know of any plans to alter the 'one China' position," Tillerson said. Tillerson said he considered Chinas South China Sea activity "extremely worrisome" and that it would be a threat to the "entire global economy" if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway. He blamed the current situation on what he termed an inadequate U.S. response. "The failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this," Tillerson said. "The way weve got to deal with this is weve got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia," he said. Democratic President Barack Obamas administration conducted periodic air and naval patrols to assert the right of free navigation in the South China Sea. These have angered Beijing, but seeking to blockade China's man-made islands would be a major step further and a step that Washington has never raised as an option. Under his strategic "pivot" to Asia, Obama has increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and Trump has vowed a major naval buildup. Tillerson's words also went beyond Trump's own tough rhetoric on China. Regional military sources said while the U.S. navy had extensive capabilities in Asia to stage blocking operations with ships, submarines and planes, any such move against China's growing naval fleets would risk dangerous escalations. RELUCTANT TO CHALLENGE Obama has sought to forge a united front in Southeast Asia against Chinas pursuit of its territorial claims, but some allies and partners who are rival claimants have been reluctant to challenge Beijing. Tillerson called China's South China Sea island-building and declaration of an air defense zone in the East China Sea it contests with Japan "illegal actions." "Theyre taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas," he said. The response was muted from the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally that last year won an international arbitration case that included a challenge to China's island-building within its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. "These are not policies yet and let us wait if they will implement what was said in the hearing," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Thursday. "Let's wait until Trump is in office." His comments reflect the sharp change in Manila's approach to China under new President Rodrigo Duterte, who wants good diplomatic and business ties with Beijing and says challenging it is provocative and pointless. He makes no secret of his lack of trust in the Obama administration and has chided it for what he considers inaction in the South China Sea. Tillerson also said the United States could not continue to accept "empty promises" China had made about putting pressure on North Korea over that country's nuclear and missile programs. He said his approach to dealing with North Korea - which recently declared it is close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile - would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation. Asked if Washington should consider imposing "secondary sanctions" on Chinese entities found to be violating existing sanctions on North Korea, Tillerson said: "If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions, then it's appropriate ... for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply." He accused China of failing to live up to global agreements on trade and intellectual property, echoing past remarks by Trump, who has threatened to impose high, retaliatory tariffs on China. But Tillerson also stressed the "deeply intertwined" nature of the world's two biggest economies. "We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said. (Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila and Michael Martina in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Tarrant)
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
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  American soldiers rolled into Poland on Thursday, fulfilling a dream some Poles have had since the fall of communism in 1989 to have U.S. troops on their soil as a deterrent against Russia.

Some people waved and held up American flags as U.S. troops in tanks and other vehicles crossed into southwestern Poland from Germany and headed toward the town of Zagan, where they will be based. Poland's prime minister and defense minister will welcome them in an official ceremony Saturday.

"This is the fulfilment of a dream," said Michal Baranowski, director of the German Marshall Fund think tank in Warsaw. "And this is not just a symbolic presence but one with a real capability."

U.S. and other Western nations have carried out exercises on NATO's eastern flank in past years, but the new deployment  which includes some 3,500 U.S. troops  marks the first-ever continuous deployment to the region by a NATO ally.

It is part of a larger commitment by President Barack Obama to protect a region that grew deeply nervous when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then began backing separatist rebels in Ukraine's east.

There are fears, however, that the enhanced security could eventually be undermined by the pro-Kremlin views of President-elect Donald Trump.

Poland and the Baltic states also feel threatened by Russia's recent deployment of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian territory wedged between Poland and Lithuania.

But Russia says it's the one who is threatened.

"These actions threaten our interests, our security," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. "Especially as it concerns a third party building up its military presence near our borders. It's not even a European state."

Worries about the permanence of the new U.S. security commitments are rooted in a tragic national history in which Poland has often lost out in deals made by the great powers.

Story continues

Poles still feel betrayed by Obama's "reset" with Russia early on in his administration, which involved abandoning plans for a major U.S. missile defense system in Poland and replacing it with plans for a less ambitious system, still not in place.

"All recent U.S. presidents have thought there can be a grand bargain with Russia," said Marcin Zaborowski, a senior associate at Visegrad Insight, an analytic journal on Central Europe. "Trump has a proclivity to make deals, and Central and Eastern Europe have reason to worry about that."

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski expressed hope this week that any new effort at reconciliation with Russia "does not happen at our expense."

The armored brigade combat team arriving in Poland hails from Fort Carson, Colorado. The troops arrived last week in Germany and are gathering in Poland before units will fan out across seven countries from Estonia to Bulgaria. A headquarters unit will be stationed in Germany. After nine months they will be replaced by another unit.

In a separate but related mission, NATO will also deploy four battalions to its eastern flank later this year, one each to Poland and the three Baltic states. The U.S. will also lead one of those battalions.

___

Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
Matt Ransom and Mitch Wheeler take shelter from the Scandinavian winter at Bergen Skatepark in this rad lo-fi clip. The weather looks set to be grim for a while yet, so get hyped to go indoors by pressing play

(Read this passage internally in an Attenborough-esque voice) Jordan Thackeray, binomially known as J-Thaxx. A very rare species of skateboarding Homo sapiens, most commonly found...

Andy Evans Just in Time  trailer 2 and House of Vans Premiere Info Prepare your sides for the premiere date for Andy Evans latest skate...

Pete Johns, Jak Tonge, Liam Teague, Dyllan Vd Merwe and Isaac Miller get stuck into the sprawling wooden layout hidden under the promenade.

Wight Trash just dropped a guest model for Liam Teague - go watch his Just in Time section NOW!

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.
Klavs Laivenieks captured a recent visit to London from Fricis Strauss and Eddie Da Rocha, travelling in from Latvia and the Channel Islands respectively. Going pretty much full vampire and hitting spots at night (apart from Southbank, which is pretty much a 24 hour night spot), they still laid down enough high speed shredding for over four minutes of footage which features cameos from Lukas Kacevicius, Marcus De Freitas and Pavel Berezuk.

The Cirencester Skatepark Scratch and Skate Jam 2018, organised by Decimal Skateshop, can now be seen courtesy of James Harris' lens.

Power moves from Bromley here as Blast Skates welcomes Joe Howard to the team with two minutes of RWTB assisted DIY quarterpipe shredding.

Here are our favourite shots from the #CanonFirsts competition, including the two winners

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.
Nebraska nonprofit organizations and University of Nebraska programs addressing critical community needs at the local or state level may now submit funding ideas to Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN) for its 2017 grant awards.

Each year WIN awards two equal grants for projects addressing critical community needs in Nebraska. One grant is awarded to a Nebraska nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity, and the other is awarded to an organization or group directly affiliated with one of the University of Nebraskas four campuses.

Potential grant seekers must submit a letter of inquiry by Feb. 17. Letter requirements are provided at womeninvestinginnebraska.org. Between 12 and 16 organizations will be invited to submit formal grant proposals by April 21.

WIN members look forward to this process every year, because we see tremendous work being done by Nebraskans to make life better in our state, said Paula McClymont of Lincoln, chair of the WIN grants committee.

Grant seekers may contact Lori Shriner at 402-458-1209 or 800-432-3216.
Press complaints process is exercise in futility for scientists

Posted on 12 January 2017 by Guest Author

This is a comment article authored for Carbon Brief by two scientists who have made complaints to regulators about coverage of climate science in the media. The first case is written by Dr Phil Williamson, associate fellow of the University of East Anglia and Science Coordinator of the UK Ocean Acidification research programme from 2010-2016. The second case is written by Prof Terry Sloan, emeritus professor of physics at the University of Lancaster and author of Introductory Climate Science; Global Warming Explained.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), a self-regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry, sets out the rules that many UK publishers have agreed to follow.

IPSOs starting point is promising. The Editors Code of Practice and the committees own vision  to support those who feel wronged by the press, uphold the highest professional standards and provide redress where standards have been breached  provide as good a basis as any for balancing freedom of the press with ethics, honesty and the public interest.

But something goes badly wrong in Ipsos decision-making, at least in our experiences. Engagement with Ipso on issues of scientific accuracy would seem an exercise in futility.

Case 1: Williamson v The Spectator  ocean acidification

On 30 April 2016, climate-skeptic writer James Delingpole published an article in the Spectator under the headline, Ocean acidification: yet another wobbly pillar of climate alarmism.

The article stated that the evidence increasingly suggests that ocean acidification  the process of human-caused CO2 dissolving into seawater, lowering its pH  is a scaremongering theory and a trivial, misleadingly named, and not remotely worrying phenomenon. The theory, said Delingpole, appears to have been fatally flawed almost from the start.

Almost everything that could be scientifically wrong with Delingpoles article was wrong. Despite this, and many other careless errors, Ipso ruled against my complaint, and follow-up appeal, deciding that the article had not breached the editors code of practice. On issues of accuracy, the code states:

The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or imagesA significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominenceThe Press, while free to editorialise and campaign, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.

The Spectators response, via Ipso, was to strongly defend almost all aspects of the original article, dismissing my complaint as a squabble between two people with strong opinions on a contentious matter. I contested that response, with reference to the overwhelming evidence that ocean acidification presents a serious threat to marine life. Yes, there are uncertainties on some aspects, involving rigorous debate between researchers, but those were not the issues challenged by Delingpole.

Ipsos ruling on this dispute seemed to swallow the relativist framing that everyone is entitled to present their own opinions as facts. It considered the article clearly a comment piece, even when there was no heading to that effect in the print version and that it is labelled online as a feature. The committees decision that the article conformed to the necessary distinction between comment, conjecture and fact, as required by the Editors Code, was based on just a couple of sentences written in the first person.

If it is the committees contention that this was clearly a comment piece, then Ipsos usage of the term clearly would seem so lax and inexact that all articles in The Spectator (except perhaps Portrait of the Week and the Crossword) would come under that category.

Moreover, if the status of the article as a comment piece is indeed clear and self-evident (and therefore apparently exempting it from the accuracy standards of the Editors Code), why was that not recognised by the Ipso Secretariat before it agreed to investigate my complaint?

Intriguingly, Ipso also suggested in its ruling on ocean acidification that while part of its job is to investigate issues of accuracy, this does not extend to arbitrating on whether information is factually correct. Ipso told me:

The Committees role is not to make findings of fact or to resolve conflicting evidence in relation to matters under debate. Rather, it assesses the care taken not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, and establishes whether a distinction is clearly made between comment, conjecture and fact, in determining whether the Code has been breached.

Such care should, according to the Editors Code, be of the highest professional standards. Unfortunately, in this case, Ipso didnt seem to give any attention to the care taken. I provided the committee with evidence of carelessness, yet this was not mentioned in its ruling.

Delingpoles sources were not properly peer-reviewed science, but instead included pressure group reports and disputed newspaper coverage. Furthermore, Delingpole had not carried out basic fact-checking, e.g. contacting named individuals. He also selectively quoted an ocean acidification scientist, with the result that the meaning was significantly changed.

Case 2: Sloan v The Sunday Telegraph  global temperature records

On 24 January 2015 the Sunday Telegraph published an article by Christopher Booker entitled How we are STILL being tricked with flawed data on global warming. In this article, Booker claimed that the ground-based measurements of the average global temperature were increasingly showing quite different results from the satellite based measurements.

I investigated this statement by making a detailed comparison between the main ground-based and the satellite-based measurements, showing that they are all in agreement with each other within the measurement uncertainty. This level of agreement between the data sets is, in fact, remarkable given the very different methods of measurement.

One can only be sure that two measurements of a quantity are different if the difference is greater than the measurement uncertainty, something which is obvious to all acquainted with scientific measurement.

As this was not the case when comparing the two sets of measurements, it seemed clear that the Sunday Telegraph had violated the accuracy clause of the editors code of practice. I complained to Ipso about this, but it was rejected on the grounds that the treatment of the data was a matter of interpretation.

There were a number of other errors of fact in the article by Booker included in the complaint to Ipso. All were rejected. For example, Booker says:

This data has been subjected to continual adjustments invariably in one direction. Earlier temperatures are adjusted downwards, more recent temperatures are adjusted upwards, thus giving the impression that they (the temperatures) have risen much more sharply than was shown by the original data.

It is true that adjustments are necessary in the data to correct for changes in calibrations and changes of weather station routines. I submitted to Ipso a graph of the adjustments showing that they are roughly 50% upwards and 50% downwards, in contrast to Bookers invariably in one direction. Even though Bookers was a serious article, Ipso accepted his erroneous claim as an element of hyperbole. The committee did, however, acknowledge that the newspaper had come close to the line on this one.

Conclusion

Ipsos findings in both our cases seem to be based on the following: That all the (scientific) issues discussed in the original articles are a matter of opinion or belief, not verifiable facts; that the articles were clearly distinguished as comment and, therefore, substantive inaccuracies, distortion and misinformation are allowable; and finally, that it is not the role of the committee to determine the veracity of information given in the original articles.

Taken together, our above summaries of the committees findings indicate that IPSO has neither the will nor the competence to properly investigate scientific complaints such as these.

In that case, Ipsos decision-making process (except in the most extreme circumstances) would seem to be based on finding a form of words to defend shoddy journalism on the basis of free speech arguments, regardless of the editors code. That is hardly in the public interest, and damages the reputation and credibility of Ipso as an independent regulator.

If the technicalities of a scientific complaint are outside Ipso direct competence, then there is an easy answer: seek independent expert advice nominated by an outside body such as the Royal Society.
STEM

Ford Funds Creation of Electric Vehicle Summer Camp

Michigan-based Ford Motor Company is donating $32,000 to introduce high schoolers in its community to the science of electric vehicles. The program will become part of a summer camp run by Kettering University, a Flint-based institution that offers programs in engineering, mathematics, business and science. The new Flint Schools Summer Day Camp will take place in July 2017 and be open to 20 high school students.

The camp will help students learn about and create model electric vehicles. The funding will cover registration fees, supplies and transportation for the students.

The idea for the camp came about when a father who works at Ford came with his son to a computer engineering camp held at the university last summer. Prashant Javkar manages Ford's STEAM Experience strategy and programs, which for three decades has supported programs to engage students in STEAM careers.

"When I visited the campus, I loved the energy of the close-knit community of students and had a fun time witnessing the camp participants compete in the concluding challenge," Javkar said in a prepared statement. That visit, he added, "reinforced the fact that there was a great opportunity to design a summer camp for the Flint community students."

Bob Nichols, who directs the FIRST Robotics Community Center at Kettering, said he was "blown away" when the carmaker approached him to sponsor the summer camp. "I was impressed that they recognized the value of the STEM learning opportunities at the camps," he noted. "There's no secret Ford is so involved in STEM. This allows them to make an impact in the Flint community."

Besides the STEM activities, the camp will also offer SAT training to students, according to Nichols.
Grants

JP Morgan Chase Awards $20 Million to 10 States to Build Career and Tech Education Systems

Banking behemoth JP Morgan Chase & Co. has awarded $20 million in grants to 10 states to build comprehensive career and technical education (CTE) systems in collaboration with industries in their states, Education Week has reported.

The grants, announced this week, are part of New Skills for Youth, a $75 million JP Morgan Chase initiative aimed at improving career and tech ed programs. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and Advance CTE are collaborating with JP Morgan Chase to evaluate states plans and support them as they move forward.

The winning states are Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

A $35 million piece of the $75 million initiative comes in the form of grants to states, which have applied to work on their own CTE systems, Education Week reported. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia won $2.5 million in planning grants last spring, and now 10 of those states have each won $2 million, three-year grants to build on the proposals they made in the earlier round of competition.

Chris Minnich, the executive director of CCSSO, said in a conference call with reporters that the grants are part of a major project undertaken by more than 40 states to modernize career education so that every student can graduate from high school well prepared to pursue a career. The state chiefs recognize that they are not turning out enough graduates who are ready to work in the jobs of todays economy  skilled jobs that require more than a high school diploma, Minnich said.

This is significant work we hope will close the skills gap that has existed in our country, he said.

The 10 winning states came up with comprehensive and aggressive plans to rework their CTE systems, according to Minnich. Those systems will offer students many quality options, including professional certificates that lead to well-paying jobs, and to two-year and four-year college programs.
* Swedish regulator names 25 funds but issues no penalties

* Peer regulators also looking for 'index huggers'

* Britain's FCA in focus after tough report on industry

By Simon Jessop, Mia Shanley and Terje Solsvik

LONDON/STOCKHOLM/OSLO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Scandinavia is raising the pressure on financial regulators across Europe to get tough on allegations of "index hugging" - where active investment funds may be misleading clients by covertly tracking a stock index.

Sweden's financial regulator has named 25 active funds run by some of the region's biggest providers which appeared largely to mirror benchmark indices, while in Norway a consumer watchdog is seeking compensation for investors from the asset management arm of DNB (Stockholm: 1026758.ST - news) - a lawsuit the bank is contesting.

Consumers have long suspected that some active funds, which charge higher fees to scour markets for the best stock picks, may be "closet" trackers - offering little more service than cheaper passive funds which hold shares merely according to their weight in the underlying index.

Last year the European Union's securities regulator said up to 15 percent of active funds seemed to mimic their benchmark. Watchdogs in Britain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway have all looked into the issue, but few have revealed full details of their investigations and no asset manager has yet been forced to compensate investors.

Now (Frankfurt: 11N.F - news) the lead given in Scandinavia may encourage more European regulators to go public, even though index hugging can be difficult to prove.

Amin Rajan of CREATE Research said central banks' policies of flooding their economies with cash, much of which has ended up inflating stock prices generally, has made the problem worse.

"The regulators are likely to adopt a much more muscular approach, because the extent of closet tracking has reached a high proportion of funds as managers have found it difficult to beat their market benchmarks," he said.

Story continues

By tracking an index, an active manager is less likely to stand out as a poor performer and lose clients. But the investor is paying extra in the hope that the manager will outperform the index, not just track it; active funds typically charge 0.75-2.0 percent of assets they manage a year, compared with as little as 0.1 percent for a passive fund.

REPLICATING THE INDEX

The main measures in question are active share - the percentage of a fund's portfolio that differs from the underlying index - and tracking error - the difference between its returns and those of the benchmark.

When Sweden's Finansinspektionen (FI) regulator published its list in November, it named funds whose composition apparently closely replicated the index on which their performance was measured. They included offerings from Handelsbanken, SEB (LSE: 0MGS.L - news) , Swedbank Robur and Skandia.

Carl Cederschiold, CEO of Handelsbanken Asset Management, said its funds on the list have an active share above or in line with competitors. "We think this is fair to investors," he told Reuters.

SEB said it had merged two of the funds named by FI and that the new product had a significantly higher active share of above 50 percent. To improve transparency, SEB was publishing active share figures monthly, a spokeswoman for the bank added.

Swedbank Robur said its funds have been actively managed and that it has openly shown various risk figures for them. Skandia declined to comment.

FI's list followed pressure from shareholder groups which wanted the regulator to crack down on the behaviour and be clear about which funds were less active.

However, it did not refer to the funds as index huggers, even though most had active shares below the 60 percent defined as the minimum level by some academics.

Since its report, based on an investigation which began in 2013, FI has said activity in many of the funds has gone up while fees have come down, declaring itself happy as long as they are clear with investors and charge them accordingly.

"It's important that they take their activity and information they give about the fund and put that together - does the information about the fund match our activity level? What would a client expect?" said Erik Lindholm, deputy director for consumer protection at FI, told Reuters.

The Swedish Shareholders' Association said it had not taken any legal action on index hugging due to the high cost and uncertain prospects of success. However, in neighbouring Norway, a court ruled last week that it would allow a class action suit to go ahead against DNB Asset Management.

Norway's Financial Supervisory Authority found in 2015 that DNB (LSE: 0O84.L - news) had failed to provide sufficiently active management of a flagship fund, even though it had been marketed as such and customers had paid higher fees than for index funds.

At the time, the FSA ordered DNB to cut the fund's fees or ensure it was actively managed. The bank responded with changes to ensure the fund could continue to be classified as active, but has also reduced fees, which it said was a response to growing competition.

In the lawsuit, Norway's Consumer Council, a publicly appointed watchdog, will demand repayment of about 690 million crowns ($80 million) on behalf of 180,000 investors. The court did not rule on the merits of the case itself.

"We believe DNB charged their clients for a service they didn't deliver," Consumer Council chief Randi Flesland told Reuters. "In our view, they must repay the extra fee."

DNB has repeatedly argued the fund was actively managed, and rejected the compensation claim. A spokesman told Reuters the bank is now considering whether to appeal the court's decision.

SOUND AND FURY

To take action, regulators have to prove index hugging but some regard the active share and tracking error measures as too blunt to be fair.

"At this stage, naming and shaming is all that they can do because it's very difficult to define what active investing actually means and at what point an active portfolio turns into a closet-indexing portfolio," said CREATE Research's Rajan.

"But if the problem gets more widespread, I think we'll see some enforcement actions," he added.

Rajan pointed to an interim report from the UK Financial Conduct Authority which said fund investors were getting poor value for money due to insufficient competition and a lack of transparency on fees. "All that sound and fury means they've really got to back it with action," he said.

The industry is defending itself. A report from the European Fund and Asset Management Association in July said a wider range of factors needed to be considered, including a fund's objectives, the degree of risk tolerance and the research efforts of the manager.

The British FCA said in April that while most funds were doing what they said they would, it had found examples of those with unclear product descriptions and had told them to improve.

After a 10-month investigation, Germany's Bafin regulator, highlighted a couple of cases in December, but said the funds in question were already charging lower fees and were not being actively marketed.

In Denmark, a report in April found funds at 22 banking departments had active shares below 50 percent and tracking errors under 3 percent. However, it declined to name the funds and, after talking to them, decided no action need be taken.

Denmark's fund trade body has told its members to publish active share and tracking error figures annually, however, and an official at the regulator said it now looks at this on a case by case basis, without giving details.

Bafin has also said it plans to new transparency rules from mid-2017 so funds must give investors greater information about their style of management, while Sweden may also follow suit. ($1 = 8.6231 Norwegian crowns) (Additional reporting by Huw Jones in London, Andreas Kroener in Frankfurt and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen; editing by David Stamp)
By Simon Jessop, Mia Shanley and Terje Solsvik

LONDON/STOCKHOLM/OSLO (Reuters) - Scandinavia is raising the pressure on financial regulators across Europe to get tough on allegations of "index hugging" - where active investment funds may be misleading clients by covertly tracking a stock index.

Sweden's financial regulator has named 25 active funds run by some of the region's biggest providers which appeared largely to mirror benchmark indices, while in Norway a consumer watchdog is seeking compensation for investors from the asset management arm of DNB (DNB.OL) - a lawsuit the bank is contesting.

Consumers have long suspected that some active funds, which charge higher fees to scour markets for the best stock picks, may be "closet" trackers - offering little more service than cheaper passive funds which hold shares merely according to their weight in the underlying index.

Last year the European Union's securities regulator said up to 15 percent of active funds seemed to mimic their benchmark. Watchdogs in Britain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway have all looked into the issue, but few have revealed full details of their investigations and no asset manager has yet been forced to compensate investors.

Now the lead given in Scandinavia may encourage more European regulators to go public, even though index hugging can be difficult to prove.

Amin Rajan of CREATE Research said central banks' policies of flooding their economies with cash, much of which has ended up inflating stock prices generally, has made the problem worse.

"The regulators are likely to adopt a much more muscular approach, because the extent of closet tracking has reached a high proportion of funds as managers have found it difficult to beat their market benchmarks," he said.

By tracking an index, an active manager is less likely to stand out as a poor performer and lose clients. But the investor is paying extra in the hope that the manager will outperform the index, not just track it; active funds typically charge 0.75-2.0 percent of assets they manage a year, compared with as little as 0.1 percent for a passive fund.

Story continues

REPLICATING THE INDEX

The main measures in question are active share - the percentage of a fund's portfolio that differs from the underlying index - and tracking error - the difference between its returns and those of the benchmark.

When Sweden's Finansinspektionen (FI) regulator published its list in November, it named funds whose composition apparently closely replicated the index on which their performance was measured. They included offerings from Handelsbanken (SHBa.ST), SEB (SEBa.ST), Swedbank Robur(SWEDa.ST) and Skandia (SKBN.OL).

Carl Cederschiold, CEO of Handelsbanken Asset Management, said its funds on the list have an active share above or in line with competitors. "We think this is fair to investors," he told Reuters.

SEB said it had merged two of the funds named by FI and that the new product had a significantly higher active share of above 50 percent. To improve transparency, SEB was publishing active share figures monthly, a spokeswoman for the bank added.

Swedbank Robur said its funds have been actively managed and that it has openly shown various risk figures for them. Skandia declined to comment.

FI's list followed pressure from shareholder groups which wanted the regulator to crack down on the behaviour and be clear about which funds were less active.

However, it did not refer to the funds as index huggers, even though most had active shares below the 60 percent defined as the minimum level by some academics.

Since its report, based on an investigation which began in 2013, FI has said activity in many of the funds has gone up while fees have come down, declaring itself happy as long as they are clear with investors and charge them accordingly.

"It's important that they take their activity and information they give about the fund and put that together - does the information about the fund match our activity level? What would a client expect?" said Erik Lindholm, deputy director for consumer protection at FI, told Reuters.

The Swedish Shareholders' Association said it had not taken any legal action on index hugging due to the high cost and uncertain prospects of success. However, in neighbouring Norway, a court ruled last week that it would allow a class action suit to go ahead against DNB Asset Management.

Norway's Financial Supervisory Authority found in 2015 that DNB had failed to provide sufficiently active management of a flagship fund, even though it had been marketed as such and customers had paid higher fees than for index funds.

At the time, the FSA ordered DNB to cut the fund's fees or ensure it was actively managed. The bank responded with changes to ensure the fund could continue to be classified as active, but has also reduced fees, which it said was a response to growing competition.

In the lawsuit, Norway's Consumer Council, a publicly appointed watchdog, will demand repayment of about 690 million crowns ($80 million) on behalf of 180,000 investors. The court did not rule on the merits of the case itself.

"We believe DNB charged their clients for a service they didn't deliver," Consumer Council chief Randi Flesland told Reuters. "In our view, they must repay the extra fee."

DNB has repeatedly argued the fund was actively managed, and rejected the compensation claim. A spokesman told Reuters the bank is now considering whether to appeal the court's decision.

SOUND AND FURY

To take action, regulators have to prove index hugging but some regard the active share and tracking error measures as too blunt to be fair.

"At this stage, naming and shaming is all that they can do because it's very difficult to define what active investing actually means and at what point an active portfolio turns into a closet-indexing portfolio," said CREATE Research's Rajan.

"But if the problem gets more widespread, I think we'll see some enforcement actions," he added.

Rajan pointed to an interim report from the UK Financial Conduct Authority which said fund investors were getting poor value for money due to insufficient competition and a lack of transparency on fees. "All that sound and fury means they've really got to back it with action," he said.

The industry is defending itself. A report from the European Fund and Asset Management Association in July said a wider range of factors needed to be considered, including a fund's objectives, the degree of risk tolerance and the research efforts of the manager.

The British FCA said in April that while most funds were doing what they said they would, it had found examples of those with unclear product descriptions and had told them to improve.

After a 10-month investigation, Germany's Bafin regulator, highlighted a couple of cases in December, but said the funds in question were already charging lower fees and were not being actively marketed.

In Denmark, a report in April found funds at 22 banking departments had active shares below 50 percent and tracking errors under 3 percent. However, it declined to name the funds and, after talking to them, decided no action need be taken.

Denmark's fund trade body has told its members to publish active share and tracking error figures annually, however, and an official at the regulator said it now looks at this on a case by case basis, without giving details.

Bafin has also said it plans to new transparency rules from mid-2017 so funds must give investors greater information about their style of management, while Sweden may also follow suit.

($1 = 8.6231 Norwegian crowns)

(Additional reporting by Huw Jones in London, Andreas Kroener in Frankfurt and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen; editing by David Stamp)
LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Workers at Britain's Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), which provides and maintains the country's nuclear warheads, will stage two 48-hour strikes in coming weeks in a dispute over their pensions, the Unite labour union said on Thursday.

AWE, which is jointly owned by U.S. firms Jacobs Engineering (NYSE: JEC - news) Group and Lockheed Martin (Swiss: LMT.SW - news) and British support services group Serco, supports Trident (BSE: TRIDENT.BO - news) , Britain's submarine-based nuclear deterrent programme, under contract to the Ministry of Defence.

Unite said 600 of its members who are AWE employees at the two main facilities at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire, southeast England, would walk out for 48 hours, starting on Jan. 18 and on Jan. 30.

AWE has about 4,500 staff and 4,500 contractors in total working across all its sites.

"Unite members feel 'deeply betrayed' as promises made a quarter of a century ago guaranteeing their pensions, when they were transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the private sector, have been broken," the union said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for AWE said the company would respond later.

Unite said AWE management planned to close a defined benefit pension scheme on Jan. 31 and replace it with a defined contribution one in which final retirement income is not guaranteed.

"The most just course of action would be for the pension scheme to be taken back by the MoD (Ministry of Defence)," said Unite regional officer Bob Middleton.

A spokesman for the MoD had no immediate comment.

The union said 92 percent of its members at AWE, who include managers and manual workers, had voted for strike action. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Stephen Addison)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is not willing to automatically increase its contribution to the European Union's budget after Britain leaves the bloc, Deputy Finance Minister Jens Spahn said in a newspaper interview published on Thursday. "If Britain's contribution falls away, the EU budget will shrink," Jens Spahn told Handelsblatt. "There is certainly no automatic mechanism that (would make) Germany and other net contributors increase their contribution," he added. Germany, Europe's largest economy, already makes the largest net contribution to the EU budget each year at more than 15 billion euros. According to an internal Finance Ministry report in September, Germany may have to contribute an extra 4.5 billion euros per year in 2019 and 2020 to the EU budget after Britain leaves the union. The looming loss of the second-largest net contributor - Britain - could mean Germany's share of the EU's gross domestic product would rise to 25 percent from 21 percent currently. Spahn also suggested that the European Commission should link the disbursement of aid from its structural funds to the implementation by EU states of reforms recommended by Brussels. "We are in favour of making aid from the structural funds in part conditional," Spahn said, adding that money should only be paid out to weaker EU countries if they implemented the country-specific reform recommendations of the European Commission. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman lashed out at the U.S. military on Thursday after it re-tweeted a statement by a Kurdish-dominated alliance that Washington backs in Syria saying it had no links to Kurdish militants fighting the Turkish state. The Syrian Democratic Forces, the main U.S. partner on the ground in Syria in the fight against Islamic State, includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the PKK militant group, which has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the United States and the European Union. "SDF confirms that it has no affiliation or ties to PKK," U.S. Central Command said on Twitter, re-tweeting a statement by the SDF in which it said it was not part of the PKK and wanted a strong relationship with neighbours including Turkey. "Is this a joke or @CENTCOM has lost its senses?," Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, replied. "Do you believe anyone will buy this? The U.S. must stop trying to legitimize a terrorist group." U.S. support for the YPG has been a major sticking point between Washington and Turkey, a NATO ally and a member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. Turkey is hoping that the incoming U.S. administration under President-elect Donald Trump will re-think its policy in Syria and stop providing support to Kurdish YPG militia fighters, who are affiliated with the PYD political party. "We hope that Trump and his administration will listen to what Turkey says and correct this mistake," Defence Minister Fikri Isik said in a speech at an ambassadors' conference. In a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson talked of "recommitting" to the Syrian Kurds and constructing a renewed coalition using the forces already in Syria, "including the Syrian Kurds who have been our greatest allies". Tillerson also spoke of re-engaging with traditional U.S. allies in the region, saying Russia and Iran were dictating developments in Syria without U.S. participation. "We have to re-engage with President Erdogan in Turkey, this is a long-standing NATO ally who, in the absence of American leadership, got pretty nervous about his situation and he turned to who was next available," Tillerson said, an apparent reference to Moscow and Tehran. (Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Daren Butler and Gareth Jones)
PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Thursday Syrian peace talks should resume as quickly as possible under the auspices of the United Nations and appeared to question plans for Russian-backed discussions on the subject in Kazakhstan. Syria's government and rebel forces started a ceasefire on Dec. 30 as a first step towards face-to face negotiations, backed by Turkey and Russia, and due to take place in the Kazakh capital Astana. The date and its participants remain unclear. The United Nations had previously led talks in Geneva, but after several fruitless rounds and an escalation of violence in the six-year civil war that has benefited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his backers, Moscow and Ankara agreed in December to launch new peace efforts. "Negotiations have to resume as quickly as possible," President Francois Hollande told the foreign diplomatic corps in a New Year address. "They have to be led under the auspices of the United Nations within the framework agreed in Geneva in 2012." Moscow has said the proposed Astana talks would complement the United Nations. However, European diplomats and opposition sources have suggested only some armed groups will be invited with political opposition representation limited despite discussions on aspects such as the constitution. Hollande, a key backer of the Syrian opposition, said there was no need to go over the framework for talks. "The parameters have been set so what needs to be done is to invite the concerned parties, all the parties, except fundamentalist and extremist groups, and to act in the Geneva framework," Hollande said. U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has said he wants to convene a new round of talks during February. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Andrew Callus)
BERLIN (Reuters) - French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron said he was sure the United States under President Donald Trump would maintain close ties with the European Union but said Europe would respond if Trump acted to weaken NATO. Trump has called for better relations between the United States and Russia and during the presidential election campaign rattled U.S. allies, especially in eastern Europe, by saying he would consider a country's contributions to the NATO alliance before coming to their aid. French opinion polls show Macron, who is running as an independent in the April-May presidential election in France, is gaining on the frontrunners, conservative candidate Francois Fillon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. "I want to at least give the new U.S. president a chance, but the signals from Trump up to now have been going in another direction. He doesnt rule out the dismantling of NATO," Macron told Germany's Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain in an interview published on Thursday. "I'm convinced it's in America's interest to cooperate with the EU. We have common values and similarly structured economies. I doubt that Trump would defend U.S. interests without working with the EU or dealing with climate change," he said." Asked about Trump's comments on NATO, Macron said: "We would react if it came to that (weakening of the alliance). But I am warning against developing premature scenarios," he said, without elaborating. Trump's nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, on Wednesday told his confirmation hearing that NATO's mutual defence guarantee, Article 5, was "inviolable". Macron also said he backed expanding sanctions against Russia if there were no progress in implementing the long-stalled Minsk peace accords for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists. "Im in favor of resolving the Ukraine conflict through the Minsk peace accords. If there is no progress, it would make sense to expand sanctions against Russia. At the same time, we also need continuing and demanding discussions with Moscow," he said. Fillon and Le Pen both support closer ties between France and Russia and have indicated they would push for the sanctions to be dropped. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Gareth Jones)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on European Union members on Thursday to increase their security and defense cooperation because there was no "guarantee of perpetuity" in relations with the United States. Europe faced growing challenges within its own borders and in nearby regions, including migration, increasing terrorist threats, the war in Syria, violence in eastern Ukraine and poverty and famine in Africa, she said. Merkel did not mention President-elect Donald Trump by name but clearly seemed to be referring to new U.S. leader's campaign trail comment that he would consider a country's contributions to the NATO alliance before coming to their aid. "I am convinced that Europe and the EU must learn to take more responsibility in the world in the future," Merkel told students in Brussels after receiving honorary doctorate degrees from Belgium's Leuven and Ghent universities. "Lets not fool ourselves: From the viewpoint of some of our traditional partners, and Im thinking of transatlantic ties, there is no guarantee of perpetuity for close cooperation with us Europeans. We have to continue to work at that," she said. Merkel said in November that Germany must increase defense spending to work toward meeting a NATO target of 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but played down expectations that it would meet the target the near future. The EU, which has relied on the United States to guarantee its security for the past seven decades, agreed to take initial steps toward expanded security and defense cooperation at a summit in December. They called for an overhaul of the way the bloc pays for its military operations abroad by reforming its common-funded Athena mechanism, and a separate fund for pooling and sharing of helicopters, weapons systems and other assets. Facing criticism at home for her "open door" refugee policy, Merkel also said Europe needed to accelerate its work on an entrance and exit registry to get a better grip on its borders. She urged EU members to increase their willingness to compromise on issues such as illegal migration, including quicker efforts to return migrants who entered Europe illegally and were denied asylum. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Berlin and Tom Koerkemeier in Brussels; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
By Parisa Hafezi and Tim Hepher ANKARA/PARIS (Reuters) - An Airbus A321 airliner landed in Tehran on Thursday, the first to arrive out of the 200 Western-built aircraft ordered by IranAir following the lifting of sanctions on Iran last year. "This is a historic moment for Iran, signalling the end of the sanctions era for the country ... This is a prelude to the delivery of other aircraft and the renovation of Iran's ageing air fleet," state TV said. Analysts say IranAir flies one of the world's oldest fleets, with an average age of 23 years, and has had to rely on smuggled or improvised parts to keep them operational. Iran, which has not directly purchased a Western-built plane in nearly 40 years, has ordered 100 airliners from Airbus and 80 from Boeing and is close to a deal to buy 20 turboprop aircraft from Toulouse-based ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italy's Leonardo Finmeccanica. The one exception was the sale of a plane to replace an Airbus jet shot down by the U.S. Navy in 1988. The arrival of the Airbus 321 on Thursday comes just over a week before the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is opposed to the deal struck by Western powers in 2015 which lifted sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on the country's nuclear activities. Republicans in the U.S. Congress have also objected to the pact, which was signed by the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, Germany and Iran. Iran's pragmatist president Hassan Rouhani's success in ending international sanctions by reaching the deal has also intensified a power struggle among the country's faction-ridden elite, who have criticised the deal for a lack of tangible economic benefits since sanctions were lifted. "This (aircraft) delivery was very crucial ... especially the timing of it. Now people can see the result of lifting sanctions," a senior Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It will increase Rouhani's popularity ... and his chances for re-election in May." IranAir Chairman Farhad Parvaresh said in France on Wednesday in taking delivery of the Airbus plane that he hoped the United States would not block the agreement. Both Airbus and Boeing need U.S. export licences to deliver the jets because of the number of U.S. parts they contain. Both have received licences but some need to be extended due to the lengthy delivery period and analysts expect Boeing to point to the Airbus delivery to argue its deal should go ahead. "Everything has been done according to the international regulations and rules up to now. We hope that nothing special happens to end this contract, Parvaresh told reporters on Wednesday. IranAir hopes to receive at least two more aircraft from Airbus by the end of March and a total of six A320 aircraft in calendar year 2017. State TV quoted Parvaresh as saying on Thursday that Iran's Bank of Industry and Mine had financed the purchase of the first plane delivered. Airbus and Boeing are putting up financing help for early deliveries as many Western banks remain wary of doing deals with Iran due to restrictions on the use of the U.S. financial system that remain in effect despite the nuclear deal. People familiar with the matter said Airbus, initially reported to have backed the first seven deliveries, was now looking at providing finance for a larger number of deliveries and that Boeing planned to finance the first half a dozen jets. Most planes are sold in dollars but Airbus is being paid in euros. Boeing's bankers are looking for ways for the company to get paid for future deliveries without breaking core sanctions, subject to Treasury approval, a person close to the deal said. (Editing by Greg Mahlich and Alexandra Hudson)
The posting of US troops in Poland is a threat to Russia's national security, the Kremlin has claimed.

US army vehicles and soldiers in camouflage began crossing the German border into Poland on Thursday morning, as part of the largest US military reinforcement of Europe in decades.

President Barack Obama has pledged more than 3,000 soldiers to eastern Europe amid concerns among NATO allies of Russian aggression.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the move threatened Moscow's "interests and our security".

"This is even more pronounced when a third party (the US) reinforces its military presence on our doorstep in Europe," he added.

Russian deputy foreign minister Alexei Meshkov described the operation as a "factor destabilising European security."

From their base in Zagan in western Poland, US troops will move out to locations in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary on a rotational basis.

:: Donald Trump victory forces Baltic states to rethink security

The soldiers will "enhance deterrence capabilities in the region, improve the US ability to respond to potential crises and defend allies and partners", an army spokesperson said.

The posting comes a week before the inauguration of Donald Trump , who has said he intends to thaw relations between Washington and Moscow.

Despite this, the President-elect's pick for Secretary of State said NATO allies have a "right to be alarmed" about Russia .

On Wednesday, Rex Tillerson told the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee that Washington should have "an open and frank dialogue with Russia regarding its ambitions, so we know how to chart our own course".
WASHINGTON (AP)  Retired Gen. James Mattis on Thursday cruised toward likely confirmation as Donald Trump's defense secretary, easily prevailing in a Senate vote granting him an exemption to run the Pentagon as a recently retired officer. At his confirmation hearing, he called Russia the nation's No. 1 security threat, accusing its leader of trying to "break" NATO.

The Senate voted 81-17 to approve legislation overriding a prohibition against former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform less than seven years from holding the Defense Department's top job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military. The House Armed Services Committee backed the waiver in a 34-28 vote; the full House will take up the matter Friday.

Mattis, 66, spent four decades in uniform, retiring in 2013 with a reputation as an effective combat leader and an astute strategist. Separate from the override legislation, the Senate will vote later on Mattis' nomination and will almost certainly confirm him.

The only other exception to the seven-year rule was made for the legendary George Marshall in 1950, the year Mattis was born. Even some of Trump's strongest critics have supported the waiver for Mattis, arguing that his experience and temperament can serve as a steadying influence on a new president with no experience in national security.

It was unclear if President Barack Obama would sign the legislation allowing Mattis to take up the post, or if it would fall to Trump after his inauguration.

At an uncontentious confirmation hearing, Mattis sketched an international security scene dominated by dark images of an aggressive Russia, resurgent China and violent Mideast. He described Iran as a major destabilizing force, called North Korea a potential nuclear threat and said the U.S. military needs to grow larger and readier for combat.

"We see each day a world awash in change," Mattis said. "Our country is still at war in Afghanistan and our troops are fighting against ISIS and other terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere. Russia is raising grave concerns on several fronts, and China is shredding trust along its periphery."

Story continues

Mattis portrayed Russia as an adversary and said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is not encouraging.

"I have very modest expectations for areas of cooperation with Mr. Putin," he said, delivering an assessment strikingly dissonant with that of his potential commander in chief. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, even as U.S. intelligence agencies have accused the Russian leader of orchestrating a campaign of interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: "He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance."

He said he has explained to Trump his views on Russia, which include a deep worry that Moscow is determined to use intimidation and nuclear threats to create a sphere of unstable states on its periphery.

Mattis, who has served in numerous senior military positions, including commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of all American forces in the Middle East, said he supports the Obama administration's moves to reassure European allies after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and military activity in eastern Ukraine.

While the U.S. should remain open to working with Russia, Mattis said, the prospects for cooperation were narrowing even as areas of disagreement grow larger.

As he spoke, Trump's choice to run the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, sided with intelligence officials who claim the Kremlin was behind the election cyberattacks, adopting a similarly tough stand against Russia in his confirmation hearing. Ties between the former Cold War foes also have been strained by Syria's civil war.

Mattis faced no hostile questions from Republicans or Democrats, receiving bipartisan praise for his reputation as a straight-talking, well-read man of integrity and intelligence.

William Cohen, a defense secretary for Democratic President Bill Clinton, introduced Mattis as a "humble man with very little to be humble about."

"He's a man of thought as well as action," Cohen said.

Mattis said the world order is under "the biggest attack since World War II," blaming Russia, China and international terrorist organizations for its destabilization.

On cyberattacks, Mattis noted that wars often are started by miscalculation. He said the U.S. needs to set clear boundaries so that adversaries know what the U.S. will not tolerate.

In prepared testimony, Mattis said he understands his role as the Defense Department's civilian leader would be different "in essence and in substance" from his four decades in uniform. He called civilian control "a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition."
Jay Y. Lee, the only son of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee and the company's vice chairman, attends the 2015 HO-AM Prize ceremony which was established by Lee Kun-hee, in Seoul, South Korea, June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Cho Seong-joon/Pool/File photo

By Se Young Lee and Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - Special South Korean prosecutors questioned the head of top conglomerate Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] on suspicion of bribery on Thursday in an influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.

Park remains in office but has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold the December impeachment and make her the first democratically elected leader to be forced from office.

Park has denied wrongdoing.

"I am very sorry to the South Korean people for not showing a better side," Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee told reporters as he arrived at the prosecution office in a black sedan, greeted by protesters holding signs calling for his arrest and accusing him of being the president's accomplice.

Investigators would now decide whether to seek an arrest warrant against Lee, 48, special prosecution spokesman Lee Kyu-chul told reporters.

Parliament impeached Park over allegations she allowed a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to exert inappropriate influence over state affairs.

Choi is accused of colluding with Park to pressure big businesses, including the Samsung Group, to contribute to non-profit foundations backing the president's initiatives.

Choi, in detention and on trial on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud, has denied wrongdoing.

Prosecutors named Lee a suspect on Wednesday and are investigating whether Samsung gave 30 billion won ($25.28 million) to a business and foundations backed by Choi in exchange for the national pension fund's support for a 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc.

Lee in December denied accusations the conglomerate sought to curry favor with Park or Choi to secure the 2015 merger, a deal seen as critical for ensuring family control of the conglomerate as generational succession looms.

Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark red tie, Lee bowed after making brief remarks to reporters. A Samsung Group spokeswoman declined to comment on the investigation.

Story continues

Proving improper dealings between Park, or Choi, and Samsung would be key for the prosecutors' case, analysts said, noting their goal was to prove Park or her surrogates took bribes from corporations in exchange for favors.

The special prosecution spokesman said investigators were also looking into whether Lee lied during a December parliamentary hearing about Samsung's involvement in the scandal, as well as whether he could be charged with breach of trust or embezzlement.

Investigators questioned two senior Samsung Group executives this week as witnesses.

The special prosecution has not begun investigations into any other conglomerates. Dozens of South Korean corporate groups made contributions to the two foundations, but Samsung's donations were the largest.

"NATIONAL INTEREST"

The scandal has triggered weekly rallies calling for Park to step down. She has apologized and said this month the pension fund's support for the Samsung companies' merger was in the national interest.

If Park were to leave office, a presidential election would be held within 60 days. Among the expected contenders is former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Lee took over as leader of the smartphones-to-pharmaceuticals conglomerate after his father, founding family patriarch Lee Kun-hee, had a heart attack in 2014.

Jay Y. Lee's arrest or indictment would be a blow to Samsung and the family, which has been streamlining its business to ensure a stable transfer of control from the ailing Lee Kun-hee to his children.

While analysts and investors said management would be able to keep the various affiliates including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in good shape, the conglomerate as a whole may be slower to commit to major investments or acquisitions should Jay Y. Lee be imprisoned.

Some also said Samsung and the Lee family may lose credibility among investors.

"A corruption scandal is the most embarrassing thing for a pension fund like us," said Park Yoo-kyung, a Hong Kong-based director for Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management, which holds shares in Samsung Electronics.

"We have an obligation to invest in a clean company."

Share prices of most Samsung companies have shown muted reaction to Lee's implication in the scandal, however. Samsung Electronics shares rose 1.4 percent to a record high 1.94 million won on Thursday and Samsung C&T shares gained 1.6 percent, compared with a 0.6 percent rise for the broader market.

"It's possible that Samsung Group companies will try to behave more transparently in response and operate in a more fair manner that shareholders can rationally understand," said IBK Asset Management fund manager Kim Hyun-su.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee and Ju-min Park; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Tony Munroe and Nick Macfie)
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
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Authorities in Mali have arrested a man believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on a beach resort town in neighbouring Ivory Coast that killed 19 people early last year, Malian security officials said on Thursday. Gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers in the town of Grand Bassam, 40 km (25 miles) from the commercial capital Abidjan, last March before storming into several hotels. The suspect was arrested in the town of Gossi in northern Mali by French soldiers involved in a regional operation against Islamist militant groups and was then handed over to Malian authorities. Defence ministry spokesman Colonel Aboudoulaye Sidibe gave the suspect's name as Mimi Ould Baba Ould Cheick. "He was arrested by the French forces and transferred to the gendarmerie, which is carrying out investigation to determine the degree of his implication in the attack. He's being brought to (the capital) Bamako now," he said. The arrest was confirmed to Reuters by Security Minister Salif Traore. Both Ivory Coast and Mali have arrested suspects in the wake of the attack. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamist group's North African branch, claimed responsibility and said it was revenge for France's military intervention in Mali. Eleven Ivorians, including three special forces' soldiers, died in the attack. Four French citizens were killed and other foreign victims included citizens of Germany, Lebanon, Macedonia and Nigeria. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive out Islamist fighters who had seized its desert north a year earlier. The intervention received support from Mali's regional neighbours, including Ivory Coast, which hosts a French military base. While the operation drove the insurgents from urban strongholds, Islamists are still present in northern Mali from where they have spread instability into neighbouring countries. In the months before the attack on Grand Bassam, AQIM struck hotels and restaurants in Mali's capital Bamako and neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, killing dozens of civilians. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
PARIS (Reuters) - The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its political arm the PYD will not be invited to planned peace talks in Kazakhstan, a PYD official said on Tuesday, an outcome that would leave a key player in the conflict off the negotiating table. Syria's government and rebel forces started a ceasefire on Dec. 31 as a first step toward face-to face negotiations backed by Turkey and Russia, but the date and its participants remain unclear. The truce is also under growing strain as rebels have vowed to respond to government violations and President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday the army would retake an important rebel-held area near Damascus. "We are not invited. That's for sure," Khaled Eissa, a PYD member told Reuters in France. "It seems there were some vetoes. Neither the PYD or our military formation will be present," he said. Assad's ally Russia had previously sought the PYD's presence at other negotiations in Switzerland. But Turkey, which opposes Assad, regards both the YPG and PYD as extensions of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) separatists in its own territory and has said two groups should not be represented in Astana. The Syrian Kurds aim to cement the autonomy of areas of northern Syria where Kurdish groups have already carved out self-governing regions since the start of the war in 2011, though Kurdish leaders say an independent state is not the goal. "What we have been told is that there will only be a limited number of armed groups and not political groups," Eissa said, adding that for a comprehensive peace deal in Syria the Kurds would at one point have to be invited to the negotiating table. The main Syrian political opposition umbrella group that includes about half a dozen armed groups, the Riyadh-backed High Negotiations Committee, is meeting in the Saudi capital later this week to discuss the Astana talks, although it is also unclear whether Moscow intends to invite them, diplomats and opposition officials said. Ankara intervened in Syria last year in support of rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) banner sought to drive Islamic State from positions it had used to shell Turkish towns, and also to stop YPG expansion. The YPG and its allies backed by a U.S.-led coalition is fighting against IS militants around the group's Syrian bastion Raqqa, while Turkish-backed rebels are fighting the jihadist group further northwest near areas under Kurdish control. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Gulsen Solaker ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will hold elections if parliament fails to approve a constitutional reform package expanding President Tayyip Erdogan's powers, a ruling AK Party lawmaker was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu agency on Thursday. His comments came after lawmakers threw punches and shoved one another in parliament overnight in a debate on the reform package, adding to the sense of political and economic unease that has helped pushed the lira to record lows this week. The AKP, backed by the nationalist MHP, is pushing through the legislation that Erdogan says will bring the strong leadership needed to prevent a return of the fragile coalition governments of the past. "If the proposal does not pass in the general assembly, even if nobody wants it, Turkey will have to hold elections," said Mustafa Sentop, an AKP lawmaker and head of parliament's constitutional commission. Under the current reform plans, presidential and general elections will be held in 2019. The reform will enable Erdogan to appoint and dismiss government ministers, take back the leadership of the ruling party and govern until 2029. The main opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish HDP, the second largest opposition party, fear these changes will fuel authoritarianism. Lawmakers from the AKP and CHP came to blows as they crowded around the assembly's podium during heated debate overnight. Despite the standoff, the third, fourth and fifth articles of the 18-article bill were approved in the parliamentary session, which continued until the early hours of Thursday. Debate was scheduled to resume on Thursday afternoon. The bill needs the support of at least 330 deputies in the550-seat assembly to go to a referendum, expected in the spring.The AKP has 316 deputies eligible to vote and the MHP 39. The three articles were each passed with 341 to 343 votes in favor. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Hugh Lawson)
Storyful

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday, November 2, asked supporters protesting the outcome of Brazils presidential election run-off to clear highways, urging them to respect peoples right to freedom of movement.After Bolsonaro lost Sundays election to Lula da Silva, supporters of the outgoing president blocked major highways across Brazil causing massive delays, including for the delivery of oxygen to hospitals.The protests, the demonstrations are welcome, they are part of the democratic game, he said, adding that closing highways throughout Brazil harms peoples right to come and go and was unconstitutional. Clear the highways. This is not part of legitimate demonstrations.Freedom of movement is a constitutionally-protected right in Brazil. On Monday, a Supreme Court justice ordered the states military police to clear blockades, but protesters persisted.Bolsonaro delivered remarks on Tuesday acknowledging the election after remaining silent for two days. The president did not directly acknowledge he lost the election or mention his successor, but said he would continue to fulfil all the commandments of our Constitution.Later on Tuesday, the Supreme Federal Court released a statement on Tuesday evening saying Bolsonaro had met with members of the court and officially recognised the outcome of Sundays election, marking the beginning of the transfer of power. Credit: President Jair Bolsonaro via Storyful
Calling the Clock with Matt Broughton Sponsored by KO Watches

January 12 2017 PokerNews Staff

Beginning as a cutting-edge brand active in design, manufacturing and distribution of quality-finish watches from young Mexican entrepreneurs, KNOCK OUT -KO- Watches works to distinguish itself with its quality and clean design, allowing people to use time they have as they wish and without interruption. With our sponsor, KNOCK OUT -KO- Watches in mind, we're now going to "Call the Clock" on Matt Broughton.

PokerNews Sarah Herring called the clock on EPT Commentator Matt Broughton, giving him two minutes to answer as many questions as he can at the last EPT Prague.

Would you ever bungee jump?

I have done that. Yes.

Where?

In Normandy, off a collapsed viaduct.

Would you do it again?

Yes.

Whats your favourite cereal?

Shreddies.

Most memorable career moment?

I dont think I have one because I cant remember anything about my career ever. No! I once got mistaken for Arnold Schwarzenegger in LA.

Oh wow. Thats huge! Thats top. First poker player that you considered a friend?

Still waiting. Still waiting

Yeah, a bunch of punks. Whats the first thing you notice about people when you first meet them?

Their eyes.

Whats the last thing you ate?

Their eyes. UmmI had a Kit Kat about five minutes ago.

Best thing about being a commentator?

Not having a proper job.

Fair. Last film you watched?

The Founder. Michael Keaton. The McDonald story. Excellent.

Hes very hot right now. Michael Keaton. From what I hear. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?

Purple.

Whats the worst thing about being a commentator?

Not being a crayon.

Summer or winter?

Winter.

Favourite room in your house?

The kitchen.

Stones or The Beatles?

The Beatles.

Best video game?

Laser Squad.

Best video game player?

Me!

Favourite player to commentate on?

[Daniel] Negreanu. You dont have to say anything for three hours.

So true. Book youve read more than once?

The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke. Its my favourite book ever.

Sounds great. Have you ever been on TwoPlusTwo?

Yes.

Have you ever searched yourself?

No. No. Never go there.

Snap call. Bull. I dont believe it.

I dont want to know. If theyre saying something about me, its not going to be good. Thats the last place I go.

So you dont Google yourself either?

No. Way too scared to ever do that. I would rather guess that people dont like me then know they dont like me.

When the clocks stops, time comes to life. Get your hands on a Knock Out -KO- watch right here.

Sharelines Two minutes with Matt Brougton sponsored by @kowatches: Worst thing about being a commentator?
The University of North Georgia (UNG) has been named a Gold-level Military Friendly School Award recipient for 2017.

"All of our Military Friendly Award recipients set the standard for excellence," said Daniel Nichols, chief product officer of Victory Media and head of Military Friendly development. "They offer exceptional examples of what it means not just to build a program that meets federal requirements, but one that serves the military and veteran community from classrooms to careers."

New this year, Military Friendly Awards showcase the most powerful and effective programs of more than 1,200 post-secondary schools that were designated as "Military Friendly" in November 2016. Of those designated, 541 schools were awarded for excellence in different categories; UNG is in the Large Public School category, and was one of only two institutions in Georgia to earn a Gold Medal in that category. To earn a Gold Medal, schools must have scored within 20 percent of the 10th ranked institution.

One veteran who experienced UNG firsthand is recent graduate retired Sgt. First Class Chris Cato, a second-generation UNG graduate who earned a bachelor's degree in general studies and is considering applying to UNG's Human Services Delivery Administration program. While a student, Cato served as vice president of the UNG chapter of Student Veterans of America, and remains a proponent of helping veterans reconnect with education.

Chris Cato holds his UNG diploma.

"Veterans who begin or return to school are often faced with various other stressors compared to that of their traditional student counterparts  we begin our college journey with years of life already behind us," Cato said. "This is one reason that veterans connect more easily with each other than we do with civilians, and that's why I spent much of my time at UNG trying to help grow the support network for veteran students."

After 20 years in the Army as an Airborne Ranger, it seemed a natural fit for Cato to attend UNG, which is designated as The Military College of Georgia, and is one of six Senior Military Colleges in the nation. He said the university's support of veterans, especially faculty and staff being so veteran friendly, was very helpful. Ever looking for ways to improve the experiences of those who would attend after him, he has advocated for expanding the ways that UNG supports its veterans.

The Military Friendly Schools designation process includes extensive research and a data-driven survey of leading colleges nationwide. The survey, methodology, criteria, and weightings are developed with the assistance of an independent advisory council of educators and employers, and are tested based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. Schools must have successfully completed a 2017 Military Friendly survey and been designated as a 2017 Military Friendly School to be considered for the Awards program. The names of awardees are published online at https://militaryfriendly.com.
SANAA, Yemen  Heavy fighting continued to rage Wednesday near the strategic Red Sea strait of Bab al-Mandab in western Yemen, leaving dozens dead and wounded, security officials said.

Since Monday, fighters aligned with Yemens internationally recognized President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have been making advances and seizing more territory from Yemens Houthi rebels, the officials said. Warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition provided air cover for Hadis forces, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The battles are part of the so-called Golden Spear operation launched by the coalition and Hadis government and aimed at uprooting Houthis and allied forces from the western coast, starting from the strait of Bab al-Mandab and extending to the vital Red Sea ports of Mokha and Hodeida. The coalition accuses Houthis of using these ports to receive supplies of arms and ammunition from Iran.

Fadl Hassan, commander of the 4th Military District, told The Associated Press that an advanced phase of the operation would be the liberation of the embattled city of Taiz, which is divided between Houthi rebels and pro-Hadi forces.

The war in Yemen is entering its second year after Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and forced Hadi to flee the country. The Saudi-led coalition has waged an extensive air campaign since March 2015 aimed at restoring Hadis government. The northern region remains under Houthi control.

In Sanaa, officials and witnesses said that two airstrikes hit a gas station near a school in the Nihm district outside Sanaa, the capital. The airstrikes killed at least six civilians including children. They said that the school itself wasnt targeted in Tuesdays airstrikes.

Meritxell Relano, the UNICEF representative in Yemen, condemned the attacks, saying that one child was confirmed dead and four others were wounded.

The coalition has come under heavy criticism by international rights groups for carrying out attacks against civilians including schools, markets, hospitals and residential areas. More than 4,200 civilians have been killed and the fighting has left more than three million people displaced.

Relano said in a Wednesday statement that a total 1,400 children have been killed and more than 2,140 wounded since the war started. She said about 1,400 of them had been recruited by the warring parties. Over 2,000 schools are no longer being used because they were destroyed, used as shelters for the displaced or occupied by fighters and used for military purposes.

Schools have to be zones of peace at all times, a sanctuary where children can learn, grow, play and be safe. Children should never risk their lives only to attend school, she said.
The Iran nuclear deal was written with several sunset provisions setting expiration dates, some of them 15 years into the future, when restrictions on the Islamic Republics nuclear program would lift.

Then Donald Trump was elected president, and a sunset on the deal itself became possible. During the campaign, Trump regularly denigrated the Iran agreement. He vowed, at turns, to walk away from the 2015 accord, or renegotiate it, or enforce it so rigorously that it might collapse on its own.

Trump is expected to take a more confrontational approach with Iran, showing no tolerance for even small breaches of what was agreed upon. The strategy seems designed to increase pressure on Iran, stopping what critics consider backsliding or cheating, but also to compel it to moderate its actions elsewhere in the region.

I was skeptical that the deal would survive, even if Clinton were elected, but the chances of it reaching its expiration date under Trump are very slim, said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran analyst with the Carnegie Endowment.

I could see a scenario where Iran continues to do provocative things. Both Trump and Congress respond with new sanctions. And Iran says, You just abrogated your end of the deal, therefore were going to put our foot on the gas again and reconstitute our nuclear program. But the likelihood that either side gratuitously walks away from the deal is very low. Neither side wants to be blamed for ripping it up.

Trump will take office a year and a half after the agreement was reached in Vienna, limiting Irans ability to amass enough material to build nuclear weapons without the world receiving advance warning. Although some aspects will remain in force for 10 or 15 years, Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran would be required to grant inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency access to its nuclear facilities forever.

In exchange, Iran got relief from nuclear-related sanctions and received about $100 billion in previously frozen money. U.S. sanctions related to missile testing, human rights abuses and the support of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah remain in place.

The Obama administration, eager to preserve the viability of one of its legacy achievements, worked hard to ensure that the deal did not falter. When Iran complained that it was not reaping enough economic benefits, Kerry reached out to wary bankers and foreign companies to outline what is permissible. And when Iran surpassed the agreed-upon limits for heavy water used in some nuclear reactors, the U.S. government bought the excess for commercial resale.

Some clerics and officials in Tehran have also been anticipating the deals collapse. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the agreement once again proved the pointlessness of negotiating with the Americans. Others, however, have an interest in its success, including President Hassan Rouhani, who approved the Iranian side of the negotiations.

Ditching the deal would be highly unpopular with the countries that negotiated it alongside the United States  Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. Since the accord was reached, Britain has reopened its embassy in Tehran. Many European companies have made tentative trips to Tehran to explore business opportunities. And Russia, which is allied with Iran in the Syrian conflict, would also oppose any effort to abandon it, which, in addition, could complicate Trumps desire to improve relations with Moscow.

Most of the world doesnt want to cut off ties with Iran, said Alireza Nader, an Iran analyst with the Rand Corp. That really constrains the United States using its economic leverage. Unless Iran does something that disappoints the international community, like electing a hard-liner as the next president.

A more likely policy, analysts say, would be to seize on any Iranian violations of the nuclear deal, even relatively minor ones that the Obama administration worked with the Iranians to correct.

Theres a recognition in the incoming team that the regime cheats incrementally, not egregiously, even though the sum total of cheating turns out to be egregious, said Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a prominent critic of the agreement. Trump should show a zero-tolerance policy to cheating. Which means, at a minimum, using U.S. sanctions to respond. At a maximum, it means building up a case theres a history of incremental violations, and move to snap back sanctions.

Underscoring how quickly tensions can ratchet up, Tehran last month announced it would start developing nuclear-powered ships and submarines after Congress voted to renew the authorization of sanctions against Iran  a measure designed to ensure that the sanctions that were lifted can be reimposed quickly.

What Id like to see is them going along with the deal, but subtly antagonizing the Iranians enough so the Iranians want to scrap it, said Michael Rubin, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation. More non-nuclear sanctions. Pushing the IAEA to inspect more. We can force them to be the ones to pull the trigger.

That kind of analysis is being closely read in Tehran.

The deal is in tremendous danger, said Trita Parsi, the head of the National Iranian American Council, who has been a strong supporter of the agreement. Iranians are building up their case to make sure that once the deal falls apart they can point to a strong record of the U.S. causing it. Its going to be part of the cost the administration will have to decide if its willing to pay.
The FBI confirmed Wednesday that five bodies found on Santa Ana Pueblo over the past few days were those of two sisters and their three young daughters who had been reported missing from Albuquerque last week.

FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said relatives identified the bodies as those of Vanessa George, 25; her two daughters, Zoe Becenti, 4, and Chloe Becenti, 1; her sister, Leticia George, 20, and Leticias daughter, Haliegh Toledo, 3. He said the Office of the Medical Investigator will make the definitive determination.

Fisher did not say how the women and children died, but he had previously said that foul play by another party is not suspected at this time.

He would not elaborate on what that statement means.

He said the autopsies are pending, and the case is still under investigation.

Fisher would not comment on how the group ended up on pueblo land or what happened before the deaths.

Meanwhile, the Santa Ana Pueblo released a statement Wednesday saying that the women and children were not tribal members or affiliated with the pueblo in any way.

The Pueblo has no information as to how or why they found their way onto Pueblo lands, and it is very unsettling to the Pueblo that some or all of the actions that led to these deaths may have occurred on its lands, according to the statement.

The pueblo said it would continue to make resources available to law enforcement as the investigation continues and expressed its condolences to the George family.

We are very sorry for this terrible tragedy, and hope that the circumstances that led to it will be fully determined in the future, the statement reads.

This article has been updated to reflect the correct age of Haliegh Toledo. Police had previously provided an incorrect age.
SANTA FE  The latest iteration of Santa Fes pro-immigrant reaction to Donald Trumps presidential election may be sanctuary job sites.

Wednesday, the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association held a luncheon meeting on that topic and heard advice from two advocates on what to do if immigration enforcement agents show up at a building site or a business office.

We really do believe that workplace raids will be a big part of this (Trumps) administration, said Marcela Diaz, head of Somos Un Pueblo Unido.

Kim Shanahan, executive officer of the Home Builders Association, is an outspoken supporter of Santa Fes sanctuary city policies against helping federal authorities enforce immigration law. He estimated that 80 percent of workers in the local home-building industry are immigrants. Trump has said he wants to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and cut off federal funding for sanctuary cities.

Hopefully, common sense will prevail after the inauguration, but local businesses need to be prepared and know their rights no matter what, Shanahan said in an announcement for Wednesdays gathering, which was attended by about 25 people.

Attorney Allegra Love, director of the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, told the builders to plan ahead for raids by having a lawyers phone number handy and talking to employees ahead of time. For the workers, Love said, running is never a good idea, providing grounds for an arrest. She also said, Never lie to law enforcement, but added that immigrants and employers have the right to remain silent.

The one place they feel vulnerable is the workplace, Diaz said. Love said that while President Barack Obama has been a paper raider, using audits to find undocumented immigrants, workplace raids could increase as a way to round up big numbers of people quickly. Diaz said some raids could be made for propagandistic purposes.

Wednesday, the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association held a luncheon meeting on that topic and heard advice from two advocates on what to do if immigration enforcement agents show up at a building site or a business office.

We really do believe that workplace raids will be a big part of this (Trumps) administration, said Marcela Diaz, head of Somos Un Pueblo Unido.

Kim Shanahan, executive officer of the Home Builders Association, is an outspoken supporter of Santa Fes sanctuary city policies against helping federal authorities enforce immigration law. He estimated that 80 percent of workers in the local homeHopefullyImmigration Love stressed that no one has to allow agents on a premises without a warrant. But that can be extraordinarily difficult to do  you need practice, said Love, as officers are adept at talking themselves inside or onto a site. They rarely show up with warrants, said Diaz. They rely on permission.

Love and Diaz said it can be difficult for immigration agents to find people at home. For undocumented immigrantsLove and Diaz recalled raids in Santa Fe in 2007 that drove immigrants off the streets and away from jobs, schools and stores. Love, then a teacher, said only three of her students at Agua Fria Elementary showed up the week of the raids. A building supplier chimed in that her contractor customers stopped coming in. Diaz said the raids showed that immigration enforcement is an issue for all of Santa Fe, not just immigrants.
RALEIGH, N.C.  A gay teacher sued a Roman Catholic school on Wednesday for firing him after he announced his wedding to a man, the latest in a series of legal fights over antidiscrimination protections for LGBT people.

The lawsuit argues Charlotte Catholic High School violated federal employment law by firing Lonnie Billard from a substitute teaching role in 2014 after a Facebook post about his wedding. While the lawsuit doesnt invoke state law, it comes amid protracted litigation over a North Carolina law limiting protections for LGBT people.

Billard taught English and drama full time at the school for more than a decade, earning its Teacher of the Year award in 2012. He then transitioned to a role as a regular substitute teacher, typically working more than a dozen weeks per year, according to the lawsuit.

He posted about his upcoming wedding in October 2014, and was informed by an assistant principal several weeks later that he no longer had a job with the school.

Not long after that, local diocese spokesman David Hains publicly stated that Billard was let go for going on Facebook, entering into a same-sex relationship, and saying it in a very public way that he does not agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church, according to the lawsuit.

Hains said Wednesday that officials from the diocese hadnt seen the lawsuit and typically dont comment on pending litigation.

Billards lawyers argue the firing violates prohibitions against sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

I know that the Catholic Church opposes same-sex marriage, but I dont think my commitment to my husband has any bearing on my work in the classroom, Billard said in a statement. I have never hidden the fact that Im gay and my relationship with my partner was no secret at school.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which determined Billard has the right to sue, says on its website that religious organizations can give employment preference to members of the faith but cant otherwise discriminate against protected classes of people.

The commissions position is that the definition of sex contained in Title VII protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from workplace discrimination. It says a number of federal court decisions support the view that sexual orientation is covered under prohibitions against sex discrimination.

However, a law professor who has studied the rulings involving LGBT rights and Title VII said that it is not a settled matter of law.

Several cases in the last few years offer more support for the point that Title VII protects against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, but in my view dont definitively resolve the issue, Maxine Eichner of the University of North Carolina said in an email.

The issue of how sex discrimination is defined under federal law plays an important role in current high-profile cases on gender identity. A case scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this year involves a transgender teen who sought access to the boys bathroom at his Virginia high school. Central to that case is the interpretation of sex discrimination under a separate federal education discrimination law known as Title IX.

Meanwhile, challenges to a North Carolina law limiting LGBT protections hinge on many of the same principles and are largely on hold pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case. North Carolinas law, known as House Bill 2, excludes gender identity and sexual orientation from statewide antidiscrimination protections. It also requires transgender people to use restrooms in many public buildings that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates.

___

Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/jonldrew
IN HIS RECENT guest column, Joel S. Davis argues for the imposition of the death penalty, even though innocent persons are sometimes executed. Davis admits that the number of executions of true innocents is only (!) one every few years.

In 1974, in New Mexico, we almost killed four innocent men. A jury sentenced them to death based on false witness testimony.

They had been arrested and charged with the kidnapping, murder and rape of a UNM student, William Velten. His body had been found in the foothills east of Four Hills.

The four were arrested and convicted, largely based on the testimony  later determined to be perjured  of a motel maid who claimed that she overheard them admit to the crimes. They were sent to death row at the prison in Santa Fe to await their appeals and probable execution.

For many months, they spent 24 hours a day in 6-by-9 cells, relieved only briefly with a weekly shower.

Sixteen months after the trial, the real killer, a young man in South Carolina named Kerry Rodney Lee, found salvation. He confessed to a Baptist minister and took the pastors advice by going to the police.

He admitted to police that, after drinking and taking drugs, he flew into a rage at a claimed homosexual advance by Velten, and shot and stabbed him. Lee offered other details about the murder that he alone could have known. Furthermore, he identified the murder weapon, which he had stolen from the father of his former girlfriend.

Lee was later convicted of the murder, but was not sentenced to death. The charges against the four men on death row were finally dismissed 31 months after their arrests.

If Lee had not come forward and admitted his guilt, we likely would have killed four innocent men. People would have said that they got what they deserved or justice was served.

Davis argues that there is an acceptable margin of error for the execution of innocent persons. Civilized societies disagree.

EDWIN MACY

Placitas
In a couple of days, lawmakers from across the state will meet in Santa Fe. Representatives and senators will arrive to meet a beautiful opening day ceremony, and our state will meet a familiar face: Democratic control of both houses.

Unlike the rest of the nation, which experienced a red wave of radicalism and discontent, New Mexico had a return to normalcy.

In 2014, the New Mexico Democratic Party learned the lesson that the Democratic National Committee now must learn. Everything is about message and structure.

Media pundits and columnists have been spewing unhelpful advice about how the Democrats need to focus on blue collar, working middle-class whites. That is a mistake. Of course, blue collar, working middle-class whites ought to have lived a good and comfortable life, but also should all Americans.

There is a misleading narrative floating around that these people have been totally left behind by the Obama administration and the establishment. But they havent been left behind.

In the key states that cost Hillary Clinton the election  Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania  the median household income is on par with the national average.

That is because the policies enacted by the Obama administration  like the auto bailout, the stimulus and the ACA  helped these states the most. The real people left behind by the government are the people without cleaning running water in Flint, Mich.; the people that dont have access to health care providers in Concordia Parish, La.; and of course the Native Americans living on reservations.

There is a myth being sold that the Democrats need to focus on middle America. The truth is Democrats need to focus on all of America. To try to set an agenda of a single policy issue or pander to one niche demographic is not good governance and people are entitled to good governance.

The people of New Mexico saw an ineffective Legislature and have handily returned control to Dems.

The Dems in New Mexico succeeded without the madness of a fundamental realignment policy or belief. The core of the Democratic platform has not changed.

However, the approach and the structure of sharing the Democratic belief has become more direct, more personable and clearer.

On paper, the Democratic Party is the party and has always been the party of the working class and downtrodden, the party of people yearning for equality and change. But ideas and polices mean nothing if you cannot communicate to the people.

The New Mexico Democratic Party rebuilt its internal structure centered on unity and advocacy. It rebuilt its brand without changing its principles.

This is the lesson that the Democratic National Committee must learn from New Mexico.
CHARLESTON, S.C.  If Death lingers in courtroom corridors awaiting sentences, this historic citys federal courthouse was surely a top destination. On Tuesday, the Reapers patience was rewarded with the jurys return of the death penalty for Dylann Roof.

Roof, who insisted on representing himself during the sentencing phase of his 33-count murder trial, was found guilty last month for the slaughter of nine black parishioners at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in June 2015.

Roofs self-lawyering is still mystifying when he had at his disposal one of the nations best death-penalty lawyers, David Bruck, who did represent Roof during the guilt phase that ended last month. Bruck was allowed only to advise Roof during the penalty phase, which began last week, but briefly addressed the judge Tuesday when Roof requested that Bruck address objections.

While the governments case seemed airtight in covering all the requirements for the death penalty, Roofs remarks Tuesday took fewer than five minutes.

Wearing slacks and a blue cable-knit sweater  his bowl-cut hair obviously recently shaped  Roof approached the lectern with a single, yellow, letter-sized sheet of paper for his closing argument.

Barely audible  and his pauses were longer than his sentences  he made essentially two suggestions seemingly aimed at creating doubt about his alleged hatred of black people and his intent in carrying out his mission, which he himself previously identified as wanting to incite racial violence.

I think its safe to say nobody in their mind wants to go to a church and kill people, he began. Then he contradicted other confession statements that he had to do what he did. In my (FBI confession) tape I told them I had to do it.  Obviously thats not true. Nobody made me do it. I felt like I had to do it, and I still feel like I had to do it.

Clarity isnt his strong suit.

Next, Roof challenged the prosecutions claim that hes filled with hatred, one of the statutory-required aggravating factors in capital cases. He referred to his confession when an FBI agent asked him if he hated blacks. Roofs reply was, I dont like what black people do.

To the jury, he posited: If I was really filled with as much hate as I allegedly am, wouldnt I just say, Yes, I hate black people?

Finally, Roof said its fair to say that the prosecutors hate him since theyre seeking the death penalty. Then he tutored the court that people hate because theyve been misled. He also said that people think they know what hatred it is, but they dont know what real hatred looks like.

Does Roof? Is this because some hate-filled person misled him? Or did he merely look in the mirror?

Not once during his very brief remarks did Roof say he regretted his actions, which might have elicited some empathy from those burdened with determining his fate. Indeed, in a jailhouse journal, he wrote that he isnt sorry and that he hadnt shed a tear for the innocent people I killed.

Tuesday, as he attempted to take on a battery of lawyers hell-bent on ultimate justice, he seemed ever the evil child who, rather than acknowledging the horror and the agony of what he did, was somehow above the process. Expressionless and aloof, as he had been throughout the trial, he was anything but a sympathetic character and certainly no advocate for his continued access to life.

Throughout the proceedings, my mind kept wandering to an earlier case I covered when Bruck was fighting another death penalty  the 1994 trial of Susan Smith, the young mother who rolled her car into a Union, South Carolina, lake, drowning her two small children.

The crime was heinous and the trial heart-wrenching. At one point during the fathers testimony, the judge had to call for a break because nearly everyone in the courtroom, including the media, was weeping. The father had been talking about his 3-year-olds favorite Disney movie, which the child called, One-o-one Dalma-hay-tions.

Susan Smith threw herself across the defense table, loudly sobbing with the agony of regret and the sorrow of inconsolable loss. Yes, she was responsible for her childrens death, but there was no questioning her remorse or doubting that her life in prison would be an endless night of piercing pain.

For death penalty opponents like me, this seemed a far more just end than death would have been. With Roof, theres plainly no sense of sorrow now  or to come.

In the end, evidence of sincere remorse, which is to say, humanity, can be the difference between life and death.

Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group; e-mail to kparker@kparker.com.
Set aside for a moment the political posturing and finger-pointing that quickly followed the announcement that just a fraction of New Mexico parents receive written notice when their children cant read at the appropriate level. Instead, focus on the kids.

Focus on the frightening statistic that 6,815 of the states 25,815 third-graders cant read at grade level  roughly one out of every four, according to the short-cycle assessments districts choose, administer and report to the state. Focus on the 96 percent of those 6,815 third-graders who cant read who are then summarily promoted to fourth grade to continue their struggle  many en route to adding to the states horrific dropout numbers.

Thousands of New Mexico children are being shoved through a K-12 pipeline without ever knowing the joy of being able to read a great story, much less complete a job application. And hundreds of millions of public dollars are being spent to shove them through that pipeline, with what can be quantified as a 26.4 percent literacy failure rate. And all without most parents being told in writing their children need help with reading. Yet instead of focusing on children who, by their districts own data, cant read:

 American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Stephanie Ly is using the information to advance the unions anti-testing/anti-accountability platform by trumpeting in a news release that standardized tests are not a meaningful, nor thorough, method to assess a students abilities. That is disingenuous at best.

These short-cycle assessments are selected by districts, and assessments including the new Istation are adaptive, meaning they adjust their questions up or down based on a students ability to answer correctly, giving an accurate snapshot of where that student stands. These district assessment numbers do correlate with the much-maligned PARCC assessment results  of the 6,815 third-graders who could not read according to their districts, 6,799 were Level 1 PARCC readers, i.e., they did not meet expectations on that test, either. And this 26 percent illiteracy rate aligns with state graduation rates, where around 30 percent of students do not graduate in four years.

 Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, is using the information to once again demand that the $2.75 billion  with a b  annual K-12 budget be increased and students continue to be promoted irrespective of literacy because by the time they are 8 or 9 years old, they are part of a social group and their own cohort.

Her stance ignores the fact that money hasnt bought New Mexico education success yet  last year the state was 36th in annual per-pupil spending but 49th on quality of education measures. As for the cohort argument, New Mexico is struggling with a cohort of uneducated and unskilled residents that have it ranked second in the nation  for worst unemployment rate.

 Albuquerque Public Schools, which educates a quarter of the states students, is using the information to parse the law and maintain it does not have to notify parents in writing because it is in constant contact with parents via two parent-teacher conferences a year.

APS sent out just 82 letters to families about students not reading proficiently when it self-reported 1,975 of its third-graders could not, and promoted 1,935 of those kids to fourth grade. That sloppy approach ignores the fact that something as serious as illiteracy needs to be handled in a uniform and formal process, that a letter helps create and inform a record of student performance and intervention, and criticism in writing is taken much more seriously than a comment at what in some cases isnt much more than a quick meet-and-greet.

A post by a parent on ABQJournal.com disputes APS version of reality, saying that in 2006 when our daughter was in 1st grade in an APS school, we felt she was struggling with reading. Her teacher at the time was quick to reassure us she was doing fine. We decided on our own to get her reading help outside of APS. We also transferred school for our daughters second grade year. Upon starting at the new school for 2nd grade, her new teacher asked me how our daughter did with summer school, when I asked what the teacher meant, she explained that APS records said our daughter was not proficient in reading and recommended summer school. We were NEVER told any of this.  The killer was I met other parents that year that had similar experiences, parents never notified.

Apologists for the states K-12 results are fond of blaming uninvolved parents. Yet informing parents early and often if there are issues with literacy is essential to that involvement. Gov. Susana Martinez said that instead of telling parents that their child isnt on grade-level, theyre kept in the dark and schools are passing their kids onto the next grade. That is unacceptable. Its time to give our parents the information they deserve, and our kids the support they need.

At the end of the day, New Mexico cannot afford to continue to focus on political posturing and finger-pointing. It needs to focus on ensuring the students who cant read become literate.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
The sponsors of two measures to legalize marijuana say the issue will get a full and deep discussion from New Mexico lawmakers this year because of growing public acceptance and Democratic control of the Legislature.

Both proposals would legalize marijuana for recreational use by anyone 21 or older, although they take different approaches.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, plans to sponsor a resolution calling for an amendment to New Mexicos Constitution that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for recreational use by adults.

If approved by lawmakers, the proposed amendment would require approval of voters in the November 2018 general election at the earliest. It would not be subject to a veto by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.

A second bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill McCamley, D-Mesilla Park, would legalize marijuana this year and set a 15 percent tax on sales.

He estimates the tax would raise up to $70 million in the first year, with proceeds earmarked for K-12 education, economic development, substance abuse treatment and other uses.

Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, will co-sponsor the measure, called the Cannabis Revenue and Freedom Act. It would take effect July 1 if approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Martinez.

This year marks the third consecutive year McCamley has introduced legislation that would legalize cannabis. The previous bills all died in committee in the Republican-controlled House.

This year, we feel we will have a full and deep discussion on this, McCamley said this week at a press conference where he announced the bill.

Gov. Martinez, a former prosecutor, reaffirmed her longtime opposition to marijuana legalization this week.

Gov. Martinez does not support legalizing drugs, her spokesman, Mike Lonergan, said in a written statement.

McCamley acknowledged this week that obtaining a two-thirds majority required to override the governors veto would be tough.

Under current state law, first-time offenders in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana are charged with a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $100 and up to 15 days in jail.

Santa Fe city councilors in 2014 approved an ordinance that makes possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a civil infraction punishable by a fine of no more than $25.

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry in 2015 vetoed a City Council-approved measure that would have made possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense, not a criminal violation. Albuquerque police say they rarely arrest people for possession of less than an ounce, if that is the only charge.

Ortiz y Pino also said his proposed constitutional amendment has a better chance of passage this year than in past years. The measure has failed three times since 2014. It died on the Senate floor in 2016.

If it is approved by lawmakers, the earliest it could be on a ballot is November 2018. If voters approved the proposed amendment, lawmakers then would need to consider enabling legislation to tax and regulate cannabis production and sales.

Ortiz y Pino and McCamley both said public opinion favors legalization, in New Mexico and nationally.

Voters in California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine approved ballot measures in November to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Arizona voters rejected legalization in November. The U.S. now has eight states, plus the District of Columbia, where recreational marijuana is legal.

Both lawmakers also pointed to a Journal Poll published in October that found that 61 percent of likely New Mexico voters said they would support a proposal to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older, while 34 percent said they would oppose it. The remainder said they had mixed feelings or did not know.

People want this, McCamley said. Legalization is happening in other states. This is going to happen. The question is, do we want it to happen 10 years from now? Or do we want to start getting the benefits now?

McCamley cited a 2016 report by economist Kelly ODonnell, who estimated that the legal market for social-use marijuana would total $412.5 million in New Mexico after the first year and create 6,600 jobs in the cannabis industry.

Advocates also say legalization would remove hundreds of millions of dollars from the criminal market for pot.

An opponent of marijuana legalization acknowledged that legalization has a better shot in the Legislature this year than in the past.

Rep. Bill Rehm, an Albuquerque Republican and retired Bernalillo County sheriffs captain, said that legalizing cannabis would worsen the states problem with driving under the influence. He also rejects that legalization would eliminate the criminal market for pot.

Look at New Mexico and our DWI problem, Rehm said. So we want to go ahead and add another legal intoxicant to this formula?
WASHINGTON  Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany have been indicted in the U.S. in the automakers emissions-cheating scandal as prosecutors made good on efforts to charge individuals in a corporate corruption case.

But bringing them to trial in the U.S. is another matter.

In announcing the federal charges and a corporate plea bargain by Volkswagen, Justice Department prosecutors on Wednesday detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside the German automaker to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

The company agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion  by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

Volkswagen obfuscated, they denied and they ultimately lied, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

But prosecutors may have trouble bringing the executives to trial in the U.S. German law generally bars extradition of the countrys citizens except within the European Union. Privately, Justice officials expressed little optimism that the five VW executives still at large will be arrested, unless they surrender or travel outside Germany.

Still, the criminal charges are a major breakthrough for a Justice Department that been under pressure to hold individuals accountable for corporate misdeeds ever since the 2008 financial crisis.

U.S. authorities are still investigating just how high the scheme went, and held out the possibility of charges against more VW executives.

We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy, Lynch said.

VW admitted installing software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the U.S. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit.

U.S. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences in testing and real-world emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the so-called defeat device but finally admitted it in September 2015.

Even after that admission, prosecutors said, company employees were busy deleting computer files and other evidence.

The fines easily eclipse the $1.2 billion penalty levied against Toyota in 2014 over unintended acceleration in its cars. VW also agreed to pay an additional $154 million to California for violating its clean air laws.

The penalties bring the cost of the scandal to VW in the United States to nearly $20 billion, not counting lost sales and damage to the automakers reputation. Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion civil settlement with U.S. environmental authorities and car owners under which it agreed to repair or buy back as many as a half-million of the affected vehicles.

Although the cost is staggering and would bankrupt many companies, VW has the money, with $33 billion in cash on hand.

As for why the fine was so big, the premeditation here was very significant and that was at a very high level in the company, said Leslie Caldwell, an assistant U.S. attorney general.

Lower-level people actually expressed concern along the way about the fact these defeat devices were being used and questioned whether they should be used. And higher-up people decided to use them, Caldwell said. Volkswagen also lied to the regulators and the Department of Justice once our investigation had started. Thats what distinguishes this.

Volkswagen pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importing vehicles by using false statements. Under the agreement, VW must cooperate in the investigation and let an independent monitor oversee its compliance for three years.

The six supervisors indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit were accused of lying to environmental regulators or destroying computer files containing evidence.

All six are German citizens, and five remained in Germany. The only one under arrest was Oliver Schmidt, who was seized over the weekend in Miami during a visit to the U.S.

Schmidt was in charge of VWs compliance with U.S. environmental regulations. Those indicted also included two former chiefs of Volkswagen engine development and the former head of quality management and product safety. Prosecutors said one supervised 10,000 employees.

All six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by making false statements to regulators and the public. Three were also charged with fraud and clean-air violations.

VW also faces an investor lawsuit and a criminal investigation in Germany. In all, some 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the software.

____

Krisher and Durbin reported from Detroit. David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this article.
WASHINGTON  New Mexicos U.S. senators jumped into the middle of the Senate debate over scrapping Obamacare this week, offering legislation to repeal the so-called Cadillac tax and block any bill that would force Medicaid recipients off the insurance rolls.

Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined other Senate Democrats whose states expanded Medicaid access under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, to introduce a Medicaid amendment during Senate floor action Wednesday night.

The Medicaid measure would have prevented passage of any legislation leaving more people uninsured, reducing Medicaid enrollment in expansion states, or leading to increased state spending on the health insurance program for the poor. But the amendment failed in the Republican-controlled Senate, which took up a slew of amendments related to a proposed Obamacare repeal.

Passed in 2010, the health care law provides subsidies for private insurance to lower-income people on state-run exchanges and expanded Medicaid. New Mexico stands to lose more than $2 billion a year in federal funding if the law is scrapped without replacement, according to the Urban Institute.

Congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump have denounced the Affordable Care Act as unwieldy, expensive and unworkable  and have vowed to replace it. However, no replacement legislation has been introduced. Republicans are walking a political and legislative tightrope as millions of Americans are disgruntled with Obamacare but millions also benefit from its existence.

The Medicaid expansion has made it possible for many New Mexicans to afford to see a doctor and pay for the medication and treatment they need to keep their families healthy, Udall said.

New Mexicos enrollment in Medicaid, a joint federal-state health insurance program for people with low incomes, has been brisk, with 258,292 New Mexicans having joined the rolls under President Obamas expanded Medicaid eligibility terms. In all, there were more than 888,000 New Mexicans enrolled  or nearly half the states population  as of the start of December, according to the state Human Services Department.

Meanwhile, Heinrich teamed with Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., this week to introduce a stand-alone bill that would eliminate the so-called Cadillac tax on premium health plans. The levy is a 40 percent excise tax set to take effect on employer-sponsored health insurance plans in 2020. The Kaiser Family Foundation has estimated that one in four U.S. employers offering health care benefits would be affected by the tax if their plans remain unchanged.

The tax was originally set to go into effect next year, but Heinrich and Hellers work on the issue in the last Congress led to a two-year delay until 2020. Delaying the tax until 2020 could cost the federal Treasury about $9 billion in revenues.

Eliminating this onerous tax on employees health coverage will protect important benefits for workers and ensure that businesses and families get a fair deal, Heinrich said, adding that even the strongest supporters of the law know it isnt perfect and that there are some parts that need to be fixed.
WASHINGTON  Retired Gen. James Mattis on Thursday cruised toward likely confirmation as Donald Trumps defense secretary, easily prevailing in a Senate vote granting him an exemption to run the Pentagon as a recently retired officer. At his confirmation hearing, he called Russia the nations No. 1 security threat, accusing its leader of trying to break NATO.

The Senate voted 81-17 to approve legislation overriding a prohibition against former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform less than seven years from holding the Defense Departments top job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military. The House Armed Services Committee backed the waiver in a 34-28 vote; the full House will take up the matter Friday.

Mattis, 66, spent four decades in uniform, retiring in 2013 with a reputation as an effective combat leader and an astute strategist. Separate from the override legislation, the Senate will vote later on Mattis nomination and will almost certainly confirm him.

The only other exception to the seven-year rule was made for the legendary George Marshall in 1950, the year Mattis was born. Even some of Trumps strongest critics have supported the waiver for Mattis, arguing that his experience and temperament can serve as a steadying influence on a new president with no experience in national security.

It was unclear if President Barack Obama would sign the legislation allowing Mattis to take up the post, or if it would fall to Trump after his inauguration.

At an uncontentious confirmation hearing, Mattis sketched an international security scene dominated by dark images of an aggressive Russia, resurgent China and violent Mideast. He described Iran as a major destabilizing force, called North Korea a potential nuclear threat and said the U.S. military needs to grow larger and readier for combat.

We see each day a world awash in change, Mattis said. Our country is still at war in Afghanistan and our troops are fighting against ISIS and other terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere. Russia is raising grave concerns on several fronts, and China is shredding trust along its periphery.

Mattis portrayed Russia as an adversary and said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is not encouraging.

I have very modest expectations for areas of cooperation with Mr. Putin, he said, delivering an assessment strikingly dissonant with that of his potential commander in chief. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, even as U.S. intelligence agencies have accused the Russian leader of orchestrating a campaign of interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance.

He said he has explained to Trump his views on Russia, which include a deep worry that Moscow is determined to use intimidation and nuclear threats to create a sphere of unstable states on its periphery.

Mattis, who has served in numerous senior military positions, including commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of all American forces in the Middle East, said he supports the Obama administrations moves to reassure European allies after Moscows annexation of Ukraines Crimea region and military activity in eastern Ukraine.

While the U.S. should remain open to working with Russia, Mattis said, the prospects for cooperation were narrowing even as areas of disagreement grow larger.

As he spoke, Trumps choice to run the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, sided with intelligence officials who claim the Kremlin was behind the election cyberattacks, adopting a similarly tough stand against Russia in his confirmation hearing. Ties between the former Cold War foes also have been strained by Syrias civil war.

Mattis faced no hostile questions from Republicans or Democrats, receiving bipartisan praise for his reputation as a straight-talking, well-read man of integrity and intelligence.

William Cohen, a defense secretary for Democratic President Bill Clinton, introduced Mattis as a humble man with very little to be humble about.

Hes a man of thought as well as action, Cohen said.

Mattis said the world order is under the biggest attack since World War II, blaming Russia, China and international terrorist organizations for its destabilization.

On cyberattacks, Mattis noted that wars often are started by miscalculation. He said the U.S. needs to set clear boundaries so that adversaries know what the U.S. will not tolerate.

In prepared testimony, Mattis said he understands his role as the Defense Departments civilian leader would be different in essence and in substance from his four decades in uniform. He called civilian control a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition.
One of Steve Horvaths favorite pastimes  when hes not teaching at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design  is walking along Lake Michigans shoreline. Others include painting and printmaking.

And when the Milwaukee-based artist brought them all together in his piece Light and Shade, it earned him the jurors First Award in the Watercolor Wisconsin 2016 competitive exhibition, currently on display at RAMs Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, 2519 Northwestern Ave.

Horvaths watercolor monoprint captures the feeling of sunlight, filtering down through a grove of trees, looking out over the lake. It was inspired by a scene the artist said he saw in Port Washington  one in which the shadows seemed to crawl across the ground. But for Horvath, its main attraction is the trees  something he said he loves to paint.

He often works plein air (outside, on site) and much of his art depicts outdoor scenes, he said. I just enjoy the way nature has sort of arranged things, with random growths of different size trees, filling in to create a pathway through the trees.

Such natural pathways seem to invite people to walk among the trees, Horvath said, and he tries to create that same feeling in his pieces. I want people to feel like they could walk right into the painting.

Unexpected pleasures

Horvath used a monoprinting process to create his winning piece  first painting the scene on a sheet of treated acetate and then transferring the image to wet paper by rolling it through a press. While it isnt a difficult process, it can be tricky.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, he said. You cant have the paper too wet, or too dry, and you need a good amount of pressure.

The artist  who has also worked with pastels and oil paints  said he enjoys the spontaneity of working with watercolors: the unexpectedness of what might happen. Sometimes the surprises that occur with water-based mediums lead him to new ideas in painting, he said.

I like the way it loosens you up a bit as an artist and keeps your mind open, said Horvath, who has taught at MIAD since 1989 and worked as an advertising art director before that.

Celebrating watercolors

His Light and Shade  which also earned one of RAMs three Memorial Purchase Awards  is one of 98 works of art, by 71 artists from throughout the state, featured in Watercolor Wisconsin 2016, which runs through April 22 at Wustum, and marks a milestone for the popular show, as it celebrates its 50th year in Racine.

The 2016 artwork was chosen from 272 pieces, submitted by 155 artists, with jurors Peter Power and Doug Stapleton making the selections. Power is associate professor and chair of the Department of Print Media at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago; and Stapleton is associate curator of art with the Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery, an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College Chicago and a visual artist.

They issued the competitions Second Award to Harry Wirth, of Salem, for his watercolor Frontier, and the Third Award to Christine Miller, of Whitewater, for her piece A Space-Cowboy Adventure Rocket Rodeo Round-up! done in ink, acrylic marker, graphite and collage. Together with the rest of the artists, they offer work created in various aqueous media, featuring subjects ranging from landscapes and portraits to abstract designs and social commentary.

Also currently on view, in celebration of this exhibitions 50th anniversary, is a show titled Honoring Fifty Years of Watercolor Wisconsin, which can be seen at the Racine Art Museums Downtown location, 441 Main St., through Feb. 5. It features works that were acquired from past juried shows for RAMs permanent collection.

Both Watercolor Wisconsin 2016 and the 50th anniversary show celebrate RAMs longstanding commitment to the watercolor medium and its Wisconsin artists  a focus which began in 1943 when nearly 50 paintings on paper by contemporary artists working in the Wisconsin Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) were collected, and was solidified in 1966 when the Watercolor Wisconsin competition was launched by the museum, working with the Junior League of Racine.

Since then, RAM has continued to build its watercolor collection through purchase awards and gifts from donors, while also documenting how state artists have approached the medium for more than 50 years.

Broader vision

One thing that has kept Watercolor Wisconsin going for so long is that the museum has tweaked the competition through the years, making changes such as broadening the media that is accepted, said Bruce Pepich, RAM executive director. While a lot of organizations will allow only purely, transparent watercolors in their shows, RAM believes in featuring a broader range of water-based media, Pepich said. And doing so encourages experimentation and growth among artists.

In looking at the 50th anniversary show, one thing that is very apparent among the different artists and their chosen styles, is the high quality of craftsmanship, Pepich said.

You can see the level of time and concentrated effort these artists have applied in creating these paintings, he said. No matter what style they are working in, that level of expertise comes through.

Watercolor Wisconsin is an important exhibit for artists both for the recognition it gives them, and for the opportunity it provides to see how other artists are working, Pepich said.

It is a great way for our community to be able to celebrate itself.

Local talent

Watercolor Wisconsin 2016 includes work by more than 20 Racine County artists, as well as those from as far away as Appleton and Wausau. Those from Racine County are: Jimmy Yanny of Burlington; Sue Horton of Franksville; Robert W. Andersen of Mount Pleasant; Jerry Belland, Mary Burant, Ellen Cardwell, Lisa Englander, Maureen Fritchen, Christopher Johns, Edwin Kalke, Jeff Kosmala, John Krewal, Karen Mathis, Sharon Mellberg, Lance Raichert, Linda Somogyi, Susan M. Sorenson, Dina Walker and Sue Wolff, all of Racine; and Norman Abplanalp, Linda Gerard Dzik and Edith Kubicek, all of Waterford.

Wustum Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and admission is free. For more information, go to www.ramart.org.
FARMINGTON  Navajo Nation officials and residents will travel to Santa Fe next week to meet with the Bureau of Land Managements state director in hopes of persuading her to delay or cancel a planned oil and gas lease auction for land near Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

An online sale scheduled for Jan. 25 would auction off about 843 acres near the the park. The leases already have been challenged and delayed three times.

In a press release issued today, the BLM confirmed the online sale will start at 9 a.m. on Jan 25. Four parcels will be auctioned, including three in Sandoval County totaling about 401 acres and one parcel in Rio Arriba County thats a little more than 441 acres.

Daniel Tso, a former Torreon council delegate, is organizing the meeting in Santa Fe, which will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the BLMs state office in Santa Fe.

He said presidents from Torreon, Ojo Encino, Counselor and Nageezi chapters, as well as five Navajos who live on some of the parcels in question, plan to attend the meeting. The group will meet with Amy Lueders, director of New Mexicos BLM office, and deliver a petition against the sale and other documents protesting the auction. A press conference is scheduled following the meeting.

The fact is there are people living on these parcels, and even though its tribal trust land, the federal government retained the mineral rights, Tso said. Theres already over 75,000 acres leased in this corridor, with oil and gas companies having over 300 wells and some of them havent even been started.

The parcels are about 20 miles outside Chaco Culture National Historical Park, said Miya King-Flaherty, a public lands fellow with the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club in Albuquerque.

These parcels were nominated for leasing in 2012 and are authorized under the Mineral Leasing Act and our 2003 (Resource Management Plan), said Zach Stone, spokesman for the BLM Farmington field office, in an email. We have deferred any leases within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Donna Hummel, a spokeswoman for the states BLM office, said, The environmental assessment for the parcels (up for lease) has been completed and is available on the BLMs website.

The unsigned environmental assessment, dated Jan. 18, 2017, states that leasing the parcels is not expected to have significant impacts on the environment, and adds that a more intensive environmental impact statement is not warranted.

What we continue to work on are seven protests that came in late in the process, Hummel said. These have to be addressed, and thats the only thing that hasnt been fully resolved.

Hummel said BLM regulations allow the agency to offer the leases for sale, but the leases cannot be issued to the successful bidders until the protests are resolved, either through mitigation or by placing stipulations on them.

If a protest is unable to be resolved and the lease needs to be withdrawn, the BLM would refund the buyer, she said.

The BLM Farmington field office has been holding scoping meetings to gather public input about oil and gas exploration on tribal lands. But Tso said the agency has not finalized its Resource Management Plan or fully evaluated the environmental impact of drilling in these areas. He said the BLM should hold off on the auction until that is completed.

You realize there are health impacts, not only physical but mental aspects, Tso said. The ruts in the roads (caused by industry traffic) are 3 feet deep in some places and affect school bus routes. Back when oil was $100 a barrel, traffic was running all night long and interrupting school kids sleep, which interfered with their school work. These impacts arent visible in downtown Farmington or on the highways, but people who live there see the impacts.

Stone, the BLM Farmington office spokesman, said the bureau will continue to develop and review alternatives to proposed actions. He said the agency will use the 2003 Resource Management Plan until the Resource Management Plan Amendment is completed. The amendment is currently being developed.

Stone added that all leases are issued with stipulations on oil and gas activities in an effort to protect the environment. The stipulations may include limits on when drilling can occur or restrictions on surface occupancy.

I think this may be the first time in history federal agencies are paying attention to what local peoples concerns are, said Shiprock Chapter President Duane Chili Yazzie, adding that he is considering attending the meeting in Santa Fe. But were concerned that, at the same time, the BLM is making overtures and has already released information on these parcels of land. Theyre saying one thing and doing something different on the flip side.

King-Flaherty, with the Sierra Club, said, I think its important to note that 91 percent of public lands in this area has been leased for oil and gas extraction. Oil and gas exploration has been taking a higher priority over people. The BLM hasnt analyzed the public health, air quality and environmental impacts of fracking, so its important that they propose a moratorium on all fracking until the process of determining impacts is complete.

MORE ON CHACO FRACKING:

Hummel said the number of participants in next weeks meeting in Santa Fe will be limited, but she said she understands a larger gathering may take place outside the building.

The meeting is by invitation only, because we want to be able to explain how the parcels were chosen and give time to answer questions, she said. The state director is always willing to listen and to try to improve tribal relations.

Details about the lease sale are on the BLMs website.

Leigh Black Irvin is the business editor for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4621.



2017 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)

Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
LAS CRUCES  The Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office will get 164 Glock 9 mm handguns, two more DASO patrol units, a new dash cam system for some vehicles, and GPS tracking for the agencys vehicles in the coming month following an approval Tuesday by the county commission.

Sheriffs officials said the new weapons will replace three models of handguns from two manufacturers, Glock and Springfield, that are showing signs of wear and pose an increasing risk to officers. The cost of the guns, along with 200 magazine clips, is $70,476.

A majority of the issued weapons for DASO are on the Glock platform and are in excess of 10 years old, county documents state. At this age, these weapons have fired thousands of rounds and have begun to experience equipment failure expected with the age of the parts and number of rounds fired.

Undersheriff Ken Roberts said the bulk of department handguns stemmed from a grant the city of Las Cruces received about a decade ago. The county as a subrecipient received about 100 guns from that.

DASO also has had difficulty buying ammo for the .40-caliber handguns because of heavy demand for that caliber of ammunition from federal agencies and the military, Roberts said.

Commissioners at their Tuesday meeting OKd the purchase of the handguns, which are the Glock 17 model, from ProForce Marketing Inc. of Prescott, Arizona.

Shooting the 9 mm handgun that DASO plans to buy is similar to using the current .40-caliber handguns, said Sgt. Ben Casillas, president of the Communication Workers of America No. 7911, the DASO union.

I would say its comparable, he said.

DASO held a test and evaluation of potential replacement handguns in May and June of 2016, Roberts said. Deputies weighed in on the top-performing weapons.

Training should improve by having just one model of handgun, instead of three, according to DASO officials.

The idea was to get one manufacturer, one caliber, that would allow all of our training to be consistent, Roberts said.

The Glock 17 model measures 7.32 inches long, 5.43 inches high, 1.18 inches wide, and weighs 22.04 ounces, according to the ProForce website.

Roberts said money to pay for the weapons will stem from the departments seized assets budget line item, which means it wont come from the countys general fund.

DASO has 161 deputized positions authorized, including Sheriff Enrique Kiki Vigil and Roberts, so the purchase of 164 handguns will leave a few extras, in case any malfunction, officials said. Currently, only 139 positions are filled.

Casillas said DASO deputies also have the option of buying their own weapon to use on the job.

Roberts said personnel must be certified, or qualify, twice a year using the department-issued firearm.

After they qualify, they can apply for a second weapon of their own, he said. The department would pay for qualification ammo for that, but beyond that, if they want to practice every day with that weapon, they have to buy their own (ammunition).

For department-issued handguns, DASO pays the cost of ammunition for sanctioned training, as well as for qualification sessions.

County officials are likely to issue the purchase order for the new weapons next week. The company will have 90 to 120 days to fill the order, according to county documents.

Roberts estimated the new duty weapons could begin being issued by late spring or early summer.

Also Tuesday, commissioners OKd:

buying two additional Chevy Tahoes for DASO at a cost of $34,741 apiece. Roberts said this was possible because the bidding process led to savings in the 2016-17 budget for new patrol units. The savings will be used to pay for the Tahoes, which will be added to 29 units already ordered for the year. Manufacturing began this week on that order, according to Roberts.

purchasing, at a $160,879 cost, a new video camera system for the Tahoes that are on order. DASO uses a Panasonic system thats having software issues and downloading problems, so the agency wants to phase it out as new vehicles are purchased, Roberts said.

the extension of a county contract for GPS tracking of county-owned vehicles to include DASO vehicles. Roberts said an existing GPS system used in the agencys vehicles is functioning on only about 40 percent of vehicles because of degradation. The county will get 200 GPS-tracking units at a cost of $72,680, according to agenda documents. The funding also will stem from seized assets, Roberts said.

Diana Alba Soular may be reached at 575-541-5443, dalba@lcsun-news.com or @AlbaSoular on Twitter.



2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
HANOI  Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Vietnam on Thursday for his fourth and final visit as the top U.S. diplomat, his presence embodying the transformation of the two countries from enemies to partners.

Even as his nominated successor, Rex Tillerson, was answering questions at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, Kerry was already in the air for the 22-hour journey from Washington to Southeast Asia. It is the final trip overseas for the most traveled secretary of state in U.S. history. With his latest flight, he has now logged over 1.4 million miles.

After two days in Vietnam, Kerry goes to Paris to confer with other foreign ministers on Middle East peace and to London for dinner with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. He will end the trip at an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, then return to Washington with barely a day and half left to savor what he has characterized as the job of a lifetime.

The Vietnam stop is particularly meaningful for Kerry, aides said. His fate has been linked to the country for almost 50 years, since he first arrived in 1968, as a young Navy lieutenant battling communist insurgents.

When Kerry was a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, he and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a former Navy pilot who was shot down over Hanoi and held as a prisoner of war, played a central role in normalizing relations between the United States and Vietnam.

In Vietnam at the close of his career in public office, Kerry will meet with government and ruling Communist Party officials and review the arc of the bilateral relationship in a policy speech. The capstone will be a riverboat trip in the Mekong Delta, where he captained a Swift boat patrol vessel during the Vietnam War. Aides said he will go to the spot in the river in Ca Mau province where he earned a Silver Star.

The United States has been providing aid to help maintain the health of the river so it can continue as an economic engine of the region. It is being undermined by hydroelectric dams upriver and the impact of climate change  an issue to which Kerry is expected to devote much of his post-government life.

Kerry is scheduled to meet Friday morning with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vice Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. Aides traveling with Kerry say that among the topics they will discuss are climate change, North Korea and Chinas actions in the South China Sea  all issues that will fall to the new Donald Trump administration to deal with starting Jan. 20.

In a sign of the remarkable degree to which relations have changed between Vietnam and the United States, the secretary of the Communist Party of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, will host a dinner for Kerry on Friday night. By next year, the United States plans to send Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time.
AUGUSTA, Maine  Republican President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday urged people to buy from outdoors retailer L.L. Bean  even though many of its products are made in China  as it faces calls for a boycott because of a company heiress donations to his candidacy.

Trump, in tweeting the endorsement, garnered criticism from the nonpartisan money-in-politics watchdog Every Voice for personally encouraging his supporters to boost the companies of his super (political action committee) donors. And the endorsement unwittingly steered customers to many products made overseas, something hed railed against during his campaign.

Trump thanked Linda Bean, a granddaughter of the companys founder, and cited her great support and courage. He ended by saying, Buy L.L. Bean.

Linda Bean described the backlash against her as bullying and un-American and vowed she would not step down from the companys board of directors.

Thats all they are: a small kernel of hardcore bullies out on the left coast, West Coast, in California, trying to control what we do, what we buy, what we sell in Maine, she said on Fox News Channels Fox and Friends.

Bean and the Freeport-based retailer have been targeted by anti-Trump groups following The Associated Press reporting of her donations to the pro-Trump Making Maine Great Again PAC. The founders of #GrabYourWallet called for a boycott of L.L. Bean but said it would stop if the privately held company, known for its signature waterproof rubber-bottom boots, cut formal ties with Linda Bean.

Republican Gov. Paul LePage said the group is trying to destroy Linda Beans reputation and damage the retailers iconic brand.

Trump vowed during his campaign to bring back millions of American jobs lost to China and other foreign competitors.

But L.L. Bean uses factories around the world to produce many of its goods, especially clothing, as do other American companies.

The company estimates about 75 percent of its products are imported. But its also proud of the fact it still makes its signature boots and many other products in the United States. It produced 600,000 boots this year at factories in Maine, a spokeswoman said.

Retail analyst Walter Loeb said retailers including L.L. Bean have no choice but to look overseas for production because consumers demand low prices and retailers want to be competitive.

The Federal Election Commission said Linda Bean made excessive contributions to the PAC, which it said was limited to individual contributions of $5,000 in a year. The group is taking steps recommended by the FEC to change its registration to a super PAC, allowing it to raise unlimited funds.

On Wednesday, the pro-Trump PAC amended its filings to include donations it hadnt disclosed to the government last year.

The filings say Linda Bean donated $30,000, not $60,000 as the PAC originally reported. The filings also say a $15,000 contribution to the PAC came from Diana Bean, believed to be Linda Beans sister. The rest came from four previously undisclosed contributors, including the PACs chairman, David Jones.

A #GrabYourWallet co-founder, Shannan Coulter, launched the boycott effort after learning of Linda Beans contributions.

The reality is that there are serious repercussions for a companys brand and bottom line when consumers learn it does business with the Trump family or helped to fund Donalds rise to political power, Coulter said.

L.L. Bean Chairman Shawn Gorman has distanced the company from Linda Bean and said her political activity doesnt speak for the nine other board members and 50 family owners.

Linda Bean said her cousin gave to (Democrat Barack) Obama four years ago and said he donated much more than she did.

The late L.L. Bean president Leon Gorman and his wife, Lisa Gorman, hosted fundraisers for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael Michaud, shelled out $70,000 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2012 and donated to members of Maines congressional delegation, including Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Lisa Gorman has donated to Democratic parties across the country and donated $33,400 to the Democratic National Committee last summer.

Federal campaign finance reports also show donors linked to L.L. Bean have donated to Democratic and Republican causes.

The Trump donations flap doesnt seem to have hurt L.L. Bean.

According to my son, whos vice chairman of the board, he says theres been a slight uptick in business, actually, Linda Bean said on Fox Business Networks Mornings with Maria.
On Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, HBO is debuting a new series about a surprising candidate for high office who shatters the norms of his profession and radically shakes up the institution he was elected to lead. I am referring, of course, to Paolo Sorrentinos The Young Pope, which stars British actor Jude Law as Pius XIII, the first American elected to the papacy.

Did you think I was talking about someone else?

People are going to want The Young Pope to be a lot of things. The series has already been a Twitter meme, and once it begins airing this weekend, there will be rushes to compare Pius to President-elect Donald Trump, or to draw parallels between Pius battles with Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando) and Netflixs remake of House of Cards.* I suspect that people who insist on those readings will find The Young Pope unsatisfying and not merely because its the kind of show that involves a papal kangaroo, hippie ghosts and dance breaks involving the prime minister of Greenland.

What are we to make of Pius, who before he chose his papal name was known as Lenny Belardo?

He drinks Cherry Coke for breakfast and smokes in the residences where its forbidden; he insists on seeing the gifts sent to him, which include the aforementioned kangaroo and a cigarette lighter; among his first priorities as pope is buying back the tiara of Pope Paul VI; he wears white track suits, which along with the Cherry Coke is one of the more American items on this list.

Hes also an orphan, raised by Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), who he brings to the Vatican as soon as he assumes his office; he refuses to pose for photos or to allow the creation of new papal memorabilia, and when he sends Sister Mary to meet with the press, its only to tell them that he wishes to inform you of my indifference; he was elected as a blank slate but turns out to be a radically conservative figure; he confides in his confessor, Don Tommaso (Marcello Romolo), rather than playing Vatican politics.

But, as is the case with the papacy, the man is subordinate to the office. And while The Young Pope has been marketed as a story about what an American might bring to an institution thats international but still highly Italian, the series is at its most powerful when its something far stranger than that.

Sorrentino excels at keeping viewers off-base in the way Cardinal Voiello feels constantly. He composes ghostly, graceful images of nuns at work and play. He knows that choosing simple clothes is one way to convey humility and a distaste for worldly things, but that casually smoking a cigarette while dressed in the grandest possible imperial regalia goes beyond distaste to contempt. You can read things like that kangaroo, or a scene that uses the music of LMFAO as pretentious, but then, taste is one way of designating a zone in which were comfortable.

Which is not to say that the questions The Young Pope asks are not relevant to us. A sex-abuse scandal hangs in the background of the early episodes, but The Young Pope largely concerns itself with more philosophical matters.

What does it mean for a man to not merely cloister himself away from the world, but to withdraw into the innermost sanctum of that cloister? How would an ordinary man respond when others believe he has been the agent of a miracle? What sort of fortitude would it require for a man to conceal his intentions for decades? How might that silence change his character, and how might he behave when he is given the opportunity to begin acting on those intentions? And most of all, how might skilled practitioners of ordinary politics respond to a figure who so thoroughly confounds their expectations, playing by rules they cannot fathom?

The only thing The Young Pope has in common with House of Cards is that its a story about what might happen if Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), who has a few things in common with Cardinal Voiello, found himself playing not politics but an obscure form of intergalactic chess.

Mystery is a serious matter, Pius mentor, Cardinal Michael Spencer (James Cromwell) warns his pupil. Its not some marketing strategy. I cant say that The Young Pope sincerely gets to the heart of any great mystery. But its an uneasy show for uneasy times. Spending a little time with Pius XIII might be decent preparation for our journey into the unknown.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.  A Colorado teenager has been barred from driving for one year after a crash that seriously injured a classmate riding with her.

The Post Independent reports (http://bit.ly/2ih53Ox ) that the Glenwood Springs teen pleaded guilty in juvenile court in November to reckless endangerment and careless driving resulting in injury.

In addition to the driving ban, she was fined $150 and will have to complete 24 hours of public service and write a letter of apology to the victim and his family.

Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey says the victims family considers the crash an accident and is sympathetic to the defendants case. He says the crash was caused by the driver going too fast and taking a sharp turn.

The victim was seriously injured and required surgery to his fractured eye and cheek.

___

Information from: Post Independent, http://www.postindependent.com/
WASHINGTON  Ben Carson on Thursday detailed his vision for the Department of Housing and Urban Development: one that integrates government assistance programs with holistic solutions and greater involvement of businesses and faith groups.

Carson, speaking before a generally friendly Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, repeatedly suggested that the private sector should play a larger role in addressing poverty and systemic inequities, investing in human capital as a means of increasing quality of life and profits.

The programs that have been enacted in HUD over the years, you know, theyre good programs, Carson said. But in and of themselves theyre not bringing about the elevation of large numbers of people. And thats what were looking for. We dont want it to be a way of life, we want it to be a Band-Aid and a springboard to move forward.

In another instance, Carson said he would like to work with faith and business groups to help people whose residences are worth less than their mortgages.

The place where there is a lot of money is the private sector. What we have to concentrate on is helping the private sector to recognize that, in the long run, the private sector does better when we develop our people, Carson said.

Carson, during his opening remarks, ditched prepared text and spoke at length about his upbringing: his desperately poor childhood living in dilapidated housing with rats and roaches. He credited his mother, a domestic worker, with instilling conservative ideas about self-reliance.

Her strong desire was not to be dependent on anybody else, he said.

The hearing was relatively lighthearted, with Carson asking if he could vote on his nomination and comparing the gravel-voiced Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to the TV detective Columbo. But there were tense moments between Carson and some of the committees Democrats. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who also grew up poor, asked Carson if he truly believed in HUDs mission based on the rhetoric he had used as a presidential candidate. He also pressed Carson on whether he believes the government should continue to provide rental assistance.

I think the rental assistance program is essential, Carson said. What Ive said, if youve been reading my writing, is that when it comes to entitlement programs, it is cruel and unusual punishment to cut those programs for providing an alternative route.

Brown and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., pressed Carson on whether he would guarantee that neither Trump nor members of his family would personally profit from federal dollars through their various housing assets.

It would not be my intention to benefit any American. Its for all Americans, Carson responded. I will manage things in a way that benefits the American people.

Carsons testimony marked his most extensive comments on housing and urban development. Urban policy experts were closely parsing Carsons remarks and responses to lawmakers for clues about his vision on the governments role in housing policy, which he rarely spoke about publicly before his nomination.

Repeatedly, Carson and the committees Republicans suggested that faster economic growth could reduce the number of people who needed HUDs programs. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., cited his states cutbacks to unemployment insurance as a model.

Whats the best thing you can do for someone in government assistance? Tillis asked.

Get them off of it, Carson said.

Get them a job, absolutely, Tillis said.

When pressed on his view of government assistance, Carson said that Americans should invest in one another and dismissed people who imply . . . that I dont want to do anything for poor people.

Carson did not, however, elaborate on the extent to which government assistance should be made available.

I know some have distorted what Ive said about government. But I believe government is important. And it is there, I believe, to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What has happened too often is that people who seemingly mean well have promoted things that do not encourage development of any innate talent in people, he said. Hence we have generation after generation living in dependent situations. Its not that theyre bad people, its that this is what theyve been given, and its all they know in some cases.

Carson also said that, if confirmed, he would like to go on a listening tour, speaking first to career civil servants at HUD and then going out to communities throughout the country to talk to people who have boots on the ground.

Trumps decision to nominate Carson as HUD secretary was swiftly blasted by critics when it was announced in early December. They argued that he lacked the expertise and experience necessary to run the department. Carson has no experience in government outside of his 2016 presidential run in the GOP primary.

People have raised a lot of concerns, and those concerns stem from his own statements. He said, basically, that hes not qualified for HUD or for government service. So most people I hear ask, How did they convince him to take the job?  Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, said in a recent interview.

Carson initially declined to join the administration, even as he was being considered as secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Education Department. Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, hes never run a federal agency, Carsons close ally, Armstrong Williams, told the Hill in November. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.

But Trump transition officials and Carsons defenders say that the neurosurgeons personal experiences, rising from poverty in his childhood to the top of his profession, gives him a unique perspective on urban life and economic issues.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who sits on the Banking Committee, said that he met with Carson several weeks ago and was impressed. Shelby praised Carson for accepting the nomination and said he thinks he will do a good job leading the department.

Hes very smart. Somebody said, Well, he doesnt know a lot about housing. I said, Look at the shambles its in now, public housing. I said, Maybe we need to start anew,  Shelby said.

Morial, the former Democratic mayor of New Orleans, said Carson was well respected for his personal accomplishments  particularly among urban and minority youths  but said he remained unsure about Carsons vision for the department.

We know Dr. Carson as Dr. Carson. We have honored Dr. Carson as Dr. Carson, not as presidential candidate or politician Ben Carson, Morial said.

Fair housing advocates on the left are also worried that Carson will bring to HUD an ideological disposition inherently antagonistic to the departments goals.

Those concerns are centered on his criticism of a 2015 federal regulation, known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), one of the few public statements he has made on urban policy in recent years. The rule strengthened HUDs ability to promote racially and economically integrated communities; at its core, the final rule compels communities that receive grants from HUD to take meaningful actions to intervene where there are high concentrations of poverty or racial segregation.

In an op-ed published shortly after the final rule was released, Carson accused the government of social engineering.

These attempts to legislate racial equality create consequences that often make matters worse. There are reasonable ways to use housing policy to enhance the opportunities available to lower-income citizens, but based on the history of failed socialist experiments in this country, entrusting the government to get it right can prove downright dangerous, Carson wrote at the time.

Betsy Julian, a former senior HUD official and founder of the Inclusive Communities Project, said she hopes Carson wont be hijacked by an ideological agenda.

I hope when he starts talking to people, the career people involved in this thing, that he comes to understand what an important tool it will be for him to carry out the mission of HUD, Julian said. Its a very important piece of federal regulation that was thoughtfully done, and Im not a big fan of federal regulation. I hope hell understand that this is not just a good idea, its the law.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska  Esteban Santiago stood alone in the cold one day last month outside Mom & Pops liquor store in Anchorage. He was waving his arms and having a terrible argument in the parking lot.

Hed just be talking to himself  screaming as if he was having a battle with himself, said Naomi Harden, a clerk at the store, situated across the street from the motel where Santiago lived.

Last week, Santiago got off a one-way flight from Anchorage at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, arriving with a single piece of checked luggage: a Walther 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in a case. He took the gun out in a bathroom, loaded it and opened fire in the baggage claim area, killing five people and wounding six, police say.

After emptying two clips, Santiago lay down on the floor and was arrested, authorities say. He now faces a possible death sentence if convicted. He has yet to enter a plea and is awaiting the assignment of a public defender to his case.

Investigators are trying to establish the motive for the attack.

The 26-year-old Iraq War veteran was usually a quiet and solitary figure, those who knew and worked with him said. But over the past year, he grew increasingly violent, interviews and records show. And in recent weeks Santiago was seen screaming into the night from his motel window, Harden said.

Santiago grew up in Penuelas, Puerto Rico, a once-thriving middle-class town of 20,000 where people worked in petrochemical plants that have since closed. Those who knew him described an intelligent and patriotic boy who joined the Puerto Rico Army National Guard in 2007.

A picture taken at a dance shows a beaming young man, his arms clasped around his dates waist. Neighbors would salute him as he walked down his neighborhoods narrow streets.

Still, he tended to feel more comfortable alone, his brother, Bryan Santiago, said in Spanish, standing outside the familys home in Penuelas. He was a normal person. He liked to be inside the house. He didnt like to go out, he said.

Santiago served about a year in Iraq in 2010 as part of an engineering battalion, clearing roadside bombs and repairing bridges. While there, his family said, he witnessed a bomb explode near two friends.

Michelle Quinones, a former girlfriend, told ABC that Santiago wasnt feeling right when he returned from the war, and sought help in Puerto Rico.

We had let Veterans know that he was having some mental problems, she said, without giving details. She said it didnt help, and they broke up.

In 2014, Santiago and his brother moved to Anchorage for a new start. Esteban joined the Alaska National Guard and started dating a new woman, Gina Peterson. Bryan eventually returned to Puerto Rico.

In Anchorage, Esteban and Petersons relationship grew, and they had a child. The couple shared a small, rear-facing apartment on an alley in a blue-collar neighborhood.

Neighbors said he was not chatty, but never impolite. There was nothing that stood out about him, said Mick Bradford, who lived in the same complex.

Santiago got a job as a guard at a security firm, Signal 88, making $2,100 a month. James Foster sometimes worked with him on the overnight shift over three months in 2015. Foster said Santiago was mostly calm, friendly and soft-spoken, and the two were great partners when they had to patrol a place together.

Foster said he hadnt seen Santiago since leaving the firm but recognized his face immediately when he saw TV footage of Santiagos court appearance in Florida.

What you see on that airport footage, it wasnt really the guy that I thought I was working with, he said Wednesday. He didnt ever come off to me like a psychopath or a terrorist or anyone that we saw on the camera, on the videotape.

Over the year that followed, though, Santiago became more violent than his friends or family ever remembered him being.

In an argument with Peterson in February, he smashed through the locked bathroom door, breaking the doorframe and hinges, according to court documents. He yelled at her threateningly, and she told police he tried to strangle her. Police found no sign of injury, but he was charged with criminal mischief and assault.

Santiago was ordered to take a 12-week anger management class. He never submitted proof that he completed it, said Anchorage prosecutor Seneca Theno.

By August, his problems had multiplied. He was discharged from the Guard for unsatisfactory performance after going AWOL repeatedly, according to the Pentagon.

His brother came for a visit around then and was startled by what he found. He was paranoid, Bryan said.

In October there were two domestic disturbance calls. He was again accused by his girlfriend of trying to strangle her, but police said there was no probable cause to arrest him in either instance.

After that, Santiago moved to the Qupqugiaq Inn, a hostel-like motel in a gritty neighborhood, even by Anchorage standards. Rasim Kadriu, who owns an auto repair shop directly behind the motel, said it attracts the wrong type of people.

He stayed in one of the hotels six narrow, wood-paneled pods. The small rooms had only a bed.

In November, Bryan Santiago got a call from Peterson. Esteban had been having mental problems, she told him.

He had gone to the FBI office in Anchorage with a loaded magazine on him and a gun in his vehicle, authorities said. He bought his newborn child with him into the office.

Santiago told the agents that he believed he was being influenced by the Islamic State group. He said he was having terroristic thoughts and believed the U.S. government was trying to control his mind, according to authorities.

Agents seized the weapon, and police took him to get a mental health evaluation. The doctors did not think he needed to be committed, and after four days he was released.

Santiago was also given back his gun on Dec. 8. It is unclear whether it was the same weapon used in the airport shooting.

Nor is it clear why Santiago went to Florida. He had some family there, but they said they hadnt seen him in years. He had also booked, and canceled, another flight, an Alaska-to-Puerto Rico trip that would have included a layover in New York on New Years Day, according to a law enforcement official who wasnt authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Liz Flynn, an acquaintance of Santiagos girlfriend who recalled him a quiet guy, said: Were trying to find out  how this happened to him.

___

Mark Thiessen in Anchorage; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Danica Coto in Penuelas, Puerto Rico; Tom Hays in New York; and AP Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. Dearen reported from Gainesville, Florida.
They are three women who have spent months getting an experimental vaccine in the name of science. On each date of a strict timetable, theyve headed to windowless exam rooms in Bethesda, Maryland, Baltimore and Atlanta and stuck out their arms, to get an injection or to have blood drawn. Or both.

How their bodies react will determine whether this clinical trial  one of the first  proceeds to the next stage in a long and complicated process. Its target is Zika, a virus that since 2015 has spread with a vengeance to 58 countries, infecting hundreds of thousands of pregnant women and putting their babies at risk of birth defects.

In Bethesda, volunteer Andrea Vaught is a researcher who is earning a masters degree in public health. Being part of a clinical trial appeals to her inner geek.

In Baltimore, volunteer Crystal Woodley is grateful for the $1,100 compensation, given her recent layoff from a night-shift warehouse job.

And in Atlanta, volunteer Virginia Bliss is motivated by love and gratitude for her 10-year-old daughter.

My daughter is perfect in almost every way, and Im very blessed, said Bliss, who works at a primate research center. I wouldnt want something to happen to someone during pregnancy thats so far beyond their control. I can only imagine how heartbreaking that would be.

The trio is at the heart of an effort by scientists worldwide. At least six vaccine candidates are in the development pipeline in the United States, with drug companies and government institutions collaborating to accelerate the process.

There is special urgency with all this work. Zika has confounded the medical community with its unpredictability, and virtually every week, research provides disturbing new data about its damaging potential in the unborn, infants and even adults. The World Health Organization now considers Zika a significant and enduring public health challenge.

Yet vaccines usually take at least a decade to develop because so much of the effort is trial-and-error.

When you are dealing with something that is going to require a response in a human body, which has so many variables . . . person to person, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the chances for lack of precision and for something to go wrong is much greater.

Vaught, Woodley and Bliss are part of a trial led by NIAID. It may be the furthest along  having had no trouble attracting participants, particularly among women  and about 80 people have received multiple injections since August of the clear, colorless test preparation. By design, no participants are pregnant.

If things keep going smoothly with this safety testing, researchers hope to move to Phase 2 in February. That would involve trying the experimental vaccine in 2,400 to 5,000 volunteers in places where the virus is spreading to see whether it prevents infection.

One way to speed up the overall development of a Zika vaccine would be to conduct a separate trial with a vaccine that contains live virus, something the current formulation does not contain. A decision could come later this month, and scientists know that recruiting for such a controversial trial would be much more difficult.

Any such volunteers would be on the front lines of the Zika fight, just as Vaught, Woodley and Bliss are.

  

On a cold, blustery morning, Vaught arrived at Building 10  the Clinical Center  on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, for her second vaccine injection. From there, the 25-year-old would head to work at Georgetown Universitys Center for Global Health Science and Security, where she helps countries develop surveillance systems to prevent outbreaks.

With everything going on in the world, I know I can sometimes feel powerless to do something, she said. This is a small way to contribute to the development of a vaccine. Im a young, healthy person, and thats a privilege that I can contribute in this way.

She hasnt had much of a reaction to the shots. After her first in September, she felt a little tired. But she wasnt sure whether to blame the vaccine or her schedule as a full-time research assistant and part-time student at George Washington University.

Before every injection, she provides a urine sample to make sure shes not pregnant, has her vital signs checked and then gets her blood taken so her bodys immune response can be assessed. All participants receive the same dose  four milligrams of a small, circular piece of DNA, called a plasmid, in one milliliter of saline. It must be individually prepared each time.

Phlebotomist Catina Boyd jokingly calls Vaught her problem child because her veins are so tiny that drawing blood takes finesse. Boyd makes the tourniquet extra tight and hands Vaught a plush toy  in the shape of an NIH bus  that shell squeeze to make her veins pop and keep the blood flowing.

Squeeze and hold the bus, Boyd tells her.

New technology allowed NIAID researchers to engineer the plasmid so it contains genes coded for proteins of the Zika virus. When injected, a persons cells read the genes and make those Zika proteins, which in turn trick the body into mounting a defense with antibodies and T cells.

Such DNA vaccines dont have infectious material, so researchers say they cant cause a person to become infected with Zika; previous trials for other diseases have established their safety, but DNA vaccines havent yet made it to market for human use. When people call to ask about volunteering, thats one of the first conversations we have when they inquire, said Julie Ledgerwood, the trials primary investigator. Everyone is reassured: Theres no Zika virus. You cant get Zika from the vaccine.

All participants, who must be between 18 and 35 years old and pristinely healthy, in Ledgerwoods words, receive two to three injections and commit to as many as 18 follow-up visits over two years. After each shot, they record their temperature and any fever, arm pain, redness or tenderness, nausea or headache. They return on a specific schedule to have more blood taken so researchers can monitor their health and immune response.

Zikas high profile has attracted a far greater response than usual from potential volunteers  with so many inquiries that Ledgerwood ended up with names to tap for future Zika studies. Many of the people selected are women, perhaps because of Zikas far greater consequences for pregnant women and their babies. People want to do this because it matters, she said.

Being a first-time participant has given Vaught a different perspective on her graduate classes textbook discussions about designing clinical trials and effective sample sizes.

It is actual people you are testing something on, and sometimes we can forget that, she said.

  

Woodley was running late for her second shot in downtown Baltimore. Her ride didnt show. She didnt have time to wait for a bus. She took a taxi, arriving at the vaccine clinic at the University of Maryland School of Medicine at 10:50 a.m., almost an hour past her appointment time.

As soon as she walked in, Ginny Cummings, the no-nonsense study coordinator, picked up the telephone to notify the pharmacists to start preparing her dose.

Let the mixing begin, she says.

Woodley took part several years ago in a malaria trial at the medical school, a study that required her to be in the hospital for nearly two weeks. Volunteers had their vitals recorded every three hours.

We had to drink something that had malaria in it, and they would collect our stool every day, she said. Some people became ill, but not Woodley. I think I had the placebo, she said.

The experience piqued her interest, and she agreed to be contacted about future trials. The timing on this one worked well because shed been laid off in April. She also welcomed the compensation, which depends on a volunteers number of visits and the time needed to reach a facility.

A doctor went over a checklist to make sure Woodley, 33, could still receive her shot. Still in good health? No recent vaccinations? No blood products? Check, check, check.

By then, another clinic staffer had returned with her dose. Minutes later, in a spot right above the RIP Daddy tattoo on her left arm, Woodley received her injection. Like every participant, she had to stay put for 30 minutes and be monitored for any adverse reactions. There were none.

Just before noon, she walked outside, waited in a light drizzle for her bus and rode the No. 23 home to Catonsville.

I really like what theyre doing, Woodley said of the researchers, some of whom she knows from her previous trial. Its to help people and prevent them from getting this disease.

Investigators say volunteers havent reported any significant pain or unusual side effects. But interim data suggest their immune response is lower than we would have expected, Fauci said. He describes it as adequate, but not great. Thats the unpredictability of vaccine development: A substance that looks promising when used in mice and monkeys may not hold up in humans.

Researchers have begun testing a variation of the DNA-based vaccine, which in monkeys generated a much stronger response than the original formulation. They began injecting it into a new group of 45 volunteers last month, again to watch for safety and immune reaction. Already, it looks better, Fauci said.

As a result, that second candidate will likely progress to field testing in February. Sites are being prepared from the Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico to South America.

  

Even in the best-case scenarios, though, scientists wont know whether any of the candidates produces an effective Zika vaccine until at least early 2018. And it could take years more before one is commercially available.

One step could significantly speed up the process: injecting healthy, nonpregnant volunteers with live Zika virus. While rare, that kind of human challenge trial would give researchers a much better understanding of how the virus causes disease and which prospective vaccines would be most effective in preventing infection.

Yet the risks are numerous. Female participants could become pregnant inadvertently. The full spectrum of Zika infection is not known, especially its longer-term risks. A recent mouse study, for example, showed the virus surprise effect on male fertility  including lower testosterone levels, sperm counts and, in some animals, dramatically shrunken testicles.

In December, the NIAID and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research convened a group of independent experts to discuss how such a trial might be conducted safely and ethically. A recommendation is expected in January.

  

In Atlanta, Bliss insists she would sign up. As a longtime volunteer, one who started as a young mother a decade ago, shes familiar with the routine of clinical trials and whats expected of her. The money earned has been helpful, she says, but participating also spurred an interest in science and biology.

I really love being part of the process, said Bliss, 33, a histologist at Emory Universitys Yerkes National Primate Research Center, which conducts biomedical and behavioral studies.

She feels strongly that human subjects have an obligation to take part in research. She participated most recently in a clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine.

I got pretty sick, with what felt like the flu, she said. That was definitely the most physical symptoms I had with a vaccine.

But not so for Zika. She has had very little reaction to the two doses she has received at Emorys Hope Clinic. Her third is slated for February.

Bliss has talked to her daughter about her clinical trials and even tried to persuade friends to participate. But most people are reluctant.

They just hear names like Ebola and Zika and they get freaked, she said. People dont understand vaccines well enough.

Because Bliss does not plan to have more children, she says she would eagerly volunteer for another Zika trial  even if that meant becoming infected with live virus.

I would absolutely sign up, she said. She knows it takes years to develop a safe and effective vaccine, but her hope is that by the time her daughter is ready to have kids, Zika would have been eradicated. I believe theres a distinct possibility of doing that if were all working together.
WASHINGTON  Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, Donald Trumps pick to be the next U.S. defense secretary, placed Russia first among principal threats facing the United States, arguing for greater American support for European allies to counter what he said were Moscows attempts to shatter the North Atlantic security alliance.

Mattis, a respected combat leader who made his name in the wars following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, cautioned that sustained cuts to military budgets and personnel meant the U.S. military is no longer strong enough to easily outmatch Russia and other adversaries.

Mattiss remarks during his confirmation hearing Thursday provide some of the first hints about how the Trump administration, which has not put forward comprehensive national security plans, may alter the posture of the worlds most advanced military at a time of institutional strain and uncertainty about the future.

His comments also signal a possible divergence in viewpoint with the president-elect, who has questioned long-standing security commitments and voiced his willingness to partner with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said at a news conference Wednesday that Russia can help us fight the Islamic State, but he also noted: I dont know that Im gonna get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But theres a good chance I wont.

Mattis seeming differences with Trump and those with the president-elects pick to be secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who unlike Mattis has suggested that he might support renegotiating President Barack Obamas nuclear deal with Iran, could lead to a fractious approach to foreign policy and interagency feuding in the next administration.

Mattis spoke as Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., whom Trump has tapped to lead the CIA, pushed back on Trumps support for waterboarding during the campaign and said he would reject orders to torture detainees.

The conflicting statements from the men who will be Trumps most senior advisers increase uncertainty about what actions the new administration will take as military leaders continue to battle the Islamic State and grapple with growing challenges from China and North Korea.

Several hours after Mattis testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate voted 81 to 17 to waive a measure requiring defense secretaries to have been out of military service for seven years. Mattis retired in 2013.

Later in the day, the House Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure along party lines, 34 to 28. The full House must also vote on that measure.

Although some of the president-elects other Cabinet picks have come under intense questioning in their own confirmation hearings, Mattis encountered virtually no challenges from lawmakers to his suitability for the top Pentagon job.

The 66-year-old veteran, known for his use of the call sign Chaos during overseas deployments, has earned a reputation as a scholarly, plain-spoken officer with an impressive combat record. His blunt style has brought controversy at times, as have his hawkish views on confronting threats in the Middle East.

Mattis was named the head of U.S. Central Command in 2010, but he left in 2013 amid disagreement with the Obama White House over the generals desire to intensify the military response to Iranian activities throughout the region.

Iran remains the primary source of turmoil in the Middle East, Mattis told lawmakers on Thursday, with its support for regional militant cells, its ballistic missile capability, its maritime provocations and cyber initiatives.

Although Mattiss hawkish views on the danger from Iran appear to coincide with Trumps, he broke with the president-elect by voicing support for leaving the nuclear deal with Tehran intact.

I think it is in an imperfect arms control agreement  its not a friendship treaty, he said. But when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.

The questioning was notable for its scant discussion of the wars in Afghanistan, where 8,400 U.S. troops are stationed; in Iraq, where about 6,000 Americans are supporting a punishing Iraqi offensive against the Islamic State; and in Syria, where a small Special Operations force hopes to help local forces drive the militants from their stronghold of Raqqa.

Mattis did say that the U.S. strategy for Raqqa needs to be reviewed and perhaps energized on a more aggressive timeline.

Speaking to lawmakers about Russian activity beyond its borders, Mattis gave a full-throated defense of NATO and said he supports the Pentagons European Reassurance Initiative, which has added military power in eastern Europe in response to concerns about Russian pressure on the Baltics. On Thursday, Putins spokesman criticized the United States decision to begin a major deployment of troops and heavy equipment near Russian borders in eastern Europe.

Since Yalta, we have a long list of times weve tried to engage positively with Russia. We have a relatively short list of successes in that regard, Mattis said, referring to the Yalta conference at the close of World War II. The most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with Mr. Putin and we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, and that we take the steps . . . to defend ourselves where we must.

As he did with Iran, Mattis, despite his harsh rhetoric, provided few specific ideas for using military means to push back against Russia.

Its unclear whether Mattiss views will spark a confrontation with the Trump White House. Trumps apparent interest in partnering with Moscow against the Islamic State in Syria, for example, may renew resistance that such ideas have provoked among military leaders in the past.

Mattis repeatedly spoke up for traditional alliances, including those with NATO, South Korea and Japan, that Trump has questioned. The president-elect has expressed skepticism about U.S. security commitments unless those partners increase outlays for their own defense.

We must also embrace our international alliances and security partnerships. History is clear: Nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither, Mattis said.

The nominee said Trump has shown himself to be open and inquisitive while discussing NATO with him. Asked how he, a retired four-star general, would negotiate his relationship with Trumps pick for national security adviser, retired three-star general Michael Flynn, Mattis said that debate of policy issues isnt always tidy but he didnt expect problems.

Asked about the possibility that Trumps Cabinet nominees may differ with him on Russia, incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said that the president-elect was not asking for clones in selecting his senior advisers. Still, he said, at the end of the day, each one of them is going to pursue a Trump agenda and a Trump vision.

Democratic lawmakers expressed hope that Mattis, forged by the military establishment and boasting experience across administrations of both parties, would act as a restraint on some of Trumps impulses.

Repeatedly, the retired general referred to the need to improve military readiness, blaming years of budget for an erosion to American technology and manpower. Trump has promised to increase defense spending.

Mattis, who comes from a service that has led pushback to efforts to integrate women into combat positions, also signaled openness to allowing female service members to serve in all jobs as long as they meet established requirements.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., a strong supporter of gender integration, pointed to comments Mattis made after his retirement questioning the wisdom of placing women serving in all combat roles. Mattis responded that he has no plans to oppose women in any roles within the military. He said that he had hundreds of women serving among his 23,000 Marines during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Im coming in with the [understanding] that I lead the Department of Defense and if someone brings me a problem then Ill look at it, but Im not coming in looking for problems, he said. Im looking for a way to get the department so its at the most lethal stance.

  

The Washington Posts Anne Gearan, Karoun Demirjian, Joby Warrick, Kelsey Snell and Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.
RACINE  A Racine woman accused of resisting arrest, was also charged for punching a male nurse at Ascension Hospital, where she was being treated as a patient in the emergency room early Tuesday.

Lafiya Borrell, 34, of the 900 block of Grand Avenue, was charged later Wednesday with battery to emergency rescue worker, resisting an officer, and battery to a law enforcement officer.

According to the criminal complaint:

Borrell is accused of punching the emergency room nurse in the nose before resisting responding officers and kicking one of them in the groin.

The report indicates the officer said Borrell appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance during the incident at 2:55 a.m. Tuesday.

If convicted on the most serious charge she could face up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

A cash bond was set at $200 and Borrell is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing on Jan. 25 at the Racine County Law enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. She remained in custody at the County Jail as of Wednesday night.
Political scientists long assumed that U.S. institutions were more open and sturdier than those in other countries. One manifestation of that robustness, the theory went, was that U.S. politics appeared largely free from troubling symptoms like conspiracy thinking. Foreigners  particularly in less-developed countries  might attribute the actions of their leaders to shadowy forces like the CIA or Mossad, but Americans knew better than to think that offstage actors could have such influence on them.

That belief is no longer tenable. Conspiracy thinking has been normalized in American politics in a way that almost nobody could have expected a year ago. Today, it is plausible to think that U.S. politics could soon resemble cultures that most Americans once regarded as conspiratorial or paranoid.

Supporters of both parties traveled different roads to arrive here. For Republicans, the key ingredients included a combination of partisan outrage at the Obama administration and distrust of the mainstream media. For Democrats, the transformation began with the revelations that the intelligence community believed that Russian agencies had waged information warfare against the Clinton campaign. Despite those differences, the net effect on how partisans view the other side has been chillingly similar.

As Richard Hofstadter argued in a 1964 essay on The Paranoid Style in American Politics, American politics havent always been entirely free of conspiracy thinking. Most of the time, though, such feverish imaginings have taken hold only among the extreme fringe, as with the anti-Communist extremist group the John Birch Society in the early 1960s. Rarely, toxic beliefs burst into the mainstream, as when the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party briefly became a mass movement in the 1850s or the heyday of McCarthyism. But greater openness, tolerance and education was supposed to have made those excesses a thing of the past.

Modern conservatisms relationship with conspiracy theories has encompassed both models. In the 1990s, right-wing media outlets promoted conspiracy theories about the Clinton administration, but these were mostly fringe phenomena. The turning point toward mainstreaming conspiracy-mindedness came during the Obama era, when many on the right  most infamously, Donald Trump  embraced the gateway theory of birtherism.

Despite a complete absence of evidence in favor of the proposition and overwhelming evidence against it, the belief that President Obamas birth certificate was fake took hold among a large segment of the population. By August 2016, 72 percent of Republicans doubted that Obama had been born in the United States.

Mainstream Democrats, by contrast, prided themselves on being members of the reality-based community and gloated that (as Stephen Colbert put it) reality has a well-known liberal bias. The shock of defeat in 2016 changed that. Paradoxically, one factor pushing Democrats away from their faith in reality was their well-supported confidence in the evidence that a hidden actor  Russian intelligence agencies  had intervened in U.S. politics against them.

The U.S. intelligence community has publicly concluded that Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign against Hillary Clinton. Yet much of the evidence supporting that conclusion remains hidden from public view. That recalcitrance may be explained by intelligence agencies understandable desire to protect their sources, but it also leaves some gaps in the public story.

Consequently, the publics willingness to accept the U.S. intelligence communitys conclusions is driven by a combination of trust in those agencies and, less respectably but crucially, the desire to accept those conclusions as true. In todays polarized political environment, both factors follow party lines: Democrats believe the charges of Russian hacking, partly because they want to believe them. Republicans dont, partly because they dont want to.

In December, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 86 percent of Democrats were worried by Russias interference in the election, while only 29 percent of Republicans were. Similarly, in January, a separate poll found that partisan views of the CIA was equally polarized, as 46 percent of Democrats, but only 29 percent of Republicans, approved of the agency.

The initial responses on social media to Tuesdays publication by BuzzFeed of a document alleging that the Trump campaign had coordinated its actions with Russia (along with other, more salacious details) followed similar partisan lines. Left-leaning journalist Sarah Kendzior, for instance, viewed the document as confirming earlier rumors, while Fox News host Sean Hannity retweeted to his 2 million followers the Wikileaks report that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen denied he had visited Prague (where the document alleged he had met with Kremlin officials).

Many Democrats seemed much more willing to entertain the reports allegations than its relative lack of evidence would have justified. That may reflect, in part, confirmation bias driven by earlier acceptance of the intelligence communitys superficially similar report. Perhaps equally dismaying, Republicans seemed all too eager to accept on faith the Trump teams even less-detailed denials. For many on both sides, motivated reasoning is beginning to eclipse reasonable standards of judging new claims.

It is difficult to be optimistic about the next steps in this path. The Trump teams penchant for secrecy, brazen disregard for norms and hostility toward transparency has only fertilized the grounds in which paranoia will grow. For Democrats, the combination of truth and plausible-sounding theories about foreign involvement and Trumps business interests, combined with the bitter taste of opposition, will lead into the temptation of steadily lowering standards for belief.

This is the same sort of stew that gives rise to political cultures dominated by rumor, innuendo and conspiracy thinking. Such brews are familiar to students of politics in regions such as Latin America and the Middle East. And we should remember that in many places, such conspiracy thinking reflects an exaggerated recognition that foreign powers, corrupt leaders and hidden agendas did play an outsize role in such societies politics. Americans turn toward that direction may be, in that sense, nothing exceptional.

Eventually, polarization will ebb, and a shared reality will assert itself. Of course, the price of such an epistemic reset may be steep  a depression, war, Watergate. In the meantime, the consequences will be pain and strife. Until then, American politics will just be another example of the paranoid style.

 Musgrave is an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department inspector general will review broad allegations of misconduct involving FBI Director James Comey and how he handled the probe of Hillary Clintons email practices, the inspector general announced Thursday.

The investigation will be wide-ranging, encompassing Comeys various letters and public statements on the matter and whether FBI or other Justice Department employees leaked nonpublic information, according to Inspector General Michael Horowitz.

The inspector generals announcement drew praise from those on both sides of the political aisle and again put a spotlight on Comey, who emerged as a controversial figure during the 2016 race. Democrats, including Clinton, have blamed the FBI director for the Democratic candidates loss, arguing that the renewed email inquiry and Comeys public missives on the eve of the election blunted her momentum.

Comey has also been criticized for months by former Justice Department officials for violating the departments policy of avoiding any action that could affect a candidate close to an election. President-elect Donald Trump has notably declined to commit to keeping the FBI director.

Brian Fallon, a former Clinton campaign spokesman, praised the investigation Thursday.

This is highly encouraging and to be expected given Director Comeys drastic deviation from Justice Department protocol, Fallon said. A probe of this sort, however long it takes to conduct, is utterly necessary in order to take the first step to restore the FBIs reputation as a nonpartisan institution.

Lawmakers and others had called previously for the inspector general to investigate the FBIs actions regarding the Clinton probe ahead of the election, alleging that Comey violated long-standing policies with his communications about the case and that information seemed to have leaked inappropriately  perhaps to former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Trump supporter.

Horowitz said Thursday that he will explore the circumstances surrounding the actions of Comey and others, though he will not relitigate whether anyone should have faced charges.

The review will not substitute the OIGs judgment for the judgments made by the FBI or the Department regarding the substantive merits of investigative or prosecutive decisions, Horowitz said in his statement, using an abbreviation for the Office of the Inspector General.

Comey said in a statement: I am grateful to the Department of Justices IG for taking on this review. He is professional and independent and the FBI will cooperate fully with him and his office. I hope very much he is able to share his conclusions and observations with the public because everyone will benefit from thoughtful evaluation and transparency regarding this matter.

The FBIs probe into whether Clinton mishandled classified information by using a private email server when she was secretary of state has long been controversial and politically charged.

Perhaps most notably, Comey on Oct. 28  after previously announcing publicly that he was recommending no charges in the case  sent a letter to congressional leaders telling them that agents had resumed the Clinton probe after finding potentially relevant information in an unrelated case. That investigation involved disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

The day before, senior Justice Department leaders had warned Comey not to send the letter, because it violated two long-standing department policies  discussing an ongoing investigation and taking any overt action affecting a candidate so close to an election.

Comey has notably declined to talk about any possible investigations of Trump or his campaign, as recently as this week rebuffing requests from legislators to confirm that agents were looking into any such matters.

I dont  especially in a public forum, we never confirm or deny a pending investigation, Comey said this week.

The inspector general did not say he would investigate Comeys comments on Trump or any matters related to Russian interference in the election.

Comey sent a second letter to Congress on the Clinton case, just days before the election, declaring that the investigation was complete and that he was not changing the decision he had made in July to recommend no charges. But the damage  in the minds of Clinton supporters, at least  had been done.

Horowitz wrote that he will explore allegations that Department or FBI policies or procedures were not followed in connection with both letters. When he is finished, his office will probably issue a lengthy report detailing what it has found, as it has done in other high-profile matters, though it is also possible he could recommend criminal charges for anyone found to have broken the law. The probe could take a significant amount of time.

Horowitz wrote that his inquiry will extend back to at least July  when Comey announced he was recommending the Clinton case be closed without charges. He wrote that he will explore allegations that Department and FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information  potentially a reference to Giuliani, who seemed to claim at one point he had insider FBI knowledge. Horowitz also said he would explore whether FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should have been recused from the case. McCabes wife, Jill McCabe, ran for a Virginia Senate seat and took money from the political action committee of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a fierce Clinton ally.

The FBI asserted at the time that Andrew McCabe had checked in with ethics officials and followed agency protocols. And, when his wife was first recruited to run, he was not yet deputy director. He was elevated to that post in February 2016, after his wife was out of politics.

Through an FBI spokesman, McCabe declined to comment. Giuliani said in an interview Thursday night that he had talked only to former FBI officials, who relayed some agents general displeasure with Comeys recommendation that Clinton not be charged. He said he did not talk to current agents with knowledge of any probes, and he would cooperate with the inspector general investigation.

Horowitz wrote that he would delve more deeply into the FBI publishing, just days before the election, 129 pages of internal documents from a years-old probe into former president Bill Clintons pardon of fugitive Democratic donor Marc Rich. And he said he would also probe whether Peter Kadzik, the Justice Departments assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign and/or should have been recused from participating in certain matters. Kadzik used to be the lawyer for Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, and WikiLeaks released hacked emails showing communications between the two men about the State Departments review of Clinton emails for Freedom of Information Act purposes.

In an interview, Kadzik, who said he was speaking in his personal capacity, called the inspector generals investigation disheartening. He noted that the information he gave Podesta about a hearing and a court document already was public and that it came before the FBI opened its criminal investigation.

Of whether he should have recused himself from any involvement in that criminal probe, Kadzik said, Its not as if I had any decision-making authority or role in the criminal investigation.

Kadzik declined to say whether he would cooperate with the inspector generals probe.

My answer is, I wish the inspector general would have talked to me first, he said.

Notably absent from the list of matters being considered is Attorney General Loretta Lynchs controversial meeting in June with former president Clinton aboard her plane on the tarmac of the Phoenix airport. The half-hour conversation, which Lynch has said she regrets, created the appearance to some that the attorney general was politically compromised. Some officials say it left a leadership vacuum and probably prompted Comey to give his controversial July news conference, at which he announced he was recommending no charges for Clinton but criticized her and her aides as extremely careless.

The tarmac meeting could be encompassed in the investigation of possible leaks of information, and Horowitz wrote that his investigators would consider other issues that may arise during the course of the review.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, took note of the omission.

Its good to hear that the Inspector General agreed to my request to look at multiple concerns that I raised throughout the investigation, Grassley said in a statement. Conspicuously absent, though, is any specific reference to the Attorney Generals failure to recuse herself from the probe, particularly after her meeting with former President Clinton. Its in the public interest to provide a full accounting of all the facts that led to the FBI and Justice Departments decision-making regarding the investigation.

  

The Washington Posts Anne Gearan and Karen DeYoung contributed to this report.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is no friend of the media. Since an attempted coup against him in July, he has jailed at least 144 journalists and shuttered or seized control of more than 150 media companies, according to Human Rights Watch. Now he is praising U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his aggressive tone toward American media.

Erdogan commended Trump for putting a CNN reporter in his place during a news conference Wednesday. Trump had excoriated CNNs Jim Acosta, refusing to call on him because your organization is terrible and telling the reporter, Im not going to give you a question. You are fake news. Trump was angry that CNN had published a report on alleged Russian efforts to compromise him.

Erdogan also accused some international organizations (read: CNN and other Western media outlets) of publishing false information about the 2013 pro-democracy protests in Istanbuls Gezi Park.

Its the latest indication that Trump and Erdogan are feeling their way toward friendship. The pair have a rocky past: In June, Erdogan demanded that Trumps name be removed from Istanbuls Trump Towers because of his disparaging remarks about Islam, while Trump has appointed advisers who are actively hostile to Turkey. A video released during last summers attempted coup showed retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the national security adviser pick, cheering on the generals who tried to seize control of Erdogans government. (Flynn has since made nice, penning an Erdogan-friendly op-ed in the Hill.) Trumps nominee to run the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., piled on during the coup attempt, comparing Turkey to Iran and calling it an Islamist dictatorship.

Now things are looking up. After the election, Erdogan called protests against Trumps victory a disrespect to democracy. And during a call just days later, Trump reportedly told Erdogan that his daughter Ivanka admired him. For his part, the president-elect praised Erdogan after the coup attempt  I do give great credit to him for turning it around, he told reporters  and said that the United States shouldnt criticize Turkey for its crackdown.

Its possible that Erdogan is just trying to get into Trumps good graces to secure what he really wants: the U.S. governments agreement to extradite Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is a wealthy Turkish preacher with millions of followers. While he was once an ally of Erdogans, Gulen is now the Turkish presidents favorite boogeyman. Erdogan accused him of orchestrating the coup attempt, and the Turkish government has used flimsy charges of being a Gulenist to purge tens of thousands of people from government jobs, classrooms, the courts and other professions.

Erdogan wants Gulen returned to Turkey to face charges, but U.S. officials have so far refused to arrest the cleric. And even if Erdogan and Trump become close allies, the extradition decision will still be up to U.S. courts.
The continued dust-up over who will dress Melania Trump for the inauguration next week? It does not bother the Slovenian-born former fashion model one bit, her longtime makeup artist Nicole Bryl said.

In an interview with Womens Wear Daily, Bryl, who has been crafting Trumps signature smoky eyes and all-weather bronze skin for more than a decade, said that when it comes to the couture controversy, the future first lady stays above the fray.

Thank goodness Melania doesnt even in the slightest get upset about these things, Bryl said. She is impressively one of the most self-assured, self-confident women I have ever known, and the only one who gets flustered about this sort of talk is me and those who know her and care for her the most.

Bryl, who also works with President-elect Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump, will be arriving in Washington next week as part of Melania Trumps glam squad. But just what the next first lady will be wearing on Inauguration Day is still top secret, the celebrity makeup artist said. Until then, its all speculation, Bryl said. Sometimes things happen spontaneously in the moment, and this is usually when the magic occurs.
Congressional Republicans on Thursday introduced measures to block a D.C. law allowing doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients, invoking their rarely used power and setting up a battle between Congress and the city over self-determination.

It also thrusts the contentious issue of assisted suicide back onto the national stage. After more than a year of intense debate in the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, signed legislation in December making it possible for terminally ill people to legally end their lives  as is already allowed for Oregon, Washington state, Montana, Vermont, California and Colorado.

To block the Districts Death with Dignity Act, Congress would have to pass disapproval resolutions introduced by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio  and the president would have to sign the final bill within 30 legislative days, likely the end of February.

Washington, DCs assisted suicide bill would erode our cultures respect for life, and possibly lead to the mistreatment and exploitation of the disabled and most vulnerable among us, Lankford said in a statement.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who chairs the House committee overseeing District affairs, said Monday he wants to block the law. A spokesman for Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who chairs the equivalent Senate committee, could not immediately state the senators position.

Religious groups and advocates for those with disabilities have opposed right-to-die laws as degrading to human life and creating the risk that those with terminal illnesses will be steered to early deaths. Supporters say medical aid in dying provides people facing excruciating pain and imminent death the option of dying peacefully on their own terms.

District leaders oppose any attempts in Congress to intervene in local lawmaking. Congress has not successfully blocked a District law since 1991 but has since used its appropriation powers to stymie other local initiatives.

Senator Lankford and Representative Wenstrup claim to carry the mantle for a small, limited federal government, yet they have introduced bills that abuse the federal governments power over the District in order to interfere with our purely local affairs, said D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D, the citys nonvoting representative in the House.

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, who wrote the right-to-die law, blasted what she called the extreme arrogance of these members of Congress who think that they can just impose their personal will on the 600,000 plus people of the District of Columbia.

But Wenstrup, a podiatrist and former Army combat surgeon, said Congresss failure to intervene would amount to a tacit federal approval of physician-assisted suicide.

He says that patients with terminal diagnoses can beat the odds and that he fears they would be pressured to end their lives by insurers that do not want to pay for expensive treatment.

As a doctor, I value human life and providing comfort and hope for human life, said Wenstrup, who says his sister survived leukemia after his family fought for insurance to pay for his bone marrow donation to her.

Congressional attempts to void Oregons first-in-the-nation 1997 medical-aid-in-dying law failed. But Congress did pass a law barring the appropriation of funds to be used in support of assisted suicide, and opponents say the D.C. legislation may fall victim to that law.

The Districts right-to-die legislation carries a $125,000 cost for modifying the citys death-registration system to collect data on those who use life-ending drugs authorized by the law.

Spokesmen for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not comment on the legislation.
You can debate whether FBI Director James Comeys late-October announcement that potentially relevant information had been uncovered regarding Hillary Clintons private email server cost her the presidential election. But with the wisdom of hindsight, its virtually impossible to defend his decision to make such a show of a discovery that, ultimately, amounted to nothing.

Comeys actions in the late stages of the 2016 presidential campaign seem likely to be the focus of a just-announced inspector generals investigation of the conduct of the FBI in the run-up to the November election. Writes The Washington Posts Matt Zapotosky:

The probe will be wide ranging  encompassing the FBIs various public statements on the matter, whether its deputy director should have been recused and whether Department of Justice or FBI employees leaked non-public information, according to a news release from Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.

Any objective analysis of the 2016 election quickly makes clear that Comey  someone most Americans had never even heard of before last year  was the third central actor in the election drama alongside Clinton and Donald Trump. In early July, Comey played the villain in the eyes of Republicans by detailing a string of questionable conduct related to Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state before concluding that no charges would be brought. Democrats largely touted Comeys decision  citing it as evidence that the focus on Clintons emails was much ado about nothing and that the issue was now settled going into the fall election.

Still, Comeys condemnation of Clintons email practices  Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information, he said  lingered in the campaign. Trumps campaign used the extremely careless language in ads and Democrats grumbled that Comey had overstepped the bounds of his office.

Little did they know what the future held.

On Oct. 30, a letter Comey had written to congressional leaders regarding the investigation surfaced. In it, Comey said that a computer owned by former congressman Anthony Weiner, R-N.Y., and his wife, Huma Abedin, a top Clinton aide, had been discovered to have 650,000 emails on it  some of which were considered potentially relevant to the Clinton case. (The computer was discovered as part of a separate investigation of Weiner allegedly exchanging sexually oriented text messages with a 15-year-old girl.)

The assumption at the time was that given the proximity of the election  less than two weeks away  Comey must have seen (or been briefed on) emails on that Weiner-Abedin computer that were deeply troubling and/or might lead to a decision to reverse the July judgment not to indict Clinton.

Turns out that assumption was wrong. Dead wrong. There really wasnt anything new on the computer. But by the time that became clear, Clinton had been sidetracked for the final days of the campaign.

So why did Comey do what he did? My working assumption is that he was deeply cowed by Republican threats about transparency when it came to the FBI investigation of the Clinton server. It was, after all, a unique and politically fraught situation. The front-runner to be the next president of the United States was part of an investigation by the current presidents Justice Department in the heat of a campaign.

Comey cited those odd circumstances in July. This will be an unusual statement in at least a couple ways, he said. First, I am going to include more detail about our process than I ordinarily would, because I think the American people deserve those details in a case of intense public interest.

The only logic that then explains Comeys decision to wade into the final days of the presidential race is out of a sort of abundance of caution  that he didnt really know what was on the Weiner-Abedin computer but wanted to ensure that if anything truly earth-shattering emerged, he had covered his bases.

Which I get  sort of. But, given the stakes, it seems as though Comey would have been FAR better off waiting until the bulk of the emails had been checked against what the FBI had examined so that he could know whether there something new might be in them.

Im fascinated to see what the IG report finds. But I am hard-pressed to understand why Comey did what he did in the dying days of the campaign.



Cillizza writes The Fix, a politics blog for The Washington Post.
ORLANDO, Fla.  A fugitive who is the focus of a four-day manhunt was wearing a bulletproof vest when he fatally shot an Orlando police sergeant earlier this week, Orlandos police chief said Thursday.

Investigators found clothing belonging to 41-year-old Markeith Loyd that suggests Master Sgt. Debra Clayton returned fire after she was shot, but that a bulletproof vest protected the suspect, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.

Clayton was killed Monday morning after approaching Loyd in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store. He was wanted at the time for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend in mid-December.

The fugitive shot Clayton several times, even when she was on the ground, the chief said.

Police arrested a former supervisor at the fried-chicken restaurant where Loyd worked, an ex-girlfriend and a niece on Tuesday and Wednesday on charges of helping him in the weeks after Loyds ex-girlfriend was fatally shot. Mina said they havent been cooperative in locating him.

If there is anyone who is harboring, aiding, abetting him in any way, they will be arrested as weve seen with the past three arrests, Mina said.

Hundreds of deputies and officers have searched almost 100 places since Monday, and theyve received more than 800 tips.

The searches have been lower-profile compared to Mondays door-to-door search of an Orlando apartment complex, and searchers have cast a broader net in central Florida, Mina said.

The crime-tip service Crimeline is offering a $100,000 reward for a tip that leads to Loyds arrest.

Anybody who makes a phone call is valuable to us at this point, said Barb Bergin, the local Crimelines executive director.

After Clayton was shot, many of her colleagues immediately joined the pursuit. Among them was sheriffs Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, who died when he was thrown from his motorcycle in an accident.

Funerals were planned for Lewis for Friday and Clayton for Saturday.
Former attorney general Eric Holder Jr. made an urgent appeal to Democrats on Thursday to focus more attention on state elections, as he framed the coming battle over redrawing congressional districts as a pivotal fight in the effort to rescue the party from an era of Republican-dominated governance.

Presidential elections are obviously important, but we lost sight of the fact that if you want to have a representative in Congress, youve got to make sure that you have state legislatures that are drawing districts that will yield a representative in Congress, Holder said.

Putting his own twist on a gripe that President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly made during his campaign, Holder asserted that the biggest rigged system in America is gerrymandering.

The former top prosecutor made his remarks during an appearance at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, where he formally launched the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). With Holder as its chair, the group will aim to influence the way districts are carved out after the 2020 Census.

No comparable Democratic groups exist. Republicans have been deploying hefty resources to state politics for years through national initiatives such as the billionaire Koch brothers vast political network. President Barack Obama, who is not only a former boss but a friend of Holders, intends to put some of his post-presidential weight behind the NDRCs efforts.

The organizations launch comes at a low moment for Democrats. They are confronting deep uncertainty about their partys future and faced with a daunting rebuilding project. A string of stinging electoral defeats has diminished their ranks in governors mansions and state legislatures in recent years.

On top of that, Republicans will assume control of the White House and Congress next week when Trump is sworn in.

Holder said his organizations strategy will focus on three areas: making electoral gains in governors races and other state contests relevant to redistricting, arming Democrats with the legal firepower for court fights over maps, and trying to affect the ballot initiatives aimed at changing the maps.

The push will face tests this year in the Virginia governors race and possible special state legislative elections in North Carolina, which Holder identified as early priorities for the committee.

In most states, the drawing of congressional and state legislative maps falls upon state legislatures, with governors also having a say in the final product. After the election, Republicans control 32 state legislatures and 33 governorships, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Democrats acknowledge that Republican success in state elections leading up to the redistricting conducted after the 2010 Census helped them grab and cement their control of the U.S. House. The GOP holds a 241-to-194 advantage over Democrats.

I think what we are seeing now is gerrymandering on steroids, Holder said.

In addition to the challenges Democrats face in state races and the U.S. House, they are at serious risk of becoming a smaller minority in the U.S. Senate during the 2018 midterms.

Twenty-five Democratic senators face reelection, compared with just eight Republicans. Adding to their challenge: Some Democratic senators are up in ruby-red states that Trump won.

The battle for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination could also be a bruising affair for the party, as there is no clear front-runner.

But Holder encouraged Democrats to keep their heads up. This is not the time for despair and retreat, he said.

Republicans argued that Democrats stand to have little success with Holders endeavor.

As Democrats continue pondering what went wrong for them last November, they appear to have landed on the wrong scapegoat, Republican State Leadership Committee communications director Ellie Hockenbury said in a statement responding to Holders remarks. Republicans at the state and federal level are winning at historic numbers not seen in generations because we are running superior candidates with better ideas.

The NDRC is organized as a 527 group under the tax code. Kelly Ward, a veteran Democratic operative who spent the past four years helming the House Democrats campaign arm, is serving as the interim executive director of the committee. The NDRC board consists of strategists with experience in state legislative and gubernatorial contests.

Democrats dont expect much in the way of partnership from the incoming administration on voting matters. Both stylistically and on policy, there are clear differences between Holder and Trump.

During a question-and-answer portion of his talk Thursday, Holder chided Trump over his criticism of the media at a Wednesday news conference.

 Im not answering your questions. Youre fake news,  Holder quipped in response to a question from CNN that echoed Trumps dismissal of the news organization on Wednesday.

On a more serious note, Holder said he is not expecting to be able to work closely with the Trump administration on voting issues because of stark differences in their philosophies.

Id certainly look for opportunities to work with the incoming administration, but Im not going to be naive, Holder said. I dont think that their views are going to be consistent with ours.

He added: Miracles happen, I suppose. But I wouldnt be banking on that.
Theres a joke among Asian-Americans that people think we all look the same. That joke became my own personal Pizzagate late Wednesday: I got caught in a terrible case of mistaken identity that was exacerbated by the speed at which false information spreads on social media.

I work as a homepage editor at The Washington Post. Because Wednesday was my day off, I hadnt been online much. But before I went to bed, I noticed a message request on Facebook. Someone I didnt know asked: Any comment on you taking photos of Rex Tillersons notes?

When I checked Twitter, I had to scroll for several minutes to figure out what was going on. It seemed to start with this post: Who is this woman and why is she secretly snapping photos of Rex Tillersons notes?

Right-wing bloggers and Twitter posters had noticed a woman who they thought was taking pictures of the notes that Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil chief executive who is Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state, had taken during his Senate confirmation hearing. Instantly, they started to investigate whatever was going on.

Before I could do anything about it, someone had decided the woman was me. No one ever bothered to contact me, but it was this post that Twitter seized upon overnight. By the time I woke up, trolls had commented on social media channels besides Twitter.

My Facebook feed had dozens of angry messages from people I didnt know, as did comments on my Instagram account. Even my rarely used YouTube channel attracted attention. My emails and my voicemail included messages calling me pathetic and a sneaky thief.

A lot of the comments also focused on my Chinese heritage, implying  or outright stating  that I must be spying for China. Some called for an FBI investigation of what they deemed illegal behavior.

Im perplexed and, honestly, shocked by how quickly the narrative went from someone trying to identify a woman in a video to another person attaching a name to hordes seizing upon that information as the truth.

The woman at the hearing wasnt me. I wasnt there, and I dont know who she is. What we have in common is that were both women, and were both Asian. However, that should not be enough grounds for people to jump to dangerous conclusions.

I lost track of the tweets, retweets and variations of tweets, including some with my Twitter handle superimposed on a photo from the hearing. People demanded my firing and questioned my ethics as a journalist. Top editors at The Post had heard about it. The false narrative snowballed early Thursday because a Gateway Pundit post was picked up by the Drudge Report.

Even Sarah Palin tweeted it.

Friends and colleagues rose to my defense. Even as efforts to set the record straight took on greater urgency Thursday morning, people continued to cling to the incorrect information. Gateway Pundit updated its post: The Washington Post says the reporter is notDoris Truong, their homepage editor, but the vast majority of people who saw the original false report wont see that correction.

Even more bizarrely, one Twitter user insisted that facial software on the video led to the almost positive conclusion that the woman was me.

But even if people believed that the person at the hearing wasnt me, they wanted to know who she was. And thats whats particularly alarming about this time in our society: Why are people so quick to look for someone to condemn? And during the confusion about the womans identity, why is it presumed that she is a journalist? Or that taking pictures of notes in an open hearing is illegal? Or, for that matter, that she was even taking pictures of Tillersons notes?

The bright spot is that a few people have acknowledged that they erred. One person left this note on my Facebook timeline: I was shocked to find that you are in fact not the fox in the henhouse. For that I do apologize. As penance I have gone to several sites that have posted the untrue information about you and corrected them. I doubt it will do a bit of good. I am terribly sorry and wanted you to know that not all Trump supporters are mindless and that the real truth does matter. Hope this mess gets cleared up real soon. God bless.

The whole episode is not going to drive me off social media, which provides a way for me to connect with people across the miles, including strangers, and to be exposed to a diversity of opinions  including ones I disagree with. But I hope the ridiculousness of what happened to me in less than 12 hours makes others think critically before sharing something that can be easily disproved. For one thing, as a homepage editor, I rarely report from the field. I was not at the Tillerson hearing Wednesday. It would have been very easy to figure that out from a quick Google search or just looking at The Posts website.

And I hope people will give the woman who was at the hearing a chance to explain her actions before questioning her motives.



TWEETS

Who is this woman and why is she secretly snapping photos of Rex Tillersons notes? pic.twitter.com/u3WXM3XHCA

Embed code:

Who is this woman and why is she secretly snapping photos of Rex Tillerson's notes? pic.twitter.com/u3WXM3XHCA  America First! (//twitter.com/America_1st_/status/819346644365754371>January 12, 2017

Watch @DorisTruong secretly snap shots of Rex paperwork while confirmation was on break despicable @washingtonpost @DanScavino

Embed code:

Watch //twitter.com/washingtonpost>//twitter.com/DanScavino>//t.co/V7J1zZYXed>pic.twitter.com/V7J1zZYXed  0 (//twitter.com/_0Hour1__/status/819397628542746624>January 12, 2017

Busted.

Strikes me as creepy  reporter snooping & sneaking pics of Trump Cabinet nominees notes today during

Embed code:
RICHMOND, Va.  Theodore Kahn, a visitor to Virginias State Capitol sporting whiskers and a buzz cut, asked where he could go to the bathroom.

Not here, Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William, told Kahn, who, contrary to appearances, was born a girl.

The exchange capped an hour-long news conference that the Prince William County Republican held to rally support for his bill to regulate transgender peoples use of restrooms in schools and other government buildings. He wants to require people to use the restroom that corresponds with the gender on their original birth certificates.

Marshall held the event not to sway opponents like Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, who has vowed to veto the proposal. Instead, he was trying to put pressure on fellow Republicans who, looking to avoid controversy, might be inclined to quietly kill the bill.

If during the Revolutionary War, if we had legislators that were so timid that they wont even keep a firm stand on keeping high school guys out of the girls locker room when theyre taking showers, we would still be singing Hail, Britannia!  Marshall said.

Marshall did not make his case alone. He brought along Cynthia Dunbar of the Republican National Committee, a pastor, a therapist-mom, two Liberty University officials, Fairfax County School Board member Elizabeth Schultz and an antiabortion activist.

If you pardon the pun, its time for men to be men and protect women and children, said Terry Beatley, the activist.

One of the four Republicans running for governor this year also voiced support, though from afar.

I share Delegate Marshalls frustration with other Republican members of the General Assembly who will never take hard stands on difficult issues like this one, Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of Supervisors, said later in a phone interview. Theyre afraid and I think thats not leadership.

He added: Ill bet you a beer that no other Republican candidate for governor will touch it.

Matt Moran, a spokesman for Ed Gillespie, the front-runner in the Republican primary race, said, Ed doesnt think girls should be compelled to share a locker room shower or hotel room on an overnight band trip with boys. Gillespie believes that parents and local school boards should enact common-sense policies to protect the safety and privacy of our children  not the state or federal government, Moran said.

Denver Riggleman, a Republican brewery owner who joined the governors race this week, said there were parts of Marshalls bill he liked and disliked, but wanted to consider the legislation more before commenting.

State Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, who is also vying for the GOP nomination, said, The issue needs to be addressed, but I dont think Bob Marshalls bill is the way to go about it. He declined to elaborate.

Chris West, spokesman for House Speaker William Howell, R-Stafford, dismissed the bill as he had in an interview last week Thats just Bob being Bob, he said.

The two Democrats running for governor, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former congressman Tom Perriello, did not hold back. Northam vowed to fight this job-killing, prejudicial bill. Perriello called the legislation morally indefensible.

Marshalls Physical Privacy Act . also requires schools to notify parents if their child asks to be recognized as a member of the opposite sex. The bill does not prohibit a government entity from providing an accommodation, including the use of a single-occupancy restroom.

Marshalls event also drew opponents, including two Democrats vying for the right to oppose him in Novembers general election. Danica Roem, one of the two, is transgender. She said Marshall has neglected what she considers more pressing issues, such as the clogged, dangerous Route 28, while pushing doomed social legislation.

I am tired of Route 28 . . . being clogged and one of the most dangerous areas in northern Virginia, she said. And yet Del. Marshall comes down here to focus on a bill that is destined to die, once again.

Its absolutely appalling that Bob Marshall keeps on attacking our sisters and brothers in the LGBT community, said Mansimran Kahlon, the other Democrat hoping to unseat Marshall.

Jeannie Lowder of Prince William came to support Marshall, but made a plea for finding common ground on the issue. She thought offering more non-gender specific restrooms in public buildings might satisfy everyone.

Im not this crazy, right-wing extremist, Lowder said. Im a mom. Im a regular joe. I want my children to be safe . . . We need to discuss this civilly, kindly.

Toward the end of the gathering, Kahn rose to ask, Id like to ask you guys where youd like me to go to the bathroom.

Marshall later said he was kidding when he responded, Not here. But he also acknowledged that Kahn might raise more eyebrows in a ladies room than in a mens room.

Obviously people who are transgender use the bathroom, Marshall said. No ones going to do a below-the-belt check if theyre in a bathroom . . . They can pass and so I guess thats what they do.

Kahn, who lives in Richmond and works as a theatrical stagehand, said later he did just that. I walked right out of the room and used the mens room, he said, and nobody cared.

  

The Washington Posts Fenit Nirappil contributed to this report.
RACINE COUNTY  Two men accused of allegedly driving while intoxicated in separate incidents have multiple OWIs already, according to court records.

Earl Knuckles, 68, of the 3300 block of Kensington Court of Racine, was charged Wednesday with operating while intoxicated fifth or sixth offense. Knuckles other OWI charges reportedly occurred in Kentucky and Indiana since 1991.

According to the criminal complaint against Knuckles:

A Racine police officer pulled Knuckles over at 1:14 a.m. Tuesday after observing him allegedly blocking lanes of travel in the 700 block of North Memorial Drive with his truck and then sideswipe a utility pole. During the traffic stop, the officer reported that the accused had slurred speech, a strong odor of intoxicants and was unable to stand for a sobriety test.

Knuckles reportedly declined to answer if he had consumed alcohol, according to the officers report. A blood draw at the hospital was taken for further evidence but his blood alcohol level was not noted in the complaint.

Knuckles preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 18.

Gordon Haley, 49, of the 900 block of Main Street of Racine, was charged Tuesday, with operating while intoxicated fifth or sixth offense, attempted battery to hospital personnel and disorderly conduct. Haleys previous OWI charges occurred in Racine and Kenosha and date back as far as 1994.

Packers celebration soured

According to the criminal complaint:

A Mount Pleasant police pulled over a vehicle allegedly at 6:39 a.m. Monday near Highway 31 and Cortland Avenue after spotting a vehcile recklessly driving.

During the traffic stop, Haley was found bleeding from the head and allegedly appeared intoxicated and fell out of the vehicle. Thats when the officer called for paramedics. After he was taken to Ascension All Saints Hospital, Haley allegedly became belligerent with nursing staff and was restrained to a bed with handcuffs.

Upon release from the hospital, the officer who took Haley to jail reported that Haley allegedly said he was buzzed because he took two shots with his nephew to celebrate the Green Bay Packers win the night before.

Haley is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 19.
Bharti Airtel (Airtel), Indias largest telecommunications services provider, today announced the appointment of Badal Bagri as Chief Financial Officer for its India & South Asia operations with effect from January 16, 2017.

In his new role, Badal will lead the Finance teams across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to drive Airtels growth strategy. He will report to Nilanjan Roy, Global Chief Financial Officer, Bharti Airtel.

Commenting on the appointment, Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said, We are delighted to have Badal back on board with us. I wish him the very best for his new role and look forward to work closely with him. His leadership, deep knowledge and rich experience will significantly contribute towards further strengthening our finance team as we steer ahead in our growth journey.

This will be Badals second stint with Airtel. He had previously worked with Airtel from 2010 to 2014 and was the Chief Controller for the Consumer Business as well as the Global Financial Controller. In his last role, Badal was the Chief Financial Officer at Aircel. Prior to this, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Micromax.

Badal has over 22 years of work experience across telecom, FMCG, services and manufacturing having worked with leading conglomerates such as Genpact, GE, Coke and ICI. He is a Chartered Accountant and a Commerce Graduate from Calcutta University.
DIGIXX Awards, premiering at the ad:tech conference in New Delhi, to be held on March 9 and 10, 2017, is being welcomed by industry leaders. Initiated by Adgully in association with ad:tech, DIGIXX Awards will be judged by an independent panel of highly acclaimed leaders from the advertising and marketing ecosystem.

Jaswant Singh, Managing Director India at ad:tech, iMedia and Mobile Media Summits  Comexposium, is part of the esteemed Jury for DIGIXX Awards 2017. Singh leads the Sales Strategy function at ibiboads. He started his career with Contract Advertising and has held leadership roles, including leading the Marketing Communications at Timesjobs and Sales Strategy at Yahoo! and Networkplay Media. He has led the content and marketing for digital advertising events  ad:tech and iMedia Summits in India.

Commenting on the awards, Jaswant Singh said, We are proud to host the Adgully DIGIXX Awards this year at ad:tech. The digital sector is showing exponential growth over the past few years owning to the amount of new technology innovations happening in the area of Marketing and Advertising.





He further said, We feel this is a great initiative by Adgully to honour excellence and recognise the real achievers in the industry through DIGIXX Awards. This is also in line with our theme  Accelerating the evolution  as real change is always brought in by innovators. The Awards are also a great platform to bring the whole advertising and marketing fraternity together to celebrate and recognise talent.

The DIGIXX Awards 2017 screening committee  comprising senior marketing and media professionals  will evaluate and score each submission. Every entry is evaluated by multiple committee members to ensure an accurate, thorough review. The top five entries with the highest scores will be selected Finalists for each category.

For further details and to enter your nominations, please visit https://www.adgully.com/digixx-awards-2017.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 12.01.2017 - Switzerland welcomes the appointment of Professor Peter Messerli of the University of Bern as co-chair of a panel of experts selected to draft the first Global Sustainable Development Report on the 2030 Agenda. His candidacy as an independent expert was supported by Switzerland.

Before leaving office at the end of 2016, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed the 15 experts to draft the Global Sustainable Development Report. Publication of the report is scheduled for 2019.

The Global Sustainable Development Report, which will be published every four years, will aim to strengthen the science-policy interface and provide an instrument to support policymakers in promoting poverty eradication and sustainable development. It will also be useful to a wide range of stakeholders, including business, civil society and the general public. The appointment of Professor Messerli, Director of the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) of the University of Bern, strengthens Switzerlands presence within the United Nations for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain.
RACINE  House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday downplayed reports surrounding President-elect Donald Trump and Russia-related intelligence, calling them illegitimate and unsubstantiated.

In a phone interview with The Journal Times, Ryan cast doubt on the reports because they originally stemmed from opposition research meant to hurt Trump politically and were not a product of the intelligence community.

CNN reported Tuesday that Trump was told that Russia has compromising personal and financial information about him. That information was allegedly presented to Trump and President Barack Obama during intelligence briefings, CNN also reported. Trump has denounced the reports.

There should not be legitimacy conferred on these unsubstantiated allegations which do not come from the intelligence community. I think its very important people put this in its proper perspective, said Ryan, R-Wis., whose district includes Racine County.

There are those who would love to do harm to his presidency before he takes his hand off the Bible. Im sure partisans will try to take advantage of this. Its a shame because, again, these are unsubstantiated allegations from political opposition researchers for a political opponent.

Still, Trump speaks in softer terms about Russia than Ryan and most others in federal government. In recent weeks, Trump has dismissed claims that Russia influenced the election  despite universal agreement among federal agencies and he has spoken warmly about President Vladimir Putin.

Ryan referred to himself a Russia hawk but said he is not bothered by Trumps Russia statements.

I think he has a bigger strategic vision in mind when he thinks about Russia, and I think hes applying that, Ryan said.

Obamacare repeal on tap

Ryan also said Wednesday he expects the Affordable Care Act to be repealed and replaced in the first quarter of this year, despite media reports that Republicans are not close to reaching consensus on a replacement.

Weve already been drafting (a replacement plan). We were working on it all of 2016, Ryan said. I think theres some in the media who try to suggest otherwise, but we ran on a replacement plan of Obamacare. Now were putting procedures in place to execute that plan.

Department of Health and Human Services officials say signups in the current enrollment period are at 11.5 million as of Dec. 24, 2016, an increase of about 286,000 compared to last year.

In a call with reporters Tuesday, DHS officials pushed back on an assertion made by Ryan and others that the marketplace is collapsing, saying it is actually on track for growth.

But Ryan pointed to increasing rates and said he expects insurers to continue leaving the market if the law is left intact.

We feel the need to engage in a rescue mission, to rescue the American people from a collapsing law and to stop the damage as fast as we can, Ryan said.

The speaker also said health care legislation will include a measure stripping funding for Planned Parenthood and allocating it to other health centers, noting Congress passed a similar measure last year.

There are more community federally qualified health care clinics, far more than Planned Parenthood, who produce the same services for women without all of the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood, Ryan said. We think those dollars can be better directed to those clinics.
MADISON, A group of ex-judges is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to adopt rules requiring judges and justices to recuse themselves from cases involving campaign donors.

Media reported Wednesday that the group sent a proposal to the court for rules requiring circuit judges to step aside if they got at least $1,000 for a litigant or attorney. The threshold for appellate judges would be $2,500 and for justices $10,000. The limits would apply to donations from so-called issue groups as well.
Published On Jan 12, 2017 06:35 PM By Rachit Shad

But BMW grew better!

At the beginning of every year, carmakers around the world try to math out some kind of growth figure and report it in a way that makes it seem as if it has brought the world to its knees. It becomes especially tricky to fathom when two arch rivals try and outgun each other with fancy adjectives to define their calendar-year achievements. Well, the year 2016 was no exception as both Mercedes-Benz and BMW report that theyve done well. But who has done well and how much? We simplify it for you!

Lets begin with the three-pointed star. It has managed to sell more than 13,000 vehicles for two years in a row. The Stuttgart-based premium carmaker registered 13,231 unit sales in the January to December 2016 period. With developments like the diesel ban and demonetization, 2016 was definitely a year worth forgetting for nearly all the players in the automotive industry. Mercedes-Benz, despite all the chaos, remained active in the market and launched 13 new or refreshed products in India in 2016. The companys mid-range SUV, the GLE, was the star performer in the luxury SUV range, which grew by more than 20 per cent. The overall performance is surely commendable.

Over to the BMW Group. The Munich-based automobile group sells cars under two car marques in India  BMW and Mini. In 2016, a total of 7,861 cars were delivered to customers, which includes 7,500 BMW cars and 361 MINI cars. Although this figure is nowhere near what its arch German rival has achieved, the BMW Group grew 14 per cent in 2016 compared to its sales figures in 2015. This simply translates to: no matter what Mercedes-Benz achieved in 2015, BMW grew faster in 2016. Stand out players for BMW in 2016 were the new 7 Series sedan, the 3 Series GT and the X1 SUV.

So there you have it: both the carmakers have legitimate reason to celebrate, but they are very different in nature.
Published On Jan 12, 2017 02:45 PM By Rachit Shad for Lexus LS

Pokes its case in the German-dominated world of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8

Ask anyone about a premium carmakers name and youd probably end up hearing Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi. You might even encounter names from other European countries like Jaguar from UK or Volvo from Sweden. The thing is, when we think about premium car marques, we seldom trouble our heads to come up with a non-European name. If we really try to think of a name that has its roots outside Europe and is in the same league, Lexus will surely pop up. At the 2017 Detroit Motor Show, it has taken the wraps off the all-new LS 500 premium sedan which will try to make its case against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ and Audi A8.

So whats all the fuss about? Well, as per Lexus, there is a lot going on in the new-gen LS 500. The company says that the fifth-generation LS symbolizes the brands image and that it will become the definitive new-generation luxury car that encapsulates Japanese tradition and culture. Is that really the case or not, we will only find out when it comes to our shores. Meanwhile, lets look at what Lexus LS 500 is all about.

The Boring Stuff

Ill keep it short! The new LS500 is built on the companys all-new global architecture for luxury vehicles (GA-L). The rear-wheel drive platform is borrowed from the LC 500 Coupe and then extended to accommodate the larger body. Lexus says that thanks to the GA-L platform, the new LS is longer, wider and lower to the ground. It, Lexus further adds, is the stiffest platform in the companys history and is tuned to for enhanced handling, ride, smoothness and cabin quietness.

The Numbers Game

There is no other way to put it - the new LS 500 boasts F1 tech! It is powered by a brand-new 3.5-litre V6 engine which is mated to two all-new turbochargers developed through the mother companys (Toyota) F1 technology. This ingenuity helps produce 415PS of power and 599Nm of torque. Transmission duties are assigned to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which is also borrowed from the LC 500 coupe. Lexus has gone for a torque-converter tech instead of a dual-clutch system. The setup is potent enough to crack the 0-100kmph sprint in 4.5 seconds, with rear-wheel drive. Dimensions-wise, the wheelbase on the new-gen LS 500 is 33mm longer than its predecessor and with engineers using lightweight materials to design the car, the new-gen LS is over 90kg lighter than the one it replaces.

The Geeky-Goody Things

On the outside, the LS debuts with five different wheel designs, including two new 19- and 20-inch ones. Rest of the car has been designed to leave an instant impression (good or bad) on anyone who looks at it. It has a very in-your-face kind of styling and thats a bold move. Move inside the cabin and Lexus believes that you will immediately agree that the interiors are unlike anything youve ever seen on a comparable premium sedan. The LS gets 28-way power front seats that feature heating, cooling and massage. Customers can even equip their cars with the same heating, cooling and massage features for the rear seats. The cabin trim gets natural woodwork inserts and an ambient lighting system that has multiple settings to suit the passengers mood.

There is even a choice to choose between a standard premium audio system or a 3D surround Mark Levinson audio package with in-ceiling array speakers. The package also includes a more high-tech graphic user interface that incorporates smartphone mimic operation and handwritten input. While the standard kit includes a 12.3-inch navigation display, customers can opt for a 24-inch colour heads-up display as well. Lexus says that using Active Noise Control tech, the sound coming inside the cabin is virtually negligible.

Overall, it is a very different take on what a premium car should look like. When compared to its rivals from Germany or UK, the Lexus looks very refreshing both on the inside and outside. While Lexus has recently announced its plans for India with three models to start with, we sure hope to see the LS 500 coming to India and shaking up the usual list of cars that make up the segment.
Plans by President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to overturn the Affordable Care Act and alter Medicaid could have a significant impact in Wisconsin, where much of a recent 38 percent drop in the uninsured rate came from the health laws exchange, health care experts said Wednesday.

We dont want to lose ground on the insurance coverage, Donna Friedsam, health policy programs director at UW-Madisons Population Health Institute, said during a panel discussion at the Capitol.

Trump and congressional leaders have talked of getting rid of the exchange, a private marketplace where most of those who have signed up get government subsidies to help pay for coverage. About 224,000 people in Wisconsin get insurance on the exchange.

Trump and other Republicans want to emphasize high-deductible plans with health savings accounts, encourage the sale of health insurance across state lines and require patients to maintain continuous coverage to avoid being charged more for pre-existing conditions.

These are all new and potentially challenging things for consumers, Friedsam said. It could lead to a lot of confusion.

But Michael Heifetz, Wisconsins Medicaid director, said similar consumer concerns were raised after the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, was passed in 2010.

There are a number of flaws in the ACA that we have the opportunity to correct, Heifetz said. We really havent moved the needle on quality as much as we should have. We havent significantly achieved payment reform.

One of the biggest changes that might be coming from Congress could be converting funding for Medicaid, the state-federal health program mostly for the poor, into block grants. Instead of tying federal amounts to how much states spend, states would get a lump sum. They would also be free of many federal rules on how to run the program.

The block grants could be awarded on a per-capita basis, which would help when more people enroll in Medicaid, such as during a recession.

Heifetz said a new Medicaid funding structure could involve a hybrid of traditional block grants and per-capita grants. They dont have to approach every population the same way, he said.

Gov. Scott Walker, in a letter Monday to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, requested maximum flexibility through full block grants to each state ... Sending funding for Medicaid back to the states will ensure that the program is more effective, more efficient, and more accountable to the people.

Walker also asked for an immediate repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, but he sought a proper amount of time to transition people from the current program to a market-driven system.

Medicaid reform could give states more freedom to require enrollees to pay premiums and cost-sharing, making coverage more like private insurance. Wisconsin will soon seek federal approval for such changes approved in the last state budget for roughly 143,000 childless adults in Medicaid, Heifetz said.

The state wants to charge childless adults $1 to $5 a month for coverage, have higher premiums for those who engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, limit coverage to four years, require health risk assessments and subject enrollees to drug testing. Those who test positive for drug use would be referred for treatment.

It is designed for moving folks from dependence to independence, Heifetz said.

Justin Sydnor, an associate professor at UW-Madisons School of Business, said a greater reliance on high-deductible health plans could have trade-offs.

The plans, generally accompanied by health savings accounts, can present a lower financial risk to patients than traditional health plans, Sydnor said. But since patients must pay more out of pocket for their health care, some avoid services they should be getting, he said.

When people have to fund their own health care costs, they may potentially pull back on managing chronic diseases, which can have a personal effect but may also lead to bigger societal costs, Sydnor said.

Gail Wilensky, a senior fellow at the international health foundation Project HOPE who had served as a senior health adviser to former President George H.W. Bush, said increases in health care spending dropped in recent years, mostly because of the recession.

That likely wont last, regardless of what policy changes come out of Washington, Wilensky said.

Now that we are in a recovery stage, thank goodness, we should expect to see higher health care spending growth, she said. Some of our spending challenges may be returning.
Talking Points

Russia has perhaps more reason than most nations to welcome the Trump era

At face value, Trump always had more to offer Moscow than Hillary Clinton

But Moscow still has plenty to fear from a more protectionist United States

At face value, Russia has reason to cheer Donald Trumps election victory, as it's reported that the countrys Parliament duly did.

A Clinton win would have offered Moscow little more than the continuation of Barack Obamas foreign policy stance. That saw Russia under sanctions and bilateral relations arguably at their lowest ebb since the Cold War.

On top of that, Trump was wont to praise Vladimir Putin on the campaign trail and the Russian leader has returned the compliment. Trump has talked about lifting sanctions on Russia and even about joining Russian forces in their assault on anti-Assad rebels in Syria.

Indeed, Trumps win coupled with the historic oil production cut now coming from OPEC would seem to place Russia in something of a sweet spot, at least a relatively so. It is the worlds largest energy exporter and weak oil prices in recent years have seen it struggling to balance the monetary books.

The 2016 budget depended on an oil price of about $48.75 at the current exchange rate. Russian oil only sold at an average price of$37.80per barrel in the first half of this year, so there's a larger-than-expected deficit to cover as well as worries about non-oil exports depressed by the expensive Ruble. If oil prices do rise, all that is less of a problem.

Market action would seem to bear that out. The Ruble has been steadier against the US Dollar than many emerging market currencies this year and Russian bonds still find quite willing buyers in this yield-hungry world.

Flattering Russias economic weakness? USD/RUB in 2016.

Chart Compiled using TradingView

Russias $1.25 billion Eurobond was oversubscribed at launch on September 22. No Western banks took part in the placement, but the yield of 3.9% brought in the buyers. As well it might have.Moscows Micex stock benchmark is hovering near record highs. Admittedly, it has been tracking Wall Street higher, but some buyers clearly see better times ahead for Russia.

However, Trumps presidency could still see the country back on the ropes, even if his policies are friendlier towards Moscow. Thats if they also lead to the rise in global protectionism that everybody fears.

If history is any guide the knock-on effect of that would be a huge fall in global trade and a consequent slide in demand for energy. This would hit Russia especially hard given its export reliance on that sector.

The Russian economics ministry downgraded its forecast for the economy in September. It now sees Russia underperforming global trends out to 2019. Its possible that a well-implemented OPEC production cut could scatter some of this gloom, but rising protectionism and a weaker oil price could well make even the new forecasts seem optimistic.

And as usual with the US President-elect, we must wait to see how campaign poetry (such as it was) translates into governing prose. Cosier relations with Moscow without any reduction in current Russian military action in Syria and Crimea is going to be a hard sell, not only to Europe but to many in Congress and the US security machine.CIA chief John Brennan told the BBC recently that Trump should be wary of Russian promises.

The network of alliances in Syria is also bewildering. Its at least theoretically possible that a US alignment with Russia there could see US-supported Assad troops in armed conflict with US-supported Kurdish forces. They have led the fight against Islamic State and now control land which Assad might want back.

These knots wont be easily cut, even if Trump really wants to.Russia could find itself facing both a more protectionist world and a US President who isnt as amenable to Moscow as he may have seemed at times on the long campaign trail.

So, hows DailyFX doing? Check out our analysts forecasts.

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research
Alan Patterson, EETimes

1/11/2017 05:30 PM EST

TAIPEI  Chinese chipmakers are likely to hire more Taiwanese semiconductor executives as the administration of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump tightens restrictions on Chinas acquisitions of U.S. chip companies, according to a veteran analyst in Asia.

Chinas Tsinghua Unigroup, which in recent years has joined other Chinese investors to pursue acquisitions of domestic and overseas chipmakers, this month hired Shih-wei Sun, a former CEO of Taiwans United Microelectronics Corp. as an executive vice president for Tsinghuas global operations.

Click here to read more ...








An instrument designed to image the vast web of gas that connects galaxies in the universe has been shipped from Los Angeles to Hawaii, where it will be integrated into the W. M. Keck Observatory.

The instrument, called the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, or KCWI, was designed and built by a team at Caltech led by Professor of Physics Christopher Martin. It will be one of the best instruments in the world for taking spectral images of cosmic objects--detailed images where each pixel can be viewed in all wavelengths of visible light. Such high-resolution spectral information will enable astronomers to study the compositions, velocities, and masses of many objects, such as stars and galaxies, in ways that were not possible before.

One of KCWI's main goals, and a passion of Martin's for the past 30 years, is to answer the question: What is the gas around galaxies doing?

"For decades, astronomers have demonstrated that galaxies evolve. Now we're trying to figure out how and why," says Martin. "We know the gas around galaxies is ultimately fueling them, but it is so faint--we still haven't been able to get a close look at it and understand how this process works."

Martin and his team study what is called the cosmic web--a vast network of streams of gas between galaxies. Recently, the scientists have found evidence supporting what is called the cold flow model, in which this gas funnels into the cores of galaxies, where it condenses and forms new stars. Researchers had predicted that the gas filaments would first flow into a large ring-like structure around the galaxy before spiraling into it--exactly what Martin and his team found using the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, a precursor to KCWI, at Caltech's Palomar Observatory near San Diego.

"We measured the kinematics, or motion, of the gas around a galaxy and found a very large rotating disk connected to a gas filament," says Martin. "It was the smoking gun for the cold flow model."

With KCWI, the researchers will get a closer look at the gas filaments and ring-like structures around galaxies that range from 10 to 12 billion light-years away, an era when our universe was roughly 2 to 4 billion years old. Not only can KCWI take more detailed pictures than the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, it has other advances such as better mirror coatings. The combination of these improvements with the fact that KCWI is being installed at one of the twin 10-meter Keck telescopes--the world's largest observatory with some of the darkest known skies on Earth--means that KCWI will have an improved performance by more than an order of magnitude over the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager.

KCWI will map the gas flowing from the intergalactic medium--the space between galaxies--into many young galaxies, revealing, for the first time, the dominant mode of galaxy formation in the early universe. The instrument will also search for supergalactic winds from galaxies that drive gas back into the intergalactic medium. How gas flows into and out of forming galaxies is the central open question in the formation of cosmic structures.

"We designed KCWI to study very dim and diffuse objects, our main emphasis being on the wispy cosmic web and the interactions of galaxies with their surroundings," says Mateusz (Matt) Matuszewski, the instrument scientist for the project.

KCWI is also designed to be more a general-purpose instrument than the Palomar's Cosmic Web Imager, which is mainly for studies of the cosmic web. It will study everything from gas jets around young stars to the winds of dead stars and supermassive black holes and more. "The instrument is really versatile," says Matuszewski. "Observers can configure the optics to adjust the spatial and spectral scales and resolutions to suit their interests."

The nuts and bolts of KCWI

Scientists and engineers have been busy assembling the highly complex elements of the KCWI instrument at Caltech since 2012. The instrument is about the size of an ice cream truck and weighs over 4,000 kilograms. The core feature of KCWI is its ability to capture spectral information about objects, such as galaxies, across a wide image. Typically, astronomers capture spectra using instruments called spectrographs, which have narrow slit-shaped windows. The spectrograph breaks apart light from the slit into each of the colors making up the target object, just like a prism that spreads light into a rainbow. But traditional spectrographs cannot be used to capture spectral information across an entire image.

"Traditional spectrographs use multiple small slits to capture many stars or the cores of many galaxies," says Martin. "Now, we want to look at features that are extended across the sky, such as stellar jets and galaxies, which have complex structures, velocities, and gas flows. If you can only look through a slit, you can only see a small part of what is going on. But we want to see the whole picture. That's why we need an imaging spectrograph, a device that gives you an image for every single wavelength across a wide view."

To create a spectrograph that can image more extended objects like galaxies, KCWI uses what is called an integral field design, which basically divides an image up into 24 slits, and gathers all the spectral information at once.

"If you're looking at something big in the sky, it's inefficient to just have one slit and step your way across that object, so an integral field spectrograph combines a number of slit-shaped mirrors together across a continuous field of view," says Patrick Morrissey, the project scientist for KCWI who now works at JPL. "Imagine looking into a broken mirror--the reflected image is shifted around depending on the angles of the pieces. This is how the integral field spectrograph works. A series of mirrors works together to make a square-shaped stack of slits across an image appear as a single traditional vertical slit."

KCWI has the highest spectral resolution of any integral field spectrograph, which means it can better break apart the rainbow of light to see more colors, or wavelengths. The first phase of the instrument, now on its way to Keck, covers the blue side of the visible spectrum, spanning wavelength ranges from 3500 to 5600 Angstroms. A second phase, extending coverage to the red side of the spectrum, out to 10400 Angstroms, will be built next.

KCWI to Climb Mauna Kea

After KCWI arrives in Hawaii on January 18, engineers will guide it up to the top of Mauna Kea, where Keck is perched. A series of checkout and alignment tests is planned, and will be followed in a few months by the first observations through the Keck telescope.

"There are train tracks around the telescope where the instruments are installed," says Morrissey. "It's like one of those old railroad roundhouses where the train would come in and they would spin it to an available space for storage. The telescope turns around, points to the instrument that the astronomer wants to use, and then they roll that instrument on. Soon KCWI will becomes part of the telescope."

KCWI is funded by the National Science Foundation, through the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) program, and by the Heising-Simons Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Caltech Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, and the Caltech Optical Observatories.

###
Researchers at Yale University have isolated the brain circuitry that coordinates predatory hunting, according to a study in the January 12 issue of Cell. One set of neurons in the amygdala, the brain's center of emotion and motivation, cues the animal to pursue prey. Another set signals the animal to use its jaw and neck muscles to bite and kill.

The researchers used optogenetics, a means of engineering specific neurons to fire upon light stimulation, to isolate and selectively activate each set of neurons. When the laser is off, the animals behave normally. But turn the laser on, and the mice take on qualities of "walkers" from The Walking Dead, pursuing and biting almost anything in their path, including bottle caps and wood sticks. "We'd turn the laser on and they'd jump on an object, hold it with their paws and intensively bite it as if they were trying to capture and kill it," says lead investigator Ivan de Araujo, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and an Associate Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory.

The Walking Dead analogy is fair only to a certain extent, says de Araujo. In nature, predatory hunting takes the form of highly complex behaviors that are common to most jawed vertebrates, including humans. "It is a major evolutionarily player in shaping the brain," says de Araujo. "There must be some primordial subcortical pathway that connects sensory input to the movement of the jaw and the biting."

The animals did not, however, attack other mice in the cage. Hunger also affected predatory behavior. Hungry mice more aggressively pursued prey during light stimulation than mice that were not hungry. "The system is not just generalized aggression," says de Araujo. "It seems to be related to the animal's interest in obtaining food."

The study grew out of de Araujo's efforts to understand the neural mechanisms underlying feeding behaviors in animals. His lab had been looking at mice living and eating in cages. "They have nothing else to do other than eat the pellets we throw in the cage," he says. "I began to wonder how natural and relevant this behavior is."

De Araujo's interest in more natural behaviors pointed him to a study that had mapped brain areas associated with hunting and feeding. Many areas were listed, but one responded almost exclusively to hunting and not to eating. That region, the central nucleus of the amygdala, also had projections that were linked to areas that control hunting muscles, such as the jaw and neck. "This area was perfectly compatible with an activation system that drives the motor behavior associated with hunting," he says.

By selectively manipulating the different types of neurons in this region, they found that one set of neurons controlled pursuit, and another controlled the kill. Experiments involved inanimate stand-ins for prey, such as sticks and bottle caps and animate bug-like toys, as well as live insects.

The researchers also specifically lesioned each type of neuron. They found that, if they lesioned the neurons associated with biting and killing, the animals would pursue the prey but could not kill. The biting force of the jaw was decreased by 50 percent. "They fail to deliver the killing bite," says de Araujo.

The team is now exploring the sensory input into the amygdala to determine what triggers predatory behaviors and investigating how the two modules--one controlling pursuit and the other controlling the kill--are coordinated. "We now have a grip on their anatomical identities, so we hope we can manipulate them even more precisely in the future," says de Araujo.

###

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Brazilian government.

Cell, Han et al.: "Integrated Control of Predatory Hunting by the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala." http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)31743-3

Cell (@CellCellPress), the flagship journal of Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. Visit: http://www.cell.com/cell. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
Killer whales are one of only three species that are known to go through menopause, surviving long after they've stopped reproducing. Those older females play an essential role in helping their younger family members to find food and survive even in lean times. But, researchers report in Current Biology on January 12, the reason older females stop reproducing has more to do with conflict between mothers and their daughters than it does with cooperation.

According to the new evidence, when older females do reproduce alongside their daughters, their young calves are more likely to die. Under those circumstances, it's better evolutionarily speaking for older females to stop reproducing themselves and invest in helping their younger family members succeed.

"Our previous work shows how old females help, but not why they stop reproducing," says Darren Croft (@DarrenPCroft) of the University of Exeter. "Females of many species act as leaders in late life but continue to reproduce. Our new work provides a mechanism that can explain why old females stop [reproducing]--they lose out in reproductive competition with their daughters."

Female killer whales typically start reproducing by age 15. They stop reproducing in their 30s or 40s, but they can live to be more than 90. Earlier studies by the research team from the University of Exeter, University of York, and Center for Whale Research showed that older (post-reproductive) females play an important leadership role that benefits the family group. But the benefits of helping younger, related females alone didn't seem to be enough to fully explain why those older whales would go through menopause and stop reproducing themselves.

Earlier theoretical work by study co-authors Mike Cant, University of Exeter, and Rufus Johnstone, University of Cambridge, suggested that conflict between generations may help to explain why humans go through menopause. According to the "reproductive conflict" hypothesis, women in ancestral human social groups become more closely related to those around them with age. That trend predisposed older females to stop reproduction and invest in late-life helping. In contrast, young women are predicted to invest in competitive effort to reproduce. Cant and Johnstone later suggested that the same might be true among killer whales.

To test the "reproductive conflict" hypothesis in the new study, Croft, Cant, Johnstone, and their colleagues from the University of York, Center for Whale Research, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada relied on a unique long-term dataset on wild resident killer whales of the Pacific Northwest. The empirical data confirmed that older females are more closely related to their kinship group than younger females are. New theoretical work by the authors predicted that this imbalance between generations means that--when older and younger females breed at the same time--selection will favor younger females that invest more in competition. Likewise, it's better for older females--those younger females' mothers and grandmothers--to compete less and cooperate more.

Using 43 years of demographic data on resident killer whales, Croft and colleagues found evidence in support of this prediction. When mothers and daughters breed at the same time, the calves of the old-generation females are 1.7 times more likely to die than the calves of younger females.

The bottom line, Croft says, is that menopause is no accident. Rather, it's an evolved trait driven by both cooperation and conflict in family groups. The findings help to explain factors that are driving the whales' survival and reproductive success, which is essential information given that the Southern Resident killer whales--one of the whale populations under study--is listed as endangered and at risk of extinction.

Croft says they now plan to use drones to look more closely at the behavioral interactions among individuals.

"We want to understand how old and young females are behaving in ways that impact the survival of their calves," he says. "For example, who are individuals sharing food with and when are they sharing it? Who is doing the babysitting? By getting a bird's eye view, we will be able to transform our understanding of the social lives of these amazing animals."

###

Support for this research was provided by a grant from the Natural Environment Research Council, and data collection was supported in the Southern resident population by funding from Earthwatch Institute and NOAA Fisheries, and in the Northern resident population by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Species at Risk Program.

Current Biology, Croft et al.: "Reproductive Conflict and the Evolution of Menopause in Killer Whales" http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)31462-2

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
Christine Hendon, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has won the Presidential Early Career Award (PECASE), the highest honor the U.S. government gives to young scientists and engineers. Hendon, who develops innovative medical imaging instruments for use in surgery and breast cancer detection, is one of 102 researchers from across the nation named by President Obama on January 9.

"I congratulate these outstanding scientists and engineers on their impactful work," President Obama said. "These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy."

Hendon's research is focused on biomedical optics, a medical technology that does not rely on radiation. She is developing optical imaging and spectroscopy instruments for surgical guidance and has earned numerous honors for her groundbreaking work. In 2015 she won a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award; in 2014 she received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) New Innovator Award; in 2013 she was named to both MIT's prestigious list of 35 Innovators Under 35 and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of game changers in science and health care.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/zui7eJfRQ5g

"A PECASE award is an incredible honor," Hendon said. "For a young researcher, this is the pinnacle of recognition, and I am thrilled to be included in this brilliant group. It is wonderful to see the White House acknowledging scientific accomplishments from investigators working on a diverse array of problems. I am very much excited to continue the research that my laboratory has been working on for the past four years and hope to see it widely used in the future."

Hendon is developing optical tools that aim to provide surgeons with a clear understanding of the tissue on which they are operating. She uses near-infrared spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging technique nicknamed "optical ultrasound" that provides depth-resolved, high-resolution images of tissue microstructure in real-time. These "optical biopsies" offer much higher resolution than current medical imaging options such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound. Using OCT, a surgeon could image a wide area of tissue and, unlike invasive biopsies, remove as little tissue as possible. Hendon is currently working with Vivek Iyer, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Columbia University Medical Center to explore the use of OCT and spectroscopy in the treatment of heart arrhythmias, where surgeons often use a catheter to detect abnormal electrical signals and then apply radiofrequency energy to remove scar tissue in the malfunctioning area.

Other projects running in Hendon's Structure Function Imaging Laboratory include using optical tools to detect and image breast cancer. She is working with breast surgeon Sheldon Feldman and pathologist Hanina Hibshoosh at Columbia University Medical Center to identify tumors localized to the duct and eventually to image lesions over time to determine which are likely to progress to cancer. Hendon is also collaborating with Columbia Engineering Associate Professor Kristin Myers on using imaging to assess the mechanical properties of the cervix in relation to preterm birth.

###

Hendon joined Columbia Engineering in 2012 after completing post-doctoral work at Harvard Medical School, where she developed signal and image processing algorithms to identify cholesterol deposits within OCT images of coronary arteries. She received her BS degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004, and her MS (2007) and PhD (2010) degrees in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

Previous Columbia Engineering professors to receive the PECASE award include Antonius "Ton" Dieker, associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research; Jose Blanchet, professor of industrial engineering and operations research; and Xi Chen, associate professor of earth and environmental engineering.

LINKS

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/zui7eJfRQ5g

http://www.ee.columbia.edu/christine-hendon

http://www.engineering.columbia.edu/

https://www.nsf.gov/awards/pecase.jsp

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/09/president-obama-honors-federally-funded-early-career-scientists

https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2013/inventor/christine-fleming/

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mkg45jfej/christine-fleming-29/#5212ece477e6

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/

http://structurefunctionlab.com/

http://me.columbia.edu/kristin-myers-0

http://ieor.columbia.edu/Antonius-dieker

http://ieor.columbia.edu/jose-blanchet

http://eee.columbia.edu/xi-chen
Britain's dazzling Houses of Parliament building, constructed from 1840 until 1870, is an international icon. But the building's greatest legacy may be something politicians and tourists don't think about much: the clean air around it.

That's the implication of newly published research by MIT architectural historian Timothy Hyde, who through original archival work has reconstructed a piece of history lost in the haze of time. As his scholarship shows, Parliament's decades-long reconstruction was so hindered by pollution -- the air was eating away at the new stones being laid down -- the British government convened scientific inquiries into the effects of the atmosphere on the new building.

Those inquiries spurred new scientific research about the environment at a time when Victorian England was rapidly industrializing, and represent a first, seminal case of examining our built environment to learn more about the natural environment.

"The Houses of Parliament project was a catalyst, because of the research that accompanied this building," Hyde says. "The very specific realization that pollution was corroding the building even as it was being built [formed] a discovery about the environment of the modern city."

Hyde has reconstructed this process in an article published in the Journal of Architecture. The paper, "'London particular'; the city, its atmosphere and the visibility of its objects," reconstructs the years-long process through which government officials realized Parliament's new limestone was being quickly degraded by the notorious soot, smoke, and grime that filled London's air.

The advances that flowed from this were not just scientific, Hyde says, but more broadly represented a recognition of the linkages between all the elements of urban life.

"It really did enable a different understanding of the modern city," says Hyde, who is the Clarence H. Blackall Career Development Associate Professor of Architectural History at MIT. Observers came to recognize cities, he thinks, "not as a collection of individual buildings, but rather as a set of interrelated causes and effects. One building, like a factory, could cause the decay of another building. And the modern city had to be thought of as trying to achieve an equilibrium between its parts."

London's burning

Britain's old Parliament complex, a set of buildings dating to medieval times, was engulfed by flames on Oct. 16, 1834, when some wooden tally sticks, used for accounting, caught fire. The overnight blaze destroyed the meeting places of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, among other spaces. The event was witnessed by thousands of spectators, including two of the best-known artists of the era, Joseph Mallord William Turner and John Constable, who later depicted it in their artwork.

With Parliament subsequently meeting in temporary quarters, the government held a high-profile competition for a new building, won by the architect Charles Barry, who developed the Gothic Revival design so familiar now to Britons and visitors to London.

"The rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament was the single most important architectural project in the 19th century in Great Britain, and was understood as such by the public and the protagonists," Hyde notes.

That's why, when the new building's limestone quickly began to decay in the 1840s, the British government formed committees of experts to examine the problem. No other building project, in all likelihood, would have received such attention.

"The Houses of Parliament project, because of its public nature, enabled this possibility of bringing into public view knowledge about the decaying of buildings," Hyde says.

Parliament had already convened the most knowledgeable people it could find to work on the project; the experts who helped select the stone of the building included geologist William Smith, creator of the iconic Geological Map of England and Wales, and Henry de la Beche, director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. By 1846, de la Beche had submitted a report to Parliament about the general hazards of smoke pollution. In analyzing the problems of the new Parliament building more specifically, the government inquiry drew upon the pathbreaking research of chemist Robert Angus Smith, who had discovered that the air in Manchester was full of sulphuric acid, while air in the country tended to lack it.

Angus Smith's work led to the conclusion, by the end of the 1850s, that sulphuric "acid rain," as it came to be called, was indeed corroding urban buildings. The inclusion of this scientific research in Parliament's inquiries had significance beyond the completion of the building itself. Looking at the science of stone decay helped call attention to such environmental matters more broadly, and accelerated the process through which science became incorporated into new legal statutes.

By 1875, for instance, Britain passed a new Public Health Act with articles specifically on smoke prevention, building on the kinds of research highlighted by the Houses of Parliament inquiries.

Architecture participates in modernity

To be sure, Hyde notes, such public-health regulations were gaining momentum from a variety of sources, not just the Houses of Parliament's lengthy rebuilding process.

"The question of public health would have moved ahead in some channels," Hyde says. "There were already concerns about the effects of pollution on human bodies."

And yet, as Hyde says, the fact that pollution "had effects on buildings was a distinctive question that had consequences." It also brought into play legal matters of "property and value," because one building could be damaged by smoke from another one. For this reason as well, pollution problems raised legal questions that could not be ignored -- and weren't, before long. Such statutory laws have been a fundamental part of environmental rules ever since.

All of which means that Britain's Houses of Parliament still matter to us, but not just as a seat of power or emblem of design. Indeed, as Hyde notes in the paper, while many scholars have closely scrutinized the aesthetic meaning of the building, what we have largely missed is its environmental and legal importance.

"Architecture participates in changing the processes of modernity," concludes Hyde. "It does not just reflect them."

###

Additional background

PAPER: 'London particular'; the city, its atmosphere and the visibility of its objects

ARCHIVE: School of Architecture and Planning receives $1.5 million grant from Mellon Foundation

ARCHIVE: 3 Questions: Jeffrey Ravel on bringing data to cultural history
EAST LANSING, Mich. - If water rates continue rising at projected amounts, the number of U.S. households unable to afford water could triple in five years, to nearly 36 percent, finds new research by a Michigan State University scholar.

Elizabeth Mack said a variety of factors, ranging from aging infrastructure to climate change to population decline in urban areas, are making residents' ability to afford water and wastewater services a burgeoning crisis. Published online Jan. 11 in the journal PLOS ONE, her study is one of the first nationwide investigations of water affordability.

"In cities across the United States, water affordability is becoming an increasingly critical issue," said Mack, an assistant geography professor who analyzed water consumption, pricing and demographic and socioeconomic data for the study.

Spending on water and wastewater services combined should make up no more than 4.5 percent of household income, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends. Based on that criteria, some 13.8 million U.S. households (or 11.9 percent of all households) may find water bills unaffordable - a hardship that hits poor families particularly hard, Mack said.

Water rates have increased 41 percent since 2010, and if they continue at that pace over the next five years the number of households that cannot afford water and wastewater services could soar to an estimated 40.9 million, or 35.6 percent of all households.

One driving factor is aging infrastructure. Experts say it will cost more than $1 trillion to replace World War II-era water systems over the next 25 years. Another pressure is climate change, as more intense weather events fuel a need for improvements to wastewater facilities. Making such adaptations will cost the United States more than $36 billion by 2050, according to estimates.

Further, shrinking populations in major cities such as Detroit and Philadelphia means fewer people to pay for the large fixed cost of water service. Some 227,000 customers in Philadelphia, or 4 out of 10 water accounts, are past due, while 50,000 delinquent customers in Detroit have had their water service terminated since the start of 2014, the study says. Households in Atlanta and Seattle are paying more than $300 a month for water and wastewater services (based on a family of four).

Ultimately, the study says, governments, utilities and consumers will need to work together to solve the growing affordability problem.

"Water is a fundamental right for all humans," Mack said. "However, a growing number of people in the United States and globally face daily barriers to accessing clean, affordable water."

The United States remains a relatively understudied country in international work on water affordability issues, she noted.

"The hope is that enhanced awareness of this issue in the developed world will highlight the severity of the issue, which is not isolated to people in the developing world," Mack said.

###

Co-authoring the study was Sarah Wrase, an MSU honors student in accounting.

Read the study online here: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0169488
Using animals to research potentially life-saving treatments for humans is a necessary part of the scientific process, though progress has been made in reducing the number of animals involved. In a new commentary publishing January 12 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, scientists in the UK led by Professor Valerie Speirs describe a framework designed to make remaining material derived from animal studies in biomedical research more visible and accessible to the scientific community. The framework, called SEARCH (Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings), encourages scientists to share before considering developing new or additional models, with the ultimate aim to reduce the number of animals used in biomedical research.

The first SEARCH prototype, called SEARCHBreast, has been developed through funding from the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). SEARCHBreast is a database that lists tissues associated with mouse models of breast cancer, and makes them available without charge to scientists. It is run by the University of Leeds, alongside the Barts Cancer Institute, the University of Sheffield and the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute.

Leeds-based Professor Speirs, project PI, explains that resource's goal to make maximum use of any animal used in research. "We know that several animals are needed to produce reliable results. But in general only a fraction of each tissue sample is required to perform an experiment. Scientists typically store the rest of the material away which is often never re-visited," Speirs said.

Rather than duplicating what already exists, scientists can first check the database to see if an existing resource matches their needs. That benefits researchers because the database means tissue can be made available faster and cheaper than would be possible if they had to obtain new animals for each experiment. It also serves the goals of the 3Rs which aims to Reduce, Replace and Refine the use of animals in biomedical research. "By using more of the available tissue, less animals will need to be used in first place," Speirs said.

The team's goal in creating the resource is twofold. "We want to foster a culture of collaboration, and by doing this, we're reducing the number of animals needed for research all round," Professor Speirs said. "This is the first tissue-sharing website of its kind and I feel it's a good contribution to make to science and to animal welfare. We have shown this concept works for breast cancer and our research shows a desire from scientists in other disciplines to adopt SEARCH in their own field".

###

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Biology: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2000719

Citation: Morrissey B, Blyth K, Carter P, Chelala C, Jones L, Holen I, et al. (2017) The Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) Framework: Encouraging Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement in Animal Research. PLoS Biol 15(1): e2000719. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2000719

Funding: National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/ (grant number NC/L001004/1).Received by VS. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland http://www.pathsoc.org/ (grant number OS2015 060 2).Received by VS. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Conservation and logging groups in Central and West Africa are failing to fully incorporate local concerns into management, marginalizing the livelihoods of the local population, according to Nathan Clay, Ph.D. candidate in geography, Penn State.

The landscape- or ecosystem-based approach to conservation -- a land-use strategy employed in Central and West Africa for more than a decade -- is meant to serve as a model for what happens when competing interests work together.

There, conservation groups, tasked with protecting rare wildlife and old growth forests, battle poachers and illegal loggers. Working within the framework set by the conservation groups, the logging industry harvests prized sapele and ayous trees -- used for musical instruments and furniture -- sustainably, while developing infrastructure and creating jobs for the local community.

The approach is considered a triple win because it serves the needs of all while promoting conservation.

However, Clay found in a case study of conservation practices in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo and Central African Republic that the approach is leaving some behind. He reported his findings in Geoforum.

Clay says the logging industry brings jobs to the area and builds infrastructure such as roads and hospitals, and the conservation groups protect the region and wildlife from exploitation.

"(However), there are 100,000 people who are living there who are not involved in the logging industry and who are not involved in the conservation industry," he said. "They're just living there, and they're making their living through forest products, hunting and small-scale logging and agriculture."

The partnership has most impacted the Baka, an indigenous group of hunters and gatherers who rely on the forest for food, shelter and resources. They appear to have been forced into farming and have less access to the forest. They also lack access to schools. Another indigenous group, the Bagweli, who are more adept farmers, benefit from the infrastructure updates. They are able to attain the most fertile land and turn a profit on their crops, particularly cacao. They are also far more likely to seek logging or conservation jobs.

One shortcoming of the ecosystem-based conservation model, said Clay, is that the model fails to account for these local-level social complexities, but instead divides the landscape in fairly arbitrary ways.

In Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, Clay spent several weeks with representatives from conservation groups, logging companies, academics and program directors before conducting interviews for ten weeks in forested areas of Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. He visited areas designated for logging, hunting, and as a nearby national park, and met with individuals in six communities. His findings are gleaned from dozens of interviews and nine focus groups.

"The biggest governance issue is how can we promote development and conservation but also make sure we're not impinging on people's ability to make a living from the forest," said Clay. "Decades ago, local groups had to deal with one or the other, either development or conservation, and they had to negotiate their ability to access resources."

Now that groups have partnered up, he said, there are more complex regulations, making it harder for the community to use the land.

"It's almost impossible to give equal voice to these local groups when you have such powerful actors in logging companies and conservation organizations," he said.

Clay's research focused on the importance of looking into the power dynamics governing a particular area and resolving inequities in the distribution of power.

"More can be done to engage the community," said Clay. "Residents are included in stakeholder meetings among conservation and industry groups but oftentimes they feel like they're just being placated. Is it enough just to do some stakeholder engagement, or do we need a more fundamental overhaul of, or at least sensitivity to, the political economic system in which there are currently big divides of power between these groups?"

Based on his findings, Clay proposes involving the community in anti-hunting and anti-logging patrols, making them part of the process to see if the resource management strategies can work with, rather than against them.

"To me, the people who are best positioned to understand and effectively manage these changing socio-ecological conditions are the people who live there," said Clay. "The people who are living there should be more involved in the management of these places because they're the ones who best know the region."

###

The National Science Foundation and the University of Michigan supported this work.
LA JOLLA, CA - January 12, 2017 - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a protein that fine-tunes the cellular clock involved in aging.

This novel protein, named TZAP, binds the ends of chromosomes and determines how long telomeres, the segments of DNA that protect chromosome ends, can be. Understanding telomere length is crucial because telomeres set the lifespan of cells in the body, dictating critical processes such as aging and the incidence of cancer.

"Telomeres represent the clock of a cell," said TSRI Associate Professor Eros Lazzerini Denchi, corresponding author of the new study, published online today in the journal Science. "You are born with telomeres of a certain length, and every time a cell divides, it loses a little bit of the telomere. Once the telomere is too short, the cell cannot divide anymore."

Naturally, researchers are curious whether lengthening telomeres could slow aging, and many scientists have looked into using a specialized enzyme called telomerase to "fine-tune" the biological clock. One drawback they've discovered is that unnaturally long telomeres are a risk factor in developing cancer.

"This cellular clock needs to be finely tuned to allow sufficient cell divisions to develop differentiated tissues and maintain renewable tissues in our body and, at the same time, to limit the proliferation of cancerous cells," said Lazzerini Denchi.

In this new study, the researcher found that TZAP controls a process called telomere trimming, ensuring that telomeres do not become too long.

"This protein sets the upper limit of telomere length," explained Lazzerini Denchi. "This allows cells to proliferate--but not too much."

For the last few decades, the only proteins known to specifically bind telomeres is the telomerase enzyme and a protein complex known as the Shelterin complex. The discovery TZAP, which binds specifically to telomeres, was a surprise since many scientists in the field believed there were no additional proteins binding to telomeres.

"There is a protein complex that was found to localize specifically at chromosome ends, but since its discovery, no protein has been shown to specifically localize to telomeres," said study first author Julia Su Zhou Li, a graduate student in the Lazzerini Denchi lab.

"This study opens up a lot of new and exciting questions," said Lazzerini Denchi.

###

In addition to Lazzerini Denchi and Li, authors of the study, "TZAP: a telomere-associated protein involved in telomere length control," were Tatevik Simavorian, Cristina Bartocci and Jill Tsai of TSRI; Javier Miralles Fuste of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of Gothenburg; and Jan Karlseder of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

The study was supported by the American Cancer Society (grant RSG-14-186-01), the Swedish Research Council International (grant D0730801) and the National Institutes of Health (grant R01GM087476 and R01CA174942).

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs more than 2,500 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists--including two Nobel laureates and 20 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering or Medicine--work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. For more information, see http://www.scripps.edu.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - African-American women in abusive relationships use a variety of strategies pulled from three general categories to survive intimate partner violence (IPV), according to a new University at Buffalo study recently published in the journal Social Work.

"There's this stereotype that African-American women who experience abuse are probably reacting to it a certain way, but there is a range of responses," said Noelle M. St. Vil, an assistant professor in the UB School of Social Work and the paper's lead author. "Some fight back, some turn to prayer, some turn to family and friends, and others turn to law enforcement or other outlets."

Roughly 40 percent of African-American women have experienced intimate partner violence. The portrayal of victims of intimate partner violence in media, and even in previous research, is of the passive victim, which does not accurately capture the realities of African-American women, according to St. Vil.

"There are these dynamics when you look at black male/female relationships and you have to be careful of larger stereotypes we see in the media of the angry black women and the hyper-masculine black male," she said.

"The most important element here in the way African-American women respond to violence is that it's not a matter of one size fits all."

PHOTO: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2017/01/015.html.

Based on interviews with 29 women who had reported physical or sexual abuse by an intimate partner, St. Vil, along with research associate Bushra Sabri, research assistant Vania Nwokolo, and assistant professor Kamila Alexander and professor Jacquelyn Campbell, all from Johns Hopkins University, identified internal, interpersonal and external responses as the three general survival strategies that emerged from the research.

Internal strategies included use of religion and becoming self-reliant.

"These are women who said they turned to God," said St. Vil. "They used the church as a resource, whether it was attending services, engaging in prayer or talking to a pastor."

The external responses found the women reaching out to informal sources of support, such as family or friends, or other formal resources, from the police to domestic violence service organizations.

The interpersonal strategies found the women fighting back, which most commonly involved leaving the abuser.

For some women, this meant temporarily leaving either the room or the relationship.

One survivor told the researchers that she walked out of the room as soon as an argument began. Others said they left because they needed a break from the relationship, while still others left altogether, according to St. Vil.

Women also reported using self-defense because they were tired of being hurt, and that using violence was a way of releasing frustration and, in some cases, ending the violence.

Regardless of which strategies women used, St. Vil says there are other actions to consider.

"One of the things we need to think about is the bystander intervention piece of intimate partner violence," she said. "We hear about bystander interventions as it relates to sexual assault on college campuses and how we get kids to intervene, but we also need to think about that with intimate partner violence."

She said many of the women talked about either going to the hospital or visiting family.

"Those are excellent intervention points," said St. Vil.

"If we can talk to families as they come into the hospital, explaining to them the nature of intimate partner violence, we can explain how to best assist a loved one by explaining how to intervene when they see things starting to escalate.

"We need to equip everyone with the skills to adequately address intimate partner violence and help those who are experiencing it," she said.

###
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Abortion fund patients who get aid to help pay for abortions are younger and more likely to be African American when compared to general abortion patients in the U.S., according to the findings of a study just published online in the journal Social Work in Health Care.

These patients receive over $1,000 in aid on average to pay for procedures that would otherwise be unaffordable, given their limited resources

"The patients in this study are trying to fund procedures that can cost over $2,000 on average, while they report having about $500 of their own resources to contribute to the procedure. These are vulnerable patients who are piecing together funding from a variety of sources," said Gretchen Ely, an associate professor in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.

The longer it takes for patients to gather the funding the longer the procedure is delayed, which in turn increases cost.

"Given that findings suggest that aid for second-trimester procedures has increased from 2010 to 2015, it appears that the quest for funding may be causing delays in accessing an abortion. This parallels increasing state-level restrictions," said Ely.

"It shows the dire circumstances of people who are vulnerable - that includes vulnerability because of race or where they live."

PHOTO: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2017/01/011.html.

Abortion funds are advocacy organizations that also help patients pay for the cost of an abortion by pledging financial assistance directly to a health-care provider. In the U.S., the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) is the main umbrella organization for 70 independent-member abortion funds. The NNAF also maintains the Tiller Memorial Fund, its own abortion fund, which provides financial assistance to patients who are unable to cover the entire cost of the procedure on their own. Data of patients funded through the Tiller fund was used for this study.

"These abortion funds are filling in where public health policy should be picking up the costs," said Ely.

Ely analyzed nearly 4,000 NNAF case records between 2010 and 2015 and compared the data with the demographics from the Abortion Surveillance Report, which collects data on the national level from abortion patients.

The results suggest that women who couldn't afford an abortion and received funding to pay for their procedures were more likely to be single, young adolescent or African-American, populations that also sought to fund expensive procedures performed later in the pregnancy, averaging about $2,000, but received about half that in aid.

The increase in funding pledges for second trimester abortions parallels the unprecedented state-level restrictions on abortion that picked up after the 2010 midterm elections, according to Ely.

The legality of abortion does not always translate into access. In fact, Ely said, although it varies by region, abortion services are very inaccessible in the U.S.

Texas recently finalized new laws requiring fetal remains to be buried or cremated. Utah recently became the first state to require doctors to administer anesthesia to women having abortions. Tennessee now has a mandatory waiting period that involves visiting a doctor two days before an abortion, then returning for the procedure.

Ely said these kinds of requirements cause delays and increase costs, impeding the process and pushing abortions into the second trimester.

"A good many people who need abortion services are already using Medicaid," said Ely. "If funds were available to everyone, they would not have to piece together financing, which would promote access to very early, less expensive first trimester abortions."

###
The global map of alien bird species has been produced for the first time by a UCL-led team of researchers. It shows that human activities are the main determinants of how many alien bird species live in an area but that alien species are most successful in areas already rich with native bird species.

"One of the main ways humans are altering the world is by moving species to new areas where they do not normally occur. Our work shows why humans have been moving these 'alien' bird species around for the last 500 years -- primarily through colonialism and the increasingly popular cage bird trade - and why some areas end up with more species than others," explained supervising author, Professor Tim Blackburn (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment and ZSL).

For the study, published today in PLOS Biology, the researchers collected and analysed data on the movement of almost 1,000 alien bird species between 1500 and 2000 AD. This was used to create a new open access database* which was then analysed for patterns in the context of historical events and natural environmental variation.

More than half of all known bird introductions were found to occur after 1950, likely driven by the cage bird trade, and the researchers say this trend is expected to continue.

"We've been able to map alien species richness for an entire group of organisms for the first time in such detail that we can locate populations and the historical processes that led to their introduction. It has given us valuable insights into the different stages of species invasion -- humans play a key role, but so too do environmental factors that allow alien bird species to thrive in new locations," said first author, Dr Ellie Dyer (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment and ZSL).

The study found that more bird introductions (935 introductions of 324 species to 235 countries) were made in the 17 years between 1983 -- 2000AD than occurred in the 403 years from 1500 -1903AD.

The rate of introductions increased sharply in the middle of the nineteenth century as Europeans, particularly the British, purposefully exported beneficial birds to new territories. 'Acclimatisation Societies' moved birds such as ducks, geese, pheasants, partridge, and pigeons to (and from) colonies during this period.

Another acceleration happened after World War II, and continues to the present day. This is most likely driven by growth in trade: many alien bird species introduced in recent years include popular cage birds such as parrots, finches and starlings. Analysis suggests more alien birds are introduced where people have more disposable income - in many areas, owning an alien bird is a symbol of status, and sometimes species escape or get released.

These historical factors are the main reason why the global map of alien birds shows most species today are found in the mid-latitudes. This is where former British colonies and countries with high GDP are located. Hotspots include the US, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, and Persian Gulf states.

However, the researchers also found that areas with more native bird species tended to be home to more alien bird species too.

"The term 'the rich get richer' certainly applies here. Areas that are good for native birds are also good for alien birds. This isn't a new observation, but it's the first time we've been able to show it factoring out the key effects of historical human actions," explained Professor Blackburn. "However, the global bird trade continues to grow, which means we can certainly expect alien species richness to continue to grow in the foreseeable future. It's a worry because aliens may threaten the survival of native species."

###

The international team involved researchers based at UCL, ZSL, University of Adelaide, University of Cambridge, University of Exeter, The University of Queensland, and Imperial College London. The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust and King Saud University.
India gradually drifted away from Africa and Madagascar towards the north and collided with the Eurasian plate. Scientists assumed for a long time that the subcontinent was largely isolated during its long journey through the ocean and unique species of plants and animals were therefore able to develop on it. However, paleontologists at the University of Bonn are now showing using tiny midges encased in amber that there must have been a connection between the apparently cut off India and Europe and Asia around 54 million years ago that enabled the creatures to move around. The surprising results are now presented in the journal PLOS ONE.

India harbours many unique species of flora and fauna that only occur in this form on the subcontinent. The prerequisite for such a unique development of species is that no exchange takes place with other regions. For a long time, scientists assumed that India was isolated in this way due to continental drift. The supercontinent Gondwana, which included South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar and India, broke up over the course of geological history. What is now India also began moving towards the north east around 130 million years ago. It was common belief among researchers that, before it collided with the Eurasian plate, India was largely isolated for at least 30 million years during its migration.

However, according to current findings by paleontologists at the University of Bonn, the Indian subcontinent may not have been as isolated on its journey as we have thought. "Certain midges that occurred in India at this time display great similarity to examples of a similar age from Europe and Asia," says lead author Frauke Stebner from the working group of Prof. Jes Rust at the Steinmann Institute at the University of Bonn. These findings are a strong indicator that an exchange did occur between the supposedly isolated India, Europe and Asia.

Mining for amber in the Indian coal seams

The scientist from the University of Bonn mined for amber in seams of coal near the Indian city of Surat. Small midges, among other things, were encased in tree resin 54 million years ago and preserved as fossils. The tiny insects, which are often not even a millimeter large, are "biting midges". Their descendants can still be found today in Germany in meadows and forests - where the little beasts attack you in swarms and suck your blood.

The paleontologist investigated a total of 38 biting midges encased in amber and compared them with examples of a similar age from Europe and China. Scientists from the University of Gda?sk (Poland) and Lucknow (India) were also involved in this. It has been possible to assign a total of 34 of these insect fossils to genera that are already known. "There was significant conformity with biting midges in amber from the Baltic and Fushun in north-east China," reports Stebner.

Chains of islands presumably created a link to India

How the insects were able to spread between drifting India and Eurasia has not yet been clarified fully. "Nevertheless, it also seems to have been possible for birds and various groups of mammals to cross the ocean between Europe and India at the time," the paleontologist refers to studies by other scientists. However, it has now been possible for the first time, with the aid of biting midge fossils, to also demonstrate an exchange between India and Asia in this period.

Stebner assumes that a chain of islands that existed at that time between India, Europe and Asia could have helped the biting midges to spread. As if from stepping stone to stepping stone, the insects could have gradually moved forward along the islands. "Some of the biting midges found in Indian amber were presumably not especially good long-distance flyers," smiles the paleontologist from the University of Bonn. It was therefore probably not so easy to reach the subcontinent or move from there during the migration of India.

###

Publication: Frauke Stebner, Ryszard Szadziewski, Hukam Singh, Simon Gunkel, Jes Rust: Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Cambay amber indicate that the Eocene fauna of the Indian subcontinent was not isolated, PLOS ONE, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169144

Contact:

Frauke Stebner

Steinmann Institute

University of Bonn

Tel. 49-0-228-733336

E-mail: frauke.stebner@uni-bonn.de
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A University of California, Riverside researcher is leading a team that will receive $300,000 over two years to study the life cycles of viruses that are harmful to humans and agricultural plants.

The project by A.L.N. Rao, a professor of plant pathology and microbiology, is one of 15 funded by the University of California's Multicampus Research and Programs Initiatives. He is the only professor from UC Riverside who is a principal investigator on one of the grants.

His research focuses on viruses, which contain at least two components: the capsid (a protein shell), and a genome, consisting of either DNA or RNA. Although one of the most important roles of a viral capsid is to protect its genome, it must also be capable of releasing its infectious nucleic acid into the cell.

The Rao-led team, which also includes researchers from UCLA and UC Irvine, are focused on the capsid portion of the virus. Their goal is to understand the factors that determine/regulate viral capsid dynamics using state-of-the art genetic, molecular, biochemical and nanotechnology approaches so they can formulate new approaches to curb viral infections.

As a first step, they say it is crucial to demonstrate how RNA content determines the stability of a viral capsid. This means generating in a test tube and in an organism a range of structurally identical capsids that contain distinctly different RNA lengths and sequences.

The results could lead to genetic engineering of plants to improve their health. For example, several years ago, the papaya crops in Hawaii were saved from papaya ringspot virus destruction by simply transforming plants to express the viral capsid protein.

Devastating viral epidemics and pandemics are usually thought of in terms of viruses such as Influenza or Ebola in mammals. But parallel instances of disease caused by plant viruses, though less familiar, can also cause widespread devastation. For example, in the mid-1990s, a viral infection of cassava, led to widespread famine and death in Africa.

###

The Multicampus Research and Programs Initiatives grants, totaling more than $17 million, were announced in December. The winning research projects were selected by peer review from a pool of 97 applications in a highly competitive grant review process.

Through the initiative, UC's Office of the President provides grants to UC faculty who: advance cutting-edge research in topics important to UC, the people of California and to the state's environment and economy; increase UC's competitiveness in attracting extramural funding; and train UC students in emerging fields of scholarship.
UC Santa Barbara marine biologist and conservation ecologist Benjamin Halpern is among 10 recipients of a 2017 Peter Benchley Ocean Award.

Often referred to as the "Academy Awards for the Ocean," the honor recognizes a diverse group of marine leaders whose collective efforts cover a range of important global conservation solutions. Among them are creating and vastly expanding marine protected areas, mitigating overfishing, reducing marine pollution and addressing climate change.

Halpern, director of UCSB's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and a professor at the campus's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, is recognized for his work to provide cutting-edge marine science that has advanced the understanding of ocean processes, marine ecology and conservation biology.

"With a campus surrounded by the ocean, UCSB takes the health of our marine environments very seriously, and that's part of why I am so proud to call Ben Halpern one of our esteemed faculty members," said Steve Gaines, dean of the Bren School. "He has been a tireless leader in many areas of marine science, so I am extremely pleased that he is receiving national recognition for his groundbreaking research and global efforts to improve the health of our oceans."

Halpern is renowned for research that analyzes a broad range of complex questions spanning local to global scales, spatial population dynamics, food web interactions and conservation planning for ocean and freshwater ecosystems, with the primary goal of informing and facilitating effective ocean conservation and resource management. Specifically, he has led and participated in several groundbreaking research projects that have increased our knowledge regarding the state of the world's oceans and the potential for marine reserves to improve ocean conditions, including the development and mapping of cumulative impact assessments and as the lead scientist for the Ocean Health Index project.

"It's really exciting and a great honor to receive this award," said Halpern. "It's also humbling to be in the company of the other awards winners, who have all done really amazing work on behalf of the ocean."

Among the 2017 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards winners are an Indonesian leader who is the driving force behind Asia's fierce crackdown on illegal fishing activity and slavery; two U.S. senators who have actively championed the creation and expansion of huge marine wilderness parks; three innovative regional teams whose collaborations are finding new ways to use and protect our public seas; a brother and sister duo who have dedicated half of their young lives to helping save the seas from oil, plastic and other forms of pollution; and a grassroots leader whose pioneering use of local fishing knowledge is transforming Maine's fisheries.

Halpern is the third Bren faculty member to receive a Peter Benchley Ocean Award. Last year, professor Chris Costello was recognized with the Excellence in Solutions award, and Gaines was honored for Excellence in Science in 2014.

Cofounded by ocean conservation and policy advocate Wendy Benchley and author and Blue Frontier Executive Director David Helvarg, the awards are named in honor of "Jaws" author Peter Benchley, who worked for 40 years educating the public on shark and ocean conservation issues through his numerous books, films, documentary programs, articles for National Geographic and public appearances. Founded in 2003, Blue Frontier is a U.S.-based marine conservation activist organization that works to establish a nationwide network of grassroots lobbyists.

The awards will be presented May 11 in Washington, D.C.

###
Although they look less like cigarettes than first-generation e-cigarettes, a new study found that the newer generation e-cigarette vape pens (also known as vaporizers) stimulate the urge to smoke as powerfully as watching someone smoke a "combustible" tobacco cigarette.

The study, published Jan. 12, 2017, in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, found that young adult smokers exposed to the use of traditional cigarettes, first-generation e-cigarettes or second generation vape pens experienced an immediate, significant and lasting increase in the desire to smoke. This extended even to subjects who had never used the newer devices.

"The new e-cigarettes, known as vape pens, are now larger and more powerful devices," said study director Andrea King, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience and director of the clinical addictions research laboratory at the University of Chicago. "They have low resemblance to cigarettes, so some people were hoping they might not produce the same urge to smoke."

"But we found that they do stimulate the urge," she said. "Vape pens look different but they share too many salient features of the act of smoking -- including inhalation, exhalation and hand-to-mouth behaviors. This makes them a potent trigger, encouraging people to smoke. Their impact is roughly equal to watching someone light up a cigarette. They made the young adults in our study want to smoke."

E-cigarettes entered the U.S. market in 2007. Vape pens, a second-generation electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS), are more recent. Despite initial hopes that e-cigarettes, and now vape pens, could help smokers break away from tobacco, studies have not been able definitively to confirm that they contribute to smoking cessation efforts.

In 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) found that about one in six current cigarette smokers (15.9%) and nearly one in four recent (past year) former cigarette smokers (22%) were regular e-cigarette users, compared with 2.3 percent of long-term former cigarette smokers and 0.4 percent of never smokers. According to the survey, e-cigarette use is "strongly associated with the use of other tobacco products among youth and young adults, including combustible tobacco products."

King and colleagues designed an experiment to test the vape pen's effects on the urge to smoke in young adults, men and women aged 18 to 35, a highly susceptible group.

They recruited volunteers though online advertisements for a study they described as "assessing mood response to commons tasks." They were able to enroll 108 volunteers. These ranged from very light to pack-a-day smokers. On average, they smoked 8.7 cigarettes a day on six to seven days each week. More than 80 percent had used e-cigarettes and almost 30 percent had used one in the past month.

Over an hour-long session -- involving a number of disparate tasks and interactions designed to mask the primary goals of the study -- the volunteers conversed with a member of the research team who pretended to be a fellow volunteer "randomly assigned" to consume different products as study tasks.

During these interactions, the pretending volunteer smoked either a combustible cigarette or a vape pen. Both cues increased desire among research subjects for a cigarette or an e-cigarette. The level and duration of desire to smoke among volunteers was the same whether they observed their "colleague" smoking a cigarette or using a vape pen. When the colleague drank bottled water, volunteers had no change in desire to smoke or vape.

Late in the study, the researchers added a behavioral component to measure the ability of 26 of the daily smokers to resist or postpone smoking about twenty minutes after they were exposed to their partners' vaping or smoking. At this time, one cigarette was placed on a tray, along with a lighter and an ash tray. Volunteers were told they could smoke the cigarette, or receive 20 cents for every five minute they resisted, a $2.00 value over 50 minutes. Most could hold out for only 20 minutes (80 cents worth), and this delay was the same whether their partner had been previously using a vape pen or a cigarette.

"We've made real progress on reducing smoking in our country," King said. "We've done a good job banning indoor smoking. We rarely see two-pack-a-day smokers like we used to. Yet seeing people smoke in public remains common. Our study focused on a classical Pavlovian trigger, as seeing someone smoke is a known potent cue that can induce others to smoke. We did not expect that the vape pen would be as potent a cue as the regular cigarette, but it was as potent."

"The regulations in the U.S. on when and where somebody can use an e-cigarette are not yet standard," she added. "But we do know that, so far, the use of e-cigarettes has not had a major direct impact on smoking cessation efforts above and beyond public health messages and taxes. The sight of someone using a vape pen bumps up the urge to smoke, so this may play a role in dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, but future studies are needed."

Strengths of the study included a wide range of smoking levels, a controlled environment, ethnic and racial diversity, and the ability to gather the desired data without tipping their hand. Only 20 percent of the study volunteers were able to guess correctly about the goals of the study. Weaknesses included a relatively small sample size, reliance on a laboratory environment and the inability to rearrange the order of the smoking-related cues presented to the subjects.

###

Additional authors were Lia J. Smith, Patrick J. McNamara, Dingcai Cao from the University of Chicago. The National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago Department of Psychiatry funded the study.
An international research team have found that mother-daughter conflict can explain why killer whales are one of only 3 known species of mammal, including humans, to go through the menopause

An international research team, from the Universities of Exeter, Cambridge and York (UK), the Center for Whale Research (USA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have found that mother-daughter conflict can explain why killer whales are one of only three known species of mammal, including humans, to go through the menopause.

The study published today in the journal Current Biology builds on research showing that post reproductive killer whales have a 'grandmother' role within the pod and that they share knowledge of when and where to find food which increases the survival of their family group.

The new study led by Professor Darren Croft of the University of Exeter, which used 43 years of data gathered by the Center for Whale Research and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, found that older mothers suffer much higher costs when competing to reproduce alongside their daughters. When females of two generations breed at the same time, the mortality of older mothers' offspring is 1.7 times that of younger mothers' offspring.

Professor Darren Croft explains that "older females are more closely related to the family group than younger females. This imbalance in local relatedness between mothers and their own female offspring means that older females do best to invest more heavily in the wider family group whereas younger females should invest more in competition."

One of the main reasons for the 'reproductive conflict' between mothers and their own female offspring in killer whales, is their reliance on food sharing. They forage together and often share salmon between them, with offspring often relying on their mothers for years for food.

"Our previous work shows how old females help but not why they stop reproducing," said Professor Darren Croft. "Females of many species act as leaders in late life but continue to reproduce, but this new research shows that old females go through the menopause because they lose out in reproductive competition with their own daughters."

Earlier theoretical work by Professor Mike Cant, University of Exeter and Professor Rufus Johnstone, University of Cambridge, both co-authors on the new study, predicted that conflict between generations maybe key in explaining why females of some species go through menopause, the "reproductive conflict" hypothesis. The new study published today is the first test of this hypothesis in non-human animals.

Professor Mike Cant said "It's great that our theoretical predictions, made seven years ago, turned out to be correct. It means that we've captured a key piece of the puzzle of post-reproductive life. We can now explain not just why older females live so long after reproduction, but why they stop breeding in the first place."

Co-author on the current study Dr Daniel Franks from the University of York said "It's easy to think that an older female will pass on their genes better by continuing to give birth in late life. But our new work shows that if an old female killer whale reproduces her late-life offspring suffer from being out-competed by her grandchildren. This, together with her investment in helping her grandchildren, can explain the evolution of menopause."

The scientists studied two populations of killer whales which live off the North West Pacific Coast of Canada and the US. The populations included several pods, made up a several family groups. One of the pods - J pod which currently consists of 24 individuals was led by J2 ("granny") whose death was reported this month and who had been post reproductive for at least 40 years.

"J2 was the 'wise elder' in the Southern Resident killer whale clan" said Dr Deborah Giles, The Center for Whale Research. "I will always remember her amazing ability to call the other whales to her by vigorously slapping her tail on the water, even from miles away the other whales would turn around and come immediately to J2's side".

Both sons and daughters stay with their mothers and don't disperse in resident killer whales but they mate with individuals from a different family group. Males typically have a shorter lifespan than females - many not surviving beyond 30 years. Female killer whales, usually stop reproducing in their 30s-40s but just like humans they can live for many decades following menopause.

The paper concludes that "The lower survival of calves from older generation mothers in reproductive conflict cannot be explained due to a general effect of mother's age on offspring survival as we found no effect of mother's age on offspring survival to age 15 across all calves born during the study period."

Professor Croft and the research team are planning to use drones in the next phase of research to study the killer whales behaviour more closely, including a more in-depth analysis of the conflicts between mothers and their daughters.

The bottom line, Croft says, is that menopause is no accident. Rather, it's an evolved trait driven by both cooperation and conflict in family groups. The findings help to explain factors that are driving the whales' survival and reproductive success, which is essential information given that the Southern Resident killer whales - one of the whale populations under study - is listed as endangered and at risk of extinction.

###

Reproductive Conflict and the Evolution of Menopause in Killer Whales by Darren Croft, Rufus Johnstone, Sam Ellis, Stuart Nattrass, Daniel Franks, Lauren Brent, Sonia Mazzi, Kenneth Balcomb, John Ford and Michael Cant is published in the journal Current Biology.

###
Incentive-related pay schemes can stress rather than motivate employees, according to new research by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The study explored the relationship between three types of 'contingent pay' - performance-related, profit-related, and employee share-ownership - and positive employee attitudes such as job satisfaction, employee commitment and trust in management.

Researchers found that only performance-related pay had a positive impact on all three employee attitudes. Surprisingly, and in contrast to previous studies, profit-related pay and employee share-ownership had a mix of negative and no significant effects on attitudes.

However the results, published in Human Resource Management Journal, confirm that performance-related pay is also associated with more intense working. This could mean employees are encouraged to work too hard and too much, leading to work-related stress or poor well-being, and offsetting some of its positive impact on staff.

Contingent pay, also called incentive and variable pay, are arrangements where some or all of employees' earnings are dependent on some measure of performance. It may be determined by individual employees' performance in relation to their level of contribution to organisational performance (individual-based incentive), or profit gained by the organisation in which the employee works (organisation-wide incentive).

Such pay has become increasingly important for motivating employees to perform productively at work and is seen as a way to encourage positive employee attitudes. It represents one of the key elements of HR management systems aimed at achieving sustainable, competitive success for an organisation.

Despite research to suggest a positive relationship between contingent pay and employee attitudes, it has been also claimed that different pay arrangements may in fact intensify work. Until now though there has been little first-hand evidence on whether this is the case and how this might impact on employees' views. This new study, by UEA's Norwich Business School, involved 1,293 managers and 13,657 employees at 1,293 workplaces in the UK.

Lead researcher Dr Chidiebere Ogbonnaya said: "Our study is the first to show empirical support for claims that the productivity gains of these pay schemes might be associated with employees' experience of more intense working. Performance-related pay in particular is associated with the feeling that work might be too demanding or that there is insufficient time to get work done.

"By tying employees' performance to financial incentives, employers send signals to employees about their intention to reward extra work effort with more pay. Employees in turn receive these signals and feel obliged to work harder in exchange for more pay.

"Even though employees may value these earnings as a 'good thing', the ultimate beneficiary of their extra effort is the organisation. As a consequence, performance-related pay may be considered exploitative, or a management strategy that increases both earnings and work intensification."

Dr Ogbonnaya added: "The key thing for managers is to ensure some balance between employee job demands and measurement of rewards offered. Therefore, the nature of the relationships between performance-related pay and employee attitudes may depend on whether there is a perceived imbalance between intensive work effort and the availability of appropriate rewards."

In the UEA study, profit-related pay only had positive relationships with job satisfaction, employee commitment and trust in management if profit-related pay was distributed widely across the organisation. Profit-related pay was associated with lower job satisfaction, lower employee commitment and lower trust in management in those organisations that distributed profit-related pay only to a small proportion of the workforce. Another surprising finding was that employee share-ownership had a negative relationship with job satisfaction, and no significant relationships with employee commitment and trust in management, respectively.

Commenting on profit-related pay co-author Kevin Daniels, professor of organisational behaviour at Norwich Business School, said there was a need to encourage fairness and adequate employee uptake of profit-sharing arrangements.

"Employers should ensure that mechanisms for distributing organisational profits are administered efficiently so that deserving employees are not missed out, said Prof Daniels. "If profit-related pay is spread across the workplace, employees may show greater acceptance and respond with positive attitudes."

The study used data from the management and employee surveys of the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study, which is representative of around 35 per cent of all British workplaces including those in the private and public sectors, most industries, and firms consisting of at least five employees.

Organisational-level data was also gathered through interviews with senior managers responsible for employment relations, human resources or personnel management. Employee-level data was collected through a questionnaire distributed to all employees in workplaces with fewer than 25 employees, and to a random sample of 25 employees in larger workplaces with more than 25 employees.

The publication of the study comes on the day UEA hosts a conference as part of its Work, Learning and Wellbeing research programme, which is led by Prof Daniels. The programme focuses on protecting and enhancing the wellbeing of workers, adult learners and those seeking work. The conference brings together leading academics, policy makers and senior practitioners to find out about the latest research and discuss new areas of work.

###

'Does contingent pay encourage positive employee attitudes and intensify work?', Chidiebere Ogbonnaya, Kevin Daniels and Karina Nielsen, is published in Human Resource Management Journal.
In order to improve our understanding of the impact climate change has on plant life in the Antarctic, the Rector of the University of Freiburg/Germany, Prof. Dr. Hans-Jochen Schiewer, and the President of the Korea Polar Research Institute KOPRI, Dr. Ho-Il Yoon, have just signed a co-operation agreement on moss research. Biologists Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski from the University of Freiburg/Germany and Dr. Hyoungseok Lee from the Korea Polar Research Institute KOPRI/South Korea will join forces to decipher the genome of an Antarctic strain of the moss Sanionia uncinata and compare it to the genome of the model moss Physcomitrella patens, which cannot grow in Antarctica. The project will be funded by KOPRI's "Polar Genomes 101 Project". "We are excited about this new opportunity and expect new insights into plant adaptation to harsh environmental conditions," says Reski.

Best known for its penguins, Antarctica is also home to about 100 moss species, which form the dominant plant life on this continent with its freezing temperatures, poor soil quality, lack of moisture and little sunlight. So far it is not known how plants can survive such harsh conditions and how man-made global warming will affect plant life in the Antarctic. "We will search for as yet unknown signalling mechanisms in the moss that have evolved over millions of years to make life in remote and hostile places possible."

Ralf Reski holds the Chair of Plant Biotechnology at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Freiburg/Germany. He is a founding principal investigator of the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies and has developed the moss Physcomitrella from scratch to a model organism for basic biology and plant biotechnology over the last three decades.

###

http://www.plant-biotech.net
Following the recent Zika outbreak in Miami-Dade County, a multidisciplinary team of physicians with the University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine published a case study today in The New England Journal of Medicine, describing in detail the nation's first locally-transmitted case of Zika.

The findings of the case study, titled "Cutaneous Eruption in a U.S. Woman with Locally Acquired Zika Virus Infection," largely center on the skin rash associated with the then-23-year-old pregnant patient's diagnosis and provide a glimpse of the skin manifestations of the Zika virus. The report may have implications for future Zika screening, diagnoses and linkage to care throughout the United States and abroad.

"Dermatologists and clinicians had an idea of what the Zika rash looked like, but it wasn't until the patient presented here that we were able to get an up-close and personal look and photograph the skin," said Lucy Chen, M.D., a Jackson Health System dermatology resident and lead author of the case study. "Any doctor now has a visual sense of the rash to properly diagnose and refer patients to the appropriate specialists."

The young woman whose case is detailed in the report was 23-weeks pregnant in July 2016 and had experienced three days of low-grade fever, a widespread rash and sore throat. The rash consisted of small pink bumps on the patient's chest, back of her arms, legs, palms and soles, said Chen, who saw the patient upon admission. Her symptoms later advanced to muscle and joint pain. The patient tested positive for Zika although neither she nor her partner had traveled outside of the U.S. The case was confirmed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Health as the first non-travel-associated case of Zika in the U.S.

The virus was present in her system for two weeks in urine samples and six weeks in blood samples. Tests, thus far, on the patient's infant show normal development, head size and intracranial anatomy, with no calcifications. The infant, who was born in October 2016, did not test positive for Zika.

Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus, is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. As Miami-Dade County has the highest number of locally-transmitted and travel-related Zika cases in the U.S., University of Miami physicians at Jackson Memorial Hospital are uniquely positioned to document cases of Zika in adults and children and contribute to the growing knowledge of the virus, which has heavily impacted countries throughout Latin American, the Caribbean and parts of the U.S.

Christine Curry, M.D., Ph.D., who leads the care of Zika-infected pregnant women at the University of Miami and Jackson Health Systems, said the patient is "an example of how the virus can circulate in the body of a pregnant woman for more than the typical one to two weeks." While there isn't enough definitive evidence, Curry, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UM Miller School of Medicine, said some tests suggest that the virus may have a tendency to linger longer in pregnant women.

In addition to Chen and Curry, the case study was co-authored by George W. Elgart, M.D., professor and Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Dermatology and Jackson Health System dermatology resident Farheen Hafeez, M.D.

Chen said people who experience a rash often do not seek care from a provider until it has cleared up. However, as Miami-Dade County is ground zero for the U.S. Zika outbreak, physicians and health workers have been on heightened alert for patients presenting with symptoms associated with Zika.

UM and Jackson have taken a multidisciplinary approach to combating Zika transmissions, caring for patients and studying cases.

Chen and a team in the UM Department of Dermatology took a biopsy of the skin and noted seeing neutrophil cells, which Chen said are not commonly present with viral rashes but help fight infections.

"This is an interesting finding but we would need to study additional cases to determine whether these cells help distinguish Zika rashes from other viral rashes," said Chen.

###
A campaign targeted at students arriving at university for the first time could hold the key to reducing the spread of meningitis and septicaemia, say researchers at the universities of Nottingham and Leicester.

In a paper published in the academic journal Public Health, the researchers show how a campus-based vaccination campaign was successful in ensuring that almost three-quarters of students arriving at Nottingham were immunised against the potentially deadly disease.

The approach was so successful it has now been highlighted as an example of best practice by Public Health England in a report advising on the prevention and management of meningitis and septicaemia in higher education.

Dr David Turner in the University's School of Life Sciences, who led the research, said: "It is really important to offer the MenACWY vaccine to first year university students to prevent cases of meningitis in this at-risk group."

In England, cases of meningitis caused by the Meningitis W (MenW) bacteria have been rapidly increasing since 2009 due to the emergence of a highly aggressive strain of the disease.

The ST-11 strain is associated with severe illness which often requires treatment in intensive care and has a higher death rate than other strains of meningococcal disease.

Its symptoms also differ from other kinds of meningococcal disease - some people may develop joint infections or a severe respiratory tract infection, such as pneumonia, epiglottitis or supraglottitis (two conditions where there is a dangerous swelling around the "lid" that covers the windpipe, blocking the flow of air into the lungs).

Some adults affected with MenW septicaemia have suffered mainly gastrointestinal symptoms initially without the characteristic non-blanching rash before the rapidly progressing disease has led to their death.

In response, Public Health England introduced a programme of immunisation offering vaccination against four different types of Meningitis - A, C, W and Y - to all adolescents and young adults aged between 14 and 18 years of age, as well as first-year university students including international and mature students up to the age of 25.

The aim was to disrupt the transmission of the dangerous MenW bacteria and to prevent its further spread to at-risk groups of people within the wider population.

Higher rates of transmission of the meningitis bacteria occur in students during the first year of university and, as students tend to travel frequently around the country to return home or to visit friends, there is a risk they could spread the disease to other communities throughout the UK.

The academics at Nottingham studied the uptake of the MenACWY vaccine in first-year students.

During registration at the university between 17th and 23rd September 2015, as part of standard clinical practice, interviews were conducted with each student by University of Nottingham Health Service healthcare professionals to establish whether students had been vaccinated before arriving at university and to record their details on the UNHS registration database.

As part of a targeted, localised campaign, students who said they hadn't been vaccinated were offered an immediate free vaccination.

Searches of the UNHS registration database were later performed to determine vaccination coverage in the registered group of first-year students before arriving at Nottingham, as well as a smaller group of international students who were less likely to have received the vaccine in their home country before arriving at university in the UK.

The searches revealed that just 31 per cent of the students had been previously vaccinated - coverage that would be potentially too low to significantly reduce the spread of meningitis.

However, following the local campaign by the healthcare professionals at UNHS, that figure rose to a far healthier 71 per cent.

Dr Turner added: "The significant boost in coverage following the vaccine campaign at registration at the University of Nottingham demonstrates the importance of offering vaccination at enrolment in tertiary educational establishments and suggests that rolling out this strategy more widely could significantly improve vaccine coverage in this age group."

"The campus-based mass vaccination campaign delivered during the registration period also provided significant logistical advantages compared with offering a large number of individual appointments."

"However, a large proportion of unvaccinated students still declined vaccination due to a lack of perceived need or benefit suggesting that further advertising of the national campaign could be necessary to raise awareness of the vital need for the MenACWY vaccine."

Dr Chris Bayliss, Reader in Bacterial Genetics, Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, commented: "Vaccination is highly effective at preventing meningitis, septicaemia and the other infections caused by meningococci. Our study shows that offering MenACWY vaccination as students arrive at a university is a really effective way of maximising protection of this vulnerable age group."

The campaign at the University of Nottingham was featured as a case study in the recent publication Guidance on the Prevention and Management of Meningococcal Meningitis and Septicaemia in Higher Education Institutions issued by Public Health England.

The report recommended that the Nottingham example may be helpful in identifying ways in which Higher Education Institutions can play an active role in improving awareness and promoting vaccination uptake amongst students.

###
Viruses and their hosts are in a eternal game of one-upmanship. If a host cell evolves a way to stop a virus from spreading, the virus will look for a new path. And so on and so forth.

A team of scientists led by Ronald Harty, a professor of pathobiology and microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, has identified a mechanism that appears to represent one way that host cells have evolved to outsmart infection by Ebola and other viruses. In a new paper, he and colleagues reveal that host cells sequester viral proteins away from the plasma membrane within the cell, thus preventing viruses from spreading.

Harty says that finding a way to amplify this molecular interaction could lead to a novel antiviral strategy against Ebola that could temper the pathogen's damage.

"We think we have uncovered a cellular defense mechanism against Ebola and other viruses by which the cell can counteract the virus' ability to bud and spread to other cells," Harty said. "We want to dissect and understand this interaction further to potentially mimic the process for use as an antiviral strategy that could be used to treat these dangerous infections."

Jingjing Liang, the lead author and a doctoral student at Guangxi University who had a fellowship at Penn Vet to work in the Harty Lab for two years, performed the experiments in collaboration with Cari Sagum and Mark Beddford of the University of Texas at Austin, Sachdev Sidhu of the University of Toronto, Marius Sudol of the National University of Singapore and Ziying Han of Penn Vet.

The work appears this week in PLOS Pathogens.

Harty and colleagues have studied how viruses interact with host proteins with the long-term goal of finding ways to interrupt the virus's life cycle. In particular, they have examined the ways in which viruses hijack cell proteins to help regulate their exit and spread from the host cell through the budding process.

The scientists knew that, in infections with Ebola as well as many other viruses, including Marburg, rabies and HIV, viral matrix proteins, such as Ebola VP40, interacted with host proteins through short protein motifs: the PY motif on the viral protein and the WW motif on the host cell protein. Prior to this current study, all of the known interactions enabled the virus to bud efficiently from the cell.

In the current work, the researchers screened for new WW motifs from mammalian cell proteins that bound tightly to the PY motif of Ebola virus' VP40 protein. Not every PY motif binds to every WW domain; the interaction is specific, like a lock and key.

The screen turned up some proteins that the Penn team had explored before but also a new one, a protein called BAG3, known as a chaperone protein, which under normal physiological conditions acts to promote cell survival.

After confirming that Ebola VP40 interacted with full-length BAG3 in mammalian cells specifically via the WW domain, the researchers went on to test its functionality in influencing budding. They used a test that avoids manipulating the actual Ebola virus, which is too dangerous for the Penn Vet laboratory. Instead, they examined virus-like particles, which are produced by the virus's matrix protein, VP40, and are not infectious but accurately mimic the budding step of infection.

When the researchers examined cells expressing either Ebola or Marburg VP40 and then added in BAG3, they found that VLP budding went down in a dose-dependent manner. When they mutated the WW domain of BAG3 so it couldn't interact with VP40's PY domain, budding levels remained unchanged.

Knocking down levels of naturally occurring BAG3 with synthetic strands of RNA did just the opposite, increasing budding.

"With all of these assays, there was a consistent effect on budding levels, either up or down," Harty said.

Enhancing such an interaction, perhaps in combination with other therapies that attack the virus at other stages of its life cycle, could give the immune system the opening it needs to overcome an infection.

Using confocal microscopy and fluorescently labeled proteins, the scientists discovered that BAG3 appeared to be sequestering VP40 in the cell's cytoplasm away from the plasma membrane where the viral particles would need to go in order to bud off and spread to infect other cells. Their work identified BAG3 as the first WW containing host protein to negatively affect virus budding.

Although the group has not yet tested the VP40-BAG3 interaction with live Ebola or Marburg virus -- those experiments are planned -- they did find that BAG3 limits budding of a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus that contains the Ebola PY motif.

"We used that to show that this works in a live virus infection," Harty said. "Taken together, we're hoping and assuming that it works the same way with the authentic Ebola virus."

In addition to testing BAG3 interactions with the Ebola and Marburg virus, Harty's lab also plans to further investigate what BAG3 is doing to VP40, whether it's simply sequestering it or whether it's modifying or degrading it.

And, while Harty noted that recent reports of a successful Ebola vaccine are undoubtedly good news, they don't lessen the need for a therapy.

"A vaccine is certainly important," he said, "but the therapeutics are a different arm of the antiviral strategy and are particularly essential for those who are already infected."

###

Harty and Penn Vet colleague Bruce Freedman, are exploring these host-oriented therapies through their company, Intervir Therapeutics, founded through Penn's UPStart program.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
PHILADELPHIA -In cells, DNA is transcribed into RNAs that provide the molecular recipe for cells to make proteins. Most of the genome is transcribed into RNA, but only a small proportion of RNAs are actually from the protein-coding regions of the genome.

"Why are the non-coding regions transcribed at all? Their function has been mysterious," said Shelley Berger, PhD, a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Berger and Daniel Bose, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in her lab, study the regulation of gene expression from enhancers, non-coding regions of the genome more distant from protein-coding regions. Enhancers boost the rate of gene expression from nearby protein-coding genes so a cell can pump out more of a needed protein molecule. A mysterious subset of non-coding RNAs called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are transcribed from enhancer sequences. While these are important for boosting gene expression, how they achieve this has been completely unknown.

Shedding new light on these elusive eRNAs, they showed that CBP, an enzyme that activates transcription from enhancers, binds directly to eRNAs. This simple act controls patterns of gene expression in organisms by regulating acetylation, a chemical mark that directs DNA tightly packed in the nucleus of cells to loosen to promote transcription. Their findings are published this week in Cell.

"The cells in our bodies share the same genes and DNA sequences, and differ only in how these genes are expressed," Bose said. "Enhancers and eRNAs are critical for this process. Our work shows an exciting new way that eRNAs produce these different patterns of gene expression. We asked if eRNAs work directly with CBP, and found that they do."

Using biochemical assays, they showed that the region of CBP that binds to RNA also can regulate the ability of CBP to work with chemical mark. By binding to this region, eRNAs can directly stimulate CBPs' acetylation activity.

"There is increased interest in enhancers and eRNAs in the cancer biology world because defective enhancers can cause too much or too little of a protein to be made, or can cause the coding region to be turned off or on, or can make a protein at the wrong time," Berger said. Knowing more about how enhancers and eRNAs function will help oncologists, since recent DNA sequencing of tumors from humans show that numerous mutations associated with cancers and other diseases occur in enhancer regions of the genome -- not in protein-coding regions.

"Fundamentally, this is important science because we show that enhancer RNAs have a key role throughout the genome and body to guide protein production," Berger said. "We identified, across the genome, that enhancer RNAs were the most common type of RNA that bound to CBP, and that by making this interaction, eRNAs play a crucial role in regulating CBP activity and gene expression."

###

Coauthors are Greg Donahue and Roberto Bonasio from, Danny Reinberg from New York University, and Ramin Shiekhattar from the University of Miami.

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 501 CA078831, DP2MH107055), the Searle Scholars Program (15-SSP-102), the March of Dimes Foundation (1-FY-15-344), and the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust (C1404).

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 18 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community.
Forests are potent carbon sinks, but also the oceans' seagrasses can store enormous amounts of carbon. A little bay in Denmark stores a record amount of carbon. Here is the secret.

Seagrass plays a bigger role in the Earth's carbon cycle than most of us think. The underwater meadows of seagrass are capable of storing large amounts of carbon - a talent that draws attention in a time, where decision makers and scientists are searching for ways to bring down the release of CO 2 to the atmosphere.

Efficient meadows of carbon storing seagrass are found in coastal areas in many parts of the world. But according to biologists one particular meadow in Denmark is by far the most efficient.

The meadow is situated in the bay Thurbund on the island Thur in the South Funen Archipelago, Denmark.

Special conditions in this bay

- Many seagrass meadows in the world have been investigated. Recently I was part of investigating and measuring carbon storing capabilities of 10 seagrass meadows in the Baltic Sea. No place comes even close to Thurbund, says Professor Marianne Holmer, University of Southern Denmark (SDU).

Professor Holmer is head of SDU's Department of Biology and she is an expert in seagrass ecology and biogeochemistry.

The explanation is found in the special conditions in Thurbund.

Protected and productive

- It is a very protected bay - and also very productive. So the seagrass thrives and when the plants die they stay in the meadow. They are buried in the sediment and in this process their content of carbon gets stored with them. In Finland the seagrass grows in open coast areas, which means that the dead plants much more often are washed off to sea, taking the carbon with them. Once the carbon has been taken out to the sea it is unsure what happens to it, says Professor Holmer.

Thurbund stores ca. 27,000 grams of carbon (gC) pr. square meter. This figure has never been measured to be more than 10,000-11,000 gC pr. m2 in other parts of the world.

According to the new study Danish seagrass meadows store 3-4 times more carbon than Finnish meadows.

Harsher environment in Finland

The study's lead author is PhD student Emilia Rohr, University of Southern Denmark and Abo Akademi University in Finland. Co-authors are Marianne Holmer and Christoffer Bostrom from Abo Akademi University. The study has been published in Biogeosciences.

- The Finnish meadows in our study are more exposed than the Danish and they grow in harsher environments where the dead plants do not sink to the bottom, so their carbon content does not get stored in the sediment, explains Emilia Rohr.

It is unknown where the dead seagrass plants go and what happens to them, when they get washed out to the open sea. Maybe their carbon gets stored elsewhere, maybe it ends up as CO 2 in the atmosphere.

The economic value

Due to the carbon storing efficiency of seagrass meadows, a system has been designed to calculate the economic value of their stored carbon.

- The value in Denmark is 1809 Euro pr. hectar while in Finland it is 281 Euro, says Emilia Rohr.

Other scientists have calculated that the global loss of seagrass equals 1.9 - 13.7 billion US dollars in lost carbon storing.

Fish and shrimps need seagrass

Many countries have a focus on restoring lost seagrass meadows. The meadows are not only good at storing carbon: they are also home for many small and large animals, including commercially important species as shrimps, cod and flatfish.

The plants also function as particle filters, keeping the water clear.

On a global scale Earth has lost estimated 29 pct. of its seagrass meadows since 1879. Danmark has lost 80-90 pct. since the 1930s.

Blue carbon

The worlds' oceans store vast amounts of carbon, especially in coastal areas like mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and salt marshes. This is called blue carbon, and the mechanisms are the same as when land forests store carbon. Seagrass meadows cover only 0.1 - 0.2 pct. of the worlds' seafloor, but they account for storing of up to 18 pct. of all ocean stored carbon. The meadows in the Baltic Ocean store 1.7 - 12 pct. of all seagrass meadow stored carbon in the world.

Seagrass is a plant

Seagrass is not a seaweed, but a plant with flowers, leaves and roots just like plants on land. It also produces seeds, which is spread on the seafloor and grow to new plants. There are ca. 60 seagrass species in the world. In Denmark eelgrass (Zostera marina) is the most common. Seagrass needs light and only grows in shallow water. They need min. 10 pct. of the sun's light.

###

Professor, Head of Department of Biology, Marianne Holmer. holmer@biology.sdu.dk. Phone:+45 60112605.
January 12, 2017 - Jaw advancement surgery is one of the most effective surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)--but it's less likely to be performed in men, racial/ethnic minorities, lower-income groups, and patients with Medicare coverage, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery--Global Open, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

"The nationwide study identified significant economic, racial, and gender differences between patients undergoing pharyngeal [throat] and jaw procedures for management of sleep apnea," according to the new research by Ravi K. Garg, MD, and colleagues of University of Wisconsin, Madison. "Awareness of these disparities may help guide efforts to improve patients' surgical options for sleep apnea."

Disparities Affect Use of Effective Jaw Surgery for Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition with a major impact on quality of life and other health outcomes. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the main treatment, surgery is an option for some patients.

Previous studies have suggested that jaw surgery (maxillomandibular advancement) provides greater improvement in sleep apnea than throat surgery (uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty). Yet throat surgery continues to be much more frequently performed.

The researchers used a US hospital database to assess factors related to the choice of throat versus jaw surgery for OSA. Out of approximately 6,300 patients undergoing OSA operations between 2005 and 2012, only 5.6 percent underwent jaw surgery.

The data showed that jaw advancement surgery was significantly more likely for some groups of patients. Women were more likely to have jaw surgery than men, 6.8 versus 5.2 percent. Jaw surgery was also more frequently performed in white patients compared to racial/ethnic minorities: 7.2 versus 2.2 percent.

Patients undergoing jaw surgery were also more likely to have a higher annual income ($63,000 or greater) and to have private insurance (compared to Medicare).

On analysis adjusting for other factors, men were about one-third less likely to undergo jaw advancement surgery than women. Race/ethnicity was also a significant factor--Hispanic and Asian patients were about 40 percent less likely to have jaw surgery, while African American patients were 80 percent less likely. Medicare patients were about half as likely to undergo jaw surgery.

Differences in medical conditions other than OSA or in surgical complication rates did not explain the difference in jaw versus throat surgery. "This suggests that these operations have a similar overall safety profile and that complications are not the major factor impacting the choice of procedure," Dr. Garg and coauthors write.

If jaw advancement surgery is the more effective surgical option for OSA, why is it so less frequently performed than throat surgery? The reported differences by income and insurance coverage may reflect financial barriers to offering this option, Dr. Garg and colleagues believe. They write, "Plastic and oral surgeons are having increasing difficulty obtaining insurance coverage and receiving insufficient reimbursement for the amount of time invested in planning and performing these surgeries.

The racial and ethnic disparities are of special concern because of the increased rate of sleep apnea among minority patients. Dr. Garg and coauthors conclude: "These findings should help stimulate further research into patient and physician attitudes towards sleep surgery, barriers to treatment, and strategies to improve the spectrum of surgical options available to all patients with sleep-disordered breathing."

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery--Global Open is published by Wolters Kluwer.

###

Click here to read "Disparities in Utilization of Jaw Surgery for Treatment of Sleep Apnea: A Nationwide Analysis."

Article: "Disparities in Utilization of Jaw Surgery for Treatment of Sleep Apnea: A Nationwide Analysis" (doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001047)

About PRS Global Open

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery--Global Open (http://www.prsgo.com) is a companion journal to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' flagship publication, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. PRS GO is an open access, rigorously peer-reviewed, international journal focusing on global plastic and reconstructive surgery. PRS GO educates and supports plastic surgeons globally to provide the highest quality patient care and maintain professional and ethical standards through education, research, and advocacy.

About ASPS

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 7,000 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information services. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer's market leading information-enabled tools and software solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of 4.2 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, and employs over 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).

Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry. For more information about our products and organization, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow @WKHealth or @Wolters_Kluwer on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn, or follow WoltersKluwerComms on YouTube.
Whether you are religious or not, there remains a lot of truth in the old adage of a problem shared is a problem halved.

But talking through problems is not always easy, especially when working in relative isolation or, perhaps more awkwardly, the problem involves the very people you live, work and socialise with on a daily basis.

It is an issue that is more common on close-knit family farms where there may be fewer outside people to draw on for help and support in the event of a dispute, financial or other issue, than on larger businesses with more employees and outside advisers.

See also: Farmer priest gears up for Christmas

Small family farms tend to be where I spend more of my time, says the Reverend Janet Nicholls, an agricultural chaplain for the Diocese of Chelmsford.

Coming from a farming family myself, I am very aware of the pressures families are under.

When you live, work and socialise together, big issues in any one of these areas can quickly affect all three.

With fewer people working on farms, isolation is an increasing issue, so being able to talk to someone is becoming much more relevant.

Having a person that will listen non-judgementally is often what people want, but sometimes it also helps to just share a laugh.

As an ordained priest in the Church of England and rural adviser to the Diocese of Chelmsford, Rev Nicholls has her Christian faith at the heart of her work, but insists the chaplaincy support is available to all, regardless of their beliefs.

Many of the calls I receive begin with Im not religious but, she says.

My role and that of other agricultural chaplains around the country is mostly about providing pastoral care and support to rural people, not preaching to them.

Rev Nicholls says her chaplaincy support is flexible and varied.

Some people value the faith dimension.

This has included blessing a new combine harvester at the start of harvest and praying with farmers around the kitchen table.

Having a person that will listen non-judgementally is often what people want, but sometimes it also helps to just share a laugh Reverend Janet Nicholls

Others simply appreciate sharing their concerns with someone they can trust and who understands the unique demands of farming.

Younger and middle-aged farmers tend to be more willing to pick up the phone and ask for help than older farmers, whereas use of the Facebook page is spread across a whole range of ages, she notes.

Money remains top concern

Despite some modest improvement in farm profitability recently, financial worries remain top of the list of concerns, especially on traditional family farms that have not diversified and are more reliant on pure farming income, says Rev Nicholls.

Financial difficulties often get hidden from society behind the facade of a supposed big house in the country and in many cases people find it hard to admit when theres a problem, she says.

Anxiety around the future for UK farm subsidies post-Brexit has fuelled financial concerns in recent months and may prompt big changes to some farm businesses in the future, but Rev Nicholls says the issue is very complex and in some cases has been divisive.

Ive seen a real mix of views towards Brexit even within individual families.

Its likely to require a complete rethink for some farms, but at the moment its the uncertainty that is proving difficult to live with.

Farmers seem to appreciate the opportunity to share their opinions with a chaplain, knowing that it is a safe space to air their views.

They know I listen to their specific concern rather than responding from either a leave or remain stance.

Depression, sometimes but not exclusively linked to isolation, is another recurring issue among farmers, but is something that more people seem willing to talk about than in the past, says Rev Nicholls.

Admitting there is a problem is the first step in tackling depression.

If asked for further advice, she usually encourages people to talk to their GP.

Rev Nicholls supports initiatives such as the Fit for Farming manual published by Haynes and the Mens Health Forum which provides a guide to help farmers manage their physical and mental health, and links to services that can help.

Relationship breakdown and divorce is another big issue that can cause great stress and anxiety and may result in long-lasting splits in farming families if issues cannot be resolved.

Its often in these sorts of cases that people really appreciate having somebody impartial to talk to.

Farming families can be under tremendous pressure when living and working together, so sometimes its important to take a step back and make the time to enjoy different things together as a family, she adds.

Support available

While the role of agricultural chaplain is primarily to listen to concerns rather than provide specific advice or help, Rev Nicholls and other chaplains work closely with a number of organisations, such as the Farming Community Network, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Arthur Rank Centre and NFU, to provide additional support if needed.

She is also involved with local Young Farmers Clubs, the Rural Community Council of Essex, a regional crime prevention panel, and is on the strategic board of the Essex Rural Partnership, where different organisations address rural issues in the county.

Agricultural chaplains and church rural officers provide support throughout the UK.

There is a national Agricultural Chaplains Association and Rev Nicholls invites anyone who would like to access the support of a chaplain to get in touch with their local diocese or The Arthur Rank Centre (see Support contacts, above).




Haiti - Politics : New Bureau in the lower house, blockade in the Senate





Tuesday, Deputy Cholzer Chancy was re-elected as President of the Lower House by acclamation and the members of the Bureau of the Chamber were elected.



Composition of the new Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies :

Cholzer Chancy, President (AAA)

Jacques Saint-Louis, Vice-President of the Sessions (PHTK)

Enel Apollon, Vice President, to the Administrative Affairs (Pitit Dessalines)

Jean Willer Jean, 1st Secretary (KID)

Hermano Exinord, 2nd Secretary (INITE)

Gary Bodeau, Quaestor (BOUCLIER)

Luc Claude Guillaume, Vice-Quaestor (Renmen Ayiti)



"Thanks to the honorable colleagues deputies who elected me as President of the Chamber of Deputies for a second term," declared Cholzer Chancy.



At the level of the Senate the situation is more complicated and the election of the Bureau could not take place as planned, several senators having expressed the desire to be a candidate for President of the Bureau. The Senators of Artibonite Youri Latortue (favorite in the race) and Carl Murat Cantave, have not yet found the necessary consensus and the absence of a quorum (14 senators on roll-call) prevented the meeting.



According to our information, Senator Jean Renel Senatus (Groupe du Center) suggests that he will also run for the Senate presidency.



Note that Ronald Lareche, the outgoing President of the Upper House, has discharged of his responsibilities. For now, the Senate is paralyzed and cannot make any administrative action or convene members of the Government until the election of a new Bureau.



The election of the bureau should be back on the agenda this Wednesday.



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : Guy Philippe was extradited on what legal basis ?





Many wondered about the legality of the extradition of Senator Guy Philippe on Thursday January 5th, great is the confusion in the minds of many including our parliamentarians, what say the texts of laws in Haiti ?



First of all, many speak of the agreement signed on 17 October 1997 between US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and President Rene Preval, which would have served as a legal basis for the extradition. To be precise, none of the articles of this agreement makes mention of extradition, even when interpreting it in the broad sense...



There is indeed an extradition treaty between Haiti and the United States, but it is dated August 9, 1904, and it is stipulated in its article 4 "None of the contracting parties will be bound to deliver its own citizens."



The amended Haitian Constitution, currently in force, is very clear :



Article 8.1 "The Territory of the Republic of Haiti is nviolable and may not be alienated either in whole or in part by any Treaty or Convention. "



Article 41 "No person of Haitian nationality may be deported or forced to leave the national territory for any reason whatsoever.

No one may be deprived for political reasons of his legal capacity and nationality."



Article 42 "No citizen, civilian or military may be distracted from the judges whom the Constitution and the laws assign to him."



This means, in light of the Constitution, that the intervention of the agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Haitian soil in collaboration with the Brigade for the Fight against Narcotic Drugs (BLTS) is unconstitutional.



Moreover, the Haitian laws of August 1912, June and February 2001, dealing with extradition, specify the procedures to be followed, including the intervention of the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the investigating judge until the acceptance or refusal of extradition. Note that Danton Leger, the Chief Prosecutor, said he had not been kept informed of the arrest of Senator Guy Philippe and was surprised that he had not been transferred to the Public Prosecutor's Office after his arrest...



Finally, at the international level the fact that Haitian law does not authorize the extradition of its citizens is known. The 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 Reports of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) recalled that "The Constitution of the Republic of Haiti prohibits Extradition of Haitian citizens" and "Haitian law does not authorize the extradition of Haitian citizens."



The question that now arises is to know on what legal basis Guy Phlippe has been handed over to the Americans, if however one can still speak of extradition in this case...



So far, neither the de facto President, nor the Prime Minister, nor the Minister of Justice nor the police authorities, not even the American authorities, have given satisfactory explanations on this increasingly opaque case, which generates more questions than answers...



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19767-haiti-flash-americans-attacked-houses-burned-down.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19757-haiti-flash-violent-reprisals-of-guy-philippe-s-supporters.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19731-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-the-charges-are-known-appearing-on-january-13-2017.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19730-haiti-justice-guy-philippe-appeared-the-minister-of-justice-convened.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19720-haiti-flash-arrest-of-senator-guy-philippe.html



SL/ HaitiLibre


















Petaling Jaya : A prominent socio-economic activist has warned Putrajaya that it risks putting Malaysia in the same trouble that Sri Lanka is in with its indebtedness to China.

There would be a heavy price to pay if China-linked mega projects were to fail, said Azlan Awang, who is deputy chairman of Bantah-TPPA and a founder of Blindspot, a socio-economic interest group.

Azlan told FMT there were similarities between Sri Lankas and Malaysias indebtedness to China.

He pointed to a recent violent riot near the port city of Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka. The rioters were protesting against a deal they said would result in the port becoming a Chinese colony.

The deal would see the port being leased for 99 years to a company in which China will have 80% ownership. It would also result in the establishment of an industrial zone where Chinese companies would be invited to set up base.

Azlan said the deal was a consequence of Sri Lankas failure to pay for the China-financed Mattala airport project. It should give a glimpse of how Beijing would deal with those failing to pay their dues, he added.

Beijing may not be sending the Red Army, but the ownership of the Hambantota deep sea port as well as 15,000 acres of land for the new industrial zone ceded to China as its colony for the next 99 years will do.

For Malaysia, what will be our pound of flesh if we default on our humongous debts?

Azlan alleged that Putrajayas indiscriminate and reckless pursuit of investments and borrowings had led to huge piles of debt, without many multiplier effects or long term economic gains.

While China may not be perceived as imperialistic, it certainly does not extend money out of chivalry. China knows exactly where its pound of flesh will be coming from.

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has expressed similar concerns. He recently said that land sold to Chinese companies would eventually become foreign land.

In October, it was reported that China would build and fund the East Coast Rail Link, a 620km high-impact project in Malaysia at an estimated cost of RM55 billion. Construction will begin next year and is expected to be completed in 2022.

Chinese firms are also involved in other development projects, such as the massive Malacca Gateway project.

Source : FMT
Ecuador Foreign Minister Guillame Long will meet with civil society groups on Thursday to discuss tax avoidance, corruption and development.

Ecuador Foreign Minister Guillame Long will meet with civil society groups on Thursday to discuss tax avoidance, corruption and development. The event comes one day before Ecuador takes over the presidency of the G77 and China group of 134 developing nations at an event in New York. Ecuador plans to emphasize tax issues and financing global development during its presidency."Tax avoidance, evasion and corruption are serious problems," noted Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of the religious development coalition Jubilee USA. LeCompte will moderate the January 12 event and serves on United Nations expert working groups that focus on tax and finance. "The developing world is losing vital revenues for building infrastructure and combating poverty."At the event in Washington, Minister Long is expected to express support for a United Nations body to focus on global tax issues, corruption and transparency.In February, Ecuador will hold a referendum on whether to bar public servants from holding office if they hide money or assets in tax havens. Developing countries lose more than one trillion dollars each year to "illicit financial flows" or money that leaves a country due to tax evasion or corruption. Recent estimates from the Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean indicate that the region loses 6.7% of its GDP to tax evasion. The region loses an estimated $85 billion annually due to illicit flows compared with $10 billion received yearly in development aid. A quarter of Latin American and Caribbean residents live on less than $4 a day.The Washington event is organized by Latindadd, Global Alliance for Tax Justice, Center of Concern, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Jubilee USA Network, FACT Coalition, Public Citizen, Financial Transparency Coalition and Red de Justicia Fiscal de America Latina y el Caribe.Jubilee USA Network is an alliance of more than 75 US organizations and 650 faith communities working with 50 Jubilee global partners. Jubilee USA builds an economy that serves, protects and promotes the participation of the most vulnerable. Jubilee USA wins critical global financial reforms and won more than $130 billion in debt relief to benefit the world's poorest people. http://www.jubileeusa.org
The 30th ReUnion Labor Heritage Festival will be held in Santa Cruz on Sunday, January 15, 2017 6:00 PM PST Concert steamed live at 30th ReUnion Labor Heritage Festival Santa Cruz, Sunday, January 15, 2017 6:00 PM PST Concert steamed live at http://ilmlivestream.com International Labor Media Channel30th ReUnion Labor Heritage Festival Santa Cruz, Sunday, January 15, 2017 6:00 PM PST Concert steamed live at http://ilmlivestream.com Hi folks,Jimmy Kelly wanted me to share this link with anyone who can't make it this weekend to the ReUnion get together in Santa Cruz. The concert event will be live streamed! You can tune in to watch the concert (Saturday 1/14 at 6:30 pm Pacific) here -->30th ReUnion Labor Heritage Festival Santa Cruz, Sunday, January 15, 2017 6:00 PM PST Concert steamed live at http://ilmlivestream.com In solidarity,Rachel WarinoPresident, Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival30th ReUnion Labor Heritage Festival Santa Cruz, Sunday, January 15, 2017 6:00 PM PST Concert steamed live at http://ilmlivestream.com International Labor Media ChannelSunday, January 15, 20176:00 PM PST Concert steamed live at http://ilmlivestream.com International Labor Media ChannelWorkshops Start at 12:00 NoonSanta Cruz Resource Center for Non Violence612 Ocean Street, Santa CruzFriends, brothers and sisters,In hard times, the struggle for economic and social justice gets difficult. The most vulnerable (children, women, seniors, the uninsured, minorities, the ill and the unemployed) face much greater uncertainty. For the 30th ReUnion of the Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival in Santa Cruz, Sunday, January 15, we are bringing together cultural activists to share Dr. King's legacy to address the current crisis of environmental, racial, sexual and economic injustice. Enjoy the songs, stories, and calls to actions by a collage of performing artists from the Bay area and beyond. Don't be demoralized, mobilize!Workshops from noon to 5 pm:- Author Peter Shapiro new book on the Watsonville Cannery Strike "Song of the Stubborn One Thousand"-The Sanctuary Movement and immigrant Rights with Peter Koltz-Chamberlain and Francisco Herrerra- Newly elected Letter Carrier Br 214 Health-Safety Rep Angela Bibbs-Merritt on Stopping Management Bullying at the Post Office- Beyond Little Boxes Legacies/visions of Malvina Reynolds and Joe Hill and others for the 21st CenturyEvening concert:Doors open at 6pm, program begins at 6:30 and features 30 Years After: Uniting and Fighting Beyond J 20.Any proceeds will benefit the John Handcox Scholarship Fund, to support bringing people of color to attend the Great Labor Arts Exchange near Washington DC.Santa Cruz Resource Center for Non Violence612 Ocean Street, Santa CruzIn January 1987 a small group of activists brought together a tribute honoring the legacies of the civil rights and union movements through their music, theater, spoken word and spirit of solidarity. In 2017 these human rights struggles are in jeopardy like never before.We will reconvene on what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King's 88 birthday on Sunday January 15, 2017. A day of workshops and an evening performance will take place at the Resource Center for Non Violence at 612 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. proceeds will benefit the John Handcox Memorial fund to send people of color to the Great Labor Arts Exchange in Washington DC.With solidarity forever - We Shall Overcome!Contact: Jimmy Kelly at laborstudies(at)att.net or text (408)597-7649.
More than 200 Pfizer workers in Cork have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over employee pensions, writes Padraig Hoare.

Siptu-represented operators, lab workers and shift leaders based in the Ringaskiddy operation of the pharmaceutical giant have voted 207 to nine in favour of industrial action, while 203 to 13 voted in favour of escalating that to strike action if a resolution over pensions was not forthcoming.

It is thought the industrial action would include work-to-rule measures.

In September 2014, 900 of 3,300 Pfizer workers in Ireland were told the company wanted to move them from defined benefit pensions to defined contribution schemes.

Defined benefit is where the company alone pays towards the pension fund, while defined contribution is where both employee and employer contribute.

The pensions issue went to the Labour Court and negotiations have been ongoing since. Pfizer said it could not afford to sustain what it was paying into its defined contribution scheme. The company, best known for drugs such as Viagra and Lipitor, is worth about 200bn.

In 2015, up to 20 operators were hired in Ringaskiddy and Little Island but were not put on the same terms as existing workers, who remained on defined benefit schemes as labour relations negotiations continued.

Siptu said the new workers should be treated the same as existing ones and should have started on the same defined benefit scheme as their colleagues until negotiations concluded.

Only when the new employees are put on the same terms will a settlement be forthcoming, those with intimate knowledge of the situation say. One told the Irish Examiner: This is about fighting for the rights of newcomers who deserve to be treated equally. The ballot is not about pensions at this time, it is about equality for fellow workers.

The Labour Court recommended in November that the parties engage in a 12-week process to reach an agreement. Pfizer said in a statement it accepted the Labour Court recommendations in 2016 and that it was disappointed that Siptu has indicated that industrial action will take place.

Pfizer said the new employees would be on the same future pension arrangements as the existing defined benefit employees when negotiations are concluded.

The company, as part of its approach to ensuring that future pensions provision for staff is sustainable, is willing to negotiate across a comprehensive range of measures such as contribution rates, timeframes and incentives to move to the defined contribution scheme.

Pfizer said any defined benefit pension to date will be honoured, that employees on the scheme will keep all earnings until they start on a defined contribution, and that the new agreement would not be retroactive.

Pfizer is one of Corks best-known employers, with about 800 working in Cork, spending 312m in Ireland since 2013, including 57m on two new Cork facilities. Up to 130 jobs were to be shed in 2012 as its patent ran out for Lipitor. Those jobs were reprieved in 2014.

Pfizer had anticipated that other companies making a generic version of its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor would mean its profits sinking but it continued to make huge profits.

This article first appeared in the Irish Examiner.
Members of Home Sweet Home Cork confirmed they have discussed the possibility of staging a building occupation similar to that of Apollo House, but said no decision has been taken yet.

A group of around 70 people linked to Home Sweet Home Cork gathered at Connolly Hall at around 10.30am in what was one of several solidarity rallies staged around the country.

It was timed to coincide with the High Court hearing in Dublin in relation to the occupation of Apollo House.

The protesters marched to City Hall where a group of around 40 people entered the public atrium.

Spokesman Alex Homits read out a statement, calling for more State action to tackle the homelessness crisis.

We call upon the State to take responsibility for the housing crisis and adopt a central, long-term plan to accommodate the population, he said.

The market exists to generate profit and we cast this notion aside. Housing is our human right.

He also called for the thousands of empty homes around the country to be offered to those on housing lists and in need of emergency housing, rather than being left rot, collapse, and fall into disrepair.

Fellow activist Rachael OSullivan said the Government has not done enough to support Corks visible and invisible homeless.

We, as a group, intend to highlight this lack of motivation or competence through the ability of normal people to stand with their neighbours in times of hardship, she said.

The group spent about 40 minutes in the atrium before moving outside where they continued the protest.

City council spokesman Paul Moynihan said council staff allowed the statement to be read out before inviting the protesters to take the protest outside.

He said the atrium is used by the public to avail of a range of council services, including housing assistance, and that such activity was disrupted for a time. He said a number of job applicants who had arrived at City Hall for interviews were discommoded, and had their interviews delayed by the protest.

AAA city councillor Fiona Ryan, who joined the protest, disputed the claims it had caused disruption to council business, saying she fully supported the decision to bring the protest into City Hall.

Homelessness is a political problem which requires a political solution, she said.

But the Government approach has been to wash their hands of the situation and by bringing this protest to City Hall, it has raised the issue once again. It was peaceful and council activities were not disrupted.

Sinn Fein councillor Mick Nugent, who also joined the protesters, said he hopes the action reminds politicians that people want action on homelessness. We also wanted to highlight homelessness and the urgent need for more social housing and thats why we protested at City Hall given the council is tasked with delivering housing on the ground, he said.
Dismissing the application, which was brought over the suitability of alternative accommodation on offer to homeless people in Apollo House, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan said the court could not get involved in a dispute over the standard of alternative accommodation.

The judge said while he sympathised with the plight of the homeless, the court had already found the occupants had no right or entitlement to be on the premises.

Any issue about the quality of accommodation for homeless people was a matter for government and not one for the courts, the judge said.

The building, located on Dublins Tara St and Townsend St, was taken over by activists under the Home Sweet Home coalition and offered as accommodation to the homeless.

Mr Justice Gilligan had previously given the occupants, many of whom are homeless, until noon yesterday to vacate the property.

Shortly before the deadline was due to expire, Ross Maguire, for the occupants, asked the court for a seven-day extension.

He said while his clients had tried to comply with the order to vacate, issues had arisen over the suitability of alternative accommodation for the residents.

While efforts were being made to find accommodation with Dublin City Council, more time was needed so that suitable accommodation could be found for the 25 people left in the building.

Mr Maguire said one of the problems was that assurances, given by Housing Minister Simon Coveney about the immediate provision of suitable alternative accommodation given to the Home Sweet Home coalition, had not been delivered.

Mr Maguire represents four activists, including musician Glen Hansard and trade unionist Brendan Ogle, along with Aisling Hedderman and Carrie Hennessy, who are all members of the Irish Housing Network, which is part of the coalition.

The application for an extension was opposed by Nama-appointed receivers who own the building. Rossa Fanning, for the receivers, said the court should not entertain the application for a further stay because of a dispute over the quality of alternative accommodation.

The case was about the property rights of the lawful owners, and the court had already found that the occupiers were trespassers.

The receivers, who counsel said are sensitive to the plight of the homeless, had been in contact with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and the Peter McVerry Trust, and was satisfied there are places available for all those in Apollo House.

Mr Fanning said the court, which had already granted an order to vacate Apollo House, could not get involved in what was a political issue outside the proceedings.

Mr Justice Gilligan, who said he admired Home Sweet Homes campaign to help the homeless, said the court had been clear in its judgment last month that the receivers were entitled to possession of the building.

Ample time and a more than generous stay had been given to those in occupation to vacate a building they have no right to be in.

The court said it did not want to give the impression that it would take a benevolent attitude in cases where buildings or public owned buildings are occupied illegally. That would be an intolerable situation in a democratic society, he said.

The case relates to private property rights, he said. The judge agreed the court could not get involved in a debate about the suitability of the quality of accommodation that was on offer.

The judge also said it was wrong to criticise Mr Coveney as he was not a party to the proceedings.

Following the judges decision to dismiss the application for an extension, Mr Fanning asked if an assurance could be given that the building would be vacated before the case returns to the High Court today. Mr Maguire said he could not give such an assurance.
Northern Ireland is facing a snap election following the resignation of deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.

The SNPs Westminster leader Angus Robertson called on the prime minister to delay triggering Article 50 (seceding from the European Union) if voters go to the polls because it would leave Northern Ireland voiceless in the Brexit process.

In these circumstances will she postpone Article 50 or will she just plough on regardless? he asked.

Ms May said she wanted a swift resolution to the political crisis in Northern Ireland.

She added: It is still the case that ministers are in place and that obviously there are executives in place, that we are still able to take the views of the Northern Ireland people.

In the first session of prime ministers questions of the new year, Ms May repeated her intention to set out more details about the governments approach to Brexit soon.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland secretary has said he will continue to push for a resolution to the crisis engulfing Stormont despite a Sinn Fein insistence that a snap election is a must. The Northern secretary, James Brokenshire, acknowledged that a poll is a high probability but said he would keep engaging with the regions feuding parties in a bid to avert it.

If consensus on a range of disputes between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists is not achieved by Monday, Mr Brokenshire is obliged by law to call an election, potentially for late February or early March.

My focus is on the here and now, on what can be achieved now, on what opportunities there are, what the potential may be to bring people together, rather than see people be driven further apart, he said.

Mr Brokenshire warned that finding agreement would be harder on the other side of a divisive election. His remarks came after apparently contradictory comments from senior Sinn Fein figures on the possibility of talks with the DUP ahead of a poll.

After meeting with Mr Brokenshire in Belfast, Sinn Fein health minister Michelle ONeill said the UK government needed to press ahead and call a poll.

We are not interested in trying to get into negotiations now  what we need is fundamental change, she said.

We believe the public need to have their say.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Ms May discussed the crisis on the phone on Tuesday night. They pledged to work together to find a way through the political storm that has threatened devolution.

The collapse of the institutions was triggered by Mr McGuinnesss resignation as deputy first minister on Monday. The Sinn Fein veterans move, in protest at the DUPs handling of a botched renewable energy scheme, forced Ms Foster from her post as first minister.

The region faces the prospect of direct rule from Westminster being reintroduced if the fallout between the DUP and Sinn Fein cannot be resolved on the other side of an election.

While the looming collapse of power-sharing was triggered by the Renewable Heat Incentive affair  a scandal that has left Stormont with a 490m (565m) bill  other disputes between the two main parties have been reignited by the furore.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has called on the British government not to implement the so-called bedroom tax in Northern Ireland after the crisis at Stormont threatened planned mitigation pay outs. Senior party figure Conor Murphy said no parties in the region wanted to see social housing residents lose out due to the policy of reducing benefits to those deemed to have spare rooms.

His remarks came after a Stormont department confirmed that locally-devised support payments to around 34,000 householders could not be rolled out without the official endorsement of the trouble-hit executive.
Students Share Study Abroad Experiences Through Photos

"Sombreros" by Kaitlyn O'Brien '19 was this year's Judges' Choice winner.

Jan. 12, 2017

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan Universitys study abroad photo contest offers returning study abroad students a chance to visually share their life-altering experiences.

Stacey Shimizu, director of the International Office, said the contest is much more than a way to share vast collections of beautiful images. Digital photography and the smartphone have made taking pictures so very easy that students come back from their time abroad with thousands of images, she said. The contest is valuable because it asks them to sort through that mass of images and to think not just about what is a pretty picture, but to reflect on what the photos capture  how the images represent an experience, a culture, a change in perspective.

Award-winner and Glenview, Ill. native Kaitlyn OBriens photo entitled Sombreros does just that. In her description of a man selling hats to tourists in the center of San Miguel de Allende, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, OBrien 19 writes that it is easy to disregard [the man] for trying to sell something to the public, but when looking beyond that, it depicts the way he makes a living. A Hispanic studies and secondary education double major, OBriens photo won the "Judges Choice" award.

Shimizu said conducting the contest online via Facebook has yielded unexpected benefits as well. Students receive feedback on their photos and experiences, and students who studied abroad in the past connect with current returnees.

"A Small Town in Central Italy" by Jill Bookman '17 won in the "Sense of Place" category.

Other contest winners include: Jill Bookman 17, an international business major from Golden, Colo., for her photo of Assisi, Italy, in the Sense of Place category; Zoe Bouras 18, an international studies and political science double major from Aurora, Ill., for her picture entitled Moelwyn Mountain Stream in northern Wales, in both the Peoples Choice and Road Less Traveled categories; Cassie Leishman18, a history and secondary education double major from Lynnwood, Wash., for her untitled photo of a street scene in Italy in the Humans of the World category; and Madi Vukich 17 of Lindstrom, Minn., an anthropology and sociology double major, for her photo of the La Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

For years students have told us that studying abroad is an amazing, transformative experience that teaches them about the larger world, about the U.S., and about themselves, said Shimizu. She said research from the National Society for Experiential Education indicates studying abroad is a high-impact educational activity  akin to undertaking research or participating in an internship that helps students achieve greater levels of deep learning and larger gains in personal development.

About half of Illinois Wesleyan students participate in an international education experience. The University offers opportunities in more than 300 global programs in over 70 countries.

Shimizu noted research from IES Abroad indicated study abroad students found post-graduation employment at much higher rates than non-study abroad students and earned more annually than their peers. Study abroad is an educational investment, but one that pays off, she said.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 11, 2017) - Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BSR) ("Bluestone" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement dated January 4, 2017 (the "Agreement") with Goldcorp Inc. ("Goldcorp") to acquire 100% of Goldcorp's Cerro Blanco Gold project ("Cerro Blanco") and Mita Geothermal project ("Mita Geothermal") in Guatemala (the "Proposed Acquisition").

"Cerro Blanco represents a unique and transformational acquisition for Bluestone," stated John Robins, CEO and Chairman of Bluestone. "The Cerro Blanco Gold Project is fully permitted for production, designed and developed to world class standards and hosts very high gold grades with strong potential to expand existing resources. We are excited to have Goldcorp as a partner and shareholder in the development of Guatemala's next low cost, underground gold mine."

Acquisition Highlights

High-Grade Gold . Cerro Blanco is one of the highest grade pre-production, fully permitted gold projects in the world: Goldcorp's most recent public resource statements outline historical resources of 2.05 Mt grading 12.69 g/t for 840,000 ounces of gold in the Indicated category, as well as 0.75 Mt grading 9.34 g/t for 230,000 ounces of gold in the Inferred category.*

. Cerro Blanco is one of the highest grade pre-production, fully permitted gold projects in the world: Goldcorp's most recent public resource statements outline historical resources of 2.05 Mt grading 12.69 g/t for 840,000 ounces of gold in the Indicated category, as well as 0.75 Mt grading 9.34 g/t for 230,000 ounces of gold in the Inferred category.* Feasibility Level Study . Goldcorp completed an internal feasibility level study on the project in 2013. Bluestone does not consider this feasibility level study to be current and has therefore engaged JDS Energy & Mining Inc. to complete an NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment on Cerro Blanco prior to the closing.*

. Goldcorp completed an internal feasibility level study on the project in 2013. Bluestone does not consider this feasibility level study to be current and has therefore engaged JDS Energy & Mining Inc. to complete an NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment on Cerro Blanco prior to the closing.* Significant Infrastructure In Place . Since 2006, over US$170 million has been spent advancing the project, including two underground declines from surface; 3 km of underground development; two alimak vent raises; significant dewatering infrastructure and an operating water treatment facility.

. Since 2006, over US$170 million has been spent advancing the project, including two underground declines from surface; 3 km of underground development; two alimak vent raises; significant dewatering infrastructure and an operating water treatment facility. Fully Permitted . Cerro Blanco is fully permitted for remaining construction and mining operations.

. Cerro Blanco is fully permitted for remaining construction and mining operations. Location . Cerro Blanco is located less than 10 km from the Pan American Highway, near the town of Mita, within the state of Jutiapa, Guatemala.

. Cerro Blanco is located less than 10 km from the Pan American Highway, near the town of Mita, within the state of Jutiapa, Guatemala. Community and Social Responsibility (CSR) . Bluestone is committed to maintaining the high levels of community, social, and environmental standards at Cerro Blanco and working with local and regional stakeholders to protect these values.

. Bluestone is committed to maintaining the high levels of community, social, and environmental standards at Cerro Blanco and working with local and regional stakeholders to protect these values. Significant tax pools in excess of US$120 million.

VAT receivable of US$15 million should commercial production be achieved.

Geothermal Potential. Approximately US$60 million has been invested exploring and advancing the Mita Geothermal project near Cerro Blanco, including the drilling of four production wells. Third party studies contemplate production capacity from these wells alone of approximately 7MW. While more test work is required on the geothermal resource, these studies suggest there may be sufficient pressure and entropy at exploitable levels to support the fully licenced capacity of 50 MW. Bluestone is evaluating various options to monetize the geothermal assets.

* Note: The indicated and inferred resources, including those used in the Goldcorp internal feasibility level study, are historical estimates and use the categories set out in NI 43-101. These resources are effective as at June 30, 2016 and are disclosed in Goldcorp's press release dated October 26, 2016. Resources were estimated using US$1,400 per ounce gold and US$20 per ounce silver. Given the source of the estimates, Bluestone considers them reliable and relevant for the further development of the project; however, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Bluestone has initiated an independent review of the data and the resources by Garth Kirkham P.Geo. A current NI 43-101 resource estimate is being calculated, which is anticipated to be released prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction.

Summary of the Proposed Transaction

Under the Agreement with Goldcorp, the Company will acquire:

a 100% interest in Minerales Entre Mares de Guatemala, S.A., Goldcorp's indirect wholly-owned Guatemalan subsidiary which holds a 100% interest in Cerro Blanco; a 100% interest in Geotermia Oriental de Guatemala, S.A., Goldcorp's indirect wholly-owned Guatemalan subsidiary which holds a 100% interest in Mita Geothermal; a right of first refusal (the "Marlin Equipment ROFR") on the assets, including the mining fleet, processing plant, and other equipment related to Goldcorp's Marlin mine in Guatemala once mining and processing activities cease; and a commitment by Goldcorp to fund 9.9% of all future equity financings undertaken by the Company in connection with the development and construction of Cerro Blanco for a period of three years from the closing date of the Proposed Transaction (the "Closing Date").

The purchase price for the assets consists of:

US$18 million cash, plus an additional US$2 million cash as a non-refundable deposit to be applied to the purchase price of Marlin equipment purchased under the Marlin Equipment ROFR (collectively, with the US$18 million cash payment, the "Total Upfront Cash Consideration"), to be paid on the Closing Date; a 1% net smelter returns royalty (the "Royalty") on the sale of gold and silver produced from Cerro Blanco. If Goldcorp elects to sell the Royalty, in whole or in part, the Company would retain a right of first offer on the sale; US$15 million to be paid in cash to Goldcorp within six months of commencement of commercial production at Cerro Blanco; and 9.9% of the fully diluted issued and outstanding securities of the Company (the "Consideration Securities") after completion of the Financing (as defined below).

In connection with the issuance of the Consideration Securities by the Company to Goldcorp, Goldcorp will: (i) agree to vote the Consideration Shares in accordance with management recommendations for a period of three years from the Closing Date, except in certain circumstances, (ii) enter into a lock-up agreement pursuant to which it will agree to not sell any of the Consideration Securities for a period of three years from the Closing Date, except in certain circumstances, and (iii) participate as to 9.9% in all future equity financings undertaken by the Company in connection with exploration and development at Cerro Blanco for a period of three years from the Closing Date. So long as Goldcorp maintains at least 5.0% equity interest in the Company, it will have the right to appoint one nominee to the Company's board of directors.

The Company and Goldcorp intend to execute a formal definitive agreement within 45 days of the signing of the Agreement. Further details of the transaction will be provided upon the signing of the definitive agreement.

It is anticipated that the Company will undertake an equity financing of not less than US$30 million (the "Financing") to raise the Total Upfront Cash Consideration and working capital. The terms of the Financing will be determined in the context of the market and will be announced at a later date.

The Company intends to strengthen its board and management prior to the Closing. Additional details will be provided in a later release.

Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of standard conditions precedent, including, without limitation, the completion of the Financing and receipt of all regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

The Proposed Transaction is an arm's length transaction and will be treated as a "Fundamental Acquisition" pursuant to the policies of the Exchange. The Company does not intend to seek shareholder approval for the Proposed Transaction.

Trading in Bluestone's common shares will remain halted until satisfactory documentation is filed with the Exchange.

Advisors

The Company has engaged Cormark Securities Inc. as its financial advisor in connection with the Proposed Transaction and Financing.

The Company has engaged JDS Energy & Mining Inc. as its lead technical consultant and Axium Law Corporation as its legal advisor.

Qualified Person

Mr. Garth Kirkham, P. Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and independent of the Company has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this press release.

About Bluestone Resources Inc.:

Bluestone Resources Inc. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of economic mineral deposits. Founded in 2004, the Company has assembled a team with the business acumen and technical expertise to identify and advance undervalued mineral exploration projects world-wide.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 12, 2017) - Galway Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:GWM) (the "Company" or "Galway") is pleased to announce assay results from 13 diamond drill holes (comprising 3,853 meters) from its Clarence Stream gold property. The Company announced, on August 3, 2016, that it had secured an Option Agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the property. Clarence Stream is located 70 kilometres (km) south-southwest of Fredericton in south-western New Brunswick, Canada.

As a result of glacial till anomalies identified by the Governments of New Brunswick and Canada, successful soil sampling, geophysical work and drilling by previous operators, and the recently-reported strong results received from Galway's soil, boulder and chip sampling programs, the Company has significantly increased its total land position at Clarence Stream, which stretches 65 km along strike. Galway is now positioned to be the first company to drill, on a regional scale, the many anomalies that have been identified (refer to the December 20, 2016 press release), and to also continue to drill extensions to the existing resource.

The drill results highlighted below are significant because they enhance continuity of wide intersects of near-surface mineralization in the central area of the South Zone.

4.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) over 30.0 metres (m) , including 8.9 g/t Au over 14.0 m (that includes 28.0 g/t over 1.0 m, 20.7g/t over 1.0 m, and 32.1 g/t over 1.0 m) in CS16-343 from 33.0 m to 63.0 m

, including (that includes 28.0 g/t over 1.0 m, 20.7g/t over 1.0 m, and 32.1 g/t over 1.0 m) in CS16-343 from 33.0 m to 63.0 m 4.3 g/t Au over 23.0 m, including 5.6 g/t Au over 16.0 m (that includes 21.4 g/t over 1.0 m, and 13.6 g/t over 2.0 m) in CS16-344 from 28.0 m to 51.0 m

The following three drill holes are located outside the existing resource, which should provide resource expansion potential in two areas:

5.5 g/t Au over 5.5 m in CS16-338 from 331.3 m to 336.8 m (located in the eastern part of the South Zone)

in CS16-338 from 331.3 m to 336.8 m (located in the eastern part of the South Zone) 1.4 g/t Au over 9.0 m in CS16-340 from 264.0 m to 273.0 m (located in the eastern part of the South Zone)

in CS16-340 from 264.0 m to 273.0 m (located in the eastern part of the South Zone) 9.0 g/t Au over 1.0 m in CS16-341 from 156.8 m to 157.8 m (located in the parallel structure immediately north of the main part of the South Zone)

Robert Hinchcliffe, President and CEO of Galway Metals, said, "Galway believes that Clarence Stream has significant exploration potential as indicated by the strong till, soil, boulder and chip samples that are highly anomalous for gold but have never been drilled. We are very encouraged by our initial drill results from the South Zone, which are both infill and expansionary in nature. We are also very excited to move the drill rig to the target south of the South Zone, which has not previously been drilled, to test the high-grade boulder and chip samples identified in this area. This area is believed to be closer to the source of the mineralizing fluids that are necessary for gold deposition."

Galway is also pleased to provide the following additional announcements:

South of the South Zone Target - Soon to be Drilled: A new area has been delineated as having high potential, and plans are in place to test this area beginning in February. This area is located immediately south of the Clarence Stream South Zone, between it and the intrusive that is thought to be the source of the mineralizing fluids (Figure 1). There are no known drill holes in this area, which is of equal size and contains the same types of geological contacts as the known South Zone deposits (that contain 78% of Clarence Stream's total resource ounces). The contact with the intrusive is of particular interest. In this high potential area south of the South Zone, numerous boulders and bedrock chip samples have returned encouraging assays rich in gold, including chip grabs taken by Freewest of 84.3 g/t, 22.8 g/t, 22.0 g/t, 12.1 g/t, 11.6 g/t, 9.3 g/t, and 6.3 g/t (Figure 2). This area also contains three of the nine highest gold-in-soil sample grades taken by Freewest, plus it coincides with a significant gold-in-till anomaly. Chip samples are selected samples and are not representative of the mineralization hosted on the property.

An Updated Resource on Clarence Stream, dated December 16, 2016, has Been Filed on SEDAR: The resource remains unchanged from the September 2012 estimate, as no new drilling has been incorporated. Both the previous and the current resource estimates were prepared by RPA. Clarence Stream hosts Indicated Resources of 182,000 ounces of gold at 6.9 g/t (241,000 oz at 9.1 g/t uncut), plus Inferred Resources of 250,000 oz at 6.3 g/t (313,000 oz at 8.0 g/t uncut). The resource estimates done to date have reflected the concept that the deposit would potentially be mined totally by underground methods, if a feasibility study warrants development. In light of current and previous shallow drilling results, the next NI 43-101 undertaken by Galway Metals is likely to incorporate an open pit component.

The resource remains unchanged from the September 2012 estimate, as no new drilling has been incorporated. Both the previous and the current resource estimates were prepared by RPA. Clarence Stream hosts Indicated Resources of 182,000 ounces of gold at 6.9 g/t (241,000 oz at 9.1 g/t uncut), plus Inferred Resources of 250,000 oz at 6.3 g/t (313,000 oz at 8.0 g/t uncut). The resource estimates done to date have reflected the concept that the deposit would potentially be mined totally by underground methods, if a feasibility study warrants development. In light of current and previous shallow drilling results, the next NI 43-101 undertaken by Galway Metals is likely to incorporate an open pit component. The Presence of Additional Strong Gold in Soil Anomalies Exists Within the 15 km 2 (5 km strike length) Leverville Grid Area: The new results contained a sample that graded 1,030 ppb Au, which was more than double Freewest's highest grade sample of 432 ppb Au (Freewest drilled the resource and took in excess of 10,000 soil samples), and exceeded Galway's previous highest sample of 694 ppb Au. Galway has now received assay results from approximately 9,000 soil samples with approximately another 1,000 results pending.

The new results contained a sample that graded 1,030 ppb Au, which was more than double Freewest's highest grade sample of 432 ppb Au (Freewest drilled the resource and took in excess of 10,000 soil samples), and exceeded Galway's previous highest sample of 694 ppb Au. Galway has now received assay results from approximately 9,000 soil samples with approximately another 1,000 results pending. An Expansion of the Clarence Stream Property Through Additional Claim Staking, Where Till and Chip Samples are Anomalous for Gold: Galway's Clarence Stream property is now 60,465 hectares in size, up 11% . Two groups of claims were staked, located on the southwest of Galway's claims and north of the recently acquired Lower Tower Hill property (Figure 3). In the southwest, the area was staked to cover chip samples that returned 15.6 g/t Au and 1.6 g/t Au. Claims to the north were staked to cover an 18 ppb till anomaly, which is immediately north of a 694 ppb Au soil sample (the second-highest taken from the more than 20,000 collected at Clarence Stream), and this property is immediately north of Lower Tower Hill, which contains chip samples that graded 89.1 g/t Au plus 50.4 g/t Au over 0.8m. For comparative purposes, the highest grade glacial till in the South Zone was 24 ppb Au.

Galway's Clarence Stream property is now . Two groups of claims were staked, located on the southwest of Galway's claims and north of the recently acquired Lower Tower Hill property (Figure 3). In the southwest, the area was staked to cover chip samples that returned 15.6 g/t Au and 1.6 g/t Au. Claims to the north were staked to cover an 18 ppb till anomaly, which is immediately north of a 694 ppb Au soil sample (the second-highest taken from the more than 20,000 collected at Clarence Stream), and this property is immediately north of Lower Tower Hill, which contains chip samples that graded 89.1 g/t Au plus 50.4 g/t Au over 0.8m. For comparative purposes, the highest grade glacial till in the South Zone was 24 ppb Au. Drilling at Estrades Has Commenced: The Company is planning on drilling 6,000 metres at Estrades in 2017.

Drilling

Current drilling, and drilling going forward, will primarily attempt to increase inferred resources and to define the limits of known gold zones as recommended by RPA in the current NI 43-101 report. Five mineralized areas of the South Zone, which is steeply dipping and in close proximity to the Sawyer Brook fault, were drilled over a horizontal distance of 1,470 metres.

Central Area of South Zone

Eight of the 14 holes drilled in which assays have been received targeted the central part of the South Zone, with two drilled in a shallow, wide, 100+ metre long central area. An additional three holes were also drilled in this shallow area, with assays pending. Results from the two shallow holes in which assays have been received are as follows:

CS16-343 (azimuth 145, dip -45, UTM: 658305E 5023694N)

(open pit mining using a 0.5 g/t Au cutoff) 30.0 m grading 4.6 g/t Au (29.1 m True Width (TW)); 33.0-63.0 m; including 28.0 g/t over 1.0 m, 20.7 g/t over 1.0 m, and 32.1 g/t over 1.0 m

(29.1 m True Width (TW)); 33.0-63.0 m; including 28.0 g/t over 1.0 m, 20.7 g/t over 1.0 m, and 32.1 g/t over 1.0 m OR (underground mining using a 3.0 g/t Au cutoff) 14.0 m grading 8.9 g/t Au (13.6 m TW); 33.0-47.0 m

CS16-344 (azimuth 145, dip -45, UTM: 658286E 5023677N)

(open pit mining) 23.0 m grading 4.3 g/t Au (22.3 m TW); 28.0-51.0 m; including 21.4 g/t over 1.0 m, and 13.6 g/t over 2.0 m

(22.3 m TW); 28.0-51.0 m; including 21.4 g/t over 1.0 m, and 13.6 g/t over 2.0 m OR (underground mining) 16.0 m grading 5.6 g/t Au (15.5 m TW); 29.0-45.0 m

The above holes were drilled to enhance continuity, to understand the controls to mineralization, for metallurgical purposes, and to test the area closer to surface to better determine the potential for mineralization to exist that may be amenable for open-pit resource estimation. In this area, mechanized trenching at surface reached bedrock under approximately five metres of overburden, but water infiltration did not allow Galway's geologists to see the veining or to properly channel sample the veins. Nonetheless, samples were ripped up from the bedrock veins and returned gold assays such as 173.0 g/t, 81.1 g/t and 42.1 g/t. Drilling was undertaken at 12-16 metre offsets from holes previously drilled. For example, holes drilled in this 100 metre long area by Freewest in 2001 returned intersections such as:

3.2 g/t Au over 30.0 m (2.2 g/t cut; (29.1 m TW) including 7.1 g/t Au over 9.5 m (9.2 m TW) = 3.9 g/t cut), (incl. 90.3/0.5 m, 5.6/2.0 m, 7.6/0.5 m, 8.0/1.0 m)

14.3 g/t Au over 21.6 m (6.4 g/t cut; (20.9 m TW) including 15.9 g/t Au over 19.0 m (18.4 m TW) = 7.0 g/t cut) (incl. 147.5/0.5 m, 49.8/0.5 m, 210.8/0.5 m, 49.7/0.5 m),

6.7 g/t Au over 12.5 m (6.4 g/t cut; (11.7 m TW) including 7.1 g/t Au over 11.5 m (10.8 m TW) = 6.8 g/t cut) (incl. 25.0/1.0 m, 21.7/0.5 m),

5.1 g/t Au over 42.9 m (2.9 g/t cut; (41.9 m TW) including 25.4 g/t Au over 8.0 m (7.8 m TW) = 13.5 g/t cut), (incl. 86.0/0.5 m, 95.8/0.5 m, 95.2/0.5 m; 12.2 g/t cut), and

7.3 g/t Au over 15.9 m (15.4 m TW) (including 8.6 g/t Au over 12.9 m (12.5 m TW) (incl. 30.0/0.5 m, 15.5/1.4 m, 15.8/1.0 m).

The first intervals use a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off while the bracketed intervals use 3.0 g/t. These drill intersects are all within 19-56 metres of surface. Other strong zones of mineralization that exist at depths of 38 to 50 metres are located a further 100 metres west, which contained:

5.7 g/t Au over 13.2 m (12.9 m TW) (5.3 g/t cut; including 9.3 g/t Au over 7.7 m (7.5 m TW) = 8.7 g/t cut), and

3.6 g/t Au over 19.0 m (18.6 m TW) (3.5 g/t cut; including 5.9 g/t Au over 8.5 m (8.3 m TW) = 5.8 g/t cut).

Similarly, a further 150 metres east and at depths of 33 to 56 metres contains intersections such as:

6.3 g/t Au over 27.0 m (26.5 m TW) (2.3 g/t cut; including 32.2 g/t Au over 5.0 m (4.9 m TW) = 10.3 g/t cut) (incl. 236.0/0.5 m; 10.3 g/t cut), and

6.4 g/t Au over 8.3 m (8.1 m TW) (including 6.8 g/t Au over 7.5 m (7.4 m TW)).

Overburden along the entire 2.0 km of the known mineralization in the South Zone is generally thin.

Hole CS16-343 is located midway between hole intersections of 3.2 g/t Au over 30.0 m, and 5.1 g/t Au over 42.9 m. Hole CS16-344 is located midway between the hole intersections of 3.2 g/t Au over 30.0 m and 6.7 g/t Au over 12.5 m.

Another hole, CS16-348, was drilled more than 100 metres below holes CS16-343 and CS16-344 in the central part of the South Zone; assays are pending but abundant visible gold in a 3.55 metre quartz vein is present. An additional six holes were drilled in the significantly deeper portion of this central area in an effort to upgrade resources from inferred (100 m centres) to indicated categories, and to better understand the controls and plunge of the mineralization. Highlights from this deeper drilling were as follows:

CS16-331, Previously Released (azimuth 147, dip -54, UTM: 658089E 5023925N)

1.0 m grading 6.3 g/t Au (1.0m TW) (in 6.0 m of 2.1 g/t Au = 5.9 m TW); 332.4-333.4 m and 332.4-338.4 m

CS16-332 (azimuth 145, dip -60, UTM: 658149E 5023920N)

1.0 m grading 3.7 g/t Au (1.0 m TW); 170.2-171.2 m

CS16-333 (azimuth 140, dip -47, UTM: 658166E 5023990N)

0.5 m grading 3.8 g/t Au (0.5 m TW); 291.45-291.95 m

0.8 m grading 2.6 g/t Au (0.8 m TW); 213.0-213.8 m

CS16-334 (azimuth 158, dip -71, UTM: 658089E 5023933N)

2.2 m grading 1.1 g/t Au (1.6 m TW); 379.46-381.7 m

CS16-335 (azimuth 145, dip -53, UTM: 658141E 5023797N)

10.0 m grading 0.9 g/t Au (9.3 m TW); 201.0-211.0 m

CS16-336 (azimuth 138, dip -53, UTM: 658021E 5023840N)

1.0 m grading 20.0 g/t Au (0.9 m TW); 301.25-302.25 m

Intersections of 20.0 g/t Au over 1.0 m (CS16-336), 0.9 g/t Au over 10.0 m (CS16-335), and 6.3 g/t Au over 1.0 m (in 6.0 m of 2.1 g/t Au) (previously released CS16-331) have been returned within the resource. The two wider intersections appear be along the periphery of the down-plunge extension of the wide, high-grade zone drilled near surface. Strong quartz veining with abundant arsenopyrite and antimony are present in these holes. They are drilled 50 metres above and below old hole CS07-271 that returned 5.1 g/t Au over 4.0 m (3.9 m TW) (incl. 28.2/0.5 m), and the 6.0 m of 2.1 g/t Au is located 50 metres above hole CS08-272 that returned 8.3 g/t Au over 11.5 m (9. 8 m TW) (incl. 84.9/0.5 m, 50.2/0.5 m; 5.1 g/t cut). The 20.0 g/t Au over 1.0 m intersect is located 30 metres below hole CS07-268 that returned 4.0 g/t Au over 4.0 m (3.9 m TW) (incl. 11.6/0.5 m). Galway is planning a series of additional holes below CS16-348 where significant visible gold was encountered, and above the 8.3 g/t Au over 11.5 m intersect in hole CS08-272 to expand the resource and to define the plunge and controls of mineralization in the area.

Other Areas of South Zone

One hole was drilled 100 m east of the central portion of the South Zone. Assays included the following:

CS16-337 (azimuth 151, dip -52, UTM: 658403E 023848N)

2.0 m grading 1.6 g/t Au (1.9 m TW); 141.8-143.8 m

Three holes were drilled in the eastern part of the South Zone, with results as follows:

CS16-338 (azimuth 143, dip -50, UTM: 659024E 5024498N)

5.5 m grading 5.5 g/t Au (5.2 m TW); 331.3-336.8m; including 13.2g/t over 1.5m

CS16-339 (azimuth 162, dip -71, UTM: 659091E 5024482N)

0.6 m grading 2.8 g/t Au (0.5 m TW); 349.12-349.72 m

CS16-340 (azimuth 146, dip -66, UTM: 659032E 5024383N)

9.0 m grading 1.4 g/t Au (7.4 m TW); 264.0-273.0 m

Intersections of 5.5 g/t Au over 5.5 m (CS16-338) and 1.4 g/t Au over 9.0 m (CS16-340) have been returned to the east, outside the current resource. The 1.4 g/t Au over 9.0 m intersect is located 61 metres below and east of an old intersection of 1.7 g/t Au over 10.5 m (8.2 m TW) (incl. 8.1 g/t Au over 1.0 m) in hole CS08-307. The intersection of 5.5 g/t Au over 5.5 m is located 39 metres below and east of an old intersection of 9.5 g/t Au over 3.0 m (2.2 m TW) (incl. 23.7 g/t Au over 0.5 m) in hole CS08-309, and 50 metres above and west of an old intersection of 8.8 g/t Au over 2.5 m (2.4 m TW) (incl. 33.3/0.5 m, 50.2/0.5 m; 8.1 g/t cut) in hole CS13-319. Hole CS16-339 is located 30 metres below and west of the intersection in CS13-319.

Two holes were drilled on a vein that parallels the main part of the South Zone approximately 80 metres to the north. Highlights were as follows (hole CS16-342 didn't return significant assays):

CS16-341 (azimuth 135, dip -62, UTM: 657883E 5023687N)

1.0 m grading 9.0 g/t Au (0.9 m TW); 156.8-157.8 m

(0.9 m TW); 156.8-157.8 m 1.0 m grading 2.1 g/t Au (0.9 m TW); 151.8-152.8 m

An intersection of 9.0 g/t Au over 1.0 m (CS16-341) has been returned on a vein that parallels the main part of the South Zone to the north, outside the current resource, in an area of poorly understood plunges to mineralization. It is located 38 metres below and east of an old intersection of 21.8 g/t Au over 4.0 m (3.7 m TW) (including 124.0 g/t Au over 0.5 m) in hole CS08-290. Hole CS16-342 returned nothing significant located 44 metres below and east of an old intersection of 8.0 g/t Au over 3. 0m (2.9 m TW) (including 21.8 g/t Au over 1.0 m) in hole CS06-215.

An additional four drill holes have been completed at Clarence Stream with assays pending. Two of the holes contain visible gold, including one at -126 metres in the wide, high-grade central part of the South Zone. All holes drilled to date are in the South Zone area.

NOTE: TW= true width; pit done at 0.5 g/t cut-off; rest done at approximately 3.0 g/t cut-off. For full table of drill results, please see Table 1 on our website.

Current 43-101 and Open Pit Potential

Galway Metals has filed an updated resource estimate for Clarence Stream that was prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates, Inc. (RPA) under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR and on the Company's website at galwaymetalsinc.com. The resource estimate remains unchanged from the September 2012 estimate, except that RPA re-examined the assumed parameters and changed them slightly to better reflect current costs, gold prices and exchange rates. Clarence Stream hosts Indicated Resources of 182,000 ounces of gold at 6.9 g/t (241,000 oz at 9.1 g/t uncut), plus Inferred Resources of 250,000 oz at 6.3 g/t (313,000 oz at 8.0 g/t uncut). The property also hosts antimony, with Indicated Resources totaling 7.3 mm lb at 2.9% Sb. This resource statement uses a 3.0 g/t Au lower cut-off threshold, which reflects the concept that the deposit would potentially be mined totally by underground methods if a feasibility study warrants development. In light of current and previous shallow drilling results, the next NI 43-101 undertaken by Galway Metals is likely to incorporate an open pit component where a critical mass of lower-grade bulk-tonnage mineralization that is currently left out of the resource (e.g. 0.5 g/t to 3.0 g/t) might be included. Considerable infill assaying of historical core that was not previously assayed will be undertaken. Galway will endeavour to study the use of ore sorting technology to understand how much a bulk mineable tonnage could be concentrated for processing off-site. It is thought that the mineralization would lend it itself to such sorting with the use of colour and conductance.

Soil Surveys

Galway Metals has undertaken a very aggressive soil sampling program consisting of more than 10,000 samples located along 12 km of the Sawyer Brook Fault System, and from discreet areas located to the north of it (at similar distal proximities as the North Zone is to the main Sawyer Brook structure). This sampling was undertaken to cover areas that contained high gold, arsenic and bismuth glacial till samples that were previously taken by the New Brunswick and Canadian governments. Such strong till anomalies on/near the Clarence Stream deposit lead to its discovery. Follow-up soil sampling, which led to the identification of drill targets, resulted in the delineation of the North and South Zones, along with some other anomalous showings that remain untested by drilling. The highest soil anomaly ever recorded in the area has been returned that is higher grade than those taken by previous operators, such as Freewest Resources, Wolfden Resources and Jubilee Gold Exploration. These samples were taken at 25 metre intervals along lines 100 metres apart. In the current program, similar sample intervals were used and some strong and laterally extensive anomalies have been delineated.

The Leverville soil survey (Figure 4) was designed to cover an area 8.5 km to 18.5 km west of and along strike of the Clarence Stream South Zone. At least 7 anomalous linear trends have been delineated, with a high assay of 1,030 ppb Au. This exceeded Galway's previous high sample of 694 ppb Au located north of Leverville and Freewest's high of 432 ppb Au located in the North Zone area. None of these three high gold-in-soil anomalies have been drilled.

Soil samples are the brown soils directly below the roots and other organic matter that contain chemically (and mechanically) concentrated gold and other elements, whereas till samples are located below the soils in glacial till (gravel) that contains gold and other elements that are mechanically transported by glaciers. The tills in the region are generally thin (1-5 metres) and are thought to have been transported short distances (generally less than 350 metres).

Soil anomalies, both from prior surveys and from the Galway Metals surveys, will be drilled in future months as recommended by RPA in the current 43-101 report.

Newly Staked Claims

Galway increased its land position at Clarence Stream by 11% to 60,465 hectares (149,412 acres) by staking 254 claim units because of the success in delineating targets with soil and chip samples where till samples are also anomalous for gold. Two groups of staked claims were added to the land package, located on the southwest of Galway's claims and north of the recently acquired Lower Tower Hill property (Figure 3). In the southwest, the area was staked to cover chip samples that returned 15.6 g/t Au and 1.6 g/t Au. The area above Lower Tower Hill covers a glacial till anomaly of 18 ppb Au. For comparative purposes, the highest grade glacial till in South Zone sampling was 24 ppb Au. Lower Tower Hill contains 89.1 g/t Au plus 50.4 g/t Au over 0.8m, and the area immediately north contains the second-highest soil sample result of 694 ppb Au from the more than 20,000 samples taken at Clarence Stream. The newly staked claims in this north area are immediately north of the high-grade soil sample, which is immediately north of Lower Tower Hill.

Estrades Drilling

Drilling at Estrades in northwest Quebec has commenced. Drilling can occur only during the winter freeze period, and as such is expected to last approximately three to four months. This should allow Galway to complete its budgeted 6,000 metres of drilling. The Company is also planning on completing a paired downhole induced polarization (IP) program at both Estrades and its nearby Newiska properties to search for deeper source vents rich in copper and other metals. This IP program is expected to enhance Galway's ability to find areas rich in sulphides, which often hosts copper and other metal-bearing minerals. Drilling will initially focus on near surface targets that are outside the resource, and will shift to deeper targets once the IP results have been received and interpreted.

Clarence Stream Geology and Mineralization

The following is taken from various sections of RPA's NI 43-101 report on the Clarence Stream Property, dated September 7, 2012. Clarence Stream is located near the boundary of the Gander and Avalon terranes of the Canadian Appalachians. In southwest New Brunswick, the boundary between these major terranes is obscured by Palaeozoic age sedimentary rocks of the Mascarene Basin and the St. Croix terrane, which are the primary hosts of gold mineralization at Clarence Stream. The Sawyer Brook Fault separates these two groups of metasedimentary rocks and is interpreted as a dextral strike-slip fault and may be part of a regional, belt-parallel fault system.

The Clarence Stream deposits can be characterized as intrusion-related quartz-vein hosted gold deposits. These deposits consist of quartz veins and quartz stockwork within brittle-ductile fault zones that include adjacent crushed, altered wall rocks and veinlet material. The mineralized systems are hosted in intrusive and metasedimentary rocks within high strain zones controlled by regional fault systems. Pyrite, base metal sulphides, and stibnite occur in these deposits along with anomalous concentrations of bismuth, arsenic, antimony and tungsten. Alteration in the host rocks is confined within a few metres of quartz veins and occurs mainly in the form of sericitization and chloritization.

Gold-bearing minerals at Clarence Stream include aurostibite (AuSb 2 ), electrum (20%-34% Ag), native gold, arsenopyrite (FeAsS), gudmundite (FeSbS), berthierite (FeSb 2 S 3 ), jamesonite (Pb 4 FeSb 6 S 14 ), and stibnite (Sb 2 S 3 ). Pyrite (FeS 2 ) and pyrrhotite (Fe 1-x S) are common but not associated with gold.

Gold mineralization has been discovered in two main areas of the Clarence Stream property, each with unique host rocks and deposit geometry. The South Zone lies immediately to the northwest of the Saint George (Magaguadavic) Batholith, while the Anomaly-A (North) Zone lies 3.5 km further northwest.

South Zone Geology and Mineralization

The South Zone lies within a steeply dipping, east-northeast trending high-strain zone. RPA outlined 38 individual lenses over a strike length of two km, to a maximum depth of 350 metres. Gold mineralization is commonly hosted in quartz veins, quartz stockwork, and along the contacts and within sheared and altered metagabbro and microgranite sills and dikes that crosscut the meta-sedimentary rocks of the Waweig Formation. There is a strong spatial relationship between veining and the microgranitic dikes and sills that, in detail, crosscut and post-date the gabbro. Evidence suggesting that the South Zone is related to the St. George (Magaguadavic) Batholith includes the close spatial relationship of gold mineralization with the batholith, the presence of hornfels and veined and altered auriferous microgranite dikes, and high concentrations of Bi, As and Sb.

North Zone Geology and Mineralization

RPA outlined five lenses within a one km by two km area known as Anomaly-A (North Zone). The lenses are primarily hosted within metagreywacke and argillite of the Kendal Mountain Formation. The AD-MW Lens, which dominates the mineralized veins in the North Zone, forms a bowl-shaped structure with an average vertical thickness of approximately three metres that outcrops at surface and reaches a depth of 100 metres. The geometry of the Murphy Lens is less understood due to widely spaced drilling. Gold generally occurs in areas of strong quartz veining and cataclasite. Stringer and semi-massive stibnite, arsenopyrite, and pyrite are common. Traces of sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and visible gold occur locally. The best gold values are found in shallow-dipping sediment-hosted quartz veins and stockwork exhibiting brecciation and the emplacement of a second generation of sulphides, and in clear hairline quartz veinlets.

Review by Qualified Person, Quality Control and Reports

In compliance with National Instrument 43-101, Mr. Mike Sutton, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person who supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. All core, chip/boulder samples, and soil samples are assayed by Activation Laboratories, 41 Bittern Street, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, who have ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. All core is under watch from the drill site to the core processing facility. All samples are assayed for gold by Fire Assay, with gravimetric finish, and other elements assayed using ICP. The Company's QA/QC program includes the regular insertion of blanks and standards into the sample shipments, as well as instructions for duplication. Standards, blanks and duplicates are inserted at one per 20 samples. Approximately five percent (5%) of the pulps and rejects are sent for check assaying at a second lab with the results averaged and intersections updated when received. Core recovery in the mineralized zones has averaged 99%.

About the Company

Galway Metals is well capitalized with approximately CAD$9.7 million at September 30, 2016, after accounting for the Clarence Stream and Estrades acquisitions. The Company began trading on January 4, 2013, after the successful spinout to existing shareholders from Galway Resources following the completion of the US$340 million sale of that company. With substantially the same management team and Board of Directors, Galway Metals is keenly intent on creating similar value as it had with Galway Resources.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP) (OTCBB:CYDVF) (Frankfurt:C1Z1) (Cypress or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company has received solubility study assay results from Cypress 2,700 acre Dean Lithium Brine/Claystone Project located in the heart of the Clayton Valley lithium exploration area of Esmeralda county, Nevada.

Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada location map:



The Company's Dean Project is located adjacent to producing lithium brine wells belonging to the Albemarle Silver Peak mine on its west boundary, Pure Energy's resource area on its southwest boundary and Cypress' Glory Project, optioned to Pure Energy, on its southern boundary.

Highlights:

Cypress completes solubility studies on 48 previously assayed Dean claystone samples;

A deionized water leach process returns 36.15% Li recovery on average;

A modified dilute acid leach process returns 94.72% Li recovery on average;

Permit application made to BLM, Nevada for a series of drill holes into new Frontera Verda Zone;

Cypress anticipates drilling to begin at the end of January.

September and October 2016 surface sampling on the Dean Project has revealed a 2 square kilometer area of strong lithium mineralization up to 3,700 ppm Li (0.82% Li20 equivalent) in calcareous, volcanoclastic, claystones, mudstones and volcanic ash units. The mineralization is essentially identical to the acreage being jointly explored by Cypress and Pure Energy Minerals on Cypress Glory Project immediately to the south.

Dean sample locations and assay values map:



Cypress has now completed solubility studies with 48 previously assayed claystone samples from the Dean property. A modified dilute Aqua Regia (dilute acid) process (ME-MS41W) and a deionized water leach process (ME-MS03) has been carried out by ALS/Chemex lab in Reno, Nevada in order to provide Cypress with further data on the potential feasibility of a large-scale leach extraction method of lithium from the abundant mineralized claystone.

The additional assay procedures recently carried out on the samples by ALS/Chemex from the Dean property clearly show that the lithium in the uplifted exposed lake bed sediments is easily leached by a dilute acid solution and deionized water process.

Dean Lithium Solubility Study Assay Results:

Sample *ME-

ICP61

Li ppm *ME-

MS41W

Li ppm *ME-

MS03

Li ppm % Li

Recovery

with Dilute

Aqua Regia

% Li

Recovery with

Deionized

Water

Dean-1 1010 1010 105 100.00 % 10.40 % Dean-2 1770 1720 1100 97.18 % 62.15 % Dean-3 1480 1500 302 101.35 % 20.41 % Dean-4 1250 1240 122 99.20 % 9.76 % Dean-5 930 910 164 97.85 % 17.63 % Dean-6 1130 1070 124 94.69 % 10.97 % Dean-7 1560 1520 832 97.44 % 53.33 % Dean-8 1720 1640 854 95.35 % 49.65 % Dean-9 2090 1990 1100 95.22 % 52.63 % Dean-10 830 790 195 95.18 % 23.49 % Dean-22 790 750 239 94.94 % 30.25 % Dean-24 2940 2780 1100 94.56 % 37.41 % Dean-25 950 880 528 92.63 % 55.58 % Dean-26 640 560 188 87.50 % 29.38 % Dean-27 900 880 125 97.78 % 13.83 % Dean-28 1350 1340 247 99.26 % 18.30 % Dean-29 960 920 190 95.83 % 19.74 % Dean-30 510 480 103 94.12 % 20.20 % Dean-31 350 348 111 99.43 % 31.71 % Dean-32 960 940 70 97.92 % 7.28 % Dean-33 1440 1420 279 98.61 % 19.38 % Dean-41 1100 1020 826 92.73 % 75.09 % Dean-42 1030 970 634 94.17 % 61.55 % Dean-43 1000 920 237 92.00 % 23.70 % Dean-44 1890 1840 590 97.35 % 31.22 % Dean-45 360 298 54 82.78 % 15.11 % Dean-46 650 590 510 90.77 % 78.46 % Dean-47 910 850 487 93.41 % 53.52 % Dean-48 670 550 229 82.09 % 34.18 % Dean-49 1100 1040 104 94.55 % 9.41 % Dean-50 1250 1120 865 89.60 % 69.20 % Dean-51 1020 960 155 94.12 % 15.15 % Dean-52 1380 1400 1100 101.45 % 79.71 % Dean-53 1200 1140 978 95.00 % 81.50 % RKCV-00810 1480 1390 553 93.92 % 37.36 % RKCV-00811 1320 1270 273 96.21 % 20.68 % RKCV-00812 1750 1820 1100 104.00 % 62.86 % RKCV-00813 2130 2040 1100 95.77 % 51.64 % RKCV-00814 1000 980 298 98.00 % 29.80 % RKCV-00815 390 369 108.5 94.62 % 27.82 % RKCV-00816 780 690 280 88.46 % 35.90 % RKCV-00817 780 730 278 93.59 % 35.64 % RKCV-00818 1640 1560 790 95.12 % 48.17 % RKCV-00819 1450 1400 618 96.55 % 42.62 % RKCV-00820 800 760 279 95.00 % 34.88 % RKCV-00821 1150 1050 567 91.30 % 49.30 % RKCV-00822 810 780 157 96.30 % 19.38 % RKCV-00823 570 500 196 87.72 % 34.39 % 94.72% AV 36.15% AV

* ME-ICP61 is a 4 acid digestion that will extract lithium from any mineral including silicates

* ME-MS41W is a highly dilute version of Aqua Regia that will dissolve carbonate minerals

* ME-MS03 is a leach method that uses deionized water to extract lithium in the sample

* Li = Lithium Metal

* ppm = parts per million

* AV = Average

Several first order drill targets have been defined on the Dean property that include extensive outcropping of altered green evaporate-rich volcanoclastic claystone / mudstone exposures known as the Frontera Verde Zone. The Frontera Verde Zone covers an area of greater than 2 square kilometers. The average lithium grade of the Frontera Verde Zone is greater than 1500 ppm Li (>0.32% Li2O).

Outcropping lithium-rich mudstones at Dean Project:



Donald Huston, President Cypress Development, stated, "The results generated from the most recent assays consisting of a highly dilute weak Aqua Regia solution and a deionized water solution on the Dean Project samples has returned very encouraging results relating to the lithium recovery from the claystone that is known to exist on the majority of the Dean Project in Clayton Valley, Nevada. It is evident that the use of differing solutions in the assay procedure, as noted above, that the abundant lithium-rich claystone could be amenable to an extraction methodology that could be cost effective with a very high recovery of lithium content expected from processing. Cypress management are very encouraged with the progress seen to date and will continue with work on potential lithium extraction methods from the claystone.

All Data compiled by Cypress to date indicates that a readily soluble non-hectorite mineral form of lithium-rich claystone exists at surface over wide areas of Cypress Glory and Dean Clayton Valley projects.

Cypress has made application to the BLM, Nevada for an area of disturbance Permit to allow for a series of drill holes into the new Frontera Verda Zone on the Dean Project. The Company anticipates mobilizing a drill crew into the Clayton Valley by the end of January.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance:

All samples were submitted to ALS Chemex Labs in Reno, Nevada for analysis using a modified weak Aqua Regia (dilute acid) process (ME-MS41W) and a deionized water leach process (ME-MS03). Blind sample blanks were inserted into the sample sequences at a rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples.

Robert Marvin, PGeo, Exploration Manager for Cypress Development Corp., is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release.

About Cypress Development Corp.:

Cypress development Corp is a publicly traded lithium and zinc exploration company that continues to acquire and develop potentially viable mineral projects in the State of Nevada, U.S.A.

Cypress is very active in Clayton Valley, Nevada with its team committed to systematically exploring its properties for both a lithium-brine resource and expanding exploration relating to the potential for a lithium resource that exists within the large area of non-hectorite claystones discovered at surface that has seen recent high lithium assays recovered from these same claystones.

Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 33.4 million shares issued and outstanding.

To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP), visit our website at www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com.
LifeStyle

The best LifeStyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel LifeStyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Deb Hutton and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand.

Get Foxtel
The recapture of Aleppo by loyalist forces in December, represents a decisive milestone in the Syrian civil war as well as for the crisis in the whole region. But it also has wide ranging consequences for world relations in the coming period.

The Astana negotiations which led to the Syrian ceasefire agreement at the end of December, was the first important conference in modern Middle East history to be organised with the explicit exclusion of the US. From the anti-Assad camp the only country involved was Turkey, which began to shift its policy last summer when the Syrian opposition was well on its way to sinking.

The other powers present were Iranian an, Russia and Syria, the powers most demonized in the western media. Yet when the deal was presented after the conference, John Kerry had to support it. The UN Security Council, traditionally a tool of the US dominated world order and from where Samantha Powers had raged against Russia only a few weeks earlier, unanimously accepted the deal.

Aleppo

With the recapture of Aleppo, the Assad regime has consolidated its hold on all the key strategic and economic points of interest in Syria. The Mediterranean coast, the Lebanese border, the southern town of Daraa as well as the four key cities of Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama. So called useful Syria which is the home to all the key economic entities and 70 percent of the population, is now completely out of the reach of the demoralised and exhausted rebels. The idea of overthrowing the Assad regime is nothing more than a pipe-dream.

For the Islamist rebels, the defeat in Aleppo spells disaster. Expelled from their last urban stronghold and having seen no significant gains for the past year, most rebel groups face falling morale. The past year and a half has seen almost 1100 reconciliation and truce agreements. Tens of thousands of rebels and their families have surrendered their positions to Assad loyalist forces, thus further consolidating the regime's grip over key areas.

Faced with an additional 25,000 loyalist troops which could be freed up from Aleppo, it is unlikely that the rebels stand a chance of making serious military gains against the regime in the coming period. Reduced to a fringe movement in rural backward areas, they are of less interest to their backers in the west, Turkey and the Gulf who have been funding and arming the Islamist dominated opposition against Assad.

This has already led to several crises, most prominently in a Ahrar al Sham (AAS), which along with its close ally and al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fatah al Sham (JFS) form the two largest rebel groups. The group was almost pulled apart in December when Turkey withdrew its previous support for AAS's close coalition with JFS and instead put put pressure on it to join the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield in Northern Syria. In fact, a similar move by Turkey severely weakened the rebels inside Aleppo city before they were besieged and defeated by loyalist forces in the autumn. Sensing an impending defeat on the horizon, Turkey - the key logistic and economic hub of the rebels - is now turning its back on the insurgency. This leaves the rebels and their other backers - the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf States - in a desperate situation.

US imperialism

More than anything the recapture of Aleppo signifies a complete humiliation for these countries and their imperialist project in Syria. Six years and tens of billions of dollars later, the insurgency backed by the US, the most powerful military power on the planet and the two richest and most influential powers in the region,has not reached single one of its aims.

Loyalists advancing on Aleppo were doing so while the US military had troops deployed, literally a few miles down the road, and jets flying sorties in the immediate area. Yet faced with Russias air power and missile capabilities, this super-power was impotent to do anything.

At the end of the campaign suddenly, all the huffing and puffing over Russia has gone silent and there is now a long queue of Gulf princelings and western career diplomats lining up to have an audience with Vladimir Putin.

Such a public humiliation is a rarity for the US and it represents a turning point in world relations. Putin had offered the Americans a joint operation, a negotiated peace and in effect a power sharing deal in Syria three times since Russia stepped into the Syrian civil war. The first time was right at the beginning of their intervention in Syria; then again in March of 2016 and yet again in September when the siege of Aleppo had been completed. But the US, propelled by imperialist self-assurance and egged on by their Gulf allies, purposefully sabotaged any deal.

Even after Aleppo had fallen, one US official arrogantly told Reuters: "So this country that essentially has an economy the size of Spain, that's Russia, is strutting around and acting like they know what they are doing. I don't think the Turks and the Russians can do this (political negotiations) without us."

But they did and they will continue to do so. The US is now at the mercy of Russia in Syria. Which other options do the US ruling class have? Even before Russia stepped in, the Obama administration could not pass a vote for bombing Syria. Today any kind of escalation would pitch the US against the Russia, which is the second strongest military power in the world. The opposition that the US would meet from Russia along with Syrian and Iranian backed forces would dwarf anything the US had to deal with in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More importantly, the American people are weary of war and costly international adventures. The economic crisis, falling living standards and large scale resentment towards the establishment would turn any major war into a focal point for an explosion of the class struggle. This deepening social schism has already lead to deep divisions within the ruling class and a deep political and institutional crisis.

In Syria the underlying limitations of the US were clearly revealed. The original intervention in Syria was partially to appease its allies in the region and their fears of rising Iranian influence. But the operation quickly spiralled out of control, leading to the rise of Islamic State. Being incapable of intervening directly, it had to rely on forces such as Hezbollah and Iran to battle ISIS.

The nuclear deal with Iran and the lack of any appetite to finish what it started in Syria and Iraq, in turn alienated the traditional allies of the US who had invested much in the campaign against Assad and who, more importantly, were in fierce competition with Iran. This led to the opening of big fissures in the US-led bloc and even within the US establishment itself. While the Pentagon and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) began a campaign against ISIS, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the CIA continued to support various Jihadist groups.

Partially to avoid alienating Saudi Arabia, which would not have appreciated any US support for Iranian backed forces, the Pentagon instead threw its weight behind the Kurdish YPG group, which had emerged as the most efficient fighting force in Syria. This, however, alienated the Turkish regime, which sees the Kurds as an existential threat and feels threatened by a Kurdish state emerging on its southern borders.

The final outcome was the US working with three opposing blocs in the regional conflict as well as having seriously alienated their two most important allies. Caught in the quicksand of its own contradictions, the US was left paralyzed and unable to act. Russia then stepped into the vacuum which had opened up, decisively changing the balance of forces on the ground

Saudi Arabia

The US has received a blow in Syria, but In relative terms it is Saudi Arabia which has come out of this as the biggest loser. With Turkey pulling its supporters away from Aleppo city and Idlib, the Saudi and Qatari linked groups were left to take the brunt of the loyalist onslaught. They are now the weakest of the powers involved in Syria.

This is a reflection of the general decline of Saudi Arabia in international affairs. Its proxies in Iraq and Syria are on the retreat, its influence with the Egyptian regime is in freefall, Jordan long turned its back on Saudi plans in Syria and in Yemen it is hemorrhaging money into a war it has already lost. Even its closest allies see the kingdom as a liability in the region rather than an asset. It was noticeable that Saudi Arabia was not even mentioned as a party in the retaking of Mosul in Iraq, whereas both Turkey and Iran were heavily involved in negotiations and preparations for the operation.

The Syrian civil war and the fall of Aleppo have proved what the western powers had known for some time, that Saudi Arabia cannot be used as a reliable ally in the region. Far from being a stabilising force, the Saudis have played a key part in the rise of ISIS and the entrenchment of al Qaeda in Syria and Yemen. And to make matters worse, they have achieved none of their aims.

From being the key local power, the kingdom is being pushed to the fringes with waning influence. This is a reflection of the deep crisis of the Saudi regime. The House of Al-Saud is being ripped apart by opposing religious, tribal and class forces all pulling it in different directions. For decades it was able to maintain stability due to high oil prices and a special relationship with the US which gave Saudi oil a key strategic importance. But the crisis of capitalism has meant falling oil prices and the US is now itself the second largest oil producer on the planet.

The crisis is exacerbating the internal contradictions which in turn make the survival of the country itself uncertain in the next period. As the Kingdom crumbles, however, Turkey is trying to step into the vacuum that has been created and, along with Iran, is aiming to become one of the main powers in the region. This will be the defining contradiction for regional relations in the next period.

Turkey

The Erdogan regime has long had designs to dominate the Middle East with the idea of resurrecting a capitalist version of the Ottoman empire. It represents that Anatolian bourgeoisie that was always opposed to the Kemalist western-oriented and generally isolationist foreign policy, which had only benefitted the western Turkish Kemalist big bourgeois. Historically Ottomanism found its last supporters in Anatolia, in particular in the Islamist movements which persisted here.

Erdogans intervention in Syria and Iraq - which was opposed by the Kemalist army - was a step in this neo-Ottoman foreign policy and also an attempt to compete with Saudi Arabia for the leadership of the Sunni world. The intervention in Syria was met with strong opposition from within the army which was the most important obstacle to sending Turkish troops into Syria.

However, the Syrian adventure, together with the weakening of the Assad regime, also led to the rise of the Kurdish national movement in Rojava, which in turn helped turn the Kurdish movement into a focal point for the rising class struggle in Turkey. The entrance of the Kurdish-based HDP into the Turkish parliament changed the balance of forces and reduced Erdogans majority.

Having pacified political opposition from the Kemalist camp, the Kurdish question now became the key for Erdogans survival. The HDP had the potential to become a focal point for the class struggle. Not only this, the rise of an independent Kurdish entity inside Syria opened the path towards Kurdish independence in the future. The Kurdish question in Syria thus became an existential problem for Turkish capitalism itself. The US, swinging its weight behind the Kurdish YPG forces, only made matters worse.

Meanwhile the Russian intervention in Syria was a big setback for the Islamist opposition and hence for Erdogan. Trying to assert itself, Turkey shot down a Russian jet in October 2015. But this only made matters worse, as Putin in response wiped out key Turkish groups and imposed harsh sanctions on the country.

Unhappy with the lack of western support, Erdogan then did a u-turn and made a deal with Russia. The split with the US was exacerbated by the attempted coup in Turkey in July. It is widely accepted that Russia and Iran tipped off Erdogan about the coup, while western powers met it with a deafening silence until it was clear that it had been defeated. The purge of the army that ensued, added to the tensions as the officer caste was very close to the US and NATO.

In this situation, Putin was more than happy to accommodate Turkey in Syria. For Russia to sway Turkey, one of the most important NATO members, was a victory in itself. Putin, Assad and the Iranians also had no problem in making a deal which cut out the Kurds.

From being almost completely routed,Turkey was allowed by Russia - which effectively controls Syrian airspace - to re-enter Syria and take a large area in the Northern Aleppo countryside in the Euphrates Shield Operation. Turkish proxies were also allowed to leave Aleppo city to join the operation before it was besieged in September. This realignment was the political basis for the defeat of the Islamist groups in Aleppo last December. This allows Turkey to pursue its new main objective in Syria, which is now the defeat of Rojava, as well as to keep its neo-Ottoman dreams alive.

Of course this does not mean that Turkey is now an ally of Russia, but by leaning on Russia it is attempting to gain more concessions from the US and from the EU. Most importantly, Erdogan wants the US to abandon the Kurds.

Rojava

In the early days of the Syrian revolution, before the movement was hijacked by Islamists, the Assad regime was forced to withdraw from large areas in the north east. In this vacuum of power the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - a sister organisation of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) - along with its military wing The People's Protection Units (YPG), rose to become the dominant force in the area. With the degeneration of the revolution into a sectarian civil war, the YPG developed into a formidable militia force with at least 50,000 fighters.

The Kurdish movement developed its own popular democratic organs of rule which were distinctly non-sectarian. Rojava, as the area is known, became a de facto independent entity and its forces, fighting for their homeland and on a democratic platform, became very effective. The US army, unable to commit its own ground troops, saw in the movement an alternative anti-Assad and anti-ISIS, as well as non-Iranian force.

Seeing that Turkey refused to close its border to ISIS, the US supported the Kurdish forces to advance along Turkeys border. The entrance of the Turkish army into Syria was an attempt to reverse these gains and to prepare the ground for annihilating the Kurdish enclave. With all its proxies down, however, the US has no other alternative but to keep leaning on the Kurds.

This, however, does not mean that it will continue to support the Kurdish movement. In fact, for the US it is far more important to keep Turkey as an ally, even if it is a weak one, than to support the Kurdish struggle. In fact, the PKK is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the US. The CIA played a key role in delivering Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the movement, to Turkey in 1998. Rojava in US eyes is a barren land with no significant economic benefits except for the immediate fight with ISIS. Turkey on the other hand is a NATO member with many key military bases as well as a host of US nuclear missiles.

The Kurdish movement cannot trust US imperialism in securing its interests. As the negotiations carry on, the US is merely positioning itself to sell out the movement. Similarly it cannot trust the Iranian or the Iraqi regime who are trying to co-opt it into the People's Mobilisation Units in Iraq. At the moment, the Iranians are leaning on the PKK against Turkey and its Kurdish stooge Masoud Barzani, but once a deal is reached they will have no qualms in abandoning the Kurds who they see as a threat to Iran itself.

As the Marxists have always said, the Kurds are only seen as small change relationship of the major powers. They have not interest in Kurdish independence or autonomy which poses a threat to their own borders. Once the warring parties reach a deal to divide the Middle East, every power in the region, could turn against them to crush the movement.

The Kurds can have no trust in the reactionary rulers of the US, Iran or any other nation. They can only trust in their own forces and those of the working masses of the region. The only way forward for the Kurdish movement is to widen its struggle by waging a revolutionary class-based war, with the aim first of all of uniting the Kurdish areas in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. This would have to be accompanied by an appeal to the working masses of these countries to rise against their own ruling classes which are wreaking havoc in the region.

The rise of Russia

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, US imperialism had attempted to squeeze Russia, building NATO bases further and further into Eastern Europe and undermining Russian influence in its historical spheres of influence. But in Georgia and in Ukraine, Russia drew a line in the sand, making it clear it would not allow any further encroachments on the part of NATO into what it considered its backyard. It is in Syria, however, that has Russia dealt its strongest blow against the US.

Russian intervention in Syria was possible because of the relative weakening of US imperialism. It is also clear, however, that Russia, which is now also facing its own economic crisis, is not strong enough to take on a major long term operation in Syria. Until now the cost of the Syrian operation has been little more than the regular cost of normal military training, but a larger mission would leave a big dent in the stretched state budget.

Furthermore, Russias main objectives in Syria - to secure the survival of the regime and defend its own naval base - have already been achieved. But Syria, as a country has little strategic importance for Putin, who is far more concerned with Eastern Europe, Central Asia and even the Far East. For Putin Syria represents a place to gain leverage in other matters. That is why he is more interested in creating a frozen conflict, containing all the powers and where Russia can strengthen its position by playing them out against each other.

Herein lies the true imperialist face of Russia. Opposite to the wishes of Assad and Iran, and probably many Syrians, Putin does not want to push out the opposing forces. Bringing Turkey back into Syria was a way of balancing it off against Iran which, unopposed, could have become much more powerful than Russia in the region.

If Iran and the Assad regime want to continue their offensives today, they cannot do so without the support of Russia. If all of Syria is taken, however, Russia would be dependent on Iran to maintain the situation. Something that Russia, which is also competing with Iran (and Turkey) for influence in Caucasus, cannot allow. Putin would much rather create a situation where the local powers balance each other out in Syria with himself sitting at the top, than a situation where Iran becomes the dominant power. In a Russian backed deal, even the Islamists in Idlib - of course with shortened beards and a new name - could find a limited role in a future settlement. This would lead to more friction between Russia and Iran in the future.

Even more importantly, however, Putin is eager to include the West in a power sharing deal in Syria. A joint US-Russian operation has been his publicly announced goal throughout the Russian campaign. That may have changed somewhat now, but Putin is still reaching out to the US. When Donald Trump takes office next week, he will be faced with a fait accompli which will make the choice very easy for him. In return he is likely to ask Putin to act against Iran - a wish Putin could quite easily grant.

A Turning point

The Syrian civil war is, however, far from finished. The conflict will go on for a long time, although it will be on a different level of intensity. The Assad regime will continue to clear rebel pockets around key cities, as well as moving against ISIS and possibly also on AAS and JFS in Idlib. Meanwhile, Turkey will turn its eyes on Raqqa and Rojava. At least that will be the initial direction.

After the battle of Aleppo, if the final winner is not fully clear, the losers certainly are. The Middle East has always been seen by the US ruling class as its domain. In the past it waded into Iraq twice without blinking and it has never hesitated to meddle in the affairs of other nations in the region, by conspiring and manoeuvering. And yet in Aleppo the US was unable to do anything.

Of course US imperialism is still by far the strongest power on the planet, and that is not about to change anytime soon. But, due to its long term relative decline, it is no longer the strongest power in every region of the planet. In the Middle East its limitations have been on public display.

Like any empire, the US has peaked and has entered a period of decline. The post-war capitalist world order was built by the US, so it is no surprise that the crisis of capitalism is also a crisis of US imperialism and its world order. At the end of the Second World War the US economy accounted for more than 50 percent of world GDP. Today that figure has fallen to around 25 percent. The US was the greatest creditor in the world, today it is the biggest debtor. The economic crisis in turn is leading to rising class struggle and a political and institutional crisis. And the US military suffers the consequences of this decline.

The decline of US imperialism has been taking place over a long period of decades, but now we see an acceleration in the process which leaves the superpower no longer able to guarantee the world order which it had built up in the past. History does not flow in a straight line. The defeat of the US in Aleppo was the consequence of all these accumulated contradictions. In this regard the election of Donald Trump is no accident either. Trumps isolationist foreign policy is a reflection of the real position of the US in world relations.

The Middle East does not have the same strategic importance for the US as it used to. Furthermore, it does not have the resources to stabilise the region. Hence, a deal with Russia is quite possible, especially if it allows the US to focus on China which poses the biggest threat to the US on an international scale. The Syrian failure, however, will also lead to increased pressure on the US as more regional opponents and allies - such as China and Japan - juggle to affirm their positions as the US weakens further.

World war is ruled out in the coming period, but that does not mean that world relations are not going to be affected. We have entered a period of growing instability. As world capitalism as a system sinks deeper into crisis, we will see endless local wars and conflicts, where the different powers struggle to protect their spheres of influence and encroach on those of others. Millions of people around the world will see that the ruling classes are prepared to drag all of humanity down into the depths of barbarism in order to defend their own power, privileges and profits. This situation also prepares the ground for rising class struggle and revolutionary movements everywhere. One hundred years ago, the Bolsheviks ended the First World War by overthrowing capitalism in Russia. Today, the task remains the same. Capitalism produces war and, the only real way of fighting for peace is to wage a revolutionary struggle for Socialism.
Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
This month, five lucky readers have the chance to win a copy of Dazzle: disguise and disruption in war and art by James Taylor, courtesy of Casemate.

Dazzle painting, also known as dazzle camouflage, was conceived and developed in 1917 by the celebrated marine artist and then naval commander Norman Wilkinson.

Dazzle rejected concealment in favour of disruption. It sought to break up a ships silhouette with brightly contrasting geometric designs, making a vessels speed and direction incredibly difficult to discern, This helped to deceive and confuse U-boat torpedo-men.

Wilkinsons scheme led to several thousand ships (mainly from Europe, the USA, and Canada) going to sea covered in abstract, clashing, decorative, geometric designs in myriad colours. At this time, they were the largest painted modernist canvasses in the world.

Wilkinson, however, was conservative rather than an avant-garde artist, and this new book explores what really influenced the development of dazzle camouflage.

It explores the history of the dazzle aesthetic in theory and in practice, and looks at the impact that dazzle had on artistic movements, such as Cubism, Futurism, and Vorticism.

Through an examination of original archival documents, it offers some fresh perspectives on the origins, principles, and implementation of dazzle painting and competing camouflage schemes.

Competition closed
West Seti Hydro Project: Chinese team arrives in Nepal

Officials from China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), the developer of West Seti Hydropower Project, arrived in Nepal on Wednesday to update about the latest status of the project and restart negotiation to form a joint-venture (JV) company with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
The Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has responded to a recent call circulating on various social media platforms #PayTheDj.

#PayTheDj campaign was pioneered by one of the most talented MCs in Ghana and radio host with Hitz [103.9] FM, Merqury Quaye with the aim of protecting Ghanaian Djs whilst giving them a better condition of service for using their skill to promote the work (music) of musicians.

According to Merqury Quaye Djs contribute enormously in the promotion of Ghanaian music to the world, but their effort is not recognized by industry players so it is about time proper negotiation are done between Djs and musicians and to a larger extent event organizers.

However, as this clarion call generated debates in the media with lots of DJs backing the originator of the Ghana DJ Awards (Merqury Quaye), the MUSIGA has come out with a two faced press release.

In one breath the MUSIGA claims the call, #PayTheDj by Merqury Quaye is a noble cause, but in another breath the MUSIGA brands the same call as unacceptable and unfortunate:

The attention of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has been drawn to a campaign by some DJs on social media #PayTheDJ and other media. The campaign which seeks to galvanize support for better remuneration and greater recognition and conditions for DJs is in itself noble. However, the Union finds the call for musicians to make such payments unacceptable and unfortunate.

MUSIGA condemns in no uncertain terms the call for the institutionalization of unofficial back door payments (Payola). The practice is both illegal and unethical, in fact, it is an endorsement of corruption which is a problem the nation is vigorously struggling to battle and kick out. Such practices have back tracked national development and corrupted our morals as a people.

The Union would rather call for a mutually beneficial and respectable relationship between artistes and DJs. MUSIGA is aware that artistes pay DJs handsomely when they engage their services for their shows. Beyond this some actually go out of their way to show appreciation to DJs who have and continue to support their careers. We will therefore call for better collaboration, partnership and mutual support for greater industry cohesion.

In that regard there is the need for a regulation of local versus foreign content on our airwaves and we look forward to Parliament passing the appropriate laws to ensure that our local content gets maximum exposure on our airwaves.

The Musicians Union of Ghana will encourage the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) musicians, owners of Night Clubs, Pubs, Chop Bars and all outfits that engage the services of DJs to have a look at their conditions of service and provide more satisfactory remuneration for DJs. MUSIGA will also engage the group to help address their issues.

Follow Amisty on twitter @ElAmistyNobo

Email: [email protected]
Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas has settled on Los Angeles for the home of his $1 billion storytelling museum, after pulling the project from Chicago last year.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Tuesday that the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be located in Exposition Park in downtown Los Angeles.

I believed in the vision for the Lucas Museum, and we went after it with everything we have  because I know that L.A. is the ideal place for making sure that it touches the widest possible audience, Garcetti said in a statement, thanking Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson.

The museum was initially planned for Chicago, but Lucas ran into legal challenges from an open-spaces group and pulled the project. Garcetti immediately moved to woo the filmmaker to house the museum in Los Angeles.

An artist rendering shows Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to be built in Exposition Park in downtown Los Angeles in this image released in California, U.S., January 10, 2017. Courtesy Lucas Museum of Narrative Art/Handout via REUTERS

The proposed museum, valued at $1 billion and funded by Lucas, would feature exhibitions of Lucas collection of paintings, illustrations and digital art from the blockbuster Star Wars movie franchise he started in 1977.

South Los Angeless Promise Zone best positions the museum to have the greatest impact on the broader community, fulfilling our goal of inspiring, engaging and educating a broad and diverse visitorship, the museums board of directors said in a statement.

The proposed site for the museum is next to the University of Southern California, where Lucas studied film and met future collaborators including Steven Spielberg.

Lucas sold his Star Wars franchise to Walt Disney Co. in 2012 for $4 billion.

Disney rebooted the franchise with six new films, including a new trilogy in the space saga commencing with 2015s The Force Awakens, and standalone stories such as Decembers Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.


Hamamat Montia is all about dancing today as she invites fans to dance with her in a snippet from her James Town fish market video shoot.

The free-spirited model shared a nice African proverb on music and dance, but something about her bright appearance caught our attention; her 'fashion experiment' of converting skirt into a dress.

Dazzling in her bright orange outfit, she said in her Instagram post, when the music changes, so does the dance  so make sure you go along with the beat Kings and Queens,

Well, Hamamat did not just change her dance to the tune, but her fashion as well. And since fashion is about versatility, that is permitted, but did it work for Miss Montia? You be the judge.
Business seems to be booming for Ghanaian actress Chichi Neblett who has signed two endorsement deals in less than a week.

Over the weekend, the beautiful actress concluded a brand ambassador deal with Starz College of Science & Technology in Liberia.

That was followed by another deal early Monday after signing with Aqua Life Natural Mineral Water, also in Liberia.

The Liberian-born Ghanaian actress who is currently on holidays in Liberia is the first among her colleagues to grab deals like that back-to-back. She confirmed both deals yesterday, but refused to make public the amount involve.

The beautiful actress has been acting in Ghana's movie industry since 2005 and featured in a number of productions, including 'Puncher Hole', '4play', 'Reason To Kill', 'Who Loves Me', 'Peeps' and a number of other TV series, as well as Nollywood productions.

She is currently one of the famous faces on Ghanaian TV screens. She also has a big project coming up with top actors like Van Vicker, Desmond Elliot, Frank Artus, Juliet Ibrahim, Jose Tolbert, Eddie Watson, among others.

Signals picked from her camp indicate that the deals are with juicy. STARZ is an IT school established in the U.S.A. in 2007 and incorporated in Monrovia, Liberia in July of 2009; with the objectives of addressing the IT needs of Liberia and becoming the best in IT training, networking and software development. The college is an accredited institution of higher learning and registered partner of Microsoft, Cisco and IBM.

STARZ provides various IT services and solutions for schools, businesses and diverse range of customers throughout Liberia.

The mission of Starz is to provide effective services, thus, enhancing businesses' efficiencies, schools' productiveness and communities' services in Liberia.

Aqua Life, on the other hand, is a leading mineral water production brand in Liberia and has been around for years.

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: [email protected] )




Hiplife artiste Dee J, known in real life as George Darko, has pledged to educate the public on the need to stop using chemicals, including creams containing hydroquinone, to change their skin colour.

He said most people are ignorant as to the real contents of the products they use regardless of the effects they come with, however, in the quest to make one's skin glow, there are healthier ways; by consulting an aesthetician or dermatologist before applying any cream to the skin.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Darko expressed dissatisfaction, especially about women who often bleach and damage their natural beauty permanently.

That, he said, gives room for skin infections and other complications.

He said Dr Chukwudi Ukpaka, a UK-based consultant physician on family health, in his research raised the awareness on the causes of kidney failures and warned against the use of bleaching creams.

Dee J said according to Dr Ukpaka, the bleaching creams contain mercury and other heavy metals that enter the body through the skin, soak into the bloodstream and, therefore, travels to the kidney and do not go out through the urine.

He said after a period of time, they accumulate and break down the kidney, adding, A lot of people who require dialysis were caused by the use of bleaching creams.

Mr Darko said considering all the effects bleaching poses, there would be a need for all stakeholders, particularly the Food & Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ministry of Health and its partners, to intensify advocacy on the strict enforcement on the ban of creams containing harmful chemicals.

Dee J said the practice could have harmful side effects like skin irritation and discoloration.

He commended the FDA for banning the importation of products containing skin lightening chemicals, specifically hydroquinone.

He said all and sundry must work towards initiatives that focus on preventive healthcare than curative healthcare.

If we all fail to address it now; then government should be prepared to spend more money on victims in the future, he said.

The hiplife/ hip-hop artiste revealed that he has released a song titled 'Bleaching' to support his awareness campaign programme which will highlight the effects of bleaching, and not to mock anyone.

Dee J, therefore, called on the media to educate the public on the need to maintain healthy skin, as well support the fight against skin bleaching in Ghana.

Let's highlight the effect to discourage people who have the interest to bleach, he added.
The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has warned radio DJs and presenters to desist from taking money from musicians before playing their songs on air.

MUSIGA complained that the practice has become so rampant in the Ghanaian music industry that the musicians and producers are forced to actually include payola in their promotional budgets.

According to the union, it is illegal for DJs and radio presenters to collect money (payola) from musicians before playing their music on radio, adding, The union finds the call for musicians to make such payments unacceptable and unfortunate.

For MUSIGA, that is an injustice which is killing the music industry gradually and, therefore, everything possible must be done to stop it at this stage.

In a statement issued in Accra, MUSIGA disclosed that payment of payola is an endorsement of corruption which is a problem the nation is vigorously struggling to battle and kick out.

It further said radio DJs have manipulated the music industry to the extent that the musician has no option than to pay payola before his or her music could receive air play. That, the statement said, has really crippled the music industry, forcing a number of music publishers to quit.

The statement, however, said the Ghanaian industry could be rescued through a concerted effort and also correcting existing mistakes within the industry to prevent the increase rate of payola.

In that regard, there is the need for a regulation of local versus foreign content on our airwaves and we look forward to parliament passing the appropriate laws to ensure that our local content gets maximum exposure on our airwaves, it added.

By George Clifford Owusu
Media Excel Production signed artiste, Abena Ruthy will launch her latest album, Higher Praise on Sunday, January 29 this year at the Exhibition Hall of the National Theater in Accra.

The female gospel musician according to information gathered is putting in much effort to exhibit a never-seen-before performance on the day of the album launch.

Other spirit-filled gospel musicians expected to support Abena Ruthy at the Higher Praise album launch on January 29 are Ohemaa Mercy, SP Kofi Sarpong, Cece Twum, Nacee, Joyce Blessing, Joe Mettle, Bernice Offei, Mary Ghansah, Francis Amo, Faffa, Ewurabena and many others.

The seven-track album, Higher Praise has songs like Aseda, Going Higher, Mewhewonknoa and many others.

The yet-to-be-released album is Abena Ruthys second album.
CEO and Founder of Allure Beauty Spa has revealed that she put a stop to a habit of drinking alcohol after a bad experience.

Dzibordzi Kwaku Dosoo made the revelation while speaking about her Damascus experience on This Is Gospel with Franky 5 on Hitz FM.

Mrs Dosoo started life in Gods ministry before she travelled to the USA but quickly relapsed into doing worldly things, she said.

Speaking on the show, she shared a story of her days in the university in the US in the 1990s where she joined her friends to attend a party on a seven-hour journey in another state.

According to her, they had to take turns to drive even though they were all drunk that day. A friend drove for two hours and she had to drive the rest of the journey back to school.

The only way I survived the journey was to drink a bottle of vodka and every few minutes I would be sleeping so I would take a shot in the bottle and put it under my chair and that had never happened in my life before, she narrated.

Mrs Dosoo who says she was exposed to alcohol at an early age because she was the only girl among eight boys and used to have alcohol any time she followed her brothers out, didnt know how she got to her room in the school that day.

From the day I woke up, I just decided not to touch alcohol again and that was around 1990-1993, she said.
Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL.
A group under the aegis of Equal Justice Initiative has insisted that the fundamental human rights of arrested former aide to the Deputy Governor of Imo State Aku Obidinma has not been violated . Mr. Obidinma worked as Special Assistant on Political Matters to Prince Eze Madumere , Imo Deputy Governor who is also his kinsman from 2013 to June 2015. When he was relieved of his duties due to allegations that he diverted funds meant for the upkeep of some workers in the department he became a fiery critic of his former boss.

The group made this assertion in a Press Statement in Owerri signed by Its President Mr Daniel Ezekwe.According to the group Mr Obidinma was arraigned in court in November 2016 for defamation at the Magistrate court (Mbaitoli Magisterial District) Imo State . He was immediately granted bail which is his constitutional right as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria . Bail is discretionary and the court exercised it in his favour.

Ezekwe said since November Mr Obidinma has not been able to fulfill his bail conditions and has been in prison custody pending the fulfillment. Efforts are being made by concerned persons to get a variation of bail conditions for him.

The group noted that it is the duty of the citizens to promote transparency and accountability in the working of the government but that in recent times, rather than hitting the wrong in the system, many persons who are aggrieved turn activists and runners of NGOs overnight without any functional office and start dishing out allegations against their former boss to see if they can force them to make U-turns and give them back their jobs.

An activist has to highlight the wrongdoings in the society to bring improvement in the system but when an activists starts targeting his former boss for vested interests, it is wrong. The whole purpose of the Freedom of Information Act gets defeated if things are taken personally. Give me money or I write against you policy by activists should be avoided and as responsible citizens, we need to bring transparency and improvement in the system. As responsible citizens we have the right to point out the wrong but blackmailing is certainly not acceptable. An activist has to work for a noble cause rather than act like a politician. We should keep on striking at the flaws in the system but not to make allegations we cant prove. We must understand that if we ourselves become the part of a rotten system, how will we bring a change The group concluded
Deepak Thapa has been a fortnightly columnist with The Kathmandu Post since 2009, writing on a range of topical social and political issues.
Director of Research at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), Dr. Joe Amoako-Tuffour, has slammed the outgone Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, for ostensibly playing a Ponzi game with his management of the economy.

In a scathing assessment of the economy left by the outgone National Democratic Congress government, he said Ghana currently lay in conditions ripe for a debt crisis to emerge.

Dr. Amoako-Tuffour, in a letter penned to the nominated Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta under the newly elected New Patriotic Party government described the economy left to the new government as slow moving, indebted and jobless.

This is despite Mr. Terkper consistently reiterating that his government left behind a stabilized economy for the current administration.

Ghana's debt stock lies at GHc 110 billion, as at August 2016, having risen to as high as GHc 112.4 billion under the previous government. The countrys debt to GDP ratio also stands at about 71 percent, according to Mr. Terkper.

About GHc61 billion of the debt comes from external borrowing whiles GHc49.2 billion is from domestic borrowing.

In defence of the debt accrued by his government, the immediate past Finance Minster has argued that all nations borrow for major capital or infrastructure development hence the previous governments focus on smart-borrowing to sustain growth and development so as to avoid unduly increasing public debt.

Ability to borrow not good management

Dr. Amoako-Tuffour, however, believes this smart borrowing may have left the Ghanaian economy on the brink instead of providing the needed easement for the economy.

I must admit that while Ghana has not yet faced a debt crisis of the likes of the PIGS of recent vintage (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain), Ghana has built up all the conditions and vulnerabilities for a crisis to emerge.

He noted further that the the remedy for the economy lies not in high spirits accounting, smart borrowing nor in Ponzi games, but in sound management and policy prudence for a higher public purpose. The ability to borrow should never be mistaken as a sign of good management.

Dr. Amoako-Tuffour thus suggested that the sound management of the economy could be achieved by accelerating economic growth, increasing revenue mobilization and prudent spending.

He elaborates on these points in the letter which can be viewed here .

Dr. Amoako-Tuffour

Dr. Amoako-Tuffour explained in his letter that substantial growth in national output no doubt will reduce the debt burden and provide additional resources through tax revenues; better if that growth creates jobs.

He also noted that the forecasted economic growth for Ghana would likely not exceed 5-7 percent thus attention must be paid to prudent spending and revenue management

The bulk of the needed adjustments rests on revenue and spending management; not just for the sake of better public sector management, but to provide the enabling environment for private enterprise growth, the economist stated.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Some unfortunate cases of vandalism allegedly carried out by supposed members of the New Patriotic Party have been reported all over the country, attracting the type of attention the new government does not find flattering. These destructive acts are shameful and detrimental to the image and philosophy the NPP and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo espouse.

In Accra, a group said to be members of the NPP's Invincible Forces allegedly invaded the Passport Office, demanding to take over security. The workers of Tamale's Youth Employment Agency and National Disaster Management Organization virtually found themselves barred from entering their offices after they were raided by some youths.

In the Western Region, alleged NPP radicals invaded the National Health Insurance offices, allegedly assaulting staff and destroying property.

Also reported was 30 members of the NPP youth said to have attempted to take over the Rattray Park in Kumasi.

The growing list of these obvious criminal activities being carried out by these party lunatics must be taken seriously because the new NPP government is led by a president who is globally recognized as a strong advocate of the rule of law.

Sammi Awuku, NPP National Youth Organizer, has attempted to address the issue by stating that the government will be creating plenty of jobs in order to accommodate the large group of unemployed youth in Ghana.

He was, however, quick to add that the party would not endorse negative actions perpetrated against the state and the citizenry by its members.

"These are condemnable acts," he said. "We want to put on record that Akufo-Addo will create enough space for jobs... Nobody should feel threatened that someone has to vacate before they can be employed."

He further stated, "It is early days in our government, but trust the President to create jobs."

It has taken eight years for one regime to give way for another and people may forget that implementing new systems and measures to better the lot of the country will take some time.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has promised education and jobs to the younger generation. Lets trust and support his administration in order to make sure that they become the reality. He needs the cooperation and total support of all.

By committing crimes based on frustration, you are slowing down the process of progress, and diminishing your chances of success in life.

It is important for all NPP members, especially the impatient youth, to understand and appreciate better, the character of President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo. He has demonstrated patience, integrity and courage in the face of difficult times and obstacles. He ran for president in 2008 and 2012. Both times, he was unsuccessful.

But he allowed the will of the people and the laws of the land to have their way, reassessed and readjusted his plan, which eventually has seen him achieve his ambition to have the opportunity to serve the people, as the president.

The President believes in the rule of law. He believes in peace, honesty and fairness, and he leads by example. Through struggles and obstacles, President Nana Akufo-Addo exercised patience to bring him to the place he is today.

This is something the youth can look up to when acts of injustice seem like the answer. They should have faith in the government they voted for, and practice patience during hard times. Good things take time, and the best is yet to come.
Many were his political rivals that continually maliciously sought to scupper his childhood dream to be of selfless and dedicated service to his people and nation. However, as man proposes and God disposes, and also there being a time and season for everything, Nana Akufo Addo by the correct timing and design of God Almighty in whom he trusts and has surrendered himself wholeheartedly, has on Saturday, 7 January 2017, been invested with the power to govern Ghana.

I am not going to repeat the unprintable insults hurled at him for Ghanaians are themselves witnesses to how his political rivals both within and outside the NPP, especially the NDC, maltreated him all for being a disciplined incorruptible man.

Every Ghanaian knows, and God knows him to be a man of integrity who could salvage Ghana from her economy that has been on downward spiral under the immediate past President John Dramani Mahama hence the personal attack on him by his political rivals to denigrate him beyond redemption in the eyes of the Ghanaian populace.

Upon all the intentional malice falsely perpetrated to dehumanize him with intent to deny him from ever becoming the President of Ghana to serve his people with great humility, honesty, firmness, fairness and friendliness, God and Ghanaians defied his rivals or enemies to elect him the President of Ghana.

Following his investiture as the President of Ghana on Saturday, 7 January 2017, I have the following serious advice to offer him. It will do him well if he listens to, and abides by, the advice, in good faith.

Before then, let it be known to him that even though one tree cannot make a forest, I can assure him that as a known incorruptible person as he is, he can alone by his principled nature and conforming actions, change Ghana for the better. It takes only one person to come up with an idea or suggestion the acceptance of which can transform the lives of many people or an entire nation.

As proven incorruptible person as he is, never involved in any acts of corruption, and a champion for human rights who has absolute belief in the rule of law and justice for all, President Nana Akufo Addo can live up to, and beyond, the positive expectations of Ghanaians.

Firstly, you must not accept any gift in the form of food, Christmas hampers, alcoholic drinks, money, sheep, goat, cow, car or clothing from anyone. As a President, cant you get most of these things free through statutory provisions or cant you buy them yourself? Apart from any attached evil intentions of those presenting such gifts to you, the gifts can easily corrupt you. Have you ever heard our elders say, one good turn deserves another or to pay some in kind? Once you begin to accept such free gifts, you begin to unconsciously slip into the clutches of those presenting them to you. They will begin to ask for favours from you of which you will be obliged to grant even if they appear illegal to compromise your reputation in one way or the other.

Secondly, do not interfere with the course of justice to favour anyone be they your family members, NPP faithful, Government Ministers or appointees, your friends or your most respected traditional leaders. Once they fall foul of the law, let them suffer the consequences. Do not be like former President Mahama who senselessly exercised his constitutionally-mandated prerogative powers to free the Montie trio (Messrs Salifu Maase aka Mugabe, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn) who were plotting to murder some Supreme Court Judges and to rape the Chief Justice Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, all for stupid reasons intended to support Mrs Charlotte Osei to probably rig Election 2016 in favour of NDC.

Thirdly, you should make sure none of your Government Ministers, Deputy Ministers or government appointees becomes corrupt, arrogant and very disrespectful towards Ghanaians. They should follow your footsteps, emulate your incorruptibility and humility. They should note that they have come to serve the nation and the people of Ghana as it is your main objective but not to be served. The very minute that anyone of them becomes corrupt, say , embezzles public funds or commits acts of biases by abusing their position in favour of their cronies to enrich them, please, do not hesitate to fire them, cause their arrest and ensure they are prosecuted and when found guilty, they are sentenced to a prison term.

Furthermore, warn your family members not to accept gifts on your behalf or allow others to influence you through their interventions.

Many Ghanaians have high hopes and expectations in you to deliver on your promises knowing how honest and incorruptible you are. Why should you allow any few bad nuts, dishonest and insatiably greedy persons to ruin your reputation to incur the wrath of Ghanaians and God? Any Ghanaian who prayed, campaigned and voted for you, deserves equal praise as those that you have appointed to assist you govern Ghana. Therefore, the citizens will not sit idly by on the fence when your Government Ministers begin to behave in the same irresponsible manner as President Mahama and his government did.

It does not belong to he who is leading to redirect their steps so I shall continually constructively point out your mistakes to you as soon as I detect any, give you advice, and then suggest solutions to you. I want you to succeed to make those of us who have supported you from day one, defended you and fought your corner, proud. If you fail, you will have brought shame not only upon yourself but on all those who supported you through rain or shine and voted for you massively.

Gone are the days when Ghanaians kept mute for rogue politicians like former President Mahama, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Sam George, Allotey Jacobs and all those greedy bastards and babies with sharp teeth, courtesy of former President J. J. Rawlings, to take us for the roughest ride.

Ghanaians trust you to do the job and to discipline corrupt politicians to give a new face to Ghana so please do it. One lobbying you for post to serve Ghana and the people is different from one being simply corrupt.

If you listen to me and see sense in all that I have said, it shall be well with you. However, if you ignore them, you do so at your own peril. Do not ever forget the God in whom you trusted to win the election. Continue to be the incorruptible man you have always been.

If the current President of Tanzania, Dr John Magufuli alias bulldozer through his many accomplishments within a short time has transformed his country, weeding out corruption hence declared the best President in Africa, you, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo can do more or emulate him as reputably incorruptible as you are.

This is the advice I leave with you today, Wednesday 11 January 2017. Today reminds me of a dear Pastor friend of mine who died in 2012. He was one Pentecostal Pastor called Pastor Annor aka Seko. About twenty years ago, he donated to me a special bible that has extensive commentary on every bible chapter and verse  why, how and when such verses were said and by whom. When he signed the bible out to me, he said and wrote, You have the potential to become a useful instrument for God so please surrender yourself wholeheartedly to God. Why did he say this, one may ask? It was all because whatever I told him, always came to pass exactly as I said them months later hence he thought such apparent prophetic sayings from me were not my own but from God so if I should dedicate myself to God as he suggested, I could see and predict greater things but honestly, I have not done as he advised.

I am going to bed, but I pray President Akufo Addo cogitates about this first advice of mine to him. He should hold his Ministers accountable and especially, the corrupt judges in Ghana who accept goats, sheep, cats, dogs and, or money to twist justice in favour of the otherwise guilty powers. I am myself a victim of the shameful corruption of the Ghanaian judges that I hold most of them in low esteem.

Rockson Adofo
Your Excellency First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Mrs Rebecca Akufo Addo today I write to you with smiles all over my face for being among the first, if not the first to address you as the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana.

I must first of all say that you and the second lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia were looking angelic during the investiture of your husband the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahmoudou Bawumia. I saw nothing but women of beauty, nobility and elegance. The event I must admit was colorful, beautiful and a great exhibition of Ghanaian culture but it all ends on the 7th of January.

My first Lady, I have questions I need your answers to but before I proceed, I am on behalf of the female caucus (girls/women) of Ghana saluting you on your new status. I admit you did not get to this stage on a platter of gold. I can imagine the number of sleepless nights of disappointments after counting of votes and declaration of results, not once but twice.

The courage of going through another is even unbelievable, not to talk of the days you have to spend after to console and urge your husband on. I know the story would have been different if your husband, H E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo had lost the contest the third time.

Madam, there is a saying that Once bitten twice shy. Not once not twice but three times you had to support your husband to the same course so I am curious my first Lady, how was it for you? How were you able to cope in those times? How did you overcome the defeat? I have heard the president talk to the media on countless occasions on how he felt about the defeats and was able to still forge ahead but the women of Ghana will be more happy to hear your side of the story.

There is the saying that Behind every successful man, there is a woman but I will say, behind a successful H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, there is a self motivated, strong, determined, enduring, intelligent, unperturbed, persevering, patient and focused Mrs Rebecca Akufo Addo. This I know will be a great lesson to most young women who are always in a haste to get to a goal.

Madam, I would be happy to know what you have to contribute to help your husband, the president, H.E. Nana Addo Akufo Addo in his government. Most importantly what you are going to do this 4 year period to improve the lives of Ghanaian women and children and empower women in all endeavors. In as much as there is no spelt out duties assigned to you in the constitution of Ghana, making your position almost a ceremonial one, every first lady has in their own way contributed to the wellbeing of women and children in Ghana.

Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings 31st December Womens Movement, Mrs Theresa Kufuors Mother and Child Community Development Foundation, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills raising of 2million dollars medical equipment and Mrs Lordina Mahamas Lordina Foundation brought a lot of relieve women and children in Ghana. So I ask again, what will be your contribution?

My First Lady, I am sure you will admit that Ghanaian women who voted for change in the 2016 elections have bigger expectations from not only your husband the President, but you, the mother to all children and women of Ghana.

I will be happy to see you work hand in hand with the 2nd Lady Mr Samira Bawumia. Before I end, I want to believe that Mrs Rebecca Akufo Addo, at the end of this four year term of your husbands administration, Ghanaian children and women will remain grateful and thankful for what you would have been using your position to do to uplift their lives.

Good luck My First Lady.

My name is Obaasima Serwaa Akoto

I am for female empowerment.
Accra, Jan. 10, GNA - The USA-Africa Chamber of Commerce, Ghana (USA-ACC) and iChange Nations (iCNTM), have congratulated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Ghanaians.

The message was captured in a statement issued by the USA-ACC in collaboration with iCNTM and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra.

Dr Clyde Rivers, United Nations Peace Ambassador and the President of iCNTM, the largest Establishing Cultures of Honour organisation in the world, said Ghana was a country that was clearly dedicated to democratisation.

He said Ghana had the potential to become the first Golden Rule Nation in the World especially with the establishment of the first African Chapter of the USA-ACC in Accra.

Dr Richmond Annan, Chief Executive Officer of iCNTM Africa, added that the USA-ACC and ICNa were committed to supporting efforts at deepening democracy and economic stability within the countries in which they operate.

Dr Gladys Loggin-Florunsho, the Founder of the USA-ACC also expressed appreciation for the pioneering leadership of the Ghanaian Chapter of the USA-ACC under the Chairmanship of Martin Ofori, CEO of Crystal Capital and Investments Limited and his Vice, Charles Bennin of Ideal Insurance Brokers.

Mr Ofori said Ghana had earned its spot as a beacon of democracy in Africa and would be a trail blazer in establishing the Golden Rule of doing business.

He added that the USA-ACC Ghana office was currently in the process of establishing qualifying procedures to register reputable organisations in Ghana to be part of a prestigious group of organisations that had received the honour of practicing the Golden Rule of doing business.

Full text

'We at the U.S.A-Africa Chamber of Commerce and iChange Nationsa are honoured to congratulate President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his election and swearing in as President of the Republic of Ghana.

Please accept our congratulations on a race well run and our best wishes for the years ahead.

You have assumed office at a time of uneasy global economic condition, among other challenges.

We are however assured that bound by the economic values of democracy, freedom, honour and respect for the rule of law, you will do your utmost best to strategically deploy the best talents with the dexterity to engender growth and development to keep the flag of Ghana flying higher.

While we are assured are key sectors that will open up the economy, help local businesses to form international partnerships and motivate innovation.

We also congratulate John Dramani Mahama, for your valiant effort during the campaign and wish you every success in all your endeavours.

We acknowledge your dedication to the continuous democratization process and say 'ayeeko' for your hard work during of your ability to bring overall development to the country, we would like to remind you of issues bordering on fiscal discipline, energy, trade and investment, education among others, which you outlined in your manifesto.

We believe that these your term as President of Ghana and efforts at ensuring a peaceful transition.

We commend the Electoral Commission for a job well done in the organization of the 2016 General Elections.

We would also like to acknowledge the work of the National Peace Council, Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), other Civil Service Organizations, and all Ghanaians in protecting our thriving democracy."

GNA
Ouidah (Benin) (AFP) - Every January, thousands of voodoo worshippers joined by crowds of tourists and descendants of slaves trudge down the long sand track leading to the beach at Ouidah in Benin.

The cars, motorbikes and women in wrap skirts with tribal scars on their cheeks head to the Gate of No Return monument overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean beach.

Erected in 1992 in memory of those packed on ships bound for the New World, it is a living reminder that the small Beninese coastal town of Ouidah once was the muster point for the black slave trade on the southern coast of West Africa.

Over the centuries, five million, possibly 10 million slaves took this route. No-one knows the exact numbers.

Though Ouidah is not the source of voodoo -- which originated in the old kingdom of Dahomey, modern-day Togo and Benin -- it was from here that the cult of the invisible and of natural spirits was exported to Louisiana, Brazil and Haiti.

After the fall of the communist regime in Benin, President Nicephore Soglo launched the first voodoo festival in 1993, making Ouidah voodoo's most famous place of pilgrimage for its 50 million followers worldwide.

'Way of life'

The annual Voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, attracts thousands of devotees and tourists for a day filled with ritual dances and gin drinking

"Ouidah is a duty of memory," said voodoo priest Erol Josue, who heads the national ethnology bureau in Haiti and who travelled to Benin with seven others to "make peace with the past".

"It's important to return to the ancestral land to accept oneself as a Caribbean," he added, his eyes thick with khol cosmetics and a heavy ring from Mali's Dogon tribe on his finger.

"To understand the behaviour of the Haitian people, you have to go back to the source."

Josue breaks off to film a video on his smartphone as a man climbs a bamboo pole nearly 15 metres (50 feet) high with his bare hands. The crowd goes wild.

Nearby, a group of men daubed with soil from head to toe dance in a trance to the rhythm of the djembe hand drum and make offerings to talismans.

"Voodoo is a way of life," said Gizirbtah, a young black American who changes her name whenever she travels to the home of her ancestors.

Gizirbtah, who works for a US airline, has been travelling across West Africa for two months with a dozen or so voodoo devotees from as far away as London and Chicago.

"Every day I do ablutions, purifications, prayers. But in the US voodoo is frowned upon, people don't understand," she said.

She turned to voodoo six years ago when she began what she said was an "internal quest".

"All my life, the story of my ancestors has echoed inside me," she said.

'Spiritual sadness'

A man performs at the annual Voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin

Strictly speaking, voodoo is not a cult of ancestors.

It is "the palpable representation of what we cannot see", said Vincent Harisdo, a choreographer of French, Beninese and Togolese heritage who is working on a dance project on voodoo.

"Every human has his inner 'fa' (a voodoo divinity), his other self. And we are all looking for our other self. Call that voodoo here or psychology in Europe," he added.

Gail Hardison, a 57-year-old American, chose science over spirituality to get to know her origins.

Several years ago she had a DNA test that revealed her ancestors came from northern Cameroon.

This year she has brought her ancestral quest to Benin.

"I'm not a follower but I respect voodoo as a religion. Voodoo isn't about dolls with pins in it," she said.

The dancing and the tourists gives a folklore feel to the festival, a weeklong event marked by the beach procession on January 10 every year.

But despite the crowds, the noise and the scorching sun, Hardison said she feels a "spiritual sadness" in Ouidah.

Looking at the Gate of No Return, where hundreds of visitors are crowded together trying to find some shade, she says: "I wish it could have been different for all the people who passed through here."

"I feel them with me."
President of policy think tank IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, believes government's realignment of some ministries which has led to the introduction of a Ministry for Railways Development is misplaced.

Mr. Cudjoe argued that, the engagement of prospective private sector beneficiaries of enhanced railway services would be a more prudent move towards developing infrastructure for railway development.

His comments came as he criticized the high number of ministries under the Nana Akufo-Addo government which currently stands at 25 with more expected to be added.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, the IMANI President opined: It seems to me that the mantra of trying to be a leaner in government business seems to be faltering away. If we don't take care we might hit probably 30 ministries.

The latest list of ministerial nominees revealed that, there will be two new ministries introduced under the Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration, namely the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, and the Ministry of Re-organisation and Special Projects, in addition to the new National Security Ministry which is backed by law.

Out of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, a new Ministry to be known as the Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources has also been created leaving the Works and Housing Ministry on its own.

Some ministries have however been merged with the Power Ministry coming back under the Energy Ministry.

Mr. Cudjoe lauded the condensation of the energy ministry as great but noted that the consolidation had not been compensated properly in other areas.

The MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey (L) will head the Ministry of Railways Development

Mr. Cudjoe singled out Ministry of Transport, Ministry for Railways Development and Ministry for Roads and Highways and described them as a festival of Ministries for a single monolithic entity.

The Ministry of Railway Development is entirely needless because what you do need for railway development is money. You need $2 billion in order to fix the railway, he said.

Mr. Cudjoe further suggested that, what was needed was the proper influence of the private sector and the most practical approach, in his view, is to ensure that beneficiaries of the railway put together that funding.

How you go about it is to speak to the heavy users of railways. So miners; let them get involved and help you raise money. Cocoa producers; let them get involved and help you raise money and then you are gone. You don't need a ministry to integrate railway development, he explained.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Member of Parliament for Bodi in the Western Region, Sampson Ahi, has suggested government attempted to embarrass former President John Mahama by publicizing his request to keep his official residence, after an initial agreement had been reached.

The former President has since withdrawn his request for the residence, among other facilities, a move Mr. Ahi commended.

The President had earlier maintained that his decision to keep the state residence he occupied while in office, was approved by the new government led by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Speaking to Citi News' Duke Mensah Opoku in Parliament on Wednesday, the Bodi MP also noted that the request letter was issued as a result of an agreement reached amongst the transition team [which compromises of both the current and outgone government]

But the way it was put in the media indicates that there was no agreement, and the agenda is to disgrace him as former President, Mr. Ahi intimated.

So if he has withdrawn, the only thing that I can say is that, the NPP government under Nana Akufo-Addo, has decided to disgrace the President so to avoid the disgrace, he[Mahama] had to withdraw we needn't have come into this situation but for the agenda which is best known to them.

The former President's request to keep his accommodation, which incited widespread public outcry, was approved unanimously by Members of Parliament.

This was contrary to the approved recommendations set by the Professor Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh committee on Emoluments and Conditions of Service for Article 71 office holders.

The committee recommended that the former President not should be given a house in Accra and another location of his choice outside the capital as had been the norm but instead be given 40 percent of his salary to be paid monthly.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has said he will not step down before a Supreme Court decision on disputed elections, a ruling now not expected until May.

In a nationwide TV broadcast, the longstanding ruler also reiterated his concern at foreign interference.

Regional mediators, led by Nigerias president, are expected in The Gambia on Friday to urge him to accept defeat following Decembers election.

President-elect Adama Barrow says he will be inaugurated next week.

Mr Jammeh, who initially accepted defeat in the 1 December poll, lodged a case before the Supreme Court after the electoral commission changed some results.

But the commission insists the outcome was not affected by an initial error and property developer Mr Barrow narrowly won.

Mr Jammeh seized power in the tiny country in 1994 and has been accused of human rights abuses, although he has held regular elections.

The president made his speech on Tuesday evening after it was announced that the Supreme Court hearing would be delayed until May because of a shortage of judges, who mostly come from neighbouring countries.

The chief justice suggested mediation would be the best way forward as Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and other West African leaders head to the country in another attempt to end the deadlock.

But Mr Jammeh said his cabinet and the National Assembly would remain in place to ensure the rule of law is upheld pending the courts ruling.

[Under the constitution], only the Supreme Court can review our challenge and only the Supreme Court can declare anyone president, he said.

Smear campaign

The president lashed out at the UN, the African Union and the West African regional body Ecowas for their hasty resolutions given the peaceful nature of the dispute so far.

Our review and investigation have revealed an unprecedented level of foreign interference in our elections and internal affairs. And also, a sustained smear campaign, propaganda and misinformation, he said.

The Gambia would not allow any organisation, treaty or law to supersede its constitution, he added.

The 51-year-old leader also appointed a national mediator to meet all parties to resolve any mistrust and issues and draft an amnesty bill to ensure there was no witch-hunt so that we can restore a climate of confidence and security.

The Gambia, a popular tourist destination, has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.


The former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei, has pleaded with Ghanaians to forgive president Nana Akufo-Addo following revelations that portions of his inaugural speech were plagiarized.

Parts of Nana Addos speech were lifted from the inaugural addresses delivered by former US presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush in 1993 and 2001.

At his investiture on Saturday, Akufo said: Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us.

At his 1993 inauguration, ex-US President Bill Clinton said: Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. And Americans have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. We must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who come before us.

Also at his inauguration in 2001 George Bush said: I ask you to be citizens: Citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.

Whilst the one delivered by Akufo-Addo to Ghanaians also read: I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation.

The Minority in Parliament has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the presidents inaugural speech and also expunged from Parliamentary records with liberty to resubmit another speech not tainted with fraud and reflecting all attributable sources.

But speaking on Starr Chat on Wednesday, Prof. Adei said that the brouhaha that erupted following the plagiarism revelations are nothing, but a distraction from the main issues we should be focusing on.

It is something which I think in academia it should not be tolerated but in this case it is excusable, he opined.

That notwithstanding, he said the presidents speech writers had embarrassed the president.

The Communications director at the Presidency Eugene Arhin apologized for the gaffe attributing it to an oversight.

I unreservedly apologise for the non-acknowledgement of this quote to the original author. It was a complete oversight, and never deliberate, he said in a Facebook post.

Retired diplomat, Dr. K.B. Asante said he was not surprised as some of these saying are such thatthey are so good you are tempted to use them.
Govt dismisses Gyewali, brings Pokharel back

The government on Wednesday handed a pink slip to Sushil Gyewali and appointed Govind Pokharel as the chief executive officer of the National Reconstruction Authority.
It will be recalled that after months of unproductive engagement with the Auditor-Generals Department and the Government with respect to the demand by OccupyGhana for the exercise of the powers of Disallowance and Surcharge under article 187 of the Constitution, and sections 18 and 19 of the Audit Service Act, OccupyGhana was compelled to file an action in the Supreme Court against the Government.

The powers of Disallowance and Surcharge allow the Auditor-General to commence the recovery of public funds that are illegally spent or lost through negligence or misconduct. These powers have never been exercised by the Auditor-General.

That matter is ripe for hearing.

However, yesterday, 11th January 2017, OccupyGhana was invited to a meeting with the new Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo. At that meeting, Mr. Domelevo expressed a desire, not for a continued court fight, but to work with us in the exercise of Disallowance and Surcharge powers.

It turns out that this Auditor-General so believes in the exercise of Disallowance and Surcharge powers by the Auditor-General, that he managed to get the Zambian Government to pass a law, the Public Audit Act, 2016 (No. 29 of 2016), sections 26 and 27 of which are a near-verbatim reproduction of sections 18 and 19 of Ghanas Audit Service Act. He bemoaned the fact that although Ghana has had such powerful and far-reaching provisions in both our Constitution and legislation, we have never implemented them, and audit reports have been reduced to a mere journalistic report of events with no teeth to bite. Meanwhile other countries were willing to accept those provisions and use them. He revealed Malawi was also in the process of adopting similar provisions as part of its laws.

The Auditor-General stated that he intended to establish a special task force to review all available, previous Audit Reports, and reveal instances where the powers of Disallowance and Surcharge may be applied as a first step to recover lost public funds from offending persons.

Although this is just one meeting, and although our previous meetings and engagements with the Government and the Auditor-Generals Department were frustrating and did not yield much, we are somehow optimistic that this initial engagement with the new Auditor-General will be a sign of great things to come with respect to Disallowance and Surcharges. OccupyGhana will not rest until the day when the first Disallowances and Surcharges are issued by the Auditor-General. Then we will commence pressure on the office of the Attorney-General to enforce those Surcharges and recover the lost funds. We are convinced that this will be a major way to plug the leakage and wastage in the public sector and ensure that public funds neither line individual pockets nor are treated with reckless abandon; but will be available for use to improve the lives of the citizens of Ghana.

If the new Auditor-General is prepared to carry this through, we will pledge our unflinching support to help him achieve this goal.

Yours, for God and Country,

OccupyGhana
Samira Bawumia

12.01.2017 LISTEN

I am always afraid to mount the moral high ground and preach about morality because I am not perfect. As a matter of fact, no one is perfect. That means we are all bunch of apple eating imperfects. So, because I am imperfect and you're imperfect, we should all leave the truth to silence? No! There is nothing wrong in sincerely pointing out the imperfections of others. Even Jesus Christ saw something in Mary Magdalene with her imperfections.

I am a conscientious feminist. I celebrate and worship women who are making giant strides in their deeds and decisions to reaching higher heights. I completely share in the glory of Samira Bawumia and I would any day reference her as a figure of emulation to young women especially from the Zongo and Muslim communities. Therefore, I would not be happy to see her commit avoidable blunders that will incapacitate me from defending or referencing her.

Whether you like it or not, Samira rise to fame came from her husband's political pursuits and her own knack and versatility to run down in Ghanaians thought-provoking campaign messages. Her "We Will Remember" speech, by unanimous decision in the Court of Public Opinion was considered as the most powerful campaign speech since Thatcher left office many decades ago. Some unapologetic feminists even claimed that her speech outweighed the combined political speeches of Amissah Arthur.

Today, Samira has risen to the ceremonial high office of Second Lady of Ghana. No matter your level of dishonesty, you can't afford to agree with me that she got thus far under the catalyst of "Islam", "Muslim" and "Quran". Her husband is not exempted from this belief. So, it would be inappropriate for her to entertain certain decisions that would rather cast aspersions on the ideologies that help her course.

The inauguration ceremony was her first appearance in huge public event that trended beyond the bothers of Ghana. I swear Heavens, I was surprised by her appearance. I thought she would've come out in a way that projects Islam that contributed to her presence at the ceremony as a red carpet guest.

Hey! I am not a religious extremist. I am not suggesting that she should have worn a hijab or a long dress to cover her hair to toe with black socks and white gloves like a ninja. I just felt she could've appeared more representative of a bigger group, Muslims.

The veil, is a marked symbol of marriage and Islam. In gatherings of this magnitude, married or Muslim women are distinguished by their veils. The veil is a powerful costume that conveys only one or two message(s) - married or Muslim or both. An addition of a veil on her head or neck for the ceremony could foil all these trolls on her. Her outfit was a simple wardrobe blunder oblivious of where she is coming from and believes in. Samira is a young adorable woman. Her youthful exuberance or passion for fashion may probably make her trend in the news and social media for all the avoidable wrong reasons.

I've one request from Samira Bawumia and her handlers. In order to take away the breath of spin doctors, she must at all times be seen with the Symbol Of Believing Muslim - the veil. Even if she is in her bikini. Nnabi.

I just look forward to not asking "kaman how?" questions in her subsequent public appearances.

My name is Hanan-Confidence Abdul, a Charlotte Osei crush, sapiosexual and conscientious feminist.

Abdulai Hanan R. Confidence

[email protected]

0208455884

The writer is a professional nurse at Tamale West Hospital
Hon. Nenyi George Andah, an astute chartered marketer, who was elected into parliament to represent the Awutu Senya West constituency, on 7th Dec '16, seems to be connecting well with his constituents.

The legislative member, who shared his second day in parliament with his constituency via Facebook live, has consistently provided online forums for his constituents to reach out to him. His responsive approach has caught the eyes of many, who have described the method as, futuristic.

At 6am on Thursday 12th Jan '17, Honorable Nenyi George Andah, took to his Facebook page to announce a digital town hall meeting, slated for Sunday. He urged his constituents to participate in discussions that pertain the development of Awutu Senya West and assured his followers of his accessibility.

Speaking to an aide close to Hon. Nenyi George Andah, he confirmed the Parliamentarian's commitment to listening to his constituents. The aide stated, "Hon. Andah is a man passionate about Awutu Senya West and he continually makes an effort to bridge whatever communication gaps via his "Nenyi George Andah" facebook page. In doing this, he is better informed to represent his constituents effectively".
Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) is kicking against the appointment of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as the Minister-designate for Agriculture. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made the appointment of Dr. Afriyie Akoto known when some delegation of Zongo Chiefs paid him a courtesy call some few days ago.

However, Food Sovereignty Ghana says Dr. Akotos position on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) does not qualify him to head the office as Minister of Agriculture. Dr. Akoto speaking on TV3s New Day, in 2014, said he finds the debate over GMOs hypocritical.

Ghana imports 150 thousand metric tons of poultry products every year and most of that are coming from America, Brazil and Europe. Where do you think those chickens are fed from? They are fed from genetically modified grains. So, we are eating genetically modified food. Has anybody died? he asked.

But acting General Secretary of Food Sovereignty Ghana, Evans Tawiah says we have nothing against him [Dr. Afriyie Akoto]. What we are saying is that we find his position on genetically modified food as strange. Food Sovereignty Ghana cannot trust Dr. Akoto to man our agricultural sector.

GMO is something that the scientific community all over the world has not come to consensus about its safety on humans and the environment.
The president, chief and people of the Association of Northern Ghanaians in Georgia wishes congratulate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, His Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana. We as northern Ghanaians living in the United States of America are profoundly delighted to see another son of the northern descent rise to the second highest office of our homeland Ghana. It is indeed gratifying to also hear of the nominations of Hajia Alima Mahama as Local Government Minister, Ambrose Dery as Interior Minister, Dominic Nitiwul as Defence Minister, and Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana as a Presidential Staffer who are yet to be vetted and confirmed.

As a result, we want to commend His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Ado, the 5th President of the 4th Republic of Ghana and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for believing in these men and women and we pray to the good lord to grant each and every one of them the wisdom, knowledge and strength to perform their duties creditably, not only to vindicate the confidence the president has reposed in them, but to make all northerners living at home and abroad proud. Nonetheless, this call to duty is to serve mother Ghana and not be served, to unite and not divide, and to inspire and stimulate the sense of social responsibility in all Ghanaians.

Finally, we congratulate all Ghanaians for yet another peaceful elections and a smooth transfer of power from one political party to another. By every measure and account, Ghanas full-fledged democracy has gained credence internationally and we will continue to stand tall among other African countries in the sub-region. Our Association wishes the Nana administration the very best of luck and we are confident that the Ghanaian people will be rewarded with good policies that will improve their living standards and general livelihood.

LONG LIVE THE NORTH!!! LONG LIVE GHANA!!!

Shani Mohammed

General Secretary

Association of Northern Ghanaians in Georgia

USA.
12.01.2017 LISTEN

A little over a year ago, the telecoms industry of this country witnessed what could be described as a fierce fight from a hurriedly-constituted group of about ten local companies calling themselves the Ghana ICT Chamber against the move by the previous government to auction two slots in the 800MHz spectrum band compatible with 4G LTE technology. At the centre of the group's key message was a rather xenophobic posture against telecoms market leader MTN. The group argued that MTN, in spite of its heavy investments, millions of customers and thousands of jobs it provides in the country, must be stopped from acquiring that spectrum just because they were South African and not Ghanaian.

As absurd and naive as it may have sounded, the ICT Chamber pushed that idea to the extent of attempting to create a divide between the Ministry of Communications and its implementing agency, National Communications Authority (NCA), by calling on the minister to stop the NCA from allowing MTN to participate in the auction: as if NCA does anything of and by itself without the consent of the ministry. What the ICT Chamber conveniently failed to tell Ghanaians was that prior to the auction, its key members were given the opportunity to buy the spectrum at a way lower price than the minimum auction price of US$67.5 for each of the two slots. They failed to pull the resources for it. In fact, they were even given the opportunity of a flexible payment plan but they still failed to raise money for even the initial installment.

It became obvious then that the members of the Chamber only hurriedly came together for two things; stop MTN from getting into the 4G space, and also to prevent the sale of the spectrum to anyone else but to ICT Chamber members, so that they can then be the license holders with the opportunity to wholesale to the telcos who have the financial muscle and infrastructure to deploy the technology wider to benefit greater majority of Ghanaians. So for the members of the ICT Chamber, it was an opportunity to hide behind a local content/nationalism clause just to engage in the usual buying and selling that Ghanaians are typically known for. The antecedents would show that almost all the telco licenses in Ghana were awarded to Ghanaians but, eventually, each of them sold to foreign entities.

So NCA was not going to settle for another buying and selling scheme, particularly because, three years before the auction, another 4G spectrum (2600MHz) had been awarded to three wholly Ghanaian-owned companies and they had done very little or nothing with them in three years. Those three were given Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) licenses and only one, Surfline, had really deployed in the real sense of the word. Of the other two, one, Blu, had launched in pockets of the nation's capital while the other, Goldkey, just remained dormant even up until now. And yet they wanted the whole country to wait for them to find money and deploy at the snail pace they were going; and until they recoup their investment, no one else should be allowed into the 4G space.

Pricing

But it is interesting to note that it was the price of the spectrum that made it impossible for the ICT Chamber to stop the auction. They could not acquire it because of the price and so the NCA had no option than to go ahead with the auction. Again, at the auction, price became a big issue as only one (MTN), out of four who showed interest, was able to manage the minimum price of US$67.5million. Indeed, the other three, Surfline, Migson and Goldkey, after paying a non-refundable registration/participation fee of GHC250,000 ($64,100), failed to show up for the auction and so MTN emerged a default winner of the first auction. The second auction could not happen because there were no more competitors after MTN.

MTN had since paid fully for the spectrum and invested an additional US$18million plus to deploy 4G LTE and spread it much wider than the BWA players have. In just six months, MTN has put 4G in all ten regional capitals in Ghana and currently has one of the biggest 4G networks in Africa. But there still remain loads of questions about whether the pricing of the spectrum was in the best interest of the industry and the consumer. Indeed, when the minimum auction price was initially pegged at about US$92million, industry players complained and it was brought down to US$67.5million, but the chorus still remained that greater majority of players had been priced out.

In spite of the clarion call for a further reduction in the prices, NCA did not budge, for one main reason, which was that government was in need of money to implement a digital migration policy under an ITU (International Telecoms Union) obligations. The country was racing against a January 2016 deadline to go completely digital with all televisions in the country and government was banking its hopes on the sale of the two spectrum bands in the 800MHz frequency to implement the policy. So the price of the spectrum, as critics put it, was more political than realistic, within the context of the financial muscle of the key industry players and or any private investors interested in the spectrum. It was also criticized as not being realistic in the light of cost of deployment and what returns could be made from it within the short to medium term, particularly given what had become of the BWA players.

The other argument against the pricing was that out of four entities that signed up to buy the spectrum, only one showed up; and out of the two spectra bands, only one was sold at the minimum auction price. That alone, the critics say, was enough to tell the regulator that they priced the spectrum wrongly and shortchanged Ghanaians in the process. Even the issue of non-availability and non-affordability of 4G devices was cited as another reason the spectrum price should have been a bit more "reasonable" and "moderate".

Indeed, recently, the CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Yolanda Cuba made two key statements about why the 4G spectrum pricing in Ghana was not the best. She said spectrum is an essential commodity like water so it should be priced moderately so that more players can buy and deploy widely, then the people can benefit from its availability and affordability, while the government also benefits from the returns on its wide usability. The second, and more revealing statement she made was that telcos give their financial reports to NCA monthly so the NCA knew what each telco could afford and what they could not afford. She thinks NCA knew that only one player could afford the spectrum at that "exorbitant" minimum rate and yet pegged it there. Even though she did not say, her suggestion was in line with what another Vodafone executive once said, that the price of the spectrum was purely political, and that NCA intentionally priced out all other players in favor of MTN. Simple and plain.

But in "pricing out" all other players in favor of MTN, as the critics say, maybe the NCA might have priced out more than just a few telecom operators. First of all, they may have priced out the government too because one spectrum band was left unsold. In other words, at US$67.5 million for one, the NCA arguably set out to raise US$135million but they ended up raising only half of that. Secondly, almost half of the smart devices users in the country may have been denied access to 4G because they are on networks that cannot afford to buy the spectrum at the minimum price. So, really whose interest was at the centre of deciding the price for the spectrum - the government, the people of Ghana, or as the critics say, MTN?

Maybe, the digital migration and the expected digital dividend was worth the sacrifice Ghanaians had to make in being denied wide access to 4G from the onset. Let me explain. The digital migration means we are crossing over from analogue to digital television system for more channels, clearer pictures and better sound quality on our TV sets, which is pro-consumer. Moreover, in doing so, we are also harvesting some amount of spectrum that can also be used to spread 4G services at affordable rates much later. Again, as part of the digital migration process, government was paying for some free digital set top boxes for the poor, and also working to subsidize it for many more. So it may as well be the case that the public's and government's interests are coterminous on this matter, but the public had to make some sacrifices to enable government raise money to implement the digital migration.

Comparative analysis

Another positive thing could probably be said for the pricing of spectrum. For one, it is favorably comparable to what pertains in other markets around the world. Some recent examples will explain the point. Just last year, 700MHz spectrum was sold for US$1.82billion in India. Industry players there thought it was high. Indeed it was 27 times the price of the 800MHz spectrum in Ghana. Again, last year, South Africa (where the MTN Group and the Vodafone Ghana boss are originally from), also auctioned the 700/800/2600MHz spectra for US$213million, which is 3.2 times what Ghana's cost.

So yes, when one compares prices on face value, the price of the 800MHz spectrum in Ghana is way less than what similar spectrum is being sold for elsewhere. But each country has its own uniqueness and those factors influence the price. India, for instance, has one of the world's largest populations of over 1.3 billion, and South Africa has over 55 million people, compared to Ghana's estimated 27 million. Other factors may have gone into pricing the 4G spectrum in Ghana. But from how the auction went and what is even happening with the BWA players, who bought theirs for a relatively much cheaper US$6million each, then one can understand why industry players, who have already showed commitment to the country, would want the opportunity to buy at a bit more reasonable price.

Partnerships

Having lost out on the 800MHz spectrum, the mainstream telcos went back to their original proposal that NCA should have probably allowed them to partner the BWA operators to deploy the service across the country for the benefit of all Ghanaians. Indeed the licensed BWA players, Surfline, Blu and a Goldkey and fourth one called Broadband Home are not anywhere close to meeting the 60 per cent coverage of all 216 district capitals in the country in five years. The biggest one, Surfline now has a paltry 75,000 customers and has still not finished covering Accra, and has some footprints in Takoradi. But they are pretty much stuck in Accra. Blu is working with just over 1,000 customers in pockets of Accra, while Goldkey has still not taken off. Meanwhile, four years have passed since they got their licenses.

Indeed, their burden has been reduced to covering just 50 district capitals out of 216, and yet it does not seem they can meet that with the given time. It is quite obvious they are unable to raise the funds to deploy and they have had to be cutting price constantly just to sell more data and make a point that they are moving more data than some telcos. But the truth also remains that the relatively high volumes of data they are moving does not necessarily translate into corresponding revenue. Indeed, some of the fine brains Surfline and Blu poached from other companies on their arrival, have quickly jumped ship. Blu in particular, is said not to have paid salaries for months now. And yet NCA may be patting itself on the back for having sold a national resource to locally-owned companies to enable them get into mainstream telecom space. Noble idea, but the reality on the ground does not point to a smart move on that one.

Moreover, it was the same NCA, that also thought it prudent to bring in the mainstream telco, MTN, into the 4G space to, as the BWAs charged, deplete the investments they have made. They expected the NCA to have given them time to get well established. But time seem to be running out on the 4G technology, as 5G is already being tested elsewhere in the world. So NCA could not wait for the BWAs to keep going at their snail pace till they reach only God knows where. Once again, not a bad thinking, but it only goes to suggest that maybe NCA should have allowed the BWAs to partner the mainstream telcos from the onset to deploy 4G wider. The simple reason is, the telcos have the nationwide coverage already and they can guarantee the BWAs regular flow of revenue in a partnership arrangement, and also guarantee Ghanaians access. The BWAs also have spectra good for capacity to improve quality of service in densely populated areas. The partnerships will benefit Ghanaians greatly.

Blocking partnerships

As things are now, the telcos are keen on partnering the BWAs. In facts at least one telco, Vodafone has presented a complete partnership proposal with a BWA (Surfline) to NCA to seek clearance to partner Surfline. Vodafone is willing to even pay NCA for that opportunity, but the NCA flatly rejected their proposal on the grounds that policies and the regulatory framework for such partnerships do not exist yet so it cannot be allowed. Tigo also made enquiries about a wholesale deal with Comsys (an ISP), but that also got a "not yet" answer from NCA for similar reasons. But the critics suspect that maybe NCA feels obliged to protect MTN for at least three years like they did for the BWAs, then they will allow partnerships or probably even the sale of the remaining band in the 800MHz spectrum and the 700MHz spectrum at reasonable prices.

It is also worthy of note that the BWAs got their license for less, arguably for a number of reasons, which may include the fact that the license limited them to only data service for the first five years. And even that, they needed to meet certain coverage parameters before they can be allowed to do voice. So they have been denied the opportunity of voice revenue and now the biggest voice player has become a threat to them. At least, partnership with the big telcos can guarantee the BWAs survival, as some telco executives argue. But the NCA in its "wisdom" still thinks partnership now is a no-no for the reasons given. Maybe the reason again is to protect the runaway market leader.

Questions

So in all, whose interest did the pricing of the 4G spectrum serve - the politicians - to meet their digital migration deadline; MTN - to get a competitive urge over the others as was the case with the award of GSM license in Ghana decades ago; or the Ghanaian, who is actually the owner of the resource and would love to have access to it, no matter what network he uses? It does not appear that the interest of the Ghanaian was at the centre of the decision in pricing the 4G spectrum; maybe indirectly it was, because digital migration is for the benefit of the public. But in terms of ensuring affordability and wider accessibility of 4G, it does not appear to be.

Ghanaians need answers from NCA and government on how come they priced spectrum in a manner that left the spectrum unsold and lots of Ghanaians denied access?

How come, in pursuit of a local content policy, they gave a valuable resource for cheap to Ghanaian-owned companies who have proved beyond every reasonable doubt that they do not have money to deploy and let Ghanaians benefit? Where was the foresight?

How come BWA players do not have money to deploy and yet telcos are refused the opportunity to partner them and deploy nationwide for the benefit of Ghanaians? The talk or partnerships in the industry has been going on for so long now; so when is the NCA waiting to draft policies and regulatory framework for that?

What is happening to the remaining spectrum band in the 800MHz frequency - how does the NCA intend to make it available for the use of Ghanaians - can the NCA muster the courage and sell it for less after selling one for relatively so high to MTN - wouldn't that be a stab in MTN's back, just like the BWAs claimed the NCA stabbed them in the back by allowing MTN into the 4G space too early?

Ghanaians need answers to these pertinent questions. As the new. Minister of Communications, Ursla Owusu-Ekuful takes over, she needs to look critically at the 4G space and provide the needed leadership to ensure some sanity.
The U.S.A-Africa Chamber of Commerce, Ghana (USA-ACC) and iChange Nations (iCNTM) have issued a press statement to congratulate the countrys newly sworn-in President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo and the entire Ghanaian citizenry for holding successful elections in 2016 and deepening the countrys democracy.

According to Dr. Clyde Rivers who is a United Nations Peace Ambassador and the President of iCNTM which is the largest Establishing Cultures of Honour organization in the world, Ghana as a country that is clearly dedicated to democratisation has the potential to become the first Golden Rule Nation in the World especially with the establishment of the first African Chapter of the USA-ACC in Accra. Dr. Richmond Annan, CEO of iCNTM Africa added that the USA-ACC and ICN are committed to supporting efforts at deepening democracy and economic stability within the countries in which they operate.

Dr. Gladys Loggin-Florunsho, the Founder of the USA-ACC also expressed appreciation for the pioneering leadership of the Ghanaian Chapter of the USA-ACC under the chairmanship of Martin Ofori, CEO of Crystal Capital & Investments Ltd. and his Vice, Charles Bennin of Ideal Insurance Brokers.

Mr. Ofori said that Ghana has earned its spot as a beacon of democracy in Africa and will be a trail blazer in establishing the Golden Rule of doing business. He added that the USA-ACC Ghana office is currently in the process of establishing qualifying procedures to register reputable organisations in Ghana to be part of a prestigious group of organisations that have received the honour of practicing the Golden Rule of doing business. Their congratulatory message is below:

We at the U.S.A-Africa Chamber of Commerce and iChange Nations are honoured to congratulate H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his election and swearing in as President of the Republic of Ghana. Please accept our congratulations on a race well run and our best wishes for the years ahead. You have assumed office at a time of uneasy global economic condition, among other challenges.

We are however assured that bound by the economic values of democracy, freedom, honour and respect for the rule of law, you will do your utmost best to strategically deploy the best talents with the dexterity to engender growth and development to keep the flag of Ghana flying higher.

While we are assured of your ability to bring overall development to the country, we would like to remind you of issues bordering on fiscal discipline, energy, trade and investment, education among others, which you outlined in your manifesto. We believe that these are key sectors that will open up the economy, help local businesses to form international partnerships and motivate innovation.

We also congratulate H.E. John Dramani Mahama, for your valiant effort during the campaign and wish you every success in all your endeavours. We acknowledge your dedication to the continuous democratization process and say ayeeko for your hard work during your term as President of Ghana and efforts at ensuring a peaceful transition.

We commend the Electoral Commission for a job well done in the organization of the 2016 General Elections.

We would also like to acknowledge the work of the National Peace Council, Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), other Civil Service Organizations, and all Ghanaians in protecting our thriving democracy.
As there has been a transition of power from the NDC of which I led to your leadership, the words of of William Shakespeare comes to mind as he once wrote in his book "As You Like It" that "all the world is a stage and the men and women merely players:they have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts". All too soon my term of office has come to an unexpected end. Well , I did not see this coming but there comes a time that one has to accept his fate. A time when one should concede defeat when the populace says so.

But for the constrain of time, I would have said what I intend to say In this write up at the State of the Nation Address.

Once again, I congratulate you on such a massive win of this elections. Unlike 2012, you had your facts straight this time around. This is so because in 2012, your policy of free education dwarfed your other salient policies in your manifesto . The ordinary Ghanaian who is too busy to read a party's manifesto thought that free education was your one and only policy. This made the banker who is not In need of free education to vote against you. Likewise the lecturer teaching at the Tertiary level did not also see it beneficial to rocket you into the helm of affairs because that policy couldn't bring Instant money in their pockets.

The results of December 7th elections thought me a whole lot of lessons. I have learnt that Ghanaians will never appreciate efforts but results. It is clear that Ghanaians will always appreciate results because much efforts were channeled to the energy sector making dumsor to come to an end at the tail end of my administration. Till then, all my efforts were not appreciated.

Santaya in the "life of reason stated that" those who cannot not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. This was our plight since we also repeated Same mistakes. My administration saw the projection of our flashy monumental infrastructures all across Ghana but little did we know that the people of Ghana needed money first in their pockets but not infrastructures. It is crystal clear that we failed to learn from the past as a government. The intoxicating syrup of power could cause one to forget so easily when on top of affairs. It's just like a student who tries very hard to get an answer to a question only for the student to forget the question when he finally gets the answer. To be in the helm of affairs seems to be an unending journey. Trust me, it can come to an abrupt end within a twinkling of an eye. Within a split of a micro-second, the powerful can become powerless for the powerless to become powerful.

In most people's opinion, I was not a happy man during the transition ceremony. But what do Ghanaians expect from a leader who made history in the political scene of Ghana by serving only one term and is taken out of power by the citizens? In all, I think it's the nature of Ghanaians to yearn for change after a stipulated period of time. There was a similar change in the 2008 elections. Nonetheless, this year's yearning and eagerness for change was unprecedented. A person who has passed through the mill : having been grinded and molded by such a massive defeat has two choices to make. To become arrogant or sober but I chose to be humbled and sober by the decision of the good citizens of Ghana. I have contributed my quota to the betterment of our dear country with my monumental infrastructures and I leave the judgement in the hands of posterity.

There were some things i should have known of which I should let you know as a freshman in the in the position of the presidency of Ghana.

I should have known that facts would be chosen by the ordinary Ghanaian over cheap propaganda. At the end of it all the ordinary Ghanaian will be able to discern right from wrong, reality from fiction and lies from palpable truth.

I should have known that inexperienced appointees was the surest way to dig my own grave. I should have listened to the citizens when they complained bitterly of young men with no technical experience in my administration. They wake up overnight and decide on what to tell Ghanaians In order to fuel their already blazing inexhaustible anger. I should have known that young inexperienced ministers would tell teacher trainees to go and burn the sea if they can't accept the cancellation of their allowances.

I should have known that changing of corrupt officials to different positions was uncouth and highly frowned upon by the Ghanaian fraternity. Many Ghanaians could not understand why a rich but poor country like Ghana which is crawling out of its own internally generated mess could fly money all the way to Brazil. I should have known that, not allowing Ghanaians to see the report of the investigations that were carried out was tantamount to taking me out of power. Ghanaians couldn't "think far" of the misappropriation of state's funds all in the name of a gargantuan service to the nation. We should have heeded to the voices of the masses when they chanted for the corrupt officials to be deposed and made to face the music.

I should have known that cheap propaganda and character assassination will only amount to making its victim famous thereby helping him to gain the sympathy of the masses.

I should have known that misplaced priorities could lead us to opposition. The people in Kotokuraba in the Central Region could not see the essence of the magnificent building to be used as market while they still remained peasant sellers in the market . The people of Ghana could not understand the building of an airport in Ho since Ho to Accra is just a two hour drive. Meanwhile the suburbs of Ho needed more than just an airport.

I should have known that the outrageous amount that went into the bus branding was heartbreaking while roads in some towns were In a deplorable state. Mention can be made of the dusty nature of the road of Sampa in the Jaman North District and the dilapidated nature of the Berekum road which only leaves its Indigenes soaked in dust thereby forcing the people of such towns to be enemies of "white shirts."

My unexpected demise has made me to ask too much from the state. This not withstanding, posterity will one day hear of me.

In the meantime, improve upon my rights and make right my wrongs.

THIS SPEECH IS BIRTHED FROM EXPERIENCE.

Echoes of a former president.

This is what I think will be the final words of John Mahama to Nana Akuffo Addo.

*THE WRITER IS EFFAH ELVIS, A STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST*
In a statement released on the 9th of January under the heading PRESIDENT AKUFFO - ADDO DESIGNATES FORMER PRRSIDENT JOHN MAHAMA TO REPRESENT HIM AT ECOWAS MINI-SUMMIT ON GAMBIA, the office of our new President sort to create the impression that Nana Akuffo Addo decided to have Mahama take his place on the ECOWAS MINI SUMMIT ON GAMBIA

The statement which was released first through our presidents Facebook Page has received a lot of plaudit from many Ghanaians.

I am not against any form of collaboration between our current government and former one because it will attest to how much progress we have made in our democratic journey and why we remain an example for many countries around the world.

It will be lovely to see our former president work closely with our current one for the good of our dear nation and to a large extent the sub region.

In this case however, the presidency was very economical with the truth and I think it must be pointed out and condemned accordingly

The truth is that ECOWAS made a specific request to have President Mahama continue with his mediation role together with the Head of The Team, President Buhari.

As a matter of fact and as confirmed by all the major media reports about the new role assigned our former president, the discussion to have Mahama continue in that role took place at the Independence Square During the inauguration on 7th, January. The Sub-Regional body made their request formerly and directly known to former President Mahama.

Given the fact that it was a summit of Heads of States, the prudent thing to do was to get the clearance from the sitting government. It is part of the protocol arrangement in such instances and ours is not the first and wouldnt be the last.

In response, President Akufo Addo personally called Mahama to inform him of ECOWAS decision. It was the decision of ECOWAS to have Mahama continue assisting Buhari to find a solution to Gambia and not Nana Addos decision to decline going and have Mahama in his place.

In any case, Nana is aware that Mahama said he will take a rest before deciding his next step. In my estimation, it is not even right for a new president to send the former one a day after taking over his position and I believe as matured a politician as Nana is, he wouldnt commit such a blunder.

Logically, the best person to convince Yahya Jammeh that there is life outside the office of the president after 22 years at the helm is President Mahama who accepted his marching orders after just one term in office

It was a strategic decision taken by the sub-regional body to try and bring peace to our neighbours in Gambia

To present a statement that suggests that Nana assigned Mahama to take his place or represent him as Ghanaians were made to believe is dishonesty and must not be encouraged

Truth and Accuracy must be the guiding principle of every word that comes from the most august office in this country.

We are in massive danger if we get to the point where statements from the office of our president have credibility issues

This is the same communication team that embarrassed the President and the whole country with plagiarised inaugural speech. To follow that up with a deceptive statement is not a good way to begin.

We bought a Nana Addo sold to us as competent, incorruptible and one who will surround himself with likeminded people. We will not settle for anything less or similar to what we voted against. The bar been raised in this respect.

As we call for patience from the populace in their demand for the fulfilment of the numerous juicy promises; we will also expect them to be truthful to us in all circumstances

Populism and propaganda is not going to help the image of the new government. We seek truth as citizens and wont settle of three quarters of it as spectators do

As if the deceptive statement was not enough, the statement was first released on the official letterhead of government and posted on the Facebook page of President Akufo Addo. In this age of cybercrime when document are falsified to defraud unsuspecting people, classified document like the letterhead of the presidency should be protected and not be made so cheaply available.

It isnt everything that should be shared on social media in the name of accountability. This was just unnecessarily populace that adds nothing to our lots but exposes our governments to ridicule.

When we start seeing fake statements supposedly from the office of the President circulating on social media, Eugene Arhin and co must know that the actions of government made it easy for them.

A simple note could have been posted on the page of the President and it would have carried the same weight with much less security implication.

That said, the statement wasnt even necessarily. Nana calling Mahama to tell him that ECOWAS wants him to keep working on Gambia doesnt warrant a statements on our official letterhead shared via social media. I am tempted to think that it was only issued to present Nana Addo as a magnanimous leader who believes in all inclusive governance

The spirit of this article is to send a message to our new government that we rate them so high and dont expect them to be dishonest in even unnecessary things. We will hold them accountable to their words, make allowance for mistakes but wont take kindly to deception, lies and dishonesty.

What we want is the delivery of the promises that gave us wet dreams because we are up now awake and yearning to experience the reality. The time of praise-singing Nana is over- he must deliver to prove that he is what we were made to believe he is.

Spicing his speeches with punch-lines of others to make him appear to have originated them and calling a simple communication of ECOWAS decision to the ex-president as an appointment by him is a false start and that trend must immediately grind to a halt.

We will give them time and contribute our quota in areas we can. I will keep encouraging people to be patient because Rome was not built in a day. One district one factory, one village one dam, one million per constituency annually on the back of reducing taxes, cutting down on borrowing and restoring a number of allowances for students will require time and patience. Not easy but not impossible. I have always argued that they are doable. Those who voted for it believe they are doable. Yes we can (Obama). Im free from pla..giarism

We will wait, work, while we pray like citizens do.

What we cant wait for is the truth

Isaac Kyei Andoh

[email protected]
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday announced the names of 12 more persons as his nominees for various ministerial positions, with the introduction of two new portfolios  Minister in-charge of Monitoring and Evaluation and Minister for Regional Re-Organisation and Development.

Those who made it to the list this time round include the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tafo, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei  Minister-designate, Monitoring and Evaluation at the presidency; MP for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe; celebrated Cardiologist, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng; John Peter Amewu [Volta Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)] and Otiko Afisa Djaba, National Women's Organiser of the party.

The rest of the nominees are Ignatius Baffour Awuah (MP for Sunyani West), Kweku Ofori Asiamah (Central Regional representative on the National Council of the NPP), Joe Ghartey (MP for Essikado-Ketan), Kwasi Amoako Atta (MP for Atiwa West), Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP for Ablekuma West), Joseph Kofi Adda (MP for Navrongo Central) and Samuel Atta Akyea (MP for Abuakwa South).

It brings to 25, the number of Ministers -designate so far nominated by President Akufo-Addo to serve in his government, pending parliamentary approval.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that more ministries are in the offing, including Ministry for Infrastructural Development, to be manned by a woman from the Central Region.

Monitoring & Evaluation



Nana Akufo-Addo has nominated former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, as Minister in-charge of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Flagstaff House.

The president said he is going to see to it that the targets set by the government as contained in the NPP manifesto as well as those set up in the budget are met; not just met, but met on time so that the entire machinery at all times is going to have somebody calling up and asking questions.

Akoto-Osei, 64, is the MP for Old Tafo, former Ranking Member for the Committee on Finance and member of the committee of Interior and Defence.

He is considered as one of the finest Economists in recent years, acquiring his experience from providing consultancy services for the World Bank (Korea Division) in 1987, teaching at Dillard and Howard Universities from 1984 to 1995 as an Associate Professor in Economics and as a Research Fellow for the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), Ghana from 1996-2001 in Ghana.

Regional Re-organisation And Development



Dan Kwaku Botwe heads for the newly created Regional Re-organisation and Development Ministry which is expected to restructure governance in the country.

Dan Botwe, 58, worked as a computer analyst at the Ghana Cocoa Board from 1985 to 1993, before moving into private business.

Among his long list of achievements in politics, he was elected General Secretary of the NPP in 1998 and re-elected for a second term in 2001.

In 2005, he was appointed as Minister of Information by President John Agyekum Kufuor. Dan was elected in 2008 as the Member of Parliament for the Okere Constituency, a position he holds till date. From 2013 to 2016 he was made Minority Chief Whip of the 6th Parliament.

He is married with three children.

Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation

The president believes the country cannot develop without a man like Prof Frimpong-Boateng, whom he has nominated for the position of Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The 67-year-old former CEO of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital who established the National Cardiothoracic Centre, has received several local and international awards in recognition of his medical work and service to humanity.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was the winner of the 2012 edition of the prestigious African Heroes Award, presented by Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA, on February 12, 2012.

He is married and has five children.

Lands and Forestry



Peter Amewu, 48, who has been nominated to head the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines, is said to be having more than 15 years' experience in government, private sector, civil society and international development organizations.

He is a Co-founder of Africa Center for Energy Policy  ACEP.

He is married with three children.

Gender, Children And Social Protection



President Akufo-Addo thought it wise to nominate his party's National Women's Organiser, 54-year-old Otiko Afisa-Djaba, as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.

She studied Information Systems in the UK, communications in Eygpt and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development Studies at the University of Development Studies in Ghana.

Otiko worked as a Consultant in Childrens Rights and rural womens development for Plan Ghana in extremely deprived rural communities in the Sissala District and in Wa.

She is a polyglot, who speaks eight Ghanaian languages; and has 4 children.

Employment And Labour Relations



Fifty-one-year-old Ignatius Baffuor-Awuah also heads to the Employment and Labour Relations Ministry.

He was Municipal Chief Executive of Sunyani from 2001 to 2005 before being appointed Deputy Brong  Ahafo Regional Minister by President Kufuor between 2005 and 2006 and landed the top job in the region in 2006, when he was appointed the Regional Minister.

He has been the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West since 2009 and has been the Deputy Ranking Member for Finance, among other positions.

Transport



Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, 47, who is not too known, is a product of the University of Cape Coast with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He has also been designated to head the Ministry of Transport.

Asiamah is married with four children.

Railways Development



The president has also tasked his nominee for the Ministry of Railway Development, Joe Ghartey, to revamp the country's dead railway industry.

The 55-year-old lawyer and MP for Essikado-Ketan, has taught Company Law at the Ghana School of Law, Securities Industry Law at the Ghana Stock Exchange, Investment Law at the Ghana Business School, University of Ghana and Corporate Governance at the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

He entered Parliament in 2005.

He is married with five children.

Roads And Highways



MP for Atiwa West, Kwaku Amoako-Atta, is the Minister-designate for Roads and Highways. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2002. In 2004, he obtained an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA).

He worked with the then Meat Marketing Board from 1979 to 1985 as a Marketing Manager. He held other positions in other establishments.

He is married with four children.

Communications



The MP for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, 52, also needs the blessing of parliament to become the head of the Ministry of Communications.

She worked for 10 years as an Associate at Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co., Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public.

From September 2005 to May 2008, she was the acting Managing Director, Western Telesystems (Westel), and from April 2008 to January 2009, she was the Corporate and External Affairs Director, ZAIN Ghana.

She is married and has a child.

Water Resources And Sanitation



After managing to win back his Navrongo Central seat, 60-year-old Joseph Kofi Adda has been honoured with the position of Minister-designate for Water Resources and Sanitation.

Under the government of President Kufuor, he was Minister for Energy from 2006 to 2008, and prior to that he was Minister for Labour and Social Development from 2005 to 2006. It was under his tenure in office as Minister for Labour that the National Youth Employment Programme, which created 150,000 jobs, was conceptualized and introduced.

He is married with two children.

Works And Housing



MP for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta-Akyea, will become the Minister of Works and Housing if he is approved by Parliament.

He was called to the Ghana Bar in 1993. He once worked at the Attorney General's Department. He has served on the Finance, Public Accounts, Judiciary and Appointments Committees of Parliament.

He is married with 3 children.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Flagstaff House
Govt to review existing public holidays

Amid mounting pressure from several quarters to declare a public holiday on Poush 27 as national unity day, the government has decided to review the existing holidays and come up with a calendar accordingly.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has finally withdrawn his controversial request to be allowed to keep the house he occupied while in office.

The house, which is officially designated as residence for vice presidents, was used by Mahama while he was vice president and continued to live there when he became president.

This compelled Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur to continue his stay at the official residence of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) but later moved to Australia House, a state safe house.

But days after losing power, President Mahama put in a request that he should be allowed to keep the building, generating furore in the country.

The request to have the house appropriated to him as part of his end-of-service package might not have been accepted by the Akufo-Addo government, looking at the backlash accompanying it.

That was contrary to Mahama's opposition to the sale of government bungalows to public officials, for which reason at a point two of his ministers went to court to challenge the late Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey's decision to purchase one of such state properties.

This is what seems to have provoked public anger and outcry against the former president's decision, with some angry Ghanaians threatening to march to his house to evict him, and this might have compelled him to beat a hasty retreat.

In a letter dated Tuesday, January 10, 2017, titled 'Official Residence and Office,' signed by John Mahama himself and addressed to President Akufo-Addo with a copy to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Mr Mahama noted, I refer to our agreement on the above subject matter and wish to inform you that I have decided to formally withdraw both requests to continue to stay at my current place or residence, No. 3 Prestige Link, Cantonments, and also to use bungalow No.6, 3rd Avenue, Ridge as my office.

It would appear that these requests threaten to mar the spirit of cooperation with which we as co-chairs of the joint Transition Team have managed the smooth transfer of power from my administration to yours.

He was of the belief that the controversy surrounding the house in question was absolutely not needed in these early days as the Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration tries to settle down in office.

He justified his initial request, I do recognize that these are facilities that are conventionally extended to presidents that leave office and I am also mindful of the approval by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana on Wednesday, 4th January, 2017 at its twenty-second sitting of the third meeting of the fourth session.

According to Mr Mahama, Contrary to the erroneous impression created by some persons in government and the interpretation given to the formal letter submitted on my behalf by Julius Debrah, this was a follow-up to an agreement we had on my choice of accommodation and office. I have never requested to purchase the property.

In view of the prevailing circumstance, he noted with emphasis that My request is therefore humbly withdrawn.

Some Ghanaians have argued that former President Agyekum Kufuor was deprived of his office, not to talk about his end-of-service residence which to date has not been delivered.

Comments

A number of notable persons have since commented on this latest position by the former president.

Kofi Bentil, a member of the civil society group, said President Mahama should have avoided the charges and veiled accusations made in his letter.

It forces response, and scrutiny wont be in his favour, Kofi posited.

Did Prez Mahama make a request to Parliament? Did the transition team make a request to Parliament? he queried.

He further posed, After passing the Buandoh report, does parliament have the power to change the report ON THE REQUEST OF a beneficiary?

Do you see the huge ethical, moral issues etc that it raises?

And does parliament have a right to grant such requests outside the report?

Mr Bentil suggested, I think President Akufo-Addo should be allowed space to deal with the broken economy he has inherited. Dumping controversy like this wont help anyone. Good enough that the request is withdrawn. The fight is however, not over.

According to him, Many Ghanaians reject the whole Article 71 principle. And I pledge that we will fight it until justice rolls down the hills like water and righteousness ascends to the thrones of power.

We are a poor nation working hard to be better. It is anomalous that those who lead us and must make the most sacrifices opt to reward themselves at our expense and check out of our common reality.

We dont owe any politician a living. If you want to make money go into the private sector.

Kojo Yankah

Founder and former President of the African University College of Education, Kojo Yankah, added his voice to Mahama's latest decision.

I am very happy to hear that President Mahama has withdrawn his request to occupy his former residence. Thank you, Mr President, for staying clear of this potentially cancerous precedence. Public servants should be well advised.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday gave a major boost to his campaign promise of creating new regions in the country when he announced the creation of a new administrative entity called Ministry of Regional Re-organisation and Development.

The ministry is expected to be headed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe.

At a press conference at the Flagstaff House in Accra to announce his second batch of ministerial nominees, the president mentioned the Western, Brong-Ahafo, Northern and Volta Regions as those likely to be affected after a referendum.

The Western-North Region is expected to be carved out of the present Western Region, another out of the Brong Ahafo Region, the Northern and the proposed Oti Region from the Volta Region.

He has since tasked the Minister-designate, Dan Botwe, to oversee the process leading to the fulfillment of this major campaign promise of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), if approved by parliament.

The new ministry is also expected to restructure governance in the country and supervise processes leading to the fulfillment of the president's campaign promise of making the positions of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE) electable.

Speaking at the press briefing, President Akufo-Addo, stressed the belief that the process of devolution of power will require that we look again at the regional structures of our country, all with the aim of trying to promote rapid development of Ghana.

Whiles he admitted to the fact that the constitutional requirement for the creation of regions is stringent, he noted, When you come to the consultative process with the people, you are talking about 50% of those who are affected by the decision, having to come out to vote.

Out of that, he indicated that 80% must approve the demand for the creation of the region.

He deems it a major exercise since the decision to create a new region cannot be merely effected with the stroke of a pen.

This is the reason why he has decided to choose Dan Botwe who he said has extensive experience in mass mobilization to lead the process.

He is going to need the support not just of the cabinet, of the government but the party, its machinery and to the extent possibly, cobbling together all the coalitions to make this thing happen, the president declared.

The government intends to go through the processes by the middle of 2018.

From Charles Takyi-Boadu, Flagstaff House
RESIDENTS OF Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti Region, have been advised to stay indoors in the night of Thursday, January 19, when the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, will be buried.

Brantuo Baafuor Osei Hyeaman VI, Otumfuo's Manwerehene, explained that the precautionary order aims at helping to prevent unscrupulous people from taking advantage of the big event to foment trouble.

He stated emphatically that the precautionary order for people to stay indoors from Thursday to Friday dawn doesn't have any traditional significance, noting that it is only aimed at preventing criminals from operating.

The burial of our great queen mother will naturally attract a lot of people from far and near into the city and it is certain that hoodlums might take advantage of the event to cause trouble.

We don't want such weird things to happen therefore we are advising residents of Kumasi to stay indoors Thursday night when the Asantehemaa will be sent to the royal mausoleum at Breman, Brantuo Baafuor Osei Hyeaman VI indicated.

The Manwerehene, who is part of three committees formed to ensure a smooth burial of the Asantehemaa  including security, publicity, medical, environment and sanitation  was speaking with DAILY GUIDE.

Last Respects

He indicated that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, would pay his last respect to the queen mother (his biological mother), followed by the paramount chiefs on Monday, January 16  the first day of the burial ceremony.

Baafuor Brantuo disclosed that chiefs from the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) would also pay homage to the late queen mother on Tuesday. Reports indicate that ex-President Mahama will also pay his last respect on Tuesday.

According to the Manwerehene, it is likely that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will lead a powerful government delegation to the palace to pay their last respects on Wednesday.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi


President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced the second list of ministerial nominees to serve in his government Wednesday.

The list has 12 minister-designates bringing the total number of appointees to 25 with a promise of a third batch expected to be released by Friday.

The nominees have been profiled below:

ANTHONY Akoto Osei  Monitoring and Evaluation

Anthony Akoto Osei is 64 years, and is the Member of Parliament for the Old Tafo constituency. He obtained a PhD from Howard University in 1987, a Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics from the American University in 1980. He had earlier obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Economics from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1978.

He is the current Ranking Member for the Committee on Finance, and a member of the committee of Interior and Defence.

Anthony Akoto Osei can be considered as one of the finest Economist in recent years acquiring his experience from providing consultancy services for the World Bank (Korea Division) in 1987, teaching at Dillard and Howard Universities from 1984 to 1995 as an Associate Professor in Economics and as a Research Fellow for the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) from 1996-2001 in Ghana.

In the erstwhile Kufour Administration, he was made first,(from 2001-2003) a Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Economic planning and later appointed a Deputy Minister of the same Ministry in 2003 later elevated to Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, a position until December 2008.

DAN Botwe  Regional Reorganisation and Development

Dan Botwe is 58 years old, and a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 1984. He worked as a computer analyst at the Ghana Cocoa Board from 1985 to 1993, before moving into private business as Director of DanMaud Ltd and Palb Pharmaceuticals.

His political career began on KNUST campus, when he was elected National Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in 1982. As a member of the interim executive of the national youth wing during the formation of the NPP, he was later on appointed Director of operations and research at NPP headquarters from 1996 to 1998. In 1998 he was elected as the General Secretary of the NPP and re-elected for a second term in 2001.

In 2005, he was appointed as Minister of information by President John Agyekum Kufuor. Dan was elected in 2008 as the Member of Parliament for the Okere constituency, a position he holds till date. From 2013-2016 he was made Minority Chief Whip of the 6th Parliament.

He is married with three children.

KWABENA Frimpong Boateng  Environment, Science, Technology

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is 67 years old. He graduated from the University of Ghana Medical School in 1975 with MB, ChB degrees, and qualified as a as general surgeon, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon after undertaking his postgraduate studies at the Hannover Medical University, Germany in 1978. He subsequently worked as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and was one of the pioneers of the heart transplantation programme in Hannover. In 1985, he was recognized as the first black person to perform a heart transplant. He returned home in 1989 to establish the National Cardiothoracic Centre and the Ghana Heart Foundation.

He was a former CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, past President of the Ghana Red Cross Society and immediate past Chairman of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC). He established the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and was its founding Director. Currently, he is the President of the Ghana Heart Foundation.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has received several local and international awards in recognition of his medical work and service to humanity. In 1999 he was the Ghana Chartered Institute of Marketings Marketing Man of the year and also, a recipient of the Millennium Excellence Award. In 2005 the Millennium Excellence Foundation awarded him as Personality of the Decade. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was the winner of the 2012 edition of the prestigious African Heroes Award, presented by Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA, on February 12, 2012.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng is married and has five children.

JOHN Peter Amewu  Lands and Natural Resources

John-Peter Amewu is 48 years old, and holds an MBA (Finance) from University of Ghana. He also has a Post Graduate Degree (Executive MBA in International Energy Industry Management), and Masters in Petroleum Law and Policy from University of Dundee (UK).

He has more than 15 years experience in Government, Private Sector, Civil Society and International Development Organizations. He has participated and undergone several mining professional training and attained various certificates from some Australias prestigious Universities (University of Sydney and University of Western Australia).

He is a Cost Engineer by profession with broader knowledge in the Energy and Mining Industry. He is a Co-founder of Africa Center for Energy Policy  ACEP; and also worked as the Director of Policy and Research where he provided pro-active and comprehensive policy related advice to support a variety of Government and Private Sector Projects.

He is the Chairman of Board of Directors of major private institutions in Ghana and a professional international consultant in his area of expertise (Mining and Petroleum). His contributions in providing solutions to the problems in the Energy Sector in Ghana have earned him both local and international acclamation and recognition.

He is currently the Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region.

He is married with three children.

OTIKO Afisa-Djaba  Gender and Social Protection

Otiko Afisah Djaba is 54 years old. She studied Information Systems in the UK, communications in Eygpt and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development Studies at the University of Development Studies in Ghana.

She also was the National Facilitator for the Campaign for Greater Discipline under Former Vice President Aliu Mahama in 2004. She worked as a Consultant in Children's Rights and rural women's development for Plan Ghana in extremely deprived rural communities in Sissala districts and in Wa. In 2008 she was the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Bole-Bamboi constituency, and is currently the Women's leader of the New Patriotic Party and has held the position since 2010. She is a polyglot, who speaks 8 Ghanaian dialects.

She has 4 children

IGNATIUS Baffuor Awuah  Employment and Social Welfare

Ignatius Baffuor Awuah is 51 years old, and hails from Nsoatre in the Brong Ahafo Region. He is a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration (Accounting option). He also holds a post graduate diploma in management (IPMA) London, and certificate in Civil Service Management from the Galilee College, Israel. From 1996 to 2001, he worked as the Operations Manager at Nsoatreman Rural Bank 1996-2001; Municipal Chief Executive of Sunyani from 2001 to 2005; before being appointed Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister by President Kufuor between 2005-2006 and landed the top job in the region in 2006, when he was appointed Brong Ahafo Regional Minister.

He has been the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West since 2009, and whilst in parliament has been the Deputy Ranking Member for Finance, a member of the Local Government Committee, a member of the committee on Environment, Science and Technology, and also the Second Deputy Whip of the Minority in parliament.

OFORI Asiamah  Transport

Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah is 47 years old. He is a graduate of University of Cape Coast and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. After his National service with Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Tema, in 2000, he worked as Marketing Manager at Household Aluminium Company Ltd. He has also worked at Quest Resource Development Consultancy Ltd, and General Manager of Josa Plus Ventures.

He served as a member of NPP campaign team in the Central Region in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He also served as a member of National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from 2009 to date.

He is married with four children.

JOE Ghartey  Railways Development

Joe Ghartey is 55 years old, and a graduate of the University of Ghana, where he obtained an LLB (Hons) in 1986, before being called to the Bar in Ghana in 1988. He then joined the Law Firm of Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. as a Pupil and subsequently became an Associate. In 1995, he founded his own law firm, Ghartey & Ghartey.

He has taught Company Law at the Ghana School of Law, Securities Industry Law at the Ghana Stock Exchange, Investment Law at the Ghana Business School, University of Ghana and Corporate Governance at the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). He is currently an Adjunct Senior Lecturer of International Trade and Investment Law, as well as Company Law, at the Faculty of Law, University of Cape Coast. He has authored the leading Ghanaian text book on doing business and investing, Doing Business and Investing in Ghana: Legal and Institutional Framework.

He entered Parliament in 2005 as the Member of Parliament of the Essikado-Ketan Constituency. In June 2006, he was appointed Deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister of Justice. From June 2006 to January 2009, he was the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. In 2009 and 2012 he was re-elected as Member of Parliament for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency.

During the Sixth Parliament, he was the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament. He returned to Parliament for the fourth time as the Member of Parliament of Essikado-Ketan Constituency in 2017.

He is married with five children.

KWASI Amoako-Atta  Roads and Highways

Kwasi Amoako-Atta is 65years old. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration, and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2002. In 2004, he obtained an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA).

He worked with the then Meat Marketing Board from 1979-1985 as a Marketing Manager. He also joined Unilever in 1985, and over a 20 year period occupied very senior management positions such as Head of Department in Sales, Marketing and Logistics. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Atiwa West.

He is married with four children.

URSULA Owusu-Ekuful  Communications

Ursula Owusu Ekuful is 52 years old, and a product of the University Of Ghana And The Ghana School Of Law. She was called to the Ghana Bar in October 1990. She also holds a certificate in Government Integrity from the International Law Institute, Washington DC, a Project Management and Planning Certificate from GIMPA, and a Masters in Conflict Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and was adjudged the overall best student in 2015.

She worked for 10 years as an Associate at Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co., Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public. From Sept 2005 to May 2008, she was was the acting Managing Director, Western Telesystems (Westel), and from April 2008 to January 2009, she was the Corporate and External Affairs Director, ZAIN Ghana. She has also been the NPP Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma West Constituency since 2012.

In the run-up to the December 7, 2016 elections, she served as the Chairperson for the Social Development Sector Committee  a committee responsible for the development of policy interventions for women, children, persons with disability, the aged and all social intervention policies and programs for the NPP manifesto 2016.

She is married and has one child.

KOFI Adda  Water Resources and Sanitation

Kofi Adda is 60 years old. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Political Science from the Indiana Wesleyan Univerity, USA; a Masters in International Affairs (specialising in International Finance and Banking); and a Certificate in Energy Economics from the University of Texas. He was a Project Manager for the Public Financial Management Reform Programme of the World Bank and Ministry of Finance from 1996-2000; Client Service Director and Manager at Deloitte and Touche; amongst others.

Under the government of President Kufuor, he was Minister for Energy from 2006 to 2008 under President Kufuors government, and prior to that was Minister for Labour and Social Development from 2005 to 2006. It was under his tenure in office as Minister for Labour that the National Youth Employment Programme, which created 150,000 jobs was conceptualized and introduced.

He is the Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, and is married with two children.

SAMUEL Atta Akyea Works and Housing

Samuel Atta Akyea is 53 years old. He was called to the Ghana Bar in 1993. He has worked at the Attorney Generals Department, at Akufo-Addo Prempeh & Co. He has been at Zoe, Akyea & Co., for a period of 14 years. He has been a Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South since January 2009. He has served on the Finance, Public Accounts Judiciary and Appointments Committees of Parliament.

He is married with 3 children.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Certainly, President Akufu-Addos government is at its embryonic stage and therefore, it will not only be quixotic but also an act of primitive bigotry to start criticizing Ghanas new president at this time. The government is a product of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). If Mr. Akufo-Addo and the NPP are supposed to lead Ghanaians for the next four (4) years, then what is the relevance of the hypocritical parliamentary vetting? I had always been in the state of mental disquietude during legislative vetting of would-be ministers and deputy ministers of state. The incoming vetting is no exception. Ghanas constitution and parliaments minted legal systems frown upon conflict of interest while the national assembly supervises conflict of interest. I want to reflect on conflict of interest and parliamentary vetting of ministers in Ghana.

Conflict of interest refers to a strife between two or more entities (Parsa, Aramesh & Larijani, 2014). It also refers to the process of sustaining social trust and differences between breaches of ethical duty and temptation to breach duty (Brody, 2011). Conflict of interest depends of trust because of its social role (Brody, 2011). To put into perspectives, it is the discord between personal interest and professional or official duty.

The 1992 constitution of Ghana empowers the ruling government to appoint the speaker and the first deputy speaker of parliament. This partly explains why President Akufu-Addo appointed Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye and Mr. Joe Osei Wusu as the speaker and the first deputy speaker of legislature respectively. Both professor Oquye and Mr. Osei Wusu are members of NPP. The speaker of parliament and other leaders of the house constitute members of the parliamentary vetting committee. The first deputy speaker is the chairman of the committee. What is particularly nauseating is that some of the ministerial nominees are also members of the vetting committee. For example, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul who has been nominated for the defense portfolio is a member of the vetting committee. A conflict of interest at its height. Hmm! A good religion of Islam means peace, and there is a city called Isalamabad (City of Islam), but there is no peace in Islamabad! How can the standard bearers of conflict of interest in Ghana, members of parliament (MPs) be engaging in conflict of interest?

Perusing other members of the committee from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) side reminded me of the Hebrew name Ichabod meaning the glory of Israel is gone (I Samuel 4:21). My good friend Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwas name is included in the newly constituted vetting committee. This man was one of the NDC ministers many NPP members malevolently and venomously described as incompetent. Does the incompetent minister have the locus standi to vet the would-be competent ministers? I am more than curious to know. If the members of the opposition boycott the vetting as in the case of 2013, then the whole vetting process would be virtually rubber stumped.

The foregoing analysis indicates beyond reasonable doubt that the parliamentary vetting committee is a mere window dressing and therefore time wasting in our political discourse. Many MPs sitting on the vetting committee are breaching conflict of interest. They can hardly be disloyal to the ruling government of which they are part. The disloyalty of the MPs to the state is further anchored by the provision of the constitution entreating the president to pick 50% of his ministers from parliament. This provision makes legislatures not impartial. In his article captioned The Seventh Parliament Must Restore the Confidence of the Citizen, the greatest patriot of our time, Mr. Martin .A. B.K Amidu alleged that many MPs of the fifth and sixth parliament compromised their roles with the executives and promoted corruption (Source: ghanaweb.com, Wednesday, January 11, 2017, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/The-seventh-parliament-must-restore-the-confidence-of-citizens-500020 ).

Ghana needs to come out with a more pragmatic way of vetting her ministers. Our modern multi-party democracy leads to legislative mediocrity. Individuals are voted to parliament by virtue of their fame and financial resources. This means that apart from the lapses in the legal framework regarding ministerial vetting (conflict of interest), most MPs lack the requisite knowledge to diagnose the occupational competence of the would-be ministers. We need industrial psychologists, human resource experts, labor attorneys and applicable technocrats to vet our ministerial nominees. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana. Feedbacks must be directed to

Nana Yaw Osei (Padigo), USA

Email: [email protected] .

Reference

Brody, H. (2011). Clarifying conflict of interest. American Journal of Bioethics, 11(1), 23-28. Doi:10.1080/15265161.2010.534530

Parsa, M., Aramesh, K., & Larijani, B. (2014). A comparison between conflict of interest in Western and Islamic literatures in the realm of medicine. Journal of Medical Ethics &History of Medicine, 7(70, 1-7
Abuja (AFP) - Nigerian lawmakers are to discuss whether Gambian President Yahya Jammeh should be given asylum, a member of parliament said on Thursday.

Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev, head of the rules and business committee in the House of Representatives, said the motion would be discussed later on Thursday.

It asks whether Jammeh should be given "safe haven as part of the reconciliation process of the crisis going on in Gambia", Orker-Jev told state television channel NTA.

Jammeh lost December 1 elections to opposition candidate Adama Barrow but despite initially accepting the result has since vowed to challenge it in the courts.

He has said he will not step down until his complaint is heard, raising the prospect of months of political deadlock because Gambia lacks Supreme Court judges to handle the case.

Orker-Jev said the debate would consider whether asylum for Jammeh would allow Barrow "to take over power, as the majority of Gambians would wish".

The motion, if passed, is not binding on the government.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is leading a delegation of West African leaders to Banjul on Friday to try to end the stand-off.

Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Tuesday that "violence should be avoided but nothing is ruled out" by regional bloc ECOWAS to ensure Gambia's constitution was upheld.

Orker-Jev noted that Nigeria has previously given asylum to a number of African leaders, including the Liberian warlord turned president Charles Taylor.
The president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has officially started launching the journey to the change that he promised to offer the nation during his campaign for the presidency. Ghanaians, for about 8 years, were subjected to economic hardship and pain. So they later decided to give Ghanas political saviour a chance to liberate them from the manacles and shackles of the Mahama-led administration.

The journey to fixing the problems and rots perpetrated by the Mahama-led administration will not be easy, but with determination, commitment, fidelity and sense of purpose the government will make Ghanaians prouder and happier.

The Better Ghana Agenda was the worst agenda in the 4th republic, considering its implementation. Ghanaians had one of the most corrupt regimes in Africa under the leadership of the proponents of the so-called Better Ghana Agenda. It was a mere campaign slogan aimed at canvassing for votes.

Ghanaians are more discerning now than before, and will take a critical look at the officials of the new administration. The attention of Ghanaians will be more critical under the Akufo-Addo administration because they have higher expectations, and considering the fact that Ghanaians see the New Patriotic Party as having more competent people.

The late president Mills was hailed us a man of peace and love, but the new presidents conduct is sending a better and stronger signal out there that he is a unifier, man of peace who respects the rights of everyone. Alan Kyeremanteng had contested Akufo-Addo in three different congresses for the flagbearership of the NPP. But the president, regardless of having Mr Kyeremanteng as his main contender, embraced him and made him a leading member of his campaign team and has, subsequently, nominated him as a Trade and Industry minister-designate. He has demonstrated that he believes in competence and competition. On the contrary, we witnessed a bad blood between Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah and the late professor Mills, which resulted in Spio Garbrah being sidelined by the then Mills administration. Dr Spio Garbrah in reaction to the way he was treated described Mills appointees as  Team B.

Now, let us consider the ministers-designate closely. It is crystal clear that the president means business, and is not in government to give the nation gloomy satisfaction. The mess that the Mahama-led NDC administration left behind calls for people with exceptional competence and technical knowhow to fix. The president has given the nation people of high pedigree, experience and clairvoyance. A typical example is a Yale University Alumini and astute investment banker, Ken Ofori-Atta, who has been designated to the Finance Ministry. He co-founded the first investment bank in the history of Ghana, and this was done under a military regime, when others were running into exile and some seeking asylum in other countries.

These are very honest and incorruptible characters that will run the affairs of the nation devoid of propaganda and corruption, which had characterized our governance system for the past 8 years.

The president, the Daily Statesman believes, must compulsorily mentor the ministers-designate. He has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that he is one of the most patriotic leaders Ghana can ever have.

We would want to assure once again that we monitor closely the conduct of all government officials, in order to ensure that they give Ghanaians their best.
12.01.2017 LISTEN

Those who manage the president's speeches and everything which can affect his esteem in any form should be up to the task of their assignments because their opponents are devilish and would do anything, we mean anything, no matter how debasing, to regain power.''

Daily Guide Editorial

Monday, January 9, 2017

THESE ARE VERY INTERESTING TIMES, and things are happening in rapid succession- from last week Friday to date. Things are cascading. One may, naturally, expect everything happening to fall in line, that is, to follow 'protocol'.

PROTOCOL is the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions. There is another definition of protocol which relates to the terms of treaties. However, for the purpose of this piece, our concern is the first definition. Protocol deals with the correct etiquette regarding the appropriate behavior. It is the whole procedure, not just an aspect of it, thus, people who just pick the 'introduction' of personalities on a high table and end up saying' all protocols observed' surprise some of us because they will only have begun the programme.

You may remember Appiah Stadium. He was a die- hard NDC member who would draw attention to himself by shouting hoarse and proclaiming JM Toaso during the campaign period. He was the lone figure in the street between the Accra Conference Centre and the Parliament House when the ex-President's Convoy was being escorted out of the Parliament House. Was it protocol? He bent down, shouting: NDC, No shaking; NDC No shaking. That should be cold comfort-but to whom?

On 7th January, 2016 J.J. Rawlings, the owner of the NDC, got up from his seat at Parliament House and walked towards Honourable Okoe Vanderpuije, to share pleasantries with him. On the 5th of January, J.J Rawlings had snubbed him as he (Rawlings) walked on the red carpet and Okoe Vanderpuije tried to walk bestride him. For all the information he had for Rawlings, he was not prepared to listen to him.

When the motion for the suspension of proceedings was moved by Honourable Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Majority Leader in Parliament, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu did not immediately second it, he asked what would happen should there be war in the country, between 12 midnight and until the current President was sworn into office the morning after. The question was who would be the commander- in- chief?

Collecting 'Accreditation Cards' became a tough affair, a nightmare and until 10pm, some journalists and others had not received theirs at the 'Accreditation Centre'.

When the D-day, 7th December, 2017 arrived, there was colour, pomp and pageantry. Nana Addo was resplendent in a Kente cloth whose origin could be traced to Kofi Dua Adonten's home village, Bonwire or I could be wrong. While His Excellency Nana Addo swore on the Bible, His Excellency Bawumia swore on the Koran, but 'God' remained 'God'. To His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, 'welfare' was synonymous with 'well- being', and he could not be faulted. It was 'Asem papa bi a m'ate', (it was good news that I had heard).

Dignitaries were arriving after His Excellency had taken his seat, but goodwill was written on the faces of all around, Mahama could not be spared: the 'Away, Mahama' taunt- and that was quite unkind and unprotocol-like.

'All roads lead to Rome' was a medieval episode of all roads in the Roman Empire leading to Rome the Milliarium Auverium. On Sunday, 8th January, all roads led to Kyebi- for the thanksgiving service to thank God for having been merciful to Ghana and for having helped us choose a new President with little loss.

It was an occasion to thank God for a successful inauguration of the President and members of his government. The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Opoku Onyinah, the main preacher chose the theme of his sermon 'covetousness', He advised politicians to eschew greed, excessive love for money and property. That was very much in line with what the President had always been hammering on.

The host, Okyenhene Amoatia related the historical contribution of Okyeman in the politics of Ghana, and specifically that of Dr. J.B. Danquah (the Doyen of Ghanaian Politics, William Ofori Attah and Akufo Addo, the President's father who himself was President of Ghana in the 2nd Republic (1970-1972). The President asked for prayers for himself and his government  and, of course, for his family, as well as the First and Second Ladies. That was after he had extolled the great contributions of his great ancestors including Dr J.B. Danquah who revealed our links with the Ancient Ghana Empire, and, therefore, proposed the renaming of our country as Ghana from Gold Coast on independence and Gold Coast became Ghana

The inaugural address by the President last Saturday has generated a great deal of heat some would say brouhaha resulting from portions alleged to have been plagiarized. From Lincoln, Wilson, Bush, Clinton's inaugural addressesall American Presidents. And our Constitution has been modelled on the American one! For some people, it is only a storm in a teacup; for others, the plagiarized portions were so serious that the whole address should be jettisoned. The apology of the speech writer, Eugene Arhin has fallen on deaf ears, especially as the plagiarized part has caught the attention of the international media. People are arguing as if they were authority on 'Discourse Analysis;

The Roman poet, Martial, popularized the word plagiarius' (Latin: kidnapper) accusing other people of having ' kidnapped his verses', especially from 'Epigrams' in AD 100. Martial wrote: I live in a little cell, with a window that won't even close. In a piece he wrote to Fidentinus, he remarked: Fame has it that you, Fidentinus, recite my books to the crowd as if none other than your own. If you are willing that they be called mine, I'll send you the poems for free He added that he would give him the authorship if he were prepared to pay for it. No matter where the argument falls, it is hoped the present administration may have learnt its lesson to make sure no one falls prey to avoidable foibles, including 'wrongful appropriation' of another author's work.

It is good ex-President John Dramani Mahama has written to the Jubilee House about withdrawing his earlier request for the bungalow he is occupying. For that gesture, there will be no more discussion on it. We will only say: Amen

The ministers- designate are popping up one after the other. Beautiful and fine. Did I hear someone say: Your time will come? I think I did.

[email protected]

Africanus Owusu-Ansah


The Minister-designate for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, is hopeful President Akufo-Addo will fulfill all promises he made to the electorate.

According to him, the president would not renege on the promises he made to Ghanaians during the 2016 campaign.

All the promises that the president gave prior to the polls are attainable and he will soon fulfill all of them, he stated.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto stated that promises like the one million dollars per each constituency for developmental projects would be fulfilled.

He noted that President Nana Akufo-Addo did not make the promises just to win votes, saying that the NPP's promises are achievable.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto therefore implored the citizenry to exercise restraint and remain hopeful that President Nana Akufo-Addo would deliver to their satisfaction.

The Minister-designate said the sector would experience a major boost soon to ensure food production and security.

According to him, measures would be put in place to make the Agric sector attractive in order to attract the youth and professionals into farming.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto stated that he would stop the smuggling of fertilizers from Ghana when he finally assumes office.

He observed that government fertilizers meant for farmers to increase food production are often smuggled outside the country which negatively affects food production.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto said measures would be put in place to ensure that the transportation of government imported fertilizers is monitored from the harbour to their final destinations.

He also stated that the NPP administration would enhance the cocoa mass spraying exercise to increase cocoa production.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto stated that all cocoa farms would benefit from the mass cocoa spraying exercise, irrespective of the farmers' political affiliations.

He added that all decent bonuses that the farmers deserve would also be paid by the State.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
Kwesi Asobenyah Buah

12.01.2017 LISTEN

Some activists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region have appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to appoint a District Chief Executive (DCE) who has the development of the area at heart.

We believe before the policy of electing DCEs is implemented the current president will appoint people for the positions, they asserted.

Already, a couple of names, including Kwesi Asobenyah Buah, the current Ahanta West Constituency Secretary of the NPP, John Agyare, Second Vice Chairman and one Abraham Yankey, an NPP activist, have been making the rounds.

Meanwhile, some residents in the area have appealed to His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint Kwesi Asobenyah Buah, as the new District Chief Executive (DCE).

They expressed displeasure about the lack of development in the district in the past two to three years under the previous Mahama administration.

This was because of division and disunity among the members of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the district when the NDC was in power. We were fed up with the situation, because development was being retarded and we voted massively for NPP, they stressed.

Kwesi Asobenyah Buah holds a bachelors degree in Public Health from the University of Ghana and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Statistics from the Takoradi Polytechnic.

He has been an NPP polling agent in all general elections in the constituency.

He was also a polling station chairman from 2002-2006; Unit Committee Secretary in Himakrom in the district from 2005-2008 and Constituency Youth Organizer of the NPP from 2006-2015.

He has been an elected Assembly member from 2013 to date.

Kwesi Buah represented the party during programmes on Radio Ahanta in the district and explained NPPs programmes in the Ahanta dialect to the indigenes. He was also an agent during last years special voting.

At the Assembly, I once served as works sub-committee chairman and eventually served as a member of the Tender Review Board, I also served on a number of Sub Committees, he stated.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi


India extends Rs620 million for building embankments

India has provided Rs619.6 million in assistance to the Ministry of Irrigation for the construction of embankments on the Kamala, Bagmati and Lalbakaiya rivers.
The next big thing in the technology world is artificial intelligence (AI). Big tech organisations like Apple and Google are aggressively investing in AI. Google has been partnering Oxford University to expand Artificial Intelligence. Some examples of everyday AI include iPhone Siri and Microsoft Windows 10 Cortana.

Before going further, it will not be out of place to define AI. Wikipedia simply describes AI as intelligence exhibited by machine. It further explained that the term AI is applied when a machine mimics cognitive functions that humans associate with other human minds such as learning and problem solving. Now AI is trending. Therefore, Jumia Travel shares five things you should know about AI as it would soon become an important part of our daily life just like social media.

AI was coined in 1956

The first ever mention of AI was in 1956. John McCarthy was famously quoted at a conference at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire as saying: As soon as it works, no one calls it Artificial Intelligence. Since its mention, AI has pretty much been evolving to become a popular phenomenon today.

Robots will do your job

Perhaps the time is here when human presence will not be required to provide services. It will be the job of Robots to provide the service. A good example of this is the Henn-na hotel in Japan which is the first ever robot-staffed hotel in the world whereby the reception desk is staffed by Robotic Dinosaur. So, be prepared.

Autonomous vehicles will be the poster tech of AI

The overall functions of autonomous vehicles are premised on Artificial Intelligence. If Google and car companies eventually perfect their driverless car's technology, it will be a huge boost thus making AI commercially viable. This may even encourage more companies to embrace AI. In fact, driverless cars are already being tested in the United States.

There will no more error in saving lives

This is important in the area of medicine. There are reported cases in which fatal mistakes by doctors have led to the death of patients. For example, in Vietnam recently, a man had a pair of surgical scissors removed from his stomach left during an operation 18 years ago. With machine performing surgery, there will be nothing like error or mistakes in saving lives. So the fear of world famous astrophysicist, Prof Stephen Hawking that the development of AI means the end of humanity is unfounded.

Computer will be as smart as humans

If you think computers are smart now, you have to reconsider your stance. It is projected that by 2040, computers will be as smart as humans. Thanks largely to Artificial Intelligence.
Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, January 12, 2017  With support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Burkina Faso has been awarded a US $4-million loan from the Climate Investment Funds Forest Investment Program (CIF FIP) to revive its cashew sector and mitigate climate change, working through an innovative public-private sector business model between the national union of farmers cooperatives and the government.

The Climate change mitigation and poverty reduction through the development of the cashew sector in Burkina Faso project is funded under FIPs innovative Private Sector Set-Aside Program*, and will include three sets of activities:

 Enhancing cashew production through plantations with selected varieties and improved management practices;

 Improving cashew processing capacities; and

 Strengthening the capacities of the national-level Wouol Farmers Association and its members, especially in terms of agricultural product trade (higher quality, stronger networks) and agroforestry.

Ultimately, the project is designed to: mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in cashew tree plantations and reducing forest degradation and deforestation; restore degraded soils, the reason for which cashews were originally introduced into Burkina; increase rural incomes, especially for women; and showcase certified organic and fair trade agricultures economic profitability and environmental sustainability.

The cashew market has a very important dual role in helping Burkina Faso mitigate climate change and reduce poverty, said Laouali Garba, AfDBs task manager for Burkinas FIP program. The cashew tree is an important reforestation tree for preserving the environment and improving soil fertility. This value, combined with the business model of engaging local farmers and helping them transition to organize farming and sustainable trade, makes this project unique, and at AfDB we are very pleased to partner with Burkina Faso and FIP to help it succeed. The project is particularly critical right now, Garba explained, because the country cannot fully benefit from the cashew market, since local processing companies have trouble accessing funding, and most of the cashews are exported as raw nuts. Addressing both of these concerns is an important part of this innovative private sector based project.

The project is unique because of the business arrangement between the government and the Wouol Farmers Association, which will serve as the market producer for the cashew industry. In Burkina, the Wouol Farmers Association is a national level organization uniting 69 farmers cooperatives with more than 2,500 farmers, of whom more than 70% are women. Although it is a non-profit organization, it generates margins that are 100% reinvested in the business to support members economic development, and is recognized as a private sector entity by the government. To secure financial success of this unique arrangement, with support of the AfDB, the Government has agreed to guarantee it to the communities by borrowing the loan and investing it for development of the cashew value chain in the form of micro-credits through a financial intermediary, Reseau des Caisses

Populaires du Burkina (RCPB).

Significantly, the project will not fund plantations that involve clearing forests or cutting trees. Compliance with this measure must be evidenced by the production of a certificate provided by the competent authorities. Plantations will be done on degraded and abandoned land due to their low agricultural productivity or to reinforce existing plantations. The agroforestry plantations will therefore aim to achieve a dual objective of restoring soil fertility for agricultural activities and increasing cashew production through improved yield plantations.

*FIP Private Sector Set-Aside Program

In 2013, Burkina Faso was one of eight countries from around the world selected by FIP to participate as pilots in a special Private Sector Set-Aside Program (PSSA). Under FIP, more than US $50 million in concessional funds was set aside in 2012 for the PSSA to contribute to financing innovative programs and projects that engage the private sector in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable forest management.

About the Climate Investment Funds (CIF)

Established in 2008, as one of the largest fast-tracked climate financing instruments in the world, the US $8.3-billion CIF provides developing countries with grants, concessional loans, risk mitigation instruments, and equity that leverage significant financing from the private sector, MDBs and other sources. Five MDBs  the African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and World Bank Group (WBG)  implement CIF-funded projects and programs.

Technical contacts: Laouali Garba, AfDB Project Manager, Principal Environmental Specialist, [email protected]

Gareth Phillips, AfDB Chief Climate Change and Green Growth Officer, [email protected]

Media contacts: Clare Fleming, [email protected]; Sonia Borrini, [email protected]
12.01.2017 LISTEN

Founding President Steven Blessing Ackah of Transform Ghana Peace Project a Youth Think Tank Organisation that focuses on youth education and training, youth centered early warning support system, and mediation on sustainable peace, security and development have asked Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister- Designate for Employment and Labour to take up the mantle of youth employment in Ghana. The young founder stated, How would you feel as a leader, when you woke up one early morning and realised the youth had taken the law into their hands to demonstrate on their related issues, break down properties and cause huge mayhem?.

He explained that the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies and decent work and growth are key priorities to some of the Sustainable Development Goals Ghana needs to attain by 2030. And efforts made towards these goals will determine the ability to secure a livelihood for youth wanting to complete the transition from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood.

Mr. Ackah said he hope the incoming Minister will provide solution to some of the youth related issues through increasing the employability of graduates, promoting entrepreneurship and the private supply of jobs to curb unemployment.

I believe the Minister Designate together with his team, will develop employment programmes to empower and enhance capacity of small and medium enterprise. He added, the ministry should lead employment opportunities and be empowered to strengthen the evaluation of employment programmes throughout the cycle of programme design, implementation and evaluation.

He urged Hon Baffour Awuah to collaborate effectively with Hon Dr. Anthony Osei Akoto the Minister Designate- Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency, as successful factories to be built by President Akufo Addo will lie at the core of monitoring systems.

Mr. Steven Blessing Ackah, the founding President of Transform Ghana Peace Project called on the government to adequately support the incoming Minister Hon. Baffour Awuah in order to create and establish;

Youth employment programmes that can offer immediate opportunities, inclusiveness, and alternative to violence.

Youth employment programmes that can aid to address grievances that are the root causes of unemployment and other youth related issues.

The need to establish systems that would look at critical dimensions of employment crises and bridge the information gap. And lastly

Youth employment programmes that can create platform for youth and policymakers to address plan and respond quickly to analyses of youth issues

He further explained many young Ghanaians are unsure about their future in the working world. They know they want to be on their own, they want to earn their own money and live as adults, but when it comes to what they want to be, they are confused and uncertain because the primary vehicle for job creation is very low and poor in Ghana.

Moving forward, I expect a policy statement highlighting the specific roles of government to local tycoon business owners like Mr. Osei Kwame Despite, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, Mr. Ernest Ofori Sarppong, Engineer Kwadwo Sarfo Kantanka, Mr. Amoabeng, Mr. Jospeph Agyapong, Mr. Kwabena Duffour, Mr. Kwame kyei Baffour and others to contribute to youth employment creation in various districts.

Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, is an experienced Banker/ Economist, the Minister- Designate for employment and Labour Rleations

Past Committees: Committee of selection, Environment,Science and Technology. Finance committee and local Government and Rural Development
12.01.2017 LISTEN

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 12 January 2017,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- A new e-book released this week, Talking to Africa: Considering Culture in Communications for a Complex Continent, argues that communications and public relations in Africa are not a one-size-fits-all exercise. Mimi Kalinda, the author of Talking to Africa and Managing Director of Africommunications Group (ACG), a pan-African public relations company, leverages her experience over almost two decades in communications in Africa and abroad to write this research-based book, which includes photography by Ishmael Azeli.

Talking to Africa reviews how understanding the cultural dynamics of four major African markets (Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa) can lead to the development and more successful implementation of communications strategies that are results-driven. Kalinda argues that understanding, developing and implementing communications strategies that are attuned with local audiences in complex African markets can help domestic and multinational companies, non-governmental organisations and individuals looking to work in Africa benefit from the multiplicity of experiences, backgrounds, attitudes and networks that represent their target audiences.

"Being a part of and contributing to the Africa Rising narrative is a matter of identifying gaps, innovating and tirelessly delivering on expectations. This requires a flexibility in the way business is done and a deep understanding of what incentivizes different stakeholder groups to action," says Kalinda. "Audiences act on a message based on their personal and cultural understanding. Africa is no different. Understanding culture differences, and accepting that Africa is not a homogenous continent, will help businesses in particular reach their objectives more effectively".

As an advocate of the African continent and its growth, Kalinda regularly writes and speaks about how shaping Africa's narrative positively is vital for the continent to fulfil its potential. She sits on the Africa Brand Counsel and was nominated for the Women4Africa Awards 2016 as a finalist for the International African Woman of the Year Award.

Talking to Africa is available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6C8ROD)
The Auditor-General may soon constitute a special task-force to review audit reports, and also help deal with all financial infractions within the public sector and surcharge persons indicted if necessary.

Pressure group, Occupy Ghana, revealed this in a statement after meeting with the newly sworn-in Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo on Wednesday, January 11, 2016.

The Auditor-General stated that, he intended to establish a special task-force to review all available, previous Audit Reports, and reveal instances where the powers of Disallowance and Surcharge may be applied as a first step to recover lost public funds from offending persons, the statement added.

The pressure group has since November 2015 , been on the neck of the Auditor General to recover about GHc40 billion state funds allegedly misappropriated by some public officials.

Several efforts by Occupy Ghana for the Auditor-General to retrieve the monies including initiating court proceedings , have failed to yield any positive result.

Meanwhile, the pressure group in the statement said it is optimistic about the current Auditor-General, and is ready to offer its support to him to succeed in recovering the monies.

Although this is just one meeting, and although our previous meetings and engagements with the Government and the Auditor-General's Department were frustrating and did not yield much, we are somehow optimistic that this initial engagement with the new Auditor-General will be a sign of great things to come with respect to Disallowance and Surcharges.

If the new Auditor-General is prepared to carry this through, we will pledge our unflinching support to help him achieve this goal, the statement added.

Below is the full statement:

OCCUPYGHANA MEETS WITH THE AUDITOR-GENERAL ON DISALLOWANCE AND SURCHARGE

It will be recalled that after months of unproductive engagement with the Auditor-General's Department and the Government with respect to the demand by OccupyGhana for the exercise of the powers of Disallowance and Surcharge under article 187 of the Constitution, and sections 18 and 19 of the Audit Service Act, OccupyGhana was compelled to file an action in the Supreme Court against the Government.

The powers of Disallowance and Surcharge allow the Auditor-General to commence the recovery of public funds that are illegally spent or lost through negligence or misconduct.

These powers have never been exercised by the Auditor-General.

That matter is ripe for hearing.

However, yesterday, 11th January 2017, OccupyGhana was invited to a meeting with the new Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo.

At that meeting, Mr. Domelevo expressed a desire, not for a continued court fight, but to work with us in the exercise of Disallowance and Surcharge powers.

It turns out that this Auditor-General so believes in the exercise of Disallowance and Surcharge powers by the Auditor-General, that he managed to get the Zambian Government to pass a law, the Public Audit Act, 2016 (No. 29 of 2016), sections 26 and 27 of which are a near-verbatim reproduction of sections 18 and 19 of Ghana's Audit Service Act.

He bemoaned the fact that although Ghana has had such powerful and far-reaching provisions in both our Constitution and legislation, we have never implemented them, and audit reports have been reduced to a mere journalistic report of events with no teeth to bite. Meanwhile other countries were willing to accept those provisions and use them.

He revealed Malawi was also in the process of adopting similar provisions as part of its laws.

The Auditor-General stated that he intended to establish a special task force to review all available, previous Audit Reports, and reveal instances where the powers of Disallowance and Surcharge may be applied as a first step to recover lost public funds from offending persons.

Although this is just one meeting, and although our previous meetings and engagements with the Government and the Auditor-General's Department were frustrating and did not yield much, we are somehow optimistic that this initial engagement with the new Auditor-General will be a sign of great things to come with respect to Disallowance and Surcharges.

OccupyGhana will not rest until the day when the first Disallowances and Surcharges are issued by the Auditor-General.

Then we will commence pressure on the office of the Attorney-General to enforce those Surcharges and recover the lost funds. We are convinced that this will be a major way to plug the leakage and wastage in the public sector and ensure that public funds neither line individual pockets nor are treated with reckless abandon; but will be available for use to improve the lives of the citizens of Ghana.

If the new Auditor-General is prepared to carry this through, we will pledge our unflinching support to help him achieve this goal.

Yours, for God and Country,

OccupyGhana



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
A development planner who is also the Head of the State Enterprise Commission, Dr. Kaminta Bayizie, has lauded the creation of the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry created by the new government.

Ghana's president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has so far nominated some 25 persons to head various ministries pending their approval by parliament.

President Akufo-Addo with some of his minister nominees

The president has also created two new ministries and re-aligned others which include the Ministry for Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry for Regional Reorganization and Special Projects, Ministry for Railways Development among others.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, Dr. Bayizie said the ministry mandated for monitoring and evaluation is very critical.

If you look at the monitoring and evaluation, it's a very critical component of every government. Whether you designate the person as a minister or whatever nomenclature you give, you need somebody at that level to provide you a bird's eye view of what is going on in the executiveand that means all the ministers. So that is very critical and that responsibility must be executed, he added.

Ministry for Railways Development needless

Dr. Kaminta Bayizie however questioned the rationale for the some of the ministries re-aligned.

According to him, ministries such as the Transport, Railway development and the Roads and Highways, could have been merged instead of separating them.

A separate ministry for railway is not necessary, and the reason is that, we have already the Ghana Railway Development Authority and this is an agency under the Ministry of Transport. I understand that it is a priority area and the government needs to focus on it, but you can focus on it under an agency and not necessarily as a separate ministry.



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
Beauty, style, amusement, adventure, history, tradition, heritage, wonderful, natural, life, amazing !!! These are just a few of the million words that can be used to describe tourist sites in Africa. Fortunately, these beautiful natural landmarks or monuments are spread all over the continent with some major tourist destinations boasting incredible scenery, and great history.

Africa is definitely the place to be this year and just to whet your appetite, Jumia Travel gives you a sneak peek into some amazing African sites you can visit in 2017.

Mole National Park, Ghana - Located in the Northern part of the country, this wildlife conservation presents a wonderful safari experience for every visitor. Living with these animals is definitely an adventure while you get to learn about several different species as well.

Masai Mara, Kenya - Popularly known as Africas greatest wildlife reserve, with over 570 bird species, 95 known mammal species, and over 2 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migration, this is just a beauty to withhold. The best time to visit the Masai Marai is between July and October.

Zanzibar, Tanzania - An amazing blue water surrounded destination located in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of Tanzania. This beautiful place serves as a very relaxing site as well as a romantic Honeymoon destination for many lovers around the world. It also possesses great history as home of spices and ivory in the slave trade era. It is characterized by many aesthetic beaches , and small huts in and around the clear blue waters.

Victoria Falls, (Between Zambia and Zimbabwe) - One of the 7 wonders of the world which lies in between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria falls is considered the worlds largest waterfall with its incredible height and width coming together to create the most enormous single sheet of flowing water. The best time to view the fall is between June and July from the Zambian side since it is the rainy season and makes it nearly impossible to see the base of the waterfall.

Omo RIver, Ethiopia - Located in the southern part of Ethiopia, this Tourist site is popular for the people who live around it rather than the river itself. With over 50 tribes resident in this area, if you are a lover of African culture and heritage, then this is definitely a must-go area for you. The traditional outfits of the people are very interesting and controversial as the men usually hang riffles at their backs. This is part of their regalia rather than a weapon.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - At a height of 19,340 feet (5896m), Mount Kilimanjaro is Africas largest mountain and takes about six days to climb. Largely rated as the highest point in Africa, many travelers come here to see the whole of Africa in just one unique view. The hiking experience is always a great adventure with beautiful sights and sounds all the way up and down as you ascend or descend.

Aso Rock, Nigeria - A large outcrop on the outskirts of Nigerias capital Abuja. This amazing rock is the most visible edifice here. The word Aso means victorious which is probably why this area is the home of Nigerias Presidential Complex, the Nigerian Supreme court and the Nigerian National Assembly. The rock serves as a unique tourist attraction for many travelers in Abuja but the other Monuments also make this area a great place to visit.

If you ever lacked options or motivation to travel to Africa, you have no excuse now. You can choose any of these countries and still have more than 5 other tourist destinations to visit as well. Africa is great and beautiful. It brings an experience unmatched by any other continent in the world. Africa awaits you!
The Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Emmanuel Asante has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to strongly condemn the lawless and violent takeovers of state facilities by some suspected members of the ruling New Patriotic Party.

According to Rev. Asante, the government and Police must ensure that the lawless behavior of the suspected NPP members are immediately curtailed before it gets out of hand.

The Police must act, the government must act, I know that right at the moment they [government] are saddled by all sorts of responsibilities but these are the very things that can cause diversion so the sooner we nib it in the bud the better, Rev. Asante told Naa Dedei Tettey on Starr Today on Wednesday.

Rev. Asante added; The president must come out clearly and tell these people that this is not the time for payback, this is not the time for vengeance, this is not the time for impunity and for people to take the laws into their hands, we need that peaceful atmosphere for them to deliver their mandate.

His comments come after some lawless and violent takeovers of government facilities including public toilets, the Tema Port, the passport office and the Youth Enterprise Authority by members of the NPP.

The hostile and unruly behavior of the NPP members started days after the swearing-in of President Akufo-Addo. The NPP members claim that the decision to takeover state facilities is a payback for the same treatment meted out to them in 2009 after the NDC came into power.
I write not to congratulate you, Mr. President, but to conscientize, and reinvigorate your conscience and resolve to set Ghana, our Motherland Land on the path of the lasting prosperity, sanctity, peace and unity that have ever eluded our people, since the time of President Kwame Nkrumah. I write not to congratulate you as it has been the norm, because any deep thinking, and selfless person understands that any office, and for that matter the high office of the presidency, is not a house of partying; and the seat of self-vainglory, even as the others have made it. I trust that it did not take you more than few hours, if not minutes, after the initial overwhelming reality that the first face of the battle was won and of course by the Lord Most High, YAHWEH, to realize the heaviness of the responsibility, and labor of love that laid ahead of you, and the good people of Ghana.

You realized that not only do we have a lot of work to do, but also the battling of the various kinds of spiritual and physical adversaries that are dispersed within and without us. That we faced the enemies of our own retrogressive mindsets as Ghanaians; dug-in personal and national enemies, within your own party and fraternity; some ardent perpetual enemies of the nation within the opposition parties; and the international evil- illuminati- killer-capitalist- gay-neocons -one-worlders, who have ever held the whole world,and especially Africa and the rest of the so-called third world to ransom, thinking they can depose and replace the Almighty God, YAHWEH, to inherit His universe.

Civic Education

Mr. President, if you will succeed on your quest, then you must both be Ghanaian and unGhanaian. Ghanaian to know and understand the faults and weakness of our national psyche and mindset; and a Ghanaian to be aware of our developmental challenges; a Ghanaian to recognize our potentials as people, and the various natural resources endowed us by the Most High. On the other hand, you must be unGhanaian so us to put yourself above our inherited weakness that have held us back from getting out of the gutters of hypocrisy(sin/wickedness) and poverty. UnGhanaian you need to be, in order to be able to easily diagnose our shortfalls; and provide the necessary remedies.

On this note, yourself and all Ghanaians must be caused to embark on spiritual purification and revival. I am aware as a spiritual person, your experience of the spiritual journey, in finding and seeking the face of God, since you lost your first contest to Professor Mills. And when you had just had a glimpse of the LORD, understanding that this universe has an Architect, and yet a destroyer, having yielded your faith and your person to YAHWEH, you won the battle of the presidency in good shape. You needed to have gone through this, because after all your intelligence and resolve to see Ghana prosper, you would have failed miserably, as a president, without the anointing , guidance and guarding of the Most High.

For this reason, for the success and favor which you have enjoyed from the good Lord to be transferred to the whole nation, you must cause the majority of believing Ghanaians, irrespective of name of religion, to rid selves of the hypocrisy (lukewarmness) that has ever afflicted us and killed our progress, and reaffirm selves to the God, Most High, that we profess to fear and serve. Also, there must be a drive of civic education to conscientize Ghanaians, on both bad and good practices, of cleanness and cleanliness; civic duties corruption etc. Such must be factored into our educational curriculums as well, and published regularly on our mass media.

Tackling Corruption

While the education will take time to effect change, the immediate remedy is to crack the whip on corruption by the Law, as you have promised. Mr. President, at this juncture Im going to be very candid. If you are not aware, it is my duty to tell you that Ghanaian have a very special perspective of Akuffo Addo. And the larger embodiment of Akuffo Addo is Anti-Corruption even as the Devil is Anti-Christ. And I love to tell straight in your face that if you dare shelve or withdraw an inch from the sacrilegious image that Ghanaians have of you in this wise, you will loose the trust of Ghanaians, and before we change you even for the devil or nobody after four years, you would sweat in the big seat to get out. We are very much aware how little the Ghanaian leadership, among the bulk of our chiefs and clergy, care for the truth and justice, but only glory in vainglory, money and position, and more so, fake peace and reconciliation.

Majority of our chiefs and clergy are ever ready to don their expensive cloth and designer cassocks to lead, even a murderer, to ask for mercy on his/her behave, even before they heard the case of the solicitor. We know they will come in the floods to beg undue mercy for corrupt people, please just watch them in the face, and afterward teach them the vision of the new era of Truth, accountability, justice and progress. Mr. President, pleases you should not miss this once in a life time opportunity to uproot corruption from both the Ghanaian psyche and offices, including our chieftaincy and clergy.

You must not give your mind to them when they come to beg for the criminals, because even they (chiefs and clergy) have taken their cuts from their loot. I should believe you are aware that true unity and peace do not issue from lack of sanctity and disdain for rectitude, law and order. For a long time we, the masses have been dying quietly under false peace, even as the few loot the resources of the nation. Ex-president Rawlings had the opportunity to root out corruption and rot, and the nation was behind him solidly. However, since his kind of justice, probity and accountability was ill-conceived and target the wrong targets, he failed miserably, giving birth to such evil bunch as the NDC, with its concomitant corruption, tribalism, divisiveness and rule of force, which hunts him as well today.

If we do not see the investigations, prosecutions and sanctioning of the corruption of the past, as perpetrated by the outgoing government, then we Ghanaians would say that you deceived us in telling us the NDC was corrupt, even as the NDC said NPP was corrupt prior 2008, but failed to prosecute even one such case during their tenure. We are also keenly watching how you would treat a corrupt officer of your government  please, not just relieving of post, but that any traceable offense must attract due punishment and deterrence.

Appointments

Competence is the word, Mr. President. I have heard, and believe that many people will be lobbying you for positions based on regional ethnicity, gender and the likes. I know these are modern vogue, even in the face of the constitutional regional requirement pertaining to the cabinet, irrespective, Mr. President, such balances as they call it, do not yield any actual results, save the vain fleeting gratifications and some insignificant political accruements. Please just appoint the most qualified people, and at the end of the day when the good results come for the whole country, the lobbying groupings will forget about such myopic interest.

At this time in our history, based also on the fact of your assumption of office, which stands us on the threshold of waging a conscientious war against corruption, I call on you to be resolute on taking even the most painful of decisions, within the law, in waging this war. It is the fact that, corrupt technocracy and bureaucracy in our country are the cancerous grounds of everyday corruption, by which unscrupulous politicians also take undue advantage of the nation.

It is in this vein that I call on you to review all the transitional time ex-president Mahama appointments to vital places like the CHIRAJ, account generals office and such, not only to help avoid future corruption, but to eliminate the likely sabotage, which these Mahama appointees may pose in uncovering the massive unprecedented public known corruption that characterized the Mills/Mahama administrations. Public official must be checked keenly, and acknowledged or punished according to conduct. In this vein, I also propose the appointment of Martin Amidu for the office of the Special Prosecutor. There is none in our time with the credentials, competence and fearlessness that has demonstrated the resolve to passionately dispassionately deal with corruption, irrespective.

Enemies Within, Enemies Without

Mr. President trust only God, and thrust everyone else through Him. You must not be naive in the face of unity and peace, to lose sight of the fact of the reality of perpetually evil people, who will never change. You must learn to know such enemies, and should not think you can win such over. If it were possible, God would have been the first person to reconcile with Satan. While you dont embark on vengeance, you must be shrewd with bad people, and activate always the law to stop and deal with nation wreckers  if there are witches that bedevil the nation the law must hunt to stop them or punish them.

The Kufour government on the account of peace and unity left untouched the evil apparatus that the NDC have built within our government, public sector, and society, which uprooted the NPP in 2008, just after an almost unprecedented performance of a government that you put up. By all lawful instruments, your government cannot repeat this mistake, the NDC evil apparatus must be dismantled forever, so that they do not ever come back to power against the public interest and will via the back door they have always used, starting from the EC.

In this vein a centralized National Identification System is also a must. (This will not only ensure a clean electoral register at all times, but also provide automatic up-to-date handy accessible statistical information to government and all stakeholders for tailored meaningful development. Such NID card can serve all identification and eligibility purposes, including EC ID card).

Nana I know you are aware of the evil international forces that cause political and economic havoc against the rising of Africa, that you African politicians call development partners. The least said here the better, because if you are not aware then you are not ready to deliverer anything extraordinary. Here you must be very canny  looking to the East for fair trade and security without having to openly antagonize the West is key. There is enough market in China, Russia, Africa and the Latin Americas and Caribbeans.

This will enhance our competitiveness on the global market for our product and service; equally promoting our political leverage on the international stage. These days of the buy calling the price must be a thing of the past, and value-addition is also key  the Ivory Coast no longer export cocoa beans. On security, best, potent security hardware and expertise are in Russia, China and Iran at low cost, with no long entangling strings (e.g some few S300s and S400s can secure our air space). We would need solid air and sea defenses by the time you leave office. Security works hand in hand with economics, because of those destabilizing forces (must know the true story of Gaddafi and Libya).

If there are, we must rid ourselves of any foreign-manned Western Security installations within our borders and the sub-region. All vital economic essential utilities like communications, water, electricity and agriculture must not be left in foreign hands. Standardization and checks of food, agrochemical, drugs coming from outside is a must. Genetically modified produces and products are threat to the essence of the original human being (mind and behavior), and our long-term survival as a specie.

Indigenization and self-sufficiency is the key. Our Education System must be reformulated to suit our needs and resources  after all true education is the know-how best to utilize to the maximum your environment and resources within ones reach; and not knowing how to speak and write some foreign languages. Foreign values are a great tool to disintegrating a nation for economic and political exploitation  a people who do not know who they are have no brighter future.

Nana, Mr. President, the above framework warning should suffice for today. God bless you, family and tenure, God bless holy Ghana of YAHWEH.

Ebenezer Boamah

(Servant of God who mandate is to national interest of all of spheres -for the spirit is not void of the flesh)

Email: [email protected]
Despite the public backlash received by the president over the creation of the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry, some experts have justified it.

Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey says the new ministry would bridge the existing gap in the implementation of government policies.

He told Nhyira Addo, host of Joy FMs Super Morning Show Thursday that the nation has struggled with the implementation of policies because of the absence of an effective monitoring and evaluation system.

In 2001 there were a lot of complaints that implementation of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (GPRSP) arrangement was not taking place within the public service, he said.

IDEG Executive Director, Dr Emmanuel Akwetey

Central University's Dean of Law Faculty, Professor Ken Attafuah said the new ministry is key to the fulfilment of the promises made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The President on Wednesday announced the second batch of ministers-designate to serve in his government if approved by Parliament. The list of 12 nominees add up to the previously announced 13 nominees of the first batch bringing the number to 25 ministers who would be vetted by Parliament's Appointment Committee.

A notable feature of the second batch of ministerial nominees was the inclusion of two new ministries created by the President. They include the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry and Regional Re-organisation.

Some Ghanaians have doubted the relevance of the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry when the task could be performed by some existing ministries.

Criminologist, Professor Ken Attafuah

But the experts who have diverse experience in governance lauded the President's decision, saying it would end some of the challenges faced in policy implementation.

"Monitoring is a big issue. Apart from that, these days monitoring and evaluation has become an extremely important and separate function," Dr Akwetey said, adding the country that fails to prioritise the monitoring of its policies would run into difficulties.

On his part, Professor Attafuah said that although Ghana needs an ardent enforcement of its laws, creating new institutions would help in terms of accountability.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected]
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
Nairobi (AFP) - A Kenyan court has handed down a one-month suspended jail term to seven union officials over a doctors' strike which has crippled public hospitals for the last 40 days.

However Judge Hellen Wasilwa said that if the doctors did not call off their strike within two weeks, the officials would "be arrested and taken to jail."

The walkout by some 5,000 Kenyan doctors has devastated public health services in the East African nation, where few can afford private care which is the only option remaining to them.

The medics last week rejected a 40 percent pay rise offer from the government, demanding the full implementation of a 2013 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which assured them of a 300 percent raise and other improved conditions.

The court in December declared the strike illegal, as negotiations following the 2013 deal had not concluded. Doctors defied the ruling and several court orders since ordering a halt to the stayaway, resulting in their sentencing for contempt of court.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) brushed off the latest attempt by authorities to force them back to work, insisting the prospect of jail did not deter them.

"We cannot negotiate with a noose around our necks," said union secretary general Ouma Oluga, who was one of those sentenced.

"In the month of March, we will give the best medical services to the prisons in this country," he added.

The government had threatened to fire all the striking doctors if they had not returned to work by Wednesday.

As they failed to do so, county officials have sent out letters to doctors in their regions ordering them to explain their absence from work -- the first step in the disciplinary process that could see them sacked.

Poor salaries and working conditions have already led to an exodus of Kenyan doctors to other African countries and abroad.

An intern in Kenya can expect to make around 40,000 shillings ($400, 372 euros) while entry-level doctors earn 140,000 shillings.

A Kenyan MP goes home with about three times the salary of the highest paid public doctors.

The strike has been a major embarrassment for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the run up to August elections in which he hopes to win a second term in office.

Newspaper editorials have urged the government to give the poorly paid doctors a decent wage while Kenyans on social media point to endless corruption scandals while healthcare providers struggle to make ends meet.


The Bolgatanga Central Nasara Coordinator, Abu Fuseini, has described persons attempting to grab jobs from Government institutions by force, as self-seeking persons who are taking advantage of the change to misbehave.

Police must arrest them, and stop pampering them, because they say they are NPP members.

According to him, the President has promised to create the enabling environment and create jobs and what true NPP members should be doing is to prepare themselves to grab jobs genuinely when the time comes.

Those people going round misbehaving cannot be true members of the New Patriotic Party; they are disgruntled individuals who are just taking advantage of the change to do what they had wanted to do last year. I think the Police have to arrest them, for trying to disturb the government.

He spoke to the DAILY GUIDE in reaction to the recent attempts by some persons using force and illegal means to grab jobs in government institutions. He also responded to questions over the expectations of the Zongo Communities in Bolgatanga, after the NPP, which promised a Zongo Development Fund has won power and taken over the governance of Ghana.

According to him, unlike what happened in 2009, the NPP and its members in the Bolgatanga Municipality, will not rush to collect state properties being used by NDC government appointees and will also not force anyone out of office, but will wait patiently for the government to fill all leadership positions at the Regional and the Municipal levels.

The DCEs, MDCs and Regional Minister are in office, anyone who was appointed to do some work under the NDC government, are still doing their work, nobody is chasing them out.

On the expectations of the Zongo Communities, the Bolgatanga Central Nasara Coordinator, Abu Fusieni, was very optimistic that the President Akufo-Addo led government, will surely establish the Zongo Development Fund to improve on infrastructure in the Zongos in the Upper East Region and other parts of the country.

Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga
It has emerged that students of public senior high schools in the Northern Region could starve for sometime because of anticipated food rationing.

The students have been compelled to return to school Thursday January 12, following one week postponement of the reopening date.

Citifmonline.com checks uncovered that government has so far released meager funds meant to settle one out of the three academic terms Feeding Grants debt.

A Bursar (name withheld) has described the part payment as abysmal.

He revealed that students might starve for some time pending full payment of the unpaid accumulated debt.

He posited that management could reduce the quantity of food served at the dining hall.

Some civil society organizations and Parent Teacher Associations are unhappy about the perennial Feeding Grants problem and have called for a permanent solution.



By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
12.01.2017 LISTEN

Even before the Nana Akufo-Addo government begins work on the creation of new regions, an influential Paramount Chief in the Volta Region, is proposing how the demarcation of the region should be done.

According to the Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional area, Togbega Gabusu, the proposed creation of a new region out of the Volta Region should begin from Asikuma Junction.

Making a strong case for his proposal, Togbega said when coming to the Volta Region and you enter from Accra, you will see that when you get to Asikuma you will realize that all regions have been laid out perfectly well. Veering through the right, you will be going to Southern Volta and veering through Asikuma and Peki and the others, will give you another region.

Asked whether Peki and Hohoe should be in this new region, he said that is what it should be, for convenience.

This according to him, will provide a fair division between the North and South.

He said residents in the region will be willing to support this intervention, saying I have contacted my people in Kpando and others before, and I know they will be most willing to form a region in Akatsi and not only in Hohoe alone

Asked whether he will lobby for Hohoe to be the capital of the new region, he said: It depends; to create a regional capital a lot of things should be taken into account. Accessibility to all the other parts of the region and the country at large. The existence of adequate lands for the construction of the regional offices. Another is the availability of ancillary facilities such as schools, hospital, potable water and so on.

Akufo Addo's gov't likely to create 4 new regions

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under Nana Akufo-Addo's leadership, is likely to create at least four new regions out of some existing ones.

This will be a major agenda for the newly created Ministry for Regional Reorganisation and Development, likely to be led by Dan Botwe as the Minister if he's approved by Parliament.

While introducing his nominee for the new ministry, Nana Akufo-Addo said although the constitution allows for the creation of new regions, the processes are stringent and cumbersome.

The process of devolution of power will require that we look again at the regional structures of our country all with the aim of trying to promote rapid development of GhanaBut the constitutional requirements for being able to create a region are very stringent and not easy.

He noted that, the process includes a referendum that requires at least 80% of residents in the affected region to approve of the split.

That is the certification that the Electoral Commission has to make and when the 50% come out to vote, 80% of them must approve the demand for the creation of the region. We are now talking about a major exercise of political mobilization to be able to create a region Akufo-Addo said.

He noted that, the regions that were to see the split include the Northern Region, Western Region, Volta Region and the Brong-Ahafo Region.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has taken his first working visit to Winneba to attend the 85th Annual Convention of Ahmadiyah Mission, five days after his induction as Ghanas 5th leader of the fourth republic.

He is expected to articulate his governments preparedness to cooperate with religious bodies in the implementation of his 2016 campaign policies.

The President has announced a list of 25 ministerial nominees to serve in his government if approved by Parliament. They include some former ministers who served in the erstwhile President John Kufuors government as well as some new faces.

He had earlier introduced the people who would be serving in key administrative positions at the Office of the Presidency. He picked former Ayawaso West Wugon legislator, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare as the Chief of Staff.

Although the nominees command wide appeal and respect in the country, President Akufo-Addo said he has appointed them because they believe in his call for selfless service. He has promised to listen and make himself available to Ghanaians.

These qualities of the President were lauded by the Head of Ahmadiyah Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Mohammed bin Salih on Thursday.

Speaking at the Convention, the Muslim cleric said that despite the Presidents tight schedule since his induction, he had made time to interact with them.

The President's gesture, Alhaji Mohammed bin Salih said represented a clear demonstration of your humility and promise to make "yourself available to the ordinary Ghanaian."

He promised the President of the Missions preparedness to partner his government to ensure that he delivers prosperity to Ghanaians as he had promised.

He cautioned politicians and ministers-designate to seek the interest of the country in decisions they take on behalf of the country.

Power for its own sake or power for the acquisition of personal wealthhas no relevance to patriotism, religion nor the suffering of the people, he advised.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | AKABP
Change has come to Ghana. Following after President Muhammadu Buhari, his fellow septuagenarian Nigerian counterpart, President Akufo-Addo has come to office on the back of campaign messaging centred on change. Judging by the electoral outcome, the NPPs slogan of Arise for Change and Ghana must work again resonated more with the majority of the Ghanaian electorate than the NDCs Forward ever, backwards never mantra. The days to come will tell how the decision of the people would impact on their lives and livelihoods, as the new president contends with the burden of delivering on, what some critics consider to be, utopian campaign promises.

Nonetheless, the people of Ghana should be very proud. Ghana has once again conducted herself as a resilient democracy. Since the return of the country to multi-party democracy in 1992, Ghana has successfully conducted seven elections, and peaceful transitions, including three alternations of power between the two leading political parties. According to President Akufo-Addo, for the third time, we have had a peaceful transfer of power from a governing party to an opposition one. We have done it without any fuss and it is now part of what we do as a people. From the peaceful conduct of the December 7, 2016 general election; to the prompt concession of former President Mahama; to the seamless transition programme; through to the orderly inauguration of the new president on January 7, 2017; the black star has once again shone as the lodestar of African liberation.

At Independence in 1957, Ghanas founding father Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah asserted that the independence of Ghana would be meaningless unless it was tied to the total liberation of Africa. The foremost Pan-Africanist went on to lead Ghana in playing a central role in the decolonisation process and liberation struggles across Africa. Africa has long moved on from the decolonisation era, but this generation of Ghanaians have carried on this enviable bequest  this time becoming a leading light in addressing Africas challenge of peaceful democratic transitions, by demonstrating this is possible, over and over again. Today, the country has earned its pride of place in the global world order, and is celebrated as one of the models in the Global South, for economic stability, democratisation, and peaceful transitions.

The West African country keeps strengthening her institutions and enacting enabling legislations that would ensure this legacy of peaceful transitions endure. Only last year, the Ghanaian Parliament passed the 2016 Presidential Transition Bill  an amendment of the Presidential (Transition) Act 2012, which prescribes modalities for the peaceful transition of power between outgoing and incoming administrations. The law made provisions for defined activities, clarity of roles, structured timelines, as well as accountability mechanisms, for moderating the conduct of all the individuals and institutions involved in presidential transitions. Considering the huge toll that post-election violence has had on African countries, this is a big deal. The rest of Africa has a lot to learn from Ghana that is in this age leading the way for a new kind of liberation, as she did in previous epochs.

It can be argued that the Ghanaian experience is a reflection of the countrys political and governance structures being steeped in very strong intellectual foundations that have positively influenced the conduct of her political elite. That is not to say Ghanas politicians dont play dirty leading up to elections, but invariably, they have learnt when to put politics aside and protect their democracy. While intellectuals in many African countries have ceded the political arena to unscrupulous characters, preferring to see politics as a dirty game to be avoided by decent people, Ghana has a long tradition of her intellectuals being active participants in the political process, with most of her past leaders being percipient men, with very strong academic credentials.

Nkrumah, the Prime Minister and later President in Ghanas First Republic, studied at Lincoln University, USA, obtaining BA (Arts) and BA (Theology in 1942), graduating at the top of his class. He also received a Master of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Edward Akuffo-Addo, the Ghanas Second Republic president was educated at St. Peters College, Oxford University, where he studied Mathematics, Politics, Economics and Philosophy. Professor K.A. Busia, the Prime Minister in that Second Republic earned a first degree in Medieval Studies and History from the University of London. From Oxford University, he obtained another BA (Hons.) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, MA (Oxon) and DPhil in Social Anthropology.

These founding fathers of Ghana established the two historical ideological streams and tendencies that still define the politics of Ghana today, namely the Nkrumahist and Danquah-Dombo-Busia political traditions. The present day political elites of the NDC and the NPP trace their lineages to these two lasting political traditions, which provide an avenue for successive generations of leaders to emerge from the crucibles of robust mentoring with deep convictions and requisite intellectual capacities, as against the scourge of accidental, ill-prepared leadership that has afflicted some other countries. The primacy of intellect in the politics of Ghana is undeniable, and it is instructive of how the quality of individuals that dominate political spaces can shape political and governance outcomes in their countries.

As President Akufo-Addo comes to power on his third attempt, this is the burden on his broad shoulders. The expectations his fellow citizens, and indeed the entire world, have of him is that he brings to bear in his leadership of Ghana, the grace, brilliance, creativity, and resourcefulness that his predecessors before him have demonstrated  as a man of ideas. After all, he is a biological son of the late former president Edward Akufo-Addo, and one of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia traditions leading lights. He was the lead opposition figure for more than a decade that kept the tradition alive in Ghana, and is widely known as an avid advocate of the rule of law, liberal democracy, and individual freedom. He is credited for unifying and mobilising likeminded ideologues and the grassroots to provide vibrant and formidable opposition, and eventually win election.

This is why it is most disheartening that President Akufo-Addo started his tenure on such a listless note  reading out a plagiarised speech that lifted parts of the inauguration speeches of former presidents of the United States of America, President Bill Clinton and President George Bush II, without attribution. The scandal unfortunately took the shine off an otherwise brilliant speech that honoured Ghanas glorious past and kindled hopes for a brighter future.

The Presidency has apologised and the world should move on. Like most African countries, Ghana has a young and restless population who look up to their new president to perform, and in the words of J.B. Danquah that he fittingly quoted in his speech, they expect him to lead a government that is dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen. Mighty Nigeria and the rest of Africa celebrate Ghanaians and wish them well.

Akin Rotimi writes from Abuja, Nigeria
This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in him.

The Navrongo Youth Association (NYA) wishes to express it sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency President of the republic of Ghana for the honour done on us my nominating the son of our land.

The people and chiefs of the Kessena/Nankana Municipal assembly and all Constituents of the Navrongo Central Constituency are overwhelmed with this consideration and appointment of Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda to the higher office of Minister.

We believe this appointment is a clear recongnition of Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda experience and competence in public service and a consolidation of the people of Navrongo trust in the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Youth of Navrongo thank you, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo for this love and confidence reposed in our father and mentor.

Mr. President, the Joseph Kofi Adda we know will never disappoint you in this new task that you have confidently given to him.

Poor sanitation and proper water delivery to all citizens is one of the major problems facing the country at this moment and we trust that your choice of Hon Joseph Kofi Adda as the Minister for this new Ministry is strategic and timely. His affable and result oriented approach to work coupled with his long years experience in public service, international consultancy and the private sector makes him a right choice for this role.

The Navrongo Youth Association believes this appointment is an honour to the people of the Upper East Region as a whole. The entire youth of the region wish to assure you, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo of our full support and cooperation for this your mandate.

To Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda our Member of Parliament and the Minister designate for Water Resources and Sanitation, we remain loyal and committed to you as you prepare for this role.

We are absolutely positive that the Appointment Committee of Parliament will not hesitate to give you the needed consideration.

We wish you well.

Godbless Ghana

Godbless the Upper East Region and the people of Navrongo

........Signed........

Navrongo Youth Association

Raymond K. Ayilu

President
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked Ghanaians to hold President Nana Akufo-Addo responsible for any mayhem which may arise as a result of the attacks on their members.

According to the party, the current President has failed to stop members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who have allegedly been attacking their members without any provocation.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the President was sitting by as alleged members of the NPP instigated disturbances.

When you are the Commander in Chief and you allow gangsters to be humiliating state security officers, where are we going to? Mr. Asiedu Nketia questioned.

 I am not surprised at all because throughout the campaign I kept warning that we all know the best gauge of anybody's conduct in future is his conduct in the past and we know the conduct of the various presidential candidates, including Nana Addo, and his record of encouraging conduct.

The NDC General Secretary stressed that ensuring order and peace is a collaborative effort but he added that the key person who should lead the peacekeeping game is the person who has power.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia also noted that the NDC members had a right to defend themselves and warned that the leadership of the party could not restrain its members forever.

We are operating a democracy and it is the fundamental right of every Ghanaian to defend himself and I am sure the NPP and Nana Addo know this We will keep on holding our people in check. We will still, at the national level, try to still ask people to endure the pain but we are telling you is that there will be a point where the followers will defy the leadership if the problem is not solved.

The leadership of the NPP has however already condemned reported attacks on members of the NDC perpetrated by some of its supporters.

This followed a directive from former President John Mahama to the security agencies to arrest supporters of the NPP who vandalize government properties or attack supporters of the NDC.



By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The creation of the ministries of Sanitation and Railway & Development is strategic and very much needed by the people of Ghana, Dr Kobby Mensah, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, has said.

According to him, Ghanaians, especially those in Sekondi-Takoradi, badly need rail transport to go about their duties hence the focus given to the railway sector by the president is apt.

Mr Akufo-Addo announced the creation of these ministries on Wednesday, 11 January at the seat of government.

Since the announcement of the new ministries, opinions have been divided among Ghanaians, with critics saying it will lead to duplication of responsibilities and also overburden the economy.

However, Dr Mensah wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday, 12 January: I am particularly thrilled about President Nana Addos creation of the Sanitation, Railways and Monitoring ministries. In my humble opinion  and its not superior or ground-breaking, as many have said before  they are strategic and very much needed by the Ghanaian people. The hard part, though, is delivery.

Now, for those handed the responsibilities of managing these ministries, please fulfil your roles well to compensate the first gentlemans confidence reposed in you, especially my own Joe Ghartey. The people of Twin City badly need the railways to work. It was fundamental to my mum and sisters job in Takoradi-Kumasi, and my own travels to school and back. Thank you Pres. Nana Addo for the foresight, but please make it count.

-Classfmonline
12.01.2017 LISTEN

By Samira Larbie, GNA

Accra, Jan. 11, GNA - The Women in Law and Development Africa (WiLDAF) says the initial appointment of three females out of the 13 ministerial nominees announced by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, is woefully inadequate.

It said this did not reflect well on a Government that promised to appoint at least 30 per cent of women into public office.

Ms Abigail Edem Hunu, the Communications and Advocacy Officer, WiLDAF, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said they expected more women to be appointed to Ministerial positions and the other public offices and committees to fight discrimination against them.

She said in accordance with the 1992 Constitution and other International Treaties that Ghana was a signatory to, there was the need to have a regional and gender balance in the country's governance system and thus appealed to the government to commit more resources to promote women's rights and protect gender equality.

The President nominated Hajia Alima Mahama for the portfolio of Local Government, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway for Foreign Affairs and Madam Gloria Akuffo for the Attorney-General and Justice Ministry.

The aim of the fight for more women at the helm of affairs by women's advocacy groups and other advocates is to ensure that gender inequality is ended.

Ghana has been amending her legislation, policies and institutional frameworks, as well as implementing programmes, to ensure that there are more women in leadership positions for effective administration process.

The 2016 General Election saw the marginal rise of women in Parliament from 29 to 35.

Ms Hunu said though the number was not enough, gender advocates were hopeful that more would be elected in due course to champion women and children's issues.

She also expressed the hope that there would be more women in the next two batches the President would announce.

The list of the 13 appointees has been taken to Parliament and vetting would take place after a committee had been set up to take up this all important exercise.

GNA
Localisation of humanitarian response

A lesson from Nepals earthquake is that INGOs need to strengthen local actors instead of themselves
12.01.2017 LISTEN

By Nana Osei Kyeretwie/Stephen K. Ofori, GNA

Sunyani, Jan 12, GNA - A total of 67 maternal deaths were recorded in the Brong-Ahafo Region, last year, Dr. Osei Kuffour Afreh, the Deputy Regional Director (Public Health), has announced.

Compared with the 2015 figure of 87, this showed a significant decline in the number of women, who died during childbirth.

Dr. Afreh, said the achievement would, however, not make anybody complacent, saying they were targeting zero per cent deaths.

Addressing an annual regional dissemination meeting with chiefs and queens in Sunyani, he identified the main causes as hemorrhage, sepsis, hypertension, unsafe abortion, refusal to attend antenatal clinic and respiratory failure.

The other contributory factors included 'delay in decision to seek care' because of poor understanding of the health complications and poverty.

The meeting was held under the theme 'Dissemination of maternal health issues - the role of traditional leaders'.

It provided the platform to discuss ways to strengthen the collaboration between the healthcare providers and traditional rulers, particularly, queens to prevent maternal mortality.

Other issues that came up were neonatal deaths and growing teenage pregnancy in the region and how to effectively deal with these.

Dr. Afreh complained about what he termed 'delay in reaching care' due to the bad nature of roads and the long travel distance to the health facilities.

Mrs. Martha Larbi-Agyemfra, the Regional Public Health Nurse, said 120 doctors and midwives in the region, had received training on life-saving skills and this was done with support from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.

Additionally, 200 community health nurses had been adequately equipped to carry out in-plant insertion and removal, as part of a deliberate effort to increase family planning acceptance.

GNA
12.01.2017 LISTEN

By Francis Ayebiagu, GNA

Half-Assini, (WR) Jan 12, GNA - A Half-Assini District Magistrate Court in the Western Region has remanded two accused persons into Police Custody for two weeks for allegedly stealing the property of a couple in Tikobo No.1.

The plea of the two Stephen Acquay aka Teacher Kabi 33, Labourer and Isaac Djeni alias Adjetey Sinapi 29, Galamsey Operator both fromf Tikobo No.1 were not taken and they would reappear in court on January 24.

The court presided over by Mr Abdul Majid Illiasu also issued a bench warrant for arrest of 3 others namely Brace, Nzemah and Anwiah who are at large.

Prosecuting, Police Detective Corporal Richard Amoah, told the court that the complainants in the case were Mr David Nelson and his Wife who live at Tikobo No.1 with the accused persons.

He said at about 2100 hours on December 31 last year, the family left home for watch night church service.

The Prosecutor said after the service, Mrs Nelson and her children returned home at about 0130 hours on January 1st 2017 only to detect the door to her bedroom had been forced opened and the locks damaged.

He said when Mrs Nelson later noted that her eight golden necklaces, six pairs of golden ear rings, three golden bracelets and one gold bar, two Kente cloths were missing and also fifteen half pieces of Holland Cloth valued at GH 4,500.00 were also gone.

He said 25 yards of lace worth GH 750.00, four bales of High-Target cloths valued GH 16,000.00, five half piece of GTP Cloth worth GH 700.00, cartons of soap, One carton of Milo, school bags and cash of GH 170.00 were also stolen .

Corporal Amoah said Mr Nelson also detected that his Techno Smart Phone, wrist watch and personal effects running into thousands of Ghana cedis were also stolen from the room.

He said at about 1800hours on that day Acquay was seen by Mr Nelson's brother giving a tin of milo to someone in the town and was confronted as to where he got that tin of milo from, Acquay alleged that he bought it but could not tell from where and was therefore arrested. He said during interrogation Acquay mentioned Djeni and the others at large as his accomplices and led the Police to recover Six half-full Pieces of cloth, a Wrist watch, Two T-shirts, Five tins of Milo and a school bag from an abandoned room at Bonyere.

He said Djeni was later arrested from his hideout in Tarkwa. GNA
12.01.2017 LISTEN

By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has appealed to Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Education Minister-designate, to maintain the three-year tenure of Senior High School (SHS) education.

Mr Bright Appiah, GNECC Chairman, speaking to the Ghana News Agency, on Thursday, in Accra, said the three-year duration was in line with the Anamoah-Mensah Committee's report and every form of review to be undertaken must reflect that Committee's recommendations.

The Anamuah-Mensah Committee, which was set up to review the nation's educational system, in 2003, recommended a new educational system consisting of two years of kindergarten, six years of primary, three years of junior high school and three years of SHS.

However, the Kufuor Administration in 2007, added another year to the duration of SHS.

This was, however, reversed to three years by the Atta Mills Administration in 2009.

Mr Appiah congratulated Dr Opoku Prempeh, who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia, on his nomination as Education Minister by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said the nomination of Ministers was the preserve of the President and the Coalition believed that Dr Opoku Prempeh had what it took to deliver on his mandate.

He, therefore, appealed to the Minister-designate to ensure the Government delivered on its manifesto promises on education to the letter.

He urged Dr Opoku Prempeh to follow the strategic national educational policy of the Ministry, and to also ensure that the educational standard of the nation was raised to a higher level.

Mr Appiah said, there was the need for the Government to ensure that the national educational policy would also reflect the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Education.

Goal Four calls on all countries to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

Mr Appiah said obtaining quality education was the foundation to improving people's lives and sustainable development.

The Coalition, he said, would continue to support the Government in its quest to provide better education for all.

The GNECC is a network of civil society organisations, professional groupings, educational/research institutions and other practitioners interested in promoting quality basic education for all.

Formed in 1999, the Coalition has steadily grown over the years with a current membership of about 200 organisations.

Its philosophy is premised on the fact that education is a fundamental human right and key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

GNA
Re-elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa West Constitueny in the Upper West Region, Joseph Yieleh Chireh has expressed deep appreciation to voters in the constituency for renewing his mandate.

The massive support given to him and his party during the day of election, he noted, contributed in no small measure to his resounding election victory to continue to serve the Wa West Constituency as MP.

The MP, in a press release praised the polling station executives of the party for the commitment and vigilance that ensured that the decision of the people was respected.

He assured the people of the area to continue the good work and to make the constituent a peaceful and developed constituency.

He urged the people to put the election behind them and come together to bring development to the area.

Yieleh Chireh also thanked his contestants for making the competition keen and put him on his toes to ensure the best for the constituency.

The MP, a former Minister for Health under the Mills led-administration, polled 12,658 votes to beat his two other contestants, Mr. Pharuk Patrick Bandanaa, an Independent Candidate, who had 8,806 votes and the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Mr. Deniel Gunsono Dery who had 7,415 votes.

From Musah Umar Farouq, Wa
12.01.2017 LISTEN

Less than one week after the inauguration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ghanaians have been hit with either the creation of new or the maintaining and restructuring of existing ministries in the previous government.

And this early exercise, coupled with the calibre of persons appointed to man the various portfolios, is set to usher the country into the dawn of a new political administration.

The Ministries of Petroleum and that of Power, which were operational in the days of former President John Dramani Mahama, have been merged. It is now called the Ministry of Energy.

Apart from the merger, new ministries have also been created. The Ministry of Regional Re-organisation and Special Projects is one of them, while that of Monitoring and Evaluation is the other.

Also of essence is the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing in the previous government. President Akufo-Addo prefers to split it into that of Sanitation and Water Resources and also Works and Housing.

A former Attorney-General under the erstwhile President John Kufuor administration and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Nana Ghartey, will have the opportunity to open the gates to a new ministry in Ghanaian history  Railways Development.

The announcement of the appointments may have come a bit too early, when compared with Ghanaians experiences with previous governments, which needed not less than six months to put their teams together. But to the new administration, it is the surest way to hit the ground running to solve the myriad of problems Ghanaians are faced with, because the people of this country are not prepared for excuses.

In appointing a person to the Ministry of Regional Re-organisation and Special Projects, President Nana said he needed a heavy hitter, a political weight and technical, and saw that in Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, a former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Mr Botwe actually led the NPP to victory in 2001.

At a press conference at the Flagstaff House yesterday, the President explained that the ministry would supervise the creation of new regions, as promised by the NPP. The party, as part of its campaign, promised to split the Volta Region to now have a new area  the Oti Region, and another from the Western Region, expected to be known as the Western-North Region.

Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, who is to occupy the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, has been applauded by many. His wealth of contributions to the area of science and knowledge around the world is not in doubt.

It has been the argument of Ghanaians that unlike appointees in the erstwhile Mahama administration, confidence has been reposed in the likes Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda, Dr Anthony Osei Akoto, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo and Ignatius Baffuor Awuah, among others, to help the President realise his promises to the people of Ghana.

While most of these personalities have proven track records in the administration of ex-President Kufuor, the others have their profiles and credentials speaking volumes about them.

By Pascal Kafu Abotsi
Carthage (Tunisia) (AFP) - Tunisia will "assume its responsibilities" on unwanted migrants, President Beji Caid Essebsi said Thursday after Germany threatened to cut development aid to countries that stall on the return of rejected asylum seekers.

In response to failings which kept the suspected attacker at a Berlin Christmas market on December 19 from being deported to Tunisia before the carnage, German officials have threatened to end development aid.

"Europe must be calm. Tunisia is a country which assumes its responsibilities," Essebsi told AFP during a reception at the presidential palace.

"We have accords with Europe. We have bilateral accords with certain countries, including Germany. These are good accords that will be implemented, by them and by us," he said.

The president said Berlin had "identified... around a thousand Tunisians who are in Germany and do not have resident permits", whose identities had to be verified before repatriation.

"We cannot force any country to keep Tunisians whose status is irregular... but we must first ensure that they are indeed Tunisians, something which is not always the case."

Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine published last weekend: "Those who do not cooperate sufficiently (on repatriation) cannot hope to benefit from our development aid".

The warning was aimed in particular at Tunisia -- the home nation of Anis Amri, who was suspected of ploughing a lorry into the Berlin market killing 12 people.

Tunisian jihadist Anis Amri killed 12 people when he drove a hijacked truck through a Berlin Christmas market on December 19

Germany rejected Amri's asylum application last June, but Tunis intially denied he was a Tunisian citizen, blocking him from being sent home.

A new Tunisian travel document for the 24-year-old only arrived two days after the attack in Berlin.

Several thousand citizens of north African nations, including those with almost no chance of obtaining asylum in Germany, are similarly lacking papers to return home.

German authorities are now considering more routinely placing failed asylum seekers viewed as dangerous Islamists in detention ahead of their deportation.
Former President John Mahama has said that it is too early for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to be talking about his 2020 presidential ambitions, ClassFMonline.com has learnt from highly-placed sources.

At a highly classified meeting held between him and minority MPs as well as some party executives including General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, party Chair Kofi Portuphy and stalwart Kofi Attoh near Gold House in Accra, Mr Mahama urged the party and its members to stop arguing about his future political ambition and rather channel their energies into reorganising the NDC and strengthening its base.

Mr Mahamas comments on his future presidential ambition come days after his family reportedly said he will not run in 2020.

His younger brother, Ibrahim, who spoke to the media a few days ago, said they are advising the ex-president to take a rest from active politics.

John has given his all in politics to the NDC and Ghana and we think it is just fair that we allow him to rest. We were very supportive and instrumental in convincing him to partner Prof. Mills, and when the time came for him to contest for President; we supported and advised him to go for itnow we have advised him not to make a comeback in 2020, Ibrahim Mahama said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has named Elizabeth Afoley Quaye as the Minister nominated for Fisheries and Aquaculture .

Madam Quaye who is the Member of Parliament for Krowor in the Greater Accra region has worked at the Ministry of Agriculture as a civil servant for about two decades.

Announcing the third batch of ministerial nominees at the Flagstaff House, President Akufo-Addo described Madam Quaye as a civil servant who understands issues pertaining to her portfolio.

She is a first time Member of Parliament, she is going to be a minister, but her background, 20 years in the Ministry of Agriculture. In fact this was her schedule , because her schedule was a civil servant. But I believe her exposure, her knowledge of the issues in the industry are second to none in our country, he said

When you speak to her you will know, and very soon the world will know it in the way she conducts herself in the Ministry. She comes from a fishing community, she is a Member of Parliament for a fishing community and I think she is very very idly positioned to be an advocate for that community for that industry as well as a policy maker to make sure that the decline that we have seen in the income of fisher folks, that decline is arrested, he added.

President Akufo-Addo charged her to help solve important issues that affect marine and aquaculture development.

This is an industry that affects about two million people in Ghana and I do not have to underline or overemphasize its importance in the economy of our country .There are important matters that now confront all of us .

The depletion of our marine stocks. Methods of fishing . The apparent decline in artisanal fishing all these are very important issues not only for the community involved in fishing but the nation at large.

Madam Quaye attended University of Ghana, Legon.



By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Tempers seem to be rising at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) headquarters in Accra over recent alleged attacks and takeovers of public properties by the invincible forces of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking at a news conference in Accra, the Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Portuphy expressed displeasure at President Akufo Addo failure to condemn recent attacks by NPP goons.

The NDC Chairman emphasized that the beastly conduct of President Akufo Addos Invincible Forces will no longer be countenanced.

He indicated that the NDC, as a responsible party is unable to continue to restrain its members while President Akufo Addo continues to turn a blind eye to acts of terrorism being perpetuated since he took over the reins of leadership.

It is common knowledge that the invincible forces were used by President Akufo Addo to unleash mayhem on his own party members when he was the flagbearer. We are hearing that the Invincible Forces are working with the tacit approval of their boss President Akufo Addo, Kofi Portuphy noted.

He indicated that the nation has witnessed disruptions in the work and operations of state institutions, unlawful occupancy of public offices, vandalisation of state properties across the country and violent attacks on Ghanaians.

Mr. Portuphy explained that after peaceful co-existence and handing over of power to it by the NDC, the NPP has rather chosen to walk this nation down a dangerous and dark alley.

He accused President Akufo Addo of lack of positive and unifying leadership skills, saying never should he mislead himself into believing that Ghanaians shall allow him to wound and divide this dear country of ours.

The NDC Chairman urged civil society, religious bodies, the media and the international community not to blame the NDC if the unacceptable conduct of President Akufo Addos Invincible Forces leads to reprisal attacks.

Mr. Porturphy cited some of the attacks which include a group of persons numbering about 30 invading the premises of the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) attacking staff and management and demanding to be offered immediate appointment.

He said there was similar incident where a group in a convoy of three vehicles went to the Passport Office in Accra and attacked the staff and demanded the immediate resignation of the Director Mr. Alex Grant Ntriakwa.

Mr. Portuphy further stated that the offices of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in Tamale and Accra, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Tamale were ravaged and toll booths seized.

He also cited the despicable conduct of the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Suhum who personally wielded a gun and was followed by thugs to attack and beat NDC supporters including a pregnant woman.

Touching on the brouhaha over accommodation for former President Mahama, Mr. Portuphy described it as an exhibition of extreme bad faith by the NPP administration seeking to crudely attempt to divert attention from the gross embarrassment President Akufo Addo brought upon himself via the shameful plagiarism that characterized his inaugural speech.

He called on President Akufo Addo to apologize to the good people of Ghana for his improper conduct of intellectual dishonesty and academic fraud, rather than continuing to show bad faith after a smooth transfer of state power to him.

Mr. Portuphy appealed to the security agencies to move out from their shells and eschew any fear of being victimized with transfers and arrest those miscreants going around attacking and seizing state properties illegally.
The advent of agriculture was one of the most important turning points in human history. The word agriculture comes from the Latin word agricultura, which means to cultivate the field.

The whole reason humans formed civilisations was thanks to agriculture. More people than ever before were able to concentrate in pockets across the world.

This revolution took place some 105,000 years ago. And until recently, most of the world performed agriculture as it was done thousands of years ago. Sure, farmers have tractors, self-irrigating crops, drones and devices to measure everything. But, at the core, they still cultivate the land.

We are now at a turning point.

Bringing the farm to you

Technology is completely changing how we look at arable land. We are no longer restricted to growing plants in the ground. In fact, we dont even have to grow plants in soil. We can enhance plants with chemicals to be more resistant to disease. We can grow plants in whatever climate we want, even Antarctica.

Thats just hydroponics, you might say.

But thats not what Im referring to. A traditional hydroponics facility is fixed. It cant move anywhere. Instead, Im talking about picking up the facility and moving it anywhere you want in the world.

As in finance, manufacturing and mobility, technology is about to disrupt the food industry. And we are in the very early stages of what could be a highly lucrative industry.

Kimbal Musk, brother of Elon Musk, is trying to completely change the way we eat. For over a decade, Kimbal has run two restaurant chains, The Kitchen and Next Door. They serve dishes made strictly with locally-sourced meat and veggies.

Now Kimbal is trying to bring local food to urban cores around the world. His latest venture, teaming up with Tobias Peggs, is called Square Roots. The program consists of providing 10 steel shipping containers to young entrepreneurs in Brooklyn, New York.

Square Roots could develop the next generation of farmers. Each container has vertical, soil-free farms under LED lights.

Each container can produce the same amount of crops as two acres of outdoor farmland. And theres no farming experience needed.

Last year, 24-year-old Josh Aliber was recovering from a concussion. While out of commission, he learnt about urban farming from a podcast. He started researching from his bed and found out about the Square Roots program.

He now runs his own specialty herb business out of shipping containers. Aliber can control everything from oxygen levels to humidity  all of which affect the plants taste and texture. They use 10 gallons of recycled water a day, less than the average persons shower.

But imagine multiple mobile farms in cities across the world. It would completely change how we source and transport our food. Not to mention improving the quality and freshness of food in general.

An opportunity you might not want to miss

Lots of other companies are joining the food revolution. Agri-tech business Abundant Produce Ltd [ASX:ABT] is one such company. Their goal is to help farmers increase crop yields and decrease energy inputs. They do it through their gene-enhanced seeds.

ABT doesnt use chemicals to improve crops. Instead, they breed their seeds to produce healthier and tastier tomatoes and cucumbers.

From here, ABT is looking to pursue opportunities to develop their base plant IP. One of the main activities includes identifying further species of vegetables to investigate and begin breeding/improving, according to chairman Tony Crimmins.

But ABT is just one of many companies capitalising on agriculture. Youll likely see more start-ups venturing into the agri-tech sector soon. 2016 was a standout year for miners. Maybe 2017 could be the year for the argi-tech companies.

Regards,

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: Investing in the stock market can be easy. Some may tell you that its hard, throwing complicated examples at you. But thats because theyre interested in your money sitting in their back pocket!

Money Mornings Publisher Kris Sayce has written a report all about investing isnt as hard as you think simple and easy. Instead of taking your money, Kris wants to help you invest for yourself.

In Kris report, The Ultimate Starters Guide for Buying and Selling Shares, hell show you all the ins and outs of investing. Whats more, Kris will reveal the one type of stockbroker you should never use. And theres also a secret you need to know about investing correctly.

To find out what that secret is, and more, pick up your free copy of Kris report by clicking here.
Month-long 'Swasthani Brata Katha' starts (In pictures)

The month-long Sri Swasthani Brata Katha has started from Thursday.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye can return as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) if the churchs Governing Council says so.

Pastor Adeboye

Recall that Mr Adeboye stepped down as the general overseer and was appointed General Overseer worldwide. A decision which has led to the sack of the Executive Secretary/CEO of FRCN, Mr. Jim Obazee.

READ ALSO: FG shops for $400 million World Bank loan to rebuild the North-east

According to Vanguard, the status quo will remain until the governing council decides otherwise, maintaining that no other person in the church can altar the stated changes that had been announced by the General Overseer.

It was also reported that it was not clear if Pastor Joseph Obayemi has received an official schedule of duties.

A source told the newspaper that in view of the 40-day fasting period which began yesterday, the changes may take some while to be effected, stating however, that Pastor Adeboye remains the General Overseer of the church with presence in over 193 nations.

It was also gathered that office was created for the new country overseer but could not confirm or deny if the new man has resumed duties in the office.

According to the constitution of the church, the highest organ of the church consists of Pastor Adeboye as chairman with 13 other very senior pastors, including Pastor J. H. Abiona, Deputy General Overseer; Pastor J. A. O. Akindele, Assistant General Overseer; Pastor D. A. Ilori, Assistant General Overseer and Pastor M.O. Ojo, Assistant General Overseer.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Senate confirms new Auditor-General of the Federation

Others include Pastor A. A. Aderibigbe, Assistant General Overseer; Pastor P. O. Ojo, Assistant General Overseer; Pastor D. O. Oluwalogbon, National Elder; Pastor C. O. Osho, National Assistant Elder; Pastor D. G. Kuo, Regional Evangelist; Pastor E. A. Odeyemi, SATGO Central Africa; Pastor E.O. Daramola, SATGO South Africa II; Pastor G. Lawal, SATGO/PIC Region 12 and Pastor J. A. Obayemi, who was recently appointed country overseer of the church.

Watch related video:

Source: Legit.ng
Nepal raises labour issues with Qatar

Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, who is currently in Qatar on an official visit, has raised the issue of safety and benefits of Nepali migrants working in the Gulf emirate.
- China has agreed to invest in Nigeria following a visit from its foreign affairs minister to Nigeria

- The country said this was in addition to earlier investments

- Nigeria has withdrawn diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and agreed to the One China policy

Wang Yi who is the Chinese foreign minister has promised that the country is investing $40 billion as part of the plan to deepen relationship with Nigeria.

He made this comment during a press briefing with his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama on Wednesday, January 11 adding that this money was in addition to $22 billion projects already invested.

READ ALSO: China might refuse to give Nigeria $20bn loan

Yi said: China has already invested or financed a total number of $22billion projects here in Nigeria, another $23billion projects are on-going. In addition, we are also following up another over $40billion of investments, which are in the pipeline.

China to invest in Nigeria; Taiwanese office moved to Lagos

Earlier, Yi met with President Muhammadu Buhari where the president promised that all agreements with China will be honoured.

He said: This administration is very serious about infrastructural development. We want rail, road, power, skill acquisition for our people. We ought to have developed beyond this point, but we neglected infrastructure when we had the resources.

Now, we have to collaborate with you, and we will keep our side of the bargain in all the agreements we have signed.

President Buhari had travelled to China in April on the invitation of President Xi Jinping and they signed memoranda of understanding on investing in Nigeria.

The Chinese foreign minister said relationship with Nigeria was strong and said his visit was to implement the important agreement and cooperation reached between the Chinese and Nigerian presidents.

He said: In order to achieve further development and prosperity of the two countries, we need to strengthen our political mutual trust, deepen complementarily between our developments, further expand practical cooperation and deepen our strategic partnership.

Onyeama commended the Chinese government for the periodic visit to Africa.

You know of course that the Peoples Republic of China has been meeting regularly with Africa and the forum for discussing technical cooperation with African countries, the acronym is FOCAC

The last one took place in South Africa last December and the government of China made available a total of $60b for Africa and a number of countries, including Nigeria are in discussions to see how much of that could be used to assist in the various projects that we have in this country.

In area of infrastructure, which is one of the priority areas in the diversification programme of this government from oil to agriculture and infrastructure, the Chinese government has been showing a lot of cooperation with us.

He said the presidents visit to China further opened up more areas of cooperation as the country has invested between $60b and $80b in Nigeria.

In fostering better relationship with China, Nigeria withdrew all diplomatic relations with Taiwan as a country and withdrew accreditation from Taiwans nationals.

The Taiwanese office in Abuja will be closed and moved to Lagos as a trade mission with skeletal staff.

In a joint statement by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both Nigeria and China, the two countries affirmed their territorial sovereignty while also affirming the One China policy.

The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes that there is only one China in the world; that the Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory.

READ ALSO: Nigerian economy to grow by 1% in 2017 - World Bank

The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria reiterates not to have any official relations or engage in any official contacts with Taiwan, and supports all efforts made by the Chinese government to realize national unification.

Onyeama said: On the issue of building trust, the international community has embraced one China and China is a member of the United Nations and we dont want to leave any doubt on the issue.

We adhere to it completely and there is no ambiguity at all.

Source: Legit.ng
- The United Nations has begun investigation of the attacks and killings in Southern Kaduna

- UN took the step after it received a December 30, 2016, petition SERAP sent to Dr. Callamard

UN to probe Southern Kaduna killings

With continued killings in Southern part of Kaduna by Fulani herdsmen, the United Nations has begun investigation of the attacks and killings.

READ ALSO: Ndumes removal cant spark crisis in Senate - Saraki

UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Dr. Agnes Callamard took the step after it received a December 30, 2016, petition SERAP sent to Dr. Callamard.

Dr. Callamard has confirmed she is probing recent allegations of killings of over 800 citizens, mostly women, children and the elderly, in Southern Kaduna, by suspected herdsmen, and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims, according to a statement by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, yesterday.

This followed a December 30, 2016, petition SERAP sent to Dr. Callamard.

SERAP urged Callamard to prevail on the federal government authorities to: take measures to urgently secure the right to life, right to security and dignity of the human person and right to property of citizens in Southern Kaduna, and to prevent further attacks and killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators.

The group asked UN to carry out an effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims.

READ ALSO: RCCG governing council can return Adeboye as G.O

It also asked the UN to provide a framework of security for the protection of life, and to protect the lives of those individuals at risk from unlawful attacks in Southern Kaduna and provide an effective remedy and reparation for the victims.

Watch related video:

Source: Legit.ng
Editor's note: A former commandant in the Nigerian Army, Major General Kaleosho (rtd) has written on the origin of the name mammy markets in Nigerian Army Barracks.

A mammy market in Abacha Barracks, Abuja

Read below:

What is now known as "Mammy Market" in all barracks nationwide, came to be as a result of the industry of Mrs Anthony Ochefu. Thanks to an Idoma local brew called "enyi". Now, nobody remembers to recognise this history maker and accord the honour due to her.

In 1959, Mammy Ode, a young girl from Jericho-Ugboju in the present Otukpo local government area of Benue state was married to Anthony Aboki Ochefu, a young non-commissioned military officer who had just been posted to Enugu from Abeokuta.

They were quartered at the Army Barracks, Abakpa, Enugu. To beat idleness and perhaps earn some money to support her young family, Mrs Mammy Ochefu established a business of selling soft drinks. She also prepared gruel, which is popularly called 'Umu or enyi' in Idoma, or kunu in Hausa, for sale to the soldiers in the barrack to help quench their thirst and energise them.

She soon became popular with selling "umu" as soldiers trooped to her house to buy the local brew made from guinea corn. Some of her customers were officers, who always send their batmen to buy the gruel for them, Monday through Friday and even during the weekend when they are not working.

READ ALSO: Fire Outbreak Burned Mammy Market In Akure To Ashes

Somehow, one of the non-commissioned officers, the RSM, did not flow with the enthusiasm, which Mammys gruel generated among other military men in the barracks. He complained that the stuff was attracting flies into the barracks and ordered Mrs Mammy Ochefu to stop its production and sale.

Though disappointed at the order of the RSM, she stopped the production and sale of "umu" in the barrack. For weeks, Mrs Mammy Ochefu agonized over the fate of her business, just as officers and men of the Nigerian Army who enjoyed her brew because of its freshness and nutritional value lamented over the situation.

From several quarters, pressure mounted on the RSM for a reversal of the order. After a while, he succumbed to and directed that a section of the barrack be reserved for Mrs. Mammy Ochefu to produce and sell her "umu".

Her joy knew no bound few days after a section of the barracks was allocated to her for the purpose of selling the Idoma local brew within the barrack. She built a small stall for her business and soon, her business began to boom. Most of her customers booked far in advance for the quantity of "umu" they want to buy. Before noon, she would have finished selling the available "umu" for the day.

Soon, other women in the barracks became inspired by her industrious nature and tapped into her industry and started selling other items like burukutu, pito, palm wine, kain-kain and other alcoholic beverages in addition to pepper soup and other delights for the relaxation of the rant and file in the evenings when they close from work and they are permitted to drink alcoholic beverages.

It was not long before that portion of the barracks became known as mammy market. It also became a policy to establish markets inside or near military barracks in the country, initially for the exclusive use of officers and men of the rank and file.

Today, no visit to Abuja, the Federal Capital City, is complete without a taste of fresh fish in one of the mammy markets, especially the one attached to Abacha Barrack. Similar markets attached to paramilitary barracks are also called mammy markets.

After General Yakubu Gowon was overthrown in a military putsch, Anthony Aboki Ochefu, then a Colonel, was posted to East Central state as military governor. So Mrs Mammy Ochefu and her husband returned to Enugu as the first family. As first lady, Mammy Ochefu visits the site where mammy market started about sixteen years earlier.

READ ALSO: Police Arrest Four Fake Soldiers In Lagos

It must also be stressed too that in retirement, Colonel Anthony Aboki Ochefu and his wife incorporated a company called Mammy Markets, which was into haulage and trading.

Mrs Mammy Ochefu is alive and lives at Otukpo as one of the prized legends of our time.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com  drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page!

Source: Legit.ng
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a socialite, Mike Eze-Nwalie Nwogu popularly known as Pretty Mike for dehumanizing young girls by turning them into human puppies with chains round their necks.

Pretty Mike and his girls

Nwogu, a 30-year-old club owner in Ikeja area of the state, was arrested on Wednesday by the police on the orders of the Lagos State Government after news emerged on social media of the development.

The suspect, in pictures which had since gone viral on the internet, was seen putting leash on young girls and leading them to a wedding in Lagos.

READ ALSO: Lagos club owner chains ladies like dogs in public

The development caused outrage from many quarters with people calling on government to act fast to put a rein on such type of bizarre anti-social behavior.

Nwogu was said to be cooperating with investigation and had given useful statement to the police and was released after given an undertaking to desist from putting any woman or man on a leash to dehumanize them.

Pretty Mike after his arrest

According to the undertaking, Nwogu admitted knowing his action was against the law, but pledged not to further indulge in such behaviour.

The undertaking read in part: I, Mike Eze Nwalie, A.K.A Pretty Mike of 21A Magodo GRA, Luma Street, do hereby undertake to stop whatever act of putting girls on a leash or any other degrading treatment to ladies and guys.

I am aware that such act offends the law of the State of Lagos and if I repeat it again, there will be legal act towards me.

I undertake to issue a letter of apology to the public effective from tomorrow on all my social media platforms.

READ ALSO: Ruggedman reacts to Pretty Mikes viral video on Instagram

Speaking on the matter, the States Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the State Government will not tolerate any anti-social behavior that attempt to dehumanize any citizen in the State.

Kazeem restated the governments determination to prosecute any individual or group of persons who violate any law of the State under any guise.

The Lagos State Government is committed to the protection of the rights of all citizens including children, women and all the vulnerable persons in the State, Kazeem said.

Source: Legit.ng
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, January 12, made an alternative arrangement for family members and relatives of the leader of Indigenous People Of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu.

Cross-section of Nnamdi Kanu's supporters and family members waiting outside the court on Thursday.

At the gate of the court, security operatives asked that all family members and relatives of the defendants in the matter queue up before they can be allowed into the court premises.

READ ALSO: National Assembly debate on allowing Jammeh to stay in Nigeria

The relatives were also expected to be identified by Prince Kanu, the IPOB's brother.

Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps taking care of the new entry protocols for Nnamdi Kanu's family members and supporters.

At the last session on Tuesday, January 10, family members of the IPOB leader were shut out of the court premises.

Journalists were also shut out by security operatives.

READ ALSO: After Uwazuruike's outlash, MASSOB declares support for Nnamdi Kanu

But the trial judge Binta Nyako at the session ordered that at least four family members of each defendant be allowed access into the court.

Nnamdi Kanu's family members getting cleared for entry into court.

Nyako had also warned security operatives not to bring the accused persons into the courtroom in handcuffs.

Kanu, David Nwawuisi, Benjamin Nwabugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiwe are facing criminal charges bordering on treason, mismanagement of an unlawful society and concealing of goods in a container.

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu made serious allegations against President Muhammadu Buhari and the federal government on Wednesday, January 11. He also wondered why the government wanted to try him secret if it had nothing to hide.

Source: Legit.ng
Nepal slams attacks in Afghanistan

The government of Nepal has condemned Tuesdays bomb attacks in Afghanistan that left scores dead, including officials of the United Arab Emirates officials.
Biafra agitators staged a protest outside the Federal High court in Abuja on Thursday, January 12 calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu ahead of his court appearance.

Kanu who is scheduled to appear in court on charges of treason was arrested in 2015 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

READ ALSO: Buhari committed treason in 1983 - Nnamdi Kanu and his co-accused (video)

Some Biafra supporters carrying banners bearing photos of the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) sang while calling for the release of Kanu.

They protested the detention of Kanu and the alleged kidnapping of his visitors by DSS operatives.

See photos below:

Biafrans stage protest outside court ahead of Kanu's appearance

Biafrans stage protest outside court ahead of Kanu's appearance

Biafrans stage protest outside court ahead of Kanu's appearance

Meanwhile, A lawyer to Kanu has debunked claims that IPOB group is not an unlawful one.

Ifeanyi Ejiofor who spoke to journalists after Kanus court session on Tuesday, January 10, said claims by the federal government that the group is unlawful is baseless.

Ejiofor said: "IPOB is not an unlawful society, the goods imported duly came into the border and they are not contraband items listed under the gazette.

If you look at the statements made by witnesses it has nothing to do with any offence of treasonable felony."

They are talking about how they arrested him and nothing more.

So it had nothing to do with offences of treasonable felony which he is being charged for, and we of the view and firm view that, legally, those statements of the witnesses have nothing to do with the charges."

Source: Legit.ng
- Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr Matthew Kukah has always been an optimist in the future of Nigeria

- But Dr Kukah seems to have had a change of mind

- The Archbishop says he has never been so unsure of the future of Nigeria like now

The Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr Matthew Kukah has expressed doubt about the future of Nigeria.

File photo of Dr Kukah exchanging pleasantries with President Buhari

Dr Kukah who made the statement at a book launch in Abuja today, January 12 however noted that the religious crisis in northern Nigeria cannot be understood, if effort is not made to go back to 100 years.

READ ALSO: What is govt's business with church GO's - Fani-Kayode

The event was the book launch of renowned professor and author, Olufemi Vaughan titled Religion and the Making of Nigeria.

The archbishop accused the northern ruling class of continuing to use religion as a cover to hold to power, adding that Nigeria have not been unable to separate criminality from religion.

''If somebody wants to murder in the name of God, if God gave you a licence and gave you a gun, we should able to say that well, that is not applicable here in Nigeria, you are a bloody criminal and you should go to prison.

''It has been impossible for us to prosecute anybody precisely because we have this belief that somehow people can actually and genuinely kill in the name of religion,'' Kukah said.

He continued: ''I think that we need to get our hands around the correlation between religion, development and constitutionalism

''We must understand the religion and violence in Nigeria, the fact that nobody is in charge. The fact that the president, let me put it that way, has never been in charge.

''And I am not talking about being in charge of the armed forces of Nigeria, I am talking about we know where we can go to in terms of appeal.''

On his part, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka lamented the fact that many Nigerians have ''paid the ultimate price'' because of religion.

His words: ''The innocent ones are the ones who often pay the ultimate price in religious crisis. Even religious leaders cannot denounce the murdering acts of religion.

''Religion now induce trauma and anxiety instead of solace that it claims to give. Religion is the ironic product of human inadequacy.

''There is a monster always waiting to pounce on innocent Nigerians under the name of religion.''

READ ALSO: Why Muslims should say NO to discrimination against Christians

Recently, investment banker, columnist and theater producer, Joseph Edgar stated that religion today is so wealthy that if care is not taken they can compete with the federal government naira for naira in some areas if allowed.

Source: Legit.ng
Nepal tourism makes spectacular rebound

Nepals tourism experienced a dramatic turnaround last year after being hit by the twin disasters of a devastating earthquake and crippling trade embargo in 2015.
President Muhammadu Buhari sent a revised list of 46 non-career ambassadors for confirmation to the Senate. This was contained in a letter read on the floor by the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, January 12.

When Buhari first presented the non-career ambassadorial list in November, the Senate rejected it because there were numerous petitions against the nominees.

Also, two nominees, Pauline Tallen, a former deputy governor of Plateau state, and Usman Bugaje, from Katsina state, turned down their appointment.

Several new names are on the revised list while others like Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun), brother of Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife; George Oguntade, a former supreme court judge; Olorunnibe Mamora, a former Lagos-east senator; and Musa Ibeto from Niger were removed.

READ ALSO: Senate confirms Buhari's nominees for S'Court, INEC, NCC

Below is the full list.

1. Uzoma Eminike (Adamawa)

2. Aminu Lawal (Adamawa)

3. Godwin Umoh (Akwa Ibom)

4. Christopher J.N. Okeke (Anambra)

5. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi)

6. Baba Madugu (Bauchi)

7. Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa)

8. Steven Ugba (Benue)

9. Baba Ahmed Gida (Borno)

10. Utobong Asuquo (Cross River)

11. Frank Efeduma (Delta)

12. Jonah M. Udoh (Ebonyi)

13. Uyagwe Igbe (Edo)

14. Eniola Ajayi (Ekiti)

15. Chris Eze (Enugu)

16. Suleiman Hassan (Gombe)

17. Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Imo)

18. Amin Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa)

19. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli (Kaduna)

20. Deborah S. Liya (Kaduna)

21. Prof. D. Abdulkadir (Kano)

22. Alhaji Haruna Ungogo (Kano)

23. Justice Isa Dodo (Katsina)

24. Mohammadu Rimi Barade (Katsina)

25. Tijani Bande (Kebbi)

26. Y. O. Aliu (Kogi)

27. Nurudeen Mohammed (Kwara)

28. Mohammed G. Yisa (Kwara)

29. Justice George Adesola Oguntade (Lagos)

30. Modupe Irele (Lagos)

31. Musa Ilu Muhammad (Nasarawa)

32. Ahmed Ibeto (Niger)

33. Suzanne Aderonke Folarin (Ogun)

34. Jacob Igbekele Daodu (Ondo)

35. Afolayon Adeyemi (Osun)

36. Asimiyu A. Olaniyi (Oyo)

37. James G. Dimka (Plateau)

38. Haruna Bawa Abdullahi (Plateau)

39. Orji Ngofa (Rivers)

40. Sahabi Isa Gada (Sokoto)

41. Kabiru Umar (Sokoto)

42. Alhaji Hassan Jika Ardo (Taraba)

43. Goni Modu Zanna (Yobe)

44. Alhaji Garba Garjam (Zamfara)

45. Bala Mohammed Mairiga (Zamfara)

46. Habiss Ibrahim Ugbada (FCT)

Source: Legit.ng
Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reiterated the commitment of his government to further cooperate with the police and other security agencies in the interest of peace and security in the state.

Rauf Aregbesola

Ogbeni Aregbesola stated this while playing host to the new Assistant Inspector General of police, Zone 11 in charge of Osun, Ondo and Oyo who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Osogbo.

READ ALSO: Make copies of Ekiti lawmakers certificate available, lawyer tells INEC

He described the police as a unique arm of security because they are part of the people in the community who are only separated by their uniform in the process of ensuring law and order in the society.

"Despite the fact that there is still a lot of room for improvement, the police force have shown a lot efficiency in the discharge of their duties. The Nigerian police have to a great extent helped to reduce tension to the nearest minimum even in the face of the economic recession hitting the country." he said.

Governor Aregbesola assured that the present administration in the state will continue to support the police because they are partners in the process of ensuring that Osun remains the safest state in the country.

Earlier in his remarks, the Assistant Inspector General of police, Zone 11, Mr. Paul Okafor, stated that the Command in Osun and the zone will continue to ensure the security of the state.

"I will do my best to ensure that Osun and environs continue to remain peaceful and secured, by the grace of God we will not fail. Being the headquarters of the zone, if we succeed in keeping Osun secured, it means we have succeeded in the zone as a whole." Mr. Okafor said.

READ ALSO: UN to probe Southern Kaduna killings

Recall the government of Osun under Aregbesola invested billions of Naira in the purchase of security equipment for various security agencies in the state. Available reports reveal the state is now adjudged the most peaceful in Nigeria as the investment in security is now paying off.

Watch related video:

Source: Legit.ng
- President Muhammadu Buhari and security chiefs have discussed on the insecurity challenges in southern Kaduna, the Niger Delta and other parts of the country

- The minister of defence, Mohammed Dan-Ali, says troops have already been deployed to southern Kaduna

- Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been accused by Christian groups of not doing enough to stop the killings in southern Kaduna

President Muhammadu Buhari has met with security chiefs over insecurity challenges parts of Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari has held a meeting with security chiefs over the insecurity challenges in parts of the country.

READ ALSO: Southern Kaduna killings: Stop making inflammatory statements, Sultan tells religious leaders

Vanguard reports that the meeting which took place at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday, January 12, focused on the violence in southern Kaduna, the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.

The minister of defence, Mohammed Dan-Ali, who made this known after the meeting with the president said troops have been moved to Southern Kaduna while negotiations are on-going to end the killings in the area.

Meanwhile, Governor Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, on Thursday, January 12, commended the Nigerian Army under the leadership of Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, for its professionalism and dedication to duty especially within the embattled northeastern region.

NTA reports, that the governor made the commendation when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking further, he said that if not for the timely intervention of the Army, the problem of the insecurity in the Southern part of Kaduna State could have been worst.

READ ALSO: UN to probe Southern Kaduna killings

He also eulogized the Army for decimating Boko Haram terrorists and routing them out of their stronghold at Sambisa forest, describing it as unprecedented.

Governor Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai has been accused by Christian groups of not doing enough to stop the killings in southern part of Kaduna.

The secretary of CAN in the region, Dr Joseph Aka Ajujungwa, who spoke alongside the Chairman of CAN in the South-East, Most. Rev. Prof. David Eberechukwu, in separate press statements, on Wednesday, January 11, declared that the group was holding El-Rufai responsible for the murder of hundreds of Christians in Kaduna state.

They said it was regrettable that the governor, who took oath of office to protect lives and properties in the state was now looking the other way while residents of the Southern Kaduna were being murdered.

Source: Legit.ng
- UNIOSUN undergraduates refuse to pay their tuition fees and invest money in MMM instead

- Authorities of the university claim that students already owe the institution two billion naira

- The students who failed to pay their fees won't be allowed to attend classes and write exams

- The MMM ponzi scheme froze funds of its users promising to lift the measure on January 14

Authorities of Osun State University have reported about two billion naira owed by students of the university who put money in the MMM ponzi scheme instead.

Professor Labode Popoola expressing his concerns over unpiad fees

The news has been recently made public by Professor Labode Popoola, the school Vice Chancellor (VC), on the university campus.

READ ALSO: We hope NYSC did not use our 'allawee' to do MMM! Corp members react

Mr Popoola also expressed his dissapoinment with the students who abused the opportunity of tuition fees part payment given by the university for convenience sake of parents and guardians.

He also warned that the school would publish the names and other personal details of the debtors and enforce its full rules and regulations on defaulters.

Besides, defaulters will not be allowed to attend classes and write examinations until they pay their fees.

The professor said: "The university has decided to call this press conference to educate and enlighten the stakeholders in particular and the public in general about the financial position of the Osun State University.

Osun State University, being a public institution, is financed from grants from the state government and she also heavily relies on school fees from its students and other Internally Generated Revenues. The state government under the leadership of Mr Rauf Aregbesola, when he came on board, reduced the school fees.

READ ALSO: Bitcoin is not compulsory - MMM guider reveals 5 vital tips to get paid on January 14

I wish to confirm that the University has not increased its school fees despite the economic recession. The University remains one of the few state owned institutions that charge modest fees. In all matters concerning our students, their interests remain our paramount consideration.

Meanwhile, I wish to let the public know the current amount being charged since 2011: Programmes Amount per session. Freshers: Science 100,000 Naira and 110,000 Naira; Law (including Nursing Science) 125,000 Naira and 135,000 naira; Non-Science, 95,000 Naira and 105,000 Naira; Acceptance fee, 40,000 Naira; Admission Checker, 2,000 Naira; Medical Fee, 15,000 Naira, Matriculation fee, 5,000 Naira and Late registration fee is 10,000 Naira per semester.

From the breakdown above, it can be seen that the highest school fee for staylite is 125,000 Naira in a session for law and nursing science students; whereas there are some private secondary schools in Osun State that charge about 150,000 Naira and above per term.

It is, however, disheartening to note that the University has discovered that despite the fact that the University operates an enviable stable academic calendar, mobilises its graduating students Youth Service without delay, many of our students still owe school fees running to two billion Naira.

If this trend continues, there is no way the university could perform its financial responsibilities.

Henceforth, Senate at its meeting has approved the implementation of the following guidelines:

READ ALSO: Controversy: Femi Adesina is my guider in MMM  Participant alleges

1. That all students who fail to register will no longer be allowed into lecture rooms and will not be allowed to write examination;

2. That only students who fulfil the requirement would be allowed to write examination;

3. That the policy of 70% attendance at lectures for students will be strictly enforced;

4. That new students are to pay school fees in full and on time for retention of their studentship;

5. That names of defaulters will be published soon. All parents and guardians are hereby advised to warn their children and wards to pay their fees on time and not to divert their school fees to other areas."

Meanwhile, the students ask the university management to give them a chance to pay up their school fees within the next three weeks.

Watch related video:

Recall that on December 13 MMM Nigeria announced the freezing of all members' accounts due to systems overload and the negative attention brought on by the government and mass media.

However, MMM representatives promised unfreeze access to its users accounts and funds on January 14.

Source: Legit.ng
Former president Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, January 12, paid a condolence visit to the family of late Niger state governor Engr. Abdulkadir Kure, who died in Germany on Sunday, January 8.

He also visited His Royal Highness, Umar Farouq Bahago, the Emir of Minna.

Jonathan pays a visit to His Royal Highness, Umar Farouq Bahago, Emir of Minna

READ ALSO: Babangida, others mourn late former Niger governor

Disclosing the news on his Facebook page, Jonathan described Late Kure as a distinguished public servant and highly principled politician who contributed to the development of Nigeria.

Jonathan pays condolence visit to the family of Late Kure

READ ALSO: President Buhari mourns Kure, ex-Niger governor

He said: "I thank God for making it possible for me to visit Minna this afternoon to condole with the family of the late ex- Governor of Niger state Engr. Abdulkadir Kure and His Royal Highness, Umar Farouq Bahago, the Emir of Minna.

"The late Kure will continue to live in the hearts many as a distinguished public servant and highly principled politician who contributed so much to the development of our dear nation.

"May the Almighty comfort the family he left behind, and grant him al-Jannah Firdaus."

Jonathan storms Minna to pay a condolence visit to the family of Late Engr. Kure, ex-governor of Niger state

Recall that Kure was flown abroad last week following a relapse of an undisclosed illness but died some days later.

The deceased was a two-term governor of the state from 1999 to 2007.

He was also the 12th governor of the state and the third civilian governor after Emir Awwal Ibrahim(1979-1983) and Dr. Musa Inuwa( 1992-1993).

Source: Legit.ng
Nepali officials off to India to discuss IC exchange facility

A technical team under the leadership of Chintamani Siwakoti, deputy governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), on Wednesday left for India to hold talks on forming a modality to exchange demonetised Indian banknotes of 500 and 1,000 denominations held by Nepali citizens.
- The late former head of state, Sani Abacha, is believed to have looted the country and starched the funds in foreign accounts

- Some countries have repatriated some of the money, but Prof Sagay gives reasons it could not be difficult getting some other funds

Nigeria may lose up to $550 million reportedly recovered from the family of the late maximum dictator, Sani Abacha, according to Professor Itse Sagay, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).

The late Abacha is believed to have looted the country while he was head of state

The money is currently in the United States and the country had promised to repatriate it to Nigeria.

Sagay said the risk of losing the fund relates to the stringent conditions given for its return by the US where some of the nations stolen wealth is hidden.

The professor of law reportedly said the conditions include horrendous percentages that are being proposed as recovery charges by some of the countries.

READ ALSO: AGF Malami denies bribery allegations in Abacha loot recovery

Daily Trust reports Sagay as making the revelation during a media dialogue on asset recovery and asset return organised by PACAC and the office of the special adviser to the president on diaspora/foreign affairs.

He said the amount is different from the earlier $480 million forfeited to the US following a court judgment in August 2014.

According to him, the funds are just a fraction of Nigerias stolen wealth in foreign countries including the $505.5 million Abacha loot seized by Switzerland between 2004 and 2006.

Sagay however said the US and the other countries with such loots are bound by the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to return the funds to states where it originated.

He quoted Article 3 of UNCAC as saying: States parties are obligated to afford one another the widest measure of cooperation and assistance in ensuring that recovered assets are returned on liberal terms as much as possible."

He further said: Tracing, seizure, forfeiture and the return of Nigerias assets laundered outside the country has however been a challenge especially where the support of those nations where the loots are starched away is not gotten.

We need no apologies from recipients of stolen assets, our demand is the unconditional return of our stolen national patrimony.

READ ALSO: Recovered loot to fund part of 2017 budget

In her contribution, the special adviser to the president on diaspora/foreign affairs, Hon Abike Dabiri reportedly said: America has over 400 million dollars that have been officially recovered as stolen funds from Nigeria, but America is keeping the funds, they are telling us about technicalities, they are saying we recover doesnt mean we can return.

The person who steals is just as guilty as the person who keeps stolen funds. The person who steals is a criminal; the person who keeps known stolen funds is also a criminal.

"You cant give us aid of a billion dollars, and keep a billion dollars of funds you have recovered from Nigeria.

Source: Legit.ng
- Two Nigerian Army officers have reportedly lost their lives after an IED planted by Boko Haram terrorists exploded in Borno state

- Report suggests that the bomb went off in Golgore River Bank in Damboa local government area in central Borno state at about 11.15am

- The two Nigerian Army officers affected were part of the eight officers and 144 soldiers attached to the Nigerian Army 27 Brigade Task Force

A Nigerian Army captain and a lieutenant on Thursday, January 12, lost their lives after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists exploded in Borno state, Premium Times reports.

According to the report, the bomb went off in Golgore River Bank in Damboa local government area in central Borno state at about 11.15am.

READ ALSO: Photos: Tears flow as another gallant Nigerian hero is killed by Boko Haram

Nigerian Army captain, lieutenant die in IED explosion in Borno

The wheel of a T-72 armoured tank used by the troops was also damaged by the terrorists, forcing all the remaining officers and soldiers to withdraw from the area with immediate effect.

They have now retreated to the 27 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Buni Yadi.

READ ALSO: Eight killed as suicide bombers hit Maiduguri (UPDATED)

However, Premium Times have refused to make public the identity of the two affected officers military insiders because their family had not been informed of the development.

Military sources, who spoke to news medium disclosed that the two Nigerian Army officers affected, were part of the eight officers and 144 soldiers attached to the Nigerian Army 27 Brigade Task Force deployed to Talala General Area to clear Boko Haram remnants.

It was gathered that about 31 members of the local vigilante are working with the troops to clear insurgents from the area.

As at the time of filing this report, Army spokesman, Sani Usman, has still not come up with a reaction.

The attack comes just four days after Boko Haram insurgents carried out a surprise attack against the Army Brigade in Buni Yadi.

According to reports, Lt. George Okupe, the spokesman of 27 Task Force Brigade, confirmed the attack, adding that the attack was successfully repelled by the troops.

But a military source who spoke in confidence said Boko Haram insurgents launched a surprise attack on 27 Task Force Brigade of the Nigerian Army Buni Yadi, killing five soldiers, including a captain.

Source: Legit.ng
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two suspected Boko Haram members in Minna, the capital of Niger state.

The security agency gave the two suspects as 20-year-old Usman Al-Amin as wll as Sanusi Ibrahim Bala.

Some arrested Boko Haram suspects

A statement from the public relation officer of the command, Ibrahim Yahaya, said the suspects were arrested at different locations within the state capital.

The new arrest is coming just days after some Boko Haram members were reportedly arrested in Lagos state.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Army captain, lieutenant die in IED explosion in Borno

The suspects arrested in Niger were said to have been under surveillance before their arrest.

According to the statement, Al-Amin always pretended to be insane in the day time but revert to his normal self at night and at this time, he would make several calls to his members elsewhere.

Apparently unaware that he was been monitored, he will make calls at night to persons we suspected were their members.

It was at this point that it became clear to us that he is not a lunatic, the statement said adding that the suspects were currently being interrogated.

A table knife, memory card, sim card flash drive, a dog chain and phones were recovered from the suspects.

READ ALSO: Southern Kaduna killings: Buhari meets with security chiefs

The state commandant of the NSCDC, Phillip Ayuba, urged the public to be vigilant adding that the Boko Haram members were fleeing to different directions after being sent away from the Sambisa forest.

Source: Legit.ng
The Nigerian Army has reacted to reports that it has raised an Army battalion that would be deployed in troubled Gambia to forcefully remove President Yahya Jammeh from power, if he fails to step down on January 19.

Recall that Premium Times had quoted military insiders as saying that the battalion called ECOMOG NIBATT 1 is presently camped at Okitipupa in Ondo state.

Nigerian Army says it has not plan to attack President Yahya Jammeh, Gambia, or any other country

READ ALSO: Nigerian Army captain, lieutenant die in IED explosion in Borno

But in a swift response, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, director army public relations, has described the report as untrue and a figment of the imagination of Premium Times.

Usman said the Nigerian Army is not planning to attack any country.

The Army spokesman challenged Premium Times to name the officer or soldier that gave them such information and when.

He said: The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication by Premium Times online news medium titled "EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria raises troops for Gambia, ready to remove Yahya Jammeh". This is not true.

Consequently, Nigerian Army wishes to disassociate itself from such false information that exists only in the figment of the imagination of the medium. There was no time or place Nigerian Army disclosed such information to the medium. If there is any, we challenge them to name the officer or soldier that gave them such information and when.

For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerian Army is not planning to attack any country.

READ ALSO: Gambia Army chief declares support of armed forces for Jammeh

The statement added: It should be noted that such reckless and unprofessional conduct is not expected of any reputable and responsible news medium as it is inimical to national security.

The publication apart from being false in its entirety, it is unethical and capable of endangering the lives of Nigerians in diaspora.

The medium is please requested to always clarify such matters affecting national security and diplomatic issues that may endanger the safety and security of Nigerians abroad to avoid such misleading and embarrassing publication.

Meanwhile, Gambia's President, Yahya Jammeh has criticised international pressure on him to step down as he announced the appointment of a mediator to help resolve the country's political impasse.

In an address on national television late on Tuesday, January 10, Jammeh lashed out at unprecedented level of foreign interference in our elections and internal affairs and also a sustained smear campaign, propaganda and misinformation."

Source: Legit.ng
- A five-man panel of the Supreme Court has permitted the Lagos state government to reopen Al-Mustaphas murder case

- The decision of the apex court follows a motion filed by Oluwayemisi Osusanya, a senior counsel at the Lagos state ministry of justice

- The court orders the Lagos state government to file notice of appeal within the next 30 days

Al-Mustapha was acquitted of the murder of Kudirat Abiola on July 12, 2013.

The Supreme Court has permitted the Lagos state government to appeal against a judgment of the Appeal Court acquitting Hamza Al-Mustapha for the alleged murder of Kudirat, wife of the late MKO Abiola.

READ ALSO: Buhari removes Ooni's brother from fresh list of ambassadorial nominees (SEE FULL LIST)

Al-Mustapha who was the former chief security officer of the late Sani Abacha, and Lateef Shofolahan, an aide of the late Kudirat, were sentenced to death by Mojisola Dada, justice of the Federal High Court, Lagos for murder on January 30, 2012.

But Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan appealed against the judgment at the Lagos division of the appeal court where they were acquitted of the charge on July 12, 2013.

However, a five-man panel of justices led by Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria, on Thursday, January 12, granted the Lagos state government an extended time to file an appeal despite the expiration of the time to do so, The Cable reports.

READ ALSO: Jammeh will not step down when mandate ends  Gambian minister

The decision of the apex court followed a motion filed by Oluwayemisi Osusanya, a senior counsel at the Lagos state ministry of justice.

It ordered the Lagos state government to file notice of appeal within the next 30 days.

Counsel to Al-Mustapha, Joseph Daodu, who had earlier challenged the motion on the grounds that the time for the appeal had elapsed, withdrew his counter-affidavit.

Kudirat was killed on June 4, 1996 in Lagos.

Her husband, MKO Abiola, ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election which was annulled by then head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.

Source: Legit.ng
These grants assist with the preservation and interpretation of places that tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement, such as the Tallahatchie County Courthouse; site of the Emmett Till murder trial. Image courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

News Release Date: January 12, 2017



Contact: Jeremy Barnum, 202-208-6843

WASHINGTON  The National Park Service (NPS) today announced funding for 39 projects in over 20 states that will preserve and highlight the sites and stories associated with the Civil Rights Movement and the African American experience.

Through the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, were helping our public and private partners tell unique and powerful stories of the African American struggle for equality in the 20th Century, National Park Service Acting Director Michael Reynolds said.

Congress appropriated funding for the new NPS African American Civil Rights Grant Program in 2016 through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to provide assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars.

States, Tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, applied for a broad range of planning, preservation, and research projects for historic sites associated with the Civil Rights Movement and the African-American experience. The competitive grant program is funding 39 projects worth $7,750,000, including surveys, documentation, interpretation, education, oral histories, planning, and bricks and mortar preservation.

Projects receiving grants include those that will educate about and preserve resources like Rosenwald Schools across the nation, Civil Rights struggles at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Alabama and Central High School in Arkansas, women that fought for civil rights like Modjeska Simkins in South Carolina, and figures like Oscar DePriest, Emmett Till and Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide surveys to find stories and sites that are not well known will be funded in Michigan, Rhode Island, Ohio, Maryland, Idaho, District of Columbia, California, and New York.

A 2008 National Park Service study, Civil Rights in America: A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites, served as the principal reference for determining the eligibility of proposed projects for the grant program.



The projects are:

Preservation Projects: Grantee State Award Preservation, Repair and Restoration of the Historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Alabama $500,000.00 Preserving Brown Chapel AME from electrical, roofing and structural needs Historic Brown Chapel AME Preservation Society Inc. Alabama $500,000.00 Anniston Freedom Riders Monument City of Anniston Alabama $496,375.00 Preserving Central High - A Civil Rights Monument City of Little Rock Arkansas $499,372.56 Restoration of the historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church Ralph David Abernathy III Foundation Inc. Georgia $451,571.15 Preservation of the Oscar Stanton De Priest House National Historic Landmark Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois Illinois $250,000.00 St. Mark's A.M.E. Church Rehabilitation Saint Marks AME Church of Topeka Kansas Inc. Kansas $231,804.00 Holy Rosary Institute Main Building Stabilization Holy Rosary Redevelopment Louisiana $450,000.00 Civil Rights Museum for the McDonogh 19 building Leona Tate Foundation For Change Inc. Louisiana $500,000.00 Hamtramck Stadium pre-development plan City of Hamtramck Michigan $50,000.00 Mitchell Hall Preservation and Rehabiliation Lincoln University of Missouri Missouri $500,000.00 Restoration of Tallahatchie Co. Courthouse first floor, to the period of significance Emmett Till Memorial Commission of Tallahatchie County Inc. Mississippi $500,000.00 Pauli Murray Family Home Interior Restoration Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice North Carolina $237,575.00 Rehabilitation of the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House Historic Columbia Foundation South Carolina $293,000.00 Sandy Island Cultural Initiative Coastal Carolina University South Carolina $104,798.06 City of Memphis - Clayborn Temple Preservation Project City Of Memphis, Div., Housing And Community Development Tennessee $400,000.00 Third Street Bethel AME Church Rehabilitation and NR Nomination Update Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia $404,821.04 Williams Community Resource Center City of Danville Virginia $413,269.05

History Projects: Grantee State Amount Preserving History, Building Community:

Preservation Leadership Training at the Gaston Motel in Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Alabama $47,003.00 City of Riverside African American Civil

Rights History The City of Riverside California $50,000.00 The Rosenwald Schools Mapping Project: Enhancing Understanding of Rosenwald Schools through Web GIS and Story Maps National Trust for Historic

Preservation in the U.S. District of Columbia $50,000.00 Civil Rights and Neighborhood Change in Washington DC Smithsonian Institution District of Columbia $49,616.00 African American 20th Century Civil Rights Heritage Trail District of Columbia Office of

Planning District of Columbia $37,000.00 Mapping Segregation in Washington DC:

The Legal Campaign to End Racially

Restrictive Covenants Historical Society of

Washington, D.C. District of Columbia $50,000.00 National Register Nomination and

Interpretive/Educational Materials for

Federation Home and Tate Arms African

American Student Dormitories City of Iowa City Iowa $16,052.38 Untold Stories: The African American

Civil Rights Movement in Idaho Idaho State Historical Society Idaho $50,000.00 The Kentucky Civil Rights Movement

Exhibition Kentucky Center for African American Heritage Kentucky $50,000.00 The New Orleans Civil Rights Movement

Oral History Project to preserve

first person testimony of the

New Orleans civil rights movement. Kemper and Lelia Williams

Foundation Inc. Louisiana $23,360.00 1320 Eutaw Place: Lillie Carroll Jackson's Home for Freedom Morgan State University Maryland $49,828.00 Beaches and Ballfields: Contested

Recreational Spaces and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Anne Arundel County, MD. Lost Towns Project, Inc. Maryland $48,000.00 Detroit's African American Civil Rights

History 1900-1970 Survey and Multiple

Resource Nomination Michigan Stae Housing

Development Authority Michigan $49,500.00 Research, Interpret, and Preserve the Civil Rights History of Natchez and Adams County, Mississippi Historic Natchez Foundation Mississippi $50,000.00 Project for the International Civil Rights

Center & Museum (Sit-In Movement, Inc.) Sit-In Movement Inc. North Carolina $50,000.00 Long Island Luminaries: Untold Stories of the Civil Rights Era Town of North Hempstead New York $50,000.00 Expanding and Enlivening the Archive

Through Community Curators: an Oral

History Project to archive witnesses to

social & economic justice issues of

Weeksville Society for the Preservation of

Weeksville New York $50,000.00 20th Century African American Civil Rights Movement in Ohio: Evaluating and Nominating Historic Properties Ohio Historical Society Ohio $50,000.00 African-American Struggle for Civil Rights in Rhode Island: The 20th Century Rhode Island Historical Society Rhode Island $49,557.76 South Carolina Civil Rights Teacher Institute University of South Carolina South Carolina $49,997.00 Give A Damn: Stax Records and Social

Justice Soulsville Foundation Tennessee $47,500.00

www.nps.gov





About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 414 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone  Acknowledging a major defeat in the fight against Ebola, international health officials battling the epidemic in Sierra Leone approved plans on Friday to help families tend to patients at home, recognizing that they are overwhelmed and have little chance of getting enough treatment beds in place quickly to meet the surging need.

The decision signifies a significant shift in the struggle against the rampaging disease. Officials said they would begin distributing painkillers, rehydrating solution and gloves to hundreds of Ebola-afflicted households in Sierra Leone, contending that the aid arriving here was not fast or extensive enough to keep up with an outbreak that doubles in size every month or so.

Its basically admitting defeat, said Dr. Peter H. Kilmarx, the leader of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Preventions team in Sierra Leone, adding that it was now national policy that we should take care of these people at home.

For the clinicians its admitting failure, but we are responding to the need, Dr. Kilmarx said. There are hundreds of people with Ebola that we are not able to bring into a facility.
SKOPJE, Macedonia  The president of Macedonia abruptly ended a far-reaching criminal investigation into corruption and abuse of power throughout the government on Tuesday, plunging the tiny Balkan country into a political crisis.

An agreement brokered by European mediators in July sought to resolve a political crisis prompted by a wiretapping scandal, which revealed fraud in the electoral system, government manipulation of the media and the judiciary, and other wrongdoing. The wiretapping involved surveillance of as many as 20,000 people, including journalists, judges, foreign ambassadors, and activists  but who orchestrated it, and to what end, remains murky.

As part of the agreement, the leaders of the countrys four largest political parties agreed to allow a special prosecutor to investigate the wiretapping and, if necessary, bring criminal charges. President Gjorge Ivanov disregarded the agreement on Tuesday, issuing a blanket pardon to anyone involved in the scandal.

I am convinced that this is a big step forward toward reconciliation, and that this will help in creating an atmosphere for normal political and democratic competition, based on ideas and results, not on accusations and destruction, Mr. Ivanov said in a national address.
NOC allots Rs117b for new fuel storage plants

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has earmarked Rs117 billion to install new fuel storage plants.
NAIROBI, Kenya  United States forces assisted Somali commandos in killing several members of the Shabab militant group in an attack last week, an American military spokesman said on Tuesday, but it was not clear whether any high-level operatives had been eliminated.

The raid took place last Wednesday, when a contingent of elite American troops acting as military advisers accompanied Somali forces in an assault on a Shabab checkpoint in Saakow, a remote outpost in southern Somalia that has become a notorious hide-out for the militants.

American Special Forces have been quietly working in Somalia for years, with increasing success.

As the Somali-led force approached the checkpoint, the militants opened fire, setting off a gun battle, said Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Falvo, a spokesman for the United States militarys Africa Command. Three Shabab militants died; no Americans were hurt.

U.S. advisers accompanied the Somali-led force, which is standard for what we do in that area, said Commander Falvo, who added that the American forces were armed but did not participate in the firefight.
MOSCOW  A suicide bomber blew himself up inside the Chinese Embassys compound in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday morning, wounding three Kyrgyz staff members, according to local officials.

The attacker rammed the gates of the embassy with a Mitsubishi Delica that exploded about 160 feet into the compound. The driver died on the scene.

This was a suicide bomber, three people got injured, they were hospitalized, Zhenish Razakov, the countrys deputy prime minister, told journalists in a video that was released by a local news website.
Hurricane Matthew battered Florida and points north on Friday, having already wreaked deadly havoc in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. All those along its path need aid and protection and, when the wind and rain end, swift help in rebuilding.

But Haiti needs it most.

The southwestern part of the country, already isolated before being cut off by the storm, has been ravaged. In the city of Jeremie, about 80 percent of the buildings were flattened. The aerial photographs are heart-wrenching: What last week was an urban grid is now a smear of sticks, bricks and mud. The rough estimates of the nationwide death toll on Friday fluctuated  200, 500, 800. All that seemed certain was that the number would rise.

Natural catastrophes are tragically familiar in Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2010  an acute emergency laid cruelly upon chronic poverty and underdevelopment. But equally familiar is the tragically misguided disaster response. Charity flows in all directions, many of them wrong. It is sent to organizations with shallow connections in the country, to be managed by and for the benefit of non-Haitians, soaked up in overhead or misspent on projects that languish and development that never comes. Much pledged aid never arrives.
According to witness accounts cited by United Nations human rights investigators, two airstrikes struck the Al Kubra community hall in Sana, seven to eight minutes apart. It was packed with families attending the funeral of a leader of the Houthi rebel movement, which is battling the Saudi-backed government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi for control of the country. Many prominent military and political leaders associated with the Houthis were in the hall and were killed in the assault, the United Nations said.

Aerial attacks by the Saudi-led coalition have already caused immense carnage and destroyed much of the countrys medical facilities and other vital civilian infrastructure, Mr. Ban said. Excuses ring hollow given the pattern of violence throughout the conflict. Parties cannot hide behind the fog of this war. A man-made catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes.

Earlier on Monday, the United Nations top human rights official, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, called for an independent international inquiry, noting a sharp rise in civilian casualties since the collapse of Yemeni peace talks in August.

At least 369 civilians have been killed or injured since the start of October, Mr. Hussein said in a statement, bringing total documented civilian deaths since the coalition entered Yemens civil war in March 2015 to at least 4,125 and the number of injured to 7,207.

In response to the attack on the funeral, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, widely seen as the main backers of the Houthis, issued an angry statement saying that the rebel group, which Iran refers to as the Ansarullah movement, would avenge the bombing, and that the attack was a U.S., Saudi, Israeli joint conspiracy.
Initially, Saudi Arabia denied that jets from its coalition had been involved in the attack. But in a statement on Sunday, the Saudis announced an investigation into reports about the regrettable and painful bombing.

The conflict in Yemen broke out in 2014 when rebels known as the Houthis seized the capital and sent the government into exile. The Houthis are allied with army units loyal to a former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh; they have been fighting for control of the country against groups at least nominally loyal to the current president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies.

In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition began a campaign of airstrikes aimed at turning the tide against the Houthi-Saleh alliance. The campaign has largely failed, while reports of civilian deaths have grown common, and much of the country is on the brink of famine.

The airstrikes on Saturday followed a period of escalation since August, when the last round of internationally backed peace talks broke down. Both sides have sought to bolster their positions since then.

Over the summer, the Houthis announced the creation of a political council to govern their areas. Mr. Hadi, the exiled president, decreed that he was relocating the countrys central bank from Sana to the southern port city of Aden, where his government has a presence.

It is not clear where the bank will obtain funds or how it will function in Aden, and the move could worsen the countrys economic crisis, said Peter Salisbury, who studies Yemen as an associate fellow at Chatham House, a think tank based in London.

The decree has really created a limbo state, where we dont know what is going to happen, and what you really dont want in a time of civil war is instability in the banking sector, Mr. Salisbury said.
WASHINGTON  The Obama administration has intensified a clandestine war in Somalia over the past year, using Special Operations troops, airstrikes, private contractors and African allies in an escalating campaign against Islamist militants in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation.

Hundreds of American troops now rotate through makeshift bases in Somalia, the largest military presence since the United States pulled out of the country after the Black Hawk Down battle in 1993.

The Somalia campaign, as it is described by American and African officials and international monitors of the Somali conflict, is partly designed to avoid repeating that debacle, which led to the deaths of 18 American soldiers. But it carries enormous risks  including more American casualties, botched airstrikes that kill civilians and the potential for the United States to be drawn even more deeply into a troubled country that so far has stymied all efforts to fix it.

The Somalia campaign is a blueprint for warfare that President Obama has embraced and will pass along to his successor. It is a model the United States now employs across the Middle East and North Africa  from Syria to Libya  despite the presidents stated aversion to American boots on the ground in the worlds war zones. This year alone, the United States has carried out airstrikes in seven countries and conducted Special Operations missions in many more.
BUDAPEST  Lawmakers in Hungary on Tuesday rejected a proposed national ban on refugees relocated from the rest of the European Union, dealing a rare defeat to Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Mr. Orban submitted a plan to ban the refugees, in the form of a constitutional amendment, last month, after a similar proposal failed to pass by referendum because of insufficient voter turnout.

He has vowed to block a European Union program that would resettle migrants from the Middle East and Africa who have gone to countries like Greece and Italy. Under that program, Hungary, a nation of 10 million, would have to accept 1,294 of a total of about 160,000 migrants.
Rene Redzepi was already familiar with hard-shell tacos out of the box, a fairly common product in Denmark, the taco-deficient nation where he lives and runs the influential restaurant Noma. But those arent the tacos that changed his life.

Late one night, just about a decade ago, Mr. Redzepi arrived hungry in Merida, Mexico, and stopped on the street for tacos al pastor  hot, fresh corn tortillas piled with thinly sliced pork that had been browned on a vertical spit. The meal was quick, simple, but skillfully executed, and it made an outsize impression on the chef.

The next day, I started delving into it, Mr. Redzepi, 38, said in an interview last week in New York. Tortillas led me to masa. Masa led me to nixtamalization. I realized, there were thousands of years of history in every bite.

Since then, he has taken vacations to Mexico with his wife and children every year. Next April, for more than a month, his entire Copenhagen-based staff of about 90 people will join him to run a Noma pop-up in Tulum, inspired by the broader scope of Mexican cuisine.
VIENNA  In his office in Austrias grand old Parliament, Norbert Hofer, the man who would be Austrias next president, presents himself as anything but a threat.

He enters with a pronounced limp as a result of a 2003 paragliding accident. He air-kisses a visitors hand. He then spends much of the next hour professing that he is not nationalist and certainly not anti-Semitic, insists that he is too young to have anything to do with Nazism and says that he is no part of any populist wave.

Yet Mr. Hofer, 45, also flashes a boyish grin and can hardly help but betray an extra air of confidence these days. In a year of political shocks, this may be the shape of the next.

Mr. Hofer, a leading light in the right-wing Freedom Party, is counting on Austrians to make him the first far-right head of state in post-World War II Europe when they vote on Sunday, the final act in a yearlong tussle that has turned into a contest to mold the fate of the Continents heart.
When President-elect Donald J. Trump spoke on the phone with Taiwans president on Friday, he was wading into one of Asias longest-running and sensitive issues: the dispute between Taiwan and mainland China.

Though the call alarmed experts, who say it risks upending decades of American efforts to manage the dispute, nonexperts could be forgiven for scratching their heads about the uproar. What follows, then, is a guide to the China-Taiwan issue: why it is so delicate, what role the United States has in the matter and why the phone call is significant.

What is the China-Taiwan issue?

Both players claimed, at least formally, to represent all of China  which they considered to include each others territory. That created problems, including periodic risks of war, for decades.

The disagreement dates to 1927, when civil war broke out in the Republic of China. The war culminated in Communist revolutionaries, led by Mao Zedong, mostly defeating Chinas Nationalist government in 1949.
One killed in tractor accident

A person was killed when a tractor that he was travelling in overturned at Chuika, Dhime VDC-1 of Jajarkot district on Thursday.
This is part of a near-global collapse in diplomatic capacity to handle certain kinds of pressure from China, which is, of course, far more acute for small, landlocked neighbors than major powers, Robert J. Barnett, a historian of modern Tibet at Columbia University, said in an email.

John Delury, a China historian at Yonsei University in Seoul, posted on Twitter that Mongolias reaction was ironic given that it was a Mongolian Khan who invented Dalai Lamaness.

The Dalai Lamas arose from the actions of Altan Khan, a 16th-century Mongolian leader who controlled a region next to northern China, which was ruled by the ethnic Han emperors of the Ming dynasty.

Three centuries earlier, Kublai Khan, the founding emperor of the Yuan dynasty, an era when Mongolians ruled China, had become interested in Tibetan Buddhism and had taken on a Tibetan teacher.

But it was Altan Khan who made Tibetan Buddhism an official religion among Mongols. He did this when the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, also known as the Yellow Hat school, visited him in 1577. On that occasion, Altan Khan gave the spiritual leader the title of Dalai Lama. With Dalai meaning ocean in Mongolian and Lama being a Tibetan spiritual teacher, the title translates as ocean of wisdom.

This bound the Mongols and Tibetans and established a relationship between Mongolian rulers and the Gelug school. Since then, the position of the Dalai Lama has been tied to complex politics in Asia. The two heads of the Gelug school preceding the one who visited Altan Khan were also given the Dalai Lama title retroactively.

The Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, the one who had received his title from Altan Khan, died in 1588 in the Mongolian region. A great-grandson of Altan Khan, Yonten Gyatso, was then named by senior Tibetan lamas as the Fourth Dalai Lama and the reincarnation of Sonam Gyatso. (Each Dalai Lama is considered a reincarnation of the previous one.) Yonten Gyatso has been the only Mongolian to be chosen as a Dalai Lama.
BAGHDAD  A suicide bomber detonated a pickup truck loaded with explosives on Monday in a busy Baghdad market, killing at least 36 people hours after President Francois Hollande of France arrived in the Iraqi capital.

The Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bomb went off in a produce market that was packed with day laborers, a police officer said, adding that another 52 people were wounded.

During a news conference with Mr. Hollande, Haider al-Abadi, Iraqs prime minister, said the suicide bomber had pretended to be a man seeking to hire day laborers. Once the workers gathered around, he detonated the vehicle.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, claimed the attack in a statement circulated on a website that is often used by the group. It was the third such attack in three days in or near Baghdad, underscoring the lingering threat posed by the extremist group despite a string of setbacks for it elsewhere in the country over the past year, including in and around the northern city of Mosul.
Is American democracy broken?

There are precedents around the world for the kind of political jolt the United States experienced in November. They usually include a political firebrand who promises to sweep away a system rigged to serve the powerful rather than the interests of ordinary people. They usually end badly, when the popular champion decides to read electoral victory as an invitation to bend the institutions of democracy to the force of his will.

Most Americans, Im sure, never expected to worry about that sort of thing in the United States. And yet concern is decidedly in the air. Did a combination of globalization, demographic change, cultural revolutions and whatever else just upend Americas consensus in support of liberal market democracy? Did American democracy just succumb to the strongmans promise?

Im skeptical that the United States is about to careen down the path taken by, say, Venezuela, governed by the whim of President Nicolas Maduro  the handpicked successor of the populist champion Hugo Chavez, who was elected in the late 1990s on a promise to sweep away an entrenched ruling class and proceeded to battle any democratic institution that stood in his way.

Still, the embrace by millions of American voters of a billionaire authoritarian who argues that the system has been rigged to serve a cosmopolitan ruling class against the interests of ordinary people does suggest that American democracy has a unique credibility problem.
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 American 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 percent and 98 percent male.
Buoyed by Donald Trumps election, Europes far-right and populist parties are hoping for similar upset victories in elections this year and next in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria. If this werent worrying enough, Mr. Trumps overtly conciliatory attitude toward Russia and his open admiration for Vladimir Putin have inspired the leaders of these European parties to dream of a grand new alliance between themselves, Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump.

On Dec. 19, Heinz-Christian Strache, the leader of Austrias Freedom Party, signed what he called a cooperation agreement with Russias ruling party. This was shortly after he reportedly paid a visit to Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, whom Mr. Trump named as his national security adviser, at Trump Tower in New York. Internationally, the Freedom Party continues to gain in influence, Mr. Strache boasted. While Mr. Straches party failed to win the countrys largely symbolic presidency in elections last month, it is favored to win a substantial number of seats in parliamentary elections scheduled for 2018.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of Frances far-right National Front party, heralded Mr. Trumps election as the emergence of a new world. She said a trio of world leaders that included herself, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin would be good for world peace. Ms. Le Pens party received an $11.7 million loan from the Kremlin in 2014. She is expected to win enough votes in the first election round to make the runoff. Polls now predict she will face off against the establishment right-wing candidate Francois Fillon, an old friend of Mr. Putin who wants to lift European sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea.
Mr. Erdogan later spoke by phone with Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president, who assured him that Russia had not been involved in the air attack, according to Turkish news reports. The improving ties between the two autocratic leaders opened the door to greater cooperation.

The Turkish military spoke publicly about the Russian role in a Jan. 2 statement that noted that Russian warplanes had struck targets the previous day about five miles south of Al Bab. American officials, who asked not to be identified because they were discussing intelligence, said that Russian airstrikes in the Al Bab area began at the end of December, and that Russian aircraft were flying near Al Bab as recently as Friday.

The effectiveness of the Russian air operations, which have mainly involved dropping dumb, or unguided, bombs, is unclear. As Turkeys casualties have mounted in the Al Bab operation, Turkish officials have complained about the lack of American air support and have even made veiled threats that Turkey might suspend allied combat flights against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria from its major base at Incirlik, which would be a major blow to the American-led air campaign.

American officials suggested that the holdup in carrying out allied airstrikes in recent weeks was related to a Turkish decision to ban the Americans from flying reconnaissance drones in and around Al Bab to help identify and confirm targets, as well as bad weather. The Turkish military said that measure was needed to ensure that no potentially hostile aircraft flew over its troops, but it has hampered the United States ability to carry out airstrikes without endangering civilians.

Operating without the benefit of precise intelligence, the United States recently engaged in what officials called a show of force operation in which American aircraft flew low over Al Bab and dropped flares. But last week, the Turks agreed that the United States could fly drones and other aircraft to gather intelligence, which paves the way for the American-led coalition to carry out airstrikes against the Islamic State in Al Bab, American officials said.

The United States regards the Kurdish forces as some of the most effective fighters in the campaign against the Islamic State in Syria. But in deference to Turkish sensitivities, the Americans have declined to arm them directly. The Turks, however, regard them as nothing more than an arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party, an insurgent Kurdish group in Turkey and Iraq. The Turks have blamed the group for killing dozens of Turkish security forces in recent weeks.

By any measure, the nascent cooperation between Russia and Turkey is a striking development. The situation was far different when Russian warplanes arrived at Latakia, Syria, in September 2015 to help the Assad government take on rebel groups, including some backed by the United States and Turkey.
 I think it was Russia. That was President-elect Donald J. Trump conceding for the first time that the Kremlin was behind the hacking of Democratic Party institutions during the campaign.

He lashed out at the media for publishing unverified accusations that Russia had compromising information about him. Russia has a long record of collecting compromising material on those it perceives as enemies. The Kremlin refuted the claims.

Other highlights: Mr. Trump will turn over his business to a trust controlled by his two oldest sons and an associate; he criticized the pharmaceutical industry and said he would seek to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act immediately.
Steven T. Mnuchin plans to divest himself of his financial interests in 43 companies, hedge funds and investment funds and resign from numerous board positions as he tries to disentangle himself from potential conflicts of interest before his confirmation as the next Treasury secretary.

But Mr. Mnuchin, a former hedge fund manager and Goldman Sachs executive, intends to retain control of one of his oldest companies  one named after himself.

In an ethics statement and a 42-page financial disclosure form filed on Wednesday with the Office of Government Ethics, Mr. Mnuchin said without elaboration that he would retain his unpaid position as president of Steven T. Mnuchin Inc., a company he said is used to manage some of his investments.

The financial disclosure statement did not say what investments the company manages, nor did it ascribe a value to any of those investments. But Mr. Mnuchin said he would not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that could have a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the little-known entity.
Jewel Plummer Cobb, who became the first black woman to lead California State University, Fullerton, after being passed over for the presidency of Hunter College  a decision that led to accusations of racism and sexism against the City University of New Yorks trustees  died on Jan. 1 at her home in Maplewood, N.J. She was 92.

Her son, Jonathan, said the cause was complications of Alzheimers disease.

When Dr. Cobb was appointed president of Fullerton in 1981, she was widely reported to be the first black woman to head a major university in the western United States.

She had previously been a dean at Rutgers University and at Connecticut College in New London, and before that had taught biology and had studied melanoma and cell physiology at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y.

As president of Fullerton, Dr. Cobb oversaw a period of substantial growth as she aggressively pursued state and private financing. During her tenure, the university branchs first on-campus housing was built; its schools of communication, computer science and engineering were established; and its enrollment increased. She retired in 1990.
Wondering how Donald Trump might actually change American foreign policy? You didnt get any clarity from the Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday for his secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, the chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil. Mr. Tillerson said he and Mr. Trump had not even discussed Russia, the main topic of interest to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That has not occurred yet, he said.

Mr. Tillerson did not explain how he plans to overcome the challenges, ethical and strategic, of dealing with an authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, with whom his company has done many billions of dollars worth of business. And some of his policy assertions put him at odds with positions the president-elect has taken in the past (never a sure guide with Mr. Trump).

Under grilling by both Democratic and Republican senators, Mr. Tillerson tried to assuage concerns about how he would deal with an increasingly assertive Russia by taking a tougher line than he had before. He acknowledged that Russia poses a danger, that its bombing in Syria is not acceptable behavior, that it does not have a legal claim to annex Crimea and has not complied with the Minsk agreement intended to resolve its conflict with Ukraine. He also said it was a fair assumption that Mr. Putin authorized the hacking used to disrupt the election, as American intelligence agencies have concluded.

At his news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Trump finally conceded that Russia had carried out the election-related cyberattacks. But he has yet to condemn Mr. Putin for invading Ukraine or bombing Syria  two important issues where his views and Mr. Tillersons could collide.
Preparation is key

Information on specific impact of climate change on Nepals population has to be disseminated
Finally, Donald Trump held a press conference. I know you want to hear the sex-in-Russia part.

The world learned this week about memos from a retired British intelligence officer on relations between the Trump campaign and the Russians. They included some speculation about whether there were compromising videos of Trump cavorting in a Russian hotel that might explain his enthusiastic support for Vladimir Putin.

The report wasnt prepared by our intelligence agencies  it was opposition research done on contract for some other campaigns. It had been bouncing around Washington for a while. You didnt hear about it because nobody could confirm any of the allegations.

But a summary of the memos showed up in the briefing Trump got from the intelligence agencies last week. Wouldnt you have liked to be there to see the reaction?

Then a version of the report showed up online, and naturally it came up Wednesday at Trumps press conference.
Oliver Smithies, a British-born biochemist and inveterate tinkerer who shared a Nobel Prize for discovering a powerful tool for identifying the roles of individual genes in health and disease, died on Tuesday in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was 91.

His death, after a short illness, was announced by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Weatherspoon eminent distinguished professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the medical school.

Dr. Smithiess discovery, known as gene targeting, allows scientists to disable individual genes in mice to understand what the genes do. The loss of a gene typically brings about changes in the appearance or the behavior of the mice, providing important clues about the genes function. Mice are ideal models for people because about 90 percent of mouse genes correspond to human genes.

Scientists have also used gene-targeting technology to create mice that have symptoms of human diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and various cancers. These designer mice are widely used in research to understand the genetic causes of diseases and to develop and test potential new therapies.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald J. Trump, in venting his fury about the disclosure of unsubstantiated reports that Russia had collected compromising personal information about him, reached for a familiar but fraught historical metaphor: Nazi Germany.

Now, Mr. Trump is under fire from Jewish groups, who say the analogy was erroneous, offensive and denigrating to Holocaust survivors. They are demanding that he apologize for it.

The tempest erupted on Wednesday morning after Mr. Trump posted a tweet accusing the nations intelligence agencies of allowing the leak of what he called fake news about his links to Russia.
WASHINGTON  In a sign of abortion opponents newfound clout in the capital, Kellyanne Conway, the Republican strategist who led Donald J. Trump to victory and will serve as his White House counselor, will speak at a major anti-abortion march here the week after his inaugural.

Ms. Conway, 49, made history in November as the first woman to manage a successful presidential campaign. She has long been an outspoken foe of abortion, and she could become the first sitting White House official to address the annual march in person, though both Mr. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence have been invited.

Its an incredible gesture for pro-life Americans, said Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican former congresswoman from Colorado, now the top lobbyist for Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group here. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said of Ms. Conway: Shes one of us.

This will be the 44th year of the march, which organizers say is typically attended by tens of thousands of anti-abortion activists. The annual event, often held on Jan. 22 but pushed back to Jan. 27 this year because of the inaugural, marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision establishing a national right to abortion.
WASHINGTON  A racially divisive fight over a student painting hanging in a dismal hallway of a House office building is not the weirdest thing that has happened in the new Congress. But that is only because it is Congress.

The kerfuffle began a few weeks ago, when lawmakers came to realize that a painting that had been hanging in the Cannon House Office Building since June with hundreds of other pieces of student art depicted a confrontation between police officers, some rendered as pigs, and citizens in downtown St. Louis.

Republicans have taken it upon themselves to pull the painting off the wall four times and trot it back to the office of Representative William Lacy Clay, Democrat of Missouri, only to have it rehung by Mr. Clay and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The piece is a finalist in the Congressional Art Competition, in which high school students compete to have their artwork hung for a year in the tunnel connecting the office building to the Capitol. It is an annual exercise in the anodyne  think pastels of elephants and brooding self-portraits, selected by local panels.
WASHINGTON  Pledging to move quickly to fulfill what he has called the most important promise of his campaign, President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he would name a nominee to the Supreme Court within about two weeks of his inauguration on Jan. 20.

At a news conference in Trump Tower, he thanked the leaders of two prominent conservative groups for their help in vetting candidates, a strong indication that his main priority remains choosing an unwavering conservative to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February.

Democrats are promising a furious fight over any nominee they consider to be out of the legal mainstream, saying that Republicans effectively stole a Supreme Court seat from President Obama by refusing for almost a year to consider his nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland, a respected appeals court judge with a moderate record.

Mr. Trump had not commented publicly about his plans for a Supreme Court nomination since his election, but in his remarks, he stressed the central role the court had played in his campaign.
WASHINGTON  In a case that could affect the education of 6.7 million children with disabilities, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struggled to decide whether it should require public schools to do more under a federal law that calls for them to provide a free education that addresses the childrens needs.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said the court was being asked to choose among several finely shaded formulations. What is frustrating about this case and about this statute is that we have a blizzard of words, he said.

The court appeared uneasy with a standard used by many appeals courts, which have said that providing a modest educational benefit was enough. But some of the justices indicated that they were concerned about the costs that any changes could impose.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said that a new standard might also invite costly litigation. If we suddenly adopt a new standard, all over the country well have judges and lawyers and people interpreting it differently, he said. I foresee taking the money that ought to go to the children and spending it on lawsuits and lawyers and all kinds of things that are extraneous.
By the end of the day, Mr. Rubio would not commit to supporting Mr. Tillerson, saying he was prepared to do whats right, even if it meant siding with Democrats, which would most likely result in a 11-to-10 committee vote against the nomination. Even so, the committee could still send it to the full Senate, where Mr. Tillersons chances would be tenuous.

On issue after issue  the dangers of letting Japan and South Korea obtain nuclear weapons, his opposition to a ban on Muslim immigration, the need to push back hard against Mr. Putins efforts to expand Russian influence  Mr. Tillerson showed considerable independence from Mr. Trump, separating himself from many of the president-elects campaign pronouncements. While Mr. Trump described an America that would defend allies only if they paid their fair share, Mr. Tillerson repeatedly emphasized fulfilling alliance commitments.

Mr. Tillerson came to the hearing acutely aware that his first task was to allay concerns that his four decades at Exxon had left him too close to Mr. Putin and dictators around the world. So he staked out his turf early in the hearing, arguing that if he had been in office when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, he would have recommended that the United States provide arms and intelligence support to the government of Ukraine, even though it is not a member of NATO.

What the Russian leadership would have understood is a powerful response, he said, casting the Obama administrations reaction as too weak. His message to the Russian leadership, he said, would be, Yes, you took Crimea, but this stops right here.

But Mr. Tillerson dodged a series of questions about whether Exxon Mobil, under his leadership, had lobbied against the sanctions imposed on Russia, which prevented the company from fulfilling huge contracts for oil exploration on Russian territory.
CASABLANCA, Morocco  Morocco has banned the burqa, the full-body veil worn by some conservative Muslim women, according to local media reports.

Although the government did not confirm the ban, the reports said vendors and merchants had been notified on Monday by representatives of the Interior Ministry that they would no longer be allowed to sell or manufacture the religious garment because of security concerns. They said they were given a 48-hour deadline, but it was unclear when the rule would take effect.

Morocco, a majority-Muslim country and former French protectorate where the influence of Western secularist ideals remains, has been trying to foster more moderate expressions of Islam and subtly warn Islamists not to go too far, though acts of extremism remain rare.

The government of King Mohammed VI may have conceived the ban as a gesture to get that point across. Relatively few Moroccan women wear the burqa, which is much more common in conservative Muslim societies like Afghanistan and Pakistan, but many do wear traditional dresses and head scarves. In any case, by targeting people who sell and produce the burqas, there is less risk of a public outcry, like the one in France last summer after the government banned the burkini, a full-body swimsuit favored by some Muslim women.
ROME  It could have made an entertaining spy movie, if it wasnt disturbingly real: The Italian police say a brother and sister for years hacked into the phones and computers of the top tiers of Italian society  high-ranking government officials, business leaders and Freemasons.

On Wednesday, the brother and sister, Giulio Occhionero, 45, and Francesca Maria Occhionero, 49, appeared before a judge here. They are accused of illegally accessing classified information, and breaching and intercepting information technology systems and data communications.

The police said the charges described an unprecedented cyberattack on prominent Italian institutions and individuals.

Information gleaned from the breaches was stored on servers in the United States, police officials said, and inquiries continue with the assistance of the F.B.I.s cyberdivision.
Press has major role in finalising peace and constitution writing: PM

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the press has a major role in finalising the peace process and constitution writing.
MADRID  A Spanish judge has dismissed a case against two puppeteers almost a year after they were detained for staging a show that was deemed to glorify terrorism and promote hatred.

The arrest of the puppeteers, Raul Garcia Perez and Alfonso Lazaro de la Fuente, in February 2016 set off a political controversy and was seen a bellwether for whether Europes fight against terrorism was also threatening basic rights of protest and free speech.

The ruling by Judge Jose Maria Escribano Lacleriga in Madrid was dated Jan. 5 but not made public until Wednesday. He decided that the evidence was insufficient, dismissing the final charges.

The puppeteers were detained after staging a show that was part of Madrids Carnival festivities. Their act featured a puppet police officer who held up a sign falsely accusing a witch, using a play on words that combined Al Qaeda and ETA, the Basque group that has killed more than 800 people in its campaign to secure Basque independence. The show was halted after parents complained and called the police, who arrested the puppeteers.
PARIS  In a surprise verdict, a French tribunal of judges cleared Guy Wildenstein  the patriarch of an international art-dealing dynasty  of charges that he laundered money by shielding a precious collection in a maze of foreign trusts to avoid inheritance taxes.

Olivier Geron, the lead judge who had presided over the trial last fall, announced the decision Thursday at the Palais de Justice. He spent an hour reading a ruling that he acknowledged could seem to defy common sense because Mr. Wildenstein and his family had demonstrated a clear intention to conceal their wealth over generations.

But their behavior, the decision said, fell into a gray area before France enacted legislation in 2011 to require the declaration of foreign trusts.

The authorities had sought a 250 million euro fine (about $267 million) for Mr. Wildenstein, 71, who is president of Wildenstein & Company, a New York art gallery. The case also ensnared his nephew and his estranged sister-in-law, along with Swiss and French legal advisers and foreign trust companies. They were cleared as well  a defeat for a relatively new prosecution unit that had been created to combat international tax evasion.
Martha Swope, whose crisp, compelling photographs of dancers and actors at work recorded nearly half a century of stage history, died on Thursday in New York. She was 88.

The cause was Parkinsons disease, said Jeanne Fuchs, her longtime friend and executor.

From 1957, when Ms. Swope was invited by Jerome Robbins to shoot rehearsals of West Side Story, to 1994, when she shut down her Times Square studio and sold her archive, Ms. Swope produced hundreds of thousands of images of performers in action, capturing Gelsey Kirkland and Mikhail Baryshnikov in full flight, the cast of La Cage Aux Folles in full drag and John Travolta in full Saturday night fever.

Those photographs made their way into newspapers (the arts pages of The New York Times frequently featured her work), magazines and books. They decorated sales brochures, posters and programs.

And they eventually garnered her a Tony Honor for Excellence in Theater in 2004 and a lifetime achievement award from the League of Professional Theater Women in 2007.
Edouard Manet, his biggest fan, may have called him the painter of painters, but Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez had higher ambitions than that. The Spanish artist, somewhat in shadow after his death in 1660, became a demigod to the young painters who brought modern art into being in 1860s Paris, and who found an ancestor in his flat spaces and hard eye. But where the young moderns of Paris relished their rejections from the official Salons, Velazquez was no outsider.

He was an artist with a political side hustle  by his death hed made it as high as chamberlain of the palace, that is, the kings household manager  and his paintings have all the grandeur and intrigue of courtly tournaments. Stand before Las Meninas, the prize of the Prado; examine his handlebar mustache, the cross on his doublet, the impressionistic ruffles of his sleeves. What other painter would have the nerve to put himself in such prominence in a royal portrait, and to relegate King Philip IV himself to the mirror in the back?
LONDON  After months of speculation that Maria Balshaw, who runs the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, was the front-runner to become the next director of Tate, the organization that oversees the prestigious Tate museums, she appears to have stepped closer to the appointment.

An official with knowledge of the hiring process confirmed recent reports that Ms. Balshaws name had been forwarded by museum trustees to the government for final approval. If accepted, she would become the first female director, overseeing four museums, including the Tate Britain and Tate Modern, and one of the top female museum directors in the world. She would succeed Nicholas Serota, who has been the director of Tate for three decades and will take up a part-time position on Englands Arts Council.

The Times of London and The Financial Times have both reported that trustees of the museum had chosen Ms. Balshaw as the museums next director, and had sent their choice to the office of the prime minister for approval. A spokeswoman for Tate declined to comment, saying that the appointment process was ongoing. Ms. Balshaw was also unavailable for comment.

Ms. Balshaw currently runs the Whitworth, a small, celebrated museum where she is credited with overseeing a successful $23 million revamp to expand its physical footprint and grow its exhibition space.
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, Chicano Park in San Diego, a Native American burial ground in Kansas and the site of the 1970 shootings at Kent State University are among 24 newly designated National Historic Landmarks.

The list of new landmarks, announced on Wednesday, comes as the National Park Service, the division of the Department of the Interior that administers the landmarks program, has finished celebrating its 100th anniversary. It reflects an effort to tell what a news release called a more inclusive and diverse story of Americas history.

These 24 new designations depict different threads of the American story that have been told through activism, architecture, music and religious observance, Sally Jewell, the secretary of the Interior, said in a statement. Their designation ensures that future generations have the ability to learn from the past.

The sites, which join a list of more than 2,500 existing national historic landmarks, may reflect Americas past, but they also might be read as carrying some pointed political lessons for the future. They include the homes of the slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers; the African-American lawyer and womens rights activist Pauli Murray; and the 19th-century Tejano statesman Jose Antonio Navarro, who is cited for his commitments to both American ideals and to the rights of Texan Mexican-Americans in the period before and after Texas became part of the United States. The Navarro home is just one of several new landmarks relating to the history of Hispanic-American activism, including Chicano Park in San Diego, site of some ultimately successful 1970 community protests.
(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

 A major step toward repealing Obamacare.

Early this morning, Senate Republicans passed a budget blueprint, 51 to 48, that paves the way for gutting the Affordable Care Act.

At his news conference on Wednesday, President-elect Donald J. Trump said he would propose a plan to repeal and replace the law essentially simultaneously.

 About that news conference 

During Wednesdays event at Trump Tower, the president-elect discussed election-related hacking, his plans to separate himself from his business empire while in office, his pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs and his thoughts about the news media.
The merger escape hatch may be about to open.

President-elect Donald J. Trumps unnerving tweets and fickle policy ideas add to the angst already undermining transactions like Abbott Laboratories $5.8 billion acquisition of Alere, a medical test maker. Buyers seek solace in material adverse change, or MAC, clauses, which offer the potential to wriggle out of a deal between signing and closing, but the provisions are almost never enforced in court. That may be about to change.

Surprises are inevitable, especially as the merger cycle turns downward. Abbott is crying MAC after Alere unexpectedly delayed filing financial statements, revealed billing-practice and bribery investigations and revised its financial results. A gigantic hack of email users at Yahoo is shaking Verizon Communications desire to complete its $4.8 billion takeover of the internet firms core business.

The current deal-making climate is especially perilous. Looming but unspecified changes in financial regulation, the Supreme Court and trade, immigration, tax and foreign policies make the future performance of takeover targets even harder to predict. Tweeting kisses to President Vladimir Putin of Russia or shaming companies into keeping factories in the United States could exacerbate the unease.

That suggests conditions are ripe for beefier MAC clauses. Buyers may get the gumption to balk at typical exemptions, including certain changes in regulation, from the definition of a material adverse change, hoping to cover any Trump-era bombshells. They also could press harder to enforce the clauses. Judges are sounding more in the mood to oblige.
 An ethics officer and a chief compliance counsel will be appointed to watch over the company.

At his first news conference in more than five months, Mr. Trump also attacked the news media, particularly CNN and BuzzFeed, for their reports that intelligence officials had briefed the president-elect on a document claiming collusion between the Russian government and his campaign.

Several of Mr. Trumps cabinet nominees are also coming under scrutiny:

 The nominee for Treasury secretary, Steven T. Mnuchin, has been trying to separate himself from his financial interests before his confirmation. He plans to divest himself of his financial interests in 43 companies, hedge funds and investment funds, and to resign from numerous board positions.

Mr. Mnuchin will, however, retain control of one of his oldest companies  the one named after himself.

The statement and disclosure he filed to the Office of Government Ethics said that he would retain his unpaid position as president of Steven T. Mnuchin Inc., a company he said he used to manage some of his investments, although he did not specify which ones or how much they were worth.

Mr. Mnuchin may well be joined in the new administration by another alum of Goldman Sachs. Dina H. Powell, who runs many of the banks philanthropic initiatives, will soon leave the company for a new role as an adviser to the Trump White House, according to people familiar with the matter.
The companies that are the biggest exporters of generics to the United States take the same position. Although we have been expanding our exports to the U.S., we are not raising costs as much, which helps the Americans to be able to afford the same medicines at a cheaper rate, said Snehashish Sen, the manager of costing at Cipla Ltd., one of the largest Indian manufacturers of generic drugs. I do not see how we are hurting the sector. In fact, by making medicines more affordable, we are helping Americans.

In a quick analysis of trade data for four common families of pharmaceuticals, Panjiva found that American imports of statins, anticonvulsants and insulins had doubled, while imports of proton-pump inhibitors had risen sixfold over the past five years. The imports consisted heavily of generic drugs, and three-fifths came from India, although Eastern Europe has become an increasingly important supplier as Israeli and Swiss companies set up factories there.

The three leaders in shipping pharmaceuticals in those four categories to the United States are Indian makers of generic drugs: Dr. Reddys Laboratories and Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., both in Hyderabad, and Cipla, in Mumbai.

Mr. Trumps remarks came as pharmaceutical officials and experts outside of the United States were already concerned that global demand might be stagnating for a wide range of their products amid broader economic softness and a slowdown in trade. Chinas total exports of health products, from crutches to drugs, fell 2 percent in the first three quarters of last year compared with the same period a year earlier  the first drop in decades.

The new president of the United States, and Britain leaving the European Union, both indicate the ebb of economic globalization, said Lin Jianning, the dean of the China Food and Drug Administrations economic research institute, in a speech on Nov. 23. In the long run, it wont bring benefit to the medicine industry.

The production of pharmaceuticals and other health care products is increasingly global. The main category in United States customs data for pharmaceutical imports  a category that encompasses bandages and most but not all drugs  has surged nearly 50 percent in the past five years, and it is now running at nearly $100 billion a year.

One of the more politically delicate questions lies in where the ingredients used to make drugs come from. Many pharmaceutical companies import chemical compounds but finish production, like turning the compounds into pills and packaging them for sale, in the United States. The imports have raised questions about the loss of American jobs, which Mr. Trump may have been alluding to on Wednesday, and also about quality control.
Probe to be turned over to CIB: Nidhi

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi has said the government will be turning the investigation into a recent gold haul over to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday accused Fiat Chrysler of installing secret software that allowed more than 100,000 of its diesel vehicles to emit pollutants above legal levels.

The case has echoes of one against Volkswagen, which on Wednesday pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy as part of a widespread emissions-cheating scheme. In both cases, the government focused on software in vehicles that can adjust emissions levels.

The accusations against Fiat Chrysler also appeared to be part of a last push by the Obama administration to finish investigations and negotiations involving companies.

The emissions breach described by the government threatens public health by polluting the air we breathe, said Cynthia Giles, an assistant administrator at the E.P.A. She said the software in question resulted in excess emissions of nitrogen oxides, which have harmful health effects.
At 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Representative Maxine Waters was on the floor of the House of Representatives, arguing for the importance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

At this time, Ms. Waters, Democrat of California, said, with a bill that would basically take our cop on the block, the S.E.C., and literally obliterate 

Alas, politics junkies, news editors and anyone else who was watching the broadcast online did not learn how that sentence ended. Ms. Waters was cut off. Instead, they heard the jangling music of a feed from RT, a state-run Russian television network that has been accused of helping its government interfere in the American election.

Some on social media immediately assumed that the interruption, which lasted about 10 minutes, had nefarious implications.
The chef stands alone behind a pane of glass in a cramped corner stall in Chelsea Market. It is not yet noon, the hour of madness. With the back of one hand, he swiftly pats down a small loafs worth of dough. When its flat, he snaps it on the counter, each snap stretching it, making it looser and sheerer, until it shimmies like a Chinese dancers never-ending sleeve.

Biang biang is both the sound of the snapping and the name of the noodles made at Very Fresh Noodles, opened last February by Peter Tondreau and Victor Huang. The noodles origins go back to Shaanxi Province in northwestern China. Many New Yorkers know them from Xian Famous Foods, a growing chain that got its start in a stall in a basement food court in Flushing, Queens, and now has outposts across Manhattan.

The noodles may be familiar, but its still a thrill to stumble on a chef pulling them in the old style, like some ancient tailor unfurling bolts of cloth, among sleek kiosks selling artisanal mini-doughnuts and blueberry-cayenne smoothies.

Two straps of dough are stretched for each dish, drawn out to the wingspan of their maker, then torn lengthwise down the middle, the ragged edges all the better for catching drops of chile oil. Theyre too long to fish out of the soup whole; you must pray a little, bowing your head to eat.
In a career that spanned four tumultuous decades, Farnsworth Fowle witnessed World War II at battlefronts from North Africa to the Balkans, the creation of the state of Israel and the death of King George VI of Britain.

His most affecting account, however, was a moment-by-moment chronicle of the effort to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in September 1957. The prospect that nine black children were to enter the school drew a mob of white supremacists whose fury forced the children to leave after a few hours.

Two Negro boys came walking up 16th Street with books under their arms. The crowd tensed until it saw that they were headed for an all-Negro school several blocks away. Look at him smiling! Thinks hes smart! came a shout from the crowd. ... The school gong sounded at 8:45. The Star-Spangled Banner and the school flag were hoisted on the flagpoles on the school lawn. ... A man on the 16th Street curb, looking up the street away from the school, clapped his hands twice and cried, Here they come! There was a surge and a scuffle. Earl Davy, a local Negro photographer who might have been taken for a high school student, was tripped and kicked down on one knee. ... Alex Wilson, editor of The Memphis Tri-State Defender, a Negro newspaper, a tall man wearing a light hat, was questioned briefly by a policeman who evidently told him to leave. The crowd followed, and he was kicked and beaten. But a new bitter cry went up from one of the early morning sentinels of segregation: Theyve gone in! While the crowds attention had been diverted, two private cars approached the 16th Street entrance from the other direction and dropped off the nine Negro children as naturally as if they had been doing it for years. ... The crowd at 16th Street, now about 200, focused its attention on the school. They got in, they said, as though it were a death blow to their way of life.

The death blow  such as it was  actually came two days later with the arrival of federal troops to clear the streets around Central High School, permitting the children to return.

It brought a sense of authority, determination and reserve power previously lacking, Mr. Fowle wrote. The force of law shows nakedly on the point of a bayonet.
The worst news of the week: We are days away from a Trump presidency, says Mr. Rosenthal. Republicans are poised to repeal Obamacare (with absolutely no idea how to replace it). The Trump administration is going to do everything it can to undo advances in combat global warming and to roll back womens rights. And, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, assuming he is confirmed, the civil rights and voting rights divisions of the Justice Department are likely to be out of business. But, says Mr. Rosenthal, that isnt the worst of it: The worst news of all is the terrifying spectacle of the incoming president going to war with the intelligence agencies on which this country has to rely because he doesnt like some of their conclusions. Mr. Rosenthal says this is bad news, truly disturbing.
If Dr. King came back and seen the way things are, he wouldnt be pleased with it. No, he wouldnt be pleased at all. All right. I call us sanitation engineers because were supposed to run the job, not let the job run us. I was 24 years old when I started. But back then, it was a different ball game. Back then, the working condition, it was unbearable. After three weeks, when I got my first check, I broke down and cried. We were working full time. And at the same time, the wages were so low, we was qualified to get food stamps. We were determined that we was going to get a union organized, that we would see justice. We were striking about the wages, fair treatment and dignity. When we heard that Dr. King was coming to Memphis to help us in that sanitation strike, we were very surprised. We knew then that there was somebody that cared about our struggle. We was at Mason Temple this particular night. Dr. King said, the Lord allowed me to go to the mountaintop and to look over into the promised land. And he said, I might not get there with you, but we will make it to the promised land. Everybody was just jubilated, just excited, not knowing the next day would be a day of silence. Because of Dr. Kings death, that was one of the reasons that Mayor Loeb went on and signed that union into a decree. We got what we wanted, but at the same time, we lost the great leader. He never thought in terms of his personal welfare, but always in terms of the cause which he dedicated his life to. I really had a lot of animosity. I came from the streets. I was a street thug. And Dr. King was the one that taught me, through his humility and his leadership. I said, thats the way Id like to be.  united will never be defeated. The workers united will never be defeated. The workers united will never be defeated. The workers united will never be defeated. There are still some unsolved problems need to be solved. What do we want? 15. When do we want it? Now! What do we want? 15. When do want it? Now! It is what it is until somebody can roll his sleeves up and get out there and fight.
Part movie, part dance performance, part bizarre Nativity play, MA is the kind of picture that rarely sees the outside  or even the main stage  of a film festival. With virtually no dialogue and precious little recognizable narrative, this surreal take on the Virgin Marys pilgrimage (with the American Southwest standing in for the Holy Land) is intermittently lovely and consistently confounding.

Who can find a virtuous woman? asks the onscreen quotation from Proverbs that opens the film, and its clear that the director, Celia Rowlson-Hall (who is also the movies writer, choreographer and star), has something to say about virtue. What that might be, however, is anyones guess as her mute and scantily clothed Madonna emerges from the desert and flings herself onto the hood of an oncoming Oldsmobile. Chauffeured to a dusty motel by the driver (Andrew Pastides), she endures an apparent gang rape and, later, participates in a watery baptism and enacts a gender switch. O.K., then.

Alternately sexy and silly, galvanic and gentle, MA is best enjoyed as a slide show of visual blessings and, sometimes, bafflements. Whippet-thin and androgynous, this Virgin is a feral innocent, writhing across stony wilderness and motel carpeting like an ecstatic invertebrate. And Ms. Rowlson-Hall can really move: Back-bending in slow motion or cavorting in mens underwear, her bruised and abused body seems often more in need of an exorcist than a midwife.

This posturing vehemence, though, can be muted by discordantly obvious symbolism. (Do we really need the rape rubber-stamped by a shot of the motel clerk popping a cherry between her teeth?) As tinny honky-tonk and naturalistic noises jostle mischievously on the soundtrack, MA emerges as a cryptic, highly personal experiment. Its like looking into the richly churning imagination of someone who feels no need to explain herself.
While a few cats that were adopted from the shelters during the outbreak had also contracted the virus, it seems to have been contained.

In some ways, the center, with its grids of cells and multiple levels of security to thwart escape attempts, feels like a prison. Inmate No. A1099603 is an orange-and-white tabby named Aries. A sign on his cage says, Moved from J12 to I45 due to fighting/roughhousing.

In other ways, it is a giant infirmary. Caretakers note symptoms on the Medical and Behavior Concerns Board (bloody nose, not eating/seems weak). In makeshift doctors offices off the main cage areas, patients are examined and medications dispensed.

The center is staffed by professional animal-crisis workers, who have converged on Queens from all over the country  they are being put up at a hotel nearby  and by local A.S.P.C.A. volunteers. Each morning, about four dozen responders file into the warehouse, on a side street in the Long Island City neighborhood opposite a cold-storage facility and a cement plant. They gather in an open office beneath a chart that lays out the chain of command, get their marching orders, suit up and pass through a plastic-lined portal into the hot zone.

Kristi Heytota, a staffing coordinator for JetBlue in New York who took five days off to help at the center, spent Monday morning scooping out litter boxes and lining the group kennels with fresh paper. Her assignment, which also included feeding the cats, was tough, but very rewarding, she said.

Justine Matthews, also on kibble duty, said, Its just what we have to do to get these guys well. She was visiting from the San Diego Humane Society.
GREENWICH, Conn.  After years of maintaining a stoic public silence while former colleagues and clients ripped his performance during the most prominent case of his career, Mickey Sherman is ready to talk about the captivating murder case that derailed his legal practice and role as a television talking head.

He knows that his biggest professional disaster  being publicly excoriated for his handling of the defense of the convicted murderer Michael C. Skakel  is also, indelibly, the defining case of a long and highflying career.

Im 70, Mr. Sherman said during a recent interview over king-crab fettuccine at a popular lunch spot here. When he dies, he said, even if he has cured AIDS, brought a new group through the Northwest Passage, cured cancer and destroyed the Ebola virus, my obituary will say Skakel lawyer hit by truck. My obituary is done, no matter what I do.

Mr. Sherman said that, in many ways, he felt redeemed by the state Supreme Courts ruling last month that he had adequately defended Mr. Skakel during his murder trial. He reiterated that he thought that Mr. Skakel, a nephew of Ethel Kennedy, did not kill his neighbor and friend Martha Moxley in 1975, when they were both 15.
This wasnt Mr. Netanyahus first encounter with the police. From 1997 to 1999, during his first spell as prime minister, he was investigated several times for a variety of reasons, from a kickback scheme to influence peddling, and he has been investigated occasionally ever since. His successor, Ehud Barak, was also under investigation on several occasions on allegations of illegal campaign financing, bribery charges, money laundering and more. Ariel Sharon, Mr. Baraks successor, came under investigation for corruption in 2005. Ehud Olmert, Mr. Sharons successor, wasnt just investigated for bribery and obstruction of justice, he was tried and jailed.

These investigations hardly change public opinion in Israel. Mr. Sharon was widely supported even while his investigation made daily headlines. Mr. Barak and Mr. Olmerts popularity suffered for entirely different reasons (Mr. Baraks failure to hold his governing coalition together; Mr. Olmerts execution of the 2006 war in Lebanon). Mr. Netanyahu, too, remains reasonably popular: Surveys indicate that if elections were held today, he would get another term.

Does this mean we Israelis dont care about corruption and graft? Not exactly.

Surely, no one here wants a corrupt government. On the other hand, no one believes that the police and investigators should constantly harass members of the government over misdemeanors. And everybody knows that politicians often tend to be, well, not the most honorable people. Still, we need them, and we need to let them do their jobs.

We also live in Israel, a country of corner-cutting and informal practicality. Strict rules are not for us. This makes our bureaucracy much better than bureaucracies in other well-organized Western countries (yes, the Interior Ministry officer will see you even if you forgot the proper documentation; no, the clerk will not refuse your request just because the problem you describe doesnt match the one he was expecting to deal with). It also often seems petty, expecting our leaders to behave better than we do ourselves.
Rs 8 million assistance for building two schools

Actors Hari Bansha Acharya and Madan Krishna Shrestha on Wednesday handed over Rs 8 million to rebuild two quake-affected schools of Sindhupalchok and Dolakha districts.
IT shouldnt be a big deal that I gave blood this week, but it is. To do it, I had to give up all forms of sex for a year. The reason: Im gay.

With what we know today about the disease, its a stupid reason.

In 1985, in the early days of the AIDS crisis, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommended that men who had sex with other men be prohibited from donating blood indefinitely. This policy made sense at the time. In the decades since, the nation has made enormous progress against the virus. What was once a death sentence is now a treatable, chronic condition. And we can now detect what had been an elusive virus within seven to 28 days of infection, using nucleic acid testing.

In 2015, the agency modified the lifetime ban and allowed men who had sex with men to donate blood if they had abstained from sex for one year. This revision followed several years of study after an advisory committee found the lifetime ban suboptimal.

But this one-year blanket policy, which depends on the honesty of the would-be donor, still falls short by failing to consider a potential donors individual risk factors, an approach some other countries follow with success. As a result, this prohibition, which the American Public Health Association said is not based in science but appears to be modeled after other countries choices and fears, effectively forbids as many as two million potential donors to give blood, according to an analysis published in 2014 by the Williams Institute at the U.C.L.A. School of Law.
Mr. Obama not only adapted to the shape of Middle Eastern power politics, but he also largely overlooked human rights abuses by Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and other allies. The Bush administrations patronizing rhetoric of democracy promotion was shelved, but this came at the cost of reducing American concerns in the Middle East to terrorism and national security.

In a speech to the Turkish Parliament in 2009, Mr. Obama promised that Americas relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world cannot, and will not, just be based on opposition to terrorism. Yet that is precisely what happened, even if the war on terror was decorously renamed the fight to counter violent extremism. The war was based on Special Operations and drone strikes rather than torture and ground invasions, but it, too, was subject to few restraints, and eventually it came to cover a much greater land mass. Styling himself as an anti-terrorist commander, Mr. Obama buried the legalistic multilateralism that he had taught at Harvard. While the drone program began under Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama substantially expanded it. Armed with a kill list and the Predator joystick, he could eliminate Americas enemies, while avoiding land wars  or public scrutiny.

Mr. Bushs occupations provoked liberal outrage; Mr. Obamas drone war emitted a kind of white noise that most Americans ignored. But the killing of people by drones or Special Operations was not unnoticed in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan or other countries, and did little to win local hearts and minds. In fact, his determination to avoid American casualties, even as he expanded the battlefield, reinforced the impression that for all his talk of cooperation and partnership, he was a pitiless realist.

That realism was at its most glacial in the case of Syrias civil war. Chastened by the results of NATOs intervention in Libya, where a dictator was replaced by militia rule and jihadist violence, and always a reluctant humanitarian, Mr. Obama understood that the Syrian war was as much a sequel to the bloody sectarian struggle inside Iraq as it was the latest installment of the Arab Spring. He drew a cold but defensible conclusion: The growth of the Islamic State was a direct threat to American interests that merited a military response, but President Bashar al-Assad was not. Intervention against Mr. Assad would lead to clashes with Russia, for whom Syria was a core interest.

At first glance, the twists and turns of Mr. Obamas Syria policy made the president seem indecisive, if not incoherent: calling for Mr. Assad to step down without taking direct action against him, even after the regimes use of chemical weapons in defiance of Mr. Obamas red line; attacking the jihadists of the Islamic State while allies like Turkey and Qatar supported other extremist groups; opposing Russian designs and then coordinating airstrikes with Moscow. But the aim of keeping American troops out of Syria was consistent. At his final news conference as president, Mr. Obama expressed anguish over the fall of Aleppo, but insisted that his Syria policy had been guided by his sense of whats the right thing to do for America.

It may well have been; American lives were spared. But noninterference created a vacuum that autocrats like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey were happy to fill. Whats more, Mr. Obamas understanding of American interests in Syria was more restrictively drawn than one might have expected from a man so worldly, someone who had always stressed the interdependence of the global community and the moral burdens of what it means to share this world in the 21st century. Who governs Syria may not be a core American interest, but the countrys apocalyptic splintering is another matter. The effect of Mr. Obamas caution, as much as Moscows belligerent resolve, was to help prolong the war.

The consequences of Syrias disintegration have spread far beyond its borders. Not only has the crisis placed dangerous strains on neighboring states, but it has emboldened the far right in Europe, which has played on fears about Islam and terrorism in its campaign against immigration and the European Union. Nor has the United States been unscathed by what Mr. Obama recently called the tug of tribalism: Donald J. Trump owes his election to it. Mr. Trump is an open admirer of tribal politicians like Mr. Putin, Mr. Erdogan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, not least because they remind him of himself with their love of the mob, contempt for liberal elites and penchant for conspiracy theory.

In his 2009 speech in Cairo, Mr. Obama imagined Muslim and Western democrats working together in partnership, overcoming borders imposed by war, prejudice and mistrust for the sake of a common future. Instead, the very prospect of a common future, of global interdependence, has been jeopardized by the emergence of an illiberal world of tribes without flags. Despite the best of intentions, and for all his fine words, Mr. Obama became one of the midwives of this dangerous and angry new world, where his enlightened cosmopolitanism increasingly looks like an anachronism.
In addition to tech companies concern about government policy on taxation, regulation and antitrust, there are other sources of conflict between tech firms and the Democratic Party. Gregory Ferenstein, a blogger who covers the tech industry, conducted a survey of 116 tech company founders for Fast Company in 2015. Using data from a poll conducted by the firm SurveyMonkey, Ferenstein compared the views of tech founders with those of Democrats, in some cases, and the views of the general public, in others.

Among Ferensteins findings: a minority, 29 percent, of tech company founders described labor unions as good, compared to 73 percent of Democrats. Asked is meritocracy naturally unequal? tech founders overwhelmingly agreed.

Ferenstein went on:

One hundred percent of the smaller sample of founders to whom I presented this question said they believe that a truly meritocratic economy would be mostly or somewhat unequal. This is a key distinction: Opportunity is about maximizing peoples potential, which founders tend to believe is highly unequal. Founders may value citizen contributions to society, but they dont think all citizens have the potential to contribute equally. When asked what percent of national income the top 10% would hold in such a scenario, a majority (67%) of founders believed that the richest individuals would control 50% or more of total income, while only 31% of the public believes such an outcome would occur in a meritocratic society.

One of the most interesting questions posed by Ferenstein speaks to middle and working class anxieties over global competition:

In international trade policy, some people believe the U.S. government should create laws that favor American business with policies that protect it from global competition, such as fees on imported goods or making it costly to hire cheaper labor in other countries (outsourcing). Others believe it would be better if there were less regulations and businesses were free to trade and compete without each country favoring their own industries. Which of these statements come closest to your belief?

There was a large difference between tech company officials, 73 percent of whom chose free trade and less regulation, while only 20 percent of Democrats supported those choices.

Ferenstein also found that tech founders are substantially more liberal on immigration policy than Democrats generally. 64 percent would increase total immigration levels, compared to 39 percent of Democrats. Tech executives are strong supporters of increasing the number of highly trained immigrants through the HB1 visa program.

Joel Kotkin, a fellow in urban studies at Chapman University who writes about demographic, social and economic trends, sees these differences as the source of deep conflict within the Democratic Party.

In a provocative August, 2015, column in the Orange County Register, Kotkin wrote:

The disruptive force is largely Silicon Valley, a natural oligarchy that now funds a party teetering toward populism and even socialism. The fundamental contradictions, as Karl Marx would have noted, lie in the collision of interests between a group that has come to epitomize self-consciously progressive mega-wealth and a mass base which is increasingly concerned about downward mobility.

The tech elite, Kotkin writes, far from deserting the Democratic Party, more likely will aim take to take it over. Until very recently, the

conflict between populists and tech oligarchs has been muted, in large part due to common views on social issues like gay marriage and, to some extent, environmental protection. But as the social issues fade, having been won by progressives, the focus necessarily moves to economics, where the gap between these two factions is greatest.

Kotkin sees future partisan machination in cynical terms:

One can expect the oligarchs to seek out a modus vivendi with the populists. They could exchange a regime of higher taxes and regulation for ever-expanding crony capitalist opportunities and political protection. As the hegemons of today, Facebook and Google, not to mention Apple and Amazon, have an intense interest in protecting themselves, for example, from antitrust legislation. History is pretty clear: Heroic entrepreneurs of one decade often turn into the insider capitalists of the next.

In 2016, Donald Trump has produced an upheaval within the Republican Party that shifted attention away from the less explosive turmoil in Democratic ranks.

Hillary Clintons failed bid to finesse the inherent conflict between her dependence on corporate contributions and her need for a strong turnout by union workers, minorities and idealistic millennials embodies the Democratic Partys long term struggle.
To the Editor:

Re In Rocky Day, Tillerson Sets His Own Path (front page, Jan. 12): Of all Donald Trumps nominees, Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Rick Perry, the Energy Department, and Rex Tillerson, the State Department, are the most alarming.

Mr. Pruitt and Mr. Perry have denied that human-caused climate change exists. Mr. Tillerson, while publicly acknowledging that it does, nevertheless continued, while chief executive of Exxon Mobil, to fund scientists, members of Congress and organizations spreading climate change disinformation.

If confirmed and if they ignore the climate crisis, what will they say to those who lose their infants and children (among the most vulnerable) during the next extreme heat wave? Heat waves now kill on average over 600 Americans each year, a figure expected to reach 11,000 by 2030 because of climate change.

And how will they face families of the thousands who may die during the next catastrophic hurricane like Katrina? There is strong scientific evidence that hurricanes are becoming increasingly deadly with ocean warming.
In a delusional postscript to the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting last week that killed five people and wounded six, Republican legislators in Florida are proposing to allow the public to go freely armed into the unsecured parts of airports  all the better, the sponsors argue, to intercept the next random shooter in self-defense.

There could have been the potential for people to protect themselves in that situation, said Jake Raburn, a state legislator, who supports allowing armed people in airport departure and arrival areas, outside of zones guarded by metal detectors.

Having citizens armed in more and more of the nations public places, from schools to barrooms, has been a high priority of the gun lobby. Florida law currently bans even people with gun permits from carrying firearms in an airports public places and places like courtrooms and college classrooms. But the gun lobby remains strong in Florida, where the nations first Stand Your Ground law loosened the restraints on self-defense for gun owners. The lobbyists have been pushing the vigilante fantasy of good shooters gunning down bad shooters, and that view has been embraced by President-elect Donald Trump, who ran with strong support from National Rifle Association.
STANFORD, Calif.  Since my first visit to North Koreas Yongbyon nuclear complex in 2004, I have witnessed the countrys nuclear weapons program grow from a handful of primitive bombs to a formidable nuclear arsenal that represents one of Americas greatest security threats. After decades of broken policies toward Pyongyang, talking to the North Koreans is the best option for the Trump administration at this late date to limit the growing threat.

North Korea broke out to build the bomb because President George W. Bush was determined to kill President Bill Clintons 1994 Agreed Framework, a bilateral agreement with the North to freeze and eventually dismantle the Norths nuclear program. Hard-liners in the Bush administration viewed it as appeasement. Mr. Bush labeled the North, along with Iran and Iraq, part of an axis of evil in January 2002.

At the first bilateral meeting with Kim Jong-ils regime in Pyongyang in October 2002, Bush administration officials accused North Korea of violating the Clinton pact by clandestinely pursuing the uranium path to the bomb. Washington had already detected this effort in the late 1990s, but it was deemed an insufficient threat not worthy of jeopardizing the gains made by the plutonium freeze.

For the Bush administration, the clandestine uranium effort was all it needed to walk away from the Agreed Framework. Yet Mr. Bushs team proved unprepared for the consequences and stood by as North Korea resumed its plutonium program and built the bomb.
First, if Mr. Trump continues to own the businesses, he will continue to receive payments they earn from dealings with foreign governments. Most if not all of these payments will violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which expressly forbids anyone in public office from receiving any gifts, salary or profits of any kind from transactions with foreign governments without the consent of Congress. Apart from exceptions already set forth in the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, Congress, even though now controlled by Republicans, has shown no appetite for making further exceptions.

Absent such consent from Congress, President Trump will be in violation of the Constitution as of next Friday with respect to, among other things, loans from foreign-government-controlled banks, leases of Trump office space to foreign-government-controlled companies, foreign governments and diplomats renting rooms in Trump hotels and any investments that are made alongside foreign sovereign wealth funds. The plan announced on Wednesday does nothing to fix this problem because if President Trump still owns the businesses, or he is the beneficiary of a trust that owns the businesses, he receives the economic benefit  the emolument  from all of these transactions.

The only concession that Mr. Trump made on this issue in his news conference was a proposal to donate profits made by his hotels from foreign governments to the United States government. He failed to address the fact that foreign government money likely permeates his entire business empire, not just the hotels, and that he has no plan to stop receiving these payments that will become unconstitutional at noon next Friday.

Second, apart from a promise not to enter into any new deals outside the United States, Mr. Trumps plan does nothing to fix the serious conflicts of interest and global security threats posed by his existing business relationships with politicians and politically connected businessmen around the world. He also does not address his ownership and licensing rights in properties  including the use of the Trump name. Shockingly, the president-elect did not even mention the grave risk posed to the people who live and work in these buildings, which are likely to be prime terrorist targets because they carry the name of the president of the United States. Taking his name off these buildings would greatly reduce this security risk, but that would cost Mr. Trump his licensing profits, so he wont do it. Who will pay for increased security for these buildings  foreign governments, the United States government or the Trump organization  is an unanswered question.

Third, and perhaps most dangerous to our national security, our president could be beholden, and indebted, to undisclosed lenders and other investors around the world. These relationships are not revealed on Mr. Trumps financial disclosure form, which lists only his personal liabilities, and he wont release his tax returns, which would tell us a lot more. If Mr. Trumps businesses were to be sold, these entanglements would go away, but Mr. Trump wont sell.
One Backpage document indicated that by 2010, more than 70 percent of its ads in the adult section were being edited like that, suggesting that the company was far more involved in manipulating content than it ever let on.

Sure, some people selling sex are adults acting on their own to make money, and thats not a concern of mine. If Backpage carefully verified names and ages, Id be fine with that. But Backpage has more stringent rules for selling a dog than for selling a kid.

Ive written repeatedly about Backpage over the years because the stories haunt me. My first column about Backpage involved a 13-year-old girl whom I called Baby Face. Her pimp had kicked her down a stairwell for trying to flee, and she was hurting and bleeding and couldnt bear another rape, but her pimp sold her on Backpage anyway. He took her to an apartment building and waited outside after telling her which apartment to go to.

Terrified and desperate, Baby Face instead pounded on the door of a different apartment. When a surprised woman answered, Baby Face asked for a phone and called her mom and then 911. Her pimp went to prison, but Backpage simply profited from the sale, as it always has.

Look, human trafficking is a complicated issue. If Backpage is put out of business, other websites may fill the void, and indeed, when Backpage closed its adult section, ads selling sex immediately moved over to the sites dating section.

We need Congress to amend the Communications Decency Act to clarify that companies like Backpage dont get protections when they permit pimps to sell kids on their websites. There is a mounting bipartisan effort to pass such an amendment, and I hope President-elect Donald Trump will show leadership on this as well. We also need local police departments and prosecutors to go after pimps and johns, rather than sometimes targeting the children who are the victims.
WASHINGTON  In his news conference on Wednesday, President-elect Donald J. Trump claimed that the American public did not care that he had not released his tax returns, as has been routine for every presidential nominee since Watergate. He could not be more wrong. When I asked users on Twitter, the president-elects favored megaphone, to retweet if they cared about Mr. Trumps tax returns, within hours more than 79,000 people responded.

The reason is simple. Without these returns, Americans cannot know whether he is using the presidency to enrich himself and his family. Americans wont know whether a policy he proposes primarily benefits steelworkers in Pennsylvania or lines his own pocket.

They will also be unable to tell whether Mr. Trump is telling the truth when he claims to have no connections to Russia, contradicting public evidence and statements by his own son. His stated excuse about being under audit doesnt pass the smell test. Previous presidents and nominees have released their returns under the same circumstances.

Thats why I and dozens of congressional colleagues have introduced legislation to force future presidential nominees and presidents to release their tax returns. As representatives of the people, if we cant trust the executive branch to act ethically, we must force it to do so.
For 27 years, the Brooks family  Isaac and Della, plus their son and daughter  lived happily in their six-bedroom, three-story Arts-and-Crafts-style house in Yonkers. It was less than a 10-minute drive from Horace Mann School in the Bronx, where both Brookses are teachers.

Last spring, a good friend of theirs, on the hunt for a one-bedroom in Manhattan, visited a co-op unit on West 82nd Street. The Brookses went, too. After meeting their friends agent, Ellen Klein, an associate broker at the Corcoran Group, they started thinking. With their children grown and gone, their 3,000-square-foot-house was far too big. They were toying with the idea of someday moving to the city themselves. Maybe they could buy a one-bedroom, use it as a pied-a-terre and share it with their daughter, Phoebe, 26, who was living with a roommate in Brooklyn. Her brother, Dylan, 29, lives in Texas.

They mentioned their plan to Ms. Brookss recently widowed mother, Dolly Barr, who lived in a brick rowhouse in Flushing, Queens. No room for me? she asked. So they resolved to hunt for a three-bedroom for all of them. Waiting for retirement might make it hard to get a mortgage. When you retire, you are a different kind of risk, Mr. Brooks said.
Samsung boss questioned in South Korea corruption probe

Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong is being questioned at the prosecutor's office in Seoul as a suspect in South Korea's biggest political corruption scandal.
Exploring the ideas that informed Room, the curator Laura Lord drew on a number of female-authored texts, including Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) and Nan Shepherds The Living Mountain (1949). While all the artists in Room are female, neither Lord nor Coles sees anything as reductive as a feminine gaze or approach running through the show. In fact, some  notably Sarah Lucas and Heidi Bucher  have created explicitly male spaces. Lucass Chuffing Away to Oblivion (1996) is a smoking shed, yellowed as if with decades of nicotine and lined with lurid tabloid newspapers. Suspended from the gallery ceiling, Buchers Herrenzimmer (1977-8), a latex cast of the inside surface of her fathers study, floats with the translucent lightness of skin.

There are certainly examples of male artists who are making similar kinds of spaces, says Coles, citing James Casebere and Gregor Schneider, among other examples. The works in the show are not defined as womens work, in a domestic or emotional way; its not really like that. The focus on female artists does raise interesting questions, in terms of how far gender impacts on our reading of a work. Is it inescapable?
The mens shows are underway in Europe  see the scene from London Collections: Men  and although key brands like Jil Sander, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Calvin Klein wont be showing as usual, theres plenty to look forward to: A handful of Italys biggest brands are inaugurating new designers.

Alessandro Sartori at Ermenegildo Zegna

Image Alessandro Sartori. Credit... Courtesy of Zegna

Sartoris debut at the label has been a long time coming: The designer and Zegna share the same north Italian hometown, Trivero, where the company began spinning wool more than a century ago. Sartori, 50, also got his first job out of school there in 1989, and spent eight years designing Z Zegna, the brands sportswear line, until 2011 when he was tasked with developing the French luxury shoemaker Berluti into a full-fledged mens fashion company. Zegna sat out last season after the departure of its creative director, Stefano Pilati, and returns to the schedule this week with Sartori, who was appointed artistic director in June. The new position awards him creative control across all aspects of all of Zegnas brands  a decision that follows the current trend with other houses of creative consolidation of top ranks. The designer opened this new chapter for Zegna in December, with the launch of a bespoke collection of shoes inspired by his eclectic group of friends (a bartender, a dancer and a gallery owner among them).

What to expect: Inventive fabrics and a new dandyism for Zegna.

On view Jan. 10-13 at the Z Zegna Pitti Uomo presentation, and at the Ermenegildo Zegna runway show at Hangar Bicocca in Milan on Jan. 13.
You could lose the souvenirs you buy when you go on vacation, but the pictures you take from your trips will last forever, says the travel photographer Natalie Amrossi. A brand ambassador for the camera company Canon, Ms. Amrossi has a portfolio of travel shots from more than 50 countries.

Travel pictures instantly transport you back to those destinations and evoke the good times you had, she said.

Fear not, inexperienced photographers  you can take great pictures even if youre not a pro. Here, Ms. Amrossi tells you how:

No Fancy Camera Required. You dont need high-priced equipment with frills in order to get memorable shots. Though the one on your smartphone is perfectly acceptable, a good camera that costs as little as $100 is a worthwhile investment because the images will be sharper and of better quality. Look for a camera thats compact and easy to travel with, that can zoom in and out and that has Wi-Fi capability, a feature that lets you transfer your shots to your mobile device and instantly share with friends and family.

Keep a Shot List. Before you go, make a list of the images that youd like to capture on your trip and include the time of day  such as the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, at sunrise. Its easy to be overwhelmed by everything youre seeing, and a list helps you make sure that you dont miss any pictures you want, Ms. Amrossi said. A list of 10 to 20 desirable images is plenty, but dont include only popular sites on it  aiming for less touristy pictures such as some from a residential neighborhood in a big city is a creative way to capture a sense of place.
Getting Your Bearings

No matter who occupies it, the White House remains an alluring spectacle; the lawn extending from the West Wing to the northwest gate offers an unimpeded view of aides and visitors coming and going, as well as the press corps huffing in the cold.

The Capitol itself is  with apologies to the new Trump International Hotel  the most sumptuous architectural jewel in Washington, replete with portraits and busts of our nations statesmen (and a few rogues). It, along with the House and Senate office buildings, are open to the public, as are the underground tunnels that connect them.

Evocations of historic Washington can be found in far-flung corners. On the northeastern boundary of Capitol Hill, the Historic Congressional Cemetery (congressionalcemetery.org) is the repository of numerous Washington notables, from early congressmen to the former F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover to assorted bootleggers, prostitutes and bankrupted developers.

In Anacostia, the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (nps.gov/frdo; $1.50 for reserved spots on the 30-minute tour) rests on Cedar Hill, overlooking the Capitol and beyond. Nearly all of its 21 rooms retain their original decor, including Douglasss books and musical instruments.
BALTIMORE  Nearly two years after the death of a black man in police custody led to violent riots here, the Justice Department and city leaders announced on Thursday a long-sought agreement to impose greater oversight and training on a police force found to have routinely harassed minorities.

Negotiators have been rushing for weeks to complete the deal before the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald J. Trump and the expected confirmation of his attorney general pick, Senator Jeff Sessions. Both men are seen as hostile to police oversight agreements like the one put in place on Thursday, with Mr. Trump denouncing what he called the war on police during his presidential campaign.

Justice Department negotiators are moving quickly to complete a second investigation in Chicago, which has also been wracked by violence and tension between the police and residents. The findings of that investigation could come as early as Friday.

Announcing the Baltimore deal at City Hall, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said she was confident that the reforms mandated by the deal would take hold even if the Trump administration were to take steps to try to undo it.
Ms. Furman, 70, said, Im ashamed to say we caucused for Obama in 2008. My view is he purposely got into the presidency so he could ruin America.

There are contrary views.

On Washington Street in Burlington, I expected Post 10102 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to be a bastion of support for the president-elect, who had promised repeatedly to take care of the vets.

But there was deep skepticism. Forget about me, Dan Meade, a Navy veteran, said. Whats going to happen to our kids, our grandkids? I think the guys nuts.

He and three others sipped $1.50 draft beers from plastic cups. They sarcastically echoed notable Trump lines from the campaign trail. He knows more than the generals; he doesnt like prisoners of war, Dan Warren, an Army veteran, said.

When Trump was running for office he said hed run the country like he runs his companies, Fran Boyle, who served in the Navy, chimed in. Which one of his bankrupt companies is he going to run it like?

Still, Trump voters in the state say they are hoping for the best.

Mike Staudt, a retired farmer from Marble Rock, voted for Mr. Obama in 2012, but called the Affordable Care Act a form of socialism. He said he had no problem with a candidate who had run as the voice of the working people but was stocking his cabinet with the ultrawealthy.

I know these guys are really rich, he said. They may have pulled off a few plays that werent exactly on the up-and-up, but they all had to be pretty smart to be billionaires. If they replace their own concerns with the concerns of the country, they can make things really move forward. Thats what Im excited about.
WASHINGTON  Ben Carson, the nominee for secretary of housing and urban development, presented himself on Thursday as a credible manager for a sprawling federal bureaucracy, navigating an unlikely transition from celebrated neurosurgeon and genial conservative presidential candidate to the steward of American housing policy.

At a Senate confirmation hearing, Mr. Carson, 65, strained at times to square his past remarks on the dangers of federal assistance  he once called poverty really more of a choice than anything else  with the mission of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, an agency with a $47 billion budget and a mandate to help millions of low-income renters and struggling homeowners.

Forgoing many specifics, he laid out a vision of a more holistic approach: recruiting private sector dollars and seeking to end what he called a cycle of generation after generation of people living in dependent situations.

Safety net programs are important. I would never advocate abolishing them without having an alternative for people to follow, he said, adding that some have distorted what Ive said about government.
Someone is lying here. Mr. Clappers statement was explicit: The intelligence community has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable  a far cry from a false and fictitious denunciation.

Of course, Mr. Clapper will soon be heading to the exits, replaced by former Senator Dan Coats, assuming Senate confirmation. So whether peacemaking at the top will ease the ill will in the rank and file of the Trump White House and the intelligence agencies has yet to be determined.

Giuliani named to head cybersecurity review

Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and one of Mr. Trumps most stalwart loyalists, finally has a job in the administration: heading Mr. Trumps promised effort to combat cyberattacks.

As the use of modern communications and technology has moved forward at unparalleled speed the necessary defenses have lagged behind. The President-elect recognizes that this needs immediate attention and input from private sector leaders to help the government plan to make us more secure. Mr. Giuliani was asked to initiate this process because of his long and very successful government career in law enforcement and his now sixteen years of work providing security solutions in the private sector.

Mr. Giuliani, as chairman of the global cybersecurity practice at the law firm Greenberg Traurig, brings expertise, but his experience in complex communications policy is checkered. His tenure as mayor is still haunted by the decision to place an emergency command center at the World Trade Center over the opposition of the New York Police Department. The command center, of course, was destroyed by the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
WASHINGTON  James N. Mattis, the retired Marine Corps general, told Congress on Thursday that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, staking out a tougher stance on Russia during a confirmation hearing for defense secretary than his prospective commander in chief did on the campaign trail.

Im all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality, General Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Theres a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and increasing numbers of areas where were going to have to confront Russia.

In a three-hour hearing, General Mattis argued for expanding the armed forces, improving the militarys readiness to go into battle on short notice and reinvigorating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by maintaining a permanent armed American presence in Baltic nations to deter a Russian attack, among other steps.

My view is that nations with allies thrive and nations without allies dont, General Mattis said.

Those remarks were a striking contrast to comments by President-elect Donald J. Trump during the campaign that American support for the alliance should be conditional on financial contributions by its members.
Like most large families, the more than 50 family member-owners of the business hold views and embrace causes across the political spectrum, just as our employees and customers do. And as every member of the family would agree, no individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company that L. L. built.

The company reiterated that position in a statement late Thursday.

L. L. Bean has in the past faced pushback over the political activities of Ms. Bean, an heir to the company who has long been an outspoken conservative. She ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1988 and 1992, and the company wrote a letter to The Times distancing itself from her.

In 1993, a group of gay activists in Philadelphia, angered by what they said was her support of right-wing causes and homophobes during her 1992 campaign, began a boycott. A spokesman for L. L. Bean told The Boston Globe that some customers had asked to be taken off the companys mailing lists.

Ms. Bean defended the company and her donations in an appearance on Fox & Friends that was broadcast on Thursday. She called the Grab Your Wallet organizers bullies.
South China Sea: Tillerson says US should block China from new islands

The US should block access to islands built by China in contested waters of the South China Sea, Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state says.
WASHINGTON  In its final days, the Obama administration has expanded the power of the National Security Agency to share globally intercepted personal communications with the governments 16 other intelligence agencies before applying privacy protections.

The new rules significantly relax longstanding limits on what the N.S.A. may do with the information gathered by its most powerful surveillance operations, which are largely unregulated by American wiretapping laws. These include collecting satellite transmissions, phone calls and emails that cross network switches abroad, and messages between people abroad that cross domestic network switches.

The change means that far more officials will be searching through raw data. Essentially, the government is reducing the risk that the N.S.A. will fail to recognize that a piece of information would be valuable to another agency, but increasing the risk that officials will see private information about innocent people.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch signed the new rules, permitting the N.S.A. to disseminate raw signals intelligence information, on Jan. 3, after the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., signed them on Dec. 15, according to a 23-page, largely declassified copy of the procedures.
On the third day of confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, there was one emerging theme: Many of the nominees of President-elect Donald J. Trump have disagreements with him on policy.

There were serious questions, efforts at diversion with humor, and long-winded statements by senators. Overall, though, none of the nominees made any major mistakes, and one of them, James N. Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general, was approved as Mr. Trumps choice for defense secretary by the Senate Armed Services Committee, 24 to 3.

Fun fact: He doesnt care for the nickname Mad Dog.

Here are 10 highlights from the hearings:

 Mr. Mattis diverged sharply from his prospective boss on Russia, calling Moscow one of the top threats to the American-led world order. Im all for engagement, Mr. Mattis said, but we also have to recognize reality in terms of what Russia is up to.

 Mr. Mattis also put daylight between himself and Mr. Trump on NATO and indicated strong support for the alliances principle of collective defense. My view is that nations with allies thrive, and nations without allies dont, Mr. Mattis said.
Texas carried out the nations first execution of 2017 on Wednesday night, putting to death Christopher Wilkins, who was convicted of killing two men who tricked him into paying $20 for a piece of gravel that he thought was crack cocaine.

Mr. Wilkins, 48, was declared dead at 6:29 p.m. at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, The Associated Press reported. A last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court was denied.

Before he was administered a fatal dose of pentobarbital, Mr. Wilkins mouthed, Im sorry to his victims relatives, who were watching through a window, The A.P. reported.

Mr. Wilkins was convicted in 2008 of killing Willie Freeman and Mike Silva in a phony drug deal in 2005. Mr. Freeman and another unidentified man had fooled Mr. Wilkins into paying for the gravel that he thought was crack, The Dallas Morning News reported. And when Mr. Freeman laughed about it later, Mr. Wilkins fatally shot him and Mr. Silva.
You follow advice and then find out years later that it was the wrong advice, Ms. Doggart posted on the Facebook page of kidswithfoodallergies.org.Oh no. Wait. We were mistaken. Its actually the opposite thing you should be doing!

But others reacted with sadness, wondering whether better information earlier on might have prevented their childrens allergies. It is a bit disheartening and frustrating, Heather Eslinger, a physical therapist in Colorado Springs whose children have nut allergies, said in an interview. It is hard to accept that things may have been different had we known then what we know now.

While national health officials have a track record of reversing medical advice from time to time  menopause hormones and trans fats are two examples  few topics are as fraught as food allergies. For starters, food allergies disproportionately affect children, and the risk of making the wrong decision about a food is immediate and potentially deadly. As a result, parents are particularly fearful about following the advice.

I gave my 5-month-old a bit of my toast and peanut butter and we ended up in the emergency room, said Lori Dombek, 58, a web developer in Gorham, Me., whose son is now 22. Peanut allergies are nothing to fool with.

But scientists say the new guidelines are based on the latest science. A large clinical trial studied hundreds of British children at risk for peanut allergies, giving them either peanut-containing food regularly from infancy or withholding all foods with peanuts.

By the age of 5, the trial found, those who had been given peanut-containing food early in life had an 80 percent reduced risk of developing a peanut allergy.

The trials results were very very unambiguous, said Dr. Matthew Greenhawt, chairman of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunologys food allergy committee and one of the authors of the new guidelines. The fact that the guidelines changed over time makes them more credible, not less, he said.
I was in a second-grade classroom recently reading from my new childrens book, Runaway Booger. After I finished, and the giggling subsided, several students asked a version of the same question: Why did you write about a humongous ball of mucus?

It was the question Id hoped for.

I was using the reading session, at the teachers request, to get the children to think about creativity. Where does creativity come from? Are there tricks they can use to be more creative, or, for that matter, that parents and educators can instill?

Its a subject I think about a lot, as a writer of newspaper articles, mysteries and nonfiction books, a syndicated comic strip and music. (It is sad but true: To accompany the booger book, I wrote a rock anthem called Dont Pick Your Nose.) Scholars who study creativity say that stoking it involves helping children strike a balance between two dichotomous tools: the whimsy and freedom of a wandering mind, with the rigidity of a prepared one.

We need to help them be both sensitive and assertive, in the words of John Dacey, professor emeritus of education at Boston College. Sensitivity means being open to new ideas, and very laid back, he explained. Assertiveness doesnt just mean being bold enough to express the idea but having enough experience and judgment to feel true authority about its value.
She could articulate a thorough understanding of her disease and why she was in the hospital. She understood the consequences of leaving and would seek medical attention if any of the multiple symptoms we had discussed arose.

I started repeating my plea, as if it would be more influential the second time.

I considered what I could offer her in exchange for staying, a bartering of sorts. She could stay in her private room on the cardiology service. I could reschedule her procedure time to earlier in the day, so shed have to spend less time unable to eat or drink and have a shorter hospital stay.

But I could not change her mind. I realized then that it was me who was making the mistake. It was not my decision to make.

As physicians, we forget that time passes outside of the hospital walls. We sometimes isolate our patients stories and illnesses, independent of whats going on in their lives, or their circumstances. My patient had a childhood very much unlike mine, her life continually defined by fear and loneliness.

Some providers find it a burden, perhaps frustrated as to why patients who we are trying to help are not helping themselves. We sometimes feel powerless when we cannot get patients to choose what we think is best for them. Medicine is a balancing act between patient autonomy and beneficence; sometimes the scales tip away from autonomy. The shared decision-making we often talk about in other clinical settings may be forgotten.

During my conversation with my patient, I struggled with my desire to heal her heart, and heal her soul. At a certain point, I realized that I was causing more suffering by keeping her in the hospital.

After a patient has expressed desire to leave A.M.A., some physicians may abandon them in the course of care rather than trying to mitigate their risk by making follow-up appointments and providing prescriptions. In discussion with the rest of the medical team, I told my patient she could leave after making a clinic appointment for her in the next few days. Tears of joy rolled down her face.
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  Things were hopping at Redinesh Coffee Roastery in this seaside city one recent evening. Electronic dance music blared from the cafes speakers as patrons, some in ripped jeans and fashionable spectacles, sat outside drinking locally sourced coffee and smoking cigarettes.

But then the Muslim call to prayer sounded, and a waitress hurriedly ushered everyone back into the cafe. She turned down the music, closed the doors and covered the windows. It was the Maghrib  the second to last of the five daily calls to prayer  and outdoor socializing had to cease.

Aceh Province, on the northern tip of Sumatra island, stands alone in having formally established Shariah law in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country with a relatively secular Constitution. In Aceh, women are required to dress modestly, alcohol is prohibited, and numerous offenses  from adultery to homosexuality to selling alcohol  are punishable by public whipping.
KABUL, Afghanistan  A United States military investigation into claims of civilian casualties during a joint operation by Afghan and American forces found that 33 civilians were killed and 27 others were wounded during a firefight and airstrikes in Kunduz Province last year, American military officials said on Thursday.

In early November, Afghan Special Forces, accompanied by American military advisers, came under intense fire during an operation to arrest Taliban commanders in Boz Qandahari, a village in Kunduz, the United States military command in Afghanistan said in a statement. They called in American airstrikes, which resulted in some of the civilian casualties.

Two American soldiers and three Afghan commandos were killed, and four American soldiers and 11 commandos were wounded, the statement said.

Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, said Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the commander of United States forces in Afghanistan. On this occasion, the Taliban chose to hide amongst civilians and then attacked Afghan and U.S. forces.
HONG KONG  Rex W. Tillersons call for China to be denied access to its artificial islands in the South China Sea, made Wednesday during his confirmation hearing for secretary of state, set the stage for a possible crisis between the worlds two biggest economies should his comments become official American policy.

Mr. Tillerson told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that Chinas multibillion-dollar island-building campaign in the oil-and-gas rich sea was illegal and akin to Russias taking of Crimea.

Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops, Mr. Tillerson told the senators. And second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.

Should those words be translated into action after Donald J. Trump assumes the presidency on Jan. 20, it would be a remarkable change in the American approach to Beijings island-building in the South China Sea, which is transforming the area into what one Washington think tank said would by 2030 become virtually a Chinese lake. China asserts sovereignty over most of the South China Sea despite competing claims by countries including Vietnam and the Philippines and an international ruling rejecting most of Beijings assertions.
As it turned out, Mr. Hong was one of thousands of artists reportedly blacklisted by the government of Ms. Park, whose powers have been suspended as she faces an impeachment trial on charges of corruption and abuse of power. The blacklist is just one element in the sprawling case that has infuriated the public and prompted national introspection about South Koreas young democracy and its authoritarian past.

On Thursday, three of Ms. Parks former aides, including one of her former culture ministers, Kim Jong-deok, were arrested on charges of blacklisting cultural figures deemed unfriendly and barring them from government-controlled support programs.

So far, two versions of the blacklist have been reported by the news media, citing anonymous sources. Officials, including the special prosecutor in the case, Park Young-soo, have confirmed the existence of the blacklist but have not released it.

A 2015 version of the list included more than 9,000 people, according to news reports. The list contained some of South Koreas most beloved filmmakers, actors and writers, including the director of Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, and the Snowpiercer actor Song Kang-ho.

Officially, Ms. Park has made promoting movies and other cultural products one of her key priorities. But secretly, her government has blackballed artists, reviving a practice of past military dictators like her father, Park Chung-hee, and in so doing has seriously undermined the freedom of thought and expression, the special prosecutors office said.
VC appointment: Senior KU officials demand Senate meeting pronto

Deans and administrative officers of the schools under Kathmandu University (KU) have demanded immediate meeting of the Senate amid delay in the appointment of vice-chancellor at the varsity.
A second American contingent, due in April, is to be positioned in eastern Poland in the so-called Suwalki Gap, considered the likeliest path for a Russian land invasion, although such an invasion is considered unlikely.

But here in Eastern Europe, Polish and other regional leaders are less certain, wondering whether those future troops will show up after Mr. Trump assumes office and, if they do, whether they will be based in the east, as promised.

And that does not take into account concerns about other promised American and NATO initiatives to reassure the anxious East, including an American missile shield to be built in Poland, mirroring one already in place in Romania, and the opening of forward supply depots throughout the region where NATO armaments could be stored to make rapid deployment possible in the event of an invasion.

I would say the forward positioning will not happen and, if there is any, it will be in the west of Poland, Mr. Zaborowski said. Trump will come to some sort of agreement with Putin about keeping troop levels as low as possible, keeping real deterrent capability as low as possible and keeping the troops in the west of Poland instead of the east.

Mr. Stavridis said he expected the troop deployments to take place as scheduled, but suspected that the new administrations desire for a Moscow deal will lead to some horse-trading, perhaps involving that promised missile shield.

The nomination of Gen. James N. Mattis, a strong proponent of NATO, as Mr. Trumps secretary of defense does give Eastern Europeans more confidence.

I would be very surprised if General Mattis backs off from this, said Thomas Donnelly, co-director of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. This deployment may not be everything you would like, but its a real improvement. Its definitely more than half a loaf.
Inside Parliament, tensions ran high. At one point, fisticuffs broke out, and lawmakers accused one another of assault, releasing contradictory videos accusing rivals of starting the fight. Meanwhile, supporters brought in food, including a small traditional Polish feast on Christmas Eve.

The opposition at times found it difficult to maintain a united front. On New Years Eve, Ryszard Petru, the leader of Modern, another opposition party involved in the sit-in, was photographed with a female lawmaker aboard a plane that was reportedly going to the Portuguese island of Madeira  after he had stated that opposition lawmakers should refrain from vacationing during the holidays. Amid the uproar, he apologized for what he acknowledged was an indiscretion, though he denied that he had been flying to Madeira. (He refused to say where he was headed.)

The standoff only underscored concerns that European Union officials have raised about the state of democracy in Poland, where the government has moved to curb the independence of the judiciary and the news media.

On Thursday, Grzegorz Schetyna, the head of Civic Platform, said that after succeeding at securing medias access to the parliament building, as well as their unrestricted right to cover the parliamentary proceedings, we are suspending our protest.

However, the issue of the budget  and whether it was lawfully passed  has not been resolved.

We still consider the budget legislation to be illegal, and we appeal to President Andrzej Duda not to sign it, Mr. Schetyna told reporters on Thursday.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right French National Front, was seen in the lobby of Trump Tower this morning. The visit was unannounced and not on her schedule, nor, as far as its been reported, was it on the schedule of anyone on the Trump team. Le Pens aide wouldnt say why the right-wing French presidential forerunner made a secret visit to Trump Tower, and Le Pen rebuffed reporters. The mystery will sleep with the ages.

Le Pen, who is, if I may, viewed in general around the world as a far-right nut, was at the top of the latest round of presidential opinion polls in France. France holds two rounds of presidential elections, in April and May. Political analysts around the world are in a general consensus that Le Pen is so far on the fringe that she doesnt have much of a chance of winning, but waitthat certainly sounds familiar, doesnt it?. Shes being taken seriously where she hasnt been taken seriously before  enough that it can be said political analysts around the world are in general consensus.

An anonymous Trump aide said the POETUS hadnt planned to meet with Le Pen. Neither had Steve Bannon.

Le Pen, a self-proclaimed champion of the everyman who grew up in high luxury as the daughter of a racist businessman, said shed fund her campaign by borrowing 6M from a company owned by her father. (Marines own party ex-communicated her father, who once led it, because he was too racist.) Ring bells yet? How about adding this to it, from an op-ed in the Independent that, weirdly, came out this morning: This is not solely because she cannot get a loan from French banks, but because a Russian financial institution that offered [her party] millions in 2014 was subsequently declared insolvent.

Indeed, Le Pen has often expressed her support of Trump and just this month called him a sign of hope for batshit crazy right-wing parties in Europe. I feel less isolated today because of the multi-polar world defended by Donald Trump but also by Theresa May and Vladimir Putin.

In fact, Le Pen has said many of the same things Trump did his campaign, albeit in French, which could spin poetry out of the cloth of the Confederate flag. Here she is at her most mellifluous:

Would you accept 12 illegal immigrants moving into your flat? You would not. On top of that, they start to remove the wallpaper. Some of them would steal your wallet and brutalise your wife. You would not accept that. Consequently, we are welcoming, but we decide with whom we are welcoming.

Then, I do not have the slightest bit of racism in me. I do not judge people with regards to the color of their skin, their origin, or their religion. I defend them all, because I defend French people.

It is essential that France gets back control of its national borders once and for all. Without borders, neither defence nor security is possible.

On Putin: I admire his cool head because theres a Cold War being waged against him by the E.U. at the behest of the United States, which is defending its own interests. I admire that hes managed to restore pride and contentment to a great nation thats been humiliated and persecuted for 70 years.

On climate change: I am not sure that human activity is the principal origin of this phenomenon.

On world affairs: One [primary] problem is Islamic fundamentalism, which is a kind of totalitarianism in the 21st Century. The second is globalisation, which is another kind of totalitarianism, the ideology of free business with no boundaries.

This is no longer the stuff of the fringe. Racist, anti-establishment far-right political movements across Europe are gaining more and more momentum, including in Germany, Belgium, Poland, and even Sweden. Theyre feeding off each other. Europeans everywhere are now sitting down to the banquet of Brexit and Trump, and theyre tossing the hummus.

This year France and Germany will both have national elections. Right-wing leaders in both countries want to leave the E.U. If either country tips to the right, theres a pretty good chance the European Union will fall apart. Germany holds elections next month. If voters there rebuke Merkel and vote right-wing, France, where Le Pen leads in the polls, will likely follow suit.

Even if Germany doesnt fall for the sleight of the right, Frances center-right candidate and Le Pens biggest challenger, Francois Fillon  who crushed with 67% of his partys vote  is barely center-right, promising among other things a crackdown on immigration and Islam.

When Fillon comes up against Le Pen, his far-right supporters, given the option, will move out further. We saw this in the Republican primaries, and we will see it again in France. The center cannot hold, guys. Its high time we look at this center-right stuff and fight it for what it is. The fringe isnt the center, but its central.

That op-ed in the Independent this morning said Le Pen had no shot at the presidency. The whole argument was that Le Pen would lose not because of her policies, but because of her character. And there it is, the final parallel: Winner, winner, chicken cordon bleu.
Stacy Matuson Challenges William Kassouf to Heads-Up Match at 888Live Festival

January 11, 2017 Katie Callahan

Stacy Matuson called out William Kassouf on Instagram Jan. 11, calling for a redemption heads-up match at 888Live Poker Festival at Kings Casino Rozvadov.

Matuson claimed the secrets (sic) out! and that after the media storm on ESPN, fans and 888poker were calling for the rematch.

Hey Willy K, you think youre a boss because you bluffed me? I challenge you to a heads-up match at 888live Fest at Kings Casino, she said in a video posted to Instagram. Ill be there from Feb. 1 to Feb. 6. This is a trophy you cant buy. Lets see who the real boss is.

Matuson also noted that if she had called with queens, no one would know Kassoufs name. So, just like that, the first week of February, she will try to take Kassouf to the felt with Michael Mizrachi giving the play-by-play.

She also used #excited, #boom, #lettheninjacomeout and #letsseewhotherealbossis in her post.

Kassouf responded on his private Facebook page to the callout. He later posted the video on Instagram.

"Hey Stacy, I've just seen your video," said Kassouf on his Facebook page. "Don't think I'm a boss just because I bluffed you in any part, I bluffed you with nine-high like the boss that I am. I let my results speak for themselves. I look forward to playing a heads-up match at the King's Festival in Rozvadov on the 2nd of February. May the best man win."
National Engineering Firm Augments Quality Management System Program with New Director

Bradley Cellier, PE

Contact

Brittney LeTourneau

***@gaiconsultants.com Brittney LeTourneau

End

-- GAI Consultants (GAI) welcomes American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) Lead Auditor Bradley Cellier, PE as the firm's Director of Quality. Mr. Cellier specializes in Quality Management System (QMS) implementation and development, and comes to GAI with more than 25 years of experience in combined engineering and quality assurance responsibilities. Prior to joining GAI, Bradley served as NQA-1 Lead Auditor for Kinetix Quality Services, LLC, performing internal and supplier audits of companies providing nuclear safety related services and items to the commercial nuclear power industry. As Director of Quality, Bradley will oversee GAI's QMS from the firm's Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania office. He is a certified ASME NQA-1 Lead Auditor and a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Pennsylvania. Bradley also holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering from Pennsylvania State University."Quality services are critical to both GAI and our clients. Welcoming a professional with Brad's credentials to our team is a move that supports our clients and enhances the projects we deliver for them."Transforming ideas into reality since 1958, GAI is an employee-owned engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firm providing local expertise to worldwide clients in the energy, transportation, development, government, and industrial markets. Visit GAI at http://gaiconsultants.com Connect with GAI through Social Media on Twitter (GAIConsultants), Facebook (gaiconsultants), LinkedIn (gai-consultants-inc.), and YouTube (gaiconsultants)
Russias real estate investments reached1.03bn ($1.1bn) in Q4 2016, up 67% YoY, according to JLL calculations. This brought the full year volume to 3.94bn ($4.2bn), up 74% from 2.25bn ($2.4bn) in 2015. JLL analysts expect the upward momentum to extend into the near future. According to their forecast for 2017,

[]
Late last year, at a dealer meet in Turkey, Bajaj Auto showcased two new products  the 160 NS and the 200 NS. Of the two, the 200 NS has been launched in India, but the 160 NS is no where to be seen.

To rub more salt on the wounds of fans waiting for the 160 NS in India, Bajaj launched the 160 NS in Nepal earlier this year. Now, a few months later, Bajaj has launched the 160 NS in India, with prices starting from INR 78,368, ex-Delhi.

Pulsar 160 NS is a completely new product which is based on a modified Pulsar 150 platform. New Bajaj Pulsars 160 cc engine is a single cylinder twin spark oil cooled BS4 engine. Power and torque ratings are slightly higher than the Pulsar 150, which is 15.02 PS and 12.5 Nm. The 160 NS delivers 15.5 PS at 8500 rpm and 14.6 Nm at 6500 rpm. It has a kerb weight of 142 kgs.

Engine gets electric and kick starter. New pulsar is crafted in 200 NS design theme, with muscular fuel tank and skinny side panels, giving a naked bike appeal overall. It is equipped with halogen head lamp, minimal head fairing, digital instrument panel with analog tachometer, new fuel filler cap, air deflecting cowl ahead of engine, silver finish centre stay and rear foot rest, underbelly exhaust, split seats, split grab handle, clear lens indicators, saree guard and split tail lamp.

The bike is suspended by regular telescopic fork on front and monoshock with coil-over spring at the rear. Braking is done by petal disc setup on front while the rear gets drum brake. Surprisingly, in export markets, Bajaj sells 160 NS with rear disc brake as well as ABS. Sadly, the India-spec does not get either.

[table id=143 /]

Front tyre size stand at 80/100-17 while rear tyre size 110/70-17. Tyres are from MRF and are tubeless. Ground clearance is at 176 mm, higher than that of 200 NS which is at 167 mm. Fuel tank capacity is 12 liters. It has a cruising speed of 90-95 kmph and a top speed of about 110 kmph. Colour options on offer are Saffire Blue, Passion Red and Glossy Pewter Grey.

New Bajaj Pulsar 160NS will rival with the new range of naked motorcycles like the Honda Hornet, Suzuki Gixxer, and so on. Below are the photos from Dinos Vault on Youtube.

Photos

Video

News Release
UNICEF: 2016 was hard on Yemeni children





SANA'A, Jan. 11 (Saba) - UNICEF Resident Representative to Yemen Dr. Meritxell Relano said today in a press conference held in Sana'a that 2016 was hard on the Yemeni children, especially with the high rates of malnutrition and the approach of the health system from collapse.



Relano reviewed UNICEF activities and programs implemented in 2016 WHICH included the delivery of health services to more than 1 million children under five years of age and 550 thousand pregnant woman, as well as vaccinating 5 million children under the age of five years against polio. And trating more than 237 thousand children who were suffering from malnutrition, in addition to providing 41 thousand liters of fuel for the central cooling units rooms.



UNICEF has supported during the 2016 treatment of 215,000 children who suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Yemen, and provided vitamins and nutritional supplements for four million children under five years of age to enhance their immunity. However, this lifesaving work remains constrained due to lack of funding and lack of access to areas where intense fighting.



Relano adds: "We call on parties to the conflict in Yemen to provide for unconditional access to children in need around the country so that we can provide them with food supplies.



.Relano adds: "We call on parties to the conflict in Yemen to provide for unconditional access to children in need around the country so that we can provide them with food supplies and the treatment of children suffering from malnutrition and support the Yemeni health services."



There is still a lack of funding, as UNICEF requires US $ 70 million in 2017 in order to be able to provide health and nutrition services for mothers and children in various..



Relano stressed the need for all parties to respect international laws and conventions and to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including housing, schools and hospitals.



TN


Stir resumes against revision bill

Various political parties have resumed their protest against the constitution amendment bill in Arghakhanchi and Gulmi districts.
FM meets British House of Commons Member





SANA'A, Jan. 12 (Saba)  Minster of Foreign Affairs Hisham Sharaf on Thursday met here in the capital Sanaa with the visiting member of the British House of Commons, Andrew Mitchell.



During the meeting, Mitchell briefed Sharaf on the results of his three-day official visit to Yemen and the inspection visits he carried out to closely inspect the destruction inflicting the Yemeni people from the ongoing Saudi-led aggression war and their all-out blockade that caused humanitarian disaster and famine in many regions of Yemen.



Mitchell had visited the governorates of Hodeida and Saa'da and other areas, where he closely inspected the tragic situation that inflicted the citizens, their houses and properties, as well as public infrastructure.



During his visit, Mitchell listened to the citizens who expressed all refusal to the Saudi aggression war and demanded a just peace that preserve their honor, stability and security of Yemen.



Meanwhile, minister Sharaf thanked Mitchell for his all peace-seeking efforts and welcomed all international peace initiatives that can secure a comprehensive peace for all Yemenis.



Sharaf said goodbye to Mitchell, wishing that the visits and efforts of the members of the British House of Commons to continue to help end the war since March 2015 against Yemen and achieve a just, peaceful and political settlement in Yemen.





ZaK



Facebook Facebook

Twitter Twitter

Whatsapp Whatsapp

Telegram Telegram

Email Email

Print Print

[12/January/2017]
British House of Commons member concludes visit to Yemen





SANA'A, Jan. 12 (Saba)  The member of the British House of Commons, Andrew Mitchell, concluded Thursday a three-day visit to Yemen, where he met with senior Yemeni officials to discuss political and humanitarian situations in the country.



"I will convey the human suffering I watched closely to the members of the British House of Commons who have expressed in previous statements their concerns about what is going on in Yemen," Mitchell said in a press conference held before he left the capital Sana'a.



Mitchell said he will demand the British government to exert all efforts to help force cease fire, resume peace negotiations, end war and achieve peace in Yemen.



He also called for immediate lift to the all-out blockade imposed on Yemen and ease entering humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people.



Mitchell also said that he discussed, during his meetings with several senior Yemeni officials, suggestions and views to bridge a Yemeni-Saudi dialogue and Yemeni-Yemeni talks that aim to restore security and stability to Yemen.



Mitchell promised to convey such suggestions and views to the members of the British House of Commons to pressure the British government for further efforts to establish peace in Yemen.



Mitchell was seen off at the Sana'a International Airport by the head of the foreign ministry's Europe department, Faisal Abu Ras, and head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), George Khoury.







ZaK

Saba

Facebook Facebook

Twitter Twitter

Whatsapp Whatsapp

Telegram Telegram

Email Email

Print Print

[12/January/2017]
One of the most talked about biological breakthroughs in the past decade was the discovery of the genome editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, which can alter DNA and potentially remove the root causes of many hereditary diseases.

Originally found as part of the immune system of the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, CRISPR associated protein 9 (CAS9), in its native state, recognizes foreign DNA sequences and disables them.

In bacteria, the system is used to target foreign viral DNA from bacteriophages -- DNA that it has already recognized as an enemy through its evolutionary history and has incorporated a record of it into its own DNA.

CRISPR (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, pronounced "crisper") represent segments of DNA that contain short repetitions of base sequences followed by short segments of "spacer DNA" derived from previous exposures to foreign DNA. The complex consists of proteins that unravel DNA, others that cut the double helix at a specific location, and a guide RNA that can recognize enemy DNA in the cell.

Researchers studying this ancient immune system realized that, by changing the sequence of the guide RNA to match a given target, it could be used to cut not just viral DNA, but any DNA sequence at a precisely chosen location. Furthermore, new sections of DNA could be introduced to join to the newly cut sections.

The method was first conceived and developed by Jennifer Doudna (University of California, Berkeley) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (Umea University) and has been used in cultured cells -- including STEM cells -- and in fertilized eggs to create transgenic animals with targeted mutations that help study genetic functions. CRISPR/Cas9 can affect many genes at once, allowing for the treatment of diseases that involve the interaction of many genes.

advertisement

The method is improving rapidly and is expected to one day have applications in basic research, drug development, agriculture, and treating human patients with genetic diseases.

However, creating targeted CRISPR/Cas9 mutations is currently expensive and time-consuming, particularly for large-scale studies. The process is also error prone, limiting its widespread use. These problems stem, in part, from a lack of full understanding of how CRISPR/Cas9 works at the molecular level.

In November, a research team from the University of North Texas (UNT) led by Jin Liu used the Maverick supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) to perform the first all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of Cas9-catalyzed DNA cleavage in action.

The simulations, reported in Nature Scientific Reports, shed light on the process of Cas9 genome editing. They also helped resolve controversies about specific aspects of the cutting: such as where precisely the edits occur and whether Cas9 generates blunt-ended or staggered-ended breaks with overhangs in the DNA.

"Right now there are quite a few problems in how we use this in the therapeutic applications. The specificity and efficiency of the enzyme are not high," Liu said. "It is also difficult to deliver the enzyme to the position of the gene editing. To solve these problems, first, we need to know how this enzyme works. Our research is providing the foundation for the understanding of the mechanism of Cas9."

Scientists had previously determined the structure of Cas9 in its inactive state through x-ray crystallography, but the gene editing process happens so fast that no experimental technique could capture its state changes and determine exactly how it works.

advertisement

Using molecular dynamics simulations -- a method of studying the dynamics of molecules by simulating the interactions of a large numbers of atoms over a fixed time -- Liu and co-author Zhicheng Zuo, also at UNT, were able to observe the changes in the Cas9 enzyme in femtosecond resolution and capture the transition to the system's active state.

The simulations included Mg2+ ions, which are believed to induce the conformation changes in Cas9 so it can function. The researchers hypothesized that the Mg2+ ions induce the conformational change to an active state by facilitating the proximity of Cas9 active sites and DNA.

The simulations Liu and Zuo ran on Maverick encompassed 280,000 interacting atoms. The most challenging part, according to Liu, was effectively sampling conformation spaces to locate the active state.

"We tried our best to enhance the reliability of our simulation results," Liu said. "We did several long 200 and 300 nanosecond trajectories, and we also did several short trajectories of 60 nanoseconds, to ensure we had consistent results. For each configuration, we performed at least six parallel simulations."

In addition to studying how the CRISPR/Cas9 complex changes into its active state, the simulations shed a light on where it snipped the DNA.

"Normally people believe it is cut at one position, but there is no clear evidence showing that," said Liu, assistant professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNT. "Using our computational methods, we determined the cutting occurs at another position, which could mean that this enzyme could cut DNA in a more controllable way. So, by doing this work, we open the door for designing a more efficient enzyme that could cut DNA in a more specific way."

Their final contribution answered whether genome editing generated blunt ends or staggered ends -- an unresolved question with practical implications.

CRISPR/Cas9 cuts both halves of a double-stranded DNA. If it cuts at the same position on both strands it would generate blunt ends; if it cuts at a slightly different position, it would create staggered ends. Their simulations suggested CRISPR/CAS9 creates staggered ends.

"This will be quite critical for gene editing because staggered-ended DNA is more controllable than the blunt-ended DNA," she said.

Iok-Hou Pang, chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNT, uses CRISPR/Cas9 to do experimental eye research in his lab. For both his current and future research he sees the value of a clearer understanding of the enzyme's behavior.

"My lab has been using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to knockdown a novel protein in cultured mouse optic nerve astroglial cells," said Pang. "Dr. Liu's work will help us understand the molecular interaction between the enzyme system and its substrate and will eventually help to improve its efficiency, which is tremendously useful for this wonderful molecular technique."

In 2015, under the auspices of the National Academies of Science, global scientists declared a moratorium on using CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the human genome in ways that could be inherited (though there are indications that researchers have already broken this injunction). Too little, they said, was known about the process and the long-term effects of doing so. But research like Liu's could one day play a role in fine-tuning these tools and making them feasible for human use.

"We're trying to understand the mechanism of the genome editing enzyme that could have great potential toward future pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications and that might get us closer to a position where this technology could be used on human diseases," Liu said "Without TACC resources this research would be impossible to perform."
Do standardized tests accurately predict future outcomes in graduate school for biomedical programs?

A research team at the UNC School of Medicine found that the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), which is required for admission to graduate and doctorate programs across the country, is not the best indicator for predicting a student's success while pursuing a doctorate in the experimental life sciences. And from that research, the team recommends devaluing -- if not eliminating altogether -- the GRE from the applications process for biomedical PhD candidates.

The team was led by Jean Cook, PhD, professor of biochemistry and biophysics, and the associate dean for graduate education at UNC School of Medicine. Joshua Hall, PhD, director of the National Institutes of Health-funded Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at UNC, and Anna O'Connell, director of UNC's Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP), were co-authors in the research paper, which was published in PLOS One.

"My original interest in wanting to do a study like this really stemmed from my role directing our PREP program, which is where we have underrepresented minority students who are applying to PhD programs," Hall said. "I work closely with them and see them working as researchers and taking graduate coursework here at UNC, then they would apply to certain programs, but not get accepted. It would be frustrating to me to see students who were performing really well in the lab and in graduate coursework here, but they had low GRE scores and that kept them from getting offers to graduate programs.

"There was a correlation where students with higher GRE scores would get more offers than students who were preforming at a pretty high level as a researcher but who had lower GRE scores."

After completing a research study that evaluated a cohort of 280 students who matriculated into UNC through the BBSP, the team determined that quantitative metrics like GRE scores and -- to some extent -- GPAs have been carrying more weight in the application process than they should.

advertisement

The study examined different factors that were being considered by admissions committees in UNC's BBSP, which is an umbrella admissions program for 14 PhD programs in the UNC School of Medicine, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the UNC School of Dentistry, and the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. The team's findings were specific to students pursuing graduate degrees in the experimental life sciences fields and who were accepted into the program, Cook said.

"I don't know if any of our information is relevant in the humanities, or the arts or even engineering," Cook said. "We only know about the people that we train, and it's possible that a complete different set of metrics will be useful in different disciplines."

The study followed a similar one conducted at the University of California at San Francisco in 2015, which determined that a student's background in research -- and not the GRE score -- appeared to be the strongest indicator of future success in PhD programs.

"We analyzed a much larger number of applications and we came to largely similar conclusions," Cook said. "We wanted to know what part of the application that we collect actually matters for the things we care about in graduate school."

First, Cook's team tried to define what made a "strong" student, then the team looked at what distinguished those students from those who weren't as strong.

advertisement

"This was hard to define," Cook said. "Graduate school in the sciences is not about taking classes and doing well on a few tests. In fact, there are very few classes."

Instead, they relied on graduation rates and first-author publications, which are a standard graduation requirement for most biomedical PhD programs.

"We found that GRE scores simply didn't correlate with student success," Cook said. "Our message then to our admissions committee is: 'If the test score is spectacular, don't be seduced into thinking that it means they're going to be a great scientist while they're part of a lab at UNC.'"

O'Connell added: "And if their score is low, don't be tricked into thinking that they're not ready or they won't be productive."

The UNC conclusions were corroborated by a related study in the same issue of PLOS One from Vanderbilt University Medical School that specifically focused on the GRE.

If the GRE were to be eliminated from the application process, then perhaps another metric would take its place. The team plans to conduct follow-up studies on just what that should be.

"Maybe this will force us to start thinking of other metrics that perhaps are better indicators of the things we're actually trying to measure and look for in an applicant -- things like grit, optimism, perseverance, and resiliency," Hall said.
Researchers at Yale University have isolated the brain circuitry that coordinates predatory hunting, according to a study in the January 12 issue of Cell. One set of neurons in the amygdala, the brain's center of emotion and motivation, cues the animal to pursue prey. Another set signals the animal to use its jaw and neck muscles to bite and kill.

The researchers used optogenetics, a means of engineering specific neurons to fire upon light stimulation, to isolate and selectively activate each set of neurons. When the laser is off, the animals behave normally. But turn the laser on, and the mice take on qualities of "walkers" from The Walking Dead, pursuing and biting almost anything in their path, including bottle caps and wood sticks. "We'd turn the laser on and they'd jump on an object, hold it with their paws and intensively bite it as if they were trying to capture and kill it," says lead investigator Ivan de Araujo, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and an Associate Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory.

The Walking Dead analogy is fair only to a certain extent, says de Araujo. In nature, predatory hunting takes the form of highly complex behaviors that are common to most jawed vertebrates, including humans. "It is a major evolutionarily player in shaping the brain," says de Araujo. "There must be some primordial subcortical pathway that connects sensory input to the movement of the jaw and the biting."

The animals did not, however, attack other mice in the cage. Hunger also affected predatory behavior. Hungry mice more aggressively pursued prey during light stimulation than mice that were not hungry. "The system is not just generalized aggression," says de Araujo. "It seems to be related to the animal's interest in obtaining food."

The study grew out of de Araujo's efforts to understand the neural mechanisms underlying feeding behaviors in animals. His lab had been looking at mice living and eating in cages. "They have nothing else to do other than eat the pellets we throw in the cage," he says. "I began to wonder how natural and relevant this behavior is."

De Araujo's interest in more natural behaviors pointed him to a study that had mapped brain areas associated with hunting and feeding. Many areas were listed, but one responded almost exclusively to hunting and not to eating. That region, the central nucleus of the amygdala, also had projections that were linked to areas that control hunting muscles, such as the jaw and neck. "This area was perfectly compatible with an activation system that drives the motor behavior associated with hunting," he says.

By selectively manipulating the different types of neurons in this region, they found that one set of neurons controlled pursuit, and another controlled the kill. Experiments involved inanimate stand-ins for prey, such as sticks and bottle caps and animate bug-like toys, as well as live insects.

The researchers also specifically lesioned each type of neuron. They found that, if they lesioned the neurons associated with biting and killing, the animals would pursue the prey but could not kill. The biting force of the jaw was decreased by 50 percent. "They fail to deliver the killing bite," says de Araujo.

The team is now exploring the sensory input into the amygdala to determine what triggers predatory behaviors and investigating how the two modules -- one controlling pursuit and the other controlling the kill -- are coordinated. "We now have a grip on their anatomical identities, so we hope we can manipulate them even more precisely in the future," says de Araujo.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Brazilian government.
The global map of alien bird species has been produced for the first time by a UCL-led team of researchers. It shows that human activities are the main determinants of how many alien bird species live in an area but that alien species are most successful in areas already rich with native bird species.

"One of the main ways humans are altering the world is by moving species to new areas where they do not normally occur. Our work shows why humans have been moving these 'alien' bird species around for the last 500 years -- primarily through colonialism and the increasingly popular cage bird trade - and why some areas end up with more species than others," explained supervising author, Professor Tim Blackburn (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment and ZSL).

For the study, published in PLOS Biology, the researchers collected and analysed data on the movement of almost 1,000 alien bird species between 1500 and 2000 AD. This was used to create a new open access database which was then analysed for patterns in the context of historical events and natural environmental variation.

More than half of all known bird introductions were found to occur after 1950, likely driven by the cage bird trade, and the researchers say this trend is expected to continue.

"We've been able to map alien species richness for an entire group of organisms for the first time in such detail that we can locate populations and the historical processes that led to their introduction. It has given us valuable insights into the different stages of species invasion -- humans play a key role, but so too do environmental factors that allow alien bird species to thrive in new locations," said first author, Dr Ellie Dyer (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment and ZSL).

The study found that more bird introductions (935 introductions of 324 species to 235 countries) were made in the 17 years between 1983 -- 2000AD than occurred in the 403 years from 1500 -1903AD.

The rate of introductions increased sharply in the middle of the nineteenth century as Europeans, particularly the British, purposefully exported beneficial birds to new territories. 'Acclimatisation Societies' moved birds such as ducks, geese, pheasants, partridge, and pigeons to (and from) colonies during this period.

Another acceleration happened after World War II, and continues to the present day. This is most likely driven by growth in trade: many alien bird species introduced in recent years include popular cage birds such as parrots, finches and starlings. Analysis suggests more alien birds are introduced where people have more disposable income -- in many areas, owning an alien bird is a symbol of status, and sometimes species escape or get released.

These historical factors are the main reason why the global map of alien birds shows most species today are found in the mid-latitudes. This is where former British colonies and countries with high GDP are located. Hotspots include the US, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, and Persian Gulf states.

However, the researchers also found that areas with more native bird species tended to be home to more alien bird species too.

"The term 'the rich get richer' certainly applies here. Areas that are good for native birds are also good for alien birds. This isn't a new observation, but it's the first time we've been able to show it factoring out the key effects of historical human actions," explained Professor Blackburn. "However, the global bird trade continues to grow, which means we can certainly expect alien species richness to continue to grow in the foreseeable future. It's a worry because aliens may threaten the survival of native species."
Discover Costa Rica

Costa Rica

The small Central American country of Costa Rica (officially known as the Republic of Costa Rica) is perhaps best known for its increasingly progressive stance on environmental issues. Sustainability policies are taken very seriously, a fact evident by the New Economics Foundations ranking of the country as the greenest on the planet.

So naturally, you can guess what this means for tourists! In the wake of the 2008 economic crisis, Costa Rica implemented the Vamos a Turistear (Lets take a Trip) campaign. As a result of this massive undertaking, the country was met with great domestic and international tourist success. Special incentives were granted to visitors, including a 10% discount on local resorts! Nows a great time to book a flight to Costa Rica.

Flights to Costa Rica

Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) is Costa Rica's largest airport and lies north of its largest city, San Jose. Most travelers start their adventure in the capital city of San Jose, and maybe explore one of the most popular flight routes connecting Miami to San Jose. Many major airlines fly direct from the U.S. to Costa Rica, including Delta, United, American Airlines, Jet Blue, and Spirit Airlines. Other international airlines also bring tourists from around the globe to Costa Rica's sunny shores, including Air Canada, Copa, and U.S. Airways.

What to see in Costa Rica: San Jose and more

San Jose is the countrys sprawling metropolis, a lively atmosphere full of fun, exciting, and upbeat people. A legendary nightlife scene and tons of shopping centers mean fun for the whole family. However, to experience true fun in Costa Rica, one must venture outside of the city center.

Depending on what part of the country you are visiting, there are many sights to see and things to do. In and near San Jose you will find noteworthy attractions such as the National Theater, a 19th century house that displays world-famous symphonies.

Orosi River Valley is a gorgeous river valley not far from the city, so pack your camera and hiking gear for an exciting day trip. Many tourists are drawn to Costa Ricas natural beauty, and for good reason. Arenal Volcano National Park, Quepos, and La Fortuna de San Carlos feature breathtaking mountain views, not to mention some of amazing waterfall scenery.

A Tourists Guide to Costa Rica

Transportation in Costa Rica takes one of two forms, local and tourist buses. Though the former tend to operate more slowly, the riding rates are half the cost. Another money-saving tip every tourist should know is to avoid the prime Pacific zones. The Caribbean side is cheaper, not to mention adorned with natural wonders. Folks willing to forego modern amenities can also pay as little as $5 per night in camping fees, which is a fraction of the cost charged by the countrys hotels.

At Skyscanner, we believe in helping people get the best deals on flights to Costa Rica, and hotel accommodations. Our smart search engine has helped many tourists save hundreds by bundling, and all it takes is the simple click of your mouse! If youd like to explore the region a bit more, continue your adventure by browsing all flights to Central America and the Caribbean.
Discover Greece

The birthplace of the much of the Western worlds social, cultural, and political philosophy, Greece is also a prominent European vacation spot, one that boasts much cheaper accommodations than most other areas of the continent.

As a rule of thumb, tourists can expect to pay roughly half of what they would in England, France, Italy, and Germany. This fact, coupled with Greeces stunning islands and upbeat, friendly atmosphere, make it a prime destination for travelers across the globe!

Flights to Greece

Athens International Airport is located in Greeces capital city and is by far the busiest in the country. Catering to 13 million national and international passengers each year, it is a central hub for Aegean Airlines, Olympic Air, and SkyGreece Airlines.

Surprisingly enough, the airport is undergoing a number of modular extensions that are expected to increase its flight base to a potential 50 million passengers. The runway is already large enough to accommodate the biggest commercial passenger jet, the Airbus A380, but will soon be expanded further.

Delta is the only U.S. airliner that flies directly to Greece, in contrast to the dozens of European companies that make their way there each year. British Airways, Air Berlin, Lufthansa, Air France, American Airlines, United, Aeroflot, and many more international airlines have available flights.

Greece at its Greatest: Cool Things to See and Do

Students, historians, and families alike are encouraged to visit the legendary Acropolis, a time-honored temple that was once a central structure in the country. The same goes for the Parthenon and the ancient ruins of Delphi, Crete, and Sparta. Greece is full of rich history and tradition; explorations come standard!

Greek island lounging is something for the memory books. Corfu, Santorini, and Crete are adorned with white sand beaches and chalked full of rugged pathways for hikers. While you are there, hike to the top of Mount Olympus to see firsthand where ancient Greek gods were worshiped!

Travel Tips

Eating on the cheap in Greece is easy, thanks to the many local vendors who sell gyros and other freshly baked sandwiches. Save fuel and travel for less in the city by opting for a moped rental instead of a car. A mere $16 per day will get you everywhere. The major price drops occur when you leave Athens and the major tourist zones; 30% hotel rate price drops are not uncommon on the countrys outskirts. Early ferry booking will also net you savings of up to 25%.

By instantly comparing hundreds of flights from European airliners, Skyscanner automatically gives you up to date information on cheap flights to Greece. Dont forget to use our hotel finder tool to find hotel accommodations worthy of great Zeus himself.
This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for:

Enter Search Term(s):

Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL.

Thank you for visiting state.gov.
Two more held in TIA gold smuggling incident

Police have arrested two more persons in connection with the 33kg gold seizure at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Countries & Areas

Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe
At the end of 2016 South Korea retired the last U.S. built warship in its fleet. This marked the transition of the South Korean navy to a force of ships all built in South Korea. The retired ship was actually a support vessel, a 3,000 ton salvage and rescue ship that entered U.S. service in 1972 as the USS Beaufort (ATS-2). This ship retired from American service in 1996 and was transferred to South Korea, where it served as the Pyeongtaek (ATS-27) for another 20 years. South Korea put two locally designed and built ATS ships into service in 2014 and 2016.

South Korea began designing and building its own warships in the late 1970s. This began with patrol boats and advanced to corvettes and frigates in the 1980s, amphibious ships, submarines and destroyers in the 1990s and after 2000 larger destroyers similar to the American Aegis destroyers. By the 1990s South Korea began to export warships to other Asian nations and that continues to expand.
After holding a woodland position all night near Wiltz, Luxembourg, against German counterattack, three men of B Company, 101st Engineers, emerge for a rest -- 1/14/1945. The 101st Engineer Battalion fought with the 26th Infantry Division under Patton's Third Army, and provided the maps to the Third Army for the relief of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge.

X

0 20

Help Keep Us Soaring





We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
US tanks and troops in Poland a threat, Russia says

Russia says it views the arrival of more than 3,000 US soldiers in Poland as a threat to its own security.
Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and chairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds. It also offers range of home decor products, such as mirrors, clocks, ornaments, pictures and frames, candle and home fragrance, flower and plants, vases, kid accessories, cushions, bean bags, and letterbox flowers, as well as housewarming, engagement, anniversary, and wedding gifts; lighting products, including ceiling and wall lights, table and desk lamps, floor lamps, and pendants and lamp shades; and paint, wallpaper, DIY and upcycling, and haberdashery products. In addition, the company provides kitchen and utility products comprising cooking, dining, electrical, utility, and pet products; towel and bathmats, and bathroom accessories, as well as furniture and decor products; storage products, such as travel and luggage, home, clothes, and kitchen storage; kids bedroom, nursery, and accessories products; outdoor products, which include garden furniture and decoration, and entreating and dining products; and trends christmas products and winter essentials. It operates through a network of 177 stores and 2 distribution centers, as well as sells its products through an online store at dunelm.com. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Syston, the United Kingdom.
Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
For the first time in a long time, Sinbad the cat can finally be himself again. Last month, the 9-year-old Persian was rescued from the basement of a home in Illinois, where he'd been discovered in an extreme state of neglect. Sinbad's owner, an elderly man, had been unable to provide proper care for him for quite some time - evidenced by Sinbad's shocking coat of matted fur. Fortunately, help was on its way.

Josie Niebling

Sinbad's owner agreed to surrender him to the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago where, with trimmers in hand, staffers carefully set about freeing the cat from the thick, dirty carpet of hair that encased him. Clearly, they had their work cut out for them.

Josie Niebling

Slow but surely, Sinbad's true self began to emerge anew.

Dodo Shows Adopt Me! Scared Little Dog Is So Full Of Joy Now  And Looking For A Family

Josie Niebling

"It took two sittings. The first took several hours and the second sitting took about 2 hours," Anti-Cruelty Society public relations manager Colette Bradley told The Dodo. For the first time in a long while, Sinbad could feel the warmth of human affection. "He got tired after a while, but throughout the whole process came up to the people in the room looking for pets," Bradley said.

Josie Niebling

When it was all said and done, Sinbad was unrecognizable as the same cat. All told, he lost a whopping 5 pounds of matted fur - which took him some getting used to. "He was a bit unsteady on his feet at first," said Bradley. "He had very limited mobility prior to the hair being removed, so he had to relearn to walk on his back legs. He was very sensitive to touch but still sought out attention from people."

Josie Niebling

Josie Niebling

Sinbad's story doesn't end there - in fact, it gets better. After the epic haircut, he was placed with Elliott Serrano, who planned on fostering the cat until he could find a forever home. But then Serrano fell in love, and decided to adopt Sinbad himself.

Elliott Serrano

It's only been a few weeks now since Sinbad's long, cumbersome ordeal ended. But to see him now, you'd never guess he's been through so much.

Elliott Serrano

"He's doing very well!" Serrano told The Dodo. "His personality really has blossomed! At first he was very quiet and reserved. Now he runs around the house, chases his toys, and asks for affection more readily."

Elliott Serrano

Though Sinbad's naturally scowling face might not show it, those who helped him along the way can easily see how much happier he is now that he's loved as he should be. "He loves his new home!" said Bradley.

Elliott Serrano
Some of Hollywood's most famous animals could be enduring unthinkably bleak lives, a new investigation claims. The cats, birds, pigs, dogs and other animals at Birds & Animals Unlimited (BAU), a leading animal talent supplier with a branch in California, were denied food and veterinary care and lived in squalid cages, an eyewitness who worked there between August and November 2016 told PETA. The animal talent agency has production credits on many popular films and shows, including "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Game of Thrones" and "Harry Potter" films. But the lives of these animals appear to be far from luxurious.

An owl named Crash, who workers said starred in some of the "Harry Potter" movies, was discovered in an enclosure where the floor was allegedly littered with six weeks' worth of feces.

Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Scared Pittie Gets So Happy When He Meets This Guy And His Pack Of Dogs

Two cats who, according to workers, star in the upcoming feature "Benji," were denied food for days because they were considered too fat. They allegedly lost 5 percent of their bodyweight in five days. BAU employees reportedly misrepresented themselves to shelters, according to PETA, taking dogs to work in film productions and live at the facility rather than get adopted by families. Even when temperatures dropped into the 40s, dogs were left outside overnight without bedding to keep them warm, according to PETA.

Three pigs who appeared in "College Road Trip" were emaciated and one suffered from bloody sores on her side, PETA said. Then there's the case of the missing kangaroo. The BAU told the the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for overseeing facilities like this and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, that a kangaroo had been sent to Texas, but a manager admitted that the animal had died at the facility - he'd broken his jaw and could no longer eat. And a whole month went by when a veterinarian didn't step foot on the facility, the eyewitness told PETA - adding that a number of animals had died of untreated conditions on the BAU's watch.

"Filmmaking is perceived as a glamorous industry, but that is not the reality when captive exotic animals are forced to perform," Kate Dylewsky, program associate at Born Free USA, told The Dodo. "They are often used for profit by businesses like BAU with no concern for their needs or wellbeing ... Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a sophisticated and humane alternative." "Animals used for film and television have been neglected, left hungry and treated like disposable props," Lisa Lange, senior vice president at PETA, said. "The only way to ensure that a production is humane is to keep it animal-free." PETA has filed a complaint with the USDA. Watch the footage of BAU below:
I love teddy bears, says Ning Jia as partial explanation as to why shes opened the citys first combination coffee shop and plush bear store.

Teddy Story, on Adelaide St. E. near Church St., has hot drinks, fresh fruit smoothies and fancy pastries, all served in a cheerful and cozy space littered with furry beige stuffed bears.

Jia, 27, claims to a passion for making coffee drinks, plus she personally owns more than 40 bears from Teddy House, a manufacturer and franchisor based in Thailand. I wanted to combine what I love.

When prodded, Jia can rattle off the names of all the bears produced by Teddy House. If handling a bear, she quickly turns into a fan. Tobys pretty cute, she gushes, gently touching the fur of a little bear from one of the stores front baskets.

Jia hails from Zhengzhou in central China. She moved to Toronto six years ago to attend Sheridan Colleges animation program. She soon doubted her skills and moved on to study economics at York University.

After graduation, she came up with the idea of selling bears and coffee side by side. She went back to China for a six-month course offered by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

While in Asia, she visited Thailand, business plan in hand, to talk to the people at Teddy House. While the brand is huge in Asia, with stores in Thailand, Indonesia and China, its relatively unknown here.

Jia left the country with a contract for the rights to Teddy House here.

While her original hope was to open her cafe/bear shop in one of Torontos big malls, the rental costs were way too high.

A long hunt finally yielded this site within walking distance of the Eaton Centre. She got the storefront last summer and oversaw a few months of renovations before opening in November. Sherlock Wu, also a York grad, joined in to act as store manager

Opening in time for the holiday rush was ideal. Customers stopped by for hot drinks and sweets, and parked kids in front of the cafes large screen that shows Japanese anime videos.

Shopping for a Teddy House bear is its own experience. We have to tell them about the bears, says Jia. She doesnt mind going through the fact that all the faces are handmade, so every single one looks different.

The brand makes joint bears, which are a little harder and you can move their legs, or soft bears, ideal for hugging. The company has several different models, all of which have names. Ken is the flagship bear (his 12-inch version sells for $36). Some come dressed in outfits, and you can buy the clothes separately too. (Its kind of like dressing a Barbie doll.)

Adding to the bear experience, Jia and her team have plans to add a teddygram type service that sees a bear mascot come to your door, sing you a song and give you a bear.

SHARE:
Is it possible for immigrants to let go of the country where they have come from and fully embrace the one they have come to?

Thats the question Peter Keleghan set out to explore when the award-winning Canadian actor and his big sister, Teresa, decided to take their mother back to her birthplace in Ireland for her 90th birthday last June.

Keleghans parents moved to Canada from England in 1957 and both describe their adopted homeland as the worlds best country. Yet his mother has refused to become a citizen while his father never looks back.

Keleghan, a TV stalwart with roles in numerous Canadian series as well as the soap opera General Hospital, invited a group of close friends for dinner one summer evening last year  all first-generation children of immigrant parents  and discovered the ubiquitous nature of Canadas immigrant stories.

The candid and unscripted discussions of their experiences have formed the backdrop of the Montreal-born actors documentary Once An Immigrant, which premieres Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBC-TVs Firsthand.

Where people came from is not as good as what they have come to. Behind it, we all want to make Canada better, more progressive and inclusive, said Keleghan, a five-time Gemini Award winner, in an interview. This is a love story for Canada.

The trip home was emotional for Rita Keleghan, who was dismayed to see the historic post office in her hometown taken up by a McDonalds restaurant, and the place she grew up in cut through by a new highway.

During the two weeks in Ireland, she caught up with her two sisters, Marie and Joan, as well as their baby brother, Frank, and his wife, Lil, to reminisce about the Ireland she left behind more than six decades ago.

Keleghan learned that Rita kept her Irish accent and refused to take Canadian citizenship in defiance against the British for their poor treatment of the Irish in the past.

I would not pledge allegiance to the Queen. If you put a Canadian on the bill tomorrow instead of the Queen, Im in there, Rita said on camera. I will go in and take my citizenship.

By contrast, Keleghans father, Stanislaw Krakus, who was interned by the Nazis as a 10-year-old boy in hard-labour camps in Poland, claimed his Canadian citizenship as soon as he met the requirements. And it was the senior Krakus who encouraged his son to take up the less foreign sounding last name Keleghan to pursue an acting career.

A big challenge of doing documentary is the unscripted nature of the film, said the movies director, Michael McNamara of Markham Street Films.

You just have to find those situations where you hope interesting things will happen, said McNamara, who traces his Irish heritage to his grandparents. There were constant surprises and we learned so much about the immigrant experience that I didnt understand before,

One of those surprises happened during Ritas visit to her old stone schoolhouse, where she had an unexpected reunion with 93-year-old childhood friend Sally Hart. Later, after attending a service at a local church, she found the record of her baptism.

Keleghan also interviewed a young woman who recently returned to Ireland after going to school in Canada, reflecting on the most recent wave of migration after the Celtic Tigers economy crashed in the late 2000s.

A first-generation Greek Canadian and one of Keleghans dinner guests, actress Maria Vacratsis said its important to tell the stories of immigrants so their children wont forget where they came from.

Every time when we have a whole new wave of immigration to Canada, we see a backlash  sometimes from the actual immigrants who forget their heritage, turn around and ask what these people are doing here. It just never ends, said Vacratsis, who has had roles in Degrassi: The Next Generation and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The more we know about ourselves and others, the more empathetic we can be. Otherwise, you lose your empathy. As Canadians, I hope we could keep that.

The 44-minute documentary may not answer all the questions Keleghan raised at the onset of the journey, but it offers an undisputed conclusion.

The truth is many of my first-generation Canadian immigrant friends and I have a lot to be thankful for, Keleghan says toward the end of the film, co-written by Steve Lucas. Maybe, this is how it works. It just takes a few generations for people to get comfortable here.

SHARE:
TRACADIE, N.S.The funeral service inside the old church by the harbour started with the arrival of two caskets  one draped in the Canadian flag and carrying the remains of former soldier Lionel Desmond, the other carrying those of his mother, Brenda.

More than 300 people filled the pews inside St. Peters Roman Catholic Church in Tracadie, a small village in northeastern Nova Scotia on the edge of St. Georges Bay. Many onlookers crowded into the entryway of the 200-year-old church, and a handful stood outside, despite a cold, driving rain.

Desmond was a 33-year-old veteran of the war in Afghanistan who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He took his own life last week after he fatally shot his 52-year-old mother, his wife Shanna and their 10-year-daughter Aaliyah  a ghastly, unthinkable crime that attracted national attention and sparked a difficult debate over PTSD and family violence.

The funeral for Desmonds wife and daughter is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, across the street from St. Peters, at the local hall.

During the Roman Catholic service Wednesday, Rev. John Barry said it was impossible to offer an explanation for such a horrific tragedy.

In the face of such tragedy, it sometimes feels that all is lost, the priest said. Inevitably, we all are searching for answers and we are asking many questions . . . We cry out to God, for he is the only one we can turn to.

Among mourners were members of the military and the Royal Canadian Legion, as well as a few veterans wearing leather jackets with their regiments displayed on the back.

Brenda Desmonds casket was brought in first and placed in the centre aisle. Her sons flag-draped casket was brought in next, as a piper played a dirge.

As the caskets were carried to the front of the church, a few mourners at the front wailed with grief.

I cannot answer all of your agonizing questions . . . during this dark hour, Barry said later. God has all of the answers . . . Let us be patient and confident that we will one day be able to ask Him, face to face.

The priest described Brenda Desmond as loving and kind. He mentioned her sense of humour, her capacity for hard work and her enduring faith.

Nothing seemed impossible to her, Barry said, adding that she always seemed to win at bingo, which drew a laugh from the mourners.

Brenda led a good life, as short as it was, he said.

On the cover of the leaflets handed out at the service, a photo of Brenda Desmond shows her in a white construction helmet, a broad smile on her face. Family members say she worked on road construction crews during the warmer seasons.

In Lionel Desmonds photo, he is wearing the green uniform of the Canadian army, his wide smile very similar to his mothers.

Barry described Lionel Desmond as affable and friendly.

He, like his mother Brenda, always had a lovely smile, and a pleasant manner and an engaging personality.

He was always ready to do whatever he could to help and provide for others. These attributes, no doubt, were the primary reason he went to serve in the Armed Forces in September of 2004.

He married Shanna Borden and they brought into this world a little daughter, and he provided so well for them. They were both so proud of her.

The couple first met when they were in high school. Shanna Borden trained to be a hairdresser, but she later worked as a nurse at St. Marthas Regional Hospital in nearby Antigonish, N.S.

The bodies of all four family members were found in the Desmond home in nearby Upper Big Tracadie, N.S.

Desmond, a former member of the Second Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after a tour in Afghanistan in 2007, and a military source later confirmed he had received treatment before he left the military and returned to Nova Scotia in July of 2015.

Family members say the retired corporal also spent time at a medical clinic in Montreal last year, but they say he continued to struggle when he returned home.

On his Facebook page, in which he called himself Lionel Demon, he made it clear he was aware of his mental illness and was committed to dealing with his PTSD, and a head injury that left him with post-concussion disorder.

In one post, he said his mental-health challenges helped explain my jealousy towards my wife and being over-controlling and (my) vulgar tongue towards my family.

Family members say Desmond appeared to be coping well in recent weeks, but they say he would sometimes let loose with fits of rage and swearing, symptoms common to those suffering from PTSD.

Still, relatives said Shanna Desmond and her husband were working together to deal with the illness, and they even took part in counselling over the phone. On New Years Eve, the family gathered with relatives for a lobster dinner, during which Desmonds seemed to be at ease and enjoying themselves.

But at least two relatives later said Lionel Desmond was not getting the help he needed, saying the Canadian Armed Forces did nothing for him once he left the military.

A day after the slain family was discovered, a relative said she couldnt understand why Lionel Desmond was recently refused treatment at the mental health unit at St. Marthas  an allegation flatly denied this week by a hospital official.

Last Thursday, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said an investigation will look into how the provinces health-care system dealt with Lionel Desmond.

Read more about:

SHARE:
OTTAWACanadians who want to meet Justin Trudeau during his upcoming road tour town halls are being asked to first register their personal details with Liberal MPs.

That puts a political taint on the prime ministers attempt at grassroots mingling, Conservative MP Candice Bergen (Portage--Lisgar) said Wednesday.

Dont call it an open town hall when its actually a Liberal rally, she said. Its not at all the back-to-the-people tour that the prime minister described.

Trudeaus tour, which kicks off Thursday in Ontario, was originally framed as an effort by the prime minister to reconnect with Canadians on their priorities.

The prime minister wants to hear from them on how they are feeling at the start of 2017, what their concerns and anxieties are, and what we can do to help alleviate that, spokesperson Cameron Ahmed told the Star last week.

But the road trip  which continues on to Quebec, Prairies, and B.C.  has taken on partisan overtones as Liberal MPs hosting Trudeau at some of his Ontario stopovers are using their websites to glean personal data of those who want to attend.

Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, who is hosting Trudeaus Thursday town hall event in Kingston, promoted the event on Twitter and Facebook. The prime minister wants to hear from you about issues that matter to you and our community as we enter the new year, Gerretsen wrote.

His social media postings directed those who want to attend to sign up on his web page. To register for the event, attendees are asked to provide their name, email, postal code and telephone number.

Liberal MPs Peter Fragiskatos (London North Centre), Neil Ellis (Bay of Quinte), Maryam Monsef (Peterborough-Kawartha), Kate Young (London West), are all doing the same for Trudeaus two-day swing through Ontario.

Such personal data has been invaluable to political parties to help identify potential supporters.

In an interview, Gerretsen said that people are encouraged to sign up so organizers can get a sense of the expected crowd but said registration wasnt mandatory to attend.

This is open to the public, this is meant for the public, he told the Star.

Were hoping to get a lot of people out, he said. If theres somebody in the community who wants to say something to the prime minister, this is their opportunity to do it.

Im encouraging anybody who is interested to let us know by registering and come on out, Gerretsen said.

But Bergen said the organization of the events, including the collection of personal data, raises questions whether taxpayers should be on the hook to pay the tour.

I think there are a lot of questions about who is paying for it, what are they doing with the information, she said in an interview.

Whats he planning via the Liberal website is not a Tim Hortons, town hall coffee shop event. I think thats clear, Bergen said.

Instead, she said it appears these events are Liberal partisan event where theyre getting data and information and building up their own brand.

Officials in Trudeaus office refused to discuss the road tour itinerary this week, even though Liberal MPs have been publicly advertising his stops.

On Thursday, Trudeau is scheduled to make stops in Kingston, Napanee and Belleville before heading to the military airbase in Trenton, where he will meet personnel and spend the night.

On Friday, Trudeau starts his day north of Cobourg, heads to Peterborough for an event with Maryam Monsef, then to Burlington for a session with cabinet newcomer Karina Gould and wraps up in London, with a town hall.

Read more about:

SHARE:
OTTAWAThe federal government is looking at creating a new benefit to help low-income Canadians who struggle to pay the rent each month, but is being warned that the measure isnt a solution to the countrys housing crunch.

Multiple sources with knowledge of talks say the government has quietly been exploring how to establish a new housing supplement program that would link benefits to individuals, rather than housing units  a departure from how such supplements have typically worked.

Generally, housing benefits are provided to renters who need help paying the bills, but are usually tied to an apartment through rent-geared-to-income plans or rent supplements.

Should a renter move to a new unit, the benefit or supplement doesnt follow.

That creates problems  for women and children fleeing domestic violence who need housing quickly, for instance, or homeless people on waiting lists who need help addressing issues like mental illness or addiction.

One federal source said discussions have revolved around how such a supplement could be delivered, be it through existing provincial or municipal programs, or through the tax system. The National Housing Collaborative, an umbrella group of housing and homelessness organizations, recommended the government use the tax system to remove the need for a lengthy application process.

Although the Liberals appear receptive to the idea, the sources  speaking on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to disclose details  say no decision has been made on whether to include the measure in the budget.

A spokeswoman for Finance Minister Bill Morneau said she wouldnt speculate on what will be in the budget this year.

The Liberals first budget set aside $2.3 billion over two years to build new affordable housing units, as well as refurbish existing ones.

Cities and advocates welcomed the spending, but said it would take time for the help to reach some 1.6 million households in core housing need  those who spend more than one-third of their before-tax income on housing that may be substandard or doesnt meet their needs. Research from the University of Calgary has found that the countrys lowest income earners can spend up to 80 per cent of their income on housing.

In its pre-budget submission this year, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities called for a portable rent supplement to help those households and serve as a bridge until new affordable housing units can come online.

The benefit, if adopted, could also help the approximately 300,000 households who are expected to lose federal housing subsidies as funding agreements with social housing providers expire over the next decade.

FCM president Clark Somerville said the supplement should be seen as one tool to combat homelessness. He said the Liberals still need to put money into building housing and protecting existing units to prevent rents from rising in response to a new federal benefit.

It might seem tempting to offer rent supplements as an across-the-board solution, but in many areas that would just push rents up, he said. Theres no shortcut. Weve got to fix the affordable housing supply shortage first.

If rents do rise  and the research on the issue isnt clear if that would happen  it would likely be in the short-term, but then be offset by expected increases in the supply of low-cost units, which is really what were after here, said Ron Kneebone, an economist from the University of Calgary who studies homelessness.

The government realizes its not a solution to simply build what generally end up turning into ghettos of huge numbers of government-provided housing, Kneebone said.

What theyre really recognizing here is that a better solution is to provide poor people with the housing benefit that allows them to go shopping for housing.

He said any new benefit tied to a person would also encourage a renter to avoid risky behaviour like drug use that could lead them to lose their housing and the benefit as well.

The federal government is in the midst of finalizing a national housing strategy and the minister responsible says he expects it to be completed by early 2017, although an exact timeline hasnt been set. A separate housing strategy for indigenous Canadians could take an additional year.

A key goal of the strategy is to provide every Canadian with affordable housing that meets their requirements.

SHARE:
With the cameras rolling, Jane Fonda most famously straddled Donald Sutherland in Klute and Jon Voight in Coming Home.

Oh, and a Viet Cong enemy aircraft gun targeting American planes. Although that episode wasnt for the movies, merely for anti-U.S. propaganda purposes. No simulation. For that deplorable bit of Hollywood star egomania  leading with her left  Fonda would ever-after be known as Hanoi Jane.

Meryl Streep cant hold a candle to Fonda when it comes to bemoaning the arc of American politics, in a specific time and place. Though Henry Fondas daughter could fairly be described as the Streep of her celluloid era  among the finest actresses of a generation, twice invested with an Oscar.

Of course Fonda was all over the place in her nine lives of celebrity, from sex kitten to workout video queen to scatterbrain activist.

This week she emerged, implausibly, as a slagger of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, performing a reverse leg-over after a fly-over of the Alberta tarsands region.

When I heard that your prime minister, the shining hope at the Paris climate talks, talk so beautifully about needing to meet the requirements of the climate treaty and, God, respect and hold to the treaties with the indigenous people and so forth, you know, such a heroic stance he took there. And yet he has betrayed every one of the things that he committed to in Paris.

I guess the lesson here is that we shouldnt be fooled by good-looking Liberals, no matter how well-spoken they are. What a disappointment.

Must have been stinging for Trudeau, who so loves the company and veneration of the beautiful people, from Davos to a Bahamas private island retreat.

Fonda, still foxy at 79, is closer to the epoch of Trudeaus formerly hippie-trippy mom. A radiant Margaret utterly charmed Fidel Castro when she and Pierre visited Cuba in 1976. Fonda, meanwhile, has said that her biggest regret was never shagging Che Guevara.

Weirdly symbiotic, that.

Fonda was, in turn, slammed by Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, clearly having had it up to here with the glitterati  film director James Cameron, musician Neil Young and South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu  pronouncing, cluckingly, on the oilsands. I would suggest that dining out on your celebrity is something that one ought to also pair with knowledge and research and (Fonda) failed to do that and I dont think as a result that much of her intervention requires or deserves the air time its getting because its very clear she didnt know what she was talking about.

Setting Fonda aside for a moment, what the hoo-ha is happening to Justins tinsel-burnished rep as political glam candy, his world leader lustre? Hes not put one designer-shoe-shod foot down of late without sinking up to his ankle in muck.

First the pay-for-access controversy over Trudeau and his Liberal acolytes raking in coffers cash for face-time secured by millionaires and billionaires with no  perish the thought!  benefit accruing to the elbow-rubbers. This practice might be entirely common behaviour in pol circles but Trudeau promoted himself as ethically pious, part and parcel of sunny ways beaming out from between his buttock cheeks.

Then he disappears on a Christmas family vacation to a billionaires paradise in the Caribbean, leaving express instructions that his whereabouts not be disclosed. Because its private, you know? And so limelight-addicted an individual as Trudeau, with his endless selfie bombs, is entitled to lone time, yes? Not that lone, though, since the getaway to philanthropist Aga Khans gated Eden turns out to have been groupie-ish, with  as first revealed (double-scoop) by Postmedias David Akin  Liberal MP Seamus ORegan and party president Anna Gainey (and their spouses) along for the sun n fun. Unlike the Trudeau first family party of five, however, they were not transported by a government plane. (Trudeau will reimburse the Canadian taxpayer.)

For the photoplay trending prime minister, the optics are unseemly. The Aga Khan may be a long-standing family friend  a pallbearer at Pierre Trudeaus funeral, as Justin reminded this week, to solidify the dynastic connections  but the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims is still head of a charitable foundation to which the Trudeau government has pledged $55 million over five years to improve maternal and child health in Afghanistan, and some $205 million for similar projects from Liberal and Conservative governments stretching back to 2004.

There is zero reason to believe Trudeaus assurances that hobnobbing with the Aga Khan would carry not an iota of influence over future funding donations to the organization, however worthy its cause.

Notley described Fondas cameo appearance in Alberta, in presser-company with indigenous leaders, as super tone deaf. Super-ditto Trudeau, in the high-handed dimension that is increasingly punching through the middle-class empathetic persona hed strained to cultivate. Fonda went to the extreme of correlating Trudeau with Donald Trump. You know, Trump is no surprise. But Trudeau, we all though, wow, cool, right? This is all going to be really cool after what youve had up here for a while. What a disappointment.

Ouch.

To counter that narrative, Trudeau  starting Thursday  is embarking on a listening tour of Canada, slumming with the hoi polloi rather than mingling with the upper crust, a ramble that will touch down in town halls and roadhouses.

Doubtless the PM will hearken intently, put on his most sincere listening face. You know the one. Selfies will be granted. Perhaps a forelock or two tugged.

As corrective to the inner autocrat that Justin Trudeau has manifested, however, I suspect most Canadians, even those still in starry-eyed thrall, will see this travelling show for what it is: a bus-and-truck show, hastily conceived, politics as vaudeville.

Eight bars and off.

Speaking of fixing things, my turn: those were City of Toronto employees, not TTC workers, who claimed unwarranted jury duty pay, as I wrote in a Year of Living Stupidly column. Stupid, me.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

SHARE:
Amid concerns the Scarborough subway project is delayed, a group of transit advocates and local residents have complained to the head of the TTC over misleading information provided to council in the midst of a debate last summer.

On Wednesday, Scarborough Transit Action, an offshoot of the advocacy group TTCriders, filed a complaint addressed to CEO Andy Byford after a Star story outlined how a briefing note produced by the TTC during an earlier debate wrongly cast doubt on the light-rail alternative.

As it stands now, Toronto council has committed billions toward a one-stop subway extension in Scarborough without the benefit of an objective and complete comparison of costs, delivery dates and funding commitments from higher levels of government for the seven-stop LRT option, the complaint reads.

At a time when there is increasingly limited funding allocated to basic services in Toronto, public confidence that council was presented with all the facts before deciding where to place a significant amount of our shared resources, needs to be restored.

The complaint follows confirmation Tuesday that an anticipated report on a proposed alignment for the subway, a document critical to moving the project forward, would not be ready next week as planned. The report was originally set to be released in December.

That news renewed concern the pitch by Mayor John Tory and allies  and supported by staff  for a one-stop subway that could be in service in 2025 and cost no more than $3.2 billion was too optimistic.

At a board meeting in October, Byford said he stands by what was said in the two-page briefing note and the integrity of staff.

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said Wednesday they will consider the complaint and respond appropriately in due course.

In July, council again voted to back a subway extension to Scarborough, nearly three years after the previous term of council under former mayor Rob Ford ditched a fully-funded LRT in favour of a three-stop subway.

As council advocates for an LRT, led by Councillor Josh Matlow, made efforts to revive that option at city hall ahead of the July vote, a briefing note authored by the TTC was secretly circulated to the mayors office and others before being more widely distributed.

As the Star earlier reported, sources and documents obtained through a freedom of information request outlined how the briefing note was used by Torys office and his allies to squash the revolt at city hall.

The briefing note, which has never been made part of the public council record, cast doubt on the feasibility of returning to the LRT option, citing construction conflicts, uncertainty of funding from other levels of government, and an increase in costs.

Though it listed several unknowns, these were not, in fact, unknown.

The note cited possible conflicts with provincial plans in the rail corridor shared by GO train service, which transit agency Metrolinx had confirmed was never an issue.

It questioned if funding commitments from the provincial and federal governments would still apply to an LRT even though the province is still bound by a signed agreement to fund light rail and the federal government had assured the money is available to fund any technology.

And, while the note cited increased costs of an LRT line for the first time, under questioning from Matlow about the problems with the briefing note on the floor of council in July, Byford said he was asked to provide a comparison of the LRT for the same finish date as a subway, meaning the price was increased to match the same estimated completion in 2025.

Byford has said he cannot recall who asked for that comparison and that he couldnt just pick a name and throw someone under the bus because that would just be unfair.

The complaint demanded an investigation of that process, including who asked for that cost comparison, and that a peer review of the LRT option be completed.

Scarborough Transit Actions Brenda Thompson said the group plans to escalate their complaint to the citys ombudsman if their concerns are not addressed. The watchdog calls itself an office of last resort and requires complainants to first file their grievances with the relevant city division or agency.

I think the major concern is that there has never really been an objective comparison of the LRT option with the subway option, she said.

Thompson said neither she, nor anyone else, can force council to vote for the option they believe is best. I think the public needs to feel confident that the information that was available to them to base their decision on was objective and neutral, she added.

Toronto resident Rosemary Frei, who initiated the complaint, noted a majority of council recently rejected a bid by Matlow to base funding for infrastructure projects, including transit, on projected ridership and most urgent need, among other criteria.

That, she said, highlights a larger concern.

Theyre really straying far from serving the public well, Frei said.

We have to say enough is enough.

Although Tory and others pushed for the subway option saying there should be no further delays, the missing report on the subway has now raised the question of increased costs.

The report before council in July contained a footnote that said the $3.2-billion cost estimate was based on council approving an alignment at that meeting.

But staff did not recommend an alignment and council did not approve one.

Byford said then that every month delay would cost the city $13 million.

In October, Byford warned the project was already tracking behind schedule and said the window of opportunity is closing.

We have to pin down the exact alignment and stick to it, he said.

The report noted geotechnical, survey, and some design work had been halted pending approval of a final route.

But on Wednesday, both Ross and city spokesperson Wynna Brown said the delay in approved alignment would not affect the cost or project schedule and that advance work on design and soil testing was underway.

Tory, answering questions at an unrelated press conference Wednesday, said the TTC had assured him the absence of a decision on the alignment would not be the reason for cost increases, but he did not rule out that costs would go up.

Were awaiting what the number is, based on the advice of experts who have been asked to take a look at that, and I would just say to you that I am confident that this short delay in the availability of this report will not, in and of itself, cause a cost increase, he said.

With files from Ben Spurr and David Rider

Read more about:

SHARE:
Prominent Nazi hunter Solomon Littman will be remembered by his peers for his earnest efforts to uncover, document and raise awareness about war crimes and the Holocaust.

The journalist and scholar died in his Arizona home on Jan. 2. He was 96.

He was a truly caring man, and I think that care and interest in other people drove both his research into the Nazi war criminals and into his efforts to teach people about anti-Semitism and some of the horrible things that stemmed from that kind of bigotry and hate, his former colleague, J. Edward Wright, director of the University of Arizonas Center for Judaic studies.

Wright described Littman as someone who had seen terrible things in life, tried to correct them, and held people accountable for their actions.

I admired him for that, he said.

For more than a decade, Littman worked as the director of the anti-defamation league of the Bnai Brith in Canada, a Jewish advocacy group that works to combat anti-Semitism, his death notice said.

Littman later veered from advocacy work to pursue journalism. He started his career at the Star as an art critic in the 1970s, then worked as an editorial writer, before serving as the papers community relations editor  a job he was credited for creating himself. Beyond his reporting for the Toronto Star, Littmans journalism career included a stint at the CBC and as editor of the Canadian Jewish News, his death notice said.

He then went on to lead the Canadian chapter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization dedicated to researching the Holocaust, hate and terrorism, for almost a decade in the 90s. During the time he was running it, the Canadian centres focus was primarily on pursuing and bringing attention about Nazi war criminals, said Avi Benlolo, current president and CEO of Canadas Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies.

Many governments at that time, in the 80s and 90s were looking at their policies on how to deal with Nazi war criminals, and he was here and that was really the sphere of the work that he did, Benlolo explained.

Littman wrote two books, including 1983s War Criminal on Trial: The Rauca Case .

Littman had alleged that Auschwitz-stationed SS doctor Josef Mengele, nicknamed the Angel of Death, had applied for a visa to Canada from Buenos Aires in the 1962.

In 1985, the Deschenes Commission was appointed to investigate people in Canada who may have been, or collaborated with, Nazis responsible for war crimes in Europe. Littmans name comes up many times in the commissions report, where hes listed as a substantial source in supplying suspects to the commission. But hes also called out for publicizing his Mengele allegations, which the report says relied on speculation. The commission found that Mengele did not apply for a visa to enter the country from Buenos Aires.

I think its important that Canadians had Sol Littman at that time, during that fight, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, on a call from Los Angeles.

While Cooper said he didnt always agree with Littman, he described him as fearless, not reckless, and as someone who went into situations with his eyes wide open and who never backed down. He said he was both a proud Jew and a proud Canadian.

Solomon (who often went by Sol in his bylines) Littman was born in Toronto on May 20, 1920. He studied at the University of Toronto, the State College of Washington and University of Wisconsin.

One of Littmans last professional gigs was his role as a visiting scholar at the University of Arizona, where he coordinated the Judaic Studies Sekhel VeLev (Mind and Heart) community outreach education program for over a decade, beginning in 2000. He and his wife, Mildred, had moved to Tucson before that began.

Littman is survived by his wife, two sisters, two daughters, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His death notice describes him as always curious, always learning and always connecting to new people.

SHARE:
WASHINGTONPresident-elect Donald Trump, during a news conference in New York City on Wednesday, vehemently denied the salacious and unverified allegations put forth in a 35-page dossier published by BuzzFeed News. Behind a podium in the lobby of Trump Tower, the president-elect professed an awareness that the hotel rooms he visits overseas may be bugged with tiny cameras. And responding to a personal section of the unsubstantiated report, Trump added, Im also very much of a germaphobe, by the way, believe me. (The audience at news conference laughed.)

Trump is keen to avoid microbes, particularly those transmitted via touch. He is not alone in the world of celebrities and politicians, some of whom have been labelled germaphobes of varying degrees. Toward the end of his life, billionaire Howard Hughes holed himself in dark hotel rooms to dodge perceived germ threats. Canadian television host Howie Mandel, who has spoken about struggling with germ fears, handles his anxiety with a far less extreme method: Mandel rarely shakes hands, preferring the fist bump.

But legion are the palms a president must grip. In June, Barack Obama half-joked that George W. Bushs most sage advice was to always use hand sanitizer. The New Yorker once estimated that a president pumps about 65,000 hands over the course of a year. Trump, for his part, has called shaking hands a barbaric practice, fearing the flu and all sorts of things.

Accusations of barbarism aside, it is true that handshakes spread bacteria. A 2014 report in the American Journal of Infection Control recommended the fist bumped as an alternative to the handshake. The high five, a team of British biologists found, transferred half the microorganisms of a shake. A bump or dap greeting will pass on even smaller amounts of bacteria.

But where, exactly, does a healthy fear of sickness become presidential-level germaphobia?

Its a very interesting question, said psychology professor Michael Kyrios, when asked to describe the line between germaphobia and appropriately zealous hygiene. Kyrios, an expert on obsessive-compulsive disorder at the Australian National University in Canberra and a past president of the Australian Psychological Society, said Thursday morning that true germaphobia is most commonly associated with OCD, particularly when behaviours to avoid contamination interfere with someones work, social life or studies.

Broadly speaking - Kyrios made it clear that the way any one person presents a psychological disorder was unique - germaphobes have two reactions to microbes. First, they may be obsessed with biological threats and have intrusive thoughts of contamination. These can go beyond physical sickness, the psychologist said, to the point a person worries about moral deficiencies as a reaction to a taint.

Second, several germaphobes develop what Kyrios called neutralizing responses. He offered examples by way of celebrity habits he has observed: Quite often you will see people in the spotlight put their hands behind their backs, or in their pocket. Or refuse to shake hands altogether.

Neurologist William A. Hammond first described what he called mysophobia on April 7, 1879. In a speech to the New York Neurological Society, he said the phobia was characterized by a morbid, overpowering fear of defilement or contamination.

The physician based the concept upon his observations of 10 subjects, several of whom were constantly washing the hands in order to remove taints after coming in contact with certain objects. One woman, upon reading a newspaper account of a man who contracted smallpox after handling bank notes, proceeded to clean her own hands. Then she washed out the drawer where she stored her money, the dress she was wearing at the time and her hands again. She began to fear shaking hands with other people. Nothing would persuade me to do so, unless I had gloves on at the time, she told Hammond.

Germaphobia is particularly prevalent among people who have had a specific issue with germs in the past, Kyrios said. Common triggers include shaking hands, touching doorknobs or handling money. He has seen patients go to great lengths to avoid contamination. One of his clients had her house to be built with three interior sections: Upon returning home from the supermarket, she would wash her food in the entrance. In the next-innermost section, she would wash her food again. Only after washing her food in a third time, in the innermost sanctum, would she eat.

As for Trumps self-avowed germaphobia, he reportedly will not press a ground-floor elevator button on the principle it is the most frequently touched. And in his third book, 1997s Art of the Comeback, Trump elaborated on handshakes: One of the curses of American society is the simple act of shaking hands, and the more successful and famous one becomes the worse this terrible custom seems to get, he wrote. I happen to be a clean hands freak. I feel much better after I thoroughly wash my hands, which I do as much as possible.

(His reluctance to shake hands briefly became a target of opportunity for Jeb Bush during the GOP primary campaign, with the Bush team mocking the candidate who is a germaphobe when it comes to shaking hands.)

There are perfectly rational arguments to be made for washing hands, such as after using the bathroom or before eating. But problems arise, Kyrios said, when a person takes sanitation too far. There can be an obsession with germaphobia, he said, that leads to damaging consequences. We see asthma and allergies and a whole range of other effects on children, the psychologist pointed out, referring to concepts sometimes called the hygiene or old friends hypotheses. Humans living in too-clean environments (or having fallen out of touch with old friends, meaning microbes), so the theories go, may end up with an underdeveloped immune system - in turn leading to severe allergic reactions or immune disorders later in life.

Kyrios said that cognitive behavioural therapy, including exposure to a trigger, can benefit people with OCD who have germophobic symptoms. A recent area of Kyrioss research suggests that online therapy can be more effective than medication. The goal is to promote alternative, rational beliefs, Kyrios said. Ultimately, we like to help people become their own psychologists.

Trump, after all, does not shy away from every form of touch, even with strangers. Id kiss babies, well, kissing babies isnt so bad, Trump told Dateline NBC reporter Stone Phillips in 1999 about a then-hypothetical presidential run. Id much rather do that than shake hands.

With apologies to the future germaphobe in chief, kissing is far from bug-free. Ten-second smooches exchange millions of bacteria, as saliva-swappers may be aware, but even avuncular pecks transfer bacteria by the thousands.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Astonishing: An adjective I must husband, as in conserve, because here we are, nine days left in Donald Trumps president-elect phase and already the astonishings runneth amok.

Gobsmacking? Staggering? Flagitious?

But never could I have foreseen the media handing Trump the moral high road.

A tiny sliver of the media, true  the digital online site BuzzFeed, which describes itself as a social news and internet company and boasts upwards of 473 million look-ins over the past month alone.

Or, a failing pile of garbage, as described Wednesday by Trump, first on his own heap o balderdash Twitter account and later at the first press conference hes held in six months, an eagerly anticipated spectacle that surpassed expectations.

Down the rabbit hole we skitter.

Theres no doubt that Americas 45th commander-in-chief, pending, wallowed righteously in the malicious gook-gabble that BuzzFeed dumped into the public realm the previous day, the entirety of an unverified 35-page dossier allegedly written by a former British intelligence operative containing, well, an astonishing array of spectacular, shocking and salacious allegations about Trumps private conduct and purported blackmail-pungent involvement with Russia.

Trump was entirely justified in his outrage over the unsubstantiated slime poured on his head by a document so toxic that no other media agency, mainline or peripheral, dared touch it. CNN, though, came enticingly close, albeit focusing their explosive Tuesday disclosures on the two-page synopsis  including claims of compromising personal and financial information about Trump  provided last week to Trump and President Barack Obama by four senior-most U.S. intelligence chiefs. The synopsis was an annex to a larger classified brief delineating Russian hacking and interference in the 2016 election.

Trump indisputably and unfairly conflated the BuzzFeed and CNN splashes, which led to a remarkably ugly verbal pas-de-deux between a thuggish Trump and the cable networks correspondent at the press conference, with the president-elect refusing to take his question.

Reporter: Since youre attacking us, can you give us a question?

Trump: Not you. Not you. Your organizations terrible.

When the reporter persisted, as another journalist attempted to put a query, Trump doubled down. Dont be rude. Dont be rude. DONT BE RUDE. Im not going to give you a question. You are fake news.

While not the most important element in Wednesdays deign-to-engage presser, media as shameful protagonist  as indefensible player  in what has all the appearance of fake news dissemination, gave Trump the pulpit he gleefully seized to further smack around the Fourth and Fifth Estates, although I would categorize BuzzFeed and their unsourced splatter-prone platform fellow travellers as black hole outer dimension non-estate holders.

Industry-wide condemnation of BuzzFeeds decision to go full-frontal revealing of the intel-porn also allowed Trump to go all smarmy complimentary about media enemies that didnt rise to the bait of material which apparently has been floating out there as leaked goods for at least a few weeks, unverifiable by journalists who received it.

I thank a lot of the news organization, some of whom have not treated me very well, a couple in particular, and they came out so strongly against that fake news.

The most prurient bits of the annex contents wont be repeated here, even if those dubious details are now easily accessible on the web and some parts  specifically the allegation that Trumps special counsel Michael Cohen had travelled to Prague to meet with Russian officials last summer  definitely disproven. He was never there; wrong Michael Cohen.

But Trump himself sailed close to the edge of those allegations in refuting them, in a way that would surely send the curious scrambling to track down: what the hell is he talking about?

When I leave our country  Im a very high-profile person, wouldnt you say?  I am extremely careful. Im surrounded by body guards. Im surrounded by people. And I always tell them . . . be very careful because in your hotel rooms and no matter where you go, youre going to probably have cameras. Im not just referring to Russia, but I would certainly put them in that category. Cameras are so small, you cant see them and you wont know. You better be careful or youll be watching yourself on nightly television.

Then added: Does anyone really believe that story? Im also very much of a germaphobe, believe me.

Yech.

In his own Twitter bleats, Trump has been no less careless and harmful than BuzzFeed, un-presidential, undignified and as evincing of thin skin as onion paper. But nothing about this looming presidency will come anywhere close to normal, clearly. Trump is making up the rules, including those that apply to the division of powers, as he goes along, blithely ignoring the Constitution in the process.

Almost lost in the blather was Trumps understated acknowledgment that he now  screeching U-turn  accepts the overwhelming intelligence consensus that Russia went hacker trolling in the election, though hes clearly not going to grant this interposition, aimed at damaging Hillary Clinton (bitterly resented by Vladimir Putin) catapulted him into the White House.

I think it was Russia, Trump allowed, when asked who was behind the covert manipulation.

But hey, yeah Russia, he implied. Look at what was learned from that hacking.

And tough titties that the Democratic National Committee got their bell rung by disclosure of John Podestas emails. They should have taken more hack-proof measures.

There was, again, an undertone of admiration for Putin, the purported hack-master massaging information to Trumps electoral benefit. If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability . . . I dont know if Im going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. And if I dont, do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Give me a break.

Trump may be seeking an ally against Daesh in Putin. But he seems to be wilfully pre-trashing his relationship with Americas intelligence community  which in less than a fortnight will be, by oath, committed to doing his covert bidding. The war of words with intelligence officials by an incoming president is unprecedented.

He doesnt trust them. Hes all but accused them of leaking the intel dossier. I have many meetings with intelligence and every time I meet (them), people are reading about it. Somebodys leaking it out.

So he set up a super-secret meeting, to outsmart the culprits.

The meeting was over, they left and immediately the word got out that I had a meeting.

Outing the spooks, he smirked.

We are truly into uncharted presidential territory, and treachery.

Id say astonishing, if it didnt sound so Trumpian tweet-dimension trite.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Read more about:

SHARE:
NEW YORKFrench National Front leader Marine Le Pen was spotted at Trump Tower during an unannounced visit to New York less than four months before Frances presidential election.

An aide to Le Pen, who leads in the latest opinion poll for the presidency, declined to comment on her reason for being in the lobby of the building on Thursday. Le Pen waved off reporters when approached.

Donald Trump had no plans to meet with Le Pen, according to an aide to the president-elect, who asked not to be identified without authorization to speak publicly. Neither is she on Trump chief strategist Steve Bannons schedule, a person familiar said. Le Pens campaign chief of staff, David Rachline, said earlier that she was making a private visit to New York.

Its not on her public agenda, Rachline said when asked if she planned a meeting with Trump or officials close to him. We dont communicate about private visits.

Le Pen is set to launch her official campaign on Feb. 4 in a meeting with supporters in the French city of Lyon. She has repeatedly said she was supportive of Trumps policies for the U.S. and called him a sign of hope for European anti-establishment politicians in a press conference this month.

Trump has met on several occasions with Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party, most recently in December.

Read more about:

SHARE:
WASHINGTONPresident Barack Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident, a senior administration official said Thursday.

The repeal of the wet foot, dry foot policy is effective immediately, according the official. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S.

The U.S. and Cuba planned to issue a joint statement later Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity in order to detail the change ahead of the announcement.

The official said the Cubans gave no assurances about treatment of those sent back to the country, but said political asylum remains an option for those concerned about persecution if they return.

Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. Donald Trump could undo that rule after becoming president next week. He has criticized Obamas moves to improve relations with Cuba. But ending a policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to come to the United States without a visa also aligns with Trumps commitment to tough immigration policies.

The wet foot, dry foot policy was put in place in 1995 by President Bill Clinton as a revision of a more liberal immigration policy. Until then, Cubans caught at sea trying to make their way to the United States were allowed into the country and were able to become legal residents after a year. The U.S. was reluctant to send people back to the communist island then run by Fidel Castro, and the Cuban government also generally refused to accept repatriated citizens.

The Cuban government has in the past complained bitterly about the special immigration privileges, saying they encourage Cubans to risk dangerous escape trips and drain the country of professionals. But it has also served as a release valve for the single-party state, allowing the most dissatisfied Cubans to seek better lives outside and become sources of financial support for relatives on the island.

Relations between the United States and Cuba were stuck in a Cold War freeze for decades, but Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro established full diplomatic ties and opened embassies in their capitals in 2015. Obama visited Havana last March.

U.S. and Cuban officials were meeting Thursday in Washington to co-ordinate efforts to fight human trafficking. A decades-old U.S. economic embargo, though, remains in place as does the Cuban Adjustment Act which lets Cubans become permanent residents a year after legally arriving in the U.S.

The official said that in recent years, most people fleeing the island have done so for economic reasons or to take advantage of the benefits they know they can receive if they make it to the U.S.

The official also cited an uptick in Cuban migration, particularly across the U.S.-Mexico border  an increase the official said reflected an expectation among Cubans that the Obama administration would soon move to end their special immigration status.

Since October 2012, more than 118,000 Cubans have presented themselves at ports of entry along the border, according to statistics published by the Homeland Security Department. During the 2016 budget year, which ended in September, a five-year high of more than 41,500 people came through the southern border. An additional 7,000 people arrived between October and November.

The influx has created burdens on other countries in the region that must contend with Cubans who have yet to reach the U.S. border, the official said.

The Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which was started by President George W. Bush in 2006, is also being rescinded. The measure allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to seek parole in the U.S. while on assignments abroad.

People already in the pipeline under both wet foot, dry foot and the medical parole program will be able to continue the process toward getting legal status.

The preferential treatment for Cubans reflected the political power of Cuban-Americans, especially in Florida, a critical state in presidential elections. That has been shifting in recent years. Older Cubans, particularly those who fled Castros regime, tend to reject Obamas diplomatic overtures to Cuba. Younger Cuban-American voters have proven less likely than their parents and grandparents to define their politics by U.S.-Cuba relations. Exit polls show President Barack Obama managed roughly a split in the Florida Cuban vote in 2012, and Trump in November won the same group by a much narrower margin than many previous Republican nominees.

Read more about:

SHARE:
WASHINTONU.S. president-elect Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that he has NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA  NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!

Trump, however, has a long history with Russia, trying repeatedly to build luxury properties in Moscow, holding a beauty pageant there, and benefiting from heavy investments from Russians in his properties around the world.

It is not possible to verify whether Trump has no current deals or loans with Russian entities because he has refused to release his tax returns. But a look at Trumps record since the 1980s shows that he and his family long have been interested in trying to do business there. The connection became a matter of curiosity during the 2016 presidential race. A Russian official was quoted saying his government had been in contact with Trumps campaign, and the candidate repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin while urging the countrys leaders to hack into his opponents emails.

The connections go back 30 years.

Trump first visited Moscow in 1987 in an effort to make real estate deals. As he told it in a Playboy interview, two Russian fighter planes accompanied his jet to the airport, and he had insisted on having two Russian colonels fly with him. He stayed at the National Hotel, overlooking the Kremlin, and said that the Soviets wanted him to build two luxury hotels. The Soviet ambassador had visited Trump in New York City and said his daughter had adored Trump Tower and suggested a Moscow version, according to a Newsweek account of the visit published at the time. Trump visited a number of potential sites around Moscow.

Trump said he told Soviet officials that he didnt know how to arrange financing because the government owned the land. Trump said he was told: No problem, Mr. Trump. We will work out lease arrangements.

Trump said he responded: I want ownership, not leases. The Soviets said they would create a committee of seven government representatives and three Trump associates to resolve problems.

Trump said in the 1990 interview he was very unimpressed with the Soviet system, which he called a disaster. What you will see there soon is a revolution, he added. He said his problem with then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was that he was not a firm enough hand.

Trump did not wind up making a deal, but he soon tried again.

In 1996, Trump sought to build luxury condominiums in Moscow, but the deal never happened. Trump tried again in 2005, signing a deal for a possible Trump building in a converted pencil factory, but this also failed to materialize.

The Trumps were undaunted. Donald Trump Jr. travelled to Russia six times in an 18-month period, starting around 2006, to try to make deals. His father seemed convinced it would happen.

Russia is one of the hottest places in the world for investment, the senior Trump said in 2007. We will be in Moscow at some point.

The following year, Donald Jr. appeared at a real estate conference in which he said the company had tried to invest in Russia, and acknowledged that Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.

The Trump company sold condos to Russian investors, and the senior Trump received $95 million for a Palm Beach mansion in 2008 from Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, more than twice the $41 million of Trumps original purchase price, according to property records.

The closest I came to Russia, I bought a house a number of years ago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said last July. Palm Beach is a very expensive place. There was a man who went bankrupt and I bought the house for $40 million and I sold it to a Russian for $100 million including brokerage commissions ... I guess probably I sell condos to Russians, OK?

Trumps ambition to build in Russia was still unfulfilled, and he made another effort in 2013. He travelled that year to Moscow for his Miss Universe pageant at the 7,300-seat Crocus City Hall. Trump sent a tweet in search of Russias leader: Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow -if so, will he become my new best friend?

Putin did not attend the pageant, but Trump used the occasion to visit with Russian officials and seek out real estate opportunities. He spoke with a developer named Aras Agalarov, who said he talked with Trump about developing adjoining towers in Moscow. Trump sounded sure he would strike a deal, tweeting: TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next.

During his time promoting the pageant in Moscow, Trump lavished praised on Putin, and the Russian leader responded with a friendly letter to him, Agalarov said last year. Agalorovs son, Emin, visited Trump in New York after the mogul announced his presidential bid, and he said Trump criticized the U.S. government for not being able to be friends with Russia.

Trumps friendly view toward Russia escalated during the campaign. In July, Trump encouraged Russia to hack Hillary Clintons emails. I will tell you this, Russia: If youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump said. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.

U.S. intelligence agencies subsequently said that Russia, under Putins direction, was behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails as part of an effort to undermine Clinton and help Trump. The emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta were also hacked and released, much to Clintons embarrassment. Podesta wrote in December that he believed he was the direct target of Russian hacking.

In September, Trump lavished praise on Putin, saying he is a leader far more than our president has been. Asked to explain, Trump said, He does have an 82 per cent approval rating ... I think when he calls me brilliant, Ill take it as a compliment, OK?

Trumps statements highlighted his tendency to value those who stroke his ego, and his admiration for leaders who project power  two attributes of which Moscow seemed to be well aware.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state-run Interfax news agency that his country had contacts with Trumps campaign. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage, Ryabkov said. The campaign denied such talks.

Ryabkov did not say who Russia talked to. Trumps one-time campaign-manager Paul Manafort, managed an investment fund for a Putin ally, and he was cited in a corruption probe in Ukraine, where investigators were looking into illegal payments from a pro-Russia party that had hired Manafort when he was a political consultant. Manafort denied any wrongdoing and said he never received improper payments. He also said he had nothing to do with weakening of the Republican Party platform language that suggested US military support for Ukraine.

Trumps national security adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn  who led Lock Her Up chants about Clinton  sat next to Putin at a 2015 dinner. Flynn said last year that he gave a paid speech at an anniversary party for the RT television network in Moscow, a network on which Trump later appeared.

Trump stood by his warm words for Putin and Russia at his Wednesday press conference, even as he acknowledged that I think it was Russia that hacked DNC emails. Addressing an unverified memo that said Russia had collected compromising material about him  which he called fake news  Trump said he believed Russian denials that they had not collected such information. He followed that by welcoming Putins friendship.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, Trump said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
SAO PAULOFor more than 30 years, the bones of Josef Mengele, a German doctor who conducted horrific experiments on thousands of Jews at Auschwitz, lay unclaimed inside a blue plastic bag in Sao Paulos Legal Medical Institute.

Dr. Daniel Romero Munoz, who led the team that identified Mengeles remains in 1985, saw an opportunity to put them to use. Several months ago, the head of the Department of Legal Medicine at the University of Sao Paulos Medical School obtained permission to use them in his forensic medical courses. Today, his students are now learning their trade studying Mengeles bones and connecting them to the life story of the man called the Angel of Death.

The bones will be helpful to teach how to examine the remains of an individual and then match that information with data in documents related to the person, Munoz said recently, flanked by students.

Mengele died nearly four decades ago when he drowned off the coast of the state of Sao Paulo. He had been on the run for years, hiding while being pursued for performing experiments on inmates and sending thousands of them to the gas chambers during the Second World War.

Mengeles life on the run, and the mystery surrounding his whereabouts, are part of what make his bones a useful teaching tool, Munoz said.

For example, examining Mengeles remains, we saw a fractured left pelvis, he said, adding that information found in his army record said that he fractured his pelvis in a motorcycle accident in Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi death camp in Poland.

Holding Mengeles skull, Munoz pointed to a small hole in the left cheek bone, which he said was the result of long-term sinusitis.

Munoz said that a German couple who harboured Mengele in Brazil told police that he often suffered from dental abscesses that he himself would treat with a razor blade.

I dont know what I feel about Mengeles bones being studied, said Cyrla Gewertz, a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor. I already have too many painful memories of him and what he did to me and others at Auschwitz. These are memories I cannot erase from my mind.

After the war, Gewertz, who said she was also interned in other concentration camps like Ravensbruck and Malchow, went to Sweden, where she lived for seven years and where she met and married her husband with whom she came to Brazil in 1952.

Originally from Poland, Gewertz has a tattoo on her left arm identifying her as an Auschwitz prisoner: A24840. She said she came face to face with Mengele on several occasions.

(Mengele) told me to strip and step inside a large vat with extremely hot water, said Gewertz during an interview in her Sao Paulo apartment. I said the water was too hot and he said if I didnt do what he ordered, he would kill me. After that I had to step into a vat with freezing water.

Gewertz said she once saw Mengele kill a newborn baby girl by throwing her off the roof of the camps barracks.

He was an evil, perverse man, she said He was a torturer.

After the war, as leading members of Adolf Hitlers Third Reich were put on trial for war crimes, Mengele fled to Argentina and lived in Buenos Aires for a decade.

He moved to Paraguay after Israeli Mossad agents captured Holocaust mastermind Adolf Eichmann, who was also living in Buenos Aires. In 1960, he arrived in Sao Paulo, where he received shelter from German couple Wolfram and Lisolette Bossert and a family of Hungarian immigrants.

Mengele, then 67, died while swimming in a beach in the coastal town of Bertioga in 1979. The Bosserts buried him in Embu on the outskirts of Sao Paulo under the false name of Wolfgang Gerhard. Years later, German authorities intercepted a letter sent by the couple to Mengeles family with news of his death. They alerted Brazilian authorities.

In 1985, his body was exhumed. Teams from Germany, Israel, the United States and Brazil confirmed it was Mengele, using methods including the vetting of personal accounts from people who knew him in Brazil, comparing handwriting in seized letters and analyzing the recovered cranium to see if it matched old photos of Mengele.

Professor Maria Luiza Tucci Carneiro, a historian who co-ordinates the University of Sao Paulos Laboratory for the Study of Ethnicity, Racism and Discrimination, said she hopes the classroom learning eventually goes beyond the science to history and ethics.

Students should also learn how physicians, psychiatrists and other leading scientists were in the service of the Reich, lending their knowledge to exclude the ethnic groups classified as belonging to inferior races, said Carneiro. An exclusion that culminated in genocide.

SHARE:
President-elect Donald Trump dropped an unexpected bombshell during yesterdays press conference. He admitted that I think it was Russia who hacked the DNC and Clinton campaign. These assertions may help ameliorate concerns by skeptics who dismissed wholesale the CIA report on Russian interference in the U.S. election.

But we should not be so hasty as to assume Trump now takes the CIA assessment at face value. While Trump might accept Russias involvement, he did not say he believed in the CIA assessments fundamental bottom line: that Russias cyber campaign was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This key distinction could continue to cause friction between the president-elect and his spy agencies.

The CIA report is long on words but short on details. The report offers considerable analysis of the motives for Russian involvement and its goals for influencing the course of the election. Actors at the highest levels of the Russian government sought to undermine public faith in democracy, hurt Clintons electoral chances, and by extension, help now President-elect Donald Trump win the race. However, the detailed evidence proving Putins oversight of Russias cyberattack(s) is slim.

Such evidence almost certainly exists, and undoubtedly lies in the classified version of the CIA report. All U.S. intelligence analysis is structured through a simple, but compelling storyline that answers what, why, and how an event has unfolded; they also must clearly spell out the so what of the event. Any assessment missing these pieces would not make it past the agencys extensive review process.

The declassified report is clearly missing some of these pieces. We have the why (Russian motives) and so what of its argument (implications for U.S. and outlook for the future). However, we are given very little evidence proving the what of this story  the reports fundamental assertion that Putin ordered the interference and Russian entities carried out cyber activities based on these orders.

Supporters of the intelligence community will assume that convincing evidence exists but failed to make it past the agencys classification censors. Advocates of transparency are likely to object to this omission, on grounds it implies the CIA is hiding something or that its case is weak. And, absent this classified reporting, the report does appear to have some serious gaps in logic. The report claims Putin and the Kremlin were pulling all the strings; but just because Russia Today (RT) receives government funds does not necessarily mean it is a perfect puppet of the Russian G-man.

The problem with the report, then, is not that there wasnt such a scheme (there probably was) or that Russia doesnt want to undermine liberal democracy (it probably does) or that Putin wasnt in some way in the loop (we cannot imagine him wanting to be on the outside of this). The problem is that by focusing on the more debatable part of the puzzle and including only the circumstantial pieces of evidence, the report effectively gives the skeptics ammunition to dismiss the fundamental conclusion  Putins oversight  out of hand.

Dissenters also hearken back to previous intelligence failures to justify their skepticism. They claim that because the U.S. intelligence community was wrong on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it could be wrong now. But the intelligence community today is a very different animal than the intelligence community of 2003. Tradecraft is more rigorous. Intelligence undergoes even more extreme vetting, searching for weaknesses in both evidence and argumentation. Other U.S. intelligence organizations are required to weigh in and have the option of dissent, ensuring that policy-makers hear all points of view.

It all comes down to a basic question. Do you trust in the integrity of the U.S. intelligence communitys analysis? If you do, then the omissions in the declassified report probably will not bother you. If you dont, then the shadow of doubt remains.

Further adding to the fray (and complicating the intelligence communitys case) are recent allegations about Trumps ties to Russia and a potential dossier of compromising information on his activities in Russia. We should be careful, however, not to conflate these two revelations.

The reports published by Buzzfeed are not formal intelligence reports. They were collected by a private intelligence firm. While the collector of this information may credible, we know nothing about the reliability of his original sources. Such scrutiny is sacred in CIA tradecraft, and helps distinguish rumour and gossip from true intelligence. We should maintain a healthy degree of skepticism until the claims are corroborated and verified and remember that the Buzzfeed dossier is a report prepared by a private company, not an assessment sanctioned or prepared by US intelligence agencies.

With a soon-to-be commander in chief at odds with his intelligence community, the likely outcome of this sorry tale is Putin and his cronies in the Kremlin will get away scot free. Other democracies should beware this new, emboldened Russia.

Jacqueline Lopour is a research associate with the Centre for International Governance Innovation and an expert on intelligence and national security. She spent 10 years as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she wrote over 100 intelligence assessments for senior US policymakers, including two presidential administrations.

Eric Jardine is a fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and assistant professor of political science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Blacksburg, Virginia. Most recently Eric co-authored Look Whos Watching: Surveillance, Treachery and Trust Online with the director of CIGIs Global Security & Politics Program, Fen Hampson.

Read more about:

SHARE:
With just nine days to go before Donald Trump is sworn in as president, the United States and all who hope for its success face two possible situations, both of them appalling:

Either the 45th president of the United States will be fatally compromised by a hostile foreign power, open to being influenced or even blackmailed because of allegations about his personal behaviour and/or financial dealings abroad.

Or, leading elements of the American intelligence community have launched a campaign to undermine and discredit the incoming president, making sure the salacious claim that Russian officials compiled compromising information about Trump gets fully aired before he even takes office.

Could anyone make such a steaming pile even worse? Yes, certainly: Donald Trump could.

The president-elect on Wednesday dismissed the first possibility out of hand as fake news and that crap. And indeed the documents that contain the explosive allegations seem very suspect, reportedly the product of a retired British military intelligence operative commissioned to do so-called opposition research on Trump.

At the same time, though, Trump fuelled the likelihood that his own security apparatus has it out for him by speculating openly that the information was being disseminated by maybe the intelligence agencies  who knows? And the capper: Are we living in Nazi Germany?

At least Trump acknowledged directly for the first time that Russia was indeed behind the hacking of Democratic party emails during last years presidential campaign.

That was the unambiguous finding of a joint report last week by the top U.S. intelligence agencies. It concluded with high confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process, hurt Hillary Clintons candidacy and give Trump an assist on his way to the White House.

As Jacqueline Lopour and Eric Jardine explain on the opposite page, security professionals have poked holes in the joint report, and many people are understandably skeptical about American intelligence findings after fiascos like the walkup to the Iraq war.

But there are valid reasons for gaps in the public version of the report; the agencies themselves say they didnt want to compromise their sources and methods. And there seems little doubt that the evidence points clearly to Russia and Putin. It would certainly be in line with their methods. What isnt known, or perhaps knowable, is how much effect their covert campaign had on the election outcome.

Regardless, it amounts to an assault on another nations democracy and Trump did himself and his country no favours by downplaying the possibility, giving Putin every benefit of the doubt, and attacking his own countrys intelligence agencies.

Trump seems so obsessed with the notion that his election might be tainted by Russian interference, and that U.S. spy agencies are out to undermine him, that he cant see whats in front of his face. Even on Wednesday, when he conceded that I think it was Russia behind the hacking, he quickly added that other countries might have been involved.

Trump continues to act like a presidential candidate, playing the political angles, instead of the soon-to-be leader of the United States. He should be leading the charge to shut down Russian hacking and punish Putin for attacking his countrys democracy, not making excuses for him.

Of course, if it turns out theres any truth to the compromising allegations in the latest documents  what one of them refers to as Trumps personal obsessions and sexual perversions  it will be infinitely worse.

But in many ways the damage has already been done. The Trump circus is already in full swing, and the show doesnt even officially open until Jan. 20.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Donald Trump has been called a misogynist, a racist and a bully. Now we can add science denialist to the list.

Thats what Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, called the president-elect on Tuesday after word broke that he had met with leading vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy, who once called the use of vaccines a holocaust, claims he was asked by Trump to oversee a presidential panel to review vaccine safety and science.

A spokesman for Trump said he was exploring the possibility of forming a committee on autism, which Trump has suggested can be caused by vaccines.

Whatever the committees exact mandate, Kennedy is exactly the wrong person to head it. Putting a vaccine skeptic, particularly one whose family name still carries such cachet, at the head of a high-profile scientific committee would be dangerous for public health in the U.S. and beyond.

The fact is vaccines save millions of lives each year. All the evidence suggests theyre safe. But skeptics continue to cite a study promoted in 1998 by disgraced former British doctor Andrew Wakefield that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine can cause autism. His theory has been repeatedly debunked by physicians, researchers and the World Health Organization, among others.

Still, these discredited ideas continue to be promoted by celebrity crackpots and other proponents of the so-called anti-vaxxer movement. The result is that more and more parents are deciding their children shouldnt get vaccines, threatening the revival of once-common childhood killers. That puts not only their childrens health in serious peril, but also that of people for whom vaccines arent an option, including patients with cancer, impaired immune systems and other vulnerabilities.

It shouldnt be any surprise that Trump is flirting with this dangerous direction. Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines doesnt feel good, he tweeted in March 2014. AUTISM. Many such cases!

But now that he is president-elect, Trump must listen to the experts. Vaccines . . . are the most significant medical innovation of our time, Drs. Fernando Stein and Karen Remley of the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement on Tuesday.

It would be profoundly irresponsible for the Trump administration to contribute to the erosion of this progress by giving official credence to pseudoscience. The more parents delay vaccination, the more outbreaks of easily preventable, deadly diseases we will see  and not just in the U.S. Contagion, whether of misinformation or disease, knows no borders.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Kevin OLeary is a real tease, isnt he?

For more than a year, the multimillionaire entrepreneur has been tossing out hints that he will run for the federal Conservative leadership, a move that has many party loyalists salivating.

Over that time, OLeary, who became a national celebrity as a panelist on the CBC-TV program Dragons Den, has met with dozens of federal MPs, has launched his own campaign-style website OLeary for Canada, has posted videos on his Facebook page denouncing Justin Trudeau and has created an exploratory committee with high-profile Tories, such as former Ontario premier Mike Harris. The list goes on.

But at times OLeary has inexplicably pulled back, suggesting variously that the timing isnt quite right, or that the field of candidates is too crowded right now or that he needs a better sense of the true mood of party members.

Its enough to break the heart of any Conservative desperate to defeat Trudeau in the 2019 election and who looks with despair at the 14 candidates already in the Tory race.

OLeary can continue to tease his fans until Feb. 24, the last day for leadership hopefuls to officially declare their candidacy.

Because he isnt an official candidate yet, OLeary is not required to state where he stands on any issue. Still, there are key questions for him to answer if and when he does enter the race. They include:

First, will you run in the 2019 election even if you lose the leadership race?

Given the timeline of when he must enter the race (Feb. 24) and when the leadership votes will be announced (May 27), OLeary may well be a politician for barely three months. If he loses, he could easily slink back to Boston where he lives, having invested little time or money. Even if he wins the leadership, OLeary could quit politics within three years if the Liberals are re-elected.

Second, will you sell or put your businesses in a blind trust if you win the leadership?

OLeary has a slew of various companies, including the OLeary Financial Group, OLeary Ventures, OLeary Fine Wines, and others. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, many rich political leaders, including president-elect Donald Trump, have taken steps to insure they are squeaky clean in this area.

Third, will you move full-time to Canada rather than continue to split your time between here and Boston, where you have lived since the mid-1990s, if you win the leadership?

While OLeary owns property in Toronto, he told Boston Magazine in 2013 that Boston is home. It was the Conservatives who tarred former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff with the Just Visiting tag when he came back to Canada after decades of living abroad to enter federal politics. Will OLeary also be just visiting?

Fourth, will you release a full set of policy proposals during the leadership campaign?

So far OLeary has spend much of his time bashing the Liberals over the economy and barely touching on any other issue, such as the Middle East, environment or social policy, such as assisted suicide.

Fifth, will you pledge to learn French even if you lose the leadership race?

Last year OLeary, who doesnt speak French, casually dismissed the notion that a federal party leader should be bilingual. Now, though, hes reportedly hired a private French tutor and says he is going to try to learn the language.

If OLeary does enter the leadership race, he may stand the best chance of winning.

The reasons are obvious: a weak slate of opponents, his huge name recognition and his Trump-style tough-talking image that appeals to many voters. An indication of the size of OLearys following is the fact that his latest Facebook video, in which he attacked Trudeau on the economy, was viewed more than 144,000 times in the first 48 hours after it was posted.

Fact-checkers had a field day with that seven-minute video. Among the statements noted was one where he said Trudeaus cabinet are all ex-Ontarioites under Dalton McGuinty. In fact, only 11 of 31 ministers are from Ontario and not one was a provincial MPP. Also, he said Canadas population is 34 million, when it is actually more than 36 million.

With six weeks to go before the deadline to enter the race, OLeary has lots of time to craft replies to the key questions. His answers should reveal much about just how serious he is about being a full-time politician.

Bob Hepburns column appears Thursday. bhepburn@thestar.ca

Read more about:

SHARE:
Re: Why Poland wants to punish a dead general, Jan. 7

Why Poland wants to punish a dead general, Jan. 7

In this article, Leonid Bershidsky presents his view on one aspect of Polands current government policy toward the countrys modern history. He may not like the Polish governments decision stripping Communist leader Wojciech Jaruzelski of the rank of general and he is entitled to this opinion. But while presenting historical background for his analysis, he should not suggest facts that did not take place.

The implication that Poland collaborated with Nazis Germany is not only false but also deeply offensive to the memory millions of Poles who greatly suffered and were killed during World War II fighting against German Nazism and its armies.

There were governments and countries that collaborated with Hitler before and during the World War II but not Poland, which became the first victim of Germanys cruel military attack and fought the longest combat against Nazism between September 1939 and May 1945.

Ironically, the Soviet army that liberated Polands territory from German Nazism brought Communism, another deadly and destructive ideology with Poland spending the next 40 years under forced and unwanted Russian domination.

As pointed out by Bershidsky, a dead general Jaruzelski was one of those who represented the Soviet regime in pre-1989 Poland. For this  contrary to what the author suggests  Jaruzelskis political legacy deserves rough treatment from current Polish politicians including posthumously stripping him of the rank and title of general.

Marek Domaradzki, vice-president, Canadian Polish Congress, Calgary

SHARE:
Women fund managers are still underrepresented globally, and the ratio of the number of women compared to men who serve as portfolio managers has not changed, according to an eight-year study conducted by Morningstar.

Only one in five funds has a female portfolio manager, said Morningstar, a Chicago-based independent investment research provider, whose research spanned 56 countries.

The report examined the positions of 26,000 fund managers, and compared the ratio of men to women in other fields that also seek a similar educational background, including lawyers and doctors.

Women have made gains in passive funds, funds of funds and team-managed funds, and they were more likely to be promoted in larger equity firms, said Laura Pavlenko Lutton, Morningstar's director of manager research in North America. Women have an 83% higher chance to be named a fund manager at one of the top ten largest firms by global equity assets under management.

"The lack of progress was discouraging," she said. "The big firms who have very formal diversity programs and career tracks saw faster improvement on the gender equality front. The firms who are paying close attention are seeing results."

Diverse teams or those with mixed genders in the U.S. generated better returns compared to teams which were all the same gender.

"Intuitively, diversity should bring better fund results," Lutton said. "It is a priority since actively managed funds have had a difficult period outperforming the benchmarks."

The report also revealed that countries with large financial centers have a lower percentage of female fund managers compared to those in smaller markets. The data found that in Israel, Singapore, Spain, France and Hong Kong, at least 20% of fund managers are female. Countries with large financial centers, such as the U.S., Brazil, India and Germany, have fallen behind the global average of 12.9% female fund managers.

Women also tend to have more credentials than men in some asset classes. Female fund managers are 7% more likely compared to a male to have a CFA for equity funds and 4% more likely in fixed income funds, Morningstar found.

The odds of women running a passive fund, funds of funds and team-managed funds increases to 19% compared to men.

Adding women to portfolio management teams is beneficial, but this goal can only be achieved if females are exposed to the market and investing earlier, said Karyn Cavanaugh, portfolio manager of the Voya Global Perspectives Fund (IIPVX), whose performance is up by 9.5% over the past year. Her team was given $40,000 in seed money and is now "flirting with $1 billion in assets under management five years later, she said.

Women are being held back by a lack of confidence and commitment, Cavanaugh said.

"You have to be extremely self-assured to take on the responsibility of managing someone else's money especially when the financial industry has been cast in such a negative light following the recession," she said. "Culturally, I just don't think woman are as apt to let their ego show. That could be why I manage a rules-based portfolio based on empirical evidence - no ego involved."

Cavanaugh follows a strategy of global diversification to "cushion the bumps along the way" and her portfolios are rules based and fully transparent.

"Our portfolios tactically shift to a more defensive position based on corporate earnings - the tried and true canary in the coal mine," she said. "When corporate earnings are growing, these portfolios keep investors fully invested, preventing investors from shooting themselves in the foot by listening to their gut and rashly going to cash at the wrong time."

Managing portfolios is demanding because the market never stops, but women can get a foothold into portfolio management by obtaining a CFA, Cavanaugh recommends.

"The designation really adds credibility and local CFA societies provide great networking opportunities with others in the field," she said. "Companies can do their part by offering good pay on par with men and flexible work arrangements so that women can make the commitment. It really is an exciting and rewarding profession."

Gender does not play a role in fund performance, but this unfair bias persists because of unfounded empirical evidence, said Fariba Ronnasi, a portfolio manager on Covestor, the online investing company, and CEO of Elite Wealth Management in Kirkland, Wash.

"Women continue to be a minority in the investment management industry despite female hedge fund managers outperforming the HFRX Index in both up and down years," she said.

Studies such as a 2013 paper by Margaret Stumpp in the Journal of Investment Management and a study in the Journal of Financial Research in 2003 demonstrate that funds managed by females do not differ significantly from funds run by males in terms of performance and risk, said Ronnasi. However, women significantly lag men in terms of the amount of assets under management.

"This is perpetuated by stereotypes of women's abilities and lack of trust in female led fund management by potential clients," she said. "We need to move past this discrimination."

Ronnasi runs two portfolios on Covestor and as of January 10, her Dynamic Option Strategy portfolio is the top performing portfolio out of 52 portfolios offered. Based on the past 365-day period, the portfolio has a Sharpe Ratio of 2.69 and is up 25.5%. She also runs a Tactical Long Short portfolio on Covestor, which invests primarily in ETFs. In addition, Fariba's options portfolio is in the top ten overall and is on the Covestor Champions list as a top three performer in the top risk category.

The lack of women in leadership roles could be attributed to the long-standing issues that investment research teams and trading desks have been male-dominated for decades, "discouraging many talented women from entering or staying in the industry," said Dan Kern, chief investment strategist with TFC Financial Management, a RIA in Boston.

"The 'old boys club' mentality still exists in many firms," he said.

While the imbalance of genders has improved, since Kern graduated from Berkeley Haas which was comprised of one-third women, there are still far fewer female CFA charter holders than male charter holders.

Aside from money market funds, the statistics in the industry remain "terrible" and women tended to make "greater inroads in the money fund segment of the business than in stocks, bonds or hedge funds," he said.

As the number of women in high profile positions leading major asset management organizations increases, this could encourage other females to follow suit and increase the "pipeline of talented women who choose to enter the industry and help the industry to become less of a men's club," Kern said.

"My former colleague, Linda Klingman manages several hundred billion dollar of money fund assets for Charles Schwab Investment Management, and is one of the prominent women money fund portfolio managers," Kern said. "Abigail Johnson at Fidelity, Mary Callahan Erdoes at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Dana Emery at Dodge and Cox Funds, Marie Chandoha at Charles Schwab and my graduate school classmate, Luz Padilla at DoubleLine are among the leaders modeling the way for women who aspire to be fund managers."

Studies demonstrate that companies with gender-diverse boards "deliver superior financial results and stock market performance" are helping pave the way to increasing diversity in the asset management industry, he said.

"I think that gender diversity on boards is an important issue and there are relevant parallels between board diversity and portfolio management diversity," Kern added.
Thin-skinned corporate managers are notorious for working themselves into a lather when journalists question their ethics or skills. But the venom spewed by the chief executive officer of a Fort Lauderdale telecommunication company against New York Post columnist Christopher Byron back in 2006 was a breed apart.

Byron had dubbedGlobeTel Communications a "penny stock vampire" that should be exorcised from the capital markets, which didn't sit well with the firm's apparently humorless CEO, Timothy Huff. The executive shot back in a rambling 900-word press release that Byron was a purveyor of "journalistic pornography" who'd published "half-witted," libelous comments.

My friend Chris Byron died on Jan. 7 at 72. I'm pleased to report that he lived to see Huff sentenced to 50 months in prison in 2010 after the CEO pleaded guilty to securities fraud.

Along with his columns at the Post, Bloomberg News, New York magazine and The New York Observer that exposed the transgressions of public-company big shots, he authored six books, including the New York Times best-seller Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. He also wrote biting pieces about the man who would become president of the United States. Donald Trump once said on CNN that Byron had "made a good living writing about me."

The GlobeTel story was a score for Byron, but hardly a one-off. Huff was one among many scoundrels who preyed on the investing public and later paid a price after Byron slogged through rigged financial statements and then revealed in elegant prose that a company and its management couldn't be trusted.

Let me pause to cop to to my bias about Byron. We included one another in family gatherings and tolled hours on the phone and in person debating politics, telling war stories and mourning the depression in our industry that was killing off financial investigative journalists faster than a listicle gone viral.

Byron's work helped the everyday person. When he was hired as a columnist by BloombergNews in 2000, editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler called Byron "the closest thing to a guardian angel an investor can have."

Later in his career, when the Post declined to renew Byron's contract, the financial website NakedShorts.com said Byron's departure "will raise cheers in boiler rooms from Boca Raton to Broad Street."

Cheers, of course, because a financial journalism vigilante had lost his spot at a working person's newspaper.

Investors were winners after a Byron story effectively blacklisted a rogue. But they also were victorious because of the educational value of his work. After he did the heavy lifting of sorting out phony financials and checking up on the overblown claims in company press releases, the public was able to understand how the nefarious deeds were done. It was the foundation for Mom and Pop to recognize how to avoid the next bad guy.

A reliable measure of an effective investigative journalist is the decibel rate of his or her targets' squealing. Byron inspired a chorus of squealers.

Imagis Technologies, a Vancouver company in the facial recognition software business, sued Byron for libel in a 2002 case that was later dropped. After his story ran, his phone records were stolen in a successful attempt to get a list of his confidential sources. Byron wound up testifying before Congress about the dangers of the practice that exposed his records, known as pretexting.

At GlobeTel, management was so exercised by his coverage that they plastered flyers with Byron's photo on New York City muni-meters outside the headquarters of News Corp. (NWSA) , which owns the Post. The flyers suggested journalism schools should make his work "a case study" in what's wrong with reporters.

Eleven months later, the American Stock Exchange said it was launching procedures to delist GlobeTel's stock, citing the firm's "pattern of issuing materially misleading and overly promotional public disclosures" and its hindering of an Amex investigation, among other things.

Byron had great fun at the expense of some of his subjects. In his hilarious book Testosterone Inc.: Tales of CEOs Gone Wild, he went into painful detail about the vanities of General Electric (GE) CEO Jack Welch, who apparently was preoccupied with his accelerating hair loss. "A cosmetician was hired by GE to camouflage his bald spot by painting filament-fine trompel'oeil hair follicles onto his scalp before TV appearances," Byron wrote of the corporate icon.

Another object of his journalistic affection for years was Donald Trump, whom Byron interviewed at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach for a cover story that ran in the now-defunct George magazine. Byron's observations about Trump in that story were many, but my favorite was that the two met in a huge library "with no books in it."

Byron sometimes made deliberate mischief. In an email he sent me in 2012, he recalled that he'd been reading through "an unusually lie-drenched 10K" public-company filing one day and noticed that that outrageous document had been signed "in script and by hand" by "PriceWaterhouse Coopers," the accounting firm. "So I called them up and asked to be connected to Mr. PriceWaterhouse Coopers," he said. "And I got into a huge row when they finally admitted that no such human being actually existed."

Two years ago, he visited a class in news writing that I was teaching at Connecticut's Fairfield University, and one of my students asked what it took to be a good journalist. They'd need to "make a total commitment to live, breathe and die the news," he told them.

Would he change anything in his life if he could do it over again, another student asked? "I wouldn't trade it for the world," he said. "You get paid for telling stories about other people. How cool is that?"
At last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Amazon (AMZN) was the clear winner, and the company didn't even need to rent a booth.

The e-commerce giant's Alexa digital personal assistant overshadowed competition from rivals such as Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet. And the company showcased Alexa's integration with everything from ADT home security systems to LG speakers, to Ford cars.

Amazon shares rose slightly Thursday to $801.61.

Apple and Alphabet are holdings inJim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. See how Cramerrates the stock here. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sellsAAPL and GOOGL?Learn more now.

Alexa is poised to dominate not only personal assistant technology, but also the entire internet of things -- digitally connected appliances, personal electronics and even self-driving vehicles.

But Alexa isn't the only reason that Amazon investors will stand to profit. After all, the company is first and foremost a retail outlet.

Amazon has transformed the way consumers shop for just about everything. What started out as an online bookseller is now on pace to overtake Macy's as the world's largest apparel retailer, a startling development when you remember that e-commerce was once considered an impossible way to sell clothing.

Amazon is now also offering grocery delivery, which places the company in an even more advantageous position when stacked against bricks-and-mortar rivals such as Walmart and Costco.

Costco is a holding inJim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. See how Cramerrates the stock here. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sellsCOST?Learn more now.

Amazon challenged Costco in another way Wednesday, when the company unveiled its new credit card. The new Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, released through JPMorgan Chase, offers Prime members 5% on their Amazon purchases, as well as 2% back at restaurants, drugstores and gas stations, and 1% back everywhere else.

This rewards program outshines Costco's Visa Anywhere card, which offers only 2% back on purchases via the company's club warehouses or website. The Costco card was released to much fanfare in 2016 after Costco split with its longtime credit card partner, American Express.

Amazon's credit card makes it all the more convenient and attractive for Costco members to switch to Prime.

But besides credit cards and personal assistants, Amazon has reportedly recorded record holiday season sales at the same time that traditional department stores, including Macy's, Sears, and Kohl's, have reported declines.

Amazon's stock is currently about $50 a share lower than last October's highs. There's still the potential for upside for investors here, but the stock could go even further, perhaps passing the $1,000 mark later this month when the company releases its holiday-quarter earnings.

Indeed, in light of the bang with which Amazon has already begun 2017, investors should brace themselves for some more big profit opportunities from this mega-retailer and technology company.

---

Amazon still makes a great play for investors.. But what if I told you I know a way you can see a $67,548 per year - or more - in profitable trades just by following this simple step-by-step process? The trader who is sharing this secret has been right more than 8 out of 10 times, turning $5,000 into more than $5 million for himself. Click here to see how easy it is to follow his lead and collect thousands of dollars in "Free Money" every month.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Iraq will honor its commitment to OPEC's oil production cuts and would like to see oil prices at about $65 a barrel, its oil minister said Thursday in comments that could calm fears that the cartel's No.2 producer was unwilling or unable to reduce output.

Iraq has already cut output by 170,000 barrels and would this week take out another 40,000 barrels to hit its target of a 210,000 barrels per day reduction to 4.35 million barrels per day, Jabbar Al-Luabibi told reporters Thursday at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi.

"This is definitely our policy, we will not deviate from this," the minister said. Iraq is "hoping for a better (oil) price...we are looking at $65, something like that."

West Texas Intermediate futures for February traded Thursday at $52.49, 0.5% higher than its Wednesday price. Brent crude futures for delivery in March traded at $55.51, up 0.71%.

Iraq has emerged as a potential weak point in OPEC's effort to reduce oil output, after evidence from shipping schedules suggested it was preparing to increase exports from its southern ports in Basra next month.

"So far areas of slippage/uncertainty focus on Iraq (exports expected to be +100kbpd in Feb, despite claim of 160kbpd of cuts), Russia (100kbpd cuts so far vs 200kbpd proposed) and South Sudan," Goldman Sachs analyst noted on Wednesday.

OPEC in November agreed to cut output by a total of 1.2 million barrels for six months from the start of 2017, and in December struck a subsequent deal with non-OPEC producers, and notably Russia, to cut a further 600,000 barrels per day.

Analysts and traders remain skeptical that production will hit the agreed targets and have become increasingly concerned by Iraq's compliance after officials appeared to be laying the ground for a breach with claims that producers in the country's autonomous Kurdish zone had increased output beyond agreed quotas. Iraq's willingness to comply to the cuts might also be tested by its obligations to pay compensation to international oil companies if the government enforces limits on their production, which accounts for about 90% of the nation's total output.

Oil Industry analyst S&P Global Platts said Wednesday that OPEC's December output fell to 32.85 million barrels per day, down 280,000 barrels per day on November, but warned that the main contributor to the fall was outages due to maintenance in Nigeria, which is exempt from the OPEC agreement.

"Nigerian production fell to 1.44 million b/d from 1.68 million b/d in November, as planned maintenance halved loadings of its key export grade Agbami," S&P Global Platts noted in a report suggesting that a rebound in Nigerian production, coupled with an increase in output from Libya, which is also exempt from the OPEC agreement, could undermine OPEC's efforts to boost oil prices.

"The crucial question is whether OPEC and non-OPEC can make the compliance stick long enough to clear out the stock overhang," said Eklavya Gupte, senior editor for S&P Global Platts. "If both Libya and Nigeria post a swift output recovery and compliance starts to wane, the deal would unravel."
Shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) were up 4% in premarket trading Thursday. Earlier this week brought word of a minority investor in the Pasadena, Calif.-based company. Silence Therapeutics, based in London, announced in a Jan. 9 statement that it has acquired a 8.4% stake in Arrowhead for $9.6 million. In a separate announcement on Jan. 9, Pasadena, Calif.-based Arrowhead said Silence bought the shares in the open market and Arrowhead was advised of the stake purchase just before Silence's announcement. Arrowhead said there have been no talks about any potential transaction between the two firms.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (LXRX) shares were up 3.8% on the heels of the company's presentation Wednesday at the 35th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Shares of Tesaro (TSRO) were down 3% after the company's Wednesday announcement that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a complete response letter on the rolapitant IV new drug application for the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.

The Waltham, Mass.-based oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company said the FDA's letter did not identify concerns associated with the the safety or efficacy of rolapitant IV or request additional clinical studies. Tesaro said the FDA requested additional information about the in vitro method used to show comparability of drug product produced at the two proposed commercial manufacturers for rolapitant IV that were included in the NDA. The company said it is working to provide the requested information.
Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) CEO Sergio Marchionne has spent considerable time over the last few years talking about ways to use M&A to make his automaker bigger. His better plan might be to focus on how to shrink it.

Marchionne at the Detroit auto show this week revisited one of his favorite topics, the idea that General Motors (GM) could acquire his company, arguing that President-elect Donald Trump might be more receptive to the idea of a deal than the outgoing administration was.

Alas for Marchionne -- even if his suggestion is true, the point is likely moot unless he can make Trump president of GM, as company officials there have shown little interest in doing a deal.

The argument for consolidation has merit, with Marchionne estimating that Fiat Chrysler and other automakers waste upwards of 2 billion per week in redundant research and development and other expenses that could be trimmed via mergers. But Fiat Chrysler, at just a fraction of the size of many of its rivals, and burdened by a significant debt load, simply needs M&A more than its would-be partners do, and so far those other companies have deemed the potential headaches not worth the reward.

Fiat's status quo could become even more untenable should allegations unveiled Thursday that the company violated EPA emission standards are proven true. The company has denied the charges, but Fiat would be ill-prepared to spend anything near the $20 billion rival Volkswagen (VLKAY) has been forced to spend on its emission issues.

It's possible some other partner could emerge -- Germany's Volkswagen is often mentioned, as are various potential Chinese buyers -- but after years of merger talk falling on deaf ears it is clear Marchionne needs a plan B. The CEO has already shown a willingness to use spinoffs in the years since orchestrating the 2009 merger of Fiat and Chrysler, splitting out Ferrari (RACE) as an independent last year, and might want to consider further splits as an alternative to finding a buyer for the whole company.

In a note published this week, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas suggests the remaining parts could be worth more than the Milan and New York-traded company's current 15.4 billion valuation. His model suggests Chrysler's iconic Jeep brand is worth 20.3 billion, or 135% of the company's current market cap, and the Ram line of trucks and pickups is worth about 10 billion.

Under the right circumstances, those businesses might be large enough to be out on their own. Even if not, a U.S. or foreign buyer would likely be much more attracted to buying one or both of those popular U.S. brands than they would be in acquiring Fiat Chrysler as a whole.

Other assets with standalone value include Italian luxury vehicle maker Maserati, which Jonas values at 3.2 billion, and a similarly valued collection of parts and components manufacturers.

What would remain, a collection of assets including small-car assembly and Chrysler's minivan, would not have much value compared to the other assets. But Jonas suggests that free from debt, thanks to the divestitures, the remaining Fiat Chrysler could transform itself into something of a contract manufacturer for a range of tech companies that are developing self-driving technologies but to date have shied away from setting up their own auto assembly line.

That's a role other automakers are attempting to avoid, with Ford Motor's (F) Mark Fields last year saying "we don't want to become like a handset manufacturer. We do not want to be like Nokia (NOK) was." But Fiat Chrysler has shown no such reluctance, and is currently working with Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo auto unit to produce 100 autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans this year.

Apple (AAPL) and Uber could also soon be in the market for automotive frames to attach their software to. Uber vice president Sherif Marakby during the Detroit show this week said his company would work with OEMs instead of building cars, and given the high equipment and other startup costs associated with auto manufacturing and the benefits of scale, it is logical that many other upstarts will look for established producers as well.

Marchionne has hinted at the potential for a spinoff of the parts business but said in Detroit this week that a separation of Maserati is not in the works. Even without massive overhaul, Jonas is positive on Fiat Chrysler, predicting the CEO's campaign to bring down debt will be a success and noting the company's high exposure to Brazil and its large U.S. manufacturing footprint that could work to its advantage during a Trump presidency.

But Marchionne, who is scheduled to retire as CEO in 2019, has always seemed keenly aware of his legacy and seems unlikely to want to depart if the long-term future of his Fiat Chrysler creation is still in doubt. Absent a change of heart inside General Motors or at some other auto giant, a breakup might be the best path forward.
Energy traders have spent weeks mulling over an agreement among OPEC nations to cut oil supplies, in a move to boost oil prices. The jury is still out on that move, but in the meantime, there is another commodity production cut on the table that really should move prices on one energy source - uranium.

The cut is coming directly from Kazakhstan, arguably the world's largest uranium suppliers. The Central Asian, formerly Soviet nation recently announced plans to cut supplies by 10% in 2017.

That's a big deal in the uranium market. According to World Nuclear News, Kazakhstan holds 12% of the world's uranium resources and "has been the world's leading uranium producer since 2009. Its 2015 production of 23,800 tU accounted for 39% of world production."

The uranium policy move is a big change for the country.

"The announcement by the Kazakhs of a decrease in planned uranium production marks a significant change from their production practice since the late 1990s, during which time Kazakhstan production increased more than tenfold and fundamentally shifted the nature of global uranium mining," states Ian Emsley, senior project manager at the World Nuclear Association, in comment to World Nuclear News.

Uranium prices are also on the rise due to the approved shipment by the United Nations of 116 tons of natural Russian uranium to Iran. Uranium, which had been trading in the $18 per-pound range to over $20 per-pound in mid-week trading.

The uranium supply cut is already boosting the price of the world's only uranium exchange traded fund Global X Uranium ETF (URA) , which rose 8.5% in a single day of trading, on Tuesday, January 10. The fund has also skyrocketed from $13 per share to $16.41 per share since January 3, 2017.

Analysts point to the Kazakhstan production cuts as the primary reason. "We had given up on expecting Kazakhstan to exercise production restraint as its mines were the lowest cost operators in the world," says Rob Chang, head of metals and mining at Cantor Fitzgerald in Toronto, in a research note this week. "This news is a definite surprise and may be the inflection point for the uranium space to head higher across the board."

Kazakhstan readily expects prices to rise after the production cut.

In an email from a Global X fund spokesperson to TheStreet, the fund managers state that "as with other commodities, a cut in supply typically supports higher prices when there is an oversupply in the market, just as we have seen with OPEC and the oil output cut."

But the fund's management doesn't see uranium's price move as a short-term issue - it has plenty of long-range steam, as well. "Uranium is one of the only energy sources that couples large scale power output with low greenhouse gas emissions at a cost that's comparable to fossil fuels," the fund states. "The desire to service the ever-increasing global demand for energy in a cheap and clean manner positions nuclear reactors as one of the few sources that fit the world's needs, particularly in rapidly growing emerging markets like China and India."

But some commodities specialist urge prudence for investors jumping in, head first, to uranium-heavy funds like URA.

"Investors should be cautious in using narrow sector ETFs like URA and really understand the exposure they are adding," says Kevin Feldman, CEO at Feldman Capital LLC, an asset management advisory firm in San Francisco (Feldman is also a former CEO of World Gold Trust Services.)

"Unlike gold and silver ETFs which hold actual gold and silver bullion and track the spot prices of these two metals, this ETF tracks an index of uranium producers -- mostly small and micro-cap stocks which may not track the price movements of the physical commodity," notes Feldman.

Although URA has had strong performance since the beginning of the year, its highly concentrated portfolio of mining stocks can be extremely volatile, he adds. "Average three- and five-year returns have been negative, -18% and -20% respectively, even worse than the Solactive Global Uranium Index returns for the same period (-16.6% and -19.6%) which is the fund's benchmark.

Feldman makes a fair point. Yes, URA and uranium have had a great week, but that doesn't mean both will have a great year. But with prices trending upward due to the Kazakhstan and Iran news, uranium may be worth discussing with your financial advisor in the coming weeks.
The following companies are subsidiares of Arrow Electronics: A.E. Petsche Belgium BVBA, A.E. Petsche Canada Inc., A.E. Petsche Company, A.E. Petsche Company Inc., A.E. Petsche Company S De RL, A.E. Petsche SAS, A.E. Petsche UK Limited, ACI Technology, AKS Group Nordic AB, ARROWECS Portugal Sociedade Unipessoal, ARROWECS Sociedade Unipessoal LDA, ARW Electronics Ltd., ARW Enterprise Computing Solutions S.A., ARW Portugal Unipessoal LDA, ASI Dedicated Services LLC, ASI Electrical Services LLC, ASI Managed Services LLC, ATM Electronic, ATM Electronic Corp., ATM Electronic Corporation (HK) Limited, ATM Electronics Hong Kong Limited, ATM Electronics Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, Addex Distribution AS, Adilam Pty. Ltd, Aiqi Xinxing (Beijing) Information Technology Co. Ltd., Altimate Belgium BVBA, Altimate Group, Altimate ND Belgium BVBA, Altimate Netherlands B.V., Annuity Systems Pty Ltd, Arrow (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Arrow Altech Distribution (Pty) Ltd., Arrow Altech Holdings (Pty) Ltd., Arrow Argentina S.A., Arrow Asia Distribution Limited, Arrow Asia Pac Ltd., Arrow Brasil S.A., Arrow Capital Solution BVBA, Arrow Capital Solutions Inc., Arrow Capital Solutions Nederlands BV, Arrow Capital Solutions SAS, Arrow Capital Solutions UK Ltd, Arrow Central Europe GmbH, Arrow Central Europe Holding Munich GmbH, Arrow Chip One Stop Holdings GK, Arrow Componentes ACCR S.R.L., Arrow Components (M) Sdn Bhd, Arrow Components (NZ), Arrow Components Mexico S.A. de C.V., Arrow Components Sweden AB, Arrow Denmark ApS, Arrow Denmark ApS, Arrow ECS (Ireland) Limited, Arrow ECS (NI) Limited, Arrow ECS AG, Arrow ECS ANZ Limited, Arrow ECS ANZ Pty Ltd, Arrow ECS Asia PTE. Ltd, Arrow ECS Australia, Arrow ECS B.V., Arrow ECS Baltic OU, Arrow ECS Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Arrow ECS Canada Ltd., Arrow ECS Central GmbH, Arrow ECS Denmark A/S, Arrow ECS FZCO, Arrow ECS Finland OY, Arrow ECS GmbH, Arrow ECS Internet Security AG, Arrow ECS Internet Security S.L., Arrow ECS Kft., Arrow ECS Ltd., Arrow ECS New Zealand Limited, Arrow ECS Nordic A/S, Arrow ECS Norway AS, Arrow ECS Pty Ltd., Arrow ECS SA/NV, Arrow ECS SAS, Arrow ECS SPA, Arrow ECS Sarl, Arrow ECS Services Sp.z.o.o., Arrow ECS Singapore Pte. Limited, Arrow ECS Sp.z.o.o., Arrow ECS Support Center Ltd., Arrow ECS Support Center Morocco S.A.R.L.A.U, Arrow ECS Sweden AB, Arrow ECS a.s., Arrow ECS d.o.o., Arrow Eastern Europe GmbH, Arrow Electronice S.R.L., Arrow Electronics (CI) Ltd., Arrow Electronics (China) Trading Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Jersey) Limited, Arrow Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics (Sweden) KB, Arrow Electronics (Thailand) Limited, Arrow Electronics (U.K.) Inc., Arrow Electronics (UK) Ltd., Arrow Electronics ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd., Arrow Electronics Asia (S) Pte Ltd., Arrow Electronics Asia Limited, Arrow Electronics Australia Pty Ltd., Arrow Electronics B.V., Arrow Electronics Canada Ltd., Arrow Electronics China Ltd., Arrow Electronics Components (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Arrow Electronics Czech Republic s.r.o., Arrow Electronics D.O.O., Arrow Electronics Danish Holdings ApS, Arrow Electronics EMEA Group GmbH, Arrow Electronics EMEASA S.r.l., Arrow Electronics Estonia OU, Arrow Electronics FC B.V., Arrow Electronics Funding Corporation, Arrow Electronics GmbH & Co. KG, Arrow Electronics Hellas S.A., Arrow Electronics Holdings Vagyonkezelo Kft, Arrow Electronics Hungary Kereskedelmi Bt, Arrow Electronics India Ltd., Arrow Electronics India Private Limited, Arrow Electronics International Holdings LLC, Arrow Electronics International Inc., Arrow Electronics Italia S.r.l, Arrow Electronics Japan GK, Arrow Electronics Korea Limited, Arrow Electronics Labuan Pte Ltd., Arrow Electronics Ltd., Arrow Electronics Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Arrow Electronics Norwegian Holdings AS, Arrow Electronics Poland Sp.z.o.o., Arrow Electronics Russ OOO, Arrow Electronics Services S.r.l., Arrow Electronics Slovakia s.r.o., Arrow Electronics South Africa LLP, Arrow Electronics Taiwan Ltd., Arrow Electronics UK Holding Ltd., Arrow Electronics Ukraine LLC, Arrow Elektronik Ticaret A.S., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions Inc., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions India Private Limited, Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions Ltd., Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions S.A., Arrow Finland OY, Arrow France S.A., Arrow Global Asset Disposition Inc., Arrow Global Supply Chain Services Inc., Arrow Holdings (Delaware) LLC, Arrow Iberia Electronica Lda., Arrow Iberia Electronica S.L.U., Arrow International Holdings L.P., Arrow International Holdings Limited, Arrow Nordic Components AB, Arrow Norway A/S, Arrow S-Tech Norway AS, Arrow SEED (Hong Kong) Limited, Arrow Systems Integration Inc., Arrow UEC Japan KK, Arrow United Holdings LLC, Arrow United International Holdings LP, Arrow Value Recovery ApS (fka Greentech Denmark ApS), Arrow Value Recovery Belgium BVBA, Arrow Value Recovery Czech Republic sro, Arrow Value Recovery Denmark ApS, Arrow Value Recovery EMEA BV, Arrow Value Recovery Finland Oy (fka Greentech Finland OY), Arrow Value Recovery France SAS, Arrow Value Recovery Germany GmbH, Arrow Value Recovery Netherlands BV, Arrow Value Recovery Norway AS (fka Greentech AS), Arrow Value Recovery Sweden AB (fka Greentech Sweden AB), Arrow Value Recovery UK LTD, Arrow eCommerce B.V., Arrow/Artlink Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Arrow/Components (Agent) Ltd., Arrow/Rapac Ltd., Artlink Technology Co. Ltd., Aspen Labs LLC, Aspencore China Investment LLC, Aspencore LLC, Aspencore Media GmbH, Aspencore/IDG China Investment LLC, Asplenium SA, Asset Recovery Corporation, B.V. Arrow Electronics DLC, Beijing AIQI Technology, Beijing Arrow SEED Technology Co. Ltd, Beijing Canon Advertising Co. Ltd., Broomco (4184) Limited, COMPUTERLINKS, COMPUTERLINKS (UK) Ltd., COMPUTERLINKS Belgium BVBA, COMPUTERLINKS Denmark A/S, COMPUTERLINKS Nederland B.V., COMPUTERLINKS S.A., CSS Computer Security Solutions Erwerbs GmbH, CSS Computer Security Solutions Holding GmbH, CSS Computer Security Solutions Ltd., CT3 Europe Limited, Centia Group Ltd, Centia Ltd., Channel Support Pty Ltd, ChiWan Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Chip One Stop, Chip One Stop (Hong Kong) Ltd., Chip One Stop (Shenzhen) Ltd., Chip One Stop Inc., Commtech Solutions (UK) Limited, Components Agent (Cayman) Limited, Components Agent Asia Holdings Ltd., Components Distribution Business - Achieva, Conrac Asia Display Products Pte. Ltd., Conrac MENA FZE, Converge, Converge (Shanghai) International Trading Co. Ltd., Converge Asia Pte Ltd., Converge Electronics Trading (India) Private Ltd., Converge France SAS, Converge Netherlands BV, Converge Scandinavia AB, Cross Telecom, Data Modul, Data Modul AG, Data Modul Electronics Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Data Modul FZE, Data Modul France S.a r.l, Data Modul Hong Kong Ltd., Data Modul Iberia S.L., Data Modul Inc., Data Modul Italia S.r.l., Data Modul Ltd., Data Modul Shanghai Ltd., Data Modul Suisse GmbH, Data Modul Weikersheim GmbH, Diasa Informatica, Dicopel Inc., Distribution Business - Seed International, Distribution Central (MY) Sdn. Bhd., Distribution Central HK Pty Limited, Distribution Central Limited (NZ), Distribution Central Pte Limited (SG), Distribution Central Pty Limited, E-InfoChips KK, EC America, EDN Asia Advertising Pte Ltd., ETEQ Components Pte Ltd., Electronics Products Technology Co. Ltd., Embedded Developer LLC, Erf 211 Hughes (Pty) Limited, Eshel Technology Group Inc., Eurocomponentes S.A., Excel Tech, Excel Tech Inc., Firewall Systems Pty Limited, Fusion Distribution FZCO, Gates - Arrow Distributing, Gates - FA Distributing, Global Link Technology, Greentech Holding AS, Gross Telecom, ICC Global Media GmbH, IP Vista A/S, IPVista A/S, ITM USA Enterprises Inc., Intechra Holdings, Intex-semi Ltd., KeyLink Systems Group, LED Franchise LLC, LED Source Holdco LLC, LED Source LLC, LOGIX S.A., License Central Pty Ltd, Lite-On Korea Ltd., Marubun Arrow (HK) Limited, Marubun Arrow (S) Pte Ltd., Marubun Arrow (Thailand) Co Limited, Marubun Arrow Asia Ltd., Marubun Arrow Europe Kft., Marubun Corporation, Marubun USA Corporation, Marubun-Arrow Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Marubun/Arrow (HK) Limited, Marubun/Arrow (M) Sdn. Bhd (Malaysia), Marubun/Arrow (Philippines) Inc., Marubun/Arrow (S) Pte Ltd., Marubun/Arrow (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marubun/Arrow (Shenzhen) Electronic Product Consulting Company Limited, Marubun/Arrow (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Marubun/Arrow Asia Ltd., Marubun/Arrow USA II LLC, Marubun/Arrow USA LLC, NIC Components Asia PTE Ltd., NIC Components Corp., NIC Components Europe Limited, NIC Eurotech Limited, NUH Electronics India Private Limted, Networld Systems Pty Ltd, Nextworth Solutions Inc., Nu Horizons Electronics, Nu Horizons Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Asia PTE Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Hong Kong Ltd., Nu Horizons Electronics Malaysia SDN BHD, NuHo Singapore Holdings LLC, Observatory Crest, Openway Group SA, Openway SAS, PCG Parent Corp., PCG Trading LLC, PT Marubun Arrow Indonesia, Pansystem S.r.l., Pax8 Inc., Power and Signal Group GmbH, R.D. Trading Limited, RDC, RF Wireless & Power - Richardson Electronics, Rack Systems Pty Ltd, Red Education Pty Ltd, Redemtech, Renewal Systems Pty Ltd, Richardson RFPD (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Richardson RFPD (Thailand) Limited, Richardson RFPD Australia Pty. Ltd., Richardson RFPD Canada Inc., Richardson RFPD Electronics Trading (China) Co. Ltd., Richardson RFPD France SAS, Richardson RFPD Germany GmbH, Richardson RFPD Hong Kong, Richardson RFPD Inc., Richardson RFPD Israel Ltd., Richardson RFPD Italy Srl, Richardson RFPD Japan KK, Richardson RFPD Korea Ltd., Richardson RFPD Netherlands BV, Richardson RFPD Singapore, Richardson RFPD Spain SL, Richardson RFPD Sweden AB, Richardson RFPD Taiwan, Richardson RFPD UK Ltd., Richey Electronics, San Systems Pty Ltd, Schuylkill Metals of Plant City Inc., Seneca Data, Seneca Data Distributors Inc., Shared Technologies, Silicon Frameworks LLC, SiliconEgypt Technologies LLC, SiliconExpert Holdings LLC, SiliconExpert Technologies, SiliconExpert Technologies Inc., Sphinx CST Limited, Sphinx CST Networks Limited, Sphinx Group, Sphinx Group Limited, Sphinx Professional Services Limited, Spoerle Hungary Kereskedelmi Kft, Sun Chain Technology Corp., TLW Electronics Ltd., TechTurn, Titan Supply Chain Services Limited, Titan Supply Chain Services Pte Ltd., Trafomo AB, Trafomo ApS, Transim Technology, Transim Technology Corporation, U.S. Micro Operating Company LLC, UBM Tech Electronics Network, Ultra Source Electronics (SZ) Co LTD, Ultra Source Technology Corp., Ultra Source Trading Hong Kong Limited, United Technical Publishing Division - Hearst Business Media, Universe Electron Corporation, Verical, Verwaltungsgesellschaft Arrow Electronics GmbH, Wireless and Infrastructure Business Unit - Waching Company, Yongming Xincheng (Beijing) Technology Co., e-InfoChips, e-Infochips Private Limited, eInfochips, eMedia Asia Limited, immixGovernment Inc., immixGroup, immixGroup Inc., immixSolutions Inc., and immixTechnology.

Read More
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Partly cloudy and becoming windy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 45F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
Autohome Inc. operates as an online destination for automobile consumers in the People's Republic of China. The company delivers interactive content and tools to automobile consumers through its three websites, autohome.com.cn, che168.com, and ttpai.cn on PCs, mobile devices, mobile applications, and mini apps. It provides media services, including automaker advertising services and regional marketing campaigns; and leads generation services comprising dealer subscription services, advertising services for individual dealers, and used automobile listing and other platform-based services. The company also offers Autohome Mall, an online transaction platform for users to review automotive-related information, purchase coupons offered by automakers for discounts, and make purchases to complete the transaction; data products; and online bidding platform for used automobiles, as well as collects commissions for facilitating transactions of auto-financing and insurance products on its platform. The company was formerly known as Sequel Limited and changed its name to Autohome Inc. in October 2011. Autohome Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.

Read More
NextEra Energy, Inc. is the largest electric utility holding company in the US. 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.
BlackRock, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. It also provides global risk management and advisory services. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also launches and manages open-end and closed-end mutual funds, offshore funds, unit trusts, and alternative investment vehicles including structured funds. The firm launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and real estate mutual funds. It also launches equity, fixed income, balanced, currency, commodity, and multi-asset exchange traded funds. The firm also launches and manages hedge funds. It invests in the public equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity, and alternative markets across the globe. The firm primarily invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, SMID-cap, large-cap, and multi-cap companies. It also invests in dividend-paying equity securities. The firm invests in investment grade municipal securities, government securities including securities issued or guaranteed by a government or a government agency or instrumentality, corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. It employs fundamental and quantitative analysis with a focus on bottom-up and top-down approach to make its investments. The firm employs liquidity, asset allocation, balanced, real estate, and alternative strategies to make its investments. In real estate sector, it seeks to invest in Poland and Germany. The firm benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against various S&P, Russell, Barclays, MSCI, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch indices. BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; London, United Kingdom; Gurgaon, India; Hong Kong; Greenwich, Connecticut; Princeton, New Jersey; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, District of Columbia; Toronto, Canada; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Francisco, California.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a technology company, focuses in the areas of automation and digitalization in Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. It operates through Digital Industries, Smart Infrastructure, Mobility, Siemens Healthineers, and Siemens Financial Services segments. The Digital Industries segment offers automation systems and software for factories, numerical control systems, motors, drives and inverters, and integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines; process control systems, machine-to-machine communication products, sensors and radio frequency identification systems; software for production and product lifecycle management, and simulation and testing of mechatronic systems; and cloud-based industrial Internet of Things operating systems. The Smart Infrastructure segment offers products, systems, solutions, services, and software to support sustainable transition in energy generation from fossil and renewable sources; sustainable buildings and communities; and buildings, electrification, and electrical products. The Mobility segment provides passenger and freight transportation, such as vehicles, trams and light rail, and commuter trains, as well as trains and passenger coaches; locomotives for freight or passenger transport and solutions for automated transportation; products and solutions for rail automation; electrification products; and intermodal solutions. The Siemens Healthineers segment develops, manufactures, and sells various diagnostic and therapeutic products and services; and provides clinical consulting services. The Siemens Financial Services segment offers debt and equity investments; leasing, lending, and working capital financing solutions; and equipment, project, and structured financing solutions. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany.
The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. Ltda., Pfizer Colombia Spinco I LLC, Pfizer Commercial Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Commercial Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Commercial TRAE Trading Kft., Pfizer Consumer Healthcare AB, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare GmbH, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Ltd., Pfizer Consumer Manufacturing Italy S.r.l., Pfizer Corporation, Pfizer Corporation Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Pfizer Croatia d.o.o., Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Development LP, Pfizer Development Services (UK) Limited, Pfizer Domestic Ventures Limited, Pfizer Dominicana S.R.L, Pfizer ESP Pty Ltd, Pfizer East India B.V., Pfizer Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer Egypt S.A.E., Pfizer Enterprise Holdings B.V., Pfizer Enterprises LLC, Pfizer Enterprises SARL, Pfizer Europe Finance B.V., Pfizer Export B.V., Pfizer Export Company, Pfizer Export Holding Company B.V, Pfizer Finance Share Service (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Financial Services N.V./S.A., Pfizer France International Investments, Pfizer Free Zone Panama S. de R.L., Pfizer GEP S.L., Pfizer Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer Global Supply Japan Inc., Pfizer Global Trading, Pfizer Group Luxembourg Sarl, Pfizer Gulf FZ-LLC, Pfizer H.C.P. Corporation, Pfizer HK Service Company Limited, Pfizer Health AB, Pfizer Health Solutions Inc., Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Pfizer Hellas A.E., Pfizer Himalaya Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Holding France, Pfizer Holding Ventures, Pfizer Holdings Corporation, Pfizer Holdings Europe Unlimited Company, Pfizer Holdings G.K., Pfizer Holdings International Corporation, Pfizer Holdings International Luxembourg (PHIL) Sarl, Pfizer Holdings North America SARL, Pfizer Hungary Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Inc., Pfizer Innovations AB, Pfizer Innovations LLC, Pfizer Innovative Supply Point International BVBA, Pfizer International LLC, Pfizer International Markets Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer International S. de R.L., Pfizer International Trading (Shanghai) Limited, Pfizer Investment Capital Unlimited Company, Pfizer Investment Co. Ltd., Pfizer Investment Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Ireland Investments Limited, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 1 LLC, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 2 LLC, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Ireland Ventures Unlimited Company, Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Pfizer Italy Group Holding S.r.l., Pfizer Japan Inc., Pfizer LLC, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Limited, Pfizer Laboratories Limited, Pfizer Laboratories PFE (Pty) Ltd, Pfizer Leasing Ireland Limited, Pfizer Leasing UK Limited, Pfizer Limitada, Pfizer Limited, Pfizer Luxco Holdings SARL, Pfizer Luxembourg Global Holdings S.a r.l., Pfizer Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer MAP Holding Inc., Pfizer Manufacturing Austria G.m.b.H., Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizer Manufacturing Holdings LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Services, Pfizer Medical Technology Group (Belgium) N.V., Pfizer Medicamentos Genericos e Participacoes Ltda., Pfizer Mexico Luxco SARL, Pfizer Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pfizer Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Animal Health and Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer New Zealand Limited, Pfizer Norge AS, Pfizer North American Holdings Inc., Pfizer OTC B.V., Pfizer Overseas LLC, Pfizer Oy, Pfizer PFE ApS, Pfizer PFE AsiaPac Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Pty Ltd, Pfizer PFE B.V., Pfizer PFE Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Belgium SPRL, Pfizer PFE Brazil Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE CIA. Ltda., Pfizer PFE Chile Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Colombia Holding Corp., Pfizer PFE Colombia S.A.S, Pfizer PFE Commercial Holdings LLC, Pfizer PFE Croatia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer PFE Finland Oy, Pfizer PFE France, Pfizer PFE Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Ireland Pharmaceuticals Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco 2 S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Pfizer PFE Limited, Pfizer PFE Luxembourg S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Mexico Holding 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE Netherlands Holding 1 C.V., Pfizer PFE New Zealand, Pfizer PFE New Zealand Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Norway Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE PILSA Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Peru Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Peru S.R.L., Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer PFE Private Limited, Pfizer PFE S.R.L, Pfizer PFE Service Company Holding Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer PFE Singapore Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Singapore Pte. Ltd., Pfizer PFE Spain B.V., Pfizer PFE Spain Holding S.L., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding 2 S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Switzerland GmbH, Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 2 B.V., Pfizer PFE UK Holding 4 LP, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 1 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 2 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 4 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 5 LLC, Pfizer PFE spol. s r.o., Pfizer PFE Ilaclar Anonim Sirketi, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Pfizer Parke Davis (Thailand) Ltd., Pfizer Parke Davis Inc., Pfizer Parke Davis Sdn. Bhd., Pfizer Pharm Algerie, Pfizer Pharma GmbH, Pfizer Pharma PFE GmbH, Pfizer Pharmaceutical (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceutical Trading Limited Liability Company (a/k/a Pfizer Kft. or Pfizer LLC), Pfizer Pharmaceuticals B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Global B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea Limited, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pfizer Pigments Inc., Pfizer Polska Sp. z.o.o., Pfizer Private Limited, Pfizer Production LLC, Pfizer Products Inc., Pfizer Products India Private Limited, Pfizer Research (NC) Inc., Pfizer Romania SRL, Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A. (Belgium), Pfizer S.A. de C.V., Pfizer S.A.S., Pfizer S.G.P.S. Lda., Pfizer S.L., Pfizer S.R.L., Pfizer SRB d.o.o., Pfizer Saidal Manufacturing, Pfizer Sante Familiale, Pfizer Saudi Limited, Pfizer Seiyaku K.K., Pfizer Service Company BVBA, Pfizer Service Company Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Services 1, Pfizer Services LLC, Pfizer Shared Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Shareholdings Intermediate SARL, Pfizer Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Singapore Trading Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Spain Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Specialties Limited, Pfizer Strategic Investment Holdings LLC, Pfizer Sweden Partnership KB, Pfizer TRAE Holdings Kft., Pfizer Trading Polska sp.z.o.o., Pfizer Transactions Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Transactions LLC, Pfizer Transactions Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer Transport LLC, Pfizer Ukraine LLC, Pfizer Vaccines LLC, Pfizer Venezuela S.A., Pfizer Venture Investments LLC, Pfizer Ventures LLC, Pfizer Worldwide Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Zona Franca S.A., Pfizer spol. s r.o., Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn S.A. de C.V., Pharmacia Brasil Ltda., Pharmacia Hepar LLC, Pharmacia Holding AB, Pharmacia Inter-American LLC, Pharmacia International B.V., Pharmacia LLC, Pharmacia Limited, Pharmacia Nostrum S.A., Pharmacia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PowderJect Research Limited, PowderMed, Purepac Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, Redvax, Renrall LLC, Rinat Neuroscience, Rinat Neuroscience Corp., Roerig Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Roerig S.A., Sao Cristovao Participacoes Ltda., Searle Laboratorios Lda., Serenex, Servicios P&U S. de R.L. de C.V., Shiley LLC, Sinergis Farma-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Site Realty Inc., Solinor LLC, Sugen LLC, Tabor LLC, The Pfizer Incubator LLC, Therachon, Thiakis Limited, Treerly Health Co. Ltd, US Oral Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Upjohn Laboratorios Lda., Vesteralens Naturprodukter A/S, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AB, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AS, Vesteralens Naturprodukter OY, Vicuron Holdings LLC, Vinci Farma S.A., W-L LLC, Warner Lambert, Warner Lambert Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Warner Lambert del Uruguay S.A., Warner-Lambert (Thailand) Limited, Warner-Lambert Company AG, Warner-Lambert Company LLC, Warner-Lambert Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Warner-Lambert S.A., Whitehall International Inc., Whitehall Laboratories Inc., Wyeth (Thailand) Ltd., Wyeth AB, Wyeth Australia Pty. Limited, Wyeth Ayerst Inc., Wyeth Ayerst S.a r.l., Wyeth Biopharma, Wyeth Canada ULC, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare LLC, Wyeth Europa Limited, Wyeth Farma S.A., Wyeth Holdings LLC, Wyeth Industria Farmaceutica Ltda., Wyeth KFT., Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Lederle S.r.l., Wyeth Lederle Vaccines S.A., Wyeth Pakistan Limited, Wyeth Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited.

Read More
- US special forces have killed 30 al-Shabaab militants in Southern Somalia near the Kenyan border

- The 30 militants included senior commanders of the terror group and were killed in two separate operations

- Among those killed is said to be Abu Ubeida the al-Shabaab leader in Southern Somalia

Somali commandos backed up US special forces have killed 30 al-Shabaab militants near the Kenyan border in the Southern Somalia region of Middle Juba.

Among those killed are senior al-Shabaab commanders including Abu Ubeida the al-Shabaab leader in Southern Somalia.

According to Xinhua, the militants were killed in two separate military operations in the last four days.

Somali commandos backed up US special forces have killed 30 al-Shabaab militants near the Kenyan border in the Southern Somalia region of Middle Juba.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab bombs AMISOM base, several soldiers feared dead

The Somali government confirmed that the operations took place on August 10 and 13 and mainly targeted the terror militants in Sakow town in Middle Jubba region.

The spokesperson for Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group, Robow Abu Mansur (C), is escorted on December 14, 2008, by bodyguards to a press conference just outside Mogadishu.

READ ALSO: Police gun down al-Shabaab militant after injuring police officer

Terror group al-Shabaab was removed from its major strongholds of Mogadishu and Kismayu by African Union forces and the Kenyan military.

The terror group which now mostly operates and trains in lower Jubba has resorted to attacking civilian and military facilities in Kenya and Somalia.

The group has carried out several attacks in Kenya including the Garissa University College attack.

The Garrisa University attack which occurred in 2015 was one of Kenyas most bloodiest terror attacks.

The militant group raided the university at dawn killing 148 people dead of which 142 were students.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab explosions cut off communication between KDF camp and Kenya

Cover photo: Hiraan

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Guide for Returning to Campus

In the current environment, the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff remain our top priority. To that end, we have taken several important steps that are consistent with the requests of government leaders and health officials.
In 2016, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) 155 times opened access for the law enforcement agencies to information in the scope of financial criminal investigations in the banking sector, the press service of the central bank reports.

The NBU most closely cooperated with the General Prosecutor's Office and the National Police of Ukraine.

In particular, in December 2016, the NBU provided access on 15 occasions to the documents and items of evidence required to investigate criminal offences committed in the banking sector. Such access was provided upon the request of: the General Prosecutor's Office - on six occasions; the National Police of Ukraine - on six occasions; the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine - on two occasions; and the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine - on one occasion.

A reminder that in March 2015, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law on amendments to certain legal acts of Ukraine on the responsibility of bank's related parties which imposed criminal responsibility on the bank managers and owners for actions that led to the bank's insolvency, thereby causing material damage to the State or a creditor.

iy
Andriy Vynohradov, the activist of the Crimea-based Ukrainian Cultural Centre, has been detained on Thursday.

Head of the Ukrainian Cultural Center Leonid Kuzmin informed this on his Facbook page.

"This morning, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained activist of the Ukrainian Cultural Center Andriy Vynohradov," Kuzmin wrote, stating that he did not know the grounds for his detention.

The so-called Crimean department of the Russian Federal Security Service has not officially confirmed the detention of the activist.

ish
One Ukrainian soldier was killed, and five 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.

"One Ukrainian soldier was killed, and five servicemen were wounded as a result of military hostilities in Donbas in last day," Motuzianyk said.

ish
President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree on celebrating the Year of Japan in Ukraine in 2017, the presidents press service reported on Wednesday.

The decree was signed during a meeting of President Poroshenko with Japans Ambassador to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi.

The Head of State expressed hope that this year there will be a progress in talks on visa liberalization with Japan and an increase in the number of direct Japanese investments into the Ukrainian economy, reads a report.

President Poroshenko reminded about successful Japanese investment projects of 2016 that already operate in western Ukraine and create thousands new jobs.

In turn, Ambassador Shigeki Sumi noted the fact that "after Euromaidan a significant number of large Japanese companies started their active economic activities in Ukraine."

iy
The European Parliament has welcomed the reform process in Ukraine that was carried out last year.

Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs Elmar Brok said this at a meeting of the European Parliament Delegation at the Committee of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association in Brussels on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reproted.

"Firstly, I must say that positive developments were held in Ukraine during the past six months. I speak about judicial reform, fight against corruption, electronic declaration. We see a significant progress," the MEP said.

At the same time, he has noted that at the present time these reforms should be extended.

Brok has also noted that this year Ukraine has to improve a macro-financial situation.

ish
On Sunday, January 15, President Petro Poroshenko plans to meet with U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden in the framework of his visit to Ukraine.

This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State.

"On January 15, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will hold a bilateral meeting with U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden during his visit to Ukraine," the report says.

ish
The Trilateral Contact Group on peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbas will meet in Minsk on January 16.

Olha Ayvazovska, the member of the political subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group of Ukraine, said this at a press conference on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reproted.

"The next meeting will be held in Minsk on January 16," she said.

She has added that this is the first meeting of the group in 2017.

ish
205 Live kicked off in a big way this week as the heated rivalry between Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander revolving around the affections of Alicia Fox continued when the two faced each other in the opening bout of the night.

Cedric Alexander w. Alicia Fox - Noam Dar

Alexander came out hot from the first bell after refusing to shake his opponent's hand and took the fight to Dar with several forearms that rocked the Scottish Supernova, sending him to the outside where Alexander would continue to hunt him down with further big forearm shots. Alexander was caught out after trying to bounce off the ropes with Dar hitting him with a sharp kick to the chest showing how well scouted both men are with each other.

Dar then took advantage of the situation and began to work on Alexander's arm with several submissions and holds as well as kicks all whilst Alicia Fox attempted to get the crowd behind her man. Dar then used the stairs to his advantage to damage the arm even further and trapped it between the stairs and the turnbuckle, but Foxy stopped him from crushing the arm and Alexander made the most of the situation, diving through the ropes to take out his rival before telling Fox to stay out of the situation as he has it under control.

After an incredible Handspring Roundhouse Kick, the highflying Alexander went to the top rope and aimed to hit a moounsault only for Fox to pull Dar out of the way, swerving her boyfriend who crash landed and tasted a sweet kick to the face to allow Dar to pick up the win.

Post-match, Dar attempted to hug Foxy and received a slap to the face as Alexander stormed away from her.

Dar picked up an important victory. Photo- WWE.com

Analysis: This was a fun back and forth match that had plenty of good storytelling intertwined by using Fox well. Having Alexander tell her to stay out of the match was a good continuation of their personal story and Foxy helping Dar to win was a fun turn that seemed to be coming; Dar's focus on the arm throughout the match was well executed also, good start to the show.

A vignette was then shown for the debut of Tozawa with SmackDown Live star, Kalisto talking about his abilities whilst showing highlights of him in action.

Analysis: Tozawa is an incredibly gifted wrestler who is very different from everybody else on the roster and will really add to the 205 Live dynamic, fans should be excited to see him debut.

The Brian Kendrick - Sean Maluta

The former Cruiserweight Champion was out next and he cut a promo on the veteran Tajiri who sprayed green mist in his face last week, Brian Kendrick warned him that next time he sees him he will make Tajiri choke on the mist as he turned his attention to his opponents, telling him he wouldn't last 30 seconds with him.

As the action got underway it was clear Sean Maluta was ready for the fight as he attempted to score several early pinfalls to surprise the 'man with the plan' and then went on to dominate the match. Maluta hit an impressive apron dive somersault dive on Kendrick before a diving headbutt but it wasn't enough to put away the veteran.

After hitting the Shining Wizard it appeared that Maluta had a surprise win on his hands as he attempted to hit a Frog Splash, but the more experienced Kendrick had his knees up and quickly locked in the Captain's Hook for a submission victory.

A veteran move by Kendrick. Photo- WWE.com

Analysis: The result was never really in doubt here as Kendrick if being built for a future feud with Tajiri which should be fun to watch. It was smart to re-use Maluta as he faced the Japanese Buzzsaw last week and he looked impressive in the ring, he's been used several times and it would be nice to see him earn a contract as he has good ability in the ring.

Jack Gallagher and Ariya Daivari meet in Parlay

The two rivals met in 'parlay' this week on 205 Live as the two continued their fun rivalry with another of Jack Gallagher's gentlemanly segments that set the two up for a future 'I Forfeit' match. Gallagher told Ariya Daivari that the pair have been playing silly buggers and it is time to end the feud with Daivari responding by letting him know he is not a gentleman and that he won't stop attacking him until he is a pasty white smear under his boot.

Gallagher then challenged him to an I Forfeit match which is essentially an I Quit match but with a different name to suit Gallagher's character and Daivari accepted with the two then brawling until officials split the pair up.

There was no peace between these two men. Photo-WWE.com

Analysis: This was an average segment that didn't quite live up to the gentleman's duel that they had previously, however, the set up for an I Forfeit match was good and it is nice to see them getting a big pay-off match that should main event a future 205 Live. Gallagher has a big future in WWE and it is clear they have plans for him as they continue to make segments and now match types to suit and build his character with the fans; this feud has been great for Daivari too.

Rich Swann - Tony Nese

The main event saw the return of Cruiserweight Champion, Rich Swann to 205 Live as he faced Tony Nese in a match that started off with the Premier Athlete on top and taking the fight to the champion, sending him flying into the barricade and following it up with a flurry of kicks that Swann couldn't handle (pun intended).After an amazing kick up bridge to avoid a kick, Nese once again used his speed with several kicks and a stomp almost getting the better of the champion but a tiger bomb and a kick to the face was enough for the champion to get the win.

Analysis: This match needed slightly more time as it only started to pick up towards the end, although it was a good showing for Nese who dominated the match it was always the champion winning on his return. Swann's finisher came out of nowhere and the fans barely reacted to it given how many kicks were being exchanged in the match which is something he might want to consider in the future.

The champion picked up the win. Photo-WWE.com

Post match Swann and Neville got into a promo feud with both men claiming to be the number one cruiserweight in the division as Swann said he is prepared to accept a challenge for the title at any time... Neville chose the Royal Rumble.

Analysis: Nothing standout was said by either man who have both delivered better promos in recent weeks, however, it is good to see the match set with time to build on both Raw and 205 Live, hopefully, they get on the main card as they certainly deserve it.

Star of the night: Noam Dar- It was a major win for Dar who has lost the majority of his matches since debuting and with the potential to now put Alicia Fox by his side the future could be bright for him.

Rating: 5/10- It wasn't the strongest episode of 205 Live this week with only the opening contest really standing out and the parlay segment not quite living up to its potential. The show was hurt by the lack of Neville who is the biggest star of the division and is someone who fans will react to in a big way but it was a good continuation of the three main angles on the show with good setup to move forward.

Last Week: 6.5/10
The Earth is not the only place with volcanic activity. Active volcanism also occurs at at least 3 other bodies in our Solar System.
Girls, Girls, Girls!

Ever since neon was invented, those words have flashed over sleazy bars and strip joints. These days, however, they arent just a leering come-on; theyre a booming category of suspense fiction. Lets call it the Gone-Girl-on-a-Train school of high-anxiety thriller.

"The Girl on the Train," by Paula Hawkins (Riverhead)

Sure, girls have been present in mysteries ever since that girl detective Nancy Drew drove her blue roadster into the genre in 1930. By the time Stieg Larssons The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was published in English, in 2008, girls had begun elbowing their way en masse into thriller titles. Since the wild success of Gone Girl  and The Girl on the Train, girls  or women referred to as girls  are popping up everywhere in suspense stories, and theres no end in sight.

Just this month, we have The Girl Before (Ballantine), Everything You Want Me to Be (Emily Bestler/Atria) and Her Every Fear (Morrow)  novels that spin off the model made so popular by Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins: female protagonists whose one defining characteristic is a clinically defined psychological malady.

Whether victims, villains and/or amateur detectives, these girls are explicitly identified as suffering from anxiety disorders or displaying OCD behavior; they are struggling with alcoholism or dependent on mood-regulating prescription drugs. Occasionally, a fantasist even slips into a story.

Are millennial jitters responsible for the flourishing Gone-Girl-on-a-Train variant of thriller? The infiltration of therapeutic terms into everyday conversation? What about that old reliable culprit, feminist backlash?

Whatever the reason, this emphasis on character development through therapeutic labeling has crucial consequences for the thriller narrative. First, the world  always a scary, unstable place in suspense fiction  is made more so with female characters who wrestle with disorders that throw into question the reliability of their storytelling. Second, these girls tend to be more fragile than the preceding generation of grrls in suspense fiction who were shaped by the fiercer ethos of third-wave feminism. (Lisbeth Salander roars to mind.)

Todays girls are neither tough girls, like that moto-jacketed Salander; nor femmes fatales, like the vixens who dominated noir fiction and films; nor good girls like Nancy and her prim posse, Bess and George. Rather, they are something of a throwback to the trembling unnamed narrator of Daphne du Mauriers Rebecca or the high-strung heroine played by Doris Day in Midnight Lace , forever fainting or swallowing martinis in response to threatening phone calls.

Her Every Fear," Peter Swanson (William Morrow)

Consider Kate Priddy, the girl in Her Every Fear, by Peter Swanson. The Londoner suffers from debilitating panic attacks, which she erratically controls with prescription drugs and breathing exercises. When she was a college student, Kates former boyfriend stalked and terrorized her, ultimately locking her in a closet before he fatally shot himself on the other side of the door. Fast-forward to the present: Kates American cousin, Corbin Dell, is posted to London for work. He arranges to move into Kates flat while she impetuously agrees to move into his cavernous apartment in Boston. Just like those Gothic castles of old, Kates new digs contain hidden cubbyholes and dark passageways. On the very first morning in the apartment, Kate learns that her next-door neighbor, another young woman, has been murdered. A male resident with a penchant for peeping on his neighbors (a la Rachel Watson in Girl on a Train) is a strong suspect, but, despite the narrations forays into the mind of the killer, most readers wont anticipate the Hitchcockian twists and turns of this standout (if grisly) suspense tale.

"Everything You Want Me to Be," by Mindy Mejia (Atria/Emily Bestler)

In Everything You Want Me To Be, by Mindy Mejia, teenager Hattie Hoffman is our clinically unstable girl. She once had her sights set on Broadway. But Hattie wont be making her debut anytime soon, given that this novel opens with an eerie tableau of her corpse lying in a dilapidated barn. (That barn leads us to another common characteristic of the Gone-Girl-on-a-Train books: These girls are always drawn to inherently creepy structures like claustrophobic closets and basement storage facilities, free-floating stairways and flimsy balconies of the kind that played a key role in last years bestseller The Woman in Cabin 10.) Mejia takes us back to the time when Hattie began a relationship with Peter, a teacher whose marriage is crumbling. Like Nick and Amy of Gone Girl, Peter and his wife, Elsa, begin to falter as a couple when they relocate from city to country. And as in that novel, this eerie thriller tells us, Midwestern nice often masks Midwestern vice.

"The Girl Before," by JP Delaney (Ballantine)

In The Girl Before, by JP Delaney, the story line hops back and forth between two women at two different times who make the bad decision to lease an austere one-bedroom house in London designed by enigmatic techno minimalist architect Edward Monkford. Present-day prospective tenant Jane  our mentally unstable girl  has suffered a stillbirth and jumps at the chance to live in a spare house without memories. (Female bodies in the Gone-Girl-on-a-Train genre make manifest the frightening unpredictability of life. Unplanned pregnancies, miscarriages, stillbirths, infertility and false pregnancies are rife in this genre.) As part of her lease application, Jane must answer a questionnaire that the controlling Monkford has devised. But when she successfully moves into this dazzling smart house, where even her heart rate is monitored by sensors, Jane becomes haunted by stories of a former tenant named Emma, who fell to her death from a central free-standing stone stairwell. Already optioned for a film by Ron Howard, The Girl Before is deservedly the anointed top girl of this seasons suspense novels.

And yet its ending leads us to a final observation about these Gone-Girl-on-a-Train stories: Their narrative journeys are almost always more satisfying than their final destinations. Because these novels, even more than most suspense tales, are so plot-driven  distinguished by baroque story lines that intensify the general paranoid atmosphere  their endings tend to collapse in damp exhaustion. The girls have been manipulated  and so have we.

Granted, its all retro fun to follow along as these frightened (and sometimes frightening) girls swoon, hyperventilate and/or pathologically lie their way through these adventures, but when an old dame like Jessica Fletcher displays more sang-froid in confronting the psychopaths of Cabot Cove than most of these girls do in routinely opening their refrigerators, perhaps its time for less malady and more moxie in female suspense fiction.

Maureen Corrigan, who is the book critic for the NPR program, Fresh Air, teaches literature at Georgetown University.

Michael Dirda is on vacation.
Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard conducts an experiment on the moon in February 1971. A research team used rocks that Shepard and Edgar Mitchell brought back to Earth to figure out the moons age. The estimate is 4.51 billion years old. (NASA via AP)

It turns out the moon is older than many scientists suspected: a ripe 4.51 billion years old.

Thats the newest estimate, thanks to rocks and soil collected by the Apollo 14 moonwalkers in 1971.

A research team reported Wednesday that the moon formed within 60 million years of the birth of the solar system. Previous estimates ranged within 100 million years, all the way out to 200 million years after the solar systems creation, not quite 4.6 billion years ago.

The scientists conducted uranium-lead dating on fragments of the mineral zircon that were pulled from Apollo 14 lunar samples. The pieces of zircon were tiny  no bigger than a grain of sand.

Size doesnt matter, they record amazing information nonetheless! lead author Melanie Barboni of the University of California at Los Angeles, said in an email.

Until recently, the moon was estimated to be millions of years younger. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

She noted that the moon holds so much magic . . . the key to understand how our beautiful Earth formed and evolved.

Some of the eight zircon samples were used in an earlier study, also conducted at UCLA. Barboni said she is studying more zircons from Apollo 14 samples, but she doesnt expect it to change her estimate of 4.51 billion years for the moons age, possibly 4.52 billion years at the most.

It would be more a double-checking than anything else, she explained.

She and her co-workers  whose research appeared Wednesday in the journal Science Advances  are eager to learn more about the moons history and, in turn, the evolution of early Earth and the entire solar system.

Apollo 11s Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell collected 92 pounds of rocks and used tubes to dig up soil while exploring the moons Fra Mauro highlands in February 1971. They conducted two spacewalks, spending nine hours altogether out on the lunar surface.

Its the second major moon study this week.

On Monday, Israeli scientists suggested our Earths constant companion may actually be a melting pot of many mini-moons. Rather than one giant impact that shaved off a chunk of Earth and formed the moon, a series of smaller collisions may have created multiple moonlets that eventually merged into one, according to the researchers.

The giant-impact theory says that the resulting energy formed a lunar lava ocean that later became solid. Its the age that it became solid that Barboni and her team have now figured out.

We finally pinned down a minimum age for the moon formation, she said, regardless of how it formed.
Reader: I wrote you before about the change in the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime regulations (June 26). To comply with the rule, my employer informed me that my annual salary would be adjusted to $24 above the new threshold, making me exempt from overtime pay. At the time, I was disappointed because the raise was not that significant and I regularly work more than 40 hours a week. However, Ive begun feeling better about the situation and am hoping my employer will not renege now that a federal judge has put the rule temporarily on hold.

Karla: Thanks for the update. Looks like your employer was doing the bare minimum to comply  but it counts. And if youre allowed to keep your raise, youre still coming out ahead.

A recap for those who missed the news: Last spring, the Department of Labor announced a major rule change to make most workers earning less than $47,476 per year eligible for overtime as of Dec. 1. In response, some employers decided to raise wages to bring workers above the threshold (as with the reader above) or turn exempt workers into hourly workers and pay overtime as needed.

Then, just before Thanksgiving, a federal district court blocked the rule with a temporary injunction. On Dec. 1, the Labor Department filed for an expedited appeal against the injunction  but even with expedited review, the litigation is not likely to be resolved before the new administration takes over on Jan. 20.

Because the injunction came so late, many employers had already implemented the rule and were left grappling with whether they should undo the changes pending the outcome of the litigation.

And to add to the uncertainty, the incoming administration is not a fan of the change.

Although president-elect Trump hasnt indicated his stance on the overtime rule, he has said small businesses should be exempt. His Labor Secretary appointee, fast-food restaurant chief executive Andrew Puzder, explicitly opposed the rule when it was announced, saying it would add to the extensive regulatory maze  on employers and result in reduced opportunities, bonuses, benefits, perks and promotions.

So in its current form, the embattled rule seems to have as much hope of survival as a New Years resolution during Mardi Gras.

But the fact remains that the current overtime threshold, which has been adjusted only once in four decades, has not kept pace with the cost of living. Even a modest increase in overtime benefits would indicate that the president-elect, who campaigned on bringing prosperity to  people who work hard but dont have a voice , intends to keep that promise.

Thanks to Nancy Hammer, Society for Human Resource Management, and Declan Leonard, Berenzweig Leonard.

Ask Karla Miller about your work dramas and traumas by emailing wpmagazine@washpost.com. Read more @Work Advicecolumns.

For stories, features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit The Washington Post Magazine.

Follow the Magazine on Twitter.

Like us on Facebook.

Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.
Martin Luther King Jr. visited the District many times before and after the 1963 March on Washington. On the eve of that historic protest, however, he spent time in the Willard Hotel lobby working on his speech. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

A plaque on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial indicates where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of racial equality, but the civil rights leader crisscrossed the capital city many times before and after Aug. 28, 1963. (He worked on the I Have a Dream speech in the Willard Hotel lobby, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.)

On May 17, 1957, King stood on those same memorial steps to speak on African American voting rights. That speech catapulted him into the national consciousness during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom.

Then, as now, there is a national narrative about civil rights, and there is a local narrative, says David Canton, head of Connecticut Colleges Africana studies program.

Kings grasp of the links between the two is clear in his support for District self-governance. In 1965, he marched with thousands from Shaw to Lafayette Square, in part to thank President Lyndon B. Johnson for his support for a home-rule bill before Congress. In a news conference that year at Adas Israel synagogue in Cleveland Park, King compared the lack of home rule to poll taxes and other Southern racist anti-voting efforts.

In 1967, another home rule march ended at Cardozo High School (now Cardozo Education Campus, 1200 Clifton St. NW), where King again spoke.

He met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 23, 1958 (along with Lester Granger, A. Philip Randolph and Roy Wilkins). It was not Ikes best moment, said David A. Nichols, author of A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Revolution. They shared with [the president] the frustration of the black community. Ike responded by saying, Dont you understand what Ive been doing for you?  (Among other things, Eisenhower had desegregated the District.) King also visited presidents John F. Kennedy and Johnson.

On April 18, 1959, King was honorary chair of an area march against segregation. Flouting the Brown v. Board Supreme Court decision was the norm, said David Lai, assistant editor at Stanford Universitys Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project.

On Feb. 6, 1968, King and other church leaders gathered at Arlington National Cemetery for a pray-in against the war in Vietnam. On March 31, King delivered a sermon at the Washington National Cathedral. He was slain in Memphis four days later.
Filmmaker Julie Dash and I are sitting at a table in a Washington restaurant looking at black-and-white photos of an incredible moment in May 1990, when women filmmakers were invited to pitch to producers during a retreat at the Sundance Institute in Utah.

Were poring over images of the gatherings last day. There are group shots, photos that include filmmakers Neema Barnette (Queen Sugar) and Euzhan Palcy (A Dry White Season), and The Women of Brewster Place author Gloria Naylor (who died in September). Dash is there in the top row, wearing sunglasses.

She had come seeking support to finish her landmark film, Daughters of the Dust, which last year turned 25 and found itself in a renaissance, being discovered by a new generation. Beyonces 2016 instant classic Lemonade, a paradigm-shifting visual album, gets credit. Daughters was trending on social media the night Lemonade premiered.

Daughters, entered in the Library of Congresss National Film Registry in 2004, has been widely recognized as the cultural antecedent to Beyonces Grammy-nominated work.

The movie was digitally restored and released by Cohen Media Group in November. Dash was honored by the New York Film Critics Circle shortly after.

Talk about timing.



Actresses in Julie Dashs landmark 1991 film Daughters of the Dust, from top, Trula Hoosier, Barbara-O and Alva Rogers. (Cohen Media Group/Everett Collection)

In 1990, Dash arrived in Utah with a trailer and script about a story of an early-20th-century Gullah family preparing to leave rural life. (Gullahs are descended from enslaved Africans brought to the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.) The tales narrator would be a yet-to-be-born child.

What if an unborn child could come forward and help her parents sort out a problem in their marriage? Dash recalled saying back then. She left Utah with partial funding from American Playhouse.

I had been part of the retreats support staff, driving attendees between events and their cabins.

In Washington, I give Dash the best of the photos of those young, wide-eyed women with big smiles and big dreams.

The next time someone tells you there arent any women filmmakers of color ... , she says as she taps her finger on a photo, a bit of excitement in her voice.

The ponytail she wore then is now a golden mane of natural waves. Shes been teaching this school year at Howard University as its Time-Warner visiting professor at the newly named Cathy Hughes School of Communications.

For Dash, the comparisons to Lemonade feel natural.

Theres a continuum of song, of manner, motor habits that went undercover for a while because everyone was trying to integrate and be part of the melting pot, she says. You dont need to be in the melting pot. Why melt?

Were at the restaurant Mulebone for a memorial celebration of a mutual friend, culinary anthropologist and NPR correspondent Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, who died in September and is the subject of Dashs current project, Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl.

There is a circle of artists to which Dash and Smart-Grosvenor belong. Smart-Grosvenor was a consultant for Daughters and appears in signature scenes: Black women in white Edwardian dresses spread blankets on the beach. Lids are lifted from pots of gumbo for a final Sunday feast before the family leaves its home.



A 1990 photo shows women filmmakers at a retreat at the Sundance Institute in Utah. Julie Dash, in the top row at left in sunglasses, got funding for Daughters of the Dust at the retreat. (PBS)

When Daughters was released in 1991, it resonated with African American women who, like Dash, were devoted readers of writers Toni Cade Bambara, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison and Naylor. They were, says Dash  adding Tananarive Due, Nigerian American Nnedi Okorafor and Octavia Butler  a source of inspiration.

That circle  which includes women and men  is witnessing its influence on pop culture.

The links between those early Dash days and now are more than theoretical.

My daddy Alabama, momma Louisiana

You mix that negro with that Creole, make a Texas bama

I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros

I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils

Earned all this money, but they never take the country out me

I got hot sauce in my bag, swag

 Formation, Beyonce

Melina Matsoukas is the Grammy Award-winning director of Beyonces Formation video. Her credits include work with Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott and Beys sister, Solange Knowles. Shes also an executive producer for Golden Globe nominee Issa Raes HBO series, Insecure.

I remember seeing this film [Daughters ] at a very young age, Matsoukas says. It really helped shape my ideas about what film could be because it felt so different than anything I had seen before. ... I was mesmerized by its distinct voice and how authentic ... it was to that time and place. It was reassuring as a black person to see that our stories have value on screen.

In Formation Beyonce could be channeling Yellow Mary, the independent and mysterious cousin in Daughters who has had her taste of mainland gumbo, which isnt as good as the gumbo back home. Scorned by her high-hatted and pious relatives, shes the bridge between their past and the future.

Arthur Jafas ties to Daughters are blood deep. He and Dash used to be married, and its their daughter, Nzinga, who inspired the idea of the films narrator.

Julie Dash: One of my missions, my goals was to show women  like the women in my family  show them as they really are. (Andre Chung/For The Washington Post)

Jafa won the cinematography award for his work on the movie at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. More recently he supervised its digital restoration. He also worked with fellow Howard alumnus and MTV Video Music Award winner Malik Sayeed on the Formation video.

We meet inside the old Corcoran Gallery of Art building. The Beaux Arts interiors of the former art museum are stripped to its bare walls and fixtures.

Daughters was always a celebration of the black aesthetic, a celebration of language, dress, sensibility. Dash, Jafa and the production designer, artist Kerry James Marshall (whose work has been on display at the Met Breuer in New York), brought the Peazant family to life.

Its about whats being passed down through the generations, Jafa says. Its like [jazz drummer] Max Roach said about rhythm. Its both the most immaterial and the most felt of things at the same time. And so the same thing with aesthetics. If you understand black aesthetics as nothing but the values of black people, if you understand these things as real ... you should be able to move them from one place to the other, and they should have a concrete impact.

I love you cause youre mine. Youre the fruit of an ancient tree.

 Nana Peazant, Daughters of the Dust

Every woman extends backward into her mother and forward into her daughter is the Carl Jung quote Dash included in the dedication to her mother, Rhudine Henderson Dash, and Nzinga, in a book about the making of Daughters.

One of my missions, my goals was to show women  like the women in my family  ... show them as they really are.

Dash and her older sister, Charlene, grew up in Queensbridge public housing in New York. Their father, Charles Edward Dash, is the familys connection to their Low Country South Carolina Gullah Geechee heritage. Her mother was active in the Black Womens Club Movement, traveling to Washington and bringing home stories about Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Dash graduated from City College of New York with a film degree, then headed to the American Film Institutes Conservatory.

For her screenwriting class, she wrote Illusions, a tale about a 1940s black woman passing for white and working in a Hollywood studio. They told me it was ridiculous, says Dash, who eventually made it as a short featuring Lonette McKee.

Dash found artistic freedom at UCLAs School of Theater, Film and Television, alongside other students of color  Chicanos, Asians, Native Americans, others from the African diaspora. She and fellow students, including Haile Gerima (Sankofa), Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep) and documentary and multimedia producer Carroll Parrott Blue, wanted to create a cinema reflecting their worlds. They were dubbed the L.A. Rebellion.

We didnt call ourselves that, she says. We were just West Coast independent filmmakers trying to make films that spoke to our lives. Im very comfortable being a black woman filmmaker. Thats my generation. ... Thats who I am. Theres a rhythm, theres a beat, theres an aesthetic thats been missing from mainstream media, and now its just coming to bear with Ava [DuVernay], Dee Rees [Pariah], Gina Prince-Bythewood[Beyond the Lights]  wonderful young filmmakers. Were starting to feel the pulse is changing.

Some of the funding for Daughters stipulated a limited theatrical run in favor of a television premiere on PBS. Daughters was not a television movie, says Dash, and it lived vibrantly in art houses.

But that didnt yield major studio offers.

Id pitch stories as late as 2011, when I pitched a miniseries about Eleanor Roosevelts battalion. The first comment is always, Ill have to check into it,  Dash says.

We pitched Octavia Butlers books, Harlem Renaissance stories, contemporary love stories. Nothing that we pitched ever got through, she says. And then they would say that no one ever pitched to them. I still have those [rejection] letters.

Since Daughters, and with the expansion of TV channels, Dash has written and directed for BET, Starz Encore, Showtime, MTV and HBO, and other projects, including The Rosa Parks Story for CBS featuring Angela Bassett. There are also music videos (for Tony! Toni! Tone!, Keb Mo, Tracy Chapman, Sweet Honey in the Rock), commercials and public service announcements.

Though shes at Howard this academic year, Dash is on the cinema, television and emerging media studies faculty at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

What a difference 25 years makes.

Ava DuVernay, who is golden in Hollywood these days, understands timing and opportunity. Her 2014 film Selma was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. DuVernay is also a writer and director for the popular small-screen drama Queen Sugar on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) and directed a 2016 criminal justice documentary on Netflix, 13th, which has received critical acclaim. And last year she became the first woman of color to direct a $100 million film, Disneys A Wrinkle in Time, based on the Newbery Medal-winning novel by Madeleine LEngle. Its star cast includes Winfrey.

What if Dash had had an Oprah Winfrey?

DuVernay does a roll call of the women directors who came before her.

I look at my predecessors, the queens of black cinema  Julie Dash, Neema Barnette, Euzhan Palcy  women who didnt have the opportunity to do what I do  and its just because of the time Im in, not because of any special talent, she says.



Dash meets with students, from left, Temitope Olutunmbi, Rory Padgett and LaDawn Manuel to discuss their film projects at Howard University, where shes teaching. (Andre Chung/For The Washington Post)

At Howard, Dash is teaching screenwriting and directing.

My students want to give voice to their generation, how their generation sees the world, and how they work through their issues and problems, she says. My job is to listen and to guide them in technical issues of how they can go about presenting their voice best, but not to comment on anything of how theyre doing it. Because their goals are very different, as how they should be.

Amanda Rhodes is a first-year master of fine arts candidate from Hyattsville, Md. She remembers being very young when her father took her to see Daughters of the Dust.

It was something my dad encouraged me to watch because we have Gullah ancestry, she says.

She realizes something else: Before todays praise of black girl magic there was the magical presence of black women in Daughters of the Dust. The larger-than-life feeling that Julie created, [thats] trickled down to what ... Beyonces Lemonade is.

Rory Padgett, a second-year graduate student, describes himself as a gay black filmmaker. What struck him in Daughters, he says, was how slavery was handled  not the usual visuals of violence, the whip ... the noose ... the beatings.

Julies image of slavery is in indigo-stained hands, says Padgett, who is taking a similar approach in his student film about police brutality. He wants to show the impact of a loss on a family rather than the murder.

Temitope Olutunmbi is also a second-year MFA candidate and the child of Nigerian immigrants. He wants to explore his Nigerian roots in his filmmaking.

Thats not something a studio is necessarily going to sign off on, but fortunately I dont need their permission to do that, he says. He and his classmates see digital technology and streaming platforms as tools for creative freedom.

Dash recruited LaDawn Manuel, a second-year MFA candidate, to assist her with the photography for the Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor event at Mulebone. Manuel says she struggled with calling herself an artist and is more comfortable with the photographer label.

Shes more sure about this: We couldnt be here now if it wasnt for the Julies who put in the work for us.

Daughters of the Dust will be playing at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Md., starting February 17th.

Michon Boston is a writer, playwright and consultant for TV, new media and film. Comments: Email wpmagazine@washpost.com.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Chinas Cultural Revolution triggered an influx of new residents from mainland China, and played a role in the flight of ousted Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan. In fact, Chinas Communist Revolution did both. The story has been updated.



Visitors jam the Raohe Street Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan. (Horizon Images/Motion/Alamy Stock Photo)

My flight from San Francisco to Taipei was delayed, and painfully so. My eyes were bloodshot, my long, black hair already matted, and I was only a quarter of the way to my destination. Warily, I glanced at my text messages.

Arent you going to Taiwan? Did you hear about the phone call?





What luck. Just as I was Taiwan-bound, on a seven-day trip with a group of fellow unwashed-writer types, the 13,000-square-mile dollop of an island where I was headed was suddenly on everyones lips.

I raised my eyes to the nearest TV and quickly caught myself up. The news channels were buzzing about a 10-minute chitchat between the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. It wouldnt seem like much but for the fact that no American president or president-elect had taken a call from Taipei in nearly 40 years. To do so would be an affront to China.

This particular president-elect not only spoke to Taiwan, but he had tweeted all about it.

[Why people are making such a big deal about the Trump-Taiwan call]

Spent, I decided to send a few texts, board and sleep for the bulk of the flight. The fellowship that had dispatched me to Taiwan encouraged me to learn about whatever I wanted. And what I wanted to do was eat.

For a tiny place, Taiwans novelty-filled food culture has an almost gravitational pull over the American diner. Taiwanese American kids in Southern California snack on fried squid at homegrown night markets; a chef, Eddie Huang, slings bao  doughy buns filled with various meats and vegetables  and Taiwanese sodas in New York and Los Angeles. Bubble tea, a milky, sweet drink laden with gummy tapioca pearls the size of marbles, hails from this place, too, though now its almost as ubiquitous in such places as Rockville, Md.

A plate of stinky tofu, a street-stand staple that proved to be the authors nemesis. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post)

I was Taiwan-bound for stinky tofu, not for a whiff of international brinkmanship.

It quickly dawned on me that politics and Taiwans delicate dance with China pervade everything here, from the conversation to the cuisine.

Everyone we met paused before speaking carefully about Taiwan. Is Taiwan a nation? (No.) Does it have an embassy? (No, not quite.) Is its democratically elected president actually a president? (Er, debatable, but this publication often uses leader.)

Beijing and Taipei are, for better or worse, bound, the product of the one-China policy, which recognizes the two governments as one  or, rather, recognizes only Chinas as legitimate.

Which is why, for decades, American presidents have pretended that Taiwan doesnt exist. And why, for two generations, Taiwan has shuddered under Chinas yoke.

Szu-chien Hsu, the gleefully frank head of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, has a notion about why the Trump Call, as it has come to be known here, made Taiwanese hearts (and Tsais approval ratings) leap.

We have this feeling, he says, that weve been forgotten by the world.

The morning after my arrival, I sat down to a life-affirming Chinese breakfast of sweet black soybeans, the Chinese cruller known as an oil stick, taro bun and approximately four versions of tofu, and I begin to feel more charitable.

Around me, I noticed banyan trees, with their artfully tangled trunks, dotting every patch of green, and my ears were abuzz with the high-register squeeee of passing motorbikes. Pastel pops of cuteness  saucer-eyed cartoon figures plastered onto the sides of buses, pet hotels, blinking neon pinwheels  reached out and hugged me from across this landscape of glass and steel.

It looked like any urban East Asian nation. But muggy, perennially gray-skied Taiwan is unique in ways that arent readily apparent.

Passed like a hot potato from the Dutch to the Japanese to, finally, China, Taiwan has developed a culture that is a jumble of a half-dozen influences, including that of the Han Chinese, who make up the largest ethnic group here. There is also a tiny indigenous population  which, I learn from Lishan Chang, of the U.S.-based Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, has more in common with Polynesians than with the Chinese. (The president, who took office in May, proudly touts her indigenous family roots.)



Skewers of grilled squid and other delicacies are put out for sale at the Shilin Night Market. (Katherine Lee /The Washington Post)

A vendor at the Linjiang Street Night Market puts together a peanut ice cream wrap. (Katherine Lee /The Washington Post)

All this cultural wire-crossing plays out in a dozen ways, including in the food, particularly what fills the islands Las Vegas-like night markets and its streetside stands.

Thanks to Taiwanese Americans, Im already familiar with some of Taiwans delicacies, many of them novelties.

Among them: xiao long bao, the two-in-one culinary nuggets that the Taiwanese would claim as their own. Dumplings with a center that bursts with meaty soup, theyre the specialty of Din Tai Fung, the islands famous chain.

As our car pulled to a halt outside the restaurants downtown Taipei location on Xinyi Road and we ambled out into the sea of humanity, its apparent that a soup-dumpling pilgrimage hadnt occurred only to us. Blissfully, were called pretty swiftly  the promise of dumplings has a way of blurring the passage of time  and soon we were clambering up a narrow set of steps, past a picture window that reveals what must be Din Tai Fungs secret: a sea of professional dumpling-pinchers, all men, cloaked in all white  including masks  sealing and steaming with surgical precision.

Settled into our seats at this jumbo jet of a restaurant, we were instantly approached by a fawning fleet of graceful server-stewardesses, their collars fastened firmly with bow-ties, their hair slicked flat into sleek buns. I asked in English what offerings were vegetarian, and despite the language barrier  the people here speak mostly Chinese  our stewardess smiled warmly. Shortly, a plate of bean curd appeared, drizzled in sesame oil and sliced so thinly that it resembled noodles. It was followed by warm fried rice dotted with vegetables and an artfully arranged bed of actual noodles, fresh and warm and swimming in a pond of liquefied sesame seeds. The meat eaters, of course, got the real variety show: drunken chicken (which looks raw but, Im told later, was just prepared in a way that spotlights the quality of the meat), shrimp-capped shumai and, of course, bamboo vessels the size of hubcaps bearing steaming xiao long bao.

The journalist next to me wiped his brow. Feasting is work.

Im on a stinky-tofu hunt. A cousin who travels widely in Asia for work assured me that this is the holy grail of Taiwanese eating, the thing I needed to snarf down only so I might brag about it later, like a contestant on Fear Factor.

My group was fresh off a remarkably easy, 40-minute trip to Taichung, in the center of the island, on the Taiwan high-speed rail. We spent the night at the too-cool-for-school Red Dot Hotel, where guests can take a slide down into the lobby and the elevators light up like a rave. I located the espresso maker in my room and nearly squealed with joy. As I climbed into my huge bed with perfect sheets and traditional Hakka floral-print headboard, I pledged to never leave.

The next day, of course, I did, albeit grudgingly. We decided on dinner at one of the islands massive eating-and-shopping bacchanals, Feng Chia Night Market, among the largest night markets in Taichung, a city with more than 10 such bazaars.



A somewhat anthropomorphic squid sets the scene at the Feng Chia Night Market in Taichung. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post)

The youth population in Taiwan is dwindling markedly as couples delay marriage and put off or forgo having children, but at the night markets, youthful energy bubbles. At the maze-like Feng Chia, street after street lights up with the neon glow of food stalls hawking delicious junk food, including bubble tea, liquid nitrogen ice cream and shaved ice, German pig knuckles, taro pancakes, oysters and Japanese-style fried squid. This market alone rakes in 11 billion Taiwanese dollars a year, says Tristan Liu, director of Taichungs Economic Development Bureau.

Woven into the deep-fried tapestry are carnival games and toy shops, stands with trendy cellphone cases and Goth T-shirts, all for the pleasure of the gaggles of kids who come here to roam, snack and find new ways to spend their parents money.

I pestered our young American-born translator, Isabelle, to find me my storied tofu.

Children at the Feng Chia Night Market eat ice cream frozen with liquid nitrogen  and blow the sublimed gas out their noses. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post)

The stink  like I had placed damp hockey equipment and gym clothes from a Bikram yoga session and cheese into a gym bag and left it in a warm, wet cave for a few months  found me first.

The name stinky tofu, you all should know, doesnt begin to relay how malevolent this Chinese street-food delicacy actually is.

As quickly as I stuffed one piece of the fried tofu into my mouth, my face involuntarily shriveled and my nose filled with a sour, foul, unfamiliar funk. Determined not to be felled by perfectly innocent-looking tofu, steeped in a primordial stew of milk, greens and other mystery ingredients so fermented they are verging on spoiled, I took another bite, just as I might try bench-pressing 80 pounds. I just dont inhale, I declared to my companions. I popped one more piece to prove Im a woman of emotional toughness.

The rest I passed to Isabelle, who adores stinky tofu, to polish off while I purchased every snack in sight to erase its taste from my tongue. Rosewater bubble tea with lemons from one stand, scallion pancake fried into the shape of a dog bone from another, foot-long french fries with wasabi mayo from another.

I woke up in the middle of the night burning with fever. I popped two Advil and passed the time until I fell back asleep cursing the soybean, myself, my ego, all of it.

I rose a little blurry, but we made it back to Taipei, where we squeezed in a visit to one of the citys oldest neighborhoods, Dadaocheng. The attractions included the small Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum, which highlights the art of puppet making and performance, curiously revered there. Peeking down from the museums rooftop, I was more interested in the architectural hodgepodge below.



The Taipei 101 skyscraper looms over everything  including the mountains. (Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images)

In Taiwan, modern buildings abut utilitarian shacks capped with aluminum roofs, while the pagoda-like lines of the mega-building Taipei 101 looms over everything here, including the mountains. (Taiwan is mountainous; locals I talked with told me, without pausing, that hiking was their favorite pastime. And just outside the capital, hot springs also beckon.)

If the citys skyline looks clapped together, thats because it was, Robin Ruizendaal, director of the museum, told me. A native of Holland, Ruizendaal has been in Taiwan for 20 years and is as fluent in its history as he is in the Mandarin spoken widely here.

As Chinas Communist Revolution began, mainlanders arrived on this quiet island like a tsunami, flooding Taipei  on the northernmost tip of the island  and other large cities with more than 2 million new residents between 1946 and 1949 alone.

Urban planning? Ruizendaal smirked. Who had time for such a luxury?

Along with all the people pouring into Taiwan in the late 1940s, there was something else: crates.

And so, on the last day of our trip, our bus sputtered up the winding road to Taipeis National Palace Museum, which has since 1965 been the resting place of many of Chinas most treasured ancient paintings, delicate scrolls and verdant jade objects.

How these artifacts from the Ming, Qing and other eras of Chinese imperial history came to be berthed here, rather than on the vast mainland, is a tale as circuitous as the museum road itself.



The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. The ousted Chinese leader absconded to Taiwan with his army and government  the Kuomintang  along with many of the countrys wonders and treasures. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post)

But the crucial stuff is this: As the Japanese Imperial Army bore down on China in the 1940s, the countrys treasures were packed up and hidden away for safekeeping. Just a handful of years later, with the Japanese banished and communism taking root, ousted Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek absconded to Taiwan with his army and government, the Kuomintang  and the great wonders of China.

Carved Olive-Stone Boat, a Qing dynasty treasure from China. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post)

Now, because so many Chinese tourists arrive in Taiwan to gaze these debatably stolen treasures, we were warned that the lines at the museum could be formidable. Instead, the crowds were rather thin, and we managed to see Qing dynasty porcelain bowls painted with chrysanthemums in jewel-toned enamels, and peer through a magnifying glass at Carved Olive-Stone Boat, an olive pit sliced and diced to resemble a tiny boat, complete with people inside. The Jadeite Cabbage, a masterpiece of forest-green jade carved into the shape of a bok choy, was behind glass at the center of a maze of velvet ropes holding back no lines at all. We walked right up.

Tension between China and Taiwan was high in 2016, and after the election of Tsai, China placed a chokehold on some tourism from the mainland to the island, explaining the dearth of visitors at the museum. As we debarked from the galleries, and from Taiwan the next morning, the Trump Call was still burning in our ears.

I wondered what was next in this strange relationship that these two governments and their people share. Because these days, China and its neighbor to the south are not feeling like one at all.

More from Travel:

Around the world in 20 days: How to visit seven countries in one 21,623-mile adventure

This isnt Darwins Galapagos: The wildlife-rich islands are more tourist-friendly than you think

Still finding kicks on Route 66
Alexandria

These were among incidents reported by the Alexandria Police Department. For information, call 703-838-4636 or visit alexandriava.gov.

SEXUAL ASSAULTS

Old Dominion Blvd., 3900 block, 4:51 a.m. Dec. 28. A sexual assault was reported.

ASSAULTS

Beauregard St. N., 300 block, 11:26 a.m. Jan. 2. An assault was reported.

Bragg St. S., 100 block, 9:20 p.m. Jan. 2. An assault was reported.

Catlin Lane, 1400 block, 12:31 a.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported.

Edsall Rd., 5900 block, 2:11 a.m. Dec. 27. An assault was reported.

Edsall Rd., 6000 block, 4:34 a.m. Jan. 1. An assault was reported.

Eisenhower Ave., 4800 block, 1:28 p.m. Jan. 3. An assault was reported.

Executive Ave., 3800 block, 1:52 a.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported.

Florence Dr., 3800 block, 7:05 p.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported.

Kenmore Ave., 4700 block, 9:52 p.m. Dec. 28. An assault was reported.

King St., 600 block, 11:11 p.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported.

King St., 800 block, 11:24 a.m. Dec. 29. An assault was reported.

King St., 4300 block, 1:09 p.m. Dec. 27. An assault was reported.

Knapp St., 5100 block, 4:41 a.m. Dec. 31. An assault was reported.

Manor Rd., 800 block, 12:10 a.m. Dec. 28. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Patrick St. S., 600 block, 2:02 a.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported.

Princess St., 1500 block, 2:59 a.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported.

Queen and N. Fayette streets, 9 p.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported and property was stolen.

Reynolds St. S., 300 block, 5:18 p.m. Dec. 29. An assault was reported.

Saint Asaph St. N., 800 block, 9:09 p.m. Dec. 28. An assault was reported.

Seminary Rd., 4300 block, 10:41 a.m. Jan. 1. An assault was reported.

Swamp Fox Rd., 200 block, 9:04 p.m. Dec. 29. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

Yoakum Pkwy., 300 block, 12:08 a.m. Dec. 31. An assault was reported. An arrest was made.

28th St. S., 3200 block, 7 a.m. Dec. 30. An assault was reported. An assault was reported.

ROBBERIES

John Carlyle St., 500 block, 3:08 a.m. Dec. 28. A robbery was reported.

Madison St., 1200 block, 3:32 p.m. Dec. 28. A robbery was reported.

Seminary Rd., 4600 block, 4:40 p.m. Dec. 30. A robbery was reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Ancell St., unit block, 11:06 a.m. Dec. 31. A theft was reported.

Ancell St., unit block, 11:25 a.m. Jan. 3. A theft was reported.

Ancell St., unit block, 11:43 a.m. Jan. 3. A theft was reported.

Beverley Dr., 600 block, 11:26 a.m. Dec. 27. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 3100 block, 1:41 p.m. Jan. 3. A theft was reported.

Duke St., 5700 block, 9:33 p.m. Dec. 30. A shoplifting incident was reported. An arrest was made.

Edsall Rd., 5700 block, 10:33 a.m. Dec. 29. A theft was reported.

Edsall Rd., 5700 block, 7:35 p.m. Dec. 29. A theft was reported.

Florence Dr., 3800 block, 11:28 a.m. Dec. 31. A theft was reported.

Glebe Rd. W., 400 block, 5:27 p.m. Dec. 27. A theft was reported.

Glebe Rd. W., 1000 block, 1:39 a.m. Dec. 29. Property was stolen.

Green St., 200 block, 4:43 p.m. Dec. 27. A theft was reported and property was damaged.

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 3500 block, 1:51 p.m. Dec. 28. A theft was reported.

Kenmore Ave., 4600 block, 10:35 a.m. Dec. 28. A theft was reported and property was damaged.

Kennedy St., 12:04 p.m. Dec. 31. A theft was reported.

King St., 1300 block, 2:30 a.m. Dec. 31. A theft was reported.

King St., 3600 block, 12:32 a.m. Dec. 29. A theft was reported.

Park Center Dr., 2800 block, 1:07 p.m. Dec. 29. A theft was reported and property was damaged.

Pickett St. S., 400 block, 10:13 p.m. Dec. 30. A shoplifting incident was reported.

Quantrell Ave., 5800 block, 12:46 p.m. Jan. 3. A theft was reported.

Reynolds St. S., 100 block, 5:09 p.m. Dec. 30. A theft was reported. and property was damaged.

Saint Asaph St. N., 700 block, 5:21 p.m. Dec. 31. An assault was reported.

Van Dorn St. N., 400 block, 8:54 p.m. Dec. 28. A theft was reported.

Walter Reed Dr. S., 2600 block, 9 p.m. Dec. 29. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Washington St. S., 1200 block, 6:59 p.m. Dec. 30. A theft was reported.

Second St., 900 block, 12:33 p.m. Jan. 3. A theft was reported.

VANDALISM

Beauregard St. N., 400 block, 11:08 a.m. Jan. 3. Property was damaged.

Boyle St., 1600 block, 11:24 a.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Cameron and N. Lee streets, 1:52 p.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Edsall Rd., 5700 block, 2:30 a.m. Dec. 30. Property was damaged.

Fairfax St. S., 600 block, 11:02 a.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Florence Dr., 3800 block, 11:28 a.m. Dec. 31. Property was damaged.

Hampton Dr. and W. Braddock Rd., 7:11 p.m. Jan. 3. Property was damaged.

Martha Custis Dr., 1200 block, 10 p.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Martha Custis Dr., 3200 block, 11:34 a.m. Dec. 27. Property was damaged.

Mount Vernon Ave., 3800 block, 8:35 a.m. Dec. 28. Property was damaged.

Palmer Pl., 1000 block, 3:11 a.m. Dec. 30. Property was damaged.

Park Center Dr., 2800 block, 1:07 p.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Park Center Dr., 2800 block, 4:34 p.m. Jan. 3. Property was damaged.

Seminary Rd., 5000 block, 8:30 a.m. Dec. 28. Property was damaged.

Seminary Rd., 5400 block, 1:27 a.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Shirlington Rd., 2800 block, 9:06 a.m. Dec. 30. Property was damaged.

Van Dorn St. N., 2500 block, 6:45 p.m. Dec. 27. Property was damaged.

Walter Reed Dr. S., 2700 block, 5:15 p.m. Jan. 3. Property was damaged.

Arlington

These were among incidents reported Dec. 22-Jan. 3 by the Arlington County Police Department. For information, call 703-558-2222 or visit newsroom.arlingtonva.us.

ASSAULTS

Campbell Ave., 4200 block. An assault was reported.

Clarendon Blvd., 3100 block, 12:30 a.m. Jan. 1. An assault was reported.

Columbia Pike, 2200 block. Two assaults were reported.

Fairfax Dr., 2600 block, 8:20 p.m. Dec. 27. An assault was reported.

Glebe Rd. N., 200 block, 9:50 a.m. Jan. 2. Two people fought.

Glebe Rd. N., 800 block, 4:24 a.m. Dec. 28. An assault was reported.

Glebe Rd. S., 3600 block. An assault was reported and property was stolen.

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 2700 block. An assault was reported.

Meade St. S., 2800 block. An assault was reported.

Quincy St. N., 1000 block. An assault was reported.

Thomas St. N., 400 block. A harassment incident was reported.

Thomas St. N., 400 block, 1 a.m. Dec. 28. Two people fought.

Sixth St. S., 3300 block, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29. An assault was reported.

Ninth Rd. S., 2500 block. An assault was reported.

11th Rd. N., 5700 block, 4:54 a.m. Dec. 31. During a verbal altercation, a man stabbed a woman. She was taken to a hospital where she was treated for her injuries. A 35-year-old man, of no fixed address, was charged.

11th St. N., 2300 block, 5:25 a.m. Jan. 1. Three men allegedly assaulted another man and fled. Medics treated the man for his injuries.

31st St. S., 4200 block. A harassment incident was reported.

ROBBERIES

Columbia Pike, 3200 block. A man was robbed of cash at gunpoint in a stairwell of a business.

Eads St. S., 2200 block, 9:52 a.m. Dec. 31. A man approached another man from behind and robbed him cash. The perpetrator fled from the scene.

Pollard St. N., 500 block, 5:56 p.m. Dec. 31. During a transaction for a cellphone between two persons, a man took the phone and fled without paying.

Quincy St. N., 1500 block, 12:25 a.m. Dec. 28. Two men approached a group from behind, and one of them brandished a firearm and robbed three people of their belongings.

Quincy and N. 15th streets, 12:03 a.m. Dec. 28. A robbery at a park was reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Army Navy Dr., 1300 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Buchanan St. S., 900 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Clarendon Blvd., 2200 block, 7 a.m. Dec. 28. A theft was reported.

Clarendon Blvd., 2200 block, 8 a.m. Dec. 22 to 2:40 p.m. Jan. 2. An attempt was made to enter a residence by force.

Clarendon Blvd., 2200 block. Identity theft was reported.

Courthouse Rd. S., 1200 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Crystal Dr., 1700 block. A theft was reported.

Culpeper St. S., 2300 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Danville St. N., 1000 block, 6 a.m. Jan. 1. Property was entered.

Fairfax Dr., 4200 block. A theft was reported.

Fort Myer Dr., 1800 block, 9 p.m. Dec. 29 to 6:50 a.m. Dec. 30. Property was stolen from a business entered by force.

Glebe Rd. N., 600 block. An employee theft was reported.

Glebe Rd. N., 700 block, 11:10 a.m. Dec. 28. A theft was reported.

Glebe Rd. N., unit block, 4 p.m. Dec. 27. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Hayes St. S., 1100 block. A theft was reported.

Hayes St. S., 1200 block. An employee theft was reported.

Hayes St. S., 1400 block. A theft was reported.

Highland St. N., 1500 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Hill St. S., 3000 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Irving St. N., 1200 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 2600 block. Property was entered.

Joyce St. S., 1100 block. Property was entered.

Kenmore St. N., 400 block. A theft was reported.

Nottingham St. N., 2300 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Orme St. S., 900 block. A theft was reported.

Pershing Dr. N., 2200 block, 10 p.m. Dec. 26. A theft was reported.

Pershing Dr. N., 4200 block. A theft was reported.

Pierce St. N., 1500 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Quincy St. N., 800 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Randolph St. S., 800 block, 4 a.m. Dec. 23 to 6 p.m. Dec. 30. Cash was stolen from a residence.

Veitch St. S., 500 block. A theft was reported.

Walter Reed Dr. S., 2600 block. Property was stolen from a vehicle.

Wilson Blvd., 1800 block, 10 p.m. Dec. 29. A theft was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 1900 block, 4:06 a.m. Jan 3. A shoplifting incident was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 1900 block, 4:29 p.m. Dec. 31. A shoplifting incident was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 1900 block, 7:38 p.m. Dec. 27. A shoplifting incident was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 3100 block, 12:45 a.m. Dec. 29. A theft was reported.

Wilson Blvd., 3100 block. Property was entered.

12th Rd. S., 500 block. A theft was reported.

31st St. S., 4400 block, 7 p.m. Dec. 9 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 31. Property was stolen from a residence.

VANDALISM

Military Rd., 2100 block. Property was damaged.

Shirlington Rd., 2200 block. Property was damaged.

Shirlington Rd., 2400 block. Property was damaged.

Walter Reed Dr. S., 600 block, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 29. Property was damaged.

Fifth St. N., 5600 block, 10:32 p.m. Jan. 1. Property was damaged.

10th St. S., 5000 block. Property was damaged.
Billionaire Charles Koch, a prominent backer of conservative political causes, is giving $25.6 million to enable scholars at historically black universities to research education, criminal justice and entrepreneurship in communities plagued by high crime and other social ills.

The donation, made through Kochs foundation and his family business, will help launch a research center affiliated with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Named for the first African American justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Marshall fund supports dozens of historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. Among them are Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia in the nations capital, and Bowie State and Morgan State in Maryland.

Education transformed my life, and Ive committed to do all I can to give others that same opportunity, Koch said in a statement Wednesday evening. The Marshall fund has made that same commitment, he said, giving students and scholars the chance to discover new ways to overcome barriers holding too many people back. As they succeed, so does our society.

Koch, 81, of Wichita, is perhaps best known for working with his brother David Koch to promote conservative politicians and causes aligned with his free-market views. But the Kansas businessman also is a major academic philanthropist, which has generated controversy on some campuses.

Last year, the Charles Koch Foundation pledged $10 million to George Mason University in Northern Virginia as part of a $30 million package of gifts that led GMU to rename its law school for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

[Justices, academics dedicate Scalia law school]

The foundation also has spread millions of dollars to numerous other schools to support research into economics and other topics. Some say the largesse compromises the independence of universities.

Kochs presence in higher ed is not educational, but strictly political in purpose, said Ralph Wilson of Tallahassee, co-founder of a group called UnKoch My Campus. Wilson said donations come with strings attached.

When they give the donor control, the trade-off is academic freedom, he said.

Brian Hooks, president of the Koch foundation, denied that the organization, based in Arlington, Va., is seeking to advance a political agenda through academic gifts. Our commitment across the board with all of our grants . . . is to open inquiry, he said in an interview Tuesday at the D.C. office of the Marshall fund. Were looking to support great scholars.

[Koch and others donate to Catholic University]

The partnership with the Marshall fund is not the first academic initiative Koch has sponsored for HBCUs. In 2014, the Koch foundation and Koch Industries pledged $25 million to the United Negro College Fund for student scholarships and other aid to HBCUs.

The new gift, distributed over five years, will enable the Marshall fund to launch what is called the Center for Advancing Opportunity. Based in Washington, the center will support HBCU faculty researching education, criminal justice and entrepreneurship in fragile communities  defined as places where residents face significant barriers to opportunity. These communities would typically have high crime, troubled schools and various other economic and social problems.

The center also will award scholarships to HBCU students, sponsor academic forums and work with Gallup to survey targeted communities on issues of interest and develop a metric called an opportunity index. Gallups chairman, Jim Clifton, is also chairman of the Marshall funds board.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and chief executive of the Marshall fund, traced the genesis of the gift to a television interview he heard two years ago in which Koch was discussing the perils of over-criminalization and other barriers to opportunity.

Taylor said he found Kochs views intriguing and sent him a letter soon afterward. He was surprised to get a call from a Koch representative within a few days. That started a dialogue. In late 2015, Taylor attended a conference Koch sponsored in New Orleans called Advancing Justice.

[I dont like the idea of capitalism.  Koch, unfiltered]

Taylor said that even though some HBCUs were represented at the conference, it struck him that relatively few people of color were participating in a discussion of issues critical to minority groups.

You need to bring more of the community in and listen to them, Taylor told Kochs team, which led them to ask Taylor what more should be done.

In October, Taylor flew to Wichita to discuss a grant proposal with Koch. Taylor said Koch insisted in their meeting that the leader of the Marshall fund should sit at the head of the table.

This guy is really concerned about America, Taylor said. Hes a patriot. And so am I. That was something that really struck me.

Taylor said he is unconcerned about the possibility that the Marshall fund will face criticism for working with Koch. He said he is focused on solving problems in Chicago, Charlotte, Ferguson, Mo., and other places where recent tensions between police and minority communities have underscored long-standing social and economic challenges.

Universities can play a role, Taylor said.

Part of our mission is to figure out whats going wrong and search for solutions, he said. To be clear, that costs money.
Shamise Turk, Ryan's mother, walks out of the Prince William County courthouse after a hearing Thursday. Charges were dropped against her son, who was accused of stealing milk in a school lunch room. (Victoria St. Martin/The Washington Post)

A teenager who was accused of stealing a 65-cent carton of milk from a Prince William County middle school cafeteria will not face trial after prosecutors decided to drop charges against him Thursday.

Ryan Turk, now 15, was arrested in May at Graham Park Middle School in Triangle, Va., after he allegedly cut in the lunch line and grabbed a milk container. Ryan, who qualifies for free lunch at the school, said that he had forgotten to take milk while in line in the cafeteria and decided to return for it.

A school resource officer arrested him and charged him with disorderly conduct and petit larceny after authorities said he objected to being sent to the principals office.

[Teen accused of stealing 65-cent carton of milk at middle school]

Ryans mother turned down an offer of nonjudicial punishment and decided to fight the charges; a trial had been scheduled to begin Thursday morning. Prosecutors dropped the charges after speaking with the teens counselor.

(The Washington Post)

Hes already taken actions to remedy his attitude, Prince William County Commonealths Attorney Paul B. Ebert said.

Emmett Robinson, an attorney for Ryan, said the family will petition to have the charges removed from the teens record after a year. This is over for the time being, Robinson said.

As word of the charges spread last year, the case became part of a national conversation about the fairness of school discipline, in general, and the treatment of minority students, in particular.

Ryan and his mother, Shamise Turk, acknowledge that he took a carton of milk on May 10, during last school year, but they say he did nothing wrong by coming back for the drink. They alleged that Ryan was discriminated against because he is a black teenager who did not want to go along with a police officer and that the officer was being unfair.

The officer and the principal involved are also black, something county school officials noted last year in responding to the claims that the student was targeted because of his race.

[Yale study suggests racial bias among preschool teachers]

The school resource officer told authorities that Ryan cut in the lunch line, took a carton and concealed it. The officer who confronted him reported that Ryan threw the milk back. When the officer suggested that he needed to speak with the principal, he became disorderly, police said at the time.

Sgt. Jonathan Perok, a Prince William police spokesman, said in September that the middle-schooler leaned back and pushed against the officer and that as the student and officer approached the principal, the teen tried to push past the officer to get away. The family has disputed that account, saying that Ryan did not conceal the milk and that the officer confronted him aggressively.

The Washington Post generally does not identify minors charged with misdemeanor crimes, but Ryan and his family chose to pursue the matter publicly to call attention to it.

Ryan declined to comment about the case Thursday.

Shamise Turk said it had been hard for her son to refocus. His grades are scattered and hes stressed out, she said.

His mother, who began pursuing a masters degree in criminal justice after her son was arrested, said the familys ordeal carries a message for other parents.

Listen to your kids, back them up a hundred percent and dont settle, she said. If you know your kid has done nothing wrong, dont settle for what they offer. Just keep going. Be their voice.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) speaks to the House in Annapolis on Wednesday. He is flanked by House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), left, and Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) opened Marylands General Assembly session Wednesday with a call for bipartisan cooperation, and he appeared to have a possible ally in longtime Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert).

But House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), the other half of the powerful pair of Democrats running the state legislature, showed a combativeness toward the governor, questioning his sincerity and announcing plans to aggressively push his partys agenda this year.

Hogan addressed lawmakers in the Senate on Wednesday with an upbeat message, saying he and the legislature had accomplished a heck of a lot working with each other over the past two years and that he was excited about the kinds of progress we can continue to make for the people of Maryland during this session.

Miller then opened the door for compromise on a transportation-planning law that Hogan wants to repeal, telling the governor that his chamber is going to look to you for ideas, some ways to make it more palatable to yourself and the administration.

The transportation measure, which passed last year despite a veto from Hogan, requires the state to rate and rank proposed transportation projects for funding priority. Supporters say the law adds transparency to transportation decisions by requiring the administration to explain why one road should be built or improved rather than another. But Hogan says the scoring system favors urban projects and would prevent work on major transportation plans for nearly every jurisdiction in the state.

Busch, who has said he is not interested in reworking the legislation, questioned Hogans commitment to teamwork during a pre-session radio interview Wednesday morning, saying the governor appears to be more interested in winning public-relations battles than collaborating with Democrats.

He wants to talk about working on bipartisan, common-sense legislation  Im just trying to figure out who hes working with, the House speaker said.

While addressing his chamber, Busch said House lawmakers should focus on college and housing affordability and K-12 education to ensure that working men and women feel like they have an opportunity . . . to improve their lifestyle.

Those exchanges marked the start of a 90-day session that is also expected to focus on fracking, paid sick leave and how to respond to policies enacted in Washington by a Republican-controlled Congress and White House.

Both Democrats and Republicans have an eye on the 2018 elections, when Hogan plans to seek a second term and the GOP will try to nibble away at the veto-proof majorities Democrats hold in both legislative chambers.

One of the few official actions during the brief proceedings Wednesday was a vote in the Senate to schedule votes next week to override Hogans 2016 vetoes.

The session opened with two new senators in the chamber: William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery), a former delegate who filled the seat vacated by newly elected U.S. Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D); and Barbara A. Robinson (D-Baltimore), who replaces newly elected Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh (D).

Miller announced that Sen. Lisa A. Gladden (D-Baltimore), who has multiple sclerosis and missed most of the 2016 session, resigned Wednesday after 18 years in the General Assembly.

Hogan and the presiding officers addressed their often-strained relations during back-to-back interviews on WEAA-FM ( 88.9) a few hours before the session opened.

The governor downplayed tensions with Democrats and said that he could find common ground with them.

I have no intention of coming out with claws, he said. I have no intention of playing the politics.

Busch has made clear this week that he does not subscribe to a go along to get along approach with Republicans this year.

You cant be wearing a jersey with both colors on it, he said at a Democratic luncheon Tuesday. Youre either on one team, or youre on the other.

Miller suggested after Wednesdays session that Hogan and Busch have made little effort to work with each other.

I put the two together . . . its very awkward, he said. Neither one of them reaches out to the other.
Cmdr. Aaron Rugh, second from right, is officially sworn in as an appeals court judge at the Washington Navy Yard alongside Col. Brian Palmer, Cmdr. Anne Marks, and Lt. Col. Troy Campbell. (Natalie Morehouse/U.S. Navy)

The Navy has concluded that one of its top judges did not lie when he provided erroneous information about witnesses while testifying under oath at an administrative hearing.

Last year, The Washington Post found that Cmdr. Aaron Rugh made false statements in 2014 to a board of officers deciding whether a Marine he had prosecuted for sexual misconduct should be expelled from the service.

That discovery led to an ethics inquiry  just part of the fallout from the flawed investigation into Marine Maj. Mark Thompson, a former history instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy convicted of having sex with two female midshipmen. He is accused of lying to the same board and faces a second court-martial because of The Posts revelations about his case.

[A Marine fights to prove hes innocent of sexual misconduct. Then a lost cellphone is found.]

The Navy launched the probe into Rugh after Thompsons attorney, Kevin B. McDermott, filed an ethics complaint.

Ironically, Major Thompson is being criminally prosecuted for making false statements before the same board, McDermott wrote last year, arguing that Rugh had either lied or failed to correct a grossly negligent misrepresentation.

Vice Adm. James W. Crawford III  the judge advocate general of the Navy  notified McDermott earlier this week that the case had been closed, as first reported by Stars and Stripes.

After careful consideration, Crawford wrote, I found the available evidence failed to support a violation of the Navys rules of professional responsibility.

But the controversy surrounding Rugh, who sits on the appeals court, has once again exposed the militarys lack of transparency when judges are accused of misconduct. For weeks last year, the Navy would not acknowledge that the inquiry delayed Rughs promotion to captain or that the 20-year veteran was under review.

Now, the Navy has declined to explain how or why the Judge Advocate Generals Corps (JAG) decided that one of its most popular members should be cleared of wrongdoing.

We cannot discuss the details of the investigation, or any review deliberations, the Navys deputy chief of information, Capt. Amy Derrick, wrote in an email.

[Rock star Navy judge accused of lying faces investigation, delayed promotion]

In 2013, Rugh  once the Navys top prosecutor  led the legal case against Thompson, who was accused of raping one student and having a consensual relationship with another. Thompson was found guilty of five charges but was acquitted of sexual assault.

After serving two months in a Virginia brig, Thompson faced what is known as a board of inquiry, which would decide his fate in the military.

The government called Rugh, then still a prosecutor, to testify by phone about one narrow aspect of the case. But the three board members wanted to know more.

Sarah Stadler, one of Thompsons accusers, had alleged at trial that they had sex a final time on the night of her graduation  but he had a compelling alibi.

So one board member asked Rugh how the government had proved that Thompson and Stadler had seen each other that night. Investigators, Rugh said, had contacted family members who had rented a house in Annapolis for the graduation ceremony.

Now, we went and interviewed her family, her brother, etcetera, he said, according to a transcript of the proceeding. They remember her, you know, they verified that they had the rental house, that she was there for a little while and then left the house and came back later that evening.

Stadlers mother, Laurel, later said that Rughs statement was a complete and total lie. She and her son denied that they had spoken to investigators about the case, and both said they did not clearly recall what had happened that night.

On Wednesday, Rughs attorney, retired Rear Adm. Christian L. Reismeier, offered the most detailed explanation yet for his clients testimony.

He recalled and still recalls today that this information was relayed to him by a member of the prosecution, said Reismeier, former chief judge of the Navy. Theres just no corroboration that that actually occurred. It appears that his memory is just inaccurate.

But Reismeier, who expects Rughs promotion in rank will now proceed, would not say who told his client about witness interviews that apparently never happened.

Before taking on Rughs case, Reismeier had sharply criticized the militarys lack of transparency on judicial misconduct, saying that such opaqueness could undermine confidence in the system.

Eugene R. Fidell, a longtime attorney who teaches at Yale Law School, agrees, suggesting that the secrecy may lead members of the public to conclude JAG is simply protecting one of its own.

Theres a problem of incest. Theres no doubt thats because these are micro-jurisdictions where everybody knows everybody else, Fidell said. If somebody has done a responsible, thorough investigation and concluded Rugh has done nothing wrong, why wouldnt they give chapter and verse about the investigation?
Baltimore officials on Thursday announced an agreement with the Justice Department to revamp the citys police department in an effort to end years of troubling practices uncovered after the death of Freddie Gray.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh outlined significant moves to overhaul training of the citys police officers to prevent discriminatory policing and the use of excessive force.

The 227-page agreement, known as a consent decree, was approved by the city government and filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday. The court-enforceable agreement must be approved by a federal judge.

The citys police department has begun some critical reform, but we know there is much more to be done, Pugh said during a news conference, flanked by Lynch and Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.

The announcement comes in the final stretch of the Obama administration, which has made ending heavy-handed and biased police practices a signature issue. Lynch has pushed to secure legally binding reform agreements with other cities, including Chicago and Ferguson, Mo.

[In Obama administration's waning days, a push to cement legacy of police reform]

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for more aggressive policing tactics. His pick to lead the Justice Department, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), has declined to say whether he would leave any agreements from the Obama administration unchanged.

Lynch said Thursday that the consent decree is binding and will live on.

The changes will help ensure effective and constitutional policing, restore the communitys trust in law enforcement, and advance public and officer safety, she said in a statement.

The agreement follows months of negotiations and comes after the Justice Department released a report in August alleging that Baltimore police had engaged in a pattern of using excessive force, making stops, searches and arrests without necessary justification and were disproportionately stopping African Americans.

Lynch took over as attorney general on the day of Grays funeral. The 25-year-olds death from injuries suffered in police custody sparked riots in Baltimore in April 2015, and led to the investigation.

Six Baltimore officers were charged in connection with the arrest of Gray, who suffered a fatal neck injury in the back of a police van. The criminal case ended with the top prosecutor failing to win convictions. After three officers were acquitted, prosecutors dropped the charges against the remaining officers awaiting trials.

In response to the Justice report in August, the police department has begun to make changes, including the use of new equipment such as body cameras for officers and increased funding for community relations, particularly regarding young people.

[How Loretta E. Lynch has investigated the police and not made them all hate her]

Among the consent decrees changes for the department of about 2,600 officers is new training to ensure that police use de-escalation techniques and attempt to resolve conflicts without force. In addition, the department has agreed to adopt an approach to policing that is community-oriented and based on problem-solving principles.

According to the agreement, the department will ensure that people in custody are safely transported by police and that protesters are treated with respect. The department agrees to thoroughly investigate allegations of sexual assault and officer misconduct.

The deal also establishes a Community Oversight Task Force to make recommendations for changes to the current system of civilian oversight.

Once approved by the court, city officials and the Justice Department will recommend an independent monitor. That person will oversee implementation of the agreement, which will remain in place until the department has fully complied.

City officials did not detail the cost of enacting such changes, but the agreement limits the annual amount the city will pay to the monitor to about $1.5 million.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) suggested Thursday that he would consider providing state funds to help implement the plan.

The city has no idea at this point what costs might be involved to implement it, but were going to sit down and see how the state might be able to provide assistance, he said at a news conference in Annapolis.

In a statement Thursday, the head of the Baltimore police union said its representatives had been left out of the negotiations.

Neither our rank and file members who will be the most affected, nor our attorneys, have had a chance to read the final product, according to the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 3.

Vanita Gupta, the head of Justices civil rights division, noted in her remarks that the parties will ask the court to hold a public hearing on the agreement to give the community an opportunity to comment.

Members of Marylands congressional delegation said in a joint statement that they hope the agreement will be a road map for reform for the police department.

Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who prosecuted the officers in the Gray case, called it a step in the right direction toward the necessary reforms to ensure accountability, transparency, and trust among our communities and law enforcement.

Matt Zapotosky and Josh Hicks contributed to this report.
While working for the group New Virginia Majority, Vafalay Massaquoi invented voters and filed false applications with election officials.

Massaquoi, a 30-year-old former Alexandria resident, pleaded guilty Thursday to forging a public record and election fraud. He was sentenced to 500 hours of community service, along with the 90 days he has spent in jail, and a suspended sentence of five years in prison, pending good behavior.

[Man who registered voters for progressive group charged with fraud]

Commonwealths Attorney Bryan Porter noted in a statement that because Massaquoi simply made up the names of voters, the chance that any fraudulent ballots would actually have been cast was extremely low.

However, he said, any use of fraud, forgery or subterfuge with regards to voter registration is a very serious matter that deserves a very serious sentence  such as the one obtained in this case.

The applications Massaquoi submitted were not used. Noticing the remarkably similar handwriting on each application and the fact that all the voters came from the same part of the city, Alexandria General Registrar Anna J. Leider turned the applications over to the commonwealths attorney.

Virginia New Majority, a progressive nonprofit group, acknowledged at the time of his arrest that Massaquoi was a former employee.

A spokesman for the organization said Massaquoi was paid $15 per hour, and his compensation wasnt related to the number of voters he registered. He was terminated in June, before a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Montgomery County police charged a 17-year-old Wednesday in the stabbing deaths of two men at the Westfield Wheaton mall.

Angelo Lamont Jackson, of Hawk Run Terrace in Montgomery Village, has been charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder, officials said. He allegedly killed Angel Alfredo Pineda-Gomez, 24, of Silver Spring, and another victim whose identity has not been confirmed.

Police were called to mall at 3:17 p.m. Tuesday, and found two men suffering from stab wounds. They were taken to hospitals and died.

During the investigation, detectives spoke with witnesses and reviewed mall video surveillance. The video showed a man, armed with a knife, stab a victim, and, while still armed, pursue the second victim, police said.

Detectives disseminated a still photograph of the suspect to county police officers, police said in a statement. Multiple officers were able to identify the suspect as Jackson from having prior contact with him.

Jackson was being held in jail without bond, officials said.

Police officials initially said that Pineda-Gomez was 22.
D.C. police arrested and charged a Northeast man Wednesday on charges that he fatally stabbed a 23-year-old woman found wounded Sunday inside of an co-op apartment building hallway.

On Sunday, police said Waliyatou Amadou was stabbed multiple times before she was found unconscious in the hall of four-story co-op apartment building in the 1400 block of W Street NW.

On Wednesday, police officials announced they had charged Deangelo Thorne, 27, with second degree murder while armed in the case.

[Family had struggled to help woman found slain in D.C. apartment building]

Family members said that Amadou had struggled with mental health issues for years, but they were unsure why she would have been in that building before the attack. After police found her about 8 p.m., authorities took her to Howard University hospital, where she died.

Police did not release any details about the evidence that led to the charge against Thorne.
Krista Suh, 29, left, and Jayna Zweiman, 38, who live in California, have crocheted pink pussyhats as symbols of protest for the Jan. 21 Womens March on Washington. (Kat Coyle)

Please, sisters, back away from the pink.

Pink pussycat hats, sparkly signs, color-coordinated street theater  all of it is gleefully in the works for the upcoming Womens March on Washington on Jan. 21.

And that scares me a little. Because all of this well-intentioned, she-power frippery can make this thing more Lilith Fair than Lilly Ledbetter. And the Womens March of 2017 will be remembered as an unruly river of Pepto-Bismol roiling through the streets of the capital rather than a long overdue civil rights march.

This is serious stuff.

Its about human rights. Its about the way 51 percent of our nations population still gets less pay, less representation in elected office and in corporate corner offices, less access to health care, less safety and less respect that the other 49 percent of our deeply divided nation.

(Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

The Womens March needs grit, not gimmicks.

[From lab to Olympic podium to White House, accomplished women are still dismissed]

Case in point?

Bra burning. Thats the trope that folks have been using to dismiss feminists for nearly half a century.

In fact, no bra was burned at Miss America protests in 1968 and 1969. Feminists threw false eyelashes, mops, pans, Playboy magazines, girdles, bras and other symbolic instruments of female torture into a trash can. But the Atlantic City municipal code didnt allow them to set it on fire.

Yet because the idea of a burning bra was so lurid, it eclipsed the fact that in the 1960s, women couldnt get a credit card without a husbands signature, couldnt serve on juries in all 50 states, werent allowed to study at some of the nations Ivy League schools, couldnt get a prescription for birth control pills if they were unmarried, were paid 59 cents for every dollar that men earned and could easily be fired from a job if they got pregnant. Among other outrages.

Feminists were people who fought those inequalities. But thanks to a stunt, theyve been called bra-burners for decades. Even Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique and mother of the movement, objected to what she called the bra-burning, anti-man, politics-of-orgasm school of feminism.

Sorry, knitters. I know the pink hats with pussycat ears yall are knitting for next weeks march are totally clever and cute and fun. Theyre a smart and snarky middle finger to the incoming predator in chief, who somehow managed to win the presidency despite openly bragging about grabbing women by their genitals.

But it also undercuts the message that the march is trying to send.

Dana Fisher, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, has been studying protests and political action for nearly two decades. And when she was in deep on climate change protests, she saw a hard-to-miss family: They all had mohawks, even the kid.

And despite the scientists, environmentalists and students trying to make serious points at the protests, all the cameras focused on the mohawk family. Everyone remembered the mohawk family.

But mohawks are fun! So were all those drummers during the globalization protests outside the World Bank and International Monetary Fund more than a decade ago, and the puppets and street musicians at the anti-Iraq War marches.

Occupy Wall Street was totally right. But their goofy protests, tent cities, body piercings, chants are what folks remembered. Meanwhile, Wall Street plundered the rest of America.

Its a difficult line, Fisher explained. Because theres the temptation to make the protest fun, enjoyable, to give it a street-fair feeling and draw more people. Crowds amplify a message and get attention. Its especially tempting for the Womens March, which plenty of children are expected to attend.

[Pink hats, pins, petitions: Whats the point of these anti-Trump protests?]

Protests are successful and effective when they have a clear message, a clear mission. Thats part of what made the 1913 march by the suffragettes seeking the right to vote so memorable and the 1963 Martin Luther King Jr.-led March on Washington so powerful.

They are unsuccessful when they are simply a stage for venting.

So what are women trying to say when they gather the day after Donald Trumps inauguration?

Im seeing the New York State Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood, Free the Nipple? I dont even know what that is, Fisher said, as we both looked at the partner coalition page for the upcoming Womens March. Its just wacky.

Planners are predicting 150,000 women at the march  a gathering that could deliver a strong warning to Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

But we cant make a difference with goofy hats, cheeky signs and silly songs. This is our chance to stand up, to remind the world how powerful we are and demand to be heard. On equal pay and opportunity, on sexual assault, on reproductive rights, on respect. We need to be remembered for our passion and purpose, not our pink pussycat hats.

Twitter: @petulad
Alexandrias efforts to address its long-standing sewage discharge into the Potomac River should be addressed by mid-2020, or the city will risk losing all its state appropriations, under a bill that passed a Virginia Senate committee Thursday.

The legislative action is far from complete  the bill must be voted on by the full Senate and then survive scrutiny in the House as well  but Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) said that he and several of his colleagues believe the city has the financial capacity to fix these problems, but its dragging its feet.

Alexandria is under a federal order to stop allowing sewer overflows into Hunting Creek, a Potomac River tributary, and it has given the state a $188 million plan for how it will do just that. But half of the raw sewage  about 11 million gallons  that the city sends into the Potomac each year empties into the Oronoco Bay in North Old Town, and no federal or state order demands that be stopped.

Under pressure from local residents and environmentalists, however, the Alexandria City Council voted in November to speed up a study of how to address that pollution by 14 years, with a study to start in 2018 and formal planning to start in 2026.

[Alexandria speeds up plans to address sewage overflow into the Potomac]

To say or claim we are not doing enough is just not accurate, said Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg. We are fully committed to getting this done. In 2016 this council has taken major steps forward in commitments, plans and actions.

While the General Assembly works through its bills, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network is pushing the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to hold a public hearing on the citys long-term control plan for all the sewage that spills into the river each time it rains. The citys own records, the environmental group says, show unsafe levels of fecal contamination in Oronoco Bay more than half the time the city has sampled the water there from 2007 to 2012.

We are not asking them to eliminate pollution immediately, said Phillip Musegaas, Potomac Riverkeepers vice president of programs and litigation. We want to see them come up with a comprehensive plan that deals with all the sewage discharges from the city.

Thomas Faha, the state DEQs regional director, responded in a Dec. 19 letter that DEQ believes the city exceeded the public participation requirements of the permit and [combined sewer overflow] policy and that given the councils November action, Alexandrias public participation has been sufficiently robust such that there is no need for another public meeting.

The environmental group is appealing that decision.

Alexandria, like more than 800 communities across the country, combines its sewage and storm water in an outdated network of pipes that lead to a waste treatment plant. When it rains, those pipes overflow, sending both storm water and sewage into the river.

The city plans to address the Oronoco Bay situation by installing green infrastructure on city property and making tougher demands on new development, requiring separate sewer and storm water systems, for example.

Two months ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency demanded details from the city, asking how much of the expected overflow the green infrastructure will reduce, where and when new pipes will be installed and information documenting overflows for the past five years.


A brick church stands in the Penn Center historic site on South Carolinas St. Helena Island. The center, the site of one of the nation's first schools for freed slaves, on Thursday was designated as a new national monument. (Bruce Smith/AP)

President Obama declared five new national monuments Thursday, ranging from a Birmingham, Ala., church bombed by segregationists to the coniferous forests of Oregon. He has now used his executive authority more than any other president to protect iconic historic, cultural and ecological sites across the country.

Three new monuments in the South, all of which have bipartisan support, exemplify Obamas push to expand Americas shared national identity through the narrative it tells with its public lands. Two of them, in Birmingham and Anniston, Ala., were sites of violent acts perpetrated against African American children and an interracial group of civil rights activists. The third, in Beaufort, S.C., commemorates the period between the Civil War and the push for segregation in the 1890s when freed slaves worked to establish schools and communities of their own.

In a statement, Obama noted that the monuments preserve critical chapters of our countrys history and reflect his long-standing effort to ensure that our national parks, monuments and public lands are fully reflective of our nations diverse history and culture.





The president also enlarged once more the California Coastal National Monument, which was established by President Bill Clinton and expanded by Obama in 2014, and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, another Clinton monument, by roughly 42,000 acres in Oregon and 5,000 in California. Many environmentalists and scientists had argued the two protected areas needed a wider buffer to guard against the future effects of climate change.

Adding six sites to the California coastal one will make it more accessible, said Conservation Lands Foundation Executive Director Brian ODonnell, who added that Americans will celebrate these sites for generations.

[Obamas legacy: The content of his presidency]

The president has used the Antiquities Act frequently to safeguard vast stretches of habitat in the West, but he has also invoked it throughout his time in office to recognize key advances in the fight for a more inclusive American society. Those monuments include ones to Latino farmworkers in California; Japanese Americans placed in internment camps in Hawaii; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rioters at New York Citys Stonewall Inn; a stop along the Underground Railroad in Maryland; and ancestral Pueblo sites in Colorado and Utah.

[With national monument, history is made where gay rights history began]

Alan Spears, the National Parks Conservation Associations cultural-resources director, said in an interview that the designations demonstrate how the administration is placing more of our shared history on the collective mantelpiece of American history.

(Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)

There was a time when we only focused on men on horseback, with swords, Spears said. That was a different time. Weve expanded the definition of whats important, and whats nationally important.

By invoking the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the sites, Obama has now used the act more than any other president. He has created or expanded 34 national monuments, two more than Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The new Birmingham Civil Rights National Historical Monument features the site of the Sept. 15, 1963, bombing of the citys 16th Street Baptist Church, which killed four girls and injured 22 other people, as well as the A.G. Gaston Motel, where segregation opponents organized in the 1960s. The death of the four girls, who were attending Sunday school, outraged many Americans and provided a critical impetus for the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the city of Birmingham are working on a $9 million project to restore the motel, which housed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s war room in the spring of 1963.





The new Freedom Riders National Monument pays homage to the May 14, 1961, attack on a bus in Anniston that was carrying an interracial group of young men and women who were challenging the segregation that existed at that time on public transportation. The former Greyhound bus station on Gurnee Avenue where the riders attempted to board, as well as the site where the bus was firebombed and burned shortly afterward, will be part of the monument.

While preservationists and civil rights proponents had long expected the Alabama sites to be designated as national monuments, Obamas decision to establish one to Reconstruction was more surprising.

Advocates, including Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), noted there is not a single site in the national park system dedicated to telling the story of Reconstruction. The Sons of Confederate Veterans had initially protested the idea of singling out the Penn Center site in South Carolina, and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis had held a community hearing on the proposal only less than a month ago.

Northwestern University history professor Kate Masur, who pushed for designation along with University of California at Davis history professor Gregory Downs, said in an email that the site will illuminate one of the most important and most misunderstood eras of our past.

The Reconstruction era was the nations first effort to grapple with slaverys lasting impact, when millions of former slaves began forging lives in freedom, and when the nation remade the Constitution to better protect citizenship and individual rights, she said.

Many Republicans in the South have come to embrace the idea of highlighting some of the more painful aspects of the regions history to foster racial reconciliation. The entire Alabama House delegation  including six Republicans  signed onto legislation Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.) introduced to create the Birmingham Civil Rights National Historical Park site.

Anniston Mayor Jack Draper (D) said in an interview that the monument to the Freedom Riders was broadly supported in the community, as well as by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Weve come a long way, Draper said. People need to understand weve come a long way. The community at large has embraced this and recognized that this is a story that ought to be told.



These cars were parked beside the 16th Street Baptist Church when the explosion ripped through the church in Birmingham, Ala., on Sept. 15, 1963. (AP)

Police stand guard outside the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., after an explosion that killed four African American girls. (AP)

However, at least one of the new protected landscapes, at the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, is more controversial. Jack Williams, Trout Unlimiteds chief scientist, said enlarging it was critical because warmer temperatures, decreased winter snowpack and more variable storms have all affected local streams and rivers needed by imperiled native fish species.

[With monuments in Nevada, Utah, Obama adds to his environmental legacy]

The new designation will probably translate into better road maintenance and restrictions on cattle grazing or timber logging in key areas along waterways that will reduce erosion, Williams added.

But Jerome Rosa, executive director of the Oregon Cattlemens Association, said in an interview that his members are extremely disappointed in this going through. The impact it has on grazing land, timber production and on jobs will be devastating. Itll hurt our ranchers who are managing these properties.

Rosa said that what is happening in Oregon is a story playing out across the West  the federal government making land grabs, local governments losing taxable property and local ranchers and timber workers losing work. He also insisted that the designation will limit access to the land for hikers, birdwatchers and other outdoors enthusiasts.

The Antiquities Act really needs to be reformed, Rosa said. Hopefully President Trump will do something about that. This thing has been abused by so many presidents. He said that the 1906 law was meant to preserve historic cultural sites but that its turned into this thing for outgoing presidents to ensure their environmental legacy. Its really a serious abuse of what the Antiquities Act was supposed to do.





But Oregon outfitter Dave Willis, who has spent 34 years fighting to first establish the Cascade-Siskiyou monument and then extend it, said the region serves as a land bridge to a veritable Noahs ark of biodiversity.

Willis was so dogged about pushing for federal protection that in the 1990s he mailed an Interior Department employee material about the region every day for three weeks, until he got an in-person meeting with then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. In Clintons final weeks of office, Willis managed to corner the president four separate times to press for expanding the monument, but that moment did not arrive until 17 years later, on Thursday.

The job isnt done, but its a great step forward, he said. Were trying to protect the best and restore the rest.


Virginia Bliss and her daughter, Suzanne, on the back porch of their home in Tucker, Ga. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post)

They are three women who have spent months getting an experimental vaccine in the name of science. On each date of a strict timetable, theyve headed to windowless exam rooms in Bethesda, Md., Baltimore and Atlanta and stuck out their arms, to get an injection or to have blood drawn. Or both.

How their bodies react will determine whether this clinical trial  one of the first  proceeds to the next stage in a long and complicated process. Its target is Zika, a virus that since 2015 has spread with a vengeance to 58 countries, infecting hundreds of thousands of pregnant women and putting their babies at risk of birth defects.

In Bethesda, volunteer Andrea Vaught is a researcher who is earning a masters degree in public health. Being part of a clinical trial appeals to her inner geek.

[Why the United States is so vulnerable to the alarming spread of Zika virus]

In Baltimore, volunteer Crystal Woodley is grateful for the $1,100 compensation, given her recent layoff from a night-shift warehouse job.

(Gillian Brockell,Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post)

And in Atlanta, volunteer Virginia Bliss is motivated by love and gratitude for her 10-year-old daughter.

My daughter is perfect in almost every way, and Im very blessed, said Bliss, who works at a primate research center. I wouldnt want something to happen to someone during pregnancy thats so far beyond their control. I can only imagine how heartbreaking that would be.

The trio is at the heart of an effort by scientists worldwide. At least six vaccine candidates are in the development pipeline in the United States, with drug companies and government institutions collaborating to accelerate the process.

[The race to develop a Zika vaccine: Scientists inch closer]

There is special urgency with all this work. Zika has confounded the medical community with its unpredictability, and virtually every week, research provides disturbing new data about its damaging potential in the unborn, infants and even adults. The World Health Organization now considers Zika a significant and enduring public health challenge.

Yet vaccines usually take at least a decade to develop because so much of the effort is trial-and-error.

When you are dealing with something that is going to require a response in a human body, which has so many variables . . . person to person, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the chances for lack of precision and for something to go wrong is much greater.

Vaught, Woodley and Bliss are part of a trial led by NIAID. It may be the furthest along  having had no trouble attracting participants, particularly among women  and about 80 people have received multiple injections since August of the clear, colorless test preparation. By design, no participants are pregnant.

[Zika is expected to infect 1 in 5 Puerto Ricans, raising threat to rest of U.S.]

If things keep going smoothly with this safety testing, researchers hope to move to Phase 2 in February. That would involve trying the experimental vaccine in 2,400 to 5,000 volunteers in places where the virus is spreading to see whether it prevents infection.

One way to speed up the overall development of a Zika vaccine would be to conduct a separate trial with a vaccine that contains live virus, something the current formulation does not contain. A decision could come later this month, and scientists know that recruiting for such a controversial trial would be much more difficult.

Any such volunteers would be on the front lines of the Zika fight, just as Vaught, Woodley and Bliss are.



Zika vaccine trial volunteer Andrea Vaught, second from left, shares a dinner with friends at her apartment in Washington. Amelia Miller, left, Laura DiAngelo and Jennifer Arnold join her. (Allison Shelley for The Washington Post)

Small way to contribute

On a cold, blustery morning, Vaught arrived at Building 10  the Clinical Center  on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, for her second vaccine injection. From there, the 25-year-old would head to work at Georgetown Universitys Center for Global Health Science and Security, where she helps countries develop surveillance systems to prevent outbreaks.

With everything going on in the world, I know I can sometimes feel powerless to do something, she said. This is a small way to contribute to the development of a vaccine. Im a young, healthy person, and thats a privilege that I can contribute in this way.

She hasnt had much of a reaction to the shots. After her first in September, she felt a little tired. But she wasnt sure whether to blame the vaccine or her schedule as a full-time research assistant and part-time student at George Washington University.

[What its like to live with microcephaly, the birth defect linked to Zika emergency]

Before every injection, she provides a urine sample to make sure shes not pregnant, has her vital signs checked and then gets her blood taken so her bodys immune response can be assessed. All participants receive the same dose  four milligrams of a small, circular piece of DNA, called a plasmid, in one milliliter of saline. It must be individually prepared each time.

Phlebotomist Catina Boyd jokingly calls Vaught her problem child because her veins are so tiny that drawing blood takes finesse. Boyd makes the tourniquet extra tight and hands Vaught a plush toy  in the shape of an NIH bus  that shell squeeze to make her veins pop and keep the blood flowing.



Andrea Vaught grasps a stress toy as she has her blood drawn by phlebotomist Catina Boyd. Vaught is part of a clinical trial for a Zika vaccine at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. (Allison Shelley for The Washington Post)

Squeeze and hold the bus, Boyd tells her.

New technology allowed NIAID researchers to engineer the plasmid so it contains genes coded for proteins of the Zika virus. When injected, a persons cells read the genes and make those Zika proteins, which in turn trick the body into mounting a defense with antibodies and T cells.

[NIH begins testing Zika vaccine in humans]

Such DNA vaccines dont have infectious material, so researchers say they cant cause a person to become infected with Zika; previous trials for other diseases have established their safety, but DNA vaccines havent yet made it to market for human use. When people call to ask about volunteering, thats one of the first conversations we have when they inquire, said Julie Ledgerwood, the trials primary investigator. Everyone is reassured: Theres no Zika virus. You cant get Zika from the vaccine.

All participants, who must be between 18 and 35 years old and pristinely healthy, in Ledgerwoods words, receive two to three injections and commit to as many as 18 follow-up visits over two years. After each shot, they record their temperature and any fever, arm pain, redness or tenderness, nausea or headache. They return on a specific schedule to have more blood taken so researchers can monitor their health and immune response.

Zikas high profile has attracted a far greater response than usual from potential volunteers  with so many inquiries that Ledgerwood ended up with names to tap for future Zika studies. Many of the people selected are women, perhaps because of Zikas far greater consequences for pregnant women and their babies. People want to do this because it matters, she said.

Being a first-time participant has given Vaught a different perspective on her graduate classes textbook discussions about designing clinical trials and effective sample sizes.

It is actual people you are testing something on, and sometimes we can forget that, she said.

[Normal size head at birth doesnt rule out microcephaly, Zika syndrome months later]

From malaria to Zika

Woodley was running late for her second shot in downtown Baltimore. Her ride didnt show. She didnt have time to wait for a bus. She took a taxi, arriving at the vaccine clinic at the University of Maryland School of Medicine at 10:50 a.m., almost an hour past her appointment time.

As soon as she walked in, Ginny Cummings, the no-nonsense study coordinator, picked up the telephone to notify the pharmacists to start preparing her dose.

Let the mixing begin, she says.

Woodley took part several years ago in a malaria trial at the medical school, a study that required her to be in the hospital for nearly two weeks. Volunteers had their vitals recorded every three hours.

We had to drink something that had malaria in it, and they would collect our stool every day, she said. Some people became ill, but not Woodley. I think I had the placebo, she said.

The experience piqued her interest, and she agreed to be contacted about future trials. The timing on this one worked well because shed been laid off in April. She also welcomed the compensation, which depends on a volunteers number of visits and the time needed to reach a facility.



Linda Wadsworth, a research nurse, prepares to administer an experimental Zika vaccine to Crystal Woodley at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

A doctor went over a checklist to make sure Woodley, 33, could still receive her shot. Still in good health? No recent vaccinations? No blood products? Check, check, check.

By then, another clinic staffer had returned with her dose. Minutes later, in a spot right above the RIP Daddy tattoo on her left arm, Woodley received her injection. Like every participant, she had to stay put for 30 minutes and be monitored for any adverse reactions. There were none.

Just before noon, she walked outside, waited in a light drizzle for her bus and rode the No. 23 home to Catonsville.

I really like what theyre doing, Woodley said of the researchers, some of whom she knows from her previous trial. Its to help people and prevent them from getting this disease.

[Video: How long until we have a Zika vaccine for the public?]

Investigators say volunteers havent reported any significant pain or unusual side effects. But interim data suggest their immune response is lower than we would have expected, Fauci said. He describes it as adequate, but not great. Thats the unpredictability of vaccine development: A substance that looks promising when used in mice and monkeys may not hold up in humans.

Researchers have begun testing a variation of the DNA-based vaccine, which in monkeys generated a much stronger response than the original formulation. They began injecting it into a new group of 45 volunteers last month, again to watch for safety and immune reaction. Already, it looks better, Fauci said.

As a result, that second candidate will likely progress to field testing in February. Sites are being prepared from the Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico to South America.

Human challenge trial

Even in the best-case scenarios, though, scientists wont know whether any of the candidates produces an effective Zika vaccine until at least early 2018. And it could take years more before one is commercially available.

One step could significantly speed up the process: injecting healthy, nonpregnant volunteers with live Zika virus. While rare, that kind of human challenge trial would give researchers a much better understanding of how the virus causes disease and which prospective vaccines would be most effective in preventing infection.

Yet the risks are numerous. Female participants could become pregnant inadvertently. The full spectrum of Zika infection is not known, especially its longer-term risks. A recent mouse study, for example, showed the viruss surprise effect on male fertility  including lower testosterone levels, sperm counts and, in some animals, dramatically shrunken testicles.

In December, the NIAID and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research convened a group of independent experts to discuss how such a trial might be conducted safely and ethically. A recommendation is expected in January.



Virginia Bliss, who lives in the Atlanta area, is taking part in a Zika vaccine trial led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post)

In Atlanta, Bliss insists she would sign up. As a longtime volunteer, one who started as a young mother a decade ago, shes familiar with the routine of clinical trials and whats expected of her. The money earned has been helpful, she says, but participating also spurred an interest in science and biology.

I really love being part of the process, said Bliss, 33, a histologist at Emory Universitys Yerkes National Primate Research Center, which conducts biomedical and behavioral studies.

She feels strongly that human subjects have an obligation to take part in research. She participated most recently in a clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine.

I got pretty sick with what felt like the flu, she said. That was definitely the most physical symptoms I had with a vaccine.

But not so for Zika. She has had very little reaction to the two doses she has received at Emorys Hope Clinic, part of the Emory Vaccine Center. Her third shot is slated for February.

Bliss has talked to her daughter about her clinical trials and even tried to persuade friends to participate. But most people are reluctant.

They just hear names like Ebola and Zika and they get freaked, she said. People dont understand vaccines well enough.

Because Bliss does not plan to have more children, she says she would eagerly volunteer for another Zika trial  even if that meant becoming infected with live virus.

I would absolutely sign up, she said. She knows it takes years to develop a safe and effective vaccine, but her hope is that by the time her daughter is ready to have kids, Zika would have been eradicated. I believe theres a distinct possibility of doing that if were all working together.



Pharmacy technician Sandra Crutcher prepares a dose of Zika vaccine for use in a clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Read more:

Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just made pediatricians jobs a lot harder

The truth about vaccines, autism and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s conspiracy theory

When the Zika virus was spreading explosively, level of alarm extremely high

Medical detectives raced to save a man from a rare, universally lethal disease

As Zika virus spreads, El Salvador asks women not to get pregnant until 2018
PHILIPPINES

Duterte intensifies contraceptives drive

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies in the Philippines to ensure free access to contraceptives for 6 million women who cannot obtain them, officials said Wednesday, in a move expected to be opposed by the countrys dominant Roman Catholic Church.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the intensified drive to make contraceptives available and ensure zero unmet need for family planning is key to reducing poverty. He said the government wants to cut the poverty rate from 21.6 percent in 2015 to 14 or 13 percent by the end of Dutertes term in 2022.

The executive order Duterte signed Monday said that out of the 6 million women with unmet needs for modern family planning, 2 million have been identified as poor. The 2 million should have access to contraceptives by 2018, and all the rest thereafter, the order said.

It also directs government agencies to locate couples with unmet family planning needs, mobilize agencies at the village level and partner with civil society in intensifying the drive.

The Philippines is the only Asia-Pacific country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose in the past two decades, the U.N. Population Fund said last year.

 Associated Press

GERMANY

Sharp drop registered in migrant arrivals

About 280,000 new asylum seekers arrived in Germany last year, less than a third of the previous years 890,000, the interior minister said Wednesday.

Thomas de Maiziere also said that the number of rejected asylum seekers who left Germany was up, though not to authorities satisfaction. In total, 80,000 people either left voluntarily or were deported, he said.

Arrivals declined sharply with the closure of the Balkan migrant route in March and a subsequent deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow across the Aegean Sea to Greece.

Asylum applications have lagged well behind arrivals, and many who came to Germany in 2015 applied only last year.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees decided last year on more than 695,000 asylum applications, more than twice as many as in 2015. Nearly 60 percent of applicants were granted either full refugee status or a lesser form of protection.

De Maiziere said that about 55,000 migrants returned home voluntarily last year, compared with the previous years 35,000. About 25,000 were deported.

 Associated Press

ANGOLA

2 cases of Zika seen, but strain not clear

Angola has announced its first two cases of the Zika virus, but it is not clear whether the strain is the one spreading through the Americas.

The Portuguese news agency Lusa said one case involved a French citizen. The other was found in Luanda province. Both were registered in recent weeks.

No cases of the Zika strain responsible for the outbreak in Brazil and elsewhere have been reported on the African mainland, although the World Health Organization said in May that the strain had infected people in Cape Verde, an island nation off Africas western coast.

The emergence of that strain in Africa would be a major cause for concern because of the poor public-health infrastructure in many of its countries, including Angola.

The former Portuguese colony was faced last year with its worst outbreak of yellow fever in decades, and it more recently has had a deadly cholera outbreak.

Zika is primarily mosquito-borne.

 Associated Press

Burmese activists say thousands flee airstrikes, fighting: More than 3,000 people have fled airstrikes and fighting in northern Burma since the weekend as the government tries to flush out rebel positions, activists said. The unrest in Kachin state is just one of the simmering conflicts in Burma. Its military is also facing criticism for alleged abuses against the Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine state.

Kazakh leader gives nod to constitutional changes: Kazakhstans Nursultan Nazarbayev has given the green light for constitutional changes that could dilute the sweeping powers he has amassed as president and force his eventual successor to share power with other institutions. Kazakhstan is the only former Soviet republic still run by its communist-era leader. Nazarbayev, 76, has not identified a clear successor. His office said he had set up a working group tasked with drafting legal reforms to redistribute powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

 From news services
Sister Beulah Martin, 62, descends the staircase from the nuns' living quarters on Dec. 13, 2016, at Belmead in Powhatan, Va. (Julia Rendleman/For The Washington Post)

The Jan. 1 Metro article  This is sacred land  detailed the efforts of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to save Belmead-on-the-James, a 2,265-acre property that in 1895 was the home of two Catholic schools for black children.

In addition to local philanthropists, could institutions of higher learning such as Howard University, Catholic University or the University of Virginia, or the Smithsonian Institution, develop a plan that saves the property for the sisters while expanding opportunities for learning and adventure through archival research, archaeology, restoration, etc., for our students and citizens in general?

We have a jewel in our midst.

Jean Bassett Fenwick, Round Hill, Va.
Regarding the Jan. 7 front-page article N.C. town has faith Trump can bring back Mayberry:

In the article, Thresa Tucker, a pastors wife, described a Christianity in which Christians cant just give help to anyone who needs it, because not all who seek help are worthy of it. Those who are worthy of help must attend church regularly and meet other requirements, the article reported. As a Christian, might I suggest that Ms. Tucker either has never read the Bible or has missed its message. Jesus healed and comforted people without asking them to submit to a pre-assistance interview to assess whether they met worthiness criteria. His edicts to love one another, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, visit the prisoner and minister to the sick were not followed by the caveat once youve vetted them to make sure they fit into your arbitrary criteria to be deserving of charity.

The residents of Mount Airy, N.C., voiced dismay at the perceived demise of Christianity in America. If Ms. Tuckers version of Christianity is what theyre referring to, then I say good riddance.

Shelby Harrington, Bethesda

Some of us who are old enough to remember the late 1940s and early 1950s think the views expressed by Mount Airy residents in the Jan. 7 article N.C. town has faith Trump can bring back Mayberry were hypocritical.

Those were years when, with the help of the Taft-Hartley Act, right-to-work laws and some Southern sheriffs acting as union busters, the New England textile industry was lured south, along with other enterprises, many of which also collected taxpayer-financed handouts.

Then, after squeezing the last cent out of the region, all hands decamped, always looking for unenlightened countries where they could do the same thing all over again.

Mount Airys residents should embrace more productive solutions instead of waxing nostalgic for failed, beggar-thy-neighbor policies.

Lester Shapiro, Washington
President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his family, arrives for the news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York.

Jan. 11, 2017 President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his family, arrives for the news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

Sen. Ben Cardin used one of the oldest saws in politics to lay out an imperative for the coming Trump era. It cannot be business as usual, Cardin said.

He was talking primarily about Russia, but his statement stands on its own. Under the 45th president, it cannot be business as usual for the media, for Congress or for any citizen who values our liberties. We are in for a very dangerous national ride.

Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who is one of the least partisan voices in Congress, spoke at the opening of Senate hearings on Donald Trumps nomination of Rex Tillerson  a man with close ties to Vladimir Putin  for secretary of state. The hearing began against the backdrop of shocking allegations that Russian intelligence services have compromising material on Trumps personal life and finances. There are also reports of collusion between Trumps political operatives and Russias spies and cyber-thieves.

[The Trump dossier is silly  except for one thing]

Let it be said that the word allegations is key. A lot of what has been released has not been verified. It could turn out to be a mixture of truth and enough thats not true to allow Trump to push it all aside, as he did at his news conference Wednesday. Its all fake news, he said. Its phony stuff. It didnt happen.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

But given Trumps relentless public praise for Putin and the derision he has directed at those who mistrust Russia and its intentions (our president-elect called those who disagree with his Russia policies stupid), the accusations need to be dealt with very seriously and investigated meticulously. If we have learned nothing else, we know that Trumps denials can never be believed until they are independently confirmed. The new standard for presidential statements must be: Mistrust and verify.

And so much else in Trumps often nasty encounter with reporters was, quite simply, petrifying. He slid toward admitting that the hacking of the Democratic National Committee was Russias work  I think it was Russia. But he immediately played down the import of what he had said by adding: We also get hacked by other countries and other people.

[Tillersons foreign policy: Russia first]

He laid more blame on the Democrats for doing a very poor job of defending themselves against hacking than he did on Russia, and praised the hackers for the fruits of their theft: Look at what was learned from that hacking.

He denounced news organizations by name and imperiously refused to allow their reporters to ask questions. He declined to make a clean break with his business holdings or to promise wide disclosure, which all but guarantees conflicts of interest.

And he continued to hug Putin close. If Putin likes Donald Trump, he said, I consider that an asset, not a liability. Its hard to escape the idea that the autocrat Putin must have very much liked the Donald Trump on display nine days before his inauguration.

So although it was not his intention, Trump brought home the importance of the central forward-looking theme of President Obamas moving farewell address in Chicago on Tuesday night. At heart, Obamas speech was a warning and a plea: an alert about the dangers our democracy confronts and a call for Americans to be active and vigilant in protecting our liberties.

(Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift, Obama declared in what may prove to be its most important passage. But its really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning  with our participation, and with the choices that we make and the alliances that we forge.

Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms, whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law, thats up to us, he continued. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.

That last line was ominous, and so were Obamas other warnings  that democracy can buckle when it gives in to fear, that terrorists cannot defeat the United States unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight, that rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world unless we give up what we stand for, and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors.

And Obama presented the country with this marching order: We must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.

Obama never mentioned Trump in this context. Alas for us all, he didnt have to.

Read more from E.J. Dionnes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Anyone who reads the unconfirmed report on Russias purported ties to President-elect Donald Trump has to agree with the media organizations that balked at publishing it  until BuzzFeed decided to let Americans make up their own minds.

The documents provenance seems to be a dirt-digging contract issued to an ex-British spy by Trumps political opponents; its a pastiche of claims from unnamed sources, marred by spelling errors and including a tale about a Russia-Trump conspiracy hatched in a city, Prague, that Trumps purported representative at the purported meeting says hes never visited.

It culminates in the assertion that Russian intelligence controls Trump via possession of a video showing him disgustingly engaged with prostitutes in Moscow, a classic KGB-style kompromat (blackmail) scenario that seemed a little too vivid even before Trump ridiculed it at a news conference Wednesday.

[Trump proved Obamas point]

There remains, however, one blindingly obvious, utterly true and, so far, insufficiently explained fact: Trump favors Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Putin favors him.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

You hardly need a clandestine Source A to know that RT, the Kremlins global media network, has consistently apologized for Trump. Nor is there much doubt that the Putin regime hacked Democratic Party documents harmful to Hillary Clintons candidacy, and used WikiLeaks as a front for their release, as even Trump fleetingly and grudgingly conceded Wednesday.

Through it all, Trump has dodged the issue of Russian meddling in the election and changed the subject to the purported benefits of closer relations with Moscow, insisting Wednesday that if Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? Thats called an asset, not a liability.

There needs to be more focus on why this bizarre bromance is so dangerous, even if its origins lie in nothing more sinister than the misguided foreign-policy musings of a celebrity real estate mogul.

Basically, the risks are the same as they would be in allying with any corrupt, dictatorial regime  magnified many times over by Putins geopolitical and ideological pretensions, which are ambitious indeed.

[Tillersons foreign policy: Russia first]

Whatever its other defects, the leaked document describes those rather well: Putin aims to encourage splits and divisions in the Western alliance so as to foster a return to 19th-century Great Power politics . . . rather than the ideals-based international order established after World War II.

Trumps big idea is an alliance with Moscow against the Islamic State, which his designated national security adviser, the Russophilic Michael T. Flynn, has promoted for years on the grounds that our common enemy is radical Islam.

1 of 18 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos from Trumps first news conference in six months View Photos President-elect Donald Trump took questions in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City. Caption President-elect Donald Trump took questions in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City. Jan. 11, 2017 President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his family, arrives for the news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

The problem is twofold: Russia may not have all that much to offer; despite its supposed hostility toward the terrorist group, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter says Moscow has done virtually zero to fight the Islamic State while otherwise waging war, in alliance with Iran, against Bashar al-Assads enemies in Syria.

And what little help Russia might supply the Trump administration would not be free. Such trade-offs are a commonplace of U.S. intelligence liaisons with dictatorships, past and present. When dictatorships helped us against, say, Soviet-backed guerrillas during the Cold War, the assistance often came in return for an American blind eye to corruption and human rights violations.

If Putin cooperated against the Islamic State, his price would surely be American indulgence of his designs against Ukraine and, over time, other European states. He would also likely try to penetrate U.S. intelligence, stealing those secrets and technology the Trump administration did not share.

On a subtler  but no less real  level, close partnership with Putin would legitimize his brand of illiberal rule by making it seem effective against a greater evil, terrorism; conversely, it would delegitimize liberal-democratic politics.

This is precisely the sort of devils bargain people have in mind when they warn against letting the terrorists win.

At least our Western European Cold War allies in NATO were mostly democratic, obviating moral dilemmas; and the United States redeemed its compromise at Yalta, which let the Soviets dominate Eastern Europe, by supporting democracy in that area after 1989.

Even after recent financial crises and democratic backsliding, Europe could have much to offer in the fight against the Islamic State; from Paris to Berlin, events over the past year show that jihadist terrorism is more of a European-American common enemy than a Russian-American one.

Yet instead of urging revitalized transatlantic relations, with NATO as its anchor, and instead of emphasizing values as a bulwark against terrorism, Trump disparages democratic leaders such as Angela Merkel of Germany and celebrates Putins strength.

It would be a profound historical irony, and a profound historical tragedy, if a President Trump were to cozy up to Putins Russia at the expense of democracy and self-determination for Europe and other regions. It would be kompromat on an international scale.

Read more from Charles Lanes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
In New York on Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump dismissed as crap the intelligence reports suggesting Russia has compromising information on him.

Trump knows this because, as he tweeted, Russia called it A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION. And if Vladimir Putins government says something, it must be true.

But whether or not Russia has such blackmail potential may be beside the point. Trump and his incoming administration are already doing exactly what Putin wants.

As Trump was giving his first post-election news conference in Trump Tower, his nominee to be secretary of state was testifying in Washington  and Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil chief, showed why he earned Putins Order of Friendship award.

It was early in the nine-hour hearing when Tillerson said he might recommend revoking President Obamas actions punishing Russia for its cyberattack during the American election, which Tillerson acknowledged was probably approved by Putin.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) followed that with a blunt question: Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?

I would not use that term, the Russian Order of Friendship laureate replied.

Rubio offered to help Tillerson reach that conclusion, describing his targeting of schools and markets in Syria that have killed thousands of civilians, and his earlier attacks on Chechnya, where he killed 300,000 civilians using cluster munitions and bombs that kill by asphyxiation. You are still not prepared to say that Vladimir Putin and his military . . . have conducted war crimes?

I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion, the nominee replied.

Rubio went on to ask about the broadly held view that Putin has approved the killing of countless opponents, dissidents and journalists.

I do not have sufficient information to make that claim, Tillerson replied.

Do you think that was coincidental? Rubio pressed.

1 of 51 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See photos from the confirmation hearings of Trumps Cabinet nominees View Photos The Senate is getting an early start on the president-elects choices for several top jobs in his administration. Caption The Senate is getting an early start on the president-elects choices for several top jobs in his administration. Jan. 12, 2017 Ben Carson, the nominee to be the Housing and Urban Development secretary, pauses while answering questions from the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Tillerson said these things happen to people who speak up for freedom, but he would need to know more.

Rubio was angry. None of this is classified, Mr. Tillerson, he said. These people are dead.

It was a big moment for the man Trump called Lil Marco. But its ominous that there arent more like him and John McCain speaking up now.

Putin has managed to achieve in a few months of cyberwarfare what his Soviet predecessors failed to do in 45 years of the Cold War: creating a pliable American government, willing to overlook human rights abuses in the interest of commerce.

Trump on Wednesday tweeted that the leaked intelligence report was one last shot at me and asked: Are we living in Nazi Germany? But his liaison with Russia feels more Eastern Bloc than Third Reich. Trump has a slate of pro-Russia advisers talking about a more conciliatory approach to Putin, and their statements have echoed Kremlin statements. Trump acknowledged that I think it was Russia that did the election hacking, but rather than regard it as an act of war, he praised the outcome: It shouldnt be done, he said, but look at what was learned from that hacking.

Tillerson offered a few welcome departures from his would-be bosss positions: He embraced the Magnitsky law punishing human rights abuses and said Russias annexation of Crimea would not be recognized. He was more supportive of NATO than Trump has been.

But Tillerson didnt mention the election hacking in his opening statement, and, in response to Rubio, he said he would have concerns with legislation imposing mandatory sanctions on those who commit cyberattacks on the United States.

Other responses were equally unnerving. Tillerson told Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) that he had not yet discussed Russia with Trump, and he asserted that to my knowledge, Exxon never directly lobbied against sanctions. Congressional lobbying records show Exxon lobbied on many Russia sanctions bills.

Asked by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) about how he would avoid being undermined as chief diplomat by the presidents quickly drafted, not vetted tweets on world affairs, Tillerson replied, I have his cellphone number.

Well hope for the best there  unless you have anything else to add, Young said. Tillerson didnt.

The nominee didnt rule out the creation of a registry of Muslims. He declined to say that China is one of the worlds worst human rights violators. He wouldnt criticize drug raids in the Philippines that have killed 6,200. And he said he couldnt make a true determination whether Saudi Arabia violates human rights.

It was grim to see an incoming American secretary of state avert his gaze from human rights abuses in Russia and across the globe. Rubio said it demoralizes billions of people. That cannot be who we are in the 21st century, Rubio told Tillerson.

But apparently it already is.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
U.S. INTELLIGENCE agencies have publicly accused Russia of seeking to tilt the U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump. Now the nation needs a bipartisan and transparent investigation into how this occurred and how a repeat might be prevented. Mr. Trump should welcome such an inquiry.

It is important not to conflate the startling allegation of Russian interference with a separate series of unsupported accusations published by the website BuzzFeed on Tuesday. In his news conference Wednesday, Mr. Trump vehemently denied the BuzzFeed allegations but appeared to accept the judgment about Russian interference, albeit with caveats.

The intelligence agencies last Friday released an unclassified version of their conclusions regarding Russian interference. They provided a classified version, with more supporting evidence, to President Obama and Mr. Trump. CNN on Tuesday evening reported that U.S. intelligence officials also presented Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump with a two-page document describing rumors of Russian efforts to gain influence over Mr. Trump. BuzzFeed then published a memo that has been widely circulating in Washington with claims that Russian intelligence officials made a compromising video recording of Mr. Trump and met secretly with his representatives. Other news organizations, unable to substantiate these claims, had properly refrained from publishing them.

Mr. Trump angrily dismissed the rumors, via Twitter, as FAKE NEWS  A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT! But he accepted at least in part the intelligence communitys finding of Russian interference, which intelligence officials said was effected through hacking of Democratic Party email accounts and the dissemination of phony news stories harmful to Hillary Clintons campaign.

As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, Mr. Trump said. He announced that he will ask his intelligence chiefs to deliver, within 90 days, a plan to harden U.S. agencies against cyber-intrusion. He pointed out that other actors, including China, have stolen information from the U.S. government.

Any effort to improve U.S. defenses should be welcomed, but Russias intrusion into the U.S. election is qualitatively different from even the most egregious cyberespionage. It is disturbing to hear Trump officials gloss over this difference, just as it was disturbing for Mr. Trump to welcome the results of the Russian intrusion. Hackings bad, and it shouldnt be done. But look at the things that were hacked, look at what was learned from that hacking, he said. The comment resonated with Mr. Trumps plea, at his last news conference a half-year ago, for Russia to find and publish Ms. Clintons missing emails.

Mr. Trump should be affronted by a foreign powers interference in U.S. democracy  no matter the results. And he should recognize that the credibility of his denials of any Russian connections is undermined by his refusal to release tax returns and business records. All the more reason for a credible inquiry, beyond any actions by a Trump-controlled Justice Department or a Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee used to operating in the shadows. The investigators of Russian meddling, whether a congressional select committee or an independent commission, should have bipartisan balance, full subpoena authority, no time limit and a commitment to make public as much as possible of what they find.
In the span of 15 hours, standing separately in the cities that have come to define them, President Obama and his soon-to-be successor spoke to the historic, clashing movements each has inspired and continues to lead.

One era in Americas long political history was ending, and another very different one was just getting started.

Obama returned in his Tuesday night speech to the struggling South Side of Chicago, where he once worked as a community organizer in the shadows of closed steel mills.

It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, he said, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss.

President-elect Donald Trump appeared Wednesday morning in the pink-marbled lobby of his Manhattan skyscraper, standing next to a table stacked high with file folders representing dozens of business deals and assets worth a fortune. He rattled off the boldfaced names of billionaires and touted fantastic and brilliant Cabinet selections that would fix a nation that had lost its way.

These two fiercely competitive, confident and combative men were each defining whats wrong with America and how to fix it. Obama, whose party was thrashed in the election, called for a great movement fueled by a sense of common purpose  the imperative to strive together . . . to achieve a common good, a greater good.

Trump, who celebrated his victory and spoke of himself in the third person, promised that great business leaders would be the countrys salvation. His was a great-man theory of history.

I want to bring the greatest people into government, because were way behind, Trump said. I say it all the time in speeches. We dont make good deals anymore. In Trumps America, he is the greatest leader and the savviest dealmaker of them all.

Each was on stage for nearly an hour, during which each dominated the nations attention and was carried on nearly every major network. For Obama, it was a prime-time goodbye before a crowd of 20,000 cheering supporters, and an attempt to give some hope to the dispirited America he led.

For Trump, it was a formal introduction at his first news conference as president-elect and an attempt to define the America he is inheriting.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Despite their political and personal differences, the two men share traits. Both draw energy from big, rowdy crowds. Nobody has ever had crowds like Trump has had. You know that, the president-elect chided the 250 reporters who had come to ask him questions. You dont like to report that, but thats okay. Obama broke with the tradition of an Oval Office farewell address so that he could speak to an adoring crowd of true believers.

Both like to remind opponents of their victories. Obama never tires of telling Republicans that he defeated them twice. On Wednesday, Trump batted away a question about releasing his taxes by insisting that only the media cared about the returns. How could he be so sure? I won. . . . I became president, he said to applause from his staffers.

Both used their appearances to decry the decline of facts and the rise of fake news in the public discourse. Without a willingness to admit new information . . . and that science and reason matter, were going to keep talking past each other, Obama warned Tuesday.

Just hours later Trump decried a different kind of fake news in the form of uncorroborated allegations that Russian intelligence services had damaging information that could be used to blackmail him.

The American people are sick and tired of it, Trump told reporters.

But the similarities ended there. Much more striking were the differences between the two leaders visions.

Obama returned again and again to the idea that America did not need a savior. Instead he preached the power of collective action and common purpose. Grab a clipboard, get some signatures, he said to applause. Show up. Dive in. Stay at it.

He called on his supporters, fearful of a Trump presidency, to become anxious, jealous guardians of the countrys ideals. And he pressed for more empathy and understanding, urging Americans to heed the example of Atticus Finch, the fictional hero of To Kill a Mockingbird, who said, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

The next morning Trump offered up a different roster of heroes, casually dropping the names of billionaires such as U.S. oil tycoon Harold Hamm, Chinese business magnate Jack Ma, Marvel Entertainments Isaac Perlmutter and Middle Eastern developer Hussain Sajwani, who Trump claimed recently offered the president-elect $2 billion to do a deal in Dubai.

We had so many incredible people coming here, Trump said. And I will say, if the election didnt turn out the way it turned out, they would not be here. They would not be in my office. . . . Theyd be building and doing things in other countries. So, theres a great spirit going on right now. A spirit that many people have told me theyve never seen before, ever.

Both men, of course, were seeking to rally a devoted and passionate base. Obama whipped up supporters by recounting his presidencys high points: 20 million Americans insured, unemployment at a 10-year low, incomes rising and Osama bin Laden dead.

His preferred successor had been defeated by Trump, but a new generation of young progressives  unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic  were by Obamas accounting ascendant.

Youll soon outnumber all of us, he said, relegating Trumps victory to a historical blip.

(Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Trump, meanwhile, vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act and said he would stand up to American car manufacturers who tried to ship jobs overseas. He vowed to bring down the costs of the Pentagons massive F-35 fighter jet program and do battle with a disastrous drug industry.

They are getting away with murder, Trump insisted.

Trump insisted his followers were desperate for strong, smart and tough leaders. To prove his toughness, he repeatedly attacked the media. He called BuzzFeed, the Internet publication, a failing pile of garbage and refused to entertain a question from CNN.

Your organization is terrible, Trump told the networks Jim Acosta. You are fake news.

Obama ended his speech by promising his defeated and downcast coalition that he was not really leaving the national stage. In fact, I will be right there with you as citizen for all my remaining days, he said.

Trump made a different promise. He was assembling one of the great Cabinets ever put together.

Weve been hearing that from so many people, Trump said. People are so happy.

Soon those people  along with throngs of celebrities  were going to be converging on Washington.

Were going to have a very, very elegant day, the president-elect promised. And I think were going to have massive crowds, because we have a movement.
President-elect Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that he has NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!

Trump, however, has a long history with Russia, trying repeatedly to build luxury properties in Moscow, holding a beauty pageant there and benefiting from heavy investments from Russians in his properties around the world.

It is not possible to verify whether Trump does not have current deals or loans with Russian entities because he has refused to release his tax returns. But a look at Trumps record since the 1980s shows that he and his family long have been interested in trying to do business there. The connection became a matter of curiosity during the 2016 presidential race. A Russian official was quoted saying his government had been in contact with Trumps campaign, and the candidate repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin while urging the countrys leaders to hack into his opponents emails.

The connections go back 30 years.

Trump first visited Moscow in 1987 in an effort to make real estate deals. As he told it in a Playboy interview, two Russian fighter planes accompanied his jet to the airport, and he had insisted on having two Russian colonels fly with him. He stayed at the National Hotel, overlooking the Kremlin, and said that the Soviets wanted him to build two luxury hotels.The Soviet ambassador had visited Trump in New York City and said his daughter had adored Trump Tower and suggested a Moscow version, according to a Newsweek account of the visit published at the time. Trump visited a number of potential sites around Moscow.

(Sarah Parnass,Glenn Kessler/The Washington Post)

Trump said he told Soviet officials that he did not know how to arrange financing because the government owned the land. Trump said he was told: No problem, Mr. Trump. We will work out lease arrangements.

Trump said he responded, I want ownership, not leases. The Soviets said they would create a committee of seven government representatives and three Trump associates to resolve problems.

Trump said in the 1990 interview that he was very unimpressed with the Soviet system, which he called a disaster. What you will see there soon is a revolution, he added. He said his problem with then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was that he was not a firm enough hand.

Trump did not wind up making a deal, but he soon tried again.

In 1996, Trump sought to build luxury condominiums in Moscow, but the deal never happened. Trump tried again in 2005, signing a deal for a possible Trump building in a converted pencil factory, but this also failed to materialize.

The Trumps were undaunted. Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Russia six times in an 18-month period, starting around 2006, to try to make deals. His father seemed convinced it would happen.

Russia is one of the hottest places in the world for investment, the senior Trump said in 2007. We will be in Moscow at some point.

The following year, Trump Jr. appeared at a real estate conference in which he said the company had tried to invest in Russia. He acknowledged that Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.

The Trump company sold condos to Russian investors, and the senior Trump received $95 million for a Palm Beach mansion in 2008 from Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, more than twice the $41 million of Trumps original purchase price, according to property records.

The closest I came to Russia, I bought a house a number of years ago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said in July. Palm Beach is a very expensive place. There was a man who went bankrupt, and I bought the house for $40 million, and I sold it to a Russian for $100 million including brokerage commissions.. . . I guess probably I sell condos to Russians, okay?

Trumps ambition to build in Russia was still unfulfilled, and he made another effort in 2013. He traveled that year to Moscow for his Miss Universe pageant at the 7,300-seat Crocus City Hall. Trump sent a tweet in search of Russias leader: Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow -if so, will he become my new best friend?

Putin did not attend the pageant, but Trump used the occasion to visit with Russian officials and seek out real estate opportunities. He spoke with a developer named Aras Agalarov, who said he talked with Trump about developing adjoining towers in Moscow. Trump sounded sure he would strike a deal, tweeting: TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next.

During his time promoting the pageant in Moscow, Trump lavished praise on Putin, and the Russian leader responded with a friendly letter to him, Agalarov told The Washington Post last year. Agalarovs son, Emin, visited Trump in New York after the businessman announced his presidential bid, and he said Trump criticized the U.S. government for not being able to be friends with Russia.

Trumps friendly view toward Russia escalated during the campaign. In July, Trump encouraged Russia to hack Hillary Clintons emails. I will tell you this, Russia: If youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump said. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.

U.S. intelligence agencies subsequently said that Russia, under Putins direction, was behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails as part of an effort to undermine Clinton and help Trump. The emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta were also hacked and released, much to Clintons embarrassment.Podesta wrote in The Post that he believed he was the direct target of Russian hacking.

In September, Trump again praised Putin, saying he is a leader far more than our president has been. Asked to explain, Trump said, He does have an 82 percent approval rating. . . I think when he calls me brilliant , Ill take it as a compliment, okay?

Trumps statements highlighted his tendency to value those who stroke his ego and his admiration for leaders who project power  two attributes of which Moscow seemed to be well aware.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency that his country had contacts with Trumps campaign. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage, Ryabkov said. The campaign denied such talks.

Ryabkov did not say who Russia talked to. Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort managed an investment fund for a Putin ally, and he was cited in a corruption probe in Ukraine, where investigators were looking into illegal payments from a pro-Russian party that had hired Manafort when he was a political consultant. Manafort denied wrongdoing and said that he had not received improper payments. He also said he had nothing to do with weakening of the Republican Party platform language that suggested U.S. military support for Ukraine.

Trumps national security adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn  who led lock her up chants about Clinton  sat next to Putin at a 2015 dinner. Flynn told The Post last year that he gave a paid speech at an anniversary party for the RT television network in Moscow, a network on which Trump later appeared.

Trump stood by his warm words for Putin and Russia at his Wednesday news conference, even as he acknowledged that I think it was Russia that hacked the DNC emails. Addressing an unverified memo that said Russia had collected compromising material about him  which he called fake news  Trump said he believed Russian denials that they had not collected such information. He followed that by welcoming Putins friendship.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? Thats called an asset, not a liability, Trump said.

Read more:

Heres a guide to the Trumpian spin on the Russian hacking report

Decision to brief Trump on allegations brought a secret and unsubstantiated dossier into the public domain

Inside Trumps financial ties to Russia and his unusual flattery of Vladimir Putin

An earlier version of this article incorrectly characterized the Inerfax news agency of Russia as a state-run agency. Interfax is a privately owned and managed company.
House Republican leaders attempted to quell concerns of a skittish rank and file before a key vote Friday to begin unwinding the Affordable Care Act.

The assurances came after lawmakers across the GOPs ideological divides sounded anxious notes this week about advancing legislation that would repeal Obamacare without firm plans for its replacement.

We just want more specifics, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said Wednesday. We need to know what were going to replace it with. Meadows said he was personally undecided on his vote Friday and that other caucus members were leaning toward no.

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group, said members of that caucus have serious reservations about starting the process without replacement plans spelled out. Wed like to have this conversation prior to the repeal vote, he said.

Those jitters hint at a rocky road ahead as Republicans start trying to fulfill a long-standing campaign promise. They have forced GOP leaders to reassure lawmakers that they will not move precipitously and open Republicans to charges they threw the health-care system into chaos.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

This will be a thoughtful, step-by-step process, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday. Were not going to swap one 2,700-page monstrosity for another. . . . Were going to do this the right way.

The House is set to vote Friday on a measure that would begin the budget reconciliation process, which ultimately would allow Republicans to repeal Obamacare without securing cooperation from Democrats who have vowed to block any major changes to the law.

GOP leadership aides said they were confident the measure would pass Friday, but the vote could still be close  reflecting significant tactical differences on an issue that Republicans have long touted as a chief priority should their party regain the White House.

House action is expected to come barely 24 hours after Senate passage of the measure. Only one senator, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), crossed party lines  arguing, in part, that the GOP should put forth an Obamacare replacement first.

[Obamacare is one step closer to repeal after Senate advances budget resolution]

Complicating matters is President-elect Donald Trump, who this week made several sweeping statements about the timing and substance of his health-care plans.

Replacement of Obamacare, Trump said at a Wednesday news conference, would happen essentially simultaneously as its repeal and would be far less expensive and far better. In a New York Times interview published Tuesday, Trump indicated that legislation could come together within weeks.

Trump tweeted praise Thursday for the Senates swift action, which could help goad skeptical House Republicans: Congrats to the Senate for taking the first step to #RepealObamacare- now its onto the House!

But several key lawmakers involved in the process indicated that Trump is pushing an overly ambitious timeline. Democrats took more than a year to pass the ACA and related legislation, and they had a filibuster-proof 60-vote Senate majority for much of that time.

I guess it depends on how you define simultaneous,  said Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, when asked Wednesday about Trumps comments.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said, Theres a lot of different timelines floating around.

I think theres a lot of energy for getting on with both repeal and replacement, he said. The question is, what are the formalities for that? We want to have a due process here, we want to have a transparent process. We want to have a full legislative process.

Another wild card is Trumps pick for health and human services secretary, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.). Trump suggested Wednesday that Price would play a key role in shaping the Obamacare replacement strategy.

As soon as our secretary is approved and gets into the office, well be filing a plan, he said. It was unclear whether he meant a legislative plan, or a plan for repealing or modifying Obamacare-related regulations.

House leaders see Price, the House Budget Committee chairman and an orthopedist, as a reliable partner. But it is unclear how quickly he might be confirmed: The Senate Finance Committee has yet to set confirmation hearings, and Democrats have vowed to undertake a no-holds-barred blitz on Prices record.

Its really important to get Dr. Price in as secretary, said Rep. Patrick J. Tiberi (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on health. Thats going to be key to working with us, and we obviously know a lot about what he thinks about.

Ryan said Thursday that he and Trump are completely in sync on health care and suggested that more details would be on offer at the yearly congressional Republican retreat, which will be held in Philadelphia the week after Trumps inauguration. Trump is scheduled to address lawmakers there.

Were going to have a full, exhausting conversation at our retreat to go through all of these things, Ryan said Thursday. What I think people are beginning to appreciate is, we have lots of tools in front of us. Its not just a one-and-done-bill kind of a thing. And so thats what weve been walking our members through, are all the options available to us to get this done.

One of the those tools, he said, is budget reconciliation  a process that will pave the way for Republicans to pass a bill gutting major parts of the ACA, including the system of tax subsidies and penalties that Democrats relied on to increase coverage levels.

[Why Obamacare is unlikely to die a swift death]

GOP leaders are examining closely what elements of a replacement plan can be included in a repeal bill set to be passed under reconciliation.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said Thursday that the repeal measure could include some attempts to empower states to begin making health-care coverage decisions before a replacement bill is complete.

Still, Senate rules dictate that only measures with a discrete budgetary effect are permissible under reconciliation. So while Republicans could claim that the bill repealing Obamacare also contains a blueprint for its replacement, major parts of that replacement plan would need 60 Senate votes  and thus significant Democratic support.

According to multiple GOP sources, Republicans are looking at whether to use reauthorizations of existing programs, such as the Childrens Health Insurance Program, as vehicles for replacement measures. That could give them leverage to secure cooperation from Democrats.

Behind the scenes, Republican leaders are urging lawmakers to look at this weeks votes as mere procedural formalities. But some rank-and-file members remain nervous about voting to start a process they might not be able to stop.

I told my members, in order to have a meaningful impact . . . you better speak up now, Dent said.

Kelsey Snell contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
Ben Carson on Thursday detailed his vision for the Department of Housing and Urban Development: one that integrates government assistance programs with holistic solutions and greater involvement of businesses and faith groups.

Carson, speaking before a generally friendly Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, repeatedly suggested that the private sector should play a larger role in addressing poverty and systemic inequities, investing in human capital as a means of increasing quality of life and profits.

The programs that have been enacted in HUD over the years, you know, theyre good programs, Carson said. But in and of themselves theyre not bringing about the elevation of large numbers of people. And thats what were looking for. We dont want it to be a way of life, we want it to be a Band-Aid and a springboard to move forward.

In another instance, Carson said he would like to work with faith and business groups to help people whose residences are worth less than their mortgages.

The place where there is a lot of money is the private sector. What we have to concentrate on is helping the private sector to recognize that, in the long run, the private sector does better when we develop our people, Carson said.

Carson, during his opening remarks, ditched prepared text and spoke at length about his upbringing: his desperately poor childhood living in dilapidated housing with rats and roaches. He credited his mother, a domestic worker, with instilling conservative ideas about self-reliance.

Her strong desire was not to be dependent on anybody else, he said.

[Ben Carsons prepared HUD testimony included accidental plagiarism]

The hearing was relatively lighthearted, with Carson asking if he could vote on his nomination and comparing the gravel-voiced Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to the TV detective Columbo. But there were tense moments between Carson and some of the committees Democrats. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who also grew up poor, asked Carson if he truly believed in HUDs mission based on the rhetoric he had used as a presidential candidate. He also pressed Carson on whether he believes the government should continue to provide rental assistance.

I think the rental assistance program is essential, Carson said. What Ive said, if youve been reading my writing, is that when it comes to entitlement programs, it is cruel and unusual punishment to cut those programs for providing an alternative route.

Brown and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Carson on whether he would guarantee that neither Trump nor members of his family would personally profit from federal dollars through their various housing assets.

It would not be my intention to benefit any American. Its for all Americans, Carson responded. I will manage things in a way that benefits the American people.

Carsons testimony marked his most extensive comments on housing and urban development. Urban policy experts were closely parsing Carsons remarks and responses to lawmakers for clues about his vision on the governments role in housing policy, which he rarely spoke about publicly before his nomination.

Repeatedly, Carson and the committees Republicans suggested that faster economic growth could reduce the number of people who needed HUDs programs. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) cited his states cutbacks to unemployment insurance as a model.

Whats the best thing you can do for someone in government assistance? Tillis asked.

Get them off of it, Carson said.

Get them a job, absolutely, Tillis said.

When pressed on his view of government assistance, Carson said that Americans should invest in one another and dismissed people who imply . . . that I dont want to do anything for poor people.

Carson did not, however, elaborate on the extent to which government assistance should be made available.

I know some have distorted what Ive said about government. But I believe government is important. And it is there, I believe, to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What has happened too often is that people who seemingly mean well have promoted things that do not encourage development of any innate talent in people, he said. Hence we have generation after generation living in dependent situations. Its not that theyre bad people, its that this is what theyve been given, and its all they know in some cases.

Carson also said that, if confirmed, he would like to go on a listening tour, speaking first to career civil servants at HUD and then going out to communities throughout the country to talk to people who have boots on the ground.

Trumps decision to nominate Carson as HUD secretary was swiftly blasted by critics when it was announced in early December. They argued that he lacked the expertise and experience necessary to run the department. Carson has no experience in government outside of his 2016 presidential run in the GOP primary.

[Editorial: Trumps pick of Ben Carson is beyond baffling]

People have raised a lot of concerns, and those concerns stem from his own statements. He said, basically, that hes not qualified for HUD or for government service. So most people I hear ask, How did they convince him to take the job?  Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, said in a recent interview.

Carson initially declined to join the administration, even as he was being considered as secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Education Department. Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, hes never run a federal agency, Carsons close ally, Armstrong Williams, told the Hill in November. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.

But Trump transition officials and Carsons defenders say that the neurosurgeons personal experiences, rising from poverty in his childhood to the top of his profession, gives him a unique perspective on urban life and economic issues.

Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), who sits on the Banking Committee, said that he met with Carson several weeks ago and was impressed. Shelby praised Carson for accepting the nomination and said he thinks he will do a good job leading the department.

Hes very smart. Somebody said, Well, he doesnt know a lot about housing. I said, Look at the shambles its in now, public housing. I said, Maybe we need to start anew,  Shelby said.

Morial, the former Democratic mayor of New Orleans, said Carson was well respected for his personal accomplishments  particularly among urban and minority youths  but said he remained unsure about Carsons vision for the department.

We know Dr. Carson as Dr. Carson. We have honored Dr. Carson as Dr. Carson, not as presidential candidate or politician Ben Carson, Morial said.

Fair housing advocates on the left are also worried that Carson will bring to HUD an ideological disposition inherently antagonistic to the departments goals.

Those concerns are centered on his criticism of a 2015 federal regulation, known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, one of the few public statements he has made on urban policy in recent years. The rule strengthened HUDs ability to promote racially and economically integrated communities; at its core, the final rule compels communities that receive grants from HUD to take meaningful actions to intervene where there are high concentrations of poverty or racial segregation.

In an op-ed published shortly after the final rule was released, Carson accused the government of social engineering.

These attempts to legislate racial equality create consequences that often make matters worse. There are reasonable ways to use housing policy to enhance the opportunities available to lower-income citizens, but based on the history of failed socialist experiments in this country, entrusting the government to get it right can prove downright dangerous, Carson wrote at the time.

Betsy Julian, a former senior HUD official and founder of the Inclusive Communities Project, said she hopes Carson wont be hijacked by an ideological agenda.

I hope when he starts talking to people, the career people involved in this thing, that he comes to understand what an important tool it will be for him to carry out the mission of HUD, Julian said. Its a very important piece of federal regulation that was thoughtfully done, and Im not a big fan of federal regulation. I hope hell understand that this is not just a good idea, its the law.

Read more at PowerPost
Secretary of State John F. Kerry is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius, center, and others, as he arrives at the Hanoi Airport on Jan. 12, 2017. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Secretary of State John F. Kerry returned to Vietnam on Thursday for his fourth and final visit as the top U.S. diplomat, his presence embodying the transformation of the two countries from enemies to partners.

Even as his nominated successor, Rex Tillerson, was answering questions at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, Kerry was already in the air for the 22-hour journey from Washington to Southeast Asia. It is the final trip overseas for the most traveled secretary of state in U.S. history. With his latest flight, he has now logged more than 1.4 million miles.

After two days in Vietnam, Kerry goes to Paris to confer with other foreign ministers on Middle East peace and to London for dinner with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. He will end the trip at an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, then return to Washington with barely a day and a half left to savor what he has characterized as the job of a lifetime.

[John F. Kerry and Vietnam continue to be intertwined]

The Vietnam stop is particularly meaningful for Kerry, aides said. His fate has been linked to the country for almost 50 years, since he first arrived in 1968 as a young Navy lieutenant battling communist insurgents.

When Kerry was a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, he and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a former Navy pilot who was shot down over Hanoi and held as a prisoner of war, played a central role in normalizing relations between the United States and Vietnam.

In Vietnam at the close of his career in public office, Kerry will meet with government and ruling Communist Party officials and review the arc of the bilateral relationship in a policy speech. The capstone will be a riverboat trip in the Mekong Delta, where he captained a Swift boat patrol vessel during the Vietnam War. Aides said he will go to the spot in the river in Ca Mau province where he earned a Silver Star.

The United States has been providing aid to help maintain the health of the river so it can continue as an economic engine of the region. It is being undermined by hydroelectric dams upriver and the impact of climate change  an issue to which Kerry is expected to devote much of his post-government life.

[In May 2016 trip, Kerry got warm welcome on streets of Hanoi]

Kerry arrived in Hanoi late Thursday, checking in at a hotel not far from the prison where McCain was held. ie is scheduled to meet Friday morning with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vice Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. Aides traveling with Kerry say that among the topics they will discuss are climate change, North Korea and Chinas actions in the South China Sea  all issues that will fall to the new Donald Trump administration to deal with starting Jan. 20.

In a sign of the remarkable degree to which relations have changed between Vietnam and the United States, the secretary of the Communist Party of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, will host a dinner for Kerry on Friday night. By next year, the United States plans to send Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time.

Read more

John F. Kerry and the Vietnam continue to be intertwined

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
As the nations top spies prepared to brief President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump on Russian interference in the 2016 election, they faced an excruciatingly delicate question: Should they mention the salacious allegations that had been circulating in Washington for months that Moscow had compromising information on the incoming president?

Ultimately, they concluded they had no choice. A 35-page dossier packed with details of supposed compromising personal information, alleged financial entanglements and political intrigue was already in such wide circulation in Washington that every major news organization seemed to have a copy.

Youd be derelict if you didnt mention the dossier, a U.S. official said. To ignore the file, produced by a private-sector security firm, would only make the supposed guardians of the nations secrets seem uninformed, officials said, adding that many were convinced that it was only a matter of time before someone decided to publish the material.

Their decision appears to have hastened that outcome, triggering coverage of politically charged allegations that news organizations had tried to run down for months but could find no basis for publishing until they were summarized and included alongside a highly classified report assembled by the nations intelligence services.

[Intelligence chiefs briefed Trump on unconfirmed claims Russia has compromising information on president-elect]

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

U.S. officials said Wednesday that the decision had been unanimous to attach the two-page summary of the dossier to a sweeping report on Russian election interference commissioned by the White House and briefed to Obama, Trump and congressional leaders.

A U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the nature of the summary was fully explained to Trump on Friday and put into context.

But U.S. intelligence officials appear to have been caught off-guard by the fallout, including a blistering attack by Trump, who accused spy agencies of engaging in Nazi-like tactics to smear him.

In an effort to contain the damage, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said he spoke with Trump on Wednesday and expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press.

Clapper said in a statement issued late Wednesday that he told Trump that the allegations had come from a private security company, that U.S. spy agencies had not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable.

However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security, Clapper said.

(Sarah Parnass,Glenn Kessler/The Washington Post)

Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Chief James B. Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers all concurred that both Obama and Trump should know that U.S. spy agencies were aware of the claims about compromising information on Trump and had investigated or explored them to some degree.

U.S. officials emphasized that the summary was merely an annex to the main report, that the allegations it contained have never been substantiated and did not appear in the main body of the report or influence its conclusions that Russia sought to sabotage the 2016 race and help elect Trump.

But linking a collection of unsubstantiated allegations to a classified report that is supposed to convey the intelligence communitys firmest conclusions about Russian election interference has blurred the distinction between corroborated intelligence and innuendo.

Former U.S. intelligence officials described the inclusion of the summary  drawn from opposition research done by a political research firm  as highly unusual.

It would be extraordinary if not unprecedented to bring to the attention of a president and president-elect a private document for which you had no reason to believe the allegations made in it, said Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA and a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Spokesmen for the CIA, FBI and the director of national intelligence declined to comment.

[Read the declassified intelligence community report on Russian activities in the 2016 election]

The handling of the matter also seemed to deepen the level of distrust between Trump and the intelligence community, whose work he has repeatedly disparaged since his election victory two months ago.

In a news conference in New York, Trump blasted U.S. intelligence agencies and accused them of employing Nazi-like tactics to discredit him.

I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful, that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake, out, Trump said, referring to a burst of headlines over the past two days about the dossier. Thats something that Nazi Germany would do and did do.

The material in the dossier was assembled by a former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, whose security and investigations firm was hired to assist a political research firm in Washington that was initially working for Trumps opponents in the Republican primaries but later offered its services to Democrats, according to individuals familiar with the matter. Steeles role was first reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal. Since 2009, he and another former British intelligence officer have jointly operated a Britain-based firm called Orbis Business Intelligence. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The dossier was provided to multiple news outlets, including The Washington Post, which pursued numerous leads, including overseas, but could not substantiate its allegations.

The document was also at some point delivered to the FBI. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) acknowledged in a public statement Wednesday that late last year he had received sensitive information that has since been made public and, unable to assess its accuracy, delivered the file to Comey.

Other officials said that the FBI had obtained the dossier even before McCains involvement and that U.S. officials had met with Steele, the former British spy, at least twice  once in August and again in mid-October, after Clapper had released a public statement accusing Russia of interfering in the election.

Those meetings were part of a broader effort by the FBI and other agencies to evaluate the claims about Russia and compromising material on Trump. The dossier also included claims of ongoing, unexplained contacts between members of Trumps inner circle and allies of the Kremlin. The status of that inquiry is unclear.

In Senate testimony Tuesday, Comey said that we never confirm or deny a pending investigation. The line drew a reaction of disbelief from some lawmakers who have been sharply critical of Comeys decision during the election to discuss the bureaus probe of Hillary Clintons email use.

The irony of your making that statement here I cannot avoid, said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine).

Although Comey was one of only four senior officials involved in the decision to include the two-page summary, some in Washington were quick to see that move as another political misstep by the FBI chief  calling arguably unnecessary attention to allegations against a major political figure.

U.S. officials have offered conflicting accounts of what the meetings with Steele accomplished. A senior official said Tuesday that while the allegations in the two-page summary could not be corroborated, it was included in part because the sourcing was seen as reliable.

Others disputed that and said that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate Steeles claims without getting detailed information about his sources in Russia, information he is seen as unlikely to be willing to share.

A former senior U.S. intelligence official also questioned his ability to maneuver in Russia and gain access to high-level officials with ties to the Kremlin or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

How did this former British intelligence officer talk to all these Russian officials and not get arrested for espionage? the former official asked. Steeles identity and association with his investigations firm are public, and are almost certainly known to Russian counterintelligence.

They would have been all over him, the former official said. There are aspects of this [dossier] that are believable when you read it. There are other aspects that arent.

Some details would seem relatively easy for the FBI to assess, including meetings between close associates of Trump and Putin allies.

But a senior law enforcement official acknowledged that other claims  including sweeping characterizations of relationships and rivalries inside the Kremlin  are more elusive. This is not something we can validate or check out, the official said. Its the view of people in Russia. Its not like we can go out and determine its veracity.

Sari Horwitz and Julie Tate contributed to this report.
The Obama administration, in one of its final foreign policy initiatives, on Thursday ended the special status accorded migrants fleeing Cuba who, upon reaching this country, were automatically allowed to stay.

Cubans are still covered by the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which grants them permanent residency  a green card  after they have been here for one year. Until now, they were given temporary parole status while waiting for that year to pass. That will no longer be granted, making the act moot for most by denying them entry on arrival.

Effective immediately, President Obama said in a statement, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally . . . will be subject to removal, treating them the same way we treat migrants from other countries.

More than a million Cubans have come to this country, many of them in vast exoduses by sea, since the islands 1959 revolution. More than 250,000 have been granted residency under the Obama administration under the law, which can only be repealed by Congress.

The new rule on parole applies to Cubans attempting to enter the United States without visas by sea or by land through Mexico or Canada.

(The Washington Post)

It ends the wet-foot, dry-foot policy, adopted by the Clinton administration in 1996 at a time when illegal seaborne migrants were flooding across the Florida Straits. That policy differentiated between those reaching U.S. soil  who were allowed to stay  and those intercepted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard, who were returned to Cuba or sent to third countries.

The policy was agreed upon with the Cuban government, which issued a statement calling it an important step in the advance of bilateral relations that will guarantee regular, safe and orderly migration. The government has long complained about the special status for Cubans, particularly the wet-foot, dry foot policy, which it said encouraged illegal travel in unseaworthy vessels, homemade rafts and inner tubes.

As part of the accord announced in both capitals, Cuba will allow any citizen who has been out of the country for up to four years to return. Previously, anyone who had been gone for more than two years was legally said to have emigrated. The Cuban statement said efforts to modernize immigration policies would continue.

The White House described the changes as a logical extension of the normalization of relations with Cuba that began in December 2014, when Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced they would end more than a half-century of estrangement. Since then, U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations have been reestablished, and Obama has used his regulatory authorities to ease long-standing restrictions on commerce and trade, as well as travel by U.S. citizens to the island, under the continuing U.S. embargo.

The latest change comes as President-elect Donald Trump has indicated his unhappiness with increased Cuba ties and has threatened to reverse normalization. If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal, Trump tweeted in late November, after the death of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, the current presidents brother.

If he chose to do so after taking office, Trump could order the Department of Homeland Security to reinstitute special treatment for Cuban migrants.

Lawmakers long opposed to the new relationship with Cuba expressed displeasure at the new policy. Todays announcement will only serve to tighten the noose the Castro regime continues to have around the neck of its own people, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement.

Congress was not consulted prior to this abrupt policy announcement with just nine days left in the administration, Menendez said. The Obama administration seeks to pursue engagement with the Castro regime at the cost of ignoring the present state of torture and oppression, and its systematic curtailment of freedom.

Benjamin Rhodes, Obamas deputy national security adviser, said that plans for the change were kept quiet in large part to avoid a new flood of Cubans trying to enter  many of them trying to beat a deadline they feared was the inevitable next step in U.S.-Cuba rapprochment under the current administration.

The total number of Cubans admitted after reaching here without visas by land or sea was 4,890 in 2013, according to Customs and Border Protection. In 2016, the number was 53,416.

According to the Coast Guard, 1,885 people traveling by sea have either arrived here or been intercepted  and sent back  in fiscal 2017, which began Oct. 1.

Thousands of others have joined a growing stream of Central Americans who have made the arduous journey through Mexico, often after paying hefty sums to smugglers, to reach the U.S. border. While Cubans have been allowed to cross, others, largely from Guatemala and El Salvador, have been turned back.

The aim here is to treat Cuban migrants in a manner consistent to migrants who come here from other countries . . . equalizing our immigration policies . . . as part of the overall normalization process with Cuba, said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. Our approach to Cubans arriving [at the border] tomorrow will be the same as those arriving from other countries.

Rhodes said the change was also justified because, while many Cubans in the past left the island for political purposes . . . I think increasingly over time the balance has shifted to those leaving for more traditional reasons, such as economic opportunity.

That is not to say there are not still people who have political cause to leave Cuba, he said. As with other countries, Rhodes said, political asylum continues to be an option. Adjudication of asylum claims of political or other persecution normally takes several years, allowing time to be granted a green card under the Cuban Adjustment Act before there is even a ruling on the claim.

The Cuban government continues to arrest dissidents and restrict civil liberties, including political and press freedoms. At the same time, however, it has slowly loosened its grip on the economy  allowing the growth of a private sector  and liberalized some other restrictions.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who has long advocated rapprochement with Cuba, said in a statement that this is a welcome step in reforming an illogical and discriminatory policy that contrasted starkly with the treatment of deserving refugees from other countries. Refugees from all countries should be treated the same way, and now they will be. Thats the American way.

Engage Cuba, a coalition of private U.S. companies and organizations working to end the trade embargo still in place against Cuba, called it a logical, responsible, and important step towards further normalizing relations with Cuba.

The new agreement also ends the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, adopted under the George W. Bush administration, which targeted Cubas policy of sending medical professionals abroad as a form of humanitarian aid by encouraging them to defect. The program allowed U.S. embassies abroad to accept them for U.S. migration.

A U.S. lottery that gives green cards to 20,000 Cubans on the island each year remains in place, Rhodes said.

Read more:

Cuba faces renewed tensions with U.S., but without Fidel Castro, its field marshal

Graphic: A difficult history between U.S. and Cuba

Obama addresses the Cuban nation: It is time now for us to leave the past behind
Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, Donald Trumps pick to be the next U.S. defense secretary, placed Russia first among principal threats facing the United States, arguing for greater American support for European allies to counter what he said were Moscows attempts to shatter the North Atlantic security alliance.

Mattis, a respected combat leader who made his name in the wars following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, cautioned that sustained cuts to military budgets and personnel meant the U.S. military is no longer strong enough to easily outmatch Russia and other adversaries.

Mattiss remarks during his confirmation hearing Thursday provide some of the first hints about how the Trump administration, which has not put forward comprehensive national security plans, may alter the posture of the worlds most advanced military at a time of institutional strain and uncertainty about the future.

[Trumps pick for CIA leader would refuse to restart enhanced interrogation techniques]

His comments also signal a possible divergence in viewpoint with the president-elect, who has questioned long-standing security commitments and voiced his willingness to partner with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said at a news conference Wednesday that Russia can help us fight the Islamic State, but he also noted: I dont know that Im gonna get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But theres a good chance I wont.

1 of 51 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See photos from the confirmation hearings of Trumps Cabinet nominees View Photos The Senate is getting an early start on the president-elects choices for several top jobs in his administration. Caption The Senate is getting an early start on the president-elects choices for several top jobs in his administration. Jan. 12, 2017 Ben Carson, the nominee to be the Housing and Urban Development secretary, pauses while answering questions from the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Mattiss seeming differences with Trump and those with the president-elects pick to be secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who unlike Mattis has suggested that he might support renegotiating President Obamas nuclear deal with Iran, could lead to a fractious approach to foreign policy and interagency feuding in the next administration.

Mattis spoke as Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), whom Trump has tapped to lead the CIA, pushed back on Trumps support for waterboarding during the campaign and said he would reject orders to torture detainees.

The conflicting statements from the men who will be Trumps most senior advisers increase uncertainty about what actions the new administration will take as military leaders continue to battle the Islamic State and grapple with growing challenges from China and North Korea.

Several hours after Mattiss testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate voted 81 to 17 to waive a measure requiring defense secretaries to have been out of military service for seven years. Mattis retired in 2013.

Later in the day, the House Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure along party lines, 34 to 28. The full House must also vote on that measure.

Although some of the president-elects other Cabinet picks have come under intense questioning in their own confirmation hearings, Mattis encountered virtually no challenges from lawmakers to his suitability for the top Pentagon job.

The 66-year-old veteran, known for his use of the call sign Chaos during overseas deployments, has earned a reputation as a scholarly, plain-spoken officer with an impressive combat record. His blunt style has brought controversy at times, as have his hawkish views on confronting threats in the Middle East.

Mattis was named the head of U.S. Central Command in 2010, but he left in 2013 amid disagreement with the Obama White House over the generals desire to intensify the military response to Iranian activities throughout the region.

Iran remains the primary source of turmoil in the Middle East, Mattis told lawmakers on Thursday, with its support for regional militant cells, its ballistic missile capability, its maritime provocations and cyber initiatives.

Although Mattiss hawkish views on the danger from Iran appear to coincide with Trumps, he broke with the president-elect by voicing support for leaving the nuclear deal with Tehran intact.

I think it is in an imperfect arms control agreement  its not a friendship treaty, he said. But when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.

[As a general, Mattis urged action against Iran. As a defense secretary, he may be a voice of caution.]

The questioning was notable for its scant discussion of the wars in Afghanistan, where 8,400 U.S. troops are stationed; in Iraq, where about 6,000 Americans are supporting a punishing Iraqi offensive against the Islamic State; and in Syria, where a small Special Operations force hopes to help local forces drive the militants from their stronghold of Raqqa.

Mattis did say that the U.S. strategy for Raqqa needs to be reviewed and perhaps energized on a more aggressive timeline.

Speaking to lawmakers about Russian activity beyond its borders, Mattis gave a full-throated defense of NATO and said he supports the Pentagons European Reassurance Initiative, which has added military power in eastern Europe in response to concerns about Russian pressure on the Baltics. On Thursday, Putins spokesman criticized the United States decision to begin a major deployment of troops and heavy equipment near Russian borders in eastern Europe.

Since Yalta, we have a long list of times weve tried to engage positively with Russia. We have a relatively short list of successes in that regard, Mattis said, referring to the Yalta conference at the close of World War II. The most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with Mr. Putin and we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, and that we take the steps . . . to defend ourselves where we must.

As he did with Iran, Mattis, despite his harsh rhetoric, provided few specific ideas for using military means to push back against Russia.

Its unclear whether Mattiss views will spark a confrontation with the Trump White House. Trumps apparent interest in partnering with Moscow against the Islamic State in Syria, for example, may renew resistance that such ideas have provoked among military leaders in the past.

Mattis repeatedly spoke up for traditional alliances, including those with NATO, South Korea and Japan, that Trump has questioned. The president-elect has expressed skepticism about U.S. security commitments unless those partners increase outlays for their own defense.

We must also embrace our international alliances and security partnerships. History is clear: Nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither, Mattis said.

The nominee said Trump has shown himself to be open and inquisitive while discussing NATO with him. Asked how he, a retired four-star general, would negotiate his relationship with Trumps pick for national security adviser, retired three-star general Michael Flynn, Mattis said that debate of policy issues isnt always tidy but he didnt expect problems.

Asked about the possibility that Trumps Cabinet nominees may differ with him on Russia, incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said that the president-elect was not asking for clones in selecting his senior advisers. Still, he said, at the end of the day, each one of them is going to pursue a Trump agenda and a Trump vision.

[With Trump as commander in chief, America is in uncharted territory]

Democratic lawmakers expressed hope that Mattis, forged by the military establishment and boasting experience across administrations of both parties, would act as a restraint on some of Trumps impulses.

Repeatedly, the retired general referred to the need to improve military readiness, blaming years of budget cuts for an erosion to American technology and manpower. Trump has promised to increase defense spending.

Mattis, who comes from a service that has led pushback to efforts to integrate women into combat positions, also signaled openness to allowing female service members to serve in all jobs as long as they meet established requirements.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a strong supporter of gender integration, pointed to comments Mattis made after his retirement questioning the wisdom of placing women serving in all combat roles. Mattis responded that he has no plans to oppose women in any roles within the military. He said that he had hundreds of women serving among his 23,000 Marines during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Im coming in with the [understanding] that I lead the Department of Defense and if someone brings me a problem then Ill look at it, but Im not coming in looking for problems, he said. Im looking for a way to get the department so its at the most lethal stance.

Anne Gearan, Karoun Demirjian, Joby Warrick, Kelsey Snell and Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.

Read more:

Documents detail Mattiss lucrative speaking engagements and financial ties to defense contractors

Experts back Mattis as defense secretary, but say a general shouldnt run the Pentagon again for years

Trump team pulls Mattis from hearing focused on his need for a waiver to be Pentagon chief
Police block an intersection closed because of the threat posed by an unstable antenna on top of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto on Aug. 31, 2015. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)

Torontos Trump International Hotel & Tower, a glitzy development that has been plagued with construction delays, financial problems and lawsuits since its opening in 2012, is for sale. And there is no guarantee the new buyer will keep the name of the U.S. president-elect on the building.

CBRE Ltd., the Canadian unit of the global real estate brokerage firm, said it is offering the 65-story property in Torontos financial district at a minimum price of $298 million (Canadian)  or about U.S. $225 million  under a sale procedure approved by a court-appointed receiver. The developer had described it in the past as a $500 million (Canadian) project.

The receiver, FTI Consulting Canada, was appointed after the developer, Talon International, headed by Russian Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider, defaulted on its loan payments. Trump and his family have no ownership interest in the building but license the Trump name and manage the 261-room luxury hotel.

The project has had a rocky ride since its inception 16 years ago, when Donald Trump flew to Toronto to announce plans for a Trump Tower in partnership with the Ritz-Carlton hotel group and another developer. That deal collapsed. In 2004, Trump was back in town after Talon took over leadership of the development. Groundbreaking was in 2007.

Construction delays plagued the project, and the Toronto luxury hotel market became crowded with the construction of competing projects. Soon after the Trump project opened, glass panels began shattering on the buildings upper floors.

Shnaider, Trumps partner, is a Russian-born entrepreneur who arrived in Canada as a teenager and built a fortune based on trading steel from Ukraine and other former Soviet republics.

To build the Trump Tower, Shnaider turned to a friend, fellow Russian Val Levitan, to be president and chief executive. An Ontario court later noted that Levitan had no previous experience in construction, hotel management, or operations.

In addition to marketing the buildings 118 residential condos, Talon decided to sell the 261 hotel rooms to investors. Many of them borrowed heavily to buy the suites, which cost as much as $850,000 (Canadian) each, only to discover that the occupancy rates were much lower than expected and that rates had to be discounted.

Investors owning 27 units sued the developer, alleging they were misled. Two test cases were taken to court. Talon won an initial ruling, but the judgment was reversed on appeal. The investors have been awarded damages, but Talon is attempting an appeal.

Mitchell Wine, the lawyer representing the investors, says the saga may not be over soon. If Talon loses its final appeal, there may be not enough cash available in a trust account to satisfy his clients claims, in which case he may revive a case against Trump for misrepresentation.

Sales of the hotel rooms and condos went poorly, despite Torontos surging real estate market. That means the package of assets being offered for sale includes 211 unsold hotel units and 74 condos.

If the building does not attract the minimum bid, JCF Capital, the firm that holds the debt on the property, will keep it.

Symon Zucker, Talons lawyer, said it will be up to the new owners of the building to decide whether to keep the Trump brand. Zucker declined to comment on the Trumps or their management expertise.

Read more

Two contractors allege getting stiffed for work on Trumps D.C. hotel

Trump camp faces a complex scramble in avoiding potential conflicts

Trump outlines plan to shift assets, give up management of his company

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Afghan villagers gather around the bodies of civilians killed in airstrikes on Nov. 3 in Afghanistans Kunduz province. (Najim Rahim/AP)

An investigation into a November firefight between Taliban insurgents and joint U.S. and Afghan forces has concluded that 33 civilians were killed in the operation, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The battle took place in northern Kunduz province, and two U.S. soldiers and three Afghan troops were also killed. The operation, in Boz Kandahari village, targeted Taliban leaders who the U.S. military said were responsible for deadly incursions in the area, including a brazen assault on the provincial capital in October. The insurgents briefly captured the citys central neighborhoods in a stunning display of strength.

The investigation determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded, a statement from U.S. forces in Afghanistan said. The statement said 26 Taliban fighters, including two leaders, were also killed in the November raid  a claim the villagers dispute.

[Leader of Afghan village says no Taliban were present during attack]

To defend themselves and Afghan forces, U.S. forces returned fire in self-defense at Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions, the statement said, adding that no further action would be taken. No compensation has been paid to the families of the victims, according to Kunduz lawmaker Fatima Aziz.

We want the U.S. government to pay reparations, Aziz said when reached by telephone. For the loss of civilian lives and the destruction of their houses.

Civilian casualties have reached record highs in Afghanistan, with most of the civilian deaths attributed to battles in rural areas and to suicide and other bomb attacks. More than 2,500 people were reported killed in the first nine months of 2016.

Air operations were responsible for 133 deaths from January to September, the United Nations said, although only a third of them were caused by airstrikes conducted by foreign forces.

In Kunduz, American and Afghan troops called in airstrikes after coming under fire in the village, the U.S. investigative report said.

Upon arrival at the village, friendly forces were soon engaged by the Taliban from multiple civilian buildings, it said. After they began taking casualties, U.S. forces, who were there to advise and assist Afghan troops, called in airstrikes to suppress Taliban fighters who were firing on medevac crews.

No civilians were seen or identified in the course of the battle, the U.S. military said, adding that the civilians killed or injured were likely inside the buildings from which the Taliban were fighting.

But residents of the village dispute that account. One resident, Jamaluddin, said in an interview in November that everyone was asleep when the troops arrived and that the bombing lasted for five hours.

Allah Dad, 70, said he lost 20 members of his extended family, including grandchildren. His account was confirmed by a spokesman for the Kunduz governor.

I was away that night  only a few [family members] survived, Dad said.

No one has come to help us, he said, adding that he believes U.S. and Afghan troops should be tried for the raid.

But we leave all matters to God, he said, because we cant do anything.

In 2015, U.S. aircraft carried out an hours-long air assault on a Kunduz hospital managed by the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, killing 42 people.

The U.S. military, which had been called in to support Afghan forces battling Taliban fighters in Kunduz city, said its forces were unaware the aircrew was firing on a medical facility. Doctors Without Borders has said it is not satisfied solely with a military investigation and has called for an independent commission to continue the probe.

About 10,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan to advise and assist Afghan forces. Earlier this month, the United States announced that it would deploy 300 more Marines to Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold where fierce fighting has raged in recent months.

Cunningham reported from Istanbul.

Read more:

U.S. acknowledges anti-Taliban airstrikes killed civilians

Civilian casualties hit record highs this year in Afghanistan

NATO and government forces increasingly behind Afghan civilian casualties

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
More than a thousand people protested last Saturday in Frankfurt against the German governments deportation of refugees to Afghanistan. After a rally at the central Opernplatz square, a growing number of people joined the peaceful demonstration in the downtown area.

On December 14, 34 Afghan refugees were deported in a special charter plane from the Rhein-Main Airport, and additional group deportations to Kabul are planned later this month. Last year, a total of 25,000 people were deported from Germany, primarily from the Frankfurt Airport.

The rally in front of the old opera house was called on January 7 by the Frankfurt Afghan Hindu Cultural Association and other associations of Hindus and Sikhs. Their placards read Stop Deportation and Persecution, We are human beings and not numbers! Equal Rights for Refugees, Keep families together, and I would like to live as a human being instead of dying as a Sikh in Afghanistan.

Before 1980, up to 220,000 Hindus and Sikhs lived in Afghanistan, according to a spokesperson of the organizers. However, their number has fallen to 1,300 because under neither the Taliban nor the current NATO-supported government has it been possible for them to live a peaceful life, free of physical threat. In reality, the country is highly unsafe for all civilians today.

We came to Germany with high hopes, continued the spokesperson. We have settled down and become a part of the society and support newcomers whenever we can. But that belongs to the past. The group deportations into a land of crisis have struck refugee communities from Afghanistan at the heart, he said: The war in Afghanistan has caught up to us. Once again, families will be torn apart, we must once again fear for our relatives.

Janine Wissler spoke for the Left Party in Hesse and called briefly and perfunctorily for a halt to the deportations: The group deportations to Afghanistan must be ended, said the deputy Left Party president, who is also a member of the pseudo-left group Marx21.

She remained silent on an important issue: the Left Party supports deportations of refugees in Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Berlin, where it is in the government. In part, it supports these deportations in the form of the so-called voluntary return. The voluntariness consists in forcing rejected asylum applicants to accept the offer of voluntary departure if they dont want to be forced to leave at their own expense and in some cases face separation from their families. The Left Party does not question the asylum laws of the federal government.

Immediately after Wissler spoke, two refugee aid personnel sharply criticized the practice of voluntary departure, without mentioning the Left Party by name, however. Tina and Daniel of the Wiesbaden Refugee Council said that anyone who gives credence to the official line about safe countries of origin and pressures the refugees to return voluntarily is acting hastily and irresponsibly. This practice places the refugees in enormous danger, they said.

As several speakers emphasized, the security situation deteriorated massively in Afghanistan last year. The foreign office has warned German tourists and business people against even short-term travel in the country. Afghanistan is anything but a safe country of origin: random raids by the Taliban and NATO air attacks endanger people day in and day out. A spokesperson reported that last week a Sikh representative in Kunduz was shot openly in the street: Hindus and Sikhs are being sent to their deaths with eyes open.

Many German opponents of deportations, above all young people, took part in the demonstration. The mass deportation of refugees has provoked widespread horror and the plans for central deportation centres remind many of the Nazi concentration camps. If the unions and opposition parties had not systematically boycotted and isolated the opposition, then the rally and demonstration could easily have been 10 times as large.

But the Greens and the Left Party support the refugee deportation practice. Winfried Kretschmann, Green Party minister president from Baden-Wurttemberg, recently told the press that he supports the designation of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria as safe countries of origin. In the state of Thuringia, where the Left Party leads the state government under Bodo Ramelow, it has organized a refugee policy that is just as brutal as in the rest of the country. Last year, Thuringia was at second place in Germany with 1,762 voluntary returns between January and November 2016.

Since last fall, the German federal government, which has called Afghanistan a safe country of origin, has maintained a cynical agreement with the government in Kabul concerning rejected asylum applicants. Parallel to this, the federal parliament has prolonged the engagement of the federal army in Afghanistan.

Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere is preparing new deportation centres near the large German airports as part of his plans to centralize the entire security apparatus, and Chancellor Angela Merkel is supporting this course with her injunction deport, deport, deport.

The Hesse Minister President Volker Bouffier (Christian Democratic Union) suggested several days ago that refugees picked up in the Mediterranean should be sent back to Africa. In addition, special intake centres should be built in Tunisia or Egypt, he said. Bouffier added that he completely supported a similar suggestion from the Christian Social Union, one of Merkels coalition partners at the federal level.

Federal President of the SPD Sigmar Gabriel criticized Thomas de Maizieres police-state plans from the right, downplaying them as purely symbolic politics. And Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas (SPD) spoke of a preventive offensive and demanded changed laws, so that detention pending deportation would also be possible when the countries of origin do not cooperate.

Sahra Wagenknecht, head of the Left Party faction in the federal parliament, has adopted the rhetoric of the ultra-right Alternative for Germanys opposition to Merkel almost word for word. In an interview with Stern magazine she accused the chancellor of joint responsibility for the attack on the Berlin Christmas Market and criticized her for her uncontrolled opening of the border and for hobbling the police with insufficient funds to expand personnel or equipment in the face of a dangerous situation.
By Korin Miller. Photo: Getty.

Every year, youre encouraged to get a flu shot before flu season rolls around, and you may or may not actually take that advice. This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants you to know that, yes, you really should get that flu shot, even if you think it's too late.

According to the CDC, there has been a slow but steady increase in reported flu cases in November and December, with numbers expected to increase still. The CDC is also tracking people who visit their doctor with flu-like illnesses and found that the rate of patients seeking care for the flu is now higher than normal.

Not only that, this flu season appears to be dominated by influenza A (aka H3N2), a more serious form of the flu. When we see a flu season dominated by H3N2, it tends to be more severe, board-certified infectious disease specialist Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, tells SELF. We see more flu hospitalizations and deaths.

Robert Korn, M.D., medical director at Northwell-GoHealth Urgent Care, tells SELF that flu activity this year is "widespread." "Usually we arent able to get an accurate view of a particular season until it is over, however, so far this year the H3N2 strain is making people sicker than other strains of the virus," he says.

People with the flu most commonly develop a fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, chills, fatigue, and body aches, although some may also have diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC says. Flu season typically peaks after the holidays, Adalja says, with an influx of cases in February. While seasonal flu viruses can be detected year-round, the CDC says cases are often seen October through May, with the most occurring between December and March.

If you havent gotten a flu shot yet, theres still time. The flu vaccine helps, Marc Leavey, M.D., an internist at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, tells SELF. With many months to go on the current flu season, if one has not yet received a flu vaccine, they should absolutely should get one. Korn agrees: "Its still not too late to get a flu vaccine." However, Adalja points out that it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to give you protection, so the earlier you can get it, the better. And, if you're wondering, the virus any flu vaccine you get is inactive, meaning you absolutely can't contract the flu from it.

Story continues

If you're pregnant and waffling on the shot, Yvonne Bohn, M.D., an ob/gyn at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF that you definitely should get it. "When you're pregnant, your immune system is already weakened because you're carrying the fetus," she explains. "Your system is depleted a little bitas a result, you get much sicker, much longer, and its much more severe." That's why the flu shot is recommended for all pregnant women, regardless of how far along they are, she says.

While the flu vaccine is the biggest and most effective way to protect yourself, there are a few other, less-effective methods. One is practicing good hand hygiene (i.e., washing your hands thoroughly and often) to minimize the risk of coming into contact with the flu virus, Leavey says. Bohn also recommends avoiding touching your nose, mouth, and eyes as much as possible.

Adalja says you can also try to stay away from crowded areas where people may be carrying the flu, although he admits that's tough to accomplish. Its hard to minimize your risk other than getting the vaccine, he says. The flu is a very successful virus, and it can spread easily. Some people with the flu have no symptoms at all, but those people are still contagious, he points out. And, for those who do actually develop symptoms, theyre contagious starting the day before they symptoms appear. Those are some of the tactics this virus uses to be so prolific in its spread, Adalja says.

If you have the flu or think youre coming down with it, Leavey recommends staying home from work to limit exposure to other people and seeing your doctor. Antiviral medications can work if you take them within the first few days of getting the flu, he says, especially for the H3N2 virus. Current strains shows that they are susceptible to those medications, he says, adding that its also important to stay well-hydrated.

But experts stress that you really, really should get a flu shot if you havent already. Its important to remember that flu is something we have to deal with year-round, Adalja says. Its one of the most prolific infectious diseases and will remain a threat. So, getting your flu shot now can protect you during this flu season and from contracting the disease during other times of the year.

This story originally appeared on Self.

More from Self:

12 Workout Myths That Just Need To Die

36 Things Every Woman Should Know How To Do By The Time She Turns 30

15 Classic Dishes That Every Adult Should Know How To Make

7 Completely Doable Tips for Your Best At-Home Blowout Ever

8 Sneaky Ways To Debloat In Just One Day

10 Ways To Fake Confidence Until You Actually Believe It
Back on the grind! Kim Kardashian is making her first big trip abroad since her traumatic Paris robbery in October.

The reality star boarded a plane to Dubai on Wednesday, teasing the outing on Instagram.

on our way #dubai A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Jan 11, 2017 at 2:36pm PST

WATCH: Kim Kardashian's Paris Driver and Two Others Released By Police

"On our way #dubai," she captioned a photo with Scott Disick.

The Selfish author will be a guest in makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic's masterclass on Friday, which marks her first public appearance since October.

Kim also Snapchatted from the plane, teasing her fans.

"Most people think I just have good genes," she said, in a video clip captioned, "Ain't no shame in my game. #LasersOnThePlane." "So, I want to introduce you guys to my good genes who I travel with to Dubai, Dr. Orion."

The mother of two wore oversized glasses in another Snapchat, saying, "See, I got my laser goggles! All you need laser goggles. When you do a laser treatment, these are perfect for plane lasers."

Kim has slowly been returning to the spotlight over the past three months. She shared her first photos on social media just after the start of the year and has continued to post family snapshots online.

Progress has also been made in finding the people responsible for her robbery. Earlier this week, 17 people were detained in France in connection to the incident. Among those, including the chauffeur that the reality star was using at the time and two others have since been released, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor confirmed to CBS News reporter Elaine Cobbe on Wednesday.

Story continues

WATCH: Kim Kardashian 'Deeply Relieved' After 17 People Detained in Paris Robbery, Goes on Sushi Date With Kanye West

A source close to the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star recently told ET that Kim "is deeply relieved to know that this horrible ordeal will all come to an end soon."

For more on the case, watch the clip below!

Related Articles
One mom helped to deliver her baby in a cesarean, rather than be separated from the baby by a curtain. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sarah Toyer is one tough mama. The Australian mother of four was able to pull her newborn baby out of her womb and onto her chest during a maternal-assisted cesarean section, calling it the most incredible thing I have ever done on the Birth Without Fear Facebook page. Her candid Jan. 4 post has attracted more than 12,000 reactions and 2,700 shares expressing both support and surprise.

In most conventional C-sections, mothers are separated from the action by a surgical curtain. A maternal-assisted cesarean allows them much more involvement, letting them not only witness the entire procedure, but as Toyer explained on Facebook, to reach down and gently lift up the baby for that first, all-important, skin-to-skin contact. According to Yahoo Style UK, the collaborative approach has become more common in recent years for Australian and American women wanting to play a more active role in their C-sections.

Troyers first three children had also been born by C-section, and she wanted to experience a more natural childbirth. It was important to me, she told Babble of the birth of her newborn son, Spencer, because I had never been able to push my baby out and experience a normal labor and birth, and thought this would be the closest thing to a natural birth, which I knew I could never have. Determined, Toyer began talking, as she explained on Facebook, to every midwife, doctor, and surgeon about what I wanted to do, but they all said it would depend on the surgeon on call that day.

When the day finally came in mid-December, Toyer and her husband found themselves waiting nervously in the hospital after the procedure was postponed for eight hours. Then I was standing there next to the surgeon scrubbing up just as she was, she wrote. Maybe half an hour later I was lying on the operating table watching my sons head being pulled from my womb. I reached down and put my hands under his arms and lifted the rest of him out of my own body. It was the most incredible thing I have ever done.

Story continues

It was surreal, Toyer said of the life-changing experience. She called her surgeon absolutely amazing and praised her as being genuinely excited for me to experience birthing my child.

Toyer shared her story hoping to inspire other expectant mothers not to be afraid to pursue a birth plan that is right for them. I highly recommend you stick to your guns about what birth you want! she says, in closing. Welcome earth side, baby Spencer.

Related: Women Are Sharing C-Section Scar Selfies to Challenge Perceptions About Cesareans

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Kim Kardashian in Paris just days before she was robbed at gunpoint. (Photo: AKM-GSI)

The police investigation into Kim Kardashian Wests Paris heist is still going strong  and new details have now emerged.

According to major French network TF1/LCI, of the 17 suspects arrested Monday in connection with the crime, some have since confessed to being involved.

According to the network, police are now aware of the identities of the individuals that were directly involved with the robbery, which took place at the No Address Hotel during the early hours of Oct. 3 and involved the reality star being held at gunpoint by masked men who stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry  including a $4 million ring  during Paris Fashion Week.

The report states that there were six men in total: the five robbers (the youngest age 54, and the eldest age 72) that disguised themselves as policemen and forced their way into Kardashian Wests room, plus a sixth accomplice who was waiting in a car not too far from the hotel that night. According to the network, the sixth individual is actually the son of one of the five robbers.

Of those arrested, several are well known by French authorities for previous crimes, including cocaine and counterfeit trafficking as well as diamond theft.





In total, 14 people remain in custody as of Wednesday. Among those is a man named Gary M., 27, who was reportedly Kardashian Wests chauffeur in the past. His brother Michael, 40, who was reportedly Kardashian Wests driver throughout Paris Fashion Week, was released Tuesday night and is not being charged.

Additionally, two of the suspects, Aomar A-K. and Marceau B., reportedly traveled to Antwerp, Belgium a few days after the heist  a city largely known as the diamond capital of the world. However, the stolen jewels, which are valued at around 9 million, have not been located.

Meanwhile, a source told PEOPLE on Tuesday that while Kardashian West  who officially stepped back into the spotlight after taking a hiatus from the public eye and social media following the incident  is relieved that Paris investigators are making progress in the case, the constant reminder of the terrifying incident hasnt been easy on her.

Story continues

Any updates makes her relive everything, said the insider. Its still very tough for her to deal with.

The source tells PEOPLE that while shes thankful that progress has been made by authorities, she gets very upset anytime she talks about the robbery and just wants to move on from it.

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star, 36, is expected to make her first public appearance since the robbery on Friday at celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovics Master Class in Dubai. The source told PEOPLE she will be flanked by security but is looking forward to the trip.

She is excited about the change of scenery, said the source. And shes looking forward to spending time with her fans.
2017 LA Womens Motorcycle Show

The Lucky Wheels Garage in Los Angeles will host the second annual Women's Motorcycle Show Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The doors open at 6PM for the media, 7PM for the public. Hosted by Alicia Elfving, author of the successful MotoLady website, this show will promote the creative and groundbreaking work being done by women in the motorcycle industry, and will celebrate the website's sixth anniversary. Custom motorcycles built by and for women from all around California will be featured.

This year's show will build on the success of the 2016 edition, which saw over 200 in attendance and featured more than 15 custom motorcycles, including the MotoLady DualSporty Blondezilla bike, Battlestar Galactica actress Katee Sackhoff's Classified Moto bike, and the infamous Yuriko's SoCal "Gloryhole Chopper."

Amenities will include:

Bar, Food, DJ

Raffle of prizes from retailers such as Dainese, Alpinestars, Gerber Gear, and Tobacco Motorwear

Motorcycle pinata

Photo booth

Art gallery featuring pieces by Matt Allard of Inked Iron

Show T-shirts and posters

People's Choice award for the crowd-favorite motorcycle

Those interested in displaying their motorcycles built by or for women, visit the Motolady Womens Motorcycle Show website.
Boston is one of the hottest seller's markets on the East Coast, but properties don't just sell themselves. A reputable agent can give you a competitive edge and make the selling process efficient and painless.

To help you sell your house quickly, U.S. News has identified several top Boston real estate agents who, according to OpenHouse Realty -- a real estate technology company (and a U.S. News partner) -- know how to find the right buyer fast.

Darin Thompson, Stuart St James Inc.

Average Time on Market: 78 Days

Darin Thompson of Stuart St James Inc. sells properties primarily in the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods of Boston. According to Thompson, if you're looking to sell your home in the city, even in neighborhoods as popular as Back Bay and the South End, it takes hard work. First and foremost, do your research to price your home appropriately. "What is the market saying yes to?" Thompson asks. "As experts in the market, and often in the market of a particular neighborhood, your agent will be able to provide you with all the data necessary to price your home right -- to tell you what the market is responding to."

[Read: 4 Real Estate Trends to Know Before Selling Your Home in Boston.]

Thompson's second piece of advice to sellers: Be strategic about how you use technology to draw attention to your property. "The language you use to describe a property -- the photos you take to showcase your home -- these are intricacies that many sellers gloss over. When not given the thought and attention they deserve, they can cause potential buyers to overlook your property." Thompson suggests being thoughtful and intentional in your word choice, and using professional photos in your listing.

Thompson's Advice for Sellers : "Be realistic on price. Home selling is a very emotional journey that people embark on, and it's easy to let your emotions dictate how you should price. Don't let it."

Story continues

Christian Iantosca, Arborview Realty Inc.

Average Time on Market: 66 Days

Christian Iantosca specializes in the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain. Over the past few years, Iantosca has seen Jamaica Plain flourish, attracting young professionals and those looking to start a family, as well as empty nesters looking to relocate to the city.

In a burgeoning neighborhood like Jamaica Plain, there's no shortage of demand, but pricing right is key. A good agent, says Iantosca, is the best resource for ensuring it's done right. "As an agent, looking at comparables is very important to giving sellers a basic understanding of pricing," he says. Once that is established, assess the market in the neighborhood. "The more competitors there are, the longer they should expect to be on the market. If there is nothing else, sellers can price a little higher," Iantosca says.

Iantosca's Advice for Sellers: "Do not overprice, even in a strong seller's market like Boston's. Buyers are willing to make an offer over asking price in a competitive market. But if you price too high from the get-go, you limit the amount of offers you'll receive."

[Read: 6 Tips for Selling Your Boston Home in Winter.]

Joe Pollack, Redfin

Average Time on Market: 62 Days

Joe Pollack works predominantly in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts, and has years of experience working all over Boston proper. With Boston's limited inventory and high prices, more people are finding the cosmopolitan lifestyle they desire in the suburbs -- where they won't have to pay quite as high of a premium. According to Pollack, amenities like parking and outdoor space are big selling points for properties in Cambridge and Somerville. They're also less common in Boston properties.

Pollack believes in the power of first impressions, particularly for properties on the market. Photography and tools like Redfin 3D Walkthrough let potential buyers tour a property without leaving home, he explains. "Purposeful marketing allows sellers to target buyers in specific ways," Pollack says. "Strong online visual presentations and pricing right will create demand for a property."

Pollack's Advice for Sellers: "The largest challenge you face is pricing appropriately. It's in every seller's best interest to do their homework and see what the market is yielding in close proximity to their property."

Frank Celeste, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty

Average Time on Market: 95 Days

Frank Celeste has experience selling properties all over Boston -- particularly in the Charlestown neighborhood, an area that has seen consistently high demand over the past several years.

According to Celeste, agents should work with their clients to get an honest assessment of the property. "Some people can be hesitant to be critical of someone's personal style or taste. But if it's polarizing, these are changes that need to be made before the home goes on the market," he says. "An honest assessment will maximize value." Next, create a marketing plan to maximize exposure. "Highest and best exposure often equates to the highest and best selling price," Celeste says.

[Read: The 100 Best Places to Live in the USA.]

To help maximize each property's exposure, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty uses an interactive 3-D floor plan feature that allows prospective buyers to explore a house online. "If a buyer goes to see several properties in a day, they all start to blend together," Celeste says. "This virtual floor plan feature keeps buyers engaged even after they've seen the property."

Celeste's Advice for Sellers : "Hire a reputable, seasoned broker with knowledge in your specific neighborhood. The more educated they are, the more educated they can make the buyer, and the more comfortable they will be with a selling price."

Looking for a real estate agent in Boston? U.S. News' Find an Agent tool can match you with the person who's most qualified for the job.

Lauren Liebhaber is a Boston-based freelance real estate reporter for U.S. News & World Report. In addition to her freelance work, Lauren manages external relations and student recruitment for a network of schools in East Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
It was the white cloud sleeve dress that Melania Trump wore that broke the Internet. And the pink pussy-bow blouse. And the black jumpsuit.

Throughout the election campaign, whenever President-elect Donald Trumps wife made a public appearance  and there were just a few times  the future first lady made headlines. Generally not for what she said (she made just three speeches in the run-up to Nov. 8), but for the subtle messages her clothing supposedly sent.

Melania Trump in Roksanda at the Republican National Convention. (Photo: Getty Images)

Take, for example, the $2,190 dress designed by Roksanda Ilincic that she bought for herself (on Net-a-Porter.com) for the Republican National Convention in July. The Margot dress sold out shortly after Melania took the stage to deliver her controversial speech, with many praising her appearance. Yet beyond the accolades from critics, there were also those that found symbolism in the sartorial selection.

First, it was created by a United Kingdom-based designer who also happens to be from Serbia, which was previously a part of Yugoslavia, which happened formerly to include Melanias native Slovenia.

#MelaniaTrump's speech at the #GOPconvention may not have been original, but her dress was  https://t.co/Lxn7rgBPUw  Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) July 19, 2016

In addition to seeing Melanias choice of designer as an intentional nod to her homeland, many speculated that the color white was intended to evoke purity, a sense that would be especially important to Melania, considering that shes often portrayed in the media as nothing more than an armpiece and bikini model.

Yet the RNC dress was just the start of the fun new spectator sport enjoyed by the masses on the Internet of reading into Melanias fashion choices and finding meaning behind them.

Story continues

The most notable of Melanias ensembles had to be the hot-pink pussy-bow blouse from Gucci with matching flare pants that she wore to the second presidential debate, in October.

Melania Trump in the pussy-bow shirt she wore to the second presidential debate. (Photo: Getty Images)

The top, which retails for $1,100, set off a social media firestorm, with users on Twitter, Facebook, and more platforms hypothesizing that Melania was, in fact, a Hillary Clinton supporter.

More evidence for this? The future FLOTUS wore the pussy-bow style, which gets its name from the similar ties around the necks of kittens and cats, just days after the leak of an Access Hollywood tape that featured Donald saying, When youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.

Melania Trump in a white dress with a camel coat casting her vote on Election Day. (Photo: Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)

The fashion speculation persisted until Election Day, when Melania voted, presumably for her husband, in a white sheath that some thought could mean she was actually #WithHer (many across the nation adopted the color throughout the campaign to honor feminists and suffragettes), and it carried into election night, when she slipped into a slinky white one-shoulder jumpsuit from Ralph Lauren (Clintons designer of choice). The guessing has continued after Melanias husbands win.

Melania Trump and Michelle Obama talked at the White House recently. (Photo: Chuck Kennedy/White House)

When the president-elect and his wife went to the White House to meet with its current residents, Melania opted for a simple black dress with a matching coat. Melania looks like she is going to a funeral, one Twitter user wrote. Melania Trump wearing all black to the White House because shes low key mourning America too, another added.

Melania wore all black to the White House. Like she was attending a funeral. She really does speak with her clothing.  Ethan O (@EthanObama) November 12, 2016

Of course, even though many have perceived Melanias fashion decisions to be so much more calculated and complicated than a woman shopping online for a big event or picking her favorite piece out of her closest for an important meeting, she couldve been doing just that. Wearing what she likes when she wants, without any cryptic connotation at all.

The only remaining question: What will Melania be wearing to the inauguration?

Read more: Melania Trump Wore a Funereal Black Dress to the White House
When was the last time you took a close look at your expenses? If its been a while, the new year is a good time to figure out whether youre wasting money on things you don't really needor may be overlooking.

This isnt about giving up restaurants or skipping vacations. Instead, its about plugging those money leakssmall, often hidden costs that slowly drain your checking account without you even noticing. Over months and years, these small leaks can add up to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Here are six common money leaks you should look out forwith tips on how to patch them up:

Paying too much for car insurance. Once your car is 10 years old, the cost of collision coverage can be more than the vehicle is worth, says Margarita Dilone, an independent insurance agent with Crystal Insurance in Washington, D.C.

So check your car insurance policy to see whether your premiums and deductible for collision coverage equal or exceed the value of your vehicle, Dilone says. If your car truly is a clunker, it might be time to skip that coverage, which can cut your insurance bill as much as 75 percent, she adds.

Not bundling all of your insurance. If you buy insurance policies for your car and your home separately, you could be paying more than necessary. But if you bundle, you'll probably save money.



According to Angela Testa, a State Farm representative, for each insurance policy that you buy bundled, discounts generally range from 10 percent to 20 percent, depending on where you live. According to data compiled by insuranceQuotes.com, if you live in Louisiana, for example, you could save an average of 19.68 percent off your total auto insurance and home insurance premiums by bundling. That amounts to an average of $584 per year in premiums paid in that state.



Overlooking checking account fees. Some financial institutions charge service fees typically ranging from $5 to $15 per month for checking accounts. Thats a fee some customers overlook when opening an account.

Story continues

Many banks will waive these fees, however, if you meet certain requirements, such as setting up a direct deposit account, opening a second account, or completing a certain number of transactions each month.

A Bank of America Core Checking Account, as it is known, levies a $12 monthly fee but will waive it if you make a direct deposit of $250 or more, maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500 or more, or are a student under the age of 23.

Check with your bank to see whether youre paying a checking account fee. If you are, find out whether there are ways to have it waivedor whether the bank has a different no-fee checking account that meets your needs and can help you save money.

If neither pans out, switch to another bank that does, says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

Not using a programmable thermostat. In the U.S., energy costs consume between 5 and 22 percent of the average familys total after-tax income, according to WalletHub.com. But buying a programmable thermostat ($150 to $250 on average) can cut costs significantly.

Turning the temperature down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours each day (such as at night) from its normal setting can help you save moneyup to 10 percent, or about $180 per year, according to Energy.gov.

Buying too many name-brand products. You can save money by purchasing store brands, which usually cost 25 percent less than national brands, according to a Consumer Reports survey.

Some store brands, such as from Costco and Sam's Club, can save you even more. The caveat: You may need to buy warehouse-sized packages to reap the biggest savings, so be prepared to stock up.

Paying too much for your cell-phone plan. One in five Americans on a family smartphone plan pays more than $200 per month for service, a recent Pew Research Center survey found. However, many of these consumers can slash their bill by simply switching to a plan on the same carrier with a smaller data allotment, though you may have to pay a fee to make the switch.

To see whether this makes sense, monitor how much data youre using each month. If its less than what youre paying for, switch to a plan with a smaller package.

Conversely, if youre frequently going over your data limit, upping your data plan could also help you save money and avoid monthly overage charges. You can also pinpoint how you are draining your data, then cut back. Streaming audio and movies, for instance, are big data hogs.





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples



Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2017 Consumers Union of U.S.
Senators have their doubts about Rex Tillerson, Donald Trumps choice for secretary of state.

He was far too hesitant to condemn human rights abuses in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. He claimed, untruthfully, that Exxon had never lobbied against sanctions on Russia when he was its CEO. And he displayed a troubling lack of responsiveness at times, calling into question his commitment to accountability and transparency with Congress and the press.

Nonetheless, there is a deeper concern that may help Tillersons chances of Senate confirmation: the fear that not confirming him would lead to a worse outcome. If the Senate rejects Tillerson, his replacement could be even less palatable. And then Trump, a new president who knows little about the job he is entering, might have no one around who actually knows something about international relations, which Tillerson at least does.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., ended an eight-hour hearing Wednesday by making a lengthy plea for Tillerson skeptics like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to give Tillerson a chance. The top priority, Corker said, was to make sure that Trump had someone around him who could offset his considerable ignorance of foreign policy.

This is a very important decision. We have a president-elect who is coming into office also without a great deal of background, Corker said. For him to have someone who he has confidence in whos sitting up under the hood, whos helping him shape his views, to me is something that is very, very important.

Later Wednesday, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told MSNBCs Chris Matthews that he was undecided about supporting Tillerson. Hed liked many Tillerson answers that contradicted some of Trumps more inflammatory or careless past statements, but worried  like other senators  that Tillerson, rather than being able to execute a principled, strategic foreign policy, would be reduced to irrelevance by Trumps constantly changing, unpredictable whims.

Story continues

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson arrives for a meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., in January on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

But Coons deeper worry was that if the Senate rejected Tillerson, the next nominee to be Americas top diplomat would be much inferior.

I have frankly been reflecting on, if not Mr. Tillerson, who else might President-elect Trump choose? Coons said. He conducted a sort of Celebrity Apprentice review process to come up with a nominee for secretary of state, and he seriously considered Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton.

And I tried to imagine how they would have fared in todays confirmation hearings, Coons said, obviously not enthusiastic about either, or at the idea of them coming before the Senate for a vote.

Corker also implied that Rubio might learn more about Tillersons true views on human rights  something Rubio pressed the nominee on repeatedly Wednesday  if he spoke with him away from the TV cameras.

Give him an opportunity to sit down in front of people and discuss these things, especially in person where the medias not there, Corker said.

It was a subtle dig at Rubios reputation for grandstanding.

But Rubio, aware that he would be criticized for this very thing, had told Tillerson just a few minutes earlier that he was not trying to involve the former Exxon CEO in a game of international name-calling.

Rather, he said, the secretary of state is the face of this country for billions of people  and particularly, for people that are suffering and theyre hurting.

Those 1,400 people in jail in China, those dissidents in Cuba, the girls that want to drive and go to school, they look to the United States, Rubio said. And when they see the United States is not prepared to stand up and say, yes, Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, Saudi Arabia violates human rights  it demoralizes these people all over the world.

Senators continued on Thursday to express consternation about the president-elect and about the ability of his top Cabinet officers to constrain him.

I continue to hope that the gravity of the office of the president and the magnitude of the challenges that our country faces would encourage him to be more conscientious and thoughtful with his comments. However, in the two months since his election, President-elect Trump has made a number of defense-related policy statements addressing North Koreas ICBM capability, our trade relations with China and expansion of U.S. nuclear weapons, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said at the confirmation hearing for Trumps pick for secretary of defense, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis.

Reed told Mattis that many lawmakers supported him because they believe you will be, to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, the saucer that cools the coffee.

Mattis told Reed: I would not have taken this job if I didnt believe the president-elect would also be open to my input.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Paris (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will visit Paris "in the coming weeks" for bilateral talks, an official at the French president's office said on Thursday.

The announcement came after Abbas spoke by telephone with President Francois Hollande ahead of an international Middle East peace conference to be hosted by Paris on Sunday.

The conference to be attended by some 70 nations is aimed at exploring ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

Abbas has not confirmed his attendance but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday dismissed the conference as "rigged", and his government has refused to play any role in the meeting.

Netanyahu has said instead that he is willing to hold bilateral talks.

Hollande stressed that the Paris conference would be an occasion "for the international community to underscore its interest in a two-state solution and the need for direct dialogue between the two sides", the president's office source said.

The Palestinians have welcomed the multilateral approach, saying years of negotiations have failed to end Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

The conference comes on the heels of a landmark UN Security Council resolution passed on December 23 calling for a halt to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory.

In a rare move, the United States declined to use its veto and abstained, allowing the measure to pass 14-0.

Israel fears Sunday's conference will produce measures that could then be taken to the Security Council and approved before January 20 -- when Donald Trump takes over as US president.
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Syrian activists say they have given U.N. investigators evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Russia and Iranian-backed militia in the battle for the Syrian city of Aleppo, calling for them to face justice for killing civilians and other atrocities. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Syria, which began collecting testimony and evidence five years ago for future prosecutions, has already shared some confidential files with national authorities pursuing foreign fighters. Fadel Abdul Ghany, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, and Husam Alkatlaby, director of the Violations Documentation Center, met U.N. investigators on Wednesday to press the case for probing crimes committed during the long siege and recapture of rebel-held eastern Aleppo last month. Syria, and its allies Russia, have dismissed accusations of abuses or war crimes. Abdul Ghany said activists "found a similarity between the violations committed by the Russians and the regime, and sometimes the Russians exceed the regime in some kinds of violations". "We recorded the killing of 1,305 civilians at the hands of Russian forces," he told Reuters, referring to victims of hundreds of Russian air strikes between July and December 2016. Roughly one-third of fatalities were children. "All incidents we provided are violations of IHL (international humanitarian law). Lots of them amount to war crimes, especially targeting the vital civilian centers, especially when we are speaking about hospitals." After months of bombardment and a final few weeks of intense air strikes and Syrian army advances on the besieged part of Aleppo, a local ceasefire was reached on Dec 15 which allowed tens of thousands of civilians and fighters to leave. "The Russian air force was trying to target specific points, for example hospitals, schools or whatever. They fly at higher altitude (than the Syrian air force) - this comes through in the testimonies, the interviews," Alkatlaby said. Since the Russian air campaign began on Sept 30, 2015, Russian forces have killed "a minimum" of 4,000 Syrians in all, Abdul Ghany said. "We have all documented, by name, details, date, photos." "IRAN'S COMPLICITY" The activists, joined by the "White Helmets" civil defense teams and the Independent Doctors Association, documented 31 cluster munition attacks in Aleppo by Russian forces and three by Syrian government forces, as well as their use of banned incendiary weapons, Abdul Ghany said. Syrias government rejects accusations it has carried out abuses, denying reports of torture and extrajudicial killings, the targeting of civilians and use of chemical and incendiary weapons and improvised munitions known as barrel bombs. Russia says it only bombs militants, and that accusations of war crimes against it are part of a Western-backed propaganda campaign. Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov has said the White Helmets organization is close to the jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front. "There is clear evidence that the attacks by Russia on Syrian civilians constitute war crimes," the four groups said in a joint letter to the COI's chairman Paulo Pinheiro, whose team is expected to issue a report on Aleppo in February. "We also urge the Commission to explore fully all credible accounts of Irans complicity in war crimes in Aleppo," it said, citing the "central role" of Iranian-backed militias in enforcing the siege and preventing civilians from fleeing. Iran, which has backed President Bashar al-Assad with weapons, oil shipments and military advisers, denies any involvement in killing of civilians and emphasizes Tehrans determination to support Assad in his "fight against terrorism". Abdul Ghany said a special tribunal should be set up to try war crimes, since Russia would veto attempts to send the issue to the International Criminal Court. "Now we need from the COI to push forward toward this mechanism in order to prosecute the perpetrators. Otherwise there is no meaning for all of this documentation work." (Additional reporting by Angus McDowall in Beirut, Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Dominic Evans)
The Daily Beast

Getty Images/TwitterJoshua Primo, the shunned NBA newcomer cut amid allegations he regularly exposed himself to a team therapist, said Thursday that his accuser was using ugly stereotypes and racially charged fears for her own financial gain.Primo made the bizarre claim just hours after Dr. Hillary Cauthen filed a lawsuit in Bexar County, Texas, against Primo and the San Antonio Spursa lawsuit in which she explicitly stated that shes not seeking monetary damages.Instead, Cauthen, a 40-year-o
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Obama administration is set to ease sanctions against Sudan and broaden now limited talks with the long estranged African government, a U.S.-designated terrorism sponsor whose leader has been indicted on war crimes charges, The Associated Press learned Thursday.

The change in policy is a response to positive actions by the Sudanese government in fighting terrorism, reducing conflict, denying safe haven to South Sudanese rebels and improving humanitarian access to people in need, three officials told the AP.

The White House is expected to announce an easing of sanctions on Friday as part of a five-track engagement process, said the officials, who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

They said the administration will keep in place the broad set of economic and financial sanctions Sudan faces as a result of its "state sponsor of terrorism" designation. The penalties being suspended by the policy change could be re-imposed if Sudan backtracks on the progress it has made, they added.

In any case, decisions on continuing the diplomatic outreach will be up to the incoming Trump administration, which takes office on Jan. 20. Any changes are likely to enrage segments of the human rights community, who've long blasted Khartoum's Arab-led government for its conduct in Darfur and treatment of various ethnic groups.

Beyond recognizing Sudan's improvements, the officials said the new approach signals an admission that years of limited U.S. engagement with Khartoum had not produced the desired result. Such an acknowledgement fits with a general pattern under Obama of rapprochement with rogue or antagonistic states, including Cuba, Iran and Myanmar.

The administration hinted at a policy shift last fall.

In September, the State Department issued an out-of-the-blue statement welcoming Khartoum's cooperation in fighting Islamic extremist groups, without mentioning any specific development or reason for the public release. It said Sudan had taken "important steps" to take on the Islamic State group and other such organizations, adding that the U.S. would work with the country on security matters while pressing it on human rights and democracy.

Story continues

At the time, the department said the U.S. maintained grave concerns about Sudan's policies, notably its handling of unrest in the western Darfur region, but described normalized relations as not out of the question.

The department first labelled Sudan a terrorism sponsor in 1993. Among those Sudan harbored was Osama bin Laden, prompting President Bill Clinton to launch airstrikes in 1998. Sudan is one of only three countries still identified as such after Cuba was removed from the list in 2015. Syria and Iran are the others, although the Obama administration sealed a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran a year and a half ago.

Sudan's changes have largely occurred below the radar. But the U.S. credits the country with limiting travel of Islamic State militants and shifting toward greater alignment with Saudi Arabia, and less with Iran. Israel also has pressed the U.S. to adopt a friendlier relationship with Sudan after it cracked down on shipments of suspected Iranian weapons to groups hostile to the Jewish state.

The announcement will surely draw criticism from human rights groups because of ongoing allegations of rights abuses, notably in Darfur, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court for related atrocities. Al-Bashir is wanted for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide charges.

Darfur has been gripped by bloodshed since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government, accusing it of discrimination and neglect. The United Nations says 300,000 people have died in the conflict and 2.7 million have fled their homes.
Yes, we have been down this road before, but this time it looks like it is finally happening: a deal for a fifth season of Emmy-winning comedy series Arrested Development on Netflix. Creator Mitch Hurwitz, Netflix and producing companies 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV had long expressed their full commitment to doing a fifth installment of the cult comedy. The main stumbling block had been signing the cast as all actors have other engagements.

We are close, Arrested Development executive producer Brian Grazer told Deadline at TCA, where Imagine TV is presenting two new Fox drama series, 24: Legacy and Shots Fired. I think we found a way to create the compensation structure for all the actors and create a work matrix so they can still make movies and do other things and it will all integrate. So we are really close  I think within a couple of weeks at the most.

Grazer declined to discuss the premise of the upcoming fifth season. A year ago, Hurwitz shared with Deadline that he had conceived Season 5 of Arrested Development as a serialized murder mystery in the vein of then-red-hot Making a Murderer.

While he had been constantly reworking his scripts as time passed, one thing is for sure: Season 5 will be timely with Donald Trump as U.S. president.

In 2013, two years before Trump launched his presidential bid with a vow to build a wall along the Mexico border, Season 4 of Arrested Development had the Bluth clan set out to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to keep Mexicans out, and Lindsay Bluths Put up the wall speech landed her so much public support that she decided to run for office on the Republican ticket.

Related stories

'American Crime Story: Katrina' Moves To 2018 - TCA

'Atlanta' Creator Donald Glover Inks Overall Deal With FX Productions - TCA

'Atlanta' Season 2 Delayed Until 2018: TCA
Paris (AFP) - The Franco-American patriarch of the Wildenstein art-dealing dynasty was on Thursday cleared by a Paris court of hiding millions of euros in paintings and properties from the taxman.

The presiding judge said there was a "clear attempt" by Guy Wildenstein and seven co-defendants to conceal assets from tax authorities but cleared them owing to shortcomings in the investigation and in French legislation on tax fraud.
London (AFP) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will agree to be extradited to the United States if President Barack Obama grants clemency to the former US soldier Chelsea Manning, jailed for leaking documents, the company said on Thursday.

"If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ (US Department of Justice) case," WikiLeaks wrote on Twitter.

Assange has been living in the Ecuadoran embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations.

The Australian former computer hacker said he fears Stockholm will in turn extradite him to the US, where he angered Washington over WikiLeaks' publication of thousands of US military and diplomatic documents leaked by former US soldier Manning.

Manning is currently serving a 35-year sentence in solitary confinement for handing over the 700,000 sensitive documents from the US State Department.

Supporters of the transgender soldier are putting their hopes in a pardon by Obama before he leaves office later this month, although the White House has said the president will not be granting her clemency.

Manning has already made two suicide attempts and currently has an appeal pending before a military court.

Washington has maintained the threat of prosecuting Assange over the 2010 leak, though no charges have been filed.

WikiLeaks' post on Twitter was accompanied by a letter addressed to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in which Assange's lawyer Barry Pollack argues there is no legitimate basis for continuing the investigation into the WikiLeaks founder.

Related:

Watch TV shows, movies and more on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.
The Athena Film Festival has revealed the lineup for its 2017 edition. The films that will screen at the annual Barnard College event in New York, designed to celebrate female leadership, include HBO's Carrie Fisher-Debbie Reynolds documentary Bright Lights and the fall theatrical release Queen of Katwe. Additionally, the festival will screen clips from the upcoming Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale.

Bright Lights, directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, has become especially poignant in the wake of the deaths of both Fisher and Reynolds. The doc had been making the festival rounds ahead of its HBO premiere this past weekend, and its Athena Film Festival screening will be followed by a conversation with HBO's Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins, a former Athena honoree. Queen of Katwe hit theaters in September but has strong ties to the festival in director Mira Nair, who received the festival's lifetime achievement award last year, and star David Oyelowo, who was previously named the festival's 2017 leading man honoree. Handmaid's Tale director Reed Morano will participate in a conversation following the screening of clips of the Elisabeth Moss starrer.

The festival has also partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the U.S. premiere of The Women Who Run Hollywood, followed by a post-screening panel, with filmmaker Cari Beauchamp, who's featured in the film, about pioneering female filmmakers in early Hollywood.

The festival will close with the New York premiere of Dolores, a documentary about feminist union organizer and Cesar Chavez cohort Dolores Huerta. The centerpiece film will be another documentary: City of Joy, about a community of the same name for female survivors of sexual violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Other films set to screen at this year's Athena Film Festival include Denial, starring Rachel Weisz; Custody, starring Viola Davis, Hayden Panettiere and Ellen Burstyn; Strange Weather, starring Holly Hunter; The Fits, starring Royalty Hightower; and documentaries Political Animals, Major! and Southwest of Salem. Additional programming includes a virtual reality program, panel discussions, a master class hosted by writer-director and festival honoree Patricia Riggen and a reading of the 2016 Athena list winner A Noble Affair.

Read more: Athena Film Festival to Honor David Oyelowo, 'Vagina Monologues' Writer Eve Ensler

In addition to Oyelowo, previously announced honorees include Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler and producer and social entrepreneur Regina K. Scully.

"It's an honor to once again host this incredible festival that celebrates inspiring stories of courageous and bold women and the filmmakers who create them," Athena Film Festival co-founder Kathryn Kolbert said in a statement.

Festival co-founder Melissa Silverstein added, "We are proud to announce a stellar lineup for the 2017 Athena Film Festival to showcase the narratives, documentaries and individuals breaking new ground for women in film. Our continued goal at the festival is to highlight experienced voices in the industry while also exploring and exhibiting brand new talent."

Additional screenings, panels and special events will be announced in the coming weeks. The seventh edition of the festival, co-founded by the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College and Women and Hollywood, will take place Feb. 9-12.

Read more: Amazon Studios to Sponsor Athena Film Festival's Unproduced Screenplay List

1:04 p.m. PT An earlier version of this story incorrectly suggested that the festival would screen a full episode of The Handmaid's Tale. Instead, just clips of the upcoming series will be shown. The Hollywood Reporter regrets the error.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  The Bangladesh cafe besieged by militants who killed 20 hostages last year has quietly reopened a few blocks away from its old, bloodied site, which remains taped off by investigating police.

For Shahriar Ahmed and the 16 other staffers, some of whom were working during the horrifying siege, the reopening of Holey Artisan Bakery represents hope and a new beginning.

"This is beautiful to come back here with all my dearest colleagues," Ahmed said while preparing a cappuccino for a customer on Thursday. "Our old, familiar guests are coming and congratulating us, congratulating from their hearts."

The July 1 attack by five young Bangladeshi extremists stunned the nation and drew condemnation from abroad.

The attackers held dozens hostage overnight, quizzing them on details of the Quran and killing some of those who failed to answer to their satisfaction. When Bangladeshi police and soldiers stormed the restaurant the next morning, killing all five attackers, they found a gruesome scene of torture and killings. Twenty hostages including 17 foreigners were dead.

The government responded by cracking down on extremist groups in the country, blaming one in particular  Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh  but dismissing claims of responsibility by the Middle Eastern extremist group the Islamic State.

It followed several years of smaller attacks targeting scores of individuals deemed by extremists to be enemies of radical Islam, including secularists, writers, religious minorities, foreign aid workers and activists.

The cafe reopened Tuesday in a section of a shopping mall. The new location is smaller, doesn't have a backyard and there's no view of the lake overlooking the Gulshan diplomatic zone that had drawn so many in the past.

The previous site remains closed to the public and is under the control of police who are still investigating the attack.

The new cafe is already doing brisk business. The mood is cheerful, with many customers greeting the waiters with smiles.

Story continues

"You can't compare it with the old place," one owner, Sadat Mehedi, said while wiping down a tabletop. "This is definitely small in size, but we have the same spirit. It's heartening that our tables are full."

He said reopening the restaurant after last year's traumatic attack was "all about hope and aspiration to start again, to keep the spirit up."

"We want to grow again, want to create more jobs," he said.

As one customer took a seat, a server named Rocky cried, "Welcome back, ma'am! We are ready to serve you." She ordered an ice cream for her daughter, a toddler.

"They all know me, we know them all," Rocky explained. "It's lovely to see them again."
Bangladesh urged Myanmar Thursday to end months of violence that has forced tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee across the border, saying the influx was hitting economic development.

At least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a military operation in October following attacks on police posts in western Rakhine state, a third of them over the past week.

Rights groups say members of the stateless Muslim minority have faced abuses so severe they could amount to crimes against humanity.

On Wednesday Bangladeshi foreign minister A.H. Mahmood Ali held talks with a special envoy of Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Dhaka.

"The special envoy has been informed that the recent arrival of a huge number of Myanmar nationals and the long and illegal stay of approximately 300,000 unregistered Myanmar nationals have disrupted stability and economic development in the very important region of Chittagong," he told reporters on Thursday.

There were already 33,000 registered and 300,000 unregistered Rohingya refugees in the country before the latest outbreak of violence.

"Bangladesh has demanded quick restoration of normal situation in Rakhine state so that Myanmar nationals who have taken shelter in Bangadesh can quickly go back home with full security and safety to their livelihood," he said.

Dhaka is under pressure both at home and abroad to open its border to the Rohingya, but the recent arrivals are already putting enormous strain on the impoverished nation of 160 million people.

It has instead reinforced its border posts and deployed coastguard ships to prevent fresh arrivals.

There was no comment from the envoy, Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy foreign minister, who was to wrap up his three-day visit to Dhaka Thursday.

Last month the Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express "deep concern at the continued influx".

Those who arrived in Bangladesh have brought harrowing accounts of rape, murder and arson at the hands of Myanmar's army or police.

Story continues

Their stories have raised global alarm and galvanised protests against Suu Kyi who has been accused of not doing enough to help the Rohingya.

Myanmar's government has said the claims of abuse are fabricated and launched a special commission to investigate the allegations.

The government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as one of the country's ethnic minorities, instead describing them as Bengalis -- or illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.
The British Fashion Council (BFC) is teaming up with Barneys New York on a project to celebrate the UK's fashion scene.

A selection of the US retailer's flagship Madison Avenue store's windows will be dedicated to British brands this month, with a focus on both established fashion houses and emerging young designers. The result will see names such as Alexander McQueen, Anya Hindmarch, Belstaff, Burberry and Victoria Beckham showcased alongside womenswear designers Alice Archer and Teija. Erdem, By Walid, JW Anderson, Osman, Paul Smith, Saloni, Tabitha Simmons and A-Cold-Wall* complete the line-up.

Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council Caroline Rush said the partnership underpinned the BFC's goal to "cement the presence of British design talent at luxury retailers worldwide."

"We have been so impressed with the way Natalie Massenet and Caroline Rush have built the British Fashion Council and placed well deserved attention and focus on the incredibly talented cadre of designers out of the UK," explained Daniella Vitale, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Executive Vice President of Barneys, in a statement. "This was a long overdue celebration for us to thank the British Fashion Council for their important work, as well as this group of designers with whom we have built strong businesses and successful partnerships."

Barneys' championing of British designers goes back several decades, and according to the retailer's site The Window, the department store was even honored with a royal visit in 1986 in recognition of its efforts. The display rounds off a busy month for the BFC, following the end of London Fashion Week Men's on January 9.

The BFC window display will be on show through January 25.
Ben Affleck is a triple threat in his latest film Live By Night  the Oscar winner wrote, directed, and stars in the Prohibition-era gangster flick.

Read: Golden Globes: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling Take Top Honors at 74th Annual Awards

It is Afflecks fourth stint as a director and Live By Night is his first film since he took home a "Best Picture" Oscar for Argo in 2013.

For his newest venture, Affleck's script has a little bit of everything.

Gangster films have a specific American quality to them, Affleck told Inside Edition. They are about ambition, morality, getting ahead, pulling yourself up by your boot straps."

And who best to play the lead?

"Ben the director keeps wanting to hire Ben the actor, that is all," he joked.

Read: Michael Jackson's Daughter Reacts to White Actor Portraying Her Dad: 'It Makes Me Want to Vomit'

Zoe Saldana, who plays Afflecks love interest in the film, told Inside Edition that her character isn't true to the title.

"She is making a conscious decision to live in a kind of redeemable manner," Saldana said.

Live By Night is currently in theaters.

Watch: Ben Affleck Says His Son Thinks He Is Batman at Premier 'Superman Vs. Batman'

Related Articles:
By Patrick Rucker and James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday pressed Ben Carson, Donald Trump's nominee to lead housing policy, on potential conflicts of interest between the agency he is set to run and properties in which the president-elect may hold a financial stake. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) hands out billions of dollars each year to developers and landlords. Democrats grilling Carson during his confirmation hearing for the post expressed concerns that some of that taxpayer money could end up directed to Trump or members of his family. "The president-elect is hiding his family businesses interests from you, from me, and the rest of America," Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, one of Trump's most vocal critics, told Carson. "He can divert taxpayer money into his own pockets without the American people knowing about it." Trump, a New York businessman who got his start in real estate, has refused to release his tax returns or provide detailed information about his holdings across the globe. On Wednesday, he announced that he would turn control of his business empire over to his two oldest sons and move his assets into a trust. Those moves, however, have not assuaged some critics who argue that, as president, Trump will still have undisclosed financial interests that could affect his policies. Pushed on the issue by Democrats, Carson at one point vowed he would monitor any potential conflicts of interest but said he was unsure about how to go about it. Asked how he would prevent conflicts, the retired neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate told the Senate Banking Committee, "I would hope what would happen with this committee is that we could come up with a suggestion that might be acceptable to all sides." Trump reportedly has an interest in the massive Starrett City housing project in the New York City of Brooklyn, which has received HUD funds. But Trump's real estate career has focused mainly on luxury housing, commercial real estate and resort properties. Earlier in the hearing, Carson was noncommittal when Warren asked him to ensure that no HUD programs would benefit Trump. "If there happens to be an extraordinarily good program that is working for millions of people and it turns that someone you're targeting is going to gain $10 from it, am I going to say, 'No, the rest of you Americans can't have it?'" Carson responded. Carson is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate committee and full Senate. Much of Thursday's hearing focused on Carson's long-standing antipathy toward social-welfare programs, with some senators asking him whether he, in fact, supports HUD's mission to provide housing assistance to millions of Americans. "I think the rental assistance program is essential," Carson replied. He later, added, however that social programs have to operate within financial constraints. Much of Carson's remarks focused on his well-documented background growing up poor in inner-city Detroit, saying he learned young what "housing insecurity" means. He provided few details in terms of U.S. housing policy or how he would revamp the agency, suggesting only that he was interested in making it more efficient. If confirmed as HUD secretary, Carson would oversee an agency with a roughly $40 billion budget that not only helps the poor but underwrites mortgage loans for middle-class families. HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) stands behind roughly one in five home loans and at least $1.1 trillion in debt - a number that Carson said was troubling. Outgoing HUD Secretary Julian Castro this week slashed HUD fees for mortgage default insurance, which he said would save the average HUD-backed homeowner $500 a year. Carson suggested that he would consider reversing that surprise move. "Certainly, if confirmed, I am going to work with the FHA administrator and other financial experts to really examine that policy," he said. (Reporting By Patrick Rucker; Editing by Linda Stern and Jonathan Oatis)
Skien (Norway) (AFP) - Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik said Thursday that more than five years of prison isolation has further radicalised him, a key point in his lawsuit against the state over the terms of his incarceration.

The right-wing extremist's comments were seen as a strategy aimed at obtaining an easing of the restrictions on his contacts with the outside world, in particular his far-right supporters.

"I've become more radical. I was radical to start but these past five years I've become much more radical," the 37-year-old Norwegian said as he gave evidence against the state, which has appealed a ruling that found it guilty of treating him "inhumanely", primarily because of his isolation from other inmates.

In July 2011 Breivik, disguised as a police officer, tracked and gunned down 69 people, most of them teenagers, at a Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utoya, shortly after he killed eight people in a bombing outside a government building in Oslo.

He said he killed his victims because they valued multiculturalism.

Found guilty of the bloodiest attack on Norwegian soil since World War II, he was sentenced in 2012 to 21 years in prison, which can be extended indefinitely as long as he is considered a threat.

In prison, Breivik has three cells where he can play video games and watch television. He also has a computer without internet access, gym machines, books and newspapers.

Despite the comfortable material conditions, an Oslo district court last April found the Norwegian state guilty of "inhumane" and "degrading" treatment, in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The court's main argument was his prolonged isolation: he has been held apart from other inmates since 2011 for security reasons.

- 'Purely strategic' -

Breivik's lawyer Oystein Storrvik argued the isolation has rendered his client "mentally vulnerable".

Story continues

"I'm seriously affected by the isolation and radicalisation is perhaps the most serious effect of my isolation," Breivik told the court on Thursday.

His comments were in sharp contrast to the picture painted on Wednesday by the lawyer representing the state, Attorney General Fredrik Sejersted.

He described an inmate in "extraordinary physical and psychological form," who even wrote a thank you note to prison staff last year.

Psychiatry professor Ulrik Fredrik Malt told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that Breivik's remarks were "purely strategic".

"If he gets the court to agree that he has been harmed (by the isolation), then they have to give him more contact with others," Malt said.

The state has argued that Breivik has not been isolated, noting his multiple contacts with guards, with whom he plays backgammon, his lawyers and pastors, and his correspondence with the outside world.

Citing recent psychiatric assessments of Breivik, Sejersted insisted the killer was still highly dangerous, which justified the strict prison regime and limited contacts with the outside world, aimed at preventing him from building networks capable of carrying out new attacks.

- No remorse -

On Thursday, Breivik told the court he had decided not to use his lawsuit as a platform to spread his white supremacist ideology, as he has done in the past to the dismay of survivors and victims' families.

He nonetheless made a raised-arm Nazi salute on Tuesday at the opening of the appeals hearing, and presented himself to the court as the secretary of a non-existent political party.

Despite repeated questions from the Attorney General, he also refused to express remorse for the 2011 attacks.

As Norway tries to turn the page on the deeply traumatic episode, a support group for victims' families called on media to exercise restraint in their coverage of the hearing.

"It's particularly difficult for a lot of us when the man behind these crimes gets so much attention in the media," the group said on its website.

The hearing has been broadcast live in Norway, but the judge on Thursday barred the media from airing Breivik's remarks.

The court is also to rule on an appeal by Breivik regarding his inability to freely communicate with the outside world.

On that point, the judge in April ruled in favour of the state. Breivik insists that violates his right to privacy under the European Convention.

The six-day hearing is being held for security reasons in the Skien prison in southern Norway where Breivik is incarcerated.

It is scheduled to wind up on January 18, and a ruling is due in February.
Few historic Supreme Court decisions generate an animated discussion among legal scholars than a 1905 Court decision about bakeries. Thats why Justice Stephen Breyers use of the L-R word in Tuesdays court arguments was seen as a noteworthy sign for the case.

The petitioners in Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman are New York state merchants who want to be able to tell customers that their credit card transaction prices are higher than their cash prices by using the word surcharge to describe the price difference. They claim it is a free speech issue.

New Yorks attorney general is defending a law that punishes merchants for using the S word (surcharge), claiming the state has a right to pass rules about economic conduct. The state says that applying a strict free speech definition to credit-card transaction laws is wrong because the laws just regulate commercial conduct and they have an incidental effect on free speech.

On Tuesday during arguments, Justice Breyer framed the argument in a different way, alluding to that 1905 bakery decision.

It is a form of price regulation, and price regulation goes on all over the place in regulatory agencies. And so the word that I fear begins with an L and ends with an R; its called Lochner. And there we go, Breyer told Deepak Gupta, the petitioners attorney.

Gupta tried to defend his First Amendment argument, but Breyer cited questions from his fellow Justices earlier in the session to make his point.

Justice Alito is right. The law as written actually can be read  and Justice Sotomayor said this before  as just requiring a single price. Now, thats something that none of the parties here say, but if you just look at the law, thats what the law says, Breyer countered.

The Courts 1905 opinion in Lochner v. New York has been a lightning rod for discussion for over a century. It was also about a law in New York state, the Bakeshop Act, which limited the number of daily and weekly hours worked by bakeshop workers. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, held that the offending section of the Bakeshop Act was unconstitutional and it interfered with the right of contract between employers and employees under the 14th Amendment.

Story continues

The Courts next 30 years is now commonly referred to as the Lochner era, when struck down laws regulating labor conditions under Lochners conception of the 14th Amendment. The Lochner era ended in 1937, the Court began to allow some government regulation of the labor market, after the case of West Coast Hotel v. Parrish. The Lochner legacy, had inferred by Justice Breyer, is that a Lochner-like decision would weaken the ability of states to regulate prices and drive such decisions more to the courts.

Breyer then returned to the price regulation issue when Stephen Wu, the New York state attorney, was making his case to the Court. Help me. I may be the only one that needs this help, but I do have this Lochner problem, Breyer said as he made a long statement about price regulation.

The fact that you have the questions youve had and both sides of the bench have had such trouble with this, to me, is strong evidence that the Court should stay out of this under normal First Amendment standards. Because if we dont, we are going to discover all kinds of price regulation all over the place that suffers to greater or lesser degrees from this kind of problem, and youll have judges all over the country substituting for regulators and others in trying to regulate. Thats where Im coming from, Breyer concluded.

Court observers seemed to believe after arguments that the First Amendment part of the case seemed to be facing problems. A U.S. Supreme Court case that was touted as a significant retail business dispute with First Amendment ramifications seemed to fizzle fast Tuesday as justices questioned whether freedom of speech was involved at all, said Law.coms Tony Mauro.

Recent Stories on Constitution Daily

Trump addresses Emoluments Clause, but will it be enough?



Kushners appointment brings attention to anti-nepotism law

Supreme Court hears case today on disabled children and public schools
LONDON (Reuters) - British foreign minister Boris Johnson will attend Cypriot-led negotiations in Geneva on Thursday aimed at ending the decades-long division of the island, the Foreign Office said. The strategically located island in the eastern Mediterranean, a former British colony, was split after a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. For the first time in more than a decade, Greek and Turkish Cypriots plan to submit maps to the United Nations detailing their proposals on territorial boundaries between constituent states in a two-zone federation. "I welcome the continued courage and commitment that has been shown by both sides," Johnson said in a statement. "The talks in Geneva on the Cyprus settlement offer both sides a unique opportunity to find a solution." Britain was willing to help in any way it could, he added. Representatives from Greece and Turkey are also expected to join the talks on Thursday. The three countries are guarantor powers of the independence of Cyprus, allowed to intervene to restore constitutional order under a 1960 treaty. "I hope that all those involved will approach the talks with a sense of openness and flexibility. I believe that if approached in this light, a solution is in reach to bring lasting peace to Cyprus, Johnson said. (Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)
By Michele Kambas and Tulay Karadeniz GENEVA (Reuters) - Talks to resolve the decades-old division of Cyprus ended without agreement on Thursday but with a plan for officials to reconvene on Jan. 18 to tackle its thorny security question, before a fresh attempt to forge a political deal. The east Mediterranean island has been partitioned between ethnic Turks and Greeks since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded in response to an abortive Athens-inspired coup aimed at union with Greece. An accord has eluded generations of diplomats and NATO allies Greece and Turkey have come at times to the brink of war over Cyprus, a former British colony. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters he was confident that the participants in talks were determined to make a "last effort" to find a solution. There was no precise date set for the guarantors of the process - the Greek, Turkish and British foreign ministers - to meet again, but officials said they would reconvene once the sides had codified their positions. "The discussions today underscored the participants intention to find mutually acceptable solutions on security and guarantees that address the concerns of both communities," a U.N. statement said. "They recognized that the security of one community cannot come at the expense of the security of the other. They also acknowledged the need to address the traditional security concerns of the two communities while at the same time developing a security vision for a future united federal Cyprus." Guterres had earlier said there could be no "quick fix" in the rift. The parties are trying to reach a security deal on the presence of Turkish forces on the island in tandem with political negotiations on a comprehensive federal settlement sought by islanders. SECURITY CONCERNS Greek Cypriots want the guarantor system dismantled because of Turkey's 1974 invasion. Turkish Cypriots, targeted by Greek Cypriot nationalists before the war and after the breakdown of a post-independence power-sharing arrangement, want it maintained. "Our position, and the Turkish Cypriot side's position on this matter is the same. The guarantorship of Turkey and the existence of Turkish soldiers on the island will continue," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters. "This is an indispensable demand of the Turkish Cypriot people and the most sensitive issue for them." It was Guterres's first major involvement in a conflict which has been on the world body's agenda for more than half a century and hosts one of its longest-serving peacekeeping forces. In a 2004 referendum, a U.N. reunification blueprint was approved by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots, who represent Cyprus in the European Union. Recent hydrocarbon discoveries off Cyprus's shores could help the EU reduce its energy dependence on Russia. BEST CHANCE Diplomats believe Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci, respective leaders of the island's Greek and Turkish Cypriots, represent the best chance in years to reunite the island. But there are obstacles ranging from property grievances of thousands uprooted in conflict to more practical difficulties associated with power-sharing and security. "The fact that we have got this far is a real tribute to the courage and the determination of the leaders of the Greek Cypriot community and Turkish Cypriot community," British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a Facebook post. In a groundbreaking move on Wednesday, the sides submitted proposals on how to define the post-settlement boundaries. Under the proposals, Turkish Cypriots would retain between 28.2 and 29.2 percent of total Cypriot territory, down from about 36 percent now. Britain has offered as part of any final peace deal to relinquish about half of the 98 square miles it still administers - equivalent to 3 percent of total Cypriot territory. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald in Malta, Marina Depetris, Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Tom Miles and Andrew Hay)
LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways "mixed fleet" cabin crew, who make up around 15 percent of BA's total cabin staff, are to stage a 72-hour pay strike from Thursday next week, their union Unite said.

Crew who serve as part of BA's mixed fleet, who have poorer terms and conditions than some longer-serving staff, rejected a pay offer shortly before Christmas and staged a 48-hour strike earlier this week which caused the cancellation of some 40 flights from Heathrow.

The company's offer for the crew is consistent with past deals with Unite, BA said in an emailed statement. BA is part of the International Airlines Group <ICAG.L> along with Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling.

The company said it intends to ensure all its customers travel to their destinations during the strikes and details about its contingency plans would be released on Monday.

BA created the mixed fleet of cabin staff in the wake of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions for all cabin staff that ran from 2009 to 2011.

(Reporting by Stephen Addison; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by William Schomberg and Alexandra Hudson)
London (AFP) - A group of British Airways cabin crew will strike again next week in an ongoing pay dispute, trade union Unite announced on Thursday.

More than 2,900 cabin crew will walk out for 72 hours from January 19, after two days of industrial action this week, Unite said in a statement.

It said there was "continuing and deepening" anger among so-called mixed fleet crew, who have joined British Airways since 2010 and work a combination of short and long-haul flights.

The trade union claims they are on "poverty" pay, with many forced to take on second jobs or turn up for shifts if they are sick because they cannot afford to be off ill.

"British Airways should be under no illusion about our members' determination to secure a settlement that addresses their concerns over poverty pay," said Unite national officer Oliver Richardson.

Unite claimed that a strike this week on Tuesday and Wednesday was strongly supported.

However, British Airways -- which is owned by International Airlines Group (IAG) -- claimed that more than 70 percent of the crew had reported for work as normal.

"We operated nearly 1,600 flights over the two days, as planned, and transported all 210,000 customers to their destinations," BA said.

"So it is bizarre, as well as regrettable, that mixed fleet Unite branch has announced further strike dates," it added.

Britain's transport network faced transport chaos this week as a result of a number of strikes.

On Monday, industrial action shut down most of the London Underground network in a dispute over job cuts and staffing levels.

There was further disruption on Tuesday and Wednesday as workers on Southern Rail trains staged a strike, with another walkout due Friday.

The service, which runs between London and the south English coast, has been plagued by industrial action in a bitter dispute over the operator's plans to downgrade the role of the train conductor.

Southern wants drivers to be able to operate train doors, not conductors, as is the case on many trains in Britain. But unions say this risks passenger safety.

With no sign of the dispute ending, the RMT union announced Thursday that its members would stage another 24-hour walkout on January 23, the day before drivers are due to strike again.
(Recasts with British Columbia approving project, adds reaction)

By Nicole Mordant

VANCOUVER, Jan 11 (Reuters) - British Columbia on Wednesday gave the green light to Kinder Morgan Inc's plan to nearly triple its Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which runs from Canada's oil sands through the province to a marine terminal on the Pacific Coast.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark said in a statement the C$6.8 billion ($5.16 billion) project had satisfied or was close to satisfying the five conditions she laid out in 2012 for any company wanting to build pipelines in the province.

The Canadian government in November approved Kinder Morgan's proposal to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline, which would help ensure oil exports from the oil sands in the neighboring province of Alberta reach Asia.

Although inter-provincial pipelines fall under federal jurisdiction, if provinces are opposed they could impose conditions that would make it onerous for a company to build a pipeline.

Environmental groups were swift to condemn the Western Canadian province's decision to approve the project, which comes four months before a provincial election.

"We expect that today's decision on the Kinder Morgan pipeline will come back to haunt Premier Clark when B.C. voters go to the polls," Sven Biggs of Stand.earth said.

"British Columbians will continue to fight this decision in the courts and on the streets well past next spring's election," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the province had given its approval to an environmental review of the project but recommended 37 conditions be attached to address concerns raised by communities and aboriginal groups.

With the environmental approval, only two more approvals were outstanding on Trans Mountain: the province getting a "fair share" of jobs and economic benefits from the pipeline and a marine response plan to oil spills.

On getting its fair share, Clark said the province had struck an "unprecedented" agreement with Kinder Morgan under which the company would pay it up to C$1 billion in installments of between C$25 million and C$50 million a year over 20 years.

The province was working closely with the Canadian government to have a "world-leading" marine spill response plan in place before the pipeline starts operations, which could be as early as December 2019, Clark said.

Kinder Morgan welcomed the province's approval. The Texas-based company's board now has to make a final investment decision on the project. Construction is slated to start in September. ($1 = 1.3180 Canadian dollars) (Editing by Bernard Orr and Chris Reese)
By Nicole Mordant VANCOUVER (Reuters) - British Columbia on Wednesday gave the green light to Kinder Morgan Inc's plan to nearly triple its Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which runs from Canada's oil sands through the province to a marine terminal on the Pacific Coast. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark said in a statement the C$6.8 billion ($5.16 billion) project had satisfied or was close to satisfying the five conditions she laid out in 2012 for any company wanting to build pipelines in the province. The Canadian government in November approved Kinder Morgan's proposal to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline, which would help ensure oil exports from the oil sands in the neighboring province of Alberta reach Asia. Although inter-provincial pipelines fall under federal jurisdiction, if provinces are opposed they could impose conditions that would make it onerous for a company to build a pipeline. Environmental groups were swift to condemn the Western Canadian province's decision to approve the project, which comes four months before a provincial election. "We expect that today's decision on the Kinder Morgan pipeline will come back to haunt Premier Clark when B.C. voters go to the polls," Sven Biggs of Stand.earth said. "British Columbians will continue to fight this decision in the courts and on the streets well past next spring's election," he said. Earlier on Wednesday, the province had given its approval to an environmental review of the project but recommended 37 conditions be attached to address concerns raised by communities and aboriginal groups. With the environmental approval, only two more approvals were outstanding on Trans Mountain: the province getting a "fair share" of jobs and economic benefits from the pipeline and a marine response plan to oil spills. On getting its fair share, Clark said the province had struck an "unprecedented" agreement with Kinder Morgan under which the company would pay it up to C$1 billion in installments of between C$25 million and C$50 million a year over 20 years. The province was working closely with the Canadian government to have a "world-leading" marine spill response plan in place before the pipeline starts operations, which could be as early as December 2019, Clark said. Kinder Morgan welcomed the province's approval. The Texas-based company's board now has to make a final investment decision on the project. Construction is slated to start in September. (Editing by Bernard Orr and Chris Reese)
(Reuters) - Canadian energy infrastructure company AltaGas Ltd said on Thursday it was in talks with a third party over a potential transaction. AltaGas did not name the company, but the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the firm was is in talks to merge with WGL Holdings Inc , the parent of natural-gas utility Washington Gas. Shares of WGL, which had a market value of $4.11 billion, closed up 5.9 percent at $80.26 in regular trading. AltaGas's shares ended down 1.3 percent at C$33.65. The company had a market value of C$5.59 billion ($4.25 billion) as of Thursday close. A deal could be announced this month assuming that the talks do not fall apart, or see another bidder, the Journal said. AltaGas said no agreement had been reached and there was no guarantee that the talks would continue. A WGL spokesman said the company did not comment on "market rumors". WGL was weighing options, including a sale, after receiving takeover interest from Spain's Iberdrola SA , Bloomberg reported in November. (http://reut.rs/2ilgi3H) Calgary-based AltaGas operates in three segments - natural gas gathering and processing, power generation and utilities that deliver natural gas to homes and businesses. The company has a presence in both the United States and Canada. WGL provides natural gas services in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (Reporting by Vishaka George in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
By Allison Lampert and Andrea Hopkins MONTREAL, OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian auto industry executives are asking government ministers on Wednesday to mitigate the costs of reducing carbon emissions under a new program designed to help fight climate change, two sources familiar with the matter said. The demand has taken on greater urgency with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's talk of rolling back environmental regulations, which would subject automakers in Canada to costs not imposed in the United States, the sources said. At a meeting in Detroit on Wednesday, executives will urge federal and Ontario government ministers to ensure that the province's cap-and-trade program will not hurt the Canadian auto industry's long-term competitiveness with U.S. rivals. Under the program, which came into effect on Jan. 1, companies that are the biggest polluters must buy permits if they exceed set limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Automakers and other large companies are exempt from the plan until 2020 and some want that exemption to be extended, a third source said. They also want federal and provincial governments to share the cost of investments in new technology that would cut emissions and energy consumption, the person added. All three sources spoke on condition of anonymity before the closed-door meeting. Canada's automakers, the country's largest exporters, received a boost in 2016, after they agreed to C$2 billion ($1.5 billion) in investments during union negotiations. "This could be more burdensome for manufacturers, if Canada is doing cap-and-trade but Trump is cutting back regulations," said one of the sources. Stephen Carlisle, managing director of General Motors Co in Canada, said automakers are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but described potential higher costs from cap-and-trade after 2020 as "headwinds." He would like governments to support automakers which invest in technological improvements to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, which represents Canadian autoworkers, noted a deal this week by the Ontario and Canadian governments to defray up to 17 percent of Honda Motor Co's C$492 million investment to modernize its Alliston paint shop. The investment, which would reduce Honda's emissions and energy costs, could serve as a model for other automakers, he said. The Honda investment "fits in well with the direction we're going in," said Ontario Economy Minister Brad Duguid in an interview on Tuesday. Duguid said Ontario would ensure cap and trade is "done in a way that they (companies) are not placed at a competitive disadvantage with other jurisdictions." (Reporting By Allison Lampert; Editing by Richard Chang)
By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Scientists say a recently discovered area of peatland straddling the two Congos contains 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 20 years of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and must be protected to prevent major environmental damage. The British and Congolese teams, who made the discovery in 2014, say it is the largest known tropical peatland - home to rare gorillas and forest elephants - and in Wednesday's edition of Nature they say development there would release the gas. Carbon dioxide is linked to climate change and peatlands, formed from the accumulation of dead plant material, act as "carbon sinks." Peat does not decompose in a water-logged state but when it dries, the organisms that break down plant material revive and the carbon seeps back into the atmosphere. "Peatlands are only a resource in the fight against climate change when left intact, and so maintaining large stores of carbon in undisturbed peatlands should be a priority," Leeds University ecologist and one of the study's authors, Simon Lewis, said. The heavily forested and swampy terrain has kept development to a minimum - there is virtually no mining activity - but scientists say similar peatlands in rugged parts of Indonesia have been threatened by agriculture. "It's very remote but what we've seen in south-east Asia is that these once-remote areas have been dried out and converted to oil palm plantations and rice plantations and other forms of industrial agriculture causing a huge release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," Lewis told Reuters. The researchers combined space-age technology with old-fashioned exploration both to discover and to map the area. They used satellite imagery as well as slogging into the swamps and drilled by hand with coring devices to collect samples and identify the peat. Seen from above, the swamp unfurls into a leaf-like shape from the Congo River into the northeast of the Republic of Congo and the remote western reaches of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Editing by Louise Ireland)
BERLIN (AP)  A freight train has partially derailed in Germany after hitting a stolen cash machine that had been left on the track.

Police said no one was hurt in the incident before dawn Thursday in Dinslaken in western Germany. A freight train from the Netherlands hit the ATM, which had been stolen from the town's station, and the locomotive came off the track.

It wasn't immediately clear who stole the machine and put in on the track. Whoever was responsible didn't get any money  the ATM was cracked open by the impact but the cash spread over the tracks was collected by police.

The incident forced authorities to close the line for a few hours, with trains on the route between the Netherlands and western Germany diverted.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen set off on a trip to Central America this week to shore up her countrys remaining handful of friendly states with formal diplomatic ties. Its a checkbook offensive designed to reassure Tsais few formal allies abroad  and her constituents at home  that Taiwan can retain its independence from mainland China following months of increased diplomatic pressure from Beijing.

Tsai traveled to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to cement Taiwans bilateral relations. The countries may not be geopolitical heavyweights, but they carry outsized importance for Taiwan; they are four of only 21 countries in the world that recognize Taiwans sovereignty from China. Most of those countries, including those Tsai visited this week, are developing countries that exchange recognition of Taiwans sovereignty in for lucrative business and development deals with Taipei.

Taiwan had 22 countries in its corner until December. Thats when the small African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe cut ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing after hearing Chinas siren song. This marked the beginning of a new Chinese campaign to tighten the vice around Tsai.

Experts say it was retaliation against Tsais early December phone call with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that broke with decades of the United States One China policy. The Chinese have started pressuring Taiwan every way they can think of, Robert Manning, an Asia expert at the Atlantic Council, told Foreign Policy. Sao Tome and Principe may be the beginning of a new competition, he said.

Tsai perhaps didnt help matters by flying to Houston to meet Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen.Ted Cruz on her way to Central America, which sparked another diplomatic rebuke from China (and a jaunt by its one aircraft carrier into the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday).

Between Beijings ire and Trumps erratic stances on China, Taiwans few friends in Central America are now all the more important. But some Central American leaders likely know that, and may try to leverage their newfound attention for a bidding war between China and Taiwans checkbooks. During Tsais stop in Nicaragua on Tuesday, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega pledged to fight for more international recognition of Taiwan. But Nicaragua is also reportedly seeking massive Chinese investments to build a canal that would compete with Panamas  that could be a lucrative deal in exchange for switching diplomatic allegiance.

Story continues

If thats the case, Tsai could be fighting a losing David-and-Goliath battle against the worlds second largest economy. Beijing wants to squeeze Tsai, Manning said, and theyve got trillions of dollars to do it.

Photo credit: INTI OCON/AFP/Getty Images
The boutique hotel network, presided by French chef Alain Ducasse, has just launched the 2017 edition of its guide. This update sees the network branch out from France, Italy and Spain, with a selection of hotels in Greece, Germany, Austria and Portugal.

The Chateaux & Hotels Collection guide features no less than 585 unique establishments from Paris, France to the Greek island of Mykonos. Moving in step with the latest trends in tourism, where Portugal and Greece stand out as favorite summer destinations, the network of boutique hotels and gourmet restaurants has expanded its range of destinations. New members include Vila Joya in Albufeira, in the heart of Portugal's Algarve region. With its clear waters and non-stop sunshine, the Algarve is a key rival to classic summer haunts like Spain's Costa Brava and Costa Blanca.

Chateaux & Hotels Collection has also expanded into Mykonos, a Greek island that's popular with vacationers looking to party. However, the guide shows visitors another side to this island in the north Cyclades, with a spectacular clifftop hotel offering calm and quiet, far from the bustling nightlife.

For getaways of another kind, the guide now includes 105 establishments in Germany and 13 in Austria, thanks to a business collaboration between Chateaux & Hotels Collection and Romantik Hotels & Restaurants.

The guide also features 258 gourmet restaurants for travelers in search of a fine dining experience. These are ranked in three categories: "Tables d'Excellence," followed by "Grandes Tables" then "Bonnes Tables."

The Chateaux & Hotels Collection guide, covering 16 countries, is available in each of the member establishments listed on Chateauxhotels.com.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f345738%2f36cb0515-d803-425c-9577-2a42a114b17b

The humble and very adorable quokka is a creature only found on Western Australia's Rottnest Island, but it seems one has made an unlikely escape via barge.

An adult quokka was reportedly spotted at a waste recovery centre in the Perth suburb of Canning Vale on Jan 4. by a worker not familiar with the species.

SEE ALSO: Lonely Planet gives quokka hot spot the recognition it deserves

The worker took a photo of it and thought it was a "big rat," according to the Western Suburbs Weekly.

The quokka is a protected species, due to a "vulnerable" conservation status, and authorities are trying to figure out if the animal is still in the centre or has made its way to surrounding bushland.

With all this summer weather, even the Quokka's are loving being near the beach! Image: @stochastic79 pic.twitter.com/e9wiiKBZ0s  Rottnest Island (@RottnestIsland) January 8, 2017

Rottnest Island Authority Environmental Officer Shane Kearney told the news outlet the organisation is working with the government Department of Parks and Wildlife to find the cheeky quokka, which will be taken to a vet at Perth Zoo.

It won't be allowed back on the island, but will be relocated at Perth Zoo or a wildlife park. A free trip to Rottnest Island is on offer for anyone who finds the quokka. Poor little guy.

Mashable has contacted the Rottnest Island Authority for further comment.
NEW YORK (AP)  Cassandra Clare and Laurie Halse Anderson are among more than 160 Simon & Schuster children's authors and illustrators who added their names to a letter sent to the company's chief executive in protest of the recent decision to publish a book by the far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.

Thursday's letter to Simon & Schuster CEO Carolyn Reidy denounced Yiannopoulos as a "hate-monger" and white supremacist. The signees didn't call for Reidy to cancel publication of Yiannopoulos' "Dangerous," scheduled for March and already the subject of intense criticism, but they warned that Simon & Schuster risked its "considerable reputation and weight."

"This man, and this book, are not America," the letter reads. "This man, and this book, are not the bulk of Simon & Schuster. This man, and this book, are not us, the authors and illustrators of Simon & Schuster. We believe that the children we write for deserve a better America."

Simon & Schuster issued a brief statement in response, saying that it does "appreciate and respect the feelings and opinions of our authors." The publisher has previously defended its decision by noting that it works with "a wide range of authors with greatly varying, and frequently controversial opinions."

The book by Yiannopoulos is being published through Simon & Schuster's conservative Threshold Editions imprint, where authors have included former Vice President Dick Cheney and President-elect Donald Trump. Other Simon & Schuster imprints have published books by Trump's Democratic rival for the 2016 presidency, Hillary Clinton, and by such Clinton backers as Amy Schumer and Bruce Springsteen.

Yiannopoulos writes for Breitbart News, considered by many a platform for the so-called "alt-right" movement, an offshoot of conservatism that mixes racism, white nationalism and populism. Last summer, he was kicked off Twitter after leading a harassment campaign against "Ghostbusters" star Leslie Jones.

The Chicago Review of Books has tweeted that it won't review any Simon & Schuster releases because of the Milo book. The National Coalition Against Censorship and such industry groups as the American Booksellers Association are backing Simon & Schuster, contending that withdrawing "Dangerous" would have a "have a chilling effect on authors and publishers."

When news of the deal broke in late December, "Dangerous" quickly rose to the top of Amazon.com's best-seller list. Interest has since leveled off and the book ranked No. 388 as of midday Thursday.
As the biggest beneficiary of globalisation, China stands ready to proclaim itself the champion of free trade in the face of a more protectionist US, but analysts say Beijing's attitude is much more one of pick and choose.

Since Donald Trump was elected on a platform of tearing up trade pacts that he says have drained American jobs, China has embraced its role as a defender of globalisation and multilateral economic arrangements.

At next week's World Economic Forum in Davos -- to many the unparallelled symbol of globalisation -- President Xi Jinping will make a keynote speech to "contribute China's wisdom" and "encourage all parties to put economic globalisation in the right perspective", according to vice foreign minister Li Baodong.

China always seeks to "advance the well-being of mankind", he added.

But the idea that Beijing could fill the vacancy and lead international trade if the US gives up the job, is a non-starter, say analysts.

The global trade regime has been built around US demand and its large deficits with trade partners; China consistently runs huge trade surpluses with the US and other countries as the workshop of the world -- a mainstay of the decades-long boom that has propelled it to become the world's second-largest economy.

It would be "virtually impossible" for China to lead a global trade regime, said Michael Pettis, professor at Peking University, in a recent analysis, and its partners would be hit by lower demand if it did.

"The consequence of a US withdrawal from global governance, in other words, is unlikely to be an orderly, rules-based global trading system in which leadership has shifted from Washington to Beijing," he said.

Rather, it will be a return to the pre-Bretton Woods days of "trade conflict and beggar-thy-neighbour policies", he said.

- Letter v. spirit -

Since its accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001, China's share of world GDP and merchandise exports has skyrocketed.

Story continues

As anti-globalisation sentiment has surged with the shock Brexit vote and Trump's election, Chinese media outlets have spoken out in its defence.

On Wednesday a commentary in the Global Times newspaper argued in favour of globalisation's benefits, saying it allowed developed countries to "buy more products with excellent quality and at reasonable prices", while noting the disruptions created by unemployment.

But China's putative position as free trade champion contrasts with Beijing's restrictions that prevent foreign companies from competing in a variety of sectors, often forcing them to partner with local competitors and share vital technology.

Vice foreign minister Li said accusations of protectionism against China are "unjustified".

Beijing has also shown its willingness to use trade as a cudgel, with Norwegian salmon exports plummeting after jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and South Korean entertainers effectively barred from performing in China over Seoul's planned deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system.

"What China has shown is an extreme prowess at using global institutions to its own end in its own way," said Andrew Polk of Medley Global Advisors.

"They're very clever in using the letter of global institutions versus the spirit of global institutions."

- Opening new markets -

Unlike the Trans-Pacific Partnership, arduously negotiated under President Barack Obama -- which calls for imposing high environmental, labour and intellectual property standards on its members -- analysts say a Chinese-led trade regime would feature limited preconditions to tariff-free trade.

"China has shown that if an agreement is expected to bolster profits, partner countries are willing to hold their noses," Brian Jackson of IHS told AFP.

China is the world's biggest trader in goods, and its performance affects partners from Australia to Zambia, which have been battered as its expansion has slowed to levels not seen in a quarter of a century.

Under Xi Jinping the government has moved away from liberalisation on several fronts, with strengthened state-owned enterprises, increased capital controls, and heightened restrictions on free exchange of information and ideas online.

Authorities hope to open foreign markets to soak up Chinese overcapacity through Xi's signature One Belt, One Road policy, which calls for constructing vast rail and infrastructure links connecting Chinese exporters to markets across Eurasia.

But Polk said the aim was less to provide investment for foreign companies but rather "developing export markets so China can send its goods abroad, so the near abroad can be more and more reliant on China".
Washington (AFP) - James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for US defense secretary, on Thursday accused Russia of trying to break up NATO and said the United States needs to stand up to its old foe.

The retired Marine Corps general's stinging criticism of Russia stands in sharp contrast to the views of his future boss. Trump has repeatedly praised the leadership qualities of its "very smart" President Vladimir Putin and advocated closer ties.

Mattis told his confirmation hearing he believed the modern world order was under the biggest attack since World War II.

"And that's from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

His testimony came a day after Trump's pick for secretary of state, former ExxonMobil boss Rex Tillerson, said he too would take a firm line with Moscow.

Mattis noted that, like Trump, he was open to greater engagement with Russia, but stressed he only had "very modest expectations about areas of cooperation with Mr Putin."

"I'm all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to," he said.

"There's a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and increasing number of areas where we're going to have to confront Russia."

US intelligence agencies say Russia interfered in the US election to help Trump, and an explosive -- but unverified -- dossier published this week alleged Moscow had longtime ties to senior Trump advisors.

While campaigning, Trump called into question the role of NATO, a bedrock of America's global security apparatus, by suggesting countries would be left on their own if they didn't chip in more cash.

Mattis said Putin was working to undermine NATO, and he called the alliance "vital for our national interests," noting that "if we did not have NATO today, we would need to create it.

Story continues

"Right now, the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with with Mr Putin, and we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance," Mattis said.

- China 'shredding' trust -

With regard to China, which has a rapidly growing military, Mattis said it is "shredding trust along its periphery" as it builds up its military presence in the South China Sea.

In written testimony, he said America "must try to engage and collaborate with China where possible, but also be prepared to confront inappropriate behavior if China chooses to act contrary to our interests."

Trump has frequently spoken out against China's trade policies and ruffled feathers in Beijing when he took a call from Taiwan's leader after the election.

Mattis sailed through the three-hour hearing with broad support, despite some senators expressing reservations that his appointment runs counter to decades of Pentagon tradition -- and US legal custom.

A cornerstone of US democracy is that civilians, not people in uniform, control the military, and the commander-in-chief is the president.

US law prohibits officers from serving as defense secretary for seven years after leaving active duty -- but Mattis only hung up his uniform in 2013.

- Waiver granted -

The 66-year-old Washington state native needs a special Congressional waiver -- only granted once before, for the famous World War II General George Marshall who served under President Harry Truman from 1950-1951.

The Senate voted by a large majority to grant one, and the House Armed Services Committee also approved the measure, clearing the way for a full confirmation vote.

"Civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition," Mattis said.

Politicians across the spectrum lauded Mattis, and his appointment appears to be a formality.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said he would vote against the waiver for fear of setting a precedent.

But even he declared: "Let me say that very bluntly, if ever there were a case for a waiver of that principle, it is you at this moment in our history."

"Your appreciation for the costs of war in blood, treasure and lives and the impact on veterans afterwards will enable you to be a check on rash and potentially ill-considered use of military force by a president-elect who perhaps lacks that same appreciation."

A colorful commander famed for his pugnacious aphorisms, the media dubbed Mattis "Mad Dog" for his battle-hardened swagger and the sort of blunt language Marines are famous for.

He has been quoted as saying, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

But Mattis also has a well-known cerebral side: he issued reading lists to Marines under his command, and instructed them that the most important territory on a battlefield is the space "between your ears."

Mattis would replace technocrat Ashton Carter, President Barack Obama's fourth Pentagon chief.

Senators also grilled Mattis over a slew of security issues, including the pace of the fight against the Islamic State group, North Korea's nuclear ambitions, women in combat and budget constraints.

Trump has said his administration "will begin a major national effort to rebuild our badly depleted military."
By Sijia Jiang HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Xiaomi targets 2017 sales of over 100 billion yuan ($14.47 billion), Chief Executive Lei Jun said on Thursday, after a year that saw the firm fall down the smartphone vendor rankings while it overhauled its business. "The worst is over," Lei said at an annual meeting in Beijing, describing 2016 as a "make-up year". Seven-year-old Xiaomi was briefly the world's most valuable startup and had hopes to be China's equivalent of Apple Inc. But it fell out of the top five in China for smartphone vendors in 2016, after reaching No. 2 in 2015. Last year saw increased competition from compatriots Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Oppo and Vivo while growth in the global smartphone market stagnated. In response, privately held Xiaomi said it made adjustments to several business areas, including increasing its offline retail presence and pushing for more overseas business. Lei did not detail Xiaomi's financial results but said the smartphone vendor ranked among the top three in India with sales of over $1 billion, and that revenue from its smart hardware ecosystem exceeded 15 billion yuan. He also said online revenue doubled, without elaborating. For 2017, Xiaomi plans to open 200 more Mi Home stores and a total of 1,000 stores over the next three years to strengthen its offline retail operations, since e-commerce makes up only 20 percent of China's overall smartphone market, Lei said. At present, Xiaomi has 54 Mi Home stores, he said. Developing artificial intelligence and internet finance will also be among 2017 growth strategies, he said. Xiaomi is the second-largest shareholder of Sichuan XW Bank, launched in December. Lei said Xiaomi has over 300 people working on loans, insurance, securities, finance and payments, as well as securing the necessary licenses. ($1 = 6.9102 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Sijia Jiang; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Chris Noth is joining Discovery's upcoming Unabomber drama, "Manifesto" reports The Hollywood Reporter.

"The Good Wife" actor is joining Paul Bettany for the new eight-episode series, which will tell the story of how the FBI captured Ted Kaczynski, one of the most infamous criminal masterminds in the world.

Noth is set to play Don Ackerman, the Bay Area Divisional Head of the FBI who supervised the Unabomber Task Force.

Keisha Castle-Hughes, who was previously reported as being in talks for the show, has also now been confirmed to play Tabby, a street agent who partners with FBI agent Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Sam Worthington.

Filming on the project begins at the end of month in Atlanta.
Shortly after Donald Trump was elected in November of last year, Fortune released a list of women who might end up in his cabinet.

At the time, a dozen women were in the mix--ranging from Oklahomas controversial governor Mary Fallin to John McCains VP pick in the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin. But only four women have so far made the cut.

Assuming the president-elect does not add any additional women to his list (and he may--some positions, including secretary of agriculture remain open), he would be the first U.S. president in more than 20 years to have a cabinet that was less than 24% female. (Currently, there are 18 people slated to be a part of Trumps cabinet--14 men and four women).

Subscribe to The Broadsheet, Fortune's daily newsletter on the world's most powerful women.

The clock is ticking to fill remaining cabinet positions, as Senates confirmation hearings for Trumps picks kicked off Monday. The first female nominee to testify is Elaine Chao, the president-elects choice for Transportation Secretary.

Heres a rundown of the confirmation schedule for each the four nominated women:

Elaine Chao, Transportation Secretary

Confirmation hearing date: Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 10:15 a.m.

Chao, 63, is married to Mitch McConnell, the senate majority leader of Kentucky. She was labor secretary during George W. Bushs presidency, and was the first Asian American woman to serve in a president's cabinet.

As a Washington insider well-known to both parties, Chaos hearing is expected to one of the smoothest. Indeed, when Politico asked Senate Commerce Committee members to share their expectations for her hearing, ranking member Bill Nelson (D-FL) predicted it would be a piece of cake."

Betsy DeVos, Education Secretary

Confirmation hearing date: Originally scheduled for Jan. 11, DeVos meeting has been bumped to Tuesday Jan. 17 at 5 p.m.

DeVos, 58, is former Michigan Republican Party chairwoman. Shortly after her nomination, she pledged to oversee a "transformational change" in U.S. education, something she has already pursued in her home state of Michigan. Devos is the daughter-in-law of Richard DeVos, co-founder of marketing company Amway.

Story continues

DeVoss nomination has been controversial for a variety of reasons. While the committee says it opted to push her hearing back for scheduling reasons, the decision comes in the wake of concerns from Democrats that DeVos, who is a billionaire and active Republican donor, had not yet been cleared by ethics officials or signed an agreement addressing possible conflicts of interest.

In addition to questions on education, Democrats may ask DeVos tough questions about her political donations, ties to groups opposing LGBT rights, and her efforts to oppose organized labor efforts, according to Politico.

Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Confirmation hearing date: Possibly Jan. 18, but not yet confirmed.

Nikki Haley, 44, is currently the governor of South Carolina, where she is the first woman and first Indian American to hold that position in the state. Before Trump became the Republican nominee, Haley endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in February. She is also the youngest governor in the country.

The Charleston Post Courier reports that despite Haleys paucity of foreign policy experience, her hearing is expected to be relatively straight forward--thanks largely to her dealings with international governments and companies doing business in her state.

Linda McMahon: Head of Trumps Small Business Administration

Confirmation hearing date: Not yet determined.

McMahon, 68, unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012. Together with her husband Vince McMahon, she co-founded the pro-wrestling company WWE.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said on Wednesday he expects the Senate will confirm Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state.

Corker's comments came after the close of an approximately nine-hour hearing in which senators vigorously questioned Tillerson on his views on Russia, sanctions, climate change and other issues, including China.

"I feel good about his confirmation," Corker told reporters. "I'm going to support his confirmation."

Corker said he felt Tillerson had acquitted himself well in addressing senators' concerns about his relationship with Russia, although Corker acknowledged that members still had questions.

He said he expected Tillerson would spend Thursday answering further questions and talking to more senators.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Tom Brown)
And is buying a property in China really worth it for Singapore investors?

A Singapore court found a former manager at a Swiss private bank guilty of failing to report more than $1.26 billion in suspicious transactions in a case linked to the indebted Malaysian state fund 1 MDB. The court on Wednesday sentenced Jens Sturzenegger, a Swiss national and former manager at Falcon Private Bank, to 28 weeks in jail and fined him 128,000 Singapore dollars ($89,143). He pleaded guilty to six charges including not disclosing information and lying to investigators. Read the full story here.

Garena, Southeast Asias most valuable startup, picked Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to lead a planned initial public offering that could fetch about $1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The Singapore-based online gaming portal and e-commerce provider plans to select additional banks as soon as this month, the people said. Garena is considering listing in the U.S., the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Get to know the rest of the story here.

There are severe restrictions on foreigners investing in Chinese real estate. If an investor from Singapore wants to buy real estate in China, it is necessary to actually move there. Till recently, Chinese government rules required that a foreigner who wished to acquire real estate should have worked or studied in the country for at least a year. Additionally, it was permissible to buy only one property in China. Click here to see if it is really worth it to buy a property in China.





More From Singapore Business Review


Harrowing dashcam footage from a Georgia deputy's patrol car shows the dramatic moment he was shot by a suspect.

The video was taken during a shootout between Troup County Sheriff's Office Deputy Michael Hockett during a mental welfare check he was called to on Monday.

Watch: Man Wanted for Murder of Pregnant Woman Now Accused of Killing Officer: Cops

When the deputy arrived to a private home, he exited his vehicle and went around a fence toward the house when he heard what he described as a banging sound.

As he looked in the direction of the noise, he saw a white male firing a gun at him, the sheriff's office said in release.

Hockett then retreated toward his vehicle. In the video, he is seen leaping over a gate before going out of frame.

Right behind him, a man police have identified as Matt Edmonson pursues Hockett and raises his pistol.

The suspect opens fire and Hockett is hit, but is able to retreat to his vehicle and call for backup after returning fire and hitting the suspect in the shoulder.

After backup arrived, Hockett was taken to a hospital for treatment. Thanks to a bulletproof vest, officials say he'll be just fine.

Meanwhile, cops say the suspect holed up in a house with his mother, who called 911 after her son was shot.

"I need an ambulance. Please hurry. My sons been shot," she said. "There was a deputy here we had just came in. and I don't know if the deputy was shot or not. I don't know what's going on but I'm scared to death."

After an hours-long standoff, 28-year-old Edmondson was arrested after emerging of the residence.

According to the Lagrange Daily News, Edmondson was charged with criminal attempted murder, aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and false imprisonment.

Read: Man Sets Up Drug Deal Via Text, but Accidentally Sends It to Sheriff's Deputy

The suspect's mother, Liz Edmonson, told WGCL her son suffered some "kind of nervous breakdown."

Story continues

"I didn't know what happened to the deputy," Edmonson said. "I was just stuck in the house, trying to get out to get help. I didn't have my cell phone  Matt had taken my cell phone, so when I finally got up to my gate, it was just law enforcement everywhere. You see how quiet it is on a normal day nothing going on down here. You wouldn't find a nicer guy than Matt. Just somehow, some way, there was a breakdown."

Watch: Chick-fil-A Honors Fallen Orlando Officer, a Frequent Customer, With "Missing Man Table"

Related Articles:
Ouidah (Benin) (AFP) - Every January, thousands of voodoo worshippers joined by crowds of tourists and descendants of slaves trudge down the long sand track leading to the beach at Ouidah in Benin.

The cars, motorbikes and women in wrap skirts with tribal scars on their cheeks head to the Gate of No Return monument overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean beach.

Erected in 1992 in memory of those packed on ships bound for the New World, it is a living reminder that the small Beninese coastal town of Ouidah once was the muster point for the black slave trade on the southern coast of West Africa.

Over the centuries, five million, possibly 10 million slaves took this route. No-one knows the exact numbers.

Though Ouidah is not the source of voodoo -- which originated in the old kingdom of Dahomey, modern-day Togo and Benin -- it was from here that the cult of the invisible and of natural spirits was exported to Louisiana, Brazil and Haiti.

After the fall of the communist regime in Benin, President Nicephore Soglo launched the first voodoo festival in 1993, making Ouidah voodoo's most famous place of pilgrimage for its 50 million followers worldwide.

- 'Way of life' -

"Ouidah is a duty of memory," said voodoo priest Erol Josue, who heads the national ethnology bureau in Haiti and who travelled to Benin with seven others to "make peace with the past".

"It's important to return to the ancestral land to accept oneself as a Caribbean," he added, his eyes thick with khol cosmetics and a heavy ring from Mali's Dogon tribe on his finger.

"To understand the behaviour of the Haitian people, you have to go back to the source."

Josue breaks off to film a video on his smartphone as a man climbs a bamboo pole nearly 15 metres (50 feet) high with his bare hands. The crowd goes wild.

Nearby, a group of men daubed with soil from head to toe dance in a trance to the rhythm of the djembe hand drum and make offerings to talismans.

Story continues

"Voodoo is a way of life," said Gizirbtah, a young black American who changes her name whenever she travels to the home of her ancestors.

Gizirbtah, who works for a US airline, has been travelling across West Africa for two months with a dozen or so voodoo devotees from as far away as London and Chicago.

"Every day I do ablutions, purifications, prayers. But in the US voodoo is frowned upon, people don't understand," she said.

She turned to voodoo six years ago when she began what she said was an "internal quest".

"All my life, the story of my ancestors has echoed inside me," she said.

- 'Spiritual sadness' -

Strictly speaking, voodoo is not a cult of ancestors.

It is "the palpable representation of what we cannot see", said Vincent Harisdo, a choreographer of French, Beninese and Togolese heritage who is working on a dance project on voodoo.

"Every human has his inner 'fa' (a voodoo divinity), his other self. And we are all looking for our other self. Call that voodoo here or psychology in Europe," he added.

Gail Hardison, a 57-year-old American, chose science over spirituality to get to know her origins.

Several years ago she had a DNA test that revealed her ancestors came from northern Cameroon.

This year she has brought her ancestral quest to Benin.

"I'm not a follower but I respect voodoo as a religion. Voodoo isn't about dolls with pins in it," she said.

The dancing and the tourists gives a folklore feel to the festival, a weeklong event marked by the beach procession on January 10 every year.

But despite the crowds, the noise and the scorching sun, Hardison said she feels a "spiritual sadness" in Ouidah.

Looking at the Gate of No Return, where hundreds of visitors are crowded together trying to find some shade, she says: "I wish it could have been different for all the people who passed through here."

"I feel them with me."
Did one of the White House dogs really leave a visitor with a bloody gash on her face?

Read: Michelle Obama Surprises 'Tonight Show' Viewers as They Record Messages to Her

Sunny, the presidents 4-year-old Portuguese water dog, reportedly bit an 18-year-old family friend as she greeted the pup at the presidential residence Monday, according to TMZ.

The gossip site published a photo of the victim, with blood trickling down her cheek.

It happened as the teen approached Sunny to pet her and give her a kiss. The White House physician reportedly had to give her several stitches. It has been reported that she will be fine.

Of the two White House canines, Bo and Sunny, Sunny is regarded as the troublemaker. In 2013, she knocked down a little girl at a presidential Christmas party.

Read: Michelle Obama Fights Back Tears in Final Remarks as First Lady: 'I Hope I've Made You Proud'

The White House has not commented on the matter and Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he was unaware of the incident during a briefing Thursday.

Watch: Woman Carries Life-Sized Cardboard Cutout of Barack Obama Everywhere She Goes

Related Articles:
Theodore Melfi directed Foxs Hidden Figures, a fact-based film about three genius black women at NASA in 1961. He says he was blown away by his lead actors, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, as well as Kevin Costner, who plays the space project manager. Melfi was equally enthused about his artisan team, which filmed in the Atlanta area on a fast schedule, making the piece look sharp and fast-moving.

Wynn Thomas Production designer

We started with a field trip to NASA, went on a tour, took a lot of photos  these are government buildings and not much has changed. Wynn also did droves of research with two NASA historians, Dr. Bill Barry and Bert Ulrich, who opened up their archives. They sent us hundreds of pictures, plus we got schematics of the actual space capsules and even the parking lots of Mission Command. Morehouse College serves as the exterior of NASA, with those light-coffee-colored brick buildings, and the interiors are pieced together from four or five other locations. Wynn really went to town on the Space Task Force offices, including Kevins office. Everything was practical and authentic: the desks, phones, adding machines, including the blackboards and the ladders. That was our climax, creatively and financially. And some of our locations were historic: The house where Dorothy [Spencer] lives is actually a famous civil rights house, where Martin Luther King Jr. met with Ralph Abernathy.

Mandy Walker Cinematographer

Mandy Walkers eye is second to none. We decided early in the script stage we wanted two looks: NASA would be sterile, clean, and cold, so we went with whites, grays, and silvers, with a few touches of warmth, like in Kevins office. But generally the mood at NASA was all about the work. We wanted a sharp contrast with the women, particularly their home life. For that, we picked locations that were welcoming. We wanted to oversaturate, so Mandy lit them with incredible color and warmth.

Story continues

Renee Ehrlich Kalfus Costume designer

Renee is fantastic at mixing and matching: We didnt have the budget to build all the costumes, so we built some and rented some. We wanted the women to be feminine and beautiful, classy and sophisticated, but humble. Katherine Johnson [Hensons character] and Dorothy in real life actually made their own clothes. Renee really focused on making the women inspirational and aspirational, and everything was authentic, down to the girdles and pointed bras. At that time, the official uniform for men at NASA was a white shirt and black tie. So for us, the color in those scenes was provided by the womens wardrobe.

Peter Teschner Editor

Peter started working a week before we began filming; he works very fast and was there with us in Atlanta. He was about a week behind us in assembling the pieces, and almost right after we finished, he had a first cut. I started writing on the script [co-credited with Allison Schroeder] on Labor Day 2015. We started shooting in March, and had it ready for Christmas. Thats fast. We loved cutting the scene where Taraji comes in and explodes. She has all the dialogue, but Kevins emotions are very touching when he looks at her, because his empathy is transparent. For him, its all reactions to her, and that was fun to work with. Peter and I also kept coming back to the court scene, where Mary [Monae] petitions the judge to attend an all-white high school. I think we cut that scene at least 20 different ways. We kept massaging it. And Janelle gave us a wide range of things to work with. We ended up very happy with it.

Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams, Hans Zimmer Music

Hans and Ben are classically trained, and Pharrell is outside the box. When you combine those, the result is a really interesting score. Each did some of their own composing, then they would get together and meld it all. Theres a scene where Dorothy tells Vivian [Kirsten Dunst] shes not going to accept the assignment, and then she walks across campus. Pharrell played a driving bass beat hed been working on, and Hans said, Lets put that here, in the walking. Then Ben chimed in with a classical element, playing a violin chord. And it all started working. Thats how the music was born: inspiration from one person to another.

Related stories

'Hidden Fences' Flub Made Into Trailer for Fake Movie (Watch)

Box Office: 'Hidden Figures' Beats 'Rogue One' in Final Weekend Numbers

'Hidden Fences'? Michael Keaton, Jenna Bush Make 'Hidden Figures' Flub
When news broke this week that U.S. intelligence agencies had briefed President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump on a two-page report summarizing unsubstantiated claims that Russia had collected damaging material about Trump, the CNN story had immediate reverberations throughout the U.S. government and media. It also likely introduced a new word into many American observers vocabularies: kompromat.

No, the Kremlin does not have kompromat on Trump, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told CNN, dismissing the claims as an attempt to harm our bilateral relationship.

But what exactly is kompromat?

The word is essentially a Russian term for dirt that can be gathered to discredit a person, especially the kind of dirt that someones boss or wife would not be happy to know. Often, that information is sexual in nature. Kompromat is a portmanteau of the words for compromising and material, as well as a double entendre relying on the fact that mat is not only an abbreviation for the word materialy, meaning materials, but also a Russian word for profanity, according to : The Informal Practices That Shaped Post-Soviet Politics and Business. The bookwhich contains a helpful chart of four main types of kompromat: political, economic, criminal and privatetraces the terms origins to 1930s secret-police jargon.

Though it may have been introduced before World War II, kompromat continued to play a role in world affairs during the Cold War. William Luers, the former ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Venezuela and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and for Inter-American Affairs, tells TIME that he assumed that he was being watched all of the time when he was a foreign service officer in Russia in the 1960s. What they would do, Im sure, is listen to my wife and me to find out if we had any problems financially, was I given to promiscuity, and just listen to our apartment and wherever I was, he says. As he points out, the goal of anyone doing such listening wouldnt necessarily be to find out any state secrets, but rather to find out whether a person had vulnerabilities that could be exploited. (This worked both ways: While the word kompromat may be Russian, Luers points out that intelligence agencies elsewhere have used similar techniques.)

Story continues

Diplomats heard stories of their comrades encountering traps to generate kompromat when none was naturally available, Luers recalls. For example, he says that he knew of diplomats traveling in the USSR who, having presumably been given drugs to knock them out, were approached by people who had pictures of them in bed with women the night beforeexperiences of which they had no recollection. In some cases, these agents reported the incident and the pictures were withdrawn, if they were lucky, Luers says.

One famous victim of kompromat is believed to be Felix Bloch, an American diplomat in Vienna, who was involved in what TIME called the most serious State Department espionage scandal since the Alger Hiss affair.

Bloch, who was never prosecuted but was fired in 1990, was suspected of giving information to the Soviets. The diplomats sexual activities may have been the window that opened him up to involvement in the scandal, argues Frederick P. Hitz, a former inspector general of the CIA and 30-year veteran of the agency, in The Great Game: The Myths and Reality of Espionage, by creating a vulnerability that could have been exploited for espionage purposes.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

And, though espionage of that sort may be popularly associated with the Cold War era, experts say that the fall of the Soviet Union in fact led to a boom in the use of kompromat.

The use of the term flourished in the 1990s when press became freer and people started to unload all sorts of information through the press, says Simon Saradzhyan, a former editor at The Moscow Times and the founding director of the Russia Matters Project at Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. The legal system was still developing, so you could sue for libel, but you couldnt count on obtaining any compensation or fine that would deter the distributor of information from further transgressions.

The opening up that happened after the fall of the Soviet Union also meant that older material could be turned into kompromat too. Most of the communist, socialist countries had a lot of information about people, and they could use that information to blackmail them if they wanted to, says Olga Oliker, senior Adviser and Director, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. After the Soviet Union collapses, that info is around in various archives, but there are people who are looking to make a buck and might be interested in selling it or blackmailing people for the money.

One person associated with that periods political use of compromising material about opponents is Vladimir Putin himself, as TIME reported last year in a cover story about Russia:

Putins history of using influence operations against opponents begins, appropriately enough, with himself. As he was rising quickly through the Kremlin ranks in 1999, one of his main opponents, Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov, was caught on tape having sex with two women in a hotel room in what Skuratov later claimed was a Putin-run espionage operation traditionally known as a honey trap. Putin, who had risen from a Soviet-era KGB operative to head the countrys intelligence services, denied he was behind it but said on TV that his agents had confirmed that the man in the grainy video was Skuratov. Putin went on to win the presidency the next year. Skuratov, who ran against him, got less than 1% of the popular vote.

As Russia settled into its post-Soviet world, eventually the kompromat boom of the 1990s came to an end, says Saradzhyan. As the media system became more and more controlled by the state again, and as the court started to function more effectively when it came to considering libel cases, he says. I saw a decrease in the use of kompromat.

However, recent changes in technology may be countering those forces, as kompromat has gotten easier to collect and distribute.

Its not that we didnt have the need [to conduct surveillance] before, but we didnt have the means to do it all, Alexei Filatov, a retired lieutenant colonel of the Russian state security organization FSB, told TIME in 2012.

As TIME put it in that same feature, surveillance has never stopped being a way of life in Russia, like heavy snow and heavier traffic.
Donald Trumps Cabinet picks have been unafraid to contradict their future boss.

In confirmation hearings this week, five of the President-elects nominees have distanced themselves from some of his remarks on such hot-button topics as foreign policy, immigration and the military.

Some of that is to be expected. After all, Trump has shown himself to be ideologically flexible, and hes apt to contradict some of his own prior positions.

And in some cases, the nominees may need to take a different tack to ensure they can overcome potential objections from key lawmakers, since it would only take a handful of Republican defections to spike a nomination.

Trump himself praised their independence Friday, tweeting, All of my Cabinet nominee are looking good and doing a great job. I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!

All of my Cabinet nominee are looking good and doing a great job. I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2017

Below, heres where Trumps picks for attorney general (Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions), secretary of State (former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson), Homeland Security (retired Gen. John Kelly), secretary of Defense (retired Gen. James Mattis) and director of the CIA (Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo) have parted ways.

Russia

What Trump has said: Trump has repeatedly called for friendlier relations with Russia and Vladimir Putin, even in the face of evidence of Russian hacks on the United States. For months he publicly cast doubt about the intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia was behind the election-related hacks in 2016, only acknowledging for the first time Wednesday that Russia was to blame.

Mattis: Russia continues to be an adversary in key areas, Trumps pick for Secretary of Defense told the Armed Services Committee. Since Yalta, we have a long list of times that weve tried to engage positively with Russia, Mattis said. We have a relatively short list of successes in that regard.

Story continues

Pompeo: In his CIA director hearings before the Intelligence Committee, Pompeo said he accepts the report that found Russia responsible for the hacks: It is pretty clear what happened here, he said. He also said it was clear that the hacking was designed to affect American democracy and that Russia is in violation of law of war for targeting civilians in Syria.

Kelly: Trumps Secretary of Homeland Security nominee told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that he believes the intelligence communitys findings on Russian hacks with high confidence.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

What Trump has said: Trump has been skeptical of NATO, repeatedly calling it obsolete or suggesting he would renegotiate the terms of the alliance. He also suggested he would only defend NATO allies if they fulfill their obligations to the U.S. He has argued forcefully against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying hell pull the U.S. out of the trade deal on his first day in office.

Tillerson: I do not oppose TPP, Tillerson said in his hearings for Secretary of State before the Foreign Relations Committee. He also said Article 5 of NATO, which says an attack on one member country is an attack against all, is inviolable and the U.S. will defend NATO allies.

Mattis: Mattis affirmed support for NATO, calling it the most successful military alliance, probably, in modern world history, maybe ever.

Other aspects of foreign policy

What Trump has said: Trump has said he would back out of the Iran nuclear deal, saying, My number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran. Trump has suggested that it might be beneficial for the U.S. if Japan and South Korea develop nuclear weapons.

Tillerson: Tillerson broke with Trump on the idea that Japan or South Korea should have nuclear weapons. I do not agree, he said. One of the vital roles for the State Department to play  has to be the pursuit of nuclear nonproliferation.

Mattis: Mattis said he would honor the imperfect arms control agreement with Iran. When America gives its word we have to live up to it and work with our allies, he said.

Treatment of Muslims

What Trump has said: In December 2015, Trump proposed temporarily blocking all Muslim immigration to the U.S. He has also spoken in favor of putting surveillance on mosques and making American Muslims register in a database.

Tillerson: I think whats important [is] that we are able to make a judgment about the people that are coming into the country and so I do not support a blanket-type rejection of any particular group of people, Tillerson said of the proposed Muslim immigration ban.

Sessions: In his hearings for Attorney General before the Judiciary Committee, the Alabama senator said, I do not support the idea that Muslims as a religious group should be denied entry to the United States. He also said, I would not favor a registry of Muslims in the United States, no I would not.  And I think we should avoid surveillance of religious institutions unless theres a basis to believe that dangerous or threatening illegal activity is going on there.

Kelly: Kelly said establishing a Muslim database or putting mosques under surveillance could be unconstitutional. He also said he was against banning Muslim immigration to the United States. I dont think it is ever appropriate to focus on something like religion as the only factor, he said.

Torture

What Trump has said: In 2015, Trump said he would reinstate waterboarding: I would bring it back. I think waterboarding is peanuts compared to what theyd do to us, he said. And in 2016, he defended torture at a Republican debate: We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding, he said.

Sessions: Congress has taken an action now that makes it absolutely improper and illegal to use waterboarding or any other form of torture in the United States, Sessions said.

Pompeo: Pompeo said he would not obey orders if Trump asked him to torture. I cant imagine that I would be asked that by the President-elect, he said.

Kelly: Kelly said he disagrees with Trumps plan to expand acceptable torture methods. I dont think we should ever come close to crossing a line we Americans expect to follow in terms of interrogation techniques, he said.

The border wall

What Trump has said: Trumps central campaign promise is to build a wall along the border with Mexico to help curb illegal immigration. He launched his candidacy in June 2015 saying of undocumented Mexican immigrants, Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists.

Tillerson: I would never characterize an entire population with any single term at all, Tillerson said when asked if he would characterize Mexicans as rapists or criminals. Mexico is a long standing neighbor and friend of this country.

Kelly: A physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job, Kelly said of Trumps wall. It has to be layered defense. If you build a wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, you still have to back that up with human beings, sensors.
The imminent ascension to the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump, a man whose supporters and detractors both agree is exceptional in the context of American history, raises a question which historians and social scientists generally prefer to shy away from: To what extent does historical change depend on the actions of a handful of unusual individuals  historys archetypal Great Men and Women  as opposed to large-scale, long-term, impersonal forces?

Professional academics  historians, political scientists, sociologists, among others  who have tried to offer perspective on Trumps victory and upcoming presidency have generally emphasized the latter. They tend to identify the key phenomenon of the 2016 election as populism  an upsurge of hostility to elites, which they explain by reference to the changing social and cultural conditions that left a large group of white Americans economically vulnerable, fearful of outsiders, and bitterly resentful. They credit Trump with successfully mobilizing this group but devote more analysis to the social phenomenon than to Trump himself.

But the explanatory power of populism may be far stronger for explaining the election than in forecasting what is about to happen next. Though impersonal forces may have given rise to Trump, the president-elect himself resists analysis as a predictable, impersonal force. And so, even as Trump claims a mandate to remake the United States, he may force social scientists and historians to look beyond their usual analytical tools in order to explain his presidency.

Left: An 1899 depiction of Julius Caesar after the Battle of Alesia by Lionel Royer. Right: Jacques-Louis Davids Napoleon Crossing the Alps.

The academic penchant for structural explanations is hardly surprising  and not just because most academics find it difficult to take Donald Trump seriously (unfortunately, history has suggested, time and again, that we have to distinguish between respecting people and taking them seriously). The modern social sciences have always found it difficult to deal with the sort of unpredictable, willful phenomenon that Trump represents. From the 18th century onward, these disciplines, including history, have taken seriously their status as sciences. That is, they have taken seriously the idea that scholars can discover regular, predictable patterns of change at work beneath the apparent flux and confusion of history. These regular, predictable patterns might not have the absolute, scientifically verifiable quality of natural laws, but they are nonetheless held to matter more than the character and actions of particular individuals, no matter how prominent.

Story continues

Marxist historians and social scientists have put these claims forward most famously, but a belief in the power of large-scale impersonal forces has hardly been limited to the left. The great 19th-century French social thinker Alexis de Tocqueville wrote magnificent studies of American democracy and the origins of the French Revolution in which even the most prominent historical actors made virtually no appearance. The true protagonist of both books was equality itself, which Tocqueville saw as the defining feature of modern times: a great force that swept over kings and presidents as surely as it did other members of society.

There have always been apparent dissenters from this tradition. Hegel, in his philosophy of history, emphasized the role of what he called world-historical individuals  the great examples were Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. The 19th-century British writer Thomas Carlyle delivered a series of lectures in the 1830s in which he argued that Universal History, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here. Yet both Hegel and Carlyle ultimately saw the individuals they singled out as in some sense channeling or crystallizing  or at least acknowledging and reckoning with  larger, impersonal forces. Carlyle, for instance, argued that Napoleon only succeeded because of his faith that this new enormous Democracy is an unsuppressible Fact, which the whole world, with its old forces and institutions, cannot put down.

Yet despite its intellectual power, the scientific models have never entirely overcome an older mode of explanation that might be termed heroic and that attributes far greater importance to questions of individual character. Americans have a particular weakness for this way of understanding historical change. They have a boundless appetite for books that celebrate the Founding Fathers. They like to see George Washingtons steadfastness as the reason for the success of the American Revolution and Abraham Lincolns courage and vision as the key factor ensuring the Norths victory in the Civil War.

Tomes like David McCulloughs best-selling biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John Adams play brilliantly to the public taste for such explanations. It is no accident that McCullough ended his Truman biography with a quote from the journalist Eric Sevareid: Remembering him reminds people what a man in that office ought to be like. Its character, just character. He stands like a rock in memory now. Such judgments, backed by McCulloughs colorful, entertaining descriptions of a flinty, no-nonsense, fundamentally decent Truman, tended to reduce the complex historical forces that shaped the first Cold War presidency to wan background context, quickly skimmed through in order to reach the next juicy anecdote about Give em hell Harry in action.

As a professional historian, this sort of analysis is entirely contrary to the way I was trained, which was to see social change developing across broad swaths of society, not emanating from particular individuals. Moreover, I was partly trained in France, under the aegis of the so-called Annales school, whose vision of history could not be more different from the heroic one. Fernand Braudel, one of the leaders of the school, taught his followers to pay attention to the deep, slow, geological, and climactic forces that, in determining the shape of the continents and patterns of global warming and cooling, ultimately shape human societies as well. After that, Braudel directed us to study centuries-long patterns of economic and social change. He compared all these subjects to the deep currents moving through oceans. Mere event history, by contrast, including decisions taken by powerful individuals, he likened to the insignificant foam tossed up on the oceans surface. Much of the history influenced by Braudel barely even mentioned particular individuals, let alone attributed a decisive influence to them. In short, my instinct was long to treat the heroic mode as simplistic and misleading.

Left: A parade of SA troops passes Adolf Hitler in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1935. (Photo courtesy of the Charles Russell Collection, NARA); Right: Josef Stalin shown in Moscow in 1937. (Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images)

But a long career of teaching modern European history to undergraduates has slowly undermined these certainties. It has been particularly hard to teach the history of 20th-century Europe without often lapsing into the heroic mode  or rather into the mode of heroes and villains. It has been hard to avoid the conclusion that as the destructive power of states increased  exponentially  in the 20th century, and as the scope of their activities broadened, the character of the people who controlled them rose hugely in significance, especially in dictatorial states. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are the most obvious examples. It can be argued that large-scale historical forces would have brought figures like them to power in both Germany and the Soviet Union and that those same forces dictated many of the policies that they in fact pursued.

But these larger forces in no way dictated everything these monstrously willful tyrants did. Their characters, and the choices they made, mattered. The decision to pursue rapid, hugely disruptive industrialization in the Soviet Union, coupled with the violent collectivization of agriculture, depended on Stalins character and his particular strategies for seizing and maintaining power for himself. It is doubtful that any of his political rivals would have pursued the same policies  or, for that matter, have implemented the horrific deliberate starvation of Ukraine or the Great Terror of 1937-38. As for Hitler, although it can be argued that large-scale historical forces pushed Germany toward totalitarian dictatorship and aggressive militarism, it is much harder to see why another German dictator would necessarily have embraced his insane racial theories. These theories led both to the Holocaust and to the attempt to conquer the Soviet Union. And it was the latter foolhardy adventure that brought about Hitlers rapid downfall.

In my undergraduate lectures, I also highlight the significance of another character: Winston Churchill. Pig-headed, romantic, and a die-hard imperialist, Churchill was probably the British politician least traumatized by the horrific slaughter of World War I. That slaughter left many of his fellow leaders ready to pay almost any price for peace. Churchill, by contrast, was not only ready to fight Nazi Germany well before 1939 but could rally the British people with a rhetoric of glory and honor that much of his generation thought had been discredited forever by the horrors of trench warfare. During the decisive hours of the Battle of Britain, Churchills personality mattered, enormously.

These examples also suggest that individual character matters far more at some moments than at others. After 1942, for instance, the characters of Hitler, Stalin, and Churchill all started to matter less than before. The most important character-dependent decisions had been made, regarding Soviet industrialization and terror, the drive to war and then the Battle of Britain, and Hitlers invasion of the USSR. After 1942, it was the industrial might of the allied powers and their access to natural resources  i.e., impersonal social and economic forces  which became ever more important factors pushing the war to its conclusion. A similar story could be told about the American Civil War. As that conflicts most eminent historian, James McPherson, has argued, war leadership, including especially Abraham Lincolns, mattered most through the summer of 1862 and the Battle of Antietam. After that battle, which checked an ambitious offensive by the Confederacy and ended its hopes of receiving European recognition and support, the Norths advantages in population, industry, and resources made themselves felt more and more, overcoming often superior Southern generalship. But up to Antietam, the individual decisions made by Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and the most important generals  all themselves dependent on issues of character and personality  mattered a great deal.

Then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton takes photos with supporters after a rally at the Cleveland Public Auditorium on Nov. 6, 2016. (Photo credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

So how can this history help us understand our current political moment? On the one hand, quite obviously, personality mattered in the 2016 election. In Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party managed to nominate one of the least personable politicians in recent memory. She lacked both her husbands uncanny ability to bond with strangers and Barack Obamas ability to inspire with soaring rhetoric. As her opponent cruelly but quite accurately observed, until the very end she needed celebrities at her side to draw a crowd.

Trump, by contrast, whatever you may think of him, forged a powerful, personal connection with millions of voters. Not only did he understand and channel their anger at the elites they believed had abandoned them; he delighted them with his utter disdain for the rules those elites allegedly enforced and that he mocked as political correctness. In a close election, its true by definition that any number of factors decided the outcome  including Russian hacking, and the extraordinary behavior of the FBI  but personality was certainly an important one.

Even so, the fact that Trump won in the year of Brexit, and a year in which populist forces have gained ground across Europe, clearly points to the limits of any interpretation centered on personality alone. More than a quarter century after the triumphant conclusion of the Cold War, free-market liberal democracy is looking decidedly ragged and threadbare. In the Western world, the divide looms ever greater between highly educated, wealthy, and largely secular elites and much of the rest of the population. The free movement across borders of ideas, goods, and people is seen largely as a boon by the former and largely as a threat by the latter.

Had Donald Trump not emerged to tap into the frustrations of the people who propelled him to the presidency, it is hard to imagine that another candidate would not have managed to do so, if not in this election, then soon. Trumps personality  the crudeness, the bullying, the disdain for others opinions, the self-aggrandizement  all proved a good match for the electoral moment. However much these traits led liberals to despise and fear him  indeed, precisely because they led liberals to despise and fear him  they resonated with millions of other voters who saw in Hillary Clinton everything they hated about a political system they thought of as fundamentally corrupt. But, of course, Trumps personality traits drove many others away.

In short, it is hard not to agree with my academic colleagues who have put populism, more than personality, at the center of their analyses of the election.

Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arrives at a rally on Nov. 8, 2016 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo credit: SCOTT OLSON/Getty Images)

But if personality and character were not the major factor deciding the 2016 election, the Trump presidency will likely be a very different story. Not only is Trump becoming the leader of the most powerful state the world has ever seen, but thanks to Republican control of Congress  and soon, quite possibly, the Supreme Court  Trump has the potential to become the most powerful president in American history. And he is one of the most radically unpredictable men ever elected to that office. He is not guided by a distinct, systematic ideology, and he is not, to say the least, constrained by humility or self-doubt. In foreign policy, he has surrounded himself with advisors like Michael Flynn and Frank Gaffney who give credence to conspiracy theories and see Islam  not just radical jihadism, but Islam itself  as an existential threat to the United States. In domestic policy, he has assembled a team whose ties to international business and the swamp of Washingtonian corruption contradict much of his own populist rhetoric.

Despite the vast power at the disposal of the American president, most occupants of that office, even when commanding congressional majorities, have felt constrained by a host of structural conditions of one sort or another. They want to avoid spooking the stock market, damaging their partys chances in future elections, upsetting carefully negotiated diplomatic agreements, and so on and so forth. They almost certainly have a lower estimate of their own power than almost anyone else. But these constraints, which change far more slowly than a presidents moods, make the actions they take more predictable and therefore more easily subject to social scientific analysis.

Donald Trump, however, is so willful and thin-skinned, so convinced of his own abilities, so enamored of his own unpredictability, and at the same time so unable to concentrate on any particular issue, that he is far less likely to appreciate the constraints that have weighed so heavily on his predecessors or even to understand them. He is also far less likely to listen to his advisors, and these advisers themselves are, overall, far more ignorant of their supposed areas of expertise than any other group of high-level administration officials in American history.

Even in crisis situations, U.S. presidents have generally done their best to follow predictable, well-established decision-making protocols. The television shows that present a president making hugely consequential decisions under pressure, from the gut, with only a handful of close aides in the room, eliminate from the picture the vast bureaucratic operations that exist to provide information, to evaluate the reliability of that information, to analyze it, and to game out the possible consequences of different courses of action. Up to now, presidents have generally respected these bureaucracies in most cases. They know how important it is, in a world of nuclear weapons, for there to be steady, predictable protocols for resolving crises. They remember all too well that during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, only the steadfastness of a single Soviet military officer kept a submarine commander from launching a tactical nuclear weapon against an American destroyer, possibly provoking nuclear war (if you dont know the story, read this). Donald Trump, alas, is almost certainly less likely to follow established protocols than any of his predecessors. In a crisis situation, how is he likely to react? Can anyone know?

As 2016 draws to a close, the world still seems, thankfully, to be far removed from the sort of crisis situations in which the characters of Stalin, Hitler, and Churchill mattered so deeply. The civil war in Syria, dreadful as it is, remains a regional conflict with little potential, at least at present, to spark any sort of wider confrontation. There is no shortage of scenarios  a major terrorist attack in the West, a collapse of the nuclear agreement with Iran, renewed Russian aggression in its near abroad  that could present an American president with deeply consequential decisions to make.

In these decisions, Donald Trumps personality could assume, difficult as it is to apply these words to him, world-historical importance. As a consequence, the personalities of other leaders, especially Vladimir Putin, could also come to matter in critical ways, as they come into conflict with Trump. If impersonal forces lead to Trumps personal rise, its now all too easy to imagine his troubled personality leading to his countrys collective fall.

Top photo credit: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/Getty Images/Foreign Policy illustration
(WASHINGTON)  Retired Gen. James Mattis, poised to become the first career military officer in charge of the Pentagon since the 1950s, said Thursday he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to break the NATO alliance that has anchored American and European security for more than half a century.

Under questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing, Mattis portrayed Russia as a strategic adversary. He said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is short on successful efforts at lasting cooperation, something President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pursue.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance.

Mattis said that while the U.S. should remain open to working with Russia, the prospects for cooperation are narrowing.

The context was clear. As he spoke, Trumps choice to run the CIA was testifying before another Senate panel and was sure to be questioned at length about the U.S. intelligence agencies allegations that Moscow interfered in the presidential election. Ties between the former Cold War foes also have been strained by Ukraine and Syria.

More broadly, Mattis said the world order was under the biggest attack since World War II, blaming Russia, China and international terrorist organizations for destabilizing trends and actions.

Asked by Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services Committees Republican chairman, whether the U.S. military was fully ready to confront these challenges, Mattis replied: No, sir.

In prepared testimony, Mattis said he understands his role as the Defense Departments civilian leader would be different in essence and in substance from his four decades in uniform.

The esprit-de-corps of our military, its can-do spirit and its obedience to civilian leadership reduces the inclination and power of the military to criticize or oppose the policy it is ultimately ordered to implement, Mattis said. He called civilian control a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition.

Story continues

Mattis, 66, retired in 2013 after serving as commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of all U.S. forces in the Middle East.

He is known for strong views on Iran. Mattis sees Tehran as a menace in the Middle East, and would work for a president who has pledged to toughen U.S. policy toward Iran. That could have broad implications as the incoming administration weighs modifying the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reconfiguring American posture in the Middle East after complaints from U.S. allies that President Barack Obama yielded too much ground to Tehran.

The last career military officer to serve as defense secretary was George Marshall in 1950-51.

In his opening remarks to senators, Mattis expressed unqualified support for traditional U.S. international alliances. In contrast, Trump insisted during the presidential campaign that U.S. treaty allies and security partners should pay more for their own defense and for hosting American forces on their soil.

History is clear: Nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither, Mattis said.

Before Mattis can join the Cabinet, Congress must approve a one-time exception to a law requiring a military officer to be out of uniform for at least seven years before leading the Pentagon. Even some of Trumps strongest critics say Mattis merits the exception.

Eliot A. Cohen, a senior State Department counselor in President George W. Bushs administration who has publicly criticized the incoming Trump team, said at a Senate hearing this week that he feels a sense of alarm about the judgment of the incoming administration. But he said Mattis would be a stabilizing and moderating force, preventing wildly stupid, dangerous or illegal things from happening.

Trump has selected two other recently retired generals for top jobs in his administration.

Michael Flynn, who left the Army as a lieutenant general in 2014 after a tumultuous tenure as the Defense Intelligence Agencys director, is Trumps national security adviser. Marine Gen. John Kelly, who retired in 2016, was chosen to head the Department of Homeland Security.
Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump signaled that a reprieve President Obama extended to undocumented people brought to the U.S. illegally as children would end.

In the 100-day plan Trump outlined in October, he promised to cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama on day one. Though the Obama Administration would argue otherwise, that language would fit Trumps view of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

And then there was his pick for attorney general. As tough as Trump was on the campaign trail, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions has been even tougher over the years, and he showed little sign he would change direction now at confirmation hearings this week.

Asked by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham about overturning the executive order that created the DACA program, Sessions replied that it would certainly be constitutional to do so.

As always with Trump, though, there is a lot of room for ambiguity. Both Sessions and Trumps nominee for the Department of Homeland Security, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, were ambiguous about the upcoming Administrations actual plans for the program in their confirmation hearings.

Thats left many Dreamersthe name for people brought to the U.S. illegally as childrenfeeling uncertain and even afraid.

The biggest sense I get from my friends is a sense of fear, mostly due to the fact that we dont know if DACA is going to continue or not, former Dreamer and U.S. Army veteran Oscar Vazquez, who did not benefit from the action, testified at Sessions hearings on behalf of others who had. The fact that our names are out there and the fact that the top law enforcer of the country has voted against them every single time hes gotten the chancehow is that going to give us confidence to report crimes that have been committed against us?

Story continues

With President Obamas action in the crosshairs, Vazquez said he wanted to convey to Trumps Attorney General pick the importance of the program that has allowed more than 700,000 immigrants to apply for work permits and attend school without having to worry about being deported. We need our countrys top law enforcement officer to understand that immigrants make our country stronger, Vazquezs written statement reads. Its not right to deport someone who was brought here as a child to a country where they may not know the language and may not even remember.

But when Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, a longtime Obama ally, pressed Sessions further about what would happen to the Dreamers, the attorney general nominee responded by calling on Congress to act.

President [-elect] Trump has indicated that criminal alienslike President Obama indicated  certainly are the top group of people. So I would think that the best thing for us to doand I would urge colleagues that we understand thislets fix this system, Sessions said. And then we can work together after this lawlessness has been ended. And then we can ask the American people and enter into a dialogue about how to compassionately treat people whove been here a long time.

Later that day, Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California posed a similar question to Kelly, the Homeland Security nominee. Kelly said the law would guide him when it comes to immigration enforcement, but that young migrants likely would not be the departments highest priority. Theres a big spectrum of people who need to be dealt with, Kelly said.Those categories would be prioritized. I would guess this category might not be the highest priority for removal.

The two nominees statements follow hints from Trump that there could take a softer approach to Dreamers and DACA recipients than his campaign promises suggest. In TIMEs 2016 Person of the Year interview, Trump said he would work something out with Dreamers that would make people happy and proud. They got brought here at a very young age, theyve worked here, theyve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And theyre in never-never land because they dont know whats going to happen, he said.

These vague statements, however, do not add up to a policy. Juan Escalante, a DACA recipient, remains apprehensive about whats to come in the next Administration. With only nine days until the inauguration there is still no clarity on where the Trump Administration stands on the potential repeal of the deferred action program, he said. It will be a very sobering thing to have to wake up every day and wonder if today is the day that DACA will be terminated by the Trump Administration.

When he was 11, Escalantes family immigrated to the United States from Venezuela with his parents. The family became undocumented after an attorney theyd hired to help them gain permanent legal status mishandled their paperwork. But his status did not stop him from pursuing an educationhe holds a bachelors degree in political science and a masters in public administration from Florida State University. In 2012 he applied for DACA and the work permit he uses today was administered thanks to the program.

Escalante says his undocumented status inspired him to being advocating for himself and others like him; now, he is the Digital Campaigns Manager for Americas Voice and Americas Voice Education Fund, a pro-immigration reform advocacy group. As an active advocate, hes familiar with the positions of Sessions, who he said made clear during his own hearing he would remain the same immigration hawk he has always been. But in Escalantes opinion, Kellys response stood in contrast to Sessions.

I think for General Kelly, the responsibility of leading DHS will be whether or not hes going to stand up to Donald Trump and guide him on what sensible policy looks like, he said, but added he has no greater sense of clarity after the hearing than he had before.

With only nine days until the inauguration there is still no clarity on where the Trump administration stands on the potential repeal of the deferred action program, Escalante said Wednesday. The immigrant community is growing more and more anxious and worried about their future not only because of the claims that Trump made on campaign trail, but because its been months and theres been no certain point of assurance.

Back at the hearing on Tuesday, Vazquez expressed similar worries. Theres definitely a sense of concern, he said. There is a lot of fear most of all.

With reporting by Tessa Berenson
President-elect Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to turn his business interests over to his two oldest sons to avoid any potential conflicts of interests as the leader of the United States. But that's not good enough for his longtime foe, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Warren went off on Trump in a series of tweets Wednesday night that questioned his ability to create U.S. policy while also running a business empire. The first tweet read: ".@realDonaldTrumps business plans for the Trump empire are a joke. Only nobody is laughing."

The rant didn't stop there. "The idea that @realDonaldTrump will still own massive business interests as @POTUS isnt only unethical  it puts us all at risk," she wrote, later adding, "If @realDonaldTrump truly wants to make America great & put America first, hell divest his assets by placing them in a true blind trust."

She isn't alone in her criticism. Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, said Wednesday Trump's plan for the Trump Organization would leave the president vulnerable to suspicions of corruption.

We cant risk creating the perception that government leaders would use their official positions for profit, said Shaub. I appreciate that divestiture can be costly. But the president-elect would not be alone in making that sacrifice.

Warren introduced a bill Monday that calls on Congress to demand Trump divest from his global business holdings. The Office of Government Ethics and independent experts have also urged Trump to puts his assets to an independent trustee to ensure his family doesn't benefit from his time in the White House.

The legislation looks to require "the president, vice president, their spouses and minor or dependent children to divest all interests that create financial conflicts of interest placing those assets in a true blind trust," according to a fact sheet from Warren's office. It "will be managed by an independent trustee who will oversee the sale of assets and place the proceeds in conflict-free holdings."

Story continues

There is little love between Trump and Warren. Both have traded barbs for months. More recently, Warren sent a letter Monday to Trumps choice for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, that raised concerns about her advocacy for charter schools and school voucher programs over public education.

Your history of support for policies that would drain valuable taxpayer resources from our public schools and funnel those funds to unaccountable private and for-profit education operators may well disqualify you from such a central role in public education, Warren wrote. Warren also criticized what she said was DeVos paper-thin record on higher education and student debt.

Related Articles
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - For weeks, Gazans have been making do with less than half their usual electricity supply - barely a few hours a day - with no sign of the shortages alleviating anytime soon, fuelling distress and frustration among the population. Normally, Gaza's power alternates on eight-hour cycles, with generators providing electricity to those that can afford it in the down times. But since late last year, there have been only three or four hours of electricity a day in total. The costs of running generators have spiralled. People are trying to light and heat their homes with candles or by burning scrap wood. Families wake in the middle of the night, when the power sometimes comes on, to take showers or wash clothes. "We live like rats," said Mazen Abu Reyala, an unemployed fisherman and father of five, sitting around a primitive stove that he uses to warm his house. "Should I wait until we get burned? Or should I wait to return home and see that my children burned themselves because they lit candles." On Thursday clashes with police erupted in the Jabalya refugee camp after thousands of people gathered to protest the power shortage. Demonstrators hurled stones and sounds of gun shots were heard. A police spokesman said forces were trying to prevent the crowd from storming the offices of the power company. The cause of the shortage is on the one hand simple and on the other complicated, with some citizens blaming Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, Hamas officials blaming the rival Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and still others pointing the finger at Israel. The simple explanation is that Gaza requires 450-500 MegaWatts of power a day but is receiving barely a third of that. About 30 MW produced by its own ageing power plant, 30 MW imported from Egypt and 120 MW supplied from Israel. With temperatures dropping to four or five degrees centrigrade at night, people are trying to run electric heaters and radiators, driving up power demand. The local power plant, which was heavily damaged by Israeli bombing during a war in 2006 and remains only at about half of potential capacity, could produce slightly more, but there are not enough funds to buy fuel to boost output. With unpaid consumer bills of around $1 billion, the power company is not in a position to seek more credit. Officials say they need $500 million to rehabilitate the power network. But with Israel and Egypt maintaining a tight blockade on Gaza, getting replacement parts is not even that straight forward. The Palestinian Authority, which pays for power supplied by Israel and Egypt, normally transfers fuel to Gaza and exempts it from most taxes. But because of its own financial constraints, it is no longer offsetting all the tax, angering Hamas. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Hamas was open to solutions and accused the Palestinian Authority of using the crisis as a mean to "damage Hamas's image and sanction Gaza's people". Israel's electricity company could supply more power, and has provisions in place to do so, but it has not been paid for all the electricity it has supplied in the past and wants financial guarantees before it delivers more. Gaza's population of two million is growing increasingly angry, leading to protests. Adel Al-Mashwakhy, a local comedian, was detained on Wednesday, hours after posting a video on Facebook criticising Hamas for the shortages. The video was soon watched 180,000 times. "There is no work, no crossings, no food, no water to drink and also there is no electricity," he says in the video. "Enough Hamas. Enough, enough, enough. We want electricity, we want electricity, we want electricity." At night, Gaza is pitch black, with no street lights or electricity in most homes. On street corners, makeshift fires can be seen burning, with small crowds gathered for warmth. The noise of generators can be heard from some factories and wealthier households, but most cannot afford to run diesel generators 20 hours a day. Bakery owner Haitham Badra said he had suffered huge losses because he had to buy more fuel for generators. "We used to buy 1,500 litres of diesel week. Now we have to buy 4,000 litres at a cost of 20,000 shekels ($5,250) a week," said Badra. "If the crisis continues much longer, all bakeries and restaurants in Gaza will collapse." Tareq Lubbad, spokesman of the power company, said Gaza normally needed 450 MW a day, but that had increased due to high winter demand. He warned of deeper cuts to come. "If no substantial solutions are found the crisis will escalate and hours without power will increase," he said. (Editing by Luke Baker and Angus MacSwan)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to largely ban the use of a chemical in paint strippers that has killed dozens of people, asphyxiating some and triggering heart attacks in others.

The agency announced the proposed rule today, a move that followed pleas from public-health officials to do something about methylene chloride, the chemical in many of the paint removers on home improvement store shelves. Until last year, the cans didnt include warnings about the risk of death from use in enclosed spaces, which is where people have typically died amid its fumes  in bathrooms, basements, tanks and even a squash court.

A 2015 Center for Public Integrity investigation uncovered more than 50 accidental exposure deaths linked to the chemical since 1980 in the U.S.  a likely undercount, given its ability to bring on a heart attack  and showed that federal agencies had opportunities to act decades ago but did not. Deaths blamed on methylene chloride have been documented since at least the 1940s, and in 1976 two academics wrote a piece in which they detailed a consumer death and criticized the lack of federal action.

The EPA said it determined that methylene chloride in paint strippers poses unreasonable risks to workers and consumers, not only because it can kill rapidly as its fumes build up but also because it increases the odds of developing cancer and can harm organs such as the lungs and kidneys. The only exceptions the agency proposed to its prohibition are for certain national security uses, which it wants to exempt for 10 years, and for furniture stripping, because the agency said it needs more time to determine how best to regulate the use of the chemical in that industry.

The EPA would require paint strippers with methylene chloride be distributed in 55-gallon drums to make sure they dont end up on shelves in cans that consumers and businesses might unwittingly buy. About 1.3 million consumers use these products every year, in addition to roughly 30,000 people at work, the agency estimates.

Story continues

There are many cases of people who have become ill or even died as a result of exposure to methylene chloride-containing paint removers, the EPA said in its announcement of the proposal. Todays action, when finalized, will save lives and protect people from other serious health risks.

This story is part of Unequal Risk. Workers in America face risks from toxic exposures that would be considered unacceptable outside the job. Click here to read more stories in this series.

Don't miss another Environment investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.

The proposal  opposed by businesses that make and use the solvent  comes eight years after the European Union approved a ban on sales of methylene chloride paint strippers to consumers and companies, with the exception of businesses using it in industrial sites with protective equipment and other cautionary measures. The chemical is also known as dichloromethane.

The would-be rule is the third the EPA has proposed since December that would restrict chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act, reformed last year by Congress to give EPA the power to more effectively protect Americans from dangerous exposures at work and at home.

For the first time in a generation, we are able to restrict chemicals already in commerce that pose risks to public health and the environment, Jim Jones, assistant administrator of the EPAs Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a statement last month.

But for the proposals to become rules, they will need the support of the incoming, regulation-adverse Trump administration. The president-elect has said that for every new rule his agencies enact, he wants to eliminate two. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, tapped as a Trump adviser, said his role will be rallying against this overregulation that we have.

Trade groups and businesses, meanwhile, tried to kill the paint-stripper proposal before it could be unveiled for public comment. Meeting with the White House regulatory-review arm that is the gatekeeper for rules, the Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance argued in December that the EPA action overstates the risks  though the group agrees that the chemical can be deadly in enclosed areas  and would leave people without a good paint-stripping alternative, according to the groups presentation. As the EPA was working to finish its proposal last year, the trade group petitioned the Consumer Product Safety Commission to require stronger warnings on cans, then told the White Houses Office of Management and Budget that the EPA shouldnt be usurping the CPSCs authority.

W.M. Barr & Co., an employee-owned company that makes several methylene chloride paint stripper brands, including ones linked to worker deaths in recent years, said in its presentation to the Office of Management and Budget that the solvent offers a truly unique set of benefits and can be safely used as millions of uses each year shows. In an earlier interview with the Center, the companys vice president of risk management pointed out that methylene chloride  unlike alternative chemicals for stripping  is nonflammable.

But the solvent is often paired with other, flammable chemicals in paint strippers, the EPA noted in its proposal. And chemical-safety advocates contend that there are safer, effective alternatives. Benzyl alcohol, which some state agencies have recommended, is less toxic and poses what the National Fire Protection Association describes as a fairly insignificant fire hazard. The Institute for Research and Technical Assistance, which tests safer substitutes for popular solvents, said it found benzyl alcohol to be a reasonably good replacement for furniture stripping  an industry exempted in the proposed rule  because it loosens the same coatings for roughly the same cost overall.

The EPA said methylene chloride does cause unreasonable risks in furniture stripping and wrote in its proposal that it intends to propose regulation for that use later, after seeking additional information to further characterize the impacts of potential regulatory action. It wants to enact both rules at the same time.

Furniture strippers who died from exposure to the chemical include 18-year-old Johnathan Welch. In 1999, the week before he would have started college, he was stripping paint over a tank in a business near Chattanooga, Tennessee, when co-workers left the room to eat lunch. When they returned 35 minutes later, he was collapsed over the tank, a burned, swelling arm in the liquid. Doctors tried in vain to revive him.

His mother, Rita Welch, said neither she nor her son had any idea the job he started at age 16  after school at first, then full time  was putting him in contact with something that could kill him. In his second year, he started having some dizzy spells and having problems with his sinuses, but I didnt link it to the chemicals, she said in 2015 interview, choked up with regrets over the still-keen loss.

The deaths in recent years have typically involved bathtub refinishing, with workers leaning over tubs to remove the finish, not realizing that that the fumes were building up to dangerous levels. The solvents industry agrees that methylene chloride is unsafe for bathtub work but wants warnings on labels rather than a ban.

Because methylene chloride is an anesthetic, it can knock victims out and shut down their ability to breathe. Gary de la Pena, who survived a near-death experience with the chemical at a California paint company five years ago, was overcome seconds after he rushed into a nine-foot-deep tank to rescue a collapsed co-worker whod been using paint stripper inside it. His co-worker died. De la Pena was hospitalized for four days and told the Center in 2015 that his health had never been the same.

Methylene chloride transforms in the body to carbon monoxide, giving it another way to kill  by triggering a heart attack from lack of oxygen. And while methylene chloride isnt flammable, an open flame can convert it to phosgene, the poisonous gas that killed tens of thousands in World War I.

Some paint-stripping alternatives carry their own health risks. Studies have linked N-methylpyrrolidone, or NMP, to miscarriages and other effects on unborn children, and EPAs paint-stripper proposal covers that chemical as well. But the agency offered two possibilities it asked for comment on: Whether to ban NMP outright in paint strippers, with a temporary exemption for national-security uses, or to require more dilution of the chemical in paint strippers along with better warnings on labels and more worker protections.

This story is part of Unequal Risk. Workers in America face risks from toxic exposures that would be considered unacceptable outside the job. Click here to read more stories in this series.

Copyright 2017 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
By Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament will elect a new speaker next week in an unusually heated vote that could end a decade-long cooperation between mainstream parties, complicate lawmaking and trigger a reshuffle of top EU jobs. All eight political groups of the legislature have fielded candidates, but the winner is expected to be one of the two Italians put up by the main center-right and center-left groupings. Conservative Antonio Tajani, 63, a close ally of Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, is the favorite as he can count on the support of the European People's Party, the largest grouping in parliament. However, unlike past appointments which were agreed in advance by the main parties, he faces a real challenger in Gianni Pittella, 58, who is bidding to succeed predecessor Martin Schulz, also of the center-left. Breaking from a decade-long convention whereby the major groupings take turns to hold the high-profile job, Pittella has vowed to stimulate genuine debate and to dispel the idea that all main parties in the Parliament are part of a reform-shy establishment. Pittella also argues that a deal to make Schulz, a German Social Democrat, head of the parliament in 2014 implied that the Socialists were entitled to hold at least one top EU job. If Tajani wins, the conservatives would hold all three top posts. Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg heads the EU's Brussels-based executive, the Commission, and former Polish prime minister Donald Tusk chairs the European Council, which groups the national governments. Socialists have warned that if Pittella does not win in the Parliament, they will push for a reshuffle of the key posts. Tusk's mandate ends in May but he is expected to want to stay on. Juncker has three years left, but has been weakened by Brexit, the migration crisis and recurrent criticism over Luxembourg's tax deals with multinationals during his nearly 19 years as the country's prime minister. BOOST FOR EUROSKEPTICS? The vote is scheduled for Tuesday and the 751 EU lawmakers might take up to four rounds to select the president. Whatever the outcome, the divisive vote may make EU lawmaking more complicated, potentially delaying important pieces of legislation on financial services or the internal market over which the EU Parliament has a say. A fragmented and inefficient parliament risks giving a further boost to euroskeptic forces, which are also likely to play a key role in electing the new president. Tajani may need the support of French MEPs from Marine Le Pen's far-right Front National or those of Nigel Farage's United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) to be elected, giving them unprecedented negotiating power. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Gareth Jones)
PARIS (AP)  A French court has ordered the release of a jailed former prime minister of Kosovo pending a decision on whether to extradite him to Serbia, where he's wanted on war crimes charges.

Overturning an earlier decision, the court in the eastern French city of Colmar said in a statement Thursday that Ramush Haradinaj can leave the jail but must stay in France under judicial supervision while his case is being studied.

Serbia's government formally requested his extradition after French police detained Haradinaj last week at Basel Mulhouse Frieburg airport. The arrest has angered Kosovo, where lawmakers called on the European Union to intervene to secure his release.

Haradinaj, a former guerrilla fighter in Kosovo's 1998-1999 war for independence from Serbia, was cleared of war crimes charges by a U.N. tribunal.

Kosovo's government said it considered Haradinaj's release on bail as only "one step" forward. It urged French judicial authorities free him, saying his arrest has created tensions between Serbia and its former province.

A Kosovo Cabinet statement declared Serbia's arrest warrants "fully illegal, unfair and with clear tendencies to create tension and conflicts."

Pristina said the Serb warrants were not valid as they were issued in 2004 when Serbia and Montenegro were one state, and added that Serbia does not enjoy jurisdiction on all countries or provinces that were once part of the former Yugoslavia.

France and most European countries recognized Kosovo's independence after it seceded from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has not.
SEOUL, Jan 12 (Reuters)  Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is expected to run for president of South Korea, said he was perplexed and embarrassed over bribery accusations brought by U.S. prosecutors this week against his brother and nephew.

Bans younger brother Ban Ki-sang and his nephew Joo Hyun Bahn were accused in a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday of a scheme to bribe a Middle Eastern official for an attempted $800 million sale of a building complex in Vietnam.

I am perplexed and embarrassed that close members of my family have become involved in something like this. I feel it is regrettable the situation has troubled many, Ban told Korean reporters at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday ahead of his departure for South Korea.

I had absolutely no knowledge. My nephew is grown and I barely had any involvement in his life or how he does business, he said in remarks broadcast on South Korean TV.

Ban, who was accompanied by his wife Yoo Soon-taek as well as an aide and security staff, according to Yonhap News Agency, said his heart felt like bursting with excitement at the thought of returning to South Korea. His Asiana Airlines flight will land at around 0800 GMT on Thursday.

A former foreign minister, Ban has not declared his intention to enter the race to succeed President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached by parliament in December over an influence-peddling scandal.

Park could become South Koreas first democratically elected leader to leave office in disgrace if the Constitutional Court upholds that vote.

Controversy around the building deal linked to Bans relatives had been reported previously in South Korean media and Ban made similar remarks regarding the case in 2015.

In September, a Seoul district court ordered Bans nephew to pay civil damages of about $590,000 to builder Keangnam Enterprises. The court said the nephew had fraudulently led Keangnam to believe that the Qatar Investment Authority was close to buying the Vietnam skyscraper.

Story continues

In emails cited in the U.S. indictment, Bans nephew is shown to be using the family name in an attempt to secure the deal, and expressed concern that negative media coverage if it fell through would be bad for the family given its prominence.

Ban Ki-moon was not mentioned in the indictment.

His nephew Bahn, a 38-year-old South Korean national living in New Jersey, pleaded not guilty during a Tuesday court hearing. His father was not arrested and could not be reached immediately for comment.

(Reporting by Christine Kim; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Tony Munroe)
By Christine Kim and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - Former U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon arrived home in South Korea on Thursday and said he will make a decision soon on his political career, amid expectations he will run in an election that may come early if President Park Geun-hye is forced from office. Ban, 72 is among front-runners in polls to succeed Park, whose fate will be decided when the Constitutional Court decides whether or not to uphold parliament's December impeachment of her over an influence-peddling scandal. Ban, a former foreign minister whose 10 years as U.N. secretary-general ended in December, has not said whether he will run for president, nor has he affiliated himself with any party. "I've been saying I will listen to our people's thoughts after returning home. I will have that opportunity from tomorrow. I will make a selfless decision with a humble heart," Ban said at the airport after his arrival. "That decision-making won't take long." Ban's possible path to the presidency hit a bump this week when his younger brother, Ban Ki-sang, and nephew, Joo Hyun Bahn, were accused in a Manhattan federal court of a scheme to bribe a Middle Eastern official in connection with the attempted $800 million sale of a building complex in Vietnam. Ban told Korean reporters in New York on Wednesday, before his departure for South Korea, that he was dismayed by the affair and had no knowledge of it. "I am perplexed and embarrassed that close members of my family have become involved in something like this. I feel it is regrettable the situation has troubled many," Ban said. "I had absolutely no knowledge. My nephew is grown and I barely had any involvement in his life or how he does business," Ban, who was not mentioned in the indictment, said in remarks broadcast on South Korean TV. Throngs of media and well-wishers, some carrying signs saying B.I.G., the acronym for a fan club, Ban Ki-moon Infinite Good Fortune, greeted him at the airport. "Thank you! Thank you!" a smiling Ban said as some in the crowd shouted his name. Ban picked up a baby dressed in traditional Korean hanbok clothing. POLITICAL CRISIS Ban returns to a country gripped by political crisis stemming from the influence-peddling scandal that has engulfed the political elite. Park, 64, the daughter of a former military ruler, has denied any wrongdoing but was stripped of her presidential powers pending the court decision on whether or not to uphold her impeachment. If it does, Park would become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to leave office in disgrace and an election would be held in two months. As is, the scheduled date of the next election for a five-year single term is Dec. 20. While Ban was greeting supporters, Jay Y. Lee, scion of the Samsung Group, the country's biggest conglomerate, was being questioned by special prosecutors on suspicion of bribery in the wide-reaching scandal. Prosecutors are investigating whether Samsung gave about $25 million to a business and foundations backed by a friend of Park's in exchange for the national pension fund's support for a 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates. Lee in December denied accusations the conglomerate sought to curry favour with Park or her friend to secure the merger. The political crisis has seen big peaceful protests every weekend, with demonstrators calling for Park to step down. "History will remember the year of 2016," said Ban, who before the political scandal had been expected to run as a member of Park's conservative Saenuri party. "It will remember a miracle, made by the people in the public square, good people united to make a good country," Ban said before heading in to central Seoul on the airport train. (Reporting by Christine Kim and Ju-min Park; Additional reporting by Yun Hwan Chae; Editing by Tony Munroe, Robert Birsel)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he will announce soon whether he will run for South Korea's presidency, as he returned home and strongly hinted at his political ambitions before hundreds of cheering supporters.

Ban's return will likely heat up local politics as he's considered the only major conservative contender in a possible early election to replace impeached President Park Geun-hye. Dozens of lawmakers have already bolted from Park's conservative ruling party and want to align with Ban, while the main liberal opposition party is escalating its political offensive against him.

"Many people have asked me whether I have a will for power. If 'will for power' means uniting a divided country into one and making it a first-class country again, then I have already said I am ready to burn my body in devotion to this and my mind hasn't changed," Ban told a televised conference upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport near Seoul.

As his supporters shouted his name, Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, said he'll seek diverse opinions about his return to South Korean politics. "Based on my talks with people, I will make a decision that will be free from selfish motives. That decision won't take long," he said.

Opinion polls show Ban is one of the favorites to succeed Park. The Constitutional Court is currently determining whether to formally end Park's rule and hold a new election. The opposition-controlled parliament impeached her last month over her alleged role in an explosive corruption scandal. South Korea is originally scheduled to hold a presidential election in December.

Ban, who ended his 10-year service as U.N. chief last month, is a soft-spoken career diplomat known for a gentle image and an ability to avoid making enemies. But he also faces criticism that he lacks charisma and experience in domestic politics.

Story continues

Many South Koreans have taken great pride in him because they think Ban's U.N. job represents their country's rise in the international arena from the rubbles of the 1950-53 Korean War. But critics say Ban would not have assumed the U.N. post without help from the government of late President Roh Moo-hyun, which reportedly made a massive effort to make him the first South Korean U.N. chief.

Ban denied an allegation in the media that he took bribes from a businessman at the center of a corruption scandal that led to Roh's suicide in 2009. Two relatives of Ban were charged in the U.S. in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with plotting to bribe a Middle East official to influence the $800 million sale of a building complex in Vietnam.

Ban's main potential rival is Moon Jae-in, a former leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party who lost the 2012 presidential election to Park. A survey released this week by Realmeter showed Moon had a 27.9 percent approval rating compared to Ban's 20.3 percent. The survey of 1,511 respondents had a margin of error of 2.5 points.

___

Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.
Brussels (AFP) - A group of experts called Thursday for "substantial reform" of the European Union budget that might see Brussels levy corporate and other taxes to cope better with crises.

The proposals by the group, led by former Italian prime minister Mario Monti, called for the EU to stop depending mainly on the 28 member states for revenue as well as for making it more understandable to average Europeans.

"This type of document is totally unreadable by a European citizen," Jean Arthuis, who chairs the budget committee at the European Parliament, told a press conference in Brussels as he welcomed some of the ideas.

EU officials fear popular support for the European project is declining with the Brexit vote and the rise of eurosceptic parties.

Arthuis added that the multi-annual budget framework "is so narrow that in order to tackle crises" the EU is forced to resort to trust funds, intervention funds and various financial instruments.

The report from the High Level Group on Own Resources, which is made up of former ministers and others, highlights proposals for a budget supported by its own revenue, which account for only a tiny share of the total.

Since the 1980s, member state contributions have gradually replaced EU resources and now account for 80 percent of the financing of the European budget.

The group said its research "make the case for a substantial reform, where changes on the revenue side are an integral part of the multi-annual financial framework," which sets limits for the annual general EU budgets.

Among proposals raised were an EU corporate income tax, financial transaction tax and other taxes on financial activities as well as a levy on carbon dioxide output, an electricity tax and motor fuel levy.

The report said Britain's exit from the EU following the shock referendum in June last year presented an opportunity to reform the budget as London will no longer receive a tax rebate for its financial contribution.

The report's publication comes ahead of negotiations for the 2021-2027 budget framework. The European Commission, the EU executive, is due to be briefed on the report next week and EU finance ministers will also be updated soon.

The European Parliament last month adopted an EU budget of nearly 158 billion euros for 2017, including a hefty increase to tackle the migration crisis and terrorism.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has confirmed a H5N6 bird flu outbreak hit a goose farm in its southern Hunan province, killing 1,054 birds, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday. Local government culled a further 2,067 birds after the outbreak, the fifth among poultry since October, bringing the total cull to more than 175,000 birds since then. China has also closed some live poultry markets after people and chickens were infected by strains of the avian flu. China has confirmed 106 cases of human H7N9 bird flu infections, and 20 deaths in December, according to a statement issued on the website of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Wednesday. While South Korea and Japan are battling their own major outbreaks, the current China outbreaks appear isolated. The virus is likely to strike in winter and spring, and farmers have in recent years ramped up measures such as cleaning regimes to prevent the disease. Widespread infection can lead to severe health risks and big financial losses. The last major outbreak in China killed 36 people and caused more than $6 billion in losses for the agricultural sector. China is the world's no. 3 producer of broiler chickens and the second-biggest poultry consumer. (Reporting by Hallie Gu and Josephne Mason; Editing by Randy Fabi and Tom Hogue)
Louis Bianculli, a multi-millionaire real estate developer in Florida, is accused of a heinous crime: Drugging his stepdaughter with chloroform, torturing and sexually abusing her for years.

In a secret recording made by the teens mother, Bianculli seems to express disgust for what he did to his stepdaughter.

"It was never anything other than chloroform, he said. She was always asleep, she had no idea what was going on. How could I be such a f***ing sleazy piece of s*** to do that? What the f*** is wrong with me?"

Read: Millionaire Accused in Grisly Sex Assault is Apparently Living the Good Life After Telling Judge He Needed Surgery

Now, another alleged victim has come forward. Nancy Olson says she was just 10 when Bianculli, then a neighbor, drugged and abused her 37 years ago. No charges were ever brought against him.

Speaking to Inside Edition, Olson claimed that he put "chloroform on a washcloth and put it over my face.

"I learned that Lous 'chloroform sessions' were the perfect crime because I was unconscious and because of my unconscious state, I cannot say what he did to me," she said.

But instead of being behind bars awaiting while trial, where he faces life in prison if convicted, Inside Edition found him apparently living the life of luxury in his $4 million waterfront mansion near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In October, he convinced a judge that he needs emergency knee surgery due to an injury that made it hard for him to walk, sleep and perform activities of daily living. He was released in November.

In granting him house arrest, the judge was clear that Bianculli couldnt leave his residence and only could walk on his property if it was for medically necessary rehabilitation purposes, but Inside Edition observed him fishing off his dock and strolling around the grounds.

He's fooling the court, it's a scam. This is clearly an abuse of the system," said Robert Crispin, a Florida private investigator based in Fort Lauderdale. He was hired by the stepdaughters family and spent four days conducting surveillance on Bianculli. His video shows the accused sex offender standing up and fishing outside his mansion without a cane, lounging by the pool and exercising.

Story continues

Inside Editions chief investigative correspondent Lisa Guerrero joined Crispin and watched as Bianculli was outside on his property.

Guerrero then hopped on a boat to ask Bianculli directly if he was pulling a fast one. He was fishing when she arrived.

Did you exaggerate your knee injury so you could get out of jail, sir? she asked.

After getting no answer from Bianculli, she asked: Where's your cane? You used your cane in court but youre not using your cane today. Why is that?

"He appeared really comfortable, he actually waved to you," Crispin told Guerrero. "And if you noticed as he walked away, he started using the fishing pole as a cane.

Read: Women Reveal What It's Like to Be in a Relationship With a Sex Offender and Why They Stay

"I hope that our court system will put Louis Bianculli back behind bars where he deserves to spend the rest of his life," Olsen told Inside Edition.

Bianculli has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Although, his lawyer argued that he needed emergency surgery and he "still" hasnt had an operation.

The attorney told Inside Edition that Bianculli was outside for rehabilitation purposes that are permitted by the court.

In addition to the criminal charges, his stepdaughter is also suing him.

Watch: Room With a Viewer: Some Hotel Rooms Found to Have Hidden Cameras Installed, Investigation Finds

Related Articles:
A New Zealand father and his 6-year-old daughter have been found safe after spending 27 days at sea on a tiny, broken boat.

Alan Langdon and his daughter Que spent a month sailing across the treacherous Tasman Sea in a 20-foot catamaran that had a broken rudder for almost the entirety of the trip, leaving the father to steer with only a single rudder.

Read: Some Experts Doubt Sailor Louis Jordan's Story of Being Adrift at Sea for 66 Days

We were always safe, we just couldn't let anyone know," Langdon told reporters. "I tell you I learned a lot about sailing."

According to the New Zealand Herald, Langdon and Que set sail from New Zealand on December 17 while in the middle of a custody battle for Que with his wife Ariane Wyler.

The pair was spotted three days after landing by a resident of Ulladulla on Australia's west coast, who had seen news reports about them.

Langdon and Wyler reportedly split after a storm destroyed a larger, homemade catamaran that they and Que called home, nearly killing the little girl in the process.

After the storm, Wyler says Langdon "took off for Australia" with the girl, according to the New Zealand Herald. Wyler then hired child recovery specialist Col Chapman to search for her ex and daughter, whom he found living in a camper in Australia.

Read: 'Rival Survival' Pits Opposing Senators Alone on Island

Wyler hired him again after the pair went missing most recently.

It's unclear if Langdon is currently facing charges, Chapman said he should be facing immigration charges in Australia and he should be facing similar charges in New Zealand.

Watch: Why This Diver Recorded His 'Final Hours' Adrift at Sea Before He's Rescued

Related Articles:
The humble bicycle has taken centre stage in a bitter battle for control of the party that runs India's most populous state, underscoring the enduring importance of symbols in the politics of the world's biggest democracy.

India's myriad political parties are all represented in the polling booth by pictoral symbols -- a system that dates back to the first elections after independence, when fewer than one in five voters could read.

Although literacy rates have vastly improved since then, the symbols are still seen as hugely powerful marketing tools that provide instant brand recognition.

Party names do not appear on the electronic voting machines in poll booths, which show only the name of the candidate alongside the party symbol.

That makes the bicycle a hugely valuable commodity ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh, India's biggest state, whose youthful chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, famously cycled around the campaign trail last time around.

"If pitched right, the symbol defines a value proposition," said the Bangalore-based branding expert Shivakumar Viswanathan.

"The bicycle is a poor man's transportation so it appeals to the masses -- effectively it is saying, 'I am with you'."

On Friday the Election Commission will hold a hearing to determine whether Yadav or his septuagenarian father Mulayam, who is refusing to cede control of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), has the right to use the bicycle symbol in the event of a formal split.

If no agreement can be reached, the Commission could rule that neither side can use the symbol and force the party and any breakaway factions to choose new ones with just weeks to go before the polls open.

They could face a difficult choice. The symbols the Commission's website lists as free include a plane and a car, neither of which has quite the same party-of-the-people connotations.

More baffling are the symbols that appear rooted in another era. These include a harmonium, a steam train, and a dolli -- a covered sedan chair once used to carry those who could afford to be carried and now used mostly for wedding ceremonies.

Story continues

- Ban on animals -

There are several precedents for a party losing its symbol, such as when the Congress party of India's first leader Jawaharlal Nehru split in the late 1970s.

When the Election Commission chose to freeze the party symbol showing a cow tending to her calf Nehru's daughter, party leader Indira Gandhi, chose the current party symbol of a hand, palm facing forward to signify openness.

According to The Times of India the choice was initially unpopular with some party members who feared it could remind voters of traffic police -- but the symbol stuck nonetheless.

The ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uses a lotus flower, which is associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Perhaps the most successful new symbol of recent years is the broom deployed by the Aam Aadmi ("common man") Party that won state elections in Delhi two years ago on a promise to sweep away endemic corruption.

Parties are no longer allowed to pick animal symbols after activists raised concerns that it could lead to abuse of real animals.

According to reports, one candidate in the 1950s lost after a live chicken he brought to the polling booth to match his chosen symbol was eaten by vultures -- a less than auspicious sign.

The Election Commission has said it wants to settle the dispute over the SP's bicycle before January 17, when the process of nominating candidates for the first phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh begins.

The Hindustan Times quoted one supporter of Akhilesh Yadav as saying the party could survive the loss of the symbol as "this is the age of WhatsApp and Facebook. Within minutes, the party symbol will get communicated to every village in the state".

But in rural India things may not be that simple.

"The political party symbol in India is very important," former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi told AFP.

"Many people only identify a party with its symbol. If this cycle symbol of the Samajwadi Party is frozen for everyone by the election commission, lots of people may get confused."
A fifth Pakistani rights activist has gone missing, his colleagues said Thursday, as the United Nations raised concerns over shrinking freedoms for campaigners.

Samar Abbas, a middle-aged IT worker and head of the anti-militancy Civil Progressive Alliance, disappeared under mysterious circumstances after arriving in the capital Islamabad from the southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, January 7, according to Talib Raza, a colleague from his organisation.

"We formed the alliance to protect the rights of minorities. He had launched a struggle against the banned militant outfits' activities and we together staged protests for the rights of the minorities," said Raza.

"This seems to be an organised attempt to shut the progressive and liberal voices in the country," he added.

Four leftist bloggers were previously reported missing from various cities in Pakistan between January 4 and 7, raising fears of a crackdown on social media, the last bastion of free speech in a country where journalism is increasingly under threat.

Human Rights Watch said their near simultaneous disappearances raised concerns of government involvement.

The government has denied this, and on Tuesday Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the Senate authorities would soon recover all the missing.

Rights groups say Pakistani activists and journalists often find themselves caught between the security establishment and militant groups including the Taliban.

The United Nations and Amnesty International have expressed concern for the missing activists.

"No government should tolerate attacks on its citizens," said the UN's special rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, David Kaye.

"By making the investigation of these disappearances an urgent priority, the Pakistani authorities can send a strong signal that they take seriously the responsibility for the life and security of all of its citizens, particularly in cases involving freedom of expression."

Pakistan is also ranked among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists, and reporting critical of the military is considered a major red flag, with journalists at times detained, beaten and even killed.

In April 2014, unidentified gunmen attacked but failed to kill Hamid Mir, one of the country's most recognised TV anchors. His employer and his family later accused the director general of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency of involvement.
In the 19th century, embittered and politicized by her struggle for property of her own, she began to build up her writing career

This piece is part of an ongoing series on the unsung women of history. Read more here.

Ida B. Wells. Katharine Graham. Gwen Ifill. Jane Swisshelm? If one of these names doesnt seem to belong, dont worrySwisshelm definitely earned her place on this list of legendary women in American journalism, but her name is little remembered today.

In fact, Swisshelm is counted by many as the United States first female political reporter, an accomplishment as legendary as her often over-the-top life.

Born to a Pittsburgh merchant in 1815, Jane began working as a young child when her father died of consumption. She received a patchy education while working at lace-making and painting velvet. At the time, she wrote, the highlight of her young career was earning $5 from a judge who commissioned a velvet portrait of the Goddess of Liberty. She attended boarding school for a period of time, but soon had to begin working at the school in exchange for tuition. She was eventually removed from school after a consumption scare of her own. She kept teaching, though, even after marrying a man named James Swisshelm.

Marriage did not agree with Jane. Nor did the fact that her new husband forced her to move in with her mother-in-law. I was left without support or compensation for my services as tailor, teacher, dress-maker, for my husbands family, she recalled bitterly in a later memoir. Fiery and strong-willed, she clashed often with her husband and struggled to resign herself to a 19th-century womans sphere.

Then something happened that changed her life forever: She met the first slave owners she had ever encountered. Galvanized by her new knowledge of the conditions faced by slaves, she vowed to help them. She also moved away from her husband to tend to her ailing mother, teaching at a girls seminary to make ends meet.

Swisshelm began to write anti-slavery tracts, poems and articles that reflected her strengthening political views. She even started her own abolitionist paper, the Pittsburgh Saturday Visiter, which she financed with money from her dead mothers estate.

Story continues

A conflict over that estate also turned her into an advocate for the property rights of married women. When her mother died, she stipulated in her will that Janes husband inherit no portion of her estate, bequeathing it to her daughter instead. But under the laws of the time, a husband was entitled to everything his wife owned.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Embittered and politicized by her struggle for property of her own, Swisshelm began to build up her writing career as she became more and more estranged from her husband. She even became the first woman to report from Congress during a visit to Washington in 1850. In 1857, after over 20 years of marriage, she finally obtained a divorce, abandoning her husband and leaving her paper behind.

Now, Swisshelm joined the stream of westward migrants. She moved to St. Cloud, Minn., and started up her paper again as the St. Cloud Visiter. But her abolitionist, feminist views earned her some powerful enemies. She ran afoul of a man named Sylvanus Lowry, a political boss who flouted Minnesota law by refusing to free his slaves. She used the paper to taunt him, even after his cronies broke into her office by night and smashed her printing press. The incident only built support for Swisshelms paper. Then, Lowry brought a libel suit against her. Undeterred, she agreed to a settlement that required her to shut down the Visiterthen simply changed the name of her paper to the Democrat instead and kept publishing.

Seen from the distance of 150 years, Swisshelms abolitionist views were admirable, but some of her other beliefs were abhorrent. In 1862, a Sioux uprising resulted in the death of a group of white settlers. Swisshelm came out in force against the attackers, demanding that all Indians in the area be punished and driven out regardless of whether they were responsible. Though some historians claim that her desire to drive out the areas Dakota Indians was because of her eagerness to show white settlers that the area was safe and habitable, her views contributed to the brutal expulsion of the Dakota people from Minnesota.

She believed so strongly in the punishment of Minnesotas native peoples that she headed to Washington to plead with President Lincoln for reprisals. Little did she know that she would not return to Minnesota. Instead, she rekindled a friendship with a Pittsburgher who happened to be Lincolns Secretary of War. He offered her a government clerkship and she accepted. While she waited, she stayed in D.C., serving as a war nurse.

She never received the clerkship in question. After the war, she signed on to the cause of the radical Republicanspeople who thought that the end of slavery should mean full equality for black citizens. These views (and her characteristically outspoken way of expressing them) infuriated President Andrew Johnson, whom she attacked on the regular, and she never became a government clerk.

Instead, she spent the rest of her life raising hell with her pena pointed weapon for a groundbreaking and often contradictory early female journalist the likes of whom most Americans had never seen before. Jane Swisshelm may not be well remembered today, but her fiery words helped build her profession.
When a new presidents staff moves into the White House, theres a lot to do. Not only do aides need to find their offices, learn where the pens are kept and meet the other members of their team, but they also have to be ready to help govern the most powerful country in the world.

TIME asked staffers from President Barack Obamas administration to recall their introduction to the White House, and to give advice to Team Trump. From learning the phone system to meeting the longtime White House staff, here are some of Team Obamas best nuggets from the early days of his presidency:

Dan Pfeiffer, former Senior Advisor to the President: Most people dont understand how the actual handover of power works. We all sit in the freezing cold. We watch the final culmination of years of effort to see our friend and boss become President of the United States. Then for the senior team, you get on a bus and they take you to the White House. They drop you off, and someone shows you your office. You walk in and theres a computer there with a Post-it note with your password, and youre in charge of the government. Full stop.

Josh Earnest, Press Secretary: You literally dont know how anything works. At the night after the second full day, the President and First Lady hosted a staff party for people who had worked on the transition, the campaign and the Inaugural Committee. I missed almost the entire party because I was still in the lower press office figuring out how the next day we were going to send a video link to the weekly address.

Yohannes Abraham, Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs: Youre literally frantically looking at the guy next to you, like Hey Gary, how the heck does the printer work? Does anyone have any idea how to order food? Does anyone have any idea?

Jason Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers: In terms of figuring out who would be in what office, we had looked at the floor plan, and we had a plan to put both of National Economic Council director Larry Summers domestic deputies in the West Wing. Then we actually got to the West Wing, looked around and discovered that one of the two rooms we had thought was an office was actually a foyer to the womens bathroom. That particular seating arrangement ended up not surviving.

Story continues

Brian Deese, Senior Adviser to the President: For the first couple of days, I was literally squatting in a hallway in the second floor of the West Wing.

Furman: We also saw peoples names were taped to the doors. There was a brief moment when the offices right across the hall from ours looked a lot better than ours, and we thought maybe we would just move the taped names and see if we could get away with it. We decided that probably wouldnt be the best way to ingratiate ourselves with our new colleagues.

Jen Psaki, Communications Director: None of us knew where the bathroom was. I still didnt know there was one on the first floor until probably the second year I was here. It may have been the first day, when the President came out of the Oval and walked over into the upper press area to see Robert Gibbs in the press secretarys office, and a number of reporters were streaming out. He said, Oh wait, they can come over here? He wasnt aware of how everything was set up.

Lisa Brown, former Staff Secretary: I remember the President, by accident, walking into my office on Day Two, because he didnt even know his way around yet.

Abraham: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed. It was going to be the first bill that the President signed, and my boss at the time told us at our staff meeting that we were going to do a signing ceremony. Everyone was excited. After a couple seconds, my buddy and I looked at each other and our expressions slowly changed from excitement to the realization that no one yet knew how to do the little stuff. How do you clear guests into the building? How do you reserve the right room? Where do you get the pens? Who stands where?

Katie McCormick Lelyveld, former Press Secretary for First Lady Michelle Obama: We got to White House, and the First Lady called us all into the East Room. There in a big circle was the resident staff, ushers, chefs and pastry chefs, and many other team members. She said, This is the team I came in with, referring to us. This is the team thats in place here, and theyre in charge now. They know the ins and outs. They know the history. Its our responsibility to defer to them and ask them questions and follow their leadership.

To read more advice from Obamas White House team to Donald Trumps incoming advisers, see the full story here, or pick up a copy of the latest issue of TIME magazine.
By Anastasia Moloney TAPACHULA, Mexico (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As Juan walked to school one morning a year ago in El Salvador, two men on a motorbike sped by and fatally shot a boy on the street in front of him. The shooter took a good look at Juan's face. As a witness to a gang murder, Juan was now in the firing line. "They said I had to be part of their gang," said Juan, 15, who declined to give his real name for security reasons. Juan's mother, Teresa, took him out of school and he went into hiding for six months, living with relatives. But then came the death threats from gang members by phone, and Teresa felt she had no choice but to flee in October. "We had to leave," Teresa said, sitting on a bench with her sons at the Three Angels shelter for asylum seeking families in the Mexican city of Tapachula near the Guatemalan border. "We left home as if we were just going for a walk not to raise any suspicion," she said, lamenting the loss of her job at a garment factory and a house she owned. Entire city neighborhoods in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, are controlled by two powerful gangs - Barrio 18 and its rival Mara Salvatrucha. To maintain control, gang members extort money at gunpoint, rape women and girls, murder, and force children to join their ranks, said the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR. Rising gang violence in these three countries has made them among the world's deadliest countries outside a war zone in terms of murder rates, the UNHCR says, and this is driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes every year. "It's a refugee crisis. The situation in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala is critical," Paola Bolognesi, head of UNHCR's field office in Tapachula, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "People don't have an option but to flee criminal gangs who exert very strong pressure on communities. We are seeing entire families of up to 20 people fleeing to save their lives." MEXICO FOR SANCTUARY Mexico was until recently a transit country for Central American migrants seeking to reach the United States in the search of a better life. But the escalating violence has led to a surge in the number of asylum claims from Central American migrants who are increasingly looking to Mexico for refuge, reaching levels not seen since the region's civil wars ended decades ago. In the first 9 months of 2016, Mexico received nearly 7,000 asylum requests - more than five times more than in 2013. "We expect this trend to continue so the number of migrants claiming asylum in Mexico is set to more than double this year compared with 2016," Bolognesi said. Other Latin America nations have also felt the impact. In Costa Rica asylum claims have risen 176 percent since 2013. "I pray they give us asylum. We can't go back to El Salvador," said Teresa, who expects a decision on her asylum claim within three months. "We can make a life here," said Teresa, who hopes to get a garment factory job in Mexico and send her children to school. Under international pressure, Mexico is receiving more refugees. Mexico's recognition rate for asylum seekers increased to about 64 percent in 2016, up from around 40 percent in 2013. But this is still just a fraction of the 400,000 people crossing Mexico's southern border every year with thousands of migrants who could qualify for refugee status slipping through the net. "Many Central American migrants fleeing gang violence still don't consider themselves refugees and know they have the right to claim asylum," said Bolognesi, adding this lack of awareness was the biggest challenge. BORDER CRACKDOWN A border crackdown in 2014 has also meant some migrants who could claim refugee status do not have the opportunity to do so. Under U.S.-pressure, Mexico has attempted to stem the influx of migrants by beefing up border security through its "Southern Border Plan", which has seen deportations of Central Americans from Mexico soar to nearly 200,000 in 2015 from 107,000 in 2014. "The Southern Border Plan has meant more Central American migrants have been deported from Mexico, some without a proper analysis of their protection needs," Bolognesi said. Experts expect this trend to continue under U.S.President-elect Donald Trump who is likely to put more pressure on Mexico to deport more illegal migrants and to accept more asylum seekers to stem the flow to the United States border. At the Good Shepherd shelter, on the outskirts of Tapachula, about half of 44 migrants there in mid-December were asylum seekers with posters on the wall informing them of their rights. "For some migrants, it's literally a question of life and death," said Jose Ramon Martinez, who helps run the shelter. Maria, a migrant from El Salvador at the shelter, hopes she and her children are granted refugee status in Mexico. Until recently, Maria and her husband owned a thriving food business in El Salvador but one day last year she received a call from a gang member in prison who demanded $50 a day. "We paid for nearly a year and then we just couldn't pay anymore. The business went bankrupt," said Maria, 36, as she cooked lunch for migrants in the shelter's kitchen. "The gangs crush you. They don't let you prosper." The breaking point was when gang members waited on the street for her children, aged 11 and 14, to return from school. "My children are easy prey for the gangs. If we didn't leave, their future would be with the gangs," said Maria, 36. A decision on her refugee status is expected within weeks. "I don't have an American dream. I just want to live in peace. I feel safer here," Maria said. (Reporting by Anastasia Moloney @anastasiabogota, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP)  A self-declared prime minister said Thursday that his forces have seized at least three ministries in Libya's capital, declaring what appeared to be a miniature coup after what he described as a yearlong failure of the current U.N.-backed premier.

Khalifa Ghwell told The Associated Press by phone from Tripoli that his forces control the ministries of defense, labor and the "martyrs and the wounded." His so-called National Salvation government was formed by the outgoing parliament after a disputed 2014 transfer of power that led to the establishment of rival governments, each backed by an array of militias.

The U.N. helped establish a third government in Tripoli last year under Fayez Serraj, a Western-backed technocrat, hoping he could unify Libya and lead the fight against Islamic extremists. The oil-rich North African country slid into chaos after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

A spokesman for Serraj's government dismissed the moves by Ghwell's forces, saying "they are trying to sow chaos but they have no means to control." He said the ministries Ghwell claimed to have seized are either under maintenance, not controlled by Serraj's government, or were seized briefly before being let go.

"This is nothing more than a media hoax," Ashraf Tulty said. "They are trying to sabotage the only internationally-recognized government in Libya."

In a televised speech, Ghwell declared that all the past arrangements brokered by the U.N. are "invalid," and described Serraj's government as "expired." Referring to his forces as the "Presidential Guard," he ordered them to secure the capital and warned other militias to stand down. He also called for new talks among Libyan factions without foreign mediators.

"We are the ones with legitimacy," said Ghwell. "We extend our hands to our Libyan rivals," he added, saying "God's Shariah will rule among us," without elaborating.

Story continues

Ghwell's earlier government was closely allied with Islamist groups, including some hard-line factions.

He said conditions have gone "from bad to worse" in the year since Serraj's government was formed, as the country has grappled with a financial crisis. Libyans line up in front of banks for days in order to get cash, while the capital suffers from frequent power outages and shortages of basic goods.

The cash crisis stems from a dispute between Serraj and the head of the central bank, who has declined to release funds needed to run the U.N.-brokered government since March, when Serraj arrived aboard a vessel to Tripoli. Only this month, the central bank approved a $26 billion annual state budget.

"We gave him a year, and when he failed, we decided to return (to power)" Ghwell told the AP. When pressed for details, including on how he plans to fund his Cabinet, he replied: "Wait, and you will see what happens in the coming days."

The internationally recognized parliament, based in Libya's far east, does not recognize the authority of Serraj or Ghwell. It is closely allied with Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, whose forces have been battling Islamic militants in recent years.

Hifter's forces overran several oil terminals last year, and he has cultivated support from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. On Wednesday, he visited a Russian aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea.

There have been nationwide calls for amending the UN-brokered deal. Members of the internationally-recognized parliament told the AP that the army, the state-run oil corporation, and the central bank should be placed under the assembly's control.

"We need to go back to the political agreement and start all over again," said Al-Hadi Belaour, a lawmaker who had earlier supported Serraj's unity government.

___

Associated Press writer Maggie Michael in Cairo contributed to this report.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f346237%2fcc22d409-82bb-4296-a23f-f3b1cfb501c9

The Polish foreign minister was probably very tired when he met reporters in New York and mentioned a non-existent country  "San Escobar."

SEE ALSO: Twitter's Periscope launches 360 video

Witold Waszczykowski was in the U.S. to lobby for a seat on the UN Security Council from 2018-19.

He told the press that he held meetings with officials from nearly 20 countries, including some Caribbean nations "for the first time in the history of our diplomacy," countries "such as Belize or San Escobar."

Waszczykowski's spokeswoman, Joanna Wajda, later said the top diplomat had been thinking of Saint Kitts and Nevis (known as San Cristobal y Nieves in Spanish).

He said it was a slip of tongue due to 22 hours in planes and connecting flights.

But it was already too late as the Twitter mocking machine was already rolling:

A Twitter account claiming to represent the Republica Popular Democratica de San Escobar "(People's Democratic Republic of San Escobar) popped up online  with a flag, maps and photographs.

La bandera de la libertad, la bandera del progreso, la bandera del pueblo.



La bandera de la Republica Popular Democratica de #SanEscobar! pic.twitter.com/rkK07GByl6  San Escobar (@rpdsanescobar) January 11, 2017

A Facebook page dedicated to "San Escobar" even posted pictures which allegedly showed work in progress on a huge statue of Waszczykowski (it actually depicts Philip of Macedon).

Story continues

Another Twitter account posted a picture of a "San Escobar" banknote with a picture of Jarosaw Kaczynski, the leader of Polands governing party.

So what are you waiting for? Just hit Skyscanner and book flights for a lovely holiday in "San Escobar"!

BONUS: Even Fox News is defending CNN against Trump
By Dasha Afanasieva LONDON (Reuters) - The former regional heads for Africa at private equity giants KKR and Carlyle are setting up an investment firm, Arkana Partners, to target local equity investments of up to $100 million. Kayode Akinola told Reuters on Wednesday that he was leaving KKR to join forces with Marlon Chigwende, who left his role as Africa chief at rival Carlyle in 2016, as private equity opportunities in Africa are often seen as too small for the buyout industry's titans. "We will be focused on the mid-cap, where we believe the bulk of opportunities are," Akinola said, adding that while the emphasis will be on private equity investments the new firm will be flexible in its approach. "You need to bring your entire tool bag to the market. (In Africa) you can't just say you're only going to do buy-outs or just greenfield," he said, referring to developing projects, often in infrastructure, from scratch. The new firm will look for ventures which are ready to absorb up to $100 million but will mostly focus on opportunities requiring between $20 and $60 million of equity, Akinola said, highlighting that what counts as "mid-cap" can vary widely in different African economies. It remained unclear when fundraising for the new venture would take place or how much the firm aimed to raise. KKR, a global investment firm with more than $131 billion in assets under management, invests in Africa with its European private equity fund and targets at least $125 million in equity but more typically between $200 and $250 million, according to sources close to the firm. Akinola joined KKR in 2013 amid growing hopes for the region to lead and develop the firm's African efforts from Africa-focused Helios Investment Partners. Since then KKR has managed one investment in Africa, putting $200 million into Afriflora, a flower company in Ethiopia. Akinola remains on its board. KKR will continue to examine deals in the region on a selective basis, the sources said. Akinola, a Nigerian, and Chigwende who is originally from Zimbabwe, are setting up their firm as Sub-Saharan Africa's two biggest economies face significant political and economic headwinds. Nigeria's economic recession deepened in the third quarter of last year as production of oil, its main export, fell. Meanwhile South Africa's economy barely grew in the same quarter as the manufacturing sector contracted sharply and investors worry whether the government can implement policies to boost growth. Akinola remains unperturbed by any macroeconomic fears over Africa, where the U.N. says more than half of the world's population growth between now and 2050 is projected to take place. "The thing about emerging markets is that sometimes you have to be countercyclical. Africa continues to be a market where structural demand across most sectors will drive long term growth." (Editing by Greg Mahlich)
Former Forum for Democratic Change Presidential candidate rtd Col Dr Kizza Besigye has threatened to defy Kabale magistrates court over what he calls delayed justice.

Besigyes complaint comes shortly after he appeared before Kabale Chief Magistrate Moses Ntende along with fove others Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and FDC Secretary for Mobilisation Ingrid Turinawe and Kawempe South MP Munyagwa Mubarak on charges of inciting violence in 2012.

However prosecution led by State Attorney Gloria Inzikuri asked the Chief Magistrate for more time claiming that key witnesses in the matter are out of the country.

Besigye says that the case has taken long without substantive progress and thus the resolution for defiance.
Heres what Shep had to say about @realDonaldTrump s criticism of the media #TrumpPressConference pic.twitter.com/92umEbMjD3  Shepard Smith (@ShepNewsTeam) January 11, 2017

Shepard Smith took a moment at the end of his Wednesday broadcast to criticize Donald Trumps belittling of Jim Acosta and trashing of CNN earlier in the day. Trump even went so far as call CNN a fake news site.

Trumps first press conference as president-elect appeared to be an unofficial airing of the grievances, with Acosta being an apparent prime target. Trumps gripe stemmed from CNN reporting on intel information about Russias reported compromising information, which was followed by the golden showers files release. But it should be noted that BuzzFeed released these documents, and CNN has gone out of their way to say they didnt touch the golden showers file because it contained unverified information.

But Trump stood his ground, not taking a question from Acosta and calling CNN fake news. This didnt sit well with Fox News Smith, who felt it was inappropriate for the president-elect to belittle a member of the press:

President-elect Trump today told CNNs Jim Acosta his organization amounts to fake news. CNNs exclusive reporting on the Russian matter was separate and distinctly different from the document dump executed by an online news property. Though we at Fox News cannot confirm CNNs report, it is our observation that its correspondents followed journalistic standards and that neither they nor any other journalists should be subjected to belittling and delegitimizing by the president-elect of the United States.

Going to bat for someone at a rival network may seem unusual, but Smith appeared to be merely sticking up for his journalistic colleague. His commentary was praised by some (and he received a thank you from Acosta).

Story continues

Shepard Smith is the classiest anchor. Speaking truth to power without hesitance. https://t.co/RPTXMDsrY6  Alec Rider (@alecrider) January 11, 2017

Perhaps Smiths will have an effect, or at least pressure Team Trump to not let this fake news accusation happen again. That may be wishful thinking.
Franklin Resources Inc. BEN announced preliminary assets under management (AUM) by its subsidiaries of $720.0 billion for Dec 2016. The results exhibited around 1% rise from $714.4 billion as of Nov 30, 2016. However, the figure declined 5.7% from $763.9 billion as of Dec 31, 2015.



Month-end total equity assets came in at $298.3 billion, up around 1% from the prior month, but down 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Of the total equity assets, around 66% were from international sources, while the remaining 33% came from the U.S.



Total fixed income assets were $277.2 billion, down slightly from the previous month and 10.3% from the $309.2 billion recorded in Dec 2015. Overall, tax-free assets accounted for only 26% of the fixed income assets, while the remaining 74% was taxable.



Franklin recorded $138.3 billion in hybrid assets, which improved 1.8% from $135.9 billion recorded in the prior month and 2.9% from $134.4 billion in Dec 2015.



Cash management funds were reported at $6.2 billion, in line with the prior month, but down from $6.6 billion recorded in Dec 2015.



Though the companys global presence helps it diversify AUM; regulatory restrictions and sluggish economic recovery might impair growth and raise costs. Moreover, Franklin is subject to numerous regulations by the U.S. and non-U.S. regulators, which are concerns to its operations and may even hurt profitability.



Franklin currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The companys stock has gained 18.8% over the past one year, outperforming the 16.9% growth for the Zacks categorized Investment Management industry.





A better-ranked finance company is Ares Management, L.P. ARES, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The companys shares gained over 56% over the past one year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the stock climbed 5.6% to $1.32, over the last 30 days, for 2016.



You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Among other asset managers, Legg Mason Inc. LM and Invesco Ltd. IVZ are expected to release preliminary AUM results for Dec 2016, later this week.



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



Invesco PLC (IVZ): Free Stock Analysis Report



Legg Mason, Inc. (LM): Free Stock Analysis Report



Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN): Free Stock Analysis Report



Ares Management L.P. (ARES): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
At first glance, apart from a telltale little hole between its eyes, the inert fish looks like any other dead whiting.

But its flesh is much tastier thanks to the ancient Japanese method by which it was slaughtered: ikejime, also known as spiking.

Practised for centuries in Japan, the technique has been adopted only recently in France, and 30-year-old Brittany fisherman Daniel Kerdavid is one of only a handful of French purveyors of ikejime-slaughtered fish.

Receiving a delivery of Kerdavid's catch of the day, Michelin-starred chef Herve Bourdon exclaims: "Wow, aren't they beautiful!"

The use of ikejime "completely changes the taste and texture of the fish," says Bourdon, who serves up pearly white pollock with caramelised carrots at the Petit Hotel du Grand Large restaurant in the seaside Brittany town of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon.

"You can feel the muscle," he told AFP. "I don't know if you can imagine the result, something both firm and tender, and it also preserves the original colours of the fish. It's pretty extraordinary."

Adopting the technique has enabled Kerdavid to double his prices -- he now charges an average of eight euros (dollars) a kilo for his whiting.

But Bourdon says he is not bothered by the expense: "What I'm interested in is quality."

And Kerdavid is not looking back: "All my fish have already been sold," he says.

Another Michelin-starred chef Kerdavid has reeled in is Christopher Hache of the restaurant Les Ambassadeurs at the storied Hotel de Crillon in Paris.

As the majestic hotel undergoes extensive renovations, Hache is on a global mission scouting for techniques and ingredients used by other top chefs -- which turned him into a fan of the ikejime method, Kerdavid says.

Donning rubber boots and waterproof overalls, Kerdavid sets sail before dawn from the port of Quiberon on a quest for whiting, pollock and other fish around the island of Belle-Ile.

Story continues

Each fish he hauls aboard his nine-metre (30-foot) boat -- named Miyabi after the hook that is the main tool of his trade -- meets a sharp, swift fate.

With disconcerting self-assurance, Kerdavid sinks a miyabi between the fish's eyes, then pushes a steel spike through the hole into the brain, slicing through arteries as it goes.

The blood drains from the fish's body into a bin filled with ice water.

The technique destroys the fish's nervous system including the spinal cord in a few seconds while the heart continues to beat.

"The fish is still alive. Its internal organs continue to function, especially the heart, which will empty out all the blood," says Kerdavid, who has never set foot in Japan but learned the technique by watching video clips online.

"The blood is the main cause of the fish's deterioration," he says.

Not only is the flesh tastier with all the blood drained from it, but the fish has a longer storage life.

- Not left to thrash about -

The technique may seem cruel, but its proponents say it is more humane than allowing a fish to thrash about until it dies.

"I kill the fish, I don't leave them to die," Kerdavid says. "From the moment I pull my hook from the fish it feels no more pain."

Death by ikejime causes far less stress to the fish, assuring better quality flesh.

Kerdavid's haul for the day weighs 91 kilogrammes (200 pounds). The more fragile fish, such as whiting and pollock, are killed onboard.

Others such as conger eels, sea bream, rays or smooth-hound sharks are brought ashore to be killed after being kept alive in tanks.

As interest in ikejime-slaughtered fish grows among French chefs, Kerdavid wants to branch out, and is now looking into using the technique to kill lobsters as an alternative to boiling the animals alive.

Kerdavid has only two competitors in France, fish wholesaler France Ikejime and Damien Muller, a Corsican fisherman who uses ikejime to slaughter his bluefin tuna and swordfish.
Colmar (France) (AFP) - A French court on Thursday ordered the release on bail of former Kosovo prime minister and ex-rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj, who was arrested last week on suspicion of war crimes.

Haradinaj, who was ordered to remain in France, had lodged an appeal at a court in the eastern town of Colmar after his arrest on January 4 at a nearby airport by police acting on an international warrant.

Serbia wants to try the former leader of the insurgent Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) for alleged atrocities committed against civilians during the 1998-99 conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

The arrest in France increased tensions between Kosovo and Serbia at a time when they have been making slow progress towards normalising their ties under pressure from the European Union.

"These accusations from Serbia are purely political," Haradinaj told the court in French, dressed in a suit and tie. "What you are doing here is an abuse of the law."

Kosovo's government called the move "a first step" and hoped that Haradinaj would "soon benefit from full and total freedom to return to Kosovo".

Known as "Rambo" for his stocky build and military prowess, Haradinaj is seen as a hero at home for his efforts to win independence for Kosovo from late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

"Haradinaj is Kosovo" read placards held by hundreds of war veterans who rallied against his arrest outside the French embassy in Pristina last week.

His lawyer Rachel Lindon said his release on bail was the first stage of a fresh legal battle. He has been twice already tried and acquitted twice for war crimes.

The 48-year-old intends to try to overturn the arrest warrant issued by international police body Interpol at the request of Serbia and fight his extradition to Belgrade.

He must surrender his passport as part of the bail deal and will have to attend future court hearings which will examine the extradition request, the French court ruled.

Story continues

- Spike in tensions -

Haradinaj became prime minister of Kosovo in 2004 but stepped down after just over three months to face 37 charges of war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

He was acquitted in 2008, and again in a partial retrial in 2012.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has said arrest warrants such as Haradinaj's were "completely illegal and unjust" with the consequence of "provoking tensions and conflicts".

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic replied that "Serbia will not give up on prosecuting Haradinaj or anybody else who has committed crimes against Serbs".

"The Serb people like all others deserve justice," he said.

After the 1998-99 war, predominantly ethnic Albanian Kosovo became a United Nations protectorate and declared independence a decade later. Serbia has never recognised its independence.
By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was seen at Trump Tower on Thursday, but a spokesman for President-elect Donald Trump said she did not meet with him or his team. "No meetings with anyone," transition spokesman Sean Spicer said. "It's a public building." Le Pen, whose National Front party holds anti-immigrant and anti-European Union views, was seen entering an elevator at the building, according to a Reuters witness, but she did not speak to reporters gathered there. George Lombardi, a Trump friend who lives in Trump Tower, told reporters that he had coffee there Thursday with Le Pen, who he said he has known for 20 years. He said Le Pen did not request a meeting with Trump. A day earlier, Lombardi said, they attended a party with people they believe might raise money for her campaign, including business people and diplomats. "This is a perfectly privately encounter that she had with some friends of ours," Lombardi said. "Some people had been asking to meet her a long time ago, and she just happened to be here because I happen to live here." Le Pen, who is currently projected to lose a runoff with conservative former prime minister Francois Fillon in next May's election, has struggled to raise money for her campaign both in France and abroad. She has also sought to burnish her credentials with foreign appearances. Her staff in April announced that she would go to Britain to campaign for that country's exit from the European Union but she ended up not going after being shunned by the Brexit campaign. Le Pen was seen at Trump Tower with Lombardi, Louis Aliot, her partner and vice president of National Front, and Ludovic De Danne, her international affairs adviser. Her staff confirmed her visit to New York, characterizing it as a private trip. "She took two days to have a break," campaign director David Rachline said. Trump Tower has been the site of a series of meetings between Trump, a Republican, and business and political leaders as he assembles his administration ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration. It also has become a tourist destination since Trump's surprise November election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. The group Human Rights Watch mentioned both Trump and Le Pen in a report warning that the rise of populist leaders threatens global human rights. It cited Trump's victory as well as Britain's move to leave the European Union led by Nigel Farage, who Trump has praised. Le Pen is expected to earn enough votes in the first round of presidential voting in April to enter a second round election set for May 7. Last summer Le Pen told a French magazine that if she were American, she would vote for Trump rather than Clinton. A week after Trump's victory, Le Pen said she, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "would be good for world peace." (Reporting by Laila Kearney and Alexander Besant in New York and Emily Stephenson in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott and James Dalgleish)
New York (AFP) - The far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen visited Donald Trump's headquarters but left without meeting the US president-elect or any of his staff, aides said Thursday.

The National Front leader, who has praised Trump, was spotted having coffee at Trump Ice Cream Parlor on the lower-level lobby of Trump Tower with three men including her partner Louis Aliot, the party's vice president.

Also sighted with Le Pen in the Fifth Avenue skyscraper was George "Guido" Lombardi, an Italian businessman who lives in Trump Tower and whom Politico described as Trump's "self-professed contact to Europe's far-right parties."

Asked by journalists if she was there to meet Trump, Le Pen refused to respond.

Trump met another prominent European far-right leader, Britain's top Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, in November, when he was photographed open-mouthed in delight next to a grinning Trump.

"She is not meeting with anyone from our team," Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told reporters.

"No meetings. It's a public building," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said. Several hours later, friends confirmed that she had left out of public view.

"Private visit. No statement," Aliot wrote in a message when asked whether she planned to speak to reporters staked out in the lobby.

The lobby is a public area, and although police imposed stringent security after Trump's election on November 8, visitors are free to throng its souvenir shops and cafes.

"We did not reach out to the Trump campaign, we did not reach out to Mr Trump even though he is a friend of mine," Lombardi told reporters.

Le Pen is gearing up to contest the French presidential election with polls predicting that she will qualify for a second-round run-off in May but ultimately lose to her conservative rival Francois Fillon.

- Not the first -

Lombardi told reporters that Le Pen "just happened to be here because I happen to live here," adding that she may travel to Washington on Friday to meet members of Congress.

Story continues

He said he had introduced Le Pen to entrepreneurs, businessmen, industrialists and diplomats from the United Nations, whom he described as friends and potential donors, in a private gathering at Trump Tower on Wednesday evening.

"We didn't want to have a party for her in some restaurant or some open places, so we did a very private event, as I say we had a whole bunch of friends. It just happened to be at Trump Tower," he said.

Le Pen was one of the first foreign politicians to congratulate Trump on his surprise victory, which has emboldened far-right politicians across Europe.

French support for Le Pen has been fueled by anger with elites and concern over migration following jihadist attacks -- factors that also boosted backing for Britain's decision to quit the European Union and Trump's rise in the United States.

Like Trump, Le Pen has been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin as Moscow has courted the National Front and other populist anti-EU parties. Her party has also accepted funds from a Russian bank.

Breitbart News, the ultra-conservative site whose former executive chair Steve Bannon is Trump's chief strategist, has spoken admiringly of Le Pen.

Describing herself as "anti-establishment," she has worked to try to make the National Front more acceptable to mainstream voters, shedding the overtly anti-Semitic and racist image it had under her father Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Her platform remains focused on restricting immigration, fighting Islamist fundamentalism and withdrawing France from the European Union.
(WASHINGTON)  Retired Gen. James Mattis won overwhelming support Thursday in a first vote to allow him to run the Pentagon after telling senators he places Russia at No. 1 on his list of security threats. He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to break NATO.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 24-3 on a one-time exception for Mattis to serve as Donald Trumps defense secretary. The measure is necessary because Mattis hasnt been out of uniform for at least seven years. Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts opposed the legislation, which is expected to face votes in a House committee and the full Senate later in the day.

No career military officer has led the Pentagon since the 1950s, but even some of Trumps strongest critics have supported the exception for Mattis.

At his confirmation hearing Thursday, Mattis portrayed Russia as a strategic adversary and said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is short on successful efforts at lasting cooperation, something President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pursue.

While he agreed with thrust of Trumps plan to increase the size of the U.S. military, Mattis views on Russia appeared dissonant with that of his potential commander-in-chief. Trump has repeatedly emphasized his hope for good relations with Putin, even as U.S. intelligence agencies have accused the Russian leader of orchestrating a campaign of interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance.

He said he has explained to Trump his views on Russia, which include a deep worry that Moscow is determined to create a sphere of unstable states on its periphery through intimidation.

Mattis said he supports the Obama administrations moves to reassure European allies after Moscows annexation of Ukraines Crimea region and military activity in eastern Ukraine. While the U.S. should remain open to working with Russia, Mattis said, the prospects for cooperation were narrowing.

Story continues

The context was clear. As Mattis spoke, Trumps choice to run the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, sided with intelligence officials who claim the Kremlin was behind the election cyberattacks, adopting a similarly tough stand against Russia. Ties between the former Cold War foes also have been strained by Syrias civil war.

The legislation on Mattis exception is separate from his confirmation process, which also seems assured. He faced no hostile questions from Republicans or Democrats, receiving bipartisan praise for his reputation as a straight-talking, well-read man of integrity and intelligence.

How about Mr. Secretary? Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked him half-jokingly.

William Cohen, a defense secretary for Democratic President Bill Clinton, introduced Mattis as a humble man with very little to be humble about.

Hes a man of thought as well as action, Cohen said.

Mattis said the world order is under the biggest attack since World War II, blaming Russia, China and international terrorist organizations for its destabilization.

Asked by Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services Committees Republican chairman, if the U.S. military is ready to confront these challenges, Mattis replied: No, sir.

On cyberattacks, Mattis noted that wars often are started by miscalculation. He said the U.S. needs to set clear boundaries so that adversaries know what the U.S. will not tolerate.

A former top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Mattis said he believes Washington must restore a better relationship with Israel and Arab partners. Still, he declined to embrace the common Republican assertion that President Barack Obama allowed Israels military edge over its regional foes to erode.

In prepared testimony, Mattis said he understands his role as the Defense Departments civilian leader would be different in essence and in substance from his four decades in uniform.

The esprit de corps of our military, its can-do spirit and its obedience to civilian leadership reduces the inclination and power of the military to criticize or oppose the policy it is ultimately ordered to implement, Mattis said. He called civilian control a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition.

Mattis, 66, retired in 2013 after serving as commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of all U.S. forces in the Middle East.

He is known for having strong views on Iran, but spoke of the U.S. having to honor a 2015 nuclear deal with the country. Trump has indicated he wants to renegotiate aspects of the agreement.

The last career military officer to serve as defense secretary was George Marshall in 1950-51.
MABLETON, Ga. (AP)  A Georgia gun store owner's quick reflexes and skilled marksmanship may have saved his life and others when armed robbers came calling.

Surveillance video shows Jimmy Groover, owner of Dixie Gun and Pawn, turning around when two suspects walk into his store on Dec. 26. Another employee raises his hands as the suspects charge in.

At least one is wearing a mask and has a gun drawn, pointed in the direction of Groover and his employee. Groover wedged himself behind a gun safe in the back of the store. He said he heard one of them say, "Get on the ground. I'm going to kill you."

"I saw the mask and the gun at the same time, and I knew it was him or me," Groover told The Associated Press on Thursday, adding that he acted to protect himself, his employee and two customers who were in the store.

The suspect draws a second gun and Groover fires at least two shots at the first suspect, who immediately falls to the floor on his back, both guns falling from his hands.

As the suspect fell, he fired a bullet that shattered the counter's glass case and lodged in a door just inches from where Groover was standing, he said.

Groover appears to fire several shots toward the other suspect, as he turns and flees. Smoke from the gunshots fills the store.

The suspect who was shot, 30-year-old Donovan Chopin, died at the scene, police said. The investigation into attempted robbery is ongoing and the second suspect has not been caught, Cobb County police Officer Alicia Chilton said.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

Groover doesn't face any charges, Chilton said.

In the 30 years that Groover, 64, has owned a gun store, this was the first time he's been present when someone tried to rob him. But there have been 18 burglaries at his store and about a dozen attempted burglaries over those three decades, he said.

When an AP reporter visited his store Thursday, Cobb County police officers were there, downloading surveillance video from an attempted burglary on Jan. 6.

Story continues

Since news of the shooting, Groover said he's received calls from around the country.

"They've just called to give me support because they know it's not an easy thing to do," he said. "People are tired of being victimized, and they're glad to see a good guy win."

___

Follow Kate Brumback on Twitter at http://twitter.com/katebrumback
By Ruth Anderah

Jinja High Court Judge Eva Luswata has declined to refer King Mumberes bail application to the International Crimes Division Court as earlier requested the by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Justice Luswata has ruled that at this stage when the DPP has not yet committed Mumbere for trial before the ICD, the king can appear before any High Court judge for purposes of bail hearing.

The judge says the Constitution gives the High Court unlimited jurisdiction to entertain all matters and therefore she does not need to be designated as an ICD judge by the Principle Judge to hear this application.

Justice Luswata has therefore dismissed the DPPs application to have Mumberes bail application transferred to a single judge of the ICD and ordered the Kings lawyers led by Caleb Alaka to proceed with presenting their sureties.

The judge however explains that her ruling does not bar the DPP from having the king tried before the right court with powers to try his offences.

On the Monday this week, the DPP Mike Chibita through his attorney Racheal Bikhole requested that King Mumberes bail application be heard before the ICD which they said had jurisdiction to try terrorism being one of the offences he faces.
For over a decade, Georgias United National Movement (UNM) was associated with one man: Mikheil Saakashvili. Until Thursday, that is, when the party split in two.

As EurasiaNet reported, several key figures all broke away from Georgias primary  and arguably most fervently pro-Western  opposition party. The split, it seems, is due to a clash between Saakashvilis agenda and that of the party he founded, forcing even personal confidants of the former president out of the party.

The departures include Giga Bokeria, formerly national security council secretary; Gigi Ugulava, former mayor of Tbilisi; and Davit Bakradze, former foreign minister. They announced, but did not name, a new party.

The UNM split was bound to happen sooner than later, and probably should have taken place years ago, Michael Cecire, an expert at New America, told Foreign Policy.

The fundamental issue is that Saakashvilis personal political agenda is often at cross purposes with that of the party he started. Its interesting that Ugulava and Bokeria are the ones leading the split, as they were long considered UNM hardliners and among the few personal confidants of Saakashvilis, he said.

But even they needed to face the music of Georgian politics. Ugulava, who until recently was serving a year and nine month sentence in prison for misusing public funds, said, Saakashvili was the partys founder, but he has become its undoing  We need to look forward. If you turn back, you turn into a pillar of salt. 21 of the 27 UNM members in parliament evidently agreed with him and left.

Ugulava said the opposition needs to focus its efforts against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgia Dream, the party that gained a parliamentary supermajority in 2016. And, indeed, per Nika Nasrashvili, formerly of the nonprofit CRRC Georgia, this may make life more difficult for Georgian Dream and Ivanishvili, who will no longer be able to use UNM as an excuse to justify their failures.

Story continues

Ivanishvili, who doesnt hold an elected office, made his fortune in Moscow and lives in a glass house (with a shark) on a hill overlooking Tbilisi.

Still, though Georgian Dream is considered less avidly pro-Western than UNM (certainly, Ivanishvili is considered less pro-Western than Saakashvili), the West is still the only game in town for Georgia. Experts think this split is unlikely to change that.

I do not expect any major shifts in the geopolitical leaning of the country, at least in the immediate future, says Alexi Gugushvili, a research associate at the University of Cambridge. Even those who left have pro-Western inclinations, he said, and theyve offered to work with UNM. And while the collapse of the UNM might worry those who want to wrap Georgia closer in a Western embrace, he said, as an opposition party it didnt have much say in foreign affairs anyway.

Saakashvili came to power through the Rose Revolution of 2003 and ruled Georgia until 2012, when he lost to Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream. Some remember him for much needed pro-Western reforms; others, for abuse of power. Since then, he made his way to Ukraine, where he was governor of Odessa until last November, when he resigned, calling out corruption and threatening to challenge that countrys powers that be. From Ukraine, he reportedly called his partys defectors losers, and declared Jan. 12 the day of UNMs return for freedom and the people.

But the defection could instead end up jumpstarting Georgias opposition forces. If the departed faction can grow and appeal to the anti-Saakashvili, pro-Western electorate, they could challenge Georgian Dream for power in 2020, said Gugushvili.

Update, Jan. 12 2017, 2:48 pm ET: This post was updated to include comment from Nasrashvili.

Photo credit: VANO SHLAMOV/AFP/Getty Images
Geneva (AFP) - The man behind the annual Davos forum that for decades has been singing the praises of global trade insists that globalisation is only one factor in dramatic shifts provoking angst and anger.

Klaus Schwab, the 78-year-old founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, told AFP in an interview this week he understood that rapid changes in our societies were provoking anxiety, but stressed that globalised trade was not the sole culprit.

"It's not just a backlash against globalisation," he said, adding that "what we are witnessing is a time of enormous change."

Rapid shifts in technology, economies and social structures have fuelled "a certain anxiety of the people, (who) are looking for an identity in this new world," he said.

This year's Davos meetings take place next week, and Schwab's comments come after a wave of anti-establishment populism over the past year which saw Britain vote to leave the European Union and maverick billionaire businessman Donald Trump elected as US president.

Other populists have also been gaining ground in many Western democracies, largely by stoking fears about globalisation, immigration and refugee flows.

Schwab said the world appeared to be in "emotional turmoil" but said the turbulence was rooted in a range of factors, including deep concerns over how new technologies are threatening jobs.

Globalisation, he insisted, is simply "a very easy scapegoat."

- A more fragile world -

But while globalisation is easy to blame, there are no good alternatives to it, he suggested, warning of the dangers of growing isolationism.

A more isolationist world would be "different from today's world," he said, including a likely return of borders and border controls in Europe "with all the inconvenience for business but also for people that borders represent."

"But what I'm much more concerned with is the fact that countries become much more egotistical under the pressure of the national electorate," he said.

Story continues

An isolationist world would be one that is no longer "based on shared values, but a world which will be characterised by interests," he warned, saying that if global cooperation happened at all it would be based on shared interest alone.

"But a global cooperation which is based just on sharing interests will be very unstable because values remain the same, but interests move over time," he said.

"We will be in a much more fragile world," he said.

WEF, which for the past 47 years has been organising the Davos forum of political and business elites, pointed out this week that Schwab had been sounding the alarm on this issue for decades.

The organisation pointed to an opinion piece in the New York Times that he co-authored in 1996, in which he warned that the "mounting backlash against (globalisation's) effects ... is threatening a very disruptive impact on economic activity and social stability in many countries."

Schwab said Davos is the perfect place to begin addressing the problem, with its strong focus on "the need for responsive and responsible leaders."

"Responsive means that if you are a good leader, you have to listen to the people who have entrusted you with leadership," he said.

"But in the end, it's not enough just to listen. You have to solve the issues. You have to address... the root causes."

"Why the people are angry, and why they are not satisfied. That's responsibility which needs courage and which needs decision-making and which needs action orientation," Schwab said.

But Davos is not just about political leaders, he said, insisting that the forum offered a unique platform for cooperation across politics, business, civil society and experts.

"The big issues in the world cannot be solved by governments alone or by businesses alone," Schwab said.

"I think in a world which is disintegrating and which is polarising, you need a clue, and you need a mechanism for interaction, you need a mechanism for dialogue," he said.
Another bombshell just dropped into President-elect Donald Trumps bumpy transition as the Justice Departments inspector general announced Thursday his office will investigate the FBIs actions in advance of the 2016 election.

During the presidential campaign, Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons campaign was dogged by a consistent drip of information and allegations about her use of a private email server while secretary of state. FBI Director James Comey personally testified before Congress in July that Clinton and her aides had been extremely careless but he had found no basis for criminal charges related to the email practice. Later, just weeks before the election, Comey sent out a letter announcing another review, before ultimately telling Congress  two days before the election  that the FBI hadnt changed its conclusions not to bring charges.

Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced his office was initiating the review in response to numerous requests from the chairmen and ranking members of Congressional oversight committees, as well as other organizations and the public.

The Clinton campaign had railed against Comeys actions so close to the election, blaming the flare-up of the controversy in part for her defeat. Clinton herself said after the election our analysis is that Comeys letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum.

Horowitz noted the investigation wont affect any of the Justice Department or FBIs conclusions about Clintons emails. Both Comeys announcements  and now Horowtizs  are extremely rare in breaking with department policy that broadly prohibits referring to investigations or appearing political.

The review will not substitute the OIGs judgement for the judgements made by the FBI or Department regarding the substantive merits of investigative or prosecutive decisions, the Thursday announcement said.

The investigation will dig into allegations that Comey and the FBI didnt follow proper procedure in the July announcement or subsequent letters this fall, and that certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations. The probe will also look into whether the bureau improperly disclosed non-public information, and whether Deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, whose wife ran as a Democrat in Virginia for the state senate, shouldve recused himself. Lastly, the IG will assess whether the timing of an information dump pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request just a week before Election Day  and tweets publicizing the drop  was effectively political.

Story continues

As for the Justice Department, the investigation will look into whether the departments Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, Peter J. Kadzik, improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign, or similarly shouldve recused himself.

An email released by Wikileaks on Nov. 2 appeared to show Kadzik giving Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta a heads up about the State Departments review of Clintons emails. The exchange was one of tens of thousands of Podestas emails published by Wikileaks in the runup to the election.

The latest announcement from the Justice Department inspector general comes before Trump takes office next Friday, adding to the swirl of controversy over the election, the role played by Russia, and the possible role that Justice Department investigations into candidates may have had on the outcome. Last week, the intelligence community briefed both the president-elect and President Obama on allegations suggesting Trump had been compromised by Moscow, including an explosive but unsubstantiated dossier.

Such inspector general investigations can last months or even years, and could end fully exonerating current leadership, in a formal reprimand, or with stronger repercussions. Horowitz has the authority to recommend a criminal investigation, but theres been no evidence any actions taken were unlawful.

The inspector general is an oversight position independent of both the department and the White House. Obama appointed Horowitz and the Senate confirmed him in 2012.

No president can fire him, a Justice Department employee told Foreign Policy Thursday.

But a spokesman for the Senate Judiciary said later that the DOJ IG does not have a term limit and can only be removed by the president  with notice to Congress  or by impeachment.

The move only adds to tension as Trumps relationship with the intelligence community and FBI has turned south in light of the latest reports, with the president-elect comparing them to Nazis and vowing a government investigation to pursue leakers. James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told Trump Wednesday that the leaks were regrettable and did not come from the U.S. intelligence community.

Horowitz too has had run-ins with the FBI and the broader Justice Department. He wrote to Congress in February, 2016, with claims the bureau was stonewalling his investigations and routinely blocking access to records. Hes also in the middle of an intra-government fight over access to records for inspectors general. Last month, Obama signed legislation granting new legal protections to inspectors general for federal agencies.

As the Republican nominee, Trump consistently and gleefully hit the issue of Clintons email use, suggesting it was a serious security risk. He argued that a brief June meeting on the tarmac between Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton was inappropriate and may have weighed Lynchs conclusion in early July not to pursue any charges in relation to the emails.

The Justice Department for its part had strongly urged Comey against bucking protocol and revealing the investigation  much less providing details about it  in late October. But Comey had also been battling warring leaks from within his department.

Comey, on the Hill this week for more briefings about the Russian campaign to undermine the election, refused to say whether the FBI is investigating Trumps ties to Russia, in contrast to his willingness to talk about details of the Clinton investigation.

I would never comment on investigations, whether we have them or not, in an open forum like this, he said.

This story has been updated with clarification from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Photo Credit: Win McNamee / Staff
Matt LaRocco was driving from a client meeting in Philadelphia to his home in the District of Columbia when his feet started to tingle as if they were falling asleep. The next day, the lobbyist and new dad awoke to an "incredible" pain in his right shoulder and left thigh. A few doctor visits and days later, he collapsed while walking to the car. He was just thankful he hadn't been holding his 9-month-old daughter at the time in late 2011.

"I lost all feelings in my legs and I just fell," recalls LaRocco, 46, who was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder in which the immune system attacks parts of the peripheral nervous system, which can cause muscle weakness, pain, balance issues and even paralysis, albeit typically temporarily. "It can be mild," says Dr. Ken Gorson, a professor of neurology at Tufts University School of Medicine and president of GBS-CIDP Foundation International's Global Medical Advisory Board, "or, for the more severe cases, it can be a devastating, life-altering disease."

[See: 5 Rare Diseases You've Never Heard of Until Now.]

For LaRocco, the numbness, which landed him in the intensive care unit for 28 days, crawled up his body, paralyzing him from the neck down. He couldn't breathe, but survived on a respirator. He couldn't talk, but established a system of blinking and using other signals to communicate. He couldn't feel his wife's or daughter's hands on his, but he could feel the deep pain caused by nerves whose protective coating, or myelin, had been damaged. "You can't feel your fingers," he says, "but you've got this deep pain just running through. Thanks to a cocktail of powerful painkillers, the rest of LaRocco's experience in the ICU is hazy. "I'm glad that honestly I don't remember a lot of it," he says.

"Their Lives Are Completely Rocked"

Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or GBS, affects about 1 in 100,000 people, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The condition's rarity plays out in two common ways: Clinicians frequently misdiagnose it as something more common like Lyme disease (LaRocco's original diagnosis), and patients have not typically heard of it until they are diagnosed. "Their lives are completely rocked by this," says Gorson, noting that in about two-thirds of cases, the condition, which is not itself contagious, seems to be triggered by an infectious agent -- say, a respiratory virus, an infectious diarrheal illness or likely even Zika -- even though symptoms of the offending virus tend to subside weeks earlier.

Story continues

GBS may also be triggered by a vaccine, although clinicians and even patients like LaRocco, who was told the flu vaccine spurred his GBS, contend that the flu vaccine's benefits -- like preventing hospitalization and even death among both vaccine recipients and people around them -- outweigh the slight risk. "There's nothing people can do to prevent acquiring Guillain-Barre syndrome," which is typically diagnosed through an evaluation of symptoms, blood tests and a spinal tap, Gorson says.

[See: 10 Cold and Flu Myths Debunked.]

While scientists are still working to find out why some people are more susceptible to GBS than others, they do know more about how the disease's autoimmune reaction progresses than in the past, says Brian Popko, a professor of neurological disorders at the University of Chicago, where he directs the Center for Peripheral Neuropathy. In some cases, they've found, the immune system rightly generates antibodies to fight a virus, but those antibodies wrongly attack some peripheral nerves' myelin sheath, or the protective coating that helps nerves communicate. In other cases, these antibodies destroy the nerve axon, which carries nerve signals, underneath. And in some cases, they affect both.

"Encouragingly, both ... have a natural capacity for repair," Popko says, "which explains why most patients recover even from the most severe forms of GBS."

Life After GBS

Once LaRocco received the correct diagnosis, doctors tried to treat him with intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIG, a standard therapy that involves infusing healthy antibodies into the patient in order to sort of neutralize the antibodies that are attacking the nerves. But LaRocco didn't respond to the treatment, so doctors tried plasmapheresis, a plasma exchange therapy similar to dialysis. Eventually, it began to work. "These treatments don't grow the nerves back," Gorson explains. "What they do is they hasten the recovery that would otherwise normally occur."

A hastened recovery is still a slow one, as LaRocco's experience demonstrates. He spent six weeks learning how to sit up and otherwise regain some muscle function in an inpatient rehabilitation center and another six weeks as a rehab outpatient relearning to walk. Simply moving his big toe for the first time after treatment was such a "big deal," LaRocco says, that he and his dad teared up when it happened. "Doctors can sit there and tell you all day long that you're going to regain the feeling in your feet, but ... you're thinking, 'This is it. It's going to be like this for life with people feeding me and changing me' -- you just get the worst thoughts."

Amy Boimare can relate. The 61-year-old registered nurse in Biloxi, Mississippi, contracted GBS in 1999 and has since dealt with slowly diminishing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which LaRocco has also experienced. "Most people with GBS have had a near-death experience," Boimare says. For Denise Bradshaw, a business analysit in Omaha, Nebraska, who was diagnosed with GBS in 2011, the condition continues to affect her wallet (health care costs and foods and supplements to manage pain and other lingering symptoms add up), energy level and social life. "You make plans for the weekend, but then wake up that day in either so much pain or fatigue you can't really manage, so you cancel plans," she says. Plus, she adds, "People don't believe you are 'really sick,' because I look fine."

Such lingering symptoms are a big reason Gorson says it's critical to seek care from a neurologist at a major medical center that's experienced in caring for GBS patients. "It's the complications of this disease that cause prolonged hospitalization and increased morbidity and mortality," he says.

[See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients.]

LaRocco knows he's lucky. He had a strong support system in his wife and employer, who advocated for insurance coverage and proper follow-up care, and he received treatment at a reputable hospital. And although he continues to battle fatigue and a few sensory deficits, he can run, work and, importantly, play with his family (now a foursome) again. "There was life before GBS and life after GBS," LaRocco says, citing his family's trips to Thailand and Denmark as evidence of the why-not-now attitude they've adopted in the "after" phase. "We look at life differently and make sure [our daughters] do, too," he says. "We're having a lot of fun."
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Hamas security forces broke up a protest in northern Gaza on Thursday, an AFP photographer and witnesses said, as thousands took to the streets over an electricity crisis.

The demonstrators gathered in the Jabalia refugee camp for a march, with protesters carrying signs and chanting "We want electricity" and other slogans.

They headed to the headquarters of the state-run electricity company in northern Gaza, but Hamas security forces fired live ammunition in the air and dispersed them with batons, the AFP photographer said.

A number of marchers threw stones at the building, he added.

Iyad al-Bozum, a spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry, told AFP the march spilt onto the street of the camp and that security forces intervened when "rioting" started.

The photographer reported that a policeman hit him in the face with a gun for refusing to hand over his camera. He was arrested and the memory card of his camera confiscated.

He was escorted to a hospital where he was treated with three stitches to his face before being released and his memory card returned.

An AP journalist was arrested by plain-clothed Hamas security forces, who forced him to hand over his mobile phones, according to the Foreign Press Association, the foreign media union operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The FPA condemned the "violent behaviour in the strongest terms" in a statement, while AFP also complained to the Gaza interior ministry spokesman.

Gaza has seen near daily protests in recent days over power shortages.

The more than two millions residents of the Gaza Strip have been receiving just four hours a day of electricity since the end of last year, as opposed to alternating eight-hour cycles.

The UN envoy for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, expressed concern over the "tense situation" in Gaza, where residents receive "just a couple of hours of electricity per day in the middle of winter."

"I call for the full respect of the right to freedom of expression, peaceful protest and assembly in Gaza," he said in a statement. "All responsible authorities must cooperate to resolve the electricity crisis immediately."

The Islamist Hamas has controlled the tiny Palestinian enclave, sandwiched between Israel and Egypt, since 2007.
By Astrid Zweynert LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Habibah, a Nigerian lesbian, was forced by her family to marry a man, who raped her on their wedding night, while Somadina was told she would die early because she calls herself queer. Their experiences are documented in a new report by the Bisi Alimi Foundation, which promotes social acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Nigerians. "The spectrum of hatred and discrimination against LGBT people is very wide in Nigeria, and forms part of deep-rooted cultural attitudes," said Bisi Alimi, director and founder of the foundation. The 41-year-old was the first Nigerian to openly declare his sexuality on national television, coming out in 2004. Facing threats to his life thereafter, he moved to Britain where he now lives with his husband. The foundation surveyed almost 450 LGBT Nigerians, all of them aged over 18 and either still living in Nigeria or who had left the largely conservative country within the past decade. Violence and harassment is widespread in Nigeria where homosexuals can be imprisoned for up to 14 years for expressing their sexual orientation, according to the report, which is due out on Friday. Some 55 percent of respondents said they had been physically attacked or threatened with violence at home or work in the past decade, while 54 percent had experienced threats and harassment online. The survey found 71 percent of respondents believed this abuse was due to their gender identity or sexuality. Violence is widespread but victims often do not report it because of police discrimination, the report said. Stigma, family rejection, community exclusion and isolation are also common, adding to the mental stress of hiding their sexual orientation, the report found. With the highest HIV prevalence rate of any country in West and Central Africa, discrimination against gays in healthcare services can have serious consequences, the report said. Twelve percent of respondents said they were told by doctors or nurses their health problems were their own fault, and another 12 percent reported experiencing verbal abuse from doctors or nurses. FAR-REACHING LAW Nigerians involved in a gay marriage or civil union face imprisonment for up to 14 years under a law introduced in 2014. Named the "Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act", it purports to legislate against people of the same sex marrying but it has far wider reaching implications, said Alimi. Dubbed "Jail the Gays" in the media, the law stipulates that anyone who registers, operates or takes part in gay organizations, or makes a public show of a same-sex relationship, will be punished with up to 10 years in prison. The implementation of the law prompted a crackdown on gays and increased violence despite international condemnation. While previous legislation already criminalized same-sex conduct, the 2014 law officially authorizes abuses against LGBT people, effectively making a bad situation worse, a report by Human Rights Watch said in October 2016. "When this law came into force, it opened a door of hate and legalized prejudice," Alimi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "The main issue for LGBT people in Nigeria is not same-sex marriage - but being able to live a life free from rejection, assault and abuse." Alimi said he hoped to change public perceptions by providing facts about the life of LGBT people in Nigeria. "There has never been data on homophobia in Nigeria," he said. "We hope that by building a database that documents the discrimination, we can bring about change and galvanize a change in attitudes." (Reporting by Astrid Zweynert; Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories)
(This December 17, 2016 story was corrected to recast paragraph 14 and show that Red Cross adopted Heimlich method in 1976)

By Bill Trott

(Reuters) - Henry Heimlich, the medical maverick who came up with a maneuver credited with saving thousands of choking victims but who damaged his standing as a proponent of the curative powers of malaria, died on Saturday at the age of 96.

Heimlich, a doctor who developed a life-saving technique to dislodge airway blockages, died at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati of complications from a massive heart attack he suffered on Monday, his family said in a statement.

A thoracic surgeon who often feuded with the established medical community, Heimlich said the maneuver which was named after him saved more than 100,000 lives. He claimed to have used it himself last May on another resident of the Cincinnati retirement home where he lived.

"It made me appreciate how wonderful it has been to be able to save all those lives," he once told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Heimlich came up with the ground-breaking technique in 1974 after reading about the high rate of deaths in restaurants that first were attributed to heart attacks, but later found to have been caused by diners choking on food.

An ordinary person could be a hero with "the Heimlich Maneuver" - it requires no equipment, no great strength and only minimal training.

The popular wisdom at the time called for repeatedly slapping the back of person struggling with an obstruction of the passage to the lungs.

But Heimlich, who was then at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, believed the back slaps could force the blockage deeper. To prove his method, he took anesthetized lab dogs, blocked their windpipes with hunks of meat attached to strings in case of emergency and developed a technique that would send his name around the world.

The Heimlich Maneuver called for the rescuer to stand behind the choking victim, apply the thumb-side of a fist to a spot just under the diaphragm and between the lungs. By pushing sharply on that spot, a surge of air from the lungs would then expel the blockage.

Story continues

"Dad was a hero to many people around the world for a simple reason: He helped save untold numbers of lives through the innovation of common-sense procedures and devices," his family said in the statement. "But he was not only a physician and medical inventor, he was also a humanitarian and a loving and devoted son, husband, father and grandfather."

Heimlich wrote about his discovery for a medical journal and it began to spread due to media coverage. A man in Washington state who came to a neighbor's rescue was credited with being the first person to use the Heimlich Maneuver shortly after reading a newspaper story about it. The charismatic doctor also busily promoted the technique, including appearances on late-night television talk shows with Johnny Carson and David Letterman.

Heimlich collected anecdotes about Heimlich rescues throughout his life. Among them were the aide who saved Ronald Reagan during his 1976 presidential campaign and Tom Brokaw coming to the aid of fellow NBC newsman John Chancellor.

Actress Cher was saved by director Robert Altman and Clint Eastwood once prevented a partygoer from choking. In 2015, a 13-year-old boy was able to clear a classmate's blockage after learning the move watching the cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants."

'ONLY METHOD'

Some members of the medical community had been slow to accept the Heimlich Maneuver, partly because there had been no official human trials, but in 1976 the Red Cross included it in guidelines for clearing obstructed air passages.

In 1984, Heimlich was given the prestigious Lasker Award for public service. A year later C. Everett Koop, then the U.S. surgeon general, said the Heimlich method should be "the only method" used for choking victims.

In 1986, it was officially recommended as the primary anti-choking technique by the Red Cross, although the organization would reverse that decision in 2006, saying "abdominal thrusts" should only be a secondary method.

As the Heimlich Maneuver became part of American culture, its namesake sought more innovation. He thought his technique should also be used to clear mucus from the lungs during an asthma attack and was better than cardiopulmonary resuscitation for drowning victims - claims that were dismissed by authorities such as the Red Cross and the American Medical Association.

Heimlich damaged his credibility further by espousing malaria therapy, saying the high fevers of malaria stimulated the body's immune system enough to counter AIDS, cancer and Lyme disease.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discounted that theory, but under Heimlich's direction, human malaria therapy trials were conducted in Mexico, China and Africa because they would never have been permitted in the United States.

"I don't follow all the rules if there's a better, faster way to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in a 1994 interview. "If your peers understand what you've done, you are not being creative."

His fiercest critic turned out to be son Peter, who had once played in a band called Choke and done the music for Heimlich's promotional film. The son devoted himself to debunking Heimlich's work - first in a pseudonymous blog - and denounced him as the creator of "a remarkable unseen history of fraud."

Heimlich's work with malarial therapy to fight AIDS was briefly a popular cause in the mid-1990s, especially in Hollywood, where celebrities hosted fundraisers for his research and donors included Jack Nicholson, Bob Hope and Ron Howard.

Dr. Edward Patrick, a longtime collaborator who died in 2009, issued a press release in 2003 saying he was the co-developer of the Heimlich Maneuver.

Heimlich also was credited with inventing a valve that bears his name and is used to prevent air from filling the chest cavity in trauma cases.

Heimlich and Jane Murray, daughter of dance school magnate Arthur Murray and a proponent of alternative medical methods, were married from 1951 until her death in 2012. They had four children.

(Additional reporting by Frank McGurty, editing by G Crosse)
If you havent had enough of the real Donald Trump, dont worry. Fictionalized versions of him may be flooding your TV screens soon enough.

The boss of the Fox Television Group, which produces fare ranging from This Is Us to The Simpsons, predicts that pitch meetings are about to get Trump-y, now that the volatile real estate mogul is about to move into the Oval Office and is dominating headlines with virtually every tweet.

Im sure we will, Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group, said in an interview Wednesday with TheWrap at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, when asked if he expects a wave of Trump-inspired scripts.

Also Read: 'Shots Fired' Star Richard Dreyfuss Calls It 'The Most Current Show You Will Ever See'

He added that most TV writers had already finished working up their pilot ideas for the current development season before the November election. But, Im sure next year, were gonna get pitches that will have Trump-like characters at the heart of shows, and well certainly listen, Newman said.

Probably among the community of writers working in Hollywood, few would have believed right up until the day of the election that this was the direction it was going to go, he added.

But the election wont change the fundamental need for Fox  and other broadcasters  to find hits. That means shows that appeal to many millions of people, regardless of political affiliation.

Also Read: Fox Boss Gary Newman Talks 'Pitch,' 'Exorcist,' 'This Is Us'

We have talked a lot over the years about how we cant be programming to ourselves, we cant program within the bubble of Los Angeles and maybe the bubble of New York, he said. That theres a big, broad country between the two coasts, and we have to be mindful of their interests and sensibility.

Fox is controlled by News Corp. billionaire Rupert Murdoch, a Trump supporter, who last year took the reins at Fox News Channel following the ouster of Roger Ailes, who had been accused of sexual harassment by numerous women.

Story continues

But Newman said neither Murdoch nor any other senior executive has issued any edicts that programming should be Trump-friendly.

We do not get those sorts of messages from our company, he said. Fox News is a very separate sort of entity, and we dont receive any pressure from our management about doing shows that are appealing to certain groups or anything. And honestly, my personal political feelings are not that relevant to the programs were selecting . Were trying to appeal to a broad audience.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Watch Fox News Defend Rival CNN Against Donald Trump's 'Fake News' Claim (Video)

Fox Boss Gary Newman Talks 'Pitch,' 'Exorcist,' 'This Is Us'

'Empire' Renewed by Fox for Season 4
In recent years, Honda has announced that it planned to release advanced-technology green cars in the futurewithout mentioning even their names, let alone any details or specifications.

That's what happened two years ago with a pair of unnamed battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that later proved to be two new variants of the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedan.

Now the company's done it again, with an announcement that came during the Detroit Auto Show launch of its 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan.

DON'T MISS: Honda To Offer New Electric Car, Plug-In Hybrid Model By 2018 (Jan 2015)

It was really two separate announcements, both bereft of any details beyond their single-sentence summaries.

First, Honda intends to launch a new dedicated hybrid vehicle next year, to be made at an existing factory in the U.S.

While it built Accord Hybrids for the 2014 and 2015 model years in its Ohio assembly plant, that variant was moved back to Japan for the hybrid sedan's 2017 model year.

2018 Honda Odyssey, 2017 Detroit auto show

Honda said nothing about what kind of vehicle that new hybrid model might be, although it will use the two-motor hybrid system found in the current Accord Hybrid.

Nor did it specify a model name, although several reports have suggested that the Insight name might be revived once more for the new hybrid.

To borrow the ever-so-apropos words of another auto site, we have no insight into the car's future model name.

ALSO SEE: 2018 Honda Clarity electric versions: first details, 40-plus-mile range for plug-in hybrid

Second, the company also said it will expand use of its two-motor hybrid system from passenger cars into its "light-truck lineup" in the future.

Such an announcement had been likely since roughly 2012, when Honda first released details of the two-motor system, saying it was intended for "heavier vehicles."

The new hybrid Honda truck could be one of three vehicles: the Odyssey minivan, the Pilot mid-size crossover utility vehicle, or the Ridgeline pickup truck (which won the 2017 Truck of the Year Award at the same show).

Story continues

2017 Honda Ridgeline, 2016 Detroit Auto Show

The Chrysler Pacifica (plug-in) Hybrid minivan will go on sale across the U.S. this quarter and next, numerous plug-in hybrid mid-size SUVs are now on the market.

At the Detroit show, Ford also confirmed that it would release an F-150 Hybrid pickup truck by 2020.

Those vehicles collectively seed each of the three segments, meaning Honda might not pioneer a new type of hybridunless it's in the Ridgeline.

CHECK OUT: Two-Thirds Of 2030 Hondas Will Be Electrified Or Zero Emission: CEO (Feb 2016)

This year, Honda will release the Clarity Electric and Clarity Plug-In, the two additional versions of the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell that went on sale last month in limited regions of California.

In its release, Honda noted that its global target for electrified models is two-thirds of total production by 2030.

"In the long term," said Takahiro Hachigo, president and CEO of Honda at the event, "electrified vehicles are key to the future of carbon-free mobility."

For all the latest on green-car debuts at this week's event, head over to our Detroit auto show news page.

_______________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.
The Army's troubled program to buy a new standard-issue handgun for soldiers was the subject of renewed debate on Capitol Hill.

During Thursday's confirmation hearing for retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to become defense secretary in the Trump administration, Republican Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Thom Tillis of North Carolina took turns criticizing the service's XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) program, a $350 million competition to buy a replacement to the Cold War-era M9 9mm pistol

At a time when Russia is upgrading its service rifle, "we continue to modify our M4s [and] many of our troops still carry M16s, the Army can't even figure out how to replace the M9 pistol, first issued in 1982," Ernst said.

The senator, a frequent critic of the program who in 2015 retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard, said she and others would joke while in the military that "sometimes the most efficient use of an M9 is to simply throw it at your adversary."

Ernst blasted the Modular Handgun Program's many requirements. "Take a look at their 350-page micromanaging requirements document if you want to know why it's taking so long to get this accomplished," she said.

She also mocked the stopping power of the 5.56mm rifle round. "Our military currently shoots a bullet that, as you know, is illegal for shooting small deer in nearly all states due to its lack of killing power," she said.

Tillis went even further by showing up to the hearing with the pistol program's full several hundred pages of requirements documents wrapped in red ribbon. "This is a great testament to what's wrong with defense acquisition," he said, slapping the three-inch-tall stack of paperwork.

In response, Mattis said, "I can't defend this," but added, "I will say that at times there were regulations that required us to do things."

Coincidentally, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley was asked about the program earlier in the day at a breakfast sponsored by the Association of the United States Army. Milley was tight-lipped about the effort but hinted the service is making progress.

Beretta, FN Herstal, Sig Sauer and Glock are reportedly still competing for the program after the Army dropped Smith & Wesson from the competition last year. We're hoping these gunmakers will help shed more light on the status of the program next week at SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
Hong Kong (AFP) - Hong Kong's tough pro-Beijing number two Carrie Lam announced her bid to lead the deeply divided city Thursday after stepping down from her current post.

Lam is deputy to Hong Kong's unpopular leader Leung Chun-ying and rose through the ranks as a career civil servant before taking public office.

The city has become sharply polarised under Leung, whose term has been marked by anti-Beijing protests. Opponents cast him as a puppet of the Chinese government squeezing the semi-autonomous city's freedoms.

While Lam is less hated than Leung, critics fear she will take a similar hard line if she wins the leadership at elections in March.

Lam, who has worked in government since 1980, would become the city's first woman chief executive.

She said Thursday she was stepping down as deputy leader in order to stand for the top job.

If her resignation is accepted by Beijing, she will run for chief executive she said.

"There is only one reason for me to resign at this juncture," Lam told reporters.

"I intend to prepare to contest in the upcoming chief executive election."

She said it had been an "honour and a privilege" to have served the people of Hong Kong for more than 36 years.

Lam ended the brief press conference without taking questions, with one reporter shouting after her "Are you going down the path of CY?" referring to current leader Leung.

Political analysts said Lam was considered by the public to be a capable leader.

"The worry is that her ambition might prompt her to side exclusively with Beijing because that's where her power comes from," Willy Lam, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told AFP.

The city leader is chosen by a 1,200-strong committee of representatives of special interest groups, weighted towards Beijing.

Mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 called for fully free leadership elections but failed to win concessions.

Critics are already accusing Lam of trying to gain favour with Chinese authorities by pushing through a museum project which would bring historic cultural artifacts to Hong Kong from Beijing's Palace Museum.

Story continues

They say the project is cultural brainwashing and accuse Lam of failing to consult the public on the plans.

Lam was also vilified by pro-democracy activists during the 2014 rallies for being a Beijing stooge.

The city's finance secretary John Tsang resigned in December and is expected to enter the race soon.

Nicknamed "Mr Pringles" by local media for his resemblance to the crisp brand's mascot, Tsang is seen as a more moderate alternative to Leung and Lam.

While Tsang and Lam are considered the strongest contenders, others have already thrown their hats in the ring.

Former Hong Kong security chief Regina Ip, who is loathed by the city's pro-democracy camp, declared her candidacy last month.

Retired judge Woo Kwok-hing, who has said he will prioritise political reform, has also declared he is running.
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Doctors who specialize in conditions involving hormones need more training on how to treat people who are transgender, suggests a new study. Researchers found that transgender health was part of the curriculum at less than three quarters of endocrinology training programs that responded to an online survey. Additionally, more than 80 percent of practicing specialists said they had never received training on transgender medicine. "We were aware that a deficit in education likely existed, however it was surprising how big this deficit is amongst clinicians in practice," wrote lead author Dr. Caroline Davidge-Pitts, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Gender identity is how people view themselves, that is, as male, female or something less specific. People who are transgender have gender identities that differ from the sex assigned at birth. While awareness and acceptance of transgender issues has increased in the past decade, providing optimal care for patients is still challenging, the researchers write in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Endocrinologists often have a key role in that care. They specialize in the endocrine system, which regulates the body's hormones, and they may prescribe sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen to help transgender patients develop the physical characteristics tied to their gender identity. Information is lacking on how much doctors in endocrinology training programs are taught about transgender care. There is also not much information on the training of doctors who are already in practice. For the new study, the researchers sent a web-based survey to directors of 104 endocrinology training programs and received answers back from 54. About 94 percent said teaching about transgender care is important, but only about 72 percent included the topic in their curricula. All programs covered the principles of hormone therapy for transgender patients, but only about 63 percent taught trainees to take comprehensive social and sexual histories on those patients. Also, only 40 percent taught trainees how to conduct physical exams on transgender patients. "Endocrinology fellowships continue to face challenges adding transgender health topics to the curriculum and we need to be proactive about finding ways to improve this," Davidge-Pitts told Reuters Health. The research team also sent surveys to nearly 7,000 medical doctors who were members of the Endocrine Society, but only a very small percentage - 411 doctors - responded. About 80 percent said they had treated transgender patients at some point during their career, but a similar proportion said they were never trained in the specifics of that specialized care. Most of the doctors reported confidence in using proper terminology, taking histories and providing hormones, but few showed similar confidence discussing psychosocial and legal issues, surgical interventions and screening guidelines. "In my view, the notable thing is that they're saying 'train me more,'" said Dr. Joshua Safer, medical director for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine. The researchers found that directors of training programs desire online programs for trainees and teachers, lectures and would like to attend meetings that discuss transgender topics. Similarly, practicing endocrinologists who responded to the survey wanted online training and presentations about transgender topics at academic meetings. Safer, who was not involved with the new research, is working to update the Endocrine Society's 2009 guidelines on transgender care. "The real take-home message is the clinical population still feels unprepared," he told Reuters Health. The new guidelines should go a long was to closing that gap, he added. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2iMIUEb The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, online January 10, 2017. (This version of the story was corrected to add "never" in paragraph three)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilian police are torturing and illegally killing thousands of people a year while violent gangs are running the country's overcrowded prisons, Human Rights Watch warned Thursday.

"Torture and extrajudicial killings by police contribute to a cycle of violence in Brazil, undermining public security and endangering the lives of police officers," the US-based HRW said in its 2017 world report.

Police officers killed at least 3,345 people in 2015 in Brazil, according to the latest available data, said the nonprofit human rights organization. That reflected a six percent rise from 2014 and a 52 percent surge from 2013.

"While some police killings result from legitimate use of force, others are extrajudicial executions," HRW said.

The violence is scaring off citizens from cooperating with the police to help catch criminals, it warned.

It also said "inhumane conditions in prisons and detention centers is an urgent problem" in Brazil.

Around 100 inmates were killed last week, some of them beheaded and dismembered, in a series of prison massacres blamed on drug gangs.

Brazilian prisons are packed with 67 percent more inmates than they are designed to hold, HRW said, citing official data.

"Overcrowding and understaffing make it impossible for prison authorities to maintain control within many facilities, leaving detainees vulnerable to violence and gang activity," it said.

"Torture and mistreatment of detainees, including children, is an acute problem."

President Michel Temer has said the government will spend $250 million to build at least one new prison in each of Brazil's 26 states.

The HRW report also said Brazilian authorities should "provide better support for the families with children diagnosed with Zika syndrome."

Thousands of families are struggling to look after babies born with brain damage due to last year's outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
London (AFP) - "Luther" and "The Wire" actor Idris Elba has offered fans a chance to "pound my yams" during a date with him to raise money for an African charity.

"Hi there. Idris Elba here. I'd like you to be my Valentine. That's right love, just you and me, no one else around, just us," he said in an online video.

The British star of west African origin is offering a fan and their guest a chance to share a meal with him at his undisclosed favourite restaurant.

"Once we're feeling comfortable, we can order whatever your heart desires," he says, quaffing champagne.

"Maybe some truffles, perhaps some steak. Pepper soup and fufu. That's an African dish and you pound the yams. And you know what? I'll let you pound my yams.

"And for dessert, you can have whatever you want, and I mean whatever you want."

Bidding on the Omaze website ends on February 14, with the proceeds going to the W.E. Can Lead charity, which works to empower and educate girls throughout Africa.
By Timothy Mclaughlin

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An Illinois man is suing members of a local police department alleging his rights were violated when he was arrested last year after he posted photos of himself burning an American flag on social media and they were shared widely, according to court documents.

Bryton Mellott, 22, of Urbana, Illinois, a city around 140 miles (225 km) south of Chicago, set an American flag on fire on July 3 in a friend's backyard to protest the conditions of many Americans' lives. He then posted photos to Facebook along with an explanation of his actions, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.

Many states, including Illinois, continue to have flag desecration laws on the books, though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that burning of the flag is protected as an expression of free speech.

The Urbana Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Mellott's lawsuit alleges that four Urbana police officers violated his right to free speech and detained him without reason. The American Civil Liberties Union is representing Mellott. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.

I am not proud to be an American. In this moment, being proud of my country is to ignore the atrocities committed against people of color, people living in poverty, people who identify as women, and against my own queer community on a daily basis," Mellott wrote last year in the caption accompanying his photos, according to court documents.

He ended his post, "#ArrestMe."

By the following morning, the post had been shared widely and attracted numerous comments. An officer from the Urbana Police Department called Mellott and told him to take the post down, according to court documents. Mellott declined to do so, saying it had already been shared many times.

Later in the day, Mellott was arrested by Urbana officers for violating the state's flag desecration statue. He was detained for around five hours.

Story continues

However, Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz declined to charge Mellott, citing the Supreme Court rulings, and Mellott was released.

President-elect Donald Trump briefly waded into the debate over flag burning last year, when he said in a message on Twitter that there "must be consequences" for burning the flag. He suggested those who do so face loss of citizenship or jail time.

(Editing by Matthew Lewis)
India salt-to-steel conglomerate Tata Sons appointed a new chairman of the board on Thursday, the company said in a statement, following an acrimonious management dispute with its former chief.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who currently heads software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), will take charge from February 21 -- replacing former chairman Cyrus Mistry who was ousted in October from Tata Sons, the holding company of the sprawling $103 billion Tata Group.

"The Board of Directors of Tata Sons, at its meeting today, appointed Mr. N. Chandrasekaran as Executive Chairman," the company said in a statement.

Popularly known as Chandra, the 53-year-old Tata lifer, joined the company in 1987 and has been chief executive of the software services company since 2009.

He said in a separate statement that he felt privileged "to lead this trusted institution that has a rich heritage".

"At the Tata group, we are at an inflection point. I am aware that this role comes with huge responsibilities," added Chandrasekaran, who was appointed to Tata Sons' board in October.

He announced that Rajesh Gopinathan, the current chief financial officer of TCS, would succeed him as head of the IT firm.

Chandrasekaran also serves on the board of India's central bank which describes him as "an avid photographer, music aficionado and a passionate long-distance runner" on its website.

Thursday's appointment is the latest in an ongoing tussle between former chairman Mistry and Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential business families.

Mistry held the post of chairman for nearly four years until he was sacked. He resigned from all group firms in December but hung on to his seat as a director of the board of Tata Sons.

The increasingly bitter battle saw a fresh twist last week with Tata's call for a shareholders' meeting next month to remove Mistry as a director of the board of Tata Sons, his last remaining foothold within the group.

Story continues

Mistry's dismissal as chairman shocked India's business community and saw Ratan Tata take interim charge of the sprawling conglomerate, a post which the patriarch had held for more than two decades.

The 150-year-old Mumbai-based conglomerate, which was founded under British colonial rule, has long been a source of pride for India.

But the feud is threatening its reputation and has helped wipe around $9 billion off the collective stock market value of the group's eight main companies.

The Tata Group is arguably India's most famous family conglomerate and spans at least 100 companies in as many countries, including Britain's Tetley Tea and Jaguar Land Rover as well as the Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus.
By Suchitra Mohanty and Rina Chandran NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - India's Supreme Court has asked seven states why land bought for industry is lying idle, raising questions about the benefit of special economic zones amid rising conflict over land. The zones have provoked controversy in India, which needs to create new economic opportunities for its fast-growing population. Hoping to imitate China's manufacturing success, India introduced the so-called SEZ Act in 2005, issuing hundreds of approvals. Now the results are coming under scrutiny. This week, the top court sent notices to seven Indian states, giving them a month to respond to a petition by an advocacy group which says about 80 percent of land bought for SEZs in the past five years was unused - much of it agricultural land. "We have issued notices to seven states on the plea of the petitioner," a bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar said. Special economic zones (SEZs) offering tax incentives to companies have cropped up around the world in recent years, but the World Bank says they have had mixed success in boosting export earnings or economic growth. In India, of the almost 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres) of land acquired for SEZs in the last five years, only 362 hectares have been used for their intended purpose, according to SEZ Farmers' Protection Welfare Association, which filed the petition. "Farmers have been devastated by the loss of their land," said lawyer Colin Gonsalves, who is representing the group. "Not only have they lost their land, they have also been denied alternate jobs as the promised industrialization didn't take place," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Gonsalves said the Supreme Court also sent a notice to the country's industry ministry. "When we receive the notice, we will respond accordingly," said TV Ravi, a director with the industry ministry. "We are not considering any changes to the policy as of now. If investors don't come, then we may rethink it," he said. IRREGULARITIES Conflicts over land have risen in India as demand grows for infrastructure projects to drive growth and boost development for its 1.3 billion citizens. Farmers reluctant to give up land have clashed with state authorities, stalling major projects and putting billions of dollars of investment at risk, according to research published in November. A 2013 report by the Indian government's auditor showed that only 62 percent of land for SEZs was used for its intended purpose of boosting manufacturing, exports and jobs. They generated less than 8 percent of jobs forecast, it said. The report also found that in several SEZs, land has been denotified and sold to private developers for higher prices. "There are a number of irregularities around SEZs, which have become speculative real estate deals for developers," said E.A.S Sarma, a land rights campaigner who has studied SEZs in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. "We need a review of all SEZs - if the land is not being used, it should be returned to its original owners," he said. (Writing by Rina Chandran @rinachandran, Editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  The first of 100 Airbus planes that Iran purchased following its nuclear deal with world powers arrived in Tehran on Thursday, heralding a new chapter for the country's aging and accident-prone fleet after years of sanctions.

The Iran Air A321 jet touched down after a flight from Toulouse, France, where the headquarters of the European consortium are located. The 189-seat plane is the first of 100 purchased under a December deal worth $18 billion.

Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi told reporters at an airport ceremony that the plane would be used for domestic flights, Iran's Press TV reported. The semi-official ISNA news agency quoted him as saying another two Airbus jetliners would be delivered in the next two months.

Iran is hoping to rapidly upgrade its fleet now that sanctions have been lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord, in which Tehran pledged to curb its uranium enrichment.

Most of Iran's aging fleet of 250 commercial planes was purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and as of June, only 162 were operational, with the rest grounded because of a lack of spare parts.

Iran Air, whose website lists a fleet of 43 planes, offers direct flights to over 30 international destinations, including London.

The company recently sealed a separate agreement to buy 80 planes from Boeing, beginning next year.

The election of Donald Trump, however, has cast doubt over the future of the deal. He repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement on the campaign trail but has not said what he plans to do about it once in office.

Akhoundi said Iran hopes the U.S. "continues to remain true to its commitments" under the new administration.

"We hope that America's political community has reached a level of maturity and accountability to create an atmosphere so that the world can accept and hope that peace can be reached through dialogue," he said.

The Boeing deal is Iran's biggest with an American company since the 1979 revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover. It calls for 50 Boeing 737s and 30 Boeing 777s to be delivered over the next decade.

Iran Air is also expected to seal an order for 20 turboprops from European manufacturer ATR.
By Stephen Kalin MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists' last major Iraqi stronghold. Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground. A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier. The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between. "Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing," Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex. Tank shells, machinegun fire and air strikes from a U.S.-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire. During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air. They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy's lines. PUSH TO THE RIVER Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul. Lise Grande, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces. She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area. "Siege is a very real possibility. We don't know if that will happen, but we're worried that it might," she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies. Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway. Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them. But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military's advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea. Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul. "They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources," she said. CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign. Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week. The U.S.-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias. Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones. Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was "on the verge of collapse". His region's peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city. Islamic State's loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West. (Additional reporting by John Davison and Saif Hameed in Baghdad, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Louise Ireland and Andrew Hay)
The U.S. military is reportedly shooting down more drones operated by the Islamic State.

My question is: What exactly are they using to do so?

As my colleague Richard Sisk reported at Military.com, Army Col. Brett Sylvia, commander of Task Force Strike in Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, on Wednesday said U.S. and Iraqi forces have taken out 12 or so small, explosive-laden drones, mostly quadcopters, operated by ISIS during the offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq.

Sisk reported Iraqi Security Forces are using rifles and other small arms for the job, but the Americans' weapon of choice is less clear.

Here's how he put it: "The U.S. is using technical means Sylvia declined to describe to bring down the drones, while the Iraqis are relying on direct fire with small arms. Sylvia said about a dozen of the ISIS drones have been brought down or shot down recently, but the munitions they've managed to drop have caused casualties in the ISF."

My guess is the "technical means" is the Battelle's DroneDefender, a shoulder-fired weapon that zaps drones with radio waves and, as noted in the picture above, has already been spotted at a U.S. military base in the country.

As another colleague, Matthew Cox, has reported, DroneDefender has a range of "several hundred meters" but, when paired with an Israeli radar, the device can detect drones from "several kilometers" away.

The weapon, which isn't authorized by the Federal Communications Commission and thus isn't available for sale in the U.S., uses radio waves to cut the link between the drone and its controller.

Cox reported the U.S. Army in 2015 experimented with DroneDefender and other anti-drone weapons at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona -- and concluded the product performed the best.

What do you think? What other anti-drone products might be in use by U.S. forces in Iraq?
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's top court has ordered the Western Wall's ultra-Orthodox administration to explain why women are banned from leading prayers at the holy site, as sought in a petition.

In accordance with strict ultra-Orthodox tradition, there are currently separate prayer sections for women and men at the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites.

Women are also barred from leading prayers or bringing in Torah scrolls, and activists have been campaigning for equal prayer rights.

The Israeli Supreme Court's decision on the side of the women who submitted the petition demanding equal rights was issued on Wednesday.

The petition came after a dramatic agreement was reached last year to create a third space near the wall open to both women and men at the adjacent archaeological site known as Robinson's Arch.

Women of the Wall, which for years has been pushing for equal prayer rights at the Western Wall, accepted the agreement.

But ultra-Orthodox political parties who form part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, as well as the Western Wall administration, came out strongly against the deal and have delayed its implementation.

The petition was filed by a group calling itself the Original Women of the Wall, who also reject the Robinson's Arch arrangement and demand to be allowed to lead prayers for women at the Western Wall plaza and read the Torah there.

A separate court order allows women to pray with shawls and phylacteries to the chagrin of the ultra-Orthodox establishment, which considers those practises counter to traditional Judaism.

Wednesday's court decision ordered the state to explain "why the petitioners can't pray according to their custom in the traditional plaza or alternatively to enable them to pray according to their custom at a site with similar access to the traditional plaza," a reference to the Robinson's Arch.

The Supreme Court also prohibited the Western Wall administration from conducting "extensive" bodily searches on women, which it had been carrying out to locate Torah scrolls that women were smuggling in.

The court said it would unify the case at hand with the Women of the Wall's petition against the state's delay in implementing the Robinson's Arch arrangement.

The Western Wall, one of the last remnants of the Second Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 AD, is currently the holiest site where Jewish prayer is allowed.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A Palestinian UN worker sentenced by Israel to seven months for aiding Hamas was released Thursday and returned to Gaza, calling his prosecution "unjust" and hoping to resume his job.

Waheed Borsh, 39, arrived at his home in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip and was greeted by dozens of well-wishers handing out sweets and singing songs.

Israeli forces detained Borsh, an engineer, on July 16, causing a major stir in the aid community.

He was sentenced last week to seven months in prison in a plea deal, but released on the basis of time served and for good behaviour.

Israel initially claimed Borsh had been recruited by Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, but it later dropped the allegation.

He was convicted for "rendering services to an illegal organisation without intention", his lawyer said.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where Borsh worked, said the deal showed there had been no wrongdoing by the organisation.

Speaking to AFP, Borsh said he was hopeful of returning to his job.

"I don't think what happened will affect my work," he said, insisting that his trial had been "unjust" and that he was never allied to any political party.

"The aim of the organisation (UNDP) is to help people," he said.

Separately on Thursday, the court case of the Gaza head of a major international Christian charity, World Vision, was adjourned for two weeks, his lawyer said.

Mohammed al-Halabi is charged with aiding Hamas, with Israeli officials accusing him of siphoning millions of dollars to the Islamist group.

A district court in Beersheba in southern Israel delayed the case until February 2, lawyer Lea Tsemel said, a day after two new charges were announced.

He did not enter a plea but told journalists in the court he was innocent, according to media reports.

Israel has fought three wars with Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2008.

Story continues

Israel has long alleged that Hamas has sought to infiltrate humanitarian organisations and divert aid, accusations the Islamist movement denies.

Aid workers privately admit to pressure from Hamas.

But they also say materials taken into Gaza are subject to some of the world's strictest monitoring and that the blockade is preventing essential goods from entering the impoverished enclave.
TORONTO (AP) -- Actress Jane Fonda said Wednesday that people should not be fooled by "good-looking liberals" like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who "disappointed" her by approving pipelines from the Alberta oil sands.

Fonda said after touring the oil sands area that environmentalists everywhere were impressed by Trudeau at the Paris climate conference in late 2015.

"We all thought, well, cool guy," Fonda said. "What a disappointment ...

"He talked so beautifully of needing to meet the requirements of the climate treaty and to respect and hold to the treaties with indigenous people. Such a heroic stance he took there, and yet he has betrayed every one of the things he committed to in Paris."

Fonda, on a trip organized by Greenpeace, is calling for a stop to pipelines and oil sands development.

"I guess the lesson is we shouldn't be fooled by good-looking liberals no matter how well-spoken they are," Fonda said.

Last year, Trudeau approved Kinder Morgan's plans to triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, and he approved replacing Enbridge's Line 3 to Wisconsin.

But he also pushed ahead with a national carbon price and he rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway project to northwest British Columbia, which would pass through the Great Bear Rainforest as his Liberal Party government tries to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia against the concerns of environmentalists.

Fonda, a 79-year-old political activist and two-time Oscar winner for best actress, is the latest celebrity to visit and express concerns about the Alberta oil sands. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Hollywood film director James Cameron have also visited.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said Fonda is using her celebrity to promote ill-informed generalizations.

Notley said Fonda should not lecture oil workers about getting jobs elsewhere and added that it was "super tone deaf" for the actress to visit Fort McMurray, Alberta, so soon after devastating wildfires that destroyed 2,400 homes and buildings.

Story continues

Notley, who leads the left-leaning New Democratic party, also said Alberta has a plan that makes the province a climate leader in North America. Notley said provincial officials were to have met with Fonda to explain the government's plans but it didn't happen.

"Dining out on your celebrity is something that someone ought to pair with knowledge and research and she failed to do that," Notley said.

"It's very clear she didn't know what she was talking about."

A Trudeau spokeswoman referred comment to the office of Canada's Natural Resource Minister

"Our government believes that the environment and the economy go hand in hand. The oil sands are an important source of jobs and economic prosperity for Canadians," spokesman Alexandre Deslongchamps said in an email. "We believe we can only develop our natural resources when we can do so sustainably. That's why we are putting a price on carbon pollution, strengthening environmental and safety standards, and making real investments in clean technology."

Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil production. Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports to Asia. Ninety-seven percent of Canadian oil exports now go to the U.S.
By Martin Petty MANILA (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the Philippines on Thursday for a two-day visit aimed at shoring up ties with its mercurial new leader, and boosting Tokyo's economic foothold in the face of anticipated competition from China. Abe's visit is the first by a head of state to the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte and comes amid a changing geopolitical landscape, much to do with a dramatic foreign-policy shift by the firebrand leader in Manila. Duterte has been hostile towards traditional ally the United States while reaching out towards historic adversary China, putting Japan in an uneasy spot given its warm ties with Washington and rivalry with Beijing. Upon arrival, Abe headed straight for a meeting with Duterte at the presidential palace in Manila. He will travel to Duterte's native of Davao on Friday, during which he and his wife will visit Duterte's family home. Abe described being the first leader to visit Duterte as a "tremendous honor". "I chose the Philippines as my first destination this year and that is testament to my primary emphasis on our bilateral relationship," he said in addressing the meeting. "I'm committed to elevating our bilateral relationship to a higher ground." Abe's arrival is timely and comes as China seeks to capitalize on Duterte's openness to its investment in areas that include infrastructure, where Japanese firms have long been important players in Southeast Asia. Japan is one of the biggest investors in the Philippines, mainly in electronics, financial services and auto manufacturing, through firms that include Toyota <7203.T>, Mitsubishi <8058.T> and Canon <7751.T>. Representatives of more than 20 Japanese companies are due to join Abe in Davao for a meeting with Philippine companies, which are keen to link up in areas like construction and agribusiness, Philippine business sources said. Jose Ma. Concepcion, the Philippines presidential consultant for entrepreneurship, said Chinese business would have no impact on Japan's interests, and there were plenty of opportunities up for grabs. "If you look at the level of investments, the Japanese are far much more entrenched," he said. "China also has opportunities. The more countries that help us, the better." (Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Ouagadougou (AFP) - The gunmen who carried out a deadly terror strike in Burkina Faso's capital nearly a year ago got a message during the attack from one of its organisers on a Syrian phone number, a prosecutor said Thursday.

But the message to the assailants who killed 30 people, mostly Westerners, in Ouagadougou was not necessarily sent from Syria, prosecutor Maiza Sereme told AFP ahead of the attack's first anniversary.

The communication from "one of the organisers" asked the three attackers "if everything went well, the number of people killed, and if they had a message to send to the public and those also waging jihad," Sereme said.

"The call... came from a Syrian telephone number but there is nothing to indicate the sender was indeed in Syria," she added. "The organisers... are not Burkinabe."

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed the January 15, 2016 attack, saying the gunmen were from the Al-Murabitoun group of Algerian extremist Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

They stormed the Splendid hotel, the Yibi hotel and the nearby Cappuccino cafe and a bar, which the men approached with guns hidden under their coats.

"They targeted Cappuccino because they knew that it was a busy time and there would be a mix of nationalities, especially Europeans," Sereme said.

At the Splendid hotel they went through guests' rooms and other areas of the hotel, shooting and wounding people. The men later destroyed their phones and SIM cards.

"We have information on their (attackers) identities and even their nationalities but we are in the process of cross-checking... to have their nationalities and real names," Sereme added.

Burkina authorities are also waiting for the FBI to pass on information from Niger, Canada and Interpol regarding the attackers' names, the weapons and mobile phone SIM cards.

Three people, a Burkinabe and two Malians, were charged in July 2016 over the attack and remain behind bars.

The strike was first such incident in Burkina Faso, and came weeks after Islamists claimed an assault on a top hotel in Bamako, capital of neighbouring Mali, in which 20 people died.

Burkina Faso prosecutors said Thursday that the investigation had "established links" between the attacks in Bamako, Ouagadougou and a deadly attack last year in the Ivory Coast town of Grand Bassam.
Vice President Joe Biden burst into tears as President Barack Obama awarded him with the nations highest civilian honor during a surprise ceremony Thursday.

Biden turned his back to cameras and those in the crowd to wipe away tears moments after Obama announced he was bestowing the vice president with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

I had no inkling, Biden said after the emotional moment.

Obama was paying tribute to Biden, who he called my brother and a lion of American history, when he suddenly invited a military aide to join them with the medal.

WATCH: President Obama awards Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to his "brother," VP Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/v1rW0gkU0K  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 12, 2017

Biden first shook his head in disbelief and then kept his eyes facing skyward while taking deep breaths as Obama prepared to tie the medal around Bidens neck. The two then hugged.

This honor is not only well beyond what I deserve , but its a reflection of the extent and generosity of your spirit. I dont deserve this, but I know it came from the Presidents heart, Biden said.

Its an amazing thing that happened, Biden added, recalling the start of their friendship. I knew how smart you were. I knew how honorable you were. I knew how decent you were  I am indebted to you. I am indebted to your friendship.

At the start of the news conference, Obama made a reference to the many memes circulated the internet about the pairs friendship. This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance, Obama said.
AMMAN, Jordan (AP)  Jordan says it needs $7.6 billion through 2019 to deal with the fallout from the six-year-old Syria crisis, including hosting 650,000 refugees.

The appeal was presented Thursday to diplomats from donor countries.

Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki said the 2016 aid appeal was only half funded and urged donors to do better this year.

Some 5 million Syrians who fled civil war at home have found refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan.

With the refugees facing protracted exile, Jordan and the donors last year adopted a new approach to aid. For example, Jordan has allowed more refugees to work and the EU has granted improved trade terms to boost Jordan's economy.

Finland hosts a U.N.-organized Syria conference on Jan. 24 that will hear aid appeals, including from regional refugee hosts.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  A Guatemalan judge alleged Wednesday that a Supreme Court justice tried to intervene improperly in a corruption case involving her son.

Judge Carlos Ruano said that he had reported Justice Blanca Stalling to the special prosecutor against impunity.

"At no time was I going to compromise my work, which has always been transparent," Ruano said.

At a news conference, Attorney General Thelma Aldana and the head of the commission against impunity, Ivan Velasquez, said they had asked the Supreme Court to strip Stalling of her immunity.

Stalling denied exerting any undue influence.

Stalling's son is among 20 businesspeople and public officials charged in a scheme that solicited bribes for government health contracts. Otto Molina Stalling is charged with taking bribes to award contracts for dialysis to a company. Prosecutors say 15 people died as a result of shoddy treatment.

Ruano withdrew from the case.
ExxonMobil must hand over documents related to its research on climate change dating back to 1976 in connection with an ongoing investigation by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a judge in that state ruled this week.

The oil companythe countrys largesthad argued that Healey lacked jurisdiction to investigate the Texas-based oil company and filed litigation in a federal court in its home state in hopes of blocking the probe.

Healeyalong with her New York counterpart Eric Schneidermanis investigating whether ExxonMobil misled investors about the risks of climate change. The company financed a robust climate research program but downplayed the risks in public statements, according to reporting on the topic from the Los Angeles Times and Inside Climate News. Healey did not need to prove that ExxonMobil had done anything wrong to win the documents, only that her investigation was reasonable and complied with the law.

Exxon must now end its obstructive tactics and come clean about whether it misled Massachusetts consumers and investors about what it knew about climate change, its causes and effects, Healey spokeswoman Chloe Gotsis told the Associated Press a written statement.

The news comes as the companys former CEO Rex Tillerson testifies before Congress as the Senate considers his nomination to serve as U.S. Secretary of State. Tillerson declined to answer questions about the controversy and deferred to ExxonMobil in the hearing. Asked whether he did not have answers to the question or simply refusing to answer, Tillerson replied, A little of both.

ExxonMobil has previously called the investigations politically motivated and has not responded publicly to this weeks ruling.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A judge threw out a lawsuit Wednesday against polygamous leader Warren Jeffs that claimed the sect's longtime Utah law firm created a veneer that helped perpetuate abuses such as child labor and underage marriage.

U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart decided that lawyers who represented leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were not responsible for alleged misdeeds by the secretive group based on the Utah-Arizona border.

He also said many of the claims were too old to be decided in court, ruling that the sect's representation by law firm Snow, Christensen and Martineau was common knowledge, even for members who said they were forbidden from contact with the outside world.

A lawyer for more than 20 former members of the group, Brett Godfrey, said he's looking over the order and weighing an appeal.

The former members claimed that the well-known Salt Lake City law firm burnished the sect's credentials as a maligned religious group as cover for crimes such as Jeffs' increasing use of underage marriage.

Ex-members said attorneys paid with money earned from child labor had helped Jeffs devise legal strategies for tightening his control over the group after he took over leadership from his father in the late 1990s.

Jeffs used that power to marry and sexually assault underage girls as well as arrange other underage marriages, the lawsuit said. He now is serving a life sentence in Texas after being convicted of sexually assaulting girls he considered wives.

The law firm has denied the allegations as "utterly nonsensical," saying lawyers were simply doing their jobs and can't be held responsible for anything Jeffs did.

It strongly denied involvement with anything illegal and condemned the wrongdoing that the plaintiffs say they suffered under Jeffs, including being forced into marriage and separated from their families.

Snow, Christensen and Martineau no longer represents Jeffs or the polygamous group, but Wednesday's ruling shows their dealings were always ethical, said the firm's lawyer, Brent Hatch.

Story continues

Jeffs no longer has a lawyer, and the group does not have a phone number to contact for comment.

The lawsuit came as the federal government waged fights on multiple fronts to rein in the group with court cases in both Utah and Arizona.

Jurors in Phoenix have found that the polygamous community violated the rights of nonbelievers by denying them basic services such as police protection, and a judge in Utah found that children in the group were forced to work long hours, sometimes with little food, at a pecan farm in 2012.

Several members of the group also have agreed to plea deals in a multimillion-dollar food-stamp fraud scheme. Lyle Jeffs, a leader of the group and Warren Jeffs' brother, is on the run after escaping home confinement ordered in that case.
By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - A New Jersey judge plans to decide by Friday whether to dismiss a citizen's criminal complaint accusing Governor Chris Christie of a role in the "Bridgegate" lane-closure scandal. Prosecutors in Bergen County told Judge Bonnie Mizdol on Wednesday that the case should be tossed on procedural grounds because a different judge who permitted it to advance failed to give Christie's lawyers an opportunity to speak at an earlier hearing. A lawyer for Christie also urged Mizdol to throw out the complaint filed by Bill Brennan, a retired firefighter and activist who recently announced a long-shot bid to succeed the governor in this fall's election. Christie did not attend the hearing in Hackensack, New Jersey. Brennan has accused Christie of knowing about a scheme to shut down access lanes at the George Washington Bridge in 2013 to punish a local mayor for failing to endorse his reelection campaign. Two former Christie associates were convicted in November of federal charges for orchestrating the plot. Christie has denied any knowledge of or involvement in the plan, but U.S. prosecutors presented evidence at trial suggesting he was at least aware of the lane closures while they were happening. Brennan filed the complaint in municipal court in Fort Lee, where the closures occurred. In October, Judge Roy McGeady referred the complaint to prosecutors to determine whether enough evidence existed to support criminal charges against Christie. Christie's lawyer, Craig Carpenito, said in a court filing that the matter should never have gotten that far, calling it "a political stunt from a now-declared candidate for governor." Brennan has said he will refile his complaint if Mizdol, the top judge in Bergen County, decides to dismiss it. Last month, Mizdol denied Brennan's request to have an independent prosecutor assigned to the case. "As of now the defendant controls the prosecutor," Brennan said in an email after the hearing, "and that is a dangerous place for us to be standing." Despite Christie's denials, the scandal dogged his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He was once seen as a possible cabinet appointee for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump until the conviction of his former allies prompted a fresh round of negative attention. Bridget Kelly, a former Christie chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, a former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executive appointed by the governor, are trying to have their convictions overturned.
US Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Vietnam on Thursday for an emotional first stop on his final tour before stepping down as Washington's top diplomat.

Kerry fought in Vietnam as a naval officer before returning to the United States in 1969 to become a prominent opponent of the war, his first foray into public life.

Later, as a US senator, he worked to mend ties between the former foes and as secretary he has now made four visits to the country where once he battled Viet Cong rebels.

He is due to leave office next week when President Barack Obama hands over power to President-elect Donald Trump, but not before Kerry's final diplomatic trek.

On Friday he is due to meet Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, before travelling south to give a talk at Ho Chi Minh City university and to meet local leaders.

On Saturday, he will head to the Bay Hop river in Ca Mau province where, in February 1969 he beached his patrol boat and stormed ashore to shoot dead a Viet Cong ambusher.

Kerry won a Silver Star for this action, which saved the crew of his small naval Swift Boat from rocket attack.

But he came to see the war as a mistake and US tactics as counterproductive in the battle for Vietnamese hearts and minds. In 1971, after his return, he campaigned for peace.

There will be more than nostalgia on the menu during his visit, however. Kerry will seek to promote US-Vietnamese educational ties and efforts to counter climate change.

His talks in Hanoi will also touch on tensions in the South China Sea, where Vietnam is one of several Southeast Asian nations disputing China's territorial grab.

Under Obama and Kerry, Washington has remained neutral in the overlapping disputes while insisting that all shipping must enjoy freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.

But on Tuesday Trump's nominee to replace Kerry, former oilman Rex Tillerson, said Washington should take steps to halt China's tactic of building on disputed reefs.

Story continues

Future US policy on trade is also now unclear. Obama pushed for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that would bind Washington closer to east Asian allies.

Trump has frequently condemned the deal as a threat to US jobs, and his November election victory had appeared to sound the death knell for the ambitious economic pact.

But Tillerson also said during this week's Senate confirmation hearing that he does not oppose TPP.

After his stopover in Vietnam, Kerry will head on to Paris for a Middle East peace conference on Sunday, then on to London and the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.
North Korea now has enough material to make 10 nuclear warheads, according to the latest military analysis by its southern neighbor.

The conclusion is based on Pyongyangs estimated 50-kg stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium, and the reckoning that each warhead would require an average of 4 to 6 kg of nuclear material.

Citing Seouls 2016 Defense White Paper, released Wednesday, the Korea Times reports that the Norths plutonium stash has jumped from 40 to 50 kg over the past two years. These new supplies of nuclear material originate from Pyongyangs reprocessing of its spent fuel rods, the report says.

An unnamed Defense Ministry official told the Times that its conclusion came after South Korea and the U.S. analyzed various aspects such as the operation situation of the Norths nuclear reactor.

The ministry also suggests that Pyongyang is developing both intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, although the same defense official told the Times that the Norths ICBM capabilities have yet to reach a reliable level.

Read More: American Tourism Might Be Helping North Koreas Weapons Program

The report comes just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country was in the final stages of test-launching ICBMs, which attracted a stern warning from the Pentagon.

With less than nine days to go until the next U.S. President assumes office, there are concerns that the incoming Administration either has no solid plans to respond to Pyongyangs advances in nuclear weaponry, or that it might inadvertently escalate the Korean Peninsulas already contentious security situation.

In addition, Seoul also noted the further expansion of the Norths conventional armed forces in the white paper, reports the Korea Times. According to the white paper, the total number of North Korean soldiers rose from 1.2 million to 1.28 million, and a unit engaging in cyberwarfare has expanded from 6,000 members to 6,800.
Kim Kardashian West is en route to Dubai!

On Wednesday, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star revealed to fans and followers that she is on her way to make her first public appearance since her terrifying Paris robbery in October.

On our way, #dubai, Kardashian West, 36, captioned an Instagram photo of herself standing alongside Scott Disick.

Shortly after sharing the picture on Instagram, Kardashian West posted a Snapchat from the airport, where she wore her laser goggles.

All, you need laser goggles when you do a laser treatment. So these are perfect for plane lasers, Kardashian West told her followers in the Snapchat video while wearing the oversized shiny goggles.

Kardashian West is expected to make her first public appearance on Friday at celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovics Master Class in Dubai, where she will be flanked by security, a source told PEOPLE.

She is excited about her Dubai trip, the source said. She is excited about the change of scenery and is looking forward to spending time with her fans. She will have a big security team. She isnt concerned about her safety. As of now, the kids are not coming.

On Monday, 17 suspects were arrested in connection with Kardashian Wests Paris heist that occurred while she was alone in her No Address Hotel room during Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3.

Kim is aware that the French police have made arrests relating to her robbery, a source close to the realty star previously told PEOPLE. While she is relieved they are making progress, any updates makes her relive everything. Its still very tough for her to deal with.

Kardashian West, who returned to the spotlight on Jan. 3 after retreating from the public eye as well as social media after the incident, has been sharing intimate family photos on her socials.

Although the robbery was a traumatic experience for Kardashian West, a source told PEOPLE that the three months out of the public eye seems to have changed her for the better.

Story continues

Taking time off after the robbery has really changed Kim. And for the better. She initially was just too shocked and traumatized to deal with anything but her kids, a source previously told PEOPLE. As time went on, she realized that she actually loved her slower life. She feels very grateful that she has been able to spend the past few months just focusing on her kids. Kim thinks they are growing too fast and she has enjoyed spending more quiet time with them.

It is unclear whether or not husband Kanye West will accompany the star in Dubai.




By Anna Koper and Andrew Osborn WARSAW/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Poland on Thursday welcomed several thousand U.S. troops along with tanks and heavy equipment under a planned NATO operation to beef up its Eastern European allies, vexing the Kremlin, which said the troops' presence is a threat to Russia. The largest U.S.military reinforcement of Europe in decades of around 2,700 troops, out of 3,500 planned, arrived as part of operation Atlantic Resolve, aimed at showing Moscow Washington's commitment to its allies. "The main goal of our mission is deterrence and prevention of threats," U.S. Army Colonel Christopher R. Norrie, commander of the 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, said at a welcome ceremony in Poland's western city of Zagan. Poland and the Baltic former Soviet Republics requested U.S. and NATO troops after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in 2014, fearing further military operations in the region by President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin, which has previously criticised NATO for its reinforcement in Eastern Europe, said on Thursday the deployment was an aggressive step along its borders. "We consider this a threat to us," Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin's spokesman, told journalists on a conference call. "We are talking here about a third country stepping up its military presence in Europe near our borders." MATTER OF INFLUENCE Modernization of the army has been a key priority for Poland's year-old government run by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which built its popularity partly on promising greater security capabilities. On Thursday, Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said on the state TVP Info news channel that the NATO deployment puts an end to Russia's influence in the region. "Even after 1989 we had to continuously wonder whether the Russians won't veto this or that action," said Macierewicz, who has been seeking better ties and contracts with the U.S. military. "Russia's veto power in Central Europe, in Poland, has ended once and for all." Moscow, however, has already deployed in retaliation nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its European exclave of Kaliningrad, in a move the U.S. State Department said was "destabilising to European security." The U.S. deployment to NATO's eastern flank includes more than 80 main battle tanks and hundreds of armored vehicles. The military unit will rotate through several countries, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania. "Their arrival is just one small but meaningful example of how we are quickly building combat power here," Norrie said. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Anna Koper in Warsaw; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Warsaw; Editing by James Dalgleish)
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on activities in Congress (all times EST):

10 p.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says Congress and Donald Trump's transition team are trying to come up with a solution for young immigrants brought illegally to the country as kids.

Hundreds of thousands of these immigrants gained work permits and temporary deportation relief from President Barack Obama.

Trump pledged during the campaign to undo the executive action, sparking fear among immigrants that they would lose their protections and face deportation.

Ryan was questioned on a CNN town hall Thursday night by an immigrant who could face deportation if Trump reverses Obama's policies. Ryan told her he did not want to see her leave this country.

Ryan said, "What we have to do is find a way to make sure that you can get right with the law."

___

4:35 p.m.

C-SPAN says its online feed of House floor action was briefly interrupted Thursday by programming for the Russian news site RT. The network says the problem was likely a routing issue, since RT is one of the networks that C-SPAN regularly monitors.

Spokesman Howard Mortman says C-SPAN's website was replaced by RT for about 10 minutes. He says the network is "investigating and troubleshooting this occurrence."

The programming glitch came hours after a power outage interrupted a Senate confirmation hearing for Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the CIA. The hearing reconvened in a different room.

The Architect of the Capitol's office says a local power company "de-energized" a system that feeds power to the Hart Senate Office Building. The office says the company, Pepco, quickly restored the lost power.

____

4:20 p.m.

The House Armed Services Committee has approved legislation to permit retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to serve as defense secretary.

The GOP-led panel voted 34-28 to pass a measure that grants Mattis a one-time exception from the law that bars former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the job.

Story continues

Mattis retired from military service in 2013.

A vote on the bill in the full House is scheduled for Friday. The Senate easily passed similar legislation on Thursday, 81-17.

Before the committee voted, Republicans and Democrats criticized the Trump transition team for refusing to allow Mattis to appear before the panel. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the committee's Republican chairman, says "short-sightedness prevailed."

___

3:30 p.m.

A California lawmaker is using a poll and fundraising appeal to decide whether to attend Donald Trump's inauguration.

Some Democrats have said they won't attend. The campaign committee for Congressman Tony Cardenas says in an email to potential supporters that he "needs your advice."

The email notes Cardenas chairs a political action committee helping Hispanic lawmakers and candidates. In that role, the email says, he wants input on whether to attend the inauguration. Voters can then click on a yes-or-no option.

Below the instant poll is another option to click: Contribute.

Cardenas represents a Los Angeles-based district that includes much of the San Fernando Valley.

___

3:15 p.m.

The Republican-led Senate has decisively approved legislation to permit retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to run the Pentagon for Donald Trump.

The 81-17 vote came just a few hours after the Senate Armed Services Committee cleared the bill overwhelmingly.

The measure overrides a prohibition against former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the top job at the Defense Department.

The House Armed Services Committee is preparing to vote on a similar bill to exempt Mattis from the rule. A vote in the full House is scheduled for Friday. The bill then would go to the president for signature.

Mattis retired from military service in 2013.

The legislation is separate from a Senate confirmation vote on Mattis serving as Trump's defense secretary.

___

1:00 p.m.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has overwhelmingly passed legislation to allow retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to run the Pentagon.

The Republican-led panel voted 24-3 to clear the bill after Mattis testified before the committee. Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand, Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren opposed it.

The measure overrides a prohibition against former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the job. Mattis retired from the Marine Corps as a four-star general in 2013. He had been a battlefield commander for most of his career.

The full Senate and House must approve the bill before sending it to the president.

___

12:30 p.m.

Gen. James Mattis says President-elect Donald Trump isn't opposed to buying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Mattis says Trump just wants the "best bang for the buck."

Trump has attacked the cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as "out of control." The program has a nearly $400 billion price tag and is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons acquisition.

Mattis is Trump's pick for defense secretary. The retired Marine general is telling the Senate Armed Services Committee that the jet fighter is critical to the U.S. maintaining its air superiority. The aircraft incorporates stealth technology that allows it to evade radar detection.

___

12 p.m.

Ben Carson is declining to guarantee that, if confirmed as housing secretary, no money from his department will benefit President-elect Donald Trump or his family.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Carson on this at the famed neurosurgeon's confirmation hearing Thursday. She wanted assurances that "not one dollar" of Housing and Urban Development money would go to the Trumps. The family made its fortune in real estate.

Carson says it won't be his intention to benefit an individual American. He says he will manage things to benefit all Americans.

He says if an extraordinary program benefited millions, but a particular individual were to receive $10, "am I going to say 'no, the rest of you Americans can't have it?'"

Carson said that "logic and common sense probably would be the best way."

___

11:30 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the CIA says Russian meddling in the president election was an aggressive action taken by senior Russian leaders.

At his confirmation hearing Thursday, congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas says it's pretty clear Russia worked to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy.

Trump has voiced skepticism that Russia was behind hacking of political sites. But he said Wednesday for the first time that he believes Russia was responsible for the hacking.

___

11:25 a.m.

Democratic senators are questioning how Ben Carson's promise to cut hundreds of billions of dollars in annual spending squares with overseeing a department that serves millions of the poorest Americans.

Carson is President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for housing secretary.

At Carson's confirmation hearing, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio says the call for a 10 percent budget cut for government agencies would send hundreds of thousands of families into a tailspin.

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey questioned Carson on whether he supports the concept of rental assistance. Carson assures him that rental assistance is "essential."

Carson says his philosophy on entitlement programs is that it's cruel to remove them without providing an alternative.

___

11:15 a.m.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis says he has no intention of reversing rules that allow LGBT personnel to serve openly in the military.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary tells the Senate Armed Services Committee he's only concerned about making the U.S. armed forces as lethal as possible.

Mattis says: "I'm not concerned about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with."

He also says he doesn't expect to reverse a 2015 decision by the Obama administration to open all front-line combat jobs to women.

Mattis said Thursday he'll be focused on getting the U.S. military into "its most lethal stance."

___

11:12 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says a painting that depicts a police officer as a pig violates House rules and should not be hung in the Capitol.

Ryan waded into the partisan controversy in an interview Thursday on the Mike Gallagher radio show.

The painting by a high schooler has turned into a flashpoint. It shows events in Ferguson, Missouri, and won an annual competition in Democratic Congressman William Lacy Clay's St. Louis district.

It was hung in a walkway in the Capitol complex. Offended GOP lawmakers took it down, but Clay kept putting it back up.

Ryan says the painting is "disgusting" and cites House rules saying artwork should not be sensationalistic or gruesome.

The speaker says, "It's not as if you have a constitutional right to hang whatever painting you want."

___

11:10 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be the top U.S. health official will sell off stock holdings to avoid any conflicts of interest, or the appearance of a conflict.

Rep. Tom Price's ethics agreement and financial disclosure were posted online Thursday by the Office of Government Ethics.

The Georgia Republican is nominated to head the Department of Health and Human Services, where he's expected to play a leading role in efforts to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's health care law.

A senior Democratic lawmaker and a consumer advocacy group have questions about Price's stock trades in health care.

If confirmed by the Senate, Price says, he'll divest himself of stock in more than 40 companies. He'll also resign a position with the American Medical Association.

___

11:05 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary says clear boundaries are needed in the cyber world so potential adversaries know what America won't tolerate.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis says "a lot of crises and wars are started from miscalculation."

He's testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. His remarks come a week after an intelligence report detailed allegations of Russian meddling in the presidential election.

___

10:59 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for housing secretary says he chuckles when people question how his career as a neurosurgeon applies to running a government agency.

Ben Carson says the brain is capable of amazing things.

Carson says at his Senate confirmation hearing that a good CEO doesn't know everything about running a particular business. But he says a good CEO knows how to pick people and use their talents.

Carson says he's been fortunate to move from the bottom up in life. He says true compassion is putting people in a situation where they can feel good about where they are going.

___

10:50 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary is telling senators the military isn't robust enough to deal with the wide range of threats the U.S. is facing.

James Mattis is a retired Marine Corps general. He's testifying at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Senator John McCain of Arizona says he thinks deterrence is critical, and that requires the strongest armed forces. McCain asked Mattis, "Do we have that?"

Mattis responded, "No sir."

Trump pledged during the presidential campaign to rebuild the military services and eliminate the strict, across-the-board spending limits that have constrained the defense budget.

___

10:41 a.m.

Electricity is out in two Senate office buildings, interrupting a hearing for President elect-Donald Trump's nominee to be CIA director.

A spokesman for the Architect of the Capitol says power is out in most of the Hart Senate Office Building and in some of the adjacent Dirksen building. Crews are working to restore power.

The confirmation hearing for congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas is being moved to a new room.

___

10:37 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump's choice for defense secretary says Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to break NATO.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis tells the Senate Armed Services Committee that America's key alliances are under the biggest attack since World War II.

He says "history isn't a straitjacket," but that it is a guide for dealing with Moscow. Mattis says there have been many attempts by the U.S. over the years to reset relations with Russia, but the list of successes is short.

Mattis is recommending the U.S. to take military, economic and diplomatic steps "to defend ourselves where we must."

___

10:36 a.m.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is introducing Ben Carson as having the values, compassion and drive needed to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Carson is appearing before a Senate committee for his confirmation hearing. Rubio ran against Carson for the Republican presidential nomination. He says he got to know Carson well during the election.

Rubio says Carson is a leader who knows how to overcome tough obstacles. He says people have literally put their lives in his hands as a neurosurgeon.

___

10:30 a.m.

The lights went out in a Senate hearing room when the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee mentioned Russia.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner was delivering opening remarks for the confirmation hearing for Republican congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas, Donald Trump's pick to run the CIA.

The committee went into recess as senators waited for the lights to come back on.

Warner's remarks were on the committee's promise to review the intelligence behind an assessment that Russia, and specifically President Vladimir Putin, interfered in the presidential election in an effort to get Trump elected.

___

10:40 a.m.

Donald Trump's pick to run the CIA is taking a tough stand against Russia and distancing himself from the president-elect.

Congressman Mike Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) is a four-term Kansas conservative. Pompeo is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee amid a testy standoff between Trump and the spy community over Russian activities during the presidential election.

Pompeo says in opening remarks that Russia has reasserted itself aggressively by invading and occupying Ukraine, threatening Europe and doing what he calls "nothing" to help defeat Islamic State militants.

Trump is calling for warmer relations with Moscow.

Ironically, the lights in the committee room went out when Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia mentioned Russia in his opening statement.

___

9:58 a.m.

The top Democrat in the Senate says he will oppose the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer says in a statement that although the Alabama senator is a colleague and friend, Schumer has no confidence that Sessions has the ability to defend the rights of all Americans.

Schumer also says he doubts that Sessions can be an independent check on the incoming Trump administration. He says he is deeply concerned about Sessions' views on immigration.

Schumer worked on the bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill in 2013 that had a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living here illegally. Sessions opposed the bill.

___

9:14 a.m.

A congressman who was wheeled out of the Capitol in a stretcher on Wednesday night is recuperating in a Washington area hospital, and tests show that "acute digestive flare-up" is responsible for his discomfort.

That's the word from the chief of staff for freshman Rep. John Rutherford, a Florida Republican who previously served as sheriff in Jacksonville.

Aide Kelly Simpson says Rutherford is on his way to "a full and swift recovery" and that doctors report Rutherford's vital signs look good. The lawmaker is expected to remain briefly in the hospital to treat inflammation.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  The Latest on a black Mississippi man accused of burning a black church and spray-painting "Vote Trump" on it (all times local):

2 p.m.

A Mississippi grand jury will decide whether to indict a black man who is charged with burning an African-American church that was also spray-painted with "Vote Trump."

A municipal judge on Thursday reduced Andrew McClinton's bond from $250,000 to $100,000 and sent the case to a grand jury. The 45-year-old McClinton chose not to appear in court for the preliminary hearing.

Authorities have not released a motive. McClinton was a member of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, which burned Nov. 1, a week before the presidential election.

McClinton has been jailed since Dec. 21 on a charge of first-degree arson of a place of worship. He had previously requested a public defender but is now represented by a private attorney, Daniel Morris.

Morris says outside court that McClinton is innocent. Morris says he expects McClinton to be released on bond.

___

5 a.m.

A court hearing is set for a Mississippi man charged in the burning of a black church that was spray-painted with "Vote Trump."

Andrew McClinton has been jailed under $250,000 bond since being arrested Dec. 21 and charged with first degree arson of a place of worship.

He's accused of setting fire to Hopewell Missionary Baptist church, where he was a member. The Greenville church was burned and vandalized a week before the presidential election.

During a preliminary hearing Thursday, a public defender could request a bond reduction. A municipal judge could hear evidence and decide whether to send the case to a grand jury.

McClinton, who lives in the Greenville suburb of Leland, spent several years in prison in Mississippi on convictions of armed robbery and other crimes.
A group of children gathered on the banks of the Ciliwung river in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, staring into the water and casting nets to try to catch fish.

Such a scene would have been unthinkable several years ago on the major river, which used to be heavily polluted with stinking rubbish that blanketed the water's surface.

The waterways that criss-cross the teeming, overcrowded city of 10 million inhabitants are getting a new lease of life after the local government began a programme to dredge and widen them in 2014.

"Much has been achieved, our rivers used to be very filthy," Isnawa Adji, head of the Jakarta environment agency, told AFP.

The rivers have been a central part of life for many in Jakarta for years, particularly those living in the poor slum areas that have grown up alongside them.

It is common to see adults and children swimming in the filthy water to escape Indonesia's searing, tropical heat, and small, wooden boats navigating the waterways.

As well as ridding Jakarta's 14 rivers of rubbish, authorities have pushed a programme of evictions to clear housing alongside the waterways, allowing them to be widened.

This is aimed at easing the floods that inundate Jakarta every year during the months-long rainy season but has also proved controversial, with activists accusing the government of tearing communities apart by forcing families from their homes.

Most of the main rivers have now been cleared of rubbish, said Adji, and the agency is now focusing on cleaning up more than 1,000 smaller waterways.

The narrow ducts typically run through slums, and residents have been dumping trash in the waterways for decades due to the lack of a decent rubbish disposal system in poor areas.

Activists praised the government's efforts, saying the livelihoods of those in riverside communities had improved, but urged authorities to do more to stop people illegally dumping rubbish.

"We need to strictly enforce the law against people who throw their waste in the rivers," said Abdul Kodir, founder of group "The Ciliwung lovers' community".
Children in scholars hats bow before a statue of Confucius, the Chinese sage once reviled by Communist authorities but now enjoying a revival as parents look to instil his values in their offspring.

With central government backing, hundreds of private schools dedicated to Confucian teachings have sprung up across the country in response to growing demand for more traditional education.

At a new institution in the central city of Wuhan, about 30 students aged two to six chant: "Our respect to you, Master Confucius. Thank you for the kindness of your teaching and your compassion".

Five-year-old Zhu Baichang admits he does not understand all the maxims he enthusiastically recites, but says: "It's very interesting."

Opened in 2015, the school has around 160 students whose parents fork out 7,000 yuan ($1,000) a term in the hope their children will absorb Confucius' ideas on filial piety and integrity.

"We don't understand everything when he recites the classics," said Baichang's father Zhu Minghui, but added that the principles that have "guided China for 2,000 years" were "seeping into his bones".

- Teapots for girls -

The teachings of Confucius (551-479 BC) demand respect for tradition and elders to ensure harmony in a rigidly hierarchical society, and were the official ideology of imperial China.

At the schools students start learning them by heart from a young age.

"Between two and six years of age the capacity for memorisation is excellent" so "we plant the seeds of filial piety, respect for teachers and compassion," the director of the Wuhan school, surnamed Shi.

By six, she says, her charges "have already finished reciting the great Confucius classics" -- which contain several hundred thousand characters.

Recreational activities are also traditional: the boys learn Chinese chess while the girls perform tea ceremonies in the classroom next door.

Story continues

The school and the organisation that runs it are named after the Dizigui, a 17th century textbook based on Confucian teachings that promotes blind obedience to parents and the elderly, and which is part of the curriculum.

Even a student's own birthday can be turned into a lesson in filial piety.

"Remember this was the day your mother suffered greatly by giving birth to you -- it was painful," the teacher told a contrite boy, who knelt before his grandmother to express his devotion.

But after children turn six, when state schooling begins, most parents enrol them in official primary schools.

While Confucian schools are still very much on the fringe of China's education system their popularity is growing among middle class parents wanting a traditional education for their children.

The China Confucius Foundation had about 300 such institutions at the start of last year, compared with 223,700 ordinary kindergartens, but had plans to open another 700.

Another Confucian organisation, Tongxueguan, opened its first weekend school in 2006 and now has more than 120 such establishments across the country, with about 40,000 students.

"After economic prosperity, Chinese feel the need for a return to their roots. They also need spiritual elevation," its founder Li Guangbin told AFP.

Reciting texts and attending moral classes might not inspire creativity in children, but Li said it was more important for them to "understand what makes a man, righteousness, social interaction".

Mei Yuan, whose daughter attends a Tongxueguan school, says its teaching counters the downsides of modern life: "Today's children are selfish, too individualistic, and society gives them a frivolous mind."

- 'Lack of moral guidance' -

After coming to power in 1949, the Communist Party violently denounced the patriarchal and paralysing hold of Confucianism and its proponents became a target during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.

But the political climate has changed radically in recent years: President Xi Jinping readily quotes the philosopher and has included Confucian teachings in government propaganda.

"This government is fearful of Western influences coming into the country, especially democracy, human rights," said Michael Schuman, Beijing-based author of the book Confucius and the World he Created.

"They feel that Chinese traditional culture can act as bulwark against these foreign ideas, in ways which support the current political system, he told AFP.

At the same time, he said, Chinese people were "looking for something more in their lives".

"They think that Chinese society has become very wealthy, but at the same time is missing something spiritual, and they feel a lot of the problems China is facing right now -- corruption and environmental damage -- are result of a lack of moral guidance."

But Confucian ideals do not sit easily with some realities of China today.

The sage "actively encourages debate" and "his disciples had to forge their own ideas", which contradict the rote learning system used in Chinese schools, Schuman notes.

He also insisted on reciprocity of obligation, so that leaders owed their subjects good governance, and if they failed to deliver they could lose the "mandate of Heaven" -- which would justify an uprising against them.

"The government needs the Confucian traditions to maintain stability, increase the happiness of people, so that they accept their lot without complaint," Li says.
By Ross Kerber

BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. public pension funds normally prefer a backseat role in overseeing the future of companies where they have billions of dollars invested.

But a new effort by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer could show how public sector finance officials might become more involved by putting forward their own candidates for boards of directors.

It could also mean another shake-up for corporations still learning how to deal with election contests brought by big activist investors like Carl Icahn or Nelson Peltz.

With New York City having the fourth-largest U.S. public pension system with some $170 billion in assets, Stringer has led the charge on bylaw changes known as "proxy access" under which hundreds of U.S. companies have made it easier for groups of shareholders to run their own candidates for corporate boards.

Now aides to Stringer say they may take their efforts another step and start suggesting specific board candidates at companies whose shares New York City pension funds own -- which could include nearly any firm in the S&P 500. Goals would include making boardrooms more diverse or accountable for poor performance.

While the comptroller's office still prefers quiet talks, the new rules will give activists more leverage in those rare cases when corporate directors will not budge, said Michael Garland, an assistant comptroller.

"We're committed to being able to have a discussion about a particular nominee. We have the firepower to do that," Garland said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Garland and Rhonda Brauer, recently named as Stringer's director of corporate engagement, declined to name any companies where they might suggest such nominations soon.

By Stringer's count more than 300 U.S. companies, including about half the S&P 500, have adopted rules to open up the nominating process, including Apple Inc <AAPL.O> and Exxon Mobil Corp <XOM.N>. Exxon is under pressure to add a climate expert to the oil company's board.

Story continues

Still, even talk of specific directors brings the New York City funds into new territory as other big public pension managers have preferred a secondary role.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System, the nation's largest public pension system, and the Florida State Board of Administration have been vocal about issues like board diversity and voting rights but representatives of each said they are not currently pursuing nominations.

According to a December study by FactSet, companies won board seat proxy contests 67 percent of the time in 2016, up from 54 percent in 2015.

Jill Fisch, a University of Pennsylvania law professor who follows corporate governance, said investors have wondered if pension funds might use proxy access like big hedge funds to push their own candidates - and if so, whether their nominees would be successful.

"I can imagine that being really effective, or a real disaster," she said.

(Reporting by Ross Kerber in Boston; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
LONDON (Reuters) - London Mayor Sadiq Khan will say on Thursday that urgent action is needed to prevent Britain slipping towards a "muddled Brexit", arguing that the capital needs more control over its economic policy to cope with leaving the European Union. Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party, was elected to the influential position of mayor last May on a promise to stand up for the city's businesses. He has called for the government to avoid the uncertainty of a messy divorce from the EU, saying it would damage confidence in the city. "It's deeply concerning that we still appear to have 'muddled thinking' at the heart of government so soon before the negotiations are set to start," Khan will say in a speech later on Thursday according to a statement from his office. His words echo those of Britain's former ambassador to the EU, Ivan Rogers, who resigned last week saying that Prime Minister Theresa May government was "muddled" in its approach. May refuted the suggestion, saying she would set out her strategy over the coming weeks. "The only thing that would be as damaging as a hard Brexit is a muddled Brexit, and - unfortunately - it looks like that is where we are heading without urgent action," Khan is due to say. He will reiterate his view that London needs preferential access to the single market, access to skilled workers in Europe and a transitional agreement with the EU to smooth the Brexit process. Khan will also restate his case for London to have more control over its economy policy. He will promise to compile his own industrial strategy for London to feed into the government's plan to reshape the British economy. May has promised to draw up an industrial strategy that will revive areas of the country which have suffered from a decades-long decline in manufacturing, to try to both rebalance the services-reliant economy and re-engage with disillusioned working-class voters. "We need more control of the right levers to improve competitiveness, stimulate growth and invest in our long-term future," Khan will say. "If we want an industrial strategy that works for London and therefore for Britain, we must have more control. (Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)
Catholic priests assailed by inner demons fall under the spell of a mysterious child healer in Seclusion, veteran Filipino genre director Erik Mattis skillful reworking of the Omen conceit, in the elegant, nostalgic style reminiscent of Spanish horror films like The Devils Backbone. Like that film, Seclusion features a war-torn backdrop that serves as a bleak allegory on blind faith and the lure of false gods in a land overrun by fascism. The film won nine awards at the Metro Manila Film Festival including best director. Since Matti has already established himself on the international genre scene with crime noirs On the Job and Honor Thy Father, Seclusion wont be tucked away for long before turning up at genre fests and on the small screen.

Seclusion recalls the hushed horror of Mattis earlier ghost mystery Pa-siyam as both draw on Christian orthodoxy and indigenous superstitions to unmask human hypocrisy. Here, the films sardonic denouement hints at whats at stake for democracy in our so-called post-truth generation.

By setting the yarn in 1947, the screenplay, by Anton Santamaria, summons a bygone era when piety and superstition were equally prevalent. Four deacons: Miguel (Ronnie Alonte), Fabian (Dominic Roque), Marco (John Vic De Guzman) and Carlos (JR Versales) are sent to a monastery in the provinces for their obligatory seven-day retreat shortly before being ordained in the priesthood. They are warned by the bishop that this is the time when they are most vulnerable to temptations of the devil.

Before long, the confined space and solitude start to play tricks on the novices minds. Matti whets ones appetite with flashes of ghoulish visions but makes them ambiguous enough to be mere hallucinations. Production designer Ericson Navarro makes good use of the countrys Spanish colonial architecture to evoke a gloomy, antiquated ambience, while the ornate religious paraphernalia, especially statues of saints, project a spooky aura in the flickering candlelight.

Story continues

In a nearby town, Friar Ricardo (Neil Ryan Sese) investigates the cult following surrounding Anghela (Rhed Bustamante), a young girl who performs miracle-healing (a scene of her spitting out black gunk into a jar as she treats her patients is far from a beatific sight). Meanwhile, Sister Cecilia (Phoebe Walker), an icily beautiful nun, has usurped the moppets parents to become her guardian and reaps profits from her charity work.

When Anghelas parents are brutally murdered, with no identifiable cause, the child disappears with Sister Cecilia, only to turn up at the deacons cloistered abode. Their caretaker, Sandoval (Lou Veloso), quits his job after a conversation with Anghela, who seems to have telepathic knowledge of his past. Bustamante uncannily limns Anghelas demeanor as something between a sage and a therapist.

Left to the mercy of the ever more controlling Sister Cecilia, the novices visions get ghastlier, and intriguingly, the mind-reading Anghela attributes these to their cardinal sins or to pathology. Miguel is the only one who resists her offers of spiritual solace, even though Erina (Elora Espano), the pregnant girlfriend he abandoned to enter holy orders, is clawing her way back into his subconscious.

Editor Jay Halili deftly keeps the two separate plot lines equally suspenseful until they converge at the movies midpoint. However, while Friar Ricardos uncovering of Sister Cecilias real identity and harrowing experience during the war fuels tension, the horrors breaking out in the monastery never escalate to a truly spine-chilling level. And as long as protagonists and audiences continue to wonder whether Anghela is a self-proclaimed messenger of God or Satans spawn, the film works. But the darkly atmospheric buildup is partly marred by a busy and rushed ending.

Although events take place two years after the end of WWII, there are outbursts of unsanctioned violence, as when Friar Ricardo encounters a crazed former soldier who believes the Japanese Imperialist Army is still on the rampage. Eventually, its revealed that several characters: Marco, Cecilia, and Ricardo all inherited some war-related trauma. The idea of people descending into inhumane behavior during a state of emergency, when extra-judicial killings are condoned, has sharp contempo relevance to the Philippines.

The dignified Sese personifies the sensibility and moral conviction of Friar Ricardo, in marked contrast with the young male cast whose inexperience fits the novices high-strung and impressionable nature. But the major discovery here is Bustamante, who possesses the mesmerizing charisma of a cult leader. Her statuesque composure and eloquent manner of speech is far beyond her years, and on top of that, she knows how to appear unfathomable.

Unlike Mattis recent horror outings, The Aswang Chronicles Part 1 & 2, which are shot entirely on green screen and revel in grindhouse aesthetics, the production reportedly eschewed all special effects. The result is a painterly, sepia-toned visual texture whose classical quality is enhanced by the baroque-inflected choral score by Francis de Veyra.

Related stories

IFFAM: Project Pitching Gets Lively Start at Macao's Crouching Tigers Market

Philippines Drives 'Transit' to Oscar Race

'Sightseers' spotted as PiFan Winner
By Astrid Zweynert LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Mali has eliminated Guinea worm disease bringing the world a step closer to eradicating the debilitating parasitic disease that is now only endemic in three African countries, the U.S.-based Carter Center said, citing provisional government figures. Guinea worm afflicted 3.5 million people 30 years ago but is now only endemic in South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, where there were 16 reported cases last year, according to the organisation set up by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife. Last November, the doctor leading the fight against the disease which can cause worms up to a metre long to grow before emerging through the skin, said the world had never been so close to eradicating Guinea worm. Carter, 92, has made the fight against the disease for which there is no vaccine or medical treatment, a cornerstone of his organisation's work. "The progress we have seen in restricting Guinea worm disease to these few cases in only three countries is testament to the dedication of people in endemic areas to caring for their health and that of their communities," said Dean Sienko, the Carter Center's vice-president of health programmes. The disease can cause fevers, blisters and extreme pain when the worms emerge from the body. It is spread by drinking unboiled stagnant water containing the larvae. The Carter Center said the disease is being wiped out through community programmes that show people how to filter drinking water and prevent contamination. Although the global number of cases has declined, one worm can cause 80 new cases after its incubation period of 10-14 months, so keeping cases low signals the battle is being won. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the battle to eradicate Guinea worm is being hampered by insecurity in countries where the disease is endemic with health workers and volunteers often venturing hundreds of miles into lawless areas. Another challenge is that dogs - mainly in Chad, but also in the other countries - are picking up Guinea worm infections too. (Reporting by Astrid Zweynert; Editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories)
As Orlando police remain embroiled in a manhunt for a suspect wanted for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and an officer in Orlando, a man took to the streets to show support for that alleged cop killer, donning a sign celebrating the death of police outside a Florida sheriffs office.

The man, 26-year-old Ian McGuire, was seen outside the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office, located about three hours southwest of Orlando, wearing a sign that read: "2 cops dead in Orlando. God bless the shooter."

In a video he posted to YouTube showing him outside the sheriffs office with the sign, McGuire wrote: "I decide to conduct a 1st amendment audit of the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office, as you know 2 cops were recently killed in Orlando."

On Monday, Markeith Loyd allegedly gunned down Orlando Police Master Sgt. Debra Clayton when she attempted to arrest him outside a Walmart on Princeton Street and John Young Parkway, cops said.

He was wanted for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, when Clayton stopped him.

Loyd fled, leading authorities to launch a massive manhunt for the man they say should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

As Orange County Deputy Norman Lewis responded to the manhunt for Loyd, he was killed in a motorcycle crash.

Lewis grew up in Port Charlotte, not far from where the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office is located.

Read: Man Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Suspected Cop Killer Markeith Loyd After Murder of His Pregnant Ex

Its disrespectful, disheartening to see such psychotic behavior from someone in our own community, especially after the unfortunate loss of a local graduate [Lewis] who was killed while partaking in the manhunt, resident Chris Gage said to InsideEdition.com of McGuire's behavior.

Lewis, who was an esteemed member of the OSCO Motors/DUI unit, was a graduate of Port Charlotte High School and went on to the University of Central Florida, where he played football for the Knights.

Story continues

His funeral, originally scheduled to be held at the First Baptist Church of Orlando on Friday, was postponed to Sunday after his family had an unspecified emergency, Sheriff's office spokesperson Jeff Williamson told the Orlando Sentinel.

A second service at Murdock Baptist Churchin in Port Charlotte that was planned for Sunday has been rescheduled for noon on Monday, and the funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Interment will immediately follow the service.

"That million dollar smile. The consummate professional," the Sheriffs Office wrote of "Big Norm." "Thats how we will remember our gentle giant DFC Norm Lewis. RIP."

McGuire continued to record as individuals and police entered and exited the sheriffs office, clarifying his position when some attempted to donate in support of the fallen officers families.

Im not supporting them maam. Im supporting the guy who shot them, he said.

At one point, he entered the Sheriffs Office "to see if they allow my free speech," but left after getting "no bites."

McGuire told InsideEdition.com that while he understands why some might be upset with the wording of his sign, he was exercising his First Amendment right to free speech, which he said is most important.

"I dont endorse murder or killing; my purpose of that sign was only to conduct a First Amendment audit to make sure the Sheriffs Department was in compliance ... I dont necessarily believe that it was good [that] they were murdered," he said.

McGuire, who said he has in the past held up a sign at the local public library that denied the Holocaust, said his "motto" is to "advocate the extreme."

"A right not exercised is lost... if you start to prohibit them, it's a slippery slope," he said.

McGuire has an extensive arrest history with Charlotte County that dates back to at least 2009, including an arrest in 2012 for allegedly pointing a rifle at three adults and a baby.

He and another man, both 22 at the time, were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after they allegedly drove past a Port Charlotte home several times, eventually slowing down so that McGuire could point the firearm at the group as they sat on a porch.

That case was closed in 2013 when prosecutors declined to further pursue the case.

McGuire denies ever pointing a firearm at a group of people and said all arrests he has experienced were unjust.

Classifying many people's respect for law enforcement as "blind love," McGuire said: "When you don a blue suit and a gold badge, when you make a mistake, its just a mistake... when you or I make a mistake, youre going to jail.

"I do have issues with law enforcement," he said. "I dont wish death on them. Im not glad someones dead."

The sheriffs office declined to comment on the incident, but deputies told WTLV that the man is there regularly and said while it's distasteful what he's doing, they'll defend his First Amendment right to do it.

Loyd remains on the run, as authorities announced additional arrests of those accused of helping him evade capture.

Loyd's niece, Lakensha Smith-Loyd, and an ex-girlfriend, Jameis Slaughter, were arrested Wednesday and charged with being accessories to first-degree murder after the fact in the December 13 shooting death of Dixon, Loyd's pregnant ex.

Read: Reward Increases to $100G for Capture of Alleged Cop Killer, Suspect in Pregnant Ex's Murder

Loyd's boss, Zarghee Mayan was arrested Tuesday for the same offense, as investigators say he admitted to giving the hungry Loyd free food Saturday, knowing he had been on the run since Dixon's murder, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Police said that during Mayan's confession Monday, he reportedly said he gave the niece, Smith-Loyd, $200 for Loyd two days after Dixon died.

Mayan, 33, said the money was "owed to him" for previous hours Loyd had worked at the Texas Fried Chicken restaurant he managed, the Sentinel wrote.

Police said that before his interrogation, Mayan never contacted authorities about Loyd's location, though he reportedly knew there was an arrest warrant for his former employee.

Smith-Loyd reportedly told the Sheriff's Office sometime after Dixon was murdered and before Clayton's slaying that she knew where her uncle was hiding.

She told officers she thought Loyd was defending himself in the act and would encourage him to turn himself in, but later became uncooperative with investigators, the Sentinel reported.

Slaughter, one of Loyd's ex-girlfriends, was arrested after police reportedly learned she had tried to collect rent money from a woman at Loyd's apartment and got into an argument with her.

Deputies allege she planned to give the money to Loyd and was helping him avoid capture.

Crimeline is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Loyd's arrest. Those with information about his whereabouts can contact them at 407-423-8477.

Watch: Deputy Killed During Manhunt for Suspected Cop Killer Was a 'Gentle Giant'

Related Articles:
Many breast-fed infants may not be getting enough vitamin D, a new study suggests.

Researchers surveyed 184 women who were breast-feeding, and found that most did not give vitamin D supplements daily to their infants. Because breast milk has low levels of vitamin D, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breast-fed infants, and those who are fed formula in addition to breast milk, receive 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day, beginning in the first few days of life.

Inadequate levels of vitamin D in children can lead to the bone disease rickets. And while people can also get vitamin D from sunlight, the AAP advises that infants younger than six months avoid exposure to direct sunlight due to skin cancer risk. The supplement is a liquid, and can be given with a dropper straight into the baby's mouth.

The survey included 140 mothers who exclusively breast-fed their infants and 44 mothers who gave their infants both breast milk and formula. All of the participants received care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where the study was conducted.

A little more than half of the mothers (55 percent) said they had given their infants vitamin D supplements in the past week, and just 42 percent said they had given their infants the recommended 400 IU of vitamin D per day.

When asked about why they didn't give vitamin D supplements to their infants, some mothers said they didn't know about the recommendation, and others thought that breast milk had everything their babies needed.

One woman said she "never even knew vitamin D supplementation was needed," according to the paper. Another said, "I feel like my breast milk was designed by God to give my baby what she needs. Babies have been fine and healthy without vitamin D supplementation for generations." [9 Good Sources of Disease-Fighter Vitamin D]

Some mothers who fed their infants formula said they thought the formula had all the vitamin D that their baby would need. However, a baby needs to be drinking at least 32 ounces (about 1 liter) of vitamin-D-fortified formula daily in order to receive an adequate amount of vitamin D, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Story continues

Many of the mothers (76 percent) surveyed said they were taking a multivitamin that contained vitamin D. Although mothers can take vitamin D as a way to increase the amount of this vitamin in their breast milk, studies have found that they need to take around 4,000 to 6,400 IU per day in order to sufficiently enrich their breast milk, the researchers said. That's higher than the amount of vitamin D typically found in multivitamins.

Still, the majority of breast-feeding mothers in the study (88 percent) said they would prefer to take supplements themselves, rather than give them to their infants.

The researchers concluded that having mothers take additional vitamin D supplements could improve infants' vitamin D levels.

"Mothers take a prenatal vitamin after delivery, so additional vitamin D could be incorporated in the maternal supplementation routine," they said.

The study is published in the January/February 2017 issue of the journal Annals of Family Medicine.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts judge has refused to excuse Exxon Mobil Corp from a request by the state's attorney general to hand over decades worth of documents on its views on climate change, state officials said on Wednesday. The decision by Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Heidi Brieger denying Exxon's request for an order exempting it from handing over the documents represents a legal victory for Attorney General Maura Healey, who is investigating the world's largest publicly traded oil company's climate policies. "This order affirms our longstanding authority to investigate fraud," Healey said on Twitter following the decision, adding that Exxon "must come clean about what it knew about climate change." Exxon spokesman Alan Jeffers said the company was "reviewing the decision to determine next steps." Healey is one of two state prosecutors, the other being her counterpart in New York, investigating whether Exxon knowingly misled its shareholders and the public as to what it knew about climate change. The investigations follow separate reports by online news publication Inside Climate News and the Los Angeles Times showing that Exxon worked to play down the risks of climate change despite its own scientists' having raised concerns about it decades earlier. The news came on the day former Exxon Chief Executive Rex Tillerson faced a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination to serve as President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state. Asked during the hearing if he believed human activity was contributing to climate change, Tillerson did not answer yes or no, but said, "The increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect. Our abilities to predict that effect are very limited." (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Leslie Adler)
By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May distanced herself on Wednesday from remarks by a junior minister who had suggested Britain was considering introducing an annual 1,000-pound "immigration skills charge" after Brexit on every skilled worker from an EU member state recruited by a British employer. The idea had drawn sharp condemnation from a prominent employers' group, the opposition Liberal Democrats and the European Parliament's point man on Brexit. Immigration minister Robert Goodwill had told a parliamentary committee that a skills levy was due to come into force in April for non-EU workers, and that it had been suggested the government could extend it to skilled EU workers. But May's spokeswoman said he had been misinterpreted. "He seems to have been misinterpreted and those comments taken out of context," she told reporters. "What he said was there are a number of things that some people may suggest could be the way forward. "At no point did he say it is on the agenda. It is not on the government's agenda." Britons voted by 52 to 48 percent in a referendum last June to leave the European Union after a campaign in which the Brexit camp argued for tighter controls on immigration than are allowed under the EU's rules on the free movement of people. The Institute of Directors (IoD), an employers' organisation, said earlier the suggested levy would hit businesses dependent on skills from abroad. "This tax will only damage jobs growth at a time when many businesses are living with uncertainty," said Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills at the IoD. "They simply cannot endure the double whammy of more restriction and then, if they do succeed in finding the right candidate, the prospect of an extra charge." Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, now the European parliament's representative in the Brexit process, had called the proposal "shocking". "Imagine, just for a moment, what the UK headlines would be, if the EU proposed this for UK nationals?" he wrote on Twitter. The Liberal Democrats, a pro-EU party that was in coalition with the ruling Conservatives between 2010 and 2015, called Goodwill's suggestion "idiotic". In October, interior minister Amber Rudd raised the idea of making companies publish the number of foreign workers they employed, but that proposal was dropped after a public outcry. (Additional reporting by Alistair Smout, Ritvik Carvalho, William James and Kylie MacLellan, editing by Ralph Boulton)
Brussels (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the EU Thursday it should not rely on "eternal" US support, as concern grows in Europe about Donald Trump's commitment to transatlantic ties.

Merkel, who faced a small protest by far-right supporters on a visit to Belgium, also told the European Union it must keep a united front in negotiations with Britain over its exit from the bloc.

"From the point of view of some of our traditional partners -- and I am thinking here as well about the transatlantic relations -- there is no eternal guarantee for a close cooperation with us Europeans," Merkel told an audience as she received an honorary university doctorate in Brussels.

Merkel said that "Europe is facing the biggest challenges for decades" with conflicts on its borders like that in Ukraine, but that it would be "naive always to rely on others who would solve the problems in our neigbourhood."

The German leader said Brexit in particular made it important to increase solidarity in the rest of the EU, which has been discussing ways of boosting defence cooperation and other issues in the wake of Britain's shock vote to leave.

"We should see this decision as an incentive to work together (for the goal), to hold Europe together now more than ever, to improve it further and to bring the citizens closer together again," she said.

Around 50 protesters waving placards responded to a call by the Flemish far-right movement Voorpost to protest against Merkel's immigration policies, AFP journalists said.

Police kept them back from the ceremony where she received a joint doctorate from the prestigious Ghent and Louvain universities.

Merkel, who is set to seek re-election later this year, has faced criticism in Europe over her open-door policy for Syrian refugees which critics say encouraged a flood of migrants to Europe.

- Brexit 'can't divide' EU -

The migration crisis is one of a series of problems facing the EU, along with the spectre of Brexit, but Merkel said the remaining 27 countries must stand strong.

Story continues

"We are absolutely in agreement that we cannot let ourselves be divided," Merkel told a news conference after talks with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel before her visit to Belgium.

"The 27 (member states) must act together in the negotiations, but first we await the answer about how Britain wants to design its exit."

Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June last year, but the rest of the bloc has refused to hold any negotiations on their future relationship until Britain formally triggers its departure.

EU nations have warned Britain cannot expect to keep all the benefits of membership of the single market while being able to limit the bloc's signature freedom of movement for people.

On Wednesday, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, whose country has just taken over the EU's rotating six-month presidency, rejected suggestions that Britain may be able to play on divisions to extract concessions.

"I have rarely been at a discussion on any other subject where the 27 member states have basically the same position," he said.
No

Yes, a light case

Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

Vote

View Results
Mexico City (AFP) - While Donald Trump is still days away from becoming US president, Mexico is already gearing for tough negotiations, refusing to pay for a border wall while rejecting protectionist threats.

President Enrique Pena Nieto and Trump gave a glimpse of things to come on Wednesday as the neighboring countries face a new and complex era in their relationship.

Pena Nieto said his government will seek "open and complete negotiations" with the next US government and that "everything is on the table," including security, immigration and trade.

But, he said, "at no time will we accept anything that goes against our dignity as a country, and our dignity as Mexicans."

Drawing applause at an annual meeting with Mexican ambassadors, Pena Nieto continued: "It is obvious that we have some differences with the next government of the United States, like the issue of the wall that Mexico of course will not pay for."

Trump -- who has angered Mexicans by calling migrants from their country "rapists" -- boasted at a news conference hours earlier in New York that Mexico has been "so nice" to him.

But the Republican billionaire said his administration will quickly begin work on the wall and make Mexico reimburse the United States through a tax or another unspecified form of payment.

"I could wait about a year and a half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which we'll start immediately after we get to office, but I don't want to wait," Trump said.

The cost of building a wall -- which might end up being more fence than wall, analysts say -- has been estimated at up to $25 billion.

While the Republican billionaire did not mention his previous threat to tap into the remittances Mexican migrants send back home, Pena Nieto said he would work to "maintain the free flow of remittances," which reached $24 billion in the first 11 months of 2016.

The Mexican currency plunged to a new record low after Trump's press conference, falling 0.9 percent to trade at 22.20 pesos per dollar.

Story continues

- 'Fears and threats' -

Trump, who takes office on January 20, also renewed his pledge to impose "a major border tax" on companies that ship jobs to other countries like Mexico.

The real estate tycoon claimed credit for a recent announcement by auto maker Fiat-Chrysler of plans to boost investments in the United States as well as Ford's decision to cancel a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico.

The auto industry is vital to Mexico, which is the world's fourth exporter, with the majority of vehicles going to the United States, which is Mexico's main export market.

Pena Nieto rejected any attempt to influence foreign investors "on the basis of fear or threats."

But he said Mexico was ready to discuss the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada, which Trump wants to renegotiate. The pact represents $531 billion in annual two-way trade.

Pena Nieto issued his own demands to the incoming administration, renewing calls for the US government to stop the illegal trafficking of guns from the United States to Mexico, which the southern neighbor has blamed for fueling drug violence for years.

Pena Nieto also said the United States needs to block the flow of illegal funds to organized crime.

- 'Fascinating' change looms -

But analysts warned that negotiations on the wall and NAFTA will take a while if not years, as they have to clear hurdles in the US Congress and with the countries involved in the process.

In an attempt to start off on the right foot, Pena Nieto brought back his former finance minister, Luis Videgaray, as foreign minister last week.

Videgaray had resigned in September, a week after a political firestorm over his role in arranging Trump's controversial pre-election meeting with Pena Nieto.

But Videgaray's previous contacts with the Trump team are now seen as an asset.

"This is a man who certainly has strategic vision, he is a negotiator, he is a transactional politician by nature," Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, told AFP.

"This is going to be complex, fascinating negotiations," he said.

Luis de la Calle, a Mexican analyst who was among the negotiators of the NAFTA deal in 1994, said many US lawmakers will want to protect businesses in their home states, noting that Mexico is the main export market for California and Texas.

"Mexico must negotiate like a serious and responsible country," de la Calle told AFP, adding that the government "must be willing to leave the negotiation table in case that what the United States offers is unacceptable for Mexico."
By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico said on Wednesday it would throw its relationship with the United States wide open in talks with the incoming Trump administration, putting security, migration and trade on the table as it seeks to avoid a major economic shock. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to tear up a trade agreement that underpins Mexico's export model if he cannot renegotiate its terms in his favor, battering the peso currency and fueling uncertainty over foreign investment. President Enrique Pena Nieto said Mexico would take a broad approach to the challenge, seeking a settlement that would benefit both Mexico and the United States as he looks to carve out a platform that gives him room for maneuver in talks. "All the issues that define our bilateral relationship are on the table, including security, migration and trade," Pena Nieto said in a speech to diplomats in Mexico City, sketching out his negotiating position for the first time. Reuters reported last month that Mexico's government aimed to use security and migration to gain leverage over the United States in its talks with Trump, and could offer to reinforce its borders to get a better deal on trade. Pena Nieto said Mexico would invest in a more secure border, but repeated his posture that it would not pay for the border wall Trump plans to build. During the campaign, Trump threatened to have Mexico fund the wall by blocking remittances from Mexicans living in the United States. Pena Nieto said he would work to ensure those funds continued to flow freely across the border. Pena Nieto said the U.S. government shared responsibility for migrants seeking to reach the United States, and should also work to stop the southward flow of weapons and illicit funds that help finance Mexican organized crime. Mexican officials point to a jump in deportations of illegal immigrants under Pena Nieto, and to the country's importance in working with U.S. law enforcement to combat rising U.S. demand for lethal drugs such as heroin smuggled in from Mexico. If Trump seeks to hurt Mexico on trade, there is little incentive for the Mexican government to go out of its way on behalf of the United States on other issues, they argue. TRADE DIVERSIFICATION Mexico sends 80 percent of its exports to the United States and is eager to uphold the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the two nations and Canada that acts as a conduit for the bulk of foreign direct investment in Mexico. Trump has called NAFTA a "disaster" and vowed to scrap or recast it in the hope of bringing jobs back to America. Mexico, meanwhile, must work to reduce its dependency on the United States, economists and policymakers have said. Pena Nieto said his government would seek to diversify business ties with Asia and Latin American countries where it had room for improvement, such as Brazil and Argentina. Mexico also aims to wrap up talks with the European Union on updating a joint trade accord in the next 12 months, he added. In a news conference on Wednesday, Trump said he would soon begin talks with Mexico on the border wall and would make Mexico reimburse the United States for construction costs. Trump also promised a major border tax on companies that moved jobs outside the United States, giving the example of firms relocating plants to Mexico. (Additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel, Ana Isabel Martinez, Michael O'Boyle and Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by Andrew Hay)
For more celebrity videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

Michael Jacksons nephew Taj Jackson and daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, are no fans of Joseph Fiennes portrayal of the late pop star in the upcoming Sky Arts series Urban Myths.

A day after the first trailer for the half-hour comedy series was released, Taj Jackson, 43, tweeted, Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect.

His statement came in response to a tweet from journalist Soledad OBrien criticizing Fiennes casting. I woke up feeling like its going to be a beautiful day and then I remembered this is someones idea of Michael Jackson, she wrote, attaching a screenshot of Fiennes in the trailer.

Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, 18, was also asked for her thoughts on the project and tweeted, im so incredibly offended by it, as im sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.

She went on to call the project insulting  not just to her father, but to her late godmother, Elizabeth Taylor, who is portrayed in the episode as well. Jacksons daughter also stressed that her father made a point of it plenty of times to express pride in his roots.

The decision to cast Fiennes, a white English actor, to play the King of Pop has been controversial since news of the project broke last year. Starring opposite Stockard Channing as Taylor and Brian Cox as Marlon Brando, Fiennes plays Jackson in a single episode of the series, about the trios supposed attempt to leave New York after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Fiennes told the Associated Press last year he doesnt believe the project promotes stereotyping, and he conceded, This is territory that is sensitive.

Story continues

@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

@TheMJCast it angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother liz as well  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

@TheMJCast where is the respect? they worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. shameful portrayal  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

@likeathriller @TheMJCast agreed! he made a point of it plenty of times to express his pride in his roots. he would never have wanted this  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

@soledadobrien Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect. https://t.co/WKCiwOqPpN  Taj Jackson (@tajjackson3) January 11, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I woke up feeling like it's going to be a beautiful day and then I remembered this is someone's idea of Michael Jackson: pic.twitter.com/sG8oxEUfs0  Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) January 11, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Michael Jackson's only daughter, Paris, is slamming a British TV series in which British actor Joseph Fiennes portrays her father.

Read: New Docu-Series Suggests O.J. Simpson's Son Might Have Committed Notorious Murders

In the upcoming anthology show Urban Myths, the Shakespeare in Love star plays the King of Pop, while Stockard Channing plays Elizabeth Taylor and actor Brian Cox steps into the role of Marlon Brando.

The casting of Fiennes has come under fire in recent months by Jackson fans offended at the fact that a white actor was cast in the role.

The show, which is based upon tall tales and urban legends involving celebrities and politicians, features an episode of Jackson, Taylor, and Brando in a road trip the legendary stars supposedly took from New York following the 9/11 attacks.

Read: 'Where is Sasha?' Social Media Lights Up as First Daughter Is Missing From President's Farewell Address

A first look at Fiennes in the role was highly publicized with the release of a trailer for the series.

While Urban Myths shows a humorous take on the story, Paris Jackson is not amused. When a fan asked Jacksons 18-year-old daughter on Twitter her thoughts on the portrayal, she blasted it.

@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast it angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother liz as well  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast where is the respect? they worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. shameful portrayal  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

Fiennes has defended his performance, telling Rolling Stone: "I deal in imagination, so I don't think imagination should have rules stamped on them."

Story continues

"Joseph Fiennes is cast as Michael Jackson," Sky, the network distributing the film, said in a statement to Rolling Stone. "It is part of a series of comedies about unlikely stories from arts and cultural history. Sky Arts gives producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set."

Watch: More Questions Arise Over Janet Jackson's Alleged 'Secret Daughter' With First Husband

Related Articles:
Fans aren't the only ones feeling disturbed over the upcoming comedy Urban Myths' first trailer showing Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson; the late pop icon's family is upset as well.

Following the British TV film's tailer release on Tuesday, Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson and his nephew Taj Jackson both voiced their frustration on Twitter.

The cousins expressed that they saw this as being intentionally insulting toward Michael Jackson's legacy - as well as the late Elizabeth Taylor, who is played by Stockard Channing. Paris Jackson even went so far as to say the alleged disrespect makes her want to vomit.

Read more: 'Urban Myths' Trailer: Sky Art Debuts First Look of Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson

The trailer shows only a few seconds of Fiennes' portrayal of the King of Pop, but many have called the move to cast a white actor in the role as culturally insensitive. Amid backlash to the news of Fiennes' casting, the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2016 that though the film is "not a biopic," he understood why people were "up in arms."

Urban Myths debuts Jan. 19 on the U.K.'s Sky Arts.

See their tweets below.

@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.

- Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast it angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother liz as well

- Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast where is the respect? they worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. shameful portrayal

- Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@soledadobrien Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect. https://t.co/WKCiwOqPpN

- Taj Jackson (@tajjackson3) January 11, 2017

This article originally appeared on Billboard.com.
Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to first lady Michelle Obama Wednesday as she made her final TV appearance before leaving the White House next week.

Read: Michelle Obama Fights Back Tears in Final Remarks as First Lady: 'I Hope I've Made You Proud'

Appearing on The Tonight Show, Mrs. Obama surprised audience members and viewers as they recorded special farewell messages to her.

As the ordinary Americans stood in front of a portrait of the first lady, they explained what she meant to them as she and Fallon watched from the next room.

Then, out of nowhere, Mrs. Obama would emerge from behind a curtain and surprise them.

Many were brought to tears, others were stunned in silence.

The first lady sat down with Fallon for an interview and also did the hosts wildly popular Thank You Notes segment where they pen cards of gratitude to pop culture figures.

Predictably, Mrs. Obama wrote a note to her husband, saying, "Thank you Barack for proving youre not a lame duck, but my very own silver fox."

Read: President Obama Gives Emotional Final Speech as Crowd Begs for 'Four More Years!'

In his own note to the first lady, Fallon wrote: "Thank you, Michelle Obama, for bringing a whole new meaning to the right to bear arms."

After the segment, comedians Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld challenged the host and first lady to a game of catchphrase.

The show ended with Stevie Wonder singing a medley of hits to Mrs. Obama.

Watch: Woman Carries Life-Sized Cardboard Cutout of Barack Obama Everywhere She Goes

Related Articles:
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f345886%2f6a30148d-df9d-46c4-9dfb-90a739f0f060

As the sun sets the Obamas tenure in the White House, Michelle Obama made what appears to be one final appearance as First Lady on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday.

Naturally, her appearance was dedicated to a series of extended, emotional thank yous, lighter in tone to the President's speech the night before.

SEE ALSO: President Obama's emotional tribute to his family will have you tearing up

Walking out to Stevie Wonder's "Please Don't Go," performed by house band The Roots, Michelle was thanked repeatedly by Fallon for her appearances on the show.

"I just want to personally say thank you for being our only first family that we've had since we've started Late Night  we've been doing bits and sketches together," Fallon said.

That eventually led to a segment called "Thank You Notes," where Michelle thanked Barack for being her "silver fox."

Fallon in turn thanked Michelle for her arms and her dancing abilities. It was excellent.

But what will get you really choked up is Michelle surprising people who were recording thank you messages to her, unaware she was hiding backstage.

"Did you prepare that ahead of time? Oh my god, that was so beautiful," Michelle said, as a woman cried in her arms in excitement.

A fitting farewell that's mostly celebration, not consternation. Thank YOU, Michelle!

BONUS: Even Fox News is defending CNN against Trump
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f345678%2ffa93a0c1-7920-4afa-9b14-754bde74b7d5

What's the difference between obscenely hungover people and feral cats?

The unwavering appetite for fried food, of course.

Apparently, Kentucky Fried Chicken happens to be the secret ingredient in helping control the feral feline population, which poses a constant risk to over 100 native species in Australia.

SEE ALSO: Animal shelter commercial almost cuter than the animals themselves

Parks Victoria staff spent A$260 (US$193) during seven visits to the same KFC store in a four month period, according to The Guardian. An unnamed Parks Victoria staff member told the news outlet the fast food is "widely known to be the most effective bait for luring feral cats."

A feral cat catches and eats a crimson rosella bird at an unknown location in Australia.

Image: AP Photo/Department of the Environment, C. Potter

Dr Guy Ballard, from the Vertebrate Pest Research Unit at the University of New England, told Mashable via email confirmed that people do indeed use it.

"Although it is not standard practice for our own research group, I'm aware that many people use KFC (or other fried chicken or fish) as a food lure option when trying to trap feral cats in cage traps," he said.

The revelation comes as the state's environment minister Lily D'Ambrosio announced an independent review into the authorities' credit card use on Monday, citing "a large number" of transactions and cards available to staff.

Feral cats now cover 99.8 per cent of Australia, and have already driven 20 Australian mammals to extinction.

The feral cat population fluctuates "between 2.1 million when times are lean, up to 6.3 million when widespread rain results in plenty of available prey," Dr Sarah Legge from The University of Queensland said in a statement.

Hey, whatever works.
Brussels (AFP) - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that outside attempts to manipulate national elections cannot be tolerated, amid uproar over claims Russian interference helped Donald Trump win the US presidency.

"Any attempt to intervene in, to influence national elections from outside is unacceptable," Stoltenberg said when asked about allegations of Russian cyber attacks and hacking during the 2016 US presidential campaign.

Trump has consistently berated US intelligence agencies over their claim Russian President Vladimir Putin personally approved a cyber offensive to help him defeat Hillary Clinton.

On Wednesday, the president-elect, who took a much softer line on Russia than Clinton, conceded Moscow may have meddled but he bluntly rejected any suggestion his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the vote.

Russia has rejected the charges.

Stoltenberg insisted the danger was real, saying that the US-led military alliance was "concerned" over cyber security and had seen reports about such attacks against "many NATO allies."

"That is why NATO has focused on cyber defence... cyber security is top of our agenda," he said after a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English at NATO HQ in Brussels.

He recalled that NATO leaders at their Warsaw summit in July had made cyber security an "operational domain," putting it on a par with its responsibility to provide traditional military capabilities on land, sea and in the air.

They also endorsed plans for a special response unit to help any ally under threat from a cyber attack against either military or civilian infrastructure.

NATO "does not see any imminent threat against an ally" from Russia, Stoltenberg said when asked about the current threat assessment.

But he charged that a "more assertive Russia" was engaged in a major military build-up and had shown it was ready to use force to get its way, as demonstrated in Georgia and Ukraine.

Asked about Trump's commitment to NATO -- which the President-elect appeared to undercut during the campaign -- Stoltenberg said he had no doubts.

"I am absolutely certain the new president will stay committed to NATO, to (US) security guarantees. That was the clear message when I spoke to Donald Trump some days after the election," he said.
From Popular Mechanics

A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet that caught fire in flight seven years ago is finally being returned to service. The airplane was meticulously repaired by Navy engineers and mechanics who spent more than 10,000 hours replacing parts and certifying the plane to rejoin the fleet.

The aircraft suffered an in-flight emergency in 2009 while flying out of Naval Air Station China Lake in southern California. The pilot landed injury-free at China Lake, but the plane wasn't so lucky. It suffered burn damage to its starboard engine door. There were also burns on the engine exhaust nozzle skin, wiring, and fire emergency equipment, and so they needed to be replaced.

At the time of the fire the aircraft had only flown 2,183 flight hours of its estimated 6,000-hour lifetime, so it was worth returning to service. And so the aircraft was driven by flatbed truck to the North Island Naval Station in San Diego (it sustained additional damage during the trip), where the Navy's Fleet Readiness Center Southwest got to work on it.

Approximately 11,000 man-hours went into bringing the Super Hornet back up to operational status. Structural repairs totaled 2,500 man-hours, which included replacing the Super Hornet's damaged 68 engine door, a complex item to repair, let alone replace. The nozzle skin and airframe stiffeners were also replaced.

The fighter will now presumably return to its unit, Strike Fighter Squadron 122, a training squadron located at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.

Source: U.S. Navy

You Might Also Like
This baby only lived 11 days, but after his final moments were caught on camera, his parents will have photos to cherish for a lifetime.

Read: Dad Shares Heartbreaking Photo of Daughter, 4, Battling Cancer After Being Given Weeks to Live

When Lyndsay Brentlinger of Toledo, Ohio, was 20 weeks pregnant with her twins, William and Reagan, she was devastated to learn one of them would be stillborn. Reagan developed typically in the womb, but doctors said William had heart abnormalities.

So it was a miracle when William was born alive with his sister on December 17, and was able to go home with his family  even though it was on hospice care.

"We did not know how long we had with Will when we took him home," mother Lyndsay Brentlinger told InsideEdition.com. "We tried to take it one day at a time, and be grateful for the time God blessed us with Will."

Days before Christmas, the family contacted photographer Lindsey Brown to see if they could squeeze in a session, knowing William would not be with them long.

Although she had started turning clients away for the holidays, Brown knew she had to squeeze in a session with the family after hearing their story.

"It was bittersweet photographing the babies," Brown told InsideEdition.com. "Just looking at little William, you would never know anything was wrong with him. They both looked absolutely perfect."

Read: Mom Donates 18 Gallons of Breast Milk After Newborn Son Dies: 'I Wanted to Share His Gift of Milk'

Three days after the photos were taken, Little William passed away.

"The 11 days we had together with all of us as a family were some of the best of our lives," Brentlinger said. "We are doing our best to honor his memory now that he is gone."

The photographer said she hopes her images serve as a lasting reminder of the boy's life, which was cut way too short.

"I really think it's so important for the parents and siblings to have these forever memories," Brown said.

Story continues

Watch: Uncle Shows Up to See Newborn Niece in Suit Because He 'Wanted to Make a Good Impression'

Related Articles:
Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria should consider giving asylum to The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh as a way of ending the political crisis in his country, lawmakers said on Thursday.

A motion passed in the lower chamber House of Representatives gave members' backing to regional efforts to resolve the dispute, sparked by Jammeh's refusal to accept election results.

The MPs said "the clock is ticking fast" for The Gambia and there was a need to step up diplomacy, as the possibility of violence and mass displacement threatened West African stability.

They called on Jammeh to "respect the will of the people", who voted for opposition candidate Adama Barrow in the December 1 election.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who is leading the regional diplomatic effort, should "extend Nigeria's readiness to offer... Jammeh safe haven in Nigeria to live securely as a way of ending the political stalemate in The Gambia", they added.

The motion is not binding on the government and there was no immediate response from Buhari, who is expected to travel to Banjul on Friday for talks.

Buhari's Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said on Tuesday that "violence should be avoided but nothing is ruled out" by regional bloc ECOWAS to ensure The Gambia's constitution was upheld.

Jammeh has taken legal action against the election result and said he will not step down until his complaint is heard.

That has raised the prospect of months of political deadlock because The Gambia lacks Supreme Court judges to handle the case.

Nigeria has previously given asylum to a number of African political leaders, including the Liberian warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor.
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's lower house voted on Thursday to offer Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asylum if he steps down, lawmakers said. The House of Representatives approved a motion to authorise President Muhammadu Buhari to offer Jammeh asylum if he handed over power to Adama Barrow, who won Gambia's Dec 1 elections. The question of whether Gambia can install Barrow as president is seen as a test case for African democracy in a region accustomed to coups and autocratic rule. The motion was sponsored by Sani Zorro, a member of the president's ruling All Progressive Congress party. "We need to strengthen the hands of the president [Buhari] while negotiating," said Zorro. However, Nasir Alli - a parliamentarian who opposed the motion - said Nigeria should not be seen to "condone irresponsible behaviour". Buhari is due to travel with other West African leaders to Gambia on Friday to persuade Jammeh to accept the election results, which he has rejected so far. (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Ulf Laessing and Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota's Republican-led and largely oil-friendly Legislature is quickly introducing a raft of bills spurred by the bitter dispute between Dakota Access protesters and law enforcement, from restricting face coverings at protests to requiring the state to sue the federal government as a means of recouping millions in policing costs.

Sen. Kelly Armstrong, R-Dickinson and the state GOP chairman, said the measures are motivated by residents' frustration with the ongoing protests in the southern part of the state, which at one point in the summer saw a thousands-strong encampment opposing the $3.8 billion, four-state pipeline.

"When people are having their lives disrupted, you're going to see things move up here," said Armstrong, an oil company executive and a former defense attorney. "It's very difficult to write 'protest laws.' We need to make sure there is reasonable application of the law in all circumstances, whether protest-related or not."

Faced with protest-weary constituents, lawmakers have put forth several bills in the young biennial session  and more may be coming. Among them are: making it a crime for adults to wear masks in most cases  similar to one that lasted for nearly 50 years that was aimed at the Ku Klux Klan  and exempting a driver from liability if they unintentionally injure or kill a pedestrian obstructing traffic on a public road or highway. Another, now-withdrawn measure would have had the state try to claim land and valuable mineral rights in the pipeline's path under the Missouri River as reimbursement for state law enforcement costs.

But there are dissenters over the bills, including Democratic state Rep. Marvin Nelson of Rolla. No Democrats have introduced protest-related measures, and the GOP has a supermajority, though it's common for chambers to disagree on key bills.

"Knee-jerk legislation often is poor legislation," said Nelson, a failed 2016 gubernatorial candidate and one of the few North Dakota lawmakers who has visited the encampment near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Story continues

That tribe, another in South Dakota and their supporters believe the project, which is to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois, threatens drinking water and Native American cultural sites. Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners denies that.

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, a protest organizer, said she had not seen the proposed legislation but called it a "process of people not communicating."

"I have never seen so many people frightened in all my life," she said of the lawmakers. "My recommendation for the Legislature would be to pray harder. I think people are living on rumor and gossip more than they do the truth."

Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, like his GOP predecessor and most in the Legislature, have been sympathetic to pipeline builders and to law enforcement and residents affected by the protests.

Burgum said in his state of the state address earlier this month that the Standing Rock Sioux tribe raised "legitimate issues" but "those have been hijacked by those with alternative agendas." He said criminal activity will not be tolerated.

"To those North Dakotans personally affected by this ongoing dispute, we hear your concerns," Burgum said. "Be assured that maintaining the rule of law in our state remains our priority."

GOP Rep. Keith Kempenich is pushing legislation that would require the state attorney general to sue the federal government to help cover costs for policing a protest. Already, the Dakota Access protests have cost the state more than $22 million and there have been nearly 600 arrests in the region since August.

He's also sponsoring the driver exemption, crafted after his 72-year-old mother-in-law was blocked by protesters waiving signs on a roadway.

"They're intentionally putting themselves in danger," Kempenich said of the protesters.

Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner of Dickinson said he still has some concerns about whether any protest-related legislation could spur lawsuits or add to the state's prison population that's soared due to crime accompanying the rise in oil production.

"We have to make sure there are no unintended consequences," Wardner said.
At Wednesdays Senate confirmation hearing for Rex Tillerson, U.S. President-elect Trumps pick for secretary of state, much of the questioning focused on Tillersons (and, by extension, Trumps) ties to and view of Russia. His answers exposed some daylight between his position and Trumps take on U.S. policy toward Moscow. But the two seemed to be in tandem on China: that the United States would be taking a more aggressive stance against Beijing.

Were going to have to send China a clear signal that first, the island-building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed, Tillerson told senators.

His answer amounted to more than just staking out a tough line on China. It was a stunning break with years of American foreign policy  as the United States has never taken a position on which country rightfully owns which island. Washington has long urged China to halt its massive dredging and island building in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. But Tillersons warning that the United States would block Chinas access to the contested islands shocked and bewildered lawmakers and their aides, and diplomats across Asia. If carried out, it could violate international law as Washington has interpreted it and could put the United States on a collision course with China, raising the danger of a military clash.

On Thursday, Chinas Foreign Minister Lu Kang responded, saying, Like the U.S., China has the right within its own territory to carry out normal activities.

What are those normal activities? On Wednesday, prior to Tillersons testimony, China sent its only aircraft carrier to the Taiwan Strait (Taiwan urged its citizens, whose leader is currently on a tour of Central America, to remain calm) and the Treasury Department imposed more sanctions on North Korea. This, a day after Japan and South Korea deployed fighter jets after noting that Chinese military planes were flying between the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan.

Story continues

There has been many a piece penned on how the so-called pivot to Asia  the Obama administrations policy of increased attention to Asia (as opposed to the trans-Atlantic and the Middle East)  is over. And Wednesdays national security-focused hearings (and Trumps first post-election press conference, and the Russia dominated hearings ostensibly set up to discuss foreign cyber interference more generally) might give one reason to believe this is correct, and that Washingtons focus is not on Asia  and certainly not on engaging with Asia  anymore.

But this weeks events alone  coupled with an increasingly aggressive (and aging, and economically weakening) China, a Japan in the midst of re-militarization, and a North Korea that some believe has enough plutonium to make ten nuclear bombs, among other realities  may mean that the United States cant pivot away.

Michael Auslin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the recently published book, The End of the Asian Century: War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the Worlds Most Dynamic Region, believes that the region is now closer to conflict than it was eight years ago. Some of that is due to internal factors; some, due to external factors (he does not believe Obamas strategic focus the region served to moderate Chinese behavior).

But defusing that potential conflict will require more, not less engagement, and it will require a coherent strategy (the last full Asia strategy was in 1998, Auslin argues). He says Trump, who has tweeted against China and North Korea and whom some believe will use the One China policy as a bargaining chip, is stripping away niceties, adding, thats not a strategy.

Photo credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images
President Obamas farewell speech was an exercise in marking norms. Offering a clear message to his successor, he spoke about the importance of civil liberties and rejecting discrimination against Muslims. He argued that protecting the American way of life means [guarding] against a weakening of the values that make us who we are, highlighting his administrations work to put the fight against terrorism on a firm legal footing. He went on: Thats why weve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, and reform our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties. He used forms of the word democracy 27 times.

Surveillance, indefinite detention, counterterrorism, and torture have emerged as prominent issues during the Senate hearings about Donald Trumps administration picks. It is not yet clear what Trumps policies on these issues will be, although his comments on the campaign trail suggest he supports the use of torture, keeping Guantanamo Bay open, and surveilling mosques and certain American citizens, among other things.

But anything Trump does will be built on legal infrastructure created by the Obama administration, argues Jameel Jaffer, the former deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. It may be true that Obama worked to create a sound legal basis for his administrations national-security and surveillance policies, Jaffer said. But in doing so, he also gave his policies, many of which were extensions of the Bush era, a sense of permanence and legitimacy. Now, Trump will inherit the firm legal footing Obama helped created.

During his time at the ACLU, Jaffer led litigation against the Obama administration on a number of national-security and transparency issues, and he recently wrote a book on the legal memos that enabled the administrations policy on drone strikes. Jaffer currently leads the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and is an executive editor for the blog Just Security.

Recommended: How Blackmail Works in Russia

Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Emma Green: Lets go through each of Obamas claims. Heres the first: His administration put the fight against terrorism on a firm legal footing. Thats kind of hard to parse, but seems to be a reference to policies put in place during the Bush administration. Its broad, but how well do you think this claim holds up?

Jameel Jaffer: The administration has a mixed record. They deserve credit for the disavowal of torture, the shuttering of the CIAs black sites, and the commitment to close Guantanamo and the significant progress they made toward that goal. They deserve credit for the transparency decisions they made very early on in 2009 relating to the interrogation of prisoners.

They also abandoned, or at least downplayed, arguments relating to the presidents authority as commander in chief. The Bush administration argued that the president had the authority to ignore statutory law with respect to surveillance, interrogation, and torture. Their argument was that the president gets to decide what our national-security policies are, and if Congress has legislated in the area of national security, the president has the authority as commander in chief to ignore that legislation. That was an extremely dangerous argument, and one that the courts ultimately rejected. The Obama administration was right to abandon those arguments.

Recommended: My President Was Black

But I do think its important to recognize that in abandoning those constitutional arguments, the Obama administration ended up interpreting statutes very broadly. Obama didnt argue that the president had the authority to ignore the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. He interpreted it to give him all the authority that he wanted. It was the same as Section 215 of the Patriot Act: The administration interpreted that provision so broadly that they didnt have to rely on constitutional authority. They didnt have to make the argument that the president, as commander in chief, has the authority to collect everybodys call records because they were interpreting the federal statute so broadly that it allowed whatever they wanted it to.

It would have been possible, eight years ago, to think of the Bush administrations policies as aberrational. Its no longer possible.

Green: Heres another claim: The Obama administration ended torture. Does that stand, as a categorical statement?

Jaffer: Hes right about that. This is an important thing that his administration did on the first day, which is to expressly disavow torture, withdraw the legal memos that were the basis of the torture program, close the CIAs black sites permanently. Those were important decisions and the administration deserves credit for them.

The caveat, which is an important one, is that after having done all of those things on day one, the administration invoked the state-secrets privilege over and over to prevent those who had been the victims of these policies from having their day in court. People who sought accountability for their torture in CIA custody or in military custody were kicked out of court because the administration argued that those cases were too sensitive to litigate.

Recommended: How Trump Manhandled the Media

Green: Another claim he made was that his administration worked to reform our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties. To what extent do you think that holds up?

Jaffer: There were some changes made by Congress in the summer of 2015, which the administration supported. The changes were modest, and came about only because Snowden disclosed what he disclosed. But for those disclosures, none of those reforms would have taken place.

The administration still characterizes Snowden as a criminal. Theres an irony in the Obama administration trying to take credit for these positive changes in the law while also trying to prosecute the person who is most responsible for bringing these changes about.

Green: The Obama administrations aggressive prosecution of whistleblowers stands in contrast to some of the claims he made in his speech about protecting civil liberties. How does that policy connect to some of these issues?

Jaffer: This administration came in saying this would be the most transparent administration in the history of the United States. Over time, they became more closed and less forthcoming. They withheld many of the most crucial documents related to national-security policy, including the drone memos, until courts ordered them to release them, and information about government surveillance, until Snowden disclosed that information.

And they brought more prosecutions against government whistleblowers than all previous administrations combined.

Weve invested all this power in the presidency, and all that power will be available to President Trump.

Green: How does the administrations drone policy fit into Obamas legacy on national security and transparency?

Jaffer: The phrase Obama used was putting the fight against terrorism on a firm legal footing. The other way to look at it is that this administration has normalized and entrenched many of the policies of the last administration. It would have been possible, eight years ago, to think of the Bush administrations policies as aberrationalto see them as a reaction, and an overreaction, to the events of 9/11. Its no longer possible to see these policies that way because the Obama administration has endorsed so many of them.

With respect to the drone campaign, thats especially true: The Obama administration built a bureaucratic infrastructure to support this practice of targeted killing. It expanded the program dramatically. It now carries out, routinely, strikes in seven different countries; most of those countries are not conventional battlefields. I dont think President Bush would have been able to expand the drone campaign in the way that Obama eventually did. Now weve invested all this power in the presidency, and all that power will be available to President Trump and whoever comes after President Trump.

Green: Whats the outlook for some of these issues, in your view, with the incoming administration?

Jaffer: Given the some of the statements of candidate Trump during the campaign, and given the track records of some of the people who are advising him at the highest levels, I think there are a lot of reasons to worry about how the new administration will use the powers that President Obama created or put on a relatively sound legal footing: the power to detain, the power to surveil, the power to kill. The president-elect has already made clear that he wants to use some of these powers even more aggressively: He wants to step up surveillance inside the United States, especially of Muslims. He wants to expand the war on terror. He has proposed resurrecting the torture policies. [In November, Trump told The New York Times that he has changed his view on this issue after consulting with his now-nominee for Secretary of Defense, the retired U.S. Marine Corps General James Mattis.]

Its difficult to know which of these promises will translate into actual policy, but theres certainly reason to worry that these powers will be used even more aggressively and in an even less discriminating way than theyve been used until now.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
(The story refiles, to fix quote in 14th paragraph to read "middle-aged white guy," not "middle-aged white man"; read "has seen his world," not "who's seen his world"; add dropped word "and") By Jeff Mason CHICAGO (Reuters) - With a final call of his campaign mantra "Yes We Can," President Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday to stand up for U.S. values and reject discrimination as the United States transitions to the presidency of Republican Donald Trump. In an emotional speech in which he thanked his family and declared his time as president the honor of his life, Obama gently prodded the public to embrace his vision of progress while repudiating some of the policies that Trump promoted during his campaign for the White House. "So just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are," Obama told a crowd of 18,000 in his hometown of Chicago, where he celebrated his election in 2008 as the first black president of the United States. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country, building a wall on the border with Mexico, upending a global deal to fight climate change and dismantling Obama's healthcare reform law. Obama made clear his opposition to those positions during fiery campaign speeches for 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, but has struck a more conciliatory tone with Trump since the election. In his farewell speech, he made clear his positions had not changed and he said his efforts to end the use of torture and close the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were part of a broader move to uphold U.S. values. "That's why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans," he said in a clear reference to Trump that drew applause. He said bold action was needed to fight global warming and said "science and reason" mattered. "If anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements weve made to our healthcare system that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it," he said in another prodding challenge to his successor. Trump has urged the Republican-controlled Congress to repeal the law right away. RACE AND NOSTALGIA Obama, who came to office amid high expectations that his election would heal historic racial divides, acknowledged that was an impossible goal. "After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America," he said. "Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society." However, Obama said he remained hopeful about the work that a younger generation would do. "Yes we can," he said. "Yes we did." In an indirect reference to the political work the Democratic Party will have to do to recover after Clinton's loss, Obama urged racial minorities to seek justice not only for themselves but also for "the middle-aged white guy who from the outside may seem like hes got advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change." Trump won his election in part by appealing to working-class white men. First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, and many current and former White House staff members and campaign workers attended the speech. Obama wiped his eyes as he addressed his wife and thanked his running mate. They all appeared together on stage after the address. The Chicago visit is Obama's last scheduled trip as president, and even the final flight on the presidential aircraft was tinged with wistfulness. It was the president's 445th "mission" on Air Force One, a perk he has said he will miss when he leaves office, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. All told, Obama will have spent more than 2,800 hours or 116 days on the plane during his presidency. Obama plans to remain in Washington for the next two years while his younger daughter, Sasha, finishes high school. Sasha, who has an exam on Wednesday, did not attend the speech but her older sister Malia was there. The president has indicated he wants to give Trump the same space that his predecessor, Republican President George W. Bush, gave Obama after leaving office by not maintaining a high public profile. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Eric Beech; Editing by Peter Cooney, Richard Borsuk and Paul Tait)
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama announced Thursday he is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident.

The repeal of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy is effective immediately. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S.

"Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities," Obama said in a statement. "By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries. The Cuban government has agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals who have been ordered removed, just as it has been accepting the return of migrants interdicted at sea."

The Cuban government praised the move. In a statement read on state television, it called the signing of the agreement "an important step in advancing relations" between the U.S. and Cuba that "aims to guarantee normal, safe and ordered migration."

Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. Donald Trump could undo that rule after becoming president next week. He has criticized Obama's moves to improve relations with Cuba. But ending a policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to come to the United States without a visa also aligns with Trump's commitment to tough immigration policies.

President Bill Clinton created "wet foot, dry foot" policy in 1995 as a revision of a more liberal immigration policy that allowed Cubans caught at sea to come to the United States become legal residents in a year.

The two governments have been negotiating an end to "wet foot, dry foot" for months and finalized an agreement Thursday. A decades-old U.S. economic embargo, though, remains in place, as does the Cuban Adjustment Act, which lets Cubans become permanent residents a year after legally arriving in the U.S.

Story continues

Under the terms of the agreement, Cuba has agreed to take back those turned away from the U.S., if the time between their departure from Cuba and the start of deportation hearings in the U.S. is four years or less. Officials said the timeframe is required under a Cuban law enacted after Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act.

"For this to work, the Cubans had to agree to take people back," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser.

Administration officials called on Congress to repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Officials said the changes would not affect a lottery that allows 20,000 Cubans to come to the U.S. legally each year. But Rhodes cast the shift as a necessary step toward Cuba's economic and political development.

"It's important that Cuba continue to have a young, dynamic population that are clearly serving as agents of change," he said.

Rhodes also cited an uptick in Cuban migration, particularly across the U.S.-Mexico border  an increase many have attributed to an expectation among Cubans that the Obama administration would soon move to end their special immigration status.

Since October 2012, more than 118,000 Cubans have presented themselves at ports of entry along the border, according to statistics published by the Homeland Security Department, including more than 48,000 people who arrived between October 2015 and November 2016.

Relations between the United States and Cuba were stuck in a Cold War freeze for decades, but Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro established full diplomatic ties and opened embassies in their capitals in 2015. Obama visited Havana last March. Officials from both nations met Thursday in Washington to coordinate efforts to fight human trafficking.

Obama said the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which was started by President George W. Bush in 2006, is also being rescinded. The measure allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to seek parole in the U.S. while on assignments abroad. The president said those doctors can still apply for asylum at U.S. embassies around the world.

"By providing preferential treatment to Cuban medical personnel, the medical parole program ... risks harming the Cuban people," Obama said.

People already in the United States and in the pipeline under both "wet foot, dry foot" and the medical parole program will be able to continue the process toward getting legal status.

Reaction to the announcement in Havana was muted Thursday afternoon.

"This was bound to happen at some point," said taxi driver Guillermo Britos, 35. "It could impose a more normal dynamic on emigration, so that not so many people die at sea, but it could also take an escape valve away from the government, which was getting hard currency from the emigrants."

Anti-Castro Cubans in Miami were mixed in their responses, with some expressing anger at Obama for what they called another betrayal of ordinary Cubans. Others said they thought the measure would increase pressure for change in Cuba.

"People who can't leave, they could create internal problems for the regime," said Jorge Gutierrez, an 80-year-old veteran of the Bay of Pigs invasion. But he added, "From the humanitarian point of view, it's taking away the possibility of a better future from the people who are struggling in Cuba."

Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican who emigrated from Cuba as a child, decried the elimination of the medical parole programs, calling it a "foolhardy concession to a regime that sends its doctors to foreign nations in a modern-day indentured servitude."

__

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Kevin Freking in Washington, Gisela Salomon and Michael Weissenstein in Miami, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and correspondent Andrea Rodriguez in Havana contributed to this report.

__

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acaldwellap and Julie Pace at www.twitter.com/jpaceDC
President Barack Obama surprised Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday, awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor.

I wanted to get some folks together to pay tribute to somebody whos not only been by my side for the duration of this amazing journey, Obama during a special, last-minute ceremony at the White House, but somebody who has devoted his entire professional life to service to this country.

Obama called Biden his brother and the best vice president Americas ever had.

This also gives the Internet one last chance to talk about our bromance, the president joked, before presenting Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Obama told Biden he was giving him the award in honor of your faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country, and for your lifetime of service that will endure through the generations.

"I am proud to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to my brother, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr." @POTUS surprises @VP pic.twitter.com/Y8uB1W0fkG  The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 12, 2017

Obama also noted that he was awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, an added layer of honor only given to three other people: Pope John Paul, President Reagan and Gen. Colin Powell.

An emotional Biden accepted the medal, turning his back to wipe away tears before he spoke.

This honor is not only well beyond what I deserve, but its a reflection of the extent and generosity of your spirit, Biden told Obama.

The 74-year-old Biden said he had no inkling of what was in store for him at the ceremony.

I thought we were coming over to toast one another and say what an incredible journey its been, Biden said.

Story continues

The vice president then shared the story of how Obama offered to help him while his son, Beau Biden, was sick.

Im indebted to you, Biden said. Im indebted to your friendship, Im indebted to your family.

President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Vice President Joe Biden in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2016. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

Read more from Yahoo News:
By Alan Baldwin LONDON (Reuters) - Several bookmakers had suspended betting on Antonio Conte being sacked as Chelsea manager the last time the Italian's side played compatriot Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City in the Premier League. The run-up to that October clash at Stamford Bridge now sounds like an echo from another era for both managers as they prepare for what should be another lively evening at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Then, Chelsea were only seventh in the table with 13 points from four wins, a draw and two defeats and their boss found himself on the defensive, trying to make light of all the speculation. A supportive Ranieri ventured to suggest that Chelsea, the side he once managed, were still likely to finish in the top four. Now, Conte arrives at what was once a fortress for the Foxes cushioned by a five point lead over Liverpool at the top of the table and a run of 13 league wins in a row ended only this month by Tottenham Hotspur. Conte, whose side hammered Leicester 3-0 in that Oct. 15 battle of the last two champions after also beating them 4-2 in the League Cup third round in September, is now up for a hat-trick of wins over Ranieri's struggling side. Chelsea are also clear favourites to reclaim the title taken from them last season. Leicester, who were 12th in October with just two wins from seven league games, are now 15th and six points off the drop zone with only three more victories to their credit over the intervening three months. They are also without African Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani, both on African Nations Cup duty with Algeria, and Ghana midfielder Daniel Amartey. The odds on Ranieri being the Premier League's next managerial casualty are now 25/1 on SkyBet, with Conte the least likely at 150/1 along with Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino and Liverpool's Juergen Klopp. Saturday's match will also mark a return for N'Golo Kante, Leicester's ever-running midfield motor last season who has played an equally impressive and important role since switching to Stamford Bridge. Tottenham are at home to West Bromwich Albion in Saturday's lunchtime game and can go second, at least temporarily, if they chalk up their sixth league win in a row. Liverpool, who have won 12 of their last 18 Premier League games but were held 2-2 at lowly Sunderland in their last match, travel the short distance to Manchester United on Sunday in the weekend's showcase. Fourth-placed Manchester City are at Everton on Sunday while Arsenal, fifth, travel to lowly Swansea City. At the other end of the table, ex-England manager Sam Allardyce continues his trip down memory lane with struggling Crystal Palace travelling across town to his former side West Ham United. Palace, who have picked up only one point since Allardyce replaced Alan Pardew last month, played another of the manager's old clubs Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the FA Cup last week with the replay scheduled for Selhurst Park on Tuesday. Bottom side Hull City, under new Portuguese manager Marco Silva, host Eddie Howe's Bournemouth on Saturday in a battle between the two youngest managers in the top flight. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  More than 40 percent of California is out of drought, federal drought-watchers said Thursday at the tail end of powerful storms that sent thousands of people fleeing from flooding rivers in the north, unleashed burbling waterfalls in southern deserts, and doubled the vital snowpack in the Sierra Nevada in little more than a week.

Declaring California as a whole to be past its official three-year drought emergency will be up to Gov. Jerry Brown, who will probably wait until the end of the winter rain and snow season to make that decision.

But for people in northern cities such as Sacramento, where state workers opened flood gates to ease pressure on levees for the first time in a dozen years, releasing a two-mile-wide torrent of excess water from the surging Sacramento River, the call on declaring the dry spell over in Northern California looked much clearer.

"It's hard to say we have a drought here right now," said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California at Davis.

Lund spoke as he returned from taking students to see the wrenched-open, century-old flood gates in Sacramento, which got its heaviest rain in 20 years this week.

The weekly drought report by federal and academic water experts showed 42 percent of the state had emerged from drought. This time last year, only 3 percent of California was out of drought.

Southern California, which is also receiving welcome rain from the storms, remains in drought but experienced a dramatic reduction in severity.

Just 2 percent of the entire state, a swath between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, remains in the sharpest category of drought that includes drying wells, reservoirs and streams and widespread crop losses. Forty-three percent of the state was in that direst category this time a year ago.

The Cachuma reservoir near still-arid Santa Barbara was at just 8 percent of capacity, even as authorities at Northern California's Shasta Dam opened spillways for the first time in six years to make room for more water to come.

Story continues

Like many people in Northern California, winery tasting-room supervisor Nate Hayes went out to marvel when this week's heavy rains started and enjoyed taking his canoe down the flooded streets of his town of Rohnert Park.

By Thursday, Hayes and others were tired of the rockslides and mudslides complicating commutes and the round-the-clock downpours keeping everyone inside.

"We're all really excited for the rain," Hayes said. "But at the same time we kind of want it to be over."

Forecasters said the heaviest of storms fueled by an "atmospheric river" weather phenomenon had passed after delivering the biggest downpours in a decade.

"Everything is on the way down," said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Monterey.

A rare Sierra blizzard at the start of the week brought the mountains their heaviest snowfall in six years. Runoff from the mountains provides Californians with much of their year-round water supply. Stations up and down the mountain chain were reporting twice the amount of normal rain and snow for this time of year.

Overall, reservoirs were brimming above average for the first time in six years.

"It's been so wet in some places this winter we would do pretty well even if it tapered off right now," said Daniel Swain, a fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles whose weather blog has been a closely watched chronicle of the drought.

Water experts look at factors including soil moisture, stream levels and snowpack in determining drought, said Claudia Faunt, a San Diego-based hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

At the peak of the drought in 2014 and 2015, urban Californians were under a mandatory 25 percent water conservation order from Brown. Threatened native species suffered as waterways shriveled. More than 100 million trees in the Sierra Nevada died.

Warming temperatures associated with climate change increasingly are eating away at the Sierra snowpack. California's underground water reserves have been so depleted by extra pumping that they would take decades, at a minimum, to replenish.

With nearly 40 million urban water users and a huge agricultural industry, drought in California is part nature and part human behavior, said Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"Are these storms giving us drought relief? No doubt, but it's a quick fix. In the long term, solving the drought problem in California will be a political problem," Patzert said.

___

Associated Press writers Janie Har in San Francisco and John Antczak in Los Angeles, contributed to this report.
The moon is a very old soul, it turns out.

A new analysis of lunar rocks brought to Earth by Apollo astronauts suggests that the moon formed 4.51 billion years ago  just 60 million years after the solar system itself took shape.

Some previous studies have come up with similar estimates, while others have argued for a younger moon that coalesced 150 million to 200 million years after the solar system was born. The new finding, which was published today (Jan. 11) in the journal Science Advances, should settle this long-standing debate, team members said. [How the Moon Formed: 5 Wild Lunar Theories]

"We are really sure that this age is very, very robust," lead author Melanie Barboni, a researcher in UCLA's Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Department, told Space.com.

The moon's birth

Astronomers think the moon was born after a Mars-size body (or a series of such big objects) slammed into the early Earth. Some of the material blasted into space coalesced to form Earth's nearest neighbor, the thinking goes.

But it's been hard to pin down exactly when this impact, or these impacts, occurred, Barboni said. That's because the rocks collected by Apollo astronauts and studied by scientists tend to be breccias  jumbles of different rock types mashed together by meteorite strikes (which are very common on the lunar surface, because the moon has almost no atmosphere to burn up falling space rocks).

"You don't have pristine, old rock preserved on the moon," Barboni said. "That's one of the biggest problems  the whole-rock record on the moon is not there."

So Barboni and her team decided to take a different tack. Rather than study entire rocks and hope they date all the way back to the moon's birth, the team dated the formation of the object's mantle and overlying crust.

This "differentiation" occurred shortly after the giant impact(s), when a global liquid-magma ocean initially present on the moon cooled and solidified. And this solidification left a signal, Barboni said  a mineral called zircon.

Story continues

"If you want to date this process, we use the mineral zircon, because that's the best time capsule you can find," she said.

The researchers studied zircon fragments in rocks collected by Apollo 14 astronauts in 1971. The team dated the samples radiometrically, by measuring how much of their uranium had decayed into lead, and how their hafnium had decayed into various "daughter isotopes." (Isotopes are variants of an element that have the same number of protons in their nuclei but different numbers of neutrons.)

The team's analyses show that the zircon fragments are pristine and ancient, dating back to the solidification of the magma ocean, Barboni said. The researchers also managed to correct for the influence of galactic cosmic-ray impacts, which can complicate dating attempts by injecting neutrons into samples, she added.

The age the team came up with for the moon  4.51 billion years, give or take 10 million years  should therefore stand the test of time, Barboni said.

"We were able to correct for everything that was a problem before, the reasons people said zircon couldn't be used," she said.

The moon's advanced age also makes sense from a dynamics point of view, especially if the giant-impact(s) theory is correct, Barboni said. That's because more impactors were flying around in the solar system's very early days than 100 million years or so later, she said.

Zircon extracted from lunar breccia 14304 collected during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. Melanie Barboni

Ties to life on Earth

The new result should be of interest to any astronomer who wants a better understanding of how the moon, Earth and solar system in general formed and evolved, according to Barboni.

For example, life on Earth appears to have gotten a foothold by at least 4.1 billion years ago. This extreme antiquity may seem surprising, given that the moon-forming impact(s) likely heated up Earth tremendously, completely reshaping and remaking the planet's surface.

But it's less surprising with an old moon than with a young one, Barboni said.

"That makes much more sense, if actually the Earth started evolving from 4.5 [billion years ago] rather than the Earth evolving from 4.3 [billion years ago]," she said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

Editor's Recommendations
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan authorities have detained several opponents of President Nicolas Maduro this week as he hits back at renewed bids to drive him from office due to a desperate economic crisis.

The arrests came after Maduro launched an "anti-coup commando squad" in response to opposition lawmakers legislative maneuvers against him.

In the latest case, the son of Raul Baduel, a retired general turned critic of Maduro, said authorities had revoked the parole of his father who served six years in jail for corruption.

Raul Baduel served as defense minister of Maduro's late predecessor Hugo Chavez, but later turned against him.

The center right-dominated opposition says Baduel is a political prisoner.

"They revoked my dad's conditional release, even though he has completed it," his son Adolfo Baduel said on Twitter.

On Wednesday, authorities said they arrested opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro who was caught with a rifle and explosives.

That arrest was announced on Wednesday by Maduro's new hardline vice-president, Tareck El Aissami, a self-declared "radical Chavist."

Announcing El Aissami's appointment last week, Maduro said he had ordered him to crack down on "right-wing terrorists" -- his name for political opponents who he says are mounting a "coup" against him.

Announcing Caro's arrest on television, El Aissami also accused the lawmaker of plotting an armed coup.

Opposition congressional speaker Julio Borges branded the arrest "unacceptable."

One of the parties in the coalition, Justice First, said on Wednesday that the intelligence service had also detained one of its members, councilor Jorge Luis Gonzalez.

The opposition MUD coalition says there are about 100 political prisoners being held in Venezuela.

It blames Maduro for an economic crisis that has prompted deadly riots and looting due to shortages of food and medicine. It wants a popular vote on removing him from office.

Story continues

Maduro says the crisis is the result of a US-backed capitalist conspiracy.

On Tuesday, the government said authorities detained Juancarlo Depablos, head of the state petrochemical company Pequiven, to face accusations of mismanagement over supply failings.

Opposition majority lawmakers on Monday passed a motion declaring that Maduro had effectively "abandoned his post" by failing to tackle the economic crisis.

Maduro branded that a coup and vowed that his opponents "will have to live with the consequences."
Orbital ATK's next Cygnus cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station for NASA will lift off on March 16, NASA officials said Tuesday (Jan. 10).

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the unmanned Cygnus spacecraft's OA-7 resupply mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

"Orbital ATK will launch Cygnus atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket for delivery of essential crew supplies, equipment and scientific experiments to astronauts aboard the International Space Station," NASA officials wrote in a statement. "The 30 minute launch window opens at 12:29 a.m. EDT."

In November, Orbital ATK announced that this upcoming Cygnus cargo mission would launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket  and not Orbital ATK's own Antares rocket  in order to maximize the amount of supplies delivered to the International Space Station, as well as maintain the company's launch schedule. Future Cygnus flights will launch on Orbital ATK's Antares rockets from the company's launch site on Wallops Island, Virginia.

Orbital ATK's OA-7 Cygnus cargo module arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of its March 16, 2017 launch. NASA/ Ben Smegelsky

Orbital ATK successfly returned its Antares rocket to flight on Oct. 17, nearly two years after a failed Cygnus launch in Oct. 2014. Between that Antares launch failure and the booster's return to flight, the company launched two Cygnus missions on Atlas V rockets, one December 2015 and the other in March 2016.

Orbital ATK is one of two private companies (SpaceX is the other) currently flying cargo resupply missions for NASA. OA-7 is the seventh of 10 delivery missions for NASA that Orbital ATK is scheduled to launch under its current contract.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

Editor's Recommendations
Vienna (AFP) - The OSCE's observer mission in eastern Ukraine needs to be strengthened by better equipment and the ability to patrol at night, the security body's new rotating chair Austria said on Thursday.

"The observer mission's current problem is that it doesn't have the necessary access, and that the security situation is so bad that it can't do its work properly," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said.

"If they can have better access and be enabled to patrol at night (and) have better technical equipment, then we can make progress and come closer to a functioning ceasefire," Kurz told the Kurier daily.

However, he played down prospects for an armed OSCE police force, as suggested in some quarters, saying there was currently insufficient support among member states, which include the opposing parties Russia and Ukraine, for such a move.

Speaking at a news conference at the Vienna headquarters of the 57-state Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Kurz said he planned to travel to Kiev and Moscow soon.

"The situation is difficult... but the parties involved are not satisfied with the status quo, which is a good starting point," Kurz said.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists -- Moscow repeatedly denies supporting the rebels or deploying troops -- and government forces has claimed 10,000 lives since 2014.

Kurz, stressing that he was now speaking in his capacity as Austrian foreign minister and not as OSCE chair, reiterated his call for EU sanctions on Russia to be eased "step by step" in exchange for "each positive development on the ground".

The OSCE currently has around 700 monitors in eastern Ukraine plus local staff, although this can be increased to 1,000. It also has observers at two checkpoints on the Ukraine-Russian border.

Meanwhile, Kurz announced the appointment of Peter Neumann from King's College London as OSCE Special Representative on Countering Violent Radicalisation to look into preventing radicalisation within member states.

"Fighting militarily against IS (Islamic State) in Syria and Iraq is not enough. We have to tackle radicalisation and carry out preventative work in our society to stop more young people being recruited," Kurz told reporters.

He said that an estimated 10,000 people from OSCE countries have left to fight with extremists in Syria and Iraq, posing a "major security risk" if they return.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $160,000 in just one week for an 18-year-old who was recently held captive and assaulted by four people in Chicago.

A widely circulated Facebook Live video  which has since been removed  appeared to show the young man being tied up, beaten, cut, and verbally assaulted with anti-white slurs by a group of young African-American men and women. Last week, police arrested and charged four suspects with hate crimes, as well as counts of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, and aggravated battery.

Screenshot: Facebook via Reuters Video

Disturbed by the story, Razor Sheldon of San Francisco felt compelled to do something for the victim, who has a mental disability.

Lets prove to him that there is far more good in this world than the evil he recently endured, Sheldon posted late last week in Reddits popular UpliftingNews forum, which he created in 2012.

According to the Washington Post, Sheldon initially called his online community to raise $5,000 as a gesture of support for the young man and his family, and he raised the number to $10,000 after donors quickly met and surpassed the initial goal. But the donations kept coming and, by Thursday morning, more than 5,000 people had raised more than $160,000.

My clients are overwhelmed with the warm, kind generosity of perfect strangers, Neal Strom, the familys attorney, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. It just came out of the clear blue sky . . . it shows that there are good people out there, after all [the victim] has been through.

Read more from Yahoo News:
INDIANAPOLIS  The Indiana State Bar Association will sponsor Talk to a Lawyer Today, a program to provide free legal assistance to the underserved, on Monday as an annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Attorneys statewide will offer free legal consultations to members of the general public who might not otherwise be able to afford the counsel of an attorney.

Established in 2002, Talk to a Lawyer Today is expected to have more than 200 attorneys providing 10- to 15-minute consultations to answer general questions and offer legal information for those who use the service.

In addition to numerous walk-in sites across the state, a statewide hotline for both English and Spanish-speaking callers will be available at 800-266-2581 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A list of all of the walk-in sites, as well as information about the hotlines, is online at inbar.org.

These walk-in sites in northeast Indiana will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

 Carnegie Public Library 322 S. Wayne St., Angola;

 Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne; and

 LaFountaine Center 208 W. State St., Huntington.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  A Pakistani court on Thursday stayed the execution of a mentally ill convict who was sentenced to death in 2003 for murdering a fellow police officer over a land dispute, a rights group said.

The order from the Lahore High Court came just days before the scheduled execution of 55-year-old ex-police officer Khizar Hayat, said Wassam Waheed, a spokesman for the Justice Project Pakistan.

The court order also asked the government to provide a new report on the convicted man's health by Jan. 30, said Waheed, adding that the group was "relieved to hear" of the temporary reprieve.

Hayat's mother, Iqbal Bano, urged President Mamnoon Hussain to pardon her son. She said she visited her son in prison and that he "doesn't know what is going to happen to him, he is not in a stable state of mind."

"My son needs medical treatment, not execution," she told The Associated Press.

Last year, Pakistan's Supreme Court stayed the execution of Imdad Ali, a convict diagnosed with schizophrenia. Pakistani and international rights groups have also pleaded for a pardon for Ali.

A court-mandated medical board in July confirmed that Hayat suffers from a mental illness.

Sarah Belal, the executive director of Justice Project Pakistan, said Hayat's execution would be "unlawful and inhumane."

Pakistani and international rights groups have for years called for a ban on executions in this South Asian country. Pakistani authorities have executed 427 prisoners since 2014, when they lifted that ban on the death penalty following a Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar that killed 150 people, nearly all of them schoolchildren.

Pakistan is now considered to be one of the world's top executioners.

Maya Foa, the director of the London-based rights group Reprieve, welcomed Thursday's court ruling, but said the case was "yet another example of how Pakistan's death penalty system is broken. Since the authorities' execution spree began two years ago, there have been disastrous miscarriages of justice, including the hanging of juveniles and innocent people."
Babies as young as 4 months old process the faces and scenes that they see much like adults do, according to a new study. The findings suggest that the structure of the brain's visual cortex is already highly organized at birth or soon after.

The visual cortex is the part of the brain that processes all visual information. In adults, this area is highly compartmentalized into regions specialized to process certain kinds of objects, such as faces, houses or trees. Scientists have long wondered how the visual cortex got this way: Are these regions specified at birth, before the brain even knows what a face or tree looks like, or do they develop later as people grow and learn?

A definitive answer has eluded scientists, however, because of the inherent challenges of studying the brains of infants. The primary tool for studying these brain areas is the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scan, which is challenging to use on infants. While the scan poses no radiation danger, subjects need to stay still and awake in the machine for several minutes at a time to produce a clear image. [10 Things You Didn't Know About the Brain]

Babies aren't exactly known for staying still, particularly when they are awake  and particularly when they are placed in the long tube of an MRI machine.

In what may be a feat more monumental than herding cats, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Medical School have managed to capture crisp fMRI scans of nine squirming, gurgling, burping or otherwise unruly infants. The scientists employed various tactics to keep the kids relatively still, such as placing them in a specially designed infant seat and climbing into the MRI scanner with the babies to help them feel safe. [7 Baby Myths Debunked]

The scans revealed that the visual cortex of 4- to 6-month-old human infants is clearly spatially organized, with distinct regions responding preferentially to human faces versus natural scenes. Additionally, the results showed that the babies' responses to these images resembled those observed in adults. That is, brain activity extended throughout the cerebral cortex, from the front to back of the brain, the researchers wrote in their study, published today (Jan. 10) in the journal Nature Communications.

Story continues

Neuroscientists hotly debate how much of the structure of the brain is specified at birth and how much of that structure arises from experience, said Rebecca Saxe, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at MIT who was the senior author on the study.

"Some people think only the simplest, most basic functions are specified at birth  and everything else is learned from the pattern of experience," Saxe told Live Science. "Other people think lots of high-level 'cognitive' functions are supported by pre-existing machinery that is 'ready to go' at birth in one way or another." [11 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Baby's Brain]

The answer may lie somewhere in between, according to Saxe's project with infants, which was led by Ben Deen, then a graduate student in Saxe's lab and now a postdoctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University in New York. The team found that the visual cortices of infants and adults are not identical, though they are similar, suggesting that the structure becomes refined through development, the researchers said.

Still, the new findings support the hypothesis that specification in the brain at birth provides a sort of scaffolding that ultimately leads to precise category-selective brain regions in adults, the researchers said. As another example, Saxe cited the part of the brain called the "visual word form area" where humans process alphabets and ideograms. Reading is a relatively new phenomenon in the human experience; for all humans to possess such a specified brain area for visualizing words, it must be built upon innate scaffolding.

In a TEDx talk in June 2016, Saxe explained that she turned to studying infant brains to better understand the origin of the human mind. She wanted to answer questions like, "What is innate, what is learned, and how much of what people think about the world is universal?" Her own newborn boy was one of her first test subjects in her group's fMRI project.

Follow Christopher Wanjek @wanjekfor daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge. Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine." His column, Bad Medicine, appears regularly on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
LIMA (Reuters) - Police arrested dozens of protesters and fired tear gas and pellets to disperse crowds in Peru's capital Lima on Thursday after thousands of residents marched against new road fees in a contract awarded to corruption-plagued Brazilian builder Odebrecht. Protesters demanded cancellation of the tolls and marched with signs that read "No to Tolls" and "Down with Corruption" before clashes erupted. At least one policeman was injured, the government said. Television footage showed riot police hauling away protesters as others ran or threw rocks. The government said extremist groups infiltrated the protest. Anger at Odebrecht in Peru has been swelling since the family-owned conglomerate acknowledged last month that it spent years bribing unnamed officials in a dozen countries including Peru. In December, the Odebrecht-founded road consortium Rutas de Lima imposed new fees starting at 5 soles ($1.49) to use the only highway that connects populous shantytowns and working-class districts on the outskirts of northern Lima with the city's center. The minimum wage in Peru is 850 soles ($252) a month. Residents called the fee, which has pushed up bus fares, abusive and said it was likely the result of a corrupt deal by the company to secure the 30-year, $500 million concession in 2013. Susana Villaran, mayor of Lima when the contract was signed, has denied wrongdoing. "The roads belong to the people and not to corporations!" said Carlos Rossini, a protest leader who called for Odebrecht and its partners to "disappear" from Peru. Rutas de Lima said it was open to dialogue and that the fees allow it to recover 1.7 billion soles in investments. Odebrecht sold its majority stake in the consortium to Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc last year as it faced a massive corruption inquiry in Brazil that hobbled its access to financing. Odebrecht now controls a quarter of Rutas de Lima and local investment fund SIGMA 18 percent. On the eve of the protest, the city of Lima announced a monthlong suspension of the fee while an alternative was sought. President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has barred Odebrecht from future public work contracts but said not all it has done was corrupt. Odebrecht Peru said its top priority is to assist local prosecutors and pay Peru eventual reparations. The $29 million in bribes Odebrecht said it distributed to win contracts in Peru span three presidencies, threatening to expose high-level officials involved in its schemes. (Reporting By Mitra Taj, Marco Aquino and Reuters TV; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage may be adding a new franchise to his resume, as hes in early talks for an unspecified role in Avengers: Infinity War, Deadline has confirmed. Marvel had no comment on the talks.

Directed by Captain America Winter Soldier and Civil War helmers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo from a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the upcoming film is already set to be the biggest Marvel Studios project yet. Plot details about Avengers: Infinity War are slim so far, but its known that it will see the titular superhero team joining forces with numerous characters from across the MCU to battle galactic supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin) for control of franchise-MacGuffins the Infinity Stones. The objects control aspects of the universe like time, space, and so on, and whomever possesses them all is able to control the fabric of reality itself. Theyve played a role in the Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Thor franchises so far.

MODOK

As for Dinklages role in the film, one character often referred to in the same breath as Dinklage is the villain MODOK, a recurring enemy of Captain America created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1967. Formerly a technician named George Tarleton, he was modified by a research lab into a hyperintelligent being  Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing. Naturally, he quickly rebeled, changing his moniker to MODOK  Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. Notably, the villain is strongly associated with the cosmic cube, dubbed the tesseract in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the (you guessed it) Infinity Stones.

Christopher Markus has been vocal about bringing the character into the MCU since first coming aboard the Captain America franchise to write The First Avenger, and in a 2011 interview he specifically suggested Dinklage for the role. I will win you over to Peter Dinklage as MODOK, Markus said to the LA Times at the time. If he came around the corner and you saw him floating there you would be terrified. It would be amazing.

Story continues

If he joins the film, it wouldnt be Dinklages first time playing a Marvel character  the multiple Emmy-winner previously portrayed supervillain Bolivar Trask, creator of the Sentinel robots, in 2014 X-Men: Days Of Future Past. Note of course that the X-Men films are not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe built around the Avengers franchise.

Avengers: Infinity War is set for release May 5, 2018.

Deadline sister publication Variety first reported Dinklages possible involvement in the film.

Related stories

Sundance Names Peter Dinklage, Larry Wilmore & Gael Garcia Bernal To Jury; Jessica Williams To Host Awards Show

Marvel's Annie Chang Joins Academy's Tech Council

Russo Brothers To Be Honored At Italian American Gala
The Philippine police chief on Thursday warned an "idiot" policeman accused of kidnapping a South Korean businessman that he would die unless he surrendered.

The businessman disappeared from his home in the northern city of Angeles in October last year, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom for his release, authorities said.

Police said earlier this week an officer with an anti-drug taskforce was suspected of involvement, that he had been placed under "restrictive custody" and that criminal charges would be filed against him.

But police chief Ronald Dela Rosa revealed Thursday the accused officer had not been detained as part of his "restrictive custody". He said the policeman was meant to just report to his officers, but that he had stopped doing so and gone missing.

"I hope you surrender because if you don't, you will really die. You son of whore, you will die if you do not surrender," Dela Rosa said in an interview with DZMM radio.

The case has drawn criticism from some lawmakers and local media as an example of corrupt policemen expanding their illegal activities after being given freedoms by President Rodrigo Duterte to prosecute his war against drugs.

Duterte has encouraged police to kill drug traffickers and addicts, and vowed to shield them from prosecution.

About 5,700 people have died in Duterte's drug war since he took office in the middle of last year.

"Now cops appear to have upped their game by venturing into kidnapping for ransom in the name of the drug war," the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which has reported critically on the crime crackdown, said in an editorial on Tuesday.

Dela Rosa, picked by Duterte to lead his war on drugs, last year urged drug users to kill traffickers and burn down their homes. He later apologised for his "emotional outburst".

The Daily Inquirer newspaper on Monday quoted the missing man's wife as saying the abductors had kidnapped him in a bid to extort a ransom.

Story continues

The wife said she had already paid five million pesos ($100,000) but the kidnappers wanted another 4.5 million pesos, according to the newspaper.

Dela Rosa said he had ordered a "manhunt" for the officer, whose lack of cooperation he took as a sign of guilt.

"There is a big chance this idiot is really guilty," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said he met with the businessman's wife and the South Korean ambassador on Wednesday, assuring them the case would be quickly resolved.

"But honestly I doubt the Korean is still alive," Dela Rosa said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief, has vowed to launch a Senate investigation into kidnapping and extortion cases by the police force, which has a long history of corruption.
Women's rights groups on Thursday applauded Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's vow to deliver free contraceptives to six million women in a bid to salvage the government's floundering family planning programme.

Governments and the dominant Catholic church have waged a bruising struggle over the issue for years. The church has long opposed efforts to make birth-control more available.

Foreign and local authorities have long cited the need for improved birth control in the Philippines which has one of Asia's highest birth rates as well as high maternal mortality rates.

The country has a population just over 100 million with about 25 percent living in poverty.

Duterte ordered government agencies on Wednesday to "intensify and accelerate the implementation of critical actions" to address the "unmet" family planning needs of up to six million Filipina women.

Aida Santos, president of the European Union-funded women's rights monitor WeDpro Philippines said it was a timely boost to a reproductive health law that in 2014 gave millions of poor Filipinos access to free contraceptives for the first time.

"There is such a huge need for it right now to address serious problems such as teenage pregnancy," Santos told AFP.

Despite the law, millions of Filipino women still cannot obtain contraceptives.

This is partly due to the family planning programme running on a shoestring 500 million-peso ($10 million) budget, according to the health department's Commission on Population.

"The important part there is that all government agencies will start inputting funds for the programme in their 2018 and 2019 budgets," the commission's executive director Juan Antonio Perez told AFP.

The government's annual family planning budget could now increase four-fold to the ideal level of two billion pesos, Perez said.

But he warned contraceptive drugs, all of them imported, were under threat due to pending Supreme Court cases involving the reproductive health law.

In 2015 the court indefinitely banned government health workers from injecting progesterone subdermal implants, one of the country's most popular contraceptives, while judges studied a petition to outlaw their use.

The government was also banned from renewing the licenses of 47 other contraceptive drugs in use in the country, pending the resolution of the subdermal implants case.
The British government has greenlit a controversial plan to build a 1.8-mile two-lane highway underneath Stonehenge, the iconic array of 4,000-year-old pillars in the south of England.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in a statement that the major investment, which is part of a 15bn ($18bn) road upgrade scheme, will benefit those locally by cutting congestion and improving journey times as well as boost the economy, linking people with jobs and businesses with customers.

The ancient stone circle, which attracts upwards of one million visitors a year and thousands on the day of the Winter Solstice, is currently accessible only by a single-lane road  the A303  that is frequently gridlocked with trucks, tourist buses and other visitor traffic.

The upgraded plan would divert the road beneath the ground where Stonehenge sits, transforming it into a two-lane tunnel that would lessen traffic and noise pollution and be a more effective link to larger highways nearby.

But the plan has already faced vehement opposition from locals, campaign groups and historians who are concerned that the work will cause irreparable damage to the prehistoric monuments unique surroundings.

The issue is that Stonehenge is about much more than just the stones, British writer and historian Tom Holland told TIME. Although the tunnel will not damage the stones themselves, building the portals will require a lot of disruption to the landscape.

This is terrible news. A tunnel under the #Stonehenge landscape wld be devastating archaeologically  & morally too https://t.co/AyQM1eI3u0  Tom Holland (@holland_tom) January 12, 2017

Stonehenge exists within the context of an extant prehistoric landscape; its full of monuments reaching back to the very beginnings of Britain, to the Mesolithic Period [8500BC to 4000BC] when humans first arrived in the U.K. after the end of the last ice age. There is no landscape equivalent to the Stonehenge landscape anywhere else in Europe; its incalculably precious.

Story continues

The idea that we would obliterate that archaeology and destroy the chance of discovering about the very origins of people on this island, all in the cause of speeding journeys up by 10 minutes, seems monstrous to me.

Andy Rhind-Tutt, chairman of Amesbury towns Heritage Trust and Museum, which explores Stonehenges history, slammed Graylings plan, calling it a temporary solution for today rather than a radical solution that deals with all issues for now and the future.

He compared the proposed building of the tunnel to plough[ing] a self-destructing time bomb straight through a World Heritage site, adding that it would be a complete ecological and environmental disaster.

If you care about your future in South Wilts & getting the right A303 solution (road or tunnel) have your say here. https://t.co/lxlCa4143A  Andy Rhind-Tutt (@AndyRT) January 12, 2017

Archaeologist David Jacques is the project director of an internationally significant Mesolithic archaeological site called Blick Mead, roughly one mile from Stonehenge. In Oct. 2016, his team unearthed a tooth at the site, believed to be from a pet Alsatian-type dog that travelled 250 miles from the city of York with its owner.

The find is thought to be evidence of the earliest journey in British history. Discoveries like this give us a completely new understanding of the establishment of the ritual landscape and make Stonehenge even more special than we thought we knew it was, Jacques told the BBC at the time.

Speaking to TIME on Thursday, Jacques described Graylings plan as outrageous. The government is slamming the door shut on Stonehenges backstory, which Blick Mead has been doing so much to illuminate for the first time, he said. Understanding the origins of the establishment of the Stonehenge landscape is key to us understanding why the monuments were built where they are and what they are for.

Our children and grandchildren should be in the position where no research avenue is closed off to them. It is arrogant of the government to take the opportunity for future research away from us all. Stonehenge is ours and the whole worlds, and it should be available to be studied in perpetuity.

Moving "A303 into a tunnel would be an act of vandalism that would shame our country." Influence plans sign petition https://t.co/LDhTyno4T1 https://t.co/bjmbksfk6U  Stonehenge Alliance (@SaveStonehenge) January 4, 2017

Campaign group Stonehenge Alliance is fighting against the proposed tunnel, petitioning the government to change course to preserve the local landscape. Future generations would be appalled at those who decided that road widening should be at the expense of Englands most iconic World Heritage Site, the campaign reads.

With 22,647 out of 25,000 signatures already gained, the group looks likely to bring its opposition to the attention of Westminster  but its unlikely that that will be enough to save the 5,000-year-old monument from the march of progress.
He is 3 years old and named Kiko Violante. She is 7 and her name is Skyla Sandoval. Separated by about 800 miles, she in California and he in New Mexico, they share a similar story, an experience and a disease: acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM.

AFM can happen to anyone. It arises when the body's own immune system attacks the spinal cord, specifically the gray matter. In this butterfly shaped part of the spinal cord, the intricate neurons receive and transport messages that allow us to move, function and feel. When the immune system attacks this region, these vital messages are cruelly disrupted, delivering symptoms ranging from weak limbs, immobility, breathing issues and, in most cases, paralysis in some form. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016 showed an alarming increase of AFM, with at least 120 new cases -- most of them kids -- in nearly 40 states. Although AFM is a rare disease -- roughly 1 in 1 million people are affected -- this increase is of enormous concern.

AFM is a subset of transverse myelitis, the disease that paralyzed me almost 18 years ago. Since that time, I have never stopped pushing for more public awareness of the condition and efforts to better understand, prevent and treat it. Seeing kids continue to be diagnosed with these paralyzing conditions nearly two decades later -- and knowing that their families are still being told there's largely not much that can be done -- is truly heartbreaking.

[See: Was That a Seizure?]

For Kiko, it started with a runny nose and cough shortly after his first day of preschool. About two weeks later, he woke up from a nap and vomited. Laura, his mom, took him urgent care where doctors sent him home with a diagnosis of strep throat. Kiko's symptoms got worse. Soon, he couldn't move his right shoulder, his neck was stiff and he had trouble waking up. Terrified, Kiko's parents raced him to the emergency room, where a series of tests were performed, including an MRI, CT scan and spinal tap. Eventually -- after Kiko was admitted to the intensive care unit -- a diagnosis of transverse myelitis was made. But the family's journey to discovering what was robbing Kiko of his health had only just begun.

They traveled to a hospital in Denver, where this condition is being studied more closely. Once there, tests revealed that Kiko actually had acute flaccid myelitis. He had already undergone many treatments for transverse myelitis -- steroids, for example, and plasmapheresis to replace bad actors in his blood with good components -- but the diagnosis of AFM made him eligible for an experimental treatment that his medical team said was showing some promise against AFM: high doses of the antidepressant Prozac.

[See: The Honor Roll of Best Children's Hospitals 2016-17.]

Today, Kiko is back home in Albuquerque, after spending about three months in the hospital. Although he is strong, he remains paralyzed from the neck down with very minor ability to move his head or lower extremities. He is continuing to learn how to breathe again on his own by having his ventilator removed for minutes at a time each day. The long road of physical therapy is going to be extremely valuable for him in the hopes of gaining more movement back.

"He can only go up from here," says his mother, Laura, for whom the entire experience has been incredibly difficult. "I miss our old life where he ran after me and joined me in all my activities. I miss him jumping off the couch and into my arms. I miss him jumping in the bed and his hugs and kisses. It has hit me hard because I want everything for him."

Like Kiko, Skyla's case started innocently enough in August, with cold-like symptoms and a fever. But then her right arm went numb, which she told her mom, Aileen, felt like "somebody was pushing it down." After thinking she just slept on it wrong, Skyla went to bed but awoke the next morning squirming off her bed without the use now of both arms. "I freaked out," recalls her mom, Aileen. The local children's hospital told her they had "never seen anything like this before," and many scans, tests and specialists later, Skyla got a diagnosis: AFM.

[See: 10 of the Biggest Health Threats Facing Your Kids.]

When I asked Aileen about how this experience has affected her, she said, "All you want to do is fix it, make it better and find a solution. To this day, I spend sleepless nights searching the internet for answers, feeling worry. We have hope of course, but the reality we see is that the disability will remain unless a cause and a treatment is uncovered."

The trouble is, despite the startling rise in devastating AFM cases, AFM remains a rare disease. And when diseases are labeled "rare," they just don't seem to get the same urgency and attention that more prevalent disorders like cancer do. Parents tend to think, "That will never happen to my child." And on the global disease scale, disorders like AFM are mere beetles dwarfed by more dominant, elephant-like conditions. But as those of us who have -- or have been touched by -- one of these rare conditions can attest: It's imperative for them to be accurately diagnosed, studied profusely and recognized in primary care offices and hospitals.

So ... Why Should You Care?

The probability that you or your child will get a disease like TM or AFM is so low, that I get it. The dinner table needs to be set and the car needs gas. I also know that inspirational stories of survival and perseverance are great water cooler discussions, where the distance between them and you is comfortable. But if you could step into my shoes (or Kiko's or Skyla's), you'd discover that no matter how much time has gone by since I became paralyzed or how many calls we get at the Cody Unser First Step Foundation alerting us to new cases, I am not yet numb to the feeling of frustration, anger and helplessness. Instead, my motivation to raise awareness keeps growing. The CDC, state health departments, teaching hospitals, the transverse myelitis centers at Johns Hopkins and at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the non-profit advocacy organizations like mine carrying this mission forward: We all have role to play in solving this puzzle -- and to stop the storm of autoimmunity from crippling more children.

It's unfortunate that it has taken a cluster of recent, mysterious cases of previously healthy kids being hospitalized with paralysis for AFM to be discussed on a national scale. The CDC is tracking these cases closely. Perhaps the agency can be the entity that finally helps us solve these enigmatic diseases. It's also imperative that our health departments continue to work closely with hospitals and the CDC in reporting AFM cases so that the understanding of not only AFM, but the family of autoimmunity to which it belongs, is a collected effort.

Until then, we will keep answering the calls to our foundation, holding our breath each time someone reports another case of TM, AFM or other subtype. My mom, Shelley, can identify with the panicked voices of parents on the line, as she is flooded with the familiar feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed her when I was inexplicably paralyzed before I'd even reached my 13 th birthday.

For me, I replay every daunting experience I've gone through: the vulnerability, the depression, the embarrassing bowel accident with my first boyfriend, desperately stabbing my legs with sharp pencils to somehow wake them up. These have all contributed to my discovery of the courage needed to be a visible, outspoken advocate for this disease.

As 2017 unfolds, my continued mission is to scream the words transverse myelitis and acute flaccid myelitis, even underwater with scuba gear on (read about that part of my work here). My hope is that I'm loud enough to ring in the ears of those who can make a difference in research, government, academia and health care. My goal is that Kiko and Skyla, two kids with AFM, will never feel alone, since the community surrounding this "rare" orphan of a disease will encourage their every newfound milestone. Yes, that prom tuxedo may be put on a little differently or that high school essay may be typed with just one arm. But nothing will stop them.

What inspires me? Kiko has found ways to communicate his wants and needs to his parents with the help of a fleet of superhero action figures, posing their strength on his window sill. And Skyla? She is figuring out how to write with her left arm, keep up with the other kids in school and ride her bike with help from her mom.

I truly hope that 2017 will be the year that research into these autoimmune conditions will produce some answers. What parent would ever expect paralysis to arise from a child's seemingly innocent cold, asks Skyla's mom: "All of the sudden, it turns into something that nobody knows how to fix or prevent?" She adds: "I have two other kids. Do I need to freak out every time they have a cold?"

I can't wait for the day when we can calm these fears and celebrate a new year without any more kids being handed the life-changing diagnosis of AFM.

Cody Unser, 28, a scion of Indy 500 racing greats, founded the Cody Unser First Step Foundation at age 13 to raise awareness, foster medical collaboration and develop quality-of-life programs for those with transverse myelitis, the autoimmune condition that left her paralyzed on February 5, 1999. These programs include a TM research consortium spearheaded by Johns Hopkins Medicine and Cody's Great Scuba Adventure, which uses scuba diving as a therapeutic and psychological tool for people living with different forms of paralysis. She has become a leading advocate for people with disabilities, and travels the country delivering keynote speeches, attending medical symposia and helping other grassroots organizations with similar missions. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, she created her own undergraduate degree called BioPolitics at the University of Redlands in Redlands, California, focused on bridging the gap between science and politics. Today, she lives in the District of Columbia, where she is pursuing her master's in public health policy at George Washington University.
Sydney (AFP) - Corruption and police abuse will only end in Papua New Guinea when officials are held accountable for their actions, Human Rights Watch said Friday, accusing the government of failing to protect victims.

Dozens of people were injured and one man killed in June after police in the Pacific nation fired at students protesting against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill over corruption allegations, which he denies.

"People took to the streets to voice concerns about corruption, and the only government response was gunfire," said Human Rights Watch's Australia director Elaine Pearson as the global group released its annual report.

"Corruption and abuse will only end when abusive officials are held responsible for their crimes."

Police brutality, including towards children, "continues with little accountability even for fatalities and egregious physical abuse", the report said.

Despite 1,600 complaints of police abuse between 2007-14, with 326 classified as criminal cases, the government has not revealed if any of the accused officers had been convicted, HRW said.

The report noted that the impoverished, crime-ridden country remains one of the world's most dangerous places to be a woman, with "no meaningful reduction in the alarming rates of family and gender-based violence".

A law meant to tackle such abuse was passed in 2013, but has yet to be implemented, with police rarely pursuing investigations or criminal charges, the rights group said.

"The government is failing miserably to protect women and girls from discrimination and family violence," Pearson added.

"There is still a dire lack of services for people who have suffered family violence."

PNG also came under scrutiny over reports of violence against refugees at an Australian asylum-seeker detention camp on Manus Island.

The camp is set to be shut after a PNG Supreme Court ruling last year declaring that holding people there was unconstitutional and illegal, but HRW said neither the Australian nor the Pacific nation's governments had taken significant steps to close it.
PARIS (Reuters) - French police raced against detention-time limits on Thursday to glean information from people arrested over the gunpoint hold-up of Kim Kardashian, among them underworld figures said to be known by nicknames worthy of Hollywood hoodlums. Four more of the 17 taken into custody on Monday were freed, taking the number in police hands down to 10 a one day before the deadline by which they should, in normal circumstances, be indicted or released. Thieves wearing balaclavas and jackets marked 'police' burst into the luxury property where reality TV star Kardashian, who is married to U.S. rapper Kanye West, was sleeping in the early hours of Oct. 3. They tied her up at gunpoint before making off on bicycles with her engagement ring and other jewels worth 9 million euros ($9.5 million), police officials and judicial sources said at the time. Among those kept in custody on Thursday is a 72-year-old arrested in a village in the hills behind the southern Riviera coast, according to judicial sources, as well as the brother of a man hired to drive Kardashian around during her Paris stays. The driver himself was among three released on Wednesday. Earlier this week, police and judicial sources said the 17 rounded up by police in the Paris region, Rouen and near the southern hill town of Grasse included known underworld figures. The Le Parisien newspaper said in a report on Wednesday the arrested included one known for high-profile motorway robberies, and known in the underworld by a French-language nickname of Nez Rape, pronounced Nay Rappay and which roughly translates into English as Scrape-Nose. Another netted along with his two sons in a police raid at a house on the eastern edge of Paris goes by the nickname of Omar le Vieux, or Old Omar, the newspaper said. Standard French procedure when people are taken into custody is that they must either be released 96 hours later or formally placed under judicial investigation on specific counts of suspected crimes. In the Kardashian case, that gives police until Friday morning to decide whether to release those who remain in custody or decide they have enough information to justify formal investigation. (Reporting By Brian Love and Chine Labbe; Editing by Andrew Callus)
Get those tissues ready!

In less than three months, Fox brings back Prison Break for a new nine-episode season with Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell reprising their roles as Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows for the latest chapter in the brothers' saga. While it's only a matter of time before Michael and Lincoln reunite, there's another anticipated reunion that will be far icier.

RELATED: Watch the Heart-Pounding Trailer for Fox's 'Prison Break' Revival

For the majority of the show's original four-season run, the heartbeat of Prison Break was the love story between Michael and his future wife, Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies). In the new installment, however, Sara is newly married to Jacob Ness (Mark Feuerstein), while raising her and Michael's son, unaware that her ex-husband, presumed dead, is, in fact, alive and -- shocker -- behind bars.

"I don't think that it's as simple as tension ensues because it's too easy for Mark to be foiled. Obviously, the audience wants to see Michael and Sara together," Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring told reporters during the Television Critics Association session on Wednesday. "It's critical that we have somebody that is potential fallout from that. [He's a] character who finds himself, despite his own emotion and his own invested interest, actually [helping] Sara to facilitate Michael's escape. The noble part of his soul says, 'I have to do the right thing to help this guy escape, but if I do that, I might effectively lose my wife to him.'"

"We want to create those kinds of complexities within the narrative, so it's not just tension. I don't think it's just a love triangle," Scheuring continued.

RELATED: 'Prison Break' Star Wentworth Miller on Difficulty of Doing Stunts at 44

Callies posited a deeper question about why a reunion between Michael and Sara goes deeper than the "will they, won't they" tension of former loves coming together years later.

Story continues

"When that reunion comes, there's a lot of water under the bridge, mainly, I think, possibly from Sara Scofield, which is her last name now," she revealed. "I think from her perspective, the question is: 'If you had been alive, why haven't you raised our son? Where have you been? I almost died from grief and if you were there....'"

"Those are a lot of questions that make it unlikely a [happy] reunion where two people are going at each other from opposite sides of the field full of butterflies and sort of fall into each other's arms," Callies hinted. "It's layers, if anything."

RELATED: 'Prison Break' Star Dominic Purcell Opens Up About On-Set Injuries

Miller spoke more broadly about reuniting with his old castmates, many of whom reprise their roles, but noted that because so much time has passed, their relationships with each other are different to a degree.

"It was like a high school reunion. You know these people, there is a shorthand and there's a familiarity that's kind of different now. There's also a newness and an awkwardness and a discovery, and that speaks very specifically to the story that we address in the reboot," he said. "Who are these characters now? When they see each other, will they even recognize each other?"

Added Scheuring: "Michael doesn't come out of the gates the noble hero. The question is: Who is this guy? Has he been compromised? Is he even Michael? Was it the Michael we knew all along? That's one of the central things that runs through the entire season. It's fun when your protagonist might not even be the good guy."

Prison Break premieres Tuesday, April 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

RELATED: 'Prison Break' Breaks His Nose on 'Prison Break' Set After Bar Falls on His Head

Related Articles
You could say the fifth season of Prison Break all started when Heat Wave and Captain Cold met on the set of CW/DCs Legends of Tomorrow.

Thats when Prison Break actors Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller found themselves working together, and kicked around the idea of doing another season of the Fox series again. The conversation carried over to creator Paul T Scheuring who not only took inspiration from Homers Odyssey, but was attracted to the idea of doing a limited series, given the current vogue in TV for tight, storytelling. Its a plus that Scheuring didnt have during the initial series runs of Prison Break.

In the old model, I felt like I was flapping my wing and the audience was getting dramatic material between commercial breaks that wasnt necessary, says Scheuring.

All these actors went on to varied careers, but we got them to overlap all at once to shoot things. Fox and their business affairs department puled it off, added the creator.

Prison Break season 5 is set in Yemen with ISIS and ISA in the mix. While Michael is presumably dead, he really isnt and he winds up working for an organization. Hes thrown in a Yemen jail, realizes hes been set-up and tries to stage a prison break. Scheuring mentioned that the fifth season was shot simultaneously in Morocco and Vancouver over 13 to 15 weeks.

At todays TCA session for Foxs Prison Break, creator Paul T. Scheuring expounded on the serendipity that ensued in regards to bringing together the cast for a fifth nine-episode season.

Asked when Michael will reunite with the love of his life, his wife Dr. Sara Tancredi, actress Sarah Wayne Callies, caught the press corps to where her characters life is at the moment.

At the end of the series, Michael is dead, said Callies before quipping, which happens to all of us on Prison Break.

Story continues

Mark Feuerstein who joins as Jacob Ness jumped in saying, In that time while he was presumed dead, he stalked her and fell in love with her and we got married. She had no idea he was anywhere and suddenly hes alive and somwhere tension ensues.

Scheuring exclaimed that its more than marriage hijinks between Sara and Michael.

Micheal doesnt come out of the gates comprised, teases Scheuring, Is he Michael? Is this the Michael we knew all along?

Take a look at the second trailer for season 5 above. Series returns on April 4, 9PM.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr9ESD9YGGo&w=605&h=340]

Related stories

'Atlanta' Creator Donald Glover Inks Overall Deal With FX Productions - TCA

'Atlanta' Season 2 Delayed Until 2018: TCA

Ryan Murphy's 'Feud', 'The Americans' & 'Archer' Get Premiere Dates On FX, FXX
By Nick Brown

NEW YORK, Jan 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal appeals court has decided creditors of Puerto Rico's pension bonds are entitled to a hearing on whether they can proceed with a lawsuit against the island's government over a fiscal emergency law it passed last year.

The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled holders of bonds issued by Puerto Rico's Employee Retirement System, its biggest public pension, are entitled to a hearing, overturning a November ruling by a federal judge in Puerto Rico.

The appeals court said the lower court was correct, however, in blocking a similar lawsuit by bondholders of Puerto Rico's highway authority.

The lawsuits were two of many filed last year against the ailing U.S. territory, after former Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla instituted an emergency law allowing him to maintain public services by diverting revenue streams that had been earmarked as collateral for bondholders.

Under a federal Puerto Rico rescue law known as PROMESA, passed in 2016, lawsuits over debt payments are frozen while the island tries to reach consensual restructuring deals with holders of $70 billion in debt issued by myriad public entities.

But many creditors sued anyway, arguing the fiscal emergency law was unconstitutional, and saying the so-called "stay" of litigation did not apply to them.

Puerto Rico's courts have largely denied these efforts, keeping the stay in place. In November, a San Juan federal judge blocked a handful of these creditors from pursuing their lawsuits without holding a hearing on the issue.

Wednesday's appeals court ruling vacates that decision with respect only to the pension bondholders. It does not allow their lawsuit to proceed, but says the bondholders at least deserve a hearing before a court can decide whether it should proceed.

The pension bondholders have said the government's diversion of funds is harmful to them because it may not leave enough money in the coffers to pay them back.

Story continues

Puerto Rico's main employee pension faces a shortfall of more than $45 billion, and is less than 1 percent funded, which experts say is among the lowest in the history of U.S. public pensions.

The appeals court also disagreed with the lower court's decision not to allow Puerto Rico's federal oversight board to participate in any litigation.

The board, created under PROMESA to manage Puerto Rico's finances, had sought to intervene in the lawsuits, to oppose the creditors' efforts to lift the stay. PROMESA "appears to grant the board such a right," the appeals court said.

(Reporting by Nick Brown; Editing by Alan Crosby)
(Reuters) - Heavy rain and snow will begin to ease on Thursday in the U.S. West, where swollen rivers are expected to recede, forecasters said, after flooding that has forced thousands to evacuate in recent days. A foot of snow (30 cm) and possible rain showers were expected during the day in parts of the region before tapering off by Friday, the National Weather Service said. "The pattern will begin to change along the West Coast over the next couple days as the string of Pacific storm systems comes to and end and drier conditions prevail," it said. A weather pattern meteorologists call an "atmospheric river" - a dense plume of moisture flowing from the tropical Pacific and into California and the West - has brought heavy snows and rains to the region over the last few weeks. The latest round of extreme precipitation forced thousands of residents in small North California communities to seek higher ground in recent days. Residents in Wilton, a community of more than 5,000 people near California's state capital, were advised to evacuate their homes because of anticipated flooding along the Cosumnes River. In wine-growing Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, authorities asked residents of 650 homes in Guerneville, California, to evacuate as the Russian River has flooded parts of the community of less than 5,000 people. The river at Guerneville peaked at 37.8 feet early Wednesday evening, nearly 6 feet above flood stage, before it began to recede. It is expected to fall back below flood stage around noon local time on Thursday, the weather service said. In Nevada, authorities on social media advised residents to remain vigilant to the threat of flooding after the Truckee River, which runs through Reno, overflowed its banks earlier this week. To the north, schools in Portland, Oregon, remained closed on Thursday as the city of more than 600,000 digs out from a blizzard that delivered roughly a foot of snow. About 6,700 customers of a local utility company remained without power early on Thursday in the Portland area after the storm knocked out electricity for more than 63,000 customers, the utility said. Ski resorts and roads in the Sierra Nevada mountains also remained closed on Thursday after more than 10 feet of snow fell in parts of the area over the last week, according to the National Weather Service. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast  The renegade soldiers struck just after midnight on Jan. 6, storming a military compound in Bouake, Ivory Coasts second-largest city, and triggering a widespread mutiny that sent shockwaves through this West African nation. Six years after the end of a devastating civil war, the country with the fastest-growing economy on the continent was facing a nightmarish deja vu: Rogue military men, rather than political leaders, were once again calling the shots.

We woke up with fear in our stomachs because we did not know what was happening with the gunfire we heard, said Moussa Coulibaly, a 30-year-old resident of Bouake.

The mutiny spread to at least seven cities across the country as soldiers, some of them wearing masks, threw up barricades and demanded pay raises, bonuses, and better living conditions. By the morning of Jan. 7, the revolt had reached the commercial capital of Abidjan, rattling residents of this cosmopolitan city.

After a tense standoff last weekend, the government struck a deal with the mutineers that will take into account concerns over pay and working conditions, President Alassane Ouattara announced in a televised address on Jan. 7.

But the agreement, which still has yet to be implemented, may not be enough to soothe investors, who have flocked to Ivory Coast in recent years in part because of the relative political stability. If the government cant project an image of calm, the countrys stunning GDP growth  averaging 9 percent since 2012  could be the real casualty of last weekends revolt.

It has tarnished the image of our country after all our economic development efforts, said Ouattara, a former International Monetary Fund official, intimating that instability could dent the countrys hard-won economic gains.

But its precisely those economic gains  or rather how they have been distributed  that point to the origins of the current crisis. Abidjan is a contrast in high-rise hotels and tumbledown shacks, chic cafes and trash-lined slums. Donors lined up to pledge more than $15 billion last May for Ivorian development programs, but 46 percent of the population still lived in poverty in 2015, according to the IMF.

Story continues

And its not just the emerging capitalist class that is living high on the hog. As last weeks uprising exposed anew, there is a jarring gap between the lifestyles of the military elite and the impoverished rank-and-file. The man who helped broker the negotiations, Lt. Col. Issiaka Ouattara, a former rebel commander better known as Wattao, typifies this opulence: Wattao has used his status as one of the countrys elite military figures to reportedly earn a fortune in the extractives industry.

This is not the first time that disgruntled soldiers have rebelled. In 2014, roughly 9,000 former rebel fighters staged a similar mutiny to demand back pay and other benefits. At the time, Rinaldo Depagne, the West Africa project director for the International Crisis Group, found soldiers living in squalid conditions  some without mosquito nets or a decent roof overhead  when he visited barracks in the western city of Duekoue. He said little has changed since then.

I think what we are seeing is that Ouattara is now paying the price for delaying real security sector reform, said Arthur Boutellis, a security analyst focusing on West Africa at the New York-based International Peace Institute.

Government officials point to a military reform law adopted last year that aims to improve conditions for soldiers. But security experts such as Boutellis say the Ivorian military needs to focus on depoliticizing its forces and breaking up old rebel chains of command. Such foundational reforms could irk powerful commanders at a time when their support is crucial for the president.

Political leadership usually find it easier to simply pay soldiers than to address the underlying dissatisfaction, which would likely upset the military elites, said Maggie Dwyer, a research fellow at the University of Edinburghs Centre of African Studies whose forthcoming book focuses on mutinies in Africa. Upset rank and file is a bad situation, but angry military elite is likely even worse.

There is an additional reason Ouattara may have kicked the can down the road when it comes to security sector reform: Many of the mutinying soldiers appear to be former members of the rebel group that helped install him as president in 2011, after his predecessor, President Laurent Gbagbo, refused to accept defeat at the polls. Three thousand people died in the ensuing battle between soldiers loyal to the two men.

It was clear that basically [Ouattara] was going to be walking this tightrope where those who brought him to power by force were always going to be in a position of calling their own shots, said Mike McGovern, an associate professor at the University of Michigan who wrote a book on Ivory Coasts political turmoil.

That impunity has only been reinforced by the latest deal with the mutineers, the details of which are still murky (the aggrieved soldiers reportedly demanded $8,000 each and a house). The soldiers initially expected to be paid bonuses on Jan. 9, but that payment has reportedly been delayed at their request. The fact that they dont expect to be disciplined underscores the extent to which the militarys rank and file have been allowed to essentially hold the government hostage.

If it doesnt reassert control  and institute meaningful security sector reform  the government risks chasing investors away and stifling West Africas highest-flying economy. Even now, Mark Bohlund, an Africa and Middle East economist at Bloomberg, says to expect more apprehension about Ivory Coast from some foreign direct investors. He added: While some might just brush this off as an issue about pay, looking a bit further it becomes clear that the loyalty of the armed forces is by no means guaranteed.

Ivory Coasts postwar economic recovery has been impressive, said Amadou Sy, director of the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution. But if the countrys social and institutional recovery doesnt keep pace, he said, political instability will compromise the hard-gained economic success.

Image credit: SIA KAMBOU/AFP/Getty Images
By Gene Emery (Reuters Health) - A new review of past research shows limited evidence that yoga may be better than no exercise when it comes to relieving general back pain but little evidence that yoga is better than other types of back exercise. The analysis of data from a dozen studies, published online by the Cochrane Library, looked at back pain that persisted for at least three months and had an unknown cause. A common problem, such pain is usually treated with self-care and over-the-counter medicines. Doctors often recommend exercise, including the stretching found in yoga. The research team, led by Susan Wieland of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, found moderately good evidence that yoga is effective, compared to no exercise, when done for six months. Evidence for a benefit when yoga was done for shorter or longer periods was less convincing. "It seems yoga is better than not doing exercise and it seems to be effective in making small improvements in pain and small-to-moderate improvements in function," Wieland told Reuters Health by phone. "The jury is still out when it comes to comparing yoga with other exercise." Five percent of back-pain patients who tried yoga said the technique actually made their symptoms worse. Whether other types of exercise designed to help sore backs are just as likely to aggravate the condition is not known. "The risks were all mild or transient exacerbations, and that's what you see with exercise generally," Wieland said. "No exercise is completely safe." There was no good evidence that adding yoga to other exercises for 10 weeks helped either, the researchers concluded. Even when people reported back pain relief from yoga, it didn't seem to be clinically important. The Wieland team predicted that a 15-point improvement on a 100-point scale would be enough to make a difference in people's lives. "We found it was more like 5 points," Wieland said. Altogether, the researchers looked at data on 1,080 participants enrolled in seven trials in the U.S., three trials in India, and two in the UK. In each trial, the yoga lessons were specifically designed to help back problems and were conducted by experienced and qualified instructors. Most used Iyengar, Hatha, or Viniyoga forms of yoga, the researchers said. One problem with the trials: the people involved knew that treatment they were getting, which can bias the results. One study was financed by a yoga institution; three did not report a funding sources. The analysis looked at evidence published through March 2016. The Cochrane Collaboration, an international not-for-profit organization that evaluates and reviews medical research, periodically updates its findings as new results come in. Wieland said five additional studies that have been completed or are underway should be incorporated into a new review in about a year. For now, "the lesson for consumers is, if you have chronic low back pain and you're interested in trying yoga, and your doctor agrees, it's worth a try," she said. "But be sure you're attending a yoga class where the yoga is designed to be helpful and safe for people with back issues. And make sure your teacher is well trained. It will minimize your chances of injury and maximize your chances of seeing a benefit." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1LKZgXf Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, online January 11, 2017.
(WASHINGTON)  U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of state set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing on Wednesday, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

In comments expected to enrage Beijing, Rex Tillerson told his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Chinas building of islands and putting military assets on those islands was akin to Russias taking Crimea from Ukraine.

Asked whether he supported a more aggressive posture toward China, he said: Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.

The former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands it has built up from South China Sea reefs, equipped with military-length airstrips and fortified with weapons.

Trumps transition team did not immediately respond to a request for specifics on how China might be blocked from the artificial islands.

Tillerson also said Washington needed to reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, but stopped short of Trumps questioning of Washingtons long-standing policy on the issue.

I dont know of any plans to alter the one China position, he said.

Tillerson said he considered Chinas South China Sea activity extremely worrisome and that it would be a threat to the entire global economy if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway, which is of strategic military importance and a major trade route.

He blamed the current situation on what he termed an inadequate U.S. response. The failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelop on this, Tillerson said.

Story continues

The way weve got to deal with this is weve got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia, he said.

Democratic President Barack Obamas administration conducted periodic air and naval patrols to assert the right of free navigation in the South China Sea. These have angered Beijing, but seeking to blockade Chinas man-made islands would be a major step further and a step that Washington has never raised as an option.

Under his strategic pivot to Asia, Obama has increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and Trump has vowed a major naval buildup.

Tillersons words also went beyond Trumps own tough rhetoric on China.

Obama has sought to forge a united front in Southeast Asia against Chinas pursuit of its territorial claims, but some allies and partners who are rival claimants have been reluctant to challenge Beijing.

Tillerson called Chinas South China Sea island-building and declaration of an air defense zone in waters of the East China Sea it contests with Japan illegal actions.

Theyre taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas, he said.

Tillerson also said the United States could not continue to accept empty promises China had made about putting pressure on North Korea over that countrys nuclear and missile programs.

He said his approach to dealing with North Korea  which recently declared it is close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile  would be a long-term plan based on sanctions and their proper implementation.

Asked if Washington should consider imposing secondary sanctions on Chinese entities found to be violating existing sanctions on North Korea, Tillerson said: If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions, then its appropriate  for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply.

He accused China of failing to live up to global agreements on trade and intellectual property, echoing past remarks by Trump, who has threatened to impose high, retaliatory tariffs on China. But Tillerson also stressed the deeply intertwined nature of the worlds two biggest economies.

We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership, he said.
Rhode Island lawmakers announced on Wednesday that they will try to legalize pot, again.

For the seventh consecutive year, lawmakers will introduce a bill that would allow adults to consume marijuana recreationally. But advocates are hopeful that the proposal might finally get a vote this time, in part because of the wins weed had in the 2016 electionsome right in Rhode Islands backyard.

Both Massachusetts and Maine legalized adult-use pot on Election Day, joining the western states of Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California and Nevada. Now that Massachusetts has passed and made it clear the way things are headed, says the Marijuana Policy Projects Mason Tvert, these guys are going to want to jump in. Tvert says that his organization, which promotes legalization, also has hopes of pushing legislation in Vermont and possibly other New England states in 2017.

The duo of Democrats behind the measure, state Sen. Joshua Miller and state Rep. Scott Slater, are making a proximity argument this time around, saying that residents will simply cross the border to buy legal pot in Massachusetts and that Rhode Island will lose significant ground in the process. Sales in Colorado topped $1 billion in 2016 for the first time, yielding more than $150 million in tax revenue for the state, which gives advocates fresh ammunition for making the financial argument, too.

If Rhode Island did take the plunge, it would be the ninth state to legalize consumption for adults 21 and older, as well as the first state to do so through the legislature rather than the ballot box. Both chambers of the legislatures are controlled by Democrats, who tend to be more friendly to legalization, and Gov. Gina Raimondo expressed openness to the idea last year, saying that she is looking at whether Rhode Island should legalize recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana has been legal in the state since 2006.

Story continues

According to Gallup, Americans support for legalizing recreational pot hit an all-time high of 60% in October, with 67% of Democrats and 42% of Republicans saying they approve.

Raimondo has also said shes in no rush to make the decision. And officials in both Maine and Massachusetts have moved to delay the opening of their marijuana markets to work through the laws complicated implications, as one Massachusetts lawmaker put it. But the bills backers are arguing that the state has waited long enough.

We have had several years to see how regulation works in Colorado and Washington, Slater, the state representative, said in a statement. And we have learned important lessons from their experiences. This legislation represents a sensible policy reform that has been shown to work successfully in other states.
MOSCOW (AP)  A human rights group says civilians are being abducted and tortured by fighters on both sides of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

An annual report released by Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists of holding dozens of civilians in arbitrary detention in Ukraine's industrial east, where fighting has killed more than 9,600 people since 2014.

The rights group lauded Ukrainian authorities for putting on trial last year some of members of the volunteer battalions suspected of grave abuses against civilians. But the group criticized the government for what it says is a failure to respond to nationalists' threats against journalists working in the conflict zone.

Human Rights Watch Ukraine researcher Tanya Cooper urged both sides to hold their forces accountable for crimes.
Washington (AFP) - In an annual report that typically focuses on abuses in less-developed countries, Human Rights Watch on Thursday issued a sharply worded warning that the rise of populist politicians in the United States and Europe threatened modern rights movements and potentially even Western democracy.

The 704-page "World Rights 2017" report, covering key global trends in human rights as well as local conditions in 90 countries, singled out the rhetoric of Donald Trump -- a man yet to take office as US president -- as "a vivid illustration of (the) politics of intolerance."

If such voices prevail, it said, "the world risks entering a dark era."

The report said Trump's success reflected a dangerous and growing "infatuation with strongman rule" also evident in Russia, China, Venezuela and the Philippines.

HRW executive director Kenneth Roth, in presenting the report, said Trump's rise had emboldened leaders like Hun Sen in Cambodia who see Trump's election "as a greenlight to continue his repression," while one Hungarian politician justified a crackdown by saying, "This is the era of Trump."

Roth was sharply critical of Trump's pick as secretary of state, former ExxonMobil head Rex Tillerson, saying that "this is a guy who made his career by cutting deals with dictators," and who, in a Senate hearing Wednesday, looked "for excuse after excuse" not to take a stand against documented rights abuses.

HRW, which does in-person reporting in each of the 90 countries surveyed, said Syria represented "perhaps the deadliest threat to rights standards" because of the indiscriminate attacks on civilians by Syrian and allied Russian forces. It said government-backed atrocities "could easily breed new extremist groups" even if ISIS is defeated on the battleground.

But the focus of the group's report was the danger of rising populism.

Story continues

HRW said politicians like Trump were exploiting a "cauldron of discontent" over joblessness, extremist attacks and increasing ethnic and racial diversity to scapegoat refugees, immigrants and minorities. Truth was "a frequent casualty."

- Antidote: popular activism -

The report asserted that Trump's policy proposals had "a practical emptiness."

Thus, by suggesting a ban on Muslims, the report said, "he demonized the very Muslim communities whose cooperation is important for identifying tomorrows plots." His threatened mass deportation of migrants would uproot many who contribute productively to the economy, while doing "nothing to bring back long-lost manufacturing jobs."

The report added: "We forget at our peril the demagogues of yesteryear -- the fascists, communists and their ilk who claimed privileged insight into the majoritys interest but ended up crushing the individual."

While some politicians in Britain, France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Poland were exploiting popular discontent, "too many Western leaders offer only tepid support" for human rights, Roth said.

He did credit Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and President Barack Obama with speaking out for rights at times.

But other leaders, Roth said, had "buried their heads in the sand" or even exploited populist resentments.

The report faulted President Francois Hollande of France, who it said had "borrowed from the National Front playbook to try to make depriving French-born dual citizens of their nationality a central part of his counterterrorism policy."

And British Prime Minister Theresa May, who came to power after the populist-fueled Brexit vote, had denounced "activist left-wing human rights lawyers" for taking legal action against British troops accused of abuses in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Roth defended the report against the suggestion by one reporter that its criticism of Trump seemed partisan.

"This is not a partisan issue, this is a rights issue," he said, adding that "our best way to protect human rights is to be outspoken about them."

Roth said that in a break with the past, the group was calling not only on leaders of troubled countries but on their publics to take steps.

The best antidote to ascendant populism, the report said, is public activism.

"Populists thrive in a vacuum of opposition. A strong popular reaction, using every means available... is the best defense."
By Lin Taylor LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than 9,400 undocumented Afghans have returned home from Iran and Pakistan in the first week of 2017, raising concerns over how the war-torn Asian nation will cope with the rising influx, the United Nations said on Wednesday. The vast majority were young men crossing the border from Iran. Although repatriation is not compulsory, the Pakistani government has stepped up pressure to send people back amid growing local animosity towards Afghan refugees. The United Nations migration agency  the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - said most returnees from Iran were young men deported while looking for work, or on the migration route to Europe. Future patterns were hard to predict. "It can be very unpredictable as there are a lot of factors at play that could push returns up at any day," said Matthew Graydon, a U.N. spokesman in Afghanistan. Graydon said unregistered Afghans face greater challenges than returnees who are officially logged as refugees because they are not entitled to cash grants from aid agencies, nor other benefits such as education or government-allocated land. In the first week of 2017, 1,643 unregistered Afghans chose to return or were deported from Pakistan, and 7,776 returned from Iran, according to the IOM, with more expected as the weather improves in the next two months. Another half a million undocumented Afghans are expected to be repatriated from Pakistan by the end of 2017. Numbers of returnees have been steadily rising over the past two years, with no letup in sight. Since January 2016, more than 700,000 unregistered Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, up 50,000 on the year before, the IOM said, stretching limited resources in a country still under threat from the Taliban, al Qaeda and Islamic State. In 2016, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, officially repatriated 372,577 registered Afghans. The rise in returnees comes amid a precarious security situation in Afghanistan, which has seen a steady increase in attacks since international troops ended combat operations in 2014, with record numbers of civilian casualties. "There's still a lot of fighting here and it's put a lot of strain on the services and economy," said Graydon. "We're ramping up and scaling up our facilities at the borders to be able to support a lot more families and we are anticipating that a lot more people will come," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview. After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, more than 6 million Afghans crossed into neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. IOM transit centres near the borders are providing basic accommodation, protection for unaccompanied minors, healthcare, household items such as pots and pans, as well as transport for families to resettle in their desired location. "It's going to take a concerted effort within the humanitarian community and the government to make sure that their reintegration needs are met," said Graydon. (Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls, Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, global land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, women's rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)
By Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A self-declared prime minister sidelined by Libya's U.N.-backed government tried to seize the defence ministry and other state offices on Thursday, but a government spokesman said the attempt to capture the buildings by force had failed. The claims and counter-claims could not be independently confirmed, but the incident showed the extreme frailty of the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which has only ever had partial control over Tripoli since its leaders arrived in the city last March. It comes after the capital has suffered crippling power and water cuts during unusually cold winter weather, compounding the suffering of residents already struggling with a liquidity crisis and a breakdown in public services. Khalifa Ghwell, head of the self-declared government that ran Tripoli until early last year, said in a televised speech that his forces had recaptured some "state institutions" including the ministry of defence, and that he had ordered staff there back to work. A statement by supporters of Ghwell said the labour and martyrs' ministries were also under their control. A statement on a GNA Facebook page said that "at a time when the (GNA) is working for agreement between the parties and a solution to everyday problems, armed groups loyal to ... Ghwell tried to storm a number of state headquarters in the capital, Tripoli". The groups used the "threat of force" on entering the labour ministry, a second statement said. "POLITICAL FARCE" A GNA spokesman said late on Thursday that the move had foundered. "Business in Tripoli is back to usual. There was an attempt to occupy some government buildings but all manoeuvres failed," the spokesman, Ashraf al-Tulti, told Reuters. Tripoli is home to a patchwork of armed groups with shifting loyalties. Some have sided with the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), some support Ghwell, and some do not have clear political allegiances. In October, armed groups backing Ghwell took control of a complex used by a parliament aligned with the GNA, and Ghwell has made several public appearances in which he has challenged the GNA's authority. Ghwell, who has opposed the GNA from the start, said on Thursday the government and the U.N.-mediated agreement that created it had failed. "What is a shame is the continuation of this political farce, as well as the tampering with security and the economy, and the level of humiliation, indignity and poverty this agreement has brought on citizens," he said. Western powers backed the GNA in a bid to end the political chaos that developed in Libya after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It was meant to unify rival governments set up in Tripoli and eastern Libya in 2014, as well as the armed factions that back them. But the GNA has struggled to impose its authority in the capital, remaining half-formed and short of popular and logistical support. It has also failed to win endorsement from power-brokers in the east. Brigades of former rebels have often stormed government offices, ministries and the parliament in Libya over the last five years to make political demands or call for higher salaries. Armed groups have used their power to give their members and allies ministry jobs. (Additional reporting and writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by Ralph Boulton)
By Phil Stewart and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon put Russia at the top of a list of threats to U.S. interests on Thursday and told Congress that America must be ready to confront Moscow where necessary, even as he backed Trump's bid for better relations. The remarks by retired Marine General James Mattis were the latest by one of Trump's Cabinet picks that veered away from the president-elect's campaign rhetoric, which included praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledges to improve ties with him. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson on Wednesday also expressed views at odds with Trump on key foreign policy issues like nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico. Mattis said Russia, China and Islamist militants were presenting the biggest challenge to the U.S.-led world order since World War Two, and called for Congress to lift spending caps undermining military readiness. "I'm all for engagement but we also have to recognize reality in what Russia is up to," Mattis said, adding there were a "decreasing number of areas" where the United States might cooperate with Moscow. Asked about the main threats to U.S. interests, Mattis said: "I would consider the principle threats to start with Russia." Mattis said he wanted to meet with the new Trump national security team to "craft a strategy to confront Russia for what it's done," when questioned about the possibility of new U.S. sanctions. Due to enter the White House in eight days, Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that Russia likely hacked the Democratic National Committee and emails of top Democrats during the 2016 presidential election campaign, a conclusion reached by U.S. spy agencies. Mattis cited Russian involvement in hacking and information warfare among the challenges posed by Moscow. Others include treaty violations, destabilizing activities abroad and "alarming messages from Moscow regarding the use of nuclear weapons." STRONG BACKING FOR NATO He also accused Russia of trying to undermine NATO. Unlike Trump, who appeared to question the alliance during his campaign, Mattis strongly embraced it -- calling NATO central to America's defense. "We recognize that he (Putin) is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance," Mattis said. Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the committee, said he "could not be happier" about Mattis' nomination. He warned sternly against optimism about engaging with Putin. "Putin wants to be our enemy. He needs us as his enemy. He will never be our partner," McCain exclaimed. Mattis also singled out China for its activities in the South China Sea, where it has been building man-made islands with anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries. Together with Russian activities and the threats of Islamist extremists, Mattis said China was part of mounting assault on global stability, and the relationship with Beijing needed to be carefully managed. "I think it (the world order) is under the biggest attack since World War Two, sir, and that is from Russia, from terrorist groups, and with what China is doing in the South China Sea," he said. Mattis railed against defense spending caps imposed by Congress and, when pressed, said he did not believe the U.S. military was strong enough to properly deter potential adversaries. WAIVER NEEDED Mattis, who retired from the military in 2013, is technically ineligible for the job since he has not been a civilian for at least seven years. That means Congress would need to grant him a waiver, something it has not done since 1950, but appears inclined to do now. After Mattis' testimony, the waiver cleared its first hurdle in Congress when the Senate Armed Services Committee approved it. The full Senate later backed the waiver by an overwhelming 81-17 vote, reflecting the strong support Mattis enjoys in Congress. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he expected bipartisan support for Mattis would help him overcome limited opposition. "The other thing he has going for him is that he may be a restraint on some of Trump's more extreme impulses," Cancian said. Mattis, 66, has tried to persuade Trump privately against the use of waterboarding, which simulates drowning, as an interrogation tactic. Top U.S. officials, many lawmakers and human rights groups have denounced waterboarding as torture. Trump's pick for CIA director took a similar line during his confirmation hearing on Thursday, saying he would stand firm if necessary against Trump on the issue of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques. Mattis was fiercely critical of Iran, cautioning that Tehran's "malign influence" in the region was growing. "Iran is the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and its policies are contrary to our interests," Mattis said in written responses to the committee. Still, Mattis did not echo Trump's campaign threat to rip up a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions. Mattis said the deal was imperfect but that the United States should uphold it. "When America gives our word, we have to live up to it," Mattis said. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle and Phil Stewart, Writing by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Howard Goller and Alistair Bell)
Russia looks likely to enact a law decriminalizing domestic violence, downgrading first offenses from a criminal act to a misdemeanor punishable by fine.

The bill was approved by all but two present members of Russias Lower House on Wednesday, the Moscow Times reports.

Critics say the bill is a clear backslide on womens rights; it would remove most legal and disciplinary distinctions between violence in the family household and street assaults, which were decriminalized in Russia in 2016. The offense carries a penalty of about $500 if prosecuted.

The new legislation was proposed by ultra-conservative lawmaker Yelena Mizulina, who also successfully lobbied for the passage of a law banning so-called gay propaganda in 2013. She argues for decriminalizing domestic violence on the grounds that parents in Russia should have the right to hit their children.

In Russian traditional family culture parent-child relationships are built on the authority of the parents power, Mizulina told lawmakers before the vote, according to the Moscow Times. The laws should support that family tradition.

As reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the new legislation fits within Russian President Vladimir Putins socially conservative agenda.

One of the bills authors, Olga Batalina, reportedly told her fellow lawmakers that the amendment would only concern assaults causing bruises or grazes. RFE/RL also cited ruling party official Andrei Isayev as saying that domestic assault would only be considered a misdemeanor on the first offense, but a criminal offense on the second.

Domestic violence is endemic in Russia, and overwhelmingly affects women, who account for about 74% of victims of domestic violence in the country, according to government figures from 2013 with 91% of those incidents perpetrated by husbands. Most research on violence in Russia links abuse to alcohol consumption.

Story continues

According to the Moscow-based ANNA National Center for the Prevention of Violence, women already see little point in seeking legal recourse for abuse, a situation that could worsen if the bill is enacted. Some 74% of women who sought assistance from a national help-line never reported abuse to police, the group said.

A 2003 study by Amnesty International concluded that 36,000 women were beaten by their husbands each day in Russia, while government figures from 2008 said that 14,000 women died each year at the hands of their spouse or other family member.

With reporting by Yenni Kwok / Hong Kong
Moscow (AFP) - Russia and Turkey have signed an agreement spelling out mechanisms to "coordinate" their air forces in Syria when conducting strikes "on terrorist targets", the Russian defence ministry said Thursday.

Delegations from the two countries, which last month brokered a ceasefire in war-torn Syria, met in Moscow Thursday for consultations on cooperating while fighting Islamic State jihadists, signing a memorandum, the ministry said.

"The document defines the mechanisms to coordinate and cooperate by the Russian airforce and the Turkish airforce while carrying out strikes on terrorist targets as well as the actions by the sides to prevent incidents while planes and unmanned aerial vehicles are in Syrian airspace," it said.

Moscow and Ankara agreed to back a ceasefire last month between the Syrian government and rebel groups which went into effect on December 30 and has been observed in vast parts of the country, though clashes have continued to rock areas near Damascus.

The fighting has notably damaged water infrastructure risking further military escalation, United Nation's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said earlier Thursday, adding that meetings in Moscow and Ankara would be addressing the issue.
Saint Petersburg (AFP) - Stacked high beneath vaulted ceilings in a tsarist-era building, cabinets store the seeds of thousands of plant varieties, many long gone from their original areas of habitat or cultivation.

Staff in white lab coats carefully ensure other samples in the unique seed bank in Saint Petersburg are kept frozen so they are capable of germinating for 50 years.

The Russian institute, established a century ago by a visionary botanist Nikolai Vavilov, has preserved thousands of forgotten plants from the ravages of war and industrialisation.

With climate change, industrial agriculture and globalisation now posing new threats to the world's biodiversity, the role of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources is more important than ever.

"In Europe, local varieties have been lost almost entirely due to World War II and industrialisation," the institute's director Nikolai Dzyubenko said during a visit last month.

"Local species that remained after the war were destroyed by more productive varieties imported from the United States."

"But thanks to our collection, the world still has a chance to rediscover the forgotten species."

The institute's collection of 345,000 varieties does not just include European grain crops but many more exotic plant species such as Ethiopian wheat, which disappeared following civil wars in the 1970s.

The government of Ethiopia later asked the Soviet Union to send seeds from samples collected during an expedition in 1930 by the institute's founder and was able to reintroduce the wheat in the country, said agronomist Igor Loskutov, who teaches at the institute.

- Banned and arrested -

Born in 1887, Vavilov was a botanist and one of Russia's first geneticists. He went on trips all over the world to visit centres of cultivation and added some 250,000 plant samples to the collection.

In the Joseph Stalin era, Vavilov and many other geneticists were prosecuted and their work banned as the Soviet leader supported a young agronomist Trofim Lysenko, whose ideas have since been discredited as pseudo-science.

Story continues

Although internationally respected and head of the Soviet Agricultural Academy for six years, Vavilov was arrested in 1940 in a probe based on fabricated evidence that he was seeking to undermine Soviet agriculture.

He died of malnutrition in prison three years later and his name was erased from Soviet science until Stalin's successor Nikita Khrushchev, also a supporter of Lysenko, lost political power and Vavilov was rehabilitated under Leonid Brezhnev in the 1960s.

An enormous portrait of Vavilov now hangs proudly in the institute, while Russia's Institute of General Genetics in Moscow also bears his name.

The collection miraculously survived World War II and particularly the Siege of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), when starving scientists kept guard over the vast seed stocks to prevent them being eaten during food shortages.

- 'Chasing genes' -

Eighty percent of the seeds in the collection are the only remaining samples of the varieties in the world.

In October, the institute sent 30 samples of lost varieties to agronomists in France.

In his most active years between 1921 and 1940, Vavilov headed expeditions to 64 countries to collect seeds from both wild and cultivated varieties of plants.

"He and his colleagues were literally chasing genes," said Loskutov.

"He wasn't interested in exotic plants, but in plant biodiversity, the local species. That is the main scientific significance of our collection."

Part of the seed collection now fills three rooms of a large building, which housed a government ministry prior to the 1917 Revolution and is now the institute's headquarters.

One room, measuring about 50 square metres (538 square feet), has the seeds stored in tiny metal boxes at room temperature, much as in Vavilov's time some 70 years ago.

"It doesn't look very modern, but it's very secure," Loskutov said, of the towering antique wooden cabinets.

"The collection here does not depend on any electricity or equipment." Stored in such conditions, a seed can keep for no more than five or seven years.

Two other rooms contain seeds and grafts that are kept frozen in metal vats by employees in lab coats and warm hats. These can germinate for 50 years.

The seeds have to be regularly regenerated: every year, 10 percent of the collection's samples are planted at the institute's field stations around the country, including beyond the Arctic Circle, where its assortment of global potato varieties is kept.

After plants grow, new seeds are collected and restored in a never-ending process.

"Against all the odds, the scientists in the institute have maintained this collection until our time," said Loskutov, as he pointed to a gallery of portraits of the 28 employees who died of hunger during the Siege of Leningrad despite having access to the grain.

"They sacrificed their lives for this."
The rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) is now the first bumblebee species to receive protections under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

The listing of the bee species was finalized today (Jan. 11) after a five-year campaign by environmental groups. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation first petitioned for the listing in 2013 and, in 2014, joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to sue the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) for failing to act on the petition. The FWS subsequently issued a decision to list the bee as endangered in September 2016. Full protections for the bee go into effect Feb. 10.

"We know there are many species of native bumblebee that are threatened with extinction in North America," said Sarina Jepsen, director of the endangered-species program at the Xerces Society. "The rusty patched bumblebee's decline has been well documented, and that enabled us to develop a petition for this species." [See Images of Amazing Bumblebees]

Threatened bee

Rusty patched bumblebees are social insects that live in colonies led by a queen. Workers and males have a reddish splotch on their backs, lending the species its common name.

The rusty patched bumblebee is a North American native that was once found in grasslands across the eastern and midwestern United States, with a habitat covering 28 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, according to the FWS. Since 2000, however, habitat loss due to agriculture has restricted the bee to 13 states and one Canadian province. Overall, abundance of the bees has dropped by 87 percent since the late 1990s, according to a FWS statement accompanying the listing. A 2016 report by the agency found that the bees populate only 8 percent of their former habitat, and that many of the populations that are left are under threat by at least one stressor, such as continuing habitat loss or declining genetic diversity because the populations are so small.

Story continues

Farming threatens bees both by limiting the amount of vegetation available and exposing bees to pesticides that may affect their health or mortality, according to the FWS. Climate change and pathogens also threaten rusty patched bumblebees. [Gallery: 'Insects Unlocked' Collection Shares Free Bug Photos]

Information is lacking on parasites and pathogens in North American bees, according to the FWS, but the relevant studies have raised alarms. A 2014 research report in the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology found that in northern Arizona, up to 63 percent of the bumblebee species Bombus huntii, and 66.5 percent of the species Bombus centralis, showed signs of infection with the pathogen Nosema bombi.

Conservation strategy

Under the Endangered Species Act, federal agencies need to consider the bee's well-being when approving development or activities that might affect its habitat. For example, Jepsen told Live Science, the Environmental Protection Agency would need to consider the impact on the rusty patched bumblebee when approving a new pesticide.

"The two most concerning threats to this species are disease and pesticides," she said.

Diseases are often spread from managed bee populations into the wild, Jepsen said. Under the Endangered Species Act, any activity that could harm or kill rusty patched bumblebees becomes illegal, including releasing disease-carrying domestic bees into their range.

Under the act, the Fish & Wildlife Service must make a recovery plan for the species that might include actions such as mitigating pesticide use in the bees' habitats or altering land use, Jepsen said. Even actions as simple as mowing roadsides can affect the ground-nesting rusty patched bumblebee, so agencies might need to consider when and how they conduct mowing activities.

"The Endangered Species Act is actually incredibly effective at recovering of endangered species, and our agency tasked with the recovery of endangered species now has the authority to act on this species," Jepsen said.

Inclusion on the endangered-species list also bumps the bees up in priority for federal conservation grants.

In a statement, FWS Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius said the public can contribute to saving North America's native bees by planting native flowers and avoiding pesticide use as much as possible. Leaving plants uncut during winter can provide habitat for rusty patched bumblebees, as these insects nest in the ground, according to the FWS.

Members of the public can also sign on to Bumble Bee Watch, a citizen science project that allows anyone to submit photos and sightings of bees in order to track their ranges.

"A lot of data from Bumble Bee Watch was already used in the decision to list the species," Jepsen said. With animals like bees that are so small and widely distributed, she said, "having an army of citizen scientists out there on the ground reporting where they occur is really essential."

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
By Se Young Lee and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - Special South Korean prosecutors questioned the head of top conglomerate Samsung Group on suspicion of bribery on Thursday in an influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment. Park remains in office but has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold the December impeachment and make her the first democratically elected leader to be forced from office. Park has denied wrongdoing. "I am very sorry to the South Korean people for not showing a better side," Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee told reporters as he arrived at the prosecution office in a black sedan, greeted by protesters holding signs calling for his arrest and accusing him of being the president's accomplice. Investigators would now decide whether to seek an arrest warrant against Lee, 48, special prosecution spokesman Lee Kyu-chul told reporters. Parliament impeached Park over allegations she allowed a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to exert inappropriate influence over state affairs. Choi is accused of colluding with Park to pressure big businesses, including the Samsung Group, to contribute to non-profit foundations backing the president's initiatives. Choi, in detention and on trial on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud, has denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors named Lee a suspect on Wednesday and are investigating whether Samsung gave 30 billion won ($25.28 million) to a business and foundations backed by Choi in exchange for the national pension fund's support for a 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc. Lee in December denied accusations the conglomerate sought to curry favour with Park or Choi to secure the 2015 merger, a deal seen as critical for ensuring family control of the conglomerate as generational succession looms. Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark red tie, Lee bowed after making brief remarks to reporters. A Samsung Group spokeswoman declined to comment on the investigation. Proving improper dealings between Park, or Choi, and Samsung would be key for the prosecutors' case, analysts said, noting their goal was to prove Park or her surrogates took bribes from corporations in exchange for favours. The special prosecution spokesman said investigators were also looking into whether Lee lied during a December parliamentary hearing about Samsung's involvement in the scandal, as well as whether he could be charged with breach of trust or embezzlement. Investigators questioned two senior Samsung Group executives this week as witnesses. The special prosecution has not begun investigations into any other conglomerates. Dozens of South Korean corporate groups made contributions to the two foundations, but Samsung's donations were the largest. "NATIONAL INTEREST" The scandal has triggered weekly rallies calling for Park to step down. She has apologised and said this month the pension fund's support for the Samsung companies' merger was in the national interest. If Park were to leave office, a presidential election would be held within 60 days. Among the expected contenders is former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Lee took over as leader of the smartphones-to-pharmaceuticals conglomerate after his father, founding family patriarch Lee Kun-hee, had a heart attack in 2014. Jay Y. Lee's arrest or indictment would be a blow to Samsung and the family, which has been streamlining its business to ensure a stable transfer of control from the ailing Lee Kun-hee to his children. While analysts and investors said management would be able to keep the various affiliates including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in good shape, the conglomerate as a whole may be slower to commit to major investments or acquisitions should Jay Y. Lee be imprisoned. Some also said Samsung and the Lee family may lose credibility among investors. "A corruption scandal is the most embarrassing thing for a pension fund like us," said Park Yoo-kyung, a Hong Kong-based director for Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management, which holds shares in Samsung Electronics. "We have an obligation to invest in a clean company." Share prices of most Samsung companies have shown muted reaction to Lee's implication in the scandal, however. Samsung Electronics shares rose 1.4 percent to a record high 1.94 million won on Thursday and Samsung C&T shares gained 1.6 percent, compared with a 0.6 percent rise for the broader market. "It's possible that Samsung Group companies will try to behave more transparently in response and operate in a more fair manner that shareholders can rationally understand," said IBK Asset Management fund manager Kim Hyun-su. (Reporting by Se Young Lee and Ju-min Park; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Tony Munroe and Nick Macfie)
Seoul (AFP) - Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong was grilled by South Korean prosecutors Thursday after becoming a criminal suspect in the corruption scandal engulfing impeached President Park Geun-Hye.

Lee, chairman of Samsung Electronics and the son of the Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-Hee, was being questioned over allegations of bribery, prosecutors said Wednesday.

He is also accused of committing perjury during a parliamentary hearing last month into the affair, they said.

"I am sorry for causing concern among the people over this incident", Lee said as he arrived at the office of the special prosecutor investigating the case.

Lee and his lawyer were greeted by scores of journalists as well as dozens of protesters waving banners and chanting "arrest Lee immediately" and calling him a "co-culprit" in the scandal.

Prosecutor's office spokesman Lee Kyu-Chul said they would decide whether to seek a court warrant to arrest him formally when his questioning is completed.

"We will, of course, also investigate accusations that vice chairman Lee committed perjury" during the parliamentary hearing, the spokesman told journalists.

Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified investigator as saying the likelihood of prosecutors seeking an arrest warrant was "high".

Lee was named a criminal suspect in the widening investigation on Wednesday.

- Controversial merger -

The scandal centres on Park's secret confidante Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her ties to the president to coerce top firms into "donating" tens of millions of dollars to two non-profit foundations which Choi then used as her personal ATMs.

Samsung was the biggest contributor to the foundations.

It is also accused of separately giving millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany.

Prosecutors have for months questioned Lee and other senior Samsung officials to determine whether Samsung bribed Park and Choi in order to win state approval for a controversial merger which it sought in 2015.

Story continues

The merger of two Samsung group units -- Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T -- was seen as a crucial step towards ensuring a smooth third-generation power transfer to Lee Jae-Yong.

It was criticised by many, who said it wilfully undervalued Samsung C&T's stocks. But the National Pension Service (NPS) -- a major Samsung shareholder -- voted in favour of the deal and it eventually went through.

Prosecutors have raided multiple Samsung offices as well as the NPS in connection with the scandal. The fund -- the world's third largest pension fund -- is overseen by the welfare ministry.

A former welfare minister was arrested last month for allegedly pressuring NPS officials to vote in favour of the Samsung deal.

Last month, Lee Jae-Yong told a parliamentary hearing that he was unaware of Samsung's involvement in funding Choi's daughter's equestrian pursuits and lavish life in Germany and denied that his company was seeking to win government favours.

Prosecutors on Wednesday asked parliament to file a complaint against Lee for giving false testimony at the hearing.

Samsung officials reportedly argued that although they were coerced to offer money, they sought no favours in return and thus the payments were not a bribe.
Riyadh (AFP) - Low-cost Saudi carrier flynas has concluded an $8.6 billion purchase deal with Airbus, a major shareholder said Thursday, as competition grows in the kingdom's expanding market.

Kingdom Holding Co, which owns a 34 percent stake in the airline, said flynas has finalised the "deal with Airbus for the purchase of new aircraft".

It gave no details of the number or type of planes that flynas will acquire but a source close to the negotiations told AFP they are from the A320 family of single-aisle aircraft.

Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that a flynas order for A320 short- to medium-haul jets was imminent, and that the airline had been considering a deal for 60 planes with an option on 40 more.

The 10-year-old airline exclusively operates the A320, with a fleet of 29 as of last February, according to its website. It serves 33 domestic and international destinations in the Arabian Peninsula and immediate vicinity.

With new-found cash flow and profitability, flynas is ready to expand its fleet -- currently all leased -- to more than 100 planes over the next decade, CEO Paul Byrne told arabianbusiness.com in an interview last March.

He said flynas passenger numbers were expected to rise from 5.5 million in 2015, and that there was room for growth even as competition increased.

"Nobody knows how big the Saudi market is yet," he was quoted as saying.

Two new entrants, Nesma and SaudiGulf, have launched domestic flights.

State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines, known as Saudia, is the dominant player and aims to expand its own fleet to 200 aircraft by 2020.

Saudia flew more than 29 million passengers in 2015, and in June last year placed an $8-billion order with Airbus for 50 planes for domestic flights.

- Saudi diversifies economy

Under its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan announced in April, Saudi Arabia aims to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

Among the measures is development of the tourism sector, privatisation of state-owned services including airports, and a linking of transport networks to position Saudi Arabia as a regional logistics hub.

Story continues

Even before it unveiled its economic reform plan, the Arab world's largest economy was spending billions of dollars on building and upgrading airports.

Riyadh-based Kingdom Holding is chaired and 95 percent owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

It is a vast global investor with shares in the Euro Disney theme park, Apple, News Corporation and US banking giant Citigroup, among others.

Airbus said on Wednesday that it had outstripped its own delivery expectations in 2016, closing the gap with Boeing and beating its US rival on orders.

The European manufacturer said it delivered a record 688 commercial planes, exceeding its own target which was raised in November from 650 to 670.

The figures were buoyed by a last-minute surge in December when it delivered 111 aircraft.

Airbus also booked a total of 731 net orders, beating Boeing despite a significant drop on the previous year when it logged demand for 1,036 aircraft.

Last week, Boeing confirmed orders of 668 planes throughout the year, also down 13 percent on 2015 when net orders reached 768.
A 2,400-year-old tomb filled with the skeletons of at least six people has been discovered in northern Iraq. Among the artifacts found in the tomb is a bracelet decorated with images of two snake heads peering at each other.

The tomb was constructed toward the end, or just after, the time of the Achaemenid Empire (550 to 330 B.C.), an empire in the Middle East that was conquered by Alexander the Great in a series of campaigns, according to the archaeologists, led by Michael Danti, a professor at Boston University. The excavation results were presented by Kyra Kaercher and Katie Downey, graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University, respectively, in November 2016 at the American Schools of Oriental Research's annual meeting.

"The snake-headed bracelet was very popular in Achaemenid times," and helped date the tomb, the team of archaeologists told Live Science in an email. [In Photos: Ancient City Discovered in Iraq]

It's difficult for archaeologists to tell exactly how many people were originally buried in the tomb, as some of the skeletons were found in a jumbled state. That disarray indicates that someone had entered, and possibly robbed, the tomb in ancient times, the researchers noted.

Inside the tomb, the archaeologists also found a pair of bronze earrings and the remains of at least 48 pottery vessels, five of which were still intact.

"There were five complete vessels found in the tomb: one bridge-spouted jar, three pitchers and one miniature jar. They were all found near the heads of skeletons," the archaeologists wrote.

These intact jars that were found near the heads of skulls in the tomb in Iraq and date back around 2,400 years. Kyra Kaercher

This tomb probably didn't belong to noblemen or wealthy individuals. "Based on the ceramics found and the limited amount of metal and other objects, these people were probably from a more modest background," the archaeologists wrote. The archaeologists aren't sure yet whether the people were related to one another.

Layers of bones

Archaeologists found that sometime between 400 and 1,300 years ago, the tomb, originally the home of the six-plus skeletons found, was reused, and at least five more people (probably more) were buried there. The heads of those skeletons, which were separated from the older bones by a layer of soil, were found facing west. The archaeologists did not find any artifacts dating to the more recent burials.

Story continues

"Based on the lack of artifacts found with the skeletons and their locations  the tomb reuse probably dates to the Early or Middle Islamic period [eighth to 17th century A.D.], but without artifacts or carbon samples, this cannot be proved," the archaeologists told Live Science.

The researchers cautioned, however, that the time period for the more recent burials "does not mean these are Islamic burials," they wrote. "Historically, in this region, various religious groups have lived together, including Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, Zoroastrians and many others."

Need for preservation

A 2,400-year-old bronze bracelet with two snakes facing each other was also found in the Iraq tomb. Michael Danti

The tomb was excavated in the summer of 2013, after construction workers who were widening a road discovered it. Numerous archaeologists have told Live Science over the past few years that preservation is critical for the survival of heritage in northern Iraq.

Islamic State group (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) militants destroyed, damaged and looted many heritage sites after they conquered part of northern Iraq during a military campaign in the spring and summer of 2014. This particular tomb was not in an area they took over. At present, ISIS still controls part of Mosul and a few small cities, towns and rural areas in northern Iraq.

Numerous archaeologists have also told Live Science over the past few years that during the rule of Saddam Hussein, archaeologists had little access to parts of northern Iraq and that a number of sites are in desperate need of conservation. Moreover, as construction projects (such as the road widening that led to the discovery of this tomb) take place, new archaeological sites will be discovered.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
(Adds background)

By Patricia Zengerle and Yeganeh Torbati

WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson expressed views on Wednesday at odds with President-elect Donald Trump's positions on key foreign policy issues like nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico.

In a nine-hour Senate confirmation hearing, the former chief executive of oil company Exxon Mobil said he favored maintaining U.S. sanctions against Russia for now and that NATO allies were right to be alarmed by Moscow's growing aggression.

Russia dominated much of the hearing because of concerns by Democrats and Republicans over Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election and its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and involvement in the Syrian civil war.

Questions soon moved to the threat posed by Islamic State, China's behavior in the South China Sea, human rights and Tillerson's ability to make a clean break from a career at Exxon Mobil to become America's top diplomat.

Tillerson said his differences with Trump on some major issues would not necessarily put him at loggerheads with the White House.

He said everyone in Trump's Cabinet would have the chance to discuss issues "and the president will decide." He described himself as open and transparent.

In a stark departure from Trump, Tillerson said it would not be acceptable for some U.S. allies to acquire nuclear weapons. He also did not see the need for a Muslim registry, saying he did not support targeting any particular group.

Asked by Democratic Senator Edward Markey about Trump's comments in interviews he would not oppose U.S. allies including Japan obtaining nuclear weapons, Tillerson replied: "I do not agree."

Tillerson said he did not oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, which Trump has criticized, but acknowledged the negotiated deal may not serve all U.S. interests.

Tillerson, however, left room for broad reversals or changes to Obama administration policies, in line with Trump's positions, including trade with Cuba and the Iran nuclear deal, which he said ought to undergo a full review.

Story continues

The hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was interrupted sporadically by protesters. Tillerson, 64, is expected to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.

'OPEN, FRANK DIALOGUE' WITH MOSCOW

Senators have expressed concern about Tillerson's ties to Russia while at Exxon Mobil and Trump's desire to improve relations with Moscow.

Tillerson refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and kept the door open to a possible change in U.S. sanctions policy against Russia, saying he had not seen classified information on Russian meddling.

"I would leave things in the status quo so we are able to convey this can go either way," Tillerson said, suggesting "open and frank" dialogue with Moscow to better understand its intentions.

He blamed Russia's aggression toward Ukraine since 2014 on an "absence of American leadership" and said the United States should have taken stronger actions to deter Russia.

"I'm advocating for responses that will deter and prevent further expansion of a bad actor's behavior," he said.

Tillerson said it was a "fair assumption" Putin was aware of Russian efforts to interfere in the U.S. election. He said he had not discussed Russia policy with Trump, which Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said was "pretty amazing."

In a tense exchange, Republican Senator Marco Rubio pushed Tillerson on whether he believed Putin was a war criminal, in reference to Russia's military actions in support of Syria's government.

"I would not use that term," Tillerson said, adding: "Those are very, very serious charges to make and I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion."

Rubio, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, shot back: "There's so much information out there. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putin's military has conducted war crimes in Aleppo," referring to the Syrian city recently retaken by government forces backed by Russia.

He added: "I find it discouraging, your inability to cite that which I think is globally accepted."

Tillerson sidestepped questions on human rights, declining to condemn countries like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines for rights abuses, saying he wanted to see the facts first.

Rubio told reporters later that he was unsure he could vote for Tillerson. As one of 11 Republicans on the 21-member panel, his support is key to Tillerson winning the committee's backing.

IRAN DEAL REVIEW

Tillerson said he would recommend a "full review" of the nuclear deal with Iran reached with the United States and world powers. He did not call for an outright rejection of the 2015 accord in which Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.

Trump has made contradictory statements about the deal and has threatened to dismantle it.

Tillerson said China should be denied access to islands it had built in the contested South China Sea. He added his approach to dealing with North Korea, which recently said it was close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation.

Asked if he could make unbiased decisions after his time at Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, he said he would act in America's interests.

Tillerson dodged a direct question on whether he believed climate change was caused by human activity.

"The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken," he said, adding the ability to predict the effect of greenhouse gas was "very limited."

Trump has called global warming a hoax perpetrated by China and has threatened to quit the Paris climate accord, a global agreement to curb emissions.

Tillerson called Mexico "a long-standing neighbor and friend of this country."

Trump has said he will build a wall on the Mexican border, and in his 2015 presidential announcement speech described Mexican migrants to the United States as drug-runners and rapists.

LOBBYING

Tillerson's responses were calm and measured, without any obvious reliance on notes.

He opposed U.S. sanctions against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine because he said he thought they would be ineffective.

On Wednesday, he said he never personally lobbied against sanctions and emphasized that he was not aware of Exxon Mobil directly doing so.

Tillerson later acknowledged he spoke to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew regarding gaps between American and European sanctions on Russia.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy vigorously challenged Tillerson on the issue, saying he called a U.S. senator to express concerns over the measures, which "likely constitutes lobbying." Exxon lobbied Congress regarding sanctions against Russia following the annexation of Crimea. The lobbying directly related to energy matters, according to regulatory filings.

(Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Writing by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Peter Cooney)
By Patricia Zengerle and Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson expressed views on Wednesday at odds with President-elect Donald Trump's positions on key foreign policy issues like nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico. In a nine-hour Senate confirmation hearing, the former chief executive of oil company Exxon Mobil said he favored maintaining U.S. sanctions against Russia for now and that NATO allies were right to be alarmed by Moscow's growing aggression. Russia dominated much of the hearing because of concerns by Democrats and Republicans over Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election and its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and involvement in the Syrian civil war. Questions soon moved to the threat posed by Islamic State, China's behavior in the South China Sea, human rights and Tillerson's ability to make a clean break from a career at Exxon Mobil to become America's top diplomat. Tillerson said his differences with Trump on some major issues would not necessarily put him at loggerheads with the White House. He said everyone in Trump's Cabinet would have the chance to discuss issues "and the president will decide." He described himself as open and transparent. In a stark departure from Trump, Tillerson said it would not be acceptable for some U.S. allies to acquire nuclear weapons. He also did not see the need for a Muslim registry, saying he did not support targeting any particular group. Asked by Democratic Senator Edward Markey about Trump's comments in interviews he would not oppose U.S. allies including Japan obtaining nuclear weapons, Tillerson replied: "I do not agree." Tillerson said he did not oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, which Trump has criticized, but acknowledged the negotiated deal may not serve all U.S. interests. Tillerson, however, left room for broad reversals or changes to Obama administration policies, in line with Trump's positions, including trade with Cuba and the Iran nuclear deal, which he said ought to undergo a full review. The hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was interrupted sporadically by protesters. Tillerson, 64, is expected to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. 'OPEN, FRANK DIALOGUE' WITH MOSCOW Senators have expressed concern about Tillerson's ties to Russia while at Exxon Mobil and Trump's desire to improve relations with Moscow. Tillerson refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and kept the door open to a possible change in U.S. sanctions policy against Russia, saying he had not seen classified information on Russian meddling. "I would leave things in the status quo so we are able to convey this can go either way," Tillerson said, suggesting "open and frank" dialogue with Moscow to better understand its intentions. He blamed Russia's aggression toward Ukraine since 2014 on an "absence of American leadership" and said the United States should have taken stronger actions to deter Russia. "I'm advocating for responses that will deter and prevent further expansion of a bad actor's behavior," he said. Tillerson said it was a "fair assumption" Putin was aware of Russian efforts to interfere in the U.S. election. He said he had not discussed Russia policy with Trump, which Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said was "pretty amazing." In a tense exchange, Republican Senator Marco Rubio pushed Tillerson on whether he believed Putin was a war criminal, in reference to Russia's military actions in support of Syria's government. "I would not use that term," Tillerson said, adding: "Those are very, very serious charges to make and I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion." Rubio, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, shot back: "There's so much information out there. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putin's military has conducted war crimes in Aleppo," referring to the Syrian city recently retaken by government forces backed by Russia. He added: "I find it discouraging, your inability to cite that which I think is globally accepted." Tillerson sidestepped questions on human rights, declining to condemn countries like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines for rights abuses, saying he wanted to see the facts first. Rubio told reporters later that he was unsure he could vote for Tillerson. As one of 11 Republicans on the 21-member panel, his support is key to Tillerson winning the committee's backing. IRAN DEAL REVIEW Tillerson said he would recommend a "full review" of the nuclear deal with Iran reached with the United States and world powers. He did not call for an outright rejection of the 2015 accord in which Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions. Trump has made contradictory statements about the deal and has threatened to dismantle it. Tillerson said China should be denied access to islands it had built in the contested South China Sea. He added his approach to dealing with North Korea, which recently said it was close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation. Asked if he could make unbiased decisions after his time at Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, he said he would act in America's interests. Tillerson dodged a direct question on whether he believed climate change was caused by human activity. "The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken," he said, adding the ability to predict the effect of greenhouse gas was "very limited." Trump has called global warming a hoax perpetrated by China and has threatened to quit the Paris climate accord, a global agreement to curb emissions. Tillerson called Mexico "a long-standing neighbor and friend of this country." Trump has said he will build a wall on the Mexican border, and in his 2015 presidential announcement speech described Mexican migrants to the United States as drug-runners and rapists. LOBBYING Tillerson's responses were calm and measured, without any obvious reliance on notes. He opposed U.S. sanctions against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine because he said he thought they would be ineffective. On Wednesday, he said he never personally lobbied against sanctions and emphasized that he was not aware of Exxon Mobil directly doing so. Tillerson later acknowledged he spoke to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew regarding gaps between American and European sanctions on Russia. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy vigorously challenged Tillerson on the issue, saying he called a U.S. senator to express concerns over the measures, which "likely constitutes lobbying." Exxon lobbied Congress regarding sanctions against Russia following the annexation of Crimea. The lobbying directly related to energy matters, according to regulatory filings. (Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Writing by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Peter Cooney)
In an unprecedented move against a fellow senator, Democrat Cory Booker testified Wednesday that Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions , is not fit for the job of the nation's top law enforcer.

"The next attorney general must bring hope and healing to this country, and this demands a more courageous empathy than Sen. Sessions' record demonstrates," the New Jersey Democrat told the Senate Judiciary Committee.



Booker said that race-related challenges cannot be solved if they are not confronted.



"If one is to be attorney general, they must be willing to continue the hallowed tradition in our country of fighting for justice for all, for equal justice for civil rights," Booker said. He added that he prays that his colleagues will join him in opposing Sessions' nomination.

Booker's office said that the Senate historian has been unable to find any previous instance of a sitting senator testifying against a fellow sitting senator nominated for a Cabinet position, according to NBC News .

Booker told MSNBC's "All In" on Monday that he thinks "these are extraordinary times and they call for extraordinary measures." The senator cited Sessions' history of "consistently voting against or speaking out against key ideals of the Voting Rights Act, taking measures to try to block justice reform" as reasons for his testimony.



Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., also testified on the second day of the Alabama Republican's confirmation hearing.

"Those who are committed to equal justice in our society wonder whether Sen. Sessions' call for law and order would mean today what it meant for Alabama when I was coming up back then," said Lewis, who was born in Alabama.



Back then, the law was used to violate the rights of the poor. While the country has made progress, Lewis said there are forces that want to take the country back, but people want to go forward.

"It doesn't matter how Sen. Sessions may smile, how friendly he may be, how he may speak to you, but we need someone who's going to stand up and speak up and speak out for the people that need help, for people that have been discriminated against," he said.

Story continues

Later in the hearing, Jesse Seroyer, former U.S. Marshal, Middle District Of Alabama, said he never saw Sessions investigate a case with any political agenda or motive.

During Sessions' time as Alabama's attorney general, Seroyer said he earned respect for his willingness to do what was right.

"I've known Jeff Sessions for 20 years," Seroyer said. "He's a good and decent man. He believes in law and order for all the people."

Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., said Sessions has advanced an agenda that will greatly harm African-American people and communities.



"In closing, each and every senator who casts a vote to confirm Sen. Sessions will be permanently marked as a co-conspirator in an effort to move this country backwards, toward to a darker period in our shared history," he added.



In his opening statement, NAACP chief Cornell Brooks said Wednesday that his organization believes Sessions is unfit to serve and that he has "deep concerns" about Sessions' "consistent disregard for vulnerable populations." He said Sessions' voting record points toward an "unconstitutional xenophobia."



Brooks said it doesn't make sense to hold Sessions responsible for support he has received from white supremacist David Duke, but added that he doesn't believe the Alabama senator "has sufficiently described a Department of Justice fully committed with enforcing the nation's civil rights."

Sessions, facing criticism for past accusations of racially charged comments that helped to cost him a federal judgeship, pledged to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that he would uphold protections for African-Americans. The 70-year-old Alabama Republican, an immigration hard-liner who previously served as that state's attorney general and also U.S. attorney in Alabama, said he understands the horrible effect of "systemic discrimination" against African-Americans.



David Cole, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, expressed similar concerns, but declined to weigh in on how the the committee should vote on Sessions' nomination. He said Sessions "has shown blindness or outright hostility to concerns of the people whose rights he would be responsible to protect."

Sessions said Tuesday he would not support the "idea that Muslims as a religious group should be denied admission to the United States." When asked whether "grabbing a woman by her genitals" would constitute sexual assault, Sessions responded that "clearly it would be."

Although Sessions has shifted his tone on several issues such as a potential Muslim ban and what constitutes sexual assault, Cole said Sessions failed to condemn Trump when the president-elect first made comments that ran counter to Sessions' present positions.

In October, Sessions defended Trump's comments in a 2005 tape in which he describes being able to do whatever he wants to women, including grabbing their genitals, because of his fame.

"I don't characterize that as sexual assault. I think that's a stretch," Sessions told The Weekly Standard in October.

 CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and NBC News contributed to this report.

Correction: This story was revised to correct the spelling of Booker in one reference.
Jerusalem (AFP) - A string of high-profile sexual abuse cases has led to soul-searching in Israel, where women's increasing willingness to report such behaviour has collided with retrograde attitudes among some men, experts say.

In the most high-profile case, former president Moshe Katsav was freed from prison on parole in December after serving five years of a seven-year term for rape.

He had for years refused to show any remorse for his crimes.

A general, a former senior government official and a member of parliament are among other top-ranking Israelis who have come under suspicion of sex offences and whose cases have been recently in the spotlight.

Brigadier General Ofek Buchris resigned from the army in July after being charged with rape and other sexual offences.

He has since reached a plea bargain that saw him avoid jail time in exchange for admitting to consensual sex with a junior female soldier and conduct unbecoming an officer related to a second woman.

In a sign of increasing intolerance of such cases, reports of the plea bargain drew anger and protests.

A video of a song performed by four young women, all army veterans, went viral after its release on social networks.

Entitled "Buchris's Girls", the song is a remake of a 1995 anti-war song, with new lyrics slamming the army's alleged tendency to close ranks when threatened and the torrent of abuse directed at complainants on social media.

"You were like a blind herd of devotees, worshipping the commander," the four sang, dressed in army uniforms.

"We are just meat for the officers."

- 'Name names' -

Several hundred protesters recently rallied outside national defence headquarters in Tel Aviv, chanting "No means no! What part of that sentence don't you understand?"

Israeli National Theatre actress Noga Shahar, who organised the demonstration, said that women were becoming more willing to report sex crimes.

Story continues

"It's not that there are suddenly more scandals," she told AFP at the protest.

"It's simply that women are understanding that they can speak up, make complaints, name names. But the judicial system doesn't follow up," she said.

"Judge Yitzhak Cohen was simply fined 2,500 shekels. It's revolting."

Shahar was referring to a Nazareth judge accused of forcing a court employee to sit on his lap and touching her under her blouse without her consent while in his chambers in 2010.

He has since resigned from the bench.

A plea bargain still under consideration would give Cohen a sentence of community service and order him to pay 2,500 Israeli shekels ($650/600 euros) in compensation to the complainant.

Those who work with victims agree with Shahar that the rise in reports stems from a greater willingness by women to come forward.

"You never know the real figures because most women don't even complain to the police," Orit Sulitzeanu, executive director of the Association of Rape Crisis Centres in Israel (ARCCI), told AFP.

Nevertheless, she says, the work of such centres and growing public awareness have brought about a "tsunami" in the numbers of victims who do complain.

"Women are bringing from the darkness into the light things which were always in the dark," she said.

- 'Macho' attitudes -

ARCCI data says that its centres received 9,197 fresh calls for help in 2015, a rise of 17 percent over the past five years from 7,858 in 2010.

Sulitzeanu does not have global data for sex offences but says there are factors that may be particularly significant in Israel.

One, she says, is the informality of the culture and the ease of access to people in high places.

"It's a society very much without distance," she says, with a certain degree of touching and hugging considered acceptable in Israel.

She says that compulsory military service for men and women also plays a role.

"The fact is that there is an army where many of the youngsters go at the age of 18," she says.

"Even today it's very, very hierarchic, macho, which affects all of Israeli society and also has a negative effect on abuse of authority and the opportunity for sexual harassment."

"From the army it spreads to the police and the workplace," she adds.

Haaretz in October reported a rise in the number of reports of rape that were investigated by the military police.

It said that in 2015, 12 rape complaints led to investigations, compared to eight in 2014 and five in 2013.

In 2015, a legal aid unit was set up for soldiers who have been victims of sexual offences. The first time it provided assistance, Haaretz said, was in the case of the woman who complained against Buchris.
The West Salem high school art department recognizes a young artist each month and displays their art in the Marie W. Heider Center lobby.

This month, however, the January Art Student of the Month isnt displaying her own art. Instead, senior Abby Tower is displaying artwork created by a class of 12-year-old Haitians who were asked to draw what they wanted most in life.

Towers display was part of her senior exit project. West Salem is among several schools in the state that require its seniors to complete a comprehensive project that promotes community or personal growth. These projects often range in scope from small background projects to major community service or activism.

Tower wanted to bring attention to a group of people whose home lies not far from our borders, but are often forgotten.

Towers connection to Haiti began when she was 7, when her parents sponsored a young Haitian boy in her name.

She spent the next 10 years writing to the boy, learning about his life, his challenges and his delights.

This fall, Tower got the opportunity shed been waiting for when she joined a mission trip to Haiti.

During her weeklong stay in Port-au-Prince, Tower discovered a country vastly different than the one shed been born into.

She said Haiti is not a colorful country, but its people are among the most colorful.

Everything is brown, she said of the landscape.

Tower said the only real source of color in the city of Port-au-Prince were the buildings themselves, which had been painted vibrant colors.

Tower said she was nervous when she arrived at the school in Haiti.

Her entire senior exit project depended on these students being cooperative.

I was kind of scared, she said. I didnt know what to expect.

It turned out there was nothing to be worried about.

She said as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, the kids ran out to meet them smiling.

The kids gave us a ton of hugs and they were so happy, she said.

In the classroom, Tower gave the students a simple task: Draw what you wanted most in the world.

I like the purity of a childs heart, she said. In America, we are very fortunate.

Some students knew immediately what they wanted and set to work on their drawing.

Tower said one girl drew a picture of a house.

The girl said, I want a house because my family doesnt have one, Tower said.

For others, Towers task wasnt so simple.

She remembered one girl who was perplexed by her question.

The girl said, I dont know how to draw what I want because I want to be a miracle for my family, Tower said.

Tower said some students drew flowers because flowers are precious there and others dreamed bigger drawing cars or planes.

These drawings and picture of their authors are now on display in the Marie W. Heider Center lobby.

Tower said she hoped the drawings would draw attention to the less fortunate and show people they are no less human.

I want them to be inspired and to be aware of the people in need, she said.

During her reception Thursday, Jan. 12, she collected free-will donations to support the school and its students.

The kids are deeply in need, she said.

She said its not just about Haiti: There are people in La Crosse who need help, too.
Foxs Shots Fired opens with a police shooting. But unlike many of the widely publicized police shootings of unarmed black men, creators Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood begin their 10-part series with a young black police officer shooting a young, unarmed white man in a small town in North Carolina.

That may seem a counterintuitive plot point for the creators, whose aim, as Bythewood told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour Wednesday, was to perform an autopsy of a town like Ferguson, where teenager Mike Brown was shot and killed in 2015. Browns killing, and the lack of prosecution for the officer who shot him, inspired months of protests in the Missouri town outside St. Louis.

But Prince-Bythewood and Bythewood, who are African-American, defended the choice to swap the races of the officer and victim. You see this in the news all the time. Its easy for people to watch the news and, if you dont identify with whats on the screen, turn it off, Prince-Bythewood said. We wanted to enable folks who dont normally sympathize with someone to do so.

And while the show opens with the black officer killing the white man, another narrative quickly emerges of the unsolved shooting of a black boy that isnt garnering anywhere near the amount of media attention. As you get further in, you see how the murders of these two young boys are treated, Gina Bythewood said.

For the creators, it was important for their cast to delve into the worlds their characters inhabit. Mack Wilds, who plays the black officer, grew up in New York City with a Black Panther uncle. Gina had to come and console me the day of the Philando Castile situation, Wilds said. I had to wear my uniform, and I couldnt even stand to look at it. But he nevertheless received a bit of a reality check when on a ridealong with an officer in Manhattan while doing research, when he saw how quickly a confrontation with a young black teen escalated.

Story continues

The teen was smoking marijuana in the stairwell of a project; the officer Wilds was with had asked the teen to get out of the stairway, and an argument broke out. They didnt do anything but tell him to get out of the staircase and it was instantly hostile, Wilds said. It was crazy to see the other side of it. It added another layer to Wilds character, who has to figure out how to be a young black man and an officer in a society that doesnt necessarily know how to view someone who is both.

Not that the Black Lives Matter movement is given short shrift at the expense of exploring the complexity of relationships between police and minority communities. DeWanda Wise plays the mother of the slain black boy, and she attended an annual event in Oakland, Calif., held by Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, the young black man whose death was the basis for the movie Fruitvale Station.

It was an outstanding foundation for me, to be there in this room full of women who for years have been living with this grief, Wise said. Often when we see grief displayed its this one-note histrionic thing. But before that its this very, its a layered thing.

Amid all the talk of messages and exploring the underlying sources of racial tension in our country, the cast and producers emphasized the show is still meant to entertain, as well. Its a whodunit and a whydunit, Bythewood said.

(Pictured: Shots Fired exec producers Gina Prince-Bythewood, Reggie Bythewood, Brian Grazer)

Related stories

'Bones': Will There Ever Be a Reunion After Season 12?

Lee Daniels Discusses Exploring Racism, Classism on 'Star': 'We're in a Difficult Time in America'

'24: Legacy' Stars, Producers on Rebooting Franchise With a Black Hero
Will Smith is talks to join the live-action version of Disney's "Dumbo" reports Deadline.

The project is set to be directed by Tim Burton, and would be an adaptation of the classic 1941 animated film.

If confirmed, Smith would join a long list of big stars who've recently starred in live-action updates of Disney films, including Angelina Jolie in "Maleficent," Johnny Depp in "Alice in Wonderland," and Emma Stone, who is set to star in "101 Dalmatians."

Smith most recently starred in "Collateral Beauty" and has also been shooting Netflix movie "Bright" alongside Joel Edgerton.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation)

More than two dozen Democratic lawmakers have announced they intend to skip Donald Trumps inauguration this week to protest the president-elects plans for the country. The boycotters make up a small fraction of the 535 House and Senate members, but their decision to protest represents a break with tradition that they say is warranted by Trumps agenda, which they see as extreme.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., told Yahoo News she decided she couldnt celebrate Trumps inauguration because of his comments during the campaign about temporarily barring Muslims from entering the country and his vow to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

I thought about it over and over again  its not a decision I came to lightly, she said Thursday. I thought about it very carefully because I do believe in democracy and this peaceful transfer of power.

Lee was among a growing handful of Democratic lawmakers who objected last week to the certification of the Electoral College results on the House floor. She said she objected because of her concerns over Russian interference in the election.

There are going to be moments where some of us are going to have to say, Enough is enough, Lee told Yahoo News. Its going to happen more  this is a very unusual and extraordinary time.

Lee said there isnt an organized effort to get Democrats to skip the inauguration, which is generally a bipartisan celebration of democracy and the transfer of power, but each lawmaker is making up his or her own mind. Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have all said they will attend the ceremony. Hillary Clinton, Trumps vanquished rival, is also set to be there.

Lawmakers often skip the inauguration due to personal conflicts or a desire not to be there, according to Raymond Smock, director of the Byrd Center and a former historian of the House of Representatives. Its not a big deal if theyre missing it, Smock said.

But what makes the decision of Lee and her colleagues unusual is their announcement that they are making a political statement by skipping the ceremony.

Story continues

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., said on Monday that she would be attending the protests instead of the inauguration.

I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st. https://t.co/tlqS26ulj7  Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) January 9, 2017

Last week, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., announced his intention to boycott the celebration on the House floor.

I could not look my wife, my daughters or my grandson in the eye if I sat there and attended as if everything that candidate Donald Trump had said about the women  about the Latinos, or the blacks, the Muslims   that any of that is OK or erased from my memory, he said.

Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., also announced his decision on the House floor. My absence is not motivated by disrespect for the office, or motivated by disrespect for the government that we have in this great democracy, Grijalva said, according to Politico. But as an individual act  yes, of defiance  at the disrespect shown to millions and millions of Americans by this incoming administration, and by the actions we are taking here in this Congress.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., announced he could not politely applaud the beginning of a dark and dangerous chapter in American history.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., wrote on Facebook that he would spend the day back home listening to his constituents, to prepare for the coming assault on the values and programs we hold dear.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., concurred. Ill do my best to work with him when I think hes doing the right thing for the country. But he hasnt proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony, he said, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., told the Boston Globe that she didnt want to normalize Trumps promotion of bigoted, misogynist, anti-Semitic, and racist claims by attending his inauguration.

Rep. Jose Serrano tweeted his decision on Thursday:

I will not attend the #inauguration2017 next week- cannot celebrate the inauguration of a man who has no regard for my constituents. #Bronx pic.twitter.com/Uz3NTgXl35  Jose E. Serrano (@RepJoseSerrano) January 12, 2017

Rep. John Lewis ignited a small firestorm on Friday when he told NBC that he didnt view Trump as a legitimate president-elect, and he also said he would be skipping the inauguration. The swipe at Trumps presidency caused Trump to denounce Lewis on Twitter, leading more Democrats to say they would not attend the event.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., tweeted his decision Friday:

It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017.  Mark DeSaulnier (@RepDeSaulnier) January 14, 2017

A spokesman for Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the congressman would be back home in St. Louis speaking to school kids on Jan. 20.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., announced his decision after Trump attacked Lewis:

"All talk, no action." I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration. pic.twitter.com/z8Q0wA9OPK  Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) January 14, 2017

A spokesperson has confirmed to CNN and The Hill that Congress longest-serving member, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will not attend Trumps inauguration this week.

A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Conyers became the first member of Congress to propose legislation to create a federal holiday in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s honor, just days after his assassination in 1968.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., speaks at a town hall meeting for Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., at the Church of the New Covenant-Baptist on Dec. 22, 2016, in Detroit, Mich. (Photo: Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

Over the weekend, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., released a statement confirming that he, too, will boycott Trumps inauguration.

While I do not dispute that Trump won the Electoral College, I cannot normalize his behavior or the disparaging and un-American statements he has made, Lieu, a Taiwanese-American immigrant and former U.S. Air Force colonel, stated Saturday.

Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard and Zoe Lofgren also joined the growing list of California Democrats who will be absent from Fridays festivities.

I acknowledge the fact that he is the incoming president, but Im not in the mood to celebrate that fact, Lofgren told the Los Angeles Times over the weekend.

Roybal-Allard, who became the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress in 1992, said in a statement that while she thought long and hard about attending the Inauguration because I value our democracy and respect the office of the presidency, regardless of party, she ultimately decided against it because the disparaging remarks the President-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., announced during an appearance on CNNs New Day Monday morning that he, too, is joining the boycott.

In addition to the president-elects inflammatory comments, his racist campaign, his conflicts of interest, refusal to disclose his taxes, Nadler said, the last straw was his ad hominem personal attacks on an icon of the civil rights movement, someone who suffered beatings and almost gave his life for this country, John Lewis.

The congressman from New York said that he agrees with Lewis that although legally elected, [Trumps presidency] is not legitimate. Still, Nadler added that he plans to work with the president-elect once he is in office.

Nadler elaborated on his decision to join the boycott in a statement posted on his website.

While the 45th president of the United States is sworn into office in Washington, D.C., this Friday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., will be hosting an interfaith prayer vigil in Trenton, N.J.

Coleman announced her decision to skip Trumps inauguration while speaking at a town hall hosted by the Islamic Society of Central New Jersey on Saturday.

The peaceful transition of power is a defining characteristic of our democracy, she said. Inaugurations should serve as a celebration of the best of our nation  a symbol of unity and strength. Unfortunately, it is increasingly clear that President-elect Trump is not just unfit for office, but his actions and promises threaten the very democracy for which we are supposed to gather to celebrate. I simply cannot in good conscious participate.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., who this November became both the first Dominican-American  and the first formerly undocumented immigrant  elected to Congress, agreed.

Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. Kings dream and make it a reality, and it is up to us to preserve his legacy and the legacy of President Barack Obama to ensure that we do not go back in time! Espaillat wrote in a post on his Facebook page Saturday. Thats why I am not attending the presidential inauguration. Donald Trump and the hate-filled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration.

Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan also took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the inauguration, writing Sunday that hed originally planned to attend the ceremony out of respect for the office of President, however, after long consideration based on reading the Classified document on Russian hacking and the Trump candidacy on Thursday, the handling of his conflicts of interest, and this weekends offensive tweets about a national hero Rep. John Lewis, I am no longer attending the event.

Instead, Pocan will remain in Madison, where he had already been planning to attend the Womens March on Saturday.

At minimum, its time for Donald Trump to start acting like President Trump, not an immature, undignified reality star with questionable friends and a Twitter addiction, Pocan wrote on Facebook. I hope for better, but will not hold my breath.

Taking a page from the president-elects own handbook, representatives Judy Chu, D-Calif.; Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.; Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio; Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and Pramila Jayapal, (D-Wash., used Twitter to RSVP no to Trumps inauguration.

After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration.  Judy Chu (@RepJudyChu) January 15, 2017

I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America.  Yvette D. Clarke (@RepYvetteClarke) January 14, 2017

As I told @JoyAnnReid, I will not be attending #Inauguration. I will be at home in Cleveland. #IStandWithJohnLewis  Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) January 15, 2017

I never ever contemplated attending the inauguration or any activities associated w/ @realDonaldTrump. I wouldn't waste my time.  Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) January 15, 2017

@absolutelynot13 @repjohnlewis Said last wk that I wasn't attending inauguration.Will be hosting #immigration roundtable in-district, then marching in #WomensMarch on 21st  Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) January 14, 2017



Story updated 1:18 p.m. ET on Jan. 14, and again at 11:00 a.m. ET on Jan. 16, to include additional House Democrats boycotting the Trump inauguration. Additional contribution by Colin Campbell and Caitlin Dickson.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Los Angeles (AFP) - Next time you order halibut, red snapper or yellowfin tuna at a sushi restaurant in the Los Angeles area, you may want to ask for proof of what's on your plate.

According to a four-year study published on Wednesday by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles and Loyola Marymount University, nearly half of the fish served at more than two dozen highly-rated sushi restaurants in the city is mislabeled.

"Half of what we're buying isn't what we think it is," said Paul Barber, a UCLA professor who led the study published in the journal Conservation Biology.

"Fish fraud could be accidental, but I suspect that in some cases the mislabeling is very much intentional, though it's hard to know where in the supply chain it begins."

Demian Willette, a researcher and co-author of the study, said that while mislabeling of food is nothing new, what was surprising was that it would be so prevalent, especially in a food-conscious market like Los Angeles.

"We didn't really expect that because Los Angeles is a very foody culture and in general people are very conscious about what they eat," he told AFP.

Willette said the study, conducted between 2012 and 2015, looked at 26 sushi restaurants that were highly rated on the reviewing sites Yelp and Zagat.

Biology students at UCLA were sent out to the restaurants over the four years to collect samples of 10 popular varieties of fish used for sushi. The samples were then tested for DNA.

Willette said of 364 samples tested, 47 percent showed that the sushi was mislabeled.

About the only sure bet was salmon, which was mislabeled only about one in 10 times, and bluefin tuna which was never swapped for a different kind of fish, according to the study.

"But out of 43 orders of halibut and 32 orders of red snapper, DNA tests showed the researchers were always served a different kind of fish," the study says.

Yellowfin tuna was also swapped on seven out of nine orders, usually for bigeye tuna, a vulnerable and overexploited species.

Story continues

"In some cases, the same restaurant was substituting multiple fish on menus," Willette said. "So say they would propose three types of tuna when they actually served the same type."

- 'Eat salmon'

He said halibut was often swapped for cheaper species of flounder considered overfished or near threatened while red snapper was substituted for sea bream.

He added that while price was a factor in the apparent fraud that likely involving wholesalers, attempts to skirt fishing policies also played a part.

"Some of it is price, and some of it is regulations," he said.

The study warned that apart from duping consumers, the mislabeling posed a health risk for people with allergies to certain fish and for pregnant women and children who should avoid high-mercury fish.

"A common parasite found in raw olive flounder ... has caused 'rampant' food poisoning in Japan," the study noted.

A spokeswoman at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which was made aware of the study, said her office had no immediate reaction.

As for Willette, he had one piece of advice.

"I would say if you're going to a sushi restaurant, probably avoid the halibut and red snapper," he said. "Eat salmon because salmon is almost always salmon."

Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.
In The Know by Yahoo

"What do you think it's communicating to the other little girls when their dad reacts like this?" The post Angry dads ugly reaction to gender reveal horrifies TikTokers: Hes acting like a 2-year-old appeared first on In The Know.
Johannesburg (AFP) - South African President Jacob Zuma has said the ruling ANC party is ready for its first female leader, days after his former wife was named by the party's influential women's league as its choice to succeed him.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has four children with President Zuma, is the head of the African Union Commission and a leading candidate to take office as president at the 2019 general election.

Zuma is expected to step down as African National Congress (ANC) party leader at the end of this year, although he will remain the country's premier until the election when his successor as head of the ANC will likely also succeed him as national president.

Dlamini-Zuma, 67, has not declared her candidacy, but last weekend the ANC women's league gave her a major boost by publicly declaring its support.

"It is no longer a discussion in the ANC whether a woman can take a high leadership position or not," Zuma said on local radio.

"The ANC is ready for that in fact the party has been ready for some time.

"It will depend on the integrity that she possesses and whether members see her fit for the position."

Fielding listeners' questions on another public radio on Thursday, the president said Dlamini-Zuma possessed the credentials to lead Africa's most advanced economy.

"If Nkosazana becomes the president, is that not a concern to the family? In fact not at all. She has grown in the (liberation) struggle, she has held a number of positions, she has been a minister. There is no question at all.

"If the ANC says 'we think we can give you this responsibility' and she agrees, that's not a concern at all, not at all in so far as the Zuma family is concerned."

Zuma, 74, who has been engulfed by corruption scandals and poor economic data since he came to power in 2009, completes the maximum two terms in office as national president in 2019.

In August, the ANC -- which came to power in 1994 under Nelson Mandela after the end of apartheid -- recorded its worst-ever election results at local polls.

Story continues

Among Zuma's other possible successors are deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize.

Zuma survived an attempt by ANC rivals to oust him in November, shrugging off criticism of his conduct by the official anti-graft watchdog and the Constitutional Court.

Dlamini-Zuma is not seeking a second mandate at the African Union, a move that has increased speculation that she has ambitions to succeed her ex-husband at the ANC.

She has held a string of ministerial posts under South African presidents, including the foreign affairs and home minister portfolios.

Her four years at the head of the AU have given her an international profile which has further increased her status as an ANC heavyweight.
neocam asteroid hunter spacecraft discovery nasa jpl caltech

On January 4, NASA announced two new space missions to explore the solar system: Lucy, a probe that will visit swarms of ancient asteroids lurking near Jupiter, and Psyche, which will orbit the all-metal core of a dead planet.

These winners of the Discovery program, as it's known, will each get $450 million to build their robots, plus a rocket to launch them.

"This is what Discovery Program missions are all about  boldly going to places we've never been to enable groundbreaking science," Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a Jan. 4 press release.

But in a pile of rejected finalists, sitting alongside two conceptual missions to Venus, is a space telescope that might one day save countless lives from a killer asteroid: a threat Zurbuchen himself has said is "not a matter of if  but when."

It's called the Near-Earth Objects Camera, or NEOCam, and it promises to discover tens of thousands of rogue space rocks roughly 460 feet (140 meters) in diameter or bigger. That size is no accident: Congress passed a law in 2005 charging NASA  as one of its seven explicitly stated goals  to find 90% of such near-Earth objects (NEOs) by 2020.

meteor crater view

Asteroids and comets of this size are notoriously difficult to detect, yet can slug our planet or explode in our atmosphere with the energy of least 60 megatons' worth of TNT. That's more powerful than the strongest nuclear weapon ever detonated.

"You do that over a city, and it's a very, very bad day," Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute and a scientist on the NEOCam team, told Business Insider. "It's important to look at your neighborhood, from a planetary defense standpoint."

While NASA did commit to partially fund NEOCam for a year, it's effectively the space agency's third pass on launching the telescope in a decade. (The mission was submitted in two previous rounds of Discovery.)

Story continues

Meanwhile, NASA is running years behind its Congressional mandate to find NEOs, and Earth is mostly blind to threats that might one day level a city.

Just this past Monday, for instance, an asteroid possibly as large as a 10-story building flew past Earth closer than the moon at 9.8 miles per second (15.7 kilometers per second)  and yet astronomers only learned of its existence 2 days beforehand.

We live on a moving target for killer space rocks

near earth asteroid 1950 da nasa jpl

Astronomers like to say Earth is drifting through a cosmic shooting gallery.

It's no wonder why.

Any space rock that zooms within 125 million miles (200 million kilometers) of the sun is considered an NEO, and  so far  humanity has located about 15,500 such objects. Relative to Earth's orbit, the average one is about 30 million miles (50 million kilometers) away and moving between 27,000 mph (12 kilometers per second) and 45,000 mph (20 kilometers per second)  akin to flying the length of Manhattan once a second.

About 9% of these NEOs, or some 1,759 space rocks, are called "potentially hazardous" objects (PHOs), meaning they come within 4.6 million miles (7.48 million kilometers) of Earth.

Their sizes vary wildly, so a strike could mean anything from broken windows, like the 2013 asteroid-caused air burst over Chelyabinsk, Russia, to global extinction, like the impact that helped wipe out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

The animation below, by Scott Manley, shows what the playing field looks like these days, and it is not comforting. Planets are teal (Earth is the third one from center), yellow and red show NEOs (red means they cross Earth's orbit), and green shows more distant, main-belt asteroids:

But these are just the ones we know about.

Roughly 72% of all NEOs that are 460 feet (140 meters) or larger have not been found, according to the "National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy", a report published by the White House's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in December 2016. This amounts to about 25,000 nearby asteroids and roughly 2,300 hazardous ones.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't be worried about smaller space rocks, though; in fact, quite the opposite.

"An asteroid much smaller, just 45 meters [150 feet] across, exploded in 1908 over Tunguska with an explosive energy of several megatons and destroyed an area as large as New York City," Roger Blandford, a physicist at Stanford University, wrote in a September 2015 op-ed for Space News. "Congress calls these smaller asteroids 'city killers,' and although they are 30 times more numerous, we have located less than 1% of them."

In raw numbers, "over 300,000 objects greater than 40 meters [130 feet] in size could be an impact hazard to the Earth and have not yet been detected," according to NSTC's report.

The chart below, recently created by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech, sums up the gaping holes (in green) of NEO survey efforts thus far:

near earth asteroid census chart graphic wise nasa jpl

Tunguska event-like asteroids strike Earth about once every 100-200 years, and Chelyabinsk explosions should occur as much as once a decade, according to a 2013 study in Nature.

Which is why scientists desperately want to find and, if necessary, deflect or destroy these rogue space rocks.

"There's nothing out there that is anywhere near ready to [detect small NEOs], except for NEOCam," Sykes said.

How NEOCam could help save Earth

asteroids asteroid field star nasa jpl 717846main_pia16610_full

If you're a space rock, you reflect sunlight.

Telescopes that are looking in the right place at the right time can see you as a dot sneaking across the blackness of space. This allows scientists to calculate your mass, speed, orbit, and the odds that you'll smack into Earth.

If you're a small NEO, though, you aren't very bright. This means a telescope has to be big, see a lot of the sky, and use very advanced hardware to find you as a needle in an ever-growing haystack of data. Yet such big, bad telescopes are expensive and take a very long time to build and calibrate.

Take the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), for example, which is one of Earth's best current hopes of finding killer asteroids. The project broke ground in 2015 and is expected to cost upwards of $465 million to build. Based on its current construction schedule, it won't be fully operational until late 2021, at the soonest, or able to fulfill the 90% detection goal set by Congress until the mid-2030s  more than a decade behind-schedule.

LSST, like all ground-based observatories, also comes with two major limitations.

The first: "You can't see asteroids near the sun. You're blinded by the sky," Sykes said. "Right now we have to wait until those pop out in front of us. To get those guys, you really need to be in space  where you're not blinded by the sky."

Sykes said the other snag is that ground-based telescopes mainly rely on visible light for detection.

"If [an asteroid] has a dark surface, it's going to be very hard to see," he said.

neocam infrared camera sensor teledyne

NEOCam goes after these two problems by being in space, where no atmospheric gases get in the way, and by using an advanced, high-resolution infrared (IR) camera.

IR light is a longer wavelength of light that's invisible to our eyes, but if a source is strong enough  say, a roaring fire  we can feel it as warmth on our skin.

Asteroids warmed by the sun, radioactive elements, or both emit infrared light, even when they're coasting through the void, or are too dark for ground-based telescopes to see. Which means NEOCam could spot them merely by their heat signatures.

The approach works. The prime example is NASA's 8-year-old Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) telescope, which has found at least 230 NEOs and 42 PHOs from orbit.

However, it's a less powerful telescope, has a smaller field of view, an older camera that requires cryogenic cooling (NEOCam's does not), and wasn't designed solely to hunt asteroids. While scientists gave it a new mission to do so in 2013, renaming the project NEOWISE, the telescope is scheduled to end operations in March 2017.

"[A] space-based observatory, working in concert with observations from ground-based telescopes, may be the best approach to detecting, tracking, and characterizing the NEO population," the NSTC's December 2016 report states. "This combination would more rapidly complete the survey of objects larger than 140 meters [460 feet] while greatly improving our understanding of the hazard from the 50-140 meter [160-460 feet] NEO population."

The NEOCam team proposed to launch in 2021 and find two-thirds of missing objects in the larger-than-460-feet (140 meters) category within 4 years, or about a decade ahead of LSST's schedule.

However, according to a recent study in The Astronomical Journal, neither NEOCam nor LSST alone would ever achieve Congress' 90% detection mandate  only by working together, the research found, could the observatories achieve that goal over a decade.

This would help address the NSTC's concern on the issue:

"Finding NEOs as early as possible is the first priority for planetary defense, in order to give adequate time to make decisions and implement courses of action. This fact must be stressed: the earlier a NEO threat is detected, the better the emergency response to the threat will be."

So if launching a more-capable replacement for NEOWISE is a top priority, why didn't NASA pick NEOCam?

The forces keeping NEOCam grounded

near earth object asteroids neos nasa m15 091b

Only NASA knows why it didn't pick NEOCam for launch, but it isn't telling anyone, not even Sykes and his colleagues  at least not yet.

The space agency first wants to debrief the NEOCam team on the snags it saw with its Discovery program proposal, a meeting that a NASA representative said will happen on January 18.

"The Discovery review process identified strengths and weaknesses for all 5 mission proposals. As with Lucy and Psyche, NEOCam will be asked to address any issues that were raised in the review," David Schurr, deputy director of NASA's planetary science program, told Business Insider in an emailed statement.

During the debriefing, the space agency will "work and negotiate with the NEOCam team" on a funding level for the next year, Jim Green, director of NASA's planetary science division, told reporters during a Jan. 4 teleconference call.

"Whether it's a drip or a flood, we'll find out soon," Sykes said.

After that year of funding runs out, however, all bets are currently off: NASA will have to "look for money" under a new presidential administration, according to Green, if it wants to keep the project alive. ("No flow, no go," Sykes said.)

The hangup with NEOCam is not likely any lack of engineering prowess  "the rumor is that there were no major weaknesses [with the proposal]," one source who asked not to be named told Business Insider  but rather a bureaucratic technicality: a case of trying to jam a square peg into a round hole.

psyche asteroid nasa discovery mission linda elkins tanton youtube

That's because NASA's Discovery program is keen on pulling off scientific firsts within the solar system.

A never-before-attempted mission to the metal core of a dead planet fits the bill, while a space-based asteroid detector is arguably something humanity already tried with WISE (the NEO hunter launched in 2009).

But Sykes contends that NEOCam is a truly unique, science-focused mission that could "vastly [increase] our knowledge of near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, comets and interplanetary dust," adding that its "planetary defense benefit would have been a bonus."

Another bonus, according to Sykes: It could help NASA pull off its next planned era of human exploration  visiting near-Earth asteroids  by locating most of the remaining NEOs of interest.

"If we want to send people beyond low-Earth orbit, an asteroid costs much less than the surface of the moon or Mars," Sykes said. "We can identify targets that are quick-turnaround times of weeks or months, to minimize the radiation exposure [in deep space] to astronauts."

In addition, finding perhaps tens of thousands of new NEOs would lay more groundwork for efforts to mine asteroids for precious metals, gather fuel for deep-space exploration, and other novel (and scientific) human endeavors.

Former astronaut Ed Lu, who's also a co-founder of the B612 Foundation  a group dedicated to launching its own NEO-detecting space telescope, called Sentinel  has grown impatient with the delays.

To get an asteroid hunter off the ground, Lu said, NASA needs to try something new, and fast.

"[T]here should be an open competition based on a planetary defense rather than a science requirement, as with the Discovery mission," Lu told Business Insider in an email. "Detecting dangerous asteroids is a concern of national security, not just science."

Blandford, the Stanford physicist, hit this message home in his Space News op-ed.

"[P]lanetary defense is currently treated as a scientific issue, and forced to compete with other science missions," he wrote, "instead of being seen as a long-term imperative for the protection of humanity."

Update (Jan. 12, 2017 at 5:25 p.m. ET): This article was updated to include information provided after the original publication.

Kelly Dickerson and Paul Szoldra contributed to this post.

NOW WATCH: This Cold War-era technology could safely power the world for millions of years





More From Business Insider


Spain said Thursday it expects the number of foreign visitors to the country to rise even further after it hosted a record 75.3 million international travellers last year.

"Far be it from me to think that we have hit a ceiling, we are far from that," Tourism Minister Alvaro Nadal told a news conference to present tourism figures for 2016.

The number of arrivals last year was up by 9.9 percent over the 68.1 million foreign visitors who flocked to the country in 2015. It was the fourth consecutive year of record numbers of arrivals.

Britons again topped the list with 17 million visitors to Spain in 2016, about one in five of the total and a 12.3 percent increase over the previous year.

"There was no Brexit effect in 2016, it did not affect British tourism in our country," said Nadal, before addign this trend should continue this year.

"Advance reservations as well as requests for landing slots at Spanish airports are going very well which confirms that the tendency for British tourism remains the same."

The Madrid-based United Nations World Tourism Organisation (WTO) had already said on Monday that Spain had hosted around 75 million foreign arrivals last year.

Spain was the third most visited country in the world in 2015 after France and the United States, according to the WTO. It will unveil its ranking for 2016 on Tuesday.

Each foreign tourist spent an average of 1,023 euros ($1,078), a 3.75 percent increase over the 2015 figure.

They spent a total of 77 billion euros in the country in 2016, an 8.3 percent increase over the previous year.

Exceltur, which groups the country's major hotel chains, travel agents and tour operators, warned last year average revenues per person had fallen by between two to six percent, depending on the month, because tourists had shortened the length of their stay.

Tourism represents some 11 percent of Spain's gross domestic product.




Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to become the next secretary of defense, staked out sharply divergent views from those of his potential boss on Thursday, strongly backing NATO, lambasting Russia, and accepting the Iran nuclear deal. He also showed little appetite for rolling back a slate of Defense Department social reforms hated by the Republican Party.

Most pointedly, Mattis offered lawmakers in Congress a full-throated endorsement of the NATO alliance, countering months of campaign-trail rhetoric from Trump, who suggested the United States gains little from the alliance and carries too much of the burden.

If we did not have NATO today, we would need to create it. It is vital to the United States, Mattis told a Senate panel, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin  long an object of Trumps praise and his hopeful dance partner on the global stage  is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance.

I think right now the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with in regard to Putin, Mattis continued. He said the United States must work with its European allies on diplomatic, economic, and military steps to counter Russia and defend ourselves where we must.

The highly respected former head of U.S. Central Command and wartime leader in Iraq and Afghanistan appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a time when Trump is battling a new round of questions over his alleged ties to the Russian government, questions that have dogged Trump and several of his advisors for much of the presidential campaign.

Asked directly about Trumps calls for a closer relationship with Russia, the general insisted that he agrees with the president-elect that there should be some engagement but that he has very modest expectations about areas of cooperation with Mr. Putin.

Although Trump has long said he would renegotiate or pull out of the Iran deal completely, Mattis said its important for the United States to live up to its agreement. When America gives [its] word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies, he told the panel, admitting that the current deal isnt one he would have signed off on.

Story continues

A longtime Iran hawk who was asked to step down from his job as head of Central Command by President Barack Obama in 2013 over his proposals to strike targets inside Iran, Mattis insisted that he would have the Pentagon ready to respond to Iranian military aggression.

He said he has spoken with Trump about NATO and Iran and found him open to his views. He understands where I stand, Mattis explained. That contrasted with Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, who on Wednesday told gobsmacked lawmakers that he had not discussed Russia with the president-elect.

But that quest to demonstrate independence was quickly squelched by Trump spokesman Sean Spicer. He told reporters Thursday that at the end of the day, each one of them is going to pursue a Trump agenda, adding, Theyre being asked their personal views here and there. Theyre giving them.

Spicers comments point to a larger issue that hangs over the hearings: the role that incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, also a former general, will play in managing Mattis and Tillerson and the access they will have to the Oval Office.

One former Pentagon official who asked to speak anonymously said Flynn, a retired three-star Army general who was sacked by Obama as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2014, is driven by that ouster and the lost chance for a fourth star.

Theres a pre-DIA Flynn and a post-DIA Flynn, the official said. If there are instances where Mattis and Flynn disagree, I can see Flynn becoming very defensive, in part because Mattis outranked him in the military.

You can imagine Mattis being a very effective buffer for the Pentagon. But Im concerned how many times he can speak out before he suffers consequences of disagreeing with Flynn.

Mattis told lawmakers Thursday that he would not have taken the job if he didnt believe the president-elect would also be open to his input on this or any other matter.

Mattis also called for a permanent U.S. military presence in NATOs Baltic allies, which are most vulnerable to Russian aggression. But that doesnt play well in Moscow.

Just before the hearing, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia sees U.S. troop deployments to the Baltics as a direct threat. Any country can regard a buildup of foreign military presence near its borders negatively, and it will do so, he said. We interpret this as a threat to us and as actions that endanger our interests and our security.

Mattis also weighed in on controversial rules put in place last year by Defense Secretary Ash Carter allowing women to serve in combat roles  changes Mattis and the GOP establishment in Congress have publicly opposed. But he told senators that changing personnel policies isnt high on his to-do list.

I have no plans to oppose women in any aspect of our military, he insisted.

He also declined to commit to rolling back Carters policy changes allowing gay and transgender people to serve openly but stopped short of offering the same commitment to leave the changes in place.

Im looking for military readiness, he said and suggested better training to implement the new policies. Ive never cared very much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with.

After the hearing, both the Senate and House took up the issue of the change in law that will be required for Mattis to serve in the Defense Department. Under current law, an officer must be retired seven years before taking the Pentagons top job, but Mattis only retired in 2013.

The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the waiver in a 24-3 vote Thursday, while Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee are expected to put up a fight after the Trump transition team cancelled Mattiss scheduled testimony.

Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
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.
Jan 11 (Reuters) - Aviation enthusiasts have a novel way to feed their hobby without even taking to the skies - sleeping in a decommissioned private jet in Wales. With a double bedroom at the back and long leather sofa behind the cockpit, the 1970s JetStar sleeps 4 people on a campsite in Pembrokeshire. It joins a few other old planes - like a jumbo jet in Sweden - that have been converted into accommodation. Still bearing original features, the plane, which would have carried maximum nine passengers, comes with a bar area, an Xbox with flight games in the cockpit, a toilet and a cold water basin. "It ticks quite a few different people's boxes," said Apple Camping owner Toby Rhys-Davies, who bought the jet from a salvage yard. "I've had all sorts of people staying from plane enthusiasts to people who are scared of flying and then just couples." (Reporting By Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Richard Lough)
A Sumatran tiger has mauled an Indonesian man to death in a national park, in a brutal attack that left the victim with bite marks all over his body, officials said Thursday.

The man, named only as Sudir, was with four friends on Tuesday collecting palm leaves -- which are used to make roofs for traditional village houses -- when the attack happened, said park official Afan Absori.

They were leaving the Sembilang National Park on Sumatra island after night fell when the 25-year-old victim suddenly let out a scream as the tiger pounced.

"The group saw a tiger approaching Sudir and the other four immediately ran away to seek help from people who live nearby," Absori told AFP.

"But when they came back, the tiger had gone and had already mauled Sudir," he said.

There have been several cases in recent years of tigers killing people in Indonesia, where logging of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations is destroying animals' habitat and bringing them into closer contact with humans.

Local police spokesman Cahyo Budi Siswanto confirmed the death and said Sudir was left with bite marks on his neck, leg and buttocks.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, said the park official, adding the men should not have been in the area of the park where the attack happened as it is a restricted area.

Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by protection group the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with 400 to 500 remaining in the wild.

Sembilang National Park stretches down Sumatra's east coast and is home to an exotic array of animals, including elephants, gibbons and clouded leopards.
While the rest of the Obama family takes a graceful approach to its final days in the White House, Sunny Obama is doing the opposite by biting a visitor on the face.

As TMZ reports, Sunny, an otherwise adorable female Portuguese water dog, bit an 18-year-old White House guest's face on Monday when the visitor tried to pet the dog.

SEE ALSO: President Obama settles dog pants debate in swift decree

Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f346658%2fc0b6a598-b73e-4453-bfea-375b792e7e51

TMZ says Ronny Jackson, the physician to the president, attended to the visitor's small injury, and determined that she would need stitches. Though she will be fine, the cut may leave a scar.

Watch TMZ on TV on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

A face scar with an amazing back story? We'd take it.

Sunny is one half of the Obama family pets Bo, a male Portuguese water dog, holds the title of First Dog. The Obamas adopted Bo in April 2009, and Sunny joined the family four years later in August 2013.

While Sunny seems to be blowing it out for her final days as a presidential dog, her adopted parents President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama have spent their last few days in office making everyone with a pulse cry. On Friday, the First Lady delivered her final address, while the President gave his final remarks on Tuesday.

We've reached out to the White House for comment, and will update should we hear back.
Beirut (AFP) - Syrian government air strikes killed at least six civilians, including four children, in Aleppo province on Thursday, despite a fragile two-week-old truce, a monitor said.

In neighbouring Idlib province, at least 22 jihadists were killed in air strikes over the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Some were carried out by government aircraft, others by aircraft of the US-led coalition, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

The civilians were killed early on Thursday when a government air strike hit a house in the village of Babka in the west of Aleppo province.

It said the death toll could rise because a number of the wounded were in serious condition.

Most of the dead in the Idlib strikes were fighters of the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham.

Two of the group's commanders were among 16 fighters killed in a coalition strike on their convoy on Wednesday, the Observatory said.

Earlier, three allied jihadists were killed in a government raid.

Later, three Fateh al-Sham fighters were killed in apparent drone strikes.

The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.

The strikes came despite a nationwide truce brokered by regime supporter Russia and rebel backer Turkey that has been in place since December 30.

The truce does not include Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, or the Islamic State group.

The ceasefire has brought quiet to large parts of the country, but sporadic violence has continued in some areas, threatening the fragile agreement.

Idlib province is largely controlled by a powerful alliance of opposition forces known as the Army of Conquest, which is dominated by Fateh al-Sham.

More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
By Jonathan Stempel and Bill Berkrot (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday said Eli Lilly and Co may block Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd from selling a generic equivalent of its top-selling lung cancer drug Alimta, in a closely-watched patent case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit let stand a lower court finding that Teva and other defendants would be liable for inducing infringement by doctors who prescribe generic versions of Alimta. Writing for a three-judge panel, Chief Judge Sharon Prost said evidence that Teva's proposed product labeling for its generic would lead some doctors to infringe the Lilly patent "establishes the requisite intent for inducement." Teva spokeswoman Denise Bradley said the Israel-based generic drugmaker is disappointed with the decision, which upholds rulings by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt in Indianapolis. Alimta, whose chemical name is pemetrexed, is Lilly's top-selling oncology drug, accounting for sales of $1.74 billion in the first nine months of 2016, and for 11 percent of Indianapolis-based drugmaker's total revenue. The so-called vitamin regimen patent in question covers a method in which patients take folic acid and vitamin B12 prior to Alimta, to reduce the drug's toxicity and allow it to interrupt the ability of cancer cells to reproduce. Michael Harrington, Lilly's general counsel, said in a statement the company is pleased with Thursday's decision. Lilly said the patent gives it the right to block U.S. sales of generic Alimta until May 2022. It has warned that the loss of this right could have significantly harmed its financial results this year. A separate patent for the drug expires on Jan. 24. Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson in a research note said that a loss of patent protection for Alimta could reduce Lilly's profits by 15 percent through 2022. In midday trading, Lilly shares were up $1.75, or 2.3 percent, at $77.01. The case is Eli Lilly and Co v Teva Parenteral Medicines Inc et al, U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 2015-2067. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Bill Berkrot in New York, editing by G Crosse)
President-elect Donald Trump held his first press conference Wednesday since winning the election and answered questions about his relationship with Russia, arrangements for the future of his business, and some of his plans for the first days of his administration. Trump vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare within the same hour, though he did not detail a specific plan. He also promised to name a Supreme Court nominee within the first two weeks after he takes office.

The event was marked by tense exchanges as Trump repeated his refusal to release his tax returns and denounced media outlets that published stories based on unverified allegations about his ties to the Kremlin. Trump vehemently denied the accusations and described them as fake news spread by sick people.

After his election last year, Trump had announced plans to hold a press conference on Dec. 15 to discuss how he would handle potential conflicts of interest with his business, the Trump Organization. But he postponed that event and ended up going a longer period without a press conference than any president-elect in recent history.

Before Trump came out to speak, his aides set up a table to hold large stacks of files in manila folders. The display prompted speculation that Trump might finally be revealing his tax returns. But the documents, which he did not show to reporters, were just for show; he asserted that they were legal papers transferring operational control of his business to his sons.

Trump began his remarks on Tuesday by blaming inaccurate news for his decision not to take questions from the press more often.

Its very familiar territory, news conferences, because we used to give them on an almost daily basis. I think we probably maybe won the nomination because of news conferences, and its good to be with you. We stopped giving them because we were getting quite a bit of inaccurate news, Trump said.

Trump peers out at reporters during the news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Trump went on to address a pair of reports published Tuesday night that touched on unverified accusations about his relationship with Russia. The first report, which came from CNN, said intelligence officials had presented information to Trump alleging that the Russian government had an ongoing relationship with members of his campaign  and, more sensationally, possessed compromising information about him that could be used for blackmail. CNN reported that the allegations came from a memo authored by a former British intelligence officer who was doing opposition research on Trump during the presidential race for both his Republican and Democratic rivals. BuzzFeed followed CNNs story by publishing what it said was the full document, though it acknowledged that the information was unconfirmed and includes some clear errors. In his remarks, Trump offered praise for outlets that didnt report details from the document and stressed that it was unverified. He also repeatedly blasted CNN and BuzzFeed while suggesting that people within the intelligence community had likely leaked the documents to the media.

Story continues

I want to thank a lot of the news organizations here today because they looked at that nonsense that was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, but maybe the intelligence agencies, which would be a tremendous blot on their record if they, in fact, did that  because a things like that should have never been written, it should never have been had, and it should certainly never have been released, Trump said.

Trump, who frequently warred with the press during his campaign, said his opinion of the media had improved because many outlets questioned the document.

I want to thank a lot of the news organizations  some of whom have not treated me very well over the years.  They came out so strongly against that fake news and the fact that it was written about by primarily one group and one television station, said Trump. So, I just want to compliment many of the people in the room. I have great respect for the news and great respect for freedom of the press and all of that. But I will tell you, there were some news organizations, with all that was just said, that were so professional, so incredibly professional that Ive just gone up a notch as to what I think of you.

When he began taking questions, Trump was asked if he had indeed been presented with a summary of the allegations in the document when he met with members of the intelligence community Friday. While dismissing the accusations as crap, Trump noted that the meeting was confidential and declined to say whether the document was discussed. He also reiterated his view that the details of the meeting should not have been leaked to the press.

Its all fake news. Its phony stuff. It didnt happen, and it was gotten by opponents of ours, as you know, because you reported it and so did many of the other people. It was a group of opponents who got together, sick people, and they put that crap together, Trump said of the document. So I will tell you that, not within the meeting but outside of the meeting, somebody released it. No. 1, it shouldnt have even entered paper, but it should never have been released.

Trump walks past a large pile of folders and papers that he said were related to the transfer of Trump Organization operations to his sons. (Photos: Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Intelligence officers briefed Trump on their assessment of Russian cyberattacks on Democrats during the campaign. Based on a public version of the briefing that was released after the meeting, the intelligence agencies informed Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the attacks. At his press conference, Trump was asked whether he accepted the intelligence communitys conclusion that the Kremlin hacked Democratic targets in an effort to boost his candidacy.

I think it was Russia, but I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people, Trump said.

Trump vowed to make forming a defense against hacking a priority. He also criticized the Democratic National Committee for doing a poor job of securing its data. Officials have said Russia did attempt to hack Republican targets but was only able to get limited access and did not leak the information publicly, as with the Democrats. Trump speculated that Putin would have publicized information about him if the Russians had obtained it.

Ill be honest, I think if he did have something, they would have released it. They would have been glad to release it, said Trump. I think, frankly, had they broken into the Republican National Committee, I think they would have released it.

Though Trump stressed that he didnt support the cyberattacks on Democrats, he praised the information that came out of the hacking. Specifically, he cited email communications showing that Democrat Hillary Clintons campaign may have received advance information about a question that came up during a presidential primary debate.

Remember this, we talk about the hacking, and hackings bad and it shouldnt be done, but look at the things that were hacked. Look at what was learned from that hacking, that Hillary Clinton got the questions to the debate and didnt report it. Thats a horrible thing, said Trump. Thats a horrible thing. Can you imagine that if Donald Trump got the questions to the debate, it would have been the biggest story in the history of stories.

Trump was also asked about the intelligence communitys conclusion that Putin hoped the cyberattacks would boost his campaign.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia. Russia can help us fight ISIS, Trump said. He added: If Putin likes Donald Trump  guess what, folks, thats called an asset, not a liability. Now, I dont know that Im going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do, but theres a good chance I wont. And, if I dont, do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Does anybody in this room really believe that? Give me a break.

Trump went on to discuss the accusation that the Russians have compromising information about him. The document published by BuzzFeed included a claim that Russian officials obtained evidence of Trump participating in a sexual act when he was in the country for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant. Trump denied the allegation and said he is always aware of the potential to be spied on with cameras that are so small when traveling abroad. He also suggested that he could not have taken part in the specific lewd activities outlined in the document.

Does anyone really believe that story? Im also very much of a germophobe, by the way. Believe me, Trump said, provoking laughs from the assembled reporters.

Later in the press conference Trump blasted BuzzFeed as a failing pile of garbage. He also refused to take a question from CNNs Jim Acosta.

Not you. Your organizations terrible, Trump said to Acosta. I am not going to give you a question. You are fake news.

Prior to Trumps rejection of Acosta, another reporter asked the president-elect if he would be willing to release his tax returns to prove that he has no financial ties to Russia. Trump said he has no loans, dealings or pending deals in Russia. But, he said, the president is exempt from federal law regarding conflicts of interest, and he could do business in Russia if he wished. The reporter pressed Trump about his tax returns, and he repeated his past claim that he could not release them because they are under audit. Reminded by a reporter that tax experts agree there is no legal reason that Trump couldnt release his returns if he wished, Trump retorted that the public doesnt care about seeing them.

You know, the only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters. Theyre the only ones, Trump said.

Calling attention to the table heaped with files, Trump said the paperwork was some of the many documents he signed when he turned over complete and total control of his business to his sons to avoid potential conflicts of interest. His lawyer, Sheri Dillon of Morgan Lewis, provided further details of Trumps plans.

According to Dillon, Trump will be completely isolating himself from his business interests. She said all the assets commonly known as the Trump Organization would be moved to a trust before Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20. Dillon said Trump has relinquished leadership and management of the Trump Organization to his sons and another executive. She also said the company would make no new foreign deals whatsoever and would appoint an ethics adviser to supervise a rigorous vetting process for new domestic deals.

One question that has arisen in connection with Trumps businesses involves his ownership of hotels  notably the new Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.  where foreign diplomats and government officials may stay. Dillon said Trump will voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotels to the United States Treasury.

Along with the discussion of his businesses and the accusations surrounding Russia, Trump discussed some policy proposals. He doubled down on his campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. While there have been questions about whether Republicans would really replace President Obamas signature health plan, Trump insisted that he would present an alternative and said it was his intention that the repeal and replacement happen at the same time.

It will be various segments, you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week, but probably the same day, could be the same hour, Trump said. So were going to do repeal-and-replace, very complicated stuff, and were going to get a health bill passed. Were going to get health care taken care of in this country.

The president-elect also vowed to name a Supreme Court nominee within two weeks of his inauguration. Trump said the justice would be drawn from a list of finalists he had previously announced.

Trump was also questioned about his signature campaign promise  building a wall on the border with Mexico. While there have been recent reports that Trump would ask Congress to fund the wall, Trump insisted he will be able to get Mexico to pay for it, as he vowed during the campaign. He claimed he would go to Congress for initial funding so he could begin building the wall while negotiating with Mexico.

I dont feel like waiting a year or a year and a half. Im going to start building, Trump said. Mexico  in some form, and there are many different forms  will reimburse us, and they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall. That will happen, whether its a tax or whether its a payment.

At the conclusion of his press conference, Trump returned to the Russian imbroglio. He insisted that Russia and other foreign rivals will have far greater respect for our country when he takes office. Trump concluded by pointing to the files piled on the table next to his podium and alluding to his famous catchphrase from The Apprentice reality television show.

These papers are all just a piece of the many, many companies that are being put into trust to be run by my two sons, Trump said. I hope, at the end of eight years, Ill come back and Ill say, Oh, you did a good job. Otherwise, if they do a bad job, Ill say, Youre fired.

When the press conference was over, Yahoo News asked a Trump staffer for a look at the files on the table. The staffer described the paperwork as company documents and refused to show them.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f345608%2f0da28082-ad2b-4196-9224-58d7df1cdbc5

Longtime ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald J. Trump's secretary of state nominee, misled the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he presented his take on climate change during a hearing Wednesday.

During the first morning of his confirmation hearings, Tillerson was pressed for his views on global warming, after bobbing and weaving around questions focused on Exxon's past research and disinformation campaign around the topic.

SEE ALSO: Climate activists protested Rex Tillersons nomination in T. Rex costumes

The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken," Tillerson told the panel. He noted that the most disagreement concerns what those actions should be.

So far, so good.

When pressed further, however, Tillerson said the following: The increase in the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect, our ability to predict that effect is very limited.

It's the second part of that sentence where Tillerson runs into a whole heap of trouble.

Don't trust my word for it, though.

Climate scientists contacted by Mashable strongly disagreed with the assertion that the climate community is unable to foresee the likely consequences of global warming.

"To say that we don't understand the impacts or effects that a given scenario or amount of continued fossil fuel use will have on our planet was a correct statement to make in the 1800s," said Texas Tech University climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, in an email to Mashable.

"In 2017? Not so much."

2016 temperature rankings from NOAA, showing Alaska and Georgia had a record warm year.

Image: Climate central

"Projections of the climate impacts associated with a given scenario, pathway, or amount of emissions... are based on physics and chemistry, the fundamentals of which have been understood since the work of [John] Tyndall and [Eunice] Foote in the 1850s," she said.

Story continues

"This physics and chemistry was then used by [Svante] Arrhenius in the 1890s to make the first projections, not predictions, of how much the world would warm, if carbon dioxide levels doubled or tripled."

Michael Mann, who directs the Earth Systems Science Center at Penn State University, went further, calling Tillerson's statement "indefensible."

"It is the overwhelming consensus of the worlds scientists that our the burning of fossil fuels is not just having 'an effect,' but (a) is most likely responsible for all of the warming we have seen over the past half century and (b) is already having damaging impacts on all sectors of our economy," Mann said in an email to Mashable.

"Moreover, our ability to project future warming is not 'very limited,'" he said.

"Climate models have proven extremely skillful in predicting the warming that has already been observed and, by many measures (e.g. Arctic sea ice loss, melting of the major ice sheets) it is proceeding faster than climate models predicted," he added.

"If anything, uncertainty is breaking against us, not with us, which belies Tillersons implications to the contrary."

Tillerson made his statements shortly before NASA is expected to announce that 2016 was the warmest year on record, beating the previous benchmark set in 2015. The past year was the warmest on record in the Arctic, where sea ice hit new lows (and remain at or near record lows early in 2017).

David Titley, the director of the Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk at Penn State who previously led the U.S. Navy's climate change task force, also found Tillerson's skepticism about climate science's predictive capabilities to be problematic.

"The ability of climate scientists to predict the future is significantly more skillful than many other professions (economics, intelligence, political science) who try and predict the future," he said in an email. "When viewed from a risk management perspective, climate science has given plenty of useful, actionable information for decision-makers to use for many years."

"...While Tillersons statement may be technically correct for small spatial scales and small timescales, it is very misleading in the sense of what climate models and climate scientists can and do [to] inform policy makers about future projections."

Titley said it's possible that Tillerson has confused predictions, such as short-term weather forecasts, with projections. Climate science produces the latter, based on scenarios of carbon emissions, human population growth and other factors.

"Either Tillerson doesnt understand the difference between a climate projection and a weather prediction," Titley said, "Or hes not-by-chance conflating the two when [he] says we 'cant predict' the climate effect."

What the Miami area would look like if sea levels rise 10 feet, which is what some projections show for the next 1 to 2 centuries.

Image: climate central

"Id give him the benefit of the doubt that he hasnt been briefed on the difference between 'prediction' and 'projection.' But maybe Im being overly generous," he added.

Tillerson's comments are in line with Exxon's public positions under his leadership, during which time the company officially acknowledged the reality of human-caused climate change and publicly supported the Paris Climate Agreement, which seeks to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels

Global sea level rise projection based on emissions scenarios, from the U.N. IPCC's 2013 report. Subsequent studies suggest these are likely underestimates.

Image: IPCC

Exxon has lagged far behind other oil companies, such as Total and Shell, in investing in renewables and planning for a future in which oil and gas can't be burned due to policies aimed at slashing emissions. Instead, the company has conservatively projected that virtually all of its oil and gas reserves will one day be burned.

In other words, Exxon may theoretically back the Paris agreement, but in practice it is planning for a future in which warming will be far greater than that, thereby rendering its support for the agreement largely meaningless. It is doing so in part by citing scientific and policy uncertainty, as Tillerson did on Wednesday.

If the Senate, as expected, confirms Tillerson's nomination, he will be the diplomat in charge of steering U.S. climate negotiations under the Paris treaty.
After a grand champion placing as well as receiving best vocals and best choreography wins at the Colby Central Wisconsin Show Choir Spectacular last weekend, Onalaskas show choirs will host the Show Choir Classic this weekend.

This years Classic will run Friday and Saturday. Friday nights concert choir competition will be held at First Lutheran Church in Onalaska beginning at 3:30 p.m. and with a middle school show choir competition beginning at 5 p.m. at the OHS fieldhouse.

We have groups coming from Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, said Richard Moses, OHS choral director. The fact that its the 30th anniversary is special. We will be showing a retrospective of the history of the Classic and Onalaska Show Choir throughout the day between performing groups on a Jumbotron, and there will be other surprises during the evening finals.

Twelve concert groups from Onalaska and La Crosse will perform at First Lutheran Church along with choirs from Holmen, Altoona, Fort Dodge and Vinton-Shellsburg, Iowa.

The high school show choir competition will be held Saturday beginning at 7:45 a.m. at the Onalaska High School Field House.

Area show choirs will compete against choirs from around the state as well as from Minnesota schools including Bloomington, Hastings, North St. Paul, St. Francis and Bemidji.

The competition was started in 1988 by Paul Gulsvig.

The Onalaska Hilltopper choir will not be competing in its show choir classic, but will perform an exhibition to close the competition Saturday night.

Admission for Friday evening is $8, $5 for students and seniors $5, and free for ages 5 and younger.

On Saturday adult admission is $15 for day and evening performances together, $10 for either one. Students and seniors get in for $10 for both or $5 for day or evening.

Admission to all sessions on Friday and Saturday is $20, $15 for students and seniors.
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson hit out at China during his Senate confirmation hearing, warning the US would send a "clear signal" that the Asian giant must abandon its artificial islands in the South China Sea.

"We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first the island building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed," Tillerson told a US Senate panel.

Beijing has fuelled regional tensions by turning tiny, ecologically fragile reefs and islets in the strategically vital South China Sea into artificial islands hosting military facilities.

The former ExxonMobil chief said China's building in the disputed waters and its declaration of an air defence identification zone over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea were "illegal actions".

"They are taking territory or control or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully China's."

Beijing asserts a claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea, based on a "nine-dash line" dating to 1940s-era maps.

An international tribunal -- whose jurisdiction Beijing rejected -- ruled last year that there was no legal basis to such claims.

Tillerson added that "building islands and then putting military assets on those island is akin to Russia's taking of Crimea."

His remarks came amid rising tensions between the two countries as Trump has suggested Washington could jettison its decades-old "One China" policy, and the Chinese military has ramped up activities in a show of strength, with its Liaoning aircraft carrier passing through the Taiwan Strait in a show of strength.

Tillerson said the US should affirm to Taipei it will live up to its commitments to Taiwan, which could require the US to intervene militarily if China attacks the island, but added he did not know of any plans to alter the "One China" policy.

Story continues

In his remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he also criticised China for failing to sufficiently help rein in North Korea.

"China has proven a willingness to act with abandon in the pursuit of its own goals which at times has put it in conflict with American interests. We have to deal with what we see, not what we hope," Tillerson said.

"It has not been a reliable partner in using its full influence to curb North Korea," he added. Beijing is a close Pyongyang ally and is seen as critical in helping contain the pariah state's nuclear activities.

But the former oil executive said disagreements with Beijing on some issues should not preclude "productive partnership" on other matters.

Trump's nominee also branded Russia a "danger" during the hearing, signaling that he is prepared to diverge from the president-elect and take a firm line with Moscow.
Tommy Hilfiger revealed an invigorated menswear collection from his 'Hilfiger Edition' fashion line in Italy on Wednesday night.

The US designer was in Florence to showcase his brand's Fall / Winter 2017 collection at Pitti Immagine Uomo, with the help of a new generation of up-and-coming male models and social media stars. The cast included Lucky Blue Smith, Cindy Crawford's son Presley Gerber and Jude Law's son Rafferty Law.

The collection referenced the Tommy Hilfiger house's fashion heritage, offering classic menswear pieces such as bomber jackets, parkas and smart coats with modern details for a younger audience. Hilfiger put together a curated selection of looks designed to provide the 'building blocks' of an essential wardrobe. Oversized jumpers, suede sneakers and generally baggy silhouettes were mixed with luxe fabrics for an aesthetic that was part varsity, part streetwear, and retained the brand's signature all-American vibe.

The decision to showcase the collection in Italy as opposed to Hilfiger's native USA shows how important high-end menswear is becoming in its own right -- a sentiment the designer himself confirmed. "Men's fashion is really having a moment right now, and it's great to be here at Pitti -- one of the greatest platforms in the world for menswear designers -- to celebrate the growth and achievements of the men's fashion world," he said.

Hilfiger also used the opportunity to show highlights from the Tommy Hilfiger Tailored and Tommy Hilfiger sportswear Fall 2017 collections, in a presentation that blended artistic installations, mannequins and digital displays.

This is by no means the first time the fashion mogul has teamed up with social media stars in an attempt to reach a fresh generation of customers -- last year saw him join forces with supermodel Gigi Hadid on a 'TommyxGigi' collaborative line, whose second instalment is set to launch in February.
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump's selection for secretary of state likened Beijing's island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country's territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea. China will likely be alarmed by former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson's Senate confirmation hearing remarks on Wednesday. While they focused largely on Russia, reflecting Tillerson's past relationship with its President Vladimir Putin and allegations of Russian hacking into the U.S. election, his testimony on China presented a sharp change in tone from the Obama administration's focus on cooperation.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he will announce soon whether he will run for South Korea's presidency, as he returned home and strongly hinted at his political ambitions before hundreds of cheering supporters. Ban's return will likely heat up local politics as he's considered the only major conservative contender in a possible early election to replace impeached President Park Geun-hye. Dozens of lawmakers have already bolted from Park's conservative ruling party and want to align with Ban, while the main liberal opposition party is escalating its political offensive against him. "Many people have asked me whether I have a will for power.

HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong's No. 2 government official said Thursday that she was resigning to prepare for a leadership bid for the southern Chinese city's top job. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said she tendered her resignation to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and asked him to submit it to Beijing for approval. Lam, 59, is the third person to announce plans to join the contest for the job of leading the former British colony, the scene of increasingly bitter political divisions between pro-democracy activists and Beijing loyalists. "There's only one reason for me to resign at this juncture and that is, if my resignation is approved by the central people's government, I intend to prepare to contest in the upcoming chief executive election," Lam said she wrote in her letter.

Story continues

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Thursday that its investigation into a November firefight with the Taliban in northern Kunduz province has shown that 33 civilians died in the raid during which U.S. troops fired on Afghan homes. The probe followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from airstrikes called in to support Afghan and U.S. forces who came under fire in the province's village of Buz-e Kandahari, which targeted two senior Taliban commanders. The two Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation. According to a U.S. military statement, the investigation "determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded" as troops responded to fire from "Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions." After the raid, Kunduz residents carried over a dozen corpses of the dead, including children and family members of the Taliban fighters, toward a local governor's office in a show of rage.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban released a video Wednesday showing an American and an Australian who were kidnapped in August, the first time they have been seen since their abduction. The two men, an American identified as Kevin King and an Australian identified as Timothy Weekes, were abducted outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, where they worked as teachers. U.S. officials said in September that American forces had launched a rescue mission, but the captives weren't at the raided location. In the video, sent to media by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the pair appears pale and unshaven. They say they are speaking on Jan.

MADRID (AP)  Madrid's zoo has named its latest baby panda Chulina, meaning Cutey. The name pays homage to Chulin, the first panda born at the zoo 34 years ago. The nearly 5-month-old female is the fifth panda to be born at Madrid's zoo. Its name also refers to bamboo, which pandas eat, in Chinese. Chulina was conceived naturally by two adult pandas the Madrid zoo has rented from Chinese authorities since 2007. She is the first female panda to be born at the zoo. The panda was considered to be in danger of extinction but there are now 1,864 pandas in their natural habitat in China.

MASSILLON, Ohio (AP)  The father of a 5-year-old Ohio girl whose mother is charged with murder in their daughter's death told authorities in a 911 call released Thursday that he couldn't find his daughter and that she had been asleep the last time she was seen. Authorities said the call from Liang Zhao was made Monday, a day before police found the body of Ashley Zhao hidden in the family's restaurant in North Canton after a daylong search. Jackson Township police haven't provided details on how she was hidden. "I need some help," Zhao, 34, told a police dispatcher in the 911 call.

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday pledged $8.7 billion worth of business opportunities and private investments along with speedboats and other counterterrorism equipment to the Philippines, whose president has boosted ties with China. Following talks with President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, Abe welcomed the Philippine leader's efforts to improve Manila's ties with Beijing "in light of the arbitral award," referring to the Philippines' victory in an arbitration ruling declaring China's claims to the South China Sea invalid. China has refused to recognize the July 12 arbitration decision and has warned the United States and other countries not involved in the territorial row not to meddle in the disputes, which Beijing wants to be settled through one-on-one negotiations with other rival claimant countries like the Philippines.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  The Bangladesh cafe besieged by militants who killed 20 hostages last year has quietly reopened a few blocks away from its old, bloodied site, which remains taped off by investigating police. For Shahriar Ahmed and the 16 other staffers, some of whom were working during the horrifying siege, the reopening of Holey Artisan Bakery represents hope and a new beginning. "This is beautiful to come back here with all my dearest colleagues," Ahmed said while preparing a cappuccino for a customer on Thursday. "Our old, familiar guests are coming and congratulating us, congratulating from their hearts." The July 1 attack by five young Bangladeshi extremists stunned the nation and drew condemnation from abroad.

ISLAMABAD (AP)  A Pakistani court on Thursday stayed the execution of a mentally ill convict who was sentenced to death in 2003 for murdering a fellow police officer over a land dispute, a rights group said. The order from the Lahore High Court came just days before the scheduled execution of 55-year-old ex-police officer Khizar Hayat, said Wassam Waheed, a spokesman for the Justice Project Pakistan. The court order also asked the government to provide a new report on the convicted man's health by Jan. 30, said Waheed, adding that the group was "relieved to hear" of the temporary reprieve.
Washington (AFP) - US intelligence chief James Clapper has expressed "profound dismay" to Donald Trump over leaked details of a security briefing that reportedly contained explosive but unsubstantiated allegations about the president-elect.

Clapper said in a statement that he and Trump spoke late Wednesday about unverified claims that his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the US election, and that Russia has compromising information on Trump.

"This evening, I had the opportunity to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss recent media reports about our briefing last Friday," Clapper said.

"I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security," he said.

American intelligence officials last week presented to Trump, as well as to President Barack Obama, a two-page synopsis of an outside researcher's report of a Russian dossier allegedly containing compromising material about the president-elect, according to CNN, The New York Times and other media.

In a tweet early Thursday, Trump wrote that "James Clapper called me yesterday to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts. Too bad!"

At a press conference Wednesday, the president-elect denied the explosive allegations contained in the report, and attacked the media for publicizing the unverified material while suggesting it had been leaked by the US intelligence agencies.

But Clapper said he told the incoming US president that it is doubtful that the leak came from within the intelligence community.

"I emphasized that this document is not a US intelligence community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC," Clapper said.

"The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions," he added.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> on Thursday said that company President Akio Toyoda met with U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence in Washington earlier this week as the incoming U.S. administration pressures automakers to build more cars locally.

A Toyota spokeswoman said that Toyoda met with Pence on Tuesday, a day after the Japanese automaker said it would invest $10 billion in the United States over the next five years, the same amount it invested in the previous five years.

She added that there were no plans at the moment for Toyoda to meet with U.S. President-elect Trump.

While Toyota declined to comment on details of the meeting, Toyota's North America Chief Executive Jim Lentz told Reuters earlier this week that the company was focused on reminding policymakers in Washington about the automaker's extensive U.S. manufacturing operations.

Pence served as governor of Indiana, where Toyota has an assembly plant, one of 10 manufacturing facilities in the country.

Last week, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Toyota could be subject to a "big border tax" if it builds its Corolla cars for the U.S. market at a planned factory in Mexico. Trump has been criticizing automakers who manufacture cars in Mexico, a growing production hub.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Share price of Toyota Motor Corporation TM increased marginally to $119.76 after the company announced plans to invest $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. The investments will be utilized to fund the construction of the companys new North American headquarters in Texas and to upgrade a few plants to meet the rise in demand for fuel efficient vehicles.



Toyota is focused on expanding some of its plants in the U.S in the next five years. However, the automaker did not provide any details on the employment opportunities the expansion drive will create.



Meanwhile, Toyota has been facing criticism from President-elect Donald Trump due to its plans to shift production of Corolla to Mexico from Canada. The company stated that it supports the President-elects goal to boost production and employment in the U.S. Though the company has extensive manufacturing operations in the U.S., it runs a global business and thus needs to be competitive. If a border adjustability tax is levied, it will unnecessarily raise vehicle prices, per Toyotas North America Chief Executive Jim Lentz.



Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord Price

Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord Price | Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord Quote

Price Performance



Toyota has underperformed the Zacks categorized Auto-Manufacturers-Foreign industry over a year. Share price of the company increased 3.4% over the past one year while the industry saw a 6.2% increase. This was largely due to the slashed guidance for earnings, operating income and revenues for fiscal 2017. Settlement of a U.S. truck lawsuit, string of product recalls and declining sales outside Japan also affected the share price.









Zacks Rank & Key Picks



Toyota currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Better-ranked companies in the auto space include Oshkosh Corporation OSK, Fox Factory Holding Corp FOXF and GKN plc GKNLY. All the stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Fox Factory has an expected earnings growth rate of around 16.6% for the current year. Oshkosh has a long-term growth rate of 8.4% while the same for GKN is pegged at 6.3%.



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



Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord (TM): Free Stock Analysis Report



Oshkosh Corporation (OSK): Free Stock Analysis Report



Gkn PLC (GKNLY): Free Stock Analysis Report



Fox Factory Holding Corp. (FOXF): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
MILWAUKEE (AP)  A former Milwaukee police officer will go on trial for the shooting death of a black man, attorneys told a judge Thursday, an indication that there's no plea deal in the works.

Former officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown has pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony reckless homicide in the August death of 23-year-old black man Sylville Smith during a traffic stop. It ignited two nights of riots in Wisconsin's largest city, unrest that followed deaths of black men at the hands of police in cities from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore.

The agreement for a June 12 trial came during a hearing to determine how to handle two pending cases against Heaggan-Brown, one for the homicide charge, another for unrelated sexual assault allegations that got him fired in October.

District Attorney John Chisholm and defense attorney Richard Kohn agreed to proceed on the homicide charge first.

"It is my understanding that this case will be tried?" Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Conen said. "Correct," Chisholm responded. Heaggan-Brown, who is also black, was not present.

There is body camera footage from Heaggan-Brown and his partner of the Aug. 13 shooting, but it has not been publicly released. According to court documents, the videos show Smith fleeing after a traffic stop and turning toward to the officers with a gun. Smith was shot once in his bicep and the second shot occurred less than two seconds later, after Smith was lying on the ground with his hands near his head, according to the criminal complaint against Heaggan-Brown.

After Heaggan-Brown was charged with reckless homicide in December, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said the shooting appeared justified and that there must be more evidence prosecutors haven't released.

The case that led to Heaggan-Brown's firing stemmed from an incident the night of Aug. 14. According to a criminal complaint, Heaggan-Brown and another man went to a bar where they drank and watched television coverage of the unrest. The man told investigators that Heaggan-Brown bragged that he could do anything he wanted without repercussions. The man said he later woke up to find Heaggan-Brown sexually assaulting him.

Judge Conen set Aug. 21 as the trial date for that case.
In a democracy, elected officials are accountable to the public they govern. Exactly how that accountability works is complicated, with checks and balances, partisanship, the media, and good old-fashioned bureaucracy all playing roles. Of late, another wrinkle has emerged: The president-elect, Donald Trump, has a habit of attacking the free press, one of the institutions that makes that accountability possible.

But accountability itself is a tricky thing. People react to being held accountable in different ways in different situations. One would think that having to answer to someone for your actions or your decisions would make you think more carefully about whether youre doing the right thing. And according to research done by Philip Tetlock, a professor of psychology and political science at the University of Pennsylvania, it sometimes does make people engage in more exploratory thought before making a decision. But sometimes it doesnt. Sometimes it just inspires people to defend more stridently what they already believe. Sometimes it motivates people to conform with the views of the audience to which they are accountable.

Recommended: The Hermit Who Inadvertently Shaped Climate-Change Science

I spoke with Tetlock about when being held accountable leads people to make more careful decisions and when it doesnt, and what lessons this suggests for the publics ability to hold government accountable. A lightly edited and condensed transcript of our conversation is below.

Julie Beck: What are the conditions where being held accountable makes people consider other points of view, and when does it not really change how people make decisions?

Philip Tetlock: It virtually always influences how people make decisions, but its not always good. Accountability is a multidimensional concept. It refers to who must answer to whom for what under what ground rules. Its not a single independent variable, to use the terminology of social science. So its not all that surprising that it has many different effects. In our work we found that only quite specialized, carefully crafted forms of accountability induce people to think more self-critically and make them more resistant to cognitive biases. Most forms of accountability do not have beneficial effects on judgment and choice.

Story continues

Engineering forms of accountability that help requires a degree of patience. People need to believe that theyre going to be answerable to an audience whom they respect, and they need to feel accountable to an audience with unknown views. They also need to feel that theyre not under pressure to justify what theyve previously said or done. Thats a form of accountability that induces a relatively unnatural cognitive act, which is preemptive self criticismto think of possible ways in which you might be wrong before other people do it for you.

Recommended: Why Killer Whales (and Humans) Go Through Menopause

Beck: When can holding people accountable can have bad effects?

Tetlock: One obvious one is when people cope with accountability simply by subordinating their judgment to others. Conformity and obedience, Solomon Asch and Stanley Milgram and all that sort of thing. We call that strategic attitude shifting. That makes it sound a little more conscious than it sometimes issometimes people just move their attitudes totally unconsciously toward what they think is the social center of gravity. But sometimes they move quite deliberately. What we call elastic-band shifts are when people move to where the audience is, but when the audience disappears they snap back.

Perhaps the coping response to accountability that people regard as more perverse is actually rooted in the old cognitive-dissonance literature. Its the idea that when youre accountable for something you cant changeyouve said something or done something, and you cant undo it, and youre being held accountable for itmost of your cognitive effort goes into generating reasons why youre right and your critics are wrong. Thats sometimes called post-decisional bolstering. And it makes people more extreme and more rigid.

Its almost the opposite of what I call preemptive self-criticism. Preemptive self-criticism is where you de-center, you become less egocentric in your thinking, you try to anticipate grounds reasonable people might have for objecting. Whereas post-decisional bolstering is where you really hunker down and raise the defenses.

Recommended: How Blackmail Works in Russia

Beck: In the U.S. government, there are checks and balances, but I'm interested in how government is held accountable to the public. One would assume that elected officials are always accountable to the public, so that first condition where you need to know youre being held accountable hopefully should be taken care of. But how can we think about this when it comes to government?

Tetlock: Well, in a democracy there is a flip. Usually, in most organizations, the people at the bottom are accountable to the people at the top, whereas in a democracy the people at the top are ultimately accountable to the people at the bottom. Of course its not that simple because the people at the top have a lot of resourcescognitive and financialfor manipulating the views of the people at the bottom. And the people at the bottom dont have nearly as many resources for coping with the influence tactics. In the case of the U.S., where you have a winner-take-all system at the presidential level, you have incentives to compete for the median voterpost-primary season of course.

Complex rhetoric is one sign that a political leader is reasonably comfortable living in a pluralistic accountability universe.

Beck: How does your research translate? Do you think the public should be creating a sort of accountability that would get leaders to have this preemptive self-criticism? Would that be the goal?

Tetlock: The U.S. government, obviously, is a very complex entity with many checks and balances. The executive branch is supposed to be continuously second guessed by both the congressional and the judicial, so those are forms of accountability that should, in principle, trigger more complex forms of thought. In fact, accountability can become so pluralistic that it can induce analysis paralysis, though that might not be the dominant concern at the moment.

[In the laboratory], you can control who must answer to whom under what ground rules. Whereas when you move to the real world, especially in a complex pluralistic constitutional checks and balances system, youre really dealing with accountability to multiple audiences. Theyre juggling multiple things.

I did a study a long time ago, in 1981, one of the first studies I ever published. It was called Pre- to Postelection Shifts in Presidential Rhetoric. It was looking at whether theres a shift in how integratively complex presidential statements become immediately after they come into power. Before they've had an opportunity to learn very much about the intricacies of the job, is there an almost immediate shift? A president is coded as more integratively complex if the rhetoric is laden with qualifiers, like however, although, and but, as opposed to linguistic amplifiers like moreover. Integratively complex rhetoric is one sign that a political leader is reasonably comfortable living in a pluralistic accountability universe.

That naturally raises the questionto what extent has Donald Trumps integrative complexity shifted since he was elected?

Beck: And what would you say?

Tetlock: You know, I havent been tracking it. I sense theres been a bit of a shift, but I'm not sure.

Beck: For the other condition you were talking about, where the audiences views are known or unknown, how do you think partisanship would play into that? Would officials only consider themselves accountable to voters from their party? Or might they assume that they already know the audiences views already?

Tetlock: I think there its become really quite a refined science. Its quite routine for political leaders to spend significant amounts of time with their pollsters, whose job is essentially to read the public mood. And that proves to be a nontrivial challenge because so much hinges on exactly how you phrase the question. So it is interesting that in a highly competitive pluralistic democratic system like the U.S. where the technology of surveys has become as refined as it has, that politicians have felt it is in their interest to spend as much time as they do with pollsters.

Beck: The review of yours I was reading said one of the reactions to being held accountable is just trying to conform to the views of the audience.

Tetlock: Strategic attitude shifting would be a version of that. I think part of what politicians try to doto use the terminology of my field againis stay within the latitude of acceptance of public opinion. They dont want to be caught making positions that are way outside the mainstream of acceptability. So Donald Trump inadvertently blundered into saying women should be punished for getting abortions. And I think very few conservative Republicans were endorsing that position. He apparently hadnt done his homework.

Beck: The other condition that I wanted to talk about, this is something I saw in your review, is how when you believe the audience is well-informed and interested in accuracy, that is more likely to make you do this exploratory thought. Obviously, Donald Trump has lied time and time againlying about Hillary Clintons policies during the campaign, lying about voter fraud after, saying he didnt mock a disabled reporter when he did. Not to say that his audience isnt interested in accuracy, but Trump has continued to be successful in spite of these lies. So do you think he would even think that being held accountable for lies would hurt him at this point? How is that a factor?

Tetlock: I guess thats the scenario that Cass Sunstein raised when he wrote about ideological echo chambers and the possible emergence of a post-truth society in which each side has its own facts.

How one sorts through those things is disturbing. Im not as pessimistic as some people are about ideological echo chambers and people retreating into their own truth worlds. But I think there certainly has been a disturbing trend in that direction.

Beck: If that is the case, does that undermine the conditions for good accountability?

Tetlock: Yes. Its a serious problem, if theres not a shared reality. In a two-party, winner-take-all presidential system, the two parties have an incentive to converge on the median voter. They want to figure out what the median voter wants so they can form a minimal winning coalition, so they tailor their messages toward the middle. It would seem that if large factions of the electorate were living in different truth universes that would certainly complicate that process.

Youre looking at things that are way more sophisticated than anything you see in the lab. Politicians are very good at rhetoric. Theyre very good at impression management. Theyre very good at spinning things so that what might have looked rash looks bold, what might have looked timid looks cautious. Theyre quite skilled at turning questions into opportunities to answer the question they want to answer. Regular people arent nearly as good at that. So what you're looking at are two elite teams of highly professional impression managers, the Democrats and the Republicans, each of whom is doing their thing, and theyre definitely doing it well enough to keep their community of co-believers in place. And sometimes one side really scores, and the other side reels back. There's an old expression that American politics is a game that's played between the 40 yard lines.

There comes a point where ... the natural psychological thing for them to do is to dig in and bolster.

Beck: There was one finding from your review that seemed really relevant to the current political situation. You wrote, Decision makers who sense that an illegitimate audience wants to influence their beliefs may react in a variety of counterproductive ways. They may respond by asserting their own views even more vigorously or by disengaging from the task. This immediately made me think of how Trump consistently tries to paint the press as dishonest, which indicates that he will see any attempts by the press to hold him accountable as illegitimate. What does that mean for the state of accountability going forward?

Tetlock: Well, I think thats quite clearly true and I think that when you look at the pattern of press endorsement in 2016, the number of Republican newspapers that refused to endorse Trump was quite staggering. Hes in a deep hole with the people who cover politics most closely. So it makes perfect political sense that he would try to delegitimize an institution that he considers to be irretrievably opposed to him.

I dont think hes hoping to win the press over, I think hes hoping to control and manage the press. Im sure he would prefer to have a better relationship with the press if he could. But I think at this point thats going to be extremely difficult. It would require a major pivot. And even then, I think the relationship would be very sour.

Beck: The legitimacy factor, that also seems to play into partisanshipis it possible that Democrats would see any Republican attempts to hold them accountable as illegitimate and vice versa?

Tetlock: They always do that to some degree. Its a question of how intensely polarized the political system becomes, the degree to which people start to deny the legitimacy of the claims of the other side across the board. Thats what happens when countries start to drift towards civil war.

Beck: It does seem to be a pretty polarized situation right now. Is it a situation where people would only do this careful pre-decisional consideration if the accountability was coming from their own side?

Tetlock: Its a dance, in which each side is trying to find the upper and lower boundaries of the acceptable. If the nominee for attorney general Jeff Sessions was a KKK sympathizer at some point, does that automatically disqualify him from being the attorney general of the United States? If he said X, Y, or Z, does that automatically disqualify him? Theres going to be this vigorous back and forth of defining what the boundaries of the acceptable are, and each side is really good at this. Each side is really good at taking extreme instances of behavior, either good or bad, and trying to magnify them and portray them as typical.

Beck: Is there any sort of broader takeaway about how accountabilitys going to play out going forward?

Tetlock: I would just say there is this big gap between what goes on in the lab and what goes on in the world. And what goes on in the world is very two-directional. Each side is making very active efforts to influence each other and influence the audiences to which each is accountable, and the influence is ebbing back and forth in a very dynamic, messy way. It's hard to draw simple extrapolations.

There comes a point where administrations get stuck with certain policies that they are responsible for and they face a choice and the natural psychological thing for them to do is to dig in and bolster. That famously happened with Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War. But other times they make tactical retreats and try to cut their losses.

In the lab, we can really specify with precision whether this is conformity, this is bolstering, this is preemptive self criticism. In the real world, these things become much blurrier and it depends what kind of a spin you want to put on it. With strategic attitude shifting, you could say its cowardice or you could say youre being responsive to the will of the people. Post-decisional bolsteringyou could say its rigid or you could say its principled. Pre-emptive self criticismyou can say its thoughtful and statesmanlike, or you can say youre a flip-flopper the way George W. Bush successfully characterized John Kerry in the 2004 election. Youve got this potential to flip and spin the meanings of the coping strategies thats not there in the lab and youve got people who are good at it. They're spinmeisters. It's their job, it's their profession.

Beck: So it becomes hard, then, to know if youre holding people accountable and thats why they're doing things or if it's just part of the plan?

Tetlock: Thats right. It eventually becomes a hall of mirrors.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trumps pick to run the CIA faces a Senate confirmation hearing amid a testy standoff between the president-elect and the spy community.

Rep. Mike Pompeo, a four-term conservative Kansas Republican, is a member of the House intelligence committee and also served on the partisan committee to investigate the deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. He was expected to be on the receiving end of questions from a friendly group of fellow lawmakers Thursday.

If confirmed as CIA director, Pompeo could be caught in the role of mending relations between Trump and intelligence officials.

Trump has for the most part been dismissive of intelligence agencies findings that Russia, specifically President Vladimir Putin, meddled in the 2016 U.S. election with the goal of electing Trump. The CIA is one of three main intelligence agencies that came to that conclusion. On Wednesday, Trump acknowledged Russia was responsible but speculated that intelligence agencies might have leaked to news organizations details about a classified briefing with him that included unsubstantiated allegations about his ties to Russia.

Pompeo graduated first in the Class of 1986 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served in the Army at a time when the Soviet Union was Americas No. 1 adversary.

Pompeo has been critical of the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran, which granted Tehran sanctions relief for rolling back its nuclear weapons program. And he has said that Muslim leaders are potentially complicit in terrorist attacks if they do not denounce those made in the name of Islam. He has also called for the government to increase surveillance to counter terrorists, not roll it back, and he wants Congress to play a larger role in overseeing intelligence agency activity.

The congressman also supports the use of waterboarding to elicit information from suspected terrorists.

Pompeo initially backed Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for the Republican nomination for president in 2016, but then promoted Trumps bid for the White House. Rubio is a member of the Senate intelligence committee.
As the nation watched in shock as details of the shootings at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport unfolded on their screens, Onalaska resident Scott Davies was living the horror in person, just minutes away from boarding a flight with his family when gunshots rang out.

Scott and Kristie Davies, daughter Ava, 4, and nephew Collin Schneider, 18, were returning from a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico and set to depart on a 1:05 p.m. flight to Minneapolis. As they approached the jet bridge to the plane, Things began to go crazy, Davies said.

At about 1 p.m. Friday, Esteban Santiago opened fire near a baggage claim, killing five and wounding eight. Davies and family were in line around the corner, a mere 75 yards away from the stream of bullets.

All of a sudden a wave of people came sprinting and screaming, so we started running towards the tarmac, Davies recounted. It was complete chaos  I cant describe it any other way.

Travelers were instructed to evacuate the airport, and the family waited on the runway before being cleared to enter the terminal after 30 minutes. As they sat on the ground with 1,500 others, a second round of really loud bangs went off.

Everyone got up and sprinted back out of the airport again and back to the runway, Davies said. As we were out there police said over a vehicle loudspeaker that there were suspected multiple shooters in several terminals and the parking areas. We hid behind baggage cars (until we were) instructed to move up against the walls of the terminal structures and out of direct line to the parking structures. The information was very scattered.

Another jarring noise caused panic for a third time, sending people running. As Davies carried daughter Ava away from the airport, he tripped over a piece of luggage, cutting his leg. Dozens of others were injured in the stampede.

During and in the aftermath, we saw the best and worst in people, Davies shared. Some people were absolutely trampled, some pushed people and some were just phenomenal and helping each other.

The family was among a group led by police into the private hangar of the Miami Dolphins, and within 10 minutes, SWAT, ambulances and Black Hawk helicopters arrived.

For the first time in 2 hours I felt somewhat safe, Davies said.

After having having their photos taken, IDs scanned and being questioned, they were given the opportunity to leave and joined the queue of frightened people exiting the premises.

Both directions as far as your could see, people were in a line walking down this path, Davies said.

Jumping in the first cab they could find, the family checked into the nearest hotel before finally finding a flight home Monday afternoon. While shaken, Davies sympathies are with those who were trapped in the core of the devastation.

What we went through was horrible, but its nothing compared to the people in the vicinity of the shooter, Davies said. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.
New York (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump dived back into the world of business on Thursday by urging people to buy from a US retailer facing boycott calls because a board member donated to his campaign.

"Thank you Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean," tweeted the Republican real estate tycoon, a week before he is sworn in as America's 45th president.

The Grab Your Wallet campaign added L.L.Bean to a list of more than 70 companies whom it urges Americans to boycott for doing business with the Trump family or for carrying Trump products.

The Maine-based clothing company, a family firm founded in 1912 and a household name in the United States, called the boycott "misguided" but sought to distance itself from Linda Bean.

The company said she was one of more than 50 family members involved in the business and one of 10 members of the board. She donated money to Trump's election efforts in a personal capacity.

"No individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company," said executive chairman Shawn Gorman.

"L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions," he said in a statement.

"To be included in this boycott campaign is simply misguided and we respectfully request that Grab Your Wallet reverse its position," he added.

Bean, granddaughter of the company founder, told the Fox News television network that the boycott was a form of bullying and that it would be the employees who suffer.

"It's bullying me, it's bullying the companies that I own and bullying the one that I am partly am on, the L.L.Bean company," she said.

She complained against the "double standard" of a cousin four years ago donating to outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama without any backlash.

Democratic Congressman Jim Himes from Connecticut on Thursday reposted Trump's tweet, adding that "for years" he had heard Republican friends "demand, demand, demand that government not pick winners and losers."

The United States remains sharply polarized after Trump's shock defeat in the November 8 election of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who lost the decisive electoral college vote but won the popular vote by three million ballots.
Washington (AFP) - A week before he enters the White House, Donald Trump has picked a high-risk fight with the all-important US intelligence community, blaming it for an incendiary but unsubstantiated report on his alleged Moscow ties and lurid behavior in Russia.

Trump on Wednesday accused US spies of leaking the report, a dossier prepared for US politicians by a British private consultant, to the media to sabotage him, calling it a "disgraceful" act worthy of Germany's Nazi regime.

The outburst prompted a late night call from National Intelligence Director James Clapper, who told the president-elect he did not believe the leak came from the intelligence agencies.

"I emphasized that this document is not a US Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC," Clapper said in a statement.

- Salacious dossier -

One week before he is inaugurated as US president, Trump has been rocked by the dossier, which a former British MI6 intelligence agent prepared originally as opposition research for other US politicians.

The 35-page report alleges longstanding communications between Russian officials and Trump's Republican campaign, and that Russian intelligence holds salacious videos involving Trump and prostitutes in Russia.

None of the allegations have been substantiated, but they were considered serious enough for US intelligence to investigate them and include its own conclusions in a top secret briefing to Trump last Friday on Russia's meddling in the US election, including the hacking of Democratic Party computers.

Trump exploded after media reported Tuesday that some of the dossier's allegations were included in the briefing, which was presented by Clapper with the heads of the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency.

That lent the dossier some credibility, and it was then published online by BuzzFeed, adding to the president-elect's outrage.

"Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?" Trump tweeted early Wednesday.

Story continues

He repeated the accusation hours later in a press conference.

"I think it was disgraceful -- disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out."

"I think it's a disgrace, and I say that -- and I say that, and that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do."

His blasts against the intelligence community came after his repeated rejections of their conclusion that Russia had interfered with last year's election, a position he appeared to reverse on Wednesday.

Clapper, whose office coordinates 16 other spy agencies, did not comment in his statement on the specifics of the dossier or on Friday's Trump briefing.

But analysts say the four spy chiefs would not have raised the dossier in their briefing for Trump if they saw it as entirely unfounded.

"Part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security," Clapper said.

- 'Deeply misguided' -

Trump's attacks on the intelligence community left him appearing increasingly isolated. As president he will depend on Clapper's successor as Director of National Intelligence as well as the CIA chief for regular classified updates on threats to the United States.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said impugning the integrity of the intelligence services was "deeply misguided."

"Doesn't mean they're always right, but questioning their motives is another thing altogether," he said Wednesday.

Trump's own pick to lead the CIA, Congressman Mike Pompeo, defended the agency Wednesday and said he did not question the official intelligence assessment that Putin ordered the unprecedented election interference.

"I see nothing to cast any doubt on the findings in the report," he said.

Asked if the CIA is politicized, as Trump charged, he replied: "In my experience I have not seen that."

- Author of dossier respected -

Meanwhile in London people who know Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent turned private consultant identified as the author of the report on Trump and Russia, said he is well regarded in espionage circles.

"I do know these guys and they have a good reputation. There's no way they would have made up the dossier," a source close to the British intelligence services told AFP.

"The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false, completely untrue," the Guardian quoted a former Foreign Office official and friend of Steele's as saying.

"He's not the sort of person who will simply pass on gossip. If he puts something in a report, he believes there's sufficient credibility in it for it to be worth considering."
Donald Trump ripped Rosie ODonnell during the first Republican presidential debate in 2015, saying that she was the only woman about whom he had ever made disparaging comments.

Now, with less than 10 days until Trump takes the oath of office, ODonnell says that shed support martial law in order to delay his inauguration.

FULLY SUPPORT IMPOSING MARTIAL LAW  DELAYING THE INAUGURATION  UNTIL TRUMP IS CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES, ODonnell wrote in response to a Twitter user who suggested the U.S. military take control of the government until the president-elect can prove he has no financial ties to Russia.

I FULLY SUPPORT IMPOSING MARTIAL LAW  DELAYING THE INAUGURATION  UNTIL TRUMP IS "CLEARED" OF ALL CHARGES https://t.co/fUn8FZ8RTj  ROSIE (@Rosie) January 12, 2017

@CBSNews @luvauntyruth @Elaine_Quijano how about imposition of Martial Law until Trump is cleared of all allegations? pic.twitter.com/PhHcNcT9vX  Karim Marquette (@MasterMarquette) January 12, 2017

SHOW UR YOUR TAXES  SHOW US YOUR TAXES  show us ur taxes  SHOW US UR TAXES, ODonnell tweeted. WE THE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEM  SHOW US UR TAXES #Trump.

SHOW UR YOUR TAXES  SHOW US YOUR TAXES  show us ur taxes  SHOW US UR TAXES  WE THE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEM  SHOW US UR TAXES #Trump  ROSIE (@Rosie) January 12, 2017

At the August 2015 GOP debate, co-moderator Megyn Kelly opened with a question to Trump.

Story continues

Youve called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals,  Kelly said.

Only Rosie ODonnell, Trump quipped.

Indeed, Trump had a long history of public feuds with ODonnell, the former co-host of ABCs The View.

In 2006, the real estate mogul attacked ODonnell after she raised his past extramarital affairs and bankruptcies while mocking his decision to sideline a Miss USA contestant who admitted to drug and alcohol abuse.

Rosie ODonnell and Donald Trump. (Photos: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic/GettyAndrew Harnik/AP)

Hes the moral authority, ODonnell said. Left the first wife, had an affair; left the second wife, had an affair; had kids both times, but hes the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America.

Rosie is a loser, Trump fired back on NBCs Today show. Shes been a loser for a long time.

And ODonnell has been a frequent target of Trumps attacks on Twitter.

Sorry, @Rosie is a mentally sick woman, a bully, a dummy and, above all, a loser. Other than that she is just wonderful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2014

I am so glad @Rosie got fired by @Oprah. Rosie is a bully and it's always nice to see bullies go down!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2012

With the number of tweets sad sack @Rosie has done, she has totally lost control of herself hopefully not a breakdown.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2011

In 2012, though, Trump paused to wish ODonnell a speedy recovery after she suffered a heart attack.

Hey @Rosiehow is your recovery going? I hope you are doing well so we can start fighting again soon!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2012

Hey @Rosiehow is your recovery going? he tweeted. I hope you are doing well so we can start fighting again soon!

Read more from Yahoo News:
President-elect Donald Trump may be at war with the intelligence community, but on Thursday his pick to head the CIA tried to bridge the rift between the incoming president and his spies, saying he accepts the assessment that Russia meddled in the election to boost the Republicans candidacy.

Its pretty clear about what took place here, about Russian involvement in efforts to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R.-Kan.) told the Senate Intelligence Committee. This was an aggressive action taken by senior leadership inside of Russia.

Following a script employed this week by other Trump cabinet nominees, including the prospective secretaries of state and defense and the next attorney general, Pompeo sought to reassure lawmakers that he did not share Trumps often extreme views, and that he would faithfully carry out his duties in the Trump administration, even if that led to clashes with the new president.

Pompeo said he would continue investigating the Russian effort to meddle in the U.S. election and would share that information with the FBI, even if that investigation ensnares Trump or his associates. As CIA director, Pompeo said he would pursue the facts wherever they take us.

Following a campaign during which Trump at times embraced extreme positions, Pompeo sought to put daylight between him and his future boss. While Trump has suggested he would be willing as president to allow the use of torture, Pompeo said he would disobey such an order from Trump, citing laws prohibiting such interrogation techniques.

And while Trump wants to team up with Russia to fight Islamic State, Pompeo appeared skeptical that such an alliance would deliver many gains. Instead, Pompeo said Russia has reasserted itself aggressively by invading and occupying Ukraine, and furthermore is doing nearly nothing to aid in the destruction of ISIS with its air campaign in Syria.

Story continues

Pompeo also tried to walk a middle ground on Iran. A harsh critic of the Iran nuclear deal while in Congress, Pompeo said that as CIA director he would focus on monitoring Tehrans compliance with the agreement, adding that the Iranians are professionals at cheating. Trump has suggested tearing up the deal or trying to renegotiate it.

Pompeos confirmation hearing Thursday came after a wild week in which the publication of a private intelligence dossier full of unsubstantiated allegations about ties between Trump and Russia prompted a renewed war of words between the president-elect and the intelligence agencies he will soon oversee. During a Wednesday press conference, Trump said the dossiers publication resembled the tactics of Nazi Germany, and blamed the intelligence community for what he described as a leak. The privately-compiled dossier apparently formed the basis for a memo briefing both Trump and President Obama last week.

In a statement late Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he had spoken to Trump and expressed his profound dismay that the document had been published, which he underscored was not produced by the U.S. intelligence community. He added that the The [intelligence community] has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions.

But he didnt dismiss it out of hand, either. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security, the statement continued.

In a tweet Thursday morning, Trump erroneously claimed that Clapper had denounced the false and fictitious report.

In a bid to make up for Trumps Nazi references and belittling of intelligence agencies, Pompeo on Thursday repeatedly praised CIA employees as patriotic warriors dedicated to preserving American security.

If Pompeo is approved by the Senate, the CIA will be led a partisan lawmaker who was a particularly aggressive investigator of the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Though a costly and lengthy investigation discovered no evidence of wrongdoing by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Pompeo insisted that that a politically motivated cover-up had taken place.

Pompeo said in his new job, his role will change from policymaker to information provider. A three-term congressman elected as part of the 2010 Tea Party wave who graduated at the top of his class at the U.S. Military Academy, Pompeo pledged to bring clear-eyed analysis to the job, including examining Russian efforts to wage information war on the United States.

On Thursday, Pompeo said the debate about the legitimacy of the U.S. election has served Russian interests and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the effort to break into the computer systems of American political organizations and leak stolen documents. Everything Ive seen suggests to me that the report has an analytical product that is sound, Pompeo said.

For all his departures from the Trump line, Pompeo did follow the script in at least one place: when it comes to climate change. Under sharp questioning from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Pompeo, a climate change skeptic, repeatedly dodged questions about whether he would accept the assessment of the intelligence community, and shared by the Pentagon, that climate change could harm U.S. national security by exacerbating global instability, and by sparking food, water, and refugee crises.

That skeptical stance toward the threat posed by climate change echoed Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil CEO nominated to serve as secretary of state. During testimony Wednesday, Tillerson acknowledged the reality of climate change, but said it is not the pre-eminent threat that current Obama administration officials and military leaders believe.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
(Adds Chinese foreign ministry comment)

By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state has set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

In comments expected to enrage Beijing, Rex Tillerson told his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China's building of islands and putting military assets on those islands was "akin to Russia's taking Crimea" from Ukraine.

Asked whether he supported a more aggressive posture toward China, he said: "We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed."

The former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands it has built up from South China Sea reefs, equipped with military-length airstrips and fortified with weapons.

Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for specifics on how China might be blocked from the artificial islands.

China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

When asked repeatedly about Tillerson's comments on blocking access to islands, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he couldn't make any guesses as to what Tillerson was referring to and would not answer hypothetical questions.

China's right to carry out 'normal activities' in its sovereign territory in the South China Sea is 'indisputable', Lu said, speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday. He did not elaborate.

Tillerson also said Washington needed to reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, but stopped short of Trump's questioning of Washington's long-standing policy on the issue.

Story continues

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging that China takes the position that there is "one China" and Taiwan is part of it. But the United States is also Taiwan's biggest ally and arms supplier.

"I don't know of any plans to alter the 'one China' position," Tillerson said.

Tillerson said he considered China's South China Sea activity "extremely worrisome" and that it would be a threat to the "entire global economy" if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway.

He blamed the current situation on what he termed an inadequate U.S. response. "The failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this," Tillerson said.

"The way we've got to deal with this is we've got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia," he said.

Democratic President Barack Obama's administration conducted periodic air and naval patrols to assert the right of free navigation in the South China Sea. These have angered Beijing, but seeking to blockade China's man-made islands would be a major step further and a step that Washington has never raised as an option.

Under his strategic "pivot" to Asia, Obama has increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and Trump has vowed a major naval buildup.

Tillerson's words also went beyond Trump's own tough rhetoric on China.

Regional military sources said while the U.S. navy had extensive capabilities in Asia to stage blocking operations with ships, submarines and planes, any such move against China's growing naval fleets would risk dangerous escalations.

RELUCTANT TO CHALLENGE

Obama has sought to forge a united front in Southeast Asia against China's pursuit of its territorial claims, but some allies and partners who are rival claimants have been reluctant to challenge Beijing.

Tillerson called China's South China Sea island-building and declaration of an air defense zone in the East China Sea it contests with Japan "illegal actions."

"They're taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully China's," he said.

The response was muted from the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally that last year won an international arbitration case that included a challenge to China's island-building within its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

"These are not policies yet and let us wait if they will implement what was said in the hearing," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Thursday.

"Let's wait until Trump is in office."

His comments reflect the sharp change in Manila's approach to China under new President Rodrigo Duterte, who wants good diplomatic and business ties with Beijing and says challenging it is provocative and pointless. He makes no secret of his lack of trust in the Obama administration and has chided it for what he considers inaction in the South China Sea.

Tillerson also said the United States could not continue to accept "empty promises" China had made about putting pressure on North Korea over that country's nuclear and missile programs.

He said his approach to dealing with North Korea - which recently declared it is close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile - would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation.

Asked if Washington should consider imposing "secondary sanctions" on Chinese entities found to be violating existing sanctions on North Korea, Tillerson said: "If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions, then it's appropriate ... for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply."

He accused China of failing to live up to global agreements on trade and intellectual property, echoing past remarks by Trump, who has threatened to impose high, retaliatory tariffs on China. But Tillerson also stressed the "deeply intertwined" nature of the world's two biggest economies.

"We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said.

(Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila and Michael Martina in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Tarrant)
By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state has set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea. In comments expected to enrage Beijing, Rex Tillerson told his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China's building of islands and putting military assets on those islands was "akin to Russias taking Crimea from Ukraine. Asked whether he supported a more aggressive posture toward China, he said: "Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed. The former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands it has built up from South China Sea reefs, equipped with military-length airstrips and fortified with weapons. Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for specifics on how China might be blocked from the artificial islands. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. When asked repeatedly about Tillerson's comments on blocking access to islands, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he couldn't make any guesses as to what Tillerson was referring to and would not answer hypothetical questions. China's right to carry out 'normal activities' in its sovereign territory in the South China Sea is 'indisputable', Lu said, speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday. He did not elaborate. Tillerson also said Washington needed to reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, but stopped short of Trump's questioning of Washington's long-standing policy on the issue. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging that China takes the position that there is "one China" and Taiwan is part of it. But the United States is also Taiwan's biggest ally and arms supplier. "I dont know of any plans to alter the 'one China' position," Tillerson said. Tillerson said he considered Chinas South China Sea activity "extremely worrisome" and that it would be a threat to the "entire global economy" if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway. He blamed the current situation on what he termed an inadequate U.S. response. "The failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this," Tillerson said. "The way weve got to deal with this is weve got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia," he said. Democratic President Barack Obamas administration conducted periodic air and naval patrols to assert the right of free navigation in the South China Sea. These have angered Beijing, but seeking to blockade China's man-made islands would be a major step further and a step that Washington has never raised as an option. Under his strategic "pivot" to Asia, Obama has increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and Trump has vowed a major naval buildup. Tillerson's words also went beyond Trump's own tough rhetoric on China. Regional military sources said while the U.S. navy had extensive capabilities in Asia to stage blocking operations with ships, submarines and planes, any such move against China's growing naval fleets would risk dangerous escalations. RELUCTANT TO CHALLENGE Obama has sought to forge a united front in Southeast Asia against Chinas pursuit of its territorial claims, but some allies and partners who are rival claimants have been reluctant to challenge Beijing. Tillerson called China's South China Sea island-building and declaration of an air defense zone in the East China Sea it contests with Japan "illegal actions." "Theyre taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas," he said. The response was muted from the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally that last year won an international arbitration case that included a challenge to China's island-building within its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. "These are not policies yet and let us wait if they will implement what was said in the hearing," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on Thursday. "Let's wait until Trump is in office." His comments reflect the sharp change in Manila's approach to China under new President Rodrigo Duterte, who wants good diplomatic and business ties with Beijing and says challenging it is provocative and pointless. He makes no secret of his lack of trust in the Obama administration and has chided it for what he considers inaction in the South China Sea. Tillerson also said the United States could not continue to accept "empty promises" China had made about putting pressure on North Korea over that country's nuclear and missile programs. He said his approach to dealing with North Korea - which recently declared it is close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile - would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation. Asked if Washington should consider imposing "secondary sanctions" on Chinese entities found to be violating existing sanctions on North Korea, Tillerson said: "If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions, then it's appropriate ... for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply." He accused China of failing to live up to global agreements on trade and intellectual property, echoing past remarks by Trump, who has threatened to impose high, retaliatory tariffs on China. But Tillerson also stressed the "deeply intertwined" nature of the world's two biggest economies. "We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said. (Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila and Michael Martina in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Tarrant)
Donald Trumps top aides continued to clash with CNN on Wednesday night, hours after the president-elect lashed out at one of the cable networks reporters during his news conference during his news conference at Trump Tower. Trump took exception to CNNs report that U.S. intelligence officials had briefed him on claims that Russia had collected compromising information on him.

In a fiery, 25-minute exchange with CNNs Anderson Cooper, Kellyanne Conway  Trumps senior adviser  denied that intelligence officials presented Trump with such information.

Its not true, Conway said, while refusing to say what, specifically, was false.

We dont discuss the classified information that is discussed, she said.

But you just said that it wasnt true, Cooper responded. I guess what you still havent answered, though, is what is inaccurate in our reporting?

On Tuesday, CNN reported that Trump was briefed by the heads of four U.S. intelligence agencies last week on a two-page synopsis that included allegations that Russian intelligence operatives collected compromising personal and financial information about him. BuzzFeed subsequently published what it said was a 35-page dossier compiled by a former British intelligence operative and filled with unverified memos, on which the synopsis was based. The Russian government denied it has any compromising information on Trump, dismissing the claims as a total hoax.

You cant answer this question, Cooper said to Conway. What is inaccurate about our reporting?

Sure I can, Conway said. Heres the answer: If the four intelligence officials that gave the top secret briefing last week that some fools think they should leak to the media when its a top secret intelligence briefing for a reason so that were all protected  everybody  then why, according to your own report last night  report used as a loose word here  why do they not tell the president-elect about it? Because your own reporting says that theres no confirmation that they briefed him orally.

Story continues

Anderson Cooper and Kellyanne Conway (CNN)

In a statement Wednesday night, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he spoke with Trump and condemned the leaks. But Clappers statement also seemed to confirm CNNs report that Trump had been briefed on the findings.

On Thursday morning, Trump tweeted that Clapper had called him to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated.

James Clapper called me yesterday to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts.Too bad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

Clapper, however, said that the intelligence community had not made any judgment that the information in the report is reliable, but was obligated to inform Trump to ensure policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.

ON CNN, Cooper criticized incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer for conflating the CNN and BuzzFeed reports.

No, Conway shot back. Sean Spicer was exactly right, as was the president-elect, Anderson. CNN went first yesterday and BuzzFeed went second.

At his press conference Wednesday afternoon, Trump called BuzzFeed a failing pile of garbage for publishing the dossier, and criticized CNN for going out of their way to build it up. Shortly afterward, CNN reporter Jim Acosta attempted to ask a question. Trump declined, calling Acosta fake news.

I felt it was only fair if our news organization was going to be attacked, we get to ask a followup question, Acosta said after the press conference.

Later, Spicer tweeted that Acostas behavior was rude, inappropriate and disrespectful, and that he owes Trump an apology.

Regardless of party, @acosta behavior was rude, inappropriate and disrespectful. He owes @realDonaldTrump and his colleagues an apology https://t.co/LnTkYam8IJ  Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) January 12, 2017

An unfortunate statement, Costa replied. You know that you threatened to throw me out of that news conference if I asked another question. #realnews.

Acosta added: I have covered 4 presidential campaigns. Democrats and Republicans. This has never happened. Lets deescalate, find a way to work together.

An unfortunate statement. Sean you know that you threatened to throw me out of that news conference if I asked another question. #realnews https://t.co/T4dYXZbomd  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 12, 2017

I have covered 4 presidential campaigns. Democrats and Republicans. This has never happened. Let's deescalate, find a way to work together. https://t.co/wgNsXlwt4z  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 12, 2017

But Carl Bernstein, who co-authored the CNN report, does not appear willing to deescalate anything.

One of the great anonymous sources of our era is Kellyanne Conway, Bernstein told Cooper. She does it every day  she has been an anonymous source for the last ten months particularly during this campaign when it suits her  and its time to talk about what we do as journalists, and what propaganda ministers do, and that is what she is: a propaganda minister.

We did our work, Bernstein added. The chief officials of the United States intelligence community believed they had something urgent enough to bring to the attention of the president and the president-elect of the United States. That is a story.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Gov. Scott Walkers State of the State message this week expanded on his recent theme of how bright the future is for the state  a bright future that must assume a strong contribution from the University of Wisconsin System if it is to be a reality.

Thats according to another Wisconsin Republican governor, Tommy Thompson, who spoke last year about his own state of the state appearances to inspire my former colleagues and our citizens.

Thompson added in his essay about the Wisconsin Idea published in the November-December 2016 issue of Public Administration Review, As governor two decades ago, I proudly invested in knowledge and research  and the return on that investment continues across campus.

Today, the UWs flagship school in Madison has a $15 billion annual impact on Wisconsins economy and brings in $1 billion in research funding. Then as now, I was proud to carry on the tradition started more than a century ago by Van Hise and La Follette  that the university is intricately tied to the state.

While todays challenges differ in some ways from those that we tackled in my time as governor, I believe strongly that this collaborative approach remains the most effective way to solve them and ensure prosperity and health for the people of our state.

Thompsons words seem an awkward fit in the context of the continued badgering of the university by members of his party and in the wake of a state biennial budget that cut university support  cuts that threaten the quality and standing of the university, according to university offiicials and faculty.

Thompson said that during his 2000 State of the State speech, I held a vial of DNA strands and saw a new chapter in Wisconsins future. He added, Scientific pioneers at the UW were spawning new technology companies, and I made sure the state invested from the get-go.

So it is in the context of Thompsons embrace of collaboration by the university and state government that nearly 400 members of the UW-Madisons boards of advisers wrote to Gov. Walker that it was time for him to reinvest in the university. For the UWMadison to remain competitive on a national and global scale, it cannot continue to sustain reductions in state support, the letter said.

The letter, which was posted on the UW Alumni Association website, added: There have been eight fiscal years with no pay increases since the creation of the UW System in 1974; six of those years have occurred in or after 2009. The state needs to invest in faculty and staff who educate UW students, attract research dollars to Wisconsin, and provide essential services.

Thompson spoke as a proud UW alumnus. Now its time for other alums and community and business leaders who understand the scope of UWs contribution to the states economy and well-being to speak out in support of increased university funding in the budget deliberations ahead.

The importance of strong universities was underscored recently in the announcement of the Nobel Prizes for those who have provided great benefit to mankind. Writing in the Wisconsin State Journal, Tom Heberlein, professor emeritus in the UW Department of Community and Environmental Sociology and Gaylord Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, pointed out that seven out of the 10 foreign-born laureates work at U.S. universities. This is a great tribute to the strength of American science to attract and benefit from talent. These immigrants contribute much to Americas world leadership in science.

He added that such things as attacks on tenure and individual professors along with continual funding cuts, legislative review of professors syllabuses, allowing students and professors to carry guns to class were tearing down UW-Madison and will make it harder if not impossible to attract top scientific talent to our state.

Heberlein had attended the Nobel awards as a guest of his spouse, Elizabeth Thomson, a UW sociology professor with a joint appointment at the UW-Madison and Stockholm University, Sweden, where she directs the Demographic Unit and the Linnaeus Center for Social Policy. She is a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science and has a vote on some of the Nobel prizes  another example of the global reach of our great university and an example Gov. Thompson might have used in his essay about the role of scholars in contributing their expertise to the state and world.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump's selection for secretary of state likened Beijing's island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country's territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.

China will likely be alarmed by former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson's Senate confirmation hearing remarks on Wednesday. While they focused largely on Russia, reflecting Tillerson's past relationship with its President Vladimir Putin and allegations of Russian hacking into the U.S. election, his testimony on China presented a sharp change in tone from the Obama administration's focus on cooperation.

Under Obama, the U.S. has worked with China to fight climate change and contain Iran's nuclear program. But Beijing has only half-heartedly pressed North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and has willfully disregarded Washington's appeals to moderate its activities in the South China Sea.

It has reclaimed more than 3,000 of acres of land and constructed military-grade infrastructure, and reportedly installed weaponry, on reefs and islets mostly in the Spratly Island chain, where five other governments have territorial claims.

Accusing Beijing of "declaring control of territories that are not rightfully China's," Tillerson compared its island-building efforts and deployment of military assets on the islands to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea  an action that ended up prompting tough U.S. and European sanctions.

He called China's actions "extremely worrisome." The U.S. failure to respond "has allowed them to keep pushing the envelope" in seas that carry $5 trillion of trade annually, he said, suggesting Trump would adopt a tougher approach.

"This is a threat to the entire global economy if China is allowed to somehow dictate the terms of passage through these waters," Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Story continues

Asked if he supported a more aggressive U.S. posture, he said, "You're going to have to send China a clear signal that first the island building stops, and second your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed."

China on Thursday stressed mutual respect and cooperation with the U.S. in response to the tough talk from Tillerson.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said tensions in the strategically vital waterway had lessened and countries from outside the region should support efforts toward stability.

China-U.S. relations are based on "non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation," Lu said at a daily briefing.

"If you take a look at (Chinese) President Xi Jinping's call with Donald Trump after he won the election, you can see that the two countries do respect each other, and we agree with him that we should develop our relations based on mutual respect," he said.

In the South China Sea, which China claims virtually entirely, the "situation has cooled down, and we hope non-regional countries can respect this consensus that is in the fundamental interest of the whole world," Lu added

Such rhetoric from Washington isn't surprising. Past U.S. administrations have entered office seeking to get tougher on China, and failed. Trump himself has threatened to impose punitive tariffs to address America's trade imbalance with China and tested ties by questioning the longstanding U.S. policy on the status of Taiwan.

A perennial challenge is to break China's long-time partnership with North Korea's hereditary dictatorship. Beijing is unwilling to exercise economic pressure that could destabilize its unpredictable ally, even as it shares U.S. concerns about the isolated nation's rapid development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them.

Earlier this week, outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry chided Beijing over its efforts to pressure North Korea, which relies on China for 90 percent of its international trade. He said China needed to "increase its focus" and that the U.S. may need "more forceful ways" of dealing with North Korea.

Tillerson spoke in starker terms. He accused China of making "empty promises" on North Korea and supported U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies found to be violating U.N. Security Council resolutions, recently beefed up to tighten restrictions on North Korean coal imports.

"If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions then it's appropriate for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply," Tillerson said.

Speaking generally, he described military force as the "least attractive option." And he sought to play down Trump's recent tweet on North Korea's development of a missile that could strike America  "It won't happen!"  saying it wasn't a "red line."
An unverified report published by BuzzFeed Tuesday night, containing allegations of President-elect Donald Trumps politically damaging activities in Russia, made a litany of claims concerning the real estate billionaires business dealings in the country, all of which he vigorously denied.

Because the president-elect has yet to release his tax returns, the strength of his financial ties to Moscow remains unclear, but reports of Trumps business dealings in Russia are far from lacking.

As Russian-American business group leader Sergei Millian told ABC News in September, Trumps transactions with Russian executives netted him hundreds of millions of dollars.

They were happy to invest with him, and they were happy to work with Donald Trump, said Millian, who told the broadcaster he once helped sell Trump-built condominiums in Russia and former Soviet states. He knows that a lot of Russians love his properties. They buy his luxury residences. So it was good, very good business for him.

Millian also said the president-elect had either negotiated projects or sent his children to search for sites in Moscow, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

I know there were some drafts prepared for the [Moscow] project when Donald Trump flew to Moscow, he told ABC. And he shared those drafts with some of the Russian businessmen. It didnt go any further at the moment.

The Washington Posts investigation of Trumps business in the country is more specific, starting with his 1987 search for hotel construction sites in Moscow with his first wife, Ivana  a project that was never completed. Nine years after the first attempt to get construction of the hotel off the ground, he partnered with members of the American tobacco industry for a proposed condo complex in the Russian capital, to be named Trump International, an architect involved with the plan told the Post. In 2005, he once again tried to initiate a real estate project  to be called Trump Tower  in Moscow, the newspaper found.

Story continues

At a 2008 real estate conference in New York, Donald Trump Jr., the president-elects eldest son and Trump Organizations vice president of operations, highlighted the large influx of investment from the country, the online trade publication eTurboNews reported.

Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets, he said, according to the site. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia. Theres indeed a lot of money coming for new-builds and resale reflecting a trend in the Russian economy and, of course, the weak dollar versus the ruble.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manaforts relationship with Moscow has also prompted scrutiny, and, more seriously, an inquiry by the FBI.

The report published on Buzzfeed  which remains unsubstantiated, but a summary of which CNN claimed had been presented to President Barack Obama and Trump himself  also has a few things to say about the president-elects financial connections to Moscow.

So far Trump has declined various sweetener real estate business deals offered him in Russia in order to further the Kremlins cultivation of him, the summary of the 35-page dossier reads. Another passage added, regarding Trumps claimed minimal investment profile in Russia, a separate source with direct knowledge said this had not been for want of trying. Trumps previous efforts had included exploring the real estate sector in St. Petersburg as well as Moscow, but in the end Trump had had to settle for the use of extensive sexual services there from prostitutes rather than business success.

One more time, for good measure: the report has not been verified.

Related Articles
In December, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, President Barack Obamas top national security advisors prepared one final battle with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the world stage.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, encouraged Washingtons European allies  Britain and France  to move forward on a long-delayed resolution that would sanction the Syrian government and the Islamic State for their use of chemical weapons in the conflict there. The Obama administration wanted a vote in the U.N. Security Council in coming days to hold accountable those behind Syrias chemical weapons program, even though Russia will certainly veto the resolution.

But Washington is getting pushback from an unexpected quarter. Britain and France, the champions of the measures, suddenly wavered, repeatedly delaying to put the resolution to a vote. They backpedaled before Christmas, again before New Years, and once more in early January.

In the end, Britain and France now seem likely to wait for Trump to continue their effort to hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable. But Trump, who has expressed a desire to cooperate with Putin and Russia, especially on Syria, is unlikely to seek a clash with the Russian president over Syrias chemical weapons at the United Nations. That could doom international efforts to punish Assad.

Given President-elect Trumps professed interest in improving relations with Russia, it is unlikely that one of his first diplomatic acts will be to force Russia to veto yet another resolution on Syria, said Gregory Koblentz, the director of the biodefense graduate program at George Mason University. Holding the Assad regime accountable for its use of chemical weapons and other war crimes is likely a lost cause.

With chances slim for a vote on the resolution, the United States on Thursday took unilateral action against Syria, announcing Treasury Department sanctions on 18 Syrian government officials, including several intelligence chiefs linked to the Assad regimes use of chlorine gas on civilians in 2014 and 2015.

Story continues

Until the Security Council holds accountable those responsible for using chemical weapons in Syria, the United States and partners will take up this cause and ensure the end of impunity for those who have gassed their own people, Power said in a statement Thursday.

The tough stance marks something of a reversal for U.S. policymakers. As far back as August 2016, Washington had urged London and Paris to hold their fire on a similar resolution. The United States was worried that a confrontation in the 15-nation council with Russia would undermine efforts by Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate a Syrian cease-fire with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

But now, with the United States largely sidelined from Syrian peacemaking, supplanted by a new round of cease-fire talks brokered by Turkey and Russia, U.S. officials grew increasingly keen to confront Moscow and send a strong message about the need to hold Syria accountable for using chemical weapons before Obama leaves office.

Security Council diplomats have offered a variety of explanations for why Britain and France are apparently holding back on a measure they drafted. They need to build greater support inside the Security Council for the resolution, one diplomat said, including among the five new countries that just joined the council. There is also fear of jeopardizing Syria political talks scheduled for Jan. 23 in Astana, Kazakhstan, three days after the inauguration, the diplomat added.

In addition, the council has unanimously adopted two resolutions on Syria, including a Dec. 19 measure authorizing the deployment of U.N. monitors to help with the evacuation of civilians from Aleppo. Britain and France are concerned that such cooperation could be scuttled by a confrontation over chemical weapons.

If you bring this resolution to a vote now and the Russians veto it, you will blow up this fragile positive trend, said a council diplomat. What do you gain?

But looming large over the proceedings is the fear that picking a fresh fight with Russia right as Trump steps into power could provoke a backlash against the U.N. by the incoming U.S. administration. Such a fight could undercut the U.N.s efforts to stop chemical weapons proliferation, especially because Trump, his team, and many in Congress are already angry with the U.N. for recently adopting a resolution denouncing Israeli settlements.

On Thursday, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the Safeguard Israel Act, which would cut funding to the United Nations until the president certifies that the Security Council has repealed the settlements resolution.

No one is arguing we should not vote on an issue as important as this, said one Security Council diplomat, acknowledging that Russia will veto any attempt. But there are lot of reasons to tread carefully, the diplomat added. A second council diplomat said it is all but certain that the resolution would be put on the back burner until after Obamas departure.

We are still working out the best timing, added a third council diplomat. The diplomat insisted that Trump was not a key factor in determining whether to delay action.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States wholeheartedly supports council action to hold Assad accountable but said it is up to its European allies to decide on timing.

The Obama administration had hoped to force a Russian veto on Syrias use of chemical weapons before falling back on its own unilateral sanctions. Britain and France, meanwhile, are expected to issue statements supporting the American action but will not impose their own sanctions on Syrian officials. But country-by-country sanctions dont have the bite of U.N. resolutions, which bind the rest of the world.

The Obama administrations struggles to goad the U.N. into holding Assad accountable casts a troubled legacy over the one potential bright spot in U.S. policy in Syria.

In her exit memo, Power spotted a silver lining in what she described as the U.N. Security Councils abject failure to end the slaughter of civilians in Syria. Despite Russian intransigence in the 15-nation council, where Moscows U.N. envoy vetoed six Syria resolutions, the United States had succeeded in forging a landmark agreement to eliminate Syrias chemical weapons program, she wrote. That agreement, brokered between the United States and Russia in 2013, oversaw what was billed as the elimination of Syrias chemical weapons stockpile, and it succeeded in destroying some 1,300 tons of chemical agents and precursors.

But that deal is under stress as the Obama administration winds down. Syrias chemical weapons program seems to have been a lot bigger than anyone thought. And Assad has continued to use chemical weapons, like chlorine, even after that agreement. A Russian veto of the resolution would essentially kill any chance of sanctioning Syria, the only country to use chemical weapons after joining the Chemical Weapons Convention. It would also let the Islamic State off the hook.

On the positive side, we have successfully, and in a timely way, destroyed over 1,300 metric tons of Syrian chemical agents and precursor chemicals, said Paul Walker, the director of Green Cross Internationals environmental security and sustainability program. But on the down side, we have failed so far to be sure that Syria has destroyed all its chemical weapons and have failed to stop it from using chlorine as a weapon, he added.

And the effort to hold accountable the Syrian regime officials who oversaw the chemical weapons program and deployed them against civilians has been further hobbled by political fighting between Russia and the West that has decimated a critical international team of chemical weapons inspectors.

Known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), the panel  including specialists from the U.N. and The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons  was created in 2015 to point fingers at those responsible for using the weapons. It concluded in August and in October that the Syrian air force dropped chlorine bombs on rebel-held towns in 2014 and 2015 and that the Islamic State fired blister gas rockets. It also discovered more than a dozen other cases where anti-government forces may have used chemical weapons.

Moscow disputed the panels conclusion that the Assad regime, a longtime Russian ally, used chemical weapons and sought to shift the teams focus. When the JIMs mandate was up for renewal this summer and fall, Britain and France started talks with Russia to give it another year of life. Moscow demanded the panel shift its focus to what it calls anti-government terrorists throughout the region.

Amid the uncertainty, the 26-member technical team largely disbanded when its mandate expired Oct. 31. Only two full-time staffers are focused on the effort. By the time the council finally agreed to extend the panels mandate in mid-November, the U.N. was forced to rebuild the team almost from scratch. Diplomats say the full team will be up and running in February at the earliest possible.

Some diplomats say the U.N. screwed up and failed to prepare to fully fund the team while its renewal was under discussion, forcing a stopgap solution and sowing uncertainty over the JIMs future. Others complain the U.N. has moved too slowly, squandering precious months of work. In a closed-door Security Council meeting last week, Britains U.N. envoy, Matthew Rycroft, pointedly asked U.N. disarmament chief Kim Won-soo why the JIM has been unable to conduct investigations for months.

Kim said budget issues have had no effect on the JIM, and staff reductions are temporary. We are doing everything possible to make the JIM able to discharge its crucial mandate, he told Foreign Policy.

The JIMs struggles and the political infighting in Turtle Bay have heightened the prospects that Assads use of chemical weapons will go unpunished, with potentially dire impacts on international efforts to halt proliferation.

The Assad regimes ability to continue using chemical weapons against civilians with impunity is a travesty, Koblentz said. If these blatant violations of the Chemical Weapon Convention go unpunished, then the risks that other states will resort to the use of chemical weapons goes up.

Photo credit: NIGEL TREBLIN/Getty Images
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republicans promising to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare law are under "no hard deadlines" for producing an alternate program, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Ryan said House Republicans will have an in-depth "conversation" about healthcare legislation during a retreat in Philadelphia at the end of this month, but that the House nonetheless will kick off the complicated process with a vote on Friday on a Senate-passed measure paving the way for Obamacare repeal. (Reporting By Lisa Lambert and Richard Cowan)
(Reuters) - The Obama administration is expected to launch on Thursday a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization against China over subsidies Beijing provides to the country's aluminum industry, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The complaint is expected to accuse China of granting cheap loans from state-run banks to its aluminum producers, helping companies to enhance their production, the newspaper reported, citing sources.

China also subsidizes aluminum production by providing cheaper coal and electricity to producers, the sources said, according to the newspaper.

Neither the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., nor the U.S. Trade Department were immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.

(Reporting by Vishaka George in Bengaluru)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Thursday that its investigation into a November firefight with the Taliban in northern Kunduz province has shown that 33 civilians died in the raid during which U.S. troops fired on Afghan homes.

The probe followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from airstrikes called in to support Afghan and U.S. troops who came under fire in the provinces village of Buz-e Kandahari, which targeted two senior Taliban commanders.

The two Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation.

According to a U.S. military statement, the investigation determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded as troops responded to fire from Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions.

After the raid, Kunduz residents later carried over a dozen corpses of the dead, including children and family members of the Taliban fighters, toward a local governors office in a show of rage.

Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, the statement quoted Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. On this occasion the Taliban chose to hide amongst civilians and then attacked Afghan and U.S. forces.

I wish to assure President (Ashraf) Ghani and the people of Afghanistan that we will take all possible measures to protect Afghan civilians, Nicholson added. We will continue to assist the Afghan security forces in their efforts to defend their country.

The Taliban briefly overran the city of Kunduz, the provincial capital with the same name, in October 2015, in a show of strength by the insurgents that also highlighted the troubles facing local Afghan forces, 15 years after the U.S.-led invasion of the country. The Taliban captured and held parts of Kunduz a year earlier as well, before the city was fully liberated weeks later with the help of U.S. airstrikes.

Story continues

In the 2015 operation, a U.S. Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship attacked a Kunduz hospital run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, killing 42 people. Sixteen U.S. military personnel, including a two-star general, later were disciplined for what American officials described as mistakes that led the strike. Doctors Without Borders has called the attack a war crime and demanded an independent investigation.

After the firefight last November, Ghani criticized the Taliban for using women and children as a shield during the raid in Buz-e Kandahari. He also announced a local investigation had been started.

The U.S. military statement further added that its investigation concluded that U.S. forces acted in self-defense in the joint Afghan-American raid in the village.

As an indication of the ferocity of the fire faced by friendly forces from the Taliban-occupied houses, two U.S. soldiers and three Afghan Army Commandos were killed, it said. In addition, four U.S. soldiers and 11 commandos were wounded.

The raid also killed 26 Taliban fighters and wounded around 26 other insurgents, the U.S. military said.

The investigation concluded that U.S. air assets used the minimum amount of force required and that the civilians who were wounded or killed were likely inside the buildings from which the Taliban were firing. In addition, the U.S. military said a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded, which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

It has been determined that no further action will be taken because U.S. forces acted in self-defense and followed all applicable law and policy, the statement concluded.

NATOs combat operations ended in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a move that put Afghan forces in charge of the countrys security. Since then, Afghan forces have suffered heavy casualties battling the Taliban, who have tried to expand their footprint across much of the country. NATO and U.S. casualties have been few.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
Until last week, Owen Lee made good earnings working overtime as an Uber driver in Taiwans capital, Taipei, to boost his modest monthly salary as a marketing agent for a restaurant website.

By driving over 150 hours a month, Lee, 28, could make up to $1,250  roughly two-thirds of his regular salary  giving him disposable income for travel and savings for the first time.

But on Friday, he abruptly gave it up after the Taiwanese government not only introduced some of the largest fines against Uber in the world, but also launched financial rewards for anyone who turns drivers in.

Under the new rules, the San Franciscobased company could incur fines of up to $780,000 unless it registers as a normal taxi business and follows the same safety and insurance standards.

If Lee is caught using Ubers ride-hailing app, he personally faces a $3,100 fine and losing his driving license for four months.

Its not worth the risk, he says. Especially now that the customer can tell the police about me. It has become too dangerous. Five of Lees Uber-driving friends have also stopped.

Read More: Why Uber Is Disappointed by This New Restriction in Taiwan

In the four years since Uber entered Taiwan, 1 million people have downloaded the car-booking app to avail of 10,000 registered drivers.

But its popularity has not spared it from the legal quagmire and resistance from local taxi firms that has blighted Ubers launch in several markets from Europe to Asia.

Opposition was spearheaded by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), to the surprise of Lee. Like many young people, struggling with living costs in Taipei, he voted the DPP into power last year, hoping for a more modern brand of politics.

DPP legislator Jason Lin admits there has been heavy lobbying from taxi associations to ban Uber, but adds that the company could operate if it compromised on tax issues and officially registering its drivers.

Story continues

We welcome Uber in Taiwan but you have to follow our laws, he says, describing Ubers approach as too aggressive.

The company said it welcomes regulation and it is due to hold imminent crisis talks with Taiwans Ministry of Transport. The ministry maintains its objection that Uber is currently registered as a technology, not a taxi business.

Ubers new, ultra-modern office in Taipeis business district projects its ambition for huge growth in Taiwan.

But frustration is in the air. The company says it is very disappointed by the decision to amend the Highway Act to impose steep fines, warning that it risks Taiwans stated ambition to attract tech start-ups.

In an interview shortly before the governments decision, Michael Brown, Ubers Asia Pacific regional general manager, said the move would be regressive.

Read More: Everything You Need to Know About Uber

We think this is moving Taiwan in the wrong direction. Taiwan wants to be the Silicon Valley of Asia and we think [it] should be embracing innovation, he said.

By condemning this technology, which is de facto what would happen with this amendment, the government is making a statement that its not open for business to global technology companies.

Uber argues that it complies with all existing local tax laws.

But Jason Hsu, a legislator with the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, and an Uber supporter, urged the company to be more cooperative in meeting government concerns in order to win trust.

Read More: Uber Just Answered Everything You Want to Know About Your Driver

He also accused the government of finding a lazy answer to the issue, to protect old industry.

Hsu is drafting a digital economy act to improve the future legal framework for tech start-ups.

However, it may be too late for one single mother, named only as Ms. Yang, who says that driving for Uber allowed her the flexibility to both earn and care for her children.

The government can give us subsidies, but what we really need is the opportunity to work, she says.
The Hokah City Council opened its first meeting of the New Year with a brief swearing-in ceremony for newly elected officials on Jan. 3. City administrator Rod Blank administered the oath to the incumbents, mayor Mike Walsh and council member Matt Vetsch, along with newcomer council member Cindy Pfiffner.

This is Walshs third term as mayor and his second-consecutive term. Afterward, Walsh remarked, I have no agenda, we just try to keep things flying. He indicated that one of his ongoing priorities, however, is road and street maintenance. Vetsch was elected mayor pro-term.

Walsh immediately appointed Sam Mullen and Toni Von Arx to the recreation board and Patty Ziegler to the library board.

Statistics for library usage for year-end 2016 released by library director Shari Carlson showed a major uptick in library traffic. Carlson said that the increases are important because they impact county funding. Of the 540 borrowers, 56 percent came from Hokah and 44 percent from Houston County.

The library boasts of almost 23,000 units in its collection, with books numbering about 18,000. The books are fairly evenly divided between fiction and nonfiction. The library also stocks more than 3,500 DVDs. Last year, its e-book circulation almost doubled.

After-school programs continue at the library every Thursday beginning at 3:30 p.m. upstairs in the Hokah City Hall. The programs run through March 30. The venue recently attracted 50 children for a three-hour Nerf-gun war. Next up is the snowshoe story walk scheduled for Jan. 14.

A series of recent fundraisers also gave the library a needed financial boost. The Peterson family fundraiser, along with the Limo Lights for the Library, netted $700. The Hokah Lions Club, in conjunction with Usborne Books, brought in an additional $525. Last year, the All Glazed up pottery fundraiser pulled in nearly $170 for the library and its sequel is planned this year for Feb. 6. See the library for details. The annual chili and hot dish cook-off, typically the librarys largest fundraiser, is slated for Feb. 18, with music by Larry Langen.

Carlson also reported that work continues on the Little Free Library. Once the builder finishes construction, Carlson plans to decorate the book depots as a youth project. Her goal is to finish in time to kickoff the summer reading program.

By mid-summer, an event with a slightly different face will appear in Hokah. A flotilla of more than 200 people in 140 canoes and kayaks will drop anchor in Hokah at the end of July.

Councilor Rebecca Albrecht explained that every year, the group targets small towns nationwide.

This year, theyll start in Houston and stop at Hokah on their way to Prairie Du Chien, she said. Its designed to draw people into experiencing smaller towns.

She also said that the group also includes several artists who bring their music along with them.

Police report

According to police chief Bob Schuldt, last month, the Hokah Police Department assisted a team from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the Twin Cities in serving a search warrant for Internet crimes against children. There were no arrests. The Hokah PD also assisted the bureau in an arrest stemming from an undercover prostitution sting out of Steele County.

Among a variety of other police actions, Hokah police responded to four motor vehicle crashes with property damage and two school bus arm violations. The department also investigated one check forgery and assisted the National Weather Service in monitoring ice jams.
Geneva (AFP) - New UN chief Antonio Guterres will attend talks in Geneva Thursday aimed at ending decades of stalemate in a divided Cyprus, in his first foreign trip since becoming secretary-general on January 1.

Foreign ministers from Cyprus's so-called guarantor powers -- Britain, Greece and Turkey -- will also travel to Switzerland for a conference on security, which follows three days of peace talks with the goal of creating a two-zone federation.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed in principle to return some of the land they have controlled since the 1974 invasion by Turkish troops, which came in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

UN envoy Espen Barth Eide said Wednesday the sides are very close to agreeing on what overall percentage of the island each will control.

One of the chief difficulties lies in how the boundaries are redrawn, including around the town of Morphou on the northern coast.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has warned that there can be no deal without a full return of Morphou, while some in the Turkish Cypriot camp have declared its return a non-starter.

The security conference comes after rival Cypriot delegations on Wednesday met to present maps detailing their visions for how internal boundaries should be drawn.

Eide told reporters in Geneva that the exchange would take place behind closed doors with cartographers from both sides present.

"It is a very important moment... Historic," Eide said.

It was to mark the first time since the eastern Mediterranean island was divided that Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders will have presented maps describing the borders of a reunified country, Eide said.

This is the third time the Cypriot leaders have met in Switzerland since November, but the two previous rounds were inconclusive.

- 'The very last chance' -

There were no plans for the maps swapped Wednesday to be disclosed publicly, with the UN hoping that both sides eventually agree on a compromise version.

Story continues

On Tuesday the two sides also tackled the island's relations with the European Union as well as a future system of government.

While Cyprus has been an EU member since 2004, Anastasiades's internationally recognised government exercises no control over the northern Turkish-ruled part of the island, and EU legislation is suspended there until a settlement is reached.

Eide made clear that the UN process was designed to forge a unified Cyprus that would be a full EU member.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who will also be in Geneva on Thursday, said he was making the trip given the stakes of the meet.

"I really think that, without overdramatising what is happening in Geneva, that this is the very last chance to see (a solution for) the island being imposed in a normal way," he said in Valletta at the start of Malta's six-month EU presidency.

Eide has struck an optimistic note during three days of intra-Cypriot talks this week.

"We are roughly where we want to be at this stage," he said Wednesday.

But the sides appear to remain far apart on how many Greek Cypriots should be able to return to homes they fled in 1974, with Akinci determined to minimise the number of Turkish Cypriots who would be displaced for a second time.

There are also still significant differences over security, with Anastasiades wanting Turkish troops to leave the island but Akinci determined to keep a military presence.
Geneva (AFP) - Rival Cypriot leaders, along with top diplomats from Turkey, Greece and Britain, agreed to push on with efforts to reunite the divided island and end one of the world's longest-running political rows.

The United Nations' new Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who hosted the historic conference in Geneva on his first foreign trip at the helm of the world body, said a deal was "close" but not to expect a "quick fix".

Guterres told reporters he was hoping for a breakthrough at the Geneva conference, which involved rival Cypriot sides as well as Greece, Turkey and former colonial power Britain.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Thursday's talks followed three days of negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci aiming to forge a united, two-zone federation.

"We are coming very close to what is the settlement," Guterres said during a pause in negotiations.

But he added that major work remained on how to implement and guarantee a lasting peace.

"You cannot expect miracles of immediate solutions. We are not looking for a quick fix," he said. "We are looking for a solid sustainable solution."

- 'Historic opportunity' -

Guterres, in office since January 1, was hosting top diplomats from Cyprus' so-called "guarantor powers", including British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and his counterparts Nikos Kotzias of Greece and Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Under a 1959 treaty, those nations were allowed to intervene to defend the island's sovereign integrity, which Ankara used to justify its invasion.

The conference in Geneva for the first time brought together the two Cypriot leaders with top diplomats of the three guarantor countries to discuss security and other sticking points that have blocked progress for decades.

Story continues

"The participants recognised that this is the time to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion," the UN said in a statement after the conference wrapped up late Thursday.

"This is a historic opportunity that should not be missed."

Johnson said "real progress" had been made in the talks.

"With continued commitment and political will I believe a historical agreement is within reach," he said in a statement.

Changes to or the possible elimination of the guarantor power arrangement has emerged as a key issue at the talks, along with the presence of some 30,000 Turkish troops on the island.

The Greek foreign minister restated Athens' position that the guarantor system should be scrapped and told reporters that Turkish troops should leave Cyprus on "a timeline agreed in advance".

Anastasiades also wants the Turkish troops out but Akinci is determined to keep a military presence.

Britain, which also retains military bases in Cyprus that are sovereign British territory, also said it was happy to do away with guarantor system if Cypriots asked, while Turkey insisted the arrangement must be preserved.

Cavusoglu however told reporters late Thursday that Turkish troops must remain on the island because "the reality is that Turkey's guarantorship is vital to Turkish Cypriot people".

Meanwhile, in the island's capital Nicosia, some 200 Greek Cypriots protesting outside the presidential palace chanted "Turkish troops out of Cyprus".

UN peacekeepers also safeguard a buffer zone between the two sides.

Kotzias said the sides were expected to set up a "team of experts" charged with the security file, with the three foreign ministers meeting again on January 23 to discuss the issue.

Cavusoglu however dismissed any meeting on January 23, saying: "The announcement of a date (by the Greek foreign minister) before reaching an agreement is not the right method."

The UN said technical talks involving guarantor countries would start on January 18, in parallel to negotiations between the two sides in Cyprus on outstanding issues.

After that, the high-level political conference will continue to review the outcome of the technical talks.

- Maps swapped -

Earlier in the week, Anastasiades and Akinci tackled thorny domestic questions like the composition of a unified government and land swaps.

In another first, they exchanged maps late Wednesday detailing their visions of how internal boundaries should be redrawn.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed in principle to return some of the land they have controlled since the failed 1974 coup.

The Greek Cypriot government said that the maps met the terms agreed during previous negotiations that foresees the Turkish Cypriot zone amounting to a maximum of 29.2 percent of the island, although disputes remain and a final version has not been agreed.

The sides have also discussed the island's relations with the European Union, with the UN seeking to create a unified nation that would be a full EU member.

While Cyprus has been an EU member state since 2004, Anastasiades' internationally recognised government exercises no control over the northern Turkish-ruled part of the island, and EU legislation is suspended there until a settlement is reached.
Tokyo (AFP) - Uniqlo's parent company said Thursday that quarterly net profit jumped by almost half from a year ago, as it refocused on a strategy aimed at luring thrifty shoppers.

Fast Retailing's net profit rose 45 percent to 70 billion yen ($609 million) in the fiscal first quarter to November, while revenue edged up 1.6 percent to 529 billion yen.

Asia's biggest retailer -- a rival of Zara, Gap and H&M -- said sales were under pressure in September and October owing to "unseasonably warm weather".

But "once temperatures dropped in November, same-store sales picked up", it said in a statement, referring to locations that have been open more than a year.

"This is pretty much in line with expectations, but the focus should still be on the second quarter," Mike Allen, an analyst at Macquarie Capital in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

"They've recently had some trouble with revenue and there's still a lot uncertainty about what happens going forward."

The results come after Fast Retailing chairman Tadashi Yanai conceded last year that an ill-fated price rise had been a mistake that hurt sales.

In October, Yanai backed off his ambitious annual revenue goal -- 5.0 trillion yen by 2020 -- as the company reported fiscal year net profit had more than halved to 48 billion yen.

It blamed the decline mostly on a rally in the yen, which shrinks the value of Japanese firms' repatriated profits.

Expenses linked to closing locations in the United States and at home also ate into the bottom line, the firm had said.

On Thursday, the company left unchanged its annual forecast for a 100 billion yen net profit on revenue of 1.85 trillion yen.
Kabul (AFP) - The US confirmed Thursday that its forces in Afghanistan killed 33 Afghan citizens "in self-defence" in Kunduz last year in a single incident highlighting civilian casualties, one of the most contentious issues of the 15-year campaign.

The incident on November 3 saw US and Afghan troops call for air reinforcement as they engaged with Taliban forces hiding in civilian houses in a village in the volatile northern province.

Civilian men, women and children were "likely inside the buildings from which the Taliban were firing", the report said. Two US forces and three Afghan commandos also died in the firing.

The civilian deaths sparked outrage at the time, with victims' relatives parading the mutilated bodies of dead children piled into open trucks through the streets of Kunduz city.

"The investigation determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 others wounded," United States Forces-Afghanistan said in a statement.

"To defend themselves and Afghan forces, US forces returned fire in self-defence at Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions," the statement added.

"Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives," said General John Nicholson, commander of US forces  Afghanistan.

The United Nations has also launched an investigation, calling any loss of civilian life "unacceptable", with its findings due to be released by the end of this month.

The carnage underscored worsening insecurity after the Taliban in October 2016 overran Kunduz city for the second time in a year, as NATO-backed Afghan forces struggle to rein in the insurgents.

Civilian casualties caused by NATO forces have been one of the most divisive issues in the 15-year battle against the insurgents, prompting strong public and government criticism.

Errant air strikes contributed to a 42 percent jump last year in casualties caused by pro-government forces compared to last year, according to the UN.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Obama administration has agreed to provide disability benefits totaling more than $2 billion to veterans who had been exposed to contaminated drinking water while assigned to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Military personnel must have served at Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987.

Beginning in March, the cash payouts from the Department of Veterans Affairs may supplement VA health care already being provided to eligible veterans.

The estimated taxpayer cost is $2.2 billion over five years. The VA estimates that as many as 900,000 service members were potentially exposed.

The rule covers active duty, Reserve and National Guard members who developed one of eight diseases.

The decision was quietly made public Thursday with a notice in the government's official journal, Federal Register.
Washington (AFP) - The inspector general of the US Justice Department said Thursday that it will review allegations surrounding actions by the department and the FBI taken ahead of the November elections, including FBI announcements that Democrats say badly damaged Hillary Clinton's candidacy.

The surprise announcement comes just eight days before Clinton's successful rival, Donald Trump, takes the oath of office as US president, and even as he faces continuing suggestions that Russian interference might also have helped his cause.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz said that he was initiating the review after requests from "numerous chairmen and ranking members of congressional oversight committees, various organizations and members of the public."

Presidential spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House had nothing to do with the new inquiry.

"I can tell you that the White House was not involved in that decision," he said Thursday.

Horowitz said in a statement that his office would examine five separate allegations.

They include complaints that announcements by FBI Director James Comey -- including the sensational 11th-hour revelation that the FBI was reopening an inquiry into Clinton after some of her emails were found on the computer of an aide's husband caught up in sexting scandals -- were "based on improper considerations."

The IG will investigate allegations that Justice Department and FBI employees improperly disclosed "nonpublic information" and that the FBI release of certain documents in late October and early November was "influenced by improper considerations."

The inspector general will also examine whether an assistant attorney general improperly disclosed nonpublic information to the Clinton campaign.

Democrats, but also many Republicans, severely castigated Comey for his pre-election announcements about Clinton's emails.

While Comey announced November 6 -- a mere 48 hours before the election -- that a quick examination of the emails had found nothing problematic, the political damage had already been done, Democrats said.

Story continues

Comey had announced in July that he was recommending that no charges be brought against Clinton for her use of a private email server while secretary of state, though he said she had been "extremely negligent."

Republicans were furious with Comey for that finding, but their fury quickly turned to praise when, in a surprise October 28 letter to Congress, he raised the possibility of reopening the inquiry.

The inspector general's office is charged with investigating possible abuses or violations by the Justice Department and the FBI, which operates under the department's jurisdiction. The office is independent; its head is appointed directly by the US president.

"This administration has assiduously protected inspectors general," Earnest said, "so we wouldn't weigh in publicly or privately on any sort of investigative decision that is made."
Washington (AFP) - The United States announced sanctions Thursday against 18 senior Syrian military officers and officials over the use of chemical weapons.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Syrian regimes use of chemical weapons," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.

A UN-backed investigation found that several units of the Syrian military had used toxic weapons against three villages in northern Syria in 2014 and 2015.

Government helicopters flying from two government-controlled air bases dropped chlorine barrel-bombs on the villages of Qmenas, Talmenes and Sarmin, the panel's latest report said.

Chlorine use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from Russia.

In response to its use, the US has targeted individuals including top intelligence officials and military commanders.
Washington (AFP) - US authorities on Wednesday announced sanctions against North Korean government agencies and senior officials -- among them leader Kim Jong-Un's sister -- in response to Pyongyang's "serious" human rights abuses and censorship activities.

The latest action, which sees another seven individuals added to America's growing list of sanctioned North Koreans, targets security and prison officials accused of rights abuses.

Those blacklisted include Kim Won Hong, who heads the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

"The MSS engages in torture and inhumane treatment of detainees during interrogation and in the country's network of political prison camps," the US Department of the Treasury said in a statement.

"This inhumane treatment includes beatings, forced starvation, sexual assault, forced abortions, and infanticide."

The Treasury announcement came as the US State Department released a report on rights abuses in North Korea, which it said are among the worst in the world.

"The North Korean government continues to commit extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced labor, and torture," the State Department said.

The Treasury Department also targeted Kim Yo Jong, the vice director of the Workers' Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department and the younger sister of Kim Jong-Un, and Kim Il-Nam, who heads the South Hamgyong Province political prison camp.

Also on the list are Choe Hwi, Min Byong Chol, Jo Yong-Won, and Kang Pil Hun.

The sanctioned agencies are the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Labor.

The United States in July placed Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses.
Miami (AFP) - US scientists have ramped up predatory behavior in mice by stimulating a region of the brain known for its role in emotions like fear and pleasure, according to a study published Thursday.

The experiment turned the lab mice into super-eating machines, vigorously attacking food, bottle caps, and sticks as prey, said the findings in the journal Cell.

However, scientists cautioned that their goal was not to create an army of killer mice.

Rather, it was to better understand how the brain works and perhaps one day improve the treatment of degenerative brain diseases that affect motion and coordination.

"A major issue for neuroscientists is how the brain figures out how to respond appropriately to objects in the world," lead author Ivan de Araujo, associate professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, told AFP.

"Predatory behavior is the perfect model. It is a great window into how the brain solves the problem of how we respond to external stimuli by moving our bodies in an appropriate way."

Mice are omnivores, and will eat fruit, vegetables, insects and meat. They are natural hunters, even though they are more often thought of as prey for larger creatures like snakes, hawks and cats.

Researchers decided to see how mice's behavior would change if certain neurons were stimulated using a process called optogenetics, which is also being experimented with to restore muscle movement in people who have been paralyzed, and to treat those with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.

Using an implantable brain device and a laser to activate certain neurons in the part of the brain known as the amygdala, researchers found two different pathways to changing a lab mouse's behavior -- one that triggered the animal's pursuit of prey, and another that signaled it to bite and kill.

"We could make them more efficient hunters in the sense that they would spend less time to be able to capture live prey and subdue it and kill it," said Araujo.

Story continues

"Perhaps more strikingly, when we used a bug made of plastic that was moving around the cage, we could make the animals pursue an object that they would normally avoid," he added.

"We triggered the behavior toward objects that were not live prey."

The amygdala is an almond-sized region of the temporal lobe known for its role in emotions like fear and pleasure, as well as motivation and survival instincts.

- Not killing machines -

However, researchers also noted that when other mice were included in the experiments, they did not attack each other.

"I wouldn't like people to think that this could be used for generating aggression," Araujo said.

"In fact, I don't think this is actually possible. I think the behavior is very specific to looking for food. They showed no interest in attacking things that are as large as they, or other mice."

The brain stimulation only worked under the control of lab technicians, and if any of the mice were to escape, they would likely soon become another animal's meal, he said.

"We are uncovering brain areas that weren't known before to have a direct relationship to muscle activity," explained Araujo.

"Over the long term, I expect this would help us understand why motor disease and degeneration affect mastication (chewing) and swallowing, which are very traumatic effects of motor diseases in people."

Asked for comment on the study, psychiatrist Monica Michell of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York said what is new about the research is how it delineates the exact pathways for predatory behavior, and that its location is in the amygdala was "not all that surprising."

"Anybody who has a dog knows that no matter how well-fed they are, if they see a squirrel they will run," she said.

"In terms of humans, it sort of confirms what we have been believing for a while -- that the amygdala is involved in emotions and that aggressive behavior is hard-wired and part of our makeup."
Farewell to 2016, arguably the worst year for religious freedom in living memory.

From genocide in Syria and Iraq to ethnic cleansing in Burma, religious oppression and persecution destroyed countless lives, exiled millions and fueled the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Most of the worlds population  more than 5 billion people  now lives in countries with high restrictions on religious freedom.

Meanwhile in the United States, many religious Americans felt under siege in 2016 as Islamophobia spiked, attacks on Sikhs and Hindus grew, anti-Semitism gained ground with the surge of White Supremacist groups, and Christian claims of conscience were too often dismissed and denigrated as acts of bigotry.

Bleak, but not hopeless: Beyond the numbing headlines of despair in the past year were signs of hope  small, but profound stories about the capacity of the human spirit to counter hate with compassion, destruction with healing, violence with peaceful coexistence.

Consider, for example, the Muslim and Christian faithful in Cameroon who began taking turns last year protecting one another from terrorist attacks by Boko Haram. On Fridays, Christians now guard the mosques during community prayer and on Sundays, Muslims protect churches during Sunday worship.

Closer to home, a broad coalition of religious groups, including the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee, Sikh Coalition, National Association of Evangelicals, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey, joined to support a court challenge by the Islamic Society after the Muslim group was denied an application to build a mosque in Bernards Township, N.J.

When ERLC president Russell Moore faced criticism for supporting Muslims at the annual Southern Baptist Convention last summer, he responded first as a Christian by saying: What it means to be a Baptist is to support soul liberty for everybody.

Whatever the motives for standing up for others  religious faith, civic virtue or enlightened self interest  religious freedom only works when a right for one is a right for all.

That was the takeaway from the protest at Standing Rock, a defining moment for religious freedom in 2016. Representatives from more than 300 Native American tribes converged to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline from being built under the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North and South Dakota. The tribe argued that the route would threaten sacred sites and life-giving water.

Native American tribes stood in solidarity with the Sioux  supported by thousands of military veterans, Black Lives Matter activists, religious leaders, civil libertarians and citizens of different faiths, races and political beliefs. In December, the two-year battle for Native American religious freedom ended in victory (for now at least) when the Obama administration denied the easement needed to run the pipeline under the river.

At Christmas, my household received a sign of hope  literally  when a kind priest gave us a wooden plaque with a saying from St. Teresa of Calcutta:

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

So in 2017, when the headlines overwhelm our conscience with death and destruction, we will inevitably feel helpless that we cant do the great things needed to end genocide, save the refugees or fully protect the many vulnerable Americans here at home.

But remember those villagers in Africa and Pakistan, the religious leaders in New Jersey and the veterans and activists standing with Native Americans in the Dakotas. And then emulate them by striving to do small things with great love.
Washington (AFP) - US Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine before leaving office, the White House said Thursday, a show of support amid concerns that Donald Trump will usher in more icy relations with Kiev.

"The vice president's trip to Ukraine will underscore US support -- and highlight his personal involvement in providing support -- for Ukrainian independence, democratic development, prosperity and security," the White House said.

Trump's refusal to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised questions about US support.

Barack Obama is the only president since George H W Bush not to visit independent Ukraine.

Bush was pilloried for visiting the country and cautioning Ukrainians about independence, dubbed his "Chicken Kiev" speech by conservatives at home.

Biden has spearheaded the Obama adminstrations effort to push Ukraine toward reforms as the country struggles with Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatist fighters in the east of the country.

Obama's adminstration has broadly supported the government in Kiev but has held off supplying lethal assistance.

Biden will meet President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela intelligence agents on Wednesday detained an opposition activist and accused him of planning violence though his party said the arms were placed in his car to frame him as part of an ongoing wave of government repression. In a familiar pattern of recent months against opposition activists, Gilber Caro, a substitute legislator for the hardline Popular Will party, was arrested on Wednesday at a roadway toll in Miranda state, the government said. "It's a matter of capturing and breaking up those who persist on the path of violence," said Vice President Tarek El Aissami, recently designated by socialist President Nicolas Maduro to head a new "anti-coup" unit within the government. The vice president said Caro was carrying a gun, bullets and explosives, adding that the opposition politician had a previous criminal record, including charges of murder and drug trafficking. Popular Will said Caro was returning from a family trip with his girlfriend when he was stopped and set up. "We demand his freedom," the party said. "Our fight is for a Venezuela where every person can express himself freely without fear of persecution or jail." While the government accuses opposition parties of seeking a coup with the connivance of Washington, critics say Maduro has taken the South American country down an increasingly dictatorial path. More than 100 political prisoners are now being held in Venezuela, according to the opposition and rights groups. (Reporting by Corina Pons and Andrew Cawthorne, editing by G Crosse)
By Diego Ore and Alexandra Ulmer CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela rounded up a dissident former general and two other regional politicians on Thursday in what the opposition called a wave of repression by socialist President Nicolas Maduro's government. With its popularity falling during a brutal economic crisis, Maduro's government cast the arrests as part of a crackdown against "terrorists" and coup plotters. Authorities put ex-general Raul Baduel, who was first jailed in 2009 for six years, back behind bars on accusations of breaking parole conditions by conspiring against the government. Two city councilmen, from Venezuela's second city Maracaibo and Bolivar state, were also arrested on Thursday, the government and opposition party Popular Will said. Another Maracaibo councilman was detained on Wednesday In addition, two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles warned that authorities are about to ban him from holding political office due to alleged irregularities in the Miranda state he governs. Capriles says the charges are trumped up. "This is a raid against those of us who will not sell our principles," Capriles said on Thursday, adding he had been fined for the alleged irregularities. "They're paving the way to later declare us... barred from office." Interior Minister Nestor Reverol, who is part of a new "anti-coup" unit set up by Maduro, said authorities were dismantling a new "terrorist" plot by right-wing politicians. "We wish to announce the detention of General Raul Isaias Baduel," he said in a speech on state TV. "Important criminal evidence was uncovered in a search of his home." Baduel played a key role in the rescue of Maduro predecessor Hugo Chavez from a coup in 2002, but later broke ranks with him and was arrested on charges of illicit enrichment when defense minister. Baduel has always called the accusations politically motivated. While Maduro accuses opponents of seeking to oust him with the connivance of Washington, critics say he has taken Venezuela down an increasingly dictatorial path. More than 100 political prisoners are being held in Venezuela, according to the opposition and rights groups. Vatican-backed mediation talks intended to free prisoners and ease the bitter political standoff stalled in December. On Wednesday, Maduro said the opposition-held National Assembly had effectively "self-dissolved" by defying Supreme Court rulings against it. "The regime accelerates its anti-democratic strategy of continued coup d'etat against democracy, the constitution and the people, ignoring parliament, jailing lawmakers and harassing governors," the opposition Democratic Unity coalition said. (Additional reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Deisy Buitrago; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alistair Bell)
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan authorities Thursday said they arrested four opponents of President Nicolas Maduro for plotting an armed revolt, while the opposition accused him of using intimidation to cling to power.

The arrests raised tension in the volatile South American country after Maduro launched an "anti-coup commando squad" led by his new hardline vice president, Tareck El Aissami.

That was a response to opposition lawmakers' latest efforts to remove Maduro over an economic crisis that has caused food shortages and deadly riots.

- 'Terrorist plan': government -

The son of Raul Baduel, a retired general-turned-critic of Maduro, said on Twitter that authorities had revoked the parole of his father who served six years in jail for corruption.

Authorities also arrested opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro and two opposition councillors, Jorge Luis Gonzalez and Rosmer Rubio.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said the four were suspected of links to "a terrorist plan of destabilization."

He alleged that Caro, Gonzalez and Rubio were found in possession of firearms and explosives and that Baduel had held meetings about the plot.

Reverol also alleged the involvement of Lilian Tintori, a high-profile critic of Maduro who is the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Tintori earlier branded Caro's detention an "abduction."

During a Thursday news conference, she called the government's accusations of a coup "false," stating that "we want a way out of this disaster in a constitutional, peaceful and electoral way."

- 'Fear and terror': opposition -

Maduro said last week he had appointed El Aissami to crack down on "right-wing terrorists" -- his name for political opponents who he says are mounting a "coup" against him.

"The only tool the government has against the people is to use fear and terror," opposition congressional speaker Julio Borges told reporters after the latest arrests.

Story continues

"That is why it has sworn in a group it calls the anti-coup squad."

The opposition MUD coalition says there are about 100 political prisoners being held in Venezuela.

It blames Maduro for an economic crisis that has prompted deadly riots and looting due to shortages of food and medicine.

It wants a popular vote on removing him from office and has called for fresh street protests on January 23.

Maduro says the crisis is the result of a US-backed capitalist conspiracy.

- 'Maximum tension': analyst -

Opposition majority lawmakers in the National Assembly passed Monday a motion declaring that Maduro had effectively "abandoned his post" by failing to tackle the economic crisis.

Maduro branded that move a "coup" attempt and vowed that his opponents "will have to live with the consequences."

He considers the assembly illegitimate since the courts have ruled in his favor by disqualifying some of its opposition members.

"There is no limit to the National Assembly's abuse of power and its capacity to act ridiculously. It is self-destructing," Maduro said in televised comments.

Vatican-mediated talks between the two sides broke down last month, with the opposition accusing the government of bad faith.

Political analyst Manuel Malaver said the arrests marked "an episode of maximum tension" in Venezuela's political standoff.

"The situation is extremely dangerous and I see no will by either side to sit down and come to an agreement," Malaver told AFP.

"We are seeing the situation escalate towards a greater confrontation."
(Reuters) - Sixteen months after admitting in September 2015 that it cheated U.S. diesel emissions tests, Volkswagen is still battling regulatory investigations, investor and consumer lawsuits, and striving to rebuild its reputation. Following are key developments in the scandal, based in part on information disclosed in the company's settlement with the U.S. Justice Department on Jan. 11, 2017. May 2006: VW admitted in the Jan. 11, 2017, settlement that between May 2006 and November 2015, VW supervisors and VW employees agreed to deceive U.S. regulators and U.S. customers about whether vehicles complied with U.S. emissions standards. 2006: VW designed a new diesel engine, the EA 189 2.0 liter, for use in the United States. When nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions standards were made more stringent, VW engineers realized they may not meet the new standards. Supervisors then designed a software device to recognize whether the vehicle was undergoing standard U.S. emissions testing on a dynamometer. This allowed the engine to be calibrated to meet the tests, when it was unable to do so under normal road driving conditions. 2006: Engineers from VW's Audi brand designed a 3 liter diesel engine for the U.S. market. In order to pass U.S. emissions tests, Audi engineers designed and installed software to detect testing. May 17, 2006: A VW engineer sent an email to employees in the VW Brand Engine Development department that described aspects of the software and cautioned against using it in its current form because it was a mechanism to detect, evade and defeat U.S. emissions cycles and tests. November 2006: VW employees briefed a supervisor on the purpose and design of the "defeat device." During the meeting, the supervisor decided that VW should continue with the production of the defeat device, and instructed those in attendance, in sum and substance "not to get caught." April 2013: VW increased the likelihood that the vehicle could detect an emissions test by activating a "steering wheel angle recognition" feature. During an emissions test the steering wheel is not turned. VW then installed the software in new and existing vehicles through software updates during maintenance. March 2014: In or around March 2014, certain VW employees learned of the results of a study into VW diesel engines undertaken by West Virginia University's Centre for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions and commissioned by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). In response, the VW Brand Engine Development department formed a task force to formulate responses to questions that arose from the U.S. regulators. Supervisors subsequently decided to pursue a strategy of concealing the defeat device in responding to questions from U.S. regulators, while appearing to cooperate. May 2014: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) receives the study published by the ICCT which shows NOx values for VW diesel vehicles deviate significantly between bench testing and road operation. CARB requests an explanation from VW. May 23, 2014: A memo about the ICCT study is prepared for Martin Winterkorn, then VW group CEO, which was included in what the company calls his "extensive weekend email". VW says it has not been documented as to whether, or how much, Winterkorn took notice of the memo. Nov. 14, 2014: Winterkorn receives another memo that contains, among other items, information on current product defects and which refers to costs of approximately 20 million euros ($22 million) for the diesel issue in North America. December 2014: VW offers to recalibrate the first and second generation EA 189 diesel engines as part of regular service work in the hope that the engines will then pass muster with CARB. In 2014: Winterkorn received information on problems with U.S. diesel emissions tests. The issue "did not initially receive particular attention at the management levels" since management regarded it as a "technical problem that did not differ from other everyday technical problems," VW said in a 2016 statement summarizing its response to a shareholder lawsuit. Summer 2015: VW's Committee for Product Safety (APS) establishes a diesel task force after CARB tests show modified engines still produce excessive levels of NOx. VW retains U.S. law firm Kirkland & Ellis to advise on questions related to U.S. emissions law. July 27, 2015: After U.S. regulators threatened not to certify VW model year 2016 vehicles for sale in the United States, some VW employees discuss the U.S. diesel problems on the sidelines of a regular meeting about damage and product issues, in the presence of Winterkorn and Herbert Diess, head of the VW brand. VW says it is still constructing details of the meeting, and establishing whether those present understood the change in software violated U.S. regulations. VW says Winterkorn asked for further clarification of the issue. Aug. 18, 2015: Supervisors approved a script to be followed by VW employees during an upcoming meeting with CARB in California on or about Aug. 19, 2015. The script provided for continued concealment of the defeat device. End of August, 2015: VW technicians give a full explanation of causes for discrepancies in NOx emissions to VW's in-house lawyers as well to U.S. attorneys from Kirkland & Ellis. A management board member - not identified by VW - realises the software changes constitute a defeat device prohibited under U.S. law. Aug. 27, 2016: VW Group of Americas legal team sent a text of a litigation hold notice to "Attorney A" in VWs Wolfsburg office that would require recipients to preserve and retain records in their control. "Attorney A indicated to his staff on August 31 that the hold would be sent out at VW AG on September 1 ... Attorney A indicated that a hold was imminent, and that these engineers should check their documents, which multiple participants understood to mean that they should delete documents prior to the hold being issued," according to the Justice Department settlement. "Within VW AG and Audi AG, thousands of documents were deleted by approximately 40 VW AG and Audi AG employees." Sept. 3, 2015: VW formally communicates information about the defeat device to CARB and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during a meeting. Winterkorn is informed in a note, dated Sept. 4. Sept. 18, 2015: The EPA issues a public notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to VW, alleging that model year 2009-2015 VW and Audi diesel cars with 2.0 liter engine included defeat devices. The disclosure by U.S. regulators comes as a surprise to VW which had hoped to resolve the case "amicably" with U.S. authorities without having to make a disclosure. VW admits to 11 million vehicles affected worldwide. Sept. 23, 2015: Winterkorn resigns, saying his departure cleared the way for a "fresh start." Sept. 25, 2015: VW appoints Matthias Mueller, head of its Porsche unit, as new chief executive. Oct. 14, 2015: Winfried Vahland, a company veteran designated to head up operations in the United States from Nov. 1, 2015 onwards, unexpectedly quits. Jan. 4, 2016: The U.S. Justice Department files a civil suit against VW seeking up to $46 billion for Clean Air Act violations. March 29, 2016: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission files a lawsuit against VW for false advertising over claims that diesel vehicles were environmentally friendly, saying U.S. consumers suffered "billions of dollars in injury." April 22, 2016: VW posts a 4.1 billion euros operating loss for 2015, thanks a 16.2 billion euros hit to pay for the emissions scandal. Oct. 25, 2016: U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco signs off on a settlement with federal and California regulators. VW agrees to spend up to $10.03 billion on vehicle buybacks and owner compensation and $4.7 billion on programs to offset excess emissions and boost clean-vehicle projects. Nov. 22, 2016: VW says it will stop selling diesel vehicles in the United States. Dec. 22, 2016: U.S. District Judge Breyer says an agreement in principle has been reached to provide "substantial compensation" to owners of about 80,000 3.0 liter diesel vehicles. Jan. 4, 2017: VW says CEO Mueller will skip the Detroit auto show. Jan. 10, 2017: VW says it is in advanced talks with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Customs and Border protection to reach a $4.3 billion settlement of criminal investigations and legal fines in connection with the emissions cheating. Jan. 11, 2017: VW's supervisory board meets to discuss U.S. settlement. Jan. 11, 2017: Announcing the settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, U.S. attorney general Loretta E. Lynch says at a press conference in Washington: "This announcement does not mean that our investigation is complete ... We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy." (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter)
WASHINGTON (AP)  Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany have been indicted in the U.S. in the automaker's emissions-cheating scandal as prosecutors made good on efforts to charge individuals in a corporate corruption case.

But bringing them to trial in the U.S. is another matter.

In announcing the federal charges and a corporate plea bargain by Volkswagen, Justice Department prosecutors on Wednesday detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside the German automaker to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

The company agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion  by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

"Volkswagen obfuscated, they denied and they ultimately lied," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

But prosecutors may have trouble bringing the executives to trial in the U.S. German law generally bars extradition of the country's citizens except within the European Union. Privately, Justice officials expressed little optimism that the five VW executives still at large will be arrested, unless they surrender or travel outside Germany.

Still, the criminal charges are a major breakthrough for a Justice Department that been under pressure to hold individuals accountable for corporate misdeeds ever since the 2008 financial crisis.

U.S. authorities are still investigating just how high the scheme went, and held out the possibility of charges against more VW executives.

"We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy," Lynch said.

VW admitted installing software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the U.S. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit.

Story continues

U.S. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences in testing and real-world emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the so-called defeat device but finally admitted it in September 2015.

Even after that admission, prosecutors said, company employees were busy deleting computer files and other evidence.

The fines easily eclipse the $1.2 billion penalty levied against Toyota in 2014 over unintended acceleration in its cars. VW also agreed to pay an additional $154 million to California for violating its clean air laws.

The penalties bring the cost of the scandal to VW in the United States to nearly $20 billion, not counting lost sales and damage to the automaker's reputation. Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion civil settlement with U.S. environmental authorities and car owners under which it agreed to repair or buy back as many as a half-million of the affected vehicles.

Although the cost is staggering and would bankrupt many companies, VW has the money, with $33 billion in cash on hand.

As for why the fine was so big, "the premeditation here was very significant and that was at a very high level in the company," said Leslie Caldwell, an assistant U.S. attorney general.

"Lower-level people actually expressed concern along the way about the fact these defeat devices were being used and questioned whether they should be used. And higher-up people decided to use them," Caldwell said. "Volkswagen also lied to the regulators and the Department of Justice once our investigation had started. That's what distinguishes this."

Volkswagen pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importing vehicles by using false statements. Under the agreement, VW must cooperate in the investigation and let an independent monitor oversee its compliance for three years.

The six supervisors indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit were accused of lying to environmental regulators or destroying computer files containing evidence.

All six are German citizens, and five remained in Germany. The only one under arrest was Oliver Schmidt, who was seized over the weekend in Miami during a visit to the U.S.

Schmidt was in charge of VW's compliance with U.S. environmental regulations. Those indicted also included two former chiefs of Volkswagen engine development and the former head of quality management and product safety. Prosecutors said one supervised 10,000 employees.

All six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by making false statements to regulators and the public. Three were also charged with fraud and clean-air violations.

VW also faces an investor lawsuit and a criminal investigation in Germany. In all, some 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the software.

____

Krisher and Durbin reported from Detroit. David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this article.
As the Earth warms up, you may want to lay off the shellfish: Warmer ocean waters are linked to increased  and possibly dangerous  levels of domoic acid, a toxin in shellfish and other marine animals that can make people sick, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at more than two decades' worth of data, from 1991 to 2015, and compared ocean water conditions off the Oregon coast (using measures of climate variability such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which looks at factors including not only temperatures but also ocean current) with the levels of domoic acid in Oregon's razor clams (Siliqua patula). [7 Foods You Can Overdose On]

The results showed that in the years when the climate was warmer  including years with higher ocean temperatures and changes in ocean currents  the levels of domoic acid in the razor clams were higher, the researchers said in a statement fromOregon State University. Specifically, the researchers' analysis of the data from this period showed that the five years with the highest levels of annual domoic acid were also the five years with the warmest ocean conditions.

Domoic acid is a neurotoxin. The compound is produced by marine algae, and accumulates in animals that consume that algae, at increasingly higher levels up the food chain. People who ingest it can develop a neurological disorder called domoic acid poisoning (DAP), also referred to as amnesic shellfish poisoning, which involves symptoms such as stomach pains, diarrhea, seizures, numbing of the face, memory loss and, in rare cases, death.

Domoic acid was first identified as a health threat in 1987, and levels of it have been monitored along the United States' western coast since 1991. Humans generally develop DAP after ingesting shellfish or anchovies; cooking or freezing the fish or shellfish does not lower the compound's toxicity. To help guard against this risk, agencies such as the Oregon Department of Agriculture monitor the domoic-acid levels of shellfish every two to four weeks, and suspend shellfish harvesting if they find that the level of domoic acid in shellfish tissue exceeds 20 parts per million.

Story continues

As of 2016, just over 70 percent of the approximately 1,500 razor clams sampled in Oregon since 1992 had domoic-acid levels below 20 parts per million, Morgaine McKibben, lead author of the paper and a doctoral student at Oregon State University, told Live Science.

Oregon has seen no deaths or documented sicknesses related to domoic acid, as standard testing has prevented the harvesting of toxic shellfish, said study co-author Matthew Hunter, a researcher at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. [Top 5 Ways to Reduce Toxins in Homes]

In the study, the researchers also created a model that tracks climate conditions in an effort to predict large increases in the levels of the toxin. The researchers plan to make the model freely available in order to help authorities make important management decisions about fishing areas in Oregon, Washington and California, they said.

However, the researchers noted in the study that, even though testing showed that their model is strongly predictive of when an increase will occur, it might still generate false positives, or occasionally miss a domoic-acid event.

But even still, "this is a significant study," Judith McDowell, a senior scientist and associate dean at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who was not involved in the research, told Live Science.

Ultimately, McDowell said, the model could help reduce the public health risks by alerting agencies when shellfish are dangerous for human consumption.

"The biggest takeaway is that the ocean temperatures are changing, and that has the potential for more frequent and more extreme harmful algal blooms that have significant implication[s] [for] not only fisheries but also natural resources and human health," Hunter told Live Science.

Originally published on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Theyre popular, but wearable devices that track exercise or sleep are not always the most accurate predictors of health. Still, researchers see them as promising tools, and in a new study from Stanford University School of Medicine, they found that wearables can potentially let us know when were getting sick.

By equipping 60 people with several activity monitorsmost people got a Basis smartwatchthe researchers collected close to 2 billion measurements, including heart rate, sleep, fitness, weight, skin temperature and blood oxygen levels. Using this information, they showed it is possible to identify abnormal changes in a persons typical vital signs, which could signal a change in their health. The findings were published in the journal PLOS Biology.

Study author Michael Snyder, professor and chair of genetics at Stanford, learned that he was getting sick from the feedback he was getting from his own wearable devices. When he was flying to Norway for vacation, Snyderwho was wearing seven biosensorsnoticed abnormal changes in his heart rate and blood oxygen levels. When his levels didnt return to normal, he thought something might be wrong. He soon came down with a fever and was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease.

The doctor I visited in Norway was certainly surprised I was following myself that closely, says Snyder. I see a world where everyone is wearing these and your smartphone is like your car dashboard: lights go off when things are not quite right, like elevated heart rate or skin temperature.

The researchers also found that when people had higher heart rates and skin temperatures, they also tended to have higher levels of C-reactive protein in their blood, a marker for inflammation. This can sometimes indicate the presence of disease. If wearables could determine baseline levels for certain health markers, algorithms could be designed to pick up on changes from that baselineall information that could help reach a diagnosis, the study suggests.

Story continues

With a few other measurements, algorithms may also be able to predict whether a person is likely to be insulin resistant, which is a precursor for diabetes, the researchers show.

Wearables dont alert people to meaningful changes in their health yet, but they may in the future. I see this information getting relayed straight to your doctors office, says Snyder. Right now, a physician sees you for 15 minutes and takes these measurements in less than a minuteusually when you are anxious, so they are not very accurate.

If instead a physician could look at how a persons stats changed over the past few weeks or months, they may be better able to identify any red flags and provide more tailored care.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)  Jim Justice, the billionaire coal baron soon to be governor of West Virginia, is handing his business empire over to family members before he takes office, following a similar path as President-elect Donald Trump. There is no overarching law mandating what governors must do, and others have opted to put their holdings into a blind trust to avoid conflict. Here is a sampling of how well-heeled governors have handled their business stakes:

FLORIDA

Republican Gov. Rick Scott reported his worth at about $218 million when running for office in 2010. He spent about $73 million of his own money on the campaign. After the election, he faced questions over potential conflicts, including his ownership of Solantic, a chain of urgent health clinics. Critics said he could financially benefit from state Medicaid policies and his proposals to force state workers and welfare recipients to take drug tests. Courts later found the drug testing policies unconstitutional.

Worth: Scott currently lists his worth at just under $120 million, but the figure doesn't include assets wholly owned by his wife, who isn't required to list her wealth.

Business: Scott owned a chain of 32 urgent health clinics and had holdings in several other companies when he took office.

What was done with the money: Florida law prohibits officials from owning a stake in companies that do business with their agencies or which their agencies regulate. Scott immediately put Solantic in his wife's name after the election and placed his remaining assets in a blind trust while seeking a buyer for the health clinic chain, which he sold his first year in office.

ILLINOIS

Bruce Rauner, a wealthy private equity investor, campaigned on a conservative agenda in a state that had seen Democratic control of the House, Senate and governor's mansion for 12 years.

Worth: $500 million to $1 billion

Businesses: More than 100 companies in which he lists partnership, membership interest or stock ownership.

Story continues

What Was Done With The Money: Just before his January 2015 inauguration, he and his wife, Diana, announced that they would put their assets into a blind trust. But the Chicago Tribune reported later that month that instead of a blind trust, the governor had granted administrative power over his money to an investment adviser. Experts say the plan allows the Rauners and the adviser to share financial information.

KENTUCKY

Republican Matt Bevin used more than $4 million of his own money to win the governor's mansion in 2015. Most of his wealth comes from his career as an investment manager, including building his own company in 2003 only to sell it in 2010. He owns all or part of 10 different companies, whose business includes a candy story, LED signs, computer software and medical devices.

Worth: Bevin's true worth is unknown, since he is the first Kentucky governor in recent memory to refuse to release his personal income tax returns. During his 2014 run for the U.S. Senate, Bevin reported a net worth of between $15.5 million and $60.6 million.

Businesses: Bevin owns all or part of 10 companies.

What was done with the money: It remains unclear. Kentucky law does not require the governor to divest himself of his business interests. It does require the governor to abstain from decision making if he has a personal interest in the matter. In that case, the decision would fall to the lieutenant governor. It is unclear if he has taken steps to distance himself from those assets.

PENNSYLVANIA

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf sailed into office in 2015 with the help of $10 million of his own money. Much of Wolf's wealth is tied to the family-held building products distribution company he ran for nearly three decades.

Worth: Undisclosed; in tax returns he has showed to reporters, Wolf reported nearly $2.2 million in adjusted income in 2012 and $1.3 million in adjusted income in 2013.

Businesses: Before he took office, Wolf chaired his family-held company, the Wolf Organization, but also disclosed that he held stakes in other businesses, including a private holding company that owns a network of construction contractors.

What Was Done With The Money: Wolf stepped down from the company before taking office, and reported to a state ethics board that he sold his businesses interests and put the proceeds into a blind trust. His administration has not released a copy of the blind trust agreement and Pennsylvania does not require a governor to divest interests or refuse outside income.

TENNESSEE

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam was heavily criticized during his 2010 bid for governor for refusing to release his tax filings or disclose earnings from his family-owned Pilot Flying J truck stop chain with annual revenues of about $30 billion.

Worth: Forbes magazine has estimated Haslam's personal wealth at about $2 billion.

Businesses: Haslam's family owns Pilot Flying J, the country's largest diesel retailer.

What was done with the money: On the day he was sworn into office, Haslam signed an executive order scuttling requirements for the governor and top aides to disclose outside income. Haslam announced that he would create a blind trust for his private investments  except for his undisclosed shares in Pilot and a real estate holding company. The governor said he had had no day-to-day knowledge of Pilot's operations since leaving the company to run for Knoxville mayor in 2003.

But Haslam's refusal to include Pilot in the blind trust raised questions two years later when federal agents raided the company's Knoxville headquarters in connection with a scheme to cheat customers out of promised discounts. Eighteen employees were criminally charged and the company paid a $92 million federal penalty.

VERMONT

As lieutenant governor of Vermont, Republican Phil Scott was criticized because the construction company he co-owned with his cousin did business with the state. During his campaign, he promised to sell his portion of the business if elected governor. He took office last week.

Worth: $3.1 million

Businesses: Former co-owner of DuBois Construction of Middlesex, Vermont.

What Was Done With The Money: He sold the business Dec. 30 for $2.5 million, but he financed the purchase himself, meaning the buyer will be making payments to the governor. Vermont Democrats have criticized Scott for financing the sale, arguing that Scott will still have a financial interest in the success of the business. Scott is planning to discuss the details of the sale on Friday.

___

Associated Press writers Erik Schelzig in Nashville, Tennessee; Adam Beam in Frankfort, Kentucky; Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Michael Virtanen in Morganton, West Virginia; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Jeff Karoub in Detroit, Michigan; John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois; and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed.
Because of this, we are starting a community education and email campaign to address unequal funding of all rural schools. The La Crescent-Hokah School District is mostly residential homeowners, so it pays two to three times more in property taxes to support school levies and bonds than similar homeowners in high property wealth districts (bigger cities). A few items to be addressed include increasing state assistance for local school operating and building bond levies, easing the impact on school levies from agricultural and seasonal/recreational property, and increasing special education funding.

We are working on this project with Deb Griffiths, director of communications and community outreach for Schools for Equity in Education. Griffiths will be in La Crescent Jan. 26 for a 7 p.m. meeting in the high school cafeteria. She will discuss why our schools continue to struggle financially and what we can do to help. These meetings will give us a base knowledge of how schools are funded. We need you  the people of La Crescent and Hokah  to help in equalizing tax dollars back to our school district.
By Ivor Gaber

To verify, or not to verify? That is the question that journalists face on an almost daily basis; but the issue of whether media organizations should publish information that isn't 100 percent watertight has been brought into sharp relief by the latest stories about Donald Trump and his alleged involvement with Russia.

Verification is a major issue for journalists; the American Press Institute, for example, talks about journalism as a " discipline of verification." But alas, it is not as simple as that and, like so much else in journalism, it all comes down to the professional judgment of the individual journalist.

In the past, I have conducted training courses in developing countries with American colleagues and I often used to wince as I heard them say, as if it were an unbreakable rule, that journalists should not publish anything that hadn't been verified by two independent sources.

[READ: Donald Trump and the Clickbait Presidency]

It was nonsense then and remains so. If I receive a press release from Downing Street telling me that the prime minister has resigned, I do not need verification to put that story out (as long as I am sure of the provenance of the release). Even if the information comes from a "source," if that source is reliable and had proved so in the past -- for example, Alastair Campbell speaking on behalf of Tony Blair -- then that too would require no further verification. If, on the other hand, a junior backbencher with whom I have had no previous contact had sidled up to me and whispered the same information into my ear, then I sure as hell would have wanted verification.

Queen was not amused

The recent case of the BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, and the Queen's attitude to Brexit is instructive in this matter. During the campaign, The Sun ran a story that the Queen had spoken out in favor of the Leave campaign -- it was a major controversy and both the Palace and the press regulator IPSO condemned the paper. Speaking on the BBC's Today programme more recently, Kuenssberg revealed that she had received similar information but had not been able to verify it and so had kept quiet.

Story continues

At the time, it appeared that The Sun's source was the former justice minister Michael Gove, a leading Leave campaigner. Nonetheless, if a former senior minister had told me that he had actually heard the Queen saying that she was in favor of Brexit then, without further verification -- although perhaps indicating that my source was "a senior member of the Leave campaign" -- I would have run the story.

Trumped-up tale?

So now we come to Donald Trump and his links to Russia -- and all that this has allegedly involved. Buzzfeed's editor-in-chief, Ben Smith, sent a memo to staff -- which was subsequently released -- in which he justifies publishing the information, while saying there is "serious reason to doubt the allegations." His reasoning was that this information had been "in wide circulation at the highest levels of the American government and the media" and that publication "reflects how we see the job of reporters in 2017."

Here's the note I sent to @buzzfeednews staff this evening pic.twitter.com/OcAloWzVzb

-- Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen)

January 11, 2017

Is he right? And what should other news outlets do about the story? Most have focused on the medium rather than the message -- for example, that this information had been given by the security services to Trump, Obama and senior Republicans some time back. The information is being strongly challenged by Trump who has tweeted that it is "fake news." So in this light -- and without further verification -- most of the "legacy" media have declined to provide their readers with any details about the report's content, other than in the most general of terms.

'BuzzFeed Runs Unverifiable Trump-Russia Claims' #FakeNews https://t.co/d6daCFZHNh

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

January 11, 2017

Are they right? Well, up to a point, although there is a large whiff of "having cake and eating it" (as Britain's foreign secretary is wont to say) about the legacy media's treatment of the story. I read the full 35-page dossier thanks to The Guardian. In its story, it goes into great detail about who knew what and when, but the piece reveals little of the content of the report.

But it does, very helpfully, provide a link to the news website Buzzfeed. Now Buzzfeed might be a relatively upstart in the news game but over the past couple of years it has demonstrated that it is a reliable and robust news source -- despite the listicles, the pet cats and the "funny" videos.

But Buzzfeed did much the same thing in its story as The Guardian, not giving many details about the content but helpfully providing a link to a PDF of the full document, with the key passages highlighted (by whom?). It was the same with the New York Times, though it has made the curious reader go through a more circuitous route, having to first click through to the CNN International site which then gave the link to Buzzfeed and the document.

Matter of judgment

Having noted all this, I remain unconvinced that the allegations should have been published. Buzzfeed admits they are unverified and that they think there is reason to doubt them. So, at this stage, the only verification comes from unnamed intelligence sources -- would those be the same sources that told us about WMD in Iraq for example? We need intelligence services, but we should not trust them as unimpeachable sources whose information can be reported without verification. As I said at the beginning, it all comes down to judgment.

One final observation. It all would be deliciously amusing if these matters were not so important -- for Trump describes the reports as "fake news." This from, if not the founder, then one of the best exponents and major beneficiaries of the genre. A list of Trump lies would take up this entire article but suffice to say that, according to some estimates, during the three presidential debates with Hillary Clinton he lied on average once every 50 seconds.

So what goes around comes around. If, in this case, Trump is the innocent victim of "fake news" he has no one to blame but himself. On the other hand, if it is not fake news then that is even more troubling.

This article was written by Ivor Gaber, professor of journalism at the University of Sussex, for The Conversation on Jan. 11, 2017. It is republished with permission.
The New Years first Friday the 13th is already among us, which may be a blow to those hoping this year would feel a little luckier than the last.

Tomorrows Friday the 13th isnt the only one well see in 2017, either: We get another unfortunate Friday in the weeks leading up to Halloween in October. This isnt particularly shocking, since any month that begins on a Sunday has a Friday the 13th. Not that you needed another reason to be angry at 2016.

For those of you with paraskevidekatriaphobia (a particular fear of Friday the 13th), it could be worse. While most years have one or two Fridays that fall on the 13th of the month, 11 years this century will contain three. It will happen again in 2021.

Read More: Heres Why Friday the 13th Is Considered Unlucky

Historians have traced the negative association with the number 13 back to Christian tradition, such as how 13 people attended the Last Supper before the Friday Jesus was crucified. But popular culture, including the Friday the 13th films, has certainly helped fuel the superstition.

So we wish you well if youre a believer, and hope your day is free of broken mirrors and black cats of any kind.
Protesters who were arrested for disrupting the Senate hearing on former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillersons nomination for secretary of state Wednesday said they have no regrets about the demonstrations.

During the hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the protesters held up signs reading RejectRexx (a pun on his name and Exxon) and shouted their opposition to appointing a longtime oilman with deep ties to Russia as the countrys top diplomat.

James Burch, 31, of San Francisco, stood up and shouted, Senators, your duty is clear. You must reject Rex Tillerson!

As Capitol police escorted Burch from the hearing room, he said, The people do not want an oilman as secretary of state.

He said he was taken to a quiet vestibule, where he was searched and then booked on misdemeanor charges at a Capitol Police station.

I think I got my message across. That message was for everybody to stand up and fight for what they believe in, Burch told Yahoo News Thursday. With respect to Tillerson, I think he poses a grave threat to our environment, and I felt the need to stand up and let the senators on the committee know that I felt that way.

Activist James Burch of San Francisco, California, holds up a Reject Rexx protest sign. (Photo: Ken Cedeno/Greenpeace)

Many Americans from both parties have expressed concern about the relationship Tillerson cultivated with Moscow as chief executive of ExxonMobil. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally awarded him the Order of Friendship, one of the most prestigious honors Russia gives to foreign citizens, in 2013. The following year, Tillerson opposed economic sanctions against Russia after its military invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. ExxonMobil had several lucrative business deals with Russia including plans to drill in the Arctic  underway at the time.

If you have Tillerson pursuing oil interests and Russia pursuing oil interests, it seems like theres little else that would be considered between the two of them, Burch said.

Beth Henry, 62, of Charlotte, N.C., said she disrupted the hearing because she is worried about the future of the planet for her three children and two grandchildren.

Story continues

Why is Rex Tillerson friends with Putin? she recalled shouting during the hearing. Because they both want to drill and burn the Arctic. That would ruin the climate and destroy the future for our children and grandchildren. Please dont put Exxon in charge of the State Department.

Henry said she yelled loudly enough that she thinks the senators heard her message. She was also heartened that many of senators questions addressed the issues she tried to raise, especially questions about Tillersons relationship with Putin and its potential effect on climate change.

Like Burch, Henry was charged with a misdemeanor and released.

Activist Beth Henry of Charlotte, N.C., continues to protest as she is escorted from the confirmation hearing. (Photo: Pat Ryan/Greenpeace)

She told Yahoo News that she doesnt mind looking foolish if theres hope of conveying the urgency and magnitude of the climate threat, especially to future generations.

Many children worldwide are already being harmed, Henry said. Part of what I want to do as a 62-year-old grandmother is try to get that message heard, and hopefully make other folks know that they can summon up the will to stand up.

In a phone interview with Yahoo News, Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer for international energy companies who has also represented Russian oil oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, said Americans shouldnt be concerned about the friendly signals Trump has been sending to Putin.

Amsterdam, who has been personally detained and expelled from Russia, said he has absolutely no fondness for Putin, believes hes the leader of a Mafia state, and denounces his interference with the U.S. election.

Still, he thinks concerns about Trump or Tillerson being in Putins pocket are without merit. He said that Tillerson is an extraordinarily competent guy, and he sees no inherent conflict between his career at ExxonMobil and his appointment as chief U.S. diplomat.

Tillerson fits the Trump transactional mode, he said. Hes not going to be someone for whom American principles are going to be as important as many of us would like. But do I see an inherent conflict? No. Trump has picked a very savvy, transactional guy at a very dangerous time in the world.

Robert Amsterdam is an international attorney who represents energy companies. (Photo: Julie Carr Smyth/AP)

Amsterdam suggested that acting as if Moscow single-handedly skewed the election is essentially hacking into Russian politics by making Putin look far more successful than he deserves to.

He argued that Trump is playing a realistic card with the Russians, and that he is not a Putin sycophant. He suggested that Trump probably fears that acknowledging Russias interference in the U.S. election would delegitimize his election victory.

This does not show a slavish devotion to Russia, Amsterdam said.

Michael Brune, the executive director of the Sierra Club, released a statement Wednesday calling upon the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject Tillersons nomination.

Rex Tillerson has been knee-deep in the oil and gas industry for more than four decades, working for Exxon, which not only deliberately concealed its knowledge of climate change for decades, but pushed climate science denial while being responsible for one of the costliest environmental disasters in history, he said, referring to the 1989 oil spill from the tanker Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

Tillerson cant be trusted to protect the health and interests of all Americans when he has demonstrated over and over again he is more invested in Exxons massive profits and the dirtiest fuels known to humanity.

Read more from Yahoo News:
President-elect Donald Trump called WikiLeaks "disgraceful" and said there should be a "death penalty" for the site's actions during a 2010 interview. Fast forward to 2017, and it now appears Julian Assange, the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, and Trump are the best of friends. That's because no matter what substantial evidence has come to light about Trump's alleged sordid dealings with Russia, WikiLeaks has repeatedly come to Trump's rescue.

News website Buzzfeed released a document Tuesday that allegedly revealed Russian officials' ties to Trump. With President Vladimir Putin's consent, Russian officials allegedly have been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for five years, according to the 35-page leaked document. The report also claimed he received intelligence information on political opponents from Moscow.

Buzzfeed admitted that the document was unverified and potentially unverifiable, due to certain errors. Their motive upon releasing the controversial report is so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the President-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the U.S. government," the website stated.

Trump called the report a "political witch hunt" on his Twitter page, denying his ties with Russia.

WikiLeaks, a multi-national media organization that is known for anonymously publishing classified information regarding spy, war and corruption, also took to Twitter to side with Trump in a series of tweets.

One message read: "Evidence mounts as to the lack of credible sourcing for the CIA's report on Russia & Donald Trump." Another one read: "35 page PDF published by Buzzfeed on Trump is not an intelligence report. Style, facts & dates show no credibility." Then came another: "WikiLeaks has a 100% record of accurate authentication. We do not endorse Buzzfeed's publication of a document which is clearly bogus."

Story continues

The CIA has said the Russian government played a significant role in helping Trump win the 2016 presidential election on Nov. 8 by hacking emails from Democratic officials during the presidential campaign. Both Trump and Russian officials denied the CIA's accusations.

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks leaked nearly 20,000 emails from top Democratic National Committee officials from January 2015 through May 2016 that sought to keep Hillary Clinton from the White House. Assange again came to Trump's defense in a Fox News interview last week Wednesday, saying that the source was not from the Russian government.

Not long after the interview, Trump tweeted: "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!"

Assange has defended the leaked documents for promoting a robust democracy. WikiLeaks is a giant library of the worlds most persecuted documents. We give asylum to these documents, we analyze them, we promote them and we obtain more, Assange said in a Der Spiegel Interview.

Related Articles
Berlin (AFP) - German organisers of a meeting of European right-wing populist and anti-immigration parties said Thursday they would bar a number of journalists they deem hostile, sparking protests from media groups.

The Alterative for Germany (AfD) plans to meet France's far-right chief Marine Le Pen, Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders and Italy's Matteo Salvini of the Northern League on January 21 in the western city of Koblenz.

The AfD's Marcus Pretzell, a co-organiser of the conference for some 1,000 delegates, announced that all publicly funded media would be barred, reported German news agency DPA.

Reporters from German news weekly Der Spiegel, the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, business newspaper Handelsblatt and the magazine Compact had also been denied accreditation, said Pretzell, a regional party leader.

Pretzell charged in comments to DPA that public broadcasters were biased against them and could produce their "scripted" stories without having access to the conference.

While the banned journalists would not be able to cover speeches by AfD leader Frauke Petry, Le Pen, Wilders and others, all would be able to attend press conferences, he said.

Chief editors of German public broadcaster ARD accused organisers of the meeting of "massive interference in media freedom" and said they may take legal action.

German Journalists' Association chairman Frank Ueberall said political parties that shape public life have an obligation to allow open press coverage.

The AfD, which opposes Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal refugee policy, has enjoyed a surge in support in a series of state elections over the past year.

Ahead of general elections likely to be held in September, the party is polling at around 15 percent.
Los Angeles (AFP) - Actor Woody Harrelson will be heading to a galaxy far, far away for his next movie, playing a role in the second anthology "Star Wars" film focused on a young Han Solo.

Lucasfilm said Wednesday in a statement that the 55-year-old Oscar-nominated actor will join Alden Ehrenreich, who will play the younger version of the smuggler and space pirate Han Solo. The cast will also include Donald Glover, as a young Lando Calrissian, and Emilia Clarke, of "Game of Thrones," in an undisclosed role.

"We couldnt be more excited to work with an artist with as much depth and range as Woody," said Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of the film due out for release next year. "His ability to find both humor and pathos, often in the same role, is truly unique. He is also very good at ping pong."

The "Hunger Games" actor told Mashable in a Facebook Live that he would be playing a "mentor to Han, but I'm also a bit of a criminal."

"I dont think I should say much more than that, because the Force is not allowing me," he added.

The as yet untitled film is the second in a series of standalone films -- after "Rogue One" -- that take place before the events of the first "Star Wars" movie.
- French yachtsman Armel Le Cleac'h led his Welsh rival Alex Thomson by 214 nautical miles, as the Vendee Globe enters its final week. The epic solo round the world race is due to finish at Sables-les-Olonnes in record time on January 19. A flotilla of 29 boats left the French Brittany port on November 6 for the start of the 21,638 nm (40,073 km) race around the three great Capes -- Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn. But after 67 days at sea, the 2016/2017 edition of sailing's 'Everest' appears to be between long time leader Le Cleac'h, and Thomson. Jeremie Beyou is lying third, but 800km behind.

AFP
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A New Zealand man and his six-year old daughter missing at sea for more than a month have landed in Australia after sailing their small, damaged yacht across the treacherous 2,000 km (1,241.7 miles) Tasman Sea. Alan Langdon, 46, and his daughter Que had planned a short journey from Kawhia to the Bay of Islands on New Zealand's east coast, but after a storm damaged the yacht's rudder they found themselves drifting out to sea. "Once we were in the position with no rudder, we didn't have as many options," Langdon told local media after docking his 21 foot (6.4 meters) yacht on Wednesday in Ulladulla, a fishing port 230 kms south of Sydney. "I waited for the fine weather, that didn't come. At that stage we were getting pushed south and out," said Langdon, adding he then decided it would be safer to head to Australia across the Tasman Sea. Their arrival in Australia ends an international search for the pair. Langdon will spend a few days in Ulladulla fixing the broken rudder before sailing north to Port Kembla to be processed by Australian customs. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Michael Perry)
La Crosse would see 13 new cell towers at various locations within the public right-of-way if the city approves a series of requests from a California-based communications company.

Mobilitie, which is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif., and its partner, Wisconsin Technical Networking, hopes to install thirteen 75-foot towers in 2017, which would be scattered throughout La Crosses South Side. The citys Board of Public Works will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 in the Common Council Chambers of La Crosse City Hall to consider its applications.

Were going to hold the special meeting so that the neighboring properties to these towers can be made aware and understand what its going to mean for them, La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat said.

Kabat hopes the meeting will address some of his own concerns about the towers.

Im very concerned about the impacts to the public right-of-way and what it means for our utilities and what impacts it would have on public safety, given that a lot of these poles are proposed to be near medical institutions, Kabat said.

Due to state laws, the city would typically have limited local control; however, the request to use public land gives it more options.

These requests are specifically going in public right-of-way, on public land, so thats where we have more oversight and more review capability, Kabat said.

The city would not lease land for the poles, but it would require multiple permits and fees.

We have a system in place for doing that type of transaction, Kabat said.

Representatives from Mobilitie and WITN did not return requests for comment Wednesday afternoon; however, plans submitted to the city say the poles would be used for wireless service.

Mobilitie permitting manager Jerod Hanaman wrote in a letter to the city that the new poles were necessary to optimize the performance of the companys wireless networks.

New poles offer wireless service and communications providers the ability to optimize antenna placement in serving that demand, Hanaman wrote. Targeting customer usage can be such a precise exercise that the required location is a matter of less than 30 feet. If existing infrastructure is not available, new poles are needed.

Pole height is critical for a strong signal, he added.

Taller antennas also push wireless signals further, which in turn means fewer sites are required, he wrote. That allows the provider to have less impact on the community and drive sustained investment in network densification in the community.

According to the company, La Crosses existing infrastructure would not be suitable for its needs.

Were going to hold the special meeting so that the neighboring properties to these towers can be made aware and understand what its going to mean for them. La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat
For your best chance at catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights, make a winter trip to the Aurora Sky Station at Abisko National Park, almost 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Situated on top of Mount Nuolja with hardly a cloud in sight, the outpost offers some of the clearest views of this enchanting phenomenon.
Photo credit: Girl Up / Twitter

From Harper's BAZAAR

Although she isn't attending premieres or walking on runways at the moment, that doesn't mean Cara Delevingne isn't keeping busy. In fact, the model and actress is currently amidst in what she calls "the most incredible experience of my life." In partnership with the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up campaign, the 24-year-old is spending some time in Uganda with refugees who have fled South Sudan. After arriving a few days ago, Delevingne has openly shared her experiences on social media.

We're in Uganda with @GirlUp Champion @Caradelevingne and UNHCR! Follow our trip all week at #WithRefugees to go inside refugee settlements. pic.twitter.com/9xE4gFjsne - Girl Up (@GirlUp) January 8, 2017

Over 450,000 refugees have entered Uganda from South Sudan since last July, according to Girl Up. Delevingne has gotten to know some of them and shared their stories during her stay.

"This is 17 year old Mary who is holding her two months old child after fleeing from South Sudan to Uganda. Something I have seen here and have been completely blown away by is the unparalleled strength of the mothers," she posted on Instagram.

Story continues

She also visited a school in the Bidibidi refugee settlement, where she was greeted with a special performance.

Delevingne got to join in on the dancing, too.

"So incredible to meet with #SouthSudan refugee girls today at Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda. Their schools are crowded and they need uniforms, pens and paper, chairs, even walls for the school, yet they had big smiles and hope for the future," she said.

She also got to spend time playing with children, and talking to women and mothers about their hopes for the future.

The resilience of refugee girls is amazing. Add girlupcampaign on Snap for today's story #WithRefugees, UNCHR & @Caradelevingne in Uganda. pic.twitter.com/1j5RDmuNwr - Girl Up (@GirlUp) January 9, 2017

Refugee girls spoke about challenges they face & hopes for the future w/ @Caradelevingne & @MsAnnaBlue at Palorinya settlement #WithRefugees pic.twitter.com/RIdgbHuGKM - Girl Up (@GirlUp) January 10, 2017

Since 2013, violent conflict in South Sudan has forced millions to leave their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR). The unrest has included violations of international human rights laws such as rape, sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, recruitment of child soldiers and more. The UNHCR aims to protect the rights of refugees, helping to provide resources like education and health care. Girl Up, the UN Foundation's adolescent girl campaign, is currently doing work in Uganda to help displaced girls enroll in school and pursue an education. Delevingne has been a Girl Up champion since October 2016.

You Might Also Like


Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty

Ever wondered how a love of social media can get you a job at the White House?

Kelsey Donohue--who is the Assistant Press Secretary to Michelle Obama--made that dream a reality. The young woman wears a lot of hats in her career, but one of her favorite tasks is managing the First Lady's Snapchat account.

"The most unexpected part of my job I think was just how much creativity was in this office. There's so much great content at the White House, and that's what I always look for," she said in an interview with HelloGiggles. "Everyone always thinks of politics and Washington as kind of this very stodgy government. We could see that could be a strategic platform for us to use too, and kind of peel back the curtains on the White House. I think that every single day when I get to do that, that's a lot of fun."

As far as career advice goes, the best she's ever gotten came from (no surprise here!) FLOTUS herself. "She said something that really resonated with me, and it's about staying authentic to yourself," Donohue shared. "That no matter what you do, you can happy and find passion in your job as long as you remain authentic to yourself."

RELATED: Try Not to Tear Up Watching FLOTUS's Emotional Final Speech

Watch the video above to check out Donohue's full interview.
Jenn Oxborrow was shocked earlier this week when she saw a homework assignment requiring her 16-year-old daughter to go on a date with a member of the opposite sex  with the goal being to not spend more than $5.

The assignment was part of the mandatory Adult Roles and Financial Literacy class at Highland High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. The problem? It was filled with dating suggestions that Oxborrow and other parents deemed misogynistic and inappropriate.

Oxborrow, a therapist, originally shared a copy of the handout on Facebook and expressed her displeasure in a post:

My 11th grade AP honors students homework: Go on a date! With a boy. And follow his suggestions  dont correct his personal habits, dont waste his money, and show him respect. Thanks for educating our kids, Utah Department of Education. We really appreciate your evidence-based misogyny.

Photo credit: Facebook/Jenn Oxborrow

Girls and boys received different handouts that included separate, rather stereotypical, suggestions on appropriate dating behaviour.

Its just completely unfair, I think, Oxborrows daughter, Lucy Mulligan, said of the handouts, which included suggestions for the girls (from the guys) and vice versa.

Boys were advised to make plans for the date and let the girl know what they are doing, dont gripe about the money youre spending and at a restaurant, say what youre going to order so she will have a guide in ordering.

Among the date suggestions for girls from boys were to eat the food you order. Dont waste his money, dont expect love and commitment and If you think youre too fat, etc., keep it to yourself.

Theres so many power and control issues within this, its really dangerous, Oxborrow said in an interview with KSL TV.

This is an actual homework assignment female students at a high school in Utah received. Remember how fun being a teenage girl was? pic.twitter.com/pnSxJYZAYa  Madison M. K. (@4evrmalone) January 11, 2017

Being a teenage boy doesnt sound so fun either. pic.twitter.com/kfl7R8UpTC  Madison M. K. (@4evrmalone) January 11, 2017

Another concern was that students were required to go on dates with members of the opposite sex; there were no suggestions for LGBTQ students. According to Mulligan, the impression given in class was that an actual date was required.

Story continues

The teacher never said that it could be a friend, Mulligan told the Salt Lake Tribune. She really didnt leave it up to us if we wanted to or not.

A Salt Lake City School District spokesman stated that the handouts did have gender bias, but the teacher involved was mortified and didnt intend to hurt anybody.

The handouts, which reportedly came from a statewide database of material submitted by licensed educators, were deemed inappropriate and have since been removed.

Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!




Search nude shoes on your browser or on Instagram, and what youll find are endless styles but not endless shades. Nude, until the last few years, has been defined by the fashion industry as beige.

Enter Kahmune (pronounced commune), the latest player in the nude-isnt-one-color campaign. The nascent British companys mission is to cater to people of all skin tones, from the palest white to the deepest ebony  or as much of that spectrum as 10 hues can represent.

A look at the 10 shades of nude heels on Kahmunes site. (Photo: Courtesy of Kahmune)

Founder Jamela Acheampong said she spent hours researching skin tones to narrow down the 10 shades her brand ultimately decided on. Despite the depth of nude hues offered, Acheampong doesnt think 10 is reflective of what shoppers really need.

There are so many hues that are left out, particularly those of the various regions of Asia, Acheampong wrote in an email to Yahoo Style. I also wanted to make sure I had a shade dedicated to both ends of the spectrum, very light and very dark.

Acheampongs hopping on the beauty and fashion trend that had been bubbling beneath the surface, but exploded in 2016. In beauty, the multicultural cosmetics market grew 3.7 percent in the U.S., more than the overall market for cosmetics and toiletries, as Bloomberg notes. In fashion, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (an industry-leading nonprofit that promotes American designers) issued a set of guidelines to designers ahead of New York Fashion Week in September compelling designers and casting agents to book diverse models.

Cultural norms in the U.S. have shifted to become more inclusive, reflecting the changing demographics. According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. will be a majority minority country by 2044, proof that the market for diverse beauty and fashion has room to grow.

Kahmunes leather is sourced in Italy and Spain. (Photo: Courtesy of Kahmune)

Just as youd be matched for a foundation at a makeup counter, Kahmune tries to help shoppers match their skin tone to the shoes by listing comparable cosmetics products for reference. So, if you typically wear MACs NW58, L.A. Girl Dark Chocolate, or Black Up Teinte 18, youd buy Juba, the Melanin Supreme of South Sudan (what a name!), which is Kahmunes deepest nude shade. Or you could buy the Juba if youre fair-skinned and just like the color.

Story continues

If you buy into the idea that Kahmune is a responsible company whose sole mission is to promote diversity and inclusion, consider the price point. Kahmune will sell two styles, a standard pointed-toe pump and a sandal with a 4.5-inch heel, and theyll retail between $245 and $300, about one-third the cost of a typical Christian Louboutin heel, as Acheampong points out.

Speaking of red bottoms, in 2013 the French brand launched its own New Nudes series of heels in seven skin tones that spanned the spectrum of nudes, a huge win for women of color. The brand added a pointed-toe flat style to the New Nudes range in 2016.

A look at Kahmunes sandal, one of two styles that will launch in March. (Photo: Courtesy of Kahmune)

Acheampong asks shoppers who might initially flinch at the price to consider what goes into making the shoes. Theyre handmade in northern Italy using Italian and Spanish leathers, not outsourced to China or elsewhere, where labor is cheap and exploitative.

I refuse to compromise on quality, and I refuse to sacrifice the livelihood of anyone that is part of the Kahmune manufacturing process, Acheampong said.

A final note: Dont rush for your wallet just yet. The shoes arent available until March, and when the company officially launches, youll only be able to purchase them on Kahmunes website.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Style on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
From Good Housekeeping

When Lucy Mulligan, an 11th grader at Highland High School in Salt Lake City, showed her mother, Jen Oxborrow, a homework assignment from her Adult Roles and Financial Literacy class - a curriculum requirement in the state of Utah - she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The homework assignment, titled $5.00 Date, required students, in this case girls, to go on a date with a male classmate. Below the assignment's description was a list of suggestions for girls from the boys, which encouraged girls to "dress appropriately," "be feminine and lady-like" and "if you think you're too fat, keep it to yourself." All printed on a pretty piece of pink paper, no less.

It's a bunch of hogwash, and Oxborrow knew it. She took to Facebook where she posted a photo of the assignment. "My 11th grade AP Honors student's homework: 'Go on a date!' with a boy. And follow his suggestions - don't correct his personal habits, don't waste his money and show him respect," she wrote. "Thanks for educating our kids, Utah Department of Education. We really appreciate your evidence-based misogyny."

Facebook latched on to Oxborrow's photo, where it has been shared over 1,200 times - the comments section is fraught with controversial, conflicting views over whether or not the assignment is appropriate for budding adults. Teaching date behavior - especially in a time when consent is at the forefront of young adult interaction - isn't a bad idea, but teaching date behavior by stereotyping gender roles is just plain wrong.

The assignment specified going on a date with a boy, which is also unfair for LGBT students, students questioning their sexuality, or girls that simply don't want to go out with boys. "It puts our kids at risk," Oxborrow told The Salt Lake Tribune, on expecting heterosexual pairings.

Plus forcing kids to do this is terrible.

Story continues

A suggestions sheet for male participants exists as well, which has also surfaced on Facebook. It's not much better. "At a restaurant, say what you're going to order so she will have a guide in ordering," a bullet point reads, along with "Don't feel entitled to a kiss (or more)." The boys' list casts them as the alphas - there's no mention of anything physical on the girls' list.

Thankfully, the Utah Board of Education thinks the date etiquette sheets are sexist, too. "They're inappropriate," Mark Peterson, spokesman for the Board, told the Tribune, "and we're taking them down."

Highland High's principal, Chris Jenson, said that the teacher who assigned the date project is "mortified" and that "she wanted it to be a light-hearted lesson in social norms." Jenson claims that the teacher told students to interpret the assignment freely and that the "date" could be with a friend. Lucy Mulligan says that was never expressed in class.

Regardless, Jenson sided with Utah's Board of Education and maintains that the assignment is unacceptable. "There's no doubt that there is gender bias in the assignment," he said. "There are some things that are relatively arcane in the assignment that need to be updated or gotten rid of."

As unfortunate as the assignment is, kudos to Utah's Board of Education for taking proper action when misogyny and sexism crept into their curriculum. "Teachers should be a reliable source of information," 16-year-old Mulligan told the Tribune. "This doesn't seem like an educated assignment, or an assignment that would teach you anything at all."

[h/t Scary Mommy]

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Stories" customtitles="People%20Are%20Mad%20at%20Target%20Over%20This%20Sexist%20Shirt%7C7%20Things%20Women%20Weren't%20Allowed%20to%20Do%20Until%20Now%7CPeople%20Are%20Really%20Upset%20Over%20the%20Latest%20Gap%20Ad" customimages="||" content="article.40211|article.39966|article.39696"]

You Might Also Like
A Project Loon balloon for broadcasting WiFi from high altitudes is seen on display at the Airforce Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand (AFP Photo/Marty Melville)

San Francisco (AFP) - Google parent company Alphabet confirmed that it is opting for balloons instead of drones in its quest to deliver internet service from the sky.

Alphabet, which not only owns Google but also Google X, which is devoted to creating world-changing new technologies, told AFP on Wednesday that it gave up on its internet drone project, called Titan, about a year ago.

Its staff moved elsewhere at X, including a project called Loon focused on creating a network of high-altitude balloons that would provide internet service to people on the ground no matter how remote.

Some people from the team also shifted to Project Wing, which is creating delivery drones, according to an X division spokesperson.

"The team from Titan was brought into X in late 2015," the spokesperson said in an email to AFP.

"We ended our exploration of high altitude UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for internet access shortly after."

The economics and technical feasibility of balloons are seen as a more promising way to connect rural and remote parts of the world to the internet, according to X.

Leading online social network Facebook is continuing to develop an Aquila drone for beaming internet connection from the sky.
By Sijia Jiang HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Xiaomi targets 2017 sales of over 100 billion yuan ($14.47 billion), Chief Executive Lei Jun said on Thursday, after a year that saw the firm fall down the smartphone vendor rankings while it overhauled its business. "The worst is over," Lei said at an annual meeting in Beijing, describing 2016 as a "make-up year". Seven-year-old Xiaomi was briefly the world's most valuable startup and had hopes to be China's equivalent of Apple Inc. But it fell out of the top five in China for smartphone vendors in 2016, after reaching No. 2 in 2015. Last year saw increased competition from compatriots Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], Oppo and Vivo while growth in the global smartphone market stagnated. In response, privately held Xiaomi said it made adjustments to several business areas, including increasing its offline retail presence and pushing for more overseas business. Lei did not detail Xiaomi's financial results but said the smartphone vendor ranked among the top three in India with sales of over $1 billion, and that revenue from its smart hardware ecosystem exceeded 15 billion yuan. He also said online revenue doubled, without elaborating. For 2017, Xiaomi plans to open 200 more Mi Home stores and a total of 1,000 stores over the next three years to strengthen its offline retail operations, since e-commerce makes up only 20 percent of China's overall smartphone market, Lei said. At present, Xiaomi has 54 Mi Home stores, he said. Developing artificial intelligence and internet finance will also be among 2017 growth strategies, he said. Xiaomi is the second-largest shareholder of Sichuan XW Bank, launched in December. Lei said Xiaomi has over 300 people working on loans, insurance, securities, finance and payments, as well as securing the necessary licenses. (Reporting by Sijia Jiang; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Stemi Hexapod Robot

There are scores of robot kits designed to help children and teens learn about science and engineering. However, many of these sets use proprietary technology like Lego pieces or littleBits modules that students will never encounter once they graduate to the world of adult electronics. Enter STEMI Hexapod, a very powerful $349 build-it-yourself robot that employs the same standard motors, circuits and boards that makers use in the real world while also teaching you how to use each part.

STEMI Hexapod (Credit: Jeremy Lips)

STEMI Hexapod (Credit: Jeremy Lips)

The Hexapod  the first product from Croatian startup STEMI  looks like an electric crab as it walks along the floor on six highly-articulated legs. Each leg has three different servo motors, for a total of 18. The robot's brain is an Arduino-compatible microcontroller, the same kind that many serious developers use. A rechargeable battery promises one hour of walk time.

MORE: The Best Drones and Quadcopters on Any Budget

Designed for users aged 14 and up, the Hexapod comes with a series of detailed instructional videos that teach you how to put the robot together, control it and even program it. Though you may have to screw some parts together, the robot does not require any soldering. STEMI Co-Founder Josip Vukicevic told us that some students have completed the initial build in as little as 5 to 6 hours.

After you've put the Hexapod together, you can move it around or make it dance, using an Android or iOS app on your phone. The device itself connects via Wi-Fi.

STEMI Hexapod (Credit: Jeremy Lips)

STEMI Hexapod (Credit: Jeremy Lips)

More ambitious users can expand the robot by adding additional sensors or appendages. In a brief demo at the company's CES booth, Vukicevic showed us a Hexapod with a gripper arm he had added to it. You can also create your own applications for the robot and write them in C or Java.

So far, STEMI has only shipped 150 Hexapods and most of them have gone to schools in Croatia, Vukicevic said. However, the company plans to send out a few hundred more units to early backers this spring, with mass production coming by the end of 2017. You can pre-order a device from the next batch by signing up for the wait list on STEMI's website.

Story continues

STEMI Hexapod with extra sensors (Credit: Jeremy Lips)

STEMI Hexapod with extra sensors (Credit: Jeremy Lips)

Though the Hexapod is simple enough for a teenager to build, the kit is definitely flexible and intriguing enough for an adult. No matter how old you are, you'll have a lot to learn from STEMI's kit.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A group of local and state ex-judges asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court Wednesday to adopt rules requiring judges and justices to recuse themselves from cases involving campaign donors.

Fifty-four former judges  including retired La Crosse County Circuit Judges Dennis Montabon, Dale Pasell and John Perlich  sent a petition to the court asking for rules requiring municipal judges to step aside if theyve received at least $500 from a litigant or attorney. The threshold for circuit judges would be $1,000, for appellate judges $2,500 and for justices $10,000, half of the $20,000 individual donor limit for a justice.

The limits also would apply if contributions are made separate from a judicial campaign but are clearly designed to influence the judges election. That portion of the proposal is designed to force judges to step down if so-called issue advocacy groups spend heavily on their behalf. Such groups arent subject to campaign finance restrictions because they dont tell people which candidate to vote for or defeat.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that candidates can coordinate with issue advocacy groups.

As money in elections becomes more prominent, citizens rightfully ask whether justice is for sale, the petition said. The appearance of partiality that large campaign donations cause strikes at the heart of the judicial function, which depends on the publics respect for its judgments. In this age of Super PACs and other independent campaign organizations, perhaps the influx of money to purchase access to legislators has numbed us to ethics. But we are not the legislature, we are the judiciary.

The petition also calls for litigants to file statements with the court saying whether they or their attorneys donated $250 or more to judges or justices hearing their case. It seeks a state constitutional amendment allowing appeals judges or retired justices to sit on cases if multiple justices are forced off cases. Amendments must pass two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide referendum to be added to the constitution.

Its unlikely the proposal will gain any legs with the high court. Conservative-leaning justices voted 4-3 in 2009 to adopt rules saying donations by groups and individuals and independent spending dont by themselves require judges to step aside in cases. The conservative majority on the court has grown to 5-2 since then.

Asked whether any justices would comment on the petition, Supreme Court spokesman Tom Sheehan said they cant comment on pending matters.
Edward Snowden has issued a heartfelt appeal to outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama to pardon imprisoned U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

His plea is particularly significant as he's not asking for his own pardon:

Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency as you exit the White House, please: free Chelsea Manning. You alone can save her life.  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 11, 2017

"Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency as you exit the White House, please: free Chelsea Manning. You alone can save her life," he tweeted.

SEE ALSO: Edward Snowden wants you to know he is not sponsored by KFC

Snowden, a National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, has lived in exile in Russia since he worked with various media outlets in 2013 to reveal an array of extensive and intrusive domestic and international spying operations.

Earlier Tuesday, NBC News quoted a Justice Department source as saying that Obama has put Chelsea Manning on his short list for a possible commutation.

Manning has been serving a 35-year sentence since 2010 for leaking classified military and diplomatic material and providing it to WikiLeaks.

She attempted suicide twice in 2016 and went on a hunger strike in an attempt to get the military to provide gender reassignment surgery.

"I have more hope right now than I have the entire time since she was sentenced," Manning's aunt, Deborah Manning, told NBC News. "I do think it's the last hope for a while."

Last month, more than 100,000 people signed a petition seeking commutation for Manning's sentence.

A decision could come as soon as Wednesday.

In November, Obama told German newspaper Der Spiegel that he won't pardon Snowden during his final weeks in office despite pressure from a group of high profile human and civil rights groups.

U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning

BONUS: Edward Snowden says Russians probably hacked the NSA
Last week, a Chicago woman took to Facebook Live in order to broadcast her and her friends brutally attacking, beating and torturing an 18-year-old man with special needs. The shocking story and accompanying graphic video sent shock-waves across the country and inevitably reached news stations across the globe.

Don't Miss: Apples boring iPhone 7 just stole a ton of market share from Android

Quickly after the video began circulating online, four individuals were arrested for their involvement in the attack and are currently being held without bail. All of the individuals involved, who range in age from 18 to 24, are being charged with felony aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. They are also being charged with committing a hate crime on account of some racially-charged comments made by one of the assailants.

With the victim still struggling to recover from his traumatic experience, which included him effectively being held captive for 48 hours, a GoFundMe campaign for the victim has already generated more than $160,000, far more than the $10,000 the campaign was initially seeking.

People from all 50 states have donated on the site, the Chicago Tribune reports, which was established last week by Reddit user Razor Sheldon. A company representative said GoFundMe will make sure the funds reach the 18-year-olds family.

Neal Strom, an attorney for the victims family, said that the money will immediately be used to help detect and subsequently deal with any manifestations of PTSD.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Cellebrite, an Israeli firm that supplies forensics tools to agencies around the world, including US law enforcement, appears to have suffered a serious hack. Motherboard claims to have 900GB of Cellebrite data, supplied to it by an anonymous hacker. Among other things, the data reportedly shows that the Israeli firm has been selling its technology to regimes known for their human rights abuses, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia.

Cellebrite is best known for its rumored involvement in helping the FBI crack the San Bernandino shooters iPhone, as Apple fought an order to assist through the courts. In addition to helping the FBI in that case, Cellebrite also sells forensics devices and software to dozens of US law enforcement agencies and police departments. Its also actively involved in developing the Textalyser, a device that would theoretically let cops know if a cellphone was being used right before a car accident.



Don't Miss: New photos of Teslas highly anticipated Model 3 surface online

The hack feels very similar to the 2015 breach of HackingTeam, an Italian company that provided spying tools to governments around the world. HackingTeam was shown to have sold its products to government agencies in Sudan, Ethiopia and Bangladesh, among many others. The scope of Cellebrites sales is not clear, but its still not a good look to be providing computer hacking tools to a Turkish regime being constantly criticized for its crack-downs on journalists and freedom of speech.

According to Motherboard, the 900GB data dump was provided by an anonymous hacker that disapproves of Cellebrites choice of customer. The data apparently includes snippets of Cellebrites customer database, data dumps from Cellebrite devices, and even evidence obtained from target devices. Cellebrite seemingly confirmed the authenticity of the data breach to Motherboard.

Since the data dump is not public, the backlash against Cellebrite is unlikely to be as bad as the one seen by HackingTeam, which was forced to stop exporting its software after its data was leaked. But even if theres no immediate consequence, details of an Israeli firm supplying digital weapons to nations like Russia isnt going to do wonders for its US sales.

Story continues

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
By David Shepardson NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japan's Takata Corp is expected to plead guilty to criminal wrongdoing as early as Friday as part of a $1 billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over its handling of air bag ruptures linked to 16 deaths worldwide, sources said. The settlement includes a $25 million criminal fine, $125 million in victim compensation and $850 million to compensate automakers who have suffered losses from massive recalls, the sources said. The settlement also calls for an independent monitor of the Japanese auto parts manufacturer. It could help Takata win financial backing from an investor to potentially restructure and pay for massive liabilities from the world's biggest auto safety recall. The company is poised to plead guilty to wire fraud, or providing false test data to U.S. regulators, according to the sources, who were not authorized to discuss the settlement publicly. In 2015, Takata admitted in a separate $70 million settlement with U.S. auto safety regulators that it was aware of a defect in its air bag inflators but did not issue a timely recall. It admitted it provided the regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with "selective, incomplete or inaccurate data" dating back at least six years and also provided automakers with selective, incomplete or inaccurate data. The wire fraud charge is expected to be filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The Justice Department is considering naming Ken Feinberg, a longtime compensation adviser, to oversee the Takata settlement funds. He declined to comment on Thursday. The settlement is expected to include restitution to some victims and automakers, who have been forced to recall vehicles with the defective inflators. Honda Motor Co and Takata have settled nearly all lawsuits filed in connection with fatal crashes. The recall impacts 19 automakers including Ford Motor Co , General Motors Co, Toyota Motor Corp, Volkswagen AG Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV . Takata spokesman Jared Levy declined to comment. Deaths linked to the company's air bag inflators include 11 in the United States - nearly all in Honda vehicles. Regulators have said recalls would eventually affect about 42 million U.S. vehicles with nearly 70 million Takata air bag inflators, making this the largest safety recall in U.S. history. A Reuters source confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that Takata is expected to agree to come up with the $1 billion within a year or when it secures a financial backer. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Edward Markey of Massachusetts backed a Takata deal but said in a joint statement they were "deeply concerned that the DOJ settlement appears to only target Takata Corporation and no executives." The senators also said that if the company "files for bankruptcy, its new creditors, and not Takata, would be responsible for paying criminal fines on the companys behalf." Reuters reported in November Takata was considering a bankruptcy filing for its U.S. unit as the air bag maker looks for a sponsor to help pay for liabilities related to its faulty air bag inflators. The inflators can explode with excessive force, launching metal shrapnel at passengers in cars and trucks. Many of those killed were involved in low-speed crashes that they otherwise may have survived, including a 17-year-old high school senior in Texas killed last year. At least 184 people have been injured in the United States as well. In November 2015, Takata agreed to pay a $70 million fine for safety violations with U.S. auto safety regulators and could face deferred penalties of up to $130 million under a NHTSA settlement. The agency named a former U.S. Justice Department official to oversee the Takata recalls and the company's compliance with the safety settlement. Last month, NHTSA said it would press the auto industry to accelerate the pace of replacements for defective Takata inflators and signaled a likely widening of the safety recall. Only about one third of the inflators recalled have been replaced, leaving more than 30 million to be fixed. In June, NHTSA warned that Takata air bag inflators on more than 300,000 unrepaired recalled Honda vehicles showed a substantial risk of rupturing, and urged owners to stop driving the "unsafe" cars pending a fix. (Reporting by David Shepardson in New York; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Tom Brown)
By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Some UK lawmakers criticized an advertising campaign by Amazon.com Inc on Thursday which involved changing the name signs at London's Westminster underground station, where parliament is located, to 'Webminster', branding it "insulting". Amazon paid underground operator Transport for London (TfL) 390,000 pounds to change the signage at the station underneath the Houses of Parliament to publicize their cloud computing business. Members of Parliament (MPs) said the campaign was in poor taste and was inappropriate given lawmakers' frequent criticism of the company's tax affairs. "They are undermining the word 'Westminster'," said Nick Smith, MP with the opposition Labour party. "I think that Amazon is being a bit cheeky here," he added. Amazon declined to comment. TfL said it adhered to advertising standards rules. Labour MP Margaret Hodge who, as head of the Public Accounts Committee in 2012, investigated Amazons tax minimization strategies, said the one-day campaign was "insulting" to parliament. "Amazon should use its profits to pay taxes, not pay for an advertising campaign designed to give them the cloak of respectability they do not deserve," she said. However, Conservative London Assembly member Keith Prince said he backed such "publicity stunts" as they generated funds for TfL. "Every penny that can be raised through these methods is one less penny out of taxpayers' pockets and the money can be used for important investment and upgrade work," he said. (Reporting by Tom Bergin; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
In a heated interview with Anderson Cooper, Trump senior advisor Kellyanne Conway responds to Russia reports. https://t.co/nm7Zg8weLJ  CNN (@CNN) January 12, 2017

Anderson Cooper is not a fan of Kellyanne Conways sunshiney spin habits. That much was obvious a few days before the election when he was probably thinking his fresh hell was almost over, and he asked her, Dont facts matter? In the above clip, Cooper catches a perpetual grin (after 1:25) and nearly laughs due to Conways strenuous efforts to bash CNN (while visiting with CNN) and gets real: What you think, and what is true are not necessarily the same thing.

Naturally, the two mortal enemies were discussing the golden showers file released by Buzzfeed. Prior to the Internet exploding over those lurid details, CNN reported on the two-page addendum that only revealed how Russia had some compromising information against Trump.

The important distinction, of course, is that CNN chose not to publish the dossier because it was full of unverified claims. Trump either missed this fine point or ignored it while lashing out Jim Acosta and trashing CNN as fake news. Cooper soon discovered that Conway believed that CNN was just as culpable as Buzzfeed, and things grew ridiculous when Cooper asked Conway to tell him what was untrue about CNNs report. She tried to change the subject, so he said, You like to pivot, which really set Conway off:



You can use words like pivot, distract, red herring all you want. The fact is that the media have a 16% approval rating for a reason. Its been earned. And its crap like this that really undergirds why Donald Trump won. In fact, youre doing him a favor again  this election was a rejection [unintelligible] of everybody thinks they know better than people! This is very concerning.

Cooper understands Trumps anger at Buzzfeed, but he surmised that Conways being political and trying to link all of the reporters together, but it seems just unfair and frankly disingenuous. Conway then claimed few people came to CNNs defense, and Cooper countered by pointing out how Shepard Smith defended CNN while admonishing Trump for belittling a journalist. To which Conway sarcastically responded, Thats a cherry!

Story continues

At about 3:35, Coopers eyes nearly rolled out of his head when Conway suggested that outlets like CNN and New York Times were actually to blame for what Buzzfeed did because they reported the addendum beforehand. She then asserted that Buzzfeed would have never done this to a Democrat. Cooper had enough and responded, You know, the last time I read Buzzfeed, I saw a headline that said like Ten Top Sex Toys That Was Gonna Improve Your Sex Life. I dont read Buzzfeed! Hello, 2017.

Heres the segment that came before the top video, and mannnn, Conways denial is stronger than usual tonight.
A Georgia investment company seeking to build a Monroe County frac sand terminal says if it isnt allowed to fill 16 acres of pristine wetland forest, the current landowner will clear cut the land to pay off previous wetland violations.

Meteor Timber, one of the largest private landowners in Wisconsin, wants to build a processing and loading facility along Interstate 94 near the town of Millston to dry and ship frac sand the company will mine from a nearby site it acquired in 2014. The company expects to ship about 1.5 million tons of processed sand each year using the adjacent Union Pacific rail line.

Meteor applied in March to the Corps of Engineers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for permission to fill about 16 acres of wetlands, including about 13 acres of pristine hardwood swamp.

Both agencies have requested additional information, including an explanation for why Meteor could not find another site.

On Friday, a Milwaukee public relations firm announced Meteor was filing an amended permit application, 12 days after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a story noting the 16 acres would constitute the states single largest loss of wetlands to a sand project and about 60 percent of all sand-related wetland permits issued by the DNR since 2008.

Meteor says it will mitigate the loss by restoring and preserving other wetlands  in excess of what the law requires  and will make additional environmental enhancements at the 752-acre site.

The plant is expected to cost about $65 million and will support an estimated 100 full-time jobs, according to the company.

The site, which Meteor says is the only feasible location close enough to its mine, includes about 558 acres owned by the A & K Alexander Cranberry Co., which was sanctioned in 2013 by the Environmental Protection Agency for illegally filling 5.6 acres of wetlands. As part of the penalty, the EPA required A & K to restore 2.2 acres of the filled wetlands and to get an after-the-fact permit for the rest.

According to documents filed with the DNR, A & K managing partner Marty Alexander took out a one-year loan for $321,470 in August to purchase wetland credits needed to settle the case.

Alexander did not respond to a request for comment, but in a letter to Meteor he said if the sale does not go through, clear cutting the property is his only way to avoid foreclosure.

Thats what presents the demonstrable threat to the property, said Evan Zeppos, a spokesman representing Meteor. He has the right to go ahead and cut it if there isnt a transaction.

A memo from a forest management company owned by Meteor says when distressed properties are logged, the results are typically devastating.

Every stick of merchantable timber is harvested, the memo states. (T)here are huge piles of tree tops/limbs near public roads, and is just raw dirt being eroded away by the weather.

Sara Geers, staff attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates, said while clear cutting would be an environmental loss, the DNR should not allow Alexander and Meteor to hold them hostage.

No matter the trade-off, thats not something the agency should be allowed to use in making its decision, Geers said. It sets a bad precedent that future landowners can use.

The nonprofit environmental law firm, in partnership with the Ho-Chunk Nation, has urged the Corps to deny Meteors permit application as submitted.

In the updated application, Meteor vows to rehabilitate about 58 acres of wetlands on the site, restore about a third of a mile of Rudd Creek, which has been modified for cranberry farming, and to put 413 acres of the land into a conservation easement, which would protect it from all future development.

Geers said the problem is that Meteor is proposing to restore wetlands on its own site, which would not have the same level of governmental oversight as other wetland mitigation programs.

The history of that has been an abysmal failure, she said of permittee-responsible mitigation. Theyre not successful in restoring or creating wetlands. Thats because restoring and creating wetlands is hard to do.

Wetlands are a key component of the ecosystem, acting as natural water filters and supporting a wide range of wildlife, including a disproportionate number of rare and endangered species. According to the DNR, Wisconsin has only about half the amount of wetlands it did when the first European settlers arrived. Most of those remaining 5.3 million acres are in the northern third of the state.

Both the Corps and the DNR have questioned the economic feasibility of the project, given a 43 percent drop in consumption of proppant sand from 2014 to 2016.

In spite of a recent industry slump, Meteor is in a unique position to have a profitable mining operation, according to an economic analysis prepared by a Pennsylvania consulting firm. Thats because the group owns land with large reserves of fine sands that are now in demand and if allowed to move forward would be able to load entire trains and put them onto the Union Pacific system, which would provide a direct link to Texas oil fields.

But according to the analysis, Meteor could not find another site on the UP line that could accommodate such a large loading facility, and drying the sand at the mine site would cost another $6 million and add 30 to 50 percent more operating costs.

Meteor has also said it would remove an old town road, reconnecting fragmented wetlands, re-introduce trout to the restored creek and install eco-passages designed to allow wildlife to pass under the rail spur.

Meteor wants to make this an environmental win, Zeppos said. We think it demonstrates a big positive to the state of Wisconsin.
WASHINGTON  Two men in white sheets and hoods stood on chairs in the Russell building caucus room seconds after Jeff Sessions entered the room for his confirmation hearing.

Jefferson Beauregard, Im here for you, one called out in a fake Southern accent, using the attorney general nominees proper name. The heckler thanked the Alabamian for being with us.

Sessions smiled. Police descended on the men and dragged them from the room. You cant arrest me  Im a white man, one shouted. Do I have to wait until the inauguration?

The protests in the audience continued through the morning and into the afternoon. Some 15 hecklers, white, black and brown, were led out after calling the nominee a racist and a fascist pig and chanting No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA! One woman was led out by no fewer than four Capitol police officers for the offense of laughing when Sessions was praised for treating all Americans equally.

But if the activists were expecting Sessions to live up to his reputation, they would have been disappointed. The man in the witness chair sounded more MLK than KKK.

What Sessions said at his confirmation hearing did not always align with what he had said and done in the past. It may not comport at all with what he will do as attorney general. But, at least for a day, Sessions took pains to present himself as inoffensive. He did perhaps more than he needed to, because the Republican majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee  a committee on which Sessions sits  gave every sign that they will confirm their colleague.

Sessions promised to recuse himself from decisions involving the Clinton emails and the Clinton Foundation. He said he would respect legal abortion and same-sex marriage, and he acknowledged that women and gay people are victims of hate crimes. Unlike his new boss, he said Muslims as a group could not be denied entry into the United States, and he didnt dispute the intelligence communitys findings that Russia interfered in the election.

He said the administration would not seek to deport all immigrants here illegally. He opposed waterboarding. He pledged to enforce gun and environmental laws. He said the NAACP does tremendous good. He called the Voting Rights Act one of the most important laws, embraced proper deference to the news media by prosecutors and boasted about working with Ted Kennedy.

The Department of Justice must never falter in its obligation to protect the civil rights of every American, particularly those who are most vulnerable, Sessions said, promising to ensure access to the ballot for every eligible voter. The nominee said he would honor the promise that our government is one of laws, not of men.

Those assurances may amount to nothing. But for those who fear that Donald Trump will run roughshod across the federal government, the nominees testimony offered a slim hope that he will provide at least some brake on the new presidents worst instincts.

There are other small signs of encouragement: Several Republican senators have objected to their leaderships pell-mell rush to repeal Obamacare without a replacement. After objections that Trumps nominees are being rushed through without the required vetting, the GOP majority agreed to postpone hearings for four nominees.

Noteworthy, too, is the way Sessions and the Trump transition team decided to handle his confirmation hearing. Sessions didnt mention Trump in his opening statement other than to thank him for the nomination. And even before senators questioned him about the allegations of racism that led the GOP-controlled Judiciary Committee to reject his nomination to the federal bench in 1986, Sessions pre-emptively defended himself against damnably false charges.

The guest seats were filled by the likes of Al Sharpton, Khizr Khan and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, now the top Democrat on the panel, noted that there is so much fear in this country ... particularly in the African-American community.

The senators, even Democrats, were almost all gentle in questioning their colleague, and Sessions actively avoided arguments. He opposed the Violence Against Women Act in 2013 but now says the law has many powerful provisions that Im glad (were) passed.

Sessions said it was very painful to be identified as a racist. He said he saw systematic and powerful racism in the South. I know we need to do better, Sessions said. We can never go back.

Does he believe that? Well see. For now, its a small comfort that he felt the need to say it.
CHARLESTON, S.C.  If Death lingers in courtroom corridors awaiting sentences, this historic citys federal courthouse was surely a top destination.

On Tuesday, the Reapers patience was rewarded with the jurys return of the death penalty for Dylann Roof.

Roof, who insisted on representing himself during the sentencing phase of his 33-count murder trial, was found guilty last month for the slaughter of nine black parishioners at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in June 2015.

Roofs self-lawyering is still mystifying when he had at his disposal one of the nations best death-penalty lawyers, David Bruck, who did represent Roof during the guilt phase that ended last month. Bruck was allowed only to advise Roof during the penalty phase, which began last week, but briefly addressed the judge Tuesday when Roof requested that Bruck address objections.

While the governments case seemed airtight in covering all the requirements for the death penalty, Roofs remarks Tuesday took fewer than five minutes.

Wearing slacks and a blue cable-knit sweater  his bowl-cut hair obviously recently shaped  Roof approached the lectern with a single, yellow, letter-sized sheet of paper for his closing argument. Barely audible  and his pauses were longer than his sentences  he made essentially two suggestions seemingly aimed at creating doubt about his alleged hatred of black people and his intent in carrying out his mission, which he himself previously identified as wanting to incite racial violence.

I think its safe to say nobody in their mind wants to go to a church and kill people, he began. Then he contradicted other confession statements that he had to do what he did. In my [FBI confession] tape I told them I had to do it. ... Obviously thats not true. Nobody made me do it. I felt like I had to do it, and I still feel like I had to do it.

Clarity isnt his strong suit.

Next, Roof challenged the prosecutions claim that hes filled with hatred, one of the statutory-required aggravating factors in capital cases. He referred to his confession when an FBI agent asked him if he hated blacks. Roofs reply was, I dont like what black people do.

To the jury, he posited: If I was really filled with as much hate as I allegedly am, wouldnt I just say, Yes, I hate black people?

Finally, Roof said its fair to say that the prosecutors hate him since theyre seeking the death penalty. Then he tutored the court that people hate because theyve been misled. He also said that people think they know what hatred it is, but they dont know what real hatred looks like.

Does Roof? Is this because some hate-filled person misled him? Or did he merely look in the mirror?

Not once during his very brief remarks did Roof say that he regretted his actions, which might have elicited some empathy from those burdened with determining his fate. Indeed, in a jailhouse journal, he wrote that he isnt sorry and that he hadnt shed a tear for the innocent people I killed.

Tuesday, as he attempted to take on a battery of lawyers hell-bent on ultimate justice, he seemed ever the evil child who, rather than acknowledging the horror and the agony of what he did, was somehow above the process. Expressionless and aloof, as he had been throughout the trial, he was anything but a sympathetic character and certainly no advocate for his continued access to life.

Throughout the proceedings, my mind kept wandering to an earlier case I covered when Bruck was fighting another death penalty  the 1994 trial of Susan Smith, the young mother who rolled her car into a Union, S.C., lake, drowning her two small children.

The crime was heinous and the trial heart-wrenching. At one point during the fathers testimony, the judge had to call for a break because nearly everyone in the courtroom, including the media, was weeping. The father had been talking about his 3-year-olds favorite Disney movie, which the child called, One-o-one Dalma-hay-tions.

Susan Smith threw herself across the defense table, loudly sobbing with the agony of regret and the sorrow of inconsolable loss. Yes, she was responsible for her childrens death, but there was no questioning her remorse or doubting that her life in prison would be an endless night of piercing pain.

For death penalty opponents like me, this seemed a far more just end than death would have been. With Roof, theres plainly no sense of sorrow now  or to come. In the end evidence of sincere remorse, which is to say, humanity, can be the difference between life and death.
In 1968-69 in Vietnam, it was not uncommon for we soldiers to find enemy caches of weapons with the symbol of communist Russia (then named the Soviet Union) stamped on the weapon cases.

Russia was then and is now the enemy of the free world and democracy.

On Nov. 10, 2016, as reported in major news outlets, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Communist Russia indeed was in communication with the Trump presidential campaign.

"There were contacts," Interfax cited Ryabkov as saying. "We are doing this and have been doing this during the election campaign." On Jan. 6, U.S. Intelligence Agencies said: We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. 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."

For all those who thought the Communists were going to show up in black helicopters, think again. The Communists have invaded via telecommunications and have helped elect a president of the United States of America.

For all the rest of us who love our country and cherish our democratic system of government, the fox has entered the hen house.
U.S. Congressman Glenn Grothman is praising President-elect Donald Trump for blasting a pharmaceutical industry he said is "getting away with murder" by charging outlandish prices.

It was a rare issue on which Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, found common cause with both Trump and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Trump, in his first press conference as president-elect Wednesday, criticized the drug industry as "disastrous" for moving their manufacturing outside the U.S. Trump also re-upped a suggestion he made during the campaign that he would push to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices for seniors using Medicare, a measure previously supported largely by Democrats.

Grothman, a second-term representative of east-central Wisconsin's 6th congressional district, hailed Trump's remarks in a press release. It said Grothman's concerns with the industry "include not only outrageous prices, but also over-prescribing of opiates which leads to heroin addiction and over-prescribing of medications to children for issues like ADHD."

"Since my time in the Wisconsin State Legislature, Ive refused to take political donations from the pharmaceutical industry because of my belief that Big Pharma no longer prioritizes the creation of life-saving drugs over making money," Grothman said.

The release did not say if Grothman supports Trump's specific call to negotiate Medicare drug prices.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan led a group of openly gay members of Congress in sending a letter of opposition on Thursday to the committee considering Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos, citing her financial support for anti-gay causes and organizations.

The lawmakers  members of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus  are concerned DeVos would undermine efforts to extend protections to gay and transgender students.

"Betsy DeVos career has been marked by repeated attempts to undermine the rights of the LGBT community," the letter reads. "She and her family have donated extensively to groups which promote the idea that students who identify as LGBT must undergo 'conversion' therapy and have also affiliated with groups that oppose anti-bullying legislation."

The letter notes that DeVos and her family's foundations have donated $6.1 million to the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family since 1998.

The group supports the widely discredited practice of "conversion therapy," used as an effort to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and has opposed anti-bullying campaigns that it says promote homosexuality among students.

The lawmakers cited millions of dollars in support from the DeVos family for a handful of other groups that promote anti-LGBT views, including the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights said the federal Title IX law covers discrimination based on sexual identity. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice have also said discrimination against transgender people, including imposing bathroom restrictions in schools, is a form of sex discrimination covered under the Civil Rights Act.

Pocan and his colleagues are worried those protections would be rolled back with DeVos leading the Department of Education.

"As you move to consider the nomination of Betsy DeVos, we strongly encourage you to seek out answers regarding Ms. DeVos stance on important education equity issues, including her views on protecting LGBT students from bullying and discrimination in K-12 and higher education spaces," the lawmakers wrote, adding that it is "imperative that any Secretary of Education nominee" denounce conversion therapy before being confirmed.

Stephanie White, executive director of Equality Michigan, told Politico in November she believes DeVos has evolved in her understanding of LGBT issues and said she is "cautiously optimistic" DeVos would not do anything to harm LGBT students.

"As Members of the LGBT community, we know our schools must be a safe place for all children. As you consider the nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education, we strongly encourage you to stand up for the civil rights of LGBT students and ensure the next Secretary opposes any action to roll back our progress toward equality," Pocan and his colleagues wrote.
Wisconsin is number one in hunting! Dont take it from me. The Department of Natural Resources has studies to back it up.

A new DNR report noted Wisconsin had the number one Boone and Crockett Trophy whitetail entries from 2005-10 and the number-one black beer harvest of all states.

Wisconsinites hunt deer at nearly three times the U.S. rate and fish at twice the U.S. rate. We lead the nation in world-record musky caught and are the reigning world record holder of brown trout.

According to the DNR report, which included options to fund wildlife management, Wisconsin is number one in annual revenue from hunting  $2,833 per hunter or $2.5 billion.

Yet funds to manage Wisconsins fish, wildlife and habitat have not kept up with needs. In fact, revenue dropped by nearly $4 million in the past five years. Officials estimate the gap between authorized expenses and revenue is $4-6 million a year. Anticipating less revenue, the DNR looked for ways to spend less, which resulted in staff reductions and cuts to programs.

For example, with a 15 percent vacancy in fisheries management, there are fewer fish surveys and less accurate information for anglers. There was a significant reduction in the stocking of larger walleye.

With a 12 percent vacancy in wildlife management, there is less assistance provided to landowners for habitat development. The DNR reduced collaboration with conservation groups on habitat development and reduced trout improvement work. Pheasant restocking was cut in half. Two thousand acres of wetland impoundments were left unmanaged.

With 10 percent fewer conservation wardens, there are fewer patrols and less enforcement of hunting and fishing rules.

Our state leans on hunters and anglers to fund wildlife programs. Wisconsin ranks in the top 10 states for tapping license fees to fund wildlife management.

The DNR reports, Nearly ninety percent of revenue to manage the states fish and wildlife resources comes from hunting, fishing and trapping license fees and the federal excise tax on the sale of hunting and fishing equipment including firearms and ammunition and a portion of the gas tax attributable to motor boats and small engines.

There is no similar fee to protect non-hunted species. The report quotes federal sources describing funds needed to protect the 12,000 or so species in State Wildlife Action Plans that are in greatest conservation need.

The heavy reliance on license fees is concerning as the number of hunters and anglers decrease. For instance, gun deer hunting has dropped by 12 percent from its peak in 1999. Several efforts by lawmakers to increase the number of hunters and anglers failed and left bigger holes in the DNR budget.

For example, in 2011 lawmakers passed a bill that included a reduction in fees for first-time hunting and fishing license purchases. Surveys later found reduced fees had little impact on increasing the number of licenses sold. Eighty percent of first-time license buyers did not even know about the discount until they paid for the license and most did not continue buying in successive years.

The DNR report stated the need to sell four times as many resident first-time-buyer licenses and two times as many nonresident first-time-buyer licenses to break even.

The report details several options for lawmakers in the upcoming budget debate. Ideas include raising fees, standardizing license discounts, eliminating the failed first-time-buyer program. In addition, the report suggests new ways to encourage and better serve hunters and anglers with automatic license renewal, gift cards, loyalty discounts and increased flexibility for combination license buyers.

Does rehabbing a trout stream benefit you if you dont fish? You bet it does. The report reviews a great deal of economic data related to our natural resources. The upshot? Businesses locate, and new businesses start where people want to live and people value a high level of scenic and natural amenities.

The report documented that people want to share in the protection of our natural resources. Maybe its time to spread the cost of protection over more than just the hunters and anglers, as Minnesota did with its legacy fund to benefit natural resources.

Thank you to the authors of this well-written report. I encourage you to read it and let me know what action you would like to see taken. You can find the report at the following link: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/jfc/200_reports/2017_01_03_natural_resources_revenue_option_for_fish_and_wildlife.pdf.

Democrat Kathleen Vinehout, Alma, represents the 31st state Senate District.
Dear reader, we're asking for your help to keep local reporting available for all today during our fall fundraiser. Your financial support keeps stories like this one free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood.

Start your day with LAist Sign up for How To LA, delivered weekday mornings. Subscribe

A half-mile stretch of Laurel Canyon Boulevard (a main artery connecting Hollywood to the Valley) remained closed Wednesday afternoon after a 9,000-pound concrete slab, which was destabilized by the rain, fell down the hillside and blocked the street.

According to KTLA, fire officials first responded to a home hanging over Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Gould Avenue just after noon today. After days of L.A. rain, a concrete patio had been destabilized, and was "threatening to fall from a home." By 12:30 p.m., the busy street was closed from Gould Avenue to Kirkwood Drive, creating a significant traffic back up.

The home in question was evacuated, and no injuries were reported, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department press release. David Graziano, a Laurel Canyon resident, told LAist that he saw mud blocking Kirkwood, fire trucks and police on the scene, along with heavy traffic.

Sometime around 2:30 p.m., a massive, 9,000-pound slab of concretepart of the foundation and retaining wall of the home in questiondetached from the house and slid down the hillside onto the boulevard below.

Obviously the fire department made the right call and avoided tragedy today by closing off Laurel Canyon, LAFD spokesman David Ortiz told the Daily News. We saw a big piece  9,000 pounds of concrete retaining wall and foundation  snap and roll down the hill very quickly, quicker than any of us can run. And obviously that was a potential killer for anyone below it.

The couple renting the house where the concrete slab came down. They narrowly escaped tragedy #laurelcanyon @ladailynews pic.twitter.com/2eHGBw40uS  MattCarey (@MattCarey) January 11, 2017

The road will remain closed until it is deemed safe, according to LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart, who also told LAist that they're waiting for Street Services to clean and process the scene. Stewart said that the department did not yet have a timeline for when that will occur. In the meantime, commuters will want to steer clear of the area, and can likely expect heavy traffic going over the hill.
"Nixons Vietnam Treachery...



Richard M. Nixon always denied it: to David Frost, to historians and to Lyndon B. Johnson, who had the strongest suspicions and the most cause for outrage at his successors rumored treachery. To them all, Nixon insisted that he had not sabotaged Johnsons 1968 peace initiative to bring the war in Vietnam to an early conclusion. My God. I would never do anything to encourage South Vietnam not to come to the table, Nixon told Johnson, in a conversation captured on the White House taping system.

Now we know Nixon lied. A newfound cache of notes left by H. R. Haldeman, his closest aide, shows that Nixon directed his campaigns efforts to scuttle the peace talks, which he feared could give his opponent, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, an edge in the 1968 election."

Here is a story that got some coverage lately, but not nearly enough:I want to bring this up so you have it in mind as I lay out this little history of Republican electoral politics.Let us work backwards, starting with Donald Trump. It is now clear that Trump himself was elected by committing treason, allying himself with a foreign dictator against his own country; and through the subversive acts of James Comey.Let's move on to the last Republican President, George W. Bush. Bush was not elected. He lost the popular vote, and was placed in the White House by five corrupt Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices.Now to Ronald Reagan. Any account of his "victory" must take into account the now proven fact that he also treasonously cut a deal with Iranian mullahs to keep our hostages in prison until after the election. It is notable that Carter's failed hostage rescue attempt was carried out by Oliver North, who was awarded a prominent position in the Reagan administration in return for his sabotage.Next, Ford. Well, he was never elected. He only became President because we kicked the previous Republican out for corruption.Next, Nixon. Well, the history of Nixon's election is up above for you to see.Now, before moving on, I want to make a couple of caveats about what I am about to say next. First of all, I am only considering first time victories, because re-election campaigns give such an advantage to the incumbent. Second, I am considering George H. W. Bush's election to be an extention of the Reagan administration; essentially a re-election of Reagan, who could not run again. And finally, I do not consider Eisenhower, who belonged to no party, and who was courted by both parties to run for President, to be a true Republican.Well, if you can accept these caveats, here is what you find: The last real Republican to be initially elected President on his own, without committing treason or relying on corruption, was Herbert Hoover, in 1928. After three Republican Presidents in a row caused the Great Depression, the American people have had the minimal sense not to legitimately put a real Republican in the White House, in 88 years. And yet, the Republicans have cheated and betrayed the country and corrupted the courts so effectively that they have managed to hold power over and over again.The Republican party is a subversive, treasonous cabal, dedicated to plundering the nation's wealth on behalf of their rich backers. It is by far the greatest threat to our country, and at the moment, after an unrelenting century of effort, it looks like it is bringing us down.
China has launched a new intelligence gathering ship in the latest addition to the countrys growing navy fleet.

The official China Daily reported the new ship arrived to join other military support vessels Tuesday in the eastern port of Qingdao. It will support Chinas North Sea Fleet.

The newspaper said Chinas navy now operates six electronic reconnaissance vessels. It noted that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has never made public so many details about its intelligence collection ships.

It added that the new vessel is capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock reconnaissance on multiple and different targets.

The ship launch comes as China has increased its patrols in disputed areas of the South China Sea. Regional navy officials have reported Chinese ships are increasingly following vessels  including U.S. and Japanese warships - passing through the area.

China claims most of the South China Sea, an important waterway through which more than $5 trillion worth in trade passes each year. The area contains rich fishing grounds and is believed to hold oil and natural gas. The Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia also have claims to the sea.

Other claimants and the United States have criticized China for creating man-made islands in the disputed area. Recently released satellite images also appear to show that China had added weapons to some of the islands.

On Wednesday, Rex Tillerson, the nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, called on China to stop building more islands. He added that, access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.

China has refused to accept the ruling of an international court last year that rejected its historical claims to large areas of the sea. The Philippines brought the case to the court.

Chinese officials have said they want to settle disputes in the South China Sea through direct talks with other claimants.

As part of its latest navy buildup, China has also said it is working to complete the countrys second aircraft carrier. China currently only has one carrier  its Soviet-built Liaoning vessel.

Earlier this week, China said it had sent its Liaoning carrier into the Taiwan Strait to join military exercises in a nearby area. The 160-kilometer strait separates Taiwan from southeastern China.

Taiwans defense ministry said it had kept an eye on the carrier and found that it had not entered Taiwanese waters.

A Chinese spokesman said it was very normal for the Liaoning to pass though international waters as part of drills.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, the South China Morning Post, the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Hai Do 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

fleet  n. a group of ships

vessel  n. a ship or large boat

reconnaissance  n. process of gathering information about a place or area for military use

patrol  n. going through an area to make sure it is safe

aircraft carrier  n. a ship on which airplanes can take off and land

drill  n. training activity conducted by soldiers


U.S. President-elect Donald Trump now says he believes Russia was involved in cyberattacks during the presidential election.

It was the first time Trump has admitted Russian involvement in hacking computers of the Democratic National Committee. In the past, he refused to publicly accept U.S. intelligence community findings that Russia was involved in election hacking.

Trumps comments came Wednesday during his first press conference since the election.

As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, Trump said. Top U.S. intelligence officials have said they believe Russian President Vladimir Putin knew about and approved the cyberattacks.

Trump was asked in the press conference if he had any message for the Russian leader in response to the hacking.

He shouldnt be doing it. He wont be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when Im leading it, than when other people have led it. You will see that.

U.S. intelligence agencies have suggested that Putin might have engaged in hacking as a way to help Trump win the election. Much of the information released by the hacks turned out to be embarrassing to the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton.

But Trump said the Republican National Committee also became aware of attempts to hack into its organization. He said possible attacks were stopped by putting security measures in place.

Speaking about future relations with Russia, Trump told reporters he does not think it is a bad thing if Putin actually likes him.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what folks, thats called an asset, not a liability.

Trump added that cyberattacks from outside the United States were not only coming from Russia. He said China is also involved, along with other nations. Trump said he has asked his top national security officials to complete within 90 days a major report on ways the government can prevent hacking.

Trump denounced news reports that Russia is holding onto secret personal and financial information that could embarrass him. The reports also alleged that his campaign had made contact with Russian intelligence officials.

I think it's a disgrace, Trump said. Its all fake news.

The unproven information in the news reports was reportedly included in a secret U.S. intelligence report on Russian influence in the election. Copies of that report were given last week to Trump, President Barack Obama and leaders of Congress.

Trumps business interests

During the press conference, Trump also announced how he planned to deal with his business interests during his presidency. The president-elect has promised that his business activities would not pose a conflict of interest while he serves as president.

One of his lawyers explained that Trump had decided to give up control of his company to his two sons and another executive. His business assets will be put into a trust and Trump will take other steps to keep separate from his businesses, the lawyer said.

Trump was asked whether he is backing away from his pledge to have Mexico pay for a wall along the southern U.S. border. He said, Mexico will pay for the wall by reimbursing the United States.

On his pledge to get rid of the Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama, Trump promised to quickly replace it. He said his goal was to have a new, better health care law in place when the current law, often called Obamacare, is ended.

When asked about the Supreme Court, Trump said he will likely name his choice to replace Justice Antonin Scalia within two weeks of the inauguration.

Im Ashley Thompson.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, with additional material from VOA News, the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor.

What did you think of Donald Trump's first press conference since the American election? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

hacking  n. secretly getting access to files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage or change results

embarrass  v. make someone feel ashamed or shy

asset  n. something of value that a person or company owns

liability  n. the state of being legally responsible for something

financial  adj. pertaining to money or finances

disgrace  n. condition of feeling ashamed or losing respect for

fake  adj. not real, but made to look or seem real

trust  n. arrangement where someones money or property is legally held and managed by another person or organization

reimburse  v. pay back money, especially after the money was already spent to do work
This is Whats Trending Today.

Barack and Michelle Obama are saying their goodbyes as their time in the White House comes to an end.

The President and First Lady have been making their final speeches and television appearances.

Michelle Obama recently did a farewell interview with television host Oprah Winfrey. Barack Obama gave his farewell speech to the American people in Chicago on Tuesday night.

And on Wednesday, Michelle Obama had some fun with late night television host Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

One part of the show the first lady took part in is called Thank-You Notes. It is a popular segment. In it, Fallon usually writes humorous Thank-You Notes to celebrities, people in the news or strange things he notices about life.

For example, he once wrote a thank-you note to the word moist for being the worst word, ever.

Fallon and Obama took turns writing messages. Fallon wrote Thank you, First Lady Michelle Obama, for bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase the right to bear arms.

Obama is known for showing off her strong arms by wearing sleeveless dresses.

But in a more serious segment, the shows producers asked regular people to describe what Michelle Obama means to them.

The people looked at a painting of the first lady as they spoke. One woman said, because of you, I know that my race does not define who I am, or what I can accomplish.

Another person said, Thank you for making me a more confident woman.

One man said Michelle Obama reminded him of the best teachers he ever had.

Another man thanked Obama for inspiring his young daughter to eat more vegetables, and for always encouraging kindness.

After each person finished speaking, they got a huge surprise. Michelle Obama herself stepped out from behind a curtain. She hugged them and thanked them for their kind words.

The participants were surprised and emotional. Some even cried on the first ladys shoulder.

One woman exclaimed, This is not what I was expecting. I was eating pizza bites yesterday in my bed and now Im meeting the first lady!

Another participant turned out to be a former classmate of Obamas. The two attended Princeton University together.

The video came out on Facebook and YouTube early Thursday morning. It has already been played over 11 million times.

Viewers described the video as an amazing segment, really heart-warming.

Some wrote that they watched with tears rolling down their cheeks.

And thats Whats Trending Today.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

What did you think of Michelle Obamas appearance on the show? Let us know in the comments section.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

segment  n. a part of something larger

moist  adj. slightly or barely wet

bear  v. to carry or move something

accomplish  v. to succeed in doing something

farewell  adj. done when someone is leaving, ending a career, etc.

confident - adj. having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

inspire - v. to make (someone) want to do something

curtain - n. a piece of cloth that hangs down and can be used to cover the window (or doorway)
Friday is going to be a very special day for one 6-year-old boy.

6-year-old with cancer gets dream come true

Colton Paulk to meet favorite Monster Jam truck driver

Colton was diagnosed with leukemia last year

Last year, Colton Paulk was diagnosed with leukemia. His family and friends, and the staff at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital encouraged Colton to fight back, and now he's getting the chance to enjoy a dream come true.

Colton and his dad are heading to Raymond James Stadium Friday to meet his favorite Monster Jam truck driver, Dennis Anderson.

Anderson is celebrating his 35th year driving Colton's favorite truck, the Grave Digger.

Colton will get to ride in the Grave Digger ride truck that simulates a ride in a real monster truck, along with other surprises.

He will also get VIP treatment at the pit party on Saturday.

Colton's big day is being made possible by the Children's Dream Fund. The organization has been making dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses in west Central Florida since 1981.
GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here.
Chinese President Xi Jinpings delegation to next weeks World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos is open to meeting with President-elect Donald Trumps team, an official said yesterday.

Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong told reporters at a briefing that there are open channels of communication with Trumps team.

Bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the annual gathering of business leaders, politicians and cultural icons are still being finalized, but China would look into what sort of arrangements could be made as long as the schedule permits and if there is the wish, he said.

Trump has accused China of unfair trade practices and threatened punishing tariffs and upended diplomatic protocol by speaking by phone with the president of Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

Xi, the first Chinese president to attend the Davos meetings, will champion multilateralism at a time of global economic uncertainty and worries that countries will turn inward to trade protectionism  an issue that has risen in prominence with Trumps pledges to restrict access to American markets to promote the U.S. manufacturing industry.

Next Tuesday, Xi will give a speech urging leaders to steer globalization in the direction of more inclusiveness and mutual benefit, Li said.

Western countries and companies accuse Beijing of maintaining its own protectionist practices, for example subsidies for its bloated steel industry that have led to trade tensions over Chinese exports of low-priced steel.

Li said accusations of trade protectionism against Beijing were unjustified, and thatChina has always opposed such measures. Trade protectionism will lead to self-isolationism and it is in the interests of no one, he said.

Xis attendance at Davos is part of an official four-day visit to Switzerland that begins Sunday. He will also visit the U.N., World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee, and discuss with Swiss officials how to deepen trade cooperation following the signing of the 2013 China-Switzerland free trade agreement, as well as how to encourage their business communities to collaborate on innovation.

In the past, Chinese delegations at Davos were led by Premier Li Keqiang.

China has sought to be more influential globally and present itself as a force for stability and champion of globalization while opposing rising protectionist sentiment in the West. The Davos forum takes place during a week when the United States, the worlds largest economy, will be focused on Donald Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration as president. Louise Watt, Beijing, AP
Polish opposition party Civic Platform ended its blockade of the speakers podium in parliament yesterday, stepping back in what had been a bitter standoff with the populist ruling party. Lawmakers from Civic Platform and another centrist party, Modern, had staged the blockade since Dec. 16 over a plan to curb media access to parliament  which has since been dropped  and then over a budget they say was passed illegally. Civic Platform leader Grzegorz Schetyna said his party was ending the protest, declaring it at least a partial success because it pushed the ruling party to abandon the media restrictions. He vowed to continue to oppose the budget vote in other ways, and appealed to the president not to sign the budget.

France: Ex -Kosovo premier freed pending extradition decision

A French court has ordered the release of a jailed former prime minister of Kosovo pending a decision on whether to extradite him to Serbia, where hes wanted on war crimes charges. Overturning an earlier decision, the court in the eastern French city of Colmar said in a statement yesterday that Ramush Haradinaj can leave jail but must stay in France under judicial supervision while his case is studied. Serbias government formally requested his extradition after French police detained Haradinaj last week at Basel Mulhouse Frieburg airport.
The trial of the former Prosecutor-General, Ho Chio Meng, continued yesterday at the Court of Final Appeal. It was the first time that witnesses were called in to testify by the prosecution team, which views them as key to proving Hos guilt.

The witnesses were asked to give their knowledge on topics such as the so-called teachers resting room located on the 16th Floor of the Hotline Building in NAPE as well as the accommodation villa in Cheoc Van that the Public Prosecution Office (MP) rented under the helm of Ho. The case of agarwood pieces originally apprehended by the Macau Customs Service (SA) and kept under the care of the MP was also raised, since those items were later found in Ho Chio Mengs working office and at other locations.

Expectations were dashed by the poor memory of some of the witnesses, raising doubt over Hos apparent fascination with agarwood that the court wanted to see cleared.

The first to rise to the witness bench was Wong Kuok Wai, a name much heard in previous sessions. He was allegedly the representative and person responsible for several of the institutions that the prosecution claims to be front companies used to mask the profits of Ho in several kinds of illegal activities.

But the session didnt start without protest from Hos lawyer, who contested the call of the three witnesses to testify, claiming a legal challenge based on the fact that all three witnesses are in fact defendants in other criminal cases co-related with Hos.

From the witnesses perspective, there was a similar fear of testifying in a way that jeopardize their defense in future trials to be held in the Court of First Instance.

After a quick analysis and taking in good note the opinion already expressed by the judge in charge of the other case, the collective of judges led by Sam Hou Fai decided to refuse the request of both Hos defense and the witnesses that were calling for time to speak with their lawyer.

Possibly as a result of this fear factor, the first witness had little to add to the case replying with a laconic I dont remember to most of the questions from the prosecution, the collective of judges and the defense lawyers.

From the little that Wong had to say or that he could remember, it was revealed that he, through companies that he owned, was responsible for most of the renovations, maintenance and cleaning duties in both of the MP offices, the villa of Cheoc Van and at Hos family residence.

Wong revealed also he was one of the few trusted men of the MP to hold the keys for the teachers resting room since he had organized some renovation and decoration works. He justified the possession of those keys due to a need to frequently visit the place to check if any maintenance was needed and to do the cleaning.

Asked who granted him permission to hold the keys, he again replied: I dont remember.

One of the most highlighted topics of the day and that occupied most of the courts attention yesterday was the case of the agarwood.

With regards to this, Wong said he had seen some wood in the teachers resting room before but, once more, could not confirm if they were the pieces shown to him in photographs by the prosecution.

The topic of the agarwood pieces was again raised by the third and last witness of the day, Lai Kin Ian, former Chief of Office of the Prosecutor General of Public Prosecutions Office, who is a defendant in a different case that resulted from the investigation into Ho.

Lai, questioned by the prosecutors on the modus operandi of the office in relation to adjudications and other decisions regarding contracts, revealed that in many cases he had been mandated by Ho to perform daily duties like contract signage among others.

This mandate was, according to Lai, never published in BO [the Official Gazette] I believe, but Im not certain about that.

Another of the duties revealed by Lai during the court session concerned the case of the agarwood pieces.

According to Lai he served, as he often did during the 15 years that he was heading Hos office, as a middleperson in communication and other functions between Prosecutor-General Ho and the deputy prosecutors, among other judiciary authorities and magistrates. Having had access to processes that terminated with Ho, and being able to check on goods resulting from apprehensions, he mentioned that he had visited the room where the agarwood pieces that the SA had transferred to the MP on the suggestion of Ho were kept.

His testimony led to some final remarks from judge Lai Kin Hong, who said, this is ridiculous, and recalled that Lai, besides being only an administrative official and not a judicial officer nor a magistrate, revealed total ignorance about the law as well as the duties of his profession.

Lai acknowledged that he has no background in law but equally denied knowledge of any wrongdoing in following the orders of Ho.

Also on the witness bench was Mak Im Tai, the partner of Wong Kuok Wai in several of the companies performing tasks for both the MP and Ho Chio Meng privately.

Mak, who was said to be a long-term friend of the plaintiff, admitted to having met with him once or twice during after office hours at the teachers resting room to discuss family issues. He denied that these meetings had anything to do with the rental of the Cheoc Van villa, although he knows the owner of that property, and he has relatives that work at the MP, such as his sister-in-law, Lou Siu Lan.

Macau City Fringe Festival

Activities to commence from Friday

T

he 16th Macau City Fringe Festival is due to take place in the city from tomorrow until January 22, with the opening ceremony to be held this Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Old Court Building.

This years edition of the festival has adopted the slogan of A Feast of Creativity! Bon Appetit! in line with the concept of All around the city, our stages, our patrons, our artists. It will bring foreign artists together with their local counterparts to create a distinctive event in the city, according to organizers.

On the day of the opening ceremony, six shows will be introduced, including Zuo Zuo Tea House, Night, Mobile Kitchen, In Good Hands, Body Code: Post- colonial Blue Birds and Antiwords, reflecting the diversity of the program for the first weekend of the festival.

Zuo Zuo Tea House will be staged in six consecutive sessions on Saturday afternoon. The performance reveals the secrets of Rua da Felicidade by combining elements of dance and music which contrive to explore the history of Macaus red-light district. Later that evening, Night, translated by Circolando from Portugal, encourages audiences to question language and aesthetics through live music manipulated by a DJ and an intensely physical and emotional dance by a trio of men.

Mobile Kitchen will invite designer and movie actress Mi Lee to prepare Chinese cuisine and share her life stories, while In Good Hands is an interactive performance of music and storytelling, exploring secrets, trust and human needs. Body Code: Post-colonial Blue Birds, performed by contemporary dancers from Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, depicts the colonial history of the three territories through body language.

Antiwords, presented by two actresses in oversized masks, will appeal to the audience with its absurdly humorous portrayal of drunken characters. The world-acclaimed performance features a voice- over in Czech with subtitles in English and Chinese.

Tickets for the shows of the 16th Macau City Fringe Festival are available for purchase through Macau Ticketing Network outlets. Some tickets remain for the shows to be staged this weekend.
Ahead of the 28th Macau Arts Festival (MAF), which will be held from the end of April to May 2017, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) is now accepting applications for a dance workshop to be held mid-February led by renowned artist Hiroaki Umeda.

According to a statement from the IC, selected dancers from the workshop will have the opportunity to take part in the production of a performance that will be integrated into the MAF program.

Hiroaki Umeda was born in 1977 and is a multi-disciplinary artist. In addition to being a choreographer, he is also a dancer, sound artist, and image and lighting designer. After studying photography at university, Umeda decided to devote his career to choreography at the age of 20 when he began attending classes in ballet, street dance and modern dance.

In 2000, he founded his company, S20, subsequently earning recognition and acclaim as an original and promising young artist. Since then, he has performed on stages around the world as a solo dancer.

From 2008 onwards, he began to take up roles as a choreographer for dance companies. Examples of this include the works brought by Umeda to the 25th MAF, namely Adapting for Distortion and Haptic, which were widely acclaimed.

The workshop is limited to 20 participants. Should applicants exceed the limit, the choreographer will select participants by analyzing submitted documents alongside application forms. The workshop will be entirely conducted in English, however Cantonese interpretation will be provided if required.

Applications for Umedas dance workshop opened yesterday, and will remain open until February 2. Interested parties can find information regarding application requirements on the ICs website. Successful candidates will be notified by email or SMS and will be admitted to the workshop free of charge.
The United States Congress has voted to authorize the use of military force against Iraq to end its occupation of neighboring Kuwait.

The vote seals the United Nations 15 January deadline for the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, to order his troops out of Kuwait, or face military action.

After three days of sometimes heated debate, the House of Representatives passed the motion authorizing use of force by 250 votes to 183.

The Democrat-controlled Senate vote was far closer, at 52 to 47, but was not as narrow as had been feared.

It is the first time Congress has approved military action since the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in 1964 at the start of the Vietnam War, and it was by no means a foregone conclusion.

At times the Senate vote was too close to call, and some were predicting the president would be forced to go to war without Congressional backing.

The House of Representatives added one condition to the motion: that all diplomatic and peaceful means of averting war should be exhausted.

It has also made it clear it will withdraw its support if the war becomes prolonged or results in heavy casualties.

President Bush welcomed the votes, saying they represented the last best chance for peace and sent the clearest message to Iraq that it cannot scorn the January 15 deadline.

He said he had not yet made a final decision to launch an attack on Iraq, but warned it would be sooner rather than later if Saddam Hussein did not withdraw.

Senior Washington sources said the president had obtained permission from the British, Saudi Arabian and Egyptian governments to launch an attack at only a few minutes notice.

The tough line was reinforced by the British foreign secretary, Douglas Hurd, in Abu Dhabi on a trip to the Gulf. He [Saddam] will be forced out, he said. We are coming to a decision on this. There is no reason for a long delay.

In a last-minute effort to avert war with diplomacy, the UN Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad yesterday with his latest five-point peace plan endorsed by EC foreign ministers.

He met Tariq Aziz, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, this evening and is due to meet Saddam Hussein tomorrow. However, although Washington publicly supports his efforts, all preparations are for imminent war.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The last-minute diplomacy by Perez de Cuellar and others came to nothing.

Iraq continued to refuse to comply with the UN ultimatum for its troops to withdraw from Kuwait, and at 2330 GMT on 16 January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began with a devastating aerial bombardment of Baghdad.

After more than a month of intensive air attacks, the Allies began a land offensive on 24 February. One day later, the Iraqi army began retreating.

On 28 February, President George Bush declared victory.

Kuwait was liberated, but the Gulf War left Saddam Hussein in power.

The US and Britain launched a second war against Iraq in 2003. Saddam Hussein was overthrown and captured. He was later tried for war crimes by an Iraqi court, sentenced to death and executed.

A democratically-elected government was sworn in after elections in 2005.

However, it has proved very difficult to find an acceptable balance of power between Iraqs national groups, and the country continues to be destabilized by violent extremists.

American and British troops have so far been unable to pull out despite repeated guerrilla attacks which have killed more soldiers than the war itself.
Moodys Investors Service did not breach Hong Kongs regulatory code of conduct because it never used a 2011 report on listed companies as a credit-rating tool, the citys High Court heard yesterday during an appeal hearing.

Adrian Huggins, lawyer for the New York-based credit-rating firm, told the three judges that Moodys had considered using the notes contents as part of a credit-review report but decided not to as it was inappropriate. A bright line between regulated and unregulated activities had been blurred by the regulator, Huggins said.

Moodys was appealing a decision by the citys Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal that resulted in a HKD11 million (USD1.4 million) fine. The panel in March affirmed an action against the company by the Securities and Futures Commission for breaching the regulators code of conduct when it published a report on dozens of Chinese companies. That ruling alarmed investors and analysts, concerned that such actions could strangle critical commentary about the citys markets.

The report highlighted warning signs that Moodys had about weak corporate governance, opaque business models and unclear financial reporting at the companies. The tribunal said in March that the note qualified as a ratings notice, which meant it should be held to higher standards.

Under questioning from the judges, Huggins said though the report had been confusing, no one reading it would think credit ratings at the firms mentioned were about to be adjusted.

Moodys did not engage in misleading conduct and disagrees that the Securities and Futures Commission should be able to regulate the content of research publications, Donough Foley, Senior Vice President, Moodys Investors Service, said in a statement. Moodys hopes the Court will overturn the decision of the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal and looks forward to its ruling.

SFC spokesman Ernest Kong declined to comment.

Shares plunged and borrowing costs jumped for some of the companies, including Winsway Coking Coal Holdings Ltd. and West China Cement Ltd. Moodys said the research note was a primer on possible credit-rating reviews, rather than a review in itself.

The tribunal has been drawn to the conclusion that there was a failure in clear and unambiguous terms to set out the true nature and purpose of the red flag framework, the tribunal panel said in its March ruling. The evidence indicates that the market understood the red flag framework as providing some form of ranking system of credit risk and acted accordingly.

A first of its kind in Hong Kong, the tribunals decision was seen as having wide-ranging implications for how ratings agencies operate in Hong Kong, especially as it came at around the same time as an SFC action against U.S. short seller Andrew Left.

In August, Left was found culpable of market misconduct for a report that his Citron Research firm published that was critical of real estate developer Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd. He was fined HKD6.9 million in penalties and costs and banned from the Hong Kong market for 5 years. Left said he plans to appeal. Benjamin Robertson, Bloomberg
The Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel, which requested a renovation period of six months last year, still shows no sign of renovation or any activity to correct its problems.

The troubled hotel currently has its gates closed with leaves piled up in a corner in front of the hotel.

A car, covered in a thick layer of dust also seems to have been parked there for a long time.

Several tourism buses and engineering vehicles have been seen parked in the vicinity of the hotel although no construction and maintenance works have been witnessed so far according to a report by Exmoo.

On January 22 of this month, the temporary closure order will come to an end. At that point the hotel could face losing its license if the government does not accredit improvements.

Currently, the public is strictly prohibited from entering the premises of the hotel, and such entry could be considered a violation of the order.

The closing order was issued by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) due to several infringements of various codes, and took effect from July 23 last year. Among the irregularities were serious fire safety issues including an inadequate number of fire extinguishers, defective emergency lighting system, blocked exits, obstructed escape routes, malfunctioning smoke chambers, use of decorative materials without fireproofing, and storage of fuels beyond legal limits, among others, MGTO head Senna Fernandes said when the hotel was closed.

The MGTO head stated that, despite the fact that many of these infringements have being ongoing for at least two years, the department has given the company in charge a deadline for the management of the hotel to correct these problems and to perform the necessary improvements.
From January 17 onwards, Indonesias representative office in Macau will halt its operations in the region on Saturdays, hence only opening on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The new schedule was revealed in several newspaper advertisements on Monday.

Although the announcement may not significantly affect migrant workers, some Indonesians say they have been continually calling for an Indonesian Consulate to open in Macau.

Yosa Wariyanti, president of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union previously told the Times that they are in need of an established consular office in the MSAR to alleviate the difficulties for Indonesian workers in Macau in seeking assistance.

In an international region, we demand [they] open a consulate office in Macau. If not, [they can] open a service counter for Indonesians who have [consular] problems, Wariyanti said.

Meanwhile, Eric Lestari, president of newly formed advocacy group Union Indonesian Migrant Workers in Macau, also stressed to the Times that they have been calling for a consulate to commence operations in the territory for a long time.

Of course we want them to protect us, to serve Indonesian migrant workers and hear our voices, she said. We also ask our government to open everyday but they said only a few people come for consular services.

Yet Lestari supposed that the Indonesian migrant workers are reluctant to approach the office when experiencing labor issues.

They [Indonesian workers] dont want to complain and be against anything. They keep quiet [so] out government thinks theres not too many problems, she added.

These Indonesian associations disseminate updated regulations and labor laws of Macau to their compatriots.

The groups also back Indonesian workers who are in need of assistance from the regions labor department. LV
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies to ensure free access to contraceptives for 6 million women who cannot obtain them, officials said yesterday, in a move expected to be opposed by the dominant Roman Catholic church.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the intensified drive to make contraceptives available and ensure zero unmet need for family planning is important to reduce poverty. He said the governments target is to cut the poverty rate from 21.6 percent in 2015 to 14 or 13 percent by the end of Dutertes term in 2022.

The executive order Duterte signed Monday said out of the 6 million women with unmet needs for modern family planning, 2 million have been identified as poor. The 2 million women should have access to them by 2018, and all the rest thereafter, the order added.

It also directs government agencies to locate couples with unmet family planning needs, mobilize agencies up to the village level and partner with civil society in intensifying the drive.

The Philippines is the only Asia-Pacific country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the last two decades, the U.N. Population Fund said last year. It said the slow decline of the countrys overall fertility rate may deprive the Philippines of faster economic growth expected in similar countries that have more working-age people than younger and older dependents.

In 2015, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on certain provisions of a landmark Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law following appeals by anti-abortion groups that view contraceptives as causing abortions. The court prohibited the distribution of a contraceptive implant and put on hold the renewal of licenses for other contraceptives. The government has appealed for the lifting of the temporary restraining order.

The government cannot continue to tolerate this delay in judgment because time is of the essence as far as the implementation of the RPRH Law is concerned, Pernia said.

He said 11 Filipino women die each day from complications of pregnancy and delivery and the law will reduce maternal deaths and teen pregnancies in addition to enabling families to have the number of children they want.

Juan Antonio Perez, executive director of the Commission on Population, said if the contraceptives are made available to the 6 million women with unmet family planning needs, the contraceptive prevalence rate can increase to 65 percent, from the current 40 percent.

The Philippines population, now at 104 million, is growing at a rate of around 1.7 percent yearly, but the growth may be reduced to 1.4 percent if the campaign is fully implemented by 2022, Perez added. AP
Garena, Southeast Asias most valuable startup, picked Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to lead a planned initial public offering that could fetch about USD1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The Singapore-based online gaming portal and e-commerce provider plans to select additional banks as soon as this month, the people said. Garena is considering listing in the U.S., the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

If completed, the deal would be a boon for backers such as Tencent Holdings Ltd. and mark the largest technology IPO out of Southeast Asia. It may open the door for offerings from other local startups, including ride-hailing leader Grab and e-commerce operator Tokopedia.

This is an extremely significant deal, said Vishal Harnal, a partner at 500 Startups in Singapore. Once you have a success story coming out of the region, it becomes easier for others to emulate. An IPO of this magnitude will galvanize and serve as a beacon to all the startups in Southeast Asia.

The deal would add to the $9.9 billion in first- time share sales by technology companies globally in the past 12 months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Garena, which is also backed by Malaysias sovereign wealth fund, would join Japanese messaging provider Line Corp. in selling shares in the U.S. to fund expansion.

Garena was founded by Chinese entrepreneur Forrest Li as an online gaming company in 2009. It has since branched out to add mobile shopping and payment services in Southeast Asia. The firm was valued at about $3.75 billion when it raised $170 million in a fundraising round in March 2016. Garena  a portmanteau of global arena  has grown net revenue 13-fold since 2011 to $270 million in 2015.

Li was born and raised in the Chinese port city of Tianjin and did stints at Motorola Solutions Inc. and Corning Inc. after college. He decided he couldnt continue as a corporate manager and enrolled in Stanfords MBA program. He started Garena as Southeast Asias version of Tencent and has since become a citizen of Singapore.

Other backers of Garena include Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and private-equity firm General Atlantic LLC.

The company aims to complete the IPO in the next two years, one of the people said. Representatives for Garena and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. Joyce Koh, Yoolim Lee and Elffie Chew, Bloomberg
Thirteen students at Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) presented their thesis to a panel of industry members for the third Tourism Education Student (Ted Summit)  Winter 2017 yesterday.

The Ted Summit is the final culmination of the research component that IFTs undergraduate Bachelor of Science students undergo.

The event was conducted so that the senior student researchers could present their findings after having completed a research-based investigation into a number of the regions tourism industry-related topics.

Four students, who represented the best scholars from the different programs, were showcased at the event and awarded MOP10,000 scholarships.

One of the students was awarded the Best Paper Scholarship Awards Presentation. Chan Ka Po presented to the panel his research paper on Service with a Smile: Enhancement on Customer Satisfaction.

Chan presented smile factors that would boost costumer satisfaction and noted that costumers are highly likely to appreciate a smile with an eye and teeth movement.

With 240 respondents, Chan concluded that these smiles are a significant contributor to a high level of costumer satisfaction.

Some employees and staff just smile like a robot. Customers wont be satisfied with that smile [so] I hope my research can help them smile better, said Chan.

Another awarded student Xiao Jing Jin, presented her research study titled Event Destination Selection  The Case of Macau.

Xiaos presentation focused on the local government and hospitality experts ideas about the most significant factors in event destination selection.

The Tourism Management Event student concluded that such entities used several criteria for selecting destinations such as affordability, safety and accessibility.

Student Wong Wai I presented a case study titled Exploring the Relationship between Travel Motivation and Revisit Intention of International Tourists (excluding mainland China tourists, Hong Kong and Taiwan tourists) in Macau.

She concluded that international tourists age, gender and nationality would not affect their revisit intention. Wong also stressed that international tourists are more interested in local culture, which she consequently suggested the Macao Government Tourist Office further promote.

Another award recipient Lam Chak Kin presented a thesis on Impact of Heritage Revitalization Project on Community: A Case Study of Tai Po Heritage Hotel.

Although his research does not include Macau, he expressed his hopes that the region could learn from Hong Kongs scheme on protecting heritage sites.

The organizer of the summit, Laura Malungu, Regent for thesis/project at IFT, explained to the Times that the one-day event aims to celebrate the success of its students hard work.

It was included in the [curriculum] model that it would have an end celebration, somehow a means to recognize really good work both in terms of the research quality and the way students were able to create a product that had pure recognition, Malungu Times.

This past semester, 121 undergraduates have completed this research component and 61 have been invited to present and publish in the IFT Tourism Education Student Summit e-Proceedings.

When compared to the first and second editions of the Summit, Malungu noted that students researches have been more diversified this year.

Its a healthy growth. Theyre trying to show differences. You see this diversity that they didnt show in the first editions, she added.

The summit also invited experts from the regions hospitality industry.

Kris Kaminsky, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Macao commended both the institution and the students presentations and recommendations.

I think they did a great job, some very interesting topics. Some very difficult topics and thats inspiring for me. Theyre willing to take risks, he said.

Another industry panel member Niek Hammer, general manager of Hotel Okura Macau noted that the students presented interesting conclusions, especially given the topic and time restrictions.

Hammer expressed his hope that the students would continue to grow in the hospitality industry.

The opportunities here in Macau are almost endless. I hope this people take the opportunity to make this business more successful, he noted.

Furthermore, Fanny Vong president of IFT announced to the press that as of next year, the summit would be held once every year instead of being held twice annually.
The United States has designated an Indonesian radical network behind an attack in Jakarta as a terrorist group and announced sanctions on four militants in an effort to disrupt Islamic State group operations and recruitment in Australia and Southeast Asia.

The announcements by the Department of State and Treasury Department come after police in Australia and Indonesia foiled IS-inspired attacks planned for the holiday season in those countries.

The State Department said Tuesday it has designated the IS-affiliated Jamaah Ansharut Daulah as a terrorist group, which in practice prohibits U.S. citizens being involved with it and enables the freezing of any property in the U.S.

JAD militants are believed responsible for a January 2016 attack in the Indonesian capital that killed eight people including the attackers.

Treasury announced sanctions against two Australians, both previously believed killed in the Middle East, and two Indonesians, one of whom is in prison in Indonesia.

The statements did not say whether the four had any assets within U.S. jurisdiction. However, the steps show continued U.S. commitment to anti-terror efforts in Australia and Indonesia.

The U.S. and Australia were instrumental in upgrading Indonesias counter-terrorism capabilities following the 2002 bombings on the tourist island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

The sanctioned Australians are Neil Christopher Prakash, also known as Khaled Al-Cambodi, who was the senior Australian recruiter for IS, and Khaled Sharrouf, an IS fighter in Syria and Iraq since 2014 who carried out executions for IS.

The Indonesians are Bahrum Syah, who sent funds to militants in Indonesia from Syria, and his mentor Aman Abdurrahman, who from prison has recruited militants to the IS cause, authorized attacks and was ISs main translator in Indonesia. Stephen Wright, AP
WENDELL  In a pale winter sky, streaked with the first pinks of a new day, a massive, dark shape flew low.

A bald eagle.

It cruised over the Earl M. Hardy Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve toward its feeding spot in the Snake River Canyon.

Were going to get this big guy come right close to us, park ranger Eric Whittekiend said, awe in his voice. Hes going to fly right over the top of us.

The Hagerman Valleys annual winter spectacle never gets old.

Migratory bald eagles roost in trees southwest of Wendell, feed along the canyon during the day, then gather again in the trees in late afternoon  in numbers that are hard to believe. And now is the perfect time to see them.

Bring your binoculars, your spotting scope, your camera and the longest lens you can get your hands on. This is a sight youll want to remember.

To me, its neat enough to see one or two bald eagles, Whittekiend said on an early-morning excursion Dec. 22, but to see a concentration, to me thats really neat.

You can do it the easy way. Or the hard way.

The easy way

The eagles start gathering here in early or mid-December and stay around until at least mid-February. To see a dozen  or a few dozen  roosting together, get to 1500 East by about 7:30 a.m. This county road southwest of Wendell, also called West Point Road, gives you easy access to some of the eagles favorite roosting spots, including the Box Canyon preserve, a unit of Thousand Springs State Park.

With binoculars or a scope, you can get awesome views of eagle-filled trees from roadsides and public parking spaces  even from the car window, if its just too cold to get out.

The best-known option is a big cottonwood tree beside West Point Service, a store and cafe at 3287 S. 1500 E. Dubbed the Eagle Tree by locals, it held at least 12 eagles in the pre-dawn of Dec. 22. But two days earlier, Whittekiends daughter and father-in-law had counted 99 in the Eagle Tree and the area around it. (Irrigation pivots in nearby fields are a good place to look.)

Just south of the store, turn west onto 3300 South and look for the big trees in a highway district work yard. (If its snowing, the highway crew will need to move equipment in and out of the yard, so dont block the path with your vehicle, Whittekiend advises.) Without trying hard, we counted more than two dozen eagles in these trees. Dont be late; by 7:40 a.m., the earliest risers started to fly off.

You missed the roosting eagles in the morning? Theyll return to the trees by late afternoon, so come again after 4 p.m.

And these are eagles of habit. They tend to fly the same paths when they leave those trees each morning and when they return in the afternoon. But the eagles change their travel patterns as goose-hunting boundaries shift or aquaculture producers dead-fish disposal changes.

So Whittekiend suggests visiting twice this winter: once to watch where the eagles go when they leave their roosts, and again to position yourself for seeing them in flight or during midday.

Box Canyon

Luckily for you, one popular flight path is right over the Box Canyon park unit.

Another mile south on 1500 East brings you to the Box Canyon parking lot beside 3400 South, where the irrigation pivots might be loaded with eagles. As the morning progresses, the park is a great place to watch them flying toward their favorite Hagerman Valley feeding spots or circling in the thermals above the spring-fed Box Canyon  the rising columns of warm air pushed up as cold air drops into Box Canyon.

For the best photos, get out and walk. The park doesnt allow motorized access beyond the parking lot, so bring footwear for walking on a snow-filled dirt road. And follow the usual precautions for remote recreation, letting someone know where youre going and when youll be back.

If you happen to slip and break your leg, you could be out here for quite some time, Whittekiend said.

Walking two-thirds of a mile brings you to an overlook where you can watch spring water bursting from Box Canyons vertical walls, forming a river from nothing. Its a dramatic scene even when there arent eagles on the thermals. On winter mornings, steam rises from the springs, 54 degrees year-round.

In another third of a mile, youll find portable toilets.

The trails continue beyond that. Its a two-mile walk from the parking lot to the edge of the Snake River Canyon, and a spur trail offers a hike down into Box Canyon.

You dont have to stay on the trails if you want a closer look at an eagle-filled pivot or tree. The parks boundary has an irregular shape, but its all fenced; dont trespass on adjacent private property.

It gets a lot of use  a surprising amount of use, Whittekiend said, pointing to footprints littering the snow.

No wonder. In the span of a few minutes, half a dozen eagles flew overhead.

These, he said, are the days I think, Man, I have a terrible job.

The hard way

What, you thought hiking through the Box Canyon preserve was the hard way to see this spectacle? No, Gordan Hardcastles way is the hard way.

The Rupert art photographer doesnt settle for images of eagles at rest. Anyone with a decent lens can get those. He wants photos in flight. And he wants the best lighting, which doesnt begin until 9 or 9:30 a.m., long after the eagles leave their roosts.

I have to know their habits, so I know where theyre flying by, Hardcastle said during his Dec. 22 photography excursion along the county roads near Box Canyon, using a fence post as an improvised tripod.

Twice he armed himself with foot warmers and a flashlight and lay in the sagebrush  about froze to death  to observe a pre-dawn flight path from the Eagle Tree to the Snake River Canyon. In awe, he listened to huge wings beat 20 feet above him in the darkness.

To get one of his best eagle images last winter, he spent four hours waiting  on three days  then used the camera for 10 seconds.

I put in 12 hours to get that picture, Hardcastle said.

Hardcastle often parks along 3500 South, west of 1500 East, at 9 a.m. and waits with his 400 mm lens. (Tip: When Saturday hikers walk through the Box Canyon preserve, the eagles they disturb fly this way.)

One of his favorite afternoon spots is on the Snake River Canyon rim above both the wetlands fed by Banbury Springs and the old Camp Roach site, a former Boy Scout camp on Idaho Power Co. property. Youll find Idaho Powers small parking lot and a trailhead leading into the canyon at the west end of 3500 South. Pick a spot on the canyon rim to watch eagles cruising the river corridor, or follow the trail to look for eagles in the trees growing from the canyon wall.

Some afternoons, at 3 or 3:30 p.m., Hardcastle parks at the corner of 3300 South and 1400 East  and is rewarded by an eagle flying overhead every 15 minutes.

Its a waiting game, he said. Someone may sit there and not see any, and the next time theyll see a dozen of them.

One final location tip from Hardcastle: the road to the Ritter Island unit of Thousand Springs State Park. The islands access road heads west from 1300 East, between 3200 South and 3300 South. Stop and park just before the road drops into the canyon, and youll be in a prime position for another eagle flight path.

Hardcastle learned that the hard way.

Park details

For the Ritter Island and Box Canyon units of Thousand Springs State Park, take Interstate 84 to Wendell, use exit 155 and head west on Hagerman Highway, then south on 1500 East.

Want to do more exploring while youre there? The state parks seven units are all within a short driving distance. A couple of units are right off I-84 at exit 147, between Wendell and Bliss. A couple more are accessed by U.S. 30 at Hagerman. For the last three units  including Box Canyon and Ritter Island  you can exit I-84 at Wendell and use county roads to approach the Snake River.

To print maps of each park unit, look for the Maps and brochures link on the left side of Parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/thousand-springs.

The state park charges a daily $5 motor vehicle entry fee year-round  unless you have the $10 annual Idaho State Parks Passport available through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Each park unit has a self-pay box.
Volunteers  Hospice Visions Inc. is looking for volunteers to visit with patients and their families, and volunteers to provide handyman services, play the piano at assisted living centers, and help with art projects for their patients at assisted living centers. If you have a special talent to share with others, contact Nora Wells at Hospice Visions, 208-735-0121 or nwells@hospicevisions.org.

Volunteers  Hospice Visions Inc is looking for men and women to serve as Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteers for their veteran patients. All ages of veterans from all branches of service are welcome to join Hospice Visions volunteer forces as part of the We Honor Veterans program. Information: Nora Wells, volunteer coordinator at Hospice Visions, 208-735-0121 or nwells@hospicevisions.org.

Volunteers  Encompass Hospice is looking for volunteers in Burley, Rupert, Eden, Twin Falls, Kimberly and Jerome. Encompass needs your kind heart and willingness to help members of our communities. Information: Cindy Keithley, 208-733-8600 or ckeithley@ehhi.com.

Volunteers  Idaho Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers who will bring compassion, support and dignity to those facing a serious, life-limiting illness and their families. Volunteers can choose between offering respite to family caregivers or provide support with administrative tasks. Information: Heidi Walker, 208-734-4064 or Heidi.Walker@LHCgroup.com.

Volunteers  Interlink Volunteer Caregivers (IVC) provides volunteers to help elderly, disabled and chronically ill people to live safely and independently at home. Volunteers are needed in the Mini-Cassia area and Magic Valley to help build wheelchair ramps and install grab bars. Volunteers are also needed to help with light housekeeping. Volunteers are reimbursed for mileage and covered with excess auto liability insurance. Commitment is flexible with no minimum hours required. Information: Edie, 208-733-6333 or ivcofmv@gmail.com.

Drivers  The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program in Twin Falls. Volunteers will drive patients to and from medical treatments. Commitment is flexible. Information: 1-800-227-2345.

Drivers  The Twin Falls Senior Center needs drivers to deliver meals to homebound seniors in Twin Falls Monday through Friday, and the routes take an hour or less to complete. Commitment is based on your availability. Volunteers must be 18 years of age with their own car, and have proof of liability insurance and a background check. Drivers receive 54 cents a mile fuel reimbursement. Information: 208-734-5084.

Volunteers  The Twin Falls County Historical Society is seeking volunteers for various programs and general support. Volunteers are needed to paint, clean or work on docent projects and fundraising. No minimum amount of hours, commitment is flexible. Fill out an application at the Twin Falls County Historical Museum (Union School at Curry), open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: 208-736-4675.
TWIN FALLS  The College of Southern Idaho is planning a fine arts day next month for high schoolers, the college announced Wednesday.

High school juniors and seniors who are planning to pursue a fine arts degree in college are invited to the event Friday, Feb. 3.

Space is limited to the first 100 students who preregister. Theres no cost and CSI will provide a free lunch.

Students will get tours and hands-on experiences in classes offered in visual, performing and liberal arts.

For information or to sign up, call the CSI admissions department at 208-732-6221 or admissions@csi.edu.
GOODING  Five students and one educator from the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind in Gooding will attend a leadership summit and presidential inauguration this month in Washington, D.C.

ISDB is one of three prize-wining schools in the Champions for Change Contest, Envision and Discovery Education announced Tuesday.

There were more than 35,000 contest entries. But ISDB and the other two schools received the most public votes to attend Envisions Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit from Jan. 18-22 in Washington, D.C.

The contest is part of the Chase the Race in School program to help educate students about demography and civic engagement. It includes resources to help lead classroom lessons about the presidential election process.

From ISDB, one educator and five students will take an all-expenses-paid trip to the Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit, including the 58th presidential inauguration on the National Mall.

Theyll participate in activities and hear from speakers such as Gen. Colin Powell, Spike Lee and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai.
BOISE  Mini-Cassias senator is considering legislation to allow for the creation of local airport districts, a move that would provide another option to relocate the Burley airport.

The airport is owned by the city of Burley, which has been trying for more than 20 years to move it. In 2016, an airport task force identified two possible sites, one south of Interstate 84 north of Exit 216 and one north of there. Currently, an engineering company is working on a master plan for the airport.

Economic development leaders say keeping an airport in Mini-Cassia is a must if the region wants to continue to attract new businesses. But others in the region have been skeptical about the need for a new airport, despite warnings the current one doesnt meet safety standards, and have raised concerns about where it would go and who would pay for it.

Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert, who is also the Rupert city administrator, said officials in Burley have been considering an airport district or similar model and that he wants to explore how the legislature may help.

Anthon stressed he is not necessarily in favor of creating an airport district to build a new airport, but that airport districts dont even exist under Idaho law now.

Im not advocating it, I want to be very clear about that  but my constituents are telling me the option is not even available, Anthon said Wednesday.

The bill is still in the discussion stage, but it would likely work similarly to most other taxing districts  voters would have to approve its creation, then it would be run by a board that would set its budget and levy property taxes to help pay for it.

That option may be especially attractive to Burley, since it could potentially allow other communities to share the costs of maintaining the regional airport.

Another potential plus to an airport district, Anthon said, is its stability compared with a joint powers agreement between municipalities, since a city or county that enters such an agreement can also withdraw from it, usually with a years notice.

If youre trying to run an airport, thats not going to be a very appealing way to go about it, he said.

Also, Anthon said, a separate district takes the need to manage an airport and support it financially out of the hands of local governments that might not necessarily be interested. And, it puts the decision to move the Burley airport in the hands of the voters, since they would need to create the district.

I think if theyre going to move the airport it should be because people should decide its the best thing for our community, Anthon said.
Mae Ellen Wright

February 22, 1927 - January 8, 2017

Mae Ellen (Prior) Wright was born to Fern C. and Charles R. Prior on February 22, 1927 in Hazelton, Idaho and was reunited with her beloved husband on January 8, 2017.

Mae Ellen grew up on a homestead near Murtaugh, Idaho. In later years she spoke fondly of her childhood on a farm; her father's infectious curiosity for all things in the natural world; and her mother's proud Scottish heritage. She especially treasured memories of time spent with her paternal Grandmother, Olga Prior, and her maternal Grandmother, Mae Allen Cameron.

In her youth Mae Ellen attended school in Hansen, graduated from Twin Falls High School, studied liberal arts at ISU in Pocatello, worked at Bertha Camel's Dress Shop in Twin Falls, and served as Gooding County reporter for the Twin Falls Times-News.

In 1945 Mae Ellen quite literally married the boy next door- Eugene B. Wright- while he was on temporary leave from the Army. When Gene returned home after WWII, they lived in Gooding, Idaho; marking the beginning of a blessed 57-year union that produced 4 daughters and eventually, 5 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

In 1958 Mae Ellen and Gene moved their family to Boise and within a few years they purchased a small business where Mae Ellen became the bookkeeper. During the 1960's they also raised and sold basset hounds. In the 1970's Mae Ellen began a long and successful career with Avon Corporation.

Aside from an abiding love of family Mae Ellen also cherished her many connections with animals; especially dogs. Her canine friends played a prominent role in her life providing a constant source of comfort and amusement. True to her nature Mae Ellen expanded her pet menagerie over time and through the decades she cared for variety of creatures including a cockatoo, parakeets, a chameleon, an iguana, and many exotic tropical fish. A staunch Democrat, Mae Ellen always stayed abreast of current events; relishing every opportunity to engage in a political debate. She viewed voting as a moral obligation. Most recently she participated as a representative on the resident council where she lived at Genesis Health Care Center in Meridian.

As the last chapter of her life began with the death of her husband in 2002, Mae Ellen overlooked advancing arthritis, traveled to Alaska, vacationed in Maui, visited Glendale, California where she had briefly lived as a child and eventually slowed her pace, settling in to an assisted living center. At a recent holiday gathering Mae Ellen reflected joyfully on her life's work and legacy. In the fullness of the moment and speaking from the heart, she said, 'I mostly want to be remembered for raising a family because my children are my greatest accomplishment.'

Mae Ellen is survived by 4 daughters - Lynn Munson (Joe), Kaye Hughes (Chuck, deceased), Faye Zamzow (Jim), all of Boise and Vicki Wright (Jami Seibel) of Caldwell; a sister, Bula Daw (Kenneth) of Hansen; 5 grandchildren- Terry Waltman, Jos Zamzow (Deana), Callie Zamzow (Clint Scott), Ryan Munson (Vicki), and Vince Cedillo (Alexandria); 3 nephews (Kurt Daw (Hillary), Kris Daw (Shawnee) and Craig Daw (Linda); and 10 great grandchildren. Preceding Mae Ellen in death were her parents, her husband, Eugene, her son-in-law, Chuck Hughes and her nephew, CA Daw.

A graveside service will be held in Twin Falls. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Mae Ellen's name to the Idaho Humane Society- 4775 Dorman Street, Boise, Idaho 83705.
Milford Mabey

EUSTIS, Florida  Milford Mabey formerly of Burley, funeral services at 1 p.m., Thursday, January 12 at the Morrison Payne Funeral Home. A viewing will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 11 and prior to the service from 11 to 12:45 a.m.

John Clayton

SPANISH FORK, Utah  Josh Clayton formerly from Burley, funeral services at 11 a.m., Thursday, January 12 at the Canyon Pointe Ward, 2162 East Canyon road, Spanish Fork, Utah. A visitation will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 11 at the Berg Mortuary, 185 East Center Street, Provo, Utah or at the church from 9:30 until 10:45 a.m. Thursday morning.

Carolyn Elexpuru

KIMBERLY  Carolyn Elexpuru of Kimberly, rosary service at 7 p.m. Friday, January 13 and a funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 14, both at St Elizabeths Catholic Church, Gooding. A celebration of life will follow the funeral service at The Gooding Basque Center, 285 Euskadi Lane in Gooding.

Marilyn Phillips

PAUL  Marilyn Phillips of Paul, funeral at 2 p.m. Friday, January 13, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, with visitation from 1- 1:45 p.m.

Donasiano Pena

BURLEY  Donasiano Pena of Burley, celebration of life and viewing will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. Friday January 13 at Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary.

Joyce (JR) Dickard

TWIN FALLS  Joyce (JR) Dickard of Twin Falls, funeral services at 1 p.m. Friday January 13 at Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home, 2551 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls. A visitation will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. Thursday, January 12 at the funeral home.

Russell Braaton

TWIN FALLS  Russell Braaton memorial service at 4 p.m. Friday, January 13 at Calvary Chapel in Buhl. Arrangements under the direction of Farmer Funeral Chapel.

Dow Rathbun

TWIN FALLS  Dow Rathbun of Twin Falls, funeral at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 14 at Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home, 2551 Kimberly Road. A viewing will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. Friday, January 13 at the funeral home.

Larry Tinker

BOISE  Larry Tinker of Boise, celebration of life service at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 14, 2017 at Foothills Christian Church, 9655 W. State Street, Boise, Idaho. Arrangements are under the direction of Summers Funeral Homes, Boise Chapel.

Sharon Johnson

HAZELTON  Sharon Johnson from Hazelton, funeral service at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 14 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1602 Lutheran Road, Eden with a viewing one hour prior to service.

Floyd Eastwood

FILER  Floyd Eastwood of Filer, celebration of life at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 14 at the Filer LDS Church, 840 W Midway. Arrangements are under the direction of Serenity Funeral Chapel Life Celebration Center & Cremation Services of Idaho.

Orin Wagner

BURLEY  Orin Wagner of Burley, memorial service at 10 a.m. Monday January 16 at Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home, 2551 Kimberly Road, Kimberly.

David Van Engelen

TWIN FALLS  David Van Engelen of Twin Falls, funeral services at 12 noon Saturday, January 14 at the First Presbyterian Church, 209 5th Ave. North, Twin Falls.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has stressed that Iraq will not accept anything other than the complete withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the Bashiqa base before its relations with Ankara can go back to normality.

Turkey claims that its forces are there following approval from the regional Kurdistan government but Baghdad stresses that the presence of the foreign forces without the authorization of the federal government is interference in the countrys internal affairs while underlining that the sovereignty of Iraq is non-negotiable. Turkey has around 500 troops in the camp. They are supposed to train and equip Iraqi Kurdish forces.

Abadi said the bilateral ties would not move a step with the neighboring country because sovereignty cannot be partitioned nor negotiated while underlining that it is not a dispute over a border line because Niveneh, where the Bashiqa camp is located, is a land deep inside Iraq.

Ankara is not willing to withdraw its troops from Bashiqa because it considers it as part of efforts to stall the advances of the Islamic State group.

Abadi recalled that during his last meeting with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim, he received a promise that Turkey would withdraw troops from Bashiqa without revealing any timeline. The Iraqi Prime Minister vowed that Iraqi-Turkish relations will not improve until the complete withdrawal of the troops.

However, Abadi claimed that the fight against terrorism is progressing. He added that militants of the Islamic State are trying to compensate their huge losses in Mosul by launching terrorist attacks in other Iraqi governorates. The groups suicide and car bomb attacks have increased in other cities recently.

The war against IS in Iraq and Syria has forced around 4million to flee as refugees to Turkey. President Erdogan spoke of the possibility to naturalize some of the refugees who have high levels of education, experience and means and could make a great contribution to Ankara.
Morocco, one of the major allies of the U.S. and the West in the MENA region, has banned the wearing, the manufacturing or marketing of burkas (full veil), according to local media.

Though, no official government order has been issued, press reports say burka producers and traders received written or verbal warnings from the authorities telling them to stop making and selling the garments.

The ban is believed to apply only to full-face covering burkas. The majority of Muslim women in the country wear headscarves without the veil, or niqab.

Moroccan popular news website Le360 news quoted a senior interior ministry official who confirmed the ban of this garment in all the cities and towns of the North African kingdom.

Copies of the notice reportedly sent by Moroccan authorities to shopkeepers are circulating in social media fueling a heated debate.

Some approve the move which comes as terror threat is expanding and as the burka is used by some criminals to conceal their identities and commit their crimes, while others consider the ban as a violation of womens rights, describing it as an unnecessary discriminatory step targeting Muslim women.

A Human Rights watchdog, ONDH, slammed the move, saying it is arbitrary and violates the rights of women to express themselves and dress freely.

The ban is in contradiction with the international conventions of which Morocco is a signatory, says the ONDH in a press release.

The decision of the Ministry of the Interior is illegal and void because it does not rely on any legal text. It undermines diversity and freedoms, adds the ONDH.

Yet, for the majority of Moroccans, the burqa is not actually a Moroccan garment, but rather a compulsory full veil imposed on women by jihadist groups.

Furthermore, this burka is not compatible with the tolerant version of Islam based on Maliki rite practiced in Morocco, which spearheads the Islam of the middle path doctrine, intercultural dialogue and respect of other faiths.
Iraqs Ambassador to Turkey Hisham Ali Akbar Ibrahim al-Alawi said the Mosul campaign is to wrap up in three months and the visit by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to Baghdad during the weekend was a success and provided the positive atmosphere needed to further relations.

Relations between the two countries are being affected by the presence of the Turkish troops at the Bashiqa camp. Yildirm stressed that the troops would remain in the camp because it is out of necessity to train Kurdish and other militia groups.

Meanwhile, US Commander Colonel Brett Sylvia has warned that the fight against ISIS has taken a new dimension because the extremist group is using small drones with small munitions to carry out bombings and indiscriminate killing. He said the drones are quad-copters with munitions the size of a small little grenade attached.

The Iraqi forces are slowly closing in on ISIS in Mosul and Sylvia said the drones are being used to attack the advancing forces. The colonel commands a US advice and assist unit in Iraq. He claimed that local troops have been able to neutralize around 80% of the extremist groups drones and making the threat much less effective.

Regarding the prediction that the war would end within three months, the US official pointed out that theres a lot of fight thats left to do in western Mosul.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande lamented that the fight to retake Mosul has been deadly because nearly 50% of all casualties are in fact civilians and links the number to the direct targeting by combatants. Nevertheless, she praised the Iraqi army for the humanitarian concept of their operations in the city.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has announced that Hamas is behind a social media scam on Facebook seeking to lure Israeli soldiers into a relationship that it dubbed a honey pot trap to get access to the information on their smartphones.

It claimed that the militant group used names and pictures of real young women by stealing the identities of unsuspecting civilians to create fake profiles on the platform before trying to make a human connection with the soldiers. A senior intelligence officer declined to explain how the scam was linked or traced to Hamas saying that there is a lot of information that we cannot reveal because it is sensitive.

The soldiers were befriended by the fake profiles before discussions in slang-filled Hebrew and exchange of pictures took place. To ease audiovisual communication, the soldiers are persuaded to download and install an application called apkpk so that they have a video chat. However, at this point the fake profile stops corresponding. The said application is a virus that turns a mobile device into an open book- leaving contacts, location, apps, pictures, and files accessible to the perpetrator as well as stream video from the camera and audio from the microphone.

Dozens of soldiers, mostly low rank officers and combat units, have reportedly fallen in the trap but the senior intelligence officer said so far, the damage is minimal while acknowledging that it could lead to great danger and compromise the army. He said raising awareness to the problem is the best way to deal with Hamas new weapon at the moment.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum declined to comment on the matter. Israel alleges that Hamas was mostly interested in gathering information about Israeli army maneuvers, forces and weaponry in the Gaza area.
Russia has sent a strong message to the world for its support to Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) loyal to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR), by taking him on an official tour on the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier that was stationed near Sirte.

Haftar was greeted as an official guest by a guard of honor before he attended a taking-off and landing show of Sukhoi Su-33 fighters on board the carrier.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu had a video conference meeting with Haftar during the visit. According to the Russian defense department, the two men discussed acute issues of fighting international terrorist groups in the Middle East.

An official at the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority, speaking under the condition of anonymity, revealed that Russia had warned against flying aircrafts over Sirte and its coastal areas from January 8 to January 11 between 6am and 5pm because it would be carrying out a military drill in the area. The official said the drills were conducted in coordination with eastern forces known as the LNA.

The visit is yet another evidence of the strong cooperation between Russia and Haftar following the latters visit to the country twice in the past 6 months.

Aleksei Malashenko, an analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center, said Haftars tour of the aircraft carrier demonstrates who Russia backs in Libyas political stalemate. This is a sign of support to Haftar, he noted.

With the latest development, the tug-of-war between the Government of National Accord and the HoR could slowly develop into a proxy war between Western countries and Russia. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have also collaborated with the LNA to carry out airstrikes.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has renewed determination to deport Moroccan, Tunisian and Algerian asylum seekers who have seen their applications turned down as she urges parliament to confirm the three North African countries as safe countries.

Brewing since end of 2015, the situation of Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian asylum seekers has been tabled again after Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri was identify as the alleged responsible of the December attack of Berlin Christmas market which led to the death of 12 people.

The German chancellor, under fire for her migration policy which allowed around 1 million Syrians to enter Germany, said in an annual address before the German Federation of Unions that she hoped the parliament would quickly classify Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria as safe countries, Moroccan daily Akhbar Al Yaoum reported Wednesday.

Thousands of nationals of the three Maghreb countries have had their applications rejected and put on the deportation list but human rights organization and some lawmakers have opposed their eviction from Germany citing human rights violations, homosexual oppression, lack of freedom of speech in their home countries.

Last year, following a phone conversation with Merkel, King Mohammed VI instructed the interior minister to visit Germany to take stock of the situation.

In March last year, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere announced a pilot project to enable the deportation of Tunisian migrants. But according to the German Embassy in Tunis, only 84 Tunisians were deported last year. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed is expected to visit Berlin later this month to further discuss the issue.

Algerian Premier Abdelmalek Sellal underscored, during a visit in Berlin this month, his countrys willingness to cooperate with Germany to accelerate the return of Algerians denied asylum.

Nine Algerians were cited among 32 suspects in the case of violence against women in the city of Cologne, during 2016 New Year festivities.
Germany on Wednesday announced the deployment of eight attack helicopters and 350 additional soldiers in Mali to back up the UN peacekeeping mission in the restive West African state.

According to Reuters, the helicopters will replace those of the Dutch army, and the additional troops will service and maintain the fleet.

The aim of the German troop deployment to Mali is to help relieve the military pressure on France in its fight against ISIL.

German soldiers will focus on logistics and reconnaissance as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

The additional deployments will have to be approved by the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament.

The four attack helicopters and a similar number of transport machines will stay in Mali until mid-2018.

About 1,500 French troops are deployed in Mali as part of the fight against armed groups that seized control of the countrys north in 2012.

Large parts of Mali remain beyond the control of government and foreign forces, despite the French-led mission launched in 2013.

Some 100 peacekeepers have died in the country since 2013.
Somali-born Ahmed Hussen, a lawyer and community activist has been appointed as the new Canadian Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

His appointment was announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister, Justin Trudeaus office.

Born and raised in Somalia, Hussen, who is currently the Member of Parliament for York South-Weston, immigrated to Canada in 1993 where he settled in the area known as Regent Park and subsequently began community service there.

According to the PMs website, Hussen co-founded the Regent Park Community Council 2002 and was able to secure a $500 million revitalization project for Regent Park, all while ensuring the interests of the areas nearly 15,000 residents were protected.

He has also served as the National leader of the Canadian Somali Congress  a community based group that champions the interest of Somalis by engaging the Canadian authorities and also by strengthening civic engagement and integration of Somali natives.

Based on his background as a lawyer and immigration law expert, he is very sensitive to all issues surrounding immigration, local media said about him.

Hussen comes into his new role amidst growing anti-immigrant sentiments south of the border, as U.S. president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office next week.
Modern auto market ready to be opened near Abkhazia

A multi-million lari shopping mall in the village of Rukhi, located near the breakaway region of Abkhazia, is ready to open its first auto market.Opened early last year, the shopping mall will offer free space for automobile vendors looking to buy and sell vehicles as of January 8.The new auto market will be fully furnished and equipped with a video surveillance system. Spare parts will also be purchasable at the market. Tegeta Motors, one of the largest auto companies in Georgia, will offer free vehicle check - ups on site.Located a little more than a kilometer away from Enguri Bridge along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL), which runs in between Russian - occupied Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia, the shopping mall is comprised of 10 separate buildings and other infrastructural facilities on a five - hectare plot and provides employment for more than 1,000 people.Already located on site can be found wholesale and retail shops, furniture and hardware stores, a supermarket, an open market, financial and banking facilities, auto services, a post office and a pharmacy.The 15 million GEL shopping mall ($5.63 million/5.39 million*) was built according to EU construction standards, financed by the state - owned Partnership Fund between September 2015 and January 2016. The project employed about 300 local workers during the construction phase.
Trump Pulls Out of $250 Million Tower Plan in Black Sea Resort

Donald Trumps company pulled out of a proposed $250-million tower project in the Georgian Black Sea resort town of Batumi, the latest effort by the U.S. president-elect to defuse charges that his global businesses will cause conflicts of interest once he enters the White House.The Trump Organization and its local partner in Georgia, the Silk Road Group, said in a joint e-mailed statement that theyve decided to formally end the development of Trump Tower, Batumi. The project, a 47-story residential condominium, was announced in 2012 by Trump and then-Georgian President MikheilSaakashvili. Silk Road said it will go ahead on its own with a luxury tower in the town, once dubbed the Monte Carlo of the Caucasus by Trump.The organization announced last month it was ending real-estate projects in Brazil and Azerbaijan, in what Executive Vice President Alan Garten described as housecleaning ahead of Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration. Political opponents have said his business interests could prejudice U.S. foreign policy -- especially in the former Soviet Union, given Trumps professed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.The prospect of a U.S.-Russian thaw is of special concern to Georgia, a close American ally that still aspires to NATO membership. The country, at the crossroads of key energy routes to Europe, fought and lost a war with Russia in 2008 over breakaway provinces, and about a fifth of its territory remains under the control of pro-Russian forces.The Trump Tower in Batumi was widely assumed to have been shelved when Saakashvili lost power in 2013 and was later stripped of his Georgian citizenship. But Giorgi Ramishvili, Silk Roads founder, said a month ago that it was still on track.Ramishvili, contacted by phone today, didnt elaborate on why its been abandoned now, and also declined to comment on whether hell be attending Trumps inauguration.
Inclusive education and its problems

By Messenger Staff

The Public Defender of Georgia has addressed the Ministry of Education and Science with a proposal to accelerate the improvement of legislation pertaining to inclusive education.In particular, Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili stated the inclusive education multidisciplinary teams functions should be defined in detail at the legislative level, which would increase the efficiency of the organization of inclusive education at schools and its supervision, as well as its functions as a mediator between the school and the parents of pupils with special needs.The mother of a child with autism, who said that the school did not take into account the specific needs of her child with disabilities, appealed to Nanuashvili.The woman said that on the principals orders, if a student arrives late when little time is left before the end of the lesson, he/she is not let into the classroom.The principals sole decision has not been relevantly responded to by the Ministry, the Ombusman stated.The Public Defender considers that the inconsistent approach towards the specific needs of a child with autism, as well as the imperfect legislative framework of inclusive education, encourages discrimination against children with disabilities.The Public Defender also addressed the Ministry of Education and Science to define the role of a special teacher at the legislative level and to increase the efficiency of their functions in terms of making decisions concerning the inclusive school education of students with special needs.Inclusive education remains a problem in Georgia, and many children with various disabilities are left without the fundamental right to receive an education.A lack of knowledge and awareness of different forms of disabilities make the problem even more complicated.First of all, the Government must ensure the protection of the interests of all its citizens through relevant legislation and appropriate enforcement of the law.The Government, with donors or different international and local organisations, must also increase of public awareness of the problem.Parents of children with disabilities should also be more active in protecting the interests of their children and should not hide their children indoors and out of the public eye.
The News in Brief

Fire at Pankisi culture center was intentionally set



A fire that broke out at a culture house in the Pankisi Gorge was intentionally started, a spokesperson for the center told a local radio station.



The building is located in Duisi, the largest village of Pankisi, a mountainous area of Georgia inhabited predominantly by Sunni Muslims belonging to a subgroup of Chechens called Kists.



It was local radio station WAY which first reported the fire on Tuesday. The building on fire houses a center run by the Kakheti Regional Development Fund. There were no casualties, and the fire has been extinguished.



The funds director Iza Bekauri said she believes someone deliberately started the fire and that its connected to the activities of the organization in the region. Traces of gasoline were found in several places on the second floor.



She said locals have publicly expressed their displeasure regarding some of the cultural events that have been held at the center with the support of the Kakheti Regional Development Fund. Islam prohibits dancing and singing, she pointed out.



There have been threats that we should get out of the Gorge. They said our work here in this place is unacceptable and we should leave. I am sure this incident was a warning sign to our organization, Bekauri said.



Officially, the cause of the fire is not yet known. Local police announced that an investigation is underway.

(dfwatch.net)







Statistic data on the number of visitors entering Georgia



The Information Analytical Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs presents the statistic data on the visitors having crossed the state border of Georgia during the last month, in particular:



In December 2016, the country was visited by 486 141 visitors, which is more by 4,3% than the index of the same period in 2015.



In 2016 6 350 825 visitors arrived to Georgia which is more by 7,6% than the index of the same period in 2015, whereas 2 714 773 tourists have visited the country this year which is more by 19% than the index of the same period in 2015.



According to the new method of a conditional division the visitors having crossed the state border of Georgia in December 2016 is the following:

a) Tourist  177 982 visits (36,6%, of general number; increase by 14,8% in comparison with the index of the same period in 2015);

b) Transit  75 022 visits (15.4% of general number, in comparison with the index of the last year 15,8%);

c) Other  233 137 visits (48% of general number, increase by -5.1% in comparison with the index of the last year).



The most of the visits in December, 2016 were paid again from Armenia (+9%), Azerbaijan (+4%), Turkey (-17%), Russia (-2%), Ukraine (+14%) and Iran (+375%); positive position is also retained by the EU countries: respecting the number of arrivals to Georgia in December, the following countries took leading position: Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Germany relevantly 24%, 16%, 12% and 11%), Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan (33%), among the countries of Easter Europe  Belarus (28%), Middle East  Israel  55%), and Asian countries - UAE (9%).Also, the number of tourists from the United States of America has also increased by 10 %.

(MIA)







Traditional Alilo march was held on January 7



The traditional Alilo march will be held in relation to the Christmas feast on January 7. It began near Roses Square at 14:00 on Saturday. Decorations were used during the march.



Hundreds of people usually take part in the march. They passed Rustaveli Avenue, Freedom Square, Pushkin Street and the Patriarchate, where they met with the Patriarch, who blessed the Alilo participants.



Thereafter, procession went to the Trinity Cathedral through Baratashvili Bridge. Some of the march participants headed to the Presidential Residence.



The march ended at the Trinity cathedral. People also gave sweets and presents to the march participants on the way of the procession. All the sweets and presents were handed over to children in orphan houses.



The Alilo tradition dates back from the 5-6th centuries. Its celebration was resumed a few years ago.

(IPN)




@NewsbySmiley

A Bernie Sanders presidential delegate and long-time Democratic activist have sued the Florida Democratic Party, Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chairman Juan Cuba, and prominent progressive donor Stephen Bittel, accusing the latter two of ballot-stuffing during a recent party election that could serve as the springboard to propel Bittel to the state party chairmanship.

The suit, filed in Miami-Dade court Friday by attorney Bruce Jacobs and Mae Christian, claims the local party violated multiple bylaws last month when electing Bittel as a precinct committee member and then as state committeeman. Jacobs and Christian -- who support former state Sen. Dwight Bullard for party chairman -- want to remove Bittel from the Jan 14 ballot.

Cuba says the lawsuit is politically motivated and "has no merit."

In their complaint, the duo say local party leaders erred in early December when they suspended party rules and swore in new precinct and committee members, including Bittel, and again on Dec. 20 when they allowed hundreds of new members to participate in the local party election between Bittel and Bullard for state committeeman after voting to accept their own membership applications.

"Imagine Mr. Jacobs and his law school classmates overwhelmingly voting to make themselves members of the Florida bar," the complaint states.

(Bullard, who was on a previously scheduled family vacation, did not attend the election. He has since moved his voter registration to Gadsden and secured a local post there, making him eligible to run for party chairman.)

Jacobs and Christian say Bittel should be disqualified as state committeeman, and have asked a judge to approve a temporary injunction blocking him from the election. Court dockets show the state party, which according to the complaint has scheduled a Jan. 13 hearing to hear Jacobs' allegations, has objected to the injunction.

Cuba said he's hoping the party can put the issue behind it. The candidates for state party chairman, including Bittel, Bullard, Leah Carius, Alan Clendenin and Lisa King will be in Pompano Wednesday evening to discuss their candidacy.

"We had an open and transparent election. Everyone had an opportunity to be heard. We had attorneys on hand to ensure that our bylaws and procedures were properly followed, and I'm looking forward to putting this matter behind us," said Cuba. " It's unfortunate that Mr. Jacobs is using our court system to further his personal political agenda. It's clear his lawsuit has no merit."
@amysherman1

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel was exercising in a Davie park when the message came over the dispatch system on his phone: There was a shooting at the airport.

His first thought: disbelief.

You hope it was sent in error, Israel told the Miami Herald. You read it again and hope its not Broward County. You start to digest it. You are angry. You pray.

And then, Israel said, a switch flips and you go from all of those emotions as a citizen to being the sheriff of Broward County and leading.

Over the next several hours, Israels leadership was under a microscope, as he faced the biggest nightmare of his career: a shooting rampage at Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywoood International which left five people dead, stranded thousands of terrified passengers and shut down one of the busiest airports in the nation. In less than 90 seconds, BSO had the suspect, Army National Guard veteran Esteban Santiago, in custody.

A married father of 20-year-old triplets, Israel said he didnt have time in the moment to reflect on what it would have been like if his own children were there. (His sister-in-law was at another terminal at the time of the shooting, and at one point he spoke to her on the phone and told her that the tarmac, where police had moved many passengers, was safe.)

I didnt have the ability to do those things and allow those emotions to take place, said Israel, who said a deputy drove him to the airport so he could work while enroute. I was handling an active-shooter scene. I was the sheriff; we were talking about traffic, the SWAT team, an orderly clearance.
via @MaryEllenKlas

For the last several years, Florida prison officials have used an opaque pricing scheme that inflated payments to a private prison company operating Lake City Correctional Facility, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in excess charges instead of producing the promised savings, according to an independent financial audit by a Miami Beach state legislator.

Rep. David Richardson, a Democrat and retired forensic auditor, investigated seven years of state payments to Corrections Corporations of America (CCA), now known as CoreCivic of Tennessee and concluded the pricing scheme approved by the Florida Department of Corrections resulted in at least $16 million in overcharges over the past seven years and was either the result of massive government ineptitude or a calculated fraud against taxpayers.

The award of this contract under the terms and conditions provided was a colossal government failure, Richardson wrote in a nine-page summary of his findings, which he made available to the Herald/Times. ... It represents nothing more than government waste and abuse. It is surprising that so many government employees and entities could be involved in these matters and the price estimating trickery went undetected.

Richardson, who has been on a one-man crusade to bring accountability to Floridas troubled prison system, delivered a copy of his two-inch briefing book and a summary of his report to Floridas Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel. He asked Miguel to conduct an investigation into potential criminal violations surrounding the Lake City Correctional Facility contract, as well as the six other Florida prisons operated by other vendors. This is the only prison CoreCivic now operates. Story here.
It began on a Saturday afternoon in 1967 at a delicatessen in Miami Beach. At Wolfie's, legend has it.

Three South Florida lawyers -- Mel Greenberg, Larry Hoffman and Bob Traurig -- met and formed the law and lobbying firm known today as Greenberg Traurig, which claims to have about 2,000 lawyers in 38 cities in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

To mark the firm's first 50 years, Greenberg invited a few hundred friends to the Governor's Club for a reception Thursday night. The event also noted that GT first established a foothold in Tallahassee 25 years ago by joining forces with the 14-member law firm of Roberts, Baggett, LaFace & Richard.

"Tallahassee was our first foreign acquisition," joked the firm's senior chairman, Cesar Alvarez, in a celebratory moment with lawyer-lobbyist Fred Baggett, who runs the Tallahassee office (Baggett and Alvarez are at left).

Their clients include the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Florida Hospital Association and the statewide association of court clerks, several of whom were at the party, including Ken Burke of Pinellas, Karen Rushing of Sarasota and Carolyn Timmann of Martin. The elected clerks tangle every year with the Legislature over court fines, fees and other revenues needed to pay for their day-to-day operations.

Gov. Rick Scott stopped by to say a few words and naturally talked about those 2,000 jobs. "You probably knew what I ran on in 2010. I ran on jobs," Scott said to laughter. "I think, what, you have 2,000 lawyers now? Congratulations on all the jobs. I love jobs."
@JeremySWallace

The uphill battle Gov. Rick Scott faces in getting $85 million of job incentive funds approved by a reluctant Florida Legislature was hard to miss this week.

While new Enterprise Florida CEO and President Chris Hart IV on Wednesday afternoon made his for the Legislature to revive job incentives to lure businesses to Florida to create jobs, he had to do so while sitting next to a pair of ardent opponents, including one with ties to the Koch Industries.

Fatima Perez, regional manager of state government affairs for Koch Companies Public Sector, while testifying before the House Careers and Competition subcommittee, praised Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran for his opposition to giving tax incentives to private companies to spur jobs.

I would tell you that Koch fully supports continued legislative efforts to end corporate welfare programs whether they come in the form of subsidies, mandates, or tax incentives among others, Perez said.

Moments later Florida State University economist Shawn Kantor testified that incentive programs like what Scott has sought funding for are inherently unfair because they award some businesses over others.

Im not convinced they provide any benefit at all to the economy, Kantor said.

It was after that, Hart, who has been on the job for just over a week, made his pitch to 15-member subcommittee, saying the incentive money does help Florida draw businesses to the state. Last year, the House rejected Scotts request for $250 million to support that program and gave him nothing. This year, Scott has asked for $85 million.

The subcommittees chairman Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, said he wanted Koch Companies to testify to make sure the subcommittee heard more than just support for the incentive programs.

You cant have a one-sided panel that is all for them, Beshears said. Here you have a huge employer thats saying we dont need corporate incentives to come to Florida.



Beshears said a better use of state funding might be to invest in infrastructure and education - items businesses often list as top draws to relocate.
@learyreports

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans early Thursday voted on a budget outline designed to repeal Obamacare and Floridas Marco Rubio later celebrated the demise.

ObamaCare has led to rising premiums, a collapse of the individual insurance market and fewer choices for patients, Rubio said in a statement.

The law is an absolute failure and its proponents insist it must be salvaged with a taxpayer-funded bailout of health insurance companies. We've now taken an important first step to repeal this law and replace it with a patient-centered approach that expands access to providers and lowers costs of care. It is my hope and expectation that the transition to a replacement program can be done relatively seamlessly and minimize disruptions to patients.

Sen. Bill Nelson joined Democrats in voting against the arcane budget measure, designed to be filibuster proof.

The bigger challenge, of course, is coming up with a replacement plan. President-elect Donald Trump said during his news conference yesterday he would soon present a proposal.

On Twitter this afternoon, Trump said: "Congrats to the Senate for taking the first step to #RepealObamacare- now it's onto the House!"
@PatriciaMazzei

Sen. Marco Rubio got Rex Tillerson to make news Wednesday afternoon about Cuba.

In Rubio's second round of questioning President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state nominee, he asked Tillerson of he'd urge Trump to veto any potential legislation calling for doing away with the U.S.-Cuba trade embargo. Yes, Tillerson said.

He also said he'd oppose allowing unfettered travel by Americans to the island, though Tillerson added that any changes to President Barack Obama's Cuba reengagement policy would come only after a top-to-bottom Trump administration review.

More here.
The concept of honor among thieves is the cornerstone of "Live by Night," a Roaring '20s crime story whose kingpin filmmaker (Ben Affleck as director and leading man) appears to have been corrupted by absolute power.

Swanking about in dressy fedoras and mammoth shoulder-padded summer suits that recall the enormous white outfit David Byrne wore in the "Stop Making Sense" concert film, Affleck seems determined to stand out on camera shot after lingering shot, a big star in every sense of the word.

He has cast himself as a very heroic antihero. He plays Joe Coughlin, a World War I veteran who entered the military as the patriotic son of a Boston police official (Brendan Gleeson in a throwaway role) and returned an outlaw. "I don't know much about honest work," he admits to floozy Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), whose sugar daddy is the sort of mob kingpin you don't want to annoy.

After a series of broad daylight walk-by hits and bank jobs with highly flammable Model T getaway vehicles, Joe's options in New England gangster circles run dry. A better future seems to await him in the Sunshine State, making and marketing Prohibition rum with ingredients smuggled from Havana and building a vast gaming casino. He has less opposition from the live-and-let-live sheriff (Chris Cooper) than the Ku Klux Klan, who throw pipe bombs into Joe's favorite interracial nightspots.

Equally offended by Joe's status as "a Papist" and his interracial love affair with a Cuban beauty (Zoe Saldana), their racism and bigotry is more distasteful than his outright manslaughter. With his trigger-happy henchman (Chris Messina) at his side, Joe rarely shoots his business opponents personally, so he tries to negotiate rather than assassinate. Briefly, anyway.

Trimmed down from a 400-page novel by Dennis Lehane, the film has a swarm of interesting denizens and plot ingredients. But it doesn't assemble them into an especially coherent package.

Perhaps the novel never possessed strong movie potential. Lehane, whose work usually reflects present-day social concerns (he wrote the source novel for the Oscar-winning "Mystic River"), seems to draw Affleck into a chronological compromise. The clothes, cars and furniture that adorn the production all look as shiny and polished as priceless prop shop museum pieces. But the speech sounds unusually up to date, even in Affleck's recurring voice-over explanations of what, why and how things are proceeding.

Worse, the narrative point of view lacks the old school pulp thrills of the Coen brothers' classic "Miller's Crossing," which was up-to-the-minute and wonderfully antique at once. The center of the story swings like a pendulum from mobsters conducting serious business to romance, at times feeling like a Nicholas Sparks movie about a great family man who happens to be a crime kingpin. Affleck fared much better in his directing debut, 2007's "Gone Baby Gone," based on another Lehane crime novel. On that project he stayed behind the camera and left the acting to his extravagantly talented young brother Casey.

Despite the narrative's frequent changes of focus, some scenes are outstandingly effective. The action builds relentlessly until an 11th hour Tommy gun battle. Elle Fanning appears in entertaining but all-too-brief episodes as the sheriff's teenage daughter, traveling from expectant youth to a melodramatic crisis and then a dubious salvation on the faith preacher circuit. Affleck's dialogue with her seems to sharpen his own focus on performing. And as his sarcastic, volatile early love, Miller gives the screen a squirt of sour lemon with every line.

They are welcome contributors on the fringes of a film that too often turns puzzling rather than thrilling.
Bitterroot Audubons January program will feature a presentation on the Veracruz River of Raptors Project (VRR) by renowned raptor expert Steve Hoffman, founder of HawkWatch International, and recently retired executive director of Montana Audubon. Hoffman will present an overview of VRR, which monitors the largest raptor migration on earth (4-6 million raptors of 20-plus species observed each autumn) along the Gulf Coast shore in eastern Mexico.
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Big Hole National Battlefield visitor center will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16. The park will resume its regularly scheduled winter hours of 10 a.m.5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

The park is open seven days a week and there is no admission fee. Be sure to stop in and check out the exhibits, watch the introductory movie, or walk/snowshoe one of the trails.

Big Hole National Battlefield is the site of a battle between the Nez Perce Indians and the 7th U.S. Infantry forces including civilian volunteers. Five bands of Nez Perce in 1877 were fleeing the governments attempt to confine them on a small reservation in Idaho. On Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, 1877, between 60-90 Nez Perce men, women and children and 31 soldiers/civilians lost their lives in one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of the American West.

For more information, contact Big Hole National Battlefield at 406-689-3155.
A course titled Gun Safety Class for Personal Protection and Concealed Weapon Permits with NRA-certified instructors Nate Martin and Scott Giesick is scheduled 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Deer Creek Shooting Range near Missoula.

This one-day course will concentrate on the safe handling, storage and use of handguns suitable for personal protection. The class will also cover selecting a personal firearm, concealed weapon permits, gun safety and shooting skills. The class will include both classroom and shooting range sessions. Ammunition requirement is 150 rounds.

Graduates will receive a certification qualifying them to apply for concealed weapon permits under Montana law. Class size is limited to the first 14 registrants. Pre-registration is required. Tuition is $100 per student. Students should be 16 years or older, although concealed weapons permits are not issued to people under age 18.

For more information or to register, call Martin at 406-207-4160, or Giesick at 406-493-2302; register at practicalshootinginstruction.training or email at shootingMT@yahoo.com.
Going to and coming from the buffalo was a vital custom of Columbia Plateau Indian peoples, and for more reasons than just food.

Bill Farr, retired University of Montana history professor, will be discussing some of the fruits of his research on the subject Thursday night at the Lolo Community Center.

Farr is this months presenter at the Travelers Rest Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, which starts at 7 p.m. The public is welcome.

An author with extensive background on aspects of Blackfeet Indian history and with a new book in the works, Farr has titled his talk Stronger Together: Going to Buffalo in the Fur Trade Period.

Capt. Meriwether Lewis was looking for a shortcut from Travelers Rest at Lolo in 1806 to the Missouri River plains when his Nez Perce guides advised him to follow the river road to the buffalo, now known as the Blackfoot River. It was just one of a number of routes to the bison that roamed the Great Plains by the millions. Among Farrs discoveries: the forgotten Snake River Buffalo Commons.
Its January; may the political squabbles kick into high gear! While our legislators and Congress tackle big issues, lets take a look at what really makes Montana tick, and for many people, thats recreation. And, it aint just about huntin and fishin anymore.

Recreation on our public lands is not only what many of us do  even on cold winter days  recreation is a true economic driver in Montana. At a round-table discussion on recreation and the economy in Missoula a few months ago, folks from bike touring companies, GPS mapping businesses, IT groups, and gear makers to local city council representatives talked about the need to keep recreation opportunities alive and well because businesses thrive on recreation and tourism. Plus, business people say that potential employees come and stay in Montana because they can enjoy the great outdoors. People love to hike, trail run, paddle board, ski, snowmobile and ride horses  as well as hunt and fish.

And visitors to Montana love our public recreational and outdoor assets. Glacier and Yellowstone break visitation records every year. Over the past six years, use of our state parks has increased almost 50 percent - from both in-state and out-of-state visitors. Its estimated that 64,000 jobs in Montana are directly related to recreation, with consumer spending amounting to $5.8 billion  yes, billion.

As we see this boom, many of the folks who share common interests in recreation  public lands advocates, traditional hunters and anglers, tourism businesses, local chambers of commerce  do not talk to each other as well as they might. Could hospitality and tourism industries reach out to the conservation community? Why dont fishing guides partner with paddle-boarders to seek more funding for fishing access sites  which now serve many recreational purposes? Even within the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agency, internal tensions exist over recreation; conciliation is needed. Why is there not more cooperation and coordination regarding our important recreation economy?

Well, Gov. Steve Bullock has proposed an Office of Outdoor Recreation to bring more determined focus to issues surrounding the recreation economy. Other states have successfully used such an office to bring folks together, to give attention to infrastructure needs, access and business support.

With federal funding for maintenance of infrastructure on public lands declining, and funding for state parks some of the lowest in the nation, our booming recreation economy faces some tough challenges ahead. If we dont cooperate, talk to each other and work together better, we are harming what we truly love about Montana  and an important economic sector  recreation!
I have owned 240 acres in the Smith River Valley of Meagher County since 1990. I have a beautiful cabin and a bunkhouse on it. Its my summer retreat and, to me, the most special place in the world.

Recently, I have seen the Meagher County commissioners come out in full support of Tintinas proposed Black Butte Copper project on Sheep Creek, the headwaters of the Smith River. They said they are convinced that Tintina is taking extra steps to ensure responsible mining, and questioning the messaging of outside groups who are opposed to the mine as scare tactics.

Several years ago, when I first heard about the mine, I felt the same way. I thought it would be good for the economy of a depressed area and that modern mining techniques could eliminate the possibility of pollution. I actually bought 20,000 shares of Tintina Resources Inc. I still own them. I am no tree hugger or rabid environmentalist  far from it. A substantial amount of my net worth is invested in Exxon Mobil Corporation and BP. I also have a huge investment in a petroleum pipeline operator: Magellan Midstream Partners; and I own shares in a Russian nickel, platinum and palladium miner (MMC Norilsk Nickel). One of my ancestors was a large investor in a bituminous coal mining operation in Tazewell County, Virginia (Jewell Ridge Coal Corporation). My fathers people were anthracite coal miners in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. So, mining and natural resource investments are in my blood.

Unfortunately, after considerable research and due diligence, consultation with industry experts, carefully reading Tintinas application for a mine operating permit, and consulting with some of those outside groups, I have reluctantly concluded that there is no way that Tintina, nor its Australian parent and backer, Sandfire Resources, can categorically guarantee that their mining operations will not harm the Smith River watershed and its fishery. I have researched the history of hard-rock mining in Montana and other Western states and was surprised to find that even todays mines inevitably pollute. Often, the worst problems occur after the ore body is exhausted or becomes uneconomic, and the mine is abandoned. Physical deterioration then sets in and no one is really there to care.

The Smith River, being so iconic, and valuable to Meagher County as a sustainable resource enjoyed not only by floaters and fishermen, but by elk, deer, bird and bear hunters as well, should not be gambled with. I think that is the position of responsible conservation groups. I know White Sulphur Springs can use jobs and the county can use revenue. But this is not the way. Those jobs, at least the higher-paying mining jobs, will go to those with the requisite mining skills and those people dont currently live in White Sulphur Springs. I dont doubt that the mine would create some indirect jobs: hotel maids, restaurant and bar staff, etc., but I would not count on too many and, worse still, these will be low-paying. The mine will have only a limited number of jobs, but drifters and homeless types wont understand that. There will be substantial population inflows of unemployed oil field workers and others. These people wont find jobs in your community, but they will surely find their way to drugs, violence and public assistance. So, when you think about it, the economic impact of the mine isnt as positive as one first assumes.

Beyond the impact on the fishery, the impact on landowners property values could be devastating. Especially in the Smith River Canyon, property values reflect not only farming and ranching use, but recreation use. My own property, were it just ranch land, might be worth $200,000; but, given its location on the Smith, has been appraised at $2 million. What would it be worth 10-15 years from now in the likely event the mine pollutes the river? Would Tintina or Sandfire reimburse me for these damages?

The mine is not at all the panacea Tintina purports and it most likely will harm the Smith River and its long-term economic value as a mecca for fishermen and hunters. We shouldnt gamble that.
POLSON  Lake Countys commissioners on Wednesday voted unanimously for a resolution of intent to withdraw from federal Public Law 280, which allows for the transfer of federal criminal jurisdiction over Indians to states.

Its not that they want jurisdiction over felonies involving local Native Americans to revert to the federal government after more than half a century, the commissioners said.

Its that the county can no longer afford to pick up the tab for law enforcement, prosecution and detention services involving tribal members that, minus Public Law 280, would fall to the United States.

Much of Lake County includes a large portion of the Flathead Indian Reservation. The commissioners estimate participation in Public Law 280 costs the county $2 million a year.

We want the cooperative agreement, Commissioner Dave Stipe said after the vote. By talking about opting out of the process, we think it will help find funding to keep it going.

Commissioner Bill Barron echoed that sentiment.

We dont want to get out of Public Law 280, Barron said. Its a financial issue.

The resolution calls for a final decision by Oct. 1.

It also says that in the meantime, the county will work with the current Montana Legislature to address funding issues created by 280, and address long-term facility needs.

***

Stipe said if the county ended its jurisdiction over Indians, the federal government would be required to take over law enforcement, prosecutorial and detention services involving tribal members accused or convicted of felonies on the Flathead Reservation.

Im sure it would cost them more to do it themselves than to help the county offset the financial burden, Stipe said.

Since 1993, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have handled all misdemeanors on the reservation involving tribal members through their own justice system. By law, Stipe said, tribes cannot assume responsibility for felony cases.

Public Law 280, enacted in 1953, mandated the transfer of federal law enforcement authority to the states in six states. Others, including Montana, were allowed to transfer those powers with the consent of local Indian tribes.

On the Flathead Reservation, that occurred in 1964. It was amended in 93 to return jurisdiction over misdemeanors to CSKT.

***

The tribes have not taken an official position on the countys decision, CSKT spokesman Rob McDonald said Wednesday, but are analyzing and discussing the potential impacts.

However, McDonald also noted that, when the tribes made similar proposals to limit state jurisdiction about 25 years ago, the county was vehemently opposed.

In its resolution requesting the legislation, Lake County indicates that its motivations relate to a lack of resources and the implication of a voter-approved measure to ensure rights to victims, McDonald said. Apparently for Lake County, this issue is about money first, and the quality of life of its constituents second.

The resolution references the adoption of Marcys Law, which addresses the rights of victims, saying it will also impose significant costs on Lake County without the necessary ability to pay.

It also says the impacts of Public Law 280 have changed drastically in the past 40 years.

A significant number of felonies are being committed in Lake County by tribal members, the resolution states. Tribal members are significantly over represented in proportion to their population in committing crimes requiring temporary incarceration.

Lake Countys tax base and other resources are no longer sufficient to cover the costs of Public Law 280, the resolution says. County officials have pointed to the loss of tax revenue when CSKT assumed ownership of Selis Ksanka Qlipse Dam, then known as Kerr Dam, in 2015.

The county received $313,000 of the nearly $1 million that was generated in tax revenue before the dam was placed in trust for the tribes by the federal government, and removed from the tax rolls. The tribes later declined to help offset the loss of the tax revenue, citing the uncertainties of a depressed energy market.

***

During 2  hours of public comment prior to the vote, some speakers questioned why local officials would want to invite a larger presence of federal agents in the county. Others noted that the only reason there is a tax base to begin with is that land reserved for Indians was later taken from them when the reservation was opened to homesteading in 1910.

The resolution asks the state Legislature to consider withdrawing the state law that enacts Public Law 280, Stipe said. In addition to legislators, the governor and Secretary of the Interior would have to sign off on it.

Were just the payers, Stipe said of the county. Were definitely not in control.

Were hoping good things come of this, he went on. At this point we cant get anything to happen if we dont do this.
A white supremacist website that called for an armed march in Whitefish on Martin Luther King Jr. Day said it's postponing the event.

The neo-Nazi Daily Stormer had proposed a march  and promised to bring in skinheads from California  to protest alleged harm to the business owned by the mother of Richard Spencer, a white nationalist leader in the so-called alt-right movement.

The movement mixes racism, white nationalism, and populism. Spencer has said he does not want a march in Whitefish, where he lives part of the time.

Andrew Anglin, who runs the Daily Stormer, said Wednesday on the website he's postponing the march "due to the permit refusal by the city of Whitefish."

He'd called the event the "James Earl Ray Day Extravaganza after the civil rights leader's assassin.

He'd earlier called for a "troll storm" against Jewish people in Whitefish, who he claimed had hurt Spencer's mom's business; some of his targets are members of a group called Love Lives Here, which supports diversity.

Earlier this week, the city of Whitefish said Anglin had not paid his application fee in full or filled out all the requested information, such as the proposed route.

Wednesday, city manager Chuck Stearns said Whitefish had received no further application information  or payment  for the proposed parade. He also said the city had made no final decision on the request.

In its post, The Daily Stormer said it may march without a permit, "but "to do that on short notice is problematic." Stearns said he believes the city and police will continue to be vigilant over the weekend and possibly have some departments on standby.

"Theyll probably have some watch out for it," Stearns said.

Earlier, Chief Bill Dial said that intelligence sources did not believe the march would take place, and Anglin aimed to make trouble. He urged community members to ignore the white supremacists and go about their activities without fear.

"They're like domestic terrorists. They just want to stir the pot and make people afraid," Dial said.

The Daily Stormer said the march would still take place in the future.
HELENA  More than 2,000 people from across Montana are planning to meet in Helena Jan. 21 to march to the Capitol in solidarity with the Womens March on Washington, D.C.

Organizers said the event, which begins at noon, originally aimed to gather 500 people, but a divisive election has people boarding buses and arranging carpools to attend the march. Women, men and their families are marching in an attempt to bring awareness to all marginalized populations, they said.

The event was sparked by an incoming presidential administration whose rhetoric has threatened women, immigrants, people with disabilities and Muslims, organizers said.

Deb ONeill, one of the organizers, said the event is not a protest, but aims to make the incoming administration aware that Americans will hold their government accountable for any human rights violations.

We need to work with this next administration. Its clear who our next president is and we need to move forward, she said. We want to make sure rights are protected and not taking advantage of the disenfranchised in any way.

The march falls on the day after the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Thousands of women are expected to march in Washington, D.C. ,the same day as the Helena event. The organizers of the national protest emphasized creating conversations regarding the plight of minorities and immigrant women.

As a result, some white women said they dont feel included in the national march. ONeill pointed out Montana's lack of diversity, but noted the statewide march also aims to bring attention to marginalized groups.

In Montana, there will be a particular focus on Native Americans. Native Americans and Alaska Natives make up the largest minority in the state with 6.6 percent of the total population, according to 2015 census data. Native American speakers will include tribal leaders and a representative from Standing Rock. Representatives from the Montana Racial Equity Project will also speak at the event.

It started as a womens march but it has grown to so much more, she said. We want to make it clear that everyone is invited.

Montana's First Lady Lisa Bullock and representatives from organizations such as the ACLU, YWCA and Montana Human Rights Network are set to address the Helena attendees. The Montana Womens Chorus and Native American drummers will participate and perform.

People will line up at 11:30 a.m. on Eighth Avenue between Roberts and Sanders streets and march to the Capitol steps at noon. Organizers suggest people park in the mall parking lot.
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.
A 137-lot truck stop proposed near Ramsay  which has raised residents ire  had been given another location suggestion, but it didnt meet the business owners specific needs, a local official said Wednesday.

Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores had looked at the Montana Connections Business Development Park, a tax increment financing industrial district off Interstate 15, about 8 miles southwest of Butte.

TIFID administrator Kristen Rosa told The Standard on Wednesday that the company deemed the land unsuitable because of its topography. She said Montana Connections resides at an elevation below Interstate 15, which means the company would have to elevate the land in a process known as earthwork. Company officials could not be reached Wednesday.

Poor topography was also a point of discussion at Tuesdays somewhat heated community meeting in the Ramsay School.

Residents proposed several alternative locations, but company representative Steve Walters, at the meeting, said many of those sites would require earthwork, which he said would make the project too costly. Others asked why the truck stop has to be near a town, and they proposed locations like open space near the Interstate 90 interchange for Montana Highway 1, 6 miles east of Anaconda. Walters' response was that being near a town is more economically favorable, as the company would not have to pay for utilities to be brought to an isolated location. That interchange does have a rest area.

At stake is whether Loves Travel Stops and Country Stores should build a truck stop on a parcel along Ramsays Palmer Street, the most easterly residential street in the 39-household town. 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.

More than 80 residents attended Tuesdays meeting, putting forward their fears and safety concerns, wondering aloud whether the truck stop would bring panhandlers and prostitution.

Weve already discussed all the bad things that can happen, all the bad people that can come in. Would you want that for your daughter? asked Butte resident Katey White.

But Walters maintained truckers arent bad people. He argued that all development comes with a risk and said residents would be excited if a church went up along Palmer Street.

But even bad things happen in churches, he said.

The comment did not go over well.

Residents also expressed concerns about how the county has participated or will participate in making the Loves truck stop happen.

Resident Tom Flanick asked why Loves was taking the leading role in public communication and not Butte-Silver Bow and thanked Walters for giving the presentation.

If it wasnt for you we wouldnt know anything about it, he said.

Meanwhile, another resident asked if the county had made any promises to Loves.

Karen Byrnes, Butte-Silver Bows community development director, said the county hadnt made any promises and wasnt formally involved in the process for the time being. The county wont be involved until Loves applies for a zoning variance or zoning changes, officials said previously.

On Wednesday Rosa added that Butte-Silver Bow has not formally advocated for one location over another.

We did not work with them directly on their site selection, she said.

Ramsay resident Brenda Clark said the townspeople are not opposed to Loves as a company, but merely want to protect their way of life and dont want to see any large enterprise come to town. Her sentiments were echoed by several who compared Ramsay to the fictional town of Mayberry, describing the community as a place where children can safely ride their bikes up and down the streets.

Walters concluded Tuesdays meeting by saying he would present results from the public forum to company leaders, who will determine the companys next steps at a later date. Walters could not be reached on Wednesday.
Butte community leaders expressed relief Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency's Montana spokesperson Robert Moler had a change of heart and will remain in his position in Helena.

Moler said he changed his mind Thursday morning, after it was reported earlier this week that he was leaving for a job in Denver with his former employer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His last day was supposed to be Friday.

Moler came to the EPA's Helena office as community involvement coordinator in September 2015. He works closely with Butte Superfund issues.

Had Moler left, Montana's EPA office would have gone indefinitely without a local, permanent community involvement coordinator. EPA had already advertised the job, said Denver supervisor Libby Faulk, earlier this week. But until the position was filled, the temporary replacement would been based in Denver, said Faulk.

Moler said his last-minute decision to stay had much to do with local community leaders reaching out to him.

"That really made an impact on me," said Moler.

Dave Williams of Butte, president of the Citizens Technical Environmental Committee, said it's "absolutely good news."

John Ray, longtime Superfund watchdog and Montana Tech professor, called Moler a "breath of fresh air," saying he has shown a commitment to environmental justice and that he's always willing to listen.

"If Robert had left EPA, Butte would have suffered," said Ray via email.

Northey Tretheway with the Restore Our Creek Coalition described Moler as "pivotal" to the group's effort for restoration of Upper Silver Bow Creek, a largely barren stretch between the Butte Civic Center and the Chamber of Commerce visitors center.

Upon hearing that Moler is staying, Tretheway said, "You've made my day."
MISSOULA  A white supremacist website that called for an armed march in Whitefish on Martin Luther King Jr. Day said it's postponing the event.

The neo-Nazi Daily Stormer had proposed a march  and promised to bring in skinheads from California  to protest alleged harm to the business owned by the mother of Richard Spencer, a white nationalist leader in the so-called alt-right movement.

The movement mixes racism, white nationalism, and populism. Spencer has said he does not want a march in Whitefish, where he lives part of the time.

Andrew Anglin, who runs the Daily Stormer, said Wednesday on the website he's postponing the march "due to the permit refusal by the city of Whitefish."

He'd called the event the "James Earl Ray Day Extravaganza after the civil rights leader's assassin.

He'd earlier called for a "troll storm" against Jewish people in Whitefish, who he claimed had hurt Spencer's mom's business; some of his targets are members of a group called Love Lives Here, which supports diversity.

Earlier this week, the city of Whitefish said Anglin had not paid his application fee in full or filled out all the requested information, such as the proposed route.

Wednesday, city manager Chuck Stearns said Whitefish had received no further application information  or payment  for the proposed parade. He also said the city had made no final decision on the request.

In its post, The Daily Stormer said it may march without a permit, "but "to do that on short notice is problematic." Stearns said he believes the city and police will continue to be vigilant over the weekend and possibly have some departments on standby.

"Theyll probably have some watch out for it," Stearns said.

Earlier, Chief Bill Dial said that intelligence sources did not believe the march would take place, and Anglin aimed to make trouble. He urged community members to ignore the white supremacists and go about their activities without fear.

"They're like domestic terrorists. They just want to stir the pot and make people afraid," Dial said.

The Daily Stormer said the march would still take place in the future.

"We will of course be rescheduling, probably for some time in February, and the march will be bigger and have more guns and special guests than we originally planned," said the update.
HELENA  The father of a 15-year-old Fairfield girl who died in a car crash last year after she was ejected from the vehicle told a legislative committee Thursday his daughter might have lived if Montana had a primary seat belt law.

Pat Goldhahn told the Senate Judiciary Committee his daughter, Lauryn, would have chosen to buckle up if doing so was a primary law in Montana, as a bill carried by a Missoula senator proposes to make it.

If Senate Bill 9 can prevent one person, one individual, one family, from going through the grief weve had to go through in the last four months, Goldhahn said. I dont even know what lies ahead of us, but if it was a primary law, it would have made Lauryn wear a seat belt that night. She was a rule-follower, and she would still be with us today.

It is illegal to drive in Montana without wearing a seat belt, but law enforcement cannot pull people over for not doing so. It is a secondary offense, meaning drivers and passengers can be ticketed if they are pulled over for another traffic violation and aren't buckled up. SB9 is carried by Dick Barrett, D-Missoula, at the request of the Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee.

"What this bill does is simply try to raise the degree of compliance with the law," Barrett said.

The committee heard emotional testimony from family and friends of those who died in crashes and were not wearing seat belts as well as from doctors, hospital representatives, Highway Patrol troopers, and state department heads who support the bill. They argued a primary law would save lives as well as costs to the state, employers, and individuals by saving heath care costs and lost time at work.

Montana has shot down a primary seat belt law several times, and those who spoke in opposition cited familiar arguments  that the law would infringe on their rights.

Mike Tooley, director of the Department of Transportation, called the lack of seat belt use a serious public health issue.

In 2015, he said there were 224 traffic deaths in Montana; 118 of those involved an unrestrained driver.

Sheila Hogan, director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services, told the committee the government spends $36 million a year on in-patient hospital costs that could have been prevented with seat belt use. She said thats an extra $37 a year to subsidize the cost of those who were injured in a crash and not wearing seat belts.

Barry McKenzie, the trauma director for St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, said he had two people in his ER recently who would have died if they hadn't been wearing seat belts. He added that 25 percent of the patients through the department have Medicaid as their insurance. We are paying for every one in four (trauma patients) as taxpayers."

McKenzie said hes a lifelong resident of the state and supports personal rights but doesn't see how anyone can oppose the bill.

Im a Montanan, too; Im not from some other place. Why dont I have a choice to support legislation that reduces my tax burden?

Pascal Redfern, who spoke in opposition, said a primary seat belt law would create victims to prevent victims.

When are we going to quit putting victimless people in jail in this state, who have harmed no one?

He told the committee there are other things, such as alcohol or obesity, that cause death, but the state does not legislate to prevent those fatalities.

I have 10 children. I teach my children to be respectful drivers. I dont want the state to mandate to them that theyve got to wear a seat belt.

Mark French, who said two of his five children are at or nearing driving age, told the committee adopting a primary seat belt law is not about safety, it's about the appropriate role of the government.

Were not talking about the death of a child, French said. Were talking about what is American and what is the place for government.

French admitted the statistics of fatalities of unbuckled drivers was compelling but said thats not the issue.

In America, we get to choose our risk level. We also get to reap the result of our choices, good or bad.

Sen. Nels Swandal, R-Willsall, asked one of Lauryn Goldhahn's friends, a sophomore in high school who came to testify, if she was in a government class. He asked her to talk to her teachers about issues raised Thursday.

Swandal told her to ask her teachers, "Why do we need to pass a law to make you do something that is our own best interest?" and, "If we can do that, then how far does that go?

There were roughly 10,650 seat belt citations between 2013 and 2015, according to a fiscal note attached to the bill. Only 77 percent of Montanans buckle up when driving or riding in a vehicle, well below the national average of 88 percent. That number hasnt changed much in the last five years, according to data collected by the state.
Viewership: 36.3 million

Finale description: Emotions run high in the Keaton household as Alex prepares to leave for a prime job with a New York stock brokerage firm.

Date of finale: 05/14/89

Show description: The ideals of parents and teens clash due to their generation gap.

Smart Rating: 84.98

Date of premiere: 09/22/82
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met in regular session at 9:00 A.M. with Howard, Mather, Sorensen, Sauer and Bonebrake present.

County Auditor Leslie Soule conducted nominations for Chairperson. On a motion by Howard, second by Bonebrake, Jeff Sorensen was elected Chairperson and presided over the remainder of the meeting. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Howard, Scott Sauer was elected Vice-Chairperson. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Howard, second by Sauer, the agenda was approved as presented. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Mather, claims dated January 3, 2017 were approved in the amount of $276,761.68. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Howard, second by Mather, the Board approved Resolution #01-03-17-01 Naming Depositories - Treasurer's Office. Roll call vote: Ayes: All. The following are the maximum allowable balances:

DEPOSITORY LOCATION

MAXIMUM FUND BALANCE

Bankers Trust Des Moines, IA

$ 7,000,000

CBI Bank Muscatine, IA

$35,000,000

Community Bank Muscatine, IA

$2,000,000

Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank Nichols, IA

$2,000,000

First National Bank Muscatine, IA

$2,000,000

IPAIT Des Moines, IA

$15,000,000

Midwest One Bank West Liberty, IA

$5,000,000

South Ottumwa Savings Bank West Liberty, IA

$ 12,000,000

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Sauer, the Board approved contracts, bond and certificate of insurance for L-(FEMA2013C)-73-70, for two culvert replacements on 215th Street and L-(CUL17)-73-70, a culvert replacement on Bayfield Road with the apparent low bidder JB Holland Construction, Inc. in the amount of $369,857.63. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Bonebrake, the Board approved a contract, bond and certificate of insurance for L-(Water)-73-70, for a water main extension on Park Avenue West with the apparent low bidder Triple B Construction in the amount of $149,005.00. Ayes: All.

County Engineer Keith White updated the Board on Secondary Road projects. White stated the City of Fruitland has hesitated moving forward with a joint city-county road project due to some councilmembers desire to add a trail on Muscatine Street. Sorensen stated the County did not agree to reconfiguring all of Fruitland's roads and adding trails. Board consensus was to proceed with setting a letting date at the January 16, 2017 Board of Supervisors meeting. Board consensus was that Fruitland should pay for their portion of the project directly to the contractor.

On a motion by Howard, second by Sauer, the Board approved Resolution #01-03-17-02 Authorizing the County Engineer to Sign For and Collect Disaster Relief Funds. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Howard, the Board approved Resolution #01-03-17-03 Authorizing the County Engineer to Execute Certification of Completion and Final Acceptance on Farm-to-Market Construction Projects. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Sauer, the Board approved Resolution #01-03-17-04 Authorizing the County Engineer to Close Secondary Roads in Emergency Situations. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Mather, the Board approved Resolution #01-03-17-05 Designating Official Newspapers In and For Muscatine County for 2017. Roll call vote: Ayes: All. They are as follows: Muscatine Journal, West Liberty Index and Wilton-Durant Advocate News.

On a motion by Howard, second by Bonebrake, the Board approved Resolution #01-03-17-06 Construction Evaluation Resolution. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.

On a motion by Howard, second by Bonebrake, the Board re-appointed Bruce Bryant as the Muscatine County Weed Commissioner for a one-year term ending December 31, 2017. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Bonebrake, the Board appointed Ky Cochran as the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association representative for a one-year term ending December 31, 2017. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Mather, second by Sauer, the Board approved the appointment of Dr. Robert Weis, M.D. as the Muscatine County Medical Examiner for a two-year term ending December 31, 2018 along with the following designated Deputy Medical Examiners/Medical Examiner Investigators for terms ending December 31, 2018: Mark Odell, M.D., Collette Hostetler, M.D., Steven Paulsrud, D.O., and David Wettach, M.D.; Medical Examiner Investigators Thomas Summitt (Chief Medical Examiner Investigator), Darren Brooke, Chase Conaway, Susan Garrett, Kevin Guck, Kenny Hora, Todd Heck and Richard Hines. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Mather, the Board reappointed Anna Mack, James Nepple and Thomas Furlong to the Muscatine County Historic Preservation Commission for three-year terms ending January 1, 2020. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Sauer, the Board reappointed Richard Buser to the Conesville Benefitted Fire District for a three-year term ending December 31, 2019 subject to approval by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Bonebrake, the Board reappointed Mike Schulte to the Muscatine County Conservation Board for a five-year term ending December 31, 2021. Ayes: All.

The Board reviewed Board of Health applications from Brian Wright, Karen Harper and Gary Ronzheimer Jr. On a motion by Sauer, second by Howard, the Board appointed Brian Wright and Karen Harper to the Board of Health for a two-year term ending December 31, 2018. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Sauer, second by Bonebrake, minutes of the December 19, 2016 regular meeting were approved as written. Ayes: All.

No correspondence was noted.

Committee Reports:

Howard and Sorensen attended a Bi-State Regional meeting December 21st.

Howard attended a Muscatine County Veterans Affairs meeting December 21st.

Sorensen attended a Wilton Development Corporation meeting December 21st.

Sorensen attended a West Liberty Economic Area Development meeting December 22nd.

Discussion was held regarding meeting dates and times for 2017. On a motion by Howard, second by Mather, the Board set regular meeting dates for Mondays at 9:00 A.M with other meetings to be scheduled at the discretion of the Board. Ayes: All.

The Board reviewed appointments to Boards and Commissions for 2017.

On a motion by Howard, second by Sauer, the Board authorized the Chairperson to sign the Certification Statement for the Muscatine County FY2016 Cost Allocation Plan. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Sauer, the Board accepted the December 2016 payroll claims. Ayes: All.

The meeting was adjourned at 10: 07 A.M.

ATTEST:

Leslie A. Soule, County Auditor Jeff Sorensen, Chairperson

Board of Supervisors
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The Muscatine High School Class of 1962 will meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Yacky Shack. All classmates, spouses, and friends are welcome.
WEST LIBERTY, Iowa  A 32-year-old Iowa City man has entered a plea of not guilty after he was charged with allegedly having sexual relations with a 15-year-old.

Denis Lopez-Hernandez has been charged with third-degree sexual abuse, a class C felony, after allegedly admitting to having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old in September 2016 in West Liberty, according to the criminal complaint.

Lopez-Hernandez was arrested by the West Liberty Police Department on Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to the criminal complaint.

His bond has been set at $10,000 cash or surety, according to court documents, and a bond review hearing has been set for 10:45 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27, in Muscatine County District Court.

Emily Wenger of the Muscatine Journal
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Members Community Credit Union will host a blood drive from 1:30-4:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 159 Colorado, Muscatine. The drive will be held in the MVRBC Donor Bus parked in front of the bank. The public is invited to participate in this blood drive; appointments are appreciated.

Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. Individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors. To donate, please contact Char Thompson at (563) 263-8777 or visit www.bloodcenterimpact.org and use code 1882 to locate the drive.

Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center is the provider of blood and blood components to more than 90 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. Locally, MVRBC is the exclusive provider of blood products to patients UnityPoint Health  Muscatine, as well as patients at hospitals in Burlington, Washington, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities.
EDITORS NOTE: The story that appeared in Fridays Muscatine Journal was originally published in 2007 and picked up again due to a computer error. Following is the correct version of the Wapello School Board story. We apologize for any inconvenience.

WAPELLO, Iowa - The Wapello School Board agreed Wednesday to continue two sharing agreements with the Morning Sun School District. With members of the Morning Sun board looking on, the Wapello board first reviewed a sharing agreement for the services of Superintendent Mike Peterson.

It was a two-year agreement and this is year two, Peterson told the two boards.

Were happy with it, Wapello School Board President Duane Boysen said, asking the Morning Sun members what they felt.

I dont think we have any problems, Morning Sun Board President Bob Fletcher agreed.

Morning Sun Board member Jon Malone offered his own opinion, explaining Petersons ability to solve some existing problems when he arrived had been deeply appreciated by the board and the community.

We couldnt be happier, he said.

One issue the two boards had to settle was whether to continue the agreement for another two years or extend it for three years, the current term of Petersons contract with Wapello.

Officials pointed out the two districts current share the $54,000 in state funding that is provided for sharing superintendents. That funding is scheduled to last for three more years, although there have been discussions to extend.

Because of the three-year state commitment, the two boards agreed to have the superintendent agreement on the same schedule.

Although the Wapello board approved the agreement, the Morning Sun board will need to wait until it holds an official meeting.

The other sharing agreement approved by the Wapello board was the 28E agreement that allows Morning Sun elementary graduates to attend high school in either Wapello or Winfield-Mt. Union.

The original agreement had included the Mediapolis School District, but Peterson said that district had opted out.

The new agreement would include two changes, one that specified 100 percent of the Teacher Leadership Program funding from the state would follow a student. The new agreement also specified any Morning Sun seventh grade student would fall under the program regardless of which school that student might have been attending as an elementary student.

The 28E agreement will also need to be approved later by the Morning Sun board.

In other action, the Wapello School Board approved a $458,107 second payment to Myers Construction, Inc., Sperry, for completed work on the new high school gym.

According to project architects BLDD, Davenport, the payment raised the total amount paid for the project to $806,670, or 37.8 per cent of the total contract amount.

Board members said they had been pleased with architect Jean Underwoods management of the project.

Shes doing a great job, board member Eric Smith said.

A full-day preschool will also be offered next year, the board agreed.

Peterson and Elementary Principal Brett Nagle agreed that with current state funding, it was now feasible to move from the current half-day to a full-day schedule.

Although Peterson said the district would not add another section, he was hopeful more parents would be able to use the new schedule instead of trying to find day care for half the day.

Well try to get as many students as possible, Nagle said.

The board also:

 Approved the hire of Darren Wilson as transportation director;

 Received an update on the schools computer inventory from Technology Director Nate Miller;

 Approved the review of several board policies;

 Agreed to hold a Jan. 25 work session to discuss budget and master contract issues.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
A Cameroonian national has been deported after he was found with fake US currency worth over Sh1 billion in Nairobi.

Mr Doctta Peter Longa was deported after police seized the counterfeit notes at his home in Karen estate. Mr Longa was also found with 30kg of fake gold which he was to sell to a group of foreign businessmen at Sh120 million.

Police said the suspect had planned to pump the money into the Kenyan economy.

His four accomplices were also arrested and deported on Tuesday evening to Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. They were all put on a plane headed to Douala, Cameroon.

Mr Longa who has been operating as a trade in the country since 2009, had some of the fake US currency in his new saloon car when police pulled him over. He reportedly attempted to bribe the officers but his efforts were futile.

Police accompanied him to his home where they conducted a search in the presence of his Kenyan wife and seized more fake money and gold.

Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said the fake currency had circulated in the country.

The suspect was in 2012 charged with assaulting his Kenyan wife at their Lavington home but was later released on bond.
Once again Kenya and Tanzania are locked in a beef of sorts! This time it is neither about Mt Kilimanjaro nor Kigamboni Bridge but about the Miss Africa Crown.

It started with Miss World Tanzania, Diana Edward, calling out Miss Kenya Evelyn Njambi for stabbing her in the back to win the coveted continental crown.

Ms Edwards alleges that Ms Njambi copied her project on the Beauty with a Purpose award.

Diana Edward said her documentary titled Maasai Dondosha Wembe (project seeking to end female genital mutilation) scooped position 24 in the Beauty with a Purpose category, instead of the first position after Evelyn Njambi  whom she said she thought was a close friend , complained that she did the same project.

I am not happy with what she did. I asked her if she knew a Kenyan designer I wanted to use, but she denied, yet she has worn some of his designs. So, I wore his design not knowing she had worn it and went ahead to do a photo shoot. All this time, she was fake, going behind my back. She claimed there was need for Africans to support each other, yet she knew exactly what she was up to, complained Diana.

Responding to Ms Edwards allegations, the Kenyan beauty has expressed shock and denied any foul play.

Eih, jameni! (Shocked). Oh my goodness, that is not true. You know what, when it comes to the Beauty with a Purpose video, cause I think that is where all the conundrum and arguments erupted from, is that what we are supposed to do is submit our videos for Beauty with a Purpose and then a panel of judges comes in, views the videos  based on how well you have done the video, and how best you have expressed what the problem is; and the solution(s), Njambi told eDaily.

So, we have no control over how a judge will dictate your results or your performance. Our work was to do the video, which we did and submitted. So, when we got there to Miss World competition, the judges had already seen them  and we were only waiting for their evaluation reports. So, it is good that both of us had the same project, but I think the most important thing is for us to put our differences aside and come together and face this Beauty with a Purpose project that occurs in both our countries, which is anti-FGM, and which I am very passionate about. So, if we were to come together and rescue them (girls) from the female circumcision that would be great.

She added; I have forgiven her for the remarks. Sisters fight, sisters make up. But I think let us remember our purpose as not only girls but as beauty queens in our countries. We have a voice, like I said, if we were to come together and use this voice to create awareness about our problems and not tear down others, then the world will be a better place.

If Id address Miss Tanzania directly, Id say: I wish you all the best in whatever endeavor shes engaging in. May your dreams come true this year. Happy New Year.
Police on Tuesday evening successfully rescued four-year-old Kelson Kimani who was kidnapped from his Thika Home on Friday.

The boy was rescued in Kasarani area and three suspects arrested as they moved the boy from Ruaka to Mwiki.

According to Head of Flying Squad from Mr Saidi Kiprotich, the gang was relocating the minor to a safer house after discovering their initial hideout had been compromised.

They had been hiding the boy in a house in Ruaka and they were intercepted as they moved him to Mwiki. The boy is in good health but he has to be checked by doctors, said Kiprotich.

The rescue operation was jointly conducted by Special Crimes Prevention Unit and Flying Squad.

On Monday, police detained four more suspects in connection with the kidnapping.

The four include a next door neighbor of Kelson Kimanis family and a woman who opened the gate allowing the gunmen to enter the compound.

Police suspect the gunmen could be operating as a syndicate.

On Friday, at around 6:30 pm four gunmen raided Kimanis home in Thikas section 9 area where they stole a huge amount of money believed to be the proceeds of the family days business sales before kidnapping him.

The kidnappers were demanding Sh2.2 Million to release Kelson.
Suspected Pokot herdsmen on Monday invaded Mugie conservancy and other parts of Laikipia and killed several wild animals.

The heavily armed militias carried out the attack on Monday night and set fires to farms as they drove vast herds of cattle into the private 49,000-acre conservancy.

The attackers were armed with guns, spears, arrows and rungus in the ambush which left one staff member with a gunshot injury.

According to reports, violence erupted when the gunmen opened fire at Kenya Wildlife Service rangers patrolling the conservancys south western boundary.

Overpowered, KWS rangers and Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) retreated from the huge assault which was similar to recent attacks on other farms and conservancies across Laikipia.

Residents blame the frequent attacks on politicians.

The invaders, who are seeking pasture, have killed hundreds of wild animals some of which are among Kenyas protected species.

Some photos

Additional Reporting by The Star
Justin Gomez of the financial services firm Edward Jones will host a grand opening celebration from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27 at his office at 575 Lincoln Ave., Napa.

Prior to joining Edward Jones, Gomez worked as a financial analyst in the banking industry managing a loan and deposit portfolio, as well as an in-house certified public accountant for a thrift bank.

Gomez holds a master's degree in taxation from the CSU East Bay and a bachelor's degree in business administration from CSU Monterey Bay.

Refreshments will be served on Jan. 27 and the public is invited to meet the staff and see the new office.

Info: 707-927-3397
One of the survivors of a deadly car crash in Southern California is calling an American Canyon firefighter a hero for helping the victims escape their burning car.

While on vacation with his family on Nov. 21, Capt. Jose Martin was among the first of many people to render aid following a single-car accident near Indio that killed one woman and badly injured two others. Martin has been a professional firefighter in American Canyon for the last 13 years and is a 27-year veteran of the part-time St. Helena Fire Department.

If it werent for Mr. Martins quick and professional response, the accident could easily have resulted in a triple fatality, wrote David Collins, the driver who suffered a broken back, major leg trauma, concussion and damaged spleen after apparently falling asleep at the wheel.

Collins wrote a letter to St. Helena Mayor Alan Galbraith praising Martins heroism for helping him and his wife Delaine, who suffered a concussion, facial fractures, eight broken ribs, seven fractured vertebrae and a broken arm.

David and Delaine Collins, who are in their 70s, are expected to make a full recovery. David Collins 94-year-old aunt, Betty Burns, died at the scene, despite Martin removing her from the car and performing CPR.

Martin put his own life on the line to save ours from almost certain death, Collins wrote. Delaine and I are forever grateful and indebted to him for what he did for us.

Martin said he was just one member of an impromptu team of bystanders who stopped to help.

It wasnt just me, Martin said. It was my brother, me, a total stranger named Ben, my wife, two of my daughters, my sister-in-law. There were probably 15 or 20 people helping. They didnt have the training and experience I have, but they were totally cool, calm and collected, and they all played a part in this.

Martin, his wife, Kari, and their three daughters were visiting his brother Sergio in Indio. On the morning of Nov. 21, the two families were heading east on Interstate 10 in separate cars, on their way to Joshua Tree National Park for a day of hiking. Martin said his daughter, Madison, saw a car running off the westbound lanes and said, Oh my God, did you see that? By the time Martin looked back, all he saw was a cloud of dust in the median.

He, Sergio and a third driver he knows only as Ben pulled over. Traffic had stopped, so they ran across the eastbound lanes toward the gully where the car had come to a rest on its left side after rolling several times.

Delaine Collins had been ejected from the car and was lying on the ground a few feet away. She told Martin  who was amazed she was alive  that there were two other people in the car. Burns was breathing but unresponsive in the passengers seat and David Collins was conscious and alert in the drivers seat. Collins poked his head out of the sunroof and told Martin he didnt think he was seriously injured, but still needed help getting out.

After Martin had opened the passenger-side door, another bystander yelled that there was a fire in the engine compartment. That prompted an operator with the vehicles OnStar navigation system to urge Martin and the others to move away from the car, which Martin refused to do, although he could see heat waves rising from the front of the car.

Martins wife, Kari, daughters Madison and Hanna, and sister-in-law Doris hurried to fetch the jugs of water theyd packed for their hike at Joshua Tree. The gathering crowd used the water to put out the fire while Martin, Sergio and Ben pulled Burns out of the car and handed her over to a woman who said she was a nurse.

Every time I looked up there were more and more people coming toward the scene, Martin said. Everybody got in there and helped.

Martin turned his attention to extricating David Collins, who was able to climb up to the passengers door, where Martin, Sergio and Ben helped him to the ground.

Once David Collins was clear, the woman whod been tending to Burns said the elderly woman wasnt breathing. Martin performed CPR until paramedics took over and soon pronounced her dead.

After Dave and Delaine Collins were rushed to the hospital, the Martin family vacation resumed, although we were all traumatized by the experience, he said. They eventually contacted the Collins family through Facebook, set up a video-chat, and stayed in touch with the couple during their recovery.

However, David Collins letter to Mayor Galbraith came as a surprise, Martin said.

In 27 years as a firefighter, Martin has responded to plenty of accident scenes, but he said hell never forget this one. For one thing, he didnt have his usual gear and crew with him. If he had, the result would have been the same, he said, although if hed known Collins had hurt his back he would have been much more careful extricating him.

Normally Im the captain and Im telling my crew, I need you to do this, I need you to do that, he said. There was none of that here. But somehow, some way, we formulated a plan to get them out. Im still shocked there werent more fatalities.

Delaine Collins miraculous survival and the bond that formed between the survivors and their rescuers also made the incident memorable.

Nobody gets exposed to a situation like this and just walks away and washes their hands, he said. You always remember this stuff.
A Napa State Hospital patient was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a hospital police officer in December, according to the California Department of State Hospitals.

A warrant was issued for the patients arrest after the suspected Dec. 28 assault, said Ken August, a department representative. The arrest warrant for battery on a peace officer and assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer was served on the patient on Tuesday, August said.

Although August cannot identify the patient, 47-year-old Albert Alcantara was arrested by officials at Napa State Hospital on suspicion of those same charges on Tuesday night.

Additional details about the alleged assault were not made available as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
The St. Helena Unified School District Board of Trustees was scheduled to appoint one of two candidates to fill a vacant seat on the board at a special meeting on Wednesday after the Stars deadline.

Check sthelenastar.com on Thursday for news of the boards decision.

Three candidates, Alexandra Boeving Allen, Lisa Pelosi, and Jeanmarie Wolf, applied for the seat, which became vacant after Alex Shantz resigned in November.

Allen is a clinical child psychologist who served as board president for Sun and Stars Montessori School for two years and served on the vestry of Grace Episcopal Church for three years. She sits on the Site Council at St. Helena Primary School, where she also volunteers.

Pelosi works in estate property management and has served on the districts Bond Oversight Committees, the RLS and SHHS Parent Groups, the districts Budget Committee, and as a volunteer for St. Helena High School Drama, the Give Big! fundraising campaign, and the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation.

Wolf is a special event planner for Clif Family Winery who has served on the White Barn board, the RLS Parent Group, and as acting director of the St. Helena Family Center.

The board was scheduled to interview both candidates and make an appointment. If appointed, the new boardmember would be sworn in at the boards regular meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12.
A new cat cafe and adoption center named Ellas Cathouse and Catnip Bar will open in Napa at months end.

Fifteen rescued cats will share the 1,100-square-foot downstairs space while their human caretakers, the office staff of Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch (JARR), will occupy the 600 square feet on the second floor at 1009 Caymus St.

Although the grand opening will be 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27, with an official ribbon cutting and tours through the facility, the 15 male and female cats are already enjoying their living room quarters, complete with couches. They get a month to get comfy and cozy before the humans start coming in to visit, said Monica Stevens, co-founder of JARR, St. Helena businesswoman and animal advocate.

Stevens and Julia Orr, communications manager for JARR, discussed the new facility on a day between Christmas and New Years. Orr, particularly, liked creating a cat cafe in Napa, copying those she has visited in London and Los Angeles. People can come in and sit on the couch and play with the cats. Its cage-free, a very friendly environment. You can go in, play with the cats, sit on the couch and mingle.

She added the hope is that Ellas will become a destination point for people to come visit while they are on a wine tour, drop in and get their cat fix and spread the word about us. The cat cafe has spread across the world. Theres one thats open in L.A., one in London, tons in Japan and one in Oakland.

Stevens said the cats are predominantly from the Napa County Animal Shelter and were surrendered either in Napa or Lake County. The one criteria for the cats to be a part of the cat cafe is they have to be healthy to prevent diseases from spreading through the cat population.

All are fixed, spayed and up to date on their vaccinations, flea and tick control, Stevens said. Our goal is to use this as a really exciting, joyful place to come and adopt a cat. Once the adoption happens, we can bring in another cat.

Do the 15 all get along? They tell each other who they allow in their immediate area but for the most part they all get along beautifully, Stevens said.

After the grand opening, Ellas Cathouse and Catnip Bar will be open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. four days a week (Fridays through Mondays), although only four visitors will be allowed in at one time and visitors will be limited to an hour.

Orr said, The last time I went to the cat cafe in L.A., there was a queue down the road for people waiting to get in to have a cup of tea or coffee and hang with the cats. Ellas will not be serving coffee or tea but Orr said many fun things are planned, including a kitty cam, where you can tune in to see what the cats are up to, yoga classes, book readings and Meow Hour, instead of Happy Hour.

She added, We have a small army of very dedicated volunteers, who come in daily and poop scoop and feed them and do deep cleaning. Stevens interjected: And love them and kiss them. She said the 10 volunteers had completed their first week of training and will be caring for the cats seven days a week.

Stevens said Ellas also offers a public space for JARR and its staff, which besides Orr includes the following:

Deassa Binstock, manager of Adoptions and Foster Care

Brenda Burke, manager of Community Outreach

Tonia Brow, volunteer coordinator

Amanda Vollstedt, emergency fund manager

Tamara Marks, the groups new Director of Development

Susan Bell, volunteer and lead cat specialist.

Beyond an opportunity to play with and/or adopt a cat and visit JARR staff, there is a bigger picture. Orr said Ellas Cathouse hopes to change the publics perception of rescue cats and cats in general.

Theyre not all these horrible animals that destroy wildlife, she said. They have such a bad reputation and were hoping to change that.

Beyond that, though, Stevens said cats arent disposable. When people decide to move or suffer a setback, the first thing to go is their cats, she said. We dont want people just opening their doors and letting their cats go, hoping they will make it on their own outdoors. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cat surrenders and Stevens said JARR can help. If you have to surrender your cat, or need resources to keep your cat, she said people should call JARR, 815-8153. We provide education and also a sanctuary.

Ellas Cathouse and Catnip Bar was named after Ella, a rescue cat who recently passed away, that Vanessa Conklin had for 15 years, Stevens said. Conklin has been the auction chair for Wineapawlooza, an annual JARR fundraiser held in July for the past three years and has been instrumental in its success.

We thought it was very fitting to name our cathouse after her kitty cat because of her commitment and dedication to Jameson, Stevens said.
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.

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 orangecan drink, may be past peakor bluein 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.
Marlon Wayans is an a Read more [...]
(As delivered)

It is a great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Bill English to the NATO Headquarters. Its great to meet you here, and I know that this is your very first trip as Prime Minister and therefore I really appreciate that you decided to come and visit NATO.

And New Zealand may be far away on the map, but New Zealand is one of NATOs closest Global Partners. And we really appreciate the close partnership and cooperation with New Zealand.

We share the same values. We share the same commitment to peace and security. And New Zealand and NATO work together in many different operations and missions to secure peace and stability.

And I am very grateful for the contribution of New Zealand for many, many years, to the NATO presence in Afghanistan.

The aim of our presence in Afghanistan is to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists.

New Zealand participated in NATOs combat operation but in the last two years, we have not been in engaged in a combat operation in Afghanistan, we have been engaged in a train, assist and advice operation, where we train the Afghan forces to stabilise their own country and to take responsibility for the security of Afghanistan themselves.

And Im very glad that New Zealand continues to contribute with personnel and mentors to the Afghan National Army Defence Academy. And I think it just shows that NATO and New Zealand, we work together to fight terrorism and to stabilise Afghanistan.

We also work together to fight ISIL, to fight terrorism in other parts of the world. New Zealand is part of the counter-ISIL coalition. NATO supports and participates in the counter-ISIL coalition  we provide AWACS surveillance planes. We have started to train Iraqi officers, first in Jordan and know we also train them in Iraq. And this is another example of how we work together to fight terrorism by contributing to the counter-ISIL coalition.

Then I also very much welcome that New Zealand in so many years has participated and contributed to different NATO maritime operations. And you have unique maritime capabilities. New Zealand has contributed with ships to our counter-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa. That has been a very successful operation and we have seen zero piracy attacks over the last couple of years. And it has been so successful that we were able to end the operation, because we have been successful in fighting piracy together with New Zealand.

We welcome contributions from New Zealand also to other NATO maritime operations. We have just established a security operation in the Mediterranean and we are discussing with New Zealand how we can continue to work together also in the maritime domain.

We very much believe that close partnerships, as NATO has with New Zealand, is an important advantage, and an important strength of NATO. NATO is an Alliance of 28 members but it is also an Alliance which has been able to develop unique partnerships and I welcome, and Im very grateful for the close partnership we have with New Zealand.

So once again, welcome to NATO headquarters, its great to have you here and the floor is yours.

OANA LUNGESCU [NATO Spokesperson]: Okay, well start with Newshub.

Q: Thank you. Hi Secretary General Im Tova OBrien from Newshub, New Zealand. Two questions if I may, following the recent spate of Islamic State attacks in Europe how concerned should New Zealand be about the threat of domestic terror and returning foreign fighters? And just another question how potentially damaging are Donald Trumps threats to withdraw U.S. commitment to NATO and what risk does that pose for NATO partners like New Zealand?

JENS STOLTENBERG (NATO Secretary General): What we see now is that ISIL Islamic State is losing ground in Iraq and Syria and we see that the Iraqi security forces and the coalition fighting ISIL is gaining ground in Iraq and also in Syria where we see that ISIL is on the defensive. At the same time we see that ISIL is responsible for terrorist attacks all around the world and we have to be vigilant, we have to be aware of the threats and they are present and they are theyre all over the world including of course far away from Europe and from Syria and Iraq. For me that just underlines the importance of continuing to fight ISIL, continue to support the coalition fighting ISIL as New Zealand and NATO do and also to continue to work on addressing the root causes to stabilize the countries where we see that much of the terrorism is stemming from and thats the reason why NATO has developed this project - what we call Projecting Stability -which is to try to help states enabling them to stabilize their own country and to fight terrorism themselves and thats exactly what we do, for instance, in Afghanistan where we have ended the combat operation but where we - together with New Zealand - train, assist, and advise the Afghan security forces to fight terrorism themselves including ISIL that we see have tried to gain some ground in Afghanistan. Then on the incoming U.S. Administration, Im absolutely certain that the new President and the new U.S. Administration will stay committed to NATO, to the security guarantees and that was also the clear message that President-elect Donald Trump conveyed to me when I spoke to him or with him. I talked to him some days after the the election in the United States. He stated very clearly that he and the United States will remain committed to NATO and and we have to remember that a strong NATO is of course important for Europe but a strong NATO is also important for the United States because stability and peace in Europe is also important for the stability and the security of the United States. This is of course also important for a partner country as New Zealand because the strength of NATO and the Trans-Atlantic partnership is that we have been able to develop very strong cooperation with partners, including with New Zealand, contributing to peace and stability not only in Europe but also all around the world, for instance, as we have done together in Afghanistan.

OANA LUNGESCU: New Zealand TV.

Q: Secretary General, Emma Keeling from Television New Zealand. Just currently how great is the threat of Russia on Europes borders or is NATO more concerned at the accusations around Russias possible cyber-attacks on the U.S. election?

JENS STOLTENBERG: We dont see any imminent threat against any NATO ally. What we see is a more assertive Russia. We see a Russia which has invested significantly in their armed forces, in new military capabilities, and a Russia which has been willing to use military force against neighbours as we have seen in Georgia and in Ukraine with the illegal annexation of Crimea and supporting the separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Thats the reason why NATO has responded and we have implemented the biggest reinforcement of collective defence since the end of the Cold War with more military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance; with high readiness of our forces, and; now also we see increased defence spending across Europe and among NATO allies. And we strongly believe that by being strong, by providing deterrence, collective defence we do not provoke a conflict but we prevent a conflict because as long as any adversary know that an attack on one ally will trigger a response from the whole Alliance then we will maintain peace and stability and the security of all allies. We are concerned of course about cyber-security and we have seen reports about cyber-attacks against many NATO allies and any attempt to intervene or to influence national elections from outside is unacceptable and thats also one of the reasons why NATO has been very focused on how can we strengthen our cyber defences, partly to defend our own cyber networks but also partly to work with allies to help them improve their cyber defences and weve also developed a team of people, experts that can be deployed to a NATO ally if its under cyber-attack to help and assist and help them defend their cyber networks. So cyber-security is top of our agenda and has been one of the most important things we have addressed, for instance, at our Summit in Warsaw last year.

OANA LUNGESCU: Time for one last question, New Zealand Herald.

Q: Im Claire Trevett from the New Zealand Herald. How stable is Afghanistan and is it likely that the coalition countries will have to increase their involvement there again?

JENS STOLTENBERG: Afghanistan is a country that is faced with many different and many difficult challenges and its not an easy situation in Afghanistan. We have seen several terrorist attacks over the last weeks and months and even the recent days illustrating the challenges and the dangers in Afghanistan. At the same time I think it is important to underline that until 2015 NATO had a very large number of forces doing combat operations in Afghanistan. Since 2015 we have been able to hand over the responsibility for the security in Afghanistan to the Afghans themselves and they have been able to do that with our help. We are present there, not in combat operations, but by training, assisting, advising the Afghan forces and we have been able together with Afghans to build an Afghan National Security Force of 350,000 personnel which is able to fight the Taliban and to take responsibility for the security in Afghanistan themselves. I believe we have to stay for a long time, exactly how well that we have to access and develop as times evolves, but we are ready to be committed to Afghanistan, we are committed to Afghanistan and then once again I would like to thank New Zealand for contributing so much over so many years and still being present in Afghanistan, helping to strengthen the Afghan forces, educate, train, advise them so they can protect their own country and stabilize their own country.

OANA LUNGESCU: Thank you very much this concludes this press point. Thank you.
(Natural News) In a welcome announcement during a press conference today, President-elect Donald Trump announced a plan to shatter the monopolistic pricing of Big Pharma that has been draining literally trillions of dollars from the government for the past two decades.

Pharma has a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power, said Trump. Theres very little bidding on drugs. Were the largest drug buyer in the world, and were going to start bidding. Were going to start saving billions of dollars on drugs. (RELATED: See more coverage of President Trump at Trump.news)

Trump is referencing the fact that all the former Presidents in recent memory  Clinton, Bush and Obama  have maintained what can only be called a monopoly pricing drug cartel in the United States, where the U.S. government pays outrageously high prices for prescription medications purchased via Medicare, federal health coverage plans and VA Hospital operations. The utter lack of competitive pricing has been kept in place by an army of pharma lobbyists bribing complicit lawmakers and bureaucrats to keep high prices in place and eliminate competitive bidding for prescription medication purchase contracts. (RELATED: See daily coverage of medicine news at Medicine.news)

$324.6 billion a year in overpriced prescription medications to appease Big Pharma lobbyists

As a result, the federal government is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on overpriced prescription drugs each year, dolling out a whopping $324.6 billion on prescription drugs in 2015 alone. Spending on prescription drugs outpaced all other services in 2015, says a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid report entitled National Health Expenditures: 2015 Highlights.

That same report reveals that U.S. health care spending has now reached $3.2 trillion annually, or nearly $10,000 per person. If this spending isnt curtailed, its going to bankrupt America and will soon hit an astonishing 25% of GDP, meaning 1 out of every 4 dollars generated in the entire U.S. economy will be going to drug companies, cancer treatment centers, hospitals, doctors and medical device manufacturers.

High drug prices weaken U.S. worker competitiveness in global marketplace

Obviously, that rate of expenditure is unsustainable. It also makes U.S. workers far more expensive than workers in overseas regions, harming the economic competitiveness of U.S. companies. In order for U.S. workers to remain competitive, U.S. health care costs need to be drastically reduced and that means finally forcing drug companies to compete on pricing rather than receiving full retail monopoly-priced reimbursements from the federal government.

Making America Great Again, in other words, means stopping the federal government from being ripped off by Big Pharma.

Notably, Hillary Clintons campaign accepted millions of dollars from Big Pharma sources, and theres little question that Clinton, if she had won the election, would have maintained the status quo of monopoly prices. See Hillary Clinton will not challenge FDA Monopoly and If you support Hillary Clinton, you support big pharma and mandatory vaccinations. (RELATED: Find more news on Hillary Clinton at Clinton.news)

In contrast, Donald Trump is genuinely draining the swamp by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse across many sectors of the federal government. Big Pharma just got served: The era of easy profits and a compliant federal government writing unlimited fat checks is now coming to an end.

Every American fed up with unaffordable drug prices, outrageous health insurance premiums and the corruption and influence of lobbyists in Washington D.C. should applaud this announcement by Trump.
(Natural News) On January 9th, 2017, lawyers made their opening statements in the murder trial of pharmacist Barry Cadden, owner of New England Compounding Center. CNN reports that the compounding pharmacy sold contaminated vials of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate that in 2012 were injected into the spinal columns of more than 13,000 patients. Subsequently 751 people were diagnosed with various infections, including fungal meningitis. Sixty-four patients died, in the worst outbreak of meningitis in US history. Meningitis is a grave condition where the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord become inflamed.

Cadden could spend his life in prison if convicted on all 25 counts of second-degree murder. Glenn A. Chin, NECCs supervisory pharmacist, will also face 25 counts of second-degree murder at a later trial. According to CNN, Caddens 2014 indictment indicates that the government does not need to prove intent, but rather that the pharmacists acted with extreme indifference to human life. The indictment also includes charges of racketeering, aiding and abetting, conspiracy, and mail fraud. The indictment claims that safety regulations such as cleaning and sterilization were flaunted by NECC and that its pharmacists lied about it. The indictment also alleges that Cadden used expired materials and failed to properly sterilize drugs. (RELATED: Stay informed about pharmaceutical medicine at Medicine.news)

What is compounding?

According to the website of the Professional Compounding Centers of America, Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications for patients. Compounded medications are made based on a practitioners prescription in which individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient. This method allows the compounding pharmacist to work with the patient and the prescriber to customize a medication to meet the patients specific needs.

A long history of misdeeds

CNN further notes that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported in 2012 that it had identified serious deficiencies and significant violations of pharmacy law and regulations that clearly placed the publics health at risk.

But NECC has come under scrutiny long before this final tragedy. Quoting from the Modern Medicine website, [The] FDA had issued a warning letter, dated Dec. 4, 2006, to NECC for its various practices deviating from traditional compounding of drugs that are not available commercially. In its letter to Barry Cadden, director of pharmacy and owner of NECC, FDA notified him that NECC had several violations that had to be corrected or the agency had the right to seizure and injunction against you and your firm.'

The website states that the FDA was particularly concerned about how NECC would open a sterile container of liquid medication and split it into multiple doses of single-use vials that lacked any preservative. On an October 2012 episode of NPRs Diane Rehm Show, David Miller, the executive vice president of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists, condemned NECC for profiting to the tune of millions of dollars while functioning as a drug manufacturer, and not as a compounding pharmacy. Miller explained that NECC prepared mass quantities of drugs back in 2006, and did not make small batches for single patients. On the Rehm Show, Miller also made the point that the FDA visited the pharmacy multiple times in the span of a decade, issued a warning, and yet despite the red flags, did not shut them down.

Nowhere to turn

Federal regulatory agencies like the FDA are supposed to protect the public from this kind of wrongdoing, yet in this instance, dozens of innocent victims paid with their lives. With the revolving door between Big Pharma and the FDA, and with the fantastical but true direct funding of the FDA by the pharmaceutical industry, we clearly we have a case of the fox guarding the hen house. How safe do you feel?

Sources:

CNN.com

PccaRx.com

ModernMedicine.com
13:56

M S Dhoni, who stepped down as captain of India XI in the limited overs version of the game, addressed his first press conference on Friday since stepping down.



Highlights...



On why he quit: "I have always believed that split captaincy doesn't work. In India one captain formula works. Virat was always ready to take over. I thought it was the right time to give Virat the job.





On Virat Kohli: "Virat and I have always been close. Virat always wants to contribute. Virat always wanted to improve and that is why he is so successful. Will share my inputs with Virat. Virat has the clarity to refuse advice. "With so many games I feel Virat is right there," he said about his successor. "It is the right time."





"It's been a journey of ups and downs for me. Overall it has been a journey that I really enjoyed. Brings a smile to my face. I don't have any regrets," he said.





On why he did not address too many press conferences he said he always believed that the captain should address the post-match conferences. The captain at times had too much exposure," he said. "Captains briefing pre and post matches is a waste of time," he said.



On his own game: "As captain I have tried to finish the game. I always look at the bigger picture. "Captain's foremost job is to get 100 per cent out of all the players. You need to know each player's strengths. I adapted my game according to the team's needs.



Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down as India's limited-overs captain on January 4, but will still be available for selection. Dhoni who guided India to victory in the 2007 World T20 and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup has captained the men in blue in 199 ODis and 72 T20s.


The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]
A soldier from Maharashtra, Chandu Babulal Chavan, who had strayed across the Line of Control into Pakistan last year is alive and likely to be released soon by the neighbouring country, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said here on Thursday. "Pakistan has admitted that Chavan is alive. They will soon set him free after an inquiry that is nearing completion," Bhamre told media persons here after the launch of Indian Navy's second Scorpene submarine, Khanderi. He said India is making attempts at the levels of Directors-General of Military Operations to secure Chavan's release and the Indian DGMO and Pakistan DGMO have discussed the matter at least 20 times, the last being just two days ago. Bhamre said Pakistan has informed India that the probe against Chavan is getting over soon after which he would be released. Chavan, 23, hails from Bohivir village in north Maharashtra's Dhule district, which happens to be within the Lok Sabha constituency of Bhamre. Serving the Indian Army's 37th Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir, Chavan had unknowingly crossed into Pakistani territory with a weapon September 30 last year and was capture by their troops near Mankote. After hearing the news of his capture, his aged grandmother suffered a heart attack and died a few days later. Bhamre said since then, he has been in regular touch with his family who are his constituents. --IANS qn/vd ( 246 Words) 2017-01-12-18:26:10 (IANS)
Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator is a global initiative to develop an ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurial innovation.

In the second group, Ezedox, Farebond, initCodes, Trendlyne and Sonder Connect will be mentored under Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator.

"We have had the opportunity to nurture some great ideas from the first group of startup finalists. I am now looking forward to working with our new start-ups," said Sanket Atal, Group Vice President of Development in Oracle India, in a statement on Thursday.

The second group of finalists started operating from the accelerator centre on January 10.

Oracle launched its global startup accelerator initiative, called 'Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator' programme in April 2016 with an aim to help speed up a startup's development through a combination of technical and business mentoring.

Among the first group of startups, ExpertRec has developed a machine learning-based, plug and play search and recommendation solution for online marketplaces while NiYO Solutions focused on alternate payment mechanisms.

Ray IoT Solutions has developed a mobile-based sleep monitoring device to detect infant healthcare dysfunctions and Tydy provides a mobile first, automated employee on-boarding platform.

Another startup Vear provides a device-agnostic, augmented and virtual reality platform for content distribution and marketing.

"One of the key focus areas for Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator is to support and provide women entrepreneurs the relevant resources for them to grow their businesses. Our collaboration with Sonder Connect is one of the many steps in this direction as we support the start-up ecosystem," Atal said.

--IANS qd/vgu/dg

( 289 Words)

2017-01-12-18:28:08 (IANS)
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that there is meaningful cooperation between the government and new Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar and all concerns of judiciary will be addressed. He also cited the effects of the government's November 8 decision of demonetisation which had resulted in sharp decline in terror funding and other criminal activity. "There is meaningful cooperation between the government and the new Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar and all concerns of judiciary will be addressed," the Minister said at a seminar, jointly organised by the Press Club of India, Indian Women Press Corps and the Supreme Court Lawyers' Conference. Prasad asserted that independence of judiciary and media and individual liberty was sacrosanct for the government. He also said that accountability of political establishment was a positive feature of democracy. "The strength of democracy lies in bringing in positive changes like eliminating poll violence from Bihar by the efforts of the Election Commission," he said. Defending demonetisation, he contended that it had resulted in "sharp decline in terror funding, hawala trade, supari killings and human trafficking, particularly of young girls as sex slaves, mainly from Nepal and the North East". Indicating that the government would not hesitate to take steps to widen the tax base, he said that development was not possible without enlarging the tax kitty. "There is only about Rs 5 lakh crore in the kitty of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for development and it needs to grow," he said. He said that a new India, much stronger in its unity and integrity, was emerging, transcending the barriers of caste, creed and religion. "Our government is transformative government and tools of technology are actively aiding the good governance. There are 110 crore Aadhar cards and 104 crore mobile connections today. Digital governance means faster delivery and even poor and illiterate people in rural areas are showing a new confidence in embracing the digital technology which has given a new vision of hope," said Prasad, who also holds charge of Information Technology. --IANS akk/vd ( 354 Words) 2017-01-12-20:56:07 (IANS)
"India is one of the fastest growing nation amongst the emerging economies. We are planning to invest $150 million to build a modern manufacturing facility," Wang Min, Group Chairman, told reporters here on Thursday.

XCMG Construction Machinery is a listed company in China and is a subsidiary of Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG).

Wang Min said by the end of this year, the factory would be built. The group is known for loaders, excavators.

"We will have to evaluate the Indian market," he said.

Wang said the RMB 80 billion turnover XCMG will learn from its competitors in the Indian market.

"We will have our own strategy for the Indian market. We will also localise the components. The overall investment plan will be implemented in stages," the official added.

According to Anand Sundaresan, Chairman, Schwing Stetter Sales and Service, the investment is part of 'Make in India' programme and the XCMG would produce construction equipment and material handling products.

German company Schwing Stetter making ready-mix concrete machinery is part of XCMG.

Sundaresan said the proposed XCMG plant will be under a separate company and the products would be sold by the existing sales network of Schwing Stetter.

"The proposed products could be sold under joint brands of XCMG and Schwing," Sundaresan said.

He said the proposed plant may roll out wheel loaders, excavators, motor graders, cranes and other products.

Sundaresan said the proposed plant will be located in South India and various sites are being studied.

--IANS vj/pgh/vt

( 282 Words)

2017-01-12-21:00:08 (IANS)
Global software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday appointed Rajesh Gopinathan as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Like his predecessor, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Gopinathan is the youngest CEO of the $16.5 billion IT major at the age of 46 years. The now-54 Chandrasekaran, who was on Thursday as the new Chairman of the $103 billion Tata Sons group, was also 46 years old when he succeeded S. Ramadorai on October 6, 2009. "Gopinathan takes over from Chandrasekaran from February 21, 2017," said the company in a statement here. Prior to his appointment to the company's top post, Gopinathan was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President for nearly four years since February 2013. "It is definitely a big shoe to fill. With continuous guidance from Chandrasekaran and support of the TCS team, I am confident of continuing this great journey that TCS is on," said Gopinathan in the statement. The new CEO also clarified that the vision and roadmap of the company would remain the same as aimed earlier. "Do not expect any major changes in TCS," he added. Congratulating Gopinathan on his new appointment, Chandrasekaran said TCS' core strength was its strong leadership talent that was collaborative and aspirational. "I have been privileged to lead this company of great professionals over the last seven years. I am delighted that the board has chosen Rajesh to lead this company into the future," he said. "Rajesh has great understanding of the business and finance sides of TCS. I am confident that he will lead TCS to great heights," added Chandrasekaran. Joining TCS in 2001 from Tata Industries, Gopinathan rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Business Finance before he was promoted as CFO in 2013. According to the company, Gopinathan's responsibilities included financial planning, control, margin management and revenue assurance while heading the finance division. Born in 1971, Gopinathan is an electrical and electronic engineer, graduating in 1994 from Regional Engineering College (REC) at Trichy in Tamil Nadu. Gopinathan is also an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), the country's elite business school. Gopinathan lives in this city with his wife Lekshmi and has a daughter and son. In a regulatory filing to the BSE, the outsourcing firm also said it had appointed N.G. Subramanian as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Subramanian, who is President of the Financial Solutions, has also been appointed as a director on the company's board. --IANS fb/vd ( 420 Words) 2017-01-12-21:58:07 (IANS)
People have been waiting for Vin Diesel to join Deepika Padukone in India for the promotions of the flick and finally the day is here!

The two will be arriving in aamchi Mumbai today, after completing their London promotional tour.

As per the schedule, they would be attending a special event at High Street Phoenix Courtyard, 5:00 pm onwards.

It doesn't end here, the latest musical sensation and the much loved, DJ Nucleya has been roped in to make the stars and the fans groove to his electrifying beats! This crowd event is open to all those who are waiting to grab a sight of the actors!

On the same note, DJ Nucleya has built up his name as one of the biggest electronic music artists in the country. (ANI)
The lead actor of 'xXx : Return of Xander Cage', who is 'honored' to be in the country, took to Instagram to share a snap with the beautiful Miss Padukone.

He wrote alongside, "So honored to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and @deepikapadukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander."

After promoting the film in London, the Mastani of Bollywood will now be hosting Vin and director DJ Caruso over the course of promotions in Mumbai.

Directed by DJ Caruso, the flick is all set to hit the big screens on January 14. (ANI)
Karaan Guliani, who is making his directorial debut with Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopras forthcoming production venture "Sarvann", says he had fun shooting with actor Amrinder Gill and holds him in "very high regard". "When I started shooting Sarvann', I was surrounded by big names like Priyanka Chopra, Vashu Bhagnani and Amrinder Gill. I used to wonder how I will be able to handle all the big names. But I think they all are very big because they are the simplest people on earth," Guliani said in a statement. "Within a few days of starting the film, the entire unit became a family who supported each other. We had so much fun that we didn't even realise how the shoot got over. In this, my biggest support was Amrinder. I have very high regard for him," he added. While sharing a funny incident from the shooting, Guliani said: "When we were shooting in a village, that time all villagers had come to click a selfie' with Amrinder Gill. Being a nice person, he clicked photographs with everyone. I felt good that people are loving my actor," Guliani said. With "Sarvann", Priyanka's mother Madhu Chopra has also stepped into film production with their home banner Purple Pebble Pictures. The Punjabi film, which also features Simi Chahal, Ranjit Bawa, Sardar Sohi and Binnu Dhillon, is slated to release on Friday. --IANS sas/rb/vt ( 240 Words) 2017-01-12-18:28:07 (IANS)
Coming down heavily upon the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his comments over Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the history of Sangh did not need a certificate from his party. "May be Rahul Gandhi should first read a little bit about the RSS, its history, to realise how threatened the then Congress Party was that constantly tried to defame RSS and despite that, the RSS continued to work in national interest of this strong nation of ours. The history of the Sangh is not something that needs a certificate of the Congress Party," BJP spokesperson Shaina NC told ANI. Rubbishing Gandhi's claims of Prime Minister Narendra Modi spreading fear in the country, Shaina NC said it was not fear, but faith that the people of the country have shown in the Prime Minister. "There is a difference between fear and faith and the earlier Rahul Gandhi realises that, he'll have a political career. Until then, he better accept the fact that the people of the country have accepted Prime Minister Modi, have shown faith in his leadership and good governance model. Probably, that is the area of contention for drowning Congress Party," she said. Rahul Gandhi, yesterday, said Prime Minister Modi has spread a sense of fear across the country, adding that both the RSS and the BJP are also spreading hatred through demonetisation. "We told the farmers not to fear anybody, but what did Narendra Modi do? Instill fear in the minds of people. Farmers fear that their land will be taken from them. Wherever he goes, whichever state it may be, he creates fear and the people then convert fear to anger," said Gandhi, while addressing the Congress Working Committee convention at the Talkatora Stadium here. (ANI)
With multi-coloured kites filling the morning sky, one of the most auspicious time of the year, Makar Sankranti, is here. This is the time for households in all parts of the country to get busy offering their prayers to the Sun God, to celebrate the beginning of Magha month. Observed in different ways that vary with location, it is never complete without a feast including delicacies made with sesame and jaggery, halwa, pitha, and more. As per Hindu mythology, sesame seeds (til) help purify the soul and boost spiritual awakening. Ayurveda also mentions the health benefits of til in winter - which includes warming the body. No wonder sesame seeds are used in almost every Makar Sankranti recipe. Team SaleBhai shares a list of the following treats that will make your celebration more special this year. Fini: Known to have originated in Bikaner, this Rajasthani dessert adds its own sweetness to Makar Sankranti. Made of flour and pure ghee, this winter-special treat comes in multiple flavours. This spaghetti-like speciality carries the true flavour of the desert state and is a must during this January festival also known as 'Sankrat' here. Apart from enjoying special feats, it is customary for all married Rajasthani women to gift household items to each other. Chikki: In Marathi culture, til-based sweets are exchanged on this occasion to forget past differences and restore friendship. When it comes to adding sweetness to a relationship, what better way to do so than share a chikki together? If taking a holy dip in rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Krishna, and Godavari is a spiritual must during Makar Sankranti, authentic chikki from Lonavala is a gastronomical must this time of the year. A traditional Indian candy bursting with health and flavour, this perfect confection of sesame seeds and jaggery is loved by all. Chikki comes in various flavours such as peanut, coconut, dry fruits, and more. Til laddu: In Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is celebrated for two days with kite flying, family gatherings, and feasts that must include til laddu. A healthy substitute for chocolates, til laddu is a famous treat made of sesame seeds and jaggery. This popular laddu is a rich source of minerals and helps to lower high blood pressure. Dry fruit gajak: This delicious, traditional sweet made of dry fruits, jaggery, and sesame seeds is a speciality of Indore. A perfect way to keep your body warm in winter, this crispy, crunchy treat is a must-have during Makar Sankranti. Til patti: This popular Rajasthani winter dessert, made of sesame seeds and ghee, is a thin, translucent treat loved by all ages. Til patti is a rich source of iron and is given to expecting mothers to boost their haemoglobin level. Tirunelveli halwa: Also known as Pongal, Makar Sankranti is a four-day-long festival in Tamil Nadu. It is customary to throw away old clothes and wear new ones on the first day of this festival. The grand feast on the final day involves many regional delicacies but the absolute must-have is the Tirunelveli halwa. Made of fresh cow ghee and cashew nuts, this speciality of Tirunelveli is a treat to die for. The unmatched flavour of this unique dessert, made with water from the river Thamirabharani, is irresistible to say the least. Gud chana: Wondering what is the best way to spend the Makar Sankranti evening? How about munching on some freshly delivered gud chana with your entire family? This sweet snack, made of Bengal gram and jaggery, is perfect for expecting mothers and health-conscious individuals, thanks to the high iron and negative calorie content. Til pitha: Every Assamese person knows the joy of waking up on brisk January mornings to the smell of delicious til pitha being prepared for the coming Magh Bihu. This famous eastern delicacy is a thin, oil-free pancake with sesame seeds and jaggery filling. A healthy delicacy, til pitha is a must-have during this important festival. Date: Honestly you don't need an occasion for enjoying some high-quality dates. This healthy dry fruit comes with loads of health benefits and makes for the perfect way to break your fast. You can choose from a wide variety including imported dates, crushed dates, dates with almonds, dates with hazelnuts and chocolate, and mabroom dates. Jaggery: Jaggery is a healthy sweetener that is indigenous to India. This natural item is an absolute must-have during Makar Sankranti. You can use jiggery as a dip for your steaming rotis, or use it as an ingredient for your homemade sweets and pitha. (ANI)
In an initiative taken by the Chief Minister Camp Office's deputy collector Sanjay Kumar, a cashless marriage was successfully performed here.

The miscellaneous expenses related to the wedding, such as, decoration, ration, jewellery etc were paid via cheque.

Even the payment of the priest performing rituals related to wedlock was made through cheque.

Just before the wedding started, a bank official opened up a joint savings account of the bride and groom and handed them the debit card.

Some of the guests also presented their gifts in the form of cheques only.

Huge crowd thronged the marriage venue for witnessing a marriage of its own kind i.e. cashless.

It was an amazing experience for the villagers and they felt proud to be a part of such kind of a marriage. (ANI)
The apex court, earlier on November 21 ordered that the status quo with regard to the Taj Mansingh Hotel be maintained and issued a notice to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to reply to plea against the auction of hotel.

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed the Tata Group's appeal for retaining management rights over the Taj Mansingh Hotel, and in all practicality, told the business conglomerate that it will have to participate in the auction process.

The high court gave the green signal to the NDMC to go ahead with the public auction of the Taj Mansingh Hotel located in Central Delhi. (ANI)
The saffron party has also alleged the MLA and his supporters of threatening the family members of deceased BJP leader Chanmohan Tripura to withdraw the case.

A delegation of senior BJP leaders including state president Biplab Deb and Tripura in-charge Sunil Deodhar met the family members of Chanmohan, who was allegedly beaten to death by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres at a tribal-dominated village in Tripura's Dhalai district two weeks back.

"MLA Lalit Tripura went to his (deceased Chanmohan Tripura) house and his followers threatened the deceased's brother Anand Tripura to withdraw the (police) case or else he would die in the similar manner like his brother. The MLA also advised him to withdraw the case or he may face problems. What does this mean?" said Biplab Deb.

BJP also organised a protest rally in Gandacherra market demanding immediate arrest of all whose names were mentioned in the FIR lodged by the family members of late Chanmohan.

Though there are seven names in the FIR, police have arrested only one person so far.

Earlier, a BJP-sponsored dawn-to-dusk Dhalai district strike was called in protest of the murder of Chanmohan.

Meanwhile, BJP also declared a financial help of Rs. 2 lakh and a job in the railways to a family member of the deceased. (ANI)
Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy has inspected the ongoing repairing work of NH 44 between Lowerpowa - Churraebari stretch of Karimganj district of South Assam and held discussion with the officials involved in the work. Roy, accompanied by the officials of Assam and Tripura has gone up to Silchar by road from Dharmanagar to see the road condition of National Highway. He has also interacted with the people in the road stretches regarding upgradation of the road. According to report, the road condition between Dharmanagar and Karimganj has been critical over the years and despite repeated persuasions there was no meaningful intervention. In last monsoon, vehicle movement on highway became discontinued for long time due to damage of about 10 km stretches in Lowerpowa-Churraebari section. The governor had also visited the worst affected portion of the road last year also and wrote to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for immediate restoration steps. After more than two months of disruption in vehicle movement during monsoon last year, the road connectivity was restored after the governor's persuasions besides the state government. Officials here today confirmed that Mr Roy had stopped at many places in the highway and inspected the road. However, the maximum portion of road was still left in deplorable condition and renovation work was of very low pace. The deplorable condition of National Highway 44, the only road connectivity that links mainland India with the eastern part of Meghalaya, Barak Valley in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, has for a long time now remained a harrowing experience for commuters and goods movements. "The people of Tripura had suffered a lot due to miserable condition of this part of NH last year. If the situation did not improve Tripura would face the same problem once again. I found slow pace of work and some technical issues are involved in disruption of connectivity. I shall again talk to MoRTH, Assam Government and Tripura Government to undertake immediate action to solve it before monsoon starts in June," Mr Roy added.UNI BB AD1044 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1104155.Xml
"One Khoirom Ranjit, Commander-in-Chief of KCP Poirei Meitei cadre, along with one woman have been arrested from Mayur Vihar," a Delhi Police statement said.

Ranjit was an wanted in various terror attack cases in Manipur.

--IANS sp-rup/in/vm

( 64 Words)

2017-01-12-12:54:07 (IANS)
"We offer salutations to the great Swami Vivekananda and remember his powerful thoughts and ideals that continue shaping the minds of generations," the Prime Minister said in an official message here.

The Home Minister, in a message on Twitter, said that Swami Vivekananda made Indians realise their "true potential".

"I bow to Swami Vivekananda on his Jayanti today. He made the people of India realise their strength and true potential," Singh said.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also tweeted saying he was remembering him on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

"Remembering Swami Vivekananda today. His message to live fearlessly, with courage and strength of purpose will continue to inspire and guide us," Rahul Gandhi said.

--IANS sk/sm/bg

( 156 Words)

2017-01-12-14:46:10 (IANS)
An 18-year-old school dropout from Kole villageof Dombivili has been arrested on the allegedcharges of rape on a school student aged 14, police said today. The alleged accused Tushar Jadhav, also from Kole village, hadallegedly given threats to the girl also from the same locality andtaken her to Matheran on January 10. There, at a lodge he locked herup in a room and raped her in the evening and gave her threats ofdire consequences, the police said. Following the complaint by the girl an accused was arrested last night under sections 376 and 506 of the IPC and also sections 4 and 8 ofthe POCSO Act 2012, the police added.UNI XR NV RSA ADG 1518 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1104414.Xml
President Pranab Mukherjee has said India looks forward to working with Kenya to fulfill the many shared aspirations of respective peoples and contribute to global peace and stability. Speaking at a banquet hosted in the honour of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at Rashtrapati Bhavan last night, the President said, "In the 21st century, India looks forward to working with Kenya to fulfill the many shared aspirations of our respective peoples and contribute to global peace and stability. "I have learned of a Swahili proverb saying -- Shikamana kama pete na kidole, meaning, we must hold together like the finger and the ring. Let this ancient adage inspire our joint efforts.'' The President said under Mr Kenyatta's visionary leadership, Kenya has become one of the fastest growing economies of Eastern Africa. "It has established itself as a hub for financial, commercial, tourist and transportation services," the President said. India remains committed to its developmental partnership with Kenya. "India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans. India stands ready to assist Kenya further in its human resource development and capacity building efforts,'' he said. The President said India recently organised the first-ever Festival of India in Kenya -- Urafiki Utsav -- which was well received. "We look forward to hosting a Festival of Kenya in India," he said. Earlier, welcoming Mr Kenyatta, the President said India's relationship with Kenya is centuries old. "India and Kenya fought together as brothers against colonialism. The two countries are bound by common belief in democratic values and traditions. India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a special relationship with Kenyan President's father, President Jomo Kenyatta who laid the foundation of the Kenyan nation.'' The President said India and Kenya have made significant progress in cooperation since re-establishment of contacts at Head of Government level during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2016. "These high-level exchanges are taking place after a gap of over three decades,'' the President said and expressed confidence that the Kenyan President's visit will expand and deepen cooperation between the two countries. The President said trade is below potential and there is a need for increasing and diversifying economic linkages. India welcomes efforts by the industry and business on both sides to pursue opportunities in healthcare, tourism, IT, agriculture, blue economy and energy. Reciprocating the sentiments expressed by Mr Mukherjee, the Kenyan President lauded the role of the Indian community in Kenya whom he described as part and parcel of Kenyan society. He said the Indian community, encouraged by Pt Nehru were an integral part of Kenya's freedom struggle. He called for increased contacts at the highest level so that people and business leaders get inspired to take relations to a new level. UNI AR SW ADG 1732 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-1104722.Xml
In a shocking incident of fratricide, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable gunned down four of his colleagues including an ASI in the district here today. The gruesome incident took place at Nabinagar Power Generating Company (NPGA)`s power plant, a joint venture of NTPC and the Bihar government in Nararikhurd police station area in the district. Aurangabad Police Superintendent Dr Satya Prakash said that the CISF constable identified as Balveer Singh, a native of Uttar Pradesh fired indiscriminately near quarter guard from his INSAS rifle during 'B' shift briefing, killing two of his colleagues Bachcha Sharma and A N Gupta (head constables) on the spot. Two other CISF personnel identified as G S Ram (head constable) and Arvind Kumar (ASI) died on way to a hospital. He said, prima facie the fratricide was a fall out of internal dispute. He said that the killer jawan has been arrested and would be sent to jail. He said, bodies had been sent for autopsy. UNI XC-DH-IS AKM 1724 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-1104742.Xml
The Air Force chief flew the Mig-21 aircraft at a forward base in Rajasthan, IAF sources said.

The flight lasted about half an hour long.

Former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (retired) flew the indigenous fighter jet Tejas last year, becoming the first air chief to fly the indigenous fighter.

He had also flown a Gripen aircraft at the Saab facility during an official trip to Sweden last year.

--IANS ao/pgh/vt

( 106 Words)

2017-01-12-18:16:07 (IANS)
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday reiterated that the need of the hour is to hold organisational elections while denying media speculations that he has issues with his party high command. Addressing reporters here, Chandy said that he received a call from All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Mukul Wasnik earlier in the day (Thursday) but since he was busy, he could not speak much and will get back to Wasnik. "There are no issues in the party and I have not made any complaints. My only demand, which even Rahul Gandhi agreed to, is my need to hold organisational polls in Kerala, as that's the only way to strengthen the party. If I am called by the high command for a discussion to Delhi, I will certainly go," said Chandy. Chandy has been sulking since last month, when the party high command appointed 14 new district Congress Presidents, ignoring many names suggested by Chandy. He even failed to reach Delhi for two programmes organised by Rahul Gandhi, which included Congress leaders from all over the country. With Chandy yet to make any public statements, he has taken a strong stance about not attending a meeting of the political affairs committee of the state unit of his party. After this declaration, the committee has not been able to meet. With Chandy standing firm on his position, the call from Wasnik was to cool down his temper. All eyes are now on whether Chandy will take part in the much delayed Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, which has now been fixed for January 14. --IANS sg/vgu/dg ( 279 Words) 2017-01-12-19:26:06 (IANS)
A Railway rake containing 2281 MT of High Speed Diesel (HSD) has been to dispatched from NRL's Marketing Terminal in Siliguri to Parbitipur Depot of Bangladesh Petroleum today. The consignment containing 42 wagons will travel over 516 kms (253 km in India and 263 km in Bangladesh) on the existing railway line via Rangapani, Singabad, Rohanpur to reach Parbatipur, Bangladesh.Earlier, India and Bangladesh entered into a new era of petroleum trade with a goodwill train flagged off by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge) Dharmendra Pradhan March 17 last year from NRL's Siliguri Marketing Terminal to Bangladesh.NRL and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) have signed a Sale-Purchase Agreement which includes joint initiative for construction of a 131 km long pipeline, with a capacity of 1 million Metric Ton per annum(MMTPA), from Siliguri to Parbatipur. Prior to the construction of the pipeline, the rail rake mode of transportation of product from Siliguri to Parbatipur is also an effective mode of transport with minimum loss and pollution. This interim supply will also help in developing business relation with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. This was stated in a press release by Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. UNI SG KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1105086.Xml
After having received an encouraging response from customers and enthusiasts, leading vehicles maker Tata Motors will launch its much-awaited lifestyle vehicle, the new Hexa on January 18. As a build-up to the launch, Tata Motors provided customers and enthusiasts with an opportunity to experience the vehicle on-road and off-road, through Hexa Experience Centres, with Tata Motors hosting the next Hexa Experience event in Mumbai, from January 13-15 at Bandra Kurla Complex. Customers also have the opportunity to book the vehicle at the venue, ahead of its launch. Vivek Srivatsa, Head Marketing, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors said, "At Tata Motors, we have always kept the customer central to our plans and the new Hexa is tailored to ensure just that. With a dynamic and powerful design, our new offering is power-packed and more mated with a powerful engine and fitted with a number of striking features and exquisitely chosen premium materials, further adding to the matchless design and bliss of luxury for customers with an active lifestyle." The new Hexa makes for an engaging and exciting drive and "we are supremely confident about it's as we move closer to the launch," he added. India's first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said "For me, the highlight of the HEXA is its breadth of dynamic capabilities, both on and off road. Hence, the experience behind the wheel is sure to deliver a thrilling drive, no matter what the surface. A significant amount of effort has gone into the design and interiors as well. The fantastic road presence, exquisite interiors and the supremely plush ride, come together to deliver an unmatched sense of luxury that will appeal to premium buyers." UNI ASH SHK 1952 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0388-1105158.Xml
The carcass of a Cattle Egret, which was buriednear the Kukkarahalli Lake in the heart of the city employees hasraised a threat of the bird flu virus spreading beyong the Mysore Zoo The lake workers had buried the bird and sent samples to theInstitute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAH and VB),Bengaluru, to confirm if the death is caused by avian influenza (H5N8). A Cattle Egret was found dead on the Northern part of lakepremises on Tuesday and it was buried by the workers withoutinforming the department of Animal Husbandry and VeterinaryServices. Unaware of bird deaths due to avian influenza at theMysuru Zoo, two workers dug a small pit on the dried lake bed andburied it. Veterinary authorities have also collected bird faeces samplesfrom the banks of Kukkarahalli Lake and have sent to the IAH and VBfor testing. Mr P M Prasad Murthy, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Mysuru,told reporters that the bird was unknowingly buried by workersemployed at the lake though the protocol (in the wake of bird fludeaths in Mysuru Zoo) is to report the matter to the veterinary department. ''We will wait for the preliminary report from IAH and VB and ifthe samples test positive, we will send it to National Institute ofHigh Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) of Indian Council ofAgricultural Research, for further confirmation,'' he said. Meanwhile, the Mysuru District Administration has been put onhigh alert following the reported deaths of some migratory birds atthe Mysuru Zoo and at Kokkare Bellur Bird Sanctuary due to suspectedcase of bird flu. At the Zilla Panchayat meeting held yesterday, authorities haveappealed to people not to touch any bird which is dead and reportthe matter to the veterinary authorities or district andtaluk level Animal Husbandry Department. The deaths of birds at the Zoo have confirmed the presence ofavian influenza virus and we have taken precautions around 10 kmradius in Mysuru to prevent the outbreak, an officer informed the meeting. Blood samples of poultry and a variety of birds that are soldthere have been sent to laboratory for tests and as of now, thedepartment had not got any reports of positive H5N8 virus, he added. Shuka Vana, the birds' rehabilitation centre at Sri GanapathySachchidananda Ashram on Ooty Road, in the city, will continue to beclosed till February 4 due to the threat of avian influenza. In apress release, the Ashram authorities have stated that the centrewill be closed as the district authorities have decided to close theMysuru Zoo till Feb. 4.UNI BSP RS AK2000 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1105232.Xml
His candidature was declared during the party's parliamentary board meeting in Delhi. The meeting was presided over by party president Amit Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Mr Chinna is the incumbent Director of the Punjab National Bank. He fought the 2007 assembly elections as BJP candidate from Amritsar (West). Chinna presently holds the Chairman post of Guru Nanak Dev University as well. He has also been the Chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust and has also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Punjab Small Scale Industries Export Corporation (PSSIEC).

Besides, Chinna has held various posts in the state party's organisational setup including the vice-president of the state executive. UNI DB RSA ADG 1943

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1105008.Xml
The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) today demanded removal of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the cabinet and registration of case against her under section 506 of IPC and relevant sections of Peoples Representatives Act for inciting violence in the poll-bound Punjab and also for targeting AAP volunteers. AAP leaders H S Phoolka and Navkiran Singh at a press conference, strongly reacted to Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal's statement in which she has said, "If Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal told workers of his Shiromani Akali Dal to turn violent, members of the AAP will not stay alive," in reaction to shoe hurled at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Lambi yesterday. The AAP leaders said that they do not indulge in any kind of violence nor support such act and neither they were scared of the threats of kind Ms Harsimrat Badal were issuing. Her statement reflected fear and frustration of imminent defeat in the elections, they alleged. They said that she had violated the Constitution, she being a minister in the Union Cabinet. She had indeed revealed the criminal mentality of Badal family which is targeting innocent people in the state and booked hundreds of people in fake criminal cases. She had no right to stay in Union cabinet, Phoolka and Navkiran Singh said. They further said the Badal family had foreseen their defeat and now using violence as last resort to defeat the people's mandate. They said that Badals might indulge in violence and misuse government machinery for the purpose. They demanded to hand over full control of elections to para-military forces. The AAP leaders asked Chief Minister if he also endorsed the views of his daughter-in-law, he also has no right to stay in the post. They demanded clarification and apology from Badal for supporting Harsimrat Kaur Badal. They said that it was the duty of Chief Minister to maintain peace in the state but it is becoming evident that attempts were being made to disturb the law and order in state. The AAP leaders have also submitted the complaint and copy of video of Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal to the Election Commission of India through CEO Punjab and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommend to immediately remove her from cabinet. They requested the ECI to take cognisance of outburst against the AAP by Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal and stated that no AAP volunteer was involved in the incident of shoe throwing. "We are peaceful people and want peace and justice prevail in the state", Phoolka concluded.UNI DB RSA ADG 1938 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1105048.Xml
"We offer salutations to great Swami Vivekananda and remember his powerful thoughts and ideals that continue shaping the minds of generations," the Prime Minister said in an official message here.

Gandhi also tweeted, saying he is remembering the Swami on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

"Remembering Swami Vivekananda today. His message to live fearlessly, with courage and strength of purpose will continue to inspire and guide us," Gandhi said.

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in an aristocratic family in Bengal. His original name was Narendra Nath Datta.

He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna and a key figure in introducing the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in a message in Twitter, said that Swami Vivekananda made Indians realise their "true potential".

"I bow to Swami Vivekananda on his Jayanti today. He made the people of India realise their strength and true potential," Singh said.

In 1984, the government had decided to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as the National Youth Day.

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu also paid his tribute to Swami Vivekanand.

"Paying my tributes to Swami Vivekanandaji on his birth anniversary. His principles and ideas continue to inspire us," Prabhu tweeted.

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as 'Yuva Sankalp Diwas'.

"Swami Vivekanand's teachings continue to be as much relevant and inspirational for the youth even today as they were 123 years ago when he spoke in Chicago," Delhi BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari said here.

"It is so because Swami Vivekanand foresaw and understood the ever-growing aspirations of the youth and therefore stressed on the development of such qualities in the youth which make them avid learners and teachers," Tiwari said.

--IANS aks/nir/vt

( 349 Words)

2017-01-12-21:30:07 (IANS)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that the BJP is holding talks with the Shiv Sena for a pre-poll alliance for ensuing civic election on a definite agenda of transperancy, reformation and public interest and not just on number of seats. Addressing the concluding session of the state executive meet here this evening, the Chief Minister told the gathering that, ''The party workers would be wondering about the alliance but let me tell you that the talks are going on in the right direction and the party leaders will take a proper decision, you do your work offighting the elections.'' ''The talks of alliance are not only for seat sharing but were directed towards defenite agenda of transperancy and protection of public interest,'' he said. The Chief Minister further said that it is the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to free the country and the states from the Congress party and exhorted the partymen to be ready to fight the enemy. ''Once again we do not want the Congress to return to power and hence we will chalk out a strategy,'' he said. Mr Fadnavis also said that the candidates with elective merit and those who are acceptable to the citizens would only be given the party ticket in the election. He also said that to encourage the cashless transaction, the party was trying to bring in a payment gateway for accepting the funds which might include use of smart phones. In his speech the Chief Minister listed out the achievements of the BJP in past two years at the state and 2.5 years at the Centre and said, ''I do not claim that we have achieved cent percent but our efforts are on and the citizens are confident and happy with our performance and this was indicated in the recent mandate.'' ''The recent success of the party is a matter to rejoice but at the same time the party workers should realise that this has cast more responsibility on them for the next elections,'' he said and asked them to put in more efforts for victory in the upcoming election. UNI XR SS SHS SHK 2137 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-1105150.Xml
Dubbing his tall claims as nothing but the frustrated rants of a loser desperately trying to sneak into Punjab through the back door, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh today once again dared Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to fight him from any seat in the state if he was so confident of victory. Capt Amarinder was responding to a tweet from Kejriwal saying that he (Captain) would lose in his own constituency since there was huge public support for AAP. "Mr Kejriwal was clearly suffering from delusional dreams, which would soon turn into a nightmare and which had no connect whatsoever with the ground realities in Punjab, which would never tolerate, leave alone support, a Haryanvi," the PPCC chief said. "A brief, whirlwind tour of my constituency is hardly a yardstick for you to measure the public support. If you really want to test your mettle come and contest against me. I will fight you wherever you choose to contest from and show you who has the support," Capt Amarinder said. Pointing out that Mr Kejriwal's desperation was showing through every statement he and his party colleagues were making in Punjab, he said his ugly and nefarious designs had already been exposed and the people of the state did not have an iota of faith in his commitment towards them. Citing the recent statement of AAP leader Manish Sisodia projecting Kejriwal as the chief ministerial candidate for the state in the coming assembly elections, Capt Amarinder challenged the AAP national convenor to fight openly and win instead of trying to grab the chief minister chair in such a shady manner. Dismissing AAP's claim that Sisodia's statement had been misinterpreted, the PPCC chief said the Kejriwal's game plan was backfiring on him, prompting the party to issue a denial. The fact, however, was that Kejriwal had always had his eyes on the CM post in Punjab, which was a much bigger and full state compared with Delhi, where he was finding it difficult to achieve his selfish and despicable objectives. He asserted that Kejriwal's grandiose and contemptible plans for Punjab would never fructify as the people of the state would not accept an outsider ruling them.UNI DB SHS SHK 2144 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1105348.Xml
However, no casualty has been reported so far.

The fire broke out at around 1830 hours and at least 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to extinguish the blaze, sources in Fire Brigade here said.

Even after four hours, the fire was raging and the fire-fighters were battling to control it.

In the major fire, more than 100 'zopadpattis' were set ablaze and people of the surrounding areas have been shifted to other places.

But, some people are feared to be trapped in the huts.

The cause of fire and damage has yet to be ascertained, sources added.UNI ST SS SHS SHK 2202

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-1105440.Xml
"I have no doubt Dr Shulkin will be able to lead the turnaround our Department of Veterans Affairs needs. His sole mandate will be to serve our veterans and restore the level of care we owe to our brave men and women in the military," CNBC quoted Trump as saying.

"Sadly our great veterans have not gotten the level of care they deserve, but Dr Shulkin has the experience and the vision to ensure we will meet the healthcare needs of every veteran," he said.

"Dr Shulkin is an incredibly gifted doctor who is using his elite talents for medicine to care for our heroes and Americans can have faith he will get the job done right."

Meanwhile, Shulkin said it was an honour for him to serve the president-elect and called his commitment to caring for veterans "unquestionable."

Shulkin has served in numerous chief executive roles in New Jersey, including president of Morristown Medical Centre, Goryeb Children's Hospital and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute.

He was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2015 to serve as the undersecretary of health.

--IANS sku/

( 215 Words)

2017-01-12-03:18:07 (IANS)
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has opposed the proposal for allocating funds from the federal National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for the security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and said that the move would be 'unconstitutional'. Shah also opposed the use of these funds under the proposal for projects in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), reports the Dawn. Shah made these observations in a meeting with Punjab Finance Minister Aisha Ghaus Pasha on Wednesday. The Sindh Chief Minister said the federal government's proposal to allocate three percent funds from the divisible pool for security arrangements for CPEC-related projects and four percent for the development of Fata, Gilgit-Baltitstan and Kashmir is unreasonable and against the Constitution. "The divisible pool is only for distribution of collected funds among the provinces," he added. According to an official statement, Shah is of the opinion that the federal government has already allocated one percent of the funds from the divisible pool for maintenance of law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) alone. Therefore, the recent demand is unconstitutional, and "cannot be met". "The Sindh government has already raised a force of at least 2,000 ex-army men to provide security to CPEC-related projects and its employees. Apart from that, the Sindh government has spent Rs300 billion on maintenance of law and order from 2010-11 to 2015-16," he said adding, "The federal government did not bother to bear a single penny of the expense." "I request the Punjab, KP and Balochistan governments to develop consensus and oppose the proposal," he said. On her part, the Punjab Finance Minister assured Shah of her support.(ANI)
Bangladesh has also expressed readiness to engage with Myanmar to discuss the process and modalities of repatriation to ensure a sustainable solution to the problem in the restive state of Rakhine, reports the Daily Times.

The offer was made at a bilateral meeting between visiting Myanmar State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kyaw Tin, also the special envoy of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Bangladesh Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali.

The Myanmar delegation stated that it would take back 2,415 citizens from, which is only a small fraction of the 300,000 Myanmar citizens who took refuge, said meeting sources.

Myanmarese delegates also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Gono Bhaban yesterday evening and discussed the Rohingya situation and bilateral issues.

According to sources, the Bangladesh delegation at the bilateral meeting said at least 65,000 Myanmar citizens took shelter in Bangladesh since October 9 last year, which is in excess of over 300,000 Myanmar nationals staying in Bangladesh for years.

Dhaka also asked Naypyidaw to urgently address the "root cause" of the problem in Rakhine so that the Muslims there need not be desperate to seek shelter across the border.

Sources said the Bangladesh side also asked the Myanmar delegation to immediately stop persecution and ethnic cleansing in Rakhine to stop influx and restore confidence among the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh so that they feel encouraged to return home.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar delegation dismissed the allegations of abuses by security forces in Rakhine.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and other senior foreign ministry officials took part in the meeting. (ANI)
The Liaoning, China's only aircraft carrier, entered the strait, part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone, after training exercises in the South China Sea.

The Chinese vessels moved through waters off Shantou in the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong early Wednesday morning and continued north, reports the CNN.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who is on a Central American tour, has been briefed about the situation and requested that officials in Taipei closely monitor the movements of the Chinese vessels.

Taiwan's response was the third time in three days that air forces in the region had scrambled jets in response to Chinese military activity, after Japan and South Korea deployed fighters on Monday. The development occurred after a squadron of six Chinese bombers and two other aircraft flew over the waters that separate Japan and South Korea and over the Sea of Japan.

Also, the South China Sea is home to a string of territorial disputes.

Tensions have ratcheted up as China has reclaimed land in massive dredging operations, turning sandbars into islands equipped with airfields, ports and lighthouses.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all dispute sovereignty of several island chains and nearby waters in the South China Sea -- with rival claims to the Chinese interpretation. (ANI)
A national jute advisory committee meeting in Bangladesh has decided to immediately engage with India for lifting of the anti-dumping duty on import of jute products as a fifth of the country's yearly jute exports are at stake. The meeting, held at the Textiles and Jute Ministry, also decided that the duty issuance wouldalso be discussed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India which is expected next month. A number of stakeholders, who participated in the meeting, said that they would use "diplomatic and political" means first before going for any legal recourse involving the World Trade Organization (WTO), reports the Daily Times. Since the January 5 following the imposition of the anti-dumping duty ranging from USD 6.30 to USD 351.72 per tonne, jute products worth over USD 12 million under shipment to India got stuck in the ports, according to sources. Of the total USD 919 million worth of jute and jute goods Bangladesh exported in the last financial year (2015-16), over USD 260 million of the same were sent to India. Earlier this month, the Indian government imposed anti-dumping duty for a period of five years on imports of jute and its products from Bangladesh and Nepal to protect domestic industry. (ANI)
"As far as hacking, I think it was Russia," Xinhua quoted Trump as saying at his first press conference in New York since winning the election in November.

"He (Russian President Vladimir Putin) should not be doing it. He won't be doing it," said Trump, adding, "Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading than when other people have led it."

Trump's first public acknowledgement came after months of denial and sometimes even disparagement of US intelligence community.

Since October, the US intelligence community had accused Russians of being responsible for the hacking that led to the leaking of damaging materials which dogged Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton till the Election Day.

On Friday, the US intelligence released a report, accusing Putin of ordering "an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election" in order to "undermine public faith in the US democratic process."

Moscow on Monday refuted accusations of Russia's involvement in cyberattacks during the US 2016 election, saying that it was a "tiresome witch-hunt."

--IANS sku/

( 207 Words)

2017-01-12-06:26:07 (IANS)
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from various countries have decided to approach the Government of Pakistan on the issue of alleged violation of human rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. According to informed sources and reports, the MEPs have been in regular touch with Ahmadiyya Muslims residing in Europe and have been made aware of the abuses being committed against members of this community in Pakistan. They have therefore decided to flag this issue at the next session of the European Parliament. Many MEPs are of the view that the European Union should insist on strictly linking assistance to Pakistan with the country's human rights record. It goes without saying that Islamabad will only be forced to act to arrest the country's deplorable human rights situation and the abuse faced by minority groups, whether Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyyas or Hindus, provided countries like the US and EU members link active diplomatic engagement to human rights. The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan has for decades struggled for their basic rights in Pakistan. As per data released by the International Human Rights Committee, since 1984 more than 83 Ahmadi mosques have been demolished more than 250 Ahmadis killed. Despite continued international outcry whenever there has been a major incident of violence against the community, successive Pakistani governments have made no effort to improve the situation. Lately, incidents of harassment and violence against this minority Muslim community of Pakistan have visibly increased. The community was still recovering from a raid and forceful closure on December 5, 2016 by the local armed police on the Central office of a Ahmadiyya publication in the town Rabwah in Pakistan, when on December 12, 2016 a thousand-strong mob of the majority Sunni Muslims attacked a Ahmadiyya mosque in Chakwal, resulting in the death of two and injuring scores of Ahmadiyya worshippers who were at the mosque at the time of attack. Following the attack, almost all the 70-80 Ahmadiyya families living in Chakwal fled the village during the night of December 12 and 13. In Pakistan, Ahmadis are declared non-Muslims by law and as per a 1984 legislation it is a criminal offence for a Ahmadi to 'pose' as a Muslim or to refer to their religious gathering sites as mosques. Hence under the law, the Ahmadis who were worshipping in their mosque on December 12 were committing a criminal act. Such legislations coupled with the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan, have given religious fundamentalist elements the lever to promote their radical ideology against Ahmadiyyas and other ethnic minority groups. With the European Union having experienced in 2016 one of its worst years with regard to incidents of terrorism, there is a growing understanding among the decision-makers in various European capitals that many of these incidents have roots in the increasing radicalisation of society in Pakistan and the rising influence of Islamic fundamentalist there. There are also growing concerns with regard to the complete lack of intent on the part of the Pakistani government to take serious measures on improving the human rights situation in the country. (ANI)
In a video released by the Taliban militant group, an American and an Australian professor who were kidnapped in Kabul five months ago have pleaded with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to help secure their release . The video, uploaded on YouTube on Wednesday and apparently filmed on January 1, is the first public sign of life of the two teachers since their abduction, reports the Guardian. American professor Kevin King, 60, and Australian professor Timothy John Weeks, 48, were violently kidnapped on August 7 outside the campus of the American University of Afghanistan where they both taught. In the 13-minute video, the pair is seen begging the American government to negotiate with their captors. The Taliban appear to have demanded the release of several "soldiers" in exchange for the professors. There was no indication of where the video had been filmed but it seemed timed to coincide with the current US presidential transition. "Donald Trump, sir, I ask you, please. This is in your hands. I ask you please to negotiate with the Taliban. If you do not negotiate with them, we will be killed," the video shows Weeks as saying. The abduction of the two was part of a recent string of kidnappings of foreigners in Afghanistan.(ANI)
A New Zealand man and his six-year old daughter missing at sea for more than a month have landed in Australia after sailing their small, damaged yacht across the treacherous 2,000 km Tasman Sea.Alan Langdon, 46, and his daughter Que had planned a short journey from Kawhia to the Bay of Islands on New Zealand's east coast, but after a storm damaged the yacht's rudder they found themselves drifting out to sea."Once we were in the position with no rudder, we didn't have as many options," Langdon told local media after docking his 21 foot yacht yesterday in Ulladulla, a fishing port 230 kms south of Sydney."I waited for the fine weather, that didn't come. At that stage we were getting pushed south and out," said Langdon, adding he then decided it would be safer to head to Australia across the Tasman Sea.Their arrival in Australia ends an international search for the pair. Langdon will spend a few days in Ulladulla fixing the broken rudder before sailing north to Port Kembla to be processed by Australian customs. REUTERS PY PR0957 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1104132.Xml
The Malaysian plantation district of Sungkai has become an initial - and unlikely - battleground for an election that embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to call this year.Sungkai is home to ethnic Malays who work for the national palm plantation operator, Federal Land Development Authority (Felda). Known as "Felda settlers", they have long been among the beneficiaries of government affirmative action programmes for Malays, who form the majority of the population.The Felda settlers have been a rock solid vote bank for Najib's ruling coalition, even as urban Malays have poured into the opposition camp in recent years, alienated by a series of political scandals.Najib's coalition lost the popular vote in the last general election in 2013, but still won a majority of seats in Malaysia's gerrymandered constituencies.Malaysia's opposition is hoping the settlers could be the next to defect, which was why opposition lawmaker Rafizi Ramli on Sunday night was in Sungkai, a former mining town that now mainly relies on palm oil and rubber planting.The settlers have been angered by Felda's decision to purchase a 37 per cent stake in Indonesian palm oil firm PT Eagle High Plantations for 505 million dollar, more than a 100 per cent premium based on its closing share price yesterday.Eagle High is owned by one of Indonesia's richest men, Peter Sondakh, who has done a number of deals in Malaysia and is a longtime friend of Najib.Najib's office did not respond to requests for comment about the deal. Sondakh has not publicly commented about the deal in Jakarta.Just six months ago, Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party secured a sweeping victory in a by-election in this constituency in northern Perak state.But on Sunday night, more than 300 people gathered on the lawn of a Sungkai resident under a dank tropical night to hear opposition lawmaker Rafizi Ramli tell the cheering crowd: "We will change our prime minister and our government.""Felda's debts are growing ... and the government will use the settlers money to pay it off," said Rafizi, a 39-year-old lawmaker from People's Justice Party (PKR)."If we don't stop this, the debt will be shouldered by our future generations."Felda has said the deal will not impact its existing commitments and programmes to improve the well-being of the settlers. Felda itself is planning a series of roadshows to convince settlers in its plantation areas of the deal's benefits.Felda settlers are the majority voters in at least 54 of the 222 seats in the national parliament, and has helped bring the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition to power in every election since independence in 1957.Even the opposition's attempt to highlight a multi-billion dollar alleged money-laundering scandal at state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that erupted in 2015 did not resonate with rural voters.The Felda issue, however, affects them directly."All this while, UMNO has won the elections because there are 54 parliamentary seats in the Felda (settlers) areas. Now I am sure the sentiment has changed," said Mazlan Aliman, president of the National Felda Settlers' Children Society (ANAK).He estimates that over half of his association members and their families will vote for the opposition party if the Eagle High deal goes through."If this happens, (Barisan Nasional) will lose in the upcoming elections," Mazlan said.Najib has to call elections by 2018, but a government source told Reuters he may do it earlier, possibly in the second half of this year.The prime minister is heading into the next election already saddled with the scandal around 1MDB, which has been investigated in a half-dozen countries for money laundering. His government said nearly 700 million dollar of 1MDB money that wound up in Najib's personal bank account came from an unnamed Saudi.Yet Najib, who has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, retains a tight grip on UMNO by commanding a vast patronage system that spreads the largesse among ordinary Malays as well as party apparatchiks.He is wielding sticks along with the carrots: Anwar Ibrahim, the charismatic opposition leader, remains in jail on sodomy charges, activists and politicians have been charged with sedition, critical news websites have been closed.Rafizi, the lawmaker who spoke at the Sungkai rally, is himself on bail pending an appeal after he was sentenced to 18 months in jail for leaking a confidential 1MDB document.But the prime minister is fighting economic headwinds. The ringgit currency has fallen by more than a quarter over the past two years, prices have risen after state subsidies were slashed and a national goods and services (GST) tax launched, and economic growth is expected to slow in 2017.All that is being felt in rural Malay heartlands such as Sungkai, and is contributing to the sour faces over the Felda-Eagle High deal.Felda, created by Najib's father and Malaysia's second prime minister, resettled and employed the rural poor in the palm industry. It helped lead Malaysia to become one of the world's two largest producers of palm oil, along with Indonesia.The settlers leased government land for palm cultivation and many also own shares in Felda Global Ventures (FGV), a unit of Felda that raised over 3 billion dollar in a listing in 2012.But Felda's fortunes have slumped in recent years - its shares fell by over 60 per cent since its IPO. The shares plunged another 5 per cent on Dec 23, when the Eagle High deal was announced."This is a waste of money," said Khalili Kasim, a 64-year-old settler, saying Felda should be providing housing loans, or educational aid instead of putting money into Eagle High."Land owners should be rich, but why are some of us still struggling and living under the poverty line?" Khalili said.But the opposition will be fighting an uphill battle to secure the votes of Felda settlers, who have long been loyal UMNO supporters."In the lead-up to the elections, if they (UMNO) can develop measures that can persuade the voters ... then they can still mitigate the concerns arising from the purchase of Eagle High," said Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center."But this is not a done deal; it is a developing story." REUTERS SDR 0510 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1104064.Xml
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said he expects the Senate will confirm Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state.Corker's comments came after the close of an approximately nine-hour hearing in which senators vigorously questioned Tillerson on his views on Russia, sanctions, climate change and other issues, including China."I feel good about his confirmation," Corker told reporters yesterday. "I'm going to support his confirmation."Corker said he felt Tillerson had acquitted himself well in addressing senators' concerns about his relationship with Russia, although Corker acknowledged that members still had questions.He said he expected Tillerson would spend today answering further questions and talking to more senators.REUTERS SDR 0512 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1104065.Xml
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution supporting Montenegro's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), trying for a second time to back the former Yugoslav republic's bid.The committee passed a resolution in 2016, but the Senate did not vote on it before adjourning for the year. The US Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in the 100-member Senate for approval of new NATO members.Montenegro's membership would represent the alliance's first expansion since Albania and Croatia joined in 2009. Although the country is a long-time ally of Russia, relations with Moscow have been uneasy recently, given its government's pursuit of closer integration with the west.Montenegro also joined European Union sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula."I'm pleased the committee has renewed its support for Montenegro to become NATO's newest member, and I'm hopeful for swift action on this resolution in the full Senate," the committee's chairman, Republican Senator Bob Corker, said in a statement yesterday.The committee voted shortly after concluding a nine-hour confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. During the hearing, Tillerson expressed support for NATO despite Trump's past criticism of the alliance.The vote count was not immediately available.REUTERS SDR 0653 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1104083.Xml
The Coast Guard received a distress call from the ship on Wednesday night when it was some 60 km southwest of Goto islands in Nagasaki province, Efe news reported.

When the Coast Guard reached the ship around 3.30 a.m., the sailors had already abandoned the ship and were in lifeboats.

The ship sank at 5:45 a.m. when it was around 27 km southeast of Fukue island.

The Coast Guard also released a series of images showing the ship going under.

In 2015, at least 14 badly-damaged and overturned boats with almost two dozen bodies were found off Japanese coasts and authorities said they could be North Korean fishing boats that went adrift.

--IANS ksk/dg

( 146 Words)

2017-01-12-13:48:07 (IANS)
Kenyan Minister for Transport and Infrastructure James Macharia (C) and the Managing Director of the Kenya Railways Corporation Atanas Maina (R, front) attend the reception ceremony of the first batch of locomotives for the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Jan. 11, 2017. Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

MOMBASA, Kenya, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June.

A ceremony was held on Wednesday at a port station in the coastal city of Mombasa, where the locomotives docked on Monday.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, James Macharia, and Chinese envoys attended the ceremony to receive the locomotives manufactured by the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).

In his opening remarks, Macharia said the delivery of the first batch of locomotives marked a major milestone "in the journey to complete the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR project."

The 472 km railway links Mombasa to the capital Nairobi and will extend to the country's western border.

China finances 90 percent of the project. Construction work is being carried out by the China Road and Bridge Corporation.

Kenya has sourced 56 locomotives from the CRCC to ferry passengers and goods on the railway line.

"The locomotives are very modern and will give us quality service... Kenyans will be happy for the service they will provide," Macharia told reporters.

Four of the six vehicles are DF8B diesel locomotives. The DF8B is the main traction locomotive model of the Chinese railway system, with 3100 kilowatts of power and a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

The other two are DF7G shunting locomotives with 1550 kilowatts of power, which will be used for marshalling and dispatching locomotives and rolling stock within stations.

The Mombasa-Nairobi railway is expected to begin trial operation in June and to officially open by the beginning of 2018.

Kenya anticipates a boost to socio-economic growth upon the launch of the line -- the first phase of the China-funded SGR project in the country.

Macharia said that besides revolutionizing transport, the modern railway would position Kenya as a trade and manufacturing hub.

"This project will accelerate economic development of our country," he said, adding that railway development would underpin Kenya's quest for attaining industrial transformation.

The Managing Director of the Kenya Railways Corporation, Atanas Maina, said the trial operation of the railway in June would stimulate economic growth and help attract foreign direct investments in Kenya.

The second batch of locomotives, including DF11 passenger locomotives, is due to arrive at Mombasa port by the end of January.

The China-funded railway line in Kenya is expected to eventually extend to other East African nations.
DOHA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai SIPG's new Brazilian signing Oscar believes the Chinese Super League could soon rival the best competitions in Europe.

Oscar joined a growing list of high-profile players to move to China last month when he signed with Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea for a reported 74 million US dollars.

"I don't think it is a step down," Oscar told reporters in Doha, where Shanghai SIPG are currently on tour.

"I think in China they are making a great project for me and all the good players that are coming to the league. I am pretty sure that in the future the Chinese league will be one of the best leagues in the world."

Oscar's transfer was followed days later by Shanghai Shenhua's signing of Argentina striker Carlos Tevez for a reported 90 million US dollars.

Others to join Chinese clubs in recent times are Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Demba Ba (Shanghai Shenhua) and Ezequiel Lavezzi (Hebei China Fortune).

Oscar is said to be earning a weekly salary of almost 500,000 US dollars while Tevez's wage is reportedly 760,000 US dollar a week.

"This happens with every player, if it wasn't for money I wouldn't leave Brazil," Oscar said.

"When you go to Europe you go because of the money and because of the good clubs also, and in Shanghai the project is to be one of the best leagues.

"Of course it was also good for me and my family and for everyone involved in the transfer."

The 25-year-old added that he agreed to the move almost immediately.

"It didn't take long, everybody accepted it was a good deal for all sides, so it was a quick deal," he said.

Oscar is confident of adding to his 47 Brazil caps, citing Paulinho and Renato Augusto as China-based players that are currently in the Selecao's starting eleven.

"I don't think that will be a problem, if I am playing good for my team I will be in the national team without a problem," he said.
LAGOS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's state run oil giant Wednesday said three refineries in the country have resumed production of diesel and kerosene.

Spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ndu Ughamadu, said in a statement that the resumption of refining of the products was expected to balance the disequilibrium in the demand and supply of the products as being experienced in parts of the country.

The refineries are situated in northern city of Kaduna and southern cities Port Harcourt and Warri respectively.

The Kaduna Refinery had also commenced operations to ease the situation in supply and distribution of petroleum products nationwide, the spokesperson added.

Ughamadu said the corporation had made arrangements for additional supply intervention through direct importation of diesel, kerosene and DPK to sustain product availability across the country.

Solomon Ladenegan, the Managing Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), said in the statement that the plant was doing well.

This, he said, was especially so since the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) was revived on Jan. 7, adding that it resumed production same day.

According to Ladenegan, the plant now refines 2 million liters of kerosene and 3 million litres of diesel daily.

In the same vein, the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Bafred Enjugu, said the refinery was producing 3 million liters of AGO (diesel) daily.

This, he said, was in addition to 2 millions of DPK (kerosene) being produced by the refinery daily.

He said with the development, production of diesel was being carried out by locals without deployment of foreign expertise. Enditem
LONDON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Economic inequality, societal polarization and intensifying environmental dangers are the top three trends that will shape global developments over the next decade, according to a report released here on Wednesday.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Global Risks Report 2017, experts assessed 30 global risks, as well as 13 underlying trends that could amplify them or alter the interconnections between them.

Rising income and wealth disparity and increasing polarization of societies were ranked first and third, respectively, among the underlying trends that will determine global developments in the next 10 years, the report noted.

The survey also found the environment dominates the global risks landscape. Climate change was the number two underlying trend this year.

According to the report, society is not keeping pace with technological change. Experts found artificial intelligence and robotics to have the greatest potential benefits, but also the greatest potential negative effects and the greatest need for better governance.

"Urgent action is needed among leaders to identify ways to overcome political or ideological differences and work together to solve critical challenges," said Margareta Drzeniek-Hanouz, Head of Global Competitiveness and Risks, World Economic Forum.

"We live in disruptive times where technological progress also creates challenges. Without proper governance and re-skilling of workers, technology will eliminate jobs faster than it creates them...Cooperation is essential to avoid the further deterioration of government finances and the exacerbation of social unrest," said Cecilia Reyes, Chief Risk Officer of Zurich Insurance Group.

How to address the world's most pressing risks will be the subject of discussions at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017, which convenes January 17-20 under the theme Responsive and Responsible Leadership.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Bioengineers at Stanford University in west coast of the United States have created an ultra-low-cost, hand-powered blood centrifuge with rotational speeds of up to 125,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

The device, capable of separating blood plasma from red cells in 1.5 minutes, applies the same mechanical principles in a whirligig, which is built by threading a loop of twine through two holes in a button, grabbing the loop ends, then rhythmically pulling. As the twine coils and uncoils, the button spins at a dizzying speed.

In the case of "paperfuge," which is built from paper worth 20 U.S. cents, the spin can exert centrifugal forces of 30,000 Gs.

"To the best of my knowledge, it's the fastest spinning object driven by human power," said Manu Prakash, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and senior author of a paper published in the Jan. 10 issue of Nature Biomedical Engineering.

"There are more than a billion people around the world who have no infrastructure, no roads, no electricity. I realized that if we wanted to solve a critical problem like malaria diagnosis, we needed to design a human-powered centrifuge that costs less than a cup of coffee."

A centrifuge is critical for detecting diseases such as malaria, African sleeping sickness, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis.

Inspired by spinning toys, Prakash began brainstorming design ideas with Saad Bhamla, a postdoctoral research fellow in his lab and first author on the paper. After weeks of exploring ways to convert human energy into spinning forces, they began focusing on toys invented before the industrial age as yo-yos, tops and whirligigs.

"One night I was playing with a button and string, and out of curiosity, I set up a high-speed camera to see how fast a button whirligig would spin. I couldn't believe my eyes," said Bhamla, when he discovered that the whirring button was rotating at 10,000 to 15,000 rpms.

After two weeks of prototyping, he mounted a capillary of blood on a paper-disc whirligig and was able to centrifuge blood into layers.

With further improvements, the low-cost version is expected to enable precise diagnosis and treatment in the poor, off-the-grid regions where these diseases are prevalent.

"From a technical spec point of view, we can match centrifuges that cost from 1,000 to 5,000 U.S. dollars," Prakash was quoted as saying in a news release from Stanford.
ABUJA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it has ordered to shut down Taiwan's office in Abuja, the nation's capital, and to move its trade mission to Lagos.

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists after reaffirming the One-China Policy at a joint press conference with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, that Taiwan will now have to function in Lagos with a skeletal staff.

"Taiwan will stop enjoying any privileges because it is not a country that is recognized under international law and under the position we have taken internationally, we recognize the People's Republic of China, the One-China Policy" the Nigerian FM said.

The official said Nigeria has already informed Taiwan its decision and ordered its office in Abuja to shut down.

According to Onyeama, Nigeria had taken the step to remove any doubts that its earlier decision to grant Taiwan a trade mission had cast on the mutual beneficial trust and understanding between China and Nigeria.

Nigeria would do everything to realize the One-China Policy as well as any effort that would promote the peace and well-being of the People's Republic of China, he said.

On his part, Wang said the government of People's Republic of China appreciated Nigeria's position and the recent measures taken accordingly by Nigeria.

The One-China principle represents China's core interest and it is the prerequisite and foundation for China to maintain and develop friendly relations with all countries in the world, he said.

"I think we do understand each other absolutely on this issue because Nigerian side has always been upholding the Keep Nigeria One Principle," he told journalists at the joint press conference.

Nigeria had earlier issued a joint communique with China in 2005, affirming that Beijing was "the only legitimate government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory."
LHASA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A "toilet revolution" will begin this year with heavy investment in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region to improve sanitary conditions and boost tourism.

The region will spend 1.2 billion yuan (173 million U.S. dollars) in building and renovating 2,000 toilets in 2017, said Losang Jamcan, chairman of the regional government.

In the past decade, some dry toilets in Tibet's cities have been replaced with flush ones, but dry toilets remain in rural areas.

The 2,000 toilets will be mainly built at tourist spots, along major highways and in public venues with a concentration of locals and tourists, according to Sonam Nyima, director of the Tibet Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department.

The treatment of waste must accord with environmental protection requirements and ensure no damage to environment, he said.

Shannan City in southern Tibet plans to build 200 new toilets at tourist sites this year.

A "toilet revolution" is also underway elsewhere in China. The national standard requires "sanitary" toilets in rural homes to have walls, roofs, doors and windows and to be at least two square meters in size. They may be flush toilets or dry toilets with underground storage tanks.
CANBERRA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Australia Power Networks said Thursday that it would pay more than 15 million U.S. dollars in compensation to customers who were subject to unnecessary lengthy blackouts late last year.

More than 70,000 customers are expected to be given the payment.

It was reported that more than 150,000 properties in South Australia were left without power on Dec. 28 after a vicious storm cell felled power lines and trees. It was the second major blackout to hit the state in three months.

According to local reports, some home were not fully reconnected with power until the new year, with South Australia Power Networks spokesman Paul Roberts describing the storm and its trail of destruction as the worst the company had experienced in 30 years.

"It was probably about three times worse than any previous storm we've experienced, both in terms of the guaranteed service level payments we'll have to make, and the minutes of supply lost for customers," Roberts told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday.

"We're going to be making payments to about half the customers affected."

He said that households which were without power for up to 12 hours could expect payment of 75 U.S. dollars, while those affected for more than 48 hours would receive up to 450 U.S. dollars for the inconvenience and cost of replacing perishable foods and other items.

He said the delay in fixing the issue was a result of poor weather following the storm, and was not a reflection of inadequate manpower or management.

"For example, we were unable to undertake restoration work in the Adelaide Hills for many hours as wind gusts reached up to 120 km per hour and the winds did not abate until around 9 a.m. the next morning," Roberts said.
YANGON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Soros Fund Management will render technical assistance to Myanmar for its budget drawing process and taxing, Myanmar News Agency reported Thursday.

The assistance was discussed when Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi met with the Soros Fund Management delegation led by its chairman George Soros in Nay Phi Taw on Wednesday.

The two also exchanged views on prevention and reduction of narcotic drug-related harm and rehabilitation as well as mining and production of precious stones in their discussion.

Myanmar's Ministry of Planning and Finance is drawing up the country's national plan for 2017-18 and working out projects in regions and states in line with the 12-point economic policy.

The National Planning Commission, led by President U Htin Kyaw, has called for planning big projects within the budget allocation of the country.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the deputy chairperson of the commission, called for inclusion of the projects in the national planning that she said can contribute to the short-term and long-term interests of the country.

The national planning will be submitted to the parliament for approval.

Myanmar's economy is estimated to grow at a 5.7 percent rate in the current fiscal year of 2016-17 and the country's growth of gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to rise to 7 percent. Per capita GDP is expected to reach more than 1.7 million kyats (1,307 U.S. dollars) as disclosed by the commission.

The country's economic growth slowed down in the first six months of 2016-17 due mainly to a slump in agricultural production, foreign investment and the export sector.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN's special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, will visit Mexico for the first time on Jan. 16-24 to assess the situation of human rights defenders there, which he said is "complex."

In a statement, Forst said his objective is "to take the pulse of those defending human rights in Mexico, understand their situation, listen to their challenges, and make concrete proposals to reinforce government efforts."

Forst would meet with federal and government authorities as well as human rights organizations to discuss measures to promote human rights work.

At the end of his trip, Forst will issue a preliminary report to present "his findings and recommendations" to Mexico.

Forst is a specialist in the analysis of the situation of human rights defenders, the rights of disabled children and adults living in extreme poverty.
BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's decision to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) amid gloomy global financial outlook marks a clear step forward, according to Argentine analysts.

"2017 is expected to be a year of stability in regard to the inflow of FDI" for China, Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of Argentine consulting group Asia Viewers, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

China has announced it will strive to attract more foreign investment in 2017 to spur innovation and economic growth.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's report late last year showed China is still one of the most attractive investment destinations.

According to the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, more than two-thirds of EU companies' operations in China were profitable. The American Chamber of Commerce in China has said 68 percent of businesses plan to expand investment in the country.

In the first 11 months, China recorded 731.8 billion yuan (around 105 billion U.S. dollars) of foreign investment, up 3.9 percent year on year, according to figures released by its Ministry of Commerce.

China's FDI initiative needs to take note of the "level of consumption, both domestic and foreign," they said.

China "needs the inflow of foreign investment to be able to continue the process of development, along with the process of innovating and improving the expansion of goods and services with greater added value into the global market," they added.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian police has deported eight Indonesian students after one of them was found to be in possession of a mobile phone containing pictures linked to the Islamic State, the Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported Thursday.

Citing a source from the Counter Terrorism Unit under the Malaysian federal police, Bernama said the eight students were handed over by Singaporean border inspection personnel who found images linked to IS in one of the students' mobile phone, including a homemade bomb made from a shoe.

After questioning the suspects, the police learnt that the images were obtained from a WhatsApp group chat.

According to the report, the suspects, from a school in West Sumatra of Indonesia, came to Malaysia to seek medical treatment since Jan. 4 and also spent several days in Pattani of Thailand to learn about the education system at the Islamic Education Board in the district.

It is not found yet why they wanted to enter Singapore through the Johor border.

The report said the suspects were deported Wednesday to Batam, Indonesia by ferry.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ships entering New Zealand waters will have to meet tougher new restrictions on controlling marine pests under international and domestic rules.

New Zealand has formally joined an international agreement of managing ships' ballast water, becoming the 54th country to join the Ballast Water Management Convention under the International Maritime Organization, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said Thursday.

The convention, which will enter into force in September, would help to prevent the spread of harmful marine species, MPI manager of border and biosecurity systems, Andrew Bell said in a statement.

Ballast water, which stabilizes a ship during a voyage, could contain millions of aquatic or marine microbes, plants and animals, which were carried across the globe and could be introduced to new locations when ships discharged their ballast.

"Releasing this water into a new environment can also release unwanted marine species," Bell said.

The convention would require all vessels to deal with their ballast water before discharging it.

However, the majority of introductions of harmful marine species to New Zealand were through biofouling -- marine life growing on vessel hulls.

New Zealand had new rules on biofouling, coming into force in May next year, stipulating that all vessels arriving in New Zealand must have a clean hull, said Bell.
MUMBAI, Jan. 12 (xinhua) -- The Indian market opened higher on Thursday.

Investors reacted positively after Deutsche Bank's prediction of a 15.4 percent year on year earning growth in the December 2016 quarter.

The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex opened at 27,211.75, 71.34 points or 0.3 percent up compared to its previous close at 27,140.41.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Abuja, Nigeria, on Jan. 11, 2017. The Nigerian government reaffirmed its commitment to One-China policy on Wednesday, saying Nigeria will stay committed to the long-standing friendship and cooperation with China. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping)

ABUJA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said Wednesday that his country attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes more Chinese enterprises would join in its economic development.

Buhari made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The Nigerian president said that Nigeria has taken concrete steps to fulfill the important consensus reached between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China last year, on deepening the two countries' strategic partnership and broadening bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Buhari anticipated more participation in the country's economic construction by Chinese enterprises, which boast rich experience in infrastructure, hydroelectricity and manufacturing.

The Nigerian president also mentioned a joint statement issued between Wang and his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Nigeria's commitment to the One-China policy.

For his part, the Chinese top diplomat hailed Nigeria's accomplishment of its pledge to the One-China policy.

He said that China would work together with the Nigerian side to enhance cooperation on agriculture, railway, road, petrochemical industry and human resources, so as to contribute to the African country's economic diversification and sustained development.

Wang kicked off his five-nation Africa visit last Friday, which took him to Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, the Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.
By Ronald Ssekandi, Yuan Qing

KAMPALA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- As China and Africa enjoy the fruits of globalization, the United States and Western Europe citizens are scoffing at the movement their governments once championed as a magic bullet to advance development.

BACKLASH IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Donald Trump, who won the American election partly with the help of surging trade protectionism, will be inaugurated as president next week.

Months back, the British voted to exit the European Union (EU) over security concerns and the supposed or real threat that immigrants are taking over their jobs.

While China and Africa push for globalization to fast-track their development, the developed world complains that globalization over the years has had a backlash on their economies.

Back in the mid-1940's, the developed world through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund pushed for globalization arguing that a greater global integration was more conducive to peace and prosperity in the world than isolationism.

They argued that through globalization, development even in the poor countries would be fast tracked.H When China opened its doors to the outside world in the late 1970s, it tasted the fruits of globalization as its economy grew fast to the current status as the second largest economy in the world after the United States.

After thirty years of successive economic development, China is moving out to the world, transferring huge amounts of capital to Africa and other parts of the world.

WIN-WIN COOPERATION

In Africa, Chinese capital has helped develop the transportation and energy infrastructure, which is key to the economic development on the continent.

In remote African villages, Chinese road engineers wearing hats made out of mats is a common scene. The Chinese are constructing road networks across Africa, a key factor in lowering transport cost and then the cost of products.

In East Africa, the Chinese are funding the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway that will link the hinterland to the outside world through Kenya. The railway will link Uganda and her neighbors Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, with the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa.

After the completion of the construction, the cost of transport for a 32-ton container to Mombasa will fall from 3,500 U.S. dollars by road, to 1,650 dollars by railway, according to Ugandan government figures.

It would also take only one day to move the container in contrast to the current 21 days.

The Chinese are also funding the construction of huge power dams. In Uganda, for instance, China is funding the construction of the 600MW Karuma hydro power plant and the 180MW Isimba hydro power plant.

From December 2015 to July 2016, over 50 billion dollars worth of agreements were signed in various fields between China and Africa, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a five-nation African tour.

This is an opportunity Africa must seize, said Isaac Shinyekwa, an economist at Uganda's Economic Policy Research Center.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, attending a meeting in South Africa in 2015, committed to a 60-billion-dollar fund that will deepen China's relationship with Africa over the next three years.

Africa's industrialization is among the 10 major programs announced by China to boost the cooperation.

The new Chinese plants opened, including a car assembly plant established in Ethiopia, also represent a new change in China-Africa win-win cooperation, which features an upgrade from general commodity trade to capacity cooperation and processing trade, according to Wang.

Despite a gloomy world economy and sluggish growth of global trade, China-Africa capacity cooperation and the alignment of their industrial policies are growing robust, Wang said.
LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Minister of State for Immigration Robert Goodwill on Wednesday proposed a levy of a 1,000 pounds (about 1,220 U.S. dollars) a year on skilled workers in the European Union employed by British companies after Brexit.

Goodwill said at a House of Lords committee that "immigration skills levy" could be introduced for EU migrants and would "be helpful to British workers who feel they are overlooked" in favor of migrants, according to the Guardian.

The idea sparked fury among employers and provoked an immediate business backlash.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said it was "not on the agenda," and explained that Goodwill meant the "skills levy" for non-EU migrants which will enter into force in April.

However, Downing Street did not rule out the idea of any levy on EU skilled workers after Brexit. The spokesman said the British government is clear that "there are a whole range of issues we will need to look at in the negotiation."

According to local media, Goodwill's remarks suggested that the levy would pave the way for meeting the British government's commitment to training more than 3 million more apprentices before 2020.
"Comfort women" and protestors take part in a protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Manila, the Philippines, Jan. 12, 2017. Aging Filipino "comfort women" staged a protest on Thursday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Manila ahead of the visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the country. (Xinhua/Dong Chengwen)



MANILA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Aging Filipino "comfort women" staged a protest on Thursday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Manila ahead of the visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the country.

The protesters urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte anew to raise their plight in his meeting with Abe who starts on Thursday afternoon his overnight official visit in Manila and Davao City, Duterte's home city.

Duterte, who made a visit to Japan last October, will welcome Abe at the Malacanang presidential palace. A state banquet awaits Abe at the palace after the welcome ceremony at the palace ground, Duterte's office said.

"We call on Duterte not to forget to bring up with Abe the still unaddressed demands by our fast aging and diminishing lolas (grandmothers) for formal apology from the (Japanese) government to all Asian comfort women and restitution for the hurt they inflicted on thousands of women," said Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina, an organization of World War II comfort women.

"Our lolas also want Duterte to resist renewing the possibilities of letting new Japanese troops conduct exercises, train local security forces, and make bases in our country to avoid another brutal campaign of war and pillage."

She lamented that the previous Philippine administrations have ignored the plight of the Filipino women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels as sexual slaves during World War II in talks with the Japanese government.

Gabriela, a women's organization, also warned Duterte not to ditch the "comfort women" issue for economic aids.

"Duterte should not take the so-called aid and loans as cosmetic beams to paper over the cries of comfort women for genuine justice and recognition," said Joms Salvador, secretary general of Gabriela.

Like Bayan and Lila Pilipina, Gabriela also raised the alarm over Japan's plan "to return to its aggressive wartime stance."

Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Women) has documented 174 "comfort women" who have gone public since early 1990s. Only 70 of them remain alive, including Bustamante.

Another group, the Malaya Lolas (Free Grandmothers), has documented 90 but the number dwindled to 33 following the death of the rest over the years.

Both groups are demanding official apology, just compensation, and inclusion of the comfort women issue in Japan's historical accounts and textbooks.

The Philippine government has intentionally avoided discussions of the issue in bilateral talks with Japan.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A naval formation consisting of aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through the Taiwan Strait Thursday morning en route to drills in the South China Sea, said a spokesperson with the People's Liberation Army Navy.

Liang Yang said the Liaoning and other naval vessels in the formation were scientifically organized and meticulously operated during the navigation.

Since it was commissioned in 2012, the Liaoning has been carrying out training and tests steadily, the navy said.

The Liaoning is China's only aircraft carrier in operation. It was refitted based on an unfinished carrier from the former Soviet Union.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles has become the first ever U.S. city destination to receive more than 1 million Chinese visitors in one year, the authorities said Wednesday.

The year 2016 was a big year for LA's tourism industry. Besides reaching the mark of 1 million Chinese visitors, both the city's domestic and international visitation had reached an all time high, according to a report released by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism).

Last year, total domestic visitation to LA reached 40.2 million, a 3.8 percent increase over 2015. An additional 7.1 million international visitors also made the second largest city of the United States their ultimate destination, a 3.5 percent rise over the previous year, statistics showed.

"Tourism is booming in Los Angeles, and it's helping to drive our whole city's economy forward," said LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

LA also plans to attract more tourists in the future, especially Chinese tourists.

In 2016, China was the second largest international market for LA, behind Mexico. China accounted for 75 percent of the destination's overall growth of international tourism and the number of Chinese visitors grew nearly 22 percent -- the seventh consecutive year of at least 20 percent visitation growth from that country.

LA Tourism will continue to invest in the market with plans to expand its footprint, the report said.

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in southwest China, will become L.A. Tourism's fourth office in China, which was scheduled to open by the end of June 2017, joining Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
by Xinhua Writer Tian Dongdong

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- In a bid to enhance his chummy ties with Rodrigo Duterte, president of a country who currently holds the rotating chair of ASEAN and a drifting-away U.S. ally, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday started a trip to the Philippines with an aid package of 8.66 billion U.S. dollars.

The visit, first of its kind made by Abe in the new year, is part of his six-day trip to the Asia Pacific rim countries, which will also carry him to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

By making himself the first head of government to officially visit the Philippines this year and the highest ranking leader to ever visit Davao City, the hometown of President Duterte, Abe is leaving no stone unturned to draw the Philippines back to the U.S.-led alliance network, which has stirred up tensions in the South China Sea and the whole Asia Pacific at large.

However, Abe's calculated plan is doomed to be futile as more and more Asia Pacific countries, including the Philippines, have realized the importance and correctness of win-win cooperation as well as the toxicity of the zero-sum and Cold War mentality.

Last year's Hollywood-style farce of "the South China Sea arbitration" serves as a perfect reminder.

Directed by two non-claimants of the South China Sea, the United States and Japan, the political buffoonery had deeply damaged mutual trust between China and the Philippines, which was ruled by then Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. But the plot was immediately reversed after President Duturte's inauguration, who has a better and deeper understanding of the South China Sea issue and a foresight of a strategist over its future.

A peaceful and stable South China Sea runs counter against Abe's scheme, as he plans to fish in the troubled waters. In addition, a further drifting-away Manila from the U.S. alliance network is undoubtedly no good news for the Japanese leader, because he needs a pawn to stir up trouble in the South China Sea.

Seventy years on, the ghost of the Second World War never goes away. So does the painful suffering and memory caused by Japanese aggression and colonization in the Asia Pacific during that dark period in human history.

Abe is busy in making Japan a "normal country" again. But being normal requires being responsible first.

If Abe cannot stop creating muddy waters in the Asia Pacific, his country will never be a real responsible player of the international community. And it won't be accepted as a normal country, either.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Shooting incidents between black citizens and police officers have left many officers worried about their safety and reluctant to conduct some of their duties, according to a survey released Wednesday.

"About as many (72 percent) say officers in their department are now less willing to stop and question suspicious persons. About nine-in-ten officers (93 percent) say their colleagues worry more about their personal safety," said the new Pew Research Center national survey conducted by the National Police Research Platform.

This wide-ranging survey of nearly 8,000 policemen and women from departments with at least 100 officers also found that over 86 percent of them think their work is harder today due to high-profile incidents.

In 2016, 232 black Americans in the United States were shot dead by police, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total 957 deaths from fatal police shootings, according to a database compiled by The Washington Post.

These fatal shootings have aggravated tensions between police and blacks, leading to revenge on police by black Americans.

On July 17, 2016, a black former Marine killed three police officers and wounded several others in a shooting incident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

On July 7, 2016, a 25-year-old black Army veteran named Micah Johnson ambushed and killed five police officers in Dallas, Texas.

On July 5-6, 2016, two black men were shot dead by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, which sparked angry protests by African Americans across the nation against police brutality and racial discrimination.
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia's eastern military district discussed Thursday setting up new military units focused on anti-UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) defense.

The district's media service said improving defense against UAVs with the establishment of focused military units was among the topics discussed at the military missile conference held Thursday in Amur Oblast.

The meeting also worked on a plan for massive tactical drills involving air defense forces in Buryatia.

Participants included commanders of missile defense units of the eastern military district and chiefs of air defense forces based in Russia's Republic of Buryatia, Zabaykalsky Krai, Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai.

Set up in 2010 and headquartered in the east of Khabarovsk region, the eastern military district covers the former Far East military district and part of the former Siberian military district.
The baby is hurried into the emergency room of the First Hospital of Jilin University in Changchun City.

CHANGCHUN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A newborn baby who stopped breathing after birth was saved after timely transfer to a better hospital in northeast China thanks to police escort and help from others during a 350-km journey between two cities.

Little Lu Chenchen failed to breathe and his heart beat only ten times a minute when he was born at 12:10 pm on Jan 6 in a hospital in Baicheng City, Jilin Province.

Without an infant ventilator at hand, the doctors tried their best battling death but decided that the only way to save him was to send him to Changchun, the capital city of Jilin, which has better medical facilities.

The baby is the first child of his parents, who has been married for 12 years.

"There was no time for me to feel the happiness of being a father, when I learned my son had severe birth asphyxia," said Lu Guoliang, "I felt the sky was falling down."

The 38-year-old first-time father feared the worst but refused to give up.

At 2:30 pm, the First Hospital of Jilin University in Changchun received the transfer request, and sent a rescue team along with an ambulance equipped with an incubator and an infant ventilator to pick up the baby at 4:00 pm. En route, they gave doctors in Baicheng advice of treatment on phone.

Traffic police sent 28 officers with 14 police cars to escort the team. Local radio broadcast also asked drivers nearby to make way for the rescue mission.

Traffic police escort the rescue team on the highway.

Doctors monitor the condition of the baby on the ambulance.

At 20:47 pm, the rescue team arrived at the Baicheng hospital, but the gas tank of the ambulance ran low. Police officers managed to bring gasoline there.

At 9:14 pm, the baby was carried on board and the rescue team began to head for the capital city. Local residents brought food to the starving rescue team who didn't have time to eat.

The baby was carried on board.

At 0:45 am on Jan.7, the ambulance reached the hospital in Changchun and the little patient was hurried into the emergency room.

After eight hours' treatment, doctors announced the condition of the baby was stable.

At 9:18 am, the child cried for the first time of his life.

At 9:50 am, the father was permitted to visit his son in the intensive care unit and took the first photo of the boy.

Help from en route saved one hour for the rescue team, which was critical for the baby's life, doctors said.

"I want to thank everyone who helped us," said the father, "I don't know their names. I don't even recognize their faces. But I owe them too much. I feel so lucky to live in such a helpful place."

Doctors said the child still need to be closely monitored. "The baby is still unconscious. We are doing all we can to stabilize his organ functions and prevent brain injury from worsening," said Wu Hui, a doctor with the First Hospital of Jilin University.

"It remains to see whether he will suffer from sequela," he said, adding that they will conduct more examination in the next stage of treatment.

The First Hospital of Jilin University is one of the only two hospitals in Jilin Province that are equipped with mobile facilities for infant rescue. Since put into use 10 years ago, the facilities have helped the hospital save more than 3,000 babies in critical condition.

(All photos are provided to Xinhua)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump gestures during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump met the press Wednesday for the first news conference since the election. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- During U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's first press conference on Wednesday, he battled reporters on Russian hacking and his business interests while shuning some media which he blamed for disseminating fake news.

Trump made an effort to show that he is ready to become the commander in chief, finally accepting the conclusion reached by the intelligence community that Russia was behind the cyberattacks during the election campaign, and pledging to cut clean with his businesses to avoid a conflict of interest in the White House.

But he did not refrain from chastising the media for unfriendly reports, promising to punish news outlet Buzzfeed for publishing a questionable story and refusing to take questions from a CNN reporter which he accused of producing "fake news."

The press conference, originally scheduled for December, was postponed, in Trump's word, "because we were getting quite a bit of inaccurate news."

Addressing the concern on how to avoid a conflict of interest between his public office and past business ventures, Trump said he will hand all his businesses to his sons, but will not liquidate his assets and put them in a blind trust, as his predecessors normally did.

Sheri Dillon, an attorney appointed to isolate Trump from this businesses, explained that the liquidation and a blind trust would be infeasible and ineffective to quell relevant concerns.

Instead, Trump's investments and business assets have been or will be conveyed to a trust prior to Jan. 20, when he assumes the presidency, the attorney said.

The trust will operate without Trump's influence and dictates that all deals should go through ethics vetting and there will be no foreign deals.

Trump "will only know of a deal if he reads it in the paper or sees it on TV," Dillon said.

Both Trump and Dillon cited a legal clause that conflict of interest restrictions exclude the president, and that Trump is cutting his business ties "voluntarily."

Facing questions on the hacking allegations in the presidential elections, Trump said "as far as hacking, I think it was Russia. But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people."

"He (Russian President Vladimir Putin) shouldn't be doing it. He won't be doing it," said Trump. "Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading than when other people have led it."

"Within 90 days, we will be coming up with a major report on hacking defense, how do we stop this new phenomena...because the United States is being hacked by everybody," Trump said.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what folks? That's called an asset not a liability," Trump told reporters.

The press conference also touched upon Obamacare, a bill U.S. President Barack Obama considered a major part of his legacy.

"Obamacare is a complete and total disaster," Trump said, adding "We're going to be submitting, as soon as our secretary is approved, almost simultaneously--shortly after--a plan. It will be repeal(ed) and replace(d)."
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and 25 others injured after a passenger van fell into a ravine in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, local Urdu media reported.

The van carrying 32 people was on its way to the Forward Kahuta area from the country's capital of Islamabad, the ARY News said.

The injured, including women and kids, were shifted to hospitals. Five of them were reportedly in critical condition.

Police said the accident happened when the van driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn at the mountainous Hajira area in Bagh.

Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan due to poorly maintained roads, violation of road safety rules and reckless driving.

According to data compiled by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, over 9,000 road accidents were reported to the police every year, killing on average around 5,000 people annually in the country.

Traffic police officials said that 90 percent of the accidents in Pakistan are caused merely by human error.
SYDNEY, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Australian business chief executives are more optimistic about their business prospects in 2017, though it's not without concern.

Australian Industry (Ai) Group said Thursday only 23 percent of businesses expect conditions to take for the worse, according to a survey of 285 chief executives, down from over 41 percent a year earlier who were increasingly pessimistic about how their business would fare.

"This outlook comes after an extended period of only very gradual recovery from the global financial crisis and amid the major transitions underway in the wake of the recent mining investment and commodity price booms," Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said in a statement.

But the optimism is not without concern. The lack of business investment is hindering the non-mining sector to secure funds to ensure Australia's transition to a broad based economy, while growing energy prices are impeding growth, Willox said.

Authorities must "address the clear and present dangers facing industry from the lack of energy affordability and energy reliability," Willox said.
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Eight Taliban fighters have been killed and three others injured on Thursday after government aircraft targeted militants' hideouts in northern Afghanistan, an army spokesman said.

The operations occurred in the Alchin locality outside Kunduz city, the capital of Kunduz province, 250 km north of Kabul, Nasratullah Jamshidi said.

The aircraft, according to the official, acting upon an intelligence report, raided the Taliban hideouts during which a weapon cache of the insurgents has also been destroyed.

Confirming the operations, Ghulam Hazrat Karimi, the spokesman for Pamir 20 Corps in northern region, said targeting militants' positions in and outside Kunduz city as part of winter crackdown on enemies would continue.

Taliban militants who are active in parts of Kunduz province are yet to make comments on the situation.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto speaks during a conference in Mexico City, Mexico, Jan. 11, 2017. U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday infuriated Mexicans once again by repeating his pledge to build a wall along the border and have Mexico foot the bill. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto rejected Trump's demand, saying that Mexico will not pay for the wall but will seek open and complete negotiations with Trump't government. (Xinhua)



MEXICO CITY, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday sparked anger, uncertainty and skepticism among Latin Americans, following his first press conference since winning the election.

Trump infuriated Mexicans once again by repeating his pledge to build a wall along the border and have Mexico foot the bill.

"We're going to start building" as soon as possible, and "Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us," said Trump.

Mexico's most outspoken Trump critic, former president Vicente Fox, wasted no time in responding.

"Neither today, nor tomorrow nor never Mexico will pay for that stupid wall," Fox posted to Twitter.

"If Trump wants a monument to his ego, let him pay for it!!," added Fox.

He also warned "it's clear that we're facing a new era of dictatorship with Donald Trump," but he added there was no need to fear Trump.

Mexican historian and intellectual Enrique Krauze echoed Fox's sentiments with a tweet, saying that there was "no way" Mexico will pay for the wall.

Like many other observers around the globe, including in the United States, Krauze noted Trump's "aggressive" manner when speaking to reporters.

"Trump's level of aggression and disregard for civil debate and the press is terrifying. And he's not even in power yet," said Krauze.

Mexico's representative to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Alfonso de Alba, said a wall would not necessarily be effective, and neighbors should take a more humanitarian and comprehensive approach to immigration.

"In the end, they (migrants) do not contribute solely to their country of origin, but also to the country they end up in," said De Alba, who was attending an event at Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto also rejected Trump's demand, saying that Mexico will not pay for the wall but will seek open and complete negotiations with Trump't government.

In Cuba, people who watched the live broadcast remained perplexed about the future of bilateral ties with the United States.

"What seems obvious is that Cuba is not an immediate priority for Trump. Given the unknown decisions he will take concerning our country, the process of normalization of ties will either advance or regress, which is concerning," said Tania Orozco, a state worker.

She also noted Trump's famed intransigence and sympathized with Mexico.

"What ... caught my attention was his inflexibility and authoritarianism in building a wall along the Mexican border. He said that country has taken advantage of the U.S., when we all know it is the exact opposite," said Orozco.

Also on Wednesday, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, appeared in front of the Senate for his confirmation hearings. Referring to Cuba, Tillerson said he would recommend Trump veto any legislation proposed by Obama to make the rapprochement between the two sides inevitable.

The former head of oil giant, ExxonMobil, revealed that Trump would likely revise relations with Havana through an executive order, shortly after assuming office.

Furthermore, Tillerson said that a proposal to lift the ban on Americans travelling to Cuba, proposed by Obama, would not be rapidly approved.

Finally, the potential Secretary of State said he would advise Trump to halt any attempts to lift the trade embargo on Cuba and to carefully examine why Cuba was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2015.

Further south in Argentina, political observers also felt Trump's defiant off-the-cuff remarks to the media generated doubt and uncertainty around the globe.

"The world has been expecting a change of course in the world's leading economy," said economist Maria Cecilia Peralta, "but following this press conference, doubts about prompt changes and structural decisions are generating even more anxiety due to their global impact."
ANKARA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes killed 22 Islamic State (IS) terrorists in airstrikes on IS targets in Al-Bab, in northern Syria, in the last 24 hours, the Turkish General Staff said on Thursday.

Targets in the air raids included 160 positions belonging to terrorists, including defense positions, shelters and command facilities, the military said in a statement.

A total of 2,845 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed since last August, when Turkey launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against both 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 organizations due to their links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.
by Xinhua Writer Sun Ding

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Over eight years after the outbreak of the international financial crisis that took a heavy toll on the global economy, the world recovery remains less than satisfactory. Even worse, waves of anti-globalization and trade protectionism continue to resurge, risking the world down a perilous path that would benefit none.

As a decades-old trend that has driven up productivity by allocating resources more efficiently, globalization, during a period of which the world has enjoyed the fastest growth rate in history, has benefitted numerous businesses, lifted billions of people out of poverty, and led the world to greater prosperity. However, the sentiment towards the one of the greatest feats in human civilization by some developed economies, once strong champions of global free trade, appears to have taken a turn, with an isolationist tendency that seemingly gained steam, especially in 2016.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is about to be sworn in on Jan. 20th, vowed repeatedly during his campaign to reverse a U.S. deficit by imposing higher tariffs on foreign imports while keeping jobs from being outsourced overseas with preferential policies for domestic businesses.

Britons voted to withdraw from the European Union (EU) in June, leaving its free trade with rest of the bloc in uncertainty, while out of a trade protectionist agenda the EU disobeyed its international obligations by refusing to abandon the surrogate country approach when calculating anti-dumping measures against Chinese exports.

Sluggishness and gloominess in the global economy have sowed the seeds for a resurgence in nationalism, populism, trade protectionism, and the urge to backtrack on globalization. But these values in the long-run serve the interests of nobody.

Ostensibly, the tariff hike proposed by Trump aims to protect U.S. manufacturers, but most of them also rely on foreign goods for their own production. A recent report by the U.S.-China Business Council found that trade with China supports some 2.6 million jobs in the United States.

A rise in import tariffs is likely to shorten supplies and increase the cost of U.S. products, thus weakening their competitiveness.

Rightist ideas have been fueled across Europe by Brexit, which risks further tearing the EU apart and sending the continent back to the chaos of 1930s, an all-lose scenario European countries cannot afford to let happen again.

The EU's penny-wise old tricks of proposing anti-dumping rules that allows the bloc to impose higher tariffs in the name of protecting European industries have added uncertainty to a "golden era" in EU-China relations.

Unsurprisingly, global trade is slowing down. The WTO cut its 2016 world trade growth forecast to 1.7 percent from its previous estimate of 2.8 percent. Many trade-powered economies are being dragged into deeper stagnation.

The rising trade protectionism that runs counter to globalization could hardly absolve itself of the blame. For a better global recovery, the trend must be reversed as global trade is an indispensable powerhouse of world growth; it should by no means be allowed to stall.

Unlike some of its developed counterparts, China has taken positive approaches towards the global economic slowdown. Besides focusing on its own reforms, expanding innovation and increasing its openness to the globe, the world's second largest economy is also blazing new trails through expanding regional and global connectivity.

For instance, a series of applause-winning multilateral mechanisms initiated by Beijing, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative, have unleased enormous potential and provide great opportunities for regional and international cooperation. Early positive results are beginning to surface, in sharp contrast to the isolationist self-centeredness of the West.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that self-serving trade protectionism in a globalized world is no way out for either an individual, regional, or a global recovery, but could only kick off a vicious cycle of isolation and helplessness. This stands in contrast to the global trend of countries coming together to form a community of common destiny, one with highly interwoven economic, political, security and development interests.

As Western powers seem to shift their policies more toward their own interests, globalization is in dire need of new leadership to seek a more inclusive, sustainable, and favorable track.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held in the Swiss city of Davos later this month, his first appearance at the international arena.

With the world increasingly pinning its hopes on "China Solutions" in recent years, the 2017 WEF may be the start of China's new role as a leader in promoting globalization and a speedy recovery of the global economy.
Photo taken on Dec. 2, 2016 shows the landscape of the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Zhi Kai) Good day! Here's what you need to know about China: BEIJING -- A total of 720 people were detained and 6,454 held accountable in China for environment-related wrongdoing in 2016, as the country continues with its efforts to fight pollution and environmental degradation. Through public tip-offs and random checks, inspectors looked into 33,000 cases and imposed fines totalling 440 million yuan (about 63.6 million U.S. dollars) after the central government's inspections to several provinces and municipalities including Beijing and Shanghai, according to information disclosed at a national environment work conference. Partly due to those efforts, Chinese cities reported less PM2.5 pollution in 2016, with the average density of PM2.5 in 338 cities falling by 6 percent. - - - - ABUJA -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said Wednesday that his country attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes more Chinese enterprises would join in its economic development when meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Nigerian government also reaffirmed its commitment to One-China policy in a joint statement issued between Wang and his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama. "The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes that there is only one China in the world, that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," the statement said. - - - - LHASA -- A "toilet revolution" will begin this year with heavy investment in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region to improve sanitary conditions and boost tourism. The region will spend 1.2 billion yuan (173 million U.S. dollars) in building and renovating 2,000 toilets in 2017, said Losang Jamcan, chairman of the regional government. - - - - BEIJING -- A naval formation consisting of aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through the Taiwan Strait Thursday morning en route to drills in the South China Sea, said a spokesperson with the People's Liberation Army Navy. Liang Yang said the Liaoning and other naval vessels in the formation were scientifically organized and meticulously operated during the navigation. - - - - MOMBASA, Kenya -- Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June. Kenyan Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, James Macharia, said the delivery of the first batch of locomotives marked a major milestone "in the journey to complete the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR project." The 472 km railway links Mombasa to the capital Nairobi and will extend to the country's western border. China finances 90 percent of the project.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's new yuan-denominated lending surged to 1.04 trillion yuan (150.29 billion U.S. dollars) in December, up from 794.6 billion yuan a month ago, data from the central bank showed on Thursday.

The M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, rose 11.3 percent year on year to 155.01 trillion yuan by the end of December, the People's Bank of China said in a statement on its website.

The narrow measure of money supply (M1), which covers cash in circulation plus demand deposits, climbed 21.4 percent year on year to 48.66 trillion yuan.
A man stands guard during the reception ceremony of the first batch of locomotives for the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Jan. 11, 2017. Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

MOMBASA, Kenya, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June.

A ceremony was held on Wednesday at a port station in the coastal city of Mombasa, where the locomotives docked on Monday.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, James Macharia, and Chinese envoys attended the ceremony to receive the locomotives manufactured by the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).

In his opening remarks, Macharia said the delivery of the first batch of locomotives marked a major milestone "in the journey to complete the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR project."

The 472 km railway links Mombasa to the capital Nairobi and will extend to the country's western border.

Kenyan workers take selfie during the unloading of the first batch of locomotives for the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Jan. 9, 2017. Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

China finances 90 percent of the project. Construction work is being carried out by the China Road and Bridge Corporation.

Kenya has sourced 56 locomotives from the CRCC to ferry passengers and goods on the railway line.

"The locomotives are very modern and will give us quality service... Kenyans will be happy for the service they will provide," Macharia told reporters.

Four of the six vehicles are DF8B diesel locomotives. The DF8B is the main traction locomotive model of the Chinese railway system, with 3100 kilowatts of power and a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

The other two are DF7G shunting locomotives with 1550 kilowatts of power, which will be used for marshalling and dispatching locomotives and rolling stock within stations.

The Mombasa-Nairobi railway is expected to begin trial operation in June and to officially open by the beginning of 2018.

Kenya anticipates a boost to socio-economic growth upon the launch of the line -- the first phase of the China-funded SGR project in the country.

Kenyans sing and dance beside one of the first batch of locomotives for the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Jan. 11, 2017. Kenya has received six locomotives from China, which will run on a China-funded standard gauge railway (SGR) due to start trial operation in June. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

Macharia said that besides revolutionizing transport, the modern railway would position Kenya as a trade and manufacturing hub.

"This project will accelerate economic development of our country," he said, adding that railway development would underpin Kenya's quest for attaining industrial transformation.

The Managing Director of the Kenya Railways Corporation, Atanas Maina, said the trial operation of the railway in June would stimulate economic growth and help attract foreign direct investments in Kenya.

The second batch of locomotives, including DF11 passenger locomotives, is due to arrive at Mombasa port by the end of January.

The China-funded railway line in Kenya is expected to eventually extend to other East African nations.
XI'AN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- If you ever visit the terracotta warriors and find them a bit underwhelming, it might be because you have been taken to the wrong place.

Authorities in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Wednesday evening raided a fake resort and destroyed over 40 copycat terracotta warriors.

Spanning an area of over 600 square meters, the fake statues were found at the"Suyuanqinhuangling resort" in Lintong, the same district as the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang, founder of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), where the real terracotta warriors are found.

Offered high commission, unlicensed guides and illegal taxi drivers often led unsuspecting tourists to the resort to see the fake warriors, confusing visitors and damaging tourism in the district, a local official said.

Following an online complaint, the district government held an urgent meeting Wednesday, starting a campaign that led to the raid.

An enforcement group of police, tourist, traffic and pricing departments was also established.

The official said that the district government had started an investigation to hold the relevant persons responsible and to prevent damage to order in the tourism market.

As the world's largest underground mausoleum, the 56 square km Mausoleum of Qinshihuang draws tourists from around the world. An army of more than 7,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses was discovered at the site in 1974.
Photo taken on Jan. 12, 2017 shows local authorities take victims out of the accident site in Phu Yen province, Vietnam. Five workers were killed due to gas choking Thursday at a seafood processing company in Vietnam's central Phu Yen province, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency. (Xinhua/VNA)



HANOI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Five workers were killed due to gas choking Thursday at a seafood processing company in Vietnam's central Phu Yen province, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency.

At around 11:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), a worker came into a fish sauce cellar to take samples, but he did not come back. Ten minutes later, a colleague cut the circuit breakers and went to check, followed by another three workers, including a Thai.

All five workers, aged from 22 to 50, were dead of choking.

As soon as the accident occurred, local authorities arrived at the site to bring the victims to medical facilities.

The reason of the accident is under investigation.
NEW DELHI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- An Indian para-military trooper Thursday opened fire at colleagues in the eastern state of Bihar, killing four of them, a senior police official said.

"The incident took place during an official briefing of Central Industrial Security Force personnel in the state's Aurangabad town, some 120 kms from Bihar's capital Patna. Suddenly, the trooper opened fire at his colleagues, killing two on the spot and injuring two," he said, on condition of anonymity.

The injured personnel later succumbed to their injuries at local hospital, the official said, adding the accused personnel was arrested and a probe ordered into the incident.

The incident happened a day after a border guard posted three videos on social media, alleging that the soldiers posted in the frontline were served poor quality food and often they have to go to bed on an empty stomach, despite standing for hours in icy conditions.

The Indian government has ordered a probe into the allegations, but the Border Security Force has apparently rubbished the claims, saying that the soldier has a "dodgy record" and pulled up for his drinking habits and insubordination, and that he was not court-martialed on compassionate grounds.
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a televised press conference Thursday that South Korea should achieve a grand unity, vowing to devote himself to uniting the divided country into one.

Ban arrived in his home country after ending his second, five-year term in the top UN post late last year.

He has been long viewed as the most powerful contender of the conservative bloc in the next presidential race as President Park Geun-hye was impeached a month earlier and her Saenuri Party saw a drop in public support.

Local media outlets have speculated that Ban actually unveiled his willingness to run for president though he has never officially declared his candidacy.

Ban said his country should end various internal divisions, including wealth inequality and conflicts in ideologies, regions and generations, stressing that the grand unity must be achieved.

The established and the hegemony, he said, must not exist any longer, holding all of the leadership responsible for the current turmoil facing South Korea.

The former South Korean career diplomat reiterated his pledge to devote himself to his homeland, saying public wish shown in the square must be cherished.

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets every Saturday night since the scandal involving the impeached president emerged in late October last year. Protesters demanded the first South Korean female leader step down voluntarily.

The influence-peddling scandal led to the impeachment of Park, which was approved on Dec. 9 by the National Assembly with an overwhelming majority.

Ban said political alteration rather than the transfer of power must be achieved, noting that his political decision will not take long. His comments indicated his official declaration for his run for presidency in the near future.

On security situations, the former UN head said he recognized the importance of security during his 10-year UN secretary general tenure.

He said it was urgent for South Korea to draw up countermeasures to resolve the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue and solidify relations with countries including the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China will invest big in information infrastructure in the next three years as a way to help develop the new economy and foster growth momentum.

About 1.2 trillion yuan (around 170 billion U.S. dollars) will be channeled into Internet projects, mainly broadband and mobile network improvement, according to guidelines released Thursday by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The document sets a number of goals.

By 2018, a total of 90,000 km of high-speed fiber-optic trunk cables will be built, expected to expand the broadband network coverage to all urban areas and 90 percent of the countryside.

China will add 2 million 4G base stations, mainly for townships and villages, and boost the proportion of mobile network users to 75 percent of its population.

The number of points of presence connected to overseas networks will be increased to 120, up from the current 80, in a bid to enhance connectivity to the rest of the world and satisfy rising demand for international exchanges.

The country will also promote IPv6 networks, support R&D for 5G technology, and encourage businesses to use cloud computing and big data.

The government will cut red tape, strengthen financing support, and attract private capital to join the program.

Confronted with sluggish traditional sectors, China is vigorously developing and applying information technology to upgrade industrial models and create new growth points.

The "Broadband China" strategy was floated in August 2013 to improve Internet service.
PHNOM PENH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), to be held from Jan. 17 to 20, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, according to a foreign ministry statement on Thursday.

"As Cambodia will host the World Economic Forum on ASEAN this year, Samdech Techo Hun Sen will seize the opportunity at the WEF to showcase ASEAN and promote Cambodia -- the rising star of ASEAN -- at a special session," the statement said.

It added that a short video presentation on Cambodia's preparation for the WEF on ASEAN will also be introduced.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Hun Sen will hold bilateral talks with WEF's founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab and with leaders of some countries.
HANGZHOU, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese people are expected to take 8.4 million carpool trips during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, Chinese on-demand mobility (ODM) firm Didi forecast on Thursday.

Although railways have long been top choice for the annual migration known as "chunyun" in China, train and air services cannot fully meet the mammoth transportation demand. To meet these needs, Didi launched its ride-sharing service Hitch ahead of last year's "Chunyun."

The month-long travel rush, which starts on Friday this year, is forecast to see 356 million trips via railways, up 9.7 percent year on year.

Didi said on Thursday that the number of carpool trips is forecast to account for 11.8 percent of high-speed railways' passenger volume.

Didi began releasing its "chunyun" data in 2016, when it reported more than 1.9 million Hitch rides.

The service allows users to pair travelling needs not only within a city but also across the country, making it possible for drivers to take passengers when travelling home for the Chinese new year.

Hitch customer Li Xiu, 25, is a white-collar worker in the eastern city of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province. She failed to book railway tickets online to return to Hangzhou from her hometown in Dezhou City, Shandong Province, although she managed to get a ticket to her hometown.

Li said the carpool cost her 480 yuan (69 U.S. dollars) for the 990-km trip, which is about the same as a ticket for the high-speed train.

Didi said most of the carpool bookings were made for trips with a distance between 50 and 1,000 km, while distances beyond 1,000 km accounted for 3 percent of the total.

Liu Qing, president of Didi, said the Hitch service has given passengers an alternative to conventional transportation and helped ease China's heavy transportation pressure during "chunyun."
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Switzerland and his scheduled attendance at the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) are expected to deepen China-Switzerland partnership, advance China-Europe cooperation as a whole, and reduce uncertainties through injecting confidence and solidarity into the international business community.

Xi, as a leader of a responsible power, will share Chinese governance wisdom and the concept of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, and explore ways of boosting world economic confidence and faciliate global governance reform.

INNOVATIVE TIES, MUTUAL BENEFICIAL BLUEPRINT

The Chinese president will pay the state visit on Jan. 15-18 to Switzerland, a European country that has maintained traditional friendship with China over the past six decades since the two established the diplomatic relations in 1950.

The highlight of China-Switzerland ties is innovation and creativity. The two countries established a strategic innovative partnership during then-President Johann Schneider-Ammann's state visit to China in 2016.

Switzerland has become China's first and the only strategic partnership named after "innovation," one of the five development concepts outlined in China's 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), which also include coordination, green development, opening up and sharing.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said the word of innovation has precisely defined the direction for the future development of the relations between China and developed countries.

"The practice that Switzerland is taking the opportunity of China's pursuit of building a new type of major-country relationship has demonstrated an example for other Western countries," he said.

Currently, China-Switzerland relationship is gaining a good momentum. More than 20 governmental dialogue and consultation systems function well, and bilateral trade volume has increased against the sluggishness and gloominess in the global economy with many achievements in economic and trade cooperation.

In 2016, China Construction Bank, a leading Chinese state-owned lender, set up its branch in Zurich, Switzerland, marking the official launch of the RMB clearing business in the world's largest offshore financial center.

The bilateral relationship has always taken its place in the front ranks of China-European countries.

Switzerland was among the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status, the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relationship with the People's Republic of China, the first European continental countries to ink a free trade agreement with China, and one of the first countries to set up industrial joint ventures in China and apply for a membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a China-initiated multilateral bank.

SHOULDERING RESPONSIBILITY, ADDRESSING GLOBALIZATION CHALLENGES

Against the backdrop of changing global landscape, weak economic recovery and the rise of de-globalization ideology, the WEF set the theme of its 2017 annual meeting as "Responsive and Responsible Leadership."

Xi's attendance at annual WEF meeting, the first time attended by a Chinese president, has drew worldwide attention and high expectations.

Xi was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, which implies the importance attached by the organizers to China. The U.S. Time magazine reported that "with the prospect of a protectionist U.S. and a diminished Europe, the political and business leaders gathered at Davos may see little choice but to look to Xi for global leadership."

From the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to the five development concepts, from China's prescription yielded at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou to the free trade advocacy at the APEC Summit in Lima, China is actively playing an increasingly important role in global economic governance.

Wang said "at the decisive moment of the turning point of the international community, Xi's attendance is to boost confidence in globalization, and guide the process towards more open, inclusive, balanced direction that will benefit all parties."

It is expected that China will offer perspectives and proposals and exert active efforts to drive economic globalization toward more inclusive development, and all parties will have an objective and in-depth understanding of China's economy.

CO-BUILDING COMMUNITY OF SHARED DESTINY

Xi is also expected to deliver a speech at the UN headquarters at Geneva on joint efforts to build a "community of shared destiny" for mankind.

Changes and uncertainties in global political and economic landscapes have led to confusions worldwide. Xi's visit to Geneva, one of the world's most active multilateral diplomatic centers, not only represents China's firm support for the United Nations and multilateralism, but also helps chart the course for the future evolution of global order.

Michael Moller, director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva, believes Xi's visit to the UN agency will convey a message that under an increasingly complicated situation, only unity and joint efforts can lead the international community out of difficulties.

"Xi's speech is expected to make clear that no country can nowadays maintain its well-being alone through protectionism and populism, and that win-win cooperation featuring mutual benefits is the one and only correct choice," said Chen Fengying, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

The notion of a "community of shared destiny" featuring joint development and common future is the essence of the Chinese diplomacy.

"The world expects that Xi will further expound and share the inclusive and forward-looking idea," first put forward during meetings at the United Nations in September 2015, said Chen Xulong, an expert with the China Institute of International Studies.

During his stay in Switzerland, Xi will also visit the World Health Organization in Geneva and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.

The exchanges, including signing of cooperation documents on the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with WHO, will help boost the development of global health.

"The visits highlight that China has got a better understanding of global governance and has an increasingly high aspiration to participate and take a lead in cooperation worldwide, " said Cui Hongjian, director of the European department at the China Institute of International Studies.

Experts believe Xi's in-depth exchanges with leaders at the start of 2017 will contribute more Chinese insight to promoting peace, enhancing world governance and tackling global challenges.
by Yoo Seungki

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean congressman said his country and China need to increase communications on the issue involving the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea.

Rep. Song Young-gil of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party said in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday that the two countries, which he described as "brother nations", must meet face to face and have dialogues to resolve any trouble that South Korea and China may encounter in developing the bilateral strategic partnership.

Seoul and Washington abruptly announced a decision in July last year to deploy one THAAD battery by the end of this year, triggering strong opposition from China and Russia as the U.S. missile defense system's X-band radar can peer into territories of the two countries.

In the latest development, China on Jan. 5 urged communication with South Korea to find a proper solution to its THAAD deployment.

China hopes the solution can accommodate the concerns of both sides, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at a routine press briefing.

"We urge parties concerned to stop THAAD deployment, and refrain from going too far on the wrong track," Geng said.

According to Song, President Park Geun-hye had been welcomed by Chinese people for her China-friendly moves since she took office in February 2013, but the THAAD installation decision caused troubles in bilateral ties.

The THAAD issue will inevitably be relayed to the next government, and the National Assembly needs to discuss the issue to come up with possible alternatives, the fourth-term congressman said.

President Park is now waiting for the constitutional court's ruling on the impeachment bill which was passed at the parliament on Dec. 9. The court's deliberation on the motion is widely forecast to be completed by mid-March. If Park is permanently removed from office, a presidential election must be held in 60 days.

Suspicions were also raised here on whether the U.S. missile shield can protect South Korea from missile attacks from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The THAAD interceptors, which are designed to shoot down incoming missiles flying at an altitude of 40-150 km, would not intercept over 1,000 DPRK missiles targeting South Korea that travel at an altitude of less than 40 km.

The capital city Seoul and its suburban metropolitan area, which accommodate about half of its total 50 million population, are outside of the THAAD's intercepting range as it is installed in southeastern South Korea.

"The Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments only sought to besiege and isolate North Korea (DPRK). It caused resistance from the North, which advanced its nuclear capability and strengthened military confrontation," said Song.

Pyongyang will dismantle its nuclear program only when it is assured of security and safety by normalizing diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the United States and transforming the inter-Korean truce into a peace treaty.

"In the end, the U.S. holds the key. The U.S. should sign a non-aggression treaty with the North, promising to lift economic sanctions in return for its abandonment of nuclear program," Song said.

The lawmaker stressed the importance of dialogue with the DPRK, condemning the so-called "strategic patience" that he claimed had helped Pyongyang advance nuclear and missile capabilities while being "neglected" by South Korea and the international community.

South Korea and the international society, Song added, should help the DPRK open and reform itself, as the DPRK issues cannot be resolved in a single day.
MZUZU, Malawi, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The High Court in Malawi Thursday suspended Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Minister, George Chaponda, from his ministerial role to pave way for investigations on the procurement of 100,000 metric tons of maize from Zambia.

The suspension follows a petition by four civil society organizations and a local resident to the court for a judicial review as to whether Chaponda should continue as minister while investigations were underway on the alleged corruption in the procurement of the maize.

But Malawi Attorney General, Kalekeni Kaphale, told a local radio Zodiak that the government would challenge the ruling because there was "fundamental error in the ruling because the issue was not urgent".

Malawi, through its agro-marketing agency, the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC), procured 100,000 metric tons of maize from Zambia in what was supposed to be a government to government arrangement.

However, it turned out that ADMARC entered into contract with a Zambian trader, Kiloswe Commuter and Courier Ltd and Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF) to procure and transport the maize at 34.5 million U.S. dollars which most Malawians and local civil society organizations considered very costly.

Since the issue came out in the media, civil societies in Malawi have been calling for the resignation or firing of the agriculture minister and ADMARC Chief Executive Officer Foster Mulumbe to pave way for investigations on the procurement of the grain.

Malawi president Peter Mutharika instituted a commission of inquiry to dig into the matter and produce a report by January 31 for his action.

Chaponda recently made a statement in which he distanced himself from the procurement of the maize, saying his involvement was minimal.

Maize is Malawi's staple food and due to recurrent drought and floods that affected the country for the past growing seasons, the country needs food to feed over 3 million people who have no food.
 NAY PYI TAW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar and Ukraine on Thursday vowed to enhance bilateral cooperation, according to the President's Office of Myanmar.

Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw and Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin made the above pledge during their meeting in Nay Pyi Taw.

The two also touched on improving people-to-people contacts, tourism sector development and investment opportunities in Myanmar.

Klimkin also met with Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Ukraine Consulate was opened on Wednesday in Yangon, the largest city of the country.

The Southeast Asian country and Ukraine set up diplomatic ties in 1999 with the Ukrainian ambassador performing bilateral diplomatic relations at the embassy based in Thailand.
Ban Ki Moon (C), former Secretary-General of the United Nations, gives a speech after arriving at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Jan. 12, 2017. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday tried hard to show his people-friendly identity as he returned to his home country, South Korea, following the end of his 10-year tenure in the top UN post. (Xinhua/Lee Sang-ho)



SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday tried hard to show his people-friendly identity as he returned to his home country, South Korea, following the end of his 10-year tenure in the top UN post.

Ban arrived at an airport in South Korea's west port city of Incheon in the afternoon, holding a press conference with hundreds of local journalists crowding the airport lobby together with Ban's supporters.

The former South Korean foreign minister has never declared his official run for presidency in his homeland, but he has long been viewed as the most powerful contender of the conservative camp in the next election.

An early presidential election is widely forecast to be held here as President Park Geun-hye was impeached in the National Assembly on Dec. 9 with an overwhelming majority.

A team of people has prepared in Seoul for Ban's possible presidential campaign ahead of his comeback to South Korea.

Ban said in the televised press conference that he will have opportunities to listen to various public opinions from the next day, noting that he will make a "disinterested" decision.

He did not elaborate on what decision he will make, but his comments indicated his official run for presidency in the near future as he noted that it would not take long before he decides.

Ban got on the airport railroad following the press conference to get to the Seoul station. From there, he will be driven by a passenger car to his residence in southern Seoul.

Using the public transport seemed aimed at creating the people-friendly image. Before getting on the subway, he dropped by a convenient store, TV footage showed.

Ban plans to visit the national cemetery on Friday, before going to his native area in North Chungcheong province to meet with his mother and other family members over the weekend.

From next week, Ban will embark on a national tour to take the people-friendly move by communicating with the locals across the country.

During the press conference, Ban made lots of political comments, but he is not expected to decide on whether to throw his hat in the presidential ring until the Lunar New Year's holiday comes in late January.

Ban said he was ready to "burn my own body," strongly indicating his entrance to the political circle despite risks and oppositions. Many of lawmakers in the opposition camp have asked Ban to remain as a respected diplomat rather than entering into politics.

The former UN chief said that South Korea should achieve a grand unity, vowing to devote himself to uniting the divided country into one.

Ban said his country should end various internal divisions, including wealth inequality and conflicts in ideologies, regions and generations, stressing that the grand unity must be achieved.

The former South Korean career diplomat reiterated his pledge to devote himself to his homeland, saying public wish shown in the square must be cherished.

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets every Saturday night since the scandal involving the impeached president emerged in late October. Protesters still demand the first South Korean female leader step down voluntarily.

Touching on security situations, the former UN head said he recognized the importance of security during his 10-year UN secretary-general tenure.

He said it was urgent for South Korea to draw up countermeasures to resolve the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue and solidify relations with the countries, including the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon (C) is welcomed at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Jan. 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Lee Sang-ho)

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a televised press conference Thursday that South Korea should achieve a grand unity, vowing to devote himself to uniting the divided country into one.

Ban arrived in his home country after ending his second, five-year term in the top UN post late last year.

He has been long viewed as the most powerful contender of the conservative bloc in the next presidential race as President Park Geun-hye was impeached a month earlier and her Saenuri Party saw a drop in public support.

Local media outlets have speculated that Ban actually unveiled his willingness to run for president though he has never officially declared his candidacy.

Ban said his country should end various internal divisions, including wealth inequality and conflicts in ideologies, regions and generations, stressing that the grand unity must be achieved.

The established and the hegemony, he said, must not exist any longer, holding all of the leadership responsible for the current turmoil facing South Korea.

The former South Korean career diplomat reiterated his pledge to devote himself to his homeland, saying public wish shown in the square must be cherished.

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon (3rd L, front) speaks at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Jan. 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets every Saturday night since the scandal involving the impeached president emerged in late October last year. Protesters demanded the first South Korean female leader step down voluntarily.

The influence-peddling scandal led to the impeachment of Park, which was approved on Dec. 9 by the National Assembly with an overwhelming majority.

Ban said political alteration rather than the transfer of power must be achieved, noting that his political decision will not take long. His comments indicated his official declaration for his run for presidency in the near future.

On security situations, the former UN head said he recognized the importance of security during his 10-year UN secretary general tenure.

He said it was urgent for South Korea to draw up countermeasures to resolve the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue and solidify relations with countries including the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
RAMALLAH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian government deplored Israel's confiscation of thousands of acres of Palestinians' lands near northern West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday.

Palestinian government spokesperson Yousef Al-Mahmoud, said in an emailed press statement that this Israeli step was taken just before the Paris peace conference, expected on Sunday.

Al-Mahmoud said the step aims to counter international efforts at reviving the peace process to end the Israeli occupation and establish a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The spokesperson also said that the Israeli decision defies resolution 2334 of the United Nations Security Council, which was adopted last month.

Al-Mahmoud stressed that Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are "a flagrant violation of international law and a new obstacle ahead of the two-state solution and the possibility to achieve just peace."

On Thursday, a Palestinian government official in charge of documenting Israeli settlements activity in the north of the West Bank, Ghassan Daghlas, told Xinhua that Israeli forces notified families in the Assira Ashamaliyya village, near the city of Nablus, of their takeover of 3,989 acres of land in the village.

Dahlias said Israel claimed that the land confiscations were due to security reasons, describing it as the most common pretext Israel uses when seizing Palestinian lands.

No Israeli sources were immediately available to comment on the statement.

Peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians have remained stalled since April 2014, when U.S.-sponsored negotiations broke down after nine months of futile efforts.
TAIYUAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- After an eight-year battle, Jiao Hongjin finally beat his English exam. He did not pass. It is just no longer required.

The exam Jiao long-considered his enemy was the Foreign Language Test for Professional Qualification, a requirement for state workers to get a promotion and higher income. But he failed eight times in a row.

However on Sunday the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued a circular: there would no longer be a universal requirement for foreign languages or computer skills in professional evaluations.

"My anxiety has finally gone," says Jiao, 48, a graduate employment administrator in a vocational high school in northern China's Shanxi Province.

In China, technical staff in state-owned enterprises, schools, hospitals and other public institutions are ranked by different factors, including years of service, work achievements and foreign language competence.

The rankings, such as junior, middle, associate senior, and senior, will affect, or decide, promotion, income and even worker pensions, forcing Jiao to pick up English even though he had quit learning it decades ago.

"My job is just to help graduate students find jobs. I seldom step out of the province, let alone go abroad. I do not know why I had to pass the English exam," he says.

Jiao first learned English in 1980 when he was in junior high, but senior high schools did not require an English score, so Jiao and his classmates did not pay much attention.

"I got over 70 points in the test, above average," he says.

At the same time, the reform and opening-up policy was bringing closer ties between China and the rest of the world. Demand for foreign languages was high.

Chinese labor and personnel authorities first requested foreign language competence for technical workers in 1990. Nationwide foreign language tests for professional rankings have been organized since 1999, the same year Jiao acquired the mid-level professional qualification.

A higher ranking meant a raise of several hundred yuan every month, and he took the English test for professional qualifications for the first time in 2008.

He scored 39 points, 21 below the pass threshold.

"I had always thought the test was just a formality, until I failed with such a low score," he says.

Determined, he started over, preparing for the test a month in advance the next year.

"I hid my preparation for fear of being mocked by my high-school daughter," he says.

But the following years did not go to plan, and he failed again, and again.

Eager to pass, he paid 1,200 yuan (174 U.S. dollars) for an online class to learn "techniques" for the test's multiple choice questions, and spent two hours a day memorizing English words for almost seven months until the exam on March 28, 2016.

His score of 49 drove him to despair.

"I thought 'I am too old for this. I might never get a senior ranking in my life,'" he says.

Last week's reforms finally brought his battle to an end.

Aside from the English test, Shanxi cancelled several other requirements, including computer competence, not related to technical posts.

"Now that the English test is needed no more, I am sure I will get my ranking upgraded this year," Jiao says.
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korean political circle took an ambiguous stance on former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's comeback Thursday by holding Ban in check on the one hand and sending a love call to him on the other hand.

Ban, whose second five-year term in the top UN post ended about two weeks earlier, has been seen here as the biggest variable to an early presidential election, which is widely forecast to be held in late April or mid-May.

President Park Geun-hye was impeached on Dec. 9 at the National Assembly, and an election must be held in 60 days to replace her if the constitutional court upholds the impeachment motion.

The former South Korean career diplomat has recently run neck and neck in presidential polls with Moon Jae-in, former head of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party.

Ban is considered as the best hope for conservative voters as support for President Park and her Saenuri Party fell over the influence-peddling scandal involving Park and her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is in custody for meddling in government affairs behind the scenes.

"Almost every sector of (South) Korean political arena will unite except Mr. Moon. The next presidential election will be a competition between Moon and the others," Jin W. Mok, professor of public administration at Kookmin University, said in an interview with Xinhua.

The Righteous Party, composed of former ruling party lawmakers, splintered away from the Saenuri Party, sending a love call to Ban as one of contenders in the new conservative party's primary.

The minor opposition People's Party, which broke away from the Minjoo Party in early 2016, also sought to scout Ban as one of the party's presidential hopefuls.

Ban is forecast to become the key to forming the so-called "third zone," where non-mainstreamers from the main opposition party and the governing party compete to field a single candidate in the next presidential election.

The Saenuri Party, which has been sinking in public support over its responsibility for the presidential scandal, has also sought to recruit Ban, who had been known to be close to Park and her party but turned his back following the widening scandal.

"Mr. Ban, at the moment, would be the best candidate to be invited from almost every sector of political arena," said the Kookmin University professor. However, he cautioned that Ban's popularity and value will decline as he will be tested in many ways.

According to a local magazine, Ban took 230,000 U.S. dollars of bribe from a South Korean business tycoon when he served as his country's foreign minister and even after being elected the UN chief.

Ban's younger brother and his nephew was indicted in a Manhattan federal court earlier this week for a scheme to bribe a Middle Eastern official. The kickback was given to attempt to sell a Landmark 72 building complex in Vietnam of Keangnam Enterprises, where Ban's brother worked as a senior advisor.

Ban's nephew was convicted by a Seoul court of fraud last year, paying civil damages of 590,000 U.S. dollars to Keangnam Enterprises, whose chairman committed suicide. The nephew is known to have worked for the Colliers International, a subcontractor to the United Nations.

"I don't think allegations against Mr. Ban will be detrimental to him, though allegations are always not good for any candidate," said Mok, who expected an early presidential election to give more benefit to Ban than disbenefit as it may be too short for anybody to verify anything.

During a press conference at the airport, the career diplomat strongly denied his involvement in any bribery, but the political circle still refrained from helping him prove innocence because Ban has yet to decide which political party he will side with.

Rep. Yoo Seung-min, one of presidential hopefuls in the Righteous Party, said in a YTN radio program that he can not identify Ban as being conservative or progressive, urging Ban to clearly show his political identity.

Park Jie-won, former floor leader of the People's Party, said prosecutors should investigate the suspected scandal over Ban unless his explanations persuade people to believe his innocence.

He also urged Ban to clearly disclose his political identity, saying the team of people who had prepared for Ban's possible presidential campaign before Ban's return was composed of many of close aides to former President Lee Myung-bak.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses freshly graduated border police during their oath taking ceremony in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 12, 2017. Orban greeted a new contingent of freshly graduated border police here on Thursday, telling them their work was a national security priority. (Xinhua/Attila Volgy)

BUDAPEST, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban greeted a new contingent of freshly graduated border police here on Thursday, telling them their work was a national security priority.

Orban predicted that outside pressure on European Union(EU) borders would continue in the years to come, making the job of the 532 new graduates a long-term investment in security for both Hungary and the EU, since Hungary was protecting the European Union's external borders just as it had been protecting Europe for the past 500 years, he said.

Orban said his border policing initiative had proven that it was possible to halt immigration. He argued that the terrorist attacks, riots, violence, crime, and ethnic and cultural conflicts proved that the people "coming here do not want to adopt our way of life" but to retain their own along with a European standard of living.

He called Hungary one of the safest countries in the European Union, thanks to the efforts of the police and armed forces, but warned that even though there have been no terrorist actions in Hungary, that could change.

Orban also said that the EU would have been better off listening to Hungary from the outset instead of criticizing its border protection initiative.

A growing number of EU countries are now following our example, he noted, warning that Brussels had still not given up its idea of distributing the two million people who had entered the EU illegally among EU countries, whether they want them or not.

When borders were still open in 2015, over 391,000 migrants entered Hungary on their way to Western Europe. The numbers fell dramatically in 2016 after Hungary introduced border control measures. In addition to fences along the Serbian and Croatian borders there are currently between 6,000 and 10,000 border patrol agents stationed in the area.

Hungary plans to train 3,000 police in border policing activity. The current 532 graduates are part of that group.
COLOMBO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said on Thursday that foreigners investing a minimum 300,000 U.S. dollars in the island country would be granted a resident visa of two to five years.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said foreigners investing over 1.5 million dollars would also be given rights to lease land.

The minister added that the funds would have to come through legal banking channels.

The visa will be immediately available through an administrative order but it could be legislated later in the year.

There is also possibility of giving permanent residence to larger investors, Karunanayake said.

He also encouraged Sri Lankans holding money overseas to bring it back home.
BANGKOK, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A panel of legal experts has been formed in Thailand on Thursday to amend the new charter of which issues on royal powers should be fixed at the request of the king.

Meechai Ruchupan, Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman and one of the 10 members in the panel, said the provision to allow the privy council president to serve as regent pro tempore automatically in the event that the king does not appoint a regent, is to be nullified under the amendments.

He explained that this amendment would give the King the option of either appointing or not appointing a regent should he not reside in the Kingdom, according to a report by the Nation Newspaper.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who oversees the country's legal affairs, said drafters had only copied the clauses to be amended from the previous constitution. Situations in the country have changed and amendments shall be made, he added.

The new charter passed a referendum by Thai voters in last August. It is pending to royal endorsement.

King Vajiralongorn suggested changes to the draft charter regarding his royal powers on Monday.

Thailand's 2014 interim charter is still in use now. It stipulates a 90-day deadline for the new charter to receive royal endorsement which expires on Feb 6. If there is no royal endorsement by the deadline, the new charter will be considered dropped.

Before the panel gets down to amend the new charter, the National Legislative Assembly(NLA) would amend the interim charter first and forward it for royal endorsement.

When the king endorses the interim charter, the draft charter will be amended and submitted to the king for endorsement, which will take around another 120 days.

Local media said that officials could not set an exact date of the election they promised as "the situation has changed", though the prime minister has insisted that their roadmap is still on course.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Police in Beijing said on Thursday that they have captured a man suspected of killing two people and injuring one over a month ago.

The 50-year-old suspect, named Liu Zhongyou from Changchun City, Jilin Province, allegedly murdered the victims with a knife after drinking and a dispute with his coworkers in Daxing District on Nov. 29, 2016, said Xu Chunlan, an officer with the Daxing branch of the Beijing Public Security Bureau.

After spending 25 days searching for Liu, police caught him in Shangqiu City in Henan Province on Dec. 23. Liu confessed to the murder.

Liu has been detained.
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of eight Taliban militants have been killed and six others injured as government forces launched operations in Pachiragam district of the eastern Nangarhar province Wednesday night, an army spokesman said Thursday.

The official, who declined to be identified, also added that the operations would continue until the militants are wiped out from the area.

Meanwhile, another official from 201 Silab Army Corps in the eastern region of Afghanistan said seven militants loyal to the Taliban outfit had been killed in Tagab district of Kapisa province over the past two days.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the situation.
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban key commander Mawlawi Atiqullah was among 12 killed after aircrafts pounded militants' positions in Garmsir district of the southern Helmand province on early Thursday, said a statement of provincial government released here.

The strike was conducted when the militants were busy to organize attacks on government interests, according to the statement.

Taliban militants have not commented.

Poppy-growing Helmand province has been the scene of bloody fighting between Taliban and government forces over the past couple of years and the militants have been pushing to overrun the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, a key city in southern region of Afghanistan.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China highly appreciates Nigeria's move to close Taiwan's office in capital city Abuja, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Thursday.

"It has completely solved a leftover problem affecting political trust between China and Nigeria and removed political obstacles that have disrupted the healthy development of bilateral relations," Lu said at a regular news briefing.

The Nigerian government said Wednesday it had ordered the closure of Taiwan's office in capital Abuja and the moving of its trade mission to Lagos.

Nigeria has no official relations with Taiwan, but Taiwan has an office in the African country. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Taiwan office has engaged in activities exceeding its capacity and violated the one-China principle.

Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe, which resumed diplomatic relations with China in December, have made correct decisions on the basis of the one-China principle, opening up broad prospects for bilateral relations, Lu said.

"Their commitment serves the fundamental interests of the people in these countries and is in line with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the international consensus of one China," the spokesperson added.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- As Tanzania's semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago marks its 53rd anniversary on Thursday, the Indian Ocean Island intends to explore opportunities on its beautiful beaches and natural forest reserves to boost the tourism industry.

"We have pristine beaches, warm water, coral reefs, natural forests, antiquities, which can be used to lure more international visitors," said Juma Ali Juma, Zanzibar permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries

He said: "We're encouraging more visitors to come and enjoy the Zanzibar natural beauty including our beautiful beaches, coupled with prevailing peace."

He named some of the beautiful beaches in Zanzibar as Nungwi, Kendwa, Matemwe, Kiwengwa and Pongwe, Kizimkazi, Bwejuu, and Dongwe.

The official further said the Isles' government has been working to explore as many tourist destinations as possible and "recently we have launched the Zanzibar City Park. This is a new tourism center located in the Masingini Forest Reserve, which will lure more tourists."

Situated at the highest peak of Zanzibar; about 120 metres above sea level, the official said: "Masingini Forest Reserve is a catchment forest and one of the major sources of water for the people of Zanzibar and the surrounding areas with estimates of about 27,400,000 litres of water pumped daily. This natural forest can be used as another tourist destination."

January Makamba, Tanzania's Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office, in-charge of Union and Environment also suggested the need for Zanzibar to capitalize on the nation's natural beauty, and making this sector a success, is crucial if the country wants to retain the top spot in African human development rankings.

"Effective use of these attractions could be used to promote tourism in Zanzibar," the minister said, noting that tourism alone could help to boost national coffers as well as create job opportunities for islanders and address poverty.

He said that Zanzibar is famous for its spices and the slave trade of the 19th century, to the extent that the Stone Town of Zanzibar is named as the UNESCO World heritage site; "hence use that opportunity to market the island outside the world."

Zanzibar, which is made up of two large islands-Unguja and Pemba with many small islands, is expected to host 450,000 international tourists this year, and these visitors will contribute 27 percent of its gross domestic product and 83 percent of foreign exchange. The industry also has generated 22,000 jobs as well as benefiting farmers, fishermen and livestock keepers in the Indian Ocean Island.
NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A prolonged drought in Kenya could worsen food security unless an appropriate action is taken to alleviate the situation, Kenya's disaster management agency has warned.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a report received on Thursday that the food security situation will continue to worsen over the next few months due to failure of the short rains.

"The short rains season was too brief and too weak to have any meaningful impact on recovery. For counties where both the long rains and the short rains were below normal, conditions are already very poor," the agency said in its early warning bulletin.

"For all other counties, particularly the arid, conditions will deteriorate sharply now that there is no prospect of further rainfall until March or April," it said.

Failure of rains during the short rains crop season seriously depleted stocks of the main staple maize and other food crops and sent food prices spiralling out of reach of the population's poorer segments, according to NDMA.

The authority said water stress will increase, distances to water and pasture will lengthen, milk production will fall even lower, and malnutrition will rise.

"Migration patterns will deviate still further from the norm, carrying the risk of conflict and the spread of livestock disease," it said.

The NDMA said counties and sectors should be ready to deal with major drought conditions and widespread food insecurity during the first half of 2017 and that there is need to urgently scale up relief transfers to those in need of food.

The report says there is need to intensify provision of livestock feed supplements, disease surveillance and vaccination where appropriate.

The agency warned that without urgent and appropriate action, Kenya could see a repeat of the drought situation in 2011 which resulted in famine and loss of lives.

"In order to prevent this, the national and county governments and their partners should significantly scale up both livelihood support and relief activities that reinforce the coping strategies of affected populations," the bulletin says.

However, Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said the government has put in place measures to mitigate the drought witnessed in some parts of the country.

Wamalwa said the government would continue to distribute food to the affected regions in a bid to ensure that no lives were lost as a result of hunger.

"We are continuing with plans to address drought in the country and we are collaborating with other stakeholders," he said on Wednesday.

The warning comes after the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in December 2016 warned Kenya is highly likely to see another drought in early 2017 and with it a rise in food insecurity. Current estimates show some 1.3 million people are food insecure.

FAO said poor rains in 2016 and drought in 2017 has led to a significant risk of drought conditions in 2017, threatening the food security of some of the country's most vulnerable people.

"Those most at risk are small-scale herders in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), where livestock rearing can account for as much as 90 percent of employment and family income," FAO said.

According to the UN agency, the delayed onset and erratic nature of the current rains means critical pasture and water resources are not being replenished following already poor rains during the April to June 2016 rainy season.
by Xinhua writers Liu Chang, Zhu Dongyang

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Jojivini Vuna was lucky: The 90-year-old Fijian woman had moved into her son's concrete house just days before the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall hit her country and flattened her wooden cottage early last year.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, with record-breaking category five winds, claimed 44 lives and leveled villages when it swept through the 300-odd islands that make up Fiji's archipelago.

For not only Fiji, but also the rest of the world, it was a bitter and vivid illustration of what's at stake in the face of ever-more-ferocious weather anomalies fueled by climate change.

Among climate change's victims, China, the world's largest developing country, took a bold step to pledge 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to help other developing countries. A year later, it played a decisive role in the eventual delivery of a global climate change accord in Paris.

China's widely applauded boldness in fighting what is likely humanity's cruellest enemy was rooted in a vision conceived in 2012 and carried forward by President Xi Jinping of building a community of shared future for all.

XI'S ROADMAP, WORLD'S FUTURE

Upholding the concept of building a community with a shared future for all humankind, the Chinese president is expected to offer a package of solutions to fixing a flawed global governance system at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos later this month.

Xi's attendance comes when the world is at a critical juncture between charging forward with globalization or backsliding on global economic integration. His chances -- and challenges -- to help shape a better world for all are unprecedented.

It was in Switzerland that China made its debut on global arena, when then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai arrived in the lake-laced Geneva for an international conference on the situation in Vietnam and Indochina in 1954.

The following 63 years witnessed China's miraculous rise from a war-torn and poverty-ridden country to the world's second largest economy. Riding the tide of globalization and regional integration, China has tightly knitted its interests with those of the rest of the world.

Over the past two decades, China has contributed about 30 percent to global growth and played a quintessential role in pulling the recessionary world economy back to growth following the 2008 global financial tsunami. Today, the country Xi leads is widely seen as a problem-solver with global influence.

Since taking office, Xi has pursued sweeping and painstaking reforms at home to build an innovation-based and environment-friendly economy, all the while reducing poverty rates.

Globally, China has helped cure the Ebola pandemic in Africa and build roads, bridges, schools and hospitals in Asia and Latin America.

These endeavors reflect the guiding vision of building a community with a shared future for everyone, fostered from ancient Chinese wisdom treasuring harmony, peace, equality and benevolence.

BETTER COMMUNITY TAKES SHAPE

For Xi, building a better world is in line with his roadmap to build a better China. The idea of a global community was carried out by a host of detailed and down-to-earth diplomatic guidelines.

In relations with neighboring countries, Xi stresses the four principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. Regarding his Africa policy, he insists on bringing real benefits to the people of the continent and help promote their economic and social progress.

In a matter of four years, Xi substantialized his vision for a better world by proposing the Belt and Road Initiative and the creation of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRICS new development bank. Aimed at upgrading infrastructure and boosting trade, the three have been backed by more than 100 countries and international organizations.

Wang Yiwei, a senior foreign affairs expert with China's Renmin University, said that improved infrastructure is key to reducing poverty and sharing the benefits of globalization, adding that "it is part of the secrets of China's success in the past 30 years."

In order to bring the world together as one community under a shared destiny, Xi has expounded throughout his tours around the world, including appearance at UN assemblies, APEC meetings and G20 summits, the need for consensus building.

MORE BALANCED GLOBALIZATION

The Chinese president's desire to forge a better world based on dialogue and mutual respect has inspired people from across the world. For many, his vision warrants a more rational and fair version of globalization.

Jorge Castro, head of Argentina's Strategic Planning Institute, said "China's advancement of cooperation and dialogue in international relations is not some baffling world outlook, but based on the conclusion of its own self-development experience."

According to Cui Hongjian, a senior fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, Xi's roadmap for a better world is different from the West's plan mainly in two aspects.

"For one thing, China takes the developing countries as partners on an equal footing, and is always ready to help without pre-conditions; but the West always treats the less developed countries as charity beggars, and responds to their needs with arrogance and impatience."

Furthermore, China's aid model is more sustainable than the West's. The Chinese provide the developing world not only with fish "but also a way to fish," Cui said.P Marisela Connelly, an expert on Chinese studies from the College of Mexico, noted that "China's willingness to speak for the vulnerable side of globalization is because, like many of them today, China was once bullied and exploited by the West for nearly a century. The misfortune partly decided China's current call for justice on global issues."

China's devotion to the well-being of the vulnerable has probably been best felt by villagers in Fiji.

In 2013, with the help of China, a seawall to fend off high tides was erected in the coastal village of Kiuva on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu. The project was widely praised by local residents and officials.

The seawall is a firm promise from China to Vuna and hundreds of thousands like her that in the face of disasters they will never be left alone.

A few days later in Switzerland, the Chinese president will issue the same promise in person.

(Xinhua reporter Liu Peng in Suva contributed to the story.)

Related:

Interview: Chinese president's Switzerland trip to have important impact on global economy, governance -- senior diplomat

GENEVA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled multilateral diplomatic activities in Geneva and Davos during his upcoming visit to Switzerland will have an important and far-reaching influence on the global economic recovery and governance system reform, a senior Chinese diplomat said Wednesday.

On Jan. 15-18, Xi will pay a state visit to Switzerland and attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos. Full story

Xinhua Insight: China's economy, globalization to be on top of President Xi's Davos agenda

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping will discuss the latest developments in China's economy and more inclusive globalization during his first visit to the Davos summit.

Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong told a press briefing on Wednesday that Xi's presence at the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting will help the world better understand China's economic situation and prospects as well as China's stance on current global problems. Full story

Interview: Pioneering spirit shapes China-Switzerland ties -- Swiss ambassador

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A pioneering spirit has always shaped and will further guide Switzerland-China ties, Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques de Dardel told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Yang Dongliang has fulfilled his historical mission. Starting from spring semester this year, textbooks in China will use the phrase "14-year Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression."

For years, Yang, a professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, has been attending seminars and writing essays proposing, advocating and lobbying for acceptance of the phrase.

On Sept. 18, 1931, China became the first country to engage the forces of fascism when the occupying Japanese army blew up a section of railway near Shenyang in northeast China. They then accused Chinese troops of engineering the event and began bombardment of barracks near the city that same evening. Thus began a large-scale invasion and an armed struggle that would last for 14 years.

Currently, textbooks refer to the "eight-year war" which only describes the full-scale invasion of the whole of China which began on July 7, 1937.

Yang was by no means a lone voice for the revision. Academics both at home and overseas see it as significant and necessary.

ACCURACY MATTERS

Tang Zhongnan of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences expects the new wording to "restore the original picture of that part of history," accentuating the continuity of a conflict which, by the time of the 1937 attacks, had been going on for almost six years.

As historians and educators, Tang, Yang and many others are duty-bound to ensure today's students fully understand the course of anti-Japanese war, hence the revision.

The new wording acknowledges resistance by forces including the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) between 1931 and 1937. At that time, the army was about 300,000 strong, and many lost their lives in northeastern China during the period.

Resistance never paused after 1931, Yang said, and the campaign in the northeast was part of the unremitting and unswerving struggle of the Chinese nation that continued until 1945.

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT

According to Li Zongyuan, curator of the Museum of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, academics reached consensus on the phrase "14-year war" more than ten years ago, after years of discussion.

By officially revising the wording, those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the nation will be recognized as national heroes, said Li.

The revision also has international repercussions. For a long time, international society has not adequately recognized the magnitude of China's role in the World Anti-Fascist War, said Tang. The revised wording can connect domestic and overseas scholars, including some in Japan, who hold that the war began in 1931. It will "help raise international awareness" of the huge sacrifices of the Chinese people.

China was the major east Asian battlefield in the war against fascism. More than 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded in the conflict.
GENEVA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria said Thursday a cessation of hostilities in place in Syria since Dec. 30 last year is "largely holding."

"The main area of concern is Wadi Barada and the water issue which is affecting five million people in Damascus," Staffan de Mistura told press after a weekly humanitarian briefing here.

"The information we have is that five villages in the area have reached an arrangement with the government... but two villages, in particular one that is holding the actual source of water, have not yet reached an agreement," he added.

This means that there is a substantial and imminent danger that a military escalation could ensue, the diplomat explained.

This could have a negative impact on planned Russian and Turkish-brokered negotiations expected to kick off on Jan. 23 in Astana, since these are based on the establishment of a cessation of hostilities between forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition factions seeking to oust him.

"There is a sense of urgency linked to both water and to Astana, and we are definitely in that direction too," de Mistura highlighted.

The diplomat also warned that access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas must be improved as quickly as possible, with the need for aid particularly pressing in four Syrian locations.

"We have seen pictures both in Kefraya and Foua and Zabadani and Moadamiya which give a feeling that the issue of food and essential items is a serious one," he said.

De Mistura hopes to reconvene rival delegations back to the negotiating table on Feb. 8 in Geneva.

Syria peace talks seeking to broker a political end to the five-year conflict which has killed some 400,000 people and displaced millions more have been on hold since April last year.
RAMALLAH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rdeinah said Thursday that the Paris conference resembles a new stance of reaffirming the two state solution and the illegality of Israeli settlements.

Abu Rdeinha said in the press statement, which was published on the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA), that the conference is a significant opportunity to ensure the two state solution and the illegality of settlements, especially that the world governments convene in this conference after the recent UN Security Council resolution 2335.

The remarks came in response to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the Paris Conference as "fraud."

The spokesperson said what is required from the international community is to show the Israeli government that its rejection of international legitimacy resolutions will only bring more troubles and instability in the region and the whole world.

"We are ready for peace that would lead to security and stability," said Abu Rdeinah.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a joint press conference with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borg Brende earlier Thursday that the Paris conference set on Sunday is "a fraud, a Palestinian scam under French auspices, whose goal is to lead to the adoption of additional anti-Israeli positions."

An international peace conference is expected to be held in Paris on Jan. 15, with participation of 70 foreign ministers and UN organizations, but no representatives of Palestinians or Israelis.

Paris hosted an international ministerial meeting on June 3, attended by the foreign ministers of 25 countries, including four Arab countries, which debated the revival of the stalled peace process between Israel and Palestine.

The meeting was held based on an initiative launched by France a few months ago to hold an international conference to look into an international mechanism to end the Palestinian- Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution.

Israel declared it is against the French initiative and said it is committed to bilateral negotiations in order to realize peace without preconditions.

The peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since April 2014. The U.S.-sponsored talks that lasted for nine months achieved no tangible results.
NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up his African tour on Thursday that carried him to Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, Republic of Congo and Nigeria, at a time when China-Africa cooperation is going from strength to strength.

The foreign minister's visit was in keeping with China's nearly three-decade-long diplomatic tradition of making Africa its first overseas destination each year.

Such a tradition signifies that "China always regards developing countries as the cornerstone of its diplomacy and Africa its priority," Wang said during the visit.

NEW DRIVING FORCE, POSITIVE CHANGES

China announced 10 major cooperation plans which are aimed at helping Africa realize industrialization and agricultural modernization, at the Johannesburg summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

China also promised 60 billion U.S. dollars as funding support to see these plans through.

The implementation of these plans has constituted a new driving force for the China-Africa cooperation, Wang said while in Zambia.

The cooperation has witnessed a fast growth since then, with many Chinese companies coming to Africa to invest and establish plants. From the Dec. 2015 Johannesburg summit to July, 2016, the agreements signed in various fields between China and Africa were valued at over 50 billion U.S. dollars.

Wang said in this process "three new changes" has emerged in terms of China-Africa cooperation. A government-led pattern has gradually evolved into one where the market plays a major role. General merchandise trade has been gradually upgraded to production capacity cooperation, processing and trade. There is also a gradual shift from basic project contracting to investment, construction and operation.

Many China-funded mega projects in Africa were completed in 2016, paving way for materializing the ambitions laid out at the summit. Among them are the 752.7-km Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway, Nigeria's 186.5-km Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway and Tanzania's 680-meter-long, six-lane Nyerere Bridge, the largest cable-stayed cross-sea bridge in East Africa.

China, Zambia and Tanzania will work to revitalize the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, built with Chinese assistance in the 1970s and a monument to the China-Africa friendship.

Through comprehensive reform of the management system, effectively linking the railway to ports and building an industrial economic belt along the railway, it is hoped that the 1,860-km railway line will gain renewed vigor and contribute to helping Tanzania, Zambia and other African countries realize independent and sustainable development.

In Madagascar, Wang said that China welcomes African countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative.

China has already started to explore cooperation opportunities with a number of African countries, especially those on the eastern coast of Africa and has achieved positive progress in this regard.

With the deepening of cooperation, the African continent will get more development benefits from this cooperation, said Wang.

As Africa's largest island and an important country, Madagascar is geographically nearest to China among African countries. Madagascar had direct links with the ancient maritime silk road in history, which make it a natural extension of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes. It has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations.

China would help the Republic of Congo build a special economic zone (SEZ) in the harbor city of Pointe Noire, Wang said.

The Pointe Noire SEZ would draw upon China's rich experience in development, and turn into a flagship program for China-Africa production capacity cooperation.

The current complexity in global politics and economics has brought many uncertainties to the peace and development of the African continent, as well as new opportunities, Wang said while in Nigeria.

China has the desire and capacity to make new contributions to Africa's peace and development through deepening its cooperation with the continent, he said.

"Unlike other development partners, the Chinese are investing in infrastructure and industries which could help propel Tanzania to middle income status by 2025," Gaudence Mpangala, professor at the Ruaha Catholic University in Iringa Region, told Xinhua.
NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan court has sentenced striking doctors' union officials to a one month suspended jail term for failing to call off the strike which entered its 39th day on Thursday.

Justice Helen Wasilwa of the Employment and Labour Relations Court also ordered the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials to called off the strike and finalize the salary talks with the government within two weeks.

"I will be sentencing you to one month in jail but it is suspended for two weeks to allow negotiations to continue. I cannot give you a lenient sentence as I would be sending a wrong message," Wasilwa ruled.

The judge early this week issued a warrant of arrest of the union officials over failure to appear in court after being summoned. However, the union officials presented themselves before the court on Thursday for contempt charges.

Justice Wasilwa directed the KMPDU officials to return to the court on Jan. 26 to be briefed on progress on negotiations between the union and government.

"You have told me that you are still negotiating and so I will give you a small window to allow the negotiations to continue," the judge said.

"You have sentence hanging on your head. If the strike is not resolved within two weeks you will be arrested wherever you are and taken straight to the cells," she ruled.

The union officials said they were ready for speedy resolution of the stand off which has paralyzed health services across the East African nation.

"Kenyan doctors are ready to go to any extent to ensure our beloved country gets a health care system that responds to her people's needs," the officials said, thanking citizens who have joined the struggle for better health care that they all deserve.

The government which has threatened to institute disciplinary action against striking doctors who failed to resume duties by Wednesday vowed to hire at least 188 doctors from Cuba and India to alleviate the suffering of patients.

The government offered to increase salary for the lowest paid doctors by over 550 U.S. dollars, which would raise their salaries to 1,970 dollars from 1,400 dollars.

The doctors have been embroiled in a deadlock with the government for five weeks now over the increment of salaries and parity in the issuance of promotions to health practitioners in the country.

The standoff between the doctors and the government has pushed thousands of low income patients to the edge, and with no cash to visit to high cost private facilities, distressed families have flocked ill-equipped clinics found in residential areas.

The doctors who are demanding a 300 percent salary increase for its members as agreed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) say the lowest paid doctor to get earn 3,450 dollars while the highest should be earning 9,450 dollars. Enditem
NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's health ministry said on Thursday that it plans to eradicate polio in the country by the year 2018.

The Director of Medical Services Dr. Jackson Kioko said that the country is committed toward implementing activities that will contribute to achieving the objective of ending polio and ensure that it is wiped out of the country.

"The polio-free status we currently enjoy should therefore be maintained through strengthening routine immunization and sustaining robust surveillance system capable of promptly detecting any case to facilitate timely response," Kioko said during an immunisation stakeholders' meeting in Nairobi.

He also announced the start of vaccination campaign next week that targets 400,000 children in 15 border counties.

Kioko noted that despite the African region having celebrated being polio free for over one year, four cases of wild polio virus were detected in Nigeria 2016.

He revealed that as a result of detection of new cases of Wild Polio Viruses in Nigeria, the Horn of Africa Polio Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting held in Nairobi in September last year recommended that a number of countries within the region including Kenya conduct polio vaccination campaigns aimed at boosting immunity among children under the age of 5 years who are vulnerable to infection.

"Following this recommendation, we conducted a polio risk analysis which identified 15 out of the 47 counties as being at high risk of polio virus importation," he added.

Kioko said that the detection of the four cases call for extra vigilant and confirms that Polio anywhere is Polio everywhere.

This, he said, has therefore compelled countries within the Horn of Africa region including Kenya to put measures in place to prevent importation of Wild polio viruses.

It is encouraging to note that Kenya has been polio free for now over three years now. The last wild polio virus case was reported in July 14, 2013.

According to Kioko, the latest global risk analysis has identified Kenya as being among the 16 countries worldwide considered to be at high risk of polio virus importation and outbreak since the county is surrounded by fragile countries.

Kisumu County in western Kenya has enacted a disability law that makes immunization mandatory while, Muranga County has developed a law that is due to be assented by the area Governor.

According to UNICEF, countries have achieved 99 percent of the campaign against polio since 1988. Kenya has achieved only 80 percent of universal child immunization goal.

The East African nation, however, blames security challenges for slowing efforts in northern Kenya that borders Somalia. Enditem
JUBA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese army (SPLA) said on Thursday that it seized more than 1,200 different types of weapons from civilians, after search operations lasting more than two weeks in the capital of Juba, its spokesman said.

The Acting SPLA spokesman, Colonel Santo Domic Chol, told journalists in Juba that the captured weapons were found to belong to various units of the security services and top officials.

"So far more than 1,200 pieces of different weapons and assorted equipment have been apprehended in Juba. However, after screening, most of the weapons belong to units of various organized forces and some were licensed to some citizens of high status like MPs, business members and the retired senior officers and politicians," he said in a statement issued in Juba.

He disclosed that 400 weapons were found unauthorized and are being kept in the armory.

War-torn South Sudan was listed by the UN as one of the countries with high proliferation of small arms among its civil population which has further fueled the ongoing conflict in the country.

The now more than three years of conflict has been characterized by rapes, abductions, cattle raids and killings driven at times by local grievances at community level.

"Similar operations are taking place in all the states. But emphasis has been focused on Juba as the capital City that has experienced many insecurity incidences during big celebrations," he said.

He also disclosed that nine people were arrested for operating a car theft ring, and 20 other people for masquerading as security officers.

Meanwhile, Chol also denied the SPLA-in opposition (SPLA-IO) rebels capturing last week the border town of Morobo, some 120 km South West of the capital.

"On Jan. 4, rebels raided our position in Morobo and we withdrew immediately. This gave them (SPLA-IO) an indication that the SPLA has no capacity to fight and therefore, SPLA position came under attack by rebels. The SPLA dislodged the attackers for self defense killing 41 rebel soldiers and captured 17 AKMs, 3 PKMs," he said.

South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Machar denied the accusation but then mobilized a rebel force.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a transitional unity government in last April, but was devastated by the July 2016 fighting.

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, over two million displaced and another 4.6 million left severely food insecure since December 2013. Enditem
Passengers step down the first commercial flight from U.S., at the Abel Santamaria International Airport in the central Cuban city of Santa Clara, Aug. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

HAVANA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- In 2016, 74 percent more U.S. citizens took advantage of improved bilateral ties to visit Cuba, compared to the year before, the Cuban government announced on Wednesday.

The officla dada shows that in 2016, 284,937 Americans visited Cuba, for a 74 percent increase in comparison with 2015," Josefina Vidal, director of U.S. affairs at Cuba's foreign ministry, posted on Twitter.

While U.S. citizens are still banned from freely traveling to Cuba, the administration of outgoing President Barack Obama has relaxed restrictions, allowing travel for business, education, religious or humanitarian purposes.

President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has hinted he may revert such policies to pressure Cuba into making more concessions to Washington.

Cuba has seen a tourism boom since Havana and the White House agreed in 2014 to work to normalize ties after half a century of animosity.

Regular commercial flights from U.S. cities to Cuban destinations were relaunched in August. Today seven airlines operate nearly 20 flights a day from the U.S. to Havana.

Cruises have also increased, with companies from Spain, Russia, Canada and the U.S., including Cuba, on their sailing itineraries.

In 2016, Cuba saw a record 4 million international visitors, 13 percent more than in 2015.

The tourism industry is hoping to attract more visitors, although it lacks the infrastructure for rapid growth.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday sparked anger, uncertainty and skepticism among Latin Americans, following his first press conference since winning the election.

Trump infuriated Mexicans once again by repeating his pledge to build a wall along the border and have Mexico foot the bill.

"We're going to start building" as soon as possible, and "Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us," said Trump.

Mexico's most outspoken Trump critic, former president Vicente Fox, wasted no time in responding.

"Neither today, nor tomorrow nor never Mexico will pay for that stupid wall," Fox posted to Twitter.

"If Trump wants a monument to his ego, let him pay for it!!," added Fox.

He also warned "it's clear that we're facing a new era of dictatorship with Donald Trump," but he added there was no need to fear Trump.

Mexican historian and intellectual Enrique Krauze echoed Fox's sentiments with a tweet, saying that there was "no way" Mexico will pay for the wall.

Like many other observers around the globe, including in the United States, Krauze noted Trump's "aggressive" manner when speaking to reporters.

"Trump's level of aggression and disregard for civil debate and the press is terrifying. And he's not even in power yet," said Krauze.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto speaks during a conference in Mexico City, Mexico, Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua)

Mexico's representative to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Alfonso de Alba, said a wall would not necessarily be effective, and neighbors should take a more humanitarian and comprehensive approach to immigration.

"In the end, they (migrants) do not contribute solely to their country of origin, but also to the country they end up in," said De Alba, who was attending an event at Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto also rejected Trump's demand, saying that Mexico will not pay for the wall but will seek open and complete negotiations with Trump't government.

In Cuba, people who watched the live broadcast remained perplexed about the future of bilateral ties with the United States.

"What seems obvious is that Cuba is not an immediate priority for Trump. Given the unknown decisions he will take concerning our country, the process of normalization of ties will either advance or regress, which is concerning," said Tania Orozco, a state worker.

She also noted Trump's famed intransigence and sympathized with Mexico.

"What ... caught my attention was his inflexibility and authoritarianism in building a wall along the Mexican border. He said that country has taken advantage of the U.S., when we all know it is the exact opposite," said Orozco.

Also on Wednesday, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, appeared in front of the Senate for his confirmation hearings. Referring to Cuba, Tillerson said he would recommend Trump veto any legislation proposed by Obama to make the rapprochement between the two sides inevitable.

The former head of oil giant, ExxonMobil, revealed that Trump would likely revise relations with Havana through an executive order, shortly after assuming office.

Furthermore, Tillerson said that a proposal to lift the ban on Americans travelling to Cuba, proposed by Obama, would not be rapidly approved.

Finally, the potential Secretary of State said he would advise Trump to halt any attempts to lift the trade embargo on Cuba and to carefully examine why Cuba was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2015.

Further south in Argentina, political observers also felt Trump's defiant off-the-cuff remarks to the media generated doubt and uncertainty around the globe.

"The world has been expecting a change of course in the world's leading economy," said economist Maria Cecilia Peralta, "but following this press conference, doubts about prompt changes and structural decisions are generating even more anxiety due to their global impact."
WARSAW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A convoy of US troops on its way to Zagan, western Poland, arrived in Poland from Germany on Thursday, according to Polish Press Agency.

The 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team convoy, travelling from the German port of Bremerhaven, arrived at the border crossing in Olszyna, western Poland, on Thursday morning.

The commander of the 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team Col. Christopher R. Norrie was welcomed by General Jaroslaw Mika, commander of the 11th Lubuska Armoured Cavalry Division from Zagan.

"We are welcoming American soldiers who will station in Poland and from whose experience we will benefit," Mika said.

All the infrastructure in Poland has been very well prepared, according to Major Joshua Camara from the US brigade's press section.

At present there are a few hundred US soldiers in Zagan, and their number will change over the coming months depending on where successive exercises will be held, he added.

The Armoured Brigade Combat Team comprises 3,500 soldiers, 400 tracked vehicles and over 900 wheeled vehicles.

The deployment is part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
TEHRAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- First Airbus A321 plane, which Iran purchased in the post-sanction era, landed in the capital Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday, official IRNA news agency reported.

In December, Iran sealed a contract with Airbus to buy 100 aircraft worth over 18 billion U.S. dollars.

Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi and his deputies, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and a number of parliament members were present in the airport upon the arrival of A321, the report said.

The Managing Director of the country's flag-carrier Iran Air, Farhad Parvaresh, and the Chief Executive Officer of France's Airbus Company Fabrice Bregier were among the passengers of the A321.

On Wednesday, Iran formally received the commercial plane from Airbus in France's Toulouse.

The delivery of the A321, as Iran's first brand-new plane in over 37 years, is the first in a batch of 100 jets purchased by Iran Air recently to renew its aged passenger fleet.
Photo taken on Nov. 6, 2016 shows skyscrapers shrouded by cloud and mist in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 6, 2016. (Xinhua/Niu Yixin)

BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's decision to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) amid gloomy global financial outlook marks a clear step forward, according to Argentine analysts.

"2017 is expected to be a year of stability in regard to the inflow of FDI" for China, Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of Argentine consulting group Asia Viewers, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

China has announced it will strive to attract more foreign investment in 2017 to spur innovation and economic growth.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's report late last year showed China is still one of the most attractive investment destinations.

According to the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, more than two-thirds of EU companies' operations in China were profitable. The American Chamber of Commerce in China has said 68 percent of businesses plan to expand investment in the country.

In the first 11 months, China recorded 731.8 billion yuan (around 105 billion U.S. dollars) of foreign investment, up 3.9 percent year on year, according to figures released by its Ministry of Commerce.

China's FDI initiative needs to take note of the "level of consumption, both domestic and foreign," they said.

China "needs the inflow of foreign investment to be able to continue the process of development, along with the process of innovating and improving the expansion of goods and services with greater added value into the global market," they added.
BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police apprehended 1,354 railway ticket scalpers in a security campaign ahead of the Chinese lunar new year, which falls on Jan. 28 this year.

Police confiscated 124,327 railway tickets in 1,140 scalping cases and seized 77,455 counterfeit tickets.

Around 356 million railway trips are expected between Jan. 13 and Feb. 21, according to a previous announcement by railway police authorities.

Tickets are in short supply relative to demand.
Image provided by Brazil's Presidency shows Brazil's President Michel Temer delivering a speech during the ceremony of ratification of the Paris Agreement (2015) on climate change, in Brasilia, Brazil, on Sept. 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Beto Barata/Bazil's Presidency)

BRASILIA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Michel Temer stated Wednesday that criminal gans seemed to have "rights outside the State" which concerned the entire country.

The president said at a cabinet meeting that the crisis in the prison system had gone beyond the sphere of security. Around 100 people have been killed in prison riots in northern Brazil since this year.

Temer stated that the federal government "was very interested in this topic, as criminal organizations, such as the PCC (Primer Comando de la Capital), Familia do Norte, etc, constitute almost judicial rules, a rule of law outside the State."

"To our surprise, when they carry out these frightful killings, they do it according to their own codes. Therefore, it is a question that goes beyond security and concerns the entire country," he highlighted.

Temer added that public security is not the exclusive responsibility of the federal government and he would help regional governments to face the crisis in prisons, as well as the financial crisis across the country.

Security staffers fetch an escapee, after a riot was contained at the Jardinopolis Prison, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Marcos Limonti/AGENCIA ESTADO)

Concerning the massive overcrowding in prisons across the country, the president recognized the conditions in which inmates were kept "inhumane."

"The reality demands the construction of prisons, at least to improve the inhumane conditions. There are prisons which are designed for 600 people actually holding 1,600 people," explained Temer.

The prison riot killings have mainly happened in the northern part of Brazil.

On Jan. 1, a riot between two gangs, Familia do Norte and Primer Comando do Capital, left 56 dead there. Over the next week, a number of follow-up massacres were seen, with the deadliest coming in the Monte Cristo prison in Roraima, where 33 prisoners died.

On Monday, four more prisoners died in the Puraquequara prison in Manaus.

In a strategy to restore order in northern states prisons, elite commandos were deployed on Tuesday to Manaus and Boa Vista, capital of the neighboring state of Roraima, to help reinforce security in prisons.

The measure is part of the help the federal government promised to seven northern states in order to reinforce control in those prisons.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L), who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds a welcoming ceremony for Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Communist Party chiefs of China and Vietnam agreed in Beijing on Thursday that two countries should expand cooperation in various fields including maritime exploration and put ties on the right track.

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the Great Hall of the People.

Xi hailed the growth of the all-round strategic cooperative partnership, citing progress in friendship, political trust, cooperation and cultural exchanges.

Likening the two countries as "comrades and brothers," Xi said China views relations with Vietnam strategically and from a long-term perspective, and hopes that the two countries will properly manage and control disputes.

Xi suggested cementing political trust through close contact between top leaders and parties to offer strategic guidance. He proposed expanding military and security cooperation, and coordinating on global issues.

The two should advance people-to-people exchanges, in particular among the youth, and boost cooperation in education, culture, media, tourism and sports, Xi said.

With regard to maritime disputes, Xi urged both sides to increase communication and consolidate mutual trust, in order to lay a solid political foundation for the settlement of disputes and work together on maritime exploration and cooperation.

Trong also spoke of expanded maritime cooperation and achievements in trade, investment, tourism, defense, security and non-governmental exchange.

Trong's visit comes as both countries celebrate the 67th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

It is Trong's first China visit since he was re-elected chief of the CPV last January, and his first foreign trip in 2017. He is also the first foreign leader China has received this year, which reveals the importance both sides attach to their partnership.

Trong congratulated Xi on China's achievements under the leadership of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

Hailing the visits between himself and Xi in 2015, Trong said the progress in relations between the two countries and parties is exciting.

Healthy Vietnam-China ties are in the fundamental interests of parties, nations and peoples, he said. It is the top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy to enhance partnership with China.

Vietnam hopes to combine its "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan with China's Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

Xi promised support for Vietnam in hosting the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.

Trong arrived in Beijing earlier on Thursday for a four-day official visit.
LUSAKA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government will next week launch an intensive traffic law enforcement exercise aimed at increasing compliance to road traffic rules and regulations, its road transport and safety agency said on Thursday.

The enforcement exercise dubbed "Operation Compliance" will be launched by the minister responsible for transport and communication, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) said in a statement.

The agency said the minister will lead a joint team of officers from the police and the road and safety agency to the Copperbelt Province and other parts of the country to conduct road traffic law enforcement operations on roadworthiness, compliance to road tax and other traffic rules and regulations.

The two-week intensified enforcement operation will be effected on January 15 after an expiry of a 14-day grace period in which motorists were given to acquire licenses and pay necessary fees, it added.

The grace period runs from January 1 to January 14.

The government was concerned that there was a reduced compliance by motorists in the payment of road tax and adherence to traffic rules and regulations. Enditem
KIEV, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation in the grain sector between Ukraine and China has yielded positive results in recent years, the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

Between 2013 and 2016, the State Food and Grain Corporation (SFGC) of Ukraine, the country's grain market operator, exported some 3.357 million tons of grain to China National Complete Engineering Corporation (CCEC), the statement said.

The two companies have already prepared a plan for grain trade in 2017 and developed a forward deal for planting winter crops, it said.

Besides, Ukraine's grain market operator plans to purchase a total of 3,000 railroad cars for grain transportation by 2020 using a Chinese loan, the ministry said.

Last year, the SFGC said it was in talks with the CCEC over a possible investment in the framework of the privatization program.

The Ukrainian government has decided to privatize the state grain market operator, which owns about 10 percent of the country's certified grain storage capacities, to boost its effectiveness.

This year, Ukraine plans to launch a cargo train to China via the rail-sea Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which is expected to boost agriculture trade between the two countries.
KUNMING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A new gibbon species has been discovered in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The new species, with white eyebrows, is found mainly at Gaoligong Mountain in Yunnan, and is morphologically and genetically distinct from other species, according to a research paper published on the website of the American Journal of Primatology.

Their beards are completely black or brown instead of white, and white hair is absent in the suborbital area, said Fan Pengfei, one of the authors and professor in life sciences at Sun Yat-sen University in south China's Guangdong Province.

Scientists began their research on the white-browed gibbons in Yunnan in 2007 with intensive surveys and comparison. A joint study by 15 scientists from five countries confirmed the discovery of the new species.

The Gaoligong Mountain white-browed gibbons inhabit at altitudes of 500 to 2,000 meters. The population is no more than 200, said Jiang Xuelong, a researcher with Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Scientists suggest the new species should be categorized as endangered and called for improved conservation.

Gibbons and siamangs are small apes inhabiting southern, eastern and southeastern Asia. The new species increases the number of recognized living species of the animals to 20.
MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that it is continuing to reduce military presence in Syria, in response to U.S. media reports of more Russian forces there despite a withdrawal announcement.

On Wednesday, Fox News TV channel quoted two unnamed U.S. officials as saying that Russia was actually increasing its armed forces in Syria although the country began to pull its aircraft carrier group out of the Mediterranean last Friday.

The reports said four Russian Su-25 jets, known as Frogfoots by NATO, arrived in Syria Monday.x Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, said the four Su-25 aircraft have indeed been transferred from Russia to Hmeimin air base in Syria "within the framework of scheduled rotation."

According to the spokesman, the first six Su-24 bombers have already been withdrawn to Russia, and some other aircraft with pilots and technical staff will shortly follow suit.

The Russian naval group, which includes the country's sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with over 40 aircraft, is also on its way to the permanent base in Severomorsk, Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a gradual reduction of his country's military presence in Syria after the Syrian government and the opposition groups reached a nationwide truce agreement in late December.

Mediators and Syrian conflicting factions are expected to meet in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month to seek solutions to the chronic crisis.
Sorry, this news has been deleted.
TAIPEI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's animal and plant inspection authority reported a new bird flu case on Thursday.

The H5N2 avian flu virus was confirmed at a chicken farm in Yunlin county, where 16,800 chicken were culled to prevent further infection, the authority said.

The farm owners will receive a compensation for the loss as they proactively reported the unusual deaths of chicken to local authority.

Cover-ups can lead to a fine of up to 1 million New Taiwan dollars (about 31,500 U.S. dollars), according to the island's regulation.

This is this year's fourth avian flu case reported in Yunlin, a major chicken supplier in Taiwan. Over 43,300 fowl were slaughtered in the four cases.

The inspection authority has warned farms to strengthen quarantine and sanitation work as more migrant birds fly to Taiwan for the winter.
VIENTIANE, Jan. 13(Xinhua) -- One Lao and one French passenger died while 30 others sustained injuries when a bus collided with the rear end of a 12-wheeler truck and overturned in Yordhuay village, Nonghet district in Lao northern Xieng Khuang province on Wednesday morning.

Head of the Nonghet Traffic Police Office Keolakhone Manila, said on Lao state-run Vientiane Times on Thursday that the bus driver was Vietnamese. The driver and 31 passengers were travelling from Vietnam to Xieng Khuang province when the bus overturned after running into the back of the truck.

Those on bus included four French nationals, five South Koreans, one Australian, one Thai, six Vietnamese (including the driver) and 15 Lao nationals.

A Xieng Khuang province resident and a French passenger were killed instantly. Three passengers sustained critical injuries and the rest suffered minor injuries. Police are investigating the crash, reported Vientiane Times.

According to the Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, there were 5,616 road accidents across Laos in 2016, causing the deaths of 1,086 people, while 8,912 were injured. As many as 10,305 vehicles were damaged with property damage estimated at over 83 billion kip (nearly 10.2 million U.S. dollars).

The main causes of road accidents in 2016 were listed as intoxication, reckless driving and general violation of the traffic rules.

Laos has a high rate of road accidents compared to other countries in the region with motorbikes involved in 95 percent of all vehicular accidents and males making up 90 percent of the fatalities, said the traffic police department.

About 90 percent of accidents involve drunk driving, over-speeding and other violations of the traffic rules. Many accidents occur on weekends and special occasions when people get together to drink alcohol. Enditem
LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson headed to Geneva Thursday to offer support for the ongoing negotiations over a possible reunification of the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London said Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan was accompanying Johnson at settlement talks to offer British support for the ongoing negotiations.

Reports in London said Prime Minister Theresa May had expressed her willingness to attend the crucial Cypriot-led settlement talks.

Their attendance Thursday at the UN-facilitated talks in Geneva on is part of Britain's ongoing support, the FCO said.

Ahead of the talks, Johnson said: "I welcome the continued courage and commitment that has been shown by both sides. The talks in Geneva on the Cyprus settlement offer both sides a unique opportunity to find a solution. The UK fully supports the settlement process and is ready and willing to help in any way it can.

"I hope that all those involved will approach the talks with a sense of openness and flexibility. I believe that if approached in this light, a solution is in reach to bring lasting peace to Cyprus."

The FCO said the British government is attending the Geneva talks as a Guarantor Power under a 1960 Treaty.

An FCO spokesman said: "As such we have a longstanding commitment, alongside our Guarantor Power partners, Greece and Turkey, to support the two communities as they work to find a successful solution to the Cyprus problem."

Even if the talks in Geneva pave the way for a re-union between both sides, they final decision will be in the hands of Cyprus's Greek and Turkish communities through an island-wide referendum.
TALLINN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Estonian government approved on Thursday a defense cooperation agreement that will regulate the legal status of members of the U.S. Army stationed in the Baltic country.

The agreement would complement the already existing Status of Forces Agreement between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states (NATO SOFA), said the Estonian government spokesperson.

It would reduce the red tape related to the stay of members of the U.S. armed forces and their contractors in Estonia, and make certain advantages available to them based on common strategic interest and principles, as well as replace the agreement on the use of land plots and structures of the Estonian Defence Forces that was concluded in 2015.

The agreement will also regulate the application of Estonian penal law to members of the U.S. armed forces as well as their dependents.

Estonian Defence Minister Margus Tsahkna, who was authorized to sign the agreement with the U.S. ambassador to Estonia, said that the bilateral agreement was necessary as the two countries' defense cooperation was going to last in the longer term.

"The defense cooperation agreement between Estonia and the United States supports the presence of U.S. units in Estonia and strengthens our security," said Tsahkna.

He also termed the agreement, which has to be ratified by the Estonian parliament, as a material step towards deepening cooperation between Estonia and its strategic partner with the United States.

Estonia has previously signed a similar agreement with Germany, while the United States has signed similar agreements with Germany, the Netherlands and Poland among others.
GENEVA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Secretary General said Thursday an agreement on the creation of a unified Cyprus was "very close," though negotiations needed to continue to bridge persisting gaps between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders.

"We are coming very close to what the settlement is in relation to the creation of a bi-zonal, bi-community, federal institution to the Republic of Cyprus," Antonio Guterres told press here.

"To implement it, we need to find a number of instruments...with the common objective that those instruments satisfy the security concerns of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities," he added.

An international conference on Cyprus kicked off on Thursday following three days of negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci at Geneva's UN headquarters.

Involving the foreign ministers of the three guarantor powers (Turkey, Greece and Britain), the conference is seen as an historic opportunity to broker a deal which could end decades of division.

"We are at the starting point, this is the first time the five parties have discussed security and guarantees," the Secretary General highlighted.

"It is my hope that there will be a breakthrough, and I think that is what the people of Cyprus deserve and what the world needs today," he added.

If a deal were to be reached, it would subsequently be put to a public vote to both sides of the ethnically-divided island.

No indication as to when talks are expected to come to a close was given, though Guterres said his goal was to enable rival parties to come to a concrete solution that they are comfortable with.

Cyprus has been divided in two since 1974 after Turkish troops occupied the northern part of the small Mediterranean island in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

While the southern Greek Cypriot side is recognized by the international community and is a member of the European Union (EU), only Ankara officially recognizes the break-away northern region.
NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lecturers from Kenya's public universities on Thursday threatened to down tools if the government fails to implement a salary rise deal signed in 2013 within a week.

The latest strike notice issued by unions representing teaching and non-teaching staff in public universities threatened to paralysis the country's education sector that has been earmarked for major reforms this year.

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) jointly issued the strike notice citing the government's dithering in the implementation of 2013-2017 comprehensive bargaining agreement (CBA) on better remuneration and working conditions.

Secretary-General of KUSU Charles Mukhwaya said lecturers and subordinate workers will down tools if the state fails to implement the salary hike deal in the next one week.

"We urge the government to embrace dialogue and hasten implementation of the salary increment deal signed with unions to stave off the looming strike," said Mukhwaya.

He said the strike was the last option and the university teaching fraternity was not keen to plunge the education sector into a crisis that is currently engulfing the health sector.

The union chief said they should not be blamed if their strike begins on Jan. 19.

The pay dispute between government and university workers has been going on for years, with lecturers and non-academic staff calling for strikes.

In the recent past, the pay dispute saw lecturers down tools accusing the government of failing to implement in total a 2008/2009 CBA signed between unions and Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum.

The lecturers were then pushing for 40-percent pay hike. The salary talks are long overdue -- the Salaries and Remunerations Commission directed all government departments in 2012 to initiate talks that would culminate in CBAs for 2013-17.

The looming strike will affect 33 public universities where majority of youth from low-income families enroll for higher education.

Union officials claimed that the last time teaching staff in public universities were awarded a salary increase was in 2010.

They regretted that salaries for university teaching staff have remained stagnant for a long period during which the cost of living rose tremendously.

University lecturers have since mid last year threatened to go on strike due to poor remuneration despite their heavy workload.

Experts have sounded alarm over escalating standoff between the government and university staff, saying it could plunge education sector into a prolonged crisis that would have ripple effects across other sectors of the economy.

There was no comment from the ministry of education on the university lecturers' strike ultimatum.
VILNIUS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Snow Meeting, an informal gathering of Lithuanian and foreign security policy experts and high-profile diplomats, started on Thursday in Lithuanian resort Trakai.

The traditional annual informal meeting of security policy experts is held for the 10th time. This year the event is to gather around 90 security experts, high-profile politicians and diplomats from more than 20 countries, according to the Lithuanian foreign ministry.

Among guests are the NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller and US Army General Philip Mark Breedlove, former supreme commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Europe.

They are to discuss security challenges that transatlantic cooperation countries have been facing recently as well as the latest decisions made at the NATO Warsaw summit last summer on strengthening defense capabilities at NATO's Eastern Flank, according to the Lithuanian foreign ministry.

According to the country's defense ministry, "the situation after the U.S. presidential election" will also be discussed.

Traditionally, discussions at the Snow Meeting are held behind closed doors.

The meeting took place amid heightened security tensions in the region.

Lithuania and other Baltic states have found themselves under increased threat, since conflicts in the Eastern Ukraine emerged in 2014.

Lithuania has since then increased defense spending, reintroduced military conscription, asked for an increased allied military presence in the region and stepped up military drills. Enditem
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Thursday announced sanctions on 18 senior Syrian officials in connection to Syrian government's use of chemical weapons.

As a result of the action, any property of the identified persons in the United States must be blocked. Additionally, transactions by Americans involving these persons are generally prohibited, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

"The Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people is a heinous act that violates the longstanding global norm against the production and use of chemical weapons," said Adam Szubin, Acting Under Secretary of Treasury.

"Today's action is a critical part of the international community's effort to hold the Syrian regime accountable for violating the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and UN Security Council Resolution 2118," Szubin added.

The sanctions are imposed based on findings that the Syrian government, specifically the Syrian Arab Air Force, was responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in Talmenes on April 21, 2014, and in Qmenas and Sarmin on March 16, 2015, according to reports issued by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons," Ned Price, spokesperson for National Security Council, said in a statement.

"The Asad regime's barbaric continued attacks demonstrate its willingness to defy basic standards of human decency, its international obligations, and longstanding global norms."

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department also imposed sanctions on an entity associated with Syria's weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-capable ballistic missile program.

The Organization for Technological Industries (OTI) was targeted "in an effort to curb the spread of WMD and protect the U.S. financial system from being exploited by proliferators," said a statement issued by the State Department.
by Bedah Mengo

NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Huge concrete pillars, the seemingly unending tracks and nicely-built stations of a Chinese-built railway are becoming new tourist attractions in Kenya, known for its sandy beaches and wildlife parks.

Stretching from the Mombasa port to the capital Nairobi, the first phase of the standard gauge railway is yet to be completed but has already attracted throngs to get a glimpse.

"I was going for holiday in Mombasa last December and I could not help but stop in Emali to see the progress of the work. I liked the way the pillars stood in water at the Ndumoto bridge undisturbed with a crane doing some work," said Benson Ndwiga, a Kenyan accountant.

Ndwiga, like many other holiday-makers on their way to the coastal region, took photos of the edifice, part of the 3.8-billion-U.S.-dollar railway, before continuing with the journey.

At the Athi River Super Bridge, dozens of visitors were trying to catch a glimpse of the pillars and railroad.

"We are lucky that we will be seeing the train pass here," said Hillary Machera, a resident of Kitengela on the outskirts of Nairobi.

"When the bridge was being erected sometime in October last year, I spend time there capturing how the cranes were working, carrying the huge slabs and fitting them on the pillars. It was something out of this world," Machera told Xinhua.

The railway is the biggest infrastructure project in Kenya since its independence and will replace a track built 100 years ago during British colonial rule.

"Kenya Railways invites you to make a stop and enjoy the incredible sights of the standard gauge railway as you travel," says a message by the corporation.

It has identified Simba Railway Station, Voi Bridge, Taru Crossover, Athi River Super Bridge and Ndumoto bridges as places worth visiting.

Earlier this week, Kenya received from China the first batch of six locomotives, which will run on the railway line.

The locomotives are expected to attract more interest from Kenyans once testing on the rail begins.

The railway will cut the journey time from Nairobi to Mombasa to 4.5 hours from the current 10 hours.

Tourism stakeholders say the railway will be a major boost to tourism by offering comfortable travel and easy connectivity.

"The railway line will link beach and safari tourism and make the products exciting for local and international tourists," Sam Ikwaye, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers's branch official at the Coast, said in a recent interview.

Henry Wandera, a Nairobi-based economics lecturer, said that Kenyans were finding the railway line an attraction as it is the first time many Kenyans witnessed a rail line being constructed.

Wandera said the country's old railway was built when more than half of the current population had not been born, and over three-quarters of them have never used it.

"The new standard gauge railway line offers many a chance to not only see its construction but boarding a train," Wandera said.

The Mombasa-Nairobi railway is expected to begin trial operation in June and to officially open by the beginning of 2018. Enditem
BEIRUT, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's President Michel Aoun stressed Thursday that ties with the "Gulf countries, particularly with Saudi Arabia are back to normal," adding that the misunderstanding is over now and a "new leaf of relations has been turned."

"The Lebanese will witness an increase in the influx of Gulf tourists," Aoun said after a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The president hailed the Lebanese community in the Gulf as well as their support to the "developmental renaissance in Gulf countries."

He also said that all went well in discussion with the Gulf officials on "subjects of common interest." He added that positive response and clear support are received, and agreements will be followed up in mutual visits.

The president expressed hope "that Lebanon takes quick steps forward and gradually restores its position at the Arab, regional and international levels."

During his trip, Aoun held talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha.

The trip was assessed as promising in terms of improving Lebanese-Gulf ties mainly with Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi three-billion-dollar military aid program for the Lebanese army was halted last year over what Riyadh said was the dominance of Hezbollah movement.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday accused Fiat Chrysler of violating the country's Clean Air Act by installing and failing to disclose emissions-cheating software in roughly 104,000 vehicles.

Affected models include the light-duty model year 2014, 2015 and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with 3.0 liter diesel engines sold in the United States, the EPA said, adding that the undisclosed software results in increased emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the vehicles.

"Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in a vehicle's engine is a serious violation of the law, which can result in harmful pollution in the air we breathe," Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a statement.

"We continue to investigate the nature and impact of these devices. All automakers must play by the same rules, and we will continue to hold companies accountable that gain an unfair and illegal competitive advantage."

The accusation followed a similar investigation into Volkswagen for using software to cheat on emissions tests.

The EPA said Fiat Chrysler may be liable for civil penalties and injunctive relief for the alleged violations.

The agency said it's investigating whether the undisclosed software, which it called "auxiliary emission control devices," constitute "defeat devices," which are illegal.

In September 2015, the EPA instituted an expanded testing program to screen for defeat devices on light duty vehicles.

This testing revealed that the Fiat Chrysle vehicle models in question produce increased NOx emissions under conditions that would be encountered in normal operation and use.

As part of the investigation, the EPA said it has found at least eight undisclosed pieces of software that can alter how a vehicle emits air pollution.

Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that it's "disappointed" by the EPA's decision to issue the notice of violation and pledged to work with the incoming administration on this case.

The company said it "has spent months providing voluminous information in response to requests from EPA and other governmental authorities and has sought to explain its emissions control technology to EPA representatives."

In addition, it has proposed "a number of actions" to address EPA's concerns, including developing extensive software changes to its emissions control strategies "that could be implemented in these vehicles immediately to further improve emissions performance."

The company claimed that its emissions control systems "meet all applicable regulatory requirements," "are properly justified and thus are not 'defeat devices' under applicable regulations."
An Airbus A321 airliner arrives at the Mehrabad international airport during the delivery of the first batch of planes to the Iranian state airline Iran Air in the capital Tehran on Jaunary 12, 2017. (AFP/Xinhua)

TEHRAN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- First Airbus A321 plane, which Iran purchased in the post-sanction era, landed in the capital Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday, official IRNA news agency reported.

In December, Iran sealed a contract with Airbus to buy 100 aircraft worth over 18 billion U.S. dollars.

Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi and his deputies, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and a number of parliament members were present in the airport upon the arrival of A321, the report said.

The Managing Director of the country's flag-carrier Iran Air, Farhad Parvaresh, and the Chief Executive Officer of France's Airbus Company Fabrice Bregier were among the passengers of the A321.

On Wednesday, Iran formally received the commercial plane from Airbus in France's Toulouse.

The delivery of the A321, as Iran's first brand-new plane in over 37 years, is the first in a batch of 100 jets purchased by Iran Air recently to renew its aged passenger fleet.
Syrian men and Civil Defence volunteers, also known as the White Helmets, search for survivors amid the rubble of a building following an air strike on the village of Maaret al-Numan, in the country's northern province of Idlib, on January 7, 2017. (AFP/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes killed 22 Islamic State (IS) terrorists in airstrikes on IS targets in Al-Bab, in northern Syria, in the last 24 hours, the Turkish General Staff said on Thursday.

Targets in the air raids included 160 positions belonging to terrorists, including defense positions, shelters and command facilities, the military said in a statement.

A total of 2,845 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed since last August, when Turkey launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against both 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 organizations due to their links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Net foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks held by the European Union (EU) globally amounted to 6.89 trillion euros (7.34 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2015, and more than a third of them were absorbed by the United States, official data revealed on Thursday.

The FDI stocks held by the EU in the U.S. amounted to 2.56 trillion euros at the end of 2015, making up 37.2 percent of the EU's total FDI stocks, far ahead of Switzerland (12.0 percent), Bermuda (5.1 percent) and Brazil (4.7 percent), the EU's statistical office Eurostat said.

In the reverse direction, U.S. direct investors increased their presence in the EU to 2.44 trillion euros of FDI stocks at the end of 2015, or 41.7 percent of total FDI stocks held by the rest of the world in the EU.

Eurostat said the data demonstrated that EU and U.S. markets were still highly interconnected.

Notably, the FDI stocks held by the EU in China totaled 288 billion euros, or 4.2 percent of EU FDI stocks at the end of 2015.

While Chinese direct investments in the EU amounted to 115 billion euros, taking 2 percent of total FDI stocks held by the rest of the world in the EU.

Though investment stocks held globally in the EU rose strongly to 5.84 trillion euros at the end of 2015, the EU maintained a net investment position of slightly above one trillion euros vis-a-vis the rest of the world, the Eurostat said.

FDI stocks help to quantify the impact of globalization and measure longstanding economic links between countries.

They provide an indication of the relative importance of a country's economic presence abroad, or that of foreign partners in the reporting entity, measured in terms of FDI capital.
(From L to R) Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci pose for a photo ahead of the conference on Cyprus negotiations at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Pierre Albouy)

GENEVA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Secretary General said Thursday an agreement on the creation of a unified Cyprus was "very close," though negotiations needed to continue to bridge persisting gaps between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders.

"We are coming very close to what the settlement is in relation to the creation of a bi-zonal, bi-community, federal institution to the Republic of Cyprus," Antonio Guterres told press here.

"To implement it, we need to find a number of instruments...with the common objective that those instruments satisfy the security concerns of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities," he added.

An international conference on Cyprus kicked off on Thursday following three days of negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci at Geneva's UN headquarters.

Involving the foreign ministers of the three guarantor powers (Turkey, Greece and Britain), the conference is seen as an historic opportunity to broker a deal which could end decades of division.

"We are at the starting point, this is the first time the five parties have discussed security and guarantees," the Secretary General highlighted.

"It is my hope that there will be a breakthrough, and I think that is what the people of Cyprus deserve and what the world needs today," he added.

If a deal were to be reached, it would subsequently be put to a public vote to both sides of the ethnically-divided island.

No indication as to when talks are expected to come to a close was given, though Guterres said his goal was to enable rival parties to come to a concrete solution that they are comfortable with.

Cyprus has been divided in two since 1974 after Turkish troops occupied the northern part of the small Mediterranean island in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

While the southern Greek Cypriot side is recognized by the international community and is a member of the European Union (EU), only Ankara officially recognizes the break-away northern region.
ATHENS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Greece has received 481.9 million euros (513.3 million U.S. dollars) in aid from the European Union (EU) over the past two years to deal with the refugee crisis, local media reported on Thursday.

The beneficiaries of the emergency funds are the Greek authorities (ministries, police, coast guard, etc.) and international and European organizations and NGOs, Greek national news agency AMNA reported, citing European Commission data.

At least 186 million euros were allocated for specific projects, including improving existing accommodation centers, constructing new camps before the winter, and improving hygiene conditions.

The data was released as Greek authorities were criticized this week for the lack of adequate preparation to protect refugees from adverse winter weather conditions.

The snow front which has hit Greece hard since last Friday meant that thousands of refugees and migrants had to suffer through it while living in shelters that are ill-adapted for winter.

Tents without heating have been covered in snow in the overcrowded hotspot of Moria on Lesvos island where 2,500 people are accommodated. Other camps on the mainland were similarly affected.

Opposition parties and media talk about the mismanagement of funds and lack of coordination.

Deputy defense minister Dimitris Vitsas said when speaking to Real FM radio station that authorities "were caught unprepared."

"I am not looking for excuses, especially for Moria," he said, as a Hellenic Navy ship was dispatched to Lesvos to help provide accommodation from Thursday to about 500 refugees and migrants.

The majority of the 62,000 refugees and migrants stranded in Greece since the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe last February were hosted in better living conditions, Vitsas said.
PARIS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande on Thursday called on Syrian rival camps to resume negotiations "as quickly as possible" to implement a peace accord through the United Nations (UN).

In a New Year greetings message to diplomats, Hollande stressed negotiations should resume and have to be led "under the auspices of the United Nations within the framework agreed in Geneva in 2012".

"The parameters have been set, so what needs to be done is to invite the concerned parties, all the parties, except fundamentalist and extremist groups, and to act in the Geneva framework," he added.

As part of diplomatic efforts to peacefully end the years-long civil war in Syria, the UN will convene a new round of Syrian talks on Feb. 8 in Geneva.

In December 2016, the Syrian government and rebel groups agreed on a Russian/Turkish-backed peace deal to stop hostilities in preparation for talks scheduled later this month in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

Syria's uprising, which the UN says has killed more than 300,000 people, has become one of the bloodiest of the Arab Spring revolts sweeping the region since the end of 2010.
WINDHOEK, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- To ensure all learners are enrolled into formal schools and address lack of learning space, Namibia's Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture is holding lessons under tents in Namibian Capital, Windhoek.

It was 10:30 on a Thursday and the sun was at its peak. At Tobias Hainyeko Project School on the outskirts of Windhoek, learners sit in tents for their second day at school.

"We have been teaching in tents upon establishment of the pilot phase of the school," said School Principal, Brian Nabeni.

According to Nabeni, teaching in tents maybe challenging but they strive to maximize on facilities available. "We cannot wait for the conditions to be right for education to take place to groom the future generation," he said.

As part of its pilot phase, the Tobias Hainyeko Project School first had 12 tents erected on a sport field in 2015, and another 12 were added in 2016.

As government battles with a lack of educational infrastructure to accommodate a huge influx of learners, tent schools has become a solution.

"As Khomas region population grows and faces a high influx of migrants, the Ministry seeks alternate infrastructure, tents in this case, to accommodate learners," said Gerard Vries, Director of Education, Arts and Culture in the Khomas region.

With rural-urban migration, the number of Windhoek residents have increased, especially in the informal settlements. Of the 325,858 people living in Windhoek, over 110,000 are living in informal settlements, with an estimated close to 100,000 living in wood and zinc structures in Havana informal settlement alone, according to recent records by Namibia Statistics Agency.

According to Vries, the Ministry thus resorts to tents as first aid. "The tents are erected at project schools, which temporarily run while we await for the construction and development of permanent school structure," said Vries.

Faced with a dire infrastructural development need, the Namibian government has since prioritized educational infrastructural development in its efforts to curb the shortage and enhance the provision of inclusive quality education, said Deputy Minister, Ester Anna Nghipondoka on Thursday.

"We prioritized the transformation of tent lessons into permanent structure, hence you see construction of the class block has commences on one part of the school, while teaching continues on the other side of the site to ensure continues learning," said the Deputy Minister during a site visit to the school on Thursday.

Construction of 24 classrooms has since commenced in 2016 at Tobias Hainyeko Project School. The school is not alone.

At Otjomuise residential area in the capital, the first phase of the construction of eight classrooms at Westmont High School was been completed.

School Principal Brian Pieterse said that his school was just transformed from tent to a permanent structure. "I am very happy and pleased that the government availed funds for the construction of the school. We no longer have to offer lessons in tents," said Pieterse.

Plans are underway, according to Nghipondoka to transform more schools into permanent fully fledged schools. "This include the Havana Secondary Project School in the Moses Garoeb Constituency where 12 tents were erected. The Ministry has also secured land of Farm 506 for the construction of schools," Nghipondika added.

Meanwhile, local leadership is advocating for provision of education to its community. Martin David, Constituency Councilor of Moses Garoeb said that there is a demand for educational facilities, as numbers of dwellers in his area keeps swelling.

"I am pleased that the government has provided tents and are with time transforming the tent schools into permanent structure. This will solve the problem of out of school children in the Havana informal settlement," David said.

In the interim, to fast track the construction of the school, "the Ministry decentralized the governance of capital projects to the regional offices. This is to expedite service delivery and infrastructure development," said Nghipondoka.

During the 2016/17 fiscal year, the Ministry allocated 838 million Namibian dollars (62 million U.S. dollars) for its development budget, meaning that 6.6 percent of the total budget was for capital expenditure. Enditem
MOGADISHU, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Foreign envoys in Somalia on Thursday called on leaders in the regional state of Galmudug to resolve differences which erupted early this week through dialogue.

In a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the envoys from the United Nations, African Union, European Union, United Nations expressed concern about the unfolding dispute within the Galmudug regional assembly and between members of the assembly and President Abdikarim Guled.

"The dispute, which has led to a vote to remove the president from office, with the president and the speaker of the assembly rejecting the vote as illegal, is potentially destabilizing," the envoys said in the statement.

Guled lost no-confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday after lawmakers criticized him of poor leadership. First Deputy Speaker Ali Hared Ali said 54 parliamentarians voted to impeach Guled. The Speaker was absent.

The parliamentary session carried out in the absence of the president and parliament speaker, whereas all lawmakers agreed to carry out the no-confidence vote, added Ali.

However, Galmudug Vice President Mohamed Hashi Araby was set to take over power according to the state constitution, as the parliament is expected to deliberate on sessions to elect new president for the regional State.

But the international partners called on all the stakeholders in Galmudug, in particular members of the regional assembly, the speaker of the assembly and the president, to resolve the underlying issues through dialogue and refrain from resorting to any acts of violence.

They urged all Somalis, including the security forces, to now focus on consolidating and building on the gains from the electoral and state-building processes and make every effort to avoid actions that could undermine the progress that is unfolding in the country.

Guled was elected in 2015 as the head of interim Glamudug administration, but is accused of incompetence and frequent absence from the region. The MPs were also considering tabling a similar motion against the speaker. Enditem
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Mother-daughter conflict can explain why killer whales are one of only three known species of mammal, including humans, to go through the menopause, researchers said Thursday.

Using 43 years of demographic data on killer whales, the study published in the U.S. journal Current Biology, found that when mothers and daughters breed at the same time, the offsprings of the old-generation females are 1.7 times more likely to die than those of younger females.

Under those circumstances, it's better evolutionarily speaking for older females to stop reproducing themselves and invest in helping their younger family members succeed, according to the study led by Darren Croft of the University of Exeter.

Previously, Croft and colleagues have shown that post reproductive killer whales have a "grandmother" role within the pod and that they share knowledge of when and where to find food, which increases the survival of their family group.

"Our previous work shows how old females help, but not why they stop reproducing," Croft said in a statement. "Females of many species act as leaders in late life but continue to reproduce, but this new research shows that old females go through the menopause because they lose out in reproductive competition with their own daughters."

Female killer whales typically start reproducing by age 15 and stop reproducing in their 30s or 40s, but just like humans they can live for many decades following menopause. Male killer whales typically have a shorter lifespan than females and many do not survive beyond 30 years.

Earlier theoretical work by study co-authors Mike Cant of the University of Exeter, and Rufus Johnstone of the University of Cambridge, suggested that conflict between generations may help to explain why humans go through menopause.

According to the "reproductive conflict" hypothesis, women in ancestral human social groups become more closely related to those around them with age, which predisposed older females to stop reproduction and invest in late-life helping. In contrast, young women are predicted to invest in competitive effort to reproduce.

In the new study, the scientists studied two populations of killer whales which live off the North West Pacific Coast of Canada and the United States.

The populations included several pods, made up a several family groups. One of the pods -- J pod which currently consists of 24 individuals -- was led by J2 whose death was reported this month and who had been post reproductive for at least 40 years.

"J2 was the 'wise elder' in the Southern Resident killer whale clan," said study co-author Deborah Giles of the Center for Whale Research. "I will always remember her amazing ability to call the other whales to her by vigorously slapping her tail on the water, even from miles away the other whales would turn around and come immediately to J2's side."

As a result, menopause in killer whales is no accident, said Croft. Rather, it's an evolved trait driven by both cooperation and conflict in family groups.

Croft said they now plan to use drones to look more closely at the behavioral interactions among individuals.

"We want to understand how old and young females are behaving in ways that impact the survival of their calves," he said. "For example, who are individuals sharing food with and when are they sharing it? Who is doing the babysitting? By getting a bird's eye view, we will be able to transform our understanding of the social lives of these amazing animals."
The Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Dec. 29, 2016 and he announces a gradual reduction in military presence in Syria.

MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that it is continuing to reduce military presence in Syria, in response to U.S. media reports of more Russian forces there despite a withdrawal announcement.

On Wednesday, Fox News TV channel quoted two unnamed U.S. officials as saying that Russia was actually increasing its armed forces in Syria although the country began to pull its aircraft carrier group out of the Mediterranean last Friday.

The reports said four Russian Su-25 jets, known as Frogfoots by NATO, arrived in Syria Monday.

Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, said the four Su-25 aircraft have indeed been transferred from Russia to Hmeimin air base in Syria "within the framework of scheduled rotation."

According to the spokesman, the first six Su-24 bombers have already been withdrawn to Russia, and some other aircraft with pilots and technical staff will shortly follow suit.

The Russian naval group, which includes the country's sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with over 40 aircraft, is also on its way to the permanent base in Severomorsk, Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a gradual reduction of his country's military presence in Syria after the Syrian government and the opposition groups reached a nationwide truce agreement in late December.

Mediators and Syrian conflicting factions are expected to meet in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month to seek solutions to the chronic crisis.
FRANKFURT, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The German economy produced its strongest growth in five years in 2016, thanks to a surge in consumer spending and government support for refugees, official data revealed on Thursday.

German gross domestic product (GDP), the world's third largest one after the U.S. and China, rose 1.9 percent year on year in 2016, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

In 2015 and 2014, the German economy grew by 1.7 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Destatis attributed the solid growth to the surge of consumer spending and government support for refugees.

German household consumption rose by 2.0 percent last year, and contributed 1.1-percentage point to total GDP, Destatis said.

The increase in government consumption was markedly larger, reaching a growth rate of 4.2 percent.

The large number of people seeking refuge in Germany resulted in considerable costs and was among the drivers of the large increase in public expenditure, according to Destatis.

In the meantime, Germany recorded its highest employment since 1991 with a total of 43.5 million employees, contributing to the economic growth.

In addition, labor productivity in 2016 increased by 1.2 percent.
Palestinians chant slogans during a protest against the ongoing electricity crisis in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on January 12, 2017. (AFP/Xinhua)

GAZA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The police forces of Islamic Hamas movement rule in the Gaza Strip dispersed on Thursday night thousands of demonstrators who protested against an unprecedented electricity crisis in the coastal enclave.

Witnesses said that thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in northern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Jabalia to demonstrate against the unresolved mounting electricity crisis.

The demonstrators chanted slogans that called on isolating the electricity question from the internal feuds and disputes between Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who rules the West Bank.

The witnesses said when the crowds reached the headquarters of power corporation in northern Gaza, Hamas police officers fired into the air and clashed with the demonstrators. No injuries were reported, while some were arrested.

The protests broke out after social media activists had several days ago called on the populations in the impoverished coastal enclave to demonstrate against the Hamas-run electricity company.

Ayman Batniji, Hamas police spokesman told Xinhua that police officers tried to disperse the demonstrators after they tried to attack the headquarters of power corporation in northern Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Thursday evening, similar protests and demonstrations broke out in central Gaza Strip. The police haven't intervened, but called on the populations that they to peacefully demonstrate away from any vandalize.

Mohamed Abu Jayyab, a Palestinian specialist in economy from Gaza, told Xinhua on the phone that the internal political disputes between Gaza and Ramallah, besides the limited amounts of electricity that is generated or received from Israel and Egypt, "are the main reasons for the current crisis."

"We have been hearing about projects, funded by Qatar, Egypt or Turkey, but nothing happen on the ground due to internal Palestinian disputes on power," said Abu Jayyab, adding that the only solution to end the crisis is "to leave the power station and the electricity away from these internal disputes and feuds."

As the crisis has been recently mounting, the two parties of the internal division kept trading accusations on who is responsible for the crisis. Hamas officials accused Abbas and his Palestinian Authority (PA) government for tightening its measures on the shipment of fuels that operate the sole power station in the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, Ma'moon Abu Shahla, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) minister of labor from Gaza told reporters that Hamas, which fully rules and controls the Gaza Strip "is fully responsible for the electricity shortage crisis."

"The Palestinian Authority consensus government pays every year one billion shekels (around 260 million U.S. dollars) for the electricity in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas rulers collect unknown and unlimited electricity fees from the populations," he said.

However, Tarek Lubad, the public information officer in the Hamas-run electricity company, told Xinhua that the Gaza Strip's normal daily need of electricity is 500 megawatts, adding that "we expect that on 2018, the Gaza Strip's need for electricity would amount to 800 megawatts."

"Unfortunately, all what we receive today is not more than 240 megawatts and it comes from three sources: 120 megawatts from Israel, 20 megawatts from Egypt and 100 megawatts from the sole power station that needs fuels shipped from Israel every day," said Lubad.

He went on saying that due to fuel shortage, the power station only generates 45 megawatts per day.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said Thursday that little tangible progress has been made in the peace process in Sudan's Darfur region and called for long-term solutions that would allow 2.6 million displaced people to return or resettle.

"Civilians remain exposed to significant sources of insecurity such as inter-communal conflict and criminality, including the activities of armed militias," said Ladsous while briefing the UN Security Council on Darfur.

He noted that there had been a significant decrease in armed conflict, particularly due to the Sudanese government's military successes against the armed movements and the efforts to reduce inter-communal violence.

On the political front, he said there has been "little tangible progress" in the Darfur peace process, adding that "the linchpin of the process and future political talks, which is an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian assistance, has remained stalled."

The UN peacekeeping chief stressed the need for long-term comprehensive solutions to create the necessary conditions for the return and resettlement of the 2.6 million people who remain displaced and for the resolution of the underlying causes of conflict related to access to land, water and other natural resources.

Sudan's permanent representative to the UN Omer Dahab Fadl said his government was doing everything it could to establish a holistic and long-term peace across his country in an effort to put an end to the conflict.

Sudan's Darfur region has been witnessing a civil war since 2003, where major armed groups in the region refuse to join the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) that was signed in Doha, Qatar in 2011.
MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Thursday retook control of more areas in the eastern side of the Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Mosul in northern Iraq, as fierce clashes continued against the extremist militants, the Iraqi military said.

In the southeastern front, a rapid reaction force affiliated with the Iraqi federal police completely freed al-Salam neighborhood and raised the Iraqi flags on some of its buildings after heavy clashes with IS militants that left dozens of IS militants killed and wounded, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said.

The federal police also freed the neighborhoods of Sumer and Sahiron after days of fierce street-to-street clashes in the southeastern part of the eastern side of the Tigris River that bisects Mosul, the statement said.

The troops killed a prominent IS leader and his aide during the battles Sumer neighborhood, according to Brigadier General Ali Mahmoud from the federal police who spoke to Xinhua by telephone.

In the eastern front, the elite forces of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) have been fighting heavy clashes during the day with IS militants in Faisaliyah neighborhood, just near the old bridge that linked to downtown Mosul in western side of Tigris, a source from CTS told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The CTS commandos are also fighting to flush out IS militants from several neighborhoods, which were freed during the battles of the past two days, the source said.

"The terrorist Daesh (IS) militants are collapsing after losing most of the eastern side neighborhoods and after many of their leaders were killed by the security forces," the source added.

The battles in Mosul came as the CTS commandos, army troops and federal police launched on Dec. 29 the second phase of a major offensive to free Mosul.

The troops made their new push into several neighborhoods in the eastern side of Mosul, locally known as the left bank of the Tigris River.

Last month, battles in Mosul had been slowed as extremist militants used locals as human shields, resorted to suicide car bombs and made mortar and sniper attacks in stiff resistance.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a report issued earlier in the day that the military operations in Mosul have pushed up to 145,000 civilians to flee their homes in the city and its adjacent districts since the beginning of military offensive in October to reclaim the IS largest stronghold in Iraq.

More than 1.5 million people were trapped in the city of roughly two million population previously. Cold winter worsened the conditions for the displaced people who suffered severe shortages of food and water, while camps and other emergency shelters reached maximum capacity.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 17 announced a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city.

Since then, Iraqi security forces, backed by international coalition forces, have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China is pursuing an economic policy that is carefully calibrated to ensure both growth and stability, according to a World Bank economist.

Franziska Ohnsorge, lead economist with the World Bank, told Xinhua in London that China was in the midst of significant structural reforms.

"The authorities are very carefully calibrating their growth path. They are beginning to unwind financial sector vulnerabilities.

"House prices seem to be stabilizing. They have placed property market restrictions in some places. Credit growth is slowing," she said.

"So they are unwinding -- slowly, slowly, gradually -- financial market vulnerabilities."

The key to resolving structural imbalance lies in pushing supply-side reform, according to a statement following the Central Economic Work Conference last month.

The curbing of asset bubbles will assume more importance in 2017 as the property market has raised fears of risks to financial stability.

China pro-growth measures and loose monetary policies had fueled strong growth in real estate and investment, two sectors that have proved critical growth drivers, but not without unwanted outcomes.

For example, house prices in major cities have soared in an unreasonable manner and required tightening measures.

Ohnsorge said: "It is a very careful balancing act that the authorities are implementing.

"For now we see it well managed and it is on track to meet the expectations of a gradual slowdown."

Ohnsorge is the lead author of the World Bank's latest report on the global economy, which was published on Wednesday.

The report noted that Chinese growth is estimated to have slightly decelerated to 6.7 percent last year.

As part of continuing economic rebalancing, growth has been concentrated primarily in services, while industrial production has stabilized at moderate levels.

The internal rebalancing is also evident on the demand side -- consumption growth has been strong, while investment growth has continued to moderate from the post-crisis peak.

Ohnsorge was confident that the structure of the Chinese banking system provided authorities with an effective tool to manage the stresses that might emerge in 2017.

"In a way the authorities have the buffers needed to offset any stresses that might emerge," she said.

"Government debt, even by its broadest estimate, is of the order of 60 percent of GDP. There is room to provide support.

"The largest banks, the banking system at least, is to a large degree State-owned so that supports confidence when there are stresses."

The World Bank report noted that despite some easing, capital outflows from China remained sizable and continued to put downward pressure on the currency.

"So all these institutions, and the fiscal buffers, they add to the stability," she added.
Iraqis youths push a cart carrying an elderly woman in Mosul's al-Sahiroun neighbourhood on January 12, 2017, during a military operation by Iraqi security forces against IS militants. (AFP/Xinhua)

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Thursday retook control of more areas in the eastern side of the Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Mosul in northern Iraq, as fierce clashes continued against the extremist militants, the Iraqi military said.

In the southeastern front, a rapid reaction force affiliated with the Iraqi federal police completely freed al-Salam neighborhood and raised the Iraqi flags on some of its buildings after heavy clashes with IS militants that left dozens of IS militants killed and wounded, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said.

The federal police also freed the neighborhoods of Sumer and Sahiron after days of fierce street-to-street clashes in the southeastern part of the eastern side of the Tigris River that bisects Mosul, the statement said.

The troops killed a prominent IS leader and his aide during the battles Sumer neighborhood, according to Brigadier General Ali Mahmoud from the federal police who spoke to Xinhua by telephone.

In the eastern front, the elite forces of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) have been fighting heavy clashes during the day with IS militants in Faisaliyah neighborhood, just near the old bridge that linked to downtown Mosul in western side of Tigris, a source from CTS told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The CTS commandos are also fighting to flush out IS militants from several neighborhoods, which were freed during the battles of the past two days, the source said.

"The terrorist Daesh (IS) militants are collapsing after losing most of the eastern side neighborhoods and after many of their leaders were killed by the security forces," the source added.

The battles in Mosul came as the CTS commandos, army troops and federal police launched on Dec. 29 the second phase of a major offensive to free Mosul.

The troops made their new push into several neighborhoods in the eastern side of Mosul, locally known as the left bank of the Tigris River.

Last month, battles in Mosul had been slowed as extremist militants used locals as human shields, resorted to suicide car bombs and made mortar and sniper attacks in stiff resistance.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a report issued earlier in the day that the military operations in Mosul have pushed up to 145,000 civilians to flee their homes in the city and its adjacent districts since the beginning of military offensive in October to reclaim the IS largest stronghold in Iraq.

More than 1.5 million people were trapped in the city of roughly two million population previously. Cold winter worsened the conditions for the displaced people who suffered severe shortages of food and water, while camps and other emergency shelters reached maximum capacity.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 17 announced a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city.

Since then, Iraqi security forces, backed by international coalition forces, have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
DAMASCUS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and 17 others wounded on Thursday by a suicide bombing in the Kafarsuseh neighborhood in the capital Damascus, a military source told Xinhua.

Two suicide bombers were haunted down by the authorities before detonating their explosive belts near the Muhafaza sport club in Kafarsuseh west of Damascus, said the source, on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the state TV aired footage of the blast site, showing bloodstained walls, and charred car cases as a number of policemen holding their rifles roaming the area.

The explosion comes as the Syrian army and allied Shiite fighters are so close to capture the Barada Valley region northwest of Damascus, in a bid to secure the Ain Fijeh springs, the main water source feeding the capital.
Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad carry the national flag as they ride on a motocycle in Qusair, after the Syrian army took control from rebel fighters, June 5, 2013. (REUTERS/Mohammed Azakir)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Thursday announced sanctions on 18 senior Syrian officials in connection to Syrian government's use of chemical weapons.

As a result of the action, any property of the identified persons in the United States must be blocked. Additionally, transactions by Americans involving these persons are generally prohibited, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

"The Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people is a heinous act that violates the longstanding global norm against the production and use of chemical weapons," said Adam Szubin, Acting Under Secretary of Treasury.

"Today's action is a critical part of the international community's effort to hold the Syrian regime accountable for violating the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and UN Security Council Resolution 2118," Szubin added.

The sanctions are imposed based on findings that the Syrian government, specifically the Syrian Arab Air Force, was responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in Talmenes on April 21, 2014, and in Qmenas and Sarmin on March 16, 2015, according to reports issued by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons," Ned Price, spokesperson for National Security Council, said in a statement.

"The Asad regime's barbaric continued attacks demonstrate its willingness to defy basic standards of human decency, its international obligations, and longstanding global norms."

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department also imposed sanctions on an entity associated with Syria's weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-capable ballistic missile program.

The Organization for Technological Industries (OTI) was targeted "in an effort to curb the spread of WMD and protect the U.S. financial system from being exploited by proliferators," said a statement issued by the State Department.
MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia have agreed to take further countermeasures in response to the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), officials from both countries said Thursday.

The countermeasures will be aimed at safeguarding interests of China and Russia and the strategic balance in the region, said a statement released after the sixth China-Russia consultation on security situation in the Northeast Asia.

The two countries reiterated their serious concerns about and firm opposition to Washington and Seoul's constant attempts to deploy THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, according to the statement.

China and Russia urged the United States and South Korea to address their security concerns and stop the deployment of THAAD on the Korean Peninsula, it said.

Seoul and Washington abruptly announced a decision in July last year to deploy one THAAD battery by the end of this year, triggering strong opposition from China and Russia as the U.S. missile defense system's X-band radar can peer into territories of the two countries.

The United States and South Korea claim that THAAD will be used to neutralize missile threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while China and Russia believe the powerful system will harm their strategic interests.

Both China and Russia believe the current situation in the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asia is complicated and sensitive, the statement said.

The two countries urged all relevant parties to exercise restraint to prevent activities which could aggravate tensions, it added.

They also reaffirmed their insistence on the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability of the peninsula, and searching for solutions through dialogue and consultation.

The two countries also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination to jointly cope with the situation in the Northeast Asia.

Thursday's meeting was co-chaired by China's Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.
MADRID, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Spain would work hard to defend its interests and the rights of its citizens during the British exit of the European Union, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Thursday.

Both Spain and Ireland "face the serious problems posed by the Brexit. We will work hard to defend our respective interests and to defend the rights of our citizens," he told reporters at a joint press conference with visiting Irish counterpart Enda Kenny.

Kenny was the first foreign leader to visit Rajoy following the start of Rajoy's second mandate as Spanish Prime Minister at the end of 2016.

The pair held a working meeting at Rajoy's official residence, during which they discussed issues such as the effects of the Brexit and the economic situation of their respective countries.

Rajoy also gave a message of optimism over the Spanish and Irish economies, saying both countries have "returned to the road of growth and the creation of employment".
LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Plans for what would be Britain's first tidal lagoon won backing Thursday in an independent government-commissioned study.

The 1.6 billion-U.S.dollar project would see a tidal lagoon built in Swansea Bay off the coast of Wales.

Former government energy minister Charles Hendry recommended the scheme following a year long independent review into the viability of the renewable energy technology.

He wants to see the building of the Swansea Bay lagoon to capture energy from the sea.

The project would involve 16 turbines along a breakwater and is being seen as a prototype for much larger lagoons. The hope is the scheme will lead to the development of even larger lagoons around the coast of Britain.

There have been calls for many years for Britain to harness the sea power around its coastline as a way of generating green energy.

Hendry said unlike barrages, the proposed lagoons do not block the mouth of a river.

He said: "We know it absolutely works. One of the great advantages is it is completely predictable for all time to come. We know exactly when the spring tides and neap tides are going to be every single day for the rest of time."

An even bigger tidal lagoon in Cardiff Bay, costing 10 billion U.S.dollars, would generate enough electricity to power every home in Wales, said the company behind the project Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP).

TLP's Mark Shorrock said: "Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is a vision of how Great Britain can replace part of our aging power station fleet with low cost, reliable power that also revitalizes our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.
ANKARA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Russia signed an agreement on Thursday to establish mechanisms and coordination for the safety of military aviation in Syria, the Turkish army said.

The meetings were held in Moscow between the Russian and Turkish military representatives to ensure the flight security during operations in Syria, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on its website.

"The purpose of the deal is to specify the mechanisms for coordination and cooperation for flight safety of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Turkish Air Force during offensive against terrorist targets," the statement said.

Ankara and Moscow are experiencing improved relations after Turkey and Russia brokered a nationwide peace deal in Syria.

A nationwide cease-fire deal in Syria was reached in December 2016 with the efforts of the two countries.

Russia reportedly began hitting the Islamic State (IS) positions near al-Bab.

The Russian support came after Turkey criticized the U.S.-led international coalition for not backing its military offensive against IS.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are also likely to meet next month within the scope of a Turkey-Russia High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting, the Daily Sabah reported citing a diplomatic source.
TIRANA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Albania and Macedonia continued to be at odds with each other as Albania's leadership on Thursday denied the accusation of interference in Macedonia's internal affairs.

Albania only takes care of the Albanians in Macedonia the same way as it does for Albanians living in other places, Albanian President Bujar Nishani told Macedonia's Alsat TV in an interview.

Earlier, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki accused officials in Albania of meddling in Macedonia's internal affairs.

The tensions emerged after three main Albanian-minority parties in Macedonia visited the Albanian capital Tirana last week.

During the visit, the three Albanian-minority parties discussed with Albanian Prime Minster Edi Rama a joint platform for new government formation in Macedonia.

The joint platform was announced later in the Macedonian capital Skopje.

One of the conditions set by the Albanian parties in Macedonia was the use of Albanian language as the second official language.

The Albanian authorities praised such a platform, saying that it was good to see Albanian joining together to defend their interests.

According to President Nishani, the joint platform is entirely an investment and responsibility of the Albanian political factor in Macedonia in the interest of the rights of Albanians and a real contribution for the future of Macedonia.

Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati also said that the platform aimed a better co-existence between Macedonians, Albanians and other minorities in Macedonia.

Noting that the platform was based on the Ohrid Agreement, Bushati claimed that Albania was not involved in the internal affairs of its friendly and neighboring country.

Poposki said that politicians in Tirana had interfered in the affairs of Macedonia, with the aim to gain political points.

It is not good when a neighboring country meddles in the internal affairs of another country, especially after democratic elections and prior to the formation of the government, Poposki said.

This sort of behavior is sending wrong messages in the region, he said.

Albanians are the largest ethnic minority in Macedonia.
LISBON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa talked with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday about their historical bilateral relations and the Lajes air base on Terceira island of the Portuguese Azores islands, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency.

"The President of the Republic has just spoken with President(elect) Trump, recalling the good historical relationship between the two countries, which is a guarantee of the continuation of a useful cooperation in the future," a Portuguese official was quoted as saying.

During the phone talk which lasted about 12 minutes, Rebelo de Sousa talked about the Lajes base in the Azores, among other subjects.

The United States announced on Jan.7, 2015 that it would gradually reduce the number of Portuguese employees in Lajes.

It also plans to reduce the number of American civilians and soldiers in Lajes, following the global economic crisis, which Portugal has strongly objected.

The Portuguese government has insisted on the "strategic importance" of the Lajes base.
DAMASCUS, Jan.13 (Xinhua) -- Explosions rocked a key military airbase west of the capital Damascus after midnight Friday, in what believed to be Israeli rocket fire targeting the facility, local media reported.
Luca V. Teuchmann/Getty ImagesFormer X Factor UK finalist Rebecca Ferguson, who stated last week that she was willing to accept an invitation to sing at Donald Trump's inauguration -- under the condition that she be allowed to perform Billie Holiday's 1939 classic "Strange Fruit" -- has officially turned down the opportunity.

In a statement Ferguson explains that "there are many grey areas about the offer for me to perform that I'm unable to share right now, but I will not be singing."

"Due to circumstances beyond my control concerning the offer to perform at the Inauguration Concert, I was thrown into the middle of a political arena last week. I wasn't comfortable with the song choice made on my behalf, and although I'm very blessed to have a gift that gives me amazing opportunities, as a mother and an artist, I had to defend my stance. That is why I made the decision to sing 'Strange Fruit' when I was invited," she adds.

"Strange Fruit," which was first published as a poem by New York writer Abel Meeropol in 1937, and later recorded by Billie Holiday, addresses the lynchings of African Americans in the early 20th century.

"Strange Fruit" includes the lyrics "Southern trees bear strange fruit/Blood on the leaves and blood at the root/Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Petrotrin, OWTU to discuss productivity

Under the agreement reached on Monday, the union accepted the interim award which would pay the 5% increase in the next salary payment due in February and the backpay, resulting from the agreement, at a later stage.

At a news conference at the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development as the agreement was announced on Monday, Harewood said this provision was unique and may be one of the good things to come out of the standoff. He said it gives the company a chance to defer the payments to a period when it is in a much better position to pay. He estimated the 5% increase would add $80 million a year to the companys wage bill which he said would be covered through efficiencies in operating expenses.

According to Harewood, the company continues to look at ways of improving its overall performance and take strategic decisions required to restructure the company and determine what the new Petrotrin would look like.

He said the $80 million would come from operations, noting that having averted a strike the company will continue to earn foreign exchange as it continues to operate its refineries and sell refined products so it now becomes integral to part of the business of running Petrotrin as we go forward.

He said while the companys overall level of operating expense was a concern it had communicated to the shareholder  the Government  through the board of directors, and the company was committed to finding ways of reducing its expenditure. We have already started to witness a downward trend in our operating expenses and we believe that with the focus and the approach we expect, that trend will continue.

With the interim agreement, the negotiations for the 2014- 2017 period has been referred to the Industrial. Harewood said there was no guaranteed settlement for the period at the Industrial Court but the two parties would meet at the court and through conciliation determine their final positions in time to wrap up the negotiations for the 2011-2014 period on February 28.

Responding to the OWTUs call for his removal from the company, Harewood said it should be noted that he met with the union toe to toe and they were able to sign an agreement to work for the betterment of the company. He said that vilification of Chief Executive Officers is par for the course in trade union negotiations but it is also part of strategy and normally when the dust settles, work continues, adding that we are not thin skinned in this business. The oil business is a tough business and we will deal with that as we go forward. We dont hold grudges and we move forward. We do what we have to do.

He said that the Petrotrin refinery has capacity for storage of crude oil and finished refined products and the company had a significant supply of refined products in its tanks from which it could continue supplying the local market as well as meeting the demands of export markets and during this period the company expected to restart the plants which were taken offline as part of its safety and precautionary measures in anticipation of the strike. He said it would take about a week to get those plants running again, pointing out that the plants were shut down deliberately and in a controlled manner and not as an emergency shutdown and so he expected that the company should be able to restart the plants, although there might be some hiccups along the way as is normal with all process plants.

As the two sides continued negotiations right up to and past the strike deadline of Monday morning, the OWTU set about building its fourteen strike camps across the oil belt with two each in Penal/ Barrackpore; Santa Flora and Forest Reserve and four each at Trinmar and at the Pointe-a-Pierre Refinery. OWTU President General Ancel Roget said the union served strike notice on the company because as far as the union was concerned there was no intention by the company or the Corporation Sole (the Minister of Finance) to settle any of the negotiations for the two periods while agreements had been reached with other workers. He said the unions aim was not just to secure wage increases for the workers but also to clean up the company and get rid of corruption, poor administration, improve efficiency and safety. He said only when all these things are achieved will the company be able to realise its full potential. He pointed out that over the years from 2011 to 2014 and 2015 Petrotrin had contributed about $16 billion to the national coffers and as much as $60 billion in the years before that.

So that it has the potential, but the ones who make that potential possible, they are the workers and we maintain, as we have always maintained, that if it is that the workers who would have produced and who would have kept Petrotrin whole despite the fact that it was poorly managed, despite the fact that it was plagued with corruption and still is to some extent, despite the fact that it possessed then and still does at this point, a level of political involvement and patronage and so on, all of which at the end of the day threatens its viability, the only reason why Petrotrin continues to survive is because of the workers who continue to work consistently to ensure that Petrotrin continues to afford itself of the opportunities that comes its way.

He insisted that for all that the workers ought to be compensated and said he was happy that the union had achieved the first part of an interim settlement on their behalf and would close the negotiations for 2011-2014 by February 28.
Adjusting to the new normal

Trinidad and Tobago now stands at a critical juncture where the culture and economy must be transformed in order to survive in what has been described as the new normal. Since the collapse of oil and gas prices in 2014, TT has lost approximately $20 billion in annual revenue. The recovery process will require building a significantly stronger export-oriented capacity and harnessing the potential of non-traditional sectors. It will also require major re-think of our policies as we go forward.

Achieving this will involve a frank analysis of the challenges that confront us and a common determination of strategies that will be beneficial to the country, irrespective of political leanings, ethnic considerations and social strata.

Over the past six years Government has made some strides towards boosting commercial opportunities for TTs exporters in the Latin American market. Discussions and negotiations have commenced with several Latin American territories for partial scope agreements.

In October last year, the long-awaited trade agreement with Panama came into force, and work continues this year, with respect to finalising other similar alliances with El Salvador and Guatemala. It is expected that discussions will begin with Chile with respect to establishing a partial scope agreement with TT.

The TT Chamber has also been actively engaged in a range of activities geared to ensuring that its members are prepared to take full advantage of these and other extra-regional opportunities.

We are promoting the interests of our members in markets signed on to the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM, while preserving the present market advantage of our domestic manufacturers and service providers. The TT Chamber is also monitoring the anticipated separation of Great Britain from the European Union, despite the fact that this dissolution could take several years.

The International Trade Negotiations Unit (ITNU) of the TT Chamber performs an invaluable role in serving as an information-sharing conduit between the private sector and Government. The Unit plays a critical role in guiding research and activities undertaken by the TT Chamber in order to access new markets.

The exploration of new extra-regional markets and those within CARICOM is likely to unearth new trading opportunities. The ITNU is therefore looking forward to building upon previous successes with trade missions to Cuba and Panama; and within the coming weeks, we should announce the markets which TT Chamber members selected for the next trade mission planned for June 2017.

These efforts are all ongoing, and geared to taking a leading role in helping to transform our economy to a productive and sustainable one. Prevailing conditions today may well be the catalyst for this transformation, as we embrace new ways for creating sustainability.
Mom arrested for keeping child sex victim away

The middle-aged woman stood before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John who in December, issued a warrant after the child failed to turn up in court for the case.

In a previous sitting, the mans lawyer Jeevan Rampersad argued in a no-case submission that his client be freed on the grounds that the virtual complainant (the 12-year-old child) is no longer interested in the case as she has been repeatedly absent from the court.

It was then that Magistrate Forde- John issued an arrest warrant for the childs mother who had ignored a summons to attend court with the child. The woman was arrested last week. Magistrate Forde-John yesterday asked the woman to explain her action saying that disobeying an order of the court could attract as severe a punishment as jail. The mother claimed that both she and her daughter suffer with asthma and were too ill to attend court.

The accused who is out on bail has been attending court at each sitting ever since he was arrested and charged in 2014.

You were informed to bring the juvenile to court as a witness.

Did you relay this information that you were ill, to the court, the magistrate asked yesterday. The mother said she took the child to a health centre. She then produced a document which was handed to the magistrate. Magistrate Forde- John then asked court prosecutor Cleyon Seedan his view on whether it would be prudent to keep the mother in custody until the case is called again, next week Tuesday.

Seedan said he would arrangements for the female police officer who laid the charge against the accused, to liaise with the mother to ensure the child is brought to the court for the next hearing. Magistrate Forde-John placed the mother on $10,000 own bail and instructed her to return to court with the child on January 17.
Two stabbing deaths push murder toll to 11

In the first incident, the victim, Marcus Small, 25, of Second Caledonia, Morvant, was at his home at about 12.30 pm when he had an argument with an 18-year-old male relative who is said to have pulled out a knife and stabbed Small about six times.

The killer then ran away, leaving Small covered in blood.

Anxious relatives took Small to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police led by Senior Superintendent Sagramsingh and under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Surujdeen Persad launched a manhunt for the suspect, who remained at large up until yesterday.

In the second incident, at about 3.30 pm on Tuesday, the victim Nigel John, 33, was at his home at Cayenne Street, St Augustine, when he had an argument with a 40-year-old male relative, who reportedly began stabbing him.

Johns family took him to the Eric Williams Medical Complex but he died of his injuries about an hour later.

Police arrested the suspect and handed him over to Region Two homicide officers, who are continuing enquiries.
Woman among four arrested in robbery

The woman, from Corinth on the outskirts of San Fernando, together with the three male suspects, remained in custody up to yesterday.

The suspects are between the ages of 25 and 30.

Police reports are that at about 2.30 pm on Tuesday, they were tipped off about a robbery in progress and went to the mini-mart where they saw two of the male suspects leaving. The female suspect and another male, described by police as the planners of the crime, were nearby in a vehicle awaiting the others.

Police arrested all four and recovered a quantity of cigarettes and cash stolen from the mini-mart as well as knives and cutlasses used to commit the crime. A fifth accomplice managed to evade police and remained on the run up to yesterday.

Investigators said only two weeks ago, bandits robbed the same minimart.

The suspects were expected to be put on several identification parades and, if charged, will appear in the Siparia Magistrates Court.

Sgt Gookool of the South Oropouche Police Station is heading investigations
Three electricians injured in SM Jaleel explosion

Ryan Maharaj, 34, his brother Ravi, 37, and James Joseph, 50, all of Gasparillo, were receiving treatment at different wards of the hospital. Ravi, who sustained the most injuries, is improving but is still at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Ryan recalled briefly that while they were working on a panel, it just exploded. He had visible burns to the right side of the face.

We were working on a panel and it just exploded. Ravi received the most burns and has burns to his hands and face. He is still at ICU. Joseph received minor injuries and he is still in hospital, Ryan said while outside the Burns Unit of the hospital.

Reports are at that about 9.45 am on Tuesday while performing a routine assessment of an electrical panel at the companys warehouse at Otaheite Industrial Estate at South Oropouche, it exploded.

The three electricians sustained burns and were rushed to the hospital.
Senate President blanks crime debate

Later in the sitting, Senate President Christine Kangaloo turned down a request from Mark for the Senate to debate murders in the country as a definite matter of urgent public importance.

Dillon told senators the matters referred to by Mark took place last September. Since that time, the TT Police Service has put several initiatives in place to complement its normal operations to deal with criminal activities, the minister said. He explained these initiatives pay special attention to the areas in which teenage victims live, include, enhanced mobile and foot patrols in the main shopping locations and inner city, during the days and times when there is an expectation there will be a high occupancy of teenagers within those areas. Dillon said law enforcement agencies also, conduct of raids of abandoned buildings in an effort to minimise the opportunity to establish hiding places for narcotics, illegal firearms and ammunition. He identified community outreach patrols; high focus on areas where schools and youth facilities such as early childhood care and education centres are located and enhancement of initiatives like police youth clubs as other measures being taken to deal with teenage murders.
Obama has placed more land and water under federal control than any other president in history

In what appears to be a thinly-veiled slap in the face to President-Elect Donald Trump, whos made it clear that he supports expanded domestic energy production, outgoing President Barack Obama has once again decided to seize land in the United States and place it under the jurisdiction of the federal government, effectively rendering it off-limits to any and all human activity.

Taking advantage of a little-known law passed by former President Theodore Roosevelt back in 1906, Obama has officially declared 1.5 million acres of U.S. land, most of which is located in the state of Utah, as national monuments. By doing this, said land will be closed of to any sort of human expansion, including for development, farming, or energy use.

Reports indicate that the 1.3 million acres of land in Utah has been declared as the Bears Ears Monument in honor of Native American tribes and other conservationist groups that claim it to be sacred. Obama has also claimed another 300,000 acres of land in Clark County, Nevada, declaring it to be the Gold Butte National Monument for many of the same reasons.

Despite bipartisan opposition from Utahs state legislature, which vehemently opposed this unprecedented land grab, Obama went through it anyway, presumably to stifle potential efforts by the incoming administration to utilize these geographical locales for domestic energy production  even when doing so would help decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil and other forms of energy.

Its one of the biggest land grabs in the history of the United States, and it was done as this midnight monument in the waning hours of the Obama administration, said Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz during a recent interview with Fox News.

Will a Trump administration be able to restore control of land back to states? House Republicans are hopeful

There have been many instances during Obamas eight years in the Oval Office when the controversial president decided to seize land for federal purposes. Since his first inauguration, Obama has collectively seized more than half a billion acres of land and water in the federal interest, utilizing the so-called Antiquities Act of 1906, the law that allowed him to do so, a whopping 29 times.

In 2016 alone, Obama claimed more than 260 million acres as federally-protected space, including a 100-million-acre piece of land in Alaska thats roughly equivalent in size to the entire state of New Mexico. Obama has also utilized the Antiquities Act of 1906 more times than any other president since it first became law, his executive land grabs accounting for some 20 percent of all such land grabs combined.

In the eight years hes been in office, President Obama has seized more than 553 million acres of land and water (roughly 865,000 square miles) and placed it under federal ownership and control  enough square mileage to cover the entire state of Texas more than three times over, writes Brittany Hughes for MRCTV.com.

In fact, the self-aggrandizing conservationist-in-chief has placed more land and coastal areas under federal control than any other president in history, shutting off millions of miles of land to energy production or human settlement, along with shifting it outside the scope of local and state jurisdictions.

House Republicans are already moving forward with trying to reverse these land grabs and restore control of the seized lands back to state and local jurisdictions. But this may not be possible, some reports indicate, as such reversals may not be lawful. At the same time, Obamas use of the Antiquities Act of 1906 to seize land for non-emergency political purposes may, in and of itself, not have been lawful in the first place.

Sources for this article include:

MRCTV.org

NationalReview.com

Submit a correction >>
UK schools to start indoctrinating children with transgenderism normalization propaganda

The United Kingdom will be launching a new book about transgenderism that will be targeted at school-aged children as young as seven. The books will be distributed among 120 best practice schools across the pond.

Naturally, the entire agenda was paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Unsurprisingly, the book  entitled, Can I Tell You About Gender Diversity?  has sparked immense controversy. The story follows a 12-year-old child who is transitioning from female to male. The New American reports:

The book begins, My name is Kit and Im 12 years old. I live in a house with my mum and dad, and our dog, Pickle. When I was born, the doctors told my mum and dad that they had a baby girl, and so for the first few years of my life thats how my parents raised me. This is called being assigned female at birth. I wasnt ever very happy that way.

What happens next? In the book, Kit begins to take puberty-blocking drugs to prevent normal bodily changes from occurring and to undergo a sex change. CJ Atkinson, the books author, told The Guardian that part of Kits transition includes beginning to wear boys clothes, using male pronouns, and changing the name on their birth certificate from Kit to Christopher.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, the company that published the book, contends that the books intent is merely to explain medical transitioning for children aged seven and above. (RELATED: Stay up to date on the latest government propaganda at Propaganda.news)

Many critics of the book question why seven-year old children need to learn about medical transitioning in the first place, noting that it could be very confusing for young readers. Some also advocate that medical interventions can be harmful. PBS has even reported on the potential known risks of gender transitioning at a young age, and also notes that there are likely risks involved that are not yet known.

Puberty-blocking drugs are one of the more recent developments in gender transitioning, and they are used to suppress the production of estrogen or testosterone in children. Doctors claim that these drugs give children time and space to sort out their identity, but the treatment can be tricky. There is no telling whether or not a confused child with gender dysphoria will decide to change genders or not. PBS reports that so far, studies show that the dysphoria only persists in a minority of children.

The use of puberty-blockers in transgendered children is considered to be an off-label use, meaning that it has not even been approved by the FDA. These drugs are traditionally used to help children who are going through puberty extremely early, before the age of eight or nine. One of the primary concerns doctors have revolve around the length of use; there is not much research on the effects of long-term use of these medications, nor on the effects of stalling puberty at a normal age.

There are already some known risks, such as decreased bone density, and even a potential to impact neurological development. Estrogen and testosterone play an important role in development as we go through puberty, and blocking those hormones could have far-reaching effects that have yet to be fully understood.

So, while advocates for gender transitioning at younger ages, like the books author, may say that critics are guilty of trans-panic and mudslinging,' the bottom line is that there is a very real potential for negative health effects from starting these drugs at a young age. There has been no research on their long-term use in puberty-aged children.

How someone who claims to be supporting the welfare of these kids can advocate the use of untested, unapproved drugs for gender-transitioning is simply mind-boggling. (RELATED: See more astonishing but real news at Twisted.news)

Other criticisms of the book include its potential to confuse children who were otherwise stable in their gender identity. For example, the Daily Mails Sarah Vine stated in her column,In attempting to improve the lives of a vanishingly small minority, we are threatening the sanity of  and yes Im going to say it  normal children. Its time to put an end to this nonsense.

Sources:

TheNewAmerican.com

PBS.org

Submit a correction >>
David Shulkin is new Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary

United States,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday chose Undersecretary of Health David Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, a media report said.

"I have no doubt Dr Shulkin will be able to lead the turnaround our Department of Veterans Affairs needs. His sole mandate will be to serve our veterans and restore the level of care we owe to our brave men and women in the military," CNBC quoted Trump as saying.

"Sadly our great veterans have not gotten the level of care they deserve, but Dr Shulkin has the experience and the vision to ensure we will meet the healthcare needs of every veteran," he said.

"Dr Shulkin is an incredibly gifted doctor who is using his elite talents for medicine to care for our heroes and Americans can have faith he will get the job done right."

Meanwhile, Shulkin said it was an honour for him to serve the president-elect and called his commitment to caring for veterans "unquestionable."

Shulkin has served in numerous chief executive roles in New Jersey, including president of Morristown Medical Centre, Goryeb Children's Hospital and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute.

He was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2015 to serve as the undersecretary of health.

--IANS

sku/
LA top destination for Chinese tourists

United States,Business/Economy,Human Interest/Society, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Los Angeles, Jan 12 (IANS) Over one million Chinese visited Los Angeles in 2016, making the Tinseltown their No.1 tourist destination in the US.

Los Angeles has become the first ever American city to receive more than one million Chinese visitors in one year, Xinhua news agency reported citing US officials.

The year 2016 was a big year for LA's tourism industry.

Besides reaching the mark of one million Chinese visitors, both the city's domestic and international visits reached an all-time high, according to a report released by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism).

Last year, total domestic visits to LA reached 40.2 million -- a 3.8 percent increase over 2015.

An additional 7.1 million international visitors also made the second largest city of the United States their ultimate destination -- a 3.5 percent rise over the previous year, statistics showed.

"Tourism is booming in Los Angeles, and it's helping to drive our whole city's economy forward," said LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

LA also plans to attract more tourists in the future, especially Chinese tourists.

In 2016, China was the second largest international market for LA after Mexico.

China accounted for 75 percent of the destination's overall growth of international tourism and the number of Chinese visitors grew nearly 22 percent -- the seventh consecutive year of at least 20 percent visitation growth from that country.

Buoyed by Chinese visits, LA tourism will open its fourth office in China's Chengdu -- also called "Land of Pandas".

Offices of LA tourism already exist at Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

--IANS

gsh/dg
Six Volkswagen executives indicted in emission scandal

United States,Immigration/Law/Rights, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) US officials on Wednesday indicted six executives of German automaker Volkswagen in the emission scandal with the company agreeing to pay $4.3 billion in fines, a media report said.

The executives were indicted in connection with the company's efforts to deceive US regulators about the emissions standards of its diesel engine vehicles and sell those cars to American drivers, The Washington Post reported.

One of the executives, Olivier Schmidt, was arrested and charged in Miami earlier this week. The other five were still in Germany.

"Additional executives at the company are being investigated and could potentially face charges," Lynch was quoted as saying.

Volkswagen agreed on Wednesday to plead guilty to three criminal counts and pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil fines in a settlement with the Department of Justice.

Volkswagen will pay a $2.8 billion penalty to resolve the criminal charges. The company will pay an additional $1.5 billion to settle civil claims that it violated environmental, customs and finance laws as part of its deception.

Recently, an executive at the South Korean unit of Volkswagen was sentenced to a year and a half in prison over charges of fabricating reports that came to light following the German carmaker's emissions scandal.

--IANS

sku/
India to identify border fencing construction done by Myanmar

Delhi,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian authorities on Thursday asked a Naga delegation to accompany officials in identifying the areas of ongoing fencing construction along the India-Myanmar border -- which may cut off 3,500 acres of arable land in local Naga villages.

The proposal came after a delegation of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) and village council members met officials of the Union Home and Defence Ministries in connection with the construction of fencing by the Myanmar government.

The Khiamniungan Naga tribe -- numbering over 3,000 and expected to be most affected if the fencing construction does not stop -- has said that the cultivable land is their prime source of livelihood. The fencing is being constructed from border pillar No.139 to 146 in Pangsa village of Nagaland's Tuensang district.

"During the meeting, the government has proposed to visit the Naga villages located at the Indo-Myanmar borders and identify the spots where the fencing construction is going on. The land owners and some of the members from village councils will accompany the officials," Sashee Naga, Vice President of ENPO, told IANS.

However, the dates for the visit by the government officials have not been decided yet.

Earlier, speaking to IANS, Pradeep Gupta, Joint Secretary (Border Management) in the Union Home Ministry, said India was not involved in the construction of the fence.

"Ministry of Home Affairs has not proposed any fence on the Indo-Myanmar border. On this issue, the MEA has been apprised as it is their subject. We have told our people that there will be no construction in our zone and Assam Rifles will ensure that," Gupta added.

--IANS

rup/sm/dg
'Khaidi No 150': A great tribute to a star (IANS Telugu Movie Review)

Delhi,Cinema/Showbiz,Southern Cinema, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Film: "Khaidi No 150"; Director: V.V. Vinayak; Cast: Chiranjeevi, Kajal Aggarwal, Ali, Brahmanandam and Tarun Arora; Rating: ***

"Khaidi No 150" is the perfect red carpet welcome for Chiranjeevi, who has faced the arc lights after nearly a decade. And he stuns with his charisma and energy.

Right from the first frame, Chiranjeevi owns the show and he doesn't go overboard in his attempt to please everybody. Despite being a remake of Tamil blockbuster "Kaththi", the film succeeds in keeping the soul of the original intact and at the same time, pays a glorious tribute to its star.

Chiranjeevi couldn't have chosen a better script for his comeback. This story of a hero, especially one with political leanings in real life, rising up at the cries of farmers against corporatisation will earn the star a lot of goodwill, and in this case, immense love from his fans. Although "Khaidi No 150" is a needlessly more commercial version of the original, it's tough to deny the fact that it still works and Chiranjeevi is solely responsible for it. Even at 61, he fittingly justifies the film's tagline - Boss Is Back - with conviction and panache.

He can still dance gracefully, mouth dialogues with gusto and shine in comedy scenes as comfortably as he could a decade ago. Although he struggles to stir up emotionally as Vijay could in the original in the flashback portions, he is still a treat to watch, especially in the action sequences.

Director Vinayak, who earlier made "Tagore" with Chiranjeevi, does a very promising job of keeping the film largely faithful to the remake. In the process, he adds an extra song (featuring the highly sensuous Raai Laxmi) and a comedy track which might work for those who may not have watched "Kaththi". Otherwise, the film works just the way it's supposed to and strikes all the right chords at some important junctures.

Wish the whole farmers' angle was addressed even more seriously. Unlike the original, the portion involving farmers in the flashback doesn't hit one in the gut. Another big drawback of the film is its music by Devi Sri Prasad. While it's understandable that the songs have to be commercial to appeal to the large fan base of Chiranjeevi, it's surprising that the background score barely recreates the magic of the original by Anirudh Ravichander.

Chiranjeevi hits the bull's eye with "Khaidi No 150", and his approach may have worked this time. However, it might not work in his favour if he continues being part of such projects as it's high time he considers playing roles his age.

--IANS

hp/rb/bg
Honoured to be in India for first time: Vin Diesel

Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS) Hollywood actor Vin Diesel, who got a 'desi' welcome in India on Thursday morning, says he dreamt of exploring the country and is glad that his dream has finally come true.

Diesel, along with his "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" co-star Deepika Padukone and director D.J. Caruso, was welcomed with dhol, 'tutari' and 'tilak'. They arrived to a typical desi fanfare of women dressed in traditional Marathi nauvari (nine-yard) saris and yellow turbans.

Taking time out from his packed schedule, Diesel took to Instagram to express his views.

He posted: "So honoured to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and Deepika Padukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child, I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander."

Diesel's two-day India trip has a lot of things planned. He is promoting "xXx: Return of Xander Cage", which is releasing in India on Friday -- before anywhere else in the world.

The actors, along with other members of the film's cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

The movie is a new instalment in the "xXX" series after the 2002 film "xXx" and the 2005 entertainer "xXx: State of the Union". It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

--IANS

sug/rb/bg
'Haraamkhor': Nawazuddin makes your flesh crawl (Review)

Delhi,Cinema/Showbiz,Bollywood, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Film: "Haraamkhor"; Director: Shlok Sharma; Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi; Rating: *** 

She is 15, going on 18. Or so she claims when the local female doctor examines her for missing her period. At her age, she should be only thinking of the periods that she must not miss when the bell rings. But no. Sandhya is about to be seduced by her sleazy teacher.

In what perhaps ranks as the most below-the-belt male protagonist in recent times, Siddiqui is cast as a small-town school teacher with a serious hormonal imbalance and a disgusting lack of moral grounding. While he has a very fulfilling physical relationship with his wife Sunita (Trimala Adhikari) at home, he inches his way up the salwar (there is no polite way of putting this) of his student, Sandhya (Shweta).

A mere child, if you look at it with dispassionate eyes. And that's how debutant director Shlok Sharma wants us to look at Shweta Tripathi who is an absolute natural as a mofussil ingenue, not quite unaware of the effect her presence has on her ever-horny teacher, but not quite the seductress either.

Let's put it this way. She is Lolita without the seductive oomph. Nawazuddin's Shyam Tekchand is cunning, slimy, self-seeking and unscrupulous. He is so self-serving that he looks ridiculous even in his obscenity. And yet Nawaz brings a certain innocence to the character that is hard to define, as though he can't fathom he is so leery about his students. Or why he beats up girl students outside the classroom just to get even with Sandhya.

If Nawaz's Raghu Raman's sharp blunt tool causing grievous injury were in his pants, he would be Shyam Tekchand.

The real challenge for first-time director Shlok Sharma is to create a palatable paradigm for us to watch these characters trapped in an inherently murky situation. Shlok brings in two young boys -- Kamal (Irfan Khan) and Mintu(Mohd Samad) -- whose innocent voyeurism gives to the nudge-nudge-wink-wink narrative a kind of unbridled ratification to Nawazuddin's socially unacceptable utterly reprehensible conduct.

Much of this devil-may-care film's warm small town humour comes from the two boys' responses to the 'Kallu' teacher's behaviour with the 'Gori' student. The narrative weaves in and out of the two sets of characters' lives -- the two young friends and the deplorably mismatched lovers -- with a kind of brisk all-knowing trot that knows it's treading a dangerous path but is adventurous enough to risk the abyss that lies ahead.

There is yet another perspective provided by another illicit relationship that runs through the film between Sandhya's father Raghuvir (Harish Khanna) and his lady friend Neelu, played by an absolutely natural non-actress Shreya Shah who fills every frame with an unconditional positivity. The absence of sleaze in this relationship again gives us a comforting counterview into a zone where the forbidden need not be unforgivable.

Neelu's burgeoning friendship with Sandhya is detailed in just a few strongly written scenes where empathy flows unhampered. And what a refreshing departure Sandhya's father Raghuvir is from the loutish policemen we see in realistic cinema. Though he gets drunk every night and has a mistress, he is kind and considerate. There is a sequence in a restaurant where he invites his daughter's shy, frightened friend to join them for the meal.

The scene kills you with kindness.

It is this absence of straitjacketed characters and a refusal to let the people who populate the dusty town in the pre-cellphone era off the hook, that lend a kind of provocative intrigue to the proceedings, even when towards the finale, the plot spins out of control to create a dark, brooding tragedy that mocks the every essence of existence in such back-of-the-beyond places where survival is never about the best options.

See "Haraamkhor" for its original and audacious content and for the way the debutant director extracts a gush of empathy from these bored characters even during their worst moments. Love, we always knew, as redemptive. But lust needn't be all that bad either.

--IANS

skj/rb/bg
Nokia to launch Android smartphone on February 26

Delhi,National,Technology,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Nokia is planning to launch its first Android smartphone Nokia 6 in China on February 26.

The company released a teaser video of Nokia 6 on its Facebook page on Thursday that reads "Get ready! The Nokia 6 is coming to China! More announcements to follow on February 26th Save the date!

Last year, Nokia announced that it licensed HMD Global to produce Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.

The smartphone has a hybrid in-cell 5.5-inch screen with full HD resolution and 2.5D Gorilla Glass.

The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem, has 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage.

Nokia remained the owner of the Nokia brand after it sold its handset business to Microsoft for 5.4 billion euros but was forbidden to license it to outsiders until the end of 2015.

HMD Global has reached agreements with both Microsoft and Nokia about the use of the Nokia brand and some design rights. The agreement HMD Global signed with Nokia is exclusive and valid for 10 years.

The agreement with Microsoft has some conditions and only covers the use of the Nokia name in basic phones. Microsoft continues the production of the high-end Lumia smart phones, which will use Windows platforms.

HMD Global is planning to spend some 400 million euros to market the Nokia brand for the next three years.

--IANS

anuj/na/bg
75% of Japan's biggest coral reef died from bleaching

Japan,Environment/Wildlife, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Tokyo, Jan 12 (IANS) Almost three-quarters of Japans biggest coral reef has died, according to a report that blames its demise on rising sea temperatures caused by global warming.

The Japanese Environment Ministry in its report said that 70 per cent of the Sekisei lagoon in Okinawa had been killed by a phenomenon known as bleaching, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

Bleaching occurs when unusually warm water causes coral to expel the algae living in their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white. Unless water temperatures quickly return to normal, the coral eventually dies from lack of nutrition.

The plight of the reef has become "extremely serious" in recent years, according to the ministry, whose survey of 35 locations in the lagoon last November and December found that 70.1 per cent of the coral had died.

The dead coral has now turned dark brown and is now covered with algae.

The ministry report follows warnings by the Coral Reef Watch programme at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that global coral bleaching could become the "new normal" due to warming oceans, the Guardian said.

Experts said that bleaching had spread to about 90 per cent of the Sekisei reef, a popular diving spot that covers 400 sq.km.

A similar survey conducted in September and October last year found that just over 56 per cent of the reef had died, indicating that bleaching has spread rapidly in the following months.

--IANS

ksk/dg
President Mukherjee lauds economic development of Kenya

Delhi,National,Business/Economy,Diplomacy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee has lauded the recent economic development of Kenya, an official statement said on Thursday.

"Kenya has become one of the fastest growing economies of Eastern Africa. It has established itself as a hub for financial, commercial, tourist and transportation services," said President Mukherjee on Wednesday during a banquet hosted in honour of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking on the Indian commitment to the development of Kenya, Mukherjee said: "India stands ready to assist Kenya further in her human resource development and capacity building efforts."

"India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and our training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans," the President added.

Welcoming the "Kenyan business houses to explore the opportunities" in the flagship schemes of Indian government, Mukherjee said, "India is one of Kenya's leading trade partners and the second largest foreign investor. The presence of more than forty premier Indian companies in Kenya bears testimony to the complementarities of our two economies."

"India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and our training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans. India stands ready to assist Kenya further in her human resource development and capacity building efforts," he said.

The Kenyan President is paying a state visit to India from January 10 to 12.

Recalling the historical political ties between the two nations, President Mukherjee said, "Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the founding President of Kenya, was an esteemed friend of the leaders of India's Freedom movement."

"Your state visit to India this year, the first state visit from Kenya since February 1981, reflects a new momentum in our bilateral co-operation," he said.

Reciprocating the sentiments expressed by President Mukherjee, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lauded the role of the Indian community in Kenya, whom he described as part and parcel of Kenyan society.

Kenyatta said the Indian community, encouraged by Prime Minister Nehru, were an integral part of Kenya's freedom struggle.

He called for increased contacts at the highest level so that people and business leaders get inspired to take relations to a new level.

On Wednesday, Kenyatta was accorded a ceremonial welcome and was presented an impressive Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt.

Later during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyatta held high-level discussions on common issues and agreed to focus on operationalisation of bilateral defence cooperation.

--IANS

rs/vgu/vt
New terminal building inaugurated at Vijayawada airport

Andhra Pradesh,National,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Vijayawada, Jan 12 (IANS) With increase in air traffic due to development of Andhra Pradesh's new capital Amaravati near here, Vijayawada airport has been expanded with the inauguration of a new terminal building on Thursday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu along with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu also laid the foundation stone for expansion of the runway.

The new terminal building at the airport, also known as Gannavaram airport, has been completed at a cost of Rs 135 crore. The new building has thrice the capacity of the current building.

It has 3,000 sq ft exclusive ceremonial lounge which can be used for high level meetings.

The runway is being expanded from 2,286 meters to 3,025 meters to handle large aircraft.

Officials said once all the expansion works are completed, the airport can handle 15 to 20 lakh passengers per annum against the current capacity of six lakh passengers.

Chandrababu Naidu said his government planned to build airports in all districts.

He said the state had already announced aerospace, defence manufacturing policy and also civil aviation policy to attract investment. The state government has also formed an airport development fund.

Raju said the aviation sector in Andhra Pradesh was growing at a faster pace than the national average.

He said when the central and state governments work together, a lot can be achieved and Andhra Pradesh is the best model.

Venkaiah Naidu said connectivity was a must to achieve development. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was extending all possible assistance to Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

ms/pgh/rn
New Zealand father-daughter reach Australia after a month at sea

United Kingdom,Human Interest/Society, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Wellington, Jan 12 (IANS) A man from New Zealand and his daughter arrived in Australia after drifting for nearly a month in the Tasman Sea in a small boat, officials said on Thursday.

On December 17, Alan Langdon, 49, and his six-year-old daughter, Que, set off from Kawhia for the Bay of Islands, both in New Zealand's North Island, but a storm damaged one of the two rudders of the six-metre boat, Efe news reported.

Langdon said that with just one rudder, the safest option was to head towards Australia, where they reached 27 days later at Ulladulla, which is 230 km from Sydney and some 2,600 km from Kawhia.

Langdon added they were never in any danger during their trip and had enough fresh water and supplies.

New Zealand police are investigating whether Langdon, who is involved in a custodial battle over his daughter with his former wife disobeyed a judicial order against taking his daughter out of the country without prior permission.

Langdon's former wife Ariane Wyler said she suspected Langdon would try to set off for Australia and urged the New Zealand authorities to get her daughter repatriated as soon as possible.

--IANS

ksk/dg
IAF chief flies Mig-21 fighter jet

Delhi,National,Defence/Security, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a Mig-21 fighter jet, officials said.

The Air Force chief flew the Mig-21 aircraft at a forward base in Rajasthan, IAF sources said.

The flight lasted about half an hour long.

Former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (retired) flew the indigenous fighter jet Tejas last year, becoming the first air chief to fly the indigenous fighter.

He had also flown a Gripen aircraft at the Saab facility during an official trip to Sweden last year.

--IANS

ao/pgh/vt
Government's digital transactions awareness campaign extended by a month

Delhi,National,Business/Economy,Education, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Union government on Thursday extended its digital transactions awareness campaign by a month and asked all higher educational institutions to expeditiously complete the process of turning their campuses totally cashless.

Christened Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan (VISAKA) and launched by the Human Resource Development ministry on December 12, the month-long campaign involved the participation of major knowledge institutions like the IITs, NITs, IIITs, and central universities and colleges with students, faculty and staff playing the role of transforming their immediate day to day living environment into a cashless mode.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar in letters to the heads of higher education institutions, informed extending the VISAKA till February 12 and urged them to publicise and promote the campaign.

While the campaign has attracted over two lakh students as volunteers, Javadekar lamented that only about 1,000 institutions registered for the drive.

"It is time now for all others to actively lead and participate in the programme, he wrote, urging the institutions to publicise the campaign and encourage as many students as possible to join as volunteers.

He also asked them to complete the process of "complete conversion of campuses into digital payment system" and directed that the progress in the regard be reported through the Digital Monitoring System.

--IANS

and/vd
Have high regard for Amrinder Gill: 'Sarvann' director

Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS) Karaan Guliani, who is making his directorial debut with Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopras forthcoming production venture "Sarvann", says he had fun shooting with actor Amrinder Gill and holds him in "very high regard".

"When I started shooting 'Sarvann', I was surrounded by big names like Priyanka Chopra, Vashu Bhagnani and Amrinder Gill. I used to wonder how I will be able to handle all the big names. But I think they all are very big because they are the simplest people on earth," Guliani said in a statement.

"Within a few days of starting the film, the entire unit became a family who supported each other. We had so much fun that we didn't even realise how the shoot got over. In this, my biggest support was Amrinder. I have very high regard for him," he added.

While sharing a funny incident from the shooting, Guliani said: "When we were shooting in a village, that time all villagers had come to click a 'selfie' with Amrinder Gill. Being a nice person, he clicked photographs with everyone. I felt good that people are loving my actor," Guliani said.

With "Sarvann", Priyanka's mother Madhu Chopra has also stepped into film production with their home banner Purple Pebble Pictures.

The Punjabi film, which also features Simi Chahal, Ranjit Bawa, Sardar Sohi and Binnu Dhillon, is slated to release on Friday.

--IANS

sas/rb/vt
Le Pen, Fillon favoured to win French presidential elections

France,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Paris, Jan 12 (IANS) President of the National Front party Marine Le Pen and former Prime Minister Francois Fillon are favourites to qualify for the second round of the presidential elections in France, according to a poll released on Thursday.

According to the BVA Institute poll, Le Pen came first, with 25 to 26 per cent of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections, to be held on April 23, and Fillon with 24 per cent, Efe news reported.

Macron, who until last August was President Francois Hollande's Finance Minister, received between 16 and 20 per cent of the votes.

This means that Macron could be in third position, and his percentage of support would depend on who is the winner of the primaries organised this month by the Socialist Party between former premier Manuel Valls and Arnaud Montebourg, among others.

The survey noted that although Macron does not seem qualified for the second round, the gap between Le Pen and Fillon is small enough to think things could change before the election is held.

BVA pointed out that Valls -- if he wins the primaries -- could achieve 11 per cent, which is still far from qualifying him for the second round.

--IANS

ksk/dg
Delhi to host Uttarakhand's heritage fair

Delhi,National,Art/Culture/Books, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) To promote Uttarakhand's cultural heritage in the national capital, the Delhi government on Thursday said it would host a series of events as part of the annual Uttarayani Mahotsav across the city from Friday.

Some 20 events of music, art and literature would be part of the hill state's heritage-promoting festival, a statement said.

Various artists and literary people from the Hindi academy are likely to take part in the two-day festival.

Last year, Delhi government conducted four programmes as part of the festival that is popular in Uttarakhand among the locals and has turned out to be a big tourist attraction.

The statement said the city government was for the first time "conducting, funding and organising mass-scale Uttarayani events for the Purvanchali community through support from the Hindi Academy, Teerth Yatra Vikas Committee and the Sahitya Kala Parishad".

--IANS

kritika/ruwa/sar/dg
Potential Russian influence in US elections 'unacceptable'

Belgium,Politics,Defence/Security, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Brussels, Jan 12 (IANS) The NATO on Thursday said that any alleged attempt by Russia to influence the US presidential elections was unacceptable.

In response to a question about the alleged Russian interference in the November 8 elections, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was worried about cybersecurity as they had seen many reports of cyberattacks against NATO allies, Efe news reported.

However, cybersecurity was currently at the top of NATO's agenda and had featured heavily in in the summit held last July, he said.

Though he did not see any immediate security threat, cyber or otherwise, against any NATO ally, he highlighted that Russia has recently invested significantly into its armed forces and military capacities and has shown itself willing to use them against its neighbours, such as Georgia and Crimea.

Stoltenberg said this was why the organisation had responded and carried out the largest reinforcement on the border with Russia since the Cold War, which according to him would not provoke a conflict but prevent it.

US President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that he believed Russia could have been behind the cyberattacks that interfered with the election.

Stoltenberg said he spoke to Trump a few days after the elections and was absolutely convinced the new President and his Administration would continue to be involved with NATO.

--IANS

ksk/dg
Polish opposition ends parliamentary occupation

Poland,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Warsaw, Jan 12 (IANS) Poland's main opposition party on Thursday ended its occupation of Parliament's plenary hall after nearly a month of protests against the ruling party.

Members of the centre-right Civic Platform (PO) party launched their demonstrations on December 16 in protest against the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party's national budget bill and irregular voting procedures, Efe news reported.

"If we take into account that we have at least guaranteed media access to the Parliament, we can now suspend our protest," PO leader Grzegorz Schetyna told the media.

PiS backtracked on its decision to regulate and limit journalists' access to the legislative chamber, which the opposition considered an attack on press freedom.

However, the ruling far-right party refuses to repeat the budget bill vote that was impugned by the PO and other parties for what they say was a lack of quorum during the tally.

The national-conservatives hope for the budget bill to be soon ratified by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who between 2005-2015 belonged to PiS but is now officially an independent.

Schetyna stressed that Poland de facto lacks a duly-approved budget and warned against the pernicious effects on the national economy that the current budget could have.

On the other hand, Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that occupying the plenary hall of the Polish Parliament could incur heavy fines and prison sentences of up to 10 years.

The block on Wednesday forced the first Sejm -- lower house of parliament -- session of 2017 to start with a seven-hour delay and lasted only minutes due to the mass of PO parliamentarians blocking the lectern.

--IANS

ksk/dg
Modi 'ejects' Gandhi in Khadi Udyog's calendar, diary

Maharashtra,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS) In a surprise development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has aejected Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in the 2017 wall calendars and table diaries published by the Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC), official sources said here on Thursday.

Most employees and officials were taken aback to see the cover photo of the calendar and diary showing Modi weaving khadi on a large 'charkha', in the same iconic pose as Gandhiji.

While Gandhi's historic picture weaving khadi on a simple wooden charkha, wearing his trademark loin cloth, is legendary and imprinted in the minds of the masses since generations, Modi comes across in his signature attire of kurta-pyjama-waistcoat, weaving khadi on a slightly modernised charkha.

Virtually rendered speechless, employees of KVIC at its Vile Parle headquarters staged "a silent, soul-cleansing" protest during lunch hour on Thursday.

The employees gathered and prayed before a statue of Gandhiji installed in the KVIC hall, and later wearing black bands on their mouths staged the symbolic protest.

Contacted for comments, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said this was "not unusual" and there have been deviations in the past.

"The entire khadi industry (udyog) is based on Gandhiji's philosophy, ideas and ideals, he is the soul of KVIC, so there is no question of ignoring him," Saxena told IANS.

He added that Modi has been wearing khadi since long, and has popularised it among the masses and even among foreign dignitaries, while developing his own styles around khadi.

"In fact, he is khadi's biggest brand ambassador, and his vision matches KVIC's, of 'Make In India' by making villages self-sufficient, 'skill development' by generating employment among the rural masses, infuse modern technology for khadi weaving, innovations and marketing. Plus, the PM is a youth icon," said Saxena.

However the employees were not convinced.

"We are pained at this systematic easing out of Mahatma Gandhi's ideas, philosophy and ideals by the government. Last year, the first minor attempt was made by including the PM's photos in the calendar," said a senior KVIC staffer, requesting anonymity amid fear of official reprisal.

In fact, in 2016 the staff unions in KVIC had raised the calendar matter strongly with the management and were assured that it would not be repeated in future.

"However, this year it's a total washout. The pictures and teaching of Gandhiji - who created khadi for the poor masses and made it a symbol of the 'swadeshi' self-reliance during the struggle for Independence - are completely left out from the calendars and diaries," the staffer rued.

During the four-month period between Gandhi's birthday on October 2 and his martyrdom on January 30, the KVIC launches special promotions and offers special rebates to boost khadi sales across India.

Incidentally, Modi already has a khadi garment unofficially named after him - the casual, half-sleeved 'Modi Kurta' - since the days he was Gujarat Chief Minister and sported it regularly in public in various shades and styles.

Meanwhile, the news was received with consternation and went viral on various social media networks with a vast majority sharply critical of the KVIC move.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)

--IANS

qn/vd
Tamil Nadu CM meets Andhra counterpart, seeks water release

Andhra Pradesh,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Vijayawada, Jan 12 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Thursday met his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu here to seek release of drinking water to Chennai from the Telugu Ganga Project.

Panneerselvam, who had last week written a letter to Naidu on the issue, flew in to meet him personally to make the request due to severity of the problem.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is also understood to have discussed other issues.

In a letter on January 7, Panneerselvam had urged Naidu to release water from Krishna river for Chennai's drinking water needs.

Reacting to this, Naidu had said that he need to look into the issue as even Andhra Pradesh is facing drinking water shortage.

Chennai city is facing an acute shortage in the reservoirs.

"I am given to understand that as on 5.1.2017, Kandaleru reservoir has a storage of 13.53,000 million cubic feet (TMC ft). Therefore, AP appears to be in a position to release water from Kandaleru reservoir to Chennai," Panneerselvam wrote.

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 released at the Tamil Nadu border to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai.

Normally, 8 TMC feet of water is to be supplied between July and October and another 4 TMC feet from January to April.

--IANS

ms/vd
Trump raises business issues that could impact India

United States,Politics,Business/Economy,Diplomacy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New York, Jan 12 (IANS) In his first media conference as President-elect, Donald Trump, without naming any country in particular, laid bare his views on the US pharmaceutical sector, as well as on the loss of American jobs in manufacturing, both of which are issues with potential to hit Indian business interests.

Nine days before he is to be sworn as the 45th US President, Trump spoke of his plans to stem the flow of manufacturing from America and took aim at the pharmaceutical sector.

"We've got to get our drug industry back," he said.

"Our drug industry has been disastrous. They're leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but they don't make them here, to a large extent," he said at the chaotic news conference on Wednesday in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, attended by some 250 journalists from the world over.

The US is the largest market for Indian drug makers. In 2015, India exported $6 billion worth of drugs to the US and could feel the impact of the Trump announcement to change drug pricing policy.

Trump's strong remarks on "overcharging" by pharma companies indicates a future tougher operating environment for foreign companies, including Indian, in the US.

However, India could also gain from his plans to cut the cost of pharmaceuticals because of its leadership in generics.

Declaring pharma companies as "getting away with murder" in overcharging and sending capacity abroad, Trump said: "We are the largest buyer of drugs in the world, and yet, we don't bid properly."

He promised to start such "bidding" and save billions of dollars for the US over a period of time.

Just hours after the press conference, Indian pharma companies were trading in red. The S&P BSE healthcare index receded by 110.99 points.

Shares of Sun Pharmaceutical, Dr. Reddy's, Lupin, Cipla, Cadila and Glenmark were down on the BSE. The scrip price of Cadila went down by 1.89 per cent to close at Rs 350.45 per share.

Lupin was down 2.03 per cent at Rs 1,489.45 and Dr. Reddy's 1.19 per cent at Rs 3,011.20. Sun closed at Rs 643.90 down 0.59 per cent. Wockhardt lost 11.30 points and closed at Rs 687.45, down 1.62 per cent.

Glenmark closed at Rs 889.95 per share, down 1.57 per cent. IPCA Labs closed at Rs 548.85, losing down 7.50 points. NATCO at the closing traded at Rs 640.40 down 0.09 per cent.

He also threatened to impose a "border tax" on companies that move manufacturing outside.

Trump spoke about Fiat Chrysler and Ford setting up factories in the US Midwest where the core of his supporters scarred by de-industrialisation live, with more such plants to be announced in the coming weeks. They were all because of his efforts, he declared.

A mega Indo-US defence venture could take a potential hit following Trump's announcement.

According to US media reports, both Lockheed-Martin and Boeing have been in talks with the Indian government to set up production facilities in India for building latest design fighter jets.

Lockheed-Martin is reportedly planning to move the entire F-16 assembly line to India, making it the sole producer of the iconic fighter airplane. The Lockheed production agreement alone is estimated to create 1,000 jobs in India.

--IANS

bc/sar/rn
Congress shows photo of MP hawala scam accused with CM, minister

Madhya Pradesh,National,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Bhopal, Jan 12 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday produced a picture showing the Rs 500-crore Katni district hawala scam accused Satish Saraogi standing together with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of State Sanjay Pathak.

Talking to reporters, Congress's Madhya Pradesh unit chief spokesman K.K. Mishra presented the photo of Pathak standing to the left of Chief Minister Chouhan and Saraogi on his right.

This photo proves the close relations between the three, Mishra said.

Talking about the picture, Pathak told IANS: "Katni is so small a district that everyone knows everybody else and we all live like family. As far as the photo is concerned, it was taken during celebrations after the BJP victory in the 2014 Vidhan Sabha by-elections."

The hawala scam, which involved fake transactions amounting to Rs 500 crore in some Jan Dhan accounts, was uncovered by Superintendent of Police Gaurav Tiwari and named many influential people, including Saraogi, for their involvement in it.

As the police were probing the case, Tiwari was transferred out on Monday. Many said the move was politically motivated.

--IANS

hindi-vgu/vt
Over two decades, these 50 movies changed Bollywood: Film critic Shubhra Gupta (IANS Interview)

Delhi,National,Art/Culture/Books,Cinema/Showbiz, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) She is one of India's most well-regarded and influential film critics and has been at it for more than two decades. Now, Shubhra Gupta has joined the dots between how we watch our movies and live our lives in "50 Films That Changed Bollywood" in the past two decades.

"For a long-time film critic, nothing can be more valuable than to be able to look back and assess the changes in the film industry she or he has been covering: Changes across the board, in all areas -- styles of filmmaking, performances, production, distribution and exhibition.

"There is also the desire to connect the dots between the films we love most and the kind of audiences we are, and how both impact each other. Writing the book helped me do both things," Gupta, who has been a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), told IANS in an interview.

She began writing on cinema in the early 1990s "as a lark, filling in for on-leave film reviewers" in the papers that she then worked with. This experience made her realise that she enjoyed it more than anything else and thus began her lifelong tryst with cinema.

For those guessing what sets apart the 50 films featured in this book from others that have not found a place, Gupta says that the answers to this question make up the entire volume.

"Basically, I looked at 20 years of mainstream Bollywood to be able to zero in on the films which were game-changers in some way or the other: as many as I have included were strong contenders, but I had to keep the number to 50. These are films which I consider are most significant in the way they changed the narrative," Gupta said.

So is there a common thread of similarity, something that all of the 50 films featured in the book have in common?

"All of them are stand-out films: They did something, caught a moment, launched an actor or a director who went on to be super successful, or turned the industry in a particular direction," said Gupta.

In "50 Films That Changed Bollywood", she looks at the modern classics that have redefined Hindi cinema -- from "DDLJ" and "Rangeela" to "Satya" and "Dev D" to "Queen" and "Bajrangi Bhaijaan".

"In 1991 came liberalisation, and India became a different country. In 1995 came Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), and Hindi cinema became Bollywood," Gupta writes in the introduction.

In this, she may not exactly be correct as there have been references to Bollywood since the 1970s and Gupta has a disclaimer: "There have been as many definitions of what Hindi cinema and Bollywood was and is, and the differences between the two, as there have been opinions on the origins of the term 'Bollywood', voiced and argued over by eminent scholars and social scientists and other worthies."

"For me, the changeover came with DDLJ. It was like a distinct click and settling, a 'Before and After'. The slow transition had begun in the early 1990s, but with this film there was a sense of clear departure; the sense of an ending and a beginning," the author notes.

"Just as 'Sholay' was for the 70s, 'DDLJ' was for the 90s: a landmark film. It had a far-reaching, profound impact on the film industry," Gupta told IANS in this context.

For a keen observer of cinema like herself, are there some aspects of our film industry that disappoint her?

"Of course there are. But along with the disappointments, there are the things that keep you going: for every five films that don't work, along comes one that does, and that's it.

"I go to each new film, every Friday, with optimism: that's what all good film critics should do," she said.

The book offers a fascinating glimpse into how these films spoke to their viewers and how the viewers reacted to them -- and, ultimately, how they changed us and how we changed them.

Gupta hopes that she can "inform and entertain the readers of the book, just like a good film does".

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in <mailto:saket.s@ians.in>)

--IANS

ss/vm/sac
Congress, Akhilesh-led SP alliance talks to revive after EC hearing

Delhi,National,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Talks for an alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party faction led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav are likely to revive after the Election Commission hearing on the SP party symbol, according to Congress sources.

The Election Commission will hear on Friday the Samajwadi Party's two warring factions, led by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his son Akhilesh Yadav, to settle the dispute over control of the party and its election symbol of 'cycle'.

According to sources in the Congress, the alliance talks were "happening" but had temporarily stalled due to the internal divide within the Samajwadi Party.

"The alliance will most likely happen. The talks are on. It will revive after the Election Commission hearing on their (SP) symbol on January 13. The talks are going on with Akhilesh Yadav," said a Congress leader.

Mulayam Singh Yadav has not been supporting the idea of an alliance with any party.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had earlier said she favoured a pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav, and that she is ready to step aside as Congress chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh.

Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor has also met both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, adding to the alliance speculation.

Akhilesh had said alliance with Congress in UP could fetch them more than 300 of the state's 403 seats.

Uttar Pradesh -- the country's most populous and politically significant state -- will go to elect its 403-member state assembly in seven phases: February 11 (73 seats), February 15 (67 seats), February 19 (69 seats), February 23 (53 seats), February 27 (52 seats), March 4 (49 seats) and March 8 (40 seats).

--IANS

sid/rn
IAF chief flies Mig-21 fighter jet

Delhi,National,Defence/Security, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian Air Force chief B.S. Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a Mig-21 fighter jet, the oldest fighter aircraft in the IAF's inventory, a defence statement said.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa flew the Mig-21 Type 96 aircraft from the IAF base at Uttarlai, a forward base in Rajasthan, where he began a three-day visit, his first to a forward operational base as the IAF chief.

Dhanoa is visiting the forward air base in the western sector to assess operational readiness and review the morale of the personnel stationed there, the statement said.

The IAF chief's flight in the aircraft, that became infamous as 'flying coffins', lasted about half an hour long, said officials.

Before Dhanoa, his predecessors, Air Chief Marshals A.Y. Tipnis and Dilbagh Singh had flown the Russian-made aircraft while commanding the service.

Tipnis, who headed the IAF from December 1998 to December 2001, had said he flew the aircraft solo to send a message that it was safe.

While Dhanoa did not make a similar statement, the IAF Chief has flown the same type of aircraft during Kargil Operations, in which he carried out many night strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

Dhanoa was awarded Yudh Sewa Medal for this.

According to a report of parliamentary standing committee on defence submitted to parliament in May last year, 22 Mig-21 aircrafts had accidents between May 2007 to March 2015.

The Mig-21s are to retire from 2017 to 2020.

Last year, a Mig-21 aircraft that had taken off from the same Uttarlai airbase crashed near Barmer, but the pilot ejected safely. In the same month, another Mig-21 made an emergency landing in Srinagar after the pilot noticed a technical snag in the plane. The tyres of the jet were badly burnt.

Dhanoa's immediate predecessor, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha flew the indigenous fighter jet Tejas last year, becoming the first air chief to fly it.

He had also flown a Gripen aircraft at the Saab facility during an official trip to Sweden last year.

--IANS

ao-vd
Zardari asks PPP to oppose military courts' extension

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics,Terrorism, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday directed party leaders to oppose any proposal seeking the extension of military courts, local media reported on Thursday.

The decision of the PPP leader, who is also a former President of Pakistan, comes a couple of days after the government said it has started consultation with political parties to introduce an amendment in Parliament to bring back the military courts, Geo News reported.

PPP leaders said Zardari has asked them to adopt a strict a stance against the military courts during the joint session of National Assembly and the Senate on January 17, according to the report.

Zardari, who held a long meeting with Opposition leader Khursheed Shah, also said that the other opposition parties should be consulted for election reforms, the news report added.

The military courts, the legislation for which expired last week, were set up to try civilians on terror charges in Pakistan after a militant attack at Peshawar's Army Public School in 2014.

--IANS

soni/vt
India successfully test-fires Guided Pinaka rocket

Delhi,National,Defence/Security, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) India on Thursday successfully test-fired the Guided Pinaka rocket from Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur in Odisha.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman S. Christopher congratulated the scientists, industry and the armed forces for the successful flight test of the new rocket version.

The Guided Pinaka is a modified version of the Pinaka rocket, equipped with a navigation, guidance and control kit.

This conversion has considerably enhanced the range and accuracy of Pinaka, an official statement said.

The radars, electro-optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the vehicle all through the flight-path.

"The test-firing has met all mission objectives," an official statement said.

The Guided Pinaka is developed jointly by Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).

Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister G. Satheesh Reddy was present during the test-firing, which also had a team from the armed forces witnessing the test.

--IANS

ao/vgu/vt
Chinese group XCMG to invest $150 million in India

Tamil Nadu,National,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Chennai, Jan 12 (IANS) Chinese construction machinery maker XCMG Construction Machinery Company Ltd will invest $150 million in India, the company's top official said.

"India is one of the fastest growing nation amongst the emerging economies. We are planning to invest $150 million to build a modern manufacturing facility," Wang Min, Group Chairman, told reporters here on Thursday.

XCMG Construction Machinery is a listed company in China and is a subsidiary of Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG).

Wang Min said by the end of this year, the factory would be built. The group is known for loaders, excavators.

"We will have to evaluate the Indian market," he said.

Wang said the RMB 80 billion turnover XCMG will learn from its competitors in the Indian market.

"We will have our own strategy for the Indian market. We will also localise the components. The overall investment plan will be implemented in stages," the official added.

According to Anand Sundaresan, Chairman, Schwing Stetter Sales and Service, the investment is part of 'Make in India' programme and the XCMG would produce construction equipment and material handling products.

German company Schwing Stetter making ready-mix concrete machinery is part of XCMG.

Sundaresan said the proposed XCMG plant will be under a separate company and the products would be sold by the existing sales network of Schwing Stetter.

"The proposed products could be sold under joint brands of XCMG and Schwing," Sundaresan said.

He said the proposed plant may roll out wheel loaders, excavators, motor graders, cranes and other products.

Sundaresan said the proposed plant will be located in South India and various sites are being studied.

--IANS

vj/pgh/vt
CRPF chief backs trooper for raising force's issues

India,Defence/Security,Human Interest/Society, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief has come out in support of a trooper who posted a YouTube video appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the force's working conditions, and compared it with facilities the Army is getting.

Constable Jeet Singh's video has gone viral on social media.

CRPF Director General Durga Prasad was fully supportive of Singh. Prasad told IANS: "He has raised the isses which everybody has been speaking of for quite some time. This is not something new. This has been raised when the OROP (One Rank One Pension) issue was going on. And, has also figured before the Seventh Pay Commission."

The video posted by Singh on November 15 went viral after a similar video by a Border Security Force trooper, Tej Bahadur Yadav, complaining about quality of food put on Facebook this week grabbed media and political attention.

Prasad said: "You always want a better life than what you have, that is what he (Singh) is asking."

"We have already taken up these issues with the Seventh Pay Commission. Not just the CRPF but other DGs of other armed forces have raised these issues. And the matter is before the government," he said.

But the officer objected to the route Singh took to raise the issue, saying "Recourse to social media is not the healthiest way to handle things."

Currently deployed in Mount Abu in Rajasthan, the CRPF constable, who hails from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, in his video, said: "We (CRPF personnel) do all kind of duties inside the country like deployment for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Gram Panchayat elections. We contribute services in most places in the country. Despite doing all these duties, there is a big difference between the facilities provided to the Indian Army and CRPF."

"I want to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modiji that we do not get leaves and facilities on time. No one can understand our grief. Are we not entitled to these facilities after doing all these duties?

"There is a procedure of pension in the Army but our pension has now been closed. What will we do when leaving the force after 20 years? We don't even have ex-serviceman quota, medical and other facilities and we have to do maximum duties. We don't have a problem with the facilities given to the Army, they are entitled to it. But why are we being discriminated against; we should also be given these facilities," the CRPF constable said.

Asked if any enquiry is being conducted against the constable, the CRPF DG said: "No".

"Our IG has got in touch with him and asked about his grievances. Jeet Singh has said he has no complaint against the force. But the only thing he wants is for the CRPF to be on par with the Army," he said.

Clarifying on the complaint about leave raised by the constable, the CRPF chief said: "Everybody is entitled to leave but for a certain number of days depending on the place where he (trooper) is working. Those (deputed) in the field get 60 days leave, those in headquarters get 30 days leave. They (troops) are getting their entitlement totally."

Asked about the problems described by the constable, he said: "Basically he has said that he is doing the same job as an Army jawan. He is also facing the same threats and the same inconvenience, so he should get something similar to an Army jawan and nothing less than that. So it's a question of comparison with another force."

"He has not complained that he is not getting what was promised to him when he joined the force, as he is getting it," he added.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)

--IANS

rak/rn
Modi, Rahul pay tribute to Swami Vivekananda

Delhi,National,Politics,Human Interest/Society, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Various political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday paid tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his 154th birth anniversary, celebrated as the 'National Youth Day'.

"We offer salutations to great Swami Vivekananda and remember his powerful thoughts and ideals that continue shaping the minds of generations," the Prime Minister said in an official message here.

Gandhi also tweeted, saying he is remembering the Swami on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

"Remembering Swami Vivekananda today. His message to live fearlessly, with courage and strength of purpose will continue to inspire and guide us," Gandhi said.

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in an aristocratic family in Bengal. His original name was Narendra Nath Datta.

He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna and a key figure in introducing the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in a message in Twitter, said that Swami Vivekananda made Indians realise their "true potential".

"I bow to Swami Vivekananda on his Jayanti today. He made the people of India realise their strength and true potential," Singh said.

In 1984, the government had decided to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as the National Youth Day.

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu also paid his tribute to Swami Vivekanand.

"Paying my tributes to Swami Vivekanandaji on his birth anniversary. His principles and ideas continue to inspire us," Prabhu tweeted.

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as 'Yuva Sankalp Diwas'.

"Swami Vivekanand's teachings continue to be as much relevant and inspirational for the youth even today as they were 123 years ago when he spoke in Chicago," Delhi BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari said here.

"It is so because Swami Vivekanand foresaw and understood the ever-growing aspirations of the youth and therefore stressed on the development of such qualities in the youth which make them avid learners and teachers," Tiwari said.

--IANS

aks/nir/vt
Not possible to send question-wise reply on UCC: Nitish

Bihar,National,Immigration/Law/Rights,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Patna, Jan 12 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told the Law Commission it is not possible to send a question-wise reply from the state government on viability of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

In a letter to Law Commission Chairman Justice B.S. Chauhan on Thursday, Nitish Kumar expressed his government's inability to form an opinion on the UCC in the absence of any specific or concrete information about its contours as also due to lack of consensus on it among religious groups.

Nitish has not only rejected the 16-point questionnaire sent to the Bihar government on implementation of the Uniform Civil Code but also urged the central government to not act in haste over the sensitive issue and hold debates on the matter.

"The questionnaire has been prepared in a manner so as to force respondent to reply in specific manner. There are leading questions with limited number of choices given as probable answers, which denies the respondent any scope to frame his own independent replies," he said.

Nitish said makers of the Constitution had thought of the Uniform Civil Code as something feasible in long run only with consensus of all stakeholders, mainly religious communities.

"The question is whether such a broad consensus exists at the moment in the society. Media reports suggest Muslim community have rejected possibility of UCC at this point of time. There is hardly any support or demand for Uniform Civil Code from any other religious group so far," he said.

He added that India has pluralistic fabric of society in respect of long standing religious practices, which has very often been codified as laws governing personal matters.

"For Uniform Civil Code, all such community laws will have to be scrapped," the Bihar Chief Minister said.

"The details of the proposed Uniform Civil Code have not been shared so far with the stakeholders for their comments. In the absence of any specific or concrete information about the contours of the UCC proposed by the central government, it will not be possible to form any opinion on the same," Nitish said in his letter.

He also pointed that idea of scrapping community laws and replacing them with Uniform Civil Code should be debated first in Parliament as well as in state assemblies and at other forums of civil society before the central government thinks of going ahead with it.

"Implementing UCC without consensus of religious groups, especially minorities would create social discord," he said.

--IANS

ik/pgh/vt
CISF trooper shoots four senior colleagues dead

Bihar,National,Defence/Security,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Patna, Jan 12 (IANS) A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable killed four senior colleagues with his service rifle in Bihar's Aurangabad district on Thursday in a fit of rage following a heated argument over leave, an official said.

The incident was reported around 12.30 p.m. during changing of shift at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Limited (NPGCL) unit guarded by the central armed force.

"Constable Balveer Singh deliberately opened fire from his service rifle during B shift briefing near the quarter guard, where he had been on duty from 9 a.m. to 12 noon," a CISF official told IANS.

Singh fired about two dozen bullets, killing head constables Bachha Sharma and Amarnath Mishra on the spot, while Assistant Sub Inspector G. S. Ram and head constable Arvind Kumar later succumbed to their injuries in a nearby hospital.

Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, was overpowered by other CISF personnel and later handed over to police who arrested him, the official said.

The incident took place when the victims and some other CISF troops had assembled for a shift change.

Singh, who had recently undergone a de-stressing course in Yoga between November 10 and December 24 last year at the CISF's training institute in Deoli in Rajasthan, was reportedly agitated over an administrative issue regarding his leave after he resumed duty on January 4.

A heated argument ensued over the issue and the CISF trooper started firing his rifle multiple times, the official said.

The official said that Singh had gone on leave to his home before resuming duty on January 4.

--IANS

rak/vd
After BSF and CRPF troopers, now army man vents grievances

Delhi,National,Defence/Security,Human Interest/Society, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) After the BSF and CRPF troopers, now the video of the Indian Army's Lance Naik Yagya Pratap has surfaced, in which he has raised his voice against the service conditions, alleging the soldiers are being exploited by their officers.

This prompted the army to immediately issue a statement on Thursday that "individual grievances" cannot be ruled out in a large army and that the concerns raised by the soldiers are being addressed.

Lance Naik Pratap alleged that soldiers are being exploited by the army officers. He said he wrote letters to the President, the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Home Minister and the Supreme Court, after which his officers accused him of sedition and also threatened his court martial.

"I have been in the army for 15 years. I have been concerned about the exploitation of jawans in the army, I was gathering courage to raise my voice. All powers are with the officers... if we complain, they get angry and take action against us," Pratap says in the video.

"But ultimately I decided to raise my voice and wrote an application, dated June 15, 2016, to the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister and the Supreme Court."

"...When the PMO sought an answer, Brigade Commander tortured me. Any other soldier would have either committed suicide or would have done something wrong with the officers. But I did not do that. I am a soldier, and I felt it would not be right as it would taint my uniform," the soldier says.

"The officers tell us you will be court-martialled. I did not divulge any service details in the letter, then how is this sedition? This is my last letter. Jawans are taking dogs for walk, looking after children," he goes on.

The Indian Army soon after issued a statement saying the grievances of the soldier are being addressed through established mechanisms.

"Ours is a very large army wherein 'individual grievances' cannot be ruled out," an official statement from the army said.

"The army has an effective grievance redressal mechanism for addressing individual complaints, most satisfactorily. In the instant case of Lance Naik Yagya Pratap, cognizance of his communication has been taken and complaints made by him are being addressed through the existing mechanisms," the statement said.

Earlier, BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav's video became viral on social media, which had alleged that troopers are served bad quality food and at times they are forced to go the bed hungry. He also accused unnamed officers of illegally selling off the food supplies meant for the troopers.

This led to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar saying that he is personally monitoring and evaluating the conditions as far as food is concerned.

"In last two years, for the army, we have been continuously evaluating that whether satisfaction level for the food being served has increased or not. I am myself monitoring it," he said talking to the media on the sidelines of ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017.

In another video that went viral, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable Jeet Singh asked why the para-military force personnel are not provided facilities at par with their army counterparts when they are also performing similar tasks.

Jeet said: "We (CRPF personnel) do all kinds of duties inside the country like deployment for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Gram Panchayat elections. We contribute services in most places in the country. Despite doing all these duties, there is a big difference between the facilities provided to the Indian Army and the CRPF."

--IANS

ao/nir/vt
India expresses grief over attack on UAE diplomats in Afghanistan

Delhi,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Terrorism,Diplomacy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) India on Thursday expressed grief over news of death of several UAE nationals and injuries to the UAE ambassador in Afghanistan in a recent terrorist attack.

The statement, without naming any country, said international terrorism continues to have its epicentre in "our region". It also said India remains firmly committed to working closely and actively with the UAE and Afghanistan to eradicate the curse of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

"We are deeply saddened with the news of the death of several UAE nationals, among others, and the serious injuries suffered by the UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan resulting from a bomb blast that took place at a guesthouse in Kandahar on January 10 during a meeting between senior Afghan officials and UAE diplomats," said an External Affairs Ministry statement.

"This dastardly terrorist attack is all the more condemnable as the UAE Ambassador was in Kandahar on a humanitarian mission to lay foundation stone for the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan centre for orphans. We offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish speedy recovery to those injured in the attack," it said.

The statement said the "cowardly attack" brings in sharp focus once again the "inhumane suffering inflicted on the peace loving people of the region by the abominable phenomenon of international terrorism, which sadly continues to have its epicentre in our region and is pursued brazenly as an instrument of state policy to achieve narrow political objectives."

"We stand by the people and the government of UAE and Afghanistan in our common fight against this menace which threatens all societies across the globe," it said.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday said five of its diplomats were killed in an attack in Kandahar city.

A statement from the UAE Foreign Ministry said they were targeted while on a mission regarding development, humanitarian and educational projects in Afghanistan, Efe news agency reported.

--IANS

ao/vd
BJP challenges Bengal on CBI probe into Trinamool activists' murder

West Bengal,National,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) BJP's West Bengal unit President Dilip Ghosh on Thursday dared the Trinamool Congress government to recommend a CBI probe into the killing of its party activist Srinu Naidu.

"I challenge them to go for a CBI investigation probe regarding the murder. Names of many Trinamool leaders would come up in the issue. It is a case of in-fighting within the party," Ghosh said.

Five Trinamool Congress activists were on Wednesday shot at inside the Trinamool's party offce at Kharagpur. Naidu and fellow activist V Dharma were declared dead at a Kolkata hospital on Wednesday evening.

Trinamool Congress' General Secretary Subrata Bakshi urged the police to look into the role of Ghosh, the Kharagpur MLA, in the incident as he allegedly threatened the deceased with dire consequences earlier.

But Ghosh dismissed the charges.

"These are baseless allegations. The state has turned into a safe haven for criminals under the TMC. The BJP has got nothing to do with it (the incident)," he said.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/vd
Option to join political party is open, says Kejriwal's ex-aide

Delhi,National,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's former Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar on Thursday said that he had kept open the option of joining a political party including AAP to work for public welfare.

Kumar, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on corruption charges in July, said he would continue public service and joining politics was one of the available options.

"I have to find the best way to serve the people. And yes, politics is also an option," Kumar told TV channel NDTV in an interview.

Asked further whether he would join Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kumar said: "Yes, it could be AAP also.

To a query it was the comfort or the rapport he shares with Kejriwal that he would like to joing AAP, he said: "No, it's not about comfort. It's about which establishment, which path, which method would give me the best possible option for public service."

A 1989-batch IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory cadre, Kumar was accused of abusing his official position in awarding Delhi government contracts worth Rs 9.5 crore to private firms during 2007-2014 when the Congress ruled Delhi.

Earlier this month, Kumar had alleged that the CBI was pressurizing him to implicate Kejriwal in the alleged wrongdoing he (Kumar) is accused of.

He had sought voluntary retirement after alleging harassment by the CBI.

The CBI had denied the allegations as "absolutely baseless".

Kumar was arrested on July 4, 2016 and after remaining in custody for 23 days, was granted bail on July 26. He has consistently denied the accusations against him.

According to CBI officials, Kumar, as chairman of Delhi Transco Ltd, allegedly facilitated a contract worth Rs 40.16 lakh to Endeavour Systems to develop a comprehensive management information system in 2009 without going through any tendering process.

As Secretary in the health and family welfare department of the Delhi government, Kumar also allegedly awarded a Rs 2.43 crore manpower project to Endeavour Systems in November 2010.

--IANS

am/vd
Digital payment providers to fix firewalls as transactions swell (Tech Trend)

Delhi,National,Technology,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) At a time when the cyber vulnerability in the payment gateways of e-wallet companies are becoming visible as they witness a rise in usage and popularity, upgraded security is the only way to safeguard millions of first-time users.

In December, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against 15 Paytm customers for allegedly cheating the digital wallet of Rs 6.15 lakh ($9,000). This was done on a complaint by Paytm's parent company One97, which is backed by China's Alibaba Group.

The case was registered under various sections dealing with criminal conspiracy, forgery, etc. -- and under provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

According to top company executives, wallet security has been a prime concern for them post-demonetisation as transactions have grown manifold.

"No one can actually hack into our servers and steal data or money because there are different levels of security," Deepak Abbot, Senior Vice President at Paytm, told IANS, adding that they have intrusion-detection programmes by third-party security experts that regularly check the systems for any vulnerability.

Paytm claims to have over 177 million users (as of December 2016) and have handled nearly one billion transactions last year.

According to Abbot, the number of transactions at Paytm is up three times as compared to the numbers recorded before demonetisation and the volume has grown 3.5 times.

"Paytm saw 14-15 per cent growth month-on-month even before demonetisation. When the cash situation improves in the country, we may not see a 100 per cent growth, but we will settle for a much higher percentage of growth," Abbot told IANS.

Abbot pointed out that the Paytm wallet is PCI-DSS certified which is a proprietary information security standard for organisations dealing with online transactions.

"As per the RBI guidelines, every wallet needs to keep the users' money in an escrow account. So even if the escrow account is of Paytm, the company cannot access it. Also, on a daily basis, the company has to share the transaction data with RBI. We are as transparent as can be because of the rules and regulations," Abbot noted.

According to Rohan Khara, Director of Product, MobiKwik, their user base has crossed 45 million and they are witnessing five million transactions daily.

"MobiKwik takes security very seriously. It is PCI-DSS and ISO27001 certified, takes care of the various information security measures to ensure the security of application and protects its business from emerging threats and frauds," Khara told IANS.

"We are soon launching a PIN with which users can access their account through an alternate number in case of a lost phone," Khara added.

Digital payments platform FreeCharge recently announced India's first e-wallet protection plan for its users. Under this, the underlying wallet balance of all the customers will be insured up to a limit of Rs 20,000 as long as the user is transacting at least once a month.

"The facility, in partnership with Reliance General Insurance Company Limited, will be offered free-of-cost to all users. This move by FreeCharge is another step in safeguarding the money in the event of theft or loss of phone," Govind Rajan, Chief Executive Officer, FreeCharge, told IANS.

The number of cards and addresses saved on digital payments platform FreeCharge has now crossed 70 million.

Since demonetisation, FreeCharge saw frequent users jump from about five times a month to more than 15 times a month. It has also seen a fourfold surge in web traffic and a threefold surge in app downloads.

FreeCharge was seeing a 15 per cent month-on-month growth (average daily) on consumer acquisition pre-demonetisation, and now it has grown to 200 per cent.

Security experts emphasise that as the numbers grow, newer forms of vulnerabilities will be exposed in the payment gateways, suggesting that upgraded security is the only way to safeguard small and medium businesses from losing their hard-earned money.

According to Abbot, first-time users are more exposed to digital frauds.

"Just like customers reveal their passwords or OTPs in the banking system to unidentified people, they are doing it in the case of mobile wallets as well. Fraudsters are calling people saying they are from Paytm and extracting money from the users," Abbot pointed out.

Citing the main reason why bank apps have not fared well till date, Abott said banks have the consumers but they do not have the merchant base.

"With Paytm having nearly 65 per cent market share, we are absolutely not worried about the competition because it takes time to build a base. In fact, we will be happy if a worthy competitor comes up," Abbot told IANS.

(Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in <mailto:nishant.a@ians.in> and Sourabh Kulesh can be contacted at sourabh.k@ians.in <mailto:sourabh.k@ians.in>)

--IANS

sku/na/vm/sac
'Bijli' portends lifestyle changes in rural Bihar

Orissa,National,Human Interest/Society, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Raghunathpur (Bihar), Jan 12 (IANS) Unlike in the past, the current cold wave-like conditions don't bother Nagma Khatoon any more. The biting chill has stopped discomforting her and her family of late -- thanks to the bliss of "bijli".

"Bijli", or electricity, which would previously disappear faster than it came, has finally come to stay, much to the relief of Nagma Khatoon and her likes in this nondescript village of Haspura block in Maoist-affected Aurangabad district.

Now Nagma uses an electric room heater to keep the house warm, an electric motor to get clean drinking water and a water heating rod for a bath.

Life was never this good, never this easy for her and several others in the village. Electricity has changed the way they lived, for ever.

Nagma, who is in her late 20s, is proud to use an electric room heater.

"It is something that was simply beyond our imagination until two years ago. Our forefathers never even dreamt of a bulb in the village, not to talk of TV, fridge, washing machine, electric motor to pump water and room heater," she said.

She frankly admitted that there are not many like her using a room heater in the village. Her husband works in Kolkata with a private construction company and is reasonably better off financially than most others around.

"After my room heater replaced the 'borsi' (a hand-made big size earthen bowl filled with cow dung and small pieces of wood, lit to warm up since ages) many of my neighbours are keen to replace their 'borsis' soon, to get rid of smoke, dust and dirt attached with it."

A few months back, she also purchased a cooler to get ver the hot summer. "There are fans in all 250 houses in the village, but only few have a cooler. It is something new, as coolers were neen as an urban facility."

Another woman, Sajua Khatoon, in her early 80s, wife of a retired village level worker (VLW), said they have managed to purchase a fridge, a washing machine and a colour TV for a comfortable living.

"My grandchildren enjoy home-made ice-cream, thanks to a fridge (refrigerator) at home, my daughter-in-law is happy to use the washing machine and all of us watch TV programmes as per our choice.

"Life has really changed for us. Earlier, such facilities were confined to people living in Patna and Gaya only, but now we are also enjoying, thanks to 'bijli'," said Sajua.

She said when the bulb glows, it looks unbelievable, as this village has not had electricity since Independence. "Many generations of this village have spent life without electricity, virtually in a lantern age," she said.

Ehsan Khan of the same village, who is in his late 50s, said 'bijli' has made life not only easier but also given new hope to farmers to irrigate their land and use machines for harvesting.

"At present, an electricity transformer or agricultural connections have not been set up, but farmers are hopeful that sooner or later electricity will be available for irrigation as well."

"My wife is using an induction plate, instead of costly LPG, to cook. We have plans to purchase a washing machine next year," Khan said with apparent happiness and pride in his voice.

Raghunathpur is not the only village that is witnessing such change. Neighbouring villages like Piroo and Purhara have also seen a similar transformation.

Bhola Paswan, a Dalit resident of Bigha hamlet of Raghunathpur, said more than the winter, electricity provides them greater relief during the hot summer, as they now use a fan. "We are certainly not living in the lantern age any more."

Another Dalit, Bhulan Ram, of the same hamlet said life no more stops after the sun sets: women prepare food in the light of the bulb and children study in its bright light.

"We are enjoying electricity and getting its benefits in our homes for the first time in our life, as there is adequate power supply," Ram said.

Ram's neighbours Dukhan and Jamun Paswan said they are not worried about charging their mobile phones and watch television at night, unlike earlier. "We are not using a kerosene lantern for lighting at night," Paswan said with a smile on his face.

The state Energy Department officials said the central government is going to conduct a study on changes in the lifestyle in villages after those got electricity under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Joyti Gram Yojna," an official informed.

Bihar Energy Miniister Bijendra Prasad Yadav told IANS: "The overall electricity situation has improved in the state. The per capita consumption of electricity in Bihar has gone up to 258 units from a meagre 70 units in 2005.

"Village gets power supply for 14 to 15 hours daily. It has ushered in a massive change in the lifestyle of the common people. Two years ago, nights meant shutdown of activities. They had to sit indoors to avoid insects and snakes."

Last year, launching the "Har Ghar Bijli Lagataar" initiative, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said the government would provide electricity to all by the end of 2018.

According to latest data of the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), only 924 villages are yet to be electrified in Bihar and the work is in progress in over 200 of them.

(Imran Khan can be contacted at imran.k@ians.in <mailto:imran.k@ians.in>)

--IANS

ik/nir/vm/tb
UN to evaluate Mexico's human rights defenders' condition

Mexico,Politics,Diplomacy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mexico City, Jan 12 (IANS) UN's special rapporteur Michel Forst will assess the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico, which he said is "complex", a media report said on Thursday.

Forst would visit Mexico for the first time between January 16-24 to evaluate the matter, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a statement, Forst said his objective is "to take the pulse of those defending human rights in Mexico, understand their situation, listen to their challenges, and make concrete proposals to reinforce government efforts".

Forst would meet federal and government authorities as well as human rights organisations to discuss measures to promote human rights work.

At the end of his trip, Forst will issue a preliminary report to present "his findings and recommendations" to Mexico.

Forst is a specialist in the analysis of the situation of human rights defenders, the rights of disabled children and adults living in extreme poverty.

--IANS

sm/dg
ABC/Randy HolmesMetallica played the first date of their worldwide tour in support of their new album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct today in Seoul, South Korea. The show saw the live debut of the album's songs "Halo on Fire" and "Now That We're Dead."

During the Seoul show, Metallica also played the Hardwired...to Self-Destruct songs "Moth into Flame," "Atlas, Rise!" and "Hardwired," plus classics like "Master of Puppets," "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Enter Sandman." You can check out the entire setlist now via Metallica's Twitter.

Metallica's next stop on their world tour is Shanghai, China, on Sunday, January 15. The metal legends will play a few more shows in Asia before traveling to Europe in February. Metallica also plans to tour the U.S. this year, but those dates have yet to be announced.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Clinton email enquiry: FBI director James Comey to be probed

United States,Immigration/Law/Rights, Fri, 13 Jan 2017 IANS

Washington, Jan 13 (IANS) The Justice Department inspector generals office on Thursday said that it would open an investigation into the decision that FBI director James B. Comey took in October to inform Congress about a new review in the Hillary Clinton email investigation - a move Clinton said cost her the election.

The inspector general's office said the investigation came in response to complaints from members of Congress and the public about actions by the FBI and the Justice Department during the campaign that might be seen as politically motivated, New York Times reported.

Chief among those actions was the decision by Comey to write two letters on the email matter within 11 days of the election, creating a wave of damaging news stories about the controversy late in the campaign.

In the end, the new emails that the FBI reviewed -- which came up during an unrelated enquiry into Anthony D. Weiner, the estranged husband of a top Clinton aide, Huma Abedin -- proved irrelevant.

The inspector general would also be examining other issues, including whether the deputy director of the FBI should have recused himself from any involvement in the Clinton email investigation.

--IANS

sku/
By the time Donald Trump becomes President of the United States next week, New York City taxpayers will have spent $37 million to keep him and his family safe from harm in Trump Tower. The City Council grilled the NYPD Tuesday over how much its going to cost to protect the President if he treats his Manhattan apartment like a weekend pied-a-terre for the next four years.

The answer: roughly $500,000 a day. That comes mostly from paying overtime to NYPD officers, who have to be pulled from regular patrols at precincts around the city to secure the area around the 58-story highrise at Fifth Avenue and 56th Street.

NYPD brass were quick to defend the practice of relocating officers, emphasizing that there hasnt been any spikes in crime since neighborhood beat cops were re-assigned to Trump Tower. But Councilman Donovan Richards Jr., who reps southeastern Queens, pointedly asked if cops were being pulled from high-crime precincts like Brownsville and Far Rockaway.

Yes, theyre being diverted from all over the city, said Deputy Chief James Kehoe. But theres no correlation between officers being pulled from precincts and a rising crime rate.

And the expected price of protecting Trump is up from the $35 million the city previously requested from the federal government. However, Congress has only offered to reimburse the city for $7 million, buried in a stopgap federal spending bill approved last month.

Depending on how much time Trump spends at his Fifth Avenue apartment, the NYPD could end up far outspending its $550 million overtime budget. The city is lobbying for more federal funding to cover the cost of protecting Trump, which will hit $91 million if he spends half the year at his Midtown pad.

If NYPD doesnt get the extra money, what you will see at the end of the year is an exponentially higher overtime budget, dependent on the number of days Trump does decide to reside in Midtown, said deputy commissioner of management and budget Vincent Grippo. This is an unprecedented event of a tremendous scale and size, he added. New York City taxpayers should not ultimately be on the hook for that.

Even when Trump isnt in town, the NYPD will still provide security at Trump Tower. The Council peppered officials with questions about how much that would cost, but Kehoe refused to answer, citing security risks.

What if we say, we cant afford it? Can the Secret Service send more people?, asked Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, who chairs the councils Finance Committee. It would have to fall on the shoulders of the NYPD, answered Kehoe, who explained that security needs are larger than what the Secret Service can provide.

And taxpayers arent the only ones losing money because of Trumps security operation.

We are looking at four years of disruptions, said Councilman Dan Garodnick, who chaired the hearing and represents Midtown East. Businesses need to know how they can plan for and survive them.

Neighboring retailers on Fifth Avenue, 56th and 57th Streets may have lost more than $40 million in revenue, according to Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District president Tom Cusick. Street closures, barricades, media, and protesters all contributed to a drop in foot traffic to stores, testified Cusick.

The tony shopping district, which includes the flagship stores of Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffanys, and Gucci, now has the look and feel of an occupied zone, said Partnership for New York Citys Kathy Wylde.

Cusick suggested a few solutions to encourage more customers, including moving TV cameras from the west side to the east side of Fifth Avenue, moving parades further south down the avenue, and installing a taxi stand at 58th Street. But he shot down the suggestion of closing Fifth Avenue to traffic and converting it to a pedestrian plaza, which Janette Sadik-Khan championed this week in an op-ed for the Times.

SBS Commissioner Gregg Bishop also said that the city re-opened 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues a few weeks ago, a move that helped draw customers back to the areas high end stores.

Travel time for traffic on Sixth Avenue has also shot up 66 percent, and its increased by 25 percent going east on 57th Street, according to DOT statistics cited by Garodnick.

Subscribe to YIMBYs daily e-mail



Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates

Like YIMBY on Facebook

Follow YIMBYs Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Share



The grand unveiling is almost here. After months of rumors, Nokia, a player in the next generation communications space, has announced the first new Nokia-branded Android (News - Alert) phone. The phone has been labeled the Nokia 6, and will become available in China in the coming months. More importantly, though, is the promise of more announcements to come on February 26.





Lets back up for a moment. If you havent been following Nokia (News - Alert) news lately, youre like scratching your head and wondering what the company known for making indestructible cell phones is doing anywhere near the smartphone market.

Earlier this month, TMCs (News - Alert) Frank Griffin reported on some key changes that should set Nokia up to be a major player in the smartphone market. The company officially threw its hat into the ring after entering into an exclusive 10 year brand licensing agreement with HMD Global to create a new generation of Nokia branded mobile phones. HMD is a Finnish company that was founded to create phones under the Nokia brand name, which is exactly what its been working on, as reports note that HMD will be releasing seven new Nokia Android phones in 2017 across varying price points.

Essentially, Nokia is entering the smartphone realm, and doing so in a big way. Seven phones in one year is a lot to take on, but then again the company does have a lot of catching up to do in this department. Thats why the promise of more announcements on February 26 is an exciting one. The Facebook (News - Alert) post gives little away, simply stating Get ready! The Nokia 6 is coming to China! More announcements to follow on February 26th Save the date!

It can only be assumed that the upcoming announcement will provide more information about the Nokia 6 and hopefully some of the other smartphones that are set to come out this year. What we do know is that these announcements are perfectly timed to coincide with the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) show in Barcelona, ensuring that any Nokia news is bound to have a worldwide, avid audience.

Only time will tell what Nokia has in store for all of us. But one thing is for certain: the company is definitely starting 2017 off right.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
Share



When China Mobile (News - Alert), which has a subscriber base of about 835 million, decides to do anything, it can be described as monumental in scope. The company is undergoing somewhat of a transformation as it adopts software defined networking (SDN) to open a new era of public cloud so it can increase the speed of deployments of new products and services and lower its operating costs. China Mobile (CMCC) announced it has selected Nuage Networks to build a solution that would be responsive to the type of scale that is needed in the Chinese market in which massive deployments are the norm when next-generation communications services become available.





Nuage Networks from Nokia specializes in providing solutions for cloud service providers and large enterprises by delivering and managing large, multi-tenant clouds, and, according to the company, delivering on the promise of the cloud.

For a company the size of China Mobile, the public cloud solution it wants to deploy will require the capability Nuage provides in managing large multitenant clouds. CMCC has chosen the Nuage Virtualized Services Platform (VSP) for its first commercial public cloud project based on SDN technology.

With Nuage Networks VSP, CMCC will be able to provide next generation communications services with more features to its customers by virtualizing its multitenant data center networks and establishing connectivity with computing resources. This capability gives CMCC the technology it needs to implement new data centers up to 10 times faster than with physical deployments, which will lower operating costs by up to 50 percent.

Yu Xiaohan, Head of Customer Business Team, CMCC at Nokia (News - Alert) Networks China said, The successful track record of Nuage Networks' VSP in major operators' clouds around the world, and our philosophy of building open cloud environments that avoid customer lock-in, were both instrumental in our ability to win China Mobile's first open bid for its datacenter SDN.

The Nuage Networks VSP solution provides large enterprises and service providers with SDN and policy-based automation for cloud deployments. It can support clouds of all sizes and architecture, including some of the largest clouds in the world. Organizations can use it as a virtual overlay network platform for existing virtual and physical server and network resources with an open SDN and SD-WAN avoiding vendor lock-in. And best of all, it is designed to support all of the major virtualization and cloud management platforms. This includes Docker containers, as well as traditional virtual machines such as OpenStack and CloudStack.

By leveraging SDN and the Nuage Networks VSP to deploy the 2,000 public cloud environment, China Mobile will have the infrastructure to bring next generation communications services to its 835 million subscribers without delay and with greater reliability.

Edited by Alicia Young
Viacom's Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) unit announced on Thursday that it has acquired a minority stake in Ananey Communications Group , an Israeli pay TV channel provider and content producer.Financial terms and the size of the stake weren't disclosed. An analyst estimated the price tag at below $10 million. Under the terms of the deal, Viacom has an option to acquire a controlling stake in Ananey in the future.VIMN Senior Vice President, General Manager for Central and Eastern Europe and Israel, Bartosz Witak has joined the board of Ananey.VIMN and Ananey are long-standing business partners in Israel, where Ananey licenses or represents Viacoms global brands, including Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV and Comedy Central, and represents Viacoms programming sales and consumer products business. It also operates seven channels in its own right.Under the partnership, Nickelodeon has become Israel's No. 1 children's channel (ahead of Arutz HaYeladim, the local Hebrew-language kids content portal) and, alongside Nick Jr., reaches 49 percent of the youth audience "due in large part to Ananeys original local productions for kids and teens," the partners said.Ananey also develops television formats and programs for both Israel and international TV markets, including, a food and travel show, The Hood (locally titled), a daily teen drama and, a sketch show. One of Ananey's flagship productions is its daily teen drama The Greenhouse (locally titled), which has delivered record ratings for Nickelodeon in Israel (and is afavourite!). The shows first season also aired on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland with English dubbing in 2014, and Netflix has struck a deal to create an English-language remake, set to be released later this year.Ananey also produces digital and interactive content and applications, including themobile app that is available in Israel and Hungary and is expected to launch in the U.K. later this year.The move is bound to bring further diversity to the pay-TV market in Israel, which has seen rapid growth in recent years. Since the early 2000s, the pay-TV market here has been divided evenly between HOT cable and YES satellite, with nearly all local viewers choosing one or the other as a subscription service to access international content. But with Netflix now available in Israel, plus the introduction of Cellcom TV, a VOD and streaming service managed by one of Israels major telecommunications networks, competition is on the rise."This deal will deepen our partnership with Ananey, which has delivered success for both companies over many years," said David Lynn, newly named President and CEO of VIMN . "We are delighted to cement our strong position in this valuable pay TV market and pursue new opportunities with a leading content producer in one of the most dynamic production sectors internationally. We have confidence that the Ananey team will continue to excel in the local and international market and we are excited about what the future will bring."Udi Miron, founder and chairman of Ananey, said he expected the new partnership with Viacom to further shake up the market, adding: "This partnership with Viacom is testimony to the strength and creativity of Ananey Communications Group. After years of successfully representing Viacom in Israel, we are honored to take this partnership one step further; we believe together we will achieve even greater success in Israel and internationally. We look forward to working with Viacom to create new horizons for the traditional pay TV market and for the dynamic digital world and leveraging the strong Israeli startup market to advance our shared digital vision. I want to thank Viacom for this vote of confidence in our abilities and the team at Ananey, led by Orly Atlas-Katz, for everything they have achieved and all their hard work"Viacom CEO Bob Bakish is the former CEO of VIMN and is known for understanding international markets and opportunities.
With the approaching Chinese New Year, the iconic hue of the festival - red - is spreading throughout Ningbo, a harbor city in Zhejiang province.



Shangtian town of Ningbo, hailed as the "home of strawberries in China", began a cultural festival themed on the luscious red fruit on Jan 7, fusing the atmosphere with a taste of the new year.

The opening ceremony for the strawberry festival also inaugurated a makerspace for agricultural- related startups in the town.

Strawberries arranged as flower bunches are popular among young girls in Ningbo. [Photo/nb.zjol.com.cn]

Strawberry cake trimmings resemble a tree. [Photo/nb.zjol.com.cn]

Strawberry snowman-shaped desserts smile at every visitor. [Photo/nb.zjol.com.cn]
A Tunisian man locked up for minor offenses, has been convicted for pushing fellow inmates to travel to Syria for jihad.

The man aged 34 and married to an Italian converted Muslim woman has been convincing other inmates to travel to Syria once they finish observing their prison terms, local media quoted Augusto Zaccariello, a security official of the detention center, as saying.

Identified as Saber Hmidi, the inmate was born in Tunisia and has been living in Italy for several years. Hmidi was arrested and locked up in 2011 over a drug affair.

His radicalization started during his prison spell, press reports say. Freed, Hmidi returned to prison in 2014 after threatening law enforcement agents with a gun following discovery of anoraks, latex gloves in his car.

During the search of his house, investigators discovered 33 cell phones, 8 personal computers as well a black flag bearing the logo of Ansar al-Charia terrorist group affiliated to al-Qaeda. The group has been active in Tunisia since 2011.

Hmidi was handed a three-year and eight-month sentence but he has become a thorny issue for prison officials who have complained about his brutal attitude towards other inmates and guards.

He has been transferred several times to prevent him from influencing other inmates.

Hmidi however had no terror plan in Italy though he intended to travel to Syria. Security forces have been investigating his contacts inside and outside Italy.

Italy has not witnessed any terror attack but authorities have expanded arrest operations of suspect terrorists across the country.

Berlin Christmas alleged attacker, Tunisian Anis Amri, was killed in Milan after running away from Germany.
The Atlantic Council published a paper highlighting the pertinence of Moroccos African foreign policy led by King Mohammed VI which made the Kingdom the commercial gateway to the continent.

The analysis dubbed Africas Economic Prospects in 2017: Ten Countries to Watch, contrasts the low growth in the main continents economic hubs with the success of Moroccos energy and macro-economic policies along with its strategy to strengthen economic ties through joint-ventures with African countries.

In pursuit of the goal of making Morocco the commercial gateway to Africa as well as Africas bridge to Europe, King Mohammed VI has been busy implementing his strategy of making Africa the top priority of his foreign policy, with a string of official visits across Africa, including recent forays to Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, said Peter Pham, the author of the analysis.

The Kings African tour resulted in agreements for multibillion-dollar cross-investments in the agriculture, energy, and financial sectors, as well as the historic announcement last month of a Moroccan-Nigerian joint venture to build a gas pipeline to connect the two countries that will eventually link up to Europe, he said.

The analysis also highlights Morocco as a globalleader on renewable energy, citing the Kingdoms renewable energy strategy which sets the ambitious goal of bringing the share of renewable energy to 40 percent of total energy consumption by 2020.

This Moroccan renewable energy endeavour was described by Pham as an extraordinary turnaround. Just a few years ago the country was, according to the World Bank, the Middle Easts largest energy importer, depending on fossil fuels for over 97 percent of its energy, he recalled.

Moroccos African commitment has an environmental dimension, highlights the analysis, which sheds light on the successful organization of the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change two months ago in Marrakech.

At the continental level, the analysis notes that the global slowdown of economic growth, especially in China and other emerging markets, has affected Africas economic powerhouses, notably Nigeria and South Africa. 2016, was a tumultuous year for many African economies as Nigeria slipped into recession while South Africa barely lurched forward with anaemic 0.2 percent growth in the third quarter.
King Mohammed VI chaired a Ministerial Council in Marrakech on Tuesday during which the constitutive act of the African Union was adopted as well as its additional protocol thus paving the way for Moroccos return to the pan-African organization.

Following the Council, spokesperson for the Royal Palace Abdelhak Lamrini said that the adoption of these texts is in line with Moroccos willingness to regain its natural place in Africas institutional family, a will that was expressed by the Sovereign in an address to the 27th African Summit, in Kigali last July.

The Ministerial Council was also held after the official request made by Morocco last September to return to the African Union and the support such a bid received from the majority of African countries.

Lamrini told the press that King Mohammed VI urges the two Houses of the Moroccan Parliament to speed up procedures to approve the constitutive act of the African Union.

Morocco withdrew from the predecessor of the AU, the Organization of African Unity, in 1984, on grounds of the biased decision of the organization. The OAU had actually violated neutrality in the Sahara conflict by admitting the Algeria-based separatist entity, SADR, as a full-fledged member. Since then Morocco has been conditioning its return to the pan-African body on the withdrawal of the Polisario membership and the respect of the UN-brokered political process to settle the Sahara issue.

Moroccos return to the African institutional family hinges on a simple majority vote by the member countries. So far, 39 countries, making more than the majority of the 54 African Union member states, have expressed support for Moroccos return.

During the Council of Ministers, the Monarch was also briefed on the second phase of the regularization campaign of illegal migrants launched last December.

In this respect, the King gave instructions to relevant departments to examine the possibility to extend the residence permit span to 3 years and to simplify procedures.

The first phase of the undocumented migrants regularization took place in 2014, in line with the Moroccan migrants integration policy spearheaded by King Mohammed VI and described by analysts as unprecedented in Africa and the Arab world.

During the first phase that set in motion a set of measures in favor of the aliens, some 25,000 migrants were able to regularize their situation.
As the 28th African summit due in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) by end of January gets closer, the Algeria-backed Polisario separatist front is becoming more and more nervous and agitated.

The reason of this growing anxiety is that Morocco is expected to rejoin the African Union during the summit as nearly 40 out of the 54 member countries of the organization back the North African Kingdoms return to its institutional family.

In a desperate move to set hurdles for Moroccos bid, head of the Polisario Brahim Ghali, who is wanted by Spanish justice for crimes committed in the Tindouf camps, is touring some English-speaking African countries in a campaign seeking to lobby against Morocco.

After visiting Pretoria, where he met President Jacob Zuma, a fierce opponent of Morocco, Brahim Ghali flew on board an Algerian plane to Lusaka where he was received by Zambian president Edgar Lungu.

President Lungu has not a constant stand on the Sahara issue. One day he announces recognition of the pseudo-Sahrawi republic (SADR), self-proclaimed by the Polisario, and the following day he withdraws his recognition. It all depends on how much money he gets from the Algerians.

With the slight rise in oil prices, the Algerian diplomatic machine has resumed its hostile campaign against neighboring Morocco and tries by all means, including enticing corrupt allies, to obstruct Moroccan readmission to the AU.

According to some experts, despite Algerian support, the Polisario appears increasingly snubbed and isolated on the international scene, mainly in Europe.

The separatists have also been dumped by a growing number of countries, which pulled their recognition of their phantom entity thanks to Moroccos diplomatic breakthroughs in Africa, where the North African kingdom is building a solidarity-based South-South partnership for the sake of African people.
Russia, which has vehemently opposed NATO intervention that overthrew the decades-long Libyan dictator Gaddafi, sees new opportunities in the power vacuum in Libya where it tacitly endorses the all-powerful Libyan General Khalifa Haftar.

As part of a larger Russian strategy to bolster its presence in Libya, and through it in the Mediterranean, Haftar, who leads the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA), met Russian officials off the North African coast aboard Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, returning from Syria.

The Russian news agency, RIA, reported that Haftar also held a video conversation with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on issues relating to the fight against terrorism.

To gain a foothold in Libya, Russia relies on Haftar who emerged as an increasingly viable leader and military governors loyal to him have replaced elected municipal councils in a number of eastern cities.

Several media reports have been speculating about a potential secret deal between Hafter and the Kremlin according to which Russia will arm Haftars forces in his endeavor to gain control of the whole country in return for a Russian military base in Libya. Such reports have not been confirmed by the Russian administration.

Haftar paid two visits to Moscow in the past half year in a bid to secure arms supply despite a UN arms embargo in place since 2011 prohibiting the sale of weapons to Libyan factions, to the exception of the government in Tripoli, which can import weapons upon the approval of the UN Security Council.

Russia, which has recently called on the UN to give Haftar a larger say in resolving the Libyan crisis, said it would observe the arms embargo that prevents supplies other than to the UN-mandated government.

However, despite the ban, media reports say that Haftar has been steadily receiving arms through Libyas land borders with Egypt and through the sea from its allies, including Egypt, Russia and the UAE.

Recently, Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) announced its intention to liberate Tripoli from what they deem as Islamist control. Such an action will signal a return to an outright civil war in Libya and the collapse of the Skhirate agreement and the UN-recognized government.

Libya has been split between two rival governments: one based in Tripoli and the other based in the eastern city of Tobruk. The government in Tripoli is backed by the United Nations, while the government in Tobruk supports Hafter.

In December 2015, a unity government, called the Government of National Accord (GNA) was founded following the Skhirate agreement, but it failed to impose its authority over the whole country.

The turmoil in Libya has taken a toll on its oil production, which is currently about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), a fraction of the 1.6 million bpd the OPEC member was producing before the 2011 uprising that toppled Gaddafi.
The Tunisian Islamist party Ennahda and its leader Rached Ghannouchi have been accused of condoning the departure of the thousands of Tunisians to hotbed conflict zones at the time heated debates on the return of the jihadists buzz in the country.

Around 5,000 Tunisians have been fighting in the ranks of terrorist groups in Syria, Libya and Iraq, according to a UN report.

For leader of the Popular Front, Hamma Hammami, Ennahda party championed the departure of the youth during the period of the Troika; the coalition government which led the country from 2011 to 2014.

The Troika, the Ennahdha and the CPR, in particular, pushed and encouraged openly youth to go and fight in Syria, Hammami said.

The Popular Front leader also urged the interior ministry to uncover and dismantle networks, which facilitated the exodus of the youth.

Tunisia has been lately buzzing with debates concerning the return of jihadists. Thousands of Tunisians have demonstrated against plans by authorities, including the Islamist party, to allow the return of the jihadists.

The return of jihadists is a plan by authorities to bring back those that they used in Syria for coveted agenda, Hammami claimed.

After benefiting from them, it is time to return them, he added.

Hammami also laid into President Beji Caid Essebsi and his party Nidaa Tounes for lying to its supporters by colliding with Ennahdha. Both parties are source of the countrys problems, he said, adding, For us, there is not diffrence between Nidaa Tounes and Ennahdha.
Morocco won the prize of Best Potential Destination 2016 awarded by the Global Times Forum, an annual event held in Beijing by the leading English-speaking media outlet in China, the Global Times.

The Prize is awarded every year to the best destination on the basis of three criteria: visa procedure, tourist attraction rate and tourist satisfaction indicators, Moroccos tourism promotion office (ONMT) which represented the Kingdom in the event said in a statement.

Morocco was distinguished as a future promising destination for Chinese tourists despite the fierce competition from leading tourist destinations such as France, Germany and Thailand.

The ONMT aims at attracting 100,000 Chinese tourists by 2018 following the adoption of recent incentives such as lifting the visa requirement on Chinese tourists.

In this respect, the ONMT teamed up with Abu Dhabis carrier Etihad Airways to help attract Chinese tourists.

The Global Times, with 2.4 million copies issued daily, is a leading media outlet in China on a par with the national news agency Xinhua News.
Moroccan authorities have warned tailors and vendors of niqab and burqa to cease manufacturing and selling the full veil garment for security reasons, local media said.

Although the Interior Ministry has not yet commented on the ban, several vendors and tailors of the burqa in different towns and cities received verbal and written warnings to get rid of their stocks within 48 hours, otherwise their shops may be closed and the banned garment confiscated, local media said.

We have taken measures to completely ban the import, manufacture and marketing of this garment in all cities and towns in the kingdom, an official at the Ministry of Interior, who requested not to be named, told Le360 website.

The decision triggered a heated debate on social media, which was awash with comments and posts on a picture of a written notice by authorities in Taroudant to close a shop that sells the burqa if the owner does not comply to the ban within 48 hours.

Social Media users in Morocco were divided between proponents of the decision and opponents who see the wearing of the burqa as a personal freedom.

Le360 reports that authorities told shop keepers selling the Burqa that the ban is dictated by security reasons, on grounds that the burqa, as a full veil garment, gives wanted criminals and terrorists full freedom to move anonymously without being recognized.

Several criminals have also used the burqa to perpetrate abhorrent crimes including thefts.

This dress was imported into Morocco from the Middle East in the late 1990s along with extremist ideologies alien to Moroccan society and the colour-loving couture that is inherent to Moroccan costumes.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump Tower on January 11, 2017, in New York City. This was Trumps first official news conference since the November elections. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

This morning, Donald Trump hosted his much-delayed, long-awaited first news conference as president-elect. Inside the Trump Tower atrium, the atmosphere was as charged as at a highly anticipated prize fight. The last time Trump fielded questions from the press corps was last summer. For weeks, the media had been preparing to challenge him on any number of controversies: his conflicts of interest, polarizing cabinet appointments, decision to appoint his son-in-law as a senior adviser, and, most alarmingly, Vladimir Putins apparent efforts to manipulate the election.

Trump being Trump, he didnt show any interest in directly answering questions. He opened with a rambling monologue that included the pronouncement: I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created. When asked by a reporter if Russia aided his win, Trump said, Well, if Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset. Questioned whether the American people wanted him to finally release his tax returns, he replied, No, I dont think they care at all. Challenged on the potential conflicts of interest for his cabinet appointees, Trump explained that Rex Tillerson and Jeff Sessions were brilliant.

Judged on a policy basis, it was a disaster. Trump came across as just as unprepared and unfocused as he did during his shambolic campaign. He let his lawyer speak for nearly a quarter of the allotted time to explain why he wouldnt be putting his company into a blind trust and instead would be turning it over to his sons Don Jr. and Eric. For visual effect, aides stacked manila folders on a table next to the lectern. Trump said they were filled with legal papers.

But observed as spectacle, Trump came away with a resounding victory. Thats because Trump won even before he stepped before the microphone, by making the media the story. Last night, BuzzFeed published a salacious 35-page oppo-research dossier on Trump that alleged Russia possessed sexual and financial dirt on Trump that could be used to blackmail him. BuzzFeed justified reporting the unverified oppo-research document  which had been compiled during the presidential campaign by a political operative working for Trumps Republican rivals  by stating that intelligence agencies had briefed Trump on a summary of the findings last week. But BuzzFeeds article boomeranged back on the website as journalists were quick to denounce its decision to publish unconfirmed claims and errors. (CNN broke news of the intelligence briefing, but did not print the sensational details.)

Trump exploited this wedge. From the outset, he worked to isolate BuzzFeed and CNN. I want to thank a lot of the news organizations for some of whom have not treated me very well over the years  a couple in particular  and they came out so strongly against that fake news and the fact that it was written about by primarily one group and one television station, he said. Trump also deflected attention from the urgent questions at hand by taking aim at the intelligence agencies, which he accused  without proof  of the leak. It was disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out  [T]hats something that Nazi Germany would have done, and did do.

For the most part, Trump remained calm and jocular (except when he refused to call on CNN reporter Jim Acosta, yelling You are fake news!). He invited reporters to the White House the week after his inauguration. He left the bad-cop routine to his press secretary, Sean Spicer, who called BuzzFeed a left-wing blog and said the decision to publish was outrageous and highly irresponsible.

The cumulative result is that Trump turned what should have been a serious examination of his incoming administration into a debate over journalistic practices and Michael Cohens travel itinerary. BuzzFeed deserves some of the blame for this. Journalists receive oppo research frequently during political campaigns, but publish only what they can verify. By amending this standard for Trump, BuzzFeed handed him an opening to play the victim. Trump thrives in a world where facts are fungible. As the journalist Masha Gessen, whos covered Putins Russia for years, tweeted: We are now fully immersed in the anonymous, the unverified, and the unverifiable. And he hasnt even taken office. Trumpism sure is fast.

The matter of whether Trump campaign officials coordinated with the Kremlin needs to be investigated, and answered definitively. Trumps propensity to traffic in rumor, gossip, and innuendo makes it ever more important that the news organizations dont.
James Clapper. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In yet another extraordinary development, on Wednesday night Director of National Intelligence James Clapper released a statement on an unverified dossier that outlines Donald Trumps alleged ties to Russia. BuzzFeed published the 35-page document on Tuesday after CNN reported that Clapper and other intelligence chiefs gave the president-elect a two-page summary of the memos when they briefed him last week.

In the statement, Clapper says that he spoke with Trump again on Wednesday evening, and expressed his profound dismay that leaks about the meeting have been appearing in the press. We both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security, he said.

Clapper then addressed the dossier itself:

We also discussed the private security company document, which was widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of Congress and Congressional staff even before the IC became aware of it. I emphasized that this document is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.

While NBC News said Trump actually wasnt presented with a summary of the document last week, Clappers statement seems to suggest that CNNs original report was correct.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the intelligence chiefs concluded they had no choice but to include the dossier in the briefing prepared for President Obama and President-elect Trump. Many journalists and lawmakers had seen the document, and they thought Trump and Obama should know that the intelligence agencies were aware of the allegations. They also believed it was only a matter of time before the claims were made public (just before the election Mother Jones reported on the dossiers existence, but did not go into detail).

The Post reports that Clapper, CIA director John Brennan, FBI chief James Comey, and NSA director Mike Rogers were unanimous in their decision to include a two-page summary of the dossier in an annex to a much larger report on Russias alleged election meddling. A U.S. official told the paper the summary was fully explained to Trump and put into context, to make it clear that the government did not compile the dossier or verify its claims.

Former U.S. intelligence officials told the Post that including opposition research in a presidential briefing is very unusual. It would be extraordinary if not unprecedented to bring to the attention of a president and president-elect a private document for which you had no reason to believe the allegations made in it, said Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA.

Journalists held off on publishing the allegations contained in the memo because they werent able to confirm the explosive claims about Trump and Russia. Ironically, they only emerged this week after CNN reported that the intelligence chiefs thought the dossier was worth mentioning to Obama and Trump.
The investigator is now the investigated. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Michael Horowitz, inspector general of the Justice Department, announced an investigation into the FBIs handling of its inquiry into Hillary Clintons private email server, including the now-infamous Comey letter. The review, which will also cover Justice Department actions in the email investigation, has been initiated at the request of members of Congress and the public, the IGs office said in a statement.

The letter James Comey sent to Congress on October 28 informing members of new Clinton emails found on Anthony Weiners laptop has been blamed, in part, for Clintons loss. It resulted in a torrent of bad headlines, reigniting the email scandal. A second letter, released two days before the election, said the new emails were insignificant, but Clinton claims it did even more damage than the first letter. Just two days before polls opened, Trumps complaints of a rigged system were given new life.

In addition to the timing of Comeys letters, Horowitz will investigate whether members of the FBI and DOJ improperly leaked information about the investigation and whether certain officials should have recused themselves from the probe.
Not mad. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Retired Marine General James Mattis is nicknamed Mad Dog  a reference to his love of swearing and killing enemy soldiers. He has said that its a hell of a lot of fun to shoot members of the Taliban, and told Iraqi military leaders, If you fuck with me, Ill kill you all. The general was such a fervent opponent of the Iran nuclear agreement  and staunch proponent of covert confrontation with Tehran  President Obama relieved him of his duties in 2013.

In 2004, Mattis ordered the bombing of a supposed safe house for foreign fighters in Iraq  but which witnesses, Associated Press video, and the bodies of dead children all suggested was actually a wedding party. These were more than two dozen military-age males. Lets not be naive, Mattis said, amid the ensuing controversy. I have not seen the pictures but bad things happen in wars.

Despite all this, Mattis very well may be the most comforting cabinet pick that Donald Trump has made. This was the widespread consensus when Trump first announced Mattiss nomination for secretary of Defense, and the ex-generals testimony in his confirmation hearing reaffirmed that common wisdom.

On Thursday, Mattis reassured Senate Republicans by breaking with Trump on Russia and NATO.

If we did not have NATO today we would need to create it, Mattis told the Senate Armed Services committee, explaining that America must harness renewed political will to confront and walk back aggressive Russian actions and other threats to the security of its members. The would-be Defense Secretary assured John McCain that he supports a permanent American military presence in the Baltics.

Trump, by contrast, has suggested that his support for NATO is conditional on Americas partners increasing their defense spending  or else paying the United States to protect them. And, of course, the president-elect lives by the motto, If you dont have anything nice to say about Vladimir Putin, dont say anything at all.



At other points, the ex-general gave comfort to Senate Democrats, by reiterating his belief that it would be unwise to rip up Americas nuclear deal with Iran, as the president-elect has pledged to.

I think it is an imperfect arms-control agreement  its not a friendship treaty, Mattis said. But when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.

Mattis, nonetheless, provided plenty of red meat to the Senates Iran hawks, describing Tehran as the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and calling for a new strategy to checkmate Irans goal for regional hegemony.

The ex-general also declared his opposition to deliberately murdering terrorists families, as the president-elect once proposed.

Mattis is the only Trump pick that Democrats have the power to block  military officers are barred by law from serving as Defense Secretary until theyve been out of the armed forces for seven years. Thus, to be confirmed, Mattis will need to secure a waiver. And to do that, hell need to receive a filibuster-proof majority of support in the Senate.

But according to Politico, after Thursdays hearing, Democrats made clear their resounding support for the retired Marine Corps general, touting him as their best hope for reining in a president-elect who has unorthodox views on matters of war and peace.

Three Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee  Elizabeth Warren, Kristen Gillibrand, and Richard Blumenthal  voted against granting the waiver Thursday, but the majority of their co-partisans did not. By a 24 to 3 vote, the committee approved the waiver, sending it to the floor of the upper chamber for a full Senate vote.

And it isnt hard to see why Democrats would give Mattis the green light. Unlike Betsy DeVos, Andy Pudzer, and Scott Pruitt, Mattis is not hostile to the core mission of the agency hes been picked to lead. And unlike Trumps other national-security picks, Mattis is not a (self-avowed) Islamaphobe, or oil-company executive who isnt sure if Rodrigo Duterte has committed war crimes.

Considering whom Trump might turn to were Mattiss nomination shot down, it would be reckless for Democrats to deny him confirmation.

Which is to say: The alleged war criminal nicknamed Mad Dog is about as sane as a Trump cabinet pick is gonna get.
Mexican press: No Y No. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Its getting to be somewhat of a tired bit: President-elect Donald Trump insists Mexico is going to pay for his big, beautiful not a fence border wall, and Mexico quickly fires back with a big, beautiful nope.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said, bluntly, on Wednesday that of course Mexico is not going to pay for the border wall with the United States. Nieto, who was speaking at a meeting of Mexican ambassadors, added that he would never accept a policy that went against our dignity as Mexicans.

"Mexico por supuesto no pagara por un muro" Pena Nieto contesta a Trump #TrumpPressConference #TrumpSpeechEP pic.twitter.com/n1mTUJ9IKw  bezdiario (@bezdiario) January 12, 2017

Trump has, of course, slightly tweaked the language on his plan  saying the United States will begin building the wall, and then Mexico will reimburse its neighbor for the cost after construction has started. I could wait about a year and half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get to office, Trump told reporters at his press conference Wednesday, but I dont want to wait. Trumps plan for how to get Mexico to pay, according to Trump, could come in many different forms. He explained, whether its a tax or a payment  probably less likely that its a payment  but it will happen.

"It's not a fence, it's a wall" - Trump insists that Mexico will reimburse the US "in some form" for the border wall https://t.co/HDC6OQSTi9  Sky News (@SkyNews) January 11, 2017

Which is all very different from Nietos of course Mexico will not pay for that wall. Even if the wall is a nonstarter, Nieto did say that Mexico was going to work to have a good relationship with President Trump, which is the more diplomatic equivalent of the next U.S. presidents by the way, Mexico, so nice. So nice. I respect the government of Mexico. I respect the people of Mexico. I love the people of Mexico. I have many people from Mexico working for me, theyre phenomenal people.
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Trumps press conference, BuzzFeed, and Bill OReillys settlement.

Near the end of Donald Trumps press conference yesterday, Trump was asked if he could stand here today, once and for all, and say that no one connected to him or his campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign. He tried to avoid the question at the podium, and the press chased him to ask again at the elevator. Is this a sign that Trumps Russia evasions and broad denials will eventually run out of steam?

Lets not pretend we dont know what is happening here. There is evidence that Donald Trump and his administration-in-formation are partially, perhaps wholly, beholden to the Kremlin and/or those Russian oligarchs in its thrall. This is why Trump refused to answer that question about contacts with Russia during the campaign  and why hell lie about it when he finally feels he must muster some kind of answer. His symbiosis with Russia is also why he will never release his tax returns, for what other reason could there be at this point except that they reveal the Russian financial ties he denies? After all, we already know the other embarrassments contained in those returns  that he hasnt paid taxes for years, that he practices no actual philanthropy, and that his businesses are in a perennial waltz with bankruptcy, fraud, and failure.

No, Russia is the big story here. The elephant in the room is a bear. Trump has made no bones about repeatedly hiring fellow Putin sycophants, whether his former campaign chief Paul Manafort, the incoming National Security Adviser, Mike Flynn, or the secretary of State nominee, Rex Tillerson. When the heroic aviator Charles Lindbergh was awarded a medal, the Service Cross of the German Eagle, by Hermann Goering by order of der Fuhrer before World War II, it helped make him persona non grata in the FDR White House. When Tillerson received a Russian Order of Friendship Award from Putin, Trump regarded it as an incentive to hire him.

How this will play out once Trump is inaugurated is impossible to fathom. We have a president-elect who trusts Putin and Julian Assange more than he does Americas intelligence agencies, whom he has compared to the Nazis. Perhaps Trumps only real goal is to grab money from deep Russian pockets as fast as he can in opaque business deals managed by his sons while hes in office. Even so, its entirely possible that he and Flynn will help facilitate Putins own political aims in exchange  all the while claiming that their motive is merely to band with Russia in fighting ISIS. Whats clear is that we are not going to get straight answers to any Russian questions. Even before Trump took over the lectern at his Wednesday press conference, his press spokesman, Sean Spicer, unleashed a preemptive lie about still another Trump-Kremlin connection by claiming that Trump does not know Carter Page, an investment banker who was investigated by the F.B.I. last summer for suspicions of private dealings with Russian leaders. In fact, Page had been announced as a Trump foreign-policy adviser by his campaign last year and had been cited by name by Trump himself in an interview with the Washington Post editorial board in March. Both Page and Trump, by the way, have used the term witch hunt to describe any attempts to investigate their Russian dealings  the same term used by the Kremlin to fend off evidence that Putin manipulated the American election. Perhaps Page and Trump have the same Kremlin handler, whether or not it is the former KGB agent Putin himself.

Just minutes after CNN reported that intelligence agencies had briefed Trump and President Obama about compromising financial and personal information Russia may hold about the president-elect, BuzzFeed posted a dossier containing the unconfirmed details. BuzzFeed says their dossier is how we see the job of reporters in 2017; CNNs Jake Tapper says it is irresponsible and hurts us all. Did BuzzFeed make the right call?

Next to the staggering list of press failures that have marked Trumps rise to the presidency, this seems small potatoes. BuzzFeed did frame what it published as being both unconfirmed and redolent with errors. The dossier may well prove to be utter trash (if entertaining trash), and the only slender justification for publishing it is that it fleshes out a true news break by CNN, that both Obama and Trump had been told of this salacious reports existence by American intelligence agencies, who also have not verified it. But is BuzzFeeds sin worse than CNN having put Trump henchman Corey Lewandowski on its election-year payroll? Or than the Times repeatedly giving major home-page play to data suggesting that Hillary Clinton had a close to 100 percent chance of victory right up to Election Day? You could argue that that latter stunt actually suppressed Democratic turnout in the presidential race; the BuzzFeed stunt changed nothing unless you count the impressive number of jokes it has prompted, on Twitter and beyond, around the phenomenon of #GoldenShower. It is not a bright spot in BuzzFeeds history, but the ruckus it has generated seems disproportionate, a reflection of how much Trump has put the press on the defensive over a bruising 18 months.

What most seems to upset press critics about BuzzFeeds action understandably  is that Trump seized on it to paint the entire press Establishment, including CNN, as purveyors of fake news. That is an outrage, but if Trump hadnt found this pretext, he would have found another opening soon enough. There is, of course, no bigger purveyor of fake news than Trump himself, unless its his comrade in alt-right propaganda, Stephen Bannon. Trumps entire campaign was spawned by trafficking in conspiracy theories, whether about President Obama or Mexican immigrants or imaginary Muslims cheering 9/11 in New Jersey. His effort to play the virtuous defender of journalistic ethics is as ludicrous as his presenting himself as the greatest, most respectful champion of Americas women. He is determined to bully, destabilize, and discredit the press. But those who buy his preposterous self-righteous pose are so imprisoned by the alternative reality of Trump anyway that they might as well be Scientologists  nothing short of an intervention will return them to the real world. These are the same people who think that Trumps display of piles of manila envelopes at his press conference actually told us something about his business ethics. If I may briefly embrace Trumpism by being both vulgar and politically incorrect, let me say that people who fall for his bullshit are idiots. Even if the dossier BuzzFeed published is found to be mostly true, theyll still believe its fake news because it doesnt match the fake news they are imbibing every day.

Its now come out that, soon after Fox News ousted chairman Roger Ailes, declaring that his behavior would not be tolerated, the network also settled with an employee making similar sexual-harassment complaints against Bill OReilly. Why do you think OReilly was able to remain at the network?

As my colleague Gabriel Sherman has reported, Fox News is now officially all in on Trump, as certified by Rupert Murdochs decision to promote the Trump-friendly Tucker Carlson to the Trump skeptic Megyn Kellys vacated prime-time slot. A network allied with the president-elect who gave America grab em by the pussy and that tolerated Ailess predatory sexual behavior for years is certainly going to stand by its highest-rated on-camera personality even if he is a repeat sexual offender. Lets just be grateful that neither BuzzFeed nor anyone else has yet obtained audio tapes of OReilly masturbating while on the phone with his female prey, a particularly gross element in the Times account of the latest incident. Then again, in the Trump era, its safe to say that just as Trump could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any of his followers, so OReilly could be found masturbating outside the Fox News studio on Sixth Avenue and not lose the confidence of either his viewers or the Murdochs.
Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

The man who prepared the secret dossier alleging deep ties between Donald Trump and Russia is a former British intelligence agent with a spy-movie name, according to The Wall Street Journal. Christopher Steele is a 52-year-old who runs Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd., a private security and investigation firm based in London. The WSJ says hes the man who, according to CNN, was first hired by GOP operatives to dig up dirt on Trump and then paid by Clinton supporters to continue his investigation.

The WSJ appears to have known Steele was behind the document for weeks. Its article revealing his name says attempts to get him to talk have failed in previous weeks because, as an intermediary told the paper, the topic was too hot.

Some information on how Orbis gathers its information is available on its website, which says:

Our global network of senior associates is made up of regional, industry and academic experts, as well as prominent business figures. We call upon their expertise and closed network of contacts to help our clients frame business decisions, protect our clients reputations, and problemsolve for companies facing complex issues worldwide.

Despite failed attempts to reach Steele, the WSJ did speak to Christopher Burrows, who runs Orbis with Steele. He would not confirm or deny that the firm produced the report.
Photo: Richard Handwerk/Getty Images

Scandinavia is held up by American lefties as a socialist alternate reality look at how good statecraft could be! Its a fantasy that gains urgency when youre reminded that one-percenters take home 18 to 19 percent of all the income in the U.S., compared with taking in 5 to 8 percent in Scandinavian countries.

Given that gap, you have to wonder why  save for an Occupy Wall Street or two  Americans are so comparatively chill about inequality. Its a question that a team of researchers at Norwegian School of Economics  Ingvild Almas, Alexander Cappelen, and Bertil Tungodden  recently sought to answer in a cleverly designed discussion paper, highlighted by Alana Semuels at The Atlantic. The research team came to a startling and illuminating conclusion: Maybe Americans and Scandis frame fairness differently, and maybe thats part of why the two societies are set up so differently.

The researchers recruited over 1,300 participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk and told them that theyd each be given $2 (and possibly more) for completing a handful of short assignments, like unscrambling a sentence and figuring out the code within a set of numbers. (In the paper, these were the workers.) They also recruited a second group of a thousand people from both the U.S. and Norway to be spectators in the experiment. (The researchers thought that the study results could be generalized to include other Scandinavian countries because Norway is so culturally similar to Sweden or Denmark, a point that some Swedes and Danes might contest.)

The spectators were told that, contrary to most surveys, theirs had real-world consequences: It was up to them to divvy up the compensation for the workers, who had been paired off in one-on-one competition on the above tasks. As a default, worker A would get six dollars and worker B nothing. But the spectators could also choose to redistribute the wealth so that worker A received $5 and worker B would get $1, or worker A get $4 and worker B get $2, and on down the line.

The story of why one worker got more money than the other was manipulated in one of three ways: in the merit treatment, the spectators were told that the winnings had originally been distributed in accordance with productivity. In the luck treatment, they were awarded via lottery. The efficiency treatment was the same as the luck, save for one key detail: For each dollar redistributed, the lucky worker would lose two bucks, so the outcomes would be (6,0) or (4,1) or (2,2) or (0,3).

In the light of these conditions, the ways that American and Norwegian spectators assigned the winnings were quite revealing.

Overall, Americans were less likely than Norwegians to divide equally (42 percent versus 63 percent), and more likely not to redistribute at all (32 percent vs. 15 percent). In the luck condition, 53 percent of Americans and 78 percent of Norwegians opted for complete equalization; in productivity, just 15 percent of Americans equalized compared to 35 percent of Norwegians. The efficiency condition, which added a cost to redistribution, only marginally changed the equalization trends for both nationalities.

Semuels, the Atlantic writer, argues that this last point on efficiency may mean that framing the debate on the American welfare state around the cost of redistributing all that cash misses the point. Costs dont seem to be Americans big hang-up with redistribution, she writes. Rather, their opposition seems to go to an underlying acceptance of fate and the fortunes it brings.

There were a couple demographic differences beyond nationality. Conservatives assigned more inequality in both countries, as did men. Interestingly, spectators income had little effect on inequality assignment in either country, though better-educated Americans assigned more inequality.

A final question asked participants about whether a just society equalizes incomes, and the results were diametrically opposed. The mode among the Americans is to completely agree with the statement that a society should not equalize incomes, while the mode among the Norwegians is to completely agree with the statement that a society should equalize incomes, the authors write, emphasis theirs.

After doing some statistical analysis, the authors contend that, given the way Americans and Norwegians redistributed the experimental winnings and agreed or disagreed about whether to equalize incomes more broadly, the two cultures have divergent fairness views. In both countries, a meritocratic fairness view, where differences due to productivity are fair and those due to luck are unfair, was the most popular, with a 38 percent share in the U.S. and 43 percent in Norway. More than double the share of Americans (29 percent) held the libertarian fairness view, where they were fine with the compensation workers received on every treatment, than Norwegians (13 percent). Conversely, double the Norwegians held an egalitarian view  where its fair to equalize earnings in both merit and luck  compared to Americans, 36 versus 15 percent.

All this sheds light on the political intuitions that guide votes and policy. If popular political support stems from fairness considerations, the authors write, then its not surprising that wealth redistribution is normal in Scandinavia and radical in the U.S. The questions of why the two groups hold these intuitions is for political scientists and historians. Scandi socialism has deep roots in whats called the Jantelagen, or a disdain for being rich, famous, or otherwise standing out. (This is also why when youre having a cozily hygge time, as is so in vogue these days, youre not to talk of work, money, religion, or politics.) Meanwhile, American culture is, according to the scale developed by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, about 31 percent more individualistic than Norway. While Scandinavians wonder about how to fit in, Americans wonder how it feels to be rich.
At the 2004 March for Womens Lives. Photo: NIKKI KAHN/MCT via Getty Images

As soon as I saw that there was a planned Womens March on Washington, I knew that I would be there. With the protest just ten days away, Ive been trying to come up with a really good sign slogan and figure out whose air mattress Im going to sleep on  but Ive also been thinking back to my first big march on Washington, and how it changed the course of my life.

Let me set the scene for you: It was the spring of 2004, nearing the end of George W. Bushs first term. In the previous 12 months, Dubya had invaded Iraq and signed federal legislation banning specific abortion procedures. Before that, hed granted massive tax cuts to the rich, while also cutting off funding for family-planning services at home and abroad.

I loathed the president. But I was, admittedly, pretty caught up in my own problems. It was my senior year of college, and after years of studying journalism, I had been rejected by every newspaper Id applied to work for. Although I had stopped uttering the caveat Im not a feminist, but, I had never seriously considered a career as anything other than an unbiased news reporter. Now, on what was supposed to be the cusp of my career, no newspapers wanted me. And I wasnt sure I wanted them, either.

Thats when a group of feminists asked me to help raise money for a womens march on Washington. We lived in central Missouri, 934 miles away from the capital, and they wanted to send eight busloads of young people to D.C. for the planned protest against Bushs policies toward women. This was going to require some serious fundraising, and they wanted my help.

I said yes. Im still not sure exactly why, though I think it had something to do with being asked directly. Id been a supporter of groups like Amnesty International, and Id written letters on behalf of imprisoned dissidents on other continents. But I hadnt always been great at connecting my big-picture beliefs to action on behalf of my friends and myself. Here was a group of women asking me to do just that, and something clicked. It probably didnt hurt that I thought these ladies were really, really cool. I wanted to hang out with them.

Thirteen years later, Im about to head to Washington for another major protest of another terrible president. Which means Ive been thinking about the real purpose and value of taking to the streets en masse. The New York Times hosted a virtual debate over whether a womens march against Trump is a useful endeavor. It must have been easy for them to find detractors. We all know this is a fruitless exercise that will make us feel better but will have no effect on anything else, wrote Angie Morelli, a business owner and Bernie Sanders supporter.

Others argued it will be immediately politically consequential. This march is doing exactly what it should be doing and what no one else is doing  galvanizing and focusing mass public opposition to a dangerous and erratic administration, wrote labor organizer Ai-jen Poo.

My decision to march in 2004 did nothing to alter the course of George W. Bushs presidency. But it did alter the course of my life. Id grown up in a conservative family, attending Catholic schools, and living in red states, which means Id always felt like a political outlier. The social internet was still too young to connect me to a movement. In the streets at the march, though, for the first time I got a sense of the number of people who shared my beliefs. A few months later, I took an internship at a womens-rights nonprofit. A few months after that, I started blogging for a site called Feministing. And the rest of my career has been shaped by my commitment to the issues I care about.

As I gear up to march on the capitol with hundreds of thousands of protesters again, on the surface it feels like were back where we started: Futilely screaming against another president with a disregard for the powerless, who was elected without a majority. I have no illusions that this years Womens March on Washington will change Donald Trumps beliefs about who is worthy of living in the United States, whose body parts have the right to remain un-grabbed, and who is deserving of access to safety-net programs. But I am certain that it will change the people who show up. We dont just march to change policies. We march to change ourselves. The act of transforming our political beliefs into something concrete  a sign we carry, a message we shout  transforms us. I think I changed the moment I stepped on the bus to travel to Washington, when I decided there were some beliefs worth taking to the streets to defend.

Large-scale protests are a way to mark the evolution of our personal and collective politics. Although the 2004 protest was called, holistically, the March for Womens Lives, the narrative was overwhelmingly focused on reproductive rights. The march was a sea of Keep Abortion Legal and Stand Up for Choice signs. I vividly recall seeing a giant stuffed-uterus puppet. My perspective on what constitutes a womens issue has changed dramatically since then, and Im not alone. This years womens march is much broader than reproductive justice. In the first sentence of their mission statement, the organizers include immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault.

This intersectional focus has been tough for some white women to accept. Which, as a white woman who strongly supports an inclusive approach, is all the more reason for me to attend. Im marching to create a counter-narrative: Not just to oppose Trump, but to stand apart from the majority of white women voters who cast their ballots for him. Indeed, Im marching because Im aware that I am not the most vulnerable to Trumps policies. Im a white, straight, documented citizen with the financial means to pay for basic health care out-of-pocket. Which means that I need an accountability system. I want to look around at the march, see that Im not alone in wanting to strive for something better, and then actually follow through. Exclaiming your resistance, while necessary, is insufficient, writes Charles Blow in the New York Times. You need to augment your outrage with actions that are affirming, behaviors that reinforce principles and values. I think that marching can accomplish both of these things.

I recently dug out my stack of photos from 2004. Among those pictured are women who have undergone health crises and abortions and miscarriages and transitions and illnesses, and emerged stronger and more energized about their beliefs than they ever could have predicted. Among them are women who went on to devote their careers to ending domestic violence and fundraising for queer artists and teaching other women the art of self-care. They are friends who have helped hold me accountable to my own beliefs for more than a decade.

And theres a photo of me. Im hugging my best friend, who is wearing a matching shirt. Were pressed against a crowd of women carrying signs, and the Washington Monument is visible against a gray sky behind us. I dont look like an angry young activist, enraged at the loss of her rights and the futility of her street protest. I am grinning, and gazing slightly off-frame at what I can only assume is my future.
Ivanka Trump. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

On Monday, it was reported that Ivanka Trump would be stepping down from her fashion label, as well as the Trump Organization. The news came shortly after her husband Jared Kushner was named senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump; he too will be divesting from his publishing, real estate, and venture-capital holdings.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, Ivanka confirmed the news, writing:

When my father takes office as the 45th President of the United States of America, I will take a formal leave of absence from The Trump Organization and my eponymous apparel and accessories brand. I will no longer be involved with the management or operations of either company.



She added, I plan to take time to settle our three young children into their new home and schools, though it is still yet to be seen if she will be involved in the Trump administration in any official way. Ivanka also reiterated that she is deeply passionate about education and empowerment of women and girls; leveling the playing field for female entrepreneurs and job creators and unleashing the potential of women in the workplace.

In fact, Politico reports that Ivanka has been turning to Dina Powell, a Goldman Sachs partner and the president of the Goldman Sachs foundation, for advice. Powells in charge of the 10,000 Women initiative, which supports female entrepreneurs; sources told Politico she is being considered for some sort of potential advisory role.



Read Ivankas full Facebook post, below:
Pinot Noir looks set to steal the limelight this January

New Zealand wine producers are gearing up for a high level of interest in their Pinot Noir wines at the annual trade tasting event in London next week, following the news that tickets for the popular Pinot Noir NZ event in Wellington, New Zealand, have already sold out.

Pinot Noir NZ only takes place every four years and the organisers have announced that tickets for the three-day event have sold out, more than three weeks before it takes place.

The sold-out event includes a line-up of 30 speakers from Japan, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand; the speakers have been tasked with sparking thought provoking discussions among 600 Pinot Noir lovers from 20 different countries. Joining them will be four New Zealand Masters of Wine and leading New Zealand Pinot Noir creators will also attend, including Larry McKenna, Blair Walter and winemaker/ actor Sam Neill.

Pinot Noir wines are also top of the agenda at next weeks New Zealand trade tasting event in London  The Great New Zealand Wine Tasting  on 16 January.

At the annual London event Peter McCombie, MW, will be hosting a masterclass to showcase the regional styles and diversity of New Zealands Pinot Noir and in addition there will be two themed self-pour discovery tables: one of which highlights the regional styles of Pinot Noir (featuring six of New Zealands Pinot Noir regions).

The second self-pour discovery table features a range of aromatic styles from New Zealand, including Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

Related articles:
rise queen but also where's the new song



colors has always been one of my faves, keep trying and deep river as well

Reply

Thread

Link

a remix???? why??? you can hardly improve on perfection.

Reply

Thread

Link

She tossed a few chords of Traveling into it, that's how. ("Let's go for a ride!")

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i loooove that one, michi is my new jam though

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

sakura nagashi is almost too beautiful for this world

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I am so in love with the music break that starts at @ 0:50. <3



I can't pick a favorite song tbh, but I love Kremlin Dusk, Keep Tryin', Michi, Tomodachi, Crying Like a Child, Deep River, Traveling, Ningyo, aaaand Sakura Nagashi. And Passion and Hikari, ofc.

Reply

Thread

Link

I'm high and listened to Sakura Drops and cried a little bit

Reply

Thread

Link

My favorites include FINAL DISTANCE...



HAAAAAY BOOOOO~



HAAAAAY BOOOOO~

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This comment made me scream!!!! I remember downloading final distance off lime wire repeatedly (because my computer always got viruses back then), and it was say Kindgom Hearts 2 theme and I would get confused because I never heard the song in the game.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I preordered KH 2.8. I hope it's not shit

Reply

Thread

Link

help I can't stop listening to simple and clean

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The original is still the best version but I still like this remix I don't care.



I've been avoiding kingdom hearts 2.8 spoilers all day, only 11 more days to go 

Reply

Thread

Link

THIS. I got so many livestream recs on my youtube page I almost gave into temptation lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

There is something about the song I'm just not feeling and I love Hikari (Simple and Clean a little less).



My fav Utada Hikaru songs are First Love, Automatic, traveling and Final Distance.

Reply

Thread

Link

Happy to see perfection still recognized years later tbh 

Though this just makes me think about the news about KH3 and FVXII and 

Reply

Thread

Link

ikr? I felt my wrinkles forming reading that news. I'm still betting on a 2018 date for KH3, don't let me down Nomura 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Seriously. Everything Nomura touches turns to vaporware

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

FVXII? What's that? They pushing back the remaster of FFXII???



Edited at 2017-01-12 05:23 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Why you gotta rub salt on the wound like that sis ;_;



But yeah 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

gd i miss the era of the remix in jpop. These are awful.

Reply

Thread

Link

Colors and Beautiful World are probably my favorites from her.



I'm not gonna bother with those remixes tho

Reply

Thread

Link

Simple & Clean already had a great remix, the Plantib Remix.



Reply

Thread

Link

this one is better you are right

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Long live my queen



Edited at 2017-01-12 03:44 am (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Only one I still listen to 15 years later. Did they do one for Passion?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

the only remix I acknowledge tbh

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

no ty. i can't believe i am almost 27 and still waiting for kingdom hearts 3.

Reply

Thread

Link

KH2 came out when I was almost 23 and I made a joke saying I'd be 30 before I saw KH3.



I'm 34.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Gurl me too, about to be 28 in April. It's ridiculous.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
Which current ONTD Boyfriend [I think he's one?? if not he should be tbh] did I meet tonight?!Stage & screen'sI went to see($30 Under 30 tickets, y'all!) and it was excellent imo (and I was right in the second row so all the poor actors could actually see my dumb hearty-eyes and :-O faces, good lord), and then I waited at the stage door in the rain because I have no chill, and he was very sweet as he signed for a few people and I said I loved the show and then blurted out "I've been to two Moonlight Q&As but I was too nervous to say hi [to you], so, um, hi :)))" and he kind of laughed and went "aww thanks" and asked my name (!) and then introduced himself as he shook my hand, which was adorable because like YEAH, DUDE, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. So humble! (and I am getting over a cold so idk what he smelled like. he's a little shorter than I expected [I'm 5'8"], but even moar talented & dreamy af. the end.)Moonlightsource: *Elle Woods voice* ME!!! (and my phone)
that's obnoxious, tbh

it's not like they were still together

Reply

Thread

Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

screaming

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

nah if one of my girlfriends was hooking up with my longtime ex they'd BOTH be cancelled. she should unfollow abel too.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

unfollowing someone is not obnoxious but making a big deal out of it sure is

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

tbh the more i look at bella the more she looks like a horse (i blame the botched nose job)

Reply

Thread

Link

gisele gives me equine teas a lot too

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link





she looked more like giselle before tbh

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

she is v pretty in motion i think





Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

she does look kind of equine, ia. it's like she took photos of bojack horseman and jennifer lawrence 2 her surgeon and said "make me their child"

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I think her nose jobs made her stunning. She's kind of like Rihanna now in that she can dress like a member of some flop 90's girl group and still look good.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

in what world is her nose job botched tho? she went from girl next door cute to stunning bc of it imo.



Edited at 2017-01-12 05:25 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

lmao ontd is very divided when it comes to her



they either want her surgeon's # or to revoke his licence





Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Bella looks like Amy from Gone Girl. Watch yourselves, Abel and Selena

Reply

Thread

Link

i didn't even know they broke up again after the victoria's secret we're apart but not really thing

Reply

Thread

Link

I don't get why she's still following Abel. So, she's more pissed at Selena than at her actual ex? Alright.

Reply

Thread

Link

lots of people have that mindset sadly, like i know a girl who HATES me bc i went out with her ex, yet she's still cordial with him. it makes no sense to me.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Where you friends? Because if you were I do understand her. If not then whatever.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Silly! Men aren't responsible for their behaviour! You obvs manipulated the poor chap.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao i had a girl scream at me via Facebook messenger in HS when she thought her ex was into me and i was like 'dude are you joking all he did was message me asking me to hangout, i don't even know him' like damn girl, check yourself.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I've been through this and I cut ties with my said friend. Obviously I have no relationship with my ex but if I see him and he says hi I am polite. I did spread a rumor he had a small dick... Anyways, if someone is your friend and goes out with your ex after you have broken up that is fucked up. The ex is in the wrong but they are an ex for a reason. A friend is someone you confide in and trust in a different way than someone you are involved with.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

our mutual "friend" fucked up our relationship by seducing him and sleeping with him. she KNEW we were together. but even if she didn't know, it's still fucked up for her to do that.



and yes, I am mad at both.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Imo, kissing and making out are two completely different things.

Reply

Thread

Link

was waiting for this post :D

Reply

Thread

Link

bella is so beautiful 2 me in like a robotic way

like she looks like a creature from ex machina

Reply

Thread

Link

yeah ia

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

she's honestly so plain to me, i'm blown away by how much people rave about her beauty. she's not ugly and i guess she's pretty, but she doesn't stand out to me at all. most of her peers stand out way more to me.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

SAME. i am always so confused in these posts because i just dont get it.



i feel the same way about jennifer lawrence tho and bella looks like she tried to single white female her face, so that's probably why.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Her face reminds me of those little wooden sculpture dolls, like.. in theory it's a good starting point but it's too blank-canvas-y to be beautiful? Idk.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i think she was very pretty pre-op, but now looks like a real housewife

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i think she's stunning but this is a perf description

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Bella looks exactly like Jane Seymour and Carla Bruni

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





Like this:

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

the thing that gets me is she looks sooo much older than her age. Like, she looks like a very glamourous 34 year old

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

god who cares. who has the time to even notice this shit! I do wish Instagram would create a button that shows you your mutual friends with someone tho :/



Reply

Thread

Link

teenagers i assume

i always wonder how psychotic i would've been if backstreet boys etc had instagrams and shit back in the day

i probs would've left violent msgs of hate 4 willa ford on instagram!!!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

LOL poor Willa

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

omg Willa! lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lmao I used to hate Willa SO much, but I fuck with her hard these days, especially after she favorited one of my tweets last year.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lol funny story I did spread hate on AOL BSB chat rooms for Willa circa 1999? 1998?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

there are some sites that will send you notifications whenever someone follows or unfollows someone. you have to put in a relationship you wanna stalk and you get notified when something changes.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

There's kind of the reverse of that- if you look at someone's profile, it will say who of your friends follows them.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Like, you have Facebook for dat? 

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

it used to have a button that said 'follows you' like twitter does so you could see if someone unfollows you but they got rid of it for some reason. i was like damn i wanna know who unfollows me so if i follow them i can unfollow them too lmao. i'm so petty but w/e

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Instagram should have a mute option like Twitter so celebrities or anyone wouldn't have to do this.

Reply

Thread

Link

god the mute button on twitter is the best thing on this entire planet. it's like yasss i can stop seeing your dumb ass posts without dealing with you cussing me out for unfollowing you.



Edited at 2017-01-13 05:38 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

it has happened to me too



i love how unfollows equal drama

Reply

Thread

Link

Eh I support this. I wouldnt want to scroll across pics of the bitch whos fucking my ex.

Reply

Thread

Link

The plot thickens....

Reply

Thread

Link

who's in your icon?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Esme Song from Degrassi: Next Class lmao, she's played by Chelsea Clark.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Hadid, don't do it.

Reply

Thread

Link

so their break up was real and not just VS ploy after all lol

Reply

Thread

Link
New York Citys major source of electricity for more than four decades could be taken offline in the next few years, a major victory for the states governor, who has called the power plant a danger to the city.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant, which consists of two reactors, came online in the 1970s. It has been supplying relatively low-cost and low-carbon power to the city since then. However, it is located just 30 miles from the Big Apple, and as it ages it has become a worry for Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has called it a ticking time bomb, according to The New York Times.

Earlier this week, Gov. Cuomo announced that he had convinced Indian Points owner, Louisiana-based Entergy, to shut down the reactors by 2021. I have personally been trying to close it down for 15 years, the governor said. The closure eliminates a major risk. Entergy will bear the costs of decommissioning and the state will withdraw legal challenges against the plant.

Even better for New York is the Governors claim that the low-carbon energy provided by Indian Point will be replaced by energy efficiency and renewable energy, and as such, wont add to the states climate burden.

But not everyone agrees that the massive 2 gigawatt nuclear complex can be replaced so easily without fossil fuels. Although Gov. Cuomo insists that the state wont have to turn to natural gas to supply New York City, there is a good chance that shale gas from the Marcellus might be called upon anyway. There is currently not enough carbon-free energy in the pipeline to replace Indian Point, Robert Freudenberg, director of energy and environmental programs at the Regional Planning Association, told The New York Times in an interview. Related: Toshiba Loses Billions On U.S. Nuclear Write-Offs

The situation is emblematic of an unfolding drama across the country as the nations nuclear power plants near retirement. The bulk of the 100 or so nuclear power plants in the U.S. were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, all of which were granted a standard 40-year license to operate. Many of those have expired or are nearing expiration, and the bulk of them have been granted 20-year license extensions. With dozens of reactors now a decade or so away from hitting their 60-year birthdays, the U.S. is faced with a dilemma of whether to shut them down or extend their lifespans by yet another 20 years.

While the New York government supported reactors elsewhere in the state, they resisted Indian Point because of its proximity to the city. Entergy ultimately conceded, as the company is in the midst of ridding itself of nuclear reactors in the north and is instead focusing on regulated markets in the south.

In fact, Entergy disputed Gov. Cuomos influence, citing cheap natural gas as a significant factor in its decision to shut down the plant. But Gov. Cuomo and the states attorney general resisted granting Entergy a 20-year license extension on Indian Point. Entergy spent $200 million over the past decade in legal fees trying to obtain a new license, to no avail.

If nuclear reactors are heading for retirement, the big question then becomes how to replace that lost capacity. It will be an uphill battle for New York to replace the shuttered Indian Point reactors and their 2 GW of clean power.

Gov. Cuomo is now aggressively pushing offshore wind, and is targeting 2.4 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. The first down payment on that target is a 90-megawatt project off the coast of Long Island, which he is supporting. However, those projects will take years to come online even under the most optimistic circumstances, raising fears of a gap in power supply.

"It's going to require a lot of gas. Renewables aren't going to do it. I think people would be shocked and dismayed if we tried to do this on the back of conservation," John Bartlett, a portfolio manager at Reaves Asset Management, told E&E News in an interview. "We are talking about a titanic amount of power coming off in Zone J," referring to the section of the electric grid that serves New York. Related: Low Oil Prices Could Last As OPEC Cuts Wont Suffice

Environmental groups are more confident. Hats off to the Cuomo Administration and New York leaders for planning to shut down another nuclear plant and replacing it with clean energy, Anna Aurilio, director of Environment Americas Global Warming Solutions Program, said in a statement. Theres more than enough renewable energy projects in the pipeline to replace Indian Point. Offshore wind could be complemented by onshore wind, solar, and energy efficiency. If New York fails to fill the gap left by Indian Point with renewables, the state can still import hydropower from Quebec.

Indeed, New York is unfazed. The state recently implemented a tighter renewable portfolio standard that requires utilities to source 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030, one of the most aggressive in the nation. Gov. Cuomo also announced this week that New York will cut greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030, tightening the requirements under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a regional cap-and-trade program between Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. Gov. Cuomo is going all-in on renewables in an effort that has raised questions regarding his presidential aspirations in 2020.

Indian Point is just one power plant, but it is indicative of the eroding position of nuclear power. Only a handful of new nuclear reactors are under construction, and despite the hype of a nuclear renaissance, even the newest models are facing lengthy delays and cost overruns, a longstanding problem for the industry. Meanwhile, existing nuclear reactors are getting picked off, one by one.

Whether it will be solar, wind or natural gas, the one thing that is clear is that nuclear power will increasingly give way to alternatives.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
A blockbuster deal between the oil and gas industry, labor unions, and the Argentine government could pave the way for a flood of new investment in shale oil and gas in the South American nation. The deal involves a determination by the state to shoulder the cost of new drilling, but it could lead to the spread of the shale revolution beyond North America.

Argentinas government has agreed to extend regulated natural gas prices at elevated levels, in effect a public subsidy to entice major oil and gas companies to flock to Argentinas prolific Vaca Muerta shale basin. Prices for gas will be set at $7.50 per million Btu (MMBtu), vastly higher than market places in most parts of the world. The fixed prices were scheduled to expire this year. By way of comparison, natural gas prices in the U.S., home of the original shale gas revolution and still the largest natural gas producer in the world, are currently trading for $3.33/MMBtu, or less than half that price.

For years, Argentina has been cited as the most likely place to replicate North Americas shale revolution. While international oil and gas companies have invested capital and drilled wells in places like China, Argentina, Mexico and a handful of European countries, a new major source of shale production has not been achieved anywhere outside of the U.S. and Canada.

Argentina is thought to hold 27 billion barrels of oil and 802 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in its shale formations, according to the EIA. In terms of gas, those reserves are nearly 30 percent larger than the estimated reserves in the U.S., and are second only to what is thought to be located in China. If the shale revolution is to truly spread beyond North America, the Neuquen Basin  where the Vaca Muerta is found  is where it will unfold. Related: The Next Big Innovation In Oil & Gas: Cloud Computing

To be sure, Argentina has made progress, attracting companies like Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Gazprom and others, and production has begun to climb. But costs have remained high and production has grown at stubborn rates. Despite the massive oil and gas resources trapped in Argentinas shale, only two of the 19 concessions awarded in the Vaca Muerta have actually begun producing, according to Reuters.

(Click to enlarge)

The latest deal holds out promise to accelerate the transformation. Not only will there be regulated prices, but Argentinas labor unions also made some concessions. The industry has cited high labor costs as one substantial barrier to investment, with unions demanding more workers on drilling projects than companies say they need. As part of the deal, Argentinas unions have agreed to more flexible contracts. Related: Will U.S. Shale Soon Be Getting A $50 Billion Cash Injection?

One more carrot has been offered to the industry: the government recently allowed a 15-year-old export tax on oil to lapse, further boosting drilling economics. The move is consistent with Argentine President Mauricio Macris business-friendly approach, which he hopes will lead to higher foreign direct investment.

However, regulated prices are not consistent with the free-market principles of President Macri. He is saddling the public with the huge subsidies to the industry, but his government argues that the price supports will be "indispensable for attracting long-term investment. Oil and gas companies promised to invest at least $5 billion in Argentinas shale in 2017, and potentially double that amount in the years ahead.

Higher investment from private industry will also be combined with more spending from Argentinas major oil company. We would likely invest 20% to 30% less this year without the agreement, said Miguel Gutierrez, CEO of Argentinas state-owned oil company YPF. Gutierrez predicts that the regulated prices and the injection of investment that will flow from the deal will help YPF cut investment costs by 10 to 30 percent. YPF accounts for about 90 percent of all new wells drilled in the country right now, according to the WSJ.

While Argentina will pay a pretty penny in order to entice international companies, the government is hoping that domestic production will help close its energy deficit, which in turn will help narrow budget shortfalls.

The subsidized prices will not last forever. Prices for gas will be fixed at $7.50/MMBtu, but will be gradually phased down to $6.50/MMBtu by 2021. It remains to be seen if the deal does indeed open up the investment flood gates. Some oil companies are likely to approach the deal with a bit of cautiousness, given President Macris growing unpopularity and the questionable durability of government policies when power changes hands in Argentina.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
I wrote in late December about a looming crisis in Indonesias mining sector.

And yesterday, it hit.

Officials at Indonesias mining ministry confirmed that miners including Freeport-McMoRan have now halted copper concentrate exports. In accordance with rules that mandated a complete stop to concentrate shipments as of January 12.

That comes even as Indonesian officials said earlier this week they are writing new rules to allow continued concentrate shipments. With Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan saying he aimed to keep miners exporting beyond the January 12 deadline.

It appears however, that lawmakers were unable to get new rules finalized. And the clock ran out on Indonesias miners for the moment  with the concentrate export ban reportedly also now affecting lead, zinc and iron ore producers across the country.

Reports suggest Minister Jonan is still working to draft a 12th-hour solution. With a press conference planned very soon to announce the new direction for mining policy in this key producing nation.

And those new rules will reportedly have critical implications for Indonesias mining sector going forward. Quite likely affecting metals supply and prices around the globe.

For one thing, Indonesian officials said the new rules may allow resumed exports of nickel and bauxite concentrates. With nickel being an especially big deal, given that Indonesia was formerly the worlds largest exporter of this metal. But lost that spot after the export ban kicked in during 2014. Related: How Tillerson Could Jeopardize Geopolitics In Iraq

A resumption of nickel exports here could thus substantially increase global supply. And put a damper on worldwide prices.

Mining Minister Jonan also said that new rules will require foreign miners in Indonesia to divest 51 percent ownership to locals. Adding that this rule would be applied wherever possible  suggesting that more operations could come under pressure to sell off stakes to Indonesian investors.

Such a move would further cloud Indonesias investment climate for mining. Watch for an announcement from the government the next few days on final policy decisions regarding exports and ownership.

Heres to a barter in Jakarta.

By Dave Forest

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
According to information gleaned this afternoon, the former Mimmas Cafe at 1307 E. Brady St. is slated to reopen sometime this spring as a restaurant called Dorsia.

When Jeno and Lorenzo Cataldo purchased the property last fall, there was much speculation about what was coming to the space, which had been long-time staple on Brady Street.

But during a conversation this afternoon, Jeno Cataldo confirmed that the new restaurant will continue to pay tribute for the Italian cuisine for which Mimmas was well known.

Cataldo says the restaurant is likely to be called Dorsia. It's a name he admits is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the movie "American Psycho," in which protagonist Patrick Bateman was plagued by his inability to get reservation at the fictional restaurant of the same name.

"I get a kick out of quirky," says Cataldo. "But I also see it as a tribute. In the '90s, Mimmas was a hard place to get into. You had to wait four hours for a dish of pasta. It was a popular place. So it makes sense."

In that spirit, Cataldo says the plan is for Dorsia to offer affordable Italian dishes (under $20), as well as a fine Italian wine selection. Cataldo has hired a chef (as yet unnamed) with extensive experience in Italian cuisine to design the new menu for the restaurant.

"We want it to be a neighborhood place where people can visit once a week," he says.

Currently, demolition has begun on the restaurant, which will undergo cosmetic work as well as a modernization of the interior, including relocating the bar.

"Were giving it a facelift," says Cataldo, "and were envisioning what a place like Mimmas would be if it opened in 2017. Im very proud and excited about this."
A new Bay View restaurant, Santinos Little Italy, will officially open to the public on Friday, Jan. 20 at 352 E. Stewart St.

The cozy Italian restaurant is a collaboration between owners Greg Huber, Santo Galati and Nick Anton, longtime co-owner of La Perla Mexican restaurant in Walkers Point. And its been a long time coming.

Anton, who purchased the building in 2015, says the build-out for the restaurant was challenging from start to finish. Built in the 1800s, it was most recently home to Nautical Bar. But in decades past, it also served as a home for one of Milwaukees brothels. Unfortunately, years of neglect put the building in disrepair, and countless upgrades were needed, from structural footings to a new foundation, basement, plumbing and roof.

"There were many times when we wanted to give up," notes Anton. "It was really overwhelming. The building had been completely neglected. Ald. (Tony) Zielinski broke his back to help us. He went above and beyond to really move this forward."

The goal, he says, was to capture the spirit of a classic East Coast Italian restaurant.

"We had a vision of what we wanted," explains Anton. "We were trying to be as 1890s Brooklyn as possible. The industrial feel to the area really made it feel very East Coast, and we wanted to capture that vibe."

A look inside

And the partners werent without a sense of humor as they built out the space. Take for example the exterior door, painted with an obvious nod to "The Godfather."

Inside, red lighting calls attention to the stunning ceiling, which was painted by Bay View artist Emmanuel Fritz.

To reinforce the old school vibe, televisions in the restaurant will broadcast Italian movies, including classics from Federico Fellini. A state of the art sound system, which enables music to be played with little disruption to conversation, will also feature an eclectic playlist that includes crooner classics along with more contemporary tunes.

Vintage family photos  including some of Galatis family in Sicily  don the walls. Newspapers from the World War II era, which were found in the walls during demolition, will also be framed as showpieces.

A taste of Italy

The menu errs on the side of affordability with most items priced in the $6-15 range. Highlights include antipasti like bruschetta, cured meats and cheeses, and Sicilian patata arancini made with potatoes, stuffed with basil and cheese, and served with housemade marinara.

There are also salads, including caprese and Greek along with another featuring tuna filet with avocado, marinated carrots, cherry tomatoes, onions and cucumbers drizzled with balsamic reduction.

Pastas include housemade stuffed meatballs, carbonara and Santo Stefano, a pasta dish made with either chicken or shrimp.

But the star of the show at Santinos is pizza, which is made in an imported Italian wood-fired oven by veteran pizza maestro Vasyl Lemberskyy, best known for his time at Transfer Pizzeria. Based loosely on the Neapolitan style, it features a crust made with Napoli Caputo OO flour, a high protein flour that ensures a crisp exterior that holds up well against the sauce.

"In todays world, people are pizza connoisseurs," says Galati. "So you have to bring your A game when you take on this business. We tasted through countless pizzas to settle in on a style that we really love."

Highlights include the Giardiniera with thinly sliced Italian beef, hot or mild giardiniera and fresh mozzarella, as well as the Pizza Paisano featuring a tomato and pesto blend, spicy Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, shaved asiago and shredded mozzarella cheeses. A gluten free crust, as well as non-pork toppings, are also available upon request.

The emphasis, notes Huber, is firmly grounded in high quality ingredients including locally sourced vegetables to pizza toppings like pepperoni and giardiniera. In fact, the team spent countless hours tasting ingredients, including olive oil, to ensure the quality of the ingredients used in the food.

"I remember one day, Nick invited me over to La Perla," Huber says. "And I get there and there are shot glasses on the table. It turns out they were tasting olive oils. We tasted through so many before settling on the kind wed use for the pizza."

Desserts include Dolce pizza with ricotta cheese, berries and berry syrup, tiramisu and a selection of authentic Italian cookies including amaretti and biscotti made by Galatis sister Grace using family recipes that date back generations.

Santinos features a full bar with cocktails and a wine list that focus on Italy. Italian beers, including brews from San Gabriel in Busco Abbey Italy will also be available, along with nine tap beers, including brews from Brenner and Enlightened Brewing Company. Trained baristas will handle coffee service, including espresso.

Theres also outdoor dining to look forward to beginning this summer. A sizeable patio space has been built out to the east of the restaurant and will feature a gas fire pit during clement weather. There will also be an outdoor space developed adjacent to the restaurant that will feature bocce courts.

Beginning Jan. 20, Santinos kitchen will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. The bar will open for happy hour beginning at 3 p.m. and will remain open through bar time. There are also plans to extend hours to include lunch moving forward.
There are some books I keep on my desk because they are not only fascinating to page through  with every page you flip to offering some sort of interesting detail on the history of Milwaukee  but also because theyre in-depth founts of knowledge: Larry Widen and Judi Andersons "Silver Screens" about Milwaukee cinemas, Russell Zimmermanns "The Heritage Guidebook," "Beertown Blazes," by James S. Haight and Richard L. Nailen.

Milwaukee Fire Dept. Deputy Chief Jim Ley offers up another one that I will use a lot.

"10-19 Return to Quarters: A History of Milwaukees Fire Stations" is an encyclopedic, heavily illustrated, fact-filled, 240-page, indispensable look at the history of firehouses in Milwaukee, from the days of the earliest volunteer crews right up to today.

In addition to the structures themselves, Ley discusses equipment, too, and the men that used it to fight fires for nearly 200 years in Milwaukee. Im honored that he used a couple photos of mine and thrilled to see he included profiles of architects like Sebastian Brand and Charles Malig.

Just before the holidays, we caught up with Deputy Chief Ley (pronounced "Lie") to ask him about the book and what led him to it.

OnMilwaukee: Give us a little bit about your background as a firefighter and what your position is now.

Jim Ley: I started on the Milwaukee Fire Department in October of 1983. I recently completed 34 years with the department. I have served as a firefighter, heavy equipment operator (driver), lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, and in October I was promoted to deputy chief and assigned to Special Operations.

Special Operations oversees all of the special teams on the department including hazardous materials, heavy urban rescue, fire boat, dive rescue, tactical EMS and the incident command post. I also am the liaison for shared services (with suburban fire departments) and MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm Association). In addition our office plans and staffs for all of the special events in the course of a year such as the air show, numerous runs, stair climbs and polar plunges.

This is not your first book, is it?

I have written four previous books, all fire department-related. An MFD apparatus history, a history of the Wauwatosa FD and two MFD yearbooks.

What led you to write this one?

The new book came about after I saw a series of books written about the Chicago Fire Dept. and their fire stations. I thought with the extensive archives the Milwaukee Fire Historical Society has, we could write something of interest. I wanted to include more than just a bricks and mortar history but include some stories of the men and women who worked in these buildings. Also to showcase the large amount of photos that survive from the early days of the department. The book took just over five years to research and pull photos together.

Were you always fascinated by firehouses and fire trucks as a kid?

My father was a Milwaukee firefighter, so I grew up learning about what a great career the fire service is. I always had an interest in history, especially of Milwaukee so I have been able to mix the two.

What is it that makes these places so intriguing not only to kids but also to adults?

I think what makes firefighting and fire stations intriguing to people is partly the excitement when a call comes in and that most people have some story regarding a firefighter they knew or a fire or EMS call in their past.

Youve also taken it upon yourself to be the official or unofficial MFD archivist and historian. That must be a lot of work in addition to an already busy work life...

My work as MFD archivist and historian is a hobby that my wife would say is out of control, but it really is something that I enjoy. It is exciting to find new material or learn something new. I recently was given a stack of over 250 photos of MFD apparatus and fire stations taken in the 1960s and it was like getting a great Christmas present.

I was amazed to see how much material survives, especially in comparison to, say, MPD. Why do you think your predecessors had a such a good understanding of the importance of preserving this stuff and this information?

We have been lucky that there have been a number of people interested enough in MFD history to preserve it. In 1982 the department started the Milwaukee Fire Historical Society to archive and preserve things that had been saved.

Were there things you had hoped to find and include that were lost to history?

In doing research for the book, I was hoping to find more information on the volunteer fire department that existed in Milwaukee from 1837 to 1861. I was not able to find any photos of the volunteer firefighters, rigs or buildings. Since firefighters would have made a great picture back in the day and cameras were fairly common by Civil War time it was surprising not to find any. They may exist and I didnt have the correct sources, so hopefully this book may lead to finding something new.

I imagine a number of these places have very personal memories of...

Firefighters spend a lot of time in the fire station. Some of the busiest companies in Milwaukee may only spend 8 hours in their 24-hour shift in the station, but as a home away from home, they want it to be clean and hospitable. It is a little known fact that the city provides very little furniture, no television, no kitchen utensils, no cable, no newspaper and no food for members. So every member is assessed "house dues" to pay for these amenities.

Do you have plans for future books?

I will probably write another book or two in the future in my retirement.

Where can folks buy the book?

Books are available online. They will also be available at the MFD Fire Museum located at 1615 W. Oklahoma on April 2, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Check Milwaukee Fire Historical Society Facebook page for more info.
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

With Barack Obama bidding farewell to a semi-grateful, politically fractured nation, lets look forward to opening a fresh chapter of American history. Few will be able to predict what policies will flow out of this new presidential administration. Now is the time to remain steadfast and hyper vigilant into the actions of our local government.

Snow removal, fees, parking regulations, property tax assessments and general quality of life issues are regulated by local officials whose offices are just a stones throw away. If you have a complaint and call your alderman, theres a good chance they might answer the call and subsequent complaint directly.

Therefore, it should of be of deep concern when those same officials arrive at an idea to sell homes in the greater Sherman Park area for only $1. There are obvious dangers to drastically undervaluing real estate, even if some of the dwellings are in significant disrepair. An alarm should sound when municipal government sets the rules in which it can confiscate private property, affix an arbitrary value to said property and determine the guidelines to whom that properties can be sold.

Those who have deep affections for the city of Milwaukee watched in horror as fires burned in Sherman Park the evening of Aug. 13 last year.

The point needs to be made abundantly clear that residents of Sherman Park did not burn down their own neighborhood. None of what was torched was deeded to the people that call that area home. In fact, a majority of the North Side of Milwaukee is rented property. When we make assessments about the people we see in communities of color, keep in mind youre rarely seeing the owners of that community but residents who lease.

When ownership lacks, pride is the first to suffer. Does your rental car get treated the same as the vehicle you bought with your hard-earned money and affectionately park in the garage? Does that rented hotel room get the same respect as a room in your home?

Many things resulted from those days of violent unrest, protests and face offs with the Milwaukee police on Aug. 13. The first of many positive actions would be a commitment to address social ills that have damned portions of the Milwaukee community for years. Governor Scott Walker delivered a $4.5 million check to assist with job readiness for those underemployed and housing initiatives. Churches renewed their calls to faith. People near and far held hands in solidarity to make sure a melee like this never happened again.

After dozens of additional community meetings, a handful of city officials then prepared their response: They concocted a land grab scheme for corporate developers to gobble up dirt-cheap Sherman Park real estate. This was the citys solution to abject poverty, riots, blight, violence and localized misery.

A cherrypicked group of 100 boarded up, tax-foreclosed properties would be valued at $1. The lucky buyers of these sometimes grand, architecturally historical homes (between North 20th Street, North 60th Street, Lloyd Street and Capitol Drive) could qualify for a grant of up to $10,000 to assist in the rehabilitation and repairs. Would a community that was ablaze a few short months ago because of the lack of asset ownership be transformed into an opportunity for ordinary people to taste their piece of the American dream? Absolutely not.

Its called MERI, the Milwaukee Employment/Renovation Initiative. Made public a few days after Christmas, this plan came right from Santa Claus himself. The community was almost entirely thwarted from participating in purchasing this low value real-estate. Entities interested in acquiring property are required to buy a minimum of five properties with a maximum of 50. The buyers have to substantiate that they possess the capital up front to complete the entire scope of work. Average scope of work for code compliance ranges from $10,000 to $101,000 per house. After the work is completed, the developers could then apply for up to $10,000 in rebates.

Determined not to leave the Sherman Park residents out completely, under or unemployed residents could apply for jobs offered by the developers for $11 per hour. The city only requires the developers to hire a worker for only 500 hours  roughly three months.

To add more insult to injury, the purchasers of the $1, greater Sherman Park area homes cannot have a felony conviction, nor can any of their affiliates or subcontractors have felony records. It's a completely unnecessary clause inserted into the rules to make absolute certain that this program is reserved for handpicked individuals.

Once the properties are repaired and inspected, the developers can rent or sell the homes at grossly inflated prices. Those prices will guarantee the rise in property taxes on similar homes in the area, resulting in more tax foreclosures and a fresh crop of housing stock primed for the next land grab.

MERI offers no solution to the decades old problems that exist in this historic neighborhood. This ill-advised program will not extinguish the fires that burned nor give hope to those who deserve it. There is little restitution for the community. Eleven dollars an hour wont be enough to pay rent in the homes the temp workers are helping to renovate. This shoddy attempt at recreating a once splendid, beautiful and beloved enclave is a prime invitation for the real urban devil: gentrification.

I miss Obama already.
By Jacob Vandever

This past week Kate Brown was inaugurated as Governor of the State of Oregon. The Governors speech which followed her swearing in, if acted upon, could signal some moves in the right direction. By focusing a major portion of her speech on the plight of rural Oregonians, the Governor acknowledged an area that many, myself included, would consider to be a blind spot for Oregon Democrats. The Governor began her remarks by quoting Republican Governor Tom McCall let us put aside the temptations to be guided by regionalism, factionalism, or anything which fragments the public interest. May we pledge to one another.to work not in partisanship, but in partnership.

Now I am a sucker for Tom McCall quotes and I would love to believe that the Governor has a plan to help rural Oregon and intends on working with Republicans in the legislature to address the problems faced by our state, but then again Ive been hurt before. While I am glad that the Governor took the time to discuss the situation of rural folks, it rings sour when it comes on the heels of the Democratic Leadership discontinuing the House Committee on Rural Communities, Land Use and Water.

Additionally Governor Brown signaled some willingness to work on the PERS unfunded liability.

I look forward to the other solutions to be proposed in the months ahead. As we consider our next steps, lets agree to keep our promises to retirees. Lets ensure that no one can advantage of the system. And lets seek solutions that are legally viable, so that dead ends arent left to languish in court while the challenge of PERS only continues to grow.

I couldnt agree more. We need to pass reforms to our retirement system that will be upheld by the Supreme Court. While I am glad to see more openness from the Governor on this issue, it draws a contrast from her remarks from the Oregon Leadership Summit when Governor Brown told the business community that if your only solution is to cut teachers salaries and renege on our promise to retirees, then this conversation will not go very far.

So I am hopeful that we can take the Governor at her word here. I am hopeful that we can pass a bipartisan transportation package that gives much-needed attention to our roads and bridges. I am hopeful that we can find a budget solution that includes addressing the massive cost drivers associated with PERS and Medicaid. I am hopeful that we can find ways to bring jobs and prosperity to folks in rural Oregon.

To those ends, we should work together with the Governor and Democrats in the legislature, but if this is, as I fear, simply the lip service that comes right before the beginning of a contentious session, we should work tirelessly to hold the Governor accountable for her promises.

This Governor Brown sounded much different than the Governor Brown we have heard from in the past, especially on the campaign trail. Lets hope that the Governors words are backed up with action, but personally I will believe it when I see it.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
With 546 trillion won ($456.5 billion) in assets, South Koreas public National Pension Service is the worlds third-largest pension fund, behind Japans and Norways. Its also become a part of the widening scandal surrounding impeached President Park Geun-hye.



On Dec. 31, a Seoul court issued a warrant for the arrest of Moon Hyung-pyo, chairman of the NPS. He was suspected of having pressured the fund, when he was a government minister, to support the controversial merger of two Samsung Group-affiliated companies. Moons lawyer said the chairman denied the allegations, according to reports in Korean media. Authorities also want to know whether Samsung made donations to benefit a confidante of the president in exchange for help getting NPS support . Jay Y. Lee, Samsungs heir apparent and de facto leader, was summoned to be questioned as a suspect on Jan. 12. Both Samsung and Lee have denied wrongdoing. The NPS has said it supported the deal based on investment considerations.



Established in 1988, the NPS is Koreas main public retirement plan and a major investor in the countrys blue-chip companies, owning 9 percent of Samsung Electronics, 8 percent of Hyundai Motor, 10.3 percent of LG Display, and large stakes in other prominent companies. Its potential influence as a shareholder makes it a natural target for pressure from politicians seeking favors from the corporations in its portfolio. The scandal has created huge risks to the integrity and legitimacy of the NPS, says Katharine Moon, a political science professor at Wellesley College .



As the fallout from Parks impeachment spreads, some lawmakers are looking into reforming the pension service. The alleged use of the funds investment clout to advance politicians agendas can bring doubts on Koreas capital markets overall, says Chae Yibai, a National Assembly member from the opposition Peoples Party. We need to discuss the matter of the independence of the investment management unit from the control of the government, like overseas pension funds, he says .



Despite its size, the NPS often takes a passive approach in its relations with the chaebol, the family-run conglomerates that dominate Koreas economy and have close ties with local politicians, says Woojin Kim, an associate professor of finance at Seoul National University. The funds management structure contributes to its low-key approach. The NPS has three decision-making bodies to provide public input into investment decisions, but none of them is formed of members with knowledge of asset management or pension funds, says Kim Sang-Jo, a professor of international trade at Hansung University in Seoul. Instead, officials from business lobbies, labor unions, and civic groups dominate the committees, and they have little power or interest in decision-making on important issues at NPS, says Kim .



The NPS has occasionally taken a more active role, particularly when the government has the lead on an issue. In early 2016 the fund announced plans to blacklist companies that didnt follow Parks directive to raise their dividend payouts, part of her effort to get chaebol to reduce their cash hoards and return money to shareholders through dividends or to workers via wage increases.



The NPS has recently felt some pain from a government-dictated relocation of its headquarters to Jeonju, a sleepy provincial capital about 125 miles south of Seoul. During her campaign for president in 2012, Park pledged to help redevelop the southwestern city. More than 30 fund managers, including about 20 in charge of overseas investment, have left the fund rather than relocate, according to the NPS .



By focusing public attention on the tangled relationships among the government, the fund, and business, the turmoil may ultimately help the NPS achieve one stated goal: to invest more outside Korea. The Korean stock market is going to be too small for them, says Michael Na, a Korea strategist with Nomura. More and more of the money will go overseas. Foreign investments account for less than 150 trillion won, about 27 percent of its total assets, but the NPS wants to expand its foreign portfolio to more than 300 trillion won by 2021. This year it plans to increase international holdings by about 25 trillion won, of which 10 trillion will go to alternative investments such as private equity or bank loans. The NPS in July picked BlackRock and Grosvenor Capital Management to manage as much as $1 billion in hedge fund investments . As for local stocks, the fund will cautiously approach investing in domestic markets for this year, spokeswoman Chi Young Hye says.



Moving beyond Korean equities wouldnt only reduce the risk of political meddling but would also potentially improve investment performance, says Moon of Wellesley. That will be essential as NPS fund managers face the task of supporting Koreas aging population. They know the math, she says. There will have to be a push to diversify and decrease the overinvesting in a small number of companies.



The bottom line: Koreas public retirement plan is a major shareholder in the countrys most important companies, and its chairman has been arrested.

get its governance right

there is always room to improve on governance

At least three of the quant strategies used by BlackRocks global hedge fund platform have suffered losses greater than 10 percent in the year through November , according to the client update, a copy of which was seen by Bloomberg. That compares with an average return of 3.6 percent for quant funds, Hedge Fund Research Inc.s directional quant index shows.

why is NPS investing in any hedge fund before it gets its governance right?

Get the governance right first

Bruce Einhorn and Heejin Kim of Bloomberg report, A Scandal at Koreas Retirement Giant So, what else is new, a scandal at a large national pension fund with paltry governance? How shocking!Sorry, I'm still in a crabby mood and recovering from the flu with off and on low grade fever but I decided to write on this because it's just another example of a large pension fund -- in this case, the third largest in the world -- where lack of proper governance leads to political interference and corruption.South Koreas National Pension Service should first and foremost. It should relocate its headquarters back to Seoul (nobody worth anything will want to live in Jeonju) and hire a top-notch consulting firm like McKinsey or Boston Consulting Group to make a series of recommendations on how it can bolster its governance, adopting Canadian pension governance standards.In Canada, there is is a clear separation of pension investments and governments. Instead, most have an independent qualified board overseeing the operations at these pensions where decisions of where and how to invest are made solely by senior pension fund managers that are paid extremely well to run these organizations.Is it perfect? No, it isn't and, but it's a lot better than having your national pension fund run by a bunch of corrupt cronies who are looking to line their pockets.The thing that gets me is the part of Korea's NPS allocating a billion dollars to hedge funds and picking BlackRock and Grosvenor Capital Management.On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that BlackRocks main quantitative hedge-fund strategies were on track to post big losses:In September, Mark Wiseman, the former head of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, was brought in to run the group and no doubt use his huge Rolodex to garner new assets.But things aren't going well for this group. I don't know what exactly is going on at Blackrock's SAE team but it's losing top talent and investors. Larry Fink, BlackRocks CEO, is right to feel frustrated with the group's poor showing (not the end of the world as BlackRock is cleaning up house in its low-cost funds business ).Too many quants with PhDs all doing factor-based models are getting killed. BlackRock needs to really understand why these strategies are unable to perform and if it can't get to the bottom of it, shut these operations down until it has clear answers to explain their poor performance to investors.]As far as Grosvenor Capital , it's a well known fund of funds which invests across hedge funds and other alternative funds. It has a solid reputation but again,That just doesn't make sense to me.I think Korea's NPS should be revamped and the first order of business is to drastically improve its governance. Forget hedge funds, private equity funds, infrastructure, real estate or foreign investments., implement fraud detection and whistleblower policies, use top-notch consultants and forensic accounting firms to beef up internal compliance and then worry about investing in hedge funds!By the way, those of you looking to invest in a great macro hedge fund, Bloomberg reports Chris Rokoss hedge fund rose about 20 percent in 2016, its first full year of trading, to become one of the worlds best-performing money pools betting on economic trends, according to people with knowledge of the matter.In my opinion, Rokos is a superstar macro manager, one of the very best in the world. Brevan Howard has never been the same without him and he really performed exceptionally well last year which wasn't an easy year for most hedge funds in general and macro funds in particular (just ask Mr. Soros who lost a cool billion after Trump was elected; Rokos one-upped him last year).Below, Bloomberg reports on the scandal engulfing Korea's national pension fund. I hope this is the wake-up call that prompts officals overseeing the NPS to revamp its governance once and for all.
Labour's problems with defence policy have continued with yet another row between the Leader's office and the MP designated to speak on the issue. The Daily Mirror reports that Labour Defence Spokesperson, Nia Griffith was said to be "furious" at an intervention by the Labour leader's top aide, who failed to back RAF Top Guns' mission in Estonia:Yet just hours earlier, Ms Griffith had given an interview hailing Labours commitment to NATO, and backing British troops deployment to eastern Europe.She told Forces TV:It is little wonder that Labour are struggling in the polls and losing many long term supporters when they cannot agree amongst themselves on key defence policies.
Mongolian Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Oyungerel Tsedevdamba poses with part of a 70 million-year-old, nearly complete Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton that will be repatriated to the government of Mongolia during an announcement by US Attorney, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Mongolian officials on May 6, 2013 in New York.

The United States on Monday gave back to Mongolia the remains of a 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus skeleton stolen from the Gobi desert and sold at auction in New York.

The nearly complete skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus bataar, a cousin of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, had been put up for sale and went for $1.05 million last year before US authorities intervened at Mongolia's request.

Top New York federal prosecutor Preet Bharara said at a handing-over ceremony near the United Nations that the United States had stopped a "criminal scheme and now, one year later, we are very pleased to have played a pivotal role in returning Mongolia's million dollar baby."

The bones will find a welcoming home on return.

"We never had dinosaurs' museum before, so we'll set up for the first time a new museum called Central Dinosaur Museum of Mongolia. T bataar is going to be the first item, first exhibit of the museum," said the Mongolian minister of culture, sport and tourism, Oyungerel Tsedevdamba.

She said it was the first cultural repatriation ever to Mongolia.

Collector Eric Prokopi pleaded guilty last December to smuggling the bones. He faces up to 17 years in jail at sentencing on August 30, as well as a $250,000 fine.

Prokopi, who has denied trafficking, spent a year restoring and remounting what had been a loose collection of bones to recreate the skeleton, according to Heritage Auctions, which had attempted to sell the dinosaur on his behalf.

The Florida dealer was also accused of illegally importing from Mongolia a second, nearly complete Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton, two Saurolophus skeletons and two Oviraptor skeletons.

He was also accused of smuggling a Microraptor skeleton from China.

US customs director John Morton said the case had resulted in something "extraordinary."

"This dinosaur skeleton belongs in Mongolia, not on the black market," he said.

 2013 AFP
The Canadian branch of US online retailer Amazon will pay Can$1.1 million ($836,967) over allegedly misleading pricing on its website, the government said Wednesday.

The Competition Bureau, after a months-long investigation of Amazon pricing practices between May 2014 and May 2016, concluded that the company's common practice of comparing its prices to a regular price, or "list price," suggesting savings for consumers, was misleading.

The agency determined that Amazon relied on its suppliers to provide list prices for its Canadian website without verifying that those prices were accurate.

"These claims created the impression that prices for items offered on www.amazon.ca were lower than prevailing market prices," the Canadian antitrust watchdog agency said in a statement.

Amazon will pay a Can$1 million penalty and Can$100,000 towards the Competition Bureau's costs as part of an agreement settling the agency's concerns, it said.

The agency noted that Amazon had already changed the way it advertises list prices on its Canadian website to accurately represent the savings available to consumers.

The new policies "have had an effect beyond the Canadian website, including on savings claims for products sold on amazon.com" target="_blank">www.amazon.com," Amazon's US website, it added.

 2017 AFP
An employee prepares order at Amazon's San Bernardino Fulfillment Center

Amazon on Thursday unveiled plans to create 100,000 US jobs over the next 18 months, as President-elect Donald Trump presses the business world to boost activities on American soil.

The US tech and retail giant's plan to bring its American workforce to over 280,000 is the latestand largestof a string of job-creation announcements as Trump prepares to take office on a promise to boost US jobs and curb offshoring.

"These new job opportunities are for people all across the country and with all types of experience, education and skill levelsfrom engineers and software developers to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training," an Amazon statement said.

Amazon made no mention of the president-elect, but Team Trump swiftly took credit for the plan, which came on the heels of similar initiatives by Japan's SoftBank, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler and air conditioning manufacturer Carrier.

"The president-elect was pleased to have played a role in that decision by Amazon," said spokesman Sean Spicer, noting that it followed a meeting in which Trump urged tech firms to keep jobs and production inside the United States.

Amazon said that "many" of the new full-time jobs would be in new "fulfillment centers" or warehouses where goods are stored for consumer delivery. It also pledged to add 25,000 who are veterans or military spouses.

"These jobs are not just in our Seattle headquarters or in Silicon Valleythey're in our customer service network, fulfillment centers and other facilities in local communities throughout the country," said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

The world's largest retailer has often faced criticism over working conditions in its warehouses.

In Britain, Amazon has been assailed for its labor policies, particularly after it emerged that some of its workers were unable to cover the cost of their commute, and resorted to sleeping in tents outside the warehouse.

'Advanced logistics'

The initiative comes with Amazon expanding from its origins as an online retailer to a diversified tech company offering streaming video and music, cloud computing, and home automation through its artificial intelligence program Alexa.

Bezos said new workers will be needed "as we open new fulfillment centers, and continue to invent in areas like cloud technology, machine learning, and advanced logistics."

Amazon's job creation move comes even as the firm invests in technology to allow for speedier deliveries, which could include automating some functions in its warehouses. It also has been laying out plans for delivery by drone, which in some cases could be fully automated.

Amazon has more than 300,000 employees worldwide, and also uses 45,000 "robotic units" for its operations.

The company recently announced plans to boost its brick-and-mortar presence with a handful of stores, including one in New York City. It has also demonstrated a concept high-tech grocery store with automated checkout.

The company boasted that it also helps stimulate jobs and the economy through its Amazon Marketplace, which allows people to sell goods over the online platform, and Amazon Flex, which allows people to drive and deliver on a part-time basis.

Bezos and Trump exchanged barbs during the 2016 presidential campaign but the Amazon founder was among technology executives who met the president-elect last month in New York.

During the campaign, Trump warned Amazon could have "a huge antitrust problem" and accused Bezos of using the Washington Post, which he owns, to work against him and to push policies that help Amazon avoid taxes.

Bezos, who also owns the private space firm Blue Origin and at one point offered Trump a seat to outer space, congratulated his fellow billionaire after the election, tweeting, "I for one give him my most open mind and wish him great success."

 2017 AFP
Marines shield themselves from a detonated explosive charge during an urban leaders course. To better protect warfighters from possible traumatic brain injuries (TBI) resulting from explosive blasts, the Office of Naval Research is sponsoring the development of a portable system that can measure blast pressure, establish injury thresholds for the brain and analyze potential TBI symptoms. It's called Blast Load Assessment Sense and Test--BLAST, for short. Credit: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Emmanuel Ramos

Modern body armor better protects warfighters against shrapnel from explosive blasts. However, they still face a hidden threatthe resulting blast pressure and shock wave that could cause traumatic brain injury (TBI).

To fight this invisible, insidious adversary, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is sponsoring the development of a portable, three-part system that can measure blast pressure, establish injury thresholds for the brain and analyze potential TBI symptoms. It's called Blast Load Assessment Sense and TestBLAST, for short.

"A system like BLAST is vitally important because it can help recognize the signs of TBI early and tell warfighters they might need medical attention," said Dr. Timothy Bentley, a program manager overseeing the research for ONR's Warfighter Performance Department. "This reduces the likelihood of someone enduring multiple blasts and suffering more serious brain injury. BLAST also is unique for its unique suite of technology."

Department of Defense doctrine requires all those within 50 meters (approximately 165 feet) of an explosion to "stand down" for 24 hours and undergo a mandatory medical checkup. Bentley said this approach presents two major challenges(1) some forward operating bases are only 100 meters (approximately 330 feet) across, so half of the personnel would need to stand down after an explosion, and (2) 24 hours isn't enough time for a regular medical exam to detect signs of even mild TBI.

BLAST uses coin-sized sensors that are tough enough to survive an explosion, can be worn on helmets and body armor and are able to record blast pressure. This pressure can be downloaded with a specialized scannerdesign possibilities include a handheld barcode-style scanner or a stationary one modeled after airport metal detectors. By using a special algorithm to convert data into a "go or no-go" injury threshold, BLAST indicates if exposed warfighters can stay in the fight, or need a TBI-focused medical exam with the third component: a neurofunctional assessment tool.

This assessment tool is sized like a computer mouse, fits in the palm of the hand, and emits vibrations to stimulate fingertip sensations and assess brain health. By testing whether or not warfighters feel these vibrations, administered in a variety of patterns, a medic or corpsman can decide if someone exhibits TBI symptoms and needs to stand down.

"BLAST sensors can provide valuable blast pressure data that can be used to assess the possibility of TBI," said Dr. Amit Bagchi, a scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory, which is developing the physical sensors. "The more data we have, the better we can predict the presence of TBI."

"Together, the components of BLAST can enable us to designate a pressure threshold number for when someone is at risk for TBI and needs to stand down for more advanced testing or medical care," said Dr. Laila Zai, a scientist with ARA, a research and engineering company helping to develop BLAST's algorithm and neurofunctional assessment tool. "Think of a speedometer. Whether you're going too fast or slow depends on road conditions, and is indicated by the speed limit. BLAST determines a safe 'speed' for the brain."

BLAST sensors currently are being tested in laboratories using electrical shocks to simulate blasts of varying size and intensity. Within the next year and a half, Bentley said, the system should be tested on field mannequins and then by Marines completing breacher trainingovercoming obstacles such as walls and doors using explosives.

BLAST is part of ONR's Future Naval Capabilitya science and technology program aimed at developing and transitioning cutting-edge technology products to Navy and Marine Corps acquisition managers within a three- to five-year timeframe.
This flat, orange robot parks cars, using space more efficiently: China will account for 40 percent of the global industrial robot market by 2019

Flat, orange robots glide under stationary cars and ferry them to empty Chinese parking bays, using space more efficiently and, their creators say, reducing driver stress.

It is one of a number of elegantand expensivemechanical solutions China is turning to as it faces an ageing population, which, even in the world's most populous country, is making workers harder to come by.

With an eye on the rising numbers of cars on Chinese roads, Hikvision has been testing a robotic parking system in Wuzhen, 130 kilometres (80 miles) west of Shanghai.

"The technology and scale of the industry is still at a very early stage," said Wu Yonghai, the company's head of robotics.

"This is about finding a solution to the car parking problem."

Most firms in the sector focus on industrial robots rather than service robots, the kind which might sweep an apartment floor or act as a companion for elderly people.

With China's labour force shrinking under the impact of the now abandoned one-child policy, the world's second-largest economy is turning to machines to try to fill the gap.

The working-age populationdefined as those from 15 to 59fell for the first time in decades in 2012, according to official figures, and has declined ever since. It is expected to carry on falling until at least 2030, and economic growth is also slowing.

China is turning to robots like this car parking unit as the working-age population has been in decline since 2012

China decided to allow couples to have a second child starting last year but the looming labour shortage will take decades to address, if at all.

The country is already the world's largest market for the mechanical helpers and it will only get bigger, according to the International Federation of Robots, which estimates China will account for 40 percent of the global industrial robot market by 2019.

"The country is facing lots of problems, one of which is a rapid increase in labour costs," said Wang Hesheng, a professor of robotics at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

"At the entire state level, China takes the robotics strategy very seriously," he told AFP as half a dozen students tinkered with drones and other devices in a robot laboratory.

The government is investing heavily in robotics research, Wang added, and his students have access to the latest imported robots, including one from leading German robotics firm Kuka.

Chinese appliance giant Midea took over Kuka this year in a deal worth $5 billion, despite protests from German politicians that key technology is being lost to China.

As demand surges, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the nation's robot makers to take a larger chunk of the domestic market, currently dominated by foreign players.

But it will be a long time before robots become part of everyday life, given the cost and technical challenges.

 2017 AFP
Nudging people toward better behavior through policy can be effective, but can face resistance if people feel their autonomy is threatened.

Despite advances in neuroscience and genetics that raise questions about the limitations of free will, people hold strongly to their sense of autonomy, according to a study by University of Florida marketing professor Joe Alba and post-doctoral student Yanmei Zheng.

Alba's and Zheng's work, co-authored with Cornell University professor and former UF marketing Ph.D. student Stijn van Osselaer, is not an analysis of whether free will exists, but rather an examination of our impressions of free will, and the implications of those impressions on opinions regarding policy.

"It's a ripe question because developments in the sciences seem to throw more and more challenges to the notion that we have free will," Alba said.

Alba and Zheng conducted a series of experiments in which participants were asked to gauge an individual's personal control in a variety of situations. In one experiment, Alba and Zheng compared responses based on four behaviors: obesity, shoplifting, financial fraud, and drunk driving.

The study found that people were more likely to accept obesity as a consequence resulting outside the individual's control (perhaps based on a poor metabolism) than the other three behaviorsdespite the fact that the authors included similar genetic and environmental forces in each scenario.

Similar findings were present in the study's other experiments. The study found, for the most part, that people believe free willeven in the face of significant physical constraintswould prevent them from engaging in unethical behavior.

"When we pose questions like, 'Why wouldn't you behave in this way under these physical constraints?'" said Alba, "they start to appeal to their nonphysical mind or to their superior soul. So they'll have noncorporeal (non-physical) explanations of their decisions."

The findings support the philosophy of libertarian paternalism, an idea that blends organizational intervention with people's desire for freedom of choice, as a guide for policy makers. Considering the study's findings of people's steadfast belief in free will, Alba said policy makers must be careful to not threaten autonomy, even if it is for the public good. Alba cites New York City's efforts to ban the sale of 16-plus-ounce sugary drinks in 2014. Although studies have linked sugary drinks to obesity, the ban was overturned by the New York State Court of Appeals.

"[Policy makers] want to create contingencies in the environment for people to behave in a better way," Alba said. "But people don't like being manipulated. So the dilemma for the policy maker is how do I get people to behave better without them feeling their autonomy is threatened? That's a hard problem to solve. Because once people detect that you're putting constraints on themeven though you're doing it for their own goodthey rebel against it."

Alba said the subtle nudges of libertarian paternalism provide a potential solution to this dilemma. A classic example of libertarian paternalism is the "opt-in vs. opt-out" arrangement where, for example, a company enrolls an employee in its 401K program unless the employee expressly exempts himself or herself. The situation blends the company's intention of doing what's best for the employee while still allowing the employee the freedom to say no.

"When you cast doubts on the existence of free will, you shake people's worldview," Alba said. "The notion that we don't have free will is not only counterintuitive but also threatening to people's notions of their essence."

The study, "Belief in Free Will: Implications for Practice and Policy," appears in the December issue of the Journal of Marketing Research.

More information: Yanmei Zheng et al. Belief in Free Will: Implications for Practice and Policy, Journal of Marketing Research (2016). DOI: 10.1509/jmr.15.0452 Journal information: Journal of Marketing Research
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- After months of negotiation, the U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Baltimore have reached an agreement on a consent decree that mandates reforms of the city's police department, federal and city officials announced Thursday.



"In Baltimore, in many ways, this is a great day," Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said during a joint news conference with federal officials. "There is much more to be done."



The court-enforceable, independently monitored consent decree was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and will be reviewed by a judge. Under the consent decree, if approved by the judge, the city of Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department will implement comprehensive reforms, including how its officers conduct stops and interact with people in the city.



The consent decree calls for the city, within 90 days of the effective date of the agreement, to establish a Community Oversight Task Force to recommend reforms to the current system of civilian oversight.



"The future of Baltimore belongs to the people of this great city," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at the news conference. "Through this agreement, we are moving forward together to work to heal tension and the relationship between BPD and the community."



The requirements of the consent decree, according to the Justice Department, focus on "building community trust, creating a culture of community and problem-oriented policing, prohibiting unlawful stops and arrests, preventing discriminatory policing and excessive force, ensuring public and officer safety, enhancing officer accountability and making needed technological upgrades."



An independent monitor jointly recommended to the court by both parties will assess whether the reforms are being implemented and will report publicly on the Baltimore Police Department's efforts on a regular basis. The monitor has yet to be announced.



Officials said the Baltimore Police Department has already made meaningful changes and the reforms outlined in the consent decree will build on this progress, centered on more training and better technology.



"I firmly believe that when focused, measurable and detailed reforms are implemented effectively, they restore community trust and advance officer and public safety," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, the head of the Justice Department's civil rights division.



The agreement comes nearly two years after Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, was killed in Baltimore police custody. Six police officers were charged in connection to the arrest and death of Gray, who suffered a serious spinal injury while in the back of a police van in April 2015. Of the six officers, three were found not guilty. The charges were then dropped against the three remaining officers awaiting trial.



The incident prompted the Justice Department to open a formal investigation of the Baltimore Police Department's patterns and practices.



In a report released in August, the Justice Department concluded that the city's police department engaged in a "pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution and federal anti-discrimination law."



The report identified a litany of widespread and systematic problems in Baltimore policing, including "making unconstitutional stops, searches and arrests and using enforcement strategies that produce severe and unjustified disparities in the rates of stops, searches and arrests of African-Americans ... using excessive force and retaliating against people engaging in constitutionally protected expression."



The federal investigation, which reviewed the conduct of the Baltimore Police Department's officers going back to 2010, found that Baltimore's black residents suffered unfairly under a zero tolerance policing philosophy that routinely uses "overly aggressive tactics that unnecessarily escalate encounters."



The report also stated that "African-Americans accounted for 86 percent of all criminal offenses charged by BPD officers, despite making up only 63 percent of Baltimore residents."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The New York City man who allegedly stole the identity of a local state trooper who died in October has been charged with an additional felony and released on bail as State Police try to determine how he got the troopers personal information.

Steven J. Calderon, 31, was charged with felony criminal possession of a forged instrument in Westchester County for the transactions he allegedly made using a credit account opened in the name of Timothy Pratt in late October at a Home Depot store in Yonkers.

Calderon was arrested Dec. 28 after he was linked to a series of transactions made under Pratts name in late October, days after the South Glens Falls resident died in an on-duty car crash in Wilton.

Calderon allegedly used Pratts information to open a credit account with a $5,000 limit, bought a washing machine for about $900 then raised suspicions by trying to max out the account later the same day. Home Depot security called Pratts home the day his funeral service was being held to ask about the account, learning he had died and was not responsible for the charges.

State Trooper Melissa McMorris said the investigation by New York City Police and State Police from troops G, K and New York City was continuing, including the effort to determine how Pratts information was acquired.

Calderon was due to answer the charges filed in Moreau on Wednesday, but the case was adjourned until Jan. 26 by Moreau Town Justice Jeff McCabe, at the request of lawyers in the case. Calderon is being represented by the Saratoga County Public Defenders Office.

He has been freed on bail in both Saratoga and Westchester counties.

State Police said Calderon told them he did not know Pratt had been a police officer. Authorities believe he was part of a ring that was obtaining the information of people who had died recently to open credit accounts. A search of Calderons home led to discovery of forged identifications under a number of names, and additional arrests were expected.

Calderon, of the Bronx, could face up to 7 years in state prison on the charges in each county.
GLENS FALLS  The committee planning how to spend the citys $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant is again broadening its vision for a year-round farmers market, this time to emphasize healthy eating.

Thats not just a place where you go to get groceries. Its also a resource for public health, said Simon Kates, a consultant with BFJ Planning, at a committee meeting at Crandall Public Library on Wednesday.

At the December meeting, the committee coined the term food hub, as it broadened the vision for a year-round farmers market to include the potential of an incubator program for entrepreneurs looking to launch food merchandising ventures.

The food hub is part of the citys vision for redeveloping the block of South Street between Elm and Broad streets with health care, educational, retail ventures, and a small park, possibly in collaboration with SUNY Adirondack and Hudson Headwaters Health Network.

The broadening of the vision for the year-round farmers market is an example of how the committee is endeavoring to identify multiple benefits of projects that could receive funding under the DRI grant the state announced in August.

The committee has identified more than 40 potential projects in a 60-page action plan.

Two new potential projects have been added recently, said EDC Warren County President Edward Bartholomew.

One is an incentive program for hotel development. This was added because it appears The Queensbury Hotel will not receive a state Restore New York grant the city applied for.

We have not gotten official word yet. But it does not look like the hotel will receive it, he said.

The other addition is a feasibility study of establishing a STEAM museum in downtown. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

The committee also has expanded the boundaries of the grant area to include the National Grid property on Mohican Street, property along the Feeder Canal and property on Hudson Avenue west of Glens Falls Hospital, said Sarah Yackel, another consultant with BFJ Planning.

The expansion will align the grant area with the boundaries of the South Street Brownfield Opportunity Area, a separate state initiative, so projects could potentially receive funding from both.

The committee on Tuesday broke into small groups to begin scoring potential projects based on the following criteria:

Cost

Community benefit

Ability to attract other ventures

Job creation

Feasibility

Availibity of other funding

Alignment with other city plans and initiatives

Public support

Each project is scored on each aspect separately.

This isnt meant to tell you which projects youre going to prioritize. Its meant to help you identify which goals a project achieves, Yackel said.

The committee will hold a public forum at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at Heritage Hall in Glens Falls Civic Center, at which members of the public will score projects based on the same criteria.

The forum is open to all.

Committee members will continue the scoring process individually or in small groups over the next few weeks.

The committee is working on a late February deadline to submit recommendations to the state on how the spend the grant.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East
He said if he is approved by parliament he will ensure there is a capacity training for illegal miners.

Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, John Peter Amewu said this is to ensure they go through sustainable mining processes.

Seasonal mining or the galamsey as we are all aware of, has become a canker within our environment. We believe that the capacities of these youth involved in these activities have to be built for them to conduct their mining activities in a more sustainable way.

Foreign residents in Ghana particularly Chinese have been identified as one of the key categories of perpetrators of the galamsey menace.

READ ALSO: ACEP lauds President for nominating Boakye Agyarko as Energy Minister

However, Amewu said his ministry will ensure such activities are stopped.

The problem is that the foreigners most often have a front man and so somebody applies for a survey, for instance, a prospective license he is given does not necessarily mandate him or her to mine. But the person could immediately go into mining giving credence to the fact that the monetary section in terms of the workflow has not been properly monitored, he said.

We need to make sure that a license made for prospecting, development or authorization to develop, must go with development. If we do this, the right people will be put in the right places to do the correct thing.
The Chief Executive Officer of EIB Network, Bola Ray, and his two handsome boys were pictured in an all white long sleeve shirt and trousers.

READ ALSO: Revelation

Glamorous as ever, his wife, Dorcas stunned in a floor-length gown with matching teardrop earrings and pearl brackets.

READ ALSO: 5 times Ebony Reigns shared awesomely hot photos

She completed her looks smokey eyes, groomed arched brows, red lipsticks and held her braids up.

READ ALSO:

The cute Princess was also looking adorable in a white dress, tiara and shoes.

After fifteen (15) years of hosting drive time shows on top Ghanaian radio stations, Bola Ray said goodbye to radio to focus on other businesses in August 2016.

READ ALSO: Moesha Boduong flaunts her famous curves in swim wears
According to him to "Hot Cake" hitmaker, he is in love with Samira Bawumia despite the fact that she is married to Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Pope Skinny made this statement on his show Kasahare Level on Adom FM, on Saturday after the inauguration of Nana Addu Dankwah Akuffo Addo and Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia as the President and Vice President respectively.

He stated "Bawumias wife has no size. Can someone get me her number so that I tell her that I want her to be my sugar mummy? I am in love with the woman."

He, however, appealed to the former Deputy Governor for Bank of Ghana (BoG) now the Vice President to forgive him for his statement.

Forgive me Bawumia, you are my man but I am really in love with your wife. I wish I would have her for myself," Pope Skinny stated as quoted by Adomfmonline.com.

He further stated that he would do everything within his power including unconventional means to ensure that he accomplish his desire for Samira Bawumia.

He also expressed his admiration for the Kente cloth President Akufo-Addo wore at the event and described it as elegant.

On the criticism of the President for coughing while delivering his inaugural address over the weekend, Pope Skinny said that it was normal for such a thing to happen during such occasion because we are in a harmattan season.
Mr Eazi took to Twitter yesterday to give credence to Ghana music and it's influence on Nigerian sounds. He tweeted: "Ghana's influence on present day "Naija Sound" cannot be over emphasized!!!"

This didn't go down well with some Nigerian music lovers, thus, they trolled him heavily.

A few hours later, Mr Eazi has come out to 'sarcastically' apologise to the angry Nigerians. He tweeted a photo where he was doing push ups on stage with the caption: "Just got a call, my fam in Imeko are doing family meeting to deport me to Ghana! Abeg my Naija people no vez"

Before his apology, Ghanaian rappers; M.anifest and Ko-Jo Cue, and actress Juliet Ibrahim had jumped into his defence.

"@mreazi getting lynched for stating a fact. Where is the Ghana-Naija tension from? Shouldn't it be an honour that we influence each other?"

M.anifest also supported it saying: "An opinion being unpopular doesn't make it false."

Actress and producer, Juliet Ibrahim backed Mr Eazi saying: "Some naija soundz is azonto inspired, alkaida inspired,hi-life inspired,even if u hear "mad over u" u go tink 8s a Ghanaian singing @mreazi"
Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibe who presented the certificate to the First Lady in Accra said her leadership has helped to transform OAFLA by bringing in a new vision.

Some of the vision, Mr Sidibe mentioned, include bringing AIDS out of isolation, making link with all critical issues that have not been addressed directly such as young girls, women position in society, dealing with human rights issues, linking HIV to cervical and breast cancers among others.

The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV and AIDS that includes preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS seeks to prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic from becoming a severe pandemic.

The former First Lady Mrs Lordina Mahama has worked with UNAIDS through OAFLA for the past three years. Through her foundation, OAFLA and the Ghana AIDS Commission, Mrs Mahama has organised series of free medical health screening across the country. People are screened for HIV, Syphilis, breast and cervical cancers and other reproductive diseases.

The UNAIDS Executive Director stated, "The First Lady is a model. She helped to take OAFLA to a different level by bringing in other First Ladies, using the OAFLA platform to move the agenda of making sure to end mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS and also didn't lose the opportunity to deal with position of women in society and young girls".

Mr Sidibe described Mrs Lordina Mahama as humble, quiet but very strategic. He said UNAIDS will continue to work with Mrs Mahama since she is a genuine leader for the fight against HIV/AIDS and global health in general.

For his part country Director of UNAIDS, GirmayHaile was full of praise for Mrs Lordina Mahama.

According to him, apart from being the premiere ambassador of UNAIDS, she added cervical and breast cancer campaign and her foundation, the Lordina foundation was also based on that principle.

Read also:Lordina Mahama receives humanitarian award for commitment to empowering women

Mr Haile noted that Mrs Mahama has played a major role in advancing and attaining some of the major results UNAIDS has achieved in Ghana.

Considering the performance of Mrs Mahama, the Ghana Country Director said UNAIDS is looking at starting a culture of involving former first ladies at OAFLA of which Mrs Lordina Mahama is the best candidate.

Read more:African First Ladies working to end AIDS

Technical Adviser to Mrs Mahama, former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur said she was not surprised that the Executive Director of UNAIDS came to Ghana to congratulate the former First Lady for her leadership, commitment, compassion and the level she has taken OAFLA to.

Nana Oye believes OAFLA will never be the same considering the extent to which she has rallied around all First Ladies and in each African country work is ongoing.
The incident happened last Tuesday when the suspect visited the convict, who is serving a 10-year jail term with hard labour for narcotic offences, the Brong Ahafo Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Prisons Service, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Johann Nartey, told the Daily Graphic.

ASP Nartey said that since the police had received a tip-off that the lady would visit the prison with cocaine, the police officers put the two under surveillance.

Sakina later left the prison yard and was found loitering around the barracks, looking agitated.

The police later found 96 pieces of the substance suspected to be cocaine wrapped in cigarette foils on her purse after a search.

Upon further interrogations, Sakina indicated that the parcels were given to her by a lady friend of the convict whom she claimed not to know.

ASP Nartey said attempts by the police to call the woman with whom Sakina had communicated proved futile.
Bridget Darko died from injuries from the recent La Gas explosion. Her shop was located near the area the incident occurred.

She was earlier in a critical condition after she suffered serious injuries when the fire resulting from the explosion extended to her shop.

Accra on December 22 was hit by yet another major fire at a gas station near the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre which has claimed ten lives so far and injured many.

The National Petroleum Authority said the explosion was caused by 'irresponsible human error'.

Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Moses Asaga, explained that two bolts which should have tightened the lid on the gas tanker were missing.

Some of the survivors of the explosion which occurred at the Louis Gas LPG station on December 22 are still on admission at the La General Hospital and 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

The late Mrs. Bridget Darko was the Executive Director of Aid to Artisans, Ghana (ATAG), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was established in 1989 to support the development of the Craft Industry in Ghana.

EDITED: January 17, 2016:
The man, Pikkie Greeff, posted his disdain toward the kente and even the presidential seat on Twitter on January 9, but it has just received massive attention by Ghanaian social media users.

He tweeted a photo of the new president clad in the traditional Akan regalia accompanied by: Someone wanna tell us why the Ghana President wears a shower curtain & sits on a primary school stage play prop?

According to his Twitter bio, Greeff is the National Secretary of the South African National Defence Union (SANDU) the largest military trade union in the [South African army].

Ghanaians have not been kind to him following his comments and with many describing him as ignorant.

Kente is a handwoven cloth made in the many regions in Ghana with its ancestral home widely believed to be Bonwire in the Ashanti Region. They are very expensive and worn on very special occasions such as ones wedding, that of their child or ones inauguration as president of a country.

The Kente worn by President Nana Akufo-Addo at his inauguration was specially woven for him and in such occasions there will be no duplicates of the design ever made.
This is according to President of policy think tank IMANI Ghana.

Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, Cudjoe said the NPP may not be running a leaner government after all.

It seems to me that the mantra of trying to be a leaner in government business seems to be faltering away. If we dont take care we might hit probably 30 ministries.

He said what the State needs currently is not more ministries but enough monies to solve the challenges facing the country.

The Ministry of Railway Development is entirely needless because what you do need for railway development is money. You need $2 billion in order to fix the railway, he said.

He suggested that the best way to get these transportation needs addressed is by involving the private sector in such developments.

How you go about it is to speak to the heavy users of railways. So miners; let them get involved and help you raise money. Cocoa producers; let them get involved and help you raise money and then you are gone. You dont need a ministry to integrate railway development.

READ ALSO: Here is why Mahama copied Asantehene in withdrawal letter

In announcing his second batch of ministers, President Akufo-Addo introduced two entirely new ministries. These are the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation and the Ministry of Re-organisation and Special Projects, in addition to the new National Security Ministry which is backed by law.
The move has been described by the founder of Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko as a bold statement in line with the governments resolve to protect the public purse.

The New Patriotic Party in opposition had accused the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of mismanaging the countrys scarce resource.

READ ALSO: Nana Addo nominates Ken Ofori Atta as Finance Minister

According to the party, the then NDC government neglected the poor and vulnerable in the society and enriched themselves with the countrys resources.

The NPP then assured that when voted into power, it will reverse the trend and ensure that there is fiscal discipline.

As it stands now, the Finance Minister-designate will be using a Toyota Camry instead of his SUV vehicle if parliament approves him.

Parliaments Appointments Committee is expected to begin sitting from Friday, January 20 to vet nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for ministers.
He named 12 more ministerial nominees for approval by parliament.

Below are the profiles of the nominees

ANTHONY Akoto Osei  Monitoring and Evaluation

Anthony Akoto Osei is 64 years, and is the Member of Parliament for the Old Tafo constituency. He obtained a PhD from Howard University in 1987, a Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics from the American University in 1980. He had earlier obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Economics from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1978.

He is the current Ranking Member for the Committee on Finance, and a member of the committee of Interior and Defence.

Anthony Akoto Osei can be considered as one of the finest Economist in recent years acquiring his experience from providing consultancy services for the World Bank (Korea Division) in 1987, teaching at Dillard and Howard Universities from 1984 to 1995 as an Associate Professor in Economics and as a Research Fellow for the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) from 1996-2001 in Ghana.

In the erstwhile Kufour Administration, he was made first,(from 2001-2003) a Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Economic planning and later appointed a Deputy Minister of the same Ministry in 2003 later elevated to Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, a position until December 2008.

DAN Botwe  Regional Reorganisation and Development

Dan Botwe is 58 years old, and a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 1984. He worked as a computer analyst at the Ghana Cocoa Board from 1985 to 1993, before moving into private business as Director of DanMaud Ltd and Palb Pharmaceuticals.

His political career began on KNUST campus, when he was elected National Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in 1982. As a member of the interim executive of the national youth wing during the formation of the NPP, he was later on appointed Director of operations and research at NPP headquarters from 1996 to 1998. In 1998 he was elected as the General Secretary of the NPP and re-elected for a second term in 2001.

In 2005, he was appointed as Minister of information by President John Agyekum Kufuor. Dan was elected in 2008 as the Member of Parliament for the Okere constituency, a position he holds till date. From 2013-2016 he was made Minority Chief Whip of the 6th Parliament.

He is married with three children.

KWABENA Frimpong Boateng  Environment, Science, Technology

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is 67 years old. He graduated from the University of Ghana Medical School in 1975 with MB, ChB degrees, and qualified as a as general surgeon, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon after undertaking his postgraduate studies at the Hannover Medical University, Germany in 1978.

He subsequently worked as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and was one of the pioneers of the heart transplantation programme in Hannover. In 1985, he was recognized as the first black person to perform a heart transplant. He returned home in 1989 to establish the National Cardiothoracic Centre and the Ghana Heart Foundation.

READ ALSO: Ghanaians take on Lordina Mahama on social media

He was a former CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, past President of the Ghana Red Cross Society and immediate past Chairman of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC). He established the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and was its founding Director. Currently, he is the President of the Ghana Heart Foundation.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has received several local and international awards in recognition of his medical work and service to humanity. In 1999 he was the Ghana Chartered Institute of Marketings Marketing Man of the year and also, a recipient of the Millennium Excellence Award. In 2005 the Millennium Excellence Foundation awarded him as Personality of the Decade. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was the winner of the 2012 edition of the prestigious African Heroes Award, presented by Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA, on February 12, 2012.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng is married and has five children.

JOHN Peter Amewu  Lands and Natural Resources

John-Peter Amewu is 48 years old, and holds an MBA (Finance) from University of Ghana. He also has a Post Graduate Degree (Executive MBA in International Energy Industry Management), and Masters in Petroleum Law and Policy from University of Dundee (UK).

He has more than 15 years experience in Government, Private Sector, Civil Society and International Development Organizations. He has participated and undergone several mining professional training and attained various certificates from some Australias prestigious Universities (University of Sydney and University of Western Australia).

He is a Cost Engineer by profession with broader knowledge in the Energy and Mining Industry. He is a Co-founder of Africa Center for Energy Policy  ACEP; and also worked as the Director of Policy and Research where he provided pro-active and comprehensive policy related advice to support a variety of Government and Private Sector Projects.

He is the Chairman of Board of Directors of major private institutions in Ghana and a professional international consultant in his area of expertise (Mining and Petroleum). His contributions in providing solutions to the problems in the Energy Sector in Ghana have earned him both local and international acclamation and recognition.

He is currently the Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region.

He is married with three children.

Otiko Afisa-Djaba  Gender and Social Protection

Otiko Afisah Djaba is 54 years old. She studied Information Systems in the UK, communications in Eygpt and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development Studies at the University of Development Studies in Ghana.

READ ALSO: Nana Addo creates new ministries

She was also the National Facilitator for the Campaign for Greater Discipline under Former Vice President Aliu Mahama in 2004. She worked as a Consultant in Children's Rights and rural women's development for Plan Ghana in extremely deprived rural communities in Sissala districts and in Wa. In 2008 she was the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Bole-Bamboi constituency, and is currently the Women's leader of the New Patriotic Party and has held the position since 2010. She is a polyglot, who speaks 8 Ghanaian dialects.

She has 4 children

IGNATIUS Baffuor Awuah  Employment and Social Welfare

Ignatius Baffuor Awuah is 51 years old, and hails from Nsoatre in the Brong Ahafo Region. He is a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration (Accounting option). He also holds a post graduate diploma in management (IPMA) London, and certificate in Civil Service Management from the Galilee College, Israel. From 1996 to 2001, he worked as the Operations Manager at Nsoatreman Rural Bank 1996-2001; Municipal Chief Executive of Sunyani from 2001 to 2005; before being appointed Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister by President Kufuor between 2005-2006 and landed the top job in the region in 2006, when he was appointed Brong Ahafo Regional Minister.

He has been the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West since 2009, and whilst in parliament has been the Deputy Ranking Member for Finance, a member of the Local Government Committee, a member of the committee on Environment, Science and Technology, and also the Second Deputy Whip of the Minority in parliament.

Ofori Asiamah  Transport

Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah is 47 years old. He is a graduate of University of Cape Coast and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. After his National service with Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Tema, in 2000, he worked as Marketing Manager at Household Aluminium Company Ltd. He has also worked at Quest Resource Development Consultancy Ltd, and General Manager of Josa Plus Ventures.

He served as a member of NPP campaign team in the Central Region in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He also served as a member of National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from 2009 to date.

He is married with four children.

JOE Ghartey  Railways Development

Joe Ghartey is 55 years old, and a graduate of the University of Ghana, where he obtained an LLB (Hons) in 1986, before being called to the Bar in Ghana in 1988. He then joined the Law Firm of Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. as a Pupil and subsequently became an Associate. In 1995, he founded his own law firm, Ghartey & Ghartey.

He has taught Company Law at the Ghana School of Law, Securities Industry Law at the Ghana Stock Exchange, Investment Law at the Ghana Business School, University of Ghana and Corporate Governance at the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). He is currently an Adjunct Senior Lecturer of International Trade and Investment Law, as well as Company Law, at the Faculty of Law, University of Cape Coast. He has authored the leading Ghanaian text book on doing business and investing, Doing Business and Investing in Ghana: Legal and Institutional Framework.

He entered Parliament in 2005 as the Member of Parliament of the Essikado-Ketan Constituency. In June 2006, he was appointed Deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister of Justice. From June 2006 to January 2009, he was the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. In 2009 and 2012 he was re-elected as Member of Parliament for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency.

During the Sixth Parliament, he was the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament. He returned to Parliament for the fourth time as the Member of Parliament of Essikado-Ketan Constituency in 2017.

He is married with five children.

KWASI Amoako-Atta  Roads and Highways

Kwasi Amoako-Atta is 65years old. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration, and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2002. In 2004, he obtained an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA).

He worked with the then Meat Marketing Board from 1979-1985 as a Marketing Manager. He also joined Unilever in 1985, and over a 20 year period occupied very senior management positions such as Head of Department in Sales, Marketing and Logistics. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Atiwa West.

He is married with four children.

URSULA Owusu-Ekuful  Communications

Ursula Owusu Ekuful is 52 years old, and a product of the University Of Ghana And The Ghana School Of Law. She was called to the Ghana Bar in October 1990. She also holds a certificate in Government Integrity from the International Law Institute, Washington DC, a Project Management and Planning Certificate from GIMPA, and a Masters in Conflict Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and was adjudged the overall best student in 2015.

She worked for 10 years as an Associate at Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co., Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public. From Sept 2005 to May 2008, she was was the acting Managing Director, Western Telesystems (Westel), and from April 2008 to January 2009, she was the Corporate and External Affairs Director, ZAIN Ghana. She has also been the NPP Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma West Constituency since 2012.

In the run-up to the December 7, 2016 elections, she served as the Chairperson for the Social Development Sector Committee  a committee responsible for the development of policy interventions for women, children, persons with disability, the aged and all social intervention policies and programs for the NPP manifesto 2016.

She is married and has one child.

KOFI Adda  Water Resources and Sanitation

Kofi Adda is 60 years old. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Political Science from the Indiana Wesleyan Univerity, USA; a Masters in International Affairs (specialising in International Finance and Banking); and a Certificate in Energy Economics from the University of Texas. He was a Project Manager for the Public Financial Management Reform Programme of the World Bank and Ministry of Finance from 1996-2000; Client Service Director and Manager at Deloitte and Touche; amongst others.

Under the government of President Kufuor, he was Minister for Energy from 2006 to 2008 under President Kufuors government, and prior to that was Minister for Labour and Social Development from 2005 to 2006. It was under his tenure in office as Minister for Labour that the National Youth Employment Programme, which created 150,000 jobs was conceptualized and introduced.

He is the Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, and is married with two children.

SAMUEL Atta Akyea Works and Housing

Samuel Atta Akyea is 53 years old. He was called to the Ghana Bar in 1993. He has worked at the Attorney Generals Department, at Akufo-Addo Prempeh & Co. He has been at Zoe, Akyea & Co., for a period of 14 years. He has been a Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South since January 2009. He has served on the Finance, Public Accounts Judiciary and Appointments Committees of Parliament.
There is now the Monitoring and Evaluation to be manned by Dr Anthony Akoto Osei; MP for Tafo Pankrono in Kumasi.

Others are Railway Development which is to be handled by Mr Joe Ghartey, MP for Esikado-Ketan in the Western Region and Regional Reorganization and Development to be managed by Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, MP for Okere in the Eastern Region.

There is also the creation of the Senior Minister's portfolio to be handled by Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo and National Security to be handled by Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah.

Some Ghanaians have criticised the presidents creation of these new ministries, saying it will be a waste of the tax payers money.

But a press conference at the Flagstaff House Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo gave some explanations.

Railways Development

President Akufo-Addo said the Ministry will be expected to develop the railway infrastructure in the country, which would aim at growing the countrys economy by opening it up for trade.

He said he will do everything possible to find the money and rebuild our railway system in Ghana.

If we are going to be serious about the economic development of our country, we have to open it up. And its a railway system that is efficient to connect us to the Sahel and hopefully will one day connect us to the larger West African project that is in view, he said.

Regional Reorganization and Development

The president said the creation of this ministry is to ensure the restructuring of the governance system in the country.

This comes on the back of party manifesto promise that it will create new regions and elect Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.

We believe that the nearer a government comes to the doorsteps of our people, the more efficient and more satisfactory its outcome. That is why we are insisting on competitive politics in local government and we are going to create the conditions that will allow district chief executives, mayors, metropolitan chief executives, municipal chief executives now to be directly elected by the people they are going to govern.

It is by the same token, the process of devolution of power, will require that we look again at the regional structures of our country all in the aim of trying to promote rapid development in Ghana, he explained.

He said the Minister-designate, Dan Botwe, would work to ensure the creation of four new regions from the Western, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Volta Regions respectively.

For us to be successful I think that it is important for the more efficient governance that we are seeking for Ghana that we succeed for these efforts of creating these regions. And for me it means that the NPP, we have to find amongst ourselves a heavy hitter, a major political hitter within ourselves who has the extensive experience and capacity in mass mobilisation, he added.

Monitoring and Evaluation

This has been one of the ministries that have caused some sort of uproar within the public.

But President Akufo-Addo has explained that without the creation of the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, government programmes may not be delivered on time.

He said the Ministry will be in the Office of the President with the Minister having the right to talk to everybody in all the Ministries to monitor and evaluate their performance.

The entire government machinery at all times is going to have somebody who is calling up and asking questions: Why are there delays in this? Why are there delays in that? Mr Akufo-Addo said adding that the Ministry will be that weapon for insisting that the work of government is efficient, effective, and timeous.

He believed that Dr Anthony Akoto Osei is the ideal man for the ministry since he has extensive experience in governance and a renowned economist with a very strong understanding of budgetary processes and targets.

Sanitation and Water Resources

The president explained that he decided to split water and sanitation from the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing following what he called the neglect of that zone.

A major challenge facing our country is access to water to our people. Indeed, water for all is one of our slogans for our 2016 manifesto. As much as that is a challenge, equal is the challenge of our environment, he explained.

One of the slogans for the NPP during its campaign was to provide toilets for all and the president believes this portfolio would focus on ensuring that the country was clean and that each household was provided with a toilet facility.

The structures we have for sanitation are not the best and that they require significant enhancement. We also made a slogan a toilet for all and these are matters we take very seriously and as a result, I have decided that I need a steady hand, an experienced hand it think that it is better standing with sanitation, he said.

Meanwhile, the president said the six new portfolios will be working under the umbrella of the Office of the President and will not be stand up ministries.
We are calling on civil society, religious bodies, the media, and the international community not to blame the NDC if the unacceptable conduct of Akufo-Addos Invincible Forces leads to reprisal attacks, he said.

His warning comes on the back of seizure of state properties by alleged NPP members following the investiture of Mr Akufo-Addo.

This had often resulted in clashes between supporters of the two parties.

READ ALSO: Angry suspected NPP youth besiege government institutions

Mr Portuphy argued that the NDC bequeathed a peaceful Ghana to the NPP and hence the new administration must endeavour to protect it.

We have worked assiduously to build peace in Ghana. We wont destroy that peace we have bequeathed to the NPP We have respected our security services and we hope the change of government has not changed their position, Mr. Portuphy added.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! 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!
Pretty Mike who owns Club Uno, one of the many nude clubs in the state, has been in the news in the past few weeks after he posted videos and photos of him walking with different ladies on a dog leash and boasted about the show of shame.

He had, on different occasions, dehumanized the ladies whom he called his toys and playthings, drawing the bile of women groups, activists, and Nigerians who felt his acts were demeaning to women.

Pretty Mike whose club has been a cause of concern for Lagosians had been seen walking into different events venues with the women in chains leading him, an act that forced the state government to order his arrest.

It was gathered that after his arrest, he was made to sign an undertaking that he will no longer dehumanize any man or woman by putting a leash on them.

Reports say, Pretty Mike, suspected to be the boyfriend of cross-dresser, Bobrisky, admitted knowing his action was against the law and pledged not to further indulge in such behavior by signing the undertaking which was crafted by the police:

I, Mike Eze Nwalie, A.K.A Pretty Mike, of 21A, Luma Street, Magodo GRA, do hereby undertake to stop whatever act of putting girls on a leash or any other degrading treatment to ladies and guys.

I am aware that such act offends the law of the State of Lagos and if I repeat it again, there will be legal act towards me.

I undertake to issue a letter of apology to the public effective from tomorrow on all my social media platforms, the undertaking read in part.

The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, was quoted as saying:

The Lagos State Government is committed to the protection of the rights of all citizens including children, women and all the vulnerable persons in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osokogu was allegedly murdered on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town, Lagos, by her Facebook lover.

The defendants are: Okwumo Nwabufo, 33; Olisaeloka Ezike, 23; Orji Osita, 33, and Ezike Nonso, 25.

They are facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, stealing, recklessness, negligence and possession of stolen goods.

At the resumed trial on Thursday, Akinlade, adjourned for judgment after the adoption of the final written addresses by all the counsel.

Akinlade had frowned at the delay by the second defendants counsel, Mr A. Nwachukwu, in filing his final written address.

She pointed out that the court would not entertain delay tactics from any counsel to forestall justice in all cases.

Mr Victor Okpara, who spoke for all the defence counsel, said that the trial was fair and they expected their clients to be discharged and acquitted.

NAN reports that the murder trial began on Feb. 8, 2013, with the state calling the hotels receptionist as the first witness.

NAN also reports that the body of late Cynthia Osokogu, 24, the only daughter of General Frank Osokogu (rtd) was discovered in a Lagos morgue a month after she was declared missing by her family.
A journalist based in Uyo, the state capital, Ifreke Nseowo, who posted the news of the carnage on his Facebook wall, said the incident took place in the Itiam Etoi village in Uyo Local Government Area of the state.

In the report, Nseowo, the publisher of The Mail Newspaper, said the Hausa men unleashed the terrible attack on some villagers as a result of a stolen generator which was sold to one of the Hausa men by an indigene of the town.

It was gathered that when the owner of the stolen generator found out that the set was sold to the scrap collectors, he apprehended them and the case was thought to have been settled until the scavengers mobilized and attacked the village on the night of Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

This is how the journalist captured the scenario:

"The attacks began at about 10 pm when some people had slept. It would have been worse if there were many people on the street.

They started cutting anybody they met on their way with machetes. Some of them carried iron rods and other forms of weapons with which they beat and wounded people. They also destroyed the properties of people selling shops in the area."

Community sources say the problem started when the Hausa man who bought the generator, accused one of his kinsman of selling him out by reporting him to the owner of the generator.

The accusation generated a fight and an indigene who attempted to separate the fight was allegedly beaten up by one of the fighters who thought he was ganging up with his opponent to fight him.

The man was said to have run to his quarters to inform his friends of the alleged attack on him and they reinforced and went with him to attack anyone they met on the street.

One of the victims of the carnage who gave his name as Itoro, said:

"I was sitting in front of our house when I saw them running with machetes towards me. But because I didn't have any problem with anyone I was not afraid, only for them to cut me in the face and continued to run on."

Another victim, Ezekiel, said:

"I went to see my friend in the area only to see them running towards my direction. Since I did not know there was a problem, I was just walking on the street going back to my house.

One of them lifted his machete to cut me in the head and when I blocked it with my hand, he cut my hand again and again. That is when I knew the matter was serious and started running."

As a result of the crisis, youths in the community have declared that they want all the Hausas in their area to leave or there would be a reprisal attack on them.
Anongo was charged with culpable homicide punishable under Section 222 of the Penal Code.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Michael Iorundu, told the court that the case was transferred through a letter dated Dec. 30, 2016 from the Nigerian Police Divisional Headquarters, Lessel in Ushongo to the State CID, Makurdi, for discreet investigation.

According to the letter, Terkula Ayongo of LGEA Primary School, Manor in Ushongo, had reported at the Lessel Police Station on Christmas day that his younger brother, Vershima was murdered.

The informant stated that his brother got into a fight with the accused person at Anongo market on that same day and the accused person removed a knife and stabbed him.

He said further that his brother sustained serious injuries as a result of the stab and he died on the spot.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused was arrested in connection with the crime during police investigation and he confessed committing the crime.

No plea was taken.

The prosecutor said that investigation into the matter was ongoing and asked the court for another date.
eDaily reports that the man, Emmanuel Akuku, committed the dastardly act at the Shikhambi Village in Kakamega County, throwing his family and community into sorrow.

It was gathered that Akuku had been disturbing his step-sister to get a husband so that he benefits from her bride price but when she refused to be pushed into such an arrangement, he got angry and stoned her to death.

The suspect was allegedly heard by neighbours complaining that his step-sister had given birth to three children while still being housed by her parents.

The neighbours claim Akuku stoned the deceased to death before dumping her body in River Mulakha following a quarrel that ensued between them.
The courts magistrate, Mr J.A. Adegun, also ordered the accused to provide a surety in like sum that must be gainfully employed.

He also ruled that the surety must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government (LASG) and adjourned the case to Jan.17 for hearing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Babaji Ishaku, had told the court that the accused committed the offences at Aremu Lawal Street, New Oko-Oba in Abule-Egba area of Lagos State, at about 2.30 p.m., on Dec. 5, 2016.

He alleged that the landlady broke into the shop of the complainant, Mr John Omeoha, one of her tenants.

The accused made away with 15 bags of rice, 4 bags of beans and 3 bags of of `gari (cassava flakes), all valued at N297,000.

The complainant said that he locked up his shop for sometime because his wife had just been delivered of a new baby.

He said that his landlady had asked him to pack out of the shop that she wanted to make use of it.

The complainant pleaded with her to give him more time to secure an alternative place.

 But on the said date when the complainant passed by the shop, he found out that his shop had been burgled and some goods carted away, he said.

Ishaku said the case was reported to the police and after a series of investigations, the accused was arrested.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 166, 285 and 307 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
According to the victim, Bamisaye Olasunkanmi Michael, he had the bloody encounter after he retrieved a package at the Murtala Mohammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, sent to him by his brother who is based in South Africa.

After collecting the package, Michael narrated further that on his way home, he was accosted by three police officers on a motorcycle who asked him what he was carrying and all explanation that he had just retrieved a package from the airport fell on deaf ears as the officers descended on him, beating him to a pulp and collected the package and his phone.

His saving grace came when an army officer who was driving pass, came to his rescue, collected the items from the policemen and gave them back to him before taking him to a hospital where he was treated.

Read Michael's story as he narrated on his Instagram page:

My name is Bamisaye Olasunkanmi Michael, aka a Nigerian citizen and this was my encounter with the Nigerian police.

After my regular day job, I went to the airport to receive my package which was sent to me by my brother from South Africa. I successfully received my package and headed home.

It was late by the time I was going home, 11:30 pm precisely; and I was waiting for a bus at the popular Naco bus stop. The Naco bus stop is along the international airport road, not too far from the airport itself.

There were people at the bus stop waiting for buses as well. Just then, 3 policemen arrived on a bike. This was not surprising because there is a police station at Naco bus stop.

On their way into their station, they saw everyone waiting at the bus stop and they stopped and questioned everyone on what we were doing there and we responded that we were waiting for a bus.

They sighted my package and this prompted questions immediately. They asked what was in the package and I responded by telling them it was my personal belongings which were sent to me by my brother from South Africa and I just received it at the airport that night.

Immediately, they shouted; it's a lie, it's money that is there. They scared everyone away and started assaulting me with questions.

I told them it wasn't money, that I should open it for them to see but they wouldn't listen. One officer, , was one of the 3 policemen that lead the assault.

They hit me very hard with the back of their gun, I started bleeding and I fainted. They took my package and my phone. They left me lying on the floor bleeding to death.

Few minutes, later a Nigerian Army officer came to my rescue. helped me to recover my phone, took me to the nearest hospital for attention where my wounds were stitched, took me home and gave me his number to call when I felt better.

Thank God for him that night.

I am not writing this because I want to tell a story. I am writing this because I want youths to voice out to our nation, Nigeria. We are not safe anymore; our security is on the line.

Our policemen now steal from us under the umbrella that they are protecting Nigeria from fraudsters (Yahoo guys), and because of this, every guy is a fraudster.

If you have a laptop, they'll take it from you or ask for a bribe. If you own an iPhone, they'll take it and it becomes their own automatically. If you own a car, they'll take you to their station for a statement.

And now I'm seen with a package containing my personal belongings they beat me close to death and take it away from me.

I am voicing out to the government and the citizens of Nigeria, the police is not our friend. We need true policemen, not the ones who are wolves in sheep clothing.

We need to flush out these criminals who hide under the law that they manipulate to their convenience and endanger us to destroy us because of their greed.

I say NO to fake Nigerian Police.
Pretty Mike who runs Club Uno, an Ikeja-based nude club, had been making the wrong news after he posted videos and photos of him walking with some ladies whom he had in dog chains and calling them his toys.

His actions caused serious anger especially with women groups and human rights activists who called on the government to put his activities in check, leading to his arrest.

The state government reacted to the public outcry and arrested him on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, and made him write and undertaking in which he promised never to repeat the act again as well as promised to tender an apology on his social media platforms.

This is the apology he tendered on his Instagram page:

There has been a lot of controversy over two of my outings holding some females on a leash. I apologize to all the women and the good people of Lagos State, Nigeria and the rest of the world who feel dehumanized by this craft that meant well.

I will use other platforms and format to continue to create the necessary awareness.
In his judgment, Justice Ebeye Isele, held that the claimant was entitled to her pension after the bank allegedly dismissed her in 2009.

Isele held that having worked for 16 years, the claimant ought to be paid her pension because 10 years of service was pensionable.

He, however, did not allow the claimants prayers to prevail on the bank to pay her accrued salaries and other entitlements.

Gambo, a Kaduna branch manager employed in 1993, had challenged her wrongful dismissal by the bank in 2014.

She claimed that the bank directed her to stay at home while investigating some allegations against her.

The claimant told the court that she waited for five years to get a report of the investigation but was rather issued a dismissal letter when she sued the bank.

The claimant, therefore, had prayed the court to prevail on her employer to pay all outstanding salaries, entitlements and pension arrears.

Reacting to the judgment, Mr Teslim Oyetunji, counsel to the claimant, said he would appeal the judgment to discourage ill treatment of bank staff.
According to him, UN agencies have currently reached over two million people with humanitarian assistance as against barely 100,000 people as at October 2016.

"The challenges are enormous but there has been a lot of progress on humanitarian response since October 2016 when I assumed duty as the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP resident Representative to Nigeria.

"Before I came, the international community was barely reaching 100,000; however, in December, humanitarian assistance was reaching over 1 million families, he said.

"Presently, humanitarian assistance is reaching about two million people in the North-East; there has been a huge progress so far.

"The UN system is an accountable system and if we receive a request from the Governor of Borno on what we are bringing in and what is being spent we would give that information.

"Such information is not hidden."

ALSO READ:

Mr. Shettima had on Tuesday attacked UN organisations and over 100 nongovernmental in the north-east, accusing them of misusing funds meant for people displaced by Boko Haram crisis.

He singled out UNICEF for rebuke, but also praised eight organisations for their efforts.
The president made the comments while responding to a letter written to him by the Co-Founder of the Malala Fund, Ms. Malala Yousafzai.

Be rest assured, however, of the doggedness, commitment and sincerity of Nigerias Federal Government towards ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls and, indeed, all others still in captivity, Buhari wrote.

Buhari also spoke on the welfare of the 21 Chibok girls who were freed by the sect on October 13, 2016, saying that the Federal Government has taken over the responsibility for their personal, educational and professional goals and ambitions in life.

They are being given comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care and support, and anyone who has seen them in recent times will attest to the fact that their reintegration back to the society is progressing well.

The Federal Government believes that it is not too late for the girls to go back to school, and everything will be done to ensure that they continue the pursuit of their studies, he said.

The letter was dated January 10, 2017 and signed on Buharis behalf by Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

Another Chibok girl, Rakiya Abubakar, was rescued around Sambisa Forest, Boko Harams stronghold, on January 5, 2017.
Addressing journalists at the Lagos Police Command, CP Fatai Owoseni said that a reporter had misrepresented happenings during the protest.

Police action in curtailing the protest was done within the ambit of the law. The police will not stand arms folded again where our duties are challenged by criminal elements.

The police was alerted that casual workers of Chivita are agitating for Christmas bonus at Ajao Estate, Lagos, and Police responded to safeguard lives and property.

Unfortunately, the agitation escalated and policemen were held hostage, acid was poured on one of the policemen.

One of the victims is still in the hospital and will not be able to use the eye again, Owoseni said.

The CP however said that in order for a policeman to prevent himself from being killed, it was within the ambit of the law to apply minimal force.

He said that one of the protesters however suffered a bullet wound on the leg during the protest which later led to his death at the hospital.

Owoseni pointed out instances where the public took laws into their hands and he condemned the act.

He narrated how some policemen were attacked following the arrest of a suspected kidnapper.

In a similar incident, policemen attached to the Anti Kidnapping Unit, took a suspected kidnapper to Agbowa to execute search warrant.

Some criminal elements under the guise of youths attacked the police team, cut the suspects handcuff and liberated the suspect.

Three of the policemen were injured and the police vehicle was completely burnt. One of the policemen is still in the hospital while his condition isnt stable.
The governor offered the apology after he had earlier accused the UN agencies of feeding fat on the plight of victims of violence with little to show in the state.

Shettima made the apology when the Head of the UN mission in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kollon, paid him a courtesy call in Maiduguri.

The governor explained he was referring to the indigenous local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) who are only interested in posing, snapping and taking data of IDPs to claim funds from donor agencies.

Honestly, from the bottom of my heart we are grateful to the United Nations for all it has been doing toward rehabilitation and resettlement of our displaced people.

My anger was largely on indigenous NGOs who are based in Maiduguri, who are going to the media to provide account numbers to defraud donors.

I know a particular NGO that went to the Dalori camp, posed with our IDPs and snap pictures, go and claim funds from an international donor agency.

Two days, we were in Konduga with the UNHCR where building materials assistance was given to about 5,000 IDPs who returned to their librated communities.

I made mention of NGOs like World Food Programme (WFP), UNFPA, IOM, IVRC, Danish and Norwegian Refugees Council and UNHCR, which I said were really doing well.

Even the UNICEF, it was my Commissioner for Health, Mr Haruna Mshelia, who later enlightened me on some of the intervention the UNICEF are giving.

I am referring to those who are exploiting our people, those who are making accommodation very high.

I am very aware of your support to the plight of our people. During our darkest hours, the UN followed us to Bama to provide services to our displaced people.

I therefore want to render an unreserved apology for the pain I have caused you.

We solicit for your support especially on the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of our people.

We also appeal to you to touch lives here in the host community of Maiduguri.

One of the areas of our significant concern is the area of the girl child education. If it takes me to kneel down before you I will do just that, said Shettima.

Kallon had earlier advised the governor not to allow the media to reverse the effort of the government and the United Nation.

Your Excellency, if we allow the media to shoot us on our foot we are not going to work. If we start sending different languages and different voices we are not going to work.

I agree with you that some of the NGOs are good, there are also trouble makers among them but we must manage them.

And that is why I am here to make sure that everything here is transparent. Your Excellency, if you have any issue that you want to confirm, ask Peter, he will tell you what you want to know.

We must all work together and speak with one voice in order to achieve our desired objectives.

We still have some humanitarian challenges especially in getting access to some of the librated towns. We are eager to see how we can reach out to librated areas.
The Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kakashehu Lawal, stated this at a press conference in Maiduguri.

Lawal said that four women alongside the principal suspect were arrested for taking part in the crime.

He said that the trend is a notorious fact which occurred in Galadima area in the state capital.

After the restoration of relative peace in state capital and its environs, a lot of anti-social activities started to emerge ranging from drug addiction, lawlessness and prostitution.

On Sept. 12, 2016, we got an intelligence report by our civilian JTF in Gwange area in the town and we mandated them to arrest a woman who delivered a baby boy and came home without the baby.

The suspects were taken to Gwange Police Station because of the magnitude of the crime and were later transferred to the Police CID Department, he said.

The commissioner said that one baby was recovered and another one was rescued during a raid on the factory at Galadima.

Sponsors of the factory were also arrested. The suspects were rraigned before the High Court Number 13.
Aliyu told newsmen in Lafia that the percentage payment since October 2015 was due to shortfall in allocation from the Federation Account.

He, however, said that the payment of the full salary in December was possible through the Paris Club loan refund, used to augment the statutory allocation.

Tijjani explained that the local government areas got N3 billion from the Federation Account as Paris Club loan refund with the directive that 50 per cent be used to pay salaries and 50 per cent for projects.

According to him, out of the N1.5 billion meant for salary payment from the refund, N900 million was used to raise December salary to 100 per cent.

He said the balance would be used to augment subsequent salaries depending on the level of the statutory allocation for each month from the federation account.

The commissioner said over N9 billion would be required to settle the arrears of salary percentage for the 13 months.

He appealed to workers at the local governments to be patient, assuring that the salary issue would be tackled as the economy improved.

On the recent court judgement nullifying the appointment of Interim Management Committees for the local government areas, Tijjani said the state government was studying the it, to take appropriate action.

He, however, said the Nigerian constitution provided for the state assembly to make laws for the smooth running of the local government system.

Tijjani explained that the state government was not opposed to the conduct of local government elections but for the paucity of funds occasioned by the economic downturn.
The Commands Spokesperson, Mr Selechang Taupyen, disclosed this in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry, Lagos State.

Taupyen said that duty and taxes accrued from escorted transit vehicles accounted for 56 per cent of the total revenue generated in 2016.

From January to December 2016, the command generated N10, 503,894,089 as revenue from general cargoes and vehicles.

Duty and taxes accrued from escorted vehicles accounted for 56 per cent of the total revenue generated in the year under review, he said.

The NCS spokesman said that the command was passionate and resolute in enforcing the Federal Governments fiscal policies, adding that we remain committed in exceeding our targets.

He revealed that the command made a total of 848 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N608.2 million in the year under review.

According to Taupyen, there is a corresponding decline in smuggling activities due to the commands aggressive anti-smuggling operation in line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs.

He re-emphasised the commands commitment to enforcing the Federal Governments ban on new and fairly used vehicles through the land borders.

The vehicle seat has been disbanded and officers have being redeployed to beef up border patrols.

The same ways smuggling of rice was drastically suppressed is also the way we would suppress smuggling of cars through the border," the customs spokesman said.
Kanu is facing charges of treasonable felony before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He made the comments through his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor during a court appearance on Thursday, January 12.

The Biafra agitation predates this present administration. The fact that the Honourable Justice Ademola decided that there was no incriminating evidence against the first defendants, he ordered his release but this was blatantly refused, Ejiofor said according to The Cable.

Hes a freedom fighter unlike people who overthrew a legitimate government in 1983. The court has no option but to discharge the charges. The court should trash the charges, he added.

ALSO READ:
The Vice President will make the trip despite threats by some militants to resume violence in the area.

The Vice President was taken aback by the threats, but he had since been reassured that the discontent in the region was caused by the same notion that will be created if the planned visit is cancelled, a Presidency source told Vanguard.

Osinbajo will reportedly visit Gbaramatu kingdom, which is the home town of ex-militant leader, Government Tompolo Ekpemupolo.

ALSO READ: How Buhari chose Osinbajo as VP over Tinubu, Fashola
THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

Petrol price template crumbles

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), which controls the cost of petrol in the country, is in disarray and this is disrupting the implementation of the existing pricing template.

Senate rejects ban on land border car importation

The Senate yesterday reviewed the Federal Governments ban on the importation of vehicles through the land borders and described it as an anti-people policy that can further impoverish the citizens.

Troops kill 53 terrorists, recover 16 bodies of soldiers

The Nigerian Army has recovered the bodies of one officer and 15 soldiers declared Missing in Action during an operation to dislodge the Boko Haram insurgents from Gashigar Area in Borno on October 16, 2016.

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Ohanaeze election: Igbo elite at war

A pressure group, The Igbo Leaders of Thought, led by foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, SAN, yesterday commenced legal proceedings against the election of the new executives of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation that took place on Tuesday.

UN wades into S-Kaduna killings as CAN replies Council of Imams youre hypocrites

THE United Nations, UN yesterday waded into the festering crisis in Southern Kaduna, promising to look into the killings that have plagued the area with a view to ensuring that justice prevails.

Senate rejects FGs ban on land border car importation

THE Senate, yesterday, rejected the Federal Governments ban on the importation of vehicles through the land borders in the country.

THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Court remands Fayoses aides for alleged $50,000 theft

The police in Ekiti State yesterday arraigned three men- Temitope Bamidele, Sunday Afolabi and Shuaibu Amidu- at the Magistrates Court in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, for alleged stealing.

$40b more Chinese investment coming

China is to invest $40 billion more in Nigeria.

EFCC finds N632.2m in ex-Chief Judges account

Detectives have traced over N632.2million to former Enugu State Chief Judge Innocent Azubuike Umezulikes account.

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Defect to retain post, Senate APC caucus tells Ekweremadu

Twenty-four hours after the All Progressives Congress caucus in the Senate sacked Senator Ali Ndume as Majority Leader and replaced him with Senator Ahmed Lawan, a plot by the lawmakers to reclaim the seat of the Deputy Senate President emerged at the chamber during plenary on Wednesday.

Nigeriall get out of recession this year  WBank

The World Bank has predicted that Nigeria will get out of recession and grow its Gross Domestic Product by one per cent this year after plunging into its worst recession in over two decades.

FRC has no power to fix Adeboye, others tenure Reps
In a statement released by Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, the Nigerian army is neither planning an attack on The Gambia or any other country.

"The Nigerian army wishes to dissociate itself from false information of a planned attack on any country that exists only in the figment of the imagination of the medium. There was no time or place Nigerian army disclosed such information to the medium. If there is any, we challenge them to name the officer or soldier that gave the information and when," the statement reads.

Speaking further, Usman said: "For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian army is not planning any attack on any country.

"The publication apart from being false in its entirety, it is unethical and capable of endangering the ives of Nigerians in diaspora

ALSO READ: Nigerian Army ready to remove Gambian President by force

"The medium is please requested to always clarify such matters affecting national securityand diplomatic issues that may endanger the security and lives of Nigerians abroad to avoid such misleading and embarrassing publication," the statement read in full.
According to the "Wives on Strike" actress, the new generation of actors have no morals. She further stated that if Gideon Okeke has a problem with how Agu interprets his role, he should take it up with the regulatory board.

ALSO READ: undefined

Check out Chioma's tweets below;

ALSO READ: undefined

In a post and delete Instagram update, undefinedBoard (NFVCB) to censor Chiwetalu Agu's vulgar language in films.

Popular for his 'wicked uncle' roles in movies, Chiwetalu Agu is also popular for his role in Nigerian Television Authority Channel 8 Enugu's "Ikoro," "Ripples," "Things Fall Apart," "Taboo," "Vuga" among others.

Some of Chiwetalu's quotes include "Ewu ataam igu n'isi (Goat has eaten on top my head)," Ochie akwunakwuna (old prostitute) among others.
According to the actor, he checks the sanity of his ears and mind whenever the actor comes on screen.

The "Tinsel" star further challenged the National Film Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to censor the actor's language as children are watching.

ALSO READ: undefined

In a post and delete Instagram update, the actor implied that the veteran Chiwetalu Agu hides behind the pretext that some of his audience don't understand Igbo Language to throw decorum out of the window.

Read his deleted Instagram post which he titled "When the Actor becomes larger than life" below;

"You know him as the wicked uncle in film. But I know to check the sanity of my mind and ears whenever he comes on screen.

I'm a fan of his and also a film person, but the measure of liberty this dear actor enjoys from directors and producers (within Nollywood) to improve vulgarities in movies is not funny to me anymore as an audience member.

Hiding behind the pretext that not all of your audience understand Ugbo Language, is no licence to throw decorum out of the window.

Our job is not only to entertain, but to educate, inform and propagate culture, by subtly reshaping perceptions.

This is a case for the Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and our movie channels that play eyes-right to the demographic ratings 13, 16, 18 or PG.

Watch Chinwetalu Agu again...You will reckon. He is funny no doubt, but the kids are watching, adults are cringing.

NFVCB must be sleeping. Not all content is day time content.

I may be wrong, but that's my view."

ALSO READ: undefined

Popular for his 'wicked uncle' roles in movies, Chiwetalu Agu is also popular for his role in Nigerian Television Authority Channel 8 Enugu's "Ikoro," "Ripples ," "Things Fall Apart," "Taboo," "Vuga" among others.

Some of Chiwetalu's quotes include "Ewu ataam igu n'isi (Goat has eaten on top my head)," Ochie akwunakwuna (old prostitute) among others.

ALSO READ: undefined
The PDP made the condemnation in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, on Thursday in Abuja.

The party said that its attention was drawn to a statement credited to Sen. Kabiru Marafa in which he advised Ekweremadu to defect to the APC in order to retain his position.

It described the call as unconstitutional, undemocratic, adding that the section of the 1999 Constitution which Marafa quoted as backing his advice to Ekweremadu was untrue.

Mafara was quoting as saying I am using this medium to call on Ekweremadu to simply decamp. Section 68(G) of the 1999 Constitution captures this.

There is no section or clause of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) that provides that one must be a member of the ruling party before he could be elected into any position in the Senate or the House of Representatives.

Equally, it is very distasteful and uncharitable for any senator to stand on the floor of the hallowed chamber and ask his colleague to violate the Constitution by cross-carpeting from his own party to join the ruling party.

It is Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not Senate of the APC, the PDP said.

It added that it was laughable for Marafa to cite the internal issues in the PDP as a reason for Ekweremadu to defect to the APC.

For the umpteenth time, let us reiterate that there is no faction in the PDP.

A party is only factionalized when its organs are in disarray, but this is different in the PDP where all the organs are intact, behind the National Caretaker Committee under the chairmanship of Sen. Makarfi.

A mere rebellion by a small interest group within the party cannot be referred to factionalisation of the party," the statement said.

It cautioned that any PDP member using the current leadership disagreement caused by the rebellious group to defect to another party was doing so at his or her peril.

It said that Marafa or any other member of the APC had no power to make such demands on a member of the PDP.

Let us remind Sen. Marafa that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu was elected as Deputy President of Senate by majority votes from both the PDP and APC senators.

Any attempt to remove Sen. Ekweramadu for being a member of the opposition party and not because of a constitutional breach or incompetence is a call for anarchy.

The PDP recalled that the current situation in the Senate where the Senate President and his deputy were from different parties should not continue to appear strange to anybody in a democratic system.

ALSO READ: Nobody can remove me  Deputy Senate President says

For instance, in the Second Republic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Edwin Umezuoke, was from opposition NPP while the Senate President was from the Ruling Party, the NPN.

It is worthy of note that both of them worked harmoniously with the cooperation of the Executive in moving the country forward, it recalled.

The party urged the National Assembly members to remain strong and united behind Ekweremadu with determination not to allow anybody to truncate the hard-earned democracy through undemocratic tendencies.
24 out of 26 lawmakers voted at about 9am on that fateful day to remove Fayose and his then deputy, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi after they were accused of corruption.

The project was handled by Fayoses childhood friend, Gbenga James, who eventually testified against him.

Investigations revealed that instead of spending the money on the project, James used N9.25million to build a house in Ibadan, Oyo State for Fayose and bought a Mercedes Benz worth N2.1million for Fayoses mother among other things.

The investigation was done in Fayoses absence as the governor disappeared before the impeachment proceedings were completed.

Fayose is believed to have fled the country with the help of security agents in order to avoid being arrested by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Rumours at the time had it that his escape was facilitated by then Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mrs. Ivy Okoronkwo.

Mrs Okoronkwo was accused of dismantling road blocks leading to Ibadan and Lagos to enable Fayose to leave the state.

He eventually returned from exile in December 2007 and was again elected, and sworn in, as governor in 2014.

ALSO READ: '
This was how the Green Chamber arrived as this decision.

Sani Zorro, moved a motion entitled: "Call to offer a Safe Haven to President Yahya Jammeh as part of Nigerias Mediation Initiative for the Gambia" on the floor of the House on Thursday, January 12, 2016.

Zoro based his argument on Nigerias policy of "extending safe-haven status to endangered African leaders as part of dispute settlement."

The Jigawa state legislator maintained that if the situation in the Gambia is not curtailed, the country would be heading for destruction.

The federal lawmaker who feels Nigeria should play the big brother role to the Gambia says the offer of asylum would save the nation's democracy and West Africa on a larger scale.

Zoro puts it this way:

"The clock is ticking fast for the survival of democracy in the country and there is therefore the need to intensify preventive diplomacy to save the Gambia from descending into chaos with dire consequences for the west African sub-region, as a result of a likely armed conflict and mass displacement of persons."

The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

But Jammeh had stopped a high level ECOWAS mediation team led by President Buhari from coming to the Gambia on Wednesday, January 11, as planned.

The delegation was expected to persuade Jammeh to accept defeat in the December 1 presidential election in the country.

Meanwhile, reports have it that the Nigerian Army is ready to forcefully remove Jammeh from office if he insists on remaining in power as he has vowed.
Its not the taste of his food that makes his steaks endearing to us (I mean, we are stuck in Nigeria and we cant travel to the UAE because of Shaki). Its the amount of care that goes into making it.

I have a challenge for you. Can you make it through this videos without salivating?

Like this place where he managed to cut a whole steak without tasting it?

Or this place where he was dancing with turkey before splitting it?

What about this one where hes cutting meat better than your favourite Suya man?

And trust, someone already made a parody version of the video.

Notice how he used a pear instead of meat, because you know, meat is too expensive.

Imagine you go to a Buka to eat ordinary Amala and Ewedu and somebody is doing all these ceremony, youll be like,
Theres a reason Bill Myatt had stayed away from this musical for nearly 30 years.

Besides the fact that Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street  is a dark story  filled with murder, gore and black humor  and not the typical high school play, Myatt knew it would also be technically, and musically, challenging for a bunch of teenagers to pull off.

Its a bucket list show, Myatt said. Its one of those things I always wanted to do, but never felt we had a wide enough swath of talented people to make it happen.

He had felt that way since 1990 when he started as the Pleasant Valley High School drama department director.

Until this school year.

We had so much strength in this class that I pulled the trigger, he said. It was time to take on Sweeney and just see what happened.

After months of grueling rehearsals and long hours, the students performed Sweeney Todd in November at the Iowa State Thespian Festival. It was one of six programs selected to perform at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska in June.

Thats a rare honor, Myatt said. A PVHS production was last selected to perform at the international festival in 2009.

Its the curse of the high school show that everyone and their mom and dad think its the most wonderful thing, he said. To have professionals saying theyre good is really valuable  its true validation.

Its validating for students such as senior Sally Walker, who had an ensemble role in Sweeney Todd.

Not a lot of high school programs want to do a show so gory and thats so draining, Walker, 18, a self-described proud mama of her drama classmates, said. We thought if we really put our minds to it, we could pull it off. To know we did it is a rewarding feeling.

Paying it forward

Successfully performing Sweeney Todd isnt the only thing on Myatts bucket list this semester.

Last week, his crew put on a student-run show called What Happened After Once Upon a Time for elementary school students Thursday and for the public Saturday. Getting the younger generation involved is a tradition Myatt started in the 1990s and one he hopes to keep growing.

For example, PVHS's Spartan Summer Theatre camp, geared toward children from kindergarten through high school has seen more and more students over the years, he said. This summer, campers will put on "The Lion King Experience Jr."

Its paying it forward, he said. For some kids, this is their first introduction into theater and we want it to be a good one.

Myatt also wants to provide high school students the opportunity to not only perform, but direct, design costumes and sets and lead theater workshops for younger students.

Taking on a leadership role off the stage was a first for Walker, who directed What Happened After Once Upon a Time.

I remember seeing a show like that for the first time at that age and thinking that this is the most magical thing  it's just straight magic, said Walker, who hopes to pursue theater management in college next year. Theater has given me every confidence I have today and I love that I keep learning different sides of it."

On the horizon

PVHS has several performances coming up including Twelve Angry Jurors on February 24-25, a student improv comedy night March 30, Leaving Iowa on April 21-22 and "Fatal Fifties Affair" on May 14. After that, they'll spend a week or so with brush-up rehearsals on "Sweeney Todd" before performing to a crowd of thousands in June.

For seniors such as Myatts son Zach, the final shows on the calendar have a bittersweet feeling.

Being part of this got me out of my shell and taught me to be more expressive, said Zach Myatt, who plans to minor in theater at Augustana College. You break that barrier when you perform in front of people. And then you just want to keep being on stage."

It's Bill Myatt's "biggest goal" to give students plenty, and a variety, of chances to do that.

High school students need a home in the school, he said. For these students, its theater. Theyre all taking part in telling the same story and there is a sense of community in that.
This gangster movie may not be on par with the caliber of The Godfather, but "Live by Night," remains a solid drama with a great pedigree that will be worth seeing for fans of the genre.

Director Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay based on Dennis Lahanes novel of the same name. He also stars as Joe Coughlin, a World War I veteran. The son of a police deputy superintendent (a superb Brendan Gleeson), he becomes a gangster in Boston, then in Tampa, during the 1920s. The movie isnt as strong as Afflecks directorial debut of Gone Baby Gone (based on another Lahane story). But its still enjoyable as an old-school-type nod to classic gangster films.

The tale is set during Prohibition. Joe manages to escape an ugly bank heist, then is betrayed by a shady woman named Emma (Sienna Miller) and is incarcerated. He then ends up in Miami, where the rum-running trade is lucrative and where he meets Graciela (Zoe Saldana), who has connections to the production of the molasses used to produce rum.

Chris Messina (Argo) who plays Joes trusted right-hand man, is among the array of interesting characters. But the story arc and the characters that are most riveting involves Chris Cooper as the Tampa police chief and Elle Fanning as his daughter, Loretta. Theirs is a most disturbing relationship (Affleck wisely challenges viewers to figure out exactly what is going on) that involves Lorettas career aspirations and the chiefs broken, humiliated heart. Cooper, in fact, is so outstanding in this role that he steals every scene he appears in.

Surprisingly, although hes the central character, Afflecks Joe doesnt pack as much of a wallop the characters around him. Maybe it was Afflecks intention to focus on the other characters  and there are a great many of them  allowing them to revolve and evolve around Joe.

Also enjoyable are the chase scenes and what truly can be called battle sequences  after all, this is about a war among criminal elements as well as law enforcement and gangsters and, in a really cool subplot, the mobsters against the Ku Klux Klan. And, even though this harkens back to gangster flicks from previous eras, it contains a lot of carnage, which is one of the reasons it earns its R rating.

Gangster-movie aficionados generally enjoy the look of environments, and this will not disappoint with its eye-catching cinematography and costumes.
Book talk about the rise of ISIS scheduled at library

Black Hawk College Professor Emeritus Arthur Pitz will discuss Joby Warrick's Pulitzer Prize winning "Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS" at 1 p.m. Jan. 18 at Bettendorf Public Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf.

The book traces the growth of the militant Islamic group, from its beginnings in a remote Jordanian prison.

Later that day, St. Ambrose University English Professor Michael Hustedde will discuss Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander." The talk begins at 7 p.m.

Master and Commander is the first in the splendid series of 21 Jack Aubrey novels. It establishes the friendship between Captain Aubrey of the Royal Navy and Stephen Maturin, ship's surgeon and intelligence agent, against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. Details of a life aboard a man-of-war are faultlessly rendered: the conversational idiom of the officers in the ward room and the men on the lower deck, the food, the floggings, the mysteries of the wind and the rigging, and the roar of broadsides as the great ships close in battle.

Both books are available for loan on a first-come basis at the Bettendorf Public Librarys Information Desk. New members are always welcome.

Guitarist Peter Flectcher to perform free concert

New York-based classical guitarist Peter Fletcher will perform works from his latest CD at the Bettendorf Public Library at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 26.

Fletcher is scheduled to perform classical masterworks such as Paganinis Caprice No. 24, Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz's popular Cordoba, Bach's Lute Suite No. 3, and a special arrangement of the Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts.

The concert is free. For more information, visit bettendorflibrary.com.

Bettendorf Public Library

For details about the following programs and more, visit bettendorflibrary.com, email info@bettendorflibrary.com or call 563-344-4175. (+ after the date means there are many dates for this event.)

Jan. 14: Book Discussion Pronto 9:30 a.m.

Jan. 14: Winter Carnival all day

Jan. 16+: Drop-In 3 p.m.

Jan. 23: Drop-In: Quilled Snowflakes 3 p.m.

Jan. 24: Syrian Refugee Crisis 7p.m.

Jan. 25+: Early Out Make-It-Take-It 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 25: Book Discussion: Our Kids 6 p.m.

Jan. 26: Classical Guitarist Peter Fletcher 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 1+: Medicare Q&A with SHIIP 9 a.m.

Feb. 2: Reading Assistance Dogs 6 p.m.

LeClaire Community Library

Upcoming events at the LeClaire Community Library:

Jan. 12: Lifelong learning, 10 a.m.

Jan. 19: Teen Advisory Group, 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 24: Preschool Explorers, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 25: Adult Book Club, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 26: Books BeTween Bites, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 1: Early Release Crafternoon, 3 p.m.

Feb. 2: Biblioteens, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 6: Color Me Calm, 6 p.m.

Feb. 8: Senior Outreach: Off-site Checkout at First Presbyterian Church, 11:45 a.m.

Feb. 16: Teen Advisory Group, 4: 30 p.m.

Feb. 22: Adult Book Club, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 23: Books BeTween Bites, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 28: Preschool Explorers, 6:30 p.m.
More details have been released regarding the fatal shooting of a Davenport man who police say was an intruder at a home in rural Sumner, Iowa.

About 10:55 p.m. Jan. 6, the Bremer County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call from a home in the 1300 block of Whitetail Avenue, Sumner.

Deputies found Steven Anthony, 46, dead and another person who was injured.

The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly after 10 p.m., Anthony had arrived at the home and asked to speak with John Eimers, according to a release from the Iowa Department of Public Safetys Division of Criminal Investigation.

Immediately following the discussion, Anthony tried to kill Eimers by shooting him at close range with a handgun, according to the release.

Eimers, who was shot multiple times, was able to return fire, ultimately killing Anthony, according to the release.

Eimers was taken to University Hospitals, Iowa City, and has since been released, according to the release.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call the Bremer County Sheriffs Office at 319-352-5400, option 3.
Former Davenport City Council colleagues describe Bill Edmond as an honest, straightforward conservative who took pride in speaking his mind.

The former 2nd Ward alderman died Tuesday at Select Specialty Hospital, Davenport. He was 67 years old.

Bill served his country in the Army during Vietnam, and served this city as an alderman for a long time, Alderman Ray Ambrose, 4th Ward, said Wednesday.

He was very involved in getting Veterans Memorial Park set up, Ambrose said. His strong fiscal conservative ideas are one of the reasons why this city is in such great financial position today. Its been an honor to serve with Bill Edmond. He worked hard for the City of Davenport and we appreciate it.

Former Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba said that while he and Edmond were political opposites, they also were the best of friends who talked often.

He was a very honest, straightforward, principled conservative, Gluba said. He was instrumental in the building of the off-leash dog park at the foot of Marquette Street at Centennial Park."

There's a stone at the dog park that Edmond had put there in dedication to the K-9 units that served in Vietnam, Gluba added. He would like to see Edmond's name placed on that stone as a memorial.

"He was a sergeant in Vietnam and was out in the rice paddies," said Edmond's wife, Pam. "He just loved dogs and wanted to honor them. They were such wonderful tools for our soldiers."

Gluba said that despite being Edmonds political opposite, We hit it off. I really respected the guy and we were close friends. The city is non-partisan so there was no reason to play politics when we were in office, so we didnt. He worked hard for his constituents and he worked hard for the city of Davenport.

Im going to miss him, Gluba said.

Edmond served as 2nd Ward alderman for six years. He was first elected the City Council in a special election in March 2009 to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Shawn Hamerlinck, who went to the Iowa Senate. Edmond then won the November election.

Edmond ran unopposed in 2011 and 2013, but was defeated in November 2015 by Maria Dickmann.

He was a very competent alderman, said Alderman Jason Gordon, at large.

He did his homework his due diligence on the issues. He was obviously upfront and blunt on some issues and we didnt always agree on the issues, but he became my friend. We talked about our families and things we liked and wanted to see for the city.

One of the things I appreciated about Bill, on almost every single issue, I knew where Bill was going to be because hed tell me and then hed follow through, Gordon said. When Bill told you where he stood, you knew thats where he stood."

Pam Edmond said that her husband was fiscally responsible and he liked to be very careful with what he did with the taxpayer's money.

But he did have his projects on which he spent the allocation of beautification money in his ward, she added.

At the parks in his ward, she said, "he always contributed to the upkeep of their ball fields and use his beautification money for that. He'd make sure the grounds were sprayed and well-cared for."

"Bill was a heck of a guy," said Alderman Bill Boom, 3rd Ward. "Politically we were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but he was clear and it was easy to understand where he was coming from, and where he was coming from was the heart.

"He gave his all for the community and that's all you can ask of a person, and his loss will be felt," Boom said. "I was proud to call him my friend."

"He loved his constituents," Pam Edmond said. "If they called and wanted him to come out and look at a problem he was there in 20 minutes.

"He was very action-oriented and very down to earth," Pam Edmond said. "That's why I loved him."

Funeral arrangements for Edmond are pending at Weerts Funeral Home, Davenport.
Although it does not have the final say, Davenport's Levee Improvement Commission is not in favor of licensing more than 19 acres along the riverfront for commercial vehicle parking.

Nestle Purina would like to obtain an exclusive license to park up to 360 trailers along the 1900 block of West River Drive, which formerly was dump space.

The commission unanimously approved a motion to reject recommending a 50-year lease for Nestle Purina. The Davenport City Council will make the final determination on it.

Under the terms of the lease, Nestle Purina would pay $1 annually for the first five years before the fee escalates to $6,000 annually in years six through 10. The license fee would increase $3,000 annually after each five-year period thereafter.

Members of the commission, however, were not comfortable with the terms of the lease and the long-term vision for the riverfront.

Commissioner Karl Rhomberg recalled lyrics from Joni Mitchell's famous song, "Big Yellow Taxi," when he said "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

Prior to the commission's vote, Mayor Frank Klipsch and Tom Flaherty, vice president of economic development for the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce, weighed in after speaking with representatives of Nestle Purina.

Flaherty said the chamber had been looking for a parcel to meet the company's needs but was unable to do so.

Nestle Purina vehicles make 150 trips on Rockingham Road, by far the largest truck user, and Flaherty said there was concern about wear and tear, especially with the millions of dollars in capital improvement funds being allocated to reconstructing the road.

Klipsch said an agreement needed to balance the riverfront and the interests of an economic partner such as Nestle Purina, which has been in the area for more than 100 years.

"I had a chance to speak to their plant manager, and they are committed to a long-term relationship with the city," Klipsch said. "I think they would like to find ways of expanding services if they can, and this is one way to help them and be a good citizen."

Commissioner Bill Ashton cited language in the agreement where the city would have to pay for improvement costs amortized on a 27-year straight-line basis should the city terminate the agreement.

With all the testing, inspections and surveys Nestle Purina was required to perform, Ashton said the city could very well be paying more money than it received from the licensing agreement as a result.

Commissioner Shelley Chambers said she was worried about seeing trucks after passing the "Welcome to Davenport" sign and concerned the use does not conform with the city's RiverVision plan.

As someone who uses the bike and walking paths near the parcel by Veterans Memorial Park, Alderman Kyle Gripp, at large, said a compromise could be reached that fits both parties' interests.

"We might be able to come to some aesthetic design compromise where we're able to keep our passive park space and mix in commercial use," Gripp said.

With the commission recommending against the licensing agreement, the matter will move forward to the City Council for review at a later meeting.

"Two aldermen and myself heard (their concerns), and we'll take that strongly as we move forward," Klipsch said.
A roundup of Iowa Capitol and legislative news items:

DHS BUDGET CUTS: The head of Iowas Department of Human Services (DHS) said Wednesday he believes his agency will be able to absorb the $20 million in spending cuts for this fiscal year without negatively impacting staff or programs. On Tuesday, Gov. Terry Branstad directed officials in the state general funds second-largest budget area  behind education  to reduce spending by $20 million by June 30 as part of a plan to address an overall $110 million shortfall in the budget brought by slipping revenue growth. DHS Director Charles Palmer and his budget director, Jean Slabaugh, told members of the states Council on Human Services that most of the money will come from a surplus in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which has seen a drop in usage that freed up about $16 million. Slabaugh said the agency also had some unspent technology money that will forego the need for cuts in DHS operations. Of bigger concern, said Palmer, was the governors fiscal 2018 budget request that was about $25 million under his agencys $1.88 billion request to the Legislature.

MORE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS: Officials in the state agencies responsible for public safety and corrections say they are reviewing the reductions proposed by Gov. Terry Branstad for the remainder of the current fiscal year but have not made final decisions on how to proceed. Branstad presented up to $110 million in proposed de-appropriations to the Legislature that included $15 million in cuts to the Iowa Department of Corrections and $3.8 million for the Iowa Department of Public Safety. We are weighing all available options and will share additional information when it is available, said corrections spokesman Fred Scaletta. Alex Murphy, public information officer for the DPS commissioners office, said the governors proposed cuts were expected but the departments executive leadership has not yet made final decisions as to where reductions will be made. At this time, we do not foresee any layoffs or furloughs within our department, Murphy said. For the remainder of this fiscal year, we will not be hiring for any openings within our department that are funded through our general appropriations fund and we will not be moving forward with any promotions. The department is very optimistic about holding the next DPS Basic Academy in fiscal year 2018. He said the agency is looking at options that will have the least impact on citizens while maintaining safety.

ENDING UNIVERSITY TENURE: A state senator again has filed a bill seeking to end the tenure system for professors or other eligible employees at Iowas three regent universities. Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, has offered the bill before but this year Senate File 41 may get more attention he is a member of the majority party in the Iowa Senate. The bill directs the state Board of Regents to prohibit the establishment or continuation of a tenure system for any employee of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa State University in Ames and the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. S.F. 41 also states that an Iowa code provision which authorizes community college administrations to establish quality faculty planning committees shall not be construed to authorize a community college to establish a tenure system for any employees. The bill also provides that acceptable grounds for termination of employment of any member of a regent universitys faculty shall include but not be limited to just cause, program discontinuance and financial exigency.

EDUCATION KICKOFF: The Senate Education Committee opened its 2017 run Wednesday with new chairwoman Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, pledging to move quickly to pass a new allotment of supplemental state aid to Iowas K-12 school districts. Sinclair said district administrators should not be left in the lurch concerning their fiscal 2018 funding level. Gov. Terry Branstad proposed a 2 percent boost for each of the next two fiscal years during his Condition of the State address Tuesday but Sinclair was noncommittal on an amount at Wednesdays kickoff committee meeting, saying only the amount probably wont be as much as they want. She also said she is interested in expanding school choice options for parents this session. Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, past chairman and now ranking member, said he hoped K-12 funding, third-grade reading, preschool access, rural district transportation costs, anti-bullying efforts, reducing high-school dropout rates, and addressing per-pupil funding disparities among districts all would get attention this year. Independent Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan was granted unanimous consent to address the committee as a nonvoting member and asked other senators to consider joining him in tri-partisan cooperation in a policy area where he has 18 years of experience.

AWARD FOR DHS ADMINISTRATOR: Wendy Rickman, the administrator of the Adult, Children and Family Services Division for the Iowa Department of Human Services, has been selected as a recipient of a distinguished national award that honors leaders for their dedication to improving the lives of children and families. Rickman, a licensed social worker who joined DHS in 1987, this week was presented the 2017 Casey Excellence for Children Award in Leadership, which recognizes achievements in improving outcomes, which include safely reducing the need for foster case, increasing pathways to permanency and improving child well-being. Under Rickman, Iowa has developed several initiatives aimed at strengthening families and improving outcomes for children. Over the past five years, Iowa has experienced an overall reduction of 6 percent in the number of children in foster care.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Mr. Chairman, would it be in order to adjourn for the year?  Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, in addressing the Senate Labor Committee, which is expected to be the venue for proposed changes to Iowas collective bargaining law this session that could become contentious.

Times Bureau staff
MUSCATINE  The Muscatine City Council will vote on a request to instruct the city attorney to file charges to remove Muscatine Mayor Diana Broderson at the in-depth City Council meeting Thursday night.

The agenda item states the city attorney will be instructed to file written charges of removal pursuant to Muscatine City Code 1-7-6, "Removal of the Mayor," if the action is passed by a vote of the council.

According to Muscatine City Code and Iowa Code, the mayor may be removed from office by action of the council for one of several reasons: willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of his or her office, willful misconduct or maladministration in office, corruption, extortion, upon conviction of a felony, for intoxication or conviction of being intoxicated or possession of any illegal substances, or upon conviction of violating the provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 68A, the Campaign Disclosure-Income Tax Checkoff Act.

The agenda item does not state what the charges are, and city officials have not commented, citing the pending litigation.

According to Iowa Code, the written charges normally would be filed in Muscatine County District Court by the county attorney. However, section 66.29 of the Iowa Code does allow for the removal of an elected city official on a two-thirds vote of the entire council on grounds that would call for an equitable action for removal in the district court. In that case, the written charges that would be filed against the mayor would be brought back before the council and not handled in district court.

Council members Phillip Fitzgerald, Tom Spread, Allen Harvey and Santos Saucedo could not be reached for comment, and Councilmen Scott Natvig, Bob Bynum and Michael Rehwaldt declined to comment. Bynum said questions should be directed to the city attorney, Matthew Brick, who could not be reached for comment.

Broderson said she does not know what reason will be cited in the charges, but she added that she has had multiple phone calls from Muscatine residents expressing their support for her as mayor since the agenda was published.

I feel much supported by the people, she said. I think that they are raising their voice.

The council, Broderson said, has reduced the powers of the office of mayor since she took office in 2016, but she has felt continued support from the community.

They elected me mayor, and I think they are unhappy at the efforts that have been ongoing since I took office to thwart their choice and basically nullify their vote, she said.

In April 2016, the council began the process to change the appointment authority for boards and commissions to a nominating committee and the ability to appoint and remove the fire and police chiefs to the city administrator, subject to the approval of the council.

A nominating committee comprised of two council members, the mayor and the city administrator or appointed staff member was created to review applications for boards and commissions and bring recommendations to the council for approval. Previously, the mayor held appointment and removal powers, subject to council approval.

According to a letter from the Iowa Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General to Iowa state Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mount Pleasant, that change may have violated Iowa Code.

Iowa Code section 400.1 states: "In cities having a population of eight thousand or over and having a paid fire department or a paid police department, the mayor, one year after a regular city election, with the approval of the council, shall appoint three civil service commissioners."

The letter, written by Solicitor General Jeffrey Thompson, states the requirements of the section are "mandatory" and "any act or failure to act that falls short of strict compliance with its provisions constitutes a crime."

If the request to begin a process to remove her as mayor is passed Thursday night, Broderson said she will work to remain in her position as mayor.

"I will continue to fight and move forward the best that I can," she said.

Brodersons term expires Dec. 31.
The economic impact of Davenport's proposed Sterilite Corp. deal is significant, but one detail about potential tax revenue generation for schools has caught the eye of city officials.

Davenport has approved a resolution in support of providing economic incentives to Sterilite, North America's largest manufacturer of plastic goods, offering more than $17 million in the form of infrastructure improvements and tax rebates.

Besides a total economic impact of $143.6 million, $30.4 million in new payroll and creation of 814 jobs, the construction of a 2.4 million square- foot facility on 160 acres in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center could generate $834,000 in new property tax revenue for the first year.

Those revenues are split between four different taxing authorities, including $305,000 for schools.

The cumulative increase in property tax revenue to the city would be approximately $5.5 million for year one through 15 and would not exist without the proposed deal taking place.

The current land, which has an assessed value of $640,000, generates slightly under $12,000 per year in tax revenue, including $4,383 for schools.

The problem for Davenport city officials, however, is that the potential revenue for schools will not go to the Davenport Community School District. Instead, due to boundary lines, it would benefit North Scott Community Schools.

With the Davenport school district already facing troubles due to the state school funding formula, city officials have scheduled a meeting to discuss potential solutions to the problem.

"The schools benefit is not our schools," Alderman Mike Matson, 7th Ward, said. "This project and others, because it's in another district when it says schools, it doesn't mean Davenport schools."

Matson said because the incentives are coming from Davenport taxpayers, Davenport schools needed to reap the benefits.

Mayor Frank Klipsch said he will meet next week with representatives of the North Scott school district and Eldridge Mayor Martin O'Boyle about Davenport's options.

"What I told them was 'What's the incentive?'" Klipsch said. "I'm going to talk to them about where we are and what we can do about it. It's not a matter of them saying we can do it, but it's a big deal because you have to get state approval and board of education approval."

While Klipsch said it was not realistic to expect that the city would just receive money the money back, he said the outcome from the discussion could pave the way for Davenport to look at economic development sites that fall within the Davenport school district's boundaries.

In related action, a contingent of local workers petitioned the Davenport City Council on Wednesday to do what they could to make sure Sterilite hires local labor.

Bret Lacher, a Davenport resident, pipefitter and member of Local Union 25, who told aldermen he would prefer that the city holds Sterilite to using local labor like himself.

"Last winter, I had to pack a suitcase and leave my wife and three young children at home and go find a job where there was work eight hours north," Lacher said. "Only coming back every couple of weeks to see my wife and kids while local construction projects were filled with licenses plates that weren't Iowa or Illinois."

Brinson Kinzer, an electrican and member of the Scott County Board of Supervisors, did not speak on the county's behalf. But he did echo Lacher's sentiments of supporting the use of local workers.

"We need to use local contractors if we're going to give the incentives," Kinzer said.

Ryan Drew said the city often hears the same story about developers needing economic incentives to succeed only for local labor not to be utilized.

"We fast forward to the start of construction for the project and we begin to see workers imported from other communities, other states and other countries," Drew said. "This is the same work that our local school districts ask us on a routine basis to come to them and showcase to the youth the skills and careers available in the community."

Having listened to their pleas, several aldermen championed the quality of local workers and said they would work to promote hiring local labor.

"They need to be educated on the quality of the folks that can do the job," Matson said.
A scar on his forehead marks the day Daniel Mathis life took a drastic turn.

In 2011, the Davenport man said his ex-girlfriend struck him in the head with an aluminum bat, sending him into a dizzy spell and the emergency room at Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport.

Not long after the incident, while sitting in his brothers garage, Mathis began fiddling with a handful of copper wire his twin sibling planned to junk for cash at a scrap yard in town.

Within an hour, the Oxford, Mississippi, native said he shaped the metal into a butterfly and fell in love with sculpting, which he never attempted prior to suffering the head injury.

I dont know how to explain it, but a light bulb turned on when I was there, Mathis, now 58, recalled Wednesday. I started getting all these ideas after the first one looked so good.

From there, Mathis began digging through dumpsters for materials, including bird cages and coat hangers, he could salvage and transform into art.

In 2012, the former homeless man moved into an apartment on Locust Street provided by Humility of Mary Housing Inc., which takes 30 percent of his disability benefits every month for rent.

The military veteran, who served in the U.S. Army from 1976-82, said he lives with schizophrenia and battles other health issues.

Today, about 20 life-size pieces depicting animals and other characters decorate Mathis small kitchen and living room, where he forms his creations for hours on end.

Time just flies by, Mathis said as he touched up a squirrels snout in his makeshift workshop. I really like doing this.

Lindsay Fox, Mathis permanent housing service coordinator, called the practice therapeutic for him.

Fox added that Mathis and others who live in his building help defy negative stereotypes and stigmas associated with the chronically homeless and mentally ill.

Theres so much more to this population than people know, said Fox, who has worked with Mathis for three years. Theyre not defined by their status.

Although today is her final day on the job, Fox called her time with Mathis "rewarding." In total, her organization oversees 42 permanent housing units in Davenport.

Last year, fellow artist Ron Hartman visited a friend in Mathis' complex and spotted one of the sculptor's most prized works outside his apartment door: a 7-foot-long crocodile.

He produced the model's skeleton with steel wire and finished it with copper wire. Complete with glowing yellow eyes from a stuffed animal, the product has three detachable parts.

"I just happened to notice it in the hallway," said Hartman, a full-time plumber who lives in Davenport. "How could you not?"

He studied Mathis' objects, listened to his story and later returned with $140 in cash to purchase an "amazing" bulldog he built.

I dont know if he appreciates how gifted he is, said Hartman, noting Mathis masterful and meticulous precision. "He can pretty much do anything with his copper wire."

Mathis currently is crafting casts of President Barack Obama and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. He also has a dragon, bald eagle, raccoon and a snake-haired Medusa in stock.

And while he doesn't usually color his figures, he plans to use white spray paint to illustrate Obama's graying hair.

Although he receives health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Mathis said he decided to stop treating his mental illness about six years ago when he began working with his hands.

"I stopped taking pills and just focused on this," said Mathis, who acknowledged the phenomenon may sound "strange."

He said the exercise "keeps me calm" and "stops my mind from racing."

Someday, Mathis hopes to display his artwork in a gallery.

"I hate to see them go because it's like losing a member of your family," he said, "but I would like to be famous before my life ends."
HARRISBURG | More than five dozen middle school students from Harrisburg will get a firsthand civics lesson when they travel to Washington, D.C., to witness the presidential inauguration.

Tamra Huffman, the Harrisburg North Middle School teacher organizing the trip, tells the Argus Leader that the group secured tickets to the inauguration through Republican U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.

Huffman says her students studied the presidential election and understand the significance of having a chance to see history in the making at the inauguration.

The students will fly into D.C. on Jan. 18 and have some days of touring before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated Jan. 20. The students will tour all of the Smithsonian museums, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Mount Vernon, which was George Washington's home.
PIERRE | The city of Sioux Falls has defended to the state Supreme Court its decision not to disclose details of a $1 million settlement over faulty siding at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

The high court heard arguments Wednesday in the case filed by Argus Leader Media against the city.

The city in 2015 announced the settlement with contractors over the bulging panels but didn't provide details, citing in part a confidentiality agreement.

The newspaper sued after the city declined to give access to documents related to the settlement. A lower court sided with the city, and the newspaper appealed.

The city argues that the state's open records law lets governments keep contracts private if the parties involved agree. The newspaper says that argument runs counter to the Legislature's intent when it passed the law.
PIERRE | The state Supreme Court's chief justice used his legislative address Wednesday to pitch proposals meant to improve public safety and the treatment of mentally ill people in the criminal justice system.

Lawmakers should broaden the pool of people authorized to perform mental competency evaluations and expand infrastructure to offer a telehealth option for the assessments, Chief Justice David Gilbertson said in his State of the Judiciary address.

Gilbertson convened a task force after the Argus Leader newspaper reported that the backlog of mental competency evaluations of criminal suspects is taxing county budgets and raising concerns about the rights of defendants. The number of court orders for competency evaluations tripled from fiscal year 2013 to 2015, he said.

With the state's limited mental health resources, the increase forced people to sit in jail for months before they could be evaluated, Gilbertson wrote in the task force's report.

"Having these people languish in a county jail awaiting competency evaluations is not the right way to treat them," he told lawmakers Wednesday. "It also clogs the criminal justice system and costs a lot of additional tax dollars."

Gilbertson said he believes many of them are veterans who get in trouble because of post-traumatic stress disorder or attempts to self-medicate through substance abuse.

Getting arrested and kept in jail would be a traumatic experience for anyone, said Wendy Giebink, executive director of National Alliance on Mental Illness South Dakota. But, for someone living with a mental health disorder, the situation may be even more distressing and could cause treatment for their illness to get disrupted.

"Just imagine how frustrating it would be to be waiting in jail for something you have no control over and someone to determine whether or not you're competent to stand trial, Giebink said.

The task force's recommendations include starting a pilot mental health court in Pennington County and promoting the expansion of crisis services to help rural law enforcement. The group also suggested training authorities, prosecutors, judges and probation officers on the signs of mental illness and how to better handle it.

House Majority Leader Lee Qualm, a Republican, said that lawmakers would examine the issue, adding that there's no reason that people should be stuck waiting in jail. GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard said Tuesday during his State of the State address that he will support the group's recommendations.
PIERRE | The chairman of the Yankton Sioux tribe is set to give a speech to the state Legislature at the Capitol.

Chairman Robert Flying Hawk will give the second State of the Tribes address Thursday. The message is similar to the governor's State of the State.

The Yankton Sioux's tribal headquarters is in Wagner on the Yankton Reservation in southern South Dakota.

Last session, Cheyenne River Sioux Chairman Harold Frazier gave the first address to a joint session of the Legislature from a South Dakota tribal leader.
PIERRE | A bill that would allow authorities to publicly release mug shot photos taken when a criminal suspect is booked passed its first committee test Thursday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-1 to send the bill to the full chamber. Attorney General Marty Jackley proposed the measure and Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard said this week he supports it.

The legislation would make mug shots a public record, bringing South Dakota in line with 48 states that already allow booking photos to be provided to the public. Jackley said the proposal came out of a task force on open government.

"This is something that is important for transparency," he said. "I think it's important for bringing our state up to speed with the other 48 states."

The bill would be very helpful to the news media and could serve as a useful public safety tool, said Dave Bordewyk, general manager of the South Dakota Newspaper Association.

Republican Sen. Stace Nelson, of Fulton, said he hopes the attorney general's office is considering future revisions to state law to further open up state government. He called the mug shot bill a "baby step."

Democratic Sen. Craig Kennedy, of Yankton, was the sole member of the committee to vote against the measure. He said, in other states, the photos are posted on the internet and people have to pay to have them removed. People are innocent until proven guilty and have a right to privacy, Kennedy said.
New board members for the Belle Fourche Development Corporation were elected last week at the BFDC annual membership dinner meeting.

Elected are Gary Hendrickson, Clay Birkeland and Pam Lange.

Main speaker was Marcia Hultman, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation and a Belle Fourche native who praised BFDC for its efforts at community development that have been recognized through state grant approvals.

Outgoing BFDC president Scott Peterson and his wife Susan were recognized for their new "South Dakota Retailer of the Year" designation that was scheduled for Monday's South Dakota Retailers Association banquet.

Susan Peterson noted that they have been in business in Belle Fourche for 29 years, and "The last five years have been the most exciting we have seen in Belle Fourche; a lot of exciting stuff is happening in our community."

BFDC Director Holly Stalder told the members, "Belle Fourche is kind of a trails to rails kind of community."

She said that was true as soon as the railroad first came to the city and 2,500 carloads of cattle a month were shipped from the Belle Fourche hub of the Tri-State agricultural community.

She added that 14,000 vehicles a day pass through the city on highways and the RCP&E Railroad has daily rail service here.

The Belle Fourche Industrial Rail Park this year became a rail park with completion of a rail spur that can hold up to 30 cars at a time.

Stalder noted that Gov. Dennis Daugaard and Sen. John Thune were in Belle Fourche for the rail opening, "and talked about the importance of transportation."

She added that BFDC in its past year had brought in more than $600,000 in grants for the city, "and we are volunteering countless hours."

Addition of the huge Runnings store is a big retail draw for the city, she said. Adding BLM to the Industrial Rail Park keeps their state operation in Belle Fourche.

"We were awarded a sizeable grant" for housing, she said.

BFDC responded to the city's 2013 housing study with action toward workforce housing.

The study showed, she said, that 62 houses in the city were beyond rehabilitation, more required major work.

With the partnership of BFDC and NeighborWorks, "We're chipping away at these numbers."

"We do want to help the local businesses," she said. Grants were made from BFDC to several local businesses to aid in signage.

Sales taxes in Belle Fourche have shown steady increases since 2011 and building permits have been increasing except for slow increases in single family homes which is where BFDC is looking to improve

"We've got a good story to tell," she said.

Jamie Van Norman told the group how NeighborWorks assisted 48 people in their goal of home ownership with 26 on track to buy homes here. She noted one project that included a governor's home placed on a Ward 1 lot that had an unoccupied decrepit mobile home.

Cathy Buckmaster noted that she began efforts to recognize Scott and Susan Peterson as retailers of the year as soon as she heard the criteria for the state honor.

She said their growing business in Belle Fourche and expansion to Sturgis is only part of their effort to improve the community.

She noted donations and support of the food pantry, Purple Pride, Hometown Thursdays, local rodeos and other community activity.

Scott, she said, "gets a lot of kicks in the shins," but his efforts were instrumental in Belle Fourche being named community of the year.

Hultman told the BFDC members and guests of growing up as a rural Belle Fourche girl, and that she remains proud to call the community her home.

She said Belle Fourche is on track solving a statewide problem: "We simply need more skilled workers."

The problem, she said, is one word, "housing."

She praised BFDC for its work toward housing as well as seeing issues and solutions.

The Belle Fourche workforce housing grant application won funding from the state among many other good applications, she said, "because nothing was as usable and measurable as here in Belle Fourche."

"You should be very proud of yourselves," she said.
January 11, 1917

Entertainer Col. Wm. F. Cody was improved today, showing remarkable recuperative powers, though his heart action is very weak his physician revealed. Col. Cody is in a Denver, Colorado hospital a few weeks under guarded conditions.

Our Senator Evens from Butte County has introduced four Bills in the Senate at Pierre; they are SB-9 Appropriating $5000 for land at Spearfish Normal; SB-10 Appropriating $2500 for a heating boiler for Spearfish Normal; SB-11 Appropriating $65000 for new building at Spearfish Normal and SB-14 Permitting tax of not exceeding 3 mills for advertising cities.

January 13, 1927

Ed Breidenbach of Atwood, Colorado has rented the farm north of town known as the Senovoy & Merrill 120 acres and expects to be on his way to Newell with a car of livestock, farm equipment and household goods. Inside improvements to the farm dwellings are being made by Willard Warren.

Dr. Clark reports an epidemic of small-pox in the Nisland schools. The children have been vaccinated and steps taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Dr. Clark advised that Newell School children should also submit to vaccinations.

January 14, 1937

The front part of the Merritt Hotel, Vale has been changed from a cafe to a saloon being remolded and redecorated with new mirrors and a new bar.

George W. Clary, Manager of the Fruitdale Mercantile Company store, was a business visitor in Newell on Monday. Mr. Clary is buying furs and pelts. He is quoting attractive prices on hides and pelts.

The recount of ballots in Butte County at the recent election for States Attorney, in connection with the Smiley-Armstrong election contest was concluded in circuit court at Belle Fourche Saturday. Armstrong votes were protested by Smiley and Smiley votes objected by Armstrong of which Judge McNenny will announce his decision next week.

January 9, 1947

A number of Congregational Church members assisted in the moving of the Parish House and the Parsonage to the new church location on 4th St & Elmira Ave, west of the Tourist Park. The two buildings moved were built on their former location along 3rd St & Dartmouth Ave around 30 years ago will be now utilized as a parsonage and Sunday school room.

Discussed at the regular meeting of the Newell Community Club held at the Stockmens Cafe Tuesday evening; were plans to revival of the Annual Farm Picnic at the US Experiment Farm and making it a real picnic treat for everybody. President C.O. Fogelberg named Maurice Townsend, Paul Wiest and S.T. Larson to a committee to work out the plans along with Harry Weakly Farm Superintendent.

January 10, 1957

Total precipitation recorded at US Experiment Farm during 1956 was 3.54 below the long-time average according to Joe Bonnemann, agronomist and volunteer observer at the station. Total moisture received during 1956 12.19, as compared to the1908-55 average of 15.73

Specials this week at Nostes Super Value include frozen, headless, dressed and cleaned fresh herring 3 pounds at 79cents; the popular Red Rooster coffee in vacuum packed cans one pound for 89 cents; Campbells tomato soup 10 cents per can and the delicious cookie treat Manchester pecan sandies 49 cents for l pound package.

January 12, 1967

Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Edlund, of rural Newell, observed their 25th wedding anniversary on New Years Day. About forty friends and relatives were in attendance.

January 12, 1977

Mrs. Sophia Blomberg, Hoover, hosted a family New Year dinner; guests were Mr. & Mrs. Pete Flaigg & family, Vale; several Fliagg families in the Newell area; a nephew and Mr. & Mrs. Robert Johnson and daughter, Newell.

Black Hills Chapter of the SD Pork Producers Council met January 5 at the Butte Electric meeting room to form an organizational membership. Tom Stapp, Newell obtained Secretary position of the Council. L.J. Kortan, Extension swine specialist from SDSU, Brookings, showed slides on swine production in Butte County and nutrition, breeding and finishing for market.

January 14, 1987

For the past two and a half months, a coyote has been plaguing sheep ranches along the south side of Moreau River in an approximately sixteen mile radius. This killing spree totaled at least forty sheep. Animal Control Agent Ken Johnson was notified for assistance. He discovered the coyote was plane shy which made location worse. In the attempt to get the ring leader, eight additional coyotes were reduced in the area by January 6 and finally the ring leader after a ground drive consisting of several ranchers.

Newell High Schools annual Christmas Ball, sponsored by the Sophomore Class was enjoyed by many students the evening of December 19. The student body voted Glen Jaukkari as Christmas Ball King and Janelle Schuck as Queen for 1987. Other candidates for royalty were: Penny Goeringer, Christelle Taft, James Bauer and J.D. Mutchler. Admission was charged and snacks and refreshments were provided.

January 8, 1997

Ken Wetz (R-Newell) and Willard Pummel (R-Belle Fourche) rookie District Representatives are getting ready for their first legislative session. The session opens January 14 and runs through March 25. Both will serve on the Agricultural & Resources Committee. Both have pledged no new taxes. Returning District Senators are Marguerite Kleven (R-Sturgis) and William Johnson (R-Buffalo).
SPEARFISH | The Spearfish Economic Development Corp. will conduct its 2017 membership meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn Convention Center.

The meeting  which recognizes the dedication and support of its members, board of directors and community  is free to the public. A Chamber of Commerce mixer will follow next door.

Scott Stern, commissioner for the Governors Office of Economic Development, and Mike Headley, executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority and director of the Sanford Underground Research Facility, will discuss the impact of the Sanford Lab on Spearfish and South Dakota.

For more information about the meeting, call 642-3832 or email office@spearfishdevelopment.com.
South Dakota state government has decided that it would rather not be involved in regulating amusement park rides that are popular at county fairs and other events but at the same time can be deadly dangerous as we have seen in other parts of the nation.

This includes roller coasters, Tilt-A-Whirls, the Twister, Ferris wheels and all the other gravity-defying rides that children enjoy and parents trust are regulated and safe.

But now the Bureau of Administration has submitted House Bill 107, which removes the state from the list of entities that amusementride operators and carnival owners are required to send their affidavits to that certify their rides have been inspected properly.

The bill will be considered by the Legislature just four years after an industry-friendly measure pushed through by Sen. Al Novstrup, a Republican from Aberdeen, was overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.

The measure exempted fixed parks like Thunder Road, which Novstrup owns stock in and is managed by his son, David, also a lawmaker and the general manager and co-owner of the Thunder Road park in Aberdeen. The legislation does require minimal state reporting standards for the traveling amusement parks but includes a ten-point list of rider prohibitions that makes it more difficult to successfully sue them.

In September 2015, Journal reporter Seth Tupper wrote an investigative piece that detailed how Novstrup, who had a clear conflict of interest, shepherded the bill through the Legislature.

The Bureau of Administration, which says in the logo on its websites home page that it is serving the citizens and government agencies of South Dakota," said in an email to the Journal that the intent of the bill is to streamline the process of filing inspection affidavits to ensure that these organizations who are involved in the event receive the affidavits.

What spokesperson Leah Svendsen didn't say in her email is that the bill removes the state from doing any regulation of amusement park rides, something now done by 35 other states.

Instead, the state will in effect delegate that task to city and county governments that lack the expertise and resources of state government.

Some have wondered if the real intent is for the state to reduce its liability or responsibility if someone is injured or killed in an amusement park ride. Others wonder if this is the state's response to the Journal's in-depth look at how the measure sailed through the Legislature.

Whatever the reason, the Bureau of Administration's desire to not regulate an industry that derives its profits from children and their parents can only raise questions about its priorities.

Rather than do less when it comes to protecting children, the state should do more to insure that every precaution is taken to see that these rides are properly inspected. Lawmakers should reject this bill and instead craft legislation that demands more state oversight of amusement park rides.
Russian Supreme Court upholds sentence for Hizb ut-Tahrir branch organizer

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov)  The Supreme Court of Russia on Thursday upheld a 12-year prison sentence given to former childrens martial art trainer Isa Ragimov for organizing a branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist organization banned in Russia, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

A criminal case over Hizb ut-Tahrir activity in St. Petersburg was opened in May 2014.

In the summer of 2014, the Federal Security Service (FSB) in cooperation with police arrested about 30 individuals allegedly involved in the Islamic groups activity in St. Petersburg. One of the main organizers of the organized-crime division, Karim Ibragimov, in August 2016 received 17 years in prison.

Ragimov was arrested in April 2015. He was sentenced and convicted in November 2016.

Hizb ut-Tahrir (the Party of Islamic Liberation), founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries. Russia's Supreme Court banned the group from operating on the territory of the country in 2003, describing it as a terrorist organization.

Hizb ut-Tahrir members are regularly arrested by the police across Russia, mainly in big cities in central Russia, the Volga region and Siberia.
Transaero appeals transfer of its international routes to Aeroflot

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  Transaero airline undergoing bankruptcy filed an appeal with the Moscow Commercial Court against decrees of the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviation) and Russias Transport Ministry over transfer of the airlines international routes to Aeroflot, according to court records.

The appeal was registered on January 10 and will be transferred to the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals.

Transaero asks court to nullify Rosaviations decree revoking the airlines right to transport passengers and cargo at 141 routes and transfer of 56 of these routes to Aeroflot and it subsidiary airline Rossiya. According to defendants, decision to revoke routes was made because Transaeros air carrier certificate was no longer valid. Transaero argued that it had no time to fix violations that led to invalidation of the certificate. Despite this a court ruled that invalidation was legal and that transfer of routes was justified.

Several Aeroflot suits against Transaero are reviewed by courts. In December 2015, Transaero was ordered to pay out about 5.3 billion rubles ($85 million). On January 25, 2016, the court recovered from the defendant around 2.85 billion rubles ($45.9 million) it owed to the plaintiff. A counterclaim by Transaero seeking to find the loan agreement between airlines invalid was dismissed. The Ninth Commercial Court upheld the ruling. Both rulings have already taken effect.

In 2015, Transaero found itself unable to pay its debts estimated at 250 billion rubles (about $4 billion). Government-approved plan of transferring 75% of companys shares to Aeroflot failed. Its problems resulted in a large number of flight cancels and delays.

In October 2015, Sberbank and Alfa Bank filed bankruptcy petitions against the troubled airline. The Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region initiated a bankruptcy procedure against Transaero on December 16.

On November 17 of this year, Transaero air carrier filed an application with the Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region seeking to drop bankruptcy proceedings against it. Transaero managers submitted the companys business resumption plan. The airlines management headed by Director General Alexander Burdin analyzed alternatives which could make it possible to return money to creditors via relaunching the airline on the base of its assets.

On November 23, the Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region postponed hearings in Sberbanks bankruptcy claim against Transaero until March 1, 2017. Temporary manager of the airline filed a motion to adjourn hearings because all demands of creditors were met.
Russian senators propose to introduce punishment for inducing to suicide

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  Members of Russias Federation Council propose to change the Criminal Code and introduce liability for inducement to commit suicide and providing help with committing suicide, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.

According to proposed changes, such actions, including ones conducted through the use of Internet, should be punishable by up to two years in prison. If these crimes are targeting children or are committed by a group of co-conspirators, punishment for such actions may result in 3-5 years of imprisonment. Inducing to suicide may come in form of persuasion, bribery, fraud, provision of information that aims to present suicide in attractive light. Media and telecommunication networks are cited as one of potential sources for such information. Also inducing to suicide includes suicide advice, instructions, provision of tools and instruments of committing suicide

Russian Criminal Code currently reads that incitement of a person to commit or attempt to commit suicide by means of threats, cruel treatment of a person, or systematic denigration of the human dignity of the victim - shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term of up to three years, or by compulsory labor for a term of up to five years, or by deprivation of liberty for the same term.

A criminal case was opened in May after several Russian media outlets reported about so-called Groups of Death, numerous groups where young people were encouraged to kill themselves.

Investigators claim that from December 2013 to May 2016 eight Groups of Death were registered on Vkontakte network. Fifteen teenagers from various regions of Russia were members of these groups and committed suicide. Five more did not go through with it.

Searches were conducted in ten regions of Russia.

Philipp Budeykin, aka Philipp Fox, an administrator of a closed group on social network Vkontakte stands charged with inciting teenagers to commit suicide. About ten people testified in the case against Budeykin who was arrested on November 15. He is to stay in detention until May 15.
The 6th annual Precision Ag Summit will be held Jan. 16-17, at the North Dakota Farmers Union Conference Center in Jamestown, ND. Again this year the summit is being co-hosted by the Red River Valley Research Corridor and the ND Farmers Union.Those attending the summit will have hands on and technical demonstrations of precision agriculture technologies and applications, according to Ryan Aasheim of the Red River Valley Research Corridor (RRVRC). In addition, they will be introduced to procedure and tools designed to lower producer cost and create a more efficient environment for farm production."One of the themes of the summit this year will be the cost benefit or profitability of precision ag," Aasheim said. "With the tough economic times farmers are facing, we thought this would be a good way to frame the event. We will have certain sessions focused on profitability with precision ag, cost savings using different technologies and value of data management, imagery data and remote sensing."Some of the topics that will be highlighted during the summit include:*Cost Saving Strategies Using Precision AgEDigital Agronomic, Data Analytics and the Future of Precision Agriculture*The Profitability of Precision Ag*Strategies for Multi-hybrid Planting*Tile Drainage to Manage Salinity*Making Drones Work For YouTo some, their definition of precision ag is putting a satellite signal receiving globe on top of a tractor or combine and coupling that to a microprocessor in the operator station/cab, Aasheim said. But really, he added, precision agriculture is a methodology that, if implemented successfully, integrates three key elements: 1) grower/agronomist information and insight about his/her crop fields and plant species; 2) technology; and 3) management practice capable of integrating findings and implementing decisions. The emphasis should not singularly focus upon the technology, but should represent upon the overall methodology.Jan. 16 Agenda8:15 a.m. - Registration, continental breakfast and welcome by Mark Watne, president of N.D. Farmers Union.9:00 a.m. - Keynote address on "Digital Agronomy, Data Analytics and the Future of Precision Agriculture" by Dr. Raj Khosla, professor of Precision Agriculture at Colorado Sate University.10:00 a.m. - "The Value of Digital Data Management & Analytics" by Nate Schlief, Farmers Edge.10:30 a.m. - "The Profitability of Precision Ag in Times of Increased Financial Vulnerability" with Terry Griffin, Dept. of Ag Economics at Kansas State University.11:00 a.m. - "Cost Saving Using Precision Ag Technologies" by David Schimmelpfennig, USDA Economic Research Services.11:30 a.m. - Lunch11:45 a.m. - Lunch speaker: "The Role of the Equipment Dealer in Precision Ag" by Remi Schmaltz, CEO at Decisive Farming.At 12:30 the group will transition to Quality Inn for concurrent breakout sessions. There will three tracks offered during each breakout session: a) Water Track; b) Data, Drone & Imagery Track; and c) Equipment Track.1 p.m. - Breakout #11)-Variable Rate Irrigation with Susan O'Shaughnessy, ag engineer at the ARS Soil and Water Management Research and Shawn Kasprick, Simplot2)-Know your Airspace - Rules for Drone Operators & UAS Updates, with Trevor Woods, Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site and John Nowatzki, NDSU Extension machine systems specialist.3)-Variable Rate 101 featuring Preston Sundeen, Dakota Precision Ag Center and Paul Backstrom, Precision Ag Results2 p.m. - Breakout #21)-Water Management Inputs and Returns with Kelly Sharpe, GK Technology.2)-Making Drones Work for You by Kris Poulson, VO of Agriculture at Sentera.3)-Using Existing Equipment for Multi-Variety Seeding by Gary Wagner, AWG Farms, Inc.3 p.m.  Breakout #31)-Tile Drainage to Manage Salinity & Soil Issues by Kelly Sharpe, GK Technology.2)-Value of Aerial Imagery, Data & Remote Sensing with David Roberts, NDSU and Nicholas Morrow, product manager at Agrain, Inc.3)-Variable Rate Irrigation Systems with Kylen Hunt, CropMetrics.4 p.m.  Breakout #41)-Quality of Tile Drainage Water with Tom Scherer, NDSU Dept. of Ag and Biosystems Engineering.2)-Farm Data Management with Nathan Faleide, My AgData and John Illich, AgriData, Inc.3)-Latest in Dealer Technology & Equipment with Joel Kaczynski, RDO Equipment Co.5 to 7 p.m. - Networking Social at Quality Inn.5:15 p.m. - "Cheers!" by Dave Smith, managing director, Silveus Financial.Jan. 17 Agenda7:45 a.m. - Registration and continental breakfast.8:10 a.m. - Welcome and Opening Remarks by Dr. Douglas Darling, president Lake Region State College.8:15 a.m. - "Strategies for Multi-hybrid Planting-Switching Varieties with Variable Rates" with Mark Jeschke, Ph.D., Pioneer Agronomy Research Manager and Dr. Joel Ransom, NDSU Extension agronomist.9:15 a.m. - "Farmers Who Know Precision Ag" with Gary Wagner, AWG Farms, Inc. and Kevin Poppel.10:00 a.m. - Networking break.10:30 a.m. - "Digital Evolution - the Last Generation" with Ryan Raguse, Myriad Mobile.11:15 a.m. - "Precision Scouting, Data Capture and Yield Analysis" with Evan Sieling, regional YieldPoint specialist at CHS and Jeremy Bittner, climate business manager at The Climate Corporation.12 noon - Lunch.1:00 p.m. - "Ag Tech & Issues Causing Farmers Concern"-(data ownership, privacy and more) with Terry Griffin and Nicholas Morrow.2:00 p.m. - "3 Things to Do Tomorrow" by Wade Bott, CPSS, state soil scientist with USDA (web soil survey).2:30 p.m. - "Precision Commodity Risk Management" by Satish Nandapurkar, founder & co-managing principal at Silverus Financial.3:15 p.m. - Closing with a drawing for an IPAD sponsored by ND Farmers Union.This event is open to the public and Aasheim strongly encourages agriculture producers, as well as others who are interested in hearing from experts, exchanging ideas and learning more about precision agriculture technology, methods and practices to attend the summit.In addition to the two main hosts, GK Technology, CHS Dakota Plains Ag, Simplot Smartfarm, NDSU Extension and Dakota Precision Ag Center helped organize this year's Precision Ag Summit.Registration numbers are limited to 300 and in 2014, they actually had to turn people away due to lack of space. For this reason, Aasheim encourages early registration on-line. Registration costs are $100 per person and on-line registration can be done at www.theresearchcorridor.com/precisionagsummit2017.For information on the summit, contact Ryan Aasheim at 701-499-6994 or by email at: ryan@theresearchcorridor.com.
LENNEP, MT  Ranchers Charlie and Kari Marks spent the day after Christmas trying to figure out how to feed their bulls. Even if the cattle could have been convinced to come out of the sheltered bottom pasture up onto the partially-cleared highway, their hay would have blown away before they could have eaten it.They were pretty sure it wasnt worth coming out to eat, Kari said.So instead of driving them out or letting them skip a meal, Charlie used the snowmobile to drag the hay into the brush.We babied them a little, Kari said.Its been frigid and windy in Meagher County for going on a week now, and the Markses have been feeding cows daily.Normally we let them pick at whats in the field, but its hard for them to want to do that when its so cold and drifty out there, Kari said. Were pampering them a little bit.Part of that is chopping holes in their ice a couple times daily, which doesnt exactly sound like spoiling, especially during the recent nights Kari said are super-duper windy.But they have good cover, she said, so shes not too worried about them.They go bury themselves in the cattails overnight, Kari said. Theyve got some nice beds in there.The wind was so bad in recent weeks, the church canceled its Christmas program  something no one can remember ever happening in its 100-year history, Kari said.Aside from looking after the cows, the Markses have had a crazy couple of weeks because of their other activities. Claire turned 8 Christmas Eve, which set off a frenzy of baking: an Olaf cupcake cake for school and an owl cake for her spa-themed birthday party at home. And both kids had school programs.The family spent Christmas Eve with Karis parents, retired ranchers Rick and Gayle Berg. Much of that celebration centers on the traditional Norwegian foods  lutefisk, lefse, kringer and meatballs  eaten by the Berg family, who settled the Lennep Valley in the late 1800s.They also open presents.Were the people on the ranch where you get up and do chores before you open presents, so we always open presents on Christmas Eve, Kari said.Christmas morning, the family woke up, did ranch chores and then drove to White Sulphur Springs to celebrate with Charlies family, opening Santas gifts, eating cinnamon rolls and drinking coffee.We usually go and spend the afternoon doing puzzles and games, but I was so exhausted from our other parties I could hardly stay up, Kari said.Although the ranch work has been fairly straight forward  chopping water holes and feeding cows, Kari said  she and Charlie have found their services needed elsewhere on the property: pulling out hunters that have gotten stuck and buried in snowdrifts. One grateful man brought them a ham as payment.Theyve also been using their tractor and Caterpillar bulldozer to plough roads  partly to help the hunters and partly because of their own predicament. Both the Markses and the Bergs, who live down the road, are temporarily down one good car, making travel perilous in the wintery conditions.Its amazing the extra confidence you have when you have a four wheel vehicle, Kari said.Still, she doesnt mind being marooned in her warm house with her family nearby.I personally like the feeling of Lets just not go anywhere, lets hunker down and take care of the basic necessities, she said. Thats ideally what I like to do.That could be because Kari grew up that way. Still, she probably wouldnt enjoy doing what her father remembers from his ranch childhood: forking hay off the side of a wagon when it was 40 below. He remembers double-loading the hay wagons Christmas Eve with the small bales they used at the time so they could do one single feeding in the morning and spend the day relaxing and visiting.Charlie, who was raised in town, isnt so crazy about feeling so cut off.I feel I could go back to Laura Ingalls Wilder times, Kari said, referring to the Little House on the Prairie author. Hes probably more realistic; Im more dreamy about living in rural Montana.
HELENA  Like a slow-moving train that everyone can see coming but has a lot of momentum, Montana is facing an impending economic calamity if something isnt done to address an expected critical shortfall of workers.

That forecast was part of a special presentation on workforce at the Montana Chamber of Commerces annual Business Days at the Capitol in Helena on Tuesday.

Among their assessments: Due to an aging population and faster-than-average economic growth rates, Montanas labor force is not expected to keep up with businesses demand for workers over the next 10 years. Montanas labor force is about 500,000 workers right now, but the state is expected to lose 120,000 baby boomers to retirement over the next decade.

There are only between 80,000 and 90,000 young people entering the workforce to fill those jobs in the same time period. Montana already has a low unemployment rate of about 4 percent, and strong economic growth that means businesses are constantly searching for new workers.

The benefits of a shortage of workers  mainly an increase in wages, where Montana ranks sixth in the nation over the last five years  are outweighed by the negative consequences. Ultimately, businesses that cant find enough skilled workers wont be able to expand and the economy as a whole will stall.

Already, state economists are expecting slower employment growth over the next 10 years in Montana because of the tight labor market.

I consider workforce development the single biggest economic development issue facing our state, said Steve Arveschoug, the executive director of the Big Sky Economic Development Authority.

According to surveys conducted by the Big Sky EDA, 62 percent of businesses in Yellowstone County say a lack of available workers already negatively affects business growth. He estimates that number is similar statewide.

When you cant hire people or find skilled workers, you cant increase production and you cant expand, he said. Thats a drag on our state economy and our local economies. In my mind, that should be at the top of the list of issues that are wrestled with in our legislative session.

Arveschoug was among a wide array of speakers who chatted Tuesday about everything from infrastructure to entrepreneurship to the current business climate.

Montana will have 32,500 more jobs that we need to fill in the next decade, Arveschoug said. A big chunk of that is because we are getting older, but growth is a small part of that. We are losing 24,000 workers to retirement and we will need to add 8,000 more because of growth.

Barb Wagner, the chief economist at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, said that Montana experienced record economic growth in 2015, and 2016 wasnt far behind. The low unemployment rate is also driving up wages.

Personal income growth since 2006 is the 10th-fastest in the nation, she said. Montana has had the sixth-fastest wage growth over the last five years. Wage growth grew by 3 percent last year and Montanas average annual wage is now $45,000.

Wagner said that, ideally, Montanas unemployment rate would stay at 4 percent for as long as possible.

Workers can have a pretty easy time finding jobs, but businesses can also find workers at that rate, she said.When we were at 3.2 percent going into the Great Recession, businesses struggled to find workers.

The problem, she said, is that Montanas labor force is not going to grow fast enough over the next 10 years to support that 4 percent unemployment rate.

We are expecting to see a 2 percent unemployment rate by 2025, she said. And that is mostly driven by demographics.

Montanas largest age group is between 55-59 right now, and the number of young people stepping up to fill their shoes is much smaller. The state does get a net in-migration of about 3,000 workers per year, and they tend to be college-educated.

But its not enough.

We are expecting slower employment growth in the next 10 years because of tight labor markets, she explained. We are projecting .9 percent employment growth from 2018 to 2025, and in Montana the long-term average has been 1 percent since 1976.

Wagner said one solution to increasing labor participation is to get people in certain demographics  women, veterans and the disabled  to enter the workforce. There are obvious constraints to that, she said, but advances in technology and work-from-home adaptions might help the situation. Women face obstacles because they are more often primary caregivers for children, and they have less incentive to enter the workforce because they are often paid less than men.

Each year on average over the last 10 years, the state has added about 4,500 workers to the labor force through increased participation and net in-migration, but the state added 8,000 workers in 2016. The construction industry had the fastest growth rate in the state last year at 2.7 percent, but its still going to take until 2024 for the construction industry to reach its pre-Recession peak.

The construction industry lost 30 percent of its jobs during the Recession, Wagner said. But it is adding 800 jobs per year now.

The health care industry is adding about 1,100 jobs a year, and the accommodations and food service industry is adding about 630 jobs per year. The total wages paid by the healthcare and education industries are the highest of any industries. There are predicted to be 445 openings for registered nurses every year in the state due to growth and retirements, and that job pays an average of $62,500 a year, for anyone thinking of a new career.

Matt Springer, the director of the RevUp Montana project, said that the state better get serious about addressing the problem.

The skills gap is anywhere between 24,000 and 100,000 people where we wont find people qualified to fit positions, he said. Im not sure the urgency is there that kind of mirrors the demand that is there.

He said that the state has to figure out a way to make college education cheaper, and private industries have to attract, train and pay workers better.

Arveschoug said there are several ways to remedy the problem, including increasing worker productivity through technology and reducing the time out of the labor force for retraining.
Reach Higher Montana is providing an access grant for 301 students to help address the insufficient funds in the STEM scholarship program created by the Montana Legislature.

The STEM scholarship program announced to 750 students in December that it didnt have the funds to award their spring 2017 scholarships, which would have been in the amount of $500 to $1,000 each. The emergency grant program will allocate $232,000 as a one-time payment.

Students who are eligible to receive grant money from the nonprofit will be notified by their financial aid office.

Kelly Cresswell, executive director of Reach Higher Montana, said she reached out to Montana University System schools and asked them to assess which of their students needed the scholarship funds most.

There may be some who arent coming back in the spring or had sufficient financial aid without it so they looked at the student records and let us know how many students know they needed funding, she said.

The STEM scholarship program was designed to take revenue from the Montana Lottery and direct it to a STEM scholarship account, that would be administered by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. In the first week of the legislative session, OCHE provided testimony saying it didnt receive enough revenue to pay for the scholarships that had been awarded.

The Montana Lotterys revenue stream is unpredictable, and the current law has OCHE award scholarships based on projected funds.

Before revenue from the Montana Lottery goes into the STEM account, a certain amount of money must be contributed to the general fund. Any additional revenue is then directed to STEM scholarships. But when the law was drafted, the cap for the general fund was set at the lotterys entire revenue for fiscal year 2015. The lottery didnt experience enough growth in the following year to fund the scholarship program.

Tyler Trevor, OCHE deputy commissioner for planning and analysis, said he hoped the Legislature would amend the program to suspend awarding scholarships until the account has several years with a secure revenue stream.

No legislation has been drafted thus far to amend the scholarship program.
HELENA  More than 2,000 people from across Montana are planning to meet in Helena Jan. 21 to march to the Capitol in solidarity with the Womens March on Washington D.C.

Organizers said the event, which begins at noon, originally aimed to gather 500 people, but a divisive election has people boarding buses and arranging carpools to attend the march. Women, men and their families are marching in an attempt to bring awareness to all marginalized populations, they said.

The event was sparked by an incoming presidential administration whose rhetoric has threatened women, immigrants, people with disabilities and Muslims, organizers said.

Deb ONeill, one of the organizers, said the event is not a protest, but aims to make the incoming administration aware that Americans will hold their government accountable for any human rights violations.

We need to work with this next administration. Its clear who our next president is and we need to move forward, she said. We want to make sure rights are protected and not taking advantage of the disenfranchised in any way.

The march falls on the day after the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Thousands of women are expected to march in Washington, D.C. the same day as the Helena event. The organizers of the national protest emphasized creating conversations regarding the plight of minorities and immigrant women.

As a result, some white women said they dont feel included in the national march. ONeill pointed out Montanas lack of diversity, but noted the statewide march also aims to bring attention to marginalized groups.

In Montana, there will be a particular focus on Native Americans. Native Americans and Alaska Natives make up the largest minority in the state with 6.6 percent of the total population, according to 2015 census data. Native American speakers will include tribal leaders and a representative from Standing Rock. The Montana Racial Equity Project will also speak at the event.

It started as a womens march but it has grown to so much more, she said. We want to make it clear that everyone is invited.

Montanas First Lady Lisa Bullock and representatives from organizations such as the ACLU, YWCA and Montana Human Rights Network are set to address the Helena attendees. The Montana Womens Chorus and Native American drummers will participate and perform.

People will line up at 11:30 a.m. on 8th Avenue between Roberts and Sanders streets and march to the Capitol steps at noon. Organizers suggest people park in the mall parking lot.
Concerns that not all of the unions will agree to ratify their labor agreements have caused rail shippers and other transportation industry stakeholders to push President Joe Biden to act.
DHANUSHA, Jan 12: The eighth memorial day of first martyr journalist of Janakpur Uma Singh was observed here on Wednesday.

On the occasion, the Federation of Nepali Journalists Dhanusa Chapter organised an illumination programme at the local Janaki temple in the evening. Media persons of Janakpur took part in the event, paying heartfelt tributes to late Singh.

The 25-year-old Singh, working for Radio Today, Janakpur, was murdered by an unidentified group at her rented quarters in Janakpur-14 in September, 2013. Three people involved in the murder have already been sentenced to life in prison. Some accomplices are still on the run. RSS
KATHMANDU, Jan 12: The Shree Swasthani Brata Katha, a popular ritual observed by the Hindus since Push Shuklapurnima (full moon day), is beginning from today. The festival ends a month after in Magh Shuklapurnima.

Nepalis, especially the Hindu women, observe the month-long festival worshiping four-handed deity Swasthani with Chakra, Trishul, Sword and Lotus in each hand at the centre while Astha Matrika or eight deities of power Mahakali, Baishnavi, Brahmi Maheshwori, Kaumeshwari, Barahi, Indraayani, and Chamunda painted around her and reciting Swasthani Brat Katha (story) everyday.

The month-long telling ritual is dedicated to the goddess and the stories that are mainly narrated are those of Swasthani Devi, God Shiva and other gods.

It is believed that goddess Swasthani helped goddess Sati overcome her troubles after she burnt herself at Dakhsya Prajapatis Yagya, after hearing her husband, lord Shiva, being insulted.

As per this legend goddess Swasthani helped Sati Devi overcome the troubles and then to reincarnate and win over Lord Shiva as her husband again.

During the Swasthani katha, Hindu married women observe Brata or fasting for the wellbeing of their husbands and unmarried women observe the Brata in order to get a good husband. Women wear red colored clothes and bangles during the one-month period as it is believed that red is a sign of good luck.

The rituals associated with the Swasthani Katha takes place on the bank of rivers in various Hindu shrines across the country.

In Kathmandu, the festival takes place at Shalinadi, a river associated with the Swasthani Brata Katha, situated in Sankhu. Devotees visit Salinadi bank near Sankhu, worship goddess Shree Swasthani, Navaraj Brahman, Goma Brahmani, Chandrawati by visiting different shrines.

Hindus also observed Maghesnan or Makarsnan (holy bath) from today itself. Meanwhile, all preparations for the month-long festival at Salinadi banks in Sankhu, Kathmandu have been completed. Some 2 million devotees are expected to come and visit Salnadi this year and preparations have been made accordingly, said Chair of the Madhav Narayan Swasthani Brata and Salinadi Reforms Committee Rajubhai Manandhar.RSS
Rex Tillerson, Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of state, has set the stage for a potential clash with China, saying it should be barred from artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea

Tillerson said Chinas control and construction of artificial islands in waters claimed by neighbouring countries was akin to Russias taking of Crimea.

Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed, Tillerson said during his confirmation hearing to become Americas top diplomat. They are taking territory or control or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas.

Analysis 'A storm is gathering on the horizon': Chinese scholars fret about Trump Experts agree the chances of a bitter and messy rupture between China and the US have increased following Trumps tweets lashing out at Beijing Read more

[Chinese president] Xi Jinping will not be seen as weak and soft in the face of pressure from the United States, so I really do worry about an early crisis with China , said Bonnie Glaser senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China is not going to allow the United States to deny it access to what it sees as its own territory.

Nevertheless, in its first response to Tillersons comments, Chinas foreign ministry stressed the importance of mutual respect and cooperation with the US. China-US relations are based on non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, spokesman Lu Kang Lu said at a daily briefing.

The situation has cooled down [in the South China Sea], and we hope non-regional countries can respect this consensus that is in the fundamental interest of the whole world, Lu said.

His comments presented Chinas control over the area as a forgone conclusion, and indeed it would be difficult for the US to change the facts on the ground without a military confrontation. Experts say China is waiting until Trump assumes the presidency and begins shaping policy before reacting too forcefully.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rex Tillerson at the confirmation hearing for secretary of state. Photograph: Patsy Lynch/REX/Shutterstock

China has been restrained in the face of all the tweets and rhetoric because they hope they can put the US-China relationship on an even keel, Glaser said. The Chinese have not given up on that, but at some point Xi Jinping may have to because being seen as weak would damage his ability to consolidate power.

Advertisement

This year is crucial for Xi as his first term winds down. A critical Communist party meeting at the end of the year will involve a cabinet shuffle and will likely determine who succeeds Xi, with leaders locked in a power struggle to appoint their allies.

While Tillerson did not elaborate on how the US would bar China from islands in the South China Sea, experts agreed it would have to involve some form of military deployment.

Blocking Chinas access, presumably with US warships, would precipitate a crisis, a military clash, said Ashley Townshend, a fellow at the University of Sydneys United States studies centre.

It is also illegal under the same rules the US is conducting all of its current policy in the South China Sea.

Under Barack Obama, the US maintained a neutral stance on sovereignty claims, not recognising any ownership and often sailing warships through the South China Sea in what it called freedom of navigation exercises.

Tillerson, like Trump, is shaping up to taking a much more hawkish stance with China on the South China Sea and indeed more broadly, Townshend added.

But a more assertive stance on what China sees as its territorial integrity is likely to cause more tension, with Xi saying in a speech last year : No foreign country should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit of damage to our sovereignty, security and development interests.

Tillerson also slammed China for failing to reign in North Koreas nuclear program, describing China as having complete control over what sustains the government of North Korea.

We cannot continue to accept empty promises, like the ones China has made made to pressure North Korea to reform only to shy away from enforcement, Tillerson said. Looking the other way when trust is broken only encourages more bad behavior. It must end.

The boisterous language on both the South China Sea and North Korea is unlikely to force China to act, and may even hamper efforts of Trumps administration to encourage cooperation in other areas.

I cant think of a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue that doesnt involve China and the US working together, Townshend said. But publicly calling out China is not the best strategy if you are trying to induce them to cooperate.
I was born in 1956 in Madison, Tennessee, while my parents were attending Madison College. I grew up along the Front Range in Colorado, attending schools in Longmont, Brighton, Boulder and Loveland, Colorado. Two years after graduating from Campion Academy, I married my sweetheart, Regina. We lived in Loveland, Colorado for six years before moving to Mena in western Arkansas.





I love the people of Mena and the friendly easy going way of life here. I have owned and operated my own business since moving to Mena. I enjoy the natural beauty of western Arkansas and being out of doors.




Dawn - December 24, 2016

On the campus of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) a Pakistanas premier public university a stands a large, ornate palace with manicured lawns and parked SUVs, protected by menacing guards and dogs. The owner could well have been some Arab sheikh from Dubai but, in fact, this is the newly constructed residence of a former chairman of the Pakistan Senate and a member of the Pakistan Peopleas Party. It stands among other palatial houses now sprouting over dozens of acres of captured university land.

As I stood outside the palace, with the Margalla Hills in the backdrop, a thought left me saddened. In Western countries a which most Pakistanis trash as morally degenerate a the rich and influential want posterity to remember them through their donations of money and land to universities. But in our country wealthy people a even well-educated ones a steal from educational institutions and simply want to become wealthier still.

An early attempt to grab QAUas land dates to 1996. This is when prime minister Benazir Bhutto had sought to reward her cronies in parliament by offering them plots on this universityas campus. To be bought at a fraction of the then market price, the landas value was expected to multiply at least 10 times over just a few years. To short circuit potential resistance from QAU teachers and employees, they were offered smaller plots a also vastly underpriced. This once in a lifetime deal caused the campus to explode with joy.

Should public universities now buy their own AK-47s, rocket launchers and armoured vehicles?

Parliamentarians from the ruling party rushed to pay their first instalments and solemnise the transaction. As mountains of cash beckoned, consciences flew out of the window. Also queuing up were parliamentarians from opposition parties, eager for their cut of the pie. So lucrative was the deal that some spoke of switching party loyalties. Alarmed, the PML-N chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, forbade his partyas members to participate in the land grab. His admonition fell upon deaf ears.

As it turned out, that deal collapsed. Determined opposition by two QAU teachers led to a prolonged, bitter struggle that was played out over 18 months in the public arena between 1996 and 1997. Public interest litigation with pro bono help from the eminent lawyer, Abid Hasan Minto, ultimately succeeded. The court ruled that QAUas land was a public trust meant solely for future generations of Pakistanis, not convertible to private property. This victory, and the fortuitous dismissal of Bhuttoas government by president Farooq Leghari, put an end to the land grab. Or so it seemed.

But the land grabbers were to return 10 years later a this time surreptitiously. Few on campus were aware of the palaceas construction or that of others around it. The universityas subsequent vice chancellors and registrars had been persuaded a by what means one still does not know a to make no more than a token protest. And so, stealthily but speedily, ground realities changed. Surely, the Israelis are not the only people smart enough to know the value of rapidly constructing settlements on captured lands.

This brings us to today, 2016. A fresh new university administration has discovered to its amazement that it has inherited a campus with large chunks of land eaten away, expanding encroachments, as well as an illegal road under construction to speed up the theft. A pre-existing road that runs through the university now bears a changed signboard reading aBukhari Roada, brazenly identifying the road with the palace owner.

What does the Capital Development Authority a the mighty maker and sometimes muscular enforcer of Islamabadas zoning laws a have to say to all this? Or the interior minister? The short answer is: not much. Official requests from QAU over the years to verify existing maps and create visible demarcations have been deflected or stonewalled.

Tellingly, so far the CDA has acted on only one matter. For mysterious reasons it stopped construction of QAUas boundary wall, the erection of which became a legal necessity after the terrorist attack on the Peshawar Army Public School in 2014. Minus this wall, encroachers can continue tampering local land records through easily bribed patwaris. One compares the CDAas sluggishness on QAU against the alacrity with which it recently tore down the illegal mud and brick houses of Pathan Colonyas impoverished dwellers.

QAU is not the only public university that has lost land to qabza groups and land mafias. Punjab University, Karachi University, and many others have been robbed to different degrees. Still, Islamabad is very special. The price of land here competes with that in the pricey parts of London and New York. But even by Islamabadas standards, QAUas land a all 1,702 acres of it a is exceptionally valuable because, as the crow flies, the university is barely two miles away from the cityas centre and heart of Pakistanas government. Coveted by countless many, this public universityas valuable land has few defenders.

Some highly placed civic officials, while wringing their hands in helplessness, have privately suggested that QAU should create a robust defence force in place of its lightly armed guards. So should public universities, including QAU, buy and learn to operate their own AK-47s, rocket launchers and armoured vehicles? If so, we shall then be walking down Somaliaas path into anarchy and lawlessness.

Consider this delicious irony: Third Avenue, which passes by the Diplomatic Enclave and the Chinese embassy, feeds directly into QAU. Running barely a mile or so behind the buildings of parliament, Supreme Court, and the prime ministeras house, it is a far cry from the 1,500-mile long CPEC corridor protected by 10,000 soldiers. But if rule of law is flagrantly violated under the noses of our leaders, what hope is there for Balochistan?

Pakistanas leaders must soberly consider the consequences of losing control over the nationas public lands and its public assets. QAU may be just the tip of the iceberg, but it is an acid test of governance. It is time to demonstrate steely resolve and disprove the notion that Pakistan is a failed state. Mian Nawaz Sharif had opposed the land grab in 1996. His government must now protect the public interest by protecting the land of Pakistanas premier state university.

The writer teaches physics in Lahore and Islamabad.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
You have permission to edit this collection.

Edit Close
Answers Africa is one of a kind platform created for Africans both locally and in the diaspora and those seeking for more in-depth information about Africa. We have always focused on creating the highest quality informational contents right from the beginning. We share the most relevant information on the latest and trending news, events, people, and places in Africa.

We produce contents across various categories including Politics, People, Love and Romance, Nature, Entertainment, Technology and pretty much everything else that Africans may find relevant.

We aim to answer the most relevant questions about Africa in areas of entertainment, famous people, emerging technologies while we also engage with various distribution capabilities to connect with Africans in need of information who rely on our website to keep in touch with the world that is changing so fast.

These are some of the articles you may be interested in reading:

10 Famous TV Personalities Born In Ethiopia Ethiopia is a country best known for its fast athletes like Dibaba and Bekele, breathtaking models like Liya Kebede and of course Haile Selassie but there are also famous TV personalities who are doing a great job in entertainment and pushing the country to civilization. The following is a list of ten most famous TV ...

Top 10 African Authors of All Time The pace of present African literature is moving at a high-speed; more defiant in both style and tone than those of the great independence writers generation. Here, the subjects of taboo are widely explored. The emerging African authors of this generation are not afraid to go further afield for the literary fodder. Meanwhile, since the birth ...

Maina Kageni Biography  Daughter, Salary and Gay Rumors Maina Kageni is one of those Kenyans who has remained as interesting as ever in the eyes of the public. A strong Red devil fan and lover of football, the man is currently a Breakfast Show presenter with Mwalimu Kingangi on Nairobis Classic 105 Radio Station. Many questions have always emerged on the man in serious ...

Kalekye Mumo  Biography, Boyfriend and Salary Kalekye Mumo has been described as someone who is as vibrant as she is beautiful, a Kenyan radio queen, TV host and media personality, movie actress, Musician, businesswoman, and fashionista but what else is there to know about this Kenyan icon, Kalekye Mumo and her co-host Shaffie Weru have been among the most listened to radio presenters ...

Julie Gichuru Bio  Age, Husband & Children In Africa, women have a long history of bringing under control obstacles to keep their heads above the water. So, it comes as no surprise whenever African women are recognized and decorated across the continent and globe for performing brilliantly well in their various fields of endeavor. In Kenya for instance, a list of national ...

Jeff Koinange Biography  All About His Age, Wife  Shaila Koinange & Family Jeff Koinange is a well-known Kenyan journalist. He currently hosts Jeff Koinange Live on KTN. Koinange has served as a journalist in the United States and has also worked for a few U.S. broadcasters. He was born in Kenya but attended college in the United States, which may explain his accent. There are several interesting ...

Caroline Mutoko Biography  Age, Daughter & House Caroline Mutoko is a Kenyan radio presenter, famously known for hosting a morning breakfast show on Kiss 100 FM. The station is based in Nairobi and ranks among the highly-rated radio stations in Kenya with online streaming services as well. Learn more about the Kenyan-born journalist. Caroline Mutokos Age and Bio Born on January 4, 1973, Caroline is ...

The Most Stunning News Presenter In Kenya Discloses Her Real Age  You Would Not Believe It In modern African societies, it is often regarded as impolite or outright lack of disrespect to ask a woman of her age. We also have seen celebrities lie about how old they are when asked their age. People, mostly women have refused to let people know their real age, despite being public figures. The few ...

Demystifying Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Biography, Husband & Education Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, non-fiction writer, short story writer and actress. As a seasoned Nigerian writer, she has been called the most prominent of a procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors that is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature. She has been making Nigeria proud in the global scene ...

Wole Soyinka  Biography, Wife, Children, Family, Quick Facts Professor Wole Soyinka, a great and brilliant Nigerian writer and political activist, who was the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The name, Wole Soyinka, is a household name both in Africa and beyond especially in the field of literature. With over 50 pieces of work, his writing includes poems, novels, memoirs ...

5 Most Vulgar Kenyan Radio Presenters It appears being vulgar is the real deal nowadays especially for the fact that the world is becoming more exposed and civilized. Sadly, but true, young people are constantly being exposed to images, discussions, and content that most people would deem detrimental to the African culture and moral statutes. This is because most of us ...

6 Sexiest News Anchors In Kenya Some news anchors have been stealing eyes every time they appear on-screen. Most of us hardly concentrate on the programme they present as our entire focus is usually on their striking physique and beautiful faces. It is common knowledge that Kenyan women are amazingly beautiful. From the celebrities to the everyday woman, they are all in ...

Interesting Oprah Winfrey Quotes To Keep You Motivated Oprah Winfrey is one of the worlds most powerful women in the media and business sectors. Her life is the typical success story that motivates and lifts ones morale. One amazing thing about this media mogul is her sincerity about past hurts, mistakes, healing, and success. The renowned talk show host and media personality is the first ...

Chinua Albert Achebe Biography- Family, Net Worth & Death Chinua Albert Achebe, of blessed memory, was a Nigerian prolific author best known for his inventive style of writing and simplicity of expressions. Famed as one of the finest writers Nigeria has ever produced, Achebe lived and died an international hero and a literary giant, who left behind unforgettable legacies and footprints in the sands of ...

Steve Harvey  His Wife, Kids & Height Steve Harvey is an American comedian, actor, radio and TV show host, producer and an author of different relationship advice books. Steve Harveys Early Life Born in Welch, West Virginia, on January 17, 1957, as Broderick Stephen Harvey, Steve was the last of five children. His family relocated to Cleveland when he was young and there, he attended Glenville High School from ...

Intriguing Things You Should Know About Danny Kokers Rise to Fame and Who His Wife Is Danny Koker is popular as the star of the History Channel reality TV series, Counting Cars. Prior to him appearing on the show, the TV personality was a musician who had embarked on a number of national tours with his rock group, Counts 77. He and his group have released quite a number of songs ...

Fun Facts You Didnt Know About Andy Cohens Rise to Prominence and His Partner Andy Cohen is one of Americas top media personalities who gained prominence after helping to bring the Bravo network back to life. He also hosted a couple of shows on the network, including the popular nightly series Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. After rising to the position of head of production and development at ...

Tracing Isha Sesays Career Until CNN, Her Worth And Why She Divorce Her Husband As far as journalists of African origin go, Isha Sesay is one of the most famous on the continent  and by extension, the world. The Sierra Leonean and British journalist has had a successful career since she joined the industry in 1998. In that time, she has worked for a host of major media ...

Open Secrets of How Joanna Gaines Balances Her Career With Being a Wife and Mother Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia Homes, a business she runs with one goal: converting houses to homes. She doubles as the lead designer of the company which she co-owns with her husband, Chip Gaines. Lady Gaines gained massive popularity when she became a co-star with her husband on the HGTVs show, Fixer Upper. ...

Juicy Details of Ayesha Currys Love Story With Stephen, Her Family Members and Recent Pursuits When your husband is one of the greatest basketballers that the NBA has ever seen, then it bestows on you the status of a celebrity wife  and may not even demand that you do anything extra to maintain that status. However, Ayesha Curry, the wife of multiple NBA champion, Steph Curry, is not one ...

What Is Tarek el Moussas Ethnicity, Why Did He Divorce His Wife and Who Is He Dating? Tarek El Moussa has made himself one of the most recognizable men on reality television, especially to fans of HGTV. Thanks to his expertise in the world of real estate, Tarek has become a national star. But even to his hardcore followers, there are questions about Tarek El Moussa that remain unanswered, such as his ...

Fun Facts About Natalie Beckers Lonely Childhood and Eventual Career Success Natalie Becker is an actress of South African descent who became famous for her appearance in films like The World Unseen and The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. A multitalented individual, Natalie is also a television/radio presenter. She is also a co-founder of the Thought Leader Global Media which she runs together with ...

Top 3 Female CNN News Anchors You Didnt Know Were Africans CNN is one of the leading news agencies in the world. The satellite and cable news network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and has been one of the best sources of news for a number of years. It also boasts of the best journalists and presenters all around in media broadcasting. The company is a ...

Channels That Aided Katie Pavlichs Growth as a Journalist and All About Her Marriage To Friedson If you have ever come across any Fast and Furious featuring Barack Obama, it is the handiwork of Katie Pavlich. The book which claims to have exposed Obamas bloodiest scandal and the shameless cover-up thereof, has been earning Pavlich much praise and fame ever since it was published in 2012. Nonetheless, Pavlich is more famed ...

Is Oprah Winfrey Married? Husband, Children, Biography, House, Facts Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire philanthropist, talk show icon, producer, actress, and writer. The media icon famously dubbed The Queen Of All Media owns and hosts the highest-rated television program in the media circle. Read more about the powerful television star below. Oprah Winfrey Biography Oprah was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954, to a ...

Who Is Arsenio Hall, What Happened To His Talk Show and Why Do Fans Think He Is Gay? He is one of the funniest beings to have graced the comedy constituent of the American entertainment industry. Arsenio Hall has a reputation for the rib-cracking disposition always portrayed in his comedy roles. He is not just a comedian; he is also an actor and a former talk show host for his popular show, The ...

What Is Woah Vicky Famous For and Who Are Her Family Members? Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Woah Vicky is one of those stars that have utilized the internet as a powerful tool to propel themselves to instant fame. The social media space, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc., offers lots of people the right opportunities and potentials to become superstars overnight. Not everyone achieves ...

Where Is Michael Strahan Since His Retirement From The NFL and Who Is His Partner? Michael Strahan is a retired American football player turned media personality. He played the defensive lineman position and holds the record for most sacks in a single NFL season. He also only played for the New York Giants throughout the entire 15-year professional career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring. In February 2014, ...

How Wendy Williams Went From Being a College DJ to Having Her Own Talk Show and More About Her Divorce Wendy Williams is a former radio personality, now talk show host, who is known for her outspokenness and brash no-nonsense attitude. She gained fame and notoriety for her on-air clashes with celebrities before moving on to host her own talk show. Since 2008, Williams has hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. ...

Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

Is Jordan Schlansky Just A Character or a Real Life Person and What Does He Do? The world of late-night television is an interesting one. Shows during that time are geared towards giving viewers comedic relief from a long day at work through interviews and comedy sketches. The often charismatic host of this show requires the balancing talent of a producer whose primary job is to deliver great episodes. It is ...

Heres How Wealthy Jimmy Kimmel Is From All The Phases of His Career, Marriages and Sons Health Jimmy Kimmel is a renowned late-night talk show host known for his charm, wit, and the A-list guests he features on his show. As the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC, Jimmy has been serving comedy to television viewers for years which played a pivotal role in launching him into mainstream fame and enabled ...

Natasha Bertrand Biography  Is She Married? Who Is the Husband & What Is Her Age? Natasha Bertrand is not just a young prominent journalist but a first-rate investigative reporter. With her natural beauty and smile, Natashas sharp, insightful political commentary also makes her a thorough reporter. Her sound political perspective and coverage in the country have made her a force to be reckoned with in the profession. Renowned for her ...

What Happened to Shane Kilcher? His Injury Update, Net Worth and More Shane Kilcher is well-known thanks to the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. It is a show that documents the daily lives of the extended Kilcher family, people who live without plumbing or modern heating. The episodes follow their routines as they rely on hunting and farming for their nutritional needs as well as ...

Is Stephanie Gosk Gay or Lesbian, Who is the Wife or Partner  Jenna Wolfe? In August 2013, NBCs Today viewers were greeted with two shocking news. Today weekend anchor, Jenna Wolfe, announced that she was as a lesbian, introducing her partner as NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, and said the two are expecting their first child. A long time has passed since then and certainly, a lot of things ...

Nikki Mudarris  Bio and Net Worth: 5 Interesting Facts You Need to Know Nikki Mudarris, also known as Miss Nikki Baby, is a reality television star, model and fashionista. Shes best known for VH1s reality TV series Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood. Her entrepreneurial skills enable her to create and run a successful lingerie line Nude by Nikki. Not only that, but Nikki has also successfully run the Las ...

5 Interesting Things You Need To Know About Kelly Nash Ever heard of the lady who gained national prominence for taking a selfie with a dangerous ball just a few inches away from hitting her? Its no other person than Kelly Nash, an American sports broadcaster currently working as host of The Rundown show which airs on MLB Network every weekday at 2 pm ET. ...

Understanding The Height of Fame John Oliver Achieved With The Daily Show and How He Met His Wife Without knowledge of who he is and his exemplary career, John Oliver cuts an unassuming figure of a regular man but he is one of the most influential personalities in America, especially on television. Since he began his career in 1998, he has been a loud and unapologetic agent of change, using his wit and ...

Why Did Big Chief Leave Street Outlaws, Where Is He Now And Why Did He Divorce His Wife? Justin Shearer, otherwise known by his professional name Big Chief is a famous street racer and television personality. He is famously known for being one of the main characters on the racing reality television series, Street Outlaws. Justin, who had been a significant part of the show since its premiere in 2013, appeared in a ...

Who is Josina Anderson of ESPN? Her Husband and Family Facts There has been a gradual paradigm shift in the world of sports which has today produced the likes of Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and other female athletes that are pulling great feats in different sporting fields. Their achievements have also been followed by the emergence of female sports journalists such as Jillian Mele, Eboni Williams, ...

Is Brittany Wagner Married, Who Is The Husband, How Old Is She? Brittany Wagner has been an inspiration to a lot of sports youngster. She has won the hearts of many athletic students with her role as a life coach and an academic counselor. She is well groomed in her career and has worked over a decade for The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and The National ...

Tati Westbrook Bio  Age, Husband & Net Worth With five videos dished out every week, alongside running her own brand, beauty guru, and YouTube superstar Tati Westbrook has proved to the world that theres utterly no impossibility or limit to whatever one is passionate about. Tati is best known for being the owner and manager of the worlds most-viewed beauty and lifestyle YouTube channel, ...

Cathy Areus Long Road to Becoming a Freelance Journalist and What to Know About Her Kids An American freelance journalist, news analyst, and author, Cathy Areu has built a lasting reputation for herself on cable television. Popular for her skillful and sassy presentation of professional views on varying topics including cultural and feminist issues, Cathy is an inspiration to many women across the globe. In addition to being a journalist, she ...

Tucker Carlsons Love Story With Wife Susan Andrews, their Children and Net Worth Today On the TV screens, Tucker Carlson is that fiery fellow who passionately dishes out his conservative and often controversial views on issues of national importance. Such brazenness has fetched him many enemies, especially on the left-wing, but it has also helped him cement a reputation as one of the foremost broadcast journalists in America. His ...

Paige Wyatts Net Worth, Boyfriend and Where She Is Now Paige Wyatt became popular after the Wyatt family began running the reality television show, American Guns. The Wyatt family comprises Rich Wyatt (father), Renee Wyatt (mother), Paige and Kurt Wyatt (children). Rich Wyatt originally ran a gun shop, the Gunsmoke Guns in Wheat Ridge, Colorado which is outside of Denver. The business which he ran together ...

The Progression of Howard Sterns Career As A Media Personality And Why He Divorced His First Wife Howard Stern is a legendary American radio host, who has also done some notable work as an actor, producer, author, as well as photographer. The radio personality achieved worldwide fame as a result of his self-titled radio program, The Howard Stern Show. As a professional radio personality, he has worked in different radio stations. Since 2006, ...

Lisa Joyners Biography  Ethnicity, Net Worth and Other Key Facts Lisa Joyner is an American Journalist, TV talk show host, and actress. Some of her well-known works are her correspondences for the Los Angeles based TV KCBS, inFANity show, Find My Family Show including her film and television appearances in Brimstone, American Sweetheart, The Bold and The Beautiful among others. Lisas passion for reconnecting people with their biological families ...

Amanda Balionis Rise Through the Ranks of Sportscasting and the Identity of Her Boyfriend Amanda Balionis is an American sportscaster currently working as a golf broadcaster for CBS Sports. Among so many of her works in the field of sports reporting, Amandas PGA Tour coverage seems to be the most popular so far. She covered the Super Bowl working with CBS Sports social media team in Atlanta, where she ...

Dissecting Charles Paynes Sexual Allegations, Its After Effects and More About His Wife Charles Payne had a respectable career as an analyst on Wall Street before he made the transition to television and became a contributor and later a host on Fox. In that time, his expertise has come under scrutiny, and he has been at the center of at least one major controversy. The major controversy in question ...

Erik Asla And Tryra Banks Split: Everything You Need To Know Tyra Banks and Erik Asla have called it quits! The couple, who began dating in 2013 and have a son named York Banks Asla, has decided to end what everybody taught was the perfect relationship. Neither person has come out to give a reason for the breakup, but what is obvious right now is that ...

What to Note About Dr Terry Dubrows Qualifications, TV Works and Marriage to Heather Kent In the realm of people that we expect to see regularly on our screens, medical doctors are closer to the bottom of the list. Aside from the fact that their work has little correlation with TV, they are presumably too busy to pursue life as TV personalities. Yet, a few of them have usurped this ...

Jessica Goch  Bio: 5 Things You Didnt Know About Ninjas Wife Jessica Goch is the Schofield-born American Social Media Influencer who has worked as a model but is now better known as a host and interviewer of prominent Electronic sports celebrities at popular gaming events/tournaments. The screen queen also serves as the manager of her famous husband Ninja aka Tyler Blevins whose exploits on Twitch and Fortnite has ...

CNNs Chris Cuomo Biography  Wife, Family & Net worth Chris Cuomo needs no elaborate introduction as he has starred graced many prominent Television cable networks and his voice has been heard through acknowledged radio shows. He is a television journalist and Lawyer who has previously worked for ABC News as Chief law and justice correspondent as well as a co-anchor on 20/20. If you still ...

Neil deGrasse Tyson  Family, Religion & Net Worth Neil deGrasse Tyson is a distinguished American astrophysicist and author who has been able to achieve so much after falling in love with astronomy at the age of 9. He has since attended and become an alumnus of prestigious universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, and also recorded numerous achievements in his field of ...

Is Simon Cowell Gay? Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend and Why is He Famous? Simon Cowell is a well-known talent show judge, TV producer, entrepreneur and one of the most popular TV personalities that Britain has ever produced. In conjunction with his company, Syco, Cowell is the brain behind hugely successful talent hunt shows such as The X-Factor UK, The X-Factor US, Britains Got Talent, Americas Got Talent and ...

Everything To Know About Joanna Gaines Life With Chip Gaines, Their Business Pursuits and Kids Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip Gaines became celebrities after their television show Fixer Upper began airing back in 2013. The show which was about home renovation and decoration ran for about 6 seasons with a total of 79 episodes before the couple bade farewell to it in April 2018. Apart from their appearances on ...

Who Is Larry The Cable Guy? What To Know About His Wife And Net Worth Larry the Cable Guy is a self-professed country kid renowned for his trademark Southern accent and sensational catchphrase Git-R-Done! The famous comedian who talks about anything under the sun has gone on to become one of the most memorable characters in comedy history. Join us in unearthing lesser-known facts about the former on-air-personality, standup comedy superstar, movie ...

Who Is Patrick Starr, What Is His Net Worth and Gender? The make-up industry over the years has grown to become a billion dollar industry not just because there are probably more women wearing make-up but because a whole lot of men, especially the young ones, have become bold enough to wear it unlike before. A few of these men, like Patrick Starr, have even gone ...

How Did Chris Jansing Become a Senior Correspondent at MSNBC and Who Is Her Husband? An award-winning American television news reporter and journalist, Chris Jansing has succeeded in carving a spectacular niche for herself in the field of TV journalism. Outstanding for not just her excellence in journalism, Chris is also cherished for her incredibly gorgeous looks post 60! For close to four decades, Jansing has continued to soar in her ...

Jaclyn Glenn Biography  Age, Height & Ex-Boyfriend American Youtuber, Jaclyn Glenn, rose to prominence through her self-titled YouTube channel Jaclyn Glenn. She has remained an acclaimed atheist and continues to air her views on hot issues from politics, religion, animal rights, to atheism. During the heated 2016 US Presidential elections, Glenn featured in Hump Trump: Official Donald Trump Song. Her parallel acting career ...

Is Pat Sajak Married to a Wife or is He Gay With a Partner? Pat Sajak is one of the most popular TV game show hosts in America. He commenced his career as a radio disk jockey as well as a TV weatherman before being tapped to host Wheel of Fortune, the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States. Sajak has hosted the popular game show from 1983 ...

Nayyera Haqs Bio  What To Know About Her Husband, Parents And Family Nayyera Haq can take anyone on political debates as well as discussions on social issues affecting many. Her ability to masterfully deliver her stance on every issue or political debate has made her a regular face in morning and evening news media platforms. This is not a common feat especially for someone from her kind ...

Inside Guy Fieris Family With Wife, Kids and Sister Who Died of Cancer Over the years we have seen men dominate the kitchen and churn out amazing delicacies from it. Some do it way better than their female counterparts and one of such men is Guy Ramsay Fieri  an American TV host, celebrity chef, restaurant owner, bestselling author of four culinary books, and game show host. His ...

Meet Phil Mudd of CNN  The Former CIA and FBI Exec, Is He Married, Who Is The Wife? When it comes to discussing issues surrounding terrorism, American Counterterrorism and National Security Expert, Phil Mudd, occupies a globally significant position. He has voiced his interest in the fight against terrorism and insecurity on many popular media platforms, both print and broadcast, such as CNN, BBC, CBS, MSNBC, al-Jazeera, ABC, NBC, Fox, The New York Times, ...

Jim Hoffer: Biography, Wife  Mika Brzezinski, Children and Net Worth Jim Hoffer is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works as an investigative reporter for Eyewitness News, New York City. In his over two decades of investigative journalism, Hoffer has been at the front lines of several crucial stories from the 9/11 attack to the crash of American Flight 587 to the 2003 Blackout. On top of ...

The Ups and Downs of Erin Mcpikes Journalism Career and Other Facts About Her Personal Life Erin McPike is a journalist working for the Independent Journal Review (IJR) as a White House Correspondent but she gained widespread recognition for her coverage of general news. Whether its breaking news or some mainstream story, McPike has a reputation of baring the facts. As a journalist, her work as a White House Correspondent for Independent ...

Bert Kreischer Is Married To LeeAnn Kreischer With 2 Kids  Meet His Family Those familiar with Bert Kreischer mainly have the image of a large-bellied party man whose college life inspired the National Lampoon film, Van Wilder. It is an image that one would not naturally associate with a wholesome family. The standup comedian still maintains his wild party animal image on stage. But, back at home, he is ...

How Brendan Greene Became a Game Designer to Look Out For and Facts About His Failed Marriage The name Brendan Greene may not easily ring a bell in the larger society but for gaming enthusiasts, he is considered a god and this is because of his invention of the video game, Player Unknowns Battlegrounds, also called PUBG. Based on the popular last-man-standing/battle royale concept, Greenes creation has taken the gaming world by ...

WFAAs Sonia Azad Bio  Does The Reporter Have A Husband Or Boyfriend? Emmy Award-winning journalist and Health & Wellness reporter Sonia Azad is on the news segment News 8 Daybreak for the television station WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, a channel which she joined in October of 2015. Besides her time on the news, Azad is also a marathon runner and a certified yoga instructor. She has covered major news ...

This Is Everything You Should Know About Caroline Heldman, Her Career Portfolio and Other Facts Love it or hate it, there is no escaping the fact that feminism has come to stay in our world. The movement has continued to garner momentum over the years and this is due to the sustained push by several women, and even men, including the likes of Caroline Heldman. A Professor of Politics at ...

Understanding The Enigma That Is Gavin McInnes, The Controversies He Has Stirred and All About His Wife Gavin McInnes is a polemical English-born writer and TV personality, who is best known for his racist and fascist ideologies, as well as his co-ownership of Vice Media and Vice Magazine. He is also an actor a
Emiliano Rocha Minter, a 26-year-old budding filmmaker from Mexico, emerged with his feature debut at International Film Festival Rotterdam early in 2016, finished only a couple of days before landing in Netherlands.

It wasn't his first visit to Rotterdam, though. Minter introduced his short film on the turf that prides itself on helping and promoting young talents with vision and style. Four years ago, the director presented Dento in Rotterdams dark rooms, a macabresque apotheosis of one's right for "exitus". The prospects of a feature-length endeavour from the filmmaker enticed curiosity even without endorsements from Carlos Reygadas and Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu; however, that never hurts.

The initial shot of Minter's first feature-length film We Are the Flesh (Tenemos la Carne) opens in the dark, derelict interior of a seemingly vast warehouse, where an unnamed character proceeds to engage in a ritual of low-fi alchemy, conjuring up a vial of miracle juice whose ingredients its foul taste and smell. Rotten eggs come into the mix at some point. The man's solitude is soon disrupted by an unexpected visit.

A pair of siblings came crashing into the lost kingdom of the shabby industrial complex, a messy ivory tower of sorts. Possibly orphans, having nowhere to go and nothing to eat, the man who goes by the name Marianno lets the siblings into his company under several conditions. The encounter eventually leads to a master and apprentice scenario, although very soon the thick crust of paranoia has been cut through by transgressive acts.

The girl, a carnal type harbouring an uninhibited spirit, strikes a chord with Mariano right off the bat, regardless of the fact that he resembles a Mexican incarnation of Charlie Manson. He's a patriarchal authority: a dictator, a father figure and a preacher. As payment for enjoying the low-life bed and breakfast, the siblings have to help Mariano build a cavernous structure, resembling and functioning as nothing other than a cozy, protective womb.

The brother and sister dynamic thickens, as the over-protective brother does not have much trust in the enigmatic Mariano, a delusional charmer with a demented smile and a Luciferian aura whose means of pedagogy brushes shoulders with a rather sadistic series of threats. Minter opens on a revisionist note of Hansel and Gretel: the siblings find a holy madman, a libertine philosopher instead of an old cannibalistic witch. Mariano has no interest in devouring their young flesh, as he has a big appetite to mold their flesh for the purposes of secret corporeal lusts and life at the same time. After all, they are now family.

The camera keeps wandering in the maze and the womb, never establishing a connection with the outer world, except for the revelatory closing shot. Rummaging in claustrophobic spaces with washed off walls and mess lying all around, the siblings find themselves in a temple of new flesh, Mariano heading the ceremony. Portrayed with exceptional gusto by Noe Hernandez, an experienced Mexican actor, Mariano hits the fine line between insanity, enlightenment, and ambiguity, embraced by his rebirth from a dirty Mephistopheles into a sleek Messiah, the transition triggered by an ejaculation scene worthy of French provocateur Gaspar Noe.

The director, consciously or unconsciously, ranks among current filmmakers stylistically devouring the aesthetics of porn, which has mostly been associated with the French New Wave, though other directors have also revived it recently. In addition to Noes Love (read Jason Gorber's review), Eva Husson brought a stab on porn and pop in the sexually open Bang Gang(read Kurt Halfyard's review). Minter shoots the situations and acts with a relentless fervour for biological details, being visually and stylistically closer to Noe's poetics rather than Husson's

The internalization of the plot, imprisoned in between the four walls of the warehouse and then the cave -- a micro-universe within a micro-universe -- serves as a portal from a society of outcasts into a collective mind. As the plot progresses, the man-made cave snowballs into more connotations, a womb as a shelter alongside a cocoon, since not only the leading protagonist/priest morphs into a new being but, less literally, the sibling couple, or the male part of it, learns to embrace the repressed.

The first half, devoted to sanctuary-seeking and maintaining the odd asylum, can be easily understood as a parable on the contemporary Mexican social situation, especially through Amat Escalante visceral and gripping depiction captured in Heli (read Eric Ortiz Garcia's review). The mood of the second half swings from paranoia, insecurity, fear and menace into euphoric, unburdened and freedom-embracing delightful. It takes place in a slightly psychedelic and temperamental atmosphere, marked by a climactic and tad surreal explosion of colors.

Surprisingly enough, the younger generation of artists tend to thematize the negative pole of life in emo-autopsy of whatever traumas, small or big, they encountered. Minter goes boldly against the trend, launching an orgiastic fiesta modus, glorifying freedom in jolting-down the shackles of restraint and the unpedagogical, parental, warning of you-should-not in a bid for self-reinvention.

We Are the Flesh is a balls-to-the-wall crash course in latter day enlightenment, heavily inspired by French guru and mentor Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade and the philosophy of libertinism, packing several other stabs at undermining the austere and traditional Christian logic of approaching life and its circumstances. Excessive, corporeal and transgressive is Minters debuting opus, a celebration of boundary crossings and defeating of mental obstacles, an effort the director himself manifests in a (vagina-)in-yer-face style.

The film is a paean to liberty designed as a fairy-tale for adults, acknowledging the archetypical foundations, either of fable or Christian myths, and dominated by corporeality in consuming and copulating, the basic definitions of human traits. Despite being based in the lower stratum of the pyramid of needs, similarly to de Sade, Minter gets his message and statement, accompanied by a social commentary on ossified communal consciousness rigorously adhering to inbred conventions, preventing a progressive development, and eventually the big mystical entity we call happiness.

Review originally published in April 2016. Via Arrow Films, the film begins its U.S. theatrical release in Los Angeles at Laemmle's Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre on Friday, January 13, and in New York City on January 20 at Cinema Village.
Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams stars opposite Son Of Rambow's Bill Milner in young adult scifi thriller iBoy and while the premise of the feature film adaptation of Kevin Brooks' acclaimed novel - in which a working class teen interrupts a home invasion and is shot in the head for his troubles, the gun shot embedding fragments of his mobile phone into his brain thereby giving him the ability to manipulate electricity and information technology - may sound a little bit goofy on the surface it is played dead serious here.

Tom is an average teenager whose world is turned on its head when a violent encounter with local thugs leaves fragments of his shattered smartphone embedded in his brain. He wakes from a coma to discover that returning to normal teenage life is impossible because he has developed a strange set of superpowers. With these new powers he sets out to seek revenge on the gang, who also assaulted his best friend Lucy.

With a supporting cast including stalwarts such as Miranda Richardson and Rory Kinnear, iBoy was produced as a Netflix Original production by the producers of acclaimed horror title Under The Shadow along with US based outfit XYZ Films [so, yes, I had some involvement in this one, conflict of interest, etc etc etc] and director Adam Randall and with the Netflix rollout scheduled for January 27th they've just launched the official trailer.

Hey, I've seen the film and I really, really like it but that's just me. Take a look at the trailer below and tell us what you think!
If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE).
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Donald Trump tweeted Thursday morning that U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper telephoned him Wednesday to denounce the false and fictitious report alleging that Russia had compromising material on the president-elect.



But the characterization by Trump seemingly conflicts with an earlier statement in which Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, said the intelligence community has not made any judgment on the reliability of the information it has seen.



Made up, phony facts. Too bad! Trump wrote on Twitter Thursday.

James Clapper called me yesterday to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts.Too bad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

Clapper said he spoke to Trump Wednesday night about the allegations, explaining that officials had an "obligation" to let policymakers know about it despite the claims being unsubstantiated.



The document, which alleged that Trump had been compromised by the Russian government, has sparked a firestorm and condemnation from Trump, who called it "fake news" and "nonsense."



Clapper said that he "expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press," but maintained that since the document was not a "U.S. intelligence community product...I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC."



Trump railed against the intelligence community in a tweet earlier Wednesday, suggesting that the IC "allowed" the document to leak.

Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

Instead, Clapper said it is a "private security company document" that was widely circulated among the media, members of Congress and their staff in the run-up to the election.



Federal officials told ABC News that a respected former British spy hired by Democratic operatives gathered the information, which included allegations that Trump aides held meetings with Russian agents.



"The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions," Clapper said in his statement. "However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security."



Michael Cohen, a lawyer for Trump, was named in the documents as meeting with the Russians in Prague in August 2016, but he said he has never been to the city in his life.



"A thing like that should have never been written, it should never been had, and it should certainly never have been released," Trump said during his news conference Wednesday.



The president-elect has had a rocky relationship with the intelligence community, specifically regarding the IC's assessment that Russia had hacked the Democratic National Committee during the presidential election.



Trump conceded Wednesday that Russia was probably responsible for the hacking after casting doubt on the IC's assessment.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
In a move his acolytes are sure to leverage as evidence of the politically-correct-to-the-point-of-intolerance, easily "triggered" left, the independent San Francisco bookstore The Booksmith announced on its website this week that it won't be stocking a book by alt-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos when it comes out this year. A Trump-loving Brietbart writer to whom SFist has referred generously as an "aggressive idiot," Yiannopoulos is a frightful, hateful, openly gay man who once wrote that "Gay Rights Have Made Us Dumber, It's Time To Get Back In The Closet."

Moreover, in protest of Simon & Schuster, who are publishing the book by Yiannopoulos under their imprint Threshold Editions, Booksmith has vowed that it will buy no Threshold Editions books whatsoever and that it plans to cut its orders from Simon & Schuster by half. Of the remaining books they do sell from the publishing house, they'll donate 40 percent of sales to the ACLU.

Is Booksmith's decision an example of the kind of censorship Yiannopoulos so frequently rails against? Or is this asshole's speech simply hate speech, not protected by law, and in fact punishable by it if it, say, incites violence?

The book's not out, so nobody knows, but really, who cares  Yiannopoulous is clearly what he is, a troll of the highest/lowest order  and for Booksmith, it's a perfectly wise business decision. After all, this item wasn't about to go flying off shelves in San Francisco, now was it.





The Booksmith, which appears to be in good financial stead if its recently announced expansion plan is any indication, is also owning the decision, justifying it in a statement on their site.

"While we at Booksmith value free speech and democratizing information at our bookstores, we also believe that this author crosses a line by promoting hate speech & bullying and feel compelled to take action," they write, linking to an Elle article which argues against the publisher's decision to legitimize Yiannopolous with a contract. The Booksmith also cites the Chicago Review of Books, who have declared they won't review any Simon & Schuster authors this year because they condemn "handing a purveyor of hate speech a $250,000 megaphone," the amount of the book deal.

But while others debate the, at best, deeply cynical position Simon & Schuster has taken, the publisher has released a statement letting us know it did the right thing and is good and doesn't support hate speech (except by financing those who engage in it).

Meanwhile, Yiannopoulos has used his general infamy to his advantage, booking speaking engagements this month in the Bay Area at UC Davis on January 13, this Friday, and at UC Berkeley on February 1. At Davis, students have petitioned against his appearance, while the Daily Cal at Berkeley reports that the school's college Republicans, who invited him to speak there, are being forced to pony up $10,000 in security costs. That, naturally, has that student group whining about how the charge is an attack on free speech.

Previously: Aggressive Breitbart Idiot Milo Yiannopoulos Coming To Speak At UC Berkeley, Davis
Last year, timing issues kept the belle of the Beer Week ball from attending the festivites: An earlier Beer Week schedule pegged to the Super Bowl meant that Pliny the Younger, the highly sought-after limited-release beer from Russian River Brewing Company, wasn't available until after Beer Week. But this year, drinkers can expect a return to normalcy. With the festivities back to February (the 10th to the 19th), the coveted triple IPA will be back in San Francisco, starting at the opening gala.

But while the brewery prepares for that, owners Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo have something else on tap. The duo is getting ready to break ground on a massive, expanded brewhouse in Windsor with a capacity of 35,000 barrels. Those plans were first announced last summer, and now The Santa Rosa Press Democrat writes that the brewery hopes their $30 million structure will be open in Summer 2018.





Russian River Brewing won't be making changes to its Santa Rosa brewpub, where 300,000 visitors per year often brave long lines to get a taste. Helpfully, the brewery has generated a guide to getting your Pliny on this year, including hotel recommendations.

We hope to release a little pressure from downtown so that theres not the ginormous lines every weekend to come in, Natalie Cilurzo told the Chronicle of the expansion to Windsor. "The regulars will get their old pub back.

Russian River has come a long way since 2003, when Vinnie and Natalie bought the rights to spin off the beer brand from Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville when that label left the beer business. The new Windsor facility will include exciting features like an open-top fermentation coolship, allowing for wild yeast fermentations. "Well be able to brew much like they do in Lambic, Cilurzo told the Chronicle, referring to the region of Belgium known for its spontaneously fermented sour beers. While the style doesn't generate the interest that Pliny does  Its not something that makes us a lot of money," she tells the Press Democrat, "its something we are passionate about."

Related: Anthony Bourdain: SF Beer Nerds Are Like 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers'
Cold weather calls for warm comforts, including but not limited to ramen, tater tots, and cioppino. The most classic and satisfying of American comfort foods, though, is obviously macaroni and cheese  a dish which some credit President Thomas Jefferson with introducing to the States following his travels to France and Italy, and deciding to serve it at a state dinner in 1802. Here in San Francisco, as with all things food, the best available versions aren't necessarily classic ones, though we have a few great standard-issue mac-and-cheese spots as well. Below, a list that we at SFist consider definitive.  Jay Barmann





Blue Plate

The secret to this dish, on the menu since the beginning at this nearly 18-year-old Mission spot, is so-called "drunken goat cheese" from Spain, specifically Murcia al Vino. Executive chef Cory Obenour began making his mac and cheese this way during the restaurant's late-90's infancy, and it's now a menu signature that stays in the "Sides" section under chef de cuisine Sean Thomas. He mixes the cheese with a bechamel base that's kicked up by Worcestershire, nutmeg, dry mustard, and Tabasco, and it is a serious cheese-lover's wet dream. Sure, it's not your traditional mac-and-cheese, but you can get that at many other spots on this list and very often it doesn't have the intense cheese flavor a true connoisseur desires. This is where it's at. And luckily the rest of the menu remains pretty awesome as well, year in and year out. (PS: here's how to make it at home.)  Jay Barmann

3218 Mission (at Valencia)







Brown Sugar Kitchen

Macaroni and cheese at Brown Sugar Kitchen is a side so creamy and rich it can steal the show, but perhaps not quite if you've ordered the famous fried chicken and cornmeal waffle. With her French cooking school pedigree, chef Tanya Holland opened her restaurant in 2005 to celebrate and elevate Southern food with fine dining technique, but she doesn't reinvent the wheel with her mac & cheese. Revealing the recipe to CBS, we learn that the secrets to a subtle kick are white pepper, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and freshly grated ginger. The secret to the creaminess? Sharp cheddar, whole milk, and heavy cream. - Caleb Pershan

2534 Mandela Pkwy between Campbell and 26th Streets





Natasha P. via Yelp

Fat Angel

Served correctly in a still-bubbling cast-iron skillet, the spicy mac and cheese is a must-order at this comfortably casual but still date-worthy wine bar and gastropub. As for the "spicy" bit, expect more flavor than kick, and besides, you won't have any trouble finding something to cool down your palate with Fat Angel's serious beer and wine list. This spot was the first establishment from the folks at what's now Hi Neighbor restaurant group (Stone's Throw, Trestle, and most recently, Corridor on Van Ness near mid-Market), meaning it's where they perfected the neighborhood vibes that are the hallmark of all their restaurants.  Caleb Pershan

1740 O'Farrell Street between Fillmore and Steiner Streets





Fla R. via Yelp

Front Porch

The Front Porch is a Bernal neighborhood fave for crawfish hushpuppies and chicken by the bucket, so true to form, its version of mac and cheese is a serious affair, a sizable portion essentially covered in a layer of cheddar that's baked on top. Yelper Rebecca H., who agrees that the Front Porch is, overall, "uh-may-zin-guh," calls the mac "redonkulous," and she is not wrong. Pro-tip: A bucket of chicken and some mac and cheese makes for a good group dinner at Rock Bar, the Front Porch's sister business across the street. Order at the Front Porch and they'll be happy to deliver your food to Rock Bar. Boom.  Caleb Pershan

65A 29th Street between Tiffany and San Jose Avenues





A photo posted by Homeroom (@homeroom510) on Jan 11, 2017 at 5:48pm PST



Homeroom

Kickstarter-bankrolled Oakland joint Homeroom focuses solely on mac-and-cheese, with a menu filled with house specials like a "Buffalo chicken mac," a Hawaiian offering with bacon and pineapple, and even a vegan option made with soy milk. Of course, you can also build your own, with a cornucopia of add-ins ranging from hot dogs to artichoke hearts to soyrizo. For people seeking an at-home experience, their to-go location also offers half-baked macs you can finish in your own home oven, and (if you're that kind of person) present to guests as your own.  Eve Batey

400 40th Street, Oakland, to-go location around the corner at 4007 Webster Street





Photo: Doug B./Yelp

Jamber

SoMa wine-and-beer pub Jamber knows from comfort food, with solid takes on poutine, meatloaf, and grilled cheese. But the star of the menu may be the mac and cheese, made with a pungent mix of cheddar, blue, and parmesan, properly topped with oven-crisped breadcrumbs. If a traditional ramekin of the stuff isn't your style, you should be aware that the mac and cheese is also available on a pizza, slathered with sriracha.

858 Folsom Street between Fourth and Fifth





Photo: Instagram

The Lodge

The Buffalo mac and cheese from former Greenburger's guy Matt Nudelman (it used to be on the menu there) can now be found at The Lodge, in the Lower Haight spot where Rickybobby used to be. It is a damn delicious mashup version of the classic, with a combination of blue cheese sauce, spicy-tangy Buffalo sauce, macaroni, and optional chicken, and particularly with the addition of the latter this is a meal unto itself. Also of note: They have some really good poutine on the menu too.  Jay Barmann

400 Haight Street at Webster





The Mac Daddy Classic. Photo courtesy of Mac Daddy

Mac Daddy

The only place, besides Homeroom in Oakland, to indulge in a vast variety of excellent mac-and-cheese variations, Mac Daddy debuted almost a year ago in Potrero Hill in the cozy space formerly home to Chez Maman, and briefly Dat Spot. There are a full dozen version to try, including a classic mac with two-year-aged cheddar and pecorino romano, and "South of the Border Mac" with chorizo, chipotle adobo seasoning, jack cheese, and topped with Fritos and avocado. On top of all those options, there are also, literally, hundreds of possible combinations to be created with dozens of add-ons, including different cheeses, fried chicken, a fried egg, roasted garlic, and short ribs. And they'll do any of the versions gluten free for a $3 surcharge, so no one gets left out.  Jay Barmann

1453 18th Street between Connecticut and Missouri Streets





Hebert C. via Yelp

Mission Cheese

Al dente noodles, a bougie blend of cheeses, and crunchy bread crumbs on a Williams-Sonoma worthy skillet: What else would you expect from mac and cheese at this Valencia Street cheese monger? Sure, you could get a cheeseboard here like an adult human, but why do that when your childhood favorite is prepared with such grown-up dignity? I've had this dish at Mission Cheese enough to say, I think definitively, that it has the power to prolong adolescence. Caleb Pershan

736 Valencia Street between 18th and 19th Streets





The mac and cheese at Richmond republic, bacon added. Photo: Tatum H./Yelp

Richmond Republic

At $7, Richmond Republic's generous portion of mac-and-cheese is a pleasantly affordable way to soak up their many craft and local beer offerings. It's the standard pasta elbows served in a cheddar sauce that's more on the cheese than cream end of things, with just a little bit of a heat kick. For two more bucks, you can add bacon, which I am pretty sure makes it Paleo, right?  Eve Batey

642 Clement Street between 7th and 8th Avenues





Photo: Elaine N./Yelp

Rusty's Southern

Two-year-old Tenderloin barbecue joint Rusty's Southern has made a name for itself for its Lexington, North Carolina-style pulled pork, as well as its tea-brined buttermilk fried chicken. But true to form for a true Southern food spot, their cast-iron mac and cheese gets high marks too, albeit with the optional Californian twist (pictured here) of crispy kale for a topping (pork cracklins are available too). It's made with sharp cheddar and parmesan, as it should be, and always comes out nicely oven-browned.  Jay Barmann

750 Ellis Street between Polk and Larkin





Mike L. via Yelp

Soul Groove

This solid, affordable Tenderloin spot is best known for its chicken-fried soul sandwich (on a waffle bun!) but don't sleep on the mac and cheese. That's everything it should be: Namely, cheesy and creamy with elbow noodles. When the line at Brenda's up the street is daunting, fear not: Soul Groove has got you covered. Caleb Pershan

422 Larkin Street between Golden Gate Avenue and Turk Street



Related: The 15 Best Fried Chicken Spots In The Bay Area




YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Astghik medical center reported to the Yerevan Police Department (YPD) on two citizens with gunshot wounds being admitted to the hospital at 01:00, January 11.

The YPD told ARMENPRESS the two individuals have sustained gunshot wounds to various body parts. Law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident.


Though the San Francisco Police Department has thus far declined to name the man they shot Friday morning when responding to an alleged dispute between neighbors, they will perhaps divulge that information  as well as other details on what appears from police accounts to have been the shooting of a man who was not armed with a weapon  at a town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday night.

As followers of police activity might recall, town halls following SFPD shootings of civilians were once pro forma under former Chief Greg Suhr. Acting Chief Toney Chaplin suspended the meetings following the shooting of Jessica Williams as officers attempted to remove her from an allegedly stolen car  a shooting that notoriously led to Suhr's resignation. Shortly after his appointment, a spokesperson for SFPD said Chaplain wouldn't host a town hall for that shooting, as past community meetings have been unproductive and disruptive."

It's unclear if the town hall reversal is influenced by incoming Chief Bill Scott, who was appointed to head the department by Mayor Ed Lee last month. It's also unclear when Scott will officially don the mantle of SF's top cop, and Chaplin remains in the position as of publication time.

As of Thursday, the man shot by police remained in San Francisco General Hospital, with the most recent report from police saying that his injuries were life-threatening. This evening's community meeting, during which police say they will "provide the community with an update on the investigation of the officer involved shooting," is scheduled for 6 p.m., at the Minnie & Lovie Ward Recreation Center on 650 Capitol Avenue.

Update: David Stevenson, Director of Community Engagement for the SFPD, called to remind us that the SFPD held a community meeting following the shooting of Nicholas McWherter near Stern Grove in October. He disputed the characterization of Chaplin's reported decision not to hold a town hall following Williams' shooting and a spokesprson's statement at the time that "Acting Chief Chaplin has stated that he will consider holding a town-hall-type meeting in a case-by-case basis" as instead "exploring a change in format as the present one was not effective." However, Stevenson also says that no decisions regarding a change to the meeting format were ever made, so one can reasonably expect this evening's meeting to follow the traditional town hall format.

Previously: As Police Union Attacks New Use Of Force Policy, Condition Of Man Shot By SFPD Worsens
SYDNEY  Michael Chamberlain, who waged a decades-long battle to prove his baby daughter was killed by a dingo in Australia's most notorious case of injustice, has died, his former wife said Tuesday. He was 72.

Chamberlain died suddenly, his ex-wife, Lindy Chamberlain, said in a statement. Michael Chamberlain's longtime friend and former lawyer, Stuart Tipple, told Australia's Fairfax Media that Michael died on Monday night as a result of complications from leukemia.

"I am on my way today to support and be with our children," Lindy said in a statement. "Given Michael's death was unexpected, I would ask that the media please consider that Michael's wife and all of his children are deeply grieving and need some space."

Lindy and Michael were wrongly convicted in the death of their 9-week-old daughter Azaria after the infant vanished from their tent during a 1980 camping trip to Uluru, the sacred monolith in Australia's Outback.

The mystery surrounding Azaria's disappearance was the most divisive and sensational legal drama in Australian history. It gained a place in global pop culture after Meryl Streep portrayed Lindy in the movie "A Cry in the Dark."

The Chamberlains insisted that a dingo snatched their daughter from the tent. But officials doubted the wild dogs were capable of carrying an infant. Instead, prosecutors argued that Lindy had slit her daughter's throat and buried her in the desert.

There were no witnesses, no motive and no body; Azaria's remains were never found. But in 1982, Lindy was nonetheless convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Michael was convicted of being an accessory after the fact and given a suspended sentence.

Three years later, Azaria's jacket was found in the desert near a dingo den and Lindy was quickly released from prison. A Royal Commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, later debunked much of the forensic evidence used at trial and the Chamberlains' convictions were overturned. In 2012  more than three decades after Azaria vanished  a coroner finally ruled that the infant had died as a result of a dingo attack.

The trial remains a source of shame for the many Australians who initially doubted the Chamberlains and cast Lindy as a villain largely due to her religious beliefs. Michael Chamberlain was a pastor with the Seventh-day Adventist church, a Protestant denomination that few Australians understood. Rumors flew that Lindy had killed her daughter as part of a grisly religious ritual.

Shortly before the coroner's ruling in 2012, Michael Chamberlain told The Associated Press that religious bigotry played a large role in the injustice he and his former wife suffered.

"The church got so smashed up, erroneously, and all through, really, a nasty dose of prejudice," Chamberlain told The AP. "I can say that I think our religion definitely impacted quite strongly on the attitude that many Australians developed."

Michael and Lindy divorced in 1991. He later married Ingrid Bergner, and went on to become an author and teacher.

Actor Sam Neill, who portrayed Michael in "A Cry in the Dark," said on Monday that the Chamberlains had been "terribly, cruelly wronged."

"Throughout their cruel ordeal & the years of injustice, (Michael) Chamberlain maintained that quiet unassuming dignity  an impressive man," Neill tweeted. "RIP."

Chamberlain, who was born in New Zealand, is survived by his wife and four children.
OAKLAND, Calif. | Two Californians who tried to scam Sioux City credit unions nearly two years ago have been sentenced to federal prison in California.

Michael Thomas, 47, of Oakland, was sentenced to 38 months in prison and Barbara Lopp, 55, of Stockton, was sentenced to 27 months. Both pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in Oakland to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Thomas was ordered to pay $433,472 in restitution, of which $198,988 is to be paid jointly with Lopp.

They were arrested in February 2015 in Sioux City after Thomas presented a fake driver's license and credit card in a failed attempt to get a $9,800 cash advance from Municipal Credit Union. Police discovered the two had visited and made similar attempts at two other Sioux City credit unions, but were unsuccessful. Police found them in possession of numerous fake ID and credit cards and maps showing credit unions in Iowa.

Local charges were dismissed after Thomas and Lopp were indicted in California. Federal court documents said they were part of a northern California fraud ring in which they and others used fake credit cards to obtain cash advances from numerous banks and credit unions in Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Oklahoma and Kansas.

In the scheme, Thomas or Lopp would enter a financial institution and seek a cash advance. After an initial request was declined, Lopp or Thomas would tell bank personnel there might be a block on the credit card and provide a phone number to call. Bank employees calling the number were connected with another member of the fraud ring who, acting as a customer service representative, would authorize the transaction. By the time bank personnel would discover the transaction was fraudulent, Lopp and Thomas would be gone.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The electoral commission of Armenia has already announced a contest for installing cameras at each polling station of Armenia during the upcoming parliamentary elections, allowing everyone to follow the electoral process online, Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia Tigran Mukuchyan told the reporters. There is a deadline, after which the results of the contest will be summed up, Armenpress reports Mukuchyan saying.

To the question if there is enough time to organize all these works and is it possible that the provision demanding cameras at the polling stations will not implemented, Mukuchyan answered that question should be addressed to someone else responsible for that. I just point out the facts, which is that a contest has been announced based on which there will be decisions in the future, he said.

Referring to the question that if the Commission does not manage to implement the provision on the cameras, does the law allow not implementing it, Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission said, I would suggest waiting for the end of the contest. The law provides that a contest must be announced based on which a specialized organization will submit an application, will meet the requirements of the contest and will be responsible for that work if chosen.
SIOUX CITY | The Sioux City Police Department has released more information relating to a stabbing investigation stemming from a Dec. 18 incident.

A release issued Thursday said that around 3 a.m. on Dec. 18, two females and a male entered the Century Apartments in Sioux City. Once inside, the two females covered their faces and concealed themselves in the laundry room on the second floor waiting for the victim to return to his room.

The two females confronted the victim, identified as a 56-year-old man, and demanded property from him. One of the females produced a knife, the release said.

When the man attempted to get the suspects out of his apartment, he was stabbed several times.

The three suspects then fled the building.

The victim was transported to the hospital, treated and eventually released.

The case is still under investigation. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information on the identity of the suspects is encouraged to call Det. Bruce Hokel at 712-898-4564.
SIOUX CITY | A bucking bull named in honor of a fallen Marine will make his debut appearance at the Rawhide Bull Riding Challenge Jan. 20-21 at the Tyson Events Center.

Sniper is a black Brahman-Crossbred bull that was named after 21-year-old Marine Hunter "HD" Hogan, who was killed in action in June 2012 in Afghanistan, a press release said.

Owner Marty Barnes, of Barnes PRCA Rodeo, from Peterson, Iowa, bought the bull after he learned all proceeds went to a scholarship in memory of Hogan, the release said.

For tickets to see the bull buck for the first time, go to tysoncenter.com. Prices start at $10 for adults and $8 for children.
ALCESTER, S.D. | Word of Debbie Reynolds' recent death sent Dennis Hultgren to his archives. He watched Reynolds perform when she was 20 and coming off her performance opposite Gene Kelly in the classic musical "Singin' in the Rain."

It was the final Sunday in December 1952. Hultgren, a native of West Akron, South Dakota, was serving in the U.S. Army, leading a unit of men who retrieved the bodies of dead soldiers from the front lines

"There were five of us doing this work," Hultgren told me. "I'd get called to go to the front lines to pick up a body and get the man's personal effects."

The bodies were shipped to a headquarters station in Korea and then on to Japan where they were embalmed, preparing for the trip overseas and their final resting place, wherever that might be in the U.S.

"Taking care of the dead was so important," he said. "They deserved respect, so much respect."

Service like that may leave a veteran grasping for bright spots in a tour of duty. And so it goes for Hultgren, who sat on the ground that December day, spellbound by the talents, energy and beauty of Debbie Reynolds, Hollywood star.

Reynolds was 84 when she died on Dec. 28, one day after her daughter, "Star Wars" icon Carrie Fisher, died of cardiac arrest. Reynolds was reportedly making funeral plans for her 60-year-old daughter when she suffered a stroke.

"She was very effective entertaining these lonely soldiers," Hultgren said.

Hultgren, a retired farmer, committed the details to pen and paper long ago, publishing them in his memoir, "To Korea and Back Home Again."

"The Hollywood Program" chapter in his book includes the names of troupe leaders Keenan Wynn and Walter Pidgeon. Actress June Bruner appeared with Reynolds, details he gleaned both from memory and a write-up provided long ago by the 224th Regiment newsletter.

"Debbie Reynolds looked up at the hill behind where the program was performed," he said. "Some of our soldiers were sitting up their with their weapons."

Reynolds, he said, looked at and pointed to the men with their weapons and asked if they were the enemy. The line elicited a big laugh, he said.

Forty years later, Hultgren and his wife, Nelda Hultgren, traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. They attended Reynolds' show and met her at a reception that followed.

"I told Debbie that I remembered her from that show in Korea in December 1952," Hultgren said. "She immediately said she remembered that day and told me how sorry she felt for the soldiers who had to sit on the cold ground."

"I asked her if she remembered what she said concerning the soldiers on the hill in back of the stage," Hultgren said.

Reynolds did. She repeated what she'd said while opening her portion of the show in Korea, a comment about whether or not she and the soldiers were safe with "enemy" forces stationed on the hill.

Reynolds visited with the Hultgrens and autographed a black-and-white portrait for both Dennis and Nelda, keepsakes they brought out as reports of her death filled news reports. Reynolds' funeral was held Friday.

"You may think of Debbie Reynolds as a big star, but there was another side to her," Dennis Hultgren said. "She was just a nice person."
LINCOLN -- Gov. Pete Ricketts presented the Legislature Thursday with an agenda that combines proposed income and property tax reductions with state budget cuts and restrained spending growth.

"The reductions we make to the budget to balance it and continued attention to controlling spending will allow us to cut taxes and grow Nebraska," the governor said in his State of the State speech to the Legislature.

"This isn't easy," Ricketts acknowledged. "It will require Nebraska grit."

Ricketts said he will partner with Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, chairman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, to propose a gradual reduction in the top state income tax rate beginning in 2020 as long as state revenue growth exceeds 3.5 percent at the time.

In addition, he said, he will support legislation sponsored by Sen. Lydia Brasch of Bancroft, chairwoman of the Legislature's Agriculture Committee, to change the methodology of assessing property value from a market-based system to "an income-potential system."

That he said, would slow the growth of agricultural land valuation increases beginning in 2019. If the system were in place for 2017, he said, it would reduce ag land valuations by about $2.2 billion.

While the governor said local taxing entities and county assessors would have "plenty of time to prepare" for such a change, the new valuation formula presumably would have a moderate-to-substantial impact on future funding available to support local schools and local government, particularly in agricultural areas of the state.

Ricketts said his current budget proposal would provide a 2.7 percent average annual increase in state aid for local schools.

However, in the long term, history has demonstrated that additional state aid without local school spending restraint only leads to additional spending and higher local property tax rates, the governor said.

Ricketts said his overall plan is based on "controlling spending" and not only avoiding tax increases to address the current shortfall of state revenue, but to build in future tax cuts as a means of stimulating economic growth.

At the state government level, the governor said, he has instituted reforms and is proposing efficiencies, including merger of the Department of Roads and Department of Aeronautics into a new Department of Transportation.

Earlier, he announced a proposal to move the Division of Veterans Homes from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ricketts also is proposing repeal of a number of regulations that he said are unncessary and hamper job growth.

A dramatic decline in farm income led to the current state revenue shortfall.

"Farm income has gone from $7.5 billion a few years ago to $4.5 billion in 2015 and may have declined to about $4 billion last year," the governor said.

"In a year where we have to make difficult budget decisions, we have to favor the taxpayer," Ricketts said. Thus, despite declining revenue and budget shortfalls, he said he is determined to pursue built-in future tax cuts.

Get breaking news sent instantly to your inbox

"I will not support any effort to raise taxes on Nebraskans," he said.

"Raiding the property tax credit relief fund, raising sales taxes (or) taxing food and groceries would all harm Nebraska families and be bad for our economy," Ricketts said.

"The way to grow revenues is to grow the number of people who live here and create more and better-paying jobs," the governor said. "To do that we have to be more competitive."

The income tax plan he is sponsoring along with Sen. Smith would reduce the top rate by roughly one-tenth of one percent per year, beginning in 2020, as long as revenue growth exceeds 3.5 percent. The proposal would ultimately take the top rate down from 6.84 percent to under 6 percent.

"If our revenue doesn't grow fast enough, the tax rate doesn't come down," Ricketts said.

The top rate in Nebraska applies to individuals making $29,831 or more annually and to couples making $59,661 or more.

Following his address, Ricketts embarked on a statewide tour that will take him to 17 events over the next seven days. The governor will visit South Sioux City on Friday.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine.

Kevin Babb, 55, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to 150 months in prison. In October, a jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.

Evidence at trial showed that Babb sold meth in the Sioux City area from 2012 through 2014. He sold meth during controlled buys with law enforcement three times in 2014.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for inappropriately touching a preteen girl several times during a five-year period.

Bryan Barnhart, 38, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse in the third degree Tuesday in Woodbury County District Court.

According to court documents, Barnhart babysat the girl from 2006 to 2011, when she was ages 5-11. The girl reported to the Sioux City Police Department that Barnhart touched her inappropriately many times during that time.

Barnhart admitted the allegations were true and also admitted to sexually abusing other children, court documents said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told Armenpress the Azerbaijani side made over 30 ceasefire violations across the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Ministry issued an announcement which says: Overnight January 11-12 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime over 30 times by firing more than 400 shots from various caliber small arms and sniper rifles at the Armenian positions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Defense Army forces refrained from taking counter measures and continued confidently fulfilling their military duties.




YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Danish charitable foundation Hans Christian Kofoed  operating in Yerevan, supports homeless people to solve their problems and have temporary accommodation. Currently the foundation houses 106 homeless people.

Director of the foundation Shavarsh Khachatryan presented the operations of the charitable foundation in an interview to ARMENPRESS.

As a foundation, we are always ready to help people who have appeared on the streets. We must assist them and solve all problems. Our foundation works according to the Danish model, that is to solve the problem of each individual prior to them leaving. We solve their passport issue, we find jobs for them, in case the person is handicapped we try to solve their issue of obtaining a disabled status, Khachatryan told ARMENPRESS.

The director said according to the law on social assistance, persons having mental issues, tuberculosis, skin diseases, Hepatitis C and venereal diseases cannot be housed in the foundation, since they might be a danger for others.

The full interview is available in Armenian.
Keep our highways clean... and sober

STORM LAKE, Iowa -- This arrest was brought to you by Super Troopers 2, anticipated for release worldwide... eventually.

Two teens face multiple charges after throwing drug paraphernalia out of a moving vehicle in Storm Lake, Iowa, on Saturday.

Jonaz Maldonado, 19 of Alta, Iowa, was charged with driving while suspended and OWI, both misdemeanors; Pedro Enriquez, 18, of Storm Lake, Iowa, was charged with possession of alcohol, littering on a highway and possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.

A press release issued by the Storm Lake Police Department said a vehicle, driven by Maldonado, was reported to be acting recklessly.

Storm Lake police observed the vehicle traveling in the 6100 block of Radio Road and allege they saw the passenger, later identified as Enriquez, throw an item out of the window.

Police stopped the vehicle and determined the item thrown out of the window was drug paraphernalia.

The two were arrested and booked into Buena Vista County Jail.

Band-alism

SIBLEY, Iowa -- The band bandits have been brought to justice.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office said last Wednesday that charges have been filed against two juveniles for vandalizing several band instruments at Sibley-Ocheyedan Middle School last month.

The sheriff's office reported that sometime between 11 p.m. on Dec. 23 and 9 a.m. on Dec. 27, two juveniles entered the middle school and defaced property using spray paint and destroyed several band instruments.

According to a press release, the juveniles are being charged with a simple misdemeanor of trespassing and criminal mischief -- a class D felony.

The amount of damages is estimated between $5,000 to $10,000, the release said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjrn Jagland supported the mediation mission of the OSCE Minsk Group over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, press service of the CoE told Armenpress.

The Council of Europe does not have a direct role in the negotiations, and always supports the OSCE Minsk-Group. However, we are concerned about the humanitarian aspects of the conflict, Jagland said, stating that he is aware that the violations of the ceasefire on 29 December resulted in casualties, and that the body of an Azerbaijani serviceman killed in the fighting still remains in the Armenian side.

I urge the parties to respect the ceasefire, and I fully support the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Groups call for the return, without delay, of human remains - in accordance with the agreements of the Astrakhan Summit of 2010 - bearing in mind the humanitarian nature of this issue, he said.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

Read More
EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. It also provides motive power products that are used to provide power for electric industrial forklifts used in manufacturing, warehousing, and other material handling applications. In addition, the company offers mining equipment, diesel locomotive starting, and other rail equipment. Further, it provides specialty batteries for starting, lighting, and ignition applications in transportation; and energy solutions for satellites, military aircraft, submarines, ships, and other tactical vehicles, as well as medical and security systems. Additionally, the company offers battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories, and outdoor cabinet enclosures, as well as related after-market and customer-support services for industrial batteries. The company sells its products through a network of distributors, independent representatives, and internal sales forces. The company was formerly known as Yuasa, Inc. and changed its name to EnerSys in January 2001. EnerSys was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. During the Governments session Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan instructed Head of State Property Management Department Arman Sahakyan to present proposals within two months on applying concrete measures and practical mechanisms in the management of commercial companies with the states participation. This aims to increase the volume of dividends entering the state budget for 2017, reports Armenpress.

It is necessary to hold a joint discussion with the Ministers of Healthcare, Justice, Emergency Situations, Natural Protection, Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources, Economic Development and Investments, Education and Science, Culture, Defense, Sport and Youth Affairs, Transport and Communication and Chairman of the Urban Development Committee and present proposals to the Government on taking concrete measures and practical mechanisms in the field of management of commercial companies under the states participation, by this aiming at significantly increasing the volume of dividends entering the state budget for the year of 2017, the PM said.

He also instructed to submit proposals to the Government within three months on raising the efficiency of the leasing process of state property aiming at significantly increasing the state budget receipts from leasing and improving service provision quality.

He also assigned to submit the lists of privatization of shares of commercial companies that are included and will be included in the state property privatization program, as well as the lists of state property alienation within two weeks.
ANNAPOLIS (Jan. 12, 2017)The 2017 session of the Maryland General Assembly began Wednesday amid confusion stemming from federal investigations plaguing Democrats and concern among Republicans over the possible override of several vetoes issued by Gov. Larry Hogan at the end of the 2016 session. The Senate is scheduled to begin to debate the vetoes on Jan. 18.



Delegate Michael L. Vaughn, D-Prince George's, cited health concerns in a two-sentence resignation letter to House Speaker Michael E. Busch, D-Anne Arundel, on Wednesday, raising questions that he may be involved in a federal investigation into corruption on the Prince George's County Liquor Board.



Vaughn, 59, sat on the House Economic Matters Committee and had been a legislator in the state since 2003.



Two business owners and two board members have already been charged, according to a press release issued Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Office.



Although Democrats still have the three-fifths majority needed to override vetoes, their margin has shrunk, at least temporarily, by the sudden resignation of Sen. Lisa A. Gladden, D-Baltimore, due to illness.



Hogan has said he intends to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, despite telling the Baltimore Sun that he didn't vote for the controversial Republican businessman.



Hogan, a Republican, enjoys high approval ratings in a majority Democratic state and refused to endorse Trump during the campaign.



Looking toward the 2018 gubernatorial election, Hogan faces a complicated political arena as many Republican voters will likely expect the governor to support the Republican president. At the same time, his refusal to endorse or support Trump during the election gained him ground among Maryland's majority liberal voting population.



According to Amelia Chasse, the governor's deputy communications director, "the governor does what he thinks is right, this is not about political maneuvering; Governor Hogan had a strong relationship with the Obama administration without supporting President Obama."



Chasse said Hogan's top priority for the 2017 legislative session remains repealing the Maryland Open Transportation Decision Act of 2016. The bill requires the governor's office to score transportation funding projects before they receive funding.



The governor's office refers to the bill as the "roadkill-bill" and Chasse said that it will prevent the administration from moving forward with important projects.



During remarks at Wednesday's first Senate session, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, Charles and Prince George's, told Hogan that the Senate would look at the transportation bill and consider ways to make it "more palatable" to the governor.



Miller also said that the governor's office and both legislative bodies are united in their commitment to address opioid abuse in the state.



There is wide bipartisan support to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic in Maryland. In previous years, the legislature has addressed the issue by picking "low hanging fruit," said Delegate Clarence Lam, D-Baltimore and Howard counties, such as by enacting laws that protect people from arrest for calling 911 for an overdose, or by distributing Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of opioids.



Lam and other delegates hope to go further by providing more funding for preventative measures and addiction treatment centers, he said.



Miller praised Hogan's budget allocations for environmental initiatives.



However, the governor vetoed a 2016 bill that would have increased Maryland's renewable portfolio standard, which regulates the amount of electricity in the state connected to renewable energy sources.



Also, Sen. Robert Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, said that one of his top priorities in 2017 "is to ban fracking in Maryland." Zirkin went on to say that "it would be the height of legislative negligence if we failed to do that."



Maryland currently has a moratorium on fracking that expires later this year.



Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, a former Democratic senator, was a guest on the Senate floor and took a moment to thank the senators who supported her mayoral campaign.



Pugh says that "making sure the funding is in place" for education in the city is one of her administration's top priorities during the 2017 session.



Shortly after arriving at the State House, Pugh was approached by Hogan, who embraced her in a hug.



Their conversation was muffled, but Hogan could be heard saying enthusiastically "time for a change in Baltimore City" as Pugh nodded and the two separated.



Sen. J.B. Jennings, R-Baltimore County, Harford, said "overall, my priority is to make this a successful session."



Hogan proposed a sick leave plan late last year that would give Maryland workers five days of paid leave for businesses with at least 50 workers.



While some lawmakers want his plan to have a further reach, it provides a good "starting point for discussions," Lam said.



Annapolis lawmakers are bracing themselves for the president-elect Trump's plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Without the current level of federal funding for healthcare, Maryland lawmakers may have to scramble to pick up the costs, working within an already tight budget, said Delegate Terri Hill, D-Baltimore and Howard counties.



If the state can't find the funds, thousands could potentially lose their healthcare, Lam said.



Capital News Service reporters Natalie Schwartz and Jack Chavez contributed to this report.
GREENBELT, Md.

(Jan. 12, 2017)U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Michael Andrew Davila, age 27, of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, today to 175 months in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for transportation of a minor for prostitution. Judge Hazel also ordered that upon his release from prison, Michael Davila must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George's County Police Department."Michael Andrew Davila will be locked in a federal cell until the year 2030 for exploiting a vulnerable child," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. "Time and again, we see that tragedy awaits some children who use the internet without parental supervision."According to his plea agreement, in early January 2015, Michael Davila recruited a 15 year old female through Instagram to engage in prostitution. Later in January, the victim turned 16 years old. Between January and March 2015, Davila arranged for the victim to engage in acts of prostitution, advertised the victim online for sexual services in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, using a false name and age for the victim, and transported or arranged for transportation of the victim throughout Maryland, DC. and Virginia to engage in commercial sex acts. Davila kept a portion of the proceeds earned by the victim for engaging in commercial sex acts.Davila and co-defendant Elsie Pazmino answered text messages and calls from clients seeking to engage in sexual acts with the victim and arranged "dates" for the victim with those clients. Davila educated the victim on how to arrange dates with customers for sexual services and set the prices that the victim would charge for such services. On at least one occasion in January 2015, Pazmino admitted that she answered a telephone call from a potential customer in front of the victim, so that the victim could learn how to talk to potential customers and set up dates. According to their plea agreements, Davila and Pazmino arranged and paid for hotel rooms in which the victim engaged in prostitution.Davila and co-defendant John Hamlett transported the victim, and other females Davila was prostituting, to locations within and outside Maryland to engage in prostitution. Davila paid Hamlett $50 to $100 per night of driving females working for Davila, including the victim.During the time that the victim engaged in acts of prostitution, Davila provided her with a cellular phone to communicate with Davila and potential customers. Law enforcement's review of the contents of the victim's cellular phone revealed numerous text messages between Davila and the victim regarding proceeds earned by the victim from prostitution, locations where she was engaging in acts of prostitution, and the posting of ads online to advertise the victim for prostitution. Davila communicated with the victim through the use of cellular phone chat applications KIK and Pinger.Davila was arrested on April 20, 2015, on federal charges relating to the sex trafficking of a minor, at a motel in Laurel, Maryland, where he was staying with his mother, Maria Davila. Maria Davila admitted that after Michael Davila's arrest, she accessed and erased the contents of the KIK account, which he had used to communicate with the victim. According to their plea agreements, Maria Davila also repeatedly tried to access and delete Michael Davila's Pinger account, which he had also used to communicate with the victim while he was prostituting her. During several recorded calls on April 21, 2015, while Michael Davila was in pretrial detention in Baltimore, Maryland, Michael and Maria Davila discussed the need to erase the KIK and Pinger accounts and Maria Davila's efforts to delete the accounts. Michael Davila provided multiple passwords for Maria Davila to try to access his Pinger account so that it could be erased. Davila also sent a letter to Maria Davila, which stated in part, "Please keep tryna log into the Kik and Pinger" and then listed multiple passwords, many of which were the same as the passwords that Davila provided to his mother over the phone.Judge Hazel sentenced co-defendant Elsie Liseth Pazmino, age 29, also of Berwyn Heights, today to time served, followed by six months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release, for using the telephone and internet to facilitate the prostitution of the minor. John David Hamlett, age 33, of Laurel, Maryland, was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison. Maria Elena Davila, age 51, of Germantown, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit evidence tampering in connection with the case and was sentenced to two years in prison.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit ww.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Prince George's County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O'Malley and Nicolas A. Mitchell, who prosecuted the case.
Delegate Cheryl Glenn, from District 45 and chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, discusses the groups priority agenda on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Annapolis, Md. The caucus is prioritizing an ongoing lawsuit involving historically black colleges and universities, lack of diversity in the medical cannabis industry, reforming bail, affordability of prescription drugs, and ensuring that Baltimore City Public Schools are controlled by the city government, among other items. (Photo: Hannah Klarner)

ANNAPOLIS

(Jan. 12, 2017)The Maryland Black Caucus laid out their priorities for the 2017 General Assembly session, including diversifying the medical cannabis industry, eliminating the cash bail system and reforming education during a press conference Wednesday morning.The caucus members outlined their plan to draft legislation that would encourage minority-owned businesses in Maryland's long-awaited medical marijuana industry.Although Maryland lawmakers passed a law allowing private medical marijuana businesses in 2014, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission has not issued any final licenses to grow, process or dispense cannabis, according to its website.However, the commission announced Dec. 9 it awarded pre-approvals for 102 businesses to sell medical cannabis, drawing from a pool of 811 applicants. None of the businesses selected is led by African-Americans."We will not accept the fact that the medical cannabis industry will be up and running in the state of Maryland with no minority participation," said Delegate Cheryl Glenn, D-Baltimore.The caucus wants to overhaul the 15-member commission to ensure racial and geographical diversity are considered going forward, Glenn said, adding this measure wouldn't further delay access to medical cannabis."This is an emergency legislation to be passed through both houses in a matter of days and on the desk of the governor to be signed into law to be enacted immediately," Glenn said Wednesday.The caucus is also fighting to reform the state's cash bail system. The state's current money-based system can set unaffordable amounts for many poor defendants, leaving them to await trial in jail, said Douglas Colbert, a University of Maryland law professor. The system often disproportionately affects the lives of the working poor and minorities in the state, Colbert added.The Maryland Court of Appeals considered Jan. 5 a change to the current system by ordering judges to set bail at a cost the defendant will be able to afford."Money should never decide whether people regain their freedom or stay in jail," Colbert said. "We have people who are a part of a pretrial population waiting for trial who are there for one reason only. They don't have the money to pay the bondsman a 10 percent fee and they don't have the financial resources to post for bail."Caucus members announced they would also focus on increasing public safety by creating more transparency between police officers and the general public.The black caucus also plans to push for increased prescription drug affordability by introducing legislation that would allow the attorney general to fight price gouging, said Vincent DeMarco, president of Maryland Citizen's Health Initiative.Regarding education, the caucus issued its support of a lawsuit that asserts students who attend historically black colleges continue to face violations of their rights and segregation within higher education. They are seeking remedies to solve the issues, which will continue to take place in the next few weeks, Delegate Charles Sydnor, D-Baltimore County, said.Caucus members said they also intend to ban pre-K suspensions and return of control of the Baltimore City Public Schools System to the Baltimore City government.
Its always been encouraging to me that young trans and gender variant people continue to push the boundaries of gender identification and presentation in ways that those of us who are well into our middle-agedness could never have imagined when we were that young.

There are times, though, when that kind of youthful forward thinking exceeds the boundaries of healthy and necessary progressive activism and crosses into true disrespect for the history and progress of transgender people and expression and those who had a role in it. A recent appearance by Boys Dont Cry filmmaker Kimberly Peirce at Reed College during which she was unfairly and unmercifully heckled underscores this problem.

In large part, the issue stems from an inability or unwillingness of trans and trans-supportive youth to properly judge media in the context of the era in which it was created. The world of today isnt the world of a generation ago, particularly for trans people. The college students who heckled Ms. Peirce at this event were judging her and her film, which was created almost 20 years ago, by the modern standards we have today for popular media about trans people and how those stories can and should be told.

Brandon Teena had been murdered in 1993 and the trial of his murderers, John Lotter and Thomas Nissan, was ongoing when I first began paying attention to all things transgender in early 1995. At that time, there existed only the beginnings of what would eventually come to be called the transgender community. It was an entity which existed almost entirely online, those of us who frequented trans-relevant and supportive chat rooms, message boards, and email lists.

For the most part, the gay and lesbian community wanted nothing to do with us. No doubt due to the sensationalistic aspects of the case, the anti-trans hate crime which was Brandon Teenas murder was one of the very first trans-relevant news stories in many years to break through to mainstream media coverage.

Unsurprisingly, mainstream media consistently misgendered Teena as a woman in their coverage. To make matters worse, in order to further their own political agenda gay and lesbian community media and political activists attempted to co-opt the story as their own by publicly redefining Teenas gender identification and sexual orientation as lesbian.

Our activist community was small then and our media reach outside of the trans community almost nonexistent. Many trans people spoke out online and publicly protested against erasing Teenas male gender identity in the media, with the Transexual Menace among the most vocal. It was through the activism around this misrepresentation of how Teena lived his life that politically active trans people began to coalesce around common interests and concerns, eventually forming the beginnings of the trans community we have today.

This is the reality into which Boys Dont Cry, an independent feature film starring Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny was released in 1999. When young people complain that Peirce chose Hilary Swank, a cis woman, to play the part of Brandon Teena, the argument is that she should have chosen a trans man to play the part instead. Were we talking about a film released today, or even a modern remake of this one, Id wholeheartedly agree, but because I lived through most of the 90s as a politically-conscious trans woman, I know its a completely unfair and unrealistic expectation.

For one thing, there were no out trans male actors of any notability at the time, nor any trans actresses, for that matter. None. They just didnt exist. Swank, who won an Oscar for the role, was basically an unknown herself at the time, with Sevigny the only actor of any real note in the film.

Its also important to understand how the film was perceived by trans people at the time it came out. We were thrilled, to put it mildly. Finally, a movie featuring a trans person as the lead character in a drama instead of comic relief, and on top of that, an Oscar awarded for the portrayal of that role. At a time when trans people were mostly ignored if we werent being openly disparaged in the media, we couldnt have been happier or more proud as a community. It was the first time wed broken through in a big way, and it filled many of us, myself included, with hope for the future.

Context is indeed everything, especially in a case like this, and it helps none of us to unfairly call out groundbreakers like Kimberly Peirce for work that doesnt live up to progressive standards which didnt exist when it was created.

Yes, my youthful sisters and brothers, fight as hard as we did, but also fight smart because we all lose when you attack the wrong side.
Former child star Susan Olsen, beloved by millions for her portrayal of Cindy Brady on the classic sitcom "The Brady Bunch," made headlines in early December when she locked heads with Leon Acord, a Los Angeles based writer, actor and gay activist.

Acord, who has performed extensively on stage, is the writer/creator and star of "Old Dogs and New Tricks," a popular online sitcom about a group of middle aged gay men who find themselves navigating the gay dating pool.

On December 5 Acord appeared as a guest on "Two Chicks Talkin' Politics," a chat show which Olsen co-hosts with LA radio personality Sheena Metal. The show is heard on L.A. Talk Radio, a popular online station. Olsen and Acord had strong disagreements on who the next President should be. Olsen supports Donald Trump. Acord supports Hillary Clinton.

After his appearance, Acord posted a message on Facebook in which he accused Olsen of spreading false information and called for LA Talk Radio to fire the actress.

Olsen responded with a number of public postings and private messages to Acord in which she called him a "cunt," a "faggot," and "human waste." After Acord posted Olsen's messages publicly, the story went viral. Both Acord and Olsen were banned from Facebook for several days, though Acord did not use offensive language of any kind and urged his supporters to do the same.

Facebook, Olsen and LA Talk Radio did not respond to SFGN's request for a comment, though LA Talk Radio did announce on the station's Facebook page that they had severed ties with Olsen. "Two Chicks Talkin' Politics" was cancelled.

"LA Talk Radio takes pride in its close and collaborative relationship with the LGBT community, and will continue to provide a home for those who have hopeful and positive messages of togetherness and tolerance to share with our listeners," the station posted on December 9. "We will not tolerate hateful speech by anyone associated with our radio station and have severed our ties with a host that veered off the direction in which we are going."

On December 13 LA Talk Radio backtracked on their earlier statement. "Susan Olsen voluntarily advised LA Talk Radio that she was leaving the show and the radio station on the afternoon of December 8, 2016," the station posted. "The show was discontinued on December 9, 2016.

LA Talk Radio is not a political radio station and we hold no political position."

Olsen's outburst shocked many. In the past she publicly supported marriage equality and spoke lovingly of her Brady Bunch TV dad Robert Reed, a closeted gay man who died of AIDS in 1992.

"Somehow the actual apology that I made days ago did not get posted." she posted on Facebook on December 16, the day she was allowed to access her account after her one-week banishment from the social networking site.

"I am very sorry for ever hurting the LGBT community that I love so much. For that, I am sorry and frankly find it hilarious that I am being called a homophobe. What could be more ridiculous??? I think that the real LGBT community knows that I have and always will support them. I love you!"

The actress continues to express her support for Donald Trump.

"Getting fired is never a happy event, even when the person deserves it," Acord told SFGN. "This is less a victory, more a badly needed course correction. I merely sounded the alarm. It was everyone, working together who made justice happen."

Acord said that he's ready to take on an even bigger adversary: Donald Trump himself. As the President-elect continues to claim that he's an LGBT ally while surrounding himself with people who oppose LGBT equality, Acord has launched a new Facebook group: No LGBT Rights Equals No LGBT Taxes. Now just over a month old, the group has more than one thousand members.

Acord posted the group's mission statement at the top of the group's page:

"An Open Letter to Donald J. Trump & Company:

No taxation without representation. [Its] one of the main reasons we broke away from England and created America.

Please be advised: If/when you are so ill-advised to enact your threats of repealing marriage equality & allowing discrimination against LGBT in the name of "religious freedom," the LGBT members of this group believe we should withhold our federal taxes until our rights are restored.

You cannot strip us of civil rights yet expect us to still pay for the privilege of being treated like second-class citizens.

Push us. We'd LOVE to take this one to court. And we bet the American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center & many others would love to join us.

You stand warned.

Members of "No LGBT Rights=No LGBT Taxes"

"It didn't really hit me until the middle of that night," Acord said of Election Day. "I woke up, as if from a nightmare, but quickly realized that I was waking up to the nightmare, Trump had one, and this was no dream. My spirits plummeted."

Acord added that he's fearful of what may be coming. "Even if you ignore his downright ignorant and hostile picks for his cabinet, the fact that he seems clueless about diplomacy, the fact that he's ignoring intelligence briefings to go on his ridiculous Evita Peron-like thank you tour, that fact that he's still tweeting bullshit doesn't bode well for this country," he said.

Acord explained that the formation of his Facebook group was a reaction to his post-election day despair. "The GOP would prefer that we can be fired for being gay, lose our homes for being gay, and that we can't get married," he said. "But they still expect us to pay full taxes as if we were getting the full [complement] of rights that straight people take for granted."

The activist also noted Vice President Elect Mike Pence's advocacy for gay conversion therapy as well as the promise of "religious freedom laws" which would enable people to discriminate against LGBT people on religious grounds as among the other reasons he formed his group.

"If Trump is so ill-advised that me makes good on some of his threats we are prepared to raise funds and do whatever it takes to fight and resist," he said. "We're not trying to get out of paying taxes. We're insisting on representation for our taxation. We're insisting on equal rights for equal taxation."

Acord hopes to get the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center involved should the fight become necessary.

"Go to protests," he urges people. "Get involved. Call your representatives, don't email them. If they insist on registering Muslims, I think every member of the LGBT community has to be the first in line to sign up and make the registers meaningless. Our Facebook group will be organizing a response in that regard. We're all in this together."

Acord specified that his actions aren't about "sour grapes", as he's been accused of. "We are objecting to a man who is a proven admitted sexual predator, racist, misogynist, xenophobe, serial liar and philanderer," he said. "We have to show Trump and his group of self-interested cronies that we are watching this every step--we are prepared to fight them every step of the way."

Facebook group: Facebook.com/groups/1619242155038184/
On November 7, 2016, a former Army reservist walked into an FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska, to report, his mind was being controlled by a U.S. intelligence agency.

His name was Esteban Santiago, and he claimed the government was controlling his mind and making him watch ISIS videos. He was brought to a mental health facility, and discharged a month later, given back a 9-millimeter gun he had surrendered.

Five days ago, that same man flew to Fort Lauderdale from Alaska, and upon picking up his luggage, retrieved that same gun, and using that same weapon, promptly shot five people to death in that terminal.

One elderly victim was a gentle grandmother from Council Bluffs, Iowa, a small, lovely town. Her life came to an end as she bent down to pick up her luggage for a cruise she and her husband were going to sail on within hours. Instead, a funeral to plan, and agonizing questions to ask.

You ask how?

Its simple, really. Too many things in our life dont work anymore.

Take Craig Jungwirth, who is likely to get out of jail this week, with virtually no legal or judicial supervision. Surprised? Dont be. Its your legal system at work.

How is it that the federal government, for all its skill set, cant seem to prove Jungwirth actually authored online posts threatening to exterminate gays in South Florida?

You mean that the entire investigative arm of the FBI and the US Justice Department cant figure out how one wacko threatened the entire LGBT community of South Florida? No wonder teenagers in the Ukraine are hijacking American computers.



Jungwirths was facing 12 to 18 months in jail on federal charges, but wound up in county court charged with stiffing a restaurant for a ten-dollar fee, and spray painting graffiti on a window of a local bar. Having already spent 128 days in the county jail for two second-degree misdemeanors, his time was maxed out. There was not much more the court could do.

A years worth of unsupervised probation with counseling as required was about as good as we were going to get. It seems that county probation does not provide for electronic monitors, though the court wanted one. It seems that county probation does not even have the authority to transfer non-residential probationers to another county, though the court sought the same. It seems like nothing works anymore the way it should.

As SFGN has revealed in multiple stories over the past year, Mr. Jungwirth is a warning sign of a car that has lost its brakes. Even before making an online terroristic threat to commit an Orlando Pulse like massacre in South Florida, he had created for himself a judicial history of mental instability.

Mr. Jungwirths past is pockmarked by accusations made against him by numerous parties for stalking and threats of violence. Various courts and jurists in a number of states and different jurisdictions over the past four years have issued sanctions against him.

Not surprisingly, a new request for yet another restraining order is now pending against Jungwirth in Broward County. A local businessman is accusing him of threatening him and sabotaging his business. Its that one pending case that is now holding Jungwirth in jail on what the law calls a writ of bodily attachment.

There are actually more victims of Jungwirth than the one complaining, but they are afraid to come forward. These accosted persons are intimidated and scared, because of his past, erratic conduct. You can sympathize of course, but to stop a dragon, somebody has to pick up the sword.

Mr. Jungwirths has caused some havoc in South Florida. Last year, his deliberate conduct enabled him to sabotage the popular Beach Bear Weekend by falsifying contracts and promoting non-existent events with venues that knew nothing of his representations. Mr. Jungwirth has even sued nightclubs for revenues in out-of -county courts based on spurious invoices he created for his falsified Beach Bear parties.

Imagine this: these businesses, including four local nightclubs, now have to hire legal counsel to defend themselves against moronic lawsuits against them in another county, because of Jungwirths transparent abuse of the legal system. His suits have one major implication, though, if the Orange County clerk of courts or chief prosecutor is listening. I hope they are.

Every lawsuit Jungwirth filed was paid for with checks that have bounced and not been made good. Writing bad checks is a crime, and frankly, in this case, an excuse for Orlando to prosecute Jungwirth anew, giving another jurisdiction an additional bite at the apple to impose some sort of continuing supervision over him. Let them know.

While check-kiting charges may seem minor, Jungwirth knew exactly what he was doing. He consciously went into an Orange County courthouse and paid a filing fee to sue a licensed alcoholic beverage establishment from Broward County on a frivolous and specious claim. Thats not indicative of mental illness. Its a conspiratorial and sophisticated attempt to sabotage a legitimate business with legal chicanery. Maybe he is not ill. Maybe he is just mendacious. I dont know; I am not a doctor.

Still, in sentencing Mr. Jungwirth for his criminal mischief charge last week, the court declined to require him to pass a competency examination before accepting the plea. Thats a shame, because there was sufficient evidence, based on the cumulative things he is alleged to have done, to suggest all his croutons may not be in the salad.

A court ordered psychological evaluation could be used in determining whether to even accept a plea from a potentially compromised defendant. A thorough report from a psychologist could have provided a little bit of insight into his aberrant behavior and misguided conduct over the past year. Maybe that report might even propose a line of treatment.

Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren did order Mr. Jungwirth to go to a private psychiatrist or mental health center and complete whatever treatment they so required. Please, whom are we kidding? There have been too many mass shootings by troubled souls who had voices talking to them in the night, making them do crazy things in the daytime.

The truth is painful. Americas mental health system does not work as well as we would like. The best we can hope for is Jungwirth does not wind up seeing the same doctors Esteban Santiago met with last November.

As of this date, unlike Mr. Santiago, Mr. Jungwirth has not killed anyone. But the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. And we do know this man has physically threatened some and intimidated others.



We do know that if something new happens no one is going to care whether he was mentally challenged, emotionally compromised, or just an evil man.

We are all just going to ask why dont things work anymore.

Why dont they?
13 new gamma-ray pulsars Einstein@Home

With the help of tens of thousands of volunteers the distributed computing project Einstein@Home discovers 13 new gamma-ray pulsars.

An analysis that would have taken more than a thousand years on a single computer has found within one year more than a dozen new rapidly rotating neutron stars in data from the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope.

With computing power donated by volunteers from all over the world an international team led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hannover, Germany, searched for tell-tale periodicities in 118 Fermi sources of unknown nature. In 13 they discovered a rotating neutron star at the heart of the source. While these all are  astronomically speaking  young with ages between tens and hundreds of thousands of years, two are spinning surprisingly slow  slower than any other known gamma-ray pulsar. Another discovery experienced a glitch, a sudden change of unknown origin in its otherwise regular rotation.

We discovered so many new pulsars for three main reasons: the huge computing power provided by Einstein@Home; our invention of novel and more efficient search methods; and the use of newly-improved Fermi-LAT data. These together provided unprecedented sensitivity for our large survey of more than 100 Fermi catalog sources, says Dr. Colin Clark, lead author of the paper now published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Neutron stars are compact remnants from supernova explosions and consists of exotic, extremely dense matter. They measure about 20 kilometers across and weigh as much as half a million Earths. Because of their strong magnetic fields and fast rotation they emit beamed radio waves and energetic gamma rays similar to a cosmic lighthouse. If these beams point towards Earth once or twice per rotation, the neutron star becomes visible as a pulsating radio or gamma-ray source  a so-called pulsar.

Blindly detecting gamma-ray pulsars

Finding these periodic pulsations from gamma-ray pulsars is very difficult. On average only 10 photons per day are detected from a typical pulsar by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi spacecraft. To detect periodicities, years of data must be analyzed, during which the pulsar might rotate billions of times. For each photon one must determine exactly when during a single split-second rotation it was emitted. This requires searching over years long data sets with very fine resolution in order not to miss a signal. The computing power required for these blind searches  when little to no information about the pulsar is known beforehand  is enormous.

Previous similar blind searches have detected 37 gamma-ray pulsars in Fermi-LAT data. All blind search discoveries in the past 4 years have been made by Einstein@Home which has found a total of 21 gamma-ray pulsars in blind searches, more than a third of all such objects discovered through blind searches.

Computing resource Einstein@Home

Enlisting the help of tens of thousands of volunteers from all around world donating idle compute cycles on their tens of thousands of computers at home, the team was able to conduct a large-scale survey with the distributed computing project Einstein@Home. In total this search required about 10,000 years of CPU core time. It would have taken more than one thousand years on a single household computer. On Einstein@Home it finished within one year  even though it only used part of the projects resources.

The scientists selected their targets from 1000 unidentified sources in the Fermi-LAT Third Source Catalog by their gamma-ray energy distribution as the most pulsar-like objects. For each of the 118 selected sources, they used novel, highly efficient methods to analyze the detected gamma-ray photons for hidden periodicities.

One dozen and one new neutron star

So far weve identified 17 new pulsars among the 118 gamma-ray sources we searched with Einstein@Home. The latest publication in The Astrophysical Journal presents 13 of these discoveries, says Clark. We knew that there had to be several unidentified pulsars in the Fermi data, but its always very exciting to actually detect one of them and at the same time its very satisfying to understand what its properties are. About half of the discoveries would have been missed in previous Einstein@Home surveys, but the novel improved methods made the difference.

Most of the discoveries were what the scientists expected: gamma-ray pulsars that are relatively young and were born in supernovae some tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago. Two of them however spin slower than any other gamma-ray pulsar known. Slow-spinning young pulsars on average emit less gamma-rays than faster-spinning ones. Finding these fainter objects is therefore useful to explore the entire gamma-ray pulsar population. Another newly discovered pulsar experienced a strong glitch, a sudden speedup of unknown origin in its otherwise regular rotation. Glitches are observed in other young pulsars and might be related to re-arrangements of the neutron star interior but are not well understood.

Searching for gamma-ray pulsars in binary systems

Einstein@Home searched through 118 unidentified pulsar-like sources from the Fermi-LAT Catalog, says Prof. Dr. Bruce Allen, director of Einstein@Home and director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hanover. Colin has shown that 17 of these are indeed pulsars, and I would bet that many of the remaining 101 are also pulsars, but in binary systems, where we lack sensitivity. In the future, using improved methods, Einstein@Home is going to chase after those as well, and I am optimistic that we will find at least some of them.

Additional information: Who made the discoveries?

The discoveries were enabled by tens of thousands of Einstein@Home volunteers who have donated their CPU time to the project. Without them this survey could not have been performed and these discoveries could not have been made. The team is especially grateful to those volunteers whose computers discovered the 13 pulsars reported in the ApJ publication (where the volunteers name is unknown or private, we give the Einstein@Home username in quotation marks):

PSR J0002+6216: James Drews of UW-Madison, WI, USA and Ralph Elwell of Richland, WA, USA; PSR J0359+5414: Whelton A. Miller III, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania & University of Pennsylvania, USA; the ATLAS Cluster, AEI, Hannover, Germany and Philip Delty Horney of the GPU Users Group, Fort Wright, KY, USA; PSR J0631+0646: Katagiri, Atsushi of Kawasaki, Japan and Nicholas Huwar of Houston, TX, USA; PSR J10575851: Syracuse University HTC Campus Grid, NY, USA; Igor Yakushin of Chicago, IL, USA and the LIGO Laboratory, USA; PSR J11056037: The ATLAS Cluster, AEI, Hannover, Germany and Syracuse University HTC Campus Grid, NY, USA; PSR J13506225: Petr Ruzicka of Brno, Czech Republic and Bryden Kanngiesser of Calgary, Canada; PSR J15285838: fred c and Gabriel Vasquez of Miami, FL, USA; PSR J16235005: Lars Bollwinkel, of Kiel, Germany and Greg Dorais of Martinez, CA, USA; PSR J16244041: Xio of NYC and Hung Tran of Chandler, AZ, USA; PSR J16504601: Syracuse University HTC Campus Grid, NY, USA and Eric Schwartz of Vashon Island, WA, USA; PSR J18271446: The ATLAS Cluster, AEI, Hannover, Germany; Igor Yakushin of Chicago, IL, USA and the LIGO Laboratory, USA; PSR J18440346: Aurelien FAUCHEUX of Antibes, France and Roger Gulbranson, Ph.D. of Wickliffe, OH, USA; PSR J2017+3625: Kurt Gramoll, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, OK, USA and Michael Brandau, of Kassel, Germany.

Additional information: Einstein@Home quick facts

Einstein@Home is a distributed volunteer computing and connects computers and smartphones from the general public from all over the world. The project volunteers donate spare computing time on their devices. So far more than 440,000 volunteers have participated, making Einstein@Home one of the largest projects of this kind. The aggregate computing power is about 1.6 petaFLOPS, which would secure Einstein@Home a position among the top 60 on the TOP500 list of supercomputers.

Since 2005, Einstein@Home has examined data from the gravitational wave detectors within the LIGO-Virgo-Science Collaboration (LVC) for gravitational waves from unknown, rapidly rotating neutron stars. As of March 2009, Einstein@Home has also been involved in the search for signals from radio pulsars in observational data from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and the Parkes Observatory in Australia. Since the first discovery of a radio pulsar by Einstein@Home in August 2010, the global computer network has discovered 55 new radio pulsars. A search for gamma-ray pulsars in data of the Fermi satellite was added in August 2011. It has discovered 21 new gamma-ray pulsars as of today.

Scientific supporters are the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, Hanover) and the Center for Gravitation and Cosmology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with financial support from the National Science Foundation and the Max Planck Society.

Additional information: Searching step by step  the new search methods

Their new methods improve the search sensitivity without increasing the associated computational costs. They consist of an initial search stage more sensitive than in any other Einstein@Home gamma-ray search before. The initial search produces a number of interesting candidates which are then followed up on with an even more sensitive second stage, which zooms in and narrows down the uncertainty in the pulsars physical properties. The final step of the search is not performed on Einstein@Home, but on the Atlas computer cluster at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hannover.

Scientific publication: The Einstein@Home gamma-ray pulsar survey I: search methods, sensitivity and discovery of new young gamma-ray pulsars, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 834, Number 2 (2017), http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/834/2/106, free to read on the arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.01015

Related Einstein@Home news releases:

* Hidden in Plain Sight  Max Planck Scientists Discover Elusive Gamma-ray Pulsar with Distributed Computing Project Einstein@Home (5 Aug 2015): http://www.aei.mpg.de/1689618/EatHGPSRHidden

* Binary Star System Precisely Timed with Pulsars Gamma-rays  Max Planck Scientists Find Evidence for Stellar Companions Activity Cycles (29 Jul 2015): http://www.aei.mpg.de/1689465/GammaPSRTiming

* Home Computers Discover Gamma-ray Pulsars  Einstein@Home volunteers find four cosmic lighthouses in data from NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (26 Nov 2013): http://www.aei.mpg.de/972495/einsteinathome_gammapsrs2013

Visuals: keyvisuals_png.001.png: ( Knispel/Clark/Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics) The entire sky as seen by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the 13 pulsars discovered by Einstein@Home that were now published. The field below each inset shows the pulsar name and its rotation frequency. The flags in the insets show the nationalities of the volunteers whose computers found the pulsars. pulsar_illustration.jpg: ( NASA/Fermi/Cruz de Wilde) A gamma-ray pulsar is a compact neutron star that accelerates charged particles to relativistic speeds in its extremely strong magnetic field. This process produces gamma radiation (violet) far above the surface of the compact remains of the star, for example, while radio waves (green) are emitted over the magnetic poles in the form of a cone. The rotation moves the emission regions across the terrestrial line of sight, making the pulsar light up periodically in the sky.
Astronaut Shane Kimbrough is pictured during the first power upgrade spacewalk on Jan. 6, 2017. Credit: NASA. NASA

Commander Shane Kimbrough is getting ready for his second spacewalk in a week to complete the upgrade of power systems on the International Space Station. He will be joined by Thomas Pesquet from the European Space Agency who will be conducting his first spacewalk.

The spacewalking duo are partnering up today with NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson to review Friday mornings spacewalk. Whitson, who completed her seventh spacewalk last Friday, and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy will be assisting the spacewalkers in and out of their spacesuits and the Quest airlock.

Late yesterday and last night robotic ground controllers used the Dextre Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to move the final lithium-ion battery to the 1A power channel Integrated Electronics Assembly, moved another nickel-hydrogen battery to one of Dextres arms for temporary stowage and tightened down bolts on two of the previously moved Li-ion batteries.

So, we now have five nickel-hydrogen batteries either on the HTV External Pallet or temporarily stowed on Dextre and one more Ni-H battery to move from the 1A IEA to another stowage position on Dextre later today to complete the pre-EVA robotics. All six new lithium-ion batteries are now installed on the S4 truss IEA. The 3A power channel is fully operational. The 1A power channel will be activated on Friday during the EVA after adapter plates are moved into place on the 1A IEA.

Post-EVA robotics on Saturday and Sunday will complete the work to move the last four old Ni-H batteries from Dextre to the External Pallet for disposal (there will be nine on the EP in all). They will burn up in the Earths atmosphere when the HTV is deorbited.

Whitson and Pesquet started their day scanning their arteries with and ultrasound and collecting body fluid samples for the Cardio Ox study. That experiment is researching the increased risk of atherosclerosis, the plaque build-up in the artery wall that results in narrowing of the blood vessel, in astronauts living in space.

In the Russian segment of the space station, cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov set up gear for a Matryoshka radiation detection experiment. Veteran cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko studied how mission events affect the station structure and explored new Earth photography techniques.

On-Orbit Status Report

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: Today, the USOS crew continued preparing tools that will be used during Fridays EVA, which will support the upgrade from Nickel Hydride Channel 1A batteries to Lithium Ion batteries. The crew verified that the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFERs) are functional, and configured two cameras that will be used during the EVA. The crew also performed a final EVA procedure review. US EVA #39 is scheduled for Friday, January 13th with Joint Airlock Egress occurring at ~6:15am CST.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Yesterday and overnight (GMT 010-011), the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) Body and Arm1 as required to use SPDM Arm1 to remove the 1A-3 Nickel-Hydrogen (NiH2) battery from its slot in the 1A Integrated Electronics Assembly (IEA). They then maneuvered the SSRMS and SPDM as required to use SPDM Arm2 to unstow a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery from slot F of the H-II Transfer Vehicle 6 (HTV6) Exposed Pallet (EP) and install it in slot 3 of the 1A IEA. Next they unstowed the Robotic Offset Tool (ROST) from the SPDM Tool Holder Assembly (THA) and attempted to fasten the H1 bolt of the 1A slot 5 battery, but the ROST socket was not able to engage the H1 bolt. An activity will be added to allow EVA crewmembers to fasten this H1 bolt during the upcoming EVA. To back away the ROST from the H1 fixture, pull force needed to be increased up to 70 N. Then, the same attempt was performed on 1A slot 1 and after pushing with a higher force (110 N) when fastening with the ROST socket, the H1 bolt was successfully bolted. However, when trying to pull the ROST away from H1 fixture with the maximum force allowed (110 N), ROST stayed stuck on the fixture and forces and moments sensed were not expected. After multiple attempts to pull it off, ROST was finally released after unfastening slightly the ROST Socket. Finally the Robotics Ground Controllers maneuvered the SSRMS and SPDM to a park position.

Biomolecule Sequencer (BMS) Sample Stop: On Monday, the crew initiated the final BMS run off of the tasklist. Today, the crew completed the 48-hour sample session. To complete the analysis the crew captured a screenshot of the Surface Pro 3, then downlinked the image to the ground for the BMS team to evaluate. The goals of the BMS experiment are to provide a proof-of-concept for the functionality and evaluate crew operability of a DNA sequencer in a space/microgravity environment. The capability for sequencing of DNA in space could provide for a better ability to identify microbes in real-time, instead of requiring sample return and ground based analysis.

Human Research Collections: This morning the crew continued their urine collection and performed a blood collection in support of several Human Research experiments today. Samples for the Biochemical Profile, Repository, and Cardio Ox were collected and stowed in Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). The Biochemical Profile experiment tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight. Specific proteins and chemicals in the samples are used as biomarkers, or indicators of health. Post-flight analysis yields a database of samples and test results, which scientists can use to study the effects of spaceflight on the body. Repository is a storage bank used to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. This repository supports scientific discovery that contributes to our fundamental knowledge in the area of human physiological changes and adaptation to a microgravity environment and provides unique opportunities to study longitudinal changes in human physiology spanning many missions. Cardio Ox determines whether biological markers of oxidative and inflammatory stress are elevated during and after space flight and whether this results in an increased, long-term risk of atherosclerosis in astronauts.

Cardio Ox Ultrasound: In addition to fluid collections, todays Flight Day 60 (FD60) Cardio Ox session included ultrasound and Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements. With scanning assistance from a Crew Medical Officer (CMO) and ground remote guidance specialists, the crew donned ECG electrodes, and marked the Carotid and Brachial arteries to make locating them easier when scanning. By collecting ultrasound and ECG data, paired with blood and urine samples, scientists are trying to determine whether biological markers of oxidative and inflammatory stress are elevated during and after space flight and whether this results in an increased, long-term risk of atherosclerosis risk in astronauts.

Habitability Narrated Task: In support of the Habitability experiment, the crew performed a narrated video of nominal on-orbit tasks which give unique insight into the day in the life of an ISS crew member. Todays narrated video was of meal preparation, including using the food warmer, reconstituting drinks and setting up eating areas. Observations documented through an iPad application help characterize the ways crew members live and work in microgravity, and how their interactions with their environment might require different layouts, additional space, or other alterations to future manned space vehicles.

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutron (RaDI-N): After retrieving the RaDI-N hardware from the Russian crewmembers, a USOS crewmember deployed eight Space Bubble Detectors around the ISS for the Radi-N2 experiment. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) RaDI-N investigation will be conducted by measuring neutron radiation levels while onboard the ISS. RaDI-N uses bubble detectors as neutron monitors which have been designed to only detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation.

External (EXT) Multiplexer/Demultiplexer (MDM) Upgrade: The crew configured a new Enhanced Processor and Integrated Communications (EPIC) EXT MDM by removing two circuit cards from a donor MDM and installing them, plus an additional spare card, into the spare EXT MDM. The MDM Front Cover was then exchanged for an EXT MDM Ethernet Cover. EPIC MDMs feature faster processors, increased memory, and an Ethernet port for data output, allowing for the simultaneous operation of a greater number of experiments. The upgraded EXT MDM is scheduled to be installed during a future EVA.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) Routine Maintenance: The crew performed a change out of the WHC UR and insert filter. After replacement, a functionality test of the WHC was successfully performed.

Todays Planned Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic Urine Collection

Multi Omics Saliva sample MELFI Insertion

Multi Omics Saliva Stow

Multi Omics Question

HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion Operations

HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection

HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Configuration

MERLIN 2 Desiccant Swap

Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On

Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis

??? maintenance

Cardio Ox Ultrasound Preparation

Storage Battery Current Converter ????-1? (?305) temperature check

HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin Conclude

HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion

Cardio Ox Ultrasound Scan  Subject

RELAKSATSIYA Hardware Setup.

Cardio Ox Ultrasound Scan  Operator

MRM1 Fan Screen Cleaning (Group B)

Cardio Ox CDL Holter Arterial BP Unit Battery Installation  Subject

Cardio Ox CDL Holter Arterial BP Measurement  Subject

Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue GN2 Check

External Multiplexer/De-multiplexer (EXT MDM) Big Picture Word Review

RELAKSATSIYA. Parameter Settings Adjustment

Cardio Ox CDL Holter Arterial BP Hardware Doff  Subject

External Multiplexer/Demultiplexer (EXT MDM) Upgrade

HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Conclude Stow

Waste and Hygeine Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) and Insert Filter (IF) Remove and Replace

RELAKSATSIYA. Observation

RELAKSATSIYA. Closeout Ops and Hardware Removal.

TIMER. Battery Charge

Storage Battery Current Converter ????-1? (?305) temperature check.

Study of cardiovascular system under graded physical CYCLE load.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB)/Metal Oxide (METOX) Installation

Photo TV Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Turnaround

US Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tether Inspection

Habitability Narrated Task Video Setup

Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Lab Video Setup

Habitability Narrated Task Video End

Video Recording of Greetings

HRF Generic Urine Collection Stow

ESA ACTIVE DOSIMETER MOBILE UNIT SWAP

Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config Columbus Setup

Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record

Lighting Effects Light Meter Readings Alternate 1

PAO Preparation

Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Waste Water Bag (WWB) Changeout

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus

INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops

Recharging Soyuz 732 Samsung PC Battery (if charge level drops below 80%)

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Full Fill

Dose Tracker Data Entry

Confirm location of DVD for MSG Laptop H/D Swap

TIMER. Experiment setup and initiation of video recording

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Full Fill

VIZIR. Experiment Ops.

MATRYOSHKA-R. Prep and Initialization of Bubble-Dosimeter Detectors

ISS HAM Service Module Pass

Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations

Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Lab Video Return

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons Hardware Handover

MATRYOSHKA-R. Handover of BUBBLE-dosimeter detectors to RS

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons

MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter initialization and deployment for exposure

TIMER. Experiment Ops Video Termination and Cleanup

Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) /Group Combustion Module (GCM) Component Activation

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review

Terminate Soyuz 732 Samsung PC Battery Recharge (as necessary)

Delta file prep

CB/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

URISYS Hardware Setup

Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

RELAKSATSIYA. Charging battery for Relaksatstiya experiment (initiate

Completed Task List Items

WIF Adapter EVA Prep

Ground Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Channel 1A Battery Robotics Ops

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Thursday, 01/12: EVA Procedure Review, EVA Conference, Airlock Equipment Lock Prep, EVA Tool Audit

Friday, 01/13: Airlock Depress, S4 Battery EMU EVA

Saturday, 01/14: EVA Debrief, EVA Camera Disassembly, Airlock Deconfig, EMU Recharge

QUICK ISS Status  Environmental Control Group:

Component  Status

Elektron  On

Vozdukh  Manual

[???] 1  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1)  Off

[???] 2  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2)  On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab  Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3  Idle

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)  Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)  Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab  Off

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3  Full Up
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Geopolitical conflicts, including the flare-up of aggression between Azerbaijan and Armenia continue negatively impacting on the economies of CIS countries, the international rating and research organization Moodys says in a report.

The report mentions: All CIS sovereigns should grow slightly faster in 2017 than in 2016. Moody's forecasts median growth to rise to 2.0% in 2017 from 1.0% in 2016, and a further rise to 3.0% in 2018.

Geopolitical conflicts also will continue to weigh on the CIS economies, mainly because of the impact of Western sanctions on Russia and the conflict in eastern Ukraine but also due to the flare-up of aggression between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Of the nine CIS sovereigns rated by Moody's, only Belarus and Kazakhstan are not engaged in a military conflict or border dispute with a neighbor, the report says.
Say youre in Lafayette, Louisiana and you wanna get some regional fare. Youd head to Johnsons Boucaniere for some delicious hot boudin. But if you want to keep moving after consuming such a Cajun delicacy, you might need some caffeine to help fend off a nap.

Luckily, Reve Coffee Roasters is less than a mile away. Situated in a former auto shop (after moving from its original Pinhook location in fall 2015), Reve is right in the middle of downtown Lafayette. The building still bears the hallmarks of its former life, such as in the marquee above the front entrance.

Its gone through so many different evolutions [with] the culture of this downtown area, says Mark Whitney, Reves manager and creative director (and also barista). Its been a really cool thing for us to be able to make it our own. Having things like the roll-up door in the back, where they used to bring the cars in, is perfect for us to have coffee. Having the big doors in the front is great for whenever we have music.

Reve Coffee began three years ago through the efforts of co-owners Nathanael Johnson and Christopher Pickle. They both worked in coffee shops around town and wanted to really get their hands dirty by starting a specialty roaster and cafe, according to Whitney. Johnson and Pickle handle roasting and wholesale sales, while Whitney, who is a Specialty Coffee Association of America-certified barista, was brought in to help train and handle responsibilities in the front of house.

Sunlight is in surplus at Reve as two sides have windows as well as a skylight. In full sight in the back is the 35-kilogram US Roaster Corp machine and green coffee storage. Espresso responsibilities are assigned to a two-group Slayer espresso machine and Compak grinders. Theres a batch brew option to complement the AeroPress, Chemex, and Hario V60 pour-overs. Four taps contain cold-brew and nitro coffees, house-made kombucha, and black tea from Piper & Leaf. A pastry case entices those standing in line, and theres a small kitchen menu, which features the Tornado: pastry dough stuffed with eggs, cheese, and local sausage.

According to Whitney, other than a simple cup of coffee, the most requested drink at Reve is a cafe au lait. Not too surprising, since Lafayette is only two hours away from New Orleans in Acadiana, the Cajun region of Louisiana making up 34 percent of the states parishes. But cafe au laits means chicory coffee is also in the mix. Enter the Voodoo Elixir, a Third Wave take on a classic drink: a cup of ice flanked on one side by half and half and on the other by a chicory-infused iced coffee with cinnamon-infused honey. Customers can add the parts together however they choose.

Reves coffee selections themselves are streamlined, with two single-origin options for pour-overs, cold brew, and espresso drinks: one to satisfy requests for darker roasts, such as fuller-bodied coffees from Brazil, Colombia, or Java, and a second from the opposite end of the spectrum, like the lighter and brighter coffees from Ethiopia or Kenya. The batch brew and nitro coffees are house blends.

The rest of the roaster is kind of our experiment, Whitney explains. We [roast] a bunch of other different coffees that well sell in bags, but [for] the cafe itself we like to keep things very focusedwe want to be able to hit something that we know youre going to enjoy.

Looking down the road, Reve aims to keep the interest in specialty coffee growing in the region. Other shops have opened in town and adopted a Third Wave mindset toward drink choices and brew methods. Whitney embraces the challenge, saying newer shops keep the team on their toes. He adds that the future for specialty coffee around the South has long legs, and is excited for the future.

Everybody throws around the term Southern hospitality,  he says. I think that what specialty coffee has done is kind of taken that to a really serious level. Not only are we able to give you service with a smile, with a lot of happiness, [but] were also able to give you an excellent product. Were trying our best to really give you the full package. We want you to walk out of here [feeling] like youre a part of our family.

Evan C. Jones is a Sprudge.com contributor based in St. Louis. Read more Evan C. Jones on Sprudge.
Contact: Alexandra Snyder, Life Legal Defense Foundation , 202-717-7371NAPA, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- The first lawsuit filed against Life Legal client David Daleiden after he exposed the abortion industry's trade in baby body parts has been dropped!StemExpress, a fetal tissue broker that purchased aborted babies from Planned Parenthood and then sold them for a profit, today filed a notice of dismissal in its suit against Daleiden.In announcing the dismissal of the lawsuit, Daleiden and the Center of Medical Progress credited the work of Katie Short, Life Legal's VP of Legal Affairs, and the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund in bringing about this victory.Daleiden's 8th video showed StemExpress CEO Cate Dyer discussing the purchase of fetal body parts from Planned Parenthood. In this video, Dyer notes the importance of ensuring profitability for abortion providers. She can also be seen laughing as she describes the procedure for shipping the babies' bodies so as not to alarm the recipients who will see their intact faces.StemExpress sold the parts to universities and research facilities at a substantial markup. The body parts broker has been referred to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation and possible criminal prosecution for its role in the illegal trafficking of fetal body parts.In August, McDermott, Will and Emery, the high-priced Chicago-based law firm that represented StemExpress inexplicably withdrew from the case over Dyer's objections."Life Legal is thrilled that StemExpress has dropped its meritless lawsuit," said Alexandra Snyder, Executive Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation. "We have always maintained that the allegations raised in the lawsuit were baseless and that the suit was only filed to punish David Daleiden for exposing the truth about the StemExpress' role in the illegal trafficking of fetal body parts."Life Legal continues to defend Daleiden in two other lawsuits filed against him by the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood.
Contact: Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Media@LC.org; Press Kit



ASHBURN, Va., Jan. 12, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- In a 5-4 vote Tuesday night, the Loudoun County School Board rejected a proposal to add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the protected characteristics listed in its equal employment policy.

Instead, the board voted unanimously to add a paragraph stating the school system hires based on excellence and merit, and values diversity in employees and students. ACLU and others had asked the board to go beyond the requirements of Virginia and federal law and add additional categories of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity." These categories would have violated Virginia's "Dillon rule" which requires local nondiscrimination laws to not be more stringent than the state law. State law does not include "sexual orientation," "gender identity," or "gender expression."

"This is good news that the Loudoun County School Board is not caving to radical activists regarding its employment policy," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "Individuals should be hired according to qualifications and merit. The law already protects employees from discrimination based on race, age, biological sex, and religion. The Constitution does not protect a person's choice of sexual lifestyle."

Liberty Counsel filed an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court. The appeal seeks to overturn the Fairfax County Circuit Court's decision validating a similar proposal adopted by the School Board of Fairfax County. Liberty Counsel sued the school board for illegally changing its nondiscrimination policy and adding "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" and "gender expression" to its policy and student handbook. Virginia civil rights laws explicitly prohibit local governing bodies from altering the state's nondiscrimination policy. Liberty Counsel represents Jake Doe, a minor, John and Jane, the parents and Andrea Lafferty.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of official events dedicated to the 295th anniversary of the establishment of Russian Prosecution, Armenias Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan had a meeting with his Russian counterpart Yury Chayka in Moscow, press service of the Armenian Prosecutor Generals Office told Armenpress.

Artur Davtyan congratulated Yury Chayka on the 295th anniversary of the prosecutions establishment, emphasized the high level of close cooperation between the prosecution systems of the two countries and expressed confidence this will be continuous and productive in near future.

In his turn, Yury Chayka congratulated Artur Davtyan on his appointment, stating that the strengthening of cooperation in the judicial field will contribute to further intensification of relations between the two states.

The two Prosecutor Generals stated that such format meetings will strengthen the mutual perception and will contribute to more effective apply of the principle of the rule of law.

Wide range of issues related to the judicial field were discussed at the meeting, agreement was reached to further intensify cooperation at concrete directions.
Snow and rain storms are currently hitting drought-sicken northern California.

Upon other dramatic events, the iconic Pioneer Cabin Tree was toppled, floods created insane water levels in rivers, huge avalanches destroyed homes, giant sinkholes and record snow closed a few major roads. A real weather chaos!

The historic Pioneer Cabin Tree, a more than 1,000 years old drive-through giant sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County, was felled in Californias weekend storms.

The tree was hollowed out in the 1880s to allow tourists to pass through it, and even allowed cars, but more recently has hosted only hikers. It was part of the Big Trees Trail at the state park.

Jim Allday of Arnold is a volunteer at the park who was working there Sunday. He said the tree went down about 2 p.m. and shattered on impact.

He said people had been walking through the tree as recently as Sunday.

The California storms also completely changed the landscape and water level in this drought-sicken State. These photographs show the dramatic impact the heavy rains have had on water levels at lakes, reservoirs, dams and rivers across the top half of the state.

As three raging storms pummeled Northern California in early January, the lakes rose, the floodgates opened, the rivers swelled, and the waterfalls roared.

The landscape that became dry and parched during five years of drought turned into a wet, soggy mess.

Trickles of water became surging flows, and floodplains transformed into massive seas of water.

Meanwhile, a portion of road near an exit of Interstate 80 in Placer County has been destroyed by recent storms, leaving behind a gaping sinkhole.

A chunk of Morton Road near the Alta exit of I-80 is gone, swept away by rains.

Because of record snowfall, the stretch of the interstate 80 between the Nevada border and Colfax had reopened on Wednesday afternoon after closing for two days amid a powerful storm that dumped several feet of snow on mountain passes.

Drivers were required to use chains and stay under 30 mph.

Highway 50, which was closed overnight due to avalanche danger, was reopened on Echo Summit on Wednesday morning. Two late night avalanches closed Highway 89 between Squaw Valley and Tahoe City, but the road was later reopened.

Finally a controlled avalanche hit a few houses in the area of Alpine Meadows. Nobody was injured, but some doors wer openened up.

After the drought, the water apocalypse!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
It's "a correct political choice" for Nigeria to order Taiwan to move its business affairs office from the capital Abuja according to the globally recognized one-China principle, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday.

Lu spoke highly of Nigeria's decision at a regular news conference, saying that barriers for the healthy development of China-Nigeria ties have been swept away.

"It proves again that sticking to the one-China principle is in accordance with the will of the people as well as the international trend," he said.

On Wednesday, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama announced the order after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Taiwan would stop enjoying privileges because it isn't a country recognized under international law, Onyeama said.

The two countries signed a joint declaration after the discussions, in which Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China policy. Taiwan has no "diplomatic ties" with Nigeria, but has an office in Abuja for handling business affairs.

Wang said after the meeting that Taiwan's business office has engaged in activities that have obviously violated the one-China principle for years. In April 2016, President Xi Jinping and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari reached an important consensus on sticking to the one-China principle, he said.

Last month, the African island nation of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe announced the country would cut "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan. Currently, 21 countries and governments, mainly small nations and islands in Latin America, Oceania and Africa, rely heavily on economic aid from Taiwan and hold such ties with the island.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On January 12 in accordance with the agreement reached with the leadership of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the direction of the NKR Martuni region, north-east of Ashaghy Veysali settlement, press service of the NKR MFA told Armenpress.

From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by staff member of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden) and head of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) Colonel Hans Lampalzer (Austria).

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain), Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria), and representative of the OSCE HLPG Major Cavit Elyas (Turkey).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No violation of the ceasefire regime was registered.

From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Naria Zohrabyan, leader of the PAP faction in Armenias Parliament and member of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) says in her opinion the announcement of 30 civil society representatives of Azerbaijan  which urged PACE to suspend the right to vote of Azerbaijans delegation, wont have any effect.

According to her, numerous announcements were made prior to this incident also, aimed to the Council of Europe, but its leadership hadnt taken it into consideration.

That same corruption scandal also mentions PACE President Pedro Agramunts name. The prosecution of Milan initiated a criminal case on the involvement of Luca Volonte, leader of the European Democratic Partys faction, in the corruption scandal, and he agreed to cooperate and has given Agramunts name. According to our credible information, Volonte also mentioned Jordi Xucla i Costas name, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, in his testimony, meaning the entire corruption scheme of the Azerbaijani leadership has been revealed. Moreover, not only the civil society of Azerbaijan, but also according to our information numerous European lawmakers are going to raise the issue of expressing distrust to Agramunt in the upcoming January sitting. I think we will witness some developments during this sitting, Zohrabyan told ARMENPRESS.
blog archive October 2022 (4) August 2022 (1) June 2022 (3) May 2022 (1) April 2022 (1) March 2022 (2) February 2022 (2) January 2022 (1) December 2021 (1) November 2021 (2) October 2021 (3) September 2021 (2) July 2021 (1) June 2021 (1) May 2021 (2) April 2021 (2) March 2021 (3) February 2021 (3) December 2020 (2) November 2020 (1) October 2020 (1) September 2020 (2) August 2020 (3) July 2020 (2) June 2020 (1) April 2020 (7) March 2020 (5) January 2020 (3) December 2019 (2) November 2019 (5) October 2019 (4) September 2019 (2) August 2019 (7) July 2019 (2) June 2019 (1) May 2019 (3) April 2019 (3) March 2019 (3) February 2019 (4) January 2019 (2) December 2018 (13) November 2018 (10) October 2018 (2) September 2018 (2) August 2018 (10) July 2018 (4) June 2018 (2) May 2018 (4) April 2018 (3) March 2018 (5) February 2018 (4) January 2018 (4) December 2017 (3) November 2017 (6) October 2017 (7) September 2017 (6) August 2017 (6) July 2017 (5) June 2017 (4) May 2017 (5) April 2017 (3) March 2017 (5) February 2017 (6) January 2017 (15) December 2016 (4) November 2016 (13) October 2016 (20) September 2016 (5) August 2016 (8) July 2016 (5) June 2016 (4) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (5) March 2016 (10) February 2016 (6) January 2016 (5) December 2015 (4) November 2015 (11) October 2015 (8) September 2015 (7) August 2015 (7) July 2015 (7) June 2015 (14) May 2015 (5) April 2015 (5) March 2015 (21) February 2015 (5) January 2015 (2) December 2014 (13) November 2014 (8) October 2014 (17) September 2014 (16) August 2014 (14) July 2014 (12) June 2014 (11) May 2014 (8) April 2014 (12) March 2014 (12) February 2014 (12) January 2014 (7) December 2013 (9) November 2013 (30) October 2013 (32) September 2013 (44) August 2013 (33) July 2013 (18) June 2013 (6) May 2013 (38) April 2013 (7) March 2013 (35) February 2013 (8) January 2013 (4) December 2012 (23) November 2012 (21) October 2012 (53) September 2012 (53) August 2012 (18) July 2012 (18) June 2012 (22) May 2012 (27) April 2012 (67) March 2012 (42) February 2012 (26) January 2012 (30) December 2011 (21) November 2011 (23) October 2011 (23) September 2011 (66) August 2011 (24) July 2011 (7) June 2011 (30) May 2011 (19) April 2011 (32) March 2011 (29) February 2011 (29) January 2011 (14) December 2010 (23) November 2010 (32) October 2010 (21) September 2010 (25) August 2010 (24) July 2010 (12) June 2010 (11) May 2010 (19) April 2010 (32) March 2010 (60) February 2010 (51) January 2010 (42) December 2009 (52) November 2009 (52) October 2009 (36) September 2009 (42) August 2009 (95) July 2009 (48) June 2009 (103) May 2009 (112) April 2009 (134) March 2009 (94) February 2009 (1) January 2009 (6) December 2008 (6) November 2008 (6) October 2008 (4) September 2008 (1) August 2008 (2) July 2008 (1) June 2008 (3) February 2008 (1) January 2008 (3) December 2007 (4) November 2007 (22) August 2007 (1) April 2000 (1) January 2000 (1)
It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here.
Kalama police Chief Randy Gibson died at home Tuesday evening after a long battle with cancer. He was 59.

He was lauded for bringing stability and respect to a department that had gone through three chiefs in 17 years before him. His even keel and sly Missouri sense of humor made him an easy fit for the position.

Gibsons death is being considered a line-of-duty death because he died after going into respiratory distress that was brought on by a high-stress arrest he performed Tuesday. According to a city press release, Gibson drove himself to the hospital. He was later discharged to his home at his own request, and he died there later in the day.

Kelso Chief Andy Hamilton, a friend of Gibsons, said the chiefs own officers escorted his body from his Kalama home to the coroners office. Local agencies later escorted his body from the coroners office to the funeral home.

Gibson had been chief since October 2011, when he was chosen out of a big pool of applicants. He previously had been a lieutenant with the Greene County Sheriffs Office in Springfield, Mo.

He arrived in Kalama with nearly 20 years of law enforcement under his belt. He commanded the Greene County Sheriffs Office criminal investigations division and was an instructor at the Drury University Law Enforcement Academy in Springfield and the Missouri Sheriffs Training Academy.

He took a department that was in decay and brought it back to respectability, said Kalama Mayor Pete Poulsen, adding that Gibson strengthened hiring and training practices at the department and instilled a sense of pride in his officers. He was an incredible administrator, an incredible person, and an incredible law enforcement officer. There will be no one else like him.  Im so sad about it.

Sheriff Mark Nelson said Gibson, who also was the current chairman of the Cowlitz Association of Sheriff and Police Chiefs, completely transformed the department.

Randy came into the city of Kalama at a very very difficult time. The agency just needed some good solid leadership. Bless his heart, he came in. He was just a good, good man, Nelson said. He really turned things around.

He was a cops cop, people said.

It meant he was a reassuring, calming presence and a great sounding board for his officers, Hamilton said.

I would love for people to say that about me when I leave, Hamilton said. He was the full-meal deal. He was the good guy. He lived (the law enforcement life), he practiced it. I never saw him upset, never saw him mad. (He had) a real even keel.

Hamilton and Gibson had coffee weekly. They bonded over their jobs as small-town police chiefs and went on outings with their wives.

Hamilton said Gibson didnt speak much about the cancer that ailed him.

He probably had the best outlook of anyone, Hamilton said. There were times when we would talk, we were going to sporting events, and he said I really cant do that. 

Despite the doctors visits and the fatigue, Gibson was resolute, Hamilton said.

He didnt miss meetings. If he told you he was going to be there, he would be there, he said.

He always had a smile on his face and a joke to crack, but he didnt take himself too seriously, Poulsen said.

Poulsen said there are no plans yet on how Gibson will be replaced. Sheriffs deputies are helping provide coverage in the meantime. Police department staff did not return calls for comment Wednesday.

Gibson is survived by his wife, Dawn Gibson, who declined to comment Wednesday.
The areas third snowstorm of the winter knocked out power to nearly 2,000 Cowlitz County utility customers, snapped trees across the region and shut down local schools Wednesday, but the regions long spell of cold weather may end next week, forecasters say.

Overnight temperatures were predicted to plunge back into the mid teens Wednesday night, and clear, cold air will dominate the weather here into Saturday night, when a warmup and rain are forecast to return.

By midday Wednesday, most major urban area arterials were slushy with bare and wet pavement. Although sunshine is expected Thursday, roads may make the morning commute treacherous. By Late Wednesday afternoon, all Cowlitz County school districts and the Rainier and Clatskanie school districts in Oregon already had cancelled Thursday classes.

The storm delivered 3 to 4 inches of snow in the Kelso-Longview lowlands and 8 inches or more in the hills surrounding the urban area. In the Kalama and Woodland areas, county road crews reported that 12 to 15 inches of snow fell in the foothills around those communities Wednesday night.

This has been a prolonged period of cold weather comparable to what we saw in December 2008. Weve also been comparing it to episodes in January 1996 and January 1980, said Weather Service hydrologist Andy Bryant. There are not that many cases where weve had winter weather of this magnitude.

What had been a warm and moist pattern changed abruptly in early December, when a flow of tropical air into the region shifted from to a cold northwesterly flow out of the Gulf of Alaska. In recent weeks, that pattern has combined with a flow of frigid arctic air that has kept inland Northwest in a deep freeze and that is filtering into Southwest Washington through mountain passes and the Columbia Gorge, Bryant said.

Change is coming, he said.

By the middle of next week, temperatures will be in the mid to upper 40s, and we do have a potential for heavy rain. We will be watching for potential flooding on some rivers, he said, noting that the air flow into the region is expected to return to a tropical pattern.

It looks like were moving into relatively warmer, wetter pattern, Bryant said.

That gloomy outlook contrasts with the almost magical, winter wonderland scene created by the Wednesday storm. The community looked like it had been frosted with powdered sugar. At Lake Sacajawea, children rode sleds and saucers down the gentle slopes at Hemlock Plaza, their squeals occasionally pierce by the cra-ack of nearby tree limbs.

Snow, which clung to an icy undercoating, stuck to trees all day. As pretty as it looked, the snows weight brought down many trees and limbs and kept utility and county road crews busy all day. Lower Columbia Heights Road in Longview was shut down in the morning because trees fell into power lines, but no other major road closures were reported.

By midmorning, about 1,800 Cowlitz PUD customers were without power, with major outages reported in the Meeker area of Kalama, Delameter area west of Castle Rock, Olson Road area north of Longview, Bakers Corner and western Cowlitz County, South Kelso and Vader. Service to all but 20 customers was restored by late afternoon, according to the PUD.

County road crews threw everything they had at the snowstorm, said Mark Koelsch of the countys Public Works Department.

Everything we have available is out. (Crews) have even chained up all four tires on an excavator, he said in the morning, when it was still snowing.

One of the big issues are trees. So many trees are down that it is interrupting our plow crews, who have to remove them or wait for the PUD if power lines are down. Thats been an extra issue, Koelsch added.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Acting Chairman of OSCE, Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz presented the main priorities of his chairmanship to the OSCE Permanent Council. Kurtz announced Austria is ready to assume the OSCE chairmanship already the second time since 2000 and contribute to establishment of security and stability in the OSCE region.

He pointed out three main priorities of Austrias chairmanship: contribute to easing of existing conflicts, unite forces in the fight against radicalism and violent extremism  particularly among the youth, and re-establish trust.

Our goal is reaching the establishment of security and stability in Europe through the entire tools of the OSCE. We must work to prevent violent extremism in our societies, Kurz said.

Among the priorities he mentioned the protection of the rights of media freedom and freedom of religion, and the rights of minorities.

The OSCE proposes all member-states to be a space of dialogue and discussion even in the most difficult situations, Kurz said.
Recently, one of the famous Mumbai hospitals was appointed to conduct bariatric surgery on worlds heaviest women. And the hospital has put aside 2 crore Indian rupees to conduct the operation.

The womans name is Eman Ahmed. She lives in the port city of Alexandria in Egypt and hasnt been able to leave her bed for over a decade due to ruthless weight gain since she turned 11. Now she is 36, and confined to bed with a swarm of diseases like hypertension, pulmonary disorder, depression, diabetes and asthma. She even has survived a stroke, but the stroke has left her with limited locomotive faculties. Due to her immense weight, she was also forced to drop out of school in her childhood.

However, according to the recent news, Mumbai-based bariatric surgeon and philanthropist Dr Muffi Lakdawala tweeted at External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to arrange medical visa for Ahmed. She can only travel to India for treatment on the grounds of medical visa. Earlier visa permit was refused to her but was issued promptly once the minister interfered into the matter.

But no airline was able to take the risk to fly off Ahmed to India. Hence the next hurdle was to figure out a way to transport Ahmed to India. There are no direct flights between Cairo and Mumbai; hence a private jet was arranged to bring her to India.

However, the transport was successful and Mumbais Saifee hospital is preparing themselves to welcome this unusual patient.

According to the Mumbai reports, a special one-bedded hospital is built on the same premises of Saifee hospital to treat Ahmed. It will soon be equipped with an operating theatre, intensive care unit, doctors rooms, two rest rooms, an attendants room and a video conferencing room.

The entire budget for the operation will be paid by the hospital itself. Every single part of the 3,000-ft facility is being constructed, keeping in mind Ahmeds weight, like extra wide doors and beds. A team of specialists, including a consultant bariatric surgeon, a cardiologist, a cardiac surgeon, an endocrinologist, a chest physician, two intensivists and three anaesthetists, are appointed to attend Ahmed while the surgery will be on process. She will be spending about six months in the same hospital for recovering herself from it.

Ahmeds family will not be forced to pay anything for the surgery or post the surgery. Dr. Lakdawala is himself, raising fund to conduct her operation. The exact dates of Ahmeds arrival to Mumbai are not known yet. But the separate building which is being constructed from Ahmed is almost complete and is about to get completed by the end of this month.
tech2 News Staff

While BlackBerry fans went ga ga over the recently announced 'Mercury' smartphone at CES, fans in India were however left disappointed. This is because soon after the announcement manufacturer TCL confirmed that it would not be able to sell the device in India because of licensing issues. This meant that the unnamed device codenamed 'Mercury' was not headed to India among other countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia. But now there's some good news.

Turns out BlackBerry won't be missing out on its biggest markets as it will be tying up with other manufacturers to reach out to these important markets.

In the official Inside BlackBerry blog, Ralph Pini COO and GM, Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry hinted that he was happy with how well the new Mercury was received at CES 2017. Post that he said that the company has tied up with BB Merah Putih to continue bringing BlackBerry branded phones to Indonesia, hinting that the new devices could make it to India after all, although these would not be manufactured by TCL.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen noted at a press event during CES: Theres going to be more BlackBerry phones out there because now I have multiple parties creating and distributing and I have local partners to compete in the local space. We are starting to gain great momentum with our licensing strategy. Look for us to continue pursuing additional licensing partners to bring Mercury as well as other new smartphones to the rest of the world." So yes, the BlackBerry Mercury is coming to every market globally but it may take a while till it arrives.

The device showcased at CES 2017 looked durable, used premium materials, and is aimed at professionals and business users. Apart from the signature BlackBerry keyboard, the smartphone will also have other familiar BlackBerry applications, including the Hub+. The physical keyboard is touch sensitive, and the glossy finish on the keys mimic the appearance of glass. The screen is apparently a 4.5-inch display in a 3:2 ratio. The device is rumoured to have a 2GHz Qualcomm processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Both the front and back cameras can capture 18MP resolution images.
hidden

Facebook, in association with global advertising and public relations company WPP, on Thursday launched 'Creative Ambassador Programme' in India that will empower WPP creative agencies to develop mobile first creatives for their clients.

The WPP Group has world-class companies providing advertising, marketing, communication services and activities worldwide. With the programme, Facebook is focused on helping partners develop ideas that intrigue and engage for the mobile world.

"The 'Creative Ambassador Programme' will help us bring together and educate creative talent to leverage the Facebook targeting tools and personalised marketing at scale to build brands and produce best in class work in a mobile-first world," said Umang Bedi, Managing Director, Facebook India and South Asia, in a statement.

The programme was launched in Asia-Pacific in June last year and has already been rolled out in Hong Kong and Singapore.

"By partnering with Facebook, WPP agencies will have access to the latest technology and knowledge that will enable them to help clients stay ahead of the curve," added Scott Spirit, WPP Chief Digital and Strategy Officer.

The partnership programme will be expanded to Australia this year, followed by New York to ensure people are up-to-speed on everything Facebook and Instagram has to offer and ensure creative agencies never miss out on new opportunities.

IANS
hidden

India and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of cyber security, an official statement said on Wednesday. "India and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding between the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT- In) under the Ministry of Electronics nd Information technology of the government of India and the Department of Homeland Security, government of the United States of America on cooperation in the field of cyber security," the statement said.

The agreement was signed by Aruna Sundararajan, secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Richard Verma, US Ambassador to India, on Wednesday here. "The MoU intends to promote closer co-operation and the exchange of information pertaining to the cyber security in accordance with the relevant laws, rules and regulations of each economy and this MoU and on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit," the statement said.

Earlier the US and India had signed an MoU on July 19, 2011 to promote closer cooperation and timely exchange of information between the organisations of their respective governments responsible for cyber security. Since, July 19, 2011, regular interactions between CERT-In and US CERT are taking place to share the information and discuss cyber security-related issues.

In continuation to the cooperation in cyber security areas both have renewed the MoU, the statement added.

IANS
Click here for a quick resume of the comment and posts on the main Thanet blogs

Much of the local history I publish is available for free on this blog, in some cases I have linked whole books to blog postings, if you want a printed copy of one of the books I publish click here postage is free to UK addresses.Alternatively you can of course come to my bookshop in Ramsgate and browse them and about 30,000 secondhand books on other subjects, remember we close Thursdays and Sundays.Or send me your comment by email, please remember to tell me that it is intended for publication and on which posting michaelchild@aol.com
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan attended the official opening ceremony of the Center of Strategic Initiatives of the Armenian Government on January 12.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia, greeting the present and highlighting the creation of the Center of Strategic Initiatives, the PM noted that the idea of the Center was among the key targets of the Cabinets Action Plan which will guide the long-term strategy of Armenias economic development. The Head of the Executive stressed that the Center is established based on the principle of public-private cooperation, where the private sector representatives can bring proposals of reforms and strategies. By public-private cooperation we expect to understand what we have to do to record economic growth, attract investors, ensure long-term development and effective use of our potentials. The number of representatives of the private sector exceeds the number of state officials in the Board of Trustees, and we expect and will be very glad if the best specialists of the Diaspora and foreign countries who are not indifferent and will express desire to participate in the works of the Center are involved in this platform, Karen Karapetyan said, adding that the Center will be led by his advisor Aleksandr Khachaturyan.

Executive Director of the Center of Strategic Initiatives, advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia Aleksandr Khachaturyan noted that the Center has put in front of it major tasks and no efforts will be spared for the proper implementation of all the works. He informed that the Center has been financed from different sources, such as the state budget, international organizations, and the private sector donations, while Premier Karapetyan was the first to make a donation.
Everyone has their dream Valentines Day date. Even if that date is going to Five Guys before going home and rewatching the entire first season of Master of None. Uh, or so Ive been told.

However, another wholly reasonable Valentines Day fantasy is an evening alone with Idris Elba. I mean come on people. Perfection is perfection.

And now, you can take a shot at winning such an evening, thanks to a charity raffle that includes said evening as a grand prize. But dont take my meager written word for it. Rather, take Elbas dulcet tones:

Yeah, this sounds nice, via the AV Club:

According to the official details, the winner and a friend will be flown to undisclosed (but presumably romantic) city to spend the evening with the 44-year-old actor and share a meal at his favorite restaurant. Well get things started off with cocktails or perhaps champagne. And once were feeling comfortable, we can order whatever your heart desires: Maybe some truffles, perhaps some steak, pepper soup, and fufu. Thats an African dish, he seductively explains in the promo video. And for dessert, you can have whatever you want. And I mean, whatever you want.

The whole thing is obviously to raise money for a worthy cause, in this case W.E. Can Lead, an organization offering support for educational access for young women in Sierra Leone. And, of course, for the chance at love. Elba is apparently single, if his Wikipedia page can be believed. This could be my ch-your chance.

Though my goodness, what if his favorite restaurant is Five Guys? (Its not.) (But what if it is?)

Dont mind me, the writer who is absolutely not rushing off to buy 500 entries. And definitely isnt going to end up getting 1000. The rest of you have until February 14th to enter, as the payoff wouldnt take place until after the holiday.

Id think an evening with Idris Elba is worth the wait, though.

[AV Club]
Iraqi forces make fresh gains in southeast Mosul

Members of the Iraqi rapid response forces fire missile toward Islamic State militants during a battle between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants in Somer district of eastern Mosul, Iraq.

Reuters, Baghdad :

Iraqi forces drove back Islamic State militants in southeastern Mosul on Thursday, making gains in an area where advances have been particularly tough, the military said in a statement.

Rapid response units from Iraq's federal police advanced in the Sumer district, which lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris river, and also in neighboring Sahiroun, the statement reported by state television said.

Forces have pressed forward much more slowly in that area than units in the east and northeast, who have taken control of a number of neighborhoods in the past week.

The army's elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), has spearheaded advances in eastern Mosul. The U.S.-backed campaign to recapture Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq, has pushed ahead with renewed vigor since the turn of the year after troops got bogged down inside the city in November and December.

New tactics, including one night raid, better defenses against suicide car bomb attacks and improved coordination between the army and security forces, have helped forge momentum, U.S and Iraqi officers say.

The ultra-hardline group's loss of Mosul would probably spell the end for the Iraqi side of its self-styled caliphate, which it declared after sweeping through parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Meanwhile, Islamic State jihadists are using small commercial drones to attack Iraqi security forces in the battle for Mosul, a US commander said Wednesday.

Colonel Brett Sylvia, who commands an "advise and assist" US unit in Iraq, said IS fighters are attaching small munitions to quadcopters in an attempt to kill local forces as they retake Mosul, the last major IS bastion in Iraq.

"They are small drones with small munitions that they've been dropping," Sylvia said.

While the munitions were no larger than "a small little grenade," he said, that was enough to do what "Daesh does, and that's just, you know, indiscriminate killing," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

The group's use of small drones is not new, Sylvia said, though initially they were mainly used for reconnaissance.

"They are (now) using them to drop munitions as Iraqi forces push into Mosul," he said.

He added that US-backed local troops have been able to bring down many of the drones, making them "much less effective than they were." Tens of thousands of allied troops launched a huge offensive on October 17 to retake Mosul and areas around it.

Early in the offensive, a variety of forces quickly retook significant swaths of land, but the going has been much tougher inside the city itself.

Iraqi forces have retaken at least 80 percent of east Mosul from Islamic State jihadists, the spokesman of the special forces spearheading the campaign said Wednesday.

Over the past two weeks, Iraqi forces have overrun several districts and, for the first time, reached the Tigris River that runs through the heart of the city.
Trump warns US firms moving jobs offshore, singling out pharma

AFP, New York :

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked US companies who ship jobs offshore, singling out the pharmaceutical industry for high drug prices and for manufacturing overseas.

Trump said US companies relocating production offshore are "getting away with murder" and warned their products will be hit with hefty taxes if imported into the United States.

"There will be a major border tax on these companies that are leaving and getting away with murder," he told his first press conference since winning the November 8 presidential election.

"The word is now out that when you want to move your plant to Mexico or some other place, and you want to fire all of your workers from Michigan and Ohio and all these places that I won, for good reason, it's not going to happen that way anymore," he said.

"You are going to pay a very large border tax."

Shares of drugmakers plummeted as Trump singled out the massive industry, warning he would seek to cut prices by restructuring procedures for bidding on drugs.
DU Development Studies Dept inks deal with Friendship

Dr Mohammad Abu Eusuf, Chairman of Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka and Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Friendship showing an agreement\'s copy recently signed between the institutions at the Asaaduzzaman Multipurpose Ro

Campus Report :

An agreement of cooperation has been signed between Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka (DDSDU) and Friendship at the Asaaduzzaman Multipurpose Room of Social Sciences Building at Dhaka University.

Dr Mohammad Abu Eusuf, Chairman of DDSDU and Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Friendship signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations while Dr Taiabur Rahman, Professor, Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka and Kazi Amdadul Hoque, Director-Strategic Planning of Friendship witnessed the agreement. Marc Elvinger, Chairman of Friendship Luxembourg and Kenneth Hay, Chairman of Friendship UK were present on this occasion.

Under this agreement DDSDU and Friendship aim to stimulate and facilitate the development of collaborative and mutually beneficial programmesto enhance the intellectual development of both academic and implementation fields. Such cooperation will help in enhancement of knowledge and expertise in Development Studies in general as well as learn from practical experiences of Friendship how lives of marginalized communities in remote chars and coastal areas are impacted.
CCC donates Tk 2 lakh to doctor's wife

CCC Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin handing over a cheque as donation to the wife of late Dr Azharul Islam, a medical officer of the City Corporation at CCC office on Wednesday afternoon.

Chittagong Bureau :

Chittagong City Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin handed over a cheque for Tk.2 lakh as donation to the wife of late Dr.Azharul Islam who expired at early age during his service in City Corporation as medical officer.

Wife of the physician Ms. Nasrin Akhter received the cheque from city mayor at CCC office on Wednesday afternoon. Relatives of the demised and a minor child were present on the occasion. City Mayor in his election pledge committed to provide donations to the families of the expired officials, sources added.


YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Sebastian Kurz will discuss Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement with the Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Armenpress reports official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova told in a briefing. , Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria will meet with Russian Foreign Minister on January 18. Russian-Austrian bilateral relations will be discussed at the meeting. Since Sebastian Kurz also holds the position of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, a reference will be made also to the cooperation in the sidelines of that organization. It is also planned that issues over existing conflicts in the OSCE zone will be addressed, including Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the situation in Ukraine, Zakharova said.

Zakharova also answered the question of an Azerbaijani reporter about the return of the corpse of the Azerbaijani diversionist eliminated on December 29 in Armenias Tavush Province as a result of an attempt of a subversive penetration by the Azerbaijani side. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the two countries have to find any diplomatic channels and have the will to overcome the extremely complicated situations. She noted that everyone knows how complicated the situation is, but the key to the solution is in the hands of the conflicting sides.
Road blockade by USTC students

Chittagong Bureau :

The students of University of Science & Technology, Chittagong launch movement for not completing the registration works of the students in last five years.

The students of 3 batches of MBBS class beging agitated enforced road siege from 11 am to 12 noon on Wednesday on Zakir Hossain Road .

Later the agitated students confined the vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor for some times. Students sources said management of the university declines their demand of holding meeting for registration purpose but the management refused them.

The agitated students said the permission of admitting only 120 students in 25th batch but the authority give admission to 400 students in MBBS violating the rules of the UGC . As such the students beyond 120 will be deprieved of certificates of MBBS despite passing exams. A sources of Bangladesh Medical Association,Chittagong said the students in connection hold talks with them and vows to the demands of the students.
Aparna`s everything muses on Bhuban Majhi

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Viewers choice popular actress Aparna got the National Film Award to act in a movie. For this reason, she shows her keen interest to work in big screen besides working in the small screen now. Every actor wants recognition of her good works. And that recognition comes from the state it become more pride for the actor.

Aparna got the National Film Award to act in Gazi Rakayets movie Mrittika Maya. It was a government-grant movie. Before and after this movie Aparna acted two government-grant movies were released. One was Zahidur Rahman Anjans Meghmallar and another was Prashun Rahmans Sutopar Thikana. This time she is thinking about her forth government-grant movie Bhuban Majhi. Already the movie has been submitted to the Censor Board. Fakhrul Abedin has made the movie. After getting the censor certificate the movie is expected to be released in March.

While sharing her feelings to work in the movie Aparna told this correspondent, I acted in a challenging role Farida in Bhuban Majhi. Overall it became an outstanding work and I am very much optimistic about the movie.

Already from December campaign of the movie started under the banner of Aamar Potaka, Aamar Bangladesh. On Wednesday, Aparna has returned to Dhaka after taking part in shooting of Amirul Islam Arun directed a play titled Nonajoley Hothat Dekha against Anisur Rahman Milon. It will be aired on Ntv on coming Valentines Day.

Therefore, from Thursday Aparna has started shooting against Irfan Sajjad in a faction play titled Tumi Chhiley Aamar Kachhey under Sakhawat Shiblys direction. Her acted new serial is Cinematic made by Imraul Rafat.

Aparna acted and Golam Sohrab Dodul directed serial Shongshar and RB Pritom directed serial Community are being aired in two separate satellite channels now.

Her acted first movie was Mostafa Sarwar Farookis Third Person Singular Number. Aparna acted and Iftekhar Ahmed Fahmi directed movie To Be Continued yet not released.


ICT expresses discontent over trial against deceased



The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Thursday expressed its discontent over continuing trial proceedings against a deceased person and asked to investigate to find out the culprits behind the blunder.

"Trial cannot be continued against a deceased as it is illegal. The tribunal has asked the prosecution to look into the matter to find out culprits," said senior prosecutor Syed Haider Ali.

A private TV channel recently aired a report saying the trial of crimes against humanity is going on against Md Waz Uddin of Mymensingh, terming him as absconded.

The tribunal on December 11, 2016, framed five charges of crimes against humanity against Waz Uddin and his partner in crimes Reaz Uddin Fakir. But according to that TV report, Waz Uddin actually died on May 7, 2016, seven months before the indictment.

Meanwhile, ICT registrar Shahidul Alam Jhinuk told the newsmen that only yesterday

Mymensingh police sent a report to the tribunal saying the accused has died on May 7, 2016.

"Earlier we had no clue about his whereabouts or condition. The tribunal has nothing to do with this.

It is the fault of those people, who are entitled to arrest the accused," said the registrar.

According to the prosecution, Waz Uddin was an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971 and subsequently joined local Razakar Bahini when the war began.
Tigers 154/3 at stumps against Kiwis on day 1

Tamim Iqbal bats (left) and Mominul Haque celebrates his half century during day one of the first Test match against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand on Thursday.

Bangladesh scored 154 for 3 spurred by two half centuries of Mominul Haque and opener Tamim Iqbal in the rain-hit day one of the first Test of the two-match series against New Zealand at Basin Reserve, Wellington on Thursday.

Bangladesh got the chance to play only 40.2 overs instead of the stipulated 90 overs as rain halted the day's play several times.

Mominul and Shakib were batting on scoring 64 runs five runs respectively at stumps.

Mominul started his innings cautiously and picked up his half century in classic fashion, gliding a good length and outside off delivery of Wagner to boundary between point and gully at 31.1 overs. He smashed 10 boundaries and only over boundary on the way to his 64-run innings.

Earlier, opener Tamim Iqbal played a stormy innings of 56 runs off just 50 balls, trashing 11 boundaries before being the victim of LBW of Trent Boult's bowling.

Sent in to bat first, Bangladesh lost their first wicket in the fourth over of the innings when left-hand opener Imrul Kayes hooked a Tim Southee's rising delivery but was caught by Trent Boult at fine leg, scoring one run only and leaving the team 16/1.

After Tamim's departure at 60/2, Mominul and Mahmudullah built an 85-run partnership in the 3rd-wicket stand in 23.3 overs.

However, Neil Wagner departed the 3rd pair dismissing Mahmudullah (26 off 64b; 4x4) who was cauht by wicketkeeper BJ Watling at 37.5 overs when the team was 145/3.

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (5, not out) came to pair Mominul in the 4th wicket and remained at stumps when the bails were drawn for the 1st day.

Rain with the fierce gusts of wind forced to halt the match, for around two hours, when Bangladesh's collection was at 119/2 in 29 overs and Mominul, Mahmudullah were on batting scoring 48 and 13 runs respectively.

Wagner, Southee and Boult took one wicket each conceding 28, 45 and 53 runs respectively.

Test debuts: Subashis Roy and Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh).

Brief score:

Bangladesh 1st innings: 154/3 in 40.2 overs (at stumps); Mominul batting 64, Tamim 56, Mahmudullah 26, Shakib batting 5, Wagner 1/28, Southee 1/45, Boult 1/53.


The return of Bangabandhu: Some comments

Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque and Dr. Abul Kashem Mozumder :

The nation commemorated the return of Bangabandhu as the return of saint. It was same as Khokababur Pratabartan as his nick name was Khoka. His return to the country he created was a great historic moment--another red letter day after victory day. In fact our victory in liberation war became complete after his return. Bangabandhu's homecoming day was another victory. Tenth January is earmarked for elebrating his homecoming day.

" Bangabandhu seemed tired after all those months in solitary confinement in Pakistan. More than that, he was clearly overwhelmed by the ecstatic manner in which his people, the newly freed Bengalis of his Bangladesh, were welcoming him home.He was leaner than he was when the Pakistan army abducted him and took him to Pakistan in March 1971. His hair was disheveled. With an inimitable smile on his lips, he ran his hand through his hair as it fell over his forehead. There was fatigue written all over him. Yet there was the power in those eyes that held the crowd in its gleam.He wept. For the first time in his public career, before the world, Bangabandhu shed tears in remembrance of the terrible ravages Bangladesh had gone through in the preceding nine months.With him, the nation wept too, reflecting how seventy five million Bengalis had worried about his safety, how they had prayed for his life and for him to return home.Hours before, Bangabandhu had been welcomed as the president of Bangladesh in Delhi. Seventy five million Bengalis watched their head of state inspect an honour guard before setting off for the Race Course, the same where echoes of his March 7, 1971, clarion call to liberty were yet being heard.The truck bearing Bangabandhu inched its way forward. That brief distance from the airport to the Race Course had turned into human sea. Happy crowds had occupied every bit of space. Every rooftop was an image of delighted faces -- men, women and children. Perching themselves on the branches of trees, youths shared the glory too. Every conversation was but two simple, purposeful, energising words.In that winter evening, Bangabandhu spoke to the country for the first time since March 1971. The nation listened to the words coming out from his heart, as they always did. His voice was choked with emotion, but that did little to mar the eloquence of his expression. Again, the nation witnessed Bangabandhu's oratory at its peak of grandeur. It was Joy Bangla." To cite English dailies:

The nation celebrated the historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 10 January, 2017. On this day in 1972, Bangabandhu returned home after nine and a half months of captivity in Pakistan jail. Millions of cheering people had gathered on both sides of the streets to welcome Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh's independence. Bangabandhu had arrived at Tejgaon Airport from New Delhi by a British Air force flight at 1:41pm on January 10. Earlier on his release from Pakistani captivity, Bangabandhu made a short visit to London before departing for his beloved new-born Bangladesh en-route to New Delhi. The road from Shahbagh to then Tejgaon Airport was jam-packed with crowds who were eagerly waiting for their beloved leader. A delighted Bangabandhu burst into tears when he hugged his four close associates, who successfully led the War of Liberation in his absence, on his arrival at the airport.

Millions of people from all strata stood on Mymensingh Road, now VIP Road, to have a glimpse of Bangabandhu as an open truck carrying him was moving towards the then Race Course ground, now Suhrawardy Udyan. It took about four hours for his motorcade to reach Race Course Maidan where he later addressed a mammoth rally of more than a million people. In the wake of the military crackdown by the Pakistani junta, Bangabandhu, who became the undisputed leader of the then Pakistan following the massive victory of his party Awami League in the 1970 general election, declared Independence of Bangladesh through the then East Pakistan Rifles, EPR wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following March 25) in 1971 at his historic 32 in Dhanmondi residence.

Pakistan army later arrested Bangabandhu from his Dhanmondi residence during the late-night crackdown of Pakistani occupation forces on the people of Bangladesh. The Pakistan junta later sent Bangabandhu to Pakistan and imprisoned him.After the nation achieved its victory over Pakistan on December 16, 1971 through a nine-month liberation war, the then Pakistan junta was compelled to free Bangabandhu.

After his assumption of the office of Prime Minister Bangabandhu found himself confronted with a challenging situation. In fact the challenge was momentous. He felt it incumbent upon him to reconstruct the war-ravaged country. Communication system, the posts and industries were completely destroyed due to earth scorch policy of Pakistan occupation army. "Schools and colleges, factories and food silos were burnt to ashes by the marauding Pakistani soldiers. Then there was the staggering problem of the rehabilitation of the families of the martyrs, of those who were maimed by the War and of the women tortured by the Pak army. Ten million refugees, who had fled to India, were to be brought back and rehabilitated. The economy was in a shambles, foreign currency reserve was nil; the food silos were empty. The possibility of a famine was being forecast. Things were compounded by the drought of 1972, the devastating cyclone of 1973, the adverse effect of the worldwide recession owing to the Arab-Israeli War and the floods of 1974 etc. A greater threat to the political stability of the newborn country was posed by the conspiracies of the defeated anti-liberation quarters. The government of Bangabandhu had to confront these challenges of reconstruction on a War footing.

On his return from his confinement in Pakistan on January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu devoted himself to this stupendous task of reconstruction." What he did immediately after liberation was rehabilitation of 10 million refugees who took shelter in India, rehabilitation of nearly 3 lakh women now honored with birangana, ensuring the return of the Indian forces to their land) framing of one of the world's best constitutions within 10 months, introduction of Parliamentary system, holding of general elections in 1973, reorganization of the Defence Forces,appointment of the Kudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission for framing a scientific and secular education policy, he promulgation of a democratic ordinance for the universities (1973), nationalization of 40 thousand primary schools and winning of recognition by 140 nations of the world

It does seem that his return as a messiah was deemed essential. He set himself assiduously to rebuilding the nation with the spirit of liberation. We can achieve independence. It is difficult to defend sovereignty. Vied in this perspective the whole nation would like to entrust upon Bangabandhu the Herculean tasks of national reconstruction. He used his charisma in doing things what was to be done in a newly born nation state.



(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque teaches Public Administration in Chittagong and Dr. Abul Kashem Mozumder is a member, PSC.)
Mayor`s initiative must work

THE Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon's decision to allow the vendor to run their shops on footpath at Gulistan and in greater Motijheel area only from late evening in working days to create space for movement of pedestrians and traffic is no doubt a welcoming step. The decision reported in The New Nation on Thursday has been taken at a meeting of hawkers' leaders, local representatives and law enforcers has asked vendors that they can use footpaths for trading only after 6.30 in the evening. It appears that the meeting has also taken into consideration the disadvantage of small vendors allowing them trading opportunity in the evening. The action is designed to reducing troubles for city traffic and movement of pedestrians because overcrowding of city footpaths is critically adding to traffic congestion and other setback to city life. The restriction will not be applicable however in the weekend and other public holidays. It appears to be a highly sensible decision and in our view it must not fail.



The new system will be applicable for all footpaths and streets in other areas such as Paltan and Zero Point areas. It is awful that Motijheel business district is now an open space for vegetable vendors in several hundreds blocking traffic movement. So also are Baitul Mukarram's footpaths. It is true new restrictions will seriously impact the income and livelihood of small vendors but one must accept that city centers, its streets and footpaths are no place for chaos and disorganized business. What is important is that vendors must have allocation of space or shops in new markets; who want it and can afford it and those who want to change profession may be offered jobs in public and private bodies. In fact the Mayor's initiative include such offer although we don't know how far it will bear fruits. The point is that vendors need opportunities for business that respective organizations must look at; but they can't be allowed to block the city streets because they need a place for trading.



What is most important is that local muggers, political leaders and police are routinely giving protection to footpath vendors to run business in return of daily payment of hefty levies that run several crores from busy business places. In fact they are holding them in the trade to keep running their illegal source of earning. They have their linemen for collection while vendors are enjoying electricity free of cost. Police and electricity authorities know it but don't take action. This is a parallel system at work and the question is whether or not the new initiative will get the real backing of police and representatives of the local bodies, away from their pledge they publicly made in the meeting. But we hope the Mayor's initiative will survive and it must also be copied at other places.






Polls to be questionable if competent EC not formed

UNB, Dhaka :

Speakers at a discussion here on Thursday said the next parliamentary elections will be questionable unless honest and competent persons are appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners.

The identities of those who will be appointed CEC and election commissioners are very important. Those affiliated with any political party shouldn't be recruited. How can we expect the election commissioners will properly conduct the elections if they aren't honest and competent? former CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told the programme.

Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a non-government organisation working on election and good governance, arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club over the enactment of a fresh law to appoint the CEC and election commissioners.

Dr Huda said the nation will be grateful to the President if he forms a good commission.

Talking about the draft law proposed by his commission, he said they drafted the law titled 'Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (Appointment Procedure) Bill 2011' following talks with political parties in 2011. As per the proposed law of the Huda Commission, there shall be a five-member search committee with the outgoing EC as its Convener to propose three names against each vacant post. And the President will appoint anyone from the three names against each post after the scrutiny by the parliament business advisory committee.

Shujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder in his keynote paper suggested the formation of a five-member search committee with an Appellate Division justice, two representatives from two political parties whose leaders became the Prime Minister at least twice, and each representative from the civil society and the media.

But the representatives from the civil society and the media must be free from any convincing allegation of political loyalty, he said.

Dr Badiul Alam said neither the commission headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad nor the government

took any initiative over the draft law proposed by the Huda Commission.

Columnist Syed Abul Maksud said, If the next election commission is not credible and honest, there'll be a question about the next election as well, which will invite disaster for our nation.

Former election commissioner M Shakhawat Hossain said if the election commission is formed with three members, it will be easier to take any decision.

He stressed the need for the enactment of law over the appointment of election commissioners as well as making the search committee larger with representation from different sectors.

BNP leader Inam Ahmed Chowdhury said it is now essential for two major political parties to reach a compromise over the election-time government and reconstitution of the election commission. Prof Asif Nazrul said, If the President informs all what he suggests the Prime Minister (over the formation of next EC), we'll be benefited.

Shujan President M Hafiz Uddin Khan said though there is provision in the Constitution to enact a law for appointing the election commissioners, no initiative is yet to be seen in this regard.
A letter from a Syrian refugee

Al Jazeera News :

I am sending you this message to congratulate you on the presidency. But also to remind you how much your words matter in deciding our future.

We started the revolution holding roses and

hoping for support from the international community.

Years passed; the roses turned into guns but the hope for support continues. Still, neither roses nor hope helped.

Could your predecessor have done anything to change our fate? I don't know. But we will continue to have faith. Your words matter to us. You might be able to change our future.

Like many others, we went to Turkey and from there to Greece. We travelled, looking back at our cities, streets and houses being destroyed.

We are weak. We wanted the international community's support and we know that it will come. Faith is what moved us and faith is what is keeping us going.

Now I am a refugee. The hardest thing about living in a refugee camp is the isolation. People build walls around us and countries build walls around those walls.

Dear future president, borders kill dreams. I've seen dreams die before their body - it leaves that person with no soul. For those of us who still have faith, please don't build walls in front of us.
Ban on Ketoprofen use to protect vultures

UNB, Dhaka :

The government has banned the use of Ketoprofen, a toxic veterinary drug that causes death to vultures, in the country's two vulture safe zones, aiming to protect the nature cleaners from its extinction.

The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) on Wednesday issued a circular, restricting the sale, distribution, storage and exhibition of Ketoprofen in any form in the safe zones.

In December 2014, the government declared two safe zones for vultures where 'zero tolerance' is shown towards using Diclofenac and other harmful veterinary drugs under article 20 (1) of Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012. The designated areas are Sylhet, parts of Dhaka and Chittagong covering an area of 19,663.18 sq km as Vulture Safe Zone-1,

and Khulna, Barisal and parts of Dhaka covering an area of 27,717.26 sq km as Vulture Safe Zone-2. As per a decision of the 5th meeting of the National Vulture Conservation Committee, the directorate also instructed all the Ketoprofen-producing companies to refrain from selling, distributing, storing and exhibiting the drug in the areas. The White-rumped Vulture was once widely seen in Bangladesh but is now considered as rare and thinly distributed one.

According to the data of IUCN Bangladesh, the country's vulture population is less than 260 individuals.

During the last one decade, it is scientifically proven beyond doubt that the use of Diclofenac and Ketoprofen in animals, especially in cattle, has led to the massive mortality and a sharp decline in the vulture population as both the drugs are poisonous to vultures. IUCN vulture investigator ABM Sarowar Alam told UNB that the government earlier banned the sale of toxic veterinary drug Diclofenac and now banned Ketoprofen as well, which will help increase vulture population in the country.

Toxic veterinary drugs - Diclofenac and Ketoprofen - are widely used in treatment of domestic animals in the country. And when vultures eat the carcass of dead animals in which the toxic drugs were used, they immediately suffer from kidney failure, causing rapid decline in its population.
Trump admits Russian hacking even as he attacks US intelligence community

The Washington Post, New York :

President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time here Wednesday that Russia was responsible for hacking the Democratic Party during last year's election, but he denied that the leaks were intended to boost him and argued that Moscow would cease cyberattacks on the United States once he is sworn in.

In a rollicking hour-long news conference, Trump furiously denounced as "fake news" the reports that Russia had obtained salacious intelligence that could compromise him. He suggested that any damaging information collected by Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration would already have been released - and he celebrated what had leaked out about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. "As far as hacking, I think it was Russia," Mr. Trump said. "Hacking's bad, and it shouldn't be done. But look at the things that were hacked, look at what was learned from that

hacking." Allowing his hostility and contempt toward the U.S. intelligence community to again burst into public view, Trump also reaffirmed his belief - first expressed in a tweet earlier Wednesday morning - that intelligence officials were behaving as though they were in "Nazi Germany" with what he termed "disgraceful" leaks to the media. The Anti-Defamation League asked Trump to apologize for trivializing the Holocaust. Later Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. spoke with Trump and said he told the president-elect that U.S. spy agencies did not believe the information in question was reliable. Clapper said in a statement that he "expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press" and told Trump that they likely came from sources outside the intelligence community.

At the press conference, Trump made a series of promises but provided little specific evidence on how he would deliver them. He vowed to repeal and replace President Obama's Affordable Care Act quickly and nearly simultaneously ("could be the same hour"); to start building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico before persuading the Mexican government to pay for it ("that will happen, whether it's a tax or whether it's a payment"); and unveiled how he is disentangling himself from the management of his business empire while still refusing to divest himself of his financial interests.

Trump also said he planned to announce a nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia within two weeks of his Jan. 20 inauguration, having already reviewed a list of about 20 candidates recommended by conservatives at the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. And he promised to bring jobs to the states that supported him in November, calling himself "the greatest jobs producer that God ever created." In a performance that was by turns considered, combative and carnivalesque, Trump also definitively confirmed that winning the presidency has not changed his public presentation to that of a more traditional statesman. Instead, he repeatedly lashed out at the news media. He shushed correspondents from CNN - "You are fake news," he said - which broke the news late Tuesday that Trump and President Obama had been briefed on allegations that Russian intelligence services have compromising material and information on Trump's personal life and finances.

Trump also went after BuzzFeed, which published a document Tuesday outlining some of the unverified allegations, which were based on research done by an outside entity engaged in political consulting work and led by a former high-ranking British intelligence official. Trump called BuzzFeed a "failing pile of garbage" and warned it would "suffer the consequences" for publishing the dossier.

About 300 journalists packed into the marble lobby of Trump Tower for the president-elect's first full-fledged news conference since July 27, when, among other pronouncements, Trump urged the Russian government to find and release tens of thousands of Clinton's private emails. Six months later, the subject of Russian hacking still clouds Trump's transition to power, and questions about the hacking attacks dominated Wednesday's news conference. At first, Trump refused to say whether he or anyone on his campaign had been in contact with Russia, but he clarified as he left the news conference, telling reporters near the elevators that neither he nor his team had any contact with Russia about his campaign.

Trump also insisted that the warm relationship he has cultivated with Putin is beneficial to the United States.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? That's called an asset, not a liability," he said. "Now, I don't know that I'm gonna get along with Vladimir Putin.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan met with Ambassadors of foreign states accredited in Armenia, heads and representatives of international organization and institutions at the foreign ministry of Armenia.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Government, the activities of the Armenian Cabinet, reform agenda, economic development programs, fight against corruption were addressed at the meeting.

The PM highlighted holding similar meetings with the diplomatic corps for raising cooperation efficiency, and noted that the Government is open for recommendations, criticism, and proposals. I attach great importance to that you convey our visions on economic development of Armenia to the states and organizations you represent. We have extremely huge expectations of cooperation, starting from investors, culture of professionalism, or tourism, since we will be unable to develop our country without sending appropriate signals to the public or wider world, without showing that we are open and are waiting for them. In this regard we expect your support, the PM said.

Speaking about the upcoming parliamentary elections, Karen Karapetyan stressed, We expect new quality from these elections. We are going to do our best to ensure the transparency of the elections.

The Head of the Executive added that the Cabinet has already summed up the results of the 100 days in office, stressing that during that period the Cabinet has made all efforts to diagnose the problems facing the country. PM Karapetyan informed that in the near future there will be reports on the works done according to domains. I believe the members of the Cabinet already have good understanding of their spheres and what is needed to be done. There are many issues. The main goal of the economic aspect is to create maximally equal, open and fair conditions for business. And in this context we have announced that we need to make a lot of changes and first of all we must change ourselves, the Head of the Executive said. He informed that simplification of tax and customs administration and a full transition to e-system is planned aimed at improving the investment environment, which will cut the corruption risks.

Referring to fight against corruption the PM states that it is in the constant attention of the Cabinet and consistent measures are taken to reduce the level of corruption indexes.

During the meeting PM Karapetyan answered the questions of the present.
US must be ready to confront Russia

Reuters, Washington :

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon told Congress on Thursday the United States must be ready to confront Russian behavior in areas where the two countries cannot cooperate, even as he backed Trump's bid to engage with Moscow.

The remarks by retired Marine General James Mattis in written responses to questions from Congress are likely to set the tone for a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing that began at 9:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT).

"We engaged with Russia even during the darkest days of the Cold War, and I support the President-elect's desire to engage with Russia now," Mattis wrote.

"At the same time, when we identify other areas where we cannot cooperate, we must confront Russia's behavior, and defend ourselves if Russia chooses to act contrary to our interests."

Due to enter the White House in eight days, Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that Russia likely hacked the Democratic National Committee and emails of top Democrats during the 2016 presidential election campaign, a conclusion reached by U.S. spy agencies.

Mattis cited Russian involvement in hacking and information warfare among the challenges posed by Moscow. Others included treaty violations, using tactics short of open war to destabilize other countries and "alarming messages from Moscow regarding the use of nuclear weapons."Mattis, who retired from the military in 2013, is technically ineligible for the job since he has not been a civilian for at least seven years. That means Congress would need to grant him a waiver, something it has not done since 1950, but appears inclined to do now.

In his opening statement, Mattis will make the case that he can lead the military as a civilian, even after a 44-year military career.

"I recognize my potential civilian role differs in essence and in substance from my former role in uniform," Mattis will testify, according to prepared remarks.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he expected Mattis would not have a difficult time securing the nomination, partly because he enjoys support of both Democrats and Trump's Republicans.

"The other thing he has going for him is that he may be a restraint on some of Trump's more extreme impulses," Cancian said.

"The concern that people would have is OK, you vote down Mattis, who do you get?"

Senators are expected to ask Mattis how he would grapple with Iran's influence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and beyond. Officials who knew him before he retired in 2013 said Mattis clashed with top Obama administration officials when he headed the military's Central Command over his desire to better prepare for potential threats from Tehran. "Iranian malign influence in the region is growing. Iran is the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and its policies are contrary to our interests," Mattis said in his written responses. Tillerson says China should be barred from South China Sea islands

On Iraq, Mattis said the main goal should be to ensure "that it does not become a rump state of the regime in Tehran." Mattis, 66, has spoken persuasively in private talks with Trump against the use of waterboarding, which simulates drowning, as an interrogation tactic.

Those attributes, as well as his past remarks extolling the NATO alliance, which Trump also criticized in the campaign, are expected to help sway many Democrats and Republicans skeptical of some of Trump's campaign positions. Mattis also voiced support for strong international alliances in his remarks and said the NATO alliance was central to America's defense. "History is clear: nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither," he said.
1st phase of Biswa Ijtema begins today

Devotees from home, abroad still thronging

Staff Reporter :

The first phase of Biswa Ijtema, one of the biggest congregations of Muslims, begins today (Friday) on the bank of the river Turag at Tongi, on the outskirts of the capital amid tight security.

The congregation, also called the World Muslims Congregation, will start formally with religious sermons after Fazr prayers today and it will end with Akheri Munajat (final prayers) on Sunday.

Then the second phase of the Biswa Ijtema will begin from January 20 after four days interval and it will conclude on January 22. The Biswa Ijtema split into two phases from 2011 for the convenience of the devotees. The Biswa Ijtema has been taking place in Bangladesh since 1967.

A huge congregation, numbering tens of thousands, is expected on Friday at Jumma prayers. Devotees from home and abroad are still arriving at the Ijtema venue.

"All development works of the Ijtema field have been completed," said Mawlana M Gias Uddin, a spokesman of the Ijtema preparation committee.

He added the development works including power, gas, water, toilets, bathrooms and loudspeaker installation in the Ijtema ground have already been completed.

Sources at Biswa Ijtema in Tongi said thousands of devotees from home and abroad continued to throng the venue to take part in the 72-hour religious event since Thursday morning.

"Tight security measures have been taken for the event with several thousand members of different law-enforcement agencies, including elite force Rapid Action Battalion and police are in place at the Ijtema venue," Harunur Rashid, Superintendent of Gazipur Police told journalists. Besides, thousands of volunteers are working round the clock to make sure the event runs smoothly.

Several health centres have been set up at different parts of the venue along with beds and first aid and other treatment facilities round-the-clock.

Special measures have been taken for uninterrupted power supply during the three-day Ijtema.

Muslim devotees from Gazipur, Manikganj, Mymensingh, Tangail, Munshiganj, Gopalganj, Kishoreganj, Rangpur, Syedpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Lalmonirhat, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Chandpur, B'baria, Noakhali, Hobiganj, Moulvibazar, Barisal, Naogaon, Pabna, Kustia, Chapainawabganj, Meherpur, Satkhira, Jessore and Bagerhat are participating the first phase of the Ijtema.

An official of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) said that a total of 228 buses would ply on different routes for carrying the Ijtema devotees. In addition to this, BRTC special bus services also will be plied from January 11 to January 24, he added.

Several control rooms, nine watch towers and a number of close circuit camera televisions have been set up in and around of the Ijtema ground alongside with deployment of bomb disposal and dog squads, incidents to make the security foolproof.

A number of patrol teams of the police and RAB have been asked to remain alert to avert any untoward incident. Two speed boats of the RAB are set to patrol the Turag River while helicopters will over the Ijtema ground from the sky to make the security foolproof.

Patrol teams of both in land and river will stop illegal entrance into the Khitta (area) allocated for the foreigners.

According to agency, intermediate patrol team have been entrusted with stopping any sorts of petty crimes such as snatching, pick-pocketing, and the activities of ogyan (dope) party.

A striking force has been kept ready to act immediately in case of any emergency.

Traffic/car parking management:

Police is set to take special measures ahead of the two phases Biswa Ijtema on the bank of the river Turag at Tongi scheduled to be held from January 13-15 and January 20-22 to ease the traffic snarl. The measure will come into effect at 10 pm on January 14 and 10 pm on January 21, according to an official release of police headquarters.

Vehicles will not be allowed to ply on Ashulia Bridge to Abdullahpur via Progoti Saroni and on the Tongi Bridge via Gazipur intersection during the period, it said, adding that the vehicles carrying passengers and crews of aircrafts, fire fighting vehicles and ambulance will be out the restriction.

The vehicles coming from Ghorashal via Kaliganj-Pubail can move till East Markul (K-2) of Tongi Railway Station while Dhaka bound vehicles can use Kanchpur-Jatrabari road coming from Dhaka-Sylhet highway via Ghorashal.

Ijtema goers can use Bailey-Bridge or Kamarpara Bridge instead of Tongi Bridge to reach the Ijtema venue on feet.

Police also fixed some places for parking of vehicles. Gausul Azam Avenue has been fixed for parking of vehicles of Dhaka Metropolitan City and Chittagong division while Sonargaon intersection to Diabari Khalpar for Dhaka division, Shahmakhdum Avenue at sector 12 for Sylhet division, open places of sector 16 and 18 of Uttara for Khulna division, Kamarpara truck stand and sector 10 for Rangpur division, Protshya Housing for Rajshahi and Mymensingh divisions, Dhaur Bridge adjacent areas and BIWTA landing station for Barisal division and Shahjalal Avenue, Nikunja-1 and Nikunja-2 areas for Dhaka Metropolitan.

Tongi Kaderia Textile Mill, Meghna Textile Mill, Shafiuddin Sarker Academy, TIC field, Badre Alam College, truck stand of Joydebpur intersection, Chandana High School field Navy cigarette factory at Tongi have been fixed for parking of vehicles of Gazipur while fields of Ashulia College and Ashulia High School for Dhaka district.
NHRC seeks amendment in existing law

To probe allegations of HR violation against forces

Special Correspondent :

The National Human Rights Commission [NHRC] is scrutinizing the existing law with a view to conducting inquiry into the allegations of human rights violation committed by the law enforcement and security forces.

"In the existing law, the NHRC can launch investigation against the government officials. But if we want to carry out any probe against the members of law enforcement and security forces, we've to get clearance report from the government as per act 18 of the law. So, it could not be possible to investigate many allegations, as it takes huge time to get clearance," said NHRC Chairman Kazi Reazul Haq.

He made the above observations while talking to newsmen after attending a meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith at secretariat in the city on Thursday.

In fact, the weakness of NHRC is nothing new! The concerned circle along with human rights activists had criticized sharply about the law even before its birth. The NHRC was reconstituted in 2009 as a national advocacy institution for human rights promotion and protection.

But the NHRC has got no power to investigate any human rights violation against the persons employed in the organizations, those are recognized as disciplined forces in the Constitution.

It is not the end. The government has no obligation to implement its recommendations, if the NHRC gives any report investigating any incident. And due to such limitations, the NHRC did not get expected success in the last nine years.

Detailing the steps taken by NHRC to amend the law, Kazi Reazul Haq said: "Now the existing law is under scrutiny. We're examining it for amendment, so that the NHRC could conduct investigation against the disciplined forces and law enforcement agencies."

Expressing dissatisfaction, the NHRC chief said: "For the said limitation, we can't investigate a lot of allegations against the law enforcement agencies. Apart from it, we also laid emphasis on formulation of proper law as the government would properly treat our investigation report."

"The proposals for amending the law have already been prepared. It will be placed to Law Ministry for vetting very shortly," he said.

It is to be noted that killings by law enforcement agencies are common in Bangladesh. Presently, the law enforcement agencies are allegedly involved in extrajudicial killings which are also known as "crossfire".

A recent survey of national newspapers conducted by the human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra had indicated the enforced disappearance of several individuals, including women. Of the 43, six were later found dead; four were released after their abduction; and five were found in police custody. The fate and whereabouts of the other 28 was unknown.

Not only that, trials continued against Rapid Action Battalion officers charged with abducting and killing seven people in Narayanganj in April 2014. But no members of security forces implicated in enforced disappearance or other cases were brought to justice.

Detailing the organizational shortcomings, the NHRC chief further said: "We've also talked with Finance Minister about manpower shortage, office space, and etcetera. The Commission hasn't any land of its own. Besides, our manpower is very short, only 48 persons. We've applied to increase the manpower up to 141 persons."

"For that reason, it is not possible to oversee the human rights condition of 16 crore people. Our logistic support is also very poor. Whereas, our neighbouring India has been running human rights commission with 641 persons. Their budget is also very fat. We've informed these to the minister," he added.

About human rights situation across the globe, he said: "The rights situation was not good at all last year. Its impact was reflected in our country, such as Rohingya refugee influx into Bangladesh."

Referring to brutal killings of Rajon and Rakib, the NHRC Chairman said: "Tough punishment has been ensured to the killers of two minor boys, there are several other incidents where no action was taken. The children are subjected to rape and torture. To stop such incidents, it needs to increase awareness among the general people. The punishment of the guilty must be ensured. And to get fruitful result, everybody's participation should be ensured in this regard."

Earlier, former NHRC Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman had also sought the authority to investigate the human rights violations committed by disciplinary forces and security forces.

But the government did not pay any heed to his appeal.


We want to see Rohingyas leave BD quickly: FM

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on Thursday said Bangladesh is 'quite evidently' heading towards next step to have a permanent solution to Rohingya issue.

"Surely, they'll have to take back their nationals....we're heading towards next step quite evidently, " he told reporters at a press conference at the Foreign Ministry. He said they have seen sincerity from the Myanmar side in resolving the issue. Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh wants to see a solution keeping 'friendly relations' with Myanmar unhurt. Responding to a question, Mahmood Ali said Chittagong and Cox's Bazar are extremely important for Bangladesh and tourism development activities are being hampered. "We want to see them leave Bangladesh quickly," he said adding that forests are also being destroyed here.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and other senior officials were present at the briefing to share the outcome of the meeting with Myanmar's special envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kyaw Tin who arrived here on Tuesday evening to discuss bilateral issues with special focus on Rohingya crisis. Bangladesh has also proposed forming a proper body to verify the citizenship of Rakhine people who took shelter here, said the Foreign Minister.

Kyaw Tin had a lengthy meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque at state guesthouse Padma on Wednesday. The special envoy met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganobhaban in the evening on Wednesday. At the meeting, the Prime Minister renewed her call to Myanmar to take back its nationals from Bangladesh. Bangladesh said around 65,000 people fled Myanmar and entered Bangladesh since October 9 last. Quoting the UN relief agency, the international media also reported that at least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, including some 22,000 in just the last one week since the latest army crackdown started in October. Earlier on December 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka Myo Myint Than and demanded early repatriation of all Myanmar nationals staying in the country. As part of mounting international pressure on Myanmar, the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will come together in Kuala Lumpur on January 19 to discuss possible remedies to the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.

This is going to be an 'extraordinary' meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

Bangladesh will place its position before the extraordinary meeting in Kuala Lumpur on overall situation apart from the latest developments on the Rohingya issue. In November last year, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told Dhaka-based diplomats about the government's concerns over the influx of Rakhine Muslims into Bangladesh despite the border guards' efforts to stop the flow. He briefed them on the evolving situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh-Myanmar relations.

The Foreign Minister apprised the diplomatic community of the steps that the government had taken to establish and maintain friendly relations with Myanmar, particularly with the newly elected NLD government through engagements at different levels.

He informed them about the cooperation that Bangladesh had provided to Myanmar since the terrorist attacks took place at the border guard posts of Myanmar on Oct 9. "As a responsible neighbour, Bangladesh not only condemned the attack, but also provided critical assistance to the government of Myanmar by apprehending suspects and sharing intelligence," he told the diplomats.

The Foreign Minister added that Bangladesh has already requested the government of Myanmar to take appropriate measures so that the Muslim minorities are not forced to take shelter across the border. The Myanmar envoy in Dhaka was called to the Foreign Ministry and was conveyed Bangladesh's concerns over the issue.
Im just starting a project on real-time, immediate, faster payments or whatever you call it. Its basically making a payment that is either settled within seconds or the data is moved and settlement takes place at a later time, but it look immediate.

Theres lots of reports out there about immediate payments, with my favourite being from Clear2Pay, now FIS, because its produced by my good friend Conny Dorrestijn. A few years ago, she started a faster payment innovation index which ranks different countrys schemes based upon the functionality.

In 2016, most countries would struggle to score more than 3 but the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Singapore and India manage to get a ranking of 4 (doubleclick map for a bigger image).

Nevertheless, I couldnt find a clear statement of the pros and cons in their report, so I started looking at the big consulting houses to see what they had to sya.

In May 2015, McKinseys payments report had an insight into faster payments:

Faster payments: Building a business, not just an infrastructure

To date, most discussions about building a faster payments system have focused primarily on speed and plumbing. Even more important, however, are the innovative products and services that an enhanced infrastructure will allow financial institutions to bring to market. These new products and servicesin both consumer and corporate paymentscan create new revenue streams and help banks and other players realize a return on their investment in a modernized payments system.

They note the UK being forced to upgrade their payments infrastructures when the regulator clamped down on three day processing and demanded same day. Whats interesting is that McKinsey estimate the cost of the UK Faster Payments Scheme as between 150 million and 200 million to build and operate for the initial contract period of seven years (2008-2015), plus up to 50 million for banks to connect to the central infrastructure.

McKinsey note that faster payments allows payment product innovations from peer-to-peer payments, mobile payments, einvoicing and more. Great. But wheres the ROI? Maybe its in growing volumes of new services? For example, Forrester forecasts that P2P payments will reach up to $17 billion by the end of 2019 from $5 billion in 2014, largely driven by accessibility and an attractive user experience that focuses on speed and convenience for both domestic transfers and cross-border remittances. Maybe so, but McKinsey propose that its not revenue generation and new product revenue streams thats the focus, but cost savings and modernisation.

While some existing revenue streams (such as paper-based services) will no doubt be

impacted by a modernized system, the digitization of information, the rise of mobile commerce, and end-users rapidly changing expectations all create the opportunity for banks to boost customer engagement, gain a greater share of wallet, and acquire new customers.

New revenue streams will be the primary source of return on investment in a modernized payments infrastructure, but it is worth noting that additional cost savings could be significant if banks seize this opportunity to integrate their payments architecture  McKinsey estimates that banks can reduce their payments-related IT spending by 20 to 30 percent when they integrate their payments architecture.

OK, I can buy that. In fact, the real driver may not be the ROI but just keeping up with customer and regulatory needs. For example, the Deloitte Faster Payments report has a nice little graphic that explains the world of change.

They explain this graphic as follows:

What is driving the growth of real-time payments?

We have witnessed tremendous technological and business model changes over the past decade. From new payment platforms and solutions, to updated regulations addressing payment effectiveness and security, to  maybe most significantly  higher expectations from merchants and consumers.

Technology innovation: Smartphone adoption has reached 70% in developed countries, while in various developing economies feature phones are often replacing wallets and cash. New domestic person-to-person (P2P) payment providers are popping up on a regular basis, due to catalysts like social platforms, digital currencies and near-field communication (NFC) based payments. Rapid technological change is driving rapid change in the industry.

New players and business models: While the traditional financial industry once controlled the world of payments, new start-ups, spin-offs, and partnerships are introducing new options for the payments sector. In the last few years numerous new FinTech startups have launched with a focus on mobile payments. The focus tends to be on new services, for instance, security with fraud detection and authentication, improved customer experience or making funds available quickly to small businesses when their line of credit is approved. The next step for these organizations may be determining whether real-time payments becomes a core business element and ways to design an operating model to help optimize that service delivery.

Merchants expectations: In addition to payment assurance and lower fees for transactions, many small businesses and large retailers alike are looking at real-time payment to enhance their cash flow management, reduce fraud activity and provide incremental value to their customers.

Consumers expectations: Due to rapid technological change, many consumers now expect almost everything to be available in real-time  but payments often seemed stuck in the past. The age of instant gratification is here to stay. Paying bills or friends should not be more than a few clicks or touches away, and the same expectations tend to apply to accessing funds as soon as they are available.

Regulatory pressure: Regulators across the globe are leading efforts to accelerate payments. The Federal Reserve Bank and the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) are working on a roadmap and incentives to accelerate real-time payments in the US. Regulations in some developed countries are supporting real-time payments. This can benefit consumers and the government, which can efficiently trace activity and help increase the fluidity of the overall economy.

Globalization: Generally, consumers and corporations expect the same simple payment and transfer experience regardless of where they are in the world. More efficient payment solutions have already been effectively implemented in various countries and for a large variety of use cases. As the roster of countries adopting real-time payments grows, the pressure on other countries to lay the groundwork and support speedy payments is likely to increase.

Very good, and Im a lot clearer now that immediate payments is all about creaking old infrastructure that cannot keep up with consumer, merchant and market needs, so has to be renovated voluntarily or by regulatory force. The outcome is increased volumes at lower margins, so not a profitable uplift but a cost overhead reduction.

There are other reports of note out there on this subject, such as Cap Geminis paper on US immediate payments developments and Deutsche Banks research paper, but back to what Im up to. In the next month, Im launching a research program into the benefits and issues of real-time payments. If youre interested in participating, please leave your email address as a comment under this blog entry. Your email will remain private  only I will see it  and Ill make sure to ping you the survey when we launch it in the next few weeks.
The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told that the Azerbaijani side made over 30 ceasefire violations across the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

January 12, 2017, 09:21 Azerbaijani forces fire more than 400 shots at NK line of contact

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Ministry issued an announcement which says: Overnight January 11-12 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime over 30 times by firing more than 400 shots from various caliber small arms and sniper rifles at the Armenian positions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.
Local jewelry manufacturer is first in Lafayette to earn Level One WellSpot status from the state health department.

Lafayette jewelry manufacturer Stuller Inc. has been named a level one WellSpot by Well-Ahead Louisiana.

The initiative, started by the Louisiana Department of Health, works to recognize places of business and organizations that have implemented voluntary smart changes to make living a healthier life easier for their associates. Stuller last year ranked No. 4 on ABizs list of the Top 50 Private Companies in the region with $426 million in 2015 revenues and approximately 1,400 employees.

Stuller is the first corporate company in Lafayette to receive the level one recognition, Jennifer East, Stullers vice president of human resources, says in announcing the recognition. For the last four years, we have taken several steps to meet all of the required benchmarks to receive this top recognition. Our associates have really been on board, many of them joining Team Stuller as we participated in various local events in 2016. Among those events is the Courir du Festival 5k, for which Stuller was a volunteer T-shirt sponsor in 2015. Last year the company sponsored the entire run and this year stepped up in an even bigger way, signing a three-year contract to sponsor it through 2019.

The company also had to meet several other Well-Ahead benchmarks to receive the level one recognition. Those benchmarks include being a tobacco-free campus, having a designated breastfeeding-friendly area, a robust onsite wellness program with monthly newsletters, and healthy vending machine options.

Improving our well-being here at Stuller is really important to us, says founder and Chairman Matt Stuller. We spend a considerable amount of time with one another at work, so were in a prime position to motivate and inspire each other to make better choices.

To learn more about Well-Ahead Louisiana, click here.
Who was Jennifer Hudson before she was an American Idol star? Did Carrie Underwood grace a stage before her days on the show? One day, people may ask the same thing about Gabe Broussard after his run on The Voice. The teens back story is already written and pressed on the Conspiracy E.P. by his band Strange Theories.

Before Broussard started appearing on The Voice, Strange Theories was already gigging around Lafayette and selling their debut record. For his fans from the show, it is a bit different from his rendition of Marc Broussards Lonely Night in Georgia that helped him break out on his blind audition. Instead of Southern soul, the record pulls from several rock influences yet maintains its radio-ready feel.

With help from Dockside Studios, Conspiracy is a well produced effort that easily fits into the Top 40 spectrum. It owes a lot to a pop take on several rock influences. The opener, Because of You, has a guitar lick similar to Pearl Jams Dissident and is loaded with pop punk feels and builds funneled through a squeaky clean band that is so innocent they thank God and their parents on their album jacket. Another influence can be heard throughout as Strange Theories possesses a sound akin to The 1975s Girls along with the bands fondness for pop sensibility  just without their electro pop delivery and missing some of the edgier themes. If Arctic Monkeys had a lot softer edges and Kings of Leon stuck to the sounds of Around the World and Waste a Moment instead of their more grand instrumentation, searching for one of the three would result in an algorithm hit for the other two.

Lyrically, Strange Theories is hook driven and straight forward but well versed with a feel-good approach even when singing about feeling bad. Still, there is a feel of a Radio Disney teen band that releases a rock-edged album and is close to growing up but still all-ages friendly. Or, the feeling you get when the classic rock station advertises for the concert by Bastille in New Orleans.Overall, it makes Creed sound like they belong on the cover of Thrasher and raises the question when did rock get so pretty?

Even in live renditions of Van Halens Jump, Broussards voice is still so pure it softens the attempted edges. In other words, fans of his work on The Voice wont be disappointed as it works completely as his NBC-approved back story.
I encountered this amazing thing at the George Eastman Museum. Brazilian artist / photographer Vik Muniz, born 1961, in his series "Album," assembles pieces of snapshots into mosaics that themselves resemble snapshots. This one is called "Wedding."

Here's a detail of the groom's left hand:

The placard at the Museum noted that family photographs are "the most opaque to nonrelatives and the most susceptible to emotional enrichment." The artist cites the mosaics in a church in Ravenna, Italy among his influences.

Another interesting passage from his bio: "At the age of 18, Muniz worked in advertising in Brazil, redesigning billboards for higher readability. While on the way to his first black-tie gala, Muniz witnessed and attempted to break up a street fight, where he was accidentally shot in the leg by one of the brawlers. He was paid by the shooter to not press charges, and used the money to travel to New York." "Wedding, Album, 2014" was on loan from the artist and his gallery in New York City. Vik Muniz was born in Sao Paulo and now lives and works in NYC and Rio de Janeiro.

Mike

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.

Like what you read?

Give Mike a Like or Buy yourself something nice

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Barry Reid: "Thanks for this. Muniz is new to me and I love the central idea here and will certainly be seeking out more of his work over the coming days."
The play that opens at Market House Theatre in Paducah on Thursday tells the story of an African-American seamstress whose talent sewing beautiful lingerie introduces her to a diverse set of people and circumstances as she moves between New York Citys distinct social worlds in the early 1900s.

One of the plays leading characters is portrayed by a well-known Southern Illinois University Carbondale administrator.

Jeff McGoy, SIUs assistant dean of students, plays the role of George, a lonesome Caribbean man who learns of the seamstress Esther Mills while working on the Panama Canal. He writes her letters that grow progressively more romantic over time, eventually persuading Esther to marry him. The two quickly become husband and wife upon his arrival in New York City.

It is telling a story, an African-American story, that I think is really, really powerful in so many different ways, McGoy said of the play titled Intimate Apparel.

It deals with so many people with dreams, and Im a dreamer, he added. I felt a connection to the script and I love working at Market House Theatre in Paducah.

Intimate Apparel, by Lynn Nottage, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter, is a play full of twists and turns. Though Esther and George both set out with good intentions in their efforts to find and keep love and improve their lots in life, complications arise.

George, at times seen as a villain, squanders Esthers savings on booze and prostitutes after they marry. But as the play progresses, McGoy said that the audience also is introduced to a complex person who struggles to maintain himself as his dreams are derailed by circumstances of his own and the worlds making.

Esther was saving the money George fritters away to finance her dream of opening a beauty parlor to serve African-Americans, so that they would have a place to go where they could feel beautiful just as the white women did. When the money disappears, shes left heartbroken but determined to stitch her dreams back together.

McGoy said this is likely his last play for some time. He said the demands of his job at SIU make it hard to work in rehearsals, and hes also planning some other creative pursuits that hes not quite ready to reveal. But he said preparing for the show's opening tonight has been a rewarding experience, and he encouraged people to come out and see it.

McGoy got his start in theater playing Santa Claus in a grade school production in his hometown of Cairo. Since then, he has performed 15 one-man shows, and had roles in three Market House Theatre plays and eight productions at SIU, from which he graduated in 1998 with a degree in speech communication.

He is one of several people with ties to SIU involved in the production of "Intimate Apparel."

Bonnie Daniels, the guest director, is a 1976 graduate of SIU in speech communication. She and her husband spent close to 30 years working for the Department of Defense as artistic directors for theater programs at Fort Knox in Kentucky and the U.S. Army base in Vicenza, Italy. Today, they are semi-retired and living in Marion; Daniels is a substitute teacher at Giant City School.

"Its a beautifully written play and a beautiful ensemble of actors and Im very proud of the whole piece, Daniels said.

Michael Cochran, who has served as executive director of Market House Theatre since 1996, also is a graduate of SIU; he earned his master of fine arts in theater in 1990. Cochran said SIU and the theater have a symbiotic relationship. Many of the young people who go on to major in theater at SIU get their start performing in Paducah, and similarly, many of the SIU students and graduates return to participate in performances in a variety of ways, he said.

Presently in its 53rd season, Cochran said that a commitment was made this year to expand the diversity of the communities whose stories are told in the plays chosen for performance at Market House Theatre. Cochran said he believes that Intimate Apparel was the right choice to begin that movement.

Cochran said the theater has long had a policy of color-blind casting, but needed to do a better job of picking plays that portray stories of African-Americans, particularly those of adults in their 30s and 40s. He encouraged people to come out to the show that begins Thursday, and noted that its really not that far of a drive from Carbondale to Paducah.

Another Saluki thats part of the production is Logan Reagan, who is the guest scenic designer and earned his master of fine arts theater degree from SIU in 2015, Cochran said.
In more than 30 years of living in Nashville, Webb Wilder has never sacrificed his musical integrity.

Country music executive Jimmy Bowen basically controlled the town in the early 1980s. Back then, Wilder was an odd duck, a rare classic rock 'n' roll artist living in the shadows of the Grand Ole Opry.

Wilder was able to secure a record deal because his sound was fresh and original, a hybrid concoction that had influences of blues, country, rockabilly and R & B.

It's all rock 'n' roll to me, Wilder says. How you combine all the elements is your only shot at originality.

On his first album, he was warned to distance himself as far as possible from the stigma of being from the country music mecca. Naturally, he titled his 1986 Landslide Records debut It Came From Nashville, which included a rousing cover of Steve Earle's Devil's Right Hand.

In a long career that has generated hammerhead rock favorites Human Cannonball, Tough It Out and Baby Please Don't Go, Webb has released 11 albums, most recently the critically acclaimed 2015 effort "Mississippi Moderne."

Wilder and his band The Beatnecks will be in concert at 8 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Old Feed Store in Cobden. Tickets are $20. Doors open at 7 p.m. Concessions will be available. Patrons are allowed to bring their own alcohol.

Members of The Beatnecks, Wilder's long-time road band, include Bob Williams on guitar, Tom Comet on bass and Jimmy Lester on drums.

An emergency trip to the doctor's office was Wilder's preemptive strike against the early warning signs of a cold Tuesday morning. He has a busy weekend, playing The Listening Room in Mobile, Alabama on Friday and appearing at the sold out 30A Songwriters Festival in Seaside, Florida on Saturday and Sunday.

The funny thing is we've always been hip, although we were just about the only rockers in a solid country town, Wilder said. Besides Jason and The Scorchers, there wasn't a lot going on. Now you have The Kings Of Leon, The White Stripes and an invasion of pop music in Nashville. The music scene is now very diverse.

The 62-year-old is a native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

When Wilder was in the sixth grade, his mother asked him if he wanted a guitar and with a simple nod of his head, a $17.50 acoustic Silvertone Guitar  the same brand that jump-started the careers of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan  was ordered from the Sears catalog, the Amazon Prime of the 1950s and 1960s.

It didn't take long for Wilder to ask his dad for an upgrade to electric guitar.

I wasn't any good at all on the acoustic guitar, but quickly ask my dad for an electric guitar. He said, 'You can't even play a manual one yet,' Wilder deadpanned. (Note: This is what David Letterman called an old reference wasted on a young audience. Today's youth are unaware of manual and electric typewriters.)

Wilder credits song ideas throughout his career, like Too Much Sugar For A Nickel and Hittin' Where It Hurts, to his mother's regional colloquialisms.

I'd scribble down something I heard her say all the time, a song scrap, and we would build from there. Just bits and pieces. I should be better organized when I go to songwriting sessions, Wilder says.

The best influence on Wilder's career has been good friend Bobby Field, who produced eight of his albums. They would talk about books and watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show together.

Field was teaching at the University of Southern Mississippi and student Steve Mims needed to make a film for a class project.

Because Wilder was such a unique character, Field recommended that Mims use him in the film.

Up until that point, Wilder was known as John Webb McMurry, his birth name. However, everything changed when Mims cast McMurry as private eye Webb Wilder in his film The Saucer's Reign. From the surf guitar licks lifted from The Ventures in the opening credits to his trademark hat, it seemed that McMurry was destined to bring the Wilder character to life.

The transition started when the USA network picked up the film and turned it into a late night series, creating a cult following, and was solidified with debut musical effort It Came From Nashville.

Suddenly, I was Webb Wilder, he said.

His genius was chiseled in stone in 1985, when questioned about the guiding principles of his artistic career.

Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need them, he responded after a couple seconds of thought, proclaiming the now legendary Webb Wilder credo.

Wilder appeared in the 1993 film "The Thing Called Love."
BENTON  Contrary to speculation, the City of Benton did not pay twice the value of their new city hall.

Benton residents have speculated the city paid too much for the building on South Main Street.

At first glance, it would have appeared their beliefs were valid. In a 2015 appraisal paid for by the selling party, the Board of Education of Benton School District, the buildings value was estimated to be $280,000. The selling cost of the building was $550,000. However, after deeper reading, the appraisal notes that it does not take into account the buildings elevator.

I have given no value to the elevator, appraiser Barry Bittle of Southern Illinois Appraisals said in his report. There are very few buildings that sell [with] elevators especially going to the basement.

Dennis Miller, Bentons finance commissioner, said the school board was firm in their price of $550,000 as they needed to recoup the expenses they put into the building. Specifically, their hard asking price included the $297,006 it paid to have the elevator installed in 2010.

Benton was in search for a new location for city hall after conditions in their old space became in serious need of repair. They were told it would cost $1.8 million to repair that building, so they started to look for a new home.

In their looking, they also considered building new, which they were told would cost about $1 million, or $250 per square foot. When they were told the building for sale by the school board would be $84 per square foot, they believed they had found a deal. Miller said they paid cash in three installments.

The city took possession of the building in June. After some small renovations, the city moved there in August.
The Marion Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved in a burglary that happened in October.

According to a news release from the Marion Police Department, the burglary occurred between 9:30 and 11:45 p.m. Oct. 30 at a home on Holmes Drive. Numerous household items, tools, jewelry, coins, collectibles and a Stack On brand upright safe were stolen.

A pickup truck was used to remove property from the residence, the release said.

Anyone with more information concerning the robbery is asked to contact the department at 618-993-2124.

 The Southern
The Marion Police Department is requesting assistance in identifying a male suspect involved in the retail theft of a ring valued at more than $1,000 from the Marion Walmart.

On Friday, Dec. 30, at about 10:40 p.m. after requesting to view a 14-karat gold, 1-carat diamond ring from the jewelry department, the suspect stole it, according to a news release from Detective Sergeant T.J. Warren. The suspect left Walmart, running to a white vehicle that was waiting in the parking lot.

Anyone with information about this theft should contact the Marion Police Department at 618-993-2124.

 The Southern
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 12, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: He informed that the works are comprised of several parts.

First of all, it is necessary to organize visits of the European lawmakers, political figures to Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, and vice versa, the NKR parliamentary, political, public delegations must visit Europe.

From this perspective 2016 was quite an active year. Many political figures visited the NKR. Active visits from the NKR to Europe were also recorded. The NKR President Bako Sahakyan also visited Belgium. We will continue our activity with this same spirit based on the works carried out last year, he said.

He stated that after visiting the NKR, the impressions of lawmakers change, they become more informed. During such visits Karabakh has an opportunity to raise issues related to Azerbaijans aggression, attacking policy within various European circles, as well as issues related to the right to live of the NKR people, state-building.

Bedo Demirdjian said Karabakh has serious perspectives in terms of tourism. Two months ago we held a great exhibition dedicated to the NKR in Belgium, we are in constant contact with various circles, tourism agencies on this path. We work in order the tourism companies include in their packages Armenia and the NKR. By this we are trying to boost the NKRs tourism, he said.

As for the Azerbaijani attacks, Bedo Demirdjian said they always occur.

It seems Azerbaijans attack already became a usual phenomenon, we got used to it. I can say that they are unable to hinder us. They are working in the propaganda field, they spread information out of reality, but the fake propaganda is short-lived, Bedo Demirdjian said.
MARION  The city of Marion will be hosting its 30th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration on Monday.

The celebration will take place at 11 a.m. at the Pavilion of the City of Marion, 1601 Sioux Drive. The theme for the event will be "Take a Stand."

Ron Ferguson, chairman of the Boyton Street Community Center Board who has hosted the celebration for the past 25 years, said the theme reflects on rights to speak out about injustices.

"You have a right to speak out about injustice," he said. "The theme goes along with what is going on in the world today and how people idly stand by and allow injustice to occur and not say anything."

The keynote speaker for the event is Carrie L. Acklin, an instructor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and substance abuse clinician at Centerstone of Illinois.

Ferguson said Acklin was chosen as the keynote speaker for her knowledge in rehabilitation and substance abuse and the work that she does for minority patients.

"We try to do something different each year and bring a variety of speakers," he said. "Different speakers and different subjects to elaborate on Dr. King and the variety of things he educated the public about."

Donations for the Kay Pape Memorial Scholarship of the Boyton Street Community Center will also be accepted during the ceremony.

Stephanie Willis, executive director of the Boyton Street Communty Center in Marion, said the scholarship, produced several years ago as a memorial to the prestigious volunteer, will be awarded to a student or volunteer in the after school program who plans to study education or a subject within the health field.

"It's just a way of giving back to the kids and those that volunteer to get them help and give them a little boost with their education, and keeping her legacy," she said.

The program is free and open to the public.

For more information about the celebration or the Kay Pape Memorial Scholarship, call Ferguson at 618-944-0485 or Willis at 618-997-1113.
BENTON  The trial of the man accused of killing his wife on Halloween is likely to be postponed.

Brian Pheasant, 43, of Christopher, appeared Thursday in a Franklin County courtroom for the second time this week.

Pheasant was arrested Halloween night and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Beth Pheasant, 37.

Brian Pheasant was scheduled for a pretrial hearing Thursday, during which his defense attorney, Paula Newcomb, said she planned to ask formally for a continuance to push back the Feb. 7 jury trial.

Newcomb said there was evidence that she was still trying to organize, including a delayed DNA test discussed during Tuesdays motion hearing. She also said she plans to subpoena 50 witnesses. Franklin County States Attorney Evan Owens had no objection to the potential motion.

Judge Tom Tedeschi said he had no problems with the continuance, but said Newcomb would have to file it in writing before he would officially change the date. He said he would address the matter Jan. 26 during the next scheduled pretrial hearing.

Judge Eric Dirnbeck presided during Tuesday's motion hearing.

He heard a motion made by Owens to allow a DNA sample to be tested by the Illinois State Crime Lab. Owens asked for permission as the single swab, which tested the trigger, grip and slide of the firearm suspected to have been used in the murder of Beth Pheasant, would be completely consumed during testing.

Newcomb objected, but ultimately settled for being present during the testing in Belleville.
President Barack Obamas farewell speech from Chicago on Tuesday night was like a flashback.

Eight years ago, I watched in amazement from my professors living room in Columbia, Missouri, as Obama and his family took the stage in Grant Park to accept his election as president of the United States.

It was the first national election I was able to vote in. I went to the ballot for the first time when I voted for Obama in the Missouri primary in 2008. I delighted in arguing with my Hillary-supporter friends and family, and later my McCain-supporting friends and family, but we all walked out of the polling place feeling proud of our votes and thrilled to be a part of the process, for many of us, for the first time.

We felt like a part of history, and in a very special and unique way in that particular election, when our first African-American First Family thanked supporters in Chicago on election night in 2008.

I was not always happy with Obamas policies.

I understand, when friends pay penalties rather than buy health insurance, or pay all of their healthcare costs out of pocket because their deductibles are so high, the frustration many of us feel with the Affordable Care Act, which will surely be the No. 1 thing Obama is remembered for, even after the next administration, with the backing of a Republican-controlled congress, throws it out. I was disappointed that it seemingly took a so-called Biden gaffe to get Obama to proclaim public allegiance to gay and lesbian people who sought marriage equality. Guantanamo Bay is still open.

But watching Obama give his farewell speech from a stage in my state, I was the hopeful college student who had voted for the first time. This was my first president, reflecting on eight years of service in our highest office.

None of us will ever agree 100 percent with any person who sits in the Oval Office. Complaining about the president is basically a fundamental right in the United States, thanks to the principles of free speech that have been enshrined in our Constitution.

But I have appreciated Obamas manner.

He has been, if nothing else, a good role model. He comes from somewhat humble beginnings, raised with help from his grandparents, and was the (first black) president of the Harvard Law Review. He worked as a community organizer, devoting his professional life to making a difference for other people. In office, he has carried himself with decorum and calm. He has flexed his humor muscle, and palled around with children in the Oval Office.

The image that will define the Obama years for me is the photo of Obama bending forward so a young, African-American child can touch his hair. It appears to be a kind and friendly gesture, and the image has been widely shared as it spoke to the deeper meaning of Obamas presidency to history.

Say what you will about Obama  oh, and, I know, you will  but he has had an incredible power  one that surely helped get him elected president twice  to radiate optimism at every turn. Its what spoke to so many of us during that exciting 2008 election, and its what I heard in his farewell speech Tuesday.

Let me tell you, this generation coming up  unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic  I've seen you in every corner of the country, he said, toward the end of his speech. You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America; you know that constant change has been America's hallmark, that it's not something to fear but something to embrace, you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. You'll soon outnumber any of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands.

Thanks, Obama.
Les Winkeler Sports editor Les Winkeler is sports editor and outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan. Follow Les Winkeler 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

The swiftness and randomness of wildlife encounters is breathtaking.

A couple weeks ago while photographing ducks at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge a bald eagle appeared seemingly out of nowhere and snatched a fish from the lake.

Winkeler: New Year's is the birder's Christmas For birders who keep annual lists, even rank amateurs like myself, New Years Day is a milestone.

The entire sequence of events took just 4-5 seconds. I never saw the eagle coming. By the time I looked up from my camera, the eagle was nowhere in sight. The only evidence of this moment, other than digital, was a slight disturbance on the surface of the water.

Had I spent another few seconds staring at ducks 100 yards away, I would have missed this magical moment. If something had distracted me while driving on Wolf Creek Causeway, the eagle would have snatched his lunch in obscurity.

Last week I was returning to Carbondale from Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Hoping to build on my 2017 bird list, I stopped at the Barkhausen Wetlands Center near Karnak.

There is a small pond and boardwalk adjacent to the center. It seemed like a likely place to spot, and photograph, birds on a cold winter day.

But, the path to the center forms a Y just beyond the parking lot. And, as Yogi Berra suggested, when I got to the fork in the road, I took it. Actually, I just took a few steps to the side to glance down the Tunnel Hill State Trail.

About 50 yards in the distance was a fairly large object. At first glance it appeared to be one of those brown Illinois Department of Natural Resources garbage cans. But, there had never been a garbage can there before.

I stared more intently. After a couple seconds, the object moved, turning toward me. Putting my camera to my eye, my suspicions were confirmed. It was a bobcat  a big one at that.

Drawing in a deep breath, I started snapping photos. I managed 12 shots before the cat got annoyed and disappeared into the grass. Again, the animals hasty exit erased any proof, other than digital, that it had ever been there.

It was by far my longest, not to mention most intimate, encounter with a bobcat. Elapsed time  maybe 15 seconds.

Again, had I dawdled in the car a few more seconds, the encounter probably would have never occurred. Had I made another stop prior to the Barkhausen Center, our paths would never have crossed.

Finally, Monday morning at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, I stopped along a tree line, trying to find kinglets whistling in the treetops. Convinced they were behind me, I put the car in reverse.

It was only then I noticed a pair of hoofed feet beneath the brush. My eyes moved upward to discover a medium-sized doe, less than 50 feet away, staring straight at me. Movement didnt seem to bother her, she just stared vacantly while chewing her cud.

At that point, I decided this would be a battle of the wills. Wed stare at each other until one of us got bored.

Not surprisingly, she got bored first, walking away after less than a minute.
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by staff member of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden) and head of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) Colonel Hans Lampalzer (Austria).

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain), Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria), and representative of the OSCE HLPG Major Cavit Elyas (Turkey).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No violation of the ceasefire regime was registered.

From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn't done supporting New York's craft beverage producers.

In his State of the State book submitted to the state Legislature, Cuomo proposes the creation of New York Craft Beverage Week. The week would be a promotional event held during the fall to "highlight local beer, wine, cider and distilled spirits on restaurant menus across the state and in advertising," according to the governor's office.

Cuomo signs bills to expand sales of NY craft beverages Gov. Andrew Cuomo is coming to the aid of New York's craft beverage producers  again.

The New York City Hospitality Alliance would team with the New York State Restaurant Association to promote the state's craft beverage industry. Taste NY, an initiative that promotes New York-made beverages and food products, would partner with the New York State Liquor Store Association to market the week and hold craft beverage tastings.

Cuomo also proposed a new grant for craft beverage producers to participate in joint marketing campaigns. He also wants to offer stipends to breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries to enter national and international competitions.

Some of the contests include the Great American Beer Festival, which is held annually in Denver, and the Canberra International Riesling Challenge, a wine competition held each year in Australia.

New York craft beverage producers have been successful at past competitions. Not only have they won awards for their products, but they've reported strong sales at these events.

"This funding would assist craft beverage businesses with attending these trade shows and competitions to further expand these critical industries," Cuomo's office wrote in the State of the State book.

In addition to his craft beverage-specific plans, Cuomo wants to establish the Taste NY Culinary Trail System that would provide support to the various beverage and food trails in New York, including the beer and wine trails that have been created over the years.

Cuomo's State of the State book singles out the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail for guiding visitors to "award-winning wines, scenic vistas and world-class dining and lodging in the Finger Lakes region."

The Taste NY Culinary Trail System would assist with statewide promotion of the existing trails and serve as a one-stop shop within the state's Taste NY program. The system would coordinate with the state Office of General Services and the Department of Transportation.

Cuomo's proposals are subject to approval by the state Legislature. Many of the plans he's outlined in recent days will be included in his executive budget proposal, which is due next week.
Training a class of 32 young foreign employees in leadership is another sign of Alibaba Group's ambitious strategy for overseas expansion.

The students, from 14 nations, are set to spend a year at the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy at company headquarters in Hangzhou. There, they will engage in hands-on leadership training, cultural immersion and industry tours, and serve rotational assignments in different business units. The first class began in October.

When the training is completed, they will be sent to company offices in the United States, United Kingdom, continental Europe, India and Southeast Asia, where Alibaba has a growing presence.

The academy aims to train participants with both a global vision and a deeper understanding of China, according to Brian Wong, the Alibaba vice-president who oversees the program.

The training "will help the company build a strong foundation for our future international footprint. It also shows what Chinese companies are doing to engage with the rest of the world", said Wong.

It is a gateway to "building trust and mutual understanding for a meaningful global impact", according to company Chairman Jack Ma. Alibaba has set an ambitious goal of serving 2 billion customers globally and having 40 percent of its sales from overseas in the coming decade.

They graduated from leading universities like Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge, and were selected based on stringent criteria like learning ability, strategic and innovative thinking, and cultural fit for the company.

Gary Topp, a 31-year old MBA graduate from the University of Chicago, said the combination of the education and the chance to work in one of China's most exciting companies makes for an attractive experience.

"I just came back from a company tour to the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It's amazing to see how advanced e-commerce and internet finance are in the development of China's rural areas," said Topp, who previously worked for rating agency Moody's in London and New York before joining in Alibaba.

French associate Isabelle Kam said, "The program, which includes teaching Chinese history, economics and politics, makes me better understand Chinese culture and the market, and I get to feel the social impact of Alibaba." Kam said she expects to be sent to Paris after finishing the program.

Xu Jian, founder of Decide Consulting, a human resources firm, said the academy shows Chinese firms are becoming a major draw for high-caliber international talent.
A program proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo would encourage recent college graduates to purchase homes in upstate New York communities.

Cuomo wants $5 million to establish the Graduate to Homeownership Program, which would provide assistance to help recent college graduates buy homes. The program would target those who remain in upstate communities, especially downtown areas.

According to the governor's State of the State book released Wednesday, 71 percent of students from New York City colleges and universities remain in the area after graduation. But upstate cities struggle to keep recent graduates in their communities.

The program will include financial and homebuyer education courses and down payment assistance. Participants will receive a subsidized, low interest first-time homebuyer loan through the State of New York Mortgage Agency.

The agency, known as SONYMA, has assisted more than 8,000 New Yorkers buy homes over the past six years.

The Graduate to Homeownership Program, Cuomo's State of the State book reads, "will foster new regional magnets where businesses may access New York's diverse and talented workforce, setting the stage for the entrepreneurial energy needed to continue revitalizing upstate New York's downtown areas."

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, said the proposal would establish a pilot program at the start. It could grow over time if there's more interest.

The program would complement the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, a competition Cuomo launched last year to promote and improve downtown areas throughout the state.

"It will help incentivize college graduates to put down roots in these upstate communities," Azzopardi said.

The proposal is one of several Cuomo outlined in his State of the State book and the six regional addresses he delivered over the past three days. His State of the State tour included a stop in Syracuse Wednesday.

Cuomo will provide more specifics about the proposals in his executive budget, which is due next week.
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.
Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey received a call Tuesday asking him to attend meetings at Trump Tower in New York City.

Little did he know that he and a small group of other Republicans would get a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump.

Dadey said he attended meetings Wednesday with Erie County Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy, Dutchess County Republican Chairman Mike McCormick, Nassau County Republican Chairman Joe Mondello and Dutchess County Sheriff Butch Anderson.

The five men serve on the transition team and were early supporters of Trump's presidential campaign.

Late in the afternoon, the group had a 10-minute meeting with Trump.

"It was up in his office on the 26th floor in Trump Tower," Dadey said in a phone interview Thursday. "He was very thankful for our early support of him in the primary. We talked about the winning and going to the inaugural. I told him that I thought his Cabinet picks have been fantastic and we had a little discussion about that."

As for the transition team's work, Dadey said the first priority was to select the Cabinet members and work through the confirmation process, which began this week.

Once the Cabinet is in place, the focus will shift to undersecretaries and deputy secretaries at the various federal departments. Dadey said the transition team will then move on to regional positions, such as U.S. district court judges and U.S. attorneys.

"Those will be further down the road with this transition process," he said. "It's going to be a lengthy, ongoing process because there's so many positions to fill. There's over 4,000 jobs."

While in New York City for meetings at Trump Tower, Dadey missed a luncheon hosted by the Onondaga County GOP's Executive Leadership Council Wednesday in Syracuse.

Harry Wilson, a potential Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2018, was the guest speaker at the event. Wilson narrowly lost his bid for state comptroller in 2010.

Wilson is one of several Republicans who have expressed interest in challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The others include Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who ran in 2014.

Dadey isn't throwing his support behind a candidate yet, but he did praise Wilson for the steps he's taken so far.

"I think his candidacy has great potential," he said. "He's got the background and he's got a proven track record of turning things around."
By Trend





By Rashid Shirinov

A total of 172,000 real estate objects were registered in Azerbaijan in 2016, said Rafig Jalilov, the deputy chairman of the State Committee on Property Issues.

He made the remark during the presentation of an online calculator for real estate registration fee on January 12.

Some 50,000 of the total number of the registered real estate objects passed the initial registration. Citizens can also use them as collateral for loans, said Jalilov.

However, in some cases, the Committee has to deny citizens in registration of real estate, the deputy chairman added.

"We promptly register real estate if all documents are all right. However, sometimes owners of agricultural lands and land shares turn to us for the registration of various residential and non-residential objects built on these sites. The legislation prohibits registration of objects on such land plots," said the deputy chairman.

He added that the owners of such objects should inquire in advance if it is possible to build any object on such lands.

Jalilov also said that in 2016, the State Committee on Property Issues has conducted a campaign of Mass registration in six regions and 22 cities of the country, while almost 10,000 citizens took advantage of the campaign.

Electronic services of the State Committee are particularly in demand. Last year, 450,000 citizens used e-services of the Committee, while 376,000 appeals were sent to the portal for privatization.

According to the legislation of Azerbaijan there is no difference in the rights of foreigners and local citizens in the field of buying a real estate. The foreign citizen, as well as the citizen of Azerbaijan can buy any property, except the land, i.e. can buy an apartment, a house, but do not a land plot.

The Azerbaijani legislation gives the rights to purchase the land plot only to the citizens of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's State Committee on Property Issues was established under a presidential decree dated May 19, 2014. The Committee is the central executive body implementing state policy and regulation on real estate management and its privatization, involving investments and conducting state registration and cadastre of real estate in Azerbaijan.
By Trend





Over the past 24 hours, Armenias Armed Forces have 35 times violated the ceasefire in different directions along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on January 12.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in the Kamarli and Jafarli villages of Azerbaijans Gazakh district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in the Dovekh village of the Noyemberyan district and in the Azatamut village of the Ijevan district of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani army positions located in the Alibayli village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district were shelled from the Armenian army positions located in the Aygepar village of the Berd district of Armenia.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions underwent fire from the Armenian positions located near the Armenian-occupied Goyarkh village of the Tartar district, Shirvanli village of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Horadiz village of the Fuzuli district, as well as from the positions located on the nameless heights of the Goranboy, Tartar, Khojavand, Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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
MORAVIA  A U.S. Census Bureau report released late last year caught state Sen. Jim Seward's attention.

The report found that more than 191,000 people left New York between July 2015 and July 2016. It was one of eight states that reported a population loss during that period.

Seward, who outlined his legislative agenda Thursday at the Moravia Justice Center, said the declining population should be a wake-up call for those in state government.

"Why do people leave? Weather may be a factor in some cases," he said. "But primarily, people leave the state to pursue greater opportunities that exist elsewhere."

To address the population drop, particularly in upstate New York, Seward, R-Milford, said broad-based tax relief is needed and the state should eliminate outdated regulations.

He also wants more support for workforce training, including programs available through BOCES and and community colleges.

"We want to be able to ensure a new prospective employer or existing ones have a local workforce with the skills that they need for their business or their organization," he said.

Seward reiterated his support for allowing ridesharing in New York. The concept enjoys support from both parties, but an agreement on the regulatory framework hasn't been reached.

In the Senate, Seward is the sponsor of legislation that would allow Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing companies to operate in upstate. Ridesharing is permitted in New York City, but no regulations exist for the services in upstate cities.

"Expanding this business model to upstate New York, I think, is long overdue and could be very positive to our local economies," he said.

Education issues are on Seward's agenda again this year. With Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposing free tuition for middle-class students at public colleges and universities, the issue of college affordability will be a high priority.

Seward said he has "a lot of questions" about Cuomo's proposal. He didn't take a stance on the plan, but he did say he supports increasing the income eligibility for the state Tuition Assistance Program and increasing the size of TAP awards.

For local governments, Seward supports mandate relief that he says would help keep property taxes in check. He would like to see the state take over Medicaid costs and the funding of indigent legal defense services.

"The bottom line: Let's end unfunded state mandates once and for all," he said. "If the state thinks something is needed then let the state pay for it. That's the way it should work."

On ethics reform, Seward said he supports second passage of a constitutional amendment that would strip pensions from state officials convicted of public corruption. If the state Legislature approves the measure, it will go before voters in November.

Seward also backed term limits for legislative leaders and committee chairs. He noted that the Senate has enacted the term limits in the chamber's rules. The Assembly doesn't have term limits for leadership posts.

There are other issues on Seward's radar. He wants more help for farmers and will continue advocating for the repeal of the SAFE Act, a gun control law adopted in 2013.

Economic issues, though, are at the top of his to-do list.

"Action is needed and we need to cut costs and red tape in order to add jobs," he said.
Schiattarella Associati, a leading architectural firm based in Italy, said it has secured a key project for the modification of King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh commissioned by the General Sport Authority (GSA).



The scope of work includes refurbishing most of the stadium to help accommodate almost 50,000 spectators.



The Italian group won the contract beating competition from five other internationally-known architectural firms, said a company spokesman.



It is another achievement for the Rome-based firm in the Gulf region after the Celebration Hall in Riyadh, the Art Centre in Addirriyah and Quam projects in Qatar.



Our proposal," Amedeo and Andrea Schiattarella state, "starts from the idea of solving the new functional requirements introducing shapes and volumes that not only are integrated into the existing architecture but enhance the value of the Stadium itself."

Therefore, the idea has been to realise an artificial hill at the base of the stadium in order to link, from a functional and formal point of view, land level with the concourse level allocating the bleachers, the spokesman added.



By highlighting the typical veils of the covering, representing an important urban landmark of Riyadh, the artificial landscape designed by Schiattarella Associati fulfils the task of introducing another element, perfectly coherent with the context that fits rational simplification in allocating the new spaces.



Underneath the artificial hill there will be almost 1,000 parking places, access areas to the West Stand that will be completely modified in order to implement spaces dedicated to spectators (about 12,000 sq m) and fit Fifa requirements, said the spokesman.



Between the hill and the stadium, a space with a green area will allow natural light to enter deeply inside lighting up the entrances, and act as a filter between the stadium and parking lots.



In the next few weeks, the project will be delivered to GSA to start the construction tender process, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Iranian and Iraqi government officials are in talks to conclude deals on developing two joint oilfields, a report said.



One of the deals will pertain to the development of joint oilfields Parviz and Khorramshahr, Deputy Oil Minister in International Affairs and Trading Amir Hossein Zamani-Nia was quoted as saying in the Iran Daily report, which cited Fars News Agency.



The other memorandum of understanding (MoU), he said, will be on cooperation in other oil-related areas such as manufacture of items, gas export and renovation of Iraqi refineries by Iranian private contractors.
Iran plans to launch the new model of oil contracts for the development of a major oilfield in the south-western province of Khuzestan within the next four weeks, a report said.



The project to develop South Azadegan oilfield would be Iran's first international tender, Deputy Head of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Gholamreza Manouchehri, was quoted as saying in the Iran Daily report, which cited Tasnim News Agency.



The documents of the tender have almost been finalized, he said, adding according to the schedule, the development project of the South Azadegan oilfield will be put out to tender by the next four weeks.



Manouchehri noted that Japan's Inpex Corporation, which has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NIOC to conduct studies on the development of the South Azadegan oilfield, has submitted its report on the first phase of the studies.



The new oil and investment contract for international firms, known as the IPC, will replace Iran's buyback oil deals. Under a buyback deal, the host government agrees to pay the contractor an agreed price for all volumes of hydrocarbons the contractor produces, the report said.
Rotana, a major hospitality group, and Farah Experiences, a company that operates major theme parks, have announced an exclusive range of benefits for their mutual guests.



The announcement follows their recent strategic partnership agreement aimed at supporting the growth of leisure tourism in Abu Dhabi.



The agreement saw Rotana being accorded the status of Preferred Hotel Partner by Farah Experiences, which operates Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the worlds first Ferrari-branded theme park, and Yas Waterworld, the UAEs unique Emirati themed waterpark.



The agreement will see the two parties actively promote each others brands by offering an attractive package of discounts, savings and privileges that create value for their respective guests whilst incentivising them to visit and patronise the others destinations and offerings.



As part of this arrangement, guests staying at any of Rotanas hotels in the UAE will enjoy a host of exclusive benefits when visiting Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. These include special discounts on entry tickets (15 per cent off for adults and 20 per cent off for children below 12 years), a 10 per cent discount on both food and beverage and park merchandise, as well as complimentary concierge service for luggage and locker usage at both parks.



All of the above benefits  save for the discount on entry tickets  will also be available to all members of Rotana Rewards, the hotel management companys award-winning loyalty programme, across its three programmes - Exclusive, Select, and Classic. In lieu of the upfront discount on entry tickets, however, Rotana Rewards members will enjoy complimentary upgrade to the next ticket category, allowing them to make their in-park experiences more worthwhile. Members simply need to present their Rotana Rewards card at the counter at the parks to avail the offers, said a statement.



The benefits awaiting ticket-holders of Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi at Rotana hotels in the UAE include a 10 per cent discount at Rotana food and beverage outlets.



Annual pass-holders of Yas Waterworld, meanwhile, can look forward to enjoying an even wider range of privileges at Rotana hotels, including an exclusive 15 per cent discount on food and beverage across all Rotana outlets as well as complimentary breakfast, free Internet and 15 per cent off on food and beverage when staying at any Rotana hotel anywhere in the region.



In addition to all of the above deals and offers, Rotana has put together an exclusive Rotana Escapes package that offers further benefits to guests staying at any of the groups hotels in Abu Dhabi. Guests booking this specially tailored package  which includes one nights stay, complimentary buffet breakfast and 15 per cent off on food and beverage  will receive free tickets to Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and additionally enjoy 10 per cent off on food and beverage and park merchandise at both destinations.



Guests availing this package also enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi anywhere on the hotel premises along with the convenience of a late checkout until 4pm at no extra charge. Children below 6 years eat free at Rotana outlets when dining with two accompanying paying adults under this exclusive package, prices for which start from Dh349++ per night. - TradeArabia News Service
Turkish Airlines, the national carrier, is set to launch flights to Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, starting from March 30.



With this launch, the airline will add another new destination in Ukraine to its extensive flight network thus living up to its title of the carrier that flies to the most countries in the World with 295 destinations in 119 countries.



Kharkiv flights will be operated four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and then gradually increased to seven times per week as of May 30.



Round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Kharkiv starting from $109 (including taxes and fees), said the airline.



Additionally, for the first six months of operation to the new destinations, there is a special offer for Miles & Smiles members, with a 25 per cent reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades, it added.-TradeArabia News Service


Designer babies: an ethical horror waiting to happen?



Last month the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that at current production levels Iran is going to exceed its cap on low-enriched uranium. Also, just a few days before the IAEA sounded the alarm, President Hassan Rouhani ordered Irans nuclear agency to develop nuclear engines that would use uranium enriched to 20 percent  a clear violation of the 2015 deal allowing Iran to enrich only to 3.67 percent...







"There are thousands upon thousands coming to Christ," VOMC revealed. "We are in regular contact with our FM stations in Iraq and have talked with many people who have family in the Middle East."



"Some of our Middle Eastern broadcasters have shared testimonies [about many turning to Christ] with us, which they hear directly from listeners when visiting there ..."...



The Top 50 Countries Where Its Hardest to Be a Christian

The findings and trends noted by Open Doors are stark: Approximately 215 million Christians experience high, very high, or extreme persecution.

North Korea remains the most dangerous place to be a Christian (for 14 straight years).

Islamic extremism remains the global dominant driver of persecution, responsible for initiating oppression and conflict in 35 out of the 50 countries on the 2017 list.

Ethnic nationalism is fast becoming a major driver of persecution. While this took an anti-establishment form in the West, in Asia it took an anti-minorities form, fueled by dramatic religious nationalism and government insecurity. It is commonand easyfor tottering governments to gain quick support by scapegoating Christians.

The total number of persecution incidents in the top 50 most dangerous countries increased, revealing the persecution of Christians worldwide as a rising trend.

The most violent: Pakistan, which rose to No. 4 on the list for a level of violence exceeding even northern Nigeria.

The killings of Christians in Nigeria saw an increase of more than 62 percent.

The killings of Christians were more geographically dispersed than in most time periods studied. Hitting closer to home, 23 Christian leaders in Mexico and four in Colombia were killed specifically for their faith, said Open Doors of the rare event.

The worst increase: Mali, which moved up the most places on the list from No. 44 to No. 32.

Asia is a new center of concern, with persecution rising sharply in Bangladesh, Laos, and Bhutan, and Sri Lanka joining the list for the first time.



"The aliyah (the act of moving to Israel) of French Jews has been significant over the last decade," Benhaim told AFP.



The French Jewish community is the biggest in Europe and is thought to number around 500,000 people...







And the food traffickers are the very people sworn to protect Venezuela: the nation's military.



Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gave the military complete control of the food supply last summer, after people began protesting in the streets over food rationing. Shortages had become so bad that people were even ransacking grocers  though many were largely empty... Last month the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that at current production levels Iran is going to exceed its cap on low-enriched uranium. Also, just a few days before the IAEA sounded the alarm, President Hassan Rouhani ordered Irans nuclear agency to develop nuclear engines that would use uranium enriched to 20 percent  a clear violation of the 2015 deal allowing Iran to enrich only to 3.67 percent... Thousands of Muslims reportedly turning to Christ in Middle East ...Voice Of the Martyrs Canada, which supports Christian radio broadcasts in the region, told BosNewsLife that despite the mass exodus of Christians from Iraq and Syria due to terrorism, persecution, and war, scores of Muslims are making the decision to embrace Christianity."There are thousands upon thousands coming to Christ," VOMC revealed. "We are in regular contact with our FM stations in Iraq and have talked with many people who have family in the Middle East.""Some of our Middle Eastern broadcasters have shared testimonies [about many turning to Christ] with us, which they hear directly from listeners when visiting there ..."... Another 5,000 Jews quit France for Israel ...The 5,000 departures in 2016 add to the record 7,900 who left in 2015 and 7,231 in 2014. In total, 40,000 French Jews have emigrated since 2006, according to figures seen by AFP."The aliyah (the act of moving to Israel) of French Jews has been significant over the last decade," Benhaim told AFP.The French Jewish community is the biggest in Europe and is thought to number around 500,000 people... As Venezuelans Go Hungry, The Military Is Trafficking In Food ...In Venezuela, food has become so scarce it's now being sold on the black market. One person tells the Associated Press, "it's a better business than drugs."And the food traffickers are the very people sworn to protect Venezuela: the nation's military.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gave the military complete control of the food supply last summer, after people began protesting in the streets over food rationing. Shortages had become so bad that people were even ransacking grocers  though many were largely empty...

Colorado 2016

from

DAVID

on

Vimeo

.

Go to the vimeo site for enlarged version-stunning!
Volunteer for new literacy program

INGLES!, a non-profit group teaching English as a second language to adult learners, is currently looking for enthusiastic, patient volunteers. Volunteers will help adult students improve their English one-on-one and in small classes. Volunteering requires a commitment of two hours twice a week. No Spanish proficiency or prior teaching experience required. Volunteer application forms are available at the Natrona County Library Reference Desk located on the second floor.

Destination Imagination book giveaway

As part of their ongoing effort to promote literacy, Cottonwood Elementary Schools Destination Imagination team will host a new and gently used book giveaway from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Natrona County Public Library, for families with elementary-age students. Team members will also be available to spend time reading aloud with participants. Call 577-READ ext. 5 for more information.

Caspers MLK Day On

Caspers Martin Luther King, Jr./Wyoming Equality Day Celebration on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, will be a day on, not a day off. A march, sponsored by Casper Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), starts at 11 a.m. at City Park, 7th & Center, and ends at First United Methodist Church, 302 East 2nd St. Folks who do not want to march are welcome to come directly to the church.

Caspers past mayor Daniel Sandoval will be the keynote speaker at the rally. Music will be provided by Caspers United Church of Christ. After the rally, participants are invited to a chili lunch (free-will offering) hosted at Food for Thought Project, 900 Saint John St.

After lunch, from 12:30 to 3 p.m., volunteers are invited to pack food bags for the Point in Time Homeless Count and other opportunities as needed. Donations of granola bars, personal care items, and new, warm socks would be appreciated.

The celebration has been made possible with support from First United Methodist Church, ServeWyoming, Casper AmeriCorps, Casper NAACP, Food for Thought Project, the City of Casper, and many volunteers.

Contacts: Nurieh Glasgow, ServeWyoming, 234-3428; Janet de Vries, Casper NAACP, 237-4545; Jamie Purcell, Food for Thought Project, 337-1703.

Socks and gloves drive continues

Community Action Partnerships Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) launched a Glove and Sock Drive in our community beginning in December, which has been a huge success. The initial goal of 500 pairs of new socks and gloves has been exceeded. So far, the community and local businesses have generously donated 678 pairs of socks and gloves, which makes 6,780 cozy toes and fingers. The new goal is to receive a total of 1,000 pairs of socks and gloves by the time the drive is finished.

There are currently nine drop box locations throughout Casper-Central Wyoming Senior Services, River Rail Credit Union, Casper Recreation Center, Nicolaysen Art Museum, YMCA, Mills Senior Center, Evansville Senior Center, Natrona County School District Central Office and Community Action Partnership.

The Sock and Glove Drive will last until Jan. 31. So far, the donations have helped a family who lost their home to a fire, a church that distributed socks and gloves to homeless during a holiday event, and several needy families with children.

In January, RSVP volunteers will be sorting and distributing the gloves and socks to schools in the Natrona County School District for students in need. The donations will also benefit the homeless during the annual Point in Time Count event in January.

Blood centers extend hours

United Blood Services (UBS) is expanding hours at its Casper and Cheyenne donor centers in an effort to make blood donation more convenient for more donors.

The center at 2801 East 2nd Street in Casper will be open six days a week. Closed only on Tuesday, the Casper center will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The center at 112 E. 8th Ave. in Cheyenne will be open five days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Blood donations can drop as much as 20 percent during the holidays and winter months, but every two seconds, every day of the year a patient in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion.

Whole blood donors are eligible to give blood every eight weeks and are encouraged to donate at least three times each year to help UBS meet the needs of patients.

Donors can save time and fill out their Fast Track Health History Questionnaire online at unitedbloodservices.org the day of their donation. To donate blood, volunteers must be at least 16 years old (16 and 17-year-old donors need a minor donor permit which is available online) and be in good health.

In addition to its community donor centers in Cheyenne and Casper, UBS operates various blood drives across Wyoming. To make an appointment call 877-827-4376 or go to unitedbloodservices.org.

Volunteer tax preparers needed

The Wyoming Free Tax Service is in need of volunteers to assist in the preparation of free basic income tax returns for low to moderate income taxpayers. Basic tax training, along with computer training, will be provided January 17 through 20, beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Please contact Mandy at 237-9367 or by e-mailing mandy@unitedwaync.com for further information on the program or volunteering.

Monthly fleece blanket making continues

The Fleece Blanket Project meets on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Christian Church, 520 CY Ave. Parking is in the back of the building. Upcoming dates are Jan. 21, 2017; Feb. 18, 2017 and March 18, 2017. Thus far, 289 blankets have been made and given to individuals in need of comfort and warmth and to agencies that serve a vulnerable population. Bring two yards of a print fleece and two yards of a solid fleece for each blanket, or just come and join others who want to make a difference. For more information, call First Christian Church at 234-8964.

Disabled vets need volunteer drivers

The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers to take veterans to their medical appointment at the VA hospital in Cheyenne. The volunteer driver will transport them in a VA vehicle. If you are interested, please call the DAV transportation office in Cheyenne at 307-778-7577 for further information.

Museum needs Troopers items

Fort Caspar Museum will be celebrating 60 years of the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps with an exhibit to run in 2017 and 2018. The museum has acquired a number of items from the Troopers such as uniforms, flags, and instruments, but additional, more personal souvenirs and memorabilia items are desired. By loan or by donation, any souvenirs or collectibles will appreciated. Trooper photographs will also be considered. With a potential spring opening, donations are welcome as soon as possible.

Please contact Rick Young at Fort Caspar Museum at 235-8462 or at ryoung@casperwy.gov.

Jerry Behrens Foundation to assist vets

The doctors and staff at Casper Orthopedics have established the Jerry Behrens Foundation to honor the lifelong achievements and commitment to community service that was demonstrated by Jerome A. Behrens, M.D., retired orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of Casper Orthopedics. The practice will be funding administrative costs so that all financial contributions will go directly toward assisting injured, wounded and ill service members and their families. To donate to the Jerry Behrens Foundation, please call 265-7205.

Dr. Behrens practiced medicine in Casper for over 40 years and was known as a compassionate, conscientious and trusted orthopedic surgeon and community member. Dr. Behrens demonstrated courage and determination as he served our country as a surgeon for the Marines in Vietnam.

Volunteer at WMC

Wyoming Medical Centers Volunteer Services Program is seeking individuals who enjoy helping others.

If you enjoy walking, we have openings for patient escorts. Its a great way to lend a helping hand and get exercise. Both early and late morning shifts are available.

Volunteers are also needed in the surgical staging area. Volunteers will assist families who are waiting on a patient in surgery.

There are many ways to help in every department.

For more information, please call NJ Olsen at 577-2794 or email nolsen@wyomingmedicalcenter.org

English speakers needed

CHAT, the English Conversation Club at Casper College Adult Learning Center, needs English speakers to meet international community members and help them speak English. Join us for an international potluck in the Werner Technical Center, Rm. 105: Jan. 26, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Feb. 14, 11 a.m. to noon; March 22, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.; April 13, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; and May 4, 11 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 268-2230 or email mdugan@caspercollege.edu

Save the date, restorative justice

Save the date! Restorative Justice Symposium 2017: Wyomings Introduction to a New Frontier. March 15 and 16, 2017, at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center. Hosted by Natrona County Restorative Justice. For additional information and to learn more on what restorative justice is all about, visit and like NCRJsFacebook page.
The American Red Cross and Dunkin' Donuts are partnering to give January blood and platelet donors $5 gift cards to the restaurant.

The two organizations have made the offer every January  National Blood Donor Month  for the last nine years. Weather makes January the most difficult month for drives, the Red Cross said in a news release.

The gift cards can be used toward the purchase of items at participating Dunkin' Donuts locations.

The following blood drives are scheduled for January in the Cayuga County area:

 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at Arc of Seneca Cayuga, 180 North St., Auburn

 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at First Presbyterian Church, 112 South St., Auburn

 11:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at Auburn United Methodist Church, 99 South St., Auburn

 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at Borodino Fire Department, 2500 Nunnery Road, Skaneateles

 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Sacred Heart Church, 90 Melrose Road, Owasco

 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Auburn Community Hospital, 17 Lansing St., Auburn

For more information, visit redcrossblood.org.
A Casper man pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to a litany of charges related to months of alleged physical and mental abuse of his wife.

Prosecutors charged Benjamin Means with three felonies  two counts of aggravated assault and battery and one count of strangulation of a household member  and four misdemeanors  false imprisonment, domestic battery, interfering with emergency calls and stalking  in connection to continued reports of abuse between March and November.

In interviews with Casper police, the victim outlined a pattern of Means escalating violence toward her and her children, court documents show. The woman said Means became violent toward her shortly after she noticed he was using methamphetamine in February and had physically attacked her five or six times between March and November.

A neighbor called Casper police on Aug. 25 after hearing a woman screaming for help inside the garage of Means home on South Springs Road, court documents show. Police found the woman, who told them that Means had broken into her safe and stolen all of her money and valuables.

When the woman confronted Means and said she was leaving the house, Means grabbed her and pushed her into the dryer and wouldnt let her leave the home, the documents state. The woman broke away and attempted to leave through the garage, but Means attacked her from behind and hit her on the face with his forearm before pinning her to the garage wall and taking her cellphone and car keys. Means threw the phone on the ground so that the woman couldnt call 911. When the woman broke away, Means threatened to kill himself if she called police, the documents show.

The woman called police shortly after and judge later issued a warrant for Means arrest in connection to the attack.

The woman called police again on Oct. 6 and said that Means had been consistently stalking and harassing her while she stayed at a safe house. Means had not yet been arrested on the warrant from the Aug. 25 attack.

The woman told police that Means continuously texted her and had called her cellphone about 59 times between Oct. 2 and Oct. 6. She said Means threatened her and her daughter in some of the text and voice messages. The woman said Means sometimes alluded to information she had said to friends or family members during phone calls and that she feared he was listening. Means previously had managed her cellphone and iPad accounts.

Beyond the calls, Means also continued to appear at locations where the woman was, in places like the grocery store or gas stations, the documents state. Means also revealed during a phone call that he knew the location of the safe house where she had been living. The woman feared he had been tracking her location through the GPS on her phone or iPad.

As she moved out of the safe house to protect the other residents, Means drove by in his vehicle. He later told her he knew where her vehicle was, and when the woman returned to the vehicle she found that one of her tires had been sliced.

Officers requested a warrant regarding the stalking allegations in addition to the warrant from the August report. Casper police arrested Means on the two warrants on Nov. 6.

During a Nov. 7 interview with a detective, the woman said Means first attacked her sometime between March and September as she walked into the bedroom in their house on South Springs Road.

Means was sitting on the bed and then jumped up and bolted across the room into (the womans) face, according to the documents. Means then forced her onto the bed, where he held her down and attempted to strangle her. The woman said she couldnt breathe and bit him on the hand because she felt that she was going to die, the documents state. The woman told police than Means broke her pinky finger and possibly broke her jaw during the attack.

The victim also told police that on Oct. 2 Means had threatened to kill her daughter with a shotgun. Means loaded the shotgun and said he was going to blow (the daughters) head right off her shoulders, according to court documents.

Later that month, Means pointed a pistol at her head after she confronted him about his drug use, the woman told police. Means said that he would shoot her if she called police, according to the documents. The woman later knocked the gun out his hand.

The woman said she was going to call police about the incident after it happened but said she was afraid he would get out of jail and hurt her for reporting him.

If convicted, Means could face up to 10 years in prison for each aggravated assault charge, five years for the strangulation charge, one year in jail for the false imprisonment charge and up to six months each for the domestic battery, interference and stalking charges.
A federal judge issued arrest warrants Wednesday for a Casper doctor and his wife charged with illegally selling prescription painkillers after the couple allegedly violated conditions of their bond by contacting former patients, who are potential witnesses in the case.

U.S. District Court of Wyoming Judge Scott W. Skavdahl issued warrants for the arrest of Shakeel and Lyn Kahn on Wednesday. A federal prosecutor notified the court Tuesday that the Kahns had violated the conditions of the bond by allegedly contacting at least three former patients.

During a Jan. 5 interview with agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, a former patient living in Washington state said Shakeel Kahn had contacted him multiple times since being released on bond on Dec. 2. The patient told the agents that the doctor said he had done nothing wrong and that everything would be OK, according to court documents. Kahn also asked the patient if he had been contacted by law enforcement.

The patient additionally told investigators that Kahn had called his brother, who is also a former patient. Agents interviewed the brother, who lives in Portland, Oregon, the same day.

The brother told investigators that Shakeel Kahn had called him on Jan. 4 and asked him to return to Casper to sign a receipt for $3,000 the man had sent the doctor. During the 23-minute phone conversation, Kahn said he wanted the man to sign the receipt and say it was payment for medical services, the court documents claim.

Investigators requested Shakeel Kahns phone records from AT&T. The records showed that Kahn called the two brothers three separate times. The length of the conversations totaled about 46 minutes.

The doctors wife, Lyn Kahn, also contacted potential witnesses, court records allege.

One of the doctors former patients who lives in Arizona contacted investigators on Dec. 6 and said Lyn Kahn had called her three days before  the day after she had been released on bail.

The woman said Lyn Kahn warned her that her phone was tapped and that the patient should contact her via her home phone, according to court documents. The woman also said Lyn Kahn had texted her multiple times. She gave the investigator screenshots of the messages.

The Kahns were released Dec. 2 in lieu of $20,000 bond and the title to their home in Fort Mojave, Arizona. One of the conditions of their release was that they couldnt have any contact, directly or indirectly, with any potential witnesses in this matter, court documents show. The language in Shakeel Kahns bond condition specifies that he may not contact any current or former patients.

An official at the Natrona County Detention Center said Wednesday evening that neither of the Kahns was currently at the facility. An email and phone call to the couples lawyer were not immediately returned.

Arrest

Federal agents and Casper police arrested the Kahns on Nov. 30 in their home on Thorndike Avenue after a months-long investigation into their business. Prosecutors allege that the couple regularly sold 30-day prescriptions of the painkiller Oxycodone for $500 to customers across the country. At least two of his patients have been arrested for selling prescription painkillers on the street.

The Phoenix-based DEA agents began investigating the couple in March 2014 after people filed complaints that Kahn was prescribing high quantities of painkillers for people with no legitimate medical need. The Arizona Medical Board suspended his medical license on Aug. 5, court documents show.

DEA agents in Wyoming began investigating Kahn in April after the Wyoming Board of Pharmacy sent a complaint that said Kahn was prescribing large amounts of controlled substances.

According to court records, the doctor issued 632 Oxycodone prescriptions in 2015  about half of all of the prescriptions he wrote that year. That number is a drop, however, from the 2,050 Oxycodone prescriptions he wrote in 2012 and the 1,585 such prescriptions he wrote in 2013.

Kahn required patients to sign a document that says Dr. Shakeel A. Kahn is not now and has never been a drug dealer, according to court documents. The document also says that patients who sign it would have to pay the doctor $100,000 if he were ever investigated or charged with a crime because of something the patient did or said.

Investigators recorded phone conversations between the Kahns and their customers, according to court documents.

The Kahns Casper properties include their Thorndike Avenue home, a medical office on South Fenway Street and a store called Vape World of Casper on 12th Street. The couple also owned two homes and a medical office in Fort Mohave, Arizona. Between May 2012 and August 2016, the couple deposited more than $1.5 million in cash into their bank accounts.

The couple could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted.
A Casper doctor and his wife will spend at least the next week in federal custody after appearing Thursday morning before a U.S. district judge.

Shakeel and Lyn Kahn, who wore handcuffs and jail jumpsuits, were told their bond was in danger of being revoked.

A federal prosecutor informed the court Tuesday that the Kahns, who were arrested and charged in November with illegally selling painkiller prescriptions, had violated the condition of their bond that prohibited them from contacting any potential witnesses in their case. U.S. District Court of Wyoming Judge Scott W. Skavdahl issued warrants for their arrest Wednesday.

Because neither Kahn was represented by an attorney Thursday morning, Skavdahl did not rule on whether to revoke the Kahns bond. He set a hearing for Jan. 19, by which time both would have appointed counsel.

It was not clear from the hearing whether the Kahns turned themselves in or if they were arrested. Jail logs showed they were booked into jail at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

When the hearing began, Lyn and then Shakeel Kahn stood before the judge and listened to the allegations made by federal investigators. They both asked that the court appoint them an attorney because they lacked the money to obtain their own.

Skavdahl agreed that appointing an attorney would be appropriate and informed both that they would remain in the custody of U.S. marshals until the hearing. Shakeel Kahn, who called out a greeting to the judge before reaching the podium, asked if he could be released in order to have better contact with his counsel.

Skavdahl declined and told Kahn that time would be made available for him to meet with his attorney. Kahn replied that he needed to be in contact with his attorneys not only because of the criminal case but because of civil suits he was involved in. Skavdahl again rejected the request to release Kahn.

Kahn also expressed concern about the privacy of his former patients, noting the media attention his case has attracted.

Last week, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed a former patient of Kahn. The patient, who lives in Washington state, allegedly told investigators that Kahn had contacted him on multiple occasions since he was released on bond on Dec. 2. Kahn told the man that everything would be OK and asked if he had been contacted by law enforcement.

Investigators also spoke with the patients brother, who lives in Oregon. The brother also had been contacted by Kahn, who asked that the brother return to Casper because they needed to talk in person and because Kahn wanted the brother to sign a receipt for $3,000 for medical services, court documents show. The money had been recovered during a search of Kahns home.

Kahns wife also had contact with a former patient, investigators say. The patient, who lives in Arizona  where the Kahns have a second home  said Lyn Kahn called days after she was released on bail. She told the patient that her cellphone had been tapped and to call the Kahns home phone. She also sent text messages to the former patient, who showed the exchanges to investigators.

The couple was arrested on Nov. 30 by federal agents and Casper police after a months-long investigation. Prosecutors allege that the Kahns regularly sold prescriptions of Oxycodone for $500 to customers around the United States.

Phoenix-based DEA agents started investigating the Kahns nearly three years ago, after complaints were filed that Kahn was writing scripts for high quantities of pills for people with no legitimate medical need. His license was suspended by the Arizona Medical Board on Aug. 5.

Agents in Wyoming began their investigation in April, after the state Board of Pharmacy filed a complaint that Kahn was prescribing large amounts of controlled substances. His license was suspended by the Wyoming Board of Medicine on Nov. 29, the day before the arrest.
CHEYENNE  In March, a representative of Kenetrek Mountain Boots requested information from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department about nonresident elk hunters and resident and nonresidents pursuing bighorn sheep.

In March of 2015, Bob Wharff of the ultraconservative Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife requested information of everyone who planned to hunt antelope, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, mountain goats, moose, turkeys and wild buffalo.

Two months later, Liz Storer, who is president of the Storer Foundation and also involved with left-leaning activist groups in Wyoming, requested that same information, in addition to 2013 and 2014 data on anglers.

Its unknown how the these people used the data they obtained from the state. But sportsmen regularly complain to Fish and Game that their email inboxes are filled with requests and solicitations from organizations and companies, said Scott Talbott, the departments director.

They do not care to have their email provided to the public, Talbott said at a legislative committee meeting Thursday morning.

Senate File 26 aims to reduce the email sent to people with hunting and fishing licenses by exempting from public records laws applicants email addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers and sportsmen numbers.

Physical mailing addresses would remain public. Talbott said sportsmen complain most about emails.

If the bill passes, Talbott said sportsmen could check a box requesting the information be kept private.

In the past two years, nearly 165 people and organizations have requested personally identifiable information about licenses, permits and tags from Game and Fish, according to information provided to the Star-Tribune.

Representatives from the Worland Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Outfitters and Wyoming Expeditions, a Georgia company that specializes in hunting trips in the western part of the state, wanted information on people hunting elk, for example.

Numerous law firms sent requests as did hunting and fishing outfitters.

Jim Angell of the Wyoming Press Association said the bill in its current form is not problematic because much of the information that would be private is the same information that is private from drivers licenses, such as dates of birth.

Angell said he will follow the bill through the legislative process to ensure that additional personally identifiable information isnt added to the bill. Public information laws benefit everyone, he said.

We see these law as very important to maintaining democracy in Wyoming, he said.

SF26 passed the Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources on Thursday morning. That afternoon, it passed the first of three votes in the Senate.
CHEYENNE  Members of the Senate Education Committee voted Wednesday to move forward with a bill that would prevent  with certain exemptions  school district officials from accessing students private digital information accounts.

Senate File 20 grew out of the work of the Task Force on Digital Information Privacy and is similar to bills that have been brought to the Legislature in the past.

It would cover social media, email and similar accounts.

The proposed law would prevent school district staff from requiring students to provide access to those accounts, including forcing the student to add someone to their contact list or punishing the student for refusing to disclose that information.

School officials also could not require a student to waive the laws provisions.

The bill does not prohibit school officials from conducting investigations without needing a username or password, using information publicly available, or obtaining consent to access accounts through a parent or guardian or a student who is emancipated or over the age of 18.

School officials also could provide information technology support for students who request it.

Accounts opened, created or provided by a school district would be exempt from the law, and students would not be prohibited from voluntarily providing their account information.

In the event school officials access a students account, they would have to notify the students parent or guardian.

The primary concept here is not to be able to compel a student to disclose their username and password, said Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, a supporter of the bill.

Rothfuss said the bill attempts to draw bright lines regarding when and how student information can be accessed, and compared a students private accounts to school officials searching something tangible, like a students belongings in his or her bedroom.

However, Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, questioned the need for the bill, saying it goes too far and there has not been a single incident in our state where this is an issue.

We are actually giving more rights to the student than what they had before, he said.

Sen. Stephan Pappas, R-Cheyenne, disagreed, saying while schools can search a student and his or her property at school, a students property outside of school cant be searched by school officials, which should extend to private email and social media accounts.

Both Sabrina King of the ACLU of Wyoming and Erin Taylor of the Internet Coalition, which represents internet companies, spoke in favor of the bill.

Brian Farmer of the Wyoming School Boards Association said he would like to see an exemption for emergencies built into the law, though the committee didnt add such a provision into the bill.

Rothfuss, Pappas, Sen. Affie Ellis, R-Cheyenne, and Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, voted to move the bill forward, and Wasserburger voted against doing so.
Editor:

I wish President-elect Trump and the Republican Congress luck in unraveling the mess left by the unconstitutionally unilateral actions of the Obama administration, in undoing the disaster known as Obamacare, and in defanging the ever-growing list of overreaching federal regulations.

One thing they cant do is reverse the activism of federal judges, 40 percent of whom are now Obama appointees. Senate Democrat Leader Schumer has stated that Democrats will filibuster judges they believe out of the mainstream. Hell likely succeed, given Republicans polite deference to the minority as embodied in the filibuster rule. Democrat Harry Reid previously invoked a nuclear option to exclude from this rule all judicial nominees below the Supreme Court level. The Republicans probably wont follow suit even though they should.

In Article V of the Constitution, the Framers provided an antidote to federal overreach using an alternate manner of constitutional amendment  a Convention of States (COS). Such a convention can be called if a majority of state legislatures so vote. A bill is being prepared in the Wyoming legislature to join a growing number of states in calling for such a convention.

Although many objections have been forthcoming as to the COS, many are unfounded. Now all Wyoming legislators will have a chance to learn directly about this project from its founders and key proponents  constitutional attorney and scholar Mark Meckler and former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn  both of whom will be available for a meet-and-greet in Cheyenne on Jan. 23. Lets hope our legislators will avail themselves of this opportunity to discuss the COS with those who know most about it. Valid factual information should always trump uninformed innuendo and lack of knowledge.

Meanwhile, we can all read The Liberty Amendments by constitutional attorney and conservative commentator Mark Levin, and consult the COS website: conventionofstates.com.

This is an idea whose time has come, as the Framers suspected it one day would.
Editor:

I strongly support the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Edward Scott Pruitt to the position of Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I urge the Senate to confirm Pruitt on Jan. 18 so he can get on with his job.

Pruitt has consistently fought for Oklahoma families and communities. He has been a strong defender against federal intrusions into state powers and individual rights. Notably, Pruitt led a multi-state effort opposing the EPAs unlawful attempt to take over the nations electricity grid under section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. The EPAs plan would shutter an estimated 40 GW of reliable and affordable energy, unnecessarily harming American families. It would have put more Wyoming coal miners out of work. And for no measurable environmental benefit.

In recent years, the EPA has been chronically late on complying with deadlines. In a study assessing 1,000 deadlines across the four major stationary source programs, the Competitive Enterprise Institute found that the EPA missed 84 percent of their Clean Air Act deadlines and was late by an average of 4.3 years.

Pruitt will work to get the EPA back on track and in compliance with their statutory Clean Air Act responsibilities.

It is said that Pruitt opposes clean air and clean water. Not so.

Pruitt respects and upholds the Constitution. He understands that many of the nations challenges regarding clean air and water are best met at the state and local level. It is, in fact the states who implement many of the nations environmental laws, and for good reason.

The federal government is not the end-all, be-all solution. Empowering states to take their own steps in addressing environmental concerns promotes responsiveness, the responsible use of taxpayer resources, and ensures that the people closest to the issues and with the most knowledge of what is needed are given the power to do just that.

The EPA has problems, and Pruitt is just the man to straighten it out.
Editor: Every Wyoming citizen should contact his or her legislators and speak out against HB19, a bill which would force collection of taxes on Internet sales and harm the development of new Wyoming businesses and the diversification of our economy. HB19 attempts to force companies selling products over the Internet to collect sales taxes, even if the transaction crosses state lines and involves a vendor which has no physical presence in the state. The US Supreme Court has ruled such taxes to be unconstitutional. While these taxes are falsely claimed to help main street businesses, their real benefits flow to large big box stores  such as Walmart, Target, and Home Depot  which are based out of state. Truly local businesses in Wyoming  because we have the smallest population of any state  MUST export their products to grow. And because of the coal bust, it is urgent that we develop new businesses that export products as we diversify our economy. If we impose such taxes, it will ultimately backfire on us as other states do likewise, harming new and developing businesses here in Wyoming. As an Internet service provider, I provide Internet service to many fledgling businesses which sell their products online. For the sake of Wyomings economy, I would like to see them prosper rather than be hit with the crippling burden of collecting taxes for  and, possibly, being audited by  the governments of as many as 44 other states with which they have no relationship and where they have no physical presence. Finally, because the legislation is unconstitutional (it is touted as protecting local businesses  even though it does not  and is therefore admittedly a protective tariff on interstate commerce), it will prompt extensive court battles which will likely cost us as much as would be collected. Whats more, as in other states, any money received will have to be kept in a reserve account until the issue of the constitutionality of the law has been settled. The House Revenue Committee, in its haste to rush this bill through before the public is aware of it and can object to it, has scheduled its hearing on HB19 for 8 AM on Friday, January 12th. It is thus extremely important that citizens become informed about this bill and contact their legislators immediately. For more information, see http://bit.ly/2idEtFT  and then contact your legislators via the Online Hotline form at http://bit.ly/15CQObz and ask them to vote against HB19.
AUBURN  A former nurse at Auburn Community Hospital has filed a lawsuit accusing several of the hospital's employees of making false reports to police.

According to a complaint filed Jan. 5, Franklin and Billi-Jo Orr, of Memphis, are suing ACH for emotional distress, injurious falsehood, civil conspiracy, defamation and retaliation following an incident that occurred last year.

The complaint alleged that on Jan. 29, 2016, five ACH employees  Amber Sitterly, Linda Daley, Ann Doran, Robin Tangredi and Tammy Sunderlin  called Onondaga County 911 to report that Billi-Jo, a registered nurse at ACH, was being held at gunpoint by her husband, Franklin. In addition, it claimed the employees called Hutchings Psychiatric Center to report that Franklin, an employee at HPC, brought a weapon to work.

Both reports were false, the complaint said, as the Syracuse Police Department determined Franklin did not have a weapon and was not a threat to himself or others.

"The defendants made the false reports ... without a factual or logical basis for doing so and placed in motion a wheel that could have resulted in the plaintiffs' suffering serious physical injury or death," the lawsuit stated.

As to why the defendants would conspire to make false reports, the Orrs claimed it was an act of retaliation after Billi-Jo had gone to hospital administration about an incident of patient abuse.

"In keeping with ACH policy, (Billi-Jo) reported said abuse to hospital management on December 8, 2015," the complaint stated. "Once the abuse report was made the work environment became hostile and Billi-Jo Orr began having difficulties with other members of the staff."

The lawsuit added that Billi-Jo had asked for the day off on Jan. 29, 2016, after an argument with her husband that morning. It was after ACH representatives "checked on" Billi-Jo over the phone when employees allegedly called police.

In a written statement to The Citizen Wednesday afternoon, an ACH spokesperson said the hospital "vigorously denies the allegations made in this lawsuit," which has been referred to hospital legal counsel.
Editor:

Soon, the Senate will be holding hearings to determine who the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be. President-elect Trump has nominated Georgia Congressman Tom Price. As HHS Secretary, this cabinet position has a direct impact on how the Trump administration will prioritize the fight to end Alzheimers.

Alzheimers is the most expensive disease in America, costing an estimated $236 billion in 2016  with more than half of that coming from Medicare and Medicaid. By mid-century, the number of people with the disease is set to nearly triple, and the costs of Alzheimers disease are projected to more than quadruple to $1.1 trillion.

During the confirmation hearings, I would like the Senate to ensure that Price will continue to follow the recommendations of the National Plan to Address Alzheimers Disease that was first released in 2012 after being mandated by Congress in 2010.

This plan set a clear goal -- to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimers disease by 2025 -- and the progress we have made must continue. I ask Senator Enzi, as a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, to ensure that, if confirmed, Price will continue our gains against Alzheimers disease.
Editor:

About the time the Affordable Health Care Act was being formulated in Congress, Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance were doing an exhaustive study on deaths due to lack of health insurance. Results of this study were published in the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper in an article by David Cecere, Cambridge Health Alliance on Sept. 17, 2009. The study found that 45,000 deaths annually were linked to the lack of health insurance by working-age Americans. Since this is such a sizable number, I thought more attention should have been given to this problem by both political parties. A lot of modern nations have done a much better job of fixing their nations' health care problems than the USA.

President Obama tried to fix the lack of health insurance problem with the Affordable Health Care Act but was only partially successful with a program that was flawed because it was sabotaged for political reasons by opponents who were lobbied vigorously by insurance companies, some powerful health care providers, and pharmaceutical companies along with many media outlets, who bad mouthed the bill as Obama Care and propagandized it so much most Americans came to hate it. Because of this situation, Congress voted to repeal the bill over 55 times to gain politically, evidently disregarding the 45,000 deaths a year or not being aware of this Harvard study.

I think the Affordable Health Care Act should be repaired not repealed. Presidents since Theodore Roosevelt over 100 years ago have been working on this problem. If it is repealed without being replaced by another better plan it may take another 100 years to fix the problem.

I am a Korean War veteran, U.S. Air Force, who spent three years on a secret aerial intelligence gathering project over the Soviet Union while attached to the CIA. I am now in my eighties and feel it is time for the younger, brighter minds of our community to take up this fight. I also feel our religious leaders have not been heard from enough on this situation. I am pro-life, how about you?
Q: My wife and I recently flew from Paris to Washington, D.C., on United Airlines. The original flight was delayed for 3 hours while passengers were waiting in line with their boarding passes, and eventually canceled.

We were rebooked on the next available flight the following morning. The United service desk provided notice of an EU regulation that said we were due compensation of 600 euros each.

We both submitted requests to United for the compensation, including the requested supporting documentation. To date, we have received no response from United, other than an automated acknowledgment that we submitted the form. I have been unable to reach Uniteds customer care, despite several phone calls and being put on hold for 50 minutes until the line went dead.

We would like help in getting United to process our request and provide compensation. If United will not respond, we would like to know how best to pursue compensation with the EU regulatory authorities or with the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Steven Brenner, Bethesda, Maryland

A: United should have compensated you promptly. But the claims process can take weeks, months or, in some cases, even years.

Youre dealing with a European consumer regulation called EU 261, which requires airlines operating within the EU to compensate passengers during a delay. For a delay of 3 hours, it requires a 600 euro compensation. It doesnt say how quickly United should pay up, though.

EU 261 can be a little confusing, and airlines take full advantage of that. So its not uncommon to receive one of the leaflets that say youre entitled to compensation and then never receive it. I publish a handy guide on EU 261 on my consumer-advocacy site: elliott.org/frequently-asked-questions-about-eu261

You could have reached out to the Transportation Department, but Im not sure if that would have done you much good. EU 261 is a European law, enforced by European aviation authorities. The DOT has limited jurisdiction, and probably would have forwarded your complaint to United.

You also might have contacted a third party that specializes in EU 261 refunds, like Airhelp.com or Refund.me, but theres no guarantee the company would be able to get a faster resolution, and it would take a cut of your compensation as a commission.

Im confident that United eventually would have sent you the compensation to which you were entitled. You could have sent the airline a gentle reminder by email  I list the names, numbers and email addresses of Uniteds customer-service executives on my advocacy site: elliott.org/company-contacts/united-airlines.
The Tucson Fringe Theater Festival is six years old.

And its showing its age.

The annual theaterpalooza, which unfolds here Jan. 13-15, just keeps getting bigger.

Fringe festivals  there are about 70 around the world, all independent and unique  present plays written by tested and untested playwrights.

Among the signs of the Tucson Fringes growth:

In 2011, there were 12 entries. This year, there were 40.

In that inaugural year, six plays were presented over a weekend, all by Tucsonans. There are 19 this year, and the majority of playwrights are from other states  thats an indication of the local events growing attraction and prestige.

About 400 attended the festival in that first year. Last year, attendance was at 800, says Maryann Green, the president of the Tucson Fringe board.

Its really exciting, says Green about the festival. Were bringing something to Tucson that no one else is bringing.

Heres how fringe festivals work: A playwright submits an entry, its thrown into a hat and participants are randomly picked. For an artist, it means the chance to expand and experiment.

We give them a place to take an artistic risk, says Green.

For an audience, it means unfiltered, uncensored, brand new theater at an affordable price. The plays run the gamut: comedies, dramas, musicals, even magic. Some pieces may soar, some may not; thats part of the thrill of a fringe fest.

The Tucson festivals growth is a good sign: It has the potential to become a major arts event that draws playwrights, actors and, especially, tourists. And that means a hefty economic boost for Tucson.

Dont scoff.

The granddaddy of all Fringe Fests, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, features artists and audiences from around the world. A study found that the 2015 festival had a $347 million impact on Edinburgh, Scotland, and attendance topped 1 million, the majority of those visitors to the city.

Granted, Edinburghs fest is 70 years old, takes place over three weeks and last year the massive event had 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues.

But hey, whos to say Tucsons festival cant grow like that?

Economic impact is important, but fringe festivals offer something much more important than money: art.

Art is a nations most precious heritage, President Lyndon B. Johnson said when he created the National Endowment for the Arts.

For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish.

Its a glut of theater with the Fringe Fest, but Green says with a good spread sheet and careful planning, you can see them all.

Green is a veteran Fringe Fester  she first got hooked on them when she attended the Edinburgh festival years ago. Her best advice for catching plays: Pick the three or four you definitely want to see and build your schedule around them.

Picking three or four might be tough. The offerings sound enticing. Among them:

Meet Your Realtor is about an aging real estate agent who battles the market and sabotaging competitors to try make a living selling homes. The comedy is by Sherrie Martin from Spokane, Washington, and she knows what shes talking about: shes a Realtor who hustles for the next sale.

Vaudeville comes from the imagination of Salt Lake City-based Elias Lefty Caress, who incorporates magic, comedy and all sorts of mysterious elements into his show.

Shamed Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding and her quest for redemption after her involvement with an attack on a fellow skater are at the center of,The Love Song of Tonya Harding. Its written and performed by New York playwright Clara Elser.

Lion Fludd hails from Las Vegas, where he works his magic for a living. In his piece, The Hustle, which he also performs, he tells about his journey from the streets to the strip, according to press materials.

If you go

The 2017 Tucson Fringe Theater Festival will be staged at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., Zuzi, 738 N. 5th Ave.; The Flycatcher, 360 E. 6th St., and The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Tickets are $10 each; passes are also available at various prices. For a full schedule and descriptions of the plays, go to tucsonfringe.org

Did you know

The Tucson Fringe Theater Festival was founded by long-time friends and University High School graduates Sara Habib and Yasmine Jahanmir. Habib manages a travel company in Tucson and Jahanmir is working on her Ph.D. in theater at University of California Santa Barbara. Both continue to be deeply involved in the non-profit festival.
Adopt A Friend: Smithers

Smithers  a 3 year old Bulldog mix

Smithers was rescued from Pima Animal Care Center in late October. He had kennel cough, an adverse reaction to his neuter causing an infection, and open skin wounds on his rear legs. Despite all the pain he must have been in, Smithers proved to be one loving guy! He has fully recovered from the kennel cough and neuter infection and his leg wounds have improved drastically. Smithers suffers from some serious genetic and Bulldog prevalent bowing of his front legs. The bowing causes him occasional pain and discomfort which is managed with as needed pain meds. He still enjoys a short, slow-paced walk around the neighborhood or a brief play session with his submissive and mellow female doggy friend. Smithers would do best as an only dog  he has been successfully introduced to a low energy and very submissive female fine; however, males and high energy dogs are not a good fit (include small dogs). Smithers also should not go to a home with cats or small animals (ferrets, birds, bunnies, etc). He LOVES children  he currently lives with four young kids and plays in their plastic ball pit and snuggles up to everyone. He enjoys, or demands, regular belly rubs from everyone in the home. Smithers is neutered, up to date on vaccines and microchipped. He is housebroken and crate trained, although his current foster no longer crates him when they are away from the home because he is not destructive and usually just sleeps on his dog bed. He is currently on antifungal medication with labs requiring rechecking in February. Due to the severity of the infection, it is possible that additional medication will be required and likely pain management for life for the leg bowing. If you would like to meet Smithers, please fill out an adoption application online at:www.radrescueinc.org or call 661-400-5151. His adoption fee is $125.
A Tucson mom arrested Jan. 5 on charges of child abuse after her daughter was severely burned in a bathtub might have waited up to six hours to seek medical treatment, court records show.

Samantha Osteraas is facing two counts of child abuse after her 5-year-old daughter suffered third-degree burns to 80 percent of her body during a Dec. 29 incident, according to a Pima County Sheriffs Department search warrant return filed in Pima County Superior Court.

At about 8 p.m., sheriffs deputies and paramedics with the Rural Metro Fire Department arrived at Osteraas home, in the 2900 block of West Sun Ranch Trail, near North Shannon Road and West Lambert Lane, for reports of a burned child, the warrant return says.

Osteraas told 911 dispatchers she didnt realize she was bathing her daughter in hot water. When authorities arrived, they noticed serious burns on the girls whole body, from her upper-chest down, the document says.

Deputies also noted bruises to the childs neck and left arm, and saw blood and signs of trauma on her upper-lip. Hours after the incident, it was reported that she was in respiratory and organ failure, the warrant return says.

Osteraas told detectives her husband was at work and she had just bathed two of her other children when she drained the water and refilled the tub, leaving her daughter in the bathroom to climb into the tub herself, the document says.

Osteraas said she went into the other room to watch TV for about 15 minutes and when she went back into the bathroom she turned off the running water and noted that the victim was slumped over the side of the tub and appeared to be what she described as lethargic, with the top of her body hanging out over the tub, according to the document.

She told detectives that the child looked up and stated, Hi, Mommy, the search warrant return says.

Osteraas told detectives she took her daughter out of the tub and into the master bedroom.

Detectives did note in the master bedroom a large blood stain on the floor where the victim was laid by her adoptive mother, the document says.

When she returned to drain the tub water, she described it as being hot to the point that she had to use cold water to cool her hand, according to the document.

Osteraas said she called her husband and neighbors on her cellphone after pulling her daughter from the tub.

During her interview, she told detectives she had consumed two beers that night and has a prescription for Adderall, an amphetamine-derived drug used to treat ADHD, according to the document.

Doctors at Banner-University Medical Center told detectives the next morning that medical findings indicated the girls burns could have been inflicted up to six hours before Osteraas called for medical treatment, the search warrant return says.

The Osteraas three other children were taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Child Safety, and during an interview two of the children told case workers they were playing on an iPad while their sister was in the bathtub, the documents says.

Because of the time discrepancy between when Osteraas said the incident happened and when doctors believe it did, detectives are reviewing the iPads to help determine when the incident took place.

Osteraas is in the Pima County jail on a $25,000 bond. Its unclear from court documents if she has an attorney.

I am very appreciative of the professional investigation conducted by the deputies on the scene and our detectives, said Sheriff Mark Napier.

The victim suffered significant injuries that were very difficult for our personnel to have to address as part of the investigative process.

The girl remains in critical condition at a hospital.
The city of Tucson is partnering with local nonprofits and school districts to expose schoolchildren to art, history and science.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild launched the Great Start initiative Wednesday, which links cultural institutions to school districts for children to experience art shows, symphony performances and more.

I want our school districts to have the ability to work closely with our cultural institutions, Rothschild said during a news conference at City Hall.

Students who live below the poverty line typically have higher barriers to accessing arts, said H.T. Sanchez, superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District.

If schools dont facilitate, some may never visit an art museum or an orchestra performance, Sanchez said.

It provides access to kids who dont otherwise have the opportunity, he said of the Great Start program.

Through the initiative, each participating organizations donated 150 to 200 tickets to their respective institutions, which were split evenly between the Amphitheater, Tucson Unified, Sunnyside, Flowing Wells and Vail school districts.

Organizations that contributed tickets, vouchers or coupons are: the Arizona Historical Society, the Childrens Museum Tucson, the Jewish History Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Reid Park Zoo, the Tucson Museum of Art, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the University of Arizona Museum of Art and the Arizona Theatre Company Tucson.

Each district will get to decide how those tickets are given out.

Tucson Unified, for example, will work with its art teachers to identify students who have shown growth, Sanchez said.

Many children will never get to see an elephant, tiger or a rhino in their natural habitats, said Jason Jacobs, Reid Park Zoo administrator.

Going to a museum should be a right for every child, not a privilege, said Michael Luria, executive director of Childrens Museum Tucson.

Through Great Start, Rothschild said he hopes to create a community of tolerance, diversity, experience and imagination.

It all has to start with an invitation, he said.
Auburn YMCA members and administrators are concerned that plans to put a regional tourism center in a parking lot across from the gym could impact the fitness center's membership.

The lot, at 25 South St., is the proposed site for a 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot tourist hub projected for installation by 2018. Auburn officials are working with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on what has been described as a facility that will showcase central New York offerings and history.

With the welcoming center slotted to take over the lot, the city sees the city's parking garage on Lincoln Street as an acceptable alternative. However, there is currently no convenient way to get to the YMCA from the parking garage, said Chris Nucerino, CEO of the fitness center.

To get from the parking garage to the YMCA without jaywalking, visitors have to use crosswalks at South Street or Genesee Street.

Nucerino said he has heard from gym members that the parking garage is not an appealing option.

"People genuinely care about this YMCA, its legacy and its future in the community and don't want to see anything negative happen to it," Nucerino said Wednesday. "The fear is if people don't have safe, convenient and accessible access to the parking at the YMCA, the Y can be financially hurt."

Auburn issued a request for proposals at the end of November for center designs. A facet of the request called for firms to consider aesthetic improvements to the parking garage, such as improved signage and lighting.

Both city and state officials are expected to work to identify a project designer over the next several weeks, according to City Clerk Chuck Mason. City Manager Jeff Dygert could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Auburn Downtown BID proposes lower parking rates for city garage Auburn's parking garage on Lincoln Street has nearly 400 parking spots, yet it's only half-f

Auburn officials will identify public input opportunities after a design firm is selected, Mason said. Nevertheless, the Auburn YMCA has called on members to send letters to the city with concerns about the parking situation.

The request was made in an emailed newsletter sent to YMCA membership last Friday. Nucerino said he has been assured that the YMCA will be involved in the design process.

Mason said the city has checked with the YMCA over the last few years to gauge the fitness center's interest in a smaller city-owned parking lot behind the gym, at 17-19 Court St.. YMCA administrators are having discussions about the property, though Nucerino said Wednesday that the lot is too small to solve the problem by itself.

"We want nothing but the best for Auburn. Having this in the community might be wonderful for the community," he said. "We don't want to discourage that, but we want to make sure the YMCA, its legacy and its continued legacy into the future are taken care of."
A family was displaced Wednesday night from their northwest-side home because of an attic fire, authorities said.

Northwest Fire District crews were dispatched to the 3000 block of West Wildwood Drive shortly before 8:30 p.m. to reports of smoke and flames coming from the eaves of a house, said Capt. Brian Keeley.

The neighborhood is west of North Shannon and south of West Orange Grove roads.

Twenty firefighters brought the blaze under control in 20 minutes, Keeley said.

No one was home at the time of the blaze. The family, who lived in the house, arrived shortly after the fire crews arrived.

The Northwest Fire Community Assistance Team, along with the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross, assisted the family and provided them with a place to stay, said Keeley.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. A monetary damage loss was unknown, Keeley said.
Not only was Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton a renowned artist in her own right, but she took on the mission of fostering the redevelopment and popularity of Native American artisans. Through her efforts, and those of her husband, Harold Sellers Colton, Flagstaffs Museum of Northern Arizona became one of the pre-eminent facilities encouraging indigenous arts and crafts.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 25, 1889, Mary began her studies at the Philadelphia School of Design at the age of 15. She opened an art studio in downtown Philadelphia with two of her classmates, preferring to work in oils but also experimenting with pencil, ink, charcoal, watercolor and sculpture.

In 1910, she met University of Pennsylvania zoology professor Harold Colton. The couple wed on May 23, 1912.

Spending their honeymoon traveling and camping throughout the west, they arrived in Flagstaff that June and hiked the San Francisco Peaks.

Making their home in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, the couple traveled west whenever possible. They collected old Indian potsherds and discovered ancient sites around Flagstaff that had never been documented including Elden Pueblo, one of the most important pueblos in the Flagstaff area. Recording the location of many ruins they discovered, they initiated some of the first archaeological surveys of the Colorado Plateau.

They visited the Hopi mesas and watched snake dances at Hotevilla and Oraibi. After an extensive trip through the Painted Desert and Hotevilla, Harold wrote his mother that Mary had discarded her skirt and taken to bloomers quite unblushingly, and on the whole trip wore her hair in pigtails.

On Aug. 30, 1914, Mary gave birth to Joseph Ferrell Colton, and on Sept. 4, 1917, Sabin Woolworth Colton IV arrived. On a trip to Tucson in 1923, 6-year-old Sabin came down with valley fever and died the following year.

The Coltons moved to Flagstaff in 1925, purchasing 400 acres of land during the ensuing years.

At this time, a small gallery housed in the towns Womens Club contained a handful of native blankets, basketry, and pottery. Mary urged the community to expand its native holdings into a facility of science and art. She proposed building a museum from native rock, roofed with stout spruce timbers, somewhat after the pueblo style of architecture, and placed high upon a mesa top overlooking the city and facing the great Peaks.

With the backing of the community, the Museum of Northern Arizona began to grow. Harold was elected director and president, a position he held for 30 years, while Mary took on the job as curator of art and later accepted the additional position of curator of ethnology, serving until 1948.

Mary was deeply concerned about the decline in Hopi craftsmanship. She was determined to re-establish these ancient arts, skills that had deteriorated with the onset of modern machinery and cheaply made imitations.

She hunted for a better breed of sheep that would produce quality wool and provide weavers with long staple cotton to construct handwoven fabrics that would flourish with the strength and beauty of ancient cloths.

She sought a source for indigo that would re-create the brilliant blue dyes once used in Hopi weavings. She studied native plants searching for traditional stains that would improve the color quality in textiles and basketry.

She experimented with firing methods and paints to restore Hopi pottery to its former beauty and skill while researching natural soils and rocks trying to replicate authentic clay colors.

Mary initiated the Arizona Artists Exhibitions in 1929, providing local artists with a venue for promoting their work. She put together a traveling exhibit, Craftsmen of the Painted Desert, displaying Hopi and Navajo art to schools and museums across the country. Her trunk show or treasure chest, in which she compiled lesson plans consisting of collections of art objects and techniques, received national acclaim for its innovative teaching methods.

On July 2, 1930, Mary held the first Hopi craftsman exhibition to promote and preserve native art. Indians swarmed in from the Reservation, said Harold, then the dry season broke with a gentle rain, which was interpreted to mean that the benevolent Kachinas that dwell in the towering Peaks above the town, were pleased. It was, therefore, a huge success.

By 1931, she had established the junior art show, presenting the artistic talents of grade-school children. Art education must begin with children, she wrote. We must grow our own artists. The material is here awaiting encouragement and cultivation.

In 1934, she published Art for the Schools of the Southwest: An Outline for the Public and Indian Schools.

It does not matter what career he, or she, may adopt in later life, she wrote, training in art appreciation means an increased ability to see beauty in the world about you and a facility for creating things with your hands; these things are a great asset and add immensely to our joy in life.

She initiated the Hopi Silver Project in 1938, encouraging silversmiths to utilize ancient designs and adopt an overlay technique she proposed would generate better quality and a saleable product.

As the Museum of Northern Arizona expanded, the Coltons donated over 100 acres of land to help it grow and thrive. Mary, however, was not flourishing as well.

She became a recluse, rarely leaving her home. She went back to painting for a while, completing Bell Rock and Courthouse Rock, a Sedona landscape, in 1951, her last work. And although she was not well, she participated in the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the museum in 1953, and an exhibition of her art in 1958.

Harold completed the work she had started to restore ancient Hopi colors, publishing her recipes and findings in Hopi Dyes in 1965.

Mary, 82, died July 16, 1971. She is buried in a family plot outside Philadelphia.
AUBURN  An Auburn woman has admitting to having a sexual relationship with a resident she was supervising as a counselor at Unity House of Cayuga County.

Evonne Servais, of 73 Wall St., said she was working as a residence counselor at Unity House in 2015 when she had sexual contact with a client for several months. The 33-year-old was subsequently charged with 14 felonies  nine counts of third-degree rape and five counts of third-degree criminal sexual act  and 28 misdemeanors  14 counts of second-degree sexual abuse and 14 counts of sexual misconduct.

Servais pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of third-degree rape for having sex with a person who was incapable of consent. According to the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, state law prohibits employees from having sex with patients and residents at facilities licensed or operated by the state Office of Mental Health.

"For a residential counselor, like this defendant, hired to check on the individuals receiving services, but who is alleged to have repeatedly used those visits as an opportunity to sexually gratify themselves is unconscionable," said Patricia Gunning, special prosecutor for the Justice Center.

Servais could face a maximum of four years in prison plus 10 years post-release supervision. However, as part of her plea deal, Judge Thomas Leone agreed to sentence her to 1 1/2 years in prison followed by eight years post-release supervision.

Servais was remanded to Cayuga County Jail pending her sentencing March 23.

Also in court:

 A former inmate at Auburn prison has admitted to menacing a corrections officer with a knife.

James Davis pleaded guilty Thursday to a reduced count of attempted menacing, a class E nonviolent felony.

The 35-year-old said he was an inmate at Auburn Correctional Facility in August 2015 when he menaced an officer by displaying a knife.

At first, Davis was charged with four class D felonies  menacing police, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of first-degree promoting prison contraband  but Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann allowed the defendant to plead guilty to a reduced charge.

With three prior felony convictions, Davis could have faced 15 years to life in prison as a persistent felony offender. However, Leone agreed to sentence Davis to 1 1/2 to three years in prison on March 23.

 A Baldwinsville woman pleaded guilty to burglarizing three homes in Cayuga County.

Ashley Tremaine, 27, of 255 Cedar Court, admitted to committing three counts of second-degree burglary last summer.

According to the district attorney, on June 7 and 8, 2016, Tremaine acted as a lookout for her co-defendant Steven Clark while he broke into three homes  one in Sennett and two in Cato.

Tremaine could face a maximum of 15 years in prison, but Leone is expected to sentence her to five years in prison and 2 1/2 years post-release supervision. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 16.
JORDAN  Non-biodegradable items such as baby wipes being flushed down the toilet is raising havoc with the sewer system in Jordan, officials said during Monday's village Board of Trustees meeting.

Only flushable items should be disposed of in this manner. People should read the labels regarding proper disposal. Residents are urged to discontinue this practice and dispose of non-flushable items in the trash.

Retiring Department of Public Works Superintendent Fred Dirisio said these products are clogging up the system and have to be regularly cleaned out. This requires the pumping stations to be to be shut down and cleaned out, he said.

Sewage Treatment Plant Operator Patrick Byrnes said this problem has dramatically increased in the last six to eight months.

"It's really raising havoc with our collection system," he said, adding the procedure to clean the system and get it back up and running can take between three to five hours.

He said it's costing the village money and takes employees away from doing their regular work.

Other communities, including the village of Marcellus, have been dealing with the same problem, officials said. An alert is being prepared on this matter for the village website.

In other business Monday, the board adopted the comprehensive plan following a public hearing that no one from the public attended.

The plan is essentially the village's road map of the future and covers a wide range of topics, including infrastructure improvements, management of natural resources, business development, transportation and environmental issues.

A public informational meeting was held in October. The village has been working with the Onondaga County Community Development Agency on the plan.

Much of the meeting was devoted to a presentation on the mechanics of streamlining the village code book by Lori-Ann Shura, of the General Code firm of Rochester. The firm would arrange and keep current the village's laws and ordinances.

The board plans to act on the firm's proposal at its next meeting, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 23.

There was some discussion about a proposed extension of the sewer line to two trailer parks on Route 5 over the county line in the town of Brutus.

Jordan's sewage treatment plant is currently operating at 60 percent capacity, but there are concerns as to how the proposed extension would benefit Jordan residents as it would likely mean added responsibility on the part of the village.

The towns of Elbridge and Brutus are working with the engineering firm of Barton & Loguidice. Jordan's plant is 34 years old.
PHOENIX  An Arizona state trooper stopped to help at a car wreck along a remote highway Thursday when he was shot and wounded in an ambush by a man who was bashing the officer's head against the pavement until a passing driver shot him to death, authorities said.

The trooper suffered a severe wound to his shoulder and upper chest but he is expected to recover at a hospital.

"My trooper would not be alive without his assistance," Department of Public Safety Director Ralph Milstead said of the good Samaritan who stopped.

The drama unfolded at an early morning rollover wreck on Interstate 10 in the desert west of Phoenix where a woman was ejected and killed. Authorities believe the man who shot the officer was driving the car that crashed.

Officials said they were trying to determine exactly what happened and that the investigation faced major hurdles with the trooper seriously injured and two of the others involved dead. No identities have been released.

A separate driver reported gunfire and a trooper was responding to that call when he spotted the wreck and stopped, Milstead and DPS Capt. Damon Cecil said.

The officer was putting out flares when the suspect opened fire and then physically attacked the wounded trooper, Milstead said. Both Milstead and Cecil said the trooper was ambushed.

The man was on top of the officer and "getting the better of him," slamming the trooper's head against the pavement, Milstead said. That's when the passing driver showed up and asked if the trooper needed help.

He said yes, and the passer-by went back to his vehicle, got his gun and told the suspect to stop the attack, Milstead said. When he didn't, the driver shot him.

Investigators were trying to determine how the rollover happened and whether the suspect was involved with the initial report of gunshots, officials said. Investigators plan to speak with the person who made that call.

Milstead said he feared the worst when he headed to the hospital to check on the wounded trooper.

"He's incredibly fortunate to be here with us today," the director said.
TONOPAH, Ariz.  The Latest on a shooting in which a state trooper was wounded (all times local):

8 a.m.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a Highway Patrol trooper was shot and wounded after responding to the scene of a roll-over wreck on Interstate 10 about 55 miles west of downtown Phoenix Thursday morning.

DPS says there was an altercation at the scene between the trooper and a suspect which resulted in the trooper being shot through the shoulder and the suspect also being shot.

A spokesperson for DPS says the trooper should be OK but that the suspect's condition isn't known. Media outlets reported that helicopters airlifted the trooper and another person from the roll-over and shooting scene.

The incident closed westbound I-10 about 55 miles west of downtown Phoenix and the state Department of Transportation suggested that westbound travelers use State Route 85 and Interstate 8 as alternative routes.

7:40 a.m.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety confirms that a state trooper was shot and wounded in a Thursday morning incident that closed westbound Interstate 10 about 55 miles west of downtown Phoenix.

DPS Director Frank Milstead says in a Twitter post the trooper was shot but that he apparently "will be OK after some recovery."

No additional information has been released but media outlets reporter the trooper and another person were airlifted to a hospital in Goodyear and that the trooper was shot after he responded to a wreck near Tonopah.

The Arizona Department of Transportation said westbound I-10 would be closed for an extended period.

ADOT suggested that traffic headed for California and western Arizona use State Route 85 and Interstate 8 as alternate routes.

6:15 a.m.

Westbound Interstate 10 is closed about 55 miles west of downtown Phoenix because of what authorities call "police activity," and medical helicopters have flown at least two patients to a hospital in a Phoenix suburb.

Media outlets report that the incident Thursday morning involved shooting, but state Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves says no information is immediately available.

The Arizona Department of Transportation says an extended closure of westbound I-10 near Tonopah is expected and it suggests using State Route 85 and Interstate 8 as alternate routes for traffic headed toward western Arizona and California.
Help India!

Bhubaneswar: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairperson Justice H.L. Dattu on Wednesday sought amendment to the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, to empower the commission to take action against the erring officials for not adhering to its recommendations.

There should be an amendment in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, so that the commission can take action against officials who ignore its recommendations, said Justice Dattu at the end of the commissions three-day camp and open session here.

Support TwoCircles



If some more powers are given to us, it would be better. The Commission should have the power to start proceedings against officials ignoring recommendations. If that power is incorporated in the act, we will be in a position to do much more than we are doing today, the NHRC chair said.

Since its inception in 1993, the NHRC has provided justice, liberty and equality to many victims of human rights violations, he said.

He said the commission has made certain recommendations to the Odisha government on the issues related to the food security, rehabilitation of bonded labourers, atrocities in police stations and others.

Holding a discussion with NGOs, the commission observed that there is a need to ensure human rights education in the curriculum of schools.

Sensitisation on programmes on human rights should also be held in universities and college, said the commission.
Help India!

Text and video by Shiva Thorat, Twocircles.net

The 43rd martyrdom day of Bhagwat Jadhav, a prominent Dalit leader of the 70s, was marked in Mumbai on January 10 at the BIT Chawl of Mazgaon, Mumbai.

Support TwoCircles



Jadhav, a leader of Dalit Panthers, was killed in the 1974 Mumbai riots between members of Shiv Sena and Dalit Panthers.

The program was organised by the Krantiputra Shahid Bhagwat Jadhav Smruti Kendra, Lovelane, Mazgaon, Republican Panthers, Mumbai and LIC Karmachari Republican Union, Mumbai.

The event was attended by a number of people, including Dr. Sunkanna Velpula, who is studying in IIT Mumbai. He was one of the five students who was rusticated from HCU. During his speech, he spoke of the times spent at HCU, and how they were targeted due to speaking against the administration.

Maya Bansode, a student of MPhil in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, said We should identify fake people who are working to trap us (Dalits). We need radical Babasaheb and rather radical Ambedkarites. If we are sensible then only our leaders we can expect them to sensible.

On the occasion, the Shahid Bhagwat Jadhav Memorial Award was given to Satybhama Suryavanshi, an activist who came from Latur for the program. While accepting the award, she asked the audience to continue their struggles. How many days we are going to tolerate this exploitation? I dont think anybody will come and save us, we only need to organise ourselves against the Brahminical structure, she said.

Shantanu Kamble, the artist behind Dalita Re Halla Bolala which became an anthem for the activism post the Khairlanji Massacre, was also facilitated for his works.

Speaking on the occasion, Balladeer Sambhaji Bhagat said that, Bhagwat Jadhav is inspirational for us. I hope youth can take motivation from a Panther like Bhagwat Jadhav and emerge as Panthers with a new role. He will be remembered by everybody.

A bookseller, Kamble, said, A lot of researchers and student turn to the event every year. Lovelane area (where Jadhav lived) becomes a happening place at the time of January 10. Not only common people, even the police visit the place.

Kabir Kala Manch, the famous cultural troupe from Mumbai performed in the event. Among the members, three members were still in jail for speaking against state authorities, Anjali Kharat, social work said, I am here to listen to them because I heard a lot about them. But I wish that Shital Sathe, one of their main performers, was also present here.
Help India!

By Faisal Fareed, Twocircles.net

For the first time in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, two assembly seatsObra and Dudhi in Sonbhadra district have been reserved for Scheduled Tribe category.

Support TwoCircles



Aspirations are high as with their own elected representatives reaching Vidhan Sabha their voices will be heard and issues will be redressed.

In UP, the population of ST is concentrated mainly in Sonbhadra and bordering the Mirzapur district. They are also present in parts of Maharajganj, Sidharthnagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Mau, Azamgarh, Ballia, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Gondaall in the Poorvanchal region, along with the PilibhitTarai area and Lalitpur of Bundelkhand region.

As per the census of 2011, the population of ST in UP is a little over 11 lakh. Only 11 castes of ST in UP have been classified under this category. They are namelyTharu, Gond, Kharwar, Saharia, Paharia, Baiga, Pankha, Agariya, Patari, Chero and Bhuhiya. If we include some sub-castes of these castes, the number rises to 19. Their main population is concentrated in Sonbhadra and hence two assembly segments of this district has been reserved for ST category.

The issues faced by these tribals are eternalJal, Jangal and Zameen. Agitations are going on in the area with some organisations coming in support of the tribals. The area lacks in every aspect. Roads, education, health facilities are poor. The nearest hope for the survival of patients is Varanasi. Not many can afford it, Roma, who is Deputy General Secretary of All India Union of Forest Working People told Twocircles.net.

The ST population is dependent on forest for its produce and even cultivation. Even the land which they cultivate has not been officially transferred to them. Time and again forest department put their pillars on their field. Even today, the tribals have not been given land rights. Nearly one lakh land title was to be transferred but hardly 10,000 could be done, Roma said. The tussle continues with tribals facing brunt of local officials.

Despite this, the area is called Urjanchal as it houses many thermal power stations which provide power to the whole state. But the situation remains grim. Mining is another issue where the muscleman and others tie up for illegal mining. Mining accidents have become common for illegal mining. It results in the death of poor labourers, Roma said.

It will be interesting to see the elected representatives of ST category entering Vidhan Sabha for the first time with loads of expectations from their community.


Help India!

Bhopal: The Congress on Thursday produced a picture showing the Rs 500-crore Katni district hawala scam accused Satish Saraogi standing together with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of State Sanjay Pathak.

Talking to reporters, Congresss Madhya Pradesh unit chief spokesman K.K. Mishra presented the photo of Pathak standing to the left of Chief Minister Chouhan and Saraogi on his right.

Support TwoCircles



This photo proves the close relations between the three, Mishra said.

Talking about the picture, Pathak told IANS: Katni is so small a district that everyone knows everybody else and we all live like family. As far as the photo is concerned, it was taken during celebrations after the BJP victory in the 2014 Vidhan Sabha by-elections.

The hawala scam, which involved fake transactions amounting to Rs 500 crore in some Jan Dhan accounts, was uncovered by Superintendent of Police Gaurav Tiwari and named many influential people, including Saraogi, for their involvement in it.

As the police were probing the case, Tiwari was transferred out on Monday. Many said the move was politically motivated.


Home Secretary Amber Rudd's recent speech delivered to the Conservative party conference in Birmingham on foreign workers is being treated as a "hate incident" by the police, according to The Independent. However, the police aren't treating the incident as a criminal offence.

What Rudd said

Speaking in front of the Conservative Party members in October 2016, Amber Rudd announced that the Conservative party aimed to control immigration into into the United Kingdom following a vote to leave the European Union in July. In her speech, Rudd stated: "British business have been the driving force behind economic recovery.

However, we still need to do more, so all British people get the opportunities that they are entitled to. We [The Conservative party] are looking to implement a test that will ensure immigrants coming here wont be taking jobs that British people could have. We need an immigration system that provides incentives for business to invest in British workers".

During the conference, news coverage focused on comments made by her spokesperson that didn't appear in Amber Rudd's speech. Her spokesperson suggested that all businesses in the United Kingdom should keep records of employees not of British origin.

Non-crime related hate incident

The West Midlands Police Force follows the guidance outlined by the Police Chiefs Council which states: "Where any person, including police personnel, reports a hate crime which would not be the primary responsibility of another agency, it must be recorded regardless of whether or not they are the victim, and irrespective of whether there is any evidence to identify the hate element of the speech."

Dr Joshua Silver, a physics professor at the University of Oxford, reported Amber Rudd's conference speech to the police.

"I felt that politicians have been utilising Hate speech in order to turn Britons against foreigners, and I thought that is not lawful". The West Midlands Police responded by informing Dr Joshua Silver that Amber Rudd's speech has been "recorded in line with the National Police Chiefs' Council manual as a non-crime related hate incident".
Being fed up with the current situation in Mexico, thousands of people took the streets throughout the country for several days in order to make sure their voices were heard.

The beginning of the New Year was difficult for Mexico; not only because the country experienced different types of extortion from the USA President-elect Donald Trump, as he pressured some automobile companies to not build industries in Mexico or they will face a rise in American taxes if they were willing to sell their cars there, resulting in Ford cancelling an investment on a Mexican factory and instead investing that money in an American factory.

Mexican citizens also experienced extortion from part of their government as they increased the gasoline price by a 13% in the first months of the year, willing to end with an increase of a 22.5% from last years price by the end of 2017. Obviously, Mexicans did not agree with this increase on the gasoline price. Someone earning the minimum wage will now need to work 8 consecutive days in order to fill their cars tank, resulting in a possible economic crisis in the country.

General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A.or pay big border tax!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017

Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017

Street protests

For over 8 days Mexicans have taken to the streets to reflect their unconformity with the current government.

Not only because the gasoline price went up, but because of the violence and the corruption that the country is currently living with. The protesters also asked for the current Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieto, to resign from his position. As well as taking the streets, Mexicans also made their voice heard through Social media, with the hope that they could make a change in their socio-economic and political situation.

The use of different online channels helped them to reach a wider audience and made the world notice their unconformity with the incompetence from their politicians, especially from their current president.

Photos from the protests tonight in Mexico City's center against the #gasolinazo Stay informed, Stand w the Mexican people #FueraPena  pic.twitter.com/PaP3OwKQ8H  paola (@frvda) January 10, 2017

Is it an isolated case?

While the far-right is experiencing an increase in popularity in different countries, others are following the steps of the Arab Spring by protesting against their corrupt governments, dividing the world again in those wanting to close their frontiers and those willing to make a change in democracy and have more transparent governments.

The increase of social media use might be guilty for the rapid spread of ideologies, which some of them could end, hopefully, with the eradication of corruption which could improve peoples lives around the globe.
President Xi Jinping welcomes Vietnam's ruling party chief Nguyen Phu Trong at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

Vietnam vows to 'expand maritime cooperation' in party leader's visit

Beijing and Hanoi vowed to expand maritime and security cooperation on Thursday, further calming the waters of the South China Sea, where tensions have subsided since a transfer of power in the Philippines last year.

The agreements were among over a dozen sealed by President Xi Jinping and Vietnam's ruling party chief Nguyen Phu Trong in Beijing.

The meeting of the leaders and its timing was significant.

Trong's four-day visit, ending Sunday, is happening in close order with the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Vietnam, starting Friday, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's arrival in the Southeast Asian nation on Jan 16. Observers said the visits reflect the complexity of relations among the four nations.

"We should strengthen strategic cooperation and keep boosting mutual trust, so as to lay a more solid political foundation for the settlement of maritime issues," Xi said at the meeting. "At the same time, we should push forward joint exploration and cooperation in the sea."

Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, suggested expansion of military exchanges and deepening of security cooperation. Trong said Hanoi will "expand maritime cooperation" with Beijing and seek results in areas like security, trade and youth communication. He affirmed that Hanoi takes relations with Beijing as "the top priority of long-term foreign policy".

This is the first visit to China for Trong, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, since his re-election in January 2016. Xi and Trong last exchanged visits in 2015.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of 15 cooperation documents on Thursday, covering areas including national defense, financing, railways and Party cadre training.

In a rare arrangement for visiting foreign leaders, Xi and Trong also had an informa chat as they were having tea, a common culture in both countries, before starting dinner.

"The trip right before the visits of US and Japanese leaders also reflects the importance Hanoi attaches to Beijing," said Pan Jin'e, an expert on Vietnamese studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Pan said Vietnam favors conflict control in the South China Sea and is carefully watching progress on a code of conduct for the South China Sea. China said on Wednesday it will finish a framework with Southeast Asian nations by the middle of the year on the code.

Tensions in the South China Sea have abated since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken steps to mend relations with China since taking office in June.

"The visit comes at a good time for both sides to have a pragmatic discussion on the South China Sea. It is expected that Vietnam will be cooperative on the issue in the near future," Pan said.

Jia Duqiang, a senior Southeast Asian studies researcher at the academy, said, "China will also deepen ties, especially under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative."

As for bilateral security cooperation, Jia said last year also brought a good sign: in October Chinese warships visited Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay, a port of symbolic significance, for the first time.

Contact the writers at lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn
PHOENIX  The way Sonny Borrelli sees it, you could smoke a pound of hemp and all you'd get is smoke inhalation.

So the Republican senator from Lake Havasu City wants to amend the state's criminal code to treat it different from marijuana, its more psychoactive version. Specifically, he wants to make its growing, sale and possession legal.

But the proposal in SB 1045 is drawing alarm from prosecutors who say that, whatever Borelli's intent, the net effect could make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to prosecute those who are selling the much more potent version of the plant.

His legislation would amend existing law which is a laundry list of what drugs, both natural and synthetic, are illegal in Arizona, though some are legal with a prescription. They range from methamphetamines and coca leaves to more esoteric chemical compounds like 1-methyl-3-morphonino-1,1-diphenylpropane-carboxylic acid.

That list also includes marijuana. What Borelli wants is an exception for any plans with a concentration of tetrahydrocannibinol, the psychoactive element of marijuana, of not more than 0.3 percent. Borrelli sees it as a possible economic boost for Arizona farmers.

"For 400 years we were growing it in this country,'' he said. "They made canvases out of them.''

And Borrelli said if hemp was so dangerous it would be illegal to sell clothes, rope and other items made from the plant in Arizona. But it's not. And even children can buy them.

"You can smoke a whole rope'' made of hemp, he said.

"There's almost nothing in there to get high with,'' Borrelli continued. "You'll die of smoke inhalation.''

"There's no reason why it should not be grown for industrial use, like cotton, and exported,'' he said.

Borrelli is hardly plowing new ground.

The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that at least 16 states have legalized industrial hemp production for commercial purposes, with another 20 having laws allowing research and pilot programs. NCSL reports that some are in compliance with federal laws that already allow research; some of the laws are conditional on changes in federal laws.

But none of that relieves the anxiety that his legislation raises among prosecutors, particularly since what Borrelli is proposing would make hemp production legal in Arizona, with or without federal approval.

Deputy Pima County Attorney Kathleen Mayer said at least part of the issue is that police officers will not be able to immediately tell the difference between what is being raised for textiles and what is being raised for recreational use.

"What this does is provide a built-in defense for smugglers,'' she said.

" 'No, officer, this is hemp, not marijuana,' says the suspect.'' Mayer imagines how the conversation goes. " 'It looks and smells like marijuana to me,' '' responds the person with the bales of the product.

She's not alone in that concern.

"How does law enforcement tell the difference between a hemp load and the latest shipment from the Sinaloa Cartel?'' asked Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.

And it's even more complex than that: Whatever is seized then will have to be tested to figure out if the THC content is above or below the legal limit.

Bart Graves, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, said when samples are sent to his agency's lab the only thing it tests for is whether or not there it has THC.

"We do not say what percentage of the submitted item is THC,'' he explained.

Mayer said if Borrelli's measure were to become law, DPS would need new equipment to differentiate between marijuana and hemp. She also said the process would be more time consuming than the 10 minutes it now takes to simply determine whether a plant has any THC present at all.

"In order to prove any criminal case, I have a burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that it is marijuana, not hemp,'' Mayer explained.

"So the lab results are critical,'' she continued. "Any backlog in lab testing leads to court backlogs, which implicates a defendant's rights and court administration.''

Borrelli said their concerns are misplaced.

"You can tell just by the leaf itself,'' he said. "It has a different shape to it.''

Nor is Borrelli dissuaded by arguments that once a hemp plant is cut, dried and baled that police offices will be unable to distinguish it from marijuana.

"It's called training,'' he said.

Borrelli was also unapologetic for not making his legislation allowing commercial production of hemp contingent on first getting federal approval.

"Once again, we have another regulatory agency telling us what we can grow,'' he said.

And Borrelli pointed out that the current position of the Department of Justice is that it does not pursue those who grow marijuana for medical or even recreational use in states where lawmakers or voters have made that legal. He said it would be a "contradiction'' for the federal government to take a harsher approach over the growing of hemp.

Borrelli said this isn't some effort to expand legalization of marijuana just months after Arizona voters defeated a bill to make recreational use legal. Nor does he profess any interest in the drug.

"It never intrigued me enough to bother because I've seen the downsides of it in my neighborhood when I was growing up,'' he said. "I don't need to complicate my life any more than it already is.''
With the increasing number and diversity of cancer survivors, studies of survivors' physical, emotional, and social health are of growing importance. While there is a growing body of literature on the quality of life (QoL) of cancer patients during the early years past diagnosis, less is known regarding QoL in long-term survivors (LTS) (5 + years past diagnosis) and particularly in very long-term survivors (VLTS) (10 + years past diagnosis). The objective of our study is to: (1) compare QoL of long-term cancer survivors and population norms; and (2) assess whether any deficits in QoL of survivors observed 5-10 years past diagnosis persist beyond the 10th year past diagnosis.

In total 6952 long-term cancer survivors (5-16 years past diagnosis of breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer) from Germany recruited in the context of the population-based CAESAR + study were compared with 1878 population-based controls without a history of cancer. QoL was assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30. Differences in QoL between survivors and controls were assessed via multiple regression while controlling for age, gender, education, and case mix for survivors 5-9 years and 10 + years past diagnosis separately.

Overall QoL in long-term cancer survivors was comparable to population norms but specific deficits in social, role, emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning and symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, dyspnea, constipation, diarrhea, and financial difficulties were more prevalent in LTSs. Detriments in QoL persisted during the observation period and affected particularly cancer survivors at younger ages (<50 years). Non-significant aggravations in QoL with longer time since diagnosis were observed in very young and very old cancer survivors.

Detriments in health-related quality of life persist over more than a decade and affect predominantly younger patients. Improvements both in early and long-term follow-up care of cancer survivors seem warranted.

Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). 2017 Jan 05 [Epub ahead of print]

Volker Arndt, Lena Koch-Gallenkamp, Lina Jansen, Heike Bertram, Andrea Eberle, Bernd Holleczek, Sieglinde Schmid-Hopfner, Annika Waldmann, Sylke Ruth Zeissig, Hermann Brenner

a Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) , Heidelberg , Germany., c Cancer Registry of North Rhine-Westphalia , Munster , Germany., d Bremen Cancer Registry , Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS , Bremen , Germany., e Saarland Cancer Registry , Saarbrucken , Germany., f Hamburg Cancer Registry , Hamburg , Germany., g Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University Lubeck , Lubeck , Germany., h Cancer Registry Rhineland-Palatinate , Mainz , Germany.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28055266
Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor is implicated in the pathogenesis of both renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We evaluated the association between age-related macular degeneration and RCC risk.

We conducted a matched case-control study within a population-representative database from the United Kingdom (UK). Study cases were defined as individuals with any diagnostic code of RCC. For every case, four eligible controls were matched on age, sex, practice site, calendar time and duration of follow-up. Exposure of interest was diagnosis of AMD prior to cancer diagnosis. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for RCC were estimated using conditional logistic regression. In a secondary analysis, we evaluated the association between other retinopathies and RCC and AMD and the hypovascular pancreatic cancer.

The study population included 1,547 patients with RCC and 6,066 matched controls. Median follow-up time was 6 years (IQR 3-9). AMD diagnosis was associated with a significantly increased RCC risk (OR 1.89, 95%CI 1.09-3.29). In contrast, there was no association between other retinopathies and RCC risk (OR 0.8, 95%CI 0.56-1.15). AMD was associated with a lower risk for pancreatic cancer (OR 0.47, 95%CI 0.35-0.64).

Patients with AMD may be at higher risk for RCC. Providers should be aware of this potential link and consider screening for RCC within this population.

Providers should be aware of the potential link between AMD and RCC.

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology. 2017 Jan 06 [Epub ahead of print]

Daniel Keizman, Yu-Xiao Yang, Maya Gottfried, Hadas Dresler, Ilan Leibovitch, Kevin Haynes, Ronac Mamtani, Ben Boursi

Oncology, Meir Medical Center ., Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania., Oncology, Meir Medical Center., Urology, Meir Medical Center.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28062400
Last weekend, snow blanketed the ground in almost every one of the 50 states, including Virginia. Most people changed their plans for the day, but one couple was determined to get married in spite of the winter snow storm. However, their minister could not get to the couple who insisted on getting married on Saturday, January 7.

Brittany Tischer and Chris Fischer had been engaged for two years and had not been successful with their wedding plans. Every time they thought they were getting married, something happened that prevented them from doing so.

When they finally settled on January 7, they did not know that it would be the exact day that their city of Chesapeake, Virginia would be digging out from under snow and ice.

The couple did not panic when they noticed how much snow was falling on Saturday. Everything stopped. Flights were canceled, businesses closed, and people were advised to stay off the roads. That included their minister who had planned to show up at their house to officiate their nuptials.

No power outage

Even though Brittany and Chris live on an icy street, they still did not back down about getting married on Saturday, January 7. Snow was still falling outside, but one good thing they had going for them was that they did not have a power outage like a lot of other people in the area.

So the couple used that to their advantage. They called their minister and asked him if he was willing to marry them via Skype.

A Skype wedding

Since a Skype wedding is legal in the state of Virginia, the minister agreed to marry the couple even though he was physically miles away from them. Witnesses are no longer a requirement to get marry so it was just the couple and the minister on Skype.

The marriage with the help of Skype was a good ending to Brittany and Chris' story because the couple met through mutual friends on Facebook. Technology has been a part of their relationship from the very beginning. The minister was happy that he could pronounce the couple husband and wife from the comfort and safety of his own home. The married couple was happy that they did not have to postpone their wedding again. Surely, this is a good story to share with their children one day.
The never-ending drama surrounding President-elect Donald Trump has continued and has only expanded in recent days. Just days after the CIA revealed that Russia likely interfered with the 2016 election in favor of Trump, a new story now claims that the president-elect is being blackmailed by a foreign country.

Trump blackmailed

Donald Trump is a billionaire real estate mogul. Due to Trump's business deals around the world, the new president-elect brings with him the potential of a conflict of interest. While Trump denies that his business practices will cause any issue with him being the next president, reports suggest others wise.

As seen first on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC Monday night, Newsweek released a bombshell article on December 13 that exposes trouble for Trump in the Middle East.

How Donald Trump's business ties are already jeopardizing U.S. interests https://t.co/vvFitWQW6s  Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 13, 2016

Earlier this month, Barbaros Muratoglu, a top executive for the company "Dogan Holding," was detained and arrested in Turkey. Muratoglu is a close ally to Trump, as "Dogan Holding" was responsible for building two separate Trump Towers in Istanbul. The Newsweek report notes the company paid Trump as much as $10 million to license his name on the buildings.

The conflict of interest comes as Turkey is planning to use Muratoglu as leverage in an attempt to blackmail Donald Trump.

President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has an end goal in mind and that is to use Muratoglu's arrest to force Trump's hand to extradite Iman Fethullah Gulen out of the United States. Turkey believes that Gulen is the man responsible for the failed coup against the Turkish government earlier in the year. Newsweek argues that "Erdogan has leverage with Trump, who will soon have the power to get Gulen extradited." "Dogan Holding" commented on the issue, but denied any connection to any illegal activity.

Moving forward

Donald Trump was scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday where he would elaborate on the future of his businesses, though it was canceled without much explanation. Trump did take to his offical Twitter account later that night, and noted that his children would be running the business and that no new activity would take place while he was President of the United States. The former host of "The Apprentice" is set to be sworn in on January 20.
The combined efforts of the federal agencies that are part of a Caribbean drug strike force are being credited with intercepting a cocaine shipment worth an estimated $30 million that appeared to be heading to the U.S. Federal officials say the events leading to the seizure of 2,000 pounds of the drug began after a suspicious go-fast vessel was spotted by the crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection plane on a routine patrol off the coast of the Dominican Republic on Jan. 2. The go-fast boats, often referred to as "cigarette" boats, are small and fast vessels that are a favorite of drug smugglers.

'Numerous' bales of cocaine seized

The USS Zephyr, a Navy patrol ship with members of a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment on board, was sent to intercept the boat. When the Navy ship stopped the go-fast boat crews seized numerous bales of cocaine packed inside the boat and arrested four smugglers. The smugglers and their load of cocaine were transferred from the Zephyr to the Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley. From there, the cutter took the smugglers and their drug shipment to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the smugglers were taken into custody by Drug Enforcement Administration agents, while Coast Guard crews offloaded the seized cocaine.

The strong partnerships and excellent coordination between the Coast Guard, the U.S.

Navy and the federal law enforcement agencies involved in this case prevented this major drug shipment from reaching shore and delivered those responsible to justice, Coast Guard Capt. Robert Warren said in a statement released to the media after the cocaine was offloaded. Our collective efforts seek to secure our nations maritime border and protect the citizens of Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Virgin Islands from this threat.

Bust comes after 27 tons of cocaine seized in various patrols

The seizing of the cocaine early in the new year comes after the Coast Guard announced late last month that its cutters had returned to the U.S. with 27 tons of cocaine -- or nearly $800 million worth of the drug -- seized during patrols of the Caribbean and off the coast of South America.
On Tuesday night, CNN broke an exclusive report that alleged Russia had planned to blackmail Donald Trump using personal and financial information about the president-elect. Trump has since denied the report, referring to it as "Fake News," and now the White House is speaking out.

White House on Trump

Not long after the CNN report broke, Buzzfeed appeared to release further details about what information Russia had reportedly obtained from Donald Trump. The Buzzfeed report claimed that Russia had private sex tapes involving Trump and prostitutes that allegedly took place at a hotel in the Kremlin.

The former host of "The Apprentice" quickly lashed out at various times on Twitter, and doubled down in denial during a press conference at Trump Tower on Wednesday afternoon. Trump and his transition team have continued to label the allegations "fake news," going as far as the president-elect refusing to allow CNN's Jim Acosta from asking a question at the press conference. As reported by The Hill on January 11, the White House and President Obama are speaking out.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary John Earnest hit back at Donald Trump over his now sudden concern about "fake news." "There were a wide variety of the presidents critics who were suggesting and propagating conspiracy theories that somehow the president was not born in the United States," Earnest said, referencing the "birther" theory made popular in part by Trump.

Earnest continued, noting that all critics had to was look at Obama's birth certificate and it would have shown that the "charges against the president, that were lobbed against the president. were false."

Fake news trouble

Following the election of Donald Trump, speculation grew about how he was able to overcome the odds and defeat Hillary Clinton.

The idea of "fake news" became a hot topic, mostly with Clinton supporters who believed it was a leading cause of her defeat in the election. While some news on the internet is considered "fake," many alternative news sources have been labeled as fake news despite the majority being credible.

Moving forward

Despite the backlash from the latest report linking Russia to the hack of the election, Donald Trump is just over a week away from becoming the next commander in chief. While Trump prepares for Inauguration Day, over 100,000 protesters are expected to be in attendance to voice their opposition.
china is needling the US and the President-elect Donald Trump by sailing its aircraft carrier (the Liaoning) and its squadron of warships through the narrow Taiwan strait. The strait that separates Taiwan from the mainland is 160 km wide, and sailing the aircraft carrier is a clear case of provocation. This happened after the President-elect accepted a call from the Taiwan president. China has for long insisted on a "One China" policy, and claims Taiwan as part of China. It reserves the right to reunify the island by force if necessary. This is not the first act of provocation, as earlier, the Chinese navy seized a drone of the US navy.

It returned the drone later but the belligerence of the Chinese showed through in the event. The Taiwan navy monitored the movement of the aircraft carrier and its support fleet all along China.

Belligerent China

Donald Trump is going to be the 45th president of the USA and will be sworn in on the 20th of January. His mind, however, would be focussed on China. He has already castigated China for unfair trade practices, and made a pointed remark about the Chinese having built a fortress in the South China sea (which is disputed). Trump blames the Obama administration for this. China is flexing its muscles and part of this saber rattling has been the exercises by the Liaoning with its flotilla of warships in the South China Sea.

The Liaoning has now sailed through the Taiwan strait in a blatant show of power.

Facing China

Donald Trump as president will have to face the dragon. He has already commented on the "One China" policy, and said that, for following this policy, the United States has not gotten much in return. He wants China to stop its unfair trade practices as well.

The Chinese are wary of Trump. The fact is, at the moment, with just one aircraft carrier, the Chinese navy is in no position to challenge the US navy. Due to this, they have the aim of constructing more carriers, but, they do not have much experience in this area. The US Navy has a head start, and it will be interesting to see how Donald squares up to China.
Fans have been concerned about Derick Dillard's health ever since it has been obvious that his looks have changed. Derick appears to have lost some weight, and he did get braces, but the Duggars and Dillards have been quiet about what is going on. Now it is being revealed by Ashley's Reality Roundup that this will be addressed on a future episode of "Counting On."

What will they talk about?

The fans have been worried for about a year, but the have not said a thing to them about what is going on. In a new preview for "Counting On," it was revealed that Derick will be seen going to the doctor.

Derick and Jill are back in Arkansas once again. Derick is seen saying, "It feels great to be home and run like I used to. But it is difficult sometimes." Of course, he doesn't explain the details in the preview of what is going on with him.

Jill Dillard Duggar is seen saying that it makes Derick feel "gaggy." Derick says he is excited to see the doctor. It sounds like he really wants to find out what is going on, but you will have to watch "Counting On" to find out for sure.

It is obvious that Derick Dillard has lot weight and maybe this is the reason why. Everyone can't wait to hear what is actually going on with him. It has been coming for a long time and the fans have wondered if the Duggars would ever address it at all.

Even though "19 Kids and Counting" was canceled by TLC, they brought back the Duggar family with "Counting On." It is supposed to be about the older girls, but you do get to see most of the family on the show, except for Josh. This new season will be their third and will talk about Derick's health, Jessa's second pregnancy and Jinger Duggar preparing for her wedding.

The wedding already happened, but viewers didn't get to see all of the details until now.

What do you think is wrong with Derick Dillard? Are you glad they are finally addressing this on the show? Sound off in the comments section below on your thoughts, and don't miss "Counting On" when it returns to TLC on January 16.
Alois Brunner, the officer responsible for the death of 130 thousand Jews, has spent his last years locked up in a basement cellar in Damascus, where he languished in dingy conditions, according to an investigation published on Wednesday, 11, by the French magazine XXI

The story, endorsed by specialists in the area, attempts to solve the mystery around Brunner, the nazi who commanded the internment camp of drancy, from where French Jewish prisoners were sent to extermination camps.

Life after the war

The war criminal, originally from Austria, escaped from Germany to Egypt at the end of World War II (1939  1945) with a passport under the name of Georg Fischer.

There, he got involved in a movement for the independence of Algeria before moving to Syria.

In Damascus, Brunner collaborated with the Secret Service, transferring interrogation methods  and torture  developed by German Nazis. According to reports, he survived a bomb blast, in which he lost an eye and four fingers.

There are, however, several gaps in the story, and no confirmation about the last few years of his life. Simon Wiesenthal Center, in Vienna, which monitors Nazis, has previously said that Brunner had passed away in 2010, in Syria.

Home Prison

XXI Magazine says, though, that the Austrian Nazi officer Alois Brunner was under a sort of home prison in Damascus after 1989, limited to a cellar in the underground area of his apartment, and that he died in 2001.

Brunner was, at the time, 89 years-old.

The French investigation was praised by the notorious Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld, according to AFP News Agency. The magazine interviewed former employees of the Syrian Secret Service. As reported by them, Brunner did not regret his crimes and died with anti-Semitic beliefs.

Home prison guards reported that he suffered and cried a lot in his last few years and that he could barely tend to himself. He was fed with military rations and had to choose between eggs and potatoes for his meals.

We are glad to know that he has lived poorly, affirmed Klarsfeld to AFP.
World politics - Amid the tensions between the US and Russia, Us troops have begun to line Russian border. According to Independent News, the show of power is in retaliation to Russian aggression. As troops land in Wrocaw, Poland, tanks are right behind them. Experts estimate a total of 2,800 tanks and other artillery equipment. Obama hopes that the bluff will force Russia to halt the Crimea's annexation.

Since May 2014, US troops have been conducting training operations under that banner, experts say. The Polish embassy in Washington says the troops in Wroclaw were the first to arrive as part of the Atlantic Resolve.

Experts say that this US move to Europe has been the largest since the cold war. Yet, despite Obamas few days in office, there does not seem to be any signs of slowing down.

Russia says the build-up is a provocation

"The Independent" on new US troops arriving in Poland:... https://t.co/UJmVQKzHbq  Poland at Cambridge (@CambridgePolish) January 11, 2017

As Obama promised a smooth transition between him and Trump, things are not seeming that way. Tensions between the US and Russia grow by the day. Not only does Putin call the move provocation, but he says the move is an act of war. So much so, that Putin has started moving nuclear missiles to strategic locations.

Not only that, but Russia has also deployed Diesel-Electric submarines to patrol the black sea.

The Kremlin "higher-ups," have vowed not to allow the sea to become a Nato haven. As tension heats up like an epic pressure cooker, time can only tell what will happen next.

The US expels Russian Diplomats as Russia treats Americans to dinner

Obama expels Russian diplomats, issues sanctions over hacking scandal - International - Jerusalem Post https://t.co/rBl31UwS47  Toronja Williams (@GlamAmazing21) January 6, 2017

Last week, after the alleged hack that Obama blames on Russians, the State Department expelled 35 diplomats.

According to the Sun, Russia chose to eat them up with kindness by treating US diplomats to dinner. Reports say Putin has claimed to wait on Trump to take command before he makes a decision.

Many claim that that is a wise move from the Kremlin. A move that surprised many experts on Russian relations. With Trump's inauguration only days away, what will our new leader face as he takes over the Oval Office? Will he find peace or aggression? Let us know what you think in the comment section below. Your feedback is always welcome.
The passage of China's first carrier battle group through the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday will not affect cross-Straits relations, said Liu Zhenmin, vice-foreign minister.

The CNS Liaoning carrier and its five escort vessels, returning from drills in the South China Sea, sailed north and entered the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday morning.

Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships to closely follow the battle group and monitor the situation, said Taiwan's "defense ministry" spokesman Chen Chung-chi.

It was the first circumnavigation of Taiwan since the battle group's blue water exercise began in December, when it sailed around the eastern coast of the island, the island's "ministry" added.

The island's overreaction to the move adds more uncertainty and tension to the already tense region, experts said.

"The Taiwan Straits are an international waterway shared by the mainland and Taiwan, so it is normal for CNS Liaoning to pass through in training," Liu said. "It won't affect cross-Straits relations.

"The Chinese Navy conducts regular exercises both along the coast and in the western Pacific during this time of year to boost capabilities," he said. "This training is safe and won't affect security in the region or other countries."

Zhang Junshe, a senior researcher at the People's Liberation Army Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said the fuss over the CNS Liaoning came mostly from Taiwan's separatist officials and media.

"The overhyping injects more fear and uncertainty into cross-Straits relations made brittle by Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's failure to acknowledge the one-China policy," said Zhang.

"China would take military action, as mandated by the Anti-Secession Law, if the Taiwan authorities were to go against the will of 1.3 billion people and declare independence."

Zuo Xiying, a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China, said the combat capability of China's carrier battle group has improved remarkably since 2014, when it conducted its last drill in the South China Sea.

"The voyage was a strategic but reserved warning to Tsai, telling her not to push her separatist agenda overseas, and to expect to see more PLA training in the future," Zuo said.

Tsai met senior lawmakers of the US Republican Party in Houston on Sunday en route to Latin America, as part of a controversial transit stop in the United States.

"It is possible that she will flaunt the threat from the mainland during her trips to the US and Latin America. Cross-Straits relations in the coming years likely will face increasing uncertainty and challenges."
Jan 11, 2017, Geneva, Switzerland

Jiang Jianguo, Minister of State Council Information Office of People's Republic of China

Distinguished guests:

As you all know, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Switzerland, attend the World Economic Forum, and call on the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, as well as the headquarters of the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee.

It is also known that it is nine years since the global financial crisis broke out. Along with the rise of populism, protectionism and parochialism, the world has come to a historical crossroads and must make the choice between war and peace, poverty and development, confrontation and cooperation, monopoly and win-win solutions.

And it is known to all that President Xi Jinping's visit is for peaceful development, win-win cooperation, economic globalization, and the establishing of a community of shared destiny for humankind.

History and realities show that a good global economic order cannot exist without good state economic governance. Currently, strengthening the sustainability and inclusiveness of the global economy entails all countries taking proactive action to manage their own business well, step up their policy coordination, seek the greatest common denominator, and form the largest concentric circle, so as to contribute to the stabilization and improvement of global economic governance. How has China done in these regards? That is the main content of my talk with you today.

First, China's economy has entered a new normal. Its economic growth has slowed, but it still remains stable and progressive.

With China's growing economic size and the deepening of China's cooperation with the world, the Chinese economy's development trend is of great significance to the outside world. China's economy has entered a new normal, a shift-changing period of slower acceleration due to restructuring and a change in its driving forces. On the one hand, the potential growth rate has decreased, leading to a drop in the realized annual economic growth rate, from 7.9 percent in 2012 to 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. However, the slowing growth has itself slowed and the trend is now clear: It is evident that the economy has become healthier and progressive and the growth rate is stabilizing.

This trend is collectively reflected in the improvement in people's livelihoods. The consumption rate of mainland residents has increased markedly, from 35.9 percent in 2010 to 38.5 percent in 2015, up 0.52 percentage points each year on average. The number of new jobs created from January to November last year hit 12.49 million, fulfilling 124.9 percent of the annual target in advance. The actual growth in average disposable income per capita was 6.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. The growth rate for people's wages, net income and net property income were all around 8 percent, and the growth of per capita net income transfer was 10.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. While targeted poverty alleviation efforts have lifted more than 10 million people out of poverty since they were firstly implemented nationwide one year ago. The integrating of the rural and urban medical insurance systems has also accelerated, and the quality of public medical services and the system's fairness has improved remarkably.

The trend has also been reflected in the continuous optimizing of the country's economic structure. In the first three quarters of 2016, the growth of the service sector's contribution ratio to the growth of the national economy reached 58.5 percent, and it became the main engine of economic growth, while consumption's contribution ratio to GDP growth hit 71 percent, the driver effects become stronger. The investment in high-tech industry increased 15.9 percent from January to November year-on-year, 7.6 percentage points more than the total investment growth rate.

The growth in profits made by equipment manufacturers and high-tech manufacturers has also accelerated, and more iron and steel and coal production is being eliminated than has been set as the targets. The asset-liability ratio in the industrial enterprises has dropped 0.6 percentage points year-on-year.

The trend is also collectively reflected in the effective strengthening of innovation's driving effects. China invested 2.07 percent of its GDP in research and development in 2015, the second highest amount in the world, while its number of patent application exceeded 1 million, the most in the world.

The speed of growth of strategic emerging industries and high-tech industries was more than 10 percent in the first three quarters of last year. The new economy, which consists of new industries, new technologies, new commercial activities, new products and new models, is thriving thanks to the deep integration between industry and the internet promoted by the leadership, and it has strengthened the driving force for the restructuring of the country's manufacturing industries.

Although China's economic growth has slowed, the Chinese economy remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and a booster for global growth. China's contribution ratio to the world economic growth was almost 40 percent last year, making China a main engine for the global economy. The world's second largest economy, China's economy is also stable and progressive, ensuring it can act as ballast for the sustainability of the global economy. The quality and efficiency of the Chinese economic development has improved, and the Chinese economy will release more market demand, more investment and provide more diversified products and create more valuable cooperation opportunities for the global economy.

Second, new development concepts constantly create new situations for development, and China is contributing new wisdom to global economic development

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made the scientific judgment that the Chinese economy has entered a new normal. On this basis, President Xi has proposed Five Development Concepts, namely innovation, coordination, green, opening-up and sharing, under the guidance of which, the Chinese government has drawn up its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Innovation is the No. 1 driving force for boosting development, and Xi's new development concepts put innovation in a core position in the overall development situation. It means China will constantly improve its innovation capabilities, so as to form a sustainable impetus for long-term economic growth.

Coordination is the intrinsic requirement for healthy development, and it attaches greater importance to fair development opportunities, the balanced allocation of resources, and the prevention and control of various kinds of social conflicts and risks.

Green is the prerequisite for sustainable development and reflects people's pursuit of a better life. China adheres to the basic policies of saving resources and protecting the environment. China adheres to sustainable development, and is pushing forward the construction of a beautiful country, so as to make new contributions to global ecological safety.

Opening-up is the only path that leads to prosperity and development which is in line with the trend of China's integrating into world economy. It means China will actively take part in global economic governance and provide public products, strive to construct a broad community of shared interests, and take the initiative to use, expand and lead economic globalization.

Sharing is a reflection of people-centered development, which insists that development should be for the people, rely on the people and benefit the people. This applies not just to Chinese people but to people around the world, so they feel they are gaining from the process of development, and heading in the direction of a better life.

My friends, theory is grey, but the tree of life is evergreen. China began the all-round deepening of reforms in 2013, proposing 336 reforms in 60 fields. Last year, the central authority finished 97 key reforms, and government departments finished 194 reforms, 419 reform plans were issued, among which deepening supply-side structural reform has become a key feature so as to adapt to and lead the development of the economy in the new normal. The main direction is to improve the quality of goods, and to perfect the institutions and system so the market plays a decisive role in allocating resources, strengthens motivation, encourages innovation, improves labor productivity, and increases total factor productivity. The final purpose is to meet people's growing material and cultural demands.

The five main tasks of supply-side structural reform last year were decreasing capacity, decreasing inventory, deleveraging, reducing costs, and making up for the short slab.

This year, China will insist on seeking progress in stability, the main theme of economic work, and the key tasks of the supply-side structural reform are being expanded. It will deepen agricultural supply-side reform, promote the development of the real economy and the healthy development of the housing market, and properly handle potential risks in finance, government debt, the real estate industry and real economy. We have the confidence, capacity and actions to realize an economic development that is of higher quality, more efficient, fairer and more sustainable.

As a developing country with more than 1.3 billion people, that China is focused on doing its own tasks well and realizing the country's development and stability is itself a huge contribution to the world economy. The Five Development Concepts proposed by President Xi not only point out the direction for the sustainable development of the Chinese economy, but also contribute China's plans and wisdom to the reform, development and stability of the global economy.

Third, actively push forward global governance innovation, and lead the new development of economic globalization

The low-speed growth in global trade calls for all countries to continue to coordinate and cooperate, promote fairness and justice, guard against trade protectionism, and foster economic globalization to become more vigorous, inclusive and sustainable.

In terms of trade policies, countries should promote innovation and the development of digital economy through strengthening the establishment of new rules in e-commerce, etc, constructing an inclusive global value chain, encourage medium and small-sized enterprises, and least developed countries to integrate into the global value chain, and eliminate poverty, so as to realize the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals.

China is a firm supporter of the multilateral trading system. It strictly abides by the WTO rules, has fulfilled all its promises and obligations, and actively taken part in and pushed forward multilateral trade negotiations, since it entered the organization in 2001. China will continue to play a leading role as a responsible big trading country, and make positive contribution to push forward the progress of the WTO, defend the multilateral trading system, and foster global trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.

To establish a new type of open world economy, the international community needs to innovate the global governance structure. China established a trade and investment working group for the first time for the G20 Summit held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, last year, and drew up the G20 Global Trade Growth Strategy and G20 Global Investment Guiding Principle. The WTO and the other international organizations provided powerful support for the success of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou and the making of relevant policies, and conferences for the B20 meeting of business leaders and the T20 meeting of think tanks were held in the WTO's headquarters in May and June last year. However, it now requires the efforts of all parties to implement the fruits of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou.

Fourth, strengthen innovation cooperation, and seek a the community of shared destiny for all humankind.

History indicates innovation has always been an important power pushing forward the development of human societies. Currently, a new technology revolution and industrial revolution are underway, which are bringing both opportunities and challenges to global economic growth, international trade and investment, the global value chain, the industrial structure, as well as the global division of labor, labor forces and social security. Economies have to adapt to fast changing situations and grasp the opportunities, strengthen cooperation in technology, finance, standardization, the business environment, cyberspace security and a new type of infrastructure construction, so as to share the fruits of technological progress and industrial development. It takes courage and responsibility to face up to challenges. All economies should actively provide necessary public services for medium, small-sized and micro enterprises, medium and low-level workers and vulnerable groups, and make joint efforts to build a richer, fairer, more inclusive and civilized community of shared destiny for all humankind.

To implement its innovation-driven development strategy, China adheres to the two-wheels of innovation and technological innovation and institutional innovation and it has rolled out a series of reform measures. In 2016 , China established a fair competition review system, innovated the government's model for the allocation of resources, stepped up protection of private property rights and intellectual property rights, established a batch of model State-level innovation zones, technology innovation centers and model bases for startups and innovations, and continuously promoted the construction of efficient innovation systems.

Switzerland's innovation ability is second to none in the world. China and the Switzerland have comparatively strong complementarity in carrying out innovation cooperation. It is of great significance that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and International Trade and Sustainable Development Center co-host the "Innovation and Development" International Seminar today, as think tank scholars are expected to achieve productive research fruits through high-level dialogues.

Finally, I sincerely wish the success of the seminar.

Thank you all.
Rex Tillerson, US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, described interactions between the United States and China as "both friendly and adversarial."

In his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson was grilled most of the time for his close Russian ties, including with President Vladimir Putin when he was CEO of Exxon Mobil. China came up several times in the day-long hearing.

"China has emerged as an economic power in global trade, and our interactions have been both friendly and adversarial," Tillerson said in his testimony.

Tillerson criticized China's land reclamation in the South China Sea and said China has not fulfilled its promise on UN sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We cannot continue to accept empty promises like the ones China has made to pressure North Korea to reform, only to shy away from enforcement," said the 64-year-old.

Tillerson said China's economic and trade practices have not always followed its commitments to global agreements. He also accused China of stealing US intellectual property.

In his first press conference after winning the election on Nov 8, Trump on Wednesday also accused China of hacking into the US Office of Personnel Management and taking advantage of the US economically and in the South China Sea.

"We have to deal with what we see, not with what we hope," Tillerson said.

But Tillerson emphasized "we need to see the positive dimensions in our relationship with China as well".

"The economic well-being of our two nations is deeply intertwined. China has been a valuable ally in curtailing elements of radical Islam. We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said.

Asked about the Trump administration's policy on Taiwan, Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to Taiwan, but said, "I don't know that there is any plan to alter the one China position".

He mentioned several times his "whole of China approach", saying "we've got to deal with the whole of China actions and recognize we have these balancing forces in our relationship that need to be dealt with."

Jonathan Pollack, a senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of Brookings Institution, said Tillerson's testimony was not a definitive indicator of future US foreign policy toward China.

"But his opening statement and some of his replies to Senatorial questions reveal a decidedly hard edge to his views of China," he said.

"Though he acknowledges more positive developments in economic cooperation and in opposing international terrorism, his testimony makes no mention of US-China cooperation on the Iranian nuclear agreement or in the Paris climate accords. Such strongly worded complaints directed against China suggest that US-China relations could be entering a much more contentious phase as the Trump administration assumes power," he said.

Zhiqun Zhu, professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said Tillerson's statement was more moderate than he'd expected.

"He does not have a pro-Russia stance and his view of the US-China relationship as both friendly and adversarial is consistent with the mainstream thinking in the US," Zhu said.

Based on Tillerson's testimony, Zhu said there are many opportunities for cooperation between China and the US, but on several issues, particularly North Korea and the South China Sea, the two sides will have some rough times ahead.

"So it is expected that the US-China relationship will continue to be marked by cooperation and contention in the years ahead. I do not think any member of the Trump administration will intentionally disrupt and derail this most important bilateral relationship," he said.

Jon Taylor, professor of political science at the University of St Thomas in Houston, Texas, said Tillerson's statement that the US should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership was a hopeful comment.

"However, Tillerson's testimony provided a mixed message to China, one that signals that the Trump administration intends to disrupt the status quo of China-US relations," he said.

"Where that will lead us is a pivotal question. But given the comments of the president-elect and some of his appointees, I would not be optimistic."

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Zhao Shilan, the ex-wife of a former Chinese official, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit immigration fraud related to EB-5 investor visas.

Zhao, 53, pleaded guilty on Jan 9 to one count of conspiring with her ex-husband, Qiao Jianjun, to fraudulently obtain visas to enter the United States. She was arrested in March 2015 in Newcastle, Washington.

Qiao, 53, also known as Feng Li, is accused of embezzling funds while serving as director of a grain company in China's Henan province. He remains a fugitive who is being sought by federal authorities, according to the US attorney office in Los Angeles.

Qiao also is on a priority list of 150 people that Chinese prosecutors gave to the US State Department. China wanted help in finding and repatriating money they allegedly embezzled, as well as the suspects.

As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Zhao agreed to cooperate with the government's investigation. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov 6. Zhao will face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison.

According to the plea agreement signed by Zhao on Dec 21, Zhao submitted false supporting materials to US federal authorities in May 2008, including a false marriage certificate and false papers documenting the source of her investment, which was required under the EB-5 immigrant investor program to obtain US immigrant visas.

Qiao prepared or obtained the documents and Zhao knew at least some of the documents were false, according to the plea agreement.

According to the indictment, Zhao and Qiao were divorced but pretended to remain married and lied about the source of Zhao's foreign investments in order to obtain US immigrant visas.

In 2009, the two received visas as a couple and came to the US that October. In mid-2011, Zhao applied to have her green card made permanent.

By early 2012, the pair had about $2.2 million in laundered funds deposited in a Canadian bank account. They purchased property in Seattle and Newcastle in the state of Washington with money Qiao allegedly laundered from fraudulent transactions.

In her plea agreement, Zhao agreed that $25,000 used to pay her bond can be applied to any restitution or other monetary penalties ordered in this case. She also agreed to forfeit her interest in several parcels in a house in Newcastle and a condominium in New York.

"The EB-5 investor visa program requires all immigrant investors to accurately document the source of their funds in their application," said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando.

This case received assistance from the Supreme People's Procuratorate and Ministry of Public Security of China.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
The jobs report is the most closely watched piece of economic information that is made available each month. This month, it has been taken away by the government shutdown. It has been postponed indefinitely. Many other economic reports will also be delayed because of the shutdown.

Some reports will probably be delayed even after the government reopens. So what will happen with no economic data set in stone for people to base their decisions on? The Federal Reserve depends on the economic data to make decisions regarding the stimulus program, which revolves around the purchase of $85 billion of bonds each month.

As the government shutdown winds up its fourth day, the consequences are becoming clearer. The major statistical agencies still have the lights off and are not producing the data needed. More than 800,000 furloughed government employees are causing backlogs and challenges at state unemployment centers.

The number of unemployment claims will rise drastically, and the state operated offices are understaffed for significant numbers of claims. Many are having to set specific application guidelines for federal employees and forego the verification process for the time being.

The furloughed workers will get unemployment benefits, but it could take weeks for them to receive their first checks. Those benefit checks are a small portion of regular salaries. With some federal employees surviving paycheck to paycheck, less money will be spent and those who are furloughed will only be spending funds on absolute necessities.

Therefore, it becomes obvious, experts say, that the unemployment rate will be higher and consumer confidence levels will fall. With reduced spending, the overall economic outlook appears bleak. Raising interest rates by tapering the stimulus will not help matters at all; analysts are quick to point out.

Some experts believe that if the shutdown continues to drag on, the Federal Bank will be less likely to begin tapering the monthly stimulus plan without solid reports that reflect an improving economy. The Federal Reserve will meet again near Octobers end. In the meantime, it doesnt seem that an immediate solution to end the government shutdown is in sight.
Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page.

Loading...

Checking your browser before accessing the website.

This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly.

Please wait a few seconds.
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) to renovate its thinking and management to better play its key role in promoting socio-economic development.

Phuc said at a conference on Wednesday that renovation, although difficult, is vital, especially for the MPI, which is in charge of compiling the economic restructuring project.

More than anyone, the MPI must pioneer the process of restructuring, Phuc said, stressing the role of the ministry as a chief economic architect.

As the economy had made a drastic transition to a market-based model, planning must be based on the spirit of creating a dynamic Government, not for convenience in management.

The planning must be in the national interest and eliminate special interest groups. Short-term benefits could not conflict with long-term strategies, Phuc said. Accordingly, in planning, the ministry must listen to contributions and comments from experts, citizens, businesses, and private and foreign investors.

Phuc cited statistics that State investment accounted for more than one third of total investment in the economy  an unreasonable proportion, which might lead to wastage of resources.

The MPI should be the chief architect of the economy, who can develop the best design with limited resources, Phuc said, adding that the policies should aim at better raising social resources, which remain largely untapped.

Phuc stressed that investment and planning must promote inclusive growth.

MPI Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that the Vietnamese economy was forecast to face a number of difficulties in 2017, with unpredictable impacts from the global economy.

The ministry said that it would improve the quality of macro-economic analysis and forecast which would serve as a base for policy making.

In addition, focus would be given to completing laws, especially the Law on Planning, and the Law on Supporting Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management Nguyen inh Cung said that the new planning and investment policies were expected to be wind of change and remove existing barriers to economic development.

The Government should have policies to encourage the application of science and technology in production, said Bui Tat Thang, Director of the Development Strategy Institute.

The stability of the macro-economy was maintained last year, with 12 out of 14 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, together with an improved business environment, the ministry said.

On the same day, the Party Central Committees Economic Commission also organised a conference to review results from 2016 and implement tasks for 2017.
Vietnamese tourists visit to Japan. Viet Nam expects an outbound flux of tourism in 2017.  VNS Photo

HCM CITY  Viet Nam is expected to enjoy a compound annual growth rate of 9.5 per cent between 2016 and 2021 for outbound travel among Asia Pacifics emerging markets, according to the Future of Outbound Travel in Asia Pacific 2016 to 2021 report by MasterCard.

In 2021, around 7.5 million Vietnamese will travel abroad, compared to 4.8 million in 2016, said the report.

Myanmar is expected to take the top position with a 10.6 per cent growth per year over the next five years. The rate is 8.6 per cent for Indonesia, 8.5 per cent for China and 8.2 for India.

Meanwhile, growth will be 6.1 per cent for Sri Lanka, 4.8 per cent for Thailand, 4.4 per cent for the Philippines and 3.8 per cent for Korea. Australia, Singapore and Malaysia are expected to each have 3.5 per cent growth.

Eric Schneider, senior vice president for Asia Pacific at Mastercard Advisors, said: The burgeoning middle class is driving the growth of outbound travel in Asia Pacific, along with other trends such as the emergence of the Asian millennial traveler and on the other end of the spectrum the senior traveller, as well as new technology and infrastructure developments. Asia Pacific travelers will continue to fuel global tourism growth in years to come, providing vast opportunities for businesses to benefit through the development of products and solutions that seek to improve their overall travel experiences.

According to the study, outbound travel is forecast to grow faster than real GDP. Outbound travel growth tends to be higher than real GDP growth for emerging markets compared to developed markets (except for Japan) where outbound travel growth is much closer to their forecasted real GDP growth.

In emerging markets outbound travel is expected to grow faster than real GDP, including Myanmar (10.6 per cent vs. 7.7 per cent), Viet Nam (9.5 per cent vs. 6.2 per cent), Indonesia (8.6 per cent vs. 5.7 per cent), Thailand (4.8 per cent vs. 3.1 per cent) and China (8.5 per cent vs. 6 per cent).

The report updates Asia Pacifics regional outlook of outbound travel from 2016 to 2021 at various household income ranges, combined with a five-year forecast of household growth.

The data is taken from the 2011 to 2016 editions of the Mastercard Survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities  Travel.

Data for outbound travel from 2013 to 2015 was taken from the national statistics boards of markets, and for 2015 and 2016, were calculated using estimates from the 2016 edition of the Mastercard Asia Pacific Destinations Index. - VNS
HA NOI  The signing of a framework agreement on credit co-operation between the Vietnamese and Hungarian governments is an important landmark in the two countries diplomatic activities this year.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made the comment during a meeting in Ha Noi on Wednesday with Balogh Csaba, minister of state at Hungarys Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Minh highly valued the two governments efforts in speeding up the finalisation of this agreement, which is worth 440 million euros (US$466.84 million). He said the deal is good preparation ahead of an official visit to Viet Nam slated for April by Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

With this framework agreement, the two sides will implement many co-operation projects in the spheres of Hungarys strength and Viet Nams demand, such as water resources management, wastewater treatment, information technology, cyber security and healthcare, he noted.

He also spoke highly of co-operation mechanisms at all levels between the two countries, adding that the vice speaker of Hungarys parliament will visit Viet Nam in mid-January and his country is also ready to welcome the Hungarian PM this April.

He said bilateral trade remains low and is yet to match the countries potential and expectations. Hence, it is necessary to review the implementation of the minutes of the sixth session of their joint committee on economic co-operation to design new co-operation programmes in preparation for the seventh session, scheduled for March in Hungary.

At the meeting, the officials also acknowledged the role of Vietnamese people who were trained in Hungary in bolstering bilateral ties and mutual understanding.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Orchestra of French High Schools of the World, an interactive project between students and musicians from French schools affiliated with the Agency for French Abroad, will host a concert at the HCM City Conservatory of Music on January 14.

The concert, organised by the Marguerite Duras International School of HCM City, will feature 54 musicians from 28 countries.

The concert is under the direction of Adriana Tanus, music director and conductor of the European Youth Orchestra of Madrid; Claire Perez-Maestro, a music teacher from Marcoussis, France; and Magali Chaudemanche, a music teacher in HCM City.

The show begins at 6pm at the Conservatory at 112 Nguyen Du Street in District 1. Tickets are VN200,000 for adults and VN100,000 for children, available at www.ticketbox.vn.  VNS
NEW YORK  A Bruce Springsteen archive will open at Monmouth University in New Jersey, a short distance from the working-class town where the rock legend grew up.

The university near the Jersey Shore announced the creation of the archive, which will store written works, photographs and other artifacts for future research.

Called the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, the institute will preserve the legacy of the Born in the USA star and also advance study on earlier US music icons such as Frank Sinatra and Woody Guthrie, the university said.

The university is some 25 kilometres from Springsteens hometown of Freehold, which inspired his classic song Born to Run, and even closer to Asbury Park, the oceanfront city where he launched his music career.

Monmouth Universitys president Paul Brown said in a statement that the archives location "brilliantly captures the essence of Springsteens music" and noted that the university already had a significant music programme, which includes an affiliation with the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.

The archive will be a more formal expansion to the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection, which opened at the university in 2011 to store early newspaper and magazine clippings about The Boss.

Springsteen, 67, has increasingly focused on his legacy. Last year he released a well-received autobiography, also entitled Born to Run, in which he related his humble upbringing and rise to fame and also revealed his struggles with depression.

Bob Dylan, one of Springsteens greatest influences, last year reached an agreement for his own archive to be set up at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, which already has a center dedicated to native son Guthrie.  AFP
HA NOI  Tomorrow, the Hanoi Culture Space will host a roundtable discussion with painter and antique collector Nguyen Manh uc.

uc, who is also a founder of the Nha San Collective--an experimental art space in Ha Noi--will talk about the Tet (Lunar New Year) altar of Vietnamese people and prayers made during the traditional festival.

For Vietnamese people, the altar is a highly sacred place where they present their deepest respect to their domestic ancestors. However, not every one knows about the fengshui rules for arranging the altars and the offerings. In different regions, there are some differences on the altar offerings as well. In addition, how to talk properly with ancestors through the prayers will also be mentioned during the discussion with Hanoian artist uc.

The event is among the monthly cultural series organised by the Hanoi Culture Space aiming to revive traditional values of the local culture.

The free entry event will start at 3pm. The Hanoi Culture Space is part of the ong Lac Communal House, 38 Hang ao Street.  VNS
Babeth Ngoc Han Lefur

After 30 years of the oi moi (renewal) reform, Viet Nam has recorded significant achievements in socio-economic development, lifting nearly 30 million people out of poverty. However, increasing incomes and wealth inequality are threatening the progress. Oxfam in Viet Nams Briefing Paper, Even it Up, How to tackle Inequality in Viet Nam, calls for urgent action  through the implementation of progressive policies on governance, taxation, public spending, public services, labour rights and civic engagement  to address inequality in the country. The paper, which will be launched to coincide with next months gathering of many of the super-rich at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, asserts that unless inequality is addressed, Viet Nam may not achieve Socio Economic Development Plan 2016-2020, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and may become stuck as a middle income country.

The problem of inequality in Viet Nam is taking place in the context of an unprecedented inequality crisis across the globe. In 2015, just 62 people had as much wealth as the poorest half of humanity, and the richest one per cent owned more wealth than the rest of the world combined. The same is true in Asia, where the income of the poorest 70 per cent has decreased, while the richest 10 per cent has seen significant gains. Asian Development Bank research estimated that 240 million more people in the region could have been lifted out of extreme poverty in the past 20 years, had inequality not increased.

Inequality in Viet Nam is on the rise. Although the countrys net household incomes have increased in the last few years, the rate of increase has been faster and greater among the wealthy. The number of extremely wealthy has skyrocketed. In 2014, while 12.3 million people were living in poverty, there were 210 super-rich individuals (those with more than US$30 million) in Viet Nam, and their combined wealth was around $20 billion; equivalent to 12 per cent of the countrys GDP. These 210 super-rich earn enough in one year to lift 3.2 million people out of poverty and end extreme poverty in Viet Nam. Knight Frank estimates there will be a considerable increase in the number of these super-rich individuals in Viet Nam; rising to 403 by 2025.

Oxfam research in Lao Cai, Nghe An and ak Nong- three provinces with populous ethnic minorities- shows that income disparity between 20 per cent of the richest households and 20 per cent of the poorest households is 21 times. Nationwide, ethnic minorities comprise only 15 per cent of the Vietnamese population, but account for 70 per cent of its poorest.

Experts tout Viet Nam as a success story in alleviating poverty and have urged the country not to rest on its laurels. In 2013, the country experienced its lowest rate of GDP growth in 13 years (5.03 per cent), as a result of macro-economic instability and external shocks. As this happens, the challenges generated by the income gap are likely to worsen.

Income inequality is only one side of the coin. Inequality in voice and opportunities is another serious challenge in Viet Nam. Research from the World Bank and Oxfam shows that inequality of opportunity is the most worrisome form of inequality in Viet Nam, particularly among rural and poor people. Among 15 million migrants, many are excluded from accessing basic services (education, health), employment and social protection. Girls, ethnic minorities and the poorest are disproportionately excluded and under-served. Women are disadvantaged in their ability to access education and to advance their capacity. Despite their huge numbers, female workers are mostly unskilled and untrained, working in labour-intensive sectors such as footwear and textiles (78.5 per cent), food manufacturing and processing (66.8 per cent), porcelain and glass (59.2 per cent).

Children from the poorest households have seen little to no improvement in educational outcomes in the last 20 years. The following story shows how poor people struggle with difficulties in education:

Uyen is a 16-year-old Muong girl who stopped her studies after finishing eighth grade. Her mother had thought hard about which child to keep in school, and had pulled Uyens older sister out of school at ninth grade to save money for Uyen to continue her studies. However, Uyens sister proved to be a strong role model for Uyen, who later decided that she would also stay home to help her mother.

Uyens story is a reflection of public services weakness. While the national budget for education is high, fees continue to act as a barrier to the poor accessing quality education. A 2013 survey identified 15 major groups of fees, and estimated that 30 per cent of education spending is paid for by families through out-of-pocket payments. In health care, while health insurance coverage has increased, a large proportion of total health spending  nearly 50 per cent  is still paid out of pocket, pushing millions of people back into poverty (above 400,000 households in 2012).

Rising inequality is bad for everyone. It may hinder the ability of lower-income children to reach their potential. This means not only a lower level of social mobility, but also a slower rate of future growth for the economy. Inequality is a barrier to poverty reduction but it can also lead to social unrest. In China the crime rate is found to be positively correlated with intra-provincial regional inequality; and an increase in income inequality has a robust effect of increasing crime rates. Viet Nam may not be immune from such a trend. Crime rates have shown no sign of abating, and crime is increasing among young people. This highlights the growing unwillingness of people to accept the disproportionate benefits of national economic growth.

Rising inequality goes together with rising corruption which tends to make the poor poorer and the rich richer. The benefits from corruption are likely to accrue more to the better-connected individuals in society, who belong mostly to the high income groups. It is the poor in society that are often hardest hit by the effects of corruption. In 2014, Viet Nam ranked 119th globally in Transparency Internationals annual survey of perceived corruption.

Inequality concerns all people including leaders worldwide. In a speech in 2013, US President Obama described rising income inequality as the "defining challenge of our time." Chinese leader Xi Jinping has stated multiple times that closing the inequality gap must sit alongside the goal to raise GDP. In the wrap-up speech at a regular meeting of the Viet Nam Party Central Committee, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stated that the wealth gap is only widening and poses the most worrying threat to the survival of the political regime, and he added "The rich-poor divide" [only] shows signs of getting worse.

In September 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda with 17 SDGs. Reducing inequality, for the first time, is among the global goals. Vietnamese then-President Truong Tan Sang attended the conference and confirmed that the Vietnamese State is committed to mobilising all resources, all ministries, localities, institutions, communities and people to successfully implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

To ensure that the next 30 years sees continued improvement in the lives of the poorest people, the government must take all forms of inequality into account  income, opportunity and voice inequality. The government should also analyse its policies to understand their impact on inequality and commit to a new programme of action, and progressive policies. This means improved governance and accountability, as well as ambitious commitments to fairer taxation, public spending, public services, and improved labour policies. This will not be possible without improving the voice of disadvantaged groups through participatory structures and improved forms of accountability. The right combination can fight poverty and inequality for the next generation.

*Babeth Ngoc Han Lefur is the Country Director of Oxfam in Viet Nam.
President Tran ai Quang (R) yesterday receives the ambassadors of New Zealand Wendy Irene Matthews.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang yesterday received the ambassadors of New Zealand, Timor Leste, Cote dIvoire, Rwanda and Slovenia.

At a reception for New Zealand Ambassador Wendy Irene Matthews, President Quang expressed his delight at growing Viet Nam-New Zealand ties since the two countries set up their comprehensive partnership in 2009 and issued a joint statement on their comprehensive partnership towards a strategic partnership in 2015.

He proposed the two should define a roadmap for their strategic partnership, while co-ordinating in the building of the Viet Nam-New Zealand action programme and organise the sixth session of the Joint Committee for Economic and Trade soon.

He said he hopes the ambassador will strengthen co-operation between ministries, sectors, localities and businesses of both sides to raise two-way trade to US$1.7 billion in 2020.

Viet Nam, as the chair of APEC Year 2017, hoped for continued co-operation from New Zealand for the event, he said. The President took the occasion to invite New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English to visit Viet Nam and attend the APEC Summit Week 2017.

Ambassador Matthews highlighted the potential for Viet Nam and New Zealand to lift their ties to a strategic partnership as they have a firm foundation for co-operation in politics, economics and defence.

Welcoming Timor Lestes Pascoela Barreto dos Santos, President Quang stated that Viet Nam attaches much importance to the partnership with Timor Leste and wishes to further ties bilaterally and multilaterally.

The State leader said he hoped Timor Leste would continue facilitating Viettel Groups operation, affirming that Viet Nam welcomes Timor Leste businesses.

Timor Leste encouraged Vietnamese firms, especially those in telecommunications, to invest in the country, the Timor Leste diplomat said.

At a meeting with Ambassador of Cote dIvoire Dosso Adama, Quang lauded the African countrys co-operation with Viet Nam at international forums, expressing his hope that Cote dIvoire will support Vietnamese Ambassador and Presidents Special Envoy Pham Sanh Chau to run for the post of UNESCO Director General for 2017-2021 as well as Viet Nams candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

Ambassador Dosso Adama asserted that there is room for both sides to boost their co-operation, vowing to work hard to make ties more fruitful. He added that his country is interested in importing more goods from Viet Nam.

Congratulating Rwanda Ambassador Charles Kayonga on his new position, Quang affirmed that Viet Nam values traditional friendship with African friends, including Rwanda, especially in health care, education and agriculture.

Ambassador Kayonga said he hopes Viet Nam will share with Rwanda its development experience, adding that his country welcomes Vietnamese businesses to the country.

At a reception for Slovenian Ambassador Janez Premoze, the State leader underlined the significance of partnership with Slovenia, expressing pleasure at bilateral trade.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is forming a Viet Nam Subcommittee under the Viet Nam-Slovenia Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic Cooperation, he revealed, asking the two sides hold the first session of the committee in the first half of 2017 to bolster trade and investment affiliation.

President Quang also proposed the two countries step up negotiations for a double taxation avoidance agreement and an agreement on recognizing the qualifications and certificates of each other, while asking for Slovenias contributions to the signing of the Viet Nam-EU free trade agreement and the EUs recognition of Viet Nams market economy. -VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reiterated that Viet Nam wants to strengthen the strategic co-operative partnership with the Republic of Korea (RoK) during a phone call with acting RoK President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reiterated that Viet Nam wants to strengthen the strategic co-operative partnership with the Republic of Korea (RoK) during a phone call with acting RoK President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn yesterday.

He expressed his wish that both sides would work together to hold activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of bilateral ties, effectively implement the bilateral free trade agreement, and expand ties across culture, education, tourism, labour and people-to-people exchange.

The Vietnamese PM asked for increased collaboration at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations, ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Phuc asked the RoK to facilitate the import of Vietnamese goods, promote investment in Viet Nam, assist in technology transfer and provide support for Vietnamese nationals in the RoK.

The Vietnamese government is determined to build a constructive cabinet, with a focus on improving administrative reform, business climate and competitiveness, he said, affirming that Viet Nam stands ready to support foreign investors to do business in the country.

Acting President and PM Hwang Kyo-ahn affirmed that the RoK government would encourage businesses to invest more in Viet Nam and continue to assist Vietnamese nationals in the country and co-ordinate with Viet Nam at international forums.

He hoped that the Vietnamese government would continue facilitating Korean businesses and people in Viet Nam.  VNS
BEIJING  General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nams Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and a high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam arrived in Beijing on Thursday afternoon (local time), beginning their official visit to China at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping.

The Vietnamese Party leader and his entourage were welcomed at the Beijing International Airport by Song Tao, head of the International Liaison Department under the Chinese Party Central Committee, Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Hong Xiaoyong, Vietnamese Ambassador to China ang Minh Khoi, the Vietnamese Embassys staff and Vietnamese people living in China.

Taking place at a time when the two countries are preparing to celebrate the 67th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and welcome their traditional Lunar New Year, the visit is of great importance as it aims to set out healthy and long-term development orientations for bilateral ties.  VNS
BEIJING  The ongoing visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong is of great importance, contributing to the sustainable and profound development of the comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership between the two countries, a Chinese researcher has said.

In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Beijing, Ling Dequan, a researcher at the Xinhua News Agencys Centre for World Affairs Studies, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is the most high-ranking foreign leader that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese State has welcomed in 2017.

China is also the first country that the CPV leader has visited this year, Ling said, adding that this shows that leaders of the two Parties and States have attached importance to strengthening and enhancing the Viet Nam-China neighbourliness and friendship.

The visit is taking place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 67th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the Vietnamese and Chinese people are preparing for the Lunar New Year  their biggest holiday in the year, he noted.

Ling, who is member of the China-Vietnam Friendship Association and former head of the Xinhua News Agency Bureau in Viet Nam, described the Vietnamese Party leaders visit, which is made at the invitation of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, as a Spring-welcoming trip in which the word Spring also symbolises better prospects for the Viet Nam-China relationship.

He stressed that, thanks to the efforts of both sides, Viet Nam-China relations have developed well in the recent past, while their traditional friendship has been reinforced and their co-operative ties have reaped positive results in many fields.

In 2016, Viet Nam and China continued maintaining the exchange of regular visits by high-level Party and State leaders and increasing mutual political trust. The co-operation and exchanges at all levels and in various spheres such as politics, economy and culture, were promoted, bringing practical benefits to the two nations people, he said.

While evaluating the potential and prospects for Viet Nam-China relations, Ling said the two Parties and States are facing new issues and challenges due to complicated developments in the region and the world.

In that context, the two countries need to co-ordinate together, maintain high-level visits, promote strategic connectivity, foster mutually beneficial co-operation and increase cultural exchanges, with a view to elevating the comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership to a new height, he suggested.

As the two economies are closely connected, the researcher said China wants to enhance co-operation with Viet Nam in infrastructure development, investment and trade within the strategic framework of One Belt, One Road and Two Corridors and One Economic Belt, he said.

According to the researcher, the APEC Year 2017 is an important diplomatic event, offering a good opportunity for the host country of Viet Nam to review its accomplishments after 30 years of oi Moi (renewal), as well as its influence and position in the global arena.

As an important member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Forum and a friendly neighbour of Viet Nam, China will support and co-ordinate with Viet Nam to successfully organise the event.  VNS
AK LAK  Two people died and another went missing after their boat flipped over in Krong Ana River in the Central Highlands province of ak Lak on Wednesday.

The unidentified deceased victims are two women, residents of the provinces Lak District.

Their bodies were found at around 7.30pm the same day.

The authorities are in search of boat driver Tran Van Hoc, resident of Krong Bong District, who is missing since the incident.

The boat, with 18 passengers on board, capsized when it was about to reach the riverside in Ea Trul Commune in Krong Bong District.

The other 15 passengers are safe.

The boat was leased to Tran Van Hoc by the authorities in 2014 to transport locals and goods across the river.

The two deceased women travelled by the boat every day for farming work in Ea Trul Commune.  VNS
A NANG  Four workers were seriously wounded when scaffolding collapsed at the construction site of a 32-storey building in Son Tra District on Wednesday night.

No deaths were reported.

The construction site manager, Phan Anh Son said the workers were casting concrete on the roof of the building when the scaffolding collapsed around 9pm.

Rescue forces were called to help the victims of the accident, taking the workers to hospital at around 11pm.

Two workers suffered broken arms, while two others were treated for cuts and bruises.

The police are investigating the case.

Its the second labour accident to occur in a Nang so far this year.

Last week, two workers were killed and two others wounded when a wall collapsed during the demolition of an old building on Tran Phu Street.  VNS
BAC NINH  The national fund of employment assistance from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has helped youths from northern Bac Ninh Province launch businesses. However, a lot of local youngsters still find it difficult to access the fund.

The total amount of funds mobilised for the province is relatively high compared with other neighbouring localities. The funds value has reached some VN3.8 billion (US$168,900), focusing on 25 economic projects initiated by local youths. It has also resulted in jobs being offered to 121 young employees.

But many youngsters barely meet borrowing conditions and face difficult procedures, the online Vietnamplus reported.

The national fund of employment assistance allows each youth to borrow at the most VN30 million ($1,300). This supply is only enough for building breeding facilities and buying stocks. To borrow more than VN50 million ($2,200), the borrowers have to prove the efficiency of their business model, own a business licence, farming certificate and have assets to mortgage. Limited capital prevents young business freshmen from mortgaging.

To expand a New Zealand rabbit farm from 100 pairs of rabbits to 700 pairs, Nguyen Ngoc Canh, from Phu Hoa Commune in Luong Tai District needs capital amounting to VN300 million ($13,000).

He tried to apply for assistance from the fund but failed to borrow money because he lacked the required documents.

It is very difficult for youth in the rural areas to present plans, schedules and prove efficiency of economic development projects. Even when we can do it, it takes several months for the project to be approved. By then the business opportunity has passed. The loan rate is only dozens of millions of ong, too little compared with our real demand, he said.

Prolonged document assessment and low value of mortgage also prevents Nguyen at Phuong in An Thinh Commune, Luong Tai District, from borrowing money. The young man who planned to expand his goat farm is no longer interested in the loan.

To receive a loan, it takes me more than one month to complete procedures. I have to mortgage the land use right certificate of my family.

If I meet all the requirements, I can borrow some VN100 million ($4,300). Meanwhile, with similar mortgages, I can borrow larger loans from banks with simpler and quicker procedures, he said.

According to Pham Minh Khoi, deputy secretary of Luong Tai Districts Youth Union, until July last year, nearly VN800 million ($34,400) was lent to the districts youngsters.

This number remains humble compared with the economic development campaign across the district, Khoi said.

In a family, if parents borrow loans from associations, such as farmers association and womens association, their offspring are not allowed to borrow. The only solution is to separate family members into different households. Thats the reason why many youngsters in Luong Tai District who have feasible business ideas are unable to borrow loans from the youth assistance fund.

Nguyen uc Sam, deputy secretary of Bac Ninh Provinces Youth Union, said the youths business models in the province have improved recently, with outstanding models in agriculture, industry and services. However, majority of the projects are small scale.

Besides difficult requirements to access the loan, subjective reasons in selecting business fields are to blame, he said.

The turbulent market may affect business development and effectiveness of the fund. Many potential projects end up losing money because they fail to apply advanced science and technology, he said.

He said the provincial youth union has acted as a link between enterprises, banks, provincial associations and youths who want to borrow loans, learn techniques and gain experience.

The union also holds training sessions and exchange programmes to expand the network and consult youths on a new style co-operative model. He said the provincial youth union would propose the establishment a startup fund to support new business and production initiatives.

In addition to capital assistance, the fund will help local youths become more confident in coming up with new ideas and implementing them. The capital source will be returned and rotated to support other youths with new initiatives.  VNS
PARIS  Seven candidates chasing the presidential nomination of Frances Socialists face off on Thursday in a debate to try to rally the left, which faces the threat of annihilation in this years polls.

Former prime minister Manuel Valls went into the race as the favourite to represent his party after President Francois Hollande said he would step aside after a single, singularly unpopular term.

But in recent days the pro-business Valls has seen his poll lead shrink, with his leftist rival and ex-ministerial colleague Arnaud Montebourg beating him in some scenarios.

Two rounds of voting for the Socialist nominee will be held on January 22 and 29.

Irrespective of who wins the nomination, the Socialists are seen as having little chance of holding onto the presidency, with voters hungry for change after years of economic stagnation.

Polls show the April first round of the election shaping up as a three-way contest between conservative ex-premier Francois Fillon, far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist ex-economy minister Emmanuel Macron.

A Fillon-Le Pen runoff in May is seen as the most likely scenario.

The polls show the Socialist candidate crashing out in the first round, as voters across Europe tilt to the right or to anti-establishment parties like Le Pens FN or Britains UKIP.

Luc Carvounas, a senator and Valls loyalist, said the challenge in the first debate would be to "create interest and make everyone want to take part in the primary".

But the vote risks paling in comparison to Novembers rightwing nominating contest.

Over four million people cast ballots in that primary, which Fillon won in dramatic style, trouncing ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy and Bordeaux mayor Alain Juppe.

In Macrons shadow

The Socialists say they are expecting only about half as many to pick their contender. The ballot is open to all voters who pay one euro (US$1.05) and profess to adhere to leftist values.

Valls, 54, needs to put in a strong performance in three debates over the coming week to see off strong challenges from Montebourg, a champion of state interventionism who is also 54, and another leftist ex-minister Benoit Hamon, 49.

Hamon is seen as the furthest to the left of the three. He has called for the introduction of a universal wage and pledged to make tackling rampant inequality in the French school system a priority.

The four other candidates are former education minister Vincent Peillon, ecologist Francois de Rugy, ex-MEP Jean-Luc Bennahmias and radical left candidate Sylvia Pinel.

Valls, who came to prominence as a tough-talking reformist, has struggled to unite his camp.

His rivals have accused him of betraying leftist ideals and pointed to his repeated use of decrees to ram unpopular reforms through parliament as proof of his authoritarian approach.

The Spanish-born ex-premier is now promising to phase out those executive powers.

"I havent changed my convictions but Ive grown wiser," he said last week.

Looming large over the contest are Hollandes star former economy minister Macron and Communist-backed firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, both of whom are running for president outside of the primary system.

Macron, a 39-year-old former Rothschild banker who positions himself as "neither of the right or the left", has drawn large crowds at his rallies.

"The spring will be ours!" he told around 2,000 supporters in the central city of Clermont-Ferrand at the weekend.  AFP
DECORAH  A battle involving a Tyrannosaurus rex sounds like it would make a great movie.

However, a conflict between Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. in Decorah and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago over a T-Rex would mostly interest law firms.

Legal rumblings began last year over the popular, trademarked Toppling Goliath beer called pseudo Sue. The Field Museum houses the most complete T rex skeleton ever found, which is on display at the museum.

Toppling Goliath owner Clark Lewey decided to contact the Field Museums marketing team directly to head off a legal battle. He traveled to Chicago with a sample and an idea.

We all sat in a room and realized we could create some great synergy, Lewey said.

On Jan. 25, the beer will join the fossil at the Field Museum.

Lewey will be a guest at a Hop to It event at the museum Jan. 25 alongside his brewers and the curator of the Ancient Egypt collection. Samples of pseudo Sue will be available at the event, and four-pack cans will be for sale at the museum gift shop. Net proceeds will go to the museum.

For Lewey, who will get a tour of facilities and artifacts not always on display for the public, the opportunity is a treat.

Im like a kid in a candy store when Im there, he said.

Its not unusual for a craft brewer to be on the receiving end of litigation. One persons play on a recognizable name or theme can be interpreted as trademark infringement, Lewey said. Toppling Goliath has received previous legal notices over beer names.

Lewey said he understands when other entities protect their brands. It is an important part of his job. However, its not his favorite part.

What I really love to do is travel and represent the company, he said.

Although label artwork is T-rex themed, Sue wasnt necessarily named after the famous fossil. The recipe was concocted by head brewer Mike Saboe as an offshoot of another Toppling Goliath beer, Tsunami.

The beer was magnificent, Lewey said.

After debuting as pseudo Tsu, the name was changed in honor of Leweys mother, Sue, and to reduce confusion. A graphic designer later suggested a dinosaur theme for the label.
5 cited for illegal tobacco sales

CEDAR FALLS  On Tuesday, Cedar Falls Police conducted tobacco checks of local businesses that sell tobacco products. Five employees of area establishments were cited for selling tobacco to a minor sent in by police.

They are:

Scott C. Gallagher, 62, of Cedar Falls, who works at 5 Corner Liquor and Wine, 809 E. 18th St.

Samantha Jorgensen, 22, of Vinton, who works at Hansens Dairy, 123 E. 18th St.

Amber E. Cook, 27, of Waterloo, who works at King Star, 2228 Lincoln St.

Keeley J. Pinsinneault, 19, of Cedar Falls, who works at Caseys, 2425 Center St.

Nathan M. Lentsch, 23, of Fort Dodge, who works at Thunder Ridge Am Pride, 2425 Whitetail Drive.

The scheduled fine for the citation of providing tobacco to a minor is $100, a criminal surcharge of $35 and court cost of $60, for a total fine/cost of $195.

Involuntary manslaughter

charge filed in crash

HAMPTON  A man was picked up in Georgia on Monday on a Franklin County warrant for a felony involuntary manslaughter charge filed after an accident that killed a Sheffield woman last year.

Antonio Marecheau of Newman, Ga., who was driving a semi, ran a stop sign and collided with a van driven by 37-year-old Penny Rust at the intersection of 190th Street and U.S. Highway 65 three miles north of Hampton on Feb. 16, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

Rust, a married mother of four, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Marecheau told authorities he was using a cell phone as a GPS device, according to the State Patrol. He allegedly said he received and answered a phone call at 6:30 p.m. Dispatch received the first 911 call regarding the collision at 6:31 p.m.

Using a hand-held cellular device while operating a commercial motor vehicle is a violation of both state and federal code, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

If convicted as charged, Marechau faces up to five years in prison.

Larry Twigg conviction

again upheld in court

WATERLOO  A chocolate syrup shower can be both weird and sexual, according to an Iowa Appeals Court ruling again upholding the conviction of a former Waterloo teacher convicted of lascivious conduct with a minor.

Larry D. Twigg, now 59, had been a West High computer instructor until he had a 17-year-old student play a strip video game exercise, wearing only a towel and had chocolate syrup and eggs poured on him in the bathtub at Twiggs home in 2010 to make up for missed assignments and earn cash for cell phone bills.

Twigg was convicted of five counts of lascivious conduct with a minor following two trials.

On appeal, Twigg argued his trial attorney hadnt properly developed his defense, which included calling a forensic psychiatrist who opined Twiggs behavior was weird but not sexual.

The Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the post-conviction relief dismissed earlier by a district court judge. The same court upheld his original conviction in 2014.

Even if the testimony from the expert had led the jury to conclude Twiggs behavior was weird, there is nothing to indicate they would not have also found his behavior to be sexual, said the 10-page opinion written by Judge Amanda Potterfield. The two notions are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

The court also turned down Twiggs argument his attorney was ineffective because he didnt pursue an alleged transcript of a meeting Twigg held with school officials after the encounter was discovered.

According to court records, school officials said they didnt record or transcribe the meeting, but Twigg said he had a written copy of the meeting he gave to his first attorney and never kept a copy for himself. Twigg was released from prison in February 2016, but remains on parole.
WATERLOO  Angie Widner has been named the new CEO of the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County, located in Waterloo.

Widner has past YMCA experience, including director of the Global Teens Program at the International YMCA in New York City and as the youth and family director for the South Valley Family YMCA in California.

For the past nine years, shes served as a faculty member at the University of Northern Iowa, where she also assisted in directing the UNI Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. She taught primarily in the areas of leisure, recreation and nonprofit management.

Widner is a graduate of Wartburg College. She has a masters in youth and human service administration from the University of Northern Iowa and is currently a doctoral candidate in education.

She and her husband, Eric, have five daughters, ranging in age from 22 months to 22 years.

Two meet-and-greet sessions will be held  11 a. m. to noon Jan. 23 and 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 24  at the Y, 669 S. Hackett Road. All members of the Y and the community are welcome to attend.
FREDERICKSBURG  New developments have emerged in the case of a double shooting at a rural Sumner home Jan. 6.

Bremer County Sheriff Dan Pickett on Thursday identified John Eimers, the homeowner at 1359 Whitetail Ave., Sumner, as the man who shot and killed an intruder late Jan. 6. Eimers also was shot by the intruder, identified as Steven Anthony, 46.

On Wednesday, deputies from two sheriffs offices were at the home of a Fredericksburg woman with ties to Eimers. The deputies were at an Oak Street house court records list as the address of Mindy Jo Riley. While authorities are not publicly linking that incident to the shooting, public records show Eimers and his wife, Megan, were victims in a fraud case in which Riley was convicted. The couple later sued and won a judgment against Riley.

Riley, 36, who faces another pending fraud case, was sentenced to serve up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of forgery for scamming John and Megan Eimers out of $134,000. At her sentencing it was revealed Riley was in the wedding of John and Megan Eimers and was a godparent to their children.

Since then, a judge has awarded John and Megan Eimers about $412,000 plus interest and costs after the couple sued Riley. They received an additional $50,000 judgment for punitive damages.

Riley has not served any of her sentence. She was taken into custody this week, but previously had remained free after filing an appeal and posted an appeal bond, according to court records.

That appeal was dismissed as frivolous by the Iowa Supreme Court on Dec. 12. A request for further review was denied Jan. 5. An order for Riley to begin serving her sentence was issued Tuesday after a directive was handed down from the Supreme Court.

Pickett declined to comment on the Oak Street activity, saying it was part of an ongoing investigation. He also declined to say if the Oak Street matter was connected to the fatal shooting on Whitetail.

Bremer County Attorney Kasey Wadding said Thursday Riley has been taken into custody in the forgery case.

Riley and another man, William Ondrashek, also are awaiting trial on felony fraud charges for allegedly collecting $1,700 from a Fredericksburg woman in May after allegedly telling her a minor grandson was in trouble and needed money to post bond. Court records said the grandson never needed to post bond.

Authorities were called to a house on Whitetail Avenue in Sumner on Jan. 6. The preliminary investigation indicates shortly after 10 p.m., Anthony arrived at the Whitetail Avenue home and asked to speak to John Eimers. Immediately following the discussion, Anthony attempted to kill Eimers by shooting him at close range with a handgun, Pickett said.

Eimers was able to return fire, ultimately killing Anthony. Eimers was shot multiple times during the encounter, Pickett said, and was transported to University Hospitals in Iowa City. He has since been released, the sheriff said.

Riley was accused of borrowing money from the couple after telling them she had a pending slip-and-fall settlement in the works. She also allegedly signing John Eimers name to checks, according to Courier archives.

According to his obituary, Anthony was a married father of three. He had been a truck driver pulling tankers for Bork Transport Co. of Summit, Ill. He also was a self-employed mechanic.

Bremer County officials are asking anyone with information about the Sumner shooting to call 352-5400, option 3.
WATERLOO  City zoning officials are supporting plans to repurpose two vacant buildings despite deep concerns from surrounding property owners.

Developer Chris Fischels has asked to conditionally zone the former Christ Lutheran Church and preschool at 234 S. Hackett Road so it can be used as professional offices or a day-care center.

Commercial landlord Chuck Heene is seeking to conditionally zone his vacant office building at 915-919 W. Fourth St. so a potential tenant, Tum Tum, can use the building as a neighborhood Asian grocery store.

While both requests drew vocal concerns from neighbors, the changes were unanimously endorsed by members of the citys Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission on Tuesday and will head to the City Council for a vote sometime within the next month.

Several neighboring property owners spoke against the plan to rezone the church property, which has been listed for sale for nearly a year.

Those residents said runoff from the church currently floods their neighborhood and voiced concerns about changes adding to the runoff and the prospect of more traffic. Several believed incorrectly the zoning change would allow apartments to be constructed.

I hear your concerns, I hear your frustration, said commission member Carole Gustafson. But even if nothing happens and this church continues to sit there, youre still going to have water runoff issues, youre still going to have parking along the street issues. Thats not going to change.

What were trying to do here is take a property that is sitting vacant, that isnt being used, and repurpose it so that it can be used in a meaningful way for the community, she said.

City Planner Aric Schroeder said the current zoning allows only one- and two-family homes or a church and preschool. The proposed change would add only professional offices and a daycare in the existing building as new legal uses.

Fischels, after hearing the opposition, offered to pull his request to rezone the building, noting his purchase offer was contingent on the zoning change.

Im not interested in upsetting any neighbors or going down the wrong path here, so if the neighbors are not supportive I dont want to pursue this project, he said. Id love to invest in it, but I want to respect the neighborhood.

As Fischels and the commission discussed withdrawing his request, those opposing the project spoke up and said they would support it if Fischels was only going to remodel the church for office use and not build anything else.

The unrelated request for the building at 915-919 W. Fourth St. would allow a neighborhood grocery in a building that once housed a dentistry clinic and social services agency.

While city planning staff and building owner Chuck Heene said the small neighborhood store would fit with the surrounding area  a mix of homes, apartments, offices and commercial uses, the president of the Church Row Neighborhood Association disagreed.

The building seems very unusual for that type of store, said Mary Potter. I really do not think this is a good fit for that building nor for the neighborhood.

Potter said there were other vacant buildings in the vicinity already zoned for a grocery, while the proposed building is more suited for professional offices.

Heene countered Tum Tum should be able to make the decision of where he thinks it would work best; I think he knows more about his sales and marketing.

While zoning commissioners supported the zoning change, commissioner Tavis Hall urged Heene, Tum Tum and Potter to meet before the measure goes to the City Council for another hearing.
Letters to the Editor





Apartment living

ERIK WALKER

CEDAR FALLS  I must hand it to Cedar Falls. I have lived in four states and countless apartment buildings, and Cedar Falls comes in dead last when it comes to quality, service and price for apartment living. Where I am currently living, I pay a relatively high amount for a place that still has pull strings for light switches, and on top of that it took them three months to remove the large amount of mold growing in my ceiling.

I have tried looking for other places to stay, some of them I cannot believe people are actually living there, and I am absolutely appalled the rental housing inspector lets it slide. These are peoples homes; mold, asbestos and glass fiber are hazardous materials that were commonly used when these buildings were built, yet they dont require landlords to update their property, bringing it up to current building and energy standards or even remove or test for these materials.

If the inspector doesnt want to start telling landlords to make corrections then maybe we should get an inspector in there that will.

Editors Note: Jeff Olson, director of Public Safety Services/chief of police in Cedar Falls, responds: The city inspects rental property on a regular basis. The city worked with College Square Apartments on Walkers behalf and the problem was mitigated. Code changes apply to new properties. Existing properties are not required to change to meet it, no matter what type of property: rental, owner-occupied, commercial or industrial. However, if they remodel or do other construction, the project must meet current code.

Voter IDs

HELEN DUNCAN

CEDAR FALLS  I am amazed to read Secretary of State Paul Pate and the Legislature are considering requiring IDs to vote. Pate already has affirmed the integrity of the Iowa election process. This appears to be a direct attempt to rob people, especially college students, of their right to vote.

Most students get their drivers licenses before they leave home. Student IDs will not be accepted. Will they be required to vote at the location on their licenses? They cant go back to their parents homes to vote midweek nor is the courthouse open weekends for them to cast their ballots early.

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age. This has been the law since July 1, 1971.

To add insult to injury, they will spend $1 million to implement this plan.

Bring it on

JOHN MULLEN LA PORTE CITY  Why is The Courier withholding news from its subscribers? There is never any meaningful news in the paper. And I know news is out there. Things are happening daily around us. It might be happening outside the Cedar Valley, but it is still worth printing. We can take it, bring it on.

Some of us subscribe to a paper to read news, not to look at houses for sale, cars for sale or pictures of dead people. So stop withholding the news, and bring it on. If you cant find enough news to fill a daily paper, have you given any thought of waiting to print a paper when you have enough news? Just an idea.
Q: How are the contestants on the Price is Right selected to be on the show?

A: First, you have to get tickets to a taping. On the day of the show, those with tickets are interviewed briefly by the production staff  theyre looking for interesting, enthusiastic people, according to show producers. Those chosen sit with the rest of the audience to wait for their names to be called. Evidently, only about six people out of the roughly 325 audience members will get a chance to play.

Q: Is it true NBC is going to cancel Days Of Our Lives and replace it with the Megyn Kelly talk show?

A: As of this writing, its not known. Thats the rumor on lots of media sites, but so far, NBC hasnt announced anything. Theres also speculation her show could take up one of the hours the Today show currently fills.

Q: When President Obama leaves office can he run for another political office, such as a senator?

A: He could  nothing legally bars him from doing it.

Q: Will the Kmart Pharmacy on University Avenue also close?

A: As it is part of Kmart, yes, it will close along with the store when the Kmart is closed. No firm date is set for the closure, but Sears said it will close by April.

Q: What does Waterloo do with the sewer and storm water tax assessments?

A: The city does not assess sewer and storm water costs to tax bills. We assume the caller is asking about sewer fees, based on water usage, which pay for the maintenance of sanitary sewer mains and treatment of waste water flushed down drains of homes and businesses. Waterloo also has a storm water fee, which provides revenue for the citys state storm water permit requirements. It covers cleaning of storm sewers, street sweeping, staff to monitor storm water sewers and runoff, mandatory public information campaigns to prevent contamination and erosion and more. A full accounting of those dollars is available through the citys finance office.

Q: What is the future of Ridgeway Place? Has anyone purchased it? Will it remain apartments?

A: Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa still owns the building which remains available for lease. Until there is a new tenant, this portion of the building at the Kimball Ridge Center will remain closed, Wheaton Iowa officials said. This will not affect any other operations within the Kimball Ridge Center or Medical Arts Building. Wheaton Iowa did not run Ridgeway Place; it was strictly the landlord for the building.

Q: What nationality is Peter Jok who plays for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and where is he from?

A: Jok was born in Sudan and came to Des Moines in 2003 with his family as refugees.

Q: Recently there was an article where Trump compared the F35 cost to what he could get the F18 Super Hornet for. Why didnt you catch that the F18 is not even in the same class as the F35? Its like comparing a bb gun to a handgun.

A: This is really a question for Donald Trump.
Christopher Forlee appointed CEO of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa

South Africas Minister of Energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson has appointed Christopher Forlee as CEO of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa)

According to the energy regulator, Forlee would also be a full-time regulator member. His post, effective from the beginning of this year, is valid for 5 years, it says.

Nersa chairman Jacob Modise congratulated Forlee on his appointment. He says Forlees immense experience in the energy industry will greatly contribute in ensuring that Nersa execute its mandate to ensure sustainable development of the electricity, piped-gas and petroleum industries to balance the economic interests of all stakeholders and ensure the sustainable socioeconomic development of South Africa.

Forlee is an electrical engineer and, over the past 26 years, has held various technical, managerial and executive positions spanning the state-owned, government and business spectrums.

Nersa notes its previous full-time regulator member, Thembani Bukula, left at the end of last year.

It says to ensure the efficient and smooth operation of Nersa, Joemat-Pettersson appointed Mbulelo Ncetezo (currently executive manager of electricity) to act as the full-time regulator member primarily responsible for electricity and Nomfundo Maseti to act as the full-time regulator member primarily responsible for petroleum pipelines regulation.

Ncetezo is a qualified electrical engineer with extensive knowledge and understanding of the electricity supply industry, it says, while Maseti is an economist and has held various positions at the Competition Commission.

www.nersa.org.za
Trade groups including the British Sandwich Association have set out plans for foodservice staffing in post-Brexit Britain.

The groups, which describe themselves as representing 2,000 food businesses in the UK that employ more than 300,000 people, have written an open letter to MPs.

It is signed by Jim Winship, director of The British Sandwich & Food-to-Go Association, and signed additionally on behalf of The Asian Catering Association, The Cafe Society, The National Catering Association and The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association.

In the letter, the groups said the foodservice sector was reliant on employees from outside the UK, particularly young people here to study or gain work experience.

From manufacturing to small corner sandwich shops, cafes and pizzerias, our industry is extremely dependent on manual labour, of which there are already shortages in some areas, the letter stated.

The trade groups said there was a need to recruit people with good service skills, adding they believed they had come up with an approach that could provide industries with the employees they rely on, while introducing controls on immigration in a structured way.

We fully understand the need to control immigration, it continued. We believe there is a real opportunity for the UK to support the growth in these industries and provide those working in them to gain skills that they can take back to their own countries, it said.

It added that a points system for immigration  as suggested by various parties  would penalise unskilled workers, which the foodservice industry needs.

Our alternative suggestion is that the UK creates a training programme, which would allow workers into the UK on a six- or 12-month visa provided they are receiving training. The visa might be specific to an employer, so that the individual is bound to that employer for the period.

But it added that a points system would be welcome in areas where there are specific skills shortages  such as experienced pizza chefs  provided it allowed for the shortages of such skills.

Our members would also undertake to advertise vacancies in the UK before seeking candidates from abroad, said the letter.
Why no Powerball winner? It's luck, and smaller sales
Advertisement

By The Associated Press

Jan. 11, 2017 | WASHINGTON, DC

By The Associated Press Jan. 11, 2017 | 12:52 PM | WASHINGTON, DC

Donald Trump is now acknowledging what he had dismissed for weeks -- that it was Russia that hacked Democratic Party computers, looking for damaging information about Hillary Clinton.



He told reporters Wednesday that Russia shouldn't have done it -- and that it will be less likely to do so once Trump is in office. He said his relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin is an improvement over the current one -- and that if Putin likes him, it's "an asset, not a liability."



The president-elect says he hopes to get along with Putin -- but that there's a "good chance" he won't.
past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (7) May 19 (9) May 18 (4) May 17 (6) May 16 (5) May 15 (7) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (9) May 10 (3) May 09 (7) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (5) May 05 (8) May 03 (9) May 02 (1) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (8) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (10) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (7) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (8) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (12) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (8) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (1) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (2) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (2) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (1) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (2) Jan 20 (2) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (2) Dec 17 (1) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (2) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (1) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (5) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (10) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (2) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (5) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (9) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (6) Oct 22 (4) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (1) Oct 06 (10) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (1) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (6) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (8) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (5) Aug 31 (8) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (8) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (8) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (8) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (10) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (1) Jul 16 (10) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (7) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (8) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (10) Jun 05 (14) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (6) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (2) May 29 (7) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (4) May 25 (5) May 24 (4) May 23 (5) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (3) May 19 (10) May 18 (6) May 17 (3) May 16 (6) May 15 (2) May 14 (3) May 13 (5) May 11 (1) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (2) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (5) May 03 (5) May 02 (1) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (8) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (14) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (1) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (1) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (1) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (9) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (9) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (13) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (6) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (9) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (9) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (2) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (5) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (12) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (7) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (1) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (10) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (12) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (6) Dec 08 (7) Dec 07 (12) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (13) Dec 04 (6) Dec 02 (8) Dec 01 (8) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (8) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (11) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (14) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (11) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (10) Nov 01 (8) Oct 31 (12) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (13) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (8) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (11) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (10) Oct 12 (11) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (10) Oct 09 (7) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (14) Oct 04 (9) Oct 03 (12) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (9) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (10) Sep 21 (12) Sep 20 (12) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (11) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (8) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (10) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (9) Sep 07 (8) Sep 06 (11) Sep 05 (2) Sep 04 (8) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (9) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (2) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (6) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (7) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (11) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (9) Jul 31 (11) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (11) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (7) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (5) Jul 06 (6) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (3) Jun 30 (8) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (7) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (7) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (9) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (8) May 30 (7) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (3) May 23 (5) May 22 (2) May 21 (3) May 20 (7) May 19 (11) May 18 (1) May 17 (7) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (4) May 11 (11) May 10 (2) May 09 (6) May 08 (6) May 07 (2) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (8) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (13) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (9) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (2) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (9) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (6) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (9) Feb 24 (11) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (6) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (2) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (10) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (2) Feb 05 (9) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (7) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (14) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (10) Jan 18 (11) Jan 17 (9) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (10) Jan 06 (8) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (5) Jan 01 (14) Dec 30 (13) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (5) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (7) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (9) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (17) Dec 09 (8) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (10) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (9) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (15) Nov 24 (7) Nov 23 (15) Nov 22 (9) Nov 21 (6) Nov 20 (11) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (13) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (7) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (13) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (8) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (8) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (15) Oct 26 (10) Oct 25 (10) Oct 24 (13) Oct 23 (9) Oct 21 (8) Oct 20 (13) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (8) Oct 16 (14) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (13) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (15) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (11) Oct 05 (18) Oct 04 (14) Oct 03 (1) Oct 02 (10) Sep 30 (11) Sep 29 (11) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (15) Sep 26 (7) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (17) Sep 20 (20) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (11) Sep 16 (10) Sep 15 (12) Sep 14 (9) Sep 13 (12) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (8) Sep 09 (9) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (13) Sep 06 (15) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (10) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (12) Aug 31 (14) Aug 30 (14) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (8) Aug 27 (9) Aug 26 (12) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (11) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (9) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (8) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (6) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (6) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (15) Jul 15 (14) Jul 14 (5) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (12) Jul 11 (8) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (10) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (10) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (7) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (11) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (14) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (8) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (11) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (16) Jun 03 (8) Jun 02 (12) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (7) May 30 (15) May 28 (7) May 27 (5) May 26 (21) May 25 (14) May 24 (10) May 23 (7) May 22 (8) May 21 (11) May 20 (5) May 19 (4) May 18 (10) May 17 (11) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (7) May 13 (12) May 12 (10) May 11 (7) May 10 (13) May 09 (4) May 08 (7) May 07 (3) May 06 (6) May 05 (9) May 04 (14) May 03 (7) May 02 (10) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (14) Apr 22 (16) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (16) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (8) Apr 10 (12) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (13) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (15) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (15) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (11) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (10) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (12) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (8) Mar 24 (7) Mar 23 (15) Mar 22 (17) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (8) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (19) Mar 15 (13) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (20) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (13) Mar 08 (13) Mar 07 (7) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (16) Mar 02 (16) Mar 01 (13) Feb 29 (8) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (16) Feb 26 (10) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (12) Feb 23 (14) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (12) Feb 18 (12) Feb 17 (11) Feb 16 (8) Feb 15 (9) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (10) Feb 12 (11) Feb 11 (13) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (13) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (19) Jan 31 (21) Jan 29 (11) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (13) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (2) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (13) Jan 21 (11) Jan 20 (9) Jan 19 (13) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (11) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (13) Jan 13 (9) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (5) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (1) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (13) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (11) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (9) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (10) Dec 08 (13) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (8) Dec 04 (11) Dec 03 (12) Dec 02 (16) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (11) Nov 28 (15) Nov 27 (16) Nov 26 (11) Nov 25 (9) Nov 24 (13) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (10) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (10) Nov 13 (14) Nov 12 (8) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (12) Nov 05 (17) Nov 04 (12) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (12) Oct 31 (11) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (10) Oct 28 (18) Oct 27 (16) Oct 26 (11) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (12) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (12) Oct 20 (17) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (15) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (10) Oct 14 (16) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (12) Oct 09 (21) Oct 08 (22) Oct 07 (19) Oct 06 (18) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (17) Oct 03 (13) Oct 02 (14) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (14) Sep 29 (15) Sep 28 (12) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (15) Sep 25 (13) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (10) Sep 22 (12) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (12) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (16) Sep 16 (21) Sep 15 (14) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (10) Sep 11 (16) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (8) Sep 08 (10) Sep 07 (7) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (9) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (10) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (14) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (13) Aug 20 (9) Aug 19 (13) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (12) Aug 11 (9) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (14) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (2) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (6) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (6) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (9) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (13) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (7) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (9) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (7) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (11) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (8) Jun 03 (9) Jun 02 (6) Jun 01 (4) May 30 (7) May 29 (9) May 28 (13) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (2) May 23 (8) May 22 (9) May 21 (7) May 20 (4) May 19 (6) May 18 (7) May 17 (8) May 15 (9) May 14 (5) May 13 (8) May 12 (6) May 11 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (6) May 07 (11) May 06 (7) May 05 (4) May 04 (11) May 03 (5) May 02 (4) May 01 (9) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (10) Apr 22 (8) Apr 21 (9) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (6) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (2) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (7) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (9) Mar 19 (9) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (9) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (11) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (12) Mar 11 (9) Mar 10 (12) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (11) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (8) Feb 27 (9) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (10) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (7) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (2) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (12) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (10) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (12) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (8) Jan 26 (13) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (12) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (10) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (11) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (8) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (9) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (10) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (10) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (9) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (10) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (1) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (9) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (12) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (6) Nov 18 (10) Nov 17 (12) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (12) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (7) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (9) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (14) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (9) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (8) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (11) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (7) Oct 15 (7) Oct 14 (8) Oct 13 (5) Oct 12 (8) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (11) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (8) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (10) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (7) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (8) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (11) Sep 24 (15) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (10) Sep 17 (10) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (7) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (9) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (12) Aug 19 (8) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (8) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (12) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (12) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (8) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (8) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (8) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (9) Jul 13 (10) Jul 11 (9) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (7) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (7) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (15) Jun 26 (10) Jun 25 (9) Jun 24 (16) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (12) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (13) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (14) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (16) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (18) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (8) May 31 (3) May 30 (6) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (8) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (2) May 18 (9) May 17 (1) May 16 (5) May 15 (5) May 14 (7) May 13 (7) May 12 (7) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (5) May 08 (10) May 07 (4) May 06 (13) May 05 (4) May 04 (10) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (9) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (9) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (7) Apr 14 (11) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (9) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (10) Apr 03 (9) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (8) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (7) Mar 21 (14) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (11) Mar 17 (12) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (8) Mar 14 (13) Mar 13 (8) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (8) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (15) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (12) Mar 02 (20) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (11) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (14) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (8) Feb 16 (11) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (2) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (2) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (7) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (1) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 27 (1) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (8) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (1) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (9) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (8) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (12) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (12) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (9) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (11) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (7) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (2) Oct 21 (7) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (7) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (20) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (21) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (34) Oct 04 (24) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (7) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (6) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (2) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (9) Sep 19 (11) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (6) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (11) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (10) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (8) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (7) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (7) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (10) Jul 22 (8) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (7) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (10) Jul 16 (11) Jul 15 (5) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (12) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (12) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (23) Jun 27 (18) Jun 26 (12) Jun 25 (14) Jun 24 (15) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (15) Jun 20 (9) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (11) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (6) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (9) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (8) May 24 (7) May 23 (6) May 22 (9) May 21 (6) May 20 (5) May 19 (6) May 18 (9) May 17 (10) May 16 (11) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (7) May 11 (7) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (11) May 05 (5) May 04 (9) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (8) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (10) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (8) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (11) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (9) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (10) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (2) Mar 10 (1) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (1) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (2) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (5) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (9) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (10) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (8) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (1) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (1) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (8) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (8) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (7) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (1) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (16) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (5) Nov 25 (2) Nov 24 (6) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (15) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (5) Nov 08 (8) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (9) Nov 05 (1) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (8) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (1) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (1) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (10) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (15) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (1) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (8) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (8) Sep 24 (8) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (9) Sep 20 (7) Sep 19 (8) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (7) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (9) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (10) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (15) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (7) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (11) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (15) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (7) Aug 19 (2) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (9) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (7) Aug 07 (9) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (11) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (6) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (8) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (14) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (8) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (14) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (12) Jun 15 (12) Jun 14 (10) Jun 13 (10) Jun 12 (9) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (12) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (12) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (3) May 25 (5) May 24 (9) May 23 (16) May 22 (12) May 21 (11) May 20 (7) May 19 (10) May 18 (8) May 17 (8) May 16 (10) May 15 (8) May 14 (5) May 13 (1) May 12 (6) May 11 (9) May 10 (9) May 09 (10) May 08 (9) May 07 (6) May 06 (5) May 05 (7) May 04 (10) May 03 (7) May 02 (9) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (12) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (9) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (10) Apr 14 (7) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (8) Apr 05 (8) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (11) Mar 30 (12) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (9) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (12) Mar 20 (14) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (12) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (8) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (13) Feb 25 (10) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (10) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (18) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (9) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (8) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (10) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (12) Jan 30 (7) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (7) Jan 27 (12) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (11) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (12) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (11) Jan 16 (9) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (9) Jan 10 (10) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (10) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (10) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (9) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (8) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (1) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (6) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (13) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (7) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (7) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (9) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (7) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (8) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (10) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (10) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (8) Nov 17 (9) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (12) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (8) Nov 06 (10) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (11) Nov 01 (10) Oct 31 (5) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (8) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (11) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (7) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (9) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (9) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (12) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (13) Oct 04 (11) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (14) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (12) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (10) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (8) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (7) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (14) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (11) Sep 14 (13) Sep 13 (11) Sep 12 (9) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (13) Sep 08 (11) Sep 07 (11) Sep 06 (16) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (8) Sep 01 (7) Aug 31 (1) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (12) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (13) Jul 28 (10) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (12) Jul 22 (14) Jul 21 (6) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (12) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (8) Jul 14 (15) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (6) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (9) Jul 06 (15) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (10) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (11) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (11) Jun 24 (9) Jun 23 (10) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (8) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (15) Jun 17 (8) Jun 16 (13) Jun 15 (15) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (6) Jun 12 (15) Jun 11 (7) Jun 10 (7) Jun 09 (18) Jun 08 (20) Jun 07 (17) Jun 06 (9) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (12) Jun 03 (13) Jun 02 (14) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (13) May 30 (8) May 29 (6) May 28 (8) May 27 (17) May 26 (8) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (9) May 22 (4) May 21 (4) May 20 (11) May 19 (14) May 18 (6) May 17 (10) May 16 (4) May 15 (5) May 14 (28) May 12 (9) May 11 (17) May 10 (15) May 09 (12) May 08 (5) May 07 (4) May 06 (10) May 05 (8) May 04 (10) May 03 (5) May 02 (6) May 01 (8) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (12) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (10) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (13) Apr 19 (11) Apr 18 (11) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (11) Apr 14 (17) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (16) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (18) Apr 08 (14) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (21) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (13) Apr 01 (8) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (11) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (12) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (8) Mar 20 (4) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (9) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (14) Mar 11 (13) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (17) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (13) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (14) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (18) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (2) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (13) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (13) Feb 22 (12) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (16) Feb 18 (17) Feb 17 (15) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (15) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (15) Feb 10 (11) Feb 09 (13) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (15) Feb 04 (15) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (14) Feb 01 (15) Jan 31 (11) Jan 30 (9) Jan 29 (19) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (9) Jan 26 (16) Jan 25 (19) Jan 24 (17) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (15) Jan 21 (9) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (12) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (14) Jan 12 (11) Jan 11 (13) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (20) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (14) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (14) Dec 30 (15) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (10) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (11) Dec 24 (9) Dec 23 (9) Dec 22 (15) Dec 21 (12) Dec 20 (11) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (12) Dec 15 (14) Dec 14 (11) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (17) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (12) Dec 07 (16) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (12) Dec 03 (15) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (12) Nov 30 (16) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (13) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (15) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (8) Nov 19 (9) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (9) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (10) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (14) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (13) Nov 01 (9) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (18) Oct 28 (13) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (12) Oct 25 (14) Oct 24 (20) Oct 22 (18) Oct 21 (18) Oct 20 (19) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (18) Oct 15 (8) Oct 14 (11) Oct 13 (9) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (27) Oct 08 (14) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (10) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (9) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (13) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (14) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (14) Sep 22 (20) Sep 21 (11) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (14) Sep 17 (8) Sep 16 (17) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (11) Sep 13 (9) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (14) Sep 09 (12) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (9) Sep 04 (20) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (16) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (13) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (11) Aug 25 (10) Aug 24 (14) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (13) Aug 21 (10) Aug 20 (13) Aug 19 (15) Aug 18 (8) Aug 17 (10) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (11) Aug 13 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (10) Aug 10 (17) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (13) Aug 07 (11) Aug 06 (13) Aug 05 (11) Aug 04 (11) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (10) Jul 30 (21) Jul 29 (14) Jul 28 (13) Jul 27 (16) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (15) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (15) Jul 21 (19) Jul 20 (17) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (26) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (20) Jul 14 (16) Jul 13 (19) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (13) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (16) Jul 05 (9) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (15) Jul 02 (11) Jul 01 (14) Jun 30 (13) Jun 29 (19) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (9) Jun 26 (16) Jun 25 (22) Jun 24 (17) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (15) Jun 21 (14) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (17) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (10) Jun 16 (17) Jun 15 (13) Jun 14 (14) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (13) Jun 11 (15) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (10) Jun 08 (23) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (20) Jun 05 (10) Jun 04 (11) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (21) Jun 01 (14) May 31 (10) May 30 (14) May 29 (8) May 28 (23) May 27 (20) May 26 (16) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (10) May 22 (18) May 21 (14) May 20 (12) May 19 (18) May 18 (14) May 17 (13) May 16 (4) May 15 (7) May 14 (16) May 13 (13) May 12 (8) May 11 (18) May 10 (8) May 09 (7) May 08 (13) May 07 (11) May 06 (15) May 05 (18) May 04 (17) May 03 (7) May 02 (5) May 01 (11) Apr 30 (19) Apr 29 (21) Apr 28 (18) Apr 27 (16) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (20) Apr 22 (23) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (16) Apr 19 (13) Apr 18 (6) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (16) Apr 15 (18) Apr 14 (13) Apr 13 (14) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (14) Apr 08 (12) Apr 07 (18) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (11) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (16) Mar 31 (16) Mar 30 (22) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (19) Mar 26 (31) Mar 25 (25) Mar 24 (26) Mar 23 (27) Mar 22 (22) Mar 21 (22) Mar 20 (13) Mar 19 (21) Mar 18 (20) Mar 17 (24) Mar 16 (18) Mar 15 (9) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (29) Mar 12 (15) Mar 11 (11) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (20) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (21) Mar 05 (22) Mar 04 (19) Mar 03 (9) Mar 02 (20) Mar 01 (11) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (27) Feb 26 (15) Feb 25 (18) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (19) Feb 22 (24) Feb 21 (10) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (25) Feb 18 (16) Feb 17 (19) Feb 16 (23) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (16) Feb 11 (12) Feb 10 (18) Feb 09 (12) Feb 08 (14) Feb 07 (8) Feb 06 (27) Feb 05 (28) Feb 04 (24) Feb 03 (17) Feb 02 (20) Feb 01 (23) Jan 31 (16) Jan 30 (20) Jan 29 (26) Jan 28 (17) Jan 27 (21) Jan 26 (24) Jan 25 (16) Jan 24 (14) Jan 23 (16) Jan 22 (17) Jan 21 (19) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (17) Jan 18 (13) Jan 17 (14) Jan 16 (10) Jan 15 (21) Jan 14 (16) Jan 13 (19) Jan 12 (30) Jan 11 (14) Jan 10 (11) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (23) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (21) Jan 05 (15) Jan 04 (18) Jan 03 (9) Jan 02 (12) Jan 01 (15) Dec 31 (18) Dec 30 (7) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (6) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (28) Dec 23 (12) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (17) Dec 20 (19) Dec 19 (19) Dec 18 (22) Dec 17 (24) Dec 16 (17) Dec 15 (29) Dec 14 (22) Dec 13 (12) Dec 12 (22) Dec 11 (24) Dec 10 (25) Dec 09 (18) Dec 08 (15) Dec 07 (21) Dec 06 (24) Dec 05 (30) Dec 04 (28) Dec 03 (26) Dec 02 (22) Dec 01 (33) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (18) Nov 27 (25) Nov 26 (17) Nov 25 (23) Nov 24 (27) Nov 23 (12) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (15) Nov 20 (23) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (24) Nov 17 (21) Nov 16 (20) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (15) Nov 13 (27) Nov 12 (23) Nov 11 (19) Nov 10 (21) Nov 09 (13) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (16) Nov 06 (32) Nov 05 (24) Nov 04 (20) Nov 03 (29) Nov 02 (12) Nov 01 (15) Oct 31 (20) Oct 30 (22) Oct 29 (27) Oct 28 (20) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (21) Oct 25 (15) Oct 24 (23) Oct 23 (26) Oct 22 (27) Oct 21 (28) Oct 20 (24) Oct 19 (13) Oct 18 (9) Oct 17 (30) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (20) Oct 14 (14) Oct 13 (17) Oct 12 (16) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (19) Oct 09 (22) Oct 08 (16) Oct 07 (18) Oct 06 (23) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (15) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (22) Sep 30 (25) Sep 29 (20) Sep 28 (17) Sep 27 (13) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (15) Sep 24 (24) Sep 23 (23) Sep 22 (18) Sep 21 (20) Sep 20 (11) Sep 19 (24) Sep 18 (25) Sep 17 (25) Sep 16 (19) Sep 15 (21) Sep 14 (15) Sep 13 (10) Sep 12 (23) Sep 11 (23) Sep 10 (25) Sep 09 (25) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (17) Sep 05 (14) Sep 04 (24) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (19) Aug 31 (20) Aug 30 (11) Aug 29 (24) Aug 28 (24) Aug 27 (16) Aug 26 (26) Aug 25 (21) Aug 24 (15) Aug 23 (19) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (25) Aug 20 (27) Aug 19 (19) Aug 18 (24) Aug 17 (14) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (15) Aug 14 (16) Aug 13 (21) Aug 12 (30) Aug 11 (19) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (12) Aug 08 (17) Aug 07 (21) Aug 06 (26) Aug 05 (23) Aug 04 (21) Aug 03 (12) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (19) Jul 31 (21) Jul 30 (25) Jul 29 (29) Jul 28 (23) Jul 27 (17) Jul 26 (11) Jul 25 (21) Jul 24 (14) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (19) Jul 21 (15) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (10) Jul 18 (15) Jul 17 (22) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (21) Jul 14 (20) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (29) Jul 10 (19) Jul 09 (17) Jul 08 (26) Jul 07 (21) Jul 06 (18) Jul 05 (14) Jul 04 (20) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (24) Jul 01 (23) Jun 30 (23) Jun 29 (18) Jun 28 (16) Jun 27 (16) Jun 26 (17) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (32) Jun 23 (29) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (17) Jun 20 (25) Jun 19 (28) Jun 18 (19) Jun 17 (25) Jun 16 (23) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (14) Jun 12 (22) Jun 11 (19) Jun 10 (17) Jun 09 (15) Jun 08 (16) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (29) Jun 05 (27) Jun 04 (24) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (22) Jun 01 (13) May 31 (9) May 30 (26) May 29 (19) May 28 (15) May 27 (15) May 26 (23) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (24) May 22 (13) May 21 (21) May 20 (18) May 19 (16) May 18 (7) May 17 (12) May 16 (25) May 15 (24) May 14 (23) May 13 (19) May 12 (17) May 11 (8) May 10 (6) May 09 (14) May 08 (21) May 07 (26) May 06 (14) May 05 (14) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (24) May 01 (13) Apr 30 (15) Apr 29 (24) Apr 28 (24) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (13) Apr 24 (27) Apr 23 (15) Apr 22 (21) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (17) Apr 19 (8) Apr 18 (20) Apr 17 (27) Apr 16 (27) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (8) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (22) Apr 09 (15) Apr 08 (15) Apr 07 (17) Apr 06 (14) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (19) Mar 31 (25) Mar 30 (13) Mar 29 (9) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (23) Mar 26 (22) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (25) Mar 23 (16) Mar 22 (13) Mar 21 (24) Mar 20 (27) Mar 19 (20) Mar 18 (24) Mar 17 (17) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (20) Mar 13 (28) Mar 12 (30) Mar 11 (20) Mar 10 (21) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (8) Mar 07 (17) Mar 06 (20) Mar 05 (19) Mar 04 (15) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (12) Feb 28 (16) Feb 27 (17) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (23) Feb 24 (15) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (24) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (24) Feb 18 (19) Feb 17 (27) Feb 16 (13) Feb 15 (11) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (13) Feb 12 (13) Feb 11 (21) Feb 10 (16) Feb 09 (15) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (17) Feb 06 (21) Feb 05 (17) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (23) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (8) Jan 31 (17) Jan 30 (22) Jan 29 (23) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (24) Jan 26 (12) Jan 25 (9) Jan 24 (12) Jan 23 (19) Jan 22 (19) Jan 21 (14) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (12) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (20) Jan 16 (14) Jan 15 (23) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (20) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (18) Jan 09 (11) Jan 08 (18) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (12) Jan 05 (12) Jan 04 (11) Jan 03 (10) Jan 02 (9) Jan 01 (9) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (13) Dec 26 (15) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (8) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (14) Dec 19 (17) Dec 18 (14) Dec 17 (14) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (9) Dec 13 (11) Dec 12 (16) Dec 11 (18) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (24) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (19) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (26) Dec 04 (15) Dec 03 (20) Dec 02 (17) Dec 01 (11) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (18) Nov 28 (21) Nov 27 (10) Nov 26 (22) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (18) Nov 21 (9) Nov 20 (17) Nov 19 (16) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (21) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (20) Nov 12 (16) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (15) Nov 06 (18) Nov 05 (19) Nov 04 (16) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (17) Oct 31 (17) Oct 30 (21) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (16) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (16) Oct 24 (18) Oct 23 (14) Oct 22 (17) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (8) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (12) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (19) Oct 14 (15) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (10) Oct 10 (23) Oct 09 (13) Oct 08 (15) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (13) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (16) Oct 03 (17) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (20) Sep 30 (17) Sep 29 (9) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (14) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (19) Sep 24 (13) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (21) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (20) Sep 16 (16) Sep 15 (10) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (18) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (24) Sep 10 (17) Sep 09 (16) Sep 08 (16) Sep 07 (10) Sep 06 (20) Sep 05 (13) Sep 04 (23) Sep 03 (14) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (11) Aug 31 (11) Aug 30 (13) Aug 29 (18) Aug 28 (14) Aug 27 (21) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (10) Aug 23 (17) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (14) Aug 20 (20) Aug 19 (20) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (9) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (12) Aug 14 (14) Aug 13 (19) Aug 12 (14) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (12) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (18) Aug 07 (16) Aug 06 (16) Aug 05 (20) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (12) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (16) Jul 30 (16) Jul 29 (11) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (9) Jul 26 (17) Jul 25 (20) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (11) Jul 22 (18) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (14) Jul 18 (11) Jul 17 (15) Jul 16 (12) Jul 15 (10) Jul 14 (8) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (17) Jul 11 (18) Jul 10 (16) Jul 09 (13) Jul 08 (10) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (8) Jul 05 (16) Jul 04 (14) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (13) Jul 01 (16) Jun 30 (19) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (19) Jun 27 (21) Jun 26 (27) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (23) Jun 23 (12) Jun 22 (9) Jun 21 (18) Jun 20 (15) Jun 19 (24) Jun 18 (21) Jun 17 (13) Jun 16 (9) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (18) Jun 13 (24) Jun 12 (18) Jun 11 (23) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (24) Jun 08 (27) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (25) Jun 05 (30) Jun 04 (23) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (16) Jun 01 (17) May 31 (18) May 30 (19) May 29 (17) May 28 (23) May 27 (15) May 26 (10) May 25 (19) May 24 (16) May 23 (16) May 22 (27) May 21 (20) May 20 (26) May 19 (6) May 18 (8) May 17 (20) May 16 (8) May 15 (18) May 14 (5) May 13 (21) May 12 (9) May 11 (8) May 10 (12) May 09 (18) May 08 (11) May 07 (27) May 06 (12) May 05 (16) May 04 (19) May 03 (14) May 02 (18) May 01 (18) Apr 30 (25) Apr 29 (27) Apr 28 (11) Apr 27 (10) Apr 26 (18) Apr 25 (10) Apr 24 (29) Apr 23 (29) Apr 22 (14) Apr 21 (15) Apr 20 (20) Apr 19 (22) Apr 18 (16) Apr 17 (32) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (21) Apr 13 (15) Apr 12 (13) Apr 11 (14) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (20) Apr 08 (36) Apr 07 (22) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (28) Apr 04 (20) Apr 03 (29) Apr 02 (32) Apr 01 (18) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (15) Mar 28 (22) Mar 27 (24) Mar 26 (17) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (13) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (15) Mar 20 (18) Mar 19 (19) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (10) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (18) Mar 14 (24) Mar 13 (18) Mar 12 (18) Mar 11 (17) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (18) Mar 07 (25) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (16) Mar 04 (22) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (23) Feb 29 (19) Feb 28 (25) Feb 27 (26) Feb 26 (23) Feb 25 (12) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (15) Feb 22 (26) Feb 21 (31) Feb 20 (12) Feb 19 (21) Feb 18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (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)
Staying out of debt is easier said than done, I know. However, its something you can do, and its something you should be practicing everyday. As Christians, we are in this world, but we are
Well, Im the type of guy who will never settle down

Where pretty girls are, well you know that Im around

Dion, The Wanderer

When it comes to being a Romeo on the run, few birds can match the Pectoral Sandpiper. (Like the ladies man above which Corey photographed a few years ago at Jamaica Bay in NYC.)

According to research newly published in Nature, when these shorebirds arrive at their Arctic mating grounds, they dont just shack up with the nearest honey, or waste time competing with the other dudes for the attentions of the loveliest potential mates.

Instead, they make a wide circuit of many different breeding sites, apparently geared more towards brief hookups with whichever females are in the area. And if there arent many opportunities to mate, theyll take to the skies and try their luck elsewhere. Some male Pectoral Sandpipers in the study logged upwards of 13,000 kilometers in a month, visiting up to 24 different breeding sites. (In some cases the males strayed from their Alaska home base for a bit of far-flung sex tourism in Canada and Russia.)

The scientists speculate that this combination of promiscuity and stamina may actually do the species good, spreading genetic diversity throughout the total population. But if you asked the birds, theyd probably just say they do it all for the nookie.
PAWTUCKET, RI, January 12, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Imperial Marketing Concepts argue that bad habits can be a real set-back and have revealed 5 toxic habits to drop in 2017 to boost productivity and get more done!



About Imperial Marketing Concepts: http://www.imperialri.com/



1/ Hitting the snooze button

The urge to hit the snooze button for a few more minutes of sleep can be hard to resist, however, doing so is extremely counter-productive.



Scientific evidence shows that when you wake up, your endocrine system begins to release alertness hormones to get you ready for the day, and therefore by going back to sleep, it slows down this process.



2/ Keeping your phone next to your bed

Technology has transformed people's lives. However, it can also prove to be extremely distracting. The key to a good nights sleep is eliminating outside influences that impair your sleep.



Studies have shown that the blue light given off by smartphones can damage vision and suppress production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep cycle.



3/ Skipping breakfast

There is a common belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Imperial Marketing Concepts concur. "Our minds and bodies need fuel to work to the best of their abilities; we can't expect to produce great things running on empty." Said a company spokesperson. The first meal of the day kick-starts your metabolism and replenishes blood-sugar levels allowing you to focus and be productive throughout the day.



4/ Failing to prioritize

American business magnate, investor and philanthropist, Warren Buffett is considered by some to be one of the most successful investors in the world. His approach to prioritizing can be summed up with this perfect anecdote.



Buffett noticed his personal pilot was not accomplishing his life goals, and so Buffett asked him to compile a bucket list of 25 things. Rather than advising him to take little steps toward completing every task, Buffett told the pilot to pick just five things he identified to be the most important and ignore the rest.



In a business sense, Imperial Marketing Concepts urge individuals to identify the tasks that contribute to the bigger picture and forget the rest.



5/ Multitasking

While many people believe that multi-tasking is a good skill to possess, scientific research has found that only 2% of the population have the capability to effectively multitask. For most people, multi-tasking leads to poorer quality results, and tasks taking longer to complete.



At Imperial Marketing Concepts they hold monthly performance reviews for their employees, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and identifying areas which can be improved upon. The firm is consistently looking for ways to achieve maximum productivity and during their reviews this month; they will be advising their employees to drop these 5 toxic habits.



Imperial Marketing Concepts is one of Rhode Island's premier marketing firms. They specialize in customer acquisition through face-to-face promotional marketing and sales campaigns. They strive to continuously deliver exemplary customer service and marketing tactics to their Fortune 500 clients. The firm understands that productivity and success are linked and that eliminating bad habits is vital for getting more done.



SOURCE: http://uk.businessinsider.com/bad-habits-that-killing-productivity-2016-12



For more information about Imperial Marketing Concepts, Follow us on Twitter @ImperialMktg_ and Like us on Facebook.



# # #
Jan 12, 2017 | By Benedict

The body of a woman found in Ohio whose face was reconstructed using 3D printing techniques has been identified. A DNA sample provided by the victims family proved the woman to be Tiffany Dawn Chambers of Florida. A suspect is being charged with her murder.

Tiffany Dawn Chambers (right) was identified after a forensic artist used 3D printing to reconstruct her face (left)

A few days before Christmas we covered a story about how the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was using 3D printing to help solve a case. The skeletal remains of a woman had been found in Ohios Greene County in early 2016, but the state of the body, coupled with a lack of leads and evidence, meant that the woman could not be identified. As a last resort, the bureau turned to a forensic artist who attempted to recreate the face of the woman using a 3D printed replica of her skull.

Six days ago, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer reported that the body has been identified as 33-year-old Tiffany Dawn Chambers, a missing Florida woman, after the victims family provided a DNA sample for confirmation. It is unclear whether the 3D printed facial reconstruction prompted the identification. Now we know the identity of this womanlaw enforcement can begin the task of finding out what happened to her, Attorney General DeWine said following the identification.

Almost immediately after the remains were identified as belonging to Chambers, police arrested a suspect in connection with the death. 34-year-old Hannah M. Whitman has been charged with one count of complicity to aggravated murder and one charge of tampering with evidence, and has been booked into the Clark County jail, according to a court document. The document states that Whitman did knowingly and willingly participate in the killing of the victim with prior calculation and design, and then assisted in disposing of the body.

Facial reconstruction is carried out on the 3D printed skull in 2016

The murder itself was allegedly carried out by Prentiss Hare, Whitmans boyfriend, who was convicted of an unrelated murder in December and who is currently awaiting trial for rape in the Clark County jail. He is being charged with one count of aggravated murder. The court document states that Hare and Whitman had planned to kill Chambers because she owed Hare money. After travelling to Springfield, Ohio from Jacksonville, Florida in July 2015, the pair killed Chambers behind a building in the 100 block of West Pleasant Street before moving the body to Greene County, Ohio, around 18 miles south of Springfield.

The case is now being investigated by the Springfield Police Division as a homicide.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

Maybe you also like:









Jesse wrote at 1/12/2017 6:51:03 PM:That's not even close.Jesse wrote at 1/12/2017 6:51:03 PM:That's not even close.




Nikil Saval at The Nation:

To search for Polanyis intellectual and political roots means coming into contact with a bewilderingly febrile left-wing intellectual milieu that appears to have little bearing on our present. However promising the current moment may seem with a self-described democratic socialist coming tantalizingly close to winning the Democratic Partys presidential nomination, Gareth Dales new biography offers us a bracing reminder of a far richer world of socialist activity that once existed in much of the West. Debates over early-20th-century Hungarian socialism; the strategic plans of Red Vienna; the reformist 1961 platform of the Soviet Communist Party: These questions obsessed Polanyi and his contemporaries to a degree that seems almost inconceivable now and certainly residing in a sobering distance to our own immediate lives. Polanyis political activism and intellectual work were implicated in the widest questions debated on the left. The son of wealthy Hungarian Jews, he emerged as part of the Great Generation of Hungarian artists and intellectuals in Budapest at around the turn of the 20th century. John von Neumann, the mathematician, and Bela Bartok, the composer, were his contemporaries; so were the sociologist Karl Mannheim and the Marxist theoretician and literary critic Gyorgy Lukacs. Polanyis brother, Michael, became a philosopher of science, who for many years was better known than Karl.

Living in Budapest, connected to a self-confident and industrializing West but set apart from it by language and often religion, Polanyi and his contemporaries embodied one of the central facts about the cultural and political ferment that we often equate with modernism: Its vitality depended on the admixture of a modern social order and outlook with often archaic folk communities. (Bartoks music is a classic example.)

more here.
Stephen Metcalf in The New Yorker:

In the days leading up to and following the Presidential election, a seemingly prophetic passage from the late philosopher Richard Rorty circulated virally on the Internet. The quote, which was subsequently written about in the Timesand the Guardian and on Yahoo and the Web site for Cosmopolitan magazine, is from his book Achieving Our Country, published in 1998. It is worth quoting at length:

Members of labor unions, and unorganized and unskilled workers, will sooner or later realize that their government is not even trying to prevent wages from sinking or to prevent jobs from being exported. Around the same time, they will realize that suburban white-collar workersthemselves desperately afraid of being downsizedare not going to let themselves be taxed to provide social benefits for anyone else.

At that point, something will crack. The nonsuburban electorate will decide that the system has failed and start looking around for a strongman to vote forsomeone willing to assure them that, once he is elected, the smug bureaucrats, tricky lawyers, overpaid bond salesmen, and postmodernist professors will no longer be calling the shots. . . . Once the strongman takes office, no one can predict what will happen.

The chilling precision of these words resulted in renewed interest in Rorty, who died in 2007. Eighteen years after its release, Achieving Our Country sold out on Amazon, briefly cracking the sites list of its hundred top-selling books. Harvard University Press decided to reprint it.

Rortys new fans may be surprised, opening their delivery, to discover a book that has almost nothing to do with the rise of a demagogic right and its cynical exploitation of the working class. It is, instead, a book about the lefts tragic loss of national pride.

More here.
Ann Gibbons in Science:

Chances are, youre going to marry someone a lot like you. Similar intelligence, similar height, similar body weight. A new study of tens of thousands of married couples suggests that this isnt an accident. We dont marry educated people because we happen to hang around with educated people, for examplewe actively seek them out. And these preferences are shaping our genomes. This is a very exciting paper, says Matthew Keller, a behavioral geneticist at the University of Colorado in Boulder who was not involved with the work. Much ink has been spilled on why mates are correlated on so many traits. To conduct the study, Matthew Robinson, a postdoc in the lab of geneticist Peter Visscher at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues turned to large databases that include information on human physical and genetic traits. They homed in on a persons genetic markers for traits such as height and body mass index (BMI) to predict the height and BMI of their partner. If the underlying genetic traits suggested an individual was tall, for example, their partner should also be tall. Then the researchers compared the partners actual height against the predicted height.

When the scientists performed these calculations for more than 24,000 pairs of husbands and wives of European ancestry, they found a strong statistical correlation between peoples genetic markers for height and the actual height of their partner. They also found a statistically significant, but weaker, correlation between peoples genes for BMI and actual BMI in partners: People had actively chosen partners with similar genes to themselves, the team reports today in Nature Human Behaviour . This is evidence in humans of assortative mating, which is a form of sexual selection in which individuals with similar traits mate with one another more frequently than would be expected under a random mating. It has been documented in nature, such as when more brightly colored eastern bluebirds mate with each other and when duller colored bluebirds pair upor when big Japanese common toads mate, whereas small ones stick to themselves. Such assortative mating increases relatedness in families and can help their offspring survive better as long as the trait under selection (larger size, for example) continues to be beneficialhelping males acquire and fend off mates, for example.

More here.
A long lost library book is finally making its way back to its rightful home.





Webb Johnson was surprised when he found an overdue library booka selection of short stories, ironically titled Forty Minutes Lateamong the possessions of his great-grandmother, Phebe Dickenson Webb. The book had a century-old due date and had racked up hundreds of dollars in overdue fines. But luckily, the San Francisco Public Library is offering a Fine Forgiveness Program (you can return your super-late books without penalty through Valentine's Day this year); Ms. Dickensen Webb's book will be returned to the Park Branch on Friday, January 13th at 2pm.





Phebe Dickenson Webb originally checked out the book from Branch 6 in the Fillmore sometime in early 1917. It appears from the due date form that it was due on April 6, 1917two weeks after she died.





Phebe came to Walnut Creek from Northfield, MA in 1864 and married Frank Webb the same year. They had seven children, all raised in Walnut Creek. When Frank died, Phebe moved to San Francisco, fulfilling a life long dream, and lived another 14 years.





Her personal belongings, the overdue book among them, were returned to her daughter's house in Walnut Creek and sat there until Johnson found the book about 25 years ago.





"The book sat waiting to be rightfully re-united with the San Francisco library until I read an article in the Chronicle [about the Fine Amnesty Program], and resolved to do the right thing," explained Johnson. "I'm delighted that the now-rare volume will be made available to readers who will find its author, F. Hopkinson Smith, a delight."
Uterine fibroids may be associated with infertility, and some experts recommend that women with infertility be evaluated for fibroids, with potential removal if the tumors have a submucosal component.14 However, there is no evidence from randomized controlled trials to support myomectomy to improve fertility.15 One meta-analysis included two studies that showed improvement in spontaneous conception rates in women who underwent myomectomy for submucosal fibroids (relative risk [RR] = 2.034; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.081 to 3.826; P = .028).16 However, no statistically significant difference was noted in the ongoing pregnancy/live birth rate. Women with intramural fibroids had no differences in pregnancy rates after undergoing myomectomy. Although studies have had conflicting results on the change in fibroid size during pregnancy,17,18 a large retrospective study of women with uterine fibroids found a significantly increased risk of cesarean delivery compared with a control group (33.1% vs. 24.2%), as well as increases in the risk of breech presentation (5.3% vs. 3.1%), pre-term premature rupture of membranes (3.3% vs. 2.4%), delivery before 37 weeks' gestation (15.1% vs. 10.5%), and intrauterine fetal death with growth restriction (3.9% vs. 1.5%).19 Therefore, fibroids in pregnant women warrant additional maternal and fetal surveillance.
Brutal, beautiful and brilliantly conceived, Silence is the apotheosis of director Martin Scorsese's career, now spanning seven decades. His mercilessly immersive account of two 17th-century Catholic priests risking their lives to bring Christianity to Japan is as intimately observed as Raging Bull, as unapologetically violent as Goodfellas, as spiritually adventurous as The Last Temptation of Christ.

When we meet those two priests, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garrpe (Adam Driver), they are living in relative comfort and safety in Portugal. The pair implore their superior to let them travel to Japan in search of their mentor, Father Ferreira (Neeson), who set off as a missionary years before but has suddenly gone silent. Some say he's dead; others whisper he abandoned the faith to save his neck.

The young priests' aims are twofold: to clear Father Ferreira's name and to continue his missionary work. They contrive to smuggle themselves into Japan, where torture and death are the twin pillars of the government's policy toward Christians. Both are on vivid display in the course of Silence. Despite that, the locals welcome the priests with an insatiable hunger for the Gospel, or at least some variation of it. After some time ministering undercover, the pair are betrayed. They split up for safety's sake, and from here on Scorsese focuses his attention on Rodrigues. Captured and imprisoned, he is brought face-to-face with Inoue (Issei Ogata), a combination grand inquisitor and lord high executioner.

As he did in Hacksaw Ridge, Garfield  a former big-screen Spider-Man  distinguishes himself with a performance that explores the psyche of a good man hurled into the meat grinder of conflict. Scorsese's scenes of violence sometimes build with unbearable suspense; others explode with unexpected fury. He keeps us, like the priests at the center of his story, off balance with a relentless undercurrent of dread.
A newly published book spotlighting retirement savings plans is written by a father-daughter duo of Beatrice.

Our main focus and our main goal was education, said Traci Garnett-Froscheiser, who co-authored the book with her father, Paul Garnett. We hope to educate not only companies, but people on what they need to be doing and whats available in terms of retirement savings and plans.

Creating Retirement Plan Perfection was published in October 2016. Garnett and Garnett-Froscheiser are investment advising representatives at Garnett Investment Strategies, which was founded in 2013 in Beatrice. While the book is geared toward business owners and retirement plan sponsors, the father and daughter said individuals can learn a lot from the quick read about how to save for retirement.

Garnett said the idea for the book came in October 2015 when he attended a specialty conference on retirement planning, 401(k) plans and the like.

He learned more about pending updates from the Department of Labor that will further regulate employers retirement plans for their employees, such as in how they file and document information.

Regulations that make it progressively more difficult for businesses to cope with, to stay in compliance with, Garnett said.

The regulations are expected to be implemented this year and fully enforced next year.

I came back knowing that Ive had over 20 years with retirement plans, Garnett said.

He came back inspired to write a report-type document about the topics at hand to give to client  namely business owners.

It wound up becoming a book, he said.

He added that his daughter particularly likes the retirement planning part of their advising roles.

A lot of it (the writing process) was building off your 20-plus years of experience in the retirement industry and then me getting to add in my experience and stories and knowledge that I have and piggy-backing on that and splitting it up and saying You take that, Ill take this, and well draft it and look it over, Garnett-Froscheiser said. It was a collaborative effort.

The pair said the national landscape of retirement planning changed with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), which established minimum standards for pension plans in private industry. Since then 401(k) plans became more common.

The book helps employers navigate and understand the process of offering retirement plans. The chapters of the 120-page book explore areas like Why America Has a Savings Crisis and Measuring Employees Success in utilizing retirement plans.

The goal in retirement plan options is to have participant success, Garnett said.

The plans are only successful, Garnett said, if the participant is successfully enrolling in the plan, saving and making good investment decisions and is educated and motivated.

The book is geared mostly toward business owners and 401(k) plan sponsors, but theres good information for employees, Garnett-Froscheiser said. It can help them understand what options are available.

The Garnetts recommend employees start saving for retirement at the start of their first job.

Your largest or most valuable asset is the sum total of all your future paychecks, Garnett said.

The book can be found at the Garnett Investment Strategies office at 2630 Eastside Boulevard or by calling 402-223-3433 or by emailing retirement@garnettinvestments.com.
How to watch, what to know about South Dakota State at Northern Iowa
Too Right, Boy is a story about growing old in a society where age is not valued or respected, about being young in a society where there are so many temptations.

Old Harry hasnt enjoyed the best of reputations: a former foreign correspondent with a love of whisky and gambling, he sets out to redeem himself by taking his grandson, Brad, on a road trip while Brads parents are on a forced leave of absence. He attempts to take good care of the boy, while imparting some much needed character training.

Despite Harrys best intentions, the road trip only confirms Brads parents worst fears. But in the end, a lesson lived is a lesson learned, and the road trip goes a long way to exorcising familiar demons.

M.O. (Mark) Chamberlain is an award winning author. He has written twelve books including Lawrence of Arabia: Desert Wolf (historical fiction), Best of the Best (collection of writing from international students), Releasing Reluctant Writers (manual for teachers), One Stop Before the Dump (collection of short stories), Eddies Big Fat Lies, Eddie Goes East (novels for boys) and in 2015 he released his own powerful memoir, With A Father Like Mine, a story of tragedy and triumph, love and loss, struggle and success. His work has also featured on Radio NZ National.

Marks writing presentations for teachers have featured in conferences both in Europe (ECIS) and the Middle East (TARA) and (NESA). He has presented as an author in international schools in the Middle East and schools in New Zealand and Australia. Mark and his wife Eleanor currently live between their home on Aucklands North Shore and their retreat in Northland. They have three sons, three daughters and seven grandchildren.
The Man Who Mastered Monetization of Social Media.

Renowned Social Media Marketer, Influencer & Strategist Joel Contartese Announces New Company

Los Angeles, California  Renowned Social Media Strategist Joel Contartese has announced the launch of his new consulting company. Utilizing his rich experience in Social Media Marketing, Social Media Influencing, Social Media Advertising, Digital Marketing Specialization, the Guru of Social Media has previously accomplished several remarkable achievements in the industry and is second to none. Joel has been leading the industry for almost a decade now and is known for the effective monetization of social media. His gifted entrepreneurial skills and corporate experience will make this new venture poised for success.

I have been leading results driven marketing efforts since 2009, said Joel Contartese in an interview. My expertise is in digital advertising, brand management, online partnerships, and the monetization of social media channels, he added. Joel is an internationally recognized and motivated entrepreneur, a digital marketing professional, and a dedicated leader and his own consultancy company will change the prevailing trends in the industry as the guru is known to give a new meaning to the industry of Social Media Marketing.

The launch of this new venture of Joel is backed by the rich experience he has had over the years by working with hundreds of leading influencers as well as some of the most prominent social media brands in the industry. In addition, Joel has previously created a network of 20 million followers when he was only 23 and he turned it into a 500k a year business. Moreover, Joel has also lead the digital strategy for popular brands such SHREDZ, FLAVORGOD, SKINNYBUNNYTEA, etc. While working for SHREDZ Joel also managed a network of 25 non-branded accounts which generated upwards of 200-300 thousand dollars per month.

Joel himself has become a brand and one of the most wanted names in the emerging global phenomena of Social Media. His ability to see potential and monetary benefit in unique perspective of discovering the untapped resources is legendary. He has led by example and has proven his worth a number of times in front of the world. The new venture by Joel is definitely going to be a major difference maker in the industry.

For Further Information About Joel and His Social Media Profiles, Please Visit: www.JoelContartese.Com

Media Contact

Company Name: JNM Consulting

Contact Person: Joel Contartese

Email: JoelContartese@Gmail.Com, Info@JoelContartese.Com

Phone: +1 954-417-9153

Country: United States

Website: http://joelcontartese.com/
Horizon Oil Limited (ASX:HZN) (OTCMKTS:HZNFF) is an ASX-listed petroleum exploration and production company, with a geographic focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The company currently produces over 4,000 barrels of oil per day net from its fields in New Zealand and China, which generated over US$80 million in net operating income after operating expense for the year ended 30 June 2015. Further development candidates remain in and around these producing fields.

Horizon Oil maintains prudent policies of oil price hedging and loss of production insurance to ensure that sufficient cash flow is generated to meet the funding requirements of its growth program.

The company holds a large undeveloped reserves and contingent resource position in Western Province, onshore Papua New Guinea. These are liquids-rich gas resources and reflect Horizon Oils strategy to focus on Asian gas for growth. Gas constitute about 2/3 of the reserves and resource base. Commercialisation pathways for the gas are emerging.

Although Horizon Oil anticipates continuing strong cash generation over the medium term from its existing producing fields, these developed reserves account for only 10% of total reserves and resource base. The focus going forward will be on new field development, funded largely from existing production cash flow.


Zhirong Hu Elected as Council Member of China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion (CAAM)

Sydney, Jan 12, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Traditional Therapy Clinics Ltd ( ASX:TTC ) is pleased to announce the Company's Managing Director Zhirong Hu was elected as Council Member of CAAM.



The 6th National Assembly of China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion (CAAM) was recently held, where Zhirong Hu, Managing Director of Traditional Therapy Clinic (TTC) was elected as a member of the Sixth Council of the China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, to year 2021. The appointment of TTC's Managing Director, Zhirong Hu, as a member of the council further highlights the prominent position TTC has in the Chinese traditional healthcare industry in China and acknowledges the past and ongoing contribution to the development of the industry by Zhirong Hu.



CAAM is a national, academic and non-profit social group consisting of Chinese acupuncture-moxibustion partitioners. As a part of China Association for Science and Technology, CAAM is an important force for developing China's acupuncture-moxibustion cause. The Council, as the executive body of CAAM, will play a crucial role in encouraging academic exchange, organizing academic research, strengthening interdisciplinary communication and coordination, promoting academic achievements and advanced technology, enhancing people's awareness of acupuncture-moxibustion in order to make informed choices and improving public health.





About Traditional Therapy Clinics Ltd





Traditional Therapy Clinics Limited (ASX:TTC) is a franchisor and the owner of one of the largest chains (by number of clinics) of traditional therapeutic health and wellness clinics in China. It currently has 343 franchised clinics and 35 owned clinics in operation. It is a well established business with a strong growth profile, employing a repeatable and scalable business model.

TTC has a highly recognised and respected brand, having received the prestigious Chinese Well-Known Trademark designation from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. It operates within a strongly regulated industry sector of significant scale, which offers opportunity for further growth.

TTC is an ASX listed company employing around 1,000 staff across 27 of the 33 administrative divisions in China. More information is available at https://www.ttc-ltd.com/
Sunday, March 5: Opening Day Reception

PDAC welcomes you to the largest networking event at the convention. Enjoy a drink and snacks as you connect with attendees, exhibitors and colleagues.



Monday, March 6: Trade Show Reception

Enjoy a glass of wine or beer as you network with Trade Show North exhibitors and attendees from international and domestic companies, including organizations promoting technology, products, services and mining jurisdictions.



Tuesday, March 7: Student-Industry Networking Luncheon

The flagship event of the student program; this reception-style buffet luncheon provides an opportunity to make valuable connections with industry professionals and peers.



Wednesday, March 8: Grand Finale - NEW

After four exhilarating days at the worlds mineral exploration and investment conventionits time to party! Enjoy the action and network, while the Dave Murphy Band performs your favourite tunes. Get your two free drink tickets at the door, grab a bite to eat and dance, dance, dance!


Lekki Lagos, February 1st 2019. Rilla Web Hosting, one of the top players in domain registration and web hosting has announces its full ...
After leaders elected, legislators expected to return home and get to work in late January



The first day of a legislative session typically is filled with ceremony, as shown in this image from the opening of the 2013 session. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

The 2017 long session of the General Assembly starts Wednesday, and the first day is likely to be more ceremonial than substantive.Once members are sworn in and leaders in the House and Senate are elected, lawmakers will head home. They return Jan. 25 to get to work in earnest.Lt. Gov. Dan Forest will gavel the Senate into session at noon Wednesday. At the same time in the House, outgoing Principal Clerk Denise Weeks will call that chamber to order.Senate leader Phil Berger , R-Rockingham, is expected to be re-elected to his fourth term as president pro-tem. House Speaker Tim Moore , R-Cleveland, is expected to be elected to his second term in that chamber.said Rep. David Lewis , R-Harnett, and the House Rules Committee chairman.Weeks is retiring, so the House will also elect a new principal clerk. James White, the current voting clerk for the House, will receive bipartisan support for that post.Lewis said.Bell said the General Assembly will have many issues to tackle when lawmakers return in a couple of weeks.Legislative redistricting could be one, although an order by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday has at least temporarily put that issue on hold.Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has challenged the General Assembly to expand Medicaid. The Republican-dominated legislature has eschewed the move.Bell said.Bell said lawmakers will look at how tax reform efforts are panning out and will make sure they're implemented correctly. He said lawmakers are looking forward to working with the new superintendent of public instruction, Republican Mark Johnson The budget is always a big item, and Bell said House members will look forward to seeing Cooper's and the Senate's plans.Bell joked in referring to the House budget.
Iran Air has taken delivery of its first new aircraft, an A321, in a handover ceremony in Toulouse with Farhad Parvaresh, Iran Air Chairman & CEO and Fabrice Bregier, President, Airbus Commercial Aircraft and Chief Operating Officer Airbus, in the presence of Gael Meheust, SVP Sales and Marketing CFM and Tom Enders, Airbus CEO.





The delivery is the first from a firm order placed by Iran Air in December 2016 for 100 Airbus aircraft (46 single aisle and 54 wide-body jets) to renew and expand its fleet.



This significant milestone marks the first practical step in Iran Airs ambitious passenger aircraft fleet renewal and its stronger presence in international civil aviation. Iranian travellers can be proud with our selection of the worlds most modern single aisle aircraft, said Farhad Parvaresh, Iran Air Chairman and CEO. Iran Air is delighted with this first Airbus delivery and congratulates everyone involved who made it possible. Today signals that with international collaboration and co-operation, we can achieve mutually beneficial commercial goals.



Today is a momentous occasion and I congratulate Iran Air on taking delivery of it first new aircraft in many years. As we take these first steps together, we stand ready to support the development and modernisation of Iran Air, said Fabrice Bregier, President, Airbus Commercial Aircraft and Chief Operating Officer Airbus. Clearly in a country of 80 million people, there is a need for the latest passenger aircraft to meet domestic as well as international demand.





Iran is forecast to require some 400 to 500 new aircraft to modernise as well as to grow its existing passenger fleet to catch up with years of pent up demand on domestic as well as international routes. The latest generation of fuel efficient aircraft will also allow new routes and markets to be exploited.
Pound Falls Amid Lingering Fears Of "hard Brexit"

(RTTNews) - The British pound weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Thursday, as traders' sentiment dampened amid looming uncertainty around Brexit.

Last Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said in her New Year TV interview that Britain will not attempt to cling on to "bits of EU membership". Therefore, the currency is likely to drop after May triggers Article 50 in March.

The lack of clarity on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policies despite his first press conference yesterday also weighed on investor sentiment.

Wednesday, the pound showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the pound rose against the euro and the Swiss franc, it fell against the U.S. dollar and the yen.

In the Asian trading, the pound fell to nearly a 1-1/2-month low of 139.79 against the yen, from yesterday's closing value of 140.89. The pound may test support near the 135.00 region.

Against the euro, the Swiss franc and the U.S. dollar, the pound dropped to 0.8702, 1.2334 and 1.2168 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.8665, 1.2379 and 1.2207, respectively. If the pound extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 0.89 against the euro, 1.20 against the franc and 1.18 against the greenback.

Looking ahead, Eurozone industrial production for November is due to be released at 5:00 am ET.

At 7:30 am ET, European Central Bank's publishes monetary policy meeting accounts.

In the New York session, Canada new housing price index for November, U.S. import price index for December, and U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ended January 7 are set to be published.

At 8:30 am ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart are expected to speak about the economic outlook and monetary policy at the American Council of Life Insurers, in Naples.

At the same time, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker will deliver a speech at the Desmond Hotel, in Pennsylvania.

At 1:15 pm ET, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard gives a presentation on the U.S. economy and monetary policy before the Forecasters Club of New York.

At 1:45 pm ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan participates in a moderated Q&A before the Dallas Regional Chamber Annual Meeting, in Dallas, U.S.

Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Latest project is the largest APS grid-scale solar plant dedicated to date

The Red Rock Solar Plant  an example of how utilities can partner with customers to develop cost-effective solar energy  was unveiled to the public today. APS developed and will own and operate the 40-megawatt photovoltaic plant, located 30 miles south of Casa Grande in Red Rock, Ariz. Arizona State University (ASU) and PayPal will purchase renewable energy from APS that is equivalent to the amount Red Rock is projected to generate.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111006175/en/

The Red Rock Solar Plant was unveiled to the public today. APS developed and will own and operate the 40-megawatt photovoltaic plant, located 30 miles south of Casa Grande in Red Rock, Ariz. Arizona State University (ASU) and PayPal will purchase renewable energy from APS that is equivalent to the amount Red Rock is projected to generate. Red Rock is APSs largest grid-scale solar power plant, surpassing the 35-megawatt Foothills Solar Plant located near Yuma, Ariz. (Photo: Business Wire)

The construction of Red Rock is a great example of how we partner with our commercial customers to find innovative and sustainable solutions that can help them realize their green energy goals, said Daniel Froetscher, APS Senior Vice President of Transmission, Distribution and Customers. The cooperation between APS, ASU and PayPal demonstrates how the Arizona business community is committed to developing solar energy in a smart, cost-effective manner.

ASU and PayPal were both seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint. This agreement helps ASU expand its solar energy sourcing beyond its almost 25 megawatts of on-campus solar sites. It also helps PayPal keep up with its energy demand, while also supporting a desire to be a leader in the community by driving energy sustainability.

We are very pleased that the Red Rock Solar Plant will more than double our solar generating capacity to more than 50 megawatts, said Morgan R. Olsen, ASU executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer. This project enables us to expand our solar portfolio substantially with no initial capital investment and underscores our sustainability commitment. ASU is proud to continue building our solar collection that has grown to 88 installations since 2004. In calendar year 2017, we expect approximately 30 percent of our electrical needs will be met with clean, renewable solar energy.

Red Rock is APSs largest grid-scale solar power plant, surpassing the 35-MW Foothills Solar Plant located near Yuma, Ariz. Large solar plants, like Red Rock, take advantage of economies of scale to provide additional solar to more customers at a lower cost.

Arizona is one of the most solar-friendly states in the nation, and APS remains at the forefront among solar-friendly companies, Froetscher said. In fact, last year, we reached one gigawatt of solar on our system, becoming the only utility outside California to achieve this milestone.

The Red Rock Solar Plant is located east of APSs Saguaro Natural Gas Power Plant on land APS has owned since the 1950s. With transmission lines already nearby, the 400-acre plot was an ideal location for a grid-scale solar plant. With the completion of the solar plant, the land is now creating additional tax income for Pinal County and other local taxing authorities.

APS serves about 2.7 million people in 11 of Arizonas 15 counties, and is the Southwests foremost producer of clean, safe and reliable electricity. Using a balanced energy mix that is nearly 50 percent carbon-free, APS has one of the countrys most substantial renewable energy portfolios, and owns and operates the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the countrys top power producer and largest producer of carbon-free energy. The company is also a proven leader in introducing technology and services that offer customers choice and control over their energy consumption. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111006175/en/

APS

Media Contact:

Steven Gotfried, 602-250-3040

Analyst Contact:

Ted Geisler, 602-250-3200

Website: aps.com/newsroom
Non-dilutive financing in the form of recoverable advances aimed at supporting new R&D programs

Regulatory News:

ASIT biotech (Paris:ASIT) (BSE:ASIT) (ASIT - BE0974289218), a Belgian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and future commercialization of breakthrough immunotherapy products for the treatment of allergies, today announces that it has received 6 million euros in funding1 from the Walloon governments Vice-President and Minister of the Economy, Industry, Innovation and Digital Affairs, Mr. Jean-Claude Marcourt.

This non-dilutive financing in the form of recoverable advances will allow the Company to finance an ambitious R&D program to develop new drug candidates to treat the main food allergies caused by peanuts, cows milk and egg whites. These product candidates, based on the ASIT+ platform, will be developed in collaboration with Dr. Shamji, senior lecturer in immunology and allergology and Head of the Immunomodulation and Tolerance research group at Imperial College, London. The aim of this collaboration is to test the allergenicity and antigenicity of these product candidates on an ex-vivo human model in order to optimize their safety/efficacy ratio.

Following this first phase, the selected candidates will then be assessed within the framework of clinical trials undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Till, senior lecturer at Kings College London specializing in food allergies in adults. These first clinical trials will help evaluate the potential clinical effectiveness and safety of the product candidates in the treatment of food allergies.

Jean-Claude Marcourt, the Walloon governments Vice-President and Minister of the Economy, Industry, Innovation and Digital Affairs, comments: The Wallonia region of Belgium has become a global benchmark in the life sciences sector. ASIT biotechs ambitious research program again shows us the ability of Walloon companies to position themselves as true leaders in cutting-edge sectors. The Minister adds: Wallonia supports companies that innovate, thus creating new economic momentum and generating jobs. Beyond these positive economic benefits, I would like to commend ASIT biotech for its efforts to continue improving health care, and therefore patients quality of life.

Thierry Legon, CEO of ASIT biotech, comments: I would like to personally thank the Minister, Jean-Claude Marcourt, for putting his trust in our company and for the interest he is showing in medical innovation. Thanks to this funding, we will be able to intensify our collaboration with world-renowned research facilities in order to develop and perfect new immunotherapies for the main types of food allergy for which there is currently no medical treatment.

About ASIT biotech

ASIT biotech is a Belgian clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and future commercialisation of a range of breakthrough immunotherapy products for the treatment of allergies. Thanks to its innovative ASIT+TM technology platform, ASIT biotech is currently the only developer of AIT product candidates consisting of a unique mixture of highly purified natural allergen fragments in an optimal size selection. This innovation results in a short treatment, expected to improve patient compliance and real-life effectiveness. ASIT biotechs product pipeline entails two novel ASIT+ product candidates targeting respiratory allergy with the highest prevalence (i.e. grass pollen: gp-ASIT+TM and house dust mite: hdm-ASIT+TM), that could significantly expand the current immunotherapy market. The Company believes that its innovative ASIT+ platform is flexible and would be applicable across a range of allergies.

ASIT biotech has a headcount of 22 staff members, at its headquarters in Brussels and a laboratory in Liege, Belgium.

Further information can be found at: www.asitbiotech.com.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this announcement that do not relate to historical facts and events are forward-looking statements. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words believes, estimates, anticipates, expects, intends, may, will, plans, continue, ongoing, potential, predict, project, target, seek or should or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology or by discussions of strategies, plans, objectives, targets, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Companys intentions, beliefs or current expectations. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this announcement and, without prejudice to the Companys obligations under applicable law in relation to disclosure and ongoing information, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements set forth in this announcement.

Important Legal Notice

This announcement does not constitute, or form part of, an offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for shares of ASIT biotech SA (the Company and the Shares). Any purchase of, subscription for or application for, Shares to be issued in connection with the intended offering should only be made on the basis of information contained in the prospectus and any supplements thereto, as the case may be. This announcement does not constitute a prospectus and the information contained herein is for information purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. Investors should not subscribe for any Shares except on the basis of the information contained in the prospectus that the Company expects to publish after its approval by the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority, and which can then be obtained at the Companys registered office and on www.asitbiotech.com.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or to any U.S. person within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company has not registered, and does not intend to register, any portion of the intended offering of Shares in the United States, and does not intend to conduct a public offering of Shares in the United States.

This announcement and the information contained herein are not for publication, distribution or release in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.

The Company is responsible for the information contained in this press release.

1 Non-dilutive financing is granted in the form of recoverable advances to support specific R&D programs. Pursuant to the applicable terms and conditions, this financing is repayable over the projects economic life cycle. Thirty percent is repayable on the basis of a fixed repayment schedule, whilst the balance is repayable in the form of royalties over the same period.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111006168/en/

Company

ASIT biotech

Thierry Legon, +32 2 264 03 90

CEO

investors@asitbiotech.com

or

Media and Investor Relations - France

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky / Pierre Laurent

+33 1 44 71 94 92

asitbiotech@newcap.eu

or

Media Relations - Belgium

Laure-Eve Monfort, +32 2 290 90 93

monfort@comfi.be
Castaway Airman helped map the world

(This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)



For six months in 1956 Bob Cunningham, a former Air Force radar operator, lived on a remote knob approximately 2,000 feet long and 850 feet wide in the Spratly Islands group located midway between the Philippine Islands and Vietnam. His home was a canvas tent and he manned radio and radar equipment for a secret Air Force project mapping the earth.



Cunninghams first duty station was a tiny, oblong blister of land in the South China Sea. He knows it as North Danger Island.



The mission was an aerial electronic geodetic survey. Specially equipped aircraft flew grid patterns and triangulated electromagnetic pulses sent between temporary ground stations hundreds of miles apart. The data, computed into highly accurate coordinates, would eventually provide targeting information for intercontinental ballistic missile development.



It was a million dollar experience that he wouldnt give two cents to repeat, Cunningham said jokingly.



Cunninghams four-man team and all their equipment was brought in by helicopter to the island from the deck of a Landing Ship Tank, along with the drinking water, fuel and rations the men would need to survive. Resupply occurred every four to six weeks by helicopter, supplemented by occasional parachute drops. A radio relay team of six Airmen had already established itself on the island and shared the same copse of trees.



I was 22 years old. I was the kid on the island so it was a real experience, Cunningham said. I didnt have a lot of sophistication psychologically, and that was a real psychological test for human beings, to be going like that.



He was an Airman 2nd Class, with just over a year of service in the Air Force and some college education. His sergeants had seen combat during World War II and were wise to what the isolated team would endure. Their ingenuity, humor and direct leadership kept young Cunningham and the others on the island from mentally cracking.



To keep a low profile, the Airmen were ordered to stow their uniforms and wear civilian shorts and sneakers, sandals and cowboy hats instead. The men also kept their pistols and M-1 Garand rifles ready, knowing that pirates and other possible threats roamed the waters surrounding them.



The Chinese nationalists came by with a gun boat. A big, long vessel, Cunningham said. And they had this big 3-inch cannon on the front on a turret, and they swung that baby in toward our island, and they had some machine gun turrets, and pretty soon we saw boats come over the edge and some officers got on that and they came in to see who we were and what we were doing.



The Airmen placed palm fronds along the beach to spell out U-S-A-F. The gunboat crew was satisfied and the standoff ended.



On another occasion, Okinawan fishermen came ashore to trade their fish for drinking water.



They saw our 50-foot antenna that we put up for our radar set, our pulse radio, and so they were curious, Cunningham said. They came onboard and they were quite friendly.



But visitors were the exception. Day after day, interaction was limited to within the tiny community of Airmen.



The veteran sergeants kept up morale in other ways. They improved the camp with funny signs, handmade furniture and a wind-driven water pump. They cooked sea turtles for the men, and they improvised a way to make alcohol from coconut juice and cake mix.



For recreation, Cunningham would walk around the island and photograph the thousands of birds it attracted. He also tried diving off the reef once and became terrified by the absolute darkness.



I opened up my eyes and it scared the bejeepers out of me, he said. It was total black. I couldnt see anything. I got so danged scared, I came up and I got off and I got back to that reef and I never went back again.



In the final month, he and the sergeant were the only humans left on the island. Two members of his team were evacuated. The radio relay team was relocated, taking their noisy generator with them. For the two men remaining, the silence at night was now spooky  a lone coconut dropping from a tree was enough to send them scrambling for their weapons.



Cunningham said his experience on the reef forever changed how he relates to other people.



I have an expression, he said. This guy sounds like a North Danger kind of guy, meaning somebody compatible, smart, you can get along with him, hes got a good temper. Or this guy, I would not want to be with him on North Danger.


AF announces NAS JRB Fort Worth as the preferred location for next F-35A base

Air Force officials announced Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, as the preferred location for the first Air Force Reserve-led F-35 base, which is expected to begin receiving its first F-35As in the mid-2020s.



Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida; and Whiteman AFB, Missouri, will be considered as reasonable alternatives during the environmental analysis process which must be completed before the Air Force makes a final basing decision.



"We selected the Air Force Reserve unit in Fort Worth because it is the location that meets all of the necessary training requirements at the lowest cost, said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. Additionally, the location will provide mission synergy and access to an experienced workforce for recruiting as a result of its proximity to the F-35 manufacturing plant.



According to the Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, the F-35 is even better than advertised.



In the hands of our Airmen, the F-35 will be the most lethal, survivable and adaptable aircraft in our inventory for decades to come," Goldfein said. No matter how you slice it, the F-35's stealth characteristics, maneuverability, interoperability and its ability to make other aircraft better through sensor fusion make it unmatched by any adversary."



In December 2016, the Air Force released the candidate bases for the next two Air National Guard-led F-35 bases. The candidate bases included Dannelly Field Air Guard Station, Alabama; Gowen Field AGS, Idaho; Jacksonville AGS, Florida; Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan; and Truax AGS, Wisconsin.



The Air Force will be conducting on-the-ground site surveys at each candidate location assessing each location against operational requirements, potential impacts to existing missions, infrastructure and manpower, and then develop cost estimates to bed down the F-35A.



The preferred and reasonable alternatives for the ANG bases are expected to be selected in the summer of 2017.



The F-35As are expected to begin arriving at the second and third ANG locations in the early to mid-2020s.



Currently, three active-duty operational locationsHill AFB, Utah; Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom; and Eielson AFB, Alaska and one ANG location  Burlington AGS, Vermont  have been identified for F-35A basing.
France pressed for decisive action against Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are targeting India and vowed to work with New Delhi to get terrorist Masood Azhar proscribed by the UN Security Council.

Without naming China which has blocked a proposal at the UNSC to sanction JeM chief Azhar, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said, The international communitys determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat.

On the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in September last year after an attack on Uri army camp, Ayrault said a country has a right to defend itself in the wake of such threats.

France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism, the French Minister, who was on a visit said in an interview.

Clearly referring to Pakistan without naming it, he emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism originating from their territory or territories under their control.

We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, he said.

The French Minister, who was on a four-day visit to India primarily to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, was asked about his views on the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army in September last to target terror camps based across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself, he replied.

With regard to China blocking sanctioning of Azhar, he said, We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached.

He noted that Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the Committees list of terrorist organisations and therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested.

Thats why France not only supported but also co-sponsored this request, he said.
BJP MLA Dr Vijaykumar Gavit is alleged to have deliberately suppressed information about his dues payable to the state Government on account of his overstaying in ministerial accommodation. RTI activist Anil Galgali has filed complaint with the Election commission demanding Gawits disqualification on this ground.

Dr Vijaykumar Gavit has been elected to Maharashtra Assembly from Nandurbar (ST) seat. Earlier Gavit as Medical Education Minister had occupied Government residence in Suruchi, which he failed to surrender after he was removed from ministry. A sum of Rs 44 lakh is due to be paid to PWD department for irregular occupation of Ministerial accommodation after he ceased to be a minister. Galgali has pointed out that while filing nomination paper for Assembly elections in 2014, Dr Gavit has written nil in the column, where he was supposed to mention government dues. He had been removed from Maharashtra Ministry in March 2014 and he was still was occupying government accommodation.

Anil Galgali pointed that Supreme Court of India on 2 May 2002 has directed The Election Commission to call for information on affidavit from candidates about Liabilities, if any, particularly whether there are any over dues of any public financial institution or government dues.

Gavit has impeached Election commission rules by withholding information about the government dues. He should be disqualified from membership of state Assembly for wilful and deliberate suppression of facts, Galgali argued.
Since my proclivity to time management would not permit me to observe a speech I would already know the bulleted points of Obama rhetoric, you could still take a gander at the entire speech here below ... if you have the belly for it.

With the Democrats losing the presidency, after winning the popular vote by over 2 million votes more than the victor, Donald J. Trump: Should the constitutional provision of the Electoral College be scrapped? Yes, the votes for president should be concentrated in the population centers. No, the Electoral College provides for better representation from the less populated states. I rarely vote because I have little knowledge of the issues. 103 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



In an effort to better use my time, I did not watch the Hussein Obama "Farewell Speech" from the Murder Capital of America - Chicago - the city where Barack Obama got his start as this 'community's organizer'; regardless, I still well received the predominate message from that speech - just 10 more days, and our 8 Year National Nightmare will be over.It is a good message, one I am thankful for, one I can even thank Mr. Hussein for; simply because, he will willingly, and with only minor incident, leave his sullied, scandal ridden office, and, accordingly, the transfer of power will then be peaceably complete; peaceable enough I reckon.Still, one has to wonder: Will Hussein's despondent staff loosen the screws in the furniture with their constant, and abundant free time; will they steel the Ds, the Ts keys from computer keyboards, or steal the White House china?In defense of Bill and Hillary Clinton, they did return most of the furniture and some of the stolen china. Still, after these tragic 8 years of the worst American presidency in modern times, if Hussein just goes away to snipe from his rented Washington, DC home about how wonderful he was /is, and how terrible Republicans are/ were, it will be a grand transition; one our nation should finally find a fine flourishment from.And then maybe, just maybe, America will stabilize.
US intelligence chief James Clapper has expressed profound dismay to Donald Trump over leaked details of a security briefing that reportedly contained explosive but unsubstantiated allegations about the president-elect.

American intelligence officials last week presented to Trump, as well as to President Barack Obama, a two-page synopsis about the potentially embarrassing allegations involving Russia, according to CNN, The New York Times and other media.

Clapper in a statement said that he and Trump spoke yesterday about unverified claims that his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the US election and that Russia has compromising information on Trump.

This evening, I had the opportunity to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss recent media reports about our briefing last Friday, Clapper said.

I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security, he said.

Trump at a press conference yesterday denied explosive allegations about his ties to Russia and attacked US intelligence agencies and the media over the allegations.

But Clapper said he told the incoming US president that it is doubtful that the leak came from within the intelligence community.

I emphasised that this document is not a US intelligence community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC, Clapper said.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]wami Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his Guru, Ramakrishna Deva, from whom he learnt that all living beings were a quintessence of the divine self. Therefore, Service to God could be rendered by Service to mankind. After Ramakrishnas death, Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in British India. He later travelled to the United States, representing India at the 1893 Parliament of the World Religions. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe. In India, Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic saint and his birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day.

The influence of Swami Vivekananda on the Indian Nationalist Movement is well-known. He was not only a visionary or just a monk but a nationalist and a reformer par excellence. Many in our country think that religion, mysticism, social amelioration and political & economic reconstruction cannot unite. They declare that the secular and spiritual ideals are poles apart. Such a notion has been responsible for the gross misrepresentations of the spirit of Indian philosophy, religion and culture, but the mystics, the saints and the sages of India prove standing refutation of this gross misconception. Indias foreign domination is also attributed to her religion which is considered to be dreamy, idealistic, fatalistic, world-denying, pessimistic and unethical. Swami Vivekanandas contribution to a faithful and sympathetic representation of Indias aspirations and ideals in foreign lands cannot be refuted. He not only created a lofty Advaita Vedantic idea under new religious known as Ramkrishna Mission but also founded a new epoch in the life of the Indian people with social, economic, and political fronts.

There are vast proportions of unutilised materials with respect to his political and social views. He was a protagonist of Hindu Social ideas and a precursor of socialism. He championed the causes of the downtrodden masses and the exploited poor class. He was mature beyond his age and prophesied the rule of the proletariat. It is necessary, therefore, to put a thorough study of his social and political ideas when youth are attracting to the Western ideals without looking to its own treasures suitable to its surroundings. Today, political parties may be politicising his name owing him as their hero but they ignored to look at his views on politics. He always maintained that I am not a politician or political agitator. I care only for the Spirit  when that is right everything will be right by itself. Those who want to prove that I am a political preacher, to them I say, Save me from my friends.

In an interview published in the San Francisco Examiner, dated 18 March 1900, Vivekananda said, I do not wish to talk on politics. I do not wish to discuss politics. I will have nothing to do with cowards or political nonsense. I do not believe in any politics. God and truth are the only politics in the world, everything else is trash. Religion is of deeper importance than politics, since it goes to the root, and deals with the essential of conduct. The quarrels of politicians are very curious.

There was an article published in the Madras Times, in February 1897- which mentioned what Vivekananda said on politics of India and common man. The article stated some strong statements of Swamiji which says, It will take ages to bring religion into politics. Swami Vivekananda always felt politics is not Indias subject. Once in an interview he said, If you will come to India and talk with the workman in the field, you will find he has no opinion on politics. He knows nothing of politics. But you talk to him of religion, and the humblest knows about monotheism, deism, and all the isms of religion. You ask: What government do you live under? and he will reply: I dont know. I pay my taxes, and thats all I know about it. I have talked with your labourers, your farmers, and I find that in politics they are all posted. They are either Democrat or Republican, and they know whether they prefer free silver or a gold standard. But you talk to them of religion; they are like the Indian farmer, they dont know, they attend such a church, but they dont know what it believes; they just pay their pew rent, and thats all they know about it  or God. No amount of politics would be of any avail until the masses in India are once more well educated, well fed, and well cared for. Each nation, beyond a general humanity, develops a certain peculiarity of character  so in religion, so in politics, so in the physical body, so in mental habitude, so in men and women, so in character. One nation develops one peculiarity of character, another takes another peculiarity. Every nation wants to safeguard its supremacy, political interest, and commerce.

He believed that by this cultivation of religion and the wider diffusion of Vedanta, both this country and the West will gain enormously. To him, the pursuit of politics is a secondary means in comparison with this. He has laid down his life to carry out this belief practically. He said, If you believe in any other way of accomplishing the good of India, well, you may go on working your own way. In India, it is religion that forms the very core of the national heart. It is the backbone, the bed-rock, the foundation upon which the national edifice has been built. Politics, power and even intellect form a secondary consideration here. Religion, therefore, is the one consideration in India. Not politics nor military neither power, nor commercial supremacy or mechanical genius furnishes India with that backbone, but religion; and religion alone is all that we have and mean to have. I hope that todays politicians, who are making noises in the name of Swami Vivekananda, at least read and understand his teachings for the betterment of the nation and its people.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
ScienceInsider caught up with Kennedy by telephone in an airport flight lounge shortly after he met with Trump in New York City. He made it clear that CDCs vaccine scientists and practices will be a major focus of the commissions work. Excerpts from our interview, which have been edited for brevity and clarity, appear below.

Environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an outspoken vaccine critic, said today that he was asked by President-elect Donald Trump to chair a vaccine safety and scientific integrity commission. (A Trump spokesperson, however, later said that "no decisions have been made at this time" about such a commission.) Kennedy espouses discredited links between vaccines and neurological disorders, including autism. He has also been harshly critical of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends the childhood vaccine schedule. Scientists and others have fiercely disputed Kennedys claims.

Of course I have not seen one hint in any mainstream story about Trump's appointment of Kennedy of the numerous claims of corruption and malfeasance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The media is desperately trying to convince the American people that there's nothing for this vaccine panel to look at, after all, "studies show no link."

IF...as we are constantly told, vaccines are safe, vaccines save lives, then officials and medical groups should show us the independent science and the double blind studies done on each and every vaccine to prove it.

By Anne Dachel This is a follow-up interview with Robert Kennedy, Jr. yesterday after the announcement that he would head a vaccines safety panel for President Trump. Notice that Kennedy emphasizes the importance of safe vaccines. Already there has been massive criticism of Kennedy's appointment everywhere in the media because the press doesn't want us to consider that vaccines may not be safe for all children, it seems. All the science is in. (Repeat after me.)

A: It was an hour meeting and the vice presidentelect came in to the last 15 minutes. The meeting was with [Trump] and Kellyanne Conway [recently appointed counselor to the president].

Q: Did the president-elect request the meeting or did you?

A: He called me a week ago to request it.

Q: Why?

A: He wants to make sure that we have the best vaccine science and the safest vaccine supply that we can have.

Q: Did the president-elect indicate that he doesnt believe that to be the case at the moment?

A: He is troubled by questions of the links between certain vaccines and the epidemic of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. And he has a numberhe told me fivefriends, he talked about each one of them, who has the same story of a child, a perfectly healthy child who went into a wellness visit around age 2, got a battery of vaccines, spiked a fever, and then developed a suite of deficits in the 3 months following the vaccine.

He said that he understood that anecdote was not science, but said that if theres enough anecdotal evidence  that wed be arrogant to dismiss it. Those were his words.

Q: Was there a particular vaccine he felt was culpable?

A: He doesnt know whether its the schedule or the sheer number of vaccines or the age at which theyre given or the ingredients.

Q: Did the president-elect mention CDC?

A: We talked a lot about CDC and ways to increase the independence from financial conflicts at CDC in the vaccine division.

Q: You said that the commission is to delve into vaccine safety and scientific integrity. What is that second piece about?

A: To make sure that were getting good science out of CDC.

Q: Its all about CDC? Its not about scientific integrity in chemistry or physics or basic biology or anywhere else?

A: Exactly. [CDC] is the locus of most of the most serious problems with the vaccine program, the two divisions at CDC: the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Immunization Safety Office, which is where the scientists are.

Q: How many people will be on the commission?

A: A dozen peoplea mix between science people and prominent Americans.

Q: Who will you ask to serve?

A: I couldnt tell you. I just finished meeting with the president-elect an hour ago.

Q: When you say science people, do you mean experts from the scientific establishment?

A: Prominent scientists.

Q: Do you mean prominent vaccinologists who believe in the safety and efficacy of todays vaccines?

A: We are going to look for people who have expertise in toxicology, epidemiology, and in public health.

Q: When does the president-elect want you to have the commission in place?

A: We didnt talk about the details but he expressed urgency about it. That he wanted it donewe talked about a 1-year commitment.

Q: Its an unpaid panel?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you have scientific training?

A: No. My background is Im an environmental lawyer. Im not a scientist. But I have an expertise, I would say, in reading science and spotting junk science because thats what I do with most of my time.

Q: Rates of childhood infectious diseases have plummeted over the past half-century or so. Are you out to return us to the dark ages?

A: I am for vaccines. I have been tracking mercury in fish for 30 years and nobody has called me antifish. I am pro-vaccine. I had all my kids vaccinated. I think vaccines save lives. But we are also seeing an explosion in neurodevelopmental disorders and we ought to be able to do a cost-benefit analysis and see whats causing them. We ought to have robust, transparent science and an independent regulatory agency. Nobody is trying to get rid of vaccines here. I just want safe vaccines.



Annne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.


Exactly how safe is a flu shot with thimerosal? So safe that I demanded my local pharmacy give me one while I was pregnant. I wouldnt dream of getting any substance injected into myself while pregnant that I wasnt certain was safe for me and my developing fetus (now a healthy 2-year-old).

Thimerosal , however, breaks down into 49% ethylmercury, larger molecules which exit the body within a week or two and do not cause harm, even when received in multiple vaccines . Before scientists fully understood the safety of thimerosal, it was removed as a standard ingredient in childhood vaccines in 2000. Today, its safety is well-established, and thimerosal-containing vaccines continue to be used in countries that cannot afford single-dose vaccines.

...Neides is correct that thimerosal is the preservative used in these multi-dose vials -- but he refers to it as mercury, then asking, Why would any of us want to be injected with mercury if it can potentially cause harm? Except, mercury is an element that can come as a component in different molecules. The mercury found in certain fish, su ch as shark, tuna and king mackerel, is inorganic methylmercury, a known neurotoxin that accumulates in the body and can cause harm if too much is consumed. (Though, its worth noting that long-term studies from the Seychelles suggest a very high consumption of fish is needed to cause harm.)

In her story in 2013 Haelle said that she consulted with Dr. Paul Offit on the safety of the flu shot while pregnant and he told her to go ahead a and get one. She described how both her pharmacist and her doctors nurse urged her to get an Hg-free flu shot while she was pregnant, but she insisted on one with mercury.

By Anne Dachel Seriously, I don't think there's a chemical on the market that Tara Haelle is worried about. Her comment about DEMANDING A FLU SHOT WITH MERCURY WHILE PREGNANT was the best example of a real true believer Ive seen.

But Neides then goes a step further, complaining that even the preservative-free flu shot contains  horrors!  formaldehyde. Hes right  it does  and its a good thing because its formaldehyde that inactivates the flu virus in the vaccine so that it cant infect and harm you. 

Formaldehyde is a commonly feared chemical that drives chemophobia, but in fact, its everywhere: it occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables, with about 2,000 mcg of formaldehyde in an average banana and anywhere from 8600 to 13200 mcg in a pear. ...

Neides then goes on to indulge in the kind of chemophobia typically seen on anti-science blogs and discredited natural health news sites. He calls our environment a toxic soup and rants about over 80,000 chemicals used in various industries country-wide. Frankly, Im grateful for all those chemicals

The use of aluminum in vaccines is safe and actually essential to ensuring vaccines are effective. Other vaccine ingredients pose no threat to children.

Why does Neides not recall fellow students with IEPs for ADHD or autism? Because special education has improved since he was in grade school, as have diagnostics and identification of those who have developmental conditions or other disabilities. The increase in autism is actually a result of changes in diagnostic criteria and better identification of those with autism spectrum disorders (which, by the way, are a developmental disability, not a "disease").....

It is difficult to overstate the harm Neides is causing with this article full of misinformation. It's deeply concerning that a large medical institution such as the Cleveland Clinic has a doctor in its ranks promoting pseudoscience. I hope that the Cleveland Clinic takes strong action in response to one of their physician's using their platform to mislead patients.

In the Forbes piece above, Haelle went after Dr. Daniel Neides from the Cleveland Clinic who dared to express his concern about the toxic ingredients in vaccines.

Haelle said that she hopes the Cleveland Clinic will take action against Dr. Neides.

Its really scary that Haelle considers herself a professional journalist. There is nothing fair or balanced in this coverage. Its poorly researched and blatantly one-sided, and Im sure Haelles only audience is the uninformed. (Anyone who has a smidgen of background on the vaccine controversy can easily pick out her false science and ridiculous comments.) According to her theres no autism epidemic, all vaccines are safe for everyone, mercury poses no threat to health, formaldehyde is safe when injected.

Here is a journalist whos calling for censorship, and thats the most frightening aspect of this whole crazy piece.

(Im sure Forbes and their pharmaceutical advertisers are very happy with her coverage.)

Ive seen Haelles reporting on vaccines over the past few years. Weve covered her on Age of Autism. Shes one of the strongest voices out there defending the safety of vaccines.

Heres is part of a talk from May, 2016.







Haelle described vaccine hesitancy as one of the biggest threats to public health. She pointed out that vaccine hesitancy is the result of irrational fears. In her world, vaccines are safe, serious side effects only affect one in a million, but parents still worry. Its really a psychological problem. Parents see autism develop around the time kids get the MMR vaccine and they link the twofalsely. Giving parents facts is not going to change their minds, because scientists learned long ago that our brains just arent wired that way. Haelle outlined how to reassure parents about vaccine safety, after all, the residual formaldehyde, the tiny amounts left in some vaccines, is no different chemically than the formaldehyde thats in a pear. Its in our bloodstreams. Our bodies make formaldehyde.

At the end of her talk she made this incredible statement:

Confronting vaccine hesitancy requires engagement. Instead of dismissing, or mocking, or fearing, or laughing at mocking, those who fear vaccines, we need to listen to them. Genuinely listen to them. A person who feels heard, relaxes, lets their guard down. The cognitive biases are less engaged when the threat of being attacked goes away. There will always a tiny percentage of people that we cant reach. There always has beenthats okay. We dont need to reach a hundred percent of people, just enough to keep herd immunity up.



When we come across someone who fears vaccines, we wont get very far by laughing, mocking, accusing, but we might get somewhere bit by bit with some thoughtful communication and some empathy and compassion.

Tara Haelles talk has no relationship to what is happening with our vaccine program in the U.S.

She is totally out of touch with the reality of industry controlled health care in our country, epidemic levels of sick and disabled kids, and the huge number of parents whove witnessed firsthand how vaccines can destroy the health of children.

Haelles silly plea to listen to them is condescending and patronizing. Vaccine promoters like Haelle are never willing to talk to any of us who know what the controversy is all about. Their only hope is to convince the uninformed and frightened parents out there who still trust that our government would never force such dangerous products on Americas children.



Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017 - The U.S. exported 121.9 million gallons (MG) of ethanol in November, the third-largest monthly total in five years, according to government trade data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

Brazil was the top market, RFA says, followed by Canada and China. RFA says exports to Brazil have been rising steadily since May, when the country recorded 6 MG of imports from the U.S.

RFA notes that at 50.9 MG, shipments to Brazil represented 42 percent of the November total, making Brazil the top destination for U.S. ethanol for the second straight month.

In November, Canada scaled back from the prior month, RFA says, accounting for 20 percent of U.S. ethanol exports, at 24.8 MG.

The association says China increased its purchases of U.S. ethanol in November. The country imported 19.8 MG, or some 16 percent of U.S. exports, the Asian nations largest monthly volume since April, RFA says.

With only one month left (to account for) in the calendar year, its still a toss-up between Canada and Brazil as our largest customer for 2016 as each (maintained) 24 percent of U.S. ethanol export market share through November, with China falling behind at 19 percent, RFA reported.

Did you know Agri-Pulse subscribers get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website? Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.





Year-to-date exports stood at 947.4 MG, which imply an annual total of 1.034 billion gallons for 2016, the association says.

#30

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2017 - National Grange Master Betsy Huber, just completing her first year as president of the oldest U.S. general farm organization, aims to increase its stature as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2017. The Grange plans to put its emphasis on crop insurance and health care legislation and rural telecommunications policy next year, she told a recent luncheon of USDA retirees.

The top issue for the Grange this year is expanding broadband communications. Too many rural areas are without adequate service, she said, adding that 53 percent of rural America lacks high-speed internet access. Huber is particularly concerned about continued availability of subsidized lifeline communications in rural areas, outlining the Grange views in an article on Agri-Pulse earlier this year.

We also plan to be very active on the farm bill, she said, emphasizing food security and safety. We believe that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) should be in the farm bill. We dont want to take food away from the hungry, but there needs to be oversight to eliminate abuses, she added. We also want to work on better food handling by the consumer, she said, emphasizing educational programs to teach people the proper way to take care of food after it leaves the grocery store.

The Grange also strongly supports the continuation of the multi-peril federal crop insurance program, according to policy adopted at its November 2016 annual meeting, urging that it cover all program, non-program and specialty crops on a nationwide basis.

One of its more extensive policy resolutions calls for significant changes in the dairy program, including a milk supply management program, a raise in the milk support price, legislation geared toward controlling volatility of month-to-month milk prices, and major improvements to the dairy producer income insurance program.

Grange policy appears favorable to some initiatives expected under the incoming Trump Administration but at odds on others. Saying that doctors are becoming scarce in some rural areas, she would amend some parts of the Affordable Care Act that could hinder the availability of medical care for patients in rural America. Like most national farm and commodity groups, the Grange opposes the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers.

However, it could be on opposite sides on trade. Our policy resolution supports the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership), she said. We have had a big debate on NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), but our policy remains in favor of free and fair trade.

The Grange is very supportive of biotechnology, Huber said, noting that biotech food ingredients have been proven safe. We have a number of members growing organic or local food that oppose it, but the majority continues to support biotechnology. Its policy opposes legislation that requires the labeling of products of milk from cows treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), one of the first commercial uses of biotechnology.

Like what you see here? Agri-Pulse subscribers get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.





Huber, who was born and raised on a dairy farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, is the first woman elected as master  the formal title of the president of the organization formally known as the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. She says the national group now consists of about 2,000 local granges in 37 states with some 160,000 members. They are most active in the Northeast and Pennsylvania and the Northwest states and California.

She also is the steward of a significant history of legislative accomplishment. The Grange is credited with enactment of the first legislation to regulate railroads, of enactment of rural free delivery for the Post Office and with its early support for a Cabinet-level USDA. The first secretary of agriculture, Norman Jay Coleman, was a Grange member, she noted.

Hubers office gives her the responsibility for one of the most coveted office buildings in Washington. On H Street overlooking Lafayette Square, the landmark 11-story building was dedicated by the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960, and is the only private edifice in a federal block across from the White House. Although rumors have surfaced in the past that one or more government agencies would like to buy it to consolidate the federal enclave, Huber said that, although they may want it, there has been no pressure lately. We dont intend to sell.

#30

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017  A Department of Agriculture lifecycle analysis of ethanols greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) shows a favorable comparison to gasoline, and indicates a positive disparity between the two could continue to grow.

On an energy equivalent basis, the report says GHG emissions associated with corn-based ethanol are 43 percent lower than 2005-era gasoline. Under a scenario where energy efficiency of ethanol plants and conservation practices at the farm level are both at optimum conditions, that reduction jumps to 76 percent. That increased reduction could be realized as facility and production improvements continue in the industry, the report noted.

The analysis takes into account the entire lifecycle of corn ethanol from its time as a kernel in a bag of seed to its use in a motor vehicle engine. An argument against corn ethanol has been that the planting, harvesting, transporting, and refining of the feedstock led to more emissions over the life of production, but renewable fuel advocates have long said that was an erroneous assumption.

This should answer the critics who have repeated Big Oils polemic that renewable biofuels somehow increase carbon emissions, Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association President, said in a statement. Clearly, the opposite is true.

We are pleased that USDAs analysis reflects the tremendous efficiency gains our industry has made and continues to make, he continued. This is not your grandfathers ethanol industry.

The report differs from some previous studies on the subject on how it addresses land used for the growth of ethanols feedstock. Some previous studies operated under the assumption that new land would have to be brought into production via methods like deforestation or clearing of grasslands.

The report also takes into account things like conservation practices on current farmland. Those practices  reducing tillage and using cover crops, for example  are estimated to reduce GHG emissions by 14 percent.

Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said the report underscores that ethanol and other biofuels are the most effective alternative to fossil fuel and a critical tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. National Corn Growers Association President Wesley Spurlock also spoke along the same vein, saying the report reaffirmed what we already know: Ethanol does more than just save consumers money at the gas pump, its also better for the environment.

Sen. Chuck Grassley  an Iowa Republican and one of the most vocal renewable fuel supporters on Capitol Hill  said the report completely and definitively settles the debate regarding the positive environmental benefits of conventional corn ethanol.

Learn about the benefits of subscribing to Agri-Pulse. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.





The report shows theres really no contest, Grassley said. Ethanol beats gasoline on lower greenhouse gas emissions by a mile.

A spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute declined to comment, other than to point out that the process that enables more efficient ethanol manufacturing is coming through the use of natural gas.

Ethanol and renewable fuels policy will be a topic to watch under the incoming Trump administration. As a candidate, President-elect Donald Trump was vocally supportive of ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard, but his EPA pick  Scott Pruitt  has had adversarial opinions on the program.

As Oklahomas attorney general, Pruitt filed lawsuits challenging the RFS, but he has assured lawmakers the EPA will follow congressional intent on the biofuel policy, which sets renewable fuel blending requirements through 2022.

#30

For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com
Let me say this with as much tact and respect as I can muster: If you truly believe that the level of democracy in North Carolina is in any way comparable to the level of democracy in Cuba, then you are either 1) an ignoramus, 2) an unrepentant communist, or 3) a college professor.An ignoramus wouldn't know that in dictatorships such as Cuba, competitive politics is illegal, the media outlets are either owned or controlled by the dictators in power, and dissenters are routinely imprisoned and killed. The unrepentant communist would know these things, and approve.But what of the college professor? This isn't a hypothetical question. As you may know by now, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill named Andrew Reynolds wrote a December 22 op-ed in the Raleigh News & Observer in which he cited research from the Electoral Integrity Project to assert thatI'll explain the details in a moment, but right from the first you should spot the problem. Cuba and Indonesia don't even belong in the same category, much less Cuba and North Carolina. In any line of inquiry, if you develop a model that produces nonsensical outcomes, you go back and see what's wrong with your model Unless, of course, you don't know any better (ignoramus) or actually think the perverse outcome is good (communist). Assuming Reynolds is neither, why would he excoriate North Carolina's election laws based on the results of an obviously faulty comparison? I can only guess that like many denizens of the modern academy, he sees truth as subjective and instrumental, not objective and fundamental. His purpose in the op-ed was to attack state Republicans - not just for enacting voter ID laws but also for enacting House Bill 2, which has nothing to do with the election process.Comparing North Carolina to Cuba came in handy. It got Reynolds op-ed space and social-media shares and national coverage. I saw hundreds of Democratic activists and politicians who ought to have known better trumpet it. Reynolds even got a follow-up piece in the N&O in which he bragged about the exposure he got and tried to turn it into an argument for redistricting reform in North Carolina. Unfortunately, his antics have done nothing but hurt the cause of redistricting reform, a cause I have championed for decades, which frustrates and angers me.How many people who gladly peddled this nonsense actually went online to read the research Reynolds was citing? It consisted of a survey sent to other professors. In North Carolina, there were 29 respondents. Most identified themselves as rather left-wing (an average of 3.1 on a scale in which 1 was liberal and 10 was conservative). While some of the questions were related to public policy, others pertained to private action (such as whether the professors thought media coverage was biased) or assumed progressive preferences (such as government-funded campaigns).North Carolina's worst ratings were, indeed, on voting districts. We got a 7 out of 100. Cuba got a 52. We got a 28 for election laws and 73 for election procedures, vs. Cuba's 43 and 82 respectively. Again, a reasonable person hoping to take such a research model somewhere useful would see that result, strap on a parachute, and jump out - not eagerly ride it into the side of a cliff, as Reynolds and his followers have done.I advocate reforms that would generate more competitive congressional and legislative districts. I did so when Democrats were gerrymandering the maps - the 2001 districts they tried to enact, until the courts stopped them, were far more contorted than the current ones - and I've continued to do so with Republicans in charge.But I won't scream "wolf" at the top of my lungs whenever I see a terrier. I'll leave that boyish task to ignoramuses, communists, and college professors.
With case set for Jan. 19 conference, Republicans say justices are likely to hear appeal, making special elections this year impossible

"The plaintiffs, which amount to a bunch of liberal activist groups, have been executing their plan as defined in the Blueprint NC memo, which is to litigate us into submission."

The U.S. Supreme Court put a temporary halt to a three-judge panel's order to hold special legislative elections later this year, and the top election official in the N.C. House thinks the justices eventually will toss out the off-year election plan.Rep. David Lewis , R-Harnett, said he was delighted by the Supreme Court's stay. Lewis is chairman of the House Rules Committee and co-chairman of the House Elections Committee.Lewis said.Lewis said, referring to the three-judge panel.The three-judge panel was made up of U.S. 4th Circuit Judge James Wynn and U.S. District Court Judges Thomas Schroeder and Catherine Eagles . In August 2016, the three judges found that race was the predominant factor in the 2011 drawing of maps for 28 N.C. Senate and House districts.In November 2016, the panel set the March 15 deadline for redrawing legislative districts and required special elections this fall in districts where boundary lines were redrawn.The Supreme Court's order blocks the panel's action while it is on appeal. Supreme Court justices will hold a conference on Jan. 19 and take up the issue of whether to hear the appeal later this year. The high court's action also blocked the lower panel's order for the General Assembly to redraw legislative districts by March 15.Supreme Court procedure requires at least five justices to agree on a stay - or delay - of a lower court's order, but only four justices are needed to agree to take up a case on appeal.If the Supreme Court accepts the appeal, justices could hear the case later in the spring, or potentially hold it over until later. The appointment of a new justice to fill the vacancy left by the 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia also could affect the court's timing.Lewis said he felt confident the 2011 maps will prevail in the nation's highest court.In late 2012, Blueprint NC, an umbrella group for liberal organizations, circulated a memo on how to counter the Republican leadership in the General Assembly and the governor's office. One recommendation called on liberal groups toAt the influential SCOTUSblog , attorney and former UNC-Chapel law instructor Amy Howe noted that when hearing oral arguments last year in another lawsuit involving congressional districts in North Carolina and Virginia,Howe added,General Assembly leaders applauded the justices' order.Senate leader Phil Berger , R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore , R-Cleveland, said in a joint statement shortly after the Supreme Court's action on Tuesday. Anita Earls , executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice , which represents the plaintiffs who challenged the maps, said she is confident the lower court's opinion will be upheld.Earls said Tuesday.
Quan Williams, right, believes her son, Cameron, who has epilepsy, would benefit from the passage of the S.C. Compassionate Care Act, a comprehensive medical marijuana bill.
A Georgia man previously expelled from the Scuttle's Island investment team over "embezzlement" claims is back in jail, according to the Colum
Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East

(AINA) -- Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, has published a book titled After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East. The book explores the state and future of the Christians of the Middle East. Dr. Kendal authors the weekly Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin, serves as the Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith and Freedom (Canberra), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology, an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology. Her previous book, Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today, presents a biblical response to persecution and existential threat.

The following is an interview with Dr. Kendal.

Firstly, please explain the title.

"After Saturday Comes Sunday" is a popular Arab war-cry which essentially means, "After we (Muslims) get rid of the Jews (who worship on Saturdays) we'll get rid of the Christians (who worship on Sundays)." We cannot appreciate the magnitude of the Christian crisis in the Middle East unless we first appreciate the seriousness of this threat.

Anyone who thinks Christians and Christianity could not be eliminated from Mesopotamia (Syria-Iraq), Egypt, and the wider Middle East needs to consider that the precedent has been set, for Jews and Judaism have already been eliminated from the Arab states. Christians and Christianity could be eliminated from Mesopotamia and the wider Middle East, and the only thing necessary for that to be achieved is that we do nothing.

What motivated you to write this book?

Most media coverage of the Syrian conflict is thin on context, thick with propaganda, and driven by interests. Every night the newsreader tells us that the heavily armed, bushy-beared, black flag waving, Allahu Akbar (Allah is greater) shouting, "moderate rebels" on our screens are fighting for democracy, liberty and human rights. But as news of Islamic atrocities leaked out, Christians around the world grew increasingly concerned about the fate of their co-religionists.

Cognizant of a growing demand for information, I committed to writing a book that would not merely expose the suffering but explain the Christian crisis in the Middle East.

We need to understand what is happening, for not only do the Christians of the Middle East need all the help they can get, but Mesopotamia, long known as the cradle of civilization, is merely ground zero in the increasingly global battle for civilization.

The conflict seems incredibly complex. How do you manage to unravel the complexity without losing people?

Conflicting narratives, manipulative "newspeak", and saturating propaganda all work together to make the conflict profoundly confusing. While many of the finer details regarding agendas, deals and relationships are riddled with intrigue and complexity, the overall geo-strategic framework is actually very simple. And once the geo-strategic framework is clear, it becomes much easier to separate truth (which fits the picture) from interest-driven propaganda (which does not).

So what is the "geo-strategic framework" of the crisis in the Middle East?

A century of Western hegemony over the Middle East has come to an end and locked in a battle for hegemony over Mesopotamia are, the region's

three imperial powers: NATO member Turkey, US ally Saudi Arabia, and ascendant Iran;

two Islamic sects: Sunnis versus Shi'ites;

two political axes: the north-south the Turkey-Arab Sunni Axis versus the east-west Iran-led, Shi'ite-dominated, Shia Axis or Axis of Resistance (comprising Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus, along with Lebanon's Hezbollah and other "resistance" groups such as Hamas)

In the eye of the storm; in the buffer zone between the region's three imperialistic powers, on the sectarian fault-line between the region's two principle Islamic sects, at the flashpoint where the two political axes intersect, is the Fertile Crescent, home to Mesopotamia's minorities--Alawites, Yazidis, Kurds etc, and the region's indigenous Christians (mostly Assyrians and Armenians). Instead of defending Mesopotamia's integrity as a buffer zone, the West has been backing neo-Ottoman Turkey and Wahhabist Saudi Arabia while enabling and brokering deals with the revolutionary Shi'ite regime in Iran; aiding Shi'ites in Iraq and Sunnis in Syria. Meanwhile, under the cover of conflict, the region's minorities--in particular the exceedingly vulnerable indigenous Christians--are being eliminated: targeted, crushed underfoot and swept out of the arena, along with all evidence that they ever existed.

We've been told the Syrian conflict is about advancing democracy and human rights; that it's about ridding the world of a repressive, evil dictator named Bashar al-Assad. Are you suggesting that is not quite the case?

Leaders in the US, Turkey and Saudi Arabia insist that "Assad must go" because he is a brutal dictator who abuses human rights and has used force to put down popular protests. The very fact that the West's partners in this supposedly honorable and humanitarian, pro-democracy and pro-human rights venture are Turkey and Saudi Arabia--leading human rights abusers and oppressors who also use force to quell protest--should indicate that democracy and human rights are not the issue. The conflict in Syria is about a lot of things, but human rights is definitely not one of them, despite what the would-be regimechangers might say.

So why do the US, Turkey and Saudi Arabia insist that "Assad must go"? If the Syrian conflict is not about democracy and human rights, then what is it all about?

The rise of the Shia Crescent, and the ascent of Axis of Resistance leader Iran, has alarmed Israel and the US-allied Sunni Arab

dictators, for an ascendant Iran is a threaten their security and to the Sunni Arabs' economic interests.

It was in this high-stakes context that the US and her Sunni Arab allies, along with neo-Ottoman Turkey, sought to exploit

Syria's 2011 Arab Spring protests as a cover for illegal regime change in Damascus. The plan was to re-orient Syria by replacing the Alawite-led, Shia Axis-aligned, Syrian government with a Sunni Axis-aligned, Sunni regime more amenable to US and Sunni interests.

So what went wrong? Why has the US-Turkey-Arab regime change plot failed?

The US assertion that the Assad government would fall quickly with little bloodshed, just as in Tunisia and Egypt, was totally unrealistic; for as Russia pointed out, Syria is not Tunisia, nor is it Egypt--the strategic situation was totally different, meaning the government would not fall quickly.

This should have been obvious, for the governments in Tunisia and Egypt were US-backed, and a key element in the fall of those governments was the withdrawal of US support. To the contrary, Syria's Alawite-led government is backed by ascendant Iran, which regards Damascus as an integral element of its Axis of Resistance. Tehran was never going to just sit back and watch Damascus fall into the hands of US-backed Sunnis. Furthermore, as a Doha Debates survey revealed in December 2011, though the majority of Arabs (Saudis, Qataris, Egyptians, Palestinians etc) wanted Assad to go, the majority of Syrians did not! In diverse, plural, prosperous, secular Syria, Assad had majority support--support that only escalated as foreign jihadis flowed in. What's more, Syria's minority Alawites--who dominate the military--had no illusions about what Muslim Brotherhood-led Sunni majority rule would mean for them: genocide! Any attempt to illegally engineer regime change in Damascus was always destined to set the country and the region aflame.

How has the conflict impacted the Christians?

The impact on Christians has been phenomenal, especially as transnational jihadists have flooded the theatre. In Iraq, the indigenous Assyrian nation has been decimated--from a population of 1.4 million (1987 census) to some 200,000 today, virtually all of whom are displaced and destitute. Driven from their homes and from their historic heartland in the Nineveh Plains, they now survive under the protection of the Kurds, shielded by Kurdish peshmerger and Assyrian militias, although tensions exist, especially as Kurds lay claim to Assyrian lands. In Syria, Christians are surviving in the west of the country under the protection of the Assad government, shielded by the Syrian Arab Army. Hundreds of thousands are displaced. Like their co-religionists in Iraq, most have lost absolutely everything.

Why do we hear so little about this Christian crisis?

The massacres and expulsions of Christians in Syria, and the genocide of Christians in Iraq, is an embarrassment to the postChristian West's "progressive" establishment elites who cling to utopian fantasies about Islam while nurturing neo-Marxist hostilities towards Christianity. Having sold us a narrative of democracy and human rights, our political leaders seem to believe it is in their interests to keep the truth from us, lest we be appalled to discover what is really going on. And so the Christians of the Middle East are pushed deep into the fog of war, buried under a mountain of propaganda, and rendered invisible by a shroud of silence. Indeed, there is little sympathy amongst the post-Christian West's "progressive" political, academic and media elite for what they regard as the Middle East's politically incorrect Christian relics. This has shocked the Christians of the Middle East, for they had believed that the "Christian West" would help them, or at least would never harm them by arming, training and funding Islamic militants whose declared aim it is to kill Christians (in the broadest sense imaginable) and attack the West. The shock, horror, and heart-ache of Middle Eastern Christians, as it dawns on them the extent to which the West has betrayed and abandoned them, has been for me the most painful thing, filling me with deep sadness.

What do you make of Russia's involvement?

Just like the US, UK, or EU, Russia has its own interest in Syria, not the least of which is its naval base at Tartus on Syria's Mediterranean coast, an asset it doesn't want to see in the hands of al-Qaeda. After many decades of close and friendly ties, Russia has a lot invested in Syria, such that it is in Russia's economic and geo-strategic interests to preserve the status quo of a strong, secular Syrian state that is safe for minorities and good for business. Of course this means reigning in Syria's Muslim Brotherhood and defeating transnational jihadists. While this aligns with the agenda of the Alawite-led Syrian government, it conflicts with the agendas of Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran, all of which are advancing sectarian agendas. What's more, there are more than 2,500 "Chechens" (code for Russian citizens from the North Caucasus) fighting with alQaeda and Islamic State in Syria, and Russians generally agree that is better to fight these terrorists in Syria than to have them return to commit terror at home. On top of everything, Russia--and I do mean Russia, not the communist Soviet Union (the Cold War is over)--has a long history of fighting in defense of persecuted Eastern Christians. A lot of Russians care deeply about the plight of the church in Syria; this is not a "pretext", this is real.

And as you have noted, a lot of Western Christians care deeply too, but are at a loss to know how to proceed. What action can we take to help the Christians of the Middle East?

Because no house divided against itself will stand (Matt 12:25) Christians need to demonstrate solidarity: free Christians helping persecuted Christians across denominational lines. Christians need to speak out, give generously and get serious about the serious business of intercessory prayer. There is information on my website [www.ElizabethKendal.com ] and in the book's two appendices, on how this can be done. In terms of the military campaign against resurgent militant Islam: the West needs to stop arming Islamic militants and we need solidarity and co-operation across the Dar al-harb / House of war (i.e. those outside the Dar al-Islam / House of Islam), otherwise Islam will continue to play West against East for its own advantage.

Despite the situation being so bleak, and despite the fact that "After Saturday Comes Sunday" is issued as a genocidal threat, you maintain that Christians have grounds for hope. Explain.

In chapter 12, I feed the threat, "After Saturday Comes Sunday", through a theology of the cross, and what emerges is a message of hope. For as the cross reveals, our God is a God who comes, who enters hostile territory himself to subvert evil, defeat it from within and redeem it for blessing in fulfillment of promise. The cross tells us that even when it appears that God is dead and the world has won; even when it appears that hopes have been dashed and promises have failed, we can know that God is alive and active in the midst of the darkness, subverting evil, defeating it from within and redeeming it for his glory in fulfillment of promise. So, despite all appearances, this is not the day to disengage! To the contrary, the Christ of the cross commands us to take up our cross and follow him, by speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9), giving generously (James 2:15-16) and devoting ourselves to the serious business of intercessory prayer (Ephesians 6:12-18) in faith that Sunday is coming.
Will Sappington, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, will hold a CD release party on Friday, Jan. 13, at Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co.'s Garage Pub.

The new CD, "Empty Seat," features 10 original tracks performed by a talented group of Billings musicians. The cover is $5 and the show runs from 5-8 p.m.

Will's nephew, Parker Sappington, will open with a short acoustic set.

Joining Will during the live show are Trevor Krieger, Parker Brown, Erik Olson, Ken Clark, and Will's sister, Becky Sappington, with special guests John Roberts and Alex Nauman.

Trevor Krieger produced and engineered the new disc, which includes all of the above musicians plus Alyssa Krieger.

Nappy Roots return for Jan. 18 show

The Southern hip-hop band, Nappy Roots, will perform an age-21-plus show on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 9 p.m. at the Pub Station. Tickets are $15.

Since Nappy Roots entered the music scene in 1998, they have remained real, humble, talented guys with undeniable Southern swagger.

After the international success of Watermelon, Chicken, & Grits, selling more than three million albums, the members of Nappy Roots were flying high while still acutely aware of how far it could be to the bottom should they fall. It is that practical and genuine presence of mind that helped them sustain touring as a group these last 10 years. Building a loyal fan-base nationwide, fans and friends can be used interchangeably when referring to their army of followers.

With the release of their 10th mixtape, and the departure of Big V from the group, Nappy Roots forges ahead.

A weak man with no vision, no diligence behind the vision, and no faith behind the diligence would have given up, but Skinny Deville, Fishscales, B. Stille and Ron Clutch did, can, and will handle this and more, all in the name of Nappy Roots.
Trump's Nominee Grilled Over Question Of Assyrians In Middle East

Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state allegedly "exacerbated" the already perilous situation of Christians in the Middle East, a top Democrat has claimed. Rex Tillerson, the president-elect's choice for secretary of state, is the former chief of oil giant Exxon Mobil. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) accused the ex-tycoon of marginalising Iraqi Christian communities and acting against the US policy of the time. In 2011 Exxon Mobil signed a deal with the unofficial Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) prompting fury in both the American and Iraqi government. But as well as undercutting governments, Tillerson's deal also threatened the Iraqi Christian community on the Ninevah Plain, according to Schakowsky. "The number of Christians in Iraq has declined from 1.2 million residents in 2003 to less than 250,000 today," she wrote in a letter to the Forerign Relations Committee. "The deals Mr. Tillerson signed exacerbated an already perilous situation for those beleaguered communities. He helped further marginalise the Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac Christians and embolden the territorial expansion into their ancestral homeland -- all with neither consent or input from nor compensation to the indigenous communities of the Nineveh Plain." Schakowsky's letter urged the Senate Foreign Relations committee to quiz Tillerson on the deal and whether he will promise "to uphold United States policy of protecting indigenous communities such as the Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac Christians in the Ninevah Plain?" She also asked whether Tillerson would, as secretary of state, "protect vulnerable communities such as those in the Ninevah Plain from private companies and governments who put profit over human safety and security?" The controversial deal caused outrage among US officials because it was signed with the semi-autonmous Kurdistan region rather the main Iraqi government, undercutting US foreign policy. Then US-ambassador to Iraq, James Jeffrey, "dropped a few F-bombs" when he learnt of the deal, according to a Reuters report. The Kurdish authorities have encroached on the Christian's land on the disputed Ninevah Plain and subject the local believers to "pervasive discrimination and marginalization," according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Demand for Action, a charity fighting on behalf of Middle Eastern Christians, have urged US politicians to press Tillerson on his role in the deal and whether any compensation was offered to the local villages. Chief executive Steve Oshana said: "Here is a situation where, with the machinery of an American company, more Assyrian resources are being taken ... what this action does is it says to our community and the world that our indigenous rights are secondary to the oil rights of everyone else." He added according to the Huffington Post: "We're not trying to stop the confirmation. However, as he's rapidly going into his role, this is our opportunity to remind Mr. Tillerson that the actions that he took as a CEO had serious ramifications in marginalizing Christians, which is a group Donald Trump has vowed to help. "He's somebody who has had an active role in marginalising our communities. That's something people have forgiven [of him] as a CEO, but as secretary of state, he has to live up to Trump's promise," Oshana said. "If [Trump] really cares about helping our people, then this is a slam dunk." Christian Today has contacted Exxon Mobil for comment.
When Yellowstone National Parks aching cold and deep snow claims the lives of winter-weakened bison, predators like wolves are one of the beneficiaries.

Wolves know the bison are going to die so they wait and scavenge a lot, said Doug Smith, Yellowstones Wolf Project leader.

Yellowstone estimates on average that about nine out of every 100 bison die each winter. With the parks bison population now around 5,500 animals, that means roughly 500 bison could perish this winter. With adult bison ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, those carcasses will be a substantial source of protein for park predators and scavengers, especially top predators like wolves who in the winter dont have to compete with hibernating grizzly and black bears.

Yellowstone is a pretty good place to be a wolf, Smith said.

Studies in the parks Northern Region have estimated that wolf survival is due in large part to that reliable source of bison meat, composing as much as one-quarter to one-third of a wolfs scavenging activity. Without bison carcasses, Smith said the parks wolves may not have enough to eat in the winter.

Aged couple

Such a large source of food may be one reason the park contains the longest-known pair bond between two wolves ever recorded. Alpha male 712 will be 12 years old this March, an incredibly long life considering that on average Yellowstone wolves live only to age 5.

Wolf 712s mate is a white female popular with photographers. Because shes never been captured and collared, Smith isnt sure how old the white wolf is, but shes been with her black mate for more than seven years. Wolves begin breeding at 2 or 3 years old, so the female is almost as old as 712.

Its a cool story, Smith said. Theyre probably the most famous wolves in the park.

The two lead the Canyon pack, which roams the area around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Hayden Valley, north of Yellowstone Lake.

This pack has been very comfortable near developed areas, exemplified by their use of a highway culvert to stash pups in 2008, denning near park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs in 2009, and regularly using roads as travel corridors during the winter months, according to the Yellowstone Wolf website.

Given their familiarity with the park and its bison, Smith said the alpha pairs winter routine is likely to include checking places where bison are known to die in hopes of finding a large, already dead meal.

I can guarantee you they are going to all of their old spots, he said.

Darting

Smith also goes to all of his old spots in the park in the winter when searching for wolves to dart from a helicopter. Darting wolves allows him to collect physical information and fit animals in almost every pack with GPS collars. So far this winter, though, cold and wind has kept his crew from helicoptering aloft.

Thats bad news for information collection because the last two years were also poor for darting and collaring. Whats even more frustrating is that out of the 12 wolves the park did capture last winter, collars on five of them failed within a few months of deployment. Annually the park attempts to collar 15 to 20 wolves, with at least one collar in each pack. Twenty to 22 collared wolves is the long-term average, so Smith said 12 is disappointingly low.

As a result, in two of the Northern Regions larger packs, one has no collar and the other contains only one wolf with a working collar. The problem with the lack of collars was demonstrated in November and December when much of the Junction Butte pack disappeared from the park and wandered into Montana. While there, three members of the pack were legally killed by hunters north of the park. Park researchers are trying to understand the impact that the hunting seasons in surrounding states have on park wolves. Another three park wolves from the 8 Mile pack were also shot this hunting season, Smith said.

At last count, Yellowstone contained about 100 wolves in 10 packs, a population that has remained fairly stable since 2008. Lower wolf densities may be one reason that the parks wolves havent had an outbreak of disease for eight years, defying researchers predictions that distemper would strike every three to seven years.
January 11, 2017

CAIRO  The 2014 Egyptian Constitution guarantees the independence of the judiciary and protects it from the interference of any other authority. And, according to Article 184, The judiciary is independent. It is vested in the courts of justice of different types and degrees, which issue their judgments in accordance with the law. Its powers are defined by law. Interference in judicial affairs or in proceedings is a crime to which no statute of limitations may be applied.

However, a bill that contradicts this constitutional text was recently proposed to parliament. On Dec. 13, Undersecretary of the parliamentary Legislative Committee and member of parliament Ahmed al-Sharif proposed a draft law related to the appointment of the heads of judicial committees. According to Youm7 newspaper, the draft law stipulates, The president shall appoint the head of the Administrative Prosecution Authority from among three senior judges that the authoritys Higher Council nominates; the head of the State Lawsuits Authority from among three senior judges that the Higher Council nominates; and the head of the Cassation Court from among three senior judges that the Higher Council nominates.

The draft law states that the head of the Egyptian State Council must be appointed out of three senior judges nominated by the State Councils General Assembly pursuant to the presidents decision also.

The draft law, which tasks the president with appointing the heads of judicial committees, consists of an amendment to Article 44 of the Egyptian Judicial Authority Law of 1972 stating that the head of the judiciary is appointed by the Higher Judicial Council by order of absolute seniority.

The law that the parliament submitted is in line with Article 239 of the 2014 constitution, which states that the parliament issues a law organizing the rules for managing justice affairs and delegating judges and members of judicial bodies and entities within a period not exceeding five years from the date this constitution comes into effect.

Commenting on the draft law proposed to parliament, Judge Mohamed Abdel Mohsen, the head of Egypts Judges Club, wrote on the clubs Facebook page Dec. 25, Reducing the judiciarys authority by amending Article 44 without changing the whole [draft] law is not in line with the requirements of public interest.

Mohsen noted that the draft law must be amended wholly to be in line with the 2014 constitution.

Saber Ammar, a legal expert and member of the Higher Committee for Legislative Reform, agreed with Mohsen and told Al-Monitor, We must steer clear of partial legal amendments. Since the [initial] law was issued in the 1970s, it needs wider re-examination instead of amending just one article.

Mohsen posted on Facebook that the Judges Club is working on preparing a complete project with suggestions for the judicial law, in consultation with the concerned parties. He noted that the draft law violates the independence of the judiciary, as it infringes upon the stable judicial constants.

The judges in Egypt refuse the draft law because it interferes with their work. On Dec. 27, the Egyptian Judges Club issued a statement, which Al-Monitor examined, indicating absolute refusal of the draft law and considering the parliaments amendments of the judiciary law a violation of the separation principle between the judicial, legislative and executive authorities.

Sharif told Al-Monitor over the phone, The Judges Club is not concerned with issuing any suggestions on the laws or making amendments related to legislation. This task should be left to the different judicial committees. The draft law is seeking to replace the seniority principle and give more chances based on competence.

Former presidential candidate Khaled Ali, who had filed a lawsuit to annul the maritime demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, said Dec. 27 that the independence of the judicial committees and the State Council are being targeted in order to limit the judiciarys role in protecting the legitimacy principle. The draft law came after the State Council issued a ruling stating that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian, but said the ruling contradicted the decision of the Egyptian government to give up the two islands in April 2016. According to Ali, the aim is to undermine the role of the Egyptian judiciary, especially the State Council because of its rulings that often do not go in line with the executive authoritys views.

Former President of the State Council Mohammad Hamed al-Jamal told Al-Monitor that the parliament must withdraw the draft law because this is a judicial affair.

In case the draft law is approved, Jamal said that the judges will have to resort to the constitutional court.

The current clash between the legislative and judicial authorities did not end here. On Jan. 2, a statement issued by the Egyptian Institution for the Protection of the Constitution criticized the governments decision to refer the maritime demarcation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Egypt without waiting for the final ruling from the Higher Administrative Court.

The institution led by Ambassador Amr Moussa, who is the head of the constituent assembly responsible for drafting the 2014 constitution, expressed its concerns regarding the governments decision and its timing. The association called on the state authorities to respect the constitution.
January 12, 2017

Finally, and against all odds, Iran received on Jan. 12 the first passenger jet purchased from European aircraft maker Airbus. The move is a success for moderate President Hassan Rouhani, especially as he faces a bid for re-election in May.

The Airbus jetliner that landed in Tehran Jan. 12 is the first brand-new Western passenger jet delivered to Iran in decades. The countrys current fleet is mostly comprised of planes purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and thus considered very old.

Under the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers, sanctions that have prevented Western aircraft manufacturers from selling planes to Iran were lifted. In this vein, Iran in December finalized a deal with Airbus worth $18 billion to purchase 100 new planes. Under the deal, Iran will receive 46 Airbus A320 planes, 38 A330 planes and 16 A350 XWB aircraft over the coming decade. Tehran has also signed a similar deal with Boeing for 80 planes as well as 20 turboprop engines with Europe's ATR.

The delivery of the brand-new jet to Tehran was welcomed by Reformist and moderate news agencies and news sites, which described it as the fruit of the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, conservatives and hard-liners sought to downplay the importance of the development, which is among the first tangible results of the nuclear deal for ordinary Iranians.

The buying of passenger planes has consistently been a controversial issue over the past two years, as conservatives have condemned Rouhani and described his motives for buying aircraft as "electoral."

On Jan. 30, 2016, Gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi, then-commander of Iran's paramilitary Basij force, slammed the president for his efforts to purchase planes from Western aircraft manufacturers, saying, The occurrences of the Rome and France trips [of Rouhani] were a stab to the body of the Resistance Economy. These measures are against the Resistance Economy, and in case of continuance of such measures, we should close down the technical universities of the country.

In response to Naghdis criticism, First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri said Feb. 2, 2016, Some individuals are putting a stick in the countrys wheel.  We have two types of officials in the country. The duty of some officials is to resolve peoples issues, while some others responsibility is to nag and put a stick in the countrys wheel. The second type always gets upset by peoples happiness.

Following the intensification of the hard-liners attempt to cancel the aircraft deals, Rouhani has on a few occasions stepped forward to respond to their criticisms. On Oct. 20, 2016, Rouhani said, When the government wants to buy a plane, some individuals state that you should buy buses instead of planes.  If the government doesnt purchase planes, they say, What is the result of the JCPOA? And if we buy a plane, they say, This plane is luxurious and brand-new.

Hard-liners believe the Rouhani administrations push for the finalization of the aircraft deals is political and intended to sway the public ahead of the May 2017 presidential elections. Describing the buying of Airbus jets as part of Rouhanis bid for re-election, hard-line parliament member Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar thundered on Dec. 27, 2016, Buying 100 planes and creating limited job opportunities in the country while creating job opportunities for the European countries and America is no cause for pride. On Jan. 1 this year, Rouhani responded to these criticisms, saying, There are nine months left [in office] for this administration.  It is not appropriate for them to say it is electoral if we seek to open a railway or buy planes.
January 10, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  Prominent Iranian comedian, actor and television director Mehran Modiri has come under harsh criticism over comments on women and divorces. In a five-minute bit during his standup comedy show that aired on state TV in December, Modiri ridiculed Iranian men who at the time of the marriage agree to grant their wives the right to divorce, saying, Sometimes men get carried away.

When some Iranian men sign their marriage certificates, they choose to stipulate that their wives, just like themselves, have the right to file for divorce and separate at any time they wish .

Divorce rights are addressed in Articles 1119, 1129, 1130 and 1133 of Irans Civil Code. The law allows an Iranian woman to file for divorce if her husband refrains from paying the dowry he promised her, or if he is absent without a justifiable reason for six consecutive months or nine total months in a period of one year, if he is an addict, if he is sentenced to jail for a period of at least five years, if he engages in physical abuse or if he has an incurable disease.

Modiris remarks sparked a backlash on social media networks targeting his latest TV series "Dorehami," "Gathering." Criticizing the comedian, Twitter and Telegram users have described his attitude toward divorce as misogynistic. On Twitter, #righttodivorce, #dorehami and #mehranmodiri quickly became popular hashtags. One Iranian Twitter user wrote, Granting a woman a divorce is not getting carried away or a joke, but the legal restoration of her rights as a human being.

Iranian journalist Mira Ghorbanifar also criticized Modiri and his show in several tweets. She wrote in one, Mehran Modiri didnt just make a joke about women's right to divorce. He ridiculed it and ignorantly thought that granting women this right will deprive men of their rights.

Of course, there are a few people who seem to agree with Modiris comments. One citizen tweeted, Ladies: Dont get married. Stay in your fathers homes and study. Buy a house with your own money and travel and you will not need the right to divorce.

The controversy has spread beyond social media. Some Iranians have sent emails to the IRIB TV channel Nasim, which broadcasts "Dorehami," and even the state broadcaster to complain about what they describe as his offensive remarks and behavior.

The Reformist newspaper Shargh Daily has complained that the quality of TV programs is declining, criticizing the discussion of undignified topics on state television. Its coverage of the controversy has included interviews with researchers in the field of womens rights. Pardis Ameri, a researcher in womens studies, told Shargh, If there are shortcomings, it is due to a lack of social and cultural knowledge even among modern producers such as Mehran Modiri, who may not have enough information about the right to divorce  a feature that distinguishes men who see their wives as equals. Ameri added, It is also a sign of weak cultural policies which allow a producer to disregard red lines in regard to gender issues. However, bringing up issues such as prenuptial agreements and the right to divorce on national TV can pave the way for discussion and creating social awareness  if experts on gender studies and civil activists back the wave that has been created.

Media sociologist Azadeh Taherkhani told Al-Monitor, Mehran Modiris past productions have shown that he has a demeaning view toward woman and sees them as being beneath him. In all the comedy series he has made during the past 20 years, women have been portrayed as stupid and naive creatures. His recent remarks about the right to a divorce have their roots in his personal and patriarchal viewpoint.

In recent years, however, an apparently increasing number of Iranian men have been agreeing to grant their wives divorces. The only difference is that women do not need to pay their husbands anything if they file for divorce. Men, on the other hand, must pay the substantial dowry that the couple agreed on at the time of the marriage ceremony. In recent years, these sums have gone through the roof and can exceed 2,000 gold coins, each of which is currently worth around 12 million rials in Iran, $370 at the official exchange rate, meaning that men can end up owing their former spouses hundreds of thousands of dollars.

There are no official statistics on the number of men who these days agree to divorce. Yet the number appears to be increasing, particularly in larger cities and especially in the capital, Tehran, and among higher social classes.
January 11, 2017

It has been three days since Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani passed away, but Iranian media is still buzzing with coverage of the former two-time president. If anything, the wave of reactions to the death of the Expediency Council chairman doesnt seem to be subsiding.

On Jan. 11, one day after Rafsanjanis funeral  which saw at least 2.5 million mourners on the streets of Tehran  Iranian newspapers front pages were all dedicated to the sudden death of one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic.

The Reformist daily Ghanoon highlighted the number of mourners, running the headline Similar to the [peoples] farewell to the Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]. Another Reformist outlet, Aftab Yazd, ran the headline For the love of Hashemi [Rafsanjani]. The government-run Iran newspaper chose the headline The history-making farewell, and the moderate Ettelaat referred to the event as The funeral of the great man of the revolution on the shoulder of the sad nation. Referring to the attendance of people from across the political spectrum at the funeral, the Reformist Shargh daily ran the headline The political confluence.

Conservative newspapers also decided to dedicate their front pages to Rafsanjani, displaying pictures of the many mourners. Hinting at Rafsanjanis burial at the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, Javan newspaper on Jan. 11 chose the headline Sleeping beside the Imam [Khomeini]. Meanwhile, two hard-line newspapers that have consistently targeted Rafsanjani over his political approach also led with reports of the funeral. Vatan-e Emrooz's Jan. 11 headline was Magnanimous farewell, and Kayhan daily went with People committed to the [Supreme] Leader did their best for the friend of the Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei].

Calling the late president The dear Ayatollah, the hard-line Kayhan newspaper, known for its fierce attacks on Rafsanjani, wrote Jan. 11, The sudden demise of Ayatollah Rafsanjani deeply saddened both advocates and opponents of Hashemi Rafsanjani, and we could see the hatred of Western and Arab media toward Hashemi Rafsanjani through their strategy [in terms of coverage of his death].

Reza Seraj, a hard-line analyst, wrote on conservative Mosalas Weeklys Telegram channel Jan. 11, The late Hashemi Rafsanjani sought to  establish a new current with his leadership. Hashemis project was to create a bigger current than the other currents and turning it into the major and determinative player in the Islamic Republic.

Predicting potential developments in the aftermath of Rafsanjanis death, Seraj wrote, Leadership vacuum in the West-oriented [political] current," The process of [persuading] the Islamic Republic to accept the West will become slow," Disagreements among the West-oriented [political currents] in post-Rafsanjani [Iran], The weakening of [moderate President Hassan] Rouhanis bargaining power inside the Islamic Republic and Bypassing of Rouhani by some Reformists.

In contrast to Seraj, outspoken Tehran University professor Sadegh Zibakalam said Jan. 11, During the past 48 hours, it has repeatedly been said that the reform has lost its father and that the moderation current has gone aground, but I believe that all these arguments are wrong [based on] what happened at Hashemis funeral.

He added, Before this matter [Rafsanjanis death], I had said that Mr. Rouhanis votes [in the upcoming May 2017 presidential election] would not even reach 15 million, but [now] Mr. Rouhanis votes will reach more than 19 million.

Explaining his reasoning, Zibakalam said, The demise of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani will lead many of those who had become disappointed with reform ... to be persuaded to vote for Rouhani. I assure you that the youth and people who were saying that Rouhani hasnt shown a very good performance and that they wont vote for him will passionately vote for Rouhani.

In other news, media are speculating about who will be Rafsanjanis successor in the Expediency Council, mentioning names such as former judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the supreme leaders Inspection Office Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, head of the Expediency Councils Center for Strategic Research Ali Akbar Velayati and Rouhani.

Of note, members of the Expediency Council  including its chairman  are directly appointed by the supreme leader. The council is tasked with resolving differences between parliament and the Guardian Council.
January 11, 2017

WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, enduring some nine grueling hours of questions at his nomination hearing Jan. 11, said the Trump administrations top foreign policy priority would be to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS). Tillerson, the chairman and 41-year veteran of ExxonMobil, also suggested the Trump administration might be inclined to keep the Iran nuclear deal, while reviewing it to ensure strict compliance and enforcement, and may seek to negotiate a possible follow-on agreement to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.

There are competing priorities in this region  but they must not distract from our utmost mission of defeating [IS], Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his prepared testimony.

Because when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority, Tillerson continued. Defeating [IS] must be our foremost priority in the Middle East.

Facing some of the toughest questions from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., about his views on Russian foreign policy aggression and rights abuses, Tillerson demurred from agreeing to characterize Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, while saying the United States should have behaved more assertively when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

"Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?" Rubio asked.

"I would not use that term," Tillerson responded.

After another exchange with Rubio about womens rights in Saudi Arabia, Tillerson tried to explain that he supported the same values as Rubio, but saw merit in taking a less heavy-handed approach in pursuing them in other nations.

"There seems to be some misunderstanding," Tillerson told Rubio. I share the same values that you share."

There is change underway in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It is moving in the direction that we want it to move, Tillerson said. What I would not want to do is take some precipitous action that [might cause them to] interrupt  making  that progress.

Portraying himself as a clear-eyed realist and former engineer who looks at the facts, Tillerson expressed skepticism at US-driven regime change efforts, and said he considered it would be his job as the nations top diplomat to develop the options to avoid the need for that.

Any decision to affect a change of leadership in a country by force cannot be taken lightly, Tillerson said in response to questions from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a libertarian skeptical of US military interventions. The question is, what comes next?

My job is to make sure we never get there  to chart out other pathways by which we can have steady progress to cause regimes  to change their behavior, Tillerson said.

Tillerson, who faces scrutiny from senators for his extensive work in Russia for Exxon, expressed insights into how Russia sees the world, but did not suggest he was inclined to be a pushover for Putin. He also faulted the Barack Obama administration for unintentionally inviting Russian aggression in Ukraine and Syria by failing to uphold the red line to use force to punish the Syrian regime for its use of chemical weapons.

We must also be clear-eyed about our relationship with Russia, Tillerson wrote in his prepared testimony. Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests. It has invaded Ukraine, including the taking of Crimea, and supported Syrian forces that brutally violate the laws of war.

But it was in the absence of American leadership that this door was left open and unintended signals were sent, he wrote. We backtracked on commitments we made to allies. We sent weak or mixed signals with red lines that turned into green lights. We did not recognize that Russia does not think like we do.

Russia more than anything wants to re-establish its role in the global world order, Tillerson said later during the hearing. It is searching for how to establish that  to force a conversation about what is its role in the global world order. While the two nations can come to a better understanding, we are not likely to be friends, he said.

Tillerson showed less familiarity with the Iran nuclear deal, at one point telling Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., that under the landmark agreement, which went into effect last year, Iran could purchase a nuclear weapon but not develop one. Tillerson later acknowledged that he had misspoke, and said he had learned during the break that Iran was prohibited, both as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from ever seeking or acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Tillerson suggested the Trump administration would undertake a review of the JCPOA and pursue vigorous enforcement in the medium term. In the longer term, it might seek to negotiate some sort of follow-on agreement with Iran, he suggested.

As for the nuclear agreement, I do look forward to take a comprehensive look at that, alongside with the side agreements  to stay informed on their activities  are they complying with all the inspections requirements, Tillerson said.

What happens here at the end of this agreement, Tillerson said. The objective has not changed. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The Trump transition media team did not respond to an emailed query from Al-Monitor about who had briefed Tillerson on Iran for the nomination hearing.

The State Department referred questions to the Trump transition team. We would refer you to the transition team to speak to Mr. Tillerson's hearing preparations, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner told Al-Monitor. As we have made clear, the State Department remains in close contact with the landing team here and continues to provide information, support and context as required."
At least 100 Yellowstone National Park bison have been trapped in corrals near the town of Gardiner since Saturday as the National Park Service begins its grim winter work of shipping some of the wild animals to slaughter.

One large cohort of bison annually migrates north from the park in winter in search of forage as deep snow covers the interior. Another band migrates along the Madison River on the west side of the park exiting near West Yellowstone.

Weve been seeing them migrate through the month of December, said Morgan Warthin, park spokeswoman. We had anticipated this given the predictions of wintry weather. On the plateau theres been a lot of snow and cold.

Animals trapped by the Park Service are shipped to slaughter facilities for processing with the meat distributed to designated tribes.

Hunt zone

When the animals cross the park boundary into Montana near either entrance they become fair game for licensed state hunters as well as tribal members with treaty hunting rights. So far this winter, tribal hunters have reported taking 80 bison, 36 from the west side and 44 from the north, while state hunters have harvested 19 bison, only six of which came from the north side, according to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Last year the Park Service delayed its bison trapping until Feb. 15 to see if tribal hunters would be more successful. As a result, hunters killed 384 bison, rangers killed 18 wounded animals and 101 were sent to slaughter, short of the parks original goal of removing 600 to 900 animals through hunting and trapping.

Theres a balance between hunting and population management, said Sam Sheppard, FWPs Region 3 supervisor in Bozeman. We fully support operation of the trap. Theyve always done a good job of allowing enough bison to pass by  for tribal and state hunters.

Warthin said park staff wait until bison have moved back from the state boundary  often after being pressured by hunters  before herding them into the Stephens Creek Bison Capture Facilitys corrals.

Winter removal

The Park Service, in concert with cooperating agencies, is aiming to reduce the northern herd that migrates to the Gardiner Basin by 900 to 1,400 animals this winter. The northern herd is estimated at about 4,000 animals. The entire parks bison population is close to 5,500, an 11 percent increase from 2015.

That rate of increase is much higher though  24 percent  after adjusting for bison that were removed from the population through culling and harvest, according to the parks own analysis.

This increase was substantially higher than the 15-year average of 14 percent and suggests that the bison population is undergoing exponential growth  characteristic of a population that has not reached carrying capacity, according to an annual report by park biologists. This increase also suggests that the Park Service underestimated the number of bison in the population last year.

Yellowstone National Parks growing bison population has become a point of contention between the National Park Service and the state of Montana, which borders the park to the north and west. Because the bison migrate out of the park and carry a disease that can cause pregnant cattle to abort, Montana has pushed the Park Service to reduce Yellowstones total bison population to less than 3,500. Yellowstone officials have calculated that a herd of 3,000 to 5,000 is necessary for the animals to maintain genetic diversity.

Controversy

This years bison reduction efforts come on the heels of the animal being designated a national mammal of the United States because it is a historical symbol of the U.S. and was once integrally linked with the economic and spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and sacred ceremonies, according to the text of the National Bison Legacy Act.

Also in 2016, three groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia seeking to order U.S. wildlife officials to re-examine whether the Yellowstone bison should be listed as a threatened or endangered species. The Yellowstone herd is one of the last free-roaming wild herds that is genetically pure. Many of the bison raised on cattle ranches have been interbred with cattle.

One of the groups named in the lawsuit, Buffalo Field Campaign, again denounced the parks capture for slaughter program in an email this week.

 Here we have the supposed care-takers of the countrys last wild, migratory herds shipping them to slaughter to cater to the whims of producers of an invasive species  the domestic cow, said Stephanie Seay, of the Buffalo Field Campaign.

Seay is referring to the fact that there has been no documented case of Yellowstone bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle, although the majority of the parks bison have been exposed to the disease. Although some cattle outside of the park have tested positive for exposure to brucellosis  which results in constrictive and expensive quarantines  the transmissions have been traced to wild elk, which also carry the disease.

Montanas livestock lobby continues to play deadly political games with this keystone species, which is not in the least guilty of the crimes cattlemen blame them with, Seay said. In truth, invasive cattle have left death, pollution and destruction in their wake across the lands of the West, and only wild, migratory buffalo can heal these injuries. Only wild buffalo can restore the grasslands and prairie communities, which are some of the most threatened habitats in the world.

The Montana cattle industry, which works with state and federal agencies to direct bison management in the state, sees the issue much differently.

Even the Park Service recognizes their northern herd is over population objective, said Jay Bodner, natural resource director of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. They recognize they need to be managed for a declining population.

Expanding the so-called tolerance zone for bison to wander outside the park, as other wild animals are able to do, is not an option without population control, Bodner added.

One option to remove bison without slaughtering them is to ship them to other facilities where they are valued for their unique genetics. But that requires that the animals are disease free. Last year 49 animals that tested negative for exposure to brucellosis were quarantined at the Stephens Creek facility. They are still being held in the corrals. The capture facility is typically operated through March, although the success of roundups is based on the number of animals in the area. Once spring arrives and the snow melts, bison migrate back into the park.
January 10, 2017

For the second year in a row, Mariam Sarkis parents did not celebrate Christmas. In December 2015, their daughter was still being held by the Islamic State organization. Although she was later released, this past Christmas the parents were mourning their only son, Basil, who died Dec. 5 in clashes that erupted in the north of Raqqa. Basil, 25, fought against IS in the ranks of the Souturo forces allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Mariam's family belongs to the Assyrian Christian minority. They're from the village of Tell Shamiram, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the northwest of the city of Hasakah in northern Syria.

Mariam and her parents were kidnapped along with 234 Assyrians during a dawn attack by IS on Feb. 23, 2015, on the predominantly Assyrian villages located on the banks of the Khabour River. Her father was held for more than five months, and her mother for nine.

Mariam, 20 years old, is thin with dark brown eyes. A year and two months ago, when I was still kidnapped, one of the jailers came to us and shouted my mothers name [for her to be released] but did not say mine! It was the end of the world to me, she told Al-Monitor.

With tears in her eyes, Mariam recalled those difficult moments. As she clasped her hands, she said that first nine month that she was held, My mother was the source of my strength, motivation and patience, and I also felt that my father was also close to me. Then I was left to cry my eyes out for days and nights by myself.

Mariam's mother, Aklinia, was held by IS until Nov. 23, 2015, in a prison in the city of Raqqa, the organizations main stronghold in Syria. Mariams father, Shamoun, was held in the mens wing of the same facility.

After her release, Aklinia continued to wear black, fearing the return of jihadis to their region. Today, however, Aklinia is dressed in black to mourn the death of her son and express the heaviness in her heart.

When they released me, I asked one of the emirs responsible for the prison to release my daughter. I told them she could not tolerate staying alone, Akilinia told Al-Monitor. However, she was told that Mariam, who was eventually released on the anniversary of her capture, could only be let go when another deal was reached. In exchange for releasing each Assyrian prisoner, IS would ask the family to pay a ransom. The Assyrian Church in Syria, based in Hasakah, oversaw the deals.

Mariams father was released Aug. 11, 2015. He told Al-Monitor that every 15 days, IS leaders would send a sheikh to call on the prisoners to convert to Islam.

They did not force anyone to convert to Islam. The sheikh would assure us that there is no compulsion in religion and that we were receiving special treatment because we were 'people of the book.'

Mariam said, I was deprived of my freedom, and I missed seeing the sun and smelling fresh air. On Sundays, I had a strong desire to go to church, but I would secretly pray with the other detained women and girls and silently hold some rituals.

Upon her release, Aklinia was shocked to hear from her husband that IS had set fire to their church and their house along with many other houses in the village of Tell Shamiram. I havent been to the village yet. I cannot stand seeing our house reduced to ashes. They burned all our memories. They set our church ablaze. They did not spare a thing, she said bitterly.

The family is staying in Tell Tamer, quite close to Tell Shamiran. But Shamoun said that his family has decided to leave the country. We suffered a lot here. We went through kidnappings, imprisonment and arson. On top of it all, we lost our only son, so we will go to a country where we can find security away from these wars and conflicts.

This past Christmas in the predominantly Christian town of Tell Tamer seemed a luxury the town could not afford. The streets and alleys of the town were completely silent and most of the shops were closed. Most of the Assyrians have emigrated to Western countries.

Sulaiman Yousuf, a writer on religious minority affairs, told Al-Monitor that the IS attack two years ago on Tell Tamer led to the displacement of about 30,000 Assyrians from the area. Frustration and fear of the unknown prompted a lot of Assyrians to leave their villages and emigrate, he noted.

Yousuf accused the Syrian regime of failing to protect Syria's Assyrians, Chaldeans and Christians. He said the regime left them to fall prey to the jihadi organizations to put pressure on and intimidate the Assyrians into supporting him and letting him be seen as a protector of minorities.

He added, The Syrian army that is deployed in the city of Hasakah remained idle and did not intervene in repelling the attack. Even the international coalition against IS let them down and failed to protect them, he added.

Yousuf warned against the migration of Assyrians, Chaldeans and Christians. This will leave the East devoid of Christians, Yazidis or [other] minorities as they leave their home countries to look for alternative homelands that provide them with security, stability and a good future.

The number of Assyrians was an estimated 1 million people out of 2 million Christians in Syria before 2011. This number has significantly dropped as a third of them have left the country and headed to Lebanon to escape the raging war. From there, most of them have traveled to European and other Western countries.
January 12, 2017

In a blistering Jan. 11 editorial in The Washington Post, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu didnt mince words: Turkey has been expected to endure the morally bankrupt cooperation between our strategic ally and the YPG/PYD. As the PKK is ever emboldened to continue its terrorist campaign, the Turkish people are justifiably asking some hard questions, he wrote.

Cavusoglu was referring to the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), its political wing the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the militia fighting for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey.

That same day, Turkey and the United States elevated their row over the Syrian Kurds to the Twittersphere when US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the US-led coalitions fight against the Islamic State, took the unusual step of retweeting a Jan. 10 statement by its Kurdish-led allies, the Syrian Democratic Forces, in which they denied any links to the PKK.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin summed up his governments ire a few hours later in a counter-tweet: Is this a joke or @CENTCOM has lost its senses? Do you believe anyone will buy this? The US must stop trying to legitimize a terrorist group.

Turkey wants Washington to sever its ties to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) because the Syrian Kurdish YPG, the dominant militia in the SDF, and the PYD are closely allied with the PKK. The latter is waging a bloody campaign inside Turkey and escalated its attacks in recent months after a 2-year cease-fire collapsed in August 2015, with plenty of prodding from the Turkish side.

Washington has turned a deaf ear to Turkish carping on the issue, and CENTCOMs retweet is being treated by Ankara as an ominous sign that the United States will press ahead with plans to arm and train the SDF ahead of a planned offensive to retake Raqqa from the IS jihadis. While the prevailing consensus holds that the SDF is the only force capable of capturing Raqqa, US President Barack Obama will likely leave the formal decision on training and equipping its fighters to the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Signs are that the new administration will continue to do business with the Kurds while sufficiently placating Turkey to avoid endangering its access to the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey until the job is done. Trumps pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, signaled as much in comments to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jan. 11, saying that he backed the plan. Tillerson described the Syrian Kurds as great US allies and spoke of the need to recommit to them and to provide them with new capabilities to advance on Raqqa.

In a sop to Ankara, Tilllerson also said, We have to re-engage with President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan in Turkey, this is a long-standing NATO ally. Due to the absence of US leadership, he got pretty nervous about the situation. He has turned to his next available ally, he has turned to Russia. To make it clear to him, this is not a sustainable ally. Your sustainable alliance is with the United States.

Without a doubt, in private conversations, US officials tell their Turkish counterparts that Washingtons alliance with the Syrian Kurds is purely tactical, and once IS is defeated, it will end. There is growing acknowledgement in Washington that the YPG and the PKK are intertwined, but that said, Turkish officials continue to huff at statements that belie the assurances given. They were particularly incensed Jan. 11 by State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toners comments that the Syrian Kurds need to be at the negotiating table in talks on Syrias future.

The prevailing distrust has been amplified by Turkeys claims that the United States is spurning its demands to help Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army forces take the IS-held town of al-Bab. The two-month-old campaign has gotten bogged down in the face of fierce IS resistance, as graphically reported in a recent roundup by The Associated Press.

US officials have retorted that Turkey is not permitting them to fly surveillance drones to gather enemy intelligence in the area. Yet Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis seemed to contradict that claim in a statement to Ragip Soylu, Washington correspondent of the pro-government Daily Sabah. Soylu reported that Davis had conveyed to him, The US wouldnt ask permission of any country when it wants to conduct intelligence and surveillance operations in Syria.

Turkish officials insist that US prevarication, as they see it, is likely linked to efforts to keep Turkish forces bogged down in al-Bab and therefore away from the YPG. Turkey has vowed to dislodge the Syrian Kurds from the town of Manbij once they take al-Bab, all part of a campaign to roll back the Syrian Kurds dizzying territorial gains that were secured largely with US-coalition air support.

Meanwhile, a YPG official contacted in northern Syria told Al-Monitor that clashes erupted Jan. 12, at 12:30 local Syrian time, between Turkish-backed FSA forces and YPG-allied Manbij military council fighters south of Jarablus, around the Sajur stream, the dividing line between the two groups.

The official said fighters on both sides had been wounded, but he could not confirm how many. The official contended that the foray was intended to distract the YPG and the SDF from their ongoing campaign to clear and hold the Raqqa countryside and deflect attention from Turkey's difficulties in al-Bab. The YPG's claims could not be independently confirmed.
January 11, 2017

RAMALLAH, West Bank  Palestinian parties are currently discussing the implemention of a draft law on firearms and ammunition licensing fees that the Palestinian Authority Cabinet ratified Dec. 13. A government statement declared that the law aims to reorganize the weapons dossier, reduce the spread of illegal weapons, work to control illegal weapons and confront arms dealers and outlaws seeking to undermine the security of both the homeland and the citizen.

The draft legislation is based on Law No. 2 of 1998 on firearms and ammunition, issued under President Yasser Arafat, approved by the Cabinet and approved and passed by the Palestinian Legislative Council. The law failed, however, to set out regulations for firearms and ammunition licensing fees, which this proposed law attempts to address.

The 1998 law was never, however, implemented because the PA remained weak and unable to regulate arms or move to control their proliferation. It has also sought to avoid sparking internal clashes by going after weapons, as many of those who have them are wanted by Israel.

Article 28 of Law No. 2 stipulates, The license to possess or trade in firearms or ammunition is granted based on a system determined by the minister of interior and approved by the Council of Ministers. Article 6 sets the conditions to get a license: Proof that the arms are purchased from a licensed trader, a certificate of sale containing a description of the weapons sold and the date of sale as well as the name and address of the seller, proof of purchase of a firearm from a licensed person, proof of firearm import from abroad and an import permit.

Most Palestinian gun owners do not meet those conditions, because their weapons were illegally smuggled by arms dealers from Israel and elsewhere. Some weapons, including the Carlo, are manufactured in weapon mills in the West Bank. The Carlo gained notoriety from its use in attacks in Israel. An official source in the Palestinian government told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The Interior Ministry, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, will prepare a procedural guide in a bid to regulate and clarify weapons licensing procedures and financial fees.

Mohamed Mansour, the undersecretary of the Interior Ministry, told Al-Monitor that the governments ratification of the firearms licensing regulation will help the security forces impose law and order and establish security in Area A, which is under full PA control, as they will be able to track the number and types of weapons and their owners. The security apparatus will then be able to enforce the law, confiscating unlicensed weapons and punishing those in possession of them.

Mansour also noted that the law will help the security forces investigate crimes committed with unlicensed weapons and minimize the use of firearms in disputes and social events. Once the guide is ready, Mansour said, any citizen of Area A in possession of a weapon can go to the police to license it and pay the appropriate fees. He added, The government does not want to open the door to the arms trade and wants to control their proliferation to establish security.

There are no licensed gun shops in the West Bank, but weapons can be sold and purchased legally. Traders register the weapons and can obtain a permit from the Palestinian police.

Israel occasionally undertakes campaigns against illegal weapon mills. The most recent such operation, on Dec. 19, uncovered the largest weapons factory in Hebron. The proliferation of arms is a major challenge to the PA security services. On Aug. 21, 2016, clashes broke out between the security forces and armed individuals in Nablus, resulting in the deaths of two security officers. The security services conducted a series of raids after the episode, arresting a number of individuals and seizing weapons and ammunition.

The security crackdowns in the West Bank will continue in order to control arms, prosecute outlaws and enforce the law, Adnan al-Damiri, a spokesman for the Palestinian security services, told Al-Monitor. We do not have a formal market for licensed weapons. Such a market requires legal stores that sell weapons and ammunition and a PA-licensed source to import weapons. All the weapons found in the hands of citizens come from unknown sources and entered the Palestinian territories illegally.

Damiri added, We in the security forces have received a political order whereby the only weapons in Palestine are the PAs, and any other weapons should be in line with the law.

Although the government's goal is to control and limit the spread of arms in the Palestinian territories, the new law is not expected to meet its goal due as smuggling operations continue. In addition, knowing that they might be prosecuted if denied a license, many Palestinians who already have weapons are unlike to apply for one.
For owner John Lee, the decision to share his dream of an

retreat nestled in the scenic and tranquil mountains of Mentone was an easy one.

"From the road you can kind of see into [the studio] and see some of the books," said Lee. "I can't tell you how many tourists have come by and gotten out of their cars. A couple of them would say 'I wish I had a place like this.' It was always my wish to have one too so now I share it with people."

This 350-square-feet studio cabin is the perfect weekend rental for someone looking to enjoy the outdoors and get away from it all. The dreamy space offers a bed, small kitchen space and a lifetime's worth of reading material.

"I have a pretty extensive library, I'm happy to say," said Lee. "It's well stocked with philosophy, religion, poetry, novels and psychology, all of my interests."

Lee, who has published 24 novels throughout his career as an author, said he first visited Mentone in 1981 after a reader offered the place up as a haven for writing. It wasn't long before Lee, who resided in Austin, Texas, at the time, found himself in love with the peaceful setting.

"A man who read my first book ["The Flying Boy: Healing the Wounded Man"] called me one day and said 'I don't know if you've ever heard of a town called Mentone, but I have a house that I'd like to make available to you,'" Said Lee.

"I took him up on it, and I came three, four or five times to write. Finally, in 1991, I decided I just love this so much that I'm going to buy a place."

Lee said he, and many others, are in love with Mentone thanks to all the natural beauty surrounding the small town as well as the artistic community that calls it home.

"There's hike and bike trails at Desoto State Park," said Lee. "I always tell folks to go to Little River Canyon. And Mentone proper has some art galleries as well as great restaurants. It's just beautiful up here anywhere you go, and it's a great community. It's got that artistic element ... Austin has that, and Mentone has it in miniature."

Want to experience the tranquility for yourself? You can rent Lee's peaceful library

. You might want to act fast though. Lee said the cabin stays rented in the warmer months.
CARVER HIGH SCHOOL 2.jpg

Main entrance of George Washington Carver High School in North Birmingham.

(bn)

Birmingham City Schools has 13 schools on the Alabama State Department of Education's list of 75 failing public schools.

Schools that scored in the lowest 6 percent in standardized reading and math tests were deemed failing by the state.

Birmingham City Schools had the most schools on the list released on Thursday by the State Department of Education.

Last year, Birmingham had 18 schools on the failing list. Eleven of the schools that appeared on last year's failing list were also included on this year's list.

Huffman High School-Magnet and Wenonah High School are new to the failing list.

Birmingham City Schools Interim Superintendent Larry Contri said seven schools falling off the failing list is "good news and signifies the district's ongoing commitment to teaching and learning.

"This is a great example of the hard work from Birmingham teachers, students and parents. But the hard work has not ended,'' he said in a prepared statement. "We will continue to make great strides in our academic growth."

Here is the list of failing Birmingham schools:

George Washington Carver High School

Hayes K-8

Hemphill Elementary School

Huffman High School-Magnet

Jackson-Olin High School

Parker High School

Smith Middle School

South Hampton K-8

Arrington Middle School

Washington Elementary School

Jones Valley Middle School

Wenonah High School

Woodlawn High School-Magnet

Contri said that district leaders are already making plans to meet the deficits in the identified schools. "Such action will help remove these schools from the state's list of 'failing schools' next school year,'' he said.

Mark Sullivan, Birmingham City School's chief academic officer, said: "While we won't be satisfied until there are no Birmingham City Schools on this list, we won't let that overshadow the progress that we have made over the past academic year. We recognize we have challenges, but those challenges are nothing we cannot overcome.''

Jefferson County has five schools, all high schools, deemed failing. They are: Center Point High School, McAdory High School, Minor High School, Pinson Valley High School and Pleasant Grove High School.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey said these Jefferson County schools were "mislabeled" and "far from" failing.

Pouncey said that he learned about the list on Monday from state Superintendent Michael Sentance. Pouncey said he met with principals in Jefferson County on Tuesday so they wouldn't be "blindsided" by the list.

High schools were scored based on results from last spring's 10th grade ACT Aspire tests, Pouncey said. It was the first administration of the 10th grade ACT Aspire and proficiency levels across the state were low.

Pouncey said it is improper to use the first administration of any test to make these high-stakes determinations and the results should only be used as a baseline for future years.

In Bessemer City Schools, Bessemer City High School was deemed failing.

Fairfield High Preparatory School in the Fairfield City Schools district is also considered failing.

Sullivan credited several programs instituted in Birmingham City Schools in 2016 that helped improve student learning.

These include an instructional framework to encourage teachers to teach the state standards; ongoing training for teachers and administration; and regular walk-throughs of schools by principals.

Birmingham schools also set up system-wide benchmarks to assess students' progress at the beginning, the middle and the end of the year. This allows students with academic issues to be identified early and receive support and tutoring, Sullivan said.

In the fall, Birmingham City Schools also started a reading program that targets all grades, he said.

"We are pleased with the direction that we are headed in, and remain committed to continuous improvement,'' Sullivan said. "We recognize that teaching and learning is our primary focus, and we take full responsibility for that."
Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

A Volkswagen Touareg diesel is tested in the Environmental Protection Agency's cold temperature test facility in Ann Arbor, Mich., on October 13, 2015.

(Carlos Osorio / AP)

WASHINGTON -- Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany were indicted in the U.S. on Wednesday in the VW emissions-cheating scandal, while the company itself agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion -- by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

In announcing the federal charges and the plea bargain, Justice Department prosecutors detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside the German automaker to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

"Volkswagen obfuscated, they denied and they ultimately lied," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

Prosecutors may have trouble bringing the executives to trial in the U.S. German law generally bars extradition of the country's citizens except within the European Union. Privately, Justice Department officials expressed little optimism that the five VW executives still at large will be arrested, unless they surrender or travel outside Germany.

Still, the criminal charges are a major breakthrough for a Justice Department that been under pressure to hold individuals accountable for corporate misdeeds ever since the 2008 financial crisis.

U.S. authorities are still investigating just how high the scheme went, and held out the possibility of charges against more VW executives.

"We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy," Lynch said.

VW admitted installing software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the U.S. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit.

U.S. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences in testing and real-world emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the so-called defeat device but finally admitted it in September 2015.

Even after that admission, prosecutors said, company employees were busy deleting computer files and other evidence.

The fines easily eclipse the $1.2 billion penalty levied against Toyota in 2014 over unintended acceleration in its cars. VW also agreed to pay an additional $154 million to California for violating its clean air laws.

The penalties bring the cost of the scandal to VW in the United States to nearly $20 billion, not counting lost sales and damage to the automaker's reputation. Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion civil settlement with U.S. environmental authorities and car owners under which it agreed to repair or buy back as many as a half-million of the affected vehicles.

Although the cost is staggering and would bankrupt many companies, VW has the money, with $33 billion in cash on hand.

As for why the fine was so big, "the premeditation here was very significant and that was at a very high level in the company," said Leslie Caldwell, an assistant U.S. attorney general.

"Lower-level people actually expressed concern along the way about the fact these defeat devices were being used and questioned whether they should be used. And higher-up people decided to use them," Caldwell said. "Volkswagen also lied to the regulators and the Department of Justice once our investigation had started. That's what distinguishes this."

Volkswagen pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importing vehicles by using false statements. Under the agreement, VW must cooperate in the investigation and let an independent monitor oversee its compliance for three years.

The six supervisors indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit were accused of lying to environmental regulators or destroying computer files containing evidence.

All six are German citizens, and five remained in Germany. The only one under arrest was Oliver Schmidt, who was seized over the weekend in Miami during a visit to the U.S.

Schmidt was in charge of VW's compliance with U.S. environmental regulations. Those indicted also included two former chiefs of Volkswagen engine development and the former head of quality management and product safety. Prosecutors said one supervised 10,000 employees.

All six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by making false statements to regulators and the public. Three were also charged with fraud and clean-air violations.

Government documents say one engine development supervisor asked an assistant to search another supervisor's office for a hard drive that contained emails between them. Then another assistant was asked to throw it away, prosecutors said.

Authorities said the scheme began when VW officials realized new diesel engines wouldn't meet U.S. 2007 emissions standards. Acting on instructions from their supervisors, VW employees borrowed the defeat device idea from VW's Audi luxury-car division, which was developing different engines with similar software.

In November 2006, some employees raised objections about the defeat device to the head of VW-brand engine development, prosecutors said. That official allegedly directed the employees to continue and warned them "not to get caught."

In 2014, VW employees learned about a West Virginia University study that found emissions discrepancies in VWs. Three of the supervisors and other employees decided not to disclose the defeat device to U.S. regulators, prosecutors said.

In August 2015, a VW employee ignored instructions from supervisors and told U.S. regulators about the device.

VW also faces an investor lawsuit and a criminal investigation in Germany. In all, some 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the software.
RashiemPorterKilled.jpg

Rashiem Hakiem Porter

(Facebook/ Jonece Starr Dunigan)

Authorities have released the name of a man shot to death Wednesday night during a brawl outside of a Birmingham convenience store.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office on Thursday identified the victim as Rashiem Hakiem Porter. He was 26.

The shooting happened at 8:44 p.m. in the parking lot of Best Convenience Store on Pearson Avenue and 17th Place Southwest. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 9 p.m.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said investigators watched store surveillance video to determine what happened and provided this account:

Several men were hanging out in front of the store when Porter and his mother drove up. Porter got out of his car and headed into the store. As he left the store, he began to talk with the group of men who were out front.

Then, minutes later, a fight erupted between Porter and one man. After the fight, Porter's mother began to walk home. That's when the suspect and another man ran around the building and began to hit Porter's mother in the face with a gun, injuring her nose.

Porter tried to run to his mother to help her, and he was shot multiple times.

Witnesses were taken to police headquarters for questioning. Porter's mother was taken to the hospital. The suspects fled the scene in a black Nissan.

Edwards said it appeared those involved knew each other. "For men to just show up, for this victim to just show up and for them to have a confrontation so quickly, it just lets me know that they have some pretty bad history," Edwards said. "Detectives are confident that the shooter will be brought to justice."

The shooting that killed Porter was one of several overnight. About the same time as the southwest Birmingham shooting, another incident erupted at the Palisades shopping center which was possible a road rage incident.

There were conflicting reports about what happened, but police Wednesday night said one person was struck by a vehicle, and another person later showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound.

Also Wednesday night, about 8 p.m., two people were shot at the Chevron at 1525 Finley Boulevard. Edwards said they were taken by private vehicle to UAB Hospital and both are expected to survive their injuries.

Porter is the city's third homicide victim this year. Birmingham ended 2016 with 104 slayings. Four people have been killed in all of Jefferson County since Jan. 1.

Anyone with information on Porter's death or any of the crimes is asked to call Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
A woman accused in a drug trafficking scheme that brought meth from Washington to Montana for distribution in the Billings and Belgrade areas admitted federal charges on Tuesday.

Bethany Ann Fairchild, 30, of Libby, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess meth with intent to distribute during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Billings.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McCarthy said in court records that Fairchild accompanied co-defendant, Juan Delgadillo-Meza, of Ephrata, Wash., on trips in 2015 to Montana to bring meth to the state and that she interpreted for him.

Agents with state and federal drug task forces began investigating a drug trafficking organization in mid-2015, McCarthy said.

Agents identified Delgadillo-Meza as the source of supply in Washington and that he traveled to Montana, he said.

On Nov. 5, 2015, officers learned Delgadillo-Meza was traveling to Montana and spotted his vehicle near Butte. A Montana Highway Patrol officer stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation near Manhattan, and Delgadillo-Meza and Fairchild were occupants, McCarthy said.

Law enforcement served a search warrant on the vehicle the next day and found a quarter pound of meth under Delgadillo-Mezas seat, about two pounds of meth hidden in the front drivers side fender and more than three-quarters of an ounce of meth in various locations in the passenger compartment, he said.

In addition, a search of electronic devices showed that Fairchilds phone had text messages related to drug distribution and that she accompanied Delgadillo-Meza to Montana on Oct. 20, 2015 and on Nov. 5, 2015 and had made other trips to Montana.

Also, one of Delgadillo-Mezas Montana distributors, who was arrested in January 2016, indicated that Delgadillo-Meza typically traveled with a woman named Bethany, who would interpret for him, McCarthy said.

Fairchild's defense attorney Ashley Harada said her client doesn't speak Spanish and didn't interpret for Delgadillo-Meza.

Fairchild faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. A plea agreement calls for more serious drug counts to be dismissed at sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters set Fairchilds sentencing for April 26. Fairchild remains in custody.

Delgadillo-Mesa, who has pleaded not guilty, is seeking to change his plea. Watters on Tuesday vacated a Jan. 30 trial date and referred a plea change hearing to U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan.

Two other co-defendants have been convicted in the case. Noel McDermott Morris of Billings was sentenced in November to more than 12 years for his conviction on conspiracy and money laundering counts. In addition, Morris forfeited a vehicle, $52,930 in currency and real property located at 319 S. 30th St., Billings, as proceeds from drug trafficking. Edward Lee Donnes of Belgrade is set to be sentenced on Jan. 19 on a conspiracy charge.
When the people of Montana adopted their state constitution, they guaranteed their right to participate in government meetings.

Montana Code reflects that voter mandate in 2-3-201, which states: The legislature finds and declares that public boards, commission, councils and other public agencies in this state exist to aid in the conduct of the peoples business. It is the intent of this part that actions and deliberations of all public agencies shall be conducted openly. The people of the state do not wish to abdicate their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. Toward these ends, the provisions of the part shall be liberally construed.

A bill introduced in the 2017 Legislature would chip away at that public meeting mandate. Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Sen. Pat Connell, R-Hamilton, proposes to specifically exempt county commissioners from the open meeting and public notice requirements of Montana law by redefining the word meeting.

State 2-3-202 defines a meeting as the convening of a quorum  whether corporal or by means of electronic equipment to hear, discuss or act upon a matter over which the agency has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power. State law further requires that county commissions give the public notice two days in advance of meetings.

Heres the change Connell proposes: The presence of members of the board (of county commissioners) at an event or meeting of another entity or organization does not constitute a meeting of the board. Business may only be conducted during a meeting as defined in 2-3-202 for which notice has been properly given.

That exemption flies in the face of public openness in how government operates, John MacDonald, the lobbyist for the Montana Newspaper Association told the Senate Local Government Committee on Jan. 6.

Proponents of SB2 said the bill says commissioners have a life and worried that the whispering begins when a quorum shows up at a bake sale.

Commissioners arent unduly constrained in their social lives by the open meetings law. We havent heard complaints that multiple county commissioners attended a charity bake sale.

Because most Montana county commissions have three members, and two constitute a quorum, it is incumbent on each of those elected officials to refrain from discussing county government matters with each other outside of public meetings. This is true at all times. It doesnt mean they cant share a ride to a meeting or stand at the office coffee pot together. The law says they cant discuss issues that are before the commission or may come before the commission.

There is no need to change Montana open meetings law to accommodate county commissioners. If commissioners get an exemption, the next step could be to exempt city councilors and school trustees. We urge Senators to reject SB2.

Transparency in Billings

While were talking about county commission transparency, the Yellowstone County Commission deserves a shout-out. Prompted by County Clerk and Recorder Jeff Martin to comply with updated open government laws, the commission changed its policies to require agendas for all its meetings, and that all agenda items be added at least two days in advance so proper public notice can be given. These agendas and supporting information are posted on the county website.

Thanks to Martins initiative, the good advice of the county attorneys civil division and the commissioners who accepted their recommendations, meeting transparency and organization have improved in the year since these changes were implemented.

We expect this commitment to open government to get stronger. Newly elected Commissioner Denis Pitman previously served on the Billings City Council, which has a longstanding practice of posting the information that the county started posting just a year ago. Newly appointed Commissioner Robyn Driscoll served in the Legislature, which writes the open government statutes. Longtime Commissioner John Ostlund was part of the commission that agreed in January 2016 to let the public know what is on every agenda.
A Bismarck, N.D., man accused in a fatal stabbing in Lame Deer last year recently denied federal murder charges in Billings.

Tyson Jo Lonebear, 28, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court to an indictment charging him with second degree murder. The indictment was filed on Dec. 22 and unsealed with Lonebear's arraignment.

Lonebear is charged with the May 18, 2016, death of Chay Little, 21.

While the indictment provides no details and identifies the victim as C.L., Lonebear earlier pleaded not guilty in May in Northern Cheyenne Tribal Court to a homicide charge in the stabbing death of Little.

If convicted in federal court, Lonebear faces a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan ordered Lonebear to remain in custody. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.
As the global narcotics trade expands in West Africa, it leaves a trail of addicts in its wake.

Freetown, Sierra Leone  Leaning against a wall, his eyes red and glazed over, Patrick Hindowa described how he spends his days getting high. I got no job here, he explained. Whatever [drugs] Im going to be able to do, Im going to do. Because I really dont have nothing.

Huddled at the end of a narrow alleyway downtown, Hindowa and two friends shared stories of addiction and life on the street.

My mother died, my father died, recalled Bakar Sesay. Since then  since I was a kid  I chose the street life. Coke and all that. The 20-year-old said that he has used drugs since he was seven.

The group listed heroin as their favourite, with freebased cocaine a close second. When hard drugs were not available, they turn to marijuana, alcohol, amphetamines, or prescription pills  anything, really. From the time we wake up, till the time we go to sleep, one said.

Substance abuse has long been a problem for the impoverished West African country. Throughout the 1990s, a civil war gained international notoriety for the role played by drug-fuelled teenagers, who committed atrocities and launched an anarchic attack on the capital. The effects of marijuana, alcohol, and amphetamines contributed to the violence. When the conflict ended in 2002, many combatants returned home addicted to those substances.

These international traffickers dont work with money  they pay people with the drugs, and that is how these drugs stay behind.  Dr Edward Nahim



In recent years, harder drugs  cocaine and, to a lesser extent, heroin  have become increasingly available, authorities and health practitioners say. They blame West Africas growing role as a transit route for the global narcotics trade. Cocaine comes from Latin America and heroin from Southeast Asia, officials explained, and through such countries as Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The drugs then continue on to Europe and North America.

In one high-profile case in 2008, for example, Sierra Leones Minister of Transport and Aviation was dismissed for his alleged involvement in the landing of an airplane carrying 700 kilograms of cocaine. And in December 2011, police seized a shipment of cocaine reportedly en route from Ecuador.

Spillover effect



As smuggling activity has increased, theres been a spillover effect. According to the United Nations 2012 World Drug Report, increasing trafficking of cocaine through the coastal countries of West Africa is leading to an increase in cocaine use with cocaine use possibly emerging alongside heroin use as a major problem.

Dr Edward Nahim, an adviser to the Sierra Leone National Drug Enforcement Agency, explained that it is common for drug handlers to be paid with portions of the product theyre moving, which is contributing to a growing proliferation of those narcotics in Sierra Leone.

These international traffickers dont work with money; that is the problem, Nahim said. They pay people with the drugs, and that is how these drugs stay behind.

The only certified psychiatrist in the country, Nahim estimated that 80 percent of the patients he sees are suffering from drug-induced psychotic disorders. He noted that for now, the majority of those cases stem from heavy abuse of alcohol and high-grade marijuana, but that he is also observing an increase in the use of cocaine and heroin.

Ibrahim Samura, assistant superintendent for Sierra Leones national police force, also said that drug abuse is on the rise. He described the situation as alarming, and linked it to an increase in gangsterism.

They use [drugs] more than is necessary, and it spurs them to behave abnormally and do things they wouldnt do in their right senses, he said. They kill, they rape, they smoke marijuana, they carry weapons and do criminal activities.

Samura called attention to legislation passed in 2009 that created stiffer penalties for drug trafficking. In March 2010, the UN secretary-generals representative to Sierra Leone praised such efforts, but argued that to effectively tackle Sierra Leones drug problem, the countrys high unemployment rate for young people must first be addressed. Some seventy percent of youth were unemployed or underemployed in 2010, according to government statistics.

Hidden in a congested area of downtown Freetown is the so-called Lumley Street Cartel Ground. Down a narrow entrance, barely visible amid a throng of market stalls, the collection of shacks is a hub for the distribution and use of drugs in the capital city.

Sitting on a chair off to one side of the unadorned space was an old woman  reportedly the wife of a police officer  with a long scar running down one side of her face. She refused to speak to journalists, but directed two of her dealers to act as escorts. For the next 30 minutes, the men moved though a labyrinthine network of alleys and side streets, to join a small group of youths who were willing to talk about how drugs were affecting their lives and communities.

Pastor Morie Ngobeh has helped people in Sierra Leone struggling with addiction since 1985 [Travis Lupick/Al Jazeera]



I gotta do drugs  to wake me up



Alimu Kamara said that everything he has goes to drugs. I wont come out of there [drug dens] with one penny, the 24-year-old said. All I do is smoke smoke smoke da brown-brown [heroin].

Kamara and two childhood friends shared tattoos marking them as members of a gang called Cens Coast Hood, which they said distributed drugs across the country. The young men said they didnt know where the relatively recent influxes of cocaine or heroin were coming from. By plane, by boat  I dont know, one shrugged. Their only concern was the immediate need to get high, a priority they said was common among street-level dealers.

I gotta do drugs to move around, to wake me up, Kamara complained. When I dont have something, its hopeless.

Asked if there was anything he would like to say on behalf of young people struggling with drugs, Kamara politely declined to answer. I dont feel like I can, he explained. I want to change myself first. Then I can say something.

Though few options exist, there are places in Sierra Leone where individuals struggling with drugs can get help.

One is Nahims clinic in Freetown, though the psychiatrist noted that treating severe cases remained difficult. He explained that in a poor country such as Sierra Leone, medicines used to treat addiction, such as methadone, are prohibitively expensive. Nahim said he therefore employed the cold turkey method, despite it often entailing painful withdrawal symptoms. We restrain you physically, he said. Then we give you very strong tranquilising drugs that will keep you asleep during that period, maybe for one or two days.

Another option is City of Rest, the only dedicated mental health facility in Sierra Leone. There, Pastor Morie Ngobeh has helped men and women struggling with addiction and other disorders since 1985. He said that 25 of 40 beds provided for in-patient care were currently occupied by people with problems related to drugs and alcohol.

In the 1980s, drug problems were very rare, Ngobeh said. Now, all kinds of drugs are in this country.

Nahim and Ngobeh each have decades of experience working with addiction. In separate interviews, they both cited a lack of options for meaningful work as a primary factor driving young people to drugs.

They are in the ghettos all day long, and for hours at night as well, Nahim said. And thats on a regular, daily basis. He argued that to begin to solve the countrys drug problem, it is this group of especially vulnerable people that must be made a priority.

Ngobeh echoed Nahims words. When these young people are frustrated or depressed, they easily go to drugs, he said. They want to forget their problems. But they dont forget and thats how most of them become addicted.



Follow Travis Lupick on Twitter: @tlupick
A woman is murdered every 30 hours in Argentina, a disproportionate number of them in informal slum settlements.

Buenos Aires, Argentina  On October 8, in the Argentinian seaside city of Mar del Plata, 16-year-old Lucia Perez left school for the last time.

She went to buy marijuana from someone she had never met, investigators hypothesise. When she arrived, she was force-fed drugs, gang-raped and penetrated by a wooden stick. Her alleged abusers then washed her body and left her at a hospital where she died.

The gruesome details of the crime sparked outrage in Argentina, where every 30 hours a woman is murdered.

Within two weeks, social activist group Ni Una Menos (Not One Woman Less) had mobilised to denounce this brutal crime. On October 19, thousands of protesters shut down the streets of Buenos Aires in memory of Perez, holding signs reading: We want women alive and Machismo kills.

The brutal murder of Perez soon became a national and international symbol of the horrific violence women face around the world. In Latin America, a movement against gender violence is growing with Argentina at the forefront.





Ni Una Menos, a collective of artists, activists and journalists, first took to the streets of Buenos Aires in June 2015 in response to a string of femicides, defined by the UN as the violent, deliberate killing of a woman.

When we women decide to take control of our own lives, we confront an increase in cruelty, which is what we see with these deaths, said Mariana Carbajal, a founding member of Ni Una Menos and journalist who covers gender violence in Argentina.

They dont stop with killing [the woman]. They have to torture, destroy and obliterate their bodies.

In Argentina, at least 1,800 women have been murdered since 2008, according to La Casa del Encuentro, a womens rights organisation in Buenos Aires, yet only some cases rise to the fore of public consciousness.

Cases such as that of Perez are some of the most brutal, but they only tell part of the story of gender-based violence in Argentina.

Its often women with the least resources who suffer the most, according to Carbajal, although gender violence affects women of all classes, races and ages in Argentina.

OPINION: Say enough to violence against women

Femicide in the slums

In the slums of Buenos Aires, home to an estimated 275,000 residents, a smaller, grassroots movement against femicide is also brewing, focusing on the unique challenges poor, marginalised women face.

Just weeks after Perezs murder, another lesser-known femicide sparked outrage in Villa 21, one of the citys poorest neighbourhoods, about five kilometres south of where camera crews set up to capture the national outcry over Perezs murder.

On October 29, Elida del Valle Barrios, a 39-year-old Paraguayan immigrant and resident of Villa 21, was stabbed more than 20 times by her husband in a public plaza. She bled to death in front of her seven-year-old daughter while neighbours said the ambulance took more than an hour to arrive. The mother of two had recently filed a domestic violence report and was trying to leave her husband, according to neighbours and friends.

Appalled by the murder, community members organised a local march to honour her life the following Saturday, with only community media covering the event. A few hundred protesters gathered in the plaza where del Valle Barrios was killed, a modest number compared with the thousands who filled Buenos Aires city centre after Perezs death.





The protest was a sensation that came about organically to say this cant happen without consequences, said Maria Eugenia Noguiera, who works in Villa 21 with La Campora, an organisation that fights for social justice and economic equality.

The community has to organise and go out [to the streets] feeling empowered and knowing that they can make demands, Noguiera said.

Nearly half of all homicides in Buenos Aires occur in villas, informal settlements which house about 10 percent of the citys population. In 2015, about one in three female murder victims was killed in a villa, even though these neighbourhoods are home to a small fraction of the citys residents. An estimated 80 percent of femicides are committed by someone who knew the woman, most often her current or former partner.

One of the most recent cases was on the morning of December 29, when a 22-year-old woman was shot in the head in Villa 21. Police are still searching for her boyfriend, the prime suspect in the case, who a neighbour said they saw fleeing the house shortly after a shot was fired.

Without adequate economic resources and social support systems, women such as del Valle Barrios are more vulnerable to gender-based violence and find it harder to escape these situations.

Femicide and gender violence cant be combated in a vulnerable neighbourhood in the same way as in another area [of a higher socioeconomic class], said Lorenzo de Vedia, a priest in Villa 21 known as Father Toto.

READ MORE: Can Bolivias new measures counteract gender violence?

Elida del Valle Barrios story

Del Valle Barrios moved to Villa 21 from Paraguay with her husband and two children less than a year ago.

She had no other family in Buenos Aires besides an estranged brother who lives in another part of the city, according to community members who knew her. She quickly became part of the local community, selling Paraguayan food to make a small sum of money on her own. Her children were enrolled in the local school and always behaved well, according the the school principal.

But there were signs that her husband, who worked in construction, was a heavy drinker and often became violent, according to Father Toto. Friends close to her said she was trying to leave him, but that she had no way to provide for her children financially.

She had filed a report. The problem was her economic situation, said Noguiera of La Campa. He took care of her financially. They arrived recently from Paraguay and she was never able to get on her feet financially.

While trying to leave her husband, del Valle Barrios faced many of the problems that affect women in marginalised areas of Argentina.

Many women rely on their husbands to provide for them and their children.

As immigrants from the nearby countries of Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, women in the villas often have fewer social networks to support them. Filing a domestic violence report doesnt guarantee protection, according to Noguiera. Women are often sent back to live in the same neighbourhood as their abuser and police can take hours to respond to calls.

WATCH: The Stream  #NiUnaMenos: Tackling femicide in Latin America

Absence of authorities

The case of del Valle Barrios also illustrates the failure of the government to help vulnerable women, according to Noguiera. She said that the state is absent in these communities, a sentiment echoed by other residents and community leaders.

You have [these services] in theory, but they dont complete the function they are supposed to, said Marisa Guidolin, principal at the school where del Valle Barrios children study.

NGOs and the church fill in the gaps where they can, acting as mediators, support systems and refuges for many women.

But the government has to start playing its part, according to Father Toto. This means a timely police response, shelters for domestic violence victims and resources for women to gain economic independence, he said.

Over the past decade, residents have slowly begun to demand these services, but the government hasnt yet caught up to this social awakening, Father Toto added.

It cant just be the community trying to improve the situation, Noguiera said. The state needs to be present too.

Carla Majdalani, director of communications for Consejo Nacional de las Mujeres (CNM), a government entity that oversees and coordinates various initiatives to prevent gender-based violence, told Al Jazeera that public policy aimed at preventing gender violence considers the experiences of all Argentine women, with special programmes targeted at villas and other vulnerable populations.

The people who live in villas are the ones who understand the reality there, she said .If it is understood [in the villas] that public services arent reaching them, its because something has to be happening in terms of accessibility.

Majdalani admits that there could be a breakdown in terms of delivering these services that has led to these critiques.

While residents wait for the government to act, Villa 21 wont forget del Valle Barrios.

The plaza where she was killed, unnamed at the time of her death, is now called December 8 Plaza, in honour of the day of the Virgin Mary, who is believed to protect women. The plaza was inaugurated this past December 8 with another procession in honour of del Valle Barrios.

But, said Father Toto, with three or four protests, this isnt going to be resolved. This needs to be accompanied by a cultural shift and with justice.

Follow Anna-Catherine Brigida on Twitter: @ AnnaCat_Brigida
There is no denying that from time to time anti-Semitism raises its ugly head in the UK, as it does in many other countries.

What is striking, however, about contemporary Britain is the use of anti-Semitism as a political tool to silence legitimate criticism of the policies and practices of the Israeli government and the collusion of members of the political establishment in this process.

A word on definitions is in order.

The Jewish philosopher Isaiah Berlin defined an anti-Semite as someone who hates Jews more than is strictly necessary.

This definition has its humorous side but it does not take us very far. A simpler definition of an anti-Semite is someone who hates Jews as Jews.

Israeli propagandists deliberately, yes deliberately, conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism in order to discredit, bully, and muzzle critics of Israel by Avi Shlaim

An anti-Zionist, on the other hand, is someone who opposes Israel as an exclusively Jewish state or challenges the Zionist colonial project on the West Bank.

Israeli propagandists deliberately, yes deliberately, conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism in order to discredit, bully, and muzzle critics of Israel; in order to suppress free speech; and in order to divert attention from the real issues: Israeli colonialism, Israels apartheid, its systematic violation of the human rights of Palestinians, and its denial of their right to independence and statehood. The propagandists persistently present an anti-racist movement (anti-Zionism) as a racist one (anti-Semitism).

Pro-Israeli prime ministers

In British politics there is a striking disconnect between the public which is largely pro-Palestinian and the political elite which is overwhelmingly pro-Israeli.

Our last four prime ministers have all been proud partisans of the state of Israel. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were honorary patrons of the Jewish National Fund UK, a body which, as its name indicates, caters exclusively for the Jewish and not the Arab citizens of the state of Israel. So was David Cameron until he decided to resign. Theresa May, the current prime minister, is one of the most pro-Israeli leaders in Europe.

WATCH: Episode 1 of The Lobby  Young Friends of Israel

In a recent speech she hailed Israel as a remarkable country and a beacon of tolerance. Rubbing salt in Palestinian wounds, she called the Balfour Declaration one of the most important letters in history.

Large segments of the British public, motivated by the traditional British values of fair play and sympathy for the underdog, increasingly side with the Palestinians.

WATCH: Episode 2 of The Lobby  The training session

Media reports of Israeli land confiscations, house demolitions, the siege of Gaza, and settler violence on the West Bank all reinforce this sympathy for the victims and provoke anger against the oppressor.

Indeed, the failure of western governments to protect the Palestinians against these never-ending Israeli depredations goes a long way to explain the growing activism at the level of civil society.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the BDS movement

The clearest manifestation of this anger with Israel is Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), the global grassroots movement whose goals are to end Israels occupation of all Arab lands, to ensure full equality for the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. BDS is thus a response to Israels denial of Palestinian rights. The movement holds the moral high ground because its goals are grounded in international law and its methods are non-violent.

The success of BDS in mobilising support against the occupation is viewed with alarm by Israels leaders. They see it as part of a broader international campaign to delegitimise not just the occupation but the state of Israel itself. Their response to BDS is not to engage with its arguments but to tag it as shorthand for Jew-hatred.

In June 2015, the Israeli government set up a special task force with a budget of around $25.5m to fight the movement worldwide. The worse Israel behaves, the more aggressive are its efforts to disqualify and discredit anyone who holds her to account.

Corbyn targeted

In Britain the majority of Israels opponents are on the left of the political spectrum.

In the past year the Labour Party became the main target of attack for allegedly harbouring a large number of anti-Semites within its ranks.

These attacks originated with what might be loosely termed the Israel Lobby. This lobby consists of the Israeli embassy in London, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and other bodies such as the Community Security Trust and BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre.

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the charges of anti-Semitism began to be levelled at the Labour Party soon after the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader. For Jeremy Corbyn is the first leader of a major British political party to make an unqualified stand in support of Palestinian rights and Palestinian statehood. He is also opposed to the sale of arms to Israel.

Corbyns Jewish detractors did not directly accuse him of anti-Semitism because they could not find even the flimsiest evidence to substantiate such a charge. Corbyn has been in public life for a third of a century and he has a consistent and an entirely commendable record of opposing all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism.

READ MORE: The roots of Jeremy Corbyns support

The detractors, with the extensive research facilities at their disposal, probably went through Corbyns speeches of the past three decades with a fine-tooth comb but found no incriminating evidence. So they resorted to the old ploy of guilt by association: to smears and innuendos that he consorted with Jew-haters and Holocaust deniers and that he shared platforms with them.

The other evidence produced by the detractors was an offensive cartoon posted on Facebook by Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, and a bizarre claim by Ken Livingstone, the former London mayor and long-time Palestinian rights campaigner, that Hitler supported Zionism in 1932 before he went mad and killed six million Jews.

In truth, the crisis in the Labour Party was not primarily about anti-Semitism. It was part of a broader effort by a group of disgruntled Blairites and their allies outside the party to overthrow Jeremy Corbyn and to reverse his progressive policies. by Avi Shlaim

Yet Corbyn was sufficiently rattled by the furore in the media to appoint an independent inquiry. Although the report concluded that there is no endemic anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, the witch-hunt continued.

In truth, the crisis in the Labour Party was not primarily about anti-Semitism. It was part of a broader effort by a group of disgruntled Blairites and their allies outside the party to overthrow Jeremy Corbyn and to reverse his progressive policies. In short, the crisis was manufactured to serve the ends of a right-wing faction within the Labour Party as well as those of the Israel lobby.

The Hasbara machine

This is the broader context in which Al Jazeeras four-part series on The Lobby should be viewed. It is a remarkable piece of investigative journalism, packed with concrete evidence of murky manipulations by Israels envoys and friends in Britain to empower its supporters and undermine its critics.

The Lobby not only alleges but documents covert operations by the Israeli embassy and improper interference at every level of British politics. It exposes the way in which the Israeli embassy infiltrated both the Conservative and the Labour parties in flagrant violation of diplomatic protocol.

The most shocking revelation is that Shai Masot, a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy, set up a number of political organisations in the UK that operated as though entirely independent. He was also secretly caught on camera plotting to take down MPs he regarded as hostile to Israel. Among the MPs that Masot wanted to take down was Sir Alan Duncan, the foreign office minister and vocal supporter of a Palestinian state.

Mark Regev, the Israeli ambassador, made a full apology to Sir Alan for the incident and stated that Masot will soon be sent back to Jerusalem. Regev had little choice but to apologise: Al Jazeera produced the smoking gun.





Before being posted to London, Regev had served for eight years as chief spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Regev is essentially a PR man and a notoriously pugnacious one. He personifies his masters mantra that the best defence is offense.

The British government seemed satisfied with the apology and declared the matter closed. But a number of MPs from all parties have expressed their concern over this gross interference in British democracy and called on the prime minister to launch a public inquiry.

It is a fair guess that despite the recent setback, the Israeli embassy under Mark Regevs leadership will continue its campaign of targeted political attacks and that in its Hasbara  a polite Hebrew word for propaganda  it will continue to equate legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with visceral hatred of the Jewish people.

But in the long run, Israel and its envoys abroad have no chance of winning the battle for hearts and minds for the simple reason that Zionism itself has already ended up on the wrong side of history.

Avi Shlaim is an emeritus professor of international relations at Oxford University and the author of The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The nation and all of our freedoms hang by a thread and the military apparatus of this country is about to be handed over to scum! Who are beholden to scum!  Those who ignore these elemental, existential facts  Democrats or Republicans  are traitors to this country and will immediately and forever after be held accountable.

The passage above comes from a clip recorded for GQ magazine by former MSNBC presenter Keith Olbermann. Its a case study in what we might call anti-Trump Trumpism.

Railing against the incoming administration, Olbermann apes the distinctive tics associated with Donald Trumps media supporters. The steely gaze directly into the camera; the emotional oscillation between chest-puffing bravery and lachrymose despair; the enraged thumps on the table: The whole performance eerily channels Infowars Alex Jones, the doyen of the alt right.





The resemblance isnt merely stylistic. When Olbermann insists that a bloodless coup has taken place, with conspirators in the political elite jeopardising Americas very existence, hes arguing against Trump with rhetoric identical to that used by Infowars and Breitbart.com to make the case for Trump.

The response to the intelligence dossier released by Buzzfeed illustrates the same phenomenon. The claims by a former spy remain entirely unverified, in a document commissioned by political opponents and riddled with obvious errors. Editor Ben Smith himself acknowledges that there is serious reason to doubt the allegations.

Nevertheless, Buzzfeed justifies publication by insisting that Americans should make up their own minds  which, for better or for worse, is precisely the rationale that Infowars gives when it covers FEMA camps and chemtrails.

Liberal conspiracies

Indeed, the uncritical embrace of such a dubious artefact by anti-Trump liberals recalls the enthusiasm of Trumps supporters for the equally lurid Pizzagate conspiracy, with progressives revelling in prurient allegations about Trumps sexual peccadilloes with just as much glee as conservatives once showed for equally fanciful exposes about DNC involvement in spirit cooking.

During the Bush years, the comedian Stephen Colbert coined the term truthiness for assertions that could be accepted without facts or evidence simply because they felt true in the gut. He was parodying the Right  but truthiness has become integral to liberals embracing anti-Trump Trumpism.

Millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump, one of the most odious candidates of modern times, not because they were hypnotised by Putin but because they thought (wrongly) that the billionaire represented their interests. by

According to an Economist/YouGov poll, 50 percent of Clinton voters believe that the Russians somehow manipulated voting tallies  an almost exact replication of the pre-election Trumpite fantasy that widespread voter fraud would deliver the presidency to the Democrats.

In reality theres precisely zero evidence of Russian ballot tampering. Nevertheless, the truthy notion that Vladimir Putin hacked the vote continues to circulate throughout both mainstream and social media, in a curious liberal echo of the fake news widely blamed for Trumps victory.

Olbermanns feverish rhetoric about a coup rests on intelligence reports about Russian involvement in the election  reports that, as Masha Gessen shows in the New York Review of Books, contain far less than meets the eye. Traditionally, progressives denounced the CIA and other agencies of the Deep State not just because of their role in (to borrow William Blums phrase) killing hope around the world through assassinations, blackmail, torture and similar methods, but because of their pernicious influence on democracy in the US.

OPINION: Donald Trumps cabinet bodes ill for the planet

In the 1960s, for instance, the FBI circulated a dossier on Martin Luther Kings sex life in an attempt to shame the civil rights leader into suicide (though, in those pre-Buzzfeed times, the press refused to publish it).

Today, liberals laud what they call the intelligence community and denounce anyone who questions the agencies motives and honesty. What kind of political climate does this create, in an era in which the Deep State has become larger and far more powerful than ever?

Anti-democratic logic

Anti-Trump Trumpism drives progressives to embrace a militarised nationalism: Think of Olbermanns hysterical calls for traitors to be held to account, a rhetoric reminiscent of the John Birch Society.

In 2003, anti-war progressives were consistently slurred as unwitting agents of Saddam. Back then, though, those hurling charges of treason were still inhibited by the backlash against McCarthyism. What will happen during the next war, now that so many liberals have normalised accusations of disloyalty?





The most credible allegations about a Putin-Trump nexus pertain to the supposed role of Russian intelligence in providing Wikileaks with emails from John Podesta, the chairman of the Clinton campaign.

Again, as the Intercepts Sam Biddle explains, the available evidence on this remains perilously thin.

In any case, whatever Russian hackers did or didnt do, their efforts pall next to the NSAs global intercept programme, which, as well as sweeping up the private information of millions of citizens, allowed the US to monitor the personal calls of world leaders.

As Juan Cole reminds us, George W Bush once had German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeders phone hacked so as to check his position on the Iraq war.

More importantly, the Podesta files arent fakes or forgeries. The argument that the publication of genuine emails cost the Democrats the White House thus amounts to an assertion that Clinton lost because the voters learned too much about her.

To put it another way, those claiming that Russia stole the election are arguing that the Democrats were robbed because they were prevented from concealing the difference between what their candidate said and what she truly believed.

Its an extraordinary argument for so-called progressives. But its indicative of the fundamentally anti-democratic logic underpinning anti-Trump Trumpism.

Millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump, one of the most odious candidates of modern times, not because they were hypnotised by Putin but because they thought (wrongly) that the billionaire represented their interests.

Thats why theres a desperate need to build a mass constituency for progressive, anti-racist and anti-sexist ideas. Anti-Trump Trumpism represents a refusal to face that reality, an attempt to sidestep the hard work necessary to rebuild the Left.

Rather than offering a genuine alternative to the Right, the anti-Trump Trumpists are helping to entrench conservatisms authoritarian, conspiratorial nationalism within the US mainstream.

Editors note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Keith Olbermann as a former CNN presenter. He is in fact a former CNN correspondent and former MSNBC presenter.

Jeff Sparrow is a writer, editor and broadcaster, and an Honorary Fellow at Victoria University, Melbourne.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Fixing a looming school-funding shortfall amid a prolonged downturn in energy markets will require difficult choices, but Wyoming should have a long-term plan in place by early next year, Gov. Matt Mead told state lawmakers Wednesday in his annual State of the State address.

He called on legislators to keep involving the public in possible solutions to the projected shortfall of $360 million a year after emergency K-12 education funding runs out next year.

"At a minimum, we should be planning for reductions. But there is the broader discussion that we should continue to have about funding and revenue," Mead told a joint session of the Wyoming House and Senate, which began a two-month legislative session Tuesday.

Mead also asked legislators to develop rules for when and how to tap the state's more than $1.5 billion emergency-spending account while the state faces enormous shortfalls due to declining revenue from coal, oil and natural gas production.

He previously asked lawmakers for the ability to allocate $140 million from the rainy-day fund for critical state programs if necessary.

"It appears without a diversion that I've asked for from all of you, the rainy-day fund will grow this session. It's a hard message for the people of Wyoming, as we've made in excess of $300 million in cuts since last session and we will continue to grow the rainy day fund," Mead said.

"It goes again to the question, what is that money for, and what are we going to use it for?"

Despite the shortfalls, Mead asked lawmakers for a plan for the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, which is suffering severe structural problems after just 15 years in operation. Repairs would cost $80 million, a bill so large officials are considering building a new prison instead.

For years, flush accounts allowed Wyoming to avoid borrowing money to build schools and other facilities. Now, bonding might be the best way to address the prison, the governor said.

"Whether it is a fix or a rebuild, we need to have that addressed this session, including where the funding would come from," Mead said.

Wyoming's credit ratings remain top-notch but bonding is a word rarely heard in Wyoming in recent years. The state should consider a return to bonding to pay for school construction and other projects during the downturn, Senate Minority Floor Leader Chris Rothfuss said in a leadership news conference after Mead's speech.

Up-front payments that mining companies pay for federal coal leases  Wyoming is the top coal-mining state and splits the payments evenly with the federal government  paid for a statewide school-construction boom starting in the early 2000s, he pointed out.

"The last decade-plus has basically been a $2.4 billion tax holiday for the people of Wyoming," said Rothfuss. "But we need to put $150 million a year for school capital construction to meet major maintenance and replacement needs. We don't have many options available."

The bonding idea faces slim chances, at least for now. Republicans outnumber Democrats 51-9 in the Wyoming House and 27-3 in the Wyoming Senate, the highest ratio of Republican dominance of any statehouse in the country. Senate President Eli Bebout expressed deep reservations.

"It just would be my last resort," he said.

Bebout ruled out any tax increases this legislative session to pay for education.

After a legislative subcommittee in late December recommended several options for education savings and new revenue, lawmakers now look to convene a supercommittee of legislators from both chambers and Mead staffers to tackle the education funding problem over the next year.

The process would include a series of meetings around the state. Already, almost 600 people wrote to comment on the subcommittee's recommendations. Ideas include consolidating school districts and raising sales and property taxes.

"I've read every one of them," House Speaker Steve Harshman said of the public comments. "Those will not be the last opportunity for public input. That was the start of the beginning."

Approval of four new water storage projects and $2.5 million for a project to diversify Wyoming's economy round out Mead's other priorities in the weeks ahead.
The A321 jet, purchased after the nuclear deal with world powers, will mainly be used for domestic flights within Iran.

The first Airbus passenger plane ordered by IranAir in decades after the lifting of international sanctions on the Islamic Republic has landed in the capital, Tehran, according to Iranian media.

The new A321 jet arrived at Tehrans Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday on a flight from the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.

The head of IranAir, Farhad Parvaresh, called the delivery a sunny day for relations between Iran and Europe, and a memorable one for aviation in the nation of 80 million people.

Iran nuclear deal one year on: Expectations v reality

The 189-seat plane, already painted in IranAirs livery, is the first of 100 ordered from Airbus following a deal reached in 2015 between Tehran and world powers to lift sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on the countrys nuclear activities.

The average age of the IranAir fleet, that carries around six million passengers each year, is 25, Al Jazeeras Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Tehran, said.

This is a big achievement for President Hassan Rouhani and his current government as well as the Iranian people who have been extremely worried about the state of the countrys airlines and passenger planes.

IranAir has also ordered 80 aircraft from Boeing and is in the final stages of negotiating an order for 20 turboprops from Toulouse-based ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italys Leonardo Finmeccanica.

The A321 will primarily be used for domestic flights within Iran, the airline said.

First since 1979

Highlighting Irans emergence from years of isolation, the Airbus delivery marks the first new jet directly acquired from a western manufacturer since 1979, other than the replacement of an Airbus jet shot down by the US Navy in 1988.

Both Airbus and Boeing need US export licences to deliver the jets because of the number of US parts.

Both have received licences, but Boeing needs to have the majority extended due to the lengthy delivery period and analysts expect it to point to the Airbus delivery in order to press the case for its sales to remain in force.

Parvaresh said that he hoped the US would not block the agreement under President Donald Trump, who at times has pledged to pull Washington out of the nuclear accord.

Everything has been done according to the international regulations and rules up to now. We hope that nothing special happens to end this contract, Parvaresh told reporters.

The first Airbus aircraft will enter service on Saturday starting on busy domestic routes such as Tehran to Mashhad for the next couple of months, he said.

IranAir hopes to receive at least two more from Airbus by the start of the Iranian new year in March, and a total of six A320 aircraft in calendar year 2017, he added. It also expects to receive three larger A330 jets in 2017.
Transport minister says the capital is facing an emergency with mounting rubbish posing a real threat to flights.

Flights coming in and out of Lebanons Beirut airport could be at risk from birds flying over a nearby rubbish dump, the countrys transport minister has said.

Youssef Fenianos told reporters on Wednesday that birds scavenging for food at the Costa Brava dump, one of three temporary landfill sites in the capital, posed a real danger to flights and the more than six million passengers that use the airport annually.





Environmentalists have warned for months that the Costa Brava dump, one of three sites created under a government plan to end the citys rubbish crisis, were attracting rodents and increasing numbers of birds.

As a result, waste has piled up in Costa Brava, on the coastline close to the runways at Beiruts international airport, reaching nine metres in some places and wafting foul odours nearby.

Today we face an emergency  there is a danger posed to civil aviation movement by birds, Fenianos, who is also minister of public works, said.

The presence of the Costa Brava dump has contributed to the increasing number of birds Thank God, up until now, the flights have not encountered any real danger.

In August, the Lebanese pilots union warned of the possibility of birds being sucked into aircraft engines.

On Tuesday, local media reported that a plane belonging to national carrier Middle East Airlines encountered a large flock of birds as it landed on the airports west runway.

WATCH: Lebanons garbage revolt takes on government

Fenianos said the problem was being tackled by an increase in the number of devices installed around the airport emitting bird of prey calls in order to scare away the nuisance birds, the AFP news agency reported.

The activist movement You Stink, which mobilised tens of thousands to protest against government inaction during the height of the rubbish crisis, mocked the measures.

What are you waiting for to close Costa Brava  for a plane to crash or an international decision to shut the airport, they wrote on Facebook.

The solution is not to scare the birds away, they said, urging the dump be closed.

A permanent solution for the waste produced by Beirut and its surroundings has yet to be found, months after the Naameh landfill was shuttered and rubbish began piling up on the capitals streets.

The issue is one of many outstanding challenges that remain to be resolved by Lebanons new government, formed on December 18 after some two years of political paralysis.
Muslim leaders call for calm and unity after mosques in Cape Town are defiled with pig blood and a pigs snout.

Authorities in South Africa say Islamophobia fuelled two separate attacks on mosques in Cape Town, where Muslim centres of worship were broken into and defiled with pigs blood and a pigs snout.

The Western Cape provincial government said Mondays attack, in which the blood was found smeared over the walls of a mosque in Kalk Bay was linked to an earlier attack on a mosque in Simons Town, some 15km away, where a pigs snout was left on the entrance gate.





Both incidents made calculated use of Islamophobic methods, the government said in a statement.

The similarity of the cases, and proximity of the mosques, raises concerns that the two incidents may be linked.

Achmat Sity, the imam of the 110-year-old Kalk Bay Mosque, urged Muslims to remain calm and called for unity.

This mosque has been here for over 100 years and this is the first time an incident like this has happened, he told Al Jazeera.

There have been burglaries in the past, but this was despicable.

The local branch of the ruling ANC party condemned the attacks as disgusting and called on South Africans to stand united in protecting the culture of coexistence.

Pigs are an animal considered ritually unclean in Islam and believers are prohibited from consuming them.

The desecrations came less than a week after a white Western Cape resident posted a message on a community Facebook page calling for mosques to be burned down. The post has since been deleted.

Farid Sayed, the editor of Muslim Views, a national newspaper, said that while the attacks may be isolated in nature, they indicated a failure of some segments of post-apartheid South Africa to fully integrate.

Racist attitudes are still very deeply embedded in post-apartheid South Africa, all it took was a simple Facebook post to spark this, he said.

People living in white-only communities believe they have to fight to keep Muslims out, they think they dont have the states backing.

This anger  from these racists and bigots  has been heightened by right-wing media outlets that continue to demonise and insult Muslims, he added.

Muslims make up nearly 1.5 percent South Africas 55-million population and hold prominent positions in politics, academia, trade and elsewhere.

Follow Faisal Edroos on Twitter: @FaisalEdroos
Remarks at confirmation hearings are the latest by Donald Trumps cabinet picks moving away from pre-election rhetoric.

US President-elect Donald Trumps picks to lead the Pentagon and CIA have taken a tough stance against Russia at their confirmation hearings, distancing themselves from the pre-election rhetoric of the future Oval Office boss.

Retired Marine General James Mattis, the defence secretary nominee, told senators on Thursday that Washington must be ready to confront Moscow when necessary.





Asked about the main threats to US interests, Mattis said: I would consider the principle threats to start with Russia.

Mattis also said Russia, China and armed groups were presenting the biggest challenge to the US-led world order since World War II, accused Moscow of trying to break up NATO, and called for Congress to lift spending caps undermining military readiness.

Im all for engagement but we also have to recognise reality in what Russia is up to, Mattis said, adding that there were a decreasing number of areas where the US might cooperate with its old Cold War foe.

READ MORE: Donald Trumps cabinet picks  Whos who?

His remarks were the latest by one of Trumps cabinet picks to stand in sharp contrast to the views of their future boss, who has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged to improve ties with him.

I have to say I dont remember a time where weve seen cabinet secretaries that seem to have such different views than the person they hope to work for: president-elect Donald Trump, Al Jazeeras Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington DC, said.

On Wednesday, Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state nominee, had also expressed views at odds with Trump on key foreign policy issues such as nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico.

Mattis said he wanted to meet with the new Trump national security team to craft a strategy to confront Russia for what its done, when questioned about the possibility of new US sanctions.

Confirmation hearings got under way on Thursday also for Mike Pompeo, Trumps choice to lead the CIA, amid tension between the president-elect and the agency Pompeo has been tapped to lead.

In his remarks to Senators, Pompeo also veered away from Trump, who wants to warm relations with Moscow.

He said the US faced one of the most complicated threat environments in decades, including an increasingly aggressive Russia threatening Europe and doing nothing to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group in Syria.

OPINION: America was a stan long before Trump

On other issues, Pompeo said Iran has become an even more emboldened and disruptive player in the Middle East.

As CIA director, he said he would drop the opposition he has had as a politician to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers.

Yet, Pompeo called the Iranians professionals at cheating and said he would work to improve US capability to detect violations of Tehrans commitment to curb its nuclear activities.

Trump this week furiously denounced intelligence officials for what he said were leaks to the media by intelligence agencies of a dossier that makes unverified compromising allegations about his contacts in Russia.

By contrast, Pompeo voiced strong support for the agency, saying he has seen Central Intelligence Agency staff walk through fire.

He said he understood it would be a problem if folks were afraid there would be political retribution and promised to have their backs at every single moment. You have my word I will do that.
UN chief hopes for a breakthrough but says major work remains on how to implement and guarantee a final settlement.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are close to reaching a deal on unifying the island, according to the United Nations chief, who cautioned, however against any quick fix to end decades of division.

Speaking from Geneva, Switzerland, where talks aimed at ending 40 years of stalemate are currently under way, Antonio Guterres said that major work remained on how to implement and guarantee a final pact.

We are coming very close to what is the settlement, Antonio Guterres told reporters in Geneva on Thursday, adding however that key issues remained unresolved.

You cannot expect miracles of immediate solutions, we are not looking for a quick fix, he said. We are looking for a solid sustainable solution.

READ MORE: How a ghost town embodies the Cypriot divide

Thursdays multi-party talks follow three days of negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci aiming to forge a united, two-zone federation in the eastern Mediterranean island .

AL JAZEERAS JONAH HULL IN GENEVA: The conference on Cyprus involving the Cypriot leaders and the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey was only due to take place for the day on Thursday. Quite what happens next is unclear. Do the foreign ministers stay here and keep working into Friday and perhaps the weekend? What is clear is that deep differences have emerged  in part to do with the boundaries of a possible future federal state of Cyprus drawn onto maps and presented by the parties on Wednesday, but even deeper differences over the question of security. The Greek Cypriots want Turkey to remove an enormous contingence of soldiers that has been in the north of the island since 1974. Indeed, the Greek Cypriots would quite like to see the whole system of guarantorship relinquished  but what system will replace it? What guarantees will be acceptable to both sides no one knows, and given that these talks proceed on the basis that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, it does seem clear that a deal isnt as close as many had hoped.

Diplomats believe moderates Anastasiades and Akinci represent the best chance in years to reunite the country. But there are obstacles ranging from property grievances of thousands uprooted in conflict, to more practical difficulties associated with power-sharing, and security.

The conference also included top diplomats from Greece, Turkey and former colonial ruler Britain  the islands guarantor powers which, under a 1959 agreement, have the right to intervene to protect of Cypruss sovereign integrity.

Ankara used that pact to justify its 1974 invasion that divided the island, which came in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

The goal of the talks, Guterres said, was to find a new system that guarantees the security concerns of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.

We are at a starting point on the question of security, he said.

My hope is there will be a breakthrough, he continued, adding that Cyprus can be a symbol of hope.

READ MORE: Talks on track to reach a solution to Cyprus dispute

The presence of about 30,000 Turkish troops in northern Cyprus is strongly contested by Greek Cyprians, which hinders the closing of a deal without their potential withdrawal.

Britain and Greece have said they are willing to do away with the guarantor power arrangement, but Turkey on Thursday made clear that it expects some form of the deal to be preserved.

Continuing the security and guarantor arrangements, which have been the basis of security and stability on the island for the last 43 years, is a necessity given the situation in the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

WATCH: Cyprus reunification  Hopes of a solution amid talks

In a groundbreaking move on Wednesday, the sides submitted proposals on how to define the post-settlement boundaries between the two sides. The proposals ranged between 28.2 and 29.2 percent of Cypriot territory remaining under Turkish Cypriot control, down from about 36 percent now.

There are about 800,000 Greek Cypriots and 220,000 Turkish Cypriots.

Greek Cypriots hope to reach an arrangement that would see the return of their internally displaced people to their homes under Greek Cypriot control.

The 1974 invasion uprooted 165,000 Greek Cypriots, while about 40,000 Turkish Cypriots were displaced in intercommunal violence in the 1960s and a population transfer in 1975.
Shai Masot, a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy in the UK, was forced to resign, Al Jazeera learns.

An Israeli political officer, who was at the centre of an Al Jazeera investigation, has been forced to resign from Israels UK embassy, a senior official in the Israeli foreign ministry has told Al Jazeera.





Shai Masot, a senior political officer working at the Israeli embassy, resigned from his post earlier this week, the spokesman said on Thursday.

The investigation, The Lobby, reveals plots by the Israeli diplomat and a British civil servant to destroy the careers of senior politicians.

In a statement posted on his Twitter account on Sunday, the UK Israeli embassys spokesman, Yiftah Curiel, downplayed comments made by Masot.

The Embassy of Israel rejects the remarks concerning Minister [Sir Alan] Duncan, which are completely unacceptable; the comments were made by a junior embassy employee who is not an Israeli diplomat, and who will be ending his term of employment with the embassy shortly.

The Lobby also uncovers Israels extensive, well-financed propaganda campaign in the UK to counter negative news stories about its policies and to fund trips to Israel for young activists.

As part of a six-month investigation, Robin, an undercover reporter using an alias, infiltrated a lobby of politicians, activists and Israeli embassy officials working to drum up support for Israel.

Many enjoyed financial or strategic support from the Israeli embassy in London via Masot.

Israels apology

The Israeli embassy has apologised to UK deputy foreign secretary Sir Alan Duncan for comments made by Masot on plans to take [him] down due to his criticism of Israels settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

In a conversation with Maria Strizzolo, who was then chief of staff to MP Robert Halfon, the deputy chairman of the ruling Conservative Party, Masot asked her if he could give her some names of MPs he would suggest she take down.

Masot named Duncan, who in 2014 said 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.

Strizzolo later hinted that a little scandal might see Duncan dismissed.

But this latest disclosure is just one among the Investigative Units many findings, which are being revealed in The Lobby, a four-part series that is be broadcast daily on Al Jazeera from January 11 at 22:30 GMT.

The undercover investigation reveals how the Israeli government is in the midst of a brazen, covert influence campaign in Britain.

For half a year, Robin, an undercover reporter working with Al Jazeeras Investigative Unit, met 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.

Al Jazeera Investigative Units series The Lobby can be viewed on Al Jazeera:

Episode One: Young Friends of Israel  Available online

Episode Two: The Training Session  Available online

Episode Three: The Anti-Semitic Trope  Friday, January 13, 22:30 GMT

Episode Four: The Takedown  Saturday, January 14, 22:30 GMT

The series will also be available online.
At least 72 countries will attend a conference aiming to lay a framework for a two-state solution.

A forthcoming conference in Paris aiming to explore ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts has placed leaders from the two sides at odds.

At least 72 countries are due to attend the conference on Sunday in the French capital in an effort to lay an international framework for a two-state solution between the Palestinians and Israel.

But while the Palestinian side has welcomed the French initiative, the Israelis rejected it and refused to play any role in the meeting.





In a speech to diplomats on Thursday, French President Francois Hollande said the conference aims to ensure the support of the international community for the two-state solution as a reference for future direct negotiations.

The Israelis and Palestinians will not take part in the main gathering. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been invited to come to France after the conference to be informed of its conclusions.

Netanyahu has declined the invitation. Abbas is due to meet his French counterpart Francois Hollande on Monday to be briefed on the proceedings, Palestinian officials say.

INTERACTIVE: Broken homes  A record year of Israeli demolitions

The Palestinians, who in recent years have campaigned for the international community to assume a greater role in resolving the conflict, have welcomed the multilateral approach, saying years of negotiations have not ended Israels occupation of Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority hopes the Paris conference will deliver a strong international endorsement of the two-state solution, a goal that has been the bedrock of the Middle East policy of the last several US administrations.

It said that the Paris gathering would also be an important opportunity to condemn Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory as it comes on the heels of a landmark UN security council resolution passed on December 23.

Rigged conference

Netanyahu, on the other hand, dismissed the conference and said that Israel was not bound by the meeting.





Its a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances, Netanyahu said on Thursday during a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende in Jerusalem.

Its not going to obligate us. Its a relic of the past, its a last gasp of the past before the future sets in.

READ MORE: UK Israel funding spin trips as it smears critics

In response to Netanyahus comments, Nabil Abu-Rudeineh, an Abbas aide, said the international community must stress to the Israeli government that its rejection of the international resolutions will not bring anything but more instability to the area.

Efforts toward a two-state solution have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

According to the Israeli rights group BTselem, more than half a million Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in violation of international law.

READ MORE: Israels anti-UN steps could lead to isolation

Moreover, the settler movement holds important political power in Israel, and key members of Netanyahus coalition push hard for more construction in the West Bank.

Between 2009 and 2014, settlements were expanded by at least 23 percent under Netanyahus leadership.

The US and others say continued settlement building is steadily eating away at the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In September, US President Barack Obama signed an agreement to give Israel $38bn in military aid despite public spats between Obama and Netanyahu.
US military in Afghanistan says investigation into November gunfight confirms civilian casualties, including children.

A US military investigation has found that air raids targeting the Taliban during a gun battle in northern Afghanistan last year killed 33 civilians.

Twenty-seven other civilians were wounded in the village of Boz in Kunduz city, a statement from US Forces Afghanistan said on Thursday.

The incident on November 3 saw US and Afghan troops carrying out a ground assault against the Taliban when they came under fire from the armed group, prompting a call for air reinforcements.

Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, General John Nicholson, the top commander of US forces and the NATO mission, said.

According to the statement, the operation was launched to capture Taliban commanders the US said were behind the capture of parts of Kunduz in October 2015.

The civilian deaths caused an uproar and the United Nations and humanitarian organisations condemned the bombing raid.

The loss of civilian life is unacceptable and undermines efforts towards building peace and stability in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement after the raid.

Residents carried more than a dozen bodies, including children, towards a local governors office in a show of anger.

OPINION: No consensus in Afghanistan on how to deal with the Taliban

The US statement said civilians were killed and wounded because the Taliban were using their houses as bases and, additionally, a Taliban weapons cache was hit which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, residents of the village said the air raids hit civilian areas where many women and children were killed.

We dont even know if the Taliban were actually killed in this attack. All we saw were dead bodies of the innocent people, Ruhani, a resident of Boz village, told Al Jazeera.

We saw dead bodies of children as young as three years old. What was their fault?

Another resident who lost members of his family in the fight said the attack only killed innocent people and the houses were targeted based on speculation.

Charles H Cleveland, a spokesman for the US military in Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera that the raids killed at least 26 Taliban fighters including three top leaders who led the capture of Kunduz.

The only real option we had at that point was to conduct air strikes as the Taliban were attacking Afghan and US forces vigorously, he said.

The village is not a normal village. There are a lot of Taliban fighters there. However, the only real solution to prevent civilian casualties is for the Taliban to not hide behind civilians, he said, adding that even one civilian casualty is too many for us.

The carnage underscored worsening insecurity since the Taliban in October 2016 overran Kunduz city for the second time in a year, as NATO-backed Afghan forces struggled to rein in the fighters.

Civilians being killed by NATO has been one of the most divisive issues in its 15-year battle with the Taliban, prompting strong public and government criticism.
UK prime minister says Northern Irish leaders have a week to resolve their differences or there will be an election.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said political uncertainty in Northern Ireland must not be allowed to affect a peace process that has largely ended decades of sectarian violence in the province.

Northern Irelands deputy leader, Martin McGuinness, resigned on Monday, effectively collapsing its devolved government and risking political paralysis in the region as Britain plans its exit from the EU.

McGuinness is a Nationalist, whose Sinn Fein party wants Northern Ireland to be united with the Republic of Ireland.

Under power-sharing rules, the provinces first minister and McGuinness coalition partner, Arlene Foster, must go too. She is a Democratic Unionist and wants Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK.

Restoring the power balance will be tough, with the potential to inflame old tensions. The power vacuum means that for the first time in 20 years the British government is back in direct control.

The progress that has been made in Northern Ireland has been hard-won and we must all recognise that we dont want to put that progress in jeopardy, May told parliament on Wednesday.

McGuinness said he resigned in protest over his power-sharing partners botched handling of a green energy scheme that left a big hole in the governments finances.

But the divisions between the two parties go much deeper.

For 30 years, Catholic Nationalists and Protestant Unionists fought for control of Northern Ireland with the British army heavily involved in the violence.

A peace deal was reached 19 years ago but old rivalries continued.

Elections inevitable

In West Belfast, Catholic communities have seen funds for Irish language projects cut. An example, they say, of a system that still favours the Unionists.

This is a catastrophic financial situation that were facing, but its entirely based upon an arrogance and contempt shown by political Unionism, Declan Kearney, Sinn Feins chairman, told Al Jazeera.

Were now saying that that status quo has degraded the basis of our political institutions and were determined to end this.

But Unionists say McGuinness resignation was motivated by divisions within the Republican camp. He is also said to be suffering from a serious heart problem.

OPINION: Brexit  The night the UK became a little island

Were disappointed with his departure because it doesnt really solve the problems that are facing Northern Ireland, Peter Weir, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, told Al Jazeera.

Its clearly something thats been driven by internal Republican dissent but the problem is that the people of Northern Ireland are becoming the victims of that internal debate.

An investigation into the energy scandal has been ordered. But it is too late to save the government, and analysts say elections are now almost inevitable.
There seems to be a sweet spot for sugar policy in President-elect Donald Trumps cabinet, sugar lobbyist Luther Markwart told Montana and Wyoming beet farmers Wednesday.

Speaking in Billings, Markwart, American Sugar Beet Association executive vice president, said it was still too soon to know exactly what the Trump presidency will mean for the U.S. sugar, or to agriculture in general.

Trump has yet to nominate an agriculture secretary. However, other key cabinet nominees seem to bode well for an industry that contributes $100 million a year to Montanas economy.

The upside to those picks is their understanding of Mexicos influence on the U.S. economy, said Markwart who was the noon speaker at the Wyoming/Montana Malt Barley, Sugar Beet Symposium.

What about Secretary of Commerce Wilber Ross? Markwart said. He understands how foreign competitors have harmed domestic industries. What is our biggest issue? Foreign countries who subsidize their sugar producers and dump product into a world market that threatens us.

The terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement allow Mexican sugar to flow freely into the United States. In the last decade, Mexican sugar production has more than doubled. Much of that sugar increase has been exported to the United States, creating an oversupply that drives profits down for U.S. sugar beet farmers, most of whom are not only paid for beets farmed, but also receive income as members of cooperatives that refine sugar.

Look at the trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, Markwart said. In his law practice he spends most of his time doing anti-dumping countervailing cases, which means countries are subsidizing and dumping and harming U.S. industries. Hello Mexico and sugar.

Ross and Lighthizer, coupled with Peter Navarro, Trumps pick to lead the newly created Whitehouse National Trade Council, should produce results for the sugar industry, Markwart said.

They want stuff, made, grown and bought here, to bring jobs back, Markwart said.

Turning to Congress, the American Sugar Beet Association, sees House Republicans, with a 47-lawmaker advantage, passing whatever agriculture legislation the GOP wants, The Senate is a different story.

In the Senate, to get law passed Republicans will need eight votes from outside the GOP, either from the Democratic party or the Senates two independent lawmakers. Theyll look first to Democrats from states Trump won in the presidential election.

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, tops the list of Democrats the GOP will attempt to persuade to support Republican bills, Markwart said. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 100,000 votes in the presidential election.

In his 2012 re-election bid, Tester secured less than half the popular vote, 49 percent, to win a three-way race.

The sugar beet lobby will be trying to secure favorable crop insurance terms in the next farm bill, dissuading lawmakers from increasing labeling requirements on biotech crops, and trying to defend sugar from an anti-sugar childhood obesity movement, which Markwart said uses faulty science to blame sugar for poor child health when a lack of exercise should be the focus.
Court stays execution of a mentally ill man who was sentenced to death in 2003 for murdering a fellow police officer.

A Pakistani court has stayed the execution of a mentally ill man who was due to be hanged on January 17, according to his lawyers.

Khizar Hayat, a 55-year-old former police officer, was sentenced to death in 2003 for shooting a colleague.

The execution was temporarily stayed until January 30 by the Lahore High Court, The Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) group, which is managing his case, said on Thursday.

READ MORE: Pakistan sets execution date for mentally ill man

The judge, Shahid Hameed Dar, said it would be unjust to proceed on Hayats case without waiting for the Supreme Courts decision regarding another mentally ill man, who was given a last-minute reprieve from execution by the High Court in October, the group said in a statement.

Last year, Pakistans Supreme Court stayed the execution of Imdad Ali, a convict diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The United Nations has also previously called on Pakistan to protect mentally ill inmates, singling out Hayat as having psychosocial disabilities.

We are relieved to hear that Khizar has been granted a temporary reprieve, said JPP spokesman Waseem Waheed.

However  until the Supreme Court sets the standard for the way the law handles [mentally ill prisoners], we will continue to litter our death row with many Imdads and Khizars.

READ MORE: Concern over fate of missing Pakistani activists

A court-mandated medical board in July confirmed that Hayat suffers from a mental illness.

Hayats mother, Iqbal Bano, also urged the countrys president, Mamnoon Hussain, to pardon her son.

She said she visited her son in prison and that he doesnt know what is going to happen to him, he is not in a stable state of mind

My son needs medical treatment, not execution, she told The Associated Press.

READ MORE: Tragedies that expose Pakistans faultlines

Pakistan has hanged more than 400 convicts since a moratorium on executions was lifted in 2014.

Pakistan halted executions between 2008 and 2014 due to pressure from international human rights groups. But it lifted the moratorium following a Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar in December 2014 that killed 150 people, nearly all of them children.

Last year, the execution of a Pakistani man  who was allegedly arrested as a juvenile and tortured into confessing to a murder  triggered an international outcry.
Maps on territorial claims are exchanged in Geneva, as UN chief travels there to attend peace talks.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have exchanged maps outlining rival territorial proposals in a development that increased hopes for a solution to the Cyprus dispute.

Presented, submitted and then sealed in a UN vault in Geneva on Wednesday, the territorial adjustments could form an integral part of solving a decades-old conflict that has kept Greece and Turkey at loggerheads and obstructed Turkeys membership bid to the EU.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed in principle to return some of the land they have controlled since a 1974 invasion by Turkish troops, which came in response to a coup by armed Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece.





Never before have we had an exchange of maps, or a presentation of maps, created by the delegations themselves, Espen Barth Eide, the UN envoy for Cyprus, said before the handover.

Eide said the talks, aimed at creating a bizonal state with some form of shared central administration, were on track.

We have dealt with some of the most difficult issues. We have touched upon almost all of them, we have solved many of them and we are close to resolving some other issues, Eide said.

Emotions still run high over issues such as territorial exchange and restoration of property lost on both sides as the island was partitioned amid bloodshed in 1974.

Turkeys stance important

Analysts and diplomats say Greek Cypriot leader and President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, two moderates, have a unique opportunity to settle a dispute which has dragged on for decades.

According to Andreas Theophanous, a former advisor to the president of Cyprus in the 1990s, the key to solving the Cyprus question is the stance of Turkey.

If Turkey respected the independence of Cyprus in the past, we would have made more progress today, he told Al Jazeera from Nicosia.

The issues raised by Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot side make it really hard to reach a solution, issues such as a member of the EU, Cyprus, having security guarantees from Turkey, Turkey not recognising Cyprus as a country and presence Turkish troops on the island.

READ MORE: How a ghost town embodies the Cypriot divide

Turkish analyst Musaffer Senel told Al Jazeera from Istanbul that both sides, though they do not often say it publicly, are optimistic about resolving the dispute.

It is not Ankara or Athens negotiating in Geneva, it is Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders. And the political will of these parties is the most important thing that will bring us to a possible solution, he said.

The foreign ministers of Greece, Turkey and Britain, guarantor powers of Cypruss independence, were due in Geneva on Thursday to discuss the security parameters of any deal. The new UN chief Antonio Guterres will attend the talks in Geneva on the same day.

Key issues

Turkey has around 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus. Their presence is strongly contested by the Greek side, which says a deal is not possible without them pulling out.

The Greek Cypriots want the guarantor system dismantled, calling it an anachronism which could keep the island under the perpetual influence of Turkey. Turkish Cypriots, fearful of past experiences since the 1960s when they were targeted by Greek Cypriot nationalists, want Turkish guarantees to continue.

Any adjustment would modify the existing ceasefire boundary splitting Cyprus east to west and decreasing territory under Turkish Cypriot control, which is about 36 percent today.

Past peace negotiations have reached a ballpark range of between 28.2 and 29.2 percent of Cypriot territory remaining under Turkish Cypriot control.

There are about 800,000 Greek Cypriots and 220,000 Turkish Cypriots.

Greek Cypriots want an arrangement which would see the maximum possible number of their internally displaced returning to their homes under Greek Cypriot control.

The 1974 invasion uprooted 165,000 Greek Cypriots, while about 40,000 Turkish Cypriots were displaced in intercommunal violence in the 1960s and a population transfer in 1975.
The arrival of thousands of US soldiers in Poland as part of a NATO build-up is a threat to Russias national security, the Kremlin has said.

The mission, one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the Cold War, will eventually see more than 3,000 troops and heavy equipment deployed in Poland and other nearby NATO partners on a rotational basis.

This operation threatens our interests and our security, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday.

This is even more pronounced when a third party [US] reinforces its military presence on our doorstep in Europe.

READ MORE: US tanks arrive in Germany for NATO mission in Europe

The Atlantic Resolve mission, agreed on at a NATO 2016 summit, was ordered by outgoing President Barack Obamas administration to calm US allies in Europe after Russias 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Russian actions alarmed the Baltic states, which worry they could be the next targets of Russian pressure and intervention as Moscow has increased its presence in the Baltic Sea area over the past two years.

The operation comes a week before President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, who has announced that his Republican administration will work to ease tensions with the Kremlin amid concern over accusations of Russian intervention in the 2016 US elections.

Alexei Mechkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, described the deployment as a factor destabilising European security.

The first of the arriving troops, reportedly from Fort Carson, Colorado, will be followed with more than 3,000 soldiers, tanks and other military equipment deployed in Poland via Germany and nearby NATO partners.

Among their equipment will be 87 Abrams M1A1 tanks, 20 Paladin artillery vehicles and 136 Bradley fighting vehicles.

The forces will branch out to seven Eastern European countries from Estonia to Bulgaria on a rotational basis within the next two weeks.

In addition to US troops, NATO members Germany, Canada and Britain are also sending up to 1,000 troops, each to the former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The arrival of the troops will be announced in official ceremonies on Saturday.
Israel is attempting to smear activists who question the illegal occupation of Palestinian land by helping to build racism cases against them, an investigation by Al Jazeeras Investigative Unit reveals.

The investigation, The Lobby , also uncovers Israels extensive, well-financed propaganda campaign in the UK to counter negative news stories about its policies and to fund trips to Israel for young activists.

As part of a six-month investigation, Robin, an undercover reporter using an alias, infiltrated a lobby of politicians, activists and Israeli embassy officials working to drum up support for Israel.

Many enjoyed financial or strategic support from the Israeli embassy in London via Shai Masot, a senior policial officer at the embassy.

During the investigation, Michael Rubin, a young Labour and pro-Israel activist, told Robin that he worked with the ambassador and embassy quite a lot.

OPINION: Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in British politics

We work really closely together, he said, but a lot of it is behind the scenes.

The embassy helps us quite a lot, he said. When bad news stories come out of Israel, the embassy sends us information so we can counter it.

Party conference

Robin posed as a graduate activist with strong sympathies towards Israel who was eager to launch a pro-Israel youth group within the opposition Labour Party and help combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

In September, Masot took Robin to the 2016 Labour Party conference in Liverpool. On the sidelines, Mike Katz, vice chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, held a training session regarding anti-Semitism, which Al Jazeera filmed secretly.

Some Labour members raised questions over the definition of anti-Semitism, and were soon accused of racism.

When the discussion moved to the subject of Zionism, the political ideology that Israel has the right to exist as an exclusively Jewish homeland in historic Palestine, some attempted to debate the issue.

Anti-Semitism, like any form of racism is deplorable and my feeling about how to tackle this is for Jews to be standing firmly and squarely alongside our black comrades, our Muslim comrades, who are much more at the moment the target of racism than thankfully we are, said leading Labour activist Jackie Walker, a black British Jew.

She added that she hadnt heard a definition of anti-Semitism [within the session] that I can work with, and concluded: If you are saying effectively that Zionism is not open to debate as a concept, then that is really worrying.

Walker soon faced threats and criticism.

Footage (not Al Jazeeras) of her comments appeared on the internet and news of the event hit British newspaper headlines the next day. She was later suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation and lost her role as vice-chairwoman of Momentum, a left-wing organisation supportive of Labour leader Corbyn.

When Robin asked Masot about Walker, the Israeli diplomat said: She is problematic.

Do not let it go, he advised, and urged Robin to report all of the party members who make similar comments.

I could take her

Later, Ella Rose, director of the Jewish Labour Movement who previously worked at the Israeli embassy, discredited Walker, calling her a f******g anti-Semite.

She boasted of having undergone training in Krav Maga, a hand-to-hand combat technique developed by the Israeli military.

You know what, I could take her. Shes like 5ft 2in and tiny, Rose told Robin.

Al Jazeera showed Walker the footage of Rose. She said: If they accuse anybody of anti-Semitism it is basically as bad as kind of accusing somebody of being a paedophile or a murderer.

Walker added that for her, it was really hard to come back from that accusation.

Yossi Melman, an Israeli journalist and writer who specialises in security and intelligence affairs told Al Jazeera that in recent years, there is a growing tendency within the government to smear people who are anti-Israeli, or anti-Zionist, also to be anti-Semite.

But not all anti-Israelis and anti-Zionists are anti-Semites, on the contrary.

Israeli historian Ilan Pappe added: In the past, anti-Semitism was hating Jews for being Jews.

Now Israel tries to extend it to say that any criticism about what Jews are doing is also anti-Semitism.

If you question the right of Israel to be a Jewish state, then you are not different from these classical anti-Semites.

Mystery million

During the Labour Party conference, Robin recorded a discussion between Masot and Joan Ryan, a Labour MP and head of Labour Friends of Israel, at an LFI stand in which they alluded to a fund of more than 1m from the Israeli embassy used to send activists and politicians on paid trips to Israel.

Ryan said that she selected the candidates for the trip. What happened with the names that we put into the embassy? she asked Masot.

Just now weve got the money, its more than 1m, its a lot of money, he replied. its not physical, its an approval.

I didnt think you had it in your bag! joked Ryan.

READ MORE: Israel lobby infiltrates UK student movement

The LFI told Al Jazeera that the conversation between Masot and Ryan had nothing whatsoever to do with LFI delegations.

The LFI added that no payment of 1m was offered, given or received by them and the names of individuals supplied by Ryan were for a visit arranged, advertised by and paid for by the Israeli embassy.

The group said Masot was claiming influence he did not have and that any young LFI grouping would be organised by the LFI and not the embassy.

By the time of publication, no one had clarified to Al Jazeera to whom the 1m was to be paid.

Melman described foreign delegations to Israel as an important part of a propaganda campaign.

The government of Israel has already a budget allocated to various ministries which can use it as they like, to bring foreign delegations to Israel, he said. Its part of the information campaign, you may call it a propaganda campaign.

The LFI said that they work alongside many organisations  both Israeli and Palestinian  as well as the Israeli embassy.

Al Jazeera Investigative Units series The Lobby can be viewed on Al Jazeera:

Episode One: Young Friends of Israel  Available online

Episode Two: The Training Session  Thursday, January 12, 22:30 GMT

Episode Three: The Anti-Semitic Trope  Friday, January 13, 22:30 GMT

Episode Four: The Takedown  Saturday, January 14, 22:30 GMT
Fierce battles between army and rebels continue for third day in the capital, forcing hundreds to flee their homes.

Yemens government troops have been battling Houthi rebels for a third day in the capital Sanaa after the collapse of ceasefire talks, officials and residents say.

Explosions were heard on Saturday near the Interior Ministry in the northern part of Sanaa, a day after the Shia fighters began shelling the state television building as they advanced into the city.

Khaled Hammadi, a journalist based in Sanaa, told Al Jazeera that heavy smoke was hanging over the area of the state TV building on Saturday.

Fighting is expanding hour by hour and the Houthi rebel fighters are advancing into neighbourhoods near important areas, he said.

Meanwhile, reports from Sanaa said the Yemeni army was commencing a counterattack on the Houthis with back-up from the Republican Guard unit.

Hakim al-Masmari, the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post, told Al Jazeera that Saturdays clashes have been the fiercest since fighting began on Thursday. He said that dozens of Houthi fighters were killed in Sanaa in the latest round of fighting.

He added that there could be a truce between the warring sides later in the day.

At least a 123 fighters have been killed over the past three days, according to a tally by the Associated Press news agency.

Thousands of Houthis have been staging protests in Sanaa for more than a month now, besieging ministries and blocking the road to the main airport.





Fighting in Sanaa had become so intense that by Friday international airlines suspended flights in and out of the nearby airport.

The UN has failed to mediate a peace deal between the warring sides.

Jamal Benomar, the UN envoy to Yemen, left the northern city of Saada on Friday after trying to mediate a deal that could pave the way for a new government and more political representation for the Houthis.

Clashes have raged on the outskirts of Sanaa for days, with dozens of deaths reported.

Earlier, Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Sanaa, said the country is just a few hours from plunging into a civil war as the capital is divided along sectarian lines, with one half run by Sunnis and the other by Houthis.

The Houthis have control over most of the north of the country  from Saada to the gates of Sanaa, he said.

They have thousands of fighters and some military commanders and members of the former regime with them. And if in the coming hours they decide to control Sanaa, they can definitely control the capital.

If the Sunnis decide to join the fight against the Houthis, its definitely going to be civil war in the country [] Its either peace or war.

The Houthis are a Zaidi Shia group whose traditional power base is in the north. They are demanding a new government and also more political power for their community.

The governments plans for a six-region federation in Yemen has been rejected by both the Houthis and the southern separatists.

ANALYSIS FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

The UN was trying to mediate a deal which included the Houthis demands for the formation a new government of technocrats, a reduction in fuel prices and more political representation. In exchange, the Houthis would pull out of Sanaa and put an end to their civil disobedience campaign.

President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi faces a tough choice: he is from the south and northern Yemen is not his power base. The armys top military commanders are Shias and he is worried they might defy his orders if he calls for war.

On the other hand, there is a growing frustration among the Sunnis. They say Hadi is weak, and that under his tenure more territory was lost to the Houthis. If the Houthis take control of Sanaa, Sunni tribes might call for his resignation.

And if fighting breaks out in Sanaa, a city divided along sectarian lines and armed to the teeth, it might be the worst on the Arabian Peninsula in modern history.

Explaining Yemens political-military groups:

Houthis  Shia group also known as Ansarullah, or Partisans of God, who have been at war with the government since 2004. They demand resignation of government, more political inclusion and access to the sea. Strongholds include Saada, al-Jawf and the Jeraf district inside Sanaa.

Al-Islah (Reform)  Sunni Islamist party that draws support and membership from heavily armed Sunni tribesmen, and is instrumental in rallying support behind the army and the government. Present in almost all of Yemen. The Houthis have identified the party as its arch-enemy.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula  A merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda. Seized large swathes of territory in the south and the southeast after the uprising in 2011. Launched many attacks on armed forces and central authority establishments. Its power bases are Shabwah, Abyan and Hadramawt.

The Southern Separatist Movement  Umbrella group that wants the south to break away from the north and reinstate the former Socialist state that existed until 1990. Led by Ali al-Beidh.
How states have used Interpol alerts to persecute exiled dissidents and refugees across international borders.

Interpol is the worlds largest policing organisation connecting 190 member countries in the battle against international crime.

But as representatives of the global law enforcement agency met at their General Assembly towards the end of 2016, they faced questions over a crucial crime fighting tool.

In 2015, Interpol issued more than 11,000 Red Notices on behalf of member countries. These alerts inform countries that an individual is wanted for serious offences. Its then up to authorities in different countries to decide what action to take.

But human rights groups have suggested that some countries have used Interpol wanted notices to target political dissidents and opponents across borders, often with devastating consequences.

People and Power sent Sarah Spiller and Callum Macrae to investigate.

FILMMAKERS VIEW

By Sarah Spiller and Callum Macrae

Benny Wenda still remembers the day when he found out he was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice. He had googled his name, and found the wanted alert.

A campaigner for the independence of his native West Papua from Indonesia, Wenda had been granted asylum in the UK. The Interpol Red Notice said he was wanted for offences involving the use of weapons and explosives, charges Wenda had long insisted were brought by Indonesia to silence him.

At his home, Wenda told us of the fight to get his Interpol notice deleted, and the eventual conclusion  that the case against him was predominantly political in nature. But it still left the question of how this could happen. How could a global policing organisation with the reputation of Interpol be used for apparently political ends?

It was a question we were to hear frequently during the course of our research, meeting several individuals who said they had been unfairly targeted for extradition and arrest.

In Brussels, Bahar Kimyongur, an activist who has campaigned over human rights in Turkey, told us how an Interpol notice led to his detention in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Turkey had alleged Kimyongur had links with terrorism, but when European authorities investigated they concluded that the charges didnt stack up. Nevertheless, it took sustained pressure before Interpol confirmed theyd deleted data about him from their systems. It also took a huge toll on his family, Kimyongur told us.

Turkey had one single tool to crush me. It was Interpol, he said.

For Nadejda Atayeva being on the Interpol wanted list led to a terrible feeling of injustice. Nadejda and her father Alim were accused of embezzlement after Alim spoke out against authorities in Uzbekistan  charges they dismiss as complete fiction.

They were granted asylum in France, but, Nadejda said, the alert restricted her ability to travel and to tell her story. Interpol confirmed data about her was no longer on their records in 2015.

Politically-motivated wanted alerts

An online trawl through Interpols Red Notices shows summaries of cases. But there is no requirement to make Red Notices public. In addition, we discovered another kind of alert circulated via Interpol data bases. These diffusions are described as less formal than Red Notices, and also used to request the arrest or location of an individual.

While the overwhelming majority of Interpol wanted alerts are clearly entirely legitimate, human rights groups have suggested those that may slip through the net pose a threat to Interpols requirement for political neutrality.

The UK-based NGO Fair Trials International is among those who have called on Interpol to introduce more rigorous checks, to ensure countries abide by Interpols rules which forbid any intervention in activities of a political nature.

Interpol has been allowing itself to be used by oppressive regimes across the world to export the persecution of human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents, said Jago Russell, Fair Trials chief executive. It has to get used to saying no to member countries.

Completely Kafkaesque

During the course of our investigation, we not only heard stories about politically motivated wanted alerts, but frustration when it came to getting information out of Interpol.

US journalist and media consultant Michelle Betz described her struggle to find out about a Diffusion Notice. Along with other NGO staff, Betz was accused of operating illegally in Egypt in 2011.

The charges were condemned as politically motivated  but some workers were given jail sentences in absentia. Betz then heard Egypt had asked Interpol for a Diffusion Notice.

After months of attempting to contact Interpol directly, her lawyer got in touch with an organisation called the Commission for the Control of Interpols Files, (CCF) an independent body responsible for processing requests for access to information held by the organisation.

Things then took a strange turn. The commission informed her lawyer that they could contact Egypt about Betzs Diffusion, but that in the present case, the consultation of Egypt was not advisable. Betz described her experience as completely Kafkaesque.

Following sustained pressure, the CCF eventually informed Betz that information about her had been deleted from Interpols files. But she was not alone in expressing frustration over the body, the CCF.

In Amsterdam, Azer Samadov told us how he was detained in 2009 at Schiphol airport on the basis of an Interpol alert. Samadov had been an anti-government activist in Azerbaijan.

When several members of his movement were arrested he fled the country and ended up in the Netherlands where he was granted refugee status. The Dutch authorities eventually apologised for arresting Samadov. His lawyer then tried to find out what information Interpol held about him, contacting the CCF.

Six years on, the legal firm heard that the Interpol alert had disappeared, but this information came not from Interpol but the Dutch authorities. We asked the lawyer what he made of the CCF. His response: Completely ineffective. Its a joke.

G reater transparency and scrutiny of wanted alerts

Bali, Indonesia, last autumn, was the setting for Interpols 2016 General Assembly, a gathering of police chiefs from around the world. We went, too, in search of answers to the troubling matters we had uncovered.

Day three of the assembly was billed as the moment we might get responses to allegations over the misuse of Interpols systems. We were told delegates had approved measures Interpol maintained would strengthen the integrity of Interpols information processing mechanisms.

But Nina Vajic, the chairwoman of the Commission for the Control of Interpols Files, subsequently told us that while the changes could mean a more streamlined process in gaining information held by Interpol, the policing organisation would still rely on member countries to provide the data.

It seemed that at the heart of this, then, remained Interpols relations with its member states  an issue behind one of the questions we asked Interpols secretary-general, Jurgen Stock. Should Interpol name and shame the countries who were serial offenders when it came to abusive requests for wanted notices?

Stock said that if Interpol identified non-compliance with its rules, the organisation provided feedback to the member country. While such non-compliance with Interpols rules was the exception rather than the rule, Interpol took every case very seriously. Interpol had introduced a task force to review every request even more intensively.

As delegates departed from Bali, Interpol insisted measures agreed at their annual assembly would mean greater transparency and scrutiny of wanted alerts. Critics are now waiting to see whether thats really going to happen.

The programme makers thank Dominic Brown for the use of footage from his documentary The Road to Home.
The wafting stench of cigarettes and sounds of jazz greeted me as I stepped off the plane and into the airport terminal in Kenner, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans.

It was two days before Christmas, and my mom, brother and I were in town to visit my uncle and his family. I was excited to see them, especially since the opportunity only comes a few times a year.

Normally, they make an annual trek to Florida. This year, however, we decided to take a trip to visit them. This change of plans didnt exactly have me jumping out of my seat with anticipation. They dont live in New Orleans; that just happens to be where the closest major airport is. They live in Mississippi.

Like most people, I didnt have Mississippi high on my bucket list of states to visit. It was far down the cellar, somewhere in line near the dull, droning cornfields of Kansas and Iowa.

When my uncle first told me he was accepting a job in Mississippi a few years ago, I distinctly remember feeling surprised that anyone would willingly relocate there. Mississippi is a place where people move from, not to. There are no major cities. No real attractions. According to Business Insider, its the poorest state in the union based on median household income, and the third fattest state, behind Arkansas and West Virginia. Its also a hassle to get there. If you live far enough away that you need to fly, you have to find an airport in another state if you want a reasonably priced ticket.

And the people who live thereI didnt exactly view them kindly, either. Those concurrently amusing yet mildly repulsive People of Wal-Mart chain emails came to mind.

You know the kind of person Im talking about.

These are the people that, from 1863 to 1945, refused to observe Independence Day on July 4 in the city of Vicksburg because it coincided with the date Union forces captured the town. It took over three-quarters of a century to emotionally recover from the Confederacys defeat. What kind of backward place was I headed to?

I mulled this over as we barreled down Interstate 10 and made the hour-and-a-half trip to Gulfport, a small city on the coast. And for the next five days, I decided to view the place where I was staying with an open mind. I was pleasantly surprised. Shocked, actually.

We visited numerous quaint coastal towns, toured historic sites, walked piers and marinas and ate fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. If I didnt know any better, I never wouldve guessed I was in Mississippi. My actual experience had little in common with the state that I had always pictured.

Now Im not saying that Mississippi doesnt have regressive and archaic areas. It does. Quite a few of them, actually, as you head north and away from the Gulf Coast. There are people who never stray from their rural hometowns, still believe in secession and are still prejudiced. But its not everyone.

Every place has its ups and downs, good and bad.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Often, we judge places based on predetermined opinions and perceptions. Im guilty of it. And we do the same thing with people. So go out, and explore the world. Make judgments for yourself instead of relying on others to do it for you. Give people a chance. You just might be surprised at what you find.

Brian Lee is a UF English senior. His columns appear on Thursdays.
Last week, we published an editorial discussing reasons why a hypothetical dystopian fate of the U.S. was more similar to a Huxleyan dystopia (massive inputs of meaningless information that detract from important news; control by desire and pleasure) instead of the typical Orwellian one (censored media; control by fear). This week, were going to re- evaluate that claim and amend it slightly.

This re-evaluation of our claim comes from a recent press conference by President-elect Donald Trump. Youve probably seen the tweets and articles about it already, but if you havent, the brief version is that Trump slammed BuzzFeed and CNN for publishing reports about documents regarding Russian operatives allegedly having compromising information on Trump. CNN published a synopsis of the documents and BuzzFeed released all of them, telling the American people that they could make up their minds. Trump attacked both organizations and refused to answer a CNN reporters questions, calling him Fake news.

Now, were not going to analyze these documents or claim their validity. Were not going to discuss whether BuzzFeed was in the right or in the wrong for releasing unveried documents and whether Trump is right to claim the media is biased and sensationalizing a movement against him. Right now, were focusing on the comparison we previously made and how this turn of events plays into it.

Lets look at the Orwellian side to this: Our president-elect is making claims that some forms of news are more valid than others. He is trying to tell us which news to pay attention to (hint: Its the ones that validate his actions). One of the big themes of 1984 is government control of the media, and yes, Trump dismissing outlets as a failing pile of garbage and fake news isnt exactly outlawing news headlines. But that blurry little line of a government figure controlling the news is getting a little blurrier with each bombastic statement and with more people believing his claims every time.

But lets get back to the Huxleyan view  that true news is covered up by a mass input of meaningless information. One could make the argument that this whole news story is a wad of meaningless information. The right is defending their political candidate, crying out at the liberal media for making these unprecedented claims. The left is passionately advocating for freedom of the press, pointing out that control of the press is one of the first signs of fascism. But the fact is, most people dont care to look into the fact that neither media outlet claimed these allegations were true: CNN just reported their existence, while BuzzFeed uploaded them (specifying at least three times in their article that the claims were unverified). And most people arent actually taking the time to read through all of the documents anyway. They latch onto the sensationalized view of this story, depending on whichever side they agree with: The Liberal Media is Screwing Us All vs. Trump Will Turn Us Into a Fascist State.

What is the true takeaway of these documents? Well, in all honesty, we dont know. Wed rather they were in the open and known about than hidden away, but sensationalizing claims that arent verified isnt exactly the way to go about it.

So perhaps the fate of the U.S., should it end up going down the path to dystopia, doesnt solely prescribe to the doctrines of 1984 or Brave New World but instead, as is the American way, goes down its own path of blazing self-destruction, a fiery melting pot of both dystopian worlds.
While many could argue that 2016 was not great for a variety of social and political reasons, its no argument that it was a year in which movies flourished. This year particularly proved that diversity and equal representation in filmmaking was necessary for telling intricate stories from all walks of life. While there is still a lot of progress to be made, the movies that scored big in 2016 told perspectives from women, people of color and those within the LGBTQ+ community. In a world as big and diverse as ours, its important for everyones stories to be heard.

Hidden Figures:

Hidden Figures tells the heartwarming story of three inspirational African-American women at NASA who were the leading force behind one of the largest operations in history  sending astronaut John Glenn into space. The untold story of these three brilliant trailblazers, Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), powerfully depicts the often undisclosed contributions women have made to the world. The movie, which recently had a private screening at the White House hosted by the Obamas, has been met with astounding reviews. The director, Theodore Melfi, intricately retells how these three women fought tooth and nail against both racism and sexism to merely exist and excel within a world that wanted to keep them hidden. Now 98 years old, the real-life Katherine Johnson is finally getting her well-deserved chance to tell her story.

Moonlight:

Theres a reason why Moonlight has been constantly hailed as the Best Movie of the Year by both The New York Times and Variety magazine. Director Barry Jenkins beautifully tells the story of a young African-American boy coming to terms with his sexuality in a way that is both poetic and breathtaking. The movie, which is told in three separate times in the mans life, follows the character Chiron as he grapples with his identity and his drug-addicted mother, played by Naomie Harris. The film is based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, In The Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, which was more of a personal essay by McCraney about his own lifetime acceptance of being a black gay man.

La La Land:

Lets have a moment of silence for those who were playing drinking games during the 74th Golden Globe Awards last Sunday and had to take a shot every time La La Land won. I was one of those overzealous movie-fans, crawling into class while blasting the now Golden Globe winning song City of Stars from my iPhone earbuds. La La Land tells the story of a wishful actress, Mia (Emma Stone), and her romantic interest, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who is a struggling jazz musician attempting to make it big in Los Angeles. The movie, which is an original musical written by director Damien Chazelle, won a record total of seven Golden Globes, which is the most awards won by any film ever. What makes the films success so dazing is the fact that no one in Hollywood wanted to make it. Studios didnt want to back a movie that seemed doomed from the start  it was a new musical with no pre-existing popular songs and, on top of that, a jazz musical. Chazelle, who also wrote the award-winning movie Whiplash, first wrote the movie back in 2010 when he was an unknown, making the success of the film even more difficult to predict.

Fences:

Denzel Washington showcases his impeccable talent as a director by creating a film that vigorously symbolizes a sense of defeat and yet wholesomeness within a broken family. Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, the movie tells the story of Troy Maxson (Washington), a working-class African-American father who tries to raise his family whilst battling with his own personal demons, which ultimately wreak havoc within his home. When Maxons wife Rose (Viola Davis) asks him to build a fence around their house, Washington brilliantly uses the fence to symbolize the constant emotional and physical barriers that his character puts up to block his family out. Fences was adapted for the big screen from its Pulitzer-winning play by August Wilson, which awarded both Davis and Washington their Tonys during the 2010 Broadway revival. 2016 has been a breakthrough year for Davis, who has been killing it every Thursday night as law professor Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder, won her well-deserved Golden Globe for Fences and is expected to win an Oscar for her role as well. If you have a box of tissues close by, watch Davis inspirational 2015 Emmy speech about the importance of diversity within Hollywood. After that, watch her movies  all of her movies  her speeches, interviews, her theatrical performances and then spend the rest of your night lying awake wondering about the implications of Davis perfection, and if someone could be, perhaps, too perfect.

Moana:

Everyone loves a good animated movie, and Moana is successful in bringing back that quality feel-good Disney nostalgia, whilst spinning a story that is as thought-provoking and intricate as the stunning visuals. Every minor detail (the waves crashing onto the shore, Moanas hair, even the grains of sand) is striking. The movie is set on a mystic Polynesian island and follows a daring young adventurer, Moana, as she sails across the ocean in search of a legendary demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), in order to retrieve a pounamu stone that would bring hope to her ailing island. Aulil Cavalho, who voices Moana, is a native-born Hawaiian actress, who was just 14 years old when she got the role. Disney purposely searched out an entire cast of actors of Polynesian descent in order to accurately portray the lives and stories of those they were telling. The film uses a combination of powerful Polynesian vocals, traditional hide-covered Tyka drums and belting lyrics created by Lin Manuel Miranda (yes, that Lin Manuel Miranda) to follow Moana in her journey.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now
Before they each made their television debuts on the drama One Tree Hill, Tyler Hilton and Kate Voegele were musicians.

They will be performing together at the High Dive, located at 210 SW Second Ave. in downtown Gainesville, on Sunday evening.

Christina Holmes and Kaylan Moody will open the show.

This will be a very intimate night of acoustic driven pop and rock, said Pat Lavery, the owner of Glory Days Presents and promoter of all High Dive events.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $15 for general admission and $75 for VIP, which includes a meet and greet, a special acoustic performance from Hilton and Voegele and early entry into the venue.

Caroline Kaplan, a UF advertising junior, said shes excited to reminisce and hear songs from One Tree Hill, a show she calls an important part of her college experience.

Now that Tyler and Kate are coming here to where it all started for me, it is full circle, the 20-year-old said.

Kaplan, who purchased a general admission ticket, has previously been to one concert at the High Dive. She said she prefers its small venue atmosphere.

The intimate setting really helped the audience connect with musicians, she said.

Hilton, who grew up in Palm Springs, California, starred as the musically talented and arrogant Chris Keller on season two, three, four and nine of One Tree Hill.

Voegele, from Cleveland, played the also musically inclined Mia Catalano on the show from seasons five to eight.

While Hilton has performed at this venue before, it will be Voegeles first time at the High Dive.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There will be a $3 fee charged at the door for those under 21.

Kaplan said she looks forward to hearing When The Stars Go Blue, a rendition of the Ryan Adams song featured on One Tree Hill by Hilton, as his character Chris Keller, and Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley James Scott.

We need more songs like that one these days, she said.
The Delta Troubadours, a rock n roll band signed to Swamp Records, will be performing in the 2017 Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival, which runs from March 2 to March 5. The band landed this spot through the Destination Okeechobee competition, put on by ReverbNation.

After a busy social media campaign that prompted band member Gytis Garsys to get locked out of Facebook and Instagram messaging for 24 hours, the band beat out 3,200 other bands by winning the popular vote. This victory allows The Delta Troubadours to have their names listed on the same lineup as The Lumineers, Kings of Leon, Flume and Wiz Khalifa, among others.

The four members of The Delta Troubadours are Gytis Garsys (vocals, guitar, keys), Jon Franklin (bass, vocals), Ian Heausler (lead guitar, vocals) and Max Rowe (drums). All Tampa natives, the men knew one another in high school, but they did not join forces and start performing together until just about two years ago.

Since then, the band has performed regional gigs, including Gainesvilles High Dive just last Friday and larger events like Tampas 2016 Gasparilla Music Festival.

On playing such a huge show in the bands hometown, Garsys said (Playing Gasparilla) was a treat  it was special.

Since it originally came together, Garsys said the band is still steeped in the blues, as they have been, but they are opening (themselves) up to stylistic opportunities as well.

According to Garsys, the band has been busy writing new music over the past year and has hours of studio time lined up for the weeks ahead. Fans can expect new releases from The Delta Troubadours this spring and more live performances in the coming year.

For now, of course, the band is looking forward to the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. For fans coming out to the festival, Garsys promise(s) to put on the best damn rock-n-roll show theyve ever seen.
This Friday, Portland-based experimental metal duo The Body will be coming to the Atlantic right before they embark on a two-month long American tour. The show at the Atlantic will be the groups only planned stop in Florida for their current touring cycle.

The Body has a versatile sound that evades any concrete descriptors given to metal bands in the past. Their music ranges from poppy ambience to all-out sludge-metal. Their latest release, No One Deserves Happiness, incorporates elements of electronic music like drum machines and high-pitched, almost mechanical sounding female vocals. No One Deserves Happiness fluctuates between accessible musical moments like these and noisy instrumentals, complete with demonic vocals typical of most metal music.

The Bodys music drones, swells and then soothes, said Claudia Acosta, a 21-year-old UF English junior. Im curious to see how they perform their songs live, especially because they only have two members.

Back in 2014, Gainesville local Daniel Halal, the owner of Arrows Aim Records, released a collaborative album between The Body and Baton Rouge-based sludge-metal band Thou through his independent record label Vinyl Rites. The album, Released From Love, has since been reissued by Thrill Jockey in the U.S. and Daymare in Japan. Halal, 31, booked The Bodys pre-tour Gainesville show.

I like The Bodys unflinching commitment to making the music they want to, on their own terms, separate from genre restrictions, Halal said. They are also two of the funniest people on Earth.

Vinyl Rites was started in 2006, originally as a way for Halal to release his own bands music. Since then, the label has put out over 40 releases, most of which are on vinyl, through small runs of 500 to 1,000 records.

Gainesville-based artist Ironing will be opening The Bodys Atlantic show. This noisy sample-based projects sole member is Andrew Chadwick, a Gainesville resident and crucial player in the local music scene.

Along with putting on the recurring Action Research events around town for touring experimental artists, Chadwick can also be found filming shows around town with his camcorder almost every week. Chadwick posts these high definition videos of Gainesville performances to YouTube under the username awchadwick.

I would describe an Ironing set as a hyper, noisy, cut-up dance party with slapstick turntablism, Chadwick said. Kenny Millions once described it as Floridas J. Dilla meets Otomo Yoshihide plus his own thing. I loved that description.

Ironing gets its name from Chadwicks trademark ironing boards, which he puts his audio equipment on when performing live. He manipulates sound samples from vinyl records and cassettes through a soundboard and various other manipulative gear. As with most live audio manipulation, no two Ironing sets are the same.

I saw Ironing in Miami a few months ago, Acosta said. The set was really strange and exciting. At one point, he just started throwing cassettes at his audio gear.

Local acts Bite Marks and Living Lost will also be opening the show this Friday.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Doors open at 9 p.m., and tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 from Arrows Aim Records or showclix.com. Tickets are $12 at the door, but because this is The Bodys only Florida concert before embarking on tour, there is a strong possibility of the show selling out.
In the 11th hour and the 59th minute of his miserable term in the White House, Barack Hussein Obama struck his knife deep into the heart of the embattled Jewish state.

With the appalling anti-Israel passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, engineered by President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry, the blame for the Israel-Palestinian conflict was falsely imparted upon the easy target: Israel and the so-called "settlements."

There were no "settlements" before the 1967 Six-Day War, when the Jewish state survived yet another Arab war of genocide and freed the embattled nation from the existing 1947 nine- to 15-mile-wide armistice lines, which Israel's then minister of foreign affairs, Abba Eban, called the Auschwitz lines.

It is not from 1967 that the conflict with the Arab and Muslim world or the so-called Palestinians began. To fully understand its origins, we must go back to the early years of the 20th century.

In 1920, Great Britain was given the responsibility by the League of Nations to oversee the Palestine Mandate with the express intention of reconstituting within its territory a Jewish national home.

The League of Nations created a number of articles in line with the original intent of the Balfour Declaration of November 29, 1917. At the last minute, however, a new article was introduced by the British Colonial Office: article 25.

It became apparent that its inclusion directly enabled Great Britain in 1921-22 to tear away all the vast territory east of the River Jordan and give it to the Arab Hashemites. The territory to become Trans-Jordan, led by the emir Abdullah.

British officials claimed that the gift of Mandatory Palestine east of the Jordan River was in gratitude to the Hashemites for their contribution in helping defeat the Turks. However, T.S. Lawrence described in derisory terms the Hashemite role as "a side show of a side show."

Ironically, Britain was aided far more by the Jewish Nili underground movement in defeating the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which had ruled geographical Palestine for 400 years.

This was the first partition of Palestine, the first two-state solution, and created the new Arab entity nearly 97 years ago called Trans-Jordan, covering some 35,000 square miles, or nearly four fifths of the erstwhile Palestine Mandate. Immediately, Jewish residence in this new Arab territory was forbidden, and it is thus historically correct to state that Jordan is Palestine.

In 1923, the British and French colonial powers also divided up the northern part of the Palestine Mandate. Britain stripped away the Golan Heights (with its ancient biblical Jewish roots) and gave it to French-occupied Syria.

The Balfour Declaration issued by Lord Balfour, British foreign secretary, never envisaged that the Jordan River would be the eastern boundary of the reconstituted Jewish homeland.

As early as September 19, 1919, the London Times newspaper had thundered in an editorial: "The Jordan will not do as the eastern frontier of Palestine[.] ... Palestine must have a good military frontier east of the River Jordan[.] ... Our duty as Mandatory is to make Jewish Palestine not a struggling state but one that is capable of vigorous and independent life[.]"

During its administration of the remaining Palestine Mandate up until 1947, Britain severely restricted Jewish immigration and purchases of land while turning a blind eye to massive illegal Arab immigration into the territory from neighboring stagnant Arab territories.

Britain's sorry record of appeasement of the Arabs, at the expense of Jewish destiny in the remaining tiny territory, culminated in the infamous 1939 White Paper, which limited Jewish immigration to just 75,000 souls for the next five years. This draconian policy, coming as it did on the eve of the outbreak of World War 2, was a deathblow to millions of Jews attempting to flee extermination by Nazi Germany.

Britain's mismanagement of the Mandate finally led to the United Nations' Partition Plan of 1947. The Jewish Agency reluctantly accepted this additional dismemberment of what was left to them of the promised Jewish national home in Mandatory Palestine.

They did this to provide a refuge for the surviving Jewish remnants of the Holocaust and for the hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees being driven out of their homes throughout the Arab world. In contrast, the Arab regimes rejected the Partition Plan. Then, as now, they worked against the existence of an independent Jewish state.

Israel was officially reborn as a sovereign nation in 1948, and its 600,000 Jews fought to survive the massive Arab onslaught, which was intended to wipe out the Jewish state.

In 1948, Trans-Jordan, now renamed the Kingdom of Jordan, joined the other Arab nations in invading the Jewish state, driving out the Jewish inhabitants from east Jerusalem and the Old City, annexing the biblical and ancestral Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria and renaming it the West Bank. Only Britain and Pakistan recognized the illegal annexation.

Nineteen years later, the Arab states declared again their imminent intention to destroy Israel. In the June 1967 Six-Day War, Israel liberated Jewish and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria from Jordan in a defensive war.

Israel foolishly offered to give away newly liberated Judea and Samaria to the Hashemite regime in Jordan in a hoped for full and lasting peace. But the Arab League, meeting in Khartoum in August 1967, delivered the infamous three nos: no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel.

It is within the narrow 40-mile-wide territory remaining for the Jewish state, if one includes Judea and Samaria, that the world now demands the establishment of a fraudulent Arab state to be called Palestine  a state that has never existed before in all of recorded history.

Here then is the next so-called two-state solution, which dismembers what is left of Israel and drives hundreds of thousands of Jewish residents from their homes, villages, and farms  what a hostile world pejoratively calls "settlements." Why? Because just as in Jordan, Jews will not be permitted to live within Muslim Arab territory, while Arabs can remain free to live within Israel.

The searing tragedy is that the next two-state solution may presage for the Jewish people yet another Final Solution  the German Nazi regime's euphemism for the Holocaust.

The fact is that this is not a dispute over borders. This is a religious war, and the Arabs, so long as the overwhelming majority remain Muslim, will never accept the existence of a non-Muslim state in territory previously conquered by them in the name of Allah.

Nearly ninety-seven years ago, the original two-state solution was enacted in infamy. Certainly, the outgoing Obama administration and present State Department, consumed as they are by their anti-Israel animus, could not care less about such historical correctness.

Victor Sharpe is a freelance writer and author of the acclaimed trilogy Politicide: The attempted murder of the Jewish State.
Before a wildly enthusiastic and adoring crowd of an estimated 14,000 supporters, many of whom waited in line for hours in the freezing, windy cold of a Chicago winter off the city's justifiably famed lakefront the preceding weekend for their free tickets, President Barack Hussein Obama (D) returned to the city where it all began for a farewell to his presidency.

How cold was it for those waiting in line for tickets? So cold -- 6 degrees above zero with a wind chill factor driving the uncomfortable index further down -- that even Chicago's notorious shooters stayed inside. The city suffered only one murder and five shootings, an exceptionally low number compared to the usually busy Chicago weekend murder spree. That's cold.

And of course, the event was free in the way Chicago government stuff is free; the city paid out a fortune in police overtime to direct traffic and guide and watch the crowds, who arrived before the doors opened although they were asked not to do so. But then, they're Democratic Obama supporters so rules don't matter.

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. (Italics added.) 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. The size of the crowd meant that, as early as 7 a.m., Chicago police were telling people who hadnt yet arrived to McCormick Place to save themselves from the frigid temperatures, as the tickets for the most part were spoken for. But not all the tickets were free, for in the true free market, capitalist system, which even Democrats honor in the breech when it suits them, several of those waiting in line immediately offered the "free" tickets for sale on Craigslist and e-bay as soon as they grabbed a ticket. 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.

From the comments section:

2 Ticket listed on ebay:

Buy it now: $10,000.00

Want to witness history?

President Obama's final speech to the American People is this Tuesday at 8pm at McCormick Place, in Chicago, IL.

You can be there.

Must pick up in Chicago - No shipping.

Hahaha!!

Although there were warnings about purchasing tickets from the secondary market they were ignored.

By Sunday, advertisements to auction dozens of the elusive tickets had sprouted up on secondary market websites like eBay and Craigslist asking for as much as $5,000 apiece. Left unclear, however, was whether those tickets were legitimate or could be legally sold. Steve Bernas, Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois president, strongly warned against buying tickets. Whether its tickets to a Cubs game or the musical "Hamilton," there are invariably reports of counterfeit tickets and other hoaxes, he said. "Stay away from anyone selling these tickets," he said. "You don't know who these people are. It's different buying a couch on Craigslist. You can see the couch. ... There's no way to verify these tickets." Though there were no complaints of fraud related to the Obama farewell as of Sunday, Bernas said generally people won't know they've been scammed until ushers stop them at the door. Bernas said it was unlikely police would pursue scalpers.

Because the police are so busy solving Chicago's murders -- less than 30% are ever solved -- going after scalpers for an Obama event wouldn't be prudent.

Fraudulent or not, after undergoing a thorough security check, all ticket holders were admitted. And, except for a few scattered shouts of "Pardon them now" by supporters of illegal aliens, there were no anti-Obama groups disrupting the liberal celebration, unlike Stalinist totalitarian liberals who feel it is their duty and right to disrupt everything they oppose -- check out the hearings for Senator Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State and the proposed multiple protests for president-elect Donald Trump's (R) inauguration.

But Chicagoans will be Chicagoans, an Obama appearance or not. A few hours prior to the event and while people were arriving there was a carjacking and holdup involving a gun not too far from the venue. Incidentally, Chicago has very strict-gun control laws but surprise, carjackers don't care about gun control laws.

And several miles from the Obamas' Chicago home, police reported "Two bodies found in vacant South Side building".

Also, prior to Obama's appearance, in another major indignity for Chicago's Democratic-run hometown, Obama's former aide and now mayor (who I think is doing a fairly decent job considering the awful circumstances he has to deal with).

Emanuel asks credit ratings agency to back off ahead of latest round of borrowing City Hall prepares to borrow $1.2 billion, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has asked a Wall Street debt ratings agency that's been highly critical of Chicago's finances to withdraw its evaluation of city creditworthiness, the administration disclosed Tuesday. The mayor contends that the junk status placed on the city's debt by Moody's Investors Service drives up borrowing costs covered by taxpayers and does not reflect the steps he has taken to fix the city's finances. "It has become increasingly clear that Moody's rating methodology and agenda are far from objective and independent," Emanuel wrote to Raymond McDaniel Jr., president and CEO of Moody's. The mayor asked Moody's to "withdraw all of its ratings on city of Chicago debt." Asked if the company would do what Emanuel wants, Moody's spokesman David Jacobson did not directly answer, saying only that the company has a process for considering such requests.

So farewell, soon-to-be ex-president Obama. Sure, this farewell address won't be your final word but when you pipe up again it will be as a private citizen. An important one to be sure but still out of office.
After the January 8th truck attack by a terrorist in Jerusalem that killed four young soldiers (three of them women) and injured more than 15 others, the Israeli government has started putting in cement barriers to try and head off similar attacks in future.

Israel is trying to deal with a relatively new, harder to track kind of terrorism called leaderless jihad. In 2005 jihadist military theorist Abu Musab al-Suri (AKA Mustafa Setmariam Nasar) published an online book titled The Call to Global Islamic Resistance focusing on the importance of "solo jihadi terror work." According to al-Suri, solo jihadi attacks will exhaust the enemy and cause him to collapse and retreat.

In the West, these are commonly called lone wolf attacks, but this is misleading and the terminology makes it sound as if the lone wolves are not part of a terror network. The truth is that such terrorism is organized and takes advantage of the Internet and social media as a key way to pass messages sending their adherents on terrorist missions. Many of the wannabe terrorists who take up these calls for action already have been proselytized, often in local mosques and schools or by terrorist operatives in their communities. Some of them even publish personal manifestos on social media though often under nom de plumes but with photos and other information giving important clues to near-term threats. The Ft. Lauderdale shooter, Esteban Santiago, used the pen name Aashik Hammad. The shooters in San Bernardino, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, almost certainly were trained in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Tashfeen Malik had a social media account under a pseudonym. The FBI insists these terrorists were self-radicalized, a claim that does not in any way align with the overwhelming evidence they were not only Jihadi but also Wahhabi trained.

Leaderless jihad is a means to try and avoid tracking by intelligence agencies and law enforcement. It presents a particular problem in anticipating and thwarting attacks. Like lone wolf therefore, leaderless jihad is not really leaderless at all. Rather the leadership function is hidden to a degree.

When faced with a threat that is hard to anticipate through intelligence and law enforcement tracking, it is important to try and make it as difficult as possible for terrorists to be successful. The most immediate steps that can be taken is to harden places that are vulnerable to attack.

It has taken the authorities in Israel, perhaps the most security-conscious country in the world, a long time to recognize that it was not covering major vulnerable areas and, perhaps relying too much on intelligence and, to a degree, the attitude that putting up barriers was a concession to terrorism that the Israeli government was unwilling to make. But the recent plethora of attacks seems to have changed that, though it has taken a rather long time to change attitudes.

On July 2, 2008 a Palestinian drove a huge front-end loader (described in the press as a bulldozer) into vehicles in Jerusalem, killing three and wounding 30 people. Later that month, a Palestinian with a backhoe (similarly described by the press as a bulldozer) wounded 24 people on King David Street. And, on September 22nd of that year a terrorist in a black BMW ran down off-duty soldiers on a Jerusalem street injuring 19. Early in 2009, an Arab bulldozer crushed a police car and turned over a bus near the Malha shopping mall on Menachem Begin Boulevard in southern Jerusalem before the driver was shot and killed.

It did not stop in 2009. While use of cars, trucks and construction equipment is not as common as stabbings as a terrorist tool, it is common enough in Israel. In a September 20 survey by the Washington Post, there were reported 31 car and vehicle attacks in Israel and the West Bank between October 2015 and September 2016. This compares to 84 stabbing incidents, 57 attempted stabbing incidents, 20 shootings and 4 bombings in the same one-year period.

Most vehicle-related incidents are largely aimed at bus stops, popular gathering areas and police checkpoints. Buses in Israel have been bombed, shot and rammed; they are especially popular targets because soldiers typically use the public buses when they go on leave or travel to their bases. The latest attack was also at a popular -- and unprotected -- gathering place where the cadet-soldiers had been dropped off.

For the most part, there are no security barriers at bus stops and vulnerable public areas in Israel. That is now going to change as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered them to be put in.

Barriers are one way to help mitigate some of these attacks and, by their presence, reduce the "soft" target set available to terrorists. Barriers are needed not only at bus stops, but also at public gathering spots wherever practicable, including public markets and in front of sensitive buildings and locations. The most popular type of barrier in the United States is the cement Jersey barrier. Jersey barriers are used extensively on highways as road barriers, and on bridges to protect the outer driving lanes from crashes. They are heavy, functional, and cheap. An alternative, called cable barriers, are more expensive and require installation to anchor the cables securely. Israel has also developed a unique modular vehicle barrier of its own design and recently the German government bought out the entire stock.

The sooner vulnerable areas are protected the better for our peace and security. While this alone wont catch terrorists or stop them from trying, it will save lives.
It was recently mentioned that U.S. Forces have dropped over 27,000 bombs on Syria and Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve, the Obama administration's campaign against ISIS. Given the current controversies over the reliability of and possible political motivations behind American intelligence assessments, let's look behind this figure to see what these munitions have bought the U.S. during the campaign, and whether we can count on the Obama administration's related claims about the war on ISIS or the claims of his intelligence community in general.

Historically, air campaigns are mostly measured by aircraft sorties rather than munitions dropped. In the age of precision munitions (and almost all the weapons deployed in Inherent Resolve are in that category), perhaps things are somewhat different. Still, it is useful to examine this figure against the number of sorties flown and most particularly against the administration's claims of ISIS losses. In doing this, it is not my intention in any way to impugn the motivations, determination, or skill of the American aircrew, ground crew, support, command and control, or special forces elements that have carried out this campaign so far. Although ISIS anti-aircraft defenses are extremely weak, the very fact that American forces have managed to fly tens of thousands of missions safely and with negligible losses, often at night, and requiring frequent in-air refueling, is extremely impressive.

Those 27,000 bombs were dropped during the course of 40,635 combat sorties and 9,224 reconnaissance, intelligence, and support sorties. The first remarkable thing about these figures is the relatively small number of munitions dropped against the number of missions flown. It appears that fewer than 1.5 bombs were dropped for every combat sortie flown, this by modern aircraft, including heavy B-1 bombers, capable of carrying much greater bomb loads. These figures correspond to well oft reported allegations that up to 75% of combat sorties do not drop munitions under extremely restrictive rules of engagement. These aborted missions nonetheless put American aircrew at risk, wear out planes and parts, and cost billions of taxpayer dollars.

The Obama administration's caution regarding civilian casualties may be admirable in certain respects, but only assuming that the campaign is otherwise accomplishing its missions. In two years of bombardment and assault by various local forces (Iraqi, Syrian, Kurdish, Turkish, among others) ISIS has been pushed back and weakened but still apparently remains a formidable fighting force, stymieing Iraqi forces at Mosul, launching effective counter-attacks in Syria, and continuing to recruit and inspire various murderous terrorists around the world. In large part, the Obama administration's answer to this is the 2016 claim that more than 26,000 ISIS fighters have been killed by coalition (mostly American) aerial bombardment alone, a historically impressive number of casualties given the relative paucity of munitions dropped. But how credible is this intelligence assessment?

The biggest problem with the casualty number is that it alone accounts for more than the entirety of ISIS's strength according to the very same intelligence estimates that tout the losses. According to American intelligence, ISIS's overall strength in 2014 was between 25,000 and 31,000 men.

And the number of ISIS killed does not take into account any wounded. Precision munitions may be extremely accurate, but they do not magically kill every person in the target zone. In modern combat, a good rule of thumb is a 3-1 ratio of substantially wounded (evacuated to a rear area for serious treatment) to killed, though in contemporary Western militaries, the ratio is much higher. Let's assume that with ISIS it, is much lower  say, 1-1. That still produces over 52,000 total casualties out of a force originally estimated at about one half that strength.

Let's be very generous to the Obama estimates and also assume that between 2014 and 2016, ISIS was able to replace each one of its 30,000 original fighters with new recruits (which somehow it managed to train, equip, and transport to the front despite coalition and Russian interdiction efforts). If ISIS suffered 52,000 casualties from aerial bombardment (not even counting ground combat), that would put ISIS's remaining effective strength at barely 8,000 men, including command and support troops.

Since ISIS is still fighting effectively, and even taking the offensive here and there, that would make the Islamic organization as a whole perhaps the most disciplined and well trained, led, equipped, and motivated fighting force in modern history. Generally speaking, a large-field fighting force of average quality will begin to dramatically lose cohesion and fighting effectiveness when losses exceed 30%. Extremely high-quality formations like, say, the German World War II 1st Parachute Division or the 1st U.S. Marine Division, might sustain greater losses while remaining highly effective, but not many other units. And ISIS is not a field military formation with well educated, especially fit and selected troops, able to indulge long-term training, with expert and educated leadership. It is an umbrella for a hybrid guerrilla force based in an underdeveloped mostly Arab area whose main advantage appears to be intense indoctrination and fanaticism. While the latter can produce brave and self-sacrificing fighters, that is not a substitute for effective personnel selection, training, and leadership. It is extremely unlikely that ISIS combat formations are elite in the sense of the aforementioned German or American formations, and woe onto us were they to have that character.

Let's be generous again and assume that ISIS combat formations, while not elite, are of average quality by world standards and able to sustain 30% casualties without substantially losing combat effectiveness. Let's also assume (as before) that ISIS has essentially managed to replace 100% of its original fighting strength by CIA estimates so that its total fighting strength between 2014 and 2016 is 60,000 men. Since ISIS is still an effective fighting force, that means the most it might reasonably have lost is 18,000 (30%) to all causes, coalition bombing, Russian bombing, and ground combat against various foes. Of those, using again our very conservative estimate of killed to wounded, only 9,000 of those 18,000 are KIA. This means that even if coalition bombing were responsible for every single ISIS casualty (which is certainly not true), actual ISIS killed by coalition bombing could not be greater than 9,000, or one third of the Obama administration estimate  and this absurdly assumes that American bombing caused all those losses. This makes the notorious overestimated body counts of Vietnam, a practice that the U.S. supposedly forswore, seem precise.

We can draw only two reasonable conclusions from this analysis. One would be that American raw intelligence and analysis is so bad that ISIS strength is actually orders of magnitude greater than the original estimate made only a couple of years ago, in order for ISIS to have sustained the losses claimed and still be an effective fighting organization. The second much more likely answer is that the highly politicized Obama intelligence community has repeatedly lied as to the extent of ISIS losses in order to justify the half-hearted and confused campaign authorized by the president, as well as the highly restricted rules of engagement that limit the actual effectiveness of the bombing campaign.

This, of course, is the same intelligence community now claiming that the Russians effectively elected Donald Trump and feared Hillary Clinton. A house cleaning cannot come soon enough.
Though it is not to be found the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the debilitating condition of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) has gripped countless Hillary voters, particularly among the celebrity class, intelligentsia, and bourgeois left, causing them to experience psychological terror, panic, and grief in the wake of the election. The symptoms of TDS have manifested themselves across the continent in riots, marches, hysterical tweets, internet rants, Hollywood celebrity grandstanding, physical attacks on Trump supporters, direct confrontation of Trump family members, and what the honorary Women's Studies Ph.D.s on The View have called "electile dysfunction."

One would have hoped that sufferers of TDS would not allow their disorder to spill over onto innocent children, but as I discovered in a letter from the chief executive of my daughter's school board, TDS has come to a school near you.

A politely worded correspondence arrived at my home during the school holiday break, in which one of my local education officials wanted to ensure me that I as a parent can be confident that my child's school will be on the cutting edge of the immigration debate, which was a hot topic during the 2016 presidential race. In the event that I might be a monolingual hispanohablante, this one-page treatise was provided in English and en espanol, thus the symptoms of TDS graced mi casa in two languages. After wishing me a "joyous winter holiday"  thereby checking off the multiculturally appropriate greeting box on the politically correct Newspeak checklist  the gentleman writing to me proffered the following diversity committee-approved assurance:

I know that for many of you the coming year is causing fear and uncertainty due to the recent presidential election. Many of you have asked what [our schools] will do to support our students and families in the face of this new reality. In this regard, I want to reiterate [our schools'] historic commitment to providing a high-quality education to every student who walks into our schools, regardless of immigration status. We pride ourselves on operating schools that offer safe learning environments where every student and family is welcome and respected. We have not and will not ask for your family's immigration status, nor will we share your personal information with others. If you are asked to share your personal information or sign any petitions, please use caution and be sure you know to whom you are speaking and for what purposes your personal information will be used. In the months ahead, we will provide all our students, families and staff with access to information, resources and support services related to immigration and Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA). If you have suggestions or have resources to share with others, please talk to your principal or parent engagement specialist.

How exciting it was for me to be made aware that the public school bureaucracy was hard at work  not at devising better education for my offspring, mind you, but in keeping vigilant that my fellow taxpayers and I would continue to have our confiscated resources spent to ensure that our school system is a safe haven for illegal immigrants!

Mr. Administrator could have taken this opportunity to celebrate that the United States continued its tradition of free elections. He could have mentioned that in spite of the unrest across the country, the Electoral College completed its constitutional assignment of electing Donald Trump as the 45th president without incident. He could have noted that, while President Obama and his team are conducting themselves petulantly and disruptively during the interregnum period, America is enjoying a relatively quiet process leading toward the peaceful transfer of power from one presiding officer to another. Unfortunately, the writer chose to expose me and the other parents in my cohort to his TDS, manifested in his demagoguery regarding the immigration issue as he played up the alleged "fear" caused by The Donald.

In addition to confirming the existence of TDS as a genuine mental health concern, this letter is prima facie evidence of the depth of corruption, lawlessness, and anti-Americanism in our nation's public sector. From the local to state to federal levels, we can count on armies of bureaucrats fighting a battle against the very people they are paid to serve  that is, the tax-paying citizens.

TDS is a disease caused in part by the left's deconstruction of America, a process that has been a long time in the making. The ideas in the letter from which I quoted above have roots far deeper than in the open-borders culture of the Obama administration.

To arrive at the point when a school administrator, triggered by TDS, feels compelled to alert the parents in his jurisdiction that he will not participate in efforts suggested by the incoming president to actually follow immigration law, we need to go back at least to 1982, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Plyler v. Doe case, which can be summarized as mandating that:

... undocumented children and young adults have the same right to attend public primary and secondary schools as do U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Like other children, undocumented students are obliged under state law to attend school until they reach a mandated age.

Over thirty years of public policy supporting the use of taxpayer-funded education for illegal aliens hastened the onset of the letter-writer's TDS. He indicted himself as not caring about federal immigration law, while at the same time he adopted an affinity for the constitutionally questionable DACA program, which President Obama implemented by fiat and which was put on hold by a federal court in 2015. This public official, paid by citizens the fruit of whose labor is legally stolen by city, county, state, and federal taxing authorities, goes on record as a willing proponent of a policy under legal scrutiny by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is in favor of continued public spending on services to people who broke immigration law. By offering this information in Spanish, he made it all the easier for these same individuals to be armed with information that will keep them out of the way of accountability to law enforcement. Essentially, my child's school is a sanctuary campus.

Q: Under what sane system of governance does a local public service department follow a policy to provide supports at taxpayer expense to people not legally entitled to be in the country in the first place?

A: Only under one afflicted with a mental health condition associated with liberal progressivism.

This case demonstrates that the plague of TDS has infected the public school system and has scuttled the idea that one can send his children to public school for educational purposes.

John Steinreich has an M.A. in Church History from Colorado Theological Seminary and is the author of two Christian-themed nonfiction books, The Words of God? and A Great Cloud of Witnesses. His works are available on Lulu Press and on Kindle.
The outgoing director of national intelligence, James Clapper, offered something short of an apology to President-Elect Trump, criticizing leaks from the intelligence community while assuring Trump that America's spies were willing to work with him.

The recent spate of leaks regarding Russia's supposed hack of the U.S. election and salacious information that the Putin government had compiled on Trump has set the president elect against elements of U.S. intelligence  to the detriment of both.

Politico:

"I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security," Clapper said of the information that has come out since last week's intelligence briefing. Clappers statement represented a dramatic turn of events only 24 hours after initial leaks about the intelligence leaders having told Trump of the dossier. And while Clappers statement indirectly confirmed the media reports of the briefing, it also could be viewed as a concession of sorts from an intelligence community that has come under repeated, direct fire from the president-elect. Trump had compared the leak from his briefing to Nazi Germany on Twitter on Wednesday morning, writing, Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany? In a news conference, also held Wednesday, Trump defended the comparison and elaborated further, saying, A thing like that should have never been written, it should never have been had, and it certainly should never have been released. Clapper, however, said he did not believe the leaks to the press came from the intelligence community. At the same time, he indicated that the intelligence community decided to share the material with Trump because its mere existence was important for the incoming president to know about. As far as the "private security company document," Clapper said, "I emphasized that this document is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions." "Part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security," Clapper added. Clapper's statement comes amid extraordinary strains between the spy world and Trump, who takes office next week. The president-elect has been resistant to U.S. intelligence assessments that Russia intervened in the election, although during a press conference Wednesday morning Trump admitted that Moscow likely did do some hacking.

Friction between the commander in chief and the intelligence officers working under him is not new. Recall George Bush's strained relations with the CIA when the agency downplayed Saddam Hussein's WMD capability and later, gave a rosy assessment of the length of time it would take Iran to build a bomb. It is difficult sometimes for presidents to separate intelligence that they want to hear from the assessment of the professionals. Some conflict is unavoidable.

In Trump's case, the leaks of intel on Russia angered him more than the conclusions that were reached. He considered the intel on Russia's hacking half-baked and incomplete. In this, he was correct, as the CIA agents who compiled the intelligence were evidently more interested in embarrassing Trump than in informing him of the state of knowledge regarding Russia's role in hacking the DNC.

Can both sides put the controversy behind them? Trust is something not automatically given. Both Trump and the spies must gradually build a new relationship where both sides have confidence in what is being reported and how the information is received.

The alternative would be damaging to the presidency.
Near blizzard conditions will surge throughout most of North Dakota Thursday with 45-mph wind gusts, poor visibility and wind chills of 45 below zero.

"At these conditions, exposed skin can sustain frostbite in 30 minutes or less," said Michael Mathews, meteorologist at the Bismarck Office of the National Weather Service. "High winds, blowing snow and visibility will be reduced to a half mile."

While no new snowfall is forecast, drifting snow from the previous 57.3 inches of snowfall accumulation since November will drift onto roadways, limiting visibility to half a mile or less.

"For Bismarck, it should arrive at about commuter time, 6 a.m.," said Mathews, adding that the wind should die down by evening.

Thursday's actual high will be 1 above. Friday's high is expected to climb to 13 above, with wind chills of 5 below zero.

Saturday's high will inch up to 15 above zero with a more significant rise in temperatures from Sunday through Wednesday, which could see a high of 34 degrees, according to Michaels, who said the next two weeks could see above normal temperatures. Normal highs are 24 degrees and average lows are 2 above zero.

"It will be warmer than it has been," he said.
The Senate's budget resolution, which includes the rules for ObamaCare repeal, gives senators until late January to come up with legislation to nix the Affordable Care Act. Under a proposal from five GOP senators, including Corker, they would have had until Mach 3.

The budget resolution is expected to pass late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Corker and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) signaled on Wednesday night that Senate GOP leadership was open to giving lawmakers more time to work out a repeal legislation beyond the January deadline.

"Everyone here understands the importance of doing it right, giving Tom Price, the new [Department of Health and Human Services] person, the time to weigh in and help us make this work in the appropriate way," he said.

Portman added that "we have assurances from leadership ... that this date is not a date set in stone."

"It is the earliest we could do it but could take longer and we believe that it might," he said.

It's unclear if the GOP senators had enough support to pass their amendment.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the Senate's No. 2 Republican, warned on Tuesday that delaying the repeal legislation could lead to a "jam" on the Senate floor.

"I don't think we should delay it any more than we have to because we have a second budget resolution that we want to pass to get reconciliation instructions for tax reform," he said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) separately voiced skepticism on Wednesday, saying repealing ObamaCare through reconciliation had a "shelf life."

Republicans have been publicly divided about how to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

President-elect Donald Trump said during a press conference on Wednesday that repeal and replace would move near simultaneously if not at the same time.

It'll be repeal and replace. It will be essentially, simultaneously. It will be various segments, you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week, but probably, the same day, could be the same hour, he said.

But Graham  whom Trump mocked during the press conference  told reporters that the president elect needs to call Mitch McConnell because that's not where we're headed.
Someday, Bill O'Reilly may add to his list of historical books, which include Killing Kennedy and Killing the Rising Sun, the title Killing CNN.

It portends to be the chronicle of a vital turning point in American history, the death of the propaganda machine in our politics, and the resurgence of genuine journalism.

I have for some time now eschewed referring to most American news institutions as "mainstream media" and instead termed them what they are: the Ministry of Propaganda (MoP).

I know, I know  there comes a time when we are supposed to stop complaining about bias in the news. It is akin to complaining about the weather, about which we can do nothing. Donald Trump is proving otherwise. If liberals can claim that they can stop global warming, then we may justly claim that Trump can stop the global pollution the MoP spews out so continually that many of us have gotten used to it.

In previous years, conservatives were ridiculed for "blaming the press." We were compared to the student who claimed that "the dog ate my homework." No more. This election cycle, the dog did its best and choked to death. While the Russians are blamed for "hacking Hillary," the MoP was hacking Trump, but not with facts  with fake news.

This time, it did not succeed. Millions of frustrated Americans saw through the ruse and rebelled. Instead of their lies deceiving us, we disavowed the MoP.

Today, Trump is taking the fight to CNN and, by extension, to all the other alphabet agencies that have mocked and vilified him, while they were openly siding with Hillary Clinton and her crooked cohorts. Instead of the New York Times informing us, it saw its duty as being to dis-inform us, to dissuade us from voting for Trump  but the more mud the MoP threw toward him, the muddier they themselves became.

Yesterday, Trump made it crystal-clear to CNN that they have crossed the red line  you know, the one Obama dared the Russians to cross in Syria. They crossed it, and Obama whimpered. Trump is done with red lines. He is building a wall, and CNN is closed out of Trump's news conferences. He flatly refused to allow them to exercise the pretense of journalism by refusing to permit them to level questions at him during his presser.

For those who may find themselves uneasy at the possibility of official censorship, remind yourselves that what CNN is being censored for is not reporting, but lying. They actually accused Trump of hiring Russian prostitutes to urinate on a hotel bed where Obama had slept  and then, at the press conference, had the audacity to accuse him of being "improper" in his refusal to dignify their propaganda with a response.

Your time is over, CNN. Let your liberal cohorts in other parts of the propaganda machine take note. When you strike at Trump with lies, he will avenge the insult with that most terrifying of all weapons: truth. To paraphrase a famous Democrat president (FDR), you have nothing to fear but Trump himself. Well should you.
A New York Daily news reporter, aptly named Gersh Kuntzmann, some time ago castrated himself with a very dull keyboard while writing a largely fictional account of his misadventures with an AR-15 rifle, a tale he foolishly tried to pass off as an authentic recounting of his trip to a firing range. Gentle Gersh, a liberal pioneer in the fake news movement, came under heavy fire from genuine, knowledgeable gun owners for his patently dishonest article and under heavy ridicule from manly men everywhere for his inadvertent, yet very public self-emasculation.

I had no idea that we would have another confession from another liberal eunuch quite so quickly.

Brent Scher over at Washington Free Beacon reports that ThinkProgress senior editor Ned Resnikoff posted another one of these online orchidectomies on his Facebook page back in November, wherein he describes in almost tremulous tones his onset of phobias upon inviting a plumber, a white male with a Southern accent and a likely Trump voter, into his apartment to unclog a drain right after the election.

Here's the screenshot:

This afternoon had aplumber (sic) over to my apartment to fix a clogged drain. He was a perfectly nice guy and a consummate professional. But he was also a middle aged white man with a southern accent who seemed unperturbed by this week's news. And while I had him in the apartment, I couldn't stop thinking about whether he voted for Trump, whether he knew my last name is Jewish, and how that knowledge might change the interaction we were having inside my own home. I have no real reason to believe he was a Trump supporter or an anti-Semite, but in my uncertainty I couldn't shake the sense of potential danger. I was rattled for some time after he left. I'm very privileged insofar as this sense of danger is unfamiliar to me. And I know I feel it much less acutely than a lot of other people right now. I'm still a straight, white guy who can phenotypically pass for gentile. Plus my first name is pretty WASP-y. But today was a reminder that ambiguous social interactions now feel unsafe and unpredictable in a way that they never did before. And even if Trump is gone in four years, I don't expect to ever reclaim that feeling of security. That's just one more thing you voted for if you voted for him.

Aside from the fact that most American housewives can unclog a drain, I think Neddy's reassurance to himself that he's still a straight white guy who can phenotypically pass for gentile is rendered a bit feeble by the inclusion of that rather tentative still. And rather than being concerned about passing for gentile, perhaps Ned should be more concerned about passing for a real guy, especially with that revelation that he was still rattled after the other guy, a possible (gasp!) Trump voter, was long gone. I must tell you, that rings just a tad too effete for comfort to this old Trump-voting straight Southerner.

As for the plumber, the poor guy was probably rattled by the suspicion of furtive glances at his white, male, Southern, Trump-voting plumber's butt crack by a sensitive, circumcised, Semitic phenotype who can easily pass for a flaming Hillary LGBTQ social justice warrior. Mind you, we're not saying any of our suspicions about you are true, Ned  they're just assumptions, just like those you made about your plumber.

See how all those profiling suspicions and assumptions can cut both ways, young Mr. Resnikoff?
A U.S.-based intelligence advisory organization, the Soufan Group, has issued one of the most pessimistic and alarming reports to date about the situation in Afghanistan.

Basically, the scale of the security problem far exceeds the level of commitment of U.S. troops to handle it, and the Afghan security forces are not up to the challenge of defeating the Taliban.

Daily Caller:

The situation has become so bad in the area the Marines are headed, one of Afghanistans most experienced Generals, GeneralAbdul Raziq, called for a Taliban safe zone. The safe zone indicates he doesnt believe he can hold the line in the south in the medium to long term, according to Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Bill Roggios recent blog post in the Long War Journal. Raziqs call comes shortly after a Pentagon assessment of the U.S. Afghan mission painted a grim picture. The sum of the assessment basically amounts to two ideas: The scale of the problem is much larger than the current U.S. commitment, and the pace of the solution  training Afghan soldiers and then keeping them alive  is faltering dramatically. The Pentagon also rated the U.S. backed Afghan Security Forces promising but inconsistent in their progress since the U.S. ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014. The Taliban now control more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the U.S. effort began in 2001. The group has proven adept at surrounding and besieging major cities, while consolidating rural areas. Afghanistan remains perpetually on the brink of further violence and collapse, U.S. based security intelligence advisory firm The Soufan Group warned Wednesday. The security situation in the province Marines are headed too is particularly precarious. The Taliban appears to control nearly every major city in the province, except for the capital of Lashkar Gah. Lashkar Gah has come under repeated assault by Taliban forces, and has come dangerously close to falling throughout 2016. If Lashkar Gah were to fall, it would mark the second time a major city has fallen to Taliban control since the U.S. invasion in 2001.

President Obama's inability to face up to the looming disaster is a deliberate oversight. He had already ordered the troops home in 2014, and sending a large number of them back  as might be the only way to salvage the situation  would be admitting he made a mistake in the first place. We see the same half-measures in Iraq in battling ISIS. The problem with the president's current Iraq policy is that the power vacuum has been filled by Shia militias loyal to Iran. In effect, the president's refusal to send more troops has enabled the Iranians to establish a firm foothold inside the Iraqi armed forces.

This mess will land on Donald Trump's lap in eight days. Will the new president cut our losses and completely withdraw or will he send the troops necessary to reverse the situation? There aren't many other options to consider, given the parameters of the crisis and how it cuts to the heart of an independent Afghan government. If Kabul cannot protect its own people now, when will it be able to? This new report offers little hope that the situation will change anytime soon.
Cory Booker started his 2020 presidential campaign by stabbing Jeff Sessions in the back and front on nationwide TV.

In 2015, Sen. Jeff Sessions and Sen. Cory Booker introduced and passed legislation to award the highest civilian honor to the participants of the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.

On January 11, 2017, Booker returned the favor to Senator Sessions by appearing before the Judiciary Committee to "testify" against Sessions as the attorney general nominee. "Testify" is the wrong verb. Booker gave a pompous speech, unsupported by any facts, that Sessions would not as attorney general support the rights of women, blacks, gays, etc. Booker, Democrat senator from New Jersey, explained his unprecedented appearance to testify against a fellow senator by saying:

In a choice between standing with Senate norms and standing up for what my conscience tells me is best for our country, I will always choose conscience and country[.]

This may be another first by having the word "conscience" in the same sentence as "New Jersey Democrat."

Booker could have given his speech on the Senate floor before the vote on Sessions's nomination. Instead, he chose to grandstand before the committee and national television. It is clear that Booker wants to run in 2020, and this was his opening campaign speech. Donald Trump has not yet been inaugurated, but Booker is already running.

He is starting early to get the campaign donations from George Soros, the NAACP, Hollywood, Planned Parenthood, Black Lives Matter, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the rest of the left-wing Democrat base.

Booker should fit nicely with the Democratic base. He lied about Sessions, broke over 200 years of Senate tradition, and showed he will do and say anything to win.
Watching CNN yesterday evening was like seeing four men who just won a $100M lottery trying to pretend they were not excited. Jake Tapper, Jim Scuitto, Carl Bernstein, and Evan Perez could hardly contain their glee at getting to report what they fervently hoped could and would be verified as true.

They kept saying it had not yet been corroborated but they were clearly certain it would be. They so badly wanted it to be true. Watching with the sound off, anyone would have thought they were celebrating something electrifying, like man's first walk on the moon. Then they mentioned BuzzFeed  hint-hint  so of course anyone who was interested in reading the actual dossier could go there and read it. CNN did not have to discuss the ugly details contained within. Tapper could spill the beans and pretend his own hands were clean. BuzzFeed should be done and gone by tomorrow.

Since last evening, millions of words have been written and uttered by partisans on all sides. The document is fake, authored possibly by one of several different players: Rick Wilson, a NeverTrump Republican or Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, now part of a private company in London. Or it could be someone who has yet come to light. Whoever did write it did shoddy, sloppy work. It has been floating around D.C. for five months, and not one agency could verify a single fake fact.

John McCain is part of the story; "someone" gave it to him, and he, as a good citizen, passed it on to Director Comey at the FBI. McCain, of all people, should have known better, but the people who loathe Trump are blinded by their distress that he actually won.

Carl Bernstein was positively exhilarated. He was about to be part of the next Watergate scandal. Maybe he would be on television every night for months. Jim Scuitto could not suppress his smile. Jake Tapper feebly attempted to hide his delight. He could spread the story far and wide with his disclaimer that it had not been "proven" and know that he was the one getting it out there. He was "breaking" the biggest news of the year.

It is impossible to have any respect for Tapper, Chuck Todd, George Stephanopoulos, and the lot of them. They are the hacks, the real dispensers of fake news. They revel in their power to do it. They have always reveled in their power to control public knowledge and opinion. But no more. The explosion of internet news sites changed that many years ago but the mainstream media have remained in denial. They mock those sites. But Trump and Twitter have forced them to realize their irrelevance, and they are having a nationwide tantrum.

But who had the last laugh? Trump, of course. Will the media never learn? He does not play by their rules of incivility; he plays by his own rules of incivility: when attacked, fight back harder. Thanks to CNN and BuzzFeed, Trump won the day, and the media have egg on their faces. Someone or more than one someone tried to use classic Soviet-style disinformation to destroy Trump. They will no doubt try again and again, but each attempt is costing them the last of any remaining credibility they may have.
As I recall, President Reagan gave a nice and pleasant farewell speech from the Oval Office in 1989. I really don't remember President George H.W. Bush or President Clinton saying goodbye. I missed those two! President George W. Bush did say goodbye, but it was spoiled a bit by the story of the plane dramatically landing on the Hudson River.

Last night, President Obama said goodbye in something that looked a lot more like a campaign rally than a farewell speech. Some in the crowd were even screaming four more years. We confirmed later that President Obamas goodbye was rather long:

Clinton spoke for 7 minutes, 25 seconds; Reagan spoke for 20 minutes, 42 seconds; and George W. Bush spoke for 13 minutes, 7 seconds. Obama spoke for 51 minutes, 10 seconds, nearly 10 minutes longer than the other three put together. Obama also broke from the tradition of delivering his final speech from the White House. Clinton and Reagan both spoke from the Oval Office, and George W. Bush spoke in front of a small audience in the White House East Room; the Obama administration distributed public tickets for his speech at the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago. Obama spoke to a crowd of 18,000.

On balance, it was Obama being Obama. President Obama was in Chicago, which was a bit bizarre since he won't be going home for his post-presidency.

He flew over the last eight years, reminded us that he killed Osama, got everybody health insurance, and saved the world from a Great Depression. I guess he and I have different memories of the last two terms. Maybe thats why the Democrats are in such bad shape or why his popularity never elected anybody.

Obamas goodbye won't be any goodbye at all. He will be living about a mile from the White House, and there is no shortage of in the tank reporters who will be dropping by to get his reaction to any of President Trumps decisions.

The other news is that the rest of his party was at cabinet confirmation hearings.

Yesterday, we watched Democrats turn confirmation hearings into a fundraising scheme. You will soon see many of their questions in political ads attacking Trump and the GOP about this that.

At one point, A.G. nominee Sessions had to remind Senator David Durbin that Congress writes the laws. It was a reply to a question about whether or not the A.G. would use his discretion to go around Congress. Its a shame that the very polite Mr. Sessions did not remind Senator Durbin that the Democrats had majorities and did not a darned thing about immigration reform.

At another point, Senator Feinstein took her entire time to ask questions about Roe v. Wade and the recent Supreme Court decision about same-sex marriage. Mr. Sessions again reminded another Democrat senator that the attorney general enforces the law.

Frankly, these nomination hearings have turned into a joke. It won't be any better when President Trump nominates a candidate for the Supreme Court.

Many years ago, a college U.S. history teacher explained to our class that the Senate was different than the House.

He repeated that famous phrase that [t]he Senate is the saucer into which we pour legislation to cool.

I get the feeling that this version of the U.S. Senate is not about cooling anything off!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
With President Obama soon leaving office, the most powerful Democrat politician in the country remaining in office is a man with a tiny profile in the national news: Michael Madigan, speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Joe Tabor and Ted Drabowski of the Illinois Policy Institute explained the extraordinary power of the Illinois speaker:

 theres another source of power the majority party of Illinois holds that allows its leaders a more underhanded influence over the legislative process and, ultimately, the daily lives of Illinoisans. That power emanates from the little-known legislative rules that Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Mike Madigan  whos held that position for more than 31 years since 1983  uses on an everyday basis to orchestrate the legislative and political outcomes he wants. Those rules allow Madigan to influence the makeup of legislative committees; how lawmakers vote; and when, if ever, the bills get voted on. But the most obstructive rule of all keeps bills  even those with popular support, such as term limits  from ever seeing the light of day. Madigan, and not the General Assembly, has the power to decide what has the chance to become law. Virtually no state grants the types of powers to its legislative heads that Illinois grants to Madigan. Those rules have contributed to the failed policies that exist in Illinois today and to the fiscal debacle Illinoisans must contend with as they try to make ends meet.

It is widely believed in Illinois that Madigan has far more power than Republican governor Bruce Rauner. And Madigans hold on power is far more certain than that of Rauner, who must face the voters. Madigans elections to the House and as speaker seem to be a foregone conclusion, and his ability to exercise power is unlike any other legislative leader in the country. As Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute explains:

Illinois House Democrats re-elected state Rep. Mike Madigan to his longtime post as House speaker Jan. 11. Madigan is now set to become the longest-serving House speaker in modern U.S. history. By the end of his two-year term in 2019, no American will have held a legislative leadership position for longer. Madigan won the speakership Wednesday on a 66-51 vote along party lines. All Republicans voted for Burr Ridge state Rep. Jim Durkin. A lone Democrat, Scott Drury of Highwood, voted present. This is the first time a House Democrat has voted present for the speaker in 30 years. The remaining House Democrats cast their votes for Madigan.

Drury, one assumes, is prepared for the vengeance that will be coming his way:

So we can expect Illinois to continue its deep blue ways, running up unpayable pension obligations to public employees who dutifully pay their union dues that are recycled into campaign contributions that keep Democrats in power.

Waiting in the wings: Madigans daughter Lisa, Illinois attorney general since 2003. The state government in Springfield is a great family business for the Madigans. For Illinois taxpayers, not so much.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol
It is fitting that presidents give farewell messages. But given the venue and setting President Obama had chosen, it was fairly easy to surmise that this would be a final political rally and national lecture.

I will simply recount the one lasting legacy of Barack Obama that will always be emblazoned in my memory. When I think of him, I will think of this. When I reflect on his promised era of hope and change, I will be drawn to this image.

Despite your personal feelings on his coolness, his character, his charisma, or his competence, Barack Obama will forever be the president who worked diligently to put the gun of government to the heads of the Little Sisters of the Poor, demanding that they either pay to destroy children in the womb or be crushed.

You can't candy-coat that. You can't hide it. You can't pretend it wasn't what it was. For 177 years, the Little Sisters of the Poor has been a large Roman Catholic religious ministry that takes vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and hospitality. Serving the Kingdom of God on earth in over 30 countries, they have one stated mission: to care for impoverished people as they near the end of their lives. As Ashley McGuire describes it, "The only fight they go looking for is to make the last days of some very downtrodden people brighter and happier, to send as many people into the next life surrounded by love, not garbage."

Barack Obama knew that, personally. Regardless, he instructed his administration to rewrite executive regulations nine separate times to ensure these nuns be forced to either violate their conscience by helping distribute abortifacients or be fined $70 million a year and out of existence. Their beliefs, their ministry, their cause, and even the incredible work that they do were secondary to President Barack Obama's devotion to funding and expanding the destruction of infants with tax dollars.

The president's own lawyers admitted in court that there were compromises available that would have met their objectives while sparing the Sisters' consciences. But President Obama refused. Using the coercive power of the state to compel nuns to pay for abortion drugs became an issue of pride for this small man.

His obsession was so out of touch that the Supreme Court, divided as it is, issued a unanimous ruling telling Obama he must find another way. When Ruth Bader Ginsburg joins hands with Clarence Thomas to rebuke your fixation with forcing nuns to violate their conscience, you have reached the pinnacle of ideological extremism.

After 22 years of torture in a Cuban prison for his refusal to sign a government document supporting Fidel Castro, Armando Valladares was honored by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. In his speech, he said of the Little Sisters of the Poor, They know what my body knows after 22 years of cruel torture: that if they sign the formthey will be violating their conscience and would commit spiritual suicide. If they did this they would forfeit the true and only wealth they have in abandoning the castle of their conscience

That President Obama failed to ever respect that eternal truth is both pitiful and shameful. And it's why I'm beyond elated to bid him a permanent farewell.

Peter Heck is a speaker, author, and teacher. Follow him @peterheck, email peter@peterheck.com, or visit www.peterheck.com.
A major network anchor, a person previously personally ridiculed by Donald Trump with an insulting nickname, jumped on board the fake news bandwagon, attacking the editor of Buzzfeed who decided to publish a scurrilous opposition research memo that was peddled to the media for months. Is this what Osama bin Laden meant when he said that people are naturally attracted to a strong horse?

Nothing could better symbolize the triumph of Donald Trumps stance toward the media than this appearance on the daily version of Meet the Press by Ben Smith, editor of Buzzfeed, and the tough remarks he received from sleepy Chuck Todd, of NBC News, widely regarded as the most anti-Trump network of all.

You just published fake news!

Ian Hanchett of Breitbart summarizes the entire interview:

Todd said BuzzFeeds decision to publish the dossier was an instance where they would not have made the same decision in the pre-Trump era.

Smith stated that it was more the pre-Internet era. And that there was a time where we could act as gatekeepers. Where we could say, you know what, crazy people are claiming that Barack Obamas birth certificate is forged, but were not going to write about that, thats crazy.

He continued that this era doesnt exist, and that while they had reporters trying to confirm or deny specific details, the dossier was in play, and having consequences for the way our elected leaders are acting. The  you do have to ask the question of, why should I suppress that? There are then good reasons, right? Once though, it emerges, as it did last night in the public conversation that there is this secret document floating around, full of dark allegations that we will not repeat to you. That I feel like in this era, you really have to share [with] your readers what that is in an appropriate context. And our original report, I mean, if you read what we wrote, it stressed that there were real solid reasons to distrust this. It noted two specific errors.

Todd then asked if BuzzFeed had a responsibility to not spread false information. Smith responded that, like with the Obama birth certificate issue, its a difficult balance that everybody in our business navigates every day.

Todd then asked if BuzzFeed would publish a false birth certificate. Smith answered, We certainly quoted the president-elect of the United States making false claims about it, and years ago we debated whether we should quote regular citizens in Iowa saying, I dont believe his birth certificate. And I remember us thinking at first, we probably shouldnt. That we we shouldnt pass that on and then saying, you know what, this has become a force that is impacting the conversation.

Todd countered, I know this was not your intent. Ive known you a long time, but you just published fake news. Smith countered that people throw the term fake news around to diminish things they dont like, and that this was a real story about a real document that was really being passed around between the very top officials of this country. And then the question you say is, okay, its okay for you  to Chuck Todd see this document. Its okay for me to see it. Okay for Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Okay for the CIA. Whats  why is it not okay for your audience?

Todd then countered that BuzzFeed could have published a redacted version of the document. Smith answered that there was fair disagreement, but didnt think you could defend acknowledging the dossiers existence but then not say what was in it and that this was saying it was okay to summarize false claims.

Smith further stated that if there wasnt a public conversation about the dossier, they would have just continued to report the story out.
100% of Christians Face Persecution in These 21 Countries

WASHINGTON -- One-hundred percent of Christians in 21 countries around the world experience persecution for their faith in Christ as over 215 million Christians faced "high levels" of persecution in the last year, a leading human rights watchdog group reports. Open Doors USA released on Wednesday morning its 2017 World Watch List, which is the 25th annual ranking of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution. "2016 was the worst year of persecution on record with a shocking 215 million Christians experiencing high levels of persecution for their faith," Open Doors USA CEO David Curry asserted during a press conference at the National Press Club. "It is worth repeating that nearly one in every 12 Christians today lives in an area or culture in which Christianity is illegal, forbidden or punished. Yet, today the world is largely silent on the shocking wave of religious intolerance," he continued. "The 2017 World Watch List and the information it represents presents one of the most complex and pressing challenges to President-elect Donald Trump and his administration." According to a fact sheet provided by Open Doors, the organization documented as many as 1,207 Christians who were killed around the globe for faith-related reasons during the 2017 list's reporting period -- Nov. 1, 2015, to Oct. 31, 2016. However, that number is a conservative estimate since it doesn't include statistics from the list's No. 1 persecutor of Christians for the last 16 years -- North Korea -- and areas of Iraq and Syria. Additionally, there were likely many other Christian killings that went unreported. The ministry also documented over 1,329 churches around the globe that were attacked or damaged. "In the top 21 countries on the Open Doors World Watch List, 100 percent of Christians experience persecution," the fact sheet states. "Christians are a minority in all countries on the list, accounting for only 13 percent of the total population." The top 21 countries on the list include in this order: North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kenya, Turkmenistan, Qatar and Egypt. In North Korea, Christians are prohibited from practicing their faith and can be killed or jailed for simply owning a Bible. As the Communist Kim regime forces citizens to accept the cultic belief that the Kim family is divine, thousands of Christians have been killed and entire families have been thrown into torturous labor "reeducation" camps for practicing their faith or trying to defect. Although little is reported about the persecution in Somalia, Curry said that no organized church is allowed to be established in the country and every citizen of Somalia is registered as Muslim despite what they believe. "Small groups of Christians remain even though nobody knows the secret of their faith," Curry explained. "If their faith is discovered it means instant death, executed without trial and often on rumor alone." Pakistan ranked as the fourth worst country in the world for Christians, which is the highest the Muslim-majority country has ranked on the World Watch List. Christians in Pakistan are subject the public ridicule and are often accused of the capital offense of blasphemy by Muslims looking to settle personal scores. Additionally, hundreds of Christian girls and women in Pakistan are kidnapped, raped and forced into Islamic marriage. Police protection of the Christian community is inadequate and Muslim persecutors are often granted a level of impunity. The fact sheet states that "Pakistan had the most overall violence against Christians." "Cities have been burned to the ground, people have been roasted alive, girls are increasingly being raped and forced into Islamic marriage in attempts by Muslims to gain a special place in Heaven through proselytizing in this manner," Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, told CP on Wednesday. "Government and statutory authority inactivity have built a sense of impunity for crimes against Christians." It's no secret that Christians have been direly persecuted in the Middle Eastern nations of Iraq and Syria, considering the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization forced hundreds of thousands of Christians to flee their homes or risk being killed by the Islamic death cult. As very few Christians remained in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq until Iraqi-coalition forces began a liberation effort there in October, there is serious concern that Iraqi Christians could become extinct in their ancient homelands if nothing is done to assure that they will be protected if they return. While Christians continue to languish in displacement camps in Kurdistan and neighboring Middle Eastern countries, Congressman Chris Smith, R-N.J., told the press conference that the United States government has gone "AWOL" when it comes to helping displaced and persecuted Iraqi Christians. Smith said he recently visited the U.S. General Consulate in Erbil, which he says is about a 10-minute drive from a major displacement camp where thousands of Christians are being housed. "The United States government has not been helpful to the Christians that have fled Mosul in the Nineveh Plain. We have been AWOL when it comes to humanitarian aid," Smith said. "I went to a camp that I was told I couldn't go to because it was so dangerous. So, I went without the consulate general or the diplomatic security people only to find 6,000 wonderful families and clergy that were helping these people who are really on the edge, physically, with not even food, medicine and shelter." "If it wasn't for the Christian community rallying for them, raising approximately $30 million, there would have been deaths and sicknesses. The camp is about 10 minutes max by car away from the consulate's office and no one had been there from the embassy or the consulate, except one who went almost before I went. Are you kidding?" Smith asked. "I had nine hearings on the genocide against Christians -- nine of them. ... They left 70,000 Christians in Erbil with no help by the United Nations and the United States government." Also speaking at the press conference was Knox Thames, the State Department's special advisor for religious minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia, who was asked by The Christian Post to respond to Smith's complaint and answer why the U.S. government hasn't done more to help Iraqi Christians. "I can speak to what we [the State Department Office of International Religious Freedom] have been doing. We met with the Christian leadership -- Archbishop Warda [of Erbil] and [a bishop from] the Assyrian Church of the East -- to hear those concerns. We have had conversations with USAID about how we can get resources to the Christian community," he responded. "But this is also in the context of incredible need and not enough resources and that has been the challenge that we have had to navigate. This is something that is very much on our radar screen and will continue to follow it across the transition."
Legislation has been introduced requiring the North Dakota Attorney General to pursue legal action against a pair of federal agencies over reimbursement of law enforcement costs in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

Rep. Keith Kempenich, R-Bowman, said a majority of protesters have been occupying U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land near the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes reservation boundary.

They arent going to pay unless we start forcing the issue, Kempenich said.

State officials and lawmakers have argued for months that the federal government should reimburse the state for the costs, which have now exceeded $22 million. The states congressional delegation has been pressing the case in Washington, D.C.

House Bill 1238 would require the attorney general to take legal action against the corps as well as the U.S. Department of Justice.

Kempenich said the cost of pursuing litigation, if approved, would come from state dollars set aside for that purpose.

The congressional delegation should be fighting for this, said House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, adding the states responsibility in costs will likely exceed $30 million before the protests have completely ended.

Protesters have been opposing the $3.8 billion, four-state pipeline for months, which is complete in North Dakota except for a crossing under the Missouri River less than a mile from the tribes reservation border.

Opponents fear a leak could contaminate river water for millions and that the project could impact tribal sites in the pipeline path. More than 580 people have been arrested since August.
Earlier today a Ghostek case designed for the upcoming Galaxy S8 allegedly leaked, now a second case hints at more design features. The Galaxy S8 is set to be one of the most popular devices that will be released this year, so its no surprise that smartphone case manufacturers want to take advantage of this by having a wide range of cases designed around the upcoming flagship. Now, though, this second case hints at a number of design features. Among these is the use of a single rear camera, therefore debunking the rumors of a dual-camera setup. In addition to this, the slot that is situated above the camera hints at the introduction of a dual-LED flash or possibly a laser autofocus. Historically, Samsung has included a single LED and a heart-rate monitor on the rear, but the positioning of the slot seems like it would be an awkward placement for the sensor.

Not all is camera related, though, with the top of the case also featuring a slot along the frame, hinting at the inclusion of an IR blaster. Looking at the lower half of the device, it appears Samsung has rearranged the bottom part of the frame, by moving the USB-C port to the side, instead of centering it. As well as this, towards the other side is the bottom-firing speaker, something that is sure to resemble the speaker featured on the Galaxy S7 line. Lastly, Samsung has also moved the 3.5mm headphone jack, by placing it slightly off center and closer to the speaker. Moving to the side of the frame, Samsung appears to have switched up its button setup by placing both the power and volume buttons on the left side of the device, with the power button now being slightly smaller and sitting slightly lower down the frame. Slightly higher up on the frame are the volume buttons.

Now, as this is not confirmed yet by Samsung theres no way of knowing if this case is for the Galaxy S8. If its compared with the Ghostek case that leaked earlier today, though, there are some differences, specifically the presence of a headphone jack and USB-C port cut out. Either way, with the newly leaked case lining up with the rumors that have been heard surrounding the Galaxy S8, theres still the possibility that the cases could be fakes or even based on old concepts of the phone. Until the official announcement, though, theres no way of knowing for sure what Samsungs next flagship will look like.
Investment analysts have been considering the effect of Verizon Wireless changes to how it offers devices and contracts to customers. Verizon recently announced that it was removing handset subsidies and traditional two-year contracts in favor of equipment installation plans for both new and upgrading (retail) customers. Americas largest carrier made the change on January 5, 2017 together with an increase of the activation and upgrade fee from $20 to $30. The consensus within the investment community is that the changes Verizon has made should increase profit margins but at the risk of losing customers and squeezing Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), lower. UBS John Hodulik wrote to investors that Verizons change means that he expects only between 10% to 15% of handsets sold by the carrier will be subsidized going forwards, down from 30% in 2016, 46% in 2015 and 82% in 2014. The remaining subsidized handsets are being sold on business contracts. However, Hodulik believes that the increase in upgrade or activation fee will help the company maintain a similar profit margins into 2017 as in 2016, whereas until January he was forecasting a reduction in profit margins. Hodulik added a note of concern to his research note, highlighting that Verizon is likely to suffer from competition from the two smaller national carriers, Sprint and T-Mobile.

Walter Piecyk from BTIG Research believes Verizons ARPU will deteriorate because equipment installation plans are sold at a reduced rate to customers compared with traditional contracts: The popular shared data plans charge $40/month for access to subsidized phone customers, but only $20/month for BYOD and phone payment plan customers. Piecky went on to explain that he estimated a little over 40% of Verizons post-pay customers were on an equipment installation plan, compared with around 70% for T-Mobile, which means the business is going to experience a significant reduction in ARPU as more and more customers are migrated to the new style of plan.

Verizon has maintained that they are positioning themselves more towards what the company calls the quality customers, meaning those who value the quality and reliability of their network together with their customer services, and those who are happy to pay more than some competitors in exchange for this reliability. However, the changes in the market started by T-Mobiles Uncarrier movement have caused Verizon to change how it sells smartphones and forced plan rates down. Ultimately, this has been good news for customers but it has put pressure on carriers to stay competitive.
In late 2016, AT&T and Time Warner came to terms on a deal to merge, a deal that has not yet been approved by the appropriate regulatory bodies, and a deal that President-Elect Donald Trump has openly criticized and said that he would block. Today, AT&Ts CEO, Randall Stephenson was seen entering Trump tower and it was later confirmed that he is meeting with the President-Elect today, most likely in regards to their proposed merger with Time Warner.

Back in October 2016, when the deal between the two companies was announced, Trump was still on the campaign trail and announced that he would move to block the deal between AT&T and Time Warner. So Stephenson may be meeting with the incoming president to talk him into allowing the deal to go through. Time Warners shareholders are set to meet on February 15th to approve the deal. Additionally, the deal will likely face a review by the FCC before it is finally approved and allowed to complete. However, with Trump looking to reduce regulation, a review by the FCC may not happen, since this would be after Trump takes office next Friday.

Trump is against the deal because he believes its part of the power structure that was trying to keep him out of the White House. With AT&T buying Time Warner it would mean that they have both the content that many customers are watching as well as a way to watch it (via the Internet, whether thats on mobile or through your router). Which in many peoples eyes, means that AT&T would be essentially a monopoly again. And this is another reason why Trump and his administration may seek to block the deal.

Advertisement

While Stephenson  and likely other AT&T execs  are meeting with Trump today at Trump tower, it doesnt mean that the public will know what they spoke about, or if Trump will approve the deal between AT&T and Time Warner. That news likely wont come out for a few more weeks. But it sure is going to be a rather interesting meeting between these two in New York City, especially days before Trump takes office.
The rate of decline in North Dakota taxable sales and purchases slowed during the third quarter of 2016 compared to the previous year. In addition, the states top tax official said it's unlikely the drop has hit bottom.

Third-quarter statewide taxable sales and purchases figures released Thursday from the Office of State Tax Commissioner were at $4.62 billion for the months of July, August and September. This was a 19.9 percent decline from the $5.78 billion during the same period in 2015.

Thursdays numbers mark the sixth consecutive quarter in which double-digit declines in total taxable sales and purchases were reported.

Were continuing to see a decline in year-over-year taxable sales and purchases, North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger said. What were seeing is a leveling off and reaching a new normal.

Continuation of lower prices for oil along with agricultural commodity prices are playing a significant role, according to Rauschenberger.

Construction, which saw a 3.8 percent increase, was the lone bright spot in 2016: The only one of the states top 15 industry sectors that was not down in comparison to 2015.

We do have to be concerned that there were declines in virtually every sector in virtually every city and county, said Rauschenberger, who indicated the third-quarter numbers is the most recent data and will be used in the states updated revenue forecast during the legislative session, typically done in February or March.

The sharpest decrease from the third quarter compared to 2015 was in mining and oil extraction, to the tune of 53 percent. In third quarter of 2015, there was $655.6 million in taxable sales in purchases; in the third quarter of 2016, it was $308 million.

The decline has been sharp since oil prices began their fall in late 2014 and into 2015. In the third quarter of 2014, mining and oil extraction taxable sales and purchases were at $1.38 billion.

Retail trade remained the states largest sector at about $1.58 billion. This was a 7.2 percent decrease in the third quarter from $1.7 billion in 2015.

Though it was a decrease similar to that of the second quarter of 2016, Rauschenberger called it a source of optimism.

Even though it was down in the third quarter, it shows that theres (still) much more consumer confidence, Rauschenberger said.

The rough December weather with heavy snow throughout the state could impact fourth-quarter numbers for retail, which will be released in the spring, according to Rauschenberger.

Just a day or two has a huge impact, Rauschenberger said of severe weather days on retail.

North Dakota Retail Association President Mike Rud said the states retail sector is essentially back to pre-boom numbers after several years of record highs. The 2016 third-quarter retail numbers were the lowest since $1.43 billion was reported in 2011 when the boom was beginning to hit its stride.

Rud said good business owners know that the ups and downs are cyclical and will be able to adjust to the return to normal of the pre-boom era.

I dont think anyone out theres hitting the panic button, Rud said. From a consumer confidence standpoint, I think the people are still pretty optimistic.

Rud said he hasnt heard any complaints from retailers as being in bad shape during the recent holiday season. Some stores and malls were likely impacted slightly from recent weather events, he said.

In third-quarter 2016, Bismarck reported $426.4 million in taxable sales and purchases. This was down nearly 10 percent from $473 million reported in 2015.

An 8 percent drop for third-quarter 2016 was reported in Mandan, from $76.3 million in 2015 to $70.2 million in 2016.

When the quarterly reports for 2017 come out, it will become more clear where the state is in terms of hitting the bottom of its revenue decline, according to Rauschenberger.

I think were getting there, but were not quite there yet, Rauschenberger said.

The 2016 third-quarter report can be found at www.nd.gov/tax.
Google is set to go to trial over alleged violations of anti-malware technology patents following the companys unsuccessful appeal with the US Supreme Court and the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The Alphabet-owned tech giant is now scheduled to go to court next month, three and a half years after the firm was served with a patent infringement lawsuit over certain anti-malware solutions implemented in its Chrome browser. The case of one Alfonso Cioffi against Google has significant implications for patent practices in the US and could potentially change the manner in which inventors and their lawyers apply for patents.

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court dismissed Googles request to review a judgment made by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The decision challenged by Google allowed Cioffi to go through with his lawsuit over patent infringement filed in mid-2013. Cioffi claims certain anti-malware features of Chrome infringe on his patented web browser process. While the lawsuit was initially dismissed by a federal judge in 2014, the case was revived next year following Cioffis successful appeal. The inventor is now set to go to trial with Google over four related infringements of patents granted to him in 2004, as hell try to prove Chrome detects malware in the same manner his proprietary technology does. Google is arguing that the term web browser process has no accepted universal definition which is why it believes Cioffis patents are too vague to even be infringed.

The Mountain View-based tech giant is now set to start a legal battle that could potentially change patent practices in the country as it will try to win a precedent-setting trial by arguing that Cioffi was granted a patent that was too vague. If Google wins the case, patent lawyers will likely have to stop applying for broadly described patents which they subsequently shrink with amendments as their clients technology evolves and materializes. The Alphabet-owned company believes thats exactly what Cioffis lawyers did and while the final version of his anti-malware solution may be similar to that used by Chrome, the debate will likely focus on how similar it is to the initially granted patent in 2004.
The worlds major media companies have stopped talking about YouTube Unplugged, which makes industry commentators believe that it is about to be launched. YouTube Unplugged is Googles unreleased subscription-based television service, and the logic follows that because the company needs to negotiate a number of complex content rights deals and arrangements with many different media businesses, everybody is keeping these terms quiet. In 2016, Google is alleged to have struck deals with media companies as diverse as Disney and 21st Century Fox while YouTube Unplugged is rumored to go live either early in the New Year or before the end of February. While these rumors and stories typically cannot be verified, CBS Corporation confirmed that the company was in talks with Google last month. Finally, with so many stories circulating the industry, most things point to the fact that YouTube Unplugged is coming soon.

Its currently hard to say how much the service will cost, but the entry-level package is rumored to be priced at somewhere between $25 and $40 per month, which would make it competitive in the market. For added context, DirecTV costs between $35 and $70 a month, plus an extra $5 for HBO. However, as with similar services, the cost is only a relatively small part of the appeal for customers. With television bundles, content really is king so Google needs to ensure that it covers as many popular channels as it can. Currently, many online streaming services typically bundle a number of similar channels with several specialized channels. This means that many online providers offer a significant overlap in services but one providers overall range of channels is narrow compared to a cable television bundle. Because of this, many customers need to use two online streaming services in order to have a channel selection thats as comprehensive as a single cable service. Although individual Internet television services are less expensive than a cable service, they can work out more expensive when combined.

If Google secures content from more providers than the competition, this could make YouTube Unplugged a very compelling product even if the service costs more than what other individual providers are offering. With Google appearing to be in talks with so many media players and considering its experience gained from operating YouTube Red and other subscription-based services, the new YouTube Unplugged could quickly become a strong competitor in an industry that already contains Hulu, PlayStation Vue, and AT&Ts DirecTV service.
The Nokia 6 seems to be running a UI that is based on CyanogenMod 14 (CM14), which is something we did not expect. If you navigate to the settings menu of the Nokia 6, and dive into the software sub-menu, youll notice that Nokia is actually using an interface based on CyanogenMod 14, in other words, the company did not make its own UI for the Nokia 6. Now, as some of you might know, the OnePlus One also launched with CyanogenMod, the device ran CyanogenMod 13 before the company opted to shift over to their very own OxygenOS, which actually received a lot of praise since it launched.

If you take a look at the provided image, youll get to see a confirmation that the Nokia 6s software is based on CyanogenMod 14, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but considering that CyanogenMod is re-branding to Lineage OS, well see what happens from this point on, it is possible that Nokia plans to keep running on this software, and that their upcoming devices will be based on CyanogenMod 14, and down the road, it is possible that Lineage OS will take over. On the other hand, it is possible that Nokia is preparing their very own software for the near future, as the company is rumored to release a Snapdragon 835-powered flagship next month during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Nokia had already scheduled a press conference for February 26th, and even though we cannot confirm that the company is preparing to launch a flagship smartphone, rumors seem to point in that direction.

The Nokia 6 is HMD Globals first Nokia-branded smartphone, and it is running Android, as weve already mentioned. The Nokia 6 runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, this handset is fueled by the Snapdragon 430 64-bit octa-core processor, and the Adreno 505 GPU for graphics. The phone packs in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable internal storage. The Nokia 6 comes with a 5.5-inch fullHD (1920 x 1080) display, while a 3,000mAh battery can also be found on the inside of this phone. A 16-megapixel camera can be found on the back of this phone, and an 8-megapixel shooter is placed on the devices front side.
Although earlier rumors had suggested Samsung might launch its much-rumored Galaxy X foldable smartphone later this year, latest reports coming out of South Korea now seem to suggest that the commercial launch of the device wont happen until 2018. Thats according to a new report from Business Korea, which quotes industry sources who apparently claim that the device will actually be released during the first half of 2018 instead of the timeline rumored earlier by sections of the online tech media. According to the publication, an industry official reportedly expressed hope that a Galaxy X prototype may be put up for display by Samsung by the end of this year, but large scale manufacturing for commercial purposes will only begin next year, once polyimide film, a key component of foldable smartphones, goes into mass production.

The key supplier of polyimide films will be the South Korea-based Kolon Industries, which has reportedly bagged deals from both Samsung and LG to manufacture the material for their foldable handsets. Both companies are expected to launch their own foldable smartphones at some stage in the near future, although, neither has given an official ETA until now. Apple is also believed to be experimenting with its own foldable smartphone and, if reports are to be believed, has already applied for some patents from the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). While not a lot is known about when the Cupertino, California-based company is looking to bring its own foldable handset to the market, Samsung is expected to pip it to the post, whether the launch happens this year or in 2018.

Samsung has been working on a foldable smartphone for several years now, having shown off an early prototype as far back as in 2013. Since then, several rumors have suggested that the company has been working feverishly on the project that was initially understood to have the code-name Project Valley internally within Samsung. Either way, it remains to be seen when the much-rumored foldable smartphone will finally be unveiled by the South Korean tech giant, but the company certainly has its hands full for the time being, what with its next-generation flagship, the Galaxy S8, expected to be launched in the coming weeks.
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman, Jay Y. Lee, has been accused of bribery by special prosecutors in the ongoing case related to the political scandals that involved South Korean President Park Geun-hye, which led to her impeachment. While this particular case has been continuing for months on end, the news of Lees potential involvement as a suspect is just coming to light today, as he was called in for questioning earlier this morning regarding whether or not Samsung provided support to Choi Soon-sil to help facilitate a transition of control over Samsung, a position which Lees father currently holds.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the special prosecutors are mostly focused on President Park as they believe that she may have used her government influence and put pressure on the South Korean pension fund to support the merger of two companies that are part of the Samsung group  Cheil Industries Inc. and Samsung C&T Corp., which helps Lees family solidify a hold over Samsung, but need to prove that Samsung was connected if they want the bribery charge for Park to stick, and if theyre able to prove Samsungs connection in the scandal then its suggested that it could potentially hurt Lees chances at becoming the new head of Samsung in place of his father. If Lee is prosecuted, it might also do nothing more than postpone his eventual takeover of the position while he is in court relating to the case.

Todays new details about Lees potential involvement in the bribery follows a statement that Lee made in December of 2016 in which he promised to members of South Koreas parliament that Samsung would do everything in its power to avoid further scandals. While the fact that is now being accused of bribery in this same case is technically not a new scandal, its also well after this statement was made and before any details of his involvement were made public. It also comes after a report from yesterday in which it was mentioned that two Samsung executives could still face arrest, as the South Korean Supreme Prosecutors Office is undecided on getting arrest warrants for both Chang Choong-ki and Choi Gee-sung.
The Galaxy C9 Pro may finally come to India next week, as expected. Samsung will reportedly launch the device in a number of emerging markets in the region, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. While the smartphone is expected to launch in India on January 18th, theres no exact ETA for any other markets. In terms of pricing, the Galaxy C9 Pro was launched in China with a price tag of 3,199 yuan ($475), but theres no definitive news on how much it will cost in India or any of the other countries that its now reportedly headed for.

The Galaxy C9 Pro is the most premium smartphone in Samsungs Galaxy C Pro range that is also expected to include the Galaxy C5 Pro and the Galaxy C7 Pro. It was originally launched in China in Gold and Rose Gold, but a recent leak seems to suggest that it may be offered in Jade Black at some point in the near future. The South Korean phone maker is also expected to expand its Galaxy C Pro lineup by bringing several more mid-range devices to the market fairly soon. The Galaxy C5 Pro and the Galaxy C7 Pro are likely going to offer a significant upgrade over the Galaxy C5 and the Galaxy C7 which were launched last year.

While those devices were never sold in India, it looks like the Galaxy C9 Pro will finally make it to the Indian shores if this recent report is anything to go by. It now remains to be seen whether the entire Galaxy C Pro range will launch in India in the coming weeks and months. Either way, the tech specs of the Galaxy C9 Pro suggest that it should be a fairly competitive, upper mid-range device. One of the things that Samsung hopes will differentiate it from its competitors is a rather large 6-inch screen which comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 653 system-on-chip and comes packed with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, along with a 4,000mAh battery thrown in for good measure.
A silver Nokia 6 has appeared on the Chinese regulators website, TENAA, a few days after a black model was unveiled and a day after the Bluetooth SIG highlighted there are two Nokia 6 variants coming. There are no additional information released with the image of the silver Nokia 6 handset, which is being marketed and sold by HMD Global, so it is assumed that this is simply a different color device rather than having a different specification. This could mean that the second device as tested by the Bluetooth SIG is built for a different market, which would not be being tested by TENAA. It is expected that the silver version of the Nokia 6 will be based around the same 5.5-inch, 1080p resolution display, which benefits from 2.5D Gorilla Glass and a polarizer layer for improved visibility outside. Under the screen, the Nokia 6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset, which is ably supported by 4 GB of RAM. Theres 64 GB of internal storage, a 16-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. Nokia has also included a dual amplifier setup for improved audio quality and volume, which also comes with Dolby Atmos sound engineering technology. As regards the software, the Nokai 6 runs Android 7.0 (Nougat) at launch. To date, while the handset will be released into the Chinese market HMD has yet to confirm what other regions they will be selling the Nokia 6.

The new 2017 Nokia devices have been anticipated since Microsoft acquired Nokia for the Lumia rights and forbid the company from selling smartphones, until now. There has been a number of Nokia smartphones over the last eighteen months and some of these have been running a variant of Android, but all of them were prototype models. These devices were based around a variety of different components, with at least one model using a MediaTek System-on-Chip. There was even a Nokia experiment with a number of Android-powered smartphones before being bought by Microsoft, but these ran a user interface that looked very similar to Windows Phone, only it proved to be not a great experience for customers: the devices were based around low end hardware. For the Nokia 6, the company are offering an intriguing blend of hardware. The Snapdragon 430 is an octa-core design utilizing the ARM Cortex-A53 application core clocked at up to 1.4 GHz, which marks it out to be very much an entry level chipset. However, the device has plenty of RAM and storage space at 4 GB and 64 GB respectively, which we may not expect of a lower tier model, plus on paper the camera setup looks interesting. This chipset supports LTE Category 6 with a maximum download speed of 150 Mbps as well as Quick Charge 3.0. With Android still being designed to run well on relatively slow hardware, but appreciating plenty of RAM, Nokias new smartphone may well be a smooth and robust performer.

The rumor is that the silver Nokia 6 will be officially unveiled this week and at the same time, it might become clear if the silver version has a different specification. Although it seems unlikely that there will be any more official details coming through on the other rumored Nokia devices, such as the Nokia E1, for the time being at least.
Almost one-third of consumers who took part in a recent survey stated they would be willing to bank with Google, Amazon or Facebook, if any of those companies offered banking services. The survey was conducted by Accenture and found that 31-percent of those polled would be happy to bank with Google, Amazon or Facebook. A number which rises up to 41-percent when only 18 to 21-year-olds are accounted for. In addition to banking services, the same survey highlights that 29-percent would be happy to switch to Google, Amazon and Facebook for insurance services, while 38-percent would be willing to make use of financial advisory services, if offered.

In terms of the survey, the results form part of a much bigger look at the financial industry as a whole and whether consumers are happy to make greater use of various robo services, compared to human interaction-based ones. Of which, the results suggest that 7 out of 10 people would be happy to use robo-advisory services more often. The actual survey itself was conducted between May and June of 2016 and was based upon answers received by 32,715 respondents, from 18 different countries and regions  including the US. While further details on the breakdown of those respondents have not been provided in the press release, Accenture does note that respondents covered multiple generations and income levels.

With almost a third of those surveyed suggesting they would be happy to switch to Google, Amazon or Facebook for their financial and/or insurance services, it is likely to be welcomed news by those tech companies and especially if any of them do have grand ambitions of offering such services in the future. Which in some respects, is not too far-fetched considering a number of companies (including Google) have recently branched out into the mobile payments sphere. However, and on a cautionary note, it is worth pointing out that an identical number of respondents (31-percent) said they would be happy to switch to a supermarket or retailer for their banking needs, and 30-percent for their insurance needs. Which in reality, likely says much more about how those surveyed view traditional banking institutes in general and not necessarily, how willing they would be to work with possible new banking institutes, like Google, Amazon or Facebook.
London-based smartphone company, WileyFox, has launched the Swift 2 X, which happens to be the companys first release this year. The device is already available for purchase from the companys own website, at a price of 219.99 (US$270). The major selling point for Wileyfox devices has always been its software, with all the earlier releases from the company running Cyanogen OS out-of-the-box. This one is no exception to that rule either, and runs on Cyanogen OS 13.1, which is based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Of course, now that Cyanogen is officially dead, Wileyfox is said to be working on its own Cyanogen-based ROM, so it will be interesting to see when that particular update finally rolls out to this device. It is important to note here that the company has already announced that it will roll out Android Nougat to all of its handsets during the current quarter, although, we dont have an exact ETA for that just yet.

Taking a quick look at some of the tech specs of the newly-launched device, the Wileyfox Swift 2 X features a 5.2-inch Full HD screen, and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC. It comes with 3GB of RAM along with 32GB of internal storage, and supports micro SD cards of up to 64GB for capacity expansion. The device carries a 3,010mAh battery that supports Qualcomms Quick Charge 3.0, while dual-SIM functionality and LTE connectivity come as standard features. The handset also comes with a fingerprint scanner as well as an NFC chip, which will make it compatible with mobile payment systems, such as Android Pay. Imaging options include a 16-megapixel camera on the back and an 8-megapixel shooter on the front.

All of that points towards a fairly standard-issue mid-range device in 2017, so it will be interesting to see how the smartphone fares against its competition in the coming months. In terms of availability, the Wileyfox Swift 2 X is already up for sale on the companys own website. Just like its predecessors, though, this one is also currently available only for U.K. residents, and theres no word on whether the company wants to expand its operations to international markets at any stage in the near future.
Chinese tech company Xiaomi set a revenue target of 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) for 2017. For the first time in its history, the company refused to give out its annual smartphone sales figures, with the firms CEO and co-founder Lei Jun admitting that Xiaomi grew too fast for its own good over the previous years. This turn of events raised a lot of speculation in the public, with people wondering if the company actually registered a decline in sales in 2016 after several years of phenomenal growth that saw Xiaomi ship 70 million handsets in 2015.

In a letter sent to all Xiaomi employees, Lei admitted that the company had pushed ahead too fast in its first few years, which is why it now has to slow down and focus on sustainable growth. While the companys CEO said that difficult times are behind us, he refused to give out a sales target for this year, only saying that his humble goal is to generate 100 billion yuan in revenue over the course of 2017. Even as Xiaomi registered impressive growth in 2016, the company still had to readjust its sales target during the year because of stiff competition from brands like Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo. While Xiaomi initially set a target of 100 million sold units for 2016, the firm later changed it to 80 million. However, Xiaomi also failed to hit that reduced target, thereby surrendering its preeminent position in Chinas smartphone market. Xiaomi consequently ended the year as the fourth largest smartphone vendor in China as it was overtaken on the sales charts by all three companies mentioned above, with other brands like Coolpad and Meizu also catching up to it.

On the bright side, Xiaomi is believed to have taken over the number three spot in the highly fragmented Indian smartphone market with $1 billion in total sales, mainly due to the runaway success of the Redmi Note 3 phablet which reportedly broke all sales records in the country. Recent reports indicate that Xiaomi might have shifted close to 3 million units of the device by now, making it one of the best-selling smartphones in the country to date. However, even as Xiaomi made giant strides in India last year, China continues to remain the companys primary market for now, and the market situation detailed above is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
Members of a group who say they are frustrated by Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary's leadership priorities are circulating a petition for a recall election.

Better Leadership 4A Better Bismarck and others have submitted a draft petition to the Secretary of State's Office for approval.

Paul Maloney, a spokesman for the group, said the aim is to start circulating petitions next week and hold a special recall election possibly in the spring.

"They have issues with misplaced public leadership priorities, ignoring public infrastructure needs to the point of creating a public finance crisis and allowing city property to be sold at a loss and below market value," Maloney said.

He characterizes the action as a collaborative effort involving different facets of the community with varying concerns about Seminary's leadership.

Maloney said the below-value sale of the Bismarck Burleigh medical building and renovation of the then Bismarck Civic Center after a no vote against it "showed such contempt for voters of Bismarck."

Some were upset by the mayor welcoming the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters to Bismarck during the week of the powwow in early September.

"It's such a disconnect with residents .... There is a lack of confidence in the mayor," Maloney said.

Seminary issued a statement late Thursday afternoon. "I understand that the citizens have a right to petition and recall an elected official. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to go through the process and the expense of a special election when by the time the special election could be held, I will have less than a year left on my term."

He noted that a regular city election will be held for mayor in June 2018 "and if I were to decide to run again, the issue would be decided without any additional expense."

Secretary of State Al Jaeger said his office will review the petition to ensure it is formatted correctly before it is circulated. The earliest it could be approved is Jan. 19.

State law requires petitioners obtain enough signatures to match 25 percent of the number of people who voted in the most recent mayoral race, about 1,898 signatures, according to Kevin Glatt, county auditor for Burleigh County.

If enough signatures are obtained, they would be delivered to Bismarck City Administrator Keith Hunke's office. Hunke would confirm whether the signers live within Bismarck city limits and are of legal voting age. If signatures are valid, the administrator must call an election within 95 to 105 days.

Seminary ran unopposed for mayor spot in 2014 and his seat is up for re-election in June 2018.

Jaeger notes that an official whose term is up for office within 12 months will not be subject to a recall under state law. He adds, for any mayor to be recalled, there must be a challenger. The deadline for filing as a challenger in a recall election is 64 days before the recall election.

The group backing the petition has set up a Facebook page, which states Shooters, 913 Burlington Drive No. 5, will offer a location to sign the petition once the format is approved.

Forty people have volunteered to circulate the petitions, according to Maloney.
Draped by a maroon curtain is a table at Kirkwood Mall  behind it sit two high school freshmen, a box to collect winter weather gear between them.

Codi Feland, a teacher at Century High School and her current freshmen in Advanced Via Individual Determination are in the midst of a January winter clothing drive for a class project.

"I think it's a good cause and will help a lot of kids in our community," said Reece Trottier, a Century High School student.

Part of the AVID class curriculum stresses the importance of giving back to the community, says teacher Codi Feland.

"AVID is also a program intended to develop the whole student, not just academically but also to make them well-rounded ... someone who has compassion and can do good deeds for others," Feland said. "We wanted to choose a project ... that they could be passionate about."

Students in her class were split into groups to brainstorm ideas for a potential community-minded project.

The decision of which project to vote for was a simple one in student Austin Fisher's mind.

"We decided it's a really cold, more brutal winter this year than normal, so it's important to give families warm clothes," Fisher said.

Trottier agreed with Fisher's assessment.

"I think most of the work is getting the word out .... we need to tell the community so people can come and bring in more items to help young kids stay warm," he said.

Feland said the project's objective also is to assist students in learning some important life skills.

"I think it teaches them to work together to generate a positive outcome," she said. "When they face challenges, the kids come and problem-solve with one another, a skill they're going to need later in life. They also have to be good communicators, fielding questions about the project and handing out flyers."

Logistics was somewhat of a struggle for the freshmen.

"I do applaud the kids for their efforts," Feland said. It's hard, making 20 schedules fit one, what with finals and all the activities they're involved in. But when one of them was sick, they really did step up and fill in places. It's been great so far."

Once the collection of donations are complete on Sunday, students will begin to sort the items and purchase additional winter clothing with any money collected.

"Seeing the kids having fun, to see them put aside their personal lives and struggles and donate their time to others, that's been the fun thing for me," Feland said.

Student MeiLing Hanson, who originally had a different idea for a class project, says she has had fun interacting with the community for a good cause.

"A lot of times, I think people focus on themselves. And community service is a place where you think about others," Hanson said. "Even if it does take up bits of time, I think the idea of helping people is a great way to spend your time."
A new rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility is scheduled to open next month in Mandan.

The facility  recently named Miller Pointe  is a collaboration with Sanford Health in Bismarck and the Good Samaritan Society. The center will be bringing 56 more beds to the Bismarck-Mandan area.

Miller Pointe will be replacing Sanford Continuing Care Center off Collins, a 64-bed nursing facility in north Mandan. Residents there will have the first opportunity to move into the new center.

"The thing that's going to be exciting about all this is you have the medical expertise of Sanford and the long-term rehab expertise from Good Sam, and combine those two together, the patient outcome should be top-notch," said Wade Peterson, executive director of the facility.

Sanford Health and Good Samaritan Society are also joining together in four other nursing facilities in Bismarck and Mandan.

Miller Pointe has three interconnected buildings and two "neighborhoods"  complete with nursing stations, dining halls and kitchenettes. Within the neighborhoods are bedrooms with personal bathrooms. There are also several bariatric rooms and double-occupancy rooms.

Peterson said the new center will employ about 225 staff members, and he's working on recruiting 85 more.

Miller Pointe will hold a grand opening in March.

For more information, visit www.good-sam.com.
(ANSA) - Rome, January 12 - The leader of Italy's biggest trade-union confederation CGIL, Susanna Camusso, on Thursday said she was "very concerned" about the situation at Alitalia after Industry Minister Carlo Calenda said the struggling airline has been badly managed.

Camusso said the company had "certain responsibility" and so did the government "for the way it has acted".

There is also "never an industrial plan", she added. The union leader said she was not "allergic" to the idea of nationalising Alitalia, adding however that "a state company needs to be in good health" and that it would still need an industrial plan.

Earlier on Thursday Alitalia Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said the airline would have a "strong and courageous" business plan in three weeks. His statement came after the government asked Alitalia to present a "detailed business plan shared by shareholders, banks and creditor financial institutions in the next few weeks".

The request came after unions reported in December that the former flag carrier may be planning to cut at least 1,500 jobs.

CEO Cramer Ball denied this claim. Alitalia was rescued after Etihad Airways of the UAE bought a 49% stake in a deal reached in 2014.

The company has continued to make losses since though.


ROME - Photomed Beirut is returning to the Lebanese capital for the fourth consecutive year. The event was first created in Sanary-sur-Mer, France and will this year present the work of two Italian photographers, Sergio Strizzi and Paolo Ventura, and a French artist, Alain Fleischer.

The exhibit is organized at the headquarters of the Byblos Bank by the Italian Cultural Institute in the Lebanese capital.

The show is open from January 18 through February 8.

Photomed Lebanese has been created to bridge different Mediterranean cultures and has grown to become one of the most important events of international photography.
- Rome - Armed groups announced on Thursday that they have taken control of the ministries of defense, justice and the economy in Tripoli, but the Italian ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Perrone said he was "not aware" of a coup underway in the north African country.

"The institutional headquarters from which the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj operates are continuing to function," Perrone told ANSA.



Local media said the armed groups were linked to Khalifa Ghwell, the former premier of the dissolved Libyan Islamist National Salvation Government that attempted an unsuccessful coup against the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord in October.
Ghwell announces Libya coup, our govt to return Forces loyal to ex premier control 3 ministries in Tripoli

(ANSAmed) - Cairo, January 12 - Khalifa Ghwell, the former premier of the dissolved Libyan Islamist National Salvation Government, announced a coup in Tripoli on Thursday, saying his forces had wrested control of three ministries and ensuring the return of his executive.



The situation in the Libyan capital had gone "from bad to worse" under the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj, who took office in December 2015, Ghwell said. This government has been a failure, he added. (ANSAmed)
Protest after migrant dies in Sesto Fiorentino blaze Man went back in to get documents, eyewitness says

(ANSAmed) - Florence, January 12 - A group of some 50 migrants staged a protest on Thursday after 44-year-old Somali immigrant Ali Muse died overnight in a fire at an abandoned plant used as a dormitory by asylum seekers in Sesto Fiorentino near Florence.



The demonstrators staged a sit-in in front of the local prefect's office, chanting 'shame' and showing banners reading it was the State's fault that the migrant had died.



Some of the migrants tried to break into the building.



Muse, who was regularly residing in Italy, was killed overnight in a blaze at the former Aiazzone furniture factory used as a dormitory by around 80 Africans, many Somali, who have reportedly lived at the plant for two years. According to an eyewitness, the man was able to get out of the building unharmed when the blaze erupted but went back in to get the documents that would enable family members to join him in Italy.



''Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get out, probably because his room was one of the most distant from the door'', said the migrant, Mohamed Ali, who said he was the one to alert firefighters.



Two other asylum seekers suffered smoke intoxication, but their condition is said not to be serious.



Investigators believe the fire could have been caused by the migrants' attempt to warm up in sub-freezing temperatures.



Sesto Fiorentino authorities are now reportedly looking for accommodation for the migrants. (ANSAmed).




Malta takes EU presidency, 'border security a priority' Juncker, asylum proposal shortly. Avramopoulos to meet Alfano

(ANSAmed) - LA VALLETTA, JANUARY 12 - Europe's smallest country is taking the rotating EU presidency and has outlined as a priority the solution of the biggest problem - immigration.



Malta, together with Italy, has been on the frontlines of the migration phenomenon, forced to confront the constant tragedies at sea of migrant flows that are aiming to reach Italian rather than Malta's coasts. For this reason, the country is determined to push forward in Europe a dossier that is at the moment blocked by the vetoes of the Visegrad Group of countries from the Central European region that wants a different solution from the redistribution of migrants.



Premier Joseph Muscat has thus decided to change strategy.



The word 'solidarity' has become too divisive and continuing to use it is worthless, also because it cannot be imposed, as many European leaders have already noted over the past few months.



The emergency for countries that are not directly exposed is certainly security and for this reason Malta's government wants to confront this aspect, which is often linked to migrants.



''Before an agreement on sharing responsibility, an accord on border security is necessary, because we must be sure that those who enter have a right to asylum and that those who don't are treated differently and this doesn't exist in the EU now'', said Muscat at the end of a meeting with EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, present with all commissioners to coordinate work with the new presidency, Malta's first such experience given that it joined the Union in 2004.



Juncker gave his full support to Malta, stressing the European dimension of the problem which needs ''a European response based on the principle of solidarity''.



However, as it is conceived today, solidarity is progressing slowly: only 7% of the Italian share of migrants and 11% of Greece's have been relocated. The new proposal to reform the joint asylum system (Dublin regulation) will be presented in the coming weeks.



Immigration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos will be in Rome today to meet Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano. (ANSAmed).




Mideast: Netanyahu calls Paris conference 'fraud' 'Last attempt to catch past before future'

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 12 - Israeli Premier Benyamin Netanyahu on Thursday said a conference in Paris for the Middle East is a ''fraud'' organized by the Palestinians and sponsored by the French government whose aim is to adopt ''anti-Israel'' positions.



''This is a conference that is fraud, a fraud presented by the Palestinians and sponsored by the French, which will further lead to the adoption of anti-Israel positions'', Netanyahu said during a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende.



Netanyahu said that, ''we must confront the serious threat of terrorist forces that aim not only at the destruction of Israel but also at the destruction of any possibility for peace''.



''And there are other efforts that destroy possibilities for peace: one of them is the conference in Paris'', which sees the participation of some 70 States. Israel will not be attending.



''It is a residue of the past, the last attempt to grab the past before the future arrives'', concluded the premier, hinting at the incoming term of US President-Elect Donald Trump.



(ANSAmed)
- BRUSSELS - The director of the Europe bureau of UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, Vincent Cochetel, on Thursday told an audition of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) at the European Parliament that quotas for the relocation of migrants and asylum seekers are ''too low, really inacceptable''.



''Making relocation work on a large scale is not the only aspect of solidarity but it is a fundamental component'', he said.

The director of the Europe bureau of UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, Vincent Cochetel, on Thursday

told an audition of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) at the European Parliament that quotas for the relocation of migrants and asylum seekers are ''too low,

really inacceptable''.

''Making relocation work on a large scale is not the only aspect of solidarity but it is a fundamental component'', he said.

"The geographical element alone cannot determine the country responsible," Cochetel added in relation to the Dublin regulation on asylum applications in Europe.

He also illustrated UNHCR proposals for reforming the European asylum system.

"In some cases the Commission has not considered sufficiently what has happened and what has instead not been done over the last two years," Cochetel said.

The UN refugee agency is calling for a "common registration system" for all migrants arriving in Europe to ensure that the information about them is "complete and shared quickly".

Such a system would save time and money, speed up protection and repatriations and improve security checks, he argued.

He also proposed measures for tackling "the increase in mixed flows" with faster procedures on the EU's external borders.

These would require "adequate safeguards to give rapid protection to those who need it and repatriate those who do not", Cochetel said.

The UNHCR also made an "urgent appeal" to the EU on unaccompanied minors, recommending that member states "adopt common criteria" concerning the evaluation of age and the rapid nomination of a guardian.

It also called for greater spending on integration.
LA VALLETTA - Maltese Premier Joseph Muscat on Thursday told reporters that he believed the agreement prepared by the Libyan and Italian governments must be taken to a European level, that the Italian government needs help and a financial package and logistical aid must be provided to Libya before a new immigration emergency in the spring.

Malta is the rotating EU president till June.

''We now have a small window of opportunity, if we don't do it now we will be forced to do it soon after a crisis'', explained Muscat, recalling that everybody, from NGOs to governments, are aware that migrant flows will begin in the spring and they will be more significant than the previous year.

Muscat said he is convinced it is necessary to work with Libya on the model of the agreement with Turkey. Even if ''we know we can't compare Turkey to Libya, because the first has a solid government, perhaps even too much, while the second is about to be a bankrupt State''. But for Muscat in Europe ''there is appetite among leaders to replicate the agreement with Turkey in central Mediterranean'' or at least its ''concept'' to ''break the business model of smugglers''.

The choice for Muscat is between ''doing something now'' and ''meeting urgently'' in the spring due to the extraordinary flows and wrecks. ''I am for being proactive now'', he added.

The idea is to cut down arrivals and act in Libyan waters, he said. Given that ''nothing has changed since Gaddafi in terms of border control'' but rather ''the situation has deteriorated'' it is necessary to take action. ''There is already a framework that can be adopted, what was negotiated by Italy'' can be added, said Muscat, explaining that international institutions, NGOs must be involved.

''It's not easy, it can't be done in a night, but as for Turkey the political gesture made was important, or breaking the 'business model' of smugglers, if the EU gives the same sign for the central Mediterranean this would bring to the destruction of the earning model of people who get rich on this multi-million business'', he concluded.
The Backwater Bridge on N.D. Highway 1806 will remain closed although it is structurally sound, authorities said Thursday afternoon.

Testing of core samples from the contested Morton County bridge revealed there were no structural problems, according to a release from the North Dakota Joint Information Center.

According to the release, some repairs to the guardrails and surface of the bridge are needed. Contingent upon security and weather, those repairs could be made in a couple weeks.

However, the governor's office and Morton County Sheriff's Department say they will not reopen the road until there is an "assurance no criminal activity will take place and federal law enforcement has been introduced into the protest camp to restore law and order."

The bridge spanning Cantapeta Creek has been closed since Oct. 27, when law enforcement pushed protesters from a northern "front line" camp atop the pipeline route. During the hours-long clash, vehicles were burned on the bridge, which is now blocked with concrete jersey barriers and concertina wire.

Protesters and tribal members have said the continued road block near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation's northern border causes economic harm to the tribe and prevents emergency services from reaching the camp and reservation.

As testing took place Dec. 22, Tribal Chariman Dave Archambault II and Gov. Doug Burgum made a joint statement praising the efforts and said it "illustrated the desire on all sides for a phased reopening of the bridge and resumption of normal traffic and commerce, as well as access to vital human services."

Archambault said Thursday night he's aware its going to be behavior that dictates, when the bridge is reopened. Tribal leaders met with the camps and let them know, as long as protest actions take place, the bridge was likely to remain closed.

He said they told the camps the bridge is a lifeline for the tribes economy and emergency services, letting people know what its costing the tribe.

I do hope that we can resolve everything and get it open as fast as we can, Archambault said.

He said the tribe also knew repairs were needed and that this could take time due to the cold weather, but feels it's important to make sure the highway is safe.

Thats everybodys concern, he said.

Archambault said he doesnt think federal law enforcement will be willing to respond but the tribe is asking protesters to move out of the camp and onto higher ground set aside on the reservation due to threats of spring flooding.

If we can move on that sooner, we can do that easier, he said of the camp clean up.

Paula Antoine, an appointed organizer of the Rosebud Camp on the reservation and member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, said she believes it is in the "best interests of all if the bridge is opened."

"We have always been open to discussion and reaching out to the area's non-native communities on building better relationships for all of our futures," she wrote in a text message.

"If the sheriff has concerns, we would be willing to sit in a peaceful manner to discuss them. A symbolic step would be to engage the metaphor of building bridges between apparent enemies. The opening of the bridge would be an excellent representation of that process," she continued.

The bridge has been and continues to be a site of confrontations, including a night in November when protesters tried to remove burned out vehicles from the bridge and police used fire hoses to push them back.

Most recently, the Morton County Sheriff's reported that protesters on Jan. 6 approached the barricade and removed some of the wire. A few allegedly crossed the barricade and yelled at officers who ordered them to leave.

Reached by phone Thursday evening, Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier recognized the bridge has become a key point with the tribe, but insisted that "safety remains No. 1."

"Hopefully, as long as we can work with the tribe as we go along here and we don't have all the incidents at the bridge, it can definitely be worked out," Kirchmeier said.

The main law enforcement and National Guard operating base is at Fort Rice, which is situated along the stretch of closed highway from Mandan to Cannon Ball.

Kirchmeier said any reopening of the road and bridge would be limited to emergency vehicles at the beginning, "just to make sure we don't have any incidents up there."

"If the protests remain lawful we'd have no reason for (the base). That hasn't been the case, so that is a concern," he said.

Joye Braun, a longtime-protest organizer from Eagle Butte, S.D., who believes the blockade is keeping necessary services from the camps and the reservation, contends that the continued conflicts at the bridge are provoked by the existence of the blockade.

"If they removed the barricades, that would stop it," she said.

Braun said the pipeline opponents at the main Oceti Sakowin camp are in the process of packing up and moving to a winter camp on the reservation.

"Were in the process of cleaning up, removing excess debris and trash, tents that were left there," Braun said.


Emirates has had a commercial presence in Croatia since 2003, so to launch full operations is a natural progression. Emirates is pleased to have this opportunity to add such a picturesque destination to our global route network. We look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders in Croatia to provide our world renowned service to our customers on our young, modern fleet of aircraft. We are also committed to our contribution to growing the trade and tourism flows between Croatia and Dubai, as well as encouraging incoming tourism from the Middle East and Asia Pacific, where Emirates operates 45 destinations, said Thierry Antinori, Emirates executive vice president and chief commercial officer.


The team arrived in Japan earlier this week for a series of lectures, experiments and hands-on training sessions from leading experts at renowned Japanese institutions. In addition to parabolic flight experiments, the young Emirati space pioneers will also receive theoretical training and practical experience in launching rockets, hybrid propellants and polymeric materials.



The two-week training programme is the UAE Space Agencys latest capacity building initiative, and aims to increase national space science capabilities. The students and young engineers include winners of the Ideathon, held November 12 with participants from JAXA. The Ideathon competition, in which teams of university students presented proposals for innovative space projects, was won by a team of students from UAE University.



Participating institutions include the Chiba Institute of Technology, where the Emirati team will spend a week at the Institutes various campuses. While there, they will receive training in rocket theory and safety procedures before launching model rockets. The students and engineers will then study the science and engineering of polymeric materials, which will include hands-on training and combustion experiments.



The team will then travel to Wakayama in Western Japan, home to Cosmo Park Kada, where they will launch hybrid rockets. Hybrid rockets use two different types of propellants  one solid, the other gas or liquid  and have common application in space exploration and suborbital flight.



The parabolic flight experiment will take place at Nagoya Airport on January 13 and 14. Parabolic flight allows people aboard an aircraft to experience weightlessness for roughly thirty seconds at a time by rapidly ascending and descending at steep angles. The process is used for training astronauts and conducting research experiments in a low- or zero-gravity environment.

Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, said: This latest initiative of our capacity building program represents the significant progress being made by the UAE in the field of space science education. The training and experiments being held here in Japan over the next two weeks will contribute significantly to our vision of creating a generation of young space pioneers capable of leading regional efforts to explore and utilize space peacefully. This is a central aspect of our commitment to assisting the UAE in its transition to a knowledge-based economy, in line with UAE Vision 2021.



Al Ahbabi continued: Furthermore, the training program being held in collaboration with our trusted Japanese partners is a manifestation of the deep and longstanding bilateral ties developed throughout the global space community. International cooperation forms the cornerstone of our long-term vision for the growth of the UAE space sector and industry, and we are proud to have established significant partnerships with various Japanese institutes and entities. Our efforts in this regard have resulted in the Global Space Congress, being held at the end of the month.
A statement issued by the Iranian Embassy in Canberra said the talks would occur in the wake of a recently concluded bilateral air services agreement. Canberra is expected to ratify the agreement at the end of this month thus paving the way for Mahan Air's talks, said Iranian Ambassador to Australia, Abdolhossein Vahaji.

While exact details on the rights contained in the BASA are scant, Vahaji said it allows for direct flights between Sydney Kingsford Smith, Brisbane Int'l, Melbourne Tullamarine, and Perth Int'l and the Iranian cities of Tehran, Mashad, Shiraz and Isfahan Int'l.
The anti-Dakota Access Pipeline protest encampment is situated in the bull's-eye for a potentially severe spring flood. As snowfall totals mount, state officials are dialing up their warnings.

Bismarck has never recorded higher year-to-date snowfall at 57.3 inches and the State Water Commission, through the states Joint Information Center, reports the situation means a significant safety risk to people and property at that location.

The Oceti Sakowin main encampment is located on the flood plain where the Cannonball River and Cantapeta Creek meet the Missouri River/Lake Oahe.

History of floods

Records compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey show the encampment area has been underwater 10 times in the past seven decades using 15 feet at the nearest Cannonball River gauging station at Breien as a measure. Two of the top three floods occurred as recently as 2009 and 1997 and brought significantly higher water than 15 feet in the fourth week of March, about 10 weeks from now.

Its estimated 700 to 1,000 people remain in the camp with semi-permanent and temporary structures, outhouses, kitchens, meeting lodges and other items of some value, such as generators, solar energy panels, chain saws, food and medical stores, motor homes, vehicles and other personal property.

At 15 feet, National Weather Service hydrologist Allen Schlag said portions of the camp could be under 4 feet of water. Worse would be the destructive ice floes and debris, including downed trees, grinding through the flood water.

Schlag said its not known if 15 feet is a magic number, and hes working to refine the risk at gauge heights of 14 or 13 feet, or less.

But I am absolutely confident that at 15 feet, that area is underwater, he said.

In 2009  with comparable year-to-date snowfall of 54 inches  the flood stage reached more than 21 feet with a flow rate of 30,000 cubic feet per second.

Thats a heck of a lot of water, especially when you think of the Missouri River at Bismarck, with maybe 15,000 cfs going through now, Schlag said.

In 1997, the water exceeded 20 feet with a flow rate of 31,000 cfs.

At that point, a person could easily stand on N.D. Highway 1806 adjacent to the camp and touch the flood water with a short stick, he said.

Water from both sides

The flood data doesnt account for Cantapeta Creek, because it joins the Cannonball River well past the Breien gauge station. The creek drains 82 square miles.

There is a fair amount of drainage that comes in below Breien," Schlag said.

Another contributing factor would be the status of the Missouri River/Lake Oahe, where the combined flow of the Cannonball River and Cantapeta Creek would empty. If the big water is at significant height, it will slow the rate at which Cannonball River waters could move through.

Its all about the slope and, when the Missouri River/Lake Oahe rises, youve taken away some of the slope for the last few miles (of the Cannonball), Schlag said.

Despite comparisons to other flood years, Schlag said its impossible to make an accurate call at this time. The NWS will start its flood forecast in two weeks.

Im not a big fan of things being stored in a flood plain," Schlag said of the camp. "A flood can strike with little warning. I dont know how long it would take for the residents there to move."

Tribes call to camp

The protest camp, once occupied by as many as 10,000 people, is associated with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes stand against the pipeline being located one-half mile north of the reservation boundary.

The project is at a standstill since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announcement in early December that it will not issue an easement to bore the crude oil line under the Missouri River/Lake Oahe. Instead, it will look at alternate routes and possibly conduct a full environmental impact statement on the crossing.

Tribal Chairman David Archambault II has asked pipeline protesters to leave the camp because the tribe has achieved its goals and because the threat of severe winter weather and now flooding was escalating.

People accuse me of selling out; thats not true. I am concerned for peoples lives and safety, he said.

That same call to leave has been issued by Gov. Doug Burgum.

Clean-up plans

Archambault said the tribal council is working with camp leaders on timelines and plans for clearing the main camp area to prevent the water from being contaminated and property from being lost and damaged.

Im guessing it will flood, and I know it can flood even without a lot of snow. It floods every year in that area. We need to have a plan and to know whether they need equipment to do it, Archambault said.

He said it would be difficult, but not impossible to clear the camp in the current snow conditions.

At a recent meeting with people from the camps, the chairman told them, This whole thing is about protecting the water but what ... we are going to see is contamination of the Missouri River (by) the debris thats left on the flood plain.

Cecily Fong, spokeswoman for the Department of Emergency Services, said agencies are working against a March deadline, when flooding typically occurs.

Were really concerned about abandoned cars; we dont want to see those going in the water. Also, with pits for garbage and human waste, she said.
The GSC has its roots in the global space and satellite forum (GSSF), which has taken place in the Emirate since 2008.

At its launch, the GSSF spearheaded the regions space ambitions, bringing together stakeholders and creating awareness of the need for an organised space sector in the UAE.

The event has since evolved into the GSC, and is being held in Abu Dhabi, the home of the UAE Space Agency, in order to reflect its stature as the premier space event in the region.

So what can we expect?

Organiser Streamline Marketing Group (SMG) says the congress will support the regions on-going space projects and initiatives. It also sets out to establish the region as a central contributor to the global industry of space exploration through its support for pioneering projects, space education and research, commercial space applications and scientific and commercial missions.

The list of high-level speakers is still growing, but includes Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, executive chairman of small satellite specialist SSTL, and George Whitesides, chief executive officer, Virgin Galactic.

Others include Soichi Noguchi, head of the astronaut group, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, secretary general, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.

The UAE Space Agency will be represented by HE Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director general, and Sheikha Al Maskari, chief innovation officer.

SMG managing partner, Nick Webb, said: The industry is undergoing a massive shift wherein there is a significant private sector role and involvement in space technology research, development and business.

The event will unite 600 executives and senior decision-makers from the space and satellite sector and connect new space business ventures with traditional players and seek to find opportunity for new firms.

GSC is a perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to meet with the leaders from key space and satellite projects from countries such as Morocco, Pakistan, India and many others. We are looking forward to welcoming the global space community to the UAE.

UAE investment in the space sector has surpassed 20 million AED ($5.4m) and the UAE Space Agency continues with its drive towards developing international connections and increasing knowledge transfer within the industry.

According to The Space Foundation, the global space industry is now worth more than $330 billion worldwide, with commercial space activities making up more than 76% of the global space economy.

International space players are increasingly looking towards cooperation and partnership and the UAE is leading the Middle East region in terms of driving space activities and building global space agreements.

HE Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency said: We believe that Abu Dhabi is well suited to host an international forum that will address the major developments happening in the space industry worldwide.

Our vision is to develop an innovative and thriving space industry that allows sector leaders to collaborate and work together to achieve success and bring benefits to mankind.

GSC will be the ideal opportunity for knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices and an international event of this calibre will help us in achieving our vision.

The UAE has one of the preeminent emerging space industries. It has a number of projects under way, including the Hope space probe that will land on Mars in 2021.

Hope is planned for launch in July 2020, arriving at Mars seven months later, in time for the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the UAEs foundation.

Once in orbit, Hope, which was named after a public campaign, will explore the Martian atmosphere using scientific instruments that include visible, infrared and ultraviolet spectrometers.

Its data should help scientists build a holistic model of the planets daily and seasonal cycles, and may explain why Mars lost a lot of its atmosphere to space.

The agency is also planning the launch of the KhalifaSat Earth-observation satellite in 2017. KhalifaSat will have a mass of 350kg and orbit roughly every 90 minutes at a height of around 600km.

It will better the resolution of the UAEs DubaiSat predecessors, thanks to developments in imaging sensors and optics.

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technologys (EIASTs) first satellite, DubaiSat-1, was launched in 2009, and passes over the UAE four times a day providing 2.5metre resolution colour images. The much bigger DubaiSat-2 was launched in 2013, providing 1m resolution panchromatic (black and white), plus 4m multispectral (colour) photographs across a 12km-wide imaging swath.

With its four solar panels, KhalifaSat will have a resolution of 0.7 metres for panchromatic images and 2.8 metres for multi-spectral imagery.

The satellite will be able to store 1,024 images, each representing a 12km x 12km area. The total image size that can be stored will be 12km x 1,350km.

Another UAE educational space project is the Nayif-1 CubeSat. Engineering students from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) have built and will launch the UAEs first CubeSat into space as part of a senior design project.

A CubeSat is a nanosatellite with a standardised and simplified cubic design, weighing about 1kg and with sides around 10cm long.

The student-built Nayif-1, which means one that soars high above, is scheduled to be lofted from Florida aboard a Falcon-9 rocket once SpaceX is confident it has overcome its recent launch issues.

The CubeSat mission is a partnership between AUS, the Innovative Solutions in Space Company and EIAST.

The mission aims to offer Emirati students from various engineering disciplines hands-on experience at designing, testing and operating a communications satellite.

The nanosatellite will produce a communication footprint ranging from 5,000-5,500km and can orbit at a height between 450km and 720km for up to three years.

A ground station has been built at AUS and will be operated by engineering students, who will be responsible for mission planning and operations.

Dr Mohamed El Tarhuni, professor and associate dean of the College of Engineering at the university, said the project had been a very exciting and fruitful experience for the students.

Nayif-1 will carry a transponder (FUNcube-5) for amateur radio communications and is expected to launch along with other amateur radio satellites by the end of this year.

The UAE Space Agency recently signed major memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with a number of international players, including space agencies in the UK, France, Italy, Russia, China, India and Japan. These agreements form part of the UAE Space Agencys strategy towards raising awareness of the space sector in the UAE.

It also encourages nationals to learn more about the industry and its importance in shaping a sustainable, diversified economy that is knowledge-, rather than resource, -based.

The congress will also host several additional events as part of the next-gen space initiative, including a university roadshow, launchpad: careers in space and the GSC youth lecture.

The university roadshow will be an opportunity for students to discover what it is really like to have a career in the space sector, what the key challenges are and what is necessary to win a place in an industry identified as a key UAE development area.

Launchpad: careers in space will run during the two days of the congress and will give students and young professionals the opportunity to learn about the broad range of career options in the space sector.

The youth lecture will be presented by global leaders in the space sector, celebrating the opportunities space brings in an effort to inspire the UAE population. This is aimed especially at young nationals and their parents, to take an active interest in space, to promote the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and to promote the vision of the UAEs leadership.


Groups that represent North Dakota landowners plan to oppose a bill that would reduce the number of spills the oil industry reports.

House Bill 1151 would raise the threshold on spill reporting, exempting companies from having to report spills up to 10 barrels, or 420 gallons, that are contained on an oil well site or saltwater disposal well.

Bill sponsor Rep. Roscoe Streyle, R-Minot, said his proposal would bring state law in line with federal standards for reporting spills on well sites, which are designed to contain small spills.

The proposal would not change the requirement for companies to clean up all spills, Streyle said.

In addition, companies would still be required to report every pipeline spill and other spills that are not on an oil location, regardless of size, he said.

The proposal would reduce the amount of time state regulators spend on small spills, Streyle said.

We should focus those resources instead to the ones that do potentially pose an environmental impact, he said.

Groups including the Northwest Landowners Association said they oppose the bill. Chairman Troy Coons said landowners with oil and gas development on their property want to be informed about all spills, even if the incident is contained on a well location.

You need all of this data to know what the trends are, Coons said. When you get to the size of 10 barrels, thats a large volume of liquid. Its too large to be unreported.

Members of the Dakota Resource Council plan to testify against the bill, which has a hearing at 2 p.m. today before the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The process of finding out about these spills is already complicated enough. People need to know whats happening out in the Bakken, said Nicole Donaghy, oil and gas organizer for the grassroots group. Its not a good piece of legislation to keep people even more in the dark.

State regulators were still crunching the numbers Wednesday to determine how the bill would have affected spill reporting last year.

In 2016, North Dakota had a total of 1,248 spills reported in the oilfield database. That doesnt include some incidents such as transmission pipeline spills and truck rollovers that may get reported in a different category.

Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Health, estimates that nearly half of all oilfield spills investigated by the health department were 10 barrels or less and contained to the well site in 2016.

His figures exclude 154 spills that occurred on tribal land because the health department doesnt have jurisdiction on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The North Dakota Industrial Commission does share jurisdiction on tribal land and was working to estimate an overall figure before Thursdays hearing.

The health department is not opposed to the bill as long as its clear that it only affects spills on location and that all spills need to be cleaned up, Suess said. The health department does not devote staff time to such spills because they fall under the North Dakota Industrial Commissions jurisdiction, he said.

Alison Ritter, spokeswoman for the Department of Mineral Resources, said the agency doesnt plan to take a position on the bill.

Inspectors spend about an hour investigating every spill, Ritter estimates. Inspectors do travel to follow up on every spill, but the size and whether its contained determines how they prioritize it, Ritter said.

North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness said the industry group plans to support the bill. Well site locations are designed to contain spills much larger than 10 barrels without having an impact on the environment, Ness said.

Reducing the reporting requirement for those small spills will allow more state resources to be focused on responding to more significant spills, Ness said.

Rural Tioga landowner Patty Jensen, whose farmland is still being cleaned up after the 2013 Tesoro oil pipeline spill, questions how regulators would ensure that all spills get cleaned up if they dont get reported. She also questions who would verify that a spill is 10 barrels or less.

Im not very happy about the bill. I dont think it protects our land. I dont think it protects our water, said Jensen, who has an oil well about a mile south of her home. Somebody has to be overseeing whats happening.
Morton County landowners who claim Dakota Access LLC deceived them into accepting an unfair price for pipeline easements are seeking more than $4 million in damages in a federal lawsuit.

A group of landowners claims in a U.S. District Court case that Dakota Access agents harassed, threatened and intimidated them and used fraud and misleading statements to secure a lower price in exchange for allowing the pipeline to cross their land.

Most of the landowners in the group accepted $216 per rod for pipeline easements, but later found out some of their neighbors received as high as $2,000 per rod, the lawsuit states. A rod is 16 feet.

The landowners were told that they were being offered the best deal that was ever going to come along and no one else would receive a better deal, said Fargo attorney Peter Zuger. Many were told their land could be taken by eminent domain if they didnt agree.

The 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline will transport oil from the Bakken oilfields to a transportation hub in Patoka, Ill.

The landowners in the suit collectively own 11 separate pieces of land that make up about 9 miles of the pipeline route in Morton County, Zuger said.

Land agents contracted by Dakota Access approached the landowners in 2014, telling them they had 30 days to consider the proposal or risk losing a 20 percent signing bonus, the lawsuit states.

The agents also told some landowners in late 2014 that because the price of oil was going down, they should sign the agreements right away and theyd still get the money even though the pipeline might not be constructed, the complaint says.

Landowners also were told they would receive less money or basically nothing if their land was taken by eminent domain.

Vicki Anderson Granado, a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners, the main developer behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, said the company doesnt comment on pending litigation. Dakota Access was still in the process of being served with the complaint, which means the legal answer will be due in about three weeks.

The lawsuit is not the first time North Dakota landowners have complained about how land agents representing Dakota Access have treated them. Concerns also were raised to the North Dakota Public Service Commission when the pipeline was under review, with some landowners complaining about bullying tactics and threats of taking their land through eminent domain.

Troy Coons, chairman of the Northwest Landowners Association, said he often hears complaints from landowners who dont feel they were treated fairly in easement negotiations.

The association helps landowners form groups so they can have a stronger position when negotiating with land agents, Coons said.

That is their job is to get the best deal for their organization, he said. These guys are professionals.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ARTESIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Jan. 10

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

1:34 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 400 block of West Logan Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

Jan. 9

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

5:45 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 300 block of North Roselawn Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

5:47 p.m.  Officer dispatched to Roselawn and Dallas avenues in reference to suspicious activity.

PROPERTY INCIDENT

7:04 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 306 S. Roselawn Ave. in reference to a property incident.

HARASSMENT

5:28 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 900 block of West Alvarado Avenue in reference to harassment.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

5:33 p.m.  Officer dispatched to North 26th Street and West JJ Clarke Drive in reference to suspicious activity.

ACCIDENT

5:59 p.m.  Officer dispatched to Wal-Mart in reference to an accident.

DOMESTIC

6:50 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 100 block of North First Street in reference to a domestic dispute.

SHOTS FIRED

10:27 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 700 block of West Washington Avenue in reference to shots fired in the area.

10:30 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 900 block of West Ray Avenue in reference to shots fired in the area.

10:30 p.m.  Officer dispatched to South Fourth Street and West Richardson Avenue in reference to shots fired in the area.

UNWANTED SUBJECT

10:32 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of South Second Street in reference to an unwanted subject.

Jan. 8

ARREST

2:08 p.m.  Candice D. Bernal, 26, of Artesia, arrested on municipal warrants for failure to appear and failure to comply.

WANTED SUBJECT

4:05 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 200 block of West Main Street in reference to a wanted subject.

ALARM

7:16 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 501 S. First St. in reference to an alarm.

9:17 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

BREAKING AND ENTERING

12 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 1018 S. First St., No. 4, in reference to breaking and entering.

WANTED SUBJECT

1:36 p.m.  Officer dispatched to South Fifth Street and West Washington Avenue in reference to a wanted subject.

LARCENY

2:16 p.m.  Officer dispatched to South First Street and West Hermosa Drive, No. 27, in reference to larceny.

ALARM

3:02 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 811 W. Main St. in reference to an alarm.

UNWANTED SUBJECT

3:38 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 2411 N. Freeman Ave. in reference to an unwanted subject.

DISTURBANCE

3:52 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1400 block of West Champ Clark Avenue in reference to a disturbance.

6:19 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1500 block of West Yucca Avenue in reference to a disturbance.

ALARM

6:21 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 1001 W. Main St. in reference to an alarm.

DISTURBANCE

6:21 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1500 block of West Yucca Avenue in reference to a disturbance.

Jan. 7

ARREST

4:52 p.m.  Eduardo M. Venegas, 47, of Artesia, arrested and charged with aggravated DWI.

ALARM

12:43 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

UNWANTED SUBJECT

2:29 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 100 block of South First St. in reference to an unwanted subject.

ALARM

2:30 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1813 W. Currier Ave. in reference to an alarm.

3:17 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1813 W. Currier Ave. in reference to an alarm.

5:26 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

5:34 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 2001 N. First St. in reference to an alarm.

6:09 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

7:16 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

ACCIDENT

7:38 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2500 block of West Mann Avenue in reference to an accident.

ALARM

7:59 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

8:31 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

9:27 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

10:44 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

10:46 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 2306 Sierra Vista Road in reference to an alarm.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

10:58 a.m.  Officer dispatched to North First Street and West Cannon Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

1:09 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 900 block of West Hermosa Drive in reference to suspicious activity.

2:06 p.m.  Officer dispatched to South First Street and East Hermosa Drive in reference to suspicious activity.

3:07 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1700 block of West Main Street in reference to suspicious activity.

BURGLARY

4:21 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 501 E. Main St. in reference to burglary.

LOUD NOISE

6:49 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 200 block of West Hermosa Drive in reference to a loud noise.

FIGHT IN PROGRESS

7:48 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2200 block of West Main Street in reference to a fight in progress.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

7:53 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2200 block of West Main Street in reference to suspicious activity.

LOUD NOISE

7:54 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 200 block of West Hermosa Drive in reference to a loud noise.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

9:21 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1300 block of West Dallas Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

11 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 800 block of West Alvarado Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

Jan. 6

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

9:25 a.m.  Officer dispatched to Artesia General Hospital in reference to suspicious activity.

ALARM

9:59 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1002 N. Seventh St. in reference to an alarm.

OPEN DOOR

11:44 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1010 W. Missouri Ave. in reference to an open door.

HARASSMENT

11:51 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1400 block of West Yucca Avenue in reference to harassment.

ALARM

11:59 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 1015 W. Grand Ave. in reference to an alarm.

ACCIDENT

12:03 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of West Richardson Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

ALARM

12:04 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 112 S. Fifth St. in reference to an alarm.

ACCIDENT

12:29 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Quay Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

12:29 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of West Richardson Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle accident.
Best Business Products and Services

Would you like to submit an article in the Business category or any of the sub-category below? Click here to submit your article.

Would you like to have your product or service listed on this page? Contact us.
With uncertainty looming over the fate of a major federal health care law, North Dakota lawmakers are weighing their options over the Medicaid expansion program thats set to expire later this year.

Medicaid expansion is available to adults younger than 65 with household incomes of up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. As of September, there were 19,358 North Dakotans enrolled in Medicaid expansion, a cornerstone of President Barack Obamas signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act.

When the state Legislature authorized the program in 2013, it included a sunset clause of July 31, 2017. Former Gov. Jack Dalrymples final executive budget proposed removing the sunset clause, effectively extending Medicaid expansion indefinitely. Mike Nowatzki, the spokesman for Gov. Doug Burgum, said the new governor believes there are benefits to the expanded Medicaid program in North Dakota.

He is open to reauthorizing Medicaid expansion and believes it's important for the state Legislature to have that debate, Nowatzki said in an emailed statement.

Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, pointed to some uncertainty over the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, as one reason legislators may choose to pass a short-term extension of Medicaid expansion.

Were probably going to do it for the next biennium, he said Wednesday.

President-elect Donald Trump said Congress must repeal the Affordable Care Act quickly and pass another health care law, according to a New York Times report this week.

Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla, said he didnt see any point in another sunset clause. If the federal government does away with the program, the point would be moot, he said.

Nelson said Medicaid expansion is important to critical access hospitals in North Dakota.

My local hospital in Rolla, they tell me theyre 90 percent Medicare/Medicaid, he said. They cant cost shift.

Fifty-eight percent of the Medicaid expansion enrollees are in rural areas, according to testimony given Wednesday by Maggie Anderson, the interim executive director of the North Dakota Department of Human Services.

House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said lawmakers need to study the Medicaid expansion program further and track what happens in Washington. And with a number of federal regulations passed during the Obama years that could be on the chopping block, Carlson said hed like to save 10 days of the legislative session in case lawmakers need to come back to Bismarck to respond. The state Constitution says the Legislature can only meet in regular session for 80 days every two years, but the governor may call lawmakers back.

If theyre talking short-term extension and giving us the option to deal with it if theres a change in the federal law, then maybe we should go (in) that direction, Carlson said. Were kind of in a wait-and-see mode.

Up until Jan. 1, the federal government covered the full cost of Medicaid expansion, but that has since dropped to a 95 percent share. The federal contribution will continue to decline in the next few years before it reaches 90 percent in 2020.

Under Dalrymples budget, the state is projected to spend $30.5 million from the general fund in the 2017-2019 biennium on Medicaid expansion, Anderson said.

In her testimony to lawmakers, Anderson outlined a proposed change to the Medicaid expansion program that could save the state roughly $650,000 in general fund dollars in the 18 months after Jan. 1, 2018. That would involve administering the program the same way it handles traditional Medicaid. The states contract with Sanford Health Plan, which administers the health care coverage for the Medicaid expansion program, would then expire at the end of 2017, Anderson said.
The minister says all expenses are factored in while fixing menu rates.

New Delhi: Consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Wednesday that imposing service charge on food and drinks at hotels is an unfair trade practice and consumers need not pay it.

Our departments view is that imposing service charge is an unfair trade practice and consumers need not pay, said the minister. Claiming that there is no definition of the service charge in the law, Mr Paswan said that taking service charge without the discretion of consumers is an unfair trade practice.

The minister said the consumers should be informed about service charge in the menu card itself and not in the bill. Mr Paswan also mentioned that in future such cases would be addressed effectively as a provision has been made in the new Consumer Protection Bill to set up a regulator CCPA.

The Bill is likely to get passed in the Budget session of Parliament. He also argued that there is no need to take service charge from consumers as price of each food item quoted in the menu card is arrived at after factoring in all expenses.

Explaining the steps that the ministry is taking to curb the unfair trade practice, consumer affairs secretary Hem Pande said, They (hotel managements) know that what they are doing is wrong. We had a meeting with them yesterday. We told them to come up with suggestions to address the problem.

Mr Pande said the government cannot take stringent action at present as the consumer affairs ministry does not have sufficient powers. Such cases will be effectively addres-sed by Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) which will be set up after the new consumer protection Bill gets passed in Parliament, he said. CCPA will have powers to take suo mottu action on such cases, he added.

Right now, he said the government is creating an awareness among consumers on the issue.
The actor was welcomed by a group of women wearing red traditional Maharashtrian 'nauvari sari'.

Deepika and Vin while exiting the Mumbai airport. (Photo: Viral Bhayani)

Mumbai: Hollywood star Vin Diesel arrivedhere this morning to promote his upcoming action-thriller 'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage'.

The 49-year-old star was accompanied by actress Deepika Padukone, who is making her Hollywood debut with the film, which releases in India this Saturday. The duo was returning from the London promotions of their film.

Vin landed in Mumbai at around 8-8.30 AM. Attired in a blue T-shirt and denims, the actor was welcomed by a group of women wearing red traditional Maharashtrian 'nauvari sari'.

He waved at fans and media before heading to the St Regis hotel in Lower Parel.

The 'Fast and Furious' star, along with Deepika and the film's director DJ Caruso, will be meeting the press at the same hotel.

Vin Diesel arrives to traditional welcome organised by Deepika

They will later interact with the fans at Phoenix Mills and attend their film's Indian premiere there.

Popular electronic music artist DJ Nucleya has been roped in to make Deepika, Vin and the fans groove to his electrifying beats.

An after party is being planned which is expected to be attended by Bollywood celebrities.

According to sources, security has been beefed up for Vin's maiden visit to the megapolis which will last for two days.
The endeavour is being taken to celebrate National Youth Day in a healthy way on the 154th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

The attempt to create the five world records is being made at Jayanti Stadium in Bhilai where 36 separate blocks have been constituted for the participants. (Photo: Representational Image)

Bhilai (Chhattisgarh): Over one lakh people are attempting to create five yoga world records in Bhilai on Thursday in the presence of yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

Motivating the participants, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh was also seen performing a few yoga exercises.

The endeavour is being taken to celebrate National Youth Day in a healthy way on the 154th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Over one lakh people will perform the Surya Namaskar at one place together in an attempt to create the world record.

The participants will also practice several other yoga exercises like Kapal Bhati and Anulom Vilom (breathing exercises) to create yet another world record.

The last two world records will be created by performing the Shurshashan and push ups.

The attempt to create the five world records is being made at Jayanti Stadium in Bhilai where 36 separate blocks have been constituted for the participants.

Eighteen huge television screens have been put up on the ground to facilitate the monitoring of the creating of these world records.
It was a difficult period in independent India's history.

Wednesday January 11 was the 51st death anniversary of India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who led the nation during the India-Pakistan War of 1965, a conflict in which India decisively frustrated the designs of Pakistan's then martial law administrator and President Ayub Khan.

It was a difficult period in independent India's history. The country had lost its first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru in May 1964, and it was busy shoring up its borders with China. Before it could decisively strengthen its borders, President Ayub Khan of Pakistan decided to attack India. He undertook a trial run in the Rann of Kutch in the early part of 1965, but before he could achieve anything, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson intervened and affected a cease fire.

Losing patience, Ayub Khan decided to attack India in the Akhnoor Sector with the aim of cutting off Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. India counter-attacked in the Lahore sector and reached the outskirts of that city.

India took possession of the Haji Pir pass and other vital areas bordering the Ichhogil Canal like Burki on September 22.

During the war, the Soviet Union offered to bring about a ceasefire and a settlement through a meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan in Tashkent.

The negotiations were held from January 4 to January 10 and both sides were assisted by then Soviet Prime Minister Alexi Kosygin.

Following the agreement, both countries agreed to withdraw their forces to positions held on August 5. India also agreed to withdraw its forces from vital areas like Haji Pir

After signing the agreement, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri suffered a heart attack and died. President Ayub Khan was one of the pall bearers bringing his body back to India.

India had to withdraw from vital sectors like Haji Pir; it also lost its Prime Miinister who had led the country during the war.
She also took on the Congress CM face in Punjab, Capt Amrinder Singh for defaming the state on drug issue.

Chandigarh: Escalating the war of words between Aam Admi Party and Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, Union Minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur, on Wednesday said that no AAP supporters would be alive if Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asked his supporters to turn violent.

Speaking at a poll rally in Budhlada, Kaur also said that Kejriwal and AAP had double standards regarding issues that concerned Punjab, such as the Sutlej Yamuna link canal (SYL) canal, The Indian Express reported.

A Haryanvi and now the chief minister of Delhi, Kejriwal is alien to our culture. He has double standards on issues like SYL canal, concerning Punjab, Kaur said.

The comments came as the Badals were attacked for a second time in four days. The first attack, by a radical Sikh group, was aimed at Kaurs husband and state deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badals cavalcade in Jalalabad, which left four people injured. The second attack, which the SAD pins on AAP, happened on Wednesday, when a shoe was flung at the CM during a function at Lambi in Muktsar.

She also took on the Congress CM face in Punjab, Capt Amrinder Singh for defaming the state on drug issue.

After 1984, Punjabis were labelled as terrorists across the nation. Now they are labelled as drug addicts, thanks to the Congress party, she said.
Amazon was selling the doormats with the Indian flag on it as personalised machine-washable durable indoor/outdoor welcome doormats.

New Delhi: India has threatened to revoke visas given to all officials of global online retail giant Amazon, and also not grant any visas henceforth to them, unless the company apologises for selling doormats in Canada with the Indian flag on it. India has also asked Amazon to immediately withdraw all products insulting the Indian national flag.

However, there were some media reports from the Canadian city of Toronto a few days ago that Amazon Canada had already withdrawn the offensive product.

The furious reaction from New Delhi came after a person informed external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter that such a product was being sold by Amazon in Canada and also posted pictures of the offensive product, saying, @SushmaSwaraj Madam. Amazon Canada must be censured and warned not to sell India flag doormats. Please take action.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj immediately tweeted, Indian high commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.

Amazon was selling the doormats with the Indian flag on it as personalised machine-washable durable indoor/outdoor welcome doormats.

However, there were some reports from Toronto a few days ago that Amazon in Canada had already withdrawn the offensive product due to outrage among Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin settled there.
The BJP is planning to set up bonfires in all 75 districts of UP on January 13.

Lucknow: The BJP is planning to set up bonfires in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh on January 13 to interact with people in the rural areas.

The programme will be known as Maati-Tilak Sankalp and will be held on the occasion of Lohri and on the eve of Makar Sankranti.

According to the programme, around 5,000 farmers from all villages in the district will gather at the designated spot. They will bring a handful of earth from their fields which will be mixed at the spot.

The farmers will be informed of the steps taken by the Modi government for their benefit and they will also be told how the state government plugged the schemes for political reasons.

We will also play the speeches of PM Narendra Modi and, if possible, show them short films on laptops. The meetings will take place around the bonfires which will make it a celebration of sorts. Farmers will then take a sankalp (pledge) to vote for the BJP, said Sudhir Singh Siddhu, state vice-president of the BJP Kisan Morcha.

The party is already running a programme called Alav (bonfire) pe Charcha in which party workers will reach out to villages and sit with the local people around bonfires and discuss political issues with them.

Bonfires in villages are a routine affair in the winter months and we go to different villages and interact with the local people without any apparent political motive, said a party worker.

The BJP is determined to make inroads into the rural interiors in order to neutralise the impact of demonetisation which could cause depletion in their votes in urban areas.

Small farmers in the rural areas have been impacted by demonetisation and we are focusing on them. In urban areas, people have faced inconveniences and we are making up by getting additional support from the rural areas, admitted a party functionary.

The BJP in UP has always been an urban-centric party but in 2014, the Modi wave unleashed in the rural areas too and this has made the party establish connect with rural voters too.

There are 299 Assembly seats that are categorised as being rural and 104 in the urban areas.
The accused jawan has been identified as constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.

Patna: A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan allegedly opened fire on his colleagues, killing three of them and critically injuring another at their unit at a thermal power station in Aurangabad district of Bihar on Thursday.

Officials said the incident was reported at about 12:30 am at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit in the said district where the force is deployed for security duties to guard the facility.

The accused jawan has been identified as constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the deceased personnel have been reported to be two personnel in the ranks of Head Constable (HC), an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) while another HC is critical.

The CISF jawan lost his cool following a dispute over leave and fired from his rifle,

Superintendent of Police Dr Satyaprakash said.

Balveer has been arrested, they said.

"Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his other colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident. While three have been killed in the firing, one another is critical and has been rushed to a nearby hospital," they said.

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit is deployed in the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility.

They said the incident took place when Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said.

NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

While the SP said senior officials have rushed to the spot, the CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
WILLISTON -- A man arrested this week in Williston is suspected of spreading HIV to at least one other person, police say.

Angel Miguel Rodriguez, 41, was charged with transfer of body fluid that may contain HIV, a Class A felony.

A 54-year-old woman told investigators last week that shed dated Rodriguez for several months during the summer and fall, and had unprotected sex with him during that time.

Rodriguez allegedly never told her that he had HIV, although records from the Williams County Correctional Center show that he told officers there in 2015 that he was carrying the virus.

When the woman, who is referred to as Jane Doe in an affidavit, confronted Rodriguez after learning from another person about his suspected diagnosis, he denied having HIV, authorities say.

The woman tested positive for HIV in October, according to records.

Police, citing the investigations sensitivity because it is related to medical issues, arent releasing many details, but say they expect at least one additional accuser to come forward.

Although authorities do not want to create a panic, they are hoping that anyone who believes they may have been exposed speaks with detectives, Sgt. Detective Amy Nickoloff said.

Another woman who asked to remain anonymous said she believes she contracted HIV from Rodriguez while the two were dating in 2015.

She said she hesitated to go to the police because the allegation was hard to prove, but didnt wait to let friends and acquaintances know after her January 2016 diagnosis.

I let everyone know I had it I knew there were other victims, the woman, 53, said. I know theres other women out there.

She said she has been open about her experience in the hopes of preventing further transmission of the virus.

We dont know the extent of all of this, she said. Theres people out there that could be spreading it.

Rodriguez is being held at the Williams County Correctional Center, where a bond has not yet been set.

A state law criminalizing the spread of HIV when a person does not disclose their condition to sexual partners and others who might be infected has been part of the North Dakota century code since the late 1980s.

Its not clear how many people have been charged or convicted under the statute.

In 2006, a Minot man, Scott Bethke, was arrested and charged with corruption of a minor and transfer of a bodily fluid that may contain HIV. A Ward County judge acquitted him on the latter charge. Bethke was charged with the same offense again in 2013, but was acquitted in 2014.

According for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a nationwide analysis showed that as of 2011, 33 states in the United States had statutes that criminalized potential HIV exposure.

Rodriguez has been living in Williston for some time working construction jobs, according to the woman, who said she witnessed his arrest on Monday in Williston.
The features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy.

Mumbai: Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface, was on Thursday launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi (Yard 11876).

The submarine was launched by the Union minister's wife, Bina Bhamre.

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled.

The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapon.

The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The stealth features will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines.

The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force.

It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of France, as part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. The first one, Kalvari, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy, a defence official said.

The Indian Navy's submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8 this year.

The Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on

December 8, 1967, it said.

India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki.

The MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul, on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service today.

Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for

Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.

Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for

Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.

The launching of Khanderi also marks a critical milestone event for the shipyard which earlier has delivered two Shishumar class submarines in the 90s and has now strengthened its position as a submarine building yard for Indian Navy.

Started as a small dry dock facility for East India Company, MDL has established itself as a forefront Defence

Public Sector Undertaking, with indigenous construction of several ships and submarines for Navy such as P 15 B Destroyers and P 17 A class stealth frigates being the latest.

The construction of six Scorpene submarines is presently in progress at Mazagon Dock Shipyard Limited (MDL), under Project 75 with Transfer of Technology from M/s DCNS, France as the collaborator.

At the launch event, Bhamre lauded MDL, saying it is the country's premier shipbuilding yard and has a rich history that dates back to 1774.

"In fact the history of indigenous warship and submarine building in India is more or less the history of MDL, as right from the days, since it started construction of the Leander class frigates in the late 60s, MDL has always been in the forefront of warship and submarine building in India," the minister said.

"It did the country proud when it became the first shipyard in the country to build submarines, when the MDL built INS Shalki was commissioned in 1992," he said.

"Despite facing numerous challenges, particularly delays due to material issues, MDL has successfully overcome all these challenges with typical determination and innovativeness of the work force. This speaks volumes about the technological prowess and skill set of this premier shipbuilding yard," he said.

"However, after MDL built the two SSK submarines, which were commissioned in 1992 and 1994, this critical skill was almost lost thereafter due to lack of orders for building submarines," he said.

The MoS further said that, "With the first submarine of the Scorpene class having successfully completed the deep dive trials and with the launching of this second submarine,

MDL has proved beyond doubt that they have regained the world class skills required for submarine construction."

"It is therefore incumbent that we ensure that this critical skill set is not wasted, and is optimally utilised for constructing more submarines for our Navy. We will also optimally utilise the world class infrastructure set up here for submarine construction," he said.

Bhamre also said that though MDL has always been in the forefront of warship and submarine building in India, it will have to face competition from the private industry.

"Knowing MDL, it will utilise this as an opportunity to re-invent itself to meet the challenge head-on. You have the capability, and I know that you will rise to the occasion," he said.

"This potent submarine Khanderi is a symbol of the capability of our great nation, a shining example of the 'Make in India' programme. It is a key milestone in attaining self-reliance in the vital field of submarine construction," he added.
In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such a doormat by Amazon, and demanded the products be withdrawn.

The Amazon website selling doormats with the Indian flag on them. (Photo: Screengrab)

New Delhi: Following a stern message by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over sale of doormats depicting the tricolour, Amazon on Thursday expressed regret for "offending" Indian sentiments and informed her about removal of the product from its Canadian website.

In a letter to Swaraj, Vice President and Country Manager of Amazon India Amit Agarwal said, "I am writing in connection with the products that carried the Indian flag, as referred to in your tweet...

"Amazon India is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extent that these items offered by a third- party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments."

He also said Amazon remains steadfastly committed to India, as evident by CEO Jeff Bezos' announcement last year of company's plans to invest USD five billion in India.

"We value immensely our relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, an most importantly our Indian customers and employees," Agarwal said.

On Wednesday, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The minister had also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

After the strong protests, the e-retail giant on Thursday removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India.

"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj had said in her tweets.

Tweeting Agarwal's response to Swaraj, the MEA Spokesperson said, "In response to EAM @SushmaSwaraj's tweet, @amazon writes to her, expresses regret at hurting Indian sensibilities, pulls offending item."
The delegation stressed that it was wrong to wait for the Supreme Courts ruling on the issue.

New Delhi: With the Tamil Nadu government asking the Centre to promulgate an ordinance to enable the smooth conduct of Jallikattu, the Union government said on Wednesday that things are ready from our side, but insisted that it would wait for the Supreme Courts decision regarding the issue.

Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave, who met a delegation led by deputy speaker of Lok Sabha and AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai regarding this issue, also blamed the previous Congress-led UPA government for including bulls in the list of animals prohibited from being exhibited or trained as performing animals.

Mr Dave asserted that there was no ill-treatment with the bulls during the performance of the sport and expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will look into all these aspects while giving its decision so that the people can celebrate their festivals.

We, being the government, are just waiting for the Supreme Courts decision. What I feel is that we should request the Supreme Court to give its judgement, then the government can take any step. The government is ready even at midnight to do all these things. But all depends, as we are in a structured organisation. Parliament is supreme. But the court is also there. Therefore, it will be better that the moment the decision on the pending case comes, things are ready from our side. I am waiting for the decision desperately, Mr Dave told reporters after meeting the delegation.

There has been a growing chorus for holding bull taming sport Jallikattu, with Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to consider promulgating an ordinance to enable the conduct of the sport.

While AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala wrote a letter to Mr Modi on Wednesday, noting that the ban on the bull-taming sport had caused resentment in the state, a 27-member delegation led Mr Thambidurai submitted a memorandum to the Prime Ministers Office in this regard.

The delegation stressed that it was wrong to wait for the Supreme Courts ruling on the issue.

Later, he tweeted, The mother of problem is the Congress-led UPA government which included bulls in performing list in 2011. Coming out in support of Jallikattu, students staged demonstrations at many places on Wednesday across Tamil Nadu, including in Madurai, where the police used force to disperse protesters who tried to break barricades to enter the the district collectorate.

The Supreme Court had dismissed the plea of the state government, seeking a review of its 2014 judgement banning the use of bulls for Jallikattu events, in November.

However, the apex court had reserved its order on a peitition challenging a notification by the Centre in January, 2016, that excluded bulls from the banned animals list, a Peta activist said.
Mulayam told them at the party office that he had made all possible efforts to keep the party united.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav made an impassioned appeal to party workers on Wednesday, saying, Mere paas jo tha, woh poora ka poora de diya. Aur mere paas kuchh nahin hai. Sirf aap sab hain (I have given up everything I had. I have nothing left. I only have you).

He told them at the party office that he had made all possible efforts to keep the party united. I even declared Akhilesh as the chief ministerial candidate. What more can I do? One person is trying to break the party, he said, referring to Ram Gopal Yadav.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has been unwilling to give up the post of the partys national president, which he wrested from his father early this month. While Mulayam Singh is backed by his brother Shivpal Yadav, his cousin Ram Gopal is on the CMs side. Both factions have reached the Election Commission to stake claim to the party symbol, bicycle.

Meanwhile, the Akhilesh faction has started functioning independently. After announcing the appointment of a new state president and changing half-a-dozen district presidents, national president Akhilesh Yadav declared on Wednesday candidates for UP legislative council elections to be held on February 3.

In his speech, the patriarch claimed that the other group had applied for the name Akhil Bhartiya Samajwadi Party and motorcycle as its symbol. He however claimed that he would never let the party split. The name and symbol of the party will not change. I told them (the other faction) not to stretch the dispute. I am not forming another party. They are the ones who are doing this, he said.

In an obvious reference to Ram Gopal Yadav, he said, Everyone knows who is trying to split the party. Had he asked me, I would have saved his son and daughter-in-law (from CBI). But he has met the president of another party (BJP) four times.

I have left my family to build this party. Shivpal has also worked very hard with me. He used to campaign all night and hide during the day to escape the police. He has been with me all through and has spent months in jail, he said.

The SP office resounded with slogans like Netaji sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain as Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav left for Delhi where a final meeting with the Election Commission is scheduled for Friday.

Mulayam Singh Yadavs address to party workers on Wednesday made it clear that he was struggling to avert a split in the party.

The UP CM also wants the right to ticket distribution. Other major issues are related to the future role of Ram Gopal Yadav, Amar Singh, Shivpal Yadav and the cross petitions filed by the warring factions before the EC. Mulayam Singh Yadav has insisted on the removal of Ram Gopal Yadav, but Akhilesh Yadav has refused to oblige. The father is also against the CMs move to remove Shivpal Yadav form the state presidents post and Amar Singh from the party.
Roy, who is out on parole, had claimed that he could not pay the Rs 600 crore due to demonetisation.

New Delhi: Sahara group chief Subrata Roy could be in for serious trouble again, with the Supreme Court on Thursday toughening its stand and refusing to extend time beyond February 6 for him to deposit Rs 600 crore, saying he would have to go to jail in case of a default.

"This court has given so much indulgence to you. This is the worst. If you don't pay the amount, you will have to go back to jail," the newly constituted bench, comprising

Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said

The new bench scrutinised the repeated extension of Roy's parole and said too much indulgence has been given to him, more than any other litigant by the court.

"Parole is granted for a specific purpose and limited period. You (Roy) were given parole for performing the last rites of your mother. But you have been out for nine months. The specific purpose is over and this is continuing," it said.

The bench asked SEBI counsel Arvind Dattar what would happen if the Sahara chief does not pay the amount to the market regulator.

Dattar said there were 87 plus properties which would be attached, a receiver could be appointed and the properties sold through auction, if the company fails to pay the amount.

The bench said "if he defaults to pay the amount then he will go back to jail, then properties will be attached, receiver appointed and sold through auction".

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sahara, said if this is the court's mood, then they may not be heard. "It is the most unfortunate statement which has come. If this is the mood of court then we need not be heard," he said.

To this, the bench asked "can't the court say what are the options available before it."

"We are here to hear you Mr Sibal. Has not the Supreme Court given so much indulgence to you than any other single litigant? Now you are saying we are not hearing you. This is not done," Justice Gogoi said.

Sibal said he was just seeking time to pay the amount as directed by the court earlier as the economy has slowed down, real estate sector is down by 44 per cent, manufacturing sector has slowed down due to the demonetisation.

"When you were asked to deposit Rs 600 crore on November 28 last year, then also the economic situation was no better.

You tell us you don't have a problem in paying Rs 285 crore.

You still have time till February 6, arrange another Rs 300 crore and deposit it," the bench said.

Sibal then said that the group had deposited Rs 13,000 crore with SEBI, which has found only 100 investors so far. He said the apex court should appoint a committee to scrutinize the documents submitted regarding the investors.

To this, the bench told Sibal that he has been raking up an issue which has already been decided by the court and it will not go into the issues which have already been decided.

The bench, however, granted liberty to the Sahara chief to transfer 24 million pounds deposited in a bank at London to SEBI-SAHARA account as part of Rs 600 crore he has been asked to pay by February 6.

At the outset, Enforcement Directorate also informed the court that during investigation, it has found seven properties of Sahara which needed to be provisionally attached.

The bench listed the matters along with the plea of ED on February 7.

The apex court had on November 28 last year asked Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 next year in the SEBI -Sahara refund account to remain out of jail and cautioned him that in case of failure, he would have to return to prison.

The court had said that it may consider appointing a "receiver" of properties if the group found itself unable of selling them to pay back dues to the investors.

The court had said that the case which is pending since 2012, has a "history" and had asked SEBI and the amicus curiae to respond to the question whether the group was entitled to any further benefit in its re-payment schedule.

The court had on September 28 asked Sahara to deposit another Rs 200 crore by October 24 while extending the interim order releasing Roy and two other directors on parole.

While extending the parole of Roy and two directors -- Ashok Roy Choudhary and Ravi Shankar Dubey -- till October 24 last year, the bench had directed the group to deposit Rs 200 crore by then or go back to jail.
The border guarding force on Thursday also came out with fresh guidelines for maintaining high quality of food for its personnel.

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office on Thursday sought a report from the Home Ministry on the complaint by a BSF jawan that poor quality food was being served to security personnel posted along the border, which has triggered a row.

Following the PMO's intervention, the Home Ministry will soon submit a detailed factual report on the incident and the action taken on it.

"We have to give reports to all concerned," a senior Home Ministry official said when asked about the PMO's request.

The Home Ministry's report to the PMO is expected to be on the allegations made by BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav in a video that was uploaded on social networking sites.

The jawan, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying a rifle, claimed that while government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers "sell it off" in an "illegal" manner in the market and the personnel have to suffer.

He also posted other videos in which he claimed that the quality of food served was not good.

The BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of ration and security personnel deployed along the border never complained about food.

The border guarding force also came out with fresh guidelines for maintaining high quality of food for its personnel.

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the government is taking all such incidents seriously and corrective steps are being taken to improve the working conditions of the personnel and their food.

"The report to PMO will incorporate all such details," the official said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is on a visit to attend the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

New Delhi: France on Thursday pressed for "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India and vowed to work with New Delhi to get terrorist Masood Azhar proscribed by the UN Security Council.

Without naming China which has blocked a proposal at the UNSC to sanction JeM chief Azhar, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said, "The international community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat."

On the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in September last year after an attack on Uri army camp, Ayrault said a country has a "right to defend itself" in the wake of such threats.

"France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism," the French Minister, who was on a visit here, told PTI in an interview.

Clearly referring to Pakistan without naming it, he emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism "originating from their territory or territories under their control".

"We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said.

The French Minister, who was on a four-day visit to India primarily to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, was asked about his views on the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army in September last to target terror camps based across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself," he replied.

With regard to China blocking sanctioning of Azhar, he said, "We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached."

He noted that Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the Committee's list of terrorist organisations and "therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested".

That's why France not only supported but also co-sponsored this request, he said.

"The international community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat," he said, in a veiled message to China.

On the future course of action on the Azhar issue, the French Foreign Minister said, "We will now discuss with India what should be done. This will be in the agenda of our bilateral working group on counter-terrorism, which will meet in Paris...India knows it can count on our support."

China, despite presentation of a lot of evidence by India regarding Azhar's role in terror activities in this country, had put a "technical hold" for a long time on the proposal in the UNSC to sanction the Pakistan-based terror mastermind.

Finally, it recently blocked the proposal.

Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, was one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange of 166 hostages of Indian Airlines plane IC-184 which was hijacked to

Kandahar in December 1999. Azhar, at that time, belonged to Harkat-ul Mujahideen, and soon after his release, he floated the new outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan which carried out several attacks in India, including one on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

The French Foreign Minister also spoke about the scope of cooperation between India and his country in combating terror the footprint of which is expanding and intensity increasing.

"France and India are both victims of terrorism, and they are in full solidarity vis-?-vis this scourge," Ayrault said.

He said the fight against terrorism is one of the cornerstones of India-France strategic partnership.

In concrete terms, he said, France and India hold "constant and very operational exchanges" on the terrorist threat.

"We have a bilateral working group that brings together all the players concerned over counter-terrorism, and, among others, cooperation with regard to investigations and between our respective intervention units, the GIGN from the French side, and the National Security Guards from the Indian side. I welcome the development of all these cooperations," he said.

Giving an overview of the bilateral relations, Ayrault said India is a major strategic partner for France.

"We are united by a longstanding friendship and a true relationship of trust. We know that we can count on each other, in difficult times too," the French Minister stressed.

"Since 1998, we have a strategic partnership that enables us to cooperate on the most sensitive of subjects -- defence, civil nuclear energy, space, counter-terrorism, which has assumed greater importance than ever before," he said.

He said the two countries also cooperate on other matters of security, such as in the field of cyberspace.

Besides, the two countries have "major shared ambitions" with regard to maritime security and cooperation in the Indian Ocean, where France, through its Reunion Island, forms part of Indian Ocean Rim nations, he said.

"Apart from strategic issues, we also have an overall relationship that is rich in all its facets -- economy, scientific and cultural cooperation, education, research, sustainable development, the fight against climate change, and so on," the French Minister said.

On his visit here, he said it was "very substantive and really varied", in three different cities. "I was able to gauge the complete scope and depth of our relationship," he said.

"I had the pleasure of participating in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, at which France was a Partner Country," said Ayrault who was accompanied by a large delegation of about 100 companies, which wish to invest in India and develop partnerships.

During his Bengaluru visit, he presided over the launch of the city's chapter of the France Alumni network.

"It's a very useful new network for Indians who have studied in France. It's a network that is currently developing all over the world," he said.

"Today there are 4,000 Indian students in France, but we wish to welcome many more. Our target is to reach 10,000 students by 2020," the minister said.

He said the development of student exchanges between the two countries is really a priority as it is on the basis of these people-to-people contacts that one forges the most robust and closest relations.

"I also made the most of my stay in Bengaluru to strengthen our cooperation with India in the space sector," said Ayrault who oversaw signing of an agreement under which

French Space Agency CNES will provide cameras to TeamIndus, the only Indian team competing for the USD 30-million Google Lunar XPRIZE.
The deal, the first fighter plane contract in 20 years, comes with a 50 per cent offset clause after several rounds of negotiations.

New Delhi: A high-level Indian defence team will visit France next week to review the ongoing production of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft and to formalise the modalities for the payment of the second tranche due in 2017 in the 7.878 billion euro deal. Defence sources told news agencies that the first Rafale fighter jet is expected to come to India a few months earlier than the scheduled date in 2019.

A team comprising senior IAF and defence ministry officials will travel to France next week, and will also visit the jets production line in the city of Bordeaux.

The Rafale fighters planes, aimed at being a strategic asset against China, will be based in Sarsawa, Uttar Pradesh, and Hasimara, West Bengal. India and France had signed the nearly Rs 59,000-crore deal for the Rafale jets  equipped with the latest missiles and weapon system besides multiple India-specific modifications  on September 23, 2016.

The vanila price (the price for the aircraft alone) will be about 91 million euros each for a single seater and about 94 million euros for a two-seater trainer aircraft.

The deal, the first fighter plane contract in 20 years, comes with a 50 per cent offset clause after several rounds of negotiations. The 50 per cent offset clause means that Indian businesses, both big and small, will gain work to the tune of over three billion euros.

The delivery of these combat aircraft will start in 36 months and will be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was inked.
Demonetisation has been well received by the people, poor people, middle class, honest tax payers, says Naidu.

Gandhinagar: Hitting back at the Congress over its criticism of demonetisation, Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said the entire process was undertaken in a transparent manner and the Congress is depressed over the growing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Stating that the Congress did not have the guts to implement demonetisation during its tenure, he said the Opposition just wants to make false allegation and is not ready for a discussion on the issue in Parliament.

Demonetisation has been well received by the people, poor people, middle class, honest tax payers. All are happy about the same, now the money has reached the banks. How much money is black, how much is white will be known after scrutiny, he told reporters at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit here.

The Congress and ot-her parties are depressed over the growing popularity of the Prime Minister because everywhere all surveys indicate 70-80 per cent of the people are hailing the decision of the Prime Minister. Why they are becoming jittery and making such absurd allegations, he said.

The Congress, he said, is now going to people to voice their protest over demonetisation, but people have voted them out in Gujarat panchayat election, Gujarat municipal elections, in Chandigarh municipal elections, in Faridabad municipal elections and in Maharashtra.

In the MP byelection and Assam byelection and also various byelections across the country, everywhere it is the BJP, Mr Naidu said.

BJPs winning spree is continuing. Even in the panchayat elections in Gujarat, it was almost a sweep. Keeping that in mind, they are becoming jittery... What can we do. All these people, why they are objecting to demonetisation, they had no guts to do it during their regime and now they are unnecessarily making false allegations and no one is going to take them seriously, Mr Naidu said.

There is no parallel of the demonetisation decision in the world, he said, adding that while there may be some temporary difficulty and slowdown, catch up will happen soon.

Keeping up the heat on the note ban issue, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on Mr Modi for the demonetisation move, saying for the first time Indias Prime Minister is being ridiculed for the decision.

With regard to advancing Budget date to February 1, he said the solution has to be given by the court.
Manmohan slams Modi on note ban; Chidambaram compares him to Hitler.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the Jan Vedna Sammelan in New Delhi. (Photo: Asian Age)

New Delhi: Amidst fears of a slowdown post demonetisation, former Prime Minister Manomhan Singh on Wednesday cautioned that the worst is yet to come. Modiji keeps on saying that he will transform the Indian economy... His propaganda of the national income going up is hollow, Dr Singh said speaking at the Jan Vedna Sammelan, organised by the Congress against the demonetisation.

The former Prime Minister also added that demonetisation has hurt the country badly and things have gone from bad to worse.

Former finance minister P. Chidambaram while endorsing Dr Singhs observation on the decline of the GDP alleged that the Centre was treating the Reserve Bank of India as a government department and the institutions credibility was at stake.

Equating the Prime Minister to Hitler, he said,  One person says I am the Fuhrer, I am the ruler and everyone agrees.

Mr Chidambaram claimed that none of the promises made by the Prime Minister will come true as they have not in the last 70 days and asked Mr Modi to put his promises to test.

I am throwing a challenge to the Prime Minister. Can he assure that in the month of May and June, when medical and engineering admissions take place, capitation fee will not be charged? Mr Chidambaram said. Taking pot shots at the Union finance minister, Arun Jaitley, the predecessor said; Apart from the finance minister, nobody in the world says that the GDP wont be hit.

Political secretary to the Congress president, Ahmed Patel, also the chairman of the implementation committee, ridiculed the Prime Minister by reminding that Mr Modi had said that if he failed to deliver on his promises, people should make him stand at a crossing and punish him.

Now we have to choose a good crossing, Mr Patel quipped.

The daylong convention also paved way for the second phase of the Congress agitation against demonetisation across the country at every district level till February 20.

The Congress leaders also accused the BJP dispensation of apathy towards the farmers, agricultural and manual workers and said that there has been acute distress in the agrarian sector.
SIDNEY, Mont. -- Investigators on Wednesday said they still aren't certain what caused the explosion Saturday at an oil well site near Sidney in far northeast Montana near the North Dakota border.

The explosion, which could be felt 3.5 miles away in Sidney, damaged a nearby shop but injured no one. Sidney is about 45 miles southwest of Williston.

The tank sat on a well site dubbed Jennifer 134H, said Richland County Sheriff John Dynneson. It is owned by Newfield Production.

At 9:48 a.m. on Saturday, the tank exploded and could be felt in Sidney, Dynneson said. A nearby home was not damaged, according to reports, but Dynneson said a nearby workshop suffered significant damage.

"The only area that was damaged was where the shop was located," he said.

Equipment at the well site was heavily damaged as well. The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department responded, but its efforts were hampered by extremely cold weather.

Cindy Hassler, a spokeswoman for Newfield Production, said Wednesday the investigation into the cause of the explosion continues.

There was no oil contamination to the area, she said.

Hassler said crews were dismantling the site equipment slowly as part of that investigation. The well was not actively producing at the time of the incident, and no employees were present.

John Mercer, who lives a quarter-mile from the site, said he heard at least two explosions. When he stepped outside, he said he saw plumes of smoke coming from the site.

When he got closer, he said he could see that the tops of three above-ground tanks had blown off.

"And they were all burning," Mercer said.

The tops of the tanks could be found hundreds of yards from the well site, Mercer said.
Cheaper fish is being served to you instead of the best fish with sushi

Los Angeles: Next time you order halibut, red snapper or yellow fin tuna at a sushi restaurant in the Los Angeles area, you may want to ask for proof of what's on your plate.

According to a four-year study published on Wednesday by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles and Loyola Marymount University, nearly half of the fish served at more than two dozen highly-rated sushi restaurants in the city is mislabeled."Half of what we're buying isn't what we think it is," said Paul Barber, a UCLA professor who led the study published in the journal Conservation Biology.

"Fish fraud could be accidental, but I suspect that in some cases the mislabeling is very much intentional, though it's hard to know where in the supply chain it begins."Demian Willette, a researcher and co-author of the study, said that while mislabeling of food is nothing new, what was surprising was that it would be so prevalent, especially in a food-conscious market like Los Angeles.

"We didn't really expect that because Los Angeles is a very foody culture and in general people are very conscious about what they eat," he told AFP. Willette said the study, conducted between 2012 and 2015, looked at 26 sushi restaurants that were highly rated on the reviewing sites Yelp and Zagat. Biology students at UCLA were sent out to the restaurants over the four years to collect samples of 10 popular varieties of fish used for sushi. The samples were then tested for DNA. Willette said of 364 samples tested, 47 percent showed that the sushi was mislabeled.

About the only sure bet was salmon, which was mislabeled only about one in 10 times, and bluefin tuna which was never swapped for a different kind of fish, according to the study. "But out of 43 orders of halibut and 32 orders of red snapper, DNA tests showed the researchers were always served a different kind of fish," the study says. Yellowfin tuna was also swapped on seven out of nine orders, usually for bigeye tuna, a vulnerable and overexploited species.

"In some cases, the same restaurant was substituting multiple fish on menus," Willette said. "So say they would propose three types of tuna when they actually served the same type."

Eat salmon

He said halibut was often swapped for cheaper species of flounder considered overfished or near threatened while red snapper was substituted for sea bream. He added that while price was a factor in the apparent fraud that likely involving wholesalers, attempts to skirt fishing policies also played a part."Some of it is price, and some of it is regulations," he said.

The study warned that apart from duping consumers, the mislabeling posed a health risk for people with allergies to certain fish and for pregnant women and children who should avoid high-mercury fish."A common parasite found in raw olive flounder ... has caused 'rampant' food poisoning in Japan," the study noted.

A spokeswoman at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which was made aware of the study, said her office had no immediate reaction. As for Willette, he had one piece of advice."I would say if you're going to a sushi restaurant, probably avoid the halibut and red snapper," he said. "Eat salmon because salmon is almost always salmon."
Neha Begum was suffering from stomach ache for several months before thhey operated her to remove the worms

The doctors operated her to find 10 inch worms wrapped around her intestines for the months when her stomach was aching. (Photo: Pixabay)

Doctors have to treat many patients every single day and while they can diagnose many there are some that simply amaze them. Doctors were recently left surprised when they found an unexpected live creature in a girls stomach in Uttar Pradesh.

Neha Begum, 22, was suffering from a severe stomach pain for months but didnt know what was happening to her. When she went to the doctors, they thought it was the usual but still couldnt figure out what was happening to her.

Neha then visited KG Nanda Hospital in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh to find out something he must have never imagined. Gynaecologist Dr. Anand Prakash Tiwari decided to operate her to find out the real cause and was surprised when he found out what was causing the pain. Neha had 150 worms that were 10 inches long wrapped around her intestines that were causing the pain; they were removed in an operation that last over five hours.

Neha is now living a healthy life with her husband and hoped that everything will get back to normal for her.
The Duke of Cambridge opened up about his mother to help the girl mourn her father's death

The Prince who was 15 at the time of his mothers death told the girl he went through the same and he understands her situation. (Photo: AFP)

Talking about death is always tough but it is important to move on from there so that it we don't have problems. Princes are hounded by the media at all times and talking about death is hard especially if it is Princess Diana's son Prince William. The Duke of Cambridge has spoken about his mother before but never to comfort a small child in her time of grief.

According to a report in the Metro, Prince William recently visited a Child Bereavement Centre where he met Aoife, a nine-year-old girl mourning her fathers death. The Duke spoke about his mother, Princess Dianas death and told the girl that his mummy too died when he was young to comfort her. He later revealed that he was very angry but he recovered from it.

Aoifes father had died from pancreatic cancer six years ago and was really sad about it when the Prince told her not to bottle up her grief and she should talk about it to as many people as she can, to recover.

After the meeting with William, Aiofe's mother Marie said, "I couldn't believe it when he started to talk about his mother. It was very emotional and I was willing myself not to start to cry. I almost did.
A city court, while convicting the man, said no motive has been attributed to the 14-year-old victim as to why she would lie.

According to the prosecution, the girl alleged that her uncle used to sexually assault her after giving her some tablets. (Photo: Representational Image)

New Delhi: A 34-year-old man has been sent to five years in jail for repeatedly sexually assaulting his minor niece by administering medicines to numb her senses.

A city court, while convicting the man, said no motive has been attributed to the 14-year-old victim as to why she would make false allegations against her paternal uncle in a sexual assault case.

"Testimony of prosecution witnesses is found trustworthy and reliable in respect of victim used to be sexually assaulted by accused after administering stupefying tablets on her. Accordingly, accused stands convicted for the offence punishable under section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of IPC," Additional Sessions Judge Gautam Manan said.

The court relied on the girl's deposition saying in light of deposition of the victim which is found to be reliable and trustworthy, it has to be concluded that accused after administering stupefying medicine to the victim used to sexually assault her.

"It would be seen that court has over the years attributed to the testimony of child witnesses the same kind of credibility that is attached to the statement of any other witness if the testimony is consistent.

"In the present case, victim is consistent on material particulars with regard to the incident of sexual assault.

Despite her cross-examination, no material contradiction came out. No motive has been attributed to the victim as to why she would make false allegations against her paternal uncle," the court said.

It also directed that a compensation of Rs 2 lakh be paid to the victim and asked Delhi Legal Services Authority to ensure compliance of its order.

The man used to reside in the house of the victim along with her father and brother. According to the prosecution, the girl alleged that her uncle used to sexually assault her after giving her some tablets.

On one occasion when she refused to take the medicine, he beat her up and again sexually assaulted her, the girl had said. She also said that her mother had died while her father was a drunkard, so she disclosed the incident to a woman residing in the neighbourhood and lodged a complaint at Jahangir Puri police station in north west Delhi.

During trial, the man denied he had sexually assaulted the victim.
Amrit Lal Bhai approached the jurisdictional police and lodged a complaint.

The jurisdictional police has taken the complaint and have initiated a probe into the same.

New Delhi: A scene right out from the movie Special 26 was replayed in Delhis Desh Bandhu Gupta Road on the night of December 30 after a gang of burglars, disguised as I-T officials, allegedly robbed Rs 43 lakh worth of gold ornaments from two employees of a Gujarat based jeweller.

The incident took place on the night of December 30, 2016. However, the complainant approached the police on Tuesday and lodged a complaint in this regard. The two employees, identified as Deepak (42) and Vimal, were on their way to Desh Bandhu Gupta Road with the consignment of 11 parcels of gold jewellery which had come from Gujarat to Delhi when the burglars struck them.

According to the complaint, Deepak and Vimal were heading in an auto-rickshaw when they were intercepted by a gang of four bike-borne men near Chhapar Wala Chowk near Azad Market and asked them to step down for security check. As Deepak objected to it, the men flashed their fake identity cards and threatened to take them to the police station. Deepak, who sensed something amiss, refused to budge and asked the gang members to take him to the police station and conduct a search. It is then that the gang members allegedly snatched away 2 packets of gold jewellery worth Rs 43 lakhs out of the 11 packets and fled the spot.

By the time the duo could raise an alarm, the four gang members managed to vanish into thin air. They immediately informed Amrit Lal Bhai, the Gujarat-based jeweller who directed them to take the remaining packets safely to the house and allegedly asked them to wait for his visit.

On Tuesday, Amrit Lal Bhai approached the jurisdictional police and lodged a complaint. He told the police that the consignment were to go to Delhi and Mumbai. The jurisdictional police has taken the complaint and have initiated a probe into the same.

It appears that burglars are drawing inspiration from Bollywood films to execute their crime. Recently, inspired by another Bollywood flick Munna Bhai MBBS, a woman was arrested on the charges of cheating and impersonation by the Mukherjee Nagar police.
The BJP claims that the Gujarati leaders who have joined the Sena do not worry the party, as they arent from the BJP.

Mumbai: The Gujarati community in Mumbai has always been considered as a vote base of the BJP, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modis entry in the national scene. This had miffed the Shiv Sena to such an extent that it came out with an editorial in 2014 criticising Gujaratis for choosing Mr Modi over Mumbai. But now, the same Shiv Sena is inducting Gujaratis from the NCP and Congress into its fold. This is because, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections around the corner, the community has become dear to the Sena as it constitutes a huge voter base.

Even on Wednesday, a bunch of leaders from the Congresss Gujarati cell joined the Sena in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree, in Bandra. Mr Thackeray said, The note ban is one of the reasons why the Gujarati community is joining the Shiv Sena in large numbers. However, the Senas sudden shift in attitude towards Gujaratis is being attributed to the communitys members voting en masse for the BJP.

The Sena, which was always ahead of the BJP in the city, stood second in the last assembly elections, with the BJP emerging as the largest party. This success has worried the Sena and, hence, it is targeting the Gujarati vote. Especially with the BJP growing stronger in the city and the BMC elections being announced, the Sena wants to consolidate all the votes, said a Sena leader.

Meanwhile, the BJP claims that the Gujarati leaders who have joined the Sena do not worry the party, as they arent from the BJP. Who are the leaders and what are their credentials? From Bafna (Congress) to other Gujarati leaders, all of them who have joined the Sena are either from the Congress or the NCP. The core Gujarati voters are always with us, and have supported Prime Minister Modi in all his endeavours, said a BJP leader from Mumbai.

The BJP at present has two Gujarati MLAs from Mumbai  Prakash Mehta, who is a minister, and Yogesh Sagar. That apart, the only Gujarati MP from the city  Kirit Somaiya  is also from the BJP.
The Shiv Sena is hoping that the SEC might give the green signal to pass the proposal at the earliest.

The Mayors bungalow was approved as the site of the memorial before the poll code of conduct kicked in.

Mumbai: The BMC improvements committee on Wednesday approved the proposal of allotting mayors bungalow at Shivaji Park for constructing Bal Thackeray memorial in the city. Despite this, the forthcoming municipal polls are likely to delay the project for several months.

In a bid to beat the election code of conduct, the BMC had convened a special meeting with its improvements committee, in which the proposal to lease 11,500 sq mt of the mayors bungalow plot for constructing Thackeray memorial at a nominal rate of one rupee per annum for a period of 30 years, was passed unanimously.

However, as the code of conduct for BMC polls was announced by the state election commission (SEC) on the same day, the entire exercise to expedite the process of building a memorial will be stuck. It is likely to kick-start only after the polls are complete. But the election results will also prove to be a decisive factor in this regard.

The proposal passed in the improvements committee will be tabled in the BMC general house for the final approval, said a senior civic official. However, the house is unlikely to consider it during the existing period of code of conduct, said sources.

The Shiv Sena is hoping that the SEC might give the green signal to pass the proposal at the earliest. To present the proposal before the house, the civic administration will have to seek permission from the SEC. We will pursue the matter with the municipal commissioner, said civic standing committee chairman, Shailesh Phanase from Sena.

The memorial will describe Balasaheb Thackerays journey from a cartoonist to the Shiv Sena chief. We will support the proposal in the house too, said improvements committee chairman, Prakash Gangadhare. However, the incident has seen an evidence of growing bonhomie between the two parties just before the elections. It might pacify the Sena to forge an alliance with us, said a civic BJP leader.
The police said that the two individuals were detained when they were looking for customers to sell the depleted uranium.

The duo is scrap dealers who sourced the depleted uranium from the remains of an aircraft. (Representational image)

Mumbai: The Thane crime branch has arrested two persons and seized around nine kilograms of depleted uranium (DU) plates from them. The police said that the two individuals were detained when they were looking for customers to sell the depleted uranium.

The duo is scrap dealers who sourced the depleted uranium from the remains of an aircraft. The police have not disclosed their names as the probe is underway. The police are ascertaining if the duo has links with scrap dealer Kishore Prajapati and his aides from who they had seized DU worth over 9 kg. The police had arrested Prajapati and his aide on December 21. Prajapati had also obtained the DU from a junk aircraft.

The police sources said, We arrested the two scrap dealers on Tuesday after a sample which was seized, was tested and confirmed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He said, The accused work on a contract basis. They got a contract from the erstwhile Indian Airlines to scrap a plane. During interrogation, they revealed that they accessed depleted uranium from the aircraft.

He said, Later on through their source, they found a dealer who wanted to buy it. According to Thane police officials, after receiving the tip-off, police officials laid a trap and detained the accused. Police has confirmed, the substance seized is depleted uranium. It is radioactive and extremely dangerous. Depleted Uranium is used in weapons and armaments all over the world.

Earlier incidents:

On December 21, police seized around 9 kg of radioactive uranium, a banned material, from two persons in Thane. The Thane crime branch on Sunday also seized 16 kilograms of Depleted Uranium (DU) from a Mira Road-based shoemaker. The police probe revaled that the DU was given to the shoemaker by scrap-dealer Kishore Prajapati.
Maharashtra government blames officers for wrongful implementation of its recommendation.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has suspended its instruction to school teachers across the state to take selfies with dropouts and non-schoolgoing children in their neighbourhood to bring them back to classes, blaming officers for wrongful implementation of the recommendation.

State education minister Vinod Tawde took the decision to suspend the Government Resolution (GR) in this regard on Wednesday, after receiving flak from certain quarters. A statement by the ministers office said the decision was taken after a meeting with senior officers of the school education department.

The state education department had issued the GR in November, 2016 asking schoolteachers to identify dropouts and non-schoolgoing children in their neighbourhood by taking a selfie with them. The teachers were also asked to provide detailed information of these children, which the education department would use for tracking them and taking follow-up action to bring them back to schools.

The selfie GR was for admitting non schoolgoing children to schools and keeping track of them. But it was implemented in a wrong way by some district and tehsil-level (education department) officers, said the statement. The government will soon hold a meeting of officers regarding appropriate implementation of the GR. Till we conduct trainings for officers, the GR is suspended, read the statement.

Teachers were supposed to take selfies only with select students who were not attending regular schools  like those belonging to migrant families. But officials asked teachers to take pictures with all students. Even the GR wrongly stated that teachers must take pictures of all students in groups of 10. As a result, teachers tried uploading several pictures on the mobile app designed for this initiative, thus slowing it down.

Mr Tawde tweeted, Selfie with Out of School Children initiative is being put on hold until further notice due to lack of clarity on its implementation. Reacting to the GR, a school teacher said, The net speed is slow and our work mostly involves teaching kids. It is difficult to upload pictures. Should we teach students or upload selfies?

Plan was rolled out to build database:

Why was the scheme introduced?

The scheme was introduced in November 2016 to create a database of out-of-school children and get them enroled in schools close to their homes. The idea was to ensure that, apart from names and addresses, the department would have a photograph of the child and the teacher who identified him or her for future reference as well as providing facilities that the state government had earmarked for such students.

Why did it become controversial?

The scheme became controversial after teachers misunderstood the instructions in the GR and started taking pictures with students who were already enrolled and uploading them on the mobile application started specifically for the scheme. This resulted in the application becoming slow and overloaded.

What other initiatives have other states taken to discourage absenteeism?

The state has implemented many central government schemes to discourage absentiism like providing mid-day meals and 27 articles which included uniforms, books, cycles, tablet computers and cash incentives to girl students, among other things.
Under a bilateral arrangement, soldiers who inadvertently cross the LoC are handed over to their side.

Mumbai: Indian army soldier Chandu Chavan (22) who inadvertently strayed across the border September last year will soon be released, said Union minister of state for defence, Subhash Bhamre, on Thursday.

Mr Bhamre was talking at the launch of INS Khanderi held at the Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL) here in the city. He said that Pakistani authorities had confirmed that Mr Chavan was alive and the relevant authorities were in touch with the Pakistani counterparts to ensure that Mr Chavan was released soon. The Pakistani army had earlier informed its Indian counterpart that it is not aware of Mr Chavans whereabouts.

Under a bilateral arrangement, soldiers who inadvertently cross the LoC are handed over to their side. Mr Bhamre said, "They (Pakistan) have admitted that Chandu Chavan is alive, and that they will soon release him after inquiry, which is nearing completion. We are trying at the level of DGMO (Director General of Military Operations) to secure his release. So far, the DGMO has spoken to their Pakistan counterpart at least 15 to 20 times," Mr Bhamre said. He added that the last talks took place two days ago.

Mr Chavan, a sepoy posted with the 37 Rashtriya Rifles at Mendhar along the LoC, was on September 29 allegedly captured by Pakistan army authorities after he "inadvertently crossed over". Mr Chavan was carrying a weapon and a release by the Defence Ministry stated that relevant authorities had been contacted to ensure his release. The press statement said: "Islamabad was informed about the soldier's movement on the hotline by India's Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Ranbir Singh". Incidentally, Mr Chavan had mistakenly crossed the de-factor border in Kashmir only hours after India's surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC.
MINOT -- A civil trial involving the North Dakota State Fair Association trying to evict the Ward County Historical Society's Pioneer Village Museum will not be held until Jan. 30, 2018.

The association wants the museum removed from the state fairgrounds.

The trial in the long-running civil dispute had been scheduled to begin this week, but was postponed after North Central District Court Judge Todd Cresap recused himself, citing a conflict of interest. Other district judges in Minot also have excused themselves. Southwest District Court Judge Rhonda R. Ehlis has been appointed to take over the case. Ehlis pushed the trial date back more than a year.

The State Fair Association wants to evict the museum from the fairgrounds so it can use the property for other purposes. The historical society maintains it has the right to stay on the fairgrounds under the terms of a 1966 agreement between the association and the Northwest Agricultural Livestock and Fair Association that states "the North Dakota State Fair Association will allow the Northwest North Dakota Historical Society to maintain and operate its building located on the fairgrounds."

The drama between the State Fair Association and the historical society began in December 2013, when the association served the historical society with an eviction notice. The two sides had held talks for months without any resolution being reached. The case then went to district court for the first time in February 2014. Judge William McLees stayed an eviction action in March 2014. He ruled that more court hearings were necessary to clarify the rights of the State Fair Association and the historical society.

The State Legislature refused to get involved during the 2015 session. They rejected a bill that would have given the historical society the right to maintain its museum on the fairgrounds. The dispute returned to the district court, this time before Cresap, in 2015. Cresap refused in May 2016 to immediately rule in favor of the State Fair Association. He decided at that time that the issues raised by the historical society should be decided at trial. Cresap had set the case for trial this month but then recused himself on Dec. 23.
If the BSP loses its second successive UP Assembly election, then it may well face an existential crisis.

In less than a month, India will begin yet another round of pulsating Assembly elections. The polling cycle is such that the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections  being held along with elections in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur  herald an almost non-stop political season that concludes in 2019, with the general elections and shortly afterward the Maharashtra and Haryana elections.

In a sense, the government in New Delhi gets a respite  if such a term lends itself for use in Indian politics in the first place  only for about a year or 18 months following the summer of coming to office. This makes governance a challenge, but that is a familiar story that need not detain us here.

What do the coming polls hold for us? They herald a set of elections where, in several major states, it is usually the Congress and the BJP that are locked in direct competition. Both parties are in the fray in Punjab (the BJP with its ally, the Akali Dal) and have alternated in power in Goa and Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, which vote in November-December, are also bipolar, as is Karnataka, which has elections in early state 2018. The winter of 2018 sees a contest in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where again the two national parties are in the reckoning.

Much of that is getting ahead of the story. Indeed, depending on how Punjab and Uttar Pradesh go, perceptions of future Assembly elections could also change. In both those provinces, a settled bipolarity is being disturbed, throwing up still more imponderables.

Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh have seen a BSP-SP fight since the beginning of the century. Now, under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the BJP is in the fray. The India Today-Axis opinion poll gives the BJP 33 per cent of the vote, a massive seven per cent ahead of the other two (locked at 26 per cent each). The ABP-CSDS poll puts the incumbent SP ahead of the BJP and predicts a terribly hung Assembly.

Common to both assessments are two findings. First, the BJP is much stronger than in 2012, when it won 47 seats in a house of 403. Second, the BSP is failing to capture the incremental vote  above its solid dalit base  that gave it a majority in 2007. The urban middle class and Brahmin/upper caste slice that had moved to the BSP in 2007 and was being targeted by the Congress till a few weeks ago seems to be staying with the BJP and staying true to Mr Modi.

Three caveats need to be entered here. One, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is clearly more popular than his warring party. Can he overcome internal conflict and create a rainbow coalition? Frankly, this depends much on how his rupture with his parent party and particularly with his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, is perceived.

The junior Yadav won new voters for the SP in 2012, and took it to a thumping majority. Even so, he essentially built on the partys Yadav-Muslim base. If that base is divided or its loyalties are split, Akhilesh will find it that much more difficult. Mulayam has been the paramount Yadav leader for some 40 years now and the SP has been built as an expression of Yadav identity.

The community will put its heart and soul into a campaign for the patriarchs son  but only with the patriarchs blessings. Akhilesh cannot hope to take on his father publicly, and yet win an overwhelming segment of Yadavs. If that Yadav base splits, nothing  no incremental vote, no media chatter, no alliance with an anyway downcast Congress  can rescue Akhilesh. If, however, he has the Yadavs behind him, it could be a different story, despite the anti-incumbency. One suspects though the inner-party bickering and Akhileshs revolt against the old guard and a familiar circus of uncles has come too late in the day.

The BSP faces its own dilemma. Numerically, a dalit-Muslim alliance is formidable. Nevertheless, just as the urban middle classes and brahmins have not quite dumped the BJP, Muslim voters, while worried about the Yadav civil war, still seem to prefer the SP to the BSP. Of course, a massive last-minute shift is always possible  though improbable. Should it happen, it could also lead to a counter-mobilisation for the BJP on caste and religious lines.

If the BSP loses its second successive Assembly election, then it may well face an existential crisis. It would mean that the appeal of its supreme leader, Mayawati, has plateaued and may even be in decline. In the absence of an alternative mascot, what would this mean for the party?

The BJP is banking on the popularity of Mr Modi and of demonetisation sustaining into the second week of March  when the election concludes  and making up for the absence of a chief ministerial candidate. It believes the urban vote and the upper caste and non-Yadav OBCs coalition is numerically bigger and more robust than in Bihar and this will help it pull ahead. Bringing in a chief ministerial candidate at this point could trigger an internal caste feud. Even so, no party has won a majority in Lucknow since 1991 without presenting a chief ministerial face.

Punjab is the other state where a traditional two-way battle  Congress versus Akali Dal-BJP  has been disrupted with the arrival of the AAP. Arvind Kejriwals party was the clear favourite of opinion pollsters even a few months ago but seems to be neck-and-neck with the Congress today. A freak result has been predicted by at least one opinion poll, wherein the Akali Dal will retain its Jat peasantry base even while losing overall vote share and come up ahead because the Congress and AAP will undercut each other. While that is theoretically possible, it would appear unlikely.

Mr Kejriwal is attempting to do a Modi in Punjab in that he is not projecting a local face. This is a big gamble because Mr Modi is an MP from Uttar Pradesh  though a native of Gujarat  while Mr Kejriwal is a complete outsider in Punjab. Also, many remain sceptical that Punjab is ready for a (proxy) chief minister who is not a Sikh. That is what Amarinder Singh is betting on, even as he faces challenges within his own Congress, sections of which are propping up an overrated Navjot Singh Sidhu as a rival.

Where will it all go? Well know on March 11.
The mobile market is primarily dominated by Apple and Google wherein iOS and Android operating systems manage to dwarf all others in the market. Both the platforms have their own share of profits over time. Apple experienced a surge in its market share over the past couple of months, thanks to its iPhone 7 launch. However, Android devices have not been left behind either especially given Googles Pixel launch among many others.

A new study by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech suggests that while Apples iPhone has had a strong holiday season, Googles Android continues to dominate overall. The latest smartphone OS sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows Android sales declined in the US , GB, and France , as iOS continued to make gains across most regions in the three months ending November 2016, the report started off. For Android, this marks the sixth consecutive period of decline in the US , at 55.3 per cent of all smartphone sales, down from 60.4 per cent in the same period a year earlier, the report added.

The report goes on to point out that iPhone sales in late 2016, following the release of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus accounted for 43 per cent in the US market which much higher when compared with 37 per cent during the same period in 2015. In UK , iPhone market share rose from 39 per cent in 2015 to 48 per cent in 2016. At the same time, Androids dominance in US appears to be slipping.

According to the same report, Android accounted for 55 per cent of smartphone sales in US, down from 60 per cent during the same period in 2015. However, even though Android decreased in the US over the past year, the brand new Pixel phone by Google made strong gains, rising to 1.3 per cent of sales in the three months ending November 2016, with more than half of that business done through Verizon.

Its hard to predict what the future holds as far as these two platforms are concerned as they continue to prevail in what appears to be a neck-to-neck competition.
Jia Jia was first trotted out last year by a team of engineers at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Team leader Chen Xiaoping sounded like a proud father as he and his prototype appeared Monday at an economic conference organised by banking giant UBS in Shanghai's futuristic financial centre.

Jia Jia can hold a simple conversation and make specific facial expressions when asked, and her creator believes the eerily life-like robot heralds a future of cyborg labour in China.

Billed as China's first human-like robot, Jia Jia was first trotted out last year by a team of engineers at the University of Science and Technology of China. Team leader Chen Xiaoping sounded like a proud father as he and his prototype appeared Monday at an economic conference organised by banking giant UBS in Shanghai's futuristic financial centre.

Chen predicted that perhaps within a decade artificially intelligent (AI) robots like Jia Jia will begin performing a range of menial tasks in Chinese restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals and households.

In 5-10 years there will be a lot of applications for robots in China, Chen said. With flowing black hair and dressed in a traditional Chinese dress, Jia Jia looks strikingly real. Yet her charm has its limits and simple questions frequently stump her. Still, Chen said his team has made great progress over the past two years in developing her AI.

She was able accurately to answer a query about the day's weather, hold basic conversations and recognise the gender of her questioners. You are a handsome man," she complimented one, but when asked later if she has a boyfriend, replied, "I prefer to stay single.

Rapid advancements are being made in artificial intelligence and such products stole the limelight at last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A range of products were unveiled that can respond to voice commands to play music at home and follow other remote-control orders -- or even think on their feet by accessing and "learning" from the Internet cloud.

One company, Hanson Robotics, unveiled its life-like "Professor Einstein," which has realistic facial expressions and can engage in informative conversations such as lessons in math and science.

Jia Jia is not quite there yet, but Chen sees a bright future for her kind in China.

He said growing prosperity was causing many young Chinese to eschew jobs like waitressing, while an ageing population would require more hands on deck in hospitals and nursing homes -- even if they aren't human hands.
The cars, motorbikes and women in wrap skirts with tribal scars on their cheeks head to the Gate of No Return monument.

Over the centuries, five million, possibly 10 million slaves took this route. No-one knows the exact numbers. (Photo: AFP)

Ouidah: Every January, thousands of voodoo worshippers joined by crowds of tourists and descendants of slaves trudge down the long sand track leading to the beach at Ouidah in Benin.

The cars, motorbikes and women in wrap skirts with tribal scars on their cheeks head to the Gate of No Return monument overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean beach.

Erected in 1992 in memory of those packed on ships bound for the New World, it is a living reminder that the small Beninese coastal town of Ouidah once was the muster point for the black slave trade on the southern coast of West Africa.

Over the centuries, five million, possibly 10 million slaves took this route. No-one knows the exact numbers.

Though Ouidah is not the source of voodoo which originated in the old kingdom of Dahomey, modern-day Togo and Benin it was from here that the cult of the invisible and of natural spirits was exported to Louisiana, Brazil and Haiti.

After the fall of the communist regime in Benin, President Nicephore Soglo launched the first voodoo festival in 1993, making Ouidah voodoo's most famous place of pilgrimage for its 50 million followers worldwide.

Way of life

"Ouidah is a duty of memory," said voodoo priest Erol Josue, who heads the national ethnology bureau in Haiti and who travelled to Benin with seven others to "make peace with the past".

"It's important to return to the ancestral land to accept oneself as a Caribbean," he added, his eyes thick with khol cosmetics and a heavy ring from Mali's Dogon tribe on his finger.

"To understand the behaviour of the Haitian people, you have to go back to the source."

Josue breaks off to film a video on his smartphone as a man climbs a bamboo pole nearly 15 metres (50 feet) high with his bare hands. The crowd goes wild.

Nearby, a group of men daubed with soil from head to toe dance in a trance to the rhythm of the djembe hand drum and make offerings to talismans.

"Voodoo is a way of life," said Gizirbtah, a young black American who changes her name whenever she travels to the home of her ancestors.

Gizirbtah, who works for a US airline, has been travelling across West Africa for two months with a dozen or so voodoo devotees from as far away as London and Chicago.

"Every day I do ablutions, purifications, prayers. But in the US voodoo is frowned upon, people don't understand," she said.

She turned to voodoo six years ago when she began what she said was an "internal quest".

"All my life, the story of my ancestors has echoed inside me," she said.

Spiritual sadness

Strictly speaking, voodoo is not a cult of ancestors.

It is "the palpable representation of what we cannot see", said Vincent Harisdo, a choreographer of French, Beninese and Togolese heritage who is working on a dance project on voodoo.

"Every human has his inner 'fa' (a voodoo divinity), his other self. And we are all looking for our other self. Call that voodoo here or psychology in Europe," he added.

Gail Hardison, a 57-year-old American, chose science over spirituality to get to know her origins.

Several years ago she had a DNA test that revealed her ancestors came from northern Cameroon.

This year she has brought her ancestral quest to Benin.

"I'm not a follower but I respect voodoo as a religion. Voodoo isn't about dolls with pins in it," she said.

The dancing and the tourists gives a folklore feel to the festival, a weeklong event marked by the beach procession on January 10 every year.

But despite the crowds, the noise and the scorching sun, Hardison said she feels a "spiritual sadness" in Ouidah.

Looking at the Gate of No Return, where hundreds of visitors are crowded together trying to find some shade, she says: "I wish it could have been different for all the people who passed through here. I feel them with me."
Donald Trump said, his administration would immediately move ahead with its plan to construct a wall along the southern Mexico border.

The Republican real estate billionaire, who assumes office on January 20, has threatened to fund the giant wall by tapping into the billions of dollars in remittances that Mexican migrants in the US send back home.

New York: US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said that pending negotiations with the Mexican government, his administration would immediately move ahead with its plan to construct a wall along the southern border to keep out illegal migrants and Mexico would reimburse it. Were going to build a wall, Trump told reporters here at his first news conference in six months and denied that it would be a fence.

I could wait about a year-and-a-half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get to office, but I dont want to wait. (Vice President-elect) Mike Pence is leading an effort to get final approvals through various agencies and through Congress for the wall to begin, Trump explained. Trump was responding to a question on his major election promise of building a wall along the US-Mexico border for which Mexico would make the payment.

But Mexico has said it would never pay for the wall. I dont feel like waiting a year or a year-and-a-half. Were going to start building. Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us and they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall, Trump said.

That will happen, whether its a tax or whether its a payment  probably less likely that its a payment. But it will happen. So, remember this, he said. Reports went out last week that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall because of a reimbursement. Whats the difference? Trump asked.

I want to get the wall started. I dont want to wait a year-and-a-half until I make my deal with Mexico. We probably will have a deal sooner than that, he said as he praised the Mexican government.

Mexico has been so nice, so nice. I respect the government of Mexico. I respect the people of Mexico. I love the people of Mexico. I have many people from Mexico working for me. Theyre phenomenal people. The government of Mexico is terrific. I dont blame them for whats happened. I dont blame them for taking advantage of the United States, he said adding he wished American politicians were as smart.

Mexico has taken advantage of the United States. I dont blame the representatives and various presidents, et cetera, of Mexico. What I say is we shouldnt have allowed that to happen. Its not going to happen anymore, he said. Trump had promised to deport millions of undocumented Mexican migrants from the United States if he elected.

Meanwhile, Mexicos new foreign minister today said that there is no way that his country will pay for the wall. Luis Videgaray, who was appointed by President Enrique Pena Nieto last week to seek constructive relations with the Trump administration, told the Televisa network that Mexico will not cede on issues related to national sovereignty.

The United States has the right to protect its borders. What is inadmissible, and which would deeply violate the dignity of all Mexicans, is to expect Mexico to pay for infrastructure of the United States, Videgaray told Radio Formula.

There is no way that this will happen, he said. Trump had called Mexican migrants rapists and drug dealers during the presidential campaign and vowed to make their country pay for a massive wall across the border.

The Republican real estate billionaire, who assumes office on January 20, has threatened to fund the giant wall by tapping into the billions of dollars in remittances that Mexican migrants in the US send back home.
The US Army last week issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs.

Sikhs have been campaigning for quite some time to get the restrictions removed and were pressing the White House to push the changes. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Washington: Sikhs in America are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers after it issues a new regulation on religious liberty to accommodate people who sport turbans and beards for religious reasons.

In a significant move to enable all religious minorities in America, including the Sikhs, the US Army last week issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs.

The new set of rules allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.

"This is a historic day for Sikhs in the US," said Rajwant Singh secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, which organised an event to celebrate the US Army announcement in this regard. Sikhs are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers, he said.

"This is a well-timed policy change that the Department of Defence and the White House made for the Sikh community since it aligns with the auspicious occasion of the 350th birth-anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who taught us to stand up for who you are and work for the religious freedom of all," Singh said.

Sikhs have been campaigning for quite some time to get the restrictions removed and were pressing the White House to push the changes in the waning days of the Obama Administration.

"We are thankful to President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Army Eric Fanning for making sure that these restrictions against religious articles are removed. Sikhs are thrilled and there are many young people who are eager to serve. This will provide an opportunity to people of faith who are loyal and patriotic Americans to serve this country with dignity and without compromising their faith," Singh said.

"We must realise that there can be no dagger into the heart of bigotry and divisiveness than to see all of the world's cultures, standing visibly in one formation, united against hate," said Ravi Chaudhary, a former Pentagon official and who served as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Joining the celebration, Dilpreet Kaur Sidhu, an official from the National Security Council at the White House, said, there is lot of work to be done.

"The administration worked really hard to achieving in what they did and there a lot more to be done. There are not too many Sikhs working in the Federal government. It is important that we encourage Sikh youth to opt for career in public service," he said.

"This is the result of that continued struggle but we need to continue. Only one agency has changed the rules and we need to work on other agencies. This would be possible only with the support of the community," he said.
Mays plans to begin the talks by the end of March, Mr McCords lawyer told Reuters.

Belfast: Britains plan to trigger Brexit talks by the end of March could be delayed by a political crisis in Northern Ireland if the British Supreme Court rules that Belfasts regional assembly must approve an EU exit, a lawyer for a Brexit challenger said.

Northern Irelands High Court ruled in October that the provinces laws did not restrict British Prime Minister Theresa Mays ability to trigger an exit from the European Union, and that the consent of the regional parliament was not required.

But human rights activist Raymond McCord appealed against the ruling to Britains highest judicial body, which will consider the argument when it rules in the next couple of weeks on whether May can begin the process without the approval of parliament in London.

A likely snap election in the British-run province that may be followed by lengthy renegotiations on the terms of the power-sharing regional government could delay Mays plans to begin the talks by the end of March, Mr McCords lawyer told Reuters.

In the current circumstances, where there is a potential suspension of the institutions, the approval of the devolved institutions would not be possible, Paul Farrell, a partner at McIvor Farrell Solicitors, said in a telephone interview.

Devolution has obviously added a layer of complexity to the constitutional arrangements within the United Kingdom and this case is addressing those complex relationships now, Mr Paul added.
An Indian priest, Fr George Kannanthanam, is behind the initiative. He left for Nepal the day after the earthquake. At first he used his own money, then found partner organisations and volunteers. After a month, he had reached 24,000 people. Later he provided temporary housing for 450 families and built homes for the 50 families of a leprosy colony.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  Fr George Kannanthanam is an Indian priest from Bangalore (Karnataka). He talked to AsiaNews about his involvement in the earthquake that struck Nepal on 25 April 2015.

Speaking about this huge human tragedy, he noted Our impact is difficult to measure! The fact that we could be present with the people in this moment of tragedy to share their pain is the most important impact. It was worth the challenge we took.

The day after the earthquake, he left with another priest for the Himalayan country, to see with his own eyes the work that needed to be done and figure out how best to do it.

He began with his own money. Within a few days, he set up Bangalore Cares for Nepal, a NGO to provide humanitarian aid as an immediate response to the emergency.

Speaking to AsiaNews, he said, We made a decision to reach to the people not reached by other groups - places beyond Kathmandu city, including a leper colony.

The 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal in April 2015 killed more than 8,500 people, and injured an additional 20,000. Some 800,000 buildings collapsed or sustained damage, including thousands of schools.

A month after the tragedy, Fr Georges organisation had reached some 24,000 people.

With limited resources and vast needs around us, we had to make choices regarding our work. We decided to spend our resources for the poorest of the poor. We decided to focus on the areas outside the city, where help had not reached.

In two weeks, Bangalore Cares for Nepal was already up and running, delivering 100 shelter boxes, each with 51 items like tarpaulins, buckets, clothes, toilet articles, food and basic crockery.

In the following days, volunteers from India handed out 2,750 tarpaulins sheltering 10,000 people.

The Catholic group built homes for 450 families using the temporary housing design developed by the Yongdaan Foundation.

In one village everyone was involved in its construction and learned all about the process and the skills involved, Fr George noted. Once they approved the model house and its design, they participated in the construction activities themselves. By doing this, it gave the community a sense of ownership who saw it as a collaborative activity.

After this, Bangalore cares moved to the village of Budaneelkanta, a leper colony, which had not been reached.

Within a week of our intervention, all 50 families residing in this village had homes, probably one of the first villages to have all houses made. The last became the first.

After putting roofs on peoples heads, the NGO took action to give a future to the children. It provided 850 new school bags.

It also identified 13 students, who had completed grade 12, for a one-year programme at the Hotel Management School in Bangalore. This was followed by a three-month practical course at a five-star hotel.

Another student, a young woman, is studying to be a nurse with the Holy Cross Sisters.

With the help of Proclade, a Spanish association that provided  55,000 (US$ 59,000), the Catholic NGO is building a school in the village of Madhurapatty, about 80 km from the capital. It has 160 learners, some of whom will have to travel ten kilometres to attend class.

The Indian NGO also built a community hall, a library, and a science lab in the same village. Our rehabilitation efforts are expected to be completed by the end of 2017, Fr George said.

The force that inspires and supports him is Jesus. "I am a Catholic. I believe that we must be present as followers of Jesus in any place and among any group where people are suffering. This is what Jesus did, and our calling as his followers is the same.

If we don't respond to situations of human suffering, especially like natural calamities, for me the very purpose of being a religious is not fulfilled. (NC)
This is the dramatic toll of the conflict, which has also left "more than 2140" children with minor injuries. UNICEF pleas that schools should be "zones of peace" and not targets of attacks. A renewed appeal for the protection of children. Yemeni institution for children against the Saudi air raids, responsible for "war crimes".

Sana'a (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 1,400 children have died and up to 2 thousand schools are unusable: this is the tragic toll of the war in Yemen traced by the UN Children's Fund, during a conference that was held in capital, Sana'a. UNICEF Representative in the Arab country, the theater of a bloody conflict in March 2015, Meritxell Relano, reported that there are "more than 1,400 dead children" while the UN experts counted "more than 2140 wounded" among the smallest.



"At least 2000 schools in Yemen - added the UN expert - can not be used because they have been destroyed, damaged, used to accommodate families of displaced or exploited for military purposes."

The UN spokesman confirmed the death, in recent days, of children hit by an air strike of the Saudi led Arab coalition north of the capital, which hit a market located by a school. Four other students were injured.



"Schools should be zones of peace  warned the Unicef spokeswoman - sanctuaries where children can learn, grow, play and feel safe." The woman again appealed to all parties to the conflict, to "protect children and put an end to attacks against civilian infrastructure."



The UN body condemnation echoes the Yemeni child protection bidy, which speaks explicitly of the Saudi aggression that continues to claim innocent victims. The Saba news agency, close to the Shiite Houthi rebel movement, reported the associations calls for Arab coalition air strikes to be regarded as war crimes against the Yemeni people.

Since January 2015, Yemen has been the scene of a bloody civil war opposing the countrys Sunni elites led by former President Hadi, backed by Riyadh, and Shia Houthi rebels, who are close to Iran.

In March 2015, a Saudi-led Arab coalition began attacking the rebels, sparking criticism from the United Nations over heavy casualties, including many children.

So far, some 10,000 people, including more than 3,700 civilians, have been killed, and at least 2.5 million have been displaced.

For Saudi Arabia, the Houthis, allied to forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, are supported militarily by Iran, a charge that Tehran rejects.

Extremist groups linked to al Qaeda and jihadist militias linked to Islamic State are active in the country, a fact that has helped escalate violence and terror.
by Mathias Hariyadi

Together with the bishop, Mgr Pius Riana Prapdi, AsiaNewss correspondent visited the most remote and isolated communities of the diocese of Ketapang. To reach them, they had to travel rough by car and, where the river is navigable, by boat. The advent of modernity has upset the ecosystem and the traditional lifestyle. For the bishop, strong motivation and will can overcome "unimaginable" challenges.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The diocese is lost in a remote part of the island of Kalimantan. Here priests (and bishop) arrive every three or four months, only if river conditions allow it, after hundreds of kilometres on difficult roads and rivers that are barely navigable.

AsiaNewss correspondent made this trip, together with Mgr Pius Riana Prapdi, bishop of Ketapang, to visit some of these remote and inaccessible parishes, between the end of 2016 and the first days of the new year. Here they met the natives and heard their problems and saw the challenges of a land where the mission requires "a strong motivation and a tough mentality."

Here is the story of the trip:

Pastoral mission in remote areas of Ketapang Diocese, strong will and tough mentality needed

Even for Indonesian Catholics in Kalimantan  and even more in Java and other islands across the nation  Ketapang Diocese in West Kalimantan Province is a place that many people have nothing to say. They have no idea about this huge diocese whose major areas are located in remote areas. If they have some idea of it, then their stories are limited only in the downtown of Ketapang. But Ketapang Diocese is not only Ketapangs district downtown which is almost similar to a sub district in Java.

Lying in the southernmost part of West Kalimantan Province, Ketapang Dioceses huge area is almost similar to Central Java and half of West Java Province. With its 329 stations a quasi-parish administration area as commonly known by Indonesian Catholicsit is not yet completely done by its bishop Mgr Pius Riana Prapdi to visit them all within his four-year long tenure as its bishop.

I hope I can fulfill my dream to visit all stations this year in 2017, he shared with AsiaNews during a seven-day long trip to remote areas in two parishes: Sepotong Parish Church and Sandai from 28 Dec 2016 to 3 Jan 2017.

Strong motivation and tough mentality is needed

Yes, it is definitely only two parishes. But to reach some stations in Holy Family Sepotong Parish and another station in Sandai Parish, it needs not only strong motivation and will but also tough mentality from all parties who join this pastoral mission to remote areas.

To reach these various destinations with its 350 km from the Ketapangs main downtown, we have to ride a 4x4 wheeled-drive double cabin car Toyota Hilux to meet the real challenge of slippery muddy roads across the jungle. The inland journey was then followed with hours of canoeing using a 15-HP engine motor-boat to reach remote areas that can only be reached by river stream, mostly when the surface is good due to heavy rain fall. If not, then these remote areas cannot be reached.

AsiaNews joined this trip as Ketapang Bishop Msgr. Pius Riana Prapdi offered us a good opportunity to see something totally different from Java. Here, in Ketapangs remote areas, pastoral mission can only be done with strong motivation and will as well as tough mentality to meet real challenges on the trip to meet unthinkable things that might not happen in Java: canoeing the river stream for hours as well as riding above the muddy slippery roads in the middle of nowhere.

20 year long of knowing nothing about the bishop

Limat, Tanjung Beringin, Selangkut Raya and Merapu are Sepotongs stations in Ketapang Diocese. Their location is found in Laur Rivers upstream. These locations can only be reached with a small motorboat if only the level of rivers stream is high.

You can enjoy the trip within 2-3 hours long with these small motorboat worth of 4 passengers only with their baggage in a normal season: high water level. During dry season, the water level is too low that trip may take days compared with only hours during normal season.

It was on December 2016 that heavy rains fall almost every day that Bishops tourney to these remote areas could be made: to perform the Sacrament of Confirmation, to commission a new chapel and meeting these native Dayak catholic people with whom bishop had never meet for almost 20 years.

Confirmation Sacrament was made in Tanjung Beringin, Limat, and Selangkut Raya to dozens of children, young people and adults.

A new chapel was commissioned in Merapu after four-year long of efforts to construct a simple church in a remote village in the jungle.

To meet local native Dayak Catholics in scores of these remote areas were definitely an amazing experience as today they strongly adopt Catholicism despite rare opportunity to meet priest and the bishop. Priests arrival to their community is done once within three or four months periods and it depends on the weather or the water lever of the river. In some area, people may use off road motorcycle but the road is too dangerous with its muddy steep uphill road.

No electricity, no mobile signal, no good shower

Why this needs strong motivation and will as well as tough mentality?

This is not only a pastoral mission to take care of the local native Dayak Catholics to serve holy Eucharist, catechesis and confirmation. But also how far tough are the people to go there as there are not available: electricity, mobile signal, toilet, clean water, television.

The river is the best place to take shower where crocs sometimes appear. Electricity is provided individually with generator set in each family. Communication is not possible as there is no mobile signal, unless you are asked to hike to nearby hill for two-hour walk into a deep forest and you cannot safely return home until local people guide your journey.

Indonesia has got its independence since 1945. But, in some parts of the nation including in West Kalimantan Province where Ketapang Diocese is located, development is still very poor.

And yet, Ketapang Bishop Msgr. Pius Riana Prapdi has his personal commitment to take care of these people who are not touched with development performed by central and local government. During his visit to these remote areas, he promotes not only catholic values and perform the sacraments, but also boost the morale of the people mostly young people to obtain better education and health expertise by becoming teachers and nurse.

In Selangkut Raya station for example, it is only one local young people who has recently managed to complete his studies in Java with the help of the bishop. It happened that a good donor from Central Java promoted this scholarship program for this local young people, he tells AsiaNews.

It happens only in one station and it is only one person. The rest are only primary or junior high graduates who then work as low paid workers in rubber farm or in palm plantation but with no good financial compensation.

Nomadic farming

In almost Dayak village, they earn living by mobile farming. They burn and cleanse the jungle and open a new farming compound. With the presence of massive palm plantation owned by huge corporations, the daily life of these native Dayaks is also in danger as their source of life in the jungle are becoming more and more limited: water source, various plants and vegetables that are easily found in the jungle, fruits, etc.

Kalimantan (or earlier known as Borneo) Island has been widely known as the worlds second lungs of the Earth after Amazon. Together with Sumatra Island, Kalimantan was originally almost completely forested. But today, much of these thick tropical forest has suffered major deforestation due to massive logging and palm plantation that endanger rare species including Sumatran tigress and elephants in Sumatra and Orang-utan in Kalimantan.

Facing serious challenges

With its huge territory, Ketapang Diocese has face lots of challenges, both spiritual and material.

Together with at least 40 priests (diocesan and Passionist) and dozens of nuns from various orders and congregations, Ketapang dioceses face the following serious challenges.

Strong faith is endangered

Decades ago, the local native people (the Dayaks) make their living by nomadic farming through cleansing forest into a new farming field. They did it traditionally for decades until finally deforestation is taking place where lots of area is changed into monoculture plantation (palm) and mining, following massive logging earlier. They changed their living from farming to accepting wages from companies. Social behaviour and relationship is radically changing which create new phenomena namely office hour working is much more interesting rather than doing ritual ceremonies in their chapel.

Life goal

Their big dream is to become state civil employee, workers in palm plantation or mining companies. Religious vocation is poor since young people feel interested in other things rather than doing for the Church. Minor seminarians are now only 35, major seminarians 8, and priests are 40.

Environmental issue

There has been radical change in Ketapang Dioceses geographical map: from farms to mining fields. From thick forest to plantations. Earlier, local people are much closed with their natural Earth and environment from where they earn living: fishes, fruits, vegetables, animals to hunt, etc. With the presence of vast palm plantation and major deforestation across the diocese, the Church of Ketapang Diocese is challenged to preserve the ultimate posture of all creatures in the region.
WILLISTON -- Target Logistics and Lodging Solutions will be trying on a new hat following the city commissions unanimous decision to rezone the property on Tuesday, allowing them to pursue plans to convert the crew camp into a hotel..

The two companies, which own 40 acres located at 13 104th Street E, had proposed plans to turn their temporary workforce housing facility to a 636-bed hotel, last November.

The concept was generated after a yearlong struggle against a city enforced crew camp ban that finally led to legal action, a case still currently being pursued in federal court.

Preliminary plans were submitted on Nov. 2, and the proposal came before the Planning and Zoning Commission, which offered its recommendation to the city, contingent on Target Logistics removing cabins from the site and repurposed buildings meeting zoning and building code standards.

The facility will have to follow requirements from the fire marshal, which will include sprinkler plans. This may require hookup to a rural water line and the remodel will need to be evaluated as a new-build project.

The project will also require paving for access and parking, as well as ordinance-defined landscaping.

Target Logistics Regional Vice President Travis Kelley told the planning department that their biggest efforts are currently understanding how the facility can be redeveloped to meet ADA, parking and building standards in order to receive a Certificate of Occupancies.

For the project to move forward, the city had to rezone the property from light industrial zoning to general commercial, which would allow hospitality operations.

The land was originally purchased in Williams County but was annexed into the city in 2013, requiring the crew camps to adhere to city guidelines. The property was zoned light industrial, which most closely reflected county zoning, but would not allow for temporary workforce housing.
by Francis Khoo Thwe



Yangon (AsiaNews) - With the intensification of the fighting in Kachin State, northern Myanmar, along the border with China, the conditions of thousands of internally displaced persons, seeking refuge across the border are becoming increasingly critical.

Local sources contacted by AsiaNews confirm the escalating battle between Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) and Kachin rebels (the Kachin Independence Army, KIA). The epicenter of the clash is the Laihpawng area, home to the Zai Awng and Mugga Zup refugee camps, which were evacuated in a hurry.



To exacerbate the crisis of internally displaced persons, the decision of the Chinese authorities to close the border and send back civilians fleeing the war to Myanmar. In recent days at least 4 thousand people sought refuge across the border have been detained and deported. Now, says one source, "they do not know where to go" and are locked "in an area where a" conflict is taking place.



Caritas Myanmar and several NGOs present on the ground have appealed to the central government and the international community, to intervene to put an end to violence and alleviate the plight of the civilian population.



January 10, there were heavy clashes between the two sides. The Burmese army attacked with artillery shells and air raids. The third battalions target was the Kia rebel militias, located along the Nagyang area, near the two camps. The fighting has caused the flight of 2,600 displaced people and 1,400 civilians, most of them women, the elderly and children. Local witnesses speak of the "extremely chaotic and precarious" situation, with the continued displacement of already displaced civilians, looking for a safe place away from the war. The people have fled in haste, without being able to take even the minimum necessary, including food and medicine for the sick.



Activists and humanitarian organizations operating on the ground, including Caritas, warned that the priority now is to ensure "the safety and security of internally displaced persons", rejected by China and trapped by the fighting between the two sides. One evacuee said: "Last night, frightened by the fighting, we packed in a hurry and fled. Some families had already left. We tried to ford the river in the darkness and cold of the night, but the biggest fear [as it then happened, ed] was that the Chinese soldiers would stop us", and then "send us back across the border."



Even today the majority of displaced persons (about 2/3 of the total, according to latest estimates) are being forced to survive on the Burmese side of the border, even if the common objective is to cross the border and seek refuge in China, to build a new life. However, Beijing continues to adopt the policy of rejections while the central Myanmar government keeps trying to isolate area.



In recent days Naypyidaw refused to grant a travel permit to the UN envoy for human rights Yanghee Lee for "security reasons", who was supposed to visit Laiza and Hpakant in Kachin State.



The Kachin are one of the 135 ethnic groups Myanmar is made; they have always struggled to coexist peacefully with the central government and its majority Burmese constituent. The war between the Tatmadaw (government army) and Kachin which flared up in June 2011 after 17 years of relative calm, has caused dozens of civilian deaths and at least 120 thousand displaced persons, living in 167 refugee camps.

Over the past several weeks the advance of the Tatmadaw has intensified in Kachin territory. The Naypyidaw troops are using air and land attacks to hit the positions of ethnic militias, causing an unknown number of deaths.



The Archbishop of Yangon, Card. Charles Bo, along with the Bishops' Conference of Myanmar, have frequently launched appeals to the whole country for peace. In an interview with AsiaNews, Msgr. Raymond Sumlut Gam, Bishop of Bhamo  the Diocese at the epicenter of the conflict - assured that "the Church will never abandon the displaced in the camps" and will continue to go "where they go."
Islamabad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - In Pakistan another secular activist, critic of religious extremism and violent fringes present in political and military circles has disappeared. Samar Abbas, 54, president of the Civil Progressive Alliance Pakistan (CPAP) is the fifth activist to have disappeared into thin air, after the same fate befell a famous university professor and three bloggers last week. Many now fear the security forces and terrorism are behind the mysterious disappearances.



Syed Talib Abbas, secretary general of CPAP, reports that the activist has disappeared while on his way from Karachi to Islamabad for a business trip. "The family - reports - received news of him until last Saturday [January 7], but then lost all contact and his phone is disconnected."



The activist Mona Aurangzeb believes that "the forced disappearance of members of the intellectual class of Punjab is an alarming trend. The state is giving the impression that no matter who you are: if you raise your voice or create problems, you have to pay the price. "



The head of the Alliance is the latest in a series of mysterious disappearances. Before him, on January 6 Salman Haider, a well-known poet who teaches at Fatima Jinnah Women's University in Rawalpindi disappeared in Islamabad.

Two days earlier in Lahore cousins Waqas Goraya and Aasim Saeed went missing, both bloggers. Finally, on January 7 the blogger Ahmed Raza Naseer, who suffers from polio also went missing, perhaps kidnapped while he was in his Skeikhupura shop, near Lahore.



The news of the disappearance of the fifth activist in the space of a week is raising questions about personal security and freedom of expression. An article appeared in The Express Tribune, called "Disappearing freedom in Pakistan." "At this point - it says - it would be premature to assign blame and responsibility. However it would be useful to examine the recent history of enforced disappearances in Pakistan, and the lack of public outrage about this horrible phenomenon. " And then it invites the public "at least to think intelligently about what these disappearances are trying to achieve and what allows them to move forward with such inexplicable ease."
by Melani Manel Perera

The presidential task force submitted its final document. It was set up last year to seek opinions on how to investigate war crimes. Experts recommend a "hybrid" mechanism that includes national and international judges, as well as experts. The government insists on a local court.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  The special task force established last year by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickreamasinghe to encourage a process of national reconciliation has recommended Sri Lanka immediately set up a mixed special court to investigate crimes committed during the civil war and draw on the expertise of local and international judges, as well as other experts.

Although the task force stresses the need for impartial investigations to include foreign staff, a government spokesperson said that the body should be exclusively national.

The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTFRM) delivered its report to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Set up last year, the Task Force was led by Manori Muttetuwegama, a well-known activist and lawyer, together with 11 other experts.

The latter heard political leaders, religious and civic officials, Tamil Tigers veterans, army officers and military commanders.

The aim is to create a legal entity able to receive complaints from war victims and provide the best possible assistance, sitting in judgement in a competent and impartial way. For this reason, "The office of the Special Counsel should be established without delay," the report said.

Previously, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, had called for the creation of a hybrid court in Sri Lanka, noting that "A purely domestic court procedure will have no chance of overcoming widespread and justifiable suspicions fueled by decades of violations, malpractice and broken promises".

The Task Force calls on the government to ensure a majority of national judges and at least one international judge on every bench hearing cases on accountability and grave crimes committed during the war.

The selection criteria for judges should be set out by the constitutional council in consultation with professional and civil society organisations and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

A government spokesman said that even if a government appointed committee makes a proposal, it is for the government to decide what to do.

Spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne stressed that the government is clear in its stand that a purely domestic mechanism will be used to investigate incidents related to the war whilst foreign technical assistance will be used if required.
"Building islands and then putting military assets on those islands is akin to Russia's taking of Crimea. Its taking of territory that others lay claim to," Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson said.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  The administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump is starting to lay the foundations for its confrontation with China over the South China Sea.

For the incoming administration, China should be denied access to the artificial islands it has built in the disputed waters.

Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of oil giant ExxonMobil, told his confirmation hearing Wednesday that China's activity in the waters, which see trillion in shipborne trade a year, was "extremely worrisome."

"Building islands and then putting military assets on those islands is akin to Russia's taking of Crimea. Its taking of territory that others lay claim to," Tillerson said.

For Tillerson, the Obama administration had neglected to tackle the problem, saying the "failure of a response has allowed them to just keep pushing the envelope on this."

Under Obama, the US has repeatedly called for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and sailed and flown its assets near the islands China controls -- drawing repeated warnings from China.

According to CNN, China has laid claim to more than 12 million square km.

During his visit to Washington in September 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that he would not militarise the islands but would only build runways.

In February 2016, American satellite photos show a ground-to-air missile battery on Yongxing, the largest of the Paracel Islands, claimed and held by China for more than forty years.

In July 2016, the Court of Arbitration ruled on the Law of the Sea stating that China "has no rights" to the South China Sea. Although its rulings are binding, they are not unenforceable. For its part, China claims that it was the first to have discovered, named, explored and exploited the disputed area.

After his election, Trump attacked China on Twitter, declaring his intention to strike new trade deals with Taiwan and questioning the one-China policy.
Work Bonuses Are Actually Bad For Your Health, Study Finds

Trending News: A Big Work Bonus May Actually Be Bad For Your Health

Long Story Short

A study in the United Kingdom has warned that while performance-related bonuses are good for motivating employees they may actually lead to the damaging effects of overwork.

Long Story

However much we claim were not all about the money, theres nothing better than getting a bonus at work.

The tactic of encouraging workers to push harder by rewarding productivity with cold hard cash has become increasingly commonplace and its a pretty solid scheme, because who doesnt like money?

But researchers from the Norwich Business School at the University of East Anglia fear that our bonus-chasing culture may actually be damaging to our well-being.

A total of 1,293 managers and 13,657 employees at 1,293 U.K. workplaces were interviewed about three types of common bonus that companies give to spur workers on  performance-related pay, profit-related pay and employee share ownership.

The research reported in the journal Human Resource Management found that performance bonuses did motivate employees, and also raised their sense of job satisfaction.

Sadly, the catch was that there was also a clear link between bonuses and intense working patterns which can lead to workplace stress and resultant health problems.

In fact, the lead researchers went as far as to suggest that the bonuses are a form of exploitation, pushing workers beyond their limits for the benefit of the company.

By tying employees performance to financial incentives, employers send signals to employees about their intention to reward extra work effort with more pay. Employees in turn receive these signals and feel obliged to work harder," said study author Dr. Chidiebere Ogbonnaya.

Even though employees may value these earnings as a good thing, the ultimate beneficiary of their extra effort is the organisation. As a consequence, performance-related pay may even be considered exploitative.

The study also found that bonuses must be seen to be fair or they do more harm than good. When only some people were able to receive performance bonuses, workplace morale and relationships with bosses suffered across the board.

Meanwhile, employee share ownership oddly seemed to have no positive effect on a workforce and actually seemed to reduce job satisfaction.

The lesson seems to be that both employers and employees need to think carefully about bonuses and whether they are actually a positive stimulus to get out of bed on a Monday morning, or in fact a shortcut to exhaustion.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Would anyone actually give up extra money, even if they knew the consequences?

Drop This Fact

A 2010 study by Kou Murayama and Kenji Matsumoto at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Tokyo found that money does motivate people to work harder but at the same time reduces their intrinsic motivation to do their job.
On Monday, Jan. 9, The U. S. Supreme Court denied the Petition of a Miner County South Dakota farm couple who were fighting a USDA wetlands designation. USDA enforces rules in which it declares as wetlands farmland that has been converted by a farmer from wetlands to arable working land. When such a federal designation is made the farmer loses his right to participate in USDA programs and benefits. Under USDA maps about two thirds of North Dakota, one half of South Dakota and the western part of Minnesota is covered by prairie potholes and wetlands.

The interest group representing the Miner County farmers had called this so-called swampbuster action by the department of agriculture a phony wetlands designation. The groups advocacy on behalf of the Miner County farmers was however weak. The group did not use any experts in its challenge to the designation and appeared uninformed on the methods used by the USDA to designate the Miner County land as wetlands.

In the governments brief before the Supreme Court the government pointed out that the petitioners neither cross-examined the USDA witness nor offered a competing definition of a local area to use as a comparison site. The landowners separately argued in their Petition that USDA violated the US Constitution by selecting a comparable wetlands site without giving petitioners notice and an opportunity to be heard. However the landowners had not presented this argument in the lower courts.

The Miner County couples challenge was timely because of problems with the USDA wetlands process. Nevertheless the landowners argument was not based on a strong set of facts. But because of the continuing problems with USDA rules on wetlands designations several congressman introduced a bill amending the swampbuster law.

This wetlands bill, introduced in June 2016, was not acted upon and has had no hearings in Congress. In addition, the new bill was not actively pushed by its sponsors. The proposed amendments have merit and should be actively supported by agriculture interest groups. The proposed reforms do not prejudice proper environmental stewardship of the land. This bill should have bipartisan support. The bill, although now caught in no-mans-land because of a lack of interest, would require the USDA to make a decision on a piece of property as either wetlands or not wetlands within 60 days of noticing the landowner. The proposed bill also allows for quicker and easier access to federal courts without going through a lot of bureaucratic hearings. The amendments state that the USDA has the burden of proof on any claim that the property in question is a wetlands. The proposed amendments also give the landowner the right to obtain technical assistance early on in any process in order to timely oppose a claim of wetland delineation.

David Ganje practices law in the area of natural resources, environmental and commercial law. His website is Lexenergy.net.
Ashurst is advising on a stake sale with a deal value of US$900 million (about $1.23 billion) of a major oil project in Uganda.



The law firm is advising Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) on its divestment in Uganda to Total E&P Uganda B.V. (Total). Total will acquire 21.57% in the Lake Albert development project in in the country while Tullow retains an 11.76% interest in the upstream and pipeline.



Tullows stake will be reduced to 10% when the Government of Uganda formally exercises its right to back-in.



Global energy partner Michael Burns is leading the Ashurst team, working with partners Philip Thomson and Jan Sanders. The partner team is supported by associates Mary Seely, Grace Rackham, Maddison Bird and Emma Camilleri. Tax advice was provided by partner Nick Gardner and associate Tim Gummer.



The deal includes US$200 million in cash (about $272.96 million), consisting of $100 million on completion of the transaction (about $136.48 million) and $50 million at both Final Investment Decision and First Oil (each about $68.24 million).



US$700 million or about $955 million is deferred consideration which will be used by Tullow to fund the company's share of the costs of the upstream development project and the associated export pipeline project.



The project is expected to produce around 230,000 barrels per day at peak oil.



This is a hugely significant transaction for Tullow, Total and Ugandas Lake Albert upstream and associated pipeline projects. We are delighted to be advising Tullow and to develop the relationship into the M&A arena," said Burns.

In response, Rupert Rowland-Clark, General Counsel of Tullow, said: Weve really appreciated Ashursts support on this transaction so far. Their M&A expertise and oil and gas industry knowledge has made a significant difference moving this transaction efficiently to signing. We now look forward to working with Ashurst to get this transaction completed.





Related stories:

Ashurst acts on financing for major Jordan wind farm

Australia, Timor-Leste to renegotiate sea border treaty


By Michael Westaway, Senior Research Fellow, Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University

Australia was once home to giant reptiles, marsupials and birds (and some not so giant), but the extinction of this megafauna has been the subject of a debate that has persisted since the 19th century.

Despite great advances in the available scientific techniques for investigating the problem, answering the key question of how they became extinct has remained elusive.

Indeed, the same questions as those asked in the 19th century by scientists, such as the British comparative anatomist Sir Richard Owen and the Prussian scientist and explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, remain: were people responsible for their demise or was it climate change?

Our new research, published in the latest Quaternary Science Reviews journal, shows that early humans to Australian lived alongside some of the megafauna for many thousands of years before the animals became extinct.

The First Australians

Many researchers have previously argued that the megafauna became extinct soon after the arrival of the First Australians.

For example, it has been argued that perhaps firing of the landscape dramatically altered ancient Australias ecology. One species in particular, the giant flightless bird Genyornis newtoni was investigated and shown to have succumbed to significant habitat change and direct predation.

But the hypothesis for Genyornis extinction has come under significant criticism due to the emergence of counter evidence. Firstly the egg shells thought to be from Genyornis are considered by leading palaeontologists to perhaps be from a much smaller megapode.

The evidence for firing of the landscape, as studied through the genomes of fire sensitive plants, shows no record of plants going through genetic bottlenecks as a result of significant firing events.

It seems that Aboriginal populations may not have been that large until much later in prehistory. Our genomic research has revealed that significant demographic changes did not occur until some 10,000 years ago. The genomic evidence suggests that for tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal populations were not that large.

More careful analysis of the record often reveals a very different picture.

A dating game

Critical to understanding when the megafauna became extinct is dating, and ideally, the application of multiple dating techniques will provide the finest resolution. If two different dating techniques arrive at similar dates, then this is a very good sign for the age of a species.

In recent years it has been suggested there are very few good dates for the extinction of megafauna. Some have argued that it is possible many of the 45 or so megafauna species thought to have become extinct after 50,000 years ago may have in fact slipped into the extinction abyss tens of thousands of years before the First Australians arrived.

One way of testing the various extinction models is by looking for megafauna in landscapes that show continuous Aboriginal occupation over the past 50,000 years. These landscapes should ideally also have conditions for the preservation of fossil bones.

There are very few localities like this but one exception in Australia is the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, in New South Wales.

If we can show that megafauna disappear soon after the arrival of the First Australians, then we have support for the rapid extinction model. If we show that megafauna and people co-existed for many years, then we may have to seek other explanations for their demise.

In theory this sounds quite straightforward, but unfortunately it is far from the case. While there are megafauna fossils found across the Willandra landscape, many of these have eroded out of their original burial contexts.

We can get age estimates on these fossils using uranium series (U-series) dating, but they only represent minimum age estimates. If we can find fossils still encased within their original sediments, then we can date the age of the sand grains using a technique called optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL for short).

By dating the fossil directly with U-series we arrive at a minimum age estimate. By dating the sand grains that a fossil is found in we arrive at the maximum age range.

Unfortunately carbon dating does not work within the Willandra for megafauna fossils as there never seems to be enough collagen left in the bone to obtain a carbon date.

A groundbreaking fossil find  in the museum

After much field work spread over a number of years we had very little luck in finding in situ fossils. We found numerous specimens, but these were often isolated bones sitting on eroded surfaces.

But one specimen found a few decades before our search did provide an excellent dating opportunity.

Zygomaturus trilobus was a large lumbering wombat-like marsupial, the size of a very large bull. We know very little about its ecology, and we know even less about when and how it became extinct.

A specimen of this extraordinary marsupial with its large flaring cheek bones (zygomatics) was excavated on two separate occasions in the 1980s, first by zoologist Jeanette Hope and later by archaeologists Harvey Johnston and Peter Clarke.

The upper jaw (maxilla) of the animal was sent to the Australian Museum in Sydney where it was kept encased in its original sediments. The lower jaw can be seen on display at Mungo National Park.

Climate the catalyst for extinction?

By taking sediment samples for OSL dating and by dating the fossil directly with U-series dating we were able to show that the specimen died sometime around 33,000 years ago.

Aboriginal people arrived in the Willandra some 50,000 years ago. It is always possible that earlier evidence for the First Australians in that landscape will be found in the future.

The Zygomaturus specimen shows that people and megafauna co-existed for at least 17,000 years. Indeed the species seems to have existed up to the period where the climate began to change dramatically, known as the last glacial cycle leading up to the Last Glacial Maximum.

Of course our date at 33,000 years ago does not represent the extinction date of Zygomaturus, just the latest dated remains of this iconic species.

Perhaps deteriorating climatic condition saw the Willandra Lakes become a refuge for both megafauna and people, as the surrounding plains held less water. This may have brought species such as Zygomaturus and people into increased contact?

This single fossil has changed the nature of the megafauna extinction debate. We can now abandon the rapid/over kill hypothesis and start to untangle how climate may have played a role, or how changes in Aboriginal population numbers may have impacted on the ecology of the megafauna?

We should start to build an understanding of how these animals played a role in the ecology of ancient Australia. Were they, for example, critical in the management of certain habitats, just as the megafauna of Africa are today?

We know next to nothing of the ecology of most of these species.

It is possible that some species of megafauna co-existed for even longer so much work remains to be done. There is still a great deal to learn about Australias ancient megafauna.

Michael Westaway receives funding from the Australian Research Council. This research was supported by the Three Tribal Groups of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area and staff of Mungo National Park and the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area.

Rainer Grun receives funding from the Australian Research Council

Jon Olley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Hello everyone, my name is Tiffany and I live in the USA. I'm preparing to turn in my VISA application at the end of this month and was recommended this forum by a friend that moved to Australia a little less then a year ago on a PMV.



Firstly, I was married (verbal separation in February 2015, physical separation in June 2015) when I met my current partner, but we didn't announce ourselves as official until around August 2015. My ex and I couldn't afford to get a divorce at the time of our original separation due to money restraints. My Marital Separation Agreement shows the date we physically separated, but my divorce papers say December 2016. I have never lived with my fiance, so I know I wasn't breaking any laws. I just wanted some reassurance that this fact will not interfere with my PMV.



I was originally planning to try to move to Australia by ways of work or military, since I am prior service Army. After I met his family and he met mine, my partner proposed to me and convinced me to do a PMV. We didn't know how long it would take for me to get there or how long I'd be able to stay under a Work VISA and we are both ready to start life together, as well as a family.



We want to make sure everything is done correctly legally and want to make sure that there is virtually no chance of failing to get a PMV, because it is a very large amount of money that neither of us can afford to just throw away. We want to get this done right the first time. I was told that I could find a RMA here that would be willing to look over my PMV app, as well as my supporting documents and let me know if I have done anything that could result in a denied VISA. I need this app to be as strong of a case as possible, with what I have. Of course I will try again if I'm denied, but my partner and I really want to start a family together, the right way. I would greatly appreciate any help offered.



Thanks in advance!
Submitted visa in November by paper in USA (married 11 years and 2 kids) and Tuesday they sent charge through for visa which my bank denied thinking it was fraud even though we had already spoken with them months ago about it. Dibp emailed us and said we have three days to respond and they would either try again or submit new payment information depending on our response. So of course I ran to the bank cleared everything up and replied to email right after to try and charge again. So now I am concerned because they haven't tried again yet and it has been nearly three days? Is this normal? Will they deny the visa without trying again? We have already waited 2 months just for this. Has this happened to anyone else? We are very unhappy with our bank.
It now remains to be seen who takes over as the chairman of Tata Motors.

Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Motors, today announced that a Tata veteran, N. Chandrasekaran, popular as just 'Chandra' will be the new chairman. Chandrasekaran, 53, is currently the CEO and MD of India's most valuable IT company TCS, a position he has held since 2009. The tech flagship of the Tata Group commands a market capitalisation of around $17 billion. TCS today also announced its third quarter results, posting close to 3 percent (sequentially) quarterly profits at Rs 6,778 crore  touching $1 billion mark in profits for the first time.

Later in the day, it was reported in the media that Tata Sons had called an "unscheduled" board meeting at 4 pm, giving rise to speculations that the Group chairman will be finalised.

On October 24, 2016, Cyrus Mistry was replaced at short notice as the chairman of Tata Sons, the position he was appointed to in December 2012. Ratan Tata, the previous chairman was appointed as interim chairman. A panel comprising Ratan Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra and Ronen Sen was formed to select a replacement. What followed after the removal of Mistry was one of the biggest corporate governance issues in India, with a long and bitter spat between Mistry and the Tata Sons leadership spilling into the public space.

Cyrus Mistry was the sixth chairman of Tata and had been a director of the company since 2006. In addition, he was also the chairman of some leading Tata Group companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive and Tata Consultancy Services.

It remains to be seen if Chandrasekaran also becomes the chairman of Tata Motors, as had been the case with both Mistry and Ratan Tata when they took over in the past. However, according to the grapevine, Ralf Speth who is currently the CEO of Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover is tipped to be Tata Motors chairman. It may be noted that Speth and Chandrasekaran were recently elevated as Board members.
Strong demand from China offsets decrease in sales in Europe and the Americas.

Volkswagen delivered more than 5.8 million cars in 2016, representing a growth of 2.8 percent compared with the year before, despite pressure from the ongoing Dieselgate scandal.

The German brand delivered 58,23,400 cars globally between January and December with 26,30,000 of those going to China alone, where demand was up by 14 percent over 2015. The East Asian countrys rapid growth and an 11.8 percent increase in deliveries for the wider Asia-Pacific region offset decreases in deliveries to Europe and the Americas.

Deliveries to Western Europe were down by 2 percent and Russia saw a decrease in deliveries by 5.4 percent. Conversely, Central and Eastern European deliveries grew by 6.9 percent, but with less than 2,25,000 cars delivered to the region, the growth had little impact on overall results on the continent.

More significant was Germanys 7.2 percent decrease in deliveries  representing a loss of 43,200 cars when compared to 2015  and a 26.8 percent fall in deliveries for South America, with a significant 35 percent reduction of deliveries in Brazil, where 2,18,200 customers received their cars in 2016. The USA received 3,22,900 cars last year, a decrease of 7.6 percent from the year before.

The Asian and Pacific regions and VWs largest market, China, can therefore take most credit for propping up its delivery numbers through 2016, when the brand faced heavy criticism and financial penalties following the emissions scandal of 2015, widely referred to as Dieselgate. An uncertain global economy and localised political issues also presented VW with a tougher economic climate than before.

VW brands board member for sales, Jurgen Stackmann, said: The Volkswagen brand ended 2016 on a successful note. Almost six million customers chose our brand and remained loyal to us in challenging times. These encouraging results at the close of 2016 give us confidence for 2017, a year in which there will be several important product premieres in all regions.

Around 24 hours before its figures were released, Volkswagen launched its Tiguan Allspace at the Detroit motor show. The model and its US-focused larger sibling, the Atlas, are charged with capitalising on strong demand for SUV growth, particularly in China and the US.
Speaking to the Toledo Blade , Sergio Marchionne said that keeping the car as camouflaged as possible from the prying eyes of spy photographers is a bit of a bother. He declared that he cant cover them up with masking tape. The car [JL Wrangler] is too distinctive. We may show it in Los Angeles in November and then launch it officially here in January [2018].According to a previous report on the JL Wrangler, the all-new model is rumored to start production in November 2017. Now, lets put the said report and the Toledo Blades story side by side. Notice anything? The date overlaps, albeit the cause is different: start of production versus the public outing.Even if those are Marchionnes words, youd better believe that the LA Auto Show debut for the new Wrangler is not set in stone. And on that bombshell, the JK Wrangler will stay in production until March 2018, apparently.The new kid on the block, however, is way more interesting than its venerable predecessor. Engine-wise, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 will be joined by a 2.0-liter turbo-four named Hurricane. Then theres a rumor according to which the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 oil-burning motor will be added to the lineup.Another Jeep product worth looking forward to is the pickup. Currently known as the JT Wrangler, the workhorse version will be built at the south plant of the FCA Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio. The Jeep Wrangler pickup in crew cab guise should go on sale in late 2018 as a 2019 model year vehicle.
Sure, Porsche might be the most motorsport-friendly automaker in the world, but the six-wheeled contraption you see here breaks all the rules, be they spoken or not.Delivered by Facebook label KD kalim design , the 1s and 0s we're dealing with will easily infuriate purists, but we have to admit the pixel play adds to the aura of the gas-electric Zuffenhausen machine.Come to think about it, the German automaker shouldn't be upset about the release of this render. After all, the has been a constant headline presence after the velocity animal's production came to an end back in June 2015, so it doesn't hurt to grab some extra attention.Most such occasions came from outside the company, such as the Porsche vs. Koenigsegg roof removal battle we showed you last year. Of course, the rendering realm is responsible for tons of occasions on which the 918 Spyder was taken out of many enthusiasts' comfort zone - remember that pixel rearrangement that portrayed an imaginary twin-turbo facelift for the hypercar?Nevertheless, the German automaker has also offered us various occasions to enjoy the sight and soundtrack of the hyper-hybrid. For instance, last fall saw Porsche renting the Nurburgring for 918 Spyder owners, while adding an example of the ear-pleasing Carrera GT to the adventure.Speaking of which, the 918 Spyder is still the production king of the Green Hell - despite multiple attempts to break the 'Ring production vehicle record last year, with the most notable one coming from Koenigsegg , nobody has managed to grab Porsche's trophy. Given the car world's obsession for Nordschleife stopwatch numbers, it's almost surreal to see the 2013 record is still at the top of the board.
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!)
Holland

Merchants Fleet Management has established a new sales region covering the northeastern portion of the U.S. and promoted several associates to support the initiative, the fleet management company announced.

Diana Holland, an 18-year Merchants employee, will head sales efforts in the new region as director of sales. She will report to Tom Coffey, vice president of sales and marketing. Holland will join existing regional sales directors Jeff Thomas and John Keller who represent the western and eastern regions respectively.

Durocher

Holland's territory will cover Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware and the states north east of that line, said Tracy Durocher, a Merchants spokesperson.

In related news, Merchants promoted Durocher to the role of assistant director of marketing. Durocher, who joined the company in 2015, will help Coffey with the company's strategic marketing function and lead-generation efforts.

And lastly, Jennifer Gordon has been promoted to product sales consultant. Gordon joined the company in 2012.
The executives of auto companies all over the world are highlighting their investments in the United States at the Detroit Auto Show. It did seem that the executives are mindful of President-elect Donald Trump's attacks on automakers for building vehicles in Mexico.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI)(FCAU.N) Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne stated that the uncertainty over Trump's trade and tax policies could lead to delay in investments in Mexico. He also stated that he plans to create 2,000 jobs at Fiat Chrysler's U.S. factories.

"The reality is the Mexican automotive industry has now for a number of years been tooled-up to try and deal with the U.S. market. If the U.S. market were not to be there, the reasons for its existence are on the line," Marchionne told, reported Reuters.

It was announced by FCA that it would spend $1 billion to retool factories in Ohio and Michigan to build new Jeep sport utility vehicles, as well as a pickup truck. It also announced that it will potentially move production of a Ram heavy-duty pickup truck to Michigan from Mexico, reported VOA News.

Ford confirmed it would build a new Ranger pickup and a new SUV under the storied Bronco name at a Michigan factory that currently builds Focus small cars. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump criticized Ford's announcement which it made last year that it would move Focus production to Mexico.

Last week, Ford scrapped plans to build the $1.6-billion Focus plant in Mexico and said it would invest $700 million in a factory in Michigan. While that matter at hand is a big deal, the executives at Ford, Fiat Chrysler and other automakers emphasized that their investment decisions were driven by business considerations, not Trump's comments.

It is a fact that most major automakers in the U.S. market have substantial vehicle-making operations in Mexico. There is a complex network of parts makers that supply their factories in the United States and support jobs and investment in states such as Ohio and Michigan.

Trump reacted to the announcement and praised Ford and Fiat Chrysler's latest announcements through Twitter. "It's finally happening - Fiat Chrysler just announced plans to invest $1BILLION in Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2000 jobs," Trump tweeted. "Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C(hrysler)."

Trump's focus on U.S. automotive jobs, and uncertainty over what policies he may introduce, have been the main points of discussion among the top officials in the industry at the annual auto show. Various companies ranging from General Motors Co (GM.N) to Honda Motor Co (7267.T) to Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE) used the show to highlight new U.S. investments.
The Armenian government decided on Thursday to dissolve a state-owned company that was supposed to oversee the planned construction of a railway connecting Armenia to neighboring Iran.

Transport and Communications Minister Vahan Martirosian insisted that the move does not mean the government is abandoning the extremely ambitious and expensive project. The government simply wants to save 35 million drams ($73,000) in annual budgetary spending on the company called the Railway Construction Directorate, he said.

Our ministry has a department on railway which can take over [the companys] functions, Martirosian told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.

The company employing 13 people has absorbed 185 million drams in government funding during its five-year existence, according to the minister.

The Armenian and Iranian governments have discussed the railway project for more than a decade. Shortly after taking office in 2008, President Serzh Sarkisian announced that work on the rail link will get underway in the next few years.

However, Yerevan has so far failed to attract an estimated $3.2 billion needed for building the 305-kilometer-long Armenian section of the railway that would mainly pass through the mountainous Syunik province.

Sarkisian and Irans President Hassan Rouhani signaled no progress towards the projects implementation after their December 21 talks in Yerevan.

Martirosian, who was appointed as transport minister in October, declined to speak of any time frames for the railway construction, admitting that its huge cost exceeding Armenias entire state budget remains the key obstacle. But the project remains under government control, he said.

Hayk Gevorgian, an economic writer for the Yerevan daily Haykakan Zhamanak, suggested that the project will not be implemented anytime soon. The cargo and passenger traffic through that railway would be too small to convince investors to invest huge sums, he said.

Gevorgian questioned government claims that the investments can be recouped within 22 years.
Haykakan Zhamanak says that virtually all opposition groups in Armenia are now holding underground meetings over the possible formation of alliances for the April 2 parliamentary elections. Various politicians involved in this process have only one answer to journalists questions: Just wait a little, we will make a statement as soon as we reach agreement, reports the paper. The parties and other political forces may well be waiting for signals from the West and Russia. This situation is certainly not a pleasant one. It would be desirable if Armenias political class consisted of more independent entities capable of presenting themselves to the public in a more clear and confident manner.

Zhamanak says now that it is clear that Prime Minister Karen Karapetian is not eligible to stand in the elections President Serzh Sarkisian is also unlikely to be included on the electoral list of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). The paper claims that this will downgrade the status of the HHK list. It is becoming a list of ordinary candidates who are not involved the struggle for power in one way or another, it says. They are simply pawns, functionaries. In this sense, the struggle for power will shift to the campaign headquarters in accordance with a tradition set during the [2015] constitutional referendum.

Hayots Ashkhar describes as face-saving and belated the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs statement on the December 29 deadly skirmish on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The Minsk Group co-chairs had to show that they exist and stand by their proposals on confidence-building mechanisms made [at the Armenian-Azerbaijani summit] in Vienna, comments the paper. It would be naive to expect something different from them because their main goal is to get the parties to sit at the negotiation table  in order to preventing the outbreak of another war between them. They will put their mediating status at risk if they attempt to do more. That would only increase the danger of an all-out war.

(Tigran Avetisian)
12 January 2017 10:51 (UTC+04:00)

Armenias Armed Forces have 35 times violated the ceasefire in different directions along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on January 12.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in the Kamarli and Jafarli villages of Azerbaijans Gazakh district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in the Dovekh village of the Noyemberyan district and in the Azatamut village of the Ijevan district of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani army positions located in the Alibayli village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district were shelled from the Armenian army positions located in the Aygepar village of the Berd district of Armenia.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions underwent fire from the Armenian positions located near the Armenian-occupied Goyarkh village of the Tartar district, Shirvanli village of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Horadiz village of the Fuzuli district, as well as from the positions located on the nameless heights of the Goranboy, Tartar, Khojavand, Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 16:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

It is the 15th day the Armenian Armed Forces refuses to return the dead body of the Azerbaijani soldier Chingiz Gurbanov, who was killed during the prevention of the Armenian sabotage on December 29, 2016.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland urged Armenia to return the body of the killed serviceman, without delay.

"The Council of Europe does not have a direct role in the negotiations, and always refers to, and supports the role of, the OSCE Minsk-Group," said Jagland in the statement. "However, we are concerned about the humanitarian aspects of the conflict. I am aware that the violations of the ceasefire on December 29 resulted in casualties, and that the Armenian Armed Forces are still holding the body of an Azerbaijani serviceman killed in the fighting, he said.

Jagland noted he fully supported the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Groups call for the return of human remains  in accordance with the agreements of the Astrakhan Summit of 2010  bearing in mind the humanitarian nature of this issue.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces attempted to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on December 29, 2016. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders and suffered heavy losses. During the fighting, Azerbaijani serviceman Chingiz Gurbanov went missing. Later, it was clarified that he was killed by the Armenian Armed Forces and his body remained on the territory controlled by the Armenian Armed Forces.

Azerbaijans State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People issued on January 11 another call regarding the issue. The Commission noted in its statement that Armenia tries to justify the non-return of Azerbaijani servicemans body by giving reasons that defy any logic.

The State Commission appreciated the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs aimed at the repatriation of the body of Azerbaijani serviceman.

The statement noted that the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, which Armenia also joined and undertook to meet its requirements, prohibits to hold for any reason the bodies of the dead.

The Commission said given that such actions by Armenia have taken place earlier, such an inhumane act as prolonged failure to return the bodies of the victims has turned into a trend in this country.

The statement urged to halt inhumane activity of Armenia and to take necessary measures for compliance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention.

In addition, Azerbaijans Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) Elmira Suleymanova sent a letter to the President of the ICRC Peter Maurer in connection with the return of the body of the killed soldier.

The Armenian side tries to delay the process, declares that there is "investigation," while the mechanism and procedure for the return of bodies of dead soldiers is quite known to both parties, as well as to your organization, she noted in the letter.

We believe that this step of Armenia is a flagrant violation of universally recognized norms of international law, human rights, and requirements of the Geneva convention, the ombudsperson noted.

The letter also stated that the Armenian side does not respect the ceasefire regime, existing since 1994, and regularly makes provocations, one of which was carried out on April 2016.

Considering all mentioned above, as well as the expectation of the family of the soldier and of the country's population, we ask you, within the mandate of the ICRC and in accordance with international law, to assist in the return of the body of the soldier Chingiz Gurbanov, the letter concluded.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 18:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The OSCE monitoring held along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops passed without incidents, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on January 12.

The monitoring was held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative in the direction of the Ashagi Veysalli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring was held by field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Hristo Hristov, Simon Tiller and representative of the High Level Planning Group, Major Cavit Elyas.

On the Azerbaijani territories occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring was held by field assistant of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Peter Svedberg and head of the High Level Planning Group, Colonel Hans Lampalzer.

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
In the early eighteenth century, English naturalist Mark Catesby set foot in a New World. After spending the better part of ten years, spread across two separate trips, exploring and documenting North Americas rich biodiversity, he would eventually publish his research and original artworks as the first fully illustrated book on the flora and fauna of North America.

Catesby, Mark. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. v. 1, ed. 1. pl. 19. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40753174.

Published over eighteen years between 1729-1747, The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands contains 220 plates based mostly upon Catesbys own watercolors, which he worked up based on sketches he made in the field.

The success of Catesbys work was based largely on his emphasis on personal observation and use of art to convey a visual record of his research.

Over 250 years later, students in South Carolina are following Catesbys example.

As part of a collaboration with the Catesby Commemorative Trust, Dr. Tracey Hunter-Doniger used illustrations from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands as the foundation for lesson plans designed to help students learn more about the importance of observation and the relationship between art and science.

Before photography, scientists used drawings to record what they saw. Scientists also had to be artists. These lessons are an opportunity for students to see how art and science are connected while also understanding the importance of Catesbys work and his role in natural history, emphasizes Tracey.

Dr. Tracey Hunter-Doniger. Image Credit: College of Charleston website http://teachered.cofc.edu/faculty-staff-listing/hunter-doniger-tracey.php.

A fifteen year K-8 visual art education veteran, Tracey has spent the last five years at the College of Charleston as an Assistant Professor of Creativity and Creative Arts in Education. In the fall of 2016, Tracey teamed up with her friend Erin Russell, the art teacher at Memminger Elementary School in Charleston, SC, to implement a trial run of her lesson plans in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade art classes at Memminger.

All three classes were challenged to use their powers of observation to record what they saw, just as Catesby had done centuries before. Students were given copies of Catesbys illustrations, which Tracey downloaded and printed from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. The first edition copy of Catesbys masterpiece in BHL, digitized from the Joseph F. Cullman Rare Book Library at Smithsonian Libraries, is one of the few known perfect copies of this edition in existence.

Having access to this resource through BHL is a treasure, praises Tracey. Being able to show the students the prints of the original artworks and use them to explain that these represent what Catesby saw and what he wanted to convey speaks volumes to the students.

The first grade students were instructed to use the illustrations as a reference to draw their own copy of the specimens. The third and fifth graders were asked to flex their observational skills even further by not only copying the illustration as they saw it, but also homing in on a specific section of the image and creating a more detailed depiction of that area, as though they were looking at it through the lens of a microscope.

Example of the 3rd and 5th grade Catesby lesson, whereby students zoom in on details in the specimen being observed. Example by Dr. Tracey Hunter-Doniger.

While the trial runs of each class were limited to one, 45-minute session, Tracey believes that the lessons helped the students understand how art can be a scientific tool. For future iterations, she hopes to run the classes as three-week lessons where students start by observing and copying Catesbys art in the classroom and then extend their learning to the outdoors by taking nature walks and drawing in the field, as Catesby did. She would also love the students to have the opportunity to explore Catesbys publication in full through the BHL website.

Access is key, stresses Tracey. In an ideal scenario, we would go into the website, we would do research, and then we would practice the skills we learn by going into the field. We would do as Catesby did. We would be Catesby in the field.

The lessons that Tracey created are just two of several that are being developed as part of a collaboration with the Catesby Commemorative Trust and the College of Charleston. For example, a science lesson, written by William Veal, Cyndi Hall, and Rodney Moore, uses Catesbys art to help students assess how adaptations contribute to a species ability to survive in a given environment. Lesson activities include drawing a bird inspired by a Catesby illustration, noting characteristics (such as beak shape), and performing experiments to see how various adaptations might help that species survive.

The lessons plans resulting from this collaboration are being made available to teachers in South Carolina through the LearningWhy site created by South Carolina ETV. The plans are also available to teachers across the country through PBS LearningMedia.

Catesby, Mark. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. v. 2, ed. 1, pl. 17. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40680449.

From Traceys perspective, the use of Catesbys material in these lesson plans is a powerful way to integrate primary source material that is not only historically significant but also highly relevant to the area where she and her students live.

Living in an area thats so rich in history, its very impactful to be able to show the students how Catesbys story fits into that history, says Tracey. The art is the visual side of that narrative. It helps explain who Catesby was, what he did, and why he was important. If youre telling the Catesby story, the art is a critical part of that story.

Thanks to the Biodiversity Heritage Library and Smithsonian Libraries, students in South Carolina and others around the world can freely and easily access Catesbys work and countless other natural history treasures, no matter where their classroom journeys take them.

______________________________________



This post may contain the personal opinions of BHL users or affiliated staff and does not necessarily represent the official Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) position on these matters.
12 January 2017 11:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

A groundbreaking ceremony for Azerbaijan-Iran joint pharmaceutical plant will be held on January 16, Trend reported.

Iranian Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei is expected to visit Azerbaijan in connection with the ceremony.

Over $30 million will be invested in the construction of the joint venture. In April 2016, Iran's Darou Pakhsh Holding Company, the largest pharmaceutical company of Iran inked a memorandum of understanding with the Azerbaijan Investment Company and Azersun Holding in Baku as part of this project.

The plant, to be located in Pirallahi Industrial Park, is planned to be commissioned within two years and produce dozens of essential drugs for the treatment of heart diseases, contagious diseases, non-communicable diseases, as well as various types of antibiotics and painkillers.

The necessary medicines will be imported from Iran to Azerbaijan within the first stage, while Iran will provide all necessary technology for the production of drugs in the second stage of the project, production of medicines will be launched at the third stage.

Azerbaijan sees the pharmaceutical manufacturing as one of the major directions to diversify the non-oil sector of the economy

. In late 2015, the government announced that Azerbaijan will create own enterprises that will manufacture medicines to cease dependence on import and develop pharmaceutical industry of the country.

Taking into account the profitability of pharmaceutical sector, the government is keen to cooperate with foreign companies in this direction.

In November 2016 construction of the first joint plant has already been launched. The Russian private hi-tech pharmaceutical company R-Pharm, Azerbaijan Investment Company and Vita-A LLC (Azerbaijan) signed a deal on the creation of Hayat Pharm Joint Venture on November 2 in Baku.

---

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 14:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Czech companies are going to offer Azerbaijani businessmen new projects in the field of construction and pharmaceuticals, as well as financial sector.

The Czech side will present the projects during the next meeting of the Azerbaijani-Czech Intergovernmental Commission and joint business forum scheduled for January 17-18 in Baku.

Prospects of cooperation in the above-mentioned areas, as well as the strengthening of trade and economic relations in general will be discussed during the meeting, said Farid Shafiyev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Prague.

The governmental delegation of the Czech Republic will be accompanied by representatives of major Czech companies operating in the fields of agriculture and food industry, finance, insurance, energy, logistics, construction, law, chemistry, engineering, glass manufacturing, and other sectors of the economy.

The delegation that will include representatives of several ministries and state departments will be headed by Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mladek, who will also meet with the Azerbaijani high-ranking officials in Baku.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $312.02 million in January-November 2016, and $214.17 million of which accounted for the export of Azerbaijani goods to the Czech Republic, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.

The Czech Republic ranks 12th in the list of main importers of Azerbaijani goods. The share of the Czech Republic in the total export from Azerbaijan totaled 2.58 percent in January-November 2016.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 15:07 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has stopped its domestic flights en route BakuGanjaBaku due to unprofitability on these flights.

Ganja is Azerbaijan's second largest city with a population over 320,000. The city is 375 km west of Baku.

Daily flights on route BakuGanja-Baku have been carried out since August 2013.

Azerbaijan Airlines, AZAL, is the national flag carrier operating flights to destinations across Asia, the CIS, Europe and the USA. The country was ranked the 8th in the list of international flights charging an average of $3.02 per 100 km, while its legacy airlines cost is $6.25 per 100 km.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 17:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A total of 172,000 real estate objects were registered in Azerbaijan in 2016, said Rafig Jalilov, the deputy chairman of the State Committee on Property Issues.

He made the remark during the presentation of an online calculator for real estate registration fee on January 12.

Some 50,000 of the total number of the registered real estate objects passed the initial registration. Citizens can also use them as collateral for loans, said Jalilov.

However, in some cases, the Committee has to deny citizens in registration of real estate, the deputy chairman added.

"We promptly register real estate if all documents are all right. However, sometimes owners of agricultural lands and land shares turn to us for the registration of various residential and non-residential objects built on these sites. The legislation prohibits registration of objects on such land plots," said the deputy chairman.

He added that the owners of such objects should inquire in advance if it is possible to build any object on such lands.

Jalilov also said that in 2016, the State Committee on Property Issues has conducted a campaign of Mass registration in six regions and 22 cities of the country, while almost 10,000 citizens took advantage of the campaign.

Electronic services of the State Committee are particularly in demand. Last year, 450,000 citizens used e-services of the Committee, while 376,000 appeals were sent to the portal for privatization.

According to the legislation of Azerbaijan there is no difference in the rights of foreigners and local citizens in the field of buying a real estate. The foreign citizen, as well as the citizen of Azerbaijan can buy any property, except the land, i.e. can buy an apartment, a house, but do not a land plot.

The Azerbaijani legislation gives the rights to purchase the land plot only to the citizens of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's State Committee on Property Issues was established under a presidential decree dated May 19, 2014. The Committee is the central executive body implementing state policy and regulation on real estate management and its privatization, involving investments and conducting state registration and cadastre of real estate in Azerbaijan.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 16:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Personal belongings of the Major General of the Soviet army, Hajibaba Zeynalov, were donated to Azerbaijans National Museum of History, Trend Life reported.

Zeynalovs dagger and wristwatch will be stored in the Museums Fund of gifts and memorabilia.

The handle of the dagger is decorated with symbol of the Soviet Union, the five-pointed red star. The inscriptions "1955" and "NM 0784 were engraved on the blade.

The watch was engraved with a dedication on the back: "To Major General Zeynalov on the 50th anniversary of the Armed Forces from the Minister of Defense of the USSR". "Shockproof. Dustproof. 2214".

Hajibaba Zeynalov was awarded the Order of Lenin, three orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Star and other medals.

He was buried in the Alley of Honor.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 13:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The principled demands of the UN Security Council on withdrawal of Armenian occupation forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan remain unfulfilled, said Yashar Aliyev, the permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the UN.

He made the remark on January 10 while addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to the prevention of conflicts and preserving of peace in the world.

The diplomat underlined Azerbaijan's commitment to peace and security.

He informed the meeting participants about the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, which resulted in the seizure of a considerable part of Azerbaijans territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

Aliyev added that the Armenian aggression caused death of tens of thousands of people, destruction of cities, as well as violent expulsion of over 1 million Azerbaijanis from their homes, and loss of their property.

In 1993, the Security Council adopted four resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884), condemning Armenia for the use of force against Azerbaijan and occupation of its territories, as well as for attacks on civilians and bombardments of settlements. The UNSC reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, reconfirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh region is an integral part of Azerbaijan, and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian occupation forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, said Aliyev.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still refuses to fulfill the UN four resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, and stages military and political provocations to derail the peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.

The Azerbaijani diplomat also spoke about the heinous crimes committed by the Armenian armed forces and associated armed groups against civilians and defenders of Khojaly city, located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

The massacre in Khojaly in 1992 February was the largest fact of mass extermination of the civilian population, Aliyev stressed.

As a result of the Khojaly massacre 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children, 70 old men, were mercilessly killed, 487 people were injured, 1,275 civilians were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people is still unknown. As a result of this act of genocide, eight families were completely destroyed, while 25 children lost both parents.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 11:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The world community should assist in resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Carole Crofts, UK Ambassador to Baku.

Crofts made the remark as she met with Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, Ali Hasanov.

The ambassador expressed regret over the fact that Armenia keeps status quo and emphasized that the United Kingdom supports the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Ali Hasanov, for his part, spoke about good relations between Azerbaijan and the UK, praising the UKs support at international organizations for Azerbaijans fair position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Hasanov also noted the inadmissibility of illegal visits and activities of UK citizens and companies in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

He also touched upon the sales of the gold, unlawfully extracted from a mine in the occupied Azerbaijani territories and processed in Armenia, in many European countries, including on the London Stock Exchange. Hasanov emphasized the importance of preventing such unpleasant facts.

The deputy prime minister reminded that Armenia still ignores and doesnt implement the decisions and resolutions adopted by international organizations on Armenias withdrawal from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and return of refugees and IDPs to their native lands.

Armenia intensively violates the negotiation process. The Armenian authorities do not want to resolve the conflict; they continue to occupy our lands with the help of their patrons and continue to hold a destructive position, said Hasanov, adding that international community does not exert any pressure on the aggressor country.

He added that over the past 20 years, Armenia has not achieved any success. The countrys economic situation has seriously deteriorated and the aggressor country is isolated from international and regional projects implemented with participation of Azerbaijan, said Hasanov.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Further during the meeting, Crofts said she will make every effort to expand the mutual cooperation in political, economic, cultural, energy security and other areas.

The ambassador added that work is carried out to implement a number of projects in various spheres between the two countries.

Crofts reminded that the UK has been successfully cooperating with Azerbaijan for more than 20 years, mentioning that BP is the company that invested the most in Azerbaijan.

The envoy said she got acquainted with various Azerbaijani regions and she was deeply impressed by the hospitality of the Azerbaijani people.

Crofts highlighted Azerbaijan's rapid development in recent years and elevation of its image on the international arena.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 12:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan declared a total of 180 foreign journalists personae non grata for illegally entering the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev announced about this while talking to Azertac, further adding that these reporters are mainly from the CIS region, in particular Russia and Ukraine.

Hajiyev said that the actual black list of the Ministry includes 623 people. The majority of people, who visited the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenian, were representatives of Russia, Germany, France, Italy and the U.S., said Hajiyev.

So far, nearly 20 persons names were withdrawn from the list for the reason that they officially apologized, he added.

The spokesman mentioned that the investigations revealed that in 2016, as in previous years, most of foreigners travelling illegally to the occupied Azerbaijani territories were deceived.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's "black list".

Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of unauthorized visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions pay special attention to the illegal activity in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 16:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

One of Austrias main priorities in the OSCE will be the collective work in the security field, aimed to avoid escalation of conflicts in the OSCE countries territories, said Sebastian Kurz, OSCE chairperson-in-office and Austrias Foreign Minister.

The FM made the remark as he presented his countrys chairmanship program and priorities to the OSCE Permanent Council on January 12 in Vienna.

Noting that today, the world demonstrates instability and growing distrust, Kurz said that Austrias efforts during the OSCE chairmanship will be aimed at the restoration of trust.

Kurz added that the country will fight radicalism and terrorism, which pose the biggest threat to society.

The stability and safety of all people living in Europe will depend on the success of Austrias chairmanship and its forthcoming activities in the OSCE, he said.

Kurz also thanked Germany for the work it carried out in 2016.

Austria took over the OSCE Chairmanship from Germany on January 1, 2017.

The Austrian minister, speaking at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2016, noted that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be among the priorities of his country's presidency at the OSCE.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 10:06 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans first lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva has met with a delegation led by Jean-Marie Le Guen, French secretary of state for development and Francophonie attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development of France.

Mehriban Aliyeva expressed confidence that the delegations visit to Azerbaijan will contribute to strengthening of the Azerbaijani-French ties.

The first lady praised bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and France.

Mehriban Aliyeva said good cooperation was established in the information technologies, space and other areas, adding French companies successfully operate in Azerbaijan. The president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation also emphasized relations in humanitarian area.

Mehriban Aliyeva described operation of the Baku French Lycee and the Azerbaijani-French University as one of the greatest achievements in educational area, saying the University carries out admission for four specialties, and a fifth specialty will be taught at the University.

Touching upon the 12 sister city agreements signed between cities and districts of Azerbaijan and France over the last years, Mehriban Aliyeva said this will serve to developing relations in political, economic and humanitarian areas.

The first lady praised inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries. Mehriban Aliyeva, who also heads the Azerbaijani-French friendship group, expressed confidence on the possibility of establishment of further close cooperation in this area.

Mehriban Aliyeva spoke about the activity of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France, adding that the Association made a significant contribution to bilateral cooperation.

Jean-Marie Le Guen, for his part, hailed the activity of the president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, adding this activity is the contribution to friendship and cooperation with France.

The French secretary of state stressed the special role of the first lady in operation of the Azerbaijani-French University in Baku.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 11:13 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Cezar Florin Preda and Stefan Schennach in Baku ON January 12, Azertac reported.

The PACE earlier reported that Schennach and Preda are expected to meet with high-ranking Azerbaijani officials in Baku, as well as the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE.

Azerbaijan is one of nine Council of Europe member states currently subject to the Assemblys monitoring procedure, which involves ongoing dialogue with the authorities, regular reports and occasional debates on a states progress in honoring its obligations and commitments to the organization.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 12:09 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The National Monitoring Department on Environment of the Azerbaijani Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry carried out the next monitoring in the transboundary rivers for the first decade of January.

The ministry reported that water consumption in Kura river held 146m3/sec in the first decade of January decreasing 33m3/sec in relation to the third decade of December.

The results of the monitoring in Kura river show that the amount of bio substances were considerably more than norm due to domestic wastes and slops of industrial institutions discharged directly to water objects without purification from the territories of Georgia and Armenia.

Phenol and copper compounds as specific contaminants in the water component exceeded the admissible turbidity level.

In this regard phenols and copper compounds exceeded the turbidity level trice and five fold in Shikhli 2 settlement, thrice and fourfold in Aghstafachay settlement, thrice and twice in Aghstafachay.

In first decade of January within Araz river phenols and copper compounds exceeded the turbidity level twice, twice and one fold in Horadiz settlement, trice and trice in I Shahsevan settlement, twice and twice in Bahramtapa settlement respectively.

The water oxygen regime changed within the sanitary norm in all settlements being about 5.99-6.42mg/l.

The heavy metals and other hazardous, toxic, and radioactive wastes brought by the Okhchuchay, which takes its beginning from Armenian territory, pollute the Araz River.

Following Araz Rivers flowing into the Kur River, these hazardous materials in turn pollute the Kur River that is the main source of drinkable water for majority of Azerbaijani regions.

The Kura River is significant for Azerbaijan, which suffers water shortages throughout the year, when compared with the two another Southern Caucasus countries.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 10:55 (UTC+04:00)

The date for Syria peace talks in Astana will be set following the ongoing consultations in Ankara and they could be postponed for a week, a source in Syrian opposition told Sputnik on January 11.

The timeframe for the talks in Astana has not been determined yet; most likely it will be postponed for a week, the source said.

The source further added that participants of the Astana talks would attend intra-Syrian consultations in Geneva to form a unified opposition delegation, which would include both political forces and representatives of armed groups.

The Astana meeting was expected to be held on January 23 while a meeting in Geneva will be held on February 8 under the auspices of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously said that preparation for the Astana meeting on the Syrian crisis is quite intensive.

It is unclear how long the talks will last, we can say nothing more specific now, Peskov said, noting that Russia will be represented at the talks at the expert level.

Russias President Vladimir Putin has earlier said that he agreed with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer to the conflicting parties in Syria to continue peace talks in Astana.

Kazakhstans President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported this initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such negotiations in Astana.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 January 2017 17:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Strengthening of ties between Turkey and Russia does not mean deterioration of the Ankara-NATO relations, Anadolu Agency quoted the countrys Defense Minister Fikri Isik as saying on January 12.

The minister was addressing the 9th conference of Turkish ambassadors in Ankara.

Ankara is still committed to the strengthening of solidarity within NATO, he said.

Turkey is abiding by all its commitments to NATO. The recent development of our relations with Russia doesnt mean Turkeys ties with NATO would be weakened, the minister noted.

Isik further said Ankaras criticism of NATOs inactivity in honoring commitments is quite natural.

If the countries which sent their forces to the region to fight against the Islamic State terrorist group (IS) do not support Ankaras counterterrorism efforts, then Turkeys negative reaction is quite natural, he explained.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Danny Morrison is a radio host, nonprofit executive director and motivational speaker. His columns appear here Tuesdays and Thursdays; the views expressed are his own. Reach him at californianmorrison@yahoo.com.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The new year brings a new presidential administration and uncertainty about how business and industry will respond, but local and political leaders are hopeful Southeast Texas will offer an attractive mix of incentives and fewer regulations to bring in more business and people, panelists at an economic summit said Wednesday.

The wild card, as usual for an energy-based economy, is oil prices, which affect public revenue that pays for everything from education to transportation improvements to human services.

Nearly 400 people attended the Southeast Texas Economic Development Fund's forecast breakfast at Beaumont's downtown Event Centre, which featured Steve Minick, vice president for government affairs with the Texas Association of Business; Kathleen Jackson, a member of the Texas Water Development Board; and Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, part of whose job it is to meet with industry representatives looking at sites for expansion or new plants.

"In the last year and half, I've had visits from Korea, China and Japan," Branick said. "That's never happened before."

The usual visitors seeking information about plant sites are from the Persian Gulf and Europe, like the French and the Dutch.

Oil prices fell sharply from a couple of years ago, which created a lull in inquiries during the last year, he said.

That caused a loss of more than $11 million in revenue for Jefferson County, Branick said.

Minick said the depressed oil prices blew a $5 billion hole in the state's budget, an issue legislators convening this week in Austin must address.

The loss of state revenue also could make more difficult the state's ability to pay for education, the key component in helping create a qualified workforce, Minick said.

He said the new Trump administration, which takes office on Jan. 20, likely will be "generally beneficial" for business, but a firm forecast isn't possible because President-elect Donald Trump is "inconsistent with his statements."

Minick said too much change every four or eight years is "detrimental to business," and he cautioned that changes to regulations that govern commercial conduct must go slowly and carefully.

"My advice is to build on infrastructure - not just physical, but also in educating the workforce," he said. "As a state, we're not putting kids on the street ready to go to work or to college."

Minick said he thinks the workforce dropout rate masks the true numbers of unemployed in the country because they are no longer counted in job searches that form the basis of the unemployment rate.

Jackson, formerly a public affairs executive for Exxon Mobil in Beaumont before her appointment to the state water development board, said Southeast Texas enjoys advantages in attracting new industry because the local workforces are welcoming.

"It's not just the people who work in the plants, but their families and other people understand the business and about managing risk," she said.

The region's built-in advantages include its transportation system, such as the ship channel, interstate highway and rail access.

"The oil ran out a long time ago," she said, referring to Tuesday's 116th anniversary of the Spindletop gusher in Beaumont.

"Southeast Texas never would have survived without the leadership," she said, referring to the orientation toward refining and making chemicals from petroleum.

DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/dwallach
PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Thanks to the philanthropic efforts of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., the company announced on Thursday that its 2016 Fuel Your School program generated $50,000 to help fund 71 classroom projects, including 37 focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), to help connect real world experiences to classroom learning for 7,410 students at 41 Jackson County public schools.

Pre-kindergarten students at Kreole Elementary received tablets, stools and a document camera to enhance learning through education games and minimize use of paper.

"It is important that my students see that I believe in them, and am willing to provide what is needed to make them successful scholars," according to teacher Shandrella White. "They are always excited about learning, and these items will be a great asset to make their learning experience more interactive, fun, and challenging."

While this initiative promotes innovation among students, it also alleviates stress teachers face when providing school supplies to their students out of their own pockets.

"Unfortunately, we only get a certain amount of money from the state each year to go towards education, however, teachers spend up to $400-$500 a month out of their own pockets so this will help alleviate that stress," Assistant Principal Carol Jackson said. "This allows teachers to fund other projects if they choose to do so without creating a financial burden for themselves by trying to fund every project on their own."

Through the Fuel Your School program, Chevron contributed $1 when consumers purchased eight or more gallons of fuel at participating Chevron and Texaco stations in Jackson County during the month of October, generating $50,000 to help fund eligible classroom projects at local public schools.

The Fuel Your School program is part of Chevron's total commitment to education. Chevron has invested nearly $250 million since 2013, supporting programs that focus on STEM education initiatives designed to arm students and teachers with the critical skills and resources needed to succeed in jobs of the future.

"At Chevron, we're committed to supporting education and are proud to help provide Jackson County teachers with the technology devices and other classroom supplies they need," said Community Affairs Representative, Amy Brandenstein.

"With help from the 'Fuel Your School' program, teachers can facilitate hands-on learning activities that are fun, engaging and will help foster bright young talent for the future workforce in Jackson County and beyond."

In total, $5,837,275 was generated through the 2016 Fuel Your School program, helping to fund 6,980 eligible classroom projects and benefitting 699,730 students in 18 U.S. markets.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Southeast Texans spent much of last weekend bundled in layers of warm clothing after a cold front pushed freezing temperatures to the area.

But the biting cold was nothing compared to the winter ice storm that hit 20 years this week.

Five days into 1997, an arctic blast blew cold air through the region and brought temperatures down to the 40s, according to previous Enterprise reporting.

A week later, another blast mixed moved into the region.

"What makes it so rare is that the cold air was here long enough to drop the temperature and then still here when the moisture arrived," a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles told the Enterprise in 2007.

The blast moved in on Jan. 10. By Jan. 12, it snowed in Port Arthur, and heavy sleet fell in Beaumont, Orange, Port Arthur and much of southwest Louisiana, according to Enterprise archives.

On the morning of Jan. 13, freezing rain fell.

Ice gathered on tree branches, causing them to snap and fall onto power lines. Outages spread across the region to more than 90,000 homes, according to archives.

"Chilled people flocked by dozens to hotels, motels and shelters where electricity remained," an Enterprise archive read.

Others braved the winter storm in their unheated homes.

"No one escaped this one," then-City Manager Ray Riley told the Enterprise in 1997. "Anywhere we have trees, we have problems."

Take a look back at the storm that hit Southeast Texas 20 years ago in the slideshow above.
After adding 330,000 customers in 2016, Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna's CEO David Cordani is aiming to add 500,000 in 2017, the Hartford Courant reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. Analysts anticipate Cigna will lose 50,000 Medicare Advantage customers in the coming year.

2. Mr. Cordani expects employer-based, international and individual healthcare plans to drive the increase.

3. The federal government barred Cigna from signing new Medicare Advantage customers in 2016 because of the company's inability to resolve operational problems. Cigna said it has spent $80 million to resolve such problems.

4. In its SEC filings, Cigna said it spent $145 million on merger-related transaction costs in 2016. It spent $35 million in 2015.

More articles on coding, billing and collections;

CMS waives some penalties associated with physician quality reporting system due to ICD-10 code update issues: 4 things to know

NYT: As a possible ACA repeal gains momentum, where are the healthcare lobbies? 6 key takeaways

Patient Safety Movement Foundation: ACA repeal is 'bad public policy & irresponsible'




After submitting a request to expand the North Carolina's Medicaid program for 2018, the Obama administration promised swift action, while Republican lawmakers plead to CMS to reject the request, The News & Observer reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper hopes to expand the state's Medicaid program under the possible soon-to-be-appealed ACA.

2. On Jan. 9, 2017, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said CMS would process the state's request "as expeditiously as possible when we get it."

3. Two Republican lawmakers argued Gov. Cooper's request was illegal under a N.C. state law as the request lacked state legislature approval. Therefore, the legislators urged CMS to prohibit the request.

4. If CMS grants the expansion, hundreds of thousands of residents would be eligible for coverage.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JD, announced President-elect Donald Trump chose him to lead a new commission focused on vaccine safety and scientific integrity, sparking fierce opposition from physicians who questioned the pick.

Trump representatives said the president-elect has not made a decision, according to MedPage Today.

The facts are muddled concerning whether Mr. Kennedy was mistaken or spoke too soon, but the possibility fueled anger amongst many providers as Mr. Kennedy is renowned for critiquing pediatric immunization programs.

Leading organizations such as the American Medical Association stood behind vaccines' efficacy and said the Trump administration's decision to create a new vaccine safety commission would create confusion and negatively influence parents' decisions regarding vaccinating their children.

American Academy of Pediatrics President Fernando Stein, MD, issued a statement reaffirming the group's support of vaccines. The AAFP said vaccines prevent against life-threatening disease and have been "part of the fabric of our society for decades and are the most significant medical innovation of our time."

Physicians spanning the nation spoke out on behalf of vaccines, with Waco, Texas-based Baylor University's Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, noting he was "deeply disturbed by the appointment." Dr. Hotez published a paper in PLOS which cited large studies disproving links between vaccines and autism. Fellow Baylor physician Carol Baker, MD, told MedPage Today, "The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to chair a commission of vaccine safety and scientific integrity is a major step backward for the health of our nation."
The following hospitals announced or completed plans in the last week to expand, upgrade or renovate their facilities.

1. UPMC Altoona to open $20M outpatient center

UPMC Altoona (Pa.) began constructing a $20 million outpatient facility in Ebensburg, Pa., slated to open in early 2018.

2. Lifespan proposes $43M obstetrics unit at Rhode Island Hospital

Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan is seeking state approval to build a 31-bed, $43 million obstetrics unit at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence Journal reports.

3. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital proposes $22.7M expansion

Brattleboro (Vt.) Memorial Hospital is planning a $22.7 million expansion to house updated operating rooms, medical offices and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation facilities, reports VTDigger.

4. UVA Children's Hospital completes ICU renovation

UVA Children's Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., on Jan. 2 unveiled its recently renovated 9,000-square-foot pediatric intensive care unit, CBS 19 reports.

5. Erlanger seeks $25M to build new hospital

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System disclosed plans to build a $25 million regional hospital in Dunlap, Tenn., according to a Times Free Press report.

6. NJ board recommends approval of Inspira Health's $326M facility

A 25-page report by the New Jersey Department of Health recommended the State Health Planning Board greenlight Woodbury, N.J.-based Inspira Health Network's proposed $326 million replacement hospital for its Woodbury location, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

7. Altru to replace Main Clinic after discovering design deficiencies

Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health System disclosed plans to replace its Main Clinic following the identification of design deficiencies that caused a structural problem last week, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

8. Alabama hospital kicks off expansion project

A groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 4 marked the official beginning of an expansion project at Cullman (Ala.) Regional Medical Center, according to a CullmanSense report.

9. Aunt Martha's Roseland Medical Center opens clinic in New Roseland Community Hospital

Chicago-based Aunt Martha's Roseland Medical Center opened a clinic at New Roseland Community Hospital in Chicago Dec. 15.
Residential mental health facilities in Pennsylvania are slated for closure as part of the state's desire to serve more community members, reduce reliance on institutional care, and improve access to home- and community-based services, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

Here are six things to know.

1. DHS Secretary Ted Dallas announced Wednesday that his department plans to close the Hamburg (Pa.) State Center for people with intellectual disabilities. At present, Hamburg serves 80 residents at its 154-acre campus.

2. In announcing the closure of Hamburg, Mr. Dallas cited a nearly 70 percent decrease in the resident population at Pennsylvania's state centers over the last two decades. He also said the closure of Hamburg "will enable the residents to live in the community when possible."

3. DHS will also close the civil section of Norristown (Pa.) State Hospital, one of six state hospitals with services for those with mentally illness. The civil unit at Norristown currently serves 122 individuals.

4. During the closure process at Norristown, Mr. Dallas said his department will also temporarily repurpose some civil beds at Norristown to create "forensic step down or transition" beds for those individuals committed through the criminal justice system to the forensic section of the Norristown campus.

5. The closure of Hamburg and partial closure of Norristown are expected to take approximately 18 to 24 months to complete, according to DHS.

6. As a result of the closures, approximately 734 state workers would lose their jobs, reports The Morning Call. DHS said it will work to provide both hospital and center staff viable employment opportunities at other state-operated facilities or with new or existing community programs.
University of Chicago Medicine has chosen Selwyn Rogers, MD, to be the founding director of the University of Chicago Medicine Trauma Center, which is currently under construction and will open in 2018.

Dr. Rogers also became chief of the section for trauma and acute care surgery at UChicago Medicine when he joined the organization Jan. 5.

Dr. Rogers has 16 years of trauma care experience and joined UChicago from the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he served as vice president and CMO of the Galveston-based organization since 2014. He has also held roles at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

When completed, UChicago's trauma center will be the only Level I trauma center on Chicago's South Side.

"Joining UChicago Medicine is truly an opportunity of a lifetime," Dr. Rogers said. "I look forward to working in Chicago's South Side to help meet the clinical needs of patients while working to understand and help address broader challenges that go beyond our hospital walls."
Thursday 12

Taking the Stage: African American Music and the Stories That Changed America (KOAT-7 8pm) ABC celebrates the opening of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture.

My Kitchen Rules (KASA-2 8pm) Celebrities like Lance Bass, Andrew Dice Clay, Naomi Judd, Brandy and Ray J. compete in a cooking competition. Why would any of these people care what we, the general public, think of their cooking skills?

Caraoke Showdown (Spike TV 8:30pm) Its an amateur karaoke competition, but it takes place in a car! And actor/comedian Craig Robinson is driving the car! And its a rip-off of Cash Cab! Also Carpool Karaoke! Did I mention it takes place in a car? Gosh, what will TV think of next?

Friday 13

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix streaming anytime) Neil Patrick Harris stars in this darkly comic series based on the gloomy, gothic books by Lemony Snicket.

Saturday 14

Queen Boss (Centric 8pm) Think Shark Tank, but exclusively for female African-American entrepreneurs. Because thats what it is.

Sunday 15

First Family of Hip Hop (Bravo 10pm) Sylvia Robinson was the founder (along with husband Joe) of Sugar Hill Recordswhich, in 1979, released what is considered the first commercial rap single, Rappers Delight. Now, Sylvias offspringmuch like the lesser Jacksonsare trying to put their own stamp on the music industry. Naturally, theyre starting with a reality show.

The 44th President: In His Own Words (History 7pm) History Channel reflects on the legacy of President Barack Obama with this two-hour exit interview.

Victoria on Masterpiece (KNME-5 8pm) England needs to start pumping out new kings and queens, because PBS and the BBC have dramatized the ones weve already got to death.

The Young Pope (HBO 7pm) This irreverent, almost surreal series looks at the Vaticans first American Pope (played by Brit Jude Law). The series is written and directed by Italian Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Youth), whose lavish eye for detail puts him in league with Australian Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby).

Monday 16

Howie Mandel All-Star Comedy Gala (KWBQ-19 7pm) So long as Howie isnt actually performing, we might survive.

Rock N Roll Inventions (Smithsonian 6pm) From 78rpm records to transistor radios to jukeboxes to cassettes to synthesizers, the music industry has had its hand in a lot of modern innovations. ... Tight leather pants too, by the way.

Tuesday 17

Throwing Shade (TV Land 8:30pm) Based on the popular podcast of the same name, this pop cultural gossip show treats the days hot topics with much less respect than they deserve.

Wednesday 18

Peoples Choice Awards 2017 (KRQE-13 8pm) Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, LL Cool J, Hilary Duff, Tim Allen and Kevin James are among those nominated in the acting categories. Forgive me if I dont exactly trust the people.

Six (History 8pm) History Channel dramatizes the work of the Navys SEAL Team Six with this military action series written by Willam Broyles Jr. (Cast Away, Jarhead).
image513594x.jpg

(AP file photo)

JACKSON, Mississippi -- A bill introduced in the Mississippi House of Representatives would slap a $1,500 fine on any public school not conducting the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each school day.

Authored by Rep. William Shirley of Quitman, the bill seeks to update Section 37-13-6 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, which mandates a reciting of the pledge and outlines how, when and where the U.S. flag is to be displayed on school property.

Shirley's bill would amend the code to include the punitive element of a $1,500 fine. Local superintendents balked at the idea.

Bonita Coleman

Ocean Springs superintendent Bonita Coleman noted her school district has a daily pledge recital, but during the second block of the school day, which would fall outside the law's mandate that the pledge be performed "at the beginning of the first hour of class each day school is in session..."

"I think we need to be given the flexibility to schedule the pledge of allegiance when we have the majority of our students available," Coleman said. "For us, that is second block, not within the first hour.

"We're trying to do it when the most students can participate, but the language of this bill is such we would be penalized. I don't understand the language of the bill. That just can't be the way we want to govern. It just can't."

Read House Bill 205 in its entirety

For Pascagoula-Gautier superintendent Wayne Rodolfich, adoption of Shirley's bill would not be problematic, since schools in his district already recite the pledge at the start of each day. Nevertheless, he is not a fan of the proposed legislation.

Wayne Rodolfich

"This is another example -- if this were to pass -- of taking away local control of school districts," Rodolfich said. "Why would you want to dictate to school districts when they can do something as it relates to their schedule?"

While the current code reads "... all public schools of this state shall require the teachers under their control to have pupils repeat the oath of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America..." it also contains language which excuses any student or teacher who objects to reciting the pledge, without penalty.

Were a district fined the $1,500 penalty, Shirley's bill calls for the fine to be paid out of local district funds, rather than federal or state funds, and must be paid within 30 days of receiving notice of the violation.

"I think if you went around the state you'd find most school districts are already doing the pledge on a daily basis," Rodolfich said. "We don't need a law to force us to do something we're already doing."
The CHI Texas Division, based in Houston, plans to eliminate 346 positions across its statewide network comprising 17 hospitals, according to a KLTV report.

Here are four things to know.

1. The cuts represent less than 2 percent of the CHI Texas Division workforce.

2. The 346 affected positions include 100 vacant positions that will not be filled, as well as 16 employees who are being reassigned to comparable roles; 28 employees who are being offered positions within the CHI Texas Division and 202 employees who will leave the CHI Texas Division.

3. Among the 346 affected positions are 54 at the Memorial health system, which includes Texas hospitals and clinics in Lufkin, Livingston and San Augustine, according to the report.

4. The cuts in Texas are part of Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiative's efforts to reduce expenses in markets across the enterprise. Earlier this month, for instance, CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck, N.D., laid off 52 employees, or 2.7 percent of its total workforce, amid rising costs.

"Like all health systems, Catholic Health Initiatives continually reviews its operating and financial performance to determine how best to meet and serve the needs of our patients and communities while maintaining a strong financial foundation for the future," CHI said in a statement. "Due to operating losses resulting from regulatory changes and external economic and environmental factors in the rapidly changing healthcare industry, CHI has been forced to make difficult choices in reducing expenses, including the elimination of some jobs in markets across the enterprise."

More articles on leadership and management:

HHS Sec. Burwell's advice to Dr. Tom Price: Prioritize cybersecurity

12 health system CEOs on what drew them to healthcare

Trump taps vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy to chair vaccine safety panel
With the start of 2017, physicians in state and medical societies are thinking ahead to identify their legislative priorities for the year.

During a recent American Medical Association State Legislative Strategy Conference this month in Florida, physician leaders identified a number of state legislative and regulatory issues they will focus on in 2017. A recent AMA report highlighted the following issues that surfaced:

Strengthening Medicaid. Medicaid expansion is among the big components of the ACA. Given that President-elect Donald Trump, along with Republican members of Congress, have vowed to repeal at least some of the ACA, many states expect to debate the future of Medicaid expansion this year, according to the report. Certain state medical associations will also advocate for various Medicaid reforms like addressing accountable care organizations and delivery system reform incentive payments programs. Additionally, many states are contending with fiscal issues that threaten Medicaid funding, the report states, so maintaining adequate Medicaid payment rates will continue to be a top priority.

Medicaid expansion is among the big components of the ACA. Given that President-elect Donald Trump, along with Republican members of Congress, have vowed to repeal at least some of the ACA, many states expect to debate the future of Medicaid expansion this year, according to the report. Certain state medical associations will also advocate for various Medicaid reforms like addressing accountable care organizations and delivery system reform incentive payments programs. Additionally, many states are contending with fiscal issues that threaten Medicaid funding, the report states, so maintaining adequate Medicaid payment rates will continue to be a top priority. Reducing the nation's opioid epidemic. Combating the nation's opioid epidemic will continue to be a priority for physicians in 2017. According to the report, much of the new legislation focuses on mandated prescription drug monitoring, physician education, substance-use disorder treatment, guidelines or restrictions on prescribing controlled substances. Proposals to increase access to naloxone will also be considered in states.

Combating the nation's opioid epidemic will continue to be a priority for physicians in 2017. According to the report, much of the new legislation focuses on mandated prescription drug monitoring, physician education, substance-use disorder treatment, guidelines or restrictions on prescribing controlled substances. Proposals to increase access to naloxone will also be considered in states. Provider network issues. Out-of-network billing has become a key issue as patients take on more financial responsibility for their care. According to the report, more than 24 state medical societies expect to see proposals to address out-of-network billing in 2017, specifically in the hospital-based setting, according to the report. Many states could also see proposals introduced to address the adequacy of these provider networks to offer access to network providers, the report states.

Read the AMA report to see the other issues physicians will take to legislators this year, including improving public health and advancing physician-led team-based care.

More articles on integration and physician issues:

TeamHealth to take over for local emergency medicine group at King's Daughter Medical Center

This physician almost died in her own hospital  what she learned from the experience

Cleveland Clinic physician under fire for anti-vaccine column
Marshalltown-based Central Iowa Healthcare, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, is one step closer to joining UnityPoint Health-Waterloo (Iowa), an affiliate of West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health.

As part of its Dec. 20 bankruptcy filing, CIH submitted a plan to sell the bulk of its assets to UnityPoint Health-Waterloo. On Tuesday, CIH's corporate members approved the sale in an 88-0 vote. UnityPoint Health-Waterloo offered $12.5 million for CIH's assets, according to the Times-Republican.

In December, CIH officials said UnityPoint Health-Waterloo offered to financially support CIH's operations during the pending sale and throughout the bankruptcy case. CIH expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2017.

CIH includes a 49-bed acute care hospital, an outpatient center and four primary care clinics.

More articles on healthcare industry transactions:

Tenet to sell multiple hospitals, home health business

Wellmont acquires Takoma Regional Hospital

Envision Healthcare acquires Sunshine Radiology
Researchers analyzed modifiable lifestyle and psychological factors associated with chronic back pain.

The co-twin control study included male twin members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Of the 7,108 participants, 1,308 were monozygotic pairs and 793 were dizygotic pairs.

The study examined various lifestyle factors, including, "body mass index, smoking history, alcohol consumption, habitual physical activity and typical sleep duration." The psychological factors included depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

The Spine Journal and North American Spine Society honored this paper with a 2016 Outstanding Paper Award. Pradeep Suri, MD; Edward J. Boyko, MD; Nicholas L. Smith, PhD; Jeffrey G. Jarvik, MD; Frances M. Williams, MD; Gail P. Jarvik, MD; and Jack Goldberg, PhD, led the research.





Here are five takeaways:

1. Researchers found all lifestyle factors associated with chronic back pain, in an individual analysis.

2. Of the lifestyle factors, only severe obesity "persisted in the within-pair analyses."

3. PTSD and depression symptoms associated with chronic back pain in the individual-level analysis and within-pair analyses.

4. In the study's abstract, researchers noted, "many associations between modifiable lifestyle risk factors and CBP are due to confounding by familial and genetic factors."

5. Researchers recommended physicians should consider severe obesity, depression and PTSD when creating an intervention plan for chronic back pain.
American insurance giant AIG has asked the Irish Government how it would view an application to move the company's European headquarters from London to Dublin, as the company eyes a post-Brexit shift.

AIG's chief financial officer Sid Sankaran, chief executive of its consumer division Kevin Hogan, and Declan O'Rourke, head of AIG's operations in Ireland, held a meeting last month with the Republic's Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

Mr Sankaran and Mr Hogan are both board members of AIG.

While the meeting with Mr Noonan largely revolved around emerging political issues in the US and Europe, the AIG executives also broached the possibility of AIG moving its European HQ to Dublin, and queried how such a move might be met by Government.

It's almost certain that Mr Noonan was open to the idea, and it's thought he expressed his view that AIG was well-regarded in the industry and by regulators.

Anthony Baldwin, the chief executive of AIG's European and UK arms, has previously said that Dublin is among the cities being considered if AIG moves its London-based European HQ.

AIG employs about 2,500 people in Britain. "At a certain point in time you've got to pull the trigger, absent of any clarity on where negotiations are going in the transition period," Mr Baldwin told an Association of British Insurers conference in November.

AIG moved its European HQ from Paris to London about five years ago.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny with TK Whitaker at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin in 2014

The chairman of the CBI has paid tribute to the civil servant credited with laying the foundations of modern Ireland.

Co Down-born TK Whitaker died this week at the age of 100. In the 1950s he warned the Irish Government that the State would not succeed without opening up to foreign investment, industrial development and ending dependence on agriculture.

CBI NI chairman David Gavaghan said: "He played a fundamental role in the transformation of Ireland's economic and social outlook."

Dr Whitaker's vision of Ireland as an open, dynamic economy provided the platform for the Republic's economic policy.
Lidl said sales increased 10% over December, its best festive sales performance

Budget supermarket Lidl notched up record sales over the Christmas period after a surge in lobster sales. The German chain said sales increased 10% over December, its best festive sales performance.

The group did not disclose like-for-like sales for the period, a more widely used industry measure of performance.

In Northern Ireland, Lidl has continued to increase its share of the grocery market.

The company, which has 38 stores here, now makes up 5.2% of supermarket spend in the province. But it's still some way off market leaders such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's.

Across its UK business, Lidl said customers lapped up festive favourites, helping sales of carrots, parsnips, sprouts and potatoes rise 60%.

A Twitter campaign saw the price of the supermarket's luxury lobster drop to 2.99, resulting in 40,000 sales in one day. Turkey sales increased by 40% following an advertising campaign.

Boss Christian Hartnagel said: "It's incredibly encouraging that, during this highly competitive time, we have achieved our most successful festive trading period ever.

"We are unwaveringly committed to helping customers save as much money as possible

"We also remain fully committed to our ongoing expansion plans, which will see the opening of up to 50 new stores next year, along with two new regional distribution centres, creating thousands of new jobs up and down the country."

The figures come after rival Aldi posted a 15% rise in sales over December.

Latest Northern Ireland figures show Asda is now the second most popular supermarket here.

With 17.4% of the market share, almost one-fifth of the food, alcohol, household, health and beauty products bought here were purchased at one of the chain's 17 stores, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

Asda has now overtaken Sainsbury's to claim the number two spot for the third time this year, after growing its share here by 0.8%.
A Co Antrim engineering company has said a new order pipeline worth 30m will help reverse its fortunes after group losses caused by two problem projects in Scotland.

Vaughan Engineering Ltd, which employs 330 people across operations in Newtownabbey and two other companies in Great Britain, said that it had enjoyed a "very good" financial year, with the company retuning to profit.

In the 12 months to March 31 2016, Vaughan Engineering Group Ltd faced losses of 1.5m from a dispute related to two separate projects.

However, it is understood the company has since resolved the difficulties, which are believed to relate to schemes in Scotland.

The directors said that since the period covered in the group results, the company had secured new jobs in Northern Ireland, including hospital work.

The business has long carried out contracts in Great Britain, and has had an office in Scotland since the 1960s.

Group financial director Gavin Vaughan told the Belfast Telegraph: "It was a good year for our Northern Ireland business, Vaughan Engineering Services Ltd, which returned to profitability.

"It has been very successful in the current period, securing a number of new jobs in Northern Ireland, including the Ulster Hospital's new acute services block and the replacement adult mental health facility at the City Hospital.

"(There is also) a new order pipeline of more than 30m providing contracted works for the next three years."

The group report for the company, which marked its 60th birthday last year, said that apart from the two disputes, its performance over the period had been satisfactory.

Turnover was 68.6m, up from 62.5m, while pre-tax losses were 0.85m - as a result of a 1.5m loss from the disputed projects - compared to pre-tax profits of 268,000 the previous 12 months.

At Vaughan Engineering Services in Northern Ireland, turnover for the year to March 2016 was up from 12.9m to 17m, while it made 15,000 in pre-tax profits, up from a loss of 120,000 a year earlier.

Vaughan Engineering Group Ltd is the parent company of three businesses, including Vaughan Engineering in Great Britain as well as Vaughan Engineering Services in Northern Ireland and Brankin Engineering Ltd in Great Britain.

The business has offices in Edinburgh, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Manchester, as well as its headquarters in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim.

The company specialises in mechanical and electrical work and has worked on schemes in Northern Ireland including the Grand Opera House, Parliament Buildings, the Royal Victoria Hospital and Victoria Square shopping centre.

It also has a residential developer, Vaughan Homes, which has built houses in Lisburn and Carrickfergus.

The firm's results came as industry body the Construction Employers Federation warned that the sector could be hit hard by the crisis in power-sharing at Stormont.

Managing director John Armstrong said that companies could suffer as spending decisions were held up, adding that the challenges of Brexit and a fall in infrastructure work meant "we need a Northern Ireland Executive that works".
Campaign Finance-Pocketed Money

Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton (at right) discusses a bill that would restrict public officials from spending campaign funds on many personal expenses in a House Rules Committee on Wednesday in Jackson. Wednesday afternoon, the House passed the campaign finance reform bill 102-13, sending it on to the Senate.

(Jeff Amy/The Associated Press)

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Among the 121 representatives on the floor of the Mississippi House of Representatives Wednesday, it's unlikely anyone was more pleased -- and relieved -- at the passage of a campaign finance reform bill than Rep. Hank Zuber.

First elected to the House in 2000, Zuber has been pushing for campaign finance reform since his first term. He has introduced similar bills in the House each year since, but with no success.

But House Bill 479 passed the House Wednesday 102-13 and now moves on to the Senate. If approved there, it goes to Gov. Phil Bryant to be signed into law and would take effect Jan. 1, 2018 to coincide with campaign finance filing dates.

The bill prohibits elected officials at all levels of Mississippi government from spending campaign contributions on personal expenses such as boats, cars, vacations, etc., or from stockpiling a small fortune for use after their days in politics have ended.

Officials could still use campaign money to cover campaign and official expenses, including travel to party conventions and association meetings, car rental and accommodations for lawmakers in Jackson. Legislators are given a $140-per-day expense account while the legislature is in session.

For Zuber, enacting such a law is simply the right thing to do.

"It goes against everyone's self-interest -- everyone in the House and in the Senate," Zuber said Wednesday, "but it's the right thing to do. We are public servants. We are not entitled to a golden parachute and/or unjust enrichment because of public service."

Zuber recalled the tremendous resistance with which similar bills have been met in the past.

"In the beginning, it was very unpopular," he said. "It was met with a lot of negative comments, sarcasm, ridicule. A lot of people told me I was wasting my time. But you're never wasting your time if you're working for the right thing.

"I was beginning to doubt if I would ever see a House vote on this issue since we had come so close on two prior occasions in the last 13 years, only to see it fail at the last minute."

This year, House Speaker Philip Gunn took up the call and lent his name and influence by authoring House Bill 479. Zuber said Gunn's support certainly played a role in pushing the bill through the House.

"It definitely helped, absolutely," Zuber said of Gunn's support. "I would be remiss if I didn't thank Speaker Gunn for his leadership (in bringing issue to a vote)."

Other provisions of the bill allow lawmakers to use campaign funds to pay for a mortgage or condominium in the Jackson area and an amendment added Wednesday would allow the expenditure of campaign funds to pay for funerals of constituents.

The Mississippi Ethics Commission would be in charge of enforcement and have the ability to levy a $1,000 fine against those violating the law. A few legislators expressed concern over the power the bill gives to the Ethics Commission.

"This frightens me," said Rep. Omeria Scott, D-Laurel -- one of 10 Democrats (along with three Republicans) who voted against the bill.

An Associated Press review found that of 99 elected officials who had left office in previous years, as many as 25 may have pocketed more than $1,000 when they closed campaign accounts. At least five cashed out more than $50,000, including former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, former Secretary of State Eric Clark and former Insurance Commissioner George Dale.

Under House Bill 479, candidates leaving office would be required to give the money to another candidate, political committee, nonprofit group or the state -- or to return it to donors.

While please with Wednesday's House vote, Zuber acknowledged it still faces a test in the Senate.

"I am very proud and want to personally thank all my colleagues who voted yes," Zuber said. "This is but a first step

and I implore everyone to remain diligent and see this through to the point where we put a campaign finance reform bill on the Governor's desk for his signature."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ryan Gosling has said he hopes his Golden Globe-winning film La La Land will spark a revival of Hollywood musicals.

The exuberant love letter to Los Angeles, in which he co-stars with Emma Stone, scored a record-breaking seven gongs at Sunday's ceremony and is expected to rack up a string of Oscar nominations.

Gosling won the best actor prize while Stone was named best actress and writer/director Damien Chazelle picked up multiple awards, and Gosling hopes the success will have a ripple effect.

Arriving at a screening in London, he told the Press Association: "I hope so. I think Damien found a way to make a nostalgic film about those musicals but he found a way to make them relevant and contemporary so it will be interesting to see if we can keep that alive."

While the film is the bookies' favourite for the best picture Oscar, the actor said he is not focused on collecting statuettes.

He said: "We loved it and loved making it but we weren't sure that everyone else would feel the same.

"It was reward enough to make this film. I grew up watching these old '50s Hollywood musicals and I was sure they were a thing of the past and not something I would ever get to make.

"Just getting to make it and make it the way that we wanted and to be so proud of it when we finished was enough for us and the response to it has been a wonderful surprise."

Stone, who plays an aspiring actress in the film, said she is also avoiding thinking too much about further accolades.

She said: "I don't think there is pressure, I think it's such an honour to hear but it's a hypothetical situation at the moment so it's hard to weigh in on anything that hasn't occurred."

She added that the film has already passed the biggest critical test of them all, saying: "The real test is it's my mum's favourite movie that I've ever done and if it's my mum's favourite it must be OK, she's picky."

La La Land is out in UK cinemas now.
Cervical cancer screening prevents 75% of diseased cells from developing, yet one in four women don't go when they are invited for their smear test. To mark Cervical Cancer Awareness Week - which runs from January 22-29 - Linda Stewart talks to two women who've battled the condition.

'Many women went for smear test after hearing my story'

Laura McClintock (31) is a bartender at Duke's bar in Londonderry. Her daughter Ellie Kate is 12. Laura says:

I grew up in the Waterside and was the oldest in a family of six. I have an aunt who had cancer and she beat it.

My parents are Eileen and Paul - daddy works in Parcelforce Worldwide and my mum is a housewife.

I was a bit of a tearaway when I was a child. I was always on the go - never indoors. I went to St Brecan's High School in Gobnascale. I enjoyed music, but I didn't particularly enjoy school and I didn't come out with anything much in the way of achievements.

I started off as a secretary when I left school.

My father got me in through a recruitment agency to Parcelforce and I did so well that I ended up getting a contract. There were lots of girls in there that I got on with, so I did enjoy the work. I continued with secretarial work until 2004. Then I had a baby girl, Ellie Kate, and I didn't go back to work until she was starting nursery.

I went to work in Stream, which was a call centre, and I was there for about two years before leaving to join another call centre, but I didn't stay there too long.

After that I started doing bar work. It's great for meeting people as I am quite outgoing.

After I had Ellie Kate, I had a smear appointment. I had the tests regularly and after one I was diagnosed with cancerous cells.

I underwent cell burning and I had to keep returning for more treatment.

Eventually, I had to have a Lletz procedure, which is where they remove part of the cervix.

I was friendly with a girl called Keelin Glen whose sister Sorcha had cervical cancer.

When she was diagnosed with cervical cancer she started chemotherapy and went through quite gruelling treatment, but she always kept her head up and was a fighter. Unfortunately she didn't survive.

I was friends with Keelin all through that and I knew what way things could go.

Through Team Sorcha, her friends and family have been working to raise awareness and reduce the smear test age limit to detect cancer in younger girls. They've done so much in her memory, it's unreal.

I had a biopsy which showed that I had cancer. I was diagnosed the day after I had done a big fundraiser in the bar where I worked in memory of Sorcha.

It was surreal getting up the next day to the news that I had cancer myself.

I was really shocked - I was numb for a while. But I just tried to think of my daughter and get on with it.

I had an MRI to see how big the tumour was and the very next day I was booked in for a hysterectomy - that was two years ago this January.

It wasn't nice, but I was told that if I had a hysterectomy it was the best chance I would have.

I had a full recovery after having the hysterectomy, so obviously it was the right thing to do. I had a daughter waiting at home and there was no point waiting for other children.

I was in Belfast City Hospital for two weeks and then I had to stay with my sister for quite a few weeks.

I could do nothing - I was just laid up. At the end of the February I had a scan which showed the cancer hadn't gone into the lymph nodes so I had made a full recovery.

Early detection is just life saving. The cancer was caught so early it hadn't even a chance and that is down to early detection. If it had been a few months later, it might have spread to other parts of the body.

My story was published in a local newspaper and the number of people who have contacted me to say they had never had a smear and had decided to go and get one after reading my story is unbelievable.

There were 30 at least who contacted me through Facebook. It just proves that sharing your story and reaching out to people does work."

The doctor said its bad news, and I knew what that meant

Tanya Byers (37) is a languages teacher at Downshire School in Carrickfergus. She is married to retail manager Colin (43) and has three children, Bethany (12), Ethan (10) and Rhys (8). Tanya says:

I am from Drumahoe outside Londonderry. I was adopted at about five months old. My father died four days before my 10th birthday of a brain haemorrhage which left just me and my mum.

I studied at Foyle College and was really into languages  I studied French, Spanish and History at A-level and then went to Queens University in Belfast.

During my degree I took a year out in Spain and I wanted to go back and live there, but I had fallen for a Northern Irish man who was a bit of a homebird.

I didnt have any symptoms of cervical cancer whatsoever. I was called for my regular smear in November and made an appointment for the Christmas holidays when I was off school.

I had noticed a wee bit of spotting between my period and sex had become a bit painful so I mentioned that to our practice nurse and she wrote it on the form when she was sending it off.

On Valentines weekend I got a letter saying they had found abnormal cells and I had to go for a colposcopy. They did a couple of biopsies and I got a letter to say the cells were abnormal and I needed a Lletz procedure that was under anaesthetic so it wasnt really unpleasant.

In between the biopsies I had about five infections  I just knew I wasnt right  and my periods got really, really heavy.

The doctor said he might be able to do something about that and he said see you in six months and I took that as gospel.

About a fortnight later I got a letter to say an appointment had been made to go and see him. My husband wanted to go with me but I was so convinced it wasnt going to be anything that I didnt want him to go, but he was off work and insisted on taking me.

As soon as we were in his office, the doctors first words were its bad news and I knew what that meant.

But the prognosis wasnt as bad as it could have been it was at the earliest stage it could have been. They told me I could have a simple hysterectomy  womb and cervix  but they wanted to do a deeper biopsy under anaesthetic to check there was nothing else there.

Then it came back that there was a second tumour in the cervix. I was moved to Belfast City Hospital and they wanted to do a radical hysterectomy  that is, keyhole surgery to remove the womb, cervix, two centimetres of the vagina, the Fallopian tubes and check the lymph nodes to make sure it hadnt spread.

They did the operation on July 21. I was quite frustrated because I had this vision that it was multiplying inside me and I was convinced it was going to spread.

But it was also the anniversary of the day my dad died, and I felt like the only thing that happened that day was death. So I really struggled with the date.

They checked the lymph nodes on August 9 and they were clear and I had got rid of the tumour. I couldnt believe I didnt need any chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

One of the results of the operation is that the bladder stopped working properly and I had to self-catheterise.

But I feel really lucky because it could have been a lot worse and a lot of people Ive met along the way have gone through a lot worse.

I hate going for my smears  Id rather do anything else. But its five minutes discomfort that can change your life. If Id put it off for another couple of months, I dread to think what situation I would have been left in.

We decided not to tell the children at the time, although we told Bethany in the summer holidays after she finished primary school. I didnt tell my boys at all because its such a scary thing.

I told them I would need an operation on my tummy and I had to be very, very careful and they had to help daddy. Rhys still loves cuddles and I had to tell him he had to hug me round the neck, not round the belly  things like that.

My church was amazing and with all the babysitting we were able to keep living a relatively normal life. There were a few friends that were not there for us, which was really difficult.

I had a lot of help from Jos Trust  the only UK charity dedicated to women with cervical cancer.

The people there were amazing, even down to giving me shopping lists for going into hospital. And Hope House were really behind us  we spent a weekend at an apartment, just the two of us, and it was just what we needed to process everything.
Ronan Kelly (49), one of Ulster's best-known broadcasters, has been battling throat cancer for the past four months. In an exclusive interview, he tells Grainne McCarry about the shock of being a non-smoker with a smoker's disease - and how his wife, BBC NI's Donna Traynor (42), has helped him cope

On his first broadcast for U105 in 2005 Ronan Kelly interviewed a dentist about mouth cancers.

A year later the popular presenter revisited the subject - but this time as a patient.

It's a painful irony not lost on Ronan or his wife, Donna Traynor, anchorwoman on BBC NI's Newsline. Ironic, too, that a man whose career has been built around his voice should be diagnosed with throat cancer and risk losing it.

As one of the province's best-known and best-loved media couples, the pair are more used to covering the news, rather than making it.

But, sitting in their large semi-detached home in south Belfast, they say they're going public about Ronan's private health battle to raise awareness - and give hope to others.

Today, as we chat, the pair are in positive mood. Their close pal Julian Simmons pays a morale-boosting visit, bringing throat-soothing manuka honey from Harrods, and laughter fills the room.

Behind the banter, though, the strain of the couple's ordeal is plainly evident.

And it is, stresses Ronan, 'their' ordeal - something they have both had to come through. As Ronan puts it, Donna is "currently a newsreader by day, a carer by night".

"People ring up and ask how I am, and maybe forget to ask how Donna is coping," says Ronan, his once-mellifluous voice still a raspy whisper following treatment. "But she's my partner and whatever happens to me affects her, and vice versa.

"I may be the one diagnosed with cancer, but Donna also had a major responsibility.

"She was the one that was going to work every day, maintaining her composure as she broadcast live, and then returning home every evening and becoming my carer."

Ronan first suspected something was wrong in February this year. Initially, when he became hoarse, he thought he had caught a cold. But, when he started having to cancel work, alarm bells rang.

His doctor thought he had a virus and told him to return in a week if his voice hadn't improved. It hadn't.

Next, Ronan was referred to the Ear Nose and Throat consultant William Primrose at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.

A lesion was found on his right vocal chord and after a biopsy, Mr Primrose broke the grim news.

"He sat on the edge of the bed," recalls Ronan. "I knew by his face the news wasn't good. He told me it looked like I had a tumour on my right vocal chord and that the results of the biopsy would be confirmed in a few days."

Still trying to take it all in, Ronan walked back to the car park, where Donna was waiting.

Calm and pragmatic by nature, her approach was typically matter-of-fact - her husband had a lump on his vocal chord that shouldn't be there and they were going to get rid of it. Whatever the results were, they would deal with it and they would do it together.

Nevertheless, the couple endured an agonising wait over the weekend to see whether the tumour was cancerous. "It was a very long couple of days," admits Ronan, though they tried to carry on as normal. "We didn't discuss the impending results at all, " he says. The following week he and Donna met with cancer unit staff. "It was then that pathology confirmed that it was a squamous cell carcinoma - a cancerous tumour."

His reaction was one of surprise. He didn't smoke and had rarely been sick in his life, yet had a cancer that primarily affects smokers - nine out of 10 diagnosed with it are cigarette-users.

'Am I going to die?' was top of Ronan's list of questions. 'No' was the answer he received.

"That was reassuring," he says. "But I was informed that there would be a rough ride ahead for several months."

And his treatment made him fully appreciate the dedication and care of the team at the City Hospital's cancer unit.

"The people who are looking after me are the most wonderful I have ever encountered," he says, with real feeling.

"I have total confidence in them and my treatment has been second to none."

Ronan underwent 20 10-minute radiotherapy sessions during which he had to wear a specially made mask to protect his face. The treatment killed all cells, good and bad, on the left hand and right hand side of his neck below the jawline.

"The first time I went I wasn't nervous at all," he says, " but I understand why some might find it claustrophobic.

"My biggest challenge was remaining still throughout it.

"If I moved at all, the radiation could have damaged the wrong area.

"In broadcasting, we use a technique called diaphragmatic breathing to keep calm in moments of stress, so I did that. That involves taking a deep breath, but your stomach moves rather than your chest. It's a technique Donna uses on air to keep herself in control.

He continues: "The hospital waiting room was like a social club.

"It's funny how quickly you get into a routine and get used to meeting familiar faces - I began to look forward to my treatments!" Ronan laughs.

Surprisingly, he says, the mood there was usually upbeat: "I didn't see too many sad faces when I was there - just the look of hope. It's an indication of the professionalism of the staff there."

He also met an old friend, Maud, who was receiving treatment for breast cancer. "We quickly fell into a routine of treatment first, then having coffee and a bit of craic in the canteen," he recalls. "When my treatment was over, I said to her 'I'm going to miss this' so we've continued to meet up every other week. It's our own wee Cancer Coffee Club!"

Two weeks into his radiotherapy sessions, the side effects kicked in.

"My throat became inflamed and I was advised to sip water all the time, " he explains. "I was finding it difficult to breathe, especially at night. My throat was very raw on the inside and I was gasping for air, trying to get my breath back and coughing a lot. Heaven knows what it was like on the inside.

"Unfortunately, on two occasions I had to be admitted to hospital for two or three nights at a time."

Occasionally, as we chat, Ronan's voice falters - not so much from emotion, but as a reminder he still needs to rest it.

His neck is slightly pink on each side, the only visible sign of his treatment. Otherwise you would never know he had cancer, which is why he feels so strongly about early detection. After all, if he hadn't been so persistent ... "There are no prizes for ignoring the signs," he says. "Men tend not to talk about things if they have a problem and keep it all to themselves.

"But you shouldn't ignore your body when it is trying to tell you something.

The tumour was caught at an early stage and the doctors told me this was due to my vigilance.

"However, I've also been told the cancer could lead to secondaries so I'll be closely monitored over the next five years. I have every faith in the doctors and nurses that are taking care of me."

As well as the care of medical experts, Ronan's recovery has been - and is being - bolstered by Donna's unstinting support and encouragement. The couple met 21 years ago when Donna, a journalism student, did some work experience at Downtown Radio, where Ronan was a DJ.

Caring

They married in 1992 in Dublin where Donna grew up after her family moved there from her native Lisburn.

"She was the one that was going to work every day, maintaining her composure as she broadcast live and then returning home to me every evening and becoming my carer," says Ronan.

"She doesn't like to be described as my carer, but that's what she was doing every night when I couldn't stop coughing and needed someone to reassure me when I found it difficult to breathe.

"And I was very glad to have her there - a reassuring voice talking to me throughout my coughing fits was very important. If I had been by myself, what would I have done? With no voice, what can you do? I couldn't have rung for an ambulance.

"It made me wonder about cancer patients with no one at home to help them. Everyone is busy, but it's important to make time for sick neighbours or relatives living on their own"

Sipping a cup of tea carefully made to the right temperature by Donna, he explains why he's being open about his illness: "From the moment cancer was confirmed I never made a secret of it. There's a tendency here not to talk about cancer, people refer to it as the 'C' word. I've always been open and honest about it - I was determined that if the diagnosis was positive I would not hide the fact that I had cancer from anyone."

It is he who raises the subject of death.

"When you're faced with something like this your mortality comes to the fore," he admits. "Death doesn't frighten me, I am not afraid of death.

I had to think of Donna. What would happen to her if I died? Was she going to end up a widow? I will be 50 in October and I would get a few more years on the clock and achieve a few more things and fit a few more years into my life. "Donna and I work as a team. She's always there for me - even when she's at work she is phoning me constantly to see if I'm ok and I whisper back that I'm fine. We decided to look upon the experience as a journey that we would face up to and learn from together.

"I'm not a religious person. That's not to say that when I was faced with this I didn't turn to God and say: 'This must be part of Your plan for me so give me the strength to do what I have to do.' "

Ronan quit U105 late last year but had kept busy with his company Kellyvision, which he set up in the 90s. It trains clients for TV and radio appearances, in presentation skills and develops media packages for corporate clients. For the time being, however, work is not a priority.

"Work meant everything to me before this happened," he admits. " But it's important for me to remember that I am lucky to be alive - what you do when you are alive is another thing. I was reminded by the cancer team that getting rid of the cancer is my priority and my voice is secondary to that. "The one thing that came out of it for me was how unimportant my work has become to me in such a short space of time. I had a full schedule of appointments, but I had to cancel everything in my diary.

Changes

"Even at this point, I'm not thinking about work because the reality for me is that I don't know if my voice will ever fully recover from this. I hope it does and that I can continue my career, but I don't know what the future holds ... I might have to change my career completely. I hope it doesn't come to that but if that is what it comes to, I'm prepared for it. "

He adds: "I take each day as it comes, I don't look back on yesterday, that day is over. I don't look forward to tomorrow, I just deal with today. If I get up in the morning and I feel ok, I will do things with my day. If I get up and I'm feeling tired, I rest and take it easy.

"My message to others? Early detection is crucial - it really can mean the difference between life or death."

Day by day ... Ronan's diary of courage

March 29, 2007: Royal Victoria Hospital - ENT Ward

I knew by his face that the news wasn't going to be good. As the consultant sat down gently on the edge of my bed and turned to face me, I said: " You don't look very happy Mr P." "I'm not" he replied. " I've removed part of the lesion for a biopsy which should take a few days. I'm afraid it looks like you've got a tumour on your right vocal cord". "You mean cancer?" I asked, desperately hoping he meant something completely different.

April 23, 2007: Belfast City Hospital Cancer Centre

It was like the first day at school as Donna and I made our way to the City Hospital. Knowing that my first treatment of 20 was scheduled for 8.50am, I had tossed and turned for most of the night, checking the clock and mentally going over the procedure I had rehearsed with the radiotherapy team just a few days ago. When radiotherapy patients arrive at the Cancer Centre, they are given a saucer-like buzzer which lights up and vibrates when it's their turn. As I sat in the waiting area, I found it difficult not to make eye contact with other patients and their family or friends. Understandably, some of the first-timers looked a bit nervous. Others, who had obviously been there before, appeared to take the whole thing in their stride. Some even smiled as they made their way to the treatment area. I found this reassuring.

May 11, 2007: Belfast City Hospital Cancer Centre

This was day 15. With just five more treatments to go, I've been counting them down like a DJ on Top of the Pops. By now I've got into the swing of things and quite enjoy (in a strange sort of way) my daily dose of radiation. Maybe it's the social side of things. Today, like every other treatment day, I sipped a skimmed-milk latte in the centre's cafe with a friend who is being treated for breast cancer. Although I hadn't seen Maud for many years, for some strange reason our paths crossed and soon afterwards, Donna and I met my friend and her husband for dinner. Little did Maud and I know that a few months later the 'cancer club' would be looking for new members; our names would be at the top of the list; our next meeting would be in the Belfast City Hospital and we would have radiotherapy treatment at the same time every day!
Analysis by polling company LucidTalk suggests a snap Assembly election would again return the DUP as the largest political party.

With Sinn Fein demanding the Secretary of State calls an election, another visit to the polls looks increasingly likely less than a year after the last vote.

Read More

But this time around the number of elected MLAs drops from the current 108 to 90, meaning each candidate will have to secure a quota of 6,500 votes as opposed to 6,000. Pollsters LucidTalk regularly carry out surveys of a near 6,000-strong opinion panel, with responses then boiled down to represent the Northern Ireland population.

Its analysis suggests that if Northern Ireland went back to the ballot box - which could come as soon as the first week of March - then the DUP, although it would lose up to five seats, would remain the biggest party in the Assembly with a predicted 33 seats. Sinn Fein would potentially lose four giving them 24 seats. The UUP would be on 11 if they lost five. And the SDLP would have nine MLAs if it lost three seats. Alliance would remain unchanged on eight. The TUV, People Before Profit and independent unionist Claire Sugden, if she runs, would all remain, with the Greens losing one of their two seats.

LucidTalk managing director Bill White says most of the analysis is based on the Belfast company's data on previous elections and before the scandal erupted over the Renewable Heating Incentive. He said: "When we look at patterns, when the numbers of those elected is lower, it favours the bigger parties, who have the well-oiled political machine to throw behind their campaign."

Writing in the Irish Times, Nicholas Whyte, a visiting professor in the faculty of social science at Ulster University, suggested that the four biggest parties can expect to lose between two to five seats each.

Big hitters at serious risk of losing their seats include SDLP veteran Alex Attwood in West Belfast and DUP Assembly speaker Robin Newton, the elections expert speculated.

Mr Whyte also suggested that MLAs from the smaller parties - the Greens and People Before Profit with two MLAs each, TUV with one, and the independent Claire Sugden - would also find it difficult to keep all their seats.
A fresh tug of war has broken out at Stormont over funding for languages.

A bitter row between Sinn Fein and the DUP over a 50,000 cut to an Irish language bursary scheme has blown up.

Communities Minister Paul Givan, who axed the grant in December, told the BBC's Stephen Nolan Show the Irish language has always received more public money than Ulster Scots.

"If there has been a disparity of funding it has been toward the Irish language and traditions compared to Ulster Scots. So that nails the myth I have been pursuing something that is anti-Irish - quite the opposite in fact," he said.

Last year, Foras na Gaeilge, which promotes Irish language and culture, received 2.59m under Mr Givan's watch, while the Ulster Scots Agency was awarded 1.76m in funding.

In 2014, Foras na Gaeilge received 3.302m compared to 1.856m for the Ulster Scots Agency.

In 2015, they received 3.076m and 1.836m respectively.

"There has always been a big gap between how the Irish language and Ulster Scots have been treated," said the DUP's Nelson McCausland.

"The suggestion Irish has somehow been discriminated against here is simply not correct. There is still a very big sum of money going to Irish through different budgets, Irish medium schools, higher and further education.

"The Liofa bursary was flawed from the outset. Caral Ni Chulain set it up in a drip-by-drip fashion as a very clear Sinn Fein initiative.

"There was no coherent programme, no thorough plan and no clear figures to work with.

"When the Good Friday Agreement was made, the preferential treatment of the Irish language was established and it has carried on since then. We need to address this, to establish true equality and fairness between Irish and the Ulster Scots tradition."

But Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff said comparing the languages in a like-for-like fashion wasn't realistic.

"To compare Irish and Ulster Scots is a red herring," said the MLA for West Tyrone.

"I absolutely agree that the Ulster Scots language and culture should get support and funding, but in terms of level of interest and demand for access, the two languages are not comparable.

"The bursary, which was means-tested for less well-off young people who want to learn the language, was a positive thing and now it's gone.

"I wonder what the DUP are doing with this issue? If they are simply unaware or ignorant of the significance of insulting the Irish language in this way, that's one thing.

"Perhaps this could be solved with discussion and education. But if, as many people suspect it was, a deliberate and provocative act then that's much more worrying.

"To insult the Irish language like this is a poke in the eye for nationalists. We fully agree that Ulster Scots culture, its language, music and traditions deserve respect.

"But equally, so does the Irish language, and we will be protesting at the Department of Communities on Thursday to demand the Liofa bursary is restored. On one hand we've got allegations of corruption, and on the other we have what seems like a clear move of disrespect to the nationalist community and the Irish language."

Mr Givan also said that Gerry Adams's description of him as an "ignoramus" over his decision to axe Liofa's funding showed "progress" on previous remarks aimed at unionists.

In November 2014, Gerry Adams told a public meeting that equality was the Trojan horse of the entire republican strategy to "break these b*******".

He later apologised and said his comments were aimed at bigots.

Mr Givan denied he was trying to get back at Sinn Fein by axing the funding, saying the republican party had created a "tantrum" over him being prudent with financial planning.

Asked what he thought of Mr Adams "ignoramus" remark, the MLA said: "Given that it is Gerry Adams resorting to calling names, I think that speaks for itself.

"I don't need to give credence to someone of his character in respect of the way he wants to go about throwing names.

"We know what he said in the past that 'equality was the Trojan horse to break these...' and he then used the expletive word.

"So I suppose being called an ignoramus is progress on what he called us before."
Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

DUP minister Paul Givan has reinstated funding for the Liofa programme in Northern Ireland and it sent the local Twittersphere into a spin on Thursday.

A bitter row erupted between Sinn Fein and the DUP over the communities minister's decision to cut the 50,000 just two days before Christmas.

The bursaries helped Irish language students fund the costs involved in visiting the Gaeltacht region of Donegal.

On Thursday the DUP MLA took to Twitter to say he has found the money for the programme.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

The U-turn comes after the minister said his decision was not "anti-Irish" and that he was being "financially prudent".

"If there has been a disparity of funding it has been toward the Irish language and traditions compared to Ulster Scots. So that nails the myth I have been pursuing something that is anti-Irish - quite the opposite in fact," he told the BBC.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference
Paul Givan said he had identified funding to keep the scheme running

James Brokenshire warned that a poll would be potentially divisive and make it harder to bring people together afterwards

The British and Irish governments have conceded a snap election is increasingly likely in Northern Ireland as Stormont's power-sharing administration heads for collapse.

The clock is ticking on dissolution of the devolved institutions, with Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire set to order a poll at the start of next week.

The Democratic Unionists have called for fresh negotiations to avoid a "brutal" contest but Sinn Fein insisted the matter should be placed before the people.

On Thursday a DUP minister reversed his controversial decision to cut an Irish language initiative.

Some interpreted Paul Givan's move as an olive branch to Sinn Fein, but the minister said his motivation was to "neutralise" republican attempts to make it an election issue.

Mr Brokenshire said: "The reality remains, the high probability remains, that we are heading towards an election."

He said he did not want to pre-judge what the outcome of the vote might be and warned an election could be divisive.

Charlie Flanagan, Irish foreign affairs minister, was also in Belfast to try to avert a poll.

He said: "I believe an election is much closer. The Secretary of State on Monday, in my view, will be left with no choice but to dissolve the Assembly and announce an election."

Mr Flanagan said there was only a slight hope the administration could be saved. "There is a window of opportunity, albeit extremely narrow," he said.

A scandal over a botched green energy scheme that threatens to leave the taxpayer 490 million out of pocket precipitated the resignation of Sinn Fein's ailing deputy first minister Martin McGuinness on Monday.

It is a joint office so he took first minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster, who established the eco-boilers scheme, with him and has doomed the institutions to fall unless Sinn Fein nominates a successor next Monday - a step republicans have vowed not to take.

Sinn Fein Stormont health minister Michelle O'Neill said: "Martin made his position very clear when he placed his resignation in the Assembly on Monday. We now need to move to an election.

"We now believe, on the back of this latest scandal of the renewable heat incentive (RHI), and a whole litany of issues in relation to equality, that it is now over to the public to have their say and to place their vote."

Later Ms O'Neill warned plans being developed by her department to cut hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland were now on ice due to turmoil in the executive.

Mr Givan's decision to cut a 50,000 bursary to pay for children to visit Irish-speaking communities - the Gaeltacht - infuriated Sinn Fein and has been seen as a key factor in the republican party's decision to pull the plug on the power-sharing institutions.

Explaining his U-turn, Mr Givan said: "I will not allow Sinn Fein to use the Irish language as a political weapon."

Despite the reversal, hundreds of Irish language activists gathered outside the minister's departmental offices in Belfast to protest about the DUP's attitude.

The DUP communities minister has also been involved in a wrangle with Sinn Fein finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir on whether Stormont mitigation payments for those losing out under the Government's so-called "bedroom tax" can be distributed amid the crisis.

Mr Givan had insisted the approval of the now-paralysed executive was required - a claim Mr Muilleoir disputed. Both issued contradictory legal advice from their departments.

On Thursday evening Mr Givan said he would press ahead with the payments by by-passing the executive and bringing legislation directly before the Assembly, potentially as early as next week.
Emergency services in Northern Ireland have attended the scene of an incident on the River Lagan, in Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Fire Service, Ambulance and police have taken part in the rescue operation.

The incident happened near Donegal Quay on Thursday morning.

Police said a man was in distress in the water and has since been rescued and taken to hospital.

It happened as morning commuters were passing the busy area on their way to work.
The case of Hank the dog - who was seized by Belfast City Council over fears he was a pit bull and could be a danger to the public - may result in a change to the law.

The council has been in correspondence with Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen asking for an urgent review of breed specific legislation (BSL).

It can now be revealed that Ms McIlveen has indicated she will consider changing the law after lessons were learned by the council on how it handled the whole issue last year.

The council wrote to the minister asking her to conduct an urgent review of the legislation.

It noted in the letter that tragic events in England demonstrated the need for effective controls in respect of dangerous dogs, but that the removal of animals which had not posed a danger to the public from their owners should be avoided.

It added: "The council supports and encourages responsible dog ownership and those who exercise appropriate care and control of their dogs."

Hank was seized from joint owners Joanne Meadows and Leonard Collins last year and a high profile campaign was mounted to secure his release. It attracted support from across the world, including from TV presenter Dermot O'Leary, boxer Carl Frampton and celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stillwell.

An online petition to have Hank returned was signed by more than 280,000 people.

The case and its handling is currently being reviewed by the council.

Ms McIlveen's private secretary wrote back to the council. The letter has been published on its website.

In it she intimated the minister may be open to reviewing the legislation.

"The department understands that the council is currently reviewing its handling of a recent high profile case involving the seizure, assessment and return of a pit bull," she wrote.

"We would be interested in learning of the findings of that review, and will then consider whether the existing legislative provisions could be reviewed to allow the impact of seizure on dogs and their owners, to be more effectively managed, while ensuring appropriate protection for the public."

Two-year-old Hank was removed by dog wardens last July and taken for testing following concerns from members of the public. Under Article 25(a) of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 some types of dog, including pit bulls, are deemed inherently dangerous and can be destroyed.

A court in Belfast heard he had been assessed by an expert to be a pit bull terrier-type.

However, it was recommended that he be placed on the council's exemption register.

Hank was released on the condition he underwent behavioural training and was kept on a lead and muzzled in public. He was the 12th dog to be placed on the exemption register since 2011.

Mr Collins welcomed the latest move. "I very much back the call for legislation review; very few pieces of legislation are as unpopular as BSL," he said.

"This stems from both the implementation of the legislation by the council and the abstract and grossly unfair nature of the legislation itself.

"As it stands, we will see a repeat of Hank's case, something nobody wants. It is ludicrous that another family should be put through this when the desire for change is so overwhelming."
The cow he used for his proposal

While many proclaim their love with flowers, one beef farmer in Fivemiletown has found happiness - and fame - by writing a marriage proposal on the side of his cow.

Ashley Farrell stunned his girlfriend Anna Martin on Christmas Eve by writing 'Marry Me' in red paint on the side of a new calf.

The now famous bovine - who remains unnamed - was apparently chosen as it's large white 'belt' provided the perfect canvas for the romantic message.

A delighted Anna Martin told the Belfast Telegraph she couldn't believe the reaction.

"I was very shocked, Ashley is great but he's your typical farmer and I wouldn't have put him down as the creative type," she said. "He'd tell you himself he's not romantic.

"But for him this is very romantic and creative so I was very pleased and shocked."

Ashley set his plan in motion last November, informing Anna to expect a new calf for her Christmas present.

"On Christmas Eve he came in and said, 'Come on out and see this calf before it gets dark'," Anna explained.

"We went out and I asked, 'Is that my calf in there with that cow?', because I knew it would be bigger as he had it so long.

"I just had the words out of my mouth and the cow turned round and there it was with marry me on it."

She continued: "I looked at the cow in shock and couldn't believe it, then I looked round at him and he disappeared out of my eye level because he was down on one knee. I just thought 'oh my goodness'. It was really sweet and of course I said yes.

"He was very good, he went and asked my daddy for permission. I'm glad he did that, it's a nice touch. But I don't think they knew he was going to do that, they couldn't believe it. His family all thought it was brilliant too, they are all very surprised by him now."

With a wedding now in the works for 2018, she added: "He's done well, he's happy and I'm happy."
Police criticised Seamus James Laverty for his unwillingness to help the inquiry

Police criticised Seamus James Laverty for his unwillingness to help the inquiry.

A fraudster who sold fake fire-resistant glass to be fitted in hospitals and primary schools across Ireland and the UK has been jailed for 12 months.

Seamus James Laverty, 58, of Deerpark Road, Toomebridge in Northern Ireland risked the lives of children, the elderly and patients in hospitals for money, police have said.

The maternity unit of the Ulster Hospital in Belfast, Tallaght Hospital in Dublin and the National University of Ireland in Galway are among almost 70 sites across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK where counterfeit fire glass had been supplied by Laverty.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer in charge, Detective Sergeant Colin Gray, said the "potential loss of life in this case cannot be underestimated".

Fire resistant glass provides protection for lives and property in the event of fire by helping to contain fire and smoke within a building. From 2010 to 2013 Laverty supplied standard laminate glass for use in buildings, claiming it was fire-resistant glass.

Laverty pleaded guilty to 16 counts of fraud at Antrim Crown Court.

Judge Desmond Marrinan described the risk posed to the public by his actions as "chilling".

He said it was just "by the grace of God" the fraudulent glass had not been put to the test.

A defence lawyer told the court the 140,000 fraud was a reaction by Laverty to financial difficulties, not greed.

The court heard Laverty found himself in financial difficulties in 2007 and was eventually declared bankrupt. His son took over his company and he became an employee and that is when he began supplying the counterfeit glass.

"This is an extremely concerning case ... You placed members of the public at very serious risk," said the judge.

He added: "The financial loss to contractors is not insignificant, but it pales into insignificance with the risk you were prepared to take.

"You are a man who, until this most regrettable series of events took place, was highly thought of. The courts cannot ignore the seriousness of what you have done. Fortunately no one was actually hurt but the exposure of members of the public to risk clearly demands a custodial sentence."

Members of Laverty's family broke down in tears when the judge jailed him for 12 months with a further 12 months on licence.

Speaking outside court Mr Gray said the actions of Laverty "can only be described as reckless and dangerous".

He added: "That glass has been installed at schools, hospitals, churches, nursing homes, and universities. The clear health and safety risks posed by his actions is evident. He has put at risk children, the elderly, patients at hospital and not forgetting our colleagues in the fire and rescue service."

Mr Gray added: "If a fire had started at any of these locations we would be looking at fatalities or serious injury. In 2013 police started this investigation. At no time did Mr Laverty assist ... You cannot underestimate the potential loss of life here."

Laverty was working for a now dissolved company called Glassworks Ireland Limited, based in Randalstown, Co Antrim, at the time of the scam. His son had taken over the company after Laverty's bankruptcy and he was in charge of operations on the factory floor.

Police first became aware of the scam in 2012 following a tip-off from a competitor who had become suspicious of the cheap tenders Glassworks Ireland were able to provide for the supply of fire-resistant glass.

As part of their investigations officers visited almost 100 sites across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, parts of the UK and the Netherlands.

Amongst the buildings discovered to have been supplied with the counterfeit glass were: The Ulster Hospital; Maghera Parish Church; Greenvale Leisure Centre; Magherafelt High School; Downpatrick Civic Centre; Carrick Primary School; Tallaght Hospital in Dublin; The National University of Ireland in Galway and Lisburn Road Methodist Church in Belfast.

Other buildings the glass was supplied to included: Strathearn School in Belfast; Brooklands Care Home; the Almac Laboratory; Urban Retail Outlet, Camden, London; the Renold Building at the University of Manchester; DW Sports, Leicester, Coliemore Apartments, Dublin; DW Sports, Gainsborough; Titanic Quarter, Belfast; The French Rooms, Bushmills; St James House, Dublin; St Mary's National School in County Meath and Scoil Oilibheir Naofa in Laytown.
Stormont ministers are at odds over whether payments to support those losing out under the Government's 'bedroom tax' can be distributed amid the devolution crisis.

The DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan has insisted the approval of the now-paralysed Executive is required to authorise 24m in payouts this year to around 34,000 social housing residents.

They are set to lose out due to the policy of reducing benefits to those deemed to have spare rooms.

Sinn Fein Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir countered those claims by insisting the 2016 Budget Act enables the release of the payments.

Then Mr Givan later rejected Mr O Muilleoir's claim.

He tweeted: "Engaged with my officials on DoF Ministers letter re bedroom tax. Regrettably not a way forward. I continue to explore emergency options."

Amid uncertainty around the mitigation measures, earlier the minister's Sinn Fein colleague Conor Murphy had urged the UK Government not to roll out the spare room subsidy in Northern Ireland.

Otherwise known as the social sector size criteria, the Government welfare reform on housing benefit will be introduced in Northern Ireland next month.

Extra money of up to 91m provided by Stormont to make up for cuts to the overall welfare budget at Westminster was a key plank in an earlier agreement to save power-sharing. It had been a central Sinn Fein demand.

But the looming implosion of the institutions following Martin McGuinness's resignation as Deputy First Minister means the Executive is currently unable to meet to sign off the payments.

While Mr Givan's department stated that Executive approval is required, Mr O Muilleoir insisted otherwise.

A Department of Finance spokesman said: "The Finance Minister has written to the Communities Minister to confirm that sufficient legislative authority is already in place to allow bedroom tax mitigation payments.

"The 2016 Budget Act, which was approved by the Assembly, provides legislative authority to make bedroom tax mitigation payments. This will cover any expenditure up until March 2017.

"After that date, Section 59 of the 1998 NI Act can be used to ensure payments continue."

Earlier, Mr Murphy had said: "All of the parties in these institutions are opposed to the bedroom tax.

"It is the British Government who are legislating for bedroom tax and we told them specifically today that they have no need to legislate for bedroom tax for the north."

On Thursday David Sterling, from the Department of Finance, wrote: "I am content, having taken legal advice, that from a legal perspective the 2016 Budget Act provides sufficient legislative authority to make bedroom tax mitigation payments.

Mr Sterling cautioned that the Budget Act does not provide for the terms and conditions of any mitigation scheme.

However, he added that "there is no legal reason why these matters cannot be determined administratively".

Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney said: "I hope that those politicians who for purely political point scoring reasons indulged in scaremongering, creating unnecessary concern for citizens will now do the honourable thing and retract their assertions as publicly as they made them.

"The Permanent Secretary at the Department, David Sterling has today confirmed that after taking legal advice the position given by Finance Minister Mairtin O Muelloir was the correct interpretation of the legislation and that Bedroom Tax mitigations can go forward and that after March the 1998 Act will be sufficient to ensure that payments can continue."

Steps to protect Northern Ireland benefit recipients from London-driven welfare reforms were championed by Sinn Fein and negotiated as part of the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire rejected the suggestion that the Government would adjust its UK-wide welfare reforms in Northern Ireland.

"It is a UK-wide position on the spare room subsidy," he said.

"Clearly it is for the devolved administration here to determine if they wish to make a change from UK-wide policy."

Mr Givan had said earlier that he could not release the 24m pledged to help claimants this year because legally he needed the agreement of the Executive. He had said: "Legally, the mitigation measures have to go to the Executive, then the relevant committee, and finally the Assembly for a debate and vote.

"That would have been done over the next four weeks and measures put in place before the bedroom tax was introduced on February 20.

"Neither the DUP nor Sinn Fein wanted the bedroom tax but, by Sinn Fein's actions, it's now on the cards."

His department later confirmed that Assembly approval is required to give the department the necessary powers to make the payments.

"Without Executive and Assembly approval the Department does not have the legal basis to introduce the mitigation payments as planned," it said.

"The minister has tasked officials to look at what emergency procedures may be available."
A woman left with a broken back and legs in a hit-and-run involving so-called joyriders has described her husband of 40 years as a hero after he pulled her from the wreckage of their car in the aftermath.

Ann McNulty (59) and her spouse Joseph (64) were driving along the Hollyhall Road in Londonderry last week when their vehicle was hit head-on.

Three passengers in the other car fled the scene. A third car carrying a young family including a pregnant woman and a toddler was also caught up in the crash.

The side of the vehicle Mrs McNulty was on bore the brunt of the impact. She realised immediately she was badly injured.

While Joseph, who has a heart condition, dragged her to safety, the three joyriders made good their escape.

Mrs McNulty has now been released from hospital and is back at home in Derry, where she is expected to make a good recovery.

However, the identity of the three young people who ran away is unknown.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mrs McNulty said: "We were coming home after doing our shopping when Joseph said: 'They are going to hit us'.

"Before I could speak a word this car drove straight into us.

"I realised immediately I was in trouble because I could feel parts of my bones shoot out and I told my husband my legs are beat.

"There was smoke coming out of our car, so Joe pulled me out across the gear stick and we both just fell on to the road.

"Joe has a serious heart condition, he gets exhausted even going to the bathroom, so I don't know where he got the strength to pull me out of the car. He is my hero.

"My back is broken and I am full of nuts and bolts, but I am just glad to be here at all because we could have been killed.

"But I am in a lot of pain and I will be off my feet for God only knows how long. I cannot understand how the three people who were in the car that hit us ran away, though.

"They must have seen my husband pull me out of the car but they didn't wait around to help.

"And they didn't care about the other family who were in the other car.

"That man has a broken leg too, and the woman was pregnant.

"But they still ran away."

Mrs McNulty is being looked after at home by her family, including daughter Jamie, who called on the three young people who fled the scene to hand themselves in to police.

She said: "This crash happened at 2.30pm, which is not a time when you expect to come across joyriders.

"These three people have shown no remorse and no guilt, but if they had a shred of decency about them they would do the right thing and go to the police.

"Even if one of them owned up.

"They might be thinking they have to go along with the other two, but they don't.

"I hope when they see the way they have left my mother they have a heart and do the right thing."
The former partner of a young mother from Co Antrim has been charged with her weekend murder in England.

Mother-of-two Kerri McAuley (32) was found dead in a property in Norwich on Sunday.

Yesterday, her ex-partner Joe Storey (26) was charged with the murder.

Kerris dad Donal McAuley from Cushendall, Co Antrim, said the familys hearts are broken after the death of his beautiful daughter.

A fundraising page to help pay for the funeral costs has already raised more than 10,000.

A friend said: She was so well liked and beautiful. Its awful.

He added that: "The main thing for us is to get her body home among the people who love her."

It's understood the family's wish is for her to be buried in Norwich where Kerri's mother lives. It's understood Kerri's two boys are to live with their father from a previous relationship with Ms McAuley.

A fundraising page set up by Ms McAuley's friends - Kendall Jarrett and Laura A'dore - to pay for the funeral costs has so far raised more than 10,000 within days, almost twice the original target.

The two friends wrote: "Kerri was well-known in Norwich as a kind-hearted, soft spoken crazy chick! She had a huge friend circle and loved by so many including her two young boys."

They added: "We want to take some of the stress away from the family with raising some money for her funeral costs and help with her two sons who luckily have a father who will be taking them on full-time.

"We love you Kerri, rest in paradise."

Family friend Abbey Newton told the Belfast Telegraph: "The family would be well-known in Cushendall. It's awful. She was so well liked and beautiful.

"The amount of money raised just shows how much people thought of her."

On Christmas Day, Ms McAuley posted one of her final messages on Facebook showing her Christmas tree surrounded with piles of presents for her two sons.

"We might not have had the greatest couple of months and although I've not much felt in the Christmas spirit and it's all had to be last minute, I'm on the mend and I've managed to pull it all together for my babies because as mums that's what you do," she said.

"I'm ready to start my 2017 as strong as I've ever been."

The young mother had been working as a model for the martial arts promoter Contenders Norwich. A post on the company's Facebook page read: "Rest in Peace Kerri McAuley.

"Our thoughts are with your boys and your family at this very sad time. You will be missed."

Yesterday there were emotional scenes as Joe Storey appeared in Norwich Magistrates Court.

Dressed in a blue jumper he spoke only to confirm his age, name and address.

The Norwich Evening News reported the accused appeared to smile during proceedings prompting tearful outbursts from many in the gallery, with one heard to shout angrily: "What are you smiling for?"

Storey was remanded in custody to appear in Norwich Crown Court today.

Friends paid tribute to Kerri online. "Such a beautiful girl. I hope she gets the funeral she deserves and wish her family all the love in the world," one wrote.

To contribute to the Kerri McAuley funeral appeal, visit justgiving.com and search for 'Kendall Jarrett'
Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

Sinn Fein have rejected Paul Givan's Liofa funding U-turn saying the countdown to the election continues.

A bitter row erupted between Sinn Fein and the DUP over the communities minister's decision to cut the 50,000 just two days before Christmas.

The bursaries helped Irish language students fund the costs involved in visiting the Gaeltacht region of Donegal.

On Thursday the DUP MLA took to Twitter to say he has found the money for the programme.

Expand Close Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

He also said he was continuing to work with officials on finding a solution on the "bedroom tax" issues. The minister and Sinn Fein Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir have clashed over the implementation of measure to prevent Westminster cuts hitting Northern Ireland homes.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

The U-turn comes after the minister said his decision was not "anti-Irish" and that he was being "financially prudent".

"If there has been a disparity of funding it has been toward the Irish language and traditions compared to Ulster Scots. So that nails the myth I have been pursuing something that is anti-Irish - quite the opposite in fact," he told the BBC.

Sinn Fein had said the cut in the funding was one of a number of reasons which led to the resignation of Martin McGuinness and that it displayed the lack of respect the DUP had shown to the Irish language.

Reacting Sinn Fein's Niall O Donnghaile described the move as a "climbdown" that won't cure broader problems and wouldn't be seen as an olive branch.

Expand Close Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Protest at the Department of Communities in Belfast this lunchtime. An Dream Dearg, an open network of Irish language activists from all corners and backgrounds, is held a public protest at the Department of Communities, Belfast. Image: Pacemaker

He described the initial pre-Christmas decision as an "under the radar slap".

"Any decision to cut 50,000 fund, which was means tested in order to get disadvantaged people to the Gaeltacht, I think everyone saw that in the broader context of RHI. That it was a very cynical decision by the minister," he said.

"Nevertheless he has reversed that decision and that is right.

"This is not seen in isolation and the minister needs to up his game in terms of his responsibilities to the Irish population."

He went on: "If anyone thinks this will fix problems in terms of RHI, in terms of all the issues of equality, showing dignity and respect and showing civility, that that they will melt away because of Paul Givan's 11th hour decision - the reality is he should not have done it.

"It indicates a real degree of pettiness, nastiness of thinking that exists in the DUP that they would do this on Christmas.

"If anyone thinks this will solve the broader problems they are kidding themselves."

The Republic of Ireland senator said the decision "shone a light on the issue of equality and respect that had never been shown before".

"Every and all communities are fed up to the back teeth of the disrespect, in equality and down-right ignorance being shown," he added.

The east Belfast Sinn Fein member said an election was near unavoidable.

"I would have thought we have gone past that point. But let's see how this plays out," he said.

In a statement, MLA Barry McElduff added: "The decision to cut the Liofa bursary of 50k for disadvantaged children was disgraceful.

While this reversal is welcome, it is a decision that should never have been taken.

The DUP has demonstrated contempt for the Irish Language and that must change.

The rights of the Irish Language speakers need to be recognised and respected.

TUV leader Jim Allister said the "humiliating climbdown" would embolden Sinn Fein seek further concessions from the DUP.

He described the move as an "embarrassment and a definite failure".

SDLP's Claire Hanna said she was "not sure pins fit neatly back in grenades".

"Good news for Liofa but doesn't excuse his pettiness in first place," said Alliance leader Naomi Long.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference
He had been refused travel because he was intoxicated, the court heard.

A man who attacked a Translink official after being stopped from getting on a train for being drunk has been jailed for six months.

Jordan Snoddy punched the victim, inflicting a bloodied nose, and ripped his shirt during a violent outburst at Belfast's Great Victoria Street Station.

The 20-year-old, with a previous address at hostel accommodation in the city, also lashed out at two PSNI officers in a separate incident a week later.

He appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court to be sentenced for criminal damage, common assault, disorderly behaviour and assault on police.

A prosecution lawyer said Snoddy became violent during the incident at the train station on June 11 last year.

He had been refused travel because he was intoxicated, the court heard.

"The injured party stated that as he was leading the defendant from the station he began to struggle and punched the injured party to the nose, resulting in a bloodied nose," the prosecutor said.

"The injured party's shirt was also torn during the altercation."

Snoddy had to be restrained on the ground due to his behaviour.

Six days later he was arrested again following a disturbance at another location in the city.

District Judge Liam McNally was told the defendant became agitated as he was taken into custody, striking, kicking out and spitting at officers.

Defence counsel John O'Connor said Snoddy had been at a vulnerable stage in his life, describing his actions as "a cry out for help".

He added that his client, who is already in custody for other matters, currently has no family support.

Imposing four months imprisonment for the train station incident, and a further two months for the assaults on police, Judge McNally said: "These are serious offences, the only proper sentence is one of custody."
The scandal over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is not an "orange and green" issue, Martin McGuinness has insisted.

Writing exclusively for today's Belfast Telegraph, Mr McGuinness said Arlene Foster's attitude to the fiasco over recent weeks had insulted both unionists and nationalists. The veteran republican, who resigned as Deputy First Minister to force Mrs Foster out, also accused the DUP of playing "fast and loose" with the office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Read More

"Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of the DUP any longer," he said. "It is time to call time."

A frail-looking Mr McGuiness dramatically announced his resignation on Monday, arguing he had to stand down to force Mrs Foster from office.

"I advised Arlene Foster to step aside, without prejudice, to allow a preliminary investigation to take place. She refused to do this," he explained.

"That is why I felt it necessary to resign as Deputy First Minister, thereby removing her from office, so that the people can now have their say.

"This is not an orange and green issue, despite attempts by some to paint it as such.

"The arrogance of Arlene Foster with regard to the RHI scheme was an insult not only to nationalists, but unionists who are appalled by the approach of the DUP."

Mr McGuinness also reiterated that Sinn Fein's anger went beyond the RHI scheme and included prejudice against the Irish language and a lack of respect for minorities including the LGBT community.

"The DUP acted with disrespect and at times bigotry towards the Irish language, blocking an Irish language Act and withdrawing funding," the former Deputy First Minister said.

"They also showed no regard for the identity, traditions and symbols of the nationalist and republican people.

"No serious attempt was made to reciprocate the initiatives around reconciliation that I and others within Sinn Fein took."

Mr McGuiness also hit out at successive London governments, which he said had "also failed in their responsibilities to the Good Friday and other agreements".

"There needs to be a change in approach from political unionism and the British Government if the institutions are to function in a spirit of genuine partnership government," he warned.

The former Deputy First Minister also urged the Irish government "to step up to the mark and act as guarantors" for equality and parity of esteem.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard has announced a number of new measures to catch more people using Belfast's bus lanes illegally.

The new measures will include clamping and removing those who park in the bus lane during their times of operation.

And the mobile enforcement cars - which traverse the city throughout the day to monitor the lanes - will be allowed to park on pavements, where it is safe to do so.

Bus lanes were introduced in 2012 as part of the Belfast on the Move traffic plan, to help get people around the city more quickly.

There are more than 60 bus lanes across the city.

The Sinn Fein minister said measures will help traffic flows and improve reliability and journey times for public transport as well as reducing overall congestion.

He added: "Bus lanes play a vital role in creating a modern and effective transport network and contribute to a reduction in congestion and environmental pollution.

Allowing the mobile cctv vehicle to park safely on footpaths where enforcement is currently not possible will increase enforcement coverage and will help to reduce the number of vehicles continuing to drive illegally in bus lanes.

The car will be allowed to park on pavements from January while vehicle removal and clamping enforcement will begin later in the year.

The Minster said: It is of great concern that vehicles continue to park in bus lanes and urban clearway routes during operational hours causing significant delays and congestion for commuters on their journeys to and from work.

Expand Close Chris Hazzard / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Chris Hazzard

All it takes is one inconsiderate driver to leave their vehicle parked illegally in a bus lane or on a clearway for a short period of time causing inconvenience to countless others. These illegally parked vehicles can cause delays and congestion for several hours not only in the immediate location but also in the surrounding areas.

To deal with this problem I plan to deploy an enforcement vehicle to carry out the removal and clamping of illegally parked vehicles in bus lanes and on clearways.

The minister also confirmed that three 24-hour bus lanes are to have their hours cut from Monday, January 23.

There were complaints about the camera operating 24 hours a day - even when buses are not running.

Figures obtained from the Belfast Telegraph revealed over 2,000 people were fined for driving in Belfast's bus lanes - in the dead of night when buses aren't even running.

On East Bridge Street, the bus lane will be operational from 7am and 7pm Monday to Saturday.

While the Saintfield Road lane will operate from 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday and the Upper Newtownards Road lane from 7.00am to 7.00pm Monday to Saturday.

Outside the hours of operation the lengths of road may be used by other traffic.

The minister added: "The changes are consistent with existing city centre bus lanes and the proposed operational hours of the Belfast Rapid Transit scheme and will help ensure the free flow of traffic in and around Belfast city.

In modern cities with efficient public transport systems, bus lanes are the norm and vital for the many thousands of users who opt to travel by bus to school, work or for pleasure.

Filling one bus with passengers equates to the removal of around 50 cars from our roads - that is a queue of cars about 1/3 km long. The new operational times will begin on Monday 23 January and I know will be welcomed by many who use these busy routes through the city.

Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: Reducing three bus lanes from 24 to 12 hours is a welcome and common sense decision. It was clearly unfair to fine drivers using bus lanes when buses were not even running

Given the depth of concern many city centre retailers have with over zealous fining policy in regard of the bus lanes, it is disappointing that the minister has decided to tighten enforcement.

NIIRTA have concerns about the sheer volume of motorists that have been fined in Belfast after entering the bus lanes and the negative message it sends out to shoppers who use their cars.

"We repeat our call for a yellow card system to be introduced for the motorists who accidentally stray into bus lanes, rather than an instant fine.

Sensible and fair enforcement of the bus lanes is important.

We need a level playing field for shoppers who use their cars, public transport, or who walk or cycle to our town and city centres."
Fr John Gallagher claims he has been intimidated and slandered by Church

A Co Tyrone priest living in the US has launched a libel case in Florida after he accused the Catholic Church there of orchestrating a child abuse cover-up.

Strabane native Fr John Gallagher is suing the Palm Beach Diocese following his successful efforts two years ago to prosecute a fellow priest for showing child porn images to a teenager.

Fr Gallagher's efforts won him praise from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office but condemnation from the Palm Beach Diocese, and particularly Bishop Gerald Barbarito.

The bishop is also being placed on notice to appear at a deposition in this case.

The 23-page lawsuit, filed yesterday in Palm Beach Circuit Court, accuses the diocese of orchestrating a cover-up and campaign of intimidation, slander and libel directed at Fr Gallagher and effectively destroying his ability to remain a priest.

Fr Gallagher is the former pastor-in-charge of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in West Palm Beach.

The lawsuit states Fr Gallagher was "damaged in his reputation and his livelihood, and his ability to serve in his chosen profession as a priest has been greatly diminished or eliminated. These defamations will live forever on the internet and will follow plaintiff throughout his life".

"What has happened to Fr John Gallagher shows without question that the Catholic Church has learned nothing from its history and continues to cover up acts of priest paedophilia even at the expense of its own priests, and that a priest who cooperates with authorities to prosecute child sexual harassment will suffer at the hands of his own Church," the lawsuit adds.

The controversy started in early January 2015 when Fr Gallagher helped investigators to prosecute a fellow clergyman who showed child porn to a teen.

Joseph 'Jose' Palimatton pleaded guilty, served six months, and was deported in June 2015 to his native India.

Almost as soon as the incident was reported the diocese went into cover-up mode, ignoring or seeking to stop Fr Gallagher's repeated efforts to get the Church to follow its self-proclaimed policy of "zero tolerance" toward sexual abuse of children.

But rather than deal with child molesters, the lawsuit states the diocese launched a campaign to discredit and defame Fr Gallagher.

The stress drove Fr Gallagher into a hospital in May 2015 with an apparent heart attack, and a hostile, confrontational bedside visit from Bishop Barbarito, who accused the priest of faking illness.

Fr Gallagher was discharged only to find that the locks had been changed to his church and home. Six days later he asked an 84-year-old Dominican nun to retrieve his personal files. The Palm Beach Diocese caught her in the act and fired her on the spot, the suit said.

In January 2016 the diocese issued two news releases designed to discredit him, and Bishop Barbarito ordered each of his pastors to read to every Mass a letter denying any cover-up and accusing Fr Gallagher of lying, "causing harm to the Church" and causing "embarrassment to my brother priests as well as me".
What would it take for you to leave a 1,000 tip?

Well an Indian restaurant owner in Portadown is still in shock after they received a huge tip by a very happy diner.

The Indian Tree in Carleton Street hosted a family of five who spent a total of 79.05 on their meal.

But when it came to paying the bill - the generous customer who wishes to remain anonymous - said he wanted to add the 1,000 to commend their cooking and service.

The businessman is originally from Portadown but lives abroad for work.

When he comes home he phones the restaurant to see if Chef Babu is working as he has been a loyal customer of the chef since 2002 and makes sure it is his first meal.

The restaurant said they may not be the most "exclusive or glamorous" place but they paid tribute to their "wonderful customers that love everything about our food and restaurant".

They called the gesture a "great, beautiful and humbling start to the year".

Owner Luna Ekush told the Belfast Telegraph: "We are very much still in shock. If someone gives us a couple of pounds we are happy enough - but this is just a massive one.

"We've known the customer for a good few years. He's been a very loyal customer of Babu the chef, so wherever he goes he follows him, as well as many other loyal customers.

Expand Close The generous tip received at The Indian Tree / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The generous tip received at The Indian Tree

"We are very proud of Babu's customer base and he is very much my brand.

"Babu has many loyal customers and because of that I was brave enough to open this restaurant, all his customers come and follow him wherever he goes which is a big thing to be proud of."
A primary school caretaker who abused his position of trust by superimposing pictures of children from his Co Down school onto those depicting youngsters being sexually abused has been jailed for a year. However, given the time he served while awaiting trial, he is set to be released from jail.

Judge Sandra Crawford who described 35-year-old Gary Carruthers' taking and use of pupils' faces from the school as "grostesque", sentenced him to three years and ordered he serve the bulk of the term, two years, on licence.

This is to ensure he completes a recommended probation organised programme which should help prevent his re-offending and protect both children and the public in the future.

However, as a result, because of time already served awaiting trial, Carruthers, with an address in Victoria Street, Belfast, is now due for release from prison.

Carruthers, described as a "social loner" and possibly suffering from some form of autism, not only admitted having nearly 30,000 indecent images of children, some as young as two to four, being sexually abused, he also pleaded guilty to having two paedophile manuals.

He is also the first person in Northern Ireland to be caught in possession of such manuals. Entitled 'Childlovin' and 'Producing kiddie porn for dummies', they were discovered along with the indecent images and extreme pornography on over 20 computer storage devices and discs hidden in a safe in his bedroom.

Judge Crawford told Carruthers that the methods set out in the manuals to groom children ultimately, for sex, and the images depicted in them were "utterly shocking."

The Downpatrick Crown Court judge, sitting in Newry, said that normally guilty pleas would attract substantial credit.

However, she told Carruthers "the evidence against you was overwhelming and effectively you were caught red handed", and when questioned initially brazened the matter out, denying all responsibility until he produced a prepared statement.

In it Carruthers accepted "responsibility" for all of the images, telling detectives "I am deeply sorry for my actions. I do not wish to comment further".

Judge Crawford also told Carruthers that the "great harm" caused to children being sexually abused was "all too obvious", and that by seeking and downloading such images from the internet he'd helped maintain "the illegal and depraved industry which exploits and abuses children for the sexual gratification of adults".

The judge said that Carruthers had abused the trust put in him as a school caretaker to photograph pupils which he had then used "in a vile and despicable fashion" to impose on images of children being abused.

The judge said that the variety of images including still and videos ranged from the lower level category one, but also included over 400 in the more serious levels four and five, depicting children being sexually abused by adults.

While Carruthers pleaded guilty to having the vast bulk of material from 2012, the judge said that analysis of them showed that some had been recovered from the internet in the weeks and days before his arrest in September 2015.

In addition to Carruthers 12 months imprisonment and two years on licence, he was placed on the Sexual Offender's Register indefinitely and was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the next 10 years.

Under the SOPO he has been banned from using of any Internet electronic devices without supervision. He is also banned from contacting anyone under 16 or living in a household with youngsters unless approved by the authorities.
SCOTT WAGNER INTERVIEW ART.jpeg

State Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York (PennLive file)

Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

State Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York, may fancy himself the Donald Trump of Pennsylvania politics. But a western Pennsylvania businessman who's eyeing a GOP gubernatorial run has actually hired Donald Trump's brain.

Or, at least, in any case, one of the guys who helped propel Trump to success in Pennsylvania, and break a 28-year-old Democratic stranglehold on the Keystone State.

As our pal Tom Fitzgerald of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, Paul Mango, a Pittsburgh businessman and former paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, has hired top Republican advisers David Urban and John Brabender to help him win the GOP's 2018 gubernatorial nomination.

Urban, a former top aide to the late Arlen Specter-turned-big shot political consultant, was Trump's senior adviser in Pennsylvania during last fall's presidential campaign.

Brabender is a veteran GOP ad man from Pittsburgh who's worked with candidates ranging from Tom Corbett to Rick Santorum.

If he does get into the race, Mango would join a crowded field of Republican hopefuls that is also expected to include former LG Jim Cawley; Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre; House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny; U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly and Tim Murphy and perhaps House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana.

The winner faces Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who, while he hasn't officially declared yet, is known to be seeking a second term in the top spot.

More astute readers will recall that Wagner officially launched his long-awaited 2018 guv bid with an event in York County on Wednesday.

Speaking to The Philadelphia Daily News' John Baer, Wagner dismissed the possible entrance of a fellow Republican rich guy into the race.

"Word is he's got $10 million to spend. He'll lose, and some consultant will get $2 million of it," Wagner scoffed.

Well, at least we know who two of those recipients now of that cash will be.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

Donald Trump has tweeted a picture of some western Pa. cops that his campaign was asked last year to stop using, The Tribune-Review reports.

Our Capitol colleague Wallace McKelvey conducted an exit interview with outgoing Attorney General Bruce Beemer.



That Shell ethane cracker plant in western Pennsylvania has moved forward after netting some local approvals, The Post-Gazette reports.

BillyPenn's Anna Orso runs down the emerging fight over employment practices, pitting Philly City Hall against big business.

In case you missed it, here's our editorial recommending that Mayor Jim Kenney sign a wage-discrimination bill now on his desk.

Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day (ongoing Farm Show edition).

Opioid education for kindergarteners? Yep, that is indeed a thing, NewsWorks/WHYY-FM reports.

Gov. Tom Wolf will shut down some residential mental health facilities as he tries to close a looming budget hole, resulting in the loss of more than 700 jobs, The Morning Call reports.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-13th, thinks there should be a Congressional investigation into claims that Russia is blackmailing the PEOTUS, PoliticsPA reports.

Stateline.org looks at the pros and cons of allowing cops to collect DNA samples upon arrest (something typically done upon conviction).

Democrats are struggling with how to handle Donald Trump's Russia troubles, Politico reports.

The U.S. Senate has adopted a budget resolution opening the door to an Obamacare repeal, Roll Call reports.

WolfWatch.

Gov. Tom Wolf heads to East Pennsboro Twp. for a 10:30 a.m. at the Radisson Penn Harris hotel. Then, at 2:30 p.m., in the Governor's Reception Room, he'll make some announcement about efforts to improve rural health care.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's a bit of tropical house goodness to get your day started.

And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit.
Police attended to the scene and helped the couple to safety.

Police had to escort a man and woman to safety from a UDA mob in Bangor, Co Down, The Irish News has reported.

On Tuesday night police responded to a report of intimidation in the Balmoral Avenue area of the seaside town.

Inspector Jonathan Francey said: "Just before 11pm, police received a report of shouting by men in two vehicles who had driven past a house.

"Police attended and a number of men left the area in cars. Police escorted a man and woman from the house to another address that they were going to stay at that night.

"The cars and men were later searched in the Bangor and Holywood areas but nothing untoward was found.

"A 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour but was later de-arrested pending a report to the PPS.

"Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact Newtownards Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1186 10/01/17. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."

On Thursday The Irish News reported that the incident was linked to a UDA feud in the town.

It reported that the man given the police escort was Kevin 'Muscles' McCall, a former associate of self-confessed UDA commander Dee Stitt.

Last year questions were raised over Mr Stitt's role with east Belfast ex-prisoners' charity Charter NI after it was awarded 1.7million in public funds. Chief executive Stitt then appeared in an interview with The Guardian in which he described his North Down Defenders flute band as "homeland security" protecting his territory "from anybody".

Mr Stitt later apologised to the Charter NI board and received a final written warning for the remarks.

Mr Stitt has said his paramilitary involvements are in his past.
Sinn Fein is now on an election footing with the party organising an Assembly selection convention in Fermanagh and South Tyrone for Sunday.

Meanwhile, the DUP made an 11th hour attempt to postpone an election, by asking the Alliance Party to join forces with it to lobby the Government not to hold an election until lengthy political negotiations have taken place. But Alliance rejected the DUP's request and is preparing for a speedy election.

Read More

A Stormont source said: "The DUP appear to be scared of facing the electorate.

"They asked Alliance to join with them in appealing to Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, to avert an election until after extensive talks. Their request was refused."

Sources said that in his talks with the local parties yesterday, Mr Brokenshire indicated that an election would be held in February with perhaps only a three or four week campaign beforehand.

The Impartial Reporter today reported that Sinn Fein had contacted its members in Fermanagh and South Tyrone to inform them that it intends to "select our candidates for the pending Assembly election".

Last night, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that he had spoken to Gerry Adams and Arlene Foster, and that both parties were willing to consider talks.

Mr Kenny told RTE that the two parties could hold a meeting to discuss the crisis that has brought Northern Ireland to the brink of an election.

He said that he had also spoken to former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who told him that he would attend any such meeting.

Mr Kenny said that the political situation was grave but that if people were talking anything was possible and that a bilateral meeting would be a hugely important step.

Mr Adams last night repeated his party's insistence that it wouldn't be nominating a Deputy First Minister before Monday.

Mr Brokenshire has warned that, without a replacement for Mr McGuinness, he will call an election within four days.

Mr Adams said: "In the last few weeks, huge damage has been done to the integrity of the North's political institutions by the behaviour and actions of the DUP. In our view, it is time for the people to have their say.

"Of course, Sinn Fein as a party is always open to discussions.

"We are the party of dialogue and we are prepared to talk to the DUP.

"However, following a series of meetings with the Irish and British governments, we don't yet see any basis for credible negotiations this side of an election."

Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, Mr McGuinness said that an election must be held.

"This is not an orange and green issue, despite attempts by some to paint it as such," he writes.

"The arrogance of Arlene Foster with regard to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was an insult not only to nationalists but unionists who are appalled by the approach of the DUP."

Earlier, there were apparently contradictory comments from Sinn Fein politicians on the possibility of talks with the DUP before an election.

Health Minister Michelle O'Neill had said: "We are not interested in trying to get into negotiations now - what we need is fundamental change.

"We believe the public need to have their say."

Around the same time, speaking in Dublin, Mr Adams said: "We are always open for talks and we are always open to meet.

"Of course we are."

Sinn Fein denied sending mixed messages and insisted its position was clear - that an election needed to happen regardless, but the party wouldn't rule out meetings with others in the interim.

SDLP MLA Claire Hanna said: "Like its stance on an RHI inquiry, Sinn Fein's position on talks is as clear as mud.

"An election now seems inevitable but an almighty governance mess has been left behind by the DUP and Sinn Fein.

"People are being asked to vote in a vacuum.

"Northern Ireland needed stability but these two parties seem capable of only processing and negotiations."

Alliance leader Naomi Long said: "Sinn Fein is clearly intent on an election.

"The talks are going nowhere and energies would now be best used to deal with budget and financial issues, and to ensure that ordinary people here don't pay the price for the DUP's and Sinn Fein's mess."

Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt, said: "The only thing that has been consistent about the last 10 years is the certainty that the DUP and Sinn Fein cannot work together."
UTV managing director Michael Wilson has decided to step down after 12 years at the broadcaster, ITV has announced.

Mr Wilson, who joined the company in 2005 from Sky News, oversaw UTV's expansion into the Republic of Ireland before the breakup of the media group and the sale of its television arm to ITV.

He said that he would be sad to leave, but was proud of the companys achievements during his time running the business, which include the increase in audience of UTVs television news, the launch and performance of the UTV website, app and player, the renewal of UTVs Ofcom licence, plus the launch and delivery of UTV Ireland.

But perhaps the most important has been the consistent delivery of a first class commercial public service broadcaster day in day out with high quality programming such as UTV Live and Live Tonight, UTV Life, The Troubles I Have Seen, Rare Breed, Lesser Spotted Ulster, Nick and Paul, The Big House Reborn, our Mourne series and Ultimate Ulster, he said.

We have won RTS Awards, ITV News Awards, New York Television Festival Awards  and, quite rightly, the acclaim of our peers for punching well above our weight. These are achievements everyone at UTV has helped to deliver and I hope they are as proud of them as I am.

Mr Wilson said that the he was looking forward to new challenges: When ITV bought UTV last year, I was asked to stay on for the integration process, and now thats close to completion and UTV Ireland has moved to Virgin, I feel the time is right for me to move onto new ventures.

I have a huge amount of respect for so many people at UTV, and the staggering professionalism of the teams I have worked with so closely. I wish each and every member of the team every success in the future.

Christy Swords, ITV director of broadcast finance and operations, who has overseen the UTV acquisition and integration project, added: Under Michael's leadership, UTV has faced a number of substantial challenges, from the transition to digital television to the demerger from The Wireless Group.

"Throughout that period, Michael has led a programming service that has consistently been one of the strongest performers in the ITV network. I would like to thank Michael in particular for his work over the last several months as UTV has been integrated into ITV PLC.

"UTV is now more strongly placed to face the future as part of ITV and Michael and his team should take credit for that.

Mr Wilson will leave the company in March.
Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Shooting incident happened at a house in Norglen Parade, Turf Lodge, just after 18:15 on Thursday evening. Image: Pacemaker

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

A man and woman have been shot in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast.

The incident happened at around 6.15pm on Thursday. Police say the pair, in their 50s, were shot in the legs.

SDLP West Belfast MLA Alex Attwood condemned the shooting.

"I condemn this latest act of tyranny in west Belfast. The fact that two people, a man and a woman and both in their fifties, have been injured confirms that no one is off limits to those who are now using the gun," he said.

Expand Close Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

"I have spoken with senior police tonight. They are looking for the help of the public. The public must give the police help."

Detective Sergeant Keith Wilson said: "Both the man and the woman have been taken to hospital for treatment to their injuries.

"I would ask anyone with any information about this incident, or anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the area, to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 900 of 12/01/17.

Expand Close Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

"Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."

There is no further information at this time.
A senior Sinn Fein TD has named a series of potential successors to Martin McGuinness following his resignation as deputy first minister.

While David Cullinane listed four senior MLAs as possible replacements for Mr McGuinness, he also failed to rule out the prospect of Gerry Adams stepping into the breach.

He said that while he didn't view such a move as a possibility, it's a matter for the Sinn Fein president himself.

Mr McGuinness announced his shock decision to resign over the 'cash for ash' controversy on Monday.

The move effectively collapsed the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr McGuinness denied he resigned over health concerns and refused to say if he would contend the Assembly election that now seems certain to take place.

Mr Cullinane said that the former deputy first ministers health is obviously a concern for Sinn Fein but that it would be unfair to speculate on it.

He was asked if Sinn Fein has a politician that could fill Mr McGuinnesss shoes if necessary.

Mr Cullinane suggested some senior MLAs. He said: Conor Murphy for example is being mentioned. We have Michelle ONeill, Gerry Kelly, theres a whole range of people. We have Mairtin O Muilleoir, our finance minister.

He said that the party is asked questions about its leadership all the time, that it has a collective leadership and an Ard Comhairle, when asked if Mr Adams would be required to return to Northern politics.

We have a range of talent North or South and people with ability that can step up into these positions if needs be, he said.

Put to him that he wasnt ruling out a return of Mr Adams to politics in Northern Ireland, Mr Cullinane replied: I dont see that as a possibility. But thats a matter that is, in the first instance for Gerry.

But at this point in time there are no vacancies.

He said the partys energy is focused on dealing with the current crisis which he claimed has been engineered by the DUP.

Mr McGuinnesss resignation came after First Minister Arlene Foster refused to step aside while the RHI scheme - which she established in 2012 as enterprise minister - is investigated.

It was originally envisaged that the Treasury would foot the bill for the Renewable Heat Incentive, but the costs spiralled well beyond London's financial commitment.

The total RHI spend in Northern Ireland is estimated at over 1 billion over the next 20 years.

The Treasury is set to cover 660 million of that, with Stormont landed with the remaining 490 million.

Northern Ireland now faces the prospect of direct rule from Westminster being reintroduced if the fallout between the DUP and Sinn Fein cannot be resolved on the other side of an election.
The British and Irish governments have conceded a snap election is increasingly likely in Northern Ireland as Stormont's power-sharing administration heads for collapse.

The clock is ticking on dissolution of the devolved institutions, with Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire set to order a poll at the start of next week.

The Democratic Unionists have called for fresh negotiations to avoid a "brutal" contest but Sinn Fein insisted the matter should be placed before the people.

On Thursday a DUP minister reversed his controversial decision to cut an Irish language initiative.

Some interpreted Paul Givan's move as an olive branch to Sinn Fein, but the minister said his motivation was to "neutralise" republican attempts to make it an election issue.

Mr Brokenshire said: "The reality remains, the high probability remains, that we are heading towards an election."

He said he did not want to pre-judge what the outcome of the vote might be and warned an election could be divisive.

Charlie Flanagan, Irish foreign affairs minister, was also in Belfast to try to avert a poll.

He said: "I believe an election is much closer. The Secretary of State on Monday, in my view, will be left with no choice but to dissolve the Assembly and announce an election."

Mr Flanagan said there was only a slight hope the administration could be saved. "There is a window of opportunity, albeit extremely narrow," he said.

Expand Close The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister pictured at Stormont in Belfast as efforts to find a solution to the political impasse intensify. Charlie Flanagan was holding talks with the Secretary of State James Brokenshire. Picture By: Arthur Allison. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-01-2017 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister pictured at Stormont in Belfast as efforts to find a solution to the political impasse intensify. Charlie Flanagan was holding talks with the Secretary of State James Brokenshire. Picture By: Arthur Allison. Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-01-2017

Read more

Read More

A scandal over a botched green energy scheme that threatens to leave the taxpayer 490 million out of pocket precipitated the resignation of Sinn Fein's ailing deputy first minister Martin McGuinness on Monday.

It is a joint office so he took first minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster, who established the eco-boilers scheme, with him and has doomed the institutions to fall unless Sinn Fein nominates a successor next Monday - a step republicans have vowed not to take.

Sinn Fein Stormont health minister Michelle O'Neill said: "Martin made his position very clear when he placed his resignation in the Assembly on Monday. We now need to move to an election.

Expand Close Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire makes a statement to the media at Stormont House in Belfast, where he said that an election for Stormont's power-sharing institutions is still highly likely.Niall Carson/PA Wire PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire makes a statement to the media at Stormont House in Belfast, where he said that an election for Stormont's power-sharing institutions is still highly likely.Niall Carson/PA Wire

"We now believe, on the back of this latest scandal of the renewable heat incentive (RHI), and a whole litany of issues in relation to equality, that it is now over to the public to have their say and to place their vote."

Later Ms O'Neill warned plans being developed by her department to cut hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland were now on ice due to turmoil in the executive.

Mr Givan's decision to cut a 50,000 bursary to pay for children to visit Irish-speaking communities - the Gaeltacht - infuriated Sinn Fein and has been seen as a key factor in the republican party's decision to pull the plug on the power-sharing institutions.

Expand Close Sinn Fein hold a press conference in the Great Hall at Stormont the crisis. Pictured Right-Left Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy, Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Kelly. Picture By: Arthur Allison Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-01-2017 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sinn Fein hold a press conference in the Great Hall at Stormont the crisis. Pictured Right-Left Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy, Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Kelly. Picture By: Arthur Allison Pacemaker Press Belfast 12-01-2017

Explaining his U-turn, Mr Givan said: "I will not allow Sinn Fein to use the Irish language as a political weapon."

Despite the reversal, hundreds of Irish language activists gathered outside the minister's departmental offices in Belfast to protest about the DUP's attitude.

The DUP communities minister has also been involved in a wrangle with Sinn Fein finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir on whether Stormont mitigation payments for those losing out under the Government's so-called "bedroom tax" can be distributed amid the crisis.

Mr Givan had insisted the approval of the now-paralysed executive was required - a claim Mr Muilleoir disputed. Both issued contradictory legal advice from their departments.

On Thursday evening Mr Givan said he would press ahead with the payments by by-passing the executive and bringing legislation directly before the Assembly, potentially as early as next week.
Ryanair is working on the "technical elements" of the deal with Aer Lingus

Ryanair is finalising deals with two long-haul carriers to create a "seamless" transfer experience, the budget airline has announced.

The partnerships will allow passengers taking Ryanair flights which connect with Aer Lingus and Norwegian services to book their whole trip with the long-haul airlines and have their baggage automatically moved between planes.

David O'Brien, Ryanair's c hief operating officer, gave an example of passengers travelling from Belfast to Gatwick with Ryanair and then continuing their journey with Norweigian, which serves a number of destinations in the US.

He said holidaymakers would have a much lower chance of luggage going missing when they change planes.

" Given that we don't lose bags, your chances of bags being lost on long-haul connections is halved at least," he said.

Mr O'Brien said Ryanair was "working on the technical elements" of the deals with Aer Lingus and Norwegian, and is also having "tentative" discussions with other carriers.

"The initiatives are largely coming from those airlines who recognise that they will never be able to build a European network such as Ryanair's," he said.

"Instant hubs could be available right across Europe."

He told a press conference in central London that Ryanair hopes to use partnerships to "disrupt" the status quo at several airports.

"This seems like a useful opportunity, at the very least, to disrupt cosy transfer discount schemes in existence at several European airports, which is a secret method of subsidising a flag carrier," he said.

"Take somewhere like Rome, where Alitalia enjoys about 110 million euros (95 million) worth of rebates between airport rebates and tax rebates for its transfer passengers.

"We'd just love to get into the middle of that."

He said there is no time-scale for when the partnerships will be launched.

Ryanair also announced that it will launch nine new routes from London Stansted, including a daily service to Naples and a three times daily service to Copenhagen.

Andrew Cowan, divisional chief executive at the airport, said: "S tansted sits at the heart of one of the UK's most innovative and rapidly developing growth corridors between London and Cambridge, so the new destinations and increase in flights on key routes will offer passengers and businesses even more choice at great value."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hollywood's love affair with Staten Island continues: This time on the streets of Stapleton, where stars emerged -- Hollywood-style.

A season three episode for TV's "Gotham" saw Warner Brothers Television's production crews settle into the historic Paramount Theater on Bay Street, where they filmed a segment of the show set to air Monday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. on Fox.

According to Peter Lisi, owner of the Paramount Theater, he had the honor of hosting the show's cast: Ben McKenzie (Detective James Gordon), Camren Bicondova (Catwoman), David Mazouz (Batman) and Donal Logue (Detective Harvey Bullock).

"What n excellent job by the crew transforming the outside of buildings on Bay Street into Gotham City using simulated fog, rain and vintage vehicles," Lisi said. "The only way to describe the set of 'Gotham' is a multi-million dollar machine perfecting every scene and providing an excellent television experience to viewers tuning in."

New York City Traffic agents diverted vehicles traveling down Bay Street while directors, producers, camera operators and crew hustled to get their shots.

Fans of the show stood outside for hours hoping to get a glimpse of the stars -- and when actor Ben McKenzie walked out of the building, he obliged them by signing autographs and taking pictures.

"We were glad that we could feature this historical site in a very exciting episode of our show," added Keith Adams, the "Gotham" location manager. "We look forward to filming there again once it is restored to its original glory."
Paul Givan said he had identified funding to keep the scheme running

The Irish and British governments have conceded a snap election is increasingly likely in Northern Ireland as Stormont's power-sharing administration heads for collapse.

The clock is ticking on dissolution of the devolved institutions, with the UK's Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire set to order a poll at the start of next week.

The Democratic Unionists have called for fresh negotiations to avoid a "brutal" contest but Sinn Fein insisted the matter should be placed before the people.

On Thursday a DUP minister reversed his controversial decision to cut an Irish language initiative.

Some interpreted Paul Givan's move as an olive branch to Sinn Fein, but the minister said his motivation was to "neutralise" republican attempts to make it an election issue.

Mr Brokenshire said: "The reality remains, the high probability remains, that we are heading towards an election."

He said he did not want to pre-judge what the outcome of the vote might be and warned an election could be divisive.

foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan was also in Belfast to try to avert a poll.

He said: "I believe an election is much closer. The Secretary of State on Monday, in my view, will be left with no choice but to dissolve the Assembly and announce an election."

Mr Flanagan said there was only a slight hope the administration could be saved. "There is a window of opportunity, albeit extremely narrow," he said.

A scandal over a botched green energy scheme that threatens to leave the taxpayer 490 million out of pocket precipitated the resignation of Sinn Fein's ailing deputy first minister Martin McGuinness on Monday.

It is a joint office so he took first minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster, who established the eco-boilers scheme, with him and has doomed the institutions to fall unless Sinn Fein nominates a successor next Monday - a step republicans have vowed not to take.

Sinn Fein Stormont health minister Michelle O'Neill said: "Martin made his position very clear when he placed his resignation in the Assembly on Monday. We now need to move to an election.

"We now believe, on the back of this latest scandal of the renewable heat incentive (RHI), and a whole litany of issues in relation to equality, that it is now over to the public to have their say and to place their vote."

Later Ms O'Neill warned plans being developed by her department to cut hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland were now on ice due to turmoil in the executive.

Mr Givan's decision to cut a 50,000 bursary to pay for children to visit Irish-speaking communities - the Gaeltacht - infuriated Sinn Fein and has been seen as a key factor in the republican party's decision to pull the plug on the power-sharing institutions.

Explaining his U-turn, Mr Givan said: "I will not allow Sinn Fein to use the Irish language as a political weapon."

Despite the reversal, hundreds of Irish language activists gathered outside the minister's departmental offices in Belfast to protest about the DUP's attitude.

The DUP communities minister has also been involved in a wrangle with Sinn Fein finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir on whether Stormont mitigation payments for those losing out under the Government's so-called "bedroom tax" can be distributed amid the crisis.

Mr Givan had insisted the approval of the now-paralysed executive was required - a claim Mr Muilleoir disputed. Both issued contradictory legal advice from their departments.

On Thursday evening Mr Givan said he would press ahead with the payments by by-passing the executive and bringing legislation directly before the Assembly, potentially as early as next week.
Veteran broadcaster John Humphrys has spoken out about the political pressure put on him during 30 years of presenting the BBC's flagship radio programme Today.

The interviewer said relations with Downing Street during Tony Blair's time in office became so strained that the BBC was told something needed to be done about "the John Humphrys problem" or the government would stop co-operating with the Radio 4 programme.

Humphrys recalled: "An admittedly lively exchange with Harriet Harman, who was the social security secretary at the time, produced a response from Downing Street the like of which the programme had never generated before.

"It was a letter threatening to withdraw co-operation from Today unless something was done about what they called the 'John Humphrys problem'.

"That letter foreshadowed a more confrontational relationship between Downing Street and journalists, especially in the BBC, over the years to come."

The broadcaster said a report on Mr Blair's handling of the run-up to the invasion of Iraq "nearly brought down the BBC".

"In 2003, we invaded Iraq because, we were told by Tony Blair, Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. He didn't.

"Three months later I did a perfectly unremarkable early-morning, three-minute interview with a correspondent. I've done thousands of them over the last 30 years.

"Did I say unremarkable? It nearly brought down the BBC. Andrew Gilligan had been told by a reliable source that the dossier warning us of the threat from Saddam had been deliberately sexed up.

"That claim was ultimately to lead to the suicide of the source, Dr David Kelly, the destruction of Tony Blair's reputation and the resignation of the two most senior men in the BBC - the director-general and the chairman."

Humphrys said then Number 10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell orchestrated the government's response, and later told him that he saw his role in Downing Street as altering the PM's interaction with the media.

Mr Campbell told him: "We had to change the terms of the trade, that the press had been, frankly, setting the political agenda ... and in a way which, in my mind, was detrimental to the interests of the Labour Party.

"I think at times we probably went over the top. I think sometimes we were too aggressive."

Humphrys said interviewing then PM Margaret Thatcher was "a truly scary prospect for the new boy" because her answers were unpredictable, but she never complained about the coverage she received while in Downing Street.

The broadcaster said Mrs Thatcher once called in to Today from the kitchen of Number 10 to react to an item on the programme, and her then press secretary Bernard Ingham knew nothing about it until he heard the interview while driving.

"I nearly drove off the bloody road," he later told Humphrys.

Humphrys said: "Mrs Thatcher never complained about the treatment she got at the hands of us lot. Things started changing when John Major came to power. Everything changed when New Labour arrived on the scene."
Southern Railway guards are to stage a fresh strike in their long-running dispute over staffing, threatening more chaos for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out for 24 hours on January 23, the day before drivers go on strike again in protest at driver-only trains.

RMT members have staged dozens of strikes after Southern changed the role of guards, with the union complaining safety was being compromised.

Southern train services continued to be disrupted on Thursday by an overtime ban by Aslef, even though drivers returned to work after a 48-hour strike.

Another drivers' strike will be held on Friday and again for three days later in the month.

Southern warned there will be no services on Friday because of the strike.

RMT leader Mick Cash said Charles Horton, chief executive of Southern's owner, Govia Thameslink Railway, had promised during a TV debate earlier this week to retain a second safety-critical member of staff on trains but the pledge "melts away" during direct talks.

"That is the main reason why we are forced again to put on further strike action. It is down to the company to end this posturing and to get back into the room with us to kick-start the negotiating process which is what the public are clearly crying out for.

"There is a golden opportunity between now and the next phase of action to get serious and genuine talks under way.

"RMT is available but it is down to Southern/GTR to show that same commitment and to stick to the promises they gave on camera in front of a TV audience across the region," he said.

GTR is taking fresh legal action against Aslef by going to the Supreme Court to try to stop the strikes, after losing a court case and an appeal last year.

A statement said: "GTR is determined to protect its passengers and its business from unlawful industrial action.

"GTR is therefore prepared to continue its legal claim to the Supreme Court, as it believes that it has an arguable case that the industrial action is unlawful under EU law."

Last month, the High Court rejected an argument from GTR that industrial action would breach customers' rights.

Aslef described last month's legal action as a waste of taxpayers', shareholders' and passengers' money.

A Southern spokesman said Mr Horton invited the RMT to fresh talks and made a formal written offer to Aslef over a week ago, but had heard "absolutely nothing".

He added: "This wholly unjustified industrial action is causing utter misery and hardship to the travelling public and is having a significant impact on people's work and family lives and the regional economy.

"We remain ready to meet the RMT leadership, as we do Aslef, anytime, any place, anywhere to find a way to end their disputes.

"These strikes are not about safety; it's purely about the unions trying to turn the clock back, hang on to outmoded working practices, which technology now eradicates, and union power.

"We need to modernise our trains and the services passengers want.

"Every train that previously had a conductor before January 1 now has either a conductor or a safety-competent on-board supervisor rostered to work. We need to end these strikes and end them now."
Jane Fonda says Canada's PM Justin Trudeau has disappointed her over Alberta oil pipeline deals

Jane Fonda has said people should not be fooled by "good-looking liberals" like Justin Trudeau, after the Canadian prime minister "disappointed" her by approving pipelines from the Alberta oil sands.

After touring the oil sands area, the Hollywood star and political activist said environmentalists everywhere had been impressed by Mr Trudeau at the Paris climate conference in late 2015.

"We all thought, 'Well, cool guy'," Fonda, 79, said, before adding: "What a disappointment."

"He talked so beautifully of needing to meet the requirements of the climate treaty and to respect and hold to the treaties with indigenous people," she said.

"Such a heroic stance he took there and yet he has betrayed every one of the things he committed to in Paris."

Fonda, on a trip organised by Greenpeace, is calling for a stop to pipelines and oil sands development.

"I guess the lesson is we shouldn't be fooled by good-looking liberals no matter how well-spoken they are," she said.

Last year Mr Trudeau approved Kinder Morgan's plans to triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, as well as replacing Enbridge's Line 3 to Wisconsin.

But he also pushed ahead with a national carbon price and rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway project to north-west British Columbia, which would pass through the Great Bear Rainforest.

Mr Trudeau's Liberal Party government is trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia against the concerns of environmentalists.

Fonda, a two-time Oscar winner for best actress, is the latest celebrity to visit and express concerns about the Alberta oil sands.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Hollywood film director James Cameron have also visited.

But Alberta premier Rachel Notley said Fonda was using her celebrity to promote ill-informed information.

She said Fonda should not lecture oil workers about getting jobs elsewhere and added that it was "tone deaf" for her to visit Fort McMurray, Alberta, so soon after devastating wildfires that destroyed 2,400 homes and buildings.

Ms Notley, who leads the left-leaning New Democratic Party, added that Alberta had a plan that made the province a climate leader in North America.

"Dining out on your celebrity is something that someone ought to pair with knowledge and research and she failed to do that," she said of Fonda.

"She didn't know what she was talking about. It's not helpful."

Alexandre Deslongchamps, a spokesman for Canada's natural resource minister, said: "Our government believes that the environment and the economy go hand in hand.

"The oil sands are an important source of jobs and economic prosperity for Canadians.

"We believe we can only develop our natural resources when we can do so sustainably.

"That's why we are putting a price on carbon pollution, strengthening environmental and safety standards and making real investments in clean technology."

Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil production.

Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports, with 97% of them now going to the US.

AP
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news cenference at Trump Tower on January 11, 2017 in New York City. This is Trump's first official news conference since the November elections. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The information in an explosive document that claims Donald Trump was groomed by Russia was made up by online forum 4chan, it has been claimed.

The documents allege secret contact between the Trump campaign and Moscow for at least five years and alleged information involving Mr Trump and prostitutes. The allegations were included in a series of memos compiled by the supposed ex-operative initially as opposition research on Mr Trump. Mr Trump has vehemently denied all allegations calling the release "fake news" and a "political witch hunt".

They claims were made public hours after news reports that Trump had been briefed by intelligence officials about the existence of the dossier on him by the US website BuzzFeed, which published the document in full.

It published despite its editor noting that there is reason to doubt the truth of them.

The document is said to have been prepared by political opponents of Mr Trump, and was put together by someone who is thought to be a former spy.

But two of the internet forums most prominently involved in supporting Donald Trump now claim that they fabricated the stories found in the document.

Users of both 4chan and Reddit forum r/The_Donald have suggested that they planted the document as a fake.

Users in particular point to a post apparently suggesting that a 4chan user had passed on false information to journalist Rick Wilson and that it was now being published.

So they took what I told Rick Wilson and added a Russian spy angle to it, the 4chan user posted on 1 November, a week before the election and long before the document was posted online.

They still believe it. Guys, they're truly f***ing desperate - there's no remaining Trump scandal that's credible.

Another post included a person claiming that they had convinced journalists on Twitter that there would be an October surprise on Trump this Friday.

Twitter user Nick Rochfort @trsprudence claims he was responsible for the creating what he called 'fan fiction' that ended up with the CIA.

Mom come quick my fan fiction got puplished by the CIA.  Nick Rochfort (@trsprudence) January 11, 2017

Reddit user DeplorableMe1 posted on r/The_Donald claims to have been in contact with Mr Rochfort and made a post outlining what he claims to have happened.

DeplorableMe1 wrote: "@trsprudence created le dossier in a document which was actually formatted based on FBI declassified intelligence reports (hence it looked a lot better, less amateurish) which contained much of the information which was eventually released in the reports, but not all of it: namely the FSB Russian intelligence mentions were not originally conceived by Prudence.

"Anyway, he made these documents which the help of his flatmate while he was studying overseas, as they were purely intended to troll the media: he sent it several personalities, including Rick Wilson, Shapiro etc.

"So, what appears to have happened is that much of the information in the Buzzfeed report has been fabricated, received from this original troll report which @trsprudence crafted in a highly legitimate form (resembling declassified reports) which somehow made it's way into this Buzzfeed dossier prepared by the M16 agent. (Was the deceptively well-formatted information passed around media/intel circles after being initially submitted to journalists?)."

If the claims are true, it would effectively mean that 4chan trolled the US intelligence system and many media outlets around the world.

Read more

Expand Close 4chan was first set up in 2003 but has since become an online cultural phenomenon - home to creative jokers but also malicious hackers / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp 4chan was first set up in 2003 but has since become an online cultural phenomenon - home to creative jokers but also malicious hackers

Read More

Mr Wilson has dismissed the claims, writing that he neither got information from 4chan users nor was he the source for the document published by BuzzFeed.

Youre wrong if you believe 1. What we had came from [4chan forum] /pol 2. That I was Buzzfeeds source, he tweeted. Try again, boys.

He sent another tweet claiming the information was out there looooong before the 4chan posts.

Mr Wilson has been disliked by 4chan users since he mocked them during a TV appearance, describing them as childless single men who masturbate to anime.

Whether or not the stories were invented by 4chan, many of the claims in the document are demonstrably untrue, a point that BuzzFeed made while still opting to publish the document. The report misspells the name of one central company, for instance, and makes untrue claims about a specific area outside Moscow.

The dossier also alleges that Michael Cohen, , an attorney for the president-elect, met secretly with Kremlin officials in Prague in August 2016. However Mr Cohen has said he has never been to Prague.

Im telling you emphatically that Ive not been to Prague, Ive never been to Czech [Republic], Ive not been to Russia, Cohen said. The story is completely inaccurate, it is fake news meant to malign Mr. Trump.

US President-elect Donald Trump has said the director of national intelligence "denounced" the document.

Mr Trump tweeted: "James Clapper called me yesterday to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts. Too bad!"

Mr Clapper said late on Wednesday that he had called Mr Trump to say that the intelligence community made no judgment on the credibility of the claims in the document and lamented that it had been made public.

He also said he told Mr Trump that he does not believe the "leaks" came from inside the intelligence community.

Press conference

On Thursday at his first press conference since winning November's presidential election, Mr Trump thanked media organisations which held back from publishing details from the dossier, which has reportedly been circulating in Washington for some time.

"It is all fake news. It is phoney stuff. It didn't happen and it was gotten by opponents of ours," he said.

"It was a group of opponents who got together - sick people - and they put that crap together. Somebody released it. It shouldn't have even entered paper but it should never have even been released. I read what was released and I think it was a disgrace."

Mr Trump said he believed Russia's claim that it did not gather compromising information about him, claiming Moscow would have published whatever it held.

"President Putin and Russia put out a statement today that this fake news was indeed fake news, they said it totally never happened," the controversial tycoon said.

"Somebody would say 'oh of course he's going to say that' - I respected the fact that he said that.

"And I'll be honest - I think if he did have something they would have released it, they would have been glad to release it."

The President-elect also indicated that he thought the alleged hacking of his defeated Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's emails had uncovered information that was in the public interest.

"Hacking is bad and it shouldn't be done but look at the things that were hacked, look at what was learned from that hacking - that Hillary Clinton got the questions to the debate and didn't report it, that's a horrible thing, that's a horrible thing," Mr Trump said.

Read more

Read More

"Can you imagine if Donald Trump got the questions to the debate?

"It would have been the biggest story in the history of stories and they would have said immediately 'you have to get out of the race' - nobody even talked about it, that's a very terrible thing."

Mr Trump said that while he believed Russia had been involved in cyber hacking against the US "other countries and other people" had also been involved.

He said the Democratic National Committee's computer - which was hacked during the election campaign - had been "totally open to be hacked".

"They did a very poor job. They could have had hacking defence which we had," he said.

"They tried to hack the Republican National Committee and they were unable to break through. We have to do that for our country. It is very important."

"Not you!" This is the moment President-elect Trump told off a CNN journalist for being rude. pic.twitter.com/nqSlCM3s5M  BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) January 11, 2017

'Germaphobe'

Referring to the allegations contained in the dossier, the President-elect told reporters he was a "germophobe".

"Does anyone really believe that story?" he said. "I'm also very much of a germophobe by the way, believe me."

The Republican said he when he travels outside the US, he is "extremely careful".

"I'm surrounded by bodyguards, I'm surround by people and I always tell them ... if I am leaving this country, be very careful because in your hotel rooms and no matter where you go, you are probably going to have cameras.

"I'm not referring just to Russia, but I would certainly put them in that category.

"And, number one, I hope you are going to be good anyway but in those rooms you have cameras in the strangest places, cameras that are so small with modern technology you can't see them and you won't know.

"You'd better be careful or you will be watching yourself on nightly television."

'Good relations with Russia would be an asset'

Good relations with President Putin would be an "asset" and he hopes they "get along", he said.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump I consider that an asset, not a liability because we have a horrible relationship with Russia," he said.

"Russia can help us fight Isis, which, by the way, is number one tricky.

"If you look, this administration created Isis by leaving at the wrong time."

He added: "I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do, but there's a good chance I won't.

"And, if I don't, do you honestly believe Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Does anybody in this room honestly believe that? Give me a break."

Read more

Read More

The information was included as an annex to a classified version of the report prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election, according to CNN.

After news reports were published about the documents, President-elect Trump tweeted: "Fake news - a total political witch hunt."

FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

WikiLeaks has a 100% record of accurate authentication. We do not endorse Buzzfeed's publication of a document which is clearly bogus.  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 11, 2017

Moscow said the dossier was a fabrication and a total bluff.

The Kremlin has no compromising information on Trump. This report does not correspond to reality and is nothing but an absolute fiction, the deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Wednesday.

Mr Peskov said the allegations could be used to keep US politicians from wanting to improve ties with Russia.

This is a total bluff, an absolute fabrication, complete nonsense. This is an evident attempt to harm our bilateral ties. The Kremlin does not engage in collecting compromising information."

Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

"We should treat it with humour, but there is a sad side to it, too," he said.

"There are people who are whipping up this frenzy, who are doing their best to keep this witch hunt going."

Our intelligence literally got trolled by 4chan. And the news media published it. No credibility left. #GoldenShowers  Tennessee GOP (@TEN_GOP) January 11, 2017

WikiLeaks also dismissed the report on Buzzfeed's website as 'bogus'. The whistleblowing website tweeted: "WikiLeaks has a 100% record of accurate authentication. We do not endorse Buzzfeed's publication of a document which is clearly bogus."

Dear MSM,



Not even 4chan takes 4chan seriously. You need an intervention.



Signed,



The entire god damn planet.#GoldenShowers  Julian Wan (@juliangwan) January 11, 2017

Earlier this week Julian Assange denounced last week's US intelligence report on alleged Russian hacking, calling it a politically-motivated "press release" that provided no evidence.

In an online news conference (audio below), the WikiLeaks founder and editor said the report is vague and that US intelligence officials should be embarrassed by the 25-page, declassified document.

"This is a press release," he said. "It is clearly designed for political effects."

LIVE WikiLeaks press conf responding to CIA report on US election. Tweet your question with #AskWL affixed! https://t.co/F7HX96WgLk  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 9, 2017

The report accuses Russia of trying 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 Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta.

The report said Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid "trolls" to make nasty comments on social media services, although there was no suggestion Russia affected the actual vote count.

This is NOT journalism, it is simply irresponsible. Please don't EVER include me in your definition of "reporter"... https://t.co/pRc5gQLnTl  Kacey Montoya (@kaceymontoya) January 11, 2017

The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Russia President Vladimir Putin to the allegations. It called Russian activities the "boldest effort yet" to influence a US election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks - something Mr Assange denied again on Monday.

The report said Russian intelligence agencies gave leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks, which then released them to the public.

"As we have already stated, WikiLeaks' sources with relation to the John Podesta and DNC leaks are not state parties," Mr Assange said. "They do not come from the Russian government."

Read more

Read More

The report lacked details about how the US learned what it says it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages from Russian leaders, including Mr Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the US may have traced back to Russia in its investigations.

A still-classified version of the report was shared late last week with President Barack Obama, incoming president Donald Trump, and top politicians in Congress.

In Moscow on Monday, Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin still believes the accusations made in the report have no substance.

"They are amateurish and are hardly worthy of the high professional standards of top intelligence agencies," he said.

"We categorically rule out the possibility that Russian officials or official bodies could have been involved. We are tired of such accusations. This is beginning to remind us of a full-fledged witch-hunt."

Read more

Read More

Margarita Simonyan, the editor of the TV channel RT that is frequently mentioned in the US report, said in a weekend blog post: "Dear CIA: You get a total F for this thing you wrote.

"You don't cover the subject sufficiently, the sources are unnamed, out of date or simply incorrect, and it is written like a school homework assignment."

Editor of Defense and Foreign Affairs Gregory Copley said: "This is a highly politically motivated and a subjective report which was issued by the intelligence community. And it is not surprising that it rushed to this report whilst the Obama administration is still in office because there was no question that it was politically induced this report"

"The report does not present evidence of successful or even an attempt to actually actively manipulate the election process. The question is, did the Obama administration, did the failed candidacy of Hillary Clinton, seek to blame the Russian government for the failure of Democrats to win the election? Almost certainly!

"If the Russian government was itself trying to influence the election then it did a very poor job of doing it because Hillary Clinton won the popular vote."

WikiLeaks published more than 19,000 internal emails from the DNC, days before the Democratic convention was starting.

In one thread of correspondence from August 2014 Mrs Clinton sent an eight-point plan to John Podesta, at the time a counsellor to President Barack Obama, outlining a strategy on how to defeat terror group Isis which involved supporting Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq with military advisers.

The Obama administration ended up taking similar action to that described as desirable by Mrs Clinton. The exchange also showed the presidential candidate identify the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia and Qatar as clandestine financial and logistic supporters of the terrorist group Isis. Both countries have donated to the Clinton Foundation.

While this military/para-military operation is moving forward, we need to use our diplomatic and more traditional intelligence assets to bring pressure on the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL [Isis] and other radical Sunni groups in the region, Clinton reportedly wrote.

This effort will be enhanced by the stepped up commitment in the [Kurdish Regional Government]. The Qataris and Saudis will be put in a position of balancing policy between their ongoing competition to dominate the Sunni world and the consequences of serious US pressure.

The emails also showed DNC staffers actively supporting Mrs Clinton when they were publicly promising to remain neutral during the primary elections between Mrs Clinton and her then-rival for the candidacy, Bernie Sanders.

The head of the DNC, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, resigned over the disclosures.

CNN also severed ties with Donna Brazile, a paid commentator and a top DNC official, after leaked emails revealed she shared debate questions with Clintons campaign.

Mr Trump said at the time that blaming Russia was deflecting attention from the embarrassing material contained in the emails - although he had previously challenged Russia to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing" from Mrs Clinton's private server.

In an interview with Sean Hannity last week, Mr Assange said: "Our publications had wide uptake by the American people, they're all true. But that's not the allegation that's being presented by the Obama White House.

"So, why such a dramatic response? Well, the reason is obvious. They're trying to delegitimise the Trump administration as it goes into the White House.

"They are trying to say that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president."

Mr Assange denied the information from the emails was obtained by Russia.

He said: " Our source is not a state party, so the answer for our interactions is no.

"But if we look at our most recent statement from the US government, which is on December 29, OK, we had five different branches of government, Treasury, DHS, FBI, White House, presenting their accusations to underpin Obama's throwing out 29 Russian diplomats.

"What was missing from all of those statements? The word WikiLeaks. It's very strange."

Asked if he thought WikiLeaks had changed the course of the US election, Mr Assange told Fox News channel: " Who knows? It's impossible to tell.

"But if it did, the accusation is that the true statements of Hillary Clinton and her campaign manager, John Podesta, and the DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schultz, their true statements is what changed the election."

Craig Murray, the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, who is a close associate of Assange, has already dismissed the CIA's claims that Russia was the source of the emails as "bulls***".

The accounts by Murray also contradict the story advanced by the CIA.

Mr Murray said: "I know who leaked them. Ive met the person who leaked them, and they are certainly not Russian and it's an insider. Its a leak, not a hack; the two are different things.

If what the CIA are saying is true, and the CIAs statement refers to people who are known to be linked to the Russian state, they would have arrested someone if it was someone inside the United States.

America has not been shy about arresting whistleblowers and its not been shy about extraditing hackers. They plainly have no knowledge whatsoever.

Mr Trump's inauguration as US President is due to take place on January 20.
India's foreign minister has demanded an apology from online retail giant Amazon for selling doormats depicting her country's flag on its Canadian retail website.

In a Twitter message, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj warned that she could deny Indian visas to Amazon employees if the company did not apologise and "withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately".

India is not the only country whose flag was featured on a doormat - Amazon.com sells similar mats showing flags of the US, Canada and other countries.

The site has now removed the Indian-themed product.

The Indian flag doormats have outraged many among the Indian diaspora in Canada who have posted pictures of the mats to social media accounts and urged Ms Swaraj to make a formal protest.

AP
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik is in touch with fellow right-wing extremists from behind bars, a government lawyer has said as he argued the killer must be held in solitary confinement.

Attorney General Fredrik Sejersted spoke during the Norwegian government's appeal against a court decision that ruled Breivik's isolation in prison violates his human rights.

Breivik shot and killed 69 people on the island of Utoya in July 2011, hours after eight died when he bombed the government headquarters in Oslo.

Mr Sejersted said the self-proclaimed neo-Nazi continues to spread extremist ideology through voluminous writings and that his correspondence should still be monitored and his letters opened.

Officials maintain the 37-year-old right-wing extremist is still dangerous and must remain isolated from inmates in the high-security prison in Skien, 85 miles south-west of Oslo, where the appeals case is being heard in a makeshift gym.

Breivik is to give evidence on Thursday.

He sued the government last year, arguing that his solitary confinement, frequent strip searches and the fact that he was often handcuffed in the early part of incarceration violated his human rights.

In a surprise verdict, the Oslo District Court in April sided with Breivik, finding that his isolation was "inhuman (and) degrading" and breached the European Convention on Human Rights. It ordered the government to pay his legal costs.

But it dismissed Breivik's claim that his right to respect for private and family life was violated by restrictions on contacts with other right-wing extremists, a decision he is appealing against.

Mr Sejersted told the court Breivik continues to try to find ways of bypassing the censorship of his correspondence, including in an advert to find a marriage partner.

"The text is structured like a personal ad, because he knows that personal ads have special protection in Strasbourg (the seat of the European Court of Human Rights)," he said.

Mr Sejersted also said Breivik's prison conditions are better than for many other inmates. He has a three-cell complex where he can play computer games, watch TV and exercise, in compensation for his solitary confinement.

He is served coffee and newspapers, often watches films and spends a lot of time studying.

But Mr Sejersted told The Associated Press that Breivik is still "very deeply engaged in his political right-wing, extremely neo-Nazi project".

He added: "He is continuing the same plan that he laid down 10 to 12 years ago before the massacre at Utoya, that he would do this terrorist action and then if he was not killed during the operation and ended up in prison, he would continue as a fascist, right-wing extremist ideological leader.

"That is what he's trying to do now."

Breivik arrived in court on Wednesday in a black suit with a shaved head and beard. He refrained from making a Nazi salute as he did on the first day of the hearing when he was admonished by the judge.

Breivik was convicted of mass murder and terrorism in 2012 and given a 21-year prison sentence that can be extended for as long as he is deemed dangerous to society. Legal experts say he will likely be locked up for life.

Six days have been reserved for the hearing by the Borgarting Court of Appeals. A ruling is expected in February.

AP
In his rambling resignation letter on Monday, Martin McGuinness identified the key issues that led him to resign. As regards the DUP, his litany of grievances included equality, respect, a negativity towards nationalism and the Irish language. As regards Westminster, it was Brexit and the legacy of the past.

Yes, he also mentioned the Renewable Heat Initiative, but his resignation wont resolve that  and neither will an election. The two things that are required are an independent investigation to find out what went wrong, along with a plan to cut the cost and prevent an overspend.

Arlene Foster and Simon Hamilton have been working on both these things and an election will only delay both the investigation and the necessary remedial legislation. So, clearly this is not the real issue for Sinn Fein.

What, then, is the resignation of Martin McGuinness really about? That brings us back to his litany of grievances, starting with equality.

In November 2014, Gerry Adams told a public meeting in Arlene Fosters Fermanagh constituency that equality was just a Trojan horse, a weapon to actually break these b******s and whats going to break them is equality. Thats the Trojan horse of the entire republican strategy.

Martin McGuinness did not elaborate in his letter, but I think we already understand the Sinn Fein strategy of weaponising equality.

The resignation letter also talked about respect, but who are Sinn Fein to lecture anybody about respect?

On the day before the letter was sent, Adams was in Limerick, glorifying the infamous IRA terrorist Sean South, whose sectarianism was only matched by his anti-Semitism.

Read more

Read More

He even refers to respect for women. So, was it not the IRA that blew up the school bus that was taking Arlene Foster and other girls to school in Enniskillen?

As regards his charge that the DUP was negative towards nationalism, I can only plead guilty. Of course, I have a negative view of an ideology which I reject.

McGuinness also referred to the Irish language and in an interview he specified the decision of a DUP minister to end a Sinn Fein-initiated scheme to fund Irish language visits to Donegal.

He said the decision was disgraceful and Adams told an audience in the Felons Club that it was an ignorant decision taken by an ignoramus.

Sinn Fein have also been talking about their demand for an Irish Language Act and their vision of an Irish language academy in the Sinn Fein heartland of west Belfast.

So, which graduates of the Long Kesh Jailtacht will have been lined up to run that?

Then, there was his charge that the DUP and Westminster were colluding in regard to the legacy of the past.

Sinn Fein want to rewrite the past, demonise the Army and the RUC and sanitise IRA terrorists, to which Arlene Foster has said a resolute No. However, the underlying issue here for Sinn Fein is that the DUP have stood firm against their incessant and unreasonable demands.

Martin McGuinness is clearly in poor health and that may also have been a major factor in his resignation.

Perhaps, Sinn Fein see an election as the best way of managing the transfer from McGuinness to whoever they select as his successor.

They are also being stung by external nationalist criticism. The commentator Brian Feeney has criticised the performance of Sinn Fein members on the Policing Board. He said they had been asleep at the wheel and that their silence was a disgrace.

During the last Assembly mandate, the same commentator said that the DUP had run rings round Sinn Fein at Stormont. That must sting Sinn Fein members, so is this their answer to their critics?

Martin McGuinness spoke about arrogance, but in the face of a frenzied onslaught, what I have seen from Arlene Foster and the DUP has been steady resolve.

The truth is that Sinn Fein dont like her as the leader of the largest unionist party and the leader of unionism, because she is too strong and too smart for them.

Thats what the Sinn Fein letter really says.
Over the course of the last 10 years I, along with my party colleagues, worked tirelessly to ensure the political institutions deliver for everyone in our community.

I have put every effort into making the institutions work, developing our economy and creating a better quality of life for all of our people.

During that period I have worked with successive DUP leaders in our joint office as First and Deputy First Ministers, firstly with Ian Paisley, followed by Peter Robinson, then latterly Arlene Foster.

I did so because I received a mandate from the electorate to do so and because I want to make the political institutions work.

We worked to promote partnership, equality and reconciliation. We worked to see the potential of the Good Friday and other agreements realised.

We negotiated agreements in good faith and honoured all our commitments.

I personally took a number of key initiatives to promote reconciliation, partnership government, and to create a shared and equal society.

In contrast the DUP, despite being nominally engaged in power-sharing government with Sinn Fein, never fully embraced the ideals which underpin the Good Friday Agreement.

It played fast and loose with the joint nature of the joint Office of First and Deputy First Minister.

The DUP acted with disrespect and at times outright bigotry towards the Irish language, blocking an Irish Language Act and withdrawing funding.

Expand Close Martin McGuinness / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Martin McGuinness

It also showed no regard for the identity, traditions and symbols of the nationalist and republican people.

No serious attempt was made to reciprocate the initiatives around reconciliation that I and others within Sinn Fein have taken.

Successive British Governments have also failed in their responsibilities to the Good Friday and other agreements.

They have totally failed to meet their obligations on addressing the legacy of the past, the introduction of a Bill of Rights, legislation to protect the rights of the Irish language community, and many other issues.

These, combined with their relentless adherence to a punishing austerity agenda and their determination to drag the North out of the EU against the wishes of the people has deepened the growing crisis of confidence in politics and the political institutions.

Read more

Read More

Sadly, the Irish Government has acted like a disinterested bystander, allowing the British Government to undermine the political process.

All of this provided room for growing DUP arrogance and lack of respect, whether that was for women, our LGBT community, ethnic minorities or the Irish language community and identity.

The DUP has embroiled the institutions in a series of financial scandals such as Nama, Red Sky and, most recently, RHI.

The allegations of incompetence, malpractice and corruption in Nama and RHI have significantly undermined public confidence in the political institutions.

Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of the DUP any longer. It is time to call time. I advised Arlene Foster to step aside, without prejudice, to allow a preliminary investigation to take place. She refused to do this. That is why I felt it necessary to resign as Deputy First Minister, thereby removing her from office so that the people can now have their say.

This is not an orange and green issue, despite attempts by some to paint it as such.

The arrogance of Arlene Foster with regard to the RHI scheme was an insult not only to nationalists, but unionists who are appalled by the approach of the DUP.

The DUP-created RHI scandal has the potential to cost 500 million over 20 years. This will be paid for by unionist and nationalist communities and everyone else in our society.

The Irish language does not diminish unionism. The bigoted cutting of funding for children from disadvantaged communities does. This was a decision driven by crass and crude bigotry.

We must now move to an election. The people should have the opportunity to have their say and make their voice heard on these issues.

But in the aftermath of an election there can be no return to the failed status quo. There needs to be a change in approach from political unionism and the British Government if the institutions are to function in a spirit of genuine partnership government.

There is a role to play, too, for the Irish Government as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement. It needs to step up to the mark and act as guarantors to the agreements, equality and parity of esteem.

We need to tackle allegations of corruption and have the highest standards of governance so that people can have confidence in the political institutions.

We need to get back to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement: equality, partnership and respect. Without these we do not have genuine power-sharing institutions.
Reading Bertie Ahern's interventions this week on the breakdown of the Northern Ireland Executive office was interesting. Though as a deal maker, he must surely recognise that his suggestion for a time-out approach has actually passed.

Northern ministers, with the exception of Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness, are still at their desks and we are not quite at an apocalyptic moment. That will surely come but just now we are still courting the danger.

Read More

The British and Irish Governments have been asleep at the wheel for some time and haven't provided the nurturing that a fraught relationship between two parties of polar but popular extremes, such as the DUP and Sinn Fein require.

Both Governments have much to answer for in this current debacle. Fine Gael has always been arms-length from Northern Ireland. Certainly there have been no flag carriers since Peter Barry and Garret FitzGerald.

This British Government got altogether too cosy with the DUP under the tenure of Theresa Villiers, and Brexit hasn't helped matters. Just like the days of the old Stormont, the British and Irish Governments have closed their eyes and ears to whatever is going on in the Northern administration.

But devolution in a contested space such as the divided Northern Ireland is always fragile and needs an ever-vigilant eye.

At the moment, with Brexit looming, neither the British nor the Irish have much time to give to the Northern baby who threw out the dummy. But they must give time. So far the reaction of Secretary of State James Brokenshire and Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan is hardly encouraging for anyone looking for hope in their language.

Mind you, there's not much hope coming from the language of the main two protagonists either - Arlene Foster or Gerry Adams. Both have acted with all the subtly and hammed up outrage of two pantomime dames at a funeral.

Anyone engaged in actual conflict management knows that inflammatory language does not help the situation, but the leaders of the DUP and Sinn Fein seem to want to use language that is as incendiary as a dozen biomass boilers in a Wendy house.

A few years ago I was asked to stand in for a parliamentarian and chair a two-day workshop between young Palestians and Israelis.

At the opening forum in Larnaca, I felt like the foreman at the Tower of Babel as each group roared at each other like the feisty apple sellers in Henry Street.

Megaphone diplomacy never works. What works even less is playing out one's angst in public through the media. Setting out non-negotiable terms through the airwaves is the political equivalent of a two-year-old having a tantrum in a supermarket.

In a futile attempt to out-gun each other, both Adams and Foster have chosen the Phil Mitchell approach to persuasive argument.

The outgoing or gone First Minister has also tried to reinforce her Britishness with her ubiquitous crown brooch slotted on to every coat and matched with union flag coloured scarves. All that was missing was Lily Savage's patriotic bloomers.

Despite her obvious confidence and having an array of intelligent advisers, her media performances have been poor.

Whoever decided that her broadside to Martin McGuinness's resignation should be filmed in front of a fireplace either has a warped sense of humour or has the political radar of the bespectacled hamster, which Mrs Foster put up on her Facebook page. Ironically the hamster moment seemed well matched to the madcap tweeting idiosyncrasy of her would be nemesis, Mr Adams.

But there are rules in managing a crisis and in the future students of crisis management will see that both the DUP and Sinn Fein threw those rules out the window.

One basic rule is to agree a single spokesperson as this controls information flow and allows for consistency of message.

The DUP has given us Sammy Wilson, Gregory Campbell, Simon Hamilton, Paul Givan and Jeffrey Donaldson. Three of who aren't even in the Assembly.

Sinn Fein also gave multiple spokespeople just to add to the confusion. They included Conor Murphy, Michelle O'Neill, Alex Maskey, Mairtin O Muilleoir and even Mary Lou McDonald.

In the case of both parties - not one spokesperson seems to have been given the same briefing. It was quite funny at one point, when Gregory Campbell speaking about the RHI scheme said to Stephen Nolan, that he (Nolan) seemed 'fixated with what went wrong.' Well, err, that would actually be a good thing as it would be the central focus of any proposed independent public inquiry.

Another rule of crisis management is to talk up a successful track record, but its clear that neither Sinn Fein nor the DUP could do that despite being in Government together as partners for 10 years.

The sight of two opposing Executive ministers actually gutting one another on TV was bizarre by the bear-pit standards of Northern Ireland. How will it be possible for these individuals to return to Government as collegiate partners in the long term?

Ultimately in crisis management it comes down to taking responsibility for actions and going to the public with demonstrable humility and regret. There's just no escaping it. In Japan a few weeks ago, the CEO of a company which employs nearly 50,000 employees resigned after an over-worked employee committed suicide.

It's doubtful if they ever met, but as CEO, he was responsible for the culture of the organisation.

Thanks to our chequered history, we don't have a culture of responsibility taking in Northern Ireland and that's why unionists found the intervention of Mr Adams so nauseating. However, they should have had no such misgivings about the reservations expressed by Mr McGuinness.

On the plus side, by continuing to be Western Europe's political basket case, perversely we may yet get a better and boutique post-Brexit deal from the EU.

Against a backdrop of Trump and populist fanaticism - what has normal politics ever done for us anyway?

Tom Kelly is a political commentator
Best Buy Geek Squad has been in the middle of a storm of media criticism as it seems the FBI has paid one or more of their workers for reporting information about illegal material on laptops. A child pornography image in a space on a laptop inaccessible by an unsophisticated user caused an indictment. In addition, the defense attorney in the case believes the Geek Squad search was extracurricular to required repairs. Best Buy says they are required to report illegal activity to the authorities.

What is troubling is the taking of money from Best Buy employees. Even the company says this was a mistake if it was done. This news coupled with the fact that at least 70% or so of the U.S. population has done something that could put them in jail should be scary to many. If Best Buy workers know they can earn an extra buck searching computers for illicit activity, we may have a lot more people in our federal prisons soon.

Should you stay away from Best Buy? This is a tough one. We really like the store They really saved us this past December 26th by having the item we needed in stock and also allocating two salespeople to help us solve a technical question not easily solved.

We do know however that Best Buy techs dont get paid a lot. They are typically entry level.

The concern here is if the FBI is indeed doling out $500 rewards, generally, those at the bottom end of the pay scale have the most to benefit.

Bottom line You often get what you pay for.
In June 2000 my husband Liam Clarke - the former Belfast Telegraph political editor who died at the end of 2015 - and I decided to write our unauthorised biography of Martin McGuinness.

We had been commissioned to submit ideas for biographies of leading figures in the peace process. It was no contest who we would go for.

McGuinness is the most fascinating, complex and enigmatic individual to have emerged from the Troubles. But there were hurdles in our way. Republicans as a group aren't best known for sharing information, but McGuinness was noted for being particularly reclusive, private and secretive.

As the opening quotations show, and as history tells us, there are at least two very separate faces to Martin McGuinness.

So, we split the work roughly in two. Liam, then working for The Sunday Times, would work backwards focusing on McGuinness's political influence and growth. I had a better knowledge of Derry and the Troubles; I got the early years.

And that's how it largely stayed. I had done a lot of work on the murder of Mountbatten, so I wrote that chapter, whereas Liam, who had written a book on the hunger strike (Broadening The Battlefield: H Blocks And The Rise of Sinn Fein) hopped back a decade to focus on the prison struggle and Sinn Fein's subsequent politicisation.

It worked well. In the meantime our publisher, Mainstream, was pushing for a title to promote the book. As we jointly wrote the final chapter, we couldn't decide on how McGuinness would be remembered.

In November 1999 Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble warned the IRA that it must disarm otherwise there would be no ruling administration in Northern Ireland: "No guns, no Government means just that."

That quote was like a shaft of sunlight suddenly shining through the clouds. Not only was Martin McGuinness: From Guns To Government a great title, it was also the key to understanding the man.

There is an old Italian saying: 'One hand washes the other, and they both wash the face'.

McGuinness cannot be understood without a realistic and critical assessment of his role as IRA man, officer commanding Derry, director of operations for GHQ staff, and one time chief of staff of the IRA.

But since the early days of the Troubles McGuinness had simultaneously been on another journey - from his meeting as part of an IRA delegation with Conservative Secretary of State William Whitelaw in Cheyne Walk in 1972, to his secret meetings with MI6 man Michael Oatley, which started in 1973 and continued until Oatley's retirement in 1991.

The Roman god Janus is the god of beginnings, transitions, and endings. He presides over the beginning and ending of conflict - war and peace. McGuinness has been there all the way.

He joined the IRA in Derry during the early Troubles. He was a leading IRA man on Bloody Sunday, January 30 1972, when 13 unarmed civilians were shot dead by the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. One man died several months later from his injuries.

When he gave evidence before Lord Saville at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry he was Sinn Fein's chief negotiator. He confirmed in his statement to the inquiry that he was second-in-command of the IRA in Derry at the time of the Bloody Sunday shootings, the first time he had acknowledged his membership.

At the time he was also the Education Minister in the Assembly. Giving evidence in November 2003, McGuinness denied a claim by the British agent 'Infliction' that he had fired the first shot on the day. However, the inquiry nonetheless found that McGuinness was "probably armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, and though it is possible that he fired this weapon, there is insufficient evidence to make any finding on this".

Admitting to his IRA role was a shrewd move by McGuinness. He had no option. He had told Dublin Special Criminal Court on October 29, 1973: "I have been a member of the Derry IRA for two years and I am very, very proud of it."

Released from the Curragh in 1974, he had just been appointed director of operations on GHQ staff when he was again arrested and sent to Portlaoise jail after being convicted of IRA membership. He was released in November 1974.

He had condemned himself out of his own mouth. However, by saying that he had left the IRA in 1974, a claim few believed, he had constructed a crafty alter ego for himself - the trusted peacemaker with an impeccable history of IRA activity.

It was a history, as Eamonn McCann pointed out, that had seen the Derry Brigade of the IRA under McGuinness's command "bomb the city centre until it looked like it had been hit from the air".

But it would be wrong -deeply and fundamentally - to cast McGuinness as some kind of republican Robin Hood.

No account of McGuinness's legacy is complete without recognition of the thousands of victims of the IRA.

From Franko Hegarty to Joanne Mathers, from Lord Mountbatten to Mary Travers, there is no doubt that McGuinness could shed a light on the circumstances surrounding many of the deaths of the troubles.

When he gave evidence before Lord Saville, McGuinness refused to either confirm or deny any details of individual IRA men or operations, quoting the previously unknown IRA "code of honour".

His silence marks a failure of the peace process to secure prisoner releases to a truth recovery process and amnesty.

By July 2000, 428 terrorists, including 143 serving life sentences, had been released from the Maze Prison.

Mass killers and bombers, both loyalist and republican, many responsible for the worst atrocities during 30 years of violence in the province, walked free to be welcomed by cheering supporters.

It was the biggest missed opportunity of the peace process.

But it is not too late - for either McGuinness or for any other former combatant.

Although the Belfast Project (the Boston College tapes), where former terrorists gave taped accounts to researchers to be released after their deaths, is still the subject of court proceedings, it is open to any one of us to record our memoirs, to set the record straight, and to lodge such an account with a trusted associate.

McGuinness may have already lodged such an account.

Certainly, he has demonstrated both vision and courage in the past, and the IRA 'code of honour' would prevent anyone releasing details of his past during his lifetime.

But the families of the victims who are still desperately pursuing clues for the motives behind the attacks on their loved ones, who are still haunted by imaginings of how they lost their lives, and most of all those families of the Disappeared, deserve the truth, no matter how brutal that may be.

The god of war and peace is usually depicted as a two-faced god, since he looks at both the future and the past.

Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict. Master of transition, the doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace.

Think of the legacy that Martin McGuinness, as Deputy First Minister and former IRA leader would leave, if he were to announce, in the few weeks that remain before the next Assembly election, that Sinn Fein and the IRA are prepared to belatedly discuss a truth recovery process.
First, a declaration of interest. My youngest daughter has spent many happy weeks living, breathing and eating Irish in the Donegal Gaeltacht over the past few summers. I am pleased to report, too, that my son wants to attend the Gaeltacht this summer, just like his sister, with the both of them devoted to the Irish language at their respective schools.

So, understandably, I was outraged to learn just before Christmas that DUP Culture Minister Paul Givan had withdrawn the Liofa Gaeltacht bursary scheme, which enabled at least 100 people a year to attend Irish language classes in the summer.

Although my daughter has never availed of it, the scheme, brainchild of former Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin, helped children from poorer backgrounds to visit the Gaeltacht and steep themselves in the language. It was a laudable project shamefully junked in an act of crude DUP populism.

It was also an early indicator that any fresh election to a new Stormont Assembly would be reduced once more to the zero-sum game of sectarian politics.

So, the election that nobody wants (but which now seems inevitable) will be about the RHI scandal, public accountability, taxpayers' money and government transparency? Really? Think again. Unless a large proportion of voters who previously boycotted the ballot box in Northern Ireland because they are disillusioned with traditional orange/green politics turn up at the polling stations this time around, it is likely this latest electoral contest will be fought on the old battle lines.

Even before Martin McGuinness's resignation this week there was plenty of evidence that any fresh election to Stormont would, in the end, be reduced to the usual dreary tribal tussle.

How about, for instance, our Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir ordering the removal of the Union flag from his departmental headquarters on Belfast's Airport Road just a couple of days ago. The minister would have known it would wind up Protestants and remind the DUP and its voters of Gerry Adams' words about equality being the "Trojan horse to break these b******s".

Even Arlene Foster's choice of garb at the DUP Press conference on Tuesday at party HQ in east Belfast might have been a subtle indication of the tone of the looming election.

Although not exactly Ginger Spice Union flag-style, her choice of clothing had a red, white and (true) blue air about it.

The subliminal message was far from opaque: the DUP would fight this second election in less than a year on the issue of defending the Union.

The always-entertaining Sinn Fein MLA Barry McElduff, meanwhile, tweeted in response to McGuinness's resignation statement that: "We fight for equality. For respect. And for a united Ireland. That is why my comrade is resigning as Deputy First Minister this very day."

Just like Foster, McElduff claims the election struggle ahead is really about the long march towards a united Ireland; the constitutional question, despite the Good Friday settlement, remains unfinished business.

Even the SDLP seeks to deepen its green credentials by demanding Dublin-London joint authority over Northern Ireland if devolution cannot be restored right away after the election in a few weeks' time. Which, of course, Colum Eastwood knows fine rightly is unattainable, given that Theresa May's Government isn't just ideologically unionist in nature, but pragmatically needs the support of the DUP, UUP and independent unionist MPs in crucial House of Commons' votes during the current parliament.

The Opposition parties at Stormont - particularly those like Naomi Long's Alliance, which have had a "good war" when it comes to the RHI scandal - would dearly love to keep the focus on non-constitutional questions of competence and allegations of graft as central issues in the campaign.

In certain constituencies, such as East Belfast, the DUP might take a hit, as it did in the general election before last when Peter Robinson lost his seat to Long; an electoral setback - albeit a temporary one, given that another Robinson clawed the seat back for the DUP last time - that came about due to grassroots unionist anger over the issues that engulfed Ulster's first family, rather than any constitutional matters.

It has been argued elsewhere that, by refusing to temporarily stand down from office, as Peter Robinson once did, and thus pulling down the devolution project, Foster lost her best ally in the Executive in the shape of McGuinness.

The argument goes that McGuinness was an easier, more realistic republican leader for Foster to do business with than anyone coming after him, such as, say, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

All this may be true.

But the converse is also the case.

The sight of Adams lecturing Foster over issues of credibility, honesty and integrity is enough to prompt even the most liberal unionist to reach for the sick bag, given the many scandals still haunting the Sinn Fein leader.

You can be guaranteed that the DUP strategy will be to press upon unionist voters that they are doing Adams' bidding if they don't give Foster another mandate as Stormont First Minister.

The fear factor will be coming into play again very soon as well, with the DUP hoping to corral disillusioned supporters back into the fold - especially when the party plays up the prospect of a first non-unionist First Minister, and even one from Sinn Fein's ranks.

The flipside of this, of course, is that Sinn Fein will be talking up the chances of it coming out on top and taking the First Minister's post within the next eight weeks.

In the 'themmuns versus ussens' of Ulster politics, the real issues will probably be subsumed in this election, as they have been in almost all electoral contests which have taken place over the decades.

The only possibility is that those who never, or rarely, vote - repelled as they are by binary sectarian political squabbles - come out to the polling stations this time.

They did so in their tens of thousands for the EU referendum, a large proportion of them voting to remain within Europe.

If the Opposition forces can persuade this AWOL electorate to rally and deliver their verdict on the outgoing DUP-Sinn Fein Executive, the complexion of the next Assembly could be much more interesting.

If they stay at home, then it is more than likely the same two big parties will emerge as winners again of their own internal community battles.

And then the tortuous negotiations to form a new Executive will bring us right up to the start of the marching season at least.
Money spinner: Winkie Irvine sits on the board of a housing charity which awarded a lucrative contract to a firm of which he is also a director.

UVF boss Winston Winkie Irvine is facing a New Year nightmare over sham tender and safety allegations involving a property firm and a housing charity.

The top loyalist sits on the board of a property firm which has been branded not fit for purpose after winning a lucrative contract to renovate 47 houses in the Shankill area.

Irvine is also a director of the publicly funded charity which awarded the contract  the Woodvale and Shankill Community Housing Association (WSCHA).

Now, a whisteblowing building surveyor who worked for the charity has made a string of serious allegations against both the housing association and its subsidiary building firm, WGS which also includes Winkie Irvine on its board.

Surveyor Dr Edward Cooke accuses the charity of letting out potentially dangerous properties, and says he was effectively silenced and sidelined after raising health and safety and other concerns.

The scathing criticisms  which will put the business interests of senior UVF and PUP figure Irvine in the spotlight  are set to be aired in a legal battle this New Year.

But already shocking claims made by experienced chartered surveyor Dr Cooke have been made public by the NI Courts and Tribunals Service.

Dr Cooke quit his post with housing charity (WSCHA) in June this year and is claiming constructive dismissal.

Evidence of his allegations emerged at a recent pre-hearing application brought by Dr Cooke to amend his claim  and the decision including his statements have been published.

WSCHA is a charity tasked with renovating and maintaining hundreds of homes in the Woodvale district at the top of the Shankill in Belfast.

Expand Close Links:UVF boss Irvine is a director of the publicly funded Woodvale & Shankill Community Housing Association. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Links:UVF boss Irvine is a director of the publicly funded Woodvale & Shankill Community Housing Association.

As well as making serious mismanagement accusations against its board  which includes Winston Irvine  Dr Cooke is scathing of the loyalists WGS firm.

Since April, Irvine has been a registered director of the companies WGS New Developments Ltd, WGS Green Energy Ltd and WGS Property Enterprises Ltd.

Dr Cooke alleges that the housing charity is badly structured and lacking managerial expertise.

He says the charity awarded WGS a lucrative contract to carry out improvement work to 47 homes on Cambrai Street and Disraeli Street. Mr Cooke also refers to a sham tender process.

This was a mistake as WGS is not fit for purpose, Dr Cooke wrote in his statement to the tribunal. He said serious flaws in its work had been found in a pilot scheme in the area.

He went on to accuse WSCHA of letting out potentially dangerous properties and breaching health and safety regulations.

He said WSCHA was considering embracing procurement strategies that he considered posed serious conflict of interest problems and could be potentially damaging to the long term future of the association.

I am at a loss why the board would contemplate using WGS after completing a much smaller scheme that was delivered late, that should have incurred damages, that omitted fundamental works and that encompassed sub-standard specifications.

The chartered surveyor with 35 years experience also complained that his expertise in these matters was continually overlooked".

He further alleges that after raising earlier issues around health and safety, he was ignored, his work was reduced, and that he was left to twiddle his thumbs.

Dr Cooke eventually resigned in the summer, saying in a letter to the board: In 35 years I have never before worked for a housing association where the employer declined to provide the competitive tenders with tender feedback information 14-15 weeks after the tender return date.

In a summary of his tribunal evidence, Mr Cooke accuses the WSCHA of breaching Department for Social Development (DSD), Charity Commission, and health and safety regulations.

He also alleges that the housing body entered into a sham tender at a cost to all tenderers.

The tribunal has not yet heard the response of the WSCHA to claims made by Dr Cooke whose case will proceed later this year.

Winkie Irvines senior role in both WSCHA and WGS  the firms at the centre of Mr Cookes tribunal claims  show how he is becoming increasingly involved in property development.

Whistleblower makes other serious allegations

Whistleblowing surveyor Edward Cooke makes a number of serious allegations against his former employers in his industrial tribunal evidence.

As well as accusing the Woodvale Shankill Community Housing Association (WSCHA) of constructive dismissal, the building expert also alleges:

 That the charity breached Charity Commission, and Construction Design Management (CDM) rules;

 It appointed an ex-chairman to several projects without a competitive tender in breach of government regulations;

 WSCHA ignored health and safety policies and procedures while entering into a sham tender at a cost to all tenders.

 It let four specific properties that were potentially dangerous and re-let homes that were potentially dangerous;

Mr Cooke also claims WSCHA held meetings without his attendance and denigrated his skills by omitting him from the procurement of three large green energy boiler projects.

He further alleges that he was purposely left out of a scheme that saw solar panels fitted to more than 300 houses, and that concerns he raised about fire risks at four properties on Rosebank Street were ignored.

It has to be stressed that at this stage Mr Cookes claims are unproven, with an Industrial Tribunal to decide later this year whether they are true.

UVF commander Winkie Irvine is one of seven individuals listed on the Charity Commission website as being a member of the WSCHA board of trustees.

He is also a director of the companies WGS New Developments Ltd, WGS Green Energy Ltd, and WGS Property Enterprises Ltd, which were given work contracts by WSCHA.

cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk

CLARIFICATION

*All of Dr Cooke's comments and allegations were taken from a pre-hearing application decision published online by Employment Tribunals NI. www.employmenttribunalsni.co.uk

Dr Cooke has not given any newspaper interviews about this matter.
Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock.com

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of the social media giant Facebook, has been incredibly vocal about his atheist beliefs, until now.

Zuckerberg revealed that he had a change of heart after he wished everyone on Dec. 25 a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Priscilla, Max, Beast and me, referring to his wife, daughter and dog. When a commenter asked him, Arent you an atheist? he responded: No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important.

While he didnt provide details about any specific faith or religion, the greeting on Facebook surrounded the Christian holiday of Christmas. Zuckerberg also replied to several of his commenters with well wishes and funny religion-themed images.

As stated in the Facebook post, Zuckerberg was raised in a Jewish household as a child and even had a bar mitzvah when he was 13. Ultimately he changed to atheism. After a long period of thinking, he came to the conclusion that religion has a lot to provide; including love, support and strength.

"After a long period of thinking, he came to the conclusion that religion has a lot to provide..."

He and wife Priscilla Chan met with Pope Francis at the Vatican last summer and discussed how to bring communication technology to the worlds poor. Zuckerberg said at the time that he was impressed with the popes compassion.

We told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how hes found new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world, Zuckerberg posted. It was a meeting well never forget. You can feel his warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people.

Zuckerberg and his wife have been advocates of giving back to the community and announced that they would be giving away the majority of their wealth over the course of their lives to advancing human potential and promoting equality. The couple has always stayed humble about their philanthropic efforts, which would go hand in hand with faith.

Zuckerberg has also cultivated an interest in Buddhism, which his wife practices.

During a 2015 trip to China, Zuckerberg visited the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian and offered a prayer for peace and health for the world and for my family, Zuckerberg posted at the time, including a photo of himself kneeling in front of the Buddhist landmark.

He added: Priscilla is Buddhist and asked me to offer a prayer from her as well. Buddhism is an amazing religion and philosophy, and I have been learning more about it over time. I hope to continue understanding the faith more deeply.

Surprisingly, there have been many studies on how Buddhism benefits large companies. In todays fast-paced economy, stress is endemic, especially in knowledge-based industries. Overstress causes workplace absence, drains productivity, and increases health-care costs. In most organizations success relies on the very things that unhappiness and stress erode: collaboration, creativity, focus and cognitive flexibility. Facebooks shareholders should be quite excited about the possibility of Zuckerbergs change.

If indeed Zuckerberg now believes in a specific religion, it would be bucking a recent trend, as the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated  describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular"  has jumped more than 6 percentage points, from 16.1 percent in 2007 to 22.8 in 2014, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

The trend has been a growing concern for many in the Christian community. A lack of religious affiliation has profound effects on how people think about death, how they teach their kids, and even how they vote. There have long been predictions that religion would fade from relevancy as the world modernizes, but all the recent surveys are finding that its happening more quickly than originally anticipated.

Now that Zuckerberg has come out publically about his change of heart when considering religion, others are hoping he will be a positive example for others who are also on the fence. Zuckerbergs media platform, Facebook, is mainly used by the millennial generation who are the least likely to be dedicated religiously and it is believed that his statement will make an impact on the community. Since 2010, TIME magazine has named Zuckerberg among the 100 most influential people in the world as a part of its Person of the Year distinction.

For 2017, Mark has named it the year of travel and is going to spend time exploring. He says the larger purpose is that "we could all benefit from listening and learning about how more people are living, working, and thinking about the future."

We also anticipate that Mark will be taking the time to observe others religion, faith and dedication to God.

Megan Bailey is a former Social Media Specialist and Content Producer for Beliefnet. She attended James Madison University where she received a degree in psychology.
Legal notices

1) The material on this blog has been created by W. Blake Gray, is protected under US copyright law and cannot be used without his permission.



2) To the FTC: In the course of my work, I accept free samples, meals and other considerations. I do not trade positive reviews or coverage for money or any financial considerations, unlike certain famous print publications which have for-profit wine clubs but, because they are not classified as "bloggers," are not required by the FTC to post a notice like this.


Candles are lit during a vigil in Mumbai for seven Indian security personnel killed during an attack by militants at an air force base in Pathankot, in Indian Punjab, Jan. 6, 2016.

India is making all-out efforts to persuade China to review its decision of repeatedly blocking an Indian proposal for the U.N. to declare the chief of Pakistan-based militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) a global terrorist, the foreign ministrys spokesman told BenarNews.

In April 2016, India moved a resolution in the United Nations Security Council that Masood Azhar be added to the U.N.s list of terrorists, but China suspended the action using a technical hold, a move perceived to indirectly support its close ally Pakistan, where Azhar lives and moves freely.

Then on Dec. 30, China used its Security Council veto to block this resolution, meaning that New Delhi has to move a new resolution.

We are examining all options. We are talking to other members of the United Nations Security Council, including the United States, United Kingdom and France. All avenues are open. Talks with China are still on to try to persuade it to reverse its decision, said Vikas Swarup, spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Of the 15 U.N. Security Council members, China alone objected to Indias petition. Beijing last week defended its stance, calling it professional and objective.

We have taken a responsible and constructive part in relevant discussions in a professional and objective way. The purpose of China to put forward a technical hold on that issue is to create enough time for the committee and relevant parties to consult with each other on the relevant issue, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing.

He was responding to accusations by New Delhi that China was adopting a double-standard in fighting terrorism.

JeM blamed for attacks on Indian soil

In 2001, the Security Council blacklisted JeM for links to al-Qaeda, but the groups chief, Azhar, was exempted. If added to the U.N.s list of terrorists, his assets would be frozen and he would face a global travel ban.

In 1999, the Indian government was forced to release Azhar, who then belonged to an outfit called Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, in exchange for about 190 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines flight 814 following a weeklong standoff.

A year later, Azhar formed JeM, which, together with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is accused of orchestrating the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that killed 14 people, including five attackers.

India has also accused JeM of carrying out a deadly attack on the Pathankot airbase in northwestern Indias Punjab state last January. The assault left seven Indian security personnel dead.

Simply irrational

Foreign policy analysts warned of a global fallout if China failed to reverse its decision.

The global community is now more concerned on terrorism, especially after the emergence of Islamic State. There is a threat of attacks all around the world. Chinas decision to block Indias bid to declare Azhar a terrorist means that China is supporting terror syndicates, former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told BenarNews.

China has become complicit with Pakistan in the use of terror despite knowing that Azhar was freed in exchange for innocent lives of the hijacked aircraft and that his organization was declared a terror outfit. Its simply irrational on Chinas part to not declare him a terrorist, Sibal said.

If China did not reverse its decision, bilateral ties would take a severe hit, Sibal added.

Veena Sikri, a former Indian ambassador to Bangladesh and Malaysia, echoed Sibals views.

Chinas decision has to be seen as a hindrance in the global fight [against terrorism], much more than in the Sino-Indian context. Certainly in India, its greatly disappointing because counter-terrorism is a vital issue on which all think-tanks, political parties and the civilian community are united, she told BenarNews.

Chinas blockade of Indias bid would affect the process of talks initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi between the two countries, which fought a full-scale war in 1962, said Vinay Kaura of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies.

It is going to have a very negative impact on bilateral dynamics. The Chinese side is still very determined to hold its position, and this is not a good sign, Kaura told BenarNews.

There is a divide in the international community over the definition of terrorism. China is taking advantage of that divide, Kaura said.

Then theres Tibet

Terrorism, however, is a relative side issue in bilateral relations between Asias two giants. Chinas territorial claim over Tibet dominates Sino-Indian tensions.

Geo-strategist and author Brahma Chellaney said India needs to take a bolder stance in its diplomacy with China and not be so accommodative such as over the Tibetan issue, otherwise this could encourage dangerous Chinese adventurism.

The way for India to reclaim its Tibet leverage is to start emphasizing that its acceptance of Chinas claim over Tibet hinged on a grant of genuine autonomy to the region, Chellaney wrote in the Nikkei Asian Review on Jan. 6.

[A] braver Indian approach would include showing Tibet in its official maps in a different color from the rest of China and using expressions such as the Indo-Tibet border, instead of the India-China border. Using measures such as this, India can subtly reopen Tibet as an outstanding issue without having to renounce formally any of its previously stated positions, he added.
Pictures of victims of a New Years Day terrorist attack at a nightclub in Istanbul lie atop Turkish flags at a makeshift memorial in the city, Jan. 3, 2017.

Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) are investigating the discovery of Indonesian passports at a house raided by Turkish police in connection with a terror attack at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Years Day.

Thirty-nine people were killed by a lone gunman at the Reina nightclub in the early hours of Jan. 1, in an attack claimed by the extremist group Islamic State (IS). Turkey has been a gateway for Southeast Asians heading to Syria or Iraq to join IS, according to Indonesian and Malaysian authorities.

The new investigation in Indonesia unfolded as the U.S. government this week designated an Indonesian militant outfit as a specially designated global terrorist and announced financial sanctions on it and two Indonesian nationals.

Of the various passports found, right now, [they] are being checked by the Turkish security authorities to determine if they are fake or genuine, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said in Jakarta on Tuesday night.

He said 40 people were arrested following a raid by Turkish authorities last week at a house in Izmir that was believed to be linked to the attack. Police seized scores of travel documents including some Indonesian passports, according to news reports.

No fixed data regarding the found Indonesian passports. The data we received, there are about three or four, but I dont have the exact number yet, Arrmanatha told reporters. No Indonesians were arrested following the raid.

BNPT deputy head Arif Darmawan said his organization and the Indonesian embassy in Ankara were investigating the passports.

Are they real or fake? Again, there has been no confirmation from Turkey and other countries, Arif told BenarNews.

Specially Designated

On Tuesday, the U.S. State Department announced it was adding IS-linked Indonesian militant group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, which bars Americans from engaging with them and freezes property in the U.S. associated with these terrorists.

Indonesian police blame JAD for an attack in Jakarta on Jan. 14, 2016, that left eight people dead, including four alleged assailants, in the first terrorist act in Indonesia claimed by Islamic State.

In addition, the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control on Tuesday designated two Indonesians linked to IS as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

Treasury officials said in a statement they were taking this action against the men, whom they identified as Bachrumsyah Mennor Usman (who is better known Bahrumsyah among other aliases) and Oman Rochman (who is also known as Aman Abdurahman, among other aliases) as part of the departments efforts to disrupt ISs global fundraising and support network.

Two Australians linked with IS, Neil Christopher Prakash and Khaled Sharrouf, were also added to the list.

According to information from Treasury officials, Bahrumsyah commands an IS combat unit comprised of Southeast Asians. He also facilitates funding for IS operations, including terrorist plots back home in Indonesia, recruits for IS, and coordinates travel logistics and communications among IS members, officials said.

Last March, Bahrumsyah sent U.S. $105,000 to the leader of a cluster of terrorists known as the Bekasi cell, who was allegedly contemplating attacks in Bali, as well as at an international school and at an airport in Jakarta, the statement from the Treasury Department said.

Bahrumsyah studied under Aman Abdurahman, who has been incarcerated in Indonesia since December 2010 and was considered the de facto leader of all Indonesian IS supporters as of late 2015, officials said.

As of February 2016, Rochman [Abdurahman], while incarcerated, recruited prospective militants to join ISIL and was likely communicating with ISIL leaders in Syria, Treasury officials said, using a different acronym for IS.

Rochman authorized terrorist attacks on January 14, 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia and issued a fatwa (decree) from prison in January 2016 encouraging Indonesian militants to join ISIL.
Workers are seen in the evening light as they work at a construction site in Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 30, 2015.

Reacting to criticism from employers, the Malaysian government has reversed itself by suspending for at least a year a new policy requiring businesses that hire millions of migrants to be taxed for each foreigner on their payrolls.

The policy of imposing an annual levy on businesses  which used to be deducted from migrants monthly salaries  was only 10 days old before the government decided to go back to the old policy temporarily.

Cabinet members on Wednesday decided to postpone the policy until Jan. 1, 2018, after receiving complaints from business owners and employers the previous day. The decision means that foreign workers will still have to pay the tax for now.

The cabinet had a thorough discussion on the matter. Paul Low [minister in the Prime Ministers Department] had an engagement session with stakeholders on Tuesday and presented the outcome at the cabinet meeting, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told The Star. Taking into consideration the views of the stakeholders, we have found it wise to delay the implementation of the levy payment by employers.

Malaysias Director General of Immigration, Mustafar Ali, confirmed the decision but declined to give details.

The levy under the EMC has been postponed to 2018, he told BenarNews.

The new Employer Mandatory Commitment (EMC), as the levy is known, would have required businesses to bear the annual levy for each foreign worker in their employ  1,850 ringgit (U.S. $413) per worker in category one (manufacturing, construction and service industries) and 640 ringgit ($143) per worker in category two (plantation and agriculture).

The government expected to gain 2.5 billion ringgit ($558 million) from the levy each year under the new rule, according to Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Announcing the EMC on Dec. 31, Zahid said the move would require employers to ensure that their hired foreign workers did not abscond, change sectors, overstay their visits or become illegal immigrants.

Matters need to be thrashed out

After Zahids announcement, 159 local business associations sent a letter to Prime Minister Najib Razak complaining about the new policy, which took effect on Jan. 1.

Businesses welcomed this weeks reversal, Shamsuddin Bardan, executive director of the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), told BenarNews on Thursday.

He is calling for a thorough discussion with the minister in charge of the policy to avoid further disagreements.

Definitely, EMC is a big issue and many matters need to be thrashed out, basically. All the industries and associations are calling for a discussion with the minister in charge of this, Paul Low, who was tasked to revamp the mechanism for the recruitment of foreign workers, he said.

The return to the old policy will not affect at least one group of employers.

Mohamad Audong, the head of the Malayan Agricultural Producers Association (MAPA), said association members had been paying levies despite being given the opportunity to collect the money from workers.

Millions of foreign workers

Tens of thousands people from Bangladesh, Myanmar and other Asian countries have migrated to relatively more prosperous Malaysia in the hopes of making a living by often taking on grueling menial jobs. Malaysias foreign legal workforce is a little more than 2 million, but officials estimate that more than 1 million more are undocumented workers.

In November, Bangladeshs minister for expatriate welfare and overseas employment announced that Malaysia would start recruiting Bangladeshi workers for construction, plantation and manufacturing jobs before the end of the year. Malaysian officials did not comment after the two-day meeting.

The announcement came months after the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in February 2016 that called for Malaysia to recruit as many as 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh over the next three years.

The MoU was short-lived. A day later, Malaysian officials announced a moratorium on all new migrant workers.

About 300,000 Bangladeshis work in Malaysia and send about 110 billion taka (U.S. $1.4 billion) back home every year, according to Bangladesh government figures.

Bangladeshi worker Mohammad Rakib, 44, expressed hope earlier this week when discussing the EMC. Rakib planned to send the money he pays for the levy to his family.

This will definitely help with my eldest daughters higher education, Rakib, a petrol pump attendant who has been working in Malaysia for five years, told BenarNews on Monday.
A bid from Pulte Homes to rezone and add 465 residences and possibly a school near Sandy Run Creek on Jedburg Road wasn't met with open arms at a Oct. 26 community meeting on the part of local homeowners seeking to preserve the area's rural characteristics. Read moreJedburg Road residents tell Pulte Homes: 'Keep it rural'
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.
An analysis of campaign finance spending done by the left-leaning Center for American Progress states that Education Secretary-nominee Betsy DeVos and her family have given nearly $1 million directly to 21 senators over past election cycles. In addition, the analysis found ten senators on the Senate education committee have received donations from a political action committee controlled by the DeVos family, including Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the committee chairman.

The CAP analysis from Ulrich Boser, Marcella Bombardieri, and CJ Libassi also says that the DeVos family gave more than $3.1 million to two political action committess associated with GOP lawmakers, the Senate Leadership Fund and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Last month we highlighted direct donations to GOP senators from Betsy and Dick DeVos Jr., her husband , including five lawmakers on the Senate education commitee and other, mostly Republican, politicians. Democratic senators have requested more information from DeVos about her history of political donations, as well as her lobbying and advocacy on behalf of school choice programs. CAP, which has close ties to President Barack Obamas administration, is not the only group to call for senators who have received DeVos campaign donations to recuse themselves from considering her nomination.

DeVos supporters, however, have argued that the same Democrats crying foul over DeVos had no similar qualms about Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, who was confirmed as Obamas commerce secretary in 2013 and was a major Democratic campaign bundler. They also say Democrats who have taken donations from teachers unions are themselves tainted by conflicts of interest.

A spokesman for Betsy DeVos, Ed Patru, dismissed the idea that the donations highlighted by CAP represent a conflict of interest, citing Pritzkers example. He also said the DeVos family donated heavily to Republican Party members out of shared principles, not self-interest.

The DeVos family has been supporting Republicans for half a century, and its not because they carefully planned a moment in time when the most improbable political upset in history would present them with an opportunity to have a member of the family lead the Department of Education, Patru said in an email.

The analysis cites information from Federal Election Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks political donations.

In addition to donations from Betsy DeVos husband, from Doug DeVos, Helen DeVos, and other DeVos family members, the report studies donations from the political action committee for Alticor, which is the parent company of Amway (the company founded by Betsy DeVos father-in-law, Dick DeVos Sr.) and is controlled by the DeVos family. In addition to Alexander, who got $4,500 from the Alticor PAC, Senate education committee members to get Alticor campaign money are:



Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. ($3,000)

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine ($4,000)

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. ($1,000)

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah ($4,000)

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska ($1,000)

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. ($2,000)

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. ($3,000)

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. ($1,000)

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. ($2,000)

The Alticor donations to these senators that CAP studied are from each federal election cycle from 1998 through 2016. Although they wont be voting on DeVos nomination, GOP lawmakers on the House education committee to get Alticor PAC campaign cash in the 2016 campaign cycle include Reps. Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania, Mike Bishop of Michigan, Carlos Curbelo of Florida, Tim Walberg of Michigan, and Joe Wilson of South Carolina. These Alticor donations to House lawmakers arent included in CAPs report.

CAP also reported that five Senate education committee members got a total of $254,400 from the DeVos family in direct donations, including:



Burr ($43,200)

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. ($70,200)

Murkowski ($43,200)

Scott ($49,200)

Young ($48,600)

Click the following hyperlink to see an Excel file with CAPs findings on DeVos family contributions.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Dateline: Germany

A home owner in Mainhausen, near Offenbach in west-central Germany, returned to his house from a night shift to find that someone had constructed a brick wall outside his front door. Local police were at a loss to explain the overnight construction project. We dont know if it was a prank. It could also be revenge or a dare, officer Ingbert Zacharias told Geman news outlet hessenschau.de. Police commented in an official statement that the act must have made the victim feel like a Berliner in August 1961. The unexplained wall appeared on the morning of Jan. 2, and the homeowner was forced to use an ax to break into his home. According to the BBC, police estimated the wall caused about 500 euros ($525) in property damage.

Dateline: England

British police say they have found a missing BMW after it was lost in a parking garage for six months. Greater Manchester Police for the City Centre tweeted on Dec. 30 that officers had located the missing BMW in a multistory parking garage. The vehicle was lost in June of last year. Police told the Manchester Evening News that a friend of the owner borrowed the car and drove it down from Scotland in order to attend a Stone Roses concert at Etihad Stadium but forgot where they parked it. According to the original Manchester Police tweet, the driver apparently spent five days searching car parks in the city before reporting as lost/stolen. The abandoned BMW was finally located by police at around midnight on Dec. 30, tucked safely in one of the citys multistory car parks. We cant imagine what the ticket machine is going to say when they finally put the ticket in, GMP City Centre added in a follow-up tweet. Officers estimated that if the garage charges the vehicle owner the full rate, the six-month parking fee would come to around 5,000 ($6,155).

Dateline: California

A missing toucan has been returned to its owner after spending eight months on the loose in Orange County. Fern the toucan escaped from the aviary behind 39-year-old Courtney Chapmans home in Fullerton. Fern was one of two toucans Chapman purchased as birthday gifts for her husband and son. The $5,000 bird vanished less than 15 minutes after being dropped off by the breeder. Chapman was told the chances shed see the wayward bird again were slim to none. But there were so many toucan sightings in the area that Chapman started a Facebook page. Fern soon became a local celebrity, with various sightings, photos and videos posted to the Facebook page. Despite the many sightings the toucan remained on the lam since May of last year. Ferns freedom came to an end on Jan. 3 when she flew into a Yorba Linda auto repair shop and was eventually captured by Connor Chubbuck, a worker with Omars Exotic Birds in Brea. The bird was returned to its owners two days later. It was awesome seeing all of Fullerton come together and track Fern, well-wishing her constantly, Chapman told the Orange County Register. Im glad she got to go out and share her experiences. According to Ferns Facebook page, her owners are now starting work on a new premium custom aviary.

Dateline: Texas

A Cross Roads, Texas family is suing Apple, claiming that its FaceTime app caused a driver to ram into the couples car, killing their 5-year-old daughter. Parents James and Bethany Modisette filed a lawsuit on Dec. 23 in California Superior Court, claiming the computer giant failed to warn users that the product was likely to be dangerous when used or misused. The accident at the heart of it all occurred on Christmas Eve in 2014. According to the lawsuit, the Modisettes were driving in a Toyota Camry with their daughter Moriah and her sister Isabella when they stopped their car because police activity ahead of them on the highway had caused traffic to back up. Another driver, Garrett Wilhelm, driving his Toyota 4Runner in the same direction, allegedly had his attention diverted by using his phones FaceTime app. The suit claims that, As a result of that distraction, his Toyota 4Runner, while traveling at full highway speed (65 mph), struck the Modisette family car from behind. All four members of the Modisette family were injured in the crash. Moriah later died from her injuries. According to the suit, Wilhelm told police at the scene that he was using FaceTime on his iPhone at the time of the crash. According to The Denton Record-Chronicle, Wilhelm was indicted on manslaughter charges by a grand jury in Denton County. A jury trial is set to begin Feb. 27. Despite that, the Modisettes are suing Apple for unspecified damages, claiming that the company failed to warn users about the dangers of driving while operating its popular video conferencing app and failing to use a safer, alternate design that would have prevented people from accessing the app while driving at highway speed. Texas does not have a comprehensive law about cell phone use while driving.
What would happen if you gave a college-readiness test and no one came?

Thats the question hanging over South Dakota at the moment. Well, an exaggerated version of the question.

Worried about high remediation rates at their state colleges and universities, state leaders tried an experiment: Theyd provide more money for high school students to take a free Accuplacer test, which is designed to measure readiness for college coursework. Theyd make sure districts knew that students could create and complete custom coursework designed to fix the academic problems identified by the test.

Problem is, hardly anyone wanted to do this.

News of this lukewarm response tumbled out this week in Gov. Dennis Daugaards State of the State speech. He reported that few school districts have embraced this approach to improving college readiness among their students.

Frustrated, Gov. Daugaard noted that the state has a big problem that needs a solution: Nearly one third of its university students have to take at least one remedial course in English/language arts or math. Students have to pay tuition even though those courses carry no credit, a phenomenon that research shows often contributes to students accruing debt, falling behind, and dropping out of college.

The governor estimated that those remedial courses cost South Dakota students about $500,000 in tuition.

Accuplacer is typically used by colleges to determine if students are ready to be placed in credit-bearing, entry-level courses. But South Dakota decided four years ago to use it as an early-screening tool in high schools , to help spot academic weaknesses before students get to college. The state circulated information to districts, encouraging them to use the system for students with mediocre scores on the ACT or Smarter Balanced exam.

Only one-third of the school districts in South Dakota have offered the Accuplacer and its accompanying customized coursework to students, though, according to local news reports . And only 100 students in the state took the Accuplacer test last year, Daugaard said.

Maybe one reason is that students must take the customized remedial coursework, online or with an in-person teacher, in addition to their other classes. Retaking it at the end of the year, with a high enough score, allows them to skip remedial classes in college.

State officials speculated that senioritis might be playing a role in the lackluster embrace of Accuplacer. They also said they might need to work harder to let districts know about the option, because it might be getting lost in the shuffle of other college-prep options that are available to students, according to local news reports.
Florida Activists Arrested Again for Feeding the Homeless

Seven members of a non-profit organization in Tampa, Florida, with a mission of feeding the homeless were arrested last week for feeding the homeless, again. The organization, Food Not Bombs, has gotten in trouble regularly for this exact problem, like many other individuals and small groups that seek to make an immediate impact by feeding the homeless. In Tampa, in order to legally serve or share food in a public park, a group must obtain a special permit to do so. Technically, the group's members were arrested for not obtaining that special permit.

In Orlando, half a decade ago, the same group faced this exact same issue of a local ordinance requiring a permit to feed the homeless in a public park. The court reasoned that because the restriction imposed by the city was reasonable in time, place, and manner, that there was no constitutional violation.

Is It Illegal to Feed the Homeless?

Generally, it is not illegal to feed the homeless, otherwise every soup kitchen or homeless shelter would face some serious legal challenges to existing. However, there may be restrictions on how you can go about feeding the homeless because of stated concerns over public safety and legal liability. Restrictions generally fall into two categories, either restrictions on where food can be given out, or requiring special permitting to give away food.

One of the complaints of activist organizations about requiring permits to feed the homeless is the cost of meeting the requirements. Typically, to get a permit, local governments require event insurance, which can significantly drive up costs. Additionally, there may be costs simply to obtain the permit, or other costs, such as requiring portable restrooms be provided.

Penalties for Illegal Feeding

While it seems outlandish that a person would be punished for feeding the homeless, the consequences don't simply end with arrest. In addition to being charged with a crime, in some jurisdictions, a person could actually have to pay significant fines, or even face time in jail.

Related Resources:




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For Immediate Release, January 12, 2017 Contact: Amey Owen, Animal Welfare Institute, (202) 446-2128, amey@awionline.org

Collette Adkins, Center for Biological Diversity, (651) 955-3821, cadkins@biologicaldiversity.org

Natalia Lima, Animal Legal Defense Fund, (201) 679-7088, nlima@aldf.org

Brooks Fahy, Predator Defense, (541) 520-6003, brooks@predatordefense.org

Camilla Fox, Project Coyote, (415) 690-0338, cfox@projectcoyote.org Petition Seeks to Halt EPA's Use of Deadly Predator Poison WASHINGTON Five animal-protection organizations submitted a petition today to the Environmental Protection Agency asking the agency to cancel its registration for sodium fluoroacetate, a pesticide commonly known as Compound 1080. Currently the pesticide is permitted for use in livestock protection collars  one of the devices that agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program use to kill thousands of coyotes each year. The Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, Predator Defense and Project Coyote are requesting that the EPA suspend and ultimately cancel the registration for Compound 1080 due to its violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). According to the petition, because coyotes have never been declared a pest or found to be injurious to health or the environment, as defined under FIFRA, pesticides (including Compound 1080) cannot legally be used to kill the animals. Compound 1080 is dangerous, outdated and completely unnecessary when it comes to predator control, said Tara Zuardo, a wildlife attorney with the Animal Welfare Institute. Its use simply has no place within the law and our environment. The petition details the high risks presented by Compound 1080 for both people and nontarget wildlife, including its lethality in small doses and the absence of effective treatments. It also summarizes scientific studies showing that use of this exceptionally dangerous toxicant to kill coyotes is irresponsible and dangerous for all parties involved. We must stop the barbaric practice of poisoning predators, said Collette Adkins, a senior attorney and biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity. Banning this poison would protect rare predators like wolves and grizzlies as well as scavengers like eagles, who die after feeding on the poisoned carcasses. More effective, humane and targeted methods of protecting livestock should be used instead. The organizations also argue that adequate and effective alternatives to Compound 1080 exist and are generally preferred for protecting livestock from coyotes. These include nonlethal methods such as fencing, guard animals, range riders, automated alarms and other scare devices. The best available science shows that coyotes are a valuable native carnivore that provide myriad benefits to humans and to the environment, including controlling rodent-born zoonotic diseases, said Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of Project Coyote. It's time for our federal government to stop killing this important species with deadly poisons like Compound 1080. Compound 1080 poisoning is the most inhumane, torturous way for an animal to die, said Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense. Victims experience a horrifying death that may last hours to days, with symptoms that include vomiting, involuntary hyperextension of the limbs, convulsions, heightened anxiety, hallucinations, intense pain, deep depression and collapse. It's well beyond time to ban 1080.
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
17 Arrested in Kardashian Robbery Roundup

The brazen robbery of Kim Kardashian in a Paris hotel last year is looking a little less Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and a little more Ocean's Eleven. A grand total of 17 suspects have been arrested by French police, including Kardashian's limo driver and men dubbed "Old Omar," Marceau "the gypsy," and Nez Rape, or Broken Nose.

So just how elaborate was the $10 million jewelry heist? Police may just be scratching the surface.

Mon Dieu, Un Dragnet

Paris-wide raids nabbed 17 people, including three women and suspects ranging from 23 to 72 years old, early Monday morning. Chief among them were Gary Madar, Kardashian's driver the night of the robbery, and five known burglars.

Madar's brother, Michael, was also arrested, along with Omar le Vieux (whose fingerprints were allegedly found on plastic ties used to bind Kardashian) and two of his sons. And according to the Daily Mail, France's organized crime brigade (BRB) also two brothers in their 50s who were allegedly trying to unload a $5M engagement ring.

From Hoax to Heist

Last October, thieves gained access to Kardashian's apartment in an upscale Paris hotel by posing as police officers and threatening a concierge. Once inside, they threatened Kardashian with a gun, bound and gagged her, and robbed of almost $10 million in jewelry. In a new promo for the latest season of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," Kardashian tells her sisters, "They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it."

Though some wondered if the tale of terror was a Ryan Lochte-sized whopper, the response from French police (far different from those of their Brazilian counterparts in Lochte's case) indicates otherwise. And what sounded like a snatch-and-grab operation sounds more and more like a well orchestrated heist. We can't wait until it hits the big screen.

Related Resources:
It is a massive understatement to say that it is an interesting time for Western democracy.

The UK is still getting to grips with what Brexit really means while in the US Donald Trump will shortly be installed in the Oval Office. In France, the Front National leader Marine Le Pen stands an outside chance of becoming the countrys next president. Support for populist politicians in America and parts of Europe (on both the left and right) is unparalleled since the Second World War. As societies grapple with the effects of globalisation and economic and social change, what has become acutely apparent is a growing chasm between traditional establishment politicians and large tranches of the voting public.

Do you trust the news? Image credit: Studiostoks   123RF.com

These changes are complex but just when clarity of analysis is needed, social media is distorting how people see the world, meaning that different interest groups end up living in different universes of understanding. Facts have multiplied and become devalued  news feeds are full of misinformation, and you can always find an expert, if only a self-styled one, to endorse your view. This is a dangerous mix and one which politicians and the media are finding hard to cope with.

Against this background of post-truth politics, fake facts and filter bubbles, the value of reliable, non-partisan sources of news to audiences is rising. In the last year alone, the EU referendum result in the UK, the failed coup in Turkey, the terrorist attacks across Europe and of course the US election have contributed to record audiences for the BBC on TV and online. In the hours and days after the US election result, our unrivalled international network of correspondents reported from every corner of the globe, informing our global audiences on what Trumps election will mean for the likes of China, Russia and Mexico.

But being considered part of a serious, trustworthy segment of journalism, with the influence that all traditional news providers would like to have, comes with a significant degree of responsibility. The media should be contributing to and facilitating an informed democratic conversation and considering whether we may have been too precious about the people who are or arent palatable or acceptable to what we considered the mainstream narrative.

With trust in public institutions at an all-time low in many countries, and bubbles of opinion going unchallenged, the ground has been fertile for populist movements to grow. After recent tests for establishment politics in Austria and Italy the spotlight turns on the Netherlands, France and Germany in 2017. These events will be a challenge for mainstream media as well as for politicians.

There is a danger that news organisations get drawn into superficial coverage as they chase audiences. According to a recent report, the three major US nightly news shows combined spent just 32 minutes in total interrogating the candidates positions and proposed solutions on substantive policy issues in this presidential election year  a fraction of the time they devoted in previous election years (114 minutes in 2012, 220 in 2008). Issues that got minimal or no coverage included drugs, healthcare, poverty, gun control, and climate change. This was in stark contrast to the time spent covering talking points that the candidates themselves selected in order to promote their own causes.

And this is the challenge. In a world in which there is an ever-thickening information smog of false facts and filter bubbles, rather than abandoning long-standing editorial principles, there is a greater need than ever for trusted, transparent news and for news providers which report the facts, host the argument and interrogate the participants. In short, serious news organisations like the BBC should stick to doing what weve always been good at.

While such content may not draw as many readers as skewed coverage and headline-grabbing stories, if the BBC has to choose between building an audience and sustaining its reputation, its pretty clear which way we are going to go.

In our coverage of the EU referendum campaign, there was much debate around the issue of false balance  giving pro and anti equal airtime, regardless of the facts, editorial judgment and expertise of the interviewee. Some remainers suggested that the BBC was too impartial, giving the same treatment to respected experts as to know-nothings and lightweights. But in fact, the BBC took great care to follow its strict editorial guidelines and to challenge claims from all sides. Journalists frequently took on campaigners and exposed as false what had been touted to the public as fact.

My view is that the BBCs journalistic principles like accuracy, balance and impartiality  even though they are nearly a century old  are just as important today. They are the bedrock of trust in the news  and the collapse of trust in news media plays a big role in what is happening around the world. It is time to bring those principles into a contemporary context. We need to be more confident about what journalists are good at, which is exploding myths, calling people out and holding individuals, and claims, to account. Our skills are now more necessary than ever.
Now in its third year, the PPC Imaginarium Awards has assembled some of the industry's most influential creatives on the national and regional judging panel who will evaluate the various category submissions, choose category finalists and the overall winner.

And the judges are...

Fashion and design consultant Allana Finely, will fill the role of judging the fashion category and that of national judge. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the US, Finley has worked on fashion brands such as Eileen Fisher, Tiffany & Co. and Gucci America, and is currently a board member of the Museum of African Design. Over the past 13 years, her focus has been on telling the story of the African continent in innovative ways through fashion, design, television and film production. Joining her on the national judging panel is architect Daniel van der Merwe and curator Stephen Hobbs.

The film category panel sees the return of filmmaker Wessel van Huyssteen as a judge. Over the past 11 years, Van Huyssteen has conceptualised, proposed, produced and directed scores of inserts for various programmes broadcast on SABC, e.tv and M-Net.

Joining him on the film judging panel is filmmaker Rethabile Molatela who produces and directs films for Rififi Pictures. Molatela has just produced her first feature film, Vaya, which was directed by acclaimed actor and director Akin Omotoso and screened at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival.

Other notable artists and industry experts on the judging panel include artist Ndikhumbule Ngqinambi who serves as a member of the board of trustees at Greatmore Studios, an art studio in Cape Town which serves as a creative hub for artists; Igsaan Martin, a director of contemporary art gallery, Gallery MOMO Cape Town; Tshwane University of Technology Art Theory lecturer Pfunzo Sidogi; University of the Free State Fine Arts lecturer Adelheid von Maltitz; painter, sculptor and a graphic artist Thami Jali and art curator Zanele Mashumi.

Three phase process

The judging process consists of three phases. The first phase is based on entrants written conceptual proposals to determine who makes it to the production phase. The second phase of judging, in which regional judging takes place and finalists are chosen, will be based on physical submissions. The finalists will then be judged in the third and final phase at the national level.

The winner of each category will receive a cash prize of R50 000, with runners-up walking away with R15,000. The overall PPC Imaginarium Awards winner will receive the grand prize of R100,000.

The category winners and overall competition winner announcement will take place at the Association of Arts Pretoria on 11 March 2017.

Encompassing six categories - architecture, fashion, film, industrial design, jewellery and sculpture - the awards was established by PPC as a means to give emerging designers and artists the opportunity to showcase their talent and creative thinking by using cement as their primary medium.

For more information about the competition and the judges, go to www.ppcimaginarium.co.za.
The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) has announced that agencies and their clients may send in their entry for the 2017 APEX awards. The ACA, the official, representative body for the Communications and Advertising sector in South Africa, host the APEX awards annually.

The APEX awards recognises and awards those advertising and communications campaigns that are not only creative, but effective in delivering a tangible and measurable return on investment or objectives.

Applicants are invited to enter their best work into the 2017 APEX awards. Given the current economic climate when marketers and their agency partners are required to demonstrate their contribution to the bottom line, the APEX awards presents an opportunity for client and agency collaboration to showcase exactly that.

The APEX awards encourages agencies and their clients to develop new, higher, best practice standards for measurement of advertising and communications campaigns. Budget allocation to advertising and communication activities is not an expense, but rather an investment, and APEX promotes a better understanding of business practices and how advertising can deliver a measured and effective return on that investment, explained Odette van der Haar, ACA CEO.

The standard for the APEX awards is high and will not be compromised. Entrants are required to submit case studies detailing their campaigns and how all possible factors other than the campaigns have been considered as causes for brand success and in so doing, systematically prove a case for the campaigns themselves as being the cause for the brand success.

Campaign categories

The three APEX categories into which campaigns may be entered are:

1. Launch  for brands or services that are less than 12 months old with no significant history of advertising. 2. Change  for new campaigns from previously advertised brands that resulted in significant short-term effects on sales and/or behaviour  short-term being within a period of no more than 18 months. 3. Sustain  for campaigns that benefited a business by maintaining or strengthening a brand over a long period, i.e. 36 months.

We encourage all agencies and their clients to enter their most effective work into the APEX awards. Entry is open to all agencies, whether an ACA member or not. We have seen extremely effective creative executions of campaigns in previous years, and look forward to another year of showcasing the value our industry adds to commercial brand success, concludes van der Haar.

Briefing sessions

Compulsory briefing sessions for all entrants will be held at the aaa campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town, as follows:

Johannesburg: 14.00-16.00  Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Cape Town: 14.00-16.00  Thursday, 26 January 2017

At these sessions, entrants will receive information on how to enter, compile and win an APEX. While attendance is free of charge, seats are limited  booking of seats is essential. To book a seat at one or both of the briefing sessions, please send an email to az.oc.asaca@xepa.

For more information about the APEX awards, details on how to enter, key dates to diarise, entry fees and so much more, vist the website, email az.oc.asaca@xepa or call the ACA on (011) 781 2772/3.
Therapists Must Report Patients That View Child Porn, California Court Rules

The California Court of Appeals recently rejected a challenge to one part of California's mandatory reporting laws for therapists. This case came about because the law in California was changed a few years ago to include a ban on the viewing of child pornography online.

Criminalizing the viewing of child pornography online seems perfectly rational. But what about in the context of reporting laws for therapists? According to the appeals court, mental health professional in California are now required to disclose to authorities when a client has viewed child pornography online.

Mandatory Reporting

What is a "mandatory report"? In every state, there are certain categories of individuals, usually school staff and doctors/hospital staff, that are required by law to report signs of child abuse to law enforcement.

What the signs of abuse are that trigger mandatory reporting may vary from state to state. The penalties for failing to report will also vary. Additionally, therapists and mental health professionals, due to their unique status, may be tasked with different obligations that require breaking confidentiality.

Therapist - Patient Confidentiality, or Not

Therapists are generally required to report credible threats of violence, or dangers of violence, that they suspect of, or are warned about by, their patients. Additionally, if a patient may be a danger to themselves or others, a therapist likely will have to disclose that to the proper authorities.

However, what comes as a shock to many is that therapist - patient confidentiality, in many states, does not prevent a therapist from disclosing past serious crimes that are disclosed to them, and there may be state laws that even require the disclosure. For instance, a murder confession to your therapist is likely not protected by confidentiality.

Child-Abusers' Rights to Treatment?

On a first impression, there may not seem to be a problem with requiring mental health professionals to report to authorities when their patients tell them they have viewed child pornography online. After all, consumers of child pornography are part of the problem.

However, considering the context in which a person seeking the help of a therapist would likely disclose that they have viewed child pornography, requiring a therapist to report to law enforcement has a serious impact on the ability of the therapist to treat their patient.

Logically, the likely result is that individuals who view child pornography and are seeking mental health treatment will not be able to get help with that problem without facing serious legal consequences. Given the serious nature of the crime, it may just be that society is okay with requiring a person to face the legal consequences in order to get treatment.

Related Resources:
Ugandan undergraduate Brian Turyabagye was studying engineering when his friend's grandmother fell seriously ill. He accompanied her to hospital and was present when doctors diagnosed malaria and prescribed various treatments. Only as she lay dying did the doctors realise their initial diagnosis was wrong. Pneumonia was killing her.

Brian Turyabagye and his team have developed a biomedical kit for early diagnosis and continuous monitoring of pneumonia patients. Photographs by Brett Eloff for the Royal Academy of Engineering Photograph: Brett Eloff/The Royal Academy of Engineering

Turyabagye, 24, was so shocked by the circumstances of her death that he began searching for ways to diagnose pneumonia. To his surprise, he discovered that the illness affects far more children than it does adults. According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (Unicef), pneumonia kills 500 000 children under five in sub-Saharan Africa every year, with the region accounting for half of all global deaths from pneumonia in children under five.

Many of those deaths are because of misdiagnosis, says Turyabagye. In the villages and remote areas, children get sick and the first reaction is to treat them for malaria. Most people are aware of malaria, and the signs for malaria and pneumonia are very similar, so it is difficult for health professionals to differentiate.

Even when a correct diagnosis is made, treatment is often unavailable. According to the Uganda Paediatrics Association, fewer than 20% of children with pneumonia receive antibiotics, which cost less than $1.

So Turyabagye began designing a biomedical smart jacket and he has developed a prototype that can identify pneumonias symptoms  the temperature, breathing rate and sound of the lungs associated with it  and eliminate most of the human error. It is also able to diagnose pneumonia three to four times faster than a doctor.

He has named it Mamaope  mothers hope  a reference to the 27,000 children who reportedly die of pneumonia in Uganda every year.

We focused on the distinguishing signs of pneumonia, he says. One of the processes that most doctors use is a stethoscope to the check the lungs. But it [pneumonia] tends to be on side points around the body, not just in the chest or back. Its [Mamaopes] accuracy of being able to diagnose what is healthy and what is not is very encouraging.

The prototype is undergoing an official national medical investigation and it is likely to be certified for use in health centres and hospitals by about September.

The jacket could be a major boon to diagnosing, treating and preventing pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite international progress in tackling measles, HIV and tetanus, funding earmarked for the eradication of pneumonia is extremely low: for every dollar spent on global health in 2011, Unicef says, only two cents went to pneumonia.

Although sub-Saharan Africa accounts for half of pneumonia deaths among children under five worldwide, funding for pneumonia prevention, management and treatment in the region remains low, said Mark Young, a senior health specialist for Unicef, in a statement.

More resources and more commitment at the highest level will bring us closer to stopping this disease from being a major child killer.

The Mamaope jacket was shortlisted for this years 25 000 Africa prize for engineering innovation, and Turyabagye hopes this could help to jumpstart mass production of the jacket for use on the continent.

Really, we are looking to help the next generation, he says. Pneumonia has such a high rate in Uganda and our neighbouring countries; if we were able to distribute in those countries, we could save a lot of people.

This feature was originally published as part of The Guardians Global Development project
South African companies, including those in the retail sector, continue to experience a significant change in mindset among customers. The reality is that doing business is no longer just about profit, but also about creating shared value and meeting responsibilities to contribute to inclusive economic development, and to give back to communities and our planet.

Picture: Supplied

As a result, there is no longer a fundamental contradiction between concern for the environment or social responsibility and business objectives.

Sustainability is good business

Increasingly, empirical evidence indicates that the concept of sustainability is now unquestionably an issue of good business.

Organisations can no longer afford to approach sustainability as a 'nice to have' or as a function separated from the 'real' business. Instead, it is those companies that proactively make sustainability core to business strategy and practice, that will drive innovation and inspire enthusiasm and loyalty from a range of stakeholders, which include employees, customers, suppliers, communities, governments and investors.

The retail sector is no different. Increased scrutiny continues to be placed on the industry, both from a direct and supply chain impact perspective. Legitimate issues such as traceability, ethical and responsible sourcing of commodities are material risks for the sector. As such, mitigating these risks requires a business model based on long-term supplier relationships and a responsibility to influence change along a given supply chain.

However, it is also important to acknowledge that what constitutes good business is a moving target, and as such we must continuously push ourselves to achieve more ambitious targets and goals every year.

Global alignment post-ratification of Paris Agreement

In October, the South African government indicated that it would join 61 other United Nations member states, and agree to the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The Paris Agreement, which required a minimum of 55 member state signatories to be enforced, is universally regarded as a seminal point in the development of a global alignment to a new international climate change commitment around the world. The Agreement is a comprehensive framework that will guide international efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to meet all the associated challenges posed by climate change. It also signals a change in pace towards low carbon development from 2020 onwards. This will be achieved through a series of commitments from countries in the implementation of ambitious national plans called Nationally Determined Contributions.

In preparation to meet its revised commitment to limit greenhouse gas emissions, South Africa continues to significantly invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management and land restoration initiatives. Our country is also striving to enhance efforts to transition to a lower carbon economy and society, as well as to adapt in the short, medium and long term to the impacts of increasing temperatures, reduced rainfall in many parts of the country and other impacts of climate change.

Therefore, it will be imperative for the business community to support various government efforts in this regard in the future, through its own commitments to climate change mitigation and to keep driving a shift to renewable energy.

Doing more with less; adapting to the growing impact of resource scarcity

The current devastating impact of drought conditions in South Africa continues to put pressure on all sectors in society and challenges all of us to make a concerted effort towards sustainability. The current drought we are experiencing is also indicative of the need to conserve and to ensure we use our resources responsibly.

Picture: Supplied

In 2017, the focus on adaptation will sharpen considerably, particularly in developing countries such as South Africa where people have personal experience of changing weather patterns and the increased frequency of climate-related disasters. Mitigating environmental challenges will include the need to grow renewable energy opportunities, efficiently and responsibly managing water scarcity and quality issues, as well as a host of agricultural concerns including security of land tenure and a declining number of farmers  all of which affect food security and prices, putting pressure on South African consumers.

It is therefore our collective responsibility as corporate citizens to look to reduce resource consumption patterns, both in our respective places of business and along our supply chains, to see where efficiencies can be enhanced.

Quite simply, cutting back on the use of scarce resources, and consistently measuring and monitoring resources correctly has to become a critical part of doing business going forward.
At the beginning of every new year, it is customary to give an opinion of the trends that are emerging or that are likely to develop further during the course of that year. Supply chain management is no different, as the discipline is constantly evolving in the quest for ever improving service levels through increased efficiency and effectiveness.

Mungo Park

Some of the current technology trends attracting a lot of international interest, such as increased automation and robotics, self-driving vehicles and drone deliveries, as well as 3D printing, certainly remain long-term trends, but not necessarily for 2017.

Supply chain trends will continue to be driven by the need to support business in meeting customer expectations while continuing to better manage and control costs. As a result, priorities for supply chain executives this year will include:

Supply chain analytics

The use of supply chain analytics and business intelligence will increase as organisations work to improve control and visibility of the extended supply chain. Awareness of the supply chain as a strategic business lever will also continue to grow, while supply chain event management and measurement will provide the fulcrum.

Furthermore, accurate reporting and the ability to analyse reports will enable businesses to identify poor performing partners, highlight inefficiencies and weak links in the chain, identify opportunities for efficiency improvement, increase collaboration, as well as better supply chain cost management.

Ongoing e-commerce challenges

The rate of growth of online retail versus bricks and mortar retail is set to continue. This will put pressure on businesses to meet the ever increasing expectation of online shoppers for prompt, on-time delivery of purchases.

Couriers and distribution service providers will be expected to be more efficient while under pressure to be cost competitive. As the e-commerce side of a business grows, more sophisticated warehousing solutions will be required to meet the accuracy and timelines demanded by an online business. This could lead to the outsourcing of e-commerce warehousing to specialist service providers. Supplier/partner integration will be a key success factor, as will accurate tracking and delivery status communication to the customer.

Technology and automation

While significant advances are being made in the use of technology to facilitate supply chain efficiency, in South Africa there is the additional challenge of balancing the level of automation with labour. Augmented reality, can provide improvements in accuracy and efficiency in picking and load planning, as well as packing, but can also be a useful tool to support and train less skilled logistics staff.

It will be important to invest wisely in technology to ensure a good return.

Skills and resources

An independent report found that 45% of South African supply chain managers believe they do not have the skills to do their job properly. Further research also suggests that those who do possess strong quantitative abilities often lack equally important interpersonal and leadership skills.

Dmitry Kalinovsky via 123RF

Finding and retaining skilled supply chain staff as well as managers will continue to be challenging. Organisations will need to invest in training at all levels to develop the skills necessary to ensure the sustainability of their supply chains.

Increased SCM risk and disruption

As supply chains extend and reliance on global suppliers and partners increases, supply chain risk and disruption can be expected to continue. Rationalisation of suppliers and improved collaboration with preferred suppliers can help mitigate risk, but it is important to identify alternative sources of supply for products, critical components, and materials.

Therefore, contingency plans should be put in place to enable quick response to unanticipated disruption and ensure business continuity.

It is further important to build resilience and predictability into a supply chain to avoid being the cause of your own disruption. Supply chain planning, visibility, and measurement continue to be key disciplines critical to minimise unnecessary disruption, while collaborative partnerships with reputable, well-established logistics service providers will also make your supply chains more resilient.

Its good to look forward to an exciting year that wont be without its challenges, but that will also be full of opportunity. I believe that the supply chain is one of the primary keys to the success of an organisation and that if it is robust it will continue to provide a platform for strategic competitive advantage.
TOKYO - Uniqlo's parent company said Thursday that quarterly net profit jumped by almost half from a year ago, as it refocused on a strategy aimed at luring thrifty shoppers.

Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing says that quarterly net profit jumped by almost half from a year ago ( AFP Photo/Kazuhiro Nogi

Fast Retailing's net profit rose 45 percent to 70 billion yen ($609 million) in the fiscal first quarter to November, while revenue edged up 1.6 percent to 529 billion yen.

Asia's biggest retailer -- a rival of Zara, Gap and H&M -- said sales were under pressure in September and October owing to "unseasonably warm weather".

But "once temperatures dropped in November, same-store sales picked up", it said in a statement, referring to locations that have been open more than a year.

"This is pretty much in line with expectations, but the focus should still be on the second quarter," Mike Allen, an analyst at Macquarie Capital in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

"They've recently had some trouble with revenue and there's still a lot uncertainty about what happens going forward."

The results come after Fast Retailing chairman Tadashi Yanai conceded last year that an ill-fated price rise had been a mistake that hurt sales.

In October, Yanai backed off his ambitious annual revenue goal -- 5.0 trillion yen by 2020 -- as the company reported fiscal year net profit had more than halved to 48 billion yen. It blamed the decline mostly on a rally in the yen, which shrinks the value of Japanese firms' repatriated profits.

Expenses linked to closing locations in the United States and at home also ate into the bottom line, the firm had said.

On Thursday, the company left unchanged its annual forecast for a 100 billion yen net profit on revenue of 1.85 trillion yen.
Major chicken producer RCL Foods, which owns the Rainbow and Farmer Brown chicken brands, says the government's new 13.9% safeguard duty on imported bone-in chicken portions from the EU is "hopelessly inadequate."

South African chicken producers, the South African Poultry Association, and labour mainly blame "dumping" of dark chicken meat products, such as legs, for the industry's woes as producers struggle to sustain operations.

Scott Pitman, MD of the consumer division at RCL, says 1,355 workers, staff and management will lose jobs at the end of January. This is because exports of dumped chicken leg quarters are in great oversupply globally.

"Northern hemisphere consumers, who consume most of the chicken meat in the world, only desire breast meat and wings, and therefore the leg quarters are in oversupply - and Africa is one of the few places they can still sell it," he says. "But because of the oversupply they must lower their prices by whatever new tariff is imposed, otherwise they won't sell it. Hence the uselessness of the 13.9% new EU tariff," he says.

Government aware of crisis

Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, who in December increased tariffs on imported chicken portions, says the government is aware of the crisis facing the poultry industry and is considering designating chicken as one of the products that state entities will be required to buy locally.

The deputy director-general of the industrial development division of the Department of Trade and Industry, Garth Strachan, says the department has assembled a task team of experts to assess the depth of the crisis and its effect on the poultry industry.

Policy instruments that could be deployed to support the industry and protect jobs would also ensure that the interests of consumers are safeguarded. "A meeting between government - representative of a number of departments - business and labour will be convened in the very near future to share and discuss this," Strachan says.

Raising aggregate demand for domestically produced chicken is a key policy objective, he says. "Engagement with public sector procuring agencies has already taken place to ensure that the relevant clauses of the Public Finance Management Act are utilised to procure locally produced poultry and poultry products," he says.

A call for hefty tariffs, similar phytosanitary barriers as the rest of the world

The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) has also criticised the Department of Trade and Industry over the new safeguard duty. It is not enough to stop thousands of workers in the industry from losing their jobs, it says.

The losses are a result of the "dumping" of chicken parts by the US, Brazil, and the EU, Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola says. The government has to impose "hefty tariffs on these chicken pieces."

"We were calling for tariffs of up to 40%, but the government has recently announced that it will impose a tariff of a low 13.9% and this would definitely not deter the dumping of chicken pieces in our market," Masemola says.

Pitman says that SA is "almost unique in the world" in not protecting its domestic poultry market. The country needs to impose similar phytosanitary barriers to those of the rest of the world.

"The EU says that because our ostriches in the Eastern Cape have occasional avian flu, they will ban all chicken exports from SA, despite the fact that our chickens have never had avian flu. In the US they say the same. South America says 'we don't approve of your abattoirs' - although we have world-class abattoirs," Pitman says.

We can't compete with unfair trade

Kevin Lovell, CEO of the South African Poultry Association, says that the "crisis" in SA's domestic poultry industry is caused by the dumping of dark, or brown, chicken meat products.

"We can't compete with unfair trade - that's the issue," he says. SA can compete with the EU on the import of whole chickens, but not "against leftovers and waste which is dumped", he says.

The EU and US models for accounting for the added costs of cutting chicken into pieces have no basis in reality, Lovell says. "It's called Enron accounting. It's creative accounting."

The EU, US, and Brazil have different forms of subsidy for their chicken industries - "not all of them impermissible" - while SA has none. To this end, SA's chicken producers pay more for yellow maize and soya-based poultry feeds than competitor nations, whether there is drought or not. A national crop insurance scheme may ease competitive pressures, but it is costly and complicated, Lovell says.

Unaffordable and devastating political and economic policies

Meanwhile, independent agricultural economist Fanie Brink says the biggest threat to agriculture is the government's "unaffordable and devastating political and economic policies".

"These are largely responsible for virtually no economic growth over the past year, an eventual inevitable downgrading of the sovereign and credit rating of the country, unprecedented mismanagement of taxpayers' money, an unsuccessful land reform policy and rampant corruption," he says.

Commercial agriculture has not received any drought aid after the worst drought in decades. "The government clearly turned its back on agriculture in 2016, not only as far as the commercial production of food was concerned, but also with regard to the development and establishment of emerging farmers," Brink says.

With Nce Mkhize

Source: Business Day
The deal is to be priced slightly in favour of Steinhoff, share prices suggest.

In the four weeks since the announcement of a proposed tie-up between Steinhoff and Shoprite, the share price movements suggest investors believe the deal will be priced in Steinhoffs favour, but only just.

Within hours of the announcement on December 14, the Shoprite share price slumped from a high of R193 to R174 and since then has trended weaker to about R169. Steinhoffs share also took a hit on the announcement, dropping from R76 to R68 within hours and still trades near that lower level. Shoprites 12.5% drop compares with Steinhoffs 10%.

Shoprites weakness came at the end of a year in which the share enjoyed a strong run. Steinhoff has been trading weaker since August 2016.

Neil Brown, co-head of Electus Fund Managers, summed up a commonly held view among investors.

"If I could align my exposure precisely to that of [Christo] Wiese I would, but I cant and as Im not persuaded either way about the operational advantages of the deal I sold out of Steinhoff," said Brown.

He would buy back into Steinhoff if it fell to R60.

Sasfins Alec Abraham said that even if Steinhoff got the better end of the share exchange, a tie-up had advantages for Shoprite as it would give it critical mass in Africa.

Analysts believe the deal will favour Steinhoff on the assumption it is the vehicle that Wiese has selected to consolidate his global retail interests. Wiese is the chairman and largest shareholder of both Shoprite and Steinhoff. He has an 18% stake in Steinhoff, which is worth considerably more than his 16% holding in ordinary Shoprite shares. Wiese controls a further 35% of Shoprites voting shares through unlisted Thibault Square Financial Services.

The announcement by the two retailers in December referred to discussions about a potential merger of their African retail interests to create an African "retail champion". The proposal, for which no details have been provided, would see Shoprite acquiring Steinhoffs African retail operations in exchange for Shoprite shares.

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which has undertaken to support the deal, holds 11.05% of Shoprite and 8.48% of Steinhoff. Another factor influencing investors hesitance is whether Wiese and the PIC will be allowed to vote their shares.

"Only when the structure of the deal is known will it be clear whether or not Wiese and the PIC will be allowed to vote," said Brown.
Oil and gas workers in southern Nigeria downed tools on Tuesday, 10 December, over the alleged non-payment of salaries, with the walk-out hitting production and threatening electricity supplies.

At least 12 flow, compressor and pumping stations operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in Delta state were affected by the industrial action, the workers said.

A shut-down of the facilities was likely, affecting oil and gas production that has already been hit by a wave of militant attacks on infrastructure over the last year. That in turn could shut off supplies to the Utorogu natural gas plant, which is one of the biggest in the country, with a knock-on effect on domestic power provision.

Protester Omonena Pascal told AFP they had contacted NPDC staff last week about the walk-out and that they "would not go back to our duty posts till our demands are met".

There was no immediate response from the company, which is a subsidiary of the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Nigeria, an OPEC member and one of Africa's biggest oil producers, has seen its economy battered by the fall in global crude prices as well as militant attacks on infrastructure in the south.

The rebels want a fairer share of revenue from the sector for local people, most of whom still live in dire poverty despite the billions of dollars generated over the years from oil sales.

Source: AFP
Distributed ledger technology has, so far, been largely discussed only in the context of the financial services industry, specifically in the area of payments. Blockchain technology was popularised by its application in the wildly-popular new crypto-currency Bitcoin, for example.

But blockchain has many wondrous applications in a variety of other industries as well; where visionary firms are starting to understand its power to transform their operations.

Essentially, blockchain allows for the creation of timestamped digital assets, and digital records, which are impossible to tamper with, delete, or edit, commonly referred to as immutable.

So, for a vastly different scenario than moving currencies  imagine a diamond producer leveraging holographic identity technology, where a record of all transactions could be connected to this holograph, and entered into a blockchain. Consumers could see the public record of all prior transactions, and get assurance that the diamond was sourced ethically.

Following the same principles, a blockchain could be used by fine art distributors to confirm the validity of its pieces, or by lawyers to validate the accuracy of photo and video evidence, or by governments when issuing title deeds to homeowners.

The possibilities are endless. There are already companies, startups, offering products that cover these specific use cases.

Transparency and efficiency

As a distributed ledger, blockchain technology presents companies with an opportunity to fundamentally re-architect many of its internal processes, and the ways in which they interact with partners, suppliers, distributors, and others in the varied ecosystem.

Whether the use-case is smart-contracts, cryptocurrencies, proof-of-assets, or anything else that blockchains enable, companies are able to interact in a more collaborative, but highly-secure, trusted, manner.

But many CEOs remain reticent to seriously look at adopting blockchain technologies into the companys business strategies. And its true that this area of technology seems to be moving at a rapid pace  zooming into mainstream conversations on the back of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. To some, blockchain looks volatile, uncertain, risky.

However, blockchain technology can be applied to businesses in South Africa, to improvise record management and transactional efficiency in a wide range of different processes and value chains.

So just how quickly could blockchains take off in SA, considering the very many possibilities for the technology? At this years Gartner Symposium/ITxpo Africa, held in late-September in Cape Town, conference delegates showed overwhelming interest in its use.

From keynotes to sideline discussions, the enthusiasm for blockchain technology was palpable, making analysts more bullish on the prospects for blockchain in the short-term. Very possibly, the technology could grip the imaginations of business in a similar way to the cloud revolution, for instance.

Getting started

The best starting point is to research blockchain deeply and widely, understanding potential use-cases for your industry, and then looking at which internal processes and external transactions could potentially be improved. Which areas would benefit from greater transparency, greater collaboration?

Every company is different. Some rely more heavily on digital assets and services than others, others have embraced connected sensors and devices (the 'Internet of Things') more warmly than others, and some naturally have a more innovative leaning.

But in our experience there are exciting blockchain-related opportunities in even the most traditional organisations.

Following this discovery phase, it is critical to partner with an objective blockchain specialist that can help to craft the strategy. Firms that try to rate their own work in this field often miss opportunities, or create blockchain plans that fail to respond to the most urgent business priorities. As we find ourselves in the top of the hype-cycle for blockchain, we still find ourselves in search of the app that brings maximum ROI.

It is recommended that businesses look for three key competencies in a blockchain partner:

 Thought-leading advisory and consulting services with the ability to design, implement and support blockchain initiatives, along with rich domain expertise in use cases across various industry verticals

 A deep pool of partners, startups and innovators with whom solutions can be created and tailored to the organisations unique needs

 The execution capability to actually run blockchain PoCs and evolve them into fully-fledged solutions  integrating the technology into existing operations.

With blockchain, the traditional principles governing systems of record are fundamentally reversed, and many business leaders are still somewhat confused about how this highly-sophisticated shared ledger technology actually works.

But while its essential to read deeply and understand blockchain principles, for ones end-client, we can refer to the analogy of the internet to explain why we dont have to wait for clients wrap their heads around the technology.

Most of us do not understand the technicalities of the TCP/IP protocol, but that doesnt hinder us from surfing the web and exchanging emails. In the same way, clients will come to trust blockchain, in the same way they trust the Internet.

Those organisations starting now on a blockchain journey will have a first-mover advantage over slower-moving peers, getting a jump start on the competition and repositioning themselves for a future where blockchains govern all sorts of interactions and transactions in the future. Scale use of blockchain is still a 3-5-year journey  starting now will lessen the urgency some are experiencing now.
Local wheat production has been in decline since 2000 as farmers are dumping the crop in favour of more profitable produce such as maize and soya beans. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that last season, more wheat - about 1.8-million tonnes - was imported than produced locally. The final wheat crop in 2015-16 reached 1.4-million tonnes. Total wheat production in 2000 was 2.43-million tonnes.

Barescar90 via pixabay

Absa senior agricultural economist Wessel Lemmer says the wheat industry is in distress. He points to a declining trend in wheat planted areas and too little support from the government and industry.

"The problem with wheat is that it is difficult to produce profitably, which makes the industry vulnerable to imports. As soon as you have an industry that produces 50% and less of demand, the industry begins to lose its production capacity, and when farmers can't produce profit, they divest," he says.

Some of the countries SA imports wheat from includes the US, Argentina, Australia, Germany, and Canada. The bulk of the imports is from Russia. Despite being a net importer, SA also exports to Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries.

High-quality wheat required from local producers

Sensako director of research and development, Francois Koekemoer says millers and bakers require high-quality wheat from local producers. However, this breed does not yield a high quantity of crop. Sensako is primarily engaged in the breeding and commercialisation of agronomic crop seed. Its wheat-breeding team comprises 60% of the senior wheat breeders in SA. Sensako wheat cultivars also account for about 80% of all wheat grown in the country.

"The millers and bakers can import cheaper quality wheat which they mix with the high-quality produced locally. This forces the wheat price down in SA. You can understand the frustration of the farmers who get a similar amount of money per tonne for their high-quality produce as the cheaper imported one," says Koekemoer.

Demand for wheat

Grain SA CEO Jannie de Villiers says the demand for wheat is growing along with the country's population, with demand at about 3.2-million tonnes for the grain. Local supply, however, is decreasing.

Unlike maize and soya beans, which use genetically modified organisms and get better yields and need lower inputs, there is no such technology for wheat, De Villiers says. "Added to this, wheat is heavily subsidised in exporting countries and research funding from the government in SA has decreased," he says.

Import tariff

An import tariff of R1,591.40 per tonne has been put in place in a bid to support the local wheat industry. Independent agricultural economist Fanie Brink says the tariff aims to protect local producers against the unfair subsidisation of international wheat prices by exporting countries.

Koekemoer says maintaining the tariff will prevent the dumping of lower-quality wheat in SA. Furthermore, support for breeding programmes would benefit the industry as a whole.

"The industry needs to investigate the option of establishing a marketing channel for lower quality wheat varieties with higher yield," says Koekemoer.

Absa's Lemmer says the government could play an important role by appointing personnel to investigate the policy instruments of countries that hurt SA's wheat industry. The agriculture department needs to increase its investment in research.

"Is it fair that our producers compete with producers in Australia who enjoy government support to the full, but here they have to carry the burden themselves? The government needs to take up more responsibility in this matter. Thus, we need good policy support and government funding for pre-breeding research, as it should be."

Source: Business Day
Since the National Credit Act came into effect, prospective homebuyers have been required to have their financial affairs in order before they apply for a bond. While banks have become slightly less stringent since the act's inception, financial institutions are likely to tighten up their lending criteria in 2017 and bond applicants will be put through their financial paces before being approved for a home loan.

If you have made the resolution of purchasing a home during 2017, you will need to ensure that you have assessed your financial situation and answered a few pertinent questions before approaching your bank for bond approval. Currently, only around 65% of first-time buyer bond applications are approved, which highlights the importance of being financially prepared before applying.

Here are a few financial questions that you should answer before approaching your bank for finance:

What is my credit score?

A favourable credit score and clean credit record is a valuable asset when applying for a home loan. Each year consumers can obtain a free credit report from the credit bureaus within the country to assess their finance position. It is advisable for you to know your credit score and check your credit record for any inaccuracies.

Any missed or slow payment will have a negative impact on a consumers credit score. However, it is also important to be mindful of the less obvious credit infractions such as opening too many accounts, numerous credit enquiries, co-signing for a third party or only paying the minimum required payment. All of these things will impair your records and could scare off lenders.

What is my annual income?

As a potential homebuyer, the maximum bond amount that you can qualify for is based on your annual income, so be sure to include any bonuses or annual investment returns when making this calculation. Your annual tax return documentation will assist in determining your actual yearly income.

How much debt do I have?

Another major consideration that banks take into account when determining the home loan amount they are willing to grant is the applicants amount of disposable income. To increase the disposable income you have available, get rid of or pay down debt as much as possible. Lenders will require you to provide them with all the debt you currently have to work out a debt-to-income ratio, which will be used as a tool to determine your level of affordability. Having a lower debt-to-income ratio will be highly beneficial as it will increase the chance of gaining approval for a higher bond amount.

What is my financial worth?

Banks will want to see the documentation that relates to any assets, such as vehicles, investments and income-generating properties. All of these aspects add to an applicants net worth and will have a bearing on the amount that the bank is willing to grant.

What kind of deposit can I put down?

According to bond origination company, BetterLife, the average cash deposit required by first-time buyers is 12.3% of the purchase price of the property. Based on the average home price paid by first-time buyers of R739,000, that equates to a cash amount of around R90,000  not to mention the other costs associated with a home purchase such as transfer fees, attorney fees and bond costs.

What can I afford?

In an ideal situation, your monthly home payment, which includes the bond, interest, taxes and insurance, should not make up more than around 30% of your income before taxes. It is impossible to get an idea of your affordability levels by using an online bond calculator or consulting with a professional financial adviser. Even if the bank has approved a certain amount, it is not necessary to find a home at the maximum bond amount if you feel you wont be comfortable with the monthly repayment. Owning a home is a long-term investment that needs to be sustained for the term of the loan, so it is advisable to purchase a property that you can comfortably afford. Financial preparation is the key to homeownership readiness and will make the bond application process far smoother.
Arrested After Accidentally Texting Cops About Meth Delivery

A Louisiana man is facing criminal charges, likely due to technical difficulties related to text messaging. Namely, accidentally texting incriminating evidence directly to the police.

Last week, a sheriff's deputy received a text message from a wrong number offering to sell crystal meth. The deputy arranged a meet up with Dwayne Herbert, who arrived at the predetermined location carrying not just the drugs, but also two firearms. Herbert was promptly arrested, and now faces serious criminal charges for selling drugs and possession of firearms.

The "Reply-All" / Wrong Number Hall of Fame

Although criminals rarely make it that easy for law enforcement, stupid mistakes happen to criminals too. In 2012, a young man in Indiana sent a coded text offering drugs to a wrong number. The wrong number turned out to be the number of a local police officer who was up on the local code words for the drug being offered. The officer arranged to meet, and then arrested the young man.

However, the most jaw-dropping story about a drug dealer texting officers accidentally offering to sell them drugs comes from England. In 2012, a young man, was released on bail after being convicted of selling drugs. For some reason, the young man and one of the officers exchanged phone numbers after his release.

A couple months later, the officer received a text message from the young man, offering to sell drugs. Predictably, the young man was arrested again, and once in-custody admitted to sending that text accidentally to everyone in his address book.

Self-Incrimination via Text Message

While the Fifth Amendment protects an individual from being compelled to testify against themselves when a person accidentally texts police, or makes a voluntary admission, the protection does not cover those. There generally is no "excusable neglect" argument for accidental disclosures by criminals. Notably, the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination only applies to police interrogations and court testimony.

Cases like these are prime examples of when accidentally clicking "reply-all," or forwarding a message to everyone in your contact book, can have severe consequences.



Related Resources:
South African Tourism, through their support of Fikile Hlatshwayo's book Blacks Do Caravan, aims to inspire families who travel together to prioritise the benefits of a holiday - investing in yourself and your family and realising the opportunities on your doorstep. Blacks Do Caravan encourages South Africans to visit local destinations and discover the therapeutic nature of camping along with the inherent beauty of the country.

A change in the thought process behind travel

The theme of universal accessibility was linked to the national campaign of #TourismForAll, a South African Tourism initiative geared towards enabling all South Africans, to enjoy travel opportunities in their own country. Universal accessibility is not only about the need to ensure that establishments can accommodate persons with disabilities but it also considers socio-economic factors. This basically comes down to how those who are hindered in some way shouldnt disregard travel in any way, be it a disability, age or budget, everybody deserves to explore this beautiful country or any country around the world.

As South African Tourism would suggest, Universal Accessibility encourages a change in the thought processes behind travel, the realisation that everyone deserves the opportunity to travel and explore.

Discovering caravan camping and its benefits

Hlatshwayos travels took her to over 60 caravan and camping parks across the country, a mode of travel she never considered before, where she discovered that caravan camping can be used as a tool to unite South Africans.

I learned many things during this journey. Most importantly was how close a camping community can be and how people look out for one another. This was a life-changing and enriching experience for me and my family.

In a caravan park, there is no sense of fear, no walls, and all security features. There is a sense of belonging, connectivity with your inner self and, of course, the liberation nature has to offer. The therapeutic nature of camping discovered by Hlatshwayo was that when she started this trip she was diagnosed with excessive 'burnout' - a condition that has become prevalent in this country due to work pressure, among other things. While on the trip she found fulfillment and healing.

She appealed to the Ministry of Tourism specifically to do more in promoting such camping adventures which can also be a job creation tool.

Caravan camping is one of the most affordable forms with which to enjoy a holiday or short break. Camping is very cheap and gives one access to all the hotspot holiday destinations in South Africa. Many people do not know that there are campsites in Kruger National Park where a couple pays R250 a night for a campsite. Now, this is worth it! Money that is saved from accommodation can then be used for activities to entertain loved ones.

Gogos on Tour - introducing senior citizens to local travel

Another partnership initiative undertaken by South African Tourism is Gogos on Tour, specifically designed to provide elderly people the opportunity to travel to local destinations and enjoy the beauty of South Africa, its people, and vibrant culture.

Furthermore, the partnership will help improve the livelihood of approximately 1,000 senior citizens from all nine provinces, from October 2016 until the end of March 2017. This further enforces South African Tourisms vision to create an accessible tourism environment in South Africa, and subsequently contribute to the economic development of the country.

Founded firmly on the basis of universal accessibility in the tourism space, part of SA Tourisms efforts include introducing senior citizens of South Africa, who were previously not exposed to travel, to start travelling around their own country. Unique leisure activities were planned in the program to suit their age and interests with the aim of demonstrating the ease of travel for leisure short breaks around South Africa.
TOULOUSE, FRANCE: Airbus on Wednesday said it had outstripped its own delivery expectations in 2016, closing the gap with Boeing, and beat its US arch-rival on orders.

Alex Beltyukov - RuSpotters Team via Wikimedia Commons - Airbus A380

The European aerospace company said it delivered a record 688 commercial planes, beating its own target which was hiked in November from 650 to 670. The figures were lifted by a last-minute surge in December when it handed over 111 aircraft.

It also booked a total of 731 net orders, beating Boeing but showing a significant drop of nearly a third on the previous year when it logged demand for 1,036 aircraft.

Last week, Boeing confirmed orders of 668 planes throughout the year, down 13 percent on 2015 when net orders reached 768.

Record deliveries

"2016 was a year in which we managed to not only achieve our objectives but to surpass them," said Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier. It was the 14th consecutive year in which the firm chalked up record deliveries.

Although it remains behind Boeing, which saw deliveries fell modestly to 748 in 2016, the European group is closing the gap. Delivery figures are of interest to analysts and investors as it is at that stage when manufacturers receive the bulk of payment.

"2016, particularly the first six months, was particularly difficult... we had more production difficulties than expected," Bregier said, referring to supply chain bottlenecks with its A350 long-haul jets. But the company almost reached its delivery target for the aircraft, handing over 49 of the 50 planned deliveries, and two more submitted for flight testing.

It also delivered 545 of its single-aisle A320 jetliners, 66 A330s and 28 of its A380 double-decker superjumbos, the production of which is due to be halved next year. In July, Airbus said it would cut the production rate of its A380 to one a month from 2018 to reflect reduced demand. In 2015, the manufacturer handed over 27 planes but next year aims to deliver just 12.

The group has seen a slowdown in demand for long-distance carriers due in part to falling fuel prices which have impacted on the renewal of aging fleets, but also as a result of weakening demand from Gulf carriers which peaked in recent years.

Airbus ended the year with a backlog of 6,874 planes with a list price of $1 billion.

Contracts signed

Among the contracts signed in December was an order for 72 A320neo passenger jets from budget Indian airline GoAir, in a deal worth $7.8 billion, the aircraft maker said.

Also Wednesday, Airbus delivered the first of an order of 100 planes to IranAir in a deal with a list price of around $20 billion which was finalised after international sanctions on Tehran were lifted. "It's a new, magnificent chapter and a great day" for ties between Iran and the EU, said IranAir's chief executive Farhad Parvaresh at a ceremony in Toulouse, where Airbus is based. The "distance between us caused by political adversities have been narrowed by hard work of the international peacekeepers," he said.

Bregier also hailed the renewal of ties with Iran, saying the "renaissance of Iran aviation sector is one of the most important developments for our industry for many years."

The jets will bolster Iran's aging passenger fleet with the addition of 46 A320 planes for medium-haul routes, 38 long-haul A330s and 16 A350s.

Source: AFP
The Institute for Creative Arts (ICA) launches the third in a series of biennial festivals, the international LIVE ART Festival 2017 in Cape Town from 2-26 February 2017. The festival showcases a gathering of some of the most influential artists from across the continent for an explosion of performances set to push the boundaries of audiences and artists alike.

This dynamic range of public, collaborative and often transgressive performative artworks is expected to disrupt public spaces across the Mother City.

Sethembile Msezane- Excerpts form the Past. Photo courtesy of Institute for Creative-Arts

Continuing the ICAs history as an initiator of innovative projects, LIVE ART 2017 blurs the fields of fine art, dance, theatre, music and literature to form a unique platform for interdisciplinary art. With an emphasis on works by African artists and those from the diaspora, the festival makes possible new and transformative interactions within diverse personal, political, public and architectural spaces.

Connection to societal issues

This fascinating collection of visceral adventures transports audiences into a creative world of theatre often unknown in South African borders, navigating the public to the corners of their comfort zones. LIVE ART 2017 offers audiences an immersive experience to connect with relevant issues confronting society on a journey of the imagination that embraces the outer-limits of society.

Hi!JACK-COLLABORATION - Garment by Lesiba Mabitsela. Photo by Neo Mokgosi

ICA director and associate professor at the University of Cape Town, Jay Pather, comments on the significance of the Festival: LIVE ART 2017 represents the intersection of visual and performing arts and culture with some of the enduring personal and political themes of our time and provides an arena for these elements to clash, marry, and influence each other. Our efforts to engage audiences and expand their expectations of the possibilities of live theatre and art, brings to life some of the most esoteric and experimental work by key African artists.

2017 programme

The 2017 programme features screenings, performances, artworks and interactive installations by over thirty contemporary artists including: Standard Bank Young Artist Award-winners Donna Kukama and Anthea Moys; Zimbabwean-born, New York-based celebrated choreographer and performer Nora Chipaumire, Nigerian multimedia artist, Jelili Atiku; acclaimed choreographer and performer, Mamela Nyamza; British-Ghanaian visual artist, Larry Achiampong; Mozambican choreographer, Panaibra Gabriel Canda; pioneering and internationally-renowned South African performance artist, Steven Cohen and many more.

Mamela Nyamza- DE APART HATE. Photo by Jonathan-Hsu

LIVE ART 2017 is supported by the Mellon Foundation, the University of Cape Town, Iziko Museums of South Africa, Pro Helvetia, the British Council Connect ZA and the Goethe-Institut Lagos.

Event Info

LIVE ART 2017 Launch: Thursday 2 February as part of First Thursdays event, Cape Town

Official Programme: Friday 10 February to Sunday 26 February 2017

WHERE: Public spaces across the City of Cape Town

ENTRANCE FEE: All performances are free of charge

www.ica.uct.ac.za
Government and car makers are heading for a showdown on proposed fuel regulations that could make cars and fuel more expensive.

The Department of Energy stands accused of putting lives at risk by not meeting global standards for clean fuel, leading to pollution and health hazards, and of sabotaging the competitiveness in the industry.

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) said in a letter to the department it was "incredulous" at draft regulations published by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson. Naamsa said they would lead to SA falling further behind leading countries regarding clean fuel.

Naamsa director Nico Vermeulen said not only was this an entirely unnecessary result of government not acting timeously, but the new regulations also opened the door for manganese content of local fuel to increase, meaning worse pollution from fuel emissions.

Vermeulen said that if the draft regulations were enacted, it would mean local fuel did not conform with European standards. This means South African car manufacturers must assemble two versions of each model - one to handle local fuel, and another built to European standards, where clean fuel is used.

Such duplication costs the country's economy dearly and is completely unnecessary, Naamsa argued.

"Government is dragging its heels. The initial government deadline for clean fuel in South Africa was 2017. Now we will be lucky if it is 2022," said Vermeulen.

But the department's deputy director-general: planning and policy, Ompi Aphane, said government was keeping an open mind, would not be prescriptive and would finalise the process only by March. He said differences in opinion in the oil sector on how much manganese was added to fuel as an octane booster, Naamsa's concern and mounting public interest meant the department was thinking of widening consultation from a closed regulatory process to open public participation.

"We will take into consideration the inputs and interests of the oil sector, the car manufacturing sector, the manganese sector, health and environment issues, as well as the added cost to the consumer if we implement European fuel standards - significant capital investment in refineries would be financed by a higher consumer fuel price," said Aphane.

"In the end, we will take the decision which is best for the country, obviously taking into account the impact on the export market."

He said it was disingenous to claim no manganese was added to local fuel - the issue was how much. Aphane also differed from Naamsa on the residue South African fuel would form on catalytic converters of cars built to European standards.

DA shadow energy minister Gordon Mackay said cleaner fuels barely received attention from Parliament as a result of the administration's obsession with pushing through the nuclear deal.

"Once again government is turning a blind eye to critical policy areas, which have real impact on economic growth and jobs.

"The crux of the issue is that oil companies and government refuse to pay for the necessary upgrades to refineries to ensure the production of cleaner fuels, meaning that at some point consumers will be forced to carry the cost through higher petrol price," he said.

"Such an increase will cause costs across the economy to climb negatively affecting economic growth and potentially jobs as well," said Mackay.

Source: BDpro
After the festive season break, gyms and health clubs overflow with bodies keen on making good on New Year's resolutions pledged over a glass of bubbly. Employees file back into the workplace again, hopefully buoyed and brimming with enthusiasm to tackle the challenges inherent in earning a living.

Employers seeking to make the most of 2017 (and the enthusiasm inherent in the start of the new year) should consider their employment practice priorities. This is an opportune time to introduce amendments or new policies or practices. Here are our top five action items for employers for 2017.

#1: Change bad workplace practices

This may sound like an obvious issue to consider, but experience shows that employers often fail to take a step back to evaluate their employment practices. What went wrong in your workplace over the past two to three years? Are you suffering from staff turn-over higher than the norm within your industry? Have you seen a spike in grievances, disputes declared at the employment tribunal or even just murmurs around the water fountain? Look at all these and other sources of information to understand what causes workers to be disenchanted in your workplace.

Once you have identified reasons for disgruntlement, prioritise it and attack the top ones. In many cases sharing information about the company's position or actions may go a long way to diffuse tensions. Outdated policies or practices can often be amended to accommodate changing needs without dramatic impact on those managing the implementation or management of such policies or practices. Realising that there is a lack of clarity about the bonus policy or salary increase system (typical examples of employee dissatisfaction) allows the employer to improve understanding about the implementation of such processes.

#2: Alter the composition of your workforce

A workforce reflecting the diversity of talents available in society is not only a moral imperative and even a legal requirement in some jurisdictions (including South Africa) but also makes sound business sense.

Recent reports show that, in respect of gender diversity, businesses in the top quartile are 15% more likely to deliver financial returns that beat the returns of the companies in the bottom quartile. The results are even more stark when considering racial and ethnic diversity. Companies in the top quartile of racial and ethnic diversity in the workforce are 35% more likely to outperform their counterparts in the bottom 25% of the list. McKinsey & Co Diversity Matters (2015)]. Employers struggling to increase business performance should implement a measurable plan to improve diversity in the workplace.

#3: Get your best managers involved in recruitment

Many hours wasted on performance counselling, disciplinary hearings and employment disputes can be avoided when you ensure that you employ the right candidate. Recruitment is often a grudge-process where a line manager will instruct the HR manager to find a resource, and then perhaps sit in during a 10 or 15 minute interview at some stage.

Managers who understand the value of sourcing the right candidate for a vacancy will spend time being actively involved in the recruitment process. The line manager and supervisors who will eventually work with the individual are much better placed to pick up on subtle red flags that will suggest a lack of cultural fit with the team. Companies looking to cut their legal costs can do so by encouraging their line managers to actively participate in the recruitment process. Hiring correctly is the best defence against an unfair dismissal claim as it decreases the likelihood of a dismissal.

#4: Implement double-loop learning in HR practices

Human resource practitioners get misty-eyed when hearing about double-loop learning. It may sound warm and fuzzy for many people, but HR people can appreciate the theory behind it. Yet, when considering the demands of managing the HR function in many organisations, one can understand that practitioners often don't get to implement this in their own systems. Chris Argyris (Teaching Smart People How To Learn) provides the following example to highlight the difference between single and double-loop learning:

[A] thermostat that automatically turns on the heat whenever the temperature in a room drops below 68F is a good example of single-loop learning. A thermostat that could ask, "why am I set to 68F?" and then explore whether or not some other temperature might more economically achieve the goal of heating the room would be engaged in double-loop learning.

HR practices should implement a system that encourages or forces practitioners to feed back learning experiences into the HR system after enquiries or hearings, grievances, disputes or terminations. Measure managers or practitioners on the feedback they provide back into the HR system after certain touch points. It is vital to understand that, for instance, a particular clause in a policy has resulted in a finding against the company at the employment tribunal. Measure the managers involved on how they give this feedback back to the HR team. To complete the benefit of double-loop learning, assess the HR team on their implementation of remedial steps to prevent the same from happening again in future. Implement this across all offices or jurisdictions to experience exponential benefit.

#5: Pick your battles

Settling employment disputes still seem to carry a stigma with some employers. They would not want to be seen to settle a matter as they are concerned about the message this will send to the rest of the staff or marketplace. There is value in ensuring that staff do not act with impunity knowing that the employer will get rid of them by paying them off. Employees should know that the employer will dismiss them (and defend its decision) where they commit heinous acts of misconduct.

However, in many instances disputes can be settled at a fraction of the cost of defending it. The key is probably to determine which matters to settle and on which to blow the legal budget. Here a sound understanding of the employee relations climate in the workplace is critical. If there is an increase in a particular type of workplace problem, then it is prudent to communicate to staff that the employer will no longer tolerate such conduct in future.

Where an employee is dismissed after the employer's caution, defending the subsequent dispute could assist in strengthening the message. Many employers (correctly, I submit) also view certain categories of misconduct to be such that it precludes settlement. Employees should know that where they commit acts of dishonesty, sexual harassment or other discrimination, their employer will terminate their employment and take all steps to uphold the decision.
Ericsson has signed an exclusive, multi-year feature film deal with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution, for its subscription video on demand (VOD) service, Nuvu. Titles include DreamWorks Animation feature films and an exclusive second pay output deal that covers territories across sub-Saharan Africa and multiple languages.

 Petro Teslenko via 123RF

Thorsten Sauer, head of broadcast and media services, Ericsson, says, This deal is another major milestone for Ericsson, as we look to expand our new SVOD service, Nuvu. Through this partnership, Nuvu subscribers will have access to some of Hollywoods hottest films as part of their package, localised on a market-by-market basis. Working with some of Africas leading mobile phone operators, we believe Nuvu can offer a unique content and technology solution that meets the demands of consumers across sub-Saharan Africa.

Nuvu is a complete end-to-end subscription VOD service, developed by Ericsson for mobile operators in emerging markets, which spans both the technology platform and the content licensing. It leverages the companys extensive over-the top capabilities based on Ericsson Managed Player and components of Ericsson MediaFirst TV Platform, its highly scalable modular technology platforms, used by broadcasters and telco service providers to distribute video content efficiently to connected devices.

For a monthly fee, subscribers have unlimited access to an initial 3,000 local and international premium titles across a wide variety of genres including Hollywood and Nollywood movies, TV series, kids, music, gospel and education.

The built-in ability to distribute content to consumers during off-peak periods is a core feature of the service. This minimises data costs for both operator and consumer, addressing the key cost challenge that has so far been an obstacle for VOD uptake in Africa. The platform also integrates fully into the operators customer relationship management and payment systems.
As an extension of its winter Pour Your Heart Out campaign, First Choice custard is pouring its heart out this summer and giving its consumers the chance to win a number of cash prizes.

The second year in a row for this campaign, First Choice is running a cash-prize competition for shoppers who purchase any First Choice Custard product and promoting in-store, on-pack, print advertising and social media.

With the creative for the campaign created by Boomtown designed to catch the attention of all South Africans looking for a summer surprise, the campaign is running to the end of January 2017.

Creatively, Boomtown wanted the campaign to have a summer look and feel, which is why the use of bright yellow can be seen with the contrast of blue. We also wanted to give the custard packs a quirky personality, which can be seen through the use of speech bubbles, adds Jess Massyn who heads up the Woodlands/First Choice account at Boomtown.

Pour Your Heart Out is an established campaign that Boomtown has worked on for many years. The 2015 campaign asked consumers to pour their hearts out to others to stand the chance to win a R20,000 prize, but this year First Choice wanted to reward consumers directly. First Choice has a passion for doing good and giving back to communities, which is why they have also donated R50,000 to Friends of the Childrens Hospital in support of those helping sick children in need, adds Massyn.

To date the campaign has had multiple R1,000 winners and one grand prize winner (R10,000). Two R10,000 prizes are still up for grabs and many instant R1,000 cash prizes are still to be won.




On 28 December 2016, passengers arriving at Cape Town International Airport were told that one of them would be the 10 millionth passenger to pass through the airport in a single year. Reaching the 10 million passengers per year mark is an important milestone for ACSA and for the Western Cape region. CTIA is a critical gateway for the continuing growth of domestic and international tourism to the Western Cape and we have seen solid passenger volume growth over the past few years, said Deon Cloete, general manager of CTIA.

CTIA is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa and is now achieving well in excess of the 9.4 million passengers which passed through its doors in 2015.

Cloete added, The infrastructure at CTIA is functioning well and is able to cope with increasing air traffic and passenger volumes, there are medium to long-term capital development plans underway to ensure that CTIA keeps ahead of volumes and maintains its world-class customer service levels.

Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde said, The Cape Town International Airport has hit its biggest milestone yet, highlighting once again that it is a major asset not only for those who pass through it but for jobs and growth in our economy. At a time when tourism to our region is at an all-time high, this team is continuing to up its game, offering world class service to passengers visiting our region. It is not surprising that CTIA is a firm favourite at international airport award ceremonies, helping to establish the Western Cape as one of the worlds most welcoming destinations. Through partnerships with strong role-players like the airport, tourism to the Western Cape is on the charge. This is in line with our Project Khulisa growth strategy, through which we are seeking to create up to 100,000 additional tourism jobs in our region.

Patricia De Lille, mayor of Cape Town said, As the City of Cape Town, we appreciate the contribution that the CTIA makes to ensure that visitors experience a world-class city from the moment that they set foot on our soil. We see the increase in frequency and creation of flights to Cape Town as a key driver of economic development in the region that has a major impact across all key sectors because this means increased opportunities for our residents.

Increasing flights and frequencies

The partnership, also known as the Cape Town Air Access initiative, which includes the Western Cape Provincial Government, the City of Cape Town, Wesgro and Cape Town Tourism and ACSA are constantly looking for new opportunities to pursue more direct flights and frequencies from strategic markets into Cape Town.

Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, noted, An increase in passenger traffic through CTIA is a direct result of additional direct air access routes into the Western Cape. This, in turn, is a key factor for economic growth and job creation in the region. The Cape Town Air Access initiative has assisted in adding an additional 538,000 two-way direct seats to Cape Town since inception across the July 2015 to December 2016 period, which has directly contributed to the growth of CTIA.

CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Enver Duminy, said, CTIA is a critical part of the overall tourism experience for arriving and departing passengers, and the team at CTIA ensures that every visitor receives professional and courteous on-time service while ensuring the overall ambiance is world-class. We look forward to welcoming the next 10 million passengers over the coming 12 months.

In 2016 SKYTRAX awarded CTIA as the Best Airport in Africa for the 5-10 million passenger category, and the airport currently has a Global Ranking of 22nd in the Worlds top 35 Airports.
The Africa Rising' narrative is increasingly giving way to that of Aspiring Africa', as the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) shrinks and the new middle class burgeons.

Image by 123RF

Central to this new narrative is inclusive growth: the idea that economic growth must come with equitable opportunities for all participants, with benefits enjoyed by every section of society.

As Africa develops, it is pivotal to ensure that the currently underserved majority feels the benefits. This is not only about poverty reduction, but about creating opportunities for lower-income segments to generate wealth. It is a virtuous cycle; inclusive growth equals faster and better economic growth.

If we can ensure that Africas economic development happens in a more equitable and sustainable way, the macroeconomic positives are myriad. Offering young, aspiring Africans the opportunity to create wealth, has the effect of turning this demographic into producers and consumers of additional products and services.

Role of technology

Wim van der Beek

Africas mobile revolution has offered entrepreneurs an opportunity unlike any other to disseminate products and services that can contribute to inclusive growth on the continent. It enables digital innovation that allows African entrepreneurs and developers to leapfrog technologies, creating access to previously unavailable services for the majority.

Finance is a key enabler of growth, which is why the provision of accessible and affordable financial services to the majority of Africans is a prerequisite for faster and more sustainable development. Access to financial services increases access to other opportunities, hence fintech becoming central to Africas inclusive growth story.

For example, South Africas Nomanini, is allowing informal merchants to improve their income generation capacity by selling airtime and other digital services through their point of sale (PoS) devices. This creates a ripple effect. By increasing the wealth-generation capability of the majority, it allows them to access additional products and services and contribute to economic growth.

The trend goes beyond financial services, however. In healthcare, diagnostic apps such as Vula Mobile are making world-class diagnostics available to lower-income segments in a more affordable way.

Africas mobile revolution has offered entrepreneurs an opportunity unlike any other

Companies in the education space are making digital content available to young Africans, while in agriculture, mobile is being used by companies like Kenyas WeFarm to disseminate crucial information for farmers, having a direct impact on their productivity and wealth-generation abilities.

Africa is seeing the same technology innovations that are emerging in developed countries, however, they are used in a unique manner.

In Africa, technology is not replacing or assisting existing infrastructure; it is creating the infrastructure where there is none. Brick-and-mortar clinics, schools and grid-powered electricity are not in place across vast swathes of the continent. And they will not reach every rural village or urban slum in the future. Instead, these services will be provided more and more through innovative mobile technologies, reducing the need for expensive physical infrastructure.

In its ability to democratise and increase access to more affordable services that have, until now, remained inaccessible to the majority of Africans, technology has the potential to play a huge role in ensuring inclusive growth on the continent, opening up new opportunities for aspiring Africans.

Inclusive growth through technology

It is evident that from financial services to education, healthcare to transport, technology can be a key enabler in ensuring the benefits of Africas economic development are felt by all. There are four factors that are critical in enabling the growth in of the inclusive digital economy: the first is improved access to the internet.

Without access to mobile internet connectivity, the digital innovation that makes products and services more affordable to the majority remains out of reach. Approximately only one-third of Africans currently have access to the internet.

This issue is, fortunately, being addressed. Internet penetration in Africa has grown to almost 30% from just 11% five years ago. Internet bandwidth on the continent increased by 41% between 2014 and 2015, according to research from TeleGeography, with the growth being driven by the increasing prevalence of 3G and 4G connectivity.

The second prerequisite for enabling inclusive growth through digital innovation is increasing access to smart devices. Getting the right devices into the hands of Africans is crucial to ensuring access to opportunities. Here too we are seeing significant progress. The number of smartphones across Africa has almost doubled to 226 million over the last two years, according to the GSMA, as entry level prices are falling rapidly.

Another key factor for inclusive growth is reducing the cost of communication. The majority of Africans will remain unable to access digital services if they cannot afford data bundles or voice calls. But with data prices falling across the board and OTT services such as WeChat and WhatsApp enabling cheaper communication, this issue too is being addressed.

The fourth factor is reducing the cost of creating technology solutions. Whereas in the past the development costs of a mobile or web application would have been unaffordable to many digital entrepreneurs in majority markets, thanks to lean methodologies and open source platforms like GitHub the process is now simpler and cheaper. This drop in the cost of technology has created opportunities for the development of more innovative applications to meet African needs.

Africas inclusive digital future

There are many reasons to be positive about Aspiring Africa and the impact of the digital economy.

The continent is brimming with the energy and passion of a young generation of ambitious innovators and entrepreneurs. And Africa is the youngest continent populated by digitally savvy and creative Africans that are keen to grab the opportunities that the digital economy creates for them as economically included citizens. The widespread emergence of tech ecosystems across the continent is supporting a rapidly growing number of increasingly impressive startups and innovative solutions. The increased accessibility and falling cost of relevant services through internet-enabled smart devices, is putting these innovations in the hands of the young and aspiring African mass markets.

These innovations are changing the lives of the average African byte by byte, day by day. As the majority of Africans enter the digital economy, technology innovations are playing a pivotal role in creating the inclusive growth story that is changing the face of the continent. Our firm invests in many technology innovators. Working with these passionate young entrepreneurs on the ground on a daily basis, it is hard not to be optimistic about the inclusive digital economy that is taking shape in Africa as we speak.
Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries

SUBSCRIBE
We've followed Annalee Newitz's career here for more than a decade, from her science writing fellowship to her work as an EFF staffer to her founding of IO9 and her move to Ars Technica and the 2013 publication of her first book , nonfiction guidance on surviving the end of the world and rebooting civilization: now, I'm pleased to present an exclusive excerpt from Autonomous , her debut novel, which Tor will publish in September 2017, along with the first look at her cover, designed by the incomparable Will Staehle. As her editor, Liz Gorinsky, notes, "Autonomous takes an action-packed chase narrative and adds Annalee's well-honed insight into issues of AI autonomy, pharmaceutical piracy, and maker culture to make a book that's accessible, entertaining, and ridiculously smart." I'm three quarters of the way through an early copy, and I heartily agree.





Chapter Two: Booting

July 2, 2144

Sand had worked its way under Paladin's carapace, and his actuators ached. It was the first training exercise, or maybe the fortieth. During the formatting period, it was hard to maintain linear time; memories sometimes doubled or tripled before settling down into the straight line that he hoped would one day stretch out behind him like the crisp, four-toed footprints that followed his course through the dunes.

Paladin used millions of lines of code to keep his balance as he slid-walked up a slope of fine grains molded into ripples by wind. Each step punched a hole in the dune, forced him to bend at the waist to keep steady. Sand trickled down his body, creating tiny scars in the dark carbon alloy of his carapace. Lee, his botadmin, had thrown him out of the jet at 1500 hours, somewhere far north in African Federation space. Coming down was easy. He remembered doing it before, angling his body in a configuration that kept him from overheating, unfurling the shields on his back until they cupped the wind, then landing with a jolt to his shocks.

But this wasn't just another repeat of the same old obstacle course. It was a test mission.

Lee had told Paladin that a smuggler's stash was hidden somewhere in the dunes. His job was to approach from the south, map the space, try to find the stash, and come back with all the data he could. The botadmin grinned as he delivered these instructions, gripping Paladin's shoulder. "I tweaked some of your drivers just for this test. You're going to float up those dunes like a goddamn butterfly."

Now it was an hour until sundown, and Paladin's carapace bent the light until it slid below the visible spectrum. To human eyes, his dark body on the dune's summit would look like a shimmer of heat in the air, especially from a distance. That's what he was counting on, anyway. He needed to get a sense of the area, its hiding places, before anyone figured out a bot was prowling.

Pale, reddish swells softened the landscape in every direction. The sand was totally undisturbedif anyone had been walking around here, the wind had blown their tracks away. The stash had to be underground, if it was even here at all. Paladin stood still, lenses zooming and panning, searching for a glint of antennas or other signs of habitation. He cached everything in memory for analysis later.

There it was: a crescent of chrome unburied by wind. He scrambled down the dune, making hundreds of small adjustments to avoid falling on the slithering ground, getting a precise location on a portal that probably led to a buried structure below. He would yank it open and get back to the lab. Lee would clean the sand from his muscles, and there would be no more of this grinding discomfort.

As Paladin reached out, ready to pull or torque the lock mechanism, a hidden sniper tore his right arm off at the shoulder. It was the first true agony of his life. He felt the wound explode across his whole torso, followed by a prickling sear of unraveled molecular bonds along the burned fringes of his stump. Out of this pain bloomed a memory of booting up his operating system, each program calling the next out of nothing. He wanted to go back into that nothing. Anything to escape this scalding horror, which seemed to pour through his body and beyond it. Paladin's sensorium still included his severed arm, which was broadcasting its status to the bot with a short-range signal. He'd have to kill his perimeter network to make the arm go silent. But without a perimeter he was practically defenseless, so he was stuck feeling a torment that echoed between the inside and outside of his body. Throwing himself down into the sand, Paladin used his wing shields to protect his remaining circuitryespecially his single biological part, nested deep inside the place where humans might carry a fetus.

He scrabbled with his remaining hand at the portal and it opened with a gasp, the air pressure differential seeming to inhale him. Another bolt smashed into the sand next to his head, puddling grains into liquefied glass where it hit. Hurling himself inside, Paladin caught one last glimpse of his arm. The fingers were still flexing, reaching for something, following their software commands even in death. As the door closed, his pain eased; a shield had blocked the arm's hopeless data stream.

Paladin found himself in a lift whose dim, ultraviolet lighting marked the building as a bot facilityor, at least, a bot entrance to the facility. Humans would see nothing but darkness. Clutching his jagged stump, Paladin slumped to the floor in a jumble of disorganized feelings. With some effort, he distracted himself by watching a tiny display that showed how deep the lift was going. Forty meters, sixty meters, eighty meters. They stopped at one hundred, but from the faint echoes in the machinery, Paladin knew they could have gone a lot deeper.

The door slid back to reveal Lee flanked by two bots, one hovering in a blur of wings and one a tanklike quadruped with folded mantis arms. Paladin wondered if any of them had been responsible for blowing off his arm during a training mission that was supposed to be noncombat. He wouldn't put it past them. Now Lee was grinning, and the bots weren't saying anything. Paladin stood in a way that he hoped was dignified and ignored the physical anguish that flared through his body as he took in the scene.

"That was some seriously awesome combat shit," Lee enthused before Paladin even stepped into the wide, foam-and-alloy tunnel. "See how that new climbing algorithm worked?" He slapped Paladin's unwounded arm. "Sorry about your arm, though. I'll fix that right up."

The bots were still silent. Paladin followed the group as they walked down the tunnel, passing several doors marked in paint that reflected nothing but ultraviolet light. Visible to bot eyes only. Maybe this was some kind of bot training station? Was he about to be integrated into a fighting unit?

Down another tunnel they found what was obviously a mixed area, with paint reflecting in the visible spectrum, and several doorways too narrow to admit an armored bot like himself or the mantis. They stopped at an engineering station, where Lee printed a new arm and Paladin cleaned his joints with compressed air and lubricant.

The mantis beamed Paladin a hail. Hello. Let's establish a secure session using the AF protocol.

Hello. I can use AF version 7.6 , Paladin replied.

Let's do it. I'm Fang. We'll call this session 4788923. Here are my identification credentials. Here comes my data. Join us at 2000.

Fang's request came with a public key for authentication and a compressed file that bloomed into a 3-D map of the facility. A tiny red tag hovered over a conference room forty meters below them. Judging by the map's metadata, they were in a large military base operated by the African Federation government. It seemed that the bots here did the kind of work he'd been training for: reconnaissance, intelligence analysis, and combat. Paladin had just been invited to his first briefing. It was time to authenticate himself properly to his new comrade.

I'm Paladin. Here are my identification credentials. Here comes my data. See you there.

Lee finished the arm and tested Paladin's stump with a voltmeter. The bot stood on a charging pad, drawing power for the batteries that tunneled through his body like a cardiovascular system. Generally he relied on the solar patches woven into his carapace, but pads were faster.

"No problem, no problem," the botadmin mumbled. It was his favorite phrase, and was in fact the first string of natural language that Paladin had ever heard, in the seconds after booting up for the first time three months ago. The arm was bonding to his stump now, and the torture of his injury became a tingle. Lee used a molecule regulator to knit the arm's atomic structure into an integrated body network, and as it connected Paladin could feel his new hand. He made a fist. The right side of his body felt weightless, as if the pain had added additional mass to his frame. Giddy, he savored the sensation.

"Gotta go, PaladinI've got a bunch of other shit to do." Lee's dark hair fell across one of his eyes. "Sorry I had to shoot you there, but it's part of training. I didn't think your whole arm would come off!"

How many times had Paladin looked into this human face, its features animated by neurological impulse alone? He did not know. Even if he were to sort through his video memories and count them up one by one, he still didn't think he would have the right answer. But after today's mission, human faces would always look different to him. They would remind him what it felt like to suffer, and to be relieved of suffering.

When Paladin arrived at the meeting location, two humans were sitting in chairs, while Fang and the hovering bot remained at attention. Paladin announced his presence with a beamed hail to the bots and a vocalized greeting to the humans, though protocol kept the rest of his communication in human range. He took up a position next to Fang, bending his legs until he was at eye level with the humans. In this position, knee joints jutting out behind him and dorsal shields folded flat against his shoulders, Paladin looked something like an enormous, humanoid bird.

"Welcome to Camp Tunisia, Paladin," one of the humans said. He had a tiny red button on his collar bearing the letters "ipc" in goldit marked him as a high-ranking liaison from the Federation office of the International Property Coalition. "This will be your base for the next few days while we brief you and your partner Eliasz on your mission." He gestured to the other human, a slim man with pale skin, curly dark hair, and wide brown eyes, wearing Federation combat fatigues. Paladin noticed that Eliasz' right hand was balled into a fist very much like his own. Maybe Eliasz was also remembering something painful.

The liaison projected some unopened files into the air over the table. "We've got a serious pharma infringement situation, and we need it stopped fast and smart," he said. One of the files dissolved into the corporate logo for Zaxy, and then into a tiny box of pills labeled Zacuity.

"I assume you've heard of Zacuity."

"It's a worker drug," Eliasz replied, his face neutral. "Some of the big companies are licensing it as a perk for their employees. I've heard it feels really good. Never tried it myself."

The liaison seemed offended by Eliasz' description. "It's a productivity enhancer."

Fang broke in. "We've got reports of people buying pirated Zacuity in some of the northern cities in the Free Trade Zone. Some recon bots found about twenty doses in a First Nations special economic holding near Iqaluit. Nobody can prosecute thereit's totally outside IPC jurisdictionso there have been no arrests yet."

The liaison brought up video of a hospital room, packed with humans strapped to beds, twitching. He continued. "Zaxy will take legal action later. But right now, we need an intervention. This drug is driving people nuts, and some are dying. If it gets out that this is Zacuity, it could be a major financial loss for Zaxy. Major."

The liaison looked at Eliasz, who stared straight at the projection of the hospital, watching the tiny, struggling figures loop through the same tiny struggles again.

"Zaxy's analysts think the Zacuity is being pirated here in the Federation, in a black-market lab. Obviously, this situation could seriously endanger the Federation's business partnerships with the Free Trade Zone. We need to find out for sure one way or the other, and that's why we need you." The delegate looked at Paladin. "You've both been authorized by the IPC to track the pirated drug to its source, and stop it. We've got a few leads in Iqaluit, and they all point to one person."

The afflicted Zacuity eaters dissolved into an enhanced headshot of a woman, obviously constructed from several low-quality captures. Her cropped black hair had a glint of gray, and a fat scar that started on her neck snaked into the collar of her coveralls.

"This is Judith Chenshe goes by the name Jack. We suspect she's working with one of the biggest pharma pirating operations in the Federation. We know she's connected with some pretty shady manufacturers in Casablanca, but she's got a legit shipping fleet. She ferries for spice and herb companies to the Zonelots of stinky little boxes. Perfect cover. We think she might be the one who's smuggling the drugs from here across the Arctic."

Fang vocalized, "We've been watching her for years. Never been able to catch her red-handed, but we know she's got connections with people in the Trade Zone who are suspected dealers. Plus, she's a trained synthetic biologist. It all fits together. If we can get to her, I think we can shut down these pirate shipments."

"She's also an anti-patent terrorist," Eliasz added quietly. "Spent several years in jail."

"The official charge was not terrorism. It was conspiracy to commit property damage," said Fang. "She was only in jail for a few months, and then she fled from Saskatoon to Casablanca. We think that's how she made the connections that she's using for her pirating operation."

"Once we've got her, we just can hand her over to the Trade Zone on a plate," added the liaison. "Piracy stopped. Justice done. Everybody's happy."

"It still sounds like terrorism to me," Eliasz said, looking directly at Paladin. "Don't you agree?"

Nobody had ever looked at him quite like that, as if he could have an opinion about anything beyond how his network was functioning. The bot's mind spiraled through what he'd been taught about terrorism, quickly compiling an index of images and data that required nothing but a crude algorithm to reveal a pattern: pain and its echo, across millions of bodies over time. Paladin did not have access to the nuance of political context, nor did he have the urge to seek it out. He had only this man's face, his dark eyes sending an unreadable message that Paladin wanted desperately to decrypt.

How could he look at Eliasz and say no?

"It does sound like terrorism," Paladin agreed. When Eliasz smiled, the planes of his face were asymmetrical.

Fang broke protocol for an instant, beaming to his hovering companion in an off-the-record session. Words of wisdom from the newbie, who has never seen terrorism in his life. :(

Autonomous [Annalee Newitz/Tor]
The special rapporteur and delegation first visited camps in Mongna Baptist Church and Mongna Roman Catholic Church and met with some of the IDPs there.In the afternoon, the special rapporteur visited the IDP camp of RC Church and met with some IDPs separately.

Ms Lee did not visit the towns of Laiza and Hpakant because of security concerns RFA reported quoting a state government official.


Map shows an overview of the area where the roads will be built Map shows an overview of the area where the roads will be built

Brigadier General Thet Tun, deputy commander of the Burma Armys Eastern Central Command, invited SSPP/SSA-N representatives to a meeting on 10 January and told them the plan to build the road in their area.

This Commander [of the Burma Armys Eastern Central Command] knows this area quite well. He served as the Commander of the 2nd Military Operations Command (MOC-2) in Mong Nawng. The plan has existed even before the military conflicts in the northern area. He tried to carry it out since the northern issue is under control now, explained a source close to the Commander of the Burma Armys Eastern Central Command.

The Commander of the Burma Armys Eastern Central Command wants to build a road from Lwel Nai Mountain, which is ten miles north of Mong Hsu and is under the control of the SSPP/SSA-N, to Lwel Cho Mountain and from Lwel Cho Mountain to Tar Wun Naung Ferry Dock on the Salween River, according to the source.

We have built a road since we signed the ceasefire in 1989. The Burma Army had attacked Lwel Cho Mountain in 2011-2012. They [the Burma Army] will send its troops to build the road whether we agree or not. Fighting will break out when they come. I see this as an attempt to disturb the by-election, said an official from the Information Department of the SSPP/SSA-N.

Around 100,000 people lost their voting rights after the Burma Army launched a military offensive against SSPP/SSA camps in Mong Nawng, Kyethi, and Mong Hsu townships during the 2015 General Election. Six Members of Parliament (MPs) will be elected from Kyethi and Mong Hsu townships in the upcoming by-election in April.

Translated by Thida Linn
United Nations Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma Yanghee Lee seen during her visit to Burma last year

Lee arrived in Burma on 8 January to assess human rights violations in Burma. She plans to visit Myitkyina, Hpakant, and Laiza in the Kachin State and Sittwe, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw in the Arakan State during her visit.

We want her to observe the internally displaced persons (IDPs) thoroughly because the IDPs in Zai Awng IDP camps in upper Laiza have to flee many times. They are facing hardship. The Burma Army attacked their camp with artillery gunfire. They have to flee again. This is the third time. [We want her to] raise awareness on the current situation to the Burmese government and the world with photos and information, said Kachin activist Ko Naw Kham.

According to the activists, two Kachin pastors from Mong Ko area of Muse Township in the northern Shan State are still missing after they were taken by the Burma Army to an army base as a result of fighting between the Northern Alliance Army and the Burma Army in the area.

During her last visit to Burma, the Burmese government only allowed the U.N envoy to visit Lashio in northern Shan State and she was unable to visit Kutkai of Muse District where heavy clashes were taking place.

During her 12-day visit, she will collect information on various types of human rights situations in Burma and submit a report to the U.N Human Rights Council, which will be meeting in March 2017.

Translated by Thida Linn
Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Newscity State Receives a D in Education Robert Maestas Education Weeks 2017 Quality Counts study rated New Mexico 49th in the nation for educational quality. The D.C.-area trade publication's annual report examined how well states and districts are preparing for the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act by measuring a number of criteria. According to the report, the state earned the overall grade of D. Grades are calculated from the average of scores in three separate categories tracked by the report: The Chance-for-Success Index uses data from a person's entire life to better understand the role of education across an individuals lifetime, the School Finance Analysis measures school spending and the distribution of funds across districts within a state and the K-12 Achievement Index scores states based on 18 measures related to reading and math performance, high school graduation rates and the results of Advanced Placement exams. Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, only Mississippi and Nevada were ranked lower than New Mexico overall.

Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Halt New Charter Schools Rep. Christine Trujillo, D-Albuquerque, has introduced a bill that would call for a moratorium on opening new charter schools between June 1, 2017 and Jan. 1, 2020. The time out, as she called it in a recent interview with the Santa Fe New Mexican, would let some of the people who are enforcing the rules catch up and untangle what we have. She hopes the proposed moratorium will give the state time to review the charter school system oversight process. Last month, Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera spoke out against the bill, saying that while she recognizes that there are performance problems with some of the current charter schools, she believes that the state should hold them to stricter standards with the threat of closure instead of putting a halt to new schools. In August 2016, the Chicago-based National Association of Charter School Authorizers released a report which found that the state commission tasked with approving and renewing charter school applications did not have strict enough standards or clearly defined academic requirements. A Charter School Subcommittee has been created by the Legislative Education Study Committee to examine the performance of the state's 97 charter schools.

Numerous Candidates Running in APS Board Election An unexpectedly large number of candidates will be seen running for the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education in February. According to the Bernalillo County Clerks Office, every position that is up for re-election is being contested by multiple candidates, with a total of 24 choices. Board members approve the district budget, create policy and choose a superintendent. Officials hope the large number of candidates will draw more voters to the polls on Feb. 7 for the race, which has historically had a low turnout. Two incumbents will be seeking third termsPresident Dave Peercy and Vice President Lorenzo Garcia.
Bangladesh reaches 154/3 by close of play on Day 1, on which only 40.2 overs were possible because of rain and poor light

Only 40.2 overs were possible on Thursday (January 12) because of rain, with play being stopped twice before eventually ending due to bad light. At stumps, Mominul was unbeaten on 64 and Shakib Al Hasan on five. Tamim had earlier scored a 50-ball 56 to give Bangladesh a frenetic start.New Zealand chose to field under overcast conditions, with a strong breeze sending bails, and caps and sunglasses flying. The green pitch suggested tough work for the batsmen but Tamim unleashed his big repertoire of strokes, hitting 11 boundaries on either side of the first rain break.Bangladesh started poorly with Tim Southee, working into the wind, dismissing Imrul Kayes with a short delivery. The opener attemped to hook but only managed a top edge to long leg where Trent Boult took the catch.Boult, however, had trouble maintaining his line in the strong wind, and Tamim cashed in, scoring 25 runs off the bowler in his first three overs. Boult did eventually have the decisive say in the mini-battle when he trapped Tamim lbw after a review in the first over of his second spell.While Tamim was on song, Mominul was watchful until the rain arrived for a second time 89 minutes into the second session. He then launched into Southee with two fours and a six over the wicketkeeper's head before the players left the field. In all, he had ten fours and a six to his name at close of play Bangladesh handed Test debuts to Taskin Ahmed and Subashis Roy, both pacers. For New Zealand, Boult coming in for Matt Henry was the only change to the side that beat Pakistan in its last Test in November.The forecast for the next two days is promising, but further rain is expected on Sunday.
Featured Post Mohawk Nation News: Mohawk Bar Assn. Address -- Oct. 14, 2022 INDIGENOUS BAR ASSN. ADDRESS  OCT. 14, 2022 Posted on November 3, 2022 Mohawk Nation News https://mohawknationnews.com/blog/ MNN. Nov....

White Mesa Ute Spiritual March to Shut Down Uranium Mill



Mohawk Warrior Society Book Launch



Lakota Jean Roach: The True Story of Leonard Peltier



Justice for Dad: Taylor Dewey Shares the Harsh Road to Justice



Justice Dept Files Lawsuit Against Rapid City Hotel



Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte Speaks on Radiation



Archive

Search This Blog

About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

Translate
Business / Companies

by Staff reporter

Government has dismissed a proposal by ZETDC to sack about 1 600 workers.The move appears to undermine efforts by the power company to cut costs and stem losses in line with government objectives to make parastatals profitable.The ZETDC has a workforce in excess of 5 300, and this has been bleeding the parastatal through an unsustainable salary and wage bill.ZETDC, a unit of integrated power group, Zesa Holdings, had cited huge operational costs, persistent losses and the fact that most electricity consumers were now being served directly by third party vendors as some of the reasons that necessitated the proposed downsizing of its workforce.The company also wanted to create a learner structure, which is more cost effective.
News / Local

by Alice Dube

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has been blocked by government to fire close to 1 600 workers.The ZETDC has more 5 000 workers.According to reports, ZETDC, a unit of integrated power group, ZESA Holdings, had cited huge operational costs, persistent losses and the fact that most electricity consumers were now being served directly by third party vendors as some of the reasons that necessitated the proposed downsizing of its workforce.The director of policy and planning in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Benson Munyaradzi said "Government has rejected a proposal by ZETDC to undertake a redundancy exercise".He said the workers will be re-deployed to other departments within ZETDC.According to reports, ZETDC had sought to fire 1 402 of its semi-skilled workers, 90 from skilled trades manpower, 35 general workers, 60 professional supervisors and 15 middle managers.


A representational photo.

MUMBAI (PTI): A firepower exercise 'Sarvatra Prahar' by the Indian Army was conducted in the ranges of School of Artillery at Devlali in Nashik district of Maharashtra.



During the exercise, held on January 9, by the artillery wing of the Army, the "Gunners" displayed their prowess and deadly firepower, an official release said on Wednesday.



The entire range of guns, from the indigenous 120 mm Mortar, 155 mm Soltam, 105 mm Indian Filed Gun, 105 mm Light Field Gun, 130 mm Medium Gun to the sophisticated 155 mm FH 77B Bofors and 122 mm Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher GRAD BM 21 demonstrated their awesome and destructive power.



An array of new generation rocket and missile systems like Pinaka, Smerch and a model of BRAHMOS missile were also displayed. Surveillance and Target Acquisition equipment like the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Surveillance Sensors and Weapon Locating Radars were also showcased during the exercise.



These devices, when used in conjunction with the guns, are capable of enhancing the effect of fire power, thereby acting as Force Multipliers.



A special draw was the Combat Free Fall by the elite Airborne Gunners from helicopters. The helicopters flown by Army Aviators airlifted a 120 mm mortar as part of the exercise for delivering firepower resources in inaccessible areas.



The event was utilized as a platform to showcase the technological advancements and equipment profile of Regiment of Artillery to representatives of various leading companies as part of Make In India concept.



Exercise Sarvatra Prahar provided the requisite synergy between School of Artillery and the representatives of Indian industry which would facilitate the development and designing of various weapon systems ingenuously.



School of Artillery shared the modernization perspective of Indian Artillery and explored the capabilities of the industry and academia which have immense potential to align with technological needs of Indian Artillery.


News / Local

by Alice Dube

President Robert Mugabe is set to celebrate his expected 93rd birthday in Matabeleland South next month.Mugabe turns 93 on February 21.Last year, he splashed $800 000 for his birthday bash in Masvingo.Bulawayo24.com heard that Mugabe will gather his followers either in Maphisa or Matopo for the lavish bash.The February 21 movement was established in 1986 to encourage Zimbabweans, the youths in particular, to emulate Mugabe's revolutionary ideas, charismatic leadership and selfless policies.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After scaring away cancer for several years running with their haunted maze, married couple Brian and Amber Sutherland are suiting up to fight the disease as superheroes.

In this effort, they want to see at least 1,580 people join them in superhero costumes, thereby securing the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever gathering of people in superhero threads.

The big event will take place at the Keystone Centres Manitoba Room on Oct. 1, but the Sutherland duo are getting a much-needed early start on the effort to ensure the large-scale event is a success.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Brian and Amber Sutherland, the masterminds behind the popular Grim Acres Scare Away Cancer Halloween Yard Hunt and Maze Event in support of the Canadian Cancer Society, are now looking to set a Guinness World Record in Brandon for the largest-ever gathering of people in superhero costumes. Brian says while young cancer patients may not fully grasp their fight, they do understand superheroes.

The Sutherlands are no strangers to dressing up for the autumn month of spooks. They own a property at Kemnay they call Grim Acres  a haunted maze they host every Halloween season in their annual Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser, Scare Away Cancer Halloween Yard Haunt and Maze Event.

Last years effort raised more than $18,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society, including about $2,000 by Escape: The Final Countdown, an escape-the-room business in Brandon.

Over its six years, the annual event has raised more than $47,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

While previous years fundraising totals are considered significant achievements by organizers, they also serve as something to improve upon.

Pondering what grandiose effort they might take part in to pique public interest, Brians mind went straight to superheroes.

Young cancer patients have been a common sight on social media in recent years, and theyre often accompanied by images of superheroes.

It goes hand in hand with the cancer journey, said Brian  a Batman guy. When a kid gets cancer, really they are too young to understand the whole fight, and one thing they do understand are superheroes.

Brian connected with the people at the Guinness Book of World Records, who set up a bunch of checks and balances to ensure whatever record theyre able to set will be recognized.

Jumping through these hoops is no easy task, necessitating an early start to organizing the Oct. 1 event.

By Feb. 28, organizers have to finalize their list of allowed superhero costumes, which will be forwarded to the people at Guinness for approval.

If more than 10 per cent of participants in the Oct. 1 Grim Acres Be a Superhero in the Fight Against Cancer World Record Attempt Event wear unapproved costumes, the attempt will be thrown out.

Organizers also have to secure one steward for every 50 participants in order to legitimize the attempt.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Brian and Amber Sutherland are organizing a superhero-themed attempt at a Guinness World Record at the Keystone Centre this fall.

During the coming months, organizers will also work to secure sponsors to make sure the efforts overarching goal to raise Canadian Cancer Society funds succeeds. So far, Rogers Red Wireless, Westman Communications Group and the Keystone Centre have come on board as sponsors.

The Canadian Cancer Society is a charitable organization that Brian commends for helping people along their cancer journeys, providing them with a wealth of resources and support along the way.

While Brian noted that he and his wife have been the face of the annual Scare Away Cancer effort, its really the supportive people of Westman who made the annual event a success.

He hopes to see their world record attempt shine a light on the charitable efforts of Westman residents.

I think its going to inspire a lot of people, he said. We want Westman to be the face for what it means to support cancer care, not only in Manitoba but in Canada.

More information about the upcoming world record attempt can be gathered from the Grim Acres website, grimacres.ca, their Facebook event page, Be A Superhero In The Fight Against Cancer World Record Attempt, by email at grimacres@gmail.com or by phoning 204-720-0754.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
News / National

by Staff reporter

ZIMBABWE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers shot and killed two poachers on Tuesday in Hwange National Park after they violently resisted arrest.Zimparks spokesperson Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo confirmed the shooting yesterday.One of the poachers was from Nkayi while the other had no particulars on him."Zimparks rangers and members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police reacted to gunshot sounds at the Main Camp, Hwange National Park, mid-morning on Tuesday. Upon noticing the team, the poachers opened fire resulting in a shootout and the two were later shot and killed," she said."According to the particulars of one of the poachers, it was concluded that he is from Nkayi, while the other could not be immediately identified because he had no identification particulars on him."Ms Washaya-Moyo said they recovered a .450 rifle, two live cartridges, one empty cartridge, three pairs of elephant tusks, one adult bull elephant, an axe, a stone file, two elephant tails, 5kg of mealie-meal, salt, a pot and four cellphones from the poachers.She said further investigations into the matter were underway."We want to appeal to the public that protected areas especially those with wildlife have people that police them, and any illegal entry for the purposes of harvesting of wildlife is suicidal."Our rangers, working together with the police have a mandate to protect and conserve wildlife. They will continue doing exactly that," she said.The incident comes a few days after a suspected poacher from Kwekwe, Godknows Mashame (43), was arrested for killing a rhinoceros and removing its horn.The rhino was worth $120 000.The incident occurred in Bubye Valley Conservancy, Beitbridge district.Mashame of 19067 Mbizo 4 Extension was arrested after dropping his mobile phone at the crime scene on December 24 last year.Police used the phone to track him.They recovered three firearms, two empty magazines, 71 Emmex explosives, eight live rounds of bullets and two kudu horns from the suspect.Mashame has since appeared before a Beitbridge magistrate charged with unlawful killing or hunting of a rhinoceros and was remanded in custody to January 16.
Already have an account? Log in here 

Riding Mountain National Park camping reservations for the 2017 summer open on Jan. 16 at 8 a.m.

We need your support!

Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
News / National

by Staff reporter

Government has covered significant ground towards striking a framework agreement with South Africa for deeper cooperation on a number of energy related issues.Energy and Power Development secretary Patson Mbiriri said the country already imports significant amounts of electricity from South African state power utility Eskom and uses the country's Durban port to import some of its fuels, as an alternative fuel import route to the Feruka Pipeline.The parties contend that a memorandum of understanding will extend the scope of their collaboration in the field of energy, including in basic infrastructure to enable sharing of the commodity, which is in critical short supply in the region.But Mbiriri said although the two countries had cordial relations and already cooperated in the area of energy, absence of a framework agreement limited the extent to which they can do it.He said Zimbabwe has a lot to learn from South Africa with regards to renewable energy, which it is trying to promote, as one of the sustainable solutions to its acute shortage of power.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Track your steps back to the Royal Oak, please

On Jan. 3, I was at the Royal Oak Inn visiting with my son and his family who were staying there. Sometime between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., my Fitbit One fell off. It was spotted between the pool and the hot tub and picked up by someone. We could track it with our cellphone, so we knew it was close by. We thought someone would turn it in to the front desk, so we checked back in the morning. It had not been turned in, but again our cellphone could track it and it was being carried around and recording steps. Shortly after it was gone from the tracking area, so assume it left the hotel. I am hoping whoever found it will return it to the front desk of the hotel next time they are in. They have my name and phone number there. I have had it for more than two years and use it to maintain my fitness and weight.

Showing of kindness

I dont know you, Mr. Claude Thiffeault, but what a kind gentleman you are to have saved the little kitten from freezing to death. The owner of this little animal should be ashamed to have let this happen. No excuses for this behaviour.

We shall remember Vimy Ridge

As a senior citizen  76 years old and born and raised in Canada  I would like to see our young in our schools and all public be reminded of our troops who made our country proud in the Battle of Vimy Ridge 100 years ago this year. Many young sons gave their lives for us. Lets not forget this battle showed the world Canuck determination!

Maybe good reason people have to park on street

Regarding the Sound Off, Plow Them In. Some people who live on the street have garages and driveways to accommodate their vehicle(s). There are others who live in apartments and rentals where parking accommodations are non-existent or scarce at the best of times. Street parking is the only area for them and visitors. And who is to say that maybe the storm came while they were away visiting in another part of Canada. Let the plow drivers continue being nice. And who knows  someday it may even happen to you when you have no other place to park except the street!

Some seniors housing only has street parking

In reference to parked cars on the street and snowplows, some seniors housing in Brandon have no place to park but the street and no plug-ins. When the plows go by, we have two to three feet of snow to shovel all around our cars. With no plug-ins sometimes we have to find a way to get a boost for our cars and I have never seen a seniors place where seniors 80 to 90 years of age have to park on the street. We had excellent service with the previous mayor.

Big holiday for Pallister

I had to work 35 years before I got six weeks vacation. Brian Pallister hasnt even been on the job one year and hes taking two months off for his Costa Rican vacation. Actually, hes given himself that time since he seems to be the boss and accountable to no one, not even the electorate. Seems pretty arrogant to me.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As Brandons 82 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron prepares for its 75th Anniversary on Jan. 14, many air cadet alumni are reaching for their photo albums, remembering back to those days when they reached for the skies and acquired their wings through the local program.

Retired captain Mark Delmage has a lengthy and rich history with the squadron, first joining the program as a 13-year-old back in 1965. The flight training in the 1960s looked quite different than in 1945 when the war ended and the Brandon Flying Club took on the job of training Air Cadets using two Tiger Moth aircraft. Not only was there an increase in the required number of flight hours to obtain a private pilots license, but the aircraft had changed as well. The old open-cockpit, bi-plane Tiger Moths had been replaced by the sleeker, all-metal, closed-cabin Cessnas. Cadets, however, were often allowed the thrill of riding with and sometimes flying for brief periods of time the larger planes at the club.

Delmage explained what the program looked like back in the late 1960s when many of the instructors were former Air Force instructors, retired from the Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Submitted The Brandon 82 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron went to summer camp in Penhold, Alta., in 1967. Mark Delmage is seated in the front row at the extreme left hand side of the picture. Standing third from the right in the second row is Doug McLennon, the current president of the Air Cadet League of Canada Manitoba.

In those days, the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) had lots of airplanes, so we were flying in planes like the Expediter, the Single Otter and the DC3. As a cadet you got to go up front and control it for a couple of minutes so it was a lot of fun. By the time you got to your fourth year you got to take the powered-pilots course which they called the flying scholarship back in those days, and thats where you got your private pilots license. Now, its quite a bit different as you can get your gliders license even after the third year, and then cadets will go for their powered license the next year.

Delmage achieved his private license in his fourth year and upon completion of the five-year program Delmage joined the Canadian Forces (CF) and then returned back to the Brandon squadron as an instructor. Perhaps that is what sparked his passion for teaching, as soon after Delmage stepped away from the CF and became an educator.

Across Canada in the late 1960s and early 1970s would see change to the program. Since 1941, the Air Cadet League of Canada worked in partnership with the RCAF. However, in February of 1968 the Air Cadet League would lose its original partner and due to unification it would see a new partnership with CF. The following year, a Directorate of Cadets was formed at National Defence Headquarters to set policy and to coordinate the activities and training of the air, army and sea cadet movements.

Further change would see the official participation of girls in the cadets. For a number of years girls had been involved unofficially in all three elements, but on July 30th, 1975, the official participation of girls would be approved by the government.

Delmage recognized the benefits to these changes as he would continue to instruct young people in their passion for flying and the program itself. Many cadets can speak to the dedication of Delmage and to the commitment he put into fostering young men and women during his years as instructor, commanding officer and friend.

After 52 years, Delmage has an understanding and heart for the program and what it stands for.

For any young person who has a passion for flying I would definitely tell them to join the Air Cadets because they have so many opportunities to learn about flying; the ground school aspect, how to operate at an airport and how its laid out and how it works, air craft engines and technical stuff, the aerospace course, going to camps dealing with flying. Theres just a tremendous number of courses they can take if theyre interested. But its more than that. It gives young people the opportunity to shoot for something and be part of a team.

 Betty Froese is the public affairs representative for the Regional Cadet Support Unit.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/01/2017 (2122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Walking into the parade square of the Brandon Armoury, one cant help but notice the history that adorns the walls in the form of pictures and artifacts in cabinets and displayed on the floor. For any history enthusiast, the Armoury is rich with a taste of the days of First and Second World Wars.

For young Ken Cochrane, perhaps it was the history that called to him, or the reading of adventurers taking to the skies in the many novels he read in school. Perhaps hearing his older brothers stories piqued his interests so that when the day came for the 12-year-old to join Brandons 82 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, he was ready.

It was around 1977 and I knew my big brother, Fred, was there every Friday night and I felt like I was missing out on all the fun, Cochrane recalled. But I also remember avidly reading First World War flying books like Wings of War in Grade 7 or 8, so the seeds of flying may have begun there. And when I walked through the doors of the Armoury for the first time, I really got a feeling of history.

File photo Ken McKenzie-Cochrane and Mark Delmage have formed a lifelong bond through the cadet program in Brandon.

Cochrane followed in the footsteps of his brother in obtaining his private pilots license.

It took me a lot of years to get there and I had to learn a lot of things like weather and engines, but it was fun doing it with other people who had the same interests and that probably helped me learn it better and faster. When I finally did get my pilots license it was a pretty proud accomplishment for me and my parents.

Cochrane graduated with his wings from St. Andrews Airport in 1982 and aged out of the program in 1983 as a Warrant Officer 1st Class the following year. His brother, Fred, held the same rank just two years prior when he too, aged out of the program.

Looking back over the past 35 years, Cochrane sees the benefits of acquiring his license through the program, but it was the camaraderie, as well as, instructors and their commanding officer that he remembers the most during those years.

There were so many things that we did: sports, military drill, leadership  the Air Cadet Program isnt just for those interested in flying, he said. A lot of my friends never did pursue a pilots license but they still got a lot out of the Cadet Program. We just did things with friends that you liked and trusted, that was a pretty key part. At that age you know you like to be in a group and this was the group that fit well with me.

Today, Cochrane looks back at those years under the mentorship of then-captain Mark Delmage and can attribute interest and skill in many areas to his years in the Cadets. After graduation he would pursue a career in photography and videography with his wife, Claudette, and they would open The Family Tree Photography Studio in Brandon.

It was during a tragedy when the Cochrane would see the true character of the men and women who grew up in the program.

Several years back my studio had a roof fire which required major rebuild, he said. So I made a call-out to anyone who might be able to help on short notice. During a break in the work, I recall looking around to see that all the guys, other than relatives, were all friends from my Air Cadet years. All but one was from the 82nd squadron and even he had been a cadet from B.C. Mark Delmage even came to help by bringing food and beer for the crew. It was like a mini-reunion. But more importantly it showed me how my time in Air Cadets and the 82nd squadron fostered lifelong friendships and people I could depend on in a pinch. Those are the kinds of friends you want to have for a lifetime.

Cochrane is looking forward to reconnecting with many of the cadets he trained with while in Brandon during the programs 75th anniversary on Jan. 14. Visit the squadrons Facebook page for more details and to purchase tickets.

 Betty Froese is the public affairs representative for the Regional Cadet Support Unit.
News / National

by Staff reporter

As Zanu-PF's "Cupgate" saga, and its deadly tribal, factional and succession wars continue to rage, scores of the ruling party's officials drawn from the country's 10 provinces gathered in Harare yesterday to demand a probe into Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.Well-placed Zanu-PF sources who spoke to the Daily News last night also suggested that the troubled ruling party's tortured politics were "changing" again, with Mnangagwa and his party backers (Team Lacoste) now the ones on the back foot and under serious pressure."It's a ding dong affair my friend. Until now it was the G40 (Generation 40 faction) which was on the verge of implosion, but now things look very ominous for Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction)," a senior party official who has consistently claimed to be "non-aligned" said.Yesterday's dramatic events also come as Mnangagwa has been under the cosh in recent days for hosting sacked Zanu-PF officials at his rural home during the festive season, with his party foes alleging that this was in fact a meeting organised to plot the ouster of President Robert Mugabe from power.The G40-linked group which met at the Zanu-PF headquarters in Harare yesterday subsequently issued a statement in which they called for a probe into Mnangagwa for hobnobbing with war veterans' leader Christopher Mutsvangwa and maverick Harare businessman, Energy Mutodi.Apart from provincial chairpersons and regional commissars, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the youths, the women's league and sections of the war veterans corps.They also called for a meeting with Mugabe, so that they could register their complaints against Mnangagwa and Team Lacoste with the nonagenarian directly.It was not clear last night whether Mugabe would accede to this demand, and whether he knew about the meeting beforehand."As provincial chairpersons and political commissars, we notice with concern the practice by some of our senior party leaders who are now and again, seen in the company of elements of people who were expelled from Zanu-PF for gross indiscipline."This kind of behaviour puts doubts on those leaders' commitment and loyalty to decisions that are made by Zanu-PF collectively, as party leaders should not be seen to be associating and entertaining people who were expelled from the party for indiscipline which involved disrespect of the party leadership," the group said in its statement.Since the images of Mnangagwa holding the much-obsessed about coffee mug emerged in the public domain, the VP's foes have gone to town about the issue, interpreting it as his open statement that he has unbridled presidential ambitions.There were also questions surrounding Mutodi's presence at the party, even as the controversial businessman has said that he went to the function without receiving any invitation like the other guests.But the highly-opinionated musician-turned-politician appeared to make things worse for Mnangagwa when he said this week Zanu-PF should hold an extra-ordinary congress to install Mnangagwa as Mugabe's successor.Mutodi also claimed that Mugabe, who turns 93 next month, had become so unpopular in Zanu-PF that "99 percent" of the party's members now wanted him to resign before the eagerly-anticipated 2018 national elections, as there was allegedly no way that the nonagenarian could win elections against popular opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai."Mugabe must retire. What we must be discussing now is how we share power in Zanu-PF post-Mugabe," he said, adding that it will be very embarrassing for Mugabe if he stood for election again and lost."Mnangagwa is too loyal to Mugabe, to the extent that he cannot even express his own views for his boss to retire. It's up to Mugabe himself to be really thankful to his loyalists who have helped him to remain in power for this long and not the opportunists who praise him during the day and denigrate him during the night."This is what the man (Mnangagwa) is made of and he has shown total loyalty and obedience to the president," Mutodi told the Daily News.Zanu-PF insiders have consistently told the Daily News that underlying the former liberation movement's deadly and seemingly unstoppable tribal and factional wars is its unresolved succession question, with the G40 faction apparently doing everything possible to torpedo Mnangagwa's mooted presidential ambitions.The group which met at the Zanu-PF Headquarters yesterday also claimed that Mutodi was no longer a Zanu-PF member as he had allegedly been sacked from the party.However, Mutodi maintains on his part that he is still a member of the ruling party's Mashonaland East provincial executive.Apart from Mutodi, Mnangagwa's rivals were miffed by the presence of Mutsvangwa and expelled former Mashonaland West provincial chairman Temba Mliswa at the burial of the late national hero Peter Chanetsa last week, at the National Heroes Acre.Although the occasion was a State and not a Zanu-PF function, which meant that any citizen who wished to do so could attend the burial, the surprise presence of Mutsvangwa and Mliswa in the VIP tent in particular expectably set tongues wagging among the gathered ruling party supporters.This was more so as since the former liberation movement's divisive 2014 congress, the warring ruling party had routinely chased away from its gatherings its suspended former stalwarts, including its ex-national political commissar and former Information minister, Webster Shamu, who was recently re-admitted into the party.In addition, Mutsvangwa and his executive had since their expulsion from Zanu-PF been boycotting State functions, including last year's Heroes' Day celebrations.The disgruntled former freedom fighters have also since stepped up their efforts to force Mugabe to step down, accusing the increasingly frail nonagenarian of being at the centre of the country's current rot.And like Mutodi and Mutsvangwa, Mliswa has also recently suggested that Mugabe should hand over power to Mnangagwa."Zanu-PF's solution to the economic problem is for the president to step down and Mnangagwa, who is the most senior, to take over."Don't call me a Mnangagwa person, unless there is someone more senior in Zanu-PF than Mnangagwa, then you tell me."If Mnangagwa does take over, he is going to stop the bleeding in terms of people suffering. We must be cognisant that the people are suffering," Mliswa told journalists at the end of last year.
Update 2pm: One resident of Apollo House in Dublin remains in the building and is reportedly refusing to leave.

The issue is due before the High Court again this afternoon.

Most of the residents left this morning and moved to alternative accommodation provided by Home Sweet Home.

However, one resident remains inside in defiance of the court order.

The Apollo House building, because of High Court Action, is not suitable for residents who need to access support services who can't get in.  HomeSweetHome (@HSHIreland) January 12, 2017

Update 11am: The High Court has been told that Apollo House has been vacated.

The case came back to court this morning after Mr. Justice Paul Gilligan refused to extend yesterdays deadline to leave.

It will be mentioned again at 2pm to allow the receivers time to confirm that everybody has left the NAMA owned building.

Update 10am The occupiers of Apollo House will leave the building this morning.

More than 10 residents were in the building overnight as several returned from alternate accommodation they'd been provided.

They will leave the building this morning to comply with the High Court order to vacate.

We are moving our residents to somewhere they will be able to access services. We are staying with them and continue to advocate for them.  HomeSweetHome (@HSHIreland) January 12, 2017

Earlier: Anyone still inside Apollo House in Dublin could be held in contempt of court, if they haven't left by the time the High Court is updated this morning.

They were due to leave by noon yesterday, after the court refused to grant a one-week extension to an order to leave the NAMA owned building.

Shortly after Mr. Justice Paul Gilligan refused to extend the order, the Home Sweet Home group announced it was not going to comply.

From outside #ApolloHouse, Matthew Devereux shares our ask that all residents get safe, secure, clean accommodation suitable to their needs pic.twitter.com/XhC3M7yH3G  HomeSweetHome (@HSHIreland) January 11, 2017

At least eight people remained inside the derelict building in Dublin city after the deadline of noon yesterday passed.

Supporters linked arms outside the building. Banners with messages like HOMES NOT HOSTELS hung overhead.

The application for an extension came on the back of claims the Housing Minister Simon Coveney hadnt met assurances that those occupying Apollo House would be offered safe and suitable accommodation.

The campaigners were looking for one more week to allow that to happen, but Mr. Justice Gilligan said it was for the Government and not the courts to resolve the dispute over the suitability of alternatives.

Love from all at #Macnas to the amazing campaigners at @HSHIreland, working to make Ireland better for all. #ApolloHouse

(: @JoyceFegan) pic.twitter.com/A1d9MCUefj  Macnas (@Macnas) January 11, 2017

The case is due to come before him again at 10.30am this morning. Anyone who defies the order could be held in contempt of court and arrested.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has said it now looks like an election in the North is inevitable.

Charlie Flanagan is holding a series of talks with political parties at Stormont in Belfast today.

He said: "I believe an election is much closer. The Secretary of State on Monday, in my view, will be left with no choice but to dissolve the Assembly and announce an election.

"There is a window of opportunity, albeit extremely narrow. I believe we are facing into an electoral contest and the Irish Government is very conscious of the need to protect the institutions and also the integrity of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement."

He also predicted an extremely difficult challenge in putting together a Northern Ireland Executive after the public go to the polls.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire is set to call the election at the start of next week.

The DUP has called for fresh negotiations to avoid a "brutal" contest but Sinn Fein insisted the matter should be placed before the people.

Today, a Democratic Unionist minister reversed his controversial decision to cut an Irish language initiative in what some have interpreted as an olive branch.

DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan's decision to cut a 50,000 bursary to pay for children to visit Irish-speaking communities - the Gaeltacht - infuriated Sinn Fein and has been seen as a key factor in the republican party's decision to pull the plug on the power-sharing institutions.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Mr Givan said: "My decision on the Liofa Bursary Scheme was not a political decision.

"I have now identified the necessary funding to advance this scheme."

After meeting the parties Mr Brokenshire said: "The reality remains, the high probability remains, that we are heading towards an election."
The Foreign Affairs Minister will travel to Belfast today for talks aimed at saving the power-sharing government in the North.

Charlie Flanagan says every effort has to be made to stop the current executive from collapsing.
Concerns are being raised over extremely long delays for women seeking treatment at Cork University Maternity Hospital.

Over 4,000 women are affected with more than 900 waiting over 18 months for treatment.

Health Minister Simon Harris is travelling to Cork today to meet with hospital consultants.

The Irish Examiner's Catherine Shanahan says the crisis affects women seeking treatment for a range of gynaecological conditions, including potential cancers: "They're on a waiting list, they haven't got an appointment yet to be seen, which means they could have anything.

"Of those women there are going to be a certain cohert that there are going to be malignancies so you know, what the consultants are saying is that we have all these women on a waiting list, there is no way of knowing what they have and some of them are going to have more serious conditions than others."
News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has given Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa the green light to expedite controversial amendments to the supreme law of the land to facilitate the direct appointment of the next Chief Justice, setting the stage for bruising court battles with civil rights defenders who are against the impending constitutional changes.Highly-placed sources told the Financial Gazette this week that the ZANU-PF leader who has avoided commenting on the contentious appointment of the country's top judge ever since the furore over Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku successor broke out, wants Mnangagwa, who also happens to be the Justice Minister, to see through the process of amending the Constitution to give him latitude to handpick the next Chief Justice.Last month, Cabinet brawled along factional lines at one of its meetings over the controversial amendment with Mnangagwa's backers throwing their full weight behind the changes while a rival faction, known as Generation 40 (G40), wanted the process to be done in terms of the existing constitutional provisions.It was on the sidelines of a stormy Cabinet meeting last month that President Mugabe implored the Vice President to hasten the process to enable him to appoint a Chief Justice with the proper orientation and attitude towards the revolutionary party.There is therefore increasing pressure to disregard the interview process initiated by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) last year in terms of the current Constitutional provisions for the selection and appointment of the Chief Justice."The (Cabinet) meeting had well ended and as ministers lined up to shake hands with him, the President - who had remained silent while emotions ran high in the meeting - got to VP Mnangagwa and said carry on with the process'," said a Cabinet source who declined to be named.Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe declined to comment on the matter saying issues discussed in Cabinet were confidential."You cannot ask me that. You know very well that Cabinet matters are not discussed with the media. Let the person who told you that furnish you with all the information you need,""You want me to violate the rules, no. I will not tell you anything that transpires in Cabinet. I uphold the confidentiality of Cabinet matters," he added.Chidyausiku retires after having served for 16 years while his predecessor, Anthony Gubbay, served for 11 years before he was forced to resign in 1992 after falling out with the ruling party over the chaotic land reform programme.It would appear George Chiweshe, currently serving as president of the High Court, is preferred to take over from Chidyausiku, who is due to retire next month after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.Chiweshe boycotted an interview process for the selection of the Chief Justice, only to later indicate that he was complying with a High Court judgment by Charles Hungwe suspending the interview process. He had been shortlisted along with Deputy Chief Justice, Luke Malaba and Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges Rita Makarau and Paddington Garwe.Both Makarau and Garwe served as presidents of the High Court before their elevation.Makarau is currently on secondment at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), and is the secretary of the JSC.Hungwe's judgment followed an urgent High Court application by a University of Zimbabwe law student for a provisional court order stopping the interviews, pending the determination of another application to suspend them until section 180 of the Constitution could be amended.The applicant challenged the procedure for appointing the Chief Justice, which involved the JSC. It was argued that the procedure was improper because it involved judges who sat on the JSC having a say in appointing the head of the Judiciary.The applicant said the President should appoint the Chief Justice directly after just consulting with the JSC.During the hearing of the case, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Virginia Mabhiza, produced an affidavit stating that Mnangagwa had submitted documents to Cabinet seeking approval for the amendment of section 180 of the Constitution to change the method of appointing the Chief Justice along the lines proposed by the applicant.Hungwe then ruled that the interviews should not proceed.The interviews went ahead after the JSC, headed by Chidyausiku, said it had noted an appeal against Hungwe's judgment, effectively suspending his order.Malaba, who became the first Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after constitutional amendments in 2008, emerged the best candidate in the interviews with a reported score of 91 percent.Makarau was second with 90 percent, with Garwe coming third after scoring 52 percent.Under section 180 of the Constitution, the Chief Justice is appointed by the President from a list of three nominees selected by the JSC following advertisements and public interviews.Sources indicated that there was growing support within a faction of ZANU-PF for President Mugabe to appoint Chiweshe, who had rescued the incumbent from defeat by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008 elections.Chiweshe, a retired brigadier general, is a war veteran and former military judge who had been seconded to ZEC at the time. He withheld election results for six weeks after President Mugabe had lost the elections to Tsvangirai who, however, failed to garner enough votes to be declared the winner, forcing the presidential election into a runoff.Tsvangirai had to pull out of the runoff election after several of his supporters were reportedly killed, resulting in President Mugabe winning the poll.But the political crisis that ensued forced his party to form a coalition government with Tsvangirai and another MDC outfit, then led by Arthur Mutambara. The coalition government collapsed in 2013 following ZANU-PF's landslide victory.Chiweshe has the backing of a faction called Team Lacoste, which has rallied behind Mnangagwa to succeed President Mugabe in the event that he leaves office. A rival faction, G40, wants the selection of the Chief Justice to be based on the interview process.Sources indicated that Malaba, who is 66 years old, has only four years before reaching retirement age, a situation his critics have seized on to argue that his appointment would be untenable.Malaba is said to have the support of G40, which has lambasted a parallel process.They argue that Chiweshe, who is 64 years old this year, has six years to serve as Chief Justice.Makarau, at 56, is the youngest of the candidates.The G40 faction is said to prefer Makarau in the event that Malaba is not appointed, arguing that this would still be in line with the provisions of the current Constitution.Makarau would have 14 years before reaching retirement age as a Chief Justice.Mnangagwa's backers are banking on planned constitutional amendments to allow President Mugabe to appoint Chiweshe as the new Chief Justice.The amendment would give the President power to appoint a candidate of his choice.Analysts said the proposed amendment of the Constitution to allow the President to directly appoint a Chief Justice of his choice had affected confidence in the process."The whole process of appointing the Chief Justice is now politicised and lacking public confidence. Whoever is chosen shall bear the burden of proving their independence in an era where all the State arms are heavily politicised," said political analyst, Rashweat Mukundu.Constitutional law expert, Love-more Madhuku, said there was a strong possibility that President Mugabe might not even appoint any of the three judges approved by the JSC because of the provision of subsection three of section 80 of the Constitution which says the President can turn down all the names given to him if he is not satisfied with them.
US vice president Joe Biden has said top intelligence leaders told him and President Barack Obama about unsubstantiated claims about Donald Trump because they were concerned the information might become public.

Mr Biden said he and Mr Obama were initially surprised that intelligence officials felt the need to brief them on unverified claims that Russia had compromising information about President-elect Trump.
The Taliban has released a video showing an American and an Australian who were kidnapped in August.

It is the first time teachers Kevin King and Timothy Weekes have been seen, since they were abducted in the Afghan capital Kabul last summer.
NEW YORK: Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday helped by a weaker dollar, while investors held back from making...
News / National

by Staff reporter

Police in Zimbabwe have launched a manhunt for Lebanese diamond dealer Jamal Ahmed, who is accused by First Lady Grace Mugabe of duping her in a botched $1.3m diamond ring transaction, a report said on Thursday.Court papers filed at the High Court by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Law and Order section, revealed that Ahmed was being investigated for various crimes, ranging from money-laundering to fraud and theft, among other.The police said they had roped in the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to extradite the Lebanese to Zimbabwe for trial."We applied and got a warrant of arrest against this individual. We alerted Interpol to assist us in extraditing him from any country he might be residing, presumably Belgium, Dubai or Europe in general," police were quoted as saying.'International fraudster'They said that they had been investigating Ahmed since late last year.Ahmed took the First Lady to court after she allegedly seized his properties, demanding that he repay the $1.3m she had paid for a diamond ring that she decided she did not want when it was delivered to her.A Harare High Court judge Clement Phiri on December 21 issued a provisional order compelling President Robert Mugabe's wife to vacate within 24 hours from three properties that she had allegedly seized following the deal that reportedly went sour. Another order to the same effect was issued last week after she allegedly grabbed two more houses belonging to Ahmed.Grace, however, denied grabbing the five properties, accusing Ahmed of duping her in the botched deal.Grace described Ahmed as "an international fraudster wanted by international police".Ahmed's name was, however, not on Interpol's "wanted persons" list.
NEW YORK: Oil slid about 1% on Thursday as an increase in US interest rates pushed up the dollar and heightened ...
BUDAPEST: The US embassy in Hungary said on Thursday that comments in the Hungarian right-wing press that two local...
PARIS: People with monkeypox can spread the virus up to four days before symptoms appear, with more than half of...
TEHRAN: Iran on Saturday accused the United States of seeking to gain concessions in nuclear talks aimed at...
News / National

by Staff reporter

ANOTHER video of a man beating a woman on the streets has gone viral, causing storm on the social media.The more than one minute video clip comes barely two months after another video of a Budiriro man who was captured battering a women, went viral, causing storm on social media after the perpetrator got a sentence which even legal experts viewed as lenient and not consistent with the manner in which he violently attacked her.The video shows the man slapping, kicking and pulling the women's braids before dragging her on the tarmac.The location and identity of the perpetrator and victim are yet to be established.In the video, the perpetrator accuses the victim of having said stuff about his mother although it is not really audible."Hautaure nezvamayi vangu. Umuudze Brian kuti wandirovesa, satan."Throughout the attack, some voices are heard shouting to the man to stop the attack."We're a sick society. Thanks for that observation. For a start what's wrong with us as a people? How could you be so complicity in the act by standing up there with a smart phone? Up next will be those seeking to justify the boy's behaviour and find humour out of this abominable act. The boy could have easily killed that girl masikati machena," ranted one Stanley on Facebook.A human rights group has also expressed concern over the increase in the cases of gender based violence urging the judiciary to also use stiffer penalties to deter would be perpetrators."As Amnesty International Zimbabwe we are really concerned with the rising level of gender based violence. That video which is circulating on the social media networks is very worrying. Inflicting pain on a defenceless woman will not solve societal problems."What we have seen in this video on a defenceless woman is very worrying. This should be investigated so that the perpetrator can be brought to book."We also urge judiciary to apply possible stiffer penalties that are provided for in the laws that protects GBV victims," said the country director Cousin Zilala.According to the group, reports of gender based violence in the country are rising, three and half years after adopting a constitution that enshrines progressive human rights provisions.Zilala further expressed concern that a person can be assaulted while people are busy recording videos without much effort to restrain the attack."We continue to see such videos where perpetrators are captured attacking with less effort in trying to restrain them. While the videos have helped as evidence, we seem to focus all our energies on recording such that we have normalised violence. At this rate, someone can be killed while a video is recorded."Gender Based Violence is one of the worst types of human rights violations because society has normalised it in many forms and even those who are abused sometimes do not see it as abuse but accept it as a normal part of their society. Gender Based Violence can lead to death. It can lead to serious injury, depression, suicide, family breakups, mental illness and more damaging effects."Increased gender based violence has been shown to have a link to increased rates of HIV infection and to poor sexual and reproductive health among women."
A national anti-gangs squad officer will be embedded with ACT Policing from February 1, giving the squad a presence in every Australian state and territory for the first time, the federal government has announced.

It's expected the National Anti-Gangs Squad liaison officer will bolster the work of Taskforce Nemesis, ACT Policing's anti-bikie arm, by sharing information about bikie activities from the other states and territory.

Assistant Commissioner Justine Saunders. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The placement has been welcomed by the territory government and ACT Policing, both of which are keen to ensure bikies do not see Canberra as a "safe haven".

At a press conference following the federal government's announcement, ACT Policing chief Justine Saunders flagged a return of controversial anti-consorting laws to the agenda in 2017.
Its shares have slumped by a third in just two days, but that still isn't enough to whet the appetite of some analysts, who reckon the share price for troubled infant milk formula group Bellamy's Australia could decline another 20 per cent before reaching fair value.

CLSA estimates Bellamy's Australia shares are worth just $3.50, down more than 50 per cent from their level prior to the start of its four-week trading suspension that finished on Wednesday, while Ord Minnett estimates they're worth $3.76.

Analysts with the two brokerages reckon clients should offload their holdings, citing myriad concerns from a stretched balance sheet through to doubts the company will be able to rebuild sales momentum in the key China market.

Bellamy's is trading on an "unjustified' multiple of 33 times earnings, CLSA told its clients "while the potential for a rights issue cannot be ignored".
Primary Healthcare and its criminally charged chief executive Peter Gregg face a long and drawn out court process that would likely take at least 18 months, according to legal experts.

Several senior counsel specialising in criminal law in NSW said hopes expressed by some close to the company that the matter could be put to rest in as little as six months were misguided, with all tipping the process would extend well into 2018.

Mr Gregg has been charged with two counts of falsifying the books and records while chief financial officer of engineering giant Leighton Holdings, which is now known as CIMIC.

The charges laid by the corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission relate to Mr Gregg allegedly signing off a $15 million offshore payment in 2011.
If the November election was intended as a rejection of elites, of expertise and of the sort of technocratic advice that economists often give, it's a punch that has landed.

In sombre analyses, huddled hallway conversations and pointed asides during endless panel sessions at the annual conference of economists last weekend in Chicago, the major theme was a sense of anxiety about the incoming Trump administration.

This foreboding was evident in roughly equal measure among conservative and liberal economists. But it is in direct contrast with the feelings of small-business owners and Wall Street traders.

Most of my fellow economists remain convinced that university-trained economists can offer useful insight to the new administration. Few believe it will matter. The life force that animates the econ tribe - that what they're doing matters - has been drained away.
It is such a fashionable news headline: "One in five Australians ..." has a mental illness, is in the wrong job, believe they will work beyond the age of 70, experiences racism at sports events, has some form of disability, suffers from chronic pain, waited longer than they thought was acceptable to get into a GP, doesn't believe in climate change, suffers from allergies and admits to drink-driving. However, without a social context, this national statistic is largely meaningless.

The headline, "One in five Australians drink and drive: study", was compelling. Surely such a statistic highlighted the need for further action on such a dangerous practice. However, this so-called "study"  conducted by a polling agency  involved just 1500 people completing an online survey. The small sample was then reported as representative of all Australians.

Is it really true that one in five Australians drink and drive? Credit:Aaron Sawall

Researchers often use convenience samples  people who are easy to reach. The advantages of this type of sampling are the availability and the speed with which data can be gathered. However, the risk is that the sample might not be representative of all Australians.

Surveys require people to tick a box or mark a five-point Likert scale. By asking respondents to answer "yes" or "no" or "most of the time", "some of the time", "never", surveys invariably gloss over the complexities within social experiences. Consider the question: "Have you ever driven a car after drinking?" How many drinks were required to tick "yes". Is a glass of wine with a meal sufficient? Or do I need to be off my face?
Where to find non-partisan ballot information Thank you for your non-biased bullet points explaining the three state ballot proposals in "A look at the three state...

Kautman-Jones endorses Davis Please support Meredith Davis in her re-election to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners - 8th District. I have had...
Former senator Rodney Culleton has mounted an eleventh-hour effort to save his parliamentary career, seeking to appeal the Federal Court decision that rendered him bankrupt and demanding Senate President Stephen Parry immediately withdraw his declaration of a vacancy.

"I've still got my senator's badge on and I'm going to my senator's office," he said on Thursday after a judge extended a 21-day stay on his bankruptcy order for a further week.

Senator Parry notified the West Australia Governor on Wednesday that a seat had become vacant. But, as he fights a legal war on multiple fronts, Mr Culleton has written to Senator Parry calling his actions "premature" because of the stay which was not due to expire until midnight on Friday.

His latest hearing, followed by a sometimes rambling press conference, came after West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said the state's parliament would not be brought back before the March 11 state election to ratify a replacement senator.
Alan Langdon and his daughter Que. The Australian citizen and his former wife, Que's mother Ariane Wyler, were due to appear in the Family Court in Auckland in March this year. However, Mr Langdon denied there was a custody battle and said he had been Que's primary carer since birth. Alan Langdon on the deck of his catamaran in Ulladulla Harbour. Credit:Milton Ulladulla Times "It's not a custody battle, it's an access thing," he said. "I've always been looking after [Que]."

He said he did not know where he was on the journey, had no way of contacting anyone, and did not have a radio, satellite phone or emergency position radio indicating beacon (EPIRB) on board. Child recovery expert Col Chapman had been searching for the pair since December. Credit:Michelle Smith It was only when he got to shore that he realised his case had attracted attention, which he described as "mass hysteria". "I thought people might have been worried but I didn't think they'd call out planes," Mr Langdon said. Alan Langdon speaks to Australian Border Force officials at Ulladulla Harbour. Credit:Milton Ulladulla Times

"She [Que] did a 56-day trip before she was one, so 27 days isn't particularly big. She's lived on boats her whole life." When her daughter vanished, Ms Wyler hired Col Chapman, a contractor with the Australian-based firm Child Recovery, to track down her former partner and daughter. The poster distributed by Australian-based firm Child Recovery. She had previously hired Mr Chapman in 2015 to locate Mr Langdon and their daughter when they disappeared in Australia before a scheduled Family Court case here, Mr Chapman said. Mr Chapman said that, in his latest quest to find the pair, he had consulted experienced sailors and search-and-rescue professionals to plot Mr Langdon's possible route to Australia.

"We were adamant that he was transiting to Australia," Mr Chapman told Fairfax Media. "We came up with a projected sail pattern of what were the most likely areas that he would land in Australia and when, and Ulladulla was one of the target areas." Mr Chapman and his team then distributed missing person's posters around the NSW South Coast - including at yacht clubs, marinas, even small general stores catering to the sailing industry - containing images of the pair and urging anyone who saw them to contact the authorities. A social media campaign was also launched. Someone who saw those images is believed to have spotted the father and daughter in Ulladulla, possibly as early as Monday, Mr Chapman said. That is despite Mr Langdon saying he arrived in Ulladulla on Wednesday. "We are told that ... a member of the public did notice these [posters] and did approach the authorities," Mr Chapman said.

"We want to buy whoever it was a bottle of wine, champagne, chocolates or flowers, and of course the mum wants to just give them a great big hug "I've heard that they hit Australian shores on Monday afternoon. Alan is saying that they only just arrived. I don't know what the truth is. The authorities are saying that he has been there for some time." Yachts arriving in Australia from other countries must first call at a specified port of entry where Department of Immigration and Border Protection and Department of Agriculture formalities can be completed. Ulladulla is not one of those specified ports. All people on board an incoming yacht must also produce a valid passport and incoming passenger card before they can go ashore. Mr Chapman said a New Zealand court had seized Que's passport to prevent the child from travelling internationally before her parents' scheduled court appearance.

Mr Chapman said he had called Ms Wyler, who is caring for her sick mother in Switzerland, to tell her the news that her daughter had been found. "She's thrilled, over the moon. I got her out of bed at one o'clock in the morning to tell her, woke her up, and she thought she was dreaming," he said, adding that Ms Wyler was now returning to New Zealand. New Zealand Police said in a statement that Australian authorities had alerted them on Wednesday that the pair had been found in Ulladulla. "Police understand that Mr Landon and his daughter are both well, and he [Mr Langdon] is currently talking to Australian officials," the statement said. "New Zealand Police are currently liaising with its counterparts in Australia and awaiting further information about Mr Langdon's journey.

"Police will take time to assess all the information about today's development, and the background to this matter before any further steps required from a police perspective are considered and agreed." An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said it was now "a matter for New Zealand authorities", and the AFP would assist them if required. Mr Chapman said the New Zealand search for the pair had cost upwards of $100,000. Loading "A court of some sort needs to make a determination in the best interests of Que," he said.
There's two sides to every coin and the way Queensland politicians read a new property survey is no different.

The LNP argues the latest ANZ/Property Council survey shows Queensland has fallen well behind other states under the Palaszczuk Labor government, and is now the "worst government in the country".

The latest ANZ/Property Council survey has been released for March 2017. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

On the other hand, Labor welcomed the survey, saying it showed confidence in Queensland's property sector was on the increase - up three points.

The survey showed property industry confidence in Queensland rose three index points over the past quarter, yet remains well behind all Australian states, apart from Western Australia.
A woman has died after crash in the Brisbane suburb of Windsor.

She had been trapped in the wreckage after two cars collided on corner of Lutwyche Road and Legeyt Street on Thursday afternoon.

A serious accident has closed lanes at Windsor on Thursday afternoon.

She was freed and treated by ambulance officers, but later died, a fire and emergency services spokeswoman said.

Two other people were taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital with minor injuries.
A Cairns house is being forensically examined as police search for evidence in relation to the gruesome death of a newborn baby more than two decades ago.

A crime scene was established at the home on Cochrane Street in Mooroobool on Thursday, four days after the baby boy's mother was charged with his manslaughter.

Maria Lena Raymond was granted bail on Monday. Credit:Nine News Brisbane

The infant's mutilated body was found in the driveway of a home on nearby Hayward Street on May 4, 1996.

The search of the Cochrane Street property comes after police arrested and charged the baby's mother, Maria Lena Raymond, over his death, on Sunday.
Queenslanders are being urged to be on the lookout for a "wee problem" as a heatwave grips parts of the state.

Acting Health Minister Stirling Hinchliffe wants people to check the colour of their urine to ensure they are hydrated.

Mr Hinchliffe delivered the golden advice on Thursday morning as the state's south braced for another day of sweltering temperatures.

"I don't want to be squeamish about this but you need to monitor your own urine," he told reporters on the Gold Coast.
Australia needs an urgent review into working visas, following a case of modern-day 'slavery' in Brisbane, a Queensland MP has called.

Four men have pleaded guilty for their part in a case where 57 Taiwanese citizens in Australia on working holiday visas were kept in two Brisbane homes and forced to work 15 hours a day in a scam.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace has called for a federal review of working holiday visas.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said it was terrible that international visitors to Australia would fall victim to appalling treatment.

"These are sickening charges and it's unbelievable that these crimes are apparently being committed in our backyard," she said.
Queensland should have more ocean-pools on its beaches for surf-shy overseas tourists as a new report shows almost 10 per cent of 280 people who drowned on Australian beaches and rivers last year were from overseas, a Gold Coast quadriplegic says.

There are at least 100 ocean-pools, or ocean baths in New South Wales.

Wynnum Wading Pool. Credit:Must Do Brisbane

However Queensland only has three ocean baths, one ocean-fed pool at Caloundra's Kings Beach, one on the Wynnum foreshore and one at Townsville

A fourth is planned for Maroochydore as its new CBD is developed.
Home owners are being urged to check their evaporative coolers after the devices caused house fires at four properties in outer Melbourne suburbs over the weekend.

The Country Fire Authority said it was able to contain all four fires at the cooling units before they spread through the homes.

The CFA is urging residents to get their evaporative coolers serviced. Credit:Zoonar RF

However, it warned, such fires have the potential to cause extensive damage.

With Victoria's weather due to heat up next week, reaching 38 degrees in Melbourne on Tuesday, the CFA is urging residents to get their evaporative coolers serviced.
Police should collect and publish data on the ethnicity of people who are stopped and questioned, according to the Liberal candidate for the plum seat of Brighton.

James Newbury  who will take over in the bayside seat from retiring MP Louise Asher at the next election  said Victorians were "incensed by media reports that a small minority of immigrants are committing some some of the worst crimes".

James Newbury has won pre-selection for the Liberals for the seat of Brighton, and has called for police to collect information on suspects' ethnic background Credit:Penny Stephens

But Police Minister Lisa Neville dismissed the call, saying police were focused on arresting offenders regardless of their background.

"I don't think that it is in any way helpful that we divert the debate from offending to race or background," Ms Neville said.
A WA drug dealer has been jailed for 22 years after murdering and dismembering his mate over a debt.

Gary David Jackson, 51, bashed Wade Cameron Dunn to death with a metal pole before hacking his body up with a chainsaw in May 2015.

Wade Cameron Dunn was killed in May 2015.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years for murder at Perth Supreme Court, on Thursday.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW - Whether any of the claims in the memos are true. US intelligence agencies have not confirmed them, and Trump has said they are a complete fabrication. In addition, one specific allegation - that Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, met with a Russian official in Prague in August or September - has been denied by both Cohen, who says he has never been to Prague, and the Russian, Oleg Solodukhin. - Who concocted the information in the memos, if it is entirely false or partially so, and with what purpose. Did the British intelligence officer accurately report what he heard? Who gave him the information that, if false, amounts to a very sophisticated fabrication? - What exactly prompted US intelligence officials to pass on a summary of the unvetted claims to Obama, Trump and Congress? Officials have said they felt the president-elect should be aware of the memos, which had circulated widely in Washington. But why put the summary in a report going to multiple people in Congress and the executive branch, virtually assuring it would be leaked? - What will happen now. The FBI has been investigating the claims in the memos, and Democrats are demanding a thorough inquiry into the reports that Trump representatives met with Russian officials during the campaign. But as of January 20, Trump will be in charge of the bureau and the other intelligence agencies, and he may not approve such an investigation.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKING Everyone is talking about this document and passing it around online. Why can't I read it on The New York Times' website? Because the 35 pages of memos prepared as opposition research on Trump contain detailed claims that neither the intelligence agencies nor news organisations have been able to verify, the editors decided to briefly summarise the claims and not publish the document. Why did The Times and other outlets report extensively on the hacking of Democratic National Committee and Podesta emails before the election, but not this? The New York Times did report before the election that the FBI was investigating claims about Trump's ties to Russia - an article that resulted from an extensive reporting effort. The Democratic National Committee and Podesta emails were public, their authenticity was not in doubt and they contained newsworthy information.

Why did James B. Comey, the FBI director, write two letters about Clinton's emails before the election, but not about this? That is a question Comey may eventually have to answer. His two public statements about the bureau's investigation of the Clinton emails were highly unusual and a break with long FBI tradition. There are reports that many people in the news media knew about this opposition research on Trump and Russia for months, but it was never raised during the campaign. Why not? Many reporters from multiple news organisations tried to verify the claims in the memos but were unsuccessful. That does not mean that none of the claims are true, but most news organisations choose not to publish damaging allegations against a public figure unless they believe them to be true. So what changed Tuesday? Why is this now being reported and discussed by every news media organisation?
Taipei/Abuja: Taiwan objected on Thursday to an "unreasonable" Nigerian request to move its representative office out of the capital Abuja, a day after China announced plans to invest a further $US40 billion in the African country.

The protest highlighted Taiwan's frustration with Beijing's use of diplomatic and economic power to isolate it internationally. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it had been asked to move the office, which handles business affairs, to the former capital Lagos.

Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, left, and Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, right, sit during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria. Credit:AP

It urged Nigeria to reconsider, saying: "The foreign ministry seriously objects and condemns the unreasonable actions by the Nigerian government."

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations and to be taken back by force if necessary. The sensitivity of the issue was underlined last month when China protested after US President-elect Donald Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from the president of the island.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Senator Marco Rubio questions Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson during Tillerson's confirmation hearing. Credit:AP But Tillerson seemed constrained and at times reluctant in answering questions about some of the most controversial positions adopted by Trump during the presidential campaign. In some cases he said he does not yet have sufficient information to comment in detail, as with the Russian presidential hacking allegations clouding Trump's ascension to the presidency now, and in other cases he said the incoming administration has not yet settled on its views. "In my conversations with him on the subjects we have discussed, he's been very open and inviting of my views and respectful of those views," Tillerson said of Trump. "My sense is that were going to have all the views presented on the table." Senator John McCain has said he will Rex Tillerson written questions regarding Russia "and other matters". Credit:AP Tillerson called himself a pragmatist about Russia, which he said is not a friend of the United States but can be a partner. Moscow has been emboldened in Ukraine and elsewhere by a void in strong US leadership, Tillerson said, and he pledged a tough stance with both Russia and China over territorial ambitions.

"We have stumbled," he said. "In recent decades, we have cast American leadership into doubt." Rex Tillerson, the former chief executive officer of ExxonMobil and the US secretary of state nominee giving testimony in Washington. Credit:Bloomberg He was most critical of foreign policy decisions made by President Barack Obama, but he also found fault with the Iraq War launched by Republican President George W Bush. He declined to label Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal or to condemn Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte over human rights abuses the leader himself claims he committed. Senator Tim Kaine listens on Capitol Hill in Washington on during the confirmation hearing for Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson. Credit:AP

He seemed to stun some senators by saying he had not yet discussed Russian action in Aleppo, Syria, with Trump. He frustrated others by appearing to stonewall questions about ExxonMobil lobbying against economic sanctions, especially concerning Russia, where the company does extensive business. Tillerson said he never lobbied on the issue and fumbled over whether ExxonMobil ever had. At one point he said that to the best of his memory, ExxonMobil had not done that. Democrats on the committee produced lobbying records that show ExxonMobil had said it was lobbying over various economic sanctions measures, including tough sanctions on Iran in 2010 and more recently over sanctions on Russia for its annexation of Crimea. Under questioning by Senator Marco Rubio, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, Tillerson did not dispute intelligence officials' findings on Russia, saying that he had reviewed the unclassified report that U.S. agencies released last week on Russian interference in the election. More detailed classified versions of that report were presented to Trump and to President Obama. "That report clearly is troubling and indicates that all of the actions you just described were undertaken," Tillerson said.

Rubio is the only Republican on the committee who has suggested he might oppose Tillerson - a move that could imperil the former executive's nomination. Any GOP resistance could endanger the nomination in the Senate, which Republicans hold with 52 seats. As the hearing concluded, Rubio signalled he has not made up his mind. "I have to make sure I'm 100 percent behind whatever decision that I make, because when I make it, it isn't going to change," he told reporters. It is not clear that any Democrats on the committee will vote for Tillerson. But some Democrats were wondering, given how much Tillerson differed with some of Trump's past statements, whether Tillerson is the best nominee that Democrats can expect from the president-elect, according to one Senate Democrat closely following the hearings. Rubio has become a proxy for other GOP senators voicing similar concerns about Tillerson's views on Putin and Russia. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who do not sit on the panel, have indicated reluctance to vote for Tillerson, as have others. McCain said on Tuesday that he had no plans to attend the proceedings but that he intended to send Tillerson written questions regarding Russia "and other matters".

Concerns with Tillerson's ties to Russia include that he accepted an Order of Friendship award given personally by Putin in 2013 and because he has met with the Russian leader and other senior government officials numerous times. Tillerson appeared to break with Trump over the whether Russia was justified in annexing the Crimea region of Ukraine, the value of an international climate agreement and the wisdom of expanding the number of countries that possess nuclear weapons, among other issues. He also appeared to depart from the president he would serve in support for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and rejection of any "blanket" ban on Muslim immigration or registry. Tillerson hedged on his views on the human role in climate change and the extent of the threat it poses, although he did say he thinks the United States is better served by remaining a party to the international agreement on climate change brokered under the Obama administration. Trump has vowed to "cancel" US participation in the accord, in which hundreds of countries collectively agreed to slash carbon emissions to help mitigate the effects of global warming.

Under clipped questioning about Trump's business dealings and Exxon's views on climate science from Senator Tim Kaine, who was the Democratic nominee for vice-president in the 2016 election, Tillerson repeatedly answered "I have no knowledge." Kaine asked whether the response came from a lack of knowledge or a refusal to answer; Tillerson said with a smile, "a little of both". Tillerson flashed his blunt style again when asked by Senator Todd C Young how he might urge Trump to check his prolific tweeting to preserve foreign relations. "I don't think I'm going to be telling the boss how he ought to communicate with the American people. That's going to be his choice," Tillerson said, adding that he expects to be in sync with Trump on world affairs. Loading
The average national level of supply/demand in the property space will eventually balance out by the end of 2017, according to new analysis by HSBC.In the banks most recent Downunder Digest, trends show that the market will reach balance after a period of deficit that has lasted since mid-2008. How quickly this can be reached can be seen in the following graph which compares the housing surplus and deficit from 2003 to 2019.The main message is weve had a long period where weve had an undersupply of dwellings in Australia  we havent built enough  and thats what this chart clearly shows, HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham told Australian Broker.While efforts have been made to close this gap through higher levels of construction, there was still some way to go, he said.On the positive side, without a national oversupply, this then limits the risk of a national house price decline.While national trends are pointing towards balance, HSBC analysis shows variations by state with different areas showing either an over or an undersupply.Strong construction in the Sydney region has only recently matched population growth while regional NSW faced an undersupply which had yet to be matched, Bloxham said.In contrast, Melbourne has had stronger construction for longer, implying that the Victorian market is already close to balance.The markets in Queensland and Western Australia were at the other end of the spectrum with construction having outpaced population growth for quite a while.Bloxham explained that these trends explained the varying house price growth in each of the states.Since the national price trough in mid-2012, housing prices have risen by 69% in Sydney and are still rising at double-digit rates. In Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, housing prices have risen by only 20%, 10% and 7% over that period, partly reflecting stronger supply relative to demand.The Melbourne market is a little more complicated, with detached house prices having risen by 55% over that period, but apartment prices only 19% higher.
Latest News Expect another interest rate increase before Christmas And one more in February, says economist

New way to own a slice of paradise Platform provides co-ownership model for holiday homes

Specialised SME lender Private Mortgages Australia (PMA) has hired expert credit professional Royce Goh as its senior relationship manager.Goh has spent 15 years in the industry, joining PMA from First Financial Services where he worked as a mortgage and business loan consultant. Before that, he was the Asian business development manager & relationship manager with NAB Business Banking.Private Mortgages Australia is experiencing incredible growth in the short-term lending space for commercial clients, so Im really pleased to be joining them at such an exciting time, said Goh.The team are a great bunch of people who work with great brokers and borrowers and Im looking forward to growing the business even further.Last year was a positive one for PMA with the company experiencing a 210% increase in the number of loans settled and a 38% boost in the number of referrals coming in.Ninety per cent of the companys transactions comes from its broker database, managing director Tony Barbone told Australian Broker.The balance comes via our personal networks and repeat clientele. Its all about long term win/win relationships and thats why we have Royce here to provide the best possible service to our borrowers and referrers.PMA currently has 2,321 brokers on its database and is always working to grow that number, Barbone said.We host regular Webinars, send out quarterly newsletters and publish regular content as its important for us to spend the time to educate our referrers.Education is a key focus for PMA partially due to the increased numbers of brokers seeking to diversify into the commercial space, he said.Our goal is to be a one-stop-shop for referrers to gain as much information as possible before they recommend a private loan to their client. We have plans to produce a series of short training videos for referrers to watch at their convenience so watch this space.If we can deliver the message to more referrers that private lending isnt scary and has its place in the market then we are doing what we set out to achieve.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Call it a comfort zone.

A Red Hook city-planning guru is teaching regular citizens how to decode New Yorks byzantine land-use laws and baffling zoning jargon, opening the doors to his home office for two hours a week so residents can ask questions about their properties or learn how to shape the future of their rapidly changing neighborhood in a friendly environment.

People have the chance to tell stories about what they hope for the future of the neighborhood and at the same time they can apply some really good expertise, said Alexandros Washburn, who previously worked as the citys chief urban designer and is now the director of the Center for Coastal Resilience at Stevens Institute of Technology. Its something thats just more relaxed and people are able to get ideas out on the table in a setting that feels like home.

The Van Brunt Street resident has been running his zoning happy hour from 24 pm every Wednesday since last month, using his special software, reference library, and his research assistant to educate the masses about urban planning, as first reported by the Red Hook Star Revue.

Since then, local residents, business owners, and even staff from developer Joe Sitts Thor Equities  which is planning a massive office complex at Beard and Richards streets  have dropped by to discuss their ideas and learn what the hell R6 with a C2-5 overlay means.

Once, a Norwegian couple popped in after spotting the discussion from the street, and offered tips on how to improve the neighborhood using their hometown as an example  evidence change is really afoot in the area, Washburn said.

People love Red Hook so much that even Norwegian tourists will come and put in their two cents, he said.

Yep, Red Hook is gentrifying fast, with pricey condo buildings popping up along the waterfront, the mayors streetcar poised to cut a path through its streets, and a celebrity rehab center on the horizon. Recently, an engineering firms proposal to reshape the neighborhood in the image of Battery Park City has also generated a lot of buzz.

People cant stop the relentless march of progress, Washburn says, but they can have a say in how it plays out if they understand whats going on.

We know change is coming and we want that change to be on our terms, he said. How do we maintain the character of Red Hook as we grow?

Learn about the wonders of zoning with Alexandros Washburn (373 Van Brunt St. at Coffey Street in Red Hook), 24 pm every Wednesday. Free.
Yardley Friends Meeting at 65 N. Main Street in Yardley will host the documentary Organic Roots on Friday, November 18 at 7 p.m. Join director Al Johnson for a showing of this film followed by a discussion of the last 50 years of this movement. Organic foods are part of our life today and a tool in our concern for...
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...
In this episode of Frequency, Negative Copy, Franks plans to kill Joe Hurley hit several snags (and he begins to question if he should follow through), Raimy faces the consequences for her actions and a decision by Frank changes the course of Raimys life once again.

Raimy gets the satisfaction of shooting and killing the Nightingale Killer, convinced that there will be no repercussions since Frank murders Joe Hurley in 1996. But Frank runs into a bit of trouble when his car gets sideswiped by a drunk driver, and Hurley is able to escape from the trunk.

No Tomorrow and Frequency to Get Closure If Cancelled >>>





Repercussions for Raimy, and Frank Confides in Julie

While every cop in the city, including Satch, thinks Raimy is a hero, shes still accountable for dispensing vigilante justice. Internal Affairs is going to conduct an investigation, and Satch takes her badge until the issue is resolved.

Frank arrives home with a smashed car, bleeding from his forehead. This prompts Julie to ask some questions, and Frank decides to confess that he had kidnapped Hurley, thrown him in the trunk and planned to kill him. Julie freaks out, but Frank insists he had no choice. Nobody knows Hurley is the Nightingale, and Franks got no evidence to back it up. Frank already tried to tell her about the radio and Raimy, and that was a bust. So all he can say to Julie is that the Nightingale knows who she is and hes not going to stop, and killing the Nightingale is the only way to ensure her safety. He gives her a gun as back-up, and while its obvious that Julie has some doubts, she takes it anyway.

Raimy is finally able to talk to Frank and admits that she shot the Nightingale, even though he tried to surrender. Frank, who is used to operating outside the law when necessary, asks if his daughter at least covered her tracks, and she confesses that there were witnesses. Raimy questions what happened on Franks end to screw up the plan, and he tells her about the accident. Hes also wondering if what theyre doing is the right thing since it hasnt been working out for them so far. Raimy insists theres no turning back because its just not Julies life on the line anymore.

Frank returns to Deacon Joes house, but whatever he has planned is interrupted by a visit from a friend of Joes from the church, Patty. She gives Joe a heads-up that some money was stolen, and hes the prime suspect. The pastor plans to call the police and have them search Hurleys house. He swears hes innocent, and she believes him, so he invites her in for some tea. Frank has no choice but to flee.

Raimy Gets a Do-Over

Raimy gets a visit from Gordon Haas Sr. (Gordos dad), who has chosen to represent Raimy. He brings her to the police station, and it appears that shes about to be arrested. But when Raimy steps out of the elevator, shes met by Satch, who says he just questioned Joe Hurley about the thing in Arizona with the checks. Raimys lawyer has vanished, and shes still got her shield.

Raimy spots Hurley on his way out, and Raimy insists that Satch cant let him leave, but the guy checks out, and theyve got no cause to hold him. Raimy mentions the body of Hurleys wife in the closet, but Satch has no idea what shes talking about. A desperate Raimy draws her gun and screams at Hurley to get down on the ground. She swears to Satch that Hurley is the Nightingale and that, if they search his house, theyll find Christas body.

When they go to Hurleys, nothing is as Raimy remembers it, and theres zero evidence of foul play.

Frank is dealing with covering his tracks. The drunk guy showed up at an emergency room after the accident and reported the car that he hit, a Crown Vic with flashing red lights behind the grill. All the precincts are accounting for their cars, especially since the man says he saw someone crawl out of the trunk after the crash.

Things get even worse when Deacon Joe is brought into the station. Frank learns that Hurley is being questioned for robbing the same church that the mayor goes to. They dont have enough to arrest him, but the pressure is on. They are keeping him in custody while they try to build a case.

Frank and Raimy compare notes and figure out that the reason theres no body in the closet is because of Frank. When Frank stole the money to set up Hurleys disappearance, he couldnt keep the body there with the police sniffing around. No body, no manhunt, and Raimy never killed him. So even though everything has changed, Frank thinks its possible Hurley still has Meghan up at the cabin. And if he does, Raimy has no doubt that Hurley will think Meghan is the reason that Raimy thinks he had his wifes body in the closet.

Quiz: Which TV Vigilante Are You? >>>

Satch Suspects Frank

Franks sketchy explanations over the whereabouts of his car and his overall caginess prompt Satch to drop by and talk to Julie. He asks if Frank has discussed any cases hes been working on, and Julie says the Nightingale, but thats all she knows. Satch continues to push, wanting to know what Frank was up to the night before last. Julie tries to cover Franks tracks, telling Satch that they rented a movie. He asks to take a look in the garage. Julie chews Satch out for not only selling Frank out to Moreno but also for snooping around like Franks got something to hide. But she tells him hes free to check the garage.

Frank arrives home and is surprised to see his partner. Frank gets defensive when Satch brings up that the car still hasnt been accounted for. Julie tells Frank to just let Satch take a look. Its obvious she got the car fixed to save his ass. Satch has no choice but to say he misread things after seeing the cut on Franks head. He apologizes for doubting Frank. Julie got her cousin in Jersey to do the repairs, but until Franks Crown Vic was ready, she found another to take its place.

The reprieve is temporary. Later, at the station, Satch tricks Frank into contradicting Julies alibi. Satch swears hes on Franks side, and he knows his friend is on to something, and Satch is worried that hes trying to take it too far. Satch knows he let Frank down by tipping off Moreno, but he wants to make things right. Frank says that if Satch really wants to prove himself, he needs to come clean about what Moreno has on him. Why else would Satch have Morenos back? Theres no way Frank can trust Satch until he knows how deep things go between his partner and Moreno. All Satch will say is that it goes deep.

Moreno and Satch were working together when they were both patrolmen. They answered a domestic disturbance call. When they arrived, they found a boy not breathing and a pregnant woman severely beaten. The husband took off, and Satch chased him up to the roof where they fought. Satch pushed the guy, and he fell to his death. Moreno had Satchs back. It was self-defense, and Moreno convinced Satch not to take any chances and ruin his life over some dirtbag.

To this day, Satch still regrets killing the man. Satch warns Frank that it never washes off, so whatever Frank is dealing with, its not worth risking everything he has.

Frank Improvises and Raimy Looks for Meghan

Satch isnt the only one who doesnt want Frank to do something hell regret. Julie worries that Frank will cease to be the man she fell in love with. Shes also concerned that hell get caught and what that would do to Raimy. Julie urges Frank to make the right choice and then come home to his family.

Hurley does have Meghan at the cabin, and hes determined to punish her for telling stories. The guy is obviously a nut job. He fancies himself as some sort of savior and says hes delivered too many good works for Meghan to put at risk again. But the really interesting thing is that he mentions Meghans brother, Robbie. Hurley says Robbie understood him, but he was weak. Robbie filled Meghans head with lies. Hurley also denies killing Robbie, telling Meghan that Robbie ran away.

Back in 1996, Hurley is released, and Frank waits for the man outside his house. No sooner does Hurley arrive than several cop cars pull in behind him. Hurley is led back out in handcuffs. Frank planted the money at Hurleys and called in an anonymous tip.

Raimy arrives at the cabin and doesnt find anyone inside. She hears a woman screaming and heads into the woods. She finds Meghan crying, and shes not alone. Meghan tells Raimy that the man with her is bleeding, and hes her brother.

Is Robbie the real Nightingale? Could Robbie and Joe be working together? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Frequency season 1 airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Frequency Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of The CW)
Campus News

Architecture studio aims to bridge disconnect between police, community

Student rendering of UB Police headquarters, called the Wellness Gateway and located near the department's current home in the arts and athletics section of the North Campus.

Student rendering of UB Police headquarters, called the Green Gateway and located on the Solar Strand site at the Flint Road entrance to the North Campus.

Students in Jin Young Song's fall 2016 architecture studio toured Bissell Hall, the longtime home of UB Police, to learn more about how the university's police personnel use the space. Students created renderings for a new UB Police building in one of three different locations on the North Campus.

By DAVID J. HILL

Our aim was that through the architecture itself, the building should be fostering that relationship with the campus community every day. 

In October, UB Police held a one-day event called Coffee with a Cop as a way to foster good relations with students and the larger campus community.

Students in Jin Young Songs fall studio in the School of Architecture and Planning spent the fall semester creating designs for a new UB Police headquarters that would, in essence, have the same effect as Coffee with a Cop, but on a daily basis.

Our aim was that through the architecture itself, the building should be fostering that relationship with the campus community every day, says Song, assistant professor in the Department of Architecture and a founder of DIOINNO Architecture, which has offices in Buffalo and Seoul.

Song has been interested in viewing the contemporary building facade as a mechanism that integrates manifold technical and non-technical elements, thereby generating a specific relationship between people and the culture. Now, the studio is searching for the new face of the campus police.

Members of the UB community are encouraged to visit the studio website, Architecture for Campus Policing, and vote for the scheme they like best.

UB Police are headquartered in Bissell Hall on the North Campus, near Alumni Arena and UB Stadium. Completed in 1938, the former church is the oldest building on the campus and is one of two  the other is the nearby Campus Mail Center  that predate construction of the North Campus in the 1970s.

At only 6,000 square feet, its also far smaller than the 24,000 square feet that a recent space-needs study determined is necessary for an operation the size of UB Police, according to UB Police Chief Gerald W. Schoenle Jr. Anyone who has toured our building quickly realizes that we are really pressed for space, he says.

Students in the studio saw that firsthand when they toured Bissell Hall to learn more about UB Police at the start of the semester.

One of the major issues they have is not being able to hold larger functions there. We tried to create different program spaces that would bring the community to the building to develop a positive interaction between the police and the campus community, says Pete Urban, a student in the studio.

Police stations are considered very private  you only go there if youve committed a crime, adds student Michael St. John. The challenge for us was balancing the public and private aspects of a new police building.

The studio was split into three teams, each charged with developing designs for a new police headquarters in one of three different named locations: the Green Gateway (Solar Strand site), University Link (near Lake LaSalle) and the Wellness Gateway (near the current location).

The designs all strive for spaces that make it easier for police to do their job, while removing the visual barriers that can make a building seem closed off and uninviting.

The architect is always trying to suggest something innovative to improve the clients everyday life, Song explains. But based on their interviews with UB Police, the students tried to introduce additional elements, such as natural lighting and making parts of the building visible from the outside, to improve transparency.

For our project we were trying to increase the visual connection. Obviously, the police need their private spaces, but how do you open it up so you can see police walking between those spaces and see whats happening inside the building, says Patrick OBrien, a student in the studio.

The idea for the studio came about after a conversation between Schoenle and Philip Glick, chair of the Faculty Senate and a professor of surgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Glick, who had attended the UB Police Citizens Police Academy a few years ago, suggested that Schoenle reach out to Robert Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, about the possibility of using the services of the architecture students.

They are so creative and such an amazing, underutilized resource on campus for capital projects, Glick says. I really hope this project goes from idea to drafting board to getting funded. Its a true UB community project.

Song feels the timing for the studio was perfect, given the increased tension that exists between police departments nationally and the communities they serve. There is a huge disconnect, he says. While a campus police station is a bit different from a municipal one, it offers a perfect opportunity for education and to improve that perception.

Song and the students praise UB Police for the departments participation in the studio. Theyve been very engaged. They were responsive to suggestions and offered good feedback, Song says.

We think all three designs are excellent and all have their advantages, Schoenle says. All three of these designs incorporate new and exciting ways that the police could work more closely with students on our campus.

Thats a priority for the department, according to Schoenle.

The police truly need to be part of the community they serve, and at UB we strive for that, he says. The appropriate new police/community building could be an asset to the campus in this regard. There is also a need for an Emergency Operations Center, which would be housed in such a building and would be used for all campus emergencies.
Campus News

CAI artists in residence to present staged reading of Faust with new chamber score

By BERT GAMBINI

UBs Creative Arts Initiative (CAI) will present an inventive reworking of Goethes epic Faust by Yale Drama Award-winning playwright Neil Wechsler and former Tanglewood Music Center compositional fellow Nathan Heidelberger next month as part of its residency program. Performances are at 8 p.m. Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo.

The Faust Project: A Staged Reading with Live Music of Goethes Faust, is an 80-minute staged reading of selected scenes from Goethes tragedy adapted and directed by Wechsler with Heidelbergers new chamber score. It features UB faculty member Vincent ONeill as Mephistopheles, David Oliver as Faust, and Kurt Guba and Josephine Hogan in multiple roles.

The challenge of capturing all of Goethes 17-hour epic in a spare, roughly hourlong performance mirrors Fausts own insatiable drive to master all knowledge and highlights the simplicity at the heart of the story  the bargain between Faust and the devil.

Wechsler and Heidelberger are members of CAIs inaugural residency class of nationally and internationally recognized artists and performers involved in research, production, workshops and performance at UB and in the Western New York creative community during the 2016-17 academic year.

Their residencies, in partnership with the Burchfield Penney Arts Centers A Musical Feast Concert Series, are part of a yearlong celebration of the museums 50th anniversary.

In addition to their performances, Wechslers and Heidelbergers residencies include presentations to students at UB, SUNY Buffalo State, Nichols School and Just Buffalo Literary Center that examine Fausts structure, timeless appeal and contemporary relevance.

Wechsler also will discuss the unique challenges to a playwright arising from condensing Goethes sweeping opus, while Heidelberger will touch on the musical component of the project, including a preview of his score.

The following events are open to the public:

Jan. 17, 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Just Buffalo Writing Center and Youth Writing Workshop, 468 Washington St., Buffalo. This free talk is aimed at young students aged 1218, and limited to 12 participants. No registration is required.

Jan. 17, 7-9 p.m.: Jung and Goethes Faust, A Dramatic Presentation, The Chapel at Trinity Church, 371 Delaware Ave, hosted by the Analytical Psychology Society of Western New York. Registration required through the C. G. Jung Centers website. Admission: $8 for members (APSWNY and Trinity Episcopal), $10 for non-members.

Jan. 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Jan. 24, 7-10 p.m.: Open rehearsals, Room B1, Slee Hall, North Campus. Open rehearsals offer a unique perspective on the creative dynamic between conductors, musicians and composers as they sculpt pieces for final performance. Visitors have the chance to watch the music come to life. The event is free; no registration is required.

The CAI is a university-wide initiative dedicated to the creation and production of new work upholding the highest artistic standards of excellence and fostering a complementary atmosphere of creative investigation and engagement among students, faculty, visiting artists and the community.

Through its artist-in-residence program and innovative, interdisciplinary offerings for students, CAI is raising the profile of UB and Buffalo in world of artistic expression and revitalizing the university and regions proud tradition as leaders in contemporary art.
Allegion UK plans to use its central Birmingham HQ as an industry meeting hub for door, building and architectural professionals.

Based in Aston, Birmingham, the offices house what the company calls its Security and Safety Learning Centre. Capable of holding up to 24 people at any given time in the meeting space, the aim is for the Centre to be used as a hub for learning and discussion.

Launched in October shortly after relocating from Walsall, the Centre has already held a function for industry body the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, while the Door Hardware Federation has chosen the venue for an event this month. Plans are now in place to host more regular networking events, with the aim of improving dialogue among industry professionals.

The Centre was developed after Allegion recognised that many of its customers and trade partners would benefit from a centrally located and serviced meeting area to discuss industry issues.

Choosing Birmingham as our UK headquarters was a strategic decision meant to help unite professionals working within the industry, said Suzanne Taylor-Turnbull, Allegions marketing, communications and brand leader in the EMEIA region. The central location is key for us to bring together industry leaders and businesses for regular networking events, and by doing so well be improving the relations between vendors, users and suppliers. Its our hope that collaboration and knowledge across the industry improves overall, in turn, helping to ensure the safety and security of building occupants.

The Security and Safety Learning Centre offers a suite of around-the-doorway safety and security solutions set out by market sector, and contains working models of Allegions latest innovations and most successful products. Catering can be arranged for guests wishing to host a meeting or event.

To book a visit to Allegions Security and Safety Learning Centre or learn more about what Allegion can offer at its offices, visit http://www.allegion.com/uk/welcometothesecuritysafetylearningcentre.html.
Two forklift truck operators from Travis Perkins are celebrating success after qualifying as finalists in RTITBSs 2016 Forklift Operator of the Year competition.

Adam Hayes and Kristian Sherratt battled it out against forklift operators from across the UK, US and India to be crowned as finalists in an intense four-day competition, held at the International Materials Handling Exhibition at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre.

The complicated tests included a theory knowledge assessment and a number of practical challenges, including moving an open case of 4,000 balls out of a high level rack with a rotator attachment. They then needed to tip all the balls into a new case without dropping a single one  Mr Hayes and Mr Sherratt were the only two competitors to do this successfully.

Mike Seddon, instructor and trainer at Travis Perkins, said: The competition celebrates the skills, safety and professionalism of forklift operators globally and as a business that puts safety first, we are very proud that our two employees were able to demonstrate this in practice. They both impressed the judges with their knowledge and outstanding manoeuvring skills  we wish them the best of luck in the rest of the competition.

Adam Hayes and Kristian Sherratt will be taking part at the 2016 Forklift Operator of the Year Grand Final at RTITBs headquarters in early 2017.
New Jersey synagogues threat 'mitigated,' governor says

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the source no longer poses a threat to the community.
After strong protest by India over selling doormats depicting Indian flag, the e-retail giant today removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.

A spokesman for based at its headquarters in Seattle told The Washington Post that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website.

Taking strong exception to Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The minister also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India.

"Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.

"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj said in her tweets after she received a complaint on Twitter.

Swaraj's tweets went viral and led to an outrage on the social media by Indians and people of Indian-origin.

"Her tweet storm escalated the protest into a possible diplomatic spat," The Washington Post said.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeffrey P Bezos is also owner of The Washington Post.

Amazon Canada removed the offensive doormat from its website. However, it was selling similar doormats with US and British flags.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) buying 48% stake in Inc, with an enterprise value of the software product development outsourcer at $1.5 billion, gives Apax Partners three times exit in four years.
The Indian pharma industry, which account for nearly 40 per cent of the generic drugs in the US, is unlikely to come under pressure after US President-elect Donald Trump attacked the pharmaceutical for high drug prices and overseas manufacturing, felt here.
It was at the TCS House in Fort, Mumbai, that the word got out Wednesday evening that CEO would be named the chairman of the holding company, Tata Sons. A meeting held at the headquarters of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to finalise Chandrasekarans successor at the top IT firm gave enough hints to the employees that a change was in the offing, it is learnt. The word spread fast as it was also a day before TCS' Q3 result when activity was at its peak.
N Chandrasekarans appointment as the chairman of Tata Sons coming less than three months after Cyrus Mistry was defenestrated, speaks of the urgency to have someone take control. The Tata group, built over 150 years, has been steadily losing its reputation these past few months. A steadying hand was needed not just to protect its legacy, but for the group to remain relevant in future.
Users of mobile wallet may have received alerts advising them not to believe rumours that their mobile wallets will stop working after January 15. This rumour started after launch of the Payments Bank, which necessitates migration of mobile wallets to the bank, by One97 Communications. has 180 million registered users.
has dropped plans to sell five airports in its portfolio although it plans to sell other assets to become almost debt free by March 2018.
N Chandrasekaran, popularly known as Chandra, has a long list of challenges as he takes over as Tata Sons chairman. These include improving relations of operating with Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, and also with independent directors of group companies, which touched a new low in the recent past.
The Vice Chairman of Group, Lee Jae-yong, on Thursday morning arrived at the prosecutor's office for questioning in a bribery case, media reports said.

Lee, is the heir apparent of South Korea's largest family-run conglomerate that was being investigated for the scandal involving impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Xinhua agency reported.

Lee was seen on TV footage telling reporters that he felt "very sorry" and apologised to the people for the matter before entering the independent counsel's office.

He would be questioned as a suspect in the influence-peddling scandal.

was suspected of having provided the biggest donations among scores of conglomerates to two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, Park's long-time confidante at the centre of the scandal.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday rejected Sahara boss Subrata Roys plea for further extension of parole, unless he paid Rs 600 crore for bail. SC had granted time till February 6 for the payment, but till now, he has offered to pay only Rs 285 crore.
is considered the northern market leader in the sector but is now aiming at a national presence. It intends to invest Rs 6,000 crore over the next five years to this end, through new projects and expansion of existing ones.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to reconsider its decision to auction Tata Group's in Delhi within six weeks. There will be no change till then as the status quo ordered in November last year would prevail.
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.
Tata Sons on Thursday appointed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Chief Executive Natarajan Chandrasekaran as its new chairman. He will take over as the executive chairman from Feb. 21, Tata Sons said in a statement, adding the selection committee appointed by its board had unanimously recommended the group veteran for the job.



The decision came about three months after the $100-billion conglomerate in October ousted Cyrus Mistry and appointed Ratan Tata as its interim chairman, sparking a bitter public spat.
Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software exporter on Thursday named chief financial officer Rajesh Gopinathan as the new chief executive officer and N Ganapathy Subramanian, head of financial services as the chief operating officer of the company.

The management change came after incumbent CEO and MD N Chandrasekaran was elevated as the chairman of Tata Sons, the group that owns majority stake in .

"Rajesh is one of the rare combinations of business and finance," said Chandrasekaran, who will continue to be on the board, introducing his successor. "He has an end to end perspective on the business. I am very confident he will lead to greater heights".

Gopinathan, 46, is an electrical and electronic engineer from REC Trichy (now NIT, Trichy), graduating in 1987 from the same institute of his predecessor, who completed his masters three years before. After joining TCS in 2001, as a pre-sales consultant, Gopinathan was spotted by Chandrasekaran, who as VP of operations to to help him run strategy for TCS.

Later when he restructured the company as chief operating officer, the soft-spoken Gopinathan was shifted to business finance and later as deputy CFO in 2012 and was mentored by former CFO S Mahalingam. Since 2013, he has led the finance operations at TCS, a role that has transformed the soft-spoken, reserved and a person who would choose his words carefully to become outspoken and confident of his role new but also the roadmap and strategy of the $16.5 billion company.

"I assure you that the vision and roadmap are exactly what you heard from me during the last couple of years . The big thing is that we have worked very closely with Chandra and very much on the same page," said Gopinathan in his first comments in his new role. " More importantly there continuity at a leadership level and we are not expecting any major changes in TCS."

Gopinathan takes over the charge of the company at an interesting stage.

The industry is at the cusp of a massive technology disruption and TCS is gearing up to take this change head on.

"This is the first technology change where we are part of it from grounds up. Earlier when the web technologies came, we were still trying to prove customers our credibility. Now we have to show our capabilities, earlier our opportunities were limited because of our size. Now the context is different," Gopinathan said in an interview on December 19.

Chief Operating Officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam or NGS, who is the elder brother of Chandrasekaran, has been a TCS veteran of over 34 years, who has worked in almost every role in the company. He is currently the President of TCS Financial Solutions, a strategic business unit of TCS. "NGS has progressed across the technology, sales, heading Europe, managing financial services business for a long time and responsible for Deutsche Bank or American Express," said Chandrasekaran. " There is extreme level of confidence from customers for his thought leadership and led TCS product business."
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will re-inspect three manufacturing units of Dr Reddy's Laboratories at Nalgonda (in Telangana), Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam (in Andhra Pradesh) in this quarter, the company said in a statement.
During a recent visit to Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his alcohol ban policy in . He said: I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor. But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All the political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a jan-jan ka andolan (peoples movement).

In April 2016, Kumar announced a ban on the sale and consumption of country liquor in the state. The ban was one of Kumars key poll promises made to women voterswho rallied behind him strongly, as this Mint report indicatesduring the 2015 assembly elections.

Thirty days after the ban, Kumar claimed that the crime was down 27% , according to his analysis of crime data from April 2016 and April 2015.
Khanderi, the second class stealth submarine that has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface, was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited here on Thursday.

The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force.

It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, i.E anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi (Yard 11876).

The submarine was launched by the Union minister's wife, Bina Bhamre, in presence of Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba.

Khanderi is expected to be delivered to Navy by the year end. The submarine has been christened after its illustrious predecessor, an erstwhile 'Foxtrot' class submarine decommissioned in 1989, which is as per the traditions of Indian Navy.

"Project 75 Kalvari is a key milestone in self-reliance and indigenisation for the country," Bhamre said.

Admiral Lanba said the fact that Khanderi compares with the best in the world, speaks highly of the experience and expertise our shipbuilders have gained over the years.

"As Indian Navy celebrates Golden Jubilee of the submarine arm in 2017, the induction of Project 75 submarines would mark the beginning of a new chapter in our submarine capabilities," he said.

The state-of-the-art features of this class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapon. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface.

The first of the class submarine, Kalvari is presently undergoing sea trials and likely to be commissioned into Navy by Mid-2017. These submarines, post induction, would form the core of Navy's conventional submarine arm.

Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha

forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.

The launching of Khanderi also marks a critical milestone event for the shipyard which earlier has delivered two Shishumar class submarines in the 90s and has now strengthened its position as a submarine building yard for Indian Navy.

Started as a small dry dock facility for East India Company, MDL has established itself as a forefront Defence Public Sector Undertaking, with indigenous construction of several ships and submarines for Navy such as P 15 B Destroyers and P 17 A class stealth frigates being the latest.

The construction of six submarines is presently in progress at Mazagon Dock Shipyard Limited (MDL), under Project 75 with Transfer of Technology from M/s DCNS, France as the collaborator.

At the launch event, Bhamre lauded MDL, saying it is the country's premier shipbuilding yard and has a rich history that dates back to 1774.

"In fact the history of indigenous warship and submarine building in India is more or less the history of MDL, as right from the days, since it started construction of the Leander class frigates in the late 60s, MDL has always been in the forefront of warship and submarine building in India," the minister said.

"It did the country proud when it became the first shipyard in the country to build submarines, when the MDL built INS Shalki was commissioned in 1992," he said.

"Despite facing numerous challenges, particularly delays due to material issues, MDL has successfully overcome all these challenges with typical determination and innovativeness of the work force. This speaks volumes about the technological prowess and skill set of this premier shipbuilding yard," he said.

"However, after MDL built the two SSK submarines, which were commissioned in 1992 and 1994, this critical skill was almost lost thereafter due to lack of orders for building submarines," he said.

The MoS further said that, "With the first submarine of the Scorpene class having successfully completed the deep dive trials and with the launching of this second submarine, MDL has proved beyond doubt that they have regained the world class skills required for submarine construction."

"It is therefore incumbent that we ensure that this critical skill set is not wasted, and is optimally utilised for constructing more submarines for our Navy. We will also optimally utilise the world class infrastructure set up here for submarine construction," he said.

Bhamre also said that though MDL has always been in the forefront of warship and submarine building in India, it will have to face competition from the private industry.

"Knowing MDL, it will utilise this as an opportunity to re-invent itself to meet the challenge head-on. You have the capability, and I know that you will rise to the occasion," he said.

"This potent submarine Khanderi is a symbol of the capability of our great nation, a shining example of the 'Make in India' programme. It is a key milestone in attaining self-reliance in the vital field of submarine construction," he added.

Bhamre said they expect delivery of all the submarines of Project 75 by 2020.

"We expect delivery of all the submarines (of Project 75) by 2020," he told reporters.

On spotting of a Chinese Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine docked at the Karachi harbour, the minister said, "We take cognisance of such things in our own way."

To another query on the spate of Navy accidents, including the one involving warship INS Betwa, he said such incidents were "minor and sporadic".

"Betwa had docked for routine refitting," he said. "We are working with salvaging authorities and will assess what exactly went wrong," he said.

Bhamre's comments came in the backdrop of Tuesday's incident when fire broke out on board INS Pralay, a Veer class corvette, at the Naval Dockyard here.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam on Thursday requested Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu for further release of from Kandaleru Reservoir to meet Chennai's drinking water needs during their meeting in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..A guest post from Zvi..12 January '17..In 1948, the Arab Legion ethnically cleansed - illegally - the millennia-old Jewish Quarter of eastern Jerusalem, as well as other parts of the "old city." The Jordanians, occupying the area, expelled every last Jew, destroyed 58 synagogues and tens of thousands of Jewish graves, and forbade Israelis to pray at their holiest places. Arab Muslim settlers - including some from Hebron, which had violently murdered most of its own Jews only a few decades before, in 1929 - were later transferred in to replace the Jews who had been violently expelled from their homes in eastern Jerusalem. The area became a slum.
Saddled with $40,000 in college loans, Catherine Berendsohn, 29, struggled to get a web design business off the ground after graduating from Florida State University in 2010. Berendsohn, an artist-entrepreneur, wanted to rent a storefront and start a roving studio in Monterey, California. Her student loans, however, prevented her from getting the money she needed.
The Supreme Court today rejected a plea urging it to pass judgement on bull taming sport before the harvest festival of Pongal on Saturday.

A bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi told a group of lawyers, who requested for the verdict, that it is unfair to ask the bench to pass an order.

The apex court, however, said that the draft of judgement has been prepared but it was not possible to deliver it before Saturday when is to be organised.

The court had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging Centre's notification allowing the sport.

The court had earlier questioned the Centre for its January 2016 notification allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, saying that its 2014 verdict banning the use of the animals cannot be "negated".

Supporting the tradition, the Centre has said that it could ensure that bulls are not tortured or subjected to alcohol before the sport.

Earlier, the apex court had observed that the country cannot "import Roman gladiator-type sport" as it is against the culture of compassion towards animals.

The court in its 2014 judgement had said that bulls could not be used as performing animals, either for events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.

The apex court had also dismissed the review petition against its 2014 verdict.

The apex court had also earlier declared Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009 as constitutionally void, being violative or Article 254(1) of the Constitution.

On January 8, last year the Centre had issued a notification lifting ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which was challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.

On July 26, last year the apex court had said that just because the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu was a centuries-old tradition, it could not be justified.

It had said if the parties were able to convince the court that its earlier judgement was wrong, it might refer the matter to a larger bench.

The Supreme Court had on January 21, last year refused to re-examine its 2014 judgement banning use of bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country.

The apex court had also stayed the January 8 notification of Centre.
After trying for four months to sell his apartment in a western suburb of Mumbai, Meher Verma decided to cut the price by 10 per cent. With property demand plummeting in the wake of Novembers sudden ban on high-denomination notes, hes not sure the reduction will do the trick. I was hoping to sell my house soon, said Verma, who put his two-bedroom property in Andheri on the market for $400,000 in September. Now it looks like I might have to cut my price or wait much longer for the market to improve. Real estate has long been a place where ...
The Gujarat government on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 67,000 crore with the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit here for component manufacturing for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai project.
Industrial activity rose to a 13-month high of 5.7% in November, belying expectations of an adverse impact from demonetisation. It had contracted 1.8% in October, revealed the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data released on Thursday.
The burden of transaction charges for the fuel bought through cards at petrol pumps is likely to be absorbed by the state-run oil marketing companies like Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd .
About 4 milion bank accounts have comes under the scrutiny of the income-tax (IT) department, as officials observed a sudden surge in deposits in these accounts after demonitisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8. The last date to deposit old notes in banks was December 30.

According to the latest data, close to 6 million accounts each received more than Rs 2 lakh since November 8. Total deposit in these accounts was about Rs 7 lakh crore till December 30.

Of these, balances in 0.7 million accounts matched with the data of the tax department. About Rs 30,000 crore cash was deposited in dormant bank account or non-functional accounts, which had not shown any activity over a long period.

The deposits in such accounts are expected to increase significantly in the coming days, said a senior tax official.

Based on such data, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has asked the taxman to list out the name of banks and the respective dormant accounts which have registered a sudden outflow during the demonitisation period, official added.

Such activity indicates concert between bank and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials who are suspected of misusing dormant accounts for money laundering, said another tax official who is investigating the matter.

Some of these dormant bank accounts were also used for RTGS transfer and withdrawal after November 8. The information has been shared with the both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for investigation under anti-money laundering laws, he added.

CBI, too, was investigating the role of RBI and bank officials. The agency had launched a preliminary enquiry against 35- 40 officials of various public sector banks and the RBI, said a source.

Besides, banks have also been directed to ask account holders, who did not furnish PAN or Form 60 at the time of opening bank account, to do so by February 28 this year. According to the latest CBDT notification, banks, cooperative banks and post offices will have to report all-cash deposits between April 1 and November 8.

The ED carried out surveys and enquiry of records operation at 50 bank branches across the country to detect money laundering and hawala dealing instances through these channels. They had scrutinised transaction records and account statements, based on vital inputs gathered from their insider informer.

This was a nationwide operation across New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai. The agency arrested two Axis Bank employees working at a branch in New Delhi while probing a similar instance under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.



RBI had also suspended two erring officials, arrested by CBI, in connection with illegal conversion of Rs 2 crore of demonistised currency.
38th Meeting of Tripartite Committee on Convention (COC)

The 38th meeting of the Tripartite Committee on Convention (COC) was held, on 10th January, 2017, at New Delhi, under the chairpersonship of Smt. M. Sathiyavathi, Secretary, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment. Representatives of Central Trade Unions, Employers Organizations, State Governments, Central Ministries, ILO and officers from the Ministry of Labour & Employment participated in the meeting.

Secretary (Labour & Employment) informed the Committee that Tripartism has been integral to labour policy processes in India. COC has a specific mandate of discussing the progress made so far in ratification of International Labour Standards and recommending the future road map.

COC took stock of the progress made in respect of ILO Convention No. 138 regarding Minimum Age for Entry to Employment and Work, Convention No. 182, concerning Worst Forms of Child Labour, Convention No. 87 regarding Freedom of Association and protection of Rights, Convention No. 98 regarding Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, Maritime Labour Convention 2006, Convention No. 185 regarding Seafarers Identify Document, Convention No. 187 regarding promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, Convention No. 153 regarding Hours of work and Rest Periods in Road Transport and Report on the Working Group on Standard Review Mechanism.

The Committee expressed satisfaction on the progress made in respect C 187, C 153 and Indias contribution to ILOs work in the Standard Review Mechanism and also on the decision of the Government of India to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and C 185.

The Committee lauded the efforts taken by the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment relating to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Parliament in July, 2016. This Amendment Bill clearly stipulates total and complete prohibition on employment of children below 14 years and proposed more stringent punishments for violations. Amendment bill seeks to ensure the Right of Children to schooling and learning. Amendment also prohibits Adolescents in the age group of 14-18 years of their employment in hazardous occupations and permits their engagement in only certain occupations to be specified in due course. With this amendment, India is now close to ratifying the ILO Conventions C 138 and C 182, for which steps are already being taken by the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

COC also decided to constitute a committee comprising of representatives from Union Ministry of Labour & Employment, Department of Personnel & Training and ILO, New Delhi Office to examine issues relating to ratification of C 87 regarding Freedom of Association and protection of rights, C 98 regarding Right to Organize and collective bargaining.
India looks forward to working with Kenya to contribute to Global Peace and Stability, says President

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee yesterday (January 11, 2017) received His Excellency Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also hosted a banquet in his honour.

Welcoming the President of Kenya, the President said Indias relationship with Kenya is centuries old. India and Kenya fought together as brothers against colonialism. The two countries are bound by common belief in democratic values and traditions. Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a special relationship with Kenyan Presidents father, President Jomo Kenyatta who laid the foundation of the Kenyan nation.

The President said India and Kenya have made significant progress in cooperation since re-establishment of contacts at Head of Government level during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2016. These high level exchanges are taking place after a gap of over three decades. He expressed confidence that the Kenyan Presidents visit will expand and deepen cooperation between the two countries.

The President said trade is below potential and there is need for increasing and diversifying economic linkages. India welcomes efforts by the industry and business on both sides to pursue opportunities in healthcare, tourism, IT, agriculture, blue economy and energy.

Reciprocating the sentiments expressed by President Mukherjee, the Kenyan President lauded the role of the Indian community in Kenya whom he described as part and parcel of Kenyan society. He said the Indian community, encouraged by Prime Minister Nehru were an integral part of Kenyas freedom struggle. He called for increased contacts at the highest level so that people and business leaders get inspired to take relations to a new level.

Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Pranab Mukherjee said under Mr.

Uhuru Kenyattas
Speech by The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the banquet hosted in honour his excellency Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, The President of the Republic of Kenya

Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta,

Honourable Ministers from Kenya,

Distinguished Guests,

Namaskar!

Habari Ya Jioni!

Mr. President,

We are delighted to welcome you today.

Not so long ago, in October last year, I had the pleasure of welcoming you to the Rashtrapati Bhavan when you participated in the Third India-Africa Forum Summit hosted in New Delhi.

Your State Visit to India this year, the first State Visit from Kenya since February 1981, reflects a new momentum in our bilateral co-operation.

The initiatives announced during Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modis State Visit to Kenya last July and your current visit will go a long way in strengthening our long standing affinities and enhancing our ties in the diverse areas of our common interest.

Excellency,

You have experienced the famed hospitality of the vibrant State of Gujarat. Of course, the enterprising people of this Jewel of Western India are no strangers to you. Over the centuries, the Muhindi in Kenya have been a bridge between our two countries - and today, they are as much a part of your society as your own tribes: they are even referred to as the 43rd tribe of Kenya! Their active involvement in almost every sector of Kenyas economy bears testimony to their dedication to your great country.

Excellency,

Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the founding President of Kenya, was an esteemed friend of the leaders of Indias Freedom movement. During his famous Kapenguria trial in Kenya, independent Indias first Prime Minister, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, had despatched Diwan Chaman Lal, an eminent lawyer, to represent and defend him in court. Over the years, this mutual regard and understanding have deepened and evolved into a close relationship. We have made substantial progress in every sphere of our cooperation. Today, India is one of Kenyas leading trade partners and second largest foreign investor.

The presence of more than forty premier Indian companies in Kenya bears testimony to the complementarities of our two economies. India welcomes Kenyan business houses to explore the opportunities that our flagship schemes offer for partnerships and investments in our country.
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..The Tower..Issue 46, January '17..Western Sahara, according to, is disputed territory.Not that theres anything wrong with that. The status of the large swath of land between Morocco and Mauritania is indeed disputed. Morocco claims Western Sahara as its sovereign territory; the international community does not agree. There is also an ongoing dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front, a rebel group that has declared a state of its own on the territory. And the Polisario Front has its own dispute with the international community, which does not recognize its state.Beyond Western Sahara, theover the past year hasnt hesitated to tell readers about disputed territory in Kashmir, claimed by India and Pakistan; the Scarborough Shoal, contested by China and the Philippines; the Spratly Islands, torn between a number of southeast Asian countries; the Yirga Triangle between Eritrea and Ethiopia; Nagorno-Karabakh, contested by Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists; Bartica, claimed by Venezuela and Guyana; and even territories in Syria and Iraq.But in its coverage of one particular dispute, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, there is a striking difference in the newspapers language: News editors have recently acknowledged what amounts to a new policy of avoiding the term disputed territory, even when describing the land most obviously in disputethe ground on which Israeli settlements in the West Bank are built.
on Thursday announced plans to add 100,000 US jobs over the next 18 months, to bring its American workforce to over 280,000.

The US tech giant unveiled the latest - and largest - job-creation plan amid a push by President-elect Donald Trump to boost employment and curb outsourcing as he prepares to take office.

"These new job opportunities are for people all across the country and with all types of experience, education and skill levels  from engineers and software developers to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training," a statement from the tech giant said.

The move comes with expanding from its origins as an online retailer to a diversified tech company offering streaming video and music, cloud computing, and home automation through its artificial intelligence program Alexa.

"Innovation is one of our guiding principles at Amazon, and it's created hundreds of thousands of American jobs," said founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

Amazon said that "many" of the new jobs would be in new "fulfilment centres" or warehouses where goods are stored for consumer delivery -- and where the company has often faced criticism over working conditions.

In Britain, Amazon has been assailed for its labour policies, which in one case required workers to sleep in tents outside the warehouse.

"These jobs are not just in our Seattle headquarters or in Silicon Valley -- they're in our customer service network, fulfilment centres and other facilities in local communities throughout the country," Bezos said.

Bezos said new workers will be needed "as we open new fulfilment centres, and continue to invest in areas like cloud technology, machine learning, and advanced logistics."



The world's largest retailer, Amazon has been investing in technology to allow for speedier deliveries, including automating some functions in its warehouses.

It also has been laying out plans for delivery by drone, which in some cases could be fully automated.
An extreme weather event is the most likely risk the world could face in 2017, shows the World Economic Forum's global risks report, released on Wednesday.
France on Thursday pressed for "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India and vowed to work with New Delhi to get terrorist Masood Azhar proscribed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Without naming China, which has blocked a proposal at the UNSC to sanction JeM chief Azhar, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said, "The community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat."



On the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in September last year after an attack on Uri army camp, Ayrault said a country has a "right to defend itself" in the wake of such threats.

"France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism," the French Minister, who was on a visit here, told PTI in an interview.

Clearly referring to Pakistan without naming it, he emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism "originating from their territory or territories under their control".

"We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said.

The French Minister, who was on a four-day visit to India primarily to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, was asked about his views on the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army in September last to target terror camps based across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself," he replied.

With regard to China blocking sanctioning of Azhar, he said, "We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached."



He noted that Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the Committee's list of terrorist organisations and "therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested".

That's why France not only supported but also co-sponsored this request, he said.
On Jan. 10, President delivered a farewell address to the nation in his adopted hometown of Chicago. As he often did during his presidency, Obama struck a middle path, one that had moments of real power but ultimately fell short of a full-throated defense of Democratic Party policies. In a decidedly immoderate time, with his signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act, on the chopping block, Obamas speech was a model of moderation. In a season defined by Pussygate and Russian hacking, and with an incoming billionaires cabinet poised to loot every entitlement and regulation not nailed down, Obama gave us the Compromiser-in-Chief.
has cut oil output to its lowest in almost two years, its energy minister said on Thursday, as the world's largest oil exporter leads OPEC's drive to eradicate a global glut and prop up prices.

Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said output had fallen below 10 million barrels per day - more than it had promised as part of a global output cut deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers.

Such low levels were last seen in February 2015, when Riyadh began to steeply raise production to deal a blow to US shale oil producers, effectively becoming the architect of a prolonged oil price crash.

Falih, speaking at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi, said output was "not significantly below" 10 million bpd currently and the Kingdom planned to make even deeper cuts in February.

This means has cut oil production by more than the 486,000 bpd it agreed to late last year under a global deal to curb production and stem a fall in oil prices.

Falih also said he expected the oil market to tighten in two to three years, aided by the agreement of OPEC and non-OPEC producers late last year to curb production.

"We have been moving towards rebalancing the for some time," Falih said.

"Even better, the pace of rebalancing will be accelerated by recent production agreements within OPEC and outside. I have confidence in these agreements to bring stability to the global ."

Falih predicted oil demand would grow by over 1 million barrels a day this year.

"I am confident that the combination of capping production by 25 countries and growth of demand will continue to balance and prices will respond accordingly," he added.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers last month reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly by nearly 1.8 million bpd to help stem a fall in oil prices and ease a supply glut.

While Falih said he did not have a specific oil price target, Iraqi oil minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi told reporters at the same event Iraq wanted to see prices of around $65 a barrel.



Brent crude prices were up 77 cents at $55.87 a barrel by 1230 GMT.

Luaibi said Iraq had slashed its exports by 170,000 bpd and was cutting them further by 40,000 bpd this week. He said Iraq was committed to the success of the production-cut agreement "even though it should have been exempted".



OPEC expects global oil inventories to fall by the second quarter of this year in response to the agreement, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo said.

Kuwait has cut its oil exports by more than 133,000 bpd mainly to customers in North America and Europe while maintaining full exports to Asia, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam Al-Marzouq said.
To verify, or not to verify? That is the question that journalists face on an almost daily basis; but the issue of whether media organisations should publish information that isnt 100% watertight has been brought into sharp relief by the latest stories about and his alleged involvement with Russia.
Since gaining independence in 1971, - the worlds third-largest Muslim majority country  has made remarkable social and economic progress. Once branded a basket case, the rate of the countrys social progress is now faster than its neighbour India.
The US will send a "clear signal" to China that it must abandon its artificial islands in the South China Sea, Donald Trump's secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson has warned, hitting out at the communist giant for its "extremely worrisome" activities in the disputed waters.

"We're going to have to send China a clear signal that first, the island-building stops, and second, your access to those islands also not going to be allowed," the 64-year-old former ExxonMobil CEO told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

"China's activity in this area is extremely worrisome and I think, again, a failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this," he said in response to a question.

The former oil executive said China's island-building activities in the disputed waters and its declaration of an air defence identification zone over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea were "illegal actions".

"They are taking territory or control or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully China's," he said, asserting that "building islands and then putting military assets on those island is akin to Russia's taking of Crimea."



He said it is a "threat to the entire global economy" if China is allowed to somehow "dictate" the terms of passage through these waters.

"So this is a global issue of great importance to many, many of our important allies, but certainly to people in the region," Tillerson said.

"We find we are where we are and we just have to deal with it, and the way we've got to deal with it is we're going to have to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia and I think use some existing structures to begin the re-engagement," he said, adding that there is USD 5 trillion of economic trade going through those waters every day.

Throwing enough hints that the US will adopt a strong stance against China under a Trump Administration, he said, "I think part of where we struggled with China is we do have important economic relationships. Our economies are intertwined. But we've got to step back and look at all of China's activities."



He said there are processes for dealing with that and China should respect those processes.

"Some of their actions have already been challenged at the courts in the Hague and they were found to be in violation," he noted.

China claims almost the whole of the resource-rich South China Sea (SCS). Its claim, however, is strongly contested by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

An tribunal -- whose jurisdiction Beijing rejected -- ruled last year that there was no legal basis to such claims.

Responding to questions from lawmakers, Tillerson



advocated for a "new approach" towards China.

"I think a lot of our troubles today are that we do not enforce. We make commitments we say we're going to do something and then we don't enforce it. And that is, again, a mixed message that I think has been sent in the case of North Korea and our expectations of China," he said.

"I think we have to be clear eyed as to how far China will go and not get overly optimistic as to how far they'll go. And that's why ultimately it's going to require a new approach with China in order for China to understand our expectations of them, going beyond certainly what they have in the past which has fallen short," he asserted.

Tillerson assured lawmakers of US' commitment with regard to the defence of South Korea and Japan.

"We have longstanding ally commitments with Japan and South Korea in the area. And I think we would respond in accordance with those accords, which are not a NATO-type agreement. But certainly, we have made commitments to Japan in terms of a guarantee of their defence," he said.

He also hit out at China for serious human rights violations.

"Relative to categorising it against other nations, I would have to have more information, but they certainly have serious human rights violations," he said.

Tillerson said China needs to be held accountable for its actions with North Korea.

"China is 90 per cent of North Korea's trading exports and import trading. So they really do have complete control over what sustains the government of North Korea," he said.

"A big part of that is the sale of anthracite coal across the border and the sanctions did speak to that sale. I think that's an area where I think we have to hold China accountable to comporting with the sanctions that were put in place by the UN. And just, we have to call people out on it, when we view they're not complying," he said.
Private equity have made good returns on their bets on IT outsourcing firms. Apax Partners, which sold 48 per cent stake in Global Logic to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, is likely to make a three-fold return on its three-year-old investment of $430 million in 2013.
Benchmark Indices continued to rise in the after-noon trade led by IT stocks on hopes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may not proceed with stringent visa rules.
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..Algemeiner.com..11 January '17..Here is a quiz: Which foreign leader did themourn the untimely death of, with a staff editorial praising him as eminence gris, a pragmatic and skilled behind-the-scenes operator and a moderate?a) Shimon Peres, the Nobel peace laureate former prime minister and president of Israel; orb) Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the corrupt former president of Iran, who approved the terrorist bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina and spurred Irans illicit nuclear weapons program.If you guessed a, you are wrong. Thedid not issue a staff editorial mourning the death of Peres. If you guessed b, you are correct: thecarries an unsigned staff editorial, representing the newspapers official institutional position, headlined, The Untimely Death of an Iranian Pragmatist. Theeditorial whitewashes Rafsanjanis record, making no mention whatsoever of either the AMIA Jewish center bombing in Buenos Aires that occurred under his reign or of his role in pursuing Irans nuclear weapons program.
Meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, , Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar on next Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) director issue to be held at January 16.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar will attend the meeting.

The meeting of the selection committee, headed by the Prime Minister Modi, is expected to take place to finalise the name to head the premier investigating agency of the country.

Currently Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer of 1984-batch, is holding the additional charge of the director CBI.

Asthana's appointment as the interim chief of the CBI has been challenged in the Supreme Court as after the enactment of the Lokpal Act, the director of the agency has to be appointed by the collegium of the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India or his nominee and the Leader of the Opposition.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stay calm as stressing can increase chances of heart disease and stroke.

A new study finds that heightened activity in the region of the brain involved in stress - amygdale - is linked to greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

The findings published in the journal The Lancet also reveals a pathway leading from activation of the amygdala through elevated immune system activity to an increased incidence of cardiovascular events.

"While the link between stress and heart disease has long been established, the mechanism mediating that risk has not been clearly understood," said lead study author Ahmed Tawakol from Massachusetts General Hospital (MDH) in Boston, US.

"Animal studies have shown that stress activates bone marrow to produce white blood cells, leading to arterial inflammation and this study suggests an analogous path exists in humans," Tawakol added.

The first study, conducted at MGH, analysed imaging and medical records data from almost 300 individuals.

The participants had PET/CT brain imaging, primarily for cancer screening, using a radiopharmaceutical called FDG that measures both the activity of areas within the brain and also reflects inflammation within arteries.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York conducted the second study and enrolled 13 individuals with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The participants in the larger longitudinal study, 22 experienced a cardiovascular event - such as a heart attack, stroke or episodes of angina -- in the follow-up period and the prior level of activity in the amygdala strongly predicted the risk of a subsequent cardiovascular event.

"Moreover, this study identifies, for the first time in animal models or humans, the region of the brain that links stress to the risk of heart attack and stroke," Tawakol stated.

The results revealed that those with higher amygdala activity had a greater risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease and developed problems sooner than those with lower activity.

The researchers also found that the heightened activity in the amygdala was linked to increased bone marrow activity and inflammation in the arteries, and suggest that this may cause the increased cardiovascular risk.

The authors suggest a possible biological mechanism, whereby the amygdala signals to the bone marrow to produce extra white blood cells, which in turn act on the arteries causing them to develop plaques and become inflamed, which can cause heart attack and stroke.

In the smaller study, the participants' current stress levels were strongly associated with both amygdalar activity and arterial inflammation.

"It would be reasonable to advise individuals with increased risk of cardiovascular disease to consider employing stress-reduction approaches, if they feel subjected to a high degree of psychosocial stress," Tawakol stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pope Francis is facing an extraordinary challenge to his authority from an ancient Catholic order, the Knights of Malta, that is refusing to cooperate with a Vatican investigation into the sacking of a top official over the distribution of tens of thousands of condoms.

Albrecht von Boeselager was suspended December 8 after he refused a demand by the top Knight, Matthew Festing, to resign over revelations that the order's charity branch distributed tens of thousands of condoms in Myanmar under his watch, reports the CNN.

The Catholic church bans the use of contraception.

The ancient order has also warned its members to toe the line if they choose to speak with investigators.

In a statement, the Knights called Pope Francis' investigation legally "irrelevant" and aimed at limiting its sovereignty. It insisted that the ouster of its grand chancellor, Boeselager, was an act of internal governance that in no way involves religious superiors.

The conservative order said in its statement that it intended to protect its sovereignty from official oversight and its members had the legal right not to cooperate with the Vatican investigation, which was approved by Pope Francis late last year, and is being led by the Vatican's second most senior official, Pietro Parolin, who is also the secretary of state.

The fight is increasingly being seen not just as a battle over the investigation, but as a sign of the increasing anger and disobedience by some Catholic traditionalists who are opposed to Francis's papacy because they view him as too progressive on issues involving social doctrine.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday will hold mass 'Surya-Namaskar' in all schools, colleges, academic bodies and gram panchayats all across the state to mark the birth anniversary of spiritual leader Swami Vivekanada.

"Surya-Namaskar will be held in all schools, colleges, academic institutions, gram panchayats and residential schools of the state from 9 AM to 10.30 AM on January 12," said a Public Relations department officer.

The day, also observed as 'Yuva Diwas', will see the programme of 'Surya-Namaskar' to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanada.

Various academic and cultural programmes putting light on the life of Swami Vivekananda will be organised.

The programme is to start at around 9 a.m.

Bhopal Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's message will be broadcast at 9.30 a.m., followed by 'Surya Namaskar' and 'Pranayam'.

Class 6-12 students and college students will perform 'asans', whereas, class 1-5 schoolchildren will only witness it.

Swami Vivekananda was a key figure in introducing the concept of Yoga to the western world.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
MarutiSuzuki and Radio Mirchi in association with the Traffic Police Department of New Delhi have come together for the second edition of 'Maruti Traffic Heroes of India' for Mirchi Traffic School, to address the issues of road traffic awareness that plagues the country.

As part of the activity in the city of New Delhi, a convoy of branded cars will be flagged off daily visit 10 traffic signals and cover important market places, residential colonies, schools and colleges on the way. At every traffic signal, the Radio Mirchi personnel will gratify the city's traffic police personnel for helping the city improve their traffic sense. They will also give out prizes to those citizens who are adhering to traffic rules. The people will also be asked to take pledge to follow road safety by signing a pledge card.

Present at the meet were Mr. Pritesh Chothani, Cluster Head, Radio Mirchi and Mr. RS Kalsi, Director Sales & Marketing, Maruti, Mr. Ajay Kashyap, Special Commissioner Delhi Police and Ms. Garima Bhatnagar, Joint Commissioner Police Traffic, Delhi.

Speaking at the event, RS Kalsi, Director Sales & Marketing, Maruti said, "We'd received a tremendous response for the campaign last year, and this year we hope to get more people to pledge to follow road safety and traffic rules. Our only aim is to curb wilful violation of traffic rules and make driving in the city a safe and pleasant experience for everyone."

Speaking about the initiative Pritesh Chothani, Cluster Head at Radio Mirchi said, "I think it is high time we as people took active participation in being good citizens of this country. One empowered person can educate hundred others, and we hope to educate people on the importance of adhering to road traffic rules."

The week-long initiative starting today till January 15th will carry out activities across different cities like Gurugram, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Indore, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ranchi.

The campaign will also look to recognize commuters who will be adhering to the traffic rules and wearing the protective gear; as well as acknowledge the traffic police personnel's at the signals. Apart from this, the activity will also encourage people to take pledge to follow traffic rules across variouscorporates, mall and marketplaces.

City commuters can support this initiative by giving a miss call number on - 8000100129 and also be a part of the initiative by posting pictures of their fellow commuters #pledgeforroadsafety who will be seen following the traffic rules. Lucky winner will be awarded by Radio Mirchi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bangladesh Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali has said that Myanmar has expressed interest in repatriating 65,000 Rohingya Muslims who entered Bangladesh in the last two months.

"Primarily, Myanmar has expressed its interest in starting the process of verifying their [the Muslims of Myanmar who intruded into Bangladesh] claim regarding their citizenship and permanent residence to repatriate them," the Daily Star quoted the minister as saying.

Ali made the remarks at a press conference following Myanmar's special envoy U Kyaw Tin's meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Ministry officials on Wednesday.

Tin's three-day visit that came at a time when Rohingya influx has become an issue of serious concern for Bangladesh. Illegal presence of a large number of Myanmar citizens has long been affecting the stability and the economic development in Chittagong, especially in Cox's Bazar, Mahmood Ali said.

The fresh influx began in last year's mid October after insurgents, believed to be mostly from the "stateless" Rohingya minority, attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police officers there.

The Myanmar Muslims who fled to Bangladesh alleged that they were tortured by the Myanmar authorities. There are 33,000 registered Rohingya refugees living in Cox's Bazar and another three lakh unregistered ones in the same and adjourning districts.

Ali said Bangladesh requested the speedy repatriation of all the Rohingya Muslims -- registered or unregistered -- and proposed preparing an action plan in this regard.

In response, Myanmar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin U Kyaw Tin said it was important for them to verify the identities of those seeking citizenship.

Bangladesh also proposed formation of a commission to assess the issue of providing citizenship or permanent residence to the Muslims of Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Prime Minister Hasina also told the Myanmar envoy that the country be sincere in solving the problems of the Muslim minorities in Rakhine where they are deprived of their rights, and should stop marginalising them to check extremism.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ONGC TERI Biotech Limited (OTBL) has recently launched a new educational programme called 'Protectors of the Environment' to sensitize and motivate young school children and adults in environment conservation under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The programme will employ several tools such as visual instruction and hands-on application and learning, which are designed to inspire children to translate 'thought' into 'action'.

The programme will be conducted in 15 underprivileged government and private schools of Ahmedabad, Ankleshwar and Mehsana in Gujarat - an operational area for OTBL, involving more than 2000 students from class VI to IX.

Students will learn the concepts of renewable energy, water and waste management as part of the principles of Sustainable Development through books specially developed for this programme by TERI. The students will also be engaged to undertake a plantation drive and monitor the growth of the trees.

"We have started to experience the adverse impacts of environmental degradation and painfully beginning to learn that environmental resources are limited and need to be sensitive to everything that we do today," said director (Exploration) ONGC and chairman OTBL, A K Dwivedi.

"To make sure that the future generations do not experience the worse, we need to prepare them with the ideals and requirements of sustainability. Hence, this initiative by OTBL under its CSR programmes," added Dwivedi.

"We are all dependent on Earth for our basic needs, and have been using the resources (mostly non-renewable) for years and years now. It is very evident with growing population and extensive use of natural resources that our future generations may be deprived of and may face scarcity to meet their needs," said Dr director and CEO OTBL, Banwari Lal.

Designed in three phases over a period of one year, following will be the major areas of activities throughout the course of the programme:

First Phase- introductory session will be organized with students, which includes forming a group of students known as environment protectors; establishing a plant protector club; and introducing 'Adopt a Plant' initiative by students for 500 saplings in each city.

Second Phase- through interactive activities, performing arts, and project-based learning, environment experts will address environment issues raised by students. Participants will be monitored on the level of increase in their sensitivity towards environment, awareness of the impact of their actions and measures taken by them towards a cleaner environment.

Third Phase- an impact analysis of the programme will be done to see how beneficial this programme was towards environment. The most proactive environment protector will be applauded for his/her efforts towards a Greener Planet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Rakesh Sinha on Thursday alleged that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has the lowest intellectual level in the Nehru-Gandhi family and said that the latter has to learn politics from the scratch to understand the ideology of the right-wing organisation.

Sinha said the country's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and even his daughter Indira Gandhi never used these kinds of language for the RSS.

"To understand RSS ideology, Rahul Gandhi has to learn politics from the scratch. Rahul Gandhi's is not mentally stable. Rahul Gandhi has the lowest intellectual level in Nehru clan dynastic politics," Sinha told ANI.

The Congress vice-president yesterday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS have destroyed the core spirit of India.

"These people (BJP and RSS) think that they can rule by spreading hatred and fear among the people. The Congress Party will defeat and remove them from power. We do not hate them (BJP and RSS) but we will defeat their ideology," Gandhi said.

He said Congress party has always stood for dispelling the fear and asserted that India is strong and the country and its people do not to fear anything in this world.

"The basis of their politics, their structure, is to change fear into anger. This is not happening for the last two or two-and-a-half years but this has been going on for thousands of years. And they (BJP and RSS) are the ones doing it. This ideology is doing it," he said.

Rahul, who yesterday led the Congress Working Committee's meeting at New Delhi's Talkatora Stadium in the absence of party president Sonia Gandhi, alleged that the Prime Minister has in the last two years destroyed institutions that were built over many years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Thursday will hear the appeal field by Sonu Sardar, who has been awarded death penalty for killing five persons of a family, including a woman and two children, during a dacoity bid in Chhattisgarh's Cher village in November 2004.

In November last year, the top court had asked Delhi High Court to decide on a plea of the Chhattisgarh Government challenging its jurisdiction to hear and grant a stay on the execution of Sonu.

The convict has been awarded death penalty by a trial court in Chhattisgarh, the decision was later upheld by the state high court and the Supreme Court as well.

The execution was stayed by the Delhi High Court on March 2, 2015. Challenging the decision, the state government told the apex court that Delhi High Court had no jurisdiction to stay the execution of convict Sonu Sardar as the offence had taken place in Chhattisgarh. The apex court had on September 2 sought response from the Centre on a plea of Chhattisgarh government challenging the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court.

It had also stayed the proceedings in the case pending before the Delhi High Court.

The state government had said that just because there was a delay in deciding on his mercy petition, it cannot be a ground for the matter to fall in the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court. It had also sought transfer of the matter from the Delhi High Court to Chhattisgarh High Court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has opposed the proposal for allocating funds from the federal National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for the security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and said that the move would be 'unconstitutional'.

Shah also opposed the use of these funds under the proposal for projects in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), reports the Dawn.

Shah made these observations in a meeting with Punjab Finance Minister Aisha Ghaus Pasha on Wednesday.

The Sindh Chief Minister said the federal government's proposal to allocate three percent funds from the divisible pool for security arrangements for CPEC-related projects and four percent for the development of Fata, Gilgit-Baltitstan and Kashmir is unreasonable and against the Constitution.

"The divisible pool is only for distribution of collected funds among the provinces," he added.

According to an official statement, Shah is of the opinion that the federal government has already allocated one percent of the funds from the divisible pool for maintenance of law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) alone. Therefore, the recent demand is unconstitutional, and "cannot be met".

"The Sindh government has already raised a force of at least 2,000 ex-army men to provide security to CPEC-related projects and its employees. Apart from that, the Sindh government has spent Rs300 billion on maintenance of law and order from 2010-11 to 2015-16," he said adding, "The federal government did not bother to bear a single penny of the expense."

"I request the Punjab, KP and Balochistan governments to develop consensus and oppose the proposal," he said.

On her part, the Punjab Finance Minister assured Shah of her support.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon, FFCI(Frontline Fighters for Citizens Interests), Press Release: ANGLOPHONES READY TO MORTGAGE CHILDRENS EDUCATION FOR INDEPENDENCE

What we called initially teachers/Lawyers strike has taken another dimension. It evolved into the Anglophone problem and is now metamorphosing into an uprising. If the lawyers, teachers syndicates and trade unions have agreed with the government and the school administrators have made themselves disposable at the various institutions, What is holding back the students and pupils? There is certainly someone somewhere around the base toying around with the patriotic sentiments of the devoted Cameroonians and the future of our youth. It is true, they say, that: when two elephants fight, it is the bush that suffers.

The fight yet remains a cool war because the opponent is hiding, manipulating the ignorant to believe in ideologies that could easily be called; wild dreams.

The fact that the leader of this opposition is still hiding makes the whole situation a time bomb as days go by. I mind yet the cold grue of terror I get from it when I imagine the consequences.

The Government therefore certainly seems to have been making negotiations with the wrong people whom we can only call ; enemies of progress

Enemies because they are depriving the youths from a basic human right  education, which is the basis for the exercise of all other human rights.

We are in a democracy and if any idea has to be adopted, it must be tabled, voted upon before adoption. Why cry over spilled milk? Our fore fathers made a mistake but we cannot correct the mistake by making more mistakes.

If the leader is not seen or heard, then we are fighting for no just cause. Why be lukewarm about a history that we are very sure of.

We should note that the independence we seek should be gradual and harmless as was the unification processes.

If we say we sacrifice one school year to fight for independence, we wage a war against the government and the partisans of the united Cameroon. Mr. Biya will not fold his arms and watch the unification he worked for being trampled upon so easily. A war may not end in the one year we presume.

FFCI strongly denounces this hide and seek game which the invisible opposition leaders are playing. While not sparing its own efforts, we therefore urge the government to sort out these outlaw leaders and bring them to order. We also urge the civil society to beware of whatever it sows for it is what it shall reap. It is not every Anglophone however who wishes to mortgage his childrens education for an unfathomable independence.

The cacophony about it is that Anglophone teachers who were initially in the North West /South West Regions before the strike and were redeployed as they requested to Francophone regions have resumed duty at their new posts and are functioning with those Anglophone teachers who were there and had never stopped functioning. Likewise the Anglophone students and pupils in Francophone regions have never stopped classes. If we really seek independence, we could completely withdraw ourselves from the Francophone schools to make our point clear.

The FFCI hereby ;mindful of its role as human right defender therefore makes it clear that it would leave no stone unturned in uncovering the enemies of progress for the education of the North west and south west based youth. The clock is ticking and the writing is on the wall; we shall only have ourselves to blame!
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday levelled murder charge against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MLA Lalit Mohan here.

The saffron party has also alleged the MLA and his supporters of threatening the family members of deceased BJP leader Chanmohan Tripura to withdraw the case.

A delegation of senior BJP leaders including state president Biplab Deb and Tripura in-charge Sunil Deodhar met the family members of Chanmohan, who was allegedly beaten to death by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres at a tribal-dominated village in Tripura's Dhalai district two weeks back.

"MLA Lalit Tripura went to his (deceased Chanmohan Tripura) house and his followers threatened the deceased's brother Anand Tripura to withdraw the (police) case or else he would die in the similar manner like his brother. The MLA also advised him to withdraw the case or he may face problems. What does this mean?" said Biplab Deb.

BJP also organised a protest rally in Gandacherra market demanding immediate arrest of all whose names were mentioned in the FIR lodged by the family members of late Chanmohan.

Though there are seven names in the FIR, police have arrested only one person so far.

Earlier, a BJP-sponsored dawn-to-dusk Dhalai district strike was called in protest of the murder of Chanmohan.

Meanwhile, BJP also declared a financial help of Rs. 2 lakh and a job in the railways to a family member of the deceased.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday admitted to ICU of a private hospital, after he complained of breathlessness

Paswan has been taken to the Paras hospital in Patna.

As per the reports, the minister was on a four-day tour of the state during which he had some political engagements in Patna, Khagaria, Begusarai and Mokamah.

He was also scheduled to host Makarsankranti feast in Patna on January 15.

Paswan is also the president of the Lok Janshakti Party, eight time Lok Sabha member and former Rajya Sabha MP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
While Deepika Padukone is super excited about her Hollywood debut, co-star Vin Diesel is uber thrilled about his first trip to India thereby fulfilling his childhood dream.

The lead actor of 'xXx : Return of Xander Cage', who is 'honored' to be in the country, took to Instagram to share a snap with the beautiful Miss Padukone.

He wrote alongside, "So honored to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and @deepikapadukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander."

After promoting the film in London, the Mastani of Bollywood will now be hosting Vin and director DJ Caruso over the course of promotions in Mumbai.

Directed by DJ Caruso, the flick is all set to hit the big screens on January 14.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On 17 January 2017

B P Capital announced that the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company is scheduled to be held on 17 January 2017, inter alia, to transact the following businesses:

1. To consider and approve the scheme of arrangement for Amalgamation of Diamond Footcare Udyog with B P Capital.

2. To approve the proposal of shifting of the registered office of the Company from NCT of Delhi to the State of Haryana.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The two key benchmark indices viz. the S&P BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50 index traded with small gains in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:17 IST, the Sensex was up 76.32 points or 0.28% at 27,216.73. The Nifty was up 15.70 points or 0.19% at 8,396.35. The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.03%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.15%. Both these indices underperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On the BSE, 1,509 shares declined and 1,114 shares rose. A total of 147 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, European stocks edged lower after US President-elect Donald Trump accused pharmaceuticals of "getting away with murder" and recommitted to a "border tax" in the US. Asian stocks witnessed a mixed trend. US stocks registered modest gains yesterday, 11 January 2017, shrugging off a sharp decline in health care stocks following remarks made by President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump held his first press conference since winning the presidency yesterday, 11 January 2017, touching on many of the issues that will dominate the opening weeks of his presidency. Looming over the proceedings was a newly-published, and entirely unverified, dossier claiming the Russian government had collected compromising information on him.

The President-elect said Obamacare would be repealed and replaced on the same day and a Supreme Court justice would be chosen within two weeks of his inauguration. He also reaffirmed commitments to build a wall on the border with Mexico and said he would bring in a border tax for companies that chose to move operations offshore.

Back home, capital goods stocks were mixed. Crompton Greaves (up 4.34%), L&T (up 2.33%), Bharat Electronics (up 1.95%), Thermax (up 1.66%) and BEML (up 0.22%) edged higher. Praj Industries (down 1.7%), Bharat Heavy Electricals (down 1.2%), Havells India (down 0.97%), ABB India (down 0.56%) and Siemens (down 0.19%) edged lower.

Auto stocks also witnessed mixed trend. Ashok Leyland (down 1.58%), Eicher Motors (down 1.27%), Tata Motors (down 0.94%) and Mahindra & Mahindra (down 0.81%) edged lower. TVS Motor Company (up 1.27%), Maruti Suzuki India (up 0.34%), Hero MotoCorp (up 0.23%) and Bajaj Auto (up 0.2%) edged higher.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) was down 1.59%. The company during market hours today, 12 January 2017 in its clarification on media reports that the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to re-audit three of the company's plants said that scheduling of audit by the USFDA is a usual activity in the normal course of pharmaceutical industries' business operations.

Tata Power Company rose 2.99% after the company said that its wholly owned subsidiary Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) announced the commissioning of 36 megawatts (MW) wind capacity of a 100 MW wind farm (under construction) at Nimbagallu in Andhra Pradesh, and 49 MW solar plant at Kayathar, Tamil Nadu, under Welspun Renewable Energy (WREPL). With these, the operating renewable energy capacity of TPREL grows to 1,876 MW, comprising 841 MW wind, 915 MW solar, and 120 MW waste heat recovery capacity. In FY 2016, TPREL increased its operational capacity by 1,169 MW. The announcement was made during market hours today, 12 January 2017.

TPREL completed the acquisition of WREPL last year to become the largest renewable energy company in lndia. In 2016, TPREL has won 320 MW of solar bids, which are under development and will be commissioned in 2017. The company has also added 304 MW wind capacity in 2016, which are under development and construction in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dewan Housing Finance Corporation rose 2.68% to Rs 271.60 at 9:24 IST on BSE after the company said that its board will meet on 16 January 2017 to consider raising funds by issuing preference shares.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 132.89 points or 0.49% at 27,273.30.

On the BSE, 95,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 2.86 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 273.75 and a low of Rs 268.30 so far during the day.

The stock had hit a record high of Rs 337 on 20 October 2016 and a 52-week low of Rs 140.55 on 12 February 2016.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 313.13 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation said that a meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled on 16 January 2017, for raising funds by way of issue of preference shares.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation's net profit rose 29% to Rs 232.61 crore on 19.7% rise in operating income to Rs 2167.72 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation provides loans for purchase or construction of residential houses.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The latest US nuclear plant shutdown highlights continued difficult operating conditions for merchant generators, due in large measure to low natural gas and energy prices amid sluggish demand, according to Fitch Ratings. Nuclear units are particularly vulnerable because of their high fixed operating and capital costs.

Indian Point units 2 and 3 have been added to the growing list of US nuclear power plants retiring before the end of their useful lives. Following a settlement agreement with New York state, Entergy Corp. agreed to shut Indian Point units 2 and 3 in April 2020 and April 2021, respectively. The closures will likely increase energy and capacity prices in the New York region, although the impact will ultimately depend on the type, amount and timing of replacement power.

Likely beneficiaries are independent power producers operating within the region including NRG and Dynegy. New York Transco could also be a beneficiary of additional transmission opportunities.

The two Indian Point units, aggregating approximately 2,000 MW, join a list of five other nuclear units that have announced plans to prematurely retire between 2018 and 2025 and five other nuclear units that shuttered prematurely in 2013 and 2014. The closure stands in stark contrast to the Zero Energy Credit (ZEC) program implemented in New York in late 2016 that was intended to preserve the environmental attributes of two upstate nuclear plants. Indian Point, which has long been discussed by Governor Cuomo, was specifically excluded from the ZEC program because of its location in a constrained area that generally provided an uplift to wholesale energy prices.

As part of the agreement, New York state will withdraw legal challenges to Entergy's license renewal application for the Indian Point units and issue the necessary permits and Entergy will request the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to shorten the term of the renewed license from 2033 and 2035 for units 2 and 3, respectively, to 2024 and 2025, providing some flexibility in the closures dates.

Entergy previously retired the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in 2014 and announced plans for the early retirement of the Palisades and Pilgrim nuclear plants in 2018 and 2019, respectively (in each case before the expiration of their operating licenses), and completed the sale of the Fitzpatrick plant to Exelon Corp. The Indian Point closure will complete Entergy's exit from the merchant energy business.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Key benchmark indices edged higher in early trade amid positive global cues. At 9:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 61.59 points or 0.23% at 27,212.20. The Nifty 50 index was up 15.30 points or 0.18% at 8,395.95.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.17%, underperforming the Sensex. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.26%, outperforming the Sensex.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his address on the second day of vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit yesterday, 11 January 2017, on demonetization, said that difficult decisions initially pass through difficult phases as historic decisions have temporary pain attached to them. Stressing the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Jaitley said that most of the issues have been resolved, few critical issues are left which will be resolved in the next few weeks. He further added that GST Council is deliberative democracy in action and the impact of both GST and demonetization will be felt this year.

Overseas, Asian equities edged higher amid positive closing on the Wall Street overnight. US stocks registered modest gains yesterday, 11 January 2017, shrugging off a sharp decline in health care stocks following remarks made by President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump held his first press conference since winning the presidency yesterday, 11 January 2017, touching on many of the issues that will dominate the opening weeks of his presidency. Looming over the proceedings was a newly-published, and entirely unverified, dossier claiming the Russian government had collected compromising information on him.

The President-elect said Obamacare would be repealed and replaced on the same day and a Supreme Court justice would be chosen within two weeks of his inauguration. He also reaffirmed commitments to build a wall on the border with Mexico and said he would bring in a border tax for companies that chose to move operations offshore.

Back home, the market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 759 shares rose and 341 shares fell. A total of 51 shares were unchanged.

Software major TCS rose 0.69%. The company is scheduled to announce Q3 December 2016 earnings today, 12 January 2017.

NTPC was up 0.43%. The company announced that its board has accorded investment approval for Dulanga coal mining project having rated production capacity of 7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at an appraised estimated cost of Rs 1053.41 crore.The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) was up 0.88%. The company said that its Finance Committee has executed the agreements pertaining to issuance of fixed rate senior unsecured notes (Notes) instead of the draft of the aforesaid agreements being approved by the Finance Committee in the earlier meeting. The announcement was made before market hours today, 12 January 2017.

APSEZ announced on 10 January 2017 that pursuant to the powers delegated to the Finance Committee by the board of directors of the company, the Finance Committee had reviewed and approved the preliminary offering circular in relation to the proposed issuance of foreign currency denominated bonds (Notes) in US dollars by the company. The issuance of notes offering may follow, subject to market conditions.

Infosys (up 2.32%), Power Grid Corporation of India (up 1.32%), ONGC (up 1.04%), L&T (up 0.79%) and Wipro (up 0.76%) edged higher from the 30-share Sensex pack. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 2.07%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (down 1.78%), Lupin (down 1.31%), Cipla (down 1.25%) and ITC (down 0.87%) edged lower from the Sensex pack.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India rose 1% to Rs 404.50 at 12:40 IST on BSE after the company through its step-down subsidiary, increased its stake in Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 63.94 points, or 0.24%, to 27,205.87.

On the BSE, 1,817 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volume of 12,157 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 407.90 and a low of Rs 400 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 513.30 on 26 August 2016. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 322.40 on 12 February 2016.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 11 January 2017, rising 0.68% compared with the Sensex 1.47% gains. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, dropping 13.63% as against Sensex's 3.35% decline.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 88.78 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India (MHRIL) through its step-down subsidiary, Covington S.a.r.I, Luxembourg (Covington), has increased its stake in Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland (HCR) by acquiring additional 6.33% stake in the share capital of HCR. The consideration for the additional stake is Euro 4.37 million.

Consequently, its stake in HCR has been increased to 91.94% from 85.61% earlier. HCR is a subsidiary of MHRIL and is into vacation ownership business. HCR is Europe's leading vacation ownership company, with 31 resorts in Finland, Sweden and Spain. For eighteen months period ended 31 March 2016 (FY 2016), HCR clocked turnover of Euro 183 million.

The increase in stake through acquisition of shares from an existing shareholder of HCR by exercising the option is aligned with the strategy of MHRIL and is within the main line of business of MHRIL.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India's net profit rose 22% to Rs 32.87 crore on 6% rise in net sales to Rs 232.62 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India is a part of the leisure and hospitality sector of the Mahindra Group.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Signs MoU with Government of Gujarat

Mahindra Lifespace Developers has signed a MoU with the Government of Gujarat, through a 100% subsidiary, to establish a 350 acre multi product industrial park in Ahmedabad. The proposed new industrial park marks the Company's foray into Gujarat and is being planned to cater to non-polluting industries.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Market may edge higher in early trade tracking positive global cues. Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 26 points at the opening bell.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his address on the second day of vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit yesterday, 11 January 2017, on demonetization, said that difficult decisions initially pass through difficult phases as historic decisions have temporary pain attached to them. Stressing the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Jaitley said that most of the issues have been resolved, few critical issues are left which will be resolved in the next few weeks. He further added that GST Council is deliberative democracy in action and the impact of both GST and demonetization will be felt this year.

Overseas, Asian equities edged higher amid positive closing on the Wall Street overnight. US stocks registered modest gains yesterday, 11 January 2017, shrugging off a sharp decline in health care stocks following remarks made by President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump held his first press conference since winning the presidency yesterday, 11 January 2017, touching on many of the issues that will dominate the opening weeks of his presidency. Looming over the proceedings was a newly-published, and entirely unverified, dossier claiming the Russian government had collected compromising information on him.

The President-elect said Obamacare would be repealed and replaced on the same day and a Supreme Court justice would be chosen within two weeks of his inauguration. He also reaffirmed commitments to build a wall on the border with Mexico and said he would bring in a border tax for companies that chose to move operations offshore.

Closer home, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 627.30 crore yesterday, 11 January 2017, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1116.15 crore yesterday, 11 January 2017, as per provisional data.

Among corporate news, software major TCS is scheduled to announce Q3 December 2016 earnings today, 12 January 2017.

NTPC announced that its board has accorded investment approval for Dulanga coal mining project having rated production capacity of 7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at an appraised estimated cost of Rs 1053.41 crore.The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) said that its Finance Committee has executed the agreements pertaining to issuance of fixed rate senior unsecured notes (Notes) instead of the draft of the aforesaid agreements being approved by the Finance Committee in the earlier meeting. The announcement was made before market hours today, 12 January 2017.

APSEZ announced on 10 January 2017 that pursuant to the powers delegated to the Finance Committee by the board of directors of the company, the Finance Committee had reviewed and approved the preliminary offering circular in relation to the proposed issuance of foreign currency denominated bonds (Notes) in US dollars by the company. The issuance of notes offering may follow, subject to market conditions.

Key benchmark indices registered impressive gains on positive global cues yesterday, 11 January 2017. The Sensex had risen 240.85 points or 0.9% to settle at 27,140.41, its highest closing level since 10 November 2016.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that Central Government is bound to promote the coconut cultivation and related activities in Bihar. Shri Singh told that since 2014 a total amount of Rs 409.06 lakhs has been sanctioned for implementing the schemes on Coconut cultivation in Bihar. Union Agriculture Minister said this on the occasion of Foundation Stone laying ceremony of Farmers Training Centre and Regional Office building at Patna on the 37th Foundation day of Coconut Development Board. Coconut Development Board was established on 12 January 1981.

Union Agriculture Minister told that Regional Office of the Coconut Development Board was shifted to Guwahati, Assam from Patna, Bihar on the basis of recommendations of a committee constituted under the chairmanship of ICAR in 2009. A central team was constituted by the Central Government focussing on the productivity of coconut in Bihar. This team has recommended to open a new and fourth Regional Office of the Board at Patna in place of State Centre Patna which was agreed upon by the Coconut Development Board in its 119th Board meeting held on 30 January 2015.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh also said that India is the global leader in production and productivity of coconut. Coconut is cultivated in 16 states and three union territories in an extent of 2.14 million ha.

The crop sustains more than one crore farmer families of the country through cultivation, processing, marketing and trade related activities. In Bihar, Coconut is grown in 14,900 hectares producing 141.38 million nuts.

Shri Singh said that Kosi region in North Bihar which comprises places on either sides of the Kosi river is suitable for coconut cultivation. It is estimated that nearly 50,000 hectares of potential area in Bihar is available for coconut cultivation, mainly in North Bihar under irrigated condition. Union Agriculture Minister said that CDB aims to equip the coconut farmers in production, processing, marketing and export of coconut and its value added products thus making India the world leader in production, productivity, processing for value addition and export of coconut. Bihar belongs to nontraditional coconut cultivated area and special focus is being given for development of coconut sector in the state.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh further said that Establishment of a Farmers Training Centre, attached to the Regional Office, Patna has also been initiated. The Farmers Training Centre is expected to impart skills to farmers. The centre will strengthen coconut cultivation and industry in the state.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shares of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will be in focus ahead of its Q3 December 2016 results today, 12 January 2016.

NTPC said that the board of directors of the company has accorded investment approval for Dulanga coal mining project having rated production capacity of 7 MTPA at an appraised estimated cost of Rs 1053.41 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Biocon and Mylan N V announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted Mylan's biologics license application (BLA) for MYL-1401O,a proposed biosimilar trastuzumab, for filing through the 351(k) pathway. This product is a proposed biosimilar to branded trastuzumab,which is indicated to treat certain HER2-positive breast cancers. The anticipated FDA goal date set under the Biosimilar User Fee Act(BsUFA) is 3 September 2017. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) said that its Finance Committee has executed the agreements pertaining to issuance of fixed rate senior unsecured notes (Notes) instead of the draft of the aforesaid agreements being approved by the Finance Committee in the earlier meeting. The announcement was made before market hours today, 12 January 2017.

APSEZ announced on 10 January 2017 that pursuant to the powers delegated to the Finance Committee by the board of directors of the company, the Finance Committee had reviewed and approved the preliminary offering circular in relation to the proposed issuance of foreign currency denominated bonds (Notes) in US dollars by the company. The issuance of notes offering may follow, subject to market conditions.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation said that the company proposes to seek the approval of its board of directors at a meeting scheduled to be held on 16 January 2017, for raising funds by way of issue of preference shares. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

MRF said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Gujarat expressing its in-principle intention to set up a new manufacturing facility in Gujarat for manufacturing automotive tyres, tubes, flaps and related products. The company proposes to invest a sum of about Rs 4500 crore over a ten year period in a phased manner. The new plant is planned to be set up in Gujarat with the intention of broad basing the company's manufacturing facilities across India. The project will be funded by internal accruals and / or debt. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Atlanta said it has been declared as a preferred bidder for six laning a section of National Highway (NH)-8 in Gujarat under NHDP Phase V (Package-VI) on hybrid annuity mode at a total project cost of Rs 1292 crore by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The company will form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the implementation of the said project. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Ballarpur Industries said that India Ratings & Research (a Fitch Group Company) has revised the Long-Term Issuer Rating and the ratings on its non-convertible debenture to 'IND BBB-' from 'IND A-', while resolving the Rating Watch Evolving. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India, through Covington S.a.r.I, Luxembourg (Covington), its step-down subsidiary, has increased its stake in Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland (HCR) by acquiring additional 6.33% stake in the share capital of HCR. Consequently, its stake in HCR has been increased to 91.94% from 85.61% earlier. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Great Eastern Shipping Company said that a meeting of the debenture issue committee is scheduled on 16 January 2017, to consider the issue of unsecured non-convertible debentures upto an amount not exceeding Rs 500 crore by way of private placement. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Murudeshwar Ceramics said that a meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held on 25 January 2017 to consider issue of equity shares / convertible warrants to the promoter / promoter's group companies on preferential basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Trigyn Technologies hit 5% upper circuit at Rs 111.50 at 11:40 IST on BSE after the company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary in US, was awarded Federal GSA's IT Schedule 70 contract.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 74.29 points or 0.27% at 27,214.70.

On the BSE, 20,686 shares were traded in the counter so far as against average daily volume of 66,260 shares in past one quarter. The stock was locked at a high of Rs 111.50 in intraday trade. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 140.60 on 8 June 2016. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 48.60 on 29 February 2016.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 11 January 2017, falling 7.33% compared with the Sensex 1.47% gains. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 0.57% as against Sensex's 3.35% decline.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 29.74 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Trigyn Technologies announced that Trigyn Technologies Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company awarded Federal GSA's IT Schedule 70 contract.

Trigyn Technologies, Inc. has been awarded a United States General Services Administration (GSA) schedule contract, (GS-35F-139GA), designating Trigyn Technologies, Inc. as an approved vendor on the GSA's IT Schedule 70.

The initial duration of the award is for a period of five years from 19 December 2016 through 18 December 2021. This award enables Government agencies and entities, federal, state and local, to more easily acquire and benefit from Trigyn's IT professional services.

Trigyn has been approved to compete as a prime contractor for awards under the Category (SIN) 132-51 - Information Technology Professional Services.

GSA's IT Schedule 70 is the largest and most widely used acquisition vehicle in the Federal Government. The Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) provides direct access to products, services and solutions from certified industry partners.

This award will facilitate Trigyn's continued expansion of its public sector business, which today encompasses services in more than 15 US states, with a significant presence in the Baltimore - Washington, DC and New York - New Jersey regions.

Trigyn Technologies, Inc. is a Delaware Corporation with offices in Washington, DC, Edison, New Jersey, Toronto, Montreal and Switzerland and development centers in Mumbai, India.

Trigyn Technologies' consolidated net profit fell 7.94% to Rs 10.43 crore on 1.81% decline in net sales to Rs 169 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q1 June 2016.

s Trigyn Technologies is an innovative solutions provider and systems integrator that has been in business for 30 years with more than 1,500 resources deployed today. Trigyn provides IT staffing, consulting, solutions, systems integration, digital marketing and other services to its clients.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To streamline operations with Robotic Process Automation

Zensar Technologies has won a three year Robotic Process Automation (RPA) led project with the Shared Services Centre of 2 Sisters Food Group. As part of this project, Zensar will help streamline the financial framework and operations by implementing RPA solutions. 2 Sisters, a leading food manufacturing business in Europe, will be able to leverage the benefits of Zensar's Return on Digital strategy, aimed at helping the customer meet their business objectives more accurately and efficiently.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Almost three-quarters of Japans biggest coral reef has died, according to a report that blames its demise on rising sea temperatures caused by global warming.

The Japanese Environment Ministry in its report said that 70 per cent of the Sekisei lagoon in Okinawa had been killed by a phenomenon known as bleaching, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

Bleaching occurs when unusually warm water causes coral to expel the algae living in their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white. Unless water temperatures quickly return to normal, the coral eventually dies from lack of nutrition.

The plight of the reef has become "extremely serious" in recent years, according to the ministry, whose survey of 35 locations in the lagoon last November and December found that 70.1 per cent of the coral had died.

The dead coral has now turned dark brown and is now covered with algae.

The ministry report follows warnings by the Coral Reef Watch programme at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that global coral bleaching could become the "new normal" due to warming oceans, the Guardian said.

Experts said that bleaching had spread to about 90 per cent of the Sekisei reef, a popular diving spot that covers 400 sq.km.

A similar survey conducted in September and October last year found that just over 56 per cent of the reef had died, indicating that bleaching has spread rapidly in the following months.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday arrived in the Philippines on a two-day visit where he will meet President Rodrigo Duterte, on the first leg of a tour that will also include Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Abe arrived at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport and immediately headed towards the Malacanang Presidential Palace for a welcome reception and a bilateral meeting with Duterte, Efe news reported.

During the meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss "counter-terrorism cooperation, drug rehabilitation projects, infrastructure development, maritime cooperation, and development projects," the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

This is Abe's third visit to the Philippines, and comes three months after Duterte's official trip to Japan.

Abe is also expected to meet local businessmen before leaving for the southern city of Davao, where Duterte was mayor for more than two decades and earned the nickname "The Punisher" due to his tough and controversial campaign against crime.

Both leaders will meet again on Friday in Davao, a city that until now has never been visited by any foreign head of state and where Abe will also attend a conference of businessmen, before he visits the University of Mindanao.

Following this, the Japanese prime minister will conclude his visit to the Philippines and continue on his Asia-Pacific tour before returning to Tokyo on January 17.

--IANS

ksk/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Australia Power Networks said on Thursday that it would pay more than $15 million in compensation to customers who were subject to unnecessary lengthy blackouts in 2016, a media report said.

More than 70,000 customers were expected to be given the payment, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 150,000 properties in South Australia were left without power on December 28, after a vicious storm cell felled power lines and trees.

It was the second major blackout to hit the state in three months.

South Australia Power Networks spokesman Paul Roberts described the storm and its trail of destruction as the worst the company had experienced in 30 years.

"It was probably about three times worse than any previous storm we have experienced, both in terms of the guaranteed service level payments we'll have to make, and the minutes of supply lost for customers," Roberts said.

"We're going to be making payments to about half the customers affected."

He said that households which were without power for up to 12 hours could expect payment of $75 dollars, while those affected for more than 48 hours would receive up to $450 dollars for the inconvenience and cost of replacing perishable foods and other items.

Roberts said the delay in fixing the issue was a result of poor weather following the storm, and was not a reflection of inadequate manpower or management.

"For example, we were unable to undertake restoration work in the Adelaide Hills for many hours as wind gusts reached up to 120-km per hour and the winds did not abate until around 9 a.m. the next morning," Roberts added.

--IANS

sm/vm

(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.)
Unlike in the past, the current cold wave-like conditions don't bother Nagma Khatoon any more. The biting chill has stopped discomforting her and her family of late -- thanks to the bliss of "bijli".

"Bijli", or electricity, which would previously disappear faster than it came, has finally come to stay, much to the relief of Nagma Khatoon and her likes in this nondescript village of Haspura block in Maoist-affected Aurangabad district.

Now Nagma uses an electric room heater to keep the house warm, an electric motor to get clean drinking water and a water heating rod for a bath.

Life was never this good, never this easy for her and several others in the village. Electricity has changed the way they lived, for ever.

Nagma, who is in her late 20s, is proud to use an electric room heater.

"It is something that was simply beyond our imagination until two years ago. Our forefathers never even dreamt of a bulb in the village, not to talk of TV, fridge, washing machine, electric motor to pump water and room heater," she said.

She frankly admitted that there are not many like her using a room heater in the village. Her husband works in Kolkata with a private construction company and is reasonably better off financially than most others around.

"After my room heater replaced the 'borsi' (a hand-made big size earthen bowl filled with cow dung and small pieces of wood, lit to warm up since ages) many of my neighbours are keen to replace their 'borsis' soon, to get rid of smoke, dust and dirt attached with it."

A few months back, she also purchased a cooler to get ver the hot summer. "There are fans in all 250 houses in the village, but only few have a cooler. It is something new, as coolers were neen as an urban facility."

Another woman, Sajua Khatoon, in her early 80s, wife of a retired village level worker (VLW), said they have managed to purchase a fridge, a washing machine and a colour TV for a comfortable living.

"My grandchildren enjoy home-made ice-cream, thanks to a fridge (refrigerator) at home, my daughter-in-law is happy to use the washing machine and all of us watch TV programmes as per our choice.

"Life has really changed for us. Earlier, such facilities were confined to people living in Patna and Gaya only, but now we are also enjoying, thanks to 'bijli'," said Sajua.

She said when the bulb glows, it looks unbelievable, as this village has not had electricity since Independence. "Many generations of this village have spent life without electricity, virtually in a lantern age," she said.

Ehsan Khan of the same village, who is in his late 50s, said 'bijli' has made life not only easier but also given new hope to farmers to irrigate their land and use machines for harvesting.

"At present, an electricity transformer or agricultural connections have not been set up, but farmers are hopeful that sooner or later electricity will be available for irrigation as well."

"My wife is using an induction plate, instead of costly LPG, to cook. We have plans to purchase a washing machine next year," Khan said with apparent happiness and pride in his voice.

Raghunathpur is not the only village that is witnessing such change. Neighbouring villages like Piroo and Purhara have also seen a similar transformation.

Bhola Paswan, a Dalit resident of Bigha hamlet of Raghunathpur, said more than the winter, electricity provides them greater relief during the hot summer, as they now use a fan. "We are certainly not living in the lantern age any more."

Another Dalit, Bhulan Ram, of the same hamlet said life no more stops after the sun sets: women prepare food in the light of the bulb and children study in its bright light.

"We are enjoying electricity and getting its benefits in our homes for the first time in our life, as there is adequate power supply," Ram said.

Ram's neighbours Dukhan and Jamun Paswan said they are not worried about charging their mobile phones and watch television at night, unlike earlier. "We are not using a kerosene lantern for lighting at night," Paswan said with a smile on his face.

The state Energy Department officials said the central government is going to conduct a study on changes in the lifestyle in villages after those got electricity under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Joyti Gram Yojna," an official informed.

Bihar Energy Miniister Bijendra Prasad Yadav told IANS: "The overall electricity situation has improved in the state. The per capita consumption of electricity in Bihar has gone up to 258 units from a meagre 70 units in 2005.

"Village gets power supply for 14 to 15 hours daily. It has ushered in a massive change in the lifestyle of the common people. Two years ago, nights meant shutdown of activities. They had to sit indoors to avoid insects and snakes."

Last year, launching the "Har Ghar Bijli Lagataar" initiative, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said the government would provide electricity to all by the end of 2018.

According to latest data of the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), only 924 villages are yet to be electrified in Bihar and the work is in progress in over 200 of them.

(Imran Khan can be contacted at imran.k@ians.in <mailto:imran.k@ians.in>)

--IANS

ik/nir/vm/tb

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To promote Uttarakhand's cultural heritage in the national capital, the Delhi government on Thursday said it would host a series of events as part of the annual Uttarayani Mahotsav across the city from Friday.

Some 20 events of music, art and literature would be part of the hill state's heritage-promoting festival, a statement said.

Various artists and literary people from the Hindi academy are likely to take part in the two-day festival.

Last year, Delhi government conducted four programmes as part of the festival that is popular in Uttarakhand among the locals and has turned out to be a big tourist attraction.

The statement said the city government was for the first time "conducting, funding and organising mass-scale Uttarayani events for the Purvanchali community through support from the Hindi Academy, Teerth Yatra Vikas Committee and the Sahitya Kala Parishad".

--IANS

kritika/ruwa/sar/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facebook, in association with global advertising and public relations company WPP, on Thursday launched 'Creative Ambassador Programme' in India that will empower WPP creative agencies to develop mobile first creatives for their clients.

The WPP Group has world-class companies providing advertising, marketing, communication services and activities worldwide. With the programme, Facebook is focused on helping partners develop ideas that intrigue and engage for the mobile world.

"The 'Creative Ambassador Programme' will help us bring together and educate creative talent to leverage the Facebook targeting tools and personalised marketing at scale to build brands and produce best in class work in a mobile-first world," said Umang Bedi, Managing Director, Facebook India and South Asia, in a statement.

The programme was launched in Asia-Pacific in June last year and has already been rolled out in Hong Kong and Singapore.

"By partnering with Facebook, WPP agencies will have access to the latest technology and knowledge that will enable them to help clients stay ahead of the curve," added Scott Spirit, WPP Chief Digital and Strategy Officer.

The partnership programme will be expanded to Australia this year, followed by New York to ensure people are up-to-speed on everything Facebook and Instagram has to offer and ensure creative agencies never miss out on new opportunities.

--IANS

anuj/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hollywood director D.J. Caruso, who is here for the premiere of his forthcoming film "xXx: Return of Xander Cage", was overwhelmed by the "greatest welcome".

Caruso, along with Hollywood star Vin Diesel and Indian actress Deepika Padukone were welcomed with dhol, 'tutari' and 'tilak'. They arrived to a typical desi fanfare of women dressed in traditional Marathi nauvari (nine-yard) saris and yellow turbans.

"The greatest welcome ever! 'XXX India Premiere. Wow and a blessing to go with it," Caruso tweeted on Monday.

The mania was overwhelming for the director as he also shared on Twitter an image featuring an enthusiastic cameraman who is seen trying to capture Deepika and Diesel from his bike.

"Deepika Padukone and Vin Diesel chased by photographers on streets of Mumbai. I am in car behind them," Caruso tweeted.

Diesel's two-day India trip is packed with fan meets, music and drama. He is promoting "xXx: Return of Xander Cage", which is releasing in India on Friday -- before anywhere else in the world.

He has a packed itinerary full of fan interactions, a glitzy red carpet gala and a star-studded premiere.

According to sources, plans are in place to give Diesel a "splendid taste of India" -- and the start has been in tune with that.

The actors, along with other members of the film's cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

The movie is a new instalment in the "xXX" series after the 2002 film "xXx" and the 2005 entertainer "xXx: State of the Union". It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

--IANS

dc/rb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hollywood actor Vin Diesel, who got a 'desi' welcome in India on Thursday morning, says he dreamt of exploring the country and is glad that his dream has finally come true.

Diesel, along with his "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" co-star Deepika Padukone and director D.J. Caruso, was welcomed with dhol, 'tutari' and 'tilak'. They arrived to a typical desi fanfare of women dressed in traditional Marathi nauvari (nine-yard) saris and yellow turbans.

Taking time out from his packed schedule, Diesel took to Instagram to express his views.

He posted: "So honoured to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and Deepika Padukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child, I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander."

Diesel's two-day India trip has a lot of things planned. He is promoting "xXx: Return of Xander Cage", which is releasing in India on Friday -- before anywhere else in the world.

The actors, along with other members of the film's cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

The movie is a new instalment in the "xXX" series after the 2002 film "xXx" and the 2005 entertainer "xXx: State of the Union". It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

--IANS

sug/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India is the most interesting country at this moment in terms of scientific research and there is a lot of potential talent waiting to be tapped, said Nobel Media head Mattius Fyrenius, who visited IIT Delhi.

Accompanying him was W.E. Moerner, a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, who later gave a lecture on his prize winning discovery.

Nobel Media CEO Fyrenius told IANS that India was always a desired destination for Nobel Prize Series, which aims to stimulate creative thinking among students by getting them up and close with the Nobel Prize winners through lectures and seminars.

"India was always on our radar. Even last year we had organised the same thing but on a very small scale. Later, I was approached by a person from the Department of Science and Technology here and we discussed about the possibility of a bigger event. This is how we came to organise the Nobel Prize Series 2017," Fyrenius said.

"We have been to Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Dubai, among others, but we haven't done anything as big as this yet. India is our most ambitious project so far," he said.

Asked how were India to do great discoveries when there was only a pittance in the name of research fund, he remarked that things cannot be changed overnight and emphasised the need for building an eco-system gradually where research is rewarded.

"I was surprised when I heard Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Venkatraman Ramakrishnan remark that India spends only one per cent of its GDP on research and development. This amount is anywhere near 3-4 per cent in the US," Fyrenius said.

The CEO added that funding from private sponsors is the key to good research since in India almost 100 per cent funding is done by the public sector while in the US, a beau ideal of research, universities get 75-80 per cent of their research funded from private players.

In the same breath, he pointed out that good discoveries take decades, and it is going to be some time before a perfect eco-system is created.

When compared with other developing country Brazil, Freynius highlighted that although the Latin American state has a robust university system, the educational tradition of India is to be prized over anything.

"You should value it highly and be very proud of it," he said.

"There is huge opportunity here. If you get the private sector to invest in research and development, you will be in a very interesting position. The issue is not lack of talent, but of developing that talent," he added.

Nobel Media is the outreach arm of the Nobel Foundation formed to get people interested in sciences and inspirational stories of the winners through various media.

"Nine Nobel laureates are here on a five-day (January 9-13) visit, during the course of which they will be visiting institutes and other places in three states -- Gujarat, Delhi and Bengaluru -- and give lectures and seminars," Fyrenius said.

--IANS

vn/vgu/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian authorities on Thursday asked a Naga delegation to accompany officials in identifying the areas of ongoing fencing construction along the India-Myanmar border -- which may cut off 3,500 acres of arable land in local Naga villages.

The proposal came after a delegation of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) and village council members met officials of the Union Home and Defence Ministries in connection with the construction of fencing by the Myanmar government.

The Khiamniungan Naga tribe -- numbering over 3,000 and expected to be most affected if the fencing construction does not stop -- has said that the cultivable land is their prime source of livelihood. The fencing is being constructed from border pillar No.139 to 146 in Pangsa village of Nagaland's Tuensang district.

"During the meeting, the government has proposed to visit the Naga villages located at the Indo-Myanmar borders and identify the spots where the fencing construction is going on. The land owners and some of the members from village councils will accompany the officials," Sashee Naga, Vice President of ENPO, told IANS.

However, the dates for the visit by the government officials have not been decided yet.

Earlier, speaking to IANS, Pradeep Gupta, Joint Secretary (Border Management) in the Union Home Ministry, said India was not involved in the construction of the fence.

"Ministry of Home Affairs has not proposed any fence on the Indo-Myanmar border. On this issue, the MEA has been apprised as it is their subject. We have told our people that there will be no construction in our zone and Assam Rifles will ensure that," Gupta added.

--IANS

rup/sm/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Political temperature in Bihar's ruling Grand Alliance will be reflected in the warmth with which guests are treated at the residences of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD-U state President Vashisht Narain Singh here during the Makar Sankranti festival celebrations, say observors.

In Patna, two big feasts are being organised -- one by Lalu Prasad and the other by Vashisht Narain Singh -- for their party leaders and workers as well as for members from the opposition. People from different walks of life have also been invited.

"Both feasts are important for leaders and workers of the ruling Grand Alliance of Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress. The gathering will send a political message of whether everything is fine or not," a senior RJD leader close to Lalu told IANS here on Thursday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to join in the festivities at both places.

"Nitish Kumar will visit the 10 Circular Road house allotted to former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, where Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap also reside," a Janata Dal-United leader said.

Lalu Prasad will also visit Singh's residence along with his sons to meet JD-U leaders on the occasion.

In 2016, contrary to speculations, Lalu had applied a 'tilak' of curd on Nitish Kumar's forehead to indicate cordial relations between them.

Lalu is popular for helping Rabri Devi in serving the traditional 'dahi-chura' (curd and flattened rice) to party leaders and visitors. In fact, his entire family, including sons Tejaswi and Tej Pratap, and daughter Misa Bharti, joined the two leaders in taking care of the guests.

According to RJD leaders, more than 30 quintals of curd and 'chura' each, were arranged for the feast at Rabri Devi's official residence while JD-U leaders put the quantity used at their feast at over 20 quintals of curd and 'chura' each.

Senior RJD and JD-U leaders, including ministers, legislators and MPs, joined the festivities while savouring traditional food items like 'chura', 'tilkut' (a sesame seeds sweet) and 'khichdi' (rice and pulses mash).

--IANS

ik/vgu/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sesto Fiorentino (Italy), Jan 13 (IANS/AKI) Refugees and homelessness groups staged a protest Thursday after the death of a 44-year-old Somali man in fire at an abandoned factory near Florence.

"The state is responsible for Ali's death," the protesters chanted outside the prefecture or office of the Italian government's representative in Florence.

The Somali, named as Ali Muse by Florence daily La Nazione died from severe burns in the overnight blaze at Sesto Fiorentino.

A group of around 80 African asylum-seekers, mainly Somalis, had been using the disused factory as a dormitory, where it appears the fire was caused by sparks from a stove.

Police had to form a human barricade to stop protesters forcing their way into the prefecture.

Some protesters lay down in the road, bringing traffic to a halt while others tried to storm an exhibition on migration by renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei at Palazzo Strozzi, La Nazione reported.

Muse died when he re-entered the blazing building to try and recover his identity documents, which he needed for reunification with his wife and family, according to survivors.

--IANS/AKI

vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a surprise development, Prime Minister has 'ejected Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in the 2017 wall calendar and table diary published by the Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC), official sources said here on Thursday.

Most employees and officials were taken aback to see the cover photo of the calendar and diary showing Modi weaving khadi on a large 'charkha', in the same classic pose as Gandhiji.

While Gandhi's historic picture weaving khadi on a simple charkha, wearing his trademark loin cloth, is legendary and imprinted in the minds of the masses since generations, Modi comes across in his signature attire of kurta-pyjama-waistcoat, weaving khadi on a slightly modern charkha.

Virtually rendered speechless, employees of KVIC at its Vile Parle headquarters plan to stage "a silent, soul-cleansing" protest wearing black bands on their mouths, during lunch hour on Thursday.

When contacted KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said this was "not unusual" and there have been deviations in the past.

"The entire khadi industry (udyog) is based on Gandhiji's philosophy, ideas and ideals, he is the soul of KVIC, so there is no question of ignoring him," Saxena told IANS.

He added that Modi has been wearing khadi since long, and has popularised it among the masses and even among foreign dignitaries, while developing his own styles around khadi.

"In fact, he is khadi's biggest brand ambassador, and his vision matches KVIC's, of 'Make In India' by making villages self-sufficient, 'skill development' by generating employment among the rural masses, infuse modern technology for khadi weaving, innovations and marketing. Plus, the PM is a youth icon," Saxena explained.

"We are pained at this systematic easing out of Mahatma Gandhi's ideas, philosophy and ideals by the government. Last year, the first attempt was made by including the PM's photos in the calendar," said a senior KVIC staffer, requesting anonymity amid fear of official reprisals.

In fact, in 2016 the staff unions in KVIC had raised the calendar matter strongly with the management and were assured that it would not be repeated in future.

"However, this year it's a total washout. The pictures and teaching of Gandhiji - who created khadi for the poor masses and made it a symbol of the 'swadeshi' self-reliance during the struggle for Independence - are completely left out in the calendar and diary," the staffer rued.

Incidentally, Modi already has a khadi garment unofficially named after him - the casual and comfy, half-sleeved 'Modi Kurta' - since the days he was Gujarat Chief Minister and sported it regularly in public in various shades and styles.

During the four-month period between Gandhi's birthday on October 2 and his martyrdom on January 30, the KVIC launches special promotions and offers special rebates to boost khadi sales across India.
Nepal and India are set to sort out the crisis situation faced by tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers after the November 8 of high-value Indian currency notes. A team led by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Deputy Governor Chintamani Siwakoti is in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.

Last week, the Indian Finance Ministry wrote to the Nepali authorities to propose a date for sending delegates to New Delhi to discuss and devise the modalities for facilitating the exchange of the banned Indian currency for the new notes.

Responding to the letter, the Nepali side requested that the meeting be held on Thursday in New Delhi. It is expected that two sides will sort out the crisis that Nepal is facing following the November 8 ban on Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes by India, a source said.

Siwakoti will hold talks with senior officials at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and, if required, with Finance Ministry officials.

During the meeting, according to Nepal's central bank, delegates from Nepal will also request the Indian government to allow exchange facility through the banking channel.

"We will ask them to provide exchange facility for up to Rs 25,000 in the banned denominations," Siwakoti told local media ahead of his visit.

The Siwakoti-led panel has already come up with a suggestion to ease the process of exchanging the banned currencies in Nepal -- including a software developed to facilitate and authenticate the exchange and other modalities.

Nepal has over 36 million banned Indian currency notes within its banking channel, according to NRB sources.

The NRB proposes to collect the demonetised notes from Nepali citizens and send them to the RBI for verification before offering an equivalent exchange in Nepali currency.

As per the NRB, Nepali citizens have to open bank accounts in a bilateral financial institution and deposit the demonetised bank notes to receive the equivalent exchange directly in their bank accounts.

The Nepali delegates, according to Siwakoti, will also query about the status of new currency bills of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 in Nepal.

The technical team will also request the government to increase the annual quota of Indian currency supplied to Nepal.

Currently, India supplies Rs 6.2 billion in cash to NRB every year.

Tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers employed in India as security guards, daily wagers, domestic help and others who receive salary in cash were hit hard by the move.
A man from New Zealand and his daughter arrived in Australia after drifting for nearly a month in the Tasman Sea in a small boat, officials said on Thursday.

On December 17, Alan Langdon, 49, and his six-year-old daughter, Que, set off from Kawhia for the Bay of Islands, both in New Zealand's North Island, but a storm damaged one of the two rudders of the six-metre boat, Efe news reported.

Langdon said that with just one rudder, the safest option was to head towards Australia, where they reached 27 days later at Ulladulla, which is 230 km from Sydney and some 2,600 km from Kawhia.

Langdon added they were never in any danger during their trip and had enough fresh water and supplies.

New Zealand police are investigating whether Langdon, who is involved in a custodial battle over his daughter with his former wife disobeyed a judicial order against taking his daughter out of the country without prior permission.

Langdon's former wife Ariane Wyler said she suspected Langdon would try to set off for Australia and urged the New Zealand authorities to get her daughter repatriated as soon as possible.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Irked over the garbage menace in Delhi due to East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) sanitation workers' strike, the Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday pulled up Delhi government, civic bodies and the Centre.

The tribunal has sought an explanation for the menace and asked the government and civic bodies of their plans to deal with solid waste.

"In a tussle between government and corporations, you have made the general public suffer," Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

Over the matter of pending salaries of the East DMC employees -- the cause of their strike, the tribunal sought an explanation from all municipal corporations, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government.

"The sought detailed report regarding how much budget MCD received from Delhi government and why it could not give salaries to its sanitation employees," said Balendu Shekhar, East DMC's counsel.

He said the also asked about the transportation system of the garbage.

"What is the plan of Delhi government to deal with the waste? Why have you failed as a government to deal with the issue," Swatanter Kumar asked the Delhi government.

The tribunal also asked the Ministry of Urban Development what has it done till date for sanitation of Delhi.

In another matter, the tribunal has issued a notice to other states asking why them segregation, collection and disposition of municipal solid waste is not in place.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told the Law Commission it is not possible to send a question-wise reply from the state government on viability of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

In a letter to Law Commission Chairman Justice B.S. Chauhan on Thursday, Nitish Kumar expressed his government's inability to form an opinion on the UCC in the absence of any specific or concrete information about its contours as also due to lack of consensus on it among religious groups.

Nitish has not only rejected the 16-point questionnaire sent to the Bihar government on implementation of the Uniform Civil Code but also urged the central government to not act in haste over the sensitive issue and hold debates on the matter.

"The questionnaire has been prepared in a manner so as to force respondent to reply in specific manner. There are leading questions with limited number of choices given as probable answers, which denies the respondent any scope to frame his own independent replies," he said.

Nitish said makers of the Constitution had thought of the Uniform Civil Code as something feasible in long run only with consensus of all stakeholders, mainly religious communities.

"The question is whether such a broad consensus exists at the moment in the society. Media reports suggest Muslim community have rejected possibility of UCC at this point of time. There is hardly any support or demand for Uniform Civil Code from any other religious group so far," he said.

He added that India has pluralistic fabric of society in respect of long standing religious practices, which has very often been codified as laws governing personal matters.

"For Uniform Civil Code, all such community laws will have to be scrapped," the Bihar Chief Minister said.

"The details of the proposed Uniform Civil Code have not been shared so far with the stakeholders for their comments. In the absence of any specific or concrete information about the contours of the UCC proposed by the central government, it will not be possible to form any opinion on the same," Nitish said in his letter.

He also pointed that idea of scrapping community laws and replacing them with Uniform Civil Code should be debated first in Parliament as well as in state assemblies and at other forums of civil society before the central government thinks of going ahead with it.

"Implementing UCC without consensus of religious groups, especially minorities would create social discord," he said.

--IANS

ik/pgh/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 20 hospitals in England have declared a black alert this week after becoming so overcrowded that they could no longer guarantee patient safety and provide their full range of normal services.

Unprecedented numbers of patients requiring care has led to at least 23 hospital trusts declaring they cannot cope since Monday, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.

Struggling hospitals have been forced to take highly unusual steps in order to manage a surge in demand for care. They include cancelling cancer operations, treating adults in children's wards and even closing a birthing centre to help cope with a sudden influx of patients who need to be admitted for treatment.

University hospitals of Leicester NHS trust was under so much strain on Tuesday that it declared a "system critical incident" -- even higher than a black alert -- and had to make patients wait in ambulances before being offloaded.

The Royal Surrey hospital in Guildford declared black escalation status on Monday because it had become "extremely challenged" by the sheer number of patients for whom it needed to find a bed.

At one point that day it had 27 patients who needed a bed but nowhere to put them, the Guardian said.

Lewisham hospital in south London became so full on Monday it had run out of beds and in an email to staff it described the situations as "critical" and "not safe".

"Emergency departments are overflowing with patients, internal major incidents are being declared around the country and staff in emergency departments are struggling to cope with the immense demand being placed on their services," said Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

"These crowded environments are stretching the clinical workforce to their limits and, more importantly, at times are unsafe for patients."

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Public Interest Litigation seeking a status report from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) following a BSF soldier's allegation that troopers were being served poor quality food was filed in the Delhi High Court on Thursday.

The petition filed by a former central government employee Puran Chand Arya through his counsel Abhishek Kumar Choudhary also sought direction for not taking any adverse action against the Border Security Force (BSF) constable Tej Bahadur Yadav who through social media made public "his genuine demand for food to survive".

The PIL has sought direction to the central government to explain what is the scenario of ration procurement and preparation and serving of food to all categories of ranks and to take serious action in the incident.

It also sought direction to depute the higher officer to supervise the food quality or to allow the officers of the court or any independent NGOs or media or any trust to make a surprise visit to any paramilitary force food canteen or mess to check the quality and hygiene of the food served to the troopers.

The PIL has cited a video uploaded by BSF trooper Yadav which went viral on social media. In the video, he has alleged that troopers were served bad quality food and at times were forced to go hungry.

Yadav, claiming to be from the 29th battalion of BSF, has accused unnamed officers of illegally selling off the food supplies meant for the troopers.

--IANS

akk/pgh/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a surprising development, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that after the Goa assembly elections, the BJP could make a central leader the state's Chief Minister if the party's elected legislators agree.

The Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping told reporters at a press conference here that the proposal to bring a central leader back to the state as the Chief Minister has been discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) President Amit Shah.

Currently, there are two ministers from Goa in the National Democratic Alliance government -- Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik.

Reacting to Gadkari's statement, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the announcement was a result of a nervousness within the BJP due to the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes.

Speaking in the presence of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Shripad Naik, Gadkari said: "We are confident that we will win more seats than the last time and form our own government."

"Our elected MLAs will elect a new leader and it's not necessary that this leader will be from among the MLAs only. We could send him from the Centre, too. But we will do it in a democratic manner."

Gadkari said the February 4 polls are being contested under the leadership of Parrikar, Parsekar, Naik and state BJP President Vinay Tendulkar, but refused to say which central leader could be brought back to the state as the Chief Minister if the BJP wins the upcoming polls.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has been accused by opposition parties of repeatedly interfering in the state and spending more time in Goa than in Delhi.

Naik, in the recent times, has courted controversy when he accused the state BJP leadership of betraying its principles and accommodating corrupt Congress leaders into its fold and fielding them as party candidates.

"After the elections, the elected MLAs will elect a new leader...but in a democratic manner. The new leader could be selected from the current lot of the MLAs or the party will bring in another leader from Delhi with the agreement of elected leaders," said Gadkari.

"The MLAs could also choose Laxmikant Parsekar...this can also happen. I am not ruling out any possibility," he added.

Reacting to the development, AAP's National Convener Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, suggesting that the BJP has developed cold feet.

"BJP nervous with Elvis candidature. Parsekar no comparison. BJP forced to remove Parsekar. Big victory for Goans against corrupt politics," Kejriwal said in his tweet.

The BJP is contesting around 36 out of the 40 seats in the upcoming state assembly elections. Party leaders said in the remaining three-four constituencies, mostly minority-dominated ones, the party could tie up with Independent candidates.

--IANS

maya/nir/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday greeted people as they prepare to celebrate Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal.

"On the joyous occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal, I convey warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens in India and abroad," an official release quoted him as saying.

"Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal are expressions of joy and prosperity ushered in by a fresh harvest," he said.

Lohri would be celebrated on Friday and Makar Sankranti and Pongal on Saturday.

"May the celebrations of these festivals bind all sections of our society together with the spirit of love, compassion and joy.

"May these festivals which celebrate the hard work of our farmers and offer gratitude to mother nature bring happiness, peace and prosperity in every one's life," the President added.

--IANS

sk/in/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Pranab Mukherjee has lauded the recent economic development of Kenya, an official statement said on Thursday.

"Kenya has become one of the fastest growing economies of Eastern Africa. It has established itself as a hub for financial, commercial, tourist and transportation services," said President Mukherjee on Wednesday during a banquet hosted in honour of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking on the Indian commitment to the development of Kenya, Mukherjee said: "India stands ready to assist Kenya further in her human resource development and capacity building efforts."

"India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and our training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans," the President added.

Welcoming the "Kenyan business houses to explore the opportunities" in the flagship schemes of Indian government, Mukherjee said, "India is one of Kenya's leading trade partners and the second largest foreign investor. The presence of more than forty premier Indian companies in Kenya bears testimony to the complementarities of our two economies."

"India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and our training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans. India stands ready to assist Kenya further in her human resource development and capacity building efforts," he said.

The Kenyan President is paying a state visit to India from January 10 to 12.

Recalling the historical political ties between the two nations, President Mukherjee said, "Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the founding President of Kenya, was an esteemed friend of the leaders of India's Freedom movement."

"Your state visit to India this year, the first state visit from Kenya since February 1981, reflects a new momentum in our bilateral co-operation," he said.

Reciprocating the sentiments expressed by President Mukherjee, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lauded the role of the Indian community in Kenya, whom he described as part and parcel of Kenyan society.

Kenyatta said the Indian community, encouraged by Prime Minister Nehru, were an integral part of Kenya's freedom struggle.

He called for increased contacts at the highest level so that people and business leaders get inspired to take relations to a new level.

On Wednesday, Kenyatta was accorded a ceremonial welcome and was presented an impressive Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt.

Later during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyatta held high-level discussions on common issues and agreed to focus on operationalisation of bilateral defence cooperation.

--IANS

rs/vgu/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President-elect Donald Trump has announced that creating jobs would be the cornerstone of his presidency and took aim at the pharmaceutical sector vowing to bring the industry back to the US.

Overall, his policies spell trouble for nations that seek to expand exports to the US.

"We're going to create jobs," he declared at his first conference here on Wednesday. "I said that I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created. And I mean that."

In his hour-long meeting with over 250 media people at the Trump Tower, he gave more time to jobs creation and bringing back jobs than to foreign policy.

After outlining what he said were his successes in bringing back manufacturing to the US, he turned on the pharmaceutical industry.

"We've got to get our drug industry back," he said. "Our drug industry has been disastrous. They're leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but they don't make them here, to a large extent."

India exported $6 billion worth of drugs to the US in 2015 and could feel the impact of this policy, although it could also gain from his plans to cut the cost of pharmaceuticals because of India's leadership in generics, an area in which US companies have not left the country like branded have.

He accused the sector of "getting away with murder" by charging high process -- the bidding process for buying drugs is flawed.

" has a lot of lobbies and a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power and there's very little bidding on drugs," he said.

"We're the largest buyer of drugs in the world and yet we don't bid properly and we're going to start bidding and we're going to save billions of dollars over a period of time."

He listed companies like Fiat Chrysler and Ford planning to set up automobile factories in the US, instead of abroad and mentioned his meetings with Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma, the founder of the e-commerce giant Ali Baba, as examples of how his election is contributing to jobs creation.

He asserted in the next couple of weeks more companies would be announcing plans to be set up factories in the America Midwest, from where he drew the core of his support from those hurt by the deindustrialisation.

As part of his plans to cut government waste, he cited the examples of F-35 and F-18 aircraft programmes, which he asserted, were over budget by billions of dollars and behind schedule.

He said that he would be working with generals and admirals to turn them around the lower costs.
Global software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday appointed Rajesh Gopinathan as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Like his predecessor, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Gopinathan is the youngest CEO of the $16.5 billion IT major at the age of 46 years.

The now-54 Chandrasekaran, who was on Thursday as the new Chairman of the $103 billion Tata Sons group, was also 46 years old when he succeeded S. Ramadorai on October 6, 2009.

"Gopinathan takes over from Chandrasekaran from February 21, 2017," said the company in a statement here.

Prior to his appointment to the company's top post, Gopinathan was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President for nearly four years since February 2013.

"It is definitely a big shoe to fill. With continuous guidance from Chandrasekaran and support of the TCS team, I am confident of continuing this great journey that TCS is on," said Gopinathan in the statement.

The new CEO also clarified that the vision and roadmap of the company would remain the same as aimed earlier.

"Do not expect any major changes in TCS," he added.

Congratulating Gopinathan on his new appointment, Chandrasekaran said TCS' core strength was its strong leadership talent that was collaborative and aspirational.

"I have been privileged to lead this company of great professionals over the last seven years. I am delighted that the board has chosen Rajesh to lead this company into the future," he said.

"Rajesh has great understanding of the business and finance sides of TCS. I am confident that he will lead TCS to great heights," added Chandrasekaran.

Joining TCS in 2001 from Tata Industries, Gopinathan rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Business Finance before he was promoted as CFO in 2013.

According to the company, Gopinathan's responsibilities included financial planning, control, margin management and revenue assurance while heading the finance division.

Born in 1971, Gopinathan is an electrical and electronic engineer, graduating in 1994 from Regional Engineering College (REC) at Trichy in Tamil Nadu.

Gopinathan is also an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), the country's elite business school.

Gopinathan lives in this city with his wife Lekshmi and has a daughter and son.

In a regulatory filing to the BSE, the outsourcing firm also said it had appointed N.G. Subramanian as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Subramanian, who is President of the Financial Solutions, has also been appointed as a director on the company's board.

--IANS

fb/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Five persons were mowed down by a speeding truck in Uttar Pradeh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said on Thursday.

The accident occurred late Wednesday night when the truck driver lost control and rammed into a roadside shelter where people were sleeping.

While the victims were killed on the spot, several others were injured seriously in the mishap, the police said.

Angry villagers blocked traffic on Thursday morning to protest against the accident.

This is the third such incident in less than a week in the state.

On Tuesday, a truck ran over two pedestrians in Lucknow while a drunk youth, son of a former Samajwadi Party legislator killed five labourers sleeping in a night shelter.

--IANS

md/ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hundreds of Indonesian students on Thursday marched through the streets of capital Jakarta to protest against the high cost of living.

About 500 people, according to the students, protested in downtown Jakarta against possible government moves to increase electricity prices and cut subsidies for low-income earners, Efe news reported.

Students from several universities in Jakarta joined the "121" rally -- named for the 12th day of January -- and was one of more than a dozen such protests held across the archipelago in cities including Medan, Surabaya and Makassar.

Several students were heard saying that they do not want Indonesians to become poorer and they hope that people's incomes will rise.

Some 2,000 police officers reportedly turned up to provide security at the Jakarta protest, though there were no arrests or disturbances.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Taapsee Pannu, accompanied by director Amit Roy and her "Runningshaadi.com" co-star Amit Sadh, recently visited the Golden Temple here.

Taapsee said in a statement: "I remember last year when I was really praying and hoping 'Runningshaadi.com' to release, I promised that the day the announcement of the release is made, I will visit the Golden Temple within a week from wherever I am.

"Thankfully, I was in Delhi when this announcement was made so after a night shoot I immediately took the morning flight and came back the same evening to join back my shoot."

When she shared her plan with the film's director Roy, he agreed to join her along with Sadh. And then the trio packed their bags and landed there on Monday.

"The three of us had a surreal experience going back to the place where we gave our first shot of 'Runningshaadi.com', once again together," said the "Pink" actress.

The film will hit the screens on February 3.

--IANS

nn/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A key Taliban commander was among 12 militants who were killed on Monday as security forces repulsed an attack by the militant group to overrun a district in Afghanistan's Faryab province, officials said.

"Hundreds of Taliban militants launched massive offensive to overrun Ghormach district but the security forces retaliated and forcing militants to flee after leaving 12 bodies behind including their key commander Mullah Wais," Army spokesman Mohammad Hanif Rezai told Xinhua news agency.

He said that 19 more militants sustained injuries in the fighting that lasted for a few hours.

--IANS

soni/

(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.)
Actor Channing Tatum has signed on to star in the upcoming thriller film "Triple Frontier", while actor Tom Hardy is in final talks to be a part of the project.

The film, which is backed by Paramount Pictures, is touted to be a South American crime thriller, reports variety.com.

With Tatum joining the project, this marks the biggest step towards the movie getting a green signal since it was announced that Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal were developing the project in 2009.

Bigelow has since left the project as director, and was replaced by J.C. Chandor.

Boal is still serving as a writer and producer.

The film is set in the notorious border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil where the Iguazu and Parana rivers converge -- making "la triple frontera" difficult to monitor and a haven for organised crime.

--IANS

sas/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tensions between Donald Trump and the US intelligence agencies is growing with the President-elect denouncing as a "Nazi" tactic the preparation and the leak of a dubious dossier purporting to show that Russians had material to blackmail him.

His first news conference as President-elect on Wednesday was overshadowed by the leak of the unsubstantiated documents originally prepared by a former British intelligence agent and a synopsis that was shared by US intelligence agencies with both Trump and President Barack Obama.

"I think it was disgraceful -- disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out," he said. "That's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do."

In a low point for the US, intelligence agencies -- domestic and foreign -- are becoming embroiled in . The Russians hacked the Democratic Party computers in a cyber version of the Watergate break-in in an attempt to hurt that party's candidate for President, Hillary Clinton.

And now someone who had ties to British intelligence -- he is said to have formerly worked for them -- prepares a dossier with unsubstantiated rumours from his Russian sources and US intelligence agencies pick it up and it gets leaked to media in a way that it could undercut Trump's presidency even before it begins.

Trump poured scorn on the sensationalist website BuzzFeed, which published the 35-page document, and its partner CNN, which disclosed parts of the synopsis, as purveyors of "fake news".

In an unusual compliment to the media that he has consistently criticised, Trump thanked The New York Times and others for exposing the document as fake news and turning it down. "I've just gone up a notch as to what I think of you," he said.

Trump had been at odds with the intelligence services that said that at the behest of President Vladimir Putin, Russian spy agencies had hacked into the Democratic Party servers and leaked damaging emails to the media in order to help him win.

At his news conference, he finally conceded that the Russians did carry out the hack, but blamed the Democrats for failing to secure their computers.

He also seemed to admonish Putin for the hacking of the Democratic Party servers, saying he shouldn't have done that -- and wouldn't do it during his presidency. He added that he backed the sanctions that President Barack Obama imposed on Russia for the hacking.

The hour-long news conference at Trump Towers, attended by over 250 journalists from around the world, was dominated by the leaked dossier and Trump's plans to become "the greatest jobs producer that God ever created" while foreign policy matters took a back seat.

In ways that could affect India, he spoke of his plans to stem flow of manufacturing from the US and took aim at the pharmaceutical sector. "We've got to get our drug industry back," he said.

"Our drug industry has been disastrous. They're leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but they don't make them here, to a large extent."

India exported $6 billion worth of drugs to the US in 2015 and could feel the impact of this policy, although it could also gain from his plans to cut the cost of pharmaceuticals because of India's leadership in generics, an area in which US companies have not left America.

He threatened to impose a "border tax" on companies that move manufacturing outside.

Trump spoke about Fiat Chrysler and Ford setting up factories in the US Midwest where the core of his supporters scarred by de-industrialisation live, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. They were all because of his efforts, he said.

Discussion of foreign policy also centred on Russia.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia," he said.

"Russia can help us fight ISIS (Islamic State), which, by the way, is, number one, tricky (issue).

"This administration created ISIS by leaving (Iraq) at the wrong time," he claimed. "The void was created, ISIS was formed."

While trying to make Russia an ally in the war on terror, Trump also warned of a hardline if he had a falling out with Putin.

"I don't know that I'm gonna get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do." he said. "But there's a good chance I won't. And if I don't, do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me?"

Projecting his tough-guy image, Trump made "respect" the focus of his interaction with other countries after business and economy.

"Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading than when other people have led it," Trump asserted.

"Other countries, including China, which has taken total advantage of us economically, totally advantage of us in the South China Sea by building their massive fortress, total. Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, all countries will respect us far more, far more than they do under past administrations."

Most of the mainstream media that has been the object of Trumps's wrath have ironically come to his help on the dossier about Russians purporting to having material to blackmail him.

Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times that is highly critical of Trump, called the allegations "totally unsubstantiated".

Baquet's newspaper quoted him as saying: "We, like others, investigated the allegations and haven't corroborated them, and we felt we're not in the business of publishing things we can't stand by."

The documents spoke of certain sexual practices that had been recorded in Russian hotels. Trump said he was aware that in hotels there would be spy devices and he admonished his staff to be careful. Besides, he said, he was a "germophobe".

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

al/in/sar/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three Manipuri militants of the proscribed KCP (Poirei Meitei) outfit were arrested following a joint operation by the Delhi and Manipur Police on Thursday, officials said.

The police said the arrested militants were identified as Khoirom Ranjit, a Commander-in-Chief of KCP (Poirei Meitei) cadre, Pukhrihongamibomcha, former cadre of Kanglei Yawol Kannalup (KYKL), and Inugbamsanatombi Devi, a close aide of Ranjit.

They were involved in a number of terror activities like lobbying of grenades, shootouts, killing, planting bombs, running extortion network by intimidating businessmen and politicians.

According to the police, Ranjit and Inugbamsanatombi Devi were arrested in an early morning raid from Mayur Vihar in east Delhi, while Pukhrihongbamibomcha was arrested later in a separate raid in Manipur after Ranjit told the police team about his hideout.

Two pistols and two hand-grenades were recovered from their possession, the Delhi Police said.

"Police conducted the raid following a tip-off by Manipur police about presence of Ranjit and his associates in Delhi," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

During questioning, Ranjit told the police he initially became an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of KYKL and was involved in delivering the extortion letters, ferrying vehicles, accompanying the KYKL cadres for arranging food and other logistics, and supplied the organisation information about the deployment of security forces in Manipur, Yadav said.

Ranjit was apprehended in 2007 by 15 Assam Rifles but released allegedly due to political influence.

He has also good contacts with a sitting legislator in Manipur. He later migrated to Nepal and set up his extortion network base under the banner of KCP-KK - Nigamba Group, Yadav said, adding the militant had earlier managed to extort Rs 70 lakh.

Ranjit also confessed to have planted a Chinese hand-grenade on July 20,2010 at the residential courtyard of doctor Aheiban Mukta Singh at Andro Bazaar in Manipur, the police officer added.

"During questioning, it was found Pukhrihongbom Ibomcha is a former cadre of KYKL, was active cadre of KCP (Poirei Meitei) group, who worked under Ranjit. Inugbamsanatombi Devi used to write extortion letters and collect the extorted money," Yadav said.

--IANS

sp/pgh/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pentagon has deployed high-tech radar to keep watch for a potential North Korean long-range-missile launch in the coming months, according to a US defence official.

It is the first US military response to Pyongyang's claim that it could launch an intercontinental ballistic missile, CNN reported on Thursday.

The sea-based X-band radar (SB-X) is able to track the long-range launches and provide crucial data, the defence official said.

The radar has been deployed several times in the past to monitor North Korean missile activity.

But it can only remain at sea for a certain, undisclosed, period of time, so military officials try to calculate the most significant times, the official said.

Generally the SB-X is sent north of Hawaii and stationed about halfway to Alaska for the optimum spot to track a potential North Korean missile launch headed for Alaska, Guam or the West Coast of the US.

Additional surveillance assets are being identified to monitor activity on the Korean Peninsula, the official said but declined to provide any further details.

Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said it could launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "at any time".

In response, US authorities on Wednesday imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials including Kim Jong-un's younger sister Kim Yo Jong who is the Vice Director of the Workers' Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD).

--IANS

ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US authorities have imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship".

"The North Korean regime not only engages in severe human rights abuses, but it also implements rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behaviour," Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) John E. Smith said on Wednesday.

The list includes Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister and Vice Director of the Workers' Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD), Efe news reported

Kim Won Hong, the Minister of State Security, a body that Washington considers responsible for torture and inhuman treatment in the country's network of political prison camps.

The sanction list also includes the State Planning Commission and Ministry of Labour.

OFAC will also freeze the U.S.-based assets of the sanctioned officials and parties.

The US Department of the Treasury's announcement coincides with the State Department's report stressing that North Korea "continues to commit extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced labour, and torture."

Washington emphasised that these abuses take place in the country's prison camps, where it is estimated that "80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, including children and family members of those subject to persecution and censorship."

--IANS

ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship", a media report said on Thursday.

The officials include Minister of State Security and leader Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Efe news reported.

"The North Korean regime not only engages in severe human rights abuses, but it also implements rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behaviour," said Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) John E. Smith.

The list also includes Kim Won Hong, the Minister of State Security, a body that Washington considers responsible for torture and inhumane treatment in the country's network of political prison camps.

--IANS

in/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US military said on Thursday that 33 civilians were killed during a joint operation in northern Afghanistan last year, as it released details of its investigation into the incident.

Twenty-seven other civilians were wounded in the village of Boz in Kunduz city during the operation to capture Taliban leaders who were plotting to seize the provincial capital of Kunduz, Khaama Press quoted Afghan and US military officials as saying.

During the incident on November 3, both forces carried out a ground assault against the Taliban when they came under fire from the armed group, prompting a call for air reinforcements.

"To defend themselves and Afghan forces, US forces returned fire in self-defence at Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions," the US military said.

"Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives," said General John Nicholson, Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan.

Afghan special forces planned the raid against the Taliban hideout in Kunduz with the help of a small group of American military advisers. But the insurgents swiftly engaged them, opening fire from multiple civilian buildings, the US military explained in its investigation.

"US and Afghan forces were forced to request aerial fire support from US platforms in self-defence. Aerial fires were also used to suppress Taliban who were firing on US medical evacuation assets as the dead and wounded were evacuated," it said.

The statement further said that no action will be taken because it has been determined that US forces followed all applicable law and policy during the operation.

The fire exchange killed two US soldiers and three Afghan commandos while 26 Taliban militants, including their leader, were also killed and around 26 wounded, it added.

The US military also said that a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

--IANS

soni/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran journalist Easwar Sagar, who was a long-time correspondent for The Hindu in Washington and a deputy editor, has passed away at the age of 95, his family said.

He died of pneumonia on Sunday in Centreville, Virginia, his son Sushant Sagar told IANS.

As the US correspondent from 1961 to 1978, Easwar Sagar covered the momentous changes in America sparked by the civil rights and the anti-Vietnam War moments.

He chronicled the reigns of five presidents --from John Kennedy to Jimmy Carter -- the Watergate scandal and the resignation of Richard Nixon.

He was at the Civil Rights March in Washington in 1963 when Martin Luther King gave his iconic "I have a dream" speech.

A reporter known for his thorough and in-depth reporting, in order to expose the roots of opposition to civil rights that gnawed at the heart of the US at that time, he also interviewed George Wallace, who stood for racial segregation and racism.

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was in the roster of notables he interviewed.

"Sagar was one of the finest in the old mould, uncompromising in what he felt was the truth, fearless but always fair," recalled N. Ravi, the former editor-in-chief of The Hindu, who had also been the paper's Washington correspondent.

"He was respected by his peers when he was in Washington and later when he moved back to India where he retired," added Ravi, now a director of Kasturi & Sons, the company that publishes the newspaper.

"He was a very good friend, generous and hospitable, with a great sense of humour."

A former colleague of Easwar at The Hindu, B.R.P. Bhaskar, said, "At some stage he came under the influence of M.N. Roy's radical humanism and a liberal approach animated all his writings."

According to his son Sushant, Sagar, who was born in 1921 in Thrissur, Kerala, started as an officer in the Royal Indian Navy after graduating from TS Dufferin, which trained both merchant marine and naval officers at that time.

After serving during World War II, he left the navy as a lieutnent and joined The Hindu as a sub-editor in Chennai. He was made a reporter and later was posted to Kolkata as the newspaper's correspondent.

He became the US correspondent based in New York in 1961 and moved his bureau to Washington in 1963.

In 1978, he returned to Chennai and worked as a deputy editor and a member of its editorial board till his retirement in 1986.

After living in Coimbatore, he returned to the US in 2001 to be with his children.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Janaki, and two sons, Sushant and Vasant, all of whom live in the US. Another son, Hemant, passed away in 1986.
A rousing reception with traditional 'dhol', 'tutari' and 'tilak' was accorded to Hollywood star Vin Diesel, who landed here on Thursday morning on a two-day promotional tour of his forthcoming release "xXx: Return of Xander Cage". On his maiden trip to India, Diesel says his dream to explore the country has come true.

The American actor was accompanied by his "xXx..." co-star and Indian actress Deepika Padukone and director D.J. Caruso.

"So honoured to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and Deepika Padukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child, I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander," Diesel posted on Instagram.

Mumbai rolled out the red carpet with a Maharashtrian style welcome, complete with an 'aarti' and 'tilak'.

They arrived to a 'desi' fanfare of biker women dressed in red nauvaris (nine-yard saris) and yellow turbans, even as men played the Nashik 'dhol' (big drum) and trumpet-like curved folk instrument 'tutari'. Diesel looked excited as he waved out to the media and to the crowd there with much gusto.

"The greatest welcome ever! 'xXx India Premiere. Wow and a blessing to go with it," Caruso tweeted on Thursday.

Dressed in white jeans, a black T-shirt and a pair of shades, he walked out of the airport here hand-in-hand with Deepika, who sported an all-black look complete with black stilettos.

They smiled for cameras and looked around at the mania which made up for the grand reception they received here with the 'band and baaja'. The three celebrities happily posed away for the shutterbugs. They kept waving and showing the thumbs up sign as the cameras went clickety click.

The traditionally clad entourage stylishly atop their Royal Enfields then led the stars to the hotel they are staying in, in a western suburb of Mumbai.

For Caruso, the mania was overwhelming. He also shared on Twitter an image featuring an enthusiastic cameraman who is seen trying to capture Deepika and Diesel from his bike.

"Deepika Padukone and Vin Diesel chased by photographers on streets of Mumbai. I am in car behind them," Caruso tweeted.

The itinerary for Diesel's day one in India was all about fan meets, a press conference and a red carpet premiere for "xXx...", which is releasing in India on Friday -- before anywhere else in the world.

Everything around the trip has been planned in a way to give Diesel a "splendid taste of India", sources told IANS.

The actors, along with other members of the film's cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

The movie is a new instalment in the "xXx" series after the 2002 film "xXx" and the 2005 entertainer "xXx: State of the Union". It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L. Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

--IANS

rb-sug-dc/vt

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
While relations between Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ruling partners, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena, may be described as frosty at best, the two parties are unanimous about one thing  not to organise cycle rallies in the run-up to the February Assembly elections. The reason? The tussle between Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over the control of the party and its election symbol, bicycle. Some enthusiastic party workers, who had planned ward-wise cycle rallies, were told it was time to project the Vikas Rath instead.
With reference to the editorial, Odd decision (January 12), I fail to see the rationale behind the governments persistent violation of the Supreme Courts interim order of October 15, 2015. That order mandates the specific uses for which the government may insist upon an Aadhaar card; in all other cases, it is voluntary for card holders.
In the article, Multinationals without global brands (January 12), Kanika Datta laments the inability of Indian companies to become a global phenomenon. In addition to competing on price, Indian entities have to build a reputation for the quality of their products or services, timely delivery and courteous customer service during and after sales. These are essential both individually and collectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on New Years Eve, announced, among other things, a scheme for senior citizens  guaranteed eight per cent interest on 10-year bank deposits of up to Rs 7.5 lakh. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted the same day that it was great news for senior citizens.
The mega capital expenditure that Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has incurred over the past few years is expected to yield results in 2017. The spotlight is on its telecom services venture, which has incurred a capex of $25 billion. But the current year will also witness payback on RIL's $15-billion investment in its core business of oil and gas as new capacities come on stream.
To give impetus to Make In India initiative, the Home Ministry gave security clearance to nearly 1,300 fresh investment proposals in 2016 after conducting national risk assessment.

The go-ahead came after the Home Ministry issued policy guidelines for assessment of proposals for national security clearance on July 1, 2015.

"The aim is to ensure an objective balance between the requirements of national security and the imperatives of rapid economic growth," an official said.

As many as 1,744 industrial projects were given security clearance in 2015, while 815 investment proposals were cleared in 2014 and 712 proposals in 2013.

The objective of the national security clearance is to evaluate potential threats, visible or embedded in proposals received by the Home Ministry and to provide a risk assessment from the point of view of threats falling within national security concerns.

The Home Ministry has defined security rating parameters to evaluate the proposals uniformly.

The national security clearance policy was drawn up by the Home Ministry to fast-track the security clearance process within 4-6 weeks as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ease of business mantra under the Make In India initiative.

As per the policy, the promoters, owners and directors of the company are mandated to give self declarations regarding any criminal history on their part which reduced the period required to give security clearance from 2-3 months earlier to to just 4-6 weeks now.

Security inputs from Intelligence Bureau, CBI, Enforcement Directorate and other agencies are sought only in serious crimes and not in case of minor offences.

A total of 14-15 parameters have been set out in 8-9 sensitive areas like telecom, ports, civil aviation, uplinking/downlinking of TV channels or FM stations.

The Home Ministry has also spelt out locations where foreign investment is not welcome such as locations close to border and vital installations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man was killed while another three, travelling in a car, were seriously injured after suspected militants fired at a convoy of trucks heading for Imphal from Jiri town this evening.

The police said that the unprovoked half-an-hour attack took place in the Lukhambi area in the recently inaugurated Noney district.

Dikhuanang Gonmei died on the spot while his companions Jacky Kamei, 35, and private teacher Thuanilung Kamei, 31 suffered serious injuries.

Another person, 30-year-old Nipen Kalita, was also injured in the firing which hit the small car in the convoy.

The convoy was carrying necessary commodities despite the three-month-long economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) on the life line of the state.

Though 80 tankers carrying petroleum products had crossed the incident site, several other trucks which have been stranded later started moving around 6.40 pm with heavy escort of security forces, a police officer said.

Asked if the attackers could be any Naga militant group, another officer said with so many undergrounds active in the area it was difficult to pinpoint one group but there was a possibility.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The bodies of 16 soldiers have been recovered in northeast Nigeria, nearly three months after an attack on a coalition force claimed by Boko Haram Islamists, the military has said.

The Islamic State group affiliate announced on October 17 last year it had "stormed a joint position of the armies of Nigeria and Niger" in Gashagar, Borno state, killing 20 soldiers.

Local community leaders in the border area confirmed the attack at the time, saying the soldiers were caught unawares and suffered "huge casualties", without specifying how many.

Yesterday, Nigerian Army Major General Leo Irabor said the missing troops were found by soldiers and vigilantes on January 5 after clearing villages between Damasak and Gashagar.

"At Asagar village, our troops encountered and dislodged some BHT (Boko Haram terrorists) elements," Irabor, who commands the counter-insurgency operation, told reporters.

"Subsequently, the troops recovered corpses of one officer and 15 soldiers earlier declared missing in action during their dislodgment from Gashagar on October 16, 2016."



The bodies were discovered in a river and had since been buried with full honours, he told a conference in Maiduguri, the biggest city in the region.

Confirmation of military casualties has been rare throughout the conflict in the remote region, as have claims and counter-claims from both sides.

But Nigeria's military has begun regular briefings to give updates on the counter-insurgency, particularly as it has gained the upper hand in the fighting.

Troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon make up a regional force battling the insurgents, who have also launched cross-border attacks around the Lake Chad area.

Irabor yesterday described Boko Haram as "in disarray and... Desperate", yet attacks continue, underlining the threat from the group.

Last weekend, at least five soldiers were killed at a military base in Buni Yadi, Yobe state, while five suicide bombers killed themselves and three others in Maiduguri.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid the continuing protests across Tamil Nadu for allowing 'jallikattu' during Pongal, the bull taming sport was conducted in coastal Cuddalore town today defying the ban on it, following which 28 people were held.

With Pongal festivities during which jallikattu is organised starting on Saturday, the chorus in support of the sport grew with more sections of people, including students, joining protests in different parts of the state, including in places where it is not so popular.

On a day when the Supreme Court rejected a plea urging it to pass judgement on the sport before Pongal, functionaries of Nam Tamizhar Katchi conducted jallikattu in Cuddalore near the Tiruvanthipuram Devanathaswamy Temple premises and police arrested 28 people for violating the ban.

A Cuddalore district police official told PTI: "28 people belonging to Nam Tamizhar Katchi have been arrested for conducting Jallikattu and a case is being registered against them."



With the apex court declining to hear the matter, DMK blamed the Centre and state government for "not taking appropriate, timely steps" to ensure conduct of the event and announced a state-wide stir tomorrow.

DMK Working President and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly M K Stalin participated in a demonstration held by college students here seeking permission for jallikattu.

"I extended support for the agitation by participating in their protest. It is welcome that students are holding protests for Jallikattu," he said.

He said only such solidarity and participation by students "guarded our mother tongue", in an apparent reference to the large scale anti-Hindi protests by students in 1960's.

"Similarly, I believe that students' agitations will protect jallikattu, the cultural symbol of the Tamil people," he said.

In a Facebook post, he urged state and central governments to take urgent steps to conduct Jallikattu by "bowing" to the sentiments of students.

In places including Coimbatore and Madurai, students took out rallies raising slogans seeking permission for Jallikattu. They held placards expressing love for bulls and stating that the animals are not harassed during the sport.

Protest demonstrations were also held in the state capital. Film personalities including actor Sathyaraj, film maker Karu Pazhaniapan participated in a stir here pledging support for Jallikattu. Actor Simbu held a silent protest.

More than 10,000 people converged at a ground in Coimbatore in support of jallikkattu while protests were staged in Sivaganga, Dindigul, Pudukottai and Salem districts.

Organisers of 'manjuvirattu' (a form of jallikattu) in Siravayal in Sivaganga district asserted they would hold the sport as it was part of the temple custom and usage.

Students and local villagers blocked traffic at many places in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga district, a report from Madurai said.

(REOPENS MDS5)



In Coimbatore, people from different spheres of life, cutting across caste, linguistic and political barriers, took part in the protest at the sprawling CODISSIA grounds under the banner of "Voice for Jallikkattu".

A section of the crowd raised slogans against PETA for being 'instrumental' in the ban on jallikattu.

A group of 'rekla' racers also arrived at the venue in carts drawn by bulls and joined the protest.

Organisers said the participants came in response to appeal by various outfits through social media.

In Madurai region too, the agitation united people from various walks of life such as students, political parties and film personalities.

Police made a lathicharge to disperse participants in a picketing organised by students in Siravayal as the protest paralysed traffic on a national highway.

Traffic flow was severely hit on Madurai-Dindigul highway also as people held road blockade demanding permission to organise jallikattu.

In Salem, a relay race was organised demanding the ban on the sport be lifted.

In Dindigul, student protesters wanted the government to bring an ordinance to pave the way for conduct of jallikattu.

The protests over jallikattu in Tamil Nadu had its echo in neighbouring union territory of Puducherry where volunteers of various youth outfits staged a human chain agitation supporting the bull taming sport on the ground that it was part of the time-honoured tradition of the Tamils.
Of the 535 contestants to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) in Nagaland, a total of 37 candidates today withdrew their candidature.

According to an official of State Election Commission, the 37 candidates include 27 nominees of Puftsero Town Council, Four from Phek Town Council, 2 Independent candidate under Meluri Town Council and 1 Independent of Chozuba Town Council.

Nominations for February 1 ULB elections in Nagaland came to an end on January 9 last while after two-days of scrutiny, withdrawal of candidature commenced today and will end on January 17.

The four town councils are under Phek district, belonging to Chakhesang community, which had not only called for a boycott of the elections but also cautioned that candidates not withdrawing candidature would be ex-communicated.

One candidate each has also withdrawn from Kiphire Town Council in Kiphire district, Tobu Town Council in Mon district and Dimapur Municipal Council in Dimapur district.

With today's withdrawal, 498 candidates are in the fray.

The election process takes place in the backdrop of some prominent local tribal organisations opposing the government's decision to conduct the civic polls with women's reservation while expressing apprehension that it would infringe upon the special rights guaranteed to the Naga people under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution of India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four members of a family, including three women, today died of electrocution after coming in contact with a high-tension wire in Masit village under Bhojipura police station area here, police said.

Chandra Pal (50) was working with a long iron rod on his handpump when it came in contact with a high-tension electric line running overhead, they said.

Pal, his wife Veena Devi (48) and daughter Chitra Devi (20) rushed to his rescue and died on the spot while another daughter Kranti Devi (18) succumbed to her injuries while being rushed to a hospital, police said.

Senior officials rushed to the spot later, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Myriad colours will dot the Dwarka skyline this weekend with the stage set for the fourth International Kite Festival organised by the Delhi Tourism department.

The three-day event, to be held at Dwarka's DDA Ground (Sector 10) beginning January 14, will be inaugurated by Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra.

Professional kite flying experts from across India and the globe will be taking part in the festival, which will have an exhibition on the history of kites as well.

"Various activities like crafts bazaar, magic shows, puppet shows, quiz contests and dance performances by various academies of Delhi government will provide visitors a fun filled time," a statement said.

A special kite making demonstration will also be organised where professional kite flyers will showcase their expertise and demonstrate the art of kite making.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seven criminals were today arrested by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police and and a cache of arms and ammunition were seized from them in Jodhpur.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of SOG led by SP Sanjay Shrotriya went to Jodhpur and caught the gang members hailing from Haryana and were in Jodhpur to execute a crime.

Four illegal firearms, nine cartridges and three cars were seized from their possession, ADG ATS and SOG Umesh Mishra said.

The accused were identified as Sandeep Bishnoi, Surendra, Hariom Kaushik, Baljeet Jat, Hawa Singh, Bhanwar Lal and Birma Ram, he said.

Of them, Bishnoi and Kaushik each carry a cash reward of Rs 5,000 on their head, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir government today said that the Union government has sanctioned eight new maternity and childcare hospitals in the state.

Replying to a question by Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga, the Minister of Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat informed the Legislative Council that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sanctioned eight new Maternity and Child Hospitals (MCH) at Bhaderwah, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Doda, Kathua, Baramulla, Sopore and Kulgam.

The hospitals have been sanctioned with an aim to further strengthen the MCH facilities in the state.

He said work on the construction of these MCHs is in progress and are at different stages of completion.

The Minister informed the house that Centre has approved Rs 524 crore for development of health infrastructure in the State under Prime Minister's Development Programme (PMDP).

He said that against the state government's proposal of Rs 900 crore under Prime Ministers' Development Programme, funds to the tune of Rs 524.10 crore have been approved by the Centre out of which Rs 204.64 crore has been approved for release during current financial year.

The Minister said that two new 200-bedded MCHs are also coming up at Gandhi Nagar Jammu and Bemina Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore each under central assistance.

The Minister informed that five districts Anantnag, Baramulla, Rajouri, Doda and Kathua have been identified for opening of new medical colleges.

He said the sanction for establishment of medical colleges at Anantnag, Baramulla and Rajouri have been received from the Centre, adding that in this regard Rs 189 crore have beensanctioned to each medical collegewhich includes Rs 50 crore for machinery, equipments, furniture's and fixtures etc.

Giving details of health care centres, the Minister said that total number of 4434hospitals are functioning in the state and against the sanctioned strength of 7514 posts of doctors and 18436 posts of paramedics, 5036 posts of doctors and 14686 posts of paramedics has been filled up respectively.

The Minister however, said that manpower viz doctors, dental surgeons and paramedics have also been supplemented under NHM at various levels of health facilities.

He said at present 1474 doctors and 5499 paramedics have been engaged on contractual basis under NHM in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP today demanded the removal of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Cabinet and registration of case against her for "inciting violence" in poll-bound Punjab and "targeting AAP volunteers".

Strongly reacting to statement's made by Harsimrat on the issue of shoe hurling at the Chief Minister in Lambi yesterday, AAP's Dakha candidate H S Phoolka and Human Rights Wing chairman Navkiran Singh said AAP does not indulge in any kind of violence nor supports such acts.

"Cases under section 506 of IPC (criminal intimidation) and relevant sections of Peoples Representatives Act should be registered against her for inciting violence and targeting AAP volunteers," they said.

Referring to the Lambi incident and attack on Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal's cavalcade in Jalalabad on January 8, she in Mansa district, yesterday, accused AAP of egging people to resort to violence ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls on February 4.

"Her statement reflects fear and frustration of imminent defeat in the elections. She has violated the Constitution being a Minister in the Union Cabinet. She has revealed the criminal mentality of ruling Badal family which is targeting innocent people in the state and has booked hundreds of people in fake criminal cases. She has no right to stay in Union cabinet," the AAP leaders alleged.

The leaders said they have submitted a complaint and video of the Union Minister for Food Processing to the Election Commission through the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab.

They also asked the EC to recommend to the Prime Minister to immediately remove her from the cabinet and take cognisance of the "outburst against AAP by Harsimrat".

"No AAP volunteer was involved in the incident of shoe throwing (on CM Badal)", they stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP today said the re-induction of former MLA Babush Monserrate and joining of NCP legislator Churchill Alemao into Congress ahead of February 4 assembly polls in Goa showed the party's "bankruptcy of leadership".

AAP's Delhi unit convener Dilip Pandey alleged the two leaders had tainted record.

"The Congress is a spent force in Goa and is nowhere in the race to form the government. This unholy alliance with the most corrupt, criminal and discredited elements of Goa only expose the extent of the Congress' desperation to make a mark in this election," he claimed.

"The fact that the national party had to fall to its feet to convince Goa's most-notorious politicians to rescue its sinking ship in the state, points towards the serious bankruptcy of leadership and ideas of the Congress party going into the polls," Pandey said.

He said Monserrate was recently arrested under a rape case and has spent time in jail for it. "Babush was also expelled from Congress. What is the reason for Congress to fall to its feet and join hands again with a man of disrepute like Monserrate?"



The other leader the Congress has allied with is NCP's Alemao. "All of Goa is aware of the nature of activities Churchill is involved in... Alemao's name had also surfaced in the Louis Berger scam," he said.

Aam Aadmi Party is contesting the upcoming polls in all the 40 assembly constituencies in Goa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An absconding gangster, carrying a cash reward of Rs 12,000 on his head, was arrested after ten years from Datyana village, police said today.

Sahender, who was carrying cash a reward of Rs 12,000 on his head was arrested yesterday after ten years. He escaped in 2007 and was wanted in several murder cases, SSP Bablu Kumar said.

The accused has been held and probe is on, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Welcoming the NHRC notice to Chhattisgarh government on the alleged rape and assault of 16 women by the state police, activists today sought a prompt ruling in the matter and alleged that false cases were being filed against social workers under the garb of demonetisation.

"Chhattisgarh is in a state of emergency in the manner in which people are being falsely implicated and arrested. We want strong action against Bastar's IGP Kalluri and the state government," sociologist and activist Nandini Sundar said at a press conference organised by Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS).

"Both Kalluri and the chief secretary have ignored repeated summons by the NHRC, which shows that Chhattisgarh government is beyond the Constitution," Sundar said.

"If accountability is not sought this impunity will continue. The state authorities and functionaries are brazenly in contempt of all orders of all institutions and therefore it is imperative on the part of institutions like SC and NHRC to decisively and promptly intervene," said women's rights lawyer Vrinda Grover.

The activists also hightlighted the manner in which the police was deliberately filing false cases of exchanging demonetised currency notes against activists trying to uncover police brutalities.

According to them, Bastar IGP SRP Kalluri has publicly accused advocate Shalini Gera of the Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group of exchanging demonetised currency for Maoists.

The Chhattisgarh police had also arrested seven Telangana activists on these charges.

Vrinda Grover said such "strategies" were being adopted to justify that demonetisation was indeed flushing out terrorism.

"One of the justifications given by the government for its note ban is that this will help fight terrorism. Now that the entire money is back in the banks and there is not even a single instance where they can show that terrorism has been impacted people are being implicated in false cases is part of a national strategy to justify a failed initiative."



All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has also appealed to the NHRC to direct the Chhattisgarh government to "disband and stop providing protection to illegal and unauthorised lumpen elements through organisations like the Samajik Ekta Manch and AGNI, which has threatened to physically stop human rights activists from entering Bastar".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
and SEZ Ltd will invest Rs 6,000 crore for the development of third phase of Mundra Port.

The upcoming capacity expansion of Mundra Port, touted as one of the top multi-purpose ports in the country in terms of traffic held, would lead to employment generation for 600 people, sources said.

A token MoU to this effect was signed in the presence of Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

Essar Ports too plans to develop port facilities along the Gujarat coast at an investment of about Rs 10,600 crore, a move that is expected to result in employment generation opportunities for 1,000 people.

A slew of MoUs signed here today also include one by West Cost Liquid Terminal  an SPV of Shapoorji Paloonji Group  which intends to invest Rs 1,200 crore for development of LPG and Liquid Storage Terminal at the greenfield port location of Chhara (District Gir Somnath).

This project, said state officials, will be an important contributor in increasing LPG reach in the Northern, Western and Central parts of the country, for domestic cooking fuel segment by enabling the LPG imports.

In the roads and building sector, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) intends to invest Rs 13,000 crore to create Vadodara-Talasari six-lane expressway.

The move is expected to improve the connectivity between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

In the areas of water supply, Classic Network has outlined plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore for development of a water supply project entailing employment for 1500 people.

In addition, Solar Sewage Basic Infrastructure is planning to invest Rs 5,000 crore for undertaking Sea Water desalination project on BOOT basis, a project that would provide employment to nearly 600 people in the State.

The Vibrant Gujarat summit has been a hub of business activities over the last three days, with captains of the industry announcing massive investments into the state.

At the high-profile inauguration of the event by the Prime Minister on January 10, global as well as Indian business leader announced plans to invest in areas such ports, automotive, IT, renewable energy, water, cement, amongst others.

" like Boeing, Airbus, Adani Group, and large numbers others have shown tremendous interest in investing in the state," J N Singh, Chief Secretary, Gujarat Government told PTI.
After the video of a BSF man showing poor quality food being served to them on the icy border in Jammu and Kashmir drew outrage, more such clips have emerged on the social media, including those of an army jawan and a CRPF constable complaining about deprivation and harassment by seniors.

Taking a serious note of video of BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) today asked Union Home Ministry to submit a "detailed factual report" on the complaint and action taken thereof.

As the government was trying to fend off criticism on the social media about alleged ill-treatment of men in uniform posted in inhospitable places following Yadav's allegations, the new videos surfaced.

A clip posted by a CRPF constable was trending in the social media in which the trooper was seen demanding parity in pay and other benefits between army and paramilitary forces, citing the difficult assignments they had to undertake.

CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, quickly stepped in and said it has taken "cognisance" of the issues raised by the jawan, who identified himself in the video as Jeet Singh.

"This is an old video. The jawan has service-related grievances and is seeking parity in pay and other benefits. An Inspector General rank officer of the force has already got in touch with him. We have made it clear that if there are any problems to the troops, we will address them immediately," CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad told PTI.

Another video showed Lance Naik Y P Singh alleging "abuse" by his senior officers who oftened threatened him that he would lose his job if he did not follow their orders which included polishing their shoes.

In the video Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh, posted in 42 Infantry Brigade in Dehradun, said after writing the letter to the PM, Defence Minister, the President and to the Supreme Court in June last year, his brigade received a communication from the PMO asking it to investigate his greviances.

Singh claimed that instead, his superiors in the Brigade started harassing him and also initaited an enquiry, which could result in his court-martial.

"I had just written an application to the PM in which I had just said that soldiers, who act as sahayaks, should not be allowed to polish shoes of officers.

"When the PMO wrote a letter asking the Brigade to investigate into the matter, the Brigadier...Everyone put pressure on me and tortured me to such a level that I could have taken an extreme step. But I will not committee suicide or act in any way or against anyone that will tarnish the name of my service," he said.

In a report submitted to the Home Ministry today, the BSF said there was no shortage of food at the post where Yadav was serving. It said no personnel deployed at the post had complained about food when a senior BSF officer visited them a week ago, official sources said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After the video of a BSF man showing poor quality food being served to them on the icy border in Jammu and Kashmir drew outrage, more such clips have emerged on the social media, including those of an army jawan and a CRPF constable complaining about deprivation and harassment by seniors.

Taking a serious note of video of BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) today asked Union Home Ministry to submit a "detailed factual report" on the complaint and action taken thereof.

As the government was trying to fend off criticism on the social media about alleged ill-treatment of men in uniform posted in inhospitable places following Yadav's allegations, the new videos surfaced.

A clip posted by a CRPF constable was trending in the social media in which the trooper was seen demanding parity in pay and other benefits between army and paramilitary forces, citing the difficult assignments they had to undertake.

CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, quickly stepped in and said it has taken "cognisance" of the issues raised by the jawan, who identified himself in the video as Jeet Singh.

"This is an old video. The jawan has service-related grievances and is seeking parity in pay and other benefits. An Inspector General rank officer of the force has already got in touch with him. We have made it clear that if there are any problems to the troops, we will address them immediately," CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad told PTI.

Another video showed Lance Naik Y P Singh alleging "abuse" by his senior officers who oftened threatened him that he would lose his job if he did not follow their orders which included polishing their shoes.

In a report submitted to the Home Ministry today, the BSF said there was no shortage of food at the post where Yadav was serving. It said no personnel deployed at the post had complained about food when a senior BSF officer visited them a week ago, official sources said.

BSF said 'daal' shown in the BSF jawan's video was



uncanned from tinned food ration and 'parantha' was cooked in the unit's mess as per the procedure followed at high-altitude locations.

A report from the army is also expected soon, the sources said, adding a jawan is entitled to around Rs 2,800 per month as food allowance and he is given food under the stipulated amount.

An inter-ministerial committee with representatives from the Ministries of Home, Finance and others today discussed the issue of 'Risk and Hardship Allowance' for paramilitary personnel as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission to find a solution to the long-standing demand.

In Gujarat, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said he personally monitors quality of food served to Army and has ordered serving of only FSSAI-approved chicken.

Speaking to reporters on sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, he said he would not be able to comment much about BSF as it comes under Home Ministry.

"But in last two years, for the Army we have been continuously evaluating that whether satisfaction level for the food being served has increased or not. I am myself monitoring it," he said.

Meanwhile, a man claiming himslef to be an SSB jawan also told channels that he was facing similar problems while being on duty.
Paving the way for Rs 3,050 crore cumulative penal action on operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, the Attorney General is learnt to have opined that the Department of has power to impose the penalty on grounds of poor quality of service.

"AG has opined that DoT can impose the penalty on operators for violating quality of service rules," a source told PTI.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended imposing Rs 1,050 crore penalty each on Airtel and Vodafone and Rs 950 crore on Idea for violating quality of service rules.

TRAI, in its recommendation to DoT, said it has found the trio non-compliant with licence conditions and service quality norms, given the high rate of call failures and congestion at interconnect points for Reliance Jio.

Following TRAI's recommendation, the Telecom Department sought AG's opinion on the matter last week, sources pointed out.

The DoT was awaiting AG's opinion before proceeding on the penalty suggestion of TRAI.

While giving its recommendation to DoT, TRAI had noted that denial of interconnection by the three operators to Reliance Jio "appears to be with the ulterior motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer".

The regulator had, in fact, stopped short of recommending cancellation of their telecom licences, saying it may lead to "significant consumer inconvenience".

The recommendation came on a complaint by Reliance Jio that over 75 per cent of calls on its network were failing as incumbents were not giving sufficient points of interconnect to help complete calls.
on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gujarat government's Dholera Industrial City Development Ltd (DICDL) for setting up an aerospace and defence cluster at Dholera special investment region near Ahmedabad.

The agreement was signed during the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

According to the Gujarat government, officials from have already visited the place where the company wishes to start their operations.

" has singed an MoU with state government's DICDL for collaborating on setting up of aerospace and defence cluster," state government's Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Mines, P K Taneja said.

"The MoU will create aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem in Dholera region. Airbus France officials have also visited the spot and given their nod to go ahead with the project," Taneja said.

Giving more details about the MoU, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the company would start its operation with a helicopter manufacturing facility.

"This is a very big project coming to Gujarat in the aerospace sector. In the initial phase, Airbus France would start production of helicopters at this facility. Investment details are still being finalised," Patel said.
France-based aircraft maker Airbus is interested in setting up an aerospace cluster at Dholera in Gujarat for manufacturing military transport aircraft and helicopters.

Airbus has signed an MoU with the state government for setting up an assembly line and establishing supply chain and related infrastructure for military transport aircraft and helicopters near the proposed Dholera International Airport.

It is 100 km from the Ahmedabad International Airport, in the Dholera Special Investment Region.

"They had gone to Dholera investment area. They have found the area to be conducive. They have found the place absolutely fine. They have also liked our aerospace and defence policy we have outlined," Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh told PTI here.

"They are genuinely interested," he added.

Airbus has signed an MoU, he said, adding that "it is a statement of understanding and strategic partnership. That is what they have discussed with the Chief Minister and that is what they have done also".

Although Singh did not put a number to the investment that Airbus is planning, industry experts said such a facility should cost no less than 400 million euros.

Airbus is looking to build the C295W military transport aircraft alongside Tata and manufacture military helicopters in partnership with Mahindra Defence.

The French giant needs 900 acres for building the factory and another 1,000 acres for its suppliers, vendors and township purposes.

Singh said Airbus has discussed with the Gujarat government "a (aero) cluster based thing that they would be the one pioneering it here. They would be putting up certain things and around that anchor many of the other industries can come".

Asked about the timeframe Airbus might be looking at, he said, "Whenever this type of interest comes in, (it) means within 6-10 months something concrete (will) takes place. Some particular level of interest has come."



Besides Airbus, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group is also looking at defence manufacturing in the state, he said.

Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Company, Reliance Helicopters and Asteria Aerospace Pvt Ltd among others have been granted industrial licences to make helicopters and defence related items in the state.

The Gujarat government has come out with a new aerospace and defence policy, promising slew of incentives and sops.

"India has recently opened up the defence sector for private players and...30 per cent of the manufacturing has to start off in the country... If Rafael or anybody has to supply over a period of time, 30 per cent manufacturing has to start in the country. It is for that particular purpose that they are looking for places," Singh said.

"All the major players who are getting in the defence sector are looking for areas to build their factories and develop. And Gujarat with our aerospace defence policy and forwards backward linkages, we are the best option for them," he added.

Airbus had last year stated that one of its units, Airbus Helicopters is in discussion with Indian companies for various helicopter programmes, including the Naval Utility Helicopter, the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter as well as the Naval Multi-Role Helicopter competitions.

It already operates two engineering centres - one focused on civil aviation and the other on defence - and a research and technology (R&T) centre which together employ over 400 people.

Its defence and space unit also plans to develop and manufacture electronic sensors with a partner in India, and has advanced discussions to support state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's combat aircraft programmes.
With filing of nominations for the first phase of assembly polls drawing closer, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today asked his ministers and legislators not to worry about tickets as he finetuned with his close aides Samajwadi Party's strategy.

As his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and warring uncle Shivpal camped in New Delhi, waiting for the Election Commission to take up tomorrow the dispute in the party over its 'cycle' symbol, Akhilesh remained closeted with his close confidants at his 5 Kalidas Marg official residence to discuss the poll scenario.

"Don't get trapped in the symbol dispute. It is before EC and will get resolved tomorrow," he told party workers who had assembled at this residence for 'Janata Darshan'.

"Go to the masses. I will draw up my tour programme and will join you," Akhilesh, who replaced Mulayam as the SP president recently, directed his supporters, who aired their strong desire that he should be the chief minister again.

Akhilesh told his ministers and legislators that they should not worry about tickets. "You will get tickets, do not worry. Work hard for SP's victory," he told them during the 90-minute animated interaction.

"All is well in the party," he told waiting mediapersons on coming out of the meeting.

Senior SP minister and Akhilesh loyalist Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that the chief minister was giving final touches to the SP manifesto which was likely to be released soon after the symbol dispute is resolved by the EC.

The manifesto will focus on agriculture sector and welfare of minorities, he said.

Party insiders said Akhilesh was working on a new list of candidates, keeping out those facing criminal charges and accommodating deserving aspirants.

The two SP factions led by Mulayam and Akhilesh have staked claim over the party and its election symbol 'cycle' ahead of Assembly elections and the EC has decided to hear the matter tomorrow.

Mulayam, in a surprise softening of stand towards his son, recently said Akhilesh will be the next Chief Minister, but his statement failed to iron out the differences between the father-son duo on contentious issues like party president's post which Akhilesh does not want to give up.

Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on January 1, Akhilesh has been going whole hog consolidating his grip over the organisation by making new appointments and releasing list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls.

The seven-phase Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on February 11 and filing of nominations will start on January 17 before which the symbol dispute has to be resolved.

Party insiders said former ministers Narad Rai, Om Prakash



Singh, Shahdab Fatima and Ambika Chaudhary might find place in the new list along with Arvind Singh Gope and Ram Govind Chaudhary.

Likewise, some tainted nominees, including Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari's brother Sibghatullah, and Amanmani Tripathi, son of a murder convict, given ticket by Mulayam and Shivpal could be dropped.

While Atiq is a politician with criminal background, Ansari is gangster-turned-politician heading the Qaumi Ekta Dal, whose merger with SP was strongly opposed by Akhilesh, before he had to give in to pressure from Mulayam.

Mulayam had announced candidates for all but eight of the 403 Assembly seats on December 30.

Later the Akhilesh camp had circulated through social media an unsigned list of 250 candidates.

Apparently to send the message that he was calling the shots as 'president' of SP, Akhilesh has cleared the names of three candidates for the biennial elections to UP upper House. for Kanpur-Unnao (Teachers constituency), Allahabad-Jhansi (Teachers constituency) and Bareilly-Moradabad (Graduates constituency).

Akhilesh has already appointed heads of 11 district party units in Mainpuri, Moradabad, Fatehpur, Etawah, Farukhabad, Hardoi, Firozabad, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur.

The existing presidents of these district units were sacked with immediate effect to pave the way for new faces to demonstrate the chief minister's strengthening grip over the party.

Presidents in all these districts were dumped by Shivpal, who is state president of another faction of SP backed by Mulayam, his elder brother.
Following a stern message by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the sale of doormats depicting the tricolour, on Thursday expressed regret for "offending" Indian sentiments and informed her about the removal of the product from its Canadian website.

In a letter to Swaraj, Vice President and Country Manager of India Amit Agarwal said, " India is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extent that these items offered by a third- party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments."



He also said Amazon remains steadfastly committed to India, as evident by CEO Jeff Bezos' announcement last year of company's plans to invest $5 billion in India.

"We value immensely our relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, and most importantly our Indian customers and employees," Agarwal said.

On Wednesday, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The minister had also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

After the strong protests, the e-retail giant on Thursday removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India.

"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our flag immediately. If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj had said in her tweets.

Tweeting Agarwal's response to Swaraj, the MEA Spokesperson said, "In response to EAM @SushmaSwaraj's tweet, @amazon writes to her, expresses regret at hurting Indian sensibilities, pulls offending item.
Army today recovered bodies of the two terrorists, who were killed by troops while foiling an infiltration bid along Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

The troops present along the LoC had detected movement of two terrorists along the Betar Nala on the LoC in the wee hours of Tuesday and engaged them with heavy automatic fire, a Defence Spokesman said.

While one terrorist was eliminated by the Tuesday afternoon the second was eliminated yesterday.

Along with their bodies, troops also recovered two AK 47 rifles, 14 magazines, 392 rounds, 23 grenades and propaganda material, the spokesman said.

Pakistan continues to aid and abet terrorism in its continued proxy war on India, he said.

"Such unusually large quantity of arms and ammunition was carried by the terrorists with intent to perpetrate large scale violence in the hinterland on innocent citizens of Jammu & Kashmir," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Ashton Kutcher has lauded Natalie Portman for calling out Hollywood on its gender pay gap.

The 38-year-old actor stood up for Portman, when she revealed in a recent interview that she earned three times less than her male co-star when they starred in the 2011 romantic comedy, "No Strings Attached", reported E! .

The "Jobs" actor took to Twitter to express his support for Portman.

"So proud of Natalie and all women who stand up for closing the gender pay gap!" the actor tweeted.

Portman's co-star also shared the link to her interview.

"I wasn't as angry as I should have been. I mean, we get paid a lot, so it's hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy," the "Jackie" star said.

Portman added that she doesn't think women and men were any different in capabilities.

"We just have a clear issue with women not having opportunities. We need to be a part of the solution, not perpetuating the problem," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As North-East India's largest economy, Assam has the potential of becoming the pivot of India's Act East Policy, State's Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary today said.

"Assam is the largest economy of the region with the potential of becoming the pivot of India's Act East Policy with large South-East Asian, Bangladesh and ASEAN markets waiting to be accessed for investment," the Minister said, while addressing delegates at the 'Assam State Seminar' during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar today.

"The region has all along been looked at as the periphery of the country. It is time we look at Assam as a perfect business gateway and as the centre of the Indo-ASEAN partnership and interface," a State government press release said, quoting the Minister.

The Centre has given a major thrust to North East and Assam has been taking lead in leveraging the Act East Policy.

"A separate department of the Act East will be shortly created in the State," Patowary said.

The Minister apprised the audience about the immense potentiality in sectors like Pharma, Bamboo, Hydrocarbon, Textiles, Tea and Horticulture.

He further highlighted the accessibility to the region through a strong network of roadways, railways, airways and inland waterways in Assam, the release said.

The Ease of Doing Business Act, 2016 was enacted in the first Assembly session of the present government and Assam was the first State to approve GST.

It may be mentioned that the Minister also interacted with Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani on the inaugural day of the Summit and apprised them about the current conducive industrial environment in the State.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian-American comedian and television star Aziz Ansari is all set to make his hosting debut on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on January 21, becoming the comedy sketch show's first host of South Asian descent.

The comes on the heels of a big year for 33-year-old Ansari. The stand-up comic and television star won his first Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series after earning a total of four nominations for his Netflix series "Master of None", The Washington Post reported.

His nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series was the first for an Indian American.

"I'm very happy but it's a very specific accomplishment," he told USA Today about the historic nod.

Other "Saturday Night Live" hosts of Asian descent include Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan, who both hosted the show in 2000, according to an IndieWire examination of all 826 hosts in "Saturday Night Live" history. Bruno Mars and Fred Armisen, who are multiracial, have also hosted.

Ansari had mentioned wanting to appear on "Saturday Night Live" when he brought his Bobby Jindal impression to "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in November 2015. "I finally look like a guy!" Ansari joked, adding that he had hoped the Louisiana governor's presidential candidacy would lead to his big "Saturday Night Live" break.

Ansari also shared his thoughts on the former Lousiana Governor Jindal's short-lived presidential race with Fallon. "I have a theory that he's not Indian," he said.

"I don't know any Indian person that would allow himself to lose to that many white people in a contest," NBC quoted him as saying.

"Saturday Night Live" is scheduled to resume its 42nd season when it returns from its winter break on January 14.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hundreds of tourists were stranded on the resort island of Bali today following a decision by authorities to axe Tigerair Australia flights after the airline allegedly broke Indonesian regulations.

The budget carrier said six of its services between Australia and the Indonesian island were being axed a day after the disruption began with the cancellation of several flights.

About 700 passengers were affected by the cancellations today, and a similar number were affected yesterday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Tigerair said the chaos was caused by the Indonesian government's decision to "impose new administrative requirements for the operation of its flights between Bali and Australia".

However the Indonesian transport ministry said it made the move after administrative violations by the airline.

It said Tigerair should not have been selling tickets within Indonesia for its chartered flights. Only Virgin Australia, Tigerair Australia's parent company, was authorised to sell the tickets, it said.

"All foreign airlines must comply with our regulations," ministry spokesman Agoes Soebagio said in a statement, adding all Tigerair Australia flights would be cancelled until requirements had been fulfilled.

Tigerair said Virgin Australia was sending two flights to Bali to bring affected customers back.

Bali, a pocket of ancient Hindu culture in Muslim-majority Indonesia, attracts millions of foreign tourists every year to its palm-fringed beaches and is a particular favourite with visitors from neighbouring Australia.

However travel disruptions are common. Bali airport was forced to close several times last year due to floating clouds of ash from nearby erupting volcanoes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A dominant innings of 56 by Tamim Iqbal and a patient unbeaten 48 by Mominul Haque steered Bangladesh to 119 for 2, when rain forced tea to be taken early Thursday, the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand.

Tamim played an important role after Bangladesh was sent in on a green but spongy wicket at the Basin Reserve.

He raced to his 20th Test half century his fourth in six innings against New Zealand in New Zealand from only 48 balls from which he hit 10 fours.

When he posted his half century, Bangladesh was 56-1 of which he had scored 52.

Rain plagued the first day of the test, allowing only 11.3 overs to be bowled before lunch was taken with Bangladesh 39-1, having lost Tamim's opening partner Imrul Kayes for 1 when it was 16.

Tamim was especially hard on Trent Boult who struggled to find his length as he bowled with a strong wind as his back. Tamim took six boundaries from the first 19 balls he faced from Boult whose first spell of three overs cost 26 runs.

But Boult had his revenge when he trapped Tamim lbw for 56 in the 15th over when Bangladesh was 60. South African umpire Marais Erasmus turned down the appeal but New Zealand's review was upheld on review.

Mominul and Mahmudullah (13 not out) steered Bangladesh to tea without further loss, adding 59 in an unbroken partnership for the third wicket.

Apart from the rain that disrupted both of the first two sessions, the match was played in winds gusting to 140kmh. So severe were some of the gusts that the television cameramen were forced down from the high scaffolding at the southern end.

Southee, who bowled mostly into the wind, had 1-45 at tea and Boult's figures had recovered to 1-50 from nine overs.

The rain break in the afternoon session came 90 minutes after the resumption and an hour before the scheduled tea break. Only 29 overs had been bowled in the first two sessions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Banks and oil marketing companies (OMCs) will bear transaction charges for the fuel bought using cards at petrol pumps, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday.

"The decision is very clear. Consumers will not be burdened with Merchant Discount Rate (MDR). Retail outlets (petrol pumps) will also be kept out of its purview. Now it is between banks and OMCs how they share it," he said.

Pradhan was speaking to reporters after attending a meeting on the issue that was called by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.

"It is a commercial decision and they (banks and OMCs) will sit together and sort it out," he said.

MDR is a charge levied on merchants by banks for accepting payments through credit and debit cards. This charge was passed on to consumers but post-demonetisation, the government, in a bid to promote digital payments, waived it till December 30.

Banks, after that date, decided to pass on the MDR to petrol pump operators since the government mandate was very clear that consumers should not be burdened with any additional charge for using cards for payments.

Petrol pump owners threatened to stop accepting card payments, forcing the government to broker a settlement.

Pradhan said banks and oil companies will continue to discuss as to who should bear these charges and in what proportion.

"MDR charges will be levied as per RBI guidelines of December 16," he said.

Asked if it will be shared equally between the OMCs and banks, he said: "That is yet to be decided. Pradhan said the government stands by its decision that customers using non-cash digital modes of payments will not have to pay any transaction charge. Also, the 0.75 per cent discount on fuel rate for using digital payments will continue."

"Banks and OMCs are discussing the issue. In the next couple of days a mechanism will be worked out so that MDR are levied from 16th," he added.

MDR of 1 per cent on all credit card transactions and between 0.25 per cent and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions will be charged on fuel bought through cards.

Pradhan said that neither the customers nor petrol pump dealers will bear additional charges on digital transactions at petrol stations.

The government, he said, had issued guidelines in February 2016 stating that the MDR charge will not be passed on to the consumers and the stakeholders will take appropriate steps to absorb it.
Belgium has charged two new suspects in connection with the attacks in Paris in November 2015, claimed by the Islamic State group, which killed 130 people, federal prosecutors said today.

The suspects, identified only as Farid K. And Meryem E B, "are suspected of having provided Khalid El Bakraoui with fake documents used during the preparations for the attacks in Paris," the prosecutor said. Bakraoui was one of the three suicide bombers in deadly Brussels attacks in March last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nearly two lakh visitors have walked in through the gates at the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) since curtains went up on South Asia's biggest celebration of contemporary art a month ago on December 12. With more than two months to go till the Biennale closes on March 29, the strong turnout far exceeds those witnessed at this juncture in the 2012 and 2014 editions, organisers said today.

Further, it suggests total attendance will compare favourably to the numbers from previous editions.

Over its runs in 2012 and 2014, the KMB received about four lakh and five lakh visitors respectively. "The 'People's Biennale' is living up to its reputation. Its popularity reflects the positive impact the event has had on not only art and culture in the state, but also the economy and tourism sector.

The Biennale has become an important gateway between Kerala and the world," said Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran in a release here.

The figure takes into account both ticketed and non-ticketed entries to the 12 Biennale venues as also the crowds that have turned up for an ongoing series of special offerings, including seminars, film screenings, music and dance performances.

Throngs outside the venues, Aspinwall House in particular, have been a regular sight over the past month - especially following the implementation of a free entry to the Biennale policy on Mondays.

The two Mondays, December 26 and January 2, during the year-end holiday period in December registered record one-day turnouts of 20,000 and 25,000 visitors respectively. Schools and other educational institutions have also made field trips to KMB 2016 from across India.

The Biennale has also received visits from a number of notable personalities both from India and around the world, including prominent representatives from the art fraternity. "International artists, gallerists and curators of biennales and art fairs from around the world have visited the Biennale and have remarked that the scale and participation of this edition has been noticeably more than previous editions. The art world is talking about our Biennale," said KMB Co-founder Bose Krishnamachari.

KMB 2016 curator Sudarshan Shetty said there has been goodwill and support across the board.

"The artworks have got some great reviews and the public's reception has been really encouraging. I'm looking forward to see more practices evolve and unfold during the remainder of the Biennale," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar cadre IPS officer Shivdeep Lande today joined Mumbai Police as DCP of Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC).

Maharashtra Home Department issued orders of his posting today, an official said.

Lande, who hails from Akola district in Vidarbha, had expressed a desire to work in his home state a few years ago, he said.

The 2006-batch IPS was transferred to Maharashtra Police while on central deputation a few months before, but was on wait list for posting, he said.

Lande succeeds Jayant Naiknavare, who sometime back was sent on Central deputation and posted in the CBI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Goa today released their first lists of candidates for the February 4 Assembly polls, retaining prominent leaders, including Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and former chief minister Digambar Kamat in their respective line-ups for the battle for the 40-member House.

BJP's list of 29 candidates, released in Delhi after its Central Election Committee's approval, includes 18 of the party's 21 sitting legislators, but misses the names of state Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar and Speaker of the Assembly Anant Shet.

The Congress' list of 27 candidates, released by party general secretary Madhusudan Mistry here, is a mix of old and new faces, including six sitting legislators.

Apart from Kamat, who immediately filed his nomination from Margao, Congress aspirants who received renomination include Jeniffer Monserratte (Taleigao), Chandrakant Kavlekar (Quepem), Pratapsinh Rane (Poriem), Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi) and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco (Curtorim).

Goa Congress chief Luizinho Faleiro has been fielded from Navelim constituency, currently represented by BJP-backed Independent MLA and state Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado.

Former BJP MLA Dayanand Sopte, who joined the Congress recently, would be locking horns with Parsekar at Mandrem.

Congress is in talks with the NCP and the Goa Forward Party for an alliance.

The Aam Aadmi Party, making a serious bid in the coastal state, has already announced its contestants from 36 seats.

Goa is set to witness a multi-cornered contest with a newly-formed alliance of the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) floated by RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar and Shiv Sena also entering the field.

One of the oldest regional outfits, MGP recently snapped ties with the BJP and withdrew two of its ministers from the state cabinet. The MGP-GSM-Sena "grand alliance" combine has named MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar as its chief ministerial face.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP today raked up the issue of granting Rs 10 lakh and martyr status to Jammu resident Chamel Singh, who died in Pakistan's Kot Lakhpat Jail in 2013, saying repeated pleas to the government for compensation have fallen on deaf ears.

Zero Hour in the legislative assembly has become redundant as his repeated pleas to grant Rs 10 Lakh compensation and martyr status to Chamel Singh who died in Kot Lakhpat jail in Pakistan, as it has fallen on deaf ears, BJP MLA Sat Sharma alleged.

"I have made this pleas several times, but it seems that the zero hour has become redundant, I have been demanding from the government to grant Rs 10 Lakh and martyr status to Chamel Singh, but nothing has been done so far," Sharma said during Zero hour in the legislative assembly today.

According to his family, Chamel Singh, a resident of Akhnoor in Jammu, had gone missing in 2008 while working in his fields near the International Border.

He was arrested in Pakistan on charges of espionage and was sentenced for five years of imprisonment.

As he was about to complete his term of imprisonment, he died in Kot Lakpat jail in Pakistan, amid reports that he was "mercilessly beaten", by prison staff two days before his death.

Singh's body was handed over to the Indian authorities after more than two months of his death.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh today dared the state administration to recommend a CBI probe into the killing of Srinu Naidu, the husband of a TMC councillor, in Kharagpur yesterday and alleged that the state had become a "safe haven" for criminals under the TMC rule.

"I challenge them (state government) to go for a CBI probe into the killing of Srinu Naidu. Everything will be clear then," he told reporters here.

His statement came a day after TMC general secretary Subrata Bakshi urged the police to look into the role of Ghosh in the incident.

Ghosh is the MLA from Kharagpur.

"These are baseless allegations. The state has turned into a safe haven for criminals under the TMC. The BJP has got nothing to do with it (the incident)," Ghosh said.

The Trinamool Congress have pointed fingers at Ghosh following his comments a few months back that whoever clashed with him "will have to bite the dust".

"Yes, I had said it. I had said it against the TMC, not against any individual. I had gheraoed the local police station demanding the arrest of Naidu for his illegal activities. We all know that Naidu was an anti-social and the TMC was giving him protection. The police should probe that part," Ghosh said.

Two TMC activists, including Naidu, were yesterday killed while three others were seriously injured when unidentified miscreants opened fire at them inside the party office at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP is set to announce lists of its candidates for the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly polls besides that of Uttarakhand on January 15 and 17 with top party leaders from states being engaged in a series of meetings to sort out the probables.

Its Central Election Committee, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, will be meeting on Sunday and Tuesday to make the announcements.

Shah has held several meetings, including one today at his residence, with top UP leaders, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra and Uma Bharti besides state party president Keshav Prasad Maurya, state in-charge O P Mathur and Yogi Aditynath in a effort to build a unanimity over candidates.

There have been reports of Adityanath, a Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur, being unhappy with the leadership but sources played them down.

Shah has been pulling out all stops to lead the party to victory in UP, which in terms of political implications is more important than all other four poll-bound states combined.

It has been out of power in the state since 2002 and was a declining force till the 'Modi wave' catapulted the party to an unprecedented success in 2014 Lok Sabha polls when it won 71 of the 80 seats.

Party sources believe that it may not be possible for the saffron outfit to repeat the 2014 feat of capturing over 42 per cent of vote share but it hopes to emerge a winner in the state's fractured polity by garnering more that 30 per cent of votes.

SP and BSP won a majority of 403 seats in 2012 and 2007 assembly elections by pulling in 30.4 and 29.16 per cent of votes.

Besides its core support base drawn from upper castes and bania community, it has assiduously cultivated non-Yadav backward castes and sections to dalits as it works to put together a winning social coalition.

Facing challenge from strong regional satraps like Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, BJP has not announced a chief ministerial candidate, largely because it lacks a leader with pan-state base like father-son duo of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of BSP.

In Uttar Pradesh, which has a 403-member House, polls will be held on February 11 (73 constituencies), February 15 (67 constituencies), February 19 (69), February 23 (53), February 27 (52), March 3 (49) and March 8 (40).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US aircraft maker Boeing Inc today launched a skill development programme in association with the aerospace manufacturing firm Jaivel to train front-line workers in the MSME segment in aerospace industry.

The programme was announced in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at the 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit, a release said.

The programme, which is in line with the Skill India initiative of the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre, is aimed at accelerating the growth of domestic aerospace industry by establishing a larger pipeline of skilled aerospace workers, Boeing said in the release.

Jaivel Aerospace, a micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME), has undertaken work packages as a sub-tier supplier for Boeing's advanced commercial airplanes such as the 787, 777 and 737 as well as defense platforms such as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the release said.

"This is Boeing's first skill development initiative for aerospace manufacturing in Gujarat to ensure that entrepreneurial Gujarat businesses are ready to compete at a global scale," Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar said.

Through the new partnership, Jaivel's role in the local and global aerospace sector will expand, as it helps train future aerospace workers, the release said.

"This is an important investment by Boeing, not only for us but also for Gujarat's potential to become an aerospace manufacturing hub. This is testament to Jaivel's aerospace team and we look forward to working with Boeing to create an excellent foundation for an aerospace sector in the state,", Jaivel Aerospace founder and chief executive officer Vipul Vachhani said.

Apart from forging such partnerships, Boeing has also been collaborating with leading Indian vocational training institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Indian partners, including MSMEs, to train workers in the aerospace industry, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of cabin crew will strike again next week in an ongoing pay dispute, trade union Unite announced today.

More than 2,900 cabin crew will walk out for 72 hours from January 19, after two days of industrial action this week, Unite said in a statement.

It said there was "continuing and deepening" anger among so-called mixed fleet crew, who have joined since 2010 and work a combination of short and long-haul flights.

The trade union claims they are on "poverty" pay, with many forced to take on second jobs or turn up for shifts if they are sick because they cannot afford to be off ill.

" should be under no illusion about our members' determination to secure a settlement that addresses their concerns over poverty pay," said Unite national officer Oliver Richardson.

Unite claimed that a strike this week on Tuesday and yesterday was strongly supported.

However, British Airways -- which is owned by Airlines Group (IAG) -- claimed that more than 70 per cent of the crew had reported for work as normal.

"We operated nearly 1,600 flights over the two days, as planned, and transported all 210,000 customers to their destinations," BA said.

"So it is bizarre, as well as regrettable, that mixed fleet Unite branch has announced further strike dates," it added.

Britain's transport network faced transport chaos this week as a result of a number of strikes.

On Monday, industrial action shut down most of the London Underground network in a dispute over job cuts and staffing levels.

There was further disruption on Tuesday and yesterday as workers on Southern Rail trains staged a strike, with another walkout due tomorrow.

The service, which runs between London and the south English coast, has been plagued by industrial action in a bitter dispute over the operator's plans to downgrade the role of the train conductor.

Southern wants drivers to be able to operate train doors, not conductors, as is the case on many trains in Britain. But unions say this risks passenger safety.

With no sign of the dispute ending, the RMT union announced today that its members would stage another 24-hour walkout on January 23, the day before drivers are due to strike again.
In an unusual move, a beef farmer in the UK has enlisted the help of one of his cattle to pop the question to his girlfriend.

Ashley Farrell from Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, proposed to his girlfriend Anna Louise Martin on Christmas Eve.

He made his unconventional bid for bliss by spray- painting "Marry me" on the side of one of his calves, the BBC reported today.

Martin suspected nothing as Ashley wooed her to the cow shed, as he had already told her she was getting a calf as a gift for Christmas.

She said: "I went outside and saw a small calf (a velvet Belted Galloway cross) but thought something was up because if he had the calf from November then it should be bigger than that.

"Then, before I could open my mouth, it turned around and the words 'Marry me' were painted on the side of it.

"I turned around and Ashley was on one knee with the ring in his hands and I of course said yes".

However Martin, from Hillsborough in County Down, admits that she did not believe that Ashley came up with the dramatic idea himself at first.

"He is not usually the romantic type, but he thought of this one himself.

"I should have given him more credit but he is your typical farmer so I was really surprised that it was his idea."



Like many couples, Ashley and Anna Louise were quick to post their engagement announcement on Facebook, but they did not expect such a widespread reaction.

"My friend sent the photos into Farming Life newspaper and next thing I knew I was getting calls and texts from all different newspapers and media," said Martin.

"It's all a bit of craic though," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British appliances maker Dyson has sought approval of the government to set up single brand retail stores in India.

It has also demanded relaxation of mandatory local sourcing norms citing its products' are state-of-art, an official said.

As per the current FDI policy, companies making state-of- the-art technology items are exempted from the mandatory local sourcing norms in the single-brand retail sector for up to three years.

After the exemption period, companies would be given five years to comply with the mandatory 30 per cent domestic sourcing norms.

In November last year, the British company had stated that it would be entering Indian market and plans to invest around 150 million British Pounds (Rs 124.32 crore) in next three to five years to set up a retail network here.

The company designs and manufactures vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, bladeless fans and heaters.

"We will invest 150 million British Pounds in next three to five years to open stores and set up retail network here. Our first store would open in the middle of next year, if we are allowed to," Dyson Founder & Chief Engineer Sir James Dyson had said.

Established in 1991, Dyson has filed 7,500 patents for its technology worldwide. It invests 5 million British Pounds each week with over 40 universities to develop early stage technologies.

The company has plans to open stores in major 20 cities in next three years and would focus on mass market.

As per its plan, the company would import units manufactured at Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines and would consider to set up an assembling unit if the volume picks up.

Dyson products are sold in over 75 countries and in 2015, it had a revenue of 1.74 billion British Pounds.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A contest seeking ideas for start ups was organised today mainly for youths living in five villages adopted by President Pranab Mukherjee last year under the Centre's 'smart village' initiative.

The aim of the contest, which was inaugurated by Omita Paul, Secretary to the President, was to create awareness among youths of these villages and those from the neighbouring areas about various opportunities and facilities available for them to start their own venture.

Mukherjee has adopted five villages-- Alipur, Rojka Meo, Harchandpur and Taj Nagar, all in Gurugram district, and Dauhla in Nuh district -- in July 2016 with an aim to develop them into 'smart villages'.

Today's programme was organised by Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST), a non-government organisation.

"Under the 'Smart Gram' (smart village) initiative of Rashtrapati Bhavan, we have done a lot of work for these villages. We want to create entrepreneurs so that they will also help in development of the village and area," said Paul.

She said similar contest would be organised in more villages of the country.

"There are over 4,000 youths in these five villages, majority of whom are in armed forces whilst the remaining are either looking for regular jobs or having no direction on what to do and where to go," a release issued by the organiser said.

Any youth from disadvantaged class between 18 and 35 years of age can write their idea on a paper and drop it in the various drop-boxes installed in and around the city. The three best ideas would get cash prize of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000, respectively, it said.

"When people come to us through BYST, it adds more trust to their applications. We don't treat them differently, but we trust them little more as they will work hard and repay us," said Ved Prakash, Regional Manager of State Bank of India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An audio recording done by a small vendor who used to sell packaged drinking water on trains has exposed petty corruption by a Railway Protection Force Sub-Inspector, leading to the officer's arrest by CBI.

The case is of Pune where Ingale, a sub-inspector of RPF, was allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 2,000 from the dealer of drinking water bottles for letting his boys sell it on trains.

Munna Ojha, the complainant, had approached CBI with a secret recording of phone conversation with Ingale where the officer was allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 2,000 to allow Ojha's boys sell water bottles on trains running between Daund and Pune.

Ojha, in his complaint, had alleged that Ingale had caught one of his boys selling water.

He called Ojha demanding Rs 1,500 per month to be paid to him only then he would allow the sales of water, the complaint alleged.

Ingale allegedly allowed the boy to go after making a demand of Rs 2,000 for previous month and this month.

"CBI laid a trap and caught the Sub-Inspector red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 2,000 from the complainant. Searches were conducted at the office and residential premises of the accused at Pune which led to recovery of documents relating to property and two bank accounts," CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As protectionist measure likevisa curb are looming large on the Indian IT sector with the regime change in the US, Minister of State for Electronics and IT P P Chaudharytoday said the Union government is proactive and there is no reason for worry.

"Definitely we will take up. The government is alwaysready to protect the interest of our IT professionals and ITcompanies. We have always been ready, we are ready now also. Modi government is even more ready on this," he said.

He was responding to a question on taking up with the US the issue of protectionist measures like visa curb looming large on Indian IT sector with USPresident-elect Donald Trump's administration all set to takecharge. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event to unveil Mphasis' 'My Stamp', to commemorate the company's Silver Jubilee here, he said, "Modi ji and his government is not only reactive, but proactive always."



Not wishing to elaborate about discussions with the US administration on the issue, the Minister said the matter was related to the Ministry of External Affairs, adding that thingswould be made known when the need arises.

Trump has made a tougher immigration policy a centraltheme since the day he announced he would run for president.

His nominee for the post of Attorney General has assured US lawmakers that the Trump administration will take steps, including pushing legislative measures to curb "abuse" of H-1B and L1 visas by foreign workers, moves that could significantly hurt Indian IT firms and professionals.

Chaudhary said earlier also visa issues had been raised and resolved. "Now again it has been raised it will get resolved."



Stating that there was no reason for Indian IT companies and professionals to worry, he said, "the reputation of our IT companies' world over is outstanding. The diversification measures that our IT companies are doing...There will be good demand."



He said there would not much of a problem on visa related issues. "...There are indigenous opportunities also, so I don't think there is any need for worry," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China has started construction of the world's highest altitude in a Tibet prefecture close to Line of Actual Control with India to detect faintest echoes resonating from Universe, which may reveal more about the Big Bang theory.

The project will cost $18.8 million and the construction of the first telescope, code-named Ngari No 1, 30 km south of Shiquanhe Town in Ngari Prefecture has begun, official media in Beijing reported.

Nagri is the last Tibetan prefecture at China's border with India.

The observatory is being built on a plateau 5,000 meters above sea level.

It has been identified as one of the best places in the Northern Hemisphere for possibly observing primordial gravitational waves, state-run China Daily reported on Thursday.

The observatory is expected to be finished in five years.

Gravitational waves, predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915 as part of his general theory of relativity, are generated when celestial bodies collide.

The advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in the US became the first to detect them in September 2015 when it picked up waves caused by the merging of two black holes 1.3 billion years ago.

However, primordial gravitational waves, which the Tibet observatory will focus on, are believed to have been created about 13.8 billion years ago by the Big Bang, the explosion that scientists say created the Universe, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said.

So far, primordial gravitational waves have never been detected.

Electromagnetic radiation travels through space in light waves that are distinguished by varying wavelengths.

One of them, the submillimeter wavelength, will be key to finding primordial gravitational waves, Wang Junjie, an astrophysicist at the National Astronomical Observatories, part of the CAS told the Daily.

"The Big Bang spread sub-millimeter light waves over a wide area. So researchers will install a submillimeter telescope on the mountains in Ali to search for submillimeter waves and uncover primordial gravitational waves from the Big Bang," he said.

"What we're searching for is primordial gravitational waves that have travelled for 13.8 billion years before arriving at Earth, and, if they exist, they're very weak," he said.

What makes submillimeter waves difficult to detect is the moisture in Earth's atmosphere, which absorbs the waves.

"Thanks to the thin air and dry climate in Tibet, which reduces the influence of moisture, the region is one of the best sites in the Northern Hemisphere for submillimeter observation," Wang said.

According to a report by Daily, the observatory project is being led by the CAS' Institute of High Energy Physics and has received a 130 million yuan ($18.8 million) research grant from the central government.

"Searching for primordial gravitational waves is of great significance," Wang Yifang, director of the Institute of High Energy Physics, was quoted in the report as saying.

"China will take the international lead in primordial gravitational wave research when the observation station is complete," he added.

China also launched another project to detect gravitational waves in July 2015, the Tianqin project that plans to take four steps in two decades to launch three satellites into high Earth orbit and detect gravitational waves.
China's Navy has commissioned a sophisticated electronic reconnaissance ship, capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock observation on multiple targets, the latest addition to Beijing's expanding fleet amid tensions over its assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) now operates six electronic reconnaissance vessels, the state-run China Daily newspaper said today.

In a rare move, PLA Navy media outlet made public the composition of the nation's electronic intelligence fleet comprising of six ships, including the new one.

The new ship CNS Kaiyangxing, or Mizar, with hull code 856, was delivered to a combat support flotilla of the North Sea Fleet on Tuesday morning in Qingdao, Shandong province, the daily reported.

The Kaiyangxing is capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock reconnaissance on multiple and different targets, the daily quoted an official PLA Navy media adding that the ship is so sophisticated that only a few countries, such as the US and Russia, are capable of developing it.

As per the details released, the PLA Navy now operates six electronic reconnaissance vessels - Beijixing (Polaris), Tianwangxing (Uranus), Tianlangxing (Sirius), Haiwangxing (Neptune), Kaiyangxing (Mizar) and another whose name has not been revealed and is only known by its hull code of 855.

The report also gave specific information about the ships such as their capabilities and functions. Until now, the PLA Navy has never made public so many details about its intelligence collection ships.

The Kaiyangxing is a Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship, which has a full displacement of 6,000 metric tons and a maximum speed of 20 knots, or 37 kilometers per hour, according to the Modern Navy report, which added that it is equipped with three small-caliber naval guns.

(REOPENS FGN 9)



An expert from China's shipbuilding industry said US Navy deploys at least 15 intelligence collection ships, while China still lags behind in this regard.

"The fact that we are facing an increasing number of difficulties when we safeguard our maritime interests means that we require more reconnaissance ships to support the PLA Navy's operations on the open sea," the unnamed expert told the Daily.

"In addition, our future carrier battle groups also need such vessels that can provide various kinds of theatre intelligence," he said.

In 2016, the PLA Navy commissioned a total of 18 ships, including a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, three Type 054A guided missile frigates and six Type 056 corvettes.

These ships have a total displacement of 150,000 tonnes, roughly half of the overall displacement of the Royal Navy.

China is now building a domestically designed aircraft carrier in Dalian, Liaoning province in addition to the first one whose hull was built in earnest while Soviet Union.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the new carrier will have a displacement of 50,000 tonnes and will deploy domestically developed J-15 fighter jets.
China today confirmed that its naval formation led by its sole aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through the Taiwan Strait en route to South China Sea for military drills, whichprompted Taiwan to scramble its F-16 fighter jets.

"A naval formation consisting of the aircraft carrier Liaoning on Thursday passed through the Taiwan Straits en route to the South China Sea for drills and tests," said Liang Yang, spokesperson with the People's Liberation Army Navy.

"The Liaoning and other naval vessels in the formation were scientifically organised and meticulously operated during the navigation," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua agency.

This is the first official reaction from China since Taiwanese media reported on Liaoning's activities on Tuesday, which prompted the island's military to dispatch F-16 fighter jets to monitor the movements of China's only aircraft carrier.

Notably, the development comes just days after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen visited the US en route to Central America, despite protests from Beijing, and met with Senator Ted Cruz, who lost to Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary contest.

Earlier, US President-elect Trump has spoken with Tsai, in a major break with Washington's policy on China, triggering protest from Beijing.

China has increased its military activities near the Taiwan Strait since Trump in an interview last month suggested that the US can abandon its nearly four-decades-old 'One Chi



Two Chinese military strategic bombers have also flown around Taiwan last month.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told state-run Global Times that the Liaoning battle group's movement in the area showed that the aircraft carrier is combat ready, which is good for the Chinese people, but those who want to separate China's territory and support Taiwan independence will surely be afraid.

Since it was commissioned in 2012, the Liaoning has been carrying out training and tests steadily, the navy said.

The Liaoning is China's only aircraft carrier in operation. It was refitted based on an unfinished carrier from the former Soviet Union.

China claims the breakaway province of Taiwan as part of mainland and the ruling-Communist Party has vowed to retake the island, if necessary, by force.

Under a landmark 1979 agreement, the US has recognised the People's Republic of China, breaking its decades-old diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Washington now acknowledges Beijing's claims over Taiwan, while pledging to defend Taiwan from attack.

The US remains Taiwan's biggest arms-supplier and main supporter.

(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 has made a pitch for capital punishment to rapists in the backdrop of rise in heinous crimes against women.

"Deliberations should be made across the country for a stringent law that allows awarding death penalty to rapists. Political parties, saints and social activists should initiate action in this direction," Chouhan said addressing the ongoing 'Namami Devi Narmade - Seva Yatra' at Sandiya village of Hoshangabad district yesterday.

"A law (in this regard) should be enacted by bringing amendments in the Constitution," he said here referring to women safety in general.

On the de-addiction campaign, Chouhan assured that liquor shops won't be opened on banks of Narmada.

"Along with towns situated on the banks of river Narmada, the campaign will be conducted across the state," he added.

Chouhan also administered a pledge to the people for conserving Narmada.

"Life is not possible without water and Narmada has made a remarkable contribution in the development of Madhya Pradesh. Damage has been caused by felling trees on both the banks of Narmada. If this situation continues, we will not be able to see water in the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh in the next 50 years," Chouhan said exhorting people to save the river.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump's pick to run the CIA took a tough stand against Russia today, distancing himself from the president-elect, who wants to warm relations with Moscow.

Rep. Mike Pompeo, a four-term conservative Kansas Republican, spoke at his confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee amid a testy standoff between Trump and the spy community over Russian activities during the president election.

"Russia has reasserted itself aggressively, invading and occupying Ukraine, threatening Europe and doing nothing to aid in the defeat of ISIS," Pompeo said, referring to Islamic State militants.

If confirmed, Pompeo would take the helm of the CIA in what he said was the "most complicated threat environment the United States has faced in recent memory."



Pompeo was a vocal member of the partisan House committee set up to investigate the deadly attack on a US diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, which occurred while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state.

He told the committee that he understands that as CIA director he would have to make the transition from a partisan, policymaking lawmaker to an objective intelligence collector.

"I have spent the majority of my life outside politics -- as a U.S. Army cavalry officer, litigator and head of two manufacturing businesses," Pompeo said.

"Returning to duty that requires hard work and unerring candor is something that is in my bones."



As CIA director, Pompeo could be caught in the role of mending relations between Trump and intelligence officials.

Trump has for the most part been dismissive of intelligence agencies' findings that Russia, specifically President Vladimir Putin, interfered in the 2016 US election with the goal of getting Trump elected. The CIA is one of three main intelligence agencies that came to that conclusion.

Yesterday, Trump acknowledged Russia was responsible for hacking but speculated that intelligence agencies might have leaked to organizations details about a classified briefing with him that included unsubstantiated allegations about his ties to Russia.

On other issues, Pompeo said Iran has become an "even more emboldened and disruptive player in the Middle East."



He said North Korea has dangerously accelerated its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.

And he called the conflict in Syria a tragic humanitarian catastrophe that has led to the rise of extremism and sectarianism and has destabilized the Middle East and Europe.

Pompeo has been critical of the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran, which granted Tehran sanctions relief for rolling back its nuclear weapons program.

"While I opposed the Iran deal as a member of Congress, if confirmed, my role will change," Pompeo said. "I will lead the agency to aggressively pursue collection operations and ensure analysts have the time, political space and resources to make objective and sound judgments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A CISF jawan allegedly opened fire on his colleagues, killing four of them at their unit at a thermal power station in Aurangabad district of Bihar today.

Officials said the incident was reported at about 12:30 AM at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit in the said district where the force is deployed for security duties to guard the facility.

The accused jawan has been identified as constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the deceased personnel have been reported to be three personnel in the ranks of Head Constable (HC), and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI).

The CISF jawan lost his cool following a dispute over leave and fired from his rifle, Superintendent of Police Dr Satyaprakash said.

Balveer has been arrested, they said.

"Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his other colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident. While three were killed in the firing, one another succumbed at a nearby hospital later," they said.

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit is deployed in the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility.

They said the incident took place when Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said.

NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

While the SP said senior officials have rushed to the spot, the CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A CISF jawan allegedly opened fire on his colleagues, killing three of them and critically injuring another at their unit at a thermal power station in Aurangabad district of Bihar today.

Officials said the incident was reported at about 12:30 AM at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit in the said district where the force is deployed for security duties to guard the facility.

The accused jawan has been identified as constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the deceased personnel have been reported to be two personnel in the ranks of Head Constable (HC), an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) while another HC is critical.

The CISF jawan lost his cool following a dispute over leave and fired from his rifle, Superintendent of Police Dr Satyaprakash said.

Balveer has been arrested, they said.

"Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his other colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident. While three have been killed in the firing, one another is critical and has been rushed to a nearby hospital," they said.

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit is deployed in the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility.

They said the incident took place when Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said.

NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

While the SP said senior officials have rushed to the spot, the CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In an incident of fratricide, a personnel on Thursday allegedly opened fire at his colleagues, killing four of them at the Navinagar Power Generating Company premises in Bihar's Aurangabad district.

Superintendent of Police Satyaprakash said the personnel Balbir was apparently angry over leave issues and fired at his colleagues from his service rifle, killing two of them on the spot at the company campus.

Two others injured by him in the incident were declared brought dead by doctors of Narayan Medical College and Hospital in neighbouring Rohtas district where they were rushed, the SP said.

The incident was reported at about 12:30 AM.

The accused personnel, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested, Satyaprakash said, adding senior police officials have rushed to the spot to probe the incident.

The four CISF personnel who were killed have been identified as Bachcha Sharma, N Mishra, Arvind Kumar and G S Ram, he said.

Officials said, "Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident".

Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said.

The CISF has ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident.

CISF has been deployed for security at the under-construction thermal power project, a joint venture of NTPC and Bihar government.
The City Municipal Corporation has been declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) city, under Swacch Bharat Mission,.

A certificate to this effect was handed over to officials today by Quality Council of India (QCI).

A senior QCI official Bhuvanesh Rawat handed over the certificate to the Corporation Commissioner Vijay Karthikeyan at a function held at the Corporation office.

Several teams had visited and inspected various wards and interior places in and around the city, before declaring the city as ODF, an official release said here.

Inspection included the access to the toilets to the households, it said.

Teams visited market areas, railway stations, bus-stands, slums, schools and places of large public concentration, to find whether there was any incident of open defecation, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French DJ David Guetta's concert, scheduled here for Thursday night, has been scrapped with the organisers citing "law and order situation" following the molestation incident during New Year's Eve as the reason.

The Bengaluru police refuted the organisers' claim and cited the APMC polls as the reason for denial of permission. "Hardly one day was given to organise. A big event should have been discussed with authorities. Elections are priority.", Seemant Kumar Singh, IGP, Bengaluru told ANI.

The News Minute quoted Bengaluru Rural SP, Amit Singh, who said, "Even if they had approached us two weeks ago, we would have managed security. However, they came to us only two days ago for permission.



The 49 year old DJ is on a four-city tour which was expected to begin from Bengaluru and then move to Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

"Due to the present law & order situation in Bengaluru following the events that transpired around New Year's Eve, the authorities have recommended against holding the concert scheduled today in the city.

"We at Sunburn tried our very best to make it happen but the authorities understandably are not prepared to take any chances. Hence, today's concert unfortunately stands cancelled," Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said in a statement.

The organisers said they hope to "reschedule" the concert if they get permission from the authorities and the artiste but there is no clarity at the moment.

"Other shows in Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad are on as per schedule," Singh said.
Amid conflicting claims, French DJ David Guetta's concert, scheduled here for tonight, has been cancelled with the organisers citing "law and order situation" as a fallout of the molestation incidents but police rejected it, saying permission was denied due to local polls and being approached at the "last moment".

Guetta was scheduled to headline a special gig called "Guetta4Good in Bengaluru" for a charitable cause, kickstarting his four-city tour from here before moving to Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

"Due to the present law & order situation in Bengaluru following the events that transpired around New Year's Eve, the authorities have recommended against holding the David Guetta concert scheduled today in the city. "We at Sunburn tried our very best to make it happen but the authorities understandably are not prepared to take any chances. Hence today's concert unfortunately stands cancelled," Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said in a statement.

However, senior police officials said there was no law and order issue and permission was denied because of elections to Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) for which security needed to be provided. Also, the organisers approached them only on Jan 10, they said.

Incidents of molestation of several women in full public view on New Year's eve in city's downtown M G Road-Brigade Road here had triggered a national outrage.

On late December 31 night, several women were allegedly molested and groped and lewd remarks passed by miscreants, despite the presence of 1,500 police personnel to control the unruly New Year revellers.

Guetta's concert organisers said they hope to reschedule the concert if they get permission from the authorities and the artiste.

But there was no clarity at the moment, they said adding other shows in Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad are on as per schedule.

Disputing the version of the organisers, IGP (Central (Range) Seemant Kumar Singh said there is no law and order issue and the police were approached at the last minute.

"There is no law and order issue as you know. We will seek a clarification from the organisers why they have made it a law and order issue," Singh told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today asked the Delhi High Court to decide within two months the plea of a death row convict seeking commutation of his sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of delay to decide his mercy petition.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi passed the order after taking into account the submission of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who said if the apex court would go into the legal issues concerning jurisdiction of high courts the delay would benefit the death row convict.

The apex court's direction came while disposing of the transfer petition of the Chhattisgarh government which alleged that the Delhi High Court has no jurisdiction to stay the execution of a man held guilty of murder of five persons, including two children, in 2004 in its territory.

The high court in its December 6, 2016 order had said the rejection of mercy petition by the President "does give rise to a cause of action at Delhi".

It had on March 2, 2015 stayed the execution of Sonu Sardar after which the Chhattisgarh government approached the Supreme Court challenging its jurisdiction to hear the matter.

The state government had told the apex court that the high court had no jurisdiction to stay the execution of convict Sonu Sardar as the offence had taken place in Chhattisgarh.

The Supreme Court had in February 2012 concurred with the findings of two courts below and upheld the punishment. His mercy petition was also dismissed by both the state Governor and the President of India.

In February 2015, the apex court had also rejected his review plea.

Sardar in his plea before the high court had contended that there was a delay of two years and two months by the President in deciding his mercy plea.

He had also sought commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment on account of delay in deciding his mercy plea as well as for allegedly keeping him in "solitary confinement illegally".

Sardar, along with his brother and accomplices, had killed five members of a family, including a woman and two children, during a dacoity bid in Chhattisgarh's Cher village on November 26, 2004. The trial court had awarded death penalty to him which was upheld by the Chhattisgarh High Court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul today asked the youth to draw inspiration from the life of Swami Vivekananda describing him as the architect of the spiritual bridge that connected the East and the West.

"He was the architect of the spiritual bridge that connected the East and the West - a bridge built on the central truths of Vedanta," the Governor said while addressing a function at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama here to mark National Youth Day celebrations on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

His life and work was one of dynamic action which can be a great inspiration for the youth.

As young citizens of the world, the youth have great creative energy with the potential of reaching great heights.

Today's society also poses multifaceted challenges and there is a need for the youth to rise up to these challenges and become forces of positive change.

"Therefore, in the words of Swami Vivekananda, I exhort you to stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny,"he said.

Paul advised the youth to have a strong will power, inner strength and a spirit of adventure and exploration in order to become strong enough to face the challenges that awaited them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A section of sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) continued their strike on eighth day today, even as civic officials managed to get cleared 1,135 metric tons of garbage.

As the sanitation workers continued their demonstration outside EDMC headquarters in Patparganj seeking permanent solution to delays in payment of salaries and arrears, two protesters scaled the office building and threatened to jump off if their demands were not met.

This created a flutter at the protest venue. The duo -- Joginder Bahot and Premchand -- were, however, persuaded by union leaders to come down.

"We have been requesting EDMC and the Delhi government for permanent solution to delays in payment of salaries to all the employees, including sanitation workers, but there is no result yet. Now even, the employees of health, horticulture and education wings of the municipal corporation have made up their mind to go on strike," said Sanjay Gehlot, president of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union.

The standing committee chairman of the BJP-ruled corporation, Jitendra Chaudhary, reached the venue of protest and extended support to the agitating employees seeking permanent solution to the financial problems of the civic body.

As a next step of their agitation, the strikers started a relay hunger strike with five sanitation workers joining it on the first day.

"The strike will continue till a permanent solution is found with regard to our grievances including delays in salaries and payment of arrears among others," Gehlot said.

While sanitation workers under the banner of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union, affiliated to Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have continued their strike, others have joined work after their two months salaries were paid by EDMC following a fund injection of Rs 119 crore from the Delhi government.

EDMC managed to lift 2,614 metric tons of garbage yesterday, with the help of sanitation workers who have resumed work and private contractors. Today, trucks made 235 trips and cleared 1,135.99 metric tons of garbage between 6 am and 4 pm, said a senior EDMC official.

Meanwhile, office-bearers of a union of Group D employees met the Commissioners of the three civic bodies, after which they called off their proposed strike from January 25.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A host of leaders and top military officials from various countries, including the US and UK, will assemble here next week to discuss the global situation at a three-day conference to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With the overall theme 'The New Normal -- Multilateralism with Multipolarity', the Raisina Dialogue beginning on January 17 will cover subjects like Connectivity, Evolving Politics of Asia-Pacific, Combating State and Non-State Actors, Countering Violent Extremism Online and the Nuclear Conundrum.

The Prime Minister, in his inaugural address, is expected to outline his vision of the emerging world order.

Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar are among other Indian ministers and officials who will address the conference.

The foreign speakers include British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, Bangladesh's International Affairs Advisor to PM Gowher Rizvi, Diplomatic Advisor to French President Jacques Audibert and UN Under Secretary Jane Holl Lute.

US Pacific Command chief Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr, America's Cyber Coordinator in the Department of State Chris Painter and Commander of Joint Forces Command of UK Sir Christopher Deverell are among the security officials scheduled to address the conclave.

India's Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Girish Luthra will also address it.

The event will also be addressed by former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French prosecutors today charged four suspects over the armed robbery of US reality TV star Kim Kardashian in Paris, including one accused of directly taking part in the heist.

Yunice A, 63, was charged with robbing Kardashian at gunpoint and leaving her bound and gagged in a bathroom in her luxury Paris residence in the early hours of October 3, the prosecutor said.

The other three were charged with aiding and abetting the theft of gems worth a total of around nine million euros (USD 9.5 million), the biggest jewellery theft from an individual that France has seen in more than 20 years.

Marceau B, a 64-year-old Roma, was charged with helping to pass off some of the stolen jewellery.

He has a long criminal record dating back to 1998, with convictions for robbery and carrying counterfeit cash. Six months after leaving jail in late 2011, he was charged with making counterfeit money but was acquitted last year.

The other two charged, 44-year-old Florus H and Gary M, 27, are accused of tipping off the thieves over Kardashian's comings and goings.

Another six suspects are still in custody, including four other men ranging in age from 54 to 72, who are suspected of direct involvement in the brazen robbery.

One source close to the probe described the five assailants as "old-school gangsters".

Wearing police uniforms, they first overpowered a night watchman at the residence in the chic Madeleine area of the French capital where the 36-year-old Kardashian was staying during Paris Fashion Week.

Two of them then burst into the star's apartment, gagged and bound her at gunpoint and locked her in a bathroom before helping themselves to gems including a 20-carat diamond ring worth some four million euros.

A total of 17 people were arrested on Monday, including Pierre "Pierrot" B, a 72-year-old convicted cocaine dealer suspected of taking part in the heist, who was picked up in a villa in the south of France.

Another suspected of taking direct part in the heist is aged 61 and nicknamed "Blue Eyes".

He was sentenced in 2003 to eight and half years in jail for international cocaine trafficking after being busted with two tonnes of the drug at a Paris airport.

"They thought it would be the heist of the century but they made a lot of mistakes," one investigator said.

Notably, the star's 30,000-euro diamond necklace was found in the street by a passer-by hours after the heist.

Seven suspects have been released including a chauffeur who was used by Kardashian during her stay.

His brother remains in custody, suspected of tipping off the thieves that Kardashian's bodyguard was absent on the night of the robbery and giving them details about the residence.

The bodyguard, who was providing security for her sister Kourtney at a Paris nightclub at the time, no longer works for the family.

Some of those still in custody have confessed to their involvement, a source close to the probe said, without elaborating.

Two suspects who remain at large have been sighted in Antwerp, Belgium, the hub of the global diamond trade.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A French court today ordered the release on bail of former prime minister of Kosovo and rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj, who was arrested in early January on suspicion of war crimes.

Haradinaj lodged an appeal at a court in the eastern town of Colmar after his arrest on January 4 at an airport by French police acting on an international arrest warrant.

Serbia wants to try the former leader of the insurgent Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) for alleged atrocities committed against civilians during the 1998-99 conflict in former Yugoslavia.

"These accusations from Serbia are purely political," Haradinaj told the court in French, dressed in a suit and tie. "What you are doing here is an abuse of the law."



To his compatriots, Haradinaj is a hero for his efforts to win independence for Kosovo from late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, and he is known as "Rambo" at home for his stocky build and military prowess.

"Haradinaj is Kosovo" read placards held by hundreds of war veterans who rallied against his arrest outside the French embassy in Pristina last week.

His lawyer Rachel Lindon said that his release on bail was the first stage of a fresh legal battle, which has already seen him tried and acquitted twice before for war crimes.

The 48-year-old intends now to try to overturn the arrest warrant issued by international police body Interpol at the request of Serbia and fight his extradition to Belgrade.

He must surrender his passport as part of the bail deal and will have to attend future court hearings which will examine the extradition request, the French court ruled.

Haradinaj became prime minister of Kosovo in 2004 but stepped down after just over three months to face 37 charges of war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

He was acquitted in 2008, and again in a partial retrial in 2012.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar met traders meet in Varanasi to address their grievances post demonetisation, as he assured them that the Centre will look into their suggestions and demands.

The meeting was held at the Nagri-Natak Mandali here yesterday during which Gangwar sought to know the problems that the traders faced after the note ban.

He said that the government is working towards easing their problems.

The traders demanded the lifting of restrictions on the withdrawal limit from bank accounts and that they should be allowed to withdraw money as per their requirements.

In the meeting, over 500 traders gave a written suggestion to Gangwar, in which they demanded more sops in the upcoming Union Budget from the Centre.

Gangwar said the NDA government has made a rate cut for the medium and small scale industries.

He also said that if any officials from the Income Tax department unnecessarily harasses them, then they may send a complaint to he Finance Ministry.

The MoS also asked the traders and businessmen to give suggestion for GST.

BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the demonetisation scheme of the Union government has exposed those who don't pay taxes.

He said the scheme is beneficial for the country in the long run will reduce corruption and stop the flow of blackmoney and fake currency in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said today he was "perplexed" by Donald Trump comparing the leak of a dossier of unsubstantiated allegations against him to something that could have happened in Nazi Germany.

Furiously denying the explosive claims in the file as "phony stuff", America's incoming 45th president yesterday said the leak was "something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do".

"To be honest, about your question about the comparison with Nazi Germany, I am as perplexed as you are, I can't interpret that," Steinmeier responded in a press conference to a question on Trump's comment.

The focus of the president elect's hour-long press conference yesterday was the unsubstantiated claims that his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the US election, and that Russia has compromising information on Trump.

Steinmeier, 60, has emerged in recent months as the German government's most strident detractor of Trump.

He warned a day after Trump's shock election that relations would become "more difficult" with the United States making more decisions "on its own".

During the US campaign, Steinmeier was even more damning, saying the prospect of a Trump presidency was a "frightening" for the world.

He compared Trump to a "hate preacher", saying he had much in common with "fearmongers" in Germany's right-wing populist AfD party and advocates of Britain's exit from the EU.

Steinmeier said that based on Trump's first press conference since his election, it was not possible to draw conclusions on the foreign policy directions that his administration would take.

But he predicted that at some point, Trump would ease off on his penchant for communicating through Twitter.

"Each president must find his own style and President Trump will do that too. I can't imagine that these Twitter messages will go on for long, in any case I'm not in a position to formulate a foreign policy concept in 140 characters," said Steinmeier.

Trump has turned to Twitter to express views as widely ranging as accusing China of military expansionism to hitting out at veteran actress Meryl Streep over her criticisms to demanding that Mexico pay for a border wall.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Saudi Arabia increased India's annual Haj quota, the Centre today formed a six-member committee to look into the Haj subsidy issue in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually reducing and abolishing subsidy given to pilgrims by 2022, sources said.

The committee, inter alia, will figure out whether the pilgrims can travel to Saudi Arabia paying less in the absence of such subsidy, they added.

"Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has already formed a high-level committee to look into the Haj subsidy issue. The committee will look into whether giving subsidy has benefits or can pilgrims travel paying less if there no subsidy is offered," a source said.

The committee will engage all the stakeholders concerned before submitting its report, they added.

The sources said that official announcement regarding formation of the panel is expected in the next few days.

In the biggest hike in nearly three decades, Saudi Arabia had yesterday increased India's annual Haj quota by 34,500, a move welcomed by the NDA government as a "matter of pleasure".

Naqvi and Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten inked an agreement in this regard in Jeddah yesterday, increasing the size of India's Haj quota from 1,36,020 to 1,70,520.

The Supreme Court had in 2012 directed the Union government to gradually reduce and abolish Haj subsidy by 2022.

It had asked the government to invest the subsidy amount of approximately Rs 650 crore a year then on educational and social development of the community.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Guided Pinaka, which has been upgraded from Pinaka Rocket, was today successfully test fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here.

The Pinaka Rocket Mark-II, which evolved from Pinaka Mark-I, is equipped with a navigation, guidance and control kit and has been transformed to a Guided Pinaka.

The test firing was conducted from Launch Complex-III of ITR, defence sources said.

The conversion considerably enhanced the range and accuracy of Pinaka. The test firing had met all mission objectives, they said.

The radars, electro-optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the vehicle all through the flight-path.

The Guided Pinaka is developed jointly by ARDE Pune, RCI Hyderabad and DRDL Hyderabad. ITR Chandipur provided the range and launch support, sources said.

K M Rajan, Director ARDE (Armament Research and Development Establishment), Pune, B H V S Narayana Murthy, Director, RCI, Hyderabad, B K Das, Director of ITR, Chandipur and R Appavuraj, Director, Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE), Chandipur monitored the launch operations.

An Armed Forces team witnessed the flight test AS G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, was present during the test firing, they said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has congratulated the DRDO, industry and the Armed Forces for the successful flight-test, a release said.

P K Mehta, DG (ACE) and S Christopher, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, also congratulated the teams that participated in the successful test firing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat Government today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 77,000 crore with the Ministry of Railways for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project.

The MoU was signed during the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Summit at Mahatma Mandir here today in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

Out of the total cost of Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the high-speed Bullet train project, Gujarat government would get 70 per cent share, the state government said in a release.

The agreement was signed between Gujarat government and the High Speed Rail Corporation (HSRC), which falls under the Railway Ministry.

"Under this agreement, Rs 77,000 crore will be invested in Gujarat for the Bullet train project. We have signed an MoU today in this regard with the Ministry of Railways," Rupani told reporters here.

The high speed Bullet train is expected to cover 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in about two hours, running at a maximum speed of 350 kmph and operating speed of 320 kmph. The project is expected to be completed by the 2023.

Passengers will get the thrill of riding under the sea during as this first bullet train of the country will have a a 21-km tunnel under the sea.

According to the detailed project report proposed by Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA), while most part of the corridor is proposed to be on the elevated track, there will be a stretch after Thane creek towards Virar, which will run under the sea.

Rolling stock and other equipment like signalling and power system will be imported from Japan as per the loan agreement.

Railways has already allotted Rs 200 crore for the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), in which Maharashtra and Gujarat will have equity of 25 per cent each and the Indian Railways will have 50 per cent.

"Another MoU was signed to set up a training centre at Gandhinagar to impart training to engineers and employees associated with the Bullet train project," the release said.

Third MoU was signed between the state government and Railways to set up a container depot in Rajkot, for which Railways will invest Rs 100 crore, Rupani told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Asian community in the US bore the brunt of a spike in hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric during the presidential election similar to levels seen the year following the 9/11 terror attack, according to a report.

The report "Power, Pain and Potential" released by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a leading national South Asian American advocacy organisation, said from November 15, 2015 to November 15, 2016 (between the Paris attacks and the week after the Presidential elections), SAALT documented 207 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at South Asian communities.

As many as 140 incidents of hate violence and 67 instances of xenophobic political rhetoric have been reported in the US against the South Asian community during the 2016 election cycle, it said.

"An astounding 95 per cent of incidents were motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment," SAALT said, adding that its findings are consistent with the FBI's 2015 hate crimes statistics, which disclosed a 67 per cent increase in hate crimes against Muslims from the previous year.

Notably, President-elect Donald Trump was responsible for one in five (21 per cent) xenophobic political statements SAALT documented, a media release said.

SAALT's findings come at a time when South Asian Americans are among the fastest growing demographic groups in the country.

According to the 2010 Census, 2.84 million Asian Indians lived in the United States, up from 1.67 million in 2000.

"I think that the hate violence statistics that we have tabulated ... Really typifies, unfortunately, the growing groundswell of hostility many of our community members continue to experience, even as our communities continue to grow rapidly (nationwide)," Raghunathan said.

"The unprecedented violence we saw following the September 11 attacks has returned, electrified by a hostile 2016 presidential election," said Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT.

"With over 4.3 million South Asians in the US, policymakers must make it a first priority to address and dismantle the paradox of our communities living at the intersection of growth and hate," she said.

In its report SAALT said since 2000, unauthorised immigration from Asia has grown at rates much faster than from Mexico.

"India is the country of origin with the greatest increase in unauthorised immigrants to the US with a 914 per cent increase since 1990," it said.

The lack of comprehensive immigration reform worsens conditions for undocumented immigrants, their families, and Americans at large, it said, adding that undocumented individuals and others with an uncertain immigration status face unique barriers when interfacing with public safety and law enforcement programmes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Calcutta High Court today allowed holding of Sansad Mela at Asansol, the constituency of Union minister Babul Supriyo, on an appeal against the Trinamool Congress-run municipal body's refusal to give the go-ahead to the fair that would showcase central government's various development schemes.

A division bench of justices B Somadder and S Acharya directed that the mayor and other authorities of the Asansol Municipal Corporation shall permit the appellants to hold the Sansad (Member of Parliament) Mela at Loco Ground as per schedule this evening.

The bench, however, directed that no cultural programme, including musical soirees, will be allowed to be held in view of the statements by the appellants.

'Me and We', an NGO which is co-organising the fair, moved the appeal before the division bench after the Asansol mayor refused permission.

A single bench of the high court had on Tuesday directed that the municipal body consider afresh and take a call on the application for permission within a day after it had earlier refused permission for the fair.

Refusing permission yesterday, the mayor had claimed that artistes from Mumbai would perform and that may cause a stampede owing to a possible large attendance of around 50,000 people.

The petitioners today submitted before the division bench that the cultural programme has been cancelled as the second rejection of its application was on the ground of the programme.

The bench further directed that in the event that the Asansol Municipal Corporation notices crowd management is becoming difficult, it shall step in and bring the same to the notice of local police authorities which will conduct an on-the-spot assessment and thereafter AMC will issue instructions to the organisers for closing down the fair or any particular stall as the situation warrants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Allahabad High Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply on a petition challenging a recent decision of the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet to include nearly a score of OBC groups in the list of Scheduled Castes.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Verma passed the order on the PIL of Raj Kumar, who challenged the state cabinet's proposal dated December 22, 2016 wherein 17 castes, earlier classified as Other Backward Classes, were recommended for inclusion in the list of SCs.

The proposal was cleared at a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on that day.

The recommendation will come into effect following an approval from the Centre.

However, the petitioner alleged that subsequent to the cabinet decision, the state government's personnel department went on to issue a notification on December 31 whereby it was ordered that all benefits provided to SCs be extended to the aforementioned 17 caste groups.

This, the petitioner contended, was in violation of Article 341 of the Constitution which empowers only the Centre, and not the states, to take a decision with regard to inclusion or exclusion of any caste group in the list of Scheduled Castes.

The court fixed February 9 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Assailing the CAT and the Tamil Nadu government for adopting "a strange procedure", the Madras High Court today revoked suspension and departmental proceedings against senior IPS officer M S Jaffar Sait and directed the state to reinstate him in a post before January 18.

"The charge against the petitioner is essentially not one of corruption. It is a case of misuse of discretionary quota, fabrication of records, causing loss to the Housing Board and illegal gain on account of joint venture," said a division bench of justices K K Sasidharan and V Parthiban, allowing the plea of the officer.

Sait, a 1986 batch IPS officer, has been serving suspension for more than five years, on allegation of helping his subordinates to acquire housing plots under discretionary quota by creating records and thereby causing loss to the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, besides taking allotment under the discretionary quota in the name of his wife and entering into a joint venture with a builder.

On November 29, 2013, the Centre had rejected the state government's request for sanction to prosecute Sait, and thereafter the principal secretary to government (home), issued a charge memo to him on August 6, 2014. When the officer sought copies of documents referred to in the charge memo, it was rejected, forcing him to approach courts.

Meanwhile, Chennai bench of CAT on April 19 last year directed the state government to furnish copies of documents to him and also directed it to reinstate him in service, revoking the suspension. Instead of challenging the order, the state filed a clarification plea, using which the CAT had stayed its own final order of reinstatement.

"The Tribunal adopted a novel device to put its order in cold storage by entertaining clarification petitions and stay petitions. The state, by making use of the interim stay, extended the suspension. The effect is that in spite of the order directing revocation of suspension and reinstatement, the state managed to extend the suspension and keep Sait out of service," the bench today said.

Holding that CAT was not correct, the bench said the tribunal had exceeded its jurisdiction by granting an order of stay of its own final order April 19 last, the bench directed government to reinstate him and post him on or before January 18.

"It is seen from the original file that before deciding the question of sanction for prosecution, the central government called for particulars from the state government and after perusal of the imputations observed in its order that the petitioner is accused of violating the procedure and provisions in granting prior permission to his subordinates.

"However, no pecuniary gains or quid pro quo has been established against him. Therefore, no case is made out for sanction of his prosecution," the bench said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Raising concerns about welfare of children whose parents are arrested and sent to jail, the Bombay High Court today directed the Maharashtra government to file within two weeks an affidavit on steps taken to protect as well as provide such kids a safe environment.

"Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 a clear separation has been provided for between children who are in need of care and protection and those children who are in conflict with law. Children who do not have anyone to take care of them have to be sent to a shelter home with proper and basic facilities and infrastructure," the court said.

A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni directed Maharashtra government to file an affidavit stating what steps it has taken towards implementation of suggestions made by an NGO regarding a policy for such children.

The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the issue after



a Supreme Court order in December 2014 which directed all high courts in 24 states in the country to examine the 'rights of prisoners especially women and children with them'.

NGO Prayas has been assisting the high court in the suo motu case of 2014 over a report filed by the organisation. It pointed out the need for better facilities, protection and welfare of the children of women prisoners.

"Prayas, which is in fact a project of TISS, has given detailed suggestions on how to combat the issue. The state government is obligated to look into the suggestions and take appropriate steps. We are concerned about the welfare of such children," Chief Justice Chellur said.

The bench directed the government to secure information regarding such children and file an affidavit in two weeks explaining what steps it proposed to take.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Tom Holland has confirmed that Spider-Man will make an appearance in the third installment of "The Avengers" film franchise.

The "Wolf Hall" actor said that Spider-Man would join The Avengers to fight against Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War", reported Ace Showbiz.

A Tom Holland Twitter fan page posted scans of his interview with an Italian magazine, L'uomo Voguealong with a rough translation of parts where the "In the Heart of the Sea" actor confirmed his appearance.

Holland said that it was Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr who convinced Marvel that he's the right person to join Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Other superheroes that have been confirmed for "Avengers: Infinity War" include Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Captain America, Thor, Vision, Winter Soldier and Wong.

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, "Avengers: Infinity War" is set for a May 4, 2018 release in the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A proprietor of a gold bullion firm has been arrested by the police probing the case of generating fake and fictitious advance payment receipts for depositing unaccounted money in banks after demonetisation.

Central Crime Station, a wing of the Hyderabad Police, yesterday apprehended Neel Sunder Tharad, the proprietor of M/s Astha Lakshmi Gold Bullion located at Secunderabad.

After demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 bills on November 8 last year, Tharad conspired with the accused Kailash Chand Gupta and others of Musaddilal Jewellers and other firms to hatch a plan to convert huge unaccounted amounts with them into new currency by depositing in banks or by purchasing gold etc, Hyderabad Police said in a release today.

In December last year, police had arrested Gupta for his alleged involvement in cheating and manipulation of records for illegal gain.

Gupta, along with his sons Nitin and Nikhil, daughter-in-law Neha and others, had allegedly conspired and hatched a plan to convert their black money by depositing it with banks by generating fake and fabricated receipts for wrongful gains, police had said.

According to police, Tharad accumulated around Rs 28 crore from persons known to him for exchanging the same for 30 per cent commission and also negotiated with Nitin Gupta and others of Musaddilal Jewellers to pay a commission of 10 per cent from his share for getting the amounts exchanged through their firms.

Fake and fictitious Advance payment receipts were generated for an amount of Rs 57.85 crore in name of Musaddilal Gems and Jewelers Pvt. Ltd., and fake Advance payment receipts for an amount of Rs 40 crore in name of Vaishnavi Bullion, purported to be acquired from about 5200 customers, police had said.

The release said: "Tharad, along with others, deposited the accumulated amounts of about Rs 40 crore in Vaishnavi Bullion, a sister concern of Musaddilal Jewelers and subsequently diverted the amounts into two accounts of Astha Lakshmi Gold Bullion belonging to him. Later, the same was diverted to other accounts for purchase of gold."



Further investigation is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Income Tax officials today raided the residence of former RJD MLC Anwar Ahmad, a close aide of RJD president Lalu Prasad.

Six I-T officials raided Ahmad's residence at Subzi Bagh area under Pirbahore police station in the state capital, Income Tax Director (Investigation) Ashok Kumar Sinha told PTI.

He, however, did not disclose the findings during the search operation.

Ahmad, a close aide of Lalu, runs a number of educational institutes and the I-T raids are believed to be related to checking his tax documents after the demonetisation drive.

Ahmad was a member of the Bihar Legislative Council from RJD in the early 90s.

Former prime minister I K Gujral had lived in his house when he contested the 1991 mid-term polls to the Lok Sabha from Patna on a Janata Dal ticket on the request of Lalu.

The poll, however, was countermanded due to reports of large-scale rigging. Prasad later sent Gujral to Rajya Sabha in 1992 from Bihar.

Ahmad had hogged the media limelight when footages of him helping Lalu wear shoes at a function in Bihar's East Champaran district in 2015 had become public.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has launched a country wide campaign "Puchna Mat Bhulo" as a part of which it will urge doctors to request relatives or legal heirs, in case of routine death, for donation of eyes and organs (in case of brain death).

As a part of the initiative, IMA members will be sent text alerts reminding them to ask families to donate organs of their deceased loved ones to promote organ donation in the country.

According to government data, 200,000 people are wait-listed for kidneys in India and 30,000 currently await a liver. Legal donations meet about 3 to 5 per cent of the demand.

"The mandatory or required request for donation of organs of patients dying in hospitals will help increase the rate of organ harvest. Also, doctors posted in the intensive care units (ICUs) need to be made aware about the various aspects of organ donation since these places are potential centres for organ retrieval.

"Doctors should counsel the families and encourage them to donate the organs after a death," IMA president Dr KK Aggarwal said.

"Increase in Cadaver organ donations will help check human trafficking for organs," he added.

In the first phase, IMA will target around 3,00,000 doctors.

In the present scenario, the number of patients who need organ transplants exceed the number of organs donated and there is a need to promote organ donation. According to government data, there is a waiting list of 2,00,000 people for kidney transplants and 30,000 people for liver.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian American sexual assault victim has appealed to US lawmakers in a stinging testimony to reject the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General for his support to President-elect Donald Trump who has faced accusations of sexual assault.

Testifying before the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, Los Angeles-based Amita Swadhin, founder of Mirror Memoirs, said that Sessions is not fit for the job and alleged that he is anti-women.

"I am here on behalf of survivors of rape and sexual assault to urge you not to confirm Senator Sessions as Attorney General," Swadhin said.

In the wake of Trump's comments about groping women becoming public, she said Sessions was quoted stating he does not characterise that behaviour as sexual assault.

"Let me be clear - Senator Sessions stated he does not characterise non-consensual genital grabbing as sexual assault," she said.

"Furthermore, in reference to President-elect Trump's comments, Senator Sessions told Fox 'This thing is overblown. Everybody knows that Trump likes women'. While he criticised President-elect Trump's inappropriate language, at no point did Senator Sessions condemn the behaviour Trump had admitted to engaging in," Swadhin said.

"I was one of those survivors. I am a victim of violent crime, in the form of eight years of rape and over a decade of psychological, verbal and physical abuse by my father, beginning when I was four years old," said Swadhin who was born in Ohio to Indian immigrants and raised in New Jersey.

"In addition to direct violence from my father, I grew up watching him abuse my mother in a textbook case of domestic violence and marital rape, until she finally found the courage and support to leave him when I was 15 years old," she said.

"As a publicly out survivor of child sexual abuse, many people, mainly in my father's family and community of friends and colleagues, have dismissed my story as a private family matter or have diminished the impact of this violence on my present-day life," she said.

"I live with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and struggle every day to be well. It directly and negatively impacts me when people disbelieve or attempt to discredit me or other survivors.

"So, to watch our President-elect admit to forcibly kissing women and grabbing them by the genitals, and to hear Senator Sessions say this behaviour does not constitute sexual assault, and then to consider him leading the Department of Justice has been incredibly triggering," she rued.

The US she said, needs an Attorney General who will continue the progress we have made since the initial passage of VAWA (Violence Against Women Act), someone committed to improving and enforcing our laws to ensure the most vulnerable victims of crime can come forward to seek accountability and to access healing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A high-level Indian defence team will visit France next week to review the ongoing production of 36 fighter aircraft and to formalise the modalities for the payment of the second tranche due this year in the euro 7.878 billion deal.

Defence sources also said the first fighter is expected to come to India a few months earlier than the scheduled date in 2019.

A team comprising of senior Indian Air Force and Defence Ministry officials will travel to France next week to work out the modalities of the payment for the second tranche, the sources said, adding the delegation will also visit the production line in Bordeaux.

The fighters planes, aimed as a strategic asset against China, will be based in Sarsawa in Uttar Pradesh and Hasimara in West Bengal.

India and France had on September 23 last year signed the approximately Rs 59,000 crore deal for the Rafale jets, equipped with latest missiles and weapon system besides multiple India-specific modifications.

The 'vanila price' (just the aircraft alone) will cost about 91 million euros each for a single seater and about 94 million euros for a two-seater trainer aircraft.

The deal, the first fighter plane contract in 20 years, comes with a saving of nearly 750 million euros besides a 50 per cent offset clause after several rounds of negotiations.

The 50 per cent offset clause means that Indian businesses, both big and small, will gain work to the tune of over three billion euros.

These combat aircraft, delivery of which will start in 36 months and will be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was inked, comes equipped with state-of-the-art missile weaponry.
An official of private sector lender ING Vysya Bank today settled a case relating to alleged violation of insider trading norms with Sebi after paying a little over Rs 2 lakh as settlement fee.

Brundavanam Srinivas Vijayamohan allegedly violated the norm. It could not be immediately ascertained whether he is still working with the bank.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) conducted a probe in respect of buying, selling and dealing in the shares of ING during August 2011 to May 2013.

It was alleged that Vijayamohan had offloaded shares of the private sector bank, which were valued over Rs 5 lakh between March and May 2013. However, he did not make any disclosure to the company and stock exchanges about the transaction within two working days.

Accordingly, he had violated Sebi's PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulation.

While proceedings against Vijayamohan was in progress, he offered to settle the matter on payment of Rs 2.04 lakh without admitting or denying any violation.

Besides, he also filed disclosures in relation to the alleged violations.

Thereafter, Sebi's High Powered Advisory Committee, after deliberations, recommended the case for settlement on the payment of the amount.

This was also approved by Sebi's panel having whole-time members, following which the official remitted the amount.

Consequently, Sebi, in an order passed today, directed that this "settlement order disposes of the adjudication proceedings initiated against the noticee."



However, the regulator said that enforcement actions, including commencing or reopening of the proceedings, could be initiated if any representation made by the individual is found to be untrue.

Last month, four officials of ING Vysya Bank had settled cases related to alleged violation of insider trading norms with Sebi after paying Rs 41 lakh as settlement fee.

In a separate case, Dhiru Realestates has settled a case related to alleged non-compliance of shareholding disclosure norms with Sebi after paying Rs 2 lakh as settlement fee.

It was alleged that the entity had acquired a total of 30 lakh shares of Interworld Digital in December 2013 through off market transactions. Following this, its shareholding increased to 5.02 per cent from 4.39 per cent. However, it failed to make the necessary disclosures.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Five policemen, including an inspector, were arrested today in connection with alleged murder of two persons, who were facing criminal charges, here early this month, police said.

"Inspector Sukhvindersinh Gaddu, sub-inspector S B Solanki and constables -- Hitesh Parmar, Chetansinh Gohil and Anilsinh Gohil -- have been arrested today in connection with murder of two accused in criminal cases on January 1," Assistant Commissioner of Police, M J Solanki told a press conference here.

Shaktisinh Zala and Prakash Lunagariya, accused in separate criminal cases, were found injured near Aji GIDC area and were taken to Rajkot civil hospital by police, where they were declared dead.

Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Bhatt had then said that the duo were killed in an internal fight that broke out within the five members of the gang over sharing loot money of Rs 5,700.

However, Lunagariya's father Devrajbhai, and Zala's mother Neetaba accused five policemen attached with Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) and Thorala police station in the city of killing their sons.

Based on allegations levelled by families, an FIR was lodged with the DCB on January 6, 2017, and ACP Solanki was asked to probe the matter.

"After a thorough inquiry, we found that the five policemen were involved in the double murder," Solanki said.

"A DCB team, comprising inspector Gaddu, sub-inspector Solanki and constable Hitesh Parmar, had detained the two and they were killed in custody. The DCB team then handed over the matter to Thorala police on January 1 for investigation of offense registered against Prakash and Zala," he said.

The arrests were made on the basis of statements given by three accomplices of Zala and Lunagariya, who were in police custody since January 1, and statements of family members of the deceased, the senior official said.

Lunagariya's family accepted his body only after city Police Commissioner assured them of taking necessary action in this regard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran has received authorisation from world powers to import 130 tonnes of natural uranium, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said today.

He said the green light was given by the joint commission overseeing the nuclear deal which Iran struck in 2015 with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

"They have accepted our request to purchase 130 tonnes of (natural) uranium," Kamalvandi told state television, without naming the supplier.

According to Kamalvandi, Iran has already imported 220 tonnes of uranium since the nuclear deal went into effect in January 2016.

This and the additional 130 tonnes would provide Iran with "good reserves" for its nuclear programme.

But Iran will need bigger stockpiles of uranium to raise its nuclear programme to "industrial" levels and exploration for new uranium mines is underway across the country, he said.

Iran and major world powers held talks in Vienna on Tuesday to take stock of the 2015 accord, ahead of next week's inauguration of Donald Trump as US president.

Trump has vowed to "dismantle" the "disastrous" accord, which saw Iran reduce its atomic activities in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.

Tehran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful and has so far met its obligations under the deal.

Kamalvandi denied media reports suggesting that Iran had agreed to reduce its stockpile of uranium enriched to less than 300 kilogrammes.

An agreement has been reached between Iran and the major world powers on how to calculate Tehran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium, he said.

Under this agreement, he said, "it is out of the question for our stockpiles to be under 300 kilogrammes".

The nuclear deal stipulates that there will be no uranium enriched above 3.6 per cent and that the stockpile will be capped at 300 kgs.

Before the agreement, Iran enriched uranium to nearly 20 per cent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel's top court has ordered the Western Wall's ultra-Orthodox administration to explain why women are banned from leading prayers at the holy site, as sought in a petition.

In accordance with strict ultra-Orthodox tradition, there are currently separate prayer sections for women and men at the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites.

Women are also barred from leading prayers or bringing in Torah scrolls, and activists have been campaigning for equal prayer rights.

The Israeli Supreme Court's decision on the side of the women who submitted the petition demanding equal rights was issued yesterday.

The petition came after a dramatic agreement was reached last year to create a third space near the wall open to both women and men at the adjacent archaeological site known as Robinson's Arch.

Women of the Wall, which for years has been pushing for equal prayer rights at the Western Wall, accepted the agreement.

But ultra-Orthodox political parties who form part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, as well as the Western Wall administration, came out strongly against the deal and have delayed its implementation.

The petition was filed by a group calling itself the Original Women of the Wall, who also reject the Robinson's Arch arrangement and demand to be allowed to lead prayers for women at the Western Wall plaza and read the Torah there.

A separate court order allows women to pray with shawls and phylacteries to the chagrin of the ultra-Orthodox establishment, which considers those practises counter to traditional Judaism.

Yesterday's court decision ordered the state to explain "why the petitioners can't pray according to their custom in the traditional plaza or alternatively to enable them to pray according to their custom at a site with similar access to the traditional plaza," a reference to the Robinson's Arch.

The Supreme Court also prohibited the Western Wall administration from conducting "extensive" bodily searches on women, which it had been carrying out to locate Torah scrolls that women were smuggling in.

The court said it would unify the case at hand with the Women of the Wall's petition against the state's delay in implementing the Robinson's Arch arrangement.

The Western Wall, one of the last remnants of the Second Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 AD, is currently the holiest site where Jewish prayer is allowed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ITIs will be put under the vertical of an education board to enable students taking vocational training courses at these institutes qualify for matriculation and higher secondary certificates, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said today.

"ITIs are going to be put under the vertical of an education board where ITI will have an equivalence of matriculation and higher secondary certificates, and two more subjects required for this will be put under ITI course curriculum so that students don't have to wander about for certification," the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said here.

Rudy was speaking in a seminar on skilling and human capital organised at the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

The Directorate General of Training (DGT), which manages ITIs -- institutes imparting vocational trainings in skills such as draughtsman, trainer, machinist, wireman, among others-- was moved from Ministry of Labour to the Ministry of Skill and Entrepreneurship by the present central government.

Rudy said earlier around 2.3 million students who passed out of ITIs were not qualified for matriculation certificates, and those who joined ITIs after matriculation were not being recognised for higher secondary certificates, which hampered their movement up the education vertical.0



"All those who went for ITI structure would never qualify to move further. For the first time for all these 2.3 million ITI students, we have opened a small bridge course exam to make them qualify for matriculation and higher secondary boards," said the Minister.

Rudy also questioned the National Sample Survey Organisation survey that put India's skilled workforce at 3.5 per cent, and said he is in talks with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation to "probe upon the ingredients of sampling of skills."



"The process does not convince us that India's skilled workforce is only 3.5 per cent. We are trying to rectify it. We have already talked to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation to probe upon the ingredients of sampling of skills," he added.

Further speaking on the government's initiatives, Rudy said his government has for the first time created a National Skills Qualification Framework "to impart skills in short term."



"We have for the first time created this framework to impart skills in short term. This is our reaction to the great demand created by the industry, which says we do not have the workforce of what is required," he added.

"We want a manpower which is professional and hands-on. When we look at apprenticeship, you require manpower which knows specific skills of work. For the first time the country is using the language of skills," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jaipur Ninjas registered a narrow 4-3 win over UP Dangal to book a berth in the semifinals of the Pro Wrestling League Season 2 at the K D Jadhav Indoor Stadium here today.

UP won the toss and decided to block the 57kg Men's category, thereby preventing Jaipur's impressive Indian grappler Utkarsh Kale from participating in the tie. UP blocked the 75kg Women's category, as Jaipur's key player Jenny Fransson had to sit out.

With this victory, Jaipur Ninjas became the first team to qualify for the semifinals of PWL 2 with six points out of their four games.

Meanwhile, just two days after being declared fit, star wrestler Geeta Phogat shied away from taking the mat once again for UP Dangal, this time also on "medical grounds". In her place UP Dangal fielded Manisha, who had lost her previous bout 1-9 to Mumbai Maharathi's Sarita.

The real-life 'Dangal' girl is yet to feature in this PWL season. Her weight category, women's 58kg, was blocked by her own team in the opening match against Haryana Hammers, while in the second match against Mumbai Maharathi, she pulled out citing high fever. In the third match, Punjab Royals blocked Geeta's weight category after she was declared fit to play.

UP Dangal are now left with just one more match as they are have failed to make it to the semifinals. It would be interesting to see if Geeta is able to make herself available for the tie against Delhi Sultans, where she would be taking on Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik.

Today's contest began with a tight bout between two Georgian wrestlers, Tariel Gaphrindashvili from UP and Jakob Makarashvili from Jaipur.

UP, who are yet to win a tie in PWL 2, banked on Gaphrindashvili's youth and exuberance against the more seasoned Makarashvili. Although Gaphrindashvili used a double leg hold to score points, Makarashvili turned it around and took him down, getting a 2-0 lead going into Round 2.

Gaphrindashvili began the next round aggressively, taking down Makarashvili, before the latter effected two clean takedowns to establish the lead. The experienced Makarashvili held his nerve to keep an attacking Gaphrindashvili at bay to win 6-4 in the 74 kg Men's category.

Jaipur's Pooja Dhanda took on UP youngster Manisha in the 58 kg Women's category and ended with a dominant 8-4 victory. Manisha, who replaced star wrestler Geeta Phogat for the tie, found the going difficult as the more experienced Pooja Dhanda scored points with decisive attacking moves and affecting takedowns.

However, Manisha was quick to take advantage of a lapse by Pooja, who lost her grip while attempting a rollover, to bridge the points deficit. While Pinki fought with much resolve in the dying moments of the match, she was unable to score big as Pooja Dhanda secured a win.

UP made a comeback in the match as Andrey Kviatkovski prevailed over Jaipur's Rahul Mann in a closely fought 65 kg Men's category bout. Rahul scored early with a takedown that surprised Kviatkovski but the Ukrainian wrestler settled scores with a takedown from a standing position to win 8-4.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Calling for a Sebi probe into ONGC's sudden decision to buy GSPC's stake in KG basin gas block for USD 1.2 billion, Congress MP Jairman Ramesh today said the PSU had flouted listing guidelines and did not secure approval of minority shareholders for the transaction.

In an open letter to Sebi Chairman U K Sinha, he said as per Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) own admission, it and GSPC are related parties of the Government of India.

"It is needless to say that there is indeed a strong 'relationship' between the Government of Gujarat that owns GSPC and approved its borrowing binge between 2005 and 2014 and the Government of India that owns ONGC, which suddenly after 2014 seems to have had a realisation that buying GSPC's gas block in KG basin is a virtue. Clearly, this entire ONGC- GSPC deal is an utter sham," he wrote.

ONGC, he said, has flouted Sebi's guidelines for listing obligations and disclosure requirements and did not secure the approval of the minority shareholders for this transaction. "Sebi should order an inquiry into this proposed transaction immediately," he said.

"The sanctity and integrity of the venerable 83-year-old institution called the Reserve Bank of India has been demolished following the demonetisation of November 8, 2016. Its credibility has been severely damaged. In this context, it is even more imperative that the 25-year-old institution called Sebi guards its professionalism fiercely," he wrote.

Ramesh said it is incumbent upon Sebi to investigate the ONGC-GSPC transaction on behalf of minority shareholders.

"Specifically, Sebi's guidelines prescribe a 'majority of minority' rule for material transactions of listed companies, including PSUs. Therefore, I urge you to examine this proposed transaction between ONGC and GSPC in the greater interest of 5.5 lakh small shareholders spread across small cities and towns of India," he asked Sinha.

He called ONGC buying Gujarat State Petroleum Corp's (GSPC) 80 per cent stake in the Deendayal block a "Rs 8,000 crore scam".

The Congress leader said GSPC has been trying to recover gas from the KG basin block for more than a decade without much success despite massive borrowings.

"The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has issued a scathing report indicting GSPC of incurring massive losses to the exchequer through dubious transactions.

"The CAG report submitted in the Gujarat assembly in March 2016 notes that GSPC has loans outstanding of nearly Rs 20,000 crore. The company is facing interest dues alone of Rs 1,800 crore every year. Its profits have collapsed to a mere Rs 23 crore. GSPC is on the verge of bankruptcy," he said.

Ramesh said GSPC in its own words has stated that



"geographical and geophysical conditions in the KG block have made it a technical challenge to explore and develop. Factors such as low porosity, low permeability, high pressure, high temperature and a tight reservoir make for geological complexities of the kind which has rarely been tackled earlier by any exploration and production (E&P) company in India".

GSPC has spent large sums of money, hired foreign experts and imported sophisticated equipment and yet could not find gas. "Then, why does ONGC deem it fit to pay Rs 8,000 crore to acquire this very block?" he said.

Ramesh added that ONGC says "the acquisition of the KG block fits well with the strategy to enhance natural gas production from domestic fields on a faster pace".

This, he said, is a bewildering justification when the owner of the asset itself claims it is virtually impossible to extract any gas.

"We see limited merit in ONGC's strategy of acquiring these assets. This acquisition may not create meaningful value to shareholders," he quoted investment bank Kotak Securities as saying on ONGC's acquisition plan.

Also, ONGC's cash balance will take a 63 per cent hit for an acquisition that will not add any value.

"There is no analyst who thinks this is a good strategy for ONGC and its shareholders. ONGC's cash reserves belong to all its shareholders. Did ONGC secure the permission of the minority shareholders as well to use their cash to bail out GSPC?," he asked.
Amidst reports that bull-taming sport Jallikattu was being organised in Tamil Nadu despite a Supreme Court stay on it, animal rights activists have requested the Centre to impose President's Rule in the state for "deliberate and malicious non-implementation" of the apex court decision.

In a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the activists said, "We request the central government to direct the state government to implement the law."



"In the event that there is a continuing disregard to the law, we beseech you to exercise powers under Article 356 of the Constitution and ensure that the situation is taken under control and the law of the land is given the respect it deserves," it said.

The demand came after the SC refused to pass before the harvest festival of Pongal on Saturday its judgement on a batch of petitions challenging the Centre's notification in January, 2016, allowing the use of bulls in events like Jallikattu.

The SC had earlier put a stay on the notification.

The letter has been written by N G Jayasimha, member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and Managing Director of Humane Society International (HSI), and Gauri Maulekhi, Trustee at People for Animal (PFA), who are among the petitioners against the Centre's notification.

Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy also made the demand of imposition of President's Rule in Tamil Nadu in case the state failed to enforce the ban on Jallikattu.

Swamy tweeted, "If Jallikattu is held without awaiting SC judgment permitting it and Tamil Nadu Govt fails to enforce the law, Centre must declare President's Rule."



These appeals follow media reports of Jallikattu being held today in Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu too has said that he will "ensure that Jallikattu is held and will not back off even a bit."



AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking promulgation of an ordinance for conduct of Jallikattu and a delegation of AIADMK MPs submitted a memorandum to the PMO yesterday seeking removal of "bulls" from the list of performing animals to allow the sport to be held.

The Supreme Court had in 2014 said that bulls could not be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.

However, the Centre had last year issued a notification lifting the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which has been challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.

The SC had late last year rejected a petition of Tamil Nadu government and others seeking revision of its 2014 order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the Philippines today, becoming the first foreign leader to visit since President Rodrigo Duterte took office last year and launched his deadly war on crime.

Abe is intent on maintaining Japan's strong ties with the Philippines as Duterte shakes up his nation's foreign policy with a shift away from the United States, both nations' longtime ally, in favour of China and Russia.

After his two-day stay in the Philippines, Abe will head to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam with a business delegation as he looks to the region to boost Japan's economy dragged down by a greying and shrinking population.

"I would like to exchange views on bilateral and regional issues and hold frank talks on how we should contribute to the peace and stability of the region," Abe said before departing for Manila.

While Duterte has pivoted away from the United States, he has gone out of his way to maintain close relations with Japan -- the Philippines' largest donor and top trading partner.

"Japan has really been our biggest helper," Duterte said on a visit to Tokyo last October when he met Abe.

His warm words for Japan have been helped by Abe and his government offering no criticism of the Philippine crime war, which has claimed about 6,000 lives since Duterte assumed the presidency in the middle of last year.

Duterte has repeatedly railed against US President Barack Obama and his administration for alleging widespread human rights abuses in the crime war.

Duterte has travelled overseas extensively as president. However Abe is the first head of government to visit the Philippines since Duterte took office.

Abe and Duterte are scheduled to meet in the presidential palace today, the Philippine foreign affairs department said.

Abe will also visit Duterte's home town of Davao in the southern region of Mindanao, where Japan has supported the peace process with Muslim rebels through development and poverty eradication programmes.

Japan was the Philippines' top trading partner in 2015, with $18 billion in trade, according to official figures.

With a severely under-equipped military and coast guard, the Philippines has also looked to Japan to boost maritime security as the two nations face separate sea disputes with China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Japanese national, working as an engineer in Pakistan, today allegedlycommitted suicide by jumping off his third floor hotel room in Punjab province due to a stressed relationship with his wife, police said.

According toCity Police Officer (CPO) Multan Ahsan Yunas,Okumura Katfumi, 35, jumped offfrom the hotel buildingin Multan's Tariq Road area, some 350 km from here.

The Japanese citizen was working on a project tobuild a National Highway stretching from tribal areas of District Dera Ghazi Khan to Balochistan.

Some 20 Japanese and Chinese citizens are also staying in the hotel.

Yunas saidforensic evidence was collected from the incident site and an investigation has been started.

Local police officer Rana Zaheer Babar told Express Tribune that the Japanese citizen resided with his wife at the hotel.

Hesaid Katfumijumped off from the third floor of the hotel at 3:10 am today and left a note before committing suicide.

It read: "I love my wife very much. But she does not want to live with me and wants to end our marriage. I am very sad. Due to this reason I am ending my life. I have no reason to live anymore."



Babar said the couple married two years ago and had been staying in the hotel since last two months.

He said the police would also quiz Katfumi'swife.

Police has shifted thebody to hospital for postmortem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A judge has denied release on bail for a Volkswagen AG executive indicted in the company's US emissions scandal.

A Miami federal judge ruled yesterday that 48-year-old Oliver Schmidt was too great a risk to flee to Germany, where prosecutors said the US could not extradite him. Five other Volkswagen executives have also been charged in an indictment released Wednesday in Detroit.

Schmidt's attorneys said they will try again to obtain his release on bond before a judge in Detroit, where the case will be tried.

The charges of conspiracy and fraud against Schmidt are part of the government case against VW for knowingly selling diesel vehicles that didn't meet US emissions standards. The company itself has agreed to plead guilty and pay a record USD 4.3 billion criminal penalty.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A judge has ordered the temporary closure of a rubbish dump near Beirut airport after warnings that birds attracted by the garbage were threatening aircraft safety, a lawyer said today.

"There is a court decision... To close the doors and prevent the entry of any trucks," said Hani al-Ahmadiya, a lawyer and campaigner against the Costa Brava dump.

The decision was also reported by Lebanon's National Agency, which said judge Hassan Hamdan issued the decision "because of the presence of birds" attracted by the garbage.

On Wednesday, Transport Minister Yusef Fenianos acknowledged the problem posed by the increasing numbers of birds at the refuse tip.

"Today we face an emergency... We recognise that there is a danger posed to civil aviation movement by the birds," he said after a meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Costa Brava was opened in March last year as one of three "temporary" tips intended to provide an interim solution after the closure of the main landfill receiving waste from Beirut.

The dumps were eventually intended to have waste processing facilities, but that has not happened.

As a result, garbage has piled up in Costa Brava, on the coastline close to the airport runways, reaching nine metres (30 feet) in some places.

Environmentalists have for months warned that the dump is attracting rodents and increasing numbers of birds.

In August, the Lebanese pilots' union warned of the possibility of the birds being sucked into airplane engines.

Fenianos said the problem would be tackled by installing additional devices emitting high-pitched frequencies and bird of prey calls to scare away the nuisance birds.

But activists from the "You Stink" protest movement, launched during the height of the garbage crisis, mocked the measure.

"What are you waiting for to close Costa Brava... For a plane to crash or an international decision to shut the airport," they wrote on Facebook.

Speaking from outside the dump today, Ahmadiya confirmed that the site was closed to new refuse.

"The decision is only temporary." he said. "It will be up to the judge whether to extend or rescind it."



A permanent solution for the waste produced by Beirut and its surroundings has yet to be found, months after the Naameh landfill was shuttered and garbage began piling up on the capital's streets.

The issue is one of many outstanding challenges for Lebanon's new government, which was formed on December 18 after two years of political deadlock.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The chief of Manipur's proscribed Kangliepak Communist Party and two more members of the outfit were arrested today by Delhi Police's Special Cell separately from the national capital and Manipur.

Khoirom Ranjit aka Rocky aka Great Macha (35), the self-styled Commander-in-Chief of KCP-Poirei Meitei, and his female partner Inugbam Sanatombi Devi (26) were arrested by a team of the Special Cell from near Sanjay Lake in East Delhi, while their associate Pukhrihongbam Ibomcha was arrested hours later in Manipur.

"They are involved in large number of cases of terror activities like lobbing of grenades, shoot-outs, killings, planting of bombs, running extortion network by intimidating businessmen and politicians," said DCP (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

Ranjit and Sanatombi Devi had come to meet an associate in Delhi when they were arrested, the officer said, adding that 100-150 mobile SIM cards and laptops were recovered from them.

Sources said the duo had visited Delhi a couple of times in the last one year.

Police said Ranjit had close relations with Congress MLA from Andro constituency in Manipur Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh, who was arrested in 2006 by the Special Cell from Delhi Airport, along with two members of Manipur-based insurgent group United National Liberation Front.

Singh was arrested when he was about to board a flight to Kathmandu where a meeting of various insurgent groups was scheduled. Laptops and documents were recovered from them.

The MLA was lodged in Tihar jail and had fought and won elections while he was lodged in Tihar Jail. He was acquitted of the charges in 2012 but police have appealed against his acquittal in the Delhi High Court and the matter is sub-judice.

A close aide of the MLA is alleged to have been involved in collecting money from businessmen and politicians on behalf of Ranjit.

In November, Manipur Police informed their counterparts here about the presence Ranjit in Delhi. Sources were deployed and technical surveillance was mounted to apprehend him.

Ranjit was planning to set up a base in Delhi to carry out their activities in Manipur as he felt that in Delhi, they could remain in anonymity and carry out their work, the sources said.

As Manipur goes to polls in March, Ranjit was planning to intensify his activities and he thought Delhi would serve as a base from where he could keep a watch on Manipur, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Office of the Goa Chief Electoral Officer has not been able to send a report on AAPnational convener Arvind Kejriwal's "accept the money" remarks to the Election Commission as a detailed report from South district election officer is awaited.

"We had sought a detailed report from District Election Officer (South) on Kejriwal's speech. But we are yet to receive any report from them.

"The District Election Office is yet to receive authenticated CD of the speech by Kejriwal, due to which they have not sent the report," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti told reporters today.

During his series of rallies in Goa between January 7-8, Kejriwal had appealed to voters to "accept money from the Congress and BJP candidates but vote for AAP."



Goa is going to polls on February 4.

The Congress and BJP had taken a strong objection to the statement made by the Delhi Chief Minister.

BJP had filed two separate complaints against Kejriwal seeking his prosecution under various sections of Indian Penal Code for asking voters to accept money.

Congress too had condemned his statement.

Chief Electoral Officer Kunal had told reporters that they have taken the cognisance of the remarks and were in the process of filing a report to EC for further action.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kerala government would start providing food articles to ration card holders across the state under the National Food Security Act from April one.

Process to make the Public Distribution System more transparent had already started and new ration cards would be distributed in March, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P Thilothaman told reporters here today.

He said state would ask the Centre to restore the rice quota of the state to 16.50 lakh metric tonne per annum for distribution under PDS.

This would be taken up with the Union Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan during the meeting to be held at New Delhi on January 16, he said.

There was a cut in the quantity of rice for the state after National Food Security Act came into force, he said.

The state would get only 14.50 lakh metric tonne in place of 16.50 lakh metric tonne which it was receiving, he pointed out.

Referring to UDF Opposition criticism that PDS in the state has collapsed, Thilothaman said problems in the distribution of food articles through ration shops has ended.

Distribution of ration articles for the last month was expected to be completed by January 14 and supply of articles for the current month has also started, Thilothaman told reporters here.

State faced problems in the PDS after there was a reduction in the quantity of food articles following the implementation of National Food Security Act, he pointed out.

However, the state was now able to supply rice and wheat, to persons in Antyodaya Anna Yojana list and priority list category and also to non-priority list group, he said.

Stating that stern action would be taken against corruption, he said officials recovered nearly 100 tone of spoiled rice kept for distribution under PDS from a private mill in Kottayam.

A total of 1.87 lakh metric tonne paddy was procured from 53078 farmers at a price of Rs 22.50 per kg in the first season so far.

Out of a total of Rs 420.76 crore due to farmers under this account, an amount of Rs 184.78 crore was disbursed so far, he pointed out.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Vietnam today for an emotional first stop on his final tour before stepping down as Washington's top diplomat.

Kerry fought in Vietnam as a naval officer before returning to the United States in 1969 to become a prominent opponent of the war, his first foray into public life.

Later, as a US senator, he worked to mend ties between the former foes and as secretary he has now made four visits to the country where once he battled Viet Cong rebels.

He is due to leave office next week when President Barack Obama hands over power to President-elect Donald Trump, but not before Kerry's final diplomatic trek.

Tomorrow, he is due to meet Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, before travelling south to give a talk at Ho Chi Minh City university and to meet local leaders.

On Saturday, he will head to the Bay Hop river in Ca Mau province where, in February 1969 he beached his patrol boat and stormed ashore to shoot dead a Viet Cong ambusher.

Kerry won a Silver Star for this action, which saved the crew of his small naval Swift Boat from rocket attack.

But he came to see the war as a mistake and US tactics as counterproductive in the battle for Vietnamese hearts and minds. In 1971, after his return, he campaigned for peace.

There will be more than nostalgia on the menu during his visit, however. Kerry will seek to promote US-Vietnamese educational ties and efforts to counter climate change.

His talks in Hanoi will also touch on tensions in the South China Sea, where Vietnam is one of several Southeast Asian nations disputing China's territorial grab.

Under Obama and Kerry, Washington has remained neutral in the overlapping disputes while insisting that all shipping must enjoy freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.

But on Tuesday Trump's nominee to replace Kerry, former oilman Rex Tillerson, said Washington should take steps to halt China's tactic of building on disputed reefs.

Future US policy on trade is also now unclear. Obama pushed for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that would bind Washington closer to east Asian allies.

Trump has frequently condemned the deal as a threat to US jobs, and his November election victory had appeared to sound the death knell for the ambitious economic pact.

But Tillerson also said during this week's Senate confirmation hearing that he does not oppose TPP.

After his stopover in Vietnam, Kerry will head on to Paris for a Middle East peace conference on Sunday, then on to London and the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Upset over Mahatma Gandhi's picture missing on the calendar of the Khadi and Village Industries Commssion, a section of its workers here staged a protest today, and sought to know as to why the image of the father of the nation was left out, while featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a brief protest, dozens of workers associated with KVIC who gathered at Suburban Vile-Parle, said they were raising the issue since Gandhi had been the driving force behind the Khadi movement.

"We are not against inclusion of Modiji's picture on the dairies and calendars, but pained not to find Gandhiji's picture. We simply want to know why Gandhiji has not been given the space here ? Is Gandhi ji no more relavant for Khadi industry ?" said one of them.

The protestors also demanded reprinting of the calendars with Gandhi's picture being featured on them.

A senior official of the commission, however, played down the issue.

A senior KVIC official, requesting anonymity, said "No one can even think of ignoring the Mahatma. He was and would be the guiding force for entire Khadi industry across the India. Khadi industry is based on his philosophy and intrinsic association with it."



Justifying the inclusion of Modi's picture, he said, "In last October, Modiji distributed 500 Charkhas to women spinners in Ludhiana. In order to commemorate that historical moment, it was decided to print his picture on calendars."



He also said Modi has also been a staunch supporter of Khadi, and himself wears khadi beside promoting the material.

"Modi ji emphasised his love for Khadi in his first episode of radio programme Mann Ki Baat. He has played a key role to popularise Khadi not only in the country but overseas too through his unceasing efforts," the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 26-year-old woman charged with killing an Indian MBA student and three others by crashing her car into spectators watching a parade in the US state of Oklahoma in 2015 has been sentenced to life in prison after accepting a plea deal.

Adacia Chambers was sentenced in Payne County District Court yesterday after pleading no contest to four counts of second-degree murder and 39 counts of assault and battery, CBS reported.

Those killed in the October 24 car crash included Nikita Nakal, a 23-year-old MBA student from Mumbai at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, a married couple, Bonnie Jean Stone and Marvin Lyle Stone, both 65, and 2-year-old Nash Lucas.

Among the injured were nine children 10 years old or younger.

Chambers was due to stand trial on Tuesday and prosecutors had estimated it could have lasted a month due to the extensive list of potential witnesses, including victims, first-responders and detectives.

Chambers was apologetic to victims of the crash.

"If only I could change the past. My prayers are always with the victims," Chambers said in court. "I was suffering from psychosis that day."



Prosecutors alleged that Chambers purposely steered her car around a police barricade and sped up before she plowed into the crowd watching the parade before Oklahoma State's game against the University of Kansas.

Chambers' attorneys had argued in pretrial hearings that she had a mental illness and was experiencing a psychiatric episode at the time of the crash.

Her father said she received psychiatric treatment at an in-patient facility several years ago. But a judge ruled that Chambers was competent to stand trial and refused a defense request to move the trial to another jurisdiction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kolkata police today denied the permission for RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's rally, proposed to be conducted on January 14 in the city, and asked the outfit to fix an alternative date, even as the Sangh would move the court tomorrow in protest.

"Kolkata police has officially communicated to RSS its decision not to accord permission to the proposed rally either at Brigade Parade Ground or at Bhukailash Maidan on January 14," Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner (III) and DC Headquarters Supratim Sarkar said.

"They have been asked to fix an alternative date for the rally," Sarkar said.

Calcutta High Court yesterday directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to consider within 24 hours an application on behalf of the RSS for permission to hold a rally to be addressed by Mohan Bhagwat.

RSS state unit spokesperson Jishnu Basu told reporters that they would move the court tomorrow and they were hopeful that the court would allow them to organise it.

Asked if the court ruling went against them, state RSS chief Bidyut Mukherjee said, "We will honour each and every word of the court. But if we are not allowed to hold the public meeting, we will organise the programme in other form".

On the police asking them to find an alternative date, Basu said, "We had applied for police permission in the last week of December. The police had been sitting on our application and at the last moment, now they are giving lame excuses".

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will arrive here tomorrow to attend a two-day internal meeting of the organisation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A key ally of the Sri Lankan government has criticised recommendations of a civil society panel appointed by the prime minister which endorsed the UNHRC's call for including international judges to probe war crimes allegations against the Lankan troops and the LTTE.

"The report does not make any reference to the plight of the Sinhala majority and the issues faced by the Muslim minority," said Champika Ranawaka, Heritage Party or the JHU's senior leader and the Minister of City Development.

He asserted that the report, released last week, had only dealt with the issues faced by the Tamils.

The report has been released by Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms, a civil society group appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last year to seek public views and comments on the proposed mechanisms for transitional justice and reconciliation in terms of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka in October, 2015.

The task force report recommends the setting up of a special court and office of special counsel, the court shall ensure that there will be a majority of national judges and at least one international judge on every bench.

The government opposes a mechanism with international judges and maintains that the Sri Lankan judiciary system had the capacity to try those responsible for war crimes.

The UNHRC resolution had accused both the army troops and the Tamil Tigers for warcrimes during the final battles.

The Lankan troops in 2009 defeated the LTTE which was fighting for an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils.

According to a 2011 report by the UN, about 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of the civil war.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Chief Justice J S Khehar expressed concern over judicial work being affected by the shortage of judges, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today hoped that concerns regarding appointments and infrastructure would be addressed expeditiously.

"I can tell you now that with the leadership of Justice Khehar as the new Chief Justice, we will be able to work together in a very meaningful way to address the concerns in judiciary, to expedite appointments, to ensure people of merit are appointed and also overall reinforce infrastructure needed for justice delivery," he said at a conference on judicial reforms here.

"We have made 126 appointments, the highest since 1990, and in high courts about 131 additional judges have been confirmed," Prasad said a day after Justice Khehar said the shortfall in the number of judges was affecting work in the apex court.

The Minister said "in terms of fundamental duties, justice delivery is integral to good governance. Therefore, justice delivery has to be faster, expeditious and also to be delivered in the spirit of integrity and accountability."



Referring to his fight against Emergency as a student activist, Prasad said the government was led by those who had participated in that movement.

"All of us were student activists who fought against emergency and we fought for three freedoms - of the individual, media and judicial freedom. Therefore, this government is led by leaders who have fought for freedom of judiciary," he said.

He was speaking at the conference which was also attended by former Chief Justice M N Venkatachaliah, Congress MP Karan Singh and former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association Ashok Arora among other political, legal and economic experts.

Maintaining that India was "an undertaxed country",



Prasad said only 3.7 crore people in the country pay tax.

Money is needed to provide the Army with best weapons for training, for startups, for healthcare and educational infrastructure.

"Do we not need the Indian Army to be well equipped with all the best weapons in training? For this we need money," adding that money was also needed to fund start-ups in the country and best infrastructure in healthcare and education



"In the kitty of the Finance Minister, there is hardly Rs 4,70,000 crore for development, the rest are the standard part of the budget," the Minister said.

Speaking on the impact of demonetisation, he said "data has come to us that terorism is down, hawala is down, supari killing is down. But the most assuring part is that human trafficking and sex slavery is down in India as all the transaction for such crimes is in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes and has been badly hit by demonetisation."



The minister also highlighted the effects of technology in good governance, saying people living in remote areas are benefitting from it.

"Digital delivery is faster. Indians who are empowered by technology never have any inferority complex," he said.

"A new India is emerging. Believe in this new India. Exercises like payments through Aadhaar are game-changing when with the touch of your thumb payments will be done. They are bringing a lot of equality. A smart phone in hand is a tool of empowerment which gives a new confidence. I am very hopeful that this change in India will be a very remarkable change," he claimed.
French hospitality major Louvre Hotels Group, part of Chinese Group Jin Jiang International, has acquired a majority stake in Indian hospitality chain Sarovar Hotels for an undisclosed amount.

"We have the majority stake but it is a joint venture. It is important not to destroy the value of the company. Everywhere in the world we don't change the DNA of the company," Louvre Hotels Group CEO Pierre-Frederic Roulot told PTI.

Louvre Hotels Group tries to use strength of local partners, he added.

Roulot however did not disclose the amount for which the stake has been acquired.

"The association with Louvre Hotels Group will help us to spread our wings further and we will continue to develop our brands. With local and international capabilities, we aim to be the leading brand in the business and bring in major benefits to our guests," Sarovar Hotels Executive Chairman Anil Madhok said.

This will help Sarovar Hotels to expand presence in India and Africa, where the company is mostly operating, he added.

The development is in line with the strategy of Louvre Hotels Group to boost its presence in South Asia, keeping up with the region's constantly growing leisure and business tourism.

There will be no change in management of the Sarovar Group and its experienced team will continue to provide expertise and manage the hotels under its brands, the companies said.

Both hotel groups share the desire to continue developing Sarovar Hotels brands. This platform will also sustain the development of Louvre Hotels Group brand which has been present in the Indian sub-continent since 2007 and currently manages hotels under its Golden Tulip umbrella brand.

"This transaction between Louvre Hotels Group and Sarovar Hotels offers unprecedented synergies between strong local brands and the world's 5th largest hotel group", the companies said.

Louvre Hotels Group is a subsidiary of Jin Jiang International Holdings Co Ltd, one of China's largest tourist and travel conglomerates.

It has about 1,175 hotels for a total capacity of nearly 1,00,000 rooms in 51 countries under its six brands: Premire Classe, Campanile, Kyriad, Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip and Royal Tulip.

Founded in 1994 by Anil Madhok, Sarovar Hotels has properties in the premium, mid-range and budget markets. The group is comprised of 75 hotels in over 50 cities and a total of nearly 6,000 rooms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over one lakh gazetted officers of state government will go on a three-day strike starting January 18 for various demands including implementation of the Seventh Pay commission and raising their retirement age from 58 to 60.

G D Kulthe, chief convenor of Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers Federation, said they are fed up with the "false assurances" given by the government regarding pending issues concerning the employees.

"We are over one lakh members and we will all be on a strike for three days," Kulthe said.

The decision was taken at a meeting held here which was attended by 150 representatives of various state-level employees' associations.

"Union government has taken a decision to implement the Seventh Pay commission and hence state should also implement it for its employees, but the state seems not yet ready to do so," Kulthe alleged.

State Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the government is positive on implementing the pay commission in coming months. He said its implementation will put an additional burden of Rs 21,000 crore on state exchequer.

The demands of the officers include removal of pay grade of Rs 5400; filling of vacant posts immediately; sorting out various issues pending with the departments of sales tax, education, agriculture, health etc.

They also want protection from arbitrary transfer at the behest of the political leaders and want stringent laws to deter political leaders and anti-social elements from attacking government servants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Before the official start of spring semester, Candler's January term ("J-term") brought students back to campus for a week of intensive study and discussion in a variety of classes. Two courses were taught by distinguished visiting professors, the Right Rev. Robert C. Wright, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, and Hebrew Bible scholar the Rev. Dr. Kimberly D. Russaw.

Wright (pictured above) taught "The Cross of Jesus: Holding Steady in Leadership," a class attended not only by Candler students, but by 21 people from the community, who took the course as auditors for their own personal and professional development. This included Georgia State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver of Decatur. "I so enjoyed Bishop Wright's class," she says. "It was a very helpful pick-me-up before the 2017 Legislative Session. I understand the class was primarily for clergy, but the overlap with my political scene was strong."

Russaw (pictured right) taught "Womanist Ways of Reading Women of Genesis" in her capacity as Candler's 2017 Sankofa Scholar. The Sankofa Scholar program at Candler was established in January 2014, the brainchild of Bandy Professor of Preaching and then-Director of Black Church Studies Teresa L. Fry Brown.

The series' name originates from a West African language and underscores the wisdom of learning from distinguished scholars and practitioners of the Black church and community. "Sankofa is an Akan word meaning we must go back to our roots in order to move forward, to gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward," Fry Brown explains.

Russaw is Candler's fourth distinguished visiting professor to serve as a Sankofa Scholar, following Juan Floyd Thomas, associate professor of African American religious history at Vanderbilt Divinity School; Obery M. Hendricks Jr., professor emeritus of biblical interpretation at New York Theological Seminary; and Katie Geneva Cannon, the first African American woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Annie Scales Rogers Professor of Christian Ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
A man was arrested today while roaming suspiciously with a firearm in a village near the Indo-Pak border in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan, a top BSF official said.

The accused identified as Gaurav, a resident of Anupgarh in Sriganganagar, was caught by a joint team of BSF and police from 15-A village. A country-made pistol and a cellphone were recovered from his possession, BSF DIG Ravi Gandhi said.

He has been handed over to the police for further probe, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A hijab-clad British woman eating at a London fish and chips shop was allegedly attacked by a fellow diner who tried to rip off her headscarf and accused her of "killing people", a media report has said.

The incident prompted anti-racism campaigners to stage a vigil after the assault which took place last week in the restaurant close to Hammersmith Town Hall in West London.

The man told the woman, who was having dinner, she "should not be here" and had her hijab grabbed at, The Sun quoted an anti-racism organisation Stand Up to Racism as saying.

The victim, visiting from Manchester, was reportedly eating with friends when she was attacked by a fellow diner who also accused her of "killing people", the report said.

The perpetrator grabbed her by the coat and attempted to drag her outside, saying he "was not going to tolerate it" before other customers at the restaurant and the victim's friends intervened, it said.

After the attack, restaurant staff called police but the suspect fled the scene.

The group has organised a protest vigil in Lyric Square, Hammersmith yesterday.

John Barker, a spokesman for the group said, "I have been told that she is pretty shaken by the event and I am not surprised considering the violence and hatred of the perpetrator".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expressing dissatisfaction with investigation into the Jawahar Bagh case of Mathura, wherein more than 20 people including two police officials were killed during eviction of squatters from the public park, the Allahabad High Court today decided to hear on a daily basis a bunch of PILs seeking CBI probe into the matter.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Verma ordered that PILs filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, Vijay Pal Tomar and others be heard on a day-to-day basis from Tuesday onwards.

Upadhyay is a Supreme Court advocate and spokesman of the BJP's Delhi unit while Tomar is a resident of Mathura on whose earlier petition the court had ordered the eviction of the sprawling public park which had remained under illegal occupation for more than two years.

Today, it was alleged by Upadhyay's counsel Rajiv Lochan Shukla that the commission of inquiry set up by Uttar Pradesh government and comprising a retired judge of the high court has been an "eyewash" as so far it has not been ascertained whether Ram Vriksh Yadav - the cult leader under whose leadership the squatters had been occupying the public park - was dead or alive.

Yadav, known to be close to top leaders of the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state, was said to have been killed in the violence that had erupted during the eviction drive last June.

However, many of his followers claim that he was still alive.

Shukla alleged that DNA samples of Yadav collected from the site of the clash had not yet been matched with his children, which was countered by the state's Additional Advocate General Imran Ullah who claimed that forensic experts had visited the cult leader's house in Ghazipur district but it was locked.

Shukla also alleged that call details of the mobile phones of Yadav and Mukul Dwivedi - a Superintendent of Police who was killed in the clash - were yet to be examined by the investigators.

The Additional AG pleaded that the matter be deferred to a later date since the Advocate General, who has so far been appearing on behalf of the state government, was out of station.

The court remarked that the state government "appears incapable of carrying out investigation effectively", and ordered that the Advocate General's presence be ensured on November 17 when hearing on the PIL will resume and proceed thereafter on a day-to-day basis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of city police probing the recent seizure of Rs 2.4 crore-worth MD drugs from Chembur, has conducted a raid at a factory in Karnataka and seized raw material used for manufacturing the drug, police said.

The ANC also arrested one more accused in this case from the factory, police said.

The Ghatkopar Unit of ANC had seized 10.2 kg of MD worth Rs 2.04 crore on January 9 from a car at Chhedanagar in suburban Chembur and had arrested a man from western suburbs in Mumbai, an official said.

During the investigation, it came to light that the narcotics was brought from Karnataka.

The police team, which was sent to Karnataka, raided a factory unit in Haveri district, in which they seized 1,000 litres of chemical, 261 kg bromine liquid, 14 litre another chemical, as well as seven kg powder, used for manufacturing the drug.

"Police have sealed the factory after the raid and brought another accused to Mumbai," the police said.

The car used in this crime was purchased online, police said.

Further investigation into the case is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the EU today it should not rely on "eternal" US support, as concern grows in Europe about Donald Trump's commitment to transatlantic ties.

Merkel, who faced a small protest by far-right supporters on a visit to Belgium, also told the European Union it must keep a united front in negotiations with Britain over its exit from the bloc.

"From the point of view of some of our traditional partners -- and I am thinking here as well about the transatlantic relations -- there is no eternal guarantee for a close cooperation with us Europeans," Merkel told an audience as she received an honorary university doctorate in Brussels.

Merkel said that "Europe is facing the biggest challenges for decades" with conflicts on its borders like that in Ukraine, but that it would be "naive always to rely on who would solve the problems in our neigbourhood."



The German leader said Brexit in particular made it important to increase solidarity in the rest of the EU, which has been discussing ways of boosting defence cooperation and other issues in the wake of Britain's shock vote to leave.

"We should see this decision as an incentive to work together (for the goal), to hold Europe together now more than ever, to improve it further and to bring the citizens closer together again," she said.

Around 50 protesters waving placards responded to a call by the Flemish far-right movement Voorpost to protest against Merkel's immigration policies, AFP journalists said.

Police kept them back from the ceremony where she received a joint doctorate from the prestigious Ghent and Louvain universities.

Merkel, who is set to seek re-election later this year, has faced criticism in Europe over her open-door policy for Syrian refugees which critics say encouraged a flood of migrants to Europe.

The migration crisis is one of a series of problems facing the EU, along with the spectre of Brexit, but Merkel said the remaining 27 countries must stand strong.

"We are absolutely in agreement that we cannot let ourselves be divided," Merkel told a news conference after talks with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel before her visit to Belgium.

"The 27 (member states) must act together in the negotiations, but first we await the answer about how Britain wants to design its exit."



Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June last year, but the rest of the bloc has refused to hold any negotiations on their future relationship until Britain formally triggers its departure.

EU nations have warned Britain cannot expect to keep all the benefits of membership of the single market while being able to limit the bloc's signature freedom of movement for people.
President Enrique Pena Nieto has again rejected Donald Trump's demand that Mexico pay for a wall along the border, but he vowed to seek good relations with the US president-elect.

Hours after Trump repeated his warnings against Mexico during a press conference, Pena Nieto yesterday said his government will seek "open and complete negotiations" with the next US government.

"Everything that defines our bilateral relations is on the table, including security, migration and trade," he told an annual meeting of Mexican ambassadors at the National Palace.

"At no time will we accept anything that goes against our dignity as a country and our dignity as Mexicans," he said.

"It is obvious that we have some differences with the next government of the United States, like the issue of the wall that Mexico of course will not pay for," Pena Nieto said as diplomats applauded.

"What I can assure you is that we will work to have a good relationship with the United States and its president."



Trump said he could impose a "tax" on Mexico to fund the wall, which would first be paid for with funding arranged through the US Congress.

While the Republican billionaire did not mention his previous threat to tap into the remittances Mexican migrants send back home, Pena Nieto said he would work to "maintain the free flow of remittances."



Turning to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump wants to renegotiate, Pena Nieto said his country will seek an agreement that gives "certainty" to investments.

In a thinly veiled reference to Trump's vow to impose a 35 percent tariff on companies that ship jobs to Mexico, the Mexican leader said his government rejects any attempt to influence foreign investors "on the basis of fear or threats."



Pena Nieto issued his own demands to the incoming administration, which takes office on January 20.

He renewed Mexican demands that the US government stop the illegal trafficking of guns from the United States to Mexico, which the southern neighbor has blamed for fueling drug violence for years.

Pena Nieto also said the United States needs to block the flow of money from illegal proceeds that fund organized crime.

Referring to Trump's vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, Pena Nieto said any repatriation must "continue in an orderly and coordinated" manner to "guarantee the humane treatment and the respect of the rights of Mexican migrants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A middle-aged woman was today hacked to death allegedly by her neighbour for practicing black magic at Chechani village under Tarhasi police station of Palamau distirct, police said.

Subia Devi was alone at home when her neighbour Abhisekh Kumar attacked her with a sharp weapon, police said adding that Subia Devi died on the spot.

Kumar managed to escape after allegedly committing the crime, police said.

Police suspected witchcraft being one of the reasons behind the killing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gangraped by two youths at Ganeshpura village here, police said today.

The girl, a class XI student, was on her way to school with her two friends when the accused youths arrived on a motorcycle and abducted her, police said.

The accused duo, identified as Kailash Bairwa and Mukesh Bairwa of the same village, took her to a nearby jungle where they took turns to rape her and later left her at an isolated place, they said.

The girl's friends, meanwhile, informed her parents about the incident who went on a look out for the girl before approaching the police.

The youths who are absconding have been booked under IPC sections 363, 376 (D) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act, SHO Dayaram Meena said.

According to police, the victim and the accused belonged to the Bairwa community and claimed that their families were involved in an old enmity.

Meanwhile, the girl's parents have alleged "inaction and apathy" on the part of police in the case.

The girl was found at 11.30 AM but was sent for medical examination in the evening to a district government hospital about 55 kms away from here, they claimed.

Taking note of the matter, Superintendent of Police, Bundi, said, "The matter as to why the police delayed in providing medical treatment to the victim and in medical examination would be investigated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Election Commission is seriously concerned over the possibility of huge distribution of cash and inflow of drugs in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls even as it promised an adequate security apparatus to maintain peace and harmony at the hustings.

The full Election Commission under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi winded up its two-day visit to Punjab today after collecting "valuable inputs from all the stakeholders".

"Our biggest challenge in Punjab is to ensure that the Model Code of Conduct is strictly adhered to, peace and harmony are maintained...No clashes take place, misuse of money and inflow of drugs are effectively checked," Zaidi told reporters here.

He said an "unprecedented" deployment of central forces will be ensured in the poll-bound state to instill confidence among the voters to exercise their franchise "fearlessly".

Zaidi, however, did not divulge how many companies of central forces will be deployed in the state. Already, 50 companies of central forces have been deployed in Punjab.

"Unauthorised cash movement from different channels might take place in the state for which, a strict vigil will be kept by the enforcement agencies...On inputs, the authorities concerned will pounce upon those involved in distribution of cash," he said.

Referring to the incidents of stone-pelting and hurling of objects at candidates during campaigning, the CEC said the commission had directed the state police chief to take steps to ensure that such instances were stopped immediately.

"Strict action will be taken against those involved in throwing stones and objects at the candidates during campaigning," he said.

When his attention was drawn towards an incident in Lambi Assembly segment where a person had hurled a shoe at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Zaidi said, "The DGP has been asked to look into it and take stern action."



He said the commission was against speeches inciting violence and added that if a complaint was brought to its notice in this regard, strict action will be taken.

When asked about the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal's complaint against AAP candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann for delivering "instigating" speeches during campaigning, Zaidi said it was "under consideration".

As regards Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal reportedly giving an inciting speech, he said no complaint was received by the commission against her.

(REOPENS DEL 85)



Zaidi said since the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, 304 unauthorised gunmen attached with leaders of political parties had been withdrawn in Punjab.

"The DGP has been asked to review the authorisation of gunmen attached with political personalities and further withdraw them," he added.

The EC took a strong note of photographs of politicians pasted on subsidised food items distributed among the blue card holders in the state.

"Such photographs will be removed immediately and the food will only be distributed among such people by the officials associated with the commission," said Zaidi.

On banners and posters in some villages issuing warnings to certain political leaders to desist from entering those places, the CEC said it will be looked into by the officers of the commission.

He asserted that no political advantage could be taken out of 'tirath yatras'.

The commission had also taken note of appointments of "political people" made to various boards and corporations, said Zaidi.

"Now, these boards and corporations will function under the control of EC officials," he added.

Zaidi said representatives of various political parties had requested that the action of certain officials, both on the civil as well as on the police side, should be kept under strict vigilance and those found favouring any political party or candidate must be brought to book.

"Political parties have informed us that large-scale liquor, drugs and cash distribution might take place in certain identified pockets and they have requested strong and forceful preventive action.

"They have also drawn our attention towards some blue cards, carrying photos of political leaders, being used which is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and which disturbs the level-playing field," he said.

The political parties have also brought to the notice of the commission that huge security covers were provided to a number of political persons, some authorised while others were not, and that these securitymen were being "used" by these political leaders to "intimidate" voters, said the CEC.

The parties have also informed the commission that many political leaders were moving around in big convoys, he added.

"We have assured them that effective steps will be taken as regards the points they have raised," Zaidi said.

Accordingly, at a meeting of senior officials of the administration, the EC had directed them to take steps to ensure a level-playing field in the state, he added.

The EC was trying to create an atmosphere where the voters



could exercise their franchise without any fear, Zaidi said.

General and police observers have been appointed In Punjab who will report to the commission, he added.

All district and police officials have been directed to step up vigil against the anti-social and "goonda" elements, said the CEC.

"We have directed that all the jails of the state will be regularly inspected and subjected to surveillance," he added.

"We have directed the state administration officials and the DGP and the Chief Secretary has directed the DG, Security to review cases where a large number of gunmen have been provided (to any political leader) in an unauthorised manner," said Zaidi.

He added that webcasting will be done at 4,000 polling stations and videography will also be conducted at most of the polling stations.

The CEC said "very good" progress has been made as regards licensed arms being deposited, adding, "63 per cent of the licenced arms have been deposited so far."



The EC has directed district and state officials to mount surveillance to prevent cross-border smuggling of drugs and liquor from the neighbouring states as well as from across the international border, he said.

Prisons in general will be brought under special surveillance during the election period, Zaidi said, adding that video cameras were being installed in the Central Jail as well as in the district jails.

All the district and police officials have been asked to take action against trouble-mongers, those who have jumped bail and proclaimed offenders, he said.

Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used in 35 Assembly constituencies for which, 9,500 machines will be installed, he added.

Zaidi said provisions have been made for electronic transmission of votes by defence and central forces personnel in five Assembly constituencies.

The commission has asked the officers to be "neutral and unbiased" and not to follow "unlawful instructions from political people", he added.

Punjab will go to polls on February 4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wrote to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to convey India's condemnation of the heinous terror attacks in Kabul and Kandahar and reiterated New Delhi's support to the war-torn nation in its fight against terrorism.

India also expressed condolences to the bereaved families of UAE nationals, killed in the terror blast in Kandahar and said, "These cowardly attacks once again bring in sharp focus the inhumane suffering inflicted on the peace loving people of the region by the abominable phenomenon of international terrorism, which sadly continues to have its epicentre in our region and is pursued brazenly as an instrument of state policy to achieve narrow political objectives."



In his message to Ghani, Modi said, "I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the dastardly attacks in Kabul and Kandahar...

"India condemns these attacks on Afghanistan, and on its legitimate authority. Such attacks are unacceptable and are aimed at undermining the progress made by the people of Afghanistan against all odds. These attacks deserve universal condemnation and their perpetrators and supporters need to be brought to justice."



He also reiterated India's support to Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism.

"On behalf of the people and the Government of India and on my own personal behalf I offer our sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and pray for early recovery of the injured," the Prime Minister said in the letter.

In a separate statement, MEA said, "We are deeply saddened with the of the death of several UAE nationals, among others, and the serious injuries suffered by the UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan resulting from a bomb blast that took place at a guest house in Kandahar on 10 January during a meeting between senior Afghan officials and UAE diplomats.

"This dastardly terrorist attack is all the more condemnable as the UAE Ambassador was in Kandahar on a humanitarian mission to lay foundation stone for the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan centre for orphans."



Deadly attacks ripped across Afghanistan on Tuesday, with two suicide bombings near the Afghan Parliament in Kabul, an explosion at a Kandahar province government compound and a suicide bombing in Helmand province. The terror strikes left more than 30 people dead and scores of others injured, according to Afghan officials.

India stands by the people and the government of UAE and



Afghanistan in common fight against terrorism which threatens all societies across the globe, the MEA statement said.

India remains firmly committed to working closely and actively with the UAE and Afghanistan to eradicate the curse of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, it added.
Lakme Fashion Week will open this season with designer Monisha Jaising's show on a luxury cruise ship, which has been docked in India for the very first time.

Jaisingh will showcase her new couture collection onboard the Costa neoClassica on January 20.

"I want to create a sense of drama, glitz, ultra-glam, emphasizing sharp angles and playing with varying tones throughout the collection. It's about reinventing classic silhouettes. It's also the joy of a modern woman, unafraid to spread her wings and conquer big city nights in Haute Couture, of course," Jaisingh said in a statement.

Nalini Gupta, a representative of Costa Cruise India, said, "We look forward to launching the Costa neoClassica Sailings in Mumbai, with the launch of the opening show of the Lakme Fashion Week, for a completely unique and one of a kind fashion event."



"Designer Monisha Jaising will be presenting her collection on an international cruise ship, with the Arabian sea as the backdrop to her runway providing an experience that is bound to wow the audience," Purnima Lamba, Head of Innovations, Lakme, added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sikhs in America are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers after it issues a new regulation on religious liberty to accommodate people who sport turbans and beards for religious reasons.

In a significant move to enable all religious minorities in America, including the Sikhs, the US Army last week issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs.

The new set of rules allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.

"This is a historic day for Sikhs in the US," said Rajwant Singh secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, which organised an event to celebrate the US Army announcement in this regard.

Sikhs are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers, he said.

"This is a well-timed policy change that the Department of Defence and the White House made for the Sikh community since it aligns with the auspicious occasion of the 350th birth-anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who taught us to stand up for who you are and work for the religious freedom of all," Singh said.

Sikhs have been campaigning for quite some time to get the restrictions removed and we were pressing the White House to push the changes in the waning days of the Obama Administration.

"We are thankful to President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Army Eric Fanning for making sure that these restrictions against religious articles are removed. Sikhs are thrilled and there are many young people who are eager to serve. This will provide an opportunity to people of faith who are loyal and patriotic Americans to serve this country with dignity and without compromising their faith," Singh said.

"We must realise that there can be no dagger into the heart of bigotry and divisiveness than to see all of the world's cultures, standing visibly in one formation, united against hate," said Ravi Chaudhary, a former Pentagon official and who served as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Joining the celebration, Dilpreet Kaur Sidhu, an official from the National Security Council at the White House, said, there is lot of work to be done.

"The administration worked really hard to achieving in what they did and there a lot more to be done. There are not too many Sikhs working in the Federal government. It is important that we encourage Sikh youth to opt for career in public service," he said.

"This is the result of that continued struggle but we need to continue. Only one agency has changed the rules and we need to work on other agencies. This would be possible only with the support of the community," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Historian Irfan Habib says celebrating Bhagat's Singh's legacy as "mere martyr" is not enough as the freedom fighter was an intellectual who had a political as well as a social vision.

"The legacy which we people want to recognise of Bhagat Singh is martyrdom. Most of the people just want to celebrate him as a martyr alone, which is not true.

"He had a revolutionary legacy and it is hard to celebrate it because it is not theoretical, you have to implement it in our lives, ideas and system to actually celebrate it," Habib said last evening during a discussion on "The Idea of Bhagat Singh".

The author, who has penned the book "To Make the Deaf Hear: Ideology and Programme of Bhagat Singh and His Comrades", said being a prolific writer, the freedom fighter also fought for social evils and his ideas are relevant even today.

"He wrote articles in Kirti on issues of untouchability, communalism, role of religion in politics. We are facing these issues even in present times.

"His ideals are alive even today because we are coping with the same problems which he talked about. Despite that we just do not want to recollect what he stood for," he said.

According to Habib, in fighting British tyranny, the freedom fighter initially identified himself to be a terrorist.

"When you read Bhagat Singh, he says, 'I may have used such methods because British occupied this country by terrorising all of us, and their terrorising methods can be countered only by terrorism'.

"He said that this is what we believed and tried to do but gradually realised that the best way was to mobilise people and youth, and that terrorism won't work," he said.

The historian, who was speaking at Oxford Book Store here, pointed out about the slogans which Bhagat Singh thought were secular and said he finds problem with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' being called as an "ultimate slogan".

"We have a debate today on nationalism, about the slogans to be chanted. I have no issue with Bharat Mata Ki Jai, but to use it as an ultimate slogan, as a symbolism of idea of nation, of nationalism test is something which needs to be questioned, whereas according to Bhagat Singh there were only two secular slogans, Inqlab Zindabad and Hindustan Zindabad.

"He wanted revolution which was not merely political but also a social revolution to break age old discriminatory practices," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Negotiations over settlement of disputes with regard to the possession of a flat between Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Parsvnath Developers are underway, the Supreme Court was informed today.

A two-member committee of lawyers appointed by the apex court to look into the allegations of Rathore that the flat given to him by the developer is uninhabitable, told a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi that negotiations between the parties are going on.

"Both parties are in negotiation with each other over the disputes. Two weeks time is needed to arrive at any conclusion," advocate Gopal Shankarnaryan, one of the members of the committee, told the bench.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on February 13.

The apex court had on December 14 asked Rathore to sit together with the representatives of the builder and settle the dispute amicably with regard to the possession of the flat in Gurugram.

The court had also asked the realty firm to remove the deficiences in the flat as pointed out by Rathore and the panel of lawyers which had visited the site and hand it over to the minister.

Earlier, the apex court-appointed lawyers' panel had said in its report that their was no access to common facilities from the flat of the minister of state for information and broadcasting, but the parking problem pointed out by him could be rectified by the builder.

Rathore had alleged that the tower in which his flat was located had a 'kachcha' access road which opened into a slum cluster, there was no parking facility and the tower did not have even the occupancy certificate.

Rathore had booked the flat in Parsvnath's Exotica project in Gurugram in 2006 and paid around Rs 70 lakh for it. The firm was to deliver the flat in 2008-09.

In January this year, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had directed the builder to refund the principal amount with interest and compensate Rathore.

The apex court had on October 21 directed Parsvnath Developers to hand over possession of the flat to Rathore in two days, saying he should not pay any more amount to the builder.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eminent lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar believes there is nothing wrong with film music changing with times and one should accept and learn to embrace it.

He says songs are written according to the mood of the character in a movie and it is unfair to compare them with those of the 50s or 60s era.

"Songs will be according to the film. If a character wants to sing a song after being drunk, he won't sing 'Dil Aey Naadan...', but 'Goli maar bheje main'. The language changes according to the characters," he said.

"Time will change and with it music will too. Our speed has changed, clothes have changed, food habits have changed so why should music remain the same? Of 50s and 60s? Even that will change," he said.

Gulzar was speaking at the curtain raiser of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival last night.

The writer hailed Prasoon Joshi and Swanand Kirkire for bringing pure Hindi style to song lyrics which is otherwise being dominated mostly by Urdu and Punjabi.

He said one should keep up with the times and move ahead with the music.

"Somewhere, even the listener has to come out of the cave if you want to walk ahead. This has been going on in generation after generation, 'oh these kids of today's generation...'," he said.

Gulzar also said that today, more than ever, Hindi film songs are being liked by the West, a space which didn't have much presence of Bollywood music.

"Film music was taken outside by A R Rahman and it was accepted in the West for the first time. In our times, foreign version of films was made after editing the songs," he said.

"Today, songs are being added because our music is being liked everywhere. You should look at this side also and not always complain that the music has changed today," the lyricist further said.

The Jaipur Literature Festival will be held between January 19 and 23.

The festival's Managing Director, Sanjoy Roy, said "over 400 authors" are expected to be present this year.

Apart from the authors, the festival, which is now in it's 10th year, is expected to see participation by a host of thinkers, politicians, journalists and popular culture icons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today inaugurated the new transit terminal building of Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram this afternoon and urged the Centre to name it as NTR Amaravati airport.

"We will formally write to the Centre on this and you do the needful," Chandrababu requested Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Secretary R N Choubey.

The Chief Minister also wanted the Civil Aviation Ministry to change the location of the proposed greenfield airport in SPS Nellore district from Dagadarthi to Krishnapatnam.

"Krishnapatnam has a port. There is Sri City SEZ, Tirupati airport and Chennai. This belt has huge potential for development and the NITI Aayog studied the prospect of developing a Coastal Employment Zone here. Hence the new airport should be built at Krishnapatnam," he added.

Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya, Y Satyanarayana Chowdary, AP Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Airports Authority of India Chairman G P Mahapatra and others attended the event.

Choubey said the Transit Terminal at Vijayawada airport was developed at a cost of Rs 162 crore while another Rs 30 crore was spent on allied facilities.

The terminal could handle 20 lakh passengers per annum and would be sufficient for passenger needs for the next four-five years.

"By then we will build a state-of-the-art permanent terminal building that will cater to 50 lakh passengers per annum. Once the runway expansion is completed, larger aircraft like Boeing 747 can land here," Choubey said.

The Chief Minister and the Union Ministers conducted a bhoomi puja for the runway expansion works, being taken up at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

The state government has acquired 750 acres of land, which the Chief Minister said was worth Rs 2250 crore, for the runway expansion and airport development.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two persons - a man and his nephew - were killed allegedly by armed Naxals who suspected them to be police informers.

Manohar Aatla (55) and his nephew Ramesh (27), residents of village Chichoda in Dhanora taluka, were shot dead last night, police said today.

According to police, the two civilians were killed by the Naxals to take revenge for the death of their female colleague Jyoti Gawade.

Gawade, a 'deputy commander', was shot dead by Gadchiroli Police in an anti-Naxal operation in the Bothejhari -Wadgaon forests on January 5, police said.

The ultras suspected Manohar and Ramesh had provided information about her movements to the police, they said.

A group of Maoists barged in their house, dragged them out and shot them dead, police said.

Half a dozen persons have been killed by the rebels in Gadchiroli district in the last 15 days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal is set to host Interpol's Asia-Pacific regional conference next week with about 250 top police officials from 50 countries expected to take part in the deliberations.

The 23rd Asia-Pacific regional conference of the Interpol will be held in Kathmandu from January 18 to 20.

Around 250 senior police officers from 50 countries will take part in the conference, said Bigyan Raj Sharma, Additional Inspector General at Crime Investigation Department of Nepal Police, the organiser of the event.

Observers from three countries, including the US and France, will also participate.

Interpol president, Meng Hongwei, who is also a vice minister of Peoples Republic of China, will also be in Kathmandu to take part in the conference.

The world conference of Interpol held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2016, had elected Meng as its president.

The Interpol conference held in Singapore two years ago had proposed holding the 23rd regional conference of the world policing body in Nepal.

The conference will focus on terrorism, human trafficking, organised crime and cybercrime among other issues.

At the three-day conference, Inspector General of Nepal Police Upendra Kanta Aryal will present a working paper on steps that his country has taken against human trafficking and the prevailing situation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called this weekend's Middle East peace conference in Paris "rigged" today, with his government refusing to play any role in the meeting.

"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances," Netanyahu said while meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende.

"This pushes peace backwards. It's not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past. It's a last gasp of the past before the future sets in."



Sunday's conference to be attended by some 70 nations is aimed at exploring ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

Israel rejects the conference and calls for bilateral talks.

The Palestinians have welcomed the multilateral approach, saying years of negotiations have not ended Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today dismissed as "rigged" this weekend's Middle East peace conference in Paris, with his government refusing to play any role in the meeting.

Sunday's conference to be attended by some 70 nations is aimed at exploring ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

Israel rejects the conference but Netanyahu says he is willing to hold bilateral talks.

The Palestinians have welcomed the multilateral approach, saying years of negotiations have not ended Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances," Netanyahu said while meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende in Jerusalem.

"This pushes peace backwards. It's not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past. It's a last gasp of the past before the future sets in."



Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

The conference comes on the heels of a landmark UN Security Council resolution passed on December 23 calling for a halt to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory.

In a rare move, the United States declined to use its veto and abstained, allowing the measure to pass 14-0.

Israel fears this weekend's conference will produce measures that could then be taken to the Security Council and approved before January 20 -- when Donald Trump takes over as US president.

Trump, who had called for US President Barack Obama's administration to veto the December 23 resolution, has signalled far more favourable policy towards Israel.

Obama's administration became increasingly frustrated with settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.

Israel later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

Settlements are built on land the Palestinians view as part of their future state and are seen as illegal under international law.

The United States and others say continued settlement building is steadily eating away at the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and 200,000 Israelis live in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state.

The settler movement holds important political power in Israel, and key members of Netanyahu's coalition push hard for more construction in the West Bank.

Some openly oppose a Palestinian state and call for Israel to annex most of the territory.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After specific clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), the mining lease of Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) has been executed, the company today said.

The mining lease was executed on January 11 after obtaining necessary approval from the Odisha government, NINL said in a statement here.

The mines deed agreement, the Mines Development and Production Agreement (MDPA) and registration was signed with the District Magistrates of Sundergarh and Keonjhar, respectively for 50 years of lease of 874 hectares.

NINL would start mining operations after obtaining Forest Stage I and II clearance from the MoEF, it said.

The mine lease of NINL, with 102 million tonnes reserve, was spread over 874 hectares of Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts.

In November 2016, the MoEF granted the environment clearance with proposed production capacity of 2.0 million tonnes Per Annum (MTPA), it said.

NINL, which is promoted by MMTC Limited, IPICOL, OMC and other government agencies, has set up an 1.1 million tonnes integrated Iron and Steel plant at Kalinganagar in Duburi area of Odisha's Jajpur district.

Presently the products are Steel Billets, Pig Iron and LAM Coke along with Nut Coke, Coke Breeze, Crude Tar, Ammonium Sulphate and Granulated Slag.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, today sought bail from the Bombay High Court saying there was no material to implicate her and the National Investigation Agency had given her a 'clean chit' earlier.

Hearing arguments advanced by her lawyer Akash Gupta, a bench of justices Ranjit More and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi asked NIA to submit its pleadings on January 19.

Sadhvi's lawyer argued that his client was a woman and held in custody for the last eight years. Besides, she was suffering from cancer, he said urging the court to grant bail.

In her plea, Sadhvi claimed the special NIA court which had rejected her bail plea on June 28 last year had failed to take into consideration the "change in circumstances".

In November 2015, following an order of the apex court, Sadhvi had filed a bail plea before the special NIA court which was rejected after the court held that there existed prima facie evidence against her.

However, in May 2016, NIA filed a charge sheet in the case absolving Sadhvi of all charges. NIA also dropped the stringent charge of MCOCA against all accused.

Sadhvi applied for bail in the trial court but her plea was rejected. She then moved the high court with a fresh bail plea and challenged the trial court order which had rejected her prayer for liberty.

Sadhvi claimed her health has been deteriorating since her arrest eight years ago and that she has become 'infirm' due to the numerous hardships she has undergone during the probe by ATS.

Six persons were killed in the blast at Malegaon, a powerloom town in north Maharashtra, in September 2008.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US has no plans to alter its One-China policy, but has made important commitments to Taiwan and needs to reaffirm them, Secretary of State nominee for the incoming Trump Administration has said.

"I don't know of any plans to alter the one-China position," Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson told members of Senate Foreign Relations during his confirmation hearing for the position of Secretary of State yesterday.

If confirmed, he would replace John Kerry as the Secretary of State.

However, Tillerson said the US had made important commitments to Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act, through the Six Issues Accord, and the country should express a reaffirmation of those.

"Again, this is part of this approach that I'm trying to lay out over and over, that we've made commitments to people. We need to reaffirm those commitments and live up to those commitments, and I think it's important that Taiwan knows that we are going to live up to the commitments under the Relations Act and the Six Issues Accord," he said.

"That in and of itself is a message, so I think the importance of that action to, again, this whole of China approach that I'm speaking about, is we've got to deal with the whole of China's actions and recognise that we have these balancing forces in our relationship that need to be dealt with," Tillerson said in response to a question.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
There has been no trace of three fishermen who jumped into the sea after their trawler caught fire early this week and efforts are on to locate them, officials said today.

Three fishermen were killed and as many went missing after their trawler "Bahubali" caught fire in the Arabian Sea off Jakhau coast after midnight on January 9. The fishing vessel's captain was rescued by fishermen from another boat operating in the area.

The missing fishermen had jumped into the sea to escape the blaze.

The search for the missing fishermen has been intensified, an official from a Marine Police Station at Okha in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, around 500km from here, told PTI over phone.

Sadul Vaghela, captain of the ill-fated boat, told Okha Police that burning firewood in the makeshift stove on board the wooden vessel caused the fire.

The deceased fishermen were identified as Sanjay Lakshmi Bamaniya, Parbat Ramji Bamaniya and Vijay Lakhsaman Vaghela. They were all residents of a village in Una tehsil of Gir-Somnath district, said the trawler owner, Manoj Babubhai Gosiya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Demonetisation has proved disastrous for agroforestry and wood industry in Haryana resulting in losses to the farmers and unemployment among migrant labour, a farmers' association said today.

The agro-forestry practitioners and wood industry concentrated in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar and Jagadhari as well as in western districts of Uttar Pradesh has been "crippled" due to lack of cash caused by demonetisation, said Ranjit Raina, president of Haryana AgroForestry Farmers Association.

"Timber markets have been shut since November. Farmers who expected good income from Eucalyptus and Poplar wood are forced to sell their produce at one-third of the usual market rates and lakhs of labourers from UP and Bihar have been forced to return to their homes, all due to demonetisation," he claimed in a press conference today.

Raina, who claimed to be associated with BJP and RSS's Rashtriya Muslim Manch, demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation over the "ill effects" of demonetisation on economy and people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After holding lecture series on "nationalism" and "azaadi", JNU teachers have now decided to conduct a new series on "democratisation of social justice" following continuing unrest on campus.

The decision to hold the new series has been taken by the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) in protest against the recent show-cause notices issued to faculty members for addressing protest gatherings by students.

The venue of the lecture series will remain the same as earlier- the administration block, even as the varsity authorities have declared any protest or demonstration in that area to be liable as a violation of norms.

"JNUTA announces the organising of public lectures on the theme 'Democratising Social Justice', from January 18 to 25 to give a clear message that teachers of JNU would not be cowed down by threats and intimidation," JNUTA President Ajay Patnaik said.

"Further, we would like to assure the JNU administration that our constructive resistance in all forms against any of its undemocratic and authoritarian move would continue unabated.

"We will oppose all efforts to intimidate, threaten or persecute individuals including teachers and students from any institution across the world which is done to silence voices of dissent," he added.

Repeated notices have been issued to students and five teachers, since the gherao of the administrative block in October, to enforce a ban on protests in a 20-metre radius of any of the administrative or academic buildings on campus.

Nine students are also under suspension for allegedly "disrupting" an Academic Council (AC) meeting last month.

JNUTA had conducted a month-long series of lectures on "nationalism" following arrest of three students in a sedition case last year. The next series was on "Azadi: Different Meanings of Freedom".

Meanwhile, JNU students were on strike today demanding the suspension of students be revoked and decisions taken in the council meeting be rolled back.

The student union has also given a strike call for tomorrow while the teachers will be on strike on January 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Continuing its intense operation against underground outfits in Arunachal Pradesh, the Longding Battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of DAO division, apprehended one NSCN(IM) cadre from Niausa village in Longding district of the state.

Based on specific intelligence inputs, self-styled corporal of the outfit Phawang Wangsu was apprehended from the village during an operation conducted yesterday afternoon, Defence PRO Colonel C Konwer informed in a release here today.

The NSCN(IM) operative was trying to terrorise and was attempting extortion in the village, the release said.

A pistol, live ammunition and opium was recovered from his possession and on interrogation he admitted allegiance to NSCN(IM) and informed he joined the outfit in 2010 and had also undergone training in a NSCN camp in Dimapur.

The security forces have been carrying out aggressive operations in the state and the arrest has struck a blow to the extortion activities being carried out by the underground cadres of the group in the area, the PRO said.

The operation has tightened the noose around the outfit and has brought relief to the local population, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Barack Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to US soil to stay and become a legal resident, a senior administration official has said.

The repeal of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy is effective immediately, according the official. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the US.

The US and Cuba planned to issue a joint statement late Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity in order to detail the change ahead of the announcement.

The official yesterday said the Cubans gave no assurances about treatment of those sent back to the country, but said political asylum remains an option for those concerned about persecution if they return.

President-elect Donald Trump has taken a tougher line on US relations with Cuba and could undo the change once he takes office.

The "wet foot, dry foot" policy was put in place in 1995 by President Bill Clinton as a revision of a more liberal immigration policy. Until then, Cubans caught at sea trying to make their way to the United States were allowed into the country and were able to become legal residents after a year.

The US was reluctant to send people back to the communist island then run by Fidel Castro, and the Cuban government also generally refused to accept repatriated citizens.

The Cuban government has in the past complained bitterly about the special immigration privileges, saying they encourage Cubans to risk dangerous escape trips and drain the country of professionals. But it has also served as a release valve for the single-party state, allowing the most dissatisfied Cubans to seek better lives outside and become sources of financial support for relatives on the island.

The changes would be the latest step by Obama to normalize relations with Cuba



Relations between the United States and Cuba were stuck in a Cold War freeze for decades, but Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro established full diplomatic ties and opened embassies in their capitals in 2015. Obama visited Havana last March.

US and Cuban officials were meeting yesterday in Washington to coordinate efforts to fight human trafficking. A decades-old US economic embargo, though, remains in place as does the Cuban Adjustment Act which lets Cubans become permanent residents a year after legally arriving in the US.

The official also cited an uptick in Cuban migration, particularly across the US-Mexico border an increase the official said reflected an expectation among Cubans that the Obama administration would soon move to end their special immigration status.

The Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which was started by President George W Bush in 2006, is also being rescinded. The measure allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to seek parole in the US while on assignments abroad.

People already in the pipeline under both "wet foot, dry foot" and the medical parole program will be able to continue the process toward getting legal status.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Researchers have found the oldest evidence of silk in 8,500-year-old tombs in China, which shows that people may have used the luxurious material thousands of years earlier than thought.

Previously at this site, scientists had unearthed bone flutes that are the earliest known playable musical instruments on Earth, as well as what may be the earliest Chinese writing.

Scientists studied ruins dating back 9,000 years at Jiahu in the middle of Henan Province in China.

Old tales suggested that silkworm breeding and silk weaving began around this area, said Decai Gong, archaeologist at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Prior work at Jiahu showed that the area's warm and humid climate favoured the growth of mulberry trees, whose leaves are the sole food of silkworms.

The scientists collected soil samples from three tombs at Jiahu. Chemical analyses unveiled evidence of silk proteins in two of the three tombs, one of which dated back 8,500 years.

This is "the earliest evidence of silk in ancient China," Gong told 'Live Science'.

Previously, the oldest evidence of silk dated back 5,000 years from China, researchers said.

Researchers found bone needles and weaving tools which suggests that these people has basic weaving and sewing skills, and perhaps buried their dead in silk garments.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said today that outside attempts to manipulate national elections cannot be tolerated, amid uproar over claims Russian interference helped Donald Trump win the US presidency.

"Any attempt to intervene in, to influence national elections from outside is unacceptable," Stoltenberg said when asked about allegations of Russian cyber attacks and hacking during the 2016 US presidential campaign.

Trump has consistently berated US intelligence agencies over their claim Russian President Vladimir Putin personally approved a cyber offensive to help him defeat Hillary Clinton.

Yesterday, the president-elect, who took a much softer line on Russia than Clinton, conceded Moscow may have meddled but he bluntly rejected any suggestion his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the vote.

Russia has rejected the charges.

Stoltenberg insisted the danger was real, adding that the US-led military alliance was "concerned" about cyber security and had seen reports about such attacks against "many NATO allies".

"That is why NATO has focused on cyber defence... Cyber security is top of our agenda," he said after a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English at NATO HQ in Brussels.

He recalled that NATO leaders at their Warsaw summit in July had made cyber security an "operational domain," putting it on a par with its responsibility to provide traditional military capabilities on land, sea and in the air.

They also endorsed plans for a special response unit to help any ally under threat for a cyber attack against both military, and increasingly today, civilian infrastructure which is so dependent on computer networks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat government today said that 25,578 memorandum of understanding (MoUs) were inked during the valedictory function of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, but refrained to give the amount of investment they will generate.

The state government broke the tradition of last seven editions of biennial summits of announcing the amount of investment that the MoUs will bring.

In the last summit held in 2015, the state government had announced that it had inked 22,602 MoUs which will bring in investment of Rs 25 lakh crores.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said 25,578 MoUs were signed in the three-day event, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"In the 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat summit we have signed 25,578 MoUs which are around 2,500 more that that we had signed in 2015," Patel said.

"Of these, 52 MoUs have expressed investment intention of more than Rs 4,000 crores. The maximum number of 18,533 were signed in MSME sector while 5,983 were (in) large scale industry section and remaining 1,107 were of nature of strategic partnership," Patel said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the summit has been a great success.

Rupani said Gujarat government is criticised by some sections for non-implementation of 20 per cent of MoUs signed during earlier Vibrant Summits.

"We are made to give accounts of implementation of MoUs signed during earlier Vibrant Summits even after we have realised and implemented 80 per cent them. People say that we are not able to realise that remaining 20 per cent MoUs," he said.

"I do not take it negatively. I think that those criticising us have faith in us that we can achieve 100 per cent," the Chief Minister added.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was also present at the concluding function, said this summit was a real tribute to youths of Gujarat on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, which is celebrated as National Youth Day.

"This is real tribute to the youths of the country on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda which is celebrated as National Youth Day as it will generate a lot of employment for them," said Parrikar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over four lakh has been seized from a car headed to Delhi, near Chapar here, police said today.

The car, coming from Haridwar was headed to Delhi and was intercepted by the police, who recovered over four lakh from the vehicle last evening, the circle officer Shirvraj Singh said.

The car was seized after the occupant failed to show any valid documents for the possession of cash, they said.

Any cash beyond Rs 50,000 could be subjected to scrutiny by EC nominated flying squads and the individual or entity carrying the amount should furnish documents in this regard.
The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that it has retrieved more than 68 acres of government farmland at Laam area in Rajouri district that was encroached.

Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Mir Zahoor informed the Legislative Council that out of the 125 acres of encroached land of Sheep and Animal Husbandry Farm at Laam in Nowshera, 68.75 acres has been retrieved and brought under cultivation of oats and fodder.

Responding to a question by PDP's Surinder Kumar Choudhary in the upper House, Zahoor said that agriculture operations at the farm were forcefully stopped by the locals.

He said out of the 68.75 acres of retrieved farmland, the crops on 21.75 acres were damaged by a mob and the rest 47 acres of cultivated land is with the department.

The minister said presently the encroachers are not allowing the farm activities on the said land.

Zahoor said a case has been registered against the encroachers which is pending in the court.

He said the department will not allow encroachment on its land and action will be taken against the culprits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistan Army today handed over an Indian national to the Indian Army at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point along LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Javed Iqbal, a resident of village Bagla of Rajouri district, had inadvertently crossed the LoC on May 3 last, a defence spokesman said.

Iqbal's return was made possible as a result of continuous pursuance by the Indian Army, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President-elect Donald Trump's Defence Secretary nominee Gen (retd) James Mattis today said that Pakistan should take more actions against Taliban and the Haqqani network so as to "expel or neutralise" externally- focused militant groups operating within its border.

"If confirmed, I will work with the State Department and the Congress to incentivise Pakistan's co-operation on issues critical to our national interests and the region's security, with focus on Pakistan's need to expel or neutralise externally-focused militant groups that operate within its borders," said Gen (retd.) Mattis.

In his written written submission to the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of his confirmation hearing, Mattis noted that "conditioning our security assistance" to Pakistan has a mixed history, "but I will review all option."



The 66-year-old Marine general, who retired in 2013 after serving as commander of US Central Command, was responding to a question if he supports conditioning US aid to Pakistan.

Nick-named as "Mad Dog" Mattis, the retired general told lawmakers that Pakistan has "learned some hard lessons" because of its dealings with the Afghan Taliban, as violence in that country reflects.

"I believe they should do more to collaborate with their neighbor. We should urge Pakistan to take further actions against the Taliban and the Haqqani network," Mattis said.

Haqqani network, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks against Western and Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul.

"Sanctuaries and freedom of movement for the Afghan Taliban and associated militant networks inside Pakistani territory is a key operational issue faced by the Afghan security forces. If confirmed, I will examine efforts to deny sanctuary to the extremist forces undermining the stability and security of Afghanistan," he said, responding to a query.

Arguing that countries in the region "have the responsibility to support the reconciliation process" in Afghanistan, Mattis said the countries in the region "should increase pressure on the Afghan Taliban and associated militant networks" to stop their campaigns of violence.

He said US' ties with Pakistan have had highs and lows.

"We have long faced a lack of trust within the Pakistani military and government about our goals in the region, If confirmed, I will work to build the trust that we need for an effective partnership," he said.

For years, Mattis said, Pakistan has battled internally- focused extremist organizations within its border and with US help.

"In a sign of its commitment, its military has suffered significant casualties in this counterinsurgency effort," he said, adding that the US has conducted military exercises with Pakistan in an effort to increase thrust and interoperability.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To woo potential smartphone buyers in India, electronics major Panasonic is working on mobile apps that promises to "make life easier" as it attempts to catch up with bigger rivals like Samsung and Micromax.

Calling itself a "late entrant" in Indian mobile phone market -- one of the world's fastest growing smartphone markets -- Panasonic aims to roll out the new apps in the next 2-3 months.

"We are working on some really innovative applications, which would eventually make the life of people more easy. Maybe, in about a few months time, you would be exposed to those kind of applications and user interfaces which I think would differentiate the devices," Panasonic India & South Asia President & CEO Manish Sharma told PTI.

Admitting that the Indian market is dominated by Chinese companies, Sharma said a strong portfolio of devices isn't enough to grab market share in India.

"We have entered this market only two-and-a-half years before and by that time the market was penetrated. We have to catch up and only the devices will not let us do that. Possibly, in the near future, we would see more applications to come in and we are working right now," he said.

Sharma did not disclose the details of the apps that the company is looking at launching but said they "would eventually make the life of people more easy."



"I think that consumers still expect high quality products to come in. There is different set of consumers because they have their own preferences and eventually our idea is to be competitive in terms of supply chain," said Sharma, who is also Executive Officer at Panasonic Corporation.

"If we are able to manage the supply chain properly and better efficiencies in terms of bringing those products to India, I think that everything is competitive as far as business is concerned. Television is equally competitive," he said.

Smartphone shipments in India grew 11 per cent year-on- year to 32.3 million smartphones in July-September 2016 quarter, while the same was higher by 17.4 per cent than April-June 2016 quarter, according to research firm IDC.

Panasonic India expects about 24 per cent of its overall sales to come from mobile phones.

It expects sales of about Rs 2,500 crore from mobile phones this fiscal, and its total projected sales stands at about Rs 10,800 crore for FY 2016-17.

Panasonic India today inaugurated first of its kind Video and Still Photography School in India, offering an enhanced experience of the Panasonic 4K Technology available in cameras and camcorders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here today sent Kolkata- based businessman Paras Mal Lodha, arrested for allegedly helping mining baron J Shekhar Reddy convert demonetised currency into new Rs 2,000 notes, to five-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate.

Principal Sessions Court judge M Nazir Ahamed allowed ED to interrogate him (Lodha) for five days.

The ED counsel had argued that Lodha's custody was required to get the names of other co-accused.

Lodha was arrested in Mumbai on December 21 and later produced before a Delhi court, which had sent him to seven-day ED custody.

After getting a prisoner transit warrant, the ED had brought him to Chennai and he was sent to CBI custody for two days last week.

Lodha's counsel alleged that after arresting Lodha, the ED sleuths in Delhi had told him that he would be let off within a few hours after giving a statement, but, he was subjected to "gross mental torture" for two days and was forced to give a statement.

When Lodha was produced before the Delhi court, he had retracted his statement in an affidavit. Based on the remand statement, CBI had registered an FIR, following which the ED also filed a case.

"The genesis of the whole case was based on a retracted statement," Lodha's counsel said adding, his client was ready to make an independent statement without any interference of ED.

Lodha's counsel also contended that according to legal precedents, custody could not be granted for investigating the name of co-accused.

The case was still under investigation and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 had overarching power vis-a-vis the criminal procedure code, he said.

He had voluntarily provided the statement and according to PMLA rules the statement was admissible before court, he said adding ED custody was not similar to police custody.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French authorities have filed the first charges against a suspect in the armed jewelry heist of Kim Kardashian West, the Paris prosecutors' office said today.

Preliminary charges of armed robbery in an organized gang, kidnapping and criminal association were filed against a 63-year-old suspect, which the prosecutors' office named only as Yunice A.

Prosecutors also requested the suspect's continued detention.

Robbers are believed to have forced their way into the private apartment where Kardashian West was staying during Paris Fashion Week in October, tied up the reality TV star and stolen more than USD 10 million worth of jewelry.

Earlier, French authorities released three men and a woman who were among 17 suspects detained Monday. Ten suspects -- nine men and one woman -- remained in custody today.

They included Gary Madar, 27, the brother of Kardashian West's Paris chauffeur.

Madar worked for the same car service company as his chauffeur brother Michael Madar, 40.

Authorities are focusing on the possibility that the robbery was an inside job.

Meanwhile, Kardashian West used Instagram to reveal that she's jetting to Dubai for her first major public appearance since the Paris ordeal -- headlining a Friday masterclass by her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for US defense secretary, today accused Russia of trying to break up NATO and said China was destroying trust with its neighbors.

Asked during a confirmation hearing how he viewed the strains facing the post-war world order, Mattis replied: "I think it's under the biggest attack since World War II sir, and that's from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea."



"Russia is raising grave concerns on several fronts and China is shredding trust along its periphery," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

China's military build-up in the South China Sea has raised tensions with regional neighbors and with the United States, and US lawmakers are alarmed by Putin's military actions in Syria, Crimea and elsewhere.

"Right now, the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with with Mr Putin, and we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance," Mattis said.

His stance on Russia stands in contrast to that of Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin's leadership qualities and advocated closer ties with Moscow.

"History is not a straightjacket... But we have a long list of times that we have tried to engage positively with Russia; we have a relatively short list of successes in that regard," Mattis said.

With regard to China, Mattis elaborated in written testimony that the United States must try to engage and collaborate with China where possible, "but also be prepared to confront inappropriate behavior if China chooses to act contrary to our interests."



A colorful commander famed for his pugnacious aphorisms, Mattis earned the nickname "Mad Dog" with his battle-hardened swagger and the sort of blunt language Marines are famous for.

He has been quoted as saying, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet."



The tough-talking warfighter is popular among politicians and troops alike, but his nomination raised some eyebrows because he only hung up his uniform in 2013.

Senators were expected to probe Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general on the importance of civilian control of the military.

A cornerstone of US democracy is that civilians, not troops, must have control of the military, and the commander-in-chief is the president. US law prohibits officers from serving as defense secretary for seven years after leaving active duty.

The 66-year-old Washington state native is expected to receive a special congressional waiver to serve in the post -- only granted once before, for the famous World War II General George Marshall who served under President Harry Truman from 1950-1951.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The next EnVision Bus Read more [...]
A PIL was today filed in Delhi High Court drawing its attention to the claim of a BSF jawan on social media that poor quality food was being served to security forces on the Line of Control (LoC).

The plea by an ex-serviceman, which is likely to be heard this week, has sought direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to submit a status report with respect to all paramilitary forces in India over allegations of the BSF jawan in his video, which went viral on social media on January 9.

Petitioner Puran Chand Arya, in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed through advocate Abhishek Kumar Choudhary, sought direction to MHA and five paramilitary forces to "classify what is the scenario of ration procuring and food preparing and serving food to all categories of ranks".

The plea further sought directions to take serious action against the officers or authorities concerned into the incident so that the morale of the personnel and citizens is not affected.

BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav had used his cell phone and social media to complain about the poor quality of ration.

In the video(s) posted on Facebook which have since received over 10 lakh views, Yadav shows the meal box claiming that a watery soup-like dal, with turmeric, salt and without lentils, and burnt chapatti had been served. A tumbler of tea and an open tiffin case is shown in the background.

The plea, claiming it has been filed for the benefit of the public to assert their fundamental rights conferred in the Constitution's Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (right to life), urged the court that the authorities should not take any adverse action against the BSF jawan who has rung the bell for a genuine demand for food to survive.

It also sought direction to depute the higher officers to supervise cooking of proper healthy food and its distribution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government's ambitious Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial project, wherein a 192-metre-high statue of the Maratha warrior king will be constructed in the Arabian Sea at a total cost of Rs 3,600 crore.

The PIL, filed today by Mohan Bhide, a chartered accountant, claimed the government's decision to spend Rs 3,600 crore on such a project was "illogical and uncalled for".

"I have full respect and honour for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But I am against the huge expenditure of hard-earned tax payers' money. The project of constructing a statue in the middle of the sea is nothing but a political stunt of all political parties operating in Maharashtra," the PIL said.

Bhide's lawyer Ketan Parekh mentioned the petition today before a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni which said it would take it up for hearing in due course of time.

Chief Justice Chellur, however, remarked, "Have you (petitioner) seen the statue at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu or the statue at Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad? If those state governments can afford it we are sure the Maharashtra government is richer... Even they can afford."



The petition sought that the high court should "scrap, cancel, set aside and quash the project".

"The proposed budget for the said project is about Rs 3,600 crore. Merely for the opening ceremony, the state government spent Rs 77 crore. All this expenditure at a time when the government is itself facing financial crunch is unnecessary. Last year, the government declared drought in over 25,000 villages," the petition said, noting the government should first focus on addressing these issues.

"The public at large is not concerned with building of such memorials. The public expects the state government to provide a better standard of living and better public amenities which is the priority of the day," the petition said.

The petition further said if political parties want to create a memorial for Shivaji Maharaj they should first take steps towards maintaining the forts built by Shivaji and his descendents across the state.

"Many of these forts are in a dilapidated condition and the government has not taken any measures to retain them," the PIL alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on hoardings at petrol pumps in poll-bound Goa and on certificates issued by oil companies in Uttarakhand are violative of the model code, the Election Commission said on Thursday and asked the Cabinet Secretary to ensure compliance of its instructions during elections.

In a letter to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, the Commission said it had received complaints about hoardings with photographs of the Prime Minister being displayed at petrol pumps in poll-bound Goa.

It also referred to a news story in a Hindi daily that certificates with the photos of the Prime Minister were being distributed by oil companies to LPG consumers who have surrendered gas subsidy in Uttarakhand.

"This is not permissible under Model Code of Conduct and Election Commission instructions" (issued after schedule for assembly polls to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur was announced on January 4), the letter said.

The Commission has requested Sinha to ensure that its instructions "are brought to the notice of all concerned for strict compliance in letter and spirit.
Police today arrested two naxalites from a place near Phulwaria reservoir in Bihar's Nawada district.

Superintendent of Police Vikash Barman said a police team acting on a tip off raided the place and arrested the two naxalites who were trying to escape towards a nearby jungle.

The arrested naxalites were wanted in a criminal case of demanding extortion from a contractor, the SP said adding that a number of naxalites including the two indulged in loot and arson putting several vehicles of the contractor on fire when the contractor failed to give extortion.

A case was lodged with Sirdala police station of the district in this connection in which 50 naxalites including the two were named in the incident.

Police are conducting raids on the possible hideouts of the other accomplices of arrested naxalites, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Attacking Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against Narendra Modi, Union Minister on Thursday said his comments show that he is "worried" about the Prime Minister's growing popularity and "desperately" looking to save his political legacy.

"On Wednesday, Rahulji had said some words about our Prime Minister. Congress's repeated defeat in elections is an indication that people have shown faith in Modi's leadership and their support and blessings are with Narendrabhai Modi," she told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on textiles at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit here.

"It is but natural that after returning from vacation and after introspection, Rahulji is worried about Modi's popularity growing both in the country and internationally. In such a situation, it is but natural for him to make such low-level remarks on Narendrabhai Modi in his desperate attempt to save his political legacy," Irani said.

"I would only like to say that people's support and trust for Modi is the biggest reply to Rahulji," she said.

Irani said Gandhi's work for development of his Lok Sabha seat of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Modi's work as Gujarat CM over the last decade are there for people to compare.

"The Vibrant Summit was started when Modi was Gujarat Chief minister. I have contested elections from Amethi. The man who has not developed Amethi in 10 years of his political career is commenting on the person who has elevated entire Gujarat as an economic power at the world level," she said.

The Union Textile Minister also thanked the investors in textiles sector for promising investments of over Rs 8,000 crore through MoUs signed at the event and said this will ensure jobs to state youths.

At a convention of Congress in Delhi on Wednesday, Rahul had accused Modi of instilling fear among people and wrecking the economy through demonetisation, while asserting that the party will unseat BJP from power in 2019.

"You look at BJP's policies. Their entire aim is to scare people of the country. Fear terrorism, maoism, demonetisation, scare the media. In two-three months, in the entire country, they have spread this fear," Gandhi had said.
The CBI has arrested a Railway Protection Force (RPF) Sub-Inspector here for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2,000 from a person.

A case was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against the Sub-Inspector posted under the jurisdiction of Central Railway, Pune, the premier investigation agency said today.

According to a complaint against him, the officer demanded a bribe of Rs 2,000 from a complainant to allow him to carry his business in Railway.

The person lodged a complaint with the CBI, which laid a trap and caught the Sub-Inspector while accepting the bribe amount, the Central agency said.

Searches were conducted at the office and residential premises of the accused at Pune which led to recovery of documents relating to property and two bank accounts belonging to him, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized Rs 2.5 crore worth spurious cosmetics of brands like L'Oreal, Lakme and Nivea, during the raids conducted at a building in south Mumbai.

"On receipt of confidential information about manufacture and sale of spurious cosmetics, the FDA team raided the premises at Sarang street, Mumai last evening," FDA Commissioner Harshadeep Kamble said.

It was found that one Mohamad Khaatib Shaikh, and Mohamad Jarif Shaikh were manufacturing famous brands such as L'Oreal, Lakme, Nivea, Elle 18 etc, he said.

The products include Lakme Radiance Compact, L'Oreal Paris Banana Treatment Pack, Baby Lips Color (Lip Balm).

"It was found that the manufacturing of these products was being done by using exclusive machinery and had a compact setup on fourth floor of the building situated in Crawford Market," he said.

Samples were collected for test and analysis, and a huge stock of these cosmetics along with packing material and machinery was seized, he said.

A thorough interrogation of the accused revealed that raw material and packing material procured from Pravin Dhillon, proprietor of Krishna Cosmetics at Bhuleshwar in Mumbai, he said.

It was revealed that these spurious cosmetics manufactured were being sold through Dhillon, who was the kingpin, who managed the manufacturing and selling activity. The investigation led to Radhe Cosmetics, through which these cosmetics were being sold, Kamble said.

"The setup had every sophisticated machinery needed to manufacture these FMCG products," the IAS officer said.

"Looking into the extent of volume of spurious cosmetics involved and the renowned brands being manipulated, I directed senior officials to rush to the raided premises," he said.

Grilling of the accused led to two godowns stocked



with more brands of such cosmetics. The godown of Dhillon Bhuleshwar was raided and stock worth Rs 2.39 crore was seized, he said. "The godown of one Mahesh Lalji Warchand, proprietor of Radhe Cosmetics at Bhuleshwar was also raided and stock worth Rs 1.2 lakh was seized," he added.

Some of the brands found were L'Oreal, Paris Kajal Magique, Revlon true match, L'Oreal Paris, Lucent Magic powder, Olay powder compact, Revlon Touch and glow moisturising powder, Colorkick Kajal, Elle 18 Jucy Lip Balm, L'oreal Paris diamond Treatment pack, Lakme Powder Compact Eyeconic, Lakme 9 to 5 Flawless Matte Complexion Compact, he said.

"It is shocking that the reputed brands are so easily duplicated and if these contain any harmful ingredients, it may adversely affect the sensitive skin as well as delicate eyes of the consumers," Kamble said.

The accused will be booked for contravention of Sections 18(a) (ii), 18(c), which are punishable under section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and also investigating with the companies of brand owners for the infringements of Trade Marks Act and Copyright Act, he said.

"FIR is being filed against Mohamad Khaatib Shaikh, Pravin Dhillon, Mahesh Lalji Warchand and others for this clandestine activity of cheating and affecting the health of public," Kamble said.
Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong was grilled by South Korean prosecutors today after becoming a criminal suspect in the corruption scandal engulfing impeached President Park Geun-Hye.

Lee, chairman of Samsung Electronics and the son of the Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-Hee, was to be questioned in connection to allegations of bribery, prosecutors said yesterday.

He is also accused of committing perjury during a parliamentary hearing last month into the affair, Yonhap agency reported.

"I am sorry for causing concern among the people over this incident", Lee said as he arrived at the office of the special prosecutor investigating the case.

Lee and his lawyer were greeted by scores of journalists as well as dozens of protesters waving banners and chanting "arrest Lee immediately" and calling him a "co-culprit" in the scandal.

The likelihood of prosecutors seeking a court warrant to formally arrest Lee was "high", an unidentified investigator was quoted by Yonhap as saying.

The scandal centres on Park's secret confidante Choi Soon- Sil, who is accused of using her ties to Park to coerce top firms into "donating" tens of millions of dollars to two non-profit foundations which Choi then used as her personal ATMs.

Samsung was the biggest contributor to the foundations. It is also accused of separately giving millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany in a bid to curry favour.

Prosecutors have for months questioned Lee and other senior Samsung officials. The officials reportedly argued that although they were coerced to offer money, they sought no favours in return and thus the payments were not a bribe.

Lee was named a criminal suspect in the widening investigation yesterday.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Samsung bribed Choi in order to win state approval for a controversial merger which it sought in 2015.

The merger of two Samsung group units - Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T - was seen as a crucial step towards ensuring a smooth third-generation power transfer to Lee Jae-Yong.

It was criticised by many, who said it wilfully undervalued Samsung C&T's stocks. But the National Pension Service - a major Samsung shareholder - voted in favour of the deal and it eventually went through.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Najeeb Jung alleged "nepotism" in the AAP government and tagged his name, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain today hit back, saying the former Lt Governor was "settling scores" by making "baseless charges" keeping the Punjab polls in mind.

Jain said his daughter Saumya was never appointed by the government in any capacity and she had merely worked as a volunteer in a mohalla clinic project. Jung has said that CBI has registered an FIR in the matter.

He accused Jung of "lying" over the case involving Nikunj Aggarwal, a relative of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife.

Jain said Aggarwal was never sent on a trip to China as claimed by Jung.

"All his allegations are based on lies. His (Aggarwal's) passport can be checked to see whether he went to China or not. As far as Saumya is concerned, she was never appointed and was working as a volunteer. She did not take any money," Jain told reporters.

Jung's remarks that Kejriwal may face "criminal charges" over irregularities found by the Shunglu Committee in the decisions taken by the government has triggered a fresh row.

On appointments made by DCW chief Swati Maliwal, Jain said an expanded workforce was necessitated due to her redoubled efforts in taking up cases.

"This is all keeping the Punjab polls (on February 4) in mind and it seems he (Jung) is campaigning. He should lead a peaceful post-retirement life which he so wanted. Why is he creating nuisance," he asked.

On Jung's assertion that the Kejriwal government's plan to set up a counter-IB like structure had rattled him, Jain said, "We had just created an anti-corruption helpline. He had deployed paramilitary in ACB scared of our drive against corruption.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today asked the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to reconsider its decision of auctioning the iconic Taj Mansingh Hotel in wake of the Attorney General and Solicitor General's opinion not to initiate any such process.

The apex court noted the fact that the opinions of both the top law officers against the auctioning of the hotel was not placed before the Ministry of Home Affairs for consideration.

A bench of Justices Pinaki Ghose and R F Nariman also took note of the fact that there was also an internal opinion of the top office bearers of NDMC against the auctioning process.

"At this stage, we direct NDMC to reconsider its decision in view of its own internal opinion and the opinions of the Attorney General and Solicitor General. The report should be filed within six weeks," the bench said.

During the hearing, the bench said that "the Attorney General and Solicitor General's opinion was not looked upon by MHA. You (NDMC) have not placed the opinions before the ministry concerned. We do not know what the ministry would have said if the opinions were placed before it".

It told Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain that NDMC has told the ministry that opinions of the AG and SG which have favoured extension of lease, are still awaited.

"It is strange and doesn't look bonafide. The AG and SG's opinions should have been placed before the ministry concerned," the bench said.

It asked Jain whether NDMC agrees to reconsider the decision of going ahead with the auctioning process.

To this, the ASG said, "No, it can't be done."



"Why are you not agreeing to reconsider the decision. It not a matter of right. Do you not want to be fair to the party who has been paying the rent constinously for 30 years," the bench said.

The Tata's Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), which has challenged a Delhi High Court order allowing NDMC to auction the hotel here, had earlier told the apex court that it was "not clear" why NDMC wanted to auction the prime property which gave the "best revenue" to it.

The company had earlier submitted that NDMC expert report



suggests that the council would "lose revenue" if the hotel was auctioned to other players.

The apex court had on November 21 last year directed that status quo be maintained with regard to NDMC's auctioning process of Taj Mansingh Hotel.

It had also refused NDMC's prayer that the hotel should be restrained from taking any fresh bookings, saying, "It is very difficult to restrain fresh bookings for a running hotel. Everything will be decided when we hear the matter."



IHCL, which runs the five-star hotel in the national capital, had on November 8 last year approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court's order that cleared the decks for auctioning of the iconic property.

The firm had challenged the October 27 last year verdict delivered by a division bench of the high court which had dismissed IHCL's petition challenging the move by NDMC to auction the property.

The high court had dismissed IHCL's plea saying the company has "no right" for renewal of the licence period and NDMC was "within its power" to secure maximum consideration for grant of licence for the property located at the prime location of 1, Man Singh Road in Lutyen's Delhi.

IHCL had moved the division bench of the high court against the September 5 last year judgement of a single judge who had not acceded to the firm's request for renewal of licence for a further period, saying it was not entitled for the extension.

The property, owned by NDMC, was given to IHCL on a lease of 33 years. The lease had ended in 2011 and the company was given nine temporary extensions since then on various grounds, with three of them granted last year itself.

NDMC had earlier said it was in the process of assessing the assets of the hotel in preparation for the much-delayed auction.

IHCL had earlier approached the single judge bench of the high court seeking a decree of permanent injunction restraining NDMC from interfering in any manner with the possession, right to operate, run and maintain the hotel premises.
I am sure that everyone who participates in this forum no matter what their political persuasion extends their deepest sympathy to Brenda Manghane Washington on the passing of her husband Larry.

Mr. Manghane was an Army veteran and we thank him for his service to our country.

RIP, Mr Manghane, you fought the good fight.

Douglas Jones

Ooltewah

* * *

Thank you for your kind thoughts, Mr. Jones, on the passing of my brother. I just want to make a small correction, however. Larry Manghane is my brother. Brenda Manghane is my sister-sister-in-law. I say sister twice, because she's actually always been more of a sister in the family than an in-law. In fact, there's another Brenda in the family too, who's also more like a sister than a sister-in-law.

Although we've bumped heads on many issues and will likely continue to do so in the future, my family and I are humbled by your obviously sincere kind words.

Brenda Washington (Manghane-maiden name)

* * *

I also wish to extend my condolences to Brenda Washington for the loss of her brother. Loss of family makes for difficult times.

I admire Brenda for standing up for her position and opinion regardless of hate darts from detractors. The idea that one voice has more value than another is the stuff arrogance is made of. We all tend to fall in that trap of surrounding ourselves with like thinkers, and that is a very uninteresting place to be.

The issues you raise seem far fetched to many, until you witness it.

Doug is correct in his assessment. Thanks for sticking around Brenda.

April Eidson

* * *

God bless the Manghanes, all three of their Brendas and each and every one of their family. From what I've read over the years, the rest of America could follow their lead and we'd all wind up in a much better place.

And thank you, Brenda Washington, for letting us know a little bit about your brother. I hope you had some time to tell him goodbye. He was clearly loved.

Savage Glascock

* * *

Brenda, I'm sorry for the loss of your brother, and to the rest of his family, and thank him for his service. We rarely agree on political issues, but sometimes I don't agree with family members or close friends. Hope you'll fire more shots in the opinion section.

Brian Foley






Amid uncertainty over alliance with Shiv Sena for next month's civic polls, including BMC, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the seat-sharing talks are going on in the "right direction".

Invoking Chhatrapati Shivaji while addressing the BJP workers here, the CM said they will come to know about their "enemy" at "appropriate time."



"Talks between the BJP and Sena are not confined to seat-sharing alone, but are also directed towards a definite agenda and (ensuring) transparency in public interest.

"Let me tell you that the talks are going on in the right direction and the party leaders will take a proper decision in this regard," Fadnavis told a concluding session of BJP state executive meeting here.

Invoking the warrior king, he said, "You (party workers) are like the Mavlas (soldiers of Shivaji) who never bothered about who their enemy was but just took on the enemy. You will come to know about the enemy at appropriate time."



He said, "The dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to free the country and state from Congress and this will be kept in mind. We don't want the Congress to return to power again and hence we will chalk out a proper strategy."



Ten municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane and Pune, will go to polls on February 21 while 25 zilla parishads in two phases on February 16 and 21. Counting of votes will be done on February 23.

On distribution of tickets for elections, the CM said only those aspirants having potential to get elected and acceptable by citizens would only be given tickets.

He said BJP is trying to bring in a payment gateway for accepting funds which might include use of smart phones.

In his address, Fadnavis listed various achievements of BJP governments at state and Centre.

"I am not claiming that we have achieved hundred per cent, but our efforts are on and the citizens are confident and happy with our performance, which was reflected in recent mandate (on local bodies elections)," he said.

(Reopens BES 32)



He appealed to the BJP workers to gear up for the battle, without bothering about the fate of the tie-up with bickering ally Shiv Sena.

"There are differences with Shiv Sena. The Sena and BJP are two different parties. Therefore, it is obvious that there will be differences. However, (BJP) workers should not worry about the alliance. The (party) functionaries will see that. The work of a soldier is to fight. Don't bother as to who is the enemy. Be prepared for the electoral battle," Fadnavis said.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji asked the Mavle (soldiers of the Maratha kingdom) to fight for god, country and religion. He did not leave any stone unturned to usher in the common man's regime. Modi also wants a common man's regime," Fadnavis said, asking party workers to work towards the cause.

He said tickets won't be given to those who are cosying up to leaders.

The CM also spoke about the 'success of the demonetisation decision of Modi' and the state government's efforts to tackle drought.

In his inaugural address, state unit BJP president Raosaheb Danve said the BJP-led government had fulfilled the promise of setting up the memorials of B R Ambedkar and Shivaji.

The conclave was attended by the party MLAs, MLCs, MPs and ministers.

State BJP office-bearers, from the rank of district president and above attended the meet, which came ahead of elections to 10 municipal corporations, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
A dangerous secessionist whirlpool is being built within Jammu and Kashmir by the "leaders of the ruling alliance and the opposition," which can prove disastrous, alleged Panun Kashmir, an organisation of displaced Kashmiri Hindus.

Kashmir Valley is going from bad to worse as militancy related incidents in 2016 increased to 216 from 143 incidents in 2015. 81 security personnel were martyred and 150 militants killed, besides, nearly 60 youth joined the militancy and highest 2700 incidents of stone pelting took place, it said.

"With utmost responsibility we warn government of India, particularly the Prime Minister of India, about the dangerous secessionist whirlpool being built within the state," Convener of Panun Kashmir, Agnishekhar, told reporters here today.

Flanked by Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman of Panun Kashmir, Agnishekhar said "a fierce and a sinister secessionist competition is going on in the state between the leaders of the ruling alliance and the opposition".

He said the it will be "disastrous to ignore the dangerous trend of competitive secessionism" infecting the proceedings of the state Assembly.

"On the floor of the Assembly dreaded terrorist Burhan Wani was described as a martyr (by lawmaker of National Conference), National anthem was disrespected and recently none other than the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti described accessionof J&K state with India as merely "technical," he said.

The Panun Kashmir leader said it was unfortunate that PDP has chosen to disapprove the stated position of Centre vis-a- vis Pakistan and separatism in the state.

"It is advocating demilitarisation of the state, unconditional dialogue with Pakistan and the separatists, taking away of land used by the security forces, removal of AFPSA and return of hydroelectric projects run by NHPC in the state," he said.

Ajay Chrungoo hit out at activities of Yashwant Sinha on Kashmir and said "Panun Kashmir out rightly condemns the forays of the group led by Yashwant Sinha, the disgruntled and discredited leader of BJP".

Panun Kashmir rejects the report of this group.

"The report is no more than a brazen subversive proposition and a veiled ultimatum to Government of India to come to terms with secessionist movement in the state or else face a catastrophic situation in 2018", he alleged.

Chairman of Panun Kashmir Ajay Chrungoo said, "We have no



hesitation in stating that back channel interventions have strengthened the separatist campaign... Discredited the state responses to Jihadi separatism in the state and acted as fuel to it".

As many as 66 weapons, including 17 AK rifles, and over 7,000 rounds of ammunition have been looted by militants and mobs in Valley after the killing of Hizb-ul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani on July 8 last which had triggered unrest, he said.

Kashmir also saw the highest number of stone pelting incidents last year. Of the total 2,690 incidents of stone pelting, North Kashmir accounts for the highest with 1,248 incidents, followed by 875 in South Kashmir and 567 in Central Kashmir, Chrungoo claimed.

Sopore, the bastion of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has recorded nearly 500 incidents of stone pelting according to official data from the State Home Ministry, he said.

"Panun Kashmir has time and again warned that Kashmir is on the brink of becoming a Syria or Afghanistan. Radical Islamist stranglehold in Kashmir is growing with each day," he said.

"Political class in Kashmir is playing to its dictates. Militant forces have been using democratic order in the state as a safe sanctuary. Dithering and delay in standing up to Jihadi war in the state will soon make the state particularly Kashmir, a totally ungoverned territory and a heaven for Militant forces", he alleged.

Panun Kashmir also wants to state that there is nothing holy about 'Agenda of Alliance', a brazen "subversive declaration."



Ex-gratia to the kith and kin of seditionists is in fact a declaration of the fact that the heart of the present government lies on the other side, he added.

More than six million Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists constitute almost half of the Jammu and Kashmir's population, and all of them are committed to fight and defeat separatism and Islamic fundamentalism come what may, he said.

"Creation of Panun Kashmir north and east of river Jhelum in Kashmir with the Union Territory status for the rehabilitation of all displaced Hindus is the only way to bring Kashmir out of the present crisis," he said.
Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic today invited Indian investors to his country and called for improved bilateral economic ties.

Vucic is on a four-day visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vucic highlighted Serbia's will to improve economic ties with India, and further "attract Indian investors to our country".

At a meeting hosted by Indian Council on Global Relations, Mumbai in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, Vucic called for boosting trade between the two countries.

He also discussed a long-term goal of creating a visa-free regime between the two nations.

He said Serbia is a land-locked small nation of 7 million which is located between Europe and Asia, and therefore has a keen interest and engagement with both continents.

Vucic said Serbians liked Indians, and both were "freedom-loving peoples".

He admired Indian entrepreneurship, saying that his country would like to embrace such spirit.

"Serbia's strategic goal is to be a full member state of the European Union," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today asked the government to set up a statutory mechanism for redressal of complaints against contents of private TV channels and radio stations and accord due publicity to the measures to enable citizens approach it with their grievances.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud, however refrained from commenting on the submission of Broadcasters Association and Association of Radio Operators for India that self-regulatory mechanism has worked effectively for electronic media and radio channels.

Referring to section 22 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the bench asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to constitute a body under the provision to deal with citizens' complaints against television channels and radio stations regarding their alleged objectionable contents.

"We cannot ask them (Centre) to monitor the content of the channels. How can we do that? You can approach us or the authority concerned after telecast or airing of objectionable contents only," the bench observed at the outset when lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Kamini Jaiswal sought establishment of an independent regulatory authority to govern broadcast media.

"If something happens and you find them obnoxious, then we will certainly deal with them. Generally speaking, we cannot interfere with it and do content regulation," it said.

It also said the issue pertained to the right of media enshrined under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution on freedom of speech and expression.

The court asked the Ministry to use the power under section 22 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act to set up the mechanism and rules to "formalise the complaint redressal mechanism" and accord "adequate publicity" to it so as to enable the public approach it with their complaints.

It asked the Centre to devise procedures with regard to the time limit for filing and deciding complaints and filing of appeals by the aggrived parties, among other things.

The bench disposed of the PIL filed by NGO 'Mediawatch India' seeking a regulatory body for the media on the ground that the Centre has failed to regulate the contents of the broadcast media.

During the hearing, Bhushan said "this business of self



regulation business doesn't work".

The plea, however, was opposed by the counsel for Broadcasters Association (NBA) who said the self regulatory mechanism has been working well for channels.

The Centre, meanwhile, informed the court that till 2011, it had "the capacity to monitor 150 TV channels 24x7" which could be raised to 1500 channels by the end of this year.

Besides NBA, the Association of Radio Operators for India and Advertising Standards Council of India were made parties to the petition which was filed in 2013.

"For the last one and a half decades, the Ministry of I&B is perpetuating virtual anarchy in the realm of broadcast media regulation. Especially on the content regulation front, its broadcaster-appeasing and wait-and-watch policies marked by sheer ad hocism and indifference to viewers' interests are adversely affecting the rights of millions of broadcast media consumers," the petition had said.

"The Ministry as content regulator had failed completely in protecting the interests and basic rights of the audience.

"It has not constituted sufficient infrastructure and resources to ensure quick decision-making against offending channels and is also not imposing deterrent penalties as provided by law," it had said.
Meghalaya legislator Julius Dorphang, who was booked under POCSO Act and anti-trafficking Act in an alleged sex racket involving a 14-year-old girl, was today remanded in 14 days judicial custody.

District and Session Judge E Kharumnuid sent Dorphang, an independent legislator who is supporting the ruling Congress in the state, to 14 days judicial custody after the five-day police custody ended.

Dorphang, who had co-founded an armed organisation until he gave up arms in 2007, was arrested from an inter-state bus terminus in Guwahati and booked under section 366(A) of IPC, sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) and Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA).

Under Section 366(A) of IPC any person who induces any minor girl to do any act with intent that she may be, or knowing that it is likely that she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person will be punished with imprisonment which may extend to ten years and will also be liable to fine.

Police did not seek extension of his custody as the legislator was cooperating with the investigators and claimed he has admitted to his crime.

At least two FIRs were filed in two districts against the legislator for allegedly sexually exploiting the girl in two locations in these districts on several occasions, police said.

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.

The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she allegedly named all those involved in exploiting her.

Women activists have been demanding that Chief Minister Mukul Sangma should drop Lyngdoh to allow a free and fair probe in the case.

Meanwhile, Dorphang's aid and a former militant Elbert Shemphang Kharlukhi and another person Nirdesh Jain were arrested for their alleged involvement in the sex racket also involving the same girl, police said.

Superintendent of Police (city) Vivek Syiem said Jain who hails from Chatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh and is a manager of a petrol outlet in East Jaintia Hills district, was arrested from his hideout in Guwahati last night.

He was today remanded in five days police custody.

Kharlukhi was arrested today from near the SP's office, he said.

With the two arrests, a total 11 persons, including Dorphang, have been arrested till date, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid a visa clampdown on foreign students by the UK, there has been a sharp drop in the number of Indians coming to study in the country's higher education institutions over the previous year, according to new data released today.

The UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA),the official agency for the collection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative information about higher education in the country, revealed that while Indians remain the third largest category of students from outside the EU, they registered a decrease of 9 per cent in 2015-16 over the previous year.

"India saw the largest percentage decrease, at 44 per cent between 2011-12 and 2015-16. In numbers, this meant that in 2015-16, the number of student enrolments domiciled from India was 13,150 less than in 2011-12. It is worth noting however, that the decline in student enrolments domiciled from India began a year earlier, in 2010-11," the HESA said in its analysis.

"Among students from outside the UK studying at HE (higher education) providers in England, the largest numbers of first years from non-EU countries came fromChina, which showed a 6 per cent increase on 2014-15, followed by the United States which increased by 3 per cent, and then India which decreased by 9 per cent," it said.

For other EU countries, the largest number of students came from France in 2015-16, increasing by 3 per cent from 2014-15, and taking the top spot from Germany which decreased by 6 per cent.

The overall number of higher education enrolments stood at 2,280,830 in 2015-16, an increase of 1 per cent, and 14,750 in overall numbers, from 2014-15.

The figures come as the UK's Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) think tank warned today that a tougher stance by the UK Home Office towards overseas students studying at British universities could cost the country up to 2 billion pounds a year.

"Were the Home Office to conduct yet another crackdown on international students, then the UK could lose out on 2 billion pounds a year just when we need to show we are open for business like never before," said Nick Hillman, director of HEPI.

"Removing international students from the net migration target would be an easy, costless and swift way to signal a change in direction," he said.

Alistair Jarvis, deputy chief executive of Universities UK, representing the higher education sector, said, "This report provides a stark warning of the potential economic loss associated with policies that restrict European or international student numbers."



"If universities are to continue to boost the economy and benefit communities, they need the right support from government," he said.

The latest figures will add further pressure on the UK government to address the perception of a visa clampdown on international students.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has strongly condemned the hurling of a shoe at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi and appealed to Punjabis to shun elements who want to destroy the peaceful fabric of Punjab.

"I appeal to Punjabis to remain calm and give a befitting answer to miscreants by voting for Badal Sahab to lead them again," she told reporters at Budhlada town in Mansa yesterday.

"Miscreants who want to destroy hard won peace can never succeed in this endeavour. I condemn the cowardly attack on the most respected politician and appeal to Punjabis to shun elements who want to destroy Punjab's peaceful fabric," she said.

Harsimrat also hit out at AAP senior leader and MP Bhagwant Mann, dubbing him as a "joker".

She accused AAP of egging people to resort to violence ahead of the state Assembly polls pn February 4.

The Bathinda MP was referring to the shoe hurling incident in Ratta Khera village of Lambi Assembly segment yesterday and another incident in which the cavalcade of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked in Jalalabad Assembly segment in Fazilka on January 8.

Without naming anyone, a furious Harsimrat said, "Inanoon sochan di lod hain ki jey kithe Badal sahib ne Akaliyaan nu keh dita ki inade khilaf daang chak lo, inanu muhn dikhaun ki yeah zinda rehan de layak nahi rehange (they need to think if Badal sir tells Akali workers to pick up sticks against them, let alone showing their faces to anyone, they will not be able to live)".

However in a Facebook post today, the minister sought to charge the media with "sensationalism".

"I appeal to the media not to sensationalise my statements. I have stressed that Badal Sahab always stands for exercising restraint but the exact opposition has been reported by a newspaper which has chosen to twist part of the statement," she said.

"I again reiterate that Badal Sahab has always stood for peace and communal harmony and so does the Shiromani Akali Dal," Harsimrat said.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief Amarinder Singh today



strongly condemned Harsimrat's "provocative remarks" and warned the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as well as Aam Aadmi Party against "inciting violence", saying any such move would not only backfire but would also cause irrevocable damage to the state.

Urging restraint in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Amarinder also urged the Election Commission to take serious note of such statements and initiate stern action to crack down on all disruptive elements to prevent the Punjab elections from spiralling into a vortex of violence.

"The series of clashes between AAP and SAD workers in the past few days endorse my worst fears about Punjab heading for a violent election," he said.

"Instead of instigating party workers, Harsmirat should try to defuse the situation by urging them to stay calm," the former Chief Minister said, adding radical elements would otherwise get the opportunity to exploit the tension in the state to create widespread violence.

He also deplored the incidents of stone and shoe throwing at the Badals, calling upon the people to vent their anger against the Akali leadership by exercising their vote judiciously instead of resorting to violent and provocative acts.

"These elections are your biggest opportunity to get rid of the corrupt and criminal Badal sarkar," Amarinder told the people, asking them not to waste the opportunity by diverting attention through violence.

(Reopens DES-12)



Lambasting PCC chief Amarinder Singh for criticising Union minister Harsimrat, SAD secretary general and spokesman Sukhdev Singh Dhinsa said Amarinder has no locus standi to rake up the issue as he himself had been "instigating the Congress men in the past against rivals."



Dhindsa said Harsimrat's remarks were just reflection of "anguish of a bahu" when her saintly 'sasur' (father in law) was shamelessly attacked by proteges of their political rivals.

Her reaction pales into insignificance when compared with Amarinder "exhorting Congressmen to prevent entry of Akalis in villages," which was part of his bigger design to create a "fear psychosis" close to polls, he said



About Amarinder urging the Election Commission to take not of Harsimrat's statement, Dhindsa said it would have been better if Amarinder would have attached copies of his own statements not of the last three months where he had openly been preaching violence but also press clippings of last assembly polls for making similar provocative statements.

He alleged that both the Congress and AAP leaders had spoken in unison that the nasty acts of violence represented people's anger against the ruling dispensation.

He alleged that both the Congress and AAP not only have common goal to grab power by hook and crook but also a common strategy of inciting violence to vitiate the election environment.

Amarinder has hobnobbed with radicals to create chaos through AAP which is a B team of Congress as it had asked its workers "to vote for AAP in bargain for no action against former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit," he alleged.

The SAD spokesman said the party has already signalled its cadre to remain calm and not to fall in the joint trap of AAP and Congress to create "chaos and confusion" on the eve of election.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal extended his greetings to the people of Assam on the occasion of Bhogali Bihu.

In a message today on the eve of the socio-cultural festival of the state, Sonowal said "Bhogali Bihu personifies abundance and symbolises intrinsic harmony of the people of Assam with nature."



"Moreover, the tradition of setting of Mejis (temporary constructions with hay and bamboo) on fire so integral to Bhogali Bihu celebrations, also symbolises melting away of all evil energies and beginning of all auspicious forces," Sonowal said.

He also said "Let the celebrations of Bhogali Bihu by all cutting across the people of Brahmaputra and Barak Valley, plains and hills strengthening the age old friendship and camaraderie and augurs universal brotherhood among all ethnicities, caste, creed and religion in Assam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP today alleged that the Samajwadi Party ministers and Legislators in Uttar Pradesh are trying to influence the voters by "luring and threatening" and flouting the model code of conduct, as it knocked on the state Chief Electoral Officer's door demanding action.

"SP ministers and Legislators are trying to lure and threaten voters and openly flouting the model code of conduct. EC should take cognisance of it and initiate strict action against such leaders," BJP spokesman Chandra Mohan said.

BJP leaders JPS Rathore and Kuldeep Pati Tripathi today met the UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh here and apprised him about the situation and cited incidents where Samajwadi Party leaders flouted the model code of conduct.

They informed him about the truckload of saris, said to have been purchased in the name of Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, that were seized in Fathepur last evening.

During a routine check, police had stopped the mini-truck which was on its way to Kanpur from Amethi in Hussainganj area of Fatehpur and found it to be carrying around 4,500 saris.

When asked, the driver had furnished a receipt in the name of Prajapati.

The BJP leaders said that it was a clear example how the SP minister was trying to affect the polls by luring voters and "gifting them saris".

They also informed Venkatesh about the Sultanpur, SP MLA Santosh Pandey who violated the mode code of conduct by using social media for campaigning for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

He not only "misused" social media but also took out a procession in the city, Chandra Mohan alleged.

Cases have been lodged against Pandey in incidents when he had arrived in Sultanpur and SP workers had taken out a procession in Lambua and Chanda Bazar without permission, and another one in which he violated the model code of conduct by campaigning on social media.

The BJP leaders requested the EC to check misuse of "official machinery" by SP leaders and take note of such incidents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syrian government air strikes killed at least six civilians, including four children, in Aleppo province today, despite a fragile two-week-old truce, a monitor said.

In neighbouring Idlib province, at least 22 jihadists were killed in air strikes over the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Some were carried out by government aircraft, others by aircraft of the US-led coalition, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

The civilians were killed early today when a government air strike hit a house in the village of Babka in the west of Aleppo province.

It said the death toll could rise because a number of the wounded were in serious condition.

Most of the dead in the Idlib strikes were fighters of the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham.

Two of the group's commanders were among 16 fighters killed in a coalition strike on their convoy yesterday, the Observatory said.

Earlier, three allied jihadists were killed in a government raid.

Later, three Fateh al-Sham fighters were killed in apparent drone strikes.

The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.

The strikes came despite a nationwide truce brokered by regime supporter Russia and rebel backer Turkey that has been in place since December 30.

The truce does not include Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, or the Islamic State group.

The ceasefire has brought quiet to large parts of the country, but sporadic violence has continued in some areas, threatening the fragile agreement.

Idlib province is largely controlled by a powerful alliance of opposition forces known as the Army of Conquest, which is dominated by Fateh al-Sham.

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.)
An influential US lawmaker has urged US Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson to take up with India "ill-treatment" of Compassion International and get its license restored, alleging that the Christian charity has been target of "multiple coordinated attacks".

"Since 2014, Compassion (International) has been the target of multiple coordinated governmental attacks because of its unapologetically Christian belief, but it has been delivering humanitarian services to hundreds of thousands of Indian children," Republican Senator Cory Gardner from Colorado said during the Secretary of State confirmation hearing of Tillerson yesterday.

"But due to restrictions by the Indian government, they have been unable to fund its India operation since February of 2016, despite having broken no laws. I believe the State Department should take notice that this ill treatment of Compassion International should stop, and it is part of a broader pattern by the government of India, where other NGOs have seen similar problems," he said.

Last month, the Home Ministry said it is unlikely to reconsider its decision banning the US-based donor from funding Indian NGOs notwithstanding consistent appeals by American authorities.

The NGO was put under 'prior permission category' in May last. When a donor organisation is put under this category, it is barred from funding any Indian NGO without the nod from the government.

Gardner said the State Department should insist the Indian government release Compassion funds, restore its Foreign Contribution (regulation) Act (FCRA) licenses and permit Compassion to immediately resume its humanitarian operations.

"We would just appreciate your assistance on that. This is a pattern that is very disturbing as an organisation that does nothing more than try to help children in poverty," he said.

Responding to the question, Tillerson, however, did not make any commitment and said, "Senator, I appreciate you bringing it to my attention and look forward, if I am confirmed, to discussing it further with you".

Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee supported Gardner and said the House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ed Royce is also very concerned about this issue.

The faith-based group in Colorado has served nearly two million children living in extreme poverty around the world, Gardner said.

The NGO, which is operating in India since 1968, has contributed nearly USD 50 million in aid to India, Gardner said, adding that they have provided one-to-one scholarships for 145,000 Indian children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UN's Syria envoy said today's meetings were taking place in Ankara and Moscow to avert a dangerous military escalation and help end the water crisis affecting millions in Damascus.

Fighting in the Wadi Barada region near Syria's capital has damaged water infrastructure and left some 5.5 million people in the capital and its suburbs facing shortages, according to the UN.

"Two meetings are taking place both in Ankara and now probably in Moscow too, which will be discussing this aspect because ... Water in Damascus is vital," Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva.

He said that the UN had been informed that the Damascus government had reached a deal with five villages in Wadi Barada to solve the problem, but two villages had refused the arrangement, including the one holding the main water source.

"Therefore, there is a danger, substantial danger, imminent danger that this may develop into a further military escalation," de Mistura said, warning that "the consequences, unavoidably (will be) no water solution for the people in Damascus."



Yesterday, the provincial governor in Wadi Barada said Syria's government had reached a deal for the army to enter a rebel-held area near Damascus and restore the capital's water supply.

Opposition sources denied there was a deal.

Syria's government accuses rebels in Wadi Barada, including former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, of deliberately cutting water to the capital.

But the rebels say regime strikes damaged pumping facilities and deny that Fateh al-Sham, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, has forces in the area.

There are already clear signs of escalation in the Wadi Barada areas.

Violent clashes were underway there today between regime troops and fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah group and rebel forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The strikes came despite a nationwide truce brokered by regime supporter Russia and rebel backer Turkey that has been in place since December 30.

The truce does not include Fateh al-Sham, or the Islamic State group.

The ceasefire has brought quiet to large parts of the country, but sporadic violence has continued in some areas.

De Mistura voiced disappointment today that the ceasefire, while largely holding, had not made it any easier to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
prison authorities have carried out the first US execution of 2017, as controversy continued to swirl around the drugs used to conduct such lethal injections.

Christopher Wilkins, 48, was executed yesterday at the state penitentiary at Huntsville after the US Supreme Court denied him a last-minute reprieve.

Wilkins was convicted of a double murder in 2005, sparked when he said a dealer and his friend sold him a USD 20 dose of crack cocaine that turned out to be a rock, then laughed at him.

During his trial he also admitted to killing a man a day earlier in a dispute over a pay phone, and driving a stolen car into two people on a sidewalk because he thought one had stolen his sunglasses.

During his 2008 trial, Wilkins told jurors that the death penalty would be "no big deal," according to the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram.

But in his subsequent appeals, Wilkins, a former truck driver, insisted that he was poorly represented by his lawyers, including one who had already accepted a job with the prosecutor's office.

In most years, executes more convicts than any other state, though last year Georgia surpassed it (with nine executions, to Texas's seven).

Nationwide, capital punishment has been falling for years - last year's total of 20 executions was a 30-year low, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington-based nonprofit.

Texas, like other death-penalty states, has faced a serious shortage of the drugs used in lethal injections, as major pharmaceutical firms - particularly in Europe - have refused to provide them.

In fact, last week Texas sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for impounding a shipment of sodium thiopental that the big southern state had intended to use in executions.

In October 2015, both Texas and Arizona had attempted to secretly import vials of that drug from a supplier in India. The FDA seized the drug, saying the use of the barbiturate in executions was illegal.

In recent years, Texas has used only the drug pentobarbital in executions, according to the Texas Tribune.

The controversy over lethal injection appears certain to blow up again this month, as two states - Virginia and Ohio - are planning to carry out executions using midazolam. That use of the drug has been heavily criticized because it is a tranquilizer.
US Secretary of State nominee has indicated he may disagree from President-elect Donald Trump on the Paris climate agreement, saying America's interests are best served by maintaining a seat at the table so that it could also judge other countries' commitment level.

"Having a seat at the table to address this issue on a global basis and it is important that its 190 countries or there about have signed on to being to take action. I think we are better served by being at that table than leaving that table," Tillerson said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday.

"I think it is important that the US maintain a seat at that table so that we can also judge the level of commitment of the other 189 or so countries that are around that table again, adjust our own course, accordingly," he said.

Tillerson's views on climate change differ significantly from those of Trump who had threatened to cancel the landmark Paris climate agreement in which more than 190 countries including India pledged to reduce carbon emissions.

"As I have stated before in my statements around climate change and responses to it, that it will require a global response. And that countries that attempt to influence this by acting alone, are probably only harming themselves," Tillerson said, as he advocated staying inside the Paris agreement.

During his tenure as Exxon CEO, Tillerson had praised the Paris agreement last year, noting that addressing climate change "requires broad-based practical solutions around the world".
Donald Trump's secretary of state pick has said he does not support blanket travel ban against Muslims even as he asserted that the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but in the war of ideas.

"I think what's important is that we are able to make a judgement about the people that are coming into the country. And so no, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people," the 64-year-old former ExxonMobil CEO told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

"But clearly, we have serious challenges to be able to vet people coming into the country particularly, under the current circumstances because of the instability in the parts of the world that it's occurring," he said.

"It's a huge challenge and I don't think we can just close our eyes and ignore that. We have to be very clear-eyed about recognising that threat and developing a means to deal with it," Tillerson said.

President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to temporarily ban Muslim travel and immigration to the country after a wave of terrorist attacks carried out or inspired by the Islamic State in Europe and the US.

He has since walked back that promise, instead saying he would ban immigration from countries where terrorism is prevalent.

Tillerson, however, said he would require more information on how the government would approach constructing a registry of Muslims before he would consider lending his support to creating one.

"I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well - other groups that are threats to the US," he said.

Tillerson said the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but must triumph in the war of ideas.

Tillerson said that because of his past work, he has travelled extensively to Muslim countries.

"I've gained an appreciation and recognition of this great faith. That's why I made a distinction that we should support those Muslim voices that reject this same radical Islam that we reject," he noted.

"Now, this is part of winning the war other than on the battlefield. I mentioned we have to win it, not just on the battlefield. We've gotta to win the war of ideas and our of our greatest allies in this war is going to be the moderate voices of Muslim, of people in the Muslim faith, who speak from their perspective and their rejection of that representation of what is otherwise a great faith," he said.

"My expectation is that we're going to be able to reengage with our traditional friends and allies in the region. Not just in the middle east but I think as you pointed out there are large Muslim populations in South East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, other important countries in that part of the world where we have serious issues of common issues as well," he said.

Radical Islam, he said, poses a grave risk to the stability of nations and the well-being of their citizens.

Tillerson said eliminating ISIS would be the first step in disrupting the capabilities of other groups and individuals committed to striking America's homeland and allies.
Arrested Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Sudip Bandopadhaya was today denied bail by a CBI court here and sent to jail.

He was produced in the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate P K Mishra after the completion of his 10-day CBI remand in two phases.

The judge rejected his bail petition and posted the next hearing of the case to January 25.

The MP's advocate sought bail pleading that his client has all along cooperated with the investigating agency. The counsel also claimed that Bandopadhaya was ill.

Bandopadhaya claimed he was innocent and had no involvement in the scam.

He was arrested in Kolkata on January 3 on charges of alleged link with Rose Valley Group chief Goutam Kundu, now in jail, and brought to Bhubaneswar next day. He has been in CBI custody since then.

Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of Rs 17,000 crore in different states including Odisha and West Bengal.

The CBI in its charge sheet against the ponzi scheme company in January last year had mentioned that the investors from Odisha alone had deposited Rs 450 crore with the Rose Valley Group.

Another TMC MP Tapas Pal has been lodged at a special jail at Jharpada in the same scam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stating that Chennai was facing a grave drinking water crisis even before the onset of summer, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today requested Andhra Pradesh to immediately release at least two TMC ft of Krishna water from the Telugu Ganga project.

While promising to consider Tamil Nadu's request, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu suggested his counterpart that he exert pressure on upper riparian states Maharashtra and Karnataka --through the Centre -- to release water downstream in Krishna.

"We will assess the water availability position here and take a decision on releasing more water as we have already released one TMC ft. We are also facing water shortage here," Chandrababu said.

Panneerselvam, who flew down here from Chennai this morning, held a meeting with Chandrababu at the AP Secretariat at Velagapudi and discussed the Telugu Ganga water issue.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister told his AP counterpart that only 1.5 TMC ft of water was currently available in Chennai city, though it had tanks with a total storage capacity of 11.5 TMC ft.

"We are facing a grave drinking water crisis even before the summer. So we need at least two TMC ft of water immediately to mitigate the crisis," Panneerselvam told Chandrababu.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, AP Planning Board vice chairman Kutumba Rao said AP had already released one TMC ft of water that would soon reach Chennai.

"Our CM told the Tamil Nadu CM that dams and reservoirs in Maharashtra and Karnataka are full of water and they should release it downstream since our reservoirs are not full. He suggested that Tamil Nadu bring pressure on those two governments through the Centre for release of water," Kutumba Rao, who also took part in the meeting, said.

Chandrababu also told Panneerselvam that the issue of water release to Chennai through Telugu Ganga project would be taken up with the Krishna River Management Board.

"The KRMB should decide the proportionate share of water to be released by Telangana and AP post bifurcation," Chandrababu added.

AP also asked Tamil Nadu to release Rs 443 crore as the latter's share in the Telugu Ganga project.

"There are differences in claims over this between the two states but we told the Tamil Nadu delegation that the accountant general's estimate was final. Panneerselvam agreed to release some amount soon but did not specify how much," Kutumba Rao said.

Officials of water resources departments of AP and Tamil Nadu would soon meet in Tirupati for further talks on Telugu Ganga water sharing.

(REOPENS BOM 25)



Meanwhile, the AP Chief Minister requested Tamil Nadu to continue Telugu in schools there.

"Panneerselvam responded positively to this," the Planning Board vice-chairman said.

There was no political discussion between the Chief Ministers during their 45-minute meeting, he added.

Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Y Palanisamy, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, government advisor Sheela Balakrishnan and other officials were part of the visiting delegation.
Two local BJP leaders from Mandsaur district died and six others were injured when their SUV overturned near Sehore, around forty km from Bhopal today, police said.

"The SUV, in which these eight people were travelling, overturned when its tyre got burst near Naplakhedi village under Mandi Police Station in Sehore district," Mandi Police Station in charge Pradeep Gurjar informed over phone.

Suresh Nabhepuriya (44) and Sunil Dhanotia (40) died in the accident, while six others got injured, he added.

"While Nabhepuriya was the vice president of Shamgarh Nagar Panchayat of Mandsaur district, Dhanotia was a corporator there," Gurjar said.

The officer informed that the vehicle was going towards Bhopal from Shamgarh. Those injured were shifted to Bhopal after initial treatment.

"The police is conducting an inquiry into the matter," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UK on Thursday launched a new campaign to encourage Indian visitors to apply early for their visas in the quieter, off-peak period of January and February, the British High Commission said.

Visa applicants can expect to get a visa decision more quickly outside the peak period, and benefit from quieter Visa Application Centres and more available appointment slots, the British High Commission said in a statement.

Indian travellers can now request for their visas to be post-dated by up to three months, so the visa starts on their intended travel date.

Those planning to travel in April can apply for their visas now and the six-month validity can start on their intended departure date, the statement clarified.

British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith, said: "We are delighted that more and more Indians are choosing to come to the UK either on holiday or for business. The latest visa statistics show that visitor visas issued have increased by 6 per cent in the year ending September 2016 and last year we issued more Indian visit visas than ever before," the statement said.

"There has never been a better time to visit the UK - 2017 is the Year of Culture, which will see an exciting festival of events celebrating the vibrant cultural history of UK and India held in both countries. By making it easier for visitors to apply for their visas early, we hope that even more Indians will choose to come to visit the UK to see our world class heritage sites, enjoy our beautiful countryside and experience the vibrancy of our cities," he said.

The initiative was officially announced at the Destination Britain India, currently being held in Pune and hosted by the UK's national tourism agency VisitBritain.

The three-day tourism trade fair brings together more than 75 travel agents from across India and more than 20 UK travel suppliers for three days of networking and business appointments, the statement said.

VisitBritain Director for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa Sumathi Ramanathan said: "We want the UK to be a 'must-go-now' destination for visitors from India.Making it easy to travel here is an important part of our tourism offer."



The British High Commission has claimed that it continues to make improvements to its visa service in the country. Last year a new online visit visa application form was introduced in India.

The new form is described as "quicker and more intuitive" and it has been translated into four Indian languages to make it easier for Indian customers to apply.

The eligibility for visitors using the same-day Super Priority Visa and three to five day Priority Visa has been expanded so that now all first-time visitors can use the service, regardless of whether they have travelled before.

India will also become the first visa country to benefit from the Registered Traveller Service, as announced by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

The premium service allows approved members, who have undergone advanced security checks, expedited entry at the UK border.
The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) will help Propex, a geosynthetic solutions company, recruit about 10 employees to work in Ringgold.

The recruitment will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Georgia Northwestern Technical College located at 6450 Alabama Highway. GDOL staff will be on site to assist with the application process.

The employer is recruiting quality lab technicians, maintenance technicians and production line operators.

Due to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, all applicants must be at least 18 years old. A high school diploma, or a General Education Diploma (GED), is required.

While it is not required, applicants are preferred to have two years of related experience.

Salaries for the entry-level positions will range from $14 to $18 an hour.

All applicants are encouraged to dress appropriately to improve their opportunities for jobs.

For more information about the jobs, or to apply online, visit employgeorgia.com to create an account and upload, or prepare, a resume. Having an Employ Georgia account expedites the interview process.

For more information about the recruitment, contact swat@gdol.ga.gov.
Corruption charges against the relatives of former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon do not concern the United Nations, the UN spokesman has said.

Ban's brother and nephew, respectively Ban Ki Sang and Joo Hyun Bahn, have been indicted in a US court over an alleged attempt to bribe a Middle Eastern official regarding the sale of a building in Vietnam.

A 39-page indictment unsealed on Tuesday lists charges of corruption, money laundering and conspiracy against the relatives of the former UN chief, who stepped down on December 31.

"The indictment that was unsealed yesterday is not one that concerns the United Nations, and I have no comment on it," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

US prosecutors allege that the conspiracy took place between March 2013 and May 2015 over the attempted sale of a commercial and residential complex in Hanoi, built and owned by Keangnam Enterprises, a South Korean construction company.

The UN spokesman noted that when reports began to surface about the allegations, Ban Ki-moon said he had "no knowledge of his nephew's activities and whereabouts."



The plot focused on an attempt to get an official from an undisclosed Middle Eastern kingdom to purchase the building in Hanoi using a sovereign wealth fund.

The pair tried to secure a meeting with the kingdom's head of state while he was in New York for a UN General Assembly meeting.

Also charged is US citizen Malcolm Harris, accused of masquerading as a go-between with the Middle Eastern official but instead pocketing a $500,000 bribe which he frittered away on personal luxuries.

The United Nations was rocked last year by a scandal involving a former General Assembly president, John Ashe, accused of taking bribes from Chinese developers to secure UN support for a conference center in Macau.

Ashe, who was the UN ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda, died in June in a weight-lifting accident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior BJP Goa leader and former state minister Wilfred Mesquita has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his displeasure against the goings-on in the local party unit claiming that they have been "patronising corruption" and working against his (PM's) objectives.

"Fighting for systemic change, cleaning the economy to free the country from corruption, bringing crooks to justice, punishing politicians who use and generate black money and many more changes are some of your avowed objectives," Mesquita, who is also Commissioner for NRI affairs, said in a letter to the PM, a copy of which is with PTI.

"In Goa, unfortunately the opposite happens," he claimed in the letter dated January 6, 2017 which is also addressed to party president Amit Shah.

Mesquita has pointed out to the induction of two former Congress legislators -- Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar -- into the party fold to support his claim against the local party unit.

"There is no better example of political expediency than the recent admission of two corrupt Congress party legislators, so branded by the BJP itself, which apparently were a liability to Congress," he has said.

"BJP leaders in Goa never wasted an opportunity and in fact used every platform including the precincts of the August house of the people's representatives (Goa Legislative Assembly) to denigrate these two MLAs whom they have now embraced," the letter read.

"As a result BJP leaders in particular and the party in Goa in general have lost their credibility. The public now wonders whether these leaders are adept in spreading falsehood and lies and in character assassination with the sole aim of fooling them," Mesquita said.

"Is the decision of BJP to admit these two (leaders) branded by the very same party as corrupt Congress MLAs and their acolytes in the party fold, signal that party's (BJP's) new vision is to patronise corruption ? (Are) the gates of dishonesty in BJP wide open now ?," he questioned.

In the run up to the upcoming State legislative assembly elections, Godinho and Madkaikar were admitted in the BJP.

Their names also figure in the first list of candidates announced in Delhi by the BJP high command.

"It is required that Parrikar should head the



government so that the Centre will continue funding various developmental projects which are currently underway in the state," Dhavalikar said.

"If Manohar Parrikar is not there in the government, who will get the funds from the Centre?," he said.

The MGP had fought the recently held Assembly polls in alliance with rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar-led Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena.

While the MGP managed to win three seats, its other alliance partners drew a blank.
The protectionist sentiments in the US will have a bearing on the Indian IT industry but Indo-US bilateral relations in other economic and strategic sectors will "continue to move forward" under the new Trump regime, according to CII President .

"It has been there in the campaign, it has been there in the run up to the inauguration with fairly unbelievable involvement in policy-making through tweets," Forbes told PTI when asked if there is increasing protectionism in the US.

Asked if the protectionist sentiments in the US have been on a rise, he said, "Oh yes, without question" but pointed out that the impact would be limited to specific sectors. He said with exception to the IT and BPO industry, relations will continue to progress on the "security, strategic side, and economic side".

"One exception is the IT services business ... I think the IT services business will be affected by the protectionist noises that we are hearing. It is something that we will have to deal with and engage with, as best we can.

"For the rest of the relationship, the broader economic relationship, the rest of industry ... Because the Indian industry is a very active investor in the US and the US industry is a very active investor in India, they will continue to be so ... And the broader security relationship between the Governments, I think all that will continue to move forward," he said.

On whether CII will lead a delegation to the US to meet up with policymakers after the new President assumes charge in January, Forbes said that the chamber's annual CEOs mission to the US is slated for mid-this year.

"We do an annual CEOs mission to the US, we will definitely be doing that ... It usually is in June-July and that would be the right time also because by then the new administration would be fully in place, and that will be the right time to start engaging in a deep way with the administration," he said.

Already battling headwinds of a slowing growth, the USD



150-billion Indian IT industry has been concerned about "creeping" protectionism and negative sentiments in its key markets including the US, which accounts for nearly 60 per cent of its export earnings.

Indian players like TCS and Infosys are, in fact, heavily dependent on the US market.

Earlier this month, a Bill targeting H-1B visas was reintroduced in the US Congress by two lawmakers who said it will help crack down on the work visa abuse.

Donald Trump, who is due to take over as the 45th US President this month, is known for his hardline stance on protectionism and anti-immigration. While the industry has tried putting on a brave face, there are deep concerns about tightening of visa norms that will push up the cost of doing business.

Nasscom has been arguing that corporate America also needs technology services, given the shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

"The issue is as much about what is good for the US . The fact is that according to US own statistics, over one million IT-related jobs will remain unfilled in 2018... So, reality has to be kept in mind before steps are taken," R Chandrashekhar, President of software association Nasscom said recently.
The United States announced sanctions today against 18 senior Syrian military officers and officials over the use of chemical weapons.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.

A UN-backed investigation found that several units of the Syrian military had used toxic weapons against three villages in northern Syria in 2014 and 2015.

Government helicopters flying from two government-controlled air bases dropped chlorine barrel-bombs on the villages of Qmenas, Talmenes and Sarmin, the panel's latest report said.

Chlorine use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from Russia.

In response to its use, the US has targeted individuals including top intelligence officials and military commanders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US troops and tanks began streaming into Poland today as part of one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the Cold War, an operation that Russia angrily branded a "threat".

The Atlantic Resolve mission will see more than 3,000 American soldiers and heavy equipment deployed in Poland and nearby NATO partners Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary on a rotational basis.

The outgoing US administration of President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of an armoured brigade to the region after 2014 to reassure eastern allies after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The operation has sparked immediate anger from Russia, with the Kremlin describing it as a "threat" on its "doorstep".

"This is unprecedented for Poland," Michal Baranowski, Warsaw office director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States think-tank, told AFP.

"We have not had this level of a rotational presence since the Cold War."



Baranowski said the arrival of the US troops, along with NATO's coming deployment of four multi-national battalion groups in Poland and the three Baltic states, "changes the security calculus on the alliance's eastern flank" by creating a much-boosted deterrent.

"These forces will have a 'trip wire' function -- no longer will it be possible for Russia to have a quick victory for example in the Baltic states on the cheap," Baranowski said.

"It will not be able to have just a regional conflict because the NATO allies will automatically be affected -- and that's a very big change," he added.

But the operation comes a week ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested his Republican administration will seek to ease tensions with the Kremlin.

According to Stanislaw Koziej, a retired Polish brigadier general who served as national security chief from 2010-15, the arrival of the US brigade has "somewhat calmed concerns about the direction the US will go after the arrival of the new president".

"If he really wanted to, the president-elect (Trump) could comment on the deployment, but since he hasn't, that's calmed the air," Koziej said.

US troops entered Poland at the Olszyna border crossing with Germany today and headed to the brigade's headquarters in the nearby Polish town of Zagan.

Heavy equipment, including 87 Abrams tanks and over 500 personnel carriers including military-equipped Humvees were to follow.

"This operation threatens our interests and our security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today.

"This is even more pronounced when a third party (the United States) reinforces its military presence on our doorstep in Europe."



Russian deputy foreign minister Alexei Mechkov described the deployment as a "factor destabilising European security".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Venezuelan officials have jailed a second opposition figure as tensions mounted in the economically struggling South American country.

Officials re-arrested former Gen Raul Baduel yesterday, saying he had been conspiring to overthrow the government.

Baduel was once a high-ranking member of the administration of late President Hugo Chavez, but later became critical of the socialist party. Baduel was freed from prison in 2015 after serving six years on corruption charges.

On Wednesday, officials arrested substitute lawmaker Gilber Caro from a hardline opposition party on weapons charges.

The arrests come as a fledgling "anti-coup" unit inside the government targets what it calls renewed opposition attempts to destabilise the country.

Human rights groups said the arrests go against the government's recent freeing of several jailed activists as part of Vatican-sponsored mediation effort. The opposition is asking the government to free dozens of prisoners widely considered political prisoners as part of the dialogue process.

The government said Baduel had violated the terms of his parole. Baduel and members of the opposition have always maintained that initial arrest for corruption was a ploy to punish him for speaking out against the government. His son Adolfo Baduel said on Twitter yesterday that his father had not violated any conditions of his parole.

Caro was arrested at a highway toll station after police said they found a gun and explosives in his car. His Popular Will party said the weapons were planted to frame him.

Yesterday, the opposition coalition rejected a ruling by the Supreme Court overturning congress' declaration that President Nicolas Maduro had abandoned his post. The opposition-controlled congress approved the symbolic resolution at the start of the week, saying Maduro is neglecting his duties as the country spirals into a deep depression.

Some in the opposition are pushing for a new round of street protests while others in the factious coalition are advocating attending a round of talks with the government scheduled for today. Opposition leaders have said they won't participate in the meeting unless the government releases more than 100 political prisoners.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cambridge English Language Assessment (Part of the University of Cambridge) and Boxhill Institute, Australia, has launched the new authorised Occupational English Test (OET) venue here today for the healthcare professionals of the state.

As part of this event, David Wiltshire, OET Preparation Content Manager and Afsaneh Rashidi, OET Operations Support Manager from Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, Australia presented two information sessions.

The sessions are a masterclass for English language trainers on how to prepare students to succeed in the English language test for healthcare professionals and a roadshow for healthcare students and professionals on how to prepare for success in the OET.

OET is an industry-recognised English language test for healthcare professionals seeking to register and practise in an English-speaking environment.

Sujata Stead, CEO, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, said, "The availability of an OET test venue close to home makes the test more accessible to healthcare professionals in the state who wish to take a healthcare related English language test for enhancing job prospects internationally".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hollywood star Vin Diesel arrived here this morning to promote his upcoming action-thriller "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage".

The 49-year-old star was accompanied by actress Deepika Padukone, who is making her Hollywood debut with the film, which releases in India this Saturday.

The duo was returning from the London promotions of their film.

Vin landed in Mumbai at around 8-8.30 AM. Attired in a blue T-shirt and denims, the actor was welcomed by a group of women wearing red traditional Maharashtrian 'nauvari sari'.

He waved at fans and media before heading to the St Regis hotel in Lower Parel.

The "Fast and Furious" star, along with Deepika and the film's director DJ Caruso, will be meeting the press at the same hotel.

They will later interact with the fans at Phoenix Mills and attend their film's Indian premiere there.

Popular electronic music artist DJ Nucleya has been roped in to make Deepika, Vin and the fans groove to his electrifying beats.

An after party is being planned which is expected to be attended by Bollywood celebrities.

According to sources, security has been beefed up for Vin's maiden visit to the megapolis which will last for two days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today alleged that the recent incidents aimed at inciting violence here and at Lambi were part of a conspiracy hatched by AAP in alliance with radical organisations.

The recent disturbances in Punjab have occurred shortly after AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister) held meetings with radical elements, he claimed after filing his nomination papers here.

Yesterday, a shoe was hurled at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by a relative of a radical Sikh leader at his home constituency, Lambi, and a group of people threw stones at the cavalcade of Sukhbir in his constituency, Jalalabad, a few days ago.

Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who accompanied him, also filed her nomination as a covering candidate for the SAD president.

Sukhbir claimed Kejriwal had recently held meetings with the three self-styled "jathedars" supported by radical elements besides radical ideologue Mokhan Singh.

Singh heads the United Akali Dal (UAD), a separatist body, that has earlier tried to incite violence in Punjab, he said.

Kejriwal also held a breakfast meeting with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) frontal organisation Akhand Kirtani Jatha spokesperson R P Singh three days back, the SAD president claimed.

"He has also met radical Sikh leader Amrik Singh Ajnala whose brother attacked CM Parkash Singh Badal yesterday. All this proves that the recent incidents of violence were part of a larger strategy to create trouble in Punjab," he said.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, recently, openly asked people to throw stones at the senior SAD leadership and even admitted this in a television interview, he claimed, adding it had been brought to the notice of the Election Commission.

Sukhbir said all these acts were the result of extreme frustration on the part of AAP.

"The party realises that the ground is slipping beneath its feet and that the people are rejecting its anti-Punjab agenda. It is because of this that the party is now resorting to such acts," he alleged.

Asking AAP not to test the patience of the SAD, Sukhbir said the Akali cadre was quiet because it was peace loving and was committed to maintaining law and order.

"The very fact that peace and communal harmony has reigned in Punjab for the last ten years is testimony of this. This peace was achieved after nearly two decades of turbulence. But now some forces have got together and are resorting to 'goonda gardi'," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special court today extended till January 20 the judicial custody of LIC agent Anand Chauhan, chargesheeted in the money laundering case involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Special Judge Vinod Kumar passed the order after Chauhan was produced before the court from Tihar Jail here.

The court also fixed January 20 for scrutiny of documents and asked the Enforcement Directorate to provide certain other documents filed with the charge sheet, which have been sought by the accused.

The court had on September 7 last year taken cognisance on the charge sheet filed against Chauhan, while asking ED to provide him a copy of the final report and other documents.

The charge sheet was filed for offences under sections 3 (money-laundering) and 4 (punishment for the offence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Act.

Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh on July 9 last year under the provisions of PMLA on the grounds that he was allegedly not cooperating with the probe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jermaine Bonner has been sentenced by Judge Sandy Mattice to serve 85 months in federal prison for selling crack cocaine.

Prosecutors said it was arranged for a confidential informant to buy a large amount of cocaine from Bonner on June 8, 2015.

The purchase of almost 38 grams of cocaine was recorded by audio and video.

Bonner will be on supervised release for four years after getting out of prison.
Officials in Zimbabwe say wildlife park rangers have killed three suspected poachers in the past two days as the country battles increased targeting of vulnerable animals.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said today that rangers fatally shot a poacher in Hurungwe safari area yesterday.

The parks agency says two poachers were killed on Tuesday in Hwange National Park, whose large elephant population has been targeted.

Caroline Washaya-Moyo, a spokeswoman for the parks agency, says poachers and rangers exchanged gunfire in both cases.

Washaya-Moyo says 443 poachers were arrested last year, up from 378 in 2015. She says that of the 2016 arrests, 57 people were convicted and sentenced to a total of 513 years in jail.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese construction equipment major XCMG proposed to set up its first manufacturing unit in India at an investment of USD 150 million through partnership with SCHWING Stetter India, a top company official said today.

SCHWING Stetter India, a subsidiary of SCHWING Group of companies, is part of XCMG Group, China.

XCMG China Group Chairman Wang Min, on his first visit to India, explained about the company's strategy to Indian market in the construction equipment market.

On setting up the facility in India, Min said, "We have our own strength and advantages and have the opportunities to beat our competitors here.It is right time for us to focus in Indian market. The market is booming. We are planning to invest USD 150 million (about Rs 1,000 crore) for Indian market to locally manufacture here."



XCMG China last year reported revenues of USD 13 billion with overseas revenues contributing about 34 per cent, he told reporters.

A technical team from China would visit India "shortly" to explore the products which can be locally made, he said.

The company, in association with SCHWING Stetter, already sells wheel loaders, motor graders, excavators in India, he said.

Responding to a query, SCHWING Stetter Sales and Services Chairman Anand Sundaresan said the company was yet to finalise the location on setting up the greenfield facility.

"We are yet to finalise the location.I am looking at a place near Chennai for connectivity and logistics issue.We are yet to decide," he said.

XCMG China would locally produce the products at the factory within a year's time frame, Sundaresan said, adding SCHWING Stetter India would handle the sales and service activities.

On the benefit of setting up local manufacturing unit, he said almost 27 per cent of cost was paid towards import duty of the products. "When we import, the cost is very high," About the domestic construction equipment industry, he said compared to April-September 30, 2015 period, the market grew by 35 per cent in April-September 30, 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Christopher Johnson

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than $1 a barrel on Thursday on that key OPEC members were cutting production as promised and on forecasts of strong demand growth in China.

Brent crude oil rose $1.33 a barrel to a high of $56.43 before easing slightly to trade around $56.20 by 1445 GMT. U.S. light crude was up $1.05 a barrel at $53.30.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed in November to cut production to try to reduce a supply glut that has depressed prices for more than two years.

Several OPEC members appear to be implementing the deal.

"All the focus is now on OPEC compliance, which seems to be moving ahead as planned," said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Markets in Oslo.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Thursday the kingdom had cut production to its lowest in almost two years, a move that would help accelerate a rebalancing of the global oil market.

"The market first of all is extremely healthy," Falih told a conference in Abu Dhabi, adding that global demand for oil would grow by well over 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2017 and the market would tighten in two to three years.

Oil prices would respond this year, Falih added.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouq told the conference Kuwait had already cut its oil output by more than it promised under the OPEC deal, without giving further details.

Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi told reporters Iraq was "hoping for a better price". Iraq had reduced its oil exports by 170,000 bpd and was cutting them by a further 40,000 bpd this week, he said.

BMI Research said overall "compliance to the OPEC/non-OPEC oil production cut appears to be positive ... We calculate compliance with production cuts at around 73 percent," led by high compliance from members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Reflecting China's growing fuel consumption, its net crude imports will rise 5.3 percent to 396 million tonnes in 2017, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said on Thursday. CNPC said its crude demand will hit a record 594 million tonnes this year.

In the United States, traders said an inventory report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday implied oversupply as crude stocks unexpectedly rose by 4.1 million barrels to 483.11 million barrels.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Dale Hudson and Alison Williams)

(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.)
By Anshuman Daga and Tommy Wilkes

SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - SpiceJet is set to seal an order for at least 90 new 737 jets from Boeing, two sources said on Thursday, as the low-cost carrier targets an expansion to tap into India's booming air travel market.

The announcement for the 737 MAX aircraft - which includes at least 42 of the narrowbody jets SpiceJet had previously agreed to buy from Boeing in 2014 - is expected as early as Friday when SpiceJet's chairman holds a press event in New Delhi, the sources, who were familiar with the matter, said.

The sources declined to be identified ahead of Friday's press announcement.

An agreement with SpiceJet, which has a current fleet of 40 planes, would be a much-needed boost for Boeing in India, as its rival Airbus has won record-sized orders with IndiGo, India's biggest budget airline, as well as a recent deal with GoAir.

SpiceJet and Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

India is the world's fastest growing aviation market, showing double-digit growth in annual passenger numbers thanks to low prices and rising disposable incomes.

SpiceJet has been in talks with Boeing and Airbus since 2015, and it is expected to have secured a discount from the roughly $10 billion cost of the 90 737 MAX jets based on list prices. Airlines typically get discounts from list prices when placing large orders.

Under chairman Ajay Singh, SpiceJet has been rebuilding its business since almost collapsing after running out of cash in late 2014.

The airline has grown its market share and returned to profitability but it remains far smaller than market leader IndiGo.

Despite soaring passenger numbers, Indian carriers have struggled to achieve consistent profitability because of fierce competition, regular price wars and high operating costs.

(Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Tom Hogue and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government could be considering the idea of the state providing income support, or a universal basic income (UBI), to all citizens regardless of their employment status.
Paving the way for Rs 3,050 crore cumulative penal action on telecom operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, the Attorney General is learnt to have opined that the Department of Telecom has power to impose penalty on grounds of poor quality of service.

"AG has opined that DoT can impose penalty on telecom operators for violating quality of service rules," a source told PTI.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended imposing Rs 1,050 crore penalty each on Airtel and Vodafone and Rs 950 crore on Idea for violating quality of service rules.

TRAI, in its recommendation to DoT, said it has found the trio non-compliant with licence conditions and service quality norms, given the high rate of call failures and congestion at interconnect points for Reliance Jio.

Following TRAI's recommendation, the Telecom Department sought AG's opinion on the matter last week, sources pointed out.

The DoT was awaiting AG's opinion before proceeding on the penalty suggestion of TRAI.

While giving its recommendation to DoT, TRAI had noted that denial of interconnection by the three operators to Reliance Jio "appears to be with the ulterior motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer".

The regulator had, in fact, stopped short of recommending cancellation of their telecom licences, saying it may lead to "significant consumer inconvenience".

The recommendation came on complaint by Reliance Jio that over 75 per cent of calls on its network were failing as incumbents were not giving sufficient points of interconnect to help complete calls.
Facebook Inc launched its "Journalism Project" on Wednesday, as the world's biggest social media network looks to deepen its relationship with news organizations.

The launch comes less than a week after the company said it was hiring former CNN reporter, anchor and host Campbell Brown to lead its news partnerships team.

As part of the new project, Facebook said on Wednesday it would focus on improving its current storytelling formats such as Live, 360, and Instant Articles.

ALSO READ: Flipkart launches 'Apple Fest' with heavy exchange discounts on iPhones

Facebook said it would test a feature using Instant Articles to allow readers to see multiple stories at a time, as a package, from their preferred news organizations.

The company said it would work with third-party organizations to promote "news literacy" and help users decide which sources are trustworthy and would also continue to work on curbing hoaxes.

Facebook faced criticism in the last couple of months that it did not do enough to tackle the problem of fake news stories on its platform during the U.S. presidential campaign.

ALSO READ: Jio effect: Idea steps into price war with free data for 12 months

"We care a great deal about making sure that a healthy news ecosystem and journalism can thrive," Fidji Simo, director of product at Facebook, said in a blog post.

Facebook also said on Wednesday it would explore the introduction of advertising breaks in regular videos. The company has previously tested the ad format for Facebook Live.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures (SIAM) has asked the government to abolish the TCS (tax collected at source) levied on motor vehicles with sales value exceeding Rs 10 lakh, announced in the Union Budget 2016-17. The apex body comprising automakers has said that the words 'motor vehicles' have caused confusion, and has led to other vehicles, like trucks and buses, being taxed, when it was originally intended only for cars. This, in turn, has been hurting the industry.

SIAM has also asked for the renewal of R&D incentives, claiming that these are the backbone of every industry. To encourage R&D and to make it an attractive proposition, companies get weighted deduction benefits on their investments to develop new products, and introduce newer technologies.

The move to reduce the weighted deduction from 200 per cent to 150 per cent with effect from April 1, 2017 - which will remain at that level till March 31, 2020, and abolished thereafter - will be a bane for the industry. SIAM has asked for the weighted deduction of 200 per cent to continue at least till March 31, 2020. This will provide immense boost to innovation and manufacturing, mainly for the automobile sector, a top functionary said.

The apex body has suggested an increase in the depreciation rate for motor cars, MUVs and two-wheelers to 25 per cent, from the current 15 per cent, under the IT Act because of faster obsolescence of technology. It further cited that the Companies Act also prescribes depreciation rate at 25.89 per cent, implying the useful life of 10 years for the vehicles.

On the customs duty front, it has asked that the concessions on identified parts of hybrid/ EV parts should be extended to certain other parts, too, to allow competitive pricing for vehicles. Besides, it has also sought for the custom duty on passenger vehicles and two-wheeler CBUs to be retained.

With respect to GST, SIAM has, in principle, accepted the standard GST rate of 28 per cent for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, commercial vehicles (buses and trucks), small cars and utility vehicles. It has suggested that all other cars attract a uniform cess of 8 per cent; electric vehicles should attract a GST of 12 per cent or lower; and hybrid vehicles should have a 10 per cent rebate from applicable GST rate plus cess.

SIAM has suggested that the list of acts to be repealed after the introduction of GST should include the relevant part of the Act that levies NCCD, R&D cess on import of technology and infra cess. It has also demanded that the excise duty benefits currently available to units in hilly states and North-eastern states should be safeguarded.

Keeping in view the high potential of used vehicles, which are in the ratio of 1:1.3 to the newer ones, it has recommended that specific provision in Model GST Law be made for used vehicle business, else the organised pre-owned vehicles business will become unviable.

SIAM has reiterated that the ambitious 'Fleet Modernisation Scheme', that will allow the phasing out of large number of older vehicles running on obsolete technologies, should be introduced as an incentive-based programme to modernise the older vehicles.
Government-owned Air India would operate its first Dreamliner service to Kerala, which would fly on New Delhi-Kochi-Dubai route, starting next month.

Air India has been operating Boeing 787-800 dreamliner services to the Gulf since 2012 when it launched a flight to Dubai from New Delhi.

"We are going to operate New Delhi-Kochi-Dubai route with a Dreamliner from February 1," Air India Chairman and managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Wednesday.

Lohani said that the airline currently has 22 Boeing 787-800 aircraft in its fleet, and one more such aircraft will be added in the fleet today.

"We will deploy this aircraft on the New Delhi-Kochi-Dubai route," he said.

Air India flies majority of these aircraft on its European routes.
Senator Bob Corker, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, on Wednesday released the following statement after voting for final passage of the 2017 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 3), which will guide the legislative process to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Affordable Care Act has led to high premiums, rising out-of-pocket costs, and reduced choice across the Volunteer State, and I am pleased Congress has initiated the repeal and replace process.



We need a health care system that works for the American people, and I am encouraged that the debate has shifted in recent weeks from repeal only to repeal and replace in a thoughtful and deliberative manner. It is important to provide the incoming Trump administration, including its top health care official Dr. Tom Price, with time to review the regulatory and legislative steps needed to replace the Affordable Care Act with a responsible alternative that works well for Tennesseans and does not waste taxpayer resources.



Title II of the 2017 budget resolution instructs House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over the ACA to develop legislation that would reduce the budget deficit by at least $1 billion each over the next 10 years. The resulting reconciliation legislation is expected to include language to repeal and replace the ACA.



Senator Corker on Wednesday night withdrew his amendment, which would have extended the deadline for reconciliation instructions, "following assurances from Senate leadership that Congress will follow a responsible timeline for replacing the health care law."



Senator Lamar Alexander has proposed a plan for repealing and replacing Obamacare simultaneously and concurrently, as President-elect Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan have suggested.

In a speech Tuesday night detailing his proposal, he said: To me, simultaneously and concurrently mean Obamacare should be finally repealed only when there are concrete, practical reforms in place that give Americans access to truly affordable health care. The American people deserve health care reform thats done in the right way, for the right reasons, in the right amount of time. Its not about developing a quick fix. Its about working toward long-term solutions that works for everyone.

Senator Alexander likened addressing the collapsing Obamacare exchanges in Tennessee and across the country to handling a collapsing bridge: If your local bridge were very near collapse, the first thing you would do is send in a rescue crew to repair it temporarily so no one else is hurt. Then you would build a better bridge, or more accurately, many bridges, as states develop their own plans for providing access to truly affordable health care to replace the old bridge. Finally, when the new bridges are finished you would close the old bridge.

We will first send in a rescue crew to repair temporarily a collapsing health care market so no one else is hurt.

Then, step by step, we will build better systems that give Americans access to truly affordable health care. We will do this by moving health care decisions out of Washington, D.C., and back to states and patients.

Finally, when our reforms become concrete, practical alternatives, we will repeal the remaining parts of Obamacare in order to repair the damage it has caused Americans. This is what I believe we mean when we say Obamacare should be repealed and replaced, simultaneously and concurrently.




Industry body CII today said that cyber warfare is an area in which there is a great scope for joint working between industry and armed forces.

"The whole area of cyber has become tremendously important for national security over the past few years especially soft targets which impacts the economy of the country," Kiran Karnik, Chairman, CII National Committee on Telecom and Broadband and CII National Mission on Digital India said in a statement.

He lauded the stellar role of DEFCOM India in evolving the operational communication 'Info-Structures' for the Army.

DEFCOM India 2017, an annual seminar organised jointly by the Corps of Signals of Indian Army and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is scheduled to be held on March 23-24 2017 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

DEFCOM India is the most seminal forum for interaction between the officers of the Armed Forces, Indian Industry, Academia and R&D organisations on matters related to operational communication systems for the Army.

A Curtain Raiser Ceremony was held here today to launch the DEFCOM India 2017, 'Infrastructure and Skilled Human Resource for Digital Army' by Lt General Ashish Ranjan Prasad, VSM, ADC, Signal Officer-in-Chief and Senior Colonel Commandant, Corps of Signals.

The occasion was also graced by senior representatives of Indian Industry who are closely involved in shaping a strong, indigenous defence industrial base for the nation.
Irish farmers have identified product price as the key issue that will impact on their farm enterprise in 2017, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) barometer of farmer sentiment which is part of the Farm Income Review. Fifty three per cent of those who responded said it was most important to them, with a quarter of farmers saying Brexit would be the key issue.



This years IFA Farm Income Review and Outlook contains a barometer of farmer sentiment for the first time. Approximately, 425 farmers across all farming sectors and in all parts of the country were surveyed in early December 2016, through a combination of online and phone.



To gauge the mood of farmers as they headed into 2017, respondents were asked whether they were positive about the outlook for Irish farming in 2017 compared with 2016. Forty seven per cent of respondents were negative about the outlook, 40% were positive with 13% of respondents stating that they did not know or had no opinion.



When asked about the outlook for their own farming enterprise in 2017, however, respondents were more positive, with 53% positive, compared with 37% negative, and 10% who did not know/had no opinion.



The outlook by sector shows a significant variation depending on the enterprise. Those sectors most concerned about 2017 are tillage, beef and horticulture. Eighty three per cent of tillage farmers have a negative outlook for Irish farming for the next 12 months, while only one-third of beef farmers are positive about the outlook for 2017.

By contrast, the dairy, pigmeat and poultry sectors displayed strong positivity for 2017. After a difficult 12 months in 2016, 85% of dairy farmers are positive and seven out of ten pig farmers are positive about farming.

National Farm Income last year is estimated to have increased by 2% on 2015. While market returns fell across almost all sectors, a significant increase in direct payments contributed to the slightly positive outcome at national level. The picture at individual farm level would have varied significantly, depending on participation in farm schemes and the redistribution of the Basic Payment that is ongoing.



Commenting on the research, IFA Chief Economist, Rowena Dwyer said, "The findings show that farmers are more positive about their ability to influence the outcome on their own farming enterprise than they are for the general outlook for Irish farming."

She added, "Exchange rate volatility between sterling and the euro is certain to continue throughout 2017, as political events, such as the commencement of UK exit negotiations in Spring, and elections across the EU, will impact on investor confidence. While there was a slightly more positive outlook for sterling as we entered 2017, the potential for it to fluctuate significantly on the back of political statements and events, as we have already seen in recent days, remains a concern."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Uncertainty arising from Brexit led to an 8% fall last year in Irish food and drink exports to the United Kingdom, by far Ireland's biggest market but the drop was offset by growth elsewhere.

The UK is Ireland's largest single trade partner, accounting for about 17% of exports. For food and drink, that share leaps to 37%, leaving the jobs-rich sector vulnerable to neighbouring Britain's departure from the European Union.

Exports to the UK fell by an estimated 8% in 2016 to 4.1 billion euros as a weakening of sterling against the euro and resulting competitive pressures impacted trade, Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, said in its end of year report.

Total food and drink exports still rose 2% year-on-year, marking the seventh successive year of growth for the sector which, according to Bord Bia, employs around 160,000 or one in eight Irish workers.

Sales in other European markets, which account for 32% of food and drink exports, increased by 3% and trade to the rest of the world rose by 13%, including a 35% jump in China, which now accounts for close to 8% of exports, almost as much as North America.

Ireland's government has encouraged UK-focussed exporters to diversify into other markets, particularly with the potential that a "hard Brexit", where Britain would make a clear break with the EU's single market in order to control immigration, could end tariff-free trade.

Bord Bia said ongoing market uncertainty meant the outlook for exporters was set to remain challenging in 2017, when the British government plans to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to kick off two years of EU divorce talks.

"One of the notable features of the achievements (in 2016) is the impact of market diversification in the year in which the UK decided to leave the European Union," Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said in a statement.

"The UK will continue to be a critically important market for Irish agri-food products. The triggering of Article 50 and the continued uncertainty around Brexit will present significant challenges for the sector." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

About us
New figures released today show that passenger numbers at Dublin Airport increased by 11% to a record 27.9 million last year  more than four times the population of the island of Ireland.



Last years traffic performance exceeded the previous record which was set in 2015 by more than 2.8 million passengers. The airport experienced significant growth across both its short-haul and long-haul networks last year.



Short-haul traffic increased by 11% last year as almost 24.3 million passenger took short-haul flights to and from Dublin while long-haul passenger numbers increased by 12% to more than 3.6 million.



The growth in passenger numbers in 2016 was due to expansion from almost all of Dublin Airports major airline customers, many of which enjoyed a record performance at their Dublin operation last year.

Passenger traffic to and from continental Europe, which is Dublin Airports largest market segment, increased by 11% to a record 14.2 million in 2016. The number of passengers travelling between Dublin and British destinations also reached record levels in 2016, as UK traffic increased by 12% to 9.9 million.

Transatlantic traffic was the fastest-growing segment of the market last year as a record 2.9 million passengers travelled between Dublin and North America, which was a 16% increase on the previous year. Passenger traffic to other destinations, mainly the Middle East and Africa, declined by 3% to 781,000 during the year due largely to a reduction in capacity.



Nineteen new routes were introduced during the year and additional capacity was added on 31 existing services through extra flights or the use of larger aircraft. Three new airlines started operations at Dublin last year  Aegean Airlines, Cobalt, and Flyone  while KLM returned to Dublin after a hiatus of 50 years.



Commenting on the figures, Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison said, "The millions of extra passengers who passed through Dublin Airport in 2016 helped deliver a record year for Irish tourism. Significant additional connectivity at the airport also helps to boost business between Ireland and its trading partners and underpins increased foreign direct investment in Ireland."

He added, "Over the past two years, passenger traffic at Dublin Airport has increased by 29%, which is equivalent to an extra 6.2 million passengers. Those extra passengers have created an estimated 5,200 additional jobs on the Dublin Airport campus over the past two years."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
CityPOST have today launched a new postal service designed especially for business.



iPOST provides companies with free letterheads, free printing and free envelopes and then processing, packing and posting a letter for just 66c. This is less than the price of a stamp.

The service was launched today, following an investment in excess of 1 million by CityPOST in new state of the art technology at their facility in Rathcoole. The mail will be delivered by CityPOST or An Post, dependent on location.



iPOSTs new online hybrid mail solution can save businesses up to 20% in total postage costs while removing the need for business to print, stamp and envelope letters. iPOST is the first in a range of Technology Bridge digital products from CityPOST, which combine the convenience of digital with the strength of direct mail. Further products will be announced over the coming months.



The system allows businesses to create and securely send business letters, invoices and statements from any desk or PC, using encrypted and secure technology. Individuals can print and post one or thousands of pieces of correspondence without leaving their desk. iPOST delivers encrypted security for mail, lower postal cost, savings on paper and envelopes, and allows businesses to work more efficiently.



CityPOST CEO, Ian Glass said, "We are delighted to introduce iPOST to the Irish market. Our new iPOST service will reduce costs for businesses, saving them time and money, as well as improving the traceability of mail. Mail is important for so many aspects of business, but it should not be time consuming. iPOSTs one-stop solution allows companies the benefit of mail while removing the burden of printing, packing and posting."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
It was announced this week that AbbVie, Genomics Medicine Ireland and WuXi NextCODE have joined forces for a 15-year research partnership, investigating therapies for chronic diseases.



Genomics, a single strand of the genetics field, is an area of science enjoying a surge of activity as the digital age helps to revolutionise the act of research. As in the general wider community, Ireland itself is the home of significant interest.

So much so that a trio of parties  biopharma giant AbbVie, life sciences start-up Genomics Medicine Ireland (GMI) and WuXi NextCODE, the global contract genomics organisation  recently decided to team up.

The 15-year collaboration will focus on major chronic diseases, key to the health of both constituents in Ireland as well as the wider world.

AbbVie will use the research database developed by GMI to identify new molecular approaches for therapeutic drug discovery and development as well as to develop companion diagnostics.



Ireland is a hub of activity for genomics of late, thanks in part to the activities of Prof Daniel Bradley from Trinity College Dublin, who helped sequence the genome of hundreds of long-dead gladiators from the UK.

Commenting on the new alliance, AbbVies Jim Sullivan said, "Genomics is transforming the way we understand some of the worlds most devastating diseases and enabling the discovery of new approaches that have the potential to deliver much greater benefit to patients. This alliance is an important part of our research strategy and complements our significant footprint here in Ireland."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Joint owners of the Ilac Centre, Hammerson and Irish Life, have commenced work on the redevelopment of the Centres Moore Mall South. Agreements have been exchanged for four of the five newly created units.



The redevelopment, which involves an investment of c.1.5 million, will be completed by summer 2017 and forms part of the owners wider plans to improve the tenant mix at the Ilac centre.

The Ilac Centre comprises 291,808 sq ft of retail accommodation and in the 12 months to December 31st 2016 had footfall of 17.8 million people.

The centre is adjacent to Henry Street, Irelands busiest shopping street and is home to 85 retail and catering units, including H&M, River Island, and Argos. New brands introduced to the centre in recent months include Tiger, Paese Cosmetics and Chopped.



BBs Coffee & Muffins has committed to 1,679 sq ft, serving a popular range of pastries, sandwiches and coffee. Book retailer, The Works, will occupy 1,958 sq ft and sport supplement store, So Nutrition will occupy 560 sq ft. Specialist catering equipment retailer, Nisbets, will complete the new leasing agreements, occupying 5,554 sq ft.



Hammersons Director of Retail in Ireland, Simon Betty said, "Investing in the retail experience and improving the tenant mix at the Ilac Centre will be a major priority over the course of 2017, and we look forward to working with Irish Life to achieve this."

He added, "The centre is well located in the centre of Dublin, benefitting from high footfall and sales, and through this refurbishment and other asset management initiatives we will ensure that the centre continues to offer our customers the right mix of retail and food & beverage."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

About us


LOGAN  A meeting hosted by HEAL Utah and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment will take place at Utah State University Tuesday Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. The public meeting is aimed at generating a community discussion about important air quality issues.

Noah Miterko, a grassroots organizer with HEAL Utah, said citizens concerned about local air quality will be able to ask questions and learn how they can get involved at many different levels.

Wed just like to see people who have questions or are concerned show up and then just have an open, continuous dialogue about what were doing as an organization, what citizens can do, and how were collaborating with other concerned groups in Utah, he said.

Miterko believes the meeting will help concerned citizens feel like they have a voice concerning their own health and the health of the community. The organization will let people know who they can talk to, whether that is a local legislator, senator or someone else. Miterko said discussion will take place regarding upcoming bills that could positively or negatively affect the air quality.

We educate them on (those bills), and if they want to they can reach out to their legislature or show up on the hill and talk to them, or clean air rallies, he said. There are a lot of different ways to get engaged.

The meeting will be held in room 105 in the College of Natural Resources Building.
Further negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue seem to be practically postponed until Armenia completes its parliamentary elections in April 2017. At the same time, the government demonstrates an unwillingness to proceed beyond rhetoric with governance and economic reforms. The administrations inability to deliver satisfactory economic results and ensure social development, as well as its close connections with Russia with a strong clientelism component, suggest a further growth of dependence and compliance with Moscows political agenda.

BACKGROUND: After the intensive exchange of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh between April 2 and 5, 2016, which saw the use of an unprecedented amount of heavy weapons was used and resulted in a number of casualties, it seemed that the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs were about to intensify. However, considering the total absence of mutual trust between the conflicting sides, it is rather unsurprising that the co-chairs meetings with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna and St. Petersburg did not produce any practical results. A new phase of the negotiations can be expected with the appointment of a new U.S. co-chair to replace James Warlick, whose mandate ends on December 31. (In December it was announced that the respected recently retired U.S. Ambassador Richard Hoagland has been appointed to the post). Yet on the other hand, the start of the campaign for Armenias parliamentary elections will likely, albeit informally, put the negotiation process on hold.

The internal political tension in Armenia after the shock caused by the combat in April has seemingly eased as Russia resumed supplying weapons to Armenia after a long delay. The Independence Day parade on September 21 displayed Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missiles and other new weaponry, suggesting additional deterrence capability. A cabinet reshuffle also took place in September, raising some hopes for a technocratic government (see the 10/21/15 Issue of the CACI Analyst).

Meanwhile, the de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh have used the relatively calm period to adopt a new constitution, including one significant change: the draft version uses the name of a historical Armenian province, Artsakh, instead of the Soviet-era toponym. That move, not insignificant with regard to the conflict resolution process, has a deep symbolic meaning and highlights the influence of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue on Armenian politics.

The substance of the negotiation process will be widely discussed during the campaign preceding next years elections, and the emotional component cannot be ignored as some factions of the opposition will demand an outright rejection of any territorial concessions. In mid-November, Armenias President Serzh Sargsyan claimed in an interview with Russias RIA Novosti agency that in 2008-2011, a settlement plan providing for a withdrawal of Armenian forces from regions outside the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region in exchange for a binding referendum had almost been adopted, but Azerbaijan rejected it at the last moment. Whether true or not, Sargsyans admission of the possibility to cede certain territories is a potential trigger for the hardliners campaign.

IMPLICATIONS: Some hardliner rhetoric on the oppositions behalf is probably even useful for Sargsyan and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), as it might allow the ruling party to appear as a sensible political force before foreign partners. The authorities will certainly seek additional external legitimacy and financial aid (particularly, an increase of aid from the European Union is awaited), as an improvement of the countrys economic situation does not seem plausible.

In the mentioned interview, and at a meeting with Vladimir Putin a few weeks earlier, Sargsyan also claimed that Armenian exports grew after joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Such claims even contradict official statistics. Besides, Sargsyan blamed Western sanctions for causing Russias economic decline and its unfavorable consequences for Armenia. Like other Armenian officials, Sargsyan failed to mention the main cause of decline  Russias faulty economic structure, completely dependent on hydrocarbons exports and trodden by extreme levels of corruption. In addition to the decline in trade turnover, Russias economic decline sharply reduced the amount of remittances from Armenian citizens working in Russia  the main source of foreign currency for Armenia. The reluctance of Armenian officials to admit that the long-term reasons for Russias economic decline are located in the Russian economy itself makes fundamental reforms even less likely.

The tax code, amended just before the formation of a new cabinet in September, has already resulted in unfavorable outcomes for small and medium businesses. The struggle against monopolies promised by the newly appointed Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, has also raised serious questions. For example, the widely publicized licensing of a new motor fuel importing company was compromised as soon as it was revealed that the company had been registered just a week before Karapetyans appointment, with a registered share capital of 100,000 AMD (about US$ 210).

Also, despite Karapetyans promises to dismantle the monopolies in all spheres of the economy, investigative journalists managed to get a long list of goods not allowed for commercial import by any company. The list, which was intended for internal use of the government structures, particularly the customs service, includes more than 300 items  foodstuffs, household appliances, electronics, and so forth. Most of the listed high-demand goods are produced or imported by companies owned by politically connected oligarchs, many of whom are RPA members occupying seats in the parliament. This indicates that they will not face competition.

Another move of the new government  the introduction of a new tax to fund some of the measures related to the nation-army concept (see the 10/21/15 Issue of the CACI Analyst)  also aims to leave the oligarchic economic structure and its clients profits intact. The draft law, swiftly adopted by the parliament, provides for a fixed amount to be paid monthly by all employees in both the public and private sectors. Therefore, low-income workers will have to pay a significantly larger share of their income.

The adoption of a decision to reduce the natural gas fee from January 2017 by 5.3 percent for households and by 15.65 percent for industrial consumers, possible only by means of a concession made by Gazprom, as well as rumors about a possible reduction of the electricity fee, seem to be the only good news for Armenias population as the socioeconomic situation is concerned. A watchdog organization, the Union of Informed Citizens, called these fee reductions Gazproms interference in the elections. This opinion is quite reasonable, considering the previous history of arbitrary fee increases.

In addition to already adopted laws and governmental decrees, the decision of Karapetyan and his cabinet members to join the RPA announced in late November, seems to end the story of a technocratic, reform-minded government. Moreover, in an absurd manner, it was announced that following Karapetyans decision, 7,000 people joined the party on the same day.

CONCLUSIONS: As Armenias presidential system will be replaced with a parliamentary one after next years election, further attempts to conceal that the governments forthcoming actions will aim to secure the RPAs electoral success at any cost seem superfluous. As suggested previously, the most likely outcome is a formal multi-party system with a de facto strongman rule (see the 12/29/15 Issue of the CACI Analyst). Armenias dependence on Russia will likely grow further, and it remains to be seen which additional political concessions Moscow will demand in addition to the control it has recently gained over Armenias air defense system and the agreement to create a joint military unit.

AUTHORS BIO: Armen Grigoryan is an Armenian political scientist, the author of several book chapters, journal articles, and policy papers. His research interests include post-communist transition, EU relations with Eastern Partnership countries, transatlantic relations, energy security, and conflict transformation.

Image source: www.osce.org, accessed on January 10, 2017
Thomas Thwaites, the Man Who Stares At Goats

Published on January 12, 2017

Story by Ana Valiente Translation by: cafebabel DE

en

es

pl

it

fr

de

Sometimes being a human can feel quite limiting. So one day, Thomas Thwaites decided to take some time off. He left being human behind him and became the animal which embodies the motto "carpe diem" like no other: the goat.

The British accent at the other end of the telephone is pleasant, calm and deliberate. Thomas is in no hurry. He has gathered profound knowledge which he wants to share with the world. Goats know many things which we humans are unfamiliar with. I had considered other animals. I thought, for example, about an elephant and I did do some work to try to become an elephant. But research shows that they seem to have very complex and social lives, just like humans. They even they gather around to mourn a dead body. Then a friend told me I should become a goat because goats may actually escape the existential pain of being human.

Thomas is full of praise when he talks about these four-legged creatures. They are exceptional animals, especially when it comes to climbing. They cant see their feet but still know exactly where to place them. They arent worried about what is going to happen next week, or next year. They reminded me that well being and meditation can bring you back into the moment.

To transform into a goat and wander the Swiss Alps for three days isnt just a crazy idea. Its a biological and psychological experiment few are brave enough to try. There is more to it than just crazy man trying to become a goat, Thomas explains. While he considers himself just a normal guy, hes anything but. Im similar to most people, with my ups and downs. So I was kind of curious about that. One thing thats certain is that, for Thwaites, science and design dont have to be polar opposites. Hes already undertaken many a heroic deed with this outlook. In 2010 in London he created a toaster more or less from scratch. Although he claims not to know what projects coming next, it is hard to believe him.

Thomas projects grow out of a huge amount of ambition - above all, his own ambition, but also that of the community. It was more like a project driven by this dream of escaping, of galloping away. I was curious to see if I could take on the perspective of an animal which doesnt have the ability to regret or worry and can just be free. If you ask Thomas what other people think about him and his ideas, he says, The vast majority of people just see, lets say, the surface story but, I have received emails from people saying they like the idea. He has recorded his adventure as a goat in a book: GoatMan: How I Took a Holiday from Being Human (2015, Princeton Architectural Press, Nueva York). In it Thomas writes in detail, and with a healthy dose of humour, about the human dream of using modern technological aids to become an animal.

This transhumanity isnt just part of a utopian future for Thomas. There are already many examples which come pretty close  his own work in particular. His fans are excited at the idea of remodeling human capacities with the help of technology so that not only our physical but also our intellectual abilities can be improved. I went to see a neuroscientist and asked him to switch off the parts of my brain that made me different from a goat. And of course he said, I cant do that, Thomas tells me. After this, he went to see an expert on the behaviour of goats. Here he learned that other than the physical differences, the fundamental distinction between humans and goats is our episodic memory. Its thanks to this that we save our personal experiences which are connected with a particular place and time. Without this capacity we wouldnt have any memories, nor would we be able to call up these experiences over and over again. Goats dont have episodic memory. They cant imagine stories or set up future scenarios. This is what makes it such brilliant tool for humans because it means we can think about things without having them. It is the basis of our inventiveness, he explains.

In science, much is still speculation and hypothesis, but it is precisely this which leads us onwards. You can get some interesting insights by turning speculation into practice. I could have just speculated this about but I think by putting something into practice you realise how difficult it is, and how painful and this enables you to discuss it, explains Thomas.

There was no way back now. Thomas became a mountain goat  or tried to at least  and lived with other goats for three days and three nights, thanks t a years worth of research and a set of prosthetic limbs. With these he was able to walk on all fours and view the world through the eyes of a goat.

So how does a day pass for a goat? You wake up and put on the goat prosthetics. I tried to sleep with them on, but it was too uncomfortable. On the first morning, after milking - I wasnt milked, he laughs, we were going up the mountain, but it was terrifying because it was so steep and slippery and I was too slow. I couldnt keep up with the goats. As he tells me about the night, the smile returns to his voice: At night, I slept with the animals inside the shed. That was kind of lovely, a bit smelly, but you get to it. A bit cold too and not massively comfortable. But you know what? It was nice being there between them just listening the sound of their bells.

As in any good holiday, food is an important consideration. And up in the Alps, grass is a gourmet dish. I made an artificial rumen in a silicon bag. I would eat some grass and spit it into one of those bags. Science can bring us far, but the digestion of grass remains a mystery to the human stomach. Thomas continues, We could not go further than this because at the University, where we were carrying out the research, in spite of being very interested they said they could not really help because it would be very dangerous for me. There is still a lot to discover about the world of bacteria.

The goats immediately pricked their ears up at the newcomer. At first they were nervous but they didnt take long to start sniffing my beard and working out what kind of species I was. When I was leaving, the goat farmer said that goats had accepted me and he even put a bell around my neck, says Thomas of his life with the bleating creatures. Three days of holiday can be a very long time. An opportunity to meet new friends but also to get into trouble. I even made a goat friend during my time there, with whom I hung out a lot. But I also almost got into a goat fight. That would be a sign of acceptance, wouldn't it? I just saw all those horns and I ran away!, he laughs. When a new goat joins a herd, it has to find its place.

Back in London he looked at his coffee and his bed (the two things which hed missed the most) with new eyes. While both objects were the same as before, Thomas himself had changed.

I think I became much more conscious of the limitations of my own perspective. Thats related to some of the news about trying to understand different ideas, people having different perspectives. I guess the whole exercise was an experiment in trying to shift your own perspective. It slightly changed my own view of what reality is. And yes, I would love to move to the countryside and live there. We need society but you need to remember that you are also an animal. You realize that more in the countryside, he emphasises. Can technology solve our problems? I think our problems are something we can really solve ourselves. Is a common mistake to think that new technology will solve something which is essentially political and social. It should come from us, says Thomas.

Thomas' thoughts dont stop here. Anyone who spends three days grazing in the Alps has plenty of time to reflect. Well, certainly, just not having hands anymore, suddenly the world is completely different, and I guess mentally I was trying to look at things and not try to categorise them. Seeing, for example, a chair and not directly categorise it as a chair for sitting, because goats wouldnt see it like that. Changing my body was a very interesting way of getting closer to seeing the world from a whole new perspective, he tells.

To finish with, a question about 2017 and dreams. What would I wish for this New Year? he considersfor some seconds and laughs. Id like maybe to find evidence of intelligent life on another planet. That would be very good, he adds.

May science continue to progress along these paths  and incorrigible optimists along with it.

--

Voglio Vivere Cosi is a collection of 8 stories that describe unique and alternative lifestyles. A sneak peek into a closed world, one which could not be farther. 8 stories for 8 weeks, chosen by the Cafebabel editorial team.

Story by Ana Valiente Spanish freelance journalist based in Madrid. Currently exploring the boundless world of documentary filmmaking.

Translated from Thomas Thwaites, el senor de las cabras
Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that sets up the repeal of the Affordable Care Act:

Obamacare is collapsing under its own weight. Since President Obama and his Democratic Super Majority crammed this bill through Congress without one Republican vote, weve seen premiums and deductibles increase and choices decrease.

Make no mistake, this moment has been a long time coming and with President-elect Donald J. Trump in the White House and Congressman Tom Price leading our top health care agency, Americans can expect to see great improvements in our health care system. While I am concerned with the lack of direction weve seen in Congress, these important decisions that will directly impact Americans health care must not be rushed. We have to get it right. There are various common-sense Republican health care solutions that would provide greater coverage options, drive down costs, and improve continuity of care. These ideas have been studied and debated over the years, and its time we coalesce around a solution that will work.

I promised Georgians Id do everything I can to get rid of Obamacare, and we are now one step closer to getting some real relief from this disastrous law.
Get Covered Tennessee is holding an Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment workshop this weekend to help uninsured Chattanoogans get health insurance coverage and to answer questions about enrollment.



The workshop will be on Saturday, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m., with an enrollment event following from 12-4:30 p.m. It will take place at the Development Resource Center at 1250 Market St.
THE SHORTEST WAY TO FREE OURSELVES TO SOUTHERN CAMEROONS MPS IN REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN :: CAMEROON

1. Your own country, the Southern Cameroons, has a right to sovereign independence; it has a territory with international boundaries, protected by international treaties. Therefore do not even talk of federation, because there is no basis for it! You will remain a minority forever in any federation and Republique, in control of the federal government, will invade you any time you do not toe the line! Why reduce your right from sovereign independence to one of a life of fear and dependence?

2. There was never any union; only annexation from 1 October 1961 by Republique du Cameroun; all that happened after October 1961 is all illegal; Republique voted in Resolution 1608(XV) of 21 April 1961 against union with the Southern Cameroons because it was intent on annexation and not union; if you say there was a union, what are the terms? Republique has been deceitful in all its dealings with the Southern Cameroons; it promulgated a law to annex our territory even while we were still a UN Trust Territory; it claims that there is a union and yet will not allow the other partner to speak as the partner to the pretended union; it is bent on destroying our existence as a people; it has by premeditation destroyed our educational, legal, cultural and social systems; it has adopted their French assimilation tactics towards us, trying to dissolve our identity in its world of confusion and chaos. If you do not know the history of your country, give yourself a little time to read it. Do not read the history written by the oppressor; it is history written to annex and colonise us. It is full of lies and falsehood. Has anybody ever been able to give you a copy of their claimed Foumban accords?

3. All of these evils, it has done by counting only on its ability to manipulate, confuse, brainwash, delude and intimidate the people of the Southern Cameroons. Are some of us not serving the enemy with zeal and enthusiasm, and even arguing that their own country, the Southern Cameroons, should not exist? Lie in your bed and think about what you are doing!

4. Read the French Newspapers and see the insults they heap at us for being so slavish, stupid, vulgar and foolish, unable to say No to the torture we are going through; unable to see that our happiness lies in our own country and not a foreign country that is tormenting us every day. Read and see for yourself!

5. Ask yourself the question: Why is Republique clinging so convulsively to the Southern Cameroons? Does it not have its own territory and way of life? Why is it trying to destroy that of the peoples of the Southern Cameroons? Who has appointed them to play god over the territory of the Southern Cameroons and its people? Can anyone on earth justify why the territory of the Southern Cameroons

should not be governed by the people of the Southern Cameroons but by a foreign country, Republique du Cameroun? Why should I help Republique in its self-assigned evil mission? Did we not govern ourselves excellently from 1954 until our country was annexed in 1961? Why do we not see that what Republique du Cameroun is doing is evil, diabolic, hellish and altogether unacceptable?

6. Life is about happiness; about fulfilment; about being what you want to be. Can you say that all this suffering that we are going through, imposed by the foreign country of Republique du Cameroun, is our purpose on earth? What do we hope to achieve through this suffering other than to die in misery, to glorify the enemy! Does it make us happy to continue suffering and struggling every day to adapt to the confusion, chaos, evil ways, corruption, hellish ways, foreign language and alien ways of life? Why should we tolerate it?

7. You are in LRCS Parliament only for a short while; after that, you become a no-person. Perhaps you see worth in yourself because you are called an MP! Whatever you think you are in Republique, you can be something far better in your own sovereign country, the Southern Cameroons.

8. The enemy can only use you and discard you as a rag; the more faithfully you think you are serving the enemy, the less the enemy values you. Why? Because the enemy will never tolerate the treason of seeing its own citizens serving its enemy. You are being used simply as a mercenary, a prostitute! So when you, a citizen of the Southern Cameroons, so zealously serves the enemy of the Southern Cameroons, such an enemy can only mark you as a traitor. Traitors are outcasts everywhere, because treachery will never be tolerated by any group, not even by thieves! Even your children will forever be damned as the children of a traitor!

9. You have a chance to be a hero forever in the history of your own country, the Southern Cameroons. Write your name and the names of your descendants permanently in the history of the Southern Cameroons by walking out of that rubber-stamp parliament! Be a hero forever! You can boast of having saved your people, but you can ever boast of having betrayed them! All collaborators and traitors stigmatise themselves throughout history; they write a history they can never talk about or boast of!

10. You hold the key in your hands to free your people in one day; in one hour; without a gunshot! If you walk out of that parliament, your country emerges automatically. What is Republique paying you that your own country, the Soluthern Cameroons, cannot pay, not just for the period that you are in parliament, but for life? Tell us what you want and your country, the Southern Cameroons, will grant it in recognition of your Act of saving it from annexation and slavery! Remember: our parents did this before in Nigeria! You can still do it today!

11. If you are afraid walking out can fail, then think again. The only bond that ties us to Republique at this moment is the MPs sitting in that evil parliament. The moment you walk out, there is nothing they can do. Can they use military means to force you to sit in it; can they arrest you? What can they do? Nothing, nothing, nothing! The end to all our suffering would have come!

12. Dear MPs, lie in your beds and think of what our own country will become: think of the seaports, airports, schools, universities that are worth the name; the end to the corruption and confusion, chaos and endless reference to a foreign country; think of our flag flying among free peoples; of our own sit in the United Nations; own highways; of countries rushing to assist us and we beginning afresh to build a new and beautiful country of happy citizens, now free from annexation! Think of the happiness of your own people to have been freed of foreign domination, to have a chance to determine their own political, economic and social status!

13. If you believe in Republique, the greatest service you can render to that country is to separate our country from their own. They will also become happier, more homogeneous, and with no need to live in perpetual struggle to colonise another country. And I bet you, our relation with them will then become healthier and a more fulfilling one! Ask yourself: what is the purpose of an endless struggle to join two peoples who are fundamentally incompatible and cannot live together? Is it for their happiness? Then what is it for? Ask yourself! Your act will become a blessing to both peoples.

14. But also remember that even if you do not walk out, it is only a matter of time for the people of the Southern Cameroons will win their struggle for freedom from Republiques oppression. This struggle must be won, the way Africa won its struggle for independence; the way apartheid was defeated; the way slavery was defeated. Sometimes, when you look only at the circumstances, you conclude, as many do, that the Southern Cameroons will never be free. How wrong they are who judge, not from history, but from present circumstances! When Ian Smith saw his circumstances and the power he had, he declared that Zimbabwe could not be free in a thousand years! I guess the Romans also said their empire would last forever. You now know the truth that all this reliance on force has come to nothing! Know therefore that no matter how unable you think the Southern Cameroons is or how powerful you think Republique is, history will ensure the Southern Cameroons is free! So you only stand to gain by being the ones who brought the annexation to an end sooner rather than later. And through your act, there will be no need for bloodshed. Yes, you hold all these possibilities in your hands.

15. God has decreed that freedom is the future for all peoples; that every day that dawn sees only greater liberty, democracy and freedom. This movement will not exclude the peoples of the Southern Cameroons. They too will be free. Why not

be part of this scheme that the Lord Almighty has put down? You can become an instrument of God in freeing your people. Do not allow it get to bloodshed! I guess some of you call yourselves Christians. Be true Christians and set your people free. Make the decision today; talk to your colleagues; resolve to set your people free, in the name of the God of freedom and justice!

May God bless those our MPs who take the decision to set their people free from the foreign domination of Republique du Cameroun!

Long Live our Sovereign and independent Southern Cameroons
Radio Hot Cocoa Will It Be Reopened Soon Wilson MUSA

The Committee to Protect Journalists, an international NGO has called on the Cameroon Government to reopen Radio Hot Cocoa in Bamenda North West Region without delay.

In A release date January 11, 2017 an official is quoted as saying The suspension of Radio Hot Cocoa is part of an ongoing effort to stifle coverage of the grievances of English-speaking Cameroonians.

Read Full Release

Lagos, Nigeria, January 11, 2017.

Cameroonian authorities should immediately reverse a decision to suspend independent broadcaster Radio Hot Cocoa 94 FM's permission to operate and allow the station to resume broadcasting immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Government officials in Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon's Northwest Region, yesterday sealed the station's office, its manager told CPJ.

The regional governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique, ordered Radio Hot Cocoa to suspend all activities until further notice, accusing it of inciting civil disobedience in a call-in show discussing a teachers' strike in the region, station manager Gideon Taka told CPJ. Residents of predominantly Anglophone regions of Cameroon bordering Nigeria have in recent months staged street demonstrations, strikes, and sit-ins to protest what they say is the Francophone central government's marginalization of their regions. The station proclaimed a "news blackout" on its Facebook page yesterday.

"The suspension of Radio Hot Cocoa is part of an ongoing effort to stifle coverage of the grievances of English-speaking Cameroonians," said CPJ West Africa Representative Peter Nkanga. "Authorities should allow the radio station to resume operations immediately and should cease censoring the news."

"Right now there is no access to my office, the studio and control room," Taka, the station's manager, told CPJ. "They sealed them off."

The Ministry of Communications in December wrote to private radio and TV stations to "stop all roundtable discussions... concerning the current political atmosphere" in English-speaking regions of Cameroon. French and English are the official languages of the country, but predominantly Francophone regions are home to the majority of the population. At least four people were killed after police forcibly dispersed a December 8 demonstration in Bamenda, according to press reports and Amnesty International.

The suspension of Radio Hot Cocoa is the latest in a series of attempts to stifle reporting and commentary on the political crisis. Last month authorities suspended dozens of newspapers and broadcasters' permission to operate; permanently banned three newspapers from publishing and their publishers from practicing journalism; and sanctioned dozens more journalists, CPJ reported at the time.
| BY Lynchy |

CB Exclusive  Campaign Brief can reveal that Whybin\TBWA, Sydney has snared top BBH London creative directors and board partners Gary McCreadie and Wesley Hawes to replace joint executive creative directors Dave Bowman and Matty Burton, who announced last week they were joining Sydney start-up agency Special Group.

McCreadie (above left) and Hawes (above right) have had a brief stint at Whybin\TBWA Sydney before, joining in August 2009 while Garry Horner was ECD.

McCreadie and Hawes leave BBH as global creative directors on Axe/Lynx, the agencys largest and most creatively awarded account.

They are responsible for some of the most celebrated campaigns from BBH London in recent years, including the Gold Cannes Lion awarded Apollo integrated campaign; the Monday/Wednesday work; and the Soulmates film, all for Axe/Lynx. Additionally, they produced the We Own the Weekend campaign for the Guardian, the awarded Aarrrgghhh spots for Tango, and the Barclaycard Waterslide film.

Gary and Wes are one of the most exciting creative leadership teams in the world right now. It is a great coup they have agreed to join us, said Paul Bradbury, chief executive officer of Whybin\TBWA Group. They respect the power of big platform campaign ideas, having been in the engine room at BBH, working on The Lynx Effect for Unilever, Keep Walking for Johnnie Walker, and the We Own the Weekend campaign for the Guardian. They are outrageously funny, down to earth and strategically driven. They will fit in brilliantly.

Its always very satisfying when great creative people return to work for us, said Scott Whybin, chairman and regional creative director. My obsession is teams that get big bold campaign platform ideas that flow easily across every channel with consistency and class. These guys get it.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is soliciting comments for its 2017-18 hunting seasons regulations. This is an opportunity for the public to provide ideas and share concerns about hunting regulations with TWRA staff. The comment period will be open through Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Public comments will be considered by TWRA staff and may be presented as proposals for regulation changes. Comments may be submitted by mail to: 2017-18 Hunting Season Comments, TWRA, Wildlife and Forestry Division, P.O.

Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 or email TWRA.HuntingComments@tn.gov. Include Hunting Season Comments on the subject line of emailed submissions.
Democracy is 'in jeopardy.' What can be done to strengthen it?
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at 8:10PM

More and more comedians are finding a home on video streaming service. The latest addition is Trainwreck star Amy Schumer. Netflix is set to air a new standup special from the comedienne on March 7. The special was taped back in November 5 at Denver, Colorados Bellco Theater. Very happy to be part of the Netflix family for this special, Schumer says. Maybe now they will look at my Stranger Things audition tape to play the Demogorgon for Season 2. So if youre a fan, this is something to watch for.

Source: Deadline
The Shaking Ray Levi Society will present Provocative Percussion with Tim Feeney and Erik Gehrke and special guests David D. Dunn (bass clarinet) and Evan Lipson (double bass). The show will be Sunday, Jan. 22, at Wayne-O-Rama, 1800 Rossville Ave., #108. The performance begins at 6:30 p.m. and doors will open at 6 p.m.

Admission is $12 at the door and $8 for students.

Review for Provocative Percussion:

The Wayne-O-Rama Concert Series continues its momentum of bringing absolutely unique and unusual music performances with its second concert, featuring a pair of adventurous percussionists, Tim Feeney and Erik Gehrke, with singular, visionary drum explorations that go beyond tradition in astounding ways.

Set 1: Erik Gehrkes solo drum arrangement of his original composition November 25, 1863, commissioned for the Sherman Reservation dedication, expressing the carnage and pathos of warfare.

Set 2: Tim Feeney solo percussion performance

Set 3: Tim Feeney, David D. Dunn (bass clarinet) and Evan Lipson (double bass) playing an improvised set

For more information visit the Facebook event page
The ACT Labor Club has been given the green light to knock down a couple of Belconnen buildings near its club and replace them with a 12-storey hotel development. The club plans to have restaurant and shopping space on the ground floor, with four levels of carparking above that, and five levels of hotel space offering 90 units. The top two levels will be office space and the basement will host a gym and conference room. Some changes will have to be made before building can start but the club's agreed to the conditions. Kirsten Lawson has the details.
Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper.
AFIX, a group of internet exchange point (IXP) operators from across Africa, brought together by a shared need to coordinate and exchange knowledge, has welcomed the DjIX as its most recent member.

Anthony Voscarides of the DjIX, colocated at the Djibouti Data Center (DDC) in Djibouti City, said: We are honoured to be included in the esteemed company of all members of the African IXP Association. There are currently 36 active Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) located in 33 cities in 28 countries in Africa.

The DjIX is an open peering platform, which leverages the DDC ecosystem and its unique access to Djibouti Telecoms 11 international and regional fibre cable systems. It is designed to enhance regional internet connectivity, capacity, and performance.

We share the same goals and objectives which are to enable operators across the region to exchange internet protocol (IP) traffic directly, reduce costs, improve speed, latency, and redundancy in their internet connections for the good of the internet and the rapidly growing internet communities across all of Africa, added Voscarides.

Africa is arguably the fastest growth region for new Internet services in the world. The need to coordinate and foster the growth and development of the Internet has become increasingly important. We are pleased to actively support AFIX in its mission to help Africas progression towards a digital economy and to reap the full benefits of the Internet that will help drive economic and social well-being in the region.

Kyle Spencer, co-coordinator of AFIX, said: The addition of the Djibouti Internet Exchange to our growing community is another milestone in our collective efforts to improve internet connectivity in Africa. We believe they will make a significant contribution to the social and economic development of both Djibouti and the wider region.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga announces the educational program Israel in Conflict: Origins to BDS will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 (dinner) with discussion from 7-8 p.m.

Classes will run for six consecutive Wednesdays with the exception of Feb. 15. Classes with dinner are $72. Classes without dinner are $36. Readings and materials will be available for each class and participants will be expected to read assigned materials before coming to each session. They will be the basis for discussion.

To register call 493-0270 ext.10; rsvp@jewishchattanooga.com or visit the Federations website www.jewishchattanooga.com.

Review for Israel in Conflict: Origins to BDS:

What is BDS? The Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement targeted at Israel has been a growing concern particularly on college campuses across the United States. Coupled with recent activity at the United Nations regarding Israel, the Federation thought it would be a community asset for people to be made aware of modern Israels history.

Content will include the mandate for Palestine, the establishment of the State of Israel, UN Security Council Resolution 242, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, a history of the BDS movement and much more.

The series will be led by Dr. Norton Wheeler, a retired history professor (Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas and Missouri Southern State University in Joplin). Dr. Wheeler also teaches occasional history classes at UTC.

The Jewish Federation and is programs are open to everyone regardless of religious affiliation. The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga builds and fosters a strong unified Jewish community and strives to ensure its well-being and continuity locally, in Israel, and throughout the world.


11/4/2022

Officials with the city of Lakesite invite the public to attend their annual Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration to be held on Saturday, Dec. 3. The holiday festivity will begin at 5:30 p.m. ... more
Here is the Fort Oglethorpe arrest report for Jan. 6-12:

01-06-2017

Artem Leonidovich Patouga, 30, of 710 Park Lake Road, Fort Oglethorpe arrested on charges of affixing tag with intent to misrepresent, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to maintain lane and open container.



Brandon L. Robert Tate, 29, of 584 Pine Grove Access Road, Fort Oglethorpe arrested on charges of driving while license suspended and tag light violation.



Stacey Lee Lankford, 42, of 202 Lillian Drive, Rossville arrested on charges of expired license and no insurance.



Joshua Wayne Dibble, 25, of 24 Camelot, Tunnel Hill arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving.



01-07-2017

Hailey Rocelia Brown, 20, of 584 Pine Grove Access Road, Ringgold arrested on an outstanding warrant.



Cole Tyler White, 23, of 704 Pine Grove Road, Ringgold arrested on a charge of violation of Georgias controlled substance act.



Dallas Mitchell Evett, 19, of 223 Roswell Road, Rossville arrested for underage consumption.



Bobby Lee Ogle, 18, of 66 Amelia Drive, Fort Oglethorpe arrested for underage consumption.



Lexus Darlene Holcomb, 18, of 129 Overbook Drive, Rossville arrested for underage consumption.



Austin Dewayne Cook, 20, of 66 Amelia Drive, Fort Oglethorpe arrested on charges of obstruction of an officer and underage consumption.



01-08-2017

Amanda Diane Wilson, 33, of 118 McCamy Lane, Rossville arrested on an outstanding warrant.



01-09-2017

Robert Wayne Collins, 62, of 14A Woodcreek Way, Rome arrested on a charge of theft by shoplifting.



Coral Leann Chaney, 24, of 109 Peacemon Road, Red Bank, TN arrested for theft by shoplifting.



01-10-2017

Christina Rae Gentry, 33, of 83 Lilac Lane, Rossville arrested on a charge of theft by shoplifting.



01-11-2017

Jiger Babubhai Patel, 32, of 569 Magnolia Vale Drive, Chattanooga arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.



Derakh Paige King, 17, of 1199 S.





Marbletop Road, Chickamauga arrested on charges of driving while unlicensed and failure to obey a traffic control device.Speeding.8License required4Improper backing.1Driving on roadways laned for traffic.1Driving while license suspended or revoked1No-passing zones1Reckless driving.1Following too closely.3Sale of or furnishing beverages to prisoners or inmates.1Window tint violations.1Tail light requirement.2Proof of insurance required.1Suspended registration.1Operation of vehicle without current plate.1Underage consumption.5Removing or affixing license plate with intent to conceal.1Vehicle turning left.1Failure to obey traffic control device.2Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs..2Possession of open container of alcoholic beverage while operating vehicle1
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.
Ongoing construction will require the closure of the southbound lanes in the 500 block of Riverfront Parkway, between M.L.King Boulevard and Molly Lane.

Traffic will be transitioned to one lane in each direction to allow for construction vehicle use.

This lane shift is scheduled for three days beginning on Friday at 8:30 a.m. and will reopen to normal traffic flow by 6 p.m. on Sunday.




Here is the weekly road construction report for Hamilton County:

U.S. 27 (I-124) widening from I-24/U.S. 27 interchange to north of the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River, including widening the Olgiati Bridge: Work on this project continues. The speed limit on U.S. 27 in the construction zone has been lowered to 45 MPH. The contractor may have temporary lane or shoulder closures on U.S. 27 between 7 p.m.-6 a.m. As the project progresses, there may be short term temporary lane closures for the safety of the traveling public on city streets within the project area. Flaggers will assist with these closures and they will be properly signed in accordance with the Federal Highway Administrations Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. During Phase 1 of the U.S. 27 project, the contractor will be working on the northbound side of U.S. 27 on the bridges. Work will consist of demolishing and reconstructing the outside sections of the bridges along U.S. 27 North. Also on U.S. 27 South, they will be constructing a large retaining wall between the Olgiati Bridge and 6th Street. At least one lane will remain open in each direction on U.S. 27. THP will assist with traffic control on the project as necessary. Estimated project completion date is July 2019. For more info, visit the project website http://www.tn.gov/tdot/topic/US27-reconstruction-chattanooga. [Dement Construction Co., LLC/JM/CNP230]

SR 317 (Apison Pike) the grading, drainage and paving on from Old Lee Highway (LM 5.58) to SR-321 (Ooltewah-Ringgold Road) (LM 7.84): Work on this project continues. During this report period the contractor may have intermittent lane closures throughout the project from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion date is May. [Wright Brothers Const. Co. /Pruett/CNN279]

SR 320 (East Brainerd Road) grading, drainage, installation of signals, construction of seven retaining walls and paving from east of Graysville Road to east of Bel-Air Road: Work on this project continues. During this report period, the contractor will have intermittent lane closures between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. This work may affect either direction of East Brainerd Road or side streets from Graysville Road to Hamlett Drive as the contractor installs road crossings and borings. The contractor may have short-term lane closures to perform various operations on an as-needed basis. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Original completion date was June. Estimated project completion date is December. [Jones Brothers Contractors, LLC /Pruett/CNN383]

SR-58 miscellaneous safety improvements on SR-58 from Harrison Bay Rd, (LM 12.86) to SR-60 (LM 26.19.): Work on this project continues. During this report period, the contractor will have intermittent lane restrictions from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion is May. [Superior Traffic Control, Inc./Pruett/CNQ319]

The tunnel cleaning of the McCallie Tunnel on U.S. 11 (US 64, SR-2), the Stringers Ridge Tunnel on U.S. 127 (SR-8), and the Bachman Tubes on U.S. 41 (U.S. 76, SR-8): The nighttime cleaning operation of McCallie Tunnels, Stringers Ridge Tunnel, and Bachman Tubes occurs normally on Wednesday and Thursday nights during the week with the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Work hours are between 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Tunnels will be closed during cleaning, and detours will be marked accordingly as each tunnel is cleaned. Contract completion date is June. [Diamond Specialized, Inc./Micka/CNQ174]






Arctic chill and heavy snowfall left tens of thousands of households in southeastern Europe without electricity and roiled the regions power markets as rivers froze over, cables failed and generation plants reduced output or shut down.

Hydroelectric production plummeted in the Balkans as temperatures fell as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) and parts of the Danube river were almost entirely covered with ice. From Hungary to Bulgaria, day-ahead power prices jumped, in some cases to record levels.

The market is really panicking because of the extreme weather, said Tamas Migaly, a trader with energy broker 42 Financial Services AS in Prague. With all these outages, people just dont know what to expect.

Power prices jumped to unprecedented levels in Hungary, with the spot price for round-the-clock delivery jumping to 200 euros ($210) a megawatt-hour on Tuesday and fluctuating, Migaly said. Serbian contracts shot to a record on Tuesday, reaching about 150 euros a megawatt-hour, according to Milos Mladenovic, managing director of the Seepex exchange in Belgrade. The price for same-day electricity on Bulgarias Ibex exchange peaked at about 122.81 euros a megawatt-hour, according to the exchanges website.

Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia deployed emergency services to evacuate remote villages where people were stranded without electricity or heat. Around 23,000 Bulgarian households have been left without electricity and the countrys two main Black Sea ports were closed due to severe weather conditions. In Romania, about 14,000 households have been stranded.

From Croatia to Turkey, the unusually cold weather in the Balkans may persist throughout the week, according to MDA Weather Services. Temperatures in the region are forecast to average minus 6.4 degrees Celsius next week, 6.8 degrees below the 10-year average, according to The Weather Co. data.

Romanian electricity consumption rose to a 15-year high, Deputy Energy Minister Corina Popescu said. Daily power demand in Serbia was 18 percent above the average for this time of the year, according to state-owned power producer EPS.

The whole region is relatively dependent on hydro plants, which now produce less than usual while consumption soars, Mladenovic said.

The power shortage in the region is further exacerbated by nuclear outages. Romania had to disconnect its 700-megawatt Cernavoda-1 reactor twice in the past week after a blizzard damaged a high-voltage power line. Hungary, which already had outages at several thermal stations, plans to switch off its Paks-2 reactor for 3 days on Jan. 13.

Prices throughout Europe have risen amid the cold, with the French contract for next week jumping as much as 99 percent on Tuesday and 29 percent on Wednesday, while Hungarian day-ahead prices jumped 110 percent to a record yesterday, according to broker data compiled by Bloomberg.

Bulgaria declined emergency requests for power from Greece and Turkey amid heavy snowfall, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said Tuesday in the capital Sofia. The country was itself turned down by Romania two days ago and Greece said it would stop electricity exports to Bulgaria from noon Wednesday. Greek Energy Minister George Stathakis called an emergency meeting on Tuesday and urged consumers to avoid unnecessary consumption of power and gas during the peak hours from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Thursday, on Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Day by Presidential proclamation, Tennessee announces a collaboration between non-government organization (NGO) agencies in each of Tennessees four regions. The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance ensures quality protective services are provided to local human trafficking victims in the most effective and efficient way possible, officials said. "This organized effort is a direct answer to the need for a response system for trafficking survivors in coordination with Governor Haslams 'Tennessee Human Trafficking Services Coordination and Delivery Plan.' This plan is a statewide response to the increased dedication to end human trafficking in Tennessee."

Its extremely important that the state of Tennessee is unified in the response to and prevention of human trafficking in all forms, said Jerry Redman, CEO of Second Life Chattanooga. Were proud to be part of this effort here in the Greater Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee region and will continue to build awareness and support victims of human trafficking with the help of our partners through The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance.



"The trafficking of minors for sex is happening every day in our state. Nearly every county in Tennessee has reported at least one case of human trafficking, and on average 94 children are trafficked in the state every month. The average age of entry into sex trafficking is 13 years old," officials said.



Second Life works directly with law enforcement in regards to finding and helping human trafficking victims effectively and efficiently, said Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond. On behalf of the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, we support The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance and are committed to continuing efforts to end human trafficking.



Tennessee received an A for the strength of human trafficking laws on the Shared Hope Internationals Protected Innocence Challenge 2016 report card. However, the study sites that the lack of specific protective responses may leave them vulnerable.



Training on the issue of human trafficking has become incredibly important, said Chattanooga police Chief Fred Fletcher. For service providers, including Law Enforcement across the state of Tennessee to be uniting together as one to combat trafficking and protect victims is a powerful statement. We are ready to continue the fight alongside of Second Life and support The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance to the best of our abilities.



"The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance consists of four non-profit organizations that are dedicated to supporting the identification and recovery of human trafficking victims. The organizations manage all human trafficking referrals in their designated region, while providing on-the-ground comprehensive, specialized support for victims and their families. They assist law enforcement agencies in sting operations, ensuring victims receive medical and mental health support, safe housing, healing within survivor communities, substance abuse recovery, legal services, legislative assistance, and job training, among other services," officials said.



We work closely with Second Life and fully support The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance to help bring greater awareness to the victims of human trafficking across the state, said Valerie Radu, executive director of the Family Justice Center. Each case of human trafficking is different and our mission is to serve the victims by getting them the mental and medical support they need to heal.



The Tennessee Anti-Slavery Alliance:



West Tennessee:

Restore Corps

RestoreCorps.org

Executive Director Rachel Haaga

901-410-3590



Lower East Tennessee:

Second Life

SecondLifeChattanooga.org

CEO Jerry Redman

423-994-4857



Middle Tennessee:

End Slavery Tennessee

EndSlaveryTN.org

Executive Director Derri Smith

615-806-6899



Upper East Tennessee:

Grow Free TN, Powered by CCAHT

GrowFreeTN.org or CCAHT.org

Executive Director Kate Trudell

865-236-1046



If you need help or suspect a case of human trafficking, call: Tennessee Human Trafficking Hot Line at 1-855-558-6484.
Ford Motor Co. has launched a full investigation after one of its contract workers was seriously injured, on Wednesday morning.



Employed by the Illinois-based Whiting Corp., the worker fell from a crane, from several stories high, head first, as a witness told AutoNews, at the Dearborn Diversified Manufacturing Plant.

The incident was confirmed by the automaker, which refused to give any details on the workers condition or identity, except for the fact that he was taken to the Oakwood Beaumont Hospital, following the accident.

The safety and security of everyone in our plants is our highest priority. We are launching a full investigation, the Michigan-based automotive giant said in a statement.

The incident comes five months after one of Fords hourly workers was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Kansas City plant. The man was pronounced dead by the time paramedics arrived at the scene, despite his co-workers efforts to stop the bleeding, in what was recorded to be the second shooting incident last summer that involved a Ford worker.

PHOTO GALLERY
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a notice of violation to FCA for violating the Clean Air Act and installing and failing to disclose engine management software in 2014, 2015 and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 trucks.



Apparently, the undisclosed software led to increased emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) on a total of 104,000 models equipped with the 3.0-liter diesel engines sold in the United States.

Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in a vehicles engine is a serious violation of the law, which can result in harmful pollution in the air we breathe, said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPAs Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

We continue to investigate the nature and impact of these devices. All automakers must play by the same rules, and we will continue to hold companies accountable that gain an unfair and illegal competitive advantage.

The EPA is currently still investigating whether the auxiliary emission control devices constitute defeat devices, which are illegal.

In response, FCA issued their own statement today, saying that theyre disappointed with the notice of violation and that they look forward to assuring their customers as well as the EPA that their diesel-powered vehicles meet all applicable regulatory requirements.

FCA added that it will work with the incoming administration to present its case and resolve this matter fairly and equitably and to assure the EPA and FCA US customers that the companys diesel-powered vehicles meet all applicable regulatory requirements.

As a result, FCA shares are down, and a possible maximum fine is said to be at about $4.6 billion, as reported by Reuters. The 104,000 affected trucks and SUVs sold since 2014 also represent about one-sixth of the vehicles found to have illegal software in the Volkswagen case.

Im really pissed off, stated Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, rejecting the allegations during a conference call with reporters. The way that it has been described, I think, has been unfair to FCA, and that is the thing that disturbs me most. The FCA boss added that regulators had a belligerent view about automakers and that his company doesnt belong to a class of criminals. Were not trying to break the bloody law.

Today, the Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports, went on record encouraging regulators to fully investigate Fiat Chrysler. Laura MacCleery, VP of policy and mobilization for CR had this to say:

We thank the EPA and the state of California for notifying the public, but there is much more work to be done here. The government must fully investigate Fiat Chrysler and hold it accountable if it illegally deceived consumers. Fiat Chrysler owes it to its customers and the public to immediately come clean about any wrongdoing. If the allegations are true, the company must step up and tell people how it plans to make customers whole and repair the damage to the environment.

Back in November, we also learned that FCA US became the first US automaker to be sued by consumers, claiming that some of their diesel engines were rigged in order to conceal excess emissions.

PHOTO GALLERY
Nissan has returned the Micra production to Europe after a 7-year year break.



Assembled in Flins, France, at a plant operated by Renault, where the Clio and Zoe models are also being put together, the fifth generation of the small hatch will kick off deliveries in key European markets from mid-February, and the month after in the rest of the countries.

The start of production for the all-new Micra is a moment to be celebrated, embodying the spirit of co-operation, which exists throughout the Renault-Nissan Alliance, said Nissan Europes Chairman, Paul Willcox. We have taken the European compact car segment to a new level, by focusing on what customers really want today and expect tomorrow.

Presented last fall in Paris, the new Nissan Micra has an exterior design influenced by the Sway Concept, and a fresh cabin with the latest driver assist technologies that include Blind Spot Warning, 360-degree camera system, high-beam assist, and Traffic Sign Recognition. Moreover, users can also connect their phones to the 7-inch infotainment system while a Bose premium sound system is available as an option.

When it will arrive at dealers across selected European markets, Nissans new compact model will be powered by either a 0.9-liter turbo petrol unit, or a 1.5-liter diesel, both delivering 90 PS (89 HP) to the front wheels,with a 73 HP 1.0-liter petrol to join the lineup on a later date.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Getty Images

Theatre lovers are in for a treat.

Mainstage, an annual community theatre festival in B.C., will be held in Vernon this summer with up to 10 winning festival productions on show at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.

More than 60 community theatre clubs participate in zone festivals held in April and May, with hopes riding on the chance to take their winning play to Mainstage for friendly competition with the province's best. This year, to honour Canada's 150th birthday, an all-Canadian series of festivals will be held throughout B.C., Adele Kuyek, the chair of Mainstage BC told Vernon city council on Monday. "In all, up to 10 winning zone festival productions, complete with cast and crew, will arrive in Vernon to showcase their work and stay in our beautiful city."

The group, Theatre BC, has asked for a $5,000 grant from the city to help with costs  and it appears likely to get it.

It's going to be a good year for arts and culture, said Mayor Akbal Mund. It's my opinion that it's a good thing for us to support.

The event begins on the July long weekend, just as Funtastic starts in Vernon.

We are also extremely lucky to have 100 rooms blocked off at various hotels for this event, Kuyek said.

We are hoping to have as many as 500 visitors come up for this event, let alone all the local theatre supporters in the area - Salmon Arm, Armstrong, Kelowna.
Through collaborations with Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy and Wallace A. Smith Elementary, the Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Tennessee has been able to distribute free coloring/story books that provide seizure first-aid training and epilepsy awareness.

These free books, authored and illustrated by the sister and brother team of Andrew and Kelly Choyce, were made possible due to the grant that the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga provided.

Since September of 2016, nearly 2,500 Chattanooga-area children have received these books that have helped increase interest, knowledge, and access to life-saving skills.
Photo: Contributed

Fires, accidents, helicopter rescues  it's all in a day's work for the region's emergency services teams.

And on Saturday, Jan. 21, nine of those teams will be showing what they can do during the SilverStar Mountain Resorts Emergency Services Day.

From a heli-winch rescue to avalanche search techniques, Emergency Services Day highlights how skilled local first responders are.

The day showcases the skills and equipment of our local first responders. Demonstrations will be done by the RCMP, Vernon Search and Rescue, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, Shuswap Search and Rescue, SilverStar Ski Patrol, FACTS First Aid, St Johns Ambulance and the B.C. Dragoons, said Brad Baker SilverStar operations director.

Emergency Services team demonstrations are scheduled every half hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vernon Search and Rescue will start the day with a snow shelter demonstration at 9 a.m. and close the day with a motor vehicle rescue at 3:30 p.m.

There will also be information booths in the village for anyone interested in learning more about what emergency services teams do and the equipment they use.

Emergency Services Day in support of Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation is an evolution of SilverStars annual fundraising efforts for the local charity.

On Jan. 21, SilverStar will be donating $20 to the foundation from every full-day adult Alpine lift ticket purchased.

VJH Foundation is excited to partner again with SilverStar Mountain Resort for Emergency Services Day. SilverStar is a long-time supporter of VJH Foundation, donating more than $65,000 to help make health care better for residents in the North Okanagan, said Sue Beaudry, VJH Foundation director of development.
Photo: CTV

RCMP say three of their officers suffered smoke inhalation while trying to help tenants from an apartment building that was on fire in Nanaimo.

Police say when their officers arrived at the scene early Wednesday morning the entire side of the apartment complex was on fire.

A news release says the officers entered the building before fire crews arrived to help tenants out, including assisting an elderly man who was having difficulty walking.

The three officers suffered various degrees of smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for assessment.

Two officers were released right away, while one remained in care for several hours before being let out of hospital.

No one was hurt in the fire and most of the tenants in the building were allowed to return.
Photo: Contributed

VantageOne Credit Union wants to give away a lot of money.

All it needs is suggestions on what group deserves it.

Applications are being accepted for the VantageOne Great Community Giveaway, which will donate $100,000 to community organizations.

One organization will be granted $50,000, while the remaining $50,000 will be granted in smaller amounts.

The application deadline is 4 p.m., Jan. 31, and the form is available on the VantageOne Credit Union website.

We only have a few weeks left to accept applications, and we want to make sure that no one misses this opportunity. Weve had a positive response from the community so far and we are looking forward to receiving the final applications over the next few weeks, said Glenn Benischek, CEO of VantageOne.

Weve always supported the communities we serve and were excited that this year, we are able to contribute in a way that we feel will make a significant impact on the families, individuals and organizations in our communities.
Photo: Facebook

B.C.'s anti-gang task force had a heart-to-heart with the Vancouver Canucks after learning one of its star players flew in a helicopter piloted by a convicted criminal.

The discussion came after Vancouver Sun reporter Kim Bolan shared a Facebook photo of Daniel Sedin and Edward 'Skeeter" Russell.

Russell spent time in prison for smuggling drugs into the United States.

He flew Sedin and his wife on a scenic tour.

Russell was also indirectly involved in a trip last month when Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi were flown to a frozen B.C. lake.

In an emailed statement to CTV, Canucks president Trevor Linden said the three had no knowledge who Russell was.

Daniel, Bo and Sven share the highest character and integrity and were completely surprised to learn the background about the individual provided by the authorities," said Linden.

"The arrangements for the trips were not made with him directly and any interactions were very minimal on the day. Had our players been aware of his apparent background, they would not have accepted the invitation."

After the story broke, Russell took to Facebook to say he feels bad for anyone adversely affected by his past actions.

"I acknowledge these past actions and have taken responsibility for the poor decisions I have made.

"I have taken steps to live my life in a positive light and to become a productive member of the community. It pains me to see the past brought up and having it ruin what was such a special day for all involved.

"My goal in all of this was to be a positive role model for my family and friends.

"I wish to thank all of you for your continued support," said Russell.
Photo: Contributed

It looks like the worst might be over.

After recording a bone-chilling overnight low of -25 C Wednesday, the temperature is supposed to be on the upswing for the rest of the week.

Environment Canada is calling for a low of -20 C going into Thursday, and from there it is nothing but warmer weather.

Thursday night will see lows of -16 C for the North Okanagan with temperatures climbing to lows of -10 C Friday night.

By Monday, weather forecasters are calling for lows of -1 C and highs around 0 C.

But with the predicted warm weather comes a forecast of flurries starting early next week.

Environment Canada has also issued an extreme cold weather warning for the Nicola Valley for Wednesday night.

Very cold wind chill values near minus 35 will redevelop overnight through Thursday morning near Merritt, he warning advised.
Photo: The Canadian Press

An indigenous professor has resigned from a sexual assault policy committee at the University of British Columbia after the school brought back John Furlong to speak at an upcoming fundraiser.

Daniel Heath Justice says in a letter to university president Santa Ono that the decision "silenced and erased" allegations that Furlong physically abused First Nations children while teaching at a Catholic school in Burns Lake, B.C., decades ago.

The former Vancouver Olympics CEO has vehemently denied the allegations, which first emerged in a 2012 newspaper article.

The journalist later lost her defamation lawsuit against Furlong with a judge strongly criticizing her reporting.

The RCMP has said an investigation into abuse allegations concluded without charges.

The university cancelled Furlong's speech last month after a graduate student circulated a letter that was critical of him, but Ono reversed the decision this week, calling Furlong a "champion for amateur sport."

Ono's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment but he told Vancouver's Roundhouse Radio that he stands by the decision to bring back Furlong.

Justice released the letter he sent to Ono on his Twitter account.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, better known as the gang squad, is visiting schools in the South Okanagan.

After a stop in Osoyoos Wednesday morning, Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton paid a visit to the Penticton Indian Bands Outma Sqilx'w Cultural School.

His End Gang Life presentation has brought hard facts about gangs to over 60 schools in B.C. over the past two years.

We are talking to kids, arming them with information they can use to make good positive choices, Houghton said.

Really, knowledge is power, and the more they know about this activity  gangs and drugs in our community, the better they will be able to make choices to avoid getting involved.

Houghton described the presentation as blunt, stating that with the internet and smartphone at kids fingertips, trying to shelter and lie to them isnt helping them.

Reformed gang member and Surrey School District employee Jordan Buna delivered the second half of the talk, sharing his story about how he fell into and ultimately escaped gang life.

Thinking ahead to your thirties, you dont think that far ahead as a kid. So getting these kids to realize, whether it's involvement with gangs or drugs  these are serious decisions they are going to be faced with  and these decisions have the power to drastically alter your life, or end it, Buna said.

End Gang Life will be visiting Penticton Secondary and Princess Margaret on Thursday.
Photo: Contributed

The two major stories out of Ottawa this week revolve around Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus newly revealed vacation details followed by news of a small cabinet shuffle.

I believe most Canadians support and understand that the Prime Minister would enjoy an exotic vacation to a warmer climate not unlike many Canadians often do so why is this current vacation a controversy?

The answer is a tad more complex than one might expect.

In Canadian public office, we have very strict rules that limit and restrict financial benefits that a Minister of the Crown can accept and directly benefit from.

These restrictions also include gifts that cannot be legally accepted from any registered lobbyist. Obviously gifts have a momentary value and must be disclosed and this includes the value of accepting a stay at an exotic Bahamas private island as has been now revealed was the vacation destination of Prime Minister Trudeau.

The private island is owned by the Aga Khan who in turn is the head of an organization that is registered to lobby the Trudeau Liberal Government.

This same organization headed by the Aga Khan also received $55 million in Canadian public funding from the most recent Liberal Government budget and, as a result, the Conflict commissioner is investigating this matter further.

I am not for a moment suggesting any wrongdoing on the part of the Prime Minister, but rather clarifying why this subject continues to be actively raised in Ottawa and more so as the Prime Ministers office initially refused to provide details of the vacation.

Following the vacation controversy, the Prime Minister also announced a cabinet shuffle that will see the departure of the following Ministers:

John McCallum (Citizenship and Immigration)

Stephane Dion (Foreign Affairs)

MaryAnn Mihychuk (Employment, Workforce Development and Labour)

The departure of these Ministers provided an opportunity for three new Ministers to join the Federal cabinet:

Francois-Philippe Champagne (International Trade)

Karina Gould, (Democratic institutions)

Ahmed Hussen, (Immigration).

The following existing Ministers were also shuffled into new portfolios:

Chrystia Freeland (Foreign Affairs)

Patty Hajdu (Employment, Workforce Development and Labour)

Maryam Monsef (Status of Women).

My take on this shuffle is mixed. Government experience is critically important in a cabinet and the loss of veteran Ministers such as McCallum and Dion will no doubt be felt.

At the same time, adding fresh blood is not necessarily a bad thing and given the failure to date for the Liberal fiscal plan to reap the promised benefits some new ideas at the cabinet table may be welcome.

It is important to remember that citizens run for public office to help build stronger communities and a stronger Canada.

I know that MPs from all parties are concerned at the current economic direction Canada is heading and I believe we will continue to work diligently in 2107 toward constructive solutions.

I would also like to thank Stephane Dion and John McCallum, who have spent many years in public office and have both recently announced they will be resigning as MPs to serve in other areas.

I would also like to extend an invitation to you to come and meet with me.

I will be holding town hall meetings and constituents are welcome to share their views:

Saturday in West Kelowna at the Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main St.; 3-4:30 p.m.

Sunday, in Kelowna at A. S. Matheson Elementary, 2090 Gordon Dr.; 3-4:30 p.m.

I look forward to hearing from you. Contact me at [email protected] or call toll free at 1-800-665-8711.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Ivanka Trump plans to step aside from her executive roles at the Trump Organization and her lifestyle brand, but says she is confident both businesses will continue to "thrive."

In a post on her Facebook page Wednesday, Ivanka Trump said she would take a "formal leave of absence" from her executive positions at the Trump Organization and her lifestyle brand  which offers shoes, clothes and messages of female empowerment.

President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would put control of his company in the hands of his sons and an executive, put his business assets in a trust and take other steps to isolate himself from his business.

Ivanka Trump said her company will be run by the current president and a board of trustees. For now, she is not taking a role in her father's administration, but her husband Jared Kushner will serve as a senior advisor.

As the family moves to Washington, Ivanka Trump said she will be focused on getting her three children settled. But she also stressed her ongoing interest in issues affecting women and girls and said she would seek to determine the "most impactful and appropriate ways for me to serve our country."

The Trump team has said Ivanka Trump will divest some assets and will receive fixed payments rather than a share of the profits from the Trump Organization. She will also not be involved in the company's Washington hotel. No details have been released on her financial arrangement with the lifestyle brand.

Ivanka Trump's independent lifestyle brand promotes her image as a successful working mother and partners with companies to make the branded blush pink dresses and trendy booties offered in department stores.

Just how successful the business will be without her actively involved is not clear. Brand licensing expert Michael Stone, chairman of the agency Beanstalk, said that celebrity-driven brands succeed best when consumers aspire to be like the personality and believe the person is involved with the developing the products.

"I don't know if just being a role model is enough to drive a product brand," he said.

He also noted that it takes time to develop a personal brand to the point that it survives without the person involved, like with Paul Newman's Newman's Own products or Perry Ellis fashion. While Ivanka Trump has been successful, she does not have that kind of longevity.

"Is it going to fail completely, I doubt it," said Stone. "But will it have the (same) growth curve?"
Photo: CTV

Residents protested at the Ladysmith public works yard, Wednesday, to voice their displeasure over a foul odour.

They say a stench has hung over the community for months, ever since the city expanded its wastewater treatment plant last spring.

The move doubled the volume of biosolids at the plant.

Residents told Mayor Aaron Stone it's like living in an outhouse  and they want action. Some demanded the plant be relocated.

Stone said city staff are working to find a solution to the Ladysmith Linger.

Its absolutely unacceptable, he told CTV. What were trying to find is an interim solution to get the odour issue resolved, and a long-term solution where we can have a suitable compost facility.

Finding an appropriate property could take time, he said.

The city says the smell does not pose any risk, but Island Health is investigating after receiving complaints.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Rep. Andy Holt said that commercials touting the Tennessee Lottery are "targeted to Tennessees most economically disadvantaged, are increasingly predatory, disgusting, and out of hand."

If that is true of the advertisements, what does it say about the product -- what does it say about the lottery itself?

Realistically, it says the lottery is targeted to Tennessees most economically disadvantaged, is increasingly predatory, is disgusting, and is out of hand.

But it's also quite profitable to the government of the State of Tennessee, so we all know there's no use arguing against it. Those arguments were all made long ago anyway, to no avail.

And, of course, we all know that if local folks couldn't gamble in Tennessee, they'd just cross the state line and give all that money to Georgia, which can't be allowed to happen.

So Mr. Holt is obviously wasting his time, just whistling in the wind.

Larry Cloud

Chattanooga






Photo: The Canadian Press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

The U.S. Senate passed a measure early Thursday to take the first step forward on dismantling President Barack Obama's health care law, responding to pressure to move quickly even as Republicans and President-elect Trump grapple with what to replace it with.

The nearly party-line 51-48 vote came on a nonbinding Republican-backed budget measure that eases the way for action on subsequent repeal legislation as soon as next month.

"We must act quickly to bring relief to the American people," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The House is slated to vote on the measure on Friday, though some Republicans there have misgivings about setting the repeal effort in motion without a better idea of the replacement plan.

Trump oozed confidence at a news conference on Tuesday, promising his incoming administration would soon reveal a plan to both repeal so-called Obamacare and replace it with legislation to "get health care taken care of in this country."

"We're going to do repeal and replace, very complicated stuff," Trump told reporters, adding that both elements would pass virtually at the same time. That promise, however, will be almost impossible to achieve in the complicated web of Congress, where GOP leaders must navigate complex Senate rules, united Democratic opposition and substantive policy disagreements among Republicans.

Passage of Thursday's measure would permit follow-up legislation to escape the threat of a filibuster by Senate Democrats. Republicans are not close to agreement among themselves on what any "Obamacare" replacement would look like, however.

Republicans plan to get legislation voiding Obama's law and replacing parts of it to Trump by the end of February, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Wednesday on "The Hugh Hewitt Show," a conservative radio program. Other Republicans have said they expect the process to take longer.

The 2010 law extended health insurance to some 20 million Americans, prevented insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and steered billions of dollars to states for the Medicaid health program for the poor. Republicans fought the effort tooth and nail and voter opposition to Obamacare helped carry the party to impressive wins in 2010, 2014, and last year.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Baboon grunts and mating calls may hold secrets about human speech, according to a new study suggesting that the origins of human language could reach back as much as 25 million years.

The barks, yacks and wa-hoos of the Guinea baboons reveal distinct human-like vowel sounds, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Plos One by scientists from six universities in France and Alabama.

The authors, led by Dr. Louis-Jean Boe of Grenoble Alpes University, studied the acoustics of 1,335 baboon sounds and the animals' tongue anatomy.

They cast doubt on theories that language developed only after the appearance of humanoids with a low larynx. Instead, they say their research suggests that the human vocal system developed from abilities already present in ancestors such as the Guinea baboon.

They also found similar muscles in baboon tongues as human tongues  which are key to our ability to make vowel sounds.

"Language is a key difference between humans and the rest of the natural world, but the origin of our speech remains one of the greatest mysteries of science," the scientists wrote.

"The evidence developed in this study does not support the hypothesis of the recent, sudden, and simultaneous appearance of language and speech in modern Homo sapiens," the study says. "It suggests that spoken languages evolved from ancient articulatory skills already present in our last common ancestor ... about 25 million years ago."

The authors say the findings "reveal a loose parallel between human vowels" and baboon vocalizations produced in such communications as sounding alarm or calling to copulate.
Photo: The Canadian Press

India's foreign minister demanded an apology Wednesday from Amazon.com Inc. for selling doormats depicting the Indian flag on the online shopping giant's Canadian website.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj warned on Twitter that she could deny Indian visas to Amazon employees if the company did not apologize and "withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately."

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant an Indian visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier," Swaraj tweeted.

The doormats were being sold by a third party and other mats showed other national flags, including the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

Swaraj ordered the embassy in Canada to take up the matter with Amazon "at the highest level."

The site removed the Indian-themed product, following Swaraj's Twitter threat.

The doormats had outraged many people among the Indian diaspora in Canada, who posted pictures of them on social media and urged the foreign minister to formally object.

In India, insulting the national flag is punishable with fines and imprisonment.

Last year, there were protests after the online marketplace offered doormats depicting Hindu gods.
Photo: Thinkstock.com

Israel's prime minister on Thursday condemned an upcoming conference in Paris aimed at reviving peace talks with the Palestinians.

"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances," Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with Norway's foreign minister. "This pushes peace backwards. It's not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past."

French President Francois Hollande said Sunday's peace conference in Paris aims at ensuring the support of the international community for the two-state solution as a reference for future direct negotiations.

"Peace will be achieved by Israelis and Palestinians, and nobody else. Only bilateral negotiations can succeed", Hollande said in a speech to diplomats, adding that the abandonment of the two-state solution would undermine Israel's security.

He said the Jan. 15 conference will push for concrete solutions to help develop energy, transportation and city infrastructure to benefit Israelis and Palestinians. French authorities are expecting 72 countries to attend the conference but not Israel or the Palestinians.

The Palestinians, who in recent years have campaigned for the international community to assume a greater role in resolving the conflict, have welcomed the French initiative.

Netanyahu insists the conflict can only be resolved in direct peace talks and has repeatedly called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume them. Abbas refuses unless Israel ends settlement construction first.

The U.S. mediated the last round of talks, which collapsed in 2014.
Photo: The Canadian Press

American soldiers rolled into Poland on Thursday, fulfilling a dream some Poles have had since the fall of communism in 1989 to have U.S. troops on their soil as a deterrent against Russia.

Some people waved and held up American flags as U.S. troops in tanks and other vehicles crossed into southwestern Poland from Germany and headed toward the town of Zagan, where they will be based. Poland's prime minister and defence minister will welcome them in an official ceremony Saturday.

"This is the fulfilment of a dream," said Michal Baranowski, director of the German Marshall Fund think-tank in Warsaw. "And this is not just a symbolic presence but one with a real capability."

U.S. and other Western nations have carried out exercises on NATO's eastern flank in past years, but the new deployment  which includes some 3,500 U.S. troops  marks the first-ever continuous deployment to the region by a NATO ally.

It is part of a larger commitment by President Barack Obama to protect a region that grew deeply nervous when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then began backing separatist rebels in Ukraine's east.

There are fears, however, that the enhanced security could eventually be undermined by the pro-Kremlin views of President-elect Donald Trump.

Poland and the Baltic states also feel threatened by Russia's recent deployment of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian territory wedged between Poland and Lithuania.

But Russia says it's the one who is threatened.

"These actions threaten our interests, our security," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. "Especially as it concerns a third party building up its military presence near our borders. It's not even a European state."
Photo: Gabor Erdok

Warnings continue in parts of B.C. over extreme winter weather.

The Nicola region, Yoho Park, Elk Valley and the Chilcotin are all under an extreme cold warning, with wind chills near - 35.

"Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia," says Environment Canada.

Residents are being urged to dress for the weather.

Meanwhile, Okanagan residents are still suffering in the cold. In Kelowna and Vernon, the mercury dropped to -22 C on Thursday morning.

It was -13 C in Penticton, with a windchill that felt like -18.

The Fraser Valley and inland regions of the North Coast are under an arctic outflow warning.

"Limit outdoor activities. Minimize exposed skin with hats, scarves and mittens or gloves. Anyone who is not dressed warmly is at risk of frostbite and hypothermia in cold weather," says the weather service.
Photo: Contributed

Health resources are being stretched on Vancouver Island during a flu season that is hitting harder than officials had expected.

Island Health executive director Norm Peters says emergency departments are working over capacity because of an influx of flu patients.

Last week, more than a dozen surgeries needed to be cancelled because there weren't enough hospital beds for patients.

There have been 181 people diagnosed with flu so far this season on Vancouver Island.

Of those 66 remain in hospital.

Five people have died.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 1:55 p.m.

British Columbia spent $613,363 on the royal tour last fall of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their two young children.

The governments of Canada and Yukon have yet to announce their final bills. But the RCMP said it spent $2 million and the federal government's budget estimate is $855,600, bringing the likely overall cost of the visit to more than $3.4 million.

While some taxpayers might cringe at the price tag, royal tours benefit Canadians in a number of ways, said royal historian Carolyn Harris.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge raised the profile of Canadian charities and environmental initiatives over the course of their tour," she said. "Royal tours of Canada receive global coverage and encourage travellers from around the world to visit."

Prince William and Kate drew frenzied crowds when they visited Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii and two communities in Yukon between Sept. 24 and Oct. 1.

Tour stops included a public visit to UBCO, wine and food tasting at Mission Hill, a charity for pregnant mothers struggling with substance abuse in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and the world-renowned Great Bear Rainforest in northwest B.C.

The province announced its portion of the expenses on Thursday.

The province said the tour attracted global attention to B.C. with about 435 accredited media, including CNN, Vogue, Hello Magazine and the Today Show, reaching millions of people.

"Their Royal Highnesses experienced the true West Coast lifestyle on their tour, including salmon fishing in Haida Gwaii, sailing in the Inner Harbour of Victoria, taking a float plane to Vancouver and walking through the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world," it said in a statement.

By the numbers

$41,798 for accommodation of the royals, their household and staff

$27,589 for transportation

$196,129 on security

$46,134 on media operations and services

$3,344.76 for protocol gifts

$55,628.81 for a dry run

$102,260.18 for administrative services and supplies
Photo: Thinkstock.com

Gentrification and new construction in Vancouvers Downtown Eastside is driving out sex workers.

That may seem like a good thing, but according to a new study, it pushes them into unsafe and isolated spaces, increasing the risk of violence and harassment.

Trans sex workers are particularly at risk, according to research by the Gender and Sexual Health Initiative of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

The study is among the first aiming to better understand how rapid gentrification may impact the health and safety of those in the sex trade. Most research on the industry focuses solely on women.

Between 2012 and 2015, 33 sex workers were interviewed for the study.

The construction activity taking place in the Downtown Eastside, coupled with current federal legislation criminalizing sex work, made working conditions more unsafe and contributed to the displacement of trans sex workers, said Dr. Lyons, first author of the paper.

Some sex workers had to work in isolated fenced-in areas, and had cut holes in surrounding fences as an escape route in the event of an unsafe interaction with a client.

The changing neighbourhoods have influenced the sex trade by:

Disrupting client traffic and forcing trans sex workers to see clients in more isolated and unsafe spaces, such as railway tracks and abandoned lots.

Increasing private security guards presence and harassment of sex workers.

Increased tickets issued by police for offences such as loitering or trespassing.

Increasing verbal harassment and calls to police by residents and businesses.

These changes have real and sometimes devastating consequences for trans sex workers  greatly affecting where and how they work, said Leslie Pierre, a trans woman and former staff member at Prostitution Alternatives Counseling and Education (PACE) Society, a co-author of the research.

This research raises significant concerns about how the criminalization of sex work continues to isolate the most marginalized sex workers, thereby increasing risks for violence and harassment, said Dr. Kate Shannon, senior author of the study.

Three years ago, in a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Canada clearly recognized the rights of sex workers to have safe working conditions. An urgent need remains to repeal the harmful criminalized approach to sex work in this country.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Two garbagemen are being hailed for rescuing a frozen, urine-soaked kitten from a rural snowbank.

Leland Nason and a co-workers were collecting trash in Minto, N.B., on Tuesday when they passed what they thought was a dead cat, said Sue Knight, of CARMA Cat Rescue in Fredericton.

"They thought it was dead, it's so cold out there," Knight said.

"On the way back, Leland saw the head move. So he got his companion to stop, they backed the truck up, and got out and sure enough, the kitten was alive."

The kitten was lying in its own frozen urine, stuck to the snowbank, she said. It could not have made its own way there, she said.

"Leland managed to dig it out, put it in his jacket," she said. "The kitten really responded to him, wanted the loving."

Nason did not return a phone call Thursday. But Knight said the men went to a store for food, where they heard about CARMA, and a local volunteer rushed the kitten to Fredericton an hour away.

It arrived flea-ridden, its ears stuffed with ear mites and with the pads of its paws possibly frostbitten.

But it is on painkillers and appears to be making a splendid recovery, said Knight. It has been named Ajax.

"He's a gorgeous little kitten, just adores being loved and hugged and purrs," Knight said.

"Those paws are so tender, he has difficulty standing on them. Other than that, he's just a love bug. Just a love bug."

The rescue agency said 11 people have expressed interest in adopting Ajax.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that monitoring data from the areas of Watts Bar Reservoir impacted by the TVA Kingston Steam Plant coal ash release indicates the ecosystem has returned to pre-spill conditions. Environmental data collected from 2009-2015 shows the fish community, benthic macroinvertebrates (bugs), sediment quality and tree swallow colonies have recovered to baseline conditions that existed prior to the release of 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash to the environment on Dec. 22, 2008.

The cleanup was accomplished in three phases under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund. The first phase of the cleanup involved the removal of 3.5 million cubic yards of ash from the Emory River to alleviate flooding concerns and to mitigate further transport downstream. Coal ash removed from the river was dewatered and transported by rail for disposal at an approved landfill in Perry County, Ala. The remaining ash in the Swan Pond Embayment of Watts Bar Reservoir was removed in Phase 2 of the cleanup. The coal ash removed during this phase was placed in a re-engineered disposal cell on TVA property that was designed to withstand earthquake forces and then closed and capped in place. The third and final phase consisted of a comprehensive human health and ecological risk assessment of the estimated 500,000 CYs of residual ash that was not removed from the Emory and Clinch Rivers during Phase 1 dredging work. The entire cleanup was completed over a six-year period from 2009-2015, at an estimated cost of $1.134 billion.

In November 2012, a Monitored Natural Recovery plan for the river system was recommended by TVA and approved by EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The approved approach relies on natural processes such as mixing, scouring and redeposition, and sedimentation (burial) to reduce the relatively low ecological risks posed by the residual ash and any input from groundwater from the closed and capped in place coal ash. MNR proved to be effective in five years versus the 10 to 15-year time frame predicted by sediment fate and transport modeling. Annual monitoring of the river system will continue for up to 30 years to confirm that risks associated with the residual ash remain low and that ash-related concentrations of metals continue to decline with time. Groundwater monitoring and maintenance of the ash disposal cell on-site will also be conducted over the long term in compliance with permit requirements.

TVA has posted the complete Kingston Coal Ash Recovery Project report on its website at: https://www.tva.gov/file_source/TVA/Site%20Content/About%20TVA/Guidelines%20and%20Reports/Kingston%20Recover%20Project/Updated%20Data%20Analysis%20and%20Temporal%20Trend%20Evaluations%20in%20Biota%20_2009-2015_final.pdf




Photo: The Canadian Press

The UN envoy for Syria said Thursday that a ceasefire was "largely holding with some exceptions," as opposition activists reported a mounting number of government airstrikes, including a raid in the northern Aleppo province that killed at least six civilians.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Staffan de Mistura said he was concerned that fighting northwest of Damascus that has cut off the capital's clean water supply would further escalate and derail proposed negotiations between the government and the opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month.

The talks are sponsored by Russia and Turkey, which support opposing sides of the Syrian civil war. But the status of the meeting, planned for Jan. 23, is not clear. Rebels say the government's continued campaign for the Barada Valley, the capital's main source of water, has cast the talks in doubt.

The U.N. says the capital has suffered from a water shortage affecting 5.5 million consumers since December 22.

The leader of one of Syria's largest rebel factions, the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham, said in remarks aired Thursday that the violence in the valley and daily airstrikes on rebel-held areas "are signs of a collapsing truce."

De Mistura said five villages in the Wadi Barada area have reached an "arrangement" with the government, but two villages, including one which holds the source of water, al-Fijeh, have not.

"There is a danger, a substantial danger, imminent danger, that this may develop into a further military escalation," further imperiling the water supply, he said.

He also said the cease-fire, which came into effect Dec. 30, should widen humanitarian access to besieged areas, but that "unfortunately, that is not the case."

The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defence, a search and rescue group also known as the White Helmets, said its workers pulled the bodies of three children and three adults from the rubble of an airstrike on the village of Babka in the opposition-held countryside west of the once-contested city of Aleppo.

It was not clear who was behind the raid and others like it in the Aleppo countryside. Syrian and Russian aircraft regularly bombed the province before the cease-fire went into effect. The U.S. is believed to be behind a series of strikes in the neighbouring Idlib province that activists say have killed several Al-Qaida-linked militants.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported four children among the dead.
Photo: Contributed

A respected First Nations leader has died.

Arthur Manuel, 66, passed away Wednesday, shocking many people and generating numerous tributes.

Members of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs said they are are deeply and profoundly saddened to hear of the sudden and unexpected passing of Manuel.

Manuel served for many years as Chief of the Neskonlith Indian Band and chairman of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, as well as leader and spokesman for the Interior Alliance.

He was also a member of the UBCIC's Chief Council.

A statement from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs said: Arthur Manuel was, without question, one of Canada's strongest and most outspoken indigenous leaders in the defence of our indigenous land and human rights. He travelled extensively throughout Canada, North America and around the world in his unwavering and relentless efforts to champion the cause of our indigenous rights. He relentlessly worked on land claim issues, calling for change to Canada's fundamental flawed policy on indigenous land claims.

Arthur's legacy will continue to reverberate throughout our ongoing indigenous history for many, many generations to come.

A statement from the family said a wake will be held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14, and services on Sunday Jan. 15 at the Adams Lake Indian Band gymnasium Chase.
Photo: Contributed

The South Okanagan Similkameen Crime Stoppers are celebrating a special anniversary.

It was 25 years ago that the local chapter was established by a pair of RCMP officers, following an MC Hammer concert gone wrong.

"I think it's great that it has been around for this long, and I take pride in being one of the catalysts to start it in the first place," said Rick Dellebuur, Crime Stoppers police coordinator, who was one of the founding officers.

In 1991, a riot in downtown Penticton following an MC Hammer concert during Peachfest caused extensive damage.

The police obtained video footage of the riot and it was aired on CHBC television, resulting in in a barrage of tips on who was responsible.

"So after that Cpl. Larry Babcock and I got to talking about how well the relationship worked with the police and media and subsequently the public," said Dellebuur. "And we got people interested and started up a board in the community and South Okanagan Similkameen Crime Stoppers started up in January 1992."

The group is volunteer run and relies on community support and donations.

Since its inception, it has recovered $16 million in stolen property and has been instrumental in solving several high profile cases in Penticton.

Board president Mattie Matheson shares in Dellebuur's goals of seeing the organization continue to grow and flourish.

"I've been involved with Crime Stoppers since my dad started the organization in Edmonton in 1983," she said. "And it's absolutely excellent to be celebrating here with the huge success rate in this area."
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is confirming  and defending  his use of a private helicopter while vacationing with the Aga Khan, saying it was the only way to get to his friend's secluded Bahamian island.

The prime minister and his family spent time over Christmas at Bell Island in the Bahamas.

To do so, they flew to Nassau on a Canadian government jet, but made the last leg of the journey aboard the Aga Khan's helicopter.

Trudeau's own ethics guidelines bar the use of sponsored travel in private aircraft, allowing only for exceptional circumstances related to the job of prime minister and only with the prior approval of the ethics commissioner.

But he says he doesn't believe the trip poses any ethical dilemma.

He says he's happy to discuss the matter with conflict of interest and ethics commissioner Mary Dawson "and answer any questions she may have."

Trudeau only confirmed the helicopter flight when speaking to reporters on Thursday, noting it's the only way to get to Bell Island.

"The travel back and forth from Nassau happens on the Aga Khan's private helicopter, which he offered us the use of," Trudeau told a news conference in Kingston, Ont.

"It's something that certainly we look forward to discussing with the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner, but we don't see an issue on that."

He repeated that the vacation was a family trip, adding that it's no secret that he has known the Aga Khan since childhood.

"The fact that the Aga Khan has been a longtime family friend is well known; he was a pallbearer at my father's mildly publicized funeral a number of years ago."

On Wednesday, Conservative MP Blaine Calkins asked Dawson to investigate Trudeau's trip, a request that came a day after Tory leadership contender Andrew Scheer made a similar request.

Both complaints question whether it is OK for the prime minister to accept the hospitality of someone whose foundation receives funds from the Canadian government.
Photo: NWPD

A joint police operation resulted in the seizure of $1 million worth of drugs and cash.

New Westminster Police, the Canada Border Services Agency, and RCMP detachments from Surrey, Coquitlam, and Chilliwack joined forces in the multi-jurisdictional investigation that began last March.

Ron Israel Markowitz has now been charged with the following offences:

Two counts of using a forged document.

Two counts of importing/exporting controlled substances.

One count of possession for export.

Four counts of trafficking in a controlled substance.

Ten counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Markowitz turned himself in on Wednesday, after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The NWPD Street Crime Unit seized about $60,000 in cash, several hundred pounds of marijuana and a large quantity of other controlled substances totalling about $1 million.

Markowitz has since been released from custody with several court-ordered conditions. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 1.
Photo: CTV

A dump truck struck a senior on a scooter, Thursday, in Sidney.

The scooter and its senior driver were pinned under the bumper of the gravel truck.

The man, said to be in his late sixties or early seventies, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The truck driver and nearby pedestrians helped the man out from his predicament, stuck  but crushed  under the bumper and leaning over on a steep angle.

The driver may face charges of failing to yield at a crosswalk.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: The Canadian Press

Mother-daughter conflicts rooted in a tug-of-war between competition and co-operation are helping explain why killer whales go through menopause, says a study released Thursday.

Killer whales are one of only three species, including humans, who go through menopause. The animals often live for decades after giving birth to their final calves and are relegated to adopting roles for their pods as grandmothers and wise elders who know where to search for food.

Prof. Darren Croft of the University of Exeter in England led the new study, which used 43 years of data gathered by whale researchers at Canada's Department and Fisheries and Oceans on the West Coast and the Center for Whale Research in the United States at Friday Harbor, Wash. The study was published in the journal Current Biology.

Croft, who has spent time in the Salish Sea on both sides of the border near Vancouver Island observing the animals, said scientists have long considered why killer whales who stop having calves in their 30s and 40s have lifespans into their 80s, 90s and beyond. Researchers wondered what prevents the whales from continuing to reproduce during their lifespans.

"It turns out to be a conflict between mothers and daughters," said Croft in a telephone interview Exeter. "The younger females are under stronger selection to basically invest more in competition, to pull harder in a game of tug-of-war with their mothers, in order to be able to reproduce and to take more fish and share less."

He said the study concluded older female whales go through menopause because they lose out in the reproductive competition with their daughters. It found when mother and daughter killer whales breed at the same time, the death rate of offspring born to older mothers is almost twice that of young mothers.

Much of the reproductive conflict between mothers and their daughters stems from their reliance on food sharing, he said. The whales hunt together, sharing salmon, and often rely on their mothers for food for years, Croft said.

"We don't yet know how this competition and conflict unfolds in the family," he said. "It's likely that these old females are more likely to be sharing the food in the group, whereas the young females, we would predict, would be eating more for themselves."

Croft said the research was based on observations of the southern and northern resident killer whale populations in waters off Vancouver Island and the U.S. The southern resident population is about 78 whales and there are between 200 and 250 northern residents.

"This prediction has been in the literature now for six or seven years, that conflict might be important and this is the first test outside of humans that that's actually going on," Croft said.

He said the researchers observed a southern resident whale nicknamed Granny, who died late last year at an age estimated up to 105 years.

"Granny, I think, is perhaps the most iconic whale in that population," Croft said. "She was always in the lead of her family group and that's where some of these ideas and hypotheses around these old females being leaders came from."
Northwestern Mutual is honoring Chattanooga Wealth Management Advisor John P. Sterner, CFP for his commitment to helping clients plan for and achieve financial security with membership in the companys 2016 Forum Group, which recognizes company leaders who have eclipsed specific milestones in 2016.

Mr. Sterner is affiliated with The Sterner Financial Group based in Chattanooga. This is the 7th time that Mr. Sterner has received the Forum honor.

Northwestern Mutual financial representatives bring a distinctive client-advisor relationship that shows clients their complete financial picture, helping them live their lives with confidence  and without anxiety  knowing what financial security is and what it takes to achieve it, said Greg Oberland, Northwestern Mutual president.

Forum honorees were recognized at a leadership conference. The annual Forum conference is an exclusive achievement, with approximately five percent of Northwestern Mutuals more than 6,000 financial representatives invited to attend.






Mustard Tree Ministries, Inc. has received a Community Grant from the Walmart of Signal Mountain.

The funds from the grant will go to fund Mustard Trees Lunch in the Park program. Right now, Mustard Tree serves a hot lunch to the impoverished and homeless of Chattanooga in Miller Park every Wednesday. With the grant, Mustard Tree and Walmart plan to add an additional day of serving lunch in the park. Thanks to the community support of the Walmart Signal Mountain, Mustard Tree will now be able to serve a hot meal on Tuesdays as well as Wednesdays.

When asked about the grant, Director Barry Kidwell said, We are grateful for the support of community business sponsors such as Walmart. It is because of partners like Walmart that we are able to do what we do in working to combat poverty and homelessness.

For more information on Mustard Trees Lunch in the Park Program and their other programs and services, visit www.mustardtreeministries.org.
When twin brothers Clay and Matt Pankey enrolled in Cleveland States honors program in the fall, they didnt really know what to expect. But with one semester under their belt and both having earned a spot on the Presidents List, CSCCs highest academic honor, they now recommend the program to others.



It is not an easy program, said Clay. Its challenging, and it does require a good bit of effort, but its a very rewarding program.



The brothers were recipients of the Presidential Honors Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship for the top high school graduates who attend CSCC. Students must be accepted into the CSCC Honors Program and participate in a Presidential Leadership Program. The Presidential Honors Scholarship is designed to assist students with books and other educational expenses, such as non-mandatory fees.



One of the best things about Cleveland State is we have a wonderful diversity of students, and this certainly includes an outstanding group of honors students, said Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC president. High achieving students find a home within our honors program and develop strong relationships with students that have similar aspirations.

Dr. Seymour went on to add, Any high school senior in our five-county service area with a 24 on the ACT or a 3.5 high school G.P.A. can apply, and those students selected for this honor can receive $2,000 a year on top of the Tennessee Promise.



Matt stated, Its free money. If you do the work, you might as well be rewarded for it. Id definitely recommend it to others.

In just two years, CSCCs honors program has grown significantly in terms of organization, goal achievement, and student recruitment, officials said.

According to Dr. Victoria Bryan, Honors Program director, honors students work toward mastery of five program goals: academic excellence; in-depth subject exploration; presentation skills; leadership experience; and service to the campus or community.



Dr. Bryan stated, There are a lot of advantages to being an honors student at CSCC, but I think principle among those is the fact that we are offering our students the chance to make a sound financial decision by taking advantage of the Tennessee Promise, while still being challenged to grow as learners.



The honors program gives everyone a greater sense of communitynot just with the students, but with the professors as well, stated Matt.

Clay said the honors program has not only helped him learn more about himself, but it also helped him to confirm he was making the right career choice. Clay is majoring in pre-engineering and Matt is majoring in exercise science / pre-occupational therapy.)



Cleveland State has direct articulations with UTC and MTSUs honors programs to ensure that if students graduate from CSCC with an Honors diploma, they can articulate directly into the Honors colleges at those schools.

Matt went on to state, Another reason Id recommend the honors program is because if you are looking to transfer to a university, they do have transfer agreements to go directly into honors programs at four-year universities like UTC and MTSU.



The brothers insist that the program isnt all academicthey have fun, too. They both liked the fact that they have been able to meet and develop friendships with students outside of their high schoolstudents they might not have met had they not joined the honors program.



Dr Bryan stated, What I think is most powerful about the Honors program at Cleveland State is that our students experience a sense of community unparalleled on a commuter college campus. As the students meet challenges in their classes or their extracurricular activities, they band together and support each other in inspiring ways. Ive been proud to see this kind of bonding and support every semester that Ive served as Honors Program director at Cleveland State.



For more information on the Presidential Honors Scholarship or the CSCC Honors Program, contact Bryan at 423-473-2442.
Chattanooga Police say four validated gang members were arrested on Thursday night on Brainerd Road, and three of them could be facing federal charges.

Patrol officers responded at 8:40 p.m. to 5518 Brainerd Road on a report of a possible shooting suspect being at that location.

The location is Spare Time Chattanooga, a bowling and event venue.

Upon arrival officers found validated gang member James Geter (convicted felon) in possession of a loaded handgun and marijuana. A search of the premises was then conducted and two other validated gang members were located hiding in the stalls of the womens restroom. One of the subjects informed officers he had active warrants. Michael Jones (convicted felon) was also located in possession of a loaded handgun in another part of the building.

CPD K-9 officers were then called in to conduct a thorough search of the premises. A K-9 made a hit on a suspect's vehicle where officers discovered a loaded firearm.

CPD Neighborhood Policing, Focused Deterrence Investigators, Task Force Investigators and K-9 units were all instrumental in the arrests.

Police said, "Focus Deterrence Officers believe the arrests of these individuals stopped potential violent acts before they happened last night. Due to these arrests, the CPD Violent Crimes Bureau has additional leads to follow in other gang related violent crime.

Those arrested and the charges are:

James Geter, 23:

Possessing a firearm with intent to go armed

Possession of a firearm during the commission or attempt to commit a felony

Drugs for resale

Michael Jones, 21:

Possessing a firearm with intent to go armed

Possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony

Dartangan Rollins, 22:

Violation of probation (Possession of a controlled substance)

Brandon Rakestraw, 20:
Sign up for our newsletter
Obama's Farewell Address Bookends Troubling Times For Crowd Hungry For Hope

By aaroncynic in News on Jan 11, 2017 9:00PM

Its fitting President Obamas emotional and sometimes tearful farewell address in his adopted hometown Tuesday night fell during the same week that Guantanamo Bay turned 15 and his successor held his first official press conference since he was elected to the post in November.

Obamawho was first propelled into the office with the help of millions of younger people, many of whom were fresh faces in American politicsgave a moving and powerful speech touching on what he hopes the history books will see as his legacy. He also urged millions of Americans nervous about the incoming president to hold fast to their values and ideals. Surrounded by 20,000 supporters, Obama said:

If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history. If I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Irans nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11 if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens - you might have said our sights were set a little too high.

The crowd, which often had the feel and demeanor of a rock concertbut the type you take your parents towent wild with applause and cheers, and those in the bleachers stamped their feet. Some chanted "four more years" loudly enough to be heard over live broadcasts of the speech.

The bar indeed, was set pretty low eight years ago after President George W. Bush left Americans with two failed wars, a massive security state caught spying on everyone at home and abroad, an economic crisis manufactured by Wall Street, and prisons that disappeared people indefinitely while torturing them.

Attendees at Obamas farewell address lauded the Presidents successes. For Morgan, a 24 year-old originally from Houston who cast her first ballot for Obama in 2012, his effort to connect with younger generations was what drew him to her.

For the first time it felt like I was really heard by a president. There was a big push for millennials to participate in electionsI loved being a part of that, she told Chicagoist.

For Jeanee, a woman originally from Georgia, the president's biggest success was Obamacare: I have a background in health care so I did see how it really affected the patients, especially ones with preexisting conditions. I was doing claims and it's very disheartening to tell them we won't pay because of preexisting conditions, she said.

But for all of Obamas accomplishments in trying to upright a quickly sinking ship, there were still plenty of cracks in its hull that went unrepaired. Wednesday morning marked the 15th anniversary of the opening of the notorious prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where 55 men are still held, only 10 of which have been charged with a crime. Despite attempts made by the president over his 8-year term to make good on his promise to close it, he never managed to be able to do so. In fact, for some of the detainees even those who were never charged with a crime or even cleared for releaseclosing Guantanamo would not have ended their imprisonment.

The Obama administration was no different than the Bush administration on this conceptthat detention without trial is lawful, Martha Rayner, a law professor at Fordham University, told the Intercept.

And while Obama made attempts to provide pathways to citizenship for some of the many millions of undocumented persons living in America, one protester pointed out at his address that he also presided over the deportation of more than 2.5 million of them. A newly created Twitter account that purports to be owned by the protester, who held a banner that read pardon us all, explained:





@aaroncynic 'twas me: "Obama, you are the Deporter-in-Chief. 2.7 million lives destroyed. You must pardon us all. Felons have families, too"  Egle Malinauskaite (@EgleMalin) January 11, 2017







A protester unfurls a banner that reads "pardon us all now" at President Barack Obama's farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago. Photo by Tyler Lariviere/Chicagoist

But for all of the available criticism of what our outgoing president will leave behind, whats ahead for Americans has been a cause for alarm during the transition. Obama touched on this Tuesday night as well, saying that he had committed himself to the peaceful transfer of power, but it was up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face. He also added what felt like more than one albeit hopeful warning, including:

Politics is a battle of ideas; in the course of a healthy debate, well prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them. But without some common baseline of facts; without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent is making a fair point, and that science and reason matter, well keep talking past each other, making common ground and compromise impossible.

Indeed for many Americans, the next four years presents extreme and troubling times. The rise of Donald Trump to succeed Obama has included the rise of open and even celebrated white supremacy, bigotry, and fascism. While none of that hatred ever disappeared and millions of people of color, non-Christians, women and LGBTQ people faced oppression all around on a daily basis even through the last 8 years, the election of Donald Trump has propelled the type of people who proudly display that hatred to a national stage. Despite this however, Obama said last night that things have gotten better for many in the last few years:

After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. For race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. Ive lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were ten, or twenty, or thirty years ago - you can see it not just in statistics, but in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum.

While American democracy has always been troubled and now faces an unpredictable and indeterminable future, the president left the crowd last night with a reminder that its up to them to continue fighting for a better future:





It needs you. Not just when theres an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If youre tired of arguing with strangers on the internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If youre disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. Show up. Dive in. Persevere.
Photos: Chicago Museum Acquires Surreal Kurt Vonnegut Screen Prints For Collection

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 11, 2017 7:25PM



Legendary author Kurt Vonnegut's literary reputation precedes him, of course, as author of frequently formative classics like Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle. But the Indiana native was a prolific visual artists as well; and a museum here in Chicago just landed a major collection of his work. The National Veterans Art Museum announced on Wednesday their acquisition of 31 screen-print works, which are currently on view as part of the museum's Vonnegut exhibition.

Not unlike his literature, Vonnegut's art was heavily informed by his experiences as a World War II serviceman in Europe. The pieceswhich sport a simultaneous flair for the abstract and figurativejoin the NVAM's permanent collection of some 2,500 works. "The Vonnegut collection is a pivotal acquisition that illustrates both the ubiquitous nature of the veteran experience and the world-class quality of National Veterans Art Museums collection and exhibitions," said Brendan Foster, NVAM Executive Director, in a press release.

The museum's current retrospective of Vonnegut's visual art, called Vonnegut's Odyssey, is on display now through May 6, 2017. The National Veterans Art Museum is located at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Wading The Warm Waters Of Golden Showers, Trump & Kink-Shaming

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 11, 2017 8:16PM

Journalists and editors continue to argue over the ethics of BuzzFeeds controversial publication of an appropriately yellow-lined dossier containing unverified reports that Donald Trump employed a number of prostitutessupposedly arranged by the Russian spy agencyto perform a golden showers (a.k.a. urination) show in front of him and specifically defile the bed on which the Obamas had previously slept. But a second, shadow debate quickly, um, streamed forth, as well.

Did a collective snarky social-media reply constitute kink-shaming? Or were the requisite R Kelly jokes a well-earned bit of levity? Could we rightly label #GoldenShowersGate jokesas long as they didnt begin and end with eww grossstigmatizing given this specific context, especially given what we know about Trump and his attitudes toward women? With so many questions, we reached out to a member of Chicagos kink-positive sex-ed community and an educator who teaches courses dealing with sexuality and media ethics to help us swim through the hot piss takes.

#Trump's making quite a splash! He sure knows a lot about hot Russian leaks. Here's hoping more info... trickles out. #GoldenShowers pic.twitter.com/j3twNUsqMz  P A T a L E E (@pat_lee) January 11, 2017

Generally speaking, the bedfellows of politicians should be off limits, and simply being into urine play is not something that should be mocked, but there are some complicating factors in this instance, said Sunny Megatron, the Chicago-based star and executive producer of Showtimes Sex with Sunny Megatron.

In general, [when ]talking about any sex scandal, any politician, what we do in our bedrooms is our business, period, Megatron told Chicagoist. If we have something to criticize about their business, their politics, that's one thing, but saying that Donald Trump is into golden showersbig deal, that's not something we should shame him for.

But the full scope of the situation, at least as reported, adds the key wrinkle.

However, if Trump used this as a vehicle to defile, desecrate, make his own private commentary on what he thought about Obama, that's a completely different point of view. If he was into golden showers because that's what he liked to do in privacy, no big deal. But that doesn't seem to be the context here.

Neither the reported piss play nor the employment of sex workers is a rightful target for shame, Megatron stressed. ("Golden showers are the least of what we should be concerned about with Donald Trump.") So don't vilify those who consensually, responsibly partake; and mock DJT in this context only insofar as it represents vengeful megalomania rather than fetishism.

But overall the hullabaloo is most emblematic of the general public's greater concern with "moralistic issues rather than political issues," Chelsea Reynolds, an adjunct professor in DePaul University's College of Communication, who teaches classes on sexuality and digital media ethics, told Chicagoist.

When we over-focus on the "salacious," it overshadows important "policy issues, military issues and health-care funding issues," said Reynolds, who cited the initial Anthony Weiner scandal as a similar corollary.

"If we were focusing on the legality or autonomy of the sex workers in question, who may or may not have given golden showers, or sex workers' rights, or kink as everyday life, rather than, oh, Trump might have a golden shower fetish," she added.

So regardless of how one parses #WaterSportsGate, don't let your eyes off the bigger picture.
Justice Department Found Pattern Of Constitutional Abuses By Chicago Police: Report

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 12, 2017 4:29PM



Attorney General Loretta Lynch / Getty Images / Photo: Chip Somodevilla

The Justice Department has determined that the Chicago Police Department engaged in a pattern of constitutional rights violations, according to news reports that cite two unnamed sources knowledgeable of the investigation.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch will officially release the findings of the probe on Friday, according to multiple reports that surfaced on Wednesday.

The largest-of-its-kind probe will reportedly determine that the Chicago Police Department was found to be guilty of violating citizens constitutional rights. Among the Justice Departments focuses were use of force, how racial bias factors into use of force and the departments police accountability structure.

The 13-month investigation was launched in December of 2015, after the release of police dashcam footage that showed the police shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The footage showed McDonald moving away from police rather than lunging toward them, as officers on the scene had initially claimed. The disparity between the video images and the official account of events prompted massive protests in Chicago and national media attention.

The Justice Department was reportedly determined to complete and release the report ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration and the expected approval of Jeff Sessions as incoming Attorney General. Both have advocated for more extensive police latitude. At confirmation hearings earlier this week, Sessions cited low police moralebut not institutional failuresas a cause for gun violence in cities like Chicago.

The mayors office claimed a commitment to reform but declined speak further ahead of the DOJs release. "As you can see from our actions over the past year, we are committed to continuing to make significant and much needed reforms, providing officers with the tools and certainty they need to do their tough jobs well," Adam Collins, spokesperson for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said in a statement. "We have worked closely with the Department of Justice throughout their process, and we are not going to get ahead of them by speaking on their behalf now.
A total of 125,000 new homes, excluding affordable housing, were sold in Beijing in 2016, rising by 21 percent year-on-year, the highest amount since 2010, according to statistics released by a market researcher.

In regard to the transaction volume, the year of 2016 looked like a downward parabola. This is because few homes were for sale in the first quarter, while transactions kept rising as a lot of new estates hit the market in the second and third quarters; in the last quarter, sales plunged after new policies aimed at regulating real estate were implemented.

Apartment and villa sales soared last year. The sales of apartments totaled 67,000 units, accounting for 53.8 percent of commercial property transactions, up 213.6 percent year on year; villa sales totaled 8,055 units, up 119 percent year on year, setting a record high.
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions
The Chinese mainland is blaming Taiwan authorities for the decline of personal exchanges.

Tourists from the Chinese mainland visit the Yehliu Geopark in Taiwan's New Taipei City in May.Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

In 2016, 5.73 million trips were made by Taiwan residents to the mainland, an increase of 4.2 percent compared with 2015. Meanwhile, 3.61 million trips were made by mainland residents to Taiwan, a decline of 14.4 percent, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday.

"It is the first decline in eight years ... The change is affected by the political change in Taiwan," Ma said during a news briefing in Beijing, adding that the mainland's policies attract more people from Taiwan to the mainland.

"However, Taiwan's political change has worsened the atmosphere for cross-Straits communication and affected mainland residents' willingness and passion to travel to Taiwan," he said.

Since 2008, when the island opened up to mainland travelers, the number of independent tourists had increased by at least 15 to 20 percent.

But in 2016, the tourism industry in Taiwan suffered a decline of mainland tourists.

Liu Xiangping, head of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Nanjing University, said the island's authorities contributed to an atmosphere that "convinced" residents that visitors from the mainland are not well-behaved tourists.

"The attitude makes mainland travelers feel unwelcome and lose interest in Taiwan," he said.

The decline affected Taiwan's tourism industry.

In September, more than 15,000 hospitality and tourism workers took to the streets in downtown Taipei, demanding the island's authorities do something about the lackluster industry.

"Because the tourism industry boomed in the past few years in Taiwan, many tourism companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, took out loans to expand their business to attract more tourists, such as redecorating hotels and hiring more employees," said Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University.

"They have to continue making money to pay their debt. But now the decline will affect their income," Zhu said.

Since May, when Taiwan's new leader Tsai Ing-wen took office, she has not acknowledged the 1992 Consensus, which establishes the one-China policy.

The official communication channel has been cut off since July.

The mainland has encouraged people-to-people communication.

"In 2017, we will continue to support communication across the Straits," Ma said.

"We will solve practical problems for Taiwan people to work, live and study on the mainland, to ensure they develop their businesses on the mainland smoothly," he said.
Chairperson Hu Kaihong:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to the press conference. The State Council information Office has published a whitepaper on China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation. Now, we will brief you on its main content and China's policies in this regard. Today, we have with us Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I'm Hu Kaihong, spokesperson of the State Council Information Office.

First, please allow me to make a general introduction of the whitepaper.

With about 16,000 Chinese words, the whitepaper comprises three parts -- preface, main content and conclusion. The main content is: I. China's Policies and Positions on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation; II. China's Security Vision for the Asia-Pacific Region; III. China's Relations with Other Major Asia-Pacific Countries; IV. China's Positions and Views on Regional Hotspot Issues; V. China's Participation in Major Multilateral Mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific Region; VI. China's Participation in Regional Non-Traditional Security Cooperation.

This is China's first whitepaper on Asia-Pacific security cooperation policies. It's available in Chinese, English, French, Russian, German, Spanish, Japanese and Arabic. The Chinese and English versions have been published by the People's Publishing House and Foreign Languages Press respectively. Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Liu.

Liu Zhenmin:

I'm glad to see this press conference has attracted so many people. This shows your great interest in Asia-Pacific security cooperation. I'd like to brief you on the background and the main content of the white paper.

At present, the world is undergoing complex and profound changes in the political and economic fields. We have entered an era featuring turmoil and changes, with a backlash against globalization and setbacks for the process of regional integration. However, the Asia-Pacific region has maintained an upward momentum and established a stronger presence in the world, thanks to cooperation between all countries in the region.

China has actively participated in and supported regional peace and security. We have chosen to issue the white paper at the beginning of the year because we want to make our policies known to all and demonstrate our strong will for intensifying regional security cooperation and maintaining regional stability and prosperity. We hope we can receive a positive response from you. We also hope we can work with the other countries in the region to make steady progress in regional security cooperation and make a bigger contribution to regional peace and stability.

Liu Zhenmin:

I would like to use six subject terms to explain China's policies on Asia-Pacific security cooperation, so everybody can have a better understanding of them.

The first subject term is "mutually-beneficial cooperation." To maintain sound and steady regional development and respond to all kinds of challenges, China has put forward six positions to strengthen the Asia-Pacific security dialogue and cooperation: promoting common development, promoting the building of partnerships, improving the existing regional multilateral mechanisms, promoting rule-setting, intensifying military exchanges and cooperation, and properly resolving differences and disputes. These positions are a summary of experience for long-term exchanges between China and other countries, and the crystallization of the accumulated wisdom of countries in the region. We hope the entire region can work together to uphold the vision of mutually- beneficial cooperation, and make joint efforts to realize the long-term stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

The second term is "opening-up and innovation." As part of the super structure, the security vision and security framework must keep pace with the times with constant innovation, so as to meet actual needs and solve practical problems. China has put forward the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and is promoting construction of a security framework oriented to the future, in accord with regional realities and meeting everyone's needs. This concept is an inheritance and innovation of the vision for regional security cooperation, injecting new vitality into the Asia-Pacific security framework. We are willing to work together with all parties to advocate and practice this new security vision, and walk hand-in-hand down a path of security featuring wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

The third term is "positive interaction." China is working hard to promote sound interaction with other major countries in the region, and is making due contributions to ensuring the relationship between major Asia-Pacific countries remains stable on the whole. China is committed to working with the United States to build a new model of major-country relations featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, and build a bilateral relationship of positive interaction and inclusive cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. China is committed to deepening its comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia and establishing a closer partnership with India. China is committed to pushing for the improvement of its relations with Japan in the spirit of "facing history squarely and working together for the future." Meanwhile, we are adhering to a policy of building friendship and partnerships with neighboring countries, and continuing to deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation with them.

The fourth term is "dialogue and consultation." The course of regional development and experience after World War II tells us that, only dialogue and cooperation can be the "golden key" to solving regional hotspot issues. China sticks to properly resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability. For the cross-border security challenges facing us all, we should strengthen dialogue and cooperation and work on seeking solutions to prevent relevant problems from deteriorating into crises. China will continue to play its due role as a responsible major country in solving regional hotspot issues.

The fifth term is "regional mechanisms." China has called for and has sought to facilitate regional multilateral mechanisms, and is the founding member of many such mechanisms. We firmly support the central position of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in East Asia regional cooperation, and actively participate in and vigorously promote the dialogue and cooperation in relevant mechanisms. China is also committed to expanding regional security mechanisms and improving the regional cooperation framework. Together with relevant countries, we have initiated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Six-Party Talks on the North Korea nuclear issue, the Xiangshan Forum, and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) framework to promote the "dual driving," namely combining economic development and political security cooperation. In the future, China will continue to support and promote regional cooperation mechanisms like this to achieve greater development.

The sixth term is "pragmatic cooperation." In recent years, non-traditional security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region have become increasingly prominent. China actively participates in and promotes exchanges and cooperation to cope with these challenges, and continuously provides public security services. China has conducted a large number of cooperation projects in disaster-relief, counter-terrorism, combating transnational crime, cyber security and maritime security, and thus has enhanced mutual understanding and trust within the region, improved all countries' cooperative abilities in coping with challenges, and made important contributions to safeguarding regional peace and stability.

Finally, in summary: As an important member of the Asia-Pacific family, China always undertakes its responsibility to promote the Asia-Pacific prosperity, stability and security. We are willing to work together with other countries to steadily push forward security dialogue and cooperation, positively respond to both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, jointly maintain the good situation of regional peace and stability, and promote the building of common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Liu Zhenmin:

Now the floor is open for questions.

CCTV:

The new U.S. administration is going to take office soon. What expectation does China have for the incoming government's policy on Asia-Pacific security and cooperation?

Liu Zhenmin:

China hopes that the new U.S. administration's policy on Asia-Pacific security will be conducive to enhancing mutual trust, peace and stability in the region. Just like President Xi Jinping has said many times, the Pacific Ocean is big enough for the development of both China and the United States. China respects the traditional influence and practical interests of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and welcomes the United States to play a positive and constructive role in the region. At the same time, China also hopes that the United States respects China's interests and concerns in the region. In recent years, the two countries have maintained positive dialogue and communication on Asia-Pacific affairs. Both sides agree to foster a sound relationship of interaction and cooperation. China is willing to continue to communicate with the new administration of the United States on the Asia-Pacific affairs in the above-mentioned spirit and explore cooperation so as to jointly safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA):

I have two questions. First, there are some loudly expressed concerns about Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning's training exercises in the Western Pacific and South China Sea waters in 2016. Taiwan sources say that The Liaoning entered the Taiwan Strait to sail north at 7:00 this morning. Is this true? Second, since Trump was elected president of the United States, China has frequently carried out the so-called routine trainings in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and even the Western Pacific sea and air space. Are these actions conducive to promoting Asia-Pacific security cooperation?

Liu Zhenmin:

Liaoning is China's first aircraft carrier. It has been conducting training exercises in recent years. The Taiwan Strait is a watercourse shared by the mainland and Taiwan. Therefore, it is normal for the Liaoning carrier to travel to and from it during training and will not have any impact on cross-Strait relations.

Second, many of you may have noticed that in fact the Chinese Navy carries some training activities every year during this season. These drills are aimed at improving Chinese naval capabilities. The navy can't stay in the harbor. They need to go out for training. These trainings are safe. They made no security impact on the periphery or on any country. So there's no need to worry.

Hong Kong Wen Wei Po:

The White Paper mentioned some of China's ideas on improving the regional security framework. How do you see the current security framework in the Asia-Pacific region? What are your specific ideas for improving the regional security framework?

Liu Zhenmin:

At present, there are various trans-regional security cooperation mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific region, including the U.S.-led alliance system, ASEAN-centered security dialogue and cooperation mechanism, the Six-Party Talks on the DPRK nuclear issue, the SCO and so on. Some of these are among the last vestiges of the Cold War, while others reflect sub-regional dissonance and security inconsistencies.

In the context of the rapid development of Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, the region's security construction is lagging behind, and it is difficult to respond effectively to the complex and diverse security challenges in a timely manner. It is imperative to build a framework that faces the future, reflects regional realities and meets the interests of all parties of the Asia-Pacific region. In the 27 years after the Cold War, countries in the region have made many efforts in this regard.

There should be five characteristics in building a new Asia-Pacific security framework. First, upholding the new security concept featuring common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; second, safeguarding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations on the basis of international laws and rules; third, building an Asia-Pacific partnership based on equality, mutual trust, tolerance, mutual benefit, reciprocity and mutual understanding; fourth, strengthening coordination and improvement of the existing mechanisms with a framework of comprehensive, multi-layered and diversified network; fifth, achieving inclusive and mutual development with common development as a foothold.

Before the related parties in the Asia-Pacific region reach a consensus on a new regional security framework, more research and consultation should be made under Track 1.5 and Track 2 frameworks.

People's Daily:

It is reported that China and ASEAN countries are expected to conclude negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in the first half this year. Was any progress on the Code made during previous dialogues?

Liu Zhenmin:

Ever since China and ASEAN countries signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002, all parties have been engaged in implementing it. In September 2013, the 6th Senior Officials Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, officially launched the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. In the past four years, the negotiations have made certain progress in the preliminary stage. Now, we have reached a critical point to conclude the negotiations on the Code following the Joint Statement of the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN Member States and China on the Full and Effective Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which was issued at the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in July, last year. This signals a resumption of dialogue and peaceful negotiations for solution of the South China Sea issue, and is significant in view of the historic cooperation between China and ASEAN. In the Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted four points expected to deepen cooperation between China and ASEAN countries on the South China Sea issue. To establish a draft framework of the Code within the first half this year on the condition of zero intervention was among the points raised. However, we assure you that we'll not wait until the last day (June 30) to issue a draft; instead, we'll accomplish it ASAP.

Lianhe Zaobao:

Minister Liu, I have noticed this is the first time for China to issue a White Paper about Asia-Pacific security issues, so I wonder why did you do so? I have found that all the policies in the White Paper are in line with China's constant and unswerving standpoint. My second question is to issue a White Paper like this, does it mean China is attempting to tap the vacuum of the Asia-Pacific Region aside from the clout wielded by the United States and develop foreign policies in response to its influence as one of the major countries in the world?

Liu Zhenmin:

After listening to your two questions, I advise you to read our White Paper carefully. The highlights of the White Paper are security cooperation, not security problems. Why should China issue its first White Paper on China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation? It is because all the policies elaborated in the White Paper represent the sum total of China's security cooperative policies issued since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Of course, the policies are a consensus, reflecting China's peaceful foreign policy and its continued determination to uphold a peaceful diplomatic stance. However, those initiatives and policies concerning the security cooperation of the Asia-Pacific Region, such as, the initiative of partnerships, the new Asia-Pacific safety concepts and regional security frameworks have been gradually accumulated during the past four years.

The proposals of China issued in the White Paper clearly focus on sustaining and protecting the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific Region. The White Paper also touches on the problem of an incomplete Asia-Pacific framework leading to the mistrust of the countries in the region. The White Paper is to further illustrate the experiences of China in the past few years and its future political advocacy, to neighboring countries, the Asia-Pacific countries and International community at large. We believe the Asia-Pacific Region can only maintain security by means of dialogue, no other options.

The security of the Asia-Pacific Region should be sustained by the concerted efforts of all the countries, especially cooperation among major countries. China does not intend to replace the United States with its own role in the Asia-Pacific Region. However, regional security cannot be maintained by a single major county, even if the United States is the world's superpower. The White Paper adopts a format to accentuate the importance of cooperation, no matter it is for China-U.S. or China-Russia relations.

We'll continue to support ASEAN countries. The security of Asia-Pacific Region should be promoted with concerted efforts and the cooperative endeavors of all the parties involved. Joint efforts are needed to establish an Asia-Pacific cooperative mechanism.

CRI:

At his annual press conference held at the end of last year, Russian President Putin once again spoke highly of Russia-China relations. He said that, in recent years, the cooperative relations between the two countries had become closer than a partnership in a general sense. Russia and China shared the same positions on many international issues  an important factor of stability in international affairs. What are China's comments on this?

Liu Zhenmin:

China and Russia have enjoyed a strategic cooperation partnership for many years. Their close relationship is highly appraised by the leaders of the two countries and supported by their peoples. China and Russia are both large countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and they share a border that is over 4,000 kilometers long. So, cooperation is key to China's security. China and Russia have many common interests in Asia-Pacific region. The two countries are both vital to the region's security, stability and prosperity.

The following aspects of this cooperation will be further promoted. First, to strengthen coordination under the multilateral framework in the region, and to promote the healthy development of related mechanisms. Second, to promote the political settlement process in regard to hot issues, strengthen cooperation on cyberspace development, anti-terrorism and anti-missile systems, so as to keep the region peaceful and stable. Third, to take an active part in the cooperation of the connection of "Belt and Road" Initiative and the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union, boost construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and further interconnection, and to achieve mutual benefit. We believe that, under the joint efforts of China, Russia and other countries in the region, Asia-Pacific will have more secured peace, stability and prosperity. Thank you.

BBC:

In section six under the heading of "Counter-Terrorism Cooperation," it mentions "terrorism-related human smuggling", and I was wondering if you could explain what it involves. Is that, as I'm assuming, ethnic Uygur Chinese citizens crossing the border into neighboring countries potentially trained up by Islamic organizations, frenetic Islamic organizations and returning to China? Secondly, in the third paragraph, it talks about "China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan have established a coordination mechanism on counter-terrorism cooperation among the military forces of the four countries". How long has that been going for? And can you tell anything about what it has achieved?

Liu Zhenmin:

Currently, the international community knows clearly about the harm caused by the cross-border flow of terrorists, a core problem for world stability. No matter whether it's in Asia or Europe, Western Asia, North Africa, or other places, the flow of terrorists is a main source feeding continued terrorism. Of course, China also faces such challenge. Therefore, we have conducted cooperation with neighboring countries in combating transnational crimes and cross-border terrorist activities. For China, border areas especially the western frontier, have to confront more challenges in this regard; in other words, places abutting Central Asia and Afghanistan encounter a more serious threat of terrorism. However, what I want to emphasize is that this is an international issue, which calls for international cooperation. It's also a problem affected the security of Asia-Pacific countries. That's why we repeatedly stress in many forums and through various mechanisms that countries in the Asia-Pacific region should strengthen cooperation against terrorism.

As to the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Tajikistan coordination mechanism, both military and police cooperation is aimed at combating cross-border terrorist activities. The cooperation is proceeding smoothly and plays an important role in deterring terrorist organizations, cutting off the flow of terrorists, and cracking down on terrorist activities. China has established similar mechanisms with several neighboring countries including cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and China-Pakistan cooperation. We have accumulated good experience worth promoting. However currently, such cooperation is only limited to Pakistan and the SCO countries; whether is it a suitable approach for other regions, we have to negotiate with other countries and summarize experiences. In a word, Asia-Pacific countries should pay close attention to preventing and combating terrorism. It has been proved that some terrorist activities in Southeast Asia were conducted by cross-border terrorists, some of whom returned from the Middle East. Thus, combating terrorism is an important part of Asia-Pacific security cooperation.

China Daily:

Minister Liu, what new measures will China take in regard to South China Sea cooperation as the situation in this area has calmed down?

Liu Zhenmin:

Stability, cooperation and development are the shared aspirations and the main appeal of the countries around the South China Sea. China will continue pushing forward with the establishment and improvement of bilateral maritime consultation mechanisms with relevant countries, exploring joint development in areas such as fishery, oil and gas, and encouraging relevant countries to actively engage in building a cooperation mechanism according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We hope 2017 will become the year of cooperation in the South China Sea, and momentum of cooperation can start rolling. In the past few years, China and ASEAN countries have carried out some high-quality maritime pragmatic cooperation projects while implementing the framework of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. We have also been actively pushing to establish three technical cooperation committees for "navigation safety and search and rescue," "maritime scientific research and environmental protection" and "fighting maritime transnational crime." Last September, the "Table-top Exercise of Search and Rescue among China and ASEAN Member States" was successfully held, and there will be a real official exercise with ships this year.

Next, China will continue promoting bilateral cooperation with relevant countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. We will push for the establishment of the three technical cooperation committees already mentioned as early as possible, and will actively deepen cooperation in coast guard law enforcement, joint maritime search and rescue as well as ecological/environmental protection. According to the relevant international maritime affairs institutions, the South China Sea and Malacca Straits regions are areas frequently targeted by pirates and international maritime criminals. China's energy, resource, and trade heavily rely on the South China Sea. So, we will pay great attention to and will actively maintain the navigational safety, while actively strengthening cooperation with countries around the South China Sea.

Reuters:

I want to ask about North Korea. Many people think that the situation of North Korea will be one of the most serious security issues facing China and new Trump administration when he takes office. In fact, Trump and some of his newly-appointed officials including his pick of the Secretary of State (Rex Tillerson) are suggesting that they are gonna press China harder to take more actions against North Korea. So, my question is: How is China preparing for a more aggressive U.S. policy stance on the North Korea issue, and does China have its own leverage or its own way to prove to the United States that, in fact, it's doing all that it can? Thank you.

Liu Zhenmin:

The North Korea nuclear issue is an old issue. In the past years, as North Korea has staged more and more nuclear tests, the situation of the Korean Peninsula has attracted growing attention from various parties. In fact, in the progress of pushing for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the cooperation is always good, no matter whether it is between China and the U.S. or among the member countries of the UN Security Council. Insisting on the realization of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and solving problems through negotiations and dialogues, are China's adamant policies. China has put a great deal of effort into pushing forward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Although the Six-Party Talks stalled in recent years due to various reasons, the influence of the platform is still there. So, we do hope that, someday, the parties will agree to return to the Six-Party Talks.

China actively supports the UN Security Council's sanctions against North Korea because of its nuclear tests. As the Americans know, without China's support, the previous sanction resolutions could not have been approved. Why did China support them? We hope these sanction measures could gradually push North Korea back into the orbit of dialogue and negotiation, and back to the Six-Party Talks. Of course, the sanctions are not the goal. Sanctions are just a method. To eventually resolve the nuclear issue of North Korea, we have to go back to the table for dialogue. We specially appeal for an American-North Korean dialogue, because North Korea always believes the American-North Korean relationship makes great influence on the nuclear issue. The Chinese and American governments, all through the years, have worked very well with each other on the North Korea nuclear issue, and we hope we can continue the cooperation in this regard with the new American administration. Certainly, we also hope the new American administration will adopt a more positive and constructive stance regarding Korean Peninsula issues.

China News Service:

Media reports say the Philippine foreign minister and vice foreign minister both said recently that the Philippines would not bring the arbitration case concerning the South China Sea before the ASEAN meeting this year, when it is the rotating chair of the organization. What can you say on that?

Liu Zhenmin:

China has a clear and consistent position on this issue. We are pleased to see the statement of the Philippine foreign ministry. As a matter of fact, China and the Philippines have had a smooth communication on this issue since President Duterte took office. We always believe the South China Sea issue is between China and some ASEAN countries, not the entire ASEAN. And this is a consensus reached between China and ASEAN, as well as being something on which China insists. China will continue to negotiate and talk with the related countries to resolve conflicts. Meanwhile, we will continue collaborating with ASEAN countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, and the Philippines is taking the chair in rotation. China will support it in fulfilling its duties in this regard, and also discuss with it ways to enhance cooperation between China andASEAN in order to focus on development and cooperation and handle delicate issues. Last year was the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the dialogue process between China and ASEAN, and, from this year on, our relations will enter a second 25 years. We hope the relations between China and ASEAN will become ever closer in the next 25 years. A leader of a certain ASEAN country said a couple of years ago that he hoped an East Asia economic community could be built by 2020. This is an objective of both ASEAN and China. Closer cooperation between us is bound to make more contribution to the cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, including the economy and security.

Hu Kaihong:

Today's press conference ends here. Thank you, minister Liu. Thank you everyone.
The discourse over whether Donald Trump is "anti-interventionist" or a militant warmonger is misguided. Trump is neither, and yet he's also both. Indeed, he has put forward arguments -- contradictory as this may sound -- for both ways of thinking.

The media and ideological analysts like narratives, and this has led them to seek to place Trump in one or other ideological camp. For instance, after he made noises that suggested he favored isolationism, many Americans on that side of the political spectrum considered Trump as one of their own.

A cohort of academics involved in international relations studies, including Professor Daniel Drezner of Tufts University, argued that Trump's self-proclaimed anti-interventionism should be understood as "realism;" meanwhile, most respected realist scholars, such as Harvards Steven Walt, argued Trump wasn't a realist at all.

The latest shot in the academic debate comes from George Washington University professor Henry Nau, who argued in The American Interest, just in time for Trump's inauguration, that his traditional nationalism represents a dire threat to the longstanding American policy of "nationalism of internationalism," which Nau defines as intervention abroad to defend democratic allies, defeat terrorism, and trade freely.

Embedded in his argument, however, some assumptions, derived from the view that Trump is an isolationist, simply don't stand up to scrutiny. America will fall apart, Nau argues, if it reverts to "fighting terrorism at home because the United States is no longer willing to fight it on the ground abroad." ("Fighting terrorism abroad" so Americans don't have to face it at home is a neo-conservative argument for sending troops to Iraq or Afghanistan to fight ISIS, al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups).

It's a misnomer, however, that Trump doesn't want to send American troops abroad to fight terrorist and insurgent groups. After all, hes repeatedly said he wants to "bomb the shit" out of ISIS in Syria. In March, he even paid lip-service to the need to send in up to 30,000 ground troops.

In fact, he has continuously argued for invading Iraq and Syria and stealing their oil, using the proceeds for American causes. Even worse, he would torture those suspected of terrorism and kill their civilian family members. "I am the greatest hawk who ever lived... ...the most militant human being," he once declared.

That's why I've always been surprised when people say he would end American interference abroad, bringing home the troops. Where that narrative arises is that Trump gives a nod to pulling troops out of South Korea and Japan, and cozying up to Russia; however, even here, its unclear how serious he is in making such remarks. He could have just been using it as a campaign lie or a negotiating tactic. Besides, he said that even if America withdrew from Japan, he would have no problem with Japan and Korea developing nuclear weapons.

It would be fair to say Trump has consistently played down a Russian threat to the U.S. and expressed skepticism about defending the liberal world order. To that end, he might not be as active as his predecessors in pushing countries on human rights or intervening on the grounds of "responsibility to protect" civilians.

On the other hand, he may prove to be much more aggressive than Obama when confronted by terrorists or adversaries he sees as insulting American honor. As someone who takes any personal insult very deeply, he applies the same thin-skinned egotism to his country.

He has expressed the view that Obama has been a "weak" president for being relatively passive when confronting terrorism and crisis. For example, he and fellow Republicans say Obama didn't strike hard enough at Iran when the latter captured U.S. soldiers who drifted into Iranian waters. In fact, Obama got the soldiers released within 15 hours. Trump says he would have "shot Iran out of the water."

We can already see the broad forms of Trump foreign policy in effect from the amateur foreign policy program he pursued in the two months between winning the election and his swearing-in. Shortly after victory, he talked by phone with foreign leaders, including Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen.

The conversation with Tsai was unprecedented as a U.S. president had never publicly communicated with a Taiwan leader since the opening of relations with the People's Republic of China in the 1970s. He poured fuel on the flames in Chinese eyes by then raising the possibility of formally recognizing Taiwan.

According to Duterte, Trump expressed support for the formers extrajudicial program of killing suspected drug users and invited him to the White House.

Both incidents show Trump has radically changed course on human rights compared to Obama, who criticized Duterte's war on drugs and was called "a son of a bitch" in response.

Neither does Trump care about toppling Syrian leader Bashir Assad or putting a stop to Russia's bombing campaign in Syria that liberal interventionists claim is killing an unnecessarily large number of civilians. Yet, that doesn't mean Trump wants to be hands-off on Syria. It just means that he would be focused on fighting ISIS rather than the Syrian regime.

On the whole, Trump's policies of confrontation could cause more global instability than have Obama. The latter was keen to push perceived American interests where he felt it possible, but he did so usually with an understanding of the objections of other powers and balancing concerns. The nuclear deal with Iran is one example of where Obama was able to reach a settlement with an adversary with the help of other countries, including Russia and China.

Even where Obama intervened militarily, he often did so after achieving approval from the UN (as in Libya, flawed as that intervention was). Trump, on the other hand, has a unilateral streak, one of the reasons he wants to withdraw from the liberal world order and potentially tear up the Iran deal.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Senate Government Operations Committee Chairman Mike Bell on Wednesday joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brian Kelsey, Rep. Dennis Powers, and other lawmakers at a press conference to announce legislation calling for a convention of states for the purpose of adopting a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 9 and House Joint Resolution 24 provide that the convention of states would be for the limited purposes of 1) planning for, and recommending rules and procedures for an Article V Convention to amend the U.S. Constitution and 2) recommending to Congress the initial date and location in which they would meet.

Article V provides that upon the application of two-thirds of the state legislatures, Congress shall call a convention of the states to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Our nations founders, Mason and Madison, insisted there be a method for the states to amend the Constitution, said Senator Bell. This is contained in Article V. They said that at some point in the future the federal government may grow to such a size that they could become deaf to the concern of the states. Looking at our national debt, which has now reached a $20 trillion, we as a state have a duty or responsibility to try and rein this in. That is what this resolution calling for a convention of states is about.



The legislation sets the date for convention of states for July 11, in Nashville, with the Article V Convention following as early as November. This convention would be the first formal meeting of the states since 1861.

Presently, 28 of the necessary 34 states have passed the application resolution limited to proposing a balanced budget amendment (BBA).



The organizational structure for the Tennessee BBA Planning Convention will be virtually the same as the convention for proposing the balanced budget amendment as each are a convention of the states. State legislatures will choose a delegation to represent the state at the convention, each state will have one vote, and the convention will deliberate and make recommendations.



We must plan ahead of time for the convention because there has never been a convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution, said Senator Kelsey. The Tennessee Balanced Budget Amendment Planning Convention will create a structure for the Balanced Budget Amendment Convention and will address many of the unanswered questions as to how an amendment convention will function.



Over the years, some people have feared that a convention for proposing amendments could get out of control and become a run-a-way convention, said Rep. Powers. This planning convention will show that that is not the case.

More than 30 conventions have been held over the years and the rules and procedures for a convention are well documented. Senator Bell said the convention would incorporate the lessons learned from previous conventions into the rules for the Balanced Budget Amendment Convention.



As part of the Tennessee BBA Planning Convention, states interested in hosting the BBA Amendment Convention will have the opportunity to present to the Planning Convention the advantages of their state being host. If the Planning Convention makes a recommendation to Congress on the time, date, and place, then Congress will have to consider the will of the states in making their determination.
Patriotism fills the warm air in Columbus, Ga. About an hour south of Atlanta via I-85 and I-185, Columbus is the second largest city in the Peach State and offers American-sized fun making it an ideal getaway for President's Day, February 20. With Fort Benning at its helm, this military town is a natural setting for national pride and a memory-making history lesson that is entertaining for all.

With thousands of artifacts, monuments, interactive exhibits and video presentations on display, the National Infantry Museum is one of the nation's top military history destinations.

Tuesday

Saturday

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday

11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The National Civil War Naval Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to telling the complete Naval story of the American Civil War. This prized establishment is home to the largest surviving Confederate warship, the CSS Jackson, as well as the wreckage of the CSS Chattahoochee. Climb aboard a full-scale replica of the USS Water Witch and a replica of the USS Hartford with its berth deck, wardroom and captain's cabin. Among the many artifacts, the museum also has the largest collection of Civil War Naval-related flags on display in the country. Guests will feel as if they have set sail with the timeline exhibit, which takes you month by month through the war displaying every naval battle. Get up close to the museum's rarest artifacts, such as the uniform coat of Captain Catesby Jones and Admiral Farragut's two-star hat insignia. Learn the stories of the sailors, soldiers and civilians, both free and enslaved at Port Columbus. The museum is open Sunday and Monday from 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. and Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tickets are $7.50, with discounted rates for military, seniors and students; children are free. Group tours are available Monday - Friday .







For over 60 years, the Columbus Museum has dazzled guests with its unique American art and regional historical collections. Being one of the largest museums in the Southeast, the Columbus Museum's artistic and historical treasures are displayed in its permanent collection, temporary exhibitions and educational programs. The Columbus Museum's collection of fine and decorative art is a record of the changing artistic tastes of American culture from Colonial times to present day. It includes portraits, still lifes, women's fashion from 1850-1930, as well as period furniture. Its history collection galleries tell the 10,000-year history of Columbus and the surrounding area, particularly focusing on the impact of the Chattahoochee River. Dive into the earliest colonization, remember the Trail of Tears, learn about the area's complex slave history and get a lesson on Columbus' first public schools.



The tale of freedom resounds in this all-American town. Visitors are sure to leave Columbus, Georgia, with new knowledge, fresh inspiration and a renewed sense of gratitude.



This 190,000-square-foot facility opened in 2009 and has one guiding mission: to honor the legacy and valor of the U.S. Army Infantryman. Beginning with the Revolutionary War, experience 240+ years of American battles that put you in the fight for the Last 100 Yards. The immersive simulators are next to none. Take a shot at the rifle range--the same combat simulator used by the U.S. Army. Or, climb aboard the Humvee and participate in a rescue mission seen on surrounding screens. Guests can also take in the action by viewing a military documentary in the Giant Screen Theater. The National Infantry Museum shows guests what it takes to be a U.S. Army Soldier and is a reminder of why freedom isn't free. Visitors of all ages can experience firsthand the American Infantryman's journey to defeat tyranny around the globe. The National Infantry Museum is openfromandfromAdmission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. Group tours are available.
State Senator Mike Bell has been reappointed chairman of the Senate Government Operations Committee.

The announcement was made by Lt. Governor Randy McNally as the 110th General Assembly wrapped up their organizational session in Nashville on Thursday.

"I appreciate the confidence Lt. Governor McNally has placed in me and will continue to work hard to make good public policy decisions that not only helps Tennessees government and its agencies work in a more cost-efficient manner, but that also focuses on serving the people of this state more effectively, said Senator Bell.

The Senate Government Operations Committee is generally perceived as one of the most powerful in the General Assembly as it oversees legislation to create, reauthorize, reorganize or sunset departments, commissions, boards, agencies or councils of state government. The Committee also hears bills regarding licensing and/or certification of occupational and/or professional groups and reviews regulations promulgated by all Tennessee departments, commissions, boards or agencies.

Senator Bell was also reappointed to the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Judiciary Committee. The Energy Committee is responsible for farming issues as well as all matters pertaining to energy, forestry, natural resources, conservation, game and fish, and the mining industry. The Judiciary Committee is responsible for hearing all bills dealing with civil laws, criminal laws, judicial proceedings, apportionment of elected officials and governing bodies, and all matters relating to the courts, as well as law enforcement.

The General Assembly will take a brief recess to make office assignments and await budget details before convening in a joint session on January 30 to hear Governor Bill Haslams State of the State/ Budget Address.
Left: The experimental result (neutron Bragg reflection) in perfect agreement with theoretical predictions (red line) that demonstrated the core-shell structure formed by a binary fluid within a nanocapillary. Right: A sketch of the core-shell structure.

Shrinking the investigation of objects down to the nanometer scale often reveals new properties of matter that have no equivalent for their bulk analysis. This phenomenon is motivating many current studies of nanomaterials which can reveal fascinating new phenomena.

It inspired a group of researchers at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) to explore the extent of our knowledge about fundamental properties of fluids, which demands reconsideration with the increasing use of fluids in the decreasing sizes of new devices, where their flow is confined into ever-smaller capillary tubes.

As the group reports they discovered a peculiar state of miscible, or mixable, fluids contained within nanochannels.

This peculiar state "corresponds to a well-ordered, concentric arrangement of two coexisting liquid regions of different composition," said Denis Morineau, director of research at CNRS, in Rennes. "One region forms a shell surrounding a second liquid core, both of which have a radial thickness of only one to four molecular sizes.

"[The phenomenon] is known as 'microphase separation' because it doesn't imply that the constituents of the two liquid regions will indeed phase separate," he said. "They actually form a unique homogenous liquid phase during normal conditions. In fact, this hidden tendency of binary fluids to form spontaneous supramolecular ordered structures is revealed only at the microscopic scale."

In primary school, many pupils experiment with droplets of ink from, say, a fountain pen to observe their dispersion in a glass of water. Eventually, the droplet disperses fully and the miscible combination leads to the formation of a homogenous, light-blue solution.

"This shows that two liquids are fully miscible and their binary mixture forms a single liquid phase at thermodynamic equilibrium," said Morineau. "Now, by combining different pairs of simple solvents, we've shown that this inherent property of fully miscible binary liquids is invalidated when the container size is scaled down."

Effectively, they directly measured how small is too small for a sample of two miscible liquids to be considered a combined solution.

This phenomenon was first observed during a neutron scattering experiment performed at the French Neutron National Source Orphee in the Laboratory Leon Brillouin (LLB). The study was further developed at LLB in collaboration with the European Large Scale Facility (Institute Laue-Langevin).

"Scattered neutrons reveal where atoms are in the sample with a spatial resolution that reaches the nanometer scale," Morineau said. "The unique method is sensitive to the isotopic nature of atom. Unlike X-rays, they provide a clear distinction between hydrogen and (the hydrogen isotope) deuterium."

The group applied this method to study the structure of simple solvents such as hydrocarbons and alcohols, impregnated within synthetic, porous solids made of silica glass. The glass featured a honeycomb-like arrangement of parallel, eight nanometer wide cylindrical channels. The porous material served as a collection of nanometer-sized test tubes.

Morineau's group mixed molecules of the same liquid, but differing in the total number of neutrons from the exchange of hydrogen atoms with its heavier isotope, deuterium. With the right proportions, the mixture can be tuned to scatter neutrons matching the scattering from the glass tubes, making the two indistinguishable.

"We first used this trick to prepare and confine liquids that have the same interaction with neutrons as the silica glass nanocapillaries. Under this contrast-matching condition, the neutron is blind to the liquid and the measured scattered intensity is cancelled," Morineau said. "[With ink this would] correspond to the situation in which both the inked solution and the glass container have exactly the same color, making them indistinguishable."

The group had a surprising observation for some confided binary liquids, where they expected neutron matching behavior, but the signal was higher than ever.

"This was the first direct proof that the paradigm of homogenous composition in a fully miscible mixture must break down within nanochannels," said Morineau.

For real applicability, the group extended a series of carefully designed experiments to establish methods of labeling the components of binary liquids.

"Combined with the development of a computational model, it shows excellent agreement with our present experiments," Morineau said. "We've provided a handy method to assess the original structures of fluids imbibed in nanometer-scale environments."

Manipulating liquids in nanostructured pores is an activity common to many chemistry and materials science processes, but also plays a significant role in biological environments where the researchers expect their work to have broad applicability.

"Our study suggests that microphase separation, as a new type of nanostructure, results from the concomitant effects of specific surface interactions and spatial confinement," said Morineau. "So we're excited by the opportunity the modulation of both elements offers to promote a new control on supermolecular assembling of complex mixtures."

They plan to further investigate the dynamics, out-of-equilibrium properties and fluid flow within such systems. "These are fundamentally of interest, as well as for the development of nanofluidic devices," he said. "We're now collaborating with two research groups from Hamburg to explore these different perspectives."
 Flash

Indonesia's flagship carrier PT Garuda will soon operate direct flights between the Indonesian tourist island of Bali and the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an, company sources said.

The services every Thursday will start on Jan. 26. The flight will take six and a half hours. It will be served by an Airbus wide-body A330-300, with 358 seats.

Garuda currently flies to Bali from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Foreign airlines are expanding their reach to west China as more Chinese can afford overseas trips. In January, Indonesia's Lion Air will also begin a four-time weekly service between southwestern city of Chengdu and Bali.

China has become the second largest source of foreign visitors for Indonesia after Singapore, partly thanks to Jakarta's visa exemption policy for Chinese tourists.
As soon as it comes out of the printing nozzle, the solvent evaporates and the ink solidifies. It takes the form of filaments slightly bigger than a hair. The manufacturing work can then begin.

Carbon nanotubes have made headlines in scientific journals for a long time, as has 3D printing. But when both combine with the right polymer, in this case a thermoplastic, something special occurs: electrical conductivity increases and makes it possible to monitor liquids in real time. This is a huge success for Polytechnique Montreal.

In practical terms, the result of this research, conducted by mechanical engineer Professor Daniel Therriault and his team, looks like a cloth; but as soon as a liquid comes into contact with it, said cloth is able to identify its nature. In this case, it is ethanol, but it might have been another liquid. Such a process would be a terrific advantage to heavy industry, which uses countless toxic liquids.

A simple yet efficient recipe

While deceptively simple, the recipe is so efficient that Professor Therriault protected it with a patent. In fact, a U.S. company is already looking at commercializing this material printable in 3D, which is highly conductive and has various potential applications.

The first step: take a thermoplastic and, with a solvent, transform it into a solution so that it becomes a liquid. Second step: as a result of the porousness of this thermoplastic solution, carbon nanotubes can be incorporated into it like never before, somewhat like adding sugar into a cake mix. The result: a kind of black ink that's fairly viscous and whose very high conductivity approximates that of some metals. Third step: this black ink, which is in fact a nanocomposite, can now move on to 3D printing. As soon as it comes out of the printing nozzle, the solvent evaporates and the ink solidifies. It takes the form of filaments slightly bigger than a hair. The manufacturing work can then begin.

The advantages of this technology

The research conducted at Polytechnique Montreal is at the vanguard in the field of uses for 3D printers. The era of amateurish prototyping, like printing little plastic objects, belongs to the past. These days, all manufacturing industries, whether aviation, aerospace, robotics or medicine, etc., have set their sights on this technology.

There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the lightness of parts because plastic is substituted for metal. Then there is the precision of the work done at the microscopic level, as is the case here. Lastly, with the nanocomposite filaments usable at room temperature, conductivities can be obtained that approximate those of some metals. Better still, since the geometry of filaments can be varied, measures can be calibrated that make it possible to read the various electric signatures of liquids that are to be monitored.

A topical example: pipelines

At the connection points of pipes that form pipelines, there are flanges. The idea would be to factory- manufacture the pipes with flanges coated by 3D printing. The coating would be a nanocomposite whose electric signature is calibrated according to the liquid being transported - oil, for instance. If there is a leak and the liquid touches the printed sensors based on the concept developed by Professor Therriault and his team, an alert would sound in record time, and in a very targeted way. That's a tremendous advantage, both for the population and the environment; in case of a leak, the faster the reaction time, the lesser the damages.
Hospital and municipal leaders gathered Thursday for their long-awaited chance to argue before the Illinois Supreme Court whether a law allowing not-for-profit hospitals to skip paying property taxes is constitutional.

Based on some of the justices' questions, it's possible the case before the state's highest court might not be the end for an issue with the potential to affect the pocketbooks of taxpayers, municipalities and hospitals across the state.

Advertisement

Illinois not-for-profit hospitals currently are exempt from having to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes so long as the value of their charitable services is equal to or greater than their estimated tax liabilities. Hospitals say those exemptions are important to help them meet their communities' health care needs.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing and an attorney for Carle Foundation Hospital talk about the importance of an Illinois Supreme Court case over hospital property tax exemptions. (Lisa Schencker / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

But some municipalities argue that many not-for-profit hospitals are more like businesses, making handsome profits. They say hospitals should have to contribute their fair share of taxes to their communities, like any other business. A 2009 report by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability said 47 Chicago-area not-for-profit hospitals had property tax exemptions worth a total of $279 million.

Advertisement

About 156 of Illinois' more than 200 hospitals are not-for-profit.

In the case before the state Supreme Court, the city of Urbana and others argue that Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana should not be exempt from paying property taxes. They say the 2012 state law allowing hospitals to be exempt if they provide charity equal in value to their property tax liabilities is unconstitutional. The state constitution only allows such exemptions if the property in question is used exclusively for charitable purposes, they say.

Frederic Grosser, an attorney for Urbana, told the justices Thursday that the Illinois legislature shouldn't have been allowed to create the 2012 law allowing exemptions based on the value of charitable services.

"It's beyond the authority of the legislature," Grosser said. "It can't create a special kind of exemption for hospitals."

Meanwhile Steven Pflaum, an attorney for Carle, argued that requirements of the 2012 law and the state constitution are compatible. Under the constitution a facility can be considered exclusively used for charitable purposes so long as it's "made available to all who need it regardless of ability to pay," he said.

Some of the justices questioned whether the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court had jurisdiction to consider the case last year. That court ruled the 2012 law unconstitutional.

Justice Robert Thomas noted the case has a number of procedural issues that made him wonder if it would be better to instead wait for another case on the issue to make its way to the Supreme Court. He was referring to a separate case in which a state appeals court ruled last month that the law exempting hospitals from paying property taxes is constitutional.

If the Supreme Court doesn't rule in this case, it could take another year for the other case to come before the justices.

Advertisement

That would mean more delays for hospitals seeking new property tax exemptions, said Mark Deaton, Illinois Health and Hospital Association general counsel, after oral arguments.

The Illinois Department of Revenue already has a moratorium on issuing any new property tax exemptions for hospitals while the courts consider the issue. The department has about 95 applications pending.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing said after oral arguments Thursday that regardless of what the court decides  or doesn't decide  the issue is one the legislature should weigh.

The hospital association might work with lawmakers to craft a new law if the court strikes the current one down. Association President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi has said the group will "assess all options" once a ruling is made.

"Why should the most profitable companies in the state be shifting their burden onto every other business and homeowner?" Prussing asked.

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.

Advertisement

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 provided $30.6 million in charity care in 2015, according to the hospital.

Prussing has said Urbana lost 11 percent of its assessed property value for tax purposes when Carle and another Urbana hospital, now called Presence Covenant Medical Center, were relieved of paying more than $6 million a year in property taxes.

A decision in the case is expected in coming months.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
Kraft Heinz CEO Bernardo Hees is planning to leave his posh 8,000-square-foot, 7.5-acre estate in the hills of Pittsburgh in hopes of finding a new home in Chicago.

But a company spokesman said the executive's move doesn't mean the maker of Kraft Mac & Cheese and Heinz Ketchup will be pulling up stakes in Pittsburgh.

Advertisement

"This does not represent any change or shift in focus for the company. Kraft Heinz remains 100 percent committed to our co-headquarter locations in Pittsburgh and Chicago," spokesman Michael Mullen said in an email.

Still, given recent analyst reports that Kraft Heinz, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, could soon make another large acquisition, the move is sure to ignite more speculation on looming consolidation in the food industry. Mondelez International, Conagra Bands and Mead Johnson have all been mentioned among analysts as potential acquisition targets for Kraft Heinz; all three companies are based in the Chicago area.

Advertisement

The Hees mansion at 710 Bending Oak Lane in the Fox Chapel neighborhood of Pittsburgh is for sale. Current listing: $3.5 million.

But Hees and his family are planning to have residences in both Chicago and Pittsburgh, Mullen said.

"The decision will allow Bernardo to streamline his global travel schedule and day-to-day business operations, while continuing to work regularly from the offices of both U.S. headquarters," Mullen said.

In an email obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the first news outlet to report the executive's move, Hees' wife, Jana Hees, told friends that they intended to move to Chicago at the end of the school year.

"Bernardo's work demands in Chicago and abroad have become more and more intense," she wrote in the email. "The time he has spent away from home lately is taking a toll on us too high to ignore."

Last month, a report in a Swiss magazine that Kraft Heinz was in talks to acquire Mondelez boosted shares of both companies. Since then, other reports have refuted that the two companies were discussing a merger. Kraft Heinz and Mondelez officials have declined to comment.

A merger of Kraft Heinz and Mondelez would be a reunion of sorts. Mondelez came into existence when Kraft Foods split into two publicly traded companies in 2012. The spun-off North American grocery business, Kraft Foods Group, later merged with Heinz to become Kraft Heinz.

Bob Goldsborough contributed.

Advertisement

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
Headlines surrounding the gun violence on Chicago's South Side would be a deterrent for most people intrigued about a job opportunity in the neighborhood.

But for Dr. Selwyn Rogers, the South Side's troubles were part of his attraction to working there as the first head of University of Chicago Medicine's much-anticipated new trauma center.

Advertisement

"I saw what was going on within the context of intentional violence on the South Side of Chicago," Rogers said. "I actually was very struck by the opportunity and calling to make a difference."

Rogers said goodbye to the warmth of Texas, where he served since 2014 as vice president and chief medical officer at the University of Texas Medical Branch, for the chill of Chicago last week. The surgeon and public health expert will lead development of the center, which will be the South Side's only Level 1 adult trauma center when it opens in 2018.

Advertisement

A state board approved the project in May after activists spent years campaigning for urgent, high-level medical care on the city's South Side  where it has been lacking since the now-defunct Michael Reese Hospital in Bronzeville closed its center in 1991. That's forced residents of neighborhoods plagued by gun violence to travel as far as 10 miles by ambulance for treatment.

The Rev. Julian DeShazier, a senior pastor at University Church, called Rogers the "perfect person" to develop the trauma center. DeShazier was among those who pushed for the new emergency department and trauma center.

"He has a real sense of the connection between social issues and health outcomes and shows that kind of worldview where we can't just treat illnesses, but we have to treat some of the issues leading to these illnesses as well," DeShazier said.

He said it also helps that Rogers, an African-American, looks like many of those in the community he'll be serving. "If the medical center seeks to truly be in partnership with the community, it's important the community feels represented in a meaningful way," DeShazier said.

Rogers also will serve as executive vice president for community health engagement.

A faculty search committee considered Rogers along with more than 30 other candidates who met the requirements for the job, said Department of Surgery chairman Dr. Jeffrey Matthews, who led the national search. The committee narrowed the list to a top handful of candidates, ultimately landing on Rogers.

"We wanted to find someone with the vision of how a trauma center could dovetail with other efforts by University of Chicago Medicine and the broader University of Chicago to impact not only our local community but also the city of Chicago," Matthews said.

Rogers has studied how issues like race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status affect health care and surgical outcomes. For him it's a personal issue. He knows what it's like to be at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder, having grown up poor in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Advertisement

"I saw the impact of not having economic resources, but I never was deterred because I had a bit of audacity, of ignorance," said Rogers, 50. "I didn't know what I didn't know. I did well in school and thought my job, as my mom always shared with me, was to make a difference with the talents and skills that I had."

Rogers earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Harvard and followed that up with a master's of public health from Vanderbilt University. He's also worked at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

The father of three now hopes to take his interests and experiences and apply them in Chicago. He wants to get to know the community, its needs and how the new trauma center can best help. He's moved to the South Side Kenwood neighborhood, saying it's "key to live in the community in which I'm going to work."

He plans to embark on a listening tour, visiting churches, bazaars and community health centers to learn more.

"There is so much that I don't know, and there are so many people and programs and partners who are doing great work already, South Side of Chicago and beyond," Rogers said. "There's incredible opportunity to listen to the community's needs and design a trauma center that can break down the walls of the hospital and reach into the community."

He knows all too well the importance of reaching beyond hospital walls to address the root causes of violence.

Advertisement

He remembers one night, as a doctor in Boston, when a man in his 30s was rushed to the hospital after being shot in the head. The man's mother and 5-year-old daughter were in tow.

The man was brain-dead, but his mother insisted that she and his daughter see him one last time. Rogers watched as the little girl touched her father's hand. Rogers saw resolve in the mother's face.

Rogers later asked her where she got the strength. He thought she'd say her faith. Instead, she calmly explained that this was her second child who had died after being shot in the head.

"That day reminds me we've got to do more than patch people up and send them back out," Rogers said. "We have to address the larger issues that lead to this intentional violence and treat it as what it is. It's a disease."

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
1. An oyster happy hour

Kick off your weekend right with an oyster "tasting menu" at GT Fish & Oyster. If you're lucky enough to snag a spot at the restaurant's 16-seat boomerang table, you can indulge in four bites featuring the humble bivalve. Start with a shooter before moving to the oyster and poke combo, roasted oyster with horseradish butter, and a miniature oyster po'boy  promised to be served in under an hour, all the better if that Tinder date goes sour. $15. 3-6 p.m weekdays at 531 N. Wells St., 312-929-3501, www.gtoyster.com

Advertisement

2. Sunday, bloody (mary) Sunday

If Sunday had a cocktail equivalent to a "spirit animal," it'd be the bloody Mary. Logan Square's SinkSwim seems to agree, as it's hosting the latest entries in its quest for the city's best bloody Mary. Guest bartenders from Chicago Barbershop and Wild Wind Tattoo go head-to-head to woo customers with their versions of the bloody, with a portion of the event's proceeds funneled to the winner's charity of choice. Free to attend. Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15 at 3213 W. Armitage Ave., 773-486-7465, www.sinkswimchicago.com

Advertisement

3. Brunch at Boho House

Cozy up to a warm cocktail and a live music brunch at Bohemian House on Saturday. The acoustic set by Paulo Apuli will transport you away from the chill outside, while a DIY warm cocktail bar will offer pours to warm you from the inside out. For just $4.50, pick a base  coffee from Dark Matter, or hot chocolate  then a selection of spirits, syrups, toppings and garnishes. A special brunch menu will be on offer. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at 11 W Illinois St, 312-955-0439, www.bohochicago.com

4. Get involved in local food politics

Interested in food policy and activism? KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, in Hyde Park, is hosting the 8th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Food Justice and Sustainability Weekend from Friday through Sunday. The focus will be on climate change and water, with education and advocacy programs schedule all weekend. Topics will cover lead contamination to improved food production, with a hope of connecting and empowering attendees with tools for change. Free to attend. Friday, Jan. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 15 at 1100 East Hyde Park Boulevard. For a full program of events, visit https://www.kamii.org/mlk

5. ...and more brunch, this time at Publican Anker

Just over a month old, Publican Anker is starting to roll out its weekend brunch, starting with Sunday for now. The menu, developed by executive chef Cosmo Goss and chef de cuisine AJ Walker, the menu taps into the restaurant's goal at rustic, casual fare. Expect the usual brunch suspects with some upgrades: French toast with bourbon custard, biscuits with mushroom gravy, and oatmeal with persimmon and crispy quinoa, to name a few. The grilled half-lobster with thermidor sauce, though, seems just the ticket for a luxe Sunday funday. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays at 1576 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-904-1121, www.publicananker.com

jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85
Heads up, mezcal fans: Jay Schroeder, a leading ambassador of the popular Mexican spirit, is out at Mezcaleria Las Flores. As first reported by Eater, Schroeder is leaving the Logan Square bar amidst a months-long discussion over a formal partnership that failed to materialize.

Schroeder and Sarah Jordan, partner at MLF and chef-owner of the attached Johnny's Grill, have both declined interviews, "as they are both looking forward and not back," according to a representative. Instead, they each released independent statements on the situation.

Advertisement

According to Jordan, "I very much respect his creativity behind the bar, but ultimately, there were various differences on the operations end that we have personally not been able to see eye to eye on. ... It just comes down to the fact that it simply wasn't the right fit."

Since opening in March of last year, MLF has been a destination for mezcal novices and aficionados alike, with much of that buzz tied to Schroeder's deep knowledge of the unique spirit. Widely considered one of the city's top mezcal authorities, Schroeder brought a sense of education and exploration to the bar, augmenting the spirit's profile with inventive cocktails but also participation in such events as the city's first Mezcal Week and Mexico: Mezcal in a Bottle.

Advertisement

"It is with great sadness that I announce my departure from Mezcaleria Las Flores, a project into which I poured my heart and soul," said Schroeder in a statement. "Very few people are granted the opportunity to take an idea and actualize it, start to finish.  At the outset I would have never imagined that we as a team would have been able to accomplish what we have: all that we set out to do and much more."

Both Jordan and Schroeder say there are no hard feelings, and both look forward to new projects down the road. Stay tuned for updates.

jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85






While actress Gabrielle Union has been making the talk show rounds to discuss the new season of her BET show "Being Mary Jane," she has been doing a good job promoting the Chicago food scene.

"We love (Chicago), but everything that we do is centered around food. I was literally just Googling the next place I'm going to go, which is Portillo's," Union told Stephen Colbert Wednesday on "The Late Show."

Advertisement

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

"If you're looking to put on a few lbs, Chicago is the town to go to," said Colbert, who attended Northwestern University and lived in Chicago in the '80s and '90s while training and performing with Second City.

Advertisement

"I'm all in," said Union, who moved to Chicago last year from Miami when her husband, Dwyane Wade, joined the Bulls.

Union, 44, told "Good Morning America" Tuesday she has been "inhaling" her food here.

"Being Mary Jane" airs 8 p.m. Tuesdays. "The Late Show" airs 10:35 p.m. weeknights on CBS.

RELATED STORIES:

Gabrielle Union has been 'inhaling' a lot of food since moving to Chicago

Chris Bosh played guitar with Buddy Guy at his South Loop club

Here's how Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade spend the holidays

Gabrielle Union says her sons have trouble 'pulling chicks' in Chicago







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
 Flash

Jiang Jianguo, Minister of State Council Information Office of People's Republic of China. [Photo/China Daily]

As you all know, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Switzerland, attend the World Economic Forum, and call on the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, as well as the headquarters of the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee.

It is also known that it is nine years since the global financial crisis broke out. Along with the rise of populism, protectionism and parochialism, the world has come to a historical crossroads and must make the choice between war and peace, poverty and development, confrontation and cooperation, monopoly and win-win solutions.

And it is known to all that President Xi Jinping's visit is for peaceful development, win-win cooperation, economic globalization, and the establishing of a community of shared destiny for humankind.

History and realities show that a good global economic order cannot exist without good state economic governance. Currently, strengthening the sustainability and inclusiveness of the global economy entails all countries taking proactive action to manage their own business well, step up their policy coordination, seek the greatest common denominator, and form the largest concentric circle, so as to contribute to the stabilization and improvement of global economic governance. How has China done in these regards? That is the main content of my talk with you today.

First, China's economy has entered a new normal. Its economic growth has slowed, but it still remains stable and progressive.

With China's growing economic size and the deepening of China's cooperation with the world, the Chinese economy's development trend is of great significance to the outside world. China's economy has entered a new normal, a shift-changing period of slower acceleration due to restructuring and a change in its driving forces. On the one hand, the potential growth rate has decreased, leading to a drop in the realized annual economic growth rate, from 7.9 percent in 2012 to 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. However, the slowing growth has itself slowed and the trend is now clear: It is evident that the economy has become healthier and progressive and the growth rate is stabilizing.

This trend is collectively reflected in the improvement in people's livelihoods. The consumption rate of mainland residents has increased markedly, from 35.9 percent in 2010 to 38.5 percent in 2015, up 0.52 percentage points each year on average. The number of new jobs created from January to November last year hit 12.49 million, fulfilling 124.9 percent of the annual target in advance. The actual growth in average disposable income per capita was 6.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. The growth rate for people's wages, net income and net property income were all around 8 percent, and the growth of per capita net income transfer was 10.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2016. While targeted poverty alleviation efforts have lifted more than 10 million people out of poverty since they were firstly implemented nationwide one year ago. The integrating of the rural and urban medical insurance systems has also accelerated, and the quality of public medical services and the system's fairness has improved remarkably.

The trend has also been reflected in the continuous optimizing of the country's economic structure. In the first three quarters of 2016, the growth of the service sector's contribution ratio to the growth of the national economy reached 58.5 percent, and it became the main engine of economic growth, while consumption's contribution ratio to GDP growth hit 71 percent, the driver effects become stronger. The investment in high-tech industry increased 15.9 percent from January to November year-on-year, 7.6 percentage points more than the total investment growth rate.

The growth in profits made by equipment manufacturers and high-tech manufacturers has also accelerated, and more iron and steel and coal production is being eliminated than has been set as the targets. The asset-liability ratio in the industrial enterprises has dropped 0.6 percentage points year-on-year.

The trend is also collectively reflected in the effective strengthening of innovation's driving effects. China invested 2.07 percent of its GDP in research and development in 2015, the second highest amount in the world, while its number of patent application exceeded 1 million, the most in the world.

The speed of growth of strategic emerging industries and high-tech industries was more than 10 percent in the first three quarters of last year. The new economy, which consists of new industries, new technologies, new commercial activities, new products and new models, is thriving thanks to the deep integration between industry and the internet promoted by the leadership, and it has strengthened the driving force for the restructuring of the country's manufacturing industries.

Although China's economic growth has slowed, the Chinese economy remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and a booster for global growth. China's contribution ratio to the world economic growth was almost 40 percent last year, making China a main engine for the global economy. The world's second largest economy, China's economy is also stable and progressive, ensuring it can act as ballast for the sustainability of the global economy. The quality and efficiency of the Chinese economic development has improved, and the Chinese economy will release more market demand, more investment and provide more diversified products and create more valuable cooperation opportunities for the global economy.

Second, new development concepts constantly create new situations for development, and China is contributing new wisdom to global economic development

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made the scientific judgment that the Chinese economy has entered a new normal. On this basis, President Xi has proposed Five Development Concepts, namely innovation, coordination, green, opening-up and sharing, under the guidance of which, the Chinese government has drawn up its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Innovation is the No. 1 driving force for boosting development, and Xi's new development concepts put innovation in a core position in the overall development situation. It means China will constantly improve its innovation capabilities, so as to form a sustainable impetus for long-term economic growth.

Coordination is the intrinsic requirement for healthy development, and it attaches greater importance to fair development opportunities, the balanced allocation of resources, and the prevention and control of various kinds of social conflicts and risks.

Green is the prerequisite for sustainable development and reflects people's pursuit of a better life. China adheres to the basic policies of saving resources and protecting the environment. China adheres to sustainable development, and is pushing forward the construction of a beautiful country, so as to make new contributions to global ecological safety.

Opening-up is the only path that leads to prosperity and development which is in line with the trend of China's integrating into world economy. It means China will actively take part in global economic governance and provide public products, strive to construct a broad community of shared interests, and take the initiative to use, expand and lead economic globalization.

Sharing is a reflection of people-centered development, which insists that development should be for the people, rely on the people and benefit the people. This applies not just to Chinese people but to people around the world, so they feel they are gaining from the process of development, and heading in the direction of a better life.

My friends, theory is grey, but the tree of life is evergreen. China began the all-round deepening of reforms in 2013, proposing 336 reforms in 60 fields. Last year, the central authority finished 97 key reforms, and government departments finished 194 reforms, 419 reform plans were issued, among which deepening supply-side structural reform has become a key feature so as to adapt to and lead the development of the economy in the new normal. The main direction is to improve the quality of goods, and to perfect the institutions and system so the market plays a decisive role in allocating resources, strengthens motivation, encourages innovation, improves labor productivity, and increases total factor productivity. The final purpose is to meet people's growing material and cultural demands.

The five main tasks of supply-side structural reform last year were decreasing capacity, decreasing inventory, deleveraging, reducing costs, and making up for the short slab.

This year, China will insist on seeking progress in stability, the main theme of economic work, and the key tasks of the supply-side structural reform are being expanded. It will deepen agricultural supply-side reform, promote the development of the real economy and the healthy development of the housing market, and properly handle potential risks in finance, government debt, the real estate industry and real economy. We have the confidence, capacity and actions to realize an economic development that is of higher quality, more efficient, fairer and more sustainable.

As a developing country with more than 1.3 billion people, that China is focused on doing its own tasks well and realizing the country's development and stability is itself a huge contribution to the world economy. The Five Development Concepts proposed by President Xi not only point out the direction for the sustainable development of the Chinese economy, but also contribute China's plans and wisdom to the reform, development and stability of the global economy.

Third, actively push forward global governance innovation, and lead the new development of economic globalization

The low-speed growth in global trade calls for all countries to continue to coordinate and cooperate, promote fairness and justice, guard against trade protectionism, and foster economic globalization to become more vigorous, inclusive and sustainable.

In terms of trade policies, countries should promote innovation and the development of digital economy through strengthening the establishment of new rules in e-commerce, etc, constructing an inclusive global value chain, encourage medium and small-sized enterprises, and least developed countries to integrate into the global value chain, and eliminate poverty, so as to realize the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals.

China is a firm supporter of the multilateral trading system. It strictly abides by the WTO rules, has fulfilled all its promises and obligations, and actively taken part in and pushed forward multilateral trade negotiations, since it entered the organization in 2001. China will continue to play a leading role as a responsible big trading country, and make positive contribution to push forward the progress of the WTO, defend the multilateral trading system, and foster global trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.

To establish a new type of open world economy, the international community needs to innovate the global governance structure. China established a trade and investment working group for the first time for the G20 Summit held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, last year, and drew up the G20 Global Trade Growth Strategy and G20 Global Investment Guiding Principle. The WTO and the other international organizations provided powerful support for the success of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou and the making of relevant policies, and conferences for the B20 meeting of business leaders and the T20 meeting of think tanks were held in the WTO's headquarters in May and June last year. However, it now requires the efforts of all parties to implement the fruits of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou.

Fourth, strengthen innovation cooperation, and seek a the community of shared destiny for all humankind.

History indicates innovation has always been an important power pushing forward the development of human societies. Currently, a new technology revolution and industrial revolution are underway, which are bringing both opportunities and challenges to global economic growth, international trade and investment, the global value chain, the industrial structure, as well as the global division of labor, labor forces and social security. Economies have to adapt to fast changing situations and grasp the opportunities, strengthen cooperation in technology, finance, standardization, the business environment, cyberspace security and a new type of infrastructure construction, so as to share the fruits of technological progress and industrial development. It takes courage and responsibility to face up to challenges. All economies should actively provide necessary public services for medium, small-sized and micro enterprises, medium and low-level workers and vulnerable groups, and make joint efforts to build a richer, fairer, more inclusive and civilized community of shared destiny for all humankind.

To implement its innovation-driven development strategy, China adheres to the two-wheels of innovation and technological innovation and institutional innovation and it has rolled out a series of reform measures. In 2016 , China established a fair competition review system, innovated the government's model for the allocation of resources, stepped up protection of private property rights and intellectual property rights, established a batch of model State-level innovation zones, technology innovation centers and model bases for startups and innovations, and continuously promoted the construction of efficient innovation systems.

Switzerland's innovation ability is second to none in the world. China and the Switzerland have comparatively strong complementarity in carrying out innovation cooperation. It is of great significance that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and International Trade and Sustainable Development Center co-host the "Innovation and Development" International Seminar today, as think tank scholars are expected to achieve productive research fruits through high-level dialogues.

Finally, I sincerely wish the success of the seminar.

Thank you all.
"Trophy," a documentary from Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, is one of the films supported by the nonprofit Chicago Media Project playing at the Sundance Film Festival. (Christina Clusiau )

When the Sundance Film Festival kicks off next week, one of the films getting a high-profile opening night slot is "Whose Streets?"  a nonfiction account of the grass-roots protests in Ferguson that emerged after Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in August 2014.

Also at the fest: "Trophy" (examining the business behind big game hunting and poaching) and "Icarus" (an investigation into Russia's Olympic doping scheme).

Advertisement

All three documentaries (plus four more) owe their existence, in part, to a local group established a couple years ago with the goal of helping non-fiction films get made  and be seen. The organization has two separate arms and they function independently of each other.

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

Advertisement

The Chicago Media Project is strictly nonprofit. It pools money from its membership  mostly high-net-worth individuals, as well as those with less cash at their disposal but an interest in supporting documentary films that can affect social change  and offers grants to filmmakers (anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000) that are essentially no-strings donations. It's a relatively small group, with just 52 members.

Paula Froehle founded the group with Steve Cohen, and it includes people who Froehle said come from a variety of professions  politics, law, startups  who have the ability to get these films in front of the right people, i.e., decision-makers in the public or private sector. So it's not just about donating money to a worthy film. It's not just a faceless transaction. Members form an emotional connection with the projects they back, often bringing filmmakers to Chicago for intimate dinners.

(It's worth noting that the group does not restrict their work to Chicago projects, and the majority of filmmakers and their subjects are not local.)

The Chicago Media Project Invest/Impact is the sister organization and works a little differently. Funding is treated not as a donation but an equity investment. "The average return that we look for is 115 percent of what we put in," said Froehle. They invest between $10,000 and $450,000 per project. Rather than pocketing that (hoped for) 15 percent profit, the money is then funneled back into a fund to support yet more films in the coming year.

This is a radical idea, to an extent. Independent films  let alone documentaries  rarely break even. Turning a profit is even harder. With that in mind, the group specifically looks to invest in movies that have a good shot at getting theatrical distribution. Or bought by a television network or streaming service.

"The thing with equity investing in docs is, no one is going to get rich off of them," Froehle said. "Even though the films can make money, usually they can't make lots of money. This isn't like equity investing in entrepreneurial stuff. And like any other investment, it's still speculation. But we heavily vet each project ahead of time, from the experience of the film team to the subject matter."

(Last year, the investment group put in $814,000 across numerous projects.)

Phillip Glass appears in Trophy by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, an official selection of the U.S. Doucmentary Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. (Christina Clusiau / Sundance )

Both "Trophy" and "Icarus" were funded with equity investments, which makes sense. Big game hunting and Russian Olympic doping are the kind of issues that are easy to grasp and marketable.

Advertisement

The investment in "Trophy" came fairly late in the process and was primarily used for post-production costs. "We turned around that investment commitment in a weekend," said Froehle. The film had already been accepted into Sundance by that point.

"The film looks at the issues of big game hunting, poaching and extinction from an alternative angle," she said, "so it's a film that's going to be talked about a lot.

"It's not preaching to the converted, which is oftentimes a concern when you look at documentaries: Are we just talking to ourselves? Are we just making ourselves feel better about our own perspective in the world? A film that can take a subject as potent as big game hunting and poaching and put a different lens on it, not only will it get a lot of press and get talked about, but it's a film people will want to see. So you could see cable channels like CNN or Discovery or Animal Planet being interested because of the subject matter."

One of the people profiled in "Trophy," she said, is a guy who runs a South African sanctuary for rhinos whose "whole perspective is, a rhino can regenerate its horn every two years. So rather than killing the animal for the horn, you can carve the horn and allow the animal to stay alive  and you can demonstrate to poachers that killing animals isn't viable anymore and there are better ways to manage that demand. Because there is a centuries-old belief in the medicinal powers of rhino horn and the idea of just saying, 'The trade is illegal,' that's not going to stop the black market, which is causing these animal to go extinct. Just saying it shouldn't happen isn't stopping anything and the film looks at the problem from a different angle."

Last year, the Chicago Media Project helped coordinate a festival of films it help fund called DOC10 at the Music Box, which will be returning with an all-new lineup this spring.

As for Sundance, Froehle and Cohen will be there with the films their group helped back, and plan to use their time in Park City, Utah, to meet with new filmmakers seeking a budget infusion.

Advertisement

nmetz@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Nina_Metz

RELATED STORIES:

Sundance Film fest holds possibility of hits and career-making moments

3 movies you probably missed and should see now

Doc Films zeros in on sinister thrillers from the '70s







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
Richard Stephenson, founder of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, left, and his ex-wife, Alicia Stephenson, head into the McHenry County Courthouse on Oct. 17, 2016. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

The ex-wife of the founder of Cancer Treatment Centers of America recalled better times during their bitter divorce trial Wednesday, telling of how she met, married and helped manage the business interests of the multimillionaire.

Taking the witness stand for the first time in a divorce case that now has dragged on for more than seven years, Alicia Stephenson's testimony in McHenry County court Wednesday primarily centered on her role in her marriage to Richard Stephenson.

Advertisement

The Barrington Hills couple, who had a prenuptial agreement, separated in 2007 and divorced last year but are still fighting over how to divide property and how much money Richard will pay Alicia in monthly living expenses. She is seeking more than $400,000 per month to maintain the lifestyle she had while the two were married.

Alicia Stephenson described from the witness stand how she met her husband through a friend at a Halloween party hosted by a group of doctors in 1985.

Advertisement

After meeting again at a Christmas party, Richard Stephenson invited her to join him and another couple at Super Bowl XX, which the Chicago Bears won. The couple flew on a private jet to New Orleans, stayed on his yacht and "had a blast," Alicia Stephenson said.

"He was gregarious and fun, and treated me like a lady," she said. By about six months later, she said, "I fell madly in love with him."

She described his proposal to her on a trip to Mexico in 1991, how he read an emotional letter about how important she was to him and presented her with a 10-carat cubic zirconia ring, which he later replaced with a real diamond.

The couple married with a lavish, multiday reception that year at his 120-acre Tudor Oaks estate.

She described having at first a strained relationship with her husband's four children from a previous marriage, but said she later grew close to them.

Though she had an associate degree and was working in sales at a department store when they met, Richard Stephenson eventually put his wife in positions of power at his Cancer Treatment Centers, a nationwide network of five private hospitals, including in north suburban Zion.

Alicia Stephenson said she helped with plans for two of the hospitals and served as a board member, then as chairman of what became the Gateway for Cancer Research, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the treatment centers.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

By scheduling gala events, she said she helped raise up to $1.3 million for treatment trials.

Advertisement

She also described how she got to know Dick Armey, the former House Republican majority leader who led the conservative tea party group FreedomWorks.

Armey reportedly said he agreed to leave the group as part of a deal with Richard Stephenson whereby Armey would get $8 million to be a consultant with Stephenson.

Stephenson was accused of making illegal political contributions to the group, but the Federal Election Commission deadlocked on the case and took no action.

Earlier in the trial, Stephenson denied giving such large sums to the group, but his ex-wife's attorneys maintain those funds should be accounted for in any financial settlement between the former couple.

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertMcCoppin
Laura S. Ward Elementary, 410 N. Monticello Ave. in Humboldt Park. Opened 1973, closed 2013. Ward remains open in name, moving into rival school Martin Ryerson Elementary's building a half-mile away. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Public Schools says it will try to speed up the process of finding new uses for buildings shuttered by school closings in 2013 by putting about 30 vacant properties on the market.

Putting the remaining properties up for bid "will accelerate the reuse and revitalization of former school sites and help spur new value from properties throughout the city," CPS spokesman Michael Passman said in a statement.

Advertisement

Bids are due by March 13, the district said. CPS would then negotiate with the top two bidders and consult with the local alderman before making final decisions on each potential sale.

Privately operated charter schools will not be allowed to take over the closed buildings, the district said.

Advertisement

The district closed almost 50 schools in 2013. The first three empty school buildings were put up for bid in August 2014. The former Peabody Elementary School in West Town was sold to the Svigos Asset Management Co. for $3.5 million that October. Since then, eight other buildings have been sold. Five other buildings have been "repurposed," the district said.

Getting the remaining properties, most of them throughout the South and West sides, ready for bid has proved difficult. Some of the buildings have become targets for vandalism and are considered neighborhood eyesores.

CPS said it is requesting bids on 10 more properties unrelated to the 2013 school closings. Those include the former Montefiore Special Elementary School, which housed a district-operated program for students with special needs until it was closed in 2015.

In addition to Peabody, school buildings that have been sold and the final sales prices are:

Leland, $201,065

Drake, $1.5 million

Stewart, $5.1 million

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Trumbull, $5.3 million

Advertisement

Overton, $325,000

Von Humboldt, $3.1 million

Near North, $5.1 million

Marconi, $100,000

jjperez@tribpub.com

Twitter @PerezJr
President Xi Jinping will discuss the latest developments in China's economy and more inclusive globalization during his first visit to the Davos summit.

Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong told a press briefing on Wednesday that Xi's presence at the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting will help the world better understand China's economic situation and prospects as well as China's stance on current global problems.

At the invitation of WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab, Xi will attend the annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17.

It will be the first time a Chinese president has attended the summit, an influential political gathering. Several Chinese premiers have been present at Davos since 1992.

Xi will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony, and hold discussions with Schwab and guests from business, media and academic circles, Li said.

Li said China will offer perspectives and proposals and exert active efforts to drive economic globalization toward more inclusive development, and expects all parties to have an objective and in-depth understanding of China's economy.

China opposes trade protectionism, and supports solutions to trade disputes that are sought with an open and inclusive attitude and a reciprocal spirit, Li added.

Xi's mission in Davos is to "reduce uncertainties" through injecting confidence and solidarity into the international business community, according to Chen Xulong, an expert at China Institute of International Studies.

Innovative ties

President Xi will pay his first state visit to Switzerland from Jan. 15 to 18, at the invitation of the country's Federal Council.

While there, he will hold talks with President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard, who took on the rotating one-year presidency for 2017 on Jan. 1. In addition, he will meet leaders of the Federal Assembly and talk with representatives from the Swiss economic circle.

The two heads of state will witness the signing of several cooperation deals covering politics, free trade, culture, customs, energy and sport, according to Li.

The two countries, which forged an innovative strategic partnership during then-president Johann Schneider-Ammann's state visit to China in 2016, will also discuss cooperation in innovation, Li added.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said that Switzerland's innovation strength is very attractive to China that is striving for economic restructuring.

Switzerland was among the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status. Wang believes that a stronger China-Switzerland economic relationship is helpful to China's ties with Europe.

Community of shared future

President Xi will also go to Geneva and Lausanne, where he will visit the United Nations office at Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Olympic Committee headquarters.

According to Li, he will deliver a speech on establishing a "community of shared future" at the Palace of Nations and meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, their first meeting since the latter took office on Jan. 1.

The concept of "community of shared future" is one of the most important diplomatic concepts China has proposed in recent years, said Chen Xulong, noting that the president's Geneva visit shows support for multilateralism and international collaboration.

China will sign documents with the WHO on healthcare cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, said Li.

With regard to a question about whether Xi will contact with the U.S. delegation on the sidelines of the Davos summit, Li said the Chinese side maintains a smooth communication channel with President-elect Donald Trump's team and does not rule out the possibility.

"The Chinese side is willing to contact various parties to arrange some bilateral meetings, as long as there is willingness and a convenient time," Li said.
People walk past a McDonald's fast-food restaurant in Beijing. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

McDonald's Corp has agreed to sell the bulk of its Chinese mainland and Hong Kong business to conglomerate CITIC and US private equity firm Carlyle Group for up to US$2.08 billion, seeking to expand rapidly without using much of its own capital.

CITIC, Carlyle and McDonald's will form a new company that will act as a master franchisee of the chain's 1,750 restaurants in the mainland and Hong Kong for 20 years, the companies said in a joint statement.

Under the deal, Hong Kong-listed CITIC Ltd will own about 32 percent of the business, with CITIC Capital, an affiliate firm that manages private equity funds and other alternative assets, holding 20 percent.

Carlyle will take 28 percent while McDonald's will have the remaining 20 percent.

The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and set to close in mid-2017.

"McDonald's globally overall is struggling and didn't have the money or intellectual resources to focus on China," said Shaun Rein, managing director at China Market Research Group.

The US fast food chain said local partners will help speed up growth in the world's No. 2 economy through new restaurant openings, particularly in smaller cities that are expected to benefit from increased urbanization and income growth.

McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook said in the statement that the fast food chain aims to be the "leading quick service restaurant across the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong" because by working together "we will unlock even faster growth and be closer to the customers and communities we serve."

McDonald's intends to add at least 1,500 restaurants in China over the next five years, with most located in lower-tier cities and focusing on key areas such as menu innovation, enhanced restaurant convenience, retail digital leadership and delivery.

"McDonald's could better revive its performance in China by introducing local partners, and fast food in China is generally positive," said food service analyst Summer Chen at market research firm Mintel.

Zhang Yichen, chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital, will serve as chairman of the board of the new company.
World attention is being drawn to the possibility of a meeting of representatives from the world's two largest economies at the World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland next week.

With concerns over trade protectionism and anti-globalization swirling, there are signs that the Chinese delegation could meet on the sidelines with the transition team of US president-elect Donald Trump. Such a meeting could help narrow positions on trade and sensitive political issues, observers said.

Uncertainty over those positions has rocked Asia-Pacific nations that would be the most affected by a trade war or a security conflict, they said.

President Xi Jinping will lead the Chinese delegation to Switzerland for a state visit from Sunday to Wednesday. On Tuesday, he will become the first top Chinese leader to attend the Davos meeting.

Given that Trump will take office on Jan 20, "someone from the transition team representing the new administration" will attend the forum, Klaus Schwab, forum executive chairman, said on Tuesday. It remains unclear who that would be.

Asked whether a Trump representative would meet with the Chinese delegation at Davos, Vice-Foreign Minister Li Baodong said on Wednesday at a news briefing on Xi's trip that "there are open channels of communication" between Beijing and Trump's team.

Beijing is willing to arrange meetings with various parties if time permits on the sidelines of the Davos forum, so "the relevant two-way meetings are being discussed", Li said, without directly confirming a meeting with the Trump team.

Also on Wednesday, Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing hopes that "the US respects China's interests and concerns in the Asia-Pacific region", adding that China is "willing to maintain contacts with the new US administration over Asia-Pacific affairs and discuss cooperation".

Security in the Asia-Pacific cannot be maintained by the US alone as it requires joint efforts by all countries, particularly the major countries, Liu said at a news conference.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said if the Davos meeting happens, Trump's envoy might press Beijing on financial issues and the Taiwan question.

Zhong Feiteng, a researcher on Asia-Pacific studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China may ask the new Cabinet to be cautious on trade policies, and attention will be given to the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue to prevent a deteriorating regional security situation.

Zhang Yansheng, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission's Academic Committee, said Trump's team is advocating anti-globalization measures and trade protectionism to try to gain an advantage for the US.

Trump's team said secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson would knock China's islands construction program in the South China Sea and its policies on Pyongyang's nuclear program, Reuters reported. Tillerson's confirmation hearing was held on Wednesday.
One-third of 100 China's cities faced worsening traffic congestion in 2016, according to a survey by AutoNavi Software Co.

Traffic came to a virtual standstill on the Beijing highway heading toward Tibet on Oct 2, during the National Day holiday.

In many cases, more cars were to blame. In some cases, as with Jinan, capital of Shandong province, the most congested city, disruption caused by efforts to improve public transportation temporarily worsened things.

In the 32 cities where traffic worsened, it took 1.8 times as long to travel during rush hours  from 7 to 9 am and 5 to 7 pm  as it did during off-peak hours, the company said.

Aside from the 32 cities that got worse, traffic in 36 cities remained the same over the previous year, and another 32 cities improved, the report said.

Among China's larger cities, traffic got worse in Beijing and Shenzhen in 2016, while things improved in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Beijing lost its 2015 position as the country's most congested city, and was replaced by Jinan, followed by Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province.

Construction on Jinan's metro system and the temporary disruption that has caused, is blamed for the city's top ranking this year, the report said.

In Jinan, the average vehicular speed during rush hours was a sluggish 19.89 km/h, according to the report.

Chen Fang, a Jinan resident, said rush hour congestion is difficult to predict.

"With a growing population and increased commuting distances, I am afraid residents in the city have to regard traffic jams as a normal daily event if the road network can't be significantly improved."

The poor road network in Harbin put the city in the second-worst spot, the report said, adding that poor design is likely to continue to severely hinder transportation in the city.

In a separate recent survey, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the country's top think tank, suggested that a more scientific design of cities' public transportation network is needed.

The survey, conducted in 38 major cities, found the public less satisfied with public transportation conditions in 2016 than in the previous year.

Liu Zhichang, a researcher on economic and social development at the academy, said that one of the solutions for megacities is to shift noncore functional zones to suburban areas of the city to avoid traffic problems caused by the population concentration in the center of the city.

It is one of the solutions that Beijing is already working to implement.

The AutoNavi report, issued on Wednesday used detailed traffic numbers collected through Amap, a popular navigation app, as well as the statistics from transportation authorities and the data collected through Global Positioning System devices.
Liu Lin, a 21-year-old girl from southwest China's Sichuan Province, who is a sophomore at Chengdu University, has melted the hearts of thousands after she brought her ill grandma to university so that she could take care of her.

Liu Lin taks a photo with her gramdma and their pet cat at their rented home. (Photo: VCG)

Misfortunes have continuously struck the family since March 2016. Not long after her grandma suffered from a comminuted fracture in her left femur, a similar accident happened to her mom, and in mid-April, her father passed away from an aggravated physical condition. She even missed her last chance to see her dad because she was in class, and she had left her phone in the dorm, thus unable to receive the message in time.

As soon as the 2016 summer vacation arrived, Liu and her younger brother rushed back home, and saw their ailing grandma lying in bed and her mom, who had recently just recovered from her own injury, struggling to care for her under unbearable mental pressure.

Liu's grandma had a hard life. Her husband and her three sons have all passed away. Therefore, Liu and her brother shouldered the responsibility to care for their 93-year-old grandma. However, with Liu being a university student, and her brother working in a supermarket in Chengdu, it is impossible for them to come home frequently.

"We have no other option. No one in the family can take care of grandma," Liu explained.

On August 3, 2016, they rented a car, loaded grandma's wheelchair, quilts and luggage, and headed to Chengdu. Liu rented a one-room apartment on campus, added some daily necessities and settled down while her brother continued to work in a supermarket to support the new family.

Liu grew up being cared for by her grandmother. She was sent to her grandma's when she was two because her parents were working in south China's Guangdong Province. Liu said that she planned to bring grandma with her after she graduates from university and finds a job, but changes happen.

"I was brought up by my granny and now it's my turn to take care of her," said Liu.

Liu's deed of taking her grandma to university has been widely spread in Chengdu University. Her filial piety and tenacity touched many teachers and students, some of whom have brought her daily necessities.

A person from the Marketing Department of Chengdu University said that the school is offering a better teacher apartment to Liu cost-free, as well as a part-time job.
 Flash

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference Tuesday that Japan "has not yet decided" when its ambassador, recalled by Tokyo last week, would return to South Korea.

Observers here, however, warned that the prolonged feud between the two countries, compounded by Japan's latest drastic move, could lead to the further deterioration of bilateral ties despite Japan's wishes otherwise.

DRASTIC MOVE

Japan has temporarily recalled its ambassador to Seoul and consul general to South Korea's southern port city of Busan, in protest against the installation of another "comfort women" statue near the Japanese consulate in Busan.

The girl statue represents Korean teenagers coerced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during the devastating war and Japan's brutal occupation of the Korean Peninsula.

The Japanese government has also decided to suspend high-level economic dialogue with South Korea and talks on currency swapping as part of its "initial" response to the installation of the statue.

The "unusually drastic" move by Japan, as it has been referred to by some media reports here, purportedly aims to pressure the shaky South Korean government into abiding by a controversial agreement reached in December 2015 between the administration of South Korea's Park Geun-hye and Japan over the "comfort women" issue.

Abe said in a TV program aired on Jan. 8 that the South Korean side should "show its sincerity" and stick to the agreement, irrespective of leadership changes, as this is "a matter of credibility," referring to removing the statue representing "comfort women."

Regarding Abe's comments, South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party said Abe was trying to use the thorny issue for his own political gain as he is seeking re-election as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and to extend his term as Japan's prime minister.

"This is textbook Abe. This is his modus operandi as a rightwing politician and as Japan's leader. Perhaps the political climate in South Korea means that Abe feels he had more clout to get statue removed by pulling a few power moves like recalling his envoys," Kaoru Imori, a senior political science research fellow and commentator, told Xinhua.

"But the timing and the issue is layered. He also wants to be seen at home, particularly by his conservative factions and supporters here, as protecting Japan's sensitive wartime image and in doing so is ensuring his poll numbers remain favorable as he is eyeing an election this year," Imori said.

Nikkan Gendai, a Japanese journal, also said in a recent article that the Japanese government's tough move is aimed at winning support from conservative forces in Japan. "It's a method often used by the Abe administration to stir up nationalism and to boost its support rate," said the article.

S. KOREANS WON'T CAVE

Japan has not yet decided when its ambassador would return to South Korea, although earlier local media reports, quoting government sources, said the ambassador would probably stay in Japan for about a week.

"Japan faces a difficult decision on when to return its representatives to South Korea, because if the issue drags on, it could hamper their concerted efforts to address the growing nuclear threat from North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea)," said Japan's Kyodo News.

With political uncertainties ahead associated with Donald Trump becoming the new U.S. president, Japan apparently does not want to lose South Korea as an ally.

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Tuesday, while demanding the removal of the statue, pledged to strengthen security cooperation with South Korea, saying that the two countries "share common interests for the peace and stability of the East Asian region."

However, "the tough attitude of Japan could meet with strong opposition from the South Korean side. The issue could become a focal point in South Korea's next presidential election," said Ukeru Magosaki, a former Japanese diplomat.

"The key to this problem is that Park Geun-hye has lost power to control the country after the impeachment decision in parliament. The matter is now not how the government of South Korea behave, but how people in South Korea respond," said Magosaki, noting that more than 60 percent of the South Korean people want to cancel the "comfort women" agreement with Japan.

Any "retaliation policy" would be useless and would negatively affect the people of South Korea, he added, saying that it is hard for the South Korean people to cave in under Japanese pressure.

APOLOGIES NOT PAYOFFS

The expression "comfort women" is a euphemism used to describe Asian women who were forced into sexual enslavement and to serve the IJA and others in Japanese military brothels during Japan's invasion of its Asian neighbors before and during the World War II.

In line with the 2015 agreement, which aims to settle the "comfort women" issue once and for all, Japan remitted 1 billion yen (8.6 million U.S. dollars) last year to a South Korean fund helping former "comfort women."

"Japan seemed to think that a single payoff would somehow, not just solve, but also erase the entire 'comfort women' issue, which remains a huge stain on Japan's history in terms of the Japanese Army's well-documented acts of wartime brutality," political commentator and Shizuoka-based author, Philip McNeil, told Xinhua.

"But it's natural for the South Koreans to want to honor its own martyrs some of whom are still living and there are war memorials of such all over the world. Japan trying to 'pay its way' out of responsibility is deplorable, and I would expect more 'comfort women' statues to begin appearing not just in South Korea, but in other places around the world," McNeil said.

The 2015 agreement has enraged many South Korean people, especially the surviving "comfort women," as it failed to state that Japan shall admit legal responsibility and sincerely apologize for the atrocities it committed before and during World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for his part, has never admitted the fact that Japan forcibly recruited women into sexual slavery during the war.

South Korea's opposition parties now have renewed their demand to rescind the 2015 agreement.

Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of South Korea's biggest opposition Minjoo Party, told a party supreme council meeting that the 1 billion yen that Japan offered to South Korea to care for the surviving "comfort women" victims, was humiliating money and should be returned to Japan.

Rep. Chung Byung-kook of the Righteous Party, a splinter group from the ruling Saenuri Party, urged Abe to make a sincere apology rather than again using cheque book diplomacy.
 Flash

At least five people have been injured after four unidentified gunmen opened fire inside the ruling Trinamool Congress party office at Kharagpur in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal Wednesday, a senior police official said.

"The incident took place in the afternoon when the party office was full with functionaries. The gunmen first hurled grenades at the office from outside and then went inside and fired indiscriminately," he said, on condition of anonymity.

The injured have been admitted to a local hospital where the condition of one who sustained a bullet wound in his stomach is serious, the official said.

"We suspect it was masterminded by a faction of the party but it's not clear yet," he said.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official added.
 Flash

Some 40 tourism professionals of Nepal on Wednesday graduated from basic Chinese language training course provided by the Chinese government.

The tourism professionals received six-month long language class in the capital city as per the agreement reached between the two countries during the then Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's visit to China last March.

According to the agreement, China will provide language training course to 200 tourism professionals of Nepal within five years.

The first batch of training was organized under the coordination between Nepalese Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.

The course was operated from July 12 last year to Jan. 10.

Addressing the graduation ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong said the training program will enhance the understanding and bonding between the people of two nations.

"At a time when the number of Chinese tourists are gradually increasing in Nepal after the earthquake, we are hopeful that this training program will play a significant role in reviving Nepal's tourism industry," she said.

China is the second largest tourism source market of the Himalayan country. According to official statistics, Nepal received over 125,000 Chinese tourists in 2014 while the number declined to 80,000 after the powerful earthquake in April 2015.

"Chinese tourism is booming in Nepal in the recent years. Amid such, Chinese language will be helpful for business opportunities, cultural exchanges and in communicating with the tourists," said Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board.

He hoped China will extend support in capacity building and infrastructure development in the tourism sector.

Sundar Adhikary, a tourist police who participated in the training, said "Within six months, I have been able to communicate fluently in Chinese language. It has helped me to know more about Chinese people and culture. I am glad to be a part of this training."
 Flash

The Nigerian government reaffirmed its commitment to One-China policy on Wednesday, saying Nigeria will stay committed to the long-standing friendship and cooperation with China.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Nigeria would do everything to realize the One-China Policy as well as any effort that would promote the peace and well-being of the People's Republic of China.

A joint statement issued after the press conference noted the One-China policy is at the core of strategic partnership between the two countries.

"The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes that there is only one China in the world, that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," the statement said, adding the governments of China and Nigeria have mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On his part, Wang Yi said the government of People's Republic of China appreciated Nigeria's position and the recent measures taken accordingly by Nigeria.

"China reaffirms its commitment to actively develop China-Nigeria strategic partnership across the board," he added.

Wang kicked off his five-nation Africa visit on Friday, visiting Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, the Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

The visit is in keeping with China's long diplomatic tradition of making Africa its first overseas destination each year.

Upon arrival in Nigeria on Wednesday, Wang was received in Abuja by his Nigerian counterpart and the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi before heading to the presidential palace for a meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
 Flash

China and Nigeria need to further expand practical cooperation and deepen strategic partnership, Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

Wang made the statement at a bilateral meeting with his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja.

"Compare to the size, population and market of our two countries, our cooperation still have large potential to be deepened," he said.

"In order to achieve further development and prosperity of the two countries, we need to strengthen our political mutual trust, deepen complementary cooperation between our two countries," he added.

He expressed confidence that his visit would be successful and would play a dual role in further strengthening strategic partnership between China and Nigeria.

According to him, the purpose of his visit is to implement the important agreements and cooperation reached between the Chinese and Nigerian presidents.

He said the visit was also to help work closely with Nigeria to ensure that the outcome of the Forum for China Africa Cooperation summit is well implemented in Nigeria.

At the bilateral meeting, China and Nigeria further agreed to deepen cooperation in five areas, including security, economy and infrastructural development, education, agriculture and building of mutual trust.

Wang kicked off his five-nation Africa visit on Friday, visiting Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, the Republic of Congo and Nigeria. The visit is in keeping with China's long diplomatic tradition of making Africa its first overseas destination each year.
 Flash

Cubans termed the first press conference by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday as "evasive, ambiguous and contradictory."

For thoese who were interviewed by Xinhua about the future Cuban-American relations said the press conference let them feel perplexed.

"What seems obvious is that Cuba is not an immediate priority for Trump. Given the unknown decisions he will take concerning our country, the process of normalization of ties will either advance or regress, which is concerning," said Tania Orozco, a state worker.

"The visit of President Barack Obama in March 2016 was an important step which drove the signing of a series of agreements which open the way for future agreements," she added.

Ibrahim Navarro, a retiree living in Havana, said Russia seemed to be the "great focus" of the conference as one of the few foreign policy issues Trump addressed.

"In the end, I think nobody really knows if Russia had something to do with Trump's election. It is also unclear if he intends to establish good relations with (President Vladimir) Putin or intimidate him into respecting the U.S.," said Navarro.

For Navarro, the U.S. president-elect dodged questions from the press concerning the alleged hacking by Moscow of the Amerrican election, which may have helped Trump win the Nov. 8 election.

"What also caught my attention was his inflexibility and authoritarianism in building a wall along the Mexican border. He said that this country has abused the U.S., when all know it is the exact reverse," pointed out Orozco.

In this regard, Trump said he would not wait for negotiations with the Mexican government to define the budget for the wall, saying that its construction would begin and that options to make Mexico pay for it would come later.

Also on Wednesday, Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, appeared in front of the Senate for his confirmation hearings. Referring to Cuba, Tillerson said he would recommend Trump veto any legislation proposed by President Obama to make the rapprochement between the two sides inevitable.

The former head of oil giant, ExxonMobil, revealed that Trump would likely revise relations with Havana through an executive order, shortly after assuming office.

Furthermore, Tillerson said that a proposal to lift the ban on Americans travelling to Cuba, proposed by Obama, would not be rapidly approved.
 Flash

During U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's first press conference on Wednesday, he battled reporters on Russian hacking and his business interests while shuning some media which he blamed for disseminating fake news.

Trump made an effort to show that he is ready to become the commander in chief, finally accepting the conclusion reached by the intelligence community that Russia was behind the cyberattacks during the election campaign, and pledging to cut clean with his businesses to avoid a conflict of interest in the White House.

But he did not refrain from chastising the media for unfriendly reports, promising to punish news outlet Buzzfeed for publishing a questionable story and refusing to take questions from a CNN reporter which he accused of producing "fake news."

The press conference, originally scheduled for December, was postponed, in Trump's word, "because we were getting quite a bit of inaccurate news."

Addressing the concern on how to avoid a conflict of interest between his public office and past business ventures, Trump said he will hand all his businesses to his sons, but will not liquidate his assets and put them in a blind trust, as his predecessors normally did.

Sheri Dillon, an attorney appointed to isolate Trump from this businesses, explained that the liquidation and a blind trust would be infeasible and ineffective to quell relevant concerns.

Instead, Trump's investments and business assets have been or will be conveyed to a trust prior to Jan. 20, when he assumes the presidency, the attorney said.

The trust will operate without Trump's influence and dictates that all deals should go through ethics vetting and there will be no foreign deals.

Trump "will only know of a deal if he reads it in the paper or sees it on TV," Dillon said.

Both Trump and Dillon cited a legal clause that conflict of interest restrictions exclude the president, and that Trump is cutting his business ties "voluntarily."

Facing questions on the hacking allegations in the presidential elections, Trump said "as far as hacking, I think it was Russia. But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people."

"He (Russian President Vladimir Putin) shouldn't be doing it. He won't be doing it," said Trump. "Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading than when other people have led it."

"Within 90 days, we will be coming up with a major report on hacking defense, how do we stop this new phenomena...because the United States is being hacked by everybody," Trump said.

"If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what folks? That's called an asset not a liability," Trump told reporters.

The press conference also touched upon Obamacare, a bill U.S. President Barack Obama considered a major part of his legacy.

"Obamacare is a complete and total disaster," Trump said, adding "We're going to be submitting, as soon as our secretary is approved, almost simultaneously--shortly after--a plan. It will be repeal(ed) and replace(d)."
 Flash

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a televised press conference Thursday that South Korea should achieve a grand unity, vowing to devote himself to uniting the divided country into one.

Ban arrived in his home country after ending his second, five-year term in the top UN post late last year.

He has been long viewed as the most powerful contender of the conservative bloc in the next presidential race as President Park Geun-hye was impeached a month earlier and her Saenuri Party saw a drop in public support.

Local media outlets have speculated that Ban actually unveiled his willingness to run for president though he has never officially declared his candidacy.

Ban said his country should end various internal divisions, including wealth inequality and conflicts in ideologies, regions and generations, stressing that the grand unity must be achieved.

The established and the hegemony, he said, must not exist any longer, holding all of the leadership responsible for the current turmoil facing South Korea.

The former South Korean career diplomat reiterated his pledge to devote himself to his homeland, saying public wish shown in the square must be cherished.

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets every Saturday night since the scandal involving the impeached president emerged in late October last year. Protesters demanded the first South Korean female leader step down voluntarily.

The influence-peddling scandal led to the impeachment of Park, which was approved on Dec. 9 by the National Assembly with an overwhelming majority.

Ban said political alteration rather than the transfer of power must be achieved, noting that his political decision will not take long. His comments indicated his official declaration for his run for presidency in the near future.

On security situations, the former UN head said he recognized the importance of security during his 10-year UN secretary general tenure.

He said it was urgent for South Korea to draw up countermeasures to resolve the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue and solidify relations with countries including the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
Tourists and downtown workers are pictured in front of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, July 8, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Trade with China supports some 2.6 million jobs in the United States, including jobs that Chinese firm have created directly in the US, according to a report released on Tuesday by the US-China Business Council.

And as the Chinese middle class grows rapidly over the next decade, likely exceeding the entire US population by 2026, US companies will have opportunities to tap into a new and lucrative customer base that can further boost employment and economic growth, said the report, entitled Understanding the US-China Trade Relationship.

The report shows that nations trading closely with China outperform those with less integrated trade ties, and the trend will continue.

The USCBC, founded in 1973, is a private, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization of more than 200 US companies doing business with China.

John Frisbie, president of USCBC, said: "Much was said about the negative effect of trade with China, with estimated job losses receiving considerable attention. But the positive effects of the commercial relationship with China were largely ignored, and therefore there really hasn't an assessment of the overall context provided."

According to the report, China purchased $165 billion in goods and services from the US in 2015, representing 7.3 percent of all US exports.

Although some US manufacturing jobs have been lost because of the trade deficit, US firms sell high-value products to China, which support jobs.

By 2030, US exports to China are expected to rise to more than $520 billion.

Michael Zielenziger, managing editor of Oxford Economics, said China contributed more to global growth over the past 15 years than the eurozone and the US combined. And China accounted for one-third of global GDP growth in 2015.
An employee (right) of China Southern Airlines introduces the airline's services to a visitor at an industry expo in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. [Photo/Xinhua]

State-owned China Southern Airlines denied immediate plans to bring other major shareholders into the company on Wednesdayhard on the heels of reports the previous day of a mixed ownership plan which pushed the stock price up 7.38 percent.

The company made a statement saying parent company China Southern Air Holding Co has been exploring ways to push forward with the mixed ownership reform. Yet so far it has failed to come up with specific plans.

The airline's shares fell 0.35 percent to close at 7.36 yuan ($1.06) per share on Wednesday.

It was reported on Tuesday that in 2017, China Southern Airlines would bring in internet companies and leading global groups into its shareholder base to push forward with the mixed ownership reform.

In the country's Central Economic Work Conference held in December, six State-owned enterprises were designated as pilot companies for diversifying ownership of SOEs in 2017, including China Eastern Airlines, China Unicom and China Southern Power Grid Company Ltd.

China Eastern Airlines took the lead in the mixed ownership reform among State-owned airline companies. Last July, Ctrip International, China's largest online travel agency, purchased 3 billion yuan worth of shares of China Eastern Airlines.

Earlier in 2015, US company Delta Air Lines Inc purchased 460 million shares of China Eastern Airlines for HK$3.5 billion ($451.5 million), taking up 3.55 percent of the company's total shares to become its biggest outside shareholder.

Li Xiaojin, a professor of aviation economics at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin, said that China Southern Airlines is likely to follow a similar path to China Eastern Airlines in recruiting outside stakeholders.

"The outside stakeholders will extend the industrial chain, both up and downstream," Li said.

"The presence of Delta Air Lines is going to bring in part of the international market."

Li said that going by the current low flight fares and the increasing oil prices, companies seeking to enter the aviation industry aimed to extend their industrial operations instead of earning high profits.

Unlike mixed ownership reforms in more profitable areas such as the military and the power industry, the aviation industry was taking a more prudent step, he added.

"In the past, major shuffles in the aviation industry often brought about accidents, some of which were very serious," Li said.

"Safety in aviation is nonnegotiable. Therefore, airline companies will be very careful about any changes to their ownership structure."
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov met on Wednesday with representatives of three Chinese companies who are in the Balkan country to explore investment opportunities.

Representatives of the Chinese companies -- Alibaba Group, GS-Solar Company and GoldPoly Group -- said their interest in Bulgaria came as a result of the good relations that Borissov had established with the Chinese leaderships, the Bulgarian government said in a statement.

Bulgaria's high-level participation in the "16+1" cooperation mechanism has contributed to the intensification of bilateral business contacts in recent years, the statement said.

The "16+1" refers to China and the 16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

E-commerce giant Alibaba Group is mulling to set up a logistics center in Bulgaria to serve orders in Europe, according to the government statement.

Solar module producer GS-Solar Company considers establishing a plant for production of solar panels, it added.

In 2014, China and Bulgaria announced the establishment of an all-round friendly cooperative partnership in order to cement traditional friendship and promote cooperation between the two nations.
China's first advanced interactive robot with life-like facial features Jia Jia has shown up at a meeting in Shanghai. Chen Xiaoping, Jia Jia project's director and director of the Center for Robotics, University of Science and Technology of China, said that Jia Jia was not mature enough to be a "product", but her technology would be used in a product which was predicted to be released in two or three years. Jia Jia was released in Anhui province, on April 15, 2016. [Photo/qq.com]
A technician works on a key component of the Hualong One reactor in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China General Nuclear Power Corp said the British government has started an assessment of the company's plan to build a nuclear power plant at Bradwell in southeastern England.

The British government asked nuclear regulators on Tuesday to begin the Generic Design Assessment of CGN's designthe Hualong One reactora process that industry experts expect to take about five years.

The company is confident that Hualong One will meet the United Kingdom's stringent safety, security and design requirements, said Mao Qing, the project manager at CGN responsible for Hualong One's assessment.

According to Joseph Jacobelli, a senior analyst with Asia utilities and infrastructure research at Bloomberg Intelligence, there are high chances the Hualong One reactor will pass UK's strict approval process.

He Yu, CGN's chairman.

"Given the vast experience of CGN in building nuclear facilities in China and the importance of the project, there should be a reasonable chance that the parameters are met, albeit some adjustments may be required," said Jacobelli.

"CGN has strong ambitions in many other jurisdictions. So if the plant faces hiccups, there is a reputational risk which could affect the company's bids for other projects in other countries," he said.

He Yu, chairman of CGN, said investing in Bradwell will also lead to more countries having confidence in the Chinese reactor and will push forward its global market development.

The costs of the assessment will be covered by CGN and Electricite de France SA, which formed a joint venture called General Nuclear Services to develop the Bradwell plant, and fund and design the reactor.

Jesse Norman, UK energy minister, said the UK welcomed CGN's investment in the GDA process.

"The nuclear industry in the UK is subject to a stringent regulatory regime to ensure security and mitigation of any potential environmental detriment."
BEIJING - Delegates from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) discussed goods and services trade and investment as they met in Beijing on Wednesday for the 11th round of trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen led the Chinese delegation, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

Since their launch in November 2012, China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Agreement negotiations have been carried out.

The three parties agreed that the establishment of a trilateral FTA will help give full play to their advantages, unleash the economic vitality of the three countries and boost regional prosperity and development.

In November 2015, leaders from the three nations reiterated in a joint statement that they should accelerate the FTA negotiations.

China is the largest trading partner of Japan and the ROK. The three countries, whose combined GDP accounts for around 20 percent of that of the whole world, would constitute one of the three largest economic blocs, along with the European Union and North America, both of which already have FTAs among themselves.
DJIBOUTI - Chinese construction giant China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has vowed to raise the number of local staff in its operations in Djibouti.

The company on Wednesday has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Djibouti Technical Vocational Training department to hire vocational school graduates as part of its commitment to increase the number of its local staff in its varied operations.

According to the agreement signed, the company will hire graduates of Lycee Industrial and Commercial (LIC) School, which was built by CCECC some 25 years ago.

Yuan Li, president of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), said that the agreement signifies CCECC's commitment to fully fulfill its social responsibility and contribute to the socio-economic development of the horn African country.

"We have signed an agreement to employ graduates of this school. This agreement will change our international company to become a localized company, as more and more local people joined the company," he said.

He further noted that students will develop remarkable experience while working for an international company with many years of experience and notable achievements.

Abdoulkader Houmed, director general of Technical Education and Vocational Training department of Djibouti, has also lauded the agreement, saying "It is very important for us".

"Now students can get a proper training and work as well," he said.
A worker inspects toys at Dongsheng Toy Company in Ganyu, Jiangsu province. The company is an exporter to the European and US markets. [Photo by Si Wei/For China Daily]

China will adopt fresh measuressuch as encouraging more multinational Chinese companies to be formed and actively managing any friction created over tradeto help its exports in the current year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The ministry said that the development of more Chinese multinational companies is part of the overall push for corporate China to go global and stimulate trade.

The ministry also said the country has decided not to pursue high growth in foreign trade in 2017.

Ministry spokesman Sun Jiwen said as global demand for goods remains low and sentiment backing trade protectionism continues to rise, the outlook for China's foreign trade in the current year faces downward pressure and uncertainties.

"We have acutely noticed that labor, land and resource costs have all surged," Sun said.

The ministry said it has made plans to strengthen the integration between trade and industrial policies and build global companies such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, China Railway Rolling Stock Corp and Gree Electric Appliances Inc, to further compete with their global rivals.

Trade volumes between January and November in 2016 dropped 1.2 percent from a year earlier to 21.8 trillion yuan ($3.15 trillion), while the trade surplus shrank 5.8 percent to 3.1 trillion yuan, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

With Chinese companies having already established a footprint in overseas markets, Sun said China will make further progress in two-way investment.

This will stimulate trade and help in the formulation of international trade and investment rules which are in the companies' interests, Sun added.

It will also accelerate the strategy of sealing more free trade agreements with more partners in the current year.

"China's exports are highly likely to be affected by the new trade policies from the United States in the first half of this year," said Xue Rongjiu, deputy director of the Beijing-based China Society for WTO Studies.

Xue said, however, that because most of their trade is complementary, any policy changes are unlikely to lead to long-term business losses on either side.

China will open another seven pilot free trade zonesthe third batchincluding Sichuan and Henan provinces soon.

It is expected that these will create new growth points for both trade and investment.
Davos in Switzerland will soon catch the spotlight as business leaders, political leaders, experts and journalists proceed to the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The meeting, from January 17 to 20 with the theme of Responsive and Responsible Leadership, is expected to attract more than 2,500 participants from nearly 100 countries.

According to a report from fianance.sina.com.cn, many Chinese business tycoons will attend the event, including Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, and Wang Jianlin, chairman of real estate conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.

Here is a list of some Chinese businessmen that will attend the meeting.

Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba Group
Premier Li Keqiang (Left) meets with Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation, in Davos, Switzerland, Jan 21, 2015.[Photo/english.gov.cn]

Sixty-five years ago today on 14 September 1950, the People's Republic of China and the Swiss Confederation officially established diplomatic relations. The history of the bilateral relations in the past decades has shown two defining features of this relationship: one is its pioneering spirit, and the other is the depth and width of bilateral cooperation.

Switzerland is one of the first Western countries to recognize the PRC. In 1980, Schindler Group of Switzerland and its Chinese partners set up the first industrial joint venture in China. In 2007, Switzer-land became one of the first European countries that recognized China as a market economy. This laid the groundwork for the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement that came into effect last year. The agreement set a good example of free trade cooperation between China and countries on the European continent.

Asia, China in particular, is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. China's development and rejuvenation will have far-reaching impact for the 21st century. Such a remarkable transformation has presented new challenges in social, economic, political, legal and environmental areas.

As China's friend and partner, Switzerland supports and encourages a stable, prosperous and fast modernizing China. The two countries work closely with each other in coping with climate change and developing a low-carbon economy. We also enjoy active bilateral exchanges, a big part of which have been the multiple dialogue mechanisms set up between the two countries. We cherish these exchanges as they offer a platform of dialogue and mutual learning in the fields of political affairs, environmental protection, sustainable development, immigration and education. The two sides, under the framework of human rights dialogue, have carried out specific and prudent exchanges on questions including minority groups on an equal footing and in the spirit of mutual respect.

Economic and financial cooperation is a major pillar of our bilateral relations. Both China and Switzerland attach importance to sound economic growth and are committed to improving people's well-being. We have developed close economic ties. China is now Switzerland's most important trading partner in Asia, and its third largest trading partner in the world, after the European Union and the United States. There is still great potential for further growth in our bilateral trade.

While implementing the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement, it is of special significance to expand bilateral financial cooperation. The China-Switzerland financial dialogue mechanism established in 2013 has further upgraded bilateral financial cooperation. Major progress has been made in this area. For instance, when Premier Li Keqiang attended the annual meeting of World Economic Forumin Davos in January 2015, the central banks of the two countries signed a cooperation document on establishing RMB clearance arrangement in Switzerland. Switzerland is also one of the first western European countries to participate in the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Apart from the above examples of ground-breaking progress in China-Switzerland trade, we should not fail to note another major component of our relations, namely, people-to-people exchanges. Exchanges between university and middle school students, professors, scholars and scientists have been increasing and culture exchanges have been ever more active. Every week 11 flights travel between the two countries. In 2014, the number of Chinese tourists staying overnight in Swiss hotels exceeded 1 million for the first time. China has become the largest source of Asian tourists traveling to Switzerland.

We firmly believe that as long as our two countries carry on our sound cooperation as we have done over the past decades and continue to follow the spirit of daring creativity in building our future, China-Switzerland relations will achieve greater development.

Wang Yi is Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and Didier Burkhalter is Federal Councilor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation
video video video

Over 6.2 million copies of President Xi Jinpings book The Governance of China have been distributed worldwide since its release two years ago, Minister of the State Council Information Office Jiang Jianguo said on Monday.

"The book has steadily attracted worldwide attention and more than 6.2 million copies have already been distributed in different languages," Jiang revealed when he addressed a launch ceremony on a global China-themed book exhibition in Geneva.

Jiang said the books distribution volume has already set a record, surpassing all other Chinese leaders works since the reform and opening up from the late 1970s.

The book exhibition, which will last one month, was launched the day before Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced Xis upcoming visit to Switzerland from Jan 15-18.

"President Xi will be discussing with his Swiss counterpart on how to upgrade relations to a new level and the visit will be of landmark importance to the region and the world," said Jiang.

In addition to beefing up trade relations, China and Switzerland will announce new measures in boosting cultural exchanges, tourism and financial cooperation during the visit.

After the state visit, Xi will be delivering the keynote speech at the annual World Economic Forum on Jan 17 in Davos. He is scheduled to visit the Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee and the headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva, as well as speak at the high-level conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva before wrapping up his first overseas tour in 2017.
Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland said Chinese President Xi Jinping will be giving a "strong boost" to the Sino-Swiss bilateral relationship during his forthcoming visit. [Photo/VCG]

China's President Xi Jinping will be giving a "strong boost" to the bilateral relationship between China and Switzerland, which already enjoys considerable mutual trust, said Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.

"I am confident that President Xi's state visit will be giving a strong boost to our relationship, which is already very good and promising," Burkhalter told China Daily.

Xi is to visit Switzerlandfrom January 15-18 to deepen the relationship by announcing new measures to boost free trade, cultural exchanges, tourism and financial cooperation.

Burkhalter said his country was the first Western country to recognize the People's Republic of China in January,1950. "And from that time, our relationship, which is a historic one, has become stronger and stronger with the mutual trust we have rendered," he said.

Switzerland recognized China's market economy status in 2007. In July 2014, the two countries started to implement a free trade agreement, and in April, 2016, when former president of the Swiss Confederation Johann N. Schneider-Ammann visited China, both sides signed a "partnership of innovation."

Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard took over from Schneider-Ammann as president of the Swiss Confederation from the beginning of this year. Leuthard also visited China in August last year.

Burkhalter said currently both sides enjoy a "very good and promising relationship" with dialogue in various areas such as the economy, finance, environment, culture and human rights.

He also said China and Switzerland have set examples on how to establish a win-win partnership by ironing out differences in their political and social systems.

"The Swiss side is willing to deepen cooperation with China to explore innovation and maintain the global free trade system," said Burkhalter.

Burkhalter added that his country will also work closely with China in various multilateral areas to become stabilizing factors of the increasingly complex global situation.

To contact the reporter: fujing@chinadaily.com
The veteran French politician Jean-Pierre Raffarin says he looks forward to hearing President Xi Jinping at the upcoming annual meeting of World Economic Forum. [Fu Jing/China Daily]

Veteran French politician Jean-Pierre Raffarin believes the world has become a more precarious place. Peace is fragile, some global players are unpredictable and inward-looking, and long-term vision is in short supply.

"People are afraid," the 68-year-old former prime minister and current vice-president of the French Senate told China Daily in an interview. "And the politicians in the West are inclined to close doors."

His remarks reflect a prevailing concern among the politicians, business leaders, academics and media gathering for the annual conference of the World Economic Forum on 17-20 January in Davos, Switzerland, which President Xi Jinping will attend.

Xi will pay a state visit to Switzerland from January 15-18 and deliver a speech at Davos during his first overseas tour of 2017.

There will be intense international interest in Xi's presence at Davos at a time when the world looks to China for solutions to rising global challenges.

Raffarin, who has been actively engaged with China for four decades, said he had high expectations of Xi's contribution at Davos towards global efforts to achieve peace, prosperity and reform.

He said the strategy of opening up and reform initiated by Deng Xiaoping had been well implemented by China's leadership for decades, delivering "beautiful results."

Under Xi's leadership China had achieved a "good balance" between rapid growth and tackling social and ecological problems and rooting out corruption, he said.

"With reform high on Xi's agenda, he has emphasized inclusive growth and innovation, which have also solved many social problems," said Raffarin.

China has made big strides in forging partnerships with a variety of countries and actively participated in the work and initiatives of the UN and other international organizations, he said.
Ma Zhaoxu, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva said the international community attaches great importance to President Xi Jinping's visit to Switzerland. [Fu Jing/China Daily]

President Xi Jinping is expected to announce new Chinese proposals to improve global governance and revive the world's economy during the World Economic Forum next week in Switzerland, as the international situation has undergone the deepest changes since the Cold War, according to a top Chinese diplomat.

During 15-18 January, Xi will be paying a state visit to Switzerland to deepen the bilateral relationship. Then he will deliver a keynote speech at the annual meeting of WEF in Davos before visiting the Lausanne-based the International Olympics Committee. Xi will also visit the headquarters of World Health Organization in Geneva, and speak at the high-level conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva before wrapping up his first overseas tour in 2017.

"President Xi's upcoming visit happens against the backdrop that the global economy is deeply restructuring and the international order is experiencing the most complicated changes since the Cold War," said Ma Zhaoxu, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland.

Ma said Xi's Davos visit is attracting a lot of attention worldwide as the international community looks to China to help solve the rising challenges.

In an interview with China Daily, Ma said Xi's plan is aimed at helping accelerate the recovery of the global economy, speed up reform of global governance, strengthen the role of United Nations and bolster multilateralism and international cooperation.

"The international community is looking forward to Xi's outlook on the world and China's economy and his proposals and ideas which could help solve the deep-rooted problems affecting global growth," said Ma, who moved to his present post in Geneva in April last year after being Chinese ambassador to Australia.

Ma said currently the global economy has not totally escaped the shadows of the financial crisis and economic growth still lacks impetus, while global trade and investment have slowed down, and there are frequent fluctuations in the financial markets.

At the same time, Ma said he was concerned about moves towards blocking globalization and the possibility of protectionism, isolationism and populism. In addition there remain the challenges of terrorism, refugee movements and climate change.

"The dazzling changes have made some people worried about the global situation and they are asking what on earth happens to the world and how the world should react," said Ma. "But it is difficult to find answers."

Ma said Xi will respond to the challenges with "China's solution portfolio" but he did not reveal details of the speech.

Ma said Xi will be giving another important speech at a high-level conference calling for increased efforts to build the common destiny of human beings, which will be held at the Palace of Nations in Geneva.

"President Xi will be shedding light on the creation of a community of shared future for the mankind, and the proposals will affect global governance reform," said Ma.

Xi proposed the idea of building on the common destiny of humanity in September 2015 when he attended the seventieth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.

Ma said Xi's speech in Geneva is of great importance because the Swiss city has for decades been one of the most dynamic centers of multilateral diplomacy. In 1954, five years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, then premier Zhou Enlai led a delegation attending the Geneva Conference on Korea and Indo-China, a starting point for the New China to engage with the international community.

"In the past decades, Geneva has witnessed China's role evolve from being a bystander, to participant, contributor and initiator of the international system," said Ma.

Ma also said that Xi will meet Margaret Chan, the Hong Kong-born, Canadian-educated Director-General of the World Health Organization, in Geneva, the first time a highest-ranking Chinese leader has visited the WHO headquarters.

To contact the reporter: fujing@chinadaily.com
Chinese ambassador to Switzerland Geng Wenbing said President Xi Jinping will join his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard in scaling up a 2014 free trade partnership during his upcoming visit. [Fu Jing/China Daily]

President Xi Jinping will send a strong signal against rising global trade and investment protectionism when he joins his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard in announcing their two countries' decision to scale up a free trade partnership that entered into force in 2014.

Chinese ambassador to Switzerland Geng Wenbing says increased action to facilitate two-way trade and investment between China and Switzerland tops Xi's agenda during his upcoming visit from January 15-18.

"During President Xi's visit, both sides will actively explore action to upgrade the free trade agreement," Geng told China Daily.

"Leaders of both countries will join hands to send strong signals to fight against any form of global protectionism blocking trade and investment flow."

In addition to beefing up the trade relationship, Geng said that both sides will announce new measures to boost cultural exchanges, tourism and financial cooperation.

After the state visit, Xi will be delivering the keynote speech at the annul meeting of World Economic Forum on 17th January in Davos. He is scheduled to visit the Lausanne-based International Olympics Committee and the headquarters of World Health Organization in Geneva, and speak at the high-level conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva before wrapping up his first overseas tour in 2017.

Geng said both sides are determined to set an example on free trade, which should be followed by the European Union and other global players to pave the way for the global economy to grow faster.

The two countries' free trade agreement, which has waived most tariffs on goods, became effective in July, 2014. Talks began in 2011 and the two sides sealed the deal in July 2013.

While talks with Norway are ongoing, Iceland is the other European country which has already entered into a free trade agreement with China.

But the European Union insists that it should conclude a bilateral investment agreement with China before the two sides start free trade talks, though some of its member states are eager to clinch such deals with China.

Geng also said more countries have shown interest in free trade talks with China, mainly because Switzerland has already benefited from a partnership that has seen its exports grow.

Official figures from the Swiss government indicated overall exports slowed in October and November last year but export volume to China maintained two-digit year-on-year growth in the same period.

Exports to China increased 11.5 percent year-on-year in November while the rise in October was up to 24.1 percent.

"Such rosy results have led more countries to become interested in free trade talks with China and even some of them asked me for the agreement texts sealed by China and Switzerland," Geng said.

"I am sure that every country that enters such trade arrangement with China will become a winner."

Geng said China has been restructuring its investment and trade-led economy towards consumption and innovation, creating tremendous import opportunities.

In December, the European Union, United States and Japan, the leading global economies, refused to fulfill a promise made 15 years ago when China joined the World Trade Organization to recognize China as an equal trade partner.

But Switzerland, joined dozens of WTO members in recognizing China's market economy status back in 2007.

Apart from efforts to boost their trade partnership, Geng said the leaders will also upgrade their political relationship.

Switzerland was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1950. In April, 2016, former president of the Swiss Confederation Johann N. Schneider-Ammann visited China.

"Within less than a year, President Xi is returns a state visit and he is only visiting Switzerland during this tour, which indicates how much importance China has attached to the bilateral relationship," said Geng.
Attention on the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos will this year be focused squarely on China's President Xi Jinping.

A man walks at the main entrance of the congress center where the World Economic Forum takes place in Davos, Switzerland, in this file photo taken on Jan 18, 2016.

It will be the first time a Chinese head of state has attended the annual gathering, which has evolved over more than four decades into the ultimate international networking session.

Xi, who will open this year's meeting, will be accompanied by the largest delegation of Chinese officials to attend Davos since it first participated in 1979.

Every year in mid-January, CEOs, heads of state, top government officials, artists, academics and media moguls rub shoulders at the small Swiss winter resort and discuss the major topic of the day.

This year, amid a perceived US retreat from global affairs and with Europe facing political uncertainty, attendees will watch out for China to emerge as the champion of globalization and multilateralism.

Last year, the theme was Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This year, from Jan 17-20, delegates at the 47th gathering will talk about Responsive and Responsible Leadership.

For this year's record 3,000 invitation-only participants, networking is probably more important than the formal agenda of speeches and discussion panels.

Around 500 journalists will attempt to track events, knowing the most interesting discussions take place out of sight.

It is an atmosphere that can provide the background for deals, that could range from business initiatives to international peace agreements.

In 1992, South Africa's last apartheid-era president, F.W. de Klerk, shook hands at Davos with Nelson Mandela. Two years later, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat held a joint news conference with Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres.

The annual meeting began in 1971 as an obscure management gathering, the brainchild of German-born Klaus Schwab, a business academic.

Schwab, who is still executive chairman of the WEF, believed business was not only about shareholders, but also about stakeholders beyond the business world.

The forum evolved into a gathering for those who, in their respective fields, run the world.

Davos Manbarely a fifth of participants are womenhas become shorthand for the kind of transnational mover and shaker who commutes by helicopter or private jet. The image presents a challenge after a year in which Brexit in Britain and the election of Donald Trump in the US have been interpreted as part of a backlash against globalized elites.

It is recognized in this year's theme of responsible leadership, a concept the WEF says "requires recognizing that frustration and discontent are increasing in the segments of society that are not experiencing economic development and social progress".

This year, representatives of more than 70 countries will take part alongside heads of international organizations, including Antonio Guterres, the new Secretary-General of the UN.

The author is a senior editorial consultant for China Daily UK.
Talks possible next week on World Economic Forum sidelines

World attention is being drawn to the possibility of a meeting of representatives from the world's two largest economies at the World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland next week.

With concerns over trade protectionism and anti-globalization swirling, there are signs that the Chinese delegation could meet on the sidelines with the transition team of US president-elect Donald Trump. Such a meeting could help narrow positions on trade and sensitive political issues, observers said.

Uncertainty over those positions has rocked Asia-Pacific nations that would be the most affected by a trade war or a security conflict, they said.

President Xi Jinping will lead the Chinese delegation to Switzerland for a state visit from Sunday to Wednesday. On Tuesday, he will become the first top Chinese leader to attend the Davos meeting.

Given that Trump will take office on Jan 20, "someone from the transition team representing the new administration" will attend the forum, Klaus Schwab, forum executive chairman, said on Tuesday. It remains unclear who that would be.

Asked whether a Trump representative would meet with the Chinese delegation at Davos, Vice-Foreign Minister Li Baodong said on Wednesday at a news briefing on Xi's trip that "there are open channels of communication" between Beijing and Trump's team.

Beijing is willing to arrange meetings with various parties if time permits on the sidelines of the Davos forum, so "the relevant two-way meetings are being discussed", Li said, without directly confirming a meeting with the Trump team.

Also on Wednesday, Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing hopes that "the US respects China's interests and concerns in the Asia-Pacific region", adding that China is "willing to maintain contacts with the new US administration over Asia-Pacific affairs and discuss cooperation".

Security in the Asia-Pacific cannot be maintained by the US alone as it requires joint efforts by all countries, particularly the major countries, Liu said at a news conference.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said if the Davos meeting happens, Trump's envoy might press Beijing on financial issues and the Taiwan question.

Zhong Feiteng, a researcher on Asia-Pacific studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China may ask the new Cabinet to be cautious on trade policies, and attention will be given to the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue to prevent a deteriorating regional security situation.

Zhang Yansheng, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission's Academic Committee, said Trump's team is advocating anti-globalization measures and trade protectionism to try to gain an advantage for the US.

Trump's team said secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson would knock China's islands construction program in the South China Sea and its policies on Pyongyang's nuclear program, Reuters reported. Tillerson's confirmation hearing was held on Wednesday.
Prior to President Xi Jinping's visit to Switzerland on 15-18th January, Jiang Jianguo (Right), minister of the State Council Information Office said at a seminar in Geneva on Wednesday that China has made impressive progress in restructuring its economy and supply-side structural reform. [Fu Jing / China Daily]

The shift in China's economy towards services and consumption underlines the country's success, indicating the obvious in shifting its development pattern and deepening a new round of market-oriented reform since 2013, Jiang Jianguo, Minister of the State Council Information Office said in Geneva on Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to Switzerland on 15-18th January, Jiang said the growth of the service industry has contributed 58.5 percent to the country's economy in the first three quarters of 2016. Consumption meanwhile generated 71 percent of the country's economic growth during the period.

"The service industry has became the main engine of China's economy and consumption has played an even bigger role," said Jiang at a seminar organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Geneva-based International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development.

Jiang said China's successful shift from and economy driven by investment and foreign trade has been accompanied by reform endeavors in which the market played a decisive role. The new round of reform was implemented in 2013, one year after Xi became China's top leader.

He said the Chinese government has rolled out 336 reform measures under 60 categories to deepen reform and in 2016, it accomplished 97 key reform tasks at the central government level and 194 at ministerial level.

"Among them, deepening supply-side structural reform is the leading measure to adapt to the economic new normal," said Jiang, who is traveling in Switzerland in preparation for Xi's visit.

"The focus of the reform is aimed to improve the quality and efficiency of supply, streamline institutions to ensure the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation."

Jiang said China will further implement reform measures to invigorate the real economy, promote stable and healthy real estate development and effectively manage the potential risks in finance, debt, real estate and the real economy.

Zhang Xiaojing, senior economist of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also said China has made impressive progress in restructuring its economy and the new engines of sustainable growth have already emerged.

"The international community should take notice of China's gear shifts of its economy and its progress," said Zhang.

One impressive example Zhang listed is that China's patent-intensive industry and innovation sectors have grown at a two-digit pace in recent months despite the country's GDP slowing down to adapt to new economic norms.

He acknowledged that China's stimulus packages since the financial crisis have increased the leverage ratio in boosting the economy. But he compared with the situation in the United States, the European Union, Japan and other leading economies, saying, "China's risks and bubbles are within manageable reach."

As a leading economist doing comparative studies of the balance sheet of different economies, Zhang said China's comparative advantage is that the country's tremendous stock of national net assets could help it cope with any risks it faced.

"One typical example is that our foreign reserves are ample," said Zhang. "But many developed countries lack this kind of advantage in dealing with potential risks."

Ricardo Melendez-Ortiz, chief executive of the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development, expressed concern about difficulties emerging in 2016 in the geopolitical, environment and global governance areas.

But he said global governance achieved successes in 2015 with the Paris Climate Change Agreement, by meeting the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and making progress in multilateral trade talks.

"It seemed that the year 2015 had seen impressive successes in global governance but the political debates in 2016 worldwide have lead to the challenges - of protectionism, isolationism, nationalism - we face right now," said Melendez-Ortiz.

He said President Xi's visit will take place against these dramatic changes in global governance in the past two years. "We are looking forward to Xi revealing his thoughts and plans on improving the global situation," said Melendez-Ortiz.
GENEVA - Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled multilateral diplomatic activities in Geneva and Davos during his upcoming visit to Switzerland will have an important and far-reaching influence on the global economic recovery and governance system reform, a senior Chinese diplomat said Wednesday.

On Jan. 15-18, Xi will pay a state visit to Switzerland and attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.

According to his agenda, Xi will also visit the United Nations (UN) headquarters at Geneva, and meet with leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Ma Zhaoxu, head of the Chinese mission to the UN at Geneva, told Xinhua that Xi's upcoming visit is of great importance, especially considering the current changes in the world economy and international relations.

Ma said the international financial crisis and its deep impact still exist, and the world economic recovery is weak.

An anti-globalization trend and protectionism, isolationism and populism are on the rise, he said.

"President Xi's speech will help the international community find the direction to move forward as well as solutions to the world's tough challenges such as terrorism, refugee problems and climate change and other issues of widespread concern," he said.

During the WEF annual meeting for 2017, Xi will deliver an important speech that is expected to fully explain his views on the world economic situation, and China's insight and proposals to deal with the world's most important issues.

The WEF annual meeting in Davos remains the most creative force for engaging the world's top leaders in collaborative activities to shape global, regional and industrial agendas at the beginning of each year. The theme of the 2017 annual meeting is "Responsive and Responsible Leadership."

As an important member of the international community, China has been a strong advocate of multilateralism, firmly supporting the UN's central role in international affairs and advancing international cooperation. In today's world, multilateralism with the UN at its core still plays an irreplaceable role, and it is also key to addressing global challenges.

"In the past more than 60 years, Geneva has witnessed the growth of China from a bystander of the international system into a participant, builder and even one of the leaders of the international community," Ma said.

"The world today is at a turning point in history. The international balance has undergone profound changes, with emerging markets and a large number of developing countries gaining strength. At the same time, the world faces a lot of severe challenges and unexpected events that often make people confused," Ma said.

He said that under the circumstances, Xi's notion of a community of common destiny for mankind means a clear direction for the world's further development.

This is a message that has been repeated many times, and it reflects China's sincere wish to build a better world together with other countries, Ma said, since China's development and reform are not only tied to the welfare of the Chinese people, but also to the peace and prosperity of the entire world.

Calling for dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual benefits, the concept of a community of common destiny for mankind highlights China's pledge not to develop at the cost of other countries.

Ma said that during his visit, Xi is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at a high-level meeting focused on building a community of common destiny for mankind, to be held in the UN headquarters at Geneva.

"Xi's speech will further explain the important idea of building a community of common destiny for mankind, and this will have a significant and far-reaching impact on the reform of the global governance system," Ma said.
BEIJING - A pioneering spirit has always shaped and will further guide Switzerland-China ties, Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques de Dardel told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Switzerland from Jan. 15-18, attending activities including the 47th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, the Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

The two countries established an innovative strategic partnership during then-Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann's state visit to China in April 2016, the first China has developed with a foreign country.

"This new partnership is not surprising and certainly rational," said de Dardel.

Innovation is a top priority among the five development concepts outlined in China's 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the four others being coordination, green development, opening up and sharing.

"Obviously, with China bent on furthering innovation, while Switzerland is a champion of innovation, it makes sense to refer to innovation to enrich the content of bilateral relations," de Dardel said.

Stressing that Switzerland-China ties have been characterized by a number of "firsts," de Dardel said Switzerland was among the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and among the first group of European countries to recognize China's market economy status. The first industrial joint venture China entered into was with Switzerland.

"All these constitute the basis of our mutual trust," he said.

De Dardel highlighted the importance of aligning Switzerland's "Industry 4.0" with "Made in China 2025" to enhance the bilateral innovative strategic partnership.

De Dardel noted that the two strategies share the same goals of improving production, abandoning the obsolete, and jumping up the technological ladder for more sustainable development.

Hailing the dramatic progress China has achieved during the past 30-plus years, de Dardel said Switzerland embraces more innovation-driven cooperation with China, the world's second-largest economy, which is committed to deepening reform.

De Dardel expressed his appreciation that in the process of transformation, the Chinese economy is moving away from irrational production and toward high-quality products and services.

Switzerland, upon considering the improvement and transformation of the Chinese economy, decided it warranted market economy status, de Dardel said, adding that he hopes that through adjustments, China's market economy will become more mature.

"We believe inclusiveness is always better than exclusion," he stressed.

Despite sluggish world economic growth, de Dardel said he is "very impressed" by China's GDP, which still grows at well above 6 percent annually, adding that the country is increasingly seen as a model to the developing world.

"The contribution of the Chinese economy to globalization is more than enormous, because China is still strengthening its opening up," he added.

As a dedicated supporter of multilateralism, China is on its way to playing a greater role in global economic governance, de Dardel said, listing examples such as China's successful hosting of the G20 summit, proposing and implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, and helping operate the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank.

De Dardel said the two countries are always ready to break new ground.

Xi Jinping will be the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting. De Dardel said Xi's presence will demonstrate China's proactive attitude toward international governance and make the world economy better.

"I see it as a positive sign living up to what China has become," de Dardel said.
President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Switzerland is expected to deepen the two countries' bilateral strategic innovative partnership, which is unique among diplomatic practices, said a senior Swiss diplomat.

Alain Gaschen, minister and deputy head of mission at the Swiss embassy to China, said that the priority of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) is innovation and creating an economy that is more sustainable, and Switzerland has a lot to offer on that issue.

"Switzerland products are competitive because of innovation and high quality. If we deepen the free trade agreement, we will have companies with high technology, with much added value that can contribute to China high-end economy," he told China Daily during an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

"Switzerland is year after year the most innovative country in the world, so it does make sense for China and Switzerland to team up on that," he said, adding that innovation is at the core of the two countries' relationship.

President Xi will pay a state visit to Switzerland from Jan 15-18, attending activities including the 47th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Jan 10.

The two countries established an innovative strategic partnership during then-Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann's state visit to China in April 2016, the first China has ever developed with a foreign country.

During the meeting, Switzerland also became an observer country in the partnership between China and 16 Central and East European countries.

Switzerland is willing to share its innovative experiences, especially on its excellent manufacturing in industries such as watches, with China, said Gaschen, the embassy's minister.

"We already have more than 20 dialogues in many areas from environment, labor and human rights to other topics including intellectual property, finance, migration, you can name it," he said.

Switzerland was among the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and among the first group of European countries to recognize China's market economy status. The first industrial joint venture China entered into was also with Switzerland.

In December 2016, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Switzerland that the two countries should effectively implement the innovative strategic partnership, and both sides could carry out innovation cooperation to inject new imputes into world economic growth.
Joining Jaguar Land Rover in 2011, Frank Wittemann has about 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Frank Wittemann will take the helm of Jaguar Land Rover sales in China next month when the current sales chief Mark Bishop retires.

Bishop became president of Jaguar Land Rover China and Chery Jaguar Land Rover Integrated Marketing Sales and Service in June 2015, with James Hu his deputy.

The two led British premium automaker's sales unit through hard times in 2015 and pushed sales to about 120,000 in 2016, a 31 percent growth compared to the previous year. The performance ranked JLR fourth in the market after the three well-established German giants: Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

JLR China President Pan Qing spoke highly of Bishop's work, expressing thanks for his driving significant sales growth.

Wittemann said he anticipates a strong 2017.

"Mark has laid strong foundations for our future progress in China and we now have the capacity to further grow our business," he said.

Joining JLR in 2011, Wittemann has about 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. His most recent role was managing director of JLR Latin America and the Caribbean.

Chen Anning, chairman of Chery Jaguar Land Rover, said Wittemann's rich experience will help the two brands' marketing, sales and after-sales business and offer a better product and service experience to Chinese customers.

The CJLR is currently localizing three models in China: Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Jaguar XFL.
By Fan Feifei in Beijing and Zhou Lihua in Wuhan | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-12 08:17

Freshmen at the Guilin University of Electronic Technology use EyeSmart devices to offer their iris data for their personal identity files. [Photo provided to China Daily]

EyeSmart Technology Ltd, a Beijing-based startup, has applied biometric iris recognition technology to finance, education, public security, social security, healthcare and public welfare.

Iris recognition is a method of identifying people based on unique patterns within the ring-shaped region surrounding the pupil. As the iris of each person is unique and doesn't degenerate over time, forgery and identity theft are difficult, according to EyeSmart.

Wang Xiaopeng, founder of EyeSmart, said: "Compared with facial and fingerprint recognition, the error rate of iris recognition is much lower. Iris recognition is the most stable, accurate and safest biometric identification technology at present."

With the development of new technology, the requirement for information security is becoming increasingly high. Iris recognition has become valuable in national security, military security, public safety and personal information security.

Wang said EyeSmart's iris recognition technology does not require users to stand close to the machine as the hardware is able to identify someone six meters away and even if they are moving.

"Traditional fingerprint and facial recognition have some potential risks. For instance, people could undergo plastic surgery and fingerprints are easy to copy," said Wang.

He added the iris recognition technology does not require a card, password or physical contact whether it is for making contactless payment, using the tech in a smart home or a smart car.

Founded in 2010, EyeSmart now provides specialized iris recognition products and solutions for hi-tech companies. Its products are used at banks, airports and hospitals.

In December 2014, it launched the world's first iris phone. Users are able to unlock the phone or log in and even encrypt files by iris.

It also participated in India's national biometric identification system, providing key technology support.

In September 2010, India launched the biometric identification system, and collected data of residents, stored it and issued a 12-digit unique identification number called Aadhaar to each resident of India.

The Unique Identification Authority of India is responsible for the project, while EyeSmart worked on the project and finished the task of collecting the iris information of 1.2 billion people in India in 2016.

A customer pays a bill at a cafe using EyeSmart's iris recognition technology in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"In the next few years, we will provide various identity-based authentication solutions with certification companies in India for residents, which include certificates of bank transfer, consumption, payments, loans, salary payments and medical insurance," said Wang.

"Indian residents could enjoy digital medical services, social security, training, employment and online payment. The Indian government can also issue a subsidy and an allowance for targeted residents and monitor their health conditions."

Iris recognition technology has also been used in smartphones. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd launched its latest big-screen smartphone the Galaxy Note 7 with a curved screen and iris-recognition technology in August, but it was forced to recall the phones due to battery problem.

American professional rating organization IBG said the iris recognition market is growing at 30 percent a year, and the market value will reach more than $10 billion in the next five years.

Sun Zhenan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said iris recognition technology is definitely safer than face recognition and fingerprint recognition, but glass eyes and contact lenses could affect the process.

Contact the writers at fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn and zhoulihua@chinadaily.com.cn
A bank clerk demonstrates cash withdrawal from an ATM that uses the facial recognition technology, in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Su Yang/For China Daily]

Megvii Technology Inc, an internet startup focused on face recognition technology, is planning to expand the application into the financial and security sectors.

Its core product Face++, which was launched in 2012 as China's first cloud-based facial recognition platform, offers three core services including detection, recognition and analysis.

The company has finished a $100 million fundraising from investors, including CCB International Holdings Ltd and Foxconn Technology Group. Investors in the latest round also included some that participated in previous funding.

"The money will be used to further the research and development of deep learning and machine vision, as well as expansion into the fields of finance and security. We will increase investment in artificial intelligence and the internet of things," said Megvii's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Yin Qi.

The company will also explore the commercial market of intelligent robotics with new investors.

"Facial recognition is a safe verification method that can be applied in various areas such as car rental, shopping, financial services and online-to-offline services where personal information, pass codes or transactions are involved," said Yin.

Yin added that the technology is fairly mature at present and just needs to be optimized in certain scenarios.

Face++ has upgraded into an open AI platform that shares the company's most advanced computing and programming technology to app developers for free.

In 2015, Face++ and Ant Financial Services Group, the payment affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, jointly developed Smile to Pay, a payment method that allows customers to make a purchase by simply scanning their face.

Its facial recognition technology has already been widely applied by domestic technology companies. Selfie app developer Meitu Inc uses it to track facial features. Alipay, the mobile payment service of Alibaba, is also relying on it to allow users to log onto the app with a facial scan.

China Mobile Communications Corp and Sinovation Ventures have applied Megvii's facial recognition technology into their entrance system to enhance security. Major banks and internet financial platforms are working with Megvii to establish bank accounts online through facial scans.

Megvii also offers facial scan technology for the Ministry of Public Security that covers 1.3 billion people in China, to help the authority verify demographic information.

Yin said technology companies in the AI industry wouldn't survive by just depending on one technology.

"They have to do more and step out of their comfort zones and learn to connect various industries with AI technology," Yin said.

Megvii plans to be listed in the future, he said.
Tourists from the Chinese mainland visit the Yehliu Geopark in Taiwan's New Taipei City in May.Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

Residents from island welcome to work, live, study on the mainland

The Chinese mainland is blaming Taiwan authorities for the decline of personal exchanges.

In 2016, 5.73 million trips were made by Taiwan residents to the mainland, an increase of 4.2 percent compared with 2015. Meanwhile, 3.61 million trips were made by mainland residents to Taiwan, a decline of 14.4 percent, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday.

"It is the first decline in eight years ... The change is affected by the political change in Taiwan," Ma said during a news briefing in Beijing, adding that the mainland's policies attract more people from Taiwan to the mainland.

"However, Taiwan's political change has worsened the atmosphere for cross-Straits communication and affected mainland residents' willingness and passion to travel to Taiwan," he said.

Since 2008, when the island opened up to mainland travelers, the number of independent tourists had increased by at least 15 to 20 percent.

But in 2016, the tourism industry in Taiwan suffered a decline of mainland tourists.

Liu Xiangping, head of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Nanjing University, said the island's authorities contributed to an atmosphere that "convinced" residents that visitors from the mainland are not well-behaved tourists.

"The attitude makes mainland travelers feel unwelcome and lose interest in Taiwan," he said.

The decline affected Taiwan's tourism industry.

In September, more than 15,000 hospitality and tourism workers took to the streets in downtown Taipei, demanding the island's authorities do something about the lackluster industry.

"Because the tourism industry boomed in the past few years in Taiwan, many tourism companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, took out loans to expand their business to attract more tourists, such as redecorating hotels and hiring more employees," said Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University.

"They have to continue making money to pay their debt. But now the decline will affect their income," Zhu said.

Since May, when Taiwan's new leader Tsai Ing-wen took office, she has not acknowledged the 1992 Consensus, which establishes the one-China policy.

The official communication channel has been cut off since July.

The mainland has encouraged people-to-people communication.

"In 2017, we will continue to support communication across the Straits," Ma said.

"We will solve practical problems for Taiwan people to work, live and study on the mainland, to ensure they develop their businesses on the mainland smoothly," he said.
Guo Futing teaches the "Happy New Year" song in Chinese and English at a social welfare institute in Xiangyang, Hubei province, on Jan 10, 2017. Guo was taken in by the institute when she was three after she was abandoned, and was then adopted by a Dutch couple. Living overseas for 19 years, she always wanted to go back to her hometown and thank the people who helped her and give back. [Photo/VCG]
Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin answers reporters' questions in Beijing on Wednesday at a news conference on the State Council Information Office's publication of a white paper on China's Asia-Pacific security cooperation.Zou Hong / China Daily

China confirmed on Wednesday that it will finish a framework with Southeast Asian nations by the middle of the year for a code of conduct on the South China Sea.

"Negotiation on the code of conduct has entered a very important phase," Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said during a news conference to issue a white paper on China's policies on Asia-Pacific security cooperation.

"We will continue to focus on the job in the coming few months and do our best to finish a draft of the framework of the code of conduct," Liu said, joking that the work will not be dragged out until the last minute in June but will be done "as early as possible".

He also said this is progress in just one phase of negotiation on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, adding that the heavier work will come after the draft is completed.

In Manila, the Philippines' foreign minister also said on Wednesday that the code of conduct framework will be completed by the middle of the year.

"Even as we speak, we continue to have discussions with our high officials, below ministerial level," Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told a news conference, according to Reuters. "And this is precisely why we are hopeful."

China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations members started work on the code of conduct in 2003. Yasay said China had been "very cooperative" in the process.

Yasay also said his country won't raise last year's international arbitration ruling on the South China Sea during ASEAN summit talks that Manila will host this year. He said pressing the ruling at the meeting would be "simply counterproductive for our purposes".

Beijing rejected the ruling in the arbitration case, which was unilaterally brought by the Philippines, and said the tribunal's ruling cannot be the basis of any discussions.

Chen Qinghong, a researcher of Philippine studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said recent progress on the South China Sea issue can be largely attributed to the shift of Manila's stance.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken steps to mend relations with China since taking office in June.

"So far, we judge that China's double-channel strategy is effective," he said, referring to Beijing's stance that South China Sea disputes should be negotiated by countries directly involved, while China and ASEAN should work together to maintain peace in the sea.

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn
The People's Liberation Army Navy holds a ceremony to celebrate the commissioning of the CNS Kaiyangxing on Tuesday.Provided To China Daily

The People's Liberation Army Navy has commissioned a new electronic reconnaissance ship, a PLA Navy media outlet reported on Wednesday in a rare move that also made public the composition of the nation's electronic intelligence fleet.

The CNS Kaiyangxing, or Mizar, with hull code 856, was delivered to a combat support flotilla of the North Sea Fleet on Tuesday morning in Qingdao, Shandong province, Modern Navy said on its WeChat account on Wednesday.

The Kaiyangxing is capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock reconnaissance on multiple and different targets, the report said, adding that the ship is so sophisticated that only a few countries, such as the United States and Russia, are capable of developing it.

Modern Navy said the PLA Navy now operates six electronic reconnaissance vessels - Beijixing (Polaris), Tianwangxing (Uranus), Tianlangxing (Sirius), Haiwangxing (Neptune), Kaiyangxing (Mizar) and another whose name has not been revealed and is only known by its hull code of 855. It also gave specific information about the ships such as their capabilities and functions.

Until now, the PLA Navy has never made public so many details about its intelligence collection ships.

The Kaiyangxing is a Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship, which has a full displacement of 6,000 metric tons and a maximum speed of 20 knots, or 37 kilometers per hour, according to the Modern Navy report, which added that it is equipped with three small-caliber naval guns.

An expert from China's shipbuilding industry who wished not to be named told China Daily that the US Navy deploys at least 15 intelligence collection ships, while China still lags behind in this regard.

"The fact that we are facing an increasing number of difficulties when we safeguard our maritime interests means that we require more reconnaissance ships to support the PLA Navy's operations on the open sea," he said. "In addition, our future carrier battle groups also need such vessels that can provide various kinds of theater intelligence."

In 2016, the PLA Navy commissioned a total of 18 ships, including a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, three Type 054A guided missile frigates and six Type 056 corvettes.

These ships have a total displacement of 150,000 tons, roughly half of the overall displacement of the Royal Navy.

China is now building a domestically designed aircraft carrier in Dalian, Liaoning province. According to Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun, the new carrier will have a displacement of 50,000 tons and will deploy domestically developed J-15 fighter jets.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
Two men have been detained for allegedly pocketing money donated via live online streaming, police in Southwest China's Sichuan province said on Wednesday. The duo, surnamed Yang and Liu, live-streamed the distribution of cash in a poverty-stricken area in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, but asked for the money back after the streaming, according to a police officer at the local public security bureau.

They also requested local villagers return most of their "donated" goods, including eggs and pencils.

Police started investigating the case in early November last year following an online video showing Yang, under the screen name "Brother Jie", giving villagers money, but asking for it back later. Liu, calling himself "Black Uncle" online, was caught on camera saying they had conducted the live streaming to make money.

The video angered netizens, who demanded the duo be punished and called for stronger supervision of live-streaming sites.

With the help of the live-streaming website Kuaishou, police caught Yang in mid-November in Suzhou, Anhui Province, and Liu in mid-December in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

Both confessed that they had live-streamed many times since September last year to gain online donations. At the time they were arrested, Yang and Liu had made 249,000 yuan ($36,000) and 186,000 yuan respectively by cashing-in virtual gifts donated by netizens.

An investigation into the case is underway.


Residents flock to the headquarters of the villagers' committee in Xiaogang village, Anhui province, on Dec 25, and prepare to vote for deputies to the local congress.Photos By Zhu Lixin / China Daily

Rural polls help to spread political representation at the local level. Zhu Lixin reports from Fengyang county, Anhui province.

Yang Yubing and four other candidates for election to the local county and township's people's congresses in Xiaogang village, Fengyang county, Anhui province, sat at the front of a meeting room, preparing to deliver their speeches and answer questions from residents, who sat opposite the candidates and an invigilator.

The meeting was held on Dec 24 in the village in the eastern province, the day before the election for deputies.

To the right of Yang was Yin Yurong, a local woman who owns a hog farm. She seemed quite nervous and paused twice during her speech, which consisted of just a couple of sentences.

Two of the three candidates standing for the county congress would be elected as deputies, while three of four candidates would be elected to the township congress in Xiaoxihe, with which Xiaogang is affiliated.

While the other candidates were nominated by the township's Party committee, Yang was nominated by 10 voters. Each candidate's speech was limited to five minutes and they were not allowed to comment on their rivals.

"If I am elected as a deputy to the township congress, I will strive to win more support from the government for our agricultural sector," Yang said.

"I will help to train more villagers to breed hogs," said the 37-year-old Yin, who makes annual net income of more than 300,000 yuan ($43,500) from her business.

Although the speeches were short, the meeting was lengthy as the villagers fired question after question at the candidates.

Birthplace of reform

Xiaogang holds a special place in the history of Chinese agriculture. The village is famous as the birthplace of rural reform, which was a milestone in the country's overall reform and opening-up policy.

In December 1978, after the collectivized farming policy had been in force nationwide for about 20 years, 18 farmers in Xiaogang secretly signed an agreement to subdivide their common farmland into family plots in the hope of increasing crop yields.

The following year, Xiaogang recorded a dramatic increase in grain production, and was later hailed by the central government as a model for villages across the country.

During a visit to the village in April, President Xi Jinping urged CPC officials at all levels to make greater efforts to help farmers solve problems, raise incomes and maintain rural stability.

Xi's message was well received by the local people, who, despite the fame their village has garnered, have never been wealthy.

"Although Xiaogang is probably the most famous village in the country, it is absolutely not the richest," said 73-year-old Yan Hongchang, one of the farmers who signed the secret agreement in 1978.

"What measures will you take to raise villagers' incomes?" he asked Yin Xingchang, head of Xiaoxihe township, who was standing as a candidate for both the county and township congresses.

Every major CPC official in the township is responsible for the overall administration of a village, and Xiaogang falls under Yin's jurisdiction.

"In recent decades, Xiaogang has been given a lot of support, especially in terms of infrastructure, so the infrastructure here is even better than in many urban areas, although the incomes of many villagers are still not as high as expected," Yin Xingchang said.

Rural changes

Official hukou, or household registration, data show that Xiaogang village was home to 1,047 households and more than 4,100 residents in 2015.

The average annual per capita income was 14,700 yuan ($2,120), more than 3,000 yuan higher than the year's national average for rural residents, but 54 villagers were still living below the poverty line.

Since 2009, Yang Yubing, a Xiaogang native, has rented more than 300 mu (200,000 square meters) of land from other villagers for the cultivation of rice, wheat, soy beans and vegetables.

The number of villagers engaged in agriculture has fallen significantly in recent years, though, because more than 8,000 mu of land has been transferred to agricultural companies and large-scale, modern farms. Every year, the tenants pay the villagers 600 to 800 yuan in rent for each mu of land they use.

While the extra money has been helpful, the development means that there are not enough jobs in the village, so almost half of the population has moved away to large cities in search of work.

"The village has more than 2,000 (registered) adult laborers, but nearly half of them left to become migrant workers in cities", said Zhao Ling, who hails from a neighboring village but has worked as a cadre in Xiaogang since he graduated from college in 2008.

Yin Xingchang said more needs to be done to provide work for local people. "More businesses should be attracted to the village and more jobs should be created for the residents," he said, adding that the development of tourism could be an effective way of raising local incomes.

Promoting development

On Dec 25, voters flocked to the headquarters of the villagers' committee.

When the results were announced later the same day, Xiaoxihe's Party chief Yin Xingchang was elected to both the township and county congresses, and Yin Yurong, the hog farmer, became a deputy at the township congress.

"I believe the deputies will play increasingly important roles in promoting the development of our village," said Ma Cheng, who works as a driver in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, but had returned to Xiaogang to cast his vote.

Those who failed to return were allowed to authorize a third party to vote on their behalf, and each trustee was allowed to cast votes for three people at most, according to the law.

The villagers said they have benefited from the deputies' work in recent years, such as proposals they put forward that led to the construction of a drinking water network and a number of roads.

Zhao, the young village cadre, has being acting as a deputy to the township congress since 2011. In addition to explaining the villagers' wishes to the authorities, Zhao said deputies could do more, such as promoting favorable policies for rural development among the villagers, most of them poorly educated, to help them better make use of the support available.

In 2015, the Fengyang county congress ruled that county and township deputies must present annual reports about their work to voters in their electoral districts.

"Voters have a right to know if the deputies they elected are as qualified to undertake their duties as they should be," said Liu Jian, director of the standing committee of the Fengyang people's congress.

According to Zhao, the congressional deputies can promote change and development, which is the only way to win the respect of the local people.

"You must bring the villagers real benefits before you can win their praise," he said.

Contact the writer at zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn


Tibet begins 'toilet revolution' to boost tourism

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-12 10:06

LHASA - A "toilet revolution" will begin this year with heavy investment in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region to improve sanitary conditions and boost tourism.



The region will spend 1.2 billion yuan (173 million U.S. dollars) in building and renovating 2,000 toilets in 2017, said Losang Jamcan, chairman of the regional government.



In the past decade, some dry toilets in Tibet's cities have been replaced with flush ones, but dry toilets remain in rural areas.



The 2,000 toilets will be mainly built at tourist spots, along major highways and in public venues with a concentration of locals and tourists, according to Sonam Nyima, director of the Tibet Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department.



The treatment of waste must accord with environmental protection requirements and ensure no damage to environment, he said.



Shannan City in southern Tibet plans to build 200 new toilets at tourist sites this year.



A "toilet revolution" is also underway elsewhere in China. The national standard requires "sanitary" toilets in rural homes to have walls, roofs, doors and windows and to be at least two square meters in size. They may be flush toilets or dry toilets with underground storage tanks.
Donors visited Zhang Yanli and her son in their rented house in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang autonomous region on Jan 8, 2017 to give them train tickets to Zhang's hometown. Zhang, 41, is a native of Xincai county, Central China's Henan province, moving to Xinjiang for work five years ago. She lost her hands in an accident three years ago. [Photo/VCG]
China's aircraft carrier formation passes through Taiwan Strait

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-12 14:04

BEIJING - A naval formation consisting of aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through the Taiwan Strait Thursday morning en route to drills in the South China Sea, said a spokesperson with the People's Liberation Army Navy.



Liang Yang said the Liaoning and other naval vessels in the formation were scientifically organized and meticulously operated during the navigation.



Since it was commissioned in 2012, the Liaoning has been carrying out training and tests steadily, the navy said.



The Liaoning is China's only aircraft carrier in operation. It was refitted based on an unfinished carrier from the former Soviet Union.
A white-browed gibbon living in the Gaoligong Mountain (Gaoligongshan) National Nature Reserve in Southwest China's Yunnan province. [Photo by Zhao Chao/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A Chinese-led international team of scientists has identified a new species of apes after discovering significant differences between gibbons living in China and their counterparts in other countries.

Previously, the white-browed gibbons living in China were believed to belong to the eastern hoolock species.

However, after carrying out physical and genetic comparisons with other gibbons, scientists concluded that the primates living in Gaoligong mountainous area belong to a different species.

They've named the new species the Gaoligong hoolock gibbon or skywalker hoolock gibbon (Hoolock tianxing), meaning "skywalker" or "heaven's movement".

Gibbons in Southwest China don't have white beards or white fur around their eye sockets, and they have thin eyebrows with a wider space between them.

The findings have been published in the American Journal of Primatology, a monthly peer-reviewed science journal.

Less than 200 Gaoligong hoolock gibbons live in China, one-tenth of the wild giant panda numbers, China Central Television reported.

Scientists have called for greater protection of the animal.

They said in the report that "the new species should be categorized as endangered under IUCN criteria."

"The discovery of the new species focuses attention on the need for improved conservation of small apes, many of which are in danger of extinction in southern China and Southeast Asia."

Hoolock gibbons mainly live in mountainous areas in Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar. They spend most of their time in the treetops, swinging through the forests with forelimbs, spending little time on the ground.


An expansive Neolithic site that was uncovered in Shaanxi province has been named as one of the six archaeological discoveries of last year by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Shimao is a ruined town in Shenmu county that has been dated to around 2000 BC, near the end of the Longshan period.

It includes the remains of a platform surrounded by a stone wall, which has been interpreted as a palatial complex, as well as a city square, and what is believed to be a small town outside the city gate, according to Shaanxi provincial archaeology institute.

Experts said the discovery of bronze knives and arrows, as well as a stone mold for making bronze items, provide clues as to the way such metallurgical techniques and technology were disseminated throughout China at that time.

A number of earthenware tiles were also discovered, indicating the presence of large buildings with tiled roofs and providing evidence of to the country's early architectural techniques and construction materials, according to archaeologists.

Other archaeological discoveries to make the CASS list include the Niupotong ruins in Guizhou province, the Banlashan Hongshan culture cemetery in Liaoning province, neolithic sites in Hubei province, Bronze Age settlement sites in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Cao Wei grand tomb in Henan province.

Elsewhere in Shaanxi, sacrificial sites dating to the Qin (221-207 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties were shortlisted as among the most important archaeological discoveries of last year, but did not make the final cut.

Shaanxi provincial administration of cultural heritage welcomed the announcement and said it reflected the province's rich cultural relic resources, as well as the level of academic research and archaeological excavation ability in China.
A grand ceremony to worship Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, will be unveiled in March in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, local government officials announced on Jan 11 in Beijing.

Wang Zhang, chairman of the CPPCC Zhengzhou City Committee, said at the press conference that the ceremony will occur on March 30, the third day of the third month on the Chinese lunar calendar, which is said to be the emperors birthday.

Huangdi, a legendary hero who lived 4,000 years ago, is believed to be the common ancestor of Chinese people and described as the founder of the first Chinese nation in history.

The memorial ceremony has been held in Zhengzhou since 2006. Listed as a national intangible culture heritage item by the State Council in 2008, the annual worship ceremony has nine major grand worshipping rites, which date from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), such as firing salute guns, lighting incense sticks and reading eulogies.

Last year, hundreds of overseas Chinese from 30 countries and regions gathered at the event in Zhengzhou. On behalf of the government, Wang extended a warm welcome to the global overseas Chinese.

In addition to the ceremony, there will be various activities on economy and trade around the ceremony period.

In the past decade, the event has attracted a combined capital investment of one trillion yuan ($153.9 billion) for the city to help Zhengzhou stand out, according to the government.
With US secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson threatening to make trouble for China over the South China Sea, observers said Beijing should continue its buildup in the area and tighten relations with countries involved in the area's territorial disputes.

China, which remains firm on its territorial rights, also should approach the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump through all available channels to control differences and manage any potential crises, they said.

At a confirmation hearing at the US Congress on Wednesday, Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil chairman and CEO, said China's access to the islands is "not going to be allowed", after he was asked if he supported a more aggressive posture toward China.

In response, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday that the tension in the South China Sea "has cooled down", and China and countries in the area have returned to two-way talks.

It is hoped outsiders to the region will "respect this consensus" on bilateral talks, Lu said. He added that he will not comment on hypothetical questions when asked how Beijing would react to the United States blocking access to China's islands.

Zuo Xiying, a research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China, said Beijing "should continue the needed buildup there  including administrative and defense measures  and clearly tell Washington that it will not back down on this matter of territorial sovereignty".

While the Obama administration preferred to pressure Beijing with the rule of law, US military threats against China in the South China Sea may increase this year, Zuo said. "Both sides should fully manage potential crises by better using existing communication channels and institutions to avoid an accidental clash," he said.

Jonathan Pollack, a senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of Brookings Institution, said of Tillerson's testimony, "Such strongly worded complaints directed against China suggest that US-China relations could be entering a much more contentious phase as the Trump administration assumes power."

Zuo Xiying said China should cement ties with Southeast Asian countries involved in the dispute to "diminish the legitimacy of US meddling" in the area.

Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said it is time for China to increase political mutual trust with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and "work on the weak link, two-way security cooperation".

"There are still some strategic doubts or security concerns about China among some countries along the sea.  ASEAN's increased sense of security will help reduce doubts about China," Wu said.

Contact the writers at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
Talks possible next week on World Economic Forum sidelines

World attention is being drawn to the possibility of a meeting of representatives from the world's two largest economies at the World Economic Forum annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland next week.

With concerns over trade protectionism and anti-globalization swirling, there are signs that the Chinese delegation could meet on the sidelines with the transition team of US president-elect Donald Trump. Such a meeting could help narrow positions on trade and sensitive political issues, observers said.
Japan is planning for Emperor Akihito to retire and be replaced by his eldest son early in 2019, reports said on Wednesday, as the country works on a legal framework for its first abdication in 200 years.

Akihito, 83, said in August that he planned to abdicate after nearly three decades on the Chrysanthemum Throne, citing his advancing age and weakening health.

Major national newspapers cited unnamed sources as saying Crown Prince Naruhito, 56, would succeed his father on New Year's Day 2019.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment on the reports at his regular news conference on Wednesday.

After Akihito's announcement last year, the government established a panel of experts to help decide how best to proceed on an issue fraught with historical and legal challenges.

Though abdications have occurred in Japan's long imperial history there has not been one for 200 years. Under current laws there is no legal mechanism for one.

The six-member panel has discussed various legal options, with speculation rampant it will propose parliament pass a special one-time law to allow Akihito to step down.

The leading opposition Democratic Party, however, opposes a one-time change, arguing that this would not ensure stable future successions. It has advocated a revision to the permanent law that governs the imperial family.

Some scholars and politicians worry that the abdication issue could risk Japan's monarchs becoming subject to political manipulation. Under the constitution they play only a symbolic role.

The panel plans to compile a summary of its views on the issue this month, a government official said.

Its firm proposals, however, will come no later than the end of March before the government submits legislation to parliament, reports said.

As for the timing of the abdication, the Yomiuri said the panel considers that January 1, 2019 would be appropriate given he will have reigned for 30 years - something the emperor himself mentioned as a milestone year in his August speech.

The Asahi said Akihito would step down sometime on December 31, though the Nikkei reported it could also happen on New Year's Day when Naruhito is enthroned.

The reports also said that the government plans to announce the official name of Naruhito's reign era at least six months beforehand to avoid confusion in daily life.

Japanese Emperor Akihito (right) and Crown Prince Naruhito wave to well-wishers during New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan,Kim Kyunghoon/ Reuters

(China Daily 01/12/2017 page12)
Visitors examine a Chinese-developed turboshaft engine at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in November 2016. Li He / For China Daily

Applications and disputes rise sharply amid increasing innovation and regulation

China has reached new heights in patent filings, with more than 3.46 million applications filed in 2016, according to the State Intellectual Property Office.

Of these, more than 1.33 million filings were for invention patents, increasing 21.5 percent from a year earlier.

Invention patents feature a longer validity period and more stringent requirements, compared with the other two types of patents - utility models and industrial designs.

This, as well as other major indicators, reflect an improvement in both quantity and quality, SIPO Commissioner Shen Changyu said at the organization's annual conference on Jan 5.

"It came as no surprise, given China's large reservoir of graduates in science and engineering, increasing innovation capacity and robust economic growth," Shen said.

However, he said he expected "a mild increase" in patent filings in the coming years.

SIPO data shows that international patent applications filed via the Patent Cooperation Treaty from China surpassed 40,000 last year, showing Chinese businesses' growing aspirations to go global.

The country's valid invention patent inventory exceeded the 1-million benchmark last year, meaning for every 10,000 Chinese residents there are eight invention patents.

Invention patent ownership per 10,000 residents is a common criterion worldwide to reflect a country or region's proprietary innovation capacity, industrial insiders said.

SIPO estimates the ownership number will surpass nine in 2017, approaching the country's goal to reach 14 by 2020, a level typical of moderately-developed countries.

Intellectual property plays a vital role in China's ongoing supply-side structural reform, as it provides a mechanism for property distribution, motivation for innovation and market operation and represents advanced productivity, Shen said.

Patent-intensive industries contributed 12.4 percent of China's GDP in 2015, a slight increase from some 11 percent a year earlier, according to SIPO statistics.

SIPO unveiled a list of patent-intensive industries in October 2016, containing eight sectors: basic information, software and IT services, modern transportation equipment, intelligent equipment manufacturing, bio-medicine, new materials, efficient energy preservation and environmental protection, and recyclable resources.

"Innovation is a prime engine driving development," he said, noting that implementing the innovation-driven development strategy and creating a creation-friendly environment require stringent IP protection.

Administrative enforcement officials investigated approximately 49,000 patent disputes across the country in 2016, an increase of 36.5 percent from 2015.

Those sectors closely related to people's daily lives, such as food, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection and production safety, will remain the focus of enforcement this year, Shen said.

"We will increase efforts in fighting repeated patent infringement and perpetrator groups and crack down on counterfeits on online trade portals and large exhibitions," he said.

The internet, exports and imports, and exhibitions are key venues for administrative enforcement, he said.

"We will also advance cooperative enforcement in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yangtze River and Peal River deltas, and continue to work with police and customs departments in patent protection."

China's growing stockpiles of patents bear witness to the country's rise on the global innovation landscape.

The World Intellectual Property Indicators 2016, an annual report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, found that patent applications filed with SIPO in 2015 were almost equivalent to the combined filings of the IP offices in the United States, Japan and South Korea. Industrial design filings in China accounted for half of the world's total in 2015.

wangxin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/12/2017 page17)
A poster of the animation feature Love Sick [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China never lacks access to quality animation productions. The difficulty lies in how to translate them successfully and adapt them into the market, but young Chinese animation creators are on the move. Zhang Xingjian reports.

From the Disney-made blockbuster Zootopia to the recent Shinkai-style animation feature Your Name, it is common to see one or two animations arouse a heated discussion among viewers every year, and 2016 was no exception.

These hit animations may shape several vivid characters, have fascinating animation effects or boast an interesting yet rigorous storyline. However, they are seldom made in China. But that trend could be in the past.

At the beginning of 2017, a nine-minute short animation titled Love Sick engulfed the internet. Since its initial release on December 23, the animation has already reached 100 million hits within ten days on Chinese social media platforms, including Vmovie.com, MiaoPai.com and Bilibili.

In addition to its enormous popularity online, Love Sick has been critically acclaimed widely among movie-goers. It has scored a high grade of 8.8 points on Douban Movie, the Chinese version of IMDb. Reputed by quite a few netizens as the first touching animation in 2017 to bring you to tears, Love Sick has swept a wave of Chinoiserie for domestic animation productions.

Originating from Love Pea, a renowned poem written by Wang Wei, as the creation inspiration, overall Love Sick tells a sentimental love story between a notable figure from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) called Wang Chutong and his childhood sweetheart Liu Niang. In the animation, they fall in love with each other but Liu Niang's family forces her to marry a wealthy man, resulting in a failed marriage. After many ups and downs, Wang and Liu meet again and decide to take care of each other in the future as a brother-and-sister relationship, not as lovers.
Benin's Tourism and Culture Minister Ange N'Koue presents the Special Contribution Award to Wei Jun, cultural counselor at the Chinese embassy in Benin and head of the Benin China Cultural Center, Jan 6, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The China Cultural Center in Benin has been recognized at the 8th Agogo International Dance Festival that ended on Tuesday. Benin's Tourism and Culture Minister Ange N'Koue presented the Special Contribution Award to the center, thanking the Chinese government for its contribution to the development of Benin's culture industry.

The China Cultural Center in Benin was set up in the West African country's capital Cotonou in 1988. It's the second cultural center that China launched in Africa, following the one in Mauritius in the same year.

The Agogo International Dance Festival, an annual festival started in 2009, was held in the Southern coastal city of Ouidah from Jan 6-10, featuring elite dance troupes from countries including Nigeria, Congo, Ghana, Senegal, France and Brazil.

A grand parade led the opening of the five-day event on Jan 6, attracting large crowds of local people participating in the carnival.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

Heavenly Tibet, an ongoing exhibition at the National Art Museum of China, celebrates the variety of thangka, the age-old art of Tibetan Buddhist painting.

It shows dozens of paintings that were created by established artists and emerging thangka painters in recent years, and features meticulous delimitation of lines and thick, balanced shading of colors.

The displayed works show the technical inheritance of thangka's major schools, while also exhibit an infusion of modern painting styles.

The exhibition continues through Jan 18.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

Fotile Theater, a contemporary art exhibition now in Beijing, teams up several artists who are active in painting, installation, video and other mixed-media art.

Yu Xiangming has brought oil paintings that incorporate wood-cut techniques.

Wu Shaoying shows paintings of which she uses digital technology to present the poetic effect of classical ink art.
The vase is from the Qianlong period in the Qing Dynasty. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

A vase decorated with blooming flowers sold for 22.425 million yuan ($3.24 million) at a Beijing auction on Wednesday night. The vase, from the Emperor Qianlong period (1711-1799) in the Qing Dynasty (1644 -1911), was stolen and taken to the UK in 1860, and had appeared at auctions many times.

The piece, from the Guang Tang Bi Que auction house, was made using a Western porcelain making technique. It was part of a former collection at the UK's Fonthill House.

"The piece is a major porcelain from the middle and late Qianlong period", Qian Weipeng, a porcelain authentication expert, said. "The large vase is like a flower just before budding", "We have counted the flowers on the vase, and it has more than 100 varieties, with many we can't even tell the names."

"As the economy peaked during the Qianlong period, so the emperor hoped flowers would bloom around the country, which symbolizes a prosperous future", Qian said.

The vase appeared at auctions overseas many times, and the latest transaction was during a London sale in 2003. A Chinese businessman from Zhejiang province bought the piece for about 4.8 million yuan.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese cashmere brand Snow Lotus is set to collaborate with designer Tanya Wang. Their new collection, which will include dresses and gowns that highlight couture craftsmanship and innovative techniques, will be shown at Les Suites, a multi-brand luxury boutique in Paris, during Paris Haute Couture Week late this month.

Wang is a member of the New Couture Committee, which is dedicated to promoting the idea of "Chinese couture". The committee has taken many Chinese brands to be showcased Paris.
We should be confident in China's economic future Updated: 2017-01-12 07:24 By Song Zhe(HK Edition)

Song Zhe explains why he is upbeat about the future of the nation's economy, noting its progress in many important areas, such as rising living standards and that China is also making a great contribution to the global economy

Editor's note: Song Zhe, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, shared his views on the country's economy in a written article published in the Wednesday edition of the Hong Kong Economic Journal. Following are some excerpts from the original.

China's economy has been undergoing an unprecedented transformation in recent years. This process has been accompanied by incessant criticism which has inevitably clouded some Hong Kong people's views of the country. I find this situation worrying and have shared my views about this on various occasions. Now I'd like to explain where my confidence in the country's economy comes from one more time.

First of all, my confidence stems from the economic fundamentals which continue to be more stable.

Like the great majority of economies around the world, Chinese economy has slowed down significantly after the global financial crisis of 2008. Its GDP growth rate fell from 10.4 percent in 2010 to 6.9 percent in 2015. Although the slowdown was quite sharp it was not the kind of free fall other economies experienced. China's economy has been stabilizing, slowly but surely. In 2016 the world economy mostly remained weak; while China has made a sound start of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). Growth in the overall economy was not only steadier but also a bit faster.

The country's economy, in the past year, can certainly be described as stable. At the same time it achieved progress in many areas. One is that the quality of growth improved noticeably; another is that the economic structure continued to develop, with the transition of growth engines from the old to the new going at a faster pace. People's living standards continued to rise.

Second, I am also confident in the central government's ability to address major issues with the right policies.

The central government has acknowledged the outstanding problems found in the process of economic development. It has taken positive measures to solve them. At the annual economic work conference of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China last year, State leaders determined the biggest problems with the economy were the structural imbalance between supply and demand, the imbalance between the real economy and finance, and the imbalance between the property market and the real economy. They decided the only way to fix these problems was to launch a supply-side structural reform. This aims to reduce redundant supply as much as possible to achieve equilibrium of supply and demand. This will go further this year - so will the campaign to reduce stockpiling, deleverage, and rationalizing the property market.

Third, my confidence comes from understanding that socialism with Chinese characteristics is an advanced social system.

Competitions between nations are ultimately competitions between social systems. The reform and opening-up has been going on for almost 40 years. China has been able to maintain relatively steady economic growth because it enjoys the protection of a relatively advanced social system. As General Secretary Xi Jinping said in his speech marking the 95th anniversary of the Communist Party of China on July 1 last year, "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the foundation for the systematic protection of China's development and progress in today's world." In my opinion the strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics is demonstrated in four aspects of economic development:

1. Maintaining the leadership of the Communist Party of China - which is essential to socialism with Chinese characteristics.

2. Keeping the philosophy of development centered on the people so their fundamental interests are well served and improved.

3. Following a fundamental law that production must meet the needs of the people and help with the overall development of society.

4. The ability to go with trends of the times and to improve. The Communist Party has come to the conclusion, based on careful studies, that developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is the best system for China's future.

Last but not the least, my confidence in China's economy comes from the great contribution it has made to the world economy.

It is undeniable that China is the greatest contributor to the growth in the world economy nowadays. According to some calculations, China's economy contributed more than 50 percent of the growth of the world economy in 2009-2011. Even though it has slowed down since 2012, China's economy continued to contribute more than 30 percent of the world's growth. In 2016, according to the estimates of the International Monetary Fund, China likely contributed close to 40 percent of the world's growth, or 1.2 percentage points, compared with 0.3 by the US, 0.2 by Europe and 0.1 by Japan.

It is worth noting that China is one of the most important markets for commodities and services in the world. This role is expected to grow as Chinese consumers' income increases.

(HK Edition 01/12/2017 page9)
Advertisements for cosmetic surgery in South Korea. CHINA DAILY

In all, nearly 11 tons of cosmetics imported from the Republic of Korea were found to be substandard and denied access to the Chinese market by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in November.

The ROK manufacturers concerned should ensure their products meet quality standards.

Yet the return has prompted worries in the ROK that cosmetics exports to China might be becoming a victim of the escalating tensions between Seoul and Beijing over the former's decision to deploy the US' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system in the ROK.

Although there is nothing to suggest the return of the cosmetics had anything to do with the souring ties after that decision, sooner or later that diplomatic chill is bound to be felt elsewhere. It is natural for there to be spillover effects, particularly on the two peoples' mutual feelings of friendliness.

The estrangement Seoul has engineered with its neighbors as a result of its misfiring decision is reflected in mainstream public opinion in the ROK, which is pessimistic about the country's ties not just with China, but also Japan, even the United States.

A number of ROK media outlets have lamented their country's "isolated, helpless, hopeless" role as a "punch bag" in regional diplomacy, and claim it is being "kicked" and "pushed" around. But instead of seeking to blame Beijing and others, Seoul would do better to reflect on how this state of affairs has come to pass.

Seoul would not have found itself in such a position vis-a-vis Beijing had it not disregarded repeatedly expressed Chinese concerns about its deployment of THAAD.

It is unrealistic for Seoul to think that it can present a substantial security threat to China and expect its neighbor to continue being as friendly as it was.

Beijing regards the move as a threat because deployment of the system does not fulfill the stated purpose, instead it gravely undermines the regional strategic balance, as well as the security interests of China and others in the region.

The media in the ROK are not being fair to their now disgraced President Park Geun-hye by describing her diplomacy as "four years of total failure". It has only been a failure since her government chose to do the US' bidding by embracing the anti-missile system.

Since there is no indication that the decision to deploy THAAD will be reconsidered in the foreseeable future, since the politicians there seem convinced THAAD conveys a message of self-reliance rather than signaling as it does an overreliance on the US, Seoul should stop its blame game and accept there are inevitable consequences to its choice.
A total of 33 veterans meet to mark the 78th anniversary of the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in July 7, 1937, in Nanjing, Jiangsu, July 5, 2015. [Photo/chinanews.com]

The Ministry of Education has said the textbooks for middle and primary schools must be revised from the 2017 spring term, so that the time span for China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is increased from eight to 14 years.

Many people have wondered why Japan's militarist push into China's three northeast regions before the 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which is recognized as the start of the full-scale war of resistance against the Japanese forces, was not included as part of the war. In fact, in the years after the Sept 18 Incident of 1931, also known as the Manchurian Incident, Japan successively sent troops into China in preparation for its full-scale invasion.

There is no problem in using eight years as a time frame to define China's full resistance against the invading Japanese troops, but it is not enough to include all the fights Chinese people fought before this in defense of their homeland. If the war continues to be defined solely as that over the eight-year period from 1937, then the courageous deeds of Chinese people and the huge sacrifices they made to resist Japanese aggression in the years before that will be ignored and forgotten.

So, the revision is aimed at showing respect to those who first fought against Japanese aggression and reminding younger generations of their deeds.

In fact, sounding the annual air defense alarm bell across the country in remembrance of the Sept 18 Incident of 1931 means Chinese people already recognize that incident as the start of China's war of resistance against the Imperial Japanese Army.

The education authorities' revision of the textbooks will present young Chinese with a more authentic picture of that war and makes them cherish the peace they enjoy today, which was won with the bloodshed of a previous generation.
A stone lion on a bridge in Tianjin is covered with a mask in the heavy smog that has hit much of the country's northern regions. Tong Yu / For China Daily

TWO STUDENTS in the Middle School Affiliated to Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, complained to the local authority that the school did not obey the regulation to stop classes when there was a red alert for smog. The two students were later called to talks with school staff, one of them missing a day's class. The Paper.cn commented on Wednesday:

The two high school students were given a lesson in how cruel life can be. The injustice is even worse than the smog.

The students encountered animosity from their classmates and parents who claimed they destroyed the study environment, as well as their teachers and the local officials who denied they were punishing the two students for blowing the whistle. To the two fighters for justice, the whole world probably seems to have turned its back on them.

It is the local education authority that set up the regulation of no classes on smoggy days. The students became the victims of the school's violation of the regulation. The education authority even set up a hot line for complaints, and the students having full trust in the sincerity of the local authority dialed the number and made their complaints.

The local education authority tried to deny that it was responsible for informing the school of the pupils' action, claiming it might be a training organization.

Even though the case has caused a stir, the relevant education officials and the staff of the school were only censured.

What should be of even greater concern though is what will be the fate of the two students who told the truth during their last semester in high school. They became the victims despite telling the truth.
ON MONDAY, the Ministry of Public Security held a collective video training conference for millions of police nationwide. The training covered how they should behave while doing their duties, such as what to do when checking a citizen's ID card and what to do when people take videos of them enforcing the law. Beijing News comments:

The training has given a clear answer to some questions that used to be ambiguous. For example, can someone video police who are enforcing the law in the street?

The law previously said "Yes, you can", but with the prerequisite that it did not disturb the police. In practice, the police had an almost absolute say on whether or not they felt disturbed by bystanders videoing them and in many cities they have tended to stop anyone filming their actions.

In some cases the police may be right to avoid being videoed, but that practice has also stopped people from exercising their legal right to supervise the police.

One after another legal expert has supported people's right to make video records of the police, because that's an essential way to prevent the police from abusing their power.

Now the training defines clearly what the police should do. For example, when the traffic police enforce the rules of the road or police stop someone in the street, citizens are allowed to make video records at least 1.5 meters away from the police. In the future, we can expect people's rights to supervise the police power to be better protected.

Setting such a limit not only strengthens supervision over the police, but also helps to protect them, because they know what to do under certain conditions.

There are many more complicated situations that the police might encounter when enforcing the law. Motorcyclists that break the traffic law, conflicts between the medical staff and the patientsall these require the police to enforce the law. We hope more training sessions will be held in the future to better standardize police officers' law enforcement.
Visitors attend the "Beautiful China, Beautiful Switzerland" exhibition. [Photo/Xinhua]

Editor's note: Jiang Jianguo, minister of the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic China, delivered a speech at Chinese-Swiss Media Symposium in Geneva, on Tuesday. Below is the full text:

Distinguished friends from the Chinese and Swiss media,

Good morning! It is a great pleasure to come to scenic and picturesque Switzerland. All of our Swiss media friends present have long closely observed and covered China and made important contributions to enhancing the friendship between the Chinese and Swiss people. Here, I would like to extend to you all great respect and sincere gratitude on behalf of the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China.

As all of you know, Chinese President Xi Jinping is about to pay a visit to Switzerland. The visit will be the first to Switzerland by a Chinese head of state for 17 years and it will serve as the starting point for China's diplomacy in 2017. President Xi will not only pay a state visit to Switzerland, he will also attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, visit the UN headquarters in Geneva and the headquarters of the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee. During the visit, President Xi will elaborate on China's new concepts, new policies and new measures on ties with Switzerland during the new period, explicitly present China's policy proposals and important advocacies on improving global economic governance and pushing forward economic globalization to enhance international consensuses, and push for the building of a community of shared destiny for all humankind. It is the media's role to focus on important international events and disseminate influential news. I hope you will all put your focus on President Xi's visit to satisfy to the utmost extent people's desire for information about the visit, not only in Switzerland but also in Europe and around the world.

Dear friends, the World Economic Forum has long been known as the "world's economic wind vane" and since China's economic development is a wind that blows others along with it, there is a great interest in how strongly it is blowing every year at the forum. Here, I would like to take this opportunity to brief you about China's economic situation and share with you some of my views:
China's State Council Information Office on Wednesday issued a white paper on China's policies on Asia-Pacific security cooperation. Following is the full text:

Preface

I. China's Policies and Positions on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation

II. China's Security Vision for the Asia-Pacific Region

III. China's Relations with Other Major Asia-Pacific Countries

IV. China's Positions and Views on Regional Hotspot Issues

V. China's Participation in Major Multilateral Mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific Region

VI. China's Participation in Regional Non-Traditional Security Cooperation

Conclusion

The Asia-Pacific region covers a vast area with numerous countries and 60 percent of the world's population. Its economic and trade volumes take up nearly 60 percent and half of the world's total, respectively. It has an important strategic position in the world. In recent years, the development of the Asia-Pacific region has increasingly caught people's attention. It has become the most dynamic region with the strongest potential in the world. All parties are attaching greater importance to and investing more in this region. With the profound adjustment of the pattern of international relations, the regional situation of the Asia-Pacific area is also undergoing profound changes.

China is committed to promoting peace and stability in this region. It follows the path of peaceful development and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up, and pursues friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. It has participated in regional cooperation in an all-round way and taken active steps in response to both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, contributing to lasting peace and common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 2nd Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Dec 23, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

I. China's Policies and Positions on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation

Currently, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region is stable on the whole, with a strong momentum for peace and development. The Asia-Pacific region is a stable part of the global landscape. To promote peace and seek stability and development is the strategic goal and common aspiration of most countries in the region. Political mutual trust among countries has been strengthened, and major countries have frequently interacted and cooperated with one another. To address differences and disputes through negotiation and consultation is the major policy of countries in the region. Regional hotspot issues and disputes are basically under control. The region has secured steady and relatively fast growth, continuing to lead the world in this respect. Regional integration has gathered pace, with booming sub-regional cooperation. Free trade arrangements in various forms have made steady progress, and a new phase has emerged for dynamic connectivity building. However, the Asia-Pacific region still faces multiple destabilizing and uncertain factors. The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is complex and sensitive; the reconciliation process in Afghanistan remains slow; and disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests continue to unfold. Some countries are increasing their military deployment in the region, certain country seeks to shake off military constraints, and some countries are undergoing complex political and social transformations. Non-traditional security threats such as terrorism, natural disasters and transnational crimes have become more prominent. Asia's economy still faces significant downward pressure as a result of its structural problems as well as external economic and financial risks.

As an important member of the Asia-Pacific family, China is fully aware that its peaceful development is closely linked with the future of the region. China has all along taken the advancement of regional prosperity and stability as its own responsibility. China is ready to pursue security through dialogue and cooperation in the spirit of working together for mutually beneficial results, and safeguard peace and stability jointly with other countries in the region.

First, we should promote common development and lay a solid economic foundation for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. To enhance the convergence of economic interests is an important basis for sound state-to-state relations. Common development provides a fundamental safeguard for peace and stability, and holds the key to various security issues. Considerable achievements have been made in economic cooperation. On this basis, we should accelerate the process of economic integration and continue to advance the building of free trade areas and connectivity as well as comprehensive economic and social development. We should implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and narrow the developmental gap in the region, so that all countries and people of all social strata will enjoy the dividends of development, and the interests of countries will be more closely intertwined.

Focusing on common development, China has put forward and actively promoted the Belt and Road Initiative and initiated the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund. We welcome continued participation by all countries for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Second, we should promote the building of partnerships and strengthen the political foundation for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Asia-Pacific countries have unique diversities. Countries may become partners when they have the same values and ideals, but they can also be partners if they seek common ground while reserving differences. The key is to remain committed to treating each other as equals and carrying out mutually beneficial cooperation. How major countries in the Asia-Pacific region get along with each other is critical for maintaining regional peace and development. Major countries should treat the strategic intentions of others in an objective and rational manner, reject the Cold War mentality, respect others' legitimate interests and concerns, strengthen positive interactions and respond to challenges with concerted efforts. Small and medium-sized countries need not and should not take sides among big countries. All countries should make joint efforts to pursue a new path of dialogue instead of confrontation and pursue partnerships rather than alliances, and build an Asia-Pacific partnership featuring mutual trust, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation. China calls for the building of a new model of international relations centered on mutually beneficial cooperation. China is committed to building partnerships in different forms with all countries and regional organizations. China has committed itself to working with the United States to build a new model of major-country relations featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial cooperation. China is committed to deepening its comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia and establishing a closer partnership with India. It is also pushing for the improvement of its relations with Japan. Chinese leaders have repeatedly elaborated on the concept of a community of shared future on many different occasions. China is working to construct a community of shared future for countries along the Lancang-Mekong River and between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as in Asia and the Asia-Pacific area as a whole.

Third, we should improve the existing regional multilateral mechanisms and strengthen the framework for supporting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. All parties concerned should adhere to multilateralism, oppose unilateralism, further support the development of regional multilateral security mechanisms, push for close coordination between relevant mechanisms, and play a bigger role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and expanding exchanges and cooperation in the field of security dialogues.
The China Auto Dealers Chamber of Commerce recently launched an inaugural ceremony of its Special Committee of Auto (RV) Camping Sites and held a forum about the development of China's RV camping industry in Beijing International Hotel.

The newly established special committee aims to boost the development of the RV industry and offer a platform for companies to communicate with each other.

According to the China Association of Automotive Manufacturers, the number of campsites in China has grown from about 40 in 2010 to nearly 500 last year.

"RV rentals are becoming popular in China, allowing visitors to travel as they wish and enjoy pretty scenery. The government is calling for more construction of campsites, and it will draw more travelers to try a caravan," said Wu Baozhong, the committee's secretary-general.

The committee's president, Liao Hongbin, said they plan to organize a reality show about RV travel and hold campaigns to select road trip routes that combine beautiful scenic spots with campsites.

They aim to promote RV camping culture via social media, television and magazines and establish 10 branches in Chinese cities.

"It's vital to communicate with the overseas counterparts by joining their caravan expos and seek cooperation. We not only have to learn from their management pattern of campsites, but also train more talent," Liao said.

Related:

Poll highlights top road trips for Chinese

Tourism makes Mohe county China's true north in winter
[Photo provided to China Daily]

Guizhou province's Liupanshui will hold ski competitions for children and teenagers from Jan 15 to 19, as part of the World Snow Day being celebrated in 26 cities across the Chinese mainland in January.

Liupanshui's Meihuashan and Yushe snow mountain ski resorts will be the competition venue.

The two events are jointly hosted by the International Ski Federation, the General Administration of Sport's winter sport management center, the Chinese Ski Association, and the Liupanshui government.

A snow carnival, geological culture tourism forum and Wumengshan National Geological Park's photography exhibition will be held in the interim.

Related:

Winter Olympics boost ski tourism in Zhangjiakou

Retiring skier prepares for a different type of moguls
The following are highlights from US President-elect Donald Trump's hour-long news conference in New York on Wednesday, nine days before he takes the oath of office.

President-elect Donald Trump takes questions during a news conference, Jan 11, 2017, in New York. [Photo/IC]

TRUMP ON LATEST NEWS ON RUSSIA AND THE ELECTION

Trump blasted the release of an unsubstantiated intelligence report saying he had been compromised by Russia and was vulnerable to blackmail, characterizing it as "nonsense that was released by, maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, but maybe the intelligence agencies ... It should never have been written, it should never have been released."

"It's all fake news. It didn't happen. It's phony stuff. It was a group of opponents who got together, sick people, who put that out."

"I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out there ... That's something that Nazi Germany would have done."

He praised some news organizations for not initially reporting on the document.

"I just want to compliment many of the people in the room ... I have great respect for the news and great respect for freedom of the press."

He strongly criticized CNN for its reporting of the story, refusing to take a question from a reporter for the network, telling him, "I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news."

"Some of the media outlets we are dealing with are fake news ... All I can ask for are honest reporters."

Asked whether he accepted that Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to help him win the election, Trump said, "If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability."

He denied having any business dealings with or in Russia. "I have no loans with Russia at all."

TRUMP ON HACKING AND THE ELECTION

"As far as hacking, I think it's Russia. But we also get hacked by other countries and other people, and I can say that."

On Putin and hacking, Trump said, "He shouldn't be doing it. He won't be doing it."

"Within 90 days we will be coming up with a major report on hacking defense, how do we stop this new phenomena."

TRUMP ON RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES

"Russia will have far greater respect for our country when I'm leading it ... We're either going to get along, or we're not. I hope we get along, but if we don't, that's possible too.

Asked about nominating a Supreme Court justice, Trump said, "So, as you know, I have a list of 20. I've gone through them ... They were outstanding in every case ... I'll be making the decision on who we will put up for justice of the United States Supreme Court, a replacement for the great, great Justice (Antonin) Scalia. That will be probably within two weeks of the 20th (of January) ...

"It will be a decision which I very strongly believe in. I think it's one of the reasons I got elected."
At least it stopped snowing Wednesday afternoon.

After an expected 1-3 inches of snow turned into 8 inches in Chippewa Falls as of 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, assistant city engineer Rob Krejci said the 11 street department employees, plus seven from other departments, knew they had quite the challenge ahead of them.

So to see the snow end  Wednesday was the third straight day of snow  was a relief in its own right.

Well be happy for the small things today, Krejci said. Thats the weather, and we have to react to changing conditions. Its been a challenging event as far as manpower and equipment for us.

It was also challenging for drivers. A route driver for The Herald said the worst roads he encountered early Wednesday were those in the city. Some residential streets, including many on Chippewa Falls south side, had yet to be plowed as of 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Were out and certainly doing our best, but we understand concerns with the residential areas, Krejci said.

Issues on hills

The department called in all 11 employees to assigned plow routes beginning at 2 a.m Tuesday. By 9 a.m., hazardous conditions forced the plows to return to main roads and the hills after receiving calls of multiple problems.

They mostly worked on the hills until shortly after noon Tuesday, before returning to the main roads with an emphasis on school and bus routes.

When we reach conditions like that we turn manpower to those priority streets and hills, and that prevented us from getting to residential, Krejci said. Those streets didnt get plowed until after going to work (Wednesday). We realize that is very unfortunate and created its own challenges.

The combination of unplowed streets and a wet, heavy snow contributed to more cars getting stuck and more people enlisted to push those cars than has occurred in some time.

The Chippewa Falls Police Department responded to 11 accidents and three vehicle assist calls for cars sliding into snowbanks between Monday and Thursday morning.

County wide, the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office responded to one accident with injury, 20 accidents, 51 calls for cars in the ditch and 33 vehicle assists from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon.

Whereas most snowstorms last several hours, Krejci said this one was unique because snow continued to fall throughout the day Tuesday. The crew could barely finish the main roads before they became covered again. In those cases, priority 1 & 2 roads, which are highways and main streets in the city, take precedence.

An additional seven city workers were called in for Wednesday morning, when the 18-man crew convened at 2 a.m. in near white-out conditions, as described in a city report. This was in advance of a forecast calling for another 2-4 inches of additional snow Wednesday morning.

By 8 a.m., more than 30 percent of the full plow sequence had yet to be completed, including some residential streets and all of the alleys in the city.

Well be out early (Thursday) morning and probably the day after, Krejci said.

Sarah Rowan of Chippewa Falls took a realistic view of the inconveniences of this latest storm.

Its winter in Wisconsin  what do you expect? she said. Not everythings going to be done lickety-split.

However, that sentiment wasnt shared by everyone.

One woman, who declined to give her name, had this to say on her thoughts on road conditions: You dont want to know. You wouldnt be able to print it anyway.
Zhao, 53, pleaded guilty on Jan 9 to one count of conspiring with her ex-husband, Qiao Jianjun, to fraudulently obtain visas to enter the United States. She was arrested in March 2015 in Newcastle, Washington.

Qiao, 53, also known as Feng Li, is accused of embezzling funds while serving as director of a grain company in Chinas Henan province. He remains a fugitive who is being sought by federal authorities, according to the US attorney office in Los Angeles.

Qiao also is on a priority list of 150 people that Chinese prosecutors gave to the US State Department. China wanted help in finding and repatriating money they allegedly embezzled, as well as the suspects.

As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Zhao agreed to cooperate with the governments investigation. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov 6. Zhao will face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison.

According to the plea agreement signed by Zhao on Dec 21, 2016, Zhao submitted false supporting materials to US federal authorities in May 2008, including a false marriage certificate and false papers documenting the source of her investment, which was required under the EB-5 immigrant investor program to obtain US immigrant visas.

Qiao prepared or obtained the documents and Zhao knew at least some of the documents were false, according to the plea agreement.

According to the indictment, Zhao and Qiao were divorced but pretended to remain married and lied about the source of Zhaos foreign investments in order to obtain US immigrant visas.

In 2009, the two received visas as a couple and came to the US that October. In mid-2011, Zhao applied to have her green card made permanent.

By early 2012, the pair had about $2.2 million in laundered funds deposited in a Canadian bank account. They purchased property in Seattle and Newcastle in the state of Washington with money Qiao allegedly laundered from fraudulent transactions.

In her plea agreement, Zhao agreed that $25,000 used to pay her bond can be applied to any restitution or other monetary penalties ordered in this case. Additionally, she agreed to forfeit her interest in several parcels in Monterey Park, a house in Newcastle and a condominium in Flushing, New York.

The EB-5 investor visa program requires all immigrant investors to accurately document the source of their funds in their application, said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando. IRS Criminal Investigation will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that ill-gotten gains received in foreign countries are not fraudulently laundered through the United States financial system.

This case received assistance from the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate and Ministry of Public Security of China as the pair has been one of a few high-profile cases since China stepped up its campaign to track down wanted fugitives hiding overseas in 2014.

The US does not have a formal extradition treaty with China, but alternatives to extradition exist, including deportation for violations of US immigration laws.
Rex Tillerson speaks during the IHS CERAWeek 2015 energy conference in Houston, Texas April 21, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Rex Tillerson, US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, described interactions between the United States and China as "both friendly and adversarial."

In his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson was grilled most of the time for his close Russian ties, including with President Vladimir Putin when he was CEO of Exxon Mobile. China came up several times in the day-long hearing.

"China has emerged as an economic power in global trade, and our interactions have been both friendly and adversarial," Tillerson said in his testimony.

Tillerson criticized China's land reclamation in the South China Sea and said China has not fulfilled its promise on UN sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We cannot continue to accept empty promises like the ones China has made to pressure North Korea to reform, only to shy away from enforcement," said the 64-year-old.

Tillerson said China's economic and trade practices have not always followed its commitments to global agreements. He also accused China of stealing US intellectual property.

In his first press conference after winning the election on Nov 8, Trump on Wednesday also accused China of hacking into the US Office of Personnel Management and taking advantage of the US economically and in the South China Sea.

"We have to deal with what we see, not with what we hope," Tillerson said.

But Tillerson emphasized "we need to see the positive dimensions in our relationship with China as well".

"The economic well-being of our two nations is deeply intertwined. China has been a valuable ally in curtailing elements of radical Islam. We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said.

Asked about the Trump administration's policy on Taiwan, Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to Taiwan, but said, "I don't know that there is any plan to alter the one China position".

He mentioned several times his "whole of China approach", saying "we've got to deal with the whole of China actions and recognize we have these balancing forces in our relationship that need to be dealt with."

Jonathan Pollack, a senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of Brookings Institution, said Tillerson's testimony was not a definitive indicator of future US foreign policy toward China.

"But his opening statement and some of his replies to Senatorial questions reveal a decidedly hard edge to his views of China," he said.

"Though he acknowledges more positive developments in economic cooperation and in opposing international terrorism, his testimony makes no mention of US-China cooperation on the Iranian nuclear agreement or in the Paris climate accords. Such strongly worded complaints directed against China suggest that US-China relations could be entering a much more contentious phase as the Trump administration assumes power," he said.

Zhiqun Zhu, professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said Tillerson's statement was more moderate than he'd expected.

"He does not have a pro-Russia stance and his view of the US-China relationship as both friendly and adversarial is consistent with the mainstream thinking in the US," Zhu said.

Based on Tillerson's testimony, Zhu said there are many opportunities for cooperation between China and the US, but on several issues, particularly North Korea and the South China Sea, the two sides will have some rough times ahead.

"So it is expected that the US-China relationship will continue to be marked by cooperation and contention in the years ahead. I do not think any member of the Trump administration will intentionally disrupt and derail this most important bilateral relationship," he said.

Jon Taylor, professor of political science at the University of St Thomas in Houston, Texas, said Tillerson's statement that the US should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership was a hopeful comment.

"However, Tillerson's testimony provided a mixed message to China, one that signals that the Trump administration intends to disrupt the status quo of China-US relations," he said.

"Where that will lead us is a pivotal question. But given the comments of the president-elect and some of his appointees, I would not be optimistic."
Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary General takes a brief interview with the press at JFK airport on Nov 11, 2017. [Photo/IC]

SEOUL - Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is expected to run for president of South Korea, said he was "perplexed and embarrassed" over bribery accusations brought by US prosecutors this week against his brother and nephew.

Ban's younger brother Ban Ki-sang and his nephew Joo Hyun Bahn were accused in a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday of a scheme to bribe a Middle Eastern official for an attempted $800 million sale of a building complex in Vietnam.

"I am perplexed and embarrassed that close members of my family have become involved in something like this. I feel it is regrettable the situation has troubled many," Ban told Korean reporters at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday ahead of his departure for South Korea.

"I had absolutely no knowledge. My nephew is grown and I barely had any involvement in his life or how he does business," he said in remarks broadcast on South Korean TV.

Ban, who was accompanied by his wife Yoo Soon-taek as well as an aide and security staff, according to Yonhap News Agency, said his heart "felt like bursting" with excitement at the thought of returning to South Korea. His Asiana Airlines flight will land at around 0800 GMT on Thursday.

A former foreign minister, Ban has not declared his intention to enter the race to succeed President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached by parliament in December over an influence-peddling scandal.

Park could become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to leave office in disgrace if the Constitutional Court upholds that vote.

Controversy around the building deal linked to Ban's relatives had been reported previously in South Korean media and Ban made similar remarks regarding the case in 2015.

In September, a Seoul district court ordered Ban's nephew to pay civil damages of about $590,000 to builder Keangnam Enterprises. The court said the nephew had fraudulently led Keangnam to believe that the Qatar Investment Authority was close to buying the Vietnam skyscraper.

In emails cited in the US indictment, Ban's nephew is shown to be using the family name in an attempt to secure the deal, and expressed concern that negative media coverage if it fell through would be bad for the family given its prominence.

Ban Ki-moon was not mentioned in the indictment.

His nephew Bahn, a 38-year-old South Korean national living in New Jersey, pleaded not guilty during a Tuesday court hearing. His father was not arrested and could not be reached immediately for comment.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles has become the first ever US city destination to receive more than 1 million Chinese visitors in one year, the authorities said Wednesday.

The year 2016 was a big year for LA's tourism industry. Besides reaching the mark of 1 million Chinese visitors, both the city's domestic and international visitation had reached an all time high, according to a report released by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism).

Last year, total domestic visitation to LA reached 40.2 million, a 3.8 percent increase over 2015. An additional 7.1 million international visitors also made the second largest city of the United States their ultimate destination, a 3.5 percent rise over the previous year, statistics showed.

"Tourism is booming in Los Angeles, and it's helping to drive our whole city's economy forward," said LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

LA also plans to attract more tourists in the future, especially Chinese tourists.

In 2016, China was the second largest international market for LA, behind Mexico. China accounted for 75 percent of the destination's overall growth of international tourism and the number of Chinese visitors grew nearly 22 percent -- the seventh consecutive year of at least 20 percent visitation growth from that country.

LA Tourism will continue to invest in the market with plans to expand its footprint, the report said.

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in southwest China, will become L.A. Tourism's fourth office in China, which was scheduled to open by the end of June 2017, joining Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, US, January 11, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

MEXICO CITY - US president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday sparked anger, uncertainty and skepticism among Latin Americans, following his first press conference since winning the election.

Trump infuriated Mexicans once again by repeating his pledge to build a wall along the border and have Mexico foot the bill.

"We're going to start building" as soon as possible, and "Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us," said Trump.

Mexico's most outspoken Trump critic, former president Vicente Fox, wasted no time in responding.

"Neither today, nor tomorrow nor never Mexico will pay for that stupid wall," Fox posted to Twitter.

"If Trump wants a monument to his ego, let him pay for it!!," added Fox.

He also warned "it's clear that we're facing a new era of dictatorship with Donald Trump," but he added there was no need to fear Trump.

Mexican historian and intellectual Enrique Krauze echoed Fox's sentiments with a tweet, saying that there was "no way" Mexico will pay for the wall.

Like many other observers around the globe, including in the United States, Krauze noted Trump's "aggressive" manner when speaking to reporters.

"Trump's level of aggression and disregard for civil debate and the press is terrifying. And he's not even in power yet," said Krauze.

Mexico's representative to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Alfonso de Alba, said a wall would not necessarily be effective, and neighbors should take a more humanitarian and comprehensive approach to immigration.

"In the end, they (migrants) do not contribute solely to their country of origin, but also to the country they end up in," said De Alba, who was attending an event at Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto also rejected Trump's demand, saying that Mexico will not pay for the wall but will seek open and complete negotiations with Trump't government.

In Cuba, people who watched the live broadcast remained perplexed about the future of bilateral ties with the United States.
The British government is starting its formal assessment of China's indigenous third-generation nuclear technology, a crucial milestone that could pave the way for its use at a power plant in the UK.

A technician works on a key component of the Hualong One reactor in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. [Photo\Agencies]

If the technology passes the review, China's Hualong One design could be used at the Bradwell power plant, which could become the first nuclear generator in a mature economy to be built with Chinese nuclear technology.

The announcement of the start of the assessment was made on Tuesday, when Britain's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy asked nuclear regulators to begin a Generic Design Assessment of the UK HPR1000 reactor.

HPR1000 is the core technology within the Hualong One design. The version tailored for the UK has been jointly developed by China General Nuclear and France's EDF.

The collaboration is part of a strategic investment agreement signed in October that includes joint investment into three nuclear plants: Hinkley Point in Somerset, Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.

Bradwell is the only one in which China General Nuclear would have majority ownership and use the Chinese design. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C would use French technology.

"The robust independence of the UK's regulators is seen across the world as a key strength for nuclear power in Britain," said Zhu Minhong, general manager of CGN UK. "This is a quality which we value and respect. CGN and EDF will bring to this enterprise their joint experience in China, Britain and France over many years."

Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director of EDF Energy Nuclear New Build, said EDF will contribute experience gained during the UK approval of its own technology.

"Both EDF and CGN will also be listening carefully to the community around Bradwell before we draw up detailed proposals for the development of the new power station," he said.

The companies submitted their application through joint-venture company General Nuclear Services in October. The reference plant for the design is CGN's Fangchenggang Plant Unit 3 in China, which is under construction and on schedule.

Jesse Norman, junior minister at the UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said the companies' interest"underlines the fact that international companies continue to view investment in the UK's low-carbon energy future positively".
One of China's leading business schools is inviting European entrepreneurs to a weeklong crash course on Chinese startup opportunities, including the chance to pitch to wealthy investors in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Cheung Kong Graduate School of Businessthe alma mater of billionaire Jack Maheld an inaugural China Start program in Beijing in September. In London on Wednesday, it gave a presentation to owners of British startup companies to encourage them to sign up for a second course, in March.

CKGSB Assistant Dean Ji Bo told around 50 business people at the event: "If China is set to be the largest economy in the world, why would you not want to expand your business there?"

China Start's March course, at CKGSB's Shanghai and Shenzhen campuses, will include visits to Alibaba in Hangzhou and Huawei's R&D center in Shanghai.

The dozen startups that took part in the September course included Arveng Technology, which develops gloves fitted with fingertip chips that control drone flight. EuroPas, described by its developer as WeChat Pay for Chinese tourists, was also there.

"China has a very strong appetite for innovative technology from Europe," Ji said. "And China is full of wealthy, risk-taking investors. What our China Start program attempts to do is eliminate the challenges for people entering the market."

As well as aiding startups to overcome cultural barriers and pitch to Chinese investors, China Start helps with fundraising, and links European startups with tech partners at incubators formed in collaboration with internet heavyweights Tencent and Baidu. The course costs 3,600 pounds for startups and 10,000 pounds for investors, venture capital representatives, institutions and banks.

Tech innovation is booming in China. The Chinese government has established more than 1,600 incubators for startups across the nation, and is armed with the world's biggest war chest of venture funds. Through State and enterprise funding, about $231 billion was raised in 2015 alone, and by April 2016 almost $340 billion was available for tech investment, according to consultancy Zero2IPO Group.
A world-renowned UK-based institute dedicated to the life and works of William Shakespeare opened a study center in China.

The Shakespeare Centre, China, is the result of collaboration between the University of Birminghams Shakespeare Institute and Nanjing University.

Academics and experts at the institute, which is based in the playwrights birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon, want to reach out to millions of Chinese people to increase access to and understanding his works.

The new center was formally inaugurated recently Nanjing.

Nanjing University has long been a beacon in Shakespeare studies in China, Professor Michael Dobson, director of the Shakespeare Institute, said. ``Its combination of academic expertise and performance tradition makes it a natural partner for the Shakespeare Institute and we are already working on collaborative research.

The opening of the center was marked by lecture on the play Hamlet and a workshop about the inter-cultural performance of Shakespeares Handan Dream - a hybrid production incorporating extracts from Shakespeare and extracts from Chinas Kun opera, performed in London last year.

Birmingham University says the Shakespeare Institute is in talks with Phoenix Publishing & Media Group, one of the largest media and publishing companies in China, about translating Shakespeares works into Mandarin.

Its also planning purpose-designed residential courses in Stratford for Nanjing students.

Founded in 1902, Nanjing University is one of Chinas oldest and most prestigious institutions. It was the only Chinese university to mount a Shakespeare festival to mark the 400th anniversary in 2016 of the playwrights death.

To contact the reporter: mikeharrisonldn@hotmail.com
Houston's Chinese community is relieved that a suspect has been charged in the fatal shooting of a PetroChina employee in December, but members still have safety concerns, and some are talking about arming themselves.

On Wednesday, Kenia Lashan Wilkins, 21, was charged with capital murder in the killing of Bo Meng, 30, a Chinese citizen.

HPD reported that around 11 pm on Dec 26, witnesses heard a gunshot in the Camden Holly Springs apartment complex. They then found Bo wounded and attempted to provide medical assistance. HFD paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced her dead.

According to witnesses, a dark-colored, four-door sedan sped away from the scene. An investigation led to Wilkins, and she was taken into custody on Wednesday without incident.

Fang Zhenqun, China consul and chief of Chinese community affairs in Houston, said that HPD had notified the Chinese Consulate General of the arrest on Wednesday.

Consul General Li Qiangmin had met with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Jan 6 to push for an arrest in the case.

"We are working with PetroChina to offer Bo's family whatever assistance they need," Fang said. "We appreciate HPD's effort in solving this case in such a speedy fashion. We will continue to work with HPD to ensure the safety and rights of Chinese individuals and entities in our jurisdiction."

Mark Jensen, vice-president of PetroChina International (America), said police told the company that the investigation will continue even after Wilkins' arrest.

"We are glad of the arrest of the suspect in the killing of Bo. We are grateful for the quick action of HPD and the team of Detective (Thomas) Ferguson in the apprehension of the suspect. Bo was a valued and treasured employee of our organization," Jensen said.

Bo's relatives have obtained visas and are expected to arrive in Houston in the next couple of days, according to Jensen.

The HPD, the consulate and Southwest Management District (SMD) will hold a town hall meeting on Jan 19 at the Chinese Community Center to address safety issues.

"It's also an opportunity for the Chinese community to meet with the newly appointed HPD Chief Acevedo," said Alice Lee, executive director of SMD.

Lee said that Bo, a relative newcomer to the US, appeared to be a victim of a random crime.

"Here the culture is different from in China where she probably would never expect to be shot," Lee said. "Newcomers usually do not know what they need to be aware of. A person needs to be more observant of their environment to stay safe here, and we hope this town hall meeting will help people how to do that."

Zeng Chong, a gun owner and instructor, said that the case, like other crimes concerning Chinese or the neighborhood, had people wondering whether crime is getting worse.

"Recently, more and more people are asking me about owning a gun. I don't know if there are more people buying guns, but certainly more people are considering the option," Zeng said.

Zeng said "it was an unexpected attack from what I read. Having a gun with you might not do any good in that situation. However, gun owners are usually more aware of the surroundings because of the safety instructions they had to go through. That knowledge could make a big difference," Zeng said.
An artist's impression of the panda park in Ouwelands Dierenpark, Rhenen, Holland. [Photo/Xinhua]

Holland's elaborate panda enclosure that will be used to welcome Chinese pandas Wu Wen and Xing Xia, is almost complete.

The panda park, dubbed "Pandasia" has been built in the style of a traditional Chinese palace, costing 7 million euros (more than 50,000,000 yuan).

Covering 9,000 square meters, the park contains a living area, refrigeration house for bamboo, labor house, clinics, dining room and a gift shop.

An agreement to bring the two pandas to Holland for research purposes was signed during King William Alexanders visit to China in 2015.
If you have purchased a milk product in Wisconsin since 2003, you are eligible to share in a $52 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit that accused milk cooperatives of conspiring to raise prices.

A consumer could get between $45 and $70, the lawsuit administrator estimates, though it could be a just few cents, too, depending on how many people apply at www.boughtmilk.com. People have through the end of the month to make a claim.

Attorneys will receive $17.3 million of the settlement.

The lawsuit, filed in September 2011, accused the National Milk Producers Federation through Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) of conspiring to kill cows to improve milk prices. From 2003 to 2010, members of the cooperatives representing about 70 percent of the countrys milk supply paid money into a fund that was used to buy out entire dairy farm herds that were sent to slaughter.

The voluntary Herd Retirement Program was offered 10 times, resulting in the slaughter of 506,921 cows and the removal of more than 9.67 billion pounds of raw milk from the market. The aim was to reduce the milk supply, raising prices, and was marketed with that message. Farmers were paid for their cows based on the cows average milk production.

According to CWT, 2,802 farms were accepted in the program from 2003 to 2010, with an average herd size of 181.

The milk producers and CWT denied they were doing anything illegal but settled the case last August, bringing the $52.2 million to consumers in 15 states. While the estimated number of eligible applicants is 73 million, as of Nov. 10 only 307,396 had applied, according to court documents.

Whether the plan to reduce the herd and raise prices worked is still being debated by dairy economists. Short term, prices may have risen, but a UW-Madison economist, Robert Cropp, who was an expert witness for the milk producers, said Wednesday that farmers were sending their herds to slaughter in a voluntary program when milk prices were low, so the increase to consumers as far as that program was concerned was pretty minimal, almost no impact at all.

However, analysis by another academic, professor Scott Brown of the University of Missouri, found that the evidence is clear that this program has raised the price that all farmers have received since it first began removing cows at the end of 2003.

Cropp, noting that the lawsuit was originally filed by an animal rights group (Compassion Over Killing) over the killing of healthy cows, called it ridiculous to begin with, with claims made by people who clearly dont know anything about the operation of a dairy farm.

The fact is, most of the farmers that participated in that program were planning to retire from farming anyway, he said. Very few farmers who entered this program ever came back into the business.

Cropp added that dairy price supports, even herd buyouts, are nothing new in the industry, and this was a voluntary program.

The impact was minor, ending up losing less than 1 percent of the milk supply, and the number of cows that went to slaughter included those, up to a third, that would have gone anyway, he said.

To enter the program, a farmer agreed to sell the entire dairy herd for slaughter and agree not to produce, or allow the farm to be used in any way to produce milk.
Christian Vindicated -- Ninth Circuit Finds Arrest Unlawful by CHP Officer

Contact: Lori Sanada, Advocates for Faith & Freedom, 951-304-7583



PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 11, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, three federal appellate judges in the Ninth Circuit issued a final ruling in favor of a Christian man, Mark Mackey, who was arrested for reading the Bible aloud in front of the California Department of Motor Vehicles in Hemet, CA in 2011.



The CHP Officer, Darren Meyers, erroneously cited Mr. Mackey for violating a state law that forbids the interference with an open business through obstruction and intimidation. The Ninth Circuit rebuked the officer's fabricated claims in his police report:

Upon arrival, Meyer encountered Mackey reading his bible aloud in a dirt patch, neither obstructing nor intimidating anyone in line. Meyer avers that Mackey was "yelling at the people waiting in line," "that there was obvious verbal confrontation between the group of men and the people standing in line," and that the "confrontation was heated and nearing a physical state." That version of events is completely belied by video and audio footage which does not reveal any confrontations whatsoever, and merely shows Mackey reading the bible aloud somewhat apart from people standing in line.

View the video of the arrest. This story was widely covered by Fox News and many other news outlets shortly after the arrest: Fox News Video.



Representing Mr. Mackey, Advocates for Faith & Freedom filed a federal lawsuit for unlawful arrest arguing the officer had no basis or probable cause to arrest Mr. Mackey. Mr. Mackey offered to dismiss his suit if the CHP simply admitted the arrest was unlawful and agreed to properly instruct its officers. The CHP rejected that offer and Mr. Mackey was instead criminally prosecuted in California state court in the County of Riverside.



View our previous press release that outlines the facts and charges.



However, Mr. Mackey prevailed in the criminal prosecution and was found not guilty of the charges.



Thereafter, Mr. Mackey's federal case continued ending up in the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeal.



Robert Tyler, who argued in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of Mr. Mackey, stated, "An innocent man exercising his religious liberty and free speech was criminally prosecuted based on erroneous claims put forth by a false and deceitful police report. It appears to me that the arrest and prosecution of my client was politically motivated because they did not agree with my client's speech. But that is exactly why our founders created the First Amendment  to protect even disagreeable speech. Today's decision renews my hope in the justice system."



Mark Mackey stated, "Justice still prevails. I am excited that our country is going in the right direction."



Co-counsel and volunteer criminal defense attorney Nic Cocis commented, "It is refreshing to know that our system still works. The video evidence clearly contradicted the claims of the officer, but it took our appeal to the Ninth Circuit before justice could be realized. The officer and the CHP should be held accountable for their disregard of constitutional liberties."



Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts. You can visit our website at www.faith-freedom.com.



NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, Case No. 15-55186



Email info@faith-freedom.com to receive press releases. Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-todate on our progress in this case and others.
(Photo : Getty Images) Sensitive Bible students are warned to expect disturbing images in the course of their studies.

Advertisement

Theology students are given advance warning that they may encounter disturbing images while studying the crucifixion of Jesus to give them a chance to leave if they fear getting upset, the Daily Mail reported.



Such "trigger warnings" are part of a trend that a number of universities are using to make students aware of the course content that they might find distressing.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

For instance, the University of Glasgow said that the trigger warnings are issued to potential theology students before studying "Creation to Apocalypse: Introduction to the Bible (Level 1)." University documents reveal that a lecture on Jesus and cinema sometimes contain graphic scenes of his crucifixion, giving students a heads up.



The university's veterinary students are also warned that their coursework involves working with dead animals. And those studying 'contemporary society' are forewarned that they will be discussing illness and violence.



Forensic science students at Strathclyde University in Glasgow are also given a verbal warning at the beginning of some lectures where sensitive images involving blood patterns, crime scenes, and bodies are included.



At Stirling University, gender studies students are warned that the institution cannot exclude the possibility that they may come across material that may trigger a negative reaction, urging students to take all the necessary precautions to take care of their well-being in and around the program.



The university also allows students to leave class at any time they feel like but urges them to check in later during the day to confirm how they are coping.



Meanwhile, advocates said that the warnings help to preserve the mental health of vulnerable students. Critics, however, argued that the trend is creating a generation of "snowflake" students who are not equipped to deal with the harsh realities of the world.



"Universities are meant to be a place of learning where concepts are challenged and tricky subjects debated. That will become increasingly difficult if they go far out of their way to ensure everything survives the politically correct test," Scottish Tory education spokesperson Liz Smith said.



But Glasgow University said its duty is to cater and prioritize the well-being of its students.



Advertisement

TagsReligion, Religion Belief, crucifixion
I have to tell you about this, even though some of the forecasts are crazy extreme. For several forecast cycles, the models have suggested t...
(Photo : Getty Images) Myanmar officials nabbed a former military personnel turned rebel in Yunnan after he attempted to enter into China.

Advertisement

A Chinese national who was recruited in the Myanmar Kokang Rebel Group was arrested and detained by police officials in the southwestern province of Yunnan after he tried to sneak back into China.



The recruit, identified as Wu Bo, carried guns and ammunition after he fled from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army into Lincang prefecture where he was detained by police in the region, according to Thepaper.cn on Tuesday.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Following the incident, worry had developed over that a number of Chinese have chose to leave and join the clashes between the rebel groups and the Myanmar army.



The South China Morning Post reported that the Kokang rebel group was among the armed forces that was involved in retaliation against the Myanmar government back in November 2016. The incident left eight people dead and 36 alleged culprits arrested.



The Guardian also noted that attackers from the Rohingyas group, a Muslim Indo-Aryan community from Rakhine, attacked military troops with guns and knives. The troops returned fire but later requested for air assistance after seeing that the rebel army had outnumbered them.



Meanwhile, the UN reported that at least 15,000 people have been affected of the ongoing crisis and have crossed the border into China.



The mainland has also been accused of tolerating the rebels along its border with Myanmar, although Beijing denied such allegations, saying it is only acting as a mediator.



Advertisement

Tagschina, Myanmar, Kokang rebel group, terrorism, The Rohingyas group
(Photo : Getty Images) Thousands of Myanmar residents have seeked refuge in China following a massive war witnessed in the region.

Advertisement

An overnight enraged war that was witnessed on Tuesday between the Myanmar army and an ethnic community has led to thousands of Myanmar residents in the Shan and Kachin states to cross the border and seek refuge in China.



Activists believe that not less than 3,000 citizens have fled following airstrikes and massive wars that had been witnessed in the region. The war reached its peak on Tuesday.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

"There was a big fight yesterday," Dashi Naw Lawn, the secretary of the Kachin Network Development Foundation, told AFP in an interview. "The government used planes to attack the area around Laiza."



The Myanmar army has been at war with the rebel group the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since last year in November, with the government troop seeking to chase the rebel group away from the region. A lot of people have lost their lives following the incident and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.



There has been fears that the unrest witnessed in the region could deter peace talks set for February in the region between the government, the army, and KIA.



Press TV highlighted Khon Ja, a Kachin activist, saying that at least 3,600 people had fled overnight from their IDP camps in a bid to escape the violence.



"Around a third of the escapees had managed to cross a river into China. The rest had been stranded on the Myanmar side," Khon said.



A 12-day visit by Yanghee Lee, a UN special rapporteur, had to be canceled following the massive war witnessed in Myanmar.



Advertisement

Tagschina, Myanmar, Myanmar refugees, Kia
(Photo : Getty Images) Japan's emperor Akihito could abdicate the throne at the end of 2018, says his health could impede his official duties.

Advertisement

Japan's Emperor Akihito could abdicate at the end of 2018 and allow his eldest son, Prince Naruhito, to ascend the Chrysanthemum throne.



The emperor, who turned 83 years last month, hinted in August that he is planning to retire after saying that he is concerned that his age could impede his ability to carry out royal duties. In a rare televised interview, Akihito said that he wanted an orderly imperial succession, in words that could be cautiously interpreted as a desire to abdicate the throne.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

"I am concerned it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state with my whole body and soul as I have done so far," he said.



Current Japanese laws do not allow abdication, but last month, a panel of experts said it was willing to support special legislation that will allow Akihito to step down without conditions.



There is strong public empathy for Akihito, and the Japanese government is drawing up measures that would allow Crown Prince Naruhito to ascend the throne and become the country's 126th emperor.



On Tuesday, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said that he was not aware that discussions on Akihito's possible abdication were at such an advanced stage. He added that the experts are prioritizing lightening Akihito's burden in their discussions.



"Things are still at a stage where no direction has emerged," the minister said.



Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 2003. He later had a heart bypass operation in 2012. He was hospitalized with pneumonia in 2011.



Akihito ascended the throne in 1989 after the death of his father, Hirohito.



Advertisement

TagsEmperor Akihito, Japan, Asia
(Photo : Getty Images) Russia has signaled its intentions to remain deeply involved in the Syrian civil war.

Advertisement

Days after President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was scaling back its military deployment, Russia has sent more than a dozen jets to war-torn Syria.



Last week, Putin declared that Russia would begin withdrawing its troops following a ceasefire agreement between President Bashar Assad's government and opposition fighters. However, 12 Su-25s are reported to have arrived at Russia's base in the coastal city of Latakia on Monday. The latest deployment signals Russia's intention to remain deeply involved in the bloody conflict.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Experts speculated that the fighter planes have been sent to cover for the loss of Russia's rusting aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which was recalled on Friday.



According to Syrian pro-government website al-Masdar, the warplanes will be used in an aerial campaign on rebel-held territory around the city of Aleppo. On Wednesday morning, there were reports that Russia and Syria have performed airstrikes in Aleppo's western and southern countrysides.



Russian warplanes conducted a 48-hour airstrike campaign on Aleppo, Syria's second city, carrying out over 30 airstrikes. This was twice the number they launched the whole of last week in this area.



Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (Isil) and Islamist group Jaish Fateh al-Sham are not part of the Russia-negotiated fragile ceasefire that is currently in place.



The Syrian government said that it is only striking islamist rebels-held territory. However, the opposition said that it is not present in some of the areas being targeted by the airstrike.



This is not the first time that Russia has wrong-footed its opponents by announcing withdrawals that never took place. In March last year, Putin announced a drawdown of his troops after declaring that they had accomplished their mission in Syria.



In the months that followed, however, Russia increased airstrikes on the city of Aleppo in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.



Advertisement

TagsRussia, Syria, Aleppo
(Photo : Getty Images) Trump has accused CNN of reporting "fake news."

Advertisement

US President-elect Donald Trump has conceded for the first time that Russia could have been behind the hacking of Democratic Party servers during last year's presidential election.



Speaking during a press conference, Trump said "I think it was Russia," though a few minutes later he added that the hack-attack could have been carried out by another country.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Trump also vigorously denied the allegations of his bad behavior that have been circulating, calling it fake news. He also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for rubbishing the allegations, saying that he respected that Putin said that.



Trump said the allegations of him getting involved in salacious behavior in a Russian hotel room were false, saying that he is always aware of cameras placed in the "strangest" places in hotel rooms whenever he travels.



"It's all fake news. Its phony stuff. It didn't happen. It was gotten by opponents of ours. It was a group of opponents that got together. Sick people and they got together and put that crap together," Trump said.



President-elect Trump also had harsh words for CNN, accusing the media giant of publishing "fake news" and repeatedly refusing to take a question from the network's reporter Jim Acosta at his news conference.



CNN's senior White House correspondent repeatedly asked for a question in order to respond the billionaire's accusation against his network, until which Trump angrily told him, "I am not going to give you a question. You are fake news."



Trump also lashed out at BuzzFeed News, which published the document accusing him of improper behavior. He called the news organization a "failing pile of garbage" and promised they are going to suffer the consequences of their actions.



Sean Price, who will be the press secretary in the Trump administration, accused BuzzFeed of a "sad and pathetic effort" to get clicks.



Trump said that he will present a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare as soon as his nominee for secretary of health and human services, Tom Price, is confirmed.



Advertisement

Tagsdonald trump, Russia, US, CNN
(Photo : Getty Images) Huawei Mate 9 has 8MP front camera equipped with user-friendly auto-focus and smile capture.



Advertisement

Huawei has achieved a Guinness World Record for the most selfies taken with different people in just three minutes.



There were 160 high definition selfies captured in 180 seconds using the Huawei Mate 9 with Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa as their beautiful background. This Guinness victory took place at The Palace Hotel in Downtown Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

According to the guidelines of Guinness World Record, the selfie should be taken by an individual with the use of smartphone or a digital camera. The world-breaking selfie image was captured in exactly 180 seconds, which means nearly one click in one second. Only Huawei Mate 9 can reach this speed.



In order for Huawei to achieve ultimate selfie for the world record, they have used Mate 9. The device has 8MP front camera, which is equipped with user-friendly auto-focus and smile capture. In addition, Huaweis Aesthetics Center in France has developed innovative and natural skin beautification algorithms for the camera.



Moreover, its second-generation dual camera optics technology was also developed by Leica Camera AG. Its 12MP rear camera has monochrome sensor that works well with the enhanced image fusion algorithms, offering unmatched smartphone photography.



UAE Country Manager for Huawei Consumer Business Group David Wang said that their new record in Guinness using the Mate 9 proved that this smartphone is actually unbeatable.



Weve set international standards before and the fact that this achievement was set here in the UAE makes it even more special for our region. Were proud to hold the Guinness World Record title and view this as a testament to the standard-setting work we do on a daily basis, Wang said.



Guinness World Record Dubai officials monitored Huaweis new record. Guinness World Record Dubai office was opened in February 2013.



The Chinese smartphone maker has a plan of breaking several other records in 2017. However, they did not elaborate the things they would like to experiment with.



Advertisement

TagsHuawei, huawei mate 9, Mate 9, Selfie, Mate 9 Selfie, Guinness World Record, Huawei Guinness World Record
(Photo : Getty Images) Vietnams communist party leader Nguyen Phu is slated to arrive at Beijing on Thursday. Chinese leaders are expected to exert pressure on Nguyen to stop Vietnams missile deal with India.

Advertisement

With India and Vietnam enhancing their military ties, China refuses to play the role of a mere spectator. Several media reports claimed that an anxious Chinese leadership is likely to exert pressure on Vietnam's communist party leader Nguyen Phu, who is slated to arrive in Beijing on Thursday for a state-level visit.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The focus of Nguyen's visit would be on regional security issues, with contagious issues like South China Sea and recent defense pacts signed with India expected to become talking points during his visit.



Sources in Beijing claimed that New Delhi's recent proposal to sell Akash surface-to-air missile to Vietnam is certainly likely to come up during the discussion.



The increasing defense ties between India and Vietnam have surely made Beijing immensely uncomfortable. The Chinese leadership apparently sees this defense cooperation as New Delhi's ploy to gain strategic footprint in its backyard.



Apart from Akash missile, New Delhi has also proposed to sell Brahmos ballistic missile and offer training to Vietnamese soldiers. Additionally, Indian Prime Minister announced a credit line of $500 million for buying military equipments during his visit to Hanoi last year.



Meanwhile, Chinese media is all going out in instigating its leaders to swiftly counter New Delhi's latest ploy during Nguyen's visit. The Global Times, mouthorgan of China's communist party, has categorically warned India that China will not sit idle if it sells missiles to Vietnam.



Nguyen's tour itinerary is still not known and is not clear whether he will be meeting with the Chinese president and premier. But the Vietnamese leader will most probably hold talks with other top Chinese leaders and ministers as well as key communist party leaders.



Advertisement

Tagschina, India and Vietnam, China and India, India and Vietnam Defence Deal, Akash missile
(Photo : Rheinmetall/Steyr Mannlicher) RS556.

Advertisement

German firearms maker Rheinmetall AG and Austrian firearms maker Steyr Mannlicher AG have developed a new assault rifle to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 currently in service throughout the Bundeswehr (the German Armed Forces).



The product of their partnership is the "RS556" assault rifle chambered for the 5.56 x 45 mm caliber round standard in all NATO armies.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

R stands for Rheinmetall while the S denoted Steyr Mannlicher. The 556 refers to the caliber of the bullet fired by the weapon.



Both firms co-developed the weapon in response to a decision by the German government in September 2015 to replace the G36, which has been in service with the Bundeswehr since 1997.



The RS556 uses a short-stroke gas piston system that drives an operating rod to force the bolt carrier to the rear, and is locked by a rotating bolt.



The upper and lower receivers are made from aluminum and strengthened with steel bolt carrier guides to prevent the bolt tilting. The RS556 is being offered in a variety of barrel lengths, with the standard issue featuring a 406 mm barrel.



The fire selector, magazine catch and bolt catch are ambidextrous to support right and left handed shooters. The RS556 is equipped with a seven-position telescopic polymer butt-stock.



The RS556 will be offered with a variety of barrel lengths: 293 mm and 330 mm for personal defense; 370 mm (carbine); 406 mm and 455 mm (rifle) and 505 mm and 550 mm (designated marksman). Other barrel lengths can also be implemented.



The RS556 will be available in other calibers, such as 7.62x35 mm (300 BLK); .300 Whisper and 7.62x39 mm. There will also be a "heavy duty" barrel for use with hard core ammunition.



The RS556 features a modular upper receiver with NATO Accessory Rails (NARs). Optional accessory rails can be located on the handguard sides.



One of the factors leading to the early retirement of the G36 were unproven claims the G36 can't shoot accurately when it overheats or during continuous firing.



The claim was that overheating G36s used by German soldiers in Afghanistan made it difficult for the G36 to hit targets past 100 meters; made it ineffective at over 200 meters and incapable of effective fire past 300 meters.



H&K countered by saying the rifle was not designed for sustained, continuous fire and noted that German soldiers gave no negative feedback about the rifle. H&K sued the German government for damaging its reputation and won in 2016.



The cause of overheating was later traced to design of the ammunition cartridges. The government decision to replace the G36 announced in September 2015 was not rescinded, however.



Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen in September 2015 said the G36 will be phased out and replaced by a "new generation" weapon from 2019.



"We have decided in consensus with military command to make a clear cut," she said.



Tenders for a modern replacement for the Bundeswehr's 167,000 G36s would be Europe-wide. One of the results of this tender is the RS556.



Advertisement

TagsRS556 assault rifle, Rheinmetall AG, Steyr Mannlicher AG, Bundeswehr, NATO, Heckler & Koch G36, Ursula von der Leyen
(Photo : Getty Images) Chinese Foreign Affairs minister Wang Yi assured that Nigeria and China will establish better partnership.

Advertisement

The Nigerian government has re-affirmed its position in the "One China" policy and ordered for the immediate closure of the Taiwan office in Abuja during a joint conference on Wednesday.



Xinhua reported that Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said that Taiwan had to seek other legal ventures in order to operate in Nigeria.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

"Taiwan will stop enjoying any privileges because it is not a country that is recognized under international law," Onyeama said. "Under the position Nigeria has taken internationally, we recognize the China's, One-China Policy."



In his remarks, he added the by closing the Taiwan trade offices, Nigeria is looking to regain China's trust.



"Nigeria will do everything to realize the One China Policy, any effort that would promote peace and well-being of the People's Republic of China shall be implemented as well," he said.



Onyeama added that the "One China" policy was not news to the Nigerian community given that the country had lived by the mantra "Keep Nigeria One."



The conference was attended by Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, who verbally acknowledged the various efforts taken by Nigeria in regards to the "One China" policy. He said that Beijing had reaffirmed its commitment to the active development of the partnership between the two nations.



Wang had made Nigeria his final destination in a five-nation Africa visit that had begun on Friday last week. Other countries visited were Zambia, Tanzania, Madagascar, and the Republic of Congo.



A joint statement issued after the conference by the two countries reassured a mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.



Advertisement

TagsNigeria, china, Taiwan, One China policy
(Photo : Getty Images) A new species of hoolock gibbon has been discovered in China's remote forest. The scientists have named this new found species after Star wars famous character "Skywalker.'

Advertisement

A team of scientist has found new species of hoolock gibbon in a remote China forest on China - Burma border. It was initially believed to be part of one of the two already-known species, but after a close genetic examination, scientists concluded that this gibbon actually belonged to a new breed of species.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

One of the two already-known species of gibbons is mostly found in parts of China, Bangladesh, India, and Burma, where they live on trees mostly surviving on fruits and leaves.



"It's an absolute privilege to see something as special and as rare as a gibbon in a canopy in a Chinese rainforest... especially when it turns out that the gibbons are actually a new species previously unrecognised by science," Dr. Sam Turvey, from the Zoological Society of London, told BBC.



The scientists have named this new found species after Star wars famous character 'Skywalker' as a tribute to the famous sci-fi movie, which apparently happens to be their most favorite movie.



The full name of the species will be 'Skywalker' hoolock gibbon. When translated into Chinese language, the name spells as "Heaven's movement."



The scientist community estimated that there are roughly 200 skywalker gibbons across China and also in neighboring Burma, while arguing that owing to their miniscule population, they must be put in the list of "endangered species."



Like most animals trotting nearing extinction, gibbons' existence has been threatened by illegal hunting and forest destruction.



Gibbons have made a special place in the animal with their "unique voice," which they specifically use it to mark their territories.



Advertisement

TagsGibbon, Star Wars, hoolock gibbon, china
(Photo : Getty Images) Secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson blamed Washington for not acting immediately in preventing China from building man-made islands in the South China Sea.

Advertisement

Incoming US president Donald Trump's pick for the position of secretary of state on Wednesday told the confirmation committee hearing that Washington should deny China access to the artificial islands, reefs, and shoals after the latter has built in the disputed South China Sea.



Rex Tillerson told the confirmation hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China's building of islands and the deployment of military weapons and equipment to the disputed territories were "illegal" and should be halted immediately.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

In statements that are expected to infuriate Beijing, Tillerson said that the US should take more aggressive military posturing in the strategic waterway through which $5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually.



Clear Signal



"We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed," he pointed out during the confirmation hearing.



Although Tillerson pushed for additional US troops to patrol the disputed sea, he, however, did not elaborate on how Washington could prevent Beijing from controlling the islands and reefs it had built in the region, which are equipped with airstrips and high-tech military weapons.



The former Exxon Mobil Corp. chairman expressed worry over China's activities in the South China Sea region saying that the "entire global economy" remains at risk if Beijing would have the power to dictate access to the resource-rich waterway.



Military Strategic Waterway



The South China Sea, a major military strategic waterway and a very important trade route, is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.



Aside from China, several Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, and Malaysia have overlapping claims to the region.



The secretary of state nominee blamed US authorities for their "inadequate response" to the South China Sea situation saying Chinese activities in the region could have been prevented if Washington made the necessary moves quickly.



Traditional Allies



"The way we've got to deal with this is we've got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia," he said.



US naval forces have been conducting air and sea patrols in the disputed region invoking the freedom of navigation principle under the Obama administration angering Beijing.



Naval forces from Japan and Australia have joined the US patrols in the disputed waters prompting Beijing to deploy more arms including a missile system to its controlled territories.



Advertisement

TagsSouth China Sea, rex tillerson, ship-borne trade, strategic waterway, confirmation hearing, global economy, Freedom of navigation patrols, china, President Xi Jinping
(Photo : Getty Images) Samsung Vice Chair Lee Jae-Yong is being interviewed by journalists on his arrival at the South Korean special prosecutors office .

Advertisement

Samsung Group Vice Chair, Lee Jae-Yong, arrived at the South Korean special prosecutor's office on Thursday morning for questioning over the firm's alleged corruption association in the political scandal that could lead to the historical impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and red tie, Lee arrived at the office where he was greeted with journalists seeking to hear his comment on the case and a jeering crowd protesting for his immediate arrest.



"I apologize to the Korean community over our failure to set out a better image on the case," Lee said to journalists. He then bowed before the group of protestors and the media.



The 48-year-old heir of Samsung has been under scrutiny after investigations found a link between the company and Choi Soon-sil, who had been detained since October after charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud and bribery were charged against her. Choi is a close ally of Park.



Bloomberg reported that an established corruption link that transpired between the two parties will go a long way in determining the fate of Park's presidency.



"Special prosecutors are mainly after President Park," Chung Sun-sup, director at Chaebul.com, said. "In this case, however, to charge Park with bribery, they have to prove her connection with Samsung."



Yahoo News cited an unnamed investigator saying that the chance of the prosecutors to seek a warrant of arrest is "high."



Reports indicated that Lee was expected to be invited for questioning. However, many were surprised when he was called in as a suspect instead of a witness.



Park is on the verge of making a double history as she became the first female president of South Korea and could also be the first to be impeached.



Advertisement

TagsSouth Korea, Samsung, Corruption, Presidential Impeachment
(Photo : Twitter) The Meizu M5s will be available in three colors: Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver Gray.

Advertisement

Meizu has sent out invitations for its media event on Jan. 27, suggesting that the company may unveil its M5s device.



The Meizu M5s has been revealed slowly through images showing up online especially on Chinese Weibo. The new mobile device had already been certified by the Chinese TENAA and the 3C authority. It is now ready to hit the market shelves any time the Chinese tech firm plans to. In addition, Meizu M5s was also seen earlier this month in Geekbench, revealing some of the devices key specs too.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

There are two versions of M5s certified by TENAA in December 2016  the M612Q and M612M. Both are similar to each other when it comes to specs. It suggested that one version is intended for the Chinese market and the other one is dedicated for the international market.



The Meizu M5s will feature Mediatek MT6753 chipset with octa-core Cortex A53 CPU clocked at 1.3 GHz paired with three variants of storage: 2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage, 3GB RAM with 32GB of internal storage, and 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage. However, the smartphone will be launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS only.



The device is having a 5.2-inch sized HD display and a 2,930mAh battery. For the camera, it will have 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera good for selfies. For the handsets dimension, it measures 148.2 x 72.53 x 8.4 mm. M5s will be available in three colors: Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver Gray.



Meizus announcement of the upcoming device would suggest that M5s will be on sale in stores across China during the Chinese New Year.



Advertisement

TagsMeizu, Meizu M5s, M5s specs, Meizu Jan. 27, Meizu media event
(Photo : Getty Images) Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was hospitalized for an angioplasty procedure late in the evening of Jan. 10, 2017.

Advertisement

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni underwent a "completely successful" minor heart procedure at a Rome hospital, local media reported on Wednesday.



The 62-year-old Gentiloni complained of discomfort at his office in Rome's Chigi palace on Tuesday evening after his visit in France. Contrary to rumors, the prime minister, who took office end of last year, did not have a heart attack and never lost consciousness, the source said.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Gentiloni had an emergency angioplasty to unblock an obstructed artery near his heart late on Tuesday. The procedure, which is the widening of an obstructed or narrowed blood vessel by stenting, was performed after a CAT scan and blood tests.



"The full success of the intervention was confirmed this afternoon by the excellent clinical progress being made by the premier," a medical bulletin from Rome's Gemelli hospital said.



Retired cardiologist Pietro Santarelli, who worked for years at the Gemelli, said records show that Gentiloni could be out of the hospital in a few days. The leader confirmed this with a tweet saying, "I'm well. Soon I'll go back to work."



He went to Paris on Tuesday for a meeting with French President Francois Hollande. He was due to fly to London on Thursday to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May, a trip that has now been cancelled. On Friday, he is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Rome.



Gentiloni, who was a foreign minister until last month, had been conducting a tour of European capitals following his appointment in mid-December 2016. He took the reins of power after Matteo Renzi announced his resignation in the wake of rejection to his proposals to overhaul the Italian Senate in the Italian constitutional referendum.



Advertisement

TagsItaly, Rome, Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, Therese May
(Photo : Getty Images) Mahinda Rajapaksa finally opened about the Chinese-funded project in the port city of Hambantota. He categorically stated that he is not against the Chinese investment but merely of the unfriendly terms and conditions included in the agreement.

Advertisement

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday finally spoke over his opposition against the Chinese-funded project in the port city of Hambantota, adding that he is merely against the unfriendly terms and conditions included in the deal's agreement.



"My request is to implement the project according to initial agreement without displacing people & harming the environment," Rajapaksa said.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Rajapaksa's clarification on the controversial project comes barely days after he held a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang.



During a live question and answer session on Twitter, the former president claimed that even Chinese ambassador had expressed "concern" over the implementation of the project. However, Sri Lanka's local media disputed Rajapaksa's claim and said that the Chinese envoy merely sought the former president's clarification on the contagious issue.



Sri Lanka Erupts in Protest against Hambantota Port Project



Last week, members from Rajapaksa's political party along with local people clashed against government supporters near the Hambantota port site. The police resorted to tear gas and water cannons to stop the violent protest just as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe participated in opening ceremony of the industrial zone.



The island nation was initially in two minds over Chinese investment in Hambantota project, before agreeing for 80 percent investment in the port project in October last year. The deal with the Chinese merchant company will supposedly help the Sri Lankan government bring down the country's soaring debt.



In fact, several analysts openly claimed that Sri Lanka is generously opening up for Chinese investment to purely fix its debt problem.



Rajapaksa: The Architect of Chinese Investment



While Rajapaksa decided to go public against the Chinese-funded Hambantota project, it was under his regime that Sri Lanka decided to open up to Chinese investment in a big way. Under his presidency, the island nation signed several big ticket projects with China-based companies.



Rajapaksa, however, has been well guarded in not raising any voice against Chinese investment or leadership. Throughout the Hambantota protest fiasco, the former president did not utter a single word against China.



It must also be noted that Sri Lanka's former president had paid a visit to China in November last year on government's invitation. Many political analysts believe that Beijing considers Rajapaksa as a key ally to fulfill its geo-political goals in South Asian region.



Advertisement

TagsSri Lanka, Sri Lanka and China, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Hambantota Project
(Photo : Xinhua) Covers of the white paper, China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation.

Advertisement

China has issued a White Paper explaining its approach to achieving peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and clarifying its stand on issues of regional concern.



The white paper, "China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation," was released by the State Council Information Office on Jan. 11.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The document reveals China is prepared to take on greater responsibilities for regional and global security, and provide more public security services to the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.



It also outlines China's concept of "common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security."



China's policy package that guides it actions include "the promotion of common development; the building of partnerships; improvement of existing multilateral frameworks; rule-setting; military exchanges and proper settlement of differences."



China said it supports the creation of international and regional rules set through discussion with all countries concerned rather than being dictated by any particular country.



"Small- and medium-sized countries need not and should not take sides among big countries," said the white paper.



In a dig at the United States, China said rules of individual countries should not automatically become "international rules," and countries should not be allowed to violate the lawful rights and interests of others under the pretext of rule of law.



It urges major countries in the region (Japan, South Korea and India) "to reject the Cold War mentality" and play a role in maintaining peace and development. It also said these major countries to respect others' (read China's) "legitimate interests and concerns and to pursue positive interactions" (an apparent reference to China's unlawful claim to own the South China Sea).



China also said it will work with the new U.S. administration of Donald Trump on Asia-Pacific affairs to preserve peace, stability and prosperity in the region.



The white paper said China will increase military exchanges and cooperation with "friendly" countries to support peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.



In a warning directed at the United States, China said "it will build a strong national defense force that is commensurate with China's international standing."



"Its security and development interests is a strategic task in China's modernization drive, and provides a strong guarantee for its peaceful development. China's armed forces support the country's development and contribute to the maintenance of world peace and regional stability," said the white paper.



The paper also said military strength will guarantee China achieves its international aims, chief among which is Chinese hegemony over Asia. The military is at the center of security, the paper said.



The paper also said China remains committed to resolving disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation and upholding peace and stability as well as freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.



China again called on South Korea and the U.S. to stop the deployment of THAAD in May.



"China strongly urges the U.S. and the ROK to stop this process."



Advertisement

Tagschina, White Paper, China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation, United States, Asia, South China Sea
(Photo : Xinhua) H-6K bomber over the South China Sea.

Advertisement

The largest aerial patrol of Xian H-6 medium-range jet bombers that triggered interceptions by the air forces of Japan and South Korea on Jan. 9 will be followed-up by even larger patrols, said the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).



PLAAF confirmed a formation of six of its H-6s flew in international airspace perilously close to the air defense zones of both Japan and South Korea.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

This patrol represents the largest number of H-6 bombers in a single patrol so far. PLAAF operates some 140 of these bombers, most of which are conventional bombers armed with bombs and cruise missiles although some might be able to deliver nuclear bombs.



The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operates about 30 of these bombers, many of which are armed with anti-ship missiles.



The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) sent its fighters to monitor this PLAAF bomber formation its radars detected flying over the East China Sea and Sea of Japan. It said its radars detected 10 PLAAF aircraft and not six.



The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) sent 10 of its F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets to keep an eye on the Chinese bomber formation. The former is the Korean version of the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Strike Eagle multirole fighter while the latter is Korea's version of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon air superiority fighter.



In the past, PLAAF show the flag aerial patrols have triggered alarms in either Japan or South Korea but not both at the same time. This new tack seems to say the PLAAF isn't scared of either the JASDF or the ROKAF.



More ominous for both air forces was PLAAF's post-patrol statement it will definitely continue these danger close patrols and will not place a limit on the size of future formations.



The People's Liberation Army (PLA) described the Jan. 9 aerial patrol as a "ship-aircraft coordination training" between PLAAF and PLAN.



It claims the mission was a routine arrangement in the annual training plan and didn't target any specific country or region. The training was consistent with relevant international laws and practices and will be continued in the future.



Advertisement

TagsPeople's Liberation Army Air Force, Xian H-6, Japan, South Korea, People's Liberation Army Navy, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Air Force
(Photo : Getty Images) Media reports suggested that Indias prominent political leader Rahul Gandhi will most certainly call off his China visit that was supposed to commence next week.

Advertisement

India's prominent political leader Rahul Gandhi is most likely going to skip his visit to China next week, according to reports in Indian media. The vice president of India's grand old Congress party returned back to his home country on Tuesday from an 11-day foreign vacation.



Reports in Indian media claimed that Gandhi was prompted to call off his China visit amid criticism that he is busy vacationing abroad while his congress party is set to face state elections very soon. India's five states are set to go for polls very soon including the critical states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

A Congress spokesperson told a leading Indian news channel that Congress delegation will head to China, but it is "not finalized" if Rahul Gandhi will accompany them. Other party sources said it was unlikely.



Gandhi was invited by the Communist Party of China (CPC) for a weeklong visit, which was supposed to commence on Jan 15. The Congress vice president and other key party members were scheduled to meet several Chinese leaders and discuss about wide range of issues affecting their bilateral ties.



Gandhi so far has refused to issue any comments on his China visit.



If Rahul Gandhi does go ahead with his visit to China, then he would be the first high profile to visit the country after Beijing's latest snub over Masood Azhar issues. The Azhar and Nuclear Supplier Group issues have apparently become thorny issues between the two countries.



Although Gandhi's congress party currently sits in opposition, expert said that his views would have still hold importance for Chinese leaders.



Advertisement

TagsRahul Gandhi, china, India and China, Rahul Gandhi China
Villagers in Shan state, Burma (Myanmar) are increasingly concerned over indications that two assistant priests in Burma have been killed.



Sources told Morning Star News that the Burma army arrested Dom Dawng Nawng and La Jaw Gam Hseng on Dec. 24 after the two assistant priests helped journalists report on a bombed Catholic church building in Mong Ko. The clergymen were arrested after they went to the Byuha Gon military base to secure the release of a married couple who had complained to the Burma army about the destruction of their house, sources who requested anonymity said.



They went to negotiate for the couples release, one said. The Burma army released the couple but detained the priests. I strongly believe that they got killed.



Military officials were said to be upset that the clergymen had assisted reporters from Yangon-based news organizations who traveled to war-torn Mong Ko, where Burma forces reportedly bombed the Catholic church building in early December.



The two assistant priests were said to have taken journalists to visit a damaged school and a house in Mong Ko, along with the bombed church building.



As the Burma army normally questions and quickly releases arrested civilians, the failure of the clergymen to re-appear after more than two weeks is one indication that they have been killed, sources said, adding that military officials at the base have been known to kill those arrested who are not soon released and burn the bodies.



In addition, they said, the Burma army customarily responds to negative media reports with propaganda, but military officials have remained silent about the clergymen even after widespread local media coverage of their disappearance.



When media reported on the Burma jet bombing of the church building, for example, the state-run newspaper promptly published counter-reporting asserting that the army had rebuilt the damaged structure. The state-run newspaper, The Global New Light of Myanmar, has not published stories in response to reports of the missing assistant priests, the sources said.



A journalist who traveled with the two assistant priests while covering the conflict strongly suspects they have been killed. Reliable sources told the reporter that if the assistant priests were still alive, media coverage of their disappearance would have prompted their release by now. In several other cases of civilians arrested by the Burma military, they are either still missing or were later found dead, the journalist said.



It is almost certain that they got killed, the reporter said, adding that no evidence is likely to surface as civilians are not allowed on the military base, and area people are afraid to speak about any knowledge of the cases they might have.



Two corpses have been found in a septic tank in Mong Ko, and officials from the Kachin Baptist Convention said they suspect the bodies are those of the missing clergymen, Yangon-based newspaper recently The Irrawaddy reported. An investigation is underway.



Local administrative authorities are under pressure not to speak publically about the clergymens disappearance and the bombed church building, sources said, and Burma army troops are searching for anyone who may have spoken to journalists. Under pressure from army officials, the Mong Ko administrator has asked journalists not to publish photos of the damaged church building and has requested they delete published online photos, sources said.



There have been no further reports on the two bodies found in the septic tank, they said.



Both relatives and colleagues of the assistant priests filed missing person reports to police in Mong Ko on Thursday (Jan. 5).



Fighting between Burma armed force and ethnic separatist organizations broke out in the area in November, forcing over 50,000 refugees to flee to northern Shan state and the China border area.



The Burma army officials reportedly said they took control of Mong Ko in mid-December and urged displaced residents to return home.



After more than five years of intensified conflict since Burma violated a 17-year cease-fire in 2011, many Kachin face protracted displacement and are desperate to return home, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.



Burma is about 80 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian. The government has recognized the special status of Buddhism in Burma and promoted it as a means to consolidate support.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.

If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at http://morningstarnews.org/donate/?

Publication date: January 11, 2017
Lucas Black on NCIS Was at the Height of His Hollywood Career When He Gave it All Up for God
You may know her from Everybody Loves Raymond or more recently, from The Middle. Patricia Heaton,TV star and two-time Emmy winning actress, has fans from around the globe.

In an interview article by Rebecca Cusey at CT Women, Heaton shares candidly about her Christian faith, and how shes using her influence for greater things in this life, by helping the poor around the world through the ministry and work of World Vision.

In the early days in her career, Heaton talks about a pivotal moment when she realized Gods leadership and direction in her life. She had moved to LA at 30, with no agent, manager, or car  just one commercial to her name. After returning to LA from a mission trip to a Mexican orphanage, she shares, I woke up the next day and I had this deep sense of peace Id never felt before, and it made me realize that up until that point, my entire identity was in the success or lack of success as an actor. Thats when I realized I needed to give that thing over to God and ask him what he wanted me to do, not what I wanted to do. I said to him literally, pretty much out loud, I will go back to Mexico or to whatever mission field you want to send me to, but I have a few auditions her in LA so Im going to keep doing those. If you want me to change course I will do it gladly, but you have to open the door really wide in one direction or another.

Thats when, Heaton says, she started getting acting work. I feel like God really held (back) any success until I was at a breaking point.

And heres how her faith has helped her through many years of the Hollywood scene:

Being an actor can be an intense, unstable experience. Youll be the big thing for a while and then the crowd moves on from you and goes on to the next big thing. If thats your identity, youre going to be in for a really hard fall. It reminds me that God is the one who opens these doors. Its not that I dont work hard. You have to be really good at what you do. You have to show up and do your best, but the rest is up to God.

Heaton has joined forces with World Vision in the quest to bring clean water to Africa. In a trip to Zambia, she and her son, then 16, experienced the joy, as well as the extreme conditions and poverty, of the people.

Everywhere we went, we were greeted in song. When you see the human potential that is being restricted because some basic things are not being provided, its heartbreaking.

Heaton says there are lessons she learned from the church in Zambia that could be beneficial for the church in the United States.

There is such a sense of joy. The wealthier a country is, the more difficult time people seem to have finding joy. These people have so little, and theyre so grateful for the smallest thing. And their love for God is incredible, given that theres quite a bit of suffering going on. We have the opposite here. As Americans, we tend to do a lot of navel gazing, in terms of whats going on with us and how we feel about things. The best way to feel better about yourself is to think about somebody else, and the thing that can really give your spirit a lift is when you impact somebody elses life in a meaningful and tangible way.

She ends with one great reminder for us all, Theres a lot of need in this world. Theres always something you can do to help someone elseThats really what were called to do here. Once you know Christ, once you know what he did for you in your [spiritual] poverty, then its time to reach out to others in physical poverty and bring Christ to them.

Read more by Debbie McDaniel at www.debbiemcdaniel.com, https://www.facebook.com/Debbi eWebbMcDaniel/ , or https://twitter.com/debbmcdani el .
Chigozie Obiomas extraordinary debut novel, The Fishermen, has won a slew of awards since its release in 2015, including being short-listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize. Drawing upon the rich history of Nigerian storytelling, this remarkable work combinesstark, mythic narrative that recalls the biblical story of Cain and Abel with lavishly descriptive writing. Obioma writes from a deep Christian faith, and has a keen, critical eye for understanding the ways in which Christianity gets embodied in culture. C. Christopher Smith, editor of The Englewood Review of Books and author of Reading for the Common Good: How Books Help Our Churches and Neighborhoods Flourish (InterVarsity Press), spoke with Obioma about his faith, his cultural experiences, and the making of his breakout novel.

For people who havent read your novel, can you tell us about the time and place in which it was set?

The novel is set in Nigeria, in the town of Akure, in the 1990s, which is a seminal period in the history of Nigeria. The story covers almost a decade, from 1993 to 1999. In 1993, Nigeria attempted to have a democratic regime, which was aborted, and democracy wasnt established there until 1999. Akure is very West African. In many ways, it is modern, but not exactly in the American way of modernity. It has many Western structures: schools, roads, traffic coordination, etc., but it clings to many parts of traditional African culture.

Akure was where you grew up, and you were a youth there during the era that the novel covers. Is your depiction of the town fairly similar to the real place?

Yes, absolutely. I have said that there are two things in the book that are almost completely true to life: Akure, as I knew it at the time, ...

1
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Compromises designed to safeguard both religious freedoms and LGBT rights wont fly among many of Americas most influential conservative Christians.

Leaders from nearly 90 evangelical seminaries, publications, ministries, and churchesas well as Catholic and Orthodox clergysigned a statement last month rejecting any legal efforts to protect sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).

[We] believe that proposed SOGI laws, including those narrowly crafted, threaten fundamental freedoms, they wrote as part of the Preserve Freedom, Reject Coercion campaign, hosted by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

The declaration follows months of conversations among Christian college leaders around the Fairness for All strategy, which would bring religious leaders and LGBT advocates together to try to secure satisfactory legal protections for both. Parties from each side of the conversation are convening this weekend for a conference at Yale ...

1
home World Emirates flight to Dubai canceled due to snake on plane

An Emirates flight from Muscat to Dubai was canceled on Sunday following the discovery of a snake in the plane's cargo hold.

Baggage handlers reportedly found the serpent prior to passenger boarding on flight EK0863. According to Gulf News, an airline spokesperson confirmed such, stating, "Emirates can confirm that flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on 8 January 2017, was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding."

The flight had to be called off as engineering and cleaning personnel cleared the aircraft to make sure that there would be no threat to passengers and the safety of the flight.

The airline later announced that the snake was eventually secured, and the plane resumed service.

The incident is reminiscent of the Hollywood thriller "Snakes on a Plane," which starred Samuel Jackson. In the said film, serpents slithered out of their crate to bring terror to passengers while the plane was midair.

While snake spotting on flights is uncommon, Emirates is hardly the first airline that has dealt with a serpent seeking to get a free ride.

Back in November, an Aeromexico flight was given priority landing in Mexico City after a snake hissed at its first-class passengers. The flight was reportedly making its way from Torreon when a bright green snake was seen dangling from the plane's ceiling. The animal was immediately secured upon landing.

In January 2013, a 12-foot Scrub Python endured 300 miles per hour wind and freezing temperature as it clung to a wing of a Qantas aircraft that was making its way from Cairns, Australia to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Passengers reportedly saw the snake as it struggled to find some shelter about 20 minutes into the flight. The snake, although battered and wounded, survived the ordeal, but it's not clear what happened to it afterward.
home World North Korea tops list of Christian-persecuting nations for 15th consecutive year

North Korea is, once again, on top of the list of nations where persecution against Christians is the worst.

Persecution watchdog group Open Doors has recently published the 2017 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 most dangerous nations for Christians. North Korea has held the top rank in the list for 15 consecutive years.

The country has reportedly imprisoned and executed Christians for simply owning a Bible. The regime has also forced its citizens to accept the divinity of the family of its leader, Kim Jong-un.

Christians in the regime have to keep their faith a secret, even from their own children to keep them from unintentionally revealing it to others.

Second on the list is Somalia which jumped from seventh place last year. The reports about persecution in Somalia are limited, but Open Doors USA CEO David Curry said that the country does not allow any organized church, and every citizen is registered as a Muslim despite their beliefs.

He added that Christians can be executed without trial if their faith is discovered.

Other countries that have seen a rise in Christian persecution include India, Yemen, Bangladesh and Laos.

India, which was in 31st place in 2013, has risen to 15th place this year.

"This year there is a clear pattern of rising religious intolerance across the Indian sub-continent which affects many millions of Christians," said Lisa Pearce, CEO Of Open Doors UK & Ireland, according to Christian Today.

"Religious nationalists attempt to forcibly convert people to the dominant faith of their nation, often turning to violence when community discrimination and non-violent oppression do not succeed in imposing their religious beliefs on minority Christians. These Christians are often from the lower castes, such as the Dalits in India who face huge socio-economic problems a they are an easy target for extreme nationalists," she added.

Islamic extremism is still the most common cause of oppression toward Christians. It has seen a sharp increase in Africa where more people have been killed for their beliefs than anywhere else in the world.

Open Doors noted that both Syria and Iraq have dropped in their rankings because many Christians have fled the region to avoid persecution from the Islamic State.
More than a million Filipino Christians processed through Manila on Monday praying for miracles.

The devotees paraded with a black wooden statue of Jesus Christ, known as the Black Nazarene, which is believed by many of the country's Catholics to have healing powers.

According to Reuters, people reached out towards the icon in the hope that even the slightest touch would bless them, heal their illnesses and those of their relatives.

The process occurs every year on 9 January, and in previous years has drawn crowds of more than 12 million. Church officials said up to 15 million are expected to pay their respects this year, during a procession which will last more than 20 hours.

Before it began, devotees took part in a vigil and Eucharistic celebration.

"My purpose here is to give thanks to the Lord for all the blessings he has given me and my family every day," Jimray Bacomage, 37, told Reuters, saying the Black Nazarene had healed his broken arm.

About 80 per cent of the more than 100 million people of the Philippines are Roman Catholic and the former Spanish colony is famous for its colourful religious festivals.

The Black Nazarene, a life-sized wooden statue of Christ kneeling with a cross on his shoulder, is also paraded through the city on Good Friday to commemorate his crucifixion. It is usually enshrined in the Quiapo Church in Manila.

According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), it has become "an emblem of passion, struggle and faith for Filipino Catholics".

Father Jose Clemente Ignacio, Rrector of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, told CNA that Catholics will wait for hours and hours just to touch the statue.

Of the procession, he said: "In a way it is imitating the Calvary experience: the sacrifice and suffering that our Lord endured for our salvation like when Jesus was walking barefoot, carrying the cross to Mount Calvary.

"The devotees also want to give back to God by participating in the suffering of our Lord and entering into the Paschal mystery of Christ."

"The Lord solved all the problems that came our way ever since I started attending the Feast of the Black Nazarene 16 years ago," 72 year-old Roilo Damiucon, who took part in the procession today, told Reuters.

About 4,000 soldiers, police and emergency workers were on duty for the procession but police said there were no serious incidents.

Some Western governments had warned of "possible terrorist threats to the procession". Mobile telephone services in the area were cut and authorities banned the use of drones and firecrackers.

More than 100 devotees suffered minor injuries in the throng, the Philippine Red Cross said. In 2016, two people were killed and more than 1,200 people suffered minor injuries.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Andrew Garfield Says The Exercises Of St Ignatius Made Him 'Fall In Love With Jesus'  So What Are They?

"What was really easy was falling in love with this person, was falling in love with Jesus Christ. That was the most surprising thing."

- Andrew Garfield, interviewed in America magazine.

Andrew Garfield, lead actor of Martin Scorsese's Christian persecution epic Silence, has been widely quoted as suggesting that he experienced a profound encounter with Jesus through playing a Catholic priest. Yet it doesn't seem that it was the process of identifying with his devout character which led Garfield to this, but rather the way that he prepared for the role. In the article quoted above, Father James Martin explains how Garfield approached him to become his guide through a set of ancient monastic exercises, familiar to priests and members of religious orders worldwide: the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola.

The Exercises have been practised by millions of Christians over the course of the last five centuries. Developed by Jesuit founding father St Ignatius, they represent a significant commitment for anyone who undertakes them; a 28 to 30 day journey of silent activity, prayer, meditation and mental exercises. Originally intended for use on retreats, and under the guidance of a Jesuit spiritual director, they're also often practised over a longer period as a 'retreat in daily life'  spread out over as much as one to two years  and not only by Catholics. In fact, Ignatius himself designed the process so that it could be practised by regular people in daily life, in chunks of around an hour a day.

Broadly speaking, the contemplative process is spread over four distinct 'weeks'. The first focuses on mercy and therefore also sin; the second on Christ's life, and how to follow him as a disciple. The third week looks directly at the 'passion' and death of Jesus, and how the love of God is manifested through it, and the final week provides a meditation on resurrection and our response to it. Participants will explore these themes through five exercises per 'day', each of an hour or more in length, and will also spend regular time working through the Examen and taking the Eucharist. The exercises themselves are usually creative prayer and mediation activities designed to deepen the participant's understanding of and connection with God.

Garfield himself did the exercises over the course of a year with Father Martin, and found the experience profound. He told America's Brendan Busse that he has become weary with "the grief of living in a time and a place where a life of joy and love is f--ing impossible," and therefore found huge comfort in the exercises; as Busse puts it, he was "successful" in them. "There were so many things in the exercises that changed me and transformed me," Garfield says, "that showed me who I was... and where I believe God wants me to be." And as, quite remarkably, he says twice in the course of the interview, he experienced "falling in love with Jesus" as a result.

There's a huge danger that as a high-profile celebrity (not to mention magnificent actor), Garfield will now become a focus of hype and excitement among Christians who  perhaps naturally in a culture which so values fame and profile  love to see such a person professing faith. And while it's possible that eventually that's what Garfield will do, for now it would be great if we could allow him to peacefully continue his journey of exploration without burdening him with labels or expectations. Aside from what he has said in the promotion of Silence, his private faith should really be none of our business.

Instead, perhaps we can see this fascinating interview, and the insights brought by both Garfield and Busse, as a stimulus for exploring meditative practices, such as and including the Exercises of St Ignatius. All of us who call ourselves Christians could definitely benefit from spending a little more time in silent contemplation, but there's perhaps another application to consider. The power of giving people an opportunity to explore the power and presence of God before they even have to say they believe in him is also a fascinating challenge to the way we generally approach evangelism. Does Andrew Garfield's unexpected discovery of a Jesus who's so easy to fall in love with, offer a tantalising roadmap to how we could invite others to do the same?

Martin Saunders is a Contributing Editor for Christian Today and the Deputy CEO of Youthscape. Follow him on Twitter @martinsaunders.
Archbishop Gives Thousands Of Pounds To Church That Holds Services In A Field

Gathered under a canopy in a field in Essex, worshippers sing out praise to God.

It might seem hard to believe that this is the future of the Church in England.

This is the very start of a new church plant, a church that will one day serve a brand new community of 12,000 souls. Many will live in the 3,000 new homes on the Beaulieu estate now being built on the eastern edge of Chelmsford.

The project is being backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose "renewal and reform" programme, today announced 9 million in grants to seven dioceses.

The Beaulieu Park church plant will receive some of the 2 million earmarked for Chelmsford.

Rev Lee Batson, priest-in-charge of St Andrew's, Boreham, has been appointed lead minister for the plant.

Under the leadership of Bishop of Chelsmford Stephen Cottrell  currently a favourite to succeed Richard Chartres as Bishop of London  Chelmsford diocese has been organised into "mission units".

This means Batson is not alone in trying to evangelise the hundreds of people moving into the new build aspirational homes and social housing on the estate, joining the small pre-existing community of about 1,500 residents. Other members of his mission unit, lay and ordained, are supporting him.

His new plant is currently in a private home, with just a handful of worshippers. But he is hopeful of growth. "Our inspiration is the Early Church, meeting in people's houses. It is a small start but with huge promise," he says.

The congregation moves to a bowls' club next month and will eventually meet in the new community centre. Already, reaching out to the marginalised, such as people with disabilities, is at the core of Batson's priorities. The community centre will have some of the best facilities for disabled people in the county.

"This is about kingdom values of justice and integration," Batson told Christian Today.

Bishop Cottrell said: 'I am proud to be serving an expanding diocese that continues to support new communities as much as established ones.

"The Church has always been there to support people wherever they have settled. Now it is our turn to invest in new communities as well as in older settlements. New housing areas should be neighbourhoods people choose to call home and raise a family, with churches and schools they love, sharing the good news of Christ and helping to build stable communities."

The largest award of the latest grants is 2.5 million and goes to Birmingham diocese for its work with young people in "multi-cultural contexts".

By 2022, Birmingham plans to plant 15 new churches, revitalise 15 existing church communities and encourage 15 new "fresh expressions" of church.

This will include training up to 1,000 missional leaders and increasing ordained vocations by more than 50 per cent.

Bishop of Birmingham David Urquhart said: "A huge amount of work across the diocese has gone in to putting together our plan to bring Christ to young people in our communities so we are absolutely thrilled to receive funding to bring this to life. Society is going through massive cultural changes and in Birmingham we are meeting these head on with confidence and a real sense that we are all in this together."
Archbishop Of Canterbury Urged To Discipline Cathedral Over Koran Reading

The Archbishop of Canterbury has been urged to discipline a Scottish Episcopal cathedral over a reading of the Koran that denied Jesus was the son of God.

Justin Welby was asked to intervene by the conservative grouping GAFCON UK on Thursday after a service last week at St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow, contained a recitation from the Islamic holy book.

The reader, Madinah Javed, went beyond the allocated passage translated in the service sheet to include verses which explicitly denied Jesus was God's son  a key Christian belief.

It is not clear whether this was authorised by the cathedral's Provost, Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, who has refused to speak to Christian Today.

Justin Welby, as head of the Church of England, has no strict authority over the Scottish Episcopal Church. But as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, he can exert moral pressure over them at the next conference of global Anglican leaders.

A statement on the cathedral's website defends the reading but declined to comment specifically on the declaration Jesus was not the son of God.

"We listened with interest to the story that Muslims tell of the annunciation of Jesus in the Koran," Holdsworth wrote.

"Such readings have happened a number of times in the past in this and in other churches and have led to deepening friendships locally, to greater awareness of the thing we hold in common and to dialogue about the ways in which we differ."

Rev James Paice, a member of the GAFCON UK Taskforce, said he along with other Anglicans in the generally more conservative global south, "are appalled at the lack of discipline by the Scottish Episcopal Church at this continued syncretism and confusion over mission."

Paice's open letter follows outrage from conservative Anglicans and comes after a similar call for punishment by the conservative former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali.

"The authorities of the Scottish Episcopal Church should immediately repudiate this ill-advised invitation," he said in a statement.

He also called for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, publicly to distance the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion from the event.

"Christians should know what their fellow citizens believe and this can include reading the Koran for themselves, whether in the original or in translation. This is not, however, the same thing as having it read in Church in the context of public worship," he said.

Similiarly Rev Dr Gavin Ashenden, chaplain to the Queen, has called for Holdsworth to apologise and hinted he should quit his post.

"Some people will wonder if he has sufficient theological astuteness to remain in such a responsible office in times as fraught as these?" he wrote in a blog post. "Our interfaith relations require both integrity and competence. The strategy in Glasgow appears to have been short of both."

Christian Today has contacted the Cathedral and the Scottish Episcopal Church for a fuller response but they declined to comment further.

A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said they would pass on the complaints to St Mary's Cathedral but the Archbishop had no jurisdiction because the cathedral was outside the Church of England.
Can A Robot Sin? How Artificial Intelligence Is Challenging Christian Ethics

It used to be science fiction, often scarily so. HAL in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey still perfectly expresses the fear that when our technology becomes smarter than we are it won't necessarily like us. This unease reaches its peak in the Terminator films, in which Skynet takes over the world's weapons systems and tries to exterminate humanity, and the Asimov-derived I, Robot, which features a robot rebellion.

Alongside them there are more thoughtful explorations of the intersection between artificial and human intelligence, like Spielberg's AI (2001), which features a robot boy programmed to have human emotions, and Her (2013), in which a lonely man develops a relationship with a computer programme designed to meet his every need.

But science fiction and science fact are colliding. As artificial intelligence (AI) catches up with human intelligence and machines become more and more autonomous, roboticists are increasingly asking about ethics. If a machine is capable of making a decision, what are the moral principles that guide that decision? Can a robot have a conscience? And if so, how is that conscience to be designed and developed? And on the further fringes of the debate, can a robot sin?

According to Computer Business Review (CBR), a group of investors is putting $27 million into a fund designed to answer questions like this. They're supporting the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund, which is being overseen by the MIT Media Lab and the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard University.

The idea, says CBR, is to apply the humanities, social sciences, and other non-tech disciplines to the development of AI. According to Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn and partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners: "There's an urgency to ensure that AI benefits society and minimizes harm.

"AI decision-making can influence many aspects of our world  education, transportation, health care, criminal justice, and the economy  yet data and code behind those decisions can be largely invisible."

Over in the UK, the government is launching an ethics board to be based at the Alan Turing Institute.

Among examples of semi-autonomous robots are the self-drive cars being pioneered by firms like Google and Tesla. They can be programmed to avoid accidents, but what happens when they're faced with a choice between two accidents? A human being might be able to make a moral decision about which is worst, but a robot doesn't have the same moral apparatus.

And a further moral challenge is created by the development of semi-autonomous weapons systems  for instance, drones that can be programmed to attack particular targets without the need for a human being to issue a specific command. A report on drone warfare by the Joint Public Issues Team of the Church of Scotland, Baptist, Methodist and URC Churches notes the increasing capabilities of technology in this area, but says that "while the robots of the future might be able to demonstrate discretion, the capacity to show empathy or mercy is different altogether and maybe for this reason as much as any other the autonomous operation of weapons systems is a red line that should not be crossed".

However, talk of robots having a "conscience" or a "soul" makes some Christians uneasy. They see it as crossing a different line, the line between humans created by God in his own image and all other created things. On this view, morality and conscience belong to human beings alone. Only we can be virtuous, and only we can sin.

But while the language of 'morality' and 'conscious' might not be entirely helpful or accurate when it comes to robot behaviour, at least one Christian expert points out that in practice it might not make much difference. Robots will need to behave in ways that look like moral decisions, whether we call it that or not.

In a lecture last November for BMS World Mission, roboticist Nigel Crook from Oxford Brookes University suggested robots would need to develop "moral character". It won't be enough, he says, to provide them with a "top down" set of instructions that cover every conceivable situation they find themselves in. They will need be given principles and then learn the moral implications of their actions in the same way that human beings do, resulting in the formation of "a robot of good character".

The implications of AI are still being worked out as technology advances at a dizzying speed. Christians, like everyone else, are asking questions about what this means. But one thing people of faith want to affirm most strongly is that technology has to serve the good of humanity  all of it, not just the privileged few. Intelligence  whether artificial or not  which is divorced from a vision of the flourishing of all humankind is contrary to God's vision for humanity. We have the opportunity to create machines that can learn to do things without us, but we also have the opportunity to shape that learning in a way that blesses the world rather than harms it.

The capabilities of technology don't relieve us of responsibility for acting wisely; they make us more responsible. The worst thing we could do would be to imagine that machines can do all our thinking for us; they can't. We are moral creatures, and we can't avoid that responsibility.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Cathedral Funeral For Fearless Campaigner Jill Saward

Details of the funeral of Jill Saward have been announced.

The tireless campaigner on behalf of the victims of sexual assault died last week. She suffered a rare kind of stroke at the age of just 51. The outpouring of grief has been matched by a wave of tributes outlining how her bravery and persistence have improved the legal system for rape victims.

Her family says, "All those who knew and loved Jill are invited to pay their last respects."

The service will take place at Lichfield Cathedral. The invitation given by the family statement said: "If you are mourning and grieving, and want to wear black or dark clothes; do so. If you want to celebrate her life and all that she was, and want to wear bright clothes; do so. If you want to make a statement against sexual violence, and want to wear purple; do so. If you want to celebrate the life everlasting with God through Christ that Jill is now experiencing, and want to wear white; do so."

A collection will be taken at the service with proceeds going to the Merseyside Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, and the Cambrian Coast Evangelical Trust.

The service will be held at midday on Tuesday 17 January. More details are available here.
Churches Still Under Threat Over Ofsted Inspections, Evangelical Alliance Warns

Plans to register and possibly inspect Sunday schools are still in place and threaten churches, the Evangelical Alliance has warned.

In a statement marking a year since the government consultation closed, the evangelical umbrella body warned that the programme to monitor what Sunday schools teach is still under consideration.

Education minister Lord Nash confirmed the government is "committed to regulating out-of-school settings" at questions in the House of Lords on Wednesday afternoon.

"We want a system that regulates out-of-school settings and works effectively but is not overly burdensome, because we know that many of these settings are small and staffed by volunteers," he told peers.

The suggestion in place would force any setting that educates children for more than six hours a week to register with the government. This would include a number of Sunday schools and church youth groups.

Ofsted inspectors would then be allowed to check on what was taught if a complaint was made.

Opponents say this leaves churches open to vexatious complaints if they teach against gay-marriage.

Simon McCrossan, head of public policy at the Evangelical Alliance, said this showed religious freedom was "an after-thought at best" in Theresa May's government.

"These plans could lead the way to a register of Sunday schools, and making the government the arbiter of what doctrine is or isn't desirable," he said.

"Instead the government need to ensure freedom of religion is at the heart of their plans because it is a key British value. It is currently an after-thought at best.

"Theresa May said this week: 'When the state intervenes it intervenes effectively, it intervenes when it is right for the state to intervene.' We call on the prime minister to heed her own words and acknowledge it is neither right for the government to intervene to regulate Sunday schools, nor effective to do so."

The comments come after Dame Louise Casey, the government advisor on integration, told MPs "it is not okay" for church schools to teach marriage is between one man and one woman.

Church schools cannot be "anti-gay marriage" she said in a select committee hearing and warned such a view was "often veiled as religious conservatism" but in reality was "homophobic".

McCrossan said: "Dame Louise Casey appears to conflate legitimate concerns about safeguarding and terrorism with trying to enforce new social norms on church schools.

"We won't tackle terrorism and violent extremism by stamping out religious freedom, we can't have school inspectors becoming regulators of peaceful religious doctrine."
Coptic Christian Couple Stabbed To Death In Their Beds

An Egyptian Christian couple were found dead on Coptic Christmas Day with their throats cut, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM).

Gamal Sami, 60 and his wife, Nadia, 48, were killed for their faith according to her brother Magdy Amin Girgis  the first person to reach the crime scene. He said he found the couple lying on their bed, "drenched in blood", and they had both been stabbed.

Police said the killer was motivated by burglary but Girgis told WWM nothing was taken from their home.

Nadia was still wearing her jewelry, he said, and nothing was missing.

The 6 January deaths follow another attack on Egypt's Coptic Christians three days earlier.

Youssek Lamei was killed in Alexandria on 3 January, allegedly by a professional killer, according to WWM.

The attack bore striking similarities to the Sami's death which occured in Minufiyah, also in northern Egpyt.

The three churches in the mainly Christian village of Tukh El-Dalkah, near Tala, where the couple lived, all cancelled their Christmas services to mourn for their death.

Coptic Christians make up around 10 per cent of Egypt's 82 million population.
Dashing Children Against The Rocks: How To Pray The Most Violent Psalm

The psalms are full of inspiration. They offer rich praise and adoration to God, and take the reader through a range of human emotions and experiences. They've provided much material for contemporary Christian worship music, but when was the last time you sang in church: "Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks!" (Psalm 137:9)

They are hard words to hear, let alone sing or pray to. Some would consider the sentiment behind them to be un-Christian. So what are we to make of it?

In Wrestling with the Word: Preaching tricky texts (SPCK, 12.99), writer John Bell asks that very question. Bell suggests that we need to not only understand the original context of the passage, but must "surrender our naive presumption that reading or praying the psalms should be a subjective, pleasurable endeavour".

The first point to note is the intense environment and circumstances that formed this psalm. In 587 BC the city of Jerusalem was destroyed, bringing catastrophe to the Jewish people and forcing them into Babylonian captivity. The Jewish people were "forcibly expatriated and demeaned." Their home, their way of life, and many of their loved ones would have been lost. We catch this deep sense of mourning in the famous verses that come earlier in this psalm:

"By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept

when we remembered Zion.

There on the poplars

we hung our harps,

for there our captors asked us for songs,

our tormentors demanded songs of joy;

they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

How can we sing the songs of the Lord

while in a foreign land?

If I forget you, Jerusalem,

may my right hand forget its skill.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth

if I do not remember you,

if I do not consider Jerusalem

my highest joy." (Psalm 137:1-6)

It is then, after the lament for what has been lost, that the anger and desire for vengeance come:

"Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,

happy is the one who repays you

according to what you have done to us.

Happy is the one who seizes your infants

and dashes them against the rocks." (Psalm 137:8-9)

The cry of this psalm is not one of casual contentment, with an assured sense that God is good and all shall be well. Those who first cried this psalm have experience true horror and loss, and likely wondered if God had indeed abandoned them.

As Bell writes: "The psalms record where people have been who have suffered from severe depression, from slander, from the predatory desires of powerful tyrants, from illness and from fear of death. They are windows through which we are given a glimpse of experiences that, pray God, we may never have to endure."

We may want comforting, feel-good praise, and of course the Bible is full of profound comfort and consolation, but sometimes it gives us raw pain too, and anger directed at the kind of loss that privileged westerners likely never have to face. Intense persecution and cruelty against innocents is still commonplace across the world, and this psalm helps us identify with the pain that they experience.

Bell writes: "When we read or pray these words  "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them agaisnt the rock!  we are given an insight into what those people feel like in Iraq, Syria, northern Nigeria and other places where women have seen their husbands and sons shot and their daughters brutalized."

It is also important to note that the terrible violence incited by this psalm is not endorsed by God, and the psalmist does not seek God's permission to carry it out. Vengeance and justice belong ultimately to God, to say nothing of Jesus' radical teaching about forgiveness and self-sacrifice. This verse is not the Bible's last word on violence, and in Jesus we see God's answer to sin, pain, and injustice  he takes it on himself rather than seeking simple revenge, and calls us to do the same. Nonetheless, at the heart of this psalm, though violently expressed, is a longing for injustice to be dealt with, and for peace to reign. Such a sentiment is surely one that we can all identify with.

Bell writes: "This psalm questions our prayer life; it invites us to be totally honest with God. It invites us to say what we want to happen if iniquity is to be redeemed through justice." It isn't a nice or easy psalm, but it is an honest one, one that wrestles with the reality of pain in a broken world, and longs for the justice of God.
'Do Not Give In To Cultural Despair', Christian Conservatives In US Are Urged

Christian conservatives in the United States are so angry with the state of the nation they are in danger of missing out on opportunities presented by the transition to the presidency of Donald Trump, new research suggests.

Their sense of "cultural despair" means they could fail to engage properly, which would be a "huge loss" to society, researchers are warning.

Throughout the election, research by the American Culture and Faith Institute into Christian conservatives found underlying anger about the state of America.

The institute's latest research found that many Christian conservatives are unhappy with 14 out of 15 "indicators" such as the court system and race relations in the US.

They were also unhappy with the level of spiritual commitment in US society, with the mainstream media, with quality of parenting and respect for traditional values.

A massive 98 per cent or more of Christian conservatives believed the mainstream news media were "unfair and subjective" in their reporting about the election and were not "trustworthy".

The only indicator they were mostly happy with was freedom of access to financial opportunities.

The Christian conservative demographic is seen as important because they tend to be spiritually active and politically engaged.

"As the official transition from the Obama to the Trump Administration nears, the research suggests that there is a danger of Christian conservatives being so overcome with their dissatisfaction that they miss an important window for cultural change," the institute warns.

Researcher George Barna said: "When people are beset by very low levels of trust in institutions and key social conditions, there is often a tendency toward self-protection.

"It would be a huge loss if Christian conservatives were to isolate themselves due to their sense of cultural despair and therefore refuse to engage in potential opportunities to move American society in a more positive direction."

Barna added: "One of the great benefits of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it gives us a reason to have hope.

"If Christians can place their trust in Christ, and allow Him to guide their choices and actions, the social elements that have been so discouraging to the Church can be turned around. More than any other people group, biblical Christians have a reason to have hope and to never give up.

"2017 promises to be a year in which the very foundations and boundaries of America will be uppermost in people's minds and in cultural conversation. Now, more than any time in more than a decade, Bible-driven followers of Christ must be present in that conversation, and active in the cultural struggle that will take place.

"It is a great time for Christians to be alive in America, and the nation desperately needs what they have to offer, even that is not readily apparent to many or accepted by the mainstream media."
Denzel Washington Gives Casey Affleck The Thumbs Up When He Tells Hollywood A-Listers God Is Love

Casey Affleck was honoured during the 2017 Golden Globe Awards after he took home the trophy for Best Actor in a Motion Picture for his work in "Manchester By the Sea."

He began his acceptance speech by talking about director Kenneth Lonergan, according to The Christian Post. "I don't have enough time to say what I want to say about Kenny. So suffice to say, I love you, you're beautiful, you're a treasure to all of us, to people who like movies and work in movies and this is all because of you," he said.

Affleck also gushed about his co-star Michelle Williams and called her "perfect." As for the film's producer, Matt Damon, he said that the "Bourne Legacy" star passed on the starring role to produce the film. But after his win, Affleck said Damon probably won't do the same thing again.

"I suspect you won't be passing on any more movies in the future when I might be anywhere nearby. I'll take this one," Affleck joked.

The actor then proceeded to talk about the importance of family, then ended his speech by quoting one of the actors he was up against  Denzel Washington, who was nominated for "Fences."

"I remember years ago, Denzel Washington was on stage, and he got up here and said, 'God is love,' and well, I agree, I guess. Thank you, Denzel," Affleck said.

As the cameras panned to Washington, he was seen giving Affleck the thumb's up.

Earlier, Washington told Bishop T.D. Jakes in his talk show that he's going to dedicate his life now to serving God. "I'm in the service business now, I'm fine. I've done well," Washington said. "I don't need any watches and all of that. So I'm here to serve God, here to serve my family."
Philippines' Duterte On Collision Course With Vatican Over Condoms

The Philippines' controversial President Duterte is on a collision course with the Catholic Church after he ordered millions of free condoms to be handed out.

The push to reduce unwanted pregnancies, particularly among the poor, is part of the government's plan to improve welfare among some of the country's poorest communities.

Duterte's economic planning secretary Ernesto Pernia said the push for "zero unmet need for family planning" was crucial to cut poverty.

He said the contraceptive plan was "pro-life, pro-women, pro-children, and pro-economic development", according to the BBC.

The Philippines' 103 million population is estimated to be 80 per cent Roman Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Church does not allow the use of condoms as a means of birth control and says abstinence and monogamy in heterosexual marriage is the best way to stop the spread of AIDS.

The row over condoms in the Philippines comes at a time when the Pope faces an extraordinary threat to his authority by an ancient Catholic order over contraceptive provision.

The Knights of Malta has refused to cooperate with a Vatican investigation, ordered by Pope Francis, in the latest twist of a public spat between two of the world's oldest institutions.

All members of the ancient Roman Catholic order, which now runs charities, hospitals and disaster relief in 120 countries, swear allegiance to the Pope.

However, its leaders have been locked in a legal tussle with the Holy See since one of its top knights was sacked.

Grand Master Matthew Festing fired Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, accusing him of allowing the use of condoms in Myanmar when he ran Malteser International, the Order's humanitarian aid agency.

Pope Francis effectively came to von Boeselager's defence, urging dialogue to resolve the internal dispute and appointing a five-member committee to investigate the circumstances of his December 6 ousting.

The Order, which last month told the Pope the incident was an internal affair, raised the stakes late on Tuesday with a bold statement rejecting the Vatican investigation as illegitimate.

"Considering the legal irrelevance of this group and of its findings relating to the legal structure of the Order of Malta, the Order has decided that it should not cooperate with it," a statement on its website said.

It also instructed members not to "directly or indirectly" contradict the official position if they talk to Vatican investigators.

Von Boeselager said in a statement that he "felt bound by the teachings of the Church".

He said he shut down two projects in Myanmar when he discovered condoms were being distributed but kept a third running for a period because closing it would have abruptly ended all basic medical services to poor people.

The Order's chaplain is Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, an American whom the Pope demoted from a senior Vatican position in 2014 and who has been a leading conservative critic of the pontiff. Burke backed the sacking of von Boeselager.

The Order, which was formed in the 11th century to provide protection and medical care for Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, has the status of a sovereign entity.

It has extraterritorial rights in Rome and maintains diplomatic relations with more than 100 states and the European Union and permanent observer status at the United Nations.

The Order has offices in central Rome and a large palace on the Aventine Hill overlooking the Tiber River with a breathtaking view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which is a sovereign state.

Both the Order and the Vatican have their own car license plates and print their own stamps.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
Refugees Are Freezing To Death In Europe - Christian Aid

The terrible situation faced by refugees seeking sanctuary in Europe has been laid bare by Christian Aid. The relief organisation says that refugees in Greece and Bulgaria are in a desperate situation.

According to Christian Aid: "Earlier today it was reported that two Iraqi men have died in Bulgaria after walking through the snow for 48 hours without access to food or water. In Greece, where temperatures have reached -14C, an Afghan refugee has also died."

It's a major concern in Serbia as well, where temperatures have plummeted to as low as minus 30 Celcius  the equivalent of minus 22 Farenheit.

Marija Vranesevic, from Philanthropy, a Christian Aid partner organisation in Serbia, said: "Refugees are being exposed to life-threatening conditions because of the extremely cold weather we are currently experiencing. They are also at risk of disease, as well as a flu epidemic."

While the flow of refugees and migrants has slowed since its peak in 2015, there are still large numbers of displaced people trying to make their way from the Middle East and North Africa. Many are now in European countries, often without access to services and facilities.

A Christian Aid spokesperson said: "It's wholly unacceptable that refugees are freezing to death, while European leaders turn a blind eye to the suffering of people on their doorsteps."
The Christian Response To Dylann Roof's Death Sentence

Dylann Roof has been sentenced to death for the murder of nine churchgoers in Charleston, which raises signficant questions about how Christians should respond. The horrifying nature of the crime will heighten the rhetoric and increase the divide between those of differing opinions. But in seeking a constructive, rather than a reactionary, approach, it is helpful to look below the surface events of shooting, judgment and impending death.

The case can be seen as an extreme manifestation of principles that are at work in every level of society.

The first area to look at is sin, which does not happen in isolation. This situation is the product of strands and strains of sin that have worked through the human race since human beings first walked the earth. These have affected the cultures and sub-cultures of which Roof is a part, and these in turn have been formative of who he is and what he has done.

The result that was embodied in his actions on June 17, 2015 reveals the fundamentally dehumanising nature of sin and its destructive influence  on the lives of those killed, their families and their community. God's intention for humanity was that we would live in relationship with God and one another, in relationships characterised by love, purity, goodness and joy. Any sin creates fractures in this whole  in self, in our relationship with God, in our relationship with neighbour and in the generations that succeed. Given the length of time humans have lived on this earth, the miracle is that anything holds together in any good way rather than that terrible things occur.

With the complex nature of individuals and societies, it is difficult to discern what in ourselves and in others is tarnished by sin and to what extent. In this case, the outworking of sin is clear, but we should be challenged by the fact that Roof continues to view his acts as correct. In this aspect, he has lost a core element of his humanity. The challenge then comes to us, albeit perhaps on a much lower level: what is there in our own belief and practice that we assume is 'right' that may be infected to some degree by the cancerous nature of sin?

What does this mean for our response? Because none of us is without sin, should we refrain from throwing any stones at all? The actions of the state in seeking the death penalty show a desire for justice. Again, however, looking underneath the surface at core principles of humanity can guide our thoughts.

First and foremost, we should mirror our God in being merciful and extending grace. Mercy is the withholding of the full punishment that a sin deserves. The ultimate punishment for sin is in God's hands, not ours, and in his time he will bring this about. Grace is the work of spirit in restoration, both the divine Spirit and the human spirit. Where we see sins around us, we should seek to offer grace. In a case such as this, we should recognise that this not only involves the one responsible for the sin, but also those affected by the sin. On both counts, grace would not imply simple forgiveness for the act committed, but a need for discipline to protect and comfort those who have been hurt and to challenge the culprit to see the error of his ways.

If any of us were to receive due punishment for who we are and what we do, we would not be long in this world. The miracle is that, since the first sin that should have cut off all creation from our holy God, grace has been extended both to hold all things together and to seek restoration.

Rev Dr Calvin Samuel is Principal of the London School of Theology and a Methodist minister. He has a MBA from Manchester Business School and a PhD from King's College London and is married to Ramona.
The Mystery Of Who Wrote The Letter To The Hebrews

The New Testament Letter to the Hebrews contains powerful writing and deep theology. But who wrote it?

Look at older versions of the Bible  the King James Version, for instance  and you will often see the Letter to the Hebrews titled 'The Letter of Paul to the Hebrews'. But the text of the letter itself doesn't say so.

The early Church recognised the problem. One of the early Church Fathers, Clement of Alexandria, suggested that Paul might have written the letter in Hebrew but that it was translated into Greek by Luke, who left out Paul's name because of the tension between him and the Jewish community. It was a continuing controversy in the early years of the Church, though one of the reasons we have it in the New Testament is that the consensus was that it was by Paul. Today, though, scholars have long abandoned the idea that Paul was the author; there are too many dissimilarities between Hebrews and everything else he wrote.

So who was it? Paul Ellingworth, in his ICC commentary on Hebrews, admits we are unlikely ever to know. Some ancient authors thought it might be Clement of Rome, who quotes or alludes to Hebrews in some of his writings; Clement misuses Hebrews' teaching about Christ's high priesthood, though, to argue for a Christian priestly heirarchy, so it was certainly not him.

Others thought it might have been Luke, the Gospel writer. Both his Gospel and Hebrews are written in excellent Greek and they have many words in common.

Another candidate is Barnabas  Tertullian refers to "an epistle of Barnabas entitled 'To the Hebrews'". Whether it's the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament is not known.

Others have suggested the letter might have been written by Peter, whose First Letter has similarities in thought and language to Hebrews, or Silas. Still another candidate is Stephen, whose speech in Acts 7 has similarities to Hebrews 11 in its retelling of Jewish history from a Christian perspective. However, this is still a long way from proving their common authorship. Martin Luther thought Apollos might have written it.

In the end, as Ellingworth says, it's unlikely that we will ever know the answer. What matters to Christians today is not who wrote it, but what we do with it. And it's Hebrews that says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." (12:2)

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Will His Conservative Critics Derail The Pope Francis Revolution?

When Pope Francis was elected, few of us outside the Roman Catholic Church had heard of him. But from the moment he stepped out onto the balcony to receive the acclaim  and request the prayers  of the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square, he has been the darling of much of the media.

There have been repeated instances of the Pope surprising and wrong-footing reporters, from the profound  washing the feet of Muslim women  to the silly  popping out for pizza.

The previous image of the Papacy as stuffy and distant from ordinary people may not have been deserved. Many of Francis' predecessors were comfortable among the crowds and made interacting with normal people in the pews a high priority. Yet Francis seemingly has a gift  his way with words, his ease with people and his penchant for grand gestures, which indicate more than words ever could.

There has been a group of sceptics from day one, though. Prelates, commentators and theologians from the conservative wing of the Church are wary of Francis and his agenda. They appear to be to be gaining some traction and their voices are becoming louder. While few, if any, are actual recusants, there are an increasing flow of criticisms being published.

Spectator writer Damian Thompson, a long-time Francis sceptic and vocal conservative, has a piece out today. "Why more and more priests can't stand Pope Francis," it declares. The Pontiff's conservative sceptics come from within the Church hierarchy, too. Cardinal Burke, the former Archbishop of St. Louis, has said that the cardinals would issue a "formal act of correction", adding: "It is the duty in such cases, and historically it has happened, of cardinals and bishops to make clear that the Pope is teaching error and to ask him to correct it."

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat has chronicled the Pope's actions in the last few years and has also come out as unconvinced. He writes of Francis' "attention-grabbing breaks with papal protocol, the interventions in global politics, the reopening of moral issues that his predecessors had deemed settled" before observing, "the blend of public humility and skillful exploitationincluding the cashiering of opponentsof the papal office and its powers."

These critiques from conservatives around the world are reaching a crescendo because of the document Amoris Laetitia published in April 2016. It's an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis which focuses on divorce, sexual issues and other topics which were discussed at the Synod on the Family. Late last year, four Cardinals asked the Pope to clarify what he meant in the document, leading to battle lines being drawn  and it's into that uneasy situation that the latest articles are pitched.

But for every negative piece written about Pope, there are many more from secular media which praise him. Liberal press around the world has fallen under his spell, at least to an extent. One example was the Guardian's recent characterisation of him as "a champion of humanity". There are now data which show the Pope's positive impact on the perception of the Church. It isn't just secular liberals who are impressed though. Protestants of many stripes seem to love the Pope.

Here's the real bind that Francis finds himself in. While he seems instinctively to enjoy and thrive on this wide appeal to the progressive wings of his own Church, other Christians and liberal commentators, there is disquiet in his own ranks. The conservative flank of the Roman Catholic Church seems to be increasingly uncomfortable with his leadership.

He can't keep them all happy, so can the Pope continue to walk a tightrope or will he choose to disappoint one of these factions? Paul Vallely, the Pope's biographer and long-time Vatican-watcher, says he hopes Pope Francis can continue to steer "back towards the centre". He adds: "This pope is playing a long game... quietly moving to restore a more moderate tone to the church".

We don't know how long the Pope has left in the job. He is 80 and may decide to follow the precedent of his predecessor and retire. He may, however, feel that there is a way of steering through the arguments and carrying out the reforms he deems necessary, setting a different tone and direction for the Church for generations to come. Those on all sides of the debate, and those inside and outside the Church, wait and wonder.

Follow Andy Walton on Twitter @waltonandy.
Miss Universe contestants from around the world are arriving in Manila, Philippines this week ahead of the January 30 pageant.

Miss USA Deshauna Barber arrived late Wednesday night to the Filippino capital and shared her safe arrival with an Instagram post captioned," "Mabuhay Philippines!!" which is a Filippino greeting.

AROUND THE WORLD: These are the best places to visit in 2017

Prior to her departure, Barber hung out and took pointers from the current Miss Universe Pia Wurzbach, who represented the Philippines last year. The most iconic moment from her competition was when host Steve Harvey announced the wrong winner and had to correct himself for reading the card wrong.

Harvey will be hosting the pageant again this year, but he will be facing a courtroom battle just ten days before the pageant kicks off. Harvey is headed to a Texas courtroom on allegations that he had a racist rant against white people over 20 years ago. In response to the claims, he is counter-suing the man who Harvey claims is continuously trying to defame his name.

HARVEY DRAMA: 'Family Feud' host heads to Texas court to clear his name

The other pageant contestants from around the world flocked to the Filippino capital throughout the week, with some arriving over three weeks before the actual competition. To see the other contestants and details about Miss USA Deshauna Barber, click through the gallery above.
Any random scene of "Live By Night" could easily give the impression that it's a very good film, because there's nothing wrong with it scene by scene.

The problems are cumulative in nature.

A moment comes when you might ask yourself, "Why am I watching this?" And that's when a question becomes its own answer.

The film is the story of a Prohibition era mobster in Tampa, a man traumatized and embittered by his World War I experience, a crook with a conscience. Ben Affleck directed and adapted the screenplay from Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name, and he cast himself in the lead role, as actors-directors sometimes will. But I didn't believe in Affleck as a veteran, or in the veteran's trauma or bitterness, or in his crookedness.

More Information 'Live by Night' Rated R: for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity Running time: 128 minutes 2.5 out of 5 stars 'Live By Night' Rated R: for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity Running time: 128 minutes xx1/2 See More Collapse

His conscience, however, is believable and Affleck's performance is enjoyable, which isn't nothing. Yet with his perfect haircut and clothes, and his blank, trying-to-look-tough expression, Affleck seems less like the real thing in "Live By Night" and more like a wealthy person attending a Thirties' gangster theme party. This makes it impossible for the film to achieve its goal, as a grand epic and a great American story, because you need a grand character for that and a great American performance.

What we have instead is a decent story, with enough interest to keep audiences in their chairs, and with an occasional scene that lights up and reminds us that Affleck can be quite a good director. In fact, as the other actors feel more at home in the period milieu than Affleck does, one must wonder how "Live By Night" might have fared with brother Casey Affleck in the lead. The trauma, the bitterness, the crookedness, the conscience - these all might have been second nature - and we already know Casey can seem tough, from his starring role in brother Ben's directorial debut, "Gone, Baby, Gone."

In any case, it's Ben Affleck here as Joe, who gets out of the war determined not to play by anyone's rules. In Boston, he becomes a bank robber and all-purpose criminal, but he avoids getting involved with either the Irish or Italian gangs. He's too smart for that, but he's not too smart to get involved with a crime boss's girlfriend (Sienna Miller), nor to take her out in public. That kind of recklessness, deriving either from orneriness, idiocy, or pure sexual desperation, is hard to believe from Affleck, whose essence is more that of cold-blooded opportunist.

By a circuitous route, Joe ends up in Tampa, as the Boston mob's representative, where he is charged with cornering the Florida rum business during Prohibition. The movie's presentation of a northerner down south seems very much a 21st century vision of an earlier time, with Joe suddenly standing in for modernity, secularism and egalitarianism.

He gets into a relationship with a black Cuban woman (Zoe Saldana) and must deal with the Ku Klux Klan's muscling in on his business - and their saying nasty things about his girlfriend.

There's also an interlude in which evangelicals are trying to shut down a gambling house before it opens.

These pre-echoes of the red state/blue state divide are hardly repellent but seem forced. Yet even so, Matthew Maher, as a whacked out Klansman, is arresting in two memorable scenes, and Affleck does beautiful work with Elle Fanning, in a scene in which she confesses that she's not sure that she believes in God, even though she has become a tent-show revival preacher.

Affleck just hands the scenes to them, and they take them and do great things. In the case of Fanning, Affleck gives her a series of penetrating close-ups that give you a privileged glimpse into a young woman's odd charm and inner turmoil.

Chris Messina ("The Mindy Project") finally gets to play an Italian and a hard case as Affleck's friend and henchman, and he opens up brand new casting possibilities for himself.

Actually, here's the truth, and it says something impressive about Affleck, because he directed every one of these people, and he's the one who approved the cut: Everybody is good in this movie, except him.

That includes Miller and Saldana and Remo Girone and Robert Glenister as the Italian and Irish mob bosses, respectively. Everyone gets a chance to shine, while Affleck stands around looking too tall, too handsome, too 21st century, too tailored, too rational and too soft.

Yes, even too soft to play a guy who is thought of as too soft.

It doesn't help matters that the movie seems to end three times before it ends, and none of those ends are satisfying.
J . J . Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt welcome new baby boy Josh Criswell Former Houston Texans All-Pro J.J Watt and Ex-Houston Dash standout Kealia Ohai Watt announced the birth of their son, Koa James Watt, on Tuesday evening. ... The Wattswho were introduced by J.J.'... J.J.

J . J . Watt to help pay for funeral so Houston woman can keep her Texans gear The NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year has stepped up to cover the costs of funerals mutliple times Matt Young J.J. ... After seeing a Texans fan post on Twitter on Wednesday night that she's trying to sell her J.J. ... J.J.

J . J . Watt , wife Kealia announce pregnancy, expecting first child Watt and Kealia Ohai-Watt are expecting their first child in October. ... The Watts got married in Feb. 2020 when J.J. still played for the Texans and Kealia had just been traded from the National Womens ...

J . J . Watt 's rehab ahead of schedule, could return for first round of playoffs The former Texans' All-Pro has been rehabbing aggressivley and could be back for the Cardinals' playoff run Matt Young When J.J. ... All indications are that Watt will be able to return sooner than that. ...

Even with former Texans stars J . J . Watt , DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals still can't win playoff game The Cardinals haven't had much sustained success since adding former Texans stars to their roster Matt Young A little less than three months ago, the Arizona Cardinals looked like the best team in football and ...

J . J . Watt may miss rest of season after suffering injury in Texans game Watt played the rest of the game against Texans despite getting hurt in second quarter Matt Young J.J. ... Watt recorded 16 tackles this season, including five for a loss and one sack. ... TEXANS 1025 Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J.

Memes mock Texans for getting trounced by J . J . Watt , DeAndre Hopkins These Texans games are getting worse and worse every week Matt Young It was absolutely no fun watching J.J. ... Texans Memes J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins left the field happy Sunday.

J . J . Watt says playing against Texans won't be as emotional as some may think The Texans team that J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins face won't look very familiar to them Matt Young When J.J. ... Cardinals Browns Football Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J.

J . J . Watt the turtle is helping save his species in Houston watt turtle.jpg J.J. Watt the human and J.J. Watt the turtle jj watt turtle Turtle Survival Alliance researchers Eric Munscher, Arron Tuggle, and Aaron Dugas with J.J.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

One of the biggest surprises at the Detroit auto show this week has been the element of nostalgia.

What else could explain the return of the Volkswagen microbus to the North American International Auto Show, considered one of the world's most important annual auto events?

True, the VW bus has been reborn in an electric, self-driving version, and so far it's just a concept car - the Volkswagen I.D. Buzz. But it's fun to think of tooling around the countryside in one of these green things.

DODGE MUSCLE: Challenger is first all-wheel-drive muscle car

According to Volkswagen's news release, the all-electric "microbus for the future" has a driving range of up to 270 miles, comparable to cars with gasoline engines.

Its flexible interior can seat up to eight with two luggage compartments, and when the vehicle is in the fully autonomous mode, the driver's seat can be turned 180 degrees to face the rear.

With two motors and 369 horsepower, the all-wheel-drive vehicle has traction for any terrain. In 2020, Volkswagen will begin its "big electric offensive" with a new generation of all-electric vehicles. The company said its goal is to sell one million of these vehicles each year by 2025.

The other big news at the Detroit show has been Ford's announcement that it will resume production of the Ranger pickup in 2019 and the Bronco SUV in 2020 at its plant in Wayne, Mich.

NEW LEXUS: Lexus unveils 2018 LS flagship model

According to Road & Track, the 2020 Bronco likely won't draw too heavily from the iconic, boxy two-door design that O.J. Simpson made famous during a slow police chase on Los Angeles freeways. Instead, the new Bronco will reportedly be based on the Ford Everest SUV, which is a feature of the Australian market.

Since rumors of a new Bronco first began bubbling, many hoped for a design similar to the Brazilian Troller T-4, which looks similar to the original Bronco.

The new Bronco will also reportedly be built on the 2019 Ranger base, which will be largely drawn from Ford's midsize Ranger pickup now sold in Europe.

The European Ranger has a 126.8-inch wheelbase with a body that's 73.2 inches wide. The longest Ranger, 211.1 inches, is the four-door Super Cab, one of two models expected to be coming to the U.S., Road and Track reported.

CAR, WHEELBARROW, THIMBLE? Internet to decide new Monopoly board game piece

In another nostalgia-twinged announcement, Fiat Chrysler America said Sunday it plans to invest $1 billion in its Jeep product line, adding a Jeep pickup truck and bringing back the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. The investment is expected to create 2,000 new jobs, the company said.

By 2020, the company said it will retool and modernize the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan to produce the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, and will update the south plant of the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio to make the Jeep pickup.

The 2018 Volvo V90 station wagon, another returning model, also made its debut at the Detroit show and is expected to be available this summer.

"Wagons are an important part of Volvo's history," Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo Car USA's president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. "The V90 is a fantastic vehicle for the true wagon enthusiast."
Virtuosi of Houston

A group of 13 young Houston musicians are headed to Washington, D.C. to perform at two inaugural events.

Members of Virtuosi Houston's Small Ensemble Orchestra, aged 11 to 18, will perform on Jan. 18 for a private "honorary reception and candlelight congressional dinner for the celebration of the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the Hays Adams Hotel.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Johnny Cash played Folsom State Prison in California on Jan. 13, 1968.

It was not just a notable musical event, but also a pivotal moment in his career.

The resulting live album, released in May, shot to No. 1 and solidified Cash as one of the major popular musicians of the 20th century.

Here are some things to know about the event.
NEW YORK - Martin Scorsese's Manhattan office, in a midtown building a few blocks northwest of the cordoned-off Trump Tower, may be the most concentrated bastion of reverence for cinema on the face of the earth.

There's a small screening room where Scorsese screens early cuts of his films and classic movies for his daughter and his friends. There's his personal library of thousands of films, some he taped himself decades ago. Film posters line the walls. Bookshelves are stuffed with film histories. And there are editing suites, including the one where Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker regularly toil with a monitor dedicated to the continuous, muted playing of Turner Classic Movies.

"It's a temple of worship, really," Schoonmaker says.

Scorsese's latest, "Silence," may be the film that most purely fuses the twin passions of his life: God and cinema. Scorsese, who briefly pursued becoming a priest before fervently dedicating himself to moviemaking, has sometimes seemed to conflate the two.

"Silence" is a solemn, religious epic about Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver) in a violently anti-Catholic 17th century Japan. Scorsese has wanted to make it for nearly 30 years. He was given the book it's based on, Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel, by a bishop after a screening of his famously controversial "The Last Temptation of Christ" in 1988.

"Silence" is an examination of belief and doubt and mysterious acts of faith. But making the film was such an act in itself.

"Acting it out, maybe that's what existence is all about," Scorsese says of his faith. "The documentary on George Harrison I made, 'Living in the Material World,' that says it better. He said if you want an old man in the sky with a beard, fine. I don't mean to be relativist about it. I happen to feel more comfortable with Christianity. But what is Christianity? That's the issue and that's why I made this film."

It wasn't easy. Scorsese, 74, may be among the most revered directors in Hollywood, but "Silence" is almost the antithesis of today's studio film. To make it, Scorsese had to drum up foreign money in Cannes, and ultimately made the film for about $46 million. Everyone, including himself, worked for scale.

Few today are making movies with the scope and ambition of "Silence" - a fact, he grants, that makes him feel like one of the last of a dying breed in today's film industry.

"Cinema is gone," Scorsese says. "The cinema I grew up with and that I'm making, it's gone."

"The theater will always be there for that communal experience, there's no doubt. But what kind of experience is it going to be?" he continues. "Is it always going to be a theme-park movie? I sound like an old man, which I am. The big screen for us in the '50s, you go from Westerns to 'Lawrence of Arabia' to the special experience of '2001' in 1968. The experience of seeing 'Vertigo' and 'The Searchers' in VistaVision."

Scorsese points to the proliferation of images and the overreliance on superficial techniques as trends that have diminished the power of cinema to younger audiences. "It should matter to your life," he says. "Unfortunately the latest generations don't know that it mattered so much."

Scorsese's comments echo a tender letter he wrote his daughter two years ago The future of movies, he believes, is in the freedom that technology has yielded for anyone to make a movie.

"TV, I don't think has taken that place. Not yet," adds Scorsese, whose "Boardwalk Empire" was lauded but whose high-priced "Vinyl" was canceled after one season. "I tried it. I had success to a certain extent. 'Vinyl' we tried, but we found that the atmosphere for the type of picture we wanted to make - the nature of the language, the drugs, the sex, depicting the rock 'n' roll world of the '70s - we got a lot of resistance. So I don't know about that freedom."

Since the election of Donald Trump, some have expressed hope for a return to the kind of '70s filmmaking Scorsese is synonymous with.

"If the younger people have something to say and they find a way to say through visual means as well as literary, there's the new cinema," Scorsese says. But the current climate reminds him more of the '50s of his youth. "I'm worried about double-think or triple-think, which is to make you believe you have the freedom, but they can make it very difficult to get the picture shown, to get it made, ruin reputations. It's happened before."

"Silence," which Scorsese screened for Jesuits at the Vatican before meeting with the pope, remains a powerful exception in a changing Hollywood.

"He wanted to make this film extremely differently from anything out there," says Schoonmaker, Scorsese's editor since "Raging Bull." "He's just tired of slam-bam-crash. Telling the audience what to think is what he really hates. Trying to do a meditative movie at this point, in this insane world we're in now, was incredibly brave. He wanted to stamp the film with that throughout: the pace, the very subtle use of music.

"How many movies start without music at the very beginning under the logos?" she adds. "He said, 'Take out all that big Hollywood.' "

Scorsese, apostle of cinema, continues the fight. His Film Foundation has helped restore more than 750 films. And he regularly pens supportive letters to young directors whose films he admires.

Imagine that in your mailbox. Almost like getting a letter from your god.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BROOKSHIRE, Texas - A dad in the Katy area is living a dream that started when he was just a kid - he has an airplane for a house.

Joe Axline of Brookshire loved watching the show "The Magician" as a child. In the show magician Bill Bixby lives in an airplane and flies around solving crimes.

Axline doesn't get to fly around, but he does have a fun living arrangement. He has been working on this project, which he calls Project Freedom, since he got divorced in 2011.

"I got tired of being told what to do, how to do it and when to do it," Axline said.

Now Playing: Latest Local And State News Video: Houston Chronicle

There are currently two plane front ends on his property, one 50 feet long and one 60 feet long. But only one, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80, is habitable so far. Axline renovated the inside, adding things like flooring, a water well and sewer system and waterproof electrical wiring.

The latest improvement is the addition of new living room furniture.

WHO NEEDS A KITCHEN ISLAND? Unusual homes around the world

The plane holds a living room, small office space, bathroom, master bedroom and a sleeping area for Axline's kids, 14-year-old Sabrina and 17-year-old Wesley. He said the teenagers have enjoyed the home-in-progress.

Axline officially moved into the plane in August 2012. He had slept inside it before the renovations, but since planes aren't insulated against cold, it wasn't such a nice place to stay on one 32-degree December night.

"It was freaking cold," Axline said. "I'm surprised I didn't die, actually."

Axline plans to put a theater, music, arts and craft room in the second plane, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9. His other plans for the property include an auxiliary building made to look like a control tower and the addition of airplane wings to enhance the experience.

The DC-9 has another cool feature - a completely renovated cockpit with all of the instruments and lighting. Axline said pilots have told him the cockpit is cleaner and better-looking than it was when it was in service.

The 50-foot DC-9 was purchased from Sawgrass Mills Mall in Florida, where it has served as a display. The 60-foot MD-80 was brought in from Arkansas.

Axline said the DC-9 was 65 feet long when he purchased it, but cutting off 5 feet dropped the transportation price from $10,000 to $5,000. He declined to comment on the price of Project Freedom as a whole.

Unique houses run in Axline's family, he said. One brother has an underground home, and another lives in a dome house.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A committee of Houston Community College trustees criticized but ultimately approved a proposed campus carry implementation plan on Thursday. The full board will consider the plan next week.

Four-year public universities began complying with the state law on Aug. 1, but the law will not be enacted at two-year institutions like community colleges until next August.

Though the proposal passed out of the board governance committee, a key concern among HCC trustees was how the institution could block handguns from areas with high school students. Community colleges like HCC teach thousands of dual-credit and other high school students per semester.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in late November that these institutions could take students ages into account as they decide where and when license holders can carry concealed handguns on campus. But he said that community colleges cannot categorically prohibit handguns from campus, even if high school students are attending class with college students.

Besides areas that are gun-free by law  like polling locations, school sporting events and areas where a K-12 school-sponsored activity occurs  HCC plans to block weapons from early-college high school areas that are segregated from the general campus area. A committee will review applications to create weapons-free zones in places like laboratories, health care facilities and day care centers.

Vice Chancellor Kim Beatty said Thursday that high school students taking community college courses must adhere to the campuss policies as a whole, including concealed carry. All independent school districts will be notified of the college's policy, she said.

"We are allowing 18 and 19 year olds who have no formed judgment to be carrying weapons aroundsomeone elses kids, trustee Zeph Capo said.

On lawmakers in Austin, Capo said, if the day comes where blood flows on our campusit is on their hands and their heads.

Capo voted no, but other committee members, despite criticizing the state law, advanced the college's policy for full board consideration at next Thursdays meeting.

HCC plans to present its approved policy to a legislative committee in February.
More than 360 people filled the community room at Texan Drive Stadium in Porter to celebrate the success of a beloved longtime member of the East Montgomery County community - Porter's own soulful country music artist Sundance Head.

The Sundance Head Appreciation Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 7, was a ticketed event with a guest list packed with community VIPs, including Montgomery County officials, law enforcement officers, community leaders, business owners and local celebrities. The event's guest of honor was recent winner of NBC's "The Voice" season 11 Sundance Head, who was accompanied by friends, family and devoted fans, whom he refers to as his "Fambase."

The event was the brainchild of community member and friend of Sundance, Allen Rhoden, who said requests for tickets to the Sundance Head Appreciation Dinner continued rolling in well after they made the announcement that tickets were sold-out.

"We started putting this together Dec. 13," Rhoden said. "In the two weeks before Christmas and two weeks after, we were able to sell out a 360-seat venue, and we could have sold out the whole stadium."

Rhoden was among those in the community who helped the Heads with repairs and restorations after the 2016 Memorial weekend floods damaged a significant amount of their property, including musical equipment and priceless family heirlooms.

The appreciation dinner was originally intended to serve as a fundraiser to help with the cost of repairs for Heads' home in Porter.

"Insurance will pay for some stuff, and then hard work pays for a lot of it, but you can't replace a sentimental item, just like we can't replace Sundance," Rhoden said. "He's very sentimental to us, and he always helps others. If somebody has a problem, burden or need, he is always the first one to volunteer to use his talents to help other people."

At the request of Sundance and his wife Misty, the event served instead as a fundraiser to benefit causes in the community.

"I approached Sundance about doing this and said, 'I think I can get a dinner together to help raise money for fixing your house,'" Rhoden said. "He said, 'Don't worry about that. I've got my house taken care of. I'd rather give the money to an animal shelter or scholarship or something.' That's just the kind of guy he is."

The initiative raised $1,500 to go toward Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Metro Go Texan scholarships, as well as $7,307.97 for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.

Honoring Sundance for his victory on "The Voice" and his family for their vital role in his success was the focus of the event. After a barbecue dinner provided by the Rusty Buckle BBQ Company, Sundance and his family were surprised with an outpouring of gifts, honors and congratulatory gestures from the community.

Flags that had flown over the state and U.S. capitols were presented to Sundance on behalf of the offices of U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady and Texas Rep. Cecil Bell in honor of Sundance's accomplishment. Additionally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sent a certificate congratulating Sundance to be presented at the event. Rick Hatcher, president of the Greater East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, awarded him a commemorative wooden plaque, which Sundance dedicated to Misty.

New Caney ISD school board president Alan Moreau commended Sundance's efforts and recognized him as a Distinguished Graduate of New Caney High School and New Caney ISD.

"Dedication, commitment to hard work and a yes-minded attitude has helped you achieve great things," Moreau said. "Putting forth that kind of work ethic and commitment, you are a role model for young people in this community also working towards something great in their lives."

Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark and Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal also delivered speeches congratulating Sundance on his accomplishment.

"Most entertainers will tell you that it's a little bit of talent and a lot of luck," Clark said. "(For Sundance), it's hard work, dedication, his commitment to his family and to his God. You hear a lot of people doing the right thing while nobody's looking. Well, Sundance Head has done the right thing and everybody was looking."

Several other gifts and surprises were given to Sundance and his family during the event, including a set of binary stars that Rhoden and others who helped plan the event had registered in Misty and Sundance's names.

As Sundance was overcome with emotion from the kind gestures of his friends and community, Misty thanked everyone on his behalf.

"This wasn't just a win for us," Misty said. "Sundance had to do what he needed to do on the stage, but you all did everything that needed to be done at home: getting the word out, sharing it, spreading it - and this was a win for all of us."

Later, as he signed autographs with a big smile on his face, Sundance expressed what the night's events meant to him.

"It was a surprise - and a great surprise," Sundance said. "I'm really grateful that the community would show up and show support like this. It means a lot to me and my family."

Rhoden remarked on the progression of Sundance's career from local musician to national celebrity.

"He's played in our backyards," Rhoden said. "He's played at birthday parties, barbecues and crawfish boils. Well, we're proud to say we can't afford him anymore. His life is going to change; it already has. We just wanted to be able to show him how much his friends appreciate and honor him."
The lawyers for Houston's two major law schools told a federal judge Thursday they still were unable to resolve a heated trademark dispute.

The judge urged the parties to keep at it, otherwise they face a decision between an official mediation and an all-out trial over the nitty gritty details.

Albert B. Deaver Jr., an attorney for the University of Houston regents, said he feared his legal team may have reached an impasse with South Texas College of Law Houston over "middle ground" issues, a monetary settlement and the college's application for a new trademark.

Lynne Liberato, an attorney for the downtown campus that has been backpedaling on its rebranding effort, said she also hoped the parties could reach an agreement.

It boils down to a few issues, including whether the college will withdraw its application for the name "Houston College of Law" before or after there is a settlement on the table.

Last year, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison granted an injunction to the University of Houston after finding the newly rebranded Houston College of Law was likely to lose at trial on the charge that it violated UH Law Center's trademark.

Following the injunction, the 93-year-old private law school reverted to an updated version of its original name. Officials have been working to resolve the final issues so the lawsuit can be dismissed.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A Muslim woman charged with stalking for her alleged part in a criminal plot that ended with two fatal shootings in 2012 will be allowed to worship at a mosque once a week while under house arrest as she awaits trial, a Houston judge ruled Wednesday.

Nadia Irsan was released on bail earlier this month on a total of $250,000 in bail.

In ironing out Irsan's bail conditions, state District Judge Jan Krocker said the 32-year-old woman cannot take driving lessons, must wear a GPS ankle monitor and basically has to stay home except for court appearances and Friday services at her mosque.

"Let me make this clear," Krocker said in court. "Since this is a stalking case, I don't want her wandering around."

Krocker also voiced her frustration that the four-year-old case has yet to be resolved and set it for trial in July.

After considering whether Irsan should hire her own legal counsel, the judge decided to keep two lawyers from the Harris County Public Defenders Office, Eric Davis and Jackie Carpenter, on the case.

After Wednesday's hearing, Davis said Irsan's bail was paid by family members taking out debt and that she is "effectively indigent."

Irsan is awaiting trial along with her father, Ali Mahwood-Awad, and his wife and adult son for their part in two shootings that authorities have called "honor killings."

They are all accused of gunning down her sister's husband and her sister's best friend, Iranian activist Gelareh Bagherzadeh.

Prosecutors say the family conspired to commit the shootings after the sister disavowed the family to marry a Houston man, 28-year-old Coty Beavers, who was killed in 2012.

Irsan and other members of her family have been convicted of fraud in an unrelated case in federal court. After she was convicted in 2015, Irsan was moved to the Harris County Jail to face state charges for her role in the two shootings.

brian.rogers@chron.com

twitter.com/brianjrogers
COLUMBUS  Three down and one to go.

The private and public sectors working in concert during the last eight years seem to have been the key to opening the door in Columbus on some capital projects aimed at enriching the community.

That was the message delivered Wednesday during a Quality of Life Centers Taskforce Committee meeting detailing collaborative efforts to achieve the local fundraising goals for the four projects.

The project has been a wonderful example of the private-public partnerships forged during the collaborative process, said Don Heimes, chairman of the chamber task force.

Three are done and one is getting done, said K.C. Belitz, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the task force.

Three of the capital projects  East Central District Health Department, Columbus Family YMCA and Columbus Public Schools STEM academy  have reached their fundraising goals. The fourth project, a downtown library/cultural arts center, has received strong support from private donors and public backing from voters.

The four projects did not compete for local resources, said Belitz while summing up eight years of planning the projects. Weve collaborated on the projects, which I think has been an extraordinary community achievement.

The Sherwood Foundation gave a $1.2 million grant to Columbus for quality of life projects that needs to be matched 2 to 1 locally by the end of this year. That grant was matched 1 to 1 by the Raimondo Family Foundation and another anonymous donor.

Belitz said the final piece of the capital projects puzzle will fall into place when the library/cultural arts center hits the finish line on its fundraising goal. The Omaha-based Sherwood Foundation has offered a collaborative bonus of $340,000 to each of the projects if all four reach their individual goals.

Im grateful to the local support, two local families and the Sherwood donations in helping us reach these milestones, Belitz said.

Columbus Public Library Director Drew Brookhart told the task force members private investors have already committed $4.1 million, more than half the fundraising goal for that project. Voters also favored by a strong majority a local sales tax extension that will help fund the library/cultural arts center.

Brookhart said a new facility at 14th Street and 24th Avenue, the former Gene Steffy Ford dealership location, would allow the library to expand information services and boost access to technology, visual arts instruction and community theater.

A new library would be the downtown anchor for the Quality of Life Centers projects, Brookhart told task force members. Plans call for the new library to provide for 18-20 years of growth in areas such as visitors, collections and programming.

The facility is designed with a focus on flexibility, allowing for advances in print and digital content changes, the library director said.

East Central District Health Department and Columbus Family YMCA have already seen spikes in activity at their facilities located between Lost Creek Parkway and 38th Street.

The number of clients served at East Central has swelled by nearly 50 percent in the last five years, said Rosario Velasco, director of finance at the health department. The health district served about 5,900 clients in 2011 and now reports almost 9,000.

This project has been great for us, Velasco said. The office is now located in an optimal location and services have grown substantially, she said.

The YMCA, a tenant of the Columbus Community Hospital-owned Columbus Wellness Center, has sported even higher participation rates since opening 14 months ago.

Household memberships have jumped from about 1,700 in October 2015 to about 2,850 today, said Corey Briggs, executive director of the YMCA. The facility has about 7,500 individual members.

That growth, Briggs said, surpassed an optimistic projection of 2,300 household memberships after three years.

The YMCA isnt just a place to work out, said Briggs, adding that the Y was "well beyond" its $1.2 million funding goal.

CPS STEM academy campaign has $678,000 in local commitments from business and industry and, if at least $600,000 from local sources is banked by December 2017, a patchwork of matching grants from Omaha-area foundations would bump up STEM funding to more than $1.6 million.

The Sherwood collaborative bonus of $340,000 would be added to the total.

We met our goal Im happy to report, CPS Superintendent Troy Loeffelholz told task force members.

The academy will be made up of science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses. STEM programs, which include advanced manufacturing designs technology, automotive and auto body technology, construction technology and welding technology, give students skills and hands-on experience.

Technical, health care and manufacturing jobs are expected to be leading positions in the area in the years ahead.

"We're beginning the move to the new high school two months from yesterday (March 10)," Loeffelholz said on Wednesday.
Jonathan's Fine Jewelry

The owner of Jonathan's Fine Jewelry in the Galleria area is searching for two men seen breaking into the building where his store resides.

Sergio (last name withheld) said two men seen on surveillance video broke into the Diamond Building on Richmond around 3 a.m. on Thursday.
A suspect has been arrested in the shooting death of a 30-year-old woman late last year at an apartment complex in west Houston.

Kenia Lashan Wilkins, 21, is charged with capital murder in the killing of Meng Bo about 11:10 p.m. on Dec. 26 at the Camden Holly Springs apartments at 680 West Sam Houston Parkway South, according to the Houston Police Department.
AUSTIN -- Attorney General Ken Paxton's criminal trial on state securities fraud charges is scheduled for May 1.

Jury selection is set to begin April 20, according to an order signed by District Court Judge George Gallagher Monday.

"We'll be ready," said Brian Wice, a special prosecutor in the case against the attorney general.

The timing sets Paxton's trial squarely in the busiest month of Texas' political season when state lawmakers enter their final month of passing and killing bills and shortly before politicians begin announcing their election bids.

Paxton is charged with two felony securities fraud charges and one count of failing to register with the state as an investment adviser. The charges carry a potential sentence of 99 years in prison and tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

"I'm delighted to get this thing to trial and I'm confident that the right verdict's going to happen and the general will be acquitted. We can't wait to get to trial," said Dan Cogdell, co-counsel on Paxton's criminal defense team.

The attorney general has maintained his innocence and contends he is the victim of a political witch hunt. Similar charges in federal civil court filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission were dismissed last fall, although a federal judge is reviewing a revised set of charges from the SEC.

Paxton has tried to get the state's highest criminal court to throw out the state criminal charges, to no avail.

He is accused of failing to disclose to investors in 2011 that he would make a commission when recruiting them to invest in Servergy Inc., a North Texas tech company.

Then a state representative, Paxton allegedly received 100,000 shares of Servergy stock for convincing colleagues and friends to invest $850,000 in the company. Paxton's attorneys argued in federal court that Paxton had no obligation to volunteer that he would make a commission.

A Collin County grand jury indicted Paxton on two first-degree felony securities fraud charges in July of 2015, six months after he was sworn in as attorney general, and a third lesser felony charge for failing to register as an investment adviser with the state.

He was reprimanded by the Texas State Securities Board little more than a year earlier and paid a $1,000 fine for failing to register in 2004, 2005 and 2012 as an investment adviser when soliciting clients for Mowery Capital Management, LLC. He paid that fine without contest.

The fine set off a slew of political attacks casting a shadow on Paxton as he ran and won election as attorney general.

Kent Schaffer, a second special prosecutor in the case, said he doesn't think running the trial concurrently with the end of the legislative session will effect the outcome of the case.

"It's never a convenient time to go to trial because there's always something going on, but we'll do it. We'll be there. We'll be ready," he said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

If Martians were to exist, this is what they might see.

A NASA scientist from the University of Arizona recently released an image that shows the Earth and moon as seen from the red planet.

Snapped at a distance of 127 million miles, the images were stitched together using photos from NASA's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE).

BATTLE SCAR: A meteorite recently slammed into Mars and left this giant black stain of a crater

With the commercial space industry and China vying to land a man on Mars, the unique perspective may one day be taken for granted.

Alfred McEwen, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona and principal investigator for the HiRISE camera, spoke to Astronomy Magazine about the image he created.

"The Moon is much darker than Earth and would barely be visible at the same brightness scale as Earth," said McEwen, who created the composite using four sets of images. "The combined view retains the correct sizes and positions of the two bodies relative to each other."

FINGERS CROSSED: Scientists may have found evidence of life-supporting water on Mars

Click through above to see what architects think NASA Mars settlements will look like.

Check out the video above to learn more about the Earth-from-Mars image.




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.
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.
January 11 Express Entry Draw for Immigration to Canada is the Largest Yet CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

Sans Font Size A

A

Two years after the Express Entry system was first introduced, the number of candidates being invited to apply to immigrate to Canada through the system continues to rise. The latest draw, which took place on January 11, was the first time the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) passed the 3,000 mark  indeed, it passed that threshold comfortably, with a total of 3,334 candidates having been invited this time around. Each of these candidates had at least 459 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points  the lowest requirement for nearly a year.

These candidates now have 90 days to submit a complete application, including supporting documents, to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). IRCC aims to process applications within six months. When an application is approved, the applicant, as well as accompanying family members, may land in Canada as new permanent residents.

The January 11 draw is the second to take place so far in 2017, which promises to be a big year in Express Entry. IRCC representatives have stated that the number of candidates invited to apply is expected to increase in order for the governments 2017 economic immigration target levels to be reached. If the opening days and weeks of this year is anything to go by, it appears that the government is as good as its word on this front.

Moreover, IRCC has stated its intention to welcome more newcomers based on their human capital, skills, and experience. The clearest manifestation of this goal came with the recent improvements made to the CRS, which came into effect less than two months ago. The signature change in this revamp of the system was to reduce the number of points awarded for a qualifying job offer, from 600 down to 50 or 200, depending on the position offered. IRCC also began to award points to graduates of Canadian post-secondary educational institutions for the the first time.

The latest trends in Express Entry

Except for one draw (November 30, 2016) in which only candidates with a provincial nomination certificate were issued an ITA, Express Entry draws over recent months have continued to grow in size. Just five months ago, the number of ITAs issued per draw was in the 750800 range. Now, draw sizes are more than four times larger.

Over this time, there has also been a decrease in the CRS point requirement, as shown in the graph below.

Provincial Nominee Programs

The government of Canada plans to welcome around 51,000 new immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in 2017, a seven percent increase on the target for last year. With Express Entry PNP categories opening and changing over time, it is more important than ever before for candidates to stay up to date on these immigration programs and be prepared to submit a PNP application at a moments notice.

It should also be noted that candidates who obtain an enhanced nomination certificate through a PNP category will continue to be awarded 600 points, even after the recent changes to the CRS. This makes PNPs by far the single most valuable factor under the system that has been in use since November 19, 2016.

The main driver of immigration to Canada

As Attorney David Cohen noted in a webinar presentation last month, the increased scope presented by the government in its 2017 immigration plan reflects a desire to increase immigration over the coming years, and Express Entry will be the main driver of economic immigration to Canada.

Canadas aging population and labour market needs mean that its citizens and residents recognize the need for a progressive immigration policy. The country has, by and large, had great success at bringing together people from across the world and creating thriving communities.

CRS Calculator

The CRS Calculator has been updated to reflect the recent changes in Express Entry. This tool allows candidates in the Express Entry pool, as well as individuals thinking of creating an Express Entry profile, to find out what their score would be under the new points system.

To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada permanently, fill out a free online assessment form.

 2017 CICNews All Rights Reserved
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

Those who habitually put items in their recycling bins that don't belong there are the target of the ordinance amendment, not those who make an occasional, accidental mistake, said Public Works Director Jeff Demers.
A combination of low taxes, light regulation, and responsible levels of government spending define the Texas model. Though the model is sometimes honored in the breach, it is generally credited with playing a significant role in the states striking economic vitality. No state has created more jobs over the last 15 years. As residents of high-tax, high-spending regions continue to relocate to the Lone Star State, the virtues of the Texas approach seem self-evident.

One crucial component is often overlooked in discussion about the Texas model, however: tort reform. Over the last two decades, Texas engaged in a conversation as to the purpose and role of its civil courts. When that conversation began, the states courts had become virtual fiefdoms of trial lawyers. Texas recognized few limits on damages claims and imposed minimal accountability on plaintiffs. The states litigation environment was, unsurprisingly, toxic for business. The pushback came in the early 1980s. Lawmakers started to ask whether the Texas constitutions commitment, spelled out in Article 1, Section 13, that all courts shall be open, and every person for an injury done him . . . shall have remedy by due course of law precludes putting reasonable limits on liability. The state legislatures decision to strike a balance and roll back tort excesses marked a turning point in the states economic rise. Together with competitive tax and regulatory policies, tort reform sowed the field so that Texass pro-growth policies could take root.

In his only full-length book, Thomas Jefferson wrote that in every government on earth, there is some germ of corruption and degeneracy, which cunning will discover, and wickedness insensibly open, cultivate and improve. In our own time, special interests all too often wrap themselves around public institutions until the objectives of the government are indistinguishable from their own. From 1984 to 2003, at the height of the Texas litigation explosion, the states civil court system, instead of providing a neutral body in which parties could fairly resolve their disputes, became a virtual instrument of the plaintiffs bar.

Texas is one of only seven states that holds elections for judges to its highest courtand it was the election system that trial attorneys exploited. A generation ago, they realized that they could take advantage of these raceswhich usually aroused little public interestto get sympathetic candidates elected and, over time, swing the state supreme court in the direction of the plaintiffs bar. The watershed moment came in 1976, when an obscure attorney, Don Yarbrough, defeated a respected judge in the Democratic primary and went on to win a seat on the Texas Supreme Court. Yarbrough was hardly the typical high-court candidate. Not only was he a virtual unknown, but he also faced various allegations that soon led to his resignation from the court and convictions for forgery and perjury. Commentators attributed his victory to voter confusion, seeing how he shared a similar first and last name with a well-known politician who had twice run for governor.

Yarbroughs victory signaled that most anyone could be elected with enough name recognition. As a consequence, trial attorneys began pouring money into high-court campaigns, seeking to re-create Yarbroughs feat. It worked: justices backed by the plaintiffs bar secured a majority by 1983 and then proceeded to reorient Texas law to their own agenda.

In the ensuing years, the Texas Supreme Court tore down many of the precedents that counseled delay before bringing the coercive power of the state to bear on litigants. It eliminated, for example, the requirement that claimants demonstrate proof of mental anguish, and it waived traditional doctrines, such as caveat emptor and contributory negligence, which held plaintiffs accountable for the role that they may have played in their own injury. The requirements that litigants needed to meet in order to bring a class action suit were weakened. And the court was quick to employ Article 1, Section 13s guarantee of an open court as a countermeasure against legislative attempts to dam the new flood of litigation. In Lucas v. United States, the court struck down as unconstitutional the states cap on noneconomic damages, asserting that it was unreasonable and arbitrary for the legislature to limit the recovery of injured claimants in an effort to control liability-insurance costs. The Texas Constitution, the court argued, guarantees meaningful access to the courts whether or not liability rates are high. Noneconomic damages refer to the pain and emotional suffering caused by the defendant.

The trial lawyers court-packing ability was documented in a 1987 60 Minutes expose. Mike Wallace chronicled a closed circle of influence and money within Texass legal system. Wallace recounted events that typified the worst of the courts close relationship with the plaintiffs bar. Joe Jamail, a plaintiffs lawyer and generous contributor to the Texas judicial bench, was the lead attorney for Pennzoil in its suit against Texaco. During those proceedings, it became known that Jamail had donated $10,000 to the trial judges campaignjust weeks after the judge was assigned to the case. Jamails financial assistance didnt stop there. On the judges request, Jamail solicited his friends in the legal profession to gift the judges campaign at least $1,000 apiece. Pennzoil emerged victorious, with a $10.53 billion jury award plus interestthe largest such award at the time. The trial lawyerdominated court subsequently upheld the decision.

Wallace also noted the scandals surrounding the Texas Supreme Court, which had several members under investigation for ethical violations, including favoritism, taking free plane rides, the solicitation of funds, and ex parte communications with litigants. In one memorable incident, a justice invited businessman Henry J. N. Taub to speak with him privately while at a campaign fund-raiser in Houston. Taub had a multimillion-dollar lawsuit pending before the Texas Supreme Court at the time. According to Taubs testimony before the select committee, the justice mentioned the fact that the case was a tough, tough one. And that if I didnt win that one, the next one would be mine. Taub continued: And then I got a little perturbed and said I didnt want any other case. I wouldnt be before the Supreme Court on any other matter.

Taubs words captured a sentiment growing throughout Texas, particularly in the business community. The judicial branch, as students of American government often point out, lacks the coercive power of the sword or the purse. Its authority springs from public trust in the courts integrity as a neutral party. By the time 60 Minutes chronicled the story for a national audience, Texans trust in their courts had begun to collapse.

Years of metastasizing scandal, combined with national press coverage, finally stirred state leaders to action. In 1995, the Texas legislature enacted the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act (JCFA), which introduced the states first limits on how much individuals, law firms, and political action committees could contribute to judicial campaigns. Under these new regulations, individual contributions were capped at $5,000 for candidates to the Texas Supreme Court or the Court of Criminal Appeals, while contribution limits to all other judicial candidates fell to between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on the population of the judicial district. Law firms were limited to $50 if the aggregate contributions of their members exceeded six times the maximum individual contribution for that judicial office.

Advocates for reform disagreed over whether the JCFA went far enough in combating corruption. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips called it an excellent first step in comprehensive campaign finance reform on the day that Governor George W. Bush, who made tort reform a centerpiece of his election campaign, signed it into law. The bills House sponsor, in contrast, reportedly opined that judicial reform had progressed as far as it needs to go. Even today, some commentators suggest that the JCFAs impact was more visual than tangiblethat it gave the appearance of restoring integrity to the courts without removing the influences that had led the courts astray in the first place.

Most advocates agree, however, that citizens themselves played a vital role in restoring the courts prestige and quality. Judicial misrule had proved so costly that the general electorate finally began taking an interest in judicial elections. Public-interest groups formed to clean up Texas courts; others launched initiatives to oust corrupt players via the ballot box. Judicial integrity became a central campaign issue. Voters assessed candidates based on their relationship with the trial bar as well as their judicial philosophy. Incumbents who failed to pass muster faced challengers. Concerned citizens chipped away at the old order with each election cycle, until the bench was manned by public servants exemplifying the best of their profession. Progress was slow, but the Texas judiciary was soon on its way back to respectability.

Meantime, the legislature worked to fix the statutory errors of the courts earlier indiscretion. Reform here would bring benefits across the board, but especially in health care, where medical-malpractice litigation in Texas had brought the industry to a crisis point by the early 2000s. The steady climb in the frequency and severity of medical-malpractice claims had driven up insurance premiums, such that a successful medical practice had become almost impossible. Doctors were fleeing the state or retiring early. Counties reported critical shortages not only in the availability of doctors and nurses but also in the number of obstetricians, neurosurgeons, and other high-risk specialists due to disproportionate liability in those fields. Approximately 25 percent of Texas doctors faced claims filed against them when the states 78th legislative session began in 2003. Nationally, the rate was closer to 14 percent.

The medical community had had enough. On April 8, 2002, hundreds of doctors in the Rio Grande Valley staged a well-publicized walkout to protest what they viewed as the courts interference in their ability to attend their patients. Throughout the region, health offices closed as staff dressed in white lab coats gathered on the steps of the Hidalgo County courthouse. Many carried signs that demanded, in English and Spanish, the right to pursue their profession without the risk of financial ruin.

Being sued is part of practicing medicine in South Texas, said Bradley Nordyke, a physician who worked at a clinic in Brownsville. Nordyke worried about his patients and their continued access to health services. That year, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRT) had listed Hidalgo County and Starr Countytwo of the four counties making up the Rio Grande Valleyas judicial hellholes. Surveying 163 doctors in the Valley in 2001, Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse found that 60 percent had been sued and 76 percent could not recruit new talent because of liability costs. The number of companies offering physicians insurance in the state had fallen from 17 in 1999 to just four in 2002. The high liability risk in practicing medicine in Texas, and in the Valley in particular, had made writing these types of insurance lines unprofitable. Hundreds of practitionerseven those, like Nordyke, who had evaded lawsuitslost coverage.

The walkout was well timed. One week earlier, the Texas state senates interim Committee on Prompt Payment of Health Care Providers, more commonly referred to as the Nelson Committee, hosted its third public hearing regarding medical services in Texas. After hearing testimony, lawmakers realized that they could not resolve the problems of Texass health-care market without first addressing a more pressing matter: excessive liability. Unless changed, Texass draconian liability rules would slowly smother the opportunity for quality health care in Texas. Accordingly, the Nelson Committee expanded its inquiry to include the states civil-litigation setup, paying special attention to the impact of medical malpractice lawsuits and their impact on access to health care.

First, though, legislators had to struggle with the dilemma that plagues any attempt to restructure a states civil-liability system: whether changing the law would undermine the right of citizens to find redress through the courts. Civil lawsuits in the United States have significance beyond the mere resolution of private disputes. Indeed, in many respects, the ability to bring a case before the courts is a core element of democratic self-government. Through the courts, ordinary citizens may assert their rights and find vindication for any harm done to them. Differences in wealth and power fade away, as litigants are bound to the same rules, are entitled to the same consideration, and must abide by the same verdict. American political culture regards the civil courts as a conduit for political equalityand resists reforms that might undermine them. Texas is no exception in this regard.

All this is to say that Texas lawmakers had difficult choices to make in considering comprehensive tort reform. On the one hand, with so many medical professionals being driven from the state, excessive liability posed a real threat to the health and livelihood of residents. On the other hand, citizens have the right to obtain reasonable compensation for injuries. What, then, is the proper balance between preserving citizens right to redress and protecting them and their property from opportunistic litigation?

The Nelson Committees 13 recommendations ranged from conventional proposals regarding recovery and the types of evidence that should be admissible in court to suggestions on how to improve patient safety outside the litigation process by weeding out reckless practitioners. The committees suggested ceiling on the recovery of noneconomic damages was $250,000half the amount enacted under the Medical Liability and Insurance Improvement Act (MLIIA) of 1977.

The legislature embraced the recommendations. Come the start of the 78th regular session (2003), the chairman of the House Committee on Civil Practice introduced three noteworthy bills: House Bill 4, which addressed general civil-litigation reforms; House Bill 3, concerning medical-malpractice reform; and House Joint Resolution 3, which proposed a constitutional amendment that would limit the recovery of noneconomic damages. This last measure was necessary if lawmakers wished to preempt a challenge under Texass open-courts doctrine. The legislators eventually merged much of H.B.3 into H.B.4, creating one far-reaching civil-justice reform bill, a reconciled version of which passed both chambers and was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry. H.J.R.3, proposing the constitutional amendment, also passed both chambers and was submitted to Texas voters. The question: Should Texass political branches have the power to limit the recovery of non-pecuniary losses, such as pain and suffering or loss of consortium, notwithstanding the state constitutions open-access provision? Voters said yes, approving the proposition with 51 percent in favor. In Texas, sensible limits on civil liability were now entrenched beyond judicial interference.

The story of Texass tort and medical-malpractice reforms offers several lessons. First, Texas lawmakers did not succumb to the widespread suspicion that tort reform is antithetical to justice. The reforms contained in H.B.4 did not close the courts to appellants looking for relief. Rather, they acknowledged the reality that civil litigation implicates individual rights on both sides of the dispute. With limited exceptions, H.B.4 left statutory and common-law causes of actions alone. H.B.4s changes were designed to ensure a process that would force a defendant into court and demand that a defendant make compensation for a plaintiffs injury only when circumstances gave a reasonable indication that he or she was at fault.

Second, the changes were comprehensive. In his analysis of H.B.4, Michael S. Hull, longtime outside counsel for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, described the law as the most far-reaching changes to the Texas civil justice system since the creation of the Texas Constitution in 1865. On the laws ten-year anniversary, Joseph Nixon, former chairman of the House Committee on Civil Practice, explained that H.B.4 contained nothing particularly new or innovative to American jurisprudence; what made it groundbreaking was that so many reforms were contained in one bill. The statute not only capped noneconomic damages at $250,000; it reined in liability further by limiting the recovery of medical or health-care expenses to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant. Each enumerated provision, on its own, would have soothed the anxiety of medical professionals that a single lapse or misfortune could spiral into untamed liability. The combination, though, made clear that Texas would now treat each claim as a plea to remedy a single wrong, not an occasion to spread the costs of hard luck onto those allegedly in a better position to shoulder it. The health-care community could then gain a better grasp of its exposure in the short run and regain its trust in the system.

Third, the new law did not occur in a vacuum. It represented the culmination of more than a decade and a halfs worth of incremental reform and advocacy. Additionally, it operated as a launch pad for future initiatives that shored up the gaps that the 78th legislature overlooked or simply got wrong.

H.B.4 represented a reconstitution of the Texas civil courts. In its wake, tort-reform advocates secured legislation in four subsequent sessions, often at the urging of then-governor Perry, running the gamut from Texass barratry statute and discovery rules to probate hearings and asbestos litigation. More controversially, in 2011, the Texas legislature enacted partial losers payin which defeated plaintiffs can be forced to pay a defendants legal fees. Just as with H.B.4, each new enactment has critics who feel that the changes encroach too much on Texans ability to pursue a remedy.

The debate over access and restraint in the courts continues. Texans see tort and medical-malpractice reform as a work in progress, and they are willing to engage in trial and error until they find what works. Hence, the state has laid down strong foundations, which not only bear the weight of multiple generations of reform but also resist the entropy that besets all good laws.

Tort reform in Texas proved wildly successfulfar more so than the Nelson Committee had cautiously forecasted. Within a few years of H.B.4s passage, the frequency of spurious claims against medical providers dropped, and the average payout began to resemble past norms. Citing data from the Texas Department of Insurance, the Austin American-Statesman reported that medical-malpractice claims resolved in a single year had fallen by nearly two-thirds from 2003 to 2011. The average payout waned 22 percent, to approximately $199,000.

Similar outcomes were seen systemwide. The number of new civil lawsuits dropped from 610,355 new filings in 2005 to 505,104 in 2014, according to Texas Lawyera decline of 17 percent, despite the states significant population growth. The number of tort cases fell by 38 percent. Experts dont expect that the volume of tort lawsuits will ever again approach pre-reform levels. Some even predict that the volume will not exceed one-half to two-thirds of the earlier era.

Texass health-care market has flourished in the wake of reform. The average medical-malpractice premium declined by 46 percent after H.B.4s passage, according to Jon Opelt, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Patient Access. His findings were echoed by Perry, who, in 2013, noted: Hospitals are also collectively saving approximately $100 million per year in liability premiums. The savings, Perry emphasized, would allow for investments in new technology, patient care and charity care. Opelts analysis also found that between 2006 and 2011, nearly 80 percent of Texass 22 trauma-service areas saw a per-capita gain in direct patient-care physicians. The Texas Medical Board has marked the increase in the number of in-state practicing physicians at 31 percentwell ahead of the rate of Texass population growth. The states per-capita doctor ratio remains somewhat low213.3 per 100,000, as compared with the national average of 265.5, according to the Association of American Medical Collegesbut overall, the environment is much improved.

Two-plus decades of tort reform have also made Texass statutory codes more sensitive to how civil litigation can encroach on the rights of defendants and third parties. As a consequence, Texas law is more hesitant to drag an individual or entity into court and assign a duty to pay. This has removed a great deal of the uncertainty that had once plagued new ventures in businesses and technology.

Before H.B.4, runaway torts imposed an effective tax as high as $18 billion, or 2.35 percent of gross state product annually, according to the Public Policy Institute of New York State. Removing this charge helped jump-start the Texas economy after the economic slump of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Perryman Group found in a 2008 study that tort reform provided a fiscal stimulus to the state of about $2.6 billion per year, which was realized in new jobs, along with added personal income and state revenue. In the context of the so-called Texas Miracle, the Perryman Group credits tort-reform initiatives with 8.5 percent of the growth that Texas has enjoyed since 1995.

The Texas model works because it strives to keep as much capital as possible in the hands of market participants. Texass tort and medical-malpractice reform did just that when it curtailed the tax that a counterproductive litigation system levied against almost anyone who engaged in the economy. Again and again, time has shown that excessive liability impedes economic activity. By instituting common-sense limits on that liability, Texas gave its current and prospective residents a reason to invest in their future and that of the state. The results speak for themselves.

Photo by Andy/Flickr
In the patois of punditry, charismatic has come to mean little more than like a rock star. But the striking thing about the charismatic leader is the extent to which his followers regard him as a healer of wounds, an alleviator of pain. In this sense, surely, Senator Barack Obama is charismatic. The carefully knotted ties and the dark, conservatively tailored suits only accentuate the exoticness of his shamanism; he has entered the American psyche not as a hero but as a healer.

The country, or much of it, has longed for such a figure, a man from the once-oppressed race whose rise to power will atone for the sins of slavery and racial stigmatization. But Obamas rhetoric encompasses more than a promise of racial healing. He is not the first politician to argue that politics can redeem us, but in posing as the Adonis who will turn winter into spring, he revives one of the more pernicious political swindles: the belief that a charismatic leader can ordain a civic happy hour and give a people a sense of community that will make them feel less bad.

In his unfinished treatise Economy and Society, Max Weber defined charisma as a certain quality in an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. Weber was able to do little more, before he died in 1920, than give a pseudoscientific elan to an idea that had been kicking around for centuries. Most of what he said about charismatic authority was stated more cogently in Book III of Aristotles Politics, which described the great-souled man who may truly be deemed a God among men and who, by virtue of his greatness, is exempt from ordinary laws.

What both Aristotle and Weber made too little of is the mentality of the charismatic leaders followers, the disciples who discover in him, or delusively endow him with, superhuman qualities. Charisma was originally a religious term signifying a gift of God: it often denotes (according to the seventeenth-century scholar-physician John Bulwer) a miraculous gift of healing. James G. Frazer, in The Golden Bough, demonstrated that the connection between charismatic leadership and the melioration of suffering was historically a close one: many primitive peoples believed that the magical virtues of a priest-king could guarantee the soils fertility and that such a leader could therefore alleviate one of the most elementary forms of suffering, hunger. The identification of leadership with the mitigation of pain persists in folklore and myth. In the Arthurian legends, Percival possesses an extraordinary magic that enables him to heal the fisher king and redeem the waste land; in England, the touch of the monarchs hand was believed to cure scrofula.

It is a sign of growing maturity in a people when, laying aside these beliefs, it acknowledges that suffering is an element of life that sympathetic magic cannot eradicate, and recognizes a residue of pain in existence that even the application of technical knowledge cannot assuage. Advances in knowledge may end particular kinds of suffering, but these give way to new forms of hurtmilder, perhaps (one would rather be depressed than famished), yet not without their sting. We do not draw closer to a painless world.

One of the objects of a mature political philosophy is to reconcile people to the painful limitations of their condition. The American Founders recognized this, as did the English statesmen who presided at the Revolution of 1688: they rejected utopianism. And yet, precisely because they knew that human beings are by nature far from perfect, they allowed a degree of scope, in their constitutional settlements, for the mysterious, quasi-magical qualities that Weber associated with charismarather as an architect, as a concession to human frailty, might omit the number 13 when labeling the floors of a building. The magic of the post-1688 English constitution, Walter Bagehot observed, lay in the pageantry of the monarchy, a relic of the mysterious grace of the healer-redeemer chiefs of old. The American Founders, after experimenting with weaker forms of executive power, created the presidency, an office spacious enough for a charismatic leader to work his wizardry but narrow enough to prevent delusory overreaching.

Unlike the English Whigs and the American Founders, the modern liberal regards suffering not as an unavoidable element of life but as an aberration to be corrected by up-to-date political, economic, and hygienic arrangements. Rather than acknowledge the limitations of our condition, the liberal continually contrives panaceas that will enable us to transcend it.

Barack Obama, in taking up the part of regenerative healer, is the latest panacea. As a society, Obama says, we are hurting. Our schools are crumbling. There are lines in the emergency rooms of the hospitals, and our corporate culture is rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed. He points to the millions of Americans who, in struggling with lifes difficulties (high gas bills, insufficient health insurance, and a pension that some bankruptcy court somewhere has rendered unenforceable), have become bitter and unhappy. Obama finds a scapegoat for the present discontents in politicsa politics, he argues, that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism and that has become a dead zone in which narrow interests vie for advantage and ideological minorities seek to impose their own versions of absolute truth.

The solution, he says, lies in a political reformation. Unless we begin the process of changing politics and our civic life, we will bequeath to our children a weaker and more fractured America than the one we inherited. Hence his mantra, Change we can believe in. Like the Nicene Creed, Obamas doctrine begins in belief. Credo. Once we believe in the possibility of a transformative politics, the perfection begins. The selfish politics of the present yields to the selfless politics of the future. We discover that this nation is more than the sum of its partsthat out of many, we are truly one. So believing, we can replace a politics that breeds division, conflict, and cynicism with a politics that fosters unity and peace. In Obamas project of national renewal, government can become an expression of our communal values, our sense of mutual responsibility and social solidarity.

Even as Obama suggests that a new communitarianism can heal Americas pain and change American lives, radically and for the better, he is careful to anticipate the charge of utopian delusion. Government, he tells people, cannot solve all their problems. But presumably it can solve most of them.

The danger of Obamas charismatic healer-redeemer fable lies in the hubris it encourages, the belief that gifted politicians can engender a selfless communitarian solidarity. Such a renovation of our national life would require not only a change in constitutional structurethe current system having been geared to conflict by the Founders, who believed that the clash of private interests helps preserve libertybut also a change in human nature. Obamas conviction that it is possible to create a beautiful politics, one in which Americans will selflessly pursue a shared vision of the common good, recalls the belief that Dostoyevsky attributed to the nineteenth-century Russian revolutionists: that, come the revolution, all men will become righteous in one instant. The perfection would begin.

In rejecting the Anglo-American politics of limits, Obama revives a political tradition that derives ultimately from Niccolo Machiavelli. In the Discourses on Livy and The Art of War, Machiavelli argued that it is possible to create a communitarian republic like the one whose outlines he glimpsed in Livys (highly romanticized) version of Roman historya polity in which citizens, forsaking their own swinish pursuits, would become happy in the pursuit of a common good. Wise laws, he maintained, would make citizens love one another. The virtuous res publica of the Romans could be conjured anew.

To liberate a people from the bondage of pain and establish a new communal order, a statesman must possess, Machiavelli argued, a kind of charisma he called virtu. He described the most charismatic statesman with whom he was (personally) acquainted, Cesare Borgia, in Weberian terms, as one who exhibits a fortune unheard of, a virtu and confidence [so much] more than human that he can attain all he desires.

Jacob Burckhardt credited the luminaries of the Italian Renaissance with envisioning the state as a work of art. More tragically, they envisioned it as a machinery of redemption. Machiavellis prince was the first intimation of a modern charismatic type, the demiurge who used a demonic virtu to overcome divisive self-seeking in the name of social solidarity. Self-interest led to market capitalism and alienation; civic selflessness led to public-spirited communitarianism and happiness. The Machiavellian vocabulary, the historian J. G. A. Pocock argued in The Machiavellian Moment, became the vehicle of a basically hostile perception of early modern capitalism. Machiavelli rejected the commercial ethos (predicated on the pursuit of private interest) that the leading Anglo-American statesmen sought to encourage.

In doing so, he anticipated modernitys childish dream of an anodyne world. His communitarian state is the prototype of the workers paradises of Marx and Lenin and the Nordic Valhallas of Hitler and Houston Stewart Chamberlain. His influence is evident in both the enlightened despot celebrated by the Continental philosophes and the socialist wizard admired by intellectuals like Edmund Wilson, who hailed Marx as a mix of Prometheus and Lucifer, a heroically diabolic figure who could redeem the waste land of modern capitalism, the forerunner of Lenin and Stalin, Castro and Mao. The Machiavellian ideal of a communitarian paradise haunts, too, the welfare-state philosophy that Bismarck (for his own cynical reasons) promoted when he established the worlds first Wohlfahrtsstaat, a model for socialists in Germany and welfare-state liberals in England and the United States.

In breathing fresh life into Machiavellis communitarian daydream, Obama revives a style of charismatic leadership that fell out of favor in the United States after the death of FDR. Of the three presidents since 1945 most often regarded as possessing charismatic qualities, the first, Kennedy, was a tax cutter who questioned liberal utopianism when he said that life is not fair, and the second, Reagan, sought to curb the hubris of New Deal etatisme. The third, Clinton, said that he could feel our pain but retreated from his pledge to heal it when he scrapped a plan to nationalize medicine. Obama, by contrast, is faithful to the old-style charismatics, whose slogans (social solidarity, for example) he has taken out of cold storage.

Of course, he would not have gotten far had he simply defrosted the ideas of Henry Wallace and George McGovern. Obamas charisma is tuned to the mood of the moment. The charisma of American political leaders has typically rested on images of unflinching strength and masculine authority: Teddy Roosevelt in the North Dakota Badlands; Kennedy, the naval hero whose sexual prowess was acknowledged even in his Secret Service code name (Lancer); Reagan, the man on horseback whom the Secret Service called Rawhide. Obamas charisma, by contrast, is closer to what critic Camille Paglia has identified with todays television talk-show culture, in which admissions of weakness are offered as proof of empathetic qualities. Talk-show culture is occupied with the question of why we feel so bad, when it is our right under the liberal dispensation to feel eternally good. The man who would succeed in such a culture must appear to sympathize with these obscure hurts; he must take pains, Paglia writes in Sexual Personae, to appear an androgyne, the nurturant male or male mother.

Obama, in gaming this culture, has figured out a new way to bottle old wine. He knows that experience has taught Americans to suspect the masculine healer-redeemer who bears collectivist gifts; no one wants to revive the caudillos of the thirties. Studiously avoiding the tough-hombre style of earlier charismatic figures, he phrases his vision in the tranquilizing accents of Oprah-land. His charisma is grounded in empathy rather than authority, confessional candor rather than muscular strength, metrosexual mildness rather than masculine testosterone. His power of sympathetic insight is said to be uncanny: Everybody whos dealt with him, columnist David Brooks says, has a story about a time when they felt Obama profoundly listened to them and understood them. His two books are written in the empathetic-confessional mode that his most prominent benefactress, Oprah, favors; he is her political healer in roughly the same way that Dr. Phil was once her pop-psychology one. The collectivist dream, Obama instinctively understands, is less scary, more sympathetic, when served up by mama (or by mama in drag).

With the triumph of Obamas post-masculine charisma, the patriarchal collectivism of the New Deal has finally given way to a new vision of liberal community, the empathetic mommy-state that Balzac prophesied in La Comedie humaine. The leader of the future, Balzac foresaw, would be a man who, like his diabolically charismatic Jacques Collin, possesses a capacity for maternal love. When his protege Lucien dies, Collin exclaims: This blow has been more than death to me, but you cant understand what Im saying. . . . If youre fathers, youre only that and no more. . . . Im a mother, too! Collin ends his career as a functionary of the stateand a policeman. The Grand Inquisitor of the future, Balzac intimates, will undertake his inquisitions in the name of matriarchal pity.

Yet if Obama has made redemptive communitarianism attractive in an age of sagging sperm counts, he has done nothing to correct the underlying flaw of the collectivist ideal: its incompatibility with the older morality of limits. The politics of consensus that Obama favors is incompatible with the Founders adversarial system, which permits those whom he disparages as ideological minorities to take stands on principle that, at times, frustrate the national consensus. Obama makes it clear that there is no place, in the politics he advocates, for those absolutists who would defy the community. The ideological core of todays GOP, he writes, is absolutism, not conservatism, an absolutism driven by those who prize absolute truth over communal values. This commitment to absolute truth, he argues, stands in the way of a politics that can solve our problems and change our lives.

Obama goes so far as to argue that the Constitution itself is a rejection of absolute truth. His moral relativism is intimately bound up with his conviction that we can transcend those limitations in human nature that the Founders acknowledged when they drafted the Constitution. This rejection of older moral standards, Machiavelli observed, is a tactical necessity for the charismatic redeemer. It is not simply that adherence to the Wests traditional morality would prevent such a leader from being properly ruthless in the pursuit of his ideal; it is that the old morality, with its emphasis on the limits of mans fallen condition, makes his communitarian paradise seem quixotican instance of utopian overreaching.

Machiavelli was ready with a solution. He helped prepare the way for the politics of redemptive healing by working to overturn the older morality. In particular, he undermined the Wests most potent myth of diabolic amorality and delusory hubris. Two years after he completed The Prince, Machiavelli composed a fable, Belfagor, or the Devil Who Took a Wife, in which he ridiculed the idea that the devil can take possession of a mans mind and corrupt those around him. In assuming (correctly) that the diabolic qualities of his redemptive prince would be easier to swallow once the devil himself became a joke, Machiavelli blazed a path that Voltaire, Diderot, Goethe, and Shaw afterward trod. No one fears the devil that Voltaire refused to renounce on his deathbed. (This is no time to be making enemies, he jested.) Goethes Mephistopheles is charming, as is Shaws (in Man and Superman). Even those characters whom modern European artists have intended to be diabolic (such as Balzacs Collin) arouse sympathy in a way that older devil-characters (Shakespeares Iago, for example) do not.

Dostoyevsky was among the few who grasped the momentousness of the change that Machiavelli initiated in the Wests conception of diablerie. Near the end of The Brothers Karamazov, he describes an encounter between the devil and Ivan Karamazov. The devil appears, not with claws and horns, but in the guise of an elegant man of the world: he phrases his mordant taunts in French and laughs at modern intellectuals who believe that he doesnt exist or who worry that to admit his existence would harm their progressive image. Dostoyevsky implied that it was precisely when the devil became a wit that the intellectual classes of the West succumbed to the most familiar form of diabolic temptation: the belief that men can transcend the limits of their condition and be as godsdemiurges with the power to heal the worlds pain and reshape it in accordance with a beautiful idea.

Obama has revived a cruel mirage, but the good news is that the country has defenses against his brand of redemptive politics. Some of these defenses are constitutional, others cultural. The very strength of Americas religious ideal of redemption has restrained, though it has not entirely forestalled, the development of alternative secular ideals of redemption. A religiously inspired belief in original sin has made Americans wary of succumbing to the Pelagian notion that a mere mortal, however charismatic, can build the New Jerusalem out of purely secular materials. The countrys constitutional system, itself founded on the theory of original sin, has created a perpetual conflict of factions and interests that so far has prevented any single party from imposing a monolithic unity from above, such as Europes collectivists were able to do.

And then there is Old Nick, the Wests traditional symbol of evil, who has retained a good deal more apotropaic power on these shores than in Europe. A 1991 survey by the International Social Survey Programme found that 45.4 percent of Americans believed in the devil (61 percent, according to a 2005 Harris poll), compared with 20.4 percent of Italians, 12.5 percent of Russians, 9.5 percent of West Germans, and 3.6 percent of East Germans. We often read about differences between America and Europe with respect to belief in God, but differences with respect to belief in diabolic evil may be even more revealing. It is significant that belief in the devil is lowest in those countries (Russia and Germany) that suffered, during the twentieth century, most acutely from forms of evil that might without exaggeration be called diabolic. Europeans, it may be, have proved more susceptible to the element of diabolic temptation in charismatic leadership precisely because they are less likely to believe in the reality of diabolic evil.

Still, its hard to deny that Obama has found a weakness in Americas defenses. His post-masculine charisma is likely to flourish in a political environment that has come to resemble not only a TV talk show but a TV reality show, in which the candidate rarely escapes the cameras eye. The masculine leader of old had to conceal his weaknesses. I rather tell thee what is to be feared, Shakespeare has Julius Caesar say, than what I fear, for always I am Caesar. When scrutiny was less intense, the man on horseback could hope to get away with it. Shakespeares Cassius laments that the public never knew how weak Caesar really was:

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him, I did mark

How he did shake; tis true, this god did shake . . .

Today a camera would capture the image of the shaking god. Superman, Norman Mailer said in his famous essay on Kennedy, can thrive in the supermarketbut in cable TV and YouTube, the Ubermensch may finally have met his match.

Meanwhile, the very images of frailty that undermine the masculine leaders pose of strength help the practitioner of the new post-masculine charisma, whose object is to appear humanall too human. Softness has become an asset for candidates who have molded themselves on the exhibitionist model of the Oprah matriarchy.

Hence Obamas spectacular rise. But Obama-mania is bound in the end to disappoint. Not only does it teach us to despise our political systems wise recognition of human imperfection and the pursuit of private happiness; it encourages us to seek for perfection where we will not find it, in politics, in the hero worship of a charismatic shaman, in the speciousness of a secular millennium. Lacking the moral parables that made our ancestors wary of those delusions in which overweening pride is apt to involve us, we pursue false gods and turn away from traditions that really can help us make sense of our condition.

Top Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The 35-page memo outlining Russias collection of allegedly compromising financial and sexual information on President-elect Donald Trump, which could be used to blackmail him, and his campaigns ostensible collusion with Russian intelligence agencies, reads like a lurid Hollywood thriller. You can almost see the marquee: Explosive! Shocking! The dossier you dont want your children to read!

To Trumps many critics, the allegations explain why the New York businessman has been so admiring of Russian president Vladimir Putin and why he had been so persistently skeptical of the intelligence communitys claims that Russia tried to interfere in the recent election. But several intelligence officials, speaking on condition that they not be named, expressed doubt about the veracity of the dossier, versions of which, they noted, have been floating around news organizations for weeks, without having been corroborated. It doesnt even pass the giggle test, said a former senior CIA official known both for his skepticism of Trump and his agencys estimates.

The intelligence officials who shared the memo with Trump and President Obama last week said that none of the salacious allegations of sexual misconduct or compromising financial connections has been substantiated. The memo itself, several stories indicate, was not originally classified. It was compiled by a former British spy named Christopher Steele who was allegedly paid by Trumps GOP primary opponents to explore his ties to Russia. Steeles dossier was summarized for Trump and Obama in an appendix to a secret intelligence report.

CNN reported that Steeles previous work was deemed credible but also noted that the veracity of the allegations had not been confirmed either by CNN or by Buzzfeed.com, which initially published the entire memo, or, for that matter, by any other news organization. Nevertheless, Lawfare, a respected national security blog, urged readers to take the allegations seriously, if only because the government itself seemed to be doing so. The President and President-elect do not get briefed on material that the intelligence community does not believe to be at least of some credibility, wrote Benjamin Wittes, Susan Hennessey, and Quinta Jurecicall employees of the Brookings Institution. Quoting CNN, Lawfare also noted that Arizona senator John McCain gave the document to FBI director James Comey on December 9 so that the charges could be investigated. The Guardian and the New York Times both reported that the FBI had secured in October a warrant to gather information about possible ties between Russian banks and oligarchs and Trump campaign officials.

All of this infuriated Trump. At his first news conference since winning the November election, he denounced the allegations as phony, nonsense, fake news and, a Nazi-style smear concocted by sick people. On Twitter, he called it a political witch hunt. Trump also took aim at two of his frequent targetsthe intelligence agencies, which he suggested may have leaked the document to undermine his presidency, and the media, CNN and Buzzfeed in particular. Lashing out at CNN as fake news, he declined to let a reporter from the network ask a question at his news conference. But he also said that he has ordered his intelligence-agency nominees to conduct a 90-day investigation of hacking by Russia and others, the effect of which may be not only to keep the story alive but to intensify what is becoming a bitter feud between the president-elect and the intelligence community. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr. denied that intelligence officials had leaked the dossier and stressed that the agencies had not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable. He said that he had shared it with policymakers to give them the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.

Apart from the indignant denials by both Moscow and Trump, there are other reasons to doubt the memos veracity. First, at least one of its allegations has already been debunked. Michael Cohen, one of Trumps lawyers, whom the dossier alleged had met with Russian operatives in Prague in August or September, asserted in a tweet Tuesday that he had never been to Prague in my life. Apparently he has shared, or promised to share, his passport pages with officials.

Second, though Trump has traveled to Moscow several times to explore real estate deals and to oversee the Miss Universe competition, he claims never to have completed any major contracts there. Donald Trump Jr. once said in an interview that Russian money was important to the Trump family business, but the president-elect has repeatedly denied that claim.

Third, though Trump has consistently praised Putin as a strong leader and argued that America and Russia could work together to fight ISIS, his stance is not dissimilar to Obamas, who has permitted Moscow to take the lead in Syria, and to sell arms and nuclear technology to Iran in exchange for Russian support for his nuclear deal with Tehran.

Fourth, Trumps apparent bromance with Putin and his pro-Russian rhetoric are belied by his appointment of hardliners to key posts in his national security team. Retired Marine general James Mattis, nominated as secretary of defense, has spoken often of his opposition to Russias seizure of Crimea and his concern about Russias aggressive behavior in Ukraine and the Baltic states. Retired marine general John F. Kelly, the former head of the United States Southern Command whom Trump has chosen to lead the Department of Homeland Security, is another frequent Putin critic. Ditto Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo, Trumps choice to head the CIA, not to mention former Indiana senator Dan Coats, whom Trump has nominated as director of national intelligence. Former army lieutenant-general Mike Flynn, soon to be Trumps national security advisor, has been criticized for having recently attended a conference sponsored by a pro-Russian TV network, RT, and for having sat next to Putin at a lavish dinner. But Flynn has harsh words for Russia and its leader in his 2016 book The Field of Fight, in which he calls Russia and Iran key members of an enemy alliance, part of a working coalition against which Washington has been at war. Though secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson, the former head of ExxonMobil, has done lucrative deals in Russia and was awarded a medal by Putin, he, too, expressed concern about Russian aims and conduct during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Trump knows that Putin is a thug, said one veteran intelligence official. So is it wise to denounce your adversary as a thug? Or is it smarter to embrace him, pull him close to you, and then punch him in the nose?

Still, Trumps fiery rhetoric and bombast at his press conference, including his threat to exclude CNN from future press conferences, all but overshadowed his major policy shift. While Trump had no trouble before or after his election blasting Hillary Clinton based on information that Russia hacked from the Democratic National Committee, he acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that Russia was, in fact, responsible for the hack, even as he added that other states had also hacked American targets. Trump could counter claims about secret deals with Russia by releasing his tax returnsas every other president before him has doneand providing more information about the financial underpinnings of his sprawling business empire, but he has refused to do so. His supporters cheer such stonewalling as tough, though his positions seem likely to ensure that rumors about his financial dealings will continue to swirl long after he is sworn in as the nations 45th president. And the country seems destined to remain as politically polarized as ever.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
BNM anunta concurs pentru postul vacant de expert coordonator (durata determinata) responsabil de control pe teren si din oficiu a sistemelor de plati
The former president of a compounding pharmacy blamed for a deadly meningitis outbreak in 2012 put profits over patients and ignored repeated warning signs that drugs manufactured by his company were being contaminated by mold, a prosecutor told jurors Monday in a federal racketeering trial.

Barry Cadden, the former head pharmacist at the now-closed New England Compounding Center in Framingham, is charged with causing the deaths of 25 people who died after getting injectable steroids, mainly for back pain, from their doctors.

Compounding pharmacies mix customized medications for patients in the strength and dosage they require.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Varghese told the jury the government would prove that Cadden oversaw the operations of the center and was responsible for making sure industry rules for sterility and cleanliness were followed in the manufacture of the steroids.

Varghese said 17,600 bottles contaminated by mold were shipped to 23 different states in the fall of 2012. A total of 64 people died, many from fungal meningitis, and more than 700 were sickened by the tainted steroids. Varghese said the contaminated drugs caused the largest public health crisis in this country ever by a pharmaceutical drug.

Its a story of greed, cutting corners and fraud, Varghese said.

Cadden is charged with 25 counts of second-degree murder under racketeering law and dozens of other felonies. He has pleaded not guilty.

Caddens lawyer, Bruce Singal, told the jury that Cadden oversaw the companys operations, but was not one of the people who worked in the so-called clean rooms or mixed the drugs. Regulators found numerous cleanliness and sterility violations while inspecting the clean rooms.

He is not a murderer and he is not responsible for their deaths, Singal said.

Singal said prosecutors are trying to blame Cadden for mistakes made by other employees  including pharmacists and technicians  of New England Compounding Center. He showed the jury emails Cadden sent to a company hired to do extra cleaning of NECCs clean room, reprimanding the company for not following sterility guidelines.

He cannot be held responsible for all the corporate wrongs, Singal said.

Varghese told the jury that Cadden showed a shocking disregard for the lives of patients.

He was making millions of dollars off this, but he couldnt be bothered to do it right, Varghese said.

The trial is expected to last several months. Glenn Chin, the former head pharmacist is scheduled to go on trial after Cadden. He faces similar charges.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A former director of an engineering firm charged with illegally altering reports about damage from Superstorm Sandy pleaded guilty to unauthorized practice of engineering in connection with the case, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Tuesday.

Matthew Pappalardo, 39, pleaded guilty in Nassau County state supreme court to one charge of altering an engineering report. He is expected to be sentenced to three years probation and a $10,000 fine.

Pappalardos Uniondale-based firm Hi-Rise Engineering was one of several engineering firms hired by insurance companies to evaluate structural damage to homes after the 2012 storm wrought havoc in New Yorks coastal communities.

An indictment unsealed in August charged Pappalardo and Hi-Rise with multiple counts of second-degree forgery, a felony. Prosecutors said Pappalardo had employees heavily edit reports on damage to residences in ways that substantially changed conclusions about the extent or cause of damage.

My office is committed to protecting homeowners and ensuring that their insurance claims are handled accurately and fairly, Schneiderman said in a news release.

Attorneys for Pappalardo and Hi-Rise Engineering said their clients never intended to harm any homeowners.

Pappalardos lawyer, Avi Mokowitz, said Pappalardo pleaded guilty to a single count of editing a report.

There was no criminal intent, he said. The changes made were to correct reports, to make them more accurate.

Hi-Rise Engineering pleaded guilty to criminal solicitation in the fifth degree, a violation.

Hi-Rise was in a tough position doing a huge amount of work in a small amount of time, said Kenneth C. Murphy, an attorney for the firm. There was never an intent to harm a homeowner.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Alexa, are you spying on me?

Its a fair question in light of attempts by authorities investigating the slaying of an Arkansas man to obtain voice recordings collected by an Amazon Echo speaker and its Alexa digital assistant.

Yet the popularity and capabilities of voice-enabled products such as the Echo continue to grow. At the CES gadget show in Las Vegas, which opened Thursday, Whirlpool, Samsung and other manufacturers are unveiling new ways to use voice services to control laundry machines, refrigerators and other home systems.

Consumers are apparently willing to trade a certain amount of privacy for convenience.

So what exactly is being collected, stored or shared ?

To work, the Echo is always listening. Once it hears someone utter a keyword, such as Alexa, it shares what it hears with Amazons servers to process a response. Those conversations are then stored indefinitely. Googles Home speaker works in a similar fashion.

The Echo has to listen to everything. Thats kind of disturbing, said Ryan OLeary, vice president of WhiteHat Securitys threat research center. It doesnt capture voice until it hears the keyword, but it could. Youre trusting the devices to not do that, but its entirely possible.

In the Arkansas case, authorities investigating the death of a man found floating face-up in a hot tub at a friends home requested the contents of the homes Echo and Amazons stored recordings in hopes they might contain evidence. The friend is charged with murder.

A judge has signed off on the search, but Amazon has balked. Amazon has declined to comment specifically on the case but said the company objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.

Some experts worry that allowing such a search would erode peoples privacy.

Its not necessarily a direct threat for the average person, but the same thing can be said with any kind of privacy concern, OLeary said. People say you shouldnt be concerned if youre not doing anything wrong, but thats a dangerous precedent to set.

Meanwhile, companies keep asking consumers to invite them into their homes.

Whirlpool is adding Alexa voice control to its smart-home appliances, including a washing machine, a stove and a refrigerator. Someone can instruct the oven to pre-heat to 400 degrees by speaking a command to an Alexa-enabled device, such as the Echo.

Simplehuman has a voice-activated trash can, and GE Lighting has a table lamp using Alexa voice control.

For now, voice control is mainly an add-on feature rather than a core component of gadgets. Its there for those who want to use it, but its not essential for the product to function.

Many manufacturers are opting to use Amazons Alexa service for now, though some are embracing voice systems from Google, Apple or Samsung.

Nvidias Shield TV streaming device, for instance, employs Googles Assistant service so viewers can control video playback or find out the weather with just a voice command.

Meanwhile, Samsungs new Family Hub lets people use their voice to add items to shopping lists and order groceries online.

CES chief economist Shawn DuBravac said as many as 700 companies could announce Alexa-integrated products during the gadget show, on top of more than 1,500 existing ones.

As the smart home becomes more entrenched, DuBravac said, voice control could change the way we interact with technology in much the way the mouse did in the 1980s.

Connected microphones are starting to appear in everything from cars to childrens toys, said James Plouffe, lead solutions architect at mobile-security company MobileIron. Consumers should think carefully about how comfortable they are with the prospect of a live mic in common household items.

Because Amazon says it uses information gathered by the Echo to improve its voice technology, that information has the potential to live forever online, Plouffe said.

The issue first grabbed headlines a couple of years ago, after Samsung said sensitive conversations could be captured by its voice-controlled smart TVs.

Based on the flood of new voice-controlled gadgets headed to market, tech companies are betting that consumers will get over their fears.

Derrick Dicol, executive director of Comcasts Xfinity home, which uses voice controls in its home automation products, noted that people had to get used to sharing their banking information online.

This is less invasive than that, he said. Its just a different thing people have to feel comfortable with.

(Bree Fowler reported from New York.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AKRON, Ohio -- Akron Public Schools officials have identified a teen killed Wednesday in a shooting as a student at East Community Learning Center.

Ernest Anderson, 17, died in the shooting that happened just after 3:30 p.m. on West Thornton Street at Laurel Avenue, Superintendent David W. James said Thursday in a statement.

"We are deeply aggrieved by this tragic episode," James said in the statement. "Another student, another life filled with promise has been extinguished by violence. We are thinking of his family and the entire East CLC community."

The Akron Public Schools also posted a YouTube video of Anderson participating in his school's hospitality program during the current school year.

The video has been embedded at the bottom of this post.

The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office released Anderson's identity Thursday afternoon. Anderson died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso, and his death has been ruled a homicide, the medical examiner's office said.

No arrests have been made in the shooting that also wounded a 19-year-old man, police said.

A Facebook user who identified himself as the boy's father addressed the shooting in a brief post Wednesday, saying he wanted to be alone with his family.

Officers arrived and found the teen, who school officials identified as Anderson, on the ground with several gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The 19-year-old man was shot in the leg, police said. Paramedics took him to Cleveland Clinic Akron General for treatment of injuries that are not considered life threatening.

Officers found a handgun at the scene but investigators are still working to determine its owner, police said.

Investigators believe the two victims were involved in an argument with a third man who ran from the scene, police said.

The shooting prompted a brief lockdown of the nearby Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. The school lifted the lockdown after approximately 30 minutes, officials said.

Grief counselors are always available to Akron Public Schools students, but they will be at East CLC throughout the day Thursday and Friday, a schools spokesman said.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
Summit Lake 2 - The Trust for Public Land.jpeg

Knight Foundation has committed $195,300 for the first two phases of an environmental assessment, which will soon begin to determine the health of Summit Lake and the adjoining properties.

(The Trust for Public land)

AKRON, Ohio - As efforts focus on rejuvenating Akron's Summit Lake neighborhood, vital environmental research is about to begin there.

At one time a thriving recreational destination at the city's southwest end, Summit Lake was damaged by industrial waste and declined as manufacturing left Akron in the 1970s. In the last few years, numerous entities have worked to restore the lake and its surrounding neighborhood.

But Kyle Kutuchief, Akron program director for Knight Foundation, doesn't want to tell people to start enjoying Summit Lake if the lake isn't safe. And with no environmental assessment done there since the '70s, no one actually knows.

And just like Hardy Road, Akron's old closed landfill, rumors and urban legends about the lake have circulated for years.

So early last year, Kutuchief started working on a Knight grant that would pay for a comprehensive environmental assessment of the lake and surrounding property.

"This is the prerequisite to people coming back to Summit Lake," he said. "People in the neighborhood don't know the status of the body of water that's a block from their house and that's unacceptable."

No environmental studies have been done at Summit Lake since the 1970s.

Kutuchief started the process before the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition won a $5 million Reimagining the Civic Commons grant to re-activate Akron's underused assets, including Summit Lake.

"I didn't know if Akron would win," he said of the grant. "But I thought win or lose we're going to get this done. If we get selected we're going to get it done faster because we'll have a grant and a learning network, but if we aren't selected Summit Lake still needs cleaned up."

Knight Foundation has committed $195,300 for the initial phases of an environmental assessment, which the Trust for Public Land will manage out of its Cleveland office.

The assessment will have two phases:

Phase 1

Phase 2

To kick off the process, residents are invited to an event at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Summit Lake Community Center.

Revitalize Summit Lake meeting

Summit Lake Community Center

Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m.

Open to the public

The meeting will enable Summit Lake residents to discuss their priorities for restoring the lake and areas around it, including open spaces, bike paths and walking trails.

"We want to be very open and transparent, and share the whole process with the community as we're going through it," said Trust for Public Land Program Director Matt Schmidt.

"We firmly believe that if it's not a vision that comes from the community working with us there's not that level of ownership and excitement, and it doesn't end up with the level of use we're looking to be able to drive," he said.

Schmidt's team will work with Solon-based Partners, an environmental, engineering and surveying firm, Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization and the Ohio EPA.

The information will help the team better understand what's feasible at Summit Lake and how much it will cost if remediation is needed, he said. The result will be a vision and redevelopment plan.

The hope is the grant money will also cover the Ohio & Erie Canal north to Lock 4, the main corridor for the civic commons grant, Kutuchief said.

With the nearby Towpath Trail, Summit Lake also has potential to become an environmental amenity offering habitat preservation and bird watching.

"What's exciting is there's a really diverse definition of what community means in this location," he said. "There's so much untapped potential right now with Summit Lake and the right partners are all coming to together to help realize the full vision that can be possible. It's a really important place."

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save
Akron police car 3.jpg

An Akron teen said two classmates pistol-whipped him during a robbery Tuesday, then shot at him as he ran home, according to a police report.

(File photo)

AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron teen said two schoolmates pistol-whipped him during a robbery, then shot at him as he ran, according to a police report.

The 15-year-old boy was not harmed during the Tuesday incident near the Kenmore Branch Library on Kenmore Boulevard, according to the report.

The victim identified the robbers as his 15- and 14-year-old schoolmates at Kenmore High School, the report says.

Investigators are preparing juvenile assault and robbery charges against the schoolmates, but they have not been arrested, police said Thursday.

The victim arranged to sell a hat to the 15-year-old schoolmate just after 10:30 p.m. outside the library. When he arrived, the 14-year-old schoolmate pointed a gun at the victim, the report says.

Both schoolmates attacked the victim, and the 14-year-old pistol-whipped him, the report says. The schoolmates took the hat and the victim's cellphone.

The 14-year-old fired one or two shots at the victim as he ran off, the report says.

The victim ran home and reported the incident to his mother, who called police.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
Fleeing & eluding, Colfax Drive: A Columbia Station man, 24, was arrested at about 5 a.m. Jan. 8 after he led Strongsville, Berea and Olmsted Falls police on a high-speed vehicle chase.

The pursuit started in Strongsville, where the man slammed his black pickup truck into a tree. Berea police saw the truck, with tailgate down, speeding on southbound Prospect Road near West Bagley Road. When police activated their overhead lights and sirens, the truck accelerated, then turned west onto Sprague Road.

The truck reached speeds of more than 70 mph. The man turned south onto Valleyview Drive and skidded onto Emerson Street, ignoring a stop sign. He turned east onto Parkwood Drive, running another stop sign. The truck disappeared after turning onto Colfax.

Police searched the area and found the truck parked in the driveway of a Colfax home. The truck's rear end was damaged. Strongsville police had found pieces of the truck in their city.

Officers knocked on the door of the home. A woman answered, and police asked to speak to the truck's owner. The man, smelling of alcohol, appeared at the door. He denied any part in the car chase.

The man's mother said that a blue and white cooler containing several cans of beer, which police had found at the West Bagley-Mulberry Street intersection, belonged to her son.

Vandalism, West Bagley Road: Police are looking for a man wearing a cowboy hat who used green spray paint to critique a driver's parking abilities.

It happened at about 7 p.m. Jan. 6. The victim, a 39-year-old Strongsville man, had left his car in a no-parking zone outside Marc's Deeper Discount Store, 371 Bagley Road. The victim said he didn't realize the car was a no-parking zone because the area was partly covered with snow and not well-lit.

When the victim walked out of Marc's, he found a two-word critique of his parking spray-painted on his car. The first word was a profanity, followed by the word "parking." A witness wrote down the vandal's license-plate number.

Marijuana possession, Sprague Road: An Olmsted Falls man, 23, was arrested at about 1 a.m. Jan. 5 after police found a marijuana nugget and a marijuana cigar in his car.

Police had stopped the man's car because he was driving 45 mph on westbound Sprague between Prospect Road and Fair Street, a 35-mph zone. Also, one of the car's brake lights wasn't working.

The inside of the man's car smelled like marijuana. At first the man denied that marijuana was in the car, although he admitted smoking marijuana earlier.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road: A Valley City man was arrested at about 11:30 p.m. Jan. 6 after police saw his Ford F-250 pickup truck straddling two westbound lanes on West Bagley.

When police asked the man if he had been drinking, he said, "I have had quite a bit. Do what you have to do."

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road: A Brook Park man, 27, was arrested at about 2:45 a.m. Jan. 7 after police checked the license-plate number of his Ford Ranger and determined that his driver's license had been suspended.

The man admitted downing "a couple of drinks." He failed field sobriety tests.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road-Mulberry Street: A Berea man, 34, was arrested at about 2:50 a.m. Jan. 8 after police saw his Nissan Maxima make a wide left turn from West Bagley onto Mulberry.

The man smelled like alcohol. He was carrying marijuana in his pocket.

To comment on this story, please visit Thursday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A peer counselor at the Youngstown VA was arrested Thursday after federal prosecutors say he braved bad weather on a snowy day last month and traveled to the Cleveland area to have sex with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl.

Carmen Sagnimeni, 38, of Mercer, Pennsylvania started chatting on Facebook with an investigator from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in August, according to a criminal complaint. The investigator was posing as a teenager who lived in Brook Park.

Sagnimeni, who has served in the National Guard for 19 years, was arrested after admitting to his deeds, the complaint says. Investigators found two bottles of lubricant and two condoms in his leather jacket.

He initially faced charged in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court following his arrest. He was released on bond Dec. 27 before being re-arrested on Thursday. He is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

His attorney, Jeff Richardson, did not immediately return a phone call.

Many of the conversations were sexual, and Sagnimeni, a father to two and stepfather to four, agreed to travel to Brook Park on Dec. 15 to meet up with the girl. That was the day many schools in the Cleveland area closed because of poor road conditions, but that did not deter Sagnimeni from making the trek, the complaint says.

Conversations between Sagnimeni and the investigator eventually moved to the chat app Kik, where Sagnimeni used the handle "Isiskiller11." He showed a reticence for "falling for" the girl, because of the age difference and, should he be caught, he could go to prison for a long time, according to the complaint.

When the investigator warned Sagnimeni about the road conditions on Dec. 15, he "insisted he was still coming, no matter what," the complaint says. He arrived on the agreed-upon location and parked right behind a car that investigators were in.

He said during an interview with investigators that was having relationship issues with his wife "and that he had a connection with the child and wanted to be in a relationship with her," the complaint says. He said his wife had recently discovered chats between him and the girl and threatened to kill the girl, but he did not tell his wife the girl's location.

His sergeant in the National Guard called investigators after his arrest in December and said that he found a notebook in Sagnimeni's locker with female names listed to be between the ages of 13 and 15, the complaint states. He said Sagnimeni had mental health issues and was collecting disability payments for post-traumatic stress disorder.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
BuzzFeed is embracing the "failing pile of garbage" epithet given by Donald Trump.

The online media company is out with T-shirts, bumper stickers, and yes, garbage cans referencing the quote from the president-elect, with all the proceeds going to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The products feature quotes like "My bae works at a failing pile of garbage" or "I proudly get my news from a failing pile of garbage."

Tweet from BuzzFeed reporter: The BuzzFeed swag shop is now actually, literally selling "failing pile of garbage" gear

Tweet: "This trash can is phenomenal. Absolutely fantastic trash can."

The flash sale was inspired by Trump's Wednesday news conference, where he called BuzzFeed a "failing pile of garbage," and said BuzzFeed would "will suffer the consequences."

The remarks were in response to an unverified dossier, published by BuzzFeed and reported by CNN, that described "contact between Trump aides and Russian operatives" and "sexual acts documented by the Russians." Trump called the report "fake news," while CNN and BuzzFeed stood by their reporting.

BuzzFeed isn't the only media company to take advantage of a moment on Trump's radar. Vanity Fair said subscriptions soared after co-opted Trump's outrage to advertise itself as "the magazine Trump doesn't want you to read."

Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal is a minority investor in BuzzFeed.


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.

China's President Xi Jinping will promote "inclusive globalization" at this month's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and will warn that populist approaches can lead to "war and poverty", Chinese officials said on Wednesday.

This year's forum, from Jan. 17-20, is expected to be dominated by discussion of a surge in public hostility toward globalization and the rise of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose tough talk on trade, including promises of tariffs against China and Mexico, helped win him the White House. Trump will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

Xi is the first Chinese president to ever attend the WEF's annual forum in Davos, which brings together top-level political and business leaders.

Jiang Jianguo, head of the State Council Information Office, told a symposium hosted by the World Trade Organization in Geneva that President Xi would go to Davos to push for development, cooperation and economic globalization in order to build "a human community with shared destiny."

"With the rise of populism, protectionism, and nativism, the world has come to a historic crossroad where one road leads to war, poverty, confrontation and domination while the other road leads to peace, development, cooperation and win-win solutions," Jiang said.
"We are all for the better for getting rid of this artificial, silly, infantile, immature trading," the " Mad Money " host said.

Yet, it seems that the volatility caused by these nefarious traders for years has simply dissipated. They were right there distorting the market open during the Italian bank restructuring, a struggling financial system and Brexit. Now they are gone.

The term "pajama trader" was coined by Cramer to refers to traders who control the opening of the stock market based on extraneous data, like the futures, and news events from overseas.

Pajama traders that used to plague the stock market opening every morning have mysteriously disappeared since Election Day, and Jim Cramer was determined to find out why.

The reason why we don't care about the morning futures fluctuations anymore is that there is none, exaggerated or not.

Cramer speculated on theories of what happened.

Clearly, someone on Wall Street got wise to the moves of these traders and took their money away. Investors can't stick with a fund manager who was wrong by 9:34 am every morning.

The world has also gotten better since the election as well. Britain's market has been up for 12 days from a better business environment created by the weaker pound, courtesy of Brexit. The data coming out of China has been pretty good, too.

Even the news flow coming out of the U.S. is better, too, Cramer said. Shares of Merck closed higher on Wednesday after the company announced that the Food and Drug Administration is set to make a decision in May on its lung cancer treatment. United Continental also announced surprising better-than-expected numbers for December.

The one common theme that ties these events together? None of it has to do with Donald Trump.

"The reason why we don't care about the morning futures fluctuations anymore is that there is none, exaggerated or not. The terror that the futures struck  rightly or wrongly  has disappeared," Cramer said.

The market is better off without the pajama traders, who have either been kicked out of the business or have learned the errors of their ways. Only time will tell which one it was that caused them to stop.
watch now

It looked to Jim Cramer on Wednesday that someone forgot to tell Donald Trump about the Trump rally. The averages quickly fell after Trump's press conference in which he called for more price competition for drug companies. While the market managed to shrug off the comments by the close with technology stocks leading the way, it was a cause of concern for Cramer. "I bet Health and Human Services is going to do something about this whipping boy that will involve substantive rollbacks before this episode is over," the "Mad Money" host said. Cramer said he has known Trump for years, and he is "not really a stock guy" and has never been that interested in the market. It was clear to Cramer that Trump's love was always real estate. However, Cramer reminded investors that just because Trump is pro-business, that doesn't necessarily mean he is pro-stock market. In his world, he thinks if business does well than everyone does better. And he is OK with knowing that some industries will do worse if he believes they should be punished.



Getty Images

Trump has also made his intention clear to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act when he takes office. The problem is that no one knows what he will replace it with. "We are looking at a very confused environment for the health care sector, especially the health maintenance organizations that are so heavily impacted by the law," Cramer said. It could be impossible to predict what could happen to health care providers like UnitedHealth , Aetna , Cigna and Humana , along with the millions of people who will lose insurance coverage and their subsidies if Obamacare is repealed. The only winner of the group worth owning is UnitedHealth, Cramer said, even as it has run 14 percent since the election. UnitedHealth has already removed itself from the health care exchanges. Other competitors are still participating and even profiting from the exchanges, which makes them more vulnerable of the repeal actually occurs. Pajama traders that used to plague the stock market opening every morning have mysteriously disappeared since Election Day, and Cramer was determined to find out why. The term "pajama trader" was coined by Cramer to refers to traders who control the opening of the stock market based on extraneous data, like the futures, and news events from overseas. Yet, it seems that the volatility caused by these nefarious traders for years has simply dissipated. They were right there distorting the market open during the Italian bank restructuring, a struggling financial system and Brexit. Now they are gone. "We are all for the better for getting rid of this artificial, silly, infantile, immature trading," Cramer said.



Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Tigerair Australia remained unable to operate flights to Bali on Thursday, warning that the standstill could continue until early Friday morning, the airline said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Tigerair Australia , citing new administrative requirements from Indonesia's government.

Affected customers in Bali will be transferred to flights this week and will be provided accommodation, Tigerair Australia CEO Rob Sharp stated on Thursday, apologizing for the inconvenience during the busy school holiday period.

The airline currently has approval to operate between Australia and Bali until 25 March 2017, under which it can only sell tickets Down Under, but Prime Minister Joko Widodo's government has imposed new rules this week, Sharp explained.

"If the Indonesian government does not wish to honor the current agreement, we are asking them to give us a grace period so that we can continue to fly while we work through the new requirements together. This would help us to support our customers who make an important contribution to tourism in Indonesia."

In the meantime, the airline is continuing talks with Indonesian officials.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


Mikaila Ulmer is a 7th grader from Austin, TX, and the CEO of her own business. When Ulmer was four years old, she was stung by two bees within a week. Naturally, she was upset, but she also decided to learn more about what had hurt her. She came to realize that bees are a critical part of how flowers get pollinated and plants grow, and she learned that the bee population is in danger. Around the same time, her great-grandmother Helen, who lived in Cameron, South Carolina, sent her family a cookbook from the 1940s. In it, Ulmer discovered a recipe for Flaxseed Lemonade. She decided that if she could make lemonade with honey bought from local beekeepers, she could help the bee population.

That fall, her mom and dad encouraged her to make a product the lemonade for a local children's business competition, the Acton Children's Business Fair, and Austin Lemonade Day. Ulmer's lemonade was a hit. "The first time I sold it, I thought, 'This is only going to be a one-time thing. I am going to do it once, get the money, donate some and then save some and then use the rest to buy this awesome toy that I wanted.' I do not remember what it was!" Ulmer tells CNBC.

But though she was exhausted, Ulmer adds, "I realized I am really enjoying doing this."



Mikaila Ulmer, the founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade, in the very early days of running the business. Photo courtesy Me & the Bees Lemonade

Dream big, and not only dream big, but also dream like a kid. Mikaila Ulmer founder and CEO, Me & Bees Lemonade

Six months later, she and her family made more lemonade and sold it. Then, when Ulmer was seven, a local pizza shop asked to carry her lemonade. "It seemed like no many how many lemons I squeezed, we would always sell out," says Ulmer. Bit by bit, distribution expanded. Soon, Whole Foods started carrying Me & the Bees Lemonade.

Shortly after Ulmer's product hit the shelves of Whole Foods, Ulmer appeared on ABC's hit reality show "Shark Tank." The People's Shark, Daymond John, offered a $60,000 investment for a 25 percent stake in her company. The visibility helped the business. In the year after the show aired, sales grew by 231 percent, says Ulmer.

Being a middle-school CEO has benefits and drawbacks. Ulmer gets help from her parents: Her mom assists with marketing and her dad with the finance operations. But Ulmer also has to do her homework first before working for her company. (Her favorite subjects in school are science and Spanish, she says.) Ulmer's business responsibilities include doing trade show demos, media interviews, business presentations, workshops about bees and about entrepreneurship, depositing her money in the bank, putting in money orders, depositing checks, checking the business email and posting on social media. Ulmer's entrepreneurial ambitions have taken her far. She has introduced the President of the United States at The United State of Women Summit and this weekend, she is traveling to New York City because she was selected as an honoree by the National Retail Federation Foundation. She will be recognized alongside the likes of Boxed Wholesale CEO Chieh Huang as one of the People Shaping Retail's Future 2017.

Here are Ulmer's top three tips for dreamers, doers and aspiring entrepreneurs.



Build a business you are passionate about "The more passionate you are about what you do, the more fun you will have while doing it and then also, the better you will do it, the easier it will be and the more successful your company will be," she says. "That's why it's important to not only chose a business that will make a lot of money, will be a big hit, but a business that hopefully will make a lot of money and will be a big hit, but you are also interested in, that you have fun with and that you see a problem in the world that needs to be solved."



You don't have to go it alone "A lot of entrepreneurs think they have to do it all by themselves and when they are in times of trouble, they won't ask for help. It is important to ask for help when you need it because there are people who support your mission and support what you do and so it is definitely important for you to go and ask them for help if you need it," Ulmer says. "There is always help back at the hive."

Think like a kid "Dream big, and not only dream big, but also dream like a kid. When a kid has a dream and they want it to come true, they will do whatever it takes to do so. They don't see the obstacles in the way, they will just fight hard to make it come true. "Sometimes you have to get into that mindset and dream like a kid," she says. It will "put you into a better goal setting stage for your business."


It's a partnership that the entire fashion world would envy. Luxury fashion house Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld have worked alongside each other for more than half a century, making it a collaboration which  according to Lagerfeld  should be in the Guinness Book of Records.

For fashion designer Lagerfeld, he himself could not have imagined the collaboration lasting as long as it has, telling the "CNBC Conversation" that today's fashion world is not like what it was when they first joined forces in 1965.

"Everything has changed, and nothing has changed more than the world of fashion," Lagerfeld told CNBC's Tania Bryer, who started his partnership with the fashion house around the concept of fur design.

"(The Fendi sisters) had tons of energy and I think I had a little good energy too. So it worked, it was great. The 70s were great, the 80s."

"After that it was a little different because the world of fashion changed so much, that in the end it became a LVMH business which is very good, because (that's) when (CEO) Bernard Arnault really invested in it, and look what Fendi is now."
Macy's has also blamed what it calls "changing customer behavior." That's code for the rise of Amazon.com and the adoption of e-commerce shopping in general. It's also the idea that a new generation is spending more money on experiences over physical goods.

Macy's has said that it has too many stores, in too many underperforming locations. It's closing 100, and no one should be surprised if that number grows in future years.

It has been a very bad week for some of the country's biggest department stores, with Macy's feeling the brunt of it. The mass-market retailer's stock has dropped 16 percent since it announced disappointing holiday sales results and details on thousands of job cuts on Jan. 4.

For starters, a trip into Macys this holiday season felt like a visit to a teenagers bedroom: In its Paramus, N.J., store, items were strewn everywhere and no useful answers were to be had.

But while Amazon has certainly had a hand in Macy's struggles  and we'll get back to this in a bit  Macy's should look within, first, for the cause of its current predicament. Because if not Amazon, someone else would have come along and taken advantage of the complacency that's been on display inside Macy's over the last decade.

For starters, a trip into Macy's this holiday season felt like a visit to a teenager's bedroom: In its Paramus, N.J., store, items were strewn everywhere and no useful answers were to be had.

Even in a neat Macy's, the selection of merchandise has left a lot to be desired  namely because there doesn't appear to be much stuff that you can't find elsewhere.

Prior to the rise of e-commerce, Macy's could get away with some of this. But you can now buy the same stuff in lots of places  whether from Amazon or a brand's own website. Comparing prices has gotten infinitely easier, too.

In short, a visit to Macy's in 2016 felt a lot like a visit to Macy's in 2006. That's great for nostalgia, but very bad for business. Want proof? Macy's market cap was $24 billion at its 2006 peak. Today it's just $9 billion.

Read more from Recode:



Macy's is trying to fix its problems in a few ways. On the digital side, it's pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into its e-commerce operation and opening an online shop in China, where its brand is strong.

In stores, it's trying to go upmarket and downmarket at the same time.

It announced a new store concept in 2015 called Macy's Backstage, an off-price outlet meant to compete with popular discount retailers like T.J. Maxx, Nordstrom Rack and Marshalls.

At the same time, Macy's said in 2015 that it was going to add upscale merchandise to its top 150 stores. Being in the middle is tough.

The middle is definitely tougher with Amazon aiming directly for your business  what with a huge, and growing, selection of clothes and accessories and plans to build a bunch of its own brands in-house. By some estimates, Amazon will pass Macy's in clothing sales this year.

The bottom line, however, is that Macy's stores, by and large, have looked and felt the same forever. And in digital, Macy's has long been on the defensive.

There are those in Silicon Valley, and the e-commerce industry at large, who cheer on the collapse of the once-mighty department stores. But the consumer should be hoping for the increased competition that could come from Macy's and its brick-and-mortar peers figuring out a revival plan.

With troubles mounting, one might have thought Macy's would have looked to an external candidate  one with a fresh point of view  when it was selecting a replacement for CEO Terry Lundgren, who is stepping down after 14 years as the top executive.

Instead, this up-mountain battle will soon rest with Jeffrey Gennette, the company's president and a longtime Macy's exec who is taking over for Lundgren.

Wish him luck.

Commentary by Jason Del Rey, senior editor of commerce at Recode. Follow him/her on Twitter @DelRey.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Messages left at Ms. Powell's New York office Wednesday morning were not immediately returned, and a Goldman Sachs spokesman could not comment on the details of her anticipated departure. A spokeswoman for the president-elect did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ms. Powell has worked with Ms. Trump in recent weeks on developing policy proposals related to women's economic empowerment, the person briefed on the new role said.

Although Ms. Trump has a been a crucial contact for Ms. Powell, this person added, Ms. Powell's formal role is likely to be that of adviser to the president himself. Ms. Trump does not immediately plan to take a role in the White House. However, according to a person briefed on the new role, Ms. Powell will work closely with both Ms. Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who will be a senior adviser to the president.

Ms. Powell, a former State Department official and White House aide during the George W. Bush administration, has been in close dialogue with Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President-elect Donald J. Trump, about the presidential transition in recent weeks, according to one of the people familiar with the matter and to previously published reports.

Dina H. Powell, who runs many of G oldman Sachs 's philanthropic initiatives, will soon leave the company for a new role as adviser in the Trump White House, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The expected hiring of Ms. Powell, 42, by the incoming administration is the latest indication of the president-elect's affinity for alumni of Goldman Sachs. Mr. Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, is a former Goldman trader, and his appointee to run the National Economic Council, Gary D. Cohn, was Goldman's longtime president and chief operating officer. Mr. Trump's chief strategist, the media baron Stephen K. Bannon, was once an investment banker at the Wall Street firm.



Ms. Powell is the daughter of an Egyptian army captain and grew up in Texas after moving to the United States as a child. She is said to be close with Mr. Cohn. She also has a range of relationships on both sides of the political aisle, having worked as a congressional staff member roughly two decades ago, when Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, was a member of the House. She is close to Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state, from her years working in the White House under George W. Bush.

Goldman veterans have a long history of performing public service after leaving the company, a trend that has sparked the nickname "Government Sachs." Henry M. Paulson Jr., who was chairman and chief executive of Goldman for eight years until 2006, served as Treasury secretary from 2006 to 2009, handling the onset of the financial crisis. His onetime co-chief executive, Jon S. Corzine, was a senator and, later, the governor of New Jersey. Robert E. Rubin, who also once served as a co-chairman of Goldman, ran the National Economic Council when it was established by the Clinton administration in 1993; he was named Treasury secretary two years later.

Other Goldman alumni, the vast majority of them men, have gone on to play important roles in the Federal Reserve bank system, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the European Central Bank, among other places.

Relations between the incoming Trump administration and Goldman, however, have not been entirely smooth. Early in September, the company banned its partners from donating money to the Trump campaign, citing concerns about pay-to-play rules. (Those rules could have prevented Goldman from doing business with the State of Indiana, where Mr. Trump's running mate, Mr. Pence, was the sitting governor.)

Then, shortly before the election, the Trump campaign ran a television ad that featured Goldman's chief executive, Lloyd C. Blankfein, in a negative light.

Ms. Powell spent a decade at Goldman and was named a partner there in 2010. She played crucial roles in Goldman's corporate philanthropic efforts, including helping to establish 10,000 Women, a program that works with female entrepreneurs around the world.
The foreign ministers of Britain, Greece and Turkey met on Thursday to thrash out a security deal for a reunited Cyprus and end a conflict rooted in Britain's colonial past and Greek and Turkish rivalry in the region.

For the first time in decades, the three countries were to discuss a 1960 treaty cited by at least one of them in the past as a basis for intervening in the Mediterranean island.

Greek Cypriots and their ally Greece want an overhaul of the current security setup, while Turkish Cypriots and Turkey say it must be maintained.

"Continuing the security and guarantor arrangements, which have been the basis of security and stability on the island for the last 43 years, is a necessity given the situation in the region," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a conference at the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations.

"We are expecting this issue to be evaluated with an understanding in line with the realities on the island."

Cyprus was split by a Turkish invasion in 1974 that followed a brief coup engineered by the military then ruling Greece. It has remained split ever since, with Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island and Greek Cypriots in the south.

The Geneva conference is being chaired by new U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his first major involvement in a conflict which has been on the world body's agenda for more than half a century.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was also in attendance. Cyprus is a member of the European Union, represented by the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government. Recent hydrocarbon discoveries off Cyprus's shores could help the EU reduce its energy dependence on Russia.
WHEN: TODAY, THURSDAY, January 12, 2017

WHERE: CNBC'S "POWER LUNCH"

Following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on CNBC's "Power Lunch" today. Following is a link to video of the interview on CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000583646.

All references must be sourced to CNBC.

LEBEAU: THANK YOU, MELISSA. LET'S BRING IN SERGIO MARCHIONNE THE CEO OF FIAT CHRYSLER JOINING US FROM THE COMPANY'S HEADQUARTERS IN AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN. SERGIO, YOU'VE HEARD THE ALLEGATIONS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DETAILS HERE, YOU'RE PRETTY UPSET THEY ARE ACCUSED YOU ESSENTIALLY OF LYING, OF CHEATING, OF RIGGING YOUR EMISSIONS FOR DIESEL VEHICLES. GIVE ME YOUR RESPONSE.

MARCHIONNE : WELL, I MEAN, WE WERE RELATIVELY CLEAR WITH THE PRESS RELEASE THAT WE ISSUED THIS MORNING. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CONTROL STRATEGIES THAT RUN OUR ENGINES, AND THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANY INTENT IN PUTTING THE SOFTWARE IN THE VEHICLES TO DEFRAUD ANYBODY. WE THINK THAT THE SOFTWARE IS COMPLIENT WITH CURRENT LEGISLATION. WE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AS TO WHETHER THE EPA AND CARB HAVE DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS OF DISCLOSURE ON THOSE CALIBRATIONS, BUT THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE IN OUR CASE AND RECENT CASES THAT THEY SETTLED HAVE TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THESE CONTROL STRATEGIES WORK ALL THE TIME IN OUR VEHICLES. THEY DO NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN TEST CYCLES AND RUNNING A NORMAL RUNNING OPERATION, SO THE CASE IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DISTINGUISH OURSELVES FROM THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ART IN THIS AREA. I THINK WE HAVE BEEN UNNECESSARILY MALIGNED WITH A DESIRE OR A WISH OR INTENT ON OUR PART TO TRY TO DEFRAUD ANYBODY. WE HAVEN'T.

LEBEAU: AND YOU, ESSENTIALLY SAID ON THE CONFERENCE CALL, DON'T LUMP US IN WITH THE CRIMINALS, YET THE EPA SAID THEY DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS SOFTWARE TO US. DID YOU NOT DISCLOSE THIS SOFTWARE TO THE EPA?

MARCHIONNE: WE MAKE ALL DISCLOSURES, ALL THE SOFTWARE THAT GOES INTO THESE VEHICLES IS DISCLOSED. THERE'S A PART OF THE REGULATION THAT REQUIRES THE NONOPERATION OF SOME OF THE CONTROL MECHANISMS TO BE DISCLOSED AND TO BE VETTED BY THE EPA. THIS IS GOVERNED BY PRACTICE. BY HISTORICAL PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE BETWEEN US AND THE EPA OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS NOW WITH THE EPA ON THOSE MATTERS SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2015. IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF. WE HAVE MADE TONS OF MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO THEM. WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW PRESENTING A MORE COMPLETE SET OF CONTROL STRATEGIES THAT WILL REMEDY ALL OF THEIR CONCERNS, SO THE ISSUE COULD HAVE BEEN SETTLED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN SETTLED, I THINK, IN MY VIEW, IN A MORE EFFICIENT WAY AND MORE BUSINESS-LIKE MANNER AS OPPOSED TO ELEVATING THIS TO SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEFRAUD ANYBODY.

LEBEAU: WHY ARE THEY COMING PUBLIC NOW AND FALLING JUST SHORT OF SAYING YOU HAVE DEFEAT DEVICES IN THESE VEHICLES. THEY DID NOT SAY THAT, BUT THE PRETTY MUCH PAINTED A PICTURE THAT WOULD LEAD PEOPLE TO CONCLUDE THAT.

MARCHIONNE: LOOK, THERE ARE TWO ISSUES. ONE IS THAT IF YOU HAVE MECHANISMS IN YOUR CAR THAT DETECT THE TEST CYCLE, AND THAT SYSTEM DOESN'T FUNCTION WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING THE CAR NORMALLY, THAT, TO ME, IS A CLASSIC DEFINITION OF A DEFEAT DEVICE . WHEN YOU GOT MECHANISMS IN A CAR THAT PREVENT DAMAGE FROM HAPPENING TO THE ENGINE AND THAT OPERATE UNDER VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, THOSE THINGS ARE EXCEPTIONS UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS OF THE CAR UNER THE RULES THEY NEED TO BE DISCLOSED. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN CASES, AT LEAST IN OUR ISSUES, WHERE IN OUR CASE WHERE SOME OF THE DISCLOSURES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS COMPLETE AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN. WE ARE IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON THAT ISSUE WITH THE EPA TODAY. WE SINCERELY HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION BETWEEN THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND OURS. OUR SOFTWARE PACKAGE THE ONE THAT IS READY TO GO TO BE FLASHED IN ALL OF OUR VEHICLES WILL CURE ALL THEIR CONCERNS, AND IT'S -- THEY CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AS DEFEAT DEVICES. BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DEFEAT NOTHING. THESE WERE MECHANISMS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE ENGINE IN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN THE ENGINE WAS UNDER LOAD.

MATHISEN: IF I COULD SUM IT UP MR MARCHIONNE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE SAYING THIS WAS A TECHNICAL MISUNDERSTANDING, AND IF I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT, CORRECT ME. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU WILL GET A MORE SYMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING OF THIS MISUNDERSTANDING FROM THE NEW ADMINISTRATION?

MARCHIONNE: IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO JUDGE. THE ONLY THING I DO KNOW AND WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE GOT SOMEWHAT HYPER SENSITIVE ABOUT THE MATTER IS WE ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE HERE TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A NEW ADMINISTRATION. WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A NUMBER OF NEW PEOPLE WHO WILL HANDLE THE CASE, AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO TRY AND PREDICT WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE, BUT I THINK OUR CONSCIOUS IS COMPLETELY CLEAR. I THINK WE UNDERSTAND FULLY WHAT WE'VE DONE. WE'VE DONE ALL THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE INSIDE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO MALFEASANCE INSIDE CHRYSLER. WE'VE NOT FOUND ANY INDICATION THAT ANY OF OUR PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO DEFRAUD OR TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SCHEME TO CIRCUMVENT THE REGULATIONS. IF THERE WAS A MISTAKE MADE, I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR THROUGH NORMAL PROCESS, AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE OFFERED NOW, THE EPA AND CARB HAS A SOLUTION ON THE SOFTWARE SIDE IS GOING TO CURE ALL THE CONCERNS.

CARUSO-CABRERA: SIR, MICHELLE HERE. SPEAKING OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, PUTTING ASIDE THIS CASE, WHAT ABOUT EPA REQUIREMENTS AND EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS IN GENERAL? THERE'S BEEN COMPLAINTS OVER THE YEARS THAT THEY PUSH FOR MORE AND MORE AND MORE, AND THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY ACHIEVABLE.

MARCHIONNE: WELL, LOOK, WHEN WE AGREED TO THE CHANGES IN THE EMISSIONS STANDARDS AND THE OBJECTIVES FOR 2025 WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA, THERE WAS A VERY CLEAR ROAD MAP THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE THAT REQUIRED A MIDTERM REVIEW, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY 2017 AND 18. BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A REVIEW THAT WAS CARRIED OUT, AND THIS LAST ACTION BY THE EPA, WHICH EFFECTIVELY CONFIRMED THE 2025 STANDARDS WITH OUR CONSULTATION WITH INDUSTRY WAS INMY VIEW AN UNWARRANTED ACT. AND SO, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION WE'LL GET A BETTER AUDIENCE TO TRY AND RESOLVE THESE ISSUES AND DETERMINE WHAT IS, IN FACT, DOABLE BY 2025.

LEBEAU: SERGIO, IT'S PHIL, ONE LAST QUESTION. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS  AT THE END OF THE DAY, A BIT OF A WITCH HUNT ON THE PART OF THE EPA? AND THOSE ARE MY WORDS, NOT THEIRS OR YOURS. BUT FROM THE SENSE THAT YOU MADE IT VERY CLEAR ON THE CONFERENCE CALL YOU'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THEM, AND NOW THEY COME OUT AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE THINK THEY ARE IN VIOLATION.

MARCHIONNE: LOOK, OBVIOUSLY, WE KNEW THAT THEY HAD CONCERNS. WE HAVE BEEN IN DIALOGUE WITH THEM NOW SINCE SEPTEMBER 2015. IT COULD HAVE EVEN BEEN EARLIER. BUT THAT'S THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, IT WAS SEPTEMBER OF '15. WHAT CAME OUT OF THE WILD BLUE WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING THAT IT WOULD ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND THAT WE HAVE THREE HOURS TO RESPOND. AND THAT, TO ME, GIVEN THE LEVEL OF DISCUSSIONS AND THE LEVEL OF DISCLOSURE THAT HAS BEEN MADE  I FOUND THE TIME PERIOD TOO SHORT AND IT PREVENTED ANY TYPE OF DIALOGUE FROM HAPPENING BEFORE THE NOTICE OF VIOLATION WAS ISSUED.

LEE: SIR, WHETHER IT BE THIS SPECIFIC CASE WITH THE EPA OR JUST EPA EMISSIONS STANDARDS IN GENERAL, ARE YOU SORT OF GLAD THAT YOU ANNOUNCED THE BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT INTO PLANTS AND JOB CREATION IN ORDER TO GAIN A LITTLE BIT  MAYBE A MORE FAVORABLE EAR FROM THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION COMING IN?

MARCHIONNE: LOOK, WE WOULD HAVE MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT ANYWAY. AND THIS IS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH THE RAM AND THE JEEP RAM HERE IN THE U.S., AND TO ALLOW FOR THE MANUFACTURING FOOTPRINT TO BE AVAILABLE FOR GLOBAL PENETRATION OF THESE TWO BRANDS. SO, I'M GLAD IN A SENSE THAT WE DID IT. WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT ANYWAY, BUT I THINK IT CAME IN AT THE RIGHT TIME.

LEBEAU: SERGIO, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?

MARCHIONNE: I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL  WE ARE GOING TO SIT DOWN WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND TRY AND HAMMER THIS OUT. OUR PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE WITH THE PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA ON MONDAY TO TRY AND DISCUSS THIS ISSUE, SO THE OPERATING SIDE OF THE EPA HAS BEEN FULLY COLLABORATING WITH FCA AND I THINK WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WE CAN RESOLVE IT VERY, VERY QUICKLY AND GET CERTIFICATION UNDER 2017 DIESEL ENGINES ARE AVAILABLE TO BE INSTALLED IN BOTH THE GRAND CHEROKEE AND THE RAM 1500. IF WE CAN GET OVER THAT HUMP, THEN WE TAKE THAT SOFTWARE AND EFFECTIVELY REFLASH THE 14, 15, AND 16 CARS AND MAKE THE ISSUE GO AWAY. AND THEN THE REST OF IT REALLY BECOMES A QUESTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLIANCE WITH THE STANDARD AND WHETHER WE AGREE OR NOT AGREE THAT THERE WAS AN INFRACTION IN PLACE. BUT CERTAINLY NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT WAS PORTRAYED TODAY IN THE EPA CONFERENCE, WHICH I FOUND A BIT OVERREACHING.

CARUSO-CABRERA: SIR, THANK YOU FOR THE PATIENCE. JUST ONE MORE. YOU'RE ITALIAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT. YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH VAT TAXES AND THE INTERNATIONAL TAXATION SYSTEM. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE, BUT THERE'S A BIG MOVEMENT HERE WITHIN THE HOUSE GOP TO TRY TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE CORPORATE TAXES IN AMERICA AND INSTEAD GO TO WHAT THEY ARE CALLING A CASH FLOW TAX AND BORDER ADJUSTMENT TAX. ANY OPINION ON THAT? HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT IT? THINKING ABOUT IT?

MARCHIONNE: I'M NOT SURE I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT, AND BY THE WAY, I'M PARTIALLY ITALIAN AND I'M ALSO CANADIAN. BUT THE ISSUE IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE BECAUSE THE BORDER TAXES, I THINK, HAVE GOT SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS ON THE FLOW OF GOODS OUT OF THE U.S. AND I THINK IT WILL IMPACT OUR EXPANSION STRATEGIES FOR JEEP AND RAM. I THINK ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES OF WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS WITH CHRYSLER WAS TO TRY AND TURN JEEP INTO A GLOBAL BRAND, AND WE NEED THE U.S. MANUFACTURING FOOTPRINT TO GET THAT DONE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL. I APPRECIATE THE REDUCTION IN THE CORPORATE TAX RATE, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T BECOME TOO INSULAR IN THE PROCESS.

LEBEAU: FIAT CHRYSLER CEO SERGIO MARCHIONNE JOINING US EXCLUSIVELY HERE ON "POWER LUNCH" FROM THE COMPANY'S HEADQUARTERS IN AUBURN HILLS MICHIGAN. SERGIO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

About CNBC:

With CNBC in the U.S., CNBCin Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and CNBC World, CNBCis the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-timefinancial market coverage and business information to approximately 381 millionhomes worldwide, including more than 94 million households in the United Statesand Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million householdsacross China. The network's 15 live hours a day of business programming inNorth America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC'sglobal headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBCNews bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of new realityprogramming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC anda number of distinctive in-house documentaries.

CNBC also has a vastportfolio of digital products which deliver real-time financial market news andinformation across a variety of platforms including: CNBC.com; CNBC PRO, thepremium, integrated desktop/mobile service that provides live access to CNBCprogramming, exclusive video content and global market data and analysis; asuite of CNBC mobile products including the CNBC Apps for iOS, Android andWindows devices; and additional products such as the CNBC App for the AppleWatch and Apple TV.

Members of the media canreceive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBCUniversalMedia Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/programming/cnbc.

For more information aboutNBCUniversal, please visit http://www.NBCUniversal.com.
Investors have been over-confident to the point of complacency in the aftermath of Donald Trump 's surprise election victory in November, a global economist told CNBC on Thursday.

The U.S. has witnessed one of the strongest post-election stock market rallies in history in the wake of Trump's election triumph. Much of the success in financial markets has been founded on investor optimism that Trump would stick to his promises and cut taxes, relax regulation and increase spending on infrastructure.

"We've been concerned about misplaced (investor) optimism and, to a degree, complacency about Trump's policies," Tim Cooper, global economist at BMI Research, told CNBC on Thursday.

"We don't see much of this limited stimulus coming in to play until 2018 and we think Trump is going to disappoint on the economy," he added.
watch now

Dr. Ben Carson, nominee for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, sought to assure a Senate committee Thursday that there was a real "nexus" between health and housing, and that makes the neurosurgeon more than qualified for the job. He would not, however, promise to avoid the nexus between the billions of dollars HUD pours into the real estate industry and the Trump real estate empire. "Can you assure me that not a single taxpayer dollar that you give out will financially benefit the president elect or his family?" Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, asked during the confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.

"I can assure you that the things that I do are driven by a sense of morals and values, and therefore I will absolutely not play favorites for anyone," he answered.

"Do I take that to mean that you might manage programs that might significantly benefit the president-elect?" continued Warren.

"You can take it to mean that I will manage things in a way that benefits the American people. That is going to be the goal. If there happens to be an extraordinarily good program that's working for millions of people and it turns out that someone that you're targeting is going to benefit, you know $10 from it, am I going to say no, the rest of you Americans can't have it? I think logic and common sense probably would be the best way," responded Carson.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Ben Carson testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Zach Gibson | AP

Warren replied: "The problem is that you can't assure us that HUD money, not of $10 varieties, but multimillion dollar varieties, will not end up in the president-elect's pockets, and the reason you can't assure us of that is because the president-elect is hiding his family's business interests from you, from me, from the rest of America."

HUD is clearly at the crossroads of the Trump industry and the president-elect's conflict with government. Carson, the former GOP presidential candidate, has no experience in housing, but as a strong supporter of Donald Trump, he has the valuable ear of the White House. Conflicts are obviously possible, and Carson gave no assurance that he would place a firewall between Trump the real estate developer and Trump the president of the United States.

Carson did immediately address his lack of experience in housing policy, the primary complaint against him from opposition groups. He noted his experience on various corporate boards, which included selecting chief executive officers. "A good CEO doesn't necessarily know everything about the business, but he knows how to pick people and how to use them, and that is one of the marks of good leadership," Carson said in his remarks to the panel. Carson focused much of his opening remarks on race relations and health, using his expertise in both to highlight their importance in housing. Previous HUD secretaries have woven race into housing, emphasizing how fair lending practices and government aid to struggling communities are necessary to bridging the divide between the haves and the have-nots. " I see HUD as part of the solution, helping ensure housing security and strong communities," he said in the statement. "HUD has several different ways it helps people, through insuring financing for that first home to helping those in poverty, which has been an intractable problem for decades." Carson's emphasis on health issues in housing clearly draws on his professional experience and marks something of a new take on housing in low-income neighborhoods. He cited mold, lead paint, pest infestation and poor ventilation as dangers that are particularly prevalent in poorer neighborhoods and housing projects.

"I am passionate about health as you may have guessed, and where one lives should not cause health problems. So I look forward to working with HUD's Safe and Healthy Homes program and others on these issues. We cannot have social mobility without a strong healthy foundation in the home," he said.



On one closely watched policy question, specifically the recent announcement by the current HUD secretary, Julian Castro, that the Federal Housing Administration would reduce its annual premium by 25 basis points, Carson was non-committal. "I, too, was surprised to see something of this nature done on the way out the door. Certainly if confirmed, I'm going to work with the FHA administrator and other experts to really examine that policy," Carson said in response to a question from Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa. Carson was more emphatic on rental assistance programs, saying: "I think the rental assistance program is essential. When it comes to entitlement programs it is cruel and unusual punishment to withdraw those programs before you provide an alternative." He also told the committee he had changed his mind about cutting government spending across all federal agencies by 10 percent. He trimmed that to 1 percent. Carson was also clear on the question of government funding in the mortgage market. Republicans, including Trump Treasury Steven Mnuchin, have suggested aggressive moves to bring private capital back to the mortgage market. "We do have to have a mechanism, a backstop of some type. Otherwise when someone comes in and buys up the loans, securitizes them, we're probably not going to be able to sell them to the entities that buy them," Carson said.





WATCH: Trumps tweets can cost a company billions of dollars. Heres how...
Italy 's fifth-largest bank UBI Banca said on Thursday it would launch a share issue for up to 400 million euros (347.17 million pounds) to strengthen its capital after offering to take over three small rescued banks.

UBI approved a binding offer worth 1 euro to buy Banca Marche, Banca Etruria and CariChieti, which Italy rescued from bankruptcy in November 2015 and struggled to find a buyer for in the course of last year.

Private equity bids were rejected over the summer as too low and an acquisition by UBI took longer than expected partly due to a number of conditions set by the lender.

UBI said its offer was subordinated to the fact that Italy's resolution fund inject 450 million euro in capital into the three banks before the closing of the sale.

The banks must also offload 2.2 billion euros in problem loans before then.
Pandora shares rose as much as 7 percent in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company said it would cut jobs and beat its earnings forecast.

The online radio company said it would slash 7 percent of its U.S. employee base by the first fiscal quarter of this year, as a cost-cutting measure.

"While making workforce reductions is always a difficult decision, the commitment to cost discipline will allow us to invest more heavily in product development and monetization and build on the foundations of our strategic investments," Pandora CEO Tim Westergren said in a statement.
watch now

Ashley Walker didn't know her father's death would kill her credit score. When Walker's father, Kenneth Lovell, died of lung cancer on Aug. 31, the Social Security Administration accidentally listed her as deceased in its Master Death File. That fatal mistake affects about 6,000 people a year, according to the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General. And that figure is actually lower than the estimated 12,000 inaccurately reported as dead in 2011, the last time the inspector general did an audit of the data. "If I'm supposed to be dead, where is my death certificate?" asked Walker, a 28-year-old junior at Chicago State University studying chemistry, who recently accepted a paid summer internship at Harvard University's astrochemistry lab. She hopes to complete a doctorate in the field.

Ashley Walker Source: Ashley Walker

Walker did not discover the mistake until November, when she was rejected for an auto loan to buy a car to get to school, even though she had more than $5,000 for a down payment. She looked at her credit score to find that it was 540. (Many credit scores range from 350 to 850 and the average American has a score of nearly 700.) "I've never been a big money or material person," Walker said. "I should have been checking my credit report regularly for errors."

This is the most painful credit report error because it goes out to everyone. Nick Clements co-founder of MagnifyMoney

What is particularly damaging about a false death report by the Social Security Administration is that all three major credit-reporting companies are contacted and the mistake can take up to three months to correct. "This is the most painful credit report error because it goes out to everyone," said Nick Clements, co-founder of MagnifyMoney, a financial product comparison website who spent 15 years in the credit card industry. Once Walker saw her credit score plummet and realized that the three major credit reporting firms  Equifax, Experian and TransUnion  listed her as deceased, she and her mother, Linda, went to their Social Security office. Though it took a few hours, Walker eventually got a letter verifying she is alive and that she could share with the three credit-reporting companies, her bank, her internet service provider and any other organization that relies on credit reports to make their decisions. "It is an extremely slow process," Walker said. "I'm still dealing with it, and it has taken months." The error put Walker's financial aid at Chicago State and her Harvard internship in jeopardy. The Department of Education revoked her student loans for the spring semester, which started Jan. 9. And if she did not attend school this semester, she would not qualify for the Harvard internship.

Fearing that she didn't have enough money to go to school without the aid, Walker raised $8,720 in donations on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe to attend the spring semester. She continues to work out the financial aid details with Chicago State.

What to do if this happens to you

If you are in such a situation, it may be tempting to hire a credit repair company. However, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an alert in September about these businesses. Avoid any firms that charge an advance fee for their services, which is illegal. If you use a company, make sure you know all the fees you will pay and the limits of any so-called "money-back guarantee." "With a credit repair company, you are basically paying for services you can easily do yourself," Clements said. To fix an error on your credit reports, it requires sending a lot of letters. The Federal Trade Commission advises consumers report any errors in writing, and the commission provides a sample letter on its website. Make copies of any supporting documentation that prove the information on the credit report is incorrect.

How to protect yourself
Ryan said that Obamacare heath insurance plans are in a "death spiral"  a claim that has been strongly disputed by Obama administration officials  and argued that fast action is justified and necessary. A death spiral occurs with health plans are overloaded with sick customers, leading to ever-rising premium prices.

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday vowed to push ahead with plans to quickly repeal Obamacare and replace it with new provisions, saying Americans are at immediate risk from the current health-care law.

"We do feel the need to act quickly, because, again, this thing is collapsing," said Ryan, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, hours after the Senate voted in the dead of night 51-48 to approve a budget resolution that is being used to gut the Affordable Care Act. The House is scheduled to take up that resolution Friday.

Tweet

"We're working on an aggressive timetable," said the speaker.

"This week, Congress is on track to put in place the tools necessary to repeal and replace Obamacare," Ryan said. "This is the first of several steps that we will be taking to deliver relief to millions of Americans who are struggling under this law."



Asked for comment on Ryan's claims about the ACA's strength, or lack thereof, Obama health officials pointed to news earlier this week that sign-ups on health plans sold on Obamacare exchanges had topped 11.5 million nationally so far this open enrollment season. That's nearly 300,000 more people signing up than were seen during the same time period last year.

At the time of that announcement Tuesday, senior federal health official Aviva Aron-Dine said, "We can officially pronounce these death spiral claims are dead."

Ryan told reporters Thursday that congressional Republicans are "not holding to hard deadlines" in their repeal-and-replace efforts, and that they would coordinate those efforts with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.



"We want to make sure that we move these things concurrently, at the same time, repeal and replace," Ryan said.

"We need to show that there's a better way forward. We need to show that even though this law is collapsing, we can bridge ourselves to a much, much better system. The pillars that we stand upon with replacing Obamacare  more choices, more options, lower prices and more control over your own health care. Those are the things that we all believe in," Ryan said.

"We're completely in sync, planning on a daily basis with the administration for how to roll all this out. And that's what we're doing."

"We're going to do this the way Congress is supposed to work," said Ryan, arguing that Democrats had rammed through passage of the ACA six years ago.

Tweet
"Someone like you. Someone who will rattle the cages."

 Batman

If you believe the buzz, the regulatory environment is about to change. And that has a lot of U.S. business leaders feeling pretty optimistic. I'm one of them, but I'm also worried and more than a little pissed off at the current state of our industry.

You see, for years, the industry I work in has enjoyed a well-earned reputation for screwing its customers. The long-time incumbents have had a death grip on one of the most important services of our time  mobile access to the Internet. And they've taken advantage of their duopoly position at every turn. Left unchecked by disruptive forces (like T-Mobile), what would these companies do?



This question matters. Your phone today is so much more than just a gadget  it's a lifeline. It's how you communicate, stay connected, navigate the world, have some fun and so much more. Today, the internet is mobile. Mobile is the internet. Everything  from the latest blockbusters to your bank statements  is online. And, this year, a full 75 percent of all internet use in the U.S. will happen on mobile devices.



So, when I see the others trying to tax, toll and restrict access to the mobile Internet, it pisses me off! You see, I believe big businesses and their leaders have a huge responsibility, especially in a less restrictive regulatory environment, to ensure the average Joe and Jane are being treated right.



After all, that's exactly what we've been doing at T-Mobile  rattling corporate cages and challenging the status quo. Over the past four years, again and again and again, we've listened to wireless customers, shone a bright light on their biggest pain points, challenged the industry to change and started that change at T-Mobile first.



That simple Un-carrier formula has worked. We ended those ridiculous two-year service contracts, and the industry followed. Now, 155 million Americans are contract-free. We eradicated $1.3 billion in break-up fees across the industry, so customers can change carriers when they want without penalty. We ended punitive overages, and now up to $2.4 billion a year in overage penalties are on their way out. And those are just a few of our Un-carrier moves that have changed wireless.
I discovered that I didn't belong as soon as I learned how to read. Eager to show off my new reading skills, I pleaded with my mom to let me fill out a form as we waited at my doctor's office. The first few questions were simple enough: "Name," "Age," "Gender." Then my eyes scanned down to the section titled "Ethnicity". I asked my mom what it meant, and she told me to just check off "other." As I stared blankly at the check boxes before finally ticking off the "other" box, it became my first revelation that I didn't quite fit.

More from Michaela Alexis:

A career that's hazy will drive you crazy: Finding clarity in a blurry life

Your inner critic is a bonehead: 5 beliefs that are holding you back

5 life changing books you need to check out to build a LinkedIn following My father was born and raised in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and immigrated to Canada in his thirties. I know what you're thinking right now, and yes, that would make me biracial. No, apparently my genes did NOT get the memo.

My parents (I just can't seem to figure out why it didn't work out between them ;))

I grew up with traditional dishes like callaloo, doubles, and aloo pie, and spent summers frolicking on Tobago's shores and dancing like a madwoman at Caribana in Toronto. But, while my sister, who has darker features and beautiful spiral curls, was widely considered mixed, I was never accepted as black enough. On the other hand, because my cuisine and upbringing was so different from my white friends in the suburbs, I never felt like I was enough for that group either.

Growing up as an awkward mixed kid, all I wanted was to belong somewhere, anywhere.

Whether it has to do with your race, gender, sexuality, appearance, dancing skills, etc., at some point, you have probably felt a yearning to belong as well.



For some, feeling less-than is a motivator, it fires you up so that you hustle harder. But for the rest of us, feeling like your hard work is never going to pay off is both depressing and paralyzing. "Being in a career where you don't feel valued is like being in a crappy relationship. You know damn well that it's not working out, but feelings of unworthiness have you in an emotional choke-hold, preventing you from going after a career that you both love and deserve."

I've been where you are. I remember justifying bad management and desperately wanting to be accepted within toxic cultures. That day never came. It was only when I hit rock bottom last March that I realized that the only person that could determine my worth was me.

Here are some of the roadblocks that I've stumbled upon along my journey toward self-acceptance that you might be experiencing yourself right now!



1. Your employer depends on you feeling like you aren't enough There are many different management styles in the workplace, and I've experienced a wide variety so far. I remember one hyper-competitive company I worked for that would regularly exclude one or two people from each department from group outings. It was brushed off as an innocent oversight, but it left those who were not invited disappointed and paranoid. It also instantly put the rest of all into self-preservation mode. Weak cultures rely on scare tactics and emotional manipulation to batter your self-esteem and bruise your confidence. If you feel like you aren't enough, you're more likely to work harder to try and prove your worth. It also keeps you loyal, out of fear of never finding anything better or being unemployed. Bad companies ingrain a scarcity mentality that is super tough to shake. Like any bad relationship, the only way that you will begin to see the full picture is after you've moved on and reflect back on the experience.





2. Your worth is based on silly social media metrics

Statistics are important. As a writer, I check analytics constantly. I publish, check the analytics, and adjust my style accordingly. My purpose is to help others by sharing my career experiences, and to do so, I need to constantly work on my communication skills. The trouble starts when you begin to measure your self-worth with statistics. As much of an ego boost it is for me to me to be in the top 1% of LinkedIn profiles, I support their decision to get rid of rankings. It creates false confidence, and makes people focus less creating meaningful relationships and learning new skills, and more on superficial numbers. Your worth doesn't require a WiFi signal. If you find yourself acting like one of Pavlov's dogs every time your smart phone dings, it may be time to unplug and start focusing on what you want your real life to look like.





3. Your career is not aligned with who you are. I've said it already, but I'll say it again: A career is a relationship. You know that settling down with a person that made you cringe on the first date is a bad move, but you don't apply those same standards to your job. The right career just fits. With Grade A, it was love at first interview. Grade A knew it too, and offered me a role that didn't even exist within a couple of days. A year later, I feel even more appreciation for the culture and team.

I can't tell you how many people have spoken to me about the sadness that they feel as soon as they get to work because they feel like they can't be themselves. If you are finding yourself feeling like a fraud, it could be the tension that exists between your work self and your off-duty self. I'm dubbing this condition "Identity Gap Anxiety".

Identity Gap Anxiety: Tension created by the space between who you truly are and who you're hired to be.

Your job shouldn't feel like a daily performance. If you are tired of acting instead of living, then it's time to find a company that eliminates that gap.


The two tech investors tied to Peter Thiel met with president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday, and discussed, among other things, the possible future of the FDA.

Balaji Srinivasan, CEO of bitcoin start-up 21.co, and Jim O'Neill, the managing director of investment firm Mithril Capital Management, were both scheduled to meet with Trump Thursday afternoon. Both "are being considered for positions in the FDA," incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on a daily briefing call.



Srinivasan, also a partner at venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, is an expert in the subjects of digital payments and computational biology, and teaches at Stanford University. Srinivasan's expertise in health regulation stems back to a start-up he co-founded, Counsyl, which offers DNA screening, especially for people considering having children.



Srinivasan has openly criticized the FDA, saying that "big bad pharma does exist, but is only half the story. FDA sets the incentives."



Tweet: Why care about the FDA so much? Well, whether you want a new drug or to get to transhumanism they are the man to beat - or escape, via exit.

O'Neill, who has previously been mentioned as a potential FDA pick, formerly advised top players at Heath and Human Services on drug and research investments. He's also been outspoken about the state of healthcare regulation, speaking on the issue of aging at a conference in 2014.
President-elect Donald Trump talks to Vice President-elect Mike Pence during a press conference at Trump Tower in New York on January 11, 2017. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

Americans weren't the only ones tuning into Donald Trump's first press conference since being elected president of the U.S.  citizens of countries around the world watched for clues on how the new administration would impact their lives. As his comments reverberated throughout the globe, people shared their views on America's next leader.



Japan

Regular citizens on the streets of Tokyo said they were nervous about what a Trump presidency would bring in terms of trade ties and more.

"It makes me worried about the future, not just in terms of the economy but that this might spread to other issues," said Kazuko Ogasawara, a 37-year-old office worker. Takato Fujime said he was calmer about the Trump presidency, adding he was not too alarmed by the comments. "I wasn't surprised by his remarks but I wonder whether he actually has the power to go through with his threats," the 32-year-old said. On Wednesday, the president-elect called out Japan  one of the U.S.'s most important allies and trading partners  as an example of a country where America made "bad deals." "We have hundreds of billions of dollars of losses on a yearly basis  hundreds of billions with China on trade and trade imbalance, with Japan, with Mexico, with just about everybody. We don't make good deals anymore," he said. Officials, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of strong trade ties between the two countries. "Robust trade and investments serve as the main source for a vibrant Japan-U.S. economic relationship," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told journalists in Tokyo. "This is free trade, something that the United States advocates, and we believe [Trump] will continue to push forward these things." Suga, who is the government's main spokesman, went on to use U.S. government statistics to underline Japan's importance to America: Japanese investment in the U.S. stands at $411 billion and has created 840,000 jobs. "I think we can say that Japanese companies are already being recognized as good corporate citizens in the United States," Suga added.

Russia

Irina Smirnova shrugged off Trump's alleged ties to Russia. "We don't care [about Trump], as long as life's good in Russia," the unemployed 39-year-old said in Moscow. "It's hard to say how he'll impact us, he's a pretty two-faced man, a complicated man. Unpredictable. You can expect anything from him. While calling him "a sly man, not as simple as he wants to look," she said that Russian intelligence services could well have hacked U.S. accounts in an effort to influence the election as they have been accused of. "It's possible  our guys are totally capable of this," Smirnova said. English teacher Anatoly Mukhachyov said he just hoped for the best. "I hope that with Donald Trump's arrival, the relations between Russia and the United States will change," the 67-year-old said.

China

China was a focus of Trump's criticism throughout the press conference with the president-elect Trump calling out Beijing for hacking attacks, taking "total advantage of us economically" and building up artificial islands in contested waters in the South China Sea. Victor Gao, the director of the China National Association of International Studies and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's former interpreter, said Trump was trying to deflect attention from recent reports about his alleged ties to Russia by lashing out at China. Donald Trump is "fiercely defending his own reputation by shifting the attention from Russia to China," he said, calling the president-elect "very much misguided." More from NBC News:

Donald Trump wasn't told about unverified Russia memo, official says

Trump presser leaves big questions on ethics, Russia, health care

Though well-liked, 'Mad Dog' Mattis faces obstacles to confirmation as Defense Secretary

Tom Quan, a marketing specialist, said Trump should do his research before accusing China. "I think a politician should avoid making groundless conclusions," said the 52-year-old resident of Beijing. "It's better if they make statements after the relevant departments' analysis. It's more convincing if what you say is backed by evidence." Chang Moujun, a 30-year-old Beijing finance worker, downplayed the president-elect's comments, adding that even if China was involved in hacking so was the U.S. "His intention is to attract attention. After all, he hasn't taken office yet. He might tone down a little after he officially assumes office," he said.

Germany

Professor Tobias Endler described Trump's behavior as laughable at times, but he also criticized the president-elect for invoking Nazi-era Germany, to describe the press' treatment of recent salacious and unconfirmed reports about his ties to Russia. "I had to grin several times," the professor of American Studies at Heidelberg University told NBC News' partner ZDF. "But in regard to the power of the office you choke on the laughter. Trump's speech reminded of a sitcom, which at the end was more like a horror comedy." Before and during the press conference Trump said it was "disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do." Endler responded to this by saying: "Trump repeated this in the press conference and gave room to conspiracy theories. 'Lying press,' which spreads fake news and takes a last shot at him. Trump [presents] himself as a potential victim. The comparison to Nazi Germany is impossible. That is belittling, distorting and an insult to the victims of Nazi Germany."

Israel

Haim Dekel said that while he liked Trump's personality, he was worried about the effects of a Trump presidency.

"He has a great personality, is a daring and crazy guy," the 61-year-old pilot said. "You never know what's going to happen with him. He is childish and now the world is a big playground for him." Dekel added: "I don't think he is going to do good for my country  it looks as if he is going to be good, but its going to be disaster. Trump has criticized recent President Barack Obama decisions related to to Israel  most recently the administration's decision to abstain from a United Nations resolution labeling Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal.

West Bank
President-elect Donald Trump's harsh stance on Mexican jobs and immigration could end up backfiring  by prompting more Mexicans to look for work in the United States.

Since the Great Recession, improved job prospects in Mexico have prompted a greater number of unauthorized Mexican immigrants moving from the United States back to Mexico than the other way around, immigration data show. Many of those new jobs in Mexico have come about thanks to a rising amount of trade between the two countries since 1994, when NAFTA went into effect.



Between 2009 and 2014, a million Mexican families, some of whose children were born in the United States, returned to Mexico, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. The analysis also found that, in addition to reversing the flow of Mexican immigration, the overall level of migration between the two countries, in either direction, fell to its lowest level since the 1990s.
Washington watchers who see a gloomy future for environmental issues may be missing something Wall Street already sees: an $8.7 trillion boom in sustainable investments.

One of every five dollars invested in the U.S. today targets sustainable investments. Not to be outdone, private capital is flowing there too. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma and other tech titans recently committed $1 billion to launching a new, low carbon energy fund. Warren Buffett's company is busy investing in new solar and wind energy projects, including the world's largest solar plant. And 84 major corporations have pledged to source 100 percent of their energy from renewables going forward.

All of this investment activity may seem counterintuitive. After all, the incoming Trump administration has vowed to reverse environmental regulations, and his Cabinet is being packed with old-school fans of fossil fuels. Despite this, big global trends like climate change are hastening investment in technology solutions to environmental problems.

Many investors recognize this opportunity and are thinking "green"  as in the color of money. Investments targeting companies that are addressing environmental challenges with products or services have been shown to outperform the overall stock market. Academic studies have shown that companies with high environmental, social and governance ("ESG") standards have outperformed companies with low or no standards.

Likewise, many cities, states, major corporations, and utilities have vowed to continue to reduce their carbon emissions, regardless of any changes in federal policy. The push? Their stakeholders  including consumers who are demanding more sustainable business practices, but also investors who are beginning to recognize the risks that climate change poses within their portfolios. There is strong support for renewable energy at the state level, too. California and New York are leading 17 other states with aggressive renewable energy targets (requiring that up to 50 percent of energy come from renewables by 2030).

At the federal level, tax credits for wind and solar were extended just 12 months ago, with significant Republican support. Perhaps most importantly, the increasingly attractive economics of wind and solar energy means that they now compete head to head with coal and natural gas sourced electricity. Indeed, well over 50 percent of new electricity generation capacity globally now comes from new wind and solar projects.

So where can investors find growth?

Investors everywhere wonder where they can find long term opportunities to grow their nest eggs in a low growth world. Based on many macroeconomic trends, sustainable investments may be one of the best places to find strong growth. Based on current consumption, we are using the production equivalent of 1.6 planet earths to meet our economic needs.

If we continue on this unsustainable path, by 2050, we will likely need more than three planet earths. To meet growing demand in a more sustainable fashion, the world economy will need to undergo huge structural changes in the energy, manufacturing, transportation, food production, and waste management sectors.

Companies providing solutions to these sustainability challenges are poised to benefit the most from this economic transition now underway around the world. Long term investors recognize these global sustainability trends go beyond the next four years and are positioning their portfolios accordingly.

While some politicians remain dubious, there is no doubt that investors are awakening to the opportunity. My firm, Impax Asset Management, saw record inflows from U.S. and Canadian investors this year. Our own results and numerous studies have shown that sustainable investment strategies reward investors.

Adding to the momentum, a 2015 Labor Department ruling about fiduciary duty stated that financial managers can prudently consider environmental, social, and governance information when making investment decisions. Going even further, the European Union announced in November that all pension funds must incorporate environmental risks into their portfolio management. Pension funds there hold more than $3.1 trillion and represent 75 million people. That's a clear indication of the global nature of this movement.

Sustainable investment is a good strategy whether you are concerned about the environment or not. No matter how charged environmental and climate risks become in public discourse, businesses know that they have to deal with the physical reality of a changing climate by sourcing cheaper and cleaner sources of electricity, building infrastructure solutions for cities dealing with rising tides, and constantly innovating to address resource scarcity.

Recognizing this opportunity, World Resources Institute recently committed to integrating sustainability as a core part of the investment decision-making for its own endowment. They researched over 100 asset owners and managers with over $1 trillion in holdings to identify best practices and offerings, and repositioned their entire portfolio towards sustainable investments.

The early results are very encouraging. Even the difficulties asset owners described are easily reframed as opportunities. Sustainable investing is challenged by non-standardized reporting and metrics, and few actionable frameworks. But with demand for sustainable investment surging, firms will be rewarded for solving these issues, and we see more institutional quality investment products available in all asset classes almost daily.

Political vacuums create market opportunities. The financial markets are now paying attention to this new reality. Investors and firms who don't get on the sustainability train will miss out on the ride of their life.
DeWITT, N.Y.  Saab plans to relocate the North American headquarters of Saab Defense and Security USA, LLC from Ashburn, Virginia to its site on Enterprise Parkway in the town of DeWitt.

The move, in conjunction with other planned activities, will result in the creation of nearly 260 new, high-tech jobs, as well as the retention of Saabs existing local workforce of more than 450 employees, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced in his regional State of the State address in Syracuse.

Empire State Development, New Yorks primary economic-development agency, is providing the company an incentive package of up $30 million in tax credits and a grant, Cuomo said. Saab will invest $55 million in the expansion.

Saab, a company based in Sweden, services customers in the military-defense and civil-security sectors.

Saab acquired DeWittbased Sensis Corp. in 2011 and split the corporation into two units  Saab Defense and Security at 5717 Enterprise Parkway in DeWitt and the Saab Sensis Corp. unit at 85 Collamer Crossing Parkway, also in DeWitt

Saab currently employs more than 450 people between the two sites.

Saab Defense and Security delivers advanced technology and systems to U.S. armed forces and other government agencies.

Saab Sensis makes air-traffic management systems deployed at airports.

Saab North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saab Group, which has operations and employees on all continents around the world.

With several locations across the U.S. and Canada, Saab North America provides a broad range of defense and homeland security products and services to North American customers.

Incentive details

The state says it is offering Saab an incentive package to support its significant investment, job creation, and retention to encourage Saabs efforts to stimulate industrial growth in Central New York.

Empire State Development will provide performance-based incentives of up to $30 million, including $20 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits and a $10 million URI grant.

Through its subsidiaries, Saab North America will invest about $55 million over the period of the agreement, which will include technology transfer, building renovations, the installation of machinery and equipment, and the installation of furniture, fixtures and equipment.

As a result, Saab will create 258 new jobs at its subsidiaries  Saab Defense and Security and Saab Sensis  while retaining its existing Upstate New York workforce of 456 employees.

This project will establish the Enterprise Parkway facility as the new North American headquarters for Saab Defense and Security, while also helping to grow Saab Sensis at the Collamer Crossing Parkway site.

Additionally, the company will begin a technology transfer program that will enable Saab Defense and Security to develop new products optimized for the U.S. government and industry customers.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
MoDOT prefers flyover ramps at 70 and 63

Following public and stakeholder meetings, MoDOT is moving ahead with its preferred idea of a flyover at the 70/63 connector.
Donna James Leads a Bold Plan to Revive Victorias Secret

James has a proven record as a C-suite executive and adviser. Now, shes guiding the lingerie giant toward a more inclusive, financially sound future.
WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security said Wednesday his top priority in 2017 will be to push for creation of a cybersecurity agency within the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS needs focus and resources, and they are doing a decent job, but could be doing a lot better with the help of Congress, said U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) in comments to reporters at the National Press Club. Its not a Republican or Democratic issue.

Ed Schipul U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas)

McCaul said one vital role for the DHS in the future would be to provide cyber assistance on national elections that are under the management of the states.

DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson on Friday called for designating the nations election infrastructure as a critical infrastructure, given the vital role elections play in the country. Johnson emphasized that the designation does not mean there would be a federal takeover or intrusion into elections.

Well before Johnsons statement was issued, election officials in several states had reached out to federal authorities prior to the November election for cybersecurity assistance. Many states disconnected their voting machines from the internet as a defense, according to Emma Garrison-Alexander, a vice dean in the cybersecurity program at the University of Maryland University College. She is a former CIO for the Transportation Security Administration.

Given the influence of Russian hackers in the 2016 presidential election and Chinas hack of the Office of Personnel Management, McCaul said, theres no greater attack than that to our democracy. McCaul said he agreed with many Republicans that the Russian hacks really had no impact on the outcome of the election, but it is a dangerous precedent.

McCaul said he has urged President-elect Donald Trump to call out Russia for bad behavior and said the U.S. needs to make some kind of equivalent response.

More generally, McCaul said the DHS  as a civilian agency  needs to work more urgently to assist the private sector in defending the nations critical infrastructure, including communications, the electric grid and nuclear energy.

Eighty percent of the malicious codes are in the private sector, McCaul said. We need the civilian agency to work with the private sector, but it also needs to defend itself. The private sector has responsibility.

McCaul also said that he preferred using a civilian agency over having the military defend private infrastructure from cyberattacks.

More members of Congress realize this [critical infrastructure protection] is an issue, he added. Oversight of DHS will be more important. I want to reauthorize DHS and include a lead cybersecurity agency in the department. Right now we dont have the priority and focus to defend the nation. By creating this primary agency, DHS will have greater capability.

This story, "DHS should have a cybersecurity unit, says panel chairman" was originally published by Computerworld .
Here are the news, tips & tricks I learned from the 2017 RStudio Conference in Kissimmee, Florida. I am updating this blog throughout the conference. I hope you'll come back to see the latest!

Jan 14, 3:31 PM: Productivity tips for using R Notebooks, from RStudio software engineer Jonathan McPherson's presentation:

There's a new outline view for Notebooks in RStudio: Look for an icon at the top right or use ctrl-shift-O.

A notebook's progress bar doubles as a navigation bar to take you to the chunk that's currently running.

If you want to make a notebook more reproducible - restart R and run all chunks

You can customize keyboard shortcuts in newer versions of RStudio. Go to Tools > Modify Keyboard Shortcuts. McPherson suggests making keyboard shortcuts for collapsing and expanding all notebook chunks.

Jan 14, 2:54 PM: You can create websites with R using R Markdown and the relatively new blogdown package. It uses a static-site-generator called Hugo, which can be installed within R with the command blogdown::install_hugo .

blogdown helper functions include: new_site() to create a new site, new_post(), install_theme("Hugo theme URL"). serve_site() rebuilds your site and lets you preview your site locally. (Note: Some external Hugo themes may need to be tweaked to work with blogdown; this isn't documented yet). There's also a Live Preview add-in for RStudio that, as the name implies, lets you rebuild and preview your site locally. new_post() fills out some YAML metadata in a new R Markdown file for starting a new post.

In addition, brand new to blogdown today - Yihui Xie wrote it this afternoon at the conference: a "new post" RStudio add-in for one-click adding a new post.

Jan 14, 1:44 PM: A couple of RStudio IDE tips from Kevin Ushey:

If you type the partial name of file name inside quotation marks, there will be auto-complete options that will include the path to that file.

There are more diagnostics within RStudio than syntax problems. It can check for missing function arguments, typos in variable names and more. Look in Tools > Code > Diagnostics for options and to enable them.

Jan 14, 11:40 AM: Yihui Xie's slides from his Advanced R Markdown session are at http://bit.ly/2017-rc-rmd. A few of the tips I rounded up from the session:

Jan 14, 11:22 AM: You can add your own CSS file and HTML snippets into an R Markdown document that you are converting to HTML. Here's what part of the document YAML header would look like:

output: html_document: css: "mycssfile.css" includes: in_header: "header.html" before_body: "before.html" after_body: "after.html"

Jan 14, 11:05 AM: When rendering an R Markdown document, you can set the them option to NULL to reduce the HTML file size significantly . (The default uses a Bootstrap theme which is somewhat large.)

Jan 14, 10:40 AM: Another useful tip if you write documents that display R code:

```r

[some code here]

```



without curly brackets displays R code without evaluating it. Faster to type than

```{r eval = FALSE}

```



Jan 14, 9:10 AM: New on CRAN this week: an R package with data, code and stories from projects at FiveThirtyEight.com, created by academics who were looking for engaging data sets to help teach undergraduate statistics. FiveThirtyEight staff collaborated with the authors. Package authors rewrote some FiveThirtyEight code to make it more readable and to update it with newer packages in R's "tidyverse." You can find the fivethirtyeight package on CRAN.

There are 6 types of data stories, said former FiveThirtyEight data editor Andrew Flowers in his Saturday opening keynote address:

Novelty - A story that presents new data, or data that a reader/viewer hasn't understood before in a specific context. Danger: triviality. It's easy to report something that's not really meaningful. Tactics: Simple summaries - best to do simple analysis on new data and take a conservative approach. Also, ask yourself whether your finding is actually interesting to anyone besides you.

Outlier - This is the most common and the most effective data story, Flowers said. We're naturally drawn to stories about "best", "worst", etc. "They're the bread and butter of data journalists. It's like shooting fish in a barrel," Flowers said. Sports are one example: Why Stephen Curry and Lionel Messi are so great? Ask yourself: Is this really so different? Good tactic: Profile someone/something as an outlier for interest, and don't just present data.

Archetype - Telling story about something that's not necessarily different or new, but interesting. Example: Looking at Ferguson, Missouri -- yes, it's poor and unequal, but it's not so different from many other American communities? Danger: Oversimplification. Tactic: Modeling. Make sure to ask yourself: What variables am I leaving out? You want to keep it simple, but not oversimplify, he said.

Trend - What's changed? What's new? Can be effective around a breaking-news event. Danger: Regression to the mean. Is this signal or noise? You can look silly when things come back to equilibrium. Be conservative when telling data stories involving time series and trends. Make sure to ask yourself whether something is signal or noise. Make sure you have strong evidence before drawing conclusions.

Debunking - Attacking an alleged misperception. Example: The Dollar-And-Cents Case Against Excluding Women in Hollywood. The misperception was that Hollywood movies focused on females don't do well financially. FiveThirtyEight combined analysis of which movies did and didn't accurately portray women in films, the movies' budgets and return on investment. Data and code is available in the fivethirtyeight package. Dangers of this type of story: your own biases. Flowers advises to ask yourself: How much do I want to debunk this? (I'd suggest checking out the fun Spurious Correlations site for more examples).

Forecast - These are typically done with probability models, simulations and scenarios. The danger with any forecast model is "overfitting," assuming that data fits a model when perhaps it doesn't. Ask yourself: Am I properly conveying the uncertainty in my model?

Jan 13, 5:43 PM: The bsplus package is designed so you can get "more stuff in your Shiny app," says creator Ian Lyttle.wraps Bootstrap components, including accordion sidebar, carousel, tooltips, popover, help links and more. It was inspired by the shinyBS package, he said. Nothing in bsplus depends on the server part of Shiny, it's all in the UI side, which means it will work in R Markdown documents as well.

Jan 13, 5:34 PM: Karl Broman, professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, has started a GitHub repo to collect links to conference presentation slides .

Jan 13, 5:21 PM: The ggedit package gives an interactive GUI for editing a ggplot2 graphic or theme -- and then lets you see the code behind the change.

Jan 13, 5:12 PM: Friday afternoon lighting talk:

rOpensci packages to consider for your arsenal

magick - R access to the ImageMagick image editing capability

hunspell - spell check in R

tesseract - gives R access to an optical character recognition enginetravis and tic -- tools to make it easy to work in travis

See slide presentation

Jan 13, 5:27 PM: The corrr package makes it easy to explore correlations in R -- get correlation data analysis into a data frame for more analysis. Can be piped, "pretty printed," visualized and more.

Jan 13, 5:05 PM: The easymake package creates make files in R, so you don't keep running code on data that hasn't updated. It includes an RStudio add-in.

Jan 13, 4:07 PM: Julia Silge is presenting on tidy text mining. If you're interested in text analysis in R and aren't in the session, take a look at Tidy Text Mining in R.

Jan 13, 4:03 PM: Vectors don't have to be atomic, notes Jenny Bryan in her presentation on list-cols. Vectors can be lists, too. So you can add a list to a data frame as a data frame column. Four skills to cultivate if you are adding such complex columns:

inspect

index

compute

simplify

You'll be happier if it's a tibble, she noted, but a data frame with a list-column is a valid data frame. Aside: The listviewer package has a nice html widget for viewing complex data. In general, though, you're going to want to learn the purrr package if you want to deal with this, she said. She's got a tutorial posted at https://jennybc.github.io/purrr-tutorial/.

Jan 13, 3:26 PM: If you do nothing else, when you're coding, think data first with your function arguments, advises IT security pro and R package author Bob Rudis. That makes your code pipe-friendly (as in %>% ).

And, a pipe group should be designed to do one thing.

New to me: The httr package has a stop_for_status() function that converts http errors to R errors or warnings. It's a useful concept for other coding, Rudis said.

Jan 13, 2:39 PM: Do you want to pull data from APIs into R? RStudio's Amanda Gadrow posted several useful (and commented) example scripts at https://github.com/ajmcoqui/webAPIsR.

Jan 13, 2:03 PM: New to me: Commoncrawl.org, a project to crawl the Web and "that can be accessed and analyzed by anyone." After loading that project's files into Spark, you can use the sparkwarc package to read them into R. Conference demo showed things like finding most-used keywords and JavaScript libraries in a file with more than 100 million records. Interesting way to analyze Web content. Presentation slides are at bit.ly/2ilaQmi.

Jan 13, 2:00 PM: sparklyr version 0.5 is now on CRAN, useful for those who work with R and Apache Spark data. There are several new functions and improved compatibility, according to a presentation Friday afternoon.

Jan 13, 1:53 PM: Do you work with databases in R? Some news from the RStudio conference this afternoon: The company plans for RStudio version 1.1 to include a tab with information about database connections, as well as a dialog box to easily re-establish previously used connections. You'll also be able to view database drivers, tables and schemas currently available on your system.

Jan 13, 1:45 PM: An R database package is the works called odbc for connecting with databases using a DBI-compliant interface with ODBC drivers. . It's not yet on CRAN, but you can install with devtools::install_github("rstats-db/odbc") . There already is an RODBC package for R, but odbc aims to be faster and provide things like native support for dates. A conference demo should features like parameterized queries and adding SQL queries to R Markdown documents and interactive Shiny apps. If you pull data from databases with R, it's something you'll likely want to investigate.

Jan 13, 12:20 PM: RStudio has two different packages for creating dashboards. flexdashboard is for people who already know (or are willing to learn) R Markdown. shinydashboard is for people who know or are willing to learn the Shiny Web framework for R, which has a somewhat steeper learning curve.

Jan 13, 11:02 AM: If you find yourself copying and pasting code in Shiny, stop and ask yourself if you should be using a reactive expression, Joe Cheng advises. If you're not familiar with reactive expressions in Shiny search for talks on this from the Shiny developer conference. Warning: Don't just search for shiny videos. Those won't get you what you want (and in fact may give you pages of porn results, he said.)

Jan 13, 10:18 AM: Tutorial files for the Building Shiny Dashboards session are at: devtools::install_github("jcheng5/dashtutorial") . Then run dashtutorial::summon() to get exercise files.

Jan 13, 9:57 AM: tidyverse creator Hadley Wickham: "Importing data is either boring or horrifying. Exporting data is boring." (On why he writes packages for data import but not export.)

Jan 13, 9:56 AM: Hadley was asked about concerns in the R community of potentially causing a rift between tidyverse lovers and tidyverse skeptics. "That is honestly not something I spend much time worrying about," he said. "I worry about it a little bit," he admitted, but he said he's motivated by helping people get as far as they can in data analysis. He wants to create what he calls a "pit of success" - something people can easy fall into.

The tidyverse is a great place for people to start, he said, but knows that "in order to do real work you need to go out of the tidyverse."

Jan 13, 9:52 AM: It's currently rather cumbersome to easily look at R lists and json data. Hadley said this is a problem RStudio wants to solve.

Jan 13, 9:40 AM: Hadley Wickham: A function should either compute something or do something. It should never do both.
Over the next 18 months, Amazon expects to add 100,000 full-time jobs in the U.S.

While many of the jobs will be in warehouses, Amazon said the company will be looking for engineers and software developers in such areas as cloud computing and machine learning.

[To comment on this article, visit Computerworld's Facebook page.]

Innovation is one of our guiding principles at Amazon, and its created hundreds of thousands of American jobs, said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, in a statement. These jobs are not just in our Seattle headquarters or in Silicon Valley. Theyre in our customer service network, fulfillment centers and other facilities in local communities throughout the country.

Bezos was among a group of technology company executives who met with President-elect Donald Trump in December. Trump made job creation a key point in his presidential campaign and criticized U.S. companies that outsourced jobs to other countries.

Amazon, the worlds largest online retailer, has expanding its workforce as the business has grown with customers around the world increasingly do their buying online. Over the past five years, Amazon has created more than 150,000 jobs in the U.S., Bezos said, increasing its U.S. workforce from 30,000 employees in 2011 to more than 180,000 at the end of last year.

Obviously its a great sign. Its always good for the economy when we hear companies are going to create permanent positions, said Andrew Challenger, vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a placement firm, in an interview with Computerworld. We always expected that more and more shopping was going online but now its really coming to fruition.

Challenger noted that while most of the company's new hires will be in warehouses, it's a positive sign to see Amazon adding workers in areas like cloud computing and machine learning.

Those are really high-quality jobs," Challenger said. "Were always glad to see companies adding those positions. Its not a surprise since Amazon is a cloud leader. Wed expect them to spend a lot of money on it.

According to Amazon, many of the new hires will be made in the companys new fulfillment centers, some of which are still under construction. That means new jobs in Texas, California, Florida and New Jersey.

The company, which said it already employs more than 10,000 military veterans, announced in 2016 that it plans to hire another 25,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years.

Amazon also committed to training 10,000 active duty service members, spouses and veterans in cloud computing.

While much attention is being given to companies committing to hiring since Trump became president elect, Challenger said he thinks Amazons decision to hire another 100,000 people has been in the works for some time.

Certainly its not a spur of the moment decision to hire 100,000 people, he added. Its a huge capital commitment. Its probably been in the works, but certainly were seeing companies announcing hirings because its getting good press. The president-elect will probably tweet about it and maybe take credit for it ,but it will get the company name out there.
Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party and CEO of Brexit Analytica.

Why does the pound fall every time the Prime Minister talks about Brexit? Because it reminds the markets that two of her governments aims: reducing immigration, and leaving the jurisdiction European Court of Justice, are incompatible with anything other than a hard Brexit. Leave aside the merits of each: what matters to business is that they both entail leaving the Single Market.

Though it might be theoretically possible to construct a free trade area in which goods, services and capital but not people move freely, it is not something that the European Union can concede. Attempts to carve up the Single Market go against the EUs founding principles. When British pro-Europeans advance such schemes, they only betray how little they understood the European project, and give rise to the thought that it is better for them that we are out.

Leaving the jurisdiction of the ECJ is not only politically incompatible with staying in the Single Market: its conceptually impossible to reconcile the two. The Single Market is a single legal area and needs to be run by a single court. Though Norway is technically inside it without being under its jurisdiction, this is a fiction. Norway has formal freedom to depart from EU rules, granted on the understanding that it is never to be used. Leaving the ECJs jurisdiction only to put ourselves under the jurisdiction of another essentially identical body would be just the kind of prestidigitation Theresa May abhors.

Hard Brexiteers, of course see leaving as an end in itself. They think it will enable us to strike better trade deals than the one we currently have with the rest of Europe. Change Britain, which calculated these figures in Euros, argues that if we strike the right trade deals we could increase our trade with countries like Chile, South Korea, the United States by 23 billion a year (20 billion), and that this would generate almost 400,000 jobs.

Assume, for the sake of argument, they are right. Using statistics from HMRC and the OECD, our trade with the EU is worth about 575 billion a year  almost 30 times as much. It follows from this methodology that the Single Market sustains more than 11 million jobs: more than 17,000 per parliamentary constituency, and about a third of all jobs in the UK. Of course, nobody would suggest that trade with the EU would fall to zero (even Guy Verhofstadt does not plan to impose trade sanctions on the UK): the important figure here is the factor of 30. EU trade would only have to fall by three per cent for the gains to be wiped out. It is not that there are no trading opportunities from Brexit, it is just that even according to Brexiteers they arent very large.

As an economic proposition it does not add up. Nor can savings from EU contributions make up the difference. If we were to add to this 20 billion a further 15 billion (10 billion from EU contributions repatriated, spent at home, and postulating a generous multiplier of 1.5) we still only arrive at maximum annual benefits of 35 billion. Deregulation might help, dont expect a Prime Minister who denounces the cult of individualism and plans to step up and go further to do much of it.

In any event, these trade benefits would be available if we negotiated an arrangement like Norways, outside the Customs Union, but inside the Single Market. We dont even need to risk EU trade to get them!

Leaving it cant be justified on economic terms, but is the unavoidable consequence of regaining sovereignty over immigration and legal interpretation. This may be what the British people said they wanted, but it isnt what British business needs.

It is hard to overestimate how radical a shift in British economic policy this is. The currency markets are reminded of it every time the Prime Minister talks about Brexit, and they sell the pound in response. This has a paradoxical consequence: the foreign earnings of the British multinationals, which are measured in pounds, go up. Like in Newtons law of motion, each fall in the pound produces opposite rise in the FTSE. It does not represent a sign of confidence in the British economy, but merely the belief that conditions in the rest of the world havent changed.

This is a shift for which British business, and the lobbying industry that failed abjectly to stop Brexit, is unprepared. They are used to a government that broadly shares their outlook and interests, not one indifferent to the collateral economic damage its own nationalist agenda will cause.
It is in our interest for any American presidency to be successful, but we have a particular reason for wishing Donald Trumps to be. He is sympathetic to Brexit, because he sees parallels between the EU referendum result and his own electoral victory, and favours a trade deal with Britain. Boris Johnson did not quite say that we will be in the front of the queue on his return from Washington this week, but he came as close to doing so as he judged to be prudent. We need Trump to be a force for a good Brexit deal, working against those who want a punitive one.

His presidency may indeed work out well, but the President-elect faces unique problems. These are not so much with Americas security and intelligence services  there is a long history of former American presidents falling out with them, though none had the opportunity to do so Trump-style on social media  as with his own party, which dominates Congress. On paper, this ought to be a unambiguous plus for the President-elect. In practice, matters are not quite so simple.

John McCain, who handed the dossier of allegations about Trump and Russia to the Director of the FBI, has a particularly dire relationship with the President-elect, which is why he reportedly was reluctant to get involed. But is is fair to say that although most American congressmen have not been the target of personal criticism by Trump, as McCain has, a substantial slice of them have a very different view of the world. They want lower public spending, are socially conservative, and are viscerally hostile to Russia.

Indeed, there is a sense in which Trump is not really a Republican at all. Before he ran for the partys nomination this time round, he had a history of donating more to Democrats than to members of the party he now represents. He also sought the Reform Partys candidacy for the presidency in 2000. On some issues, such as tax cuts, he is a recognisable member of the Republican kirk. On others, such as protection and Russia, his position is unusual. His campaign for the presidency smacked more of independent populism than recent republicanism.

Americas constitution was created to share power. The upside is that a President can be restrained; the downside is that he can be hobbled. Trumps appointments already pull in different directions. The fear of the President-elect on the Left is of a strong Trump, rampaging through government as he rampaged through his partys primaries. We could instead have a weak one  pursued not only by the security services over his campaigns links with Russia, but by his own party in Congress too.
CORNWALL, Ontario  City of Cornwall Chief Financial Officer Tracey Bailey explained to council that the Citys seniors home Glen Stor Dun Lodge would be receiving less money from the provincial government this year.

The Ministry of Health will be reducing Glen Stor Dun Lodges funding by $42, 000. The Ministry of Health reduction means that the City of Cornwall will have to make up the difference in their budget in order to meet the Lodges needs.

The $42, 000 increase will be felt by Cornwalls residential property tax payers. As it stands now, the Residential Property Tax rate is set to increase by 4.11% or $92 per household.

Councillor Andre Rivette slammed the Province for taking funding away from some of the communitys most vulnerable members.

"Were not getting enough money for the Lodge for our community," he said. "Those residents are past pillars of our community, they are pillars of our community. Someone needs to sit down with the ministry and say "What do you need to hear to give us the money we need." They are not giving us the money we need to maintain our seniors."

Mayor Leslie OShaughnessy agreed with Councillor Rivettes idea of taking the case back to the Province. He suggested that he, CAO Maureen Adams and other Council members meet with the areas Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

LHINs are Provincial organizations responsible for dispersing funding for healthcare at the local level.

Councillor Claude McIntosh warned that petitioning the LHINs might fall on deaf ears.

"The LHINs are being squeezed from the top," he said. "The Province is basically broke. They basically need to cut millions and this is only the beginning."
LONG SAULT, Ontario  In a report presented Wednesday evening to the South Stormont Council, Council learned the Upper Canada District School Boards (UCDSB) plans for Longue Sault Public School (LSPS) and Rothwell-Osnabruck (R-O) K  12 School will have a large economic loss in South Stormont.

The UCDSB wants to close Longue Sault Public School, and amalgamate the existing students to R-O K  12 School. The Board would then send the R-O grades seven to 12 students to Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School (CCVS).

Rick Clayton a recognized Canadian expert in economic impact assessment, policy evaluation, and industrial/industry analysis, presented the report entitled Economic Impact of Prospective School Closures in South Stormont, Ontario, which was prepared by Doyletech Corporation.

The report said, Using realistic or even conservative economic assumptions, the economic loss to South Stormont from the prospective school closures is very large. The hit is likely to amount to $4.4 million from the loss of Operational Spending at the schools, and rises by an additional $3.1 million through what we anticipate as expected local slowdowns in residential construction, to make a grand total loss of $7.5 million annually.

The report also said, A loss of $7.5 million is a huge hit in a local economy where the entire municipal budget is only approximately $15.2 million.

Among the other key points the report predicts South Stormont will have a permanent employment loss of 28 jobs, families moving out, construction slowdowns, staffing problems for employers, and loss of revenue for all the local businesses.

Clayton said this about the proposed school closures, Its not going to save a lot of money. Youre going to hurt the economy.

Jennifer MacIsaac, R-O ARC member and Save South Stormont Schools Committee member said, It is clear that the loss of Rothwell-Osnabruck Secondary and Longue Sault Public would have a devastating effect on our community. What stood out for me is the loss of $7.5 million annually in a municipality that has a budget of approximately $15.2 million; that sure puts things into perspective.

In conclusion the report said, There does not appear to be a convincing case for these school closures, in light of the economic value destroyed, family disruptions caused, the prospect of students educations being compromised through long bus rides, and the additional costs of future dealings with special needs and at-risk children.

Clayton also said. We must consider the emotional, social and physical impact relocating to a mega-school would have on these children who would be at higher risk of falling between the cracks.

MacIsaac said The Save South Stormont Schools Committee and both the R-O and LSPS ARCs have a unified plan. We created a plan, she said, that sustains both schools, keeps our children attending schools within our community and brings the utilization for LSPS and R-O to 96% and 97%. We are confident that the UCDSB cannot ignore our proposed solution for South Stormont.

The meeting was attended by approximately 70 people a mix of R-O and LSPS parents, South Stormont Community Members and South Stormont Business Owners, as well as MPP Jim McDonell and former MPP Jim Brownell.
Close

The Russian Health Ministry is considering major steps to make sure residents do not become smokers in the future. Now, it has proposed a ban on selling cigarettes starting in 2033, when now-toddlers born in 2015 would be legally able to buy cigarettes.

It's part of a tough anti-tobacco strategy Russian politicians are trying to make a reality. Tobacco-prevention efforts could help the economy save trillions in health care and lost productivity each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.

Some experts, however, warn that the ban could increase to a black market for illegal cigarettes. However, the Russian Health Ministry defended its proposal, noting the 300,000 to 400,000 Russian citizens who die from smoking-related diseases every year.

"By 2033, the ban on the sale of tobacco products to people born after 2014 will not seem an extreme measure, but an entirely logical development of events," Marina Gambaryan, an expert at the Health Ministry, said as reported by Time.

The Sun reports that an estimated 43 percent of the Russian population are smoking, down from 60 percent in 2015. This is compared to just 19 percent people smoking in the United Kingdom.

"This goal is absolutely ideologically correct," Nikolai Gerasimenko, a member of the Russian parliament's health committee, said as reported by the Sun. He added that he is unsure if the ban would be enforceable.

The Dangers Of Smoking

The World Health Organization (WHO) further reports that tobacco can kill up to half of its users and kills around 6 million people each year. In fact, of the 6 million, 5 million of the deaths result from direct tobacco use while more than 600,000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

An estimated 80 percent of the world's smokers live in low-and middle-income countries. Smoking is also the leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment. Users of tobacco who die prematurely because of the habit deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.



See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Numerous studies have already recommended and proven the benefits of physical exercise to one's health. However, older people who are suffering osteoarthritis find if hard to do any kind of physical exercises.

Thankfully, a study recently found that doing chair yoga not only allows osteoarthritis sufferers a way to exercise but is also an effective alternative treatment for reducing osteoarthritic pain.

Osteoarthritis is one of the common types of arthritis afflicting old people. This condition is described as the degradation of the cartilages in the joints leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. In order to reduce the pain experienced by people with osteoarthritis, most doctors recommend the use of pharmaceutical drugs which is without side effects and a change in one's lifestyle.

The Arthritic Foundation even recommends yoga as the way for osteoarthritis sufferers to reduce joint pains and improve flexibility, balance, and strength but not all of them can start a practice. This could be because as they age, the patients lack strength in their muscles, flexibility, and balance to do yoga. Some even have the fear of falling due to imbalance.

Unlike regular yoga, chair yoga is the practice of yoga by sitting or standing while holding a chair. Chair yoga not only gives its practitioners the same benefits as regular yoga but also abolishes the fear of elderly practitioners of falling over due to imbalance.

The study conducted by the Florida Atlantic University is the pilot study that looks into the effects of chair yoga on pain and physical functions of elderly osteoarthritis sufferers. In order to do the study, the researchers randomly assigned 131 elderly osteoarthritis sufferers to either do the Sit 'N' Fit Chair Yoga program or a health education program.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, reports that the participants in the yoga group showed greater reduction in pain and pain interference during their session. The experience of less pain even continued for about three months after the participants completed the eight-week chair yoga program. It also reports that chair yoga helped reduce fatigue and improve gait speed during the chair yoga sessions but not after.

With these results, the researchers are hoping that more people, especially those suffering osteoarthritis, be recommended to do chair yoga to reduce the pain they are experiencing. Chair yoga is not only an effective alternative treatment for osteoarthritic pain but also an effective physical exercise that will improve the quality of life of the elderly.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Bridgeman was born with partially impaired stereovision -- better known as "lazy eye" -- wherein one's eyes have a tendency to drift independently, making your brain unable to accurately process depth. But when Bruce saw Hugo in 3D, he was not only able to see the "depth" in the film, but he also came out of the theater suddenly able to perceive, in his words, "a riot of depth" in the outside world.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

This sudden dramatic breakthrough did have scientific precedent. A 2011 study documenting five people with impaired stereovision who later learned to see in 3D concluded that people "were most likely to have a breakthrough if the stereoscopic images were reinforced by monocular cues like relative size and shading." In short, Hugo was so effective at creating the illusion of depth that it helped Bridgeman's mind establish the necessary synaptic connections to bridge the gap to fully-functioning stereovision.

Paramount Pictures

Continue Reading Below Advertisement



Okay, but we still agree 3D sucks overall, right?

They really should've deleted every other pull quote on the poster and gone with "Gives the gift of sight!" Not many marketing departments downplay a miracle, Hugo PR team.
The legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit is studying the possibility of a return to the MotoGP calendar.

Spa hosted the Belgian motorcycle grand prix from 1949 to 1990 and new circuit director Nathalie Maillet revealed preliminary talks have taken place over a future event for the modern MotoGP four-strokes.

"I want to get some big events like MotoGP. I recently spent a day in Madrid to discuss with the MotoGP organisers [Dorna]," Maillet told DH.be . "Bradley Smith rode a 500cc bike last summer at Spa.

"I am going to study the amenities needed to welcome back bikes - organising both Formula 1 and MotoGP - more deeply this year. Notably the level of profitability and economic return for the region.

"It [MotoGP] would not be until 2020. I am aiming for the long term."

Former grand prix racer Didier De Radigues, who won his home 250cc round at Spa in 1990, added:

"If the project succeeds, it would be just fantastic! The Spa layout contrasts with the other sanitised circuits of today, most of which are created by the same designers.

"For a motorcycle rider, Spa is one of the circuits which gives the most pleasure. It would quickly forge a special place in the calendar and become as mythical as for Formula 1.

"On the straight following Raidillon the riders would probably reach a maximum speed approaching 350km/h, as at Mugello or Sepang for example, but it is the long fast corners that would make Spa so special."

But he also warned: "2020 seems to me very optimistic..."
Channel programs News

Partners Cheer Massive Microsoft Reorganization, New 'One Commercial Partner' Unit As Key To Accelerating Sales

Lindsey O'Donnell

Share this

Partners are applauding a sweeping Microsoft reorganization that will consolidate several of the company's partner and services teams, as well as create a new cloud-focused unit to accelerate cloud services sales in the channel.

Starting Feb. 1, the Redmond, Wash.-based company is creating a new "One Commercial Partner" business to combine its ISV, Enterprise Partner and Worldwide Partner Group teams, as well as a new unit, Microsoft Digital, to incent partners to sell its cloud services.

"In my opinion, Microsoft has torn down the wall between all its segments, and in doing so is allowing partners to transact more seamlessly and navigate through the Microsoft ecosystem to drive value for customers," said Ric Opal, senior director at Oak Brook, Ill.-based Microsoft partner SWC Technology Partners. "Right now, partners are in the state of transforming and re-imagining their businesses, and customers also want to talk about changing their businesses and leveraging Microsoft's technology to do so."

Microsoft's changes are "designed to unify teams from across the Commercial Business, making it easier to do business with Microsoft and meet the needs of its thriving partner ecosystem and customer base, a spokesperson told CRN . With Microsoft's group consolidation comes new executive shifts as well  the company's "One Commercial Partner" business will be led by Ron Huddleston, the corporate vice president for Microsoft's Enterprise Partner Ecosystem. Huddleston, a Salesforce veteran, joined Microsoft last June.

Meanwhile, the company's new Microsoft Digital unit, which will be made up of developers, "digital advisers and architects" and will be focused on cloud services, will be led by Microsoft executive Anand Eswaran. Eswaran will also continue his current role as corporate vice president of Microsoft Services.

Under Microsoft's reorganization, the company's Enterprise and Partner Group and Public Sector, as well as Small and Mid-Market Solutions and Partners teams, also will consolidate to form a new group led by Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Mid-Market Solutions and Partners Chris Weber.

Finally, Microsoft will combine its Worldwide Public Sector and Industry businesses in a combined group under Corporate Vice President Toni Townes-Whitley.

The reorganization comes months after Judson Althoff took the reins as the new leader of Microsoft's Worldwide Commercial Business Group, following the departure of chief operating officer Kevin Turner.

Mike Hadley, CEO of Boston-based Microsoft partner iCorps, cheered the creation of Microsoft Digital as "great news for solution providers." Hadley, for his part, said iCorps is looking to expand its cloud practice by investing heavily in Azure and Office 365, and the company recently opened a position for a Cloud Practice and Digital Transformation leader.

"Microsoft Digital will definitely help us in investing in the cloud," he said. "They are consolidating with the effort of joint forces working together to move clients more quickly into the digital world. The fact that they're pushing this through solution providers  meaning that they will get more digital  is a win-win all around."
Security News

CRN Exclusive: RMM Vendor Pulseway Adds Antivirus Capability

Rick Saia

Share this

Mobile remote monitoring and management software vendor Pulseway has added an antivirus offering to its platform to help managed service providers (MSPs) get a better handle on endpoint security when managing distributed devices across a client's network.

The product, Pulseway Antivirus, is a "natural extension" of the San Jose, Calif.-based vendor's core mission: solutions that can monitor and manage IT systems at any time, from any device, according to Marius Mihalec, CEO and founder of Pulseway.



The antivirus solution is "an easy way [for customers] to completely monitor and secure an endpoint," Mihalec said in an interview with CRN. He said it's especially helpful to small MSPs that are new to the business and growing.



[RELATED: The 2016 Enterprise App Awards  Network/Device Management]

"This is a huge help," he said. "MSPs need to become very specialized, and security is the number one topic these days."



Brian Heersink, a systems administrator with Troy, Mich.-based health care MSP CareTech Solutions, told CRN he's "excited" about the addition of the antivirus module.



Heersink, who works out of San Luis Valley Health, a health care network in Alamosa, Colo., said responding to a warning today on a mobile device requires him to call someone to check it out further or, if he's traveling, find a network to log in to so he can investigate.



"It would be nice to be able to remotely scan the server," he said.



Pulseway Antivirus will also be made available to the vendor's enterprise customers. Pricing starts at $1 per month per workstation; $2 per month per server, the company said in a statement.



Mihalec said some of Pulseway's roughly 3,600 customers  about two-thirds U.S.-based that are split about evenly between MSPs and mid-market businesses  have asked if Pulseway had an antivirus offering.



A key for Pulseway has been its emphasis on mobile enablement of its solutions.



"One thing thats quite important for our users is [Pulseway's] mobile-first approach," Mihalec said. He added that it's "very easy" to integrate Pulseway Antivirus into the RMM platform.



"Todays proliferation of mobile systems and distributed, remote workforces means that securing all endpoints is not a 'nice to have' capability, but a must have," Mihalec said in a statement.



The statement cited four elements of Pulseway Antivirus. They are:



 Easy deployment across a network, which can protect systems within minutes;

 Central configuration directly from the web application, which can begin to protect thousands of installations right away;

 Unified threat management, which can allow the user to receive instant notifications whenever threats are detected, and act immediately;

 Real-time protection, which can keep all files secure, make Internet browsing and instant messaging safe, and inoculate in-boxes from malware.



Mihalec says Pulseway is planning additional security-related elements that he expects will debut in the second half of this year. Although he wouldn't get into specifics, the CEO said the vendor plans to build some "intelligence" into the product "so we know that if something is detected consistently, [the user can] learn from that."



"We can integrate this intelligence and come up with some analysis of what's going on in that system, or if there is a trend within the network" that needs to be monitored, Mihalec said.



The payoff for MSPs in having the antivirus product as part of the platform is that it provides an "easy way to completely monitor and secure an endpoint  rather than deploying [an antivirus solution] manually  and then somehow work out the integration" between an RMM solution and the antivirus solution they choose.
Carnival Cruise Line will move three ships to new homeports in 2018, according to a press release.

In September 2018 Carnival Vista will move to Galveston; Carnival Breeze to Port Canaveral; and Carnival Magic will shift to Miami.

Beginning Sept. 23, 2018 the Vista will begin sailing from Galveston and offer two different seven-day western Caribbean itineraries departing every Sunday.

The first itinerary includes calls at Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, while the other features visits to Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Belize, and Cozumel.

The Carnival Vista will join Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor sailing year-round from Galveston.

The Carnival Breeze will kick off its new Port Canaveral-based program with a one-time six-day cruise to Nassau; Amber Cove (Dominican Republic); and Grand Turk on Sept. 30, 2018, followed by the start of year-round alternating eastern and western Caribbean cruises beginning Oct. 6, 2018. r

The Breeze will also sail two Carnival Journeys cruises. On Sept. 16, 2018, as the ship repositions from Galveston to Port Canaveral, it will operate a 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise calling at Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, Dominica and St. Maarten.

Another 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise operating round-trip from Port Canaveral Saturday, Nov. 3-17, 2018, includes stops at eight Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, St. Maarten, Tortola, and San Juan.

The Carnival Magic will launch a year-round schedule of seven-day alternating eastern and western Caribbean cruises departing Sundays from PortMiami beginning Sept. 30, 2018. Eastern Caribbean cruises will call at Amber Cove, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk. Western Caribbean sailings will feature Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay, Belize and Cozumel.




Silversea Cruises' Silver Whisper started her 116-day 2017 world cruise last Friday from the Port of San Francisco, marking the first time in the company's history that a world cruise started from San Francisco, according to a statement.

The occasion was celebrated by a plaque exchange between port officials and Mark Conroy, Silversea's managing director for the Americas, and Silver Whisper's staff captain, Zbigniew Jaszewski.

The ship will sail to Rome, first heading to Hawaii, then China and the Middle East.

"World Cruise 2017 was designed to be an extraordinary global adventure, and we're delighted to have the voyage depart from such an extraordinary and incredibly beautiful city as San Francisco," said Roberto Martinoli, Silversea's CEO. "Silver Whisper's guests, about 80 percent of whom are members of our Venetian Society loyalty club, will visit 62 ports in 25 countries, while enjoying an onboard experience completely revitalized by the ship's recent major renovation."
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani says Donald Trump has tapped him to gather top cybersecurity leaders to meet with the administration regularly to share all the information available in the private sector with the goal of improving national cyber defenses because were so far behind.

The president elect-decided he wanted to bring in on a regular basis the people in the private sector, the corporate leaders in particular and thought leaders in the private sector who are working on security for cyber because were so far behind, Giuliani said on Fox and Friends.

+More on Network World: The weirdest, wackiest and coolest sci/tech stories of 2016+

He says Trump thinks bringing this group together would encourage them to share information they might not otherwise in order to come up with cybersecurity answers they havent come up with already.

Its like cancer, he says. You know, theres cancer research going on all over the place, youd almost wish theyd all get together in one room and maybe wed find a cure.

President Barack Obama held a cybersecurity summit last February with similar goals, at which he urged more sharing of threat information.

Giuliani, who announced his own appointment as Trumps cyber adviser, did not say who would be invited to the meetings or when the first would be held. The idea here is to bring together corporate leaders and their technological people, he says.

His job will be to set and facilitate the meetings for Trump and other members of the administration. Ill get the people in, make sure the meeting takes place, make sure they get the information from the private sector, he says.

The meetings have two purposes. First of all itll give the government all the information available in the private sector. Number two, itll form a little more connection between these people who are doing cybersecurity so they can work with each other, Giuliani says.

And my belief is, as always, that the answer to cybersecurity is going to be found in the private sector. Thats where we have the great creativity, thats where we have the huge amount of money and thats where we have these great companies - the greatest in the world.

Guiliani is chairman and CEO of Guiliani partners, a management consulting firm. He is also chairman of the cybersecurity, privacy and crisis-management practice for the law firm Greenberg Traurig.

This story, "Rudy Giuliani to coordinate regular cybersecurity meetings between Trump, tech leaders" was originally published by Network World .
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Connecticuts most visible Republican mayor sent his regrets, while the Democratic mayor of the states largest city jumped at the chance to attend Donald Trumps presidential inauguration.

Danburys longtime GOP mayor, Mark Boughton, and Bridgeports Democratic chief executive, Joe Ganim, will be in Washington, D.C., next week for the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

But Boughton will be heading home when the conference ends Thursday, rather than witnessing fellow Republican Trump being sworn in Friday. Ganim, on the other hand  along with pal Mario Testa, Bridgeports Democratic Town Committee chairman  will attend.

Tickets were available through the states congressional delegation.

Ive just got a lot to do, said Boughton, who is gearing up for a 2018 gubernatorial bid.

Boughton said in particular he needs to focus on drafting a new municipal budget.

Ive been to other inaugurations and they are a breathtaking thing to see, Boughton said. But theyre a logistical nightmare. You can probably get a better view on TV. I know that Mr. Trump will be upset that Im not there.

It is not the first time Boughton has seemingly snubbed the inflammatory Trump, from withholding his endorsement to joking that he wrote the name of his dog on his ballot for president.

Danbury voters, despite returning Boughton to office for eight consecutive terms, backed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president over Trump, 16,084 votes to 11,626 votes.

Though Trump enjoyed support in towns across Connecticut, the state remained blue because of its cities.

In Bridgeport Clinton dominated, winning 32,035 votes to Trumps 6,596 votes. The latters anti-immigrant messages and race-baiting appeal to white voters did not serve him well in this diverse city.

Anomaly among mayors

Still, Ganim, who is going to attend the mayors conference in D.C., sought 10 tickets for staff, family and friends to be in the audience when Trump takes the oath of office.

Its an historic event. Ive gone to as many inaugurations as I could, Ganim, who ran the city in the 1990s and waged a successful comeback in 2015, said Thursday.

Ganim appears to be an anomaly. Other big-city Democratic mayors from Hartford, New Haven, Norwalk and Stamford do not plan on witnessing Trump assume the most powerful office in the world.

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling will, like Boughton, head home after the conference wraps up Thursday.

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp will be in the nations capitol meeting with her peers, her spokesman said she may remain to attend Saturdays anti-Trump Womens March on Washington  but not the inauguration.

A long history

Unlike his peers, Ganim has a history with Trump. The two got to know each other in the 1990s when Trump eyed Bridgeport for a new casino, which never materialized. Ganim attended Trumps wedding to Marla Maples at New Yorks Plaza Hotel in 1993.

The two have improbable victories in common. Ganim shocked many observers when he was re-elected in 2015 after being sent to prison in 2003 for running a pay-to-play operation out of City Hall. Similarly, polls and pundits ahead of Election Day thought the divisive Trump would ultimately lose to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

After Trumps win, Ganim angered some minority-supporters by praising the president-elect as a good man and insisting he never displayed an element of racism during their dealings years ago.

Ganim said Thursday he hoped to leverage his relationship with Trump to benefit Bridgeport, particularly when it comes to infrastructure and federally funded low-income public housing.

The mayor seemingly enjoys being able to name drop Trump now that he is headed to the White House.

Look, I certainly have more of an understanding and residual of somewhat of a relationship with President-elect Trump, Ganim said. Im not as distant as they (other Connecticut mayors) are and Im hoping some of that residual relationship will benefit the city. ... Am I going to agree with every issue? Absolutely not. Should some of the extremism be tapered back on both sides? Absolutely.

In a brief interview, Testa defended his decision to attend the inauguration as an effort to show support for Connecticuts Democratic congressmen and women.

Representing Trumbull

Another prominent Republican who will be attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the inauguration is Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, who, like Boughton, has aspirations for higher office.

Trumbull was closely divided in the presidential race, with Trump winning 9,753 votes to Clintons 9,299 votes.

Herbst said Trump managed to defeat 16 other Republican candidates in the presidential primary, including Jeb Bush, son and brother to past presidents, then defeated Clinton, a former first lady, U.S. senator and U.S. secretary of state.

Whether you agree with him or not, whether you like him or not, people are fed up with Washington and thats why they want him there, Herbst said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON  Sen. Richard Blumenthal had words of praise for Donald Trumps nominee for defense secretary, retired Gen. James Mattis, but he still voted Thursday against the waiver necessary for Mattis to lead the Pentagon.

At issue is federal law that requires a seven-year interval between military retirement and becoming secretary of defense. Mattis, who retired from the Marine Corps in 2013, would need a congressional waiver in order to win Senate confirmation.

The law reflects a tradition dating back to the Revolutionary War era of civilian control of the military.

After concluding its confirmation hearing, the Senate Armed Service Committee voted 24-3 to grant the waiver. In addition to Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., voted no.

The full Senate then approved the waiver on a vote of 81-17. Mattis still must win confirmation by the full Senate.

Blumenthal faced the conundrum of standing by what he termed bedrock principle that goes to the founding of the republic, and the practical reality that Mattis could be instrumental in guiding a president with no government experience and a penchant for belligerent statements and tweets.

If ever there were a case for a waiver . . . it is you at this moment in our history, Blumenthal told Mattis during the confirmation hearing that preceded the waiver votes.

Mattis four decades of service, including a term as commander of all U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, enabled him to be a check on rash and potentially ill-considered use of military force by Trump, Blumenthal said.

After the votes, Blumenthal acknowledged he might have voted to approve the waiver if it had made a difference in the outcome.

Sending a message to President-elect Trump is extremely important, that this waiver is a one-time deal, Blumenthal said. But I might well have reached a different conclusion if the Mattis nomination had been in real peril.

Contractor concerns

Blumenthal called Mattis a star who was insightful, responsive, informed and concise during the hearing, and he said he would now vote to confirm him.

Blumenthal also sought a commitment from Mattis of continued support for programs that are bread-and-butter for Connecticut defense contractors. Among them: Ohio and Virginia class submarines made by Electric Boat, and the F-35 stealth fighter plane, whose engine is made by United Technologies Pratt & Whitney.

Mattis expressed agreement.

Trump has called the F-35 program too expensive and has said he would renegotiate it. When asked by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to square his commitment to the fighter with Trumps critical words, Mattis said Trump supports the program but just wants bigger bang for the buck.

Throughout the campaign, Trump offered statements and tweets on national security that have scared much of the foreign policy and defense establishments, even Republicans.

Among them was a pledge to bomb the (expletive) out of the Islamic State, telling a campaign rally I love war, and threatening to torture enemies and kill their families. Trump talked about giving nuclear weapons to Japan and South Korea for self-defense and abandoning NATO. He even allegedly wondered aloud why the U.S. cannot use nuclear weapons if it has them, an allegation Trump strenuously denied.

Since the election, Trump has toned down his statements in this realm. But many on Capitol Hill and in the foreign policy and defense fields nevertheless are looking to Mattis, a committed warrior and widely read intellectual, to be a steady hand at the Pentagon.

For the most part, the hearing was a love fest  at least in comparison to the tough outings for Trumps nominees for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and secretary of state, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson.

Mattis appeared to strike all the right chords with the bipartisan panel led by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who unlike Trump is more of a traditional hawk and distrustful of Russia.

Enemys worst day

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has exchanged words of praise with Trump, is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, Mattis said.

The world is undergoing the biggest attack since World War II, Mattis said, naming Russia, China and international terrorists as the main sources of instability.

And he gave words of reassurance to the panel that he gets the concern about civilian leadership.

Civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition, he said. With the waiver and full Senate confirmation, I will provide strong civilian leadership of military plans and decisions.

But Mattis also made sure to serve up some red meat for Republican critics who say the Obama administration has abandoned the warrior ethos.

We have to stay focused on the military that is so lethal that on the battlefield, it is the enemys longest and worst day when they run into that force, Mattis said in response to questions from Gillibrand.

Blumenthal on Thursday also made official his expected opposition to confirming Sessions as attorney general.

Senator Sessions has failed to convince me that he will be a champion of constitutional rights: voting rights, womens health care and privacy rights, and anti-discrimination protections, Blumenthal said in a statement. Rather, he has demonstrated hostility and antipathy  even downright opposition  to these bedrock constitutional principles.

dan@hearstdc.com
BRIDGEPORT - A Stratford man is facing seven months in prison after he pleaded guilty Thursday to running a red light and killing a local woman who was crossing an East Side street in February.

Jerry Goncalves, 26, of Main Street, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Kevin Doyle to negligent homicide with a motor vehicle.
Cuban scientists work hard to rescue coffee production

Submitted by: Juana

Local

Business and Economy

01 / 12 / 2017



Rescuing in Cuba the cultivation of coffee on scientific bases distinguishes, for more than a decade, the experts of the Agroforestry Research Institute (IIA by its Spanish acronym) of Villa Clara province.

The work included the creation of 20 coffee varieties designed according to the peculiarities of the Cuban mountains where these crops predominate, which guarantees the renewal of plantations with seeds of high genetic quality.

Angel Lacerra, an IIA specialist, told ACN that they have also implemented other techniques such as sowing coffee trees in large holes filled with organic matter, and the use of grafts of robust varieties with Arabic ones.

He added that the experience was successfully endorsed in countries like Guatemala and Viet Nam.

Medardo Ferrer, a coffee expert, told ACN that coffee plantations in the province cover 600 hectares with the varieties Typical Arabic, Bourbon, yellow and red Caturra and the Catuai.

We hold meetings and periodic visits to the farms to evaluate the progress in planting, direct attention to seeds and the care of the growing fields, which determine to a great extent the success of the harvest, he said.

Modesto Robaina, manager of La Herradura Basic Unit for Cooperative Production, told the press that they have been using for more than a decade the coffee renovation project, and currently they have the only multivariate nursery in the country where they cultivate more than 20 varieties, destined to the different Cuban provinces. (acn)




Im very excited to be a keynote speaker at the Science+Mathematics Think-In, a professional learning day for Pre-K through 12th Grade educators, hosted by WVIZ/PBS ideastream, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The event will take place March 9, 2017, from 9 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. at the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, and is hosted by not only WVIZ/PBS ideastream but also the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Great Lakes Science Center, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Ill deliver the mornings first talk, Does the Universe Really Care About Itself? Teaching Astronomy in the 21st Century. Also speaking will be Craig Bartlett, producer of the kids science show Ready Jet Go!, and JPLs Amy Mainzer, science curriculum consultant for the show.

The day will be filled with many more talks, workshops, panel discussions, and fun for educators, and we are expecting a large crowd.

Please join us in Cleveland for science education, and to explore the universe!

You can read more and register here:

www.ideastream.org/think-in

See you in Cleveland!
STORY LINK Major CHF Gains seen after Trump Turmoil

Swiss Franc Currency Update: Favourable Gold Prices Keep CHF Firm against USD

US Dollar Interest Ebbs after Rocky Start to 2017 for Trump

Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

The Swiss Franc fell from its best levels against the US Dollar on Friday afternoon as market sentiment towards the US Dollar recovered slightly and investors eased their positions on the safe haven Franc.Fridays US data was generally optimistic. While Decembers retail sales figures didnt meet expectations at 0.7%, the 0.6% result was solid enough for markets. Traders were also pleased that the University of Michigans confidence results had only slipped slightly.[Previously Updated: 12/01/2017]The Swiss Franc fell from its best levels against the US Dollar on Friday afternoon as market sentiment towards the US Dollar recovered slightly and investors eased their positions on the safe haven Franc.Fridays US data was generally optimistic. While Decembers retail sales figures didnt meet expectations at 0.7%, the 0.6% result was solid enough for markets. Traders were also pleased that the University of Michigans confidence results had only slipped slightly.Investors in the Swiss Franc have been having a field day when trading against the US Dollar on Thursday, thanks to widespread turbulence in the US after a press conference from President-Elect Donald Trump.Sticking to the Swiss Franc for the moment, the currency has been greatly aided by gold costs, which have climbed notably due to a lack of uncertainty in the US. This has bolstered demand for the CHF considerably, without the aid of any supportive Swiss data releases.Looking ahead to influencers of the Swiss Franc, January 18th will bring the ZEW economic sentiment index for January.A sign of how the Swiss economy is perceived to be faring, this figure previously hit positive 12.9.Another notable incoming announcement will be January 26ths balance of trade figure for December, which posted a prior surplus in November of 3.64bn.President-Elect Trumps remarks, or rather their lack of focus, have severely weakened the US Dollar recently, as have some concerning data releases out of the US.Regarding Trump, his grand return to public media before next weeks inauguration was an extremely unpleasant affair for the soon-to-be President. In addition to offering a dubious solution to potential business conflicts by handing his assets over to his sons, Trump also returned to one of his grandest and most far-fetched plans  to build a vast border wall with Mexico.Trump remained adamant that Mexico would, in one way or another, be paying for the construction. While this was a resurrection of an old policy, Trump was frustratingly short on details for fresh economic strategies, which led investors to abandon the US Dollar in droves.As well as personal blunders, Trumps talk was also overshadowed by allegations of highly deviant sexual behaviour, which came from a sensational and potential fabricated leaked intelligence document.Data releases provided no relief, with initial benefits claims in the US rising at the start of January.Notable US news out on Friday will include retail sales for December, as well as confidence figures for January.A US Dollar recovery could take place, assuming that sales and confidence rise as forecast.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Pound Swiss Franc Forecasts
County-specific poll may foretell whether Pa. is going blue or red
"This grant will help us improve walkability in the borough and ensure that walkers are able to do so safely," Mechanicsburg Borough Council President Kyle Miller said. "We will also be able to take a look at how to promote bike safety on borough and state roads as well as develop safer connections between public spaces such as parks, schools and downtown businesses."
GPs surgeries all over the country closed on Wednesday afternoons Patients kept waiting up to a month for appointments, with even the seriously ill told their family doctors are unavailable

No wonder A&E departments are overwhelmed. Indeed, how can Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggest patients are to blame, when so many have nowhere else to turn?

Yes, Theresa May is right to dismiss claims by the British Red Cross of a humanitarian crisis in the NHS as irresponsible and overblown.

The service is in the grip of an organisational crisis, with resources squandered and working practices tailored to suit staff, not patients

But as our survey of GPs opening hours underlines, the service is in the grip of an organisational crisis, with resources squandered and working practices tailored to suit staff, not patients.

At its root lie Labours botched contracts, which paid family doctors more for working shorter hours, enabling many to take early retirement.

But the NHS remains riddled with inefficiencies, wasting billions on computers that dont work and paying hugely more than market rates for everything from lightbulbs to drugs.

With wearisome predictability, Labour has nothing to suggest but ever higher taxes to meet spiralling costs.

Leave aside that this is a sure recipe for national bankruptcy. How can we ever reform the 1940s behemoth of the NHS if we simply go on feeding it cash, without focusing on what we get in return?

Aid farce cant go on

Confirming everything this paper has warned, a Government watchdog says Britains foreign aid cash handouts routinely fall into the wrong hands because officials fail to tackle fraud.

Indeed, more than 200million a year has been given away in bundles of cash or pre-paid cards to people in countries such as Pakistan and Zimbabwe  with much of it going to cheats and the better-off.

Blaming British officials, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact says many are reluctant to upset recipient governments.

But isnt the truth that under our idiotic law committing us to spend 0.7 per cent of national output on aid, Whitehall has every incentive to get rid of the money  and none to see that its properly spent?

While the elderly and vulnerable suffer at home, this scandal simply cannot be allowed to continue.

Obamas true legacy

It is perhaps fortunate for Barack Obama that his tearful farewell has been overshadowed by sensational and lurid claims concerning Donald Trump, prostitutes and British spies.

For the truth is that his final speech merely underlined how little he has to brag about after eight years in power.

To be fair, the expectations raised by his election as the first African-American President (Yes we can!) were always going to be hard to live up to. But even so, his parting claim  Yes, we did!  rings bitterly hollow today.

Mr Obama has been ineffectual, issuing empty threats against Syria, interfering disgracefully in our Brexit referendum and concluding a highly perilous nuclear deal with Iran

Eight years after his pledge to close Guantanamo Bay, the camp remains open, an ugly stain on Americas reputation.

Elsewhere, Mr Obama has been ineffectual, issuing empty threats against Syria, interfering disgracefully in our Brexit referendum and concluding a highly perilous nuclear deal with Iran.

Meanwhile in the US, he has done nothing to ease racial tensions, while his welfare reforms have been at best a mixed success, at worst a costly failure. As for the economic recovery, most of the credit belongs to George W Bush.

Yes, Mr Obama will be remembered as a gifted orator  and his rise will remain an inspiration to racial minorities.
The Royal Familys name  in 1917 it was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  has always been a touchy subject (pictured, Prince Philip)

The House of Windsor is celebrating (very quietly) its centenary. The Royal Familys name  in 1917 it was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  has always been a touchy subject. Prince Philip famously complained: I am nothing but a bloody amoeba. I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children. The Queen altered the rules slightly in 1960 so that male-line descendants of her and Philip without an HRH title should be surnamed Mountbatten-Windsor. This is now adopted by HRHs. William and Kate used it on recent court documents in France.

RE names, courtiers wonder if in future Charles might, as King, formalise a change to House of Mountbatten-Windsor to reflect the long, largely unsung role that his 95-year-old father has played  and to assert himself as monarch. Mountbatten is the anglicisation of Battenberg, created supposedly to make the German royals in the new House of Windsor more acceptable. The original suggestion was Battenhill.

Radio 4s chief Today interrogator John Humphrys, 73, highlighting (justifiably) his 30th anniversary presenting the show, treated listeners to an on-air career retrospective, including parts of his interviews with Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. Co-presenter Mishal Husain, 43, pictured, commented loyally: Thirty years and counting, I should say. Sounded like a hopeful successor!

Former EastEnders tough guy Ross Kemp, 52, says hes long been ill-treated by snobby shop assistants in posh stores. Now hes chosen them as one of his pet hates on BBC1s Room 101 show on January 27, complaining: As soon as I could afford to go into certain shops I was either too ugly or they thought I was going to rob them!

Sir Roger Moore, 89, who is calling for a ban on animal circuses, is accused of cruelty to animals when playing James Bond. A know-all on social media points out: Bond stabbed a python in the neck in [Moores 1979 film] Moonraker, though. Sir Roger responds: Yes, the biggest rubber python youve ever seen.

Radio 4s chief Today interrogator John Humphrys, 73, highlighting (justifiably) his 30th anniversary presenting the show, treated listeners to an on-air career retrospective

Taking Donald Trump to task for allegedly imitating a disabled reporter, Meryl Streep is applauded by supporters of his defeated presidential rival, Hillary Clinton. But not perhaps by fans of the late Baroness Thatcher, who were hurt by Ms Streeps portrayal of her in the 2011 film The Iron Lady as a dementia sufferer. Disrespect invites disrespect, Ms Streep said of Trump. Indeed.
The GP surgery was once the hub of British healthcare and the heart of a community - but no longer.

Too many GPs have become unresponsive and unavailable, with the traditional out-of-hours and weekend services all but disappearing.

The explanation for this collapse in provision is simple: the last Labour Government, in an act of wilful negligence, actually paid doctors to reduce their care to patients.

Russell Hopkins, former hospital manager, surgeon and BMA Wales chairman, blames the last Labour government for the collapse in provision

During the negotiations for the new GPs contract in 2004, the then governments representatives caved in to the demands from the British Medical Association (BMA) whose negotiators could not believe their luck.

Doctors were to be paid more for working less, a complete inversion of morality and common sense.

In return for a payment of just 6,000, they were allowed to pull out of providing out-of-hours or weekend services altogether. Today Partners in GP surgeries earn, on average, 102,000 a year, while one in ten earn more than the prime ministers salary of 142,500.

At the time of the negotiations, I was chairman of an NHS Trust and told my chief executive: This means that A&E will be flooded by people who should be seen by their GPs. That is exactly what has happened because too many patients simply cannot get a GP appointment when they need it.

During the negotiations for the new GPs contract in 2004, the then governments representatives caved in to the demands from the British Medical Association (BMA) whose negotiators could not believe their luck

The reality of the diminishing GP service has been brutally highlighted by this weeks report from the National Audit Office, which showed that 46 per cent of practices are closed at some point during the core hours of 8am to 630pm, while almost one in five surgeries are shut by 3pm at least one day a week.

Many others closed for one or two hours over lunch, or from 5pm. Patients are advised to call 111  or go to A&E! Unsurprisingly, the NAO report showed patients at practices with shorter opening hours had higher rates of A&E attendances and higher mortality levels.

Today, the Mails national survey of 20 GP practices and clinics reinforces the picture of diminishing provision, with one Manchester practice closing at 11.40am one day a week.

In essence, doctors were handed financial incentives to give up what used to be an integral part of their duties. The damage to the provision of services is bad enough. But there has been a disastrous knock-on effect for some of the profession that I also blame on that flawed contract.

Patients are now being advised to call 111  or go to A&E because their GP surgery is closed

Many doctors are dedicated and hard-working. But in place of the old tradition of selfless compassion and responsibility, there is, among some, a new spirit of greed and entitlement, masquerading as concern for the public. That could be seen all too clearly in last years disgraceful strikes by junior doctors, who blathered about the safety of patients but were only interested in money.

As they took industrial action, their laughter and political sloganising on the picket lines were graphic indicators of a profession  my beloved profession  that has lost its way.

That same self-serving attitude can be found among too many of todays consultants, who, despite their excellent pay, insist on rigorously sticking to their contracted hours, regardless of patient needs.

And so daily the sense of crisis continues to deepen in the NHS. A system once seen as the envy of the world is in meltdown as A&E units struggle to cope with record demand.

Trolleys have become a substitute for hospital beds  the number of patients spending more than 12 hours on a trolley has doubled in two years  while adults are being admitted to paediatric wards in some hospitals.

A letter to the Prime Minister this week from the Royal College of Physicians, signed by 49 members of its council, warned that hospitals are paralysed by spiralling demand

Social care is failing to meet the needs of the elderly, so those ready to be discharged from hospitals must remain there until follow-up care is in place. A letter to the Prime Minister this week from the Royal College of Physicians, signed by 49 members of its council, warned that hospitals are paralysed by spiralling demand.

In a parliamentary debate on the crisis, Labour and other opposition parties heaped scorn on the Government yesterday. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his colleagues were accused of incompetence, misguided priorities and a failure to provide adequate funding for the NHS.

That last charge has long been a favourite of Labour MPs. In their narrative, health expenditure is never sufficient; services are always under-resourced.

In this case, the claim is a hollow one. The Tory Government has poured extra money into healthcare, with spending up from 75.8 billion ten years ago to 116.4 billion last year. The NHS budget is due to rise to 133.1 billion within five years.

Contrary to the myth-making about savage cuts, the number of staff has increased in recent years. Official figures for 2014 show there are 33,000 more doctors and 18,000 more nurses in the NHS than a decade earlier.

No, the real cause of the crisis lies in the structure of frontline health services. There have been two other catalysts in the breakdown of GP services. One is the size of pension pots, now so big for some GPs, they have reached the limit of the lifetime allowance for tax relief purposes.

From last May retirees will have to pay a punitive 55 per cent tax on any portion of their pension pot worth more than 1 million. So they are often advised by accountants to work part-time to avoid tax penalties.

And with a healthy income guaranteed, many take early retirement, something that is not possible for private sector workers who do not enjoy taxpayer-subsidised pensions.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his colleagues were accused of incompetence, misguided priorities and a failure to provide adequate funding for the NHS

Then there is the increasingly feminised nature of the general practice workforce, with almost half of GPs now women. In theory, this is welcome  equality of opportunity is an essential principle of our society. But we have to face the fact that women with family responsibilities are far more likely than men to go part-time in general practice.

Of the 1,221 female GPs who left the workforce in 2012-13, 469 of them were under 40.

Added to this is a recruitment crisis: more young doctors are opting for hospital careers or moving overseas because, despite the financial incentives, the physical and mental pressures on those in the GP sector is rising as the population ages and immigration increases demand. Across Britain more than one in ten full-time GP positions are vacant.

What we are seeing is the impact of these influences. All the extra funding for GPs is disappearing down a black hole because a seven-day-a-week operation has given way to a patchy, unreliable system, led by an over-paid, part-time workforce, propped up by inadequate agency cover with staff whose training is sometimes as lacking as their grasp of English.

The BMA used to be a serious professional body. Tragically it has become an ultra-politicised trade union, ruthlessly exploiting public sentimentality about the NHS to line its members pockets and act as a block on any structural reform.

The BMA, with its cheerleaders in the Labour Party, is one of the reasons so much extra funding for the NHS is wasted.

That is why it is the height of folly to believe that yet more cash will be the solution to the present crisis, a crisis that begins with GPs.
Helen Green never thought a kiss could put her baby's life at risk.

The Perth mother and her husband Russell were on holiday in the UK when their six-month-old daughter, Bonnie, developed a sore on her ear.

Despite reassurance from a GP that the sore was bacterial, little Bonnie went on to have a seizure.

Her terrified parents rushed her to the hospital, where doctors asked if anyone had had a cold sore.

Today Tonight reported Mrs Green had unknowingly passed on the Herpes simplex virus to her daughter.

Scroll down for video

Helen and Russel Green were on a trip to the UK with their six-month-old daughter Bonnie (pictured together) when their little girl contracted the Herpes simplex virus

'I'm her mum I'm meant to protect her. Mum's kiss is meant to heal things, not break things,' a devastated Mrs Green said.

The virus had spread to Bonnie's brain, causing severe swelling or viral encephalitis.

The swelling left Bonnie with right-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

'I didn't even realise I was getting a cold sore and I must have kissed her' Mrs Green said.

'I wouldn't kiss her if I had an open cold sore, I don't think anybody would.'

Little Bonnie developed a sore on her ear, and despite doctors saying it was bacterial, started having seizures and was rushed to hospital

The Perth mother believes she contracted the cold sore from the plane's air conditioning on the way over to England.

About a week after they arrived in the UK she developed a sore, and a few days after, so did Bonnie.

The couple took their baby girl to see the doctor twice, even asking if it was related to a cold sore, but were reassured the sore on Bonnie's ear was bacterial.

They were sent home with cream and antibiotics.

According to South Australia health people with the Herpes simplex virus are contagious even before a cold sore is present.

The virus is spread by contact with infected saliva, but Today Tonight reported doctors were unsure how the virus has spread to Bonnie's brain.

The virus spread to her brain causing swelling and right-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Dr Simon William, a Paediatric Neurologist at the Princess Margaret Hospital, told the show cold sores were generally acquired through open wounds or the mouth, but as a baby's skin is delicate, the virus could pass through.

Mrs Green said while she felt guilty, she had to forgive herself, having been reassured what happened to Bonnie was 'pure bad luck'.

'You can't say 'don't kiss your child' I think you've just got to be more aware of what's going on with your child if you notice that you yourself have got a cold sore,' she said.

Bonnie is now undergoing intensive rehab at the Saba Rose Button Foundation in Western Australia.
The world has just about recovered from last weeks pyjama drama saga, where two females were snapped wearing their nightwear in a Salford Tesco.

But lets pause to consider what our choice of bedtime fashion says about our hopes and dreams.

William insists: 'For a lady  and especially for gentlemen  these will always prove the smartest choice in which to retire to bed'

Out and about

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly given last weeks supermarket furore, it is only ever acceptable to wear your nightwear out of the house if you are sick and rushed to hospital in the middle of the night.

And even then (however unwell and close to death you may be) you should change into a fresh set.

Medical emergencies aside, no one should ever see your choice of pyjamas, except for with whomever you share your bed.

Etiquette expert William Hanson has given his thoughts on nightwear

When staying with friends, arriving at the table for breakfast in pyjamas is a sign of bad breeding.

Nights in white satin

Sea island cotton (maybe flannel) is the only way forward in the modern age, really.

For men, any other material is highly suspect; silk and satin nightwear are the reserve of haggard, ageing cads. Think of the static!

Dressing gowns

No nocturnal wardrobe is complete without a gown.

Everyone must have one and children should be put in them from a young age to get used to them (well done to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on this count).

Remember that true gentlemen fasten their gowns left over right, whilst genuine ladies fasten them right over left.

'Remember that true gentlemen fasten their gowns left over right, whilst genuine ladies fasten them right over left'

The birthday suit

The only thing worse than that naff, euphemistic term is sleeping in it.

Those who admit to getting into bed naked are highly suspect, oversexed and not to be let anywhere near quality bedding.

Underwear

Wearing a pair of Calvins or the like to bed is nearly as bad as sleeping naked.

Permissible perhaps when sleeping in tropical climes, where temperatures are abnormally hot, but not very comprehensible when in Sussex.

If you must wear your pants to bed, please let them be a clean pair.

Chemises, slips and negligees

You must only wear these if you are Spanish, South American or live in a puritanically white apartment in Paris.

In England, if you see a woman wearing one of these who is not either of the above, lock up your sons and keep your husbands close.

Onesies

Etiquette expert William Hanson insists onesies are best left to babies

Or, as they are more correctly called, baby-grows.

And indeed, humans should grow out of them. If you still desire to wear a onesie to bed (or indeed around the house) then a key part of the weaning process has failed and you need reset to factory settings.

Pyjamas

For a lady  and especially for gentlemen  these will always prove the smartest choice in which to retire to bed.

The colour should be something calming and gentle, rather than loud and garish. Subtle contrasting piping may be present around the edges.

One hallmark of class is to have the pyjamas monogrammed. Subtly. Less is more.

Slippers

Compulsory when staying in a house in the country, where floors will most liking be tiled, flagstone or wooden and icy cold in the mornings and evenings.

Slippers should have a heel and have ankle support. Open-backed slippers, sometimes termed mules, have something of the brothel about them.

Sheep-skin slippers are always a den of filth and probably were bought on a day trip from an all-inclusive.

Bedsocks

William has said that a pair of fluffy bed socks are 'night-time nirvana'

These are the night-time nirvana for older members of the hoity-toity, especially if made from our old friend cashmere.

Curlers

There is no problem with ladies using curlers  many smart women do  but wearing them in bed is strictly declasse, unless you are a Hilda Ogden look-a-like.

Your husband should not see you in rollers. Ever.

Hot water bottles

Theres no other way many English PLU would rather get hot and steamy in bed than with a nice, fresh hot water bottle.

They will always be found in the grandest (and coldest) of country piles.

George Mikes once observed, continental people have sex lives: the English have hot water bottles.
CHAMBERSBURG  A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced in a road rage incident that led to a cross-county police chase.

The York Daily Record reports Jonathan Fisher, of Chambersburg, pleaded guilty to simple assault and reckless endangerment on Wednesday in Franklin County. Fisher will serve up to two and a half years.

In November, Fisher pleaded guilty to fleeing an officer and driving under the influence in Cumberland County. He began serving his sentence of a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years.

Fisher will now serve a total of five years at most.

Police say Fisher flashed a gun at a woman and her child in a parking lot in Franklin County and drove recklessly. Fisher then led police on a chase that ended in Cumberland County.
She's the postergirl of YouTube with over 11m subscribers and the fastest-selling debut novelist since records began.

Clearly not one to rest on her laurels, superstar vlogger Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, has added to her empire by releasing a range of merchandise with her vlogging brother, Joe.

Wittily named Sugg Life, the range comprises hoodies, T-shirts, posters, phone cases, badges and a calendar.

Zoella, real name Zoe Sugg, who has over 11m subscribers on YouTube and the fastest-selling debut novelist since records began, has teamed up with her brother to launch merchandise

TheRewind calendar, which costs 12.99, sees Joe and Zoe recreate one of their favourite childhood photos each month for a year.

The phone cases, which cost 9.99, come covered with cartoon versions of the siblings, whilst the 14.99 T-shirts and 19.99 hoodies are emblazoned with the brand name.

The bad news for fans of the internet's favourite siblings? Most of the products are sold out online.

The collection comes after Zoella unveiled her Lifestyle range. As well as her beauty range, which became one of Superdrug's best-selling collections, the internet star branched out into home decor before Christmas.

Her brother Joe, who has over 7m YouTube subscribers, has joined his sister to create the range of hoodies and phone accessories

The phone cases, left, which cost 9.99, come covered with cartoon versions of the siblings, whilst the 14.99 T-shirts, right, and 19.99 hoodies are emblazoned with the brand name

Posters, left, are 9.99, whilst TheRewind calendar, which costs 12.99, right, sees Joe and Zoe recreate one of their favourite childhood photos each month for a year

Zoella, 25, who is a proud 'home bird', created pillows, notebooks, coffee cups, keyrings and candles.

Miss Sugg grew up in Lacock, Wiltshire, the daughter of a beautician mother and a property developer father.

After finishing her A-Levels at the local Corsham School - she took art, photography and textiles - the 24-year-old started an apprenticeship at an interior design company.

Soon her YouTube channel, set up in 2009, became her full-time job, with more than six million subscribers and 12 million hits on her vlogs per month.

Miss Sugg now apparently earns 50,000 a month as a result of her lifestyle channels.

She has created a range of beauty products, published a bestselling novel, been signed by Radio 1, is the charity Minds digital ambassador and was selected, along with brother Joe and boyfriend Alfie, to take part in Bob Geldofs re-release of the Band Aid single.

Miss Sugg pictured with blogger boyfriend Alfie Deyes, with whom she bought a house in the Brighton area

Penguin Random House, the publisher behind her book Girl Online, agreed to sign Zoella after its CEO Tom Weldon was told by his 13-year-old goddaughter that the book would be a huge best-seller.

Zoella became the fastest-selling debut novelist since records began with her tome, Girl Online, outselling the likes of JK Rowling and Dan Brown.
Buyer's remorse happens to the best of us.

But sometimes it's immediate and other times, it takes a while to realise the purchase was an unwise one.

Whether it's ordering something online that turned out to be falsely advertised or something extravagant that ended up going unused, shoppers took to Reddit to reveal the buys they instantly regretted.

One woman revealed how she'd splashed out on an extravagant pair of pants only to discover she would soon no longer fit in them.

I'm pregnant! One woman revealed how she'd splashed out on an extravagant pair of pants only to discover she would soon no longer fit in them

'Spent about $200 on new pants, found out I was pregnant the next day,' she revealed.

'Those are some fast acting pants,' another Reddit user joked in response.

An even more extravagant but regrettable purchase was user UncleTrustworthy's $3,000 mattress.

'Everyone on the internet kept saying a good mattress is worth the money. I did research, found one my fiancee and I both agreed on,' he wrote.

Instant regret: 'Spent about $200 on new pants, found out I was pregnant the next day'

Another person said they bought a CD before realising they had no way to play it

But the mattress was delivered folded up leaving permanent folds on the surface.

'Now I have a less comfortable mattress than the cheap one I had before. And I'm too stubborn to replace it.'

Another person, without revealing how much they'd spent, simply said that they regretted paying for their college degree.

A Reddit user revealed he regretted his college degree without disclosing how much it cost

Meanwhile, Reddit user Betterthanthouu said he'd bought a CD without realising he had no way to play it.

'I bought Metallica's newest album on CD a while back. When I got home, I realised I didn't have even one device with a disk drive,' he posted on the thread.'

Another person revealed that, despite how adorable it was, they quickly regretted their decision to get a second puppy.

'I knew it was a bad idea when we were in the car on the way home,' she wrote.
Where did it all go wrong? And to think, it started so well  amid such glamour and promise, such hope and high expectation.

Then, gradually, the doubts started to creep in and we began to worry that the early promise would be unfulfilled  and how right we were.

No, not Barack Obamas presidency. I mean the BBCs new version of Sherlock Holmes.

Where did it all go wrong? It started so well. Then, gradually, the doubts started to creep in and we began to worry that the early promise would be unfulfilled  and how right we were. No, not Barack Obamas presidency. I mean the BBCs new version of Sherlock Holmes

The first series was superb. Fast, slick, intoxicatingly clever, and in a way that made you feel clever, too. An endless series of Oh I see moments, when everything fell into place and, like poor, plodding Dr Watson, we the viewers finally caught up with how the Great Detective had been thinking all along, and the jigsaw puzzle gave a satisfying click as the last tricky little piece popped into place.

All this was just how it should be  just how Sir Arthur Conan Doyles superb, timeless, original books felt as well.

And Benedict Cumberbatch was great, too. You certainly wouldnt mistake him for Gregory Peck, not even in a London pea-souper. He might politely be described as not conventionally handsome.

But he was perfect for the part, and soon had his hordes of adoring (and self-described, we should add) Cumberbitches following his every move.

Now, we are limping through an ill-judged fourth series, and its all gone horribly wrong. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffats update of the great detective is starting to look as clueless as Holmes himself in The Adventure Of The Yellow Face

Intense, charismatic, fashionably geeky and slightly disconnected, and obviously a wayward genius of some sort. It was marvellous stuff all round, and there was hardly anyone who didnt love it.

There are still moments that stay with you even now.

That chap mysteriously killed in an empty field, miles from anywhere, with no obvious murder weapon in sight? He was hit on the head by his own boomerang. Of course he was.

Admittedly though, that same episode, A Scandal In Belgravia, did feature a completely stark naked Irene Adler, now luridly a high-class dominatrix, which was hardly in the spirit of the original stories.

And, sadly, this gave us due warning of things to come.

Now, we are limping through an ill-judged fourth series, and its all gone horribly wrong. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffats update of the great detective is starting to look as clueless as Holmes himself in The Adventure Of The Yellow Face. (The only original in which Holmes fails to deduce the right answer, by the way. It comes as rather a relief to see him getting it wrong for once.)

The series has turned from clever into clever-clever, smart into smart-a**ed. Once brilliantly baffling, like a cryptic crossword puzzle, now its become downright weird or, worse still, utterly implausible

The series has turned from clever into clever-clever, smart into smart-a**ed. Once brilliantly baffling, like a cryptic crossword puzzle, now its become downright weird or, worse still, utterly implausible. Not to mention melodramatic and way over-the-top, like a bad soap opera.

The most recent episode, about the horrible serial killer Culverton Smith, was a prize example.

It all turned on the need for Dr John Watson to be jolted out of his profound grief for his dead wife and his estrangement from Holmes, whom he blames for her death. (Mrs Watson had jumped in front of a bullet meant for Holmes at the end of another episode. Implausible indeed.)

The idea now is that if Sherlock himself were to be nearly murdered, but not quite, then Watson would have to come galloping to his rescue, and they would soon be bezzies again. It was beyond implausible, it was just silly. One can almost hear Sir Arthur Conan Doyle harrumphing crossly all the way from late Victorian Britain. As for the sudden appearance of Sherlocks sister, never previously mentioned . . .

The idea now is that if Sherlock himself were to be nearly murdered, but not quite, then Watson would have to come galloping to his rescue, and they would soon be bezzies again

Worse till, Sherlocks character has started to be tampered with. The brilliant, icily controlled and slightly terrifying detective created in the original tales has gradually been turned into a gibbering, drug-addled wreck. Although still in a 1,000 designer Belstaff coat. Junkies are glamorous, you see.

You always knew they were going to make a big thing of Sherlocks drugs habit. In Doyles stories, theres little more than passing reference to Holmess use of cocaine to stimulate his braincells when working on a particularly difficult case, and his refusal to go to bed at a sensible time. He certainly isnt much of an advert for healthy living. (Sigmund Freud took cocaine as well  which might explain some of his more excitable theories.)

But the key thing to remember here is that, in the 1890s, bizarre as it may seem, cocaine wasnt illegal in Britain. Not until 1920. But the moment you make an updated Sherlock a drug addict with needle marks all up his arm, you change him utterly.

You make him an abject addict, a smackhead, as Dr Watson says, or off his t**s, as Sherlock himself tastefully puts it. Yes, indeed, the show really has become very 21st century, hasnt it? And the great detective has lost all his glacial dignity as a result. Worse still, he has become a common criminal for the sake of mere self-indulgence, something the original Sherlock Holmes would never have done.

Worse till, Sherlocks character has started to be tampered with. The brilliant, icily controlled and slightly terrifying detective created in the original tales has gradually been turned into a gibbering, drug-addled wreck

For all his maverick tendencies, he had the utmost respect for the law of the land, only playing a little fast and loose when it was essential to solve a crime. Now, hes become an unwashed, self-pitying yob.

There were more fashionably sniggery drugs references in the revelation that Mrs Hudson was actually the widow of a major drugs dealer herself.

Mrs Hudson! Hence that fact that she drove an Aston Martin, which she could take round corners and handle like The Stig. Perfectly plausible, eh? But perhaps we were being told something about 21st-century female empowerment, I dont know.

Along with Aston Martins we have had helicopters, terrorists, bombs, torture scenes . . . And everyone seems to have shot everyone else at some point or another. Its all getting rather James Bond, far from the strangely cosy-yet-thrilling world of the original.

Are its creators pitching for their next project, perhaps? In a recent interview, Gatiss said: I would love to do something with Bond. I once went to the pub with Steven Moffat on the condition that we didnt speak about Doctor Who or Sherlock. So we ended up talking about James Bond all night. We actually came up with a really good story.

The original Holmes was an admirable symbol of Victorian Britain at its toughest and most supremely self-confident. But perhaps every age gets the Holmes it deserves. Benedict Cumberbatchs version has even started using Twitter, we learned, at which even Watson sighed: He really has lost it'

Finally, we have seen this new, self-indulgent Sherlock revealed for what he really is  a weepy millennial, giving his friend Watson a big, tearful manhug in a scene that would make Basil Rathbone run a mile.

The original Holmes was an admirable symbol of Victorian Britain at its toughest and most supremely self-confident.

But perhaps every age gets the Holmes it deserves. Benedict Cumberbatchs version has even started using Twitter, we learned, at which even Watson sighed: He really has lost it.

Cumberbatch remains a compelling screen actor  although both he and Martin Freeman must be itching by now to move on to pastures new, having really exhausted this one.

And Toby Jones as the repulsive Culverton Smith was quite the most hypnotically horrible screen villain weve seen for ages  as you might expect from such a superb actor.

The very incarnation of human evil, he even seemed to be able to communicate nastiness with his snaggly little teeth. And his smile was the stuff of nightmares.

Of course, he was loosely based on Jimmy Savile  although as Sherlock is a BBC production, obviously Culverton Smith wasnt depicted carrying out his multiple crimes under the cover of the Beeb.

But, like many TV series, all good things must come to an end. Its really time for Sherlock to put down his needle, make himself a cup of Ovaltine and go to bed.
A couple of months ago my grown-up daughter treated us to an overnight trip to Barcelona, staying in our favourite five-star hotel.

As youd imagine, I was thrilled. As she handed me the reservation details, two words stood out on the page making my tastebuds dance with joy: breakfast included.

The dear girl had even underlined them for me. She knows me so well. The breakfast buffet! we squealed in unison.

Bowls laden with fresh fruit, golden pastries hot from the oven and eggs cooked any which way - that, to me, is what a holiday is all about

Forget the glorious, architectural chaos of Gaudis Basilica, or fresh paella served with a sea breeze in the boardwalk-fronted restaurants, what the two of us were eagerly anticipating was the delight of the morning breakfast selection.

Bowls laden with fresh fruit, golden pastries hot from the oven, fluffy white rolls, eggs cooked any which way, vast platters of continental meats, smoked cheeses and fish, yoghurts, muesli, dainty little pots of marmalade and jam, and crafted curls of unsalted butter on a chilled porcelain dish.

That, to me, is what a holiday is all about. And Im afraid it brings out the glutton in me  as, it seems, it does in a lot of very well-to-do people.

When the playwright Alan Bennett wrote this week of his disgust at the unbridled greed of fellow guests at a certain Venice restaurant, I had to read the extract twice to ensure he was, definitely, talking about Venice and not Barcelona.

A couple of months ago my grown-up daughter treated us to an overnight trip to Barcelona. As youd imagine, I was thrilled. As she handed me the reservation details, two words stood out on the page making my tastebuds dance with joy: breakfast included (stock image)

For those gluttons launching themselves at the breakfast buffet that he found so abhorrent, could easily have been me.

The greed at breakfast in our hotel is also dispiriting, one young woman this morning with such a passion for fruit that she piles her plate with melon, pineapple, grapes and kiwi fruit and fills her pockets with tangerines to the extent that in the process nature itself is demeaned, he wrote.

Some of the well-to-do guests cant wait to get the food back from the breakfast bar to their table, one young man downing a tumbler of orange juice en route and a boy stuffing himself with sausages before he even sits down. Hard to be a waitress at breakfast and retain a respect for ones fellows.

Sorry Alan, but I too am guilty of such unseemly behaviour. Although neither poor nor hungry, the sight of all that beautiful, limitless food brings out the hunter gatherer in me.

I cannot get enough of it, like Im gorging during a season of plenty, anticipating a famine ahead.

Sorry Alan, but I too am guilty of such unseemly behaviour. Although neither poor nor hungry, the sight of all that beautiful, limitless food brings out the hunter gatherer in me (stock image)

During our most recent hotel stay I too pilfered tangerines for later  along with a couple of nectarines and a large plum. I dropped them discreetly into my handbag; a carefully selected, bucket-type design that also had plenty of room for a yoghurt each too. And it wasnt just me behaving like a common thief in a five star hotel  my 18-year-old daughter played her own role.

She snaffled a couple of smoothies and even cleverly rustled up two deli-style sandwiches when it was quiet over at the cured meats and baguette section. Well done you, I whispered when she showed me her spoils in a napkin.

Do try not to judge: the poor girl is a product of her upbringing. For as long as she can remember, any time weve stayed in a hotel I have always urged her and her two sisters to stuff themselves to the gills at breakfast so we can save money on lunch.

The way I see it, the more upmarket the hotel you book, the better the breakfast spread will be, and the extra money you spend on accommodation will be offset by what you save on not having to fork out for lunch.

During our trip to Barcelona, we spent as much time planning our route around the breakfast buffet as did our excursions around the city.

There have been countless occasions when, returning from a foreign holiday, my handbag has been scanned at airport security, only to reveal a mouldering couple of muffins in a hotel napkin, and even on one shameful occasion, a forgotten cold sausage stuck to my hairbrush

While she assumes responsibility for cold meat and cheeses, I will be on fruit and muffin duty.

My husband finds my behaviour distasteful and crass. He harks back to the early days of our relationship when we were too busy gazing into each others eyes to have time to think about how much food we might be able to make off with.

But that was before I became a mother and therefore a feeder, with one eye constantly on the lookout for the next decent, free lunch.

Anyone who has traipsed around a hot city, with three hungry children in tow, mewling for a plain cheese sandwich and a strawberry yoghurt without any bits in it will sympathise with me.

And I know Im not alone. One friend makes a game out of sending her four-year-old twin sons to and from the buffet with a list of items to pop in their rucksacks.

Her thinking is that no one is going to challenge a couple of cute infants, even if they are clearly acting under the instructions of their cheapskate mother.

But even I have a capacity for shame. There have been countless occasions when, returning from a foreign holiday, my handbag has been scanned at airport security, only to reveal a mouldering couple of muffins in a hotel napkin, and even on one shameful occasion, a forgotten cold sausage stuck to my hairbrush.
implants and one with leg braces

Department store chain Target has sparked a heated debate on social media after featuring a mother wearing a hijab in its back-to-school catalogue.

On Wednesday, Facebook users shared photographs of the catalogue, which also featured a little girl with leg braces, to praise Target for its 'cultural diversity'.

But some were far from impressed, slamming the campaign as 'unnecessary' and urging others to stop shopping at the retailer with the hashtag 'boycott Target'.

Department store chain Target has sparked a heated debate on social media after featuring a mother wearing a hijab in its back-to-school catalogue (pictured)

Some were far from impressed, slamming the campaign as 'unnecessary' and urging others to stop shopping at the retailer with the hashtag 'boycott Target'

'This is what's called appeasing the minority. You don't see people from any other "religion" wearing traditional clothing in a catalogue,' one women wrote.

'I won't be shopping at Target again if they promote this sort of stuff,' another said.

The advertisement featured a woman, either a teacher or mother, embracing a young boy as he carries a Target lunchbox.

Most of the response to the campaign was positive and Muslim advocate Mariam Veiszadeh praised the retailer for embracing diversity.

Ms Veiszadeh told her Facebook followers she had even bought a headscarf at Target before.

On Wednesday, Facebook users shared photographs of the catalogue, which also featured a little girl with leg braces (left), to praise Target for its 'cultural diversity'

Many said they would no longer shop at the retailer and accused Target of 'appeasing the minority'

Target's Facebook page was inundated with negative comments after the advertisement was made public, but were quickly deleted

Target's Facebook page was inundated with negative comments after the advertisement was made public, but were quickly deleted.

'My post got deleted just because it offends a minority. Well that minority offends me,' one woman wrote.

'Target Australia, you lost a whole family of customers and we will be telling everyone we know not to shop at Target'.

In response to the positive Facebook comments, Target said it aimed to 'represent the diversity of all Australians'.

The catalogue also featured a young girl with leg braces and a child with a cochlear implant.

In response to the positive Facebook comments, Target said it aimed to 'represent the diversity of all Australians'
Marrying a complete stranger does not come without controversy, just ask Deborah.

The 53-year-old former model - who will appear in Channel Nine's upcoming series of Married At First Sight - said her decision to appear on the show came at a cost.

'With my family, it caused a lot of mixed emotions, because everybody had their opinions about the show,' Deborah told The Fix.

'Actually, it caused a lot of conflict in my family, and I lost members and friends, and I'd never had that happen before, because people have really strong beliefs in this area.'

Former model, 53-year-old Deborah, will appear on the upcoming series of Married At First Sight Australia, but said her decision to appear on the show had opinions divided

Deborah is a former model from the '80s who spent her life jetting around the world.

In her bio for the show Deborah said she has featured in 64 television commercials, three movies and thousands of photo shoots throughout her career.

She said while she has has an amazing life and career, she never had time to settle down have a family due to her jet-set lifestyle.

She told The Fix when she was modelling they 'weren't allowed to fall pregnant'.

'It caused a lot of conflict in my family, and I lost members and friends, and I'd never had that happen before, because people have really strong beliefs in this area,' she said

She said the idea of marrying someone at first sight conflicted with some of her family and friend's moral and religious beliefs

But Deborah's quest for love has her friends and family divided.

Such is the controversy of the show it has clashed with some of her loved one's moral or religious beliefs, leading her to fall out with a number of people.

But determined to find the happiness she so craves, Deborah forged ahead.

'As you get older it gets harder, so Im getting fearful that Im going to be on my own for the rest of my life,' she said in her show bio.

'I want to be married, I havent been married, I would like to have somebody to experience my life with and I would be just nice to be in love.'

After a career that saw her jet-set around the globe the former model said she wants to get married and be in love

In her interview with The Fix, Deborah said she was in two minds about her life's decisions.

While she does wish she had taken the time to settle down, doing so would have cost her a 'fabulous career'.
Turns out Tom and Barbara from The Good Life were on to something. After years of sluggish sales, the rise of healthy eating, together with the growth of online shopping, has turned around the fortunes of organic food.

Going organic is not quite as niche as it used to be and, according to the Soil Association, UK sales  from kale to chicken, yoghurt to tea  are set to break the 2 billion barrier this year.

Now organic wines look set to join the party, with specialist retailers reporting a huge surge in sales in recent years.

What exactly is an organic wine? Is it really better than normal wine? And, most importantly, will it stop you getting a thumping hangover?

There was a time when we had to find people to sell to. Now, they come to us, says Doug Wregg, buyer for leading organic wine company Caves de Pyrenne. Even some of the supermarkets are making space on their shelves for organic bottles nowadays.

What exactly is an organic wine? Is it really better than normal wine? And, most importantly, will it stop you getting a thumping hangover?

Simply put, organic wine is made from grapes grown without the use of synthetic fertilisers, fungicides, pesticides and herbicides. Instead nature is left to do its thing in the vineyard.

However once the grapes have been turned into wine, chemicals may be used, including sulphur. A natural preservative, sulphur protects the wine from spoiling once inside the bottle. Some drinkers even blame it for their sore head the next day.

However, the principal culprit in any hangover is alcohol, and sadly even the most virtuous wine still has its that in it.

The difference is the levels of sulphur permitted in organic wine; theyre significantly lower than non-organic wines. In fact, some organic producers dont add any at all, which some people swear gives them less of a hangover.

But does that mean organic wines taste better?

Well, not always. Just because a wine has the word organic on the label, doesnt necessarily make it better quality-wise than a non-organic one, even if it is healthier for the environment  and, quite possibly, you.

But if you want to drink wines made by producers who keep their vineyards chemical-free and usually contain less added sulphur than normal, organic is the way to go. Here are some of the best to try:

If you want to drink wines made by producers who keep their vineyards chemical-free and usually contain less added sulphur than normal, organic is the way to go. Here are some of the best to try, as recommended by wine expert and author Helen McGinn

WHITE WINE

Tesco Finest Chilean Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2016, 7

I used to drink this before it was organic, so was pleased that when it made the change, the price didnt shoot up.

In fact, there are now plenty of organic wines thatll give you change from a tenner.

This ones made by one of Chiles most prolific producers, Cono Sur, and its got all the ripe tropical fruit and zestiness you could want from a New World Sauvignon Blanc. Fantastic stuff. 4/5

Mesta Organic Old Vine Airen 2015, 8, Marks & Spencer

Spain is hot, hot, hot, but because the vineyards producing these Airen grapes have a bit of altitude on their side, the wine is fresh and lemony.

Height means cooler air, which, in turn, means the grapes dont ripen too quickly, keeping their fruit and freshness.

This ones suitable for vegetarians, too. But bear in mind that just because a wine is organic, doesnt mean its suitable for vegans or vegetarians, so always check the label. 4/5

Saladini Pilastri Falerio 2015, 9.50, Oddbins

The Pilastri family have been making wines for hundreds of years in the Marche, on the eastern side of Italy. They make their wine adhering to organic and biodynamic principles. (Think of biodynamic as organic, only more hardcore, including specific plant-based treatments in the vineyard and pruning the vines according to the lunar calendar. Nope, not kidding.)

A blend of indigenous Italian grapes including Pecorino and Trebbiano, this is brilliantly bright and refreshing. 4/5

RED WINE

Terre di Faiano Primitivo 2015, 9.49, Waitrose

Called Zinfandel elsewhere, the Primitivo grape loves it in Puglia, in southern Italy. Labelled as organic wine on the front, so a good deal easier to spot than many organic wines that just use a tiny symbol on the back label to tell you its certified as organic. This is rich, with buckets of bramble fruit flavours. 5/5

SO Organic Fairtrade No Sulphur Added Shiraz 2016, 6, Sainsburys

Not only is this organic, but its Fairtrade and has no added sulphur. All its missing is a halo. Made from grapes grown in South Africas Western Cape, its pretty full on with a certain rustic feel. But it delivers a whack of black fruits, spice and kick of alcohol to the palate. Great value. 3/5

Bonterra Zinfandel 2013, 11.57, Asda

From California, Bonterra has been producing organically grown grapes since the Eighties. There are lots of wines to choose from in this particular range, including a juicy Merlot and a ripe, creamy Chardonnay. But currently I love this bold, spicy Zinfandel best. 4/5

Marie & Matthieu Lapierre Raisins Gaulois 2015, 11.99, thesolentcellar.co.uk

This year, youll hear lots about Beaujolais. And Im not talking nouveau. Rather, as a region, its making some seriously lovely-to-drink wines, crammed with juicy raspberry fruit flavours.

Made from the Gamay grape, 2015 was a fantastic vintage for Beaujolais. The Lapierre family has been making organic wine since 1981, from vineyards around the French town of Morgon. Preferable to a glass of Tom Goods peapod burgundy, Im sure. 5/5
A couple has opened up about the devastating loss of their son, who only survived for 11 days after birth.

Lyndsay and Matthew Brentlinger, from Ohio, spent only a week and a half with the newborn, but ensured they documented his life in a photoshoot.

The couple were elated when they fell pregnant in early 2016, after years of being unable to conceive.

Couple Lyndsay and Matthew Brentlinger only got to spend 11 days with their newborn son William (pictured)

On December 16 2016 Ms Brentlinger gave birth to twins Reagan (left) and William (right)

However the couple (pictured) had been told at 23 weeks of pregnancy that William wouldn't survive birth

In a miracle the fighter did survive, but only for just over a week

They discovered they were having twins and were even happier, excited to finally have a family.

However the joy was shortlived. At 23 weeks Ms Brentlinger had an ultrasound and was told by doctors that one of her babies would be stillborn.

It was heart-wrenching for the couple, knowing that only one of their children would survive birth.

Then, on December 17 2016, they got an early Christmas present in the form of a newborn girl and boyboth alive.

The couple had been trying to get pregnant for many years

But little William (pictured) had a number of abnormalities and only one side of his heart worked

But the couple were overjoyed to get to spend 11 days with their son

A family friend got in touch with a local photographer so the couple could document their time with William

Named William and Reagan, the fraternal twins looked perfect to the naked eye, wrapped in colourful blankets while being cuddled by their parents.

But unfortunately, it wasn't the miracle the parents had hoped for. William had a number of abnormalities and only half of his heart worked.

The parents were told not to expect William to live, but he fought hard and the family of four got to spend a week and a half together.

'They were the happiest 11 days of my life,' Mr Brentlinger told 13 ABC.

Photographer Lindsay Brown photographed the family before Christmas 2016

The results were stunning photos of the family with Reagan and William

Even tiny details, like William's minuscule toes, were documented

The process was very emotional for the couple but they said they will cherish the photos

A friend of the couple got in touch with a local photographer, Lindsey Brown, who agreed to photograph the newborns while they were both still alive.

The stunning photos were emotional for the family, with Ms Brentlinger saying that they are something they will keep forever.

'I cried the first time I looked at them. I still cry sometimes,' she said.

'They are beautiful and he is beautiful. In some of them, you can see he is wide awake with his big beautiful eyes. It's something we will definitely cherish.'

Mr Brentlinger said that the 11 days they had with William were the 'best of his life'

Ms Brentlinger admitted that seeing the photos still makes her cry

The mum said that her son William was 'beautiful'
An Australian woman has recalled the day she discovered her father was a 'vicious and cold-blooded' killer.

Renee McBryde, from Alice Springs, NT, was six when her father Michael Karl Caldwell told her down the phone that he lived in jail, she revealed in that's life!

Up until then, she'd believed the reason he never visited was because he had a job with Cottee's Cordial that kept him away.

But it was years later, as a teenager, that she decided to research his crime for a school project to finally get some answers to her questions that she discovered the horrifying truth about what put him behind bars.

Didn't know: Renee McBryde (above, as a child) was six when her father Michael Caldwell told her down the phone that he lived in jail

Ms McBryde said that as a child, her father would call her once a week - without her mother's knowledge.

But after the call where he told her where he really was brought her to tears, the communication with her father stopped.

Her grandmother told her that her father had known some 'bad men' and he and his friend Andrew had tried to stop them - so she came to the conclusion that her father had acted in self-defence.

A while later, her nan helped her contact her father and she even visited him in jail.

But when she was 12, her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and a mere three weeks later, she died aged 66.

Without her beloved grandmother, Ms McBryde's contact with her father ceased.

It was only when she'd turned 15 that the pair got back in touch and she went to visit him when he was granted a weekend release.

Helper: It was her grandmother (above, together) who helped her keep in touch with her dad

Honest family: Ms McBryde (pictured with her husband John and three sons) no longer keeps in touch with her father after discovering the horrifying truth

She questioned him about the crime he had committed but he avoided giving her the answers she sought.

But then she was assigned a school project to research a highly-publicised crime - so she picked her father's.

His release from jail had generated plenty of headlines, and she headed to the State Library in Sydney to find answers.

Looking through newspaper archives, she discovered her father and his accomplice had killed two men - schoolteacher and gay activist Peter Parkes and Constantine Giannaris, the Greek Consul General to Australia, was murdered a few weeks later.

The King's Cross Murders Michael Caldwell was a 19-year-old prostitute who was charged with the murders of Peter Parkes and Constantine Giannaris. Andrew Tregurtha was 16 when he was also charged with both murders. Mr Parkes, a teacher and gay activist, was murdered in Potts Point on October 20, 1981. Then, Mr Giannaris,the Greek Consul to Australia, was found dead in his Darling Point home on November 16. A third gay man was found dead October 18, but his killer has not been identified, according to a report in The Body Politic magazine. All three of the men were found bound and gagged. They all appeared to have had sex shortly before they were killed, reports said. Caldwell and Tregurtha were arrested after police linked them to Giannaris' stolen jewellery which was found in a pawn shop in Sydney. Both pleaded guilty to the double murder, the Canberra Times reported. They were sentenced to life in prison in 1982. Caldwell was later released but Tregurtha committed suicide in jail. Advertisement

Both victims were murdered with a 20cm carving knife. The judge had branded Caldwell a 'vicious cold-blooded killer' before sentencing him, to life in prison.

After discovering the truth, Ms McBryde said she thought 'What sort of blood is running through my veins?'

'The library walls started closing in,' she told that's life! 'It felt like everyone in the stacks had stopped to stare. The words I read on the computer screen screamed at me.'

Over the years, she worried that no one would ever accept her and convinced herself that she didn't deserve to be happy.

Her life unraveled as she dropped out of university and self-harmed.

Ms McBryde shares her story in that's life! magazine

It was only when she turned 20 that she got a job at a housing association and realised helping those in need was what she was meant to be doing.

The job was also where she met her husband John, who she married at age 24 after revealing her darkest secret to him. It didn't make him think differently of her.

Now, she doesn't have a relationship at all with her father.

And she says she had a relationship with her husband and three sons - Harry, Finn and Jack - that is built on honesty.

'It's been hard for me to accept the lies I was told,' Ms McBryde wrote in that's life! 'But I also know that I am who I am today only because of everything that has happened in my past.'
Women are often criticised for taking too much on holiday.

But even the most excessive overpacker will pale in comparison to this Miss Universe contestant.

Chalita Suansane, from Thailand, arrived at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport with 17 large suitcases that tipped the scales at 300kg - ten times the baggage allowance.

Ready to fly: Miss Universe hopeful Chalita Suansane, from Thailand, arrived at the airport with 17 large suitcases that tipped the scales at 300kg - ten times the baggage allowance

Beauty queen: Miss Suansane, pictured, said she hopes the extra dresses and shoes will give her an edge over the other contestants in her bid to take home the Miss Universe crown

But the 22-year-old beauty queen was not worried about the extra weight, insisting it 'wasn't all that heavy'.

She said she thought her expansive travel wardrobe of tiaras, evening gowns and swimwear would give her the edge over the other hopefuls.

She said: 'I have to take a lot of dresses and shoes. I'm so excited to be in the Philippines representing my country.'

Miss Suansane was photographed as she jetted off to Manila, in the Philippines, where the two-week competition starts on Saturday.

She posed with a Thai flag and her passport as she checked in at the first class Thai Airways desk.

Plenty to wear: The 22-year-old reclines on the floor alongside just some of the 17 cases that were hauled into the airport but insists 'it wasn't all that heavy'

Camera ready: Miss Suansane poses with a Thai flag as she prepares to board the plane

The airline's standard baggage allowance for economy passengers is a combined weight of 30kg for all pieces. This increases to 40kg for Royal Silk class.

Miss Suansane is one of more than 80 contestants hoping to take home the crown.

The competition will be hosted by Steve Harvey, with backstage correspondent, Ashley Graham.

Last year the title was won by Philippines contestant Pia Wurtzbach.

Jetting off: Miss Suansane was boarding a flight to Manila, the capital of the Philippines
HARRISBURG  The sheep-to-shawl competition Wednesday night mirrored the weather of the 101st Pennsylvania Farm Show here.

The seven participating sheep, like most visitors to the popular agricultural exposition, at first wore heavy woolen coats. Then the sheep, like many visitors, lost their coats during the wild, woolly and much-loved Farm Show tradition.

By the time the contest ended, the shorn sheep stood in pens nearby. Time Warp of Montour County became grand champion for the sixth consecutive year, selling its shawl for $2,650 at auction.

Elsewhere in the Farm Show Complex Wednesday night, auctioneers with melodic chants and persuasive manners sold everything from a bird feeder to a step ladder at the Farm Show Bid Calling Contest to determine the states top auctioneer.

Visitors to the fifth night of the Farm Show had plenty to see and do.

In the Small Arena, about 1,000 people watched seven teams with sheep, spinning wheels and looms participate in the sheep-to-shawl contest. That competition involves shearing a sheep, spinning the wool into yarn and using it to make a 22- by 78-inch shawl with five inches of fringe on each end  all in 2 hours.

The teams  with names such as Spin City, Dream Weavers and For the Love of Ewe  decorated their areas with everything from a formal tea service to beer bottles. The contest began shortly after the team shearers led their sheep to each teams assigned location.

When a signal was given, the shearers grabbed their sheep, sat them on their rumps and began to remove the thick wool.

Hoyt Emmons of Pennsburg, who shears for the For the Love of Ewe team of Cumberland County, experienced some bad luck when he dropped his shears and broke some teeth moments before the contest started.

I couldnt use it because it would have hurt the sheep, he said after shearing Elsa, a Romney ewe. Luckily, I brought another shearing machine and I switched to that.

Within minutes, the seven sheep looked thinner as they stood beside piles of their fluffy fleece. The shearers took the sheep to their pens as the teams got to work.

Some team members carded the wool between two wire brushes to remove foreign matter and make the fibers go in one direction. The carders passed the wool to spinners, who spun the fibers into strands of yarn and wound it on bobbins.

They gave the bobbins to the weavers, who ran wooden shuttles back and forth in their looms, joining the new yarn with the warp, the part already on the loom.

It sounds easy.

Its not. Most teams practice regularly.

The Cumberland County team members said they practice twice a month and participate in sheep-to-shawl contests at the Bloomsburg Fair and Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Tonight, we are making a heavenly sunset shawl, a blend of sunny yellow, gold, orange, pink, purple and deep blue, said Dot Helmick of Newberry Twp. Everyone can relate to sunsets. They are calming and peaceful.

Friends Through Fiber of Franklin County, which decorated its area with statues of Canada geese, made a black and white Canada goose-themed shawl. Spin City of Adams County set up a Mad Hatter tea party table from Alice in Wonderland, wore goofy hats and made a Wonderland shawl. Time Warp paid tribute to the states microbreweries with a beer table display.

The mood of the teams seemed laid back at the start of the contest as the teams carded, spun and started to weave. By the second hour, the teams had developed an almost assembly line efficiency and the pace increased. Both spinners and weavers looked more determined.

All the teams seemed to hurry as the clock ticked to 2 hours. They tied on their fringes, checked their shawls and ran them to the four judges before taking a well-earned break.

The Cumberland County team finished with 10 minutes to spare. The Butler County Pedalers finished with less than two minutes to go. Dream Weavers of Northumberland County missed the deadline by about one minute, thus getting disqualified.

The judges awarded points for shearing, fleece condition, spinning, weaving, shawl design and speed. Then it was time for awards, which went to:

Friends Through Fiber for the spinners award, fleece award and teams choice award.

For the Love of Ewe, for the weavers award.

Time Ward for the shearers award.

Judges then announced the placements, listed below with the price that Auctioneer Harry Bachman of Annville sold the shawls for at auction:

Friends Thru Fiber, reserve grand champion, $2,150.

For the Love of Ewe, $600.

Spin City, $625.

Lancaster Spinners and Weavers Guild, fifth, $625.

Butler County Pedalers, $550.

Im excited to win, said Libby Beiler, Time Warp weaver. Every year, the bar gets raised, the quality increases and the competition gets harder. This is our first year to use an eight-shaft loom, which lets us do more intricate weaving.

Auction action

Meanwhile, 23 auctioneers from throughout the state competed in the fast-talking contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association.

The auctioneers  part entertainers, part actors and part salesmen  kept the audience engaged in a competition that was a win-win-win event.

The auctioneers, all licensed by the Pennsylvania Board of Auctioneer Examiners, competed for the top honor in their field. The crowd competed for unique merchandise at good prices. Proceeds from the auction went to the Farm Show Scholarship Foundation.

Judges evaluated the auctioneers on their speech, bid calling ability, salesmanship and appearance.

Cumberland Countys lone entry in the contest, Todd Umbrell of Enola, said being an auctioneer is fun.

My great-great-grandfather on my mothers side was an auctioneer, said Umbrell, who works for Kevin Wickard Auctioneers of Carlisle. Ive been an auctioneer for two years. I like it a lot.

He recalled showing hogs, goats and sheep at the Farm Show for 15 years. He said his 8-year-old son, Cooper, is exhibiting Boer goats in this years Farm Show.

Umbrell auctioned off a tray painted by Marge Wevodau, his mother-in-law; a basket of baked goods, a gift certificate from Beemans Baked Goods of Carlisle and a toy tractor.

Dan Reeder of Beaver Falls won the bid calling contest. Second place went to Josh Mayhugh of Chambersburg while Jake Yoder of Port Royal came in third. Joel Gavaletz of Pottstown was named rookie champion.

Tim Keller, Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association vice president, called auctioneering the number one way to market goods such as high-end vehicles, real estate or art. Pennsylvania has a growing number of auctioneers.

The characteristic rapid auctioneering chant was developed at tobacco auctions in the South before the Civil War.
Whoever said romance was dead clearly hadn't met this thoughtful boyfriend, who staged an elaborate fake wedding to propose to his partner.

Michael Albanese dreamed up the romantic scheme for his girlfriend of seven years, Sophia Penafiel, roping in one of her friends to pose as the 'bride' in a quickie wedding ceremony at Lake Eola Park in Florida in December.

Footage shows Michael, who is an officiant and has led weddings before, discussing the importance of vows in front of the fake bride and groom, then breaking off to get down on one knee in front of his stunned other half, who turned 28 the same day.

Under the guise of friend Kerry Burke eloping after suddenly falling pregnant, Michael staged the surprise proposal Lake Eola Park.

After delivering a speech, Michael suddenly breaks through the pretend bride and groom to get down on one knee in front of his intended, before all of Sophia's friends and family emerge to congratulate them both.

Michael, from Palm Coast, Florida, said: 'Sophie was so surprised, ecstatic about her friends and family showing up, and she had no idea that anyone was really going to be there at all.

'She was so surprised for several hours afterward it was all she could talk about, saying, "You got me so good".'

Michael Albanese dreamt up the romantic scheme for his girlfriend of seven years Sophia Penafiel on December 10

Michael concocted the story that Sophia's friend Kerry had fallen pregnant and was eloping with the baby's father before Christmas.

But on the day, the convoluted proposal was almost scuppered when the fake groom failed to show up.

Michael said: 'The guy cancelled on me five minutes before we were supposed to leave for the ceremony.

'I panicked a bit and went onto Facebook begging for someone but to no avail.

Under the guise of friend Kerry Burke eloping, the writer arranged the creative ceremony at Lake Eola Park in Florida

'Eventually I found a group waiting to go to an actual wedding and convinced one of the party to help me for five minutes.'

Michael enlisted Sophie's sister Heather to help arrange the joint engagement and birthday celebrations, including flying friends and family from all over the United States.

He said: 'Her friends and family, they were pleased as punch with themselves.

'Sophia has had specific ideas about her dream wedding for years.
was the reason he got the boot

The mystery of a disappearing Come Dine With Me contestant that sparked a debate on Twitter has been solved.

Viewers were left baffled when Rory Nicoll, after being seen arguing over who was the most talented member of Take That on the show, later disappeared from the line-up of at-home hosts with no explanation.

Now a fellow contestant has revealed he left after refusing to apologise over the row.

Scroll down for video

Viewers were left baffled when Rory Nicoll, after being seen arguing over who was the most talented member of Take That on the show, later disappeared from the line-up of at-home hosts with no explanation

Jennifer Judge appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside Rory Nicoll, she inadvertently revealed the real reason behind his sudden disappearance

Rory Nicoll got into a passionate debate with one of the contestant about which Take That member had more talent, pictured sitting next to Jennifer

Jennifer Judge told the Dunfermline Press ahead of the transmission of the show the reason for Rory Nicoll's was over his own stubbornness, as he refused to apologise over the argument that was featured on the show.

'There was a bit of a drama though.

'On the first night everybody came to mine and on the second night the host had a bit of argument with the other gentleman.

'The producer said if the host didnt apologise he would get kicked off the show and he didnt!'

Jennifer explained how she had kept in touch with the other contestants and is even going to a 40th birthday celebration of one.

Channel 4 declined to comment further when contacted by FEMAIL.

Rory, a music producer, was taking part in the show in a Central Scotland edition, and had hosted his own night as well as attending one other before his sudden departure

Fans of the show became obsessed with finding out what Rory could have done to be kicked off the show, and a hashtag #whereisRory started on Twitter

Rory, a music producer, was taking part in the show in a Central Scotland edition, and had hosted his own night as well as attending one other before his sudden departure.

The 40-year-old had got into an argument with another contestant about which member of Take That was the most talented, but narrator Dave Lamb explained his dismissal was because of 'incidents that happened away from the dinner party'.

The narrator said: 'After incidents that happened away from the dinner party Rory was removed from the competition.'

It meant the remaining two contestants only had to cook for themselves and two others and also changed the scoring, becoming out of 20 rather than 30.

It appears to be a first on the long-running series.

Fans flocked to twitter to express their confusion and distress, with one person even setting up a Freedom of Information request to get the details from Channel 4.

They even went direct to the man himself and pleaded with him to tell them, though he hasn't used his account since February 2016.

It came just days after fans reminisced about Peter Marsh, who one year ago, became a show favourite with his rant after he lost his week.

Rory hosted his own dinner party and was a guest at one other, but he was booted off in the middle of the week's events

It led to a change in the way the scores were calculated for the rest of the week as his points were deducted from the previous night's host's total

One person was so desperate to know what's happened, they sent an FOI request to Channel 4 for answers
From Love Island to Take Me Out, there's no shortage of dating shows for desperate singletons looking to find love.

But it seems MTV have landed upon a particularly unique concept: send scantily-clad young men and women to enjoy the blazing heat of Mexico during spring break - with their grandparents by their side.

It seems age is nothing but a number for these senior citizens as they jet off to help - or hinder - their grandchildren's quest to find love.

The grandparents party hard with their grandchildren in Cancun, Mexico to show them how it's done for the new MTV show spring break with Granddad

Mancunian Aaron and his nana Christine love to party together and he says he couldn't think of anyone better to be in Mexico with than her

Age is nothing but a number for the grandparents up for a wild time in the foam parties

Hosted by Geordie Shore's ultimate party boy, Gary 'Gaz' Beadle, 28, the only rule the spring breakers must follow is 'party hard or go home'.

MTV's Spring Break with Granddad, sees reality star Gaz joined by his own granddad, Raymond Johnson, as they judge the other contenders who will be sent home if they don't party hard enough.

Aaron Gill, 25, from Manchester, is there with his pint-size nan, Christine Stenson, who is only too happy to describe him as a 'fun-loving guy who likes to party'.

Speaking about his grandmother, he said: 'My nana is completely bonkers, she loves a good party. I've always wanted to come to spring break and I couldn't think of anyone better to bring then my nan. She is mental.'

Gary 'Gaz' Beadle of Geordie Shore fame is joined by his granddad Raymond Johnson as they enjoy spring break in Cancun, Mexico

(Left) Aaron Gill, 25, is joined by his nana Christine Stenson, who loves to party. (Right) James, 27, from Somerset and his grandfather Andy who is a former stripper

Victoria Cobbold, 20, from Essex, is joined by her grandma Joyce Thornton, 70, who is ready to keep her granddaughter in line

She adds: 'I want to come to spring break to show them how to party. When we're together we just let it all hang out.'

She doesn't hold back as she's seen gyrating on a sun umbrella stand and doing shots with Aaron.

Victoria Cobbold, 20, from Essex, doesn't seem to mind she's had to bring her grandma Joyce Thornton, 70, with her, who is planning on keeping her in line.

'I'll keep telling you off when you've had too much to drink, and when you're showing you're bum off everywhere. That gets annoying,' she says to her granddaughter.

Paige, 23, from Norwich, is with her granddad Bob who she reckons is totally chill about her partying ways

But Joyce is still willing to get stuck in - even if that means taking part in a foam party with the rest of the gang.

Some of the grandparents seem even wilder than the children as 62-year-old taxi driver Andy reveals he used to be a stripper and has been with over 600 women in his life time.
Since her untimely death in 1997, Princes William and Harry have sought to continue their late mother's legacy.

And as they prepare to mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death this August, the royal brothers are supporting The Diana Award  the charity legacy to Princess Diana's belief that young people have the power to change their world.

The charity has today announced a special Legacy Award marking the 20th anniversary of the late Princess's death with the support of both her son.

Princes William and Harry are supporting the search for 'exceptional' young people just like their mother to award in honour of Princess Diana's 20th death anniversary

The award will be presented to 20 exceptional young people - aged between 9-18 - from across the world for their selfless commitment to transforming the lives of others across the world at a special Legacy Ceremony in May 2017.

These young people will be selected from a poll of nominations by an independent judging panel chaired by Dame Julia Clevedon, Founder of Step Up To Serve.

As well as receiving the Legacy Award, recipients will have access to a unique development programme which will provide them with the opportunity to enhance their skills in four key areas; leadership, community development, social entrepreneurship and technology.

As the search begins for these exceptional young people who embody the late Princess' qualities of compassion, kindness and service, the Diana Award calls out to communities and groups across the world to nominate a young person, who is deserving of such honour.

Since her untimely death in 1997, Princes William and Harry have sought to continue their late mother's legacy

On Wednesday, Prince William comforted a young girl who lost a parent and spoke out about his feelings when his mother, Princess Diana, died two decades ago

The deadline for nominations is Friday 17 March 2017.

Speaking about the award, Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive, Diana Award, said: 'Diana, Princess of Wales is widely remembered for her values of compassion, kindness and service to others, irrespective of their culture, race or background.

'Twenty years since her death it's heartening to know that her legacy lives on through the lives of thousands of young people across the world.

'Our theme for this 20th anniversary year is centred on Princess Diana's values of kindness, compassion and service. We know there are truly exceptional young people across the world who deserve to be recognised. We urge the public to nominate them for The Diana Award.'

On Wednesday, Prince William comforted a young girl who lost a parent and spoke out about his feelings when his mother, Princess Diana, died two decades ago.

During a visit to the charity Child Bereavement UK in London on Wednesday, William was seen speaking quietly to a nine-year-old girl, Aoife, about the loss of her father.

'Do you know what happened to me? You know I lost my mummy when I was very young, too. I was 15 and my brother was 12. So we lost our mummy when we were young as well,' he told her.

The award, which is supported by the brothers, will be presented to 20 exceptional young people - aged between 9-18 - from across the world for their selfless commitment to transforming the lives of others across the world at a special Legacy Ceremony in May 2017

Lorna Ireland, a parent at the event, said William told her 12-year-old son that as a teenager, he was 'very angry and found it very difficult to talk about' Diana's death.

'It was very personal and it was very special,' she said of his comments.

William is a royal patron to the charity, which was also supported by Diana.

This year marks 20 years since Diana died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

The Diana Award, a charity, will remember her life with events including the launch of an international award for young people.

Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, will host an exhibition at the family's home and a fundraising event later in the year.
Ivanka Trump was every bit the doting daughter at her father Donald's press conference, but she was back in mom mode the very next day.

The 35-year-old donned a $325 black wool coat from her eponymous fashion line and black suede pumps to take her three-year-old son Joseph to school on Thursday.

The mother-of-three was photographed leaving her Park Avenue apartment with eldest son on the unseasonably warm New York City morning.

Doting mom: Ivanka Trump was photographed taking her son Joseph on a school run on Thursday morning

Making it work: The 35-year-old held her handbag, Joseph's backpack, and her eldest son's hand as they walked out the door of their Park Avenue apartment

Ivanka had yesterday's blow out pulled back into a low ponytail, and she accessorized her look with a pair of black sunglasses.

The working mom held a $295 handbag from her accessories collection, as well as Joseph's playful orange backpack that features a pair of googly eyes, in one hand, while she grasped on to her son's hand with the other.

The temperature in New York City is supposed to reach 60 degrees by the afternoon, and Ivanka dressed for the weather by keeping her legs bare.

On the go: Ivanka donned a $325 wool coat from her fashion line and high heels to take Joseph to school

Helping hand: Ivanka escorted the three-year-old out of their building to the SUV waiting for them on the curb

Keeping warm: Despite the unseasonably warm temperature in New York City, Joseph was all bundled up

Meanwhile, Joseph was bundled up in winter coat with a fur hood, a knit hat, and New Balance sneakers that are just like his dad's.

Ivanka was dressed to impress on Wednesday when she left her apartment and headed to Trump Tower for her father's first press conference since his electoral win.

She covered her green and black pencil dress with her wool coat, and her long blond hair was blown out and flowing past her shoulders as she walked out of the gilded doors of her building and smiled for the photographers waiting outside.

Letting her hair down: Ivanka was dressed to the nines when headed to her father Donald's press conference at Trump Tower on Wednesday morning

Looking somber: Ivanka and her brothers Eric (far left) and Donald Jr. (far right) stood alongside their dad (center) during the media event

When she arrived at Trump Tower for the press conference, Ivanka ditched her winter coat to show off her sleeveless green dress, which featured black velvet trim.

Ivanka and her brothers Donald Jr., 39, and Eric, 33, stood by their dad's side at the media event, and her husband Jared Kushner, 35, was also there as Donald's senior adviser.

The businesswoman recently stepped down from her role as Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions at the Trump Organization after 11 years with the company, so she can follow her father Donald to the White House during his presidency.

Elegant ensemble: When she arrived at Trump Tower, Ivanka shed her coat to show off her sleeveless dress, which featured black velvet trim

News: After the press conference, Ivanka announced on social media that she appointed Abigail Klem as the president of her brand while she takes a leave of absence

Happy family: Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner has been named her father Donald's senior adviser. They are pictured with their children in Hawaii over the holidays

She also sold off all her common stock and resigned from her director position at her fashion line, as she and her family prepare to move to Washington, D.C.

After the press conference, Ivanka confirmed her resignation on her Facebook page, explaining that when her father takes office as the 45th President of the United States, she will take a 'formal leave of absence' from The Trump Organization and her eponymous apparel and accessories brand.

'I have appointed Abigail Klem as president to lead my brand. She will work with a board of trustees to manage the strategic and day-to-day operations of the business,' she added.

'I am confident that under her leadership the company will continue creating smart, solution-oriented product and content. My brothers will oversee The Trump Organization, and I know that in their capable hands the business will thrive.'
Harry Potter fans who dream of dining in the Hogwarts Great Hall or Hogsmeade's Three Broomsticks but can't get to the London studio your or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter now have their chance at enjoying a magical meal in New York City.

The catch? There are no Chocolate Frogs, butterbeer, or firewhiskey on order at Brooklyn's new wizard-themed restaurant  just pasta.

Called Pasta Wiz, the spot's owner Alex Dimitrov told Gothamist he chose Potter-inspired decor for the speedy Italian eatery because 'the magic is making the pasta so fast, and so good'.

Accio ravioli! A new restaurant in Brooklyn is outfitted with Harry Potter-inspired decor

What a mix: The eatery sells mostly pasta as well as salads, smoothies, and crepes

Not prepared by house elves: The 'magic' is that the pasta is served so fast

Gryffindor! There is a Sorting Hat on the counter of the spot, which just opened

'While the interior of the Pasta Wiz flagship resembles a wizard's enchanted lair, the real magic shines through in the prep time of their dishes: approximately 3 minutes less time than it takes your favorite pizza joint to heat up a slice.' the website reads.

But the 'magically fast' pasta dishes, which are served within three minutes, are the only link to the wizarding world in the North Brooklyn restaurant.

Its menu includes several types of 'guilt-free' pasta including spaghetti, fettuccine, and fusilli, salads, juices, smoothies, and crepes.

There's also a dish called Magic Meatballs, which is a spaghetti and meatball dinner with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.

Old-school: The restaurant has a lot of vintage furniture and decor

Fast: Diners order their food via iPads set up below these screens

They're invisible: Books appear to hang magically from the walls without shelves

But while the cuisine is that of a budget Italian restaurant, the decor screams 'Gryffindor common room'.

An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling and books seem to be stuck magically to the wall with an invisible shelf.

The dining room is filled with antique-looking furniture and mirrors on the walls, candles, and a clock with a disembodied hand in it. There is also a sorting hat on the counter.

The ordering isn't so much magical as it is high-tech, with iPads that allow customers to place their own orders.
A patient went to painstaking lengths to prank his doctor by creating a miniature chair and putting it inside a stool sample pot.

A fellow patient spotted the 'stool' sample at the surgery in America while he was waiting for his doctor's appointment.

When he questioned a nurse about the item she told him that it had been dropped off by an older man and that she decided to keep it as a funny memento, the patient wrote on Reddit.

Prank: A patient delivered a 'stool' sample to his doctor's surgery in a labelled pot containing a miniature chair, pictured

Sharing a picture of the stool on a sideboard in the surgery, 'Euphoricsoul' wrote: 'Waiting for my doctor's appointment when suddenly...'

He added: 'I asked the RN [registered nurse] about it when she came back and she said an older gentleman dropped it off as a funny one day so she decided to keep it. Pretty funny.'

The picture entertained thousands on the site and prompted hundreds of comments - including from numerous people who claim they own similar comedy stools.

One user, '221ABaker', said their late grandfather used to carry one around.

'When he was dying of cancer he used to carry around a black film canister with him all the time that contained a tiny wooden stool like this.

'He made the joke every chance he got. Made him giggle like a little girl. Thank you OP for posting this and reminding me of him,' they wrote.

In response, fellow user 'BohPoe' said he also has a similar stool that he has kept ever since high school.

He wrote: 'A girl I knew gave it to me during English class back in high school in 2004, she said I could have it and I've held onto it ever since for some reason.

'I'll probably be buried with it and take the joke to my grave. I'll carry on your grandfather's legacy.'
Creme Egg fans got very excited this week after it was discovered that Cadbury makes an Oreo version of the famous Easter treat.

But as the full-sized cookie-and-cream-flavoured eggs are only available in Canada for the time being, a new mouthwatering recipe for how to make your own Oreo and Creme Egg scotch egg may come in handy.

The indulgent dessert has been created by Hertfordshire chef and food artist Ben Churchill, whose video revealing how to make the drool-worthy creation has been liked and shared hundreds of times on Facebook.

A Oreo and Creme Egg Scotch egg dessert has been created by Hertfordshire chef and food artist Ben Churchill

This Instagram post of the cookie-and-cream flavour Oreo Cream Egg went viral this week and prompted a flurry of excited responses from Britons with a sweet tooth

Twitter was sent into a frenzy this week after news spread that Cadbury has released a special Oreo edition of its beloved Creme Egg.

But the full-sized eggs are believed to only be available in Canada, though miniature Oreo eggs are now stocked in British supermarkets.

The eggs have the same Cadbury chocolate shell but they are filled with Oreo 'stuf' and biscuit instead of the traditional yellow and white fondant filling.

If you're desperate to try one, you don't have to fly to Canada though as Churchill shows you how you can make one very easily in your own kitchen.

He starts with one packet of Oreos and separating the white creme filling from the dark biscuit.

A new video reveals how you can make your own Oreo Creme Egg. The drool-worthy creation has been liked hundreds of times on Facebook

Churchill shows just how easy it is to make an Oreo and Creme Egg dessert in his video

Churchill mashes the 'stuf' filling together until it forms a ball, which he then presses down flat

He then mashes the 'stuf' filling together until it forms a ball, which he then presses down flat.

He then unwraps one Creme Egg and moulds the Oreo filling around the chocolate egg.

He then coats in a sticky sugar syrup.

Setting it to one side, he blitzes the Oreo biscuits until they are crumbs before rolling the white egg in the biscuit dust.

Churchill then unwraps one Creme Egg and moulds the Oreo filling around the chocolate egg

Churchill blitzes Oreo biscuits until they are crumbs before rolling the white creme-covered egg in the biscuit dust

When he cuts into the egg, the fondant filling oozes out.

It may be enough to satiate cravings for Oreo Creme Eggs until Cadbury release full-sized versions of the Easter treat here.

It is understood Canadians have been enjoying the special edition Oreo Creme Egg for more than a year.

It is not yet known whether these full-size eggs will ever be released in Britain but in the meantime shoppers can satisfy their sweet tooth with miniature versions.

The new flavour of Creme Egg features the same chocolate shell as the original but is filled with Oreo cream and biscuit, left. Right, the mini version available in the UK

A spokesman for Cadbury told MirrorOnline: 'We are always innovating our product ranges and there are lots of exciting things to come from the Cadbury brand this year and beyond.

'As part of our Easter range this year we have launched new Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg 'n' Spoon Oreo, which will be available alongside our existing Oreo Easter products including the Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Shell Egg and the Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Easter Egg Sharing Bag.'
Naming your cheeseburger after a sexual act  especially one that involves body fluids  isn't usually the smartest way to go about selling food, but one D.C.-area restaurant found the exception to that rule this week.

Community, a diner in Bethesda, Maryland, introduced - for one day only - a special 'Golden Showers' burger, named after the fetish act that Donald Trump was falsely accused of watching in a since-discredited dossier published earlier in the week.

While it's unknown how many servings of the off-menu item were actually ordered when it was available on January 11, the burger certainly got a lot of buzz.

Clean eating: Community, a diner in Bethesda, Maryland, created this Golden Showers burger for Trump

On Tuesday, BuzzFeed published fake reports allegedly compiled by a former British intelligence official that made claims about Trump's relationship with Russia as well as his sexual proclivities.

Though the accusations have since been discredited  and had, in fact, been passed around several other news organizations that chose not to publish them because they were unverifiable  the claims were a source of much conversation and speculation this week.

Acting incredibly quickly to take advantage of that publicity, Community diner whipped up the one-day-only burger to poke fun at the false dossier - and to raise money for a worthy cause.

This burger starts with P: The restaurant donated $5 from each burger sold to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Created by food writer Nevin Martell and owner Mark Bucher, the ground beef patty came 'drenched with self-tanning cheddar and yellow mustard leaking down the sides, and topped with a very small pickle'.

A picture shared by Martell on Instagram shows the burger dripping with the yellow sauce.

For $20, the combo meal was served with a glass of lemonade, as well as a lemon-glazed doughnut 'to provide an unforgettable happy ending'.

Trumped-up, trickle down: Discredited reports published this week alleged that Donald Trump hired prostitutes who took part in sexual acts involving urine

Though the name and concept might seem unappetizing, the ingredients were pretty traditional  and the cause the burger supported may have made it more of a must-have order.

The restaurant promised to donate $5 from each burger to the Planned Parenthood Action fund, which fights 'for commonsense policies that foster the sexual and reproductive health and rights of individuals, families, and communities'.

'The thought that we could have fun with it and have the money go to a good cause was a win-win,' Martell told the Washingtonian.
Drinking to forget can actually strengthen bad memories, a new study has claimed.

Scientists have found evidence that alcohol not only prevents you from forgetting bad memories but makes them stronger - by strengthening nerve cells connected to the brain's fear response center.

Replacing this form of self-medication with short-term drug therapy and behavioral therapy is the only way to weaken - or even rewrite - bad memories.

But Dr Norman Haughey, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University, warns the longer you spend drowning your memories with liquor, the harder it will be to overwrite traumatic experiences.

'Alcohol alters the brain's chemistry which makes the overwriting of memories difficult,' Dr Haughey told Daily Mail Online.

Drinking to forget can not only prevent you from forgetting bad memories but it can also make them stronger, a new study claims (stock image)

People who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger.

Recovery often doesn't mean forgetting the past trauma but learning to not have bad physical and emotional reactions to memories.

However, alcohol becomes a common comfort to sufferers because the substance reduces awareness, helps with insomnia, and allows inhibited people to socialize.

People who have suffered trauma are more likely than others to have drinking problems, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

It is estimated that 60 percent to 80 percent of people with PTSD binge drink as a way to self-medicate.

The study, carried out at Johns Hopkins, used mice to observe the effects of alcohol on fearful responses to memories.

The mice were 'fear trained' by being put in a cage with an electrified floor and playing six tones along with a shock.

They were then split into two groups with one group given water and the other a 20 percent ethanol drink.

Alcohol alters the brain's chemistry which makes the overwriting of memories difficult Dr Norman Haughey

The next day, researchers tried to disassociate the mice's negative response to the tones by playing them without a a shock.

The mice who were given alcohol were much more likely to 'freeze' than the ones who were given water.

Brain tissue samples showed why: mice given alcohol had many more receptors along their synapses than did mice given only water.

This is crucial since stronger synapses (or, connections between brain cells) mean stronger memories - and a stronger connection with the brain's fear response.

Many of us - including the elderly - work to keep our synapses and memories strong.

But the researchers found that having more receptors along the synapses left traumatized mice in a heightened state of fear.

The mice were then given the epilepsy drug perampanel, which blocks the receptors. The freezing response in alcohol mice dropped to 20 percent.

Dr Haughey said: 'Anti-anxiety medications and other drugs, together with alcohol, may affect the ability to let go of fearful memories in different ways.

'But using a drug that blocks the receptors associated with fear response as a short-term drug therapy, along with a behavioral therapy, could help the brain chemistry to overwrite traumatic memories.'
HARRISBURG  A man was taken to a hospital in Dauphin County on Wednesday after police found possible homemade explosive devices in his clothing.

Police in Lower Swatara Township were called to a home for a report of a person who possibly made explosive devices and left the residence. Investigators found the threat to be credible.

The suspect was located in the 2900 block of Fulling Mill Road and was removed from the devices.

Police have not identified the suspect and said he was taken to Harrisburg Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Explosives experts with the Pennsylvania State Police assisted with device removal. They made sure the residence was safe.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Lower Swatara Township Police Department through Dauphin County Control at 717-558-6900. Tips can also be submitted to Dauphin County Crime Stoppers online or by calling 1-800-262-3080.
Yoga can help relieve the agony of back pain, a major review of medical evidence found.

The practice, which includes stretching and breathing exercises, is an effective way to improve mobility and ease the chronic discomfort, experts said.

They found yoga was twice as likely to improve the condition than simply doing back exercises  and also improved overall physical quality of life.

Lower back pain affects four in five people at some point in their lifetime. Most cases are caused by lifting a heavy object badly or bending awkwardly, and in most instances will go away within a few weeks.

Yoga can help relieve the agony of back pain, a major review of medical evidence found The practice, which includes stretching and breathing exercises, is an effective way to improve mobility and ease the chronic discomfort, experts said

But for patients with chronic lower back pain the problem lasts for more than three months, and half see the problem recur within a year. For some, the pain can last for years or come back in waves.

Despite researchers estimating that powerful opioids are prescribed for roughly 40 per cent of cases, painkillers are ineffective for back pain.

The new review, published by the respected Cochrane Library, found that doing yoga exercises under guidance from an instructor can effectively reduce chronic lower back pain within six to 12 months.

Researchers at the University of Maryland in the US examined data from 12 clinical trials involving 1,080 people.

The participants  men and women aged between 34 and 48  attended yoga classes lasting between 45 and 90 minutes, once or twice a week.

Patients doing yoga were compared to those who carried out back-specific exercises, or did not do any exercise at all.

Within six months, those who carried out yoga were well over twice as likely to have seen their condition improve clinically, compared to those in other groups. They were also judged to have seen a 26 per cent improvement in physical quality of life.

However, the researchers also found that for 5 per cent of patients yoga actually increased back pain  though they said this risk was likely to be similar for any form of exercise with back pain.

Lead author Susan Wieland, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said: Our findings suggest that yoga exercise may lead to reducing the symptoms of lower back pain by a small amount, but the results have come from studies with a short follow up.

The yoga exercises practised in the studies were developed for low back pain, and people should also remember that in each of the studies we reviewed, the yoga classes were led by experienced practitioners.

The findings of this review will help people make more informed choices about their future treatment options.

The new review, published by the respected Cochrane Library, found that doing yoga exercises under guidance from an instructor can effectively reduce chronic lower back pain within six to 12 months

Yoga has been practised for more than 5,000 years. It developed in India as a form of gentle exercise, breathing techniques and light meditation.

For many people, it is closely tied to religion and philosophy, and in Britain alone more than 3,600 people belong to the British Wheel of Yoga  the national governing body.

The organisation defines yoga as a Sanskrit word meaning union between mind, body and spirit and a philosophy.

But for thousands of people it is merely a popular way to keep fit and stay calm amid the pressures of modern life.

The two different approaches came to a head in 2012, when a yoga group was banned from a church hall in Southampton.
A father and son who both suffer from the same cancer have been told the NHS will only pay to fund life-saving treatment for one of them.

Nathan Lewis, 30, and three-year-old Thiago, from Huddersfield, were both born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) - which causes masses.

They have both since developed rare cancerous tumours as a result of the condition.

But their local health trust has refused to fund proton beam therapy due to Mr Lewis' having spread further - making the operation unlikely to work.

However, doctors have said they are able to fund a treatment plan for Thiago - based on promising new drugs.

The family now need to raise 50,000 for urgent treatment in Germany, where doctors have offered Mr Lewis a proven procedure.

Nathan Lewis, 30, and three-year-old Thiago, from Huddersfield, were both born with neurofibromatosis type 1 - which causes masses. They have both since developed rare cancerous tumours as a result of the condition

Tiffany Ferdinand, his fiancee and Thiago's mother, said: 'Unfortunately a recent CT scan showed that although radiotherapy has changed the shape and size of Nathan's tumour it also showed secondary cancer in his lungs.

'This means that Nathan cannot have the proton beam therapy as that just works for primary tumours.

'This is devastating but I didn't give up hope and made contact with the Hallwang Clinic in Germany.

'Doctors there have treated his type of cancer before and have had great success, which was wonderful to hear.

'The treatment they are going to offer is dendritic stem cell treatment combined with intravenous vitamins, detoxification and stress busting techniques.'

But their local health trust has refused to fund proton beam therapy due to Mr Lewis' having spread further - making the operation unlikely to work. However, doctors have said they are able to fund a treatment plan for Thiago - based on promising new drugs

She added that because Mr Lewis' cancer is becoming more aggressive and spreading quickly, time is of the essence.

The German doctors have, however, said there are spaces available for surgery in February.

WHAT IS NF1? Neurofibromatosis the name for a number of genetic conditions that cause swellings or lumps. Although many people who have the condition inherit it from one of their parents, up to 50 per cent develop it randomly from a gene mutation before they are born. Despite their alarming appearance, the growths and swellings - called neurofibromas and caused by a growth of cells - are not cancerous or contagious. NF1 is a condition someone is born with, although some symptoms develop gradually over many years. The severity of the condition can vary considerably from person to person. People with NF1 are more likely to suffer from learning difficulties and behavioural problems. Around 10 per cent of people with NF1 will have vision problems, high blood pressure and a curved spine. They are also more likely to develop a type of cancer known as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours. Advertisement

Mr Lewis was born with NF1 but had no idea until he developed a benign tumour in 2009.

Surgeons removed his plexiform neurofibroma in 2011 - but it slowly began to grow back.

They warned they were unable to operate on him due to the tumours proximity to his spinal cord.

He chose to have radiotherapy to control the pain and it helped to shrink the tumour.

Doctors previously said the condition wasn't curable and ruled out further surgery in the UK because they didn't think it would work.

As a result, it is believed the tumours have since spread, causing him to have an aggressive secondary cancer.

When Thiago was just one, tests revealed he also had plexiform neurofibromas in his leg - which is not cancerous.

His family visited their GP after they noticed one of his legs was longer than the other one - caused by the condition.

But doctors now say that MEK inhibitors, currently being trialled, are available to help treat Thiago.

Ms Ferdinand said: 'Although currently still on clinical trial it is proven in 80 per cent of patients that it shrinks these painful, fast-growing benign tumours.

'So we are pleased there is treatment in the future for Thiago even if he has to wait two-four years for this.'
A newly-married mother's life was saved by an eagle-eyed doctor who she bumped into while on honeymoon.

Danielle McCulloch, 26, was holidaying in Cyprus just days after getting married on the Mediterranean island.

But she stumbled into a doctor who noticed a strange lump on her neck when she was in a supermarket.

She advised the mother-of-two to get it checked out as soon as she landed back in the UK - calling it suspicious.

And upon her return to Peterborough and being tested, doctors confirmed she had stage three thyroid cancer.

Without treatment the tumour would have killed her, according to doctors.

Danielle McCulloch, 26, was warned that a lump in her neck was suspicious after stumbling into a doctor on her honeymoon in Cyprus. After going for tests when she returned home to Peterborough, she was found to have stage three thyroid cancer

Mrs McCulloch said: 'I'm so grateful to that doctor for telling me what she did because she could have saved my life.

'She wasn't even working, she was just doing her shopping.

'No-one else had ever pointed the lump out before and I didn't think it was anything to worry about.

'Without the push to get it checked out, it could have been a completely different story.'

Mrs McCulloch and her then fiance Matt, 27, decided to get married abroad after booking a family holiday to Cyprus in May 2015.

But just days after tying the knot, she was out shopping with her grandmother, Wendy, who lives on the island, when they bumped into the doctor.

Mrs McCulloch said: 'I'm so grateful to that doctor for telling me what she did because she could have saved my life'

Almost immediately she asked what the lump on her neck was and whether it had been checked.

But Mrs McCulloch had not noticed the growth. She added: 'I didn't really know how to take what she was saying as it was quite personal and out of the blue but she was quite insistent that when I got back to the UK I needed to go and see someone.'

I'm so grateful to that doctor for telling me what she did because she could have saved my life. Danielle McCulloch, 26

After arriving home, she immediately went to see her GP after becoming concerned with what the doctor had said.

She was immediately referred to a specialist for tests and a biopsy, however nothing showed up.

Mrs McCulloch, who works as a cleaner, said: 'I wasn't worried at all because I really didn't think there was anything in it.

'When the biopsy came back clear, I thought it was all just a fuss about nothing, but the doctors asked to remove the lump just to be safe.'

Surgeons then carried out an operation to remove the mass off of her left thyroid, during which they discovered it was cancerous.

She has been left with a visible scar on her neck from the treatment to remove the cancer and she will have to take medication for the rest of her life to do the work of her thyroids - which were both taken out during surgery

Mrs McCulloch and her then fiance Matt, 27, decided to get married abroad after booking a family holiday to Cyprus in May 2015

Doctors at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge found she was suffering from stage three thyroid cancer.

After having already removed her left thyroid, where the 4cm lump was growing, medics then carried out a second operation to remove the right side.

She was then blasted with a radioactive iodine treatment to ensure any cancerous cells were destroyed.

Mrs McCulloch, mother to Louis, nine, and Imogen, five, said: 'When I look back on when they gave me the news, it was like one of those adverts where you can see them talking but can't hear what they're saying.

'It was like the doctor went all fuzzy, I was listening but I wasn't taking it in.

'All I could think about was my family and my two young children. It was literally this massive bombshell.'

During her treatment, she had to be kept in isolation away from her children, who she told she was turning into 'hulk' to try not to worry them.

Without treatment the tumour would have killed her, according to doctors (pictured with her children Louis, nine, and Imogen, five)

Mrs McCulloch added: 'The treatment was a really scary experience but compared to some treatment cancer sufferers have, it was a godsend.

WHAT IS THYROID CANCER? Thyroid cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects the thyroid gland, a small gland at the base of the neck that produces hormones. It's most common in people in their 30s and those over the age of 60. Women are two to three times more likely to develop it than men. Thyroid cancer is usually treatable and in many cases can be cured completely, although it can sometimes come back after treatment. Symptoms of thyroid cancer can include: a painless lump or swelling in the front of the neck  although only 1 in 20 neck lumps are cancer

swollen glands in the neck

unexplained hoarseness that doesn't get better after a few weeks

a sore throat that doesn't get better

difficulty swallowing Around 9 in every 10 people are alive five years after diagnosis. Many of these are cured and will have a normal lifespan. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

'I had to stay away from my family and friends for a week. That was the hardest part of it.

'We explained to my son that I was like the Hulk and would have this stuff in my system.

'My daughter was too young to understand. When I could see my children again and hug them it was great but I was a bit scared. I didn't want to hurt them.'

A visible scar remains on her neck from the treatment and she will have to take medication for the rest of her life to do the work of her thyroids.

She will also have to return to hospital for bi-annual check-ups.

But now she Mrs McCulloch is encouraging others to visit a doctor to get any unusual symptoms checked out - no matter how small.

Danielle added: 'People know their own bodies and when something doesn't feel right, they shouldn't just assume everything is OK.

'I'm lucky. The lump was large but contained. If I had left it much longer who knows.

'I knew something wasn't quite right but I chose to ignore my body. And to be honest I'd never even heard of thyroid cancer.
IVF clinics are using 'highly misleading' success rates to advertise their services, experts warn.

A new study has found that many centres are cherry-picking their results to provide a false sense of hope to couples.

Many are using their pregnancy rates to attract those desperate for children - despite this not being the figure of importance.

Scientists are now arguing that an outright advertising ban should be considered if clinics don't show a true break down of their actual birth rates.

A new study has found that many IVF clinics are cherry-picking their results to provide a false sense of hope to couples

University of Manchester researchers found that success rates are published on 67 per cent of IVF clinic websites.

Study author Jack Wilkinson said: 'Clinics can cherry-pick their results from a dizzying array of options.

'The concern is that clinics can always construct figures that show their own performance in the best possible light while making competitors look bad.

'This is not helpful to patients, who may struggle to understand differences in what each clinic reports and may be misled into making comparisons on the basis of incomparable results.

'Even if clinics are acting in good faith, the current system does not produce clear or reliable information for the people that need it.

'Just as advertising of prescription drugs to patients is not permitted, a ban on advertising IVF should be considered if there is no binding standard of reporting.'

Many are using their pregnancy rates to attract those desperate for children - despite this not showing how likely a woman is to conceive using its service

As over half of all IVF in the UK is privately funded, clinics can compete for patients through advertising.

Success rates can often tempt couples to pick one clinic ahead of another - but the published results may not ring completely true.

Although direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is banned in the UK, there are no such restrictions on IVF.

IS IVF WORTH IT? Thousands of women in Britain are having IVF unnecessarily, an infertility expert claimed last week, when they are able to have a child naturally. Almost half of couples labelled infertile after trying unsuccessfully for a baby for a year will, studies show, fall pregnant in the next two years if they just keep trying. But many panic and pay thousands of pounds for IVF, a British Fertility Society conference heard, because they believe they have a medical problem and need treatment. Advertisement

The researchers discovered 53 clinics were reporting success rates out of a toal of 79 investigated.

But in these said centres, pregnancy rates were reported more frequently than birth rates.

Only 51 per cent reported actual live birth statistics - the item of importance to patients.

They also discovered that clinics were reporting their pregnancy rates in 33 different ways, potentially confusing couples.

Some 72 per cent presented results without specifying the sample size, while a quarter didn't mention the age of patients.

Writing in the journal BMJ Open, Mr Wilkinson added: 'IVF is expensive and likely to fail though couples may not get that impression when visiting these IVF clinic websites.

'There is a strong incentive to selectively report success rates in a way that exaggerates performance. A lack of binding guidance means that clinics are free to do this.'
A nine-year-old boy battling advanced bone cancer has traveled from Britain to Kansas in a desperate bid for life-saving treatment.

Alex Goodwin, from near Leicester in England, was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma last year after months of agony in his joints and muscles.

He started struggling to walk in Christmas 2015. By April 2016, he was forced to use crutches as he lost the strength in his right leg. And yet, he was repeatedly misdiagnosed and dismissed by doctors.

In June, tests revealed he had cancer.

His only chance at life was an incredibly complicated operation to remove his cancer-infected thigh bone - and due to the advanced stage of his disease, it could only be done in America.

Finally, on Tuesday, he was wheeled into the operating theater at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City.

On Wednesday doctors his parents the news they were hoping for: 'The cancer is out.'

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Alex Goodwin, from England, has been told his cancer is gone after surgery to remove his thigh bone in Kansas City. But given that it spread so far, he still faces a long journey

He started struggling to walk in Christmas 2015. By April 2016, he was forced to use crutches as he lost the strength in his right leg. And yet, he was repeatedly dismissed by doctors. Eventually he was diagnosed with bone cancer. Pictured (left) with his police officer father Jeff

It is not the end of the journey for Alex; he may also be lined up for a specific kind of radiotherapy - not available in the UK until April 2018 - before heading home.

But for now, it is the best result they could have.

'He's a champion,' orthopedic oncology surgeon Howard Rosenthal told the Kansas City Star after completing the hours-long operation.

'He's going to make it through, he just has a tough road ahead.'

So far Alex's treatment has been tough and varying in success.

Ewing's sarcoma is a rare type of bone cancer that affects children and teenagers, widely believed to be caused by rapid bone growth.

Fewer than 30 children in the UK develop the condition each year.

If caught early, there is an 80 percent cure rate. Once it spreads to the muscles and tissues, the disease becomes incredibly difficult to reach using traditional methods.

Despite instantly starting chemotherapy, Alex's disease continued to spread. By the end of the treatment, he relied on a wheelchair to move around.

It meant that he was left with a significantly-reduced chance of survival.

Crucially, it reduced the treatment options available to him on the NHS.

Although Ewing's is notoriously susceptible to radiotherapy, the best kind of this treatment (proton beam therapy) is not available in the UK.

It is the same treatment that famously cured six-year-old British brain cancer sufferer Ashya King, who was forced to fly to Spain amid a high profile battle that captured the nation's attention.

Despite instantly starting chemotherapy, Alex's disease continued to spread. By the end of the treatment, he relied on a wheelchair to move around

Seeking advice worldwide, Alex's mother and police officer father from Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire, were directed to Kansas City.

The treatment and travel would cost upwards of 120,000, which they managed to raise through charity events - including a music video performed by his father PC Jeff Goodwin and other Warwickshire officers.

Now, the precocious little boy is in Kansas City - and winning over the hospital staff with his vibrant sense of humor.

Speaking shortly before his operation, Alex told the Star: 'I just want everyone to be happy, keep those positive thoughts up, and have a nice day.

It is not the end of the journey for Alex; he may also be lined up for a specific kind of radiotherapy - not available in the UK until April 2018 - before heading home

'And don't worry, all those people.

'Whoever loves me, and anyone else, I'll always be in your heart.'

Alex's first treatment plan involved the resection of his right femur (or, thigh bone), hip replacement surgery and reconstructive surgery of his pelvic bone and acetabulum.

As Alex explains himself in an interview with the Star, most of his muscles was worn away by the chemotherapy.

The idea is to replace Alex's femur with a telescopic prosthesis that can be electro magnetized to lengthen as his body grows.

The procedure is complex and risky.

If the doctors think it necessary, his next step could be to get proton beam therapy - a highly effective form of radiotherapy that is not yet available in the UK.

It uses a high energy beam of protons rather than high energy X-rays, delivering targeted doses to the cancerous areas.

The treatment has been particularly effective treating cancers of the skull and the spine.

Its meticulous precision has been shown to effectively attack tumors while leaving surrounding muscles and tissues unaffected.
THE TRAITOR'S NICHE by Ismail Kadare (Harvill Secker 16.99)

THE TRAITOR'S NICHE

by Ismail Kadare (Harvill Secker 16.99)

Ismail Kadare won the inaugural Man Booker International Prize in 2005 for a body of work that has often disguised outright condemnation of his countrys totalitarian history with oblique, playful satire.

This latest novel is set around the 1800s, when Albania was an outpost of the Ottoman Empire and in Constantinople, a favoured recreation is to gawp at the head of whatever new traitor has been placed in the main square.

But the square needs a new head and only one will do  that of Black Ali, pasha of Albania, who is promising to lead the country to independence, but has fatally misread his people. You can read all sorts of allegories into Kadares riffs on ideas of the body politic, while the deluded Black Ali is a swipe at Albanias notorious post-war autocrat Enver Hoxha.

Mainly, the novel is a hymn to language, something that, as Ottoman bureaucrats intent on obliterating it instinctively know, and as Kadares novels prove, is not easily silenced.

THE GOLDEN LEGEND by Nadeem Aslam (Faber 16.99)

THE GOLDEN LEGEND

by Nadeem Aslam (Faber 16.99)

There may be angrier, more despairing novels published this year  after all, there is a lot to despair over  but few are likely to be as beautiful.

Anglo-Pakistani novelist Nadeem Aslam has a rare ability to write intimate novels with a global reach and in his fifth turns his limpid gaze to Pakistan and the havoc being wreaked on the lives of its people by blasphemy laws.

Nargis is an architect who has concealed her Christian roots from everyone, including her recently murdered husband; Helen is her young Christian friend under investigation for a series of supposedly blasphemous articles.

Against a savage backdrop of escalating anti-Western feeling they, and a young Muslim who has escaped from a border camp, go on the run after Nargis refuses to forgive her husbands high-profile American killer and Helens father incites a mob by falling in love with a Muslim.

Occasionally a more peaceful, tolerant Pakistan can be glimpsed behind the implacable, fanatical one depicted here, but mainly this brutal, gorgeous novel feels like an elegy to a lost ideal.

SWALLOWING MERCURY by Wioletta Greg (Granta 12.99)

SWALLOWING MERCURY

by Wioletta Greg (Granta 12.99)

Reading this autobiographical novella about a rural Eighties Polish childhood feels like picking through the fragments of a broken mirror, where glinting, jagged truths lie without ever quite fitting together.

The young Wioletta lives with her parents in eccentric chaos in a village where Catholic tradition sits side by side with superstition and sinister things occur in the most peculiar ways.

Wioletta obsessively collects matchboxes, glimpses her dressmaker making love to a dummy, is reprimanded after apparently mocking Moscow with a painting submitted to a local art competition and plays spin the bottle with randy boys in the haunted house of a sleeping old woman.

Greg, a poet, has an eye  and taste  for everyday detail, and this disorientating novel is bursting with sensual images, from asphalt that glistens like the skin of an aubergine to a curtain billowing like the belly of a whale.

She tends to finish her brief chapters on a dismissive, anti-climatic note that compounds suspicions the whole is less than the sum of its parts. All the same, I cant think of another novel like it.
THE DRY by Jane Harper (Little, Brown 12.99)

THE DRY

by Jane Harper (Little, Brown 12.99)

One of the most assured crime debuts Ive encountered in many years is from this British-born, Australia-based journalist.

It grips like a vice from first paragraph to last, atmospherically evoking the small town of Kiewarra, outside Melbourne, which has been rocked by a horrific murder/suicide in the midst of a fearsome drought.

Karen Hadler and her six-year-old son Billy appear to have been shot by the husband and father, Luke, before he turned the shotgun on himself.

Melbourne police officer Aaron Falk, brought up in the town, returns for the funeral where he is drawn into investigating  not least because he and Luke were childhood friends who shared a secret that led Falk to leave Kiewarra.

Told with heart-breaking precision and emotional power, it reveals the prejudices, secrets and lies of small-town life against the background of a crime that remains a mystery to anyone who knew Hadler, while feelings are inflamed by the heat.

If you read only one crime novel this year make it this one.

SIRENS by Joseph Knox (Doubleday 12.99)

SIRENS

by Joseph Knox (Doubleday 12.99)

The dark, gritty underbelly of Manchester is captured with eviscerating authenticity in this debut from a young man who clearly knows the night club and drug scene in the city well.

The central figure is the seemingly disgraced Detective Constable, Aidan Waits, who, unknown to the rest of the force, is working undercover to infiltrate the operations of one of the citys major drug lords, Zain Carver.

A drug user himself, and a man who seems to attract death like a flame attracts a moth, Waits also finds himself trying to rescue the rebellious teenage daughter of a local MP, who has run away from home to her fathers despair.

She, too, is caught up in Carvers drug ring, which uses beautiful young women  the Sirens  to collect profits from the clubs where his drugs are sold. Waits gets dragged deeper and deeper into the sordid darkness, where his weaknesses are frighteningly exposed.

This is urban noir at its freshest and most ferocious.

THE BONE FIELD by Simon Kernick (Century 12.99)

THE BONE FIELD

by Simon Kernick (Century 12.99)

WITH his reputation as a crime writer now well-established, Kernick has been steadily maturing, and this latest thriller demonstrates just how good he has become.

DI Ray Mason, once of the Metropolitan Polices Homicide Command but downgraded to a DS after a disastrous incident, is put out to grass to keep him out of any more trouble. But he then stumbles, almost by accident, on to a new lead on a cold case involving the disappearance of a 21-year-old girl in Thailand back in 1990 when she was on holiday with her boyfriend.

Now, more than 25 years later, the boyfriend and his lawyer tell Mason they know what happened to her.

But before they can go any further, both men are murdered by a team of professional hitmen. Meanwhile, the girls body is discovered by builders  buried in Buckinghamshire, not Thailand.

The question is how did she get there? And why was her boyfriend killed?

Thrilling, and twisty, it never lets up.
Book of the week

YOUNG AND DAMNED AND FAIR

by Gareth Russell (William Collins 25)

Believe it or not, Catherine Howard, Henry VIIIs fifth wife, the one beheaded for having a bit on the side, was a victim of Brexit, a piece of collateral damage.

Not, I hasten to add, our present situation vis a vis Brussels (though there are parallels) but the original Brexit, the 16th-century version when England raised two fingers to the over-mighty power of a centralised European authority  the Roman Catholic church in the Vatican  and opted to go it alone.

I came to this conclusion after reading the opinion of Catherines latest biographer, Gareth Russell, that for Henry to have embarked upon something as seismic as this schism [with Rome] without having a clear strategy for the years ahead was foolish.

Impressionable: Lauren McQueen as Catherine Howard in the BBCs Six Wives With Lucy Worsley

Bluff King Hal had his own reasons for ditching the Pope. He needed a divorce so he could marry again and have a son to carry on what was a pretty shaky Tudor dynasty. Being skint, he also coveted all that lovely money and land tied up in monasteries and abbeys.

But, as he broke from Rome, did he stop to think it through, work out the consequences and the details? Of course not. His was a bull-by-the-horns hard Brexit five centuries ago.

Which was not necessarily a bad thing then any more than it is today, except that, once hed got the new wife (and a couple more, for good luck) and grabbed the wealth of the church, Henry went soft.

Protestant theology had always been a side issue for him, a convenient excuse. Now he veered back to Roman ways in his personal beliefs, persecuted Protestants and Catholics alike, and left the nation he ruled utterly divided and confused. The upshot was an England split by dissent and mutterings of rebellion.

YOUNG AND DAMNED AND FAIR by Gareth Russell (William Collins 25)

The court in London reflected this mess. It was a vipers nest, in which jockeying for position, back-stabbing (literal and metaphorical), treachery, deceit and denunciation were routine. One wrong move or opinion voiced out of turn could see a high-flyer brought down and dispatched to the gallows or the block.

And into this dangerous maelstrom wandered an innocent: ditzy Catherine Howard, niece of a duke, pretty (with beauty fresh and fair), petite, slim, alluring and above all, young  18 at most, probably younger (dates from this period are dodgy).

Henry, fat and 50-ish (both in his age and the inches of his waistline), was agog with excitement when he first saw her at court. He was ruing marriage (no. 4) to Anne of Cleves, the German princess hed wed for a political alliance and which he regretted the moment he saw she was plainer than hed been led to believe. He didnt fancy her one bit.

Teenage Catherine Howard, on the other hand, stirred the royal loins to distraction. Anne was dumped and divorced. Catherine took her place as Queen of England.

The poor lass never seemed to grasp  though she should have, given that beheaded Anne Boleyn was her cousin  what tricky waters she was now swimming in.

What dragged her down in a very short time was that she wasnt quite the innocent she pretended to be. Indeed, on the matter of her maidenhead hung the entire tale. At 14 or 15, she had dallied with young men while living with her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. There was a flirtation and a fling with her music teacher, Henry Manox, involving a deal of physical contact. In Russells words, they fooled around but did not go all the way.

Scott Arthur as King Henry VIII: Henry, fat and 50-ish (both in his age and the inches of his waistline), was agog with excitement when he first saw Catherine Howard at court

But she lost her head  followed by her virginity  to another cool young blade of the household, the smooth and seemingly irresistible Francis Dereham. Whats more, since all the girls living under the dowager duchesss roof shared quarters and even beds, there were witnesses galore.

Catherine and Dereham were obviously an item, so close they even called each other husband and wife. As far as he was concerned, they were pledged to each other, and he was aggrieved when she dropped him to become a maid of honour at the royal court, which was where Henry first caught sight of her.

When he wooed, wedded and bedded her, she successfully concealed her past from him, though she must have known it was a risk. Kings like precedence  second-hand goods are frowned on, as is deception.

To cover her back, she found places in her entourage for the girls who knew her secret, keeping them close so they would not spill the beans. She even gave the slighted Dereham a job to stop him from blabbing.

But she lost her head  followed by her virginity  to another cool young blade of the household

And then  stupidly  being the impressionable (and probably bored) teenager she still was, she fell in love. Thomas Culpepper, an aide to the king, was a known womaniser, a handsome, dapper, cocky young fellow  exactly her type. He flirted, she responded.

Surely  even as she wrote a letter to him signed Yours as long as life endures, Kathryn  they must have known their love was doomed. Russell believes they kidded themselves that Henry was ailing and would soon die and they could be together. It was an adolescent dream.

It was not, however, Culpepper who precipitated Catherines downfall. It was tittle-tattle from the past that came back to destroy her.

The fatal denunciation of her began with a Protestant preacher by the name of John Lascelles, who urged his sister Mary to seek a place in the Queens household. The pious Mary refused. She had been a servant at the Dowager Duchess of Norfolks house a few years back and considered Catherines behaviour immoral.

Lauren McQueen as Catherine Howard: Catherine, not yet 21 and by now hysterical, was found guilty of treason and beheaded on Tower Hill

At less fluid times, the matter might have gone no further. But, in that atmosphere of intrigue and suspicion, Lascelles chose to preserve his own skin and pass his sisters allegation up the chain, to no less a personage than Thomas Cranmer, the archbishop of Canterbury, a member of the kings privy council.

Cranmer picked up the hot potato that had fallen in his lap, interviewed Manox and Dereham, and the whole tacky tale of kisses, fumbling, foreplay and carnal knowledge involving the girl who was now Queen came tumbling out. Her present affair with Culpepper also came to light after Dereham mentioned his name to his interrogators.

When Henry was told, there was no escape and no mercy for the principals. The men were tortured and executed. Catherine, not yet 21 and by now hysterical, was found guilty of treason and beheaded on Tower Hill.

Russells is an excellent account, putting the often-ignored Catherine in her proper historical context. But he is a scrupulous historian who demands sources for everything he writes and sadly there are no documents showing what still eludes us  what precisely was the relationship between the ageing Henry and the flibbertigibbet Catherine?

There is evidence that the sex was unsatisfactory, on both sides, and they spent very little time in each others beds. Or in each others company generally, for that matter. He didnt seek her counsel (as he had Anne Boleyns) and she had little or nothing to contribute anyway.

He liked to show her off in public, dressing her slender frame all in silver for their spectacular royal progress through the North of England  during which she was cuckolding him with Culpepper.

But we get a rare glimpse of Henrys emotions about Catherine from his reaction when informed of her lies and infidelity. He did something this monster of a sovereign who terrorised his subjects was rarely seen to do  he openly cried.

Russell writes that his grief was so severe that at one point his entourage feared for his sanity. I found myself feeling surprisingly sorry for the old goat.
Showbusiness

SHOW AND TELL

by Ken Bloom (OUP USA 12.99)

Early in the run of the original 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story, composer Leonard Bernstein was perplexed to learn that, night after night, the hit musical was 20 minutes shorter than it should have been.

It would begin promptly at 8.30pm, but the final curtain kept coming down at 11pm instead of 11.20pm. So Bernstein went to see the show, and realised immediately that the tempo of the songs had been speeded up. He was furious, and at the end of the performance ran down to the orchestra pit to confront Max Goberman, the conductor. But Goberman wasnt there. Bernstein asked the orchestra where he was.

Probably at Grand Central, replied the first trumpet player.

Ego: Yul Brynner as the King of Siam in The King And I (1956)

It turned out that Goberman had recently moved to New Rochelle, 20 miles from Manhattan, and the last train left Grand Central station at 11.10pm.

This collection of theatrical tales is sub-titled The New Book Of Broadway Anecdotes, but while the book might be new, plenty of the stories are positively whiskery. Among the familiar and the humdrum, however, there are some corkers.

I didnt know that one about West Side Story, nor had I heard that the great soprano Eleanor Steber, cast in an early stage production of The Sound Of Music, could never quite master the lyrics.

It was her first foray into musical theatre after a lifetime in opera, and, though born in West Virginia, she wasnt used to singing in English. She mangled My Favourite Things terribly, trilling white girls in dresses with blue satin sashes and habitually repeating the same words over and over when she forgot a line, so that she rhapsodised about brown paper, brown paper, tied up with string.

The Sound Of Musics composer, Richard Rodgers, probably wasnt too bothered. Together they also wrote South Pacific and The King And I, but he never, ever complimented partner Oscar Hammerstein on his wonderful lyrics.

At least they both agreed on the shows name. If certain other musicals had stuck to their original titles, then Hello, Dolly! would have been Dolly: A Damned Exasperating Woman. And My Fair Lady would have been Lady Liza. It was only changed when its leading man pointed out that Rex Harrison in Lady Liza sounded rude. The shows composer, Frederick Loewe, meanwhile, wanted it to be called Fanfaroon.

SHOW AND TELL by Ken Bloom (OUP USA 12.99)

Loewe, we also discover, had a libido at least as energetic as his partner Alan Jay Lerners libretto. A little disingenuously, Bloom refers to him as a great ladies man, then tells us that he would often be found naked, playing the piano with a comely beauty less than half his age sitting on his lap.

Ladies man or dirty old man? At one stage he lived in Las Vegas with an 18-year-old girl easily young enough to be his granddaughter.

Similarly priapic was Yul Brynner, star of The King And I. After he had interviewed actress Patricia Morison, to see whether she might be suitable to play opposite him as the prim English governess, Anna, he was asked what he thought of her.

I dont know, he replied, I havent been to bed with her yet. He then invited her to visit him in his dressing room, receiving her stark naked.

Like so many great actors, Brynner was a strange mixture of egotistical and insecure. In 1952, his first Anna, the celebrated English actress Gertrude Lawrence died. When Brynner heard the news he burst into tears, prompted not by grief but the overwhelming realisation that he would now get top billing.

Of course, ego is closely related to strength of character, and that has served many stage performers well, not least Katharine Hepburn, who was appearing in a play when a woman in the audience took a flash photograph. Hepburn stopped the play and ordered the woman to leave the theatre, which she did, weeping as she went.

4,525 Number of times Yul Brynner performed The King And I Advertisement

Our own Helen Mirren is cut from the same cloth. In 1995, while starring in Ivan Turgenevs 19th-century play A Month In The Country, Mirren noticed a man in the front row, fast asleep. Without a falter in her speech she walked to the edge of the stage and flicked him with her shawl, waking him up.

Theres not much that she and other performers can do about poor notices, though. Bloom cites the powerful New York Times critic Walter Kerr, who wrote of Fiddler On The Roof when it opened in 1964: It takes place in Anatevka in Russia, and I think it might be an altogether charming musical if only the people of Anatevka did not pause every now and again to give their regards to Broadway.

One of the best anecdotes refers to another continent and only tangentially to the theatre. After appearing in a West End play one night, John Gielgud, who was coy about his homosexuality, dined at The Ivy restaurant with an extremely attractive young man.

The actress Gladys Cooper was at the next table, but Gielgud, hoping to keep his tryst quiet, tried hard not to catch her eye.

Eventually, he realised he would have to acknowledge her, so turned and said: Gladys, how lovely to see you. Id like you to meet my nephew. To which Gladys Cooper smiled at the boy and replied: Im glad to meet you. Ive known your aunt for many years.
See more news from India at www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome

Amazon has since removed the products from its website

She threatened to strip Amazon workers in India of visas and deny new ones

Swaraj took to Twitter to vent her anger over the '

India warned of a boycott of Amazon after it was found to be selling 'insulting' doormats featuring its national flags.

Thousands took to Twitter on Wednesday to call for the global retail giant to apologise for the items sold on its Canadian website - including Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

In a series of tweets she called the sale of Indian flag doormats an 'unacceptable' insult to the country, demanded an 'unconditional apology' and threatened to deny visas to any Amazon official unless the products were withdrawn.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the sale of the doormats was an 'unacceptable insult'

This is the tweet from Atul Bhobe that alerted the foreign minister to the flag doormats for sale

Sharing the screenshot, she replied: 'Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.

The row erupted after a Twitter user sent Swaraj a screengrab of the page selling the doormats, which Amazon has since removed from the site.

Sharing the screenshot, she replied: 'Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.

'Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj didn't hold back as she accused Amazon of 'insulting' India

'If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier.'

Thousands echoed her sentiments on the social media channel, with Kaylan Chakravarthy saying it was 'completely unacceptable' and adding: 'Legs touching national flag!? I nearly lost my eyesight just now after typing that statement.'

Thousands took to Twitter to vent their anger over the Indian flag doormats sold on the Canada's Amazon website

Anshul Saxena commented: 'What the hell is this? First Amazon sell Hindu Gods as doormats and we boycotted, now they selling India flag as doormats. What's the agenda?

Calling for a boycott, Rajeev Ranjan wrote: 'Guys please don't buy anything from Amazon as it insulted our national flag. Kick them out from India #uninstallAmazonapp...'

Madhvendra S Shauhan added that Amazon should 'feel ashamed'. 'Unless it tenders unconditional apology, boycott its products in India #shameAmazon,' he said.

There were however a small minority of people who appeared to take a different view

Although very much in the minority, some did appear to disagree with the uproar the advertising of Indian flag doormats had attracted.

Vivek Munshi commented: 'So Amazon is the biggest threat to India today. Someone please give @SushmaSwaraj some actual work rather than a Twitter helpline desk.'

Nishaad Rao wrote: 'The response to Amazon from India has not just been unethical and immoral, but also just mind-bogglingly stupid in terms of diplomacy.'

Amazon has now withdrawn the Indian flag doormat product following the uproar it caused

Another user, called PoliticalGooner, addressed the 'liberals' on the site and said that 'slippers with national flags design' was common outside India.

Last year Amazon.com found itself under similar fire after it was discovered to be selling doormats with Hindu gods and goddesses, triggering a #BoycottAmazon hashtag on social media.

A spokesman for Amazon, which also sells merchandise featuring the flags of other countries including Canada, the United States and Britain, said: 'The item is no longer for sale on the site.'
Against the backdrop of a BSF jawan using an online video to raise awareness of the poor food quality served to India's servicemen, it has emerged that there is widespread discontentment among jawans of another paramilitary force.

Members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are upset as no one has been promoted in the last four years.

'Due to a court case, no jawan or the officer up to the rank of Commandant belonging to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police cadre has been promoted in over three-and-a-half years.

Members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are upset as no one has been promoted in last four years

'With no respite in sight, it is fast becoming a big headache for morale of jawans,' sources in ITBP said here.

The almost one lakh personnel-strong ITBP is deployed on the China border from the icy glaciers of upper reaches of Eastern Ladakh in the north to the remotest areas of Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast at heights between 10,000 feet to 18,000 feet.

Officials said due to the stay in promotions, more than 60 Inspectors retired without getting promoted to rank of assistant commandant.

This has also led to vacancies in different ranks as four-each posts of commandants and deputy commandants, 300 of deputy commandants and 250 of assistant commandants are lying vacant in the force which has to man the sensitive border with China.

Sources in paramilitary forces said the stagnation in the force started when former DG of ITBP Vikram Srivastava merged different cadres of the force which created issues of seniority for promotions and some of the affected personnel approached the Delhi High Court.

'The Delhi HC quashed the merger decision in 2015 and the people for it, approached the Supreme Court.

However, no stay was given by the apex court but the authorities concerned have considered it as a subjudice matter and nobody is getting promotion,' the sources said.

Former ITBP DIG JVS Chowdhary blamed the present situation on the 'functionaries' of the force meaning the Indian Police Service officers who join the force on deputation and have captured almost all the plum posts in the force.

For example, the ITBP has 10 Inspector General-posts sanctioned for its personnel but half of them are occupied by IPS officers who are mostly junior to even DIGs of ITBP in terms of age and service.

'Our bosses have their vested interest and we saw that one Additional Director General-rank post was taken away from ITBP to other force and our IGs retire after three years service and can never even think of becoming ADG,' Chowdhary pointed out.

A BSF jawan used an online video to raise awareness of the poor food quality served to India's servicemen

The DG-rank post of the ITBP and all other paramilitary forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs is always manned by IPS officers.
Rohit Das, 45, had borrowed Rs 1.25 lakh last year from a local money lender, for buying seeds and farming equipment

A farmer in Odisha's Sambhalpur district was beaten to death and then his body was chopped to pieces for failing to repay the loan he had taken from a money lender belonging to Mohammadpur area.

The incident came to light when the victim's wife Tapaswini lodged a complaint with the Hirakud police station on Tuesday.

Rohit Das, 45, had borrowed Rs 1.25 lakh last year from a local money lender, for buying seeds and farming equipment.

He was supposed to pay off his loan by December once his crop sold off which did not happen due to bad weather and demonetisation. The lender threatened Rohit with dire consequences if he failed to repay the amount he owed in time.

Rohit continued to live in fear after his deadline for loan repayment had expired.

He had only managed to arrange a few thousand rupees to repay the lender. After Rohit went to return the amount he could gather, the loan shark's men made him run for his life and then when they caught him they killed him and chopped his body into pieces.

Police are trying to trace the shark but the well-known moneylender is absconding as of now.

Rohit continued to live in fear after his deadline for loan repayment had expired (picture for representation only)

Mihir Panda, a senior official at Hirakud police station, confirmed, 'Rohit Das had taken a loan as well as a few grains from a moneylender. The lender had sent a few of his men to threaten Rohit Das on the day of the murder and they got into an argument.

Later, it was learnt that he was murdered while he was on his way to return the money that evening. With the help of his family, we have lodged a complaint.
It is both amusing and telling that the sharpest criticism of the Supreme Court order barring invocation of religion, caste, creed and language during electioneering has come from card-carrying secular-liberals.

The order is in fact both secular and liberal. Those who oppose it - and as many on the Right as on the Left do - are neither.

One of the arguments advanced against the Supreme Court order is that it is impractical to enforce.

LK Advani's rath yatra in 1990 was designed to garner Hindu votes after the party (founded in December 1980) had been reduced to two Lok Sabha seats in the 1984 general election

How on earth, this earnest argument goes, can the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) possibly monitor all the inflammatory speeches politicians often make during election campaigns.

Argument

This argument was given legs within 24 hours by Mayawati asking Muslims not to 'waste' their votes on the Samajwadi Party followed by the BJP's Sakshi Maharaj decrying Muslim women's propensity to have multiple children.

Both denied they had invoked caste or religion.

The CEC, Nasim Zaidi, busy with the Opposition's demand to delay the Union Budget, said nothing.

The BJP has changed gears from religion to development while the Congress and its fellow travellers are still bogged down in the old politics of minority appeasement

The Supreme Court kept its counsel - for the moment.

And yet, the argument on enforceability is utterly flawed. Laws are made because they serve public interest not because they are easily enforceable.

The Supreme Court order barring politicians from using religion, caste, creed and language to influence votes is right in principle and, with effort, can be made to work in practice.

The larger, subterranean, argument against the Supreme Court's 'secular' verdict is that it isn't actually secular at all.

After all, Muslims must retain their right to be swayed by religion-based sops during electioneering.

The same argument is advanced for Dalits.

Why bar the BSP from invoking Dalit pride by pointing to the grand statues built for Mayawati even while Dalits pine for social justice and economic mobility?

By using religion and caste in elections, parties like the Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RJD, BJP, Shiv Sena, NC, PDP, NC and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen have divided Indians for years. This must stop.

The Supreme Court's order is only the first step. Strict enforcement by the Election Commission's large machinery is necessary.

The court order backs the EC which can now disqualify a candidate for using religion, caste, creed or language to influence voters.

The EC has been given legal teeth by the Supreme Court. It must use them.

Campaigning for the five state assembly elections will be its first severe test.

The most unworthy argument against the Supreme Court's order is sub-textual: that the order somehow violates the freedom of politicians to campaign using all the tools at their disposal - including religion and caste.

This argument transports the issue from the sublime to the ridiculous.

It cites the example of parties with a religion named within it (the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, for example) being potentially disqualified on account of the Supreme Court order.

Nonsense

This of course is nonsense. The apex court order targets - and rightly bars - the invocation of religion in electioneering.

Parties with a religious or caste affiliation within their name, as long as they campaign without inflaming religious or caste passions, do not violate the Supreme Court order in letter or spirit.

The BJP should welcome the order as well. It has a long and dodgy record of using religion to win votes.

LK Advani's rath yatra in 1990 was designed to garner Hindu votes after the party (founded in December 1980) had been reduced to two Lok Sabha seats in the 1984 general election.

By using religion at every subsequent opportunity, the BJP by 1998 had clambered up to 182 Lok Sabha seats.

The Ram temple in Ayodhya is still a centrepiece of its manifesto, though the party says it will do nothing till the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict in the case.

The Supreme Court judgment seeks to sever the umbilical cord between politics and religion in India.

No amount of intellectual sophistry can discredit that objective or the legal means the count has chosen to achieve it.

There are good reasons though why the Congress, SP, Trinamool Congress and other parties that dress themselves up in fabricated secular clothes are more worried about the Supreme Court's order than parties like the BJP which have traditionally been regarded as communal.

There are good reasons though why the Congress, SP, Trinamool Congress and other parties that dress themselves up in fabricated secular clothes are more worried about the Supreme Court's order than parties like the BJP

Reason

The most important reason is that the BJP has moved on (or at least parts of its have) from its rath yatra days.

It still attempts to polarise Hindu votes but most of its polarising work these days is done gratis by 'secular' parties like the Congress, SP, NCP, Trinamool Congress and AAP.

They are perceived as being so anti-Hindu that the BJP now wins resentful Hindu votes by default. That explains its sanguine reaction to the Supreme Court verdict.

The BJP has changed gears from religion to development while the Congress and its fellow travellers are still bogged down in the old politics of minority appeasement that the minorities themselves, seeking empowerment instead, have grown tired of.

The Supreme Court order gives the BJP an opportunity to move even further away from the politics of religion.

Polarisation has reached its sell-by date. The BJP must shed its old clothes and put its best development foot forward.

Sakshi Maharaj and others will harm the party if they think invoking religion will help win Uttar Pradesh. Development is India's new religion. And no Supreme Court order bars its invocation.
The second-worst criterion for selecting the head of a nation's military is seniority. The worst form is probably nepotism.

Or, in a country where the political class seldom contributes to the nation's military leadership, it may also be political leanings.

Fortunately, in India we have been spared the latter. Instead, by tradition, we have inflicted on ourselves the second-worst option.

General Bipin Rawat paying homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, in New Delhi

Historical examples proving this point are plentiful. Napoleon promoted his commander in Spain, Michel Ney, to Marshal of France when he was only 32 years old.

When questioned why he had promoted somebody so young, he is reported to have asked whether he should have promoted the donkey that had served the Imperial Army for 20 years!

Stalemate

In World War I, Germany's war plans, developed by Alfred von Schlieffen, envisaged keeping the central pivot deliberately weak and strengthening instead the right wing that would swing rapidly through Belgium and encircle Paris.

Schlieffen had pleaded to 'keep the right flank strong'. Helmut Von Moltke Jr was selected the supreme commander based more on the reputation of his illustrious uncle of the same name and who had won great victories for Germany in 1870.

But he lacked the same strength of character. At a critical juncture in the war, he denuded the right flank, which then fell short of Paris and a stalemate ensued, determining the future of the world.

New Army Chief General Bipin Rawat during the guard of honour at South Block in New Delhi

The top military leadership in India, even more than in many other countries, plays a vital role in national decision-making.

In the present system, the military commander's advice and leadership can often be the critical input determining success or failure.

The single-most important reason for victory in the 1971 war in Bangladesh was Sam Manekshaw's determination to resist political pressure and intervene militarily in March 1971.

Instead he was determined to wait till preparations and the timing were right. It took six months.

Indian army soldiers from the Sikh regiment take part in India's 59th Republic Day parade

Meanwhile the nation under Indira Gandhi prepared brilliantly in setting the international stage.

It is doubtful whether anybody other than the Field Marshal would have been able to stand his ground under intense political pressure at the time.

Questionable choices have been made in the past in India regarding the top Army leadership.

Lt Gen SPP Thorat, a distinguished commander who served in Korea with distinction in the UN-sponsored NNRC, was bypassed in favour of General PN Thapar.

Thorat had proposed a plan for the defence of the north against China that did not suit the political leadership.

Instead Thapar proved utterly ineffectual and surrendered the leadership of the Army to Lt Gen BM Kaul, whose political connections overrode his competence as a General and led to the worst military defeat in modern India.

Retired Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw

Popular

Lt Gen PS Bhagat, who won the Victoria Cross in World War II, 'for the longest recorded feat of sheer cold courage', demining a critical road axis in Africa and was immensely popular, was bypassed for the chief's post.

Many years later, Lt Gen SK Sinha, an outstanding General by every count and the senior-most, was superseded for the top post.

His bold and critical analyses of civil official control over the Army and his forthright manner of articulation were not acceptable to either the bureaucracy or the Prime Minister.

It is possible that Mrs Gandhi paid for this decision with her life. It is very unlikely that Sinha would have advised in favour of the botched Golden Temple operation in 1984, which was planned by the Intelligence organisations and poorly executed by an Army unprepared for the task.

It is unfortunately true that no two individuals share the same qualities of head and heart and professional competence that make for the best leadership of a challenging organisation.

It is a legitimate need of any organisation to have the best possible leadership if it is to progress and prosper.

Every large multinational, industrial or commercial organisation knows this and invests millions of dollars in selecting the right person.

None of them would ever consider seniority as a relevant factor. It is only in India, where merit in its true sense is seldom a factor for any selection, that this principle is followed.

Thapar proved utterly ineffectual and eventually surrendered the leadership of the Army

Competence

It is a wrong assumption that just by clicking the right slots one would find equal competence among seven or eight officers who are in the top rung.

A deliberate decision needs to be made to select the best person from amongst this group.

Without doubt it is the sole responsibility of the nation's political leadership to select the best person to head the military and this responsibility cannot be shirked by relying on seniority or the date of birth of candidates.

Yet, it is equally true that this process of assessment and selection too needs to be refined. The current procedure may do well with being put under close scrutiny.

A procedure involving transparent consultations among responsible and competent people in authority may strengthen this process.

Meanwhile the present government deserves our strongest support for making a conscious decision to consider merit as the most important factor for selection to top posts in the government and particularly in the Army.

Major General Dipankar Banerjee (Retd) is the Member Board of Governors, Forum for Strategic Initiatives and a Senior Strategic Consultant
Donald Trump's presidency is going to be a rollercoaster ride for financial markets if latest events are any guidance. Generally, governments on both sides of the Atlantic are exceedingly careful to avoid the leakage of price-sensitive information.

Indeed, former Financial Conduct Authority chief executive Martin Wheatley partly lost his job because of leaks of likely action directed at insurers which wiped 3billion off their market value.

The President-elect has no such sensitivity.

At his first press conference since July he took aim at big pharma, arguing that US citizens are paying too much for medicines and complaining there is very little price competition in the drug marketplace.

Hold tight: Donald Trump's presidency is going to be a roller-coaster ride for financial markets if latest events are any guidance

It was a comment which had an immediate impact on the share prices of pharma and biotech companies, with GlaxoSmithKline among those affected.

Similarly, Trump's pledge to simultaneously sweep Obamacare into the sea and replace it with Trump-plan cannot but have an impact on the drugs industry.

Trump's ability to change corporate behaviour has been evident in the car industry, with Ford, Fiat Chrysler and others rethinking plans to move production to low-wage Mexico.

Those who do move production south of the US frontier will face a 'border tax' or import levy. This will indirectly pay for the President-elect's Mexico wall, which he wants to start building on January 20.

Cost overruns on defence equipment are also in the firing line, with Lockheed Martin getting both barrels over the rising price of the F-35 stealth fighter jet.

Mark Carney says the Bank of England is monitoring Trump's words and Twitter feed closely. Central banks and traders have little choice. A Trump-led administration is making Brexit look like a financial sideshow.

Green bank betrayal

Among the virtually unnoticed acts of the Cameron Government in May 2016 was moving responsibility for government stakes in commerce from the Department of Business to the Treasury. Such bureaucratic reshuffling can have nasty side-effects.

HM Treasury is driven by lowering the budget deficit and asset sales are an important part of what it does.

It chose to sell down the Lloyds bank stake to City institutions rather than the taxpayer because it was a speedier way of filling Government coffers.

Now it has set its sights on selling the profitable Green Investment Bank to 'vampire kangaroo' Macquarie because it wants a quick and clean deal.

But Macquarie's poor history as an owner of UK assets and an apparent intention to break up the GIB and sell off its assets bit by bit have provoked a mighty political row.

Someone in the Treasury or the Climate Change Minister Nick Hurd, who has been put to the sword in the Commons, should have recognised that selling to Macquarie is not a responsible act.

At Thames Water, the firm is best known for taking out fat dividends for its own investors and paying insufficient attention to the deficit in the pension fund.

There are other choices. The second short-listed party, Sustainable Development Capital, has invested in green projects and assembled 2billion to do the deal.

Paradoxically, the cornerstone investor in the bank would be the Pensions Protection Fund.

It is willing to put up 20 per cent and has an interest in long-term investments which can stretch decades into the future.

GIB is a perfect match in that most of its investments, such as offshore wind power and biomass, are for the long term and offer decent and socially responsible returns. Precise details of the value of SDCL's bid are a little vague but it is not thought to be very different to the Macquarie offer. It would leave GIB in British hands, focused on sustainable technologies.

Alternatively, the Treasury could look at the possibility of a merger with the enlarged British Business Bank and eventually a partial privatisation.

Foreign takeovers of our infrastructure have been destructive for the UK. The sale by National Express of the Essex line c2c to Italy's Trenitalia means another chunk of our railways being run from abroad. It will leave management beyond the reach of most stakeholders and outside the tax system.

Both the Green Bank sale to Macquarie and the c2c disposal should be stopped.

Sainsbury fightback

So many acquisitions go wrong that it is encouraging to see J Sainsbury making its takeover of Argos work well.

Argos's same-store sales roared 4 per cent ahead in the third quarter and the logistics of its hub-and-spoke system of distribution held up to the pressure.

Argos concessions in Sainsbury's stores are doing well and the plan is to move clothing ranges such as Sainsbury's popular Tu range to the platform.
Air-to-air fuelling pioneer Cobham scrapped its final dividend after issuing a fourth profit warning in just over a year.

The defence giants shares nosedived yesterday as management said profit for 2016 was 245million, below the range set out in its update last October.

It pointed to uncertainty around payments for refuelling gear supplied to Boeings KC-46 aircraft, adding it was still in talks with the client.

Cobham's shares nosedived yesterday as management said profit for 2016 was 245m, below the range set out in its update of last October

Analysts from JPMorgan said a second rights issue could not be ruled out given the companys debt position and potential writedown for troubled contracts.

Net debt for 2016 is expected to be 1billion, compared to 1.2billion in 2015, worse than analysts had expected.

It follows a torrid year for the company, which issued the first of four profit warnings in 2015, blaming weakness in oil and gas markets and decreasing demand.
Takeover: Deutsche Borse is seeking to seize control of 216-year-old LSE

A German takeover of the London Stock Exchange faced a fresh barrier last night after European bank chief Mario Draghi raised questions about the 21billion deal.

Deutsche Boerse is seeking to seize control of 216-year-old LSE in what both sides call a merger of equals.

But Deutsche shareholders will get a controlling stake and their chief executive will run the business.

European Central Bank president Draghi is concerned the business could pass out of EU oversight.

'When a merger leads to a change in ownership of a euro area bank, as could be the case for entities within Deutsche Boerse and LSE Group that are licensed as banks, the ECB has to analyse it carefully,' he said.

'The UK's withdrawal from the EU may lead to a loss of oversight and supervision of UK central counterparties by the ECB.

'Thus, it will be important to find solutions that at least preserve, or ideally enhance, the current level of supervision and oversight.'
A distressing video of an hysterical toddler pulling at the body of a lifeless woman has gone viral as part of a grim online craze for posting pictures by people faking their own deaths.

The 20-second clip posted under the #DeadPose trend is the most shared addition to the macabre rage which is gripping social media in South Africa and has prompted a storm of outrage and morbid curiosity.

Karabo Mnisi, the teenage mastermind behind the campaign  which he insists is no different from the ice bucket challenge - dismissed the backlash as missing the point.

Dead pose: A two-year-old girl has been filmed trying to wake her 'lifeless' aunt who is playing dead in the cruel prank video

The macabre new trend sweeping social media has sparked outrage as the child appears distressed and is heard crying

The toddler pulls and tugs at her aunts top in an attempt to wake her as she lays slumped over the steps with her head on the floor

The mother of the distraught two year-old, who posted a 20 second clip of her childs distress as she attempts to rouse her inert aunt on the floor, also remained defiant in the face of calls for her to be prosecuted and lose custody of the girl.

My baby was in on the joke, Bontle Goitsimang insisted to MailOnline. She knew what was going on, she realised it was a joke, I think she is laughing more than crying. I was filming it, it was my sister on the floor, it was all planned. It was just a joke, a very quick joke. It is only fun, a small funny thing.

High School student Karabo Mnisi, 19, who started the craze only a week ago has been inundated with pictures submitted by hundreds of online users adopting a variety of mortal poses.

Early examples were rather tame, he told MailOnline, with bodies twisted into awkward positions, free of any gore. More recent additions are increasingly graphic.

We are now only in phase two of these posts, he warned. The first phase showed no cuts, wounds or bloody, but now phase two includes people who are covered in blood, who have been violently killed.

Tame version: Some of the Dead Pose photos give a hint that they are a prank. In this image a mask from the horror film Scream can be seen on the floor alongside fake blood

Shocking: Two youngsters play dead - complete with blood-soaked knives - in this image that was posted online

Bloody: One man pretended he had been run over by a car and sprayed fake blood across its wheel to create the effect

Two girls are pictured in bizarre poses as part of the trend which sees people play dead

Disturbing: Some of the most shocking Dead Pose images show women faking violent assaults

Off-cuts apparently from a butcher's shop feature in some of the latest, more graphic postings which include reconstructions of the aftermath of frenzied crimes of passion and cold-blooded murder. Violence against women is a common theme, which has troubled a number of critics.

But the ambitious student from the capital Pretoria insisted he would not halt the craze until he had achieved his aim  to become South Africas most influential Feleb  facebook celebrity  with 40,000 followers, and warned the graphic content would only get worse until then.

The next phase is going to be even more graphic if I dont reach my aim, he vowed.

He said the inspiration for the craze was inspired by one of the most iconic photographs from South Africas apartheid history  the image of fatally-injured Hector Pieterson who was killed in the Soweto Uprising of 1976, which proved a turning point in the struggle against the apartheid regime.

I am trying to re-write history in a fun way, the school teachers son said. I am inspired by that picture of Pieterson, and the older generation dont get it, they dont understand the younger generation.

He admitted his own parents - his mother who teaches at a middle school and his marketing director father  arent very happy about it adding, but older people dont get it.

High School student Karabo Mnisi, 19, started the craze in a bid to become South Africa's most influential Facebook celebrity. This photo shows two men apparently shot dead

The #DeadPose trend is gripping social media in South Africa and has prompted a storm of outrage and morbid curiosity

One follower of the Dead Pose trend appeared as if they were drowning (left). One man placed raw meat around his neck with an axe embedded into it (right)

The biggest condemnation for the trend has been reserved for the heart-wrenching video of little Omuhle, dressed in shorts and t-shirt, tottering in distress around her aunt, Khanyi Mtshali, 19, which was captured by the little girls mother Bontle, who was just 15 when she gave birth.

Comments calling for Bontle to be prosecuted, deriding her actions as satanic, crazy and evil, damaging her child and heartless streamed alongside the smartphone footage which has been shared thousands of times across facebook.

Karabo said, I was expecting this was going to trend, but never thought it was going to be this big. I dont have a problem with it, none of it. Its a joke. Like the icebucket challenge was big. I get lots of pictures, but I only share the stuff that is impressive.

The trending craze has also inspired a string of memes featuring elderly leaders Jacob Zuma, the 74 year-old president of South Africa and Robert Mugabe, 92, from neighbouring Zimbabwe who have been frequently been caught napping during parliamentary business.

But some social medias have imposed a zero tolerance of the craze on their online contacts taking up the #DeadPose challenge and threatened to block or unfriend them if they join in. ends

In one (left) a man pretends to have been electrocuted. Another photo shows a woman acting dead on a rooftop (right)

A group of South Africans including young children attend a fake funeral in this Dead Pose photo
A mother has spoken out after finding her missing teenage daughter being sex trafficked on classified advertising website, Backpage.

Kubiiki Pride's 14-year-old daughter had been missing for nine months in 2009 until one night she found the girl while scrolling on the 'escorts' section.

Pride said she had been up at 4.30am desperately searching for her daughter when she made the discovery, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Scroll down for video

Kubiiki Pride, pictured right, found her 14-year-old daughter on the 'escort' section of Backpage.com

After finding her daughter's picture among other listings of naked women and female escorts, Pride has opened up about 'one of the most painful experiences' she has faced, saying her daughter is 'still broken, CBS News reported.

The mother and daughter will both be featured in I Am Jane Doe, an upcoming documentary film about sex-trafficking.

Backpage has since been accused of deliberately facilitating child sex-trafficking and prostitution.

A Senate report alleged the advertising site was teaching its users how to post ads without revealing the true illegal nature of the transaction.

The mother said her daughter was raped and abused for nine months in 2009, but she was not able to successfully sue the website

The classified ad site makes a profit by allowing users to advertise goods and services, charging five to ten dollars per post.

Pride sued the website but did not win the case as Backpage would not be proven liable for what their users post.

The website shutdown its Adult section on Monday, but Backpage executives refused to testify during a hearing the next day.

'The decision of Backpage.com today to remove its Adult section in the United States will no doubt be heralded as a victory by those seeking to shutter the site, but it should be understood for what it is: an accumulation of acts of government censorship using extra-legal tactics,' they said in a statement.

A Senate report alleged that 80 per cent of ads listed on the website were edited to remove words such as 'daddy's girl,' and 'cheerleader' to conceal the true nature of the advertisements

The 53-page document reported that up to 80 per cent of ads listed on Backpage in 2010 were edited before being posted to conceal any sex-trafficking content.

The Senate alleges the site has been systematically altering its ads after finding emails that told users to remove words such as 'daddy's girl,' cheerleader', 'teenager' and 'amber alert,' CBS News reported.

'Watching history being made': Kubiiki Pride tweeted a picture at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Backpage has denied the allegations and has argued it has been a victim of censorship and should not be held accountable since they are only hosting the content created by its users.

CEO Carl Ferrer, 55, and former owners James Larkin, 67, and Michael Lacey, 68, were not charged in a separate case for pimping charges after a California judge ruled against it on free speech grounds.

Prosecutors have alleged that more than 90 percent of Backpage's revenue  millions of dollars each month  comes from adult escort ads that use coded language and nearly nude photos to offer sex for money.

Despite the allegations, founder of anti-sex trafficking group Children of the Night Dr Lois Lee, supports the website which she said actually helps catch predators, she told CBS.
Last year, Harvey read the wrong name at the show, which resulted in the woman who thought she won being decrowned live in stage

The comments came just two weeks before he is set to host the Miss Universe pageant in the

He then suggested a similar book for black women, whose response would be: 'That's one page too! You like Asian men? I dont even like Chinese food'

, before bowing his head and saying in a clipped accent: 'No. Thank You'

'Excuse me, do you like Asian men?' he asked the

Steve Harvey is under fire after airing a segment on his eponymous talk show during which he mocked the looks of Asian men.

The actor and comedian was making fun of self-help books on the program Monday in light of the new year, including one entitled 'How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.'

As soon as he read the title and saw the book cover on the screen behind him, Harvey broke down in a fit of laughter that caused him to double over.

Once he finally managed to collect himself after about five seconds, he looked at the audience and asked: 'Excuse me, do you like Asian men?'

That was just a rhetorical question it seems however, as Harvey then said in a clipped accent while twice bowing his head: 'No. Thank You.'

At that point the camera immediately panned to a woman in the audience who was seen loudly laughing, while the woman next to her had a more uncertain expression on her face.

Scroll down for video

Not so funny: Steve Harvey (above) mocked Asian men on his talk show Monday

Doubled over: The host kicked off the segment by making fun of a book entitled 'How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men'

Harvey's next bit was even more amusing he seemed to believe, as he revealed another possible book title to his audience: 'How to Date a Black Woman: A Practical Guide to Asian Men.'

After he announced that title to the audience he paused for a quick beat before saying: 'That's one page too! You like Asian men? I dont even like Chinese food.'

He paused once again at that point for a few seconds, then said: 'It dont stay with you no time. I dont eat what I cant pronounce.'

That last line was followed by Harvey throwing his hands up in the air and breaking down in laughter.

He then doubled over once again, and turned his back to the audience briefly as he continued to laugh.

Many took to Twitter soon after to voice their how upset they were with Harvey's comments.

Meanwhile, that segment and the subsequent outcry, come just two weeks before Harvey is set to host the Miss Universe pageant later this month.

This year, the event will tale place in the Philippines, an island nation located in Southeast Asia that is home to reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach.

Harvey and reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, who is from the Philippines

Harvey hosted the event last year, during which he managed to deliver what might have been one of the most memorable pageant moments of all time.

With just two contestants left in the competition, Harvey announced that the winner of the crown was Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez.

As soon as he said those words Gutierrez broke down in tears while she was handed a giant bouquet of flowers and the crown was placed on her head.

She then began to wave to the audience and blow kisses to the crowd, at which point Harvey started to speak.

'Folks, I have to apologize, ' said Harvey.

'The first runner-up is Colombia. Miss Universe 2015 is Miss Philippines.'

That announcement was met with a sea of boos and hisses from the audience, whiel a confused Wurtzbach looked on in shock when she finally realized what was happening on stage.

The crown was then taken off of Gutierrez's head and given to Wurtzbach.

Despite that error, Harvey was still asked back for this year's event though, which will air on January 29 and once again be live.

Miss Colombia 2015, Ariadna Gutierrez Areval (left), was crowned first, but then crown was then given to Wurtzbach (right)

Harvey will also have to travel down to the Northern District of Texas Federal Court six days before that on January 23 in regards to a lawsuit filed by a former employer who is suing him for going on racist rants when he worked for him, 20 years ago.

Radar Online uncovered court documents in the case, in which Joseph Cooper claims that Harvey once told his fans to 'spit on white people' and 'go assault old white women.'

Cooper also recorded the comments, which Harvey said were taped during his early stand-up days when his humor was 'edgier.'

Harvey also accused Cooper of trying to extort him for $5million with the recordings, which the former employee claims are 120 hours long.
The couple's sweet gesture was captured by their

Advertisement

A newlywed couple were celebrating their nuptials at an Auckland church on Saturday when they paused to hand out a piece of wedding cake to a homeless man sitting nearby.

Bronia Tindall and Fabrizio Clementi had just said 'I do' at The Community of St Luke in Auckland, New Zealand, when they approached a homeless man named Miller with the slice of cake.

The couple's quick-thinking photographer captured the moment and the image was published on the front page of The New Zealand Herald on Thursday, inciting thousands of reactions and comments from friends, family and complete strangers.

Newlyweds Bronia Tindall and Fabrizio Clementi were celebrating their nuptials at an Auckland church on Saturday when they paused to hand out a piece of wedding cake to a homeless man nearby (pictured)

The couple (pictured) had just said 'I do' at The Community of St Luke in Auckland, New Zealand, when they approached a homeless man named Miller

Ms Tindall, who is from New Zealand and lives with her Italian husband in Rome, told Daily Mail Australia she decided to cut the wedding cake out the back of the church because some guests couldn't make it to the reception.

As the newlyweds left the church to take photos, they stopped and handed a slice of the cake to Miller and chatted with him briefly.

'He was really touched. I think he thought we were going to move him on,' Ms Tindall said.

Ms Tindall said others who attended the reception also handed Miller a cup of coffee, more cake and even some money.

Ms Tindall told Daily Mail Australia she decided to cut the wedding cake out the back of the church because some guests couldn't make it to the reception (pictured)

As the newlyweds left the church to take photos, they stopped and handed a slice of the cake to Miller and chatted with him briefly (pictured)

'He was really touched. I think he thought we were going to move him on,' Ms Tindall said (pictured)

Ms Tindall said others who attended the reception also handed Miller a cup of coffee, more cake and even some money (pictured)

The new bride said she was surprised by the attention the picture has grabbed.

'Everyone thinks it's really great to have something positive on the front page for a change,' she said.

'Our friends and family have been really supportive.'

Mr Clementi has even sent a copy of the article to his relatives in Italy  who are quite amused by their 15 minutes of fame.

Ms Tindall, who is from New Zealand, lives with her Italian husband in Rome (pictured)
A millionaire accused of torturing and sexually abusing his 12-year-old stepdaughter was seen lounging outside his mansion after convincing a judge he needed emergency knee surgery.

Louis Bianculli, 70, of Lighthouse Point, Florida, was accused of drugging his stepdaughter over the course of several years and using needles and knives in disturbing sex acts, according to police.

The real estate developer, who was caught violating house arrest in 2015, appeared in court with a cane and claimed he needed surgery in October 2016 because his knee prevented him from sitting, driving or walking.

He was released on house arrest, but a private investigator hired by the alleged victim's family said Biancull i was scamming the court after he was seen walking without a cane outside his $4million waterfront mansion, Inside Edition reported.

Louis Bianculli, 70, of Lighthouse Point, Florida, was seen walking without a cane and lounging outside his mansion after convincing a judge he needed emergency knee surgery

He was released on house arrest, but a private investigator hired by the alleged victim's family said Bianculli was scamming the court. Pictured, his $4million property

Bianculli was arrested in July 2015 and charged after his alleged victim mentioned sexual trauma in a therapy session, police said. He denies the allegations.

The abuse began when Bianculli used a 'pressure point' technique to knock out the girl in 2005, then groped her while she was unconscious under the pretense of checking her heart, according to an arrest warrant.

The abuse is said to have escalated over the course of six years, according to the warrant.

In taped conversations, Bianculli told a third party that he let a 'dark part' of himself take over when he knocked the girl out with sleeping pills or chloroform and abused her while she lay unconscious, according to the police.

She was drugged once a week, during which Bianculli would perform experiments like slicing her belly with knives, sexually abusing her with needles, and sucking fat from her stomach to pump into her breasts, the warrant stated.

One of his experiments involved restraining her with duct tape and placing a bag over her head to 'see how many breaths she could take until she passed out,' according to the warrant.

In taped conversations, Bianculli (left in mugshot, right: in court with a cane) reportedly admitted to using sleeping pills or chloroform to knock the girl unconscious before he abused her, according to the police

Police said that Bianculli terrified the girl with stories of how he had killed people in the Vietnam War and she was convinced that he would kill her too if she stopped 'playing along'.

She was 'brainwashed' and would obey instructions to 'drop your pants' and 'take off your shirt', while also submitting to the depraved makeshift surgical procedures, the warrant said.

'I was hungry for some kind of physical touching thing, and she was right there, and she was at that age,' Bianculli said in recordings made by the girl's mother, Local 10 reported.

'I took advantage of that opportunity, because I knew she was vulnerable to paying attention to her, and I liked being with her. It blossomed, and it kept developing and developing,' he reportedly went on to say.

He was released on house arrest in 2015, but his GPS monitor revealed he left his home and visited a Best Buy, Ferrari dealership and an Italian restaurant.

Nancy Olson (pictured) came forward claiming to be another one of Bianculli's victims

In October 2016, Bianculli convinced a judge he needed emergency knee surgery, and he later appeared in court with a cane, Inside Edition reported.

He was released on bond after his doctor said his knee was preventing him from 'activities of daily living such as sitting, driving and even walking.'

Bianculli was allowed to 'walk on his property if deemed medically necessary for rehabilitation purposes', but was otherwise confined to his residence, a judge said.

But Robert Crispin, a private investigator hired by family members of the alleged victim to monitor Bianculli, told Inside Edition, 'It's a scam.'

Bianculli was seen walking without a cane outside his waterfront home, fishing along the dock, and lounging outside with a book.

Nancy Olson, who came forward claiming to be another one of Bianculli's victims, told Inside Edition: 'I learned that Lous chloroform sessions were the perfect crime because I was unconscious and because of my unconscious state, I cannot say what he did to me.'

She said: 'I hope that our court system will put Louis Bianculli back behind bars where he deserves to spend the rest of his life  not enjoying his mansion home and his backyard and his fishing.'

Bianculli's attorney said the 70-year-old was outside for 'rehabilitation purposes'.
US Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub (above) took the rare step of commenting publicly about a presidential ethics decision

The director of the federal government's ethics agency Wednesday blasted President-elect Donald Trump's plan to maintain his business empire by turning it over to his sons instead of selling off all his corporate assets and placing remaining profits in a government-approved blind trust.

'As president, I could run the Trump Organization, great, great company, and I could run the country,' Trump said during a Wednesday news conference in New York.

US Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub took the rare step of commenting publicly about a presidential ethics decision, warning that Trump's solution to a potential cascade of conflicts spurred by his global business holdings breaks 40 years of precedent by presidents from both parties.

Shaub, a 2013 Obama appointee who also worked at the agency during the George W. Bush administration, openly pleaded with Trump to reconsider his plan, which he called 'wholly inadequate,' before his inauguration.

Shaub said Trump should commit to 'divestiture,' a process under which he would sell his corporate assets and place the profit in a blind trust administered by a neutral trustee approved by the OGE.

'The plan the [president-elect] has announced doesn't meet the standards that the best of his nominees are meeting, and that every president in the past four decades has met,' Shaub told CBS News.

Emails between the OGE and the Trump transition team obtained by the Associated Press show that Shaub repeatedly tried to engage with Trump's aides late last year to persuade the president-elect and his Cabinet choices to agree to divestiture as the cleanest way to clear aware potential ethics conflicts posed by their investments and businesses.

But while lawyers for several Trump picks, including prospective Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and senior adviser Jared Kushner, have worked closely with the OGE in shaping divestiture plans, Trump's own lawyers and aides gave the federal agency no official advance notice of his plan to turn over his global empire to his sons, according to an official familiar with interactions between the two sides.

President-elect Donald Trump (second from right), accompanied by Eric Trump (far left), Ivanka Trump (second from left) and Donald Trump Jr (far right), waits to be introduced during a news conference in New York on Wednesday

The official, who requested anonymity to detail the sensitive contacts between the two sides, said that Shaub met once with Trump's prospective White House counsel, Don McGahn, in recent weeks, but only to discuss ethics plans for several of Trump's picks, not for Trump's own plan to deal with his holdings.

An outside attorney for Trump, Sheri Dillon of firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius, said that Trump plans to have his companies' operations directed by his two sons, but they would pursue new deals only in the US, not abroad.

Additionally, Dillon said, Trump would put his business assets in a trust but would hand over management of his international real estate firms to a management company based in New York.

Shaub said during a rare appearance at the Brookings Institution that he was 'especially troubled' by Dillon's comment that Trump's liquid assets from stock and investment sales he made in recent months before the presidential election would be placed in a 'diversified portfolio of assets' approved by the OGE.

Rex Tillerson (left), Trump's pick for secretary of state, and Jared Kushner (right), Trump's son-in-law who will also be a senior White House adviser, have worked closely with the government on divesting from their corporate holdings before assuming their new positions

'No one has ever talked to us about the idea, and there's no legal mechanism to do that,' Shaub said.

He added that the only OGE-approved method is the government-qualified blind trust set by the Ethics in Government Act.

Shaub said his agency's unusual Twitter comments last year complimenting Trump for considering divesting his assets was his decision, made to 'use the vernacular of the president-elect's favorite social media platform to encourage him to divest.'

Shaub said he now worries that Trump has no intention to go through government-approved divestiture, a move that risks 'creating the perception that government leaders would use their official positions for profit.'

Shaub said he had been initially encouraged by a Trump tweet last year that 'no way' would he allow any conflicts of interest.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has revealed her newly toned arms while slamming federal politicians embroiled in the expenses scandal.

A spokesman for Ms Hanson revealed the Senator has been making more of an effort to exercise recently.

'What Pauline's got to do is find a balance between health and work, she's a very active person and likes to keep active,' One Nation's Queensland State Director Greg Smith said.

'She does a lot of walking and things like that, she's a very active girl.'

Scroll down for video.

'There has to be more accountability, I'd like to see it happen, and I will be looking further into it,' Ms Hanson said on Today on Thursday morning

Speaking on the Today show on Thursday morning, Senator Hanson expressed her anger with the Liberal Party politicians who are at the centre of the scandal, which has rocked Australian politics this week.

Health Minister Sussan Ley was forced to step down over the number of taxpayer-funded flights she had claimed, including a trip to the Gold Coast during which she bought an $800,000 investment unit.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has also been dragged into the expenses scandal following revelations she claimed $2700 to attend a polo tournament in Victoria.

Hanson said politicians taking advantage of the system needed to be held to greater account and ultimately punished if found doing the wrong thing.

'There has to be more accountability, I'd like to see it happen, and I will be looking further into it,' she said.

'Why don't we put a bag of salts through the whole damn lot.'

Changing face: Pauline Hanson reveals a more wrinkle-free complexion on Thursday morning (left) compared to the more natural look from July 2016 (right)

A fresh-faced Pauline Hanson says she wants politicians held to greater responsibility

The One Nation leader said the public had 'every right to be mad' with politicians found to be misusing taxpayer dollars

The One Nation leader said the public had 'every right to be mad' with politicians found to be misusing taxpayer dollars.

'Hit them with fines. Politicians who rip us off need to pay,' she wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

She said she believed politicians generally did the right thing by taxpayers, but if anyone was caught doing the wrong thing they deserved harsh punishment.

She said if any politician was caught misusing taxpayer funds, they should pay it back and be heavily fined.

'Hit them with fines. Politicians who rip us off need to pay,' she wrote on Twitter on Wednesday

Wrinkle-free: The politician openly admitted dabbling in Botox and fillers two years ago (pictured)

She also believed embattled Health Minister Sussan Ley was of the opinion she had done nothing wrong and was 'well within her confines' to bill taxpayers for her travel.

'But I can understand how the public are so angry about this, and so they should be, there's so much waste of money,' she said.

Liberal frontbencher Sussan Ley is just one of the MPs embroiled in recent expense scandals after being accused of billing taxpayers more than $13,000 to pilot two private flights.

Liberal frontbencher Sussan Ley is accused of billing taxpayers more than $13,000 to pilot two private flights

Ms Ley temporarily stepped down as Health Minister on Monday after it was revealed she had also gone apartment shopping on the Gold Coast on taxpayer-funded trips (apartment pictured)

Ms Ley temporarily stepped down as Health Minister on Monday after it was revealed she had also gone apartment shopping on the Gold Coast on taxpayer-funded trips.

Ms Hanson also spoke openly on Thursday about the demise of senator Rod Culleton, who was ousted from the Senate after being declared bankrupt this week.

Ms Hanson revealed she had someone else in mind for the former senator's seat.

One Nation party representative Rod Culletin who has been ousted after being declared bankrupt this week

After being declared bankrupt, Rod Culleton insisted on Wednesday night he was still 'solvent'

Ms Hanson has previously been outspoken about the fact she did not always seen eye-to-eye with Mr Culleton, but she said she was not happy about his demise.

'This has been a debacle and I'm not happy about it at all,' she said.

She revealed on Wednesday she had already chosen a replacement should it be her decision who replaces Mr Culleton in the Senate.

'If a casual vacancy is declared because of Rod Culleton's disqualification, I have already chosen a great person to replace him in the Senate,' she said.

But when asked who it was on Thursday morning she declined to answer, citing the fact the decision could be out of her hands if the High Court decides to send it back to a recount.

Ms Hanson showed off her newly-toned arms on Thursday morning after reportedly making more of an effort to exercise

Wrinkle-free: The far-right politician openly admitted to dabbling in Botox and fillers two years ago

Ms Hanson's newly fresh face comes two years after she first admitted to using botox.

She first unveiled an impossibly smooth and wrinkle free complexion ahead of her 60th birthday.
Britain's foreign aid cash handouts are routinely falling into the wrong hands because politically correct officials are failing to tackle fraud and bad practice, a Government watchdog warns today.

More than 1billion has been given away since 2011 in countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

But a report today exposes recurrent abuse of the schemes, including women in Nigeria who faked urine samples to get payments meant for those who are pregnant.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which scrutinises aid spending, said in some cases British officials were reluctant to tackle problems head-on because of fears of upsetting the governments receiving aid money.

In Pakistan 300million is being poured into a scheme giving families cash or cards loaded with UK funds to spend how they want, but the report said a quarter of recipients are not the countrys poorest.

In Pakistan 300million is being poured into a scheme giving families cash or cards loaded with UK funds to spend how they want, but the report said a quarter of recipients are not the countrys poorest (file image)

Tory MPs last night renewed their calls for the Government to reconsider its pledge to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid. Nigel Evans, a Tory MP who sits on the Commons international development committee, said: Alarm bells should be ringing.

Britain now gives out more foreign aid in cash handouts than any other country, with an average of 201million a year doled out in the past five years, the report found.

The watchdog said ministers should consider expanding the programmes that in general provided strong value for money and helped to tackle poverty.

But it said the Department for International Development (Dfid) has failed to ensure cash always goes to the poorest.

We found recurrent problems in the core areas of targeting, transfer size and timeliness of payments that are not being consistently addressed, the report said.

It warned political sensitivities meant Dfid officials had tolerated weaknesses in programmes in the short term, generally choosing not to challenge partner countries on strongly held positions.

In Bangladesh, where households can get 8 a month, the watchdog said it was well known the wrong people were getting money, but that Dfid had not engaged directly with the problems.

In Rwanda, where families of four can get 15.60 a month in cash, the selection process correlates only weakly with poverty levels.

Dfid has to introduce random pregnancy testing in Nigeria after fake urine samples led to women who were not pregnant getting 14 a month. And 17 per cent of those receiving up to 19 a month in a child-focused programme in Zimbabwe did not have any children.

A Dfid request to remove households without children from the programme was denied by the government of Zimbabwe, the report said. Last week the Mail reported how families were queuing up at cashpoints in Pakistan to withdraw UK aid money from cards.

Some 235,000 families get payments of around 33 every three months. The scheme is meant to reach the poorest 25 per cent but the report said a quarter of recipients fell well above that threshold.

Tory MPs Nigel Evans (left) and Philip Davies said respectively that 'alarm bells should be ringing' and that it was 'unacceptable' so much was being wasted

Tory MP Philip Davies said it was unacceptable so much was being wasted while elderly care in the UK was in crisis. He said far too much of the Dfid budget goes on fraud and waste and that having a set budget encouraged waste because officials must spend it even if there are no worthwhile programmes.

Mr Evans said the money was clearly being abused and rigorous systems must be put in place to tackle this. Dr Alison Evans, ICAIs chief commissioner, said: Dfids use of cash transfers have helped to tackle poverty and vulnerability for some of the poorest people in the world, providing strong value for money... But there is no room for complacency.
A massive Clydesdale horse has thankfully been rescued after she fell through a frozen creek.

The huge mare managed to gets herself stuck in the freezing cold water after a creek in Rimbey, Alberta - about 90 miles from Edmonton, collapsed beneath her hooves on Monday.

Cody Scott, 20, recorded the dramatic rescue and posted in online, showing just how they managed to pull the lucky animal from the water.

A massive Clydesdale horse (pictured) has thankfully been rescued after she fell through a frozen creek

It starts by showing a group of rescuers around the horse, with a rope tied around her forehead and muzzle.

Scott then joins the would-be saviors and desperately tries to free the horse by digging away at the snow and ice around the hole.

They are then seen tying to rope around Scott's ski mobile.

Bit by bit, they managed to drag the horse out of the freezing creek, until about a minute into the clip you can see the animal's front legs on the snow.

A video of the rescue shows a man attached a rope around the horse's head as they tried desperately to free it

The men in the video are seen trying to dig away at the ice and snow around the horse (left), before attaching the rope to a ski mobile and trying to drag it free

The video then skips forward to show the horse completely out of the creek, and being covered in a blanket by rescuers trying to warm her up after the polar plunge.

Cody Scott (pictured), 20, wrote on Facebook: 'So happy to say that I found this horse stuck in the river... needless to say after two long hours of fighting for this horse life we were able to help her out safe and sound'

'So happy to say that I found this horse stuck in the river while on a ski-doo travel, needless to say after two long hours of fighting for this horse life we were able to help her out safe and sound,' Scott wrote on Facebook.

'Also wanna (sic) give a big Thanx (sic) to the local fire department for taking my call.'

Ponoka County Fire Services West District Chief John Weisgerber said the horse has been taken to a nearby veterinary clinic after it, 'was able to catch her breath and get back up on her feet,' ABC News reports.

Weisgerber added the horse was, 'pretty cold and certainly very tired', and that the temperature was minus 13 degrees at the time.

After the horse was pulled from the water back onto dry land it was covered in a blanket to be kept warm
Dr Kenneth Zucker believes children may be suffering from autism, anxiety or depression, which many growing up not to need sex change surgery

Children facing hormone treatment after being diagnosed as transgender could in fact be autistic, according to a leading psychologist.

Youngsters who believe they were born in the wrong body are seven times more likely than others to be on the autistic spectrum, said Dr Kenneth Zucker.

The autistic trait of fixating on subjects could convince children they are the wrong sex, he added.

Dr Zucker was speaking after losing his job amid claims that he was trying to cure children by questioning why they become gender-confused.

He believes they may be suffering from autism, anxiety or depression, with many growing up not to need sex change surgery they may regret.

In a documentary on BBC2 tonight, the Canadian child psychologist said of the link with autism: Its possible that kids who have a tendency to get obsessed or fixated on something may latch on to gender.

Just because kids are saying something doesnt necessarily mean you accept it, or that its true, or that it could be in the best interests of the child.

His view on autism is backed up by a Dutch study that found almost 8 per cent of patients at a gender identity clinic were on the autistic spectrum  seven times the general rate.

It has been suggested that cross-gender behaviour may be caused by some autistic childrens attraction to unusual interests.

Referrals to the only transgender clinic for youngsters in the UK, Londons Tavistock and Portman NHS centre, are ten times the number five years ago

In Britain children can be given hormone blockers to stop puberty from the age of 10, male-to-female or female-to-male sex hormones at 16, and can undergo a full sex change at 18. Referrals to the only transgender clinic for youngsters in the UK, Londons Tavistock and Portman NHS centre, are ten times the number five years ago.

In the BBC programme Transgender Kids: Who Knows Best?, a woman named as Lou reveals she is haunted by the double mastectomy she had aged 20 to become a man, a decision she now bitterly regrets.

The darkest moment was when I realised I had actually looked normal for a girl, that I had been slim and pretty, she said. Now, as a result of having transitioned, I will always have a female body that is freakish.

After Dr Zucker lost his job at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, 500 clinicians and academics signed a petition in protest against the political decision.

After Dr Zucker lost his job at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, 500 clinicians and academics signed a petition in protest against the political decision

He had been accused of trying to use conversion therapy to cure gender-confused children, despite recommending medical intervention for those who continued to feel they were in the wrong body.

He was even told he could be putting children at risk of suicide by trying to discover if they had other mental health issues. Questioning whether these children should receive treatment, he once said: A four-year-old might say that he is a dog  do you go out and buy him dog food?

With studies suggesting 80 per cent of gender-confused people never have sex change treatment, Dr Zucker said: You are always trying to think about what these behaviours mean, you are trying to understand what is the relationship between surface behaviours and underlying feelings.

But Hershel Russell, a transgender psychotherapist and activist in Toronto, accused him of a drop the Barbie approach to force children into their natural gender.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health declined to comment.

Carol Povey, of the Centre for Autism at the National Autistic Society, said: There is work to be done to understand how being autistic and transgender may interplay.

There is no one type of autistic person, and like anyone else, when an autistic person questions their born gender they should get the help and support that they need.
Theresa May will be the only leader in the G7 to attend the Davos summit next week

Theresa May will be the only leader in the G7 to attend the Davos summit next week  but will avoid the glitzy parties beloved of David Cameron and Tony Blair.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders have decided not to attend the event, which attracts strings of celebrities and global business leaders.

But, post-Brexit, Mrs May has opted to attend 47th annual gathering in the Swiss resort to deliver the message that Britain is a global, outward looking nation.

A Government insider said: There will be no glitzy parties, nothing like that. This is business.

The British PM will be joined by other prominent leaders, including the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, the first figurehead in his countrys history to attend the summit.

Last year, Mr Cameron was pictured at a glamorous party hosted by Jack Ma, the chief executive of Chinese internet retailer Alibaba.

The PM, who showed up in a blue-collared shirt with no tie, was greeted by Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kevin Spacey. The same party was also attended by Tony Blair, a regular at Davos.

In 2013, Mr Cameron came under fire after being pictured laughing and joking at a pizza restaurant in Davos with George Osborne and Boris Johnson at a time when the economy was struggling at home.

But Mrs May will avoid the glitzy parties beloved of previous PMs David Cameron and Tony Blair

The event is famous for its star-studded parties and no expense spared menus. In recent years, delegates were charged 30 for a hot dog, 33 for a burger and 39 for a Caesar salad.

President Xi will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the three-day event.

Other global leaders, including Davos regular Mrs Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will not attend this year.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is also absent from the line-up of 3,000 participants, along with 1,800 executives from 1,000 companies.

The US will be represented by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry, days before they leave office.

President Xi Jinping will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the three-day event

Organisers have also been promised someone from the transition team representing the new Trump administration.

Last year, all four living Prime Ministers were in Davos  Mr Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major. Mr Brown is again on the list for this years event.

Mr Cameron, who did not attend in the run-up to the 2015 General Election, used last years stage to make the case for staying in the EU.

He said: My aim is absolutely clear: I want to secure the future of Britain in a reformed European Union.

Labours London mayor Sadiq Khan will also attend the gathering of the world elite, in defiance of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who on Tuesday called for a national cap on salaries.

Labours London mayor Sadiq Khan will also attend the gathering of the world elite, in defiance of party leader Jeremy Corbyn

Mr Khan will give a speech at a dinner hosted by American bank Morgan Stanley on Wednesday evening to show businesses and people from across the world that London remains open to trade, investment, talent and tourism.

The next morning he will join the World Economic Forum European Strategy Group to discuss the future of Europe.
Britain is in the grip of a hit and run epidemic, experts warned last night.

Drivers flee the scene of one in every 10 road crashes where somebody is injured.

In many cases motorists admitted they were more concerned with their own self- preservation than informing the authorities.

And others simply did not think the collisions were serious enough to report and were not aware it is their legal duty.

The shocking figures came after a 12-hour manhunt for a driver who killed a pedestrian as he was chased by police

The shocking figures came after a 12-hour manhunt for a driver who killed a pedestrian as he was chased by police.

An independent watchdog is investigating the tragedy a stones throw from Brightons historic pier on Tuesday evening.

The Vauxhall Astra which mowed the 78-year-old man down was found abandoned less than a mile away.

Research for the Motor Insurance Bureau, which compensates victims of drivers without insurance or those who fail to stop, uncovered shocking figures.

It found that in 12% of road accidents reported to police were someone is injured a hit and run driver is involved.

That is a total of 17,122 in just one year, an average of 47 a day, and the trend shows the number is increasing.

Criminologists at the University of Leicester then tracked down those responsible for fleeing the scene of accidents to find out why.

A large number said they didnt think the incident was serious enough to report or were unaware of the legal requirement to report it.

Some said they were trying to hide other crimes, driving without insurance or where under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Dr Matt Hopkins, University of Leicester, said: The reasons behind why people hit and run are complex.

There seems to be a public perception that motoring offences are not real crimes and therefore there is a tendency for drivers to justify their behaviour.

Ashton West, of the Motoring Insurance Bureau, said the organisation handles 15,000 claims a year from hit and run victims.

Saying drivers need to be reminded of their responsibilities, he added: Hit and runs can have an ever lasting impact on the victims and their families.

In Brighton, eyewitness said the victim was thrown through the air by the speeding car.

Sussex police confirmed a 33-year-old man  identified locally as a Hungarian man who was sleeping rough  later handed himself in.

He was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, drink driving, failing to stop for police and failing to report an accident.

There have been a series of similar fatal hit and run tragedies in recent months, with an inquest adjourned yesterday so police could track a killer.

Earlier this month two friends were killed by a hit and run driver as they walked in Yaxley, near Peterborough

Officers say it is only a matter of time before they identify who was at the wheel when Mary Humpherson, 88, was killed in Birmingham.

The much loved pensioner, known as Betty, was killed by a silver Ford Mondeo last October. Police have recovered DNA from the vehicle.

Earlier this month two friends were killed by a hit and run driver as they walked in Yaxley, near Peterborough.

A Chelmsford man eventually handed himself over the death of Thomas Fletcher, 19 and 22-year-old Thomas Northam.
Volkswagens agreement to plead guilty and pay fines of $4.3billion over the dieselgate scandal in America will strengthen the case of thousands of UK motorists seeking redress in Britain, said lawyers.

The number of motorists now formally signed up to the first UK class action against the German car giant has now soared to 14,000 - with more than 60,000 VW owners having contacted lawyers in the three days since the Daily Mail revealed the class action on Monday.

UK lawyers are seeking 3,000 compensation per car for 1.2million Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda vehicles in the UK caught up in the scandal which erupted when VW was exposed as using cheat devices to fiddle emissions and fuel efficiency figures.

Volkswagen has reached a 15billion settlement with 500,000 owners in the US, but the German car giant has offered nothing to motorists in Britain and Europe

If successful it could see VW landed with a bill of 3.6billion.

Volkswagen has already reached a 15billion settlement with half a million US car owners affected by the dieselgate scandal amid concerns that it may go deeper and wider.

On Monday it also emerged that Oliver Schmidt, who led the German car-makers US regulatory compliance office from 2014 to March 2015, had been arrested in Florida on Saturday, on charges of conspiring to defraud the United States relating to the emissions-cheating scandal.

Damon Parker of Harcus Sinclair who is leading a consortium of legal firms in the UKs first class action litigation against Volkswagen said: We are watching US developments closely. VWs admission of guilt in the US is good for the case and will encourage more UK consumers to take action against the huge deception inflicted on UK consumers by one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.

Thousands of Britons signed up to a new multi-billion pound class action in just a single day as the Volkswagen scandal erupted

By close of play Monday the firm had received 35,000 expressions of interest in pursuing a claim for compensation from Volkswagen, with 3,500 people signing up officially.

That has now soared to 60,000 people making contact of whom 4,500 have officially signed up to the class action.

In sharp contrast to VWs planned guilty plea in the US, the firmsays it will defend the compensation claims robustly in the UK.

Volkswagen says in a statement that it is in advanced discussions with the US Department of Justice and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reach a $4.3 billion settlement agreement regarding criminal investigations and certain civil fines in connection with the Diesel issue in the USA.

Volkswagens settlement would eclipse Toyotas $1.2 billion penalty over unintended acceleration problems as well as General Motors $900 million payment to resolve a deadly ignition-switch scandal.

Volkswagen has admitted equipping diesel cars with sophisticated software that turned on emissions controls when engines were being tested by the Environmental Protection Agency, then turned them off during normal driving.
A thrill seeker has been caught on camera taking on one of New Zealand's largest waterfalls on a boogie board.

Dr Bubbles, 32, from Porirua on New Zealand's north island took on the Huka Falls recently  cheered on by a crowd of tourists and a friend with a video camera - but has since been condemned by authorities.

The outrageous stunt saw Dr Bubbles be dragged along the surface of the water which falls from the Waikato River along crazy rapids and down a steep drop into the white water below.

Dr Bubbles, 32, from Porirua on New Zealand's north island took on the Huka Falls recently

An anxious wait saw Dr Bubble's friend with the camera search up and down the river for his friend.

The reaction from tourists watching the spectacle from a bridge over the gorge was split - some were visibly horrified while others looked excited.

The video which Daily Mail Australia understands was taken over the Christmas and New Year holiday period has been uploaded to social media and has gone viral.

Some people were proud of the man's achievements others labelled him as 'reckless'.

Others argued both points after watching the video.

'I wanna (sic) knock him out for being stupid and hug him for being an untouchable legend all at the same time,' Des Taurima said.

'Balls of steel, that fall has one of the highest water flow rates in the world.....and one of the strongest under currents, this fulla is so lucky you suppose to get permission to ride those rapids......WHAT A LEGEND,' Rian Rees said.

Some people were proud of the man's achievements others labelled him as 'reckless'

This is not the first time he has been in the fast-moving water at the falls  in 2015 he jumped off the bank into the water

'You are a f*****g idiot I've watched it five times hoping he would die each time hahaha. You're a legend,' Wati Waru said.

Fans of the dare devil were not surprised by his latest antics.

'It didn't surprise me at all. Did Bubbles do this just recently? He has no fear,' Jasmin Mora said.

'Never cease to amaze me Dr Bubbles strikes again,' said Nelson Leqakowailutu.

This is not the first time he has been in the fast-moving water at the falls  in 2015 he jumped off the bank, according to the New Zealand Herald.

According to the paper Water Safety NZ chief executive Jonty Mills has labelled the boogie board stunt as 'reckless and irresponsible'

According to the paper Water Safety NZ chief executive Jonty Mills has labelled the boogie board stunt as 'reckless and irresponsible'.

'It's like playing Russian roulette and ultimately roulette will win in a situation like that.'

The shocking footage has been watched 96,000 times in less than 18 hours.

Daily Mail Australia attempted to get onto Dr Bubbles for comment but were told by a friend that he is a 'free spirit' with no access to a phone or social media.
The Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher leads over 200 new additions to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

The Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher leads over 200 new additions to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography  with one of the longest entries to date.

She has joined the compendium of national names alongside the new biographies of broadcaster Sir David Frost and the Great Train Robbers Bruce Reynolds and Ronnie Biggs.

Her biography is the third longest in the latest edition of the dictionary which tells the life stories of over 60,000 notable people.

She is third only to Shakespeare who has the longest biography at 37,543words and Elizabeth I with the second longest at 35,557words.

The entry comes almost four years after the baronesss death in April 2013 at the age of 87.

Her extraordinary life is explored by the books editor Sir David Cannadine in 33,648 words spanning over 54 pages.

This is more than the space dedicated to the lives of Winston Churchill (33,268) and Victoria (29,337).

The author and historian examines Thatchers life from her humble beginnings living above a grocers shop in Grantham to her dramatic downfall and legacy in British politics.

The biography is split into sections charting her success and failures, her relations with her colleagues, her impact on economic, social and foreign policy, and eventually her embittered retirement.

Sir David also dedicates a paragraph to Thatchers deep upset over Oxford Universitys decision to not award her an honorary degree in 1984 because of protests over her cuts to education.

It was an unprecedented snub which meant she became the first Oxford-educated prime minister since 1946 to be denied the honour.

Sir David concludes the lengthy biography saying that there are times when nations may need rough treatment. For good and for ill, Thatcher gave Britain plenty of it.

An eponymous book on Thatcher written by Sir David including the biography with additional content is also being released by the Oxford University Press today (Thurs).

She has joined the compendium of national names alongside the new biography of broadcaster Sir David Frost

The Dictionary of National Biography is the national record of people who have made an impact on all walks of British life, in the UK and overseas, from the Roman occupation to the 21st century.

Entries range from the shortest of just 25 words for British printmaker R Carr known for an etched map of England dated 1668 to the longest of 37,543 words for Shakespeare.

The updated edition released today (Thurs) includes entries from a range of people from six of the best Nobel laureates to Paralympian Chris Hallam and heroic priest Alec Reid.

The ODNB includes the great and good alongside those of more dubious infamy, painting a full picture of British history through the lives of the people who shaped it.

This year has seen the entry of two villains made infamous by the Great Train Robbery of 1963  the mastermind of the heist Bruce Reynolds and his accomplice Ronnie Biggs.

Their biographies by Stewart Tendler briefly examine their humble beginnings and how they first turned to petty crime.

A number of broadcasters have also been included in the dictionary led by Sir David Frost who enjoyed a successful career spanning over 50 years.

During his career he interviewed six British prime ministers and seven U.S presidents  most notably ex-president Nixon in 1977.

He is joined by Alan Whicker who enjoyed an even longer career in journalism and Sir Denis Forman.

The Oxford DNB, which is updated in January, May and September each year, is compiled by named, specialist authors.

It includes the life stories of 60,302 people written by 14,356 authors and comprises 72 million words.

The dictionarys research editor Mark Curthoys said: For over 130 years the Dictionary has been a standard point of reference for anyone interested in the lives of the peoples of the British Isles and their connections overseas.

It seeks to reflect the full range of national life, and includes noteworthy people of all kinds, whose lives, careers, and achievements are assessed by specialist contributors. Accessible through public libraries, it seeks to make the findings of current scholarship available to all.

The Dictionary is a research project of the University of Oxford, published and funded by Oxford University Press.

Thatcher has more than the space dedicated to the lives of Winston Churchill (33,268) and Victoria (29,337)

It was based on the first volume of the Dictionary of National Biography appeared on 1 January 1885.

TV star Sir David Frosts biography which is more than 3,500 words long, was written by former BBC Chairman Lord Grade.

The veteran broadcaster died on a cruise where he was booked to do a talk in August 2013 after suffering a heart attack.

The biography briefly explored the talk show hosts childhood growing up in Kent and his efforts as a stand-up comedian before his big break on the satirical programme That Was The Week That Was.

It covers his greatest hour in 1977 when he persuaded disgraced Nixon to be interviewed for the first time since being impeached and resigning.
Actress Jane Fonda says people should not be fooled by 'good-looking liberals' like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - after he disappointed her by approving pipelines from the Alberta oil sands.

Fonda, who toured area in Canada on Wednesday, said environmentalists everywhere were impressed by Trudeau at the Paris climate conference in late 2015.

But they say the seemingly charming politician has let them down and 'betrayed' his stance with his latest decision.

'We all thought, well, cool guy. What a disappointment,' she said.

'He talked so beautifully of needing to meet the requirements of the climate treaty and to respect and hold to the treaties with indigenous people. Such a heroic stance he took there, and yet he has betrayed every one of the things he committed to in Paris.'

Jane Fonda, pictured leaving a press conference with indigenous leaders in Alberta on Wednesday, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had disappointed her

Fonda, who is on a trip organized by Greenpeace, is calling for a stop to pipelines and oil sands development.

'I guess the lesson is we shouldn't be fooled by good-looking liberals no matter how well-spoken they are,' Fonda said.

Last year, Trudeau approved Kinder Morgan's plans to triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, and he approved replacing Enbridge's Line 3 to Wisconsin.

But he also pushed ahead with a national carbon price and he rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway project to northwest British Columbia, which would pass through the Great Bear Rainforest as his Liberal Party government tries to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia against the concerns of environmentalists.

Fonda, a 79-year-old political activist and two-time Oscar winning actress, is the latest celebrity to visit and express concerns about the Alberta oil sands. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Hollywood film director James Cameron have also visited.

Jane Fonda said on Wednesday that people should not be fooled by 'good-looking liberals' like Justin Trudeau after the Canadian PM approved pipelines from the Alberta oil sands

Fonda (pictured in 2015), a 79-year-old political activist and two-time Oscar winning actress, is the latest celebrity to visit and express concerns about the Alberta oil sands

Fonda toured the Alberta oil sands area in Canada on Wednesday and spoke at a press conference with Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said Fonda is using her celebrity to promote ill-informed generalizations.

Notley said Fonda should not lecture oil workers about getting jobs elsewhere and added that it was 'super tone deaf' for the actress to visit Fort McMurray, Alberta, so soon after devastating wildfires that destroyed 2,400 homes and buildings.

The premier, who leads the left-leaning New Democratic party, also said Alberta has a plan that makes the province a climate leader in North America. Notley said provincial officials were to have met with Fonda to explain the government's plans but it didn't happen.

'Dining out on your celebrity is something that someone ought to pair with knowledge and research and she failed to do that,' Notley said.

'It's very clear she didn't know what she was talking about.'

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley hit back at Fonda's remarks about Trudeau and the oil sands saying the actress was using her celebrity to promote ill-informed generalizations

A Trudeau spokeswoman referred comment to the office of Canada's Natural Resource Minister

'Our government believes that the environment and the economy go hand in hand. The oil sands are an important source of jobs and economic prosperity for Canadians,' spokesman Alexandre Deslongchamps said in an email.

'We believe we can only develop our natural resources when we can do so sustainably. That's why we are putting a price on carbon pollution, strengthening environmental and safety standards, and making real investments in clean technology.'
Scandal: The former British spy Christopher Steele, who is alleged to have compiled a 'dirty' dossier smearing Donald Trump, fled his 1.5million home in fear last night and could be abroad

A former British spy has vanished after being named as the author of a 'dirty' file smearing Donald Trump and fled his 1.5million mansion in fear telling his neighbour: 'Look after my cat.'

Ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele has been named as the author of the salacious Russian dossier containing outlandish claims about Donald Trump's sex life and bizarre footage allegedly held by the Kremlin's blackmail unit.

The 35-page briefing, which is littered with spelling mistakes, includes an unsubstantiated and far-fetched claim Trump watched prostitutes perform a 'golden shower (urination) show' in the Presidential Suite of a Moscow hotel.

Mr Trump called the dossier 'fake' and 'phony', even suggesting that US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation before his inauguration.

He debunked the 'golden shower' claim by saying: 'Does anyone believe that? I'm a germophobe'.

Steele, 52, was seen fleeing his gated Surrey home in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on.

A security source said: 'He is terrified for his safety', adding he may now be abroad or in a safe house.

A neighbour told the Telegraph: 'He asked me to look after his cat as he would be gone for a few days'.

Mr Steele served MI6 for nearly two decades in Moscow - and a stint in its Paris Station - and security sources say he once worked with murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko who fled to Britain before he was poisoned in 2006.

Litvinenko's wife Marina said last night she did not recognise the name Steele but admitted MI6 agents often have a number of different identities.

Steele was employed by enemies of Trump to dig for 'dirt' in Russia having previously worked for the FBI in helping uncover corruption at FIFA, which led to the arrest of its leadership including Sepp Blatter.

Senator John McCain was allegedly handed the incendiary Trump file by a former British Ambassador to Moscow, who has not yet been named.

Today it was revealed Sir Tim Barrow, a former British Ambassador to Moscow who is now the UK's top EU diplomat in charge of Brexit regotiations, worked in the same office as Steele when the Soviet Union collapsed.

Sir Tim is understood to have told bosses he had 'nothing to do with' leaking Steele's Trump memos, a Foreign Office source told MailOnline.

Missing: Steele, 52, was seen fleeing his gated Surrey home (pictured) in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on

It is believed that Christopher Steele once worked with murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko (pictured, in hospital)

Pictured: The offices of Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd in Belgravia, central London, the security business run by Christopher Steele

Friend: Mr Steele's business partner Christopher Burrows was also named as a former MI6 agent, but has not been linked to the dossier and refused to say if his colleague had written it

The BBC has now claimed that there is a second dossier and despite allegations being widely rubbished one journalist said 'the head of an East European intelligence agency' insists the sex tape exists.

'I had nothing to do with it': Britain's new Man in Europe denies involvement in Russian 'dirty' dossier scandal Britain's new ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Barrow today told bosses he 'had nothing to do with' the Russian 'dirty' dossier on Trump Britain's new ambassador to the EU has today told bosses he 'had nothing to do with' the Russian 'dirty' dossier on Donald Trump  as MailOnline reveals his remarkable links to the former British spy who compiled the document. Sir Tim Barrow's name entered the frame as a potential source of the leak to US politician John McCain after it was suggested the Senator was handed the incendiary file by a former British ambassador to Moscow. The ambassador has not yet been publicly identified. Sir Tim held the post of ambassador to Russia between 2011 and 2015, but also served in Moscow alongside ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele in the early 1990s. The pair shared an office at the old British embassy - now the ambassador's official residence - across the Moscow River from the Kremlin. Sir Tim is the only former Russian ambassador still working as a diplomat for the British Government. The man who held the role at the time Steele and Sir Tim were posted there was Sir Rodric Braithwaite, an 84-year-old retired diplomat who has since turned his hand to writing books. Sir Tim, who paid a visit to Washington in July last year, denied being the source of the leak and is understood to have told bosses he had 'nothing to do with it'. However, MailOnline can reveal he has close links to Steele, the ex-MI6 agent named as the author of the salacious document. Sir Tim and Steele are believed to have first crossed paths almost 30 years ago in the cramped surroundings of a Moscow office. And ever since, the career trajectories of Steele and Sir Tim have been remarkably similar. They worked together for three years during a momentous period that saw the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, having been posted to the old British embassy - now the ambassador's official residence - across the Moscow River from the Kremlin. Steele, an e x-MI6 agent named as the author of the salacious Russian dossier containing outlandish claims about Donald Trump's sex life, was listed as a second secretary (Chancery) between 1990 to 1993. During the same period, Sir Tim - then a young diplomat - was sent to the country as Second Secretary, a time he would later look back on fondly by saying in 2011: 'I have good memories of working in Moscow in the early nineties.' Both Sir Tim and Steele returned to the Foreign Office the same year, 1993, with the former named Head of Russia Section and latter the second and later first secretary. It is unclear how close a bond the two formed during their time working together, but both have since hit the headlines over the space of just a couple of weeks. Sir Tim, 52, a former envoy to Moscow with a career as a diplomat spanning three decades, was confirmed by the Government as the new UK ambassador to the EU at the start of the year. Advertisement

Steele has been described as 'reliable, meticulous and well-informed' by one source, but another told The Times he is 'slightly more showy and less grounded in reality than you might expect a former SIS person to be'.

Married father-of-three Mr Steele, 52, spent almost two decades as one of MI6's Russia specialists, also working in Paris.

A diplomatic service list shows that the ex-spy was posted to the UK's Moscow embassy in 1990 with the title of 'second secretary', serving under ambassador Sir Rodric Braithwaite.

While Steele was there the current British Ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Barrow, who was Ambassador to Moscow before them, worked in the Russian capital for the Foreign Office between 1990 and 1993.

After leaving the secret service Steele he set up a security business based in a grand Belgravia office block.

Mr Steele was reportedly hired by enemies of Donald Trump and was asked to do a 'general' trawl on the billionaire's links to Russia.

Speaking on his LBC radio show yesterday evening, former Ukip leader and Trump ally Nigel Farage claimed a member of the President-elect's team told him the allegations would just make more people think the 'establishment' were 'out to get Trump'.

Mr Farage added: 'I think he looks very much in control. I think support for him across America is growing.'

Mr Steele's business partner Christopher Burrows was also named as a former MI6 agent, but has not been linked to the dossier.

Liverpool University-educated Mr Burrows, 58, was a Brussels and India expert with the security service.

He describes himself as a former Foreign Office 'counsellor' on his LinkedIn page.

The pair are now the co-directors of Orbis Business Intelligence, a London-based firm which gathers 'strategic insight and intelligence' for corporate clients. They were named by the Wall Street Journal last night.

Speaking outside his Hampshire home, Christopher Burrows said that in light of what has happened, it would be 'inappropriate' to say anything further.

The 58-year-old was also quizzed on the welfare of his business partner Christopher Steele, who was said to be the author of the dossier, but said: 'I cannot possibly comment on that.'

Reports this morning suggested Mr Steele, 52, had fled his Surrey home and 'feared for his life'.

Mr Burrows was today asked if the dossier had been written by his company, Orbis Business Intelligence based in London, but he refused to comment, adding this would be something which might be reviewed in the 'next couple of days'.

Mr Burrows said: 'I think in the light of what has happened it would not be appropriate for me to make a comment on whether Orbis was involved or not.

'This is something we will review in the next couple of days.

'I am not going to make any comment on the dossier.'

Asked if Mr Steele was involved in compiling the dossier, Mr Burrows responded: 'I cannot possibly comment on that.'

A neighbour of Mr Steele's said he was away for a few days. The Journal said it had also approached Mr Steele through an intermediary, who had said the subject was 'too hot' for Mr Steele to speak about.

MI6 bosses told the Mirror the former spy may now be hiding at a safe house, which could in a different country.

A source said: 'Once his name came out the view was that he could be under threat so steps are being taken to protect him and put him in a more secure environment.'

Only one former British ambassador to Moscow remains in UK government service, Sir Tim Barrow, left with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, is now Britain's ambassador to the European Union. He has privately denied he is the source

Workplace: Mr Steele's business partner Christopher Burrows, who is also based at the office, was also named as a former MI6 agent, but has not been linked to the dossier

WHICH FORMER AMBASSADOR GAVE McCAIN THE DOSSIER? Steele was posted to the UK's Moscow embassy in 1990 with the title of 'second secretary', serving under ambassador Sir Rodric Braithwaite, pictured Below is a list of Britain's living ex-ambassadors to Moscow. Sir Bryan Cartledge: 1985-1988. Sir Bryan served in diplomatic posts in Sweden, the Soviet Union and Japan, before becoming Private Secretary to Prime Ministers, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher. He was also the UK's ambassador to Hungary from 1980-83. Sir Rodric Braithwaite: 1988-1992. Sir Rodric was the ambassador during Christopher Steele's posting to Moscow. His other appointments include Foreign Policy Adviser to former Prime Minister, Sir John Major and Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Sir Brian Fall: 19921995. Sir Brian Hall served in diplomatic posts in Moscow, Geneva and Washington and was later High Commissioner to Canada from 1989-92. It is also believed he introduced Vladimir Putin to Boris Yeltsin, and organised the Queen's first Russian visit. His daughter, Catherine Fall, was a key member of former Prime Minister David Cameron's close team. Sir Andrew Wood: 1995-2000. After serving a number of diplomatic posts, including one in Moscow - Sir Andrew became ambassador to Yugoslavia from 1985-99. After retiring from diplomatic duties, he served as an advisor to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Sir Roderic Lyne: 2000-2004. Sir Roderic was a member of HM Diplomatic Service from 1970 to 2004 and later served as Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Sir John Major for foreign affairs, defence and Northern Ireland from 1993 to 1996. He also served on the board of the Iraq Inquiry. Sir Anthony Brenton: 2004-08. Sir Anthony worked for 30 years in the Foreign Office, working in both London and Brussels as well as spending three years in Cairo. He ran UN issues in the Foreign Office and took charge of preparation for the 1992 'Earth Summit'. Dame Anne Pringle: 2008-2011. As well as being the first ever female British Ambassador to Russia, Dame Anne also served in diplomatic appointments in the US, Brussels and at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. From 2001 to 2004 she was also the British Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Sir Tim Barrow: 2011-2016. Sir Tim was the British Ambassador to Ukraine from 2006-2008 and was also political director at the Foreign Office. He was the British Ambassador to Russia between 2011 and 2015, having previously been posted to Moscow as a young diplomat in the early Nineties. Sir Tim is now Britain's Ambassador to the European Union. Advertisement

Next door neighbour Mike Hopper said Mr Steele had lived there with his wife and four children for about 18 months.

Mr Hopper, who is looking after the family's three cats, said his neighbour appeared 'normal' when he left on Wednesday morning.

'He did not say where he was going or when he was coming back,' he added.

Mr Steele served MI6 for nearly two decades, and is now the director of a private security and investigations firm called Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd, run out of plush offices in Belgravia, central London.

He was hired to write a dossier on Mr Trump by one of the billionaire's rivals for the Republican candidacy for President. The dossier was ultimately passed to US politicians by a former UK ambassador to Russia, reports said.

The involvement of a former British intelligence officer and ambassador is embarrassing for the Government with Theresa May under pressure to reassure the President-elect that the UK had nothing to do with the 35-page briefing.

However, sources say that Mr Steele did pass on a copy of the 'dirty' dossier to MI6.

Yesterday Mr Trump called the dossier, alleged to have been handed to US Senator John McCain by a former British ambassador, 'fake' and 'phony' and Moscow has dismissed the claims as 'utter nonsense'.

US journalists have spent recent weeks trying to track down Mr Steele for an interview, however he declined requests through an intermediary, who said the subject was 'too hot', reports the Wall Street Journal.

The British security services had originally tried to block UK news organisations from naming Mr Steele by issuing a so-called D-notice, which requests certain revelations are withheld for security reasons.

Meanwhile reports emerged last night that Mr Steele could have worked with Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

The former KGB man was poisoned with polonium in London in 2006, with an inquiry finding his murder was on the orders of the Russian state.

A source told the Times: 'I think he [Mr Steele] was one of the people who was working with Litvinenko.'

There have been conflicting reports on Mr Steele, with one source telling the newspaper he was not 'hugely impressed' with his expertise, while another said he was 'deeply expert' on Russian affairs.

His Linkedin profile is vague about his career history.

However, a diplomatic service list shows that the ex-spy was posted to the U.K.'s Moscow embassy in 1990 with the title of 'Second Secretary', serving under ambassador Sir Rodric Braithwaite.

It is not known how long he was posted at the embassy for, but he is later listed to have served at the UK's Foreign & Commonweath Office in 2003, and as 'First Secretary' at Britain's Paris embassy in 1998.

He founded Orbis in 2009 and a statement on the company's website says: 'Ethical business practice is a fundamental value for the Orbis Business Intelligence team.

'Our documented procedures, developed in conjunction with external legal counsel, ensure compliance with relevant UK, US and EU legislation.'

The firm also says it has a 'global network' of experts and business leaders and is able to execute 'intelligence gathering operations' and 'complex, often cross-border investigations'.

The PM's official spokeswoman was asked today if assistance was being given to the former agent - after a so-called DA-notice was issued last night asking media not to reveal his name.

'We are not commenting on this,' she said, From the reports I have seen, those all seem to be about former staff.

'There is a standard process that is followed with regard to the naming of people that have worked in certain roles in the civil service, be they still serving or former roles.

The spokeswoman said she was not aware Mr Trump's team had been in touch with Britain to seek clarification.

She added that preparations are continuing for Mrs May's crucial visit to Washington in the coming weeks - where she is desperate to lay the groundwork for a post-Brexit trade deal.

'We are in touch with the team to continue the planning for the first meeting between the Prime Minister and the President-elect,' the spokeswoman said.

Outrage at BBC claims of SECOND Russian 'dirty dossier' on Trump amid claims they are trying to derail his presidency before it starts The BBC was under fire today after it claimed a second 'dirty dossier' on Donald Trump exists and was accused of attaching too much credibility to the first one. Foreign correspondent Paul Wood said last night that former British spy Christopher Steele is not the only person to say the Kremlin has covert footage related to his sex life. He said a security source told him of 'more than one tape' on 'more than one date'. Buzzfeed has been widely castigated - including by Trump himself - over publishing the salacious claims, after CNN reported on its existence, even though they have been unverified. Last night Mr Trump refused to take a question from a BBC journalist telling the reporter to stand up and then said: 'BBC News - there's another beauty'. Claims: Foreign correspondent Paul Wood said last night that former British spy Christopher Steele is not the only person to say the Kremlin has covert footage related to his sex life Row: Last night Mr Trump refused to take a question from a BBC journalist telling the reporter to stand up and then said: 'BBC News - there's another beauty' But Mr Wood said in a BBC blog last night: 'The former MI6 agent is not the only source for the claim about Russian kompromat on the president-elect. 'Back in August, a retired spy told me he had been informed of its existence by 'the head of an East European intelligence agency'. 'Later, I used an intermediary to pass some questions to active duty CIA officers dealing with the case file - they would not speak to me directly. I got a message back that there was 'more than one tape', 'audio and video', on 'more than one date', in 'more than one place' - in the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow and also in St Petersburg - and that the material was 'of a sexual nature'.' But he did add: 'Nobody should believe something just because an intelligence agent says it', adding that no-one had aver seen the video. The BBC has come under criticism for their coverage. Tory MP Philip Davies has accused the BBC of jumping on the bandwagon and joining the attempt to smear Mr Trump before he takes over in the Oval Office. He told MailOnline: 'It seems to me that the BBC are still in Brexit mode, it was a result they couldn't accept and understand and did everything they could to get that overturned. 'And it seems like they're doing exactly the same thing with Trump's election as US president. 'It's more to do with the BBC's agenda than news reports.' After Mr Wood appeared on TV news last night journalist Iain Dale tweeted: 'The BBC News at Ten just sank to the level of Buzzfeed. An utter disgrace of a report from Paul Wood'. David Vance wrote: '10 Minutes on the #BBC news and the State Broadcaster is in full 'Get Trump' mode. The bias is visceral and utterly impotent'. Advertisement

Donald Trump has dismissed claims in a flimsy dossier of 'dirt' on him but reports that ex-MI6 agent Mr Steele was behind it has piled pressure on Theresa May to reassure him Britain had nothing to do with it

Fury: This angry denial came in a post on the billionaire tycoon's Twitter feed shortly after the report was published by Buzzfeed

EX-MI6 SPY HELPED BRING DOWN FIFA SO TRUMP'S ENEMIES PAID HIM TO DIG DIRT Christopher Steele supplied the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with information on corruption at FIFA, international soccer's governing body, it was revealed today. It was his work on corruption in international soccer that lent credence to his reporting on Trump's entanglements in Russia, US officials said. Emails seen by Reuters indicate that, in the summer of 2010, members of a New York-based FBI squad assigned to investigate 'Eurasian Organized Crime' met Steele in London to discuss allegations of possible corruption in FIFA, the Swiss-based body that also organizes the World Cup tournament. People familiar with Steele's activities said his British-based company, Orbis Business Intelligence, was hired by the Football Association, Britain's domestic soccer governing body, to investigate FIFA. At the time, the Football Association was hoping to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups. British corporate records show that Orbis was formed in March 2009. Amid a swirl of corruption allegations, the 2018 World Cup was awarded to Moscow and Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 competition. The FBI squad whose members met Steele subsequently opened a major investigation into alleged soccer corruption that led to dozens of U.S. indictments, including those of prominent international soccer officials. Senior FIFA officials, including long-time president Sepp Blatter, were forced to resign. Advertisement

The row threatens to overshadow the Prime Minister's visit to Washington later this month, at a time when she is desperate to secure a post-Brexit free trade deal with his administration.

The spokeswoman said No 10 would not be commenting further on the controversy, which could undo work carried out by Boris Johnson to build bridges with Trump's team during a visit to Washington this week.

Boris Johnson has been urged to appear before MPs to explain the credibility of allegations made against Donald Trump in an explosive dossier.

Senior Labour MP Mary Creagh said it is clear the UK Government has a great deal of knowledge about the issues, with a need for the Foreign Secretary to also explain how Britain is preventing cyber attacks from hostile states.

Mr Steele was reportedly hired by enemies of Donald Trump and was asked to do a 'general' trawl on the billionaire's links to Russia.

Russian sources allegedly told the operative that they had extensive material on the now President-elect - including a secret film of him in the suite where President Obama stayed in Moscow, watching prostitutes committing degrading sex acts, specifically 'golden showers [urination]', on the bed where the president once slept.

Critics have questioned the credibility of the intelligence dossier because it contains a number of key spelling mistakes.

It also has mistaken references to areas of Moscow an expert on the city would be expected to get right and its claims are not backed up with evidence.

Rubbishing the dossier, Mr Trump has claimed 'sick people put that c**p together', even suggesting that US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation before his inauguration.

Carl Bernstein, the Watergate reporter who contributed to the first story about the dossier, claimed yesterday that Senator McCain was handed it by the former British ambassador to Moscow late last year.

The Guardian last night reported that McCain met a man, who they describe as a 'western diplomat', at a conference in Halifax, Canada, who informed him of the existence of the dossier.

The Senator then dispatched an official to to meet the diplomat - who he found at a European airport after being told to look out for a man clutching a copy of the Financial Times.

The pair then drove to the diplomat's house and discussed the document. It was unclear last night whether the 'western diplomat' referred to by the Guardian was the former Russian ambassador referred to by Bernstein.

The identity of the former British ambassador has not been disclosed. There have been nine since 1985.

Only one former British ambassador to Moscow remains in UK government service, Sir Tim Barrow, who went on to be Foreign Office political director and is now Britain's ambassador to the European Union. There is no suggestion he is the source.

Bernstein told CNN: 'It came from a former British MI6 agent who was hired from a political opposition research firm in Washington who was doing work about Donald Trump for both republican and democratic candidates opposed to Trump.

Theresa May should make clear the UK had NOTHING to do with ex-MI6 agent's claims about 'dirty' Russian dossier, says Nigel Farage Nigel Farage has urged Theresa May to reassure Donald Trump that the UK government had nothing to do with an ex-MI6 agent's claims about a 'dirty' Russian dossier. The former Ukip leader also argued that the US president-elect had been made stronger by the furore because Americans could see the establishment was 'out to get him'. Downing Street is trying to distance itself from the row after the British former spy who produced outlandish claims about Trump's sex life and compromising material held by the Kremlin was named as Christopher Steele. Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the US president-elect had been made stronger by the furore because Americans could see the establishment was 'out to get him' The 52-year-old has fled his 1.5million mansion in west London, telling his neighbour: 'Look after my cat.' There are also suggestions that a former UK ambassador to Russia was involved in passing the dossier to Republican Senator John McCain - a sworn enemy of Mr Trump. No10 has so far refused to comment directly on the row. But senior sources insisted today there was no indication that any serving officials were involved in producing or spreading the material. Sir Tim Barrow, who is thought to have worked there with Mr Steele, is the only former ambassador to Moscow still in the civil service. He was appointed as the UK's envoy to the EU this month. However, he is understood to have assured Foreign Office bosses he had 'nothing to do' with the memos. The PM's spokeswoman has said preparations are continuing for Mrs May's crucial visit to Washington in the coming weeks - where she is desperate to lay the groundwork for a post-Brexit trade deal. Tory MPs have raised concerns that the controversy over Mr Steele's memos could derail efforts to rebuild the 'special relationship'. Backbencher Philip Davies turned up the pressure on No 10 to reassure Mr Trump that the UK Government had nothing to do with the 'dirty' dossier. He told MailOnline today: 'Whether they say it in public or privately say it to Donald Trump  I'm not really bothered  but as long as the President-elect knows none of this is being done on behalf of the UK as a country or on behalf of the UK as a Government.' Advertisement

President-elect Donald Trump blasted 'phony stuff' contained in a dirt dossier against him that was released and blasted whoever leaked it  mentioning the intelligence agencies

The extraordinary - and entirely unverified - allegations that Donald Trump ordered prostitutes to commit degrading sex acts in the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow are contained in the dossier

Part of the document, allegedly compiled by former British intelligence agent Mr Steele, is seen above. Click here to see the full document first published by Buzzfeed

'They were looking at Trump's business ties, they saw some questionable things about Russians, about his businesses in Russia, they in turn hired this MI6 former investigator, he then came up with additional information from his Russian sources.

'He was very concerned by the implications of it, he then took it to an FBI colleague that he had known in his undercover work for years, he took it to this FBI man in Rome who turned it over to the bureau in Washington in August.

KREMLIN WRITES OFF MEMO AS 'NONSENSE' Russia has denied allegations that the Kremlin collected compromising information about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, dismissed news reports as a 'complete fabrication and utter nonsense.' He insisted that the Kremlin 'does not engage in collecting compromising material'. He added: 'There are those who pump up such a tantrum and do their best to maintain a 'witch hunt', and by the way this is how president-elect Trump characterised this fake. 'And why is the continuation of this hysterical state needed? To force our relationship to stay degraded. 'It is a complete fake - not worth the paper it was written on.' The memo also states that Peskov 'controlled' another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over 'many years'. But Peskov denied there was any such material. 'This was absolutely fabricated, this is total nonsense. This is what is called 'pulp fiction'.' Advertisement

'And then, a former British ambassador to Russia independently was made aware of these findings and he took the information to John McCain  Senator John McCain of Arizona  in the period just after the election, and showed it to McCain  additional findings.

'McCain was sufficiently disturbed by what he read to take it to FBI director James Comey himself personally, they had a five minute meeting the two men, very little was said, McCain turned it over to him and is now awaiting what the FBI's response is to that information.'

Yesterday Donald Trump furiously denied he was ever briefed on a dossier of claims passed to intelligence chiefs that he was secretly taped watching degrading sex acts by prostitutes in Moscow.

He said he was never shown or told about the claims - published in full by Buzzfeed after a report by CNN - when he met intelligence chiefs last week.

'Does anyone believe that story? I'm also very much of a germophobe by the way,' he said at a press conference in New York.

He stared down the assembled media for the first time since he won the election Wednesday and opened with a blistering attack on the press and the intelligence community after the release of an unproven dirt dossier on him.

'It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen. And it was gotten by opponents of ours,' Trump said.

'Sick people  and they put that c**p together.'

British MPs told MailOnline that Mrs May must act swiftly to reassure the President-elect that the report was not UK-sponsored.

No10 and the Foreign Office have flatly refused to comment on the memos - which were apparently commissioned by political opponents and have been furiously denied by Mr Trump.

The Russian embassy in London said the government was 'panicking' and trying to drive a wedge between US President-elect Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

Tory MP Philip Davies said Mrs May's planned visit to Washington in the coming weeks was a huge opportunity to revive the Special Relationship, and nothing should be allowed to overshadow it.

'I hope the British Government confirm to President-Elect Trump that the actions of this individual do not reflect the UK as a whole or the UK Government,' Mr Davies said.

'We look forward to the Trump presidency re-establishing the special relationship between the UK and the US.'

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said the timing of the allegations pointed towards an effort to smear Mr Trump just nine days before he takes over in the Oval Office.

Diplomatic mission: Boris Johnson has been trying to build bridges with Trump's team during a visit to Washington this week (pictured)

He told MailOnline: 'The question is why has this story come out now? Everything happens for a reason. Most things happen for a reason.

'It already appears to be unravelling. Someone's released the story I'm sure the source will be revealed in time.'

Conservative backbencher Nigel Evans told MailOnline: 'It looks like this originated at a time when somebody was trying to undermine his bid for the presidency.

'There was enough stuff that did come out, enough revelations about things that he said  some of which probably did damage his candidacy  that I would thought if there was anything there (in this dossier) it would have emerged.

'Trump is denying it. Putin is denying it. It seems to be one of these fake news things.'

Fellow MP Michael Fabricant said: 'I can well understand the President-Elect's concerns over these stories as they seek to delegitimise his election to President. There are some in the United States who would like to see a re-run of their General Election as part of an anti-Trump campaign.

'They are like some of those in the UK who seek to over-turn the Referendum result and keep us in the European Union.'

Meanwhile, former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind has said any Russian efforts to compromise Mr Trump would show they know he will be his 'own man'.

Sir Malcolm said Moscow's intelligence services see gathering compromising material against politicians as 'what they are paid for'.

The Tory grandee, who also served as chair of the powerful Intelligence and Security Committee, said he had no idea whether the dossier was real.

'The Russians are not assuming that Trump is going to be a friend,' he told MailOnline.

He said that gathering 'dirt' on foreign politicians was a key role for the Russian agencies.

'I have not the slightest doubt that the Russian intelligence agencies assume that is what they are paid for,' Sir Malcolm said.

'They have an interest, a role in finding out as much as they can about the personal lives of politicians.'

Sir Malcolm said he was not too concerned about the tensions between the incoming US administration and the intelligence agencies.

'I would have thought that the intelligence agencies, when they met Trump, would have made clear that their function is to share the information they have with whoever is the President.'

Mr Trump - who is due to be formally installed as president in nine days - has already dismissed the claims, tweeting: 'FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!'

American intelligence agencies have also accused Russia of directly interfering in the presidential election by hacking the Democrat computer network and leaking damaging material about Hillary Clinton.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson yesterday that Russia was 'up to all sorts of very dirty tricks'.

Some 35 pages of memos drawn up by the former MI6 agent - said to have served in Russia in the 1990s - was published by Buzzfeed, which pointed out that it contained errors.

Little of its contents can be independently verified, while there has been no official confirmation of the details of the briefing and Donald Trump has branded the claims as 'fake'.
Oh, to be a sketchwriter in America. They have Donald Trump. Here in London we have to cope with the rather less electrifying Theresa May. It aint fair!

Yesterday president-elect Trump gave a press conference. Press punch-up, more like. Glorious. Mad. A riot. And, amid all that, rather brutally effective.

A chap from CNN tried to ask a question. CNN is a TV news network which has been one of Mr Trumps main critics and publicised this bizarre story about him with Russian hotties in some hotel room.

Mr Trump: Your organisation is terrible. The CNN bloke: Can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir? Mr Trump: Quiet. CNN chap: But Mr Trump: Dont be rude. Then, while the CNN chap continued to plead and continued to call him sir, the next president of the USA drawled: No, Im not gonna give you a question. You are fake news. Next!

Scroll down for video

President-elect Donald Trump blasted 'phony stuff' contained in a dirt dossier against him that was released and blasted whoever leaked it  mentioning the intelligence agencies

Attack: Trump warned that is was possible intelligence agencies had leaked the claims against him and said it would be 'a tremendous blot on their record if they did that.'

Mr Trump is a politician, Jim, but not as we know it. He doesnt do wriggling and lawyerly evasions. He doesnt do dainty detours or  ridiculous thought  charm. He just comes out and smashes his critics on the nose.

Reporters who attended yesterdays event in the lobby at Trump Tower, New York city, were eager to ask their next head of state about lurid claims that the Kremlin had footage of him and these women as they went about allegedly obscene behaviour.

In the normal world  a world that no longer exists  a scandal-besieged politician would want to move on from the issue as speedily as possible. He would be heard with silent embarrassment and after a few minutes the event would switch to more elevating issues.

Not with Donald Trump. Standing in front of ten US flags, with his fair daughter Ivanka to one side of the stage, he was itching to talk about the story  almost more so than the journos. He was loving it. If you sent this guy to Pamplona for the bull run he would quite possibly run towards the bull. And the beast might well, in such circumstances, do a quick U-turn and gallop to safety.

He announced that Ivanka had relinquished all ties with his companies to join him in Washington, while his two sons will have full control of the business

On and on he went yesterday, castigating, lacerating, waving his arms, erupting like an Icelandic geyser. He raged about how the US security services might be to blame, and if they were it would be one helluva blot on their record. He tore into the Buzzfeed website which broke the disputed story. It was run by sick people  they put that c*** together. And he went into a prolonged riff about how he always warned his associates to behave themselves on foreign business trips and not go running off with harlots because they might be watched by hidden cameras in their hotel rooms.

Not that he, the church-going Donald, man of morals, would ever get up to anything untoward, particularly with diseased laydees of the night. How could we be sure? He had the clincher. Im a germaphobe, he explained.

Theyd better get some antiseptic wet wipes for the nuclear red button.

The conference opened a little late with a short chap finally taking the lectern  he was almost invisible, he was so vertically challenged. This was Sean Spicer, Mr Trumps press spokesman. He flew straight into a high-pitched denunciation (in the movie he will have to be played by Joe Pesci) of the frankly outrageous, highly irresponsible and salacious claims by Left-wing blog Buzzfeed.

Trump took questions from the press in two separate appearances on stage during the conference - but refused to answer questions from 'fake news' outlet Buzzfeed

The Trump children watched from the wings - alongside vice president-elect Mike Pence - as their father delivered his first press conference since winning the election

Vice president-elect Mike Pence (grey hairdo which looks as though it may have been zipped on to his skull) did a short turn, saying the media were trying to delegitimise the election. Mr Pences tone was, frankly, a disappointment. Far too statesmanlike. It took the Hombre Himself, the mighty Donald, to restore a sense of scintillation.

This he did with his blanket attack on the intelligence agencies. A president-elect firing his harpoon at the CIA and FBI. Amazing. And repeatedly he referred to himself in the third person, which is often taken as a sign of madness. If Vladimir Putin thought Donald Trump was a good guy  the arms went out wide  hey, thats called an asset, not a liability. He didnt know if he was going to like Putin. Shrug of shoulders. A pout. And he kept throwing his two palms up high, like a man about to hurl himself into the Birdie Song dance.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten spent more than $50,000 of taxpayer money for he and his family to travel in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

The $51,531 spent on Mr Shorten within six-months from January 2016 is three times more than the family travel of Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott combined during their respective election periods.

Taxpayers paid $14,441 for Mr Turnbull, his wife Lucy and their children Alex and Daisy to travel last year - a third of what it cost Mr Shorten and his family, according to The Australian.

The $51,531 spent on Mr Shorten (pictured with his wife Chloe) within six-months from January 2016 is three times more than the family travel of Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott combined

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten spent more than $50,000 of taxpayer money for he and his family to travel in the lead-up to the 2016 election (pictured with his wife Chloe and children Rupert, Clementine and Georgette)

Kevin Rudd, who became prime minister after the 2013 election, spent $20,434 on travel for him and his wife Therese and their three children during that period.

Julia Gillard and her husband Tim Mathieson spent $13,439 in the second half of 2010.

In 2013, Tony Abbott, his wife Margaret and their daughters Louise, Frances and Bridget spent $14,336.

This was $3,000 more than they family spent during the 2010 election period when he was opposition leader.

Labor leaders forked out more than double than the the Coalition spending, at $89,405.

Labor leaders forked out more than double than the the Coalition spending, at $89,405. Mr Shorten is pictured here in Brisbane with his wife Chloe

Taxpayers paid $14,441 for Mr Turnbull, his wife Lucy and their children Alex and Daisy to travel last year

Taxpayers paid $14,441 for Mr Turnbull, his wife Lucy and their children Alex and Daisy to travel last year - a third of what it cost Mr Shorten and his family

In 2013, Tony Abbott, his wife Margaret and their daughters Louise, Frances and Bridget spent $14,336

A spokesperson for Mr Shorten said the travel spending for himself, his wife Chloe and three children was within the rules

A spokesperson for Mr Shorten said the travel spending for himself, his wife Chloe and three children was within the rules and was all declared at the time, the Australian reported.

This comes after Health Minister Sussan Ley was accused of billing taxpayers more than $13,000 to pilot two private flights

The Liberal frontbencher temporarily stepped down as Health Minister on Monday after it was revealed she had gone apartment shopping on the Gold Coast on taxpayer-funded trips.

Now more travel records have emerged showing she claimed back $6,300 to fly from Canberra to Melbourne in July 2014 and another $7,000 between Canberra and Adelaide in May 2015, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Kevin Rudd, who became prime minister after the 2013 election, spent $20,434 on travel for him and his wife Therese and their three children during that period

Julia Gillard and her husband Tim Mathieson spent $13,439 in the second half of 2010

This comes after Health Minister Sussan Ley was accused of billing taxpayers more than $13,000 to pilot two private flights




The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect has demanded an apology from Donald Trump after he compared the US to Nazi Germany on Wednesday while responding to questions about a dossier that allegedly contains compromising information.

Steven Goldstein, the executive director of the center, called it a 'despicable insult to Holocaust survivors' after the president-elect mentioned the Third Reich on Twitter and repeated the comparison during his press conference.

The billionaire, who is nine days away from his inauguration, accused intelligence agencies for leaking the dossier, which was said to have been put together by a former British counter-intelligence official from the UK as part of opposition research.

'That's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do,' he told reporters in Manhattan.

He also tweeted: 'Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?'

Trump accused intelligence agencies for leaking the unverified dossier of damaging allegations about him, saying: 'That's something that Nazi Germany would have done'

Steven Goldstein, the executive director of the Anne Frank Center, called it a 'despicable insult to Holocaust survivors' after Trump invoked the Third Reich on Twitter

The non-profit organization also started a Change.org petition demanding the president elect renounce his tweet and apologize

Trump has lashed out at intelligence agencies after they concluded that Russia interfered in the US presidential election with the goal of seeing the business tycoon elected.

He escalated the fight and pointed fingers at the US intelligence agencies on Wednesday, accusing them of practices reminiscent of Nazi Germany after the compromising dossier was leaked.

'I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out.

The organization was established by Frank's father , whose vision was to 'build a world based on equal rights and mutual respect'

'I think it's a disgrace, and I say that ... that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do,' Trump told a news conference in New York.

Trump's comparison was slammed by the Anne Frank Center's executive director Steven Goldstein, who demanded an apology from the president elect.

'It is a despicable insult to Holocaust survivors around the world and to the nation he is about to lead, that Donald Trump compares America to Nazi Germany,' Goldstein said.

'The president-elect has denigrated our nation and its commitment to freedom on the eve of his inauguration. He must retract his tweet and apologize to survivors and to our entire nation.'

The organization was established in 1959 by Frank's father Otto Frank, whose vision was to 'build a world based on equal rights and mutual respect'.

Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League also called it 'an inappropriate comparison'.

'There are legitimate questions on all sides regarding foreign influence in the 2016 presidential race,' he said in a statement on Wednesday.

'But the United States has democratic elections, a free press, rule of law and a civil service - including our intelligence agencies - that is deeply loyal to the U.S. Constitution.

'These facts invalidate any analogies between America and totalitarian societies.'
Drake paid tribute to President Barack Obama by sharing a bizarre meme of the Canadian rapper's face mixed with the president's.

He shared the picture on his Instagram Tuesday night following the outgoing president's emotional farewell address to the nation from Chicago.

The Photoshopped image shows Obama standing at a podium, but sporting Drake's signature beard and hairdo.

In the caption Drake wrote: 'As a Canadian that calls America home for part of the year I will always carry your words and the memory of your time in office with me as inspiration. Big up yaself O.'

Drake paid tribute to President Barack Obama by sharing a bizarre meme of the Canadian rapper's face mixed with the president's

The picture is one of a number of internet memes featuring Drake.

The rapper poked fun at the jokes on 'Saturday Night Live' last year by rapping, 'How can I explain to my mama/When you got my beard on Obama?' And this isn't the first time Drake spoke highly of the president.

In 2012, Drake said: 'I hope somebody makes a movie about Obama's life soon because I could play him.'

'That's the goal. I watch all the addresses. Anytime I see him on TV, I don't change the channel.

'I definitely pay attention and listen to the inflections of his voice. If you ask anyone who knows me, I'm pretty good at impressions.'

But Obama, who is known for his impeccable taste in music, talked about his preference for Kendrick Lamar over Drake in an interview last year with YouTube star Swoozie.

'Gotta go with Kendrick,' Obama said. 'I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer, but Kendrick  his lyrics, his last album was outstanding. Best album, I think, last year.'

'I love Drake, and the girls love Drake, and, you know, so, hes commercially just doing great, and unbelievably talented,' Obama added.

Drake wasn't the only celebrity gushing with heartfelt tributes after the president's historical farewell speech. Several stars took to Twitter to thank the president for the last 8 years of service to the United States of America

And in response, Drake said in his Summer Sixteen lyrics: 'Tell Obama that my verses are just like the whips that he in / They bulletproof.'

Drake wasn't the only celebrity gushing with heartfelt tributes after the president's historical farewell speech.

Many took to Twitter where they shared pictures of themselves meeting the president and thanking him for his service.

Among them was Madonna who posted an image of herself and Obama with the caption: 'Good-bye Mr. President! There will never be another one like you! Barack Obama you are a King amongst Men.'

Long-time friend of the president and first lady Michelle, TV host Ellen DeGeneres wrote: '@POTUS @BarackObama I love you more than I have space on Twitter to describe. #ObamaFarewell'

Other celebrities who paid tribute to the Obamas included, Kerry Washington, Cher, Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen King and Sharon Stone.
Police are hunting for a man who allegedly grabbed a woman from behind and sexually assaulted her at a crowded bar in Melbourne.

The man allegedly grabbed the 39-year-old woman as she was walking across the dance floor at The Vineyard on Acland Street in St Kilda.

The alleged sexual assault happened about 1.30am on Saturday, Christmas Eve.

Sexual Crime Squad Detective Senior Constable Simon Garner said it appeared the man, and his accomplice entered with the purpose of going in there to look for women.

First man is believed to be aged between 30 and 50-years-old, with black hair, an olive complexion and a medium build

From the CCTV footage obtained, they dont seem to be going in there approaching bars, just hanging around crowded areas approaching women, he said on Thursday.

They went in there with this in mind.

Snr Con Garner said the victim was at the bar with her partner and a group of friends celebrating Christmas when she was allegedly assaulted.

The man allegedly grabbed the 39-year-old woman as she was walking across the dance floor at The Vineyard on Acland Street in St Kilda

He said the woman in question was only targeted because it was opportunistic.

(It was an) opportunistic situation, hes seen the victim coming past and just seen it as an invitation, he said.

Snr Con Garner said the attack was serious and the police were keen to catch the alleged sexual offender.

This attack was of a very serious nature, were very keen to speak to them, and wouldnt like this kind of attack to happen to anyone else, he said.

People should feel free to go out to a nightclub on their own  without being harassed or attacked in this way.

Snr Con Garner said the attack, which happened at The Vineyard (pictured) was serious and the police were keen to catch the alleged sexual offender

He was last seen leaving the venue with another man about an hour after the alleged assault, walking south-east along Acland Street about 2.20am

The Sexual Crime Squad is appealing for information from the public to help identify the man, who they believe could help with their investigation.

Investigators have released images from the CCTV footage to assist in the search.

He is believed to be aged between 30 and 50-years-old, with black hair, an olive complexion and a medium build.

He was wearing a white shirt, black jeans and brown shoes.

He was last seen leaving the venue with another man about an hour after the alleged assault, walking south-east along Acland Street about 2.20am.
It is fair to say social media is packed out with plenty of people showing off their ostentatious lifestyles.

From fancy holidays to fast cars, designer clothes and must-have gadgets, it can seem as if the whole world is living the high life without expending any effort.

How refreshing, then, to find one Facebook personality who is willing to shout about getting a job and working hard to afford the things you want.

Ian Zaro, a youth worker from Queensland, has gone viral after uploading a video of himself ranting about working hard rather than stealing to afford the thing you want

Meet Ian Zaro, a youth worker from Townsville, Queensland, who uploaded the video after finding a stolen car had been dumped outside his house.

He starts by saying he cannot understand why anyone would steal, before laying out his reasons: 'First of all, it ain't yours. And second of all, it ain't yours!'

He adds: 'That car could have belonged to someone with a family, someone who had to take care of old people, and you just took their only method of transportation.

'You wanna have a house, a car? Go to school and get an education. Get a job. Make money. Don't go stealing!'

In the video Zaro blows up about the issue of stealing, saying there is no reason for taking things from others, adding: 'You want a house? Get an education. Get a job'

The rant was sparked when Mr Zaro walked out the front of his Townsville home only to find that joyriders had dumped a stolen car there

Going outside his house he explains the reason for his video - a car that has been dumped outside and tagged by the police as stolen.

'Do you know how that looks?', he says. 'We're just gunna steal a car and leave it in front of a black man's house. Why you trying to get me in trouble?'

He then implores viewers to 'go play Xbox or something' instead of taking other people's stuff, before asking the police to comes and take the car 'because it's ruining my front yard.'

Since being posted online two days ago, the footage has attracted hundreds of thousands of views.
America's cops say their jobs have become harder because of public outcry over the high-profile deaths of black citizens in the last year - and many say they're changing how they police as result.

On the whole, officers now feel less safe, are more cautious about using appropriate force, and are less likely to stop and investigate suspicious activity, a poll has revealed.

But not all cops think the same - and black cops are considerably more cynical about the force than their white colleagues, the Pew Research Center has revealed.

Tensions: After police shootings of black men last year and the resulting public outcry, cops say their jobs have become harder (pictured: a man facing off with Baltimore cops in May 2016)

Protests: Protests by Black Lives Matter groups followed the killings. So did ambushes on cops by shooters unconnected to BLM. Cops now believe that they are less safe than before

The poll, which questioned 7,917 white, black and Latino police officers across the country, asked police how their jobs had changed in recent times.

It comes after a year in which the high-profile killings of numerous black men - many unarmed - by white police officers led to protests by the Black Lives Matter movement.

The poll found that 86 per cent of all police questioned now believe their job has become harder.

Some 12 per cent said there was no difference, just 0.5 per cent said it had gotten easier and the rest gave no answer.

A major factor in that is a fear of being harmed: A massive 93 per cent of officers said that they now felt less safe working their jobs.

Following a year in which 63 officers were shot dead - including many in ambushes such as the five slain in the Dallas massacre on July 7 - according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, that is hardly surprising.

But it has led to a two-way tension between officers, with 75 per cent of all police saying that interactions between cops and black civilians are now more tense.

That in turn is affecting how they do their jobs: 76 per cent said they are more reluctant to use 'appropriate force'.

And 72 per cent are less willing to stop and question people that they think are suspicious.

Opinions aren't uniform across all races, however.

The poll also asked three ethnic groups of cops - black, white and Hispanic - how they saw race relations between the police and ethnic communities.

A majority of white and Hispanic cops (both 60 per cent) said relations between police and their black communities were good or excellent; just 32 per cent of black cops said the same.

Black cops were also cynical about relationships between Hispanic communities and police - possibly because of their experiences with and inside black communities - with only 46 per cent saying that they were excellent or good.

Perhaps surprisingly, 71 per cent of Hispanic cops said the relationships were excellent or good, while 76 per cent of white cops agreed.

With regard to Asian communities, the 75 per cent of blacks, 88 per cent of Hispanics and 91 per cent of whites said relationships were excellent or good.

In total 67 per cent of all police said the highly publicized killings of black citizens are isolated incidents, compared to 31 per cent who said they indicated broader problems.

But when breaking the stats down by race, 57 per cent of black officers believe there is a wider issue compared to 27 per cent of whites and 26 per cent of Hispanics.

And when it comes to Black Lives Matter and other protests against police brutality, the racial divide is clear again.

Of black officers, 69 per cent say the protests were sincere in their demands for police accountability, compared to 27 per cent of whites.

Other differences show that more whites fired their weapons on duty than black or Hispanic officers (31 per cent compared to 21 and 20 per cent, respectively).

And black officers were far less likely to have had a physical altercation with suspects (20 per cent compared to 36 and 30 per cent).
Advertisement

Donald Trump has said that the Director of National Intelligence called him about the dirty dossier - and described it as to 'denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated'.

The intervention came the morning after an extraordinary public statement from the director, James Clapper, in which he said he was 'dismayed' at the leak of the discredited 35-page document claiming that Moscow had a dirt file on the president-elect which it would use to manipulate him.

But it is unclear whether it will end Trump's public feud with the intelligence community, which he accused at a press conference on Wednesday of misconduct.

And Clapper's condemnation of leaks did not address the central issue about the dossier - that it was included in briefing papers for the president-elect, giving Buzzfeed what it said was its justification for publishing them.

More details emerged on Thursday of how it was presented to the Trump team in a briefing from a senior intelligence official to NBC News, which was reported on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Donald Trump Wednesday evening that he did not believe leaks about the Russian dossier came from the US Intelligence Community

Clapper's statement said that he and Trump agreed that the leaks were 'corrosive and damaging to our national security' and that the dossier was 'NOT a US Intelligence Community project'

President-elect Trump claimed in tweet Thursday morning that Clapper denounced the report as 'false and fictitious' in their call on Wednesday

The official said that the two-page document summarizing the claims was given to the Trump transition team - but in a secure room in Washington D.C., and not in Trump Tower.

It was not referred to in the oral briefing in any form, the official told the broadcaster. The report backs up Trump's denial of any knowledge of the dossier until it emerged on Tuesday evening.

Placing it in a secure room would mean that it could not be copied or moved by the Trump team to take it to the president-elect and any discussion of it would have been on secure telephone lines or secure email.

However it also raises the question of who briefed the initial leaked story to CNN that the material had been presented to the president-elect - which was followed by Buzzfeed's publication.

Clapper himself said that he telephoned Trump and told him that he was 'dismayed' by leaks of a now discredited intelligence document.

During their phone call Clapper also told Trump that he did not believe the leaks of the claims, which have not been substantiated, came from within the US intelligence community.

The statement did not address whether the disclosure of the presence of the summary document in briefing materials came from the intelligence community - which is now the central point.

'I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security,' he said in a statement.

In the statement, which he released Wednesday night, he said that the document had been 'widely circulated... among the media' over the past few months before the US intelligence community (IC) became aware of it.

'I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC,' he said.

Those remarks appeared to be a response to Trump's remarks at a news conference in which he accused 'intelligence agencies' of leaking it.

'[The media] looked at that nonsense that was released by maybe the intelligence agencies,' he said.

'Who knows, it may be the intelligence agencies  which would be a tremendous blot of their record if they did that,' he added, in his latest shot at the intelligence community.

'A thing like that should have never been written  and it certainly should never have been released.'

Trump (seen Wednesday with his family) angrily refuted the discredited dodgy Russian dossier, which included allegations that he knew of Democratic hacks by Russia and that he paid Russian prostitutes to urinate on a hotel bed on which President Obama had once slept on in Moscow

Clapper added that the dossier did not factor into a report made earlier by the US agencies that concluded Russia had attempted to influence the US election to ensure a Trump presidency.

'The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions.'

'However,' he added, 'part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.'

CLAPPER'S STATEMENT IN FULL This evening, I had the opportunity to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss recent media reports about our briefing last Friday. I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security. We also discussed the private security company document, which was widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of Congress and Congressional staff even before the IC became aware of it. I emphasized that this document is NOT a US Intelligence Community [IC] product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC. The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security. President-elect Trump again affirmed his appreciation for all the men and women serving in the Intelligence Community, and I assured him that the IC stands ready to serve his Administration and the American people. Advertisement

IC agents had discussed at length whether or not to tell Obama and Trump about the dossier, which was put together by a private security firm, The Washington Post said.

However, they concluded that they would be 'derelict' in their duty if they did not keep both parties fully informed, an unnamed US official told the paper.

A US official speaking on the condition of anonymity said the nature of the summary 'was fully explained' to Trump on Friday and 'put into context'.

However, Trump denied that claim at the press conference, saying he hadn't been briefed on the dossier at all before it appeared in the press.

Trump told reporters at a press conference that he had not been briefed about the dossier before it appeared in the press, though intelligence agents say he was

The discredited dossier contains unproven information about close coordination between Trump's inner circle and Russians about hacking into Democratic accounts.

It also contained claims about unusual sexual activities by Trump, saying he paid Russian prostitutes to urinate in front of him, among other suggestions attributed to anonymous sources.

Trump has loudly denounced all claims in the report as 'fake news'.

It was a tack he repeated in a news conference just hours before Clapper's statement, when he refused to ask a question of CNN reporter Jake Acosta.

Acosta repeatedly asked whether Trump would invite him to ask a question, but the President-elect talked over him, saying that he objected to CNN's coverage of the Russian report.

'Quiet. Don't be rude. Dont be rude,' he said. 'No, I'm not going to give you a question. I'm not going to give you a question, you are fake news.'

He later tweeted that 'a couple of FAKE NEWS organizations' had been at his news conference - the second one being Buzzfeed, which printed the dossier in full.

'Fake': Trump denounced CNN and Buzzfeed as 'FAKE NEWS organizations' on Twitter, angry that they had reported on the Russian dossier

Dirty dossier of discredited allegations of sleaze Lurid sex claims The report states that in 2013 Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on the bed of the Presidential Suite at the Moscow Ritz Carlton, where he knew Barack and Michelle Obama had previously stayed. It says: 'Trump's unorthodox behavior in Russia over the years had provided the authorities there with enough embarrassing material on the now Republican presidential candidate to be able to blackmail him if they so wished.' Property 'sweeteners' The document states that Trump had declined 'sweetener' real estate deals in Russia that the Kremlin lined up in order to cultivate him. The business proposals were said to be 'in relation to the ongoing 2018 World Cup soccer tournament'. Russia 'cultivated' Trump for five years The dossier claimed that the Russian regime had been 'cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least five years'. According to the document, one source even claimed that 'the Trump operation was both supported and directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin' with the aim being to 'sow discord'. Putin 'wanted to cause divisions in the West' The report claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself had endorsed moves to encourage 'splits and divisions in the West. A dossier on Hillary Clinton At one point the memo suggests Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov 'controlled' another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over 'many years'. Elsewhere in the document, it is claimed that Putin was 'motivated by fear and hatred of Hillary Clinton.' Clandestine meetings At one point the memo says there were reports of 'clandestine meetings' between Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen and Kremlin representatives in August last year in Prague. However, Trump's counsel Michael Cohen today spoke out against allegations that he secretly met with Kremlin officials. Advertisement

During his press conference last night, Trump, after growing suspicious that intelligence officials were leaking news about their classified briefings with him, said he conducted a sting operation to try to prove top spies were behind the leaks.

'I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press. First of all, it's illegal. These are classified and certified meetings and reports,' Trump said during a press conference at Trump Tower  his first since getting elected.

Then he revealed the details of the stealthy sting he says he conducted on the nations senior spooks.

'I'll tell you what does happen. I have many meetings with intelligence. And every time I meet, people are reading about it,' Trump complained, possibly referencing reports on his classified briefings, which he has chosen not to receive daily.

WHY DID BUZZFEED RUN UNVERIFIABLE 'KREMLIN DOSSIER' CLAIMS? Buzzfeed followed up a report by CNN which disclosed the existence of the explosive dossier, but only gave a brief outline of the contents. The 35-page document, which had been collated by a former British Secret Intelligence Service agent had initially been handed over to the FBI in August. Buzzfeed's Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith wrote an email to his staff shortly after publishing the document. BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith sent a memo to his staff outlining the reasons why he published the Trump dossier despite reservations over its accuracy Smith said the dossier contained 'explosive and unverified allegations about Donald Trump and Russia'. He justified the decision to release the information to allow Americans 'to make up their own minds about the allegations' which had been circulated at the 'highest levels of the US government'. Smith claimed publishing the dossier was an example of 'transparent' journalism. Further down in his memo, he appeared to discredit his own story as 'there is serious reason to doubt the allegations'. He said Buzzfeed had been trying to stand up the allegations for 'weeks' - suggesting that it had failed to do so. Both the New York Times and the Washington Post said they had been handed the material and been unable to verify it. Advertisement

'Somebodys leaking them out,' Trump said, after inveighing against leaks generally.

'So I said, "Maybe it's my office. Maybe my office." Because I've got a lot of people  Maybe its them?

'What I did, is I said I wont tell anyone. Im going to have a meeting, and I won't tell anybody about my meeting with intelligence,' Trump continued.

He even shielded one of his closest aides from word of the meeting.

'Nobody knew  not even Rhona, my executive assistant for years. She didnt know  I didnt tell her. Nobody knew,' Trump continued  drawing laughter from collected family members and staff.

It is believed that Christopher Steele once worked with murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko (pictured, in hospital)

KREMLIN WRITES OFF MEMO AS 'NONSENSE' Russia has denied allegations that the Kremlin collected compromising information about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, dismissed news reports as a 'complete fabrication and utter nonsense.' He insisted that the Kremlin 'does not engage in collecting compromising material'. He added: 'There are those who pump up such a tantrum and do their best to maintain a 'witch hunt', and by the way this is how president-elect Trump characterised this fake. 'And why is the continuation of this hysterical state needed? To force our relationship to stay degraded. 'It is a complete fake - not worth the paper it was written on.' The memo also states that Peskov 'controlled' another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over 'many years'. But Peskov denied there was any such material. 'This was absolutely fabricated, this is total nonsense. This is what is called "pulp fiction".' Advertisement

Having set the trap, Trump says the word leaked anyway.

'The meeting was held. They left, and immediately the word got out that I had a meeting. So, I dont want that. It's very unfair to the country. It's very unfair to our country whats happening,' he said.

Thomas Barrett, chief of media relations for the Director of National Intelligence, declined to comment on the substance of Trump's alleged sting.

'I'm sorry, we have nothing to offer on this matter,' he told DailyMail.com.

It comes as it emerged that a former British spy has vanished after being named as the author of the 'dirty' file and fled his $1.9million mansion in fear telling his neighbour: 'Look after my cat.'

Ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele was named as the author of the salacious Russian dossier.

Steele, 52, was seen fleeing his gated home yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on.

A security source said: 'He is terrified for his safety', adding he may now be abroad or in a safe house.

Mr Steele served MI6 for nearly two decades in Moscow and security sources say he once worked with murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

Litvinenko's wife Marina said last night she did not recognise the name Steele but admitted MI6 agents often have a number of different identities.

US journalists have spent recent weeks trying to track down Mr Steele for an interview, however he declined requests through an intermediary, who said the subject was 'too hot', reports the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect has demanded an apology from Trump after he compared the US to Nazi Germany on Wednesday while responding to questions about the dossier.

Trump accused intelligence agencies for leaking the unverified dossier of damaging allegations about him, saying: 'That's something that Nazi Germany would have done'

The non-profit organization also started a Change.org petition demanding the president elect renounce his tweet and apologize

Steven Goldstein, the executive director of the Anne Frank Center, called it a 'despicable insult to Holocaust survivors' after Trump invoked the Third Reich on Twitter

Steven Goldstein, the executive director of the center, called it a 'despicable insult to Holocaust survivors' after the president-elect mentioned the Third Reich on Twitter and repeated the comparison during his press conference.

The billionaire, who is nine days away from his inauguration, accused intelligence agencies for leaking the dossier, which was said to have been put together by a former British counter-intelligence official from the UK as part of opposition research.

'That's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do,' he told reporters in Manhattan.

He also tweeted: 'Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?'

During his conference, he added: 'I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out.

'I think it's a disgrace, and I say that ... that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do,' Trump told a news conference in New York.

Trump's comparison was slammed by the Anne Frank Center's executive director Steven Goldstein, who demanded an apology from the president elect.

'It is a despicable insult to Holocaust survivors around the world and to the nation he is about to lead, that Donald Trump compares America to Nazi Germany,' Goldstein said.

TIMELINE: HOW THE DOSSIER SCANDAL UNFOLDED 2007: The Ritz-Carlton opens in Moscow in 2007 2009: Barack Obama and his family stay there when they travel to the city 2013: Donald Trump visits Moscow to judge the Miss Universe pageant June 2015: Trump officially announces he is entering the race to become Republican presidential nominee 2015-16: A Republican rival hires an investigative firm to uncover dirt on Trump. By the time work has begun, Trump has won the primary vote but now a Democrat wants the same service Some of the allegations relate to a 2013 visit to Moscow of the Miss Universe competition where Trump is alleged to have paid two prostitutes to defile a bed during a bizarre sex act July 2016: A large amount of material has been gathered on Trump based on sources, which is believed to be of huge consequence, if true. The allegations are passed to the FBI September 2016: The FBI asks for more information but gets no reply October 28: FBI Director James Comey announces the bureau will be investigating Hillary Clinton over mishandling of confidential emails October 31: The document on Trump is leaked to David Corn, of the Mother Jones online political magazine who run a piece on the dossier without revealing its details November 9: Trump is elected President Later in November: The documents are mentioned in an intelligence report on Russian interference given to Barack Obama and possbily Trump November 18: John McCain discovers the contents of the document December 9: McCain hands the dossier directly to Comey January 11: CNN publishes the story on Trump, followed by an unredacted version by Buzzfeed Advertisement

'The president-elect has denigrated our nation and its commitment to freedom on the eve of his inauguration. He must retract his tweet and apologize to survivors and to our entire nation.'

Yesterday, sworn Trump enemy John McCain admitted he passed over the dossier of claims calling it 'what any citizen should do'.

McCain - a longstanding anti-Trump Republican who had disassociated himself from the candidate's campaign weeks before the election - cast himself as an innocent and concerned member of the public as he justified his move.

He claimed he had no idea whether it was accurate or not - but that he believed the FBI should have it because it was 'sensitive'.

'I did what any citizen should do. I received sensitive information and handed it to the FBI,' he told CNN - the network which broke the story that the document existed. It was then published in full by Buzzfeed.

'That's why I gave it to the FBI. I don't know if it is credible or not but the information I thought deserved to be delivered to the FBI, the appropriate agency of government.'

He added: 'It doesn't trouble me because I don't know if it is accurate or not. I have no way of corroborating that.

'The individual gave me the information. I looked at it. After receiving that information I took it to the FBI.'

The Arizona senator had issued a public statement amid mounting questions of his exact role in the affair - and how a document riddled with errors and unverifiable claims came to be published.

'Late last year, I received sensitive information that has since been made public,' he said.

'What any citizen should do': The Arizona senator, 80, claimed he was simply acting as a concerned member of the public when he had his face-to-face meeting with the FBI Director

John McCain admits he handed the report w over to FBI Director James Comey late last year. The agency were first handed parts of it in August

JOHN MCCAIN'S FEUD WITH DONALD TRUMP JULY 18, 2015 Donald Trump questions John McCain's war record claiming: 'Hes not a war hero. 'Hes a war hero because he was captured? I like people who werent captured.' AUGUST 1, 2016 McCain continues to endorse Trump's campaign, even though Trump attacked the Gold Star family of Captain Humayan Khan who was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004 OCTOBER 8 McCain withdrew his endorsement of Trump after audio of the reality TV star was leaked including the phrase 'grab her by the p****' DECEMBER 9 McCain meets FBI Director James Comey and hands over the Kremlin dossier assembled by a former British spy Advertisement

'Upon examination of the contents, and unable to make a judgment about their accuracy, I delivered the information to the Director of the FBI.

'That has been the extent of my contact with the FBI or any other government agency regarding this issue.'

But the 2008 Republican loser, who disowned his party's candidate weeks before the election, may have been far more intimately involved than that.

The chain of how the document reached the FBI is not officially known.

However Carl Bernstein, the Watergate reporter who contributed to the first story about its existence, published by CNN on Tuesday afternoon , suggested that McCain was handed it by a former British ambassador to Moscow.

Bernstein told CNN: 'It came from a former British MI6 agent who was hired from a political opposition research firm in Washington who was doing work about Donald Trump for both republican and democratic candidates opposed to Trump.

'They were looking at Trumps business ties, they saw some questionable things about Russians, about his businesses in Russia, they in turn hired this MI6 former investigator, he then came up with additional information from his Russian sources, he was very concerned by the implications of it, he then took it to an FBI colleague that he had known in his undercover work for years, he took it to this FBI man in Rome who turned it over to the bureau in Washington in August.

'And then, a former British ambassador to Russia independently was made aware of these findings and he took the information to John McCain  Senator John McCain of Arizona  in the period just after the election, and showed it to McCain  additional findings.

'McCain was sufficiently disturbed by what he read to take it to FBI director James Comey himself personally, they had a five minute meeting the two men, very little was said, McCain turned it over to him and is now awaiting what the FBIs response is to that information.'
Advertisement

A grieving family captured heartbreaking photos of twin brothers in the only moments they would be alive together, before one tragically passed away.

Lyndsay and Matthew Brentlinger had a set of twins on December 17 after struggling for years to conceive.

The twins, William and Reagan, looked healthy and alert, but sadly, William was dying.

'He just had a bunch of abnormalities,' Lyndsay told 13 ABC. 'The left side of his heart was not functioning.'

Grieving couple, Lyndsay and Matthew Brentlinger, of Ohio, captured the final moments of their twins, William and Reagan, in the only moments they would be alive together, before one tragically passed away

The Brentlingers had their set of twins on December 17 after struggling for years to conceive. The twins, William and Reagan, looked healthy and alert, but sadly, William was dying

Lynsday said that William 'had a bunch of abnormalities' and that the 'left side of his heart was not functioning'

Doctors told the Ohio couple their son would be stillborn when Lyndsay was in the 23rd week of her pregnancy.

'They said we just see something abnormal with the heart and sent me to maternal fetal medicine,' she explained.

But William wasn't stillborn, which was a miracle alone.

And though the couple knew their son was dying, he was able to come home and for 11 days, they enjoyed the little time they had together.

'They were the happiest 11 days of my life,' Matthew told ABC.

In an act to capture the family's final moments with William, the couple's friend, Mandy Edwards reached out to local photographer, Lindsey Brown, according to CNN.

Doctors told the Ohio couple their son would be stillborn when Lyndsay was in the 23rd week of her pregnancy

But William (right) wasn't stillborn, which was a miracle alone. And though the couple knew their son was dying, he was able to come home and for 11 days, they enjoyed the little time they had together

In an act to capture the family's final moments with William (right), the couple's friend, Mandy Edwards, reached out to local photographer, Lindsey Brown

And despite being booked for the holiday season, Brown squeezed in a last minute session for the family.

'Pictures are just memories,' Brown told CNN. 'I know how much people cherish them, so I was really glad I was able to do that for them.'

Brown said that 'William was extremely alert, as if he was trying to take it all in, while little Reagan slept and barely opened her eyes'.

Lyndsay told ABC that she cried the first time she saw the photos.

'They are beautiful and he is beautiful. In some of them, you can see he is wide awake with his big beautiful eyes. It's something we will definitely cherish.'

And despite being booked for the holiday season, Brown squeezed in a last minute session for the family. She took pictures of the beautiful babies dressed in holiday colors green and red

Lyndsay (left) said that she cried the first time she saw the photos. 'They are beautiful and he is beautiful. In some of them, you can see he is wide awake with his big beautiful eyes. It's something we will definitely cherish'

Brown said that 'William (left) was extremely alert, as if he was trying to take it all in, while little Reagan slept and barely opened her eyes'

Matthew said that 'they were the happiest 11 days of my life'




Police are hunting for the ex-boyfriend of Brynne Edelsten after he failed to appear at court over a number of driving charges.

Cemre Volkan had an on-and-off relationship with Ms Edelsten for a year after the breakdown of her marriage to Dr Geoffrey Edelsten in January 2014, the Herald Sun reports.

The warrant for the arrest of Mr Volkan, 24, was issued after he did not attend Melbourne Magistrates Court to face the driving charges.

Cemre Volkan (right) had a stormy on-and-off relationship with Brynne Edelsten (left)

The charges against him include several counts of driving while disqualified and he may face time in prison if convicted for them.

In August he spent time behind bars on remand after being arrested the day before he was due to face court on the driving charges.

But it's not the first time that Mr Volkan has been in trouble with the law either.

He was facing charges of recklessly causing injury and criminal damage after an incident at Ms Edelsten's apartment in May.

Ms Edelsten (pictured) dated with Mr Volkan for a year but the relationship did not last

A Warrant for the arrest of Mr Volkan (pictured with Ms Edelsten) was issued after he failed to appear at court

The charges against Volkan (pictured with Ms Edelsten) include several counts of driving while disqualified

Ms Edelsten was getting ready to go to the final night of Melbourne nightclub Eve in February when the alleged incident took place.

This contrasts to when they were also seen together in February cosying up together at Bond Saturdays Night Club in Melbourne, with Mr Voltan pictured planting a kiss on her cheek at one point.

The bubbly blonde had been celebrated turning 33 with friends, and was seen sitting close to her former flame as they partied at the hot spot.
A woman has launched a heart-felt appeal to find a man she sat next to on a plane trip recently  fearing she may have let true love slip through her fingers.

Tiffany Beese, from Wellington in New Zealand, sat next to a man with 'bright eyes, short brown hair and a red stone necklace' during a trip from Melbourne on January 5, and thinks it could be love.

The 50-year-old woman said she felt an instant connection with the man but never asked for his name or number  so she has taken to social media to find him.

Tiffany Beese, pictured, from Wellington in New Zealand fears she missed out on getting the phone number of a man who could be the love of her life

The romantic Facebook post was directed to the community of Upper Hutt where she believes the mystery man to have family.

'I flew in from Melbourne to Wellington on the 5th January last Thursday and I sat next to a man, bright eyes short brown hair with silver showing on the side, quite tall over 5'10'', wearing a Tree of life necklace with a red stone with the Latin translation ''vicci ..'',' she wrote.

'We got on like old friends and talked really easily as if we had known each other for years.'

The man told her he has two brothers in Upper Hutt and one on the Gold Coast in Australia  but his heart was set on living off-the-grid in Hokitika.

'My soul cried ''do something'',' Ms Beese said - so she posted this message on social media

'I believe he was brought up in Greymouth. He is about 45-ish,' she said.

The woman asked anyone who knew the man to get in touch with her  even appealing to the man himself.

'So I am appealing to the residents of Upper Hutt if you know this man or even if you yourself is reading this. If you too felt a connection please reply to this post.

'It was so comfortable that I am kicking myself that we didn't even exchange names,' she wrote in the post, asking readers to help her prove romance wasn't dead.
A dad has been slapped with a demolition order after building his daughter's pirate themed cubby house too tall for council regulations.

Perth man Warren Sturrock had enlisted friends to help build the three metre tall cubby as a surprise Christmas present for his seven-year-old daughter, Charlie.

But he later learned it was 60cm too tall for council guidelines, and has been ordered to either shorten the cubby or get retrospective approval within 28 days, costing him $1,000.

Scroll down for video

Perth father Warren Sturrock build a cubby house for his seven-year-old daughter Charlie (she is pictured with the cubby)

Neighbour Walt Logue said he could see it from his kitchen, dining room and patio

He's been told action will be taken if he can't comply with standards in the time-frame.

'It's pretty heartbreaking for the kids,' Mr Sturrock told Channel 7's Today Tonight.

He said play equipment should be supported, as it gets the kids running around in the outdoors.

Mr Sturrock's neighbour of four-years, Walt Logue, said he could see the cubby house from his dining room, kitchen and patio.

Mr Sturrock (pictured) admitted he hadn't properly checked guidelines. The cubby is 60cm too tall

The cubby is painted black with a yellow slide and a pirate flag.

But the neighbour denied he complained to council. He said he had inquired about the parameters and the council took it from there.

Mr Sturrock admitted he hadn't properly checked guidelines.

'It is a bit our fault,' he told the network.

The father has launched a GoFundMe page to crowdfund the $1,000 for retrospective approval. He has reached the target in just five days.

The cubby is painted black with a yellow slide and a pirate flag

Mr Sturrock is crowdfunding $1,000 to help pay for a retrospective permit

'In order for this to happen we have to pay for a new building permit, get it signed off by a building engineer - which will easily pass - and get scale drawings made up,' Mr Sturrock wrote on the fundraiser page.

'We have been given a 28-day period to achieve this but unfortunately don't have the funds to do this on our own.

'So if anybody out there could help in any way to keep our kids dream alive, a donation no matter how small would be greatly appreciated.'

He said it would be 'heartbreaking' to let neighbours ruin their child's 'dream'.
The identify of the fifth victim killed in last week's deadly Fort Lauderdale shooting has been revealed.

Grandmotther Mary Louise Amzibel, 69, from Ashtabula, Ohio, was the final casualty of the mass shooting to identified on Wednesday night.

Amzibel was traveling through Fort Lauderdale airport with her husband on their way to go on a Panama Canal cruise when she was gunned down.

He was shot in the head and is now in a coma.

Scroll down for video

The fifth victim killed by Esteban Santiago (pictured) in last week's Fort Lauderdale shooting has been revealed

A friend of the couple, who was also the travel agent who arranged the Panama cruise, shared an emotional farewell message.

'Words cannot express my agony at this senseless killing and the emptiness it has left in so many lives,' Jayne Colin wrote on Facebook, according to the Star Beacon.

Broward County spokeswoman Kimberly Maroe also confirmed the names of the other four victims, who had already been identified by the media.

They are 70-year-old Shirley Wells Timmons of Ohio; 57-year-old Michael John Oehme of Council Bluffs, Iowa; 84-year-old Olga M. Woltering of Marietta, Georgia; and 62-year-old Terry Michael Andres of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

This picture shows what may be the weapon that was used by the gunman in the shooting on Friday

Shirley Timmons (left) was reportedly killed during the mass shooting in Ft. Lauderdale, her husband Steve (right) was reportedly shot in the face and is in a coma - middle, their granddaughter Kelli Nicole Reineccius

THE FORT LAUDERDALE VICTIMS Mary Louise Amzibel, 69

Shirley Wells Timmons, 70

Michael John Oehme, 57

Olga M. Woltering, 84

Terry Michael Andres, 62 Advertisement

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.

Her sister, Elizabeth Oehme-Miller, 52, told The Associated Press on Saturday the situation 'hasn't hit' her yet and she is still in disbelief.

Timmons and her husband were also in the airport about to begin a holiday.

Mr Timmons was rushed to emergency surgery after being shot in the face and on Saturday night was said to be in critical condition in a coma.

Michael Oehme, left, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was identified on Friday night 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

Law enforcement officers examined the crime scene inside the baggage hall on Friday night

Shirley died at the airport, relative Jim Reineccius told the Miami Herald. The pair had three daughters.

Woltering, 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.

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

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

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

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.

His daughter confirmed the news in the wake of the shooting.

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.

Esteban Santiago is accused of fatally shooting the five travelers and wounding six others in the airport's baggage claim area Friday.

The 26-year-old Iraq war veteran remains jailed without bond on federal charges.

Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2.30pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop billed taxpayers $4,343 to party with celebrities at the Spring Carnival and $1,405 for a night out at the rugby.

The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party billed taxpayers a total of $11,006 to attend various events in 2014 and 2015, according to Department of Finance reports.

Taxpayers were charged $4,345 for Ms Bishop to attend the Spring Racing Carnival in 2015 alone, according to the ABC.

Julie Bishop (centre right) and her partner David Panton with friends at the Liberty Belle marquee at the Portsea Polo

David Panton (left) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop posing for photographs in the Liberty Belle marquee at Portsea Polo in Melbourne

Ms Bishop claimed travel expenses to attend exclusive parties alongside celebrities at both the Melbourne Cup Day and Derby Day.

She also billed taxpayers $1,235 for her partner David Panton's travel expenses, so he could accompany her to the events.

Ms Bishop also charged taxpayers $2,700 to go to the exclusive star-studded polo event Portsea Polo in 2016.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and partner David Panton pose for a photograph at the Emirates marquee on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Tuesday. Nov. 1, 2016

Julie Bishop (right) poses for photos with David Panton outside the Emirates marquee in the Birdcage on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne

The Foreign Affairs minister claimed the trip was made on official ministerial business, which included charging taxpayers $441.43 for the flight from Sydney to Melbourne, $1,735.23 back to Perth, $416.20 for a car and $123 in travel allowance.

In response to claims she has taken advantage of her travel allowance, Ms Bishop released a statement claiming she was invited to the events in an official capacity.

The Minister was invited and attended in her official capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, a spokesman for Ms Bishop told the ABC.

Julie Bishop says she attended the studded polo event 'on official ministerial business'

David Panton (left) and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop pose for a photo with the Melbourne Cup in the Emirates marquee on Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse

Ms Bishop is just one politician currently embroiled in expenses scandal.

Politicians travel expenses have been in the spotlight ever since it was revealed Health Minister Sussan Ley purchased an investment apartment while on a taxpayer funded trip to the Gold Coast.
A 10-year-old girl was reunited with her beloved teddy bear after the stuffed animal had been lost in the chaos of the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting last week.

Courtney Gelinas of Ontario, Canada, was returning from a Caribbean cruise with her family when shots broke out in the attack that left five dead and six others wounded.

The girl and her family hid under a row of seats and eventually ran onto the tarmac, leaving Rufus, a gift from her grandfather before he passed away, among the 23,000 other pieces of luggage abandoned inside the airport.

The family escaped to safety, but her mother Kim Lariviere later issued a desperate plea on Twitter to get her daughter's furry friend back.

The youngster, who had not spent a single night before the shooting without the bear, was distraught.

The Broward Sheriff's Office stepped in to help and Courtney smiled and quickly hugged the stuffed animal during the heartwarming reunion on Tuesday.

Courtney Gelinas, 10, was reunited with her beloved teddy bear after the stuffed animal had been lost in the chaos of the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting last week

Her mother Kim Lariviere issued a desperate plea on Twitter since Gelinas, who had not spent a single night before the shooting without the bear, was distraught without Rufus

Lariviere, along with her husband and two children, was traveling to Detroit, Michigan, after a cruise in the Caribbean when the shooting broke out.

The mother told ABC: 'A rush of people screaming for their lives came rushing like a tsunami toward us.

'We threw our children underneath the seats and laid on top of them,' she added.

They eventually ran onto the tarmac and found refuge at a rental car facility after climbing through a hole in the fence, she told ABC.

Despite escaping the shooting unscathed, the 10-year-old was distraught.

'Rufus has never been apart from my daughter and unfortunately she wasn't able to grab him as we ran out.

'She hasn't slept in three nights. She has barely eaten,' Lariviere told the Miami Herald when the bear was still missing.

Lariviere shared this photo of Rufus, a gift from the girl's grandfather before he passed away

Lariviere (pictured holding a photo of Rufus) said her daughter hadn't slept for three nights in a row and was barely eating after losing her beloved teddy bear

The family (pictured) ran out of the airport when shots rang out in Terminal 2, then came back inside. But they had to evacuate again after a rumor emerged about a second shooter

Lariviere called the airport lost-and-found several times before she turned to Twitter and wrote: 'Looking for Rufus from Terminal 2 D8. Crying daughter cannot sleep. #FLLshooting help!'

The Broward Sheriff's Office retweeted her message, and several well-wishers offered to buy the girl a new bear before airport officials located the stuffed animal on Tuesday morning.

Gelinas quickly hugged Rufus during the reunion, and the family embraced before the 10-year-old told reporters: 'It feels super good...I'm happy to have him back.'

The Broward Sheriff's Office retweeted the mother's plea along with a picture of Rufus, asking for the public's help in locating the lost bear

Airport officials located Rufus on Tuesday morning and told Lariviere they would be in touch. Employees have been working around the clock to sort out more than 20,000 items

Lariviere announced on Twitter that Rufus had been found and thanked those who had shared the bear's picture. Her 10-year-old daughter, Courtney Gelinas, has had Rufus all her life

More than 20,000 items of luggage (some are pictured Saturday) were left at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after Friday's shooting

Airport officials said employees were working around the clock to return displaced items to their owners.

Some items were being returned through the airlines, while other luggage was being handled by the airport and baggage company employees.

Pictures of items without any identification, such as carry-on bags, laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices, will be posted online.
A woman who vanished a year and half ago has been found dead amid heavy clutter in a $1.2 million home near Boston where she lived with her sister.

A visiting cousin found the significantly decomposed body of 67-year-old Hope Wheaton in the kitchen of her Brookline, Massachusetts, home last month, according to the Boston Globe.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office suggested she could have died in the summer of 2015 - meaning her sister likely lived with the body for more than 18 months.

Hope Wheaton, who vanished a year and half ago has been found dead in her $1.2 million home (pictured) near Boston where she lived with her sister, Lynda Waldman. Authorities said the condition of Wheaton's body aligned with a report that she died in the summer of 2015

Officials say her body showed no clear signs of trauma or foul play. The medical examiner hasn't released a cause of death.

Wheaton's 74-year-old sister, Lynda Waldman hasn't been charged.

Officials wouldn't say why Waldman didn't call police when her sister died.

Neighbor, Harriet Allen, told the Globe that she 'always asked' Waldman about the whereabouts of her sister Wheaton. But, she said, 'she would ignore it'.

Allen said the sisters 'never came out' of their house. 'They were recluses,' she said, adding that neither of them were married.

She told the Globe that Wheaton was 'bright and alert and fun'.

Waldman is 'a very bright woman, very well-read, very up on the politics of the day, to this day,' she added.

The siblings' home (pictured) was built in 1920, and is listed in 'fair' condition, according to property records. But Allen said the home is in 'total disrepair' and that all of the home's windows have 'been covered up completely. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing

The siblings' home was built in 1920, and is listed in 'fair' condition, according to the town's most recent property records.

But Allen told the Globe that the home is in 'total disrepair', adding that all of the home's windows have 'been covered up completely'.

Allen also said that she knew Wheaton did some computer work from home.

Wheaton's relatives, including Waldman, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey, told the Globe that the office doesn't have 'evidence of wrongdoing at this point'.
Fuelled by resentment and humiliation at his 'inferior' status in the Lin family, Robert Xie crept into a Sydney house and bludgeoned five of his wife's relatives to death.

In horrific detail, a court heard how Xie systematically went about murdering his brother-in-law and wife, their two children and her sister under the cover of night.

Xie had a perverted sexual fascination with a teenager connected to the family, and would rub himself against her while erect, the murder trial also heard, reported the Daily Telegraph.

More than seven years and four trials later, the 53-year-old is facing life behind bars after a NSW Supreme Court jury on Thursday found him guilty of the five murders.

It took the jury eight days of deliberations after a six month trial, marking Xie one of Australia's worst mass murders in living history.

Scroll down for video

Robert Xie has been found guilty of brutally murdering five of his wife's relatives in 2009. The court heard he harboured a deep hatred over his 'inferior' status in the extended family

VICTIMS: Min Lin, 45, and Lily Lin, 43 were killed after being bludgeoned with a 'hammer-like object' by Robert Xie

A furious struggle took place in the bedroom of his young nephews Terry (left) and Henry (right) - but both were killed by their sinister uncle

Irene was the fifth member of the family to suffer a horrendous fate at Xie's hands, the jury found

Just days after the gruesome murders in 2009, Xie and his wife, Kathy Lin, made an emotional public plea for information to help solve the terrible crimes.

They asked that media not show their faces because of concerns for their own safety.

Xie said he couldn't imagine any reason why anyone would want to harm the family, describing his dead brother-in-law as a 'very nice, hard-working, friendly person'.

Xie had pleaded not guilty to murdering the five in their North Epping home.

The former ear, nose and throat specialist, who was arrested in May 2011, faced two aborted trials and a third lasting nine months which resulted in a hung jury.

As the majority verdict was handed down, Xie told the court he did not murder the Lin family.

'I am innocent,' he told the jury as he left the court.

His wife Kathy began to cry.

Outside of court, Min Lin's parents wept in relief after the guilty verdict. 'We are happy,' they said to reporters, while holding framed photos of their lost loved ones.

LIN FAMILY HOME: This is the home where Robert Xie killed five members of his wife's family

LOCKED AWAY: The latest trial of Lian Bin 'Robert' Xie lasted some six months - the verdict finally coming some seven years after the deaths shocked Australia

Outside of court, Min Lin's parents wept in relief after the guilty verdict

'We're very happy': The pair managed to stutter amidst heavy sobbing as reporters surrounded them outside of NSW Supreme Court

Xie was found to have left their bed in the early hours of July 18, 2009, hours after attending a 'normal' Friday night dinner with his extended family.

His wife confirmed his alibi, that he didn't leave their bed that night, but the Crown suggested Xie sedated her before creeping into the Lin residence around the corner.

TIMELINE OF MURDERS July 18, 2009: Five members of the Lin family are found dead in their North Epping home May 5, 2011: Robert Xie is arrested and charged with five counts of murder December 19, 2012: Xie is committed to stand trial July 22, 2013: Trial delayed to March August, 2014: Second trial begins, but is aborted due to judge's health issues February, 2015: Third trial begins, but jury is unable to reach a verdict after ten months December 8, 2015: Xie is granted bail June, 2016: Retrial is commenced in Sydney January 12, 2017: Xie is found guilty of five murders Advertisement

Ms Lin lied at times to 'assist' her husband, not because she knew he was guilty but because she was convinced he was framed by police, prosecutor Tanya Smith said.

At the Lin house, Xie disconnected the electricity before making his way upstairs in the dark.

He then used a hammer-like object to inflict horrific head injuries on his newsagent brother-in-law, Min Lin, 45, and his wife, Lily, 43, as they lay in their bed.

He did the same to Lily's sister, Irene, 39, in the next room.

Blood splatters revealed a furious struggle took place in the third bedroom occupied by Xie's nephews.

But Henry, 12, and Terry, 9, still suffered the same shocking fate in the North Epping home.

'This was a well-planned crime of a personal nature, by a single person who has carefully improvised a murder weapon,' Ms Smith said.

Kathy Lin, the wife of Robert, has supported her husband for years and proclaimed his innocence. On Thursday, he was found guilty of killing her family

Forensic specialists are pictured at the North Epping home where all five of the bodies were found in 2009. The court heard that Xie cut the electricity before entering the house

Xie believed he was entitled to respect and admiration within the extended family, but felt he was denied this because of the uncritical and misplaced high regard given to Min Lin.

'The Crown case is that this perception evoked intense emotions on his part, including anger and resentment.'

The Crown also contended that Xie had a sexual motive, details of which cannot be published for legal reasons.

Four of the victims died from the combined effects of blunt force trauma and asphyxia, involving injuries indicative of neck compression.

The Crown cited Xie's medical skills, while Witness A, who was in jail with Xie, said Xie showed him a particular location on the neck, which was incapacitating.

Xie had a perverted sexual fascination with a teenager connected to the family, and would rub himself against her while erect, the murder trial also heard

Horrifically murdered: Xie's Chinese-born brother-in-law Norman Lin and Lin's wife Lily (both pictured) were killed

Witness A also testified to seeing Xie, who always appeared calm in the dock, screaming at an elderly inmate who was using a walking frame.

'The whole (exercise) yard stopped,' he said.

'It was like zero to 100.'

Defence barrister Robert Webb had argued the 'highly organised' and brutal execution involved multiple assailants, also contending that Xie got on well with his relatives.

He particularly loved his nephew Henry whom he treated like a son.

But the Crown said the boys and Irene were 'collateral damage' or secondary victims who may have woken up when the adults were being murdered.

'The Crown case is that he came to kill Min and Lily and was prepared to kill others should the need arise.'
A young mother who suffered a tragic stillbirth has opened up about her grief after losing her baby daughter at 21 weeks.

Melbourne lifestyle blogger Sarah Jane Young and her husband welcomed their daughter Charlotte Rose Young on Tuesday morning.

But instead of celebrating her birth, the shattered family were left mourning over her death in hospital.

The infant was tragically stillborn, leaving her parents and her sister with a few moments to build memories of her in candid photographs.

Cradling the tiny girl in her arm for the final time, Mrs Young was comforted by her husband as their toddler daughter Mia Grace kissed her stillborn sister.

Melbourne blogger Sarah Jane Young has shared a heartbreaking photo of herself, cradling her stillborn Charlotte Rose Young, next to her husband and toddler daughter Mia Grace

The mother-of-one shared a heartbreaking photograph of her stillborn daughter's tiny feet

The glamorous mother-of-one documented her pregnancy on Instagram - but on Tuesday, she was left mourning over her stillborn

In an emotional admission on Instagram, Mrs Young penned a candid post about the loss of her daughter - and the heartache that followed was almost beyond words.

'While your little life was way too brief, in that very short time YOU have proven to me that a mother's heart is NEVER, ever full,' Ms Young wrote on her Instagram page.

'Our hearts are beyond broken and there will never be day that goes by where we don't think about you - our sweet baby girl.

'What I wouldn't give for a lifetime of your belly-ballet-ninja routines for hours on end again... In the words of your PoPo just a few days ago, "a mother's love for her daughter is immeasurable".'

The glamorous mother-of-one has revealed how her daughter's death has taken a toll on her as she regained some strength to speak out about the traumatic experience.

'Waking up today with an even emptier heart,' she said on Thursday.

'The pain is worse... The distance from our baby girl is greater... The anger couldn't be stronger... The seconds are longer and my world has stopped.

'It's hard to ever imagine smiling again and trying to be strong for our precious Mia Grace is so, so incredibly hard.

'BUT... My blessings have been magnified tenfold and my amazement in a mother's capacity to love and nurture her family is at its highest.'

Just a week ago, Mrs Young, her husband and daughter were enjoying a holiday in Noosa

The brave Melbourne mother has documenting her pregnancy journey on social media

The brave mother, who has been documenting her pregnancy on social media, said she wanted to share the family photo 'because I am so proud and grateful'.

'Thank you all for your kind words, patience and understanding. I need some time out from the world', she said.

'But if one positive thing can come from losing our daring Charlotte Rose, let it be the reminder to all that EVERYONE has a story.

'Never judge, never compare and just be. I look forward to brighter days... One day. I will live and love again for you my rose petal. Forever. I love you, mummy x.'
A police officer has been caught on camera refusing to let a driver see his speed gun reading after pulling him over for allegedly breaking the limit.

Zia Yilda, 24, was on his way to work in Smithfield, Sydney, on Wednesday morning when he was pulled over and accused of driving at 83km/h.

Mr Yilda claimed he was driving at least 20km/h slower than that and filmed the officer as he failed to show him the reading six times.

The 'jobsworth' officer, who also declined to give his name and number twice, proceeded to search the man's BMW 330 convertible and accuse it of being 'defective' for having a wobbly passenger seat.

A police officer has been caught on camera refusing to let a driver see his speed gun reading after pulling him over for allegedly breaking the limit

In the video, Mr Yilda can be heard growing frustrated as he asks to see the speed gun reading on six occasions.

In most instances the officer declines to respond to the request, but does claim at one point that the motorist was travelling at at least 82 or 83km/h.

The officer claims the rear of the car is too low so asks to search the vehicle, which Mr Yilda allows.

He orders the motorist to stand on the pavement as he checks inside the front of the car, before shaking the front passenger seat.

'Your seat's loose there too, mate,' he says.

Mr Yilda argues back, telling him there's nothing wrong with the seat, but the police officer quickly moves on to search the rest of the car for faults.

The 'jobsworth' officer, who also declined to give his name and number twice, proceeded to search the man's BMW 330 convertible and accuse it of being 'defective' for having a wobbly passenger seat

After checking under the bonnet and in the boot for a spare tyre, the cop makes one final criticism of the car's ride height and promptly walks off

'Just making my day harder are you?' an exasperated Mr Yilda asks as the officer surveys the BMW.

'I'm just looking out for defects, mate,' he replies.

He again labels the car 'defective' after spotting a small section of the grill, claiming it could injure someone if Mr Yilda was to collide with them.

After checking under the bonnet and in the boot for a spare tyre, the cop makes one final criticism of the car's ride height and promptly walks off.

Mr Yilda branded the officer's conduct 'pretty ridiculous'.

Calling him a 'jobsworth', the driver told Daily Mail Australia: 'He said, "look, you're doing 83". But I wasn't.

'Then he came back and started picking on everything. I tried to be calm and as patient as I could as I thought this film might be useful in court at a later date.

'I asked for his name and number a couple of times but he refused. He was ignoring me.'

Zia Yilda, 24, was on his way to work in Smithfield, Sydney, on Wednesday morning when he was pulled over and accused of driving at 83km/h

Mr Yilda said he had all of his belongings searched, despite not having a criminal record.

'I've never even had a parking ticket,' he said.

'I have no clue why he targeted me. I'm a working citizen. I was on my way to work. Maybe I had an attitude.'

Mr Yilda, who works at a car yard, said the BMW was unlikely to be defective because he had only recently bought it.

'BMW made this car, it won't have a defect. It's a standard car that came from the factory,' he said.

'The seats are made to move. They're gonna move. The bloke was really strong with it.'

The motorist is yet to receive a fine for his alleged speeding on Wednesday, but says he will contest it in court if he does.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted New South Wales Police for comment.

Under the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002, police officers in New South Wales are required to state their name when stopping or searching vehicles.
Human remains found in search for man who disappeared from a psychiatric facility after slashing his mother's throat with a bread knife

Remains found believed to be missing insane man Samuel Mark Walsh

Walsh, 40, disappeared from a Perth psychiatric hostel on October 5, 2014

He murdered his mother in 2005 but was found not guilty by insanity

Walsh served just three years in a mental facility before release to hostel

The remains were found in car of same model police in 2014 said he was driving

Human remains found in a car deep in bushland are believed to be those of a man who disappeared two years ago after slashing his mother's throat.

Walsh killed his mother in 2005 but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2007 and served just three years in a psychiatric facility.

The remains were found in a Hyundai Excel hatchback near the Karalee Rocks Pumping Station at Yellowdine, 480 kilometres northeast of Perth, at 12.05pm on Wednesday.

Human remains found in a car deep in bushland are believed to be those of insane murderer Samuel Mark Walsh (pictured) who disappeared two years ago

The 40-year-old paranoid schizophrenic, also known as Enoch Samuel Walsh, disappeared from a Perth psychiatric hostel on October 5, 2014.

Walsh did not return from one of the frequent leave of absences he was granted from the low-security Romily House in Claremont and was reported missing.

The Mentally Impaired Accused Review Board in 2013 recommended Walsh be fully released as he was deemed stable, had integrated into the community, and was no longer dangerous.

The psychotic killer slashed his own mother's throat in 2005 but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2007 and served just three years in a psychiatric facility

Romily's licencee said in 2014 Walsh was growing increasingly distressed that WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin had not acted on the recommendation.

Police at the time said he could be driving a 1998 silver Hyundai Excel hatchback with the registration 1AFY124, the same model his possible remains were found in.

The remains were not yet formally identified but the death was not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Supreme court justice Geoffrey Miller ruled Walsh was a chronically paranoid schizophrenic and was not criminally responsible for his actions because he was insane.

He failed to return from a leave of absence from Perth's psychiatric facility, Romily house (pictured) in Claremont

Samuel Mark Walsh, who was found not guilty of murdering his mother by way of insanity in 2007 spent some of his time in a high security psychiatric facility (pictured)

The court heard Walsh hit his mother Patricia Lynette Wright with a sword, before he slit her throat with a bread knife and buried her in the backyard with his dog.

He was sentenced to be detained in a high security psychiatric unit, until January 2008 when he was recommended for release by way of leave of absence.

Opposition leader Mark McGowan said in 2014 he found it hard to believe someone that committed such a heinous crime could be released.

Walsh did not return from one of the frequent leave of absences he was granted from the low-security Romily House in Claremont and was reported missing

Town of Kalgoorlie (pictured) where police believe Samuel Mark Walsh is headed where his old family home is, where he killed his mother in 2005

'Whatever the circumstances in this way, and I think the government and premier needs to come out and explain,' he said.

WA attorney general Michael Mischin said it's not known why Walsh failed to return, saying he had been compliant with the conditions of his leave in the past.

'Walsh's disappearance had been deal with in a timely and appropriate manner and he would seek a report on the incident once Walsh had been returned to detention,' he told Perth Now.
A British boy has melted viewers' hearts while competing in the Spanish version of Junior Masterchef after his fish and chips didn't work out quite as he'd hoped.

Little Oscar Jefferson, eight, who only moved to the Costa del Sol with his family two years ago, was comforted by one of the show's judges after he began crying on the cookery show.

The junior chef was attempting to cook his grandfather Michael Jefferson's version of the British comfort food but sadly failed to finish the dish in time.

Viewers of the show could not help but fall in love with the boy, known as Jefferson on the show, after he described in Spanish how hed let his granddad down.

Tearful: Oscar Jefferson, nine, broke down in tears on the Spanish version of Junior Masterchef and was comforted by one of the judges

Amazingly he didn't speak a word of the language when he arrived in southern Spain two years ago.

'Don't worry about it it's only cookery ' his granddad Michael said.

It's not life and death, don't worry.

Earlier in the episode, Jefferson ran into his doting granddad's arms in shock after Michael flew out to Spain from Warminster, Wiltshire, to surprise him.

Jefferson, who was eliminated at the end of the show, later tweeted: Thank you all @masterchef_es! An unforgettable experience. I feel real at home here in Spain with all my friends.

Upset: The boy sobbed after his attempt at cooking his grandfather's version of fish and chips didn't quite work out

Sweet: Spanish viewers fell in love with the British boy as his efforts were clearly appreciated

Finished product: Jefferson ran out of time to finish his fish and chips dish during the semi-final of the show

He was also pictured posing with British ambassador to Madrid Simon Manley and Spanish chef Marcos Moran in photographs posted on social media.

Mr Manley told The Times: Oscar has been a great ambassador for Britain by becoming the first British boy to go on Spanish Masterchef and speak the language.

At one stage they spoke to him in English but he replied, Why dont you speak to me in Spanish?.

Despite cooking a very British dish in the semi-final, Jefferson previously wowed the judges with his fish ceviche and prawn vol au vents during the team challenges.

A spokesman for Sotogrande International School told local website Olive Press: 'He and his brother arrived two years ago without knowing a word of Spanish.

Together they have worked hard to learn the language and understand and integrate into the Spanish culture.

As you can see, his hard work and commitment have really paid off.

Support: Jefferson's grandfather, Michael, flew out to Spain to surprise him on the show




American taxpayers are paying for 'tens of thousands' of soldiers, police officers, teachers and public officials in Afghanistan who do not even exist, it has been claimed.

The S pecial Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko, said the Pentagon is wasting millions of dollars on the salaries of 'ghost soldiers' in the Afghan Army.

Mr Sopko told a Washington think tank: 'As much as I wish I could say much has improved in Afghanistan over the past two years, I cannot.'

The Afghan Army is 'playing whack-a-mole' with the Taliban, said Mr Sopko. But he said the American taxpayer was also paying for Afghan soldiers who do not even exist

He said the country remained mired in corruption 15 years after an American-led Nato force marched in to kick out the Taliban in the wake of 9/11.

Two years ago Nato handed responsibility for security over to the Afghan Army, which is struggling to hold the Taliban at bay, especially in the countryside.

Fox News reported Mr Sopko said: 'Including US war funding unrelated to reconstruction, US appropriations for Afghanistan now totals more than three quarters of a trillion dollars - not including the $43.7billion requested for fiscal year 2017.

John Sopko (pictured) said: 'To date, more than $115billion of US taxpayer money has been spent, sometimes wisely  too often not'

'To date, more than $115billion of US taxpayer money has been spent, sometimes wisely  too often not.

'Another $7.5billion has been appropriated but not yet spent, and international donors have pledged to provide financial support to Afghanistan and its security forces through 2020.'

Mr Sopko said the districts under Afghan government control had dropped from 70.5 per cent at the start of 2016 to just 63.4 per cent by the end of August.

He said the Afghan Army was 'basically playing whack-a-mole following the Taliban around Afghanistan.'

'At a minimum, they're playing defense and are not taking the fight to the Taliban,' he added.

Mr Sopko also said efforts curb opium production were failing, which would inevitably mean a growth in supplies of heroin.

President-elect Trump is inheriting a conflict in Afghanistan that seems impossible to resolve and has echoes of the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, which led to the fall of a pro-Moscow regime three years later and the Taliban first taking Kabul in 1996.

Trump has said little about Afghanistan but in 2013 tweeted: 'Let's get out', adding the money the US spends there would be better used at home.

Mr Sopko said: 'The percentage of Afghans who believe corruption is a problem of daily life, now 90 per cent, has steadily increased over time. In 2016 Afghans paid more in bribes than the government is expected to have generated in revenue from taxes, customs, tariffs and other sources of income.'
Father-of-two Emmanuel Bushayija, 56, pictured, has been named the new king of Rwanda

The new king of Rwanda has been named as a council flat tenant in Manchester, it has been revealed.

Father-of-two Emmanuel Bushayija, 56, has been named King Yuhi VI after the death of his uncle King Kigeli V three months ago aged 80.

The previous king had lived in the US and did not have any children, naming his nephew as his successor.

According to an official statement by the Rwandan Royal Council of Abiru, Mr Bushayija - who runs a security company - was exiled with the previous king and the royal family in 1961 when the country became a republic following a referendum.

Tensions arose because of ethnic differences between the royals and the new president, and Mr Bushayija grew up in Uganda, eventually getting a job with Pepsi Cola.

He has lived in the UK since 2000 and now lives in a house in Sale owned by a housing association.

King Kigeli died without any children in relative poverty and is understood to have been living on food stamps in the US.

Announcing his ascension on Monday, the official statement said: The Chancellery and Royal Council of the de jure Kingdom of Rwanda are pleased to announce the successor to H.M. King Kigeli V, the last king to reign in Rwanda.

Council Chancellor Boniface Benzinge said king Kigeli V named Mr Bushayija as successor in 2006 and signed a document witnesses by multiple people and notarised and filed with an attorney.

The chancellor said: The Rwandan Royal Council of Abiru Hereby informs all Rwandans and friends of Rwanda that in keeping with the ancient custom, it has Acclaimed His Royal Highness Prince Emmanuel Bushayija as the Successor of His Late Majesty King Kigeri V Ndahindurwa, who passed away on October 16, 2016, in the United States.

The Royal name of His Majesty Emmanuel Bushayija shall be His Majesty King Yuhi VI.

Mr Bushayija lives in a housing association property in a terraced street in Sale, pictured

Mr Bushayija's uncle was King Kigeli V, pictured, who had no children and died in the US last October aged 80. He left Rwanda after the country became a republic in 1961

His Majesty King Yuhi VI Bushayija is the son of His Royal Highness Theoneste Bushayija and grandson of His Majesty King Yuhi V Musinga.

Mr Bushayija has also lived in Kenya where he worked in the tourism industry, and returned to Rwanda in 1994 before coming to Britain.

The previous king vowed never to return to his home country unless he could resume the throne, something President Kagame, who helped end the genocide of 1994, said would not happen.

In 2015 the president changed his countrys laws so he could serve a third term in power.
Police in Florida have charged three people with aiding a fugitive suspected of murdering a police officer and killing his pregnant girlfriend.

Markeith Loyd's niece, Lakensha Smith-Loyd, his ex-girlfriend Jameis Slaughter, and his boss at a fried chicken restaurant, Zarghee Mayan, have all been charged with being an accessory after the fact.

They are accused of helping him after Sade Dixon, 24, was shot dead on December 13. He became a fugitive and shot dead Master Sergeant Debra Clayton, 42, outside a Walmart in Orlando on Monday, after she tried to arrest him.

A huge manhunt was launched for Loyd, 33, after her death and he remains on the lam, with a $60,000 reward offered for his capture.

A huge manhunt is under way for Markeith Loyd (pictured, left). His boss at a fried chicken restaurant, Zarghee Mayan (right) is one of three people who have been charged with aiding him after he allegedly murdered his pregnant girlfriend

More than 500 tips have come in from the public, which authorities believe may be particularly important, because others may be helping him hide.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina had warned earlier this week that anyone helping Loyd 'will be put behind bars and brought to justice as well.'

Mayan's arrest affidavit said Smith-Loyd collected money from him to give to her uncle in the days after the slaying of his ex-girlfriend last month.

The affidavit said that shortly after Miss Dixon was killed Loyd came into the restaurant with a gun, pointed it at Mayan and said: 'Drive me or I will kill you. I just did something real bad.'

Lakensha Smith-Loyd (left) and Jameis Slaughter (right) have been accused of helping Loyd after he killed his girlfriend and before he shot the officer

Mayan said he drove Loyd to several locations, including the home of Loyd's estranged wife, where Loyd told him to knock on the door.

Mayan said he only walked to the door without knocking because he was afraid Lloyd would shoot her, according to the affidavit, which noted Mayan told conflicting stories about his encounters with Loyd.

Mayan told authorities his most recent encounter with Loyd was on Saturday, two days before Sgt Clayton was fatally shot in a Walmart parking lot.

Mayan said he noticed Loyd was armed and wearing body armor when they embraced, according to his arrest affidavit.

Sade Dixon (left) was gunned down by Loyd (right) outside her home in Pine Hills, Orlando, on December 13

Smith-Loyd's affidavit says she contacted deputies after the ex-girlfriend's death and promised to help them find her uncle if they first told her whether a firearm had been recovered from the scene of the slaying.

Then she stopped cooperating even as she contacted others on her uncle's behalf, the affidavit said.

Slaughter is accused of collecting money for Loyd.

Mayan is accused of supplying restaurant food to his former co-worker, driving him around and offering him money, despite knowing he was wanted, the affidavit said.

After Clayton was shot, many of her colleagues immediately joined the pursuit; among them was a sheriff's Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, who died when he was thrown from his motorcycle in an accident.

His funeral is taking place tomorrow and Sgt Clayton's funeral will be on Saturday.
The government has been warned not to protect the ex-MI6 agent who made outlandish claims about a Russian 'dirty' dossier on Donald Trump.

Tory MPs are urging Theresa May to distance the UK government from the row after the former spy who drew up controversial memos was named as Christopher Steele.

Downing Street has been forced to defend issuing a so-called 'DA-notice' in an attempt to suppress Steele's identity.

The PM's spokeswoman insisted it was 'standard process' to try to avoid ex-agents being exposed. She also stressed that no serving officials seem to have been involved in the memos.

At a dramatic press conference yesterday, Mr Trump called the dossier 'fake' and 'phony', even suggesting US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation

Mr Steele, 52, fled his 1.5million mansion in west London yesterday, telling his neighbour: 'Look after my cat.'

There are also suggestions that a former UK ambassador to Russia was involved in passing the dossier to Republican Senator John McCain - a sworn enemy of Mr Trump.

Sir Tim Barrow, who is thought to have worked there with Mr Steele, is the only former ambassador to Moscow still in the civil service. He was appointed as the UK's envoy to the EU this month.

However, Whitehall sources have insisted Sir Tim was not involved with the memos in any way.

The PM's official spokeswoman was asked today if assistance was being given to the former agent - after a so-called DA-notice was issued asking media not to reveal his name.

We are not commenting on this,' she said.

From the reports I have seen, those all seem to be about former staff.

There is a standard process that is followed with regard to the naming of people that have worked in certain roles in the civil service, be they still serving or former roles.

As I said, all the reporting I have seen of this seems to relate to former employees.

The spokeswoman said she was not aware that Mr Trumps team had been in touch with Britain to seek clarification.

She added that preparations are continuing for Mrs May's crucial visit to Washington in the coming weeks - where she is desperate to lay the groundwork for a post-Brexit trade deal.

We are in touch with the team to continue the planning for the first meeting between the Prime Minister and the President-elect, the spokeswoman said.

Tory MPs have raised concerns that the controversy over Mr Steele's memos could derail efforts to rebuild the 'special relationship'. They have also warned that there must be no official assistance for Mr Steel - amid speculation he could have fled to a 'safe house'.

Backbencher Philip Davies turned up the pressure on No 10 to reassure Mr Trump that the UK Government had nothing to do with the dirty dossier.

He told MailOnline today: Whether they say it in public or privately say it to Donald Trump  Im not really bothered  but as long as the President-elect knows none of this is being done on behalf of the UK as a country or on behalf of the UK as a Government.

'If this person acted as an individual then MI6 should not be assisting him. If they do assist him then it will look as if his actions were sanctioned by MI6 which would be utterly unacceptable.'

Mr Trump has made use of his Twitter feed to denounce the publication of the claims

The Kremlin has also ridiculed the idea it holds lewd videos of Mr Trump shot at Moscow hotel

Nigel Farage told MailOnline Mrs May should give 'private reassurance' that the government had no involvement in the memos.

'These are the actions of an individual who did apparently once work for the intelligence services,' he said.

'They might want to give some private reassurance.

'Private assurance might be sensible but I don't think this poses a big issue for the British government.

'They have got some other fences to mend but this is not necessarily a big problem.'

The 35-page briefing, which is littered with spelling mistakes, includes an unsubstantiated and far-fetched claim Trump watched prostitutes perform a 'golden shower (urination) show' in the Presidential Suite of a Moscow hotel.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the US president-elect had been made stronger by the furore because Americans could see the establishment was 'out to get him'

At a dramatic press conference yesterday, Mr Trump called the dossier 'fake' and 'phony', even suggesting that US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation before his inauguration.

He debunked the 'golden shower' claim by saying: 'Does anyone believe that? I'm a germophobe'.

The BBC has now claimed that there is a second dossier and despite allegations being widely rubbished one journalist said 'the head of an East European intelligence agency' insists the sex tape exists.

Steele was seen fleeing his gated home in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on.

A security source said: 'He is terrified for his safety', adding he may now be abroad or in a safe house.

Part of the document, allegedly compiled by a former British intelligence agent, is seen above. Click here to see the full document first published by Buzzfeed

Mr Farage said Mr Trump's popularity would not be harmed by the row and praised his performance at yesterday's press conference.

'He was calm and didn't take any nonsense. This is the new White House,' Mr Farage said.
A diner is suing Chipotle for over $2billion dollars after claiming the fast food chain used an image of her in their promotional pictures without her consent.

Leah Caldwell from Sacramento has filed a lawsuit in California against the troubled company and a photographer saying they used her image without her agreement, for 'commercial gain and in violation of her reasonable expectation of privacy.'

In the complaint she also names Chipotle CEO Steve Ells as well as photographer Steve Adams as defendants.

Leah Caldwell from Sacramento is suing Chipotle for over $2billion dollars after claiming the fast food chain used an image of her in their promotional pictures without her consent. Pictured is the image in question she filed in court papers

In court papers Caldwell, who is representing herself, alleges she had been dining at a Chipotle restaurant near the University of Denver in 2006, but was not made aware pictures were being taken of her.

She says when she came to leave the branch, a photographer approached her with a release form to use the images, but she refused to sign.

However, eight years later in December 2014, Caldwell went into a Chipotle in Orlando, Florida and noticed her image being used in a picture on one of the restaurant's walls.

Then in the months that followed, she also spotted her picture at two other Chipotle locations in California.

And she claims that her image had also been altered to include changes to her hair, add people in the background and that bottles had been added into the picture to make it appear as if she was drinking alcohol.

In the complaint Caldwell also names Chipotle CEO Steve Ells, pictured, as well as photographer Steve Adams as defendants

The lawsuit states: 'At each location, the plaintiff recognized the iconic picture, her distinct photographic image and likeness even with apparent editing.

'Plaintiff noted these bottles positioned around her image were not present when she was originally seated in the restaurant.

'Plaintiff considers the planting or use of photoshopping of bottles to put a false light upon her character associated with consuming alcoholic beverages.'

A spokesman for the burrito chain refused to discuss the case but added that 'the filing of a lawsuit is purely allegation and is proof of absolutely nothing.'

The lawsuit comes off the back of another one filed against Chipotle last month which saw several customers allege the company has advertised their burritos as having just 300 calories when they contain up to 1,000.

They state that advertising boards at three Chipotle restaurants in California displayed misleading information and that the company 'broke the law' by inaccurately representing the healthiness of its food and that they were 'lulled into a false sense of security.'

A spokesman for the burrito chain refused to discuss the case but added that 'the filing of a lawsuit is purely allegation and is proof of absolutely nothing.'

Both legal actions come as Chipotle's sales nose-dived in November 2015 when the chain was linked to a multi-state E. coli outbreak (file picture)

Both legal actions come after Chipotle's sales nose-dived in November 2015 when the chain was linked to a multi-state E. coli outbreak.

Sales then went into free fall in December after at least 80 Boston College students were sickened by norovirus traced to a Chipotle restaurant.

The company was forced to apologize for food safety lapses and promised to prevent future illnesses.

Meanwhile last month, embattled Chipotle CEO Ells admitted that more than half of the burrito chain's 2,100 restaurants have poor customer service.

He said that the company let customer service slip as it focused on adding new food safety protocols after an E. Coli outbreak last year sickened some customers.

It since has used free and discounted food to lure back diners.
The beginning of the Obama Administration was marked by a trillion dollar experiment called economic stimulus. All we really have to show for it is a lesson learned in crony capitalism. It wasnt the jobs or projects that were shovel ready as promised. It was the insiders, who benefited financially from their political contacts.

The incoming Trump Administration gives us a chance for a new take on infrastructure. He reportedly has in mind a nearly trillion dollar infrastructure improvement program to fix roads and bridges, upgrade airports and rail, modernize port facilities, and undertake other public works projects that are governments responsibility. In the 19th century the great Henry Clay called them national improvements.

This is not Obama-style economic stimulus, even if these projects have the added benefit of putting people to work, getting the economy moving, and are long term investments in helping our commercial republic grow and prosper. Increasingly, some of these projects in the private sector want to utilize powers reserved to the government to clear the way for them  another form of crony capitalism.

The Texas Central Railroad  a planned, privately-financed high speed rail link that would run between Dallas and Houston, Texas  is a perfect example.

The business leaders who would like to travel between the two cities without stopping, going from one downtown to the other without having to bother with the airports, are all for it. Not so much the people whose communities and counties the rail would run without stopping. The project itself is a classic progressive initiative: it serves the special interests at the expense of everyone else while forcing John and Jane Q. Public to eventually foot the bill.

As a result, some of the land owners who are literally in the way have been less than cooperative with Texas Centrals attempts to survey private lands, acquire rights of way, and do the prep work necessary to break ground before laying track. Meanwhile, as some analysts and insiders note, the developers will be looking for federal and state loan guarantees that leave taxpayers on the hook if the whole thing goes off the rails.

That the government may not take an individuals property without due process and fair compensation is one of those constitutional protections we must all be on guard to protect. Officials in one Connecticut town seized the homes of residents with the intention of turning them over to a commercial developer, a move that amazingly enough was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court in its controversial Kelo decision.

In a decision widely criticized by property rights advocates the court found community leaders used their power of eminent domain take the homes legitimately since the property, once developed, would produce an increase in property tax revenues for the city. It was, they said, a matter of the common good.

At the time the decision came down critics said it amounted to nothing less than the establishment of a slippery slope, opening the door to every crazy crony capitalist notion politically well-connected developers could conceive. The State of Texas responded with a Constitutional Amendment  among the toughest in the nation  to protect private property. So far things have held, largely because of the public outcry, but it is indeed a sensible idea to be on guard against slippage. With President-elect Donald J. Trump having campaigned on the need to repair Americas crumbling infrastructure, it is even more so.

Despite the law in the state and the publics skepticism, Texas Central has also asked for the authority to act like the government to get around the crossing gates erected by land owners in the ride over counties who dont want the project to go forward. Its asked to be declared a railroad, which would give it government-like powers of eminent domain. Last month, a Harris County, Texas court said No to this request.

The court found that Texas Central was not a railroad  despite its name  and as such did not have eminent domain authority and the right to survey private property. It is a private company with no legal right to enter onto private property or to force landowners to sell their property under the threat of eminent domain.

The decision itself doesnt carry any weight outside Texas but its important precedent nonetheless. The decision affirms that private companies and the government are separate animals. Private projects are just that, and must factor in the risks involved. Handing to crony capitalists powers like eminent domain would undermine our current conception of property rights in ways even more damaging than Kelo.

Peter Roff is a former senior political writer for UPI and a well-known commentator based in Washington, D.C. Email him at Peter.Roff@Verizon.net. His column is distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.
The BBC was under fire today after it claimed a second 'dirty dossier' on Donald Trump exists and was accused of attaching too much credibility to the first one.

Foreign correspondent Paul Wood said last night that former British spy Christopher Steele is not the only person to say the Kremlin has covert footage related to his sex life.

He said a security source told him of 'more than one tape' on 'more than one date'.

BuzzFeed has been widely castigated - including by Trump himself - over publishing the salacious claims even though they have been unverified.

Last night Mr Trump barracked BBC International Correspondent Ian Pannell,telling the reporter to stand up when he tried to ask a question and then said: 'BBC News - there's another beauty'.

Claims: Foreign correspondent Paul Wood said last night that former British spy Christopher Steele is not the only person to say the Kremlin has covert footage related to his sex life

Row: Last night Mr Trump refused to take a question from a BBC International Correspondent Ian Pannell, telling the reporter to stand up and then said: 'BBC News - there's another beauty'

But Mr Wood said in a BBC blog last night: 'The former MI6 agent is not the only source for the claim about Russian kompromat on the president-elect.

'Back in August, a retired spy told me he had been informed of its existence by "the head of an East European intelligence agency".

Last night Mr Trump barracked BBC International Correspondent Ian Pannell, pictured, telling the reporter to stand up when he tried to ask a question and then said: 'BBC News - there's another beauty'.

'Later, I used an intermediary to pass some questions to active duty CIA officers dealing with the case file - they would not speak to me directly. I got a message back that there was "more than one tape", "audio and video", on "more than one date", in "more than one place" - in the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow and also in St Petersburg - and that the material was "of a sexual nature".'

But he did add: 'Nobody should believe something just because an intelligence agent says it', adding that no-one had aver seen the video.

The BBC has come under criticism for their coverage.

Tory MP Philip Davies has accused the BBC of jumping on the bandwagon and joining the attempt to smear Mr Trump before he takes over in the Oval Office.

He told MailOnline: It seems to me that the BBC are still in Brexit mode, it was a result they couldnt accept and understand and did everything they could to get that overturned.

And it seems like theyre doing exactly the same thing with Trumps election as US president.

Its more to do with the BBCs agenda than news reports.

After Mr Wood appeared on TV news last night journalist Iain Dale tweeted: 'The BBC News at Ten just sank to the level of Buzzfeed. An utter disgrace of a report from Paul Wood'.

David Vance wrote: '10 Minutes on the #BBC news and the State Broadcaster is in full "Get Trump" mode. The bias is visceral and utterly impotent'.

Yesterday news website Buzzfeed published all 35 pages  and Mr Trump went on the attack.

He told reporters at his New York press conference that Buzzfeed was a failing pile of garbage and added: Theyre going to suffer the consequences. He started shouting at a Buzzfeed reporter in the hall, pointing at him and repeating: Fake news.

He also ignored questions from CNN and the BBC.

Ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele has been named as the author of the salacious Russian dossier containing outlandish claims about Donald Trump's sex life and bizarre footage allegedly held by the Kremlin's blackmail unit.

The 35-page briefing, which is littered with spelling mistakes, includes an unsubstantiated and far-fetched claim Trump watched prostitutes perform a 'golden shower (urination) show' in the Presidential Suite of a Moscow hotel.

Mr Trump called the dossier 'fake' and 'phony', even suggesting that US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation before his inauguration.

Missing: Steele, 52, was seen fleeing his gated Surrey home (pictured) in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on

Pictured: The offices of Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd in Belgravia, central London, the security business run by Christopher Steele

Saying the situation was like Nazi Germany, he ranted: Its all fake news. Its phoney stuff. It didnt happen. And it was gotten by opponents of ours  sick people, and they put that crap together.

It was disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false, and fake, out. I think its a disgrace and thats something that Nazi Germany would have done, and did do. Mr Trump ridiculed the notion of being filmed with prostitutes, saying he knew there were hidden cameras in hotel rooms.

He said: I am extremely careful. I always tell my people be very careful, because in those rooms you have cameras in the strangest places  you cant see them and you wont know. You better be careful or you will be watching yourself on nightly television.
The parents of a Muslim convert known as 'Jihadi Jack' will go on trial later accused of funding terrorism by sending him money.

Jack Letts, 20, is believed to be the first white Briton to have joined ISIS in Syria, leaving his Oxford home to sign up for the terror group in 2014.

He reportedly goes by the name Abu Mohammed and married an Iraqi woman with whom he has a son, Muhammed.

John Letts and Sally Lane, left, were pictured arriving at the Old Bailey in London this morning for their trial in which they are accused of funding terrorism by sending money to their son Jack, right, who is believed to have joined ISIS in 2014

His parents, John Letts, 55, and Sally Lane, 54, are accused of sending hundreds of pounds to their son between September 2015 and January last year and will appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday.

The pair, of Oxford, have pleaded not guilty to three counts of making money available knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used for a terrorist purpose.

Lane is also charged with two further counts of attempting to provide money knowing it may be used to fund terrorism.

Jack enjoyed a comfortable upbringing at the hands of Canadian master-thatcher father, John, an organic farmer and archaeobotanist and experts in ancient grains.

Mr Letts has used his academic background to develop hardy varieties of organic wheat and was awarded 25,000 from the Prince's Countryside Fund for his work.

Jack's mother, Sally, is a books editor who has worked for Oxfam.

Friends of the couple gathered outside London's Old Bailey this morning to support them as they arrived at court.

The case is expected to open next week.
Russia has deployed anti-aircraft missile systems around Moscow to protect the capital from attack in the latest sign Vladimir Putin is preparing for war.

The s-400 Triumph air defence system has been providing air cover for Russian forces in Syria since November, and is now being deployed on home soil.

It is capable of hitting moving airborne targets including planes and incoming missiles and has a range of 400km.

The news has emerged the day the US sent more than 3,000 troops to Poland in response to Nato's concern Russia was becoming more aggressive.

A truck carrying what is understood to be the air defence system near Moscow

Trucks line up in Moscow as the s-400 Triumph air defence system is set to be deployed

A Russian military truck stands stationary in a field covered in snow near the Russian capital

The s-400 air defence system has been providing air cover in Syria since November 2016

Defense Ministrys Department of Information and Mass Communication told Interfax: 'The SAM combat squads of the Moscow Region aerospace forces have put the new S-400 Triumph air defense missile system into service, and have gone on combat duty for the air defense of Moscow and the central industrial region of Russia.

'The main task of the anti-aircraft missile troops of the Russian Aerospace Forces is air defense and protecting vital state, military, industry and energy facilities, as well as the Armed Forces troops and transport communications, from aerospace attacks.'

The S-400 was designed as a protective mechanism against airstrikes. according to RT.



Defense Ministrys Department of Information and Mass Communication confirmed the deoployment in Russia

The move comes as 3,000 US troops land in Poland amid growing fear of Russia's aggression

The US tanks and armoured vehicles have started arriving in Poland today as part of the biggest American military reinforcement in Europe for decades, according to the BBC.

Soldiers will carry out exercised in the Baltics as part of their tour as part of the Obama administration's response to Russia's intervention in the Ukraine.

Tours will last nine months before troops rotate, but whether or not they will remain under Trump's regime remains to be seen.

President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of defense, retired Marine General James Mattis, will face questions about his views on a wide range of topics at a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.

He is widely admired within defense and foreign policy circles and is expected to easily win a vote of approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hundreds of GPs are set to be recruited from Poland, Lithuania and Greece as the NHS scrambles to meet rising demands.

Doctors in eastern Europe are to be offered lucrative packages of 90,000 salaries and relocation schemes.

New recruits are given 12 weeks training in Poland before being moved to Britain to start seeing patients.

NHS England has already run a pilot scheme in Lincolnshire and plans to roll out the programme across the country before Brexit places new limits on migration.

New recruits are given 12 weeks training in Poland before being moved to Britain to start seeing patients (file picture posed by models)

Thousands of GP surgeries were exposed by the Mail today as closing their doors early in the afternoon, leaving patients unable to book appointments.

The problem is piling pressure onto accident and emergency departments and left hospitals in the grip of a spiralling winter crisis.

Dr Kieran Sharrock, medical director at Lincolnshire local medical committee, told the Daily Telegraph the scheme has been 'really successful'.

He has appointed 13 GPs so far  from Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Greece and Spain  and plans 'more interviews in the next few weeks'.

Joyce Robins, from Patient Concern, told the paper : 'These really do sound like desperate measures.

'It is horrifying to think of all the money we have spent training doctors who have left to work in New Zealand and Australia, only for us to have to trawl abroad to find GPs.'

Doctors' leaders yesterday claimed the Government's plans to extend access to GPs in England are in 'complete disarray', after a report warned of 'difficulties' recruiting and retaining enough family doctors to deliver them.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is facing demands to bail out the NHS amid a winter crisis in accident and emergency departments

The National Audit Office said shortfalls in training places, increased part-time working and early retirement mean there may be 1,900 fewer GPs by 2020 than health authorities had predicted.

The Department of Health has promised additional funding and 5,000 extra doctors in general practice by 2020 to meet a Conservative election promise for weekend and evening access to GPs.

But the NAO report found that the department had failed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and consequences of the proposals or to show that they can provide value for money from existing services.

Some 46 per cent of practices already close for part of their 'core hour' opening times of 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

Funding the extended hours commitment will require at least 230 per appointment hour for every 1,000 registered patients, compared with 154 during normal opening hours, said the watchdog.

Thousands of people have turned up in accident and emergency departments after being unable to get appointments. Pictured: ambulances queue up outside the Royal Liverpool Hospital on Monday

The report found that efforts by NHS England and Health Education England to boost GP numbers are 'at particular risk from falling retention, shortfalls in recruitment and increases in part-time working', with just 3,019 out of 3,250 training places (93 per cent) filled in 2016/17, up from 2,769 the previous year.

'The latest available data on part-time working in new GPs suggest that there may be 1,900 fewer full-time equivalent GPs by 2020 than Health Education England had estimated there would be,' the NAO warned.

The chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, Chaand Nagpaul, described the report as 'further evidence that the Government's plans for extending patient access are in complete disarray'.

'Policy-makers have underestimated the number of GPs required to deliver their promises by almost 2,000,' said Dr Nagpaul.
Nicola Sturgeon, pictured, has warned the UK Government not to implement new libel laws that would muzzle the free press

Nicola Sturgeon has warned the UK Government not to implement new libel laws that would muzzle the free press.

Scotland's First Minister added her name to a growing list of opponents to Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, which could force newspapers and websites to pay libel costs even if they win a defamation case.

She said the gagging law would 'threaten the viability' of local newspapers and would harm Britain's democracy.

The Government's consultation on Section 40 ended earlier this week.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley will now decide whether to trigger the clause, which would establish Impress, which is backed by supporters of Hacked Off and is almost entirely reliant on anti-media campaigner Max Mosley, as the first ever state regulator.

The former motor-racing tycoon, who was a victim of a newspaper sting himself, has given a staggering 3.8million towards the running costs of Impress.

Ms Sturgeon told the Daily Record: 'I don't support Section 40.

'I think the behaviour that led to the Leveson inquiry on the part of elements of the media was unacceptable and despicable and the media has to learn those lessons and has to, in a sense, regulate its own behaviour so that kind of conduct is never seen again.

'But that doesn't take away from the vital importance in any democracy of a free and questioning media that's is able to hold those in power robustly to account.

SECTION 40: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The Government consultation on Section 40 of Crime and Courts Act is over. Civil servants will now log every response to the question of whether it should be repealed, delayed or commenced. A section of the consultation asking for evidence to back up arguments will also be considered. A final decision will then be made by minister Karen Bradley although it is likely to rest with Theresa May. The Government has not set a deadline but it is not likely to be this week because the consultation could face a court challenge. Advertisement

'All politicians get frustrated with the media almost on a daily basis but that in itself is a sign the media is doing its job.

'I think Section 40 goes way, way too far in the wrong direction.'

If Section 40 becomes law it would force newspapers who refuse to sign up to the recognised regulator pay the legal costs of both sides in libel and privacy actions brought against them.

The move has angered many newspapers, who have overwhelmingly rejected any form of state regulation, warning that it would be a threat to press freedom.

Most newspapers and websites, including the Daily Mail and MailOnline, are signed up to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), a voluntary independent body not backed by the Government.

Crucially, Ipso is funded by its members  which is the model suggested by Lord Justice Leveson's report into Press standards in November 2012.

The Government was also consulting on whether part two of the Leveson Inquiry, which would look at the police and Press, should go ahead.

Tens of thousands of people voted to oppose the implementation of Section 40 in the Government's consultation.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley is in charge of the consultation on Press regulation, where the majority said they did not want to implement section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act or accept a State-backed regulator called Impress financially supported by shamed millionaire Max Mosley, right

More than 140,000 people responded and while the Department for Culture Media and Sport has not given a breakdown, newspaper industry sources are confident there was a clear majority in favour of the repeal of s40.

The Mail, MailOnline and the majority of the press have argued that no country can call itself a true democracy without independent media, free from state interference.

Critics also agreed that it would hand the rich, powerful, criminal and corrupt a weapon to silence criticism and continue their wrongdoing.

Many thousands of people have registered their dissent about the proposed censorship of British newspapers and news websites.

The UK News Media Association has said Section 40 would cost the regional and national newspapers it represents 100million a year in extra legal costs. Some would be put out of business.

Warning: The UK News Media Association says it would cost the regional and national newspapers it represents 100million a year in extra legal costs and put some out of business

The Department for Communities and Local Government has today said that 140,000 took part in its online consultation. There was also a 130,000-strong petition handed to civil servants.

The Government has not said how they voted.

But analysis of online opinions suggests that up to 65 per cent of likely respondents believe Section 40 should be repealed completely.

Mr Mosley, the son of former fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, has been on a mission to 'reform' the Press since the now-defunct News of the World revealed how he had organised a sadomasochistic orgy.
Channel Nine newsreader Amber Sherlock has admitted she 'probably overreacted' during her tantrum at a colleague for wearing the same colour dress as her.

Extraordinary leaked footage from a 9 News studio showed the host raging at her colleague Julie Snook after she arrived for a live broadcast wearing a white dress.

Ms Sherlock, who was also wearing white - as was guest psychologist Sandy Rea - ordered Ms Snook to change, insisting she put on a different colour jacket.

The pair released an awkward statement hours after the footage emerged, with the presenters claiming they had moved on following Ms Sherlock's meltdown.

Meanwhile viewers heaped praise on Ms Snook's professionalism and called for Ms Sherlock to be sacked and replaced by her colleague.

Extraordinary leaked footage from a 9 News studio showed host Amber Sherlock (center) raging at her colleague Julie Snook (left) after she arrived for a live broadcast wearing a white dress

'Live TV can be a pretty stressful beast, at times,' Ms Sherlock said in a statement on Thursday night.

'And as anyone knows, it's never much fun rocking up to work or to a party in the same outfit as one of your colleagues or friends. I probably overreacted with the pressure of presenting a live news bulletin.

'Thank goodness we had psychologist Sandy Rae around afterwards!!'

Ms Snook, who eventually gave in to Ms Sherlock's demands and put on a black jacket, said she was not upset with her colleague.

She said: 'What can I say? Amber and I just really love white!

'Amber and I are good friends and I really enjoy working with her. News is a fast moving environment and sometimes these things happen.'

Hundreds of viewers slammed Ms Sherlock online and called for Ms Snook to be given her job.

'Get @JulieSnook a top newsreader position NOW! She acted with TOTAL class through that unjustified Amber Sherlock hissy fit,' Mark Eccleston tweeted.

Awkward: 9 News presenter Amber Sherlock (centre) had an outrageous meltdown after realising she, presenter Julie Snook (left) and her guest psychologist Sandy Rea (right) were all wearing white

Ms Snook (left) defended herself, insisting she had not had time to change out of her outfit - making things very awkward

Channel Nine newsreader Amber Sherlock (left and right) has admitted she 'probably overreacted' during her tantrum at a colleague for wearing the same colour dress as her

Another Twitter user asked: 'Can we replace @AmberSherlock with @JulieSnook to do the news?'

Yasmin Drysdale wrote: '@JulieSnook handled herself so well. She needs to take the middle seat off the diva.'

Peter Phoebe mused: 'Can whoever put the Amber Sherlock/Julie Snook video online get a late nomination for Australian of the Year?'

Nick Rynne said: 'Congratulations Amber Sherlock, surely about to be the first real meme of 2017.'

Adam Richard tweeted: 'Amber Sherlock currently yelling at her refrigerator that it needs to put a jacket on. Dishwasher is fine, she told her already.'

And Jake Ryan wrote: 'Someone who works behind the camera at Ch 9 hates Amber Sherlock... Thanks whoever you are, this was funny.'

While Samuel Jeyaseelan joked: 'Finally, someone takes a stand against all white panels on Australian TV. Thanks Amber Sherlock.'

Hundreds of viewers slammed Ms Sherlock online and called for Ms Snook to be given her job

The footage shows Ms Sherlock exploding with rage after spotting Ms Snook and psychologist Sandy Rea sporting similar dresses to her moments before going live on Wednesday.

Directing her anger at her colleague, Ms Sherlock demanded Ms Snook put on a different coloured jacket, creating an extremely awkward situation for their guest.

Speaking to her producer, the presenter said: 'I need Julie to put a jacket on because we're all in white. I asked her before we came on Julie you need to put a jacket on.'

Ms Snook defended herself, insisting she had not had time to change out of her outfit.

But Ms Sherlock refused to back down, replying: 'Come on I told you two hours ago.'

Her fellow 9 News reporter apologised and said she had been 'flat out' and had not had time to switch into a different colour.

But a furious Ms Sherlock had no time for her apology and continued to demand she get changed before going live.

Psychologist Ms Rea, who by this point looked very uncomfortable, offered to find a jacket herself, as she was wearing white.

Ms Snook tried to claim her dress was actually blue, but she then agreed to put on a black jacket that was lying around in the newsroom

But Ms Sherlock told her to calm down and pointedly remarked that she was fine as she had made sure to mention in advance that she would be wearing white.

'There can't be three of us,' the newscaster flatly said.

'If it's an issue I can get on out of here,' Ms Snook said.

'It is an issue. Go and grab a jacket,' Ms Sherlock coldly replied, adding: 'I wasn't saying it for no reason. The wardrobe girls will be furious.'

Ms Snook tried to claim her dress was actually blue, but she then agreed to put on a black jacket that was lying around in the newsroom.

'If there's an issue I can just head on out and get back to work. I'm flat chat. I genuinely forgot,' the reporter said as she left her chair to find other clothes.

Despite their incredibly diva-esque row, the pair were all-smiles when they went on air, with Ms Sherlock (centre) grinning as she introduced her colleague

But Ms Sherlock was not finished.

'Fine, jump on out if that's what you'd like to do. Come on, wearing a jacket. I asked you two-and-a-half hours ago. It's not the hardest request.

'I know it's not your issue. But we did talk about it two-and-a-half hours ago.'

Despite their incredibly diva-esque row, the pair were all-smiles when they went on air, with Ms Sherlock grinning as she introduced her colleague - who was wearing the black jacket.
Shocking footage has been released showing the moment two racist thugs mindlessly set fire to a mosque.

The louts initially tried to break into Al Falah Braintree Islamic Centre in Essex by throwing bricks and kicking the door.

But when that failed the pair, believed to be intoxicated at the time, set fire to the plastic corrugated roof on the building's lean to.

Throughout the attack, which was captured on the Islamic centre's CCTV, one of the yobs repeatedly revealed his face when he looked up at the camera.

After starting the fire they fled the scene at around 2.30am on Sunday as melted plastic dripped down and the fire spread.

Two yobs tried to break into a mosque in Braintree, Essex before setting it alight

The centre's secretary Sikander Sleemy said: 'I think they had a drink or were drunk, just by the way they were walking and the fact that the pubs closed just before.

'They passed by and stumbled across to the mosque, or realised it was a mosque, and have had a bit of fun and tried to set fire to the mosque.

'I think the first boy tried to break in but couldn't and they grabbed some rubbish and set it alight and threw it on the porch area on the roof and, because of the weight of the bag, it just burned and came straight through.

'It was burning when one of our taxi drivers was passing. He put the fire out with a bottle of water.

'We are just fortunate they were two drunk guys who didn't know what they were doing and were being stupid.

'Had the bin bag not been as heavy it could have spread across the roof and we could have been looking at something worse.'

CCTV captured clear images of the pair during the racist incident on Saturday night

The pair set fire to a bag of rubbish which fortunately was put out by a passing tax driver

Essex Police is treating the incident as a hate crime.

The attack comes more than three years after construction worker Geoffrey Ryan, 44, approached the centre armed with two knives and launched a smoke grenade inside, hours after the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, London.

He was jailed for nine months after admitting two charges of having a bladed object in a public place and one charge of affray.

Braintree Chief Inspector Craig Carrington, from Essex police, described the latest incident as 'rare'.

He said: 'This is a concerning but rare incident and the impact it has had on the community cannot be underestimated.

'We are investigating the offence and are working with our partners to reassure the community at this time.'

Those who use the centre are thankful the fire did not spread to the rest of the building

Police are hunting the pair and hope someone will recognise them in CCTV images

James Cleverly, MP for Braintree, added: 'This mindless attack on the local mosque is completely unacceptable. The actions of a couple of thugs in no way reflects the welcoming nature of Braintree.'

The fire brigade were called to the scene but by the time they arrived the fire had gone out. They made the scene safe before leaving.

Anyone with information about the incident should call Essex police on 101
The fate of a Chinese boy who was born with a rare birth facial defect has caught the attention of millions.

The child, born in southern China's Hunan Province, suffered from a severe transverse facial cleft, which means there are two huge gaps appearing from both sides of his mouth leading towards his ears.

Due to the deformation, Huikang seems to have two faces, which has caused the media to call him the 'mask boy', a nickname he has had for the past seven years.

Scroll down for video

Heart-wrenching: Huikang, born with a rare birth defect, waited to be treated in 2010

Mother and son: Huikang's mother (left) said she was devastated when she saw her baby for the first time. She took Huikang to a hospital in Changsha to be treated in 2010 (pictured)

Huikang was born on March 4 in 2009 to a humble family of farmers from Zhongsha town in Xiangtan city, according to a previous report by Changsha Evening News.

Instead of the joyful feeling a new mother would have while meeting their baby for the first time, Huikang's mother, Yi Lianxi, said she was devastated.

She said at first the doctors would avoid showing her the baby after Huikang was delivered.

And after she repeatedly requested to see the child, the doctors brought her the baby and 'my whole body felt numb'.

She said to a reporter from Changsha Evening News: 'I saw the child was crying, and I cried too. I felt my heart had broken. Why would this happen to me. '

Yi Lianxi, who was 23 years old at the time of his birth, was not only shattered by her son's birth defect, but also puzzled.

The woman said that she had undergone three ultrasound scans and one Doppler ultrasound scan during her pregnancy. No deformation had been detected.

Huikang's grandmother even said that a lot of the family's acquaintances suggested they should throw away the child, but she said 'how could we do that'.

Living in a traditional and impoverished village in rural China, Huikang's family were teased and looked down upon by their neighbours for the boy's unusual appearance.

The child, born inChina's Hunan Province, suffered from a severe transverse facial cleft. Pictured, he was in No. 163 Military Hospital in 2010

Rare condition: Two huge gaps appear from both sides of Huikang's mouth leading towards his ears. His mother held him during treatment in 2010

Huikang's story was heavily reported in 2010 when his mother took her to the No. 163 Military Hospital in Changsha for treatment.

The press and public expressed an outpouring of sympathy towards Huikang and his family, who struggled with expensive medical bills.

Wang Duquan, a doctor from the hospital, told a reporter at the time that Huikang's condition was extremely rare and very serious.

Dr Wang said: 'Not only his soft tissues were damaged, broken and moved, his temporal bone, cheekbones, sphenoid bone and upper jaw were all damaged.'

With the donations from the public, the child's family were able to afford surgical operations for Huikang in 2010 which reportedly cost some 400,000 yuan (47,200).

On May 19 and September 1, Huikang underwent two operations at the No. 163 Military Hospital.

Dr Duquan, who led the treatment, said in an TV interview with Hunan Public Channel that both operation were successful.

However, he added that Huikang would need to wait for about 10 years to see if his facial bones would grow in a normal way.

In 2010, Huikang underwent two surgical operations at the No. 163 Military Hospital

TV footage at the time showed that Huikang had already looked better after the first operation

TV footage at the time showed that Huikang had already looked better after the first operation.

In the past seven years, Huikang's story and pictures have been widely shared by different Chinese media. Most people were shocked by Huikang's condition and were looking for ways to help the family.

Last month, reports on Huikang's stories appeared again on Chinese-language news websites such as ET Today, after Huikang's pictures had been shared on social media and online forums.

Sadly, there have been no further reports on how little Huikang is recovering.

Reporter Liu Jun, who wrote the story for Changsha Evening News some seven years ago, told MailOnline that he had not contacted Huikang and his family since he visited the boy in the hospital in 2010.

As a result, he does not know whether or not the boy is still suffering from the facial deformation.
A pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage was unaware she lost her baby until a plumber discovered the fetus stuck in a toilet pipe.

Police were called to investigate the grim discovery in the Canarsie area of Brooklyn after a plumber had been working to unblock backed-up pipes.

Officers then established that the fetus had belonged to a woman who had lived at the home on East 83rd Street close to Flatlands Avenue.

Police were called to investigate the grim discovery in the Canarsie area of Brooklyn, pictured, after a plumber had been working to unblock backed-up pipes

According to the New York Daily News, the 38-year-old knew she was three months pregnant but had been suffering from cramps and bleeding.

But despite her symptoms, she didn't seek medical help as she was an undocumented immigrant without proper healthcare provision.

She then told landlord Marie Jacques-Fils about the problem with the backed-up pipes, and she then arranged for her son to send a plumber to the house.

But as the plumber investigated the cause of the blockage, he found the fetus.

Ms Jacques Fils told the Daily News: 'My son called somebody to clean it. He then called me and said he saw something that looked like I chicken.

'When I went down he said "Look!" and when I went downstairs, I said "this is a baby".'

The landlord called 911 but authorities are treating the case as a miscarriage and no charges will be filed.

And although the woman has not been named, the landlord said her tenant was a 'good person' who worked for a school bus company.
A drawing of Francois Courvosier, made after his execution for murder in 1840. The Swiss gentleman servant is suspected of a killing spree in London 50 years before Jack the Ripper

Fifty years before Jack the Ripper terrorised London, another serial killer roamed the streets who was every bit as sadistic but even more calculating, it has emerged.

Francois Courvosier, a Swiss gentleman servant who had emigrated to London, murdered two prostitutes, a watchmaker and a Lord during a three-year killing spree before getting his comeuppance.

The startling discovery was made by true crime historian Dr Jan Bondeson in his book about the brutal murder of Eliza Grimwood, which had remained unsolved for 178 years until now.

His modus operandi was eerily similar to Jack the Ripper - his victims were discovered in a pool of their own blood with their throats slit.

It is likely they would have been more victims had Courvosier not made errors which led to his capture when committing his fourth murder - that of his master, Lord William Russell. He was found guilty of murder and hanged in 1840.

The most notorious accusation comes from May 27, 1838, when Ms Grimwood was found with her throat cut and her abdomen viciously ripped.

The previous night, she had visited the theatre then taken home a client.

The crime sparked outrage and intrigue in equal measure - Charles Dickens was said to be so fascinated by the killing, he took inspiration from it when concocting the murder of Nancy in Oliver Twist.

Crime historian Jan Bondeson has accused Courvosier of being the real killer of prostitute Eliza Grimwood, whose death is depicted in a cartoon in the Newgate Chronicle from 1863. Her death was initially blamed on her lover William Hubbard, but Dr Bondeson claims Courvosier 'confessed' to murdering two prostitutes while in prison before withdrawing the claim, with one believed to be Ms Grimwood

Ms Grimwood was found with her throat cut and her abdomen 'viciously ripped' in her bedroom, having 'taken a client home' from the theatre the night before. Pictured is her death as drawn in the Weekly Chronicle in June 1838

Dr Bondeson has also accused Courvosier of killing another prostitute and a watchmaker, as well as his master Lord William Russell, of whom his murder he was found guilty of in 1840 and was subsequently hanged for. He is pictured, right, here in a cell awaiting execution in a drawing from the People's Police Gazette from July 1840

Detectives at the time believed the killer was Ms Grimwood's possessive boyfriend, bricklayer William Hubbard, who had discovered her in her back parlour, which she used as a bedroom, lying in a pool of her own blood.

But Dr Bondeson is convinced of Hubbard's innocence and is adamant Eliza's killer was Courvosier, who he claims committed three other murders - of prostitute Eliza Davies in 1837, watchmaker Robert Westwood in 1839 and his master Lord William Russell in 1840.

Early in the morning of May 9, 1837, at the King's Arms public house in Frederick Street, the body of 21-year-old barmaid Eliza Davies was found in the landing outside her bedroom.

Her throat had been cut with great violence, without any of the people at the pub hearing anything.

Several witnesses came forward saying that Eliza Davies had been seen with a foreign-looking man.

Just after midnight on June 3, 1839, smoke was seen billowing out from Dr Westwood's Soho house.

This drawing from the Illustrated Police News in 1888 depicts the death of 21-year-old barmaid Eliza Davies, who was killed at the King's Arms pub in King's Cross in 1837 after having her throat cut. Dr Bondeson claims witnesses said she was seen with a 'foreign looking man' that he alleged was Courvosier

Another potential victim was watchmaker Robert Westwood, killed in June 1839, after his throat was cut and his clothes set on fire, drawing the attention of police and firefighters. Dr Bondeson believes Courvosier was responsible. The death is pictured in a cartoon in the Illustrated Police News from January 1889

Police were quickly on the scene and extinguished the blaze, which originated in the downstairs room where Dr Westwood kept guard over his treasures.

On the floor was Westwood's mangled corpse - his throat had been cut with great force and his clothes had been set on fire.

Courvosier was convicted of killing his master, Lord William Russell, pictured in a cartoon from the Cleaveis Penny Gazette from May 1840, and was caught when he gave a hotel landlady a parcel containing the Lord's 'distinctive silver knifes and forks'

On the morning of May 6 1840, Lord William Russell was discovered murdered in his bed at his house in Norfolk Street.

Courvosier was only caught because he gave the landlady of a hotel near Leicester Square, where he used to work, a parcel which contained Lord William Russell's distinctive silver knifes and forks.

She testified against him and he was found guilty of his murder and hanged months later in Newgate Prison aged just 24.

Swedish-born Dr Bondeson, who has written 20 books, has spent the past 10 years dissecting the remaining evidence using contemporary reports.

Also, unusually for this period, he has been able to work from the preserved diary of the police officer who led the investigation.

Through his research, Dr Bondeson has discovered that while in prison Courvosier confessed to the murders of two ladies (who he believes are Eliza Davies and Eliza Grimwood) but then withdrew his confession.

Dr Bondeson is adamant Ms Grimwood's lover William Hubbard, left, was not responsible for her murder. He was arrested after he found her body lying in a pool of blood in her bedroom. The pair are pictured in a cartoon from the Penny Satirist of June 1838

He said: 'Public opinion was that it was Hubbard (who killed Eliza Grimwood). There was an anonymous letter which claimed to be from the client who had been with Eliza that night who said Hubbard had burst into the room.

'To my mind Hubbard is definitely innocent. All his shirts were free from blood, there was no bathroom were he could clean himself off and he had no means of getting rid of the murder weapon.

'Courvosier was known to be very fond of prostitutes. He spent all his money on this means of amusement.

'There was the confession while in Newgate where Courvoisier spoke of murdering two young women of the street, most probably Eliza Davies and Eliza Grimwood.

'He was an organised serial killer unlike Jack the Ripper who was chaotic and fuelled by bloodlust.

Courvosier was hanged, as depicted here in a cartoon from the People's Police Gazette from July 1840, after being found guilty of murdering Lord Russell. He was just 24 years old

Dr Bondeson has published his accusations against Courvosier in a new book, pictured

'In the end, he was too clever for his own good. He had previosuly worked at a hotel near Leicester Square and went to the landlady there to deposit a parcel which contained Lord William Russell's very distinctive silver knifes and forks.

'He took one person too many into his confidence and she testified against him in his trial.

'If he hadn't committed that murder - which I believe was motivated by his hatred of Lord William Russell - he may well have continued his career as a serial killer.'
Dear Editor:

It was not many weeks ago when Al Sharpton, Barbra Streisand and other notable personages said that if Donald Trump was elected president they would leave the country. Well, were waiting!

Their pledge to leave undoubtedly motivated many undecided citizens to vote for Trump. We can only hope that as they depart our beautiful America, they will take with them the likes of Meryl Streep and her fellow travelers.

Americas best hope to realize its full potential is for her citizens to rally behind the Trump agenda joining in a united effort to Make America Great Again."

Terry Walker

Boiling Springs
Raising six children is a hard enough job but Pinky Janota is mom to half a dozen monkeys...and she loves it.

The 53-year-old, who runs an animal sanctuary in Beecher, Illinois, owns three rescued Rhesus Macaques, one Bonnet Macaque and two Marmosets and has named them after cosmetic brands - Maybelline, L'Oreal, Avon and Max (as in Factor).

'I would consider myself a mother to these monkeys. The 'alpha monkey mom',' she said.

She's Mom: Airocolina 'Pinky' Janota with three of the monkeys she treats like her children

Dinner time: Pinky straps one of her 'children' into a high chair to feed it a lunch of fruit

Now that is what I call a healthy lunch: One of Mrs Janota's monkeys tucks into a feast of fruit

She spends her days teaching her monkey kids sign language, feeding them on a high chair, changing their diapers, bottle-feeding and bathing them.

Mrs Janota said: 'Maybelline was sick the other day so it was like any other child. At that point she just wanted to be held.

'We are teaching them sign language. Maybelline has nine words down, the other three are learning slowly.

'We have taught them how to turn the TV off and on. Maybelline likes to play bubble pop on the iPad and they know how to open their cages so we have to put little clasps on the cages.'

'I do communicate with them as far as the discipline goes. If they are being little stinkers with my actions or showing my teeth or grunting at them that shows them that I am the alpha primate.'

Mrs Janota needs eyes in the back of her head to keep track of her six little monkeys

Rosanne Gragas (pictured), who acts as the monkeys' nanny, says: 'It's just like taking care of a baby - getting them up, getting them dressed, getting their diapers changed, their bottles, their breakfast, making them their plates, interacting with them'

Mrs Janota has been running the Settlers Pond shelter for 18 years

Mrs Janota has been running the Settlers Pond shelter for 18 years.

Last year NBC News reported on allegations animals had been mistreated or abandoned at the shelter and that it had been run without a federal license for three years.

She said: 'We do receive criticism about taking the animals in and my only thought and opinion on this is I didn't purchase these animals; I didn't bring them into the United States. They are born and bred right here and people are constantly selling them.'

Mrs Janota said: 'What's it's like being a mum to these monkeys is a job that nobody can fathom and nobody can understand the bonds that you have or what you give up or what you wouldn't do for them.'

The animals may have been imported or bred in the US originally but their owners abandoned them for whatever reason

Mommy knows best: The animals at the shelter have all been brought there after being abandoned by owners in the United States

Some animal rights campaigners have complained about Mrs Janota dressing the monkeys up in clothes
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has told a court that his isolation in prison has caused him to become even more radicalised.

The 37-year-old right-wing extremist, who has been held in solitary confinement since being sentenced in 2012 to 21 years in prison, talked calmly in court before a three-judge panel.

He complained that he had been forced to strip naked in front of prison officials as frequently as five times a day.

Dressed in a black suit and tie, Breivik spoke coherently without emotion, saying he agreed with government lawyers who had warned that the self-proclaimed neo-Nazi had become more radicalised in prison.

Anders Behring Breivik (C) with his lawyers Mona Danielsen (L) and Oystein Storrvik (R) on the second day of the appeal case in Borgarting Court of Appeal at Telemark prison in Skien

'I have been damaged by the isolation ... (and) radicalisation has been a consequence of it,' he said.

'I have not been a little hurt, I have been very damaged.'

Breivik was speaking on the third day in a court case reviewing a government appeal against a ruling that his isolation in prison violates human rights.

Yesterday a government lawyer argued Breivik must be held in solitary confinement because he is trying to spread his ideology from prison - using dating adverts.

On the second day of an appeals case into Breivik's prison conditions, Attorney General Fredrik Sejersted told the court the right-wing extremist, who killed 77 people in twin attacks in 2011, was following the script outlined in his 1,500-page anti-immigration manifesto he published just before his killing spree.

'He has completed the active phase, and now he is working on his project as an ideologist and a writer to create networks,' Sejersted said. 'There is unfortunately reason to believe that Breivik's ideological project is unfolding as planned.'

The killer has considered the possibility of using 'national-socialist dating adverts' as a means of spreading his ideology, since their content is protected under the European Court of Human Rights, Breivik noted in a letter read by prison officials.

Because of European Human Rights laws that say everyone has the right to respect for a private and family life and freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Breivik believes he could place a dating advert to publicise his ideas.

He could also potentially use them to offer up his contact details to other extreme right-wingers outside of jail as part of his bid to form a fascist party.

Anders Breivik is pictured on the second day of the appeal case. The Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Breivik have both appealed the Oslo District Court's judgement

'Basically, I consider the writing of dating adverts such a lame activity that it should be criminalised,' Breivik wrote in a letter to supporters in August 2015 and from which Sejersted read excerpts to the court.

'But in a bid to break the blockade on information at almost any price, I envisage an experiment. Paradoxically, there is no other type of text that is as protected as the publication of a dating advert,' Breivik wrote.

In his preliminary remarks, Sejersted has argued that the strict prison conditions imposed on Breivik are justified by the danger he poses and the need to prevent him from building a network capable of carrying out new attacks.

Sejersted said that the self-proclaimed neo-Nazi continues to spread extremist ideology through voluminous writings.

He added that his correspondence should be monitored, including opening his letters.

During day one of the appeal hearing, Breivik gave a Nazi salute in court.

Dressed in a dark suit, the bearded Breivik stared briefly at reporters while making the salute in the court room at Telemark prison in Skien, Norway - but did not speak.

The 37-year-old right-wing extremist sued the government last year, saying his solitary confinement, frequent strip searches and the fact that he was often handcuffed during the early part of his incarceration violated his human rights.

The government is appealing against a surprise decision by the Oslo District Court, which sided with Breivik's claims that his isolation in the maximum-security Skien prison breaches the European Convention on Human Rights.

The ruling said 'the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment represents a fundamental value in a democratic society. This applies no matter what - also in the treatment of terrorists and killers.'

Extremist mass murderer Anders Breivik gave a Nazi salute in court on Tuesday as the Norwegian government appealed a ruling that he has been treated inhumanely in prison

It also ordered the government to pay Breivik's legal costs of 331,000 kroner (32,000).

However, it dismissed his claim that his right to respect for private and family life was violated by restrictions on contacts with other right-wing extremists.

Launching the state's appeal on Tuesday, Sejersted defended the draconian measures used in holding Breivik, including no contact with other inmates, use of strip searches and handcuffs, as fully justified for an unrepentant far-right extremist.

'There is no violation of his human rights,' he said.

'He has not broken down, he has not expressed remorse, he is proud of what he has done,' he told the court, saying Breivik was ever more convinced of his extreme right-wing ideology.

Sejersted told Reuters that Breivik's letters and other writings showed that he had embraced a more purely Nazi-style ideology in the past two years, shifting from a more home-grown fanaticism.

The gymnasium of the Telemark prison is where the appeal case regarding Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik's prison conditions is being held

Breivik was convicted of mass murder and terrorism in 2012 and given a 21-year prison sentence that can be extended for as long as he's deemed dangerous to society.

Legal experts say he is likely be locked up for life.

He is being held in isolation in a three-cell complex where he can play video games, watch TV and exercise.

He has also complained about the quality of the prison food, having to eat with plastic utensils and not being able to communicate with sympathisers.

The government has rejected his complaints, saying he is treated humanely despite the severity of his crimes and that he must be separated from other inmates for safety reasons.

Breivik had carefully planned the attacks on July 22, 2011. He set off a car bomb outside the government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight people and wounding dozens.

Breivik drove to the island of Utoya (pictured) where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth wing

Breivik drove to the island of Utoya (pictured) where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth wing

Dressed in a police uniform, Breivik then drove to the island of Utoya, about 25 miles away, where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth wing.

Sixty-nine people there were killed, most of them teenagers, before he surrendered to police.

At the time of the attacks, Breivik claimed to be the commander of a secret Christian military order plotting an anti-Muslim revolution in Europe, but now describes himself as a traditional neo-Nazi who prays to the Viking god Odin. He made a Nazi salute to journalists at the start of his human rights case last year.

The massacre shocked the oil-rich, quiet Scandinavian country and many feel Breivik has had too much attention and visibility.
A Chinese family were shocked when they heard their father, whom they thought had died, knocking from inside his coffin, according to Chinese media.

Family members of the 75-year-old, who were preparing the man's funeral, said they rushed to open the coffin which was placed at their home in a village in Sichuan Province.

After waking up, the pensioner asked his stunned son: 'What is happening?'

Back to life: The elderly man (pictured) knocked from inside his coffin on January 8 in China

According to a video report on Pear Video, the incident occurred at the village of Yujing, or 'fish well', in Sichuan Province, in the evening on January 8.

The elderly man had been deemed dead for about eight hours at the time. His family had started preparing his funeral service.

According to his son, Huang Mingquan, the coffin had been opened about two inches when he heard his father struggling and rushed over.

Mr Huang, a farmer, said his father had suffered from esophageal cancer for a long time, and in morning of last Sunday, he found his father had stopped breathing.

The man said during an interview with Pear Video that his father's body had turned cold and he did not move when he shook him

Mr Huang said: 'I had stayed beside him for a few days. Once I realised he passed away, we lifted his body to the entrance of the house.'

The man's body was put into a coffin two hours later.

Scary: The lid had moved for about two inches when his children rushed to open the coffin

We thought he was dead: His son said the man had stopped breathing eight hours before

Upon hearing the man had passed away, his family members hurried to prepare the funeral. A pig was slaughtered and flower wreaths were made.

The video shows that the house was decorated with funeral couplets. A red cardboard house was put outside the Huang family too - Chinese people have the tradition to burn paper items for their deceased relatives to use in their afterlife.

The preparation of the elderly man's funeral were well underway.

At around 5pm, the man's son heard noises coming from inside the coffin. A funeral preparer hired by the Huang family also noticed that the lid of the coffin had moved by about two inches.

Eerie: The man's son (right) heard noise coming from inside the coffin and a funeral preparer (right) saw the lid had moved

All prepared: Flower wreaths had been made and a pig had been slaughtered for the funeral

Feeling strange, they tried to cover the coffin properly. However, several attempts all failed.

Then the family realised it was their father who was preventing them from closing the coffin.

They immediately opened the coffin and discovered that their father was still alive. Moreover, the man was knocking from inside the case, using both of his hands and legs.

Lying inside his coffin, the confused father asked: 'What is happening?'

The elderly man is currently resting at home. His condition is reportedly in a stable condition and is able to respond to questions from the others.
been sleeping in car and not using the toilets available

Uber drivers could be banned from an upmarket high street in Surrey following claims that they have been 'intimidating' and 'leering at' residents.

The taxi firm app was allowed to lease 50 spaces at the car park in Horley last year, after complaints that drivers were urinating in public.

However, the agreement may now be terminated following a petition signed by local residents.

Taxi firm app Uber was allowed to lease 50 spaces at the car park in Horley, Surrey, (pictured) last year. However, the agreement may now be terminated following a campaign by residents

Councillors said Uber drivers have been sleeping in their cars, leaving their engines running and not using the toilets available.

Conservative councillor Christian Stevens said: 'Many of my residents are concerned that the council has provided parking spaces to Uber in Horley's High Street car park.

'This appears to have led to Uber drivers manipulating the car park and in some cases chasing residents off of what is a public facility.

'Additionally, there are reports of drivers not using the portaloos Uber provided, leering and intimidating residents, leaving their engines running, sleeping in their cars and parking in spaces not marked for them.'

Councillor James Durrant said that some residents felt they had been 'chased out of the car park' by the unruly drivers.

Mr Durrant said: 'Although there has been some self-policing by Uber drivers I understand that there are still a number of them who do not park in the designated spaces, leave their engines running or sleep in their vehicles.

'This is against the terms of the contract, I am also concerned at reports of some residents being intimidated or chased out of the car park, this is a public facility and this council will not accept this type of behaviour.'

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council were told that Uber are sending a manager twice a week to ensure drivers were behaving themselves.

There have been claims that Uber drivers have been 'intimidating' and 'leering at' local residents in the neighbourhood (file photo)

Mr Durrant said: 'Our officers have met again with Uber and expressed our concerns in the strongest possible terms.

'Uber drivers found breaking the terms of the contract including parking in non-designated spaces without a valid parking ticket will receive a penalty charge notice.

'Uber are expected and required to maintain the toilet and rubbish facilities used by their drivers. Soiling or littering in the streets or the car park will not be tolerated.'

He continued: 'There's a final option, the council can cancel the contract. Whilst exercising this option would push the problems back into the wider Horley area it has to be considered if this utterly unacceptable behaviour continues.'

Mr Durrant said extra litter bins have been provided, while signs have been put up to make it clear to drivers where they can park.

He added: 'If a person sees an individual carrying out the antisocial behaviour and associates this with a vehicle registration number then please report it to Uber so that they can take appropriate action.'

A spokesman for Uber said: 'We fully agree with councillor Durrant: anti-social behaviour is completely unacceptable and not what we expect from an Uber partner-driver.

'We're putting in place a range of measures to address this and have already reiterated the requirement to comply with the requirements of the car park.
Police are searching for a woman who was reportedly bundled into a car in west London last night.

Witnesses said the woman shouted for help as she was dragged into the vehicle in Feltham at 3:30am this morning.

It is believed a man and a woman were in the car which pulled up in the street less than a mile from Heathrow Airport.

The incident happened near this junction in Feltham, west London early this morning

A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'Detectives from Hounslow CID are investigating a report of a woman being pulled into a car at around 03:30hrs in Staines Road near Shaftesbury Avenue, Feltham.'

The spokesman added: 'It is reported that the woman was shouting for help. She is described as white, and wearing a green coat with a fur trim around the hood. Her age is not known.

'The car, which drove away from the location, is described as a small or medium-sized silver or grey vehicle.

'There may have been a man and a woman inside the car, in addition to the woman who was pulled inside.'

Officers are asking anyone with information to call detectives from Hounslow CID on 020 8247 6157.
Clinton aide Huma Abedin left her wedding ring at home as she made the school run alone Thursday morning, a day after a new report revealed that her estranged husband Anthony Weiner is hoping for a reconciliation.

Abedin, 40, separated from her 52-year-old husband in August, after it emerged that he had sent a photo of his crotch to a woman while the couple's five-year-old son was sleeping next to him.

Nevertheless, Weiner continues to spend a good amount of time at their apartment co-parenting their son Jordan and sources told the New York Post that he is hoping Abedin will call off the divorce.

On Thursday morning, Abedin looked busy on her phone after dropping Jordan off at school. It was unseasonably warm on Thursday, so Abedin went without a coat - wearing only a royal blue dress, a patterned orange silk scarf, fishnet stockings and black pumps.

Scroll down for video

Huma Abedin made the school run alone Thursday morning, the day after a new report said her estranged husband Anthony Weiner is hoping she'll call off their divorce

Abdein went without a coat on the unseasonably warm January morning in New York City

Sources told the New York Post on Thursday that Weiner is hopeful that he will make amends with his wife.

The source said: 'Anthony did a month in rehab and is undergoing further outpatient treatment in New York. He and Huma continue to co-parent their son.

'He is spending a lot of time at their apartment, and lives the rest of the time with his mother.'

The source, however said that the divorce is still on: 'A reconciliation is very unlikely.'

This of course isn't the first time that his sexual misadventures have embarrassed both him and his family.

Huma Abedin announced her separation from Anthony Weiner in August. Weiner is, however, still spending time with Abedin and their son, Jordan, in their Manhattan apartment

Weiner grudgingly resigned from his position in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011 when he accidentally tweeted a nude photo of himself that he meant to send to another woman. At the time, Weiner and Abedin had been married for less than a year.

Then, as he was running for New York City mayor in 2013, more sexually explicit photos were leaked, which Weiner sent to a 22-year-old Indiana woman named Sydney Leathers. That scandal effectively brought his comeback campaign to a stop.

The most recent scandal came happened this past August, when it was revealed that Weiner continued to sex other women. One of the photos obtained by the New York Post shows Weiner laying next to his son in one photo to sent to another woman.

The divorce announcement came after it emerged that Weiner had sent a photo of his crotch to a woman while his son was next to him

That was the straw that broke the camel's back for Abedin, who immediately announced her separation from Weiner in the final months of Clinton's campaign.

'After long painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband,' Abedin said in a statement at the time. 'Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what's best for our son, who is the light of our life.'

A few weeks later, DailyMail.com revealed that Weiner was sending sexually charged texts to an underage girl

DailyMail.com broke the story in September: Weiner carried on a months-long online sexual relationship with the teen during which she claimed he asked her to dress up in 'school-girl' outfits for him on a video messaging application and pressed her to engage in 'rape fantasies'.

The investigation prompted an FBI investigation, during which computers were seized and the discovery of emails led to the re-opening of an investigation into then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton just days before the election.

Investigators found thousands of emails related to the FBI's probe into Clinton's private email server while looking into Weiner's laptop.

In September, DailyMail.com reveled that Weiner was having a sexual online relationship with a 15-year-old girl (left). Despite news of the months-long relationship, Weiner still spends time at his and Abedin's Manhattan apartment in Union Square (right)

Clinton and her husband Bill have since blamed FBI director James Comey's decision to launch the probe, just before the election, as one of the reasons she lost.

Weiner kept a low profile following the shocking revelations in October.

'I have repeatedly demonstrated terrible judgement about the people I have communicated with online and the things I have sent,' he told the DailyMail.com in a statement after his scandal broke.

'I am filled with regret and heartbroken for those I have hurt.'

In October, he sought treatment at an all-male sex rehabilitation center in Tennessee.

He checked himself into The Ranch, a 2,000-acre recovery facility near Nashville, Tennessee, in early October, where he was seen horseback riding. Stays at the facility cost up to $30,000 a month.

The New York Post previously reported that he cut short his rehabilitation for sex addiction at the ranch because he 'ran out of money'.

Abedin and Jordan spend the holiday season in the Hamptons, with her mother Saleha Mahmood Abedin, and sister Heba Abedin. During the same time period, Weiner was seen wandering Manhattan alone.

Meanwhile, Abedin appears to have rebuilt her relationship with Clinton following the scandal.

Abedin and Clinton have reconciled their relationship following the FBI investigation that rocked Clinton's campaign just days before the election

The aide was spotted back at the Democrat's side last month in their first appearance together since the election.

They spent five hours inside the office before Abedin and an unidentified woman walked Clinton to a waiting vehicle and sent her on her way with a box of documents.

The lengthy meeting was an uncomfortable reminder of the final crisis to hit Clinton's campaign, and Huma's role in it. But the five-hour meeting shows that there is no bad blood between Clinton and Abedin over Weiner's role in the defeat.

Prior to her divorce announcement in August, Abedin stood by Weiner through numerous scandals.

In May 2011 a picture of the bulging crotch of a man appeared on his Twitter account; Weiner's response was to lie that he had been hacked.

A week later, he cried as he apologized for lying, and admitted he had had several inappropriate relationships with women online.

But he would not resign - and his wife was standing by him.

The next week yet more selfies emerged. This time he resigned, apologized to his wife - now revealed to be pregnant - and claimed he was seeking treatment for his problems.

It is believed he entered a rehab program in Florida at the time.

In May 2013, Weiner was back running to be New York mayor - and Abedin was at his side.

When another sexting scandal caused Weiner to resign from the New York mayoral race in 2013, Abedin stood by his side

'Look, I've made some big mistakes and I know I've let a lot of people down. But I've also learned some tough lessons,' he said in a campaign video.

For a while, Weiner was frontrunner, far ahead of Bill de Blasio, the awkward-mannered ultra-liberal who is now New York mayor.

But in July there came a dramatic development: screen shots of more sexting that Weiner sent under the alias 'Carlos Danger'.

During Weiner's 2013 mayoral race, he was caught sexting then-22-year-old Sydney Leathers (pictured above)

The recipient was Sydney Leathers, a 22-year-old from Indiana who had never met Weiner.

Once again, Abedin stood by Weiner. This time she did it in public, saying that although he had made 'horrible mistakes, both before he resigned from Congress and after', their marriage was secure.

'What I want to say is I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him, and as I have said from the beginning, we are moving forward.'

Weiner, hardly surprisingly, lost the mayoral race, but that was not going to change his conduct - or his wife's loyalty. Their marriage was increasingly like the Clintons', a cycle of sexual scandal on his part followed by loyalty on hers.

In June 2014, Weiner was back in another collision of sex and twitter, favoriting a tweet which called Tinder the 'ultimate sext machine'. He apologized; Abedin stood by him.

By 2015 it was Abedin who was the couple's leading figure, with her place at the side of the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, profiles in magazines, and a guarantee of a place in a second Clinton White House.

Weiner was at home with their son Jordan, tweeting non-stop, and with little real work beyond occasional media appearances. At one point in the summer of 2015 he took up a job with a PR firm. It ended when some of the partners left in disgust.

A documentary into the mayoral race, titled Weiner (a snap from the documentary pictured above) brought the disgraced congressman's sexting ways back to the forefront of the news last year

Weiner and Abedin were married in a 2010 ceremony during which former president Bill Clinton officiated

Abedin, a constant presence in Clintonworld, was constantly on the road with Clinton but in early 2016 came another distraction from the campaign - this time the Sundance Film Festival debut of Weiner, a documentary of his attempt to become mayor.

It she fresh light on their marriage and many critics noted how it seemed that far from being a Clinton-esque political pact, Abedin was genuinely hurt by the Sydney Leathers episode, wolfing down pizza as she tried to keep her composure.

Weiner reacted to the spotlight as only he can: being caught in a sexting scandal.

In August 2016, he he had sent a picture of himself in bed, clearly aroused, with his son sleeping at his side.

The picture from July 2015 was to a 40something divorcee who replied: 'You do realize you can see you[r] Weiner in that pic??'

The following month, he was caught having a months-long sexual online relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

The US Attorney's office in Manhattan is still investigating Weiner's relationship with the teen.
Francesco Castriotta, 42, is a drug lord known for having a permanent erection

An Italian mafia boss known for having a 'permanent erection' has been arrested after almost seven years on the run.

Francesco Castriotta, 42, nicknamed 'Lord of Coca', fled from authorities while under house arrest in Milan in 2009.

He had successfully used his embarrassing condition, which he claimed was caused by years of cocaine use, to persuade a judge that sending him to jail would be cruel.

He famously cried in court as he spoke about his priapism, a painful erection that lasts for several hours and is usually caused by lack of blood flow through the penis.

Castriotta is said to have held a bag of ice against his groin before the judge conceded that he could be held under house arrest until his trial date. Instead of staying home, Castriotta became a fugitive.

But on Monday he was arrested in Spain and jailed for 21 years for conspiracy to drug trafficking thanks to information passed on by the Italian Carabinieri's Special Operations Group.

Castriotta was found in the Spanish town of El Vendrell (file photo) after his family went to visit him at Christmas

Its believed his whereabouts was discovered after police tracked his mother, father and brother who went to visit him at his rented apartment in Spain at Christmas.

The drugs lord, who was in the nineties considered the top cocaine man in much of Northern Italy, was found in the town of El Vendrell, in the wine-growing region of Penedes.

The Milano Corriere reports that while in hiding he continued to organise cocaine deals from South America to Milan.
A masseur has been sentenced to a whipping and three years jail for indecently assaulting a teenage British tourist in the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu.

Faizal Sintaan, 19, admitted molesting the 18-year-old British woman at a legitimate massage parlour in a shopping mall in the northern Borneo city.

He was ordered to be given three strokes of the rotan - a cane - and he was also sentenced to jail for a further four years for failing to produce travel documents and an identity card, meaning he will not be released for seven years.

Kota Kinabalu - the city in which Faizal Sintaan, 19, indecently assaulted the British teenager

According to the court fact sheet, seen by the New Straits Times, the masseur had fondled the womans breasts and other private areas, as well as kissing her and leaving marks on her neck.

The teenager did not shout for help, police reported, because she was frightened, but she eventually managed to push the man away.

Despite her horrifying experience, the frightened and confused teenager still acted honorably by making a payment at the counter.

But when she told her parents about the incident she agreed to lodge a police report.

Police arrested Sintaan and when it was found that he could not prove his identity and he was charged with offences under the Immigration Act.

Magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie ordered that Sintaan should be whipped and jailed for molesting the Brit - and that he should be jailed for a separate four years for the immigration offences.
A Rebels bikie with the outlaw gang's name tattooed on his forehead is taunting police for using an old photo of him as he evades capture.

Bradley Daniele protested his innocence despite the Adelaide Magistrates Court issuing a warrant for his arrest for failing to appear in court on blackmail charges.

The SA Police appealed for information on his whereabouts with a photo of a clean-shaven Daniele with very short hair and 'Rebels' tattooed above his right eyebrow.

The 23-year-old shared the photo on his own Facebook page and said it was 'a few years old' and mocked police as 'real tough hey'.

Rebels bikie Bradly Daniele, 23, with the outlaw gang's name tattooed on his forehead is taunting police for using an old photo of him (pictured) as he evades capture

Daniele also complained that police were harassing his law-abiding family and told people Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR) officers were 'gonna kick me in' in a lengthy rant

He also claimed police blocked him from their official social media page even though 'i was never abusive or anything'.

Daniele also complain that police were harassing his law-abiding family and told people Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR) officers were 'gonna kick me in'.

'Well the police are at it again, could of (sic) used a recent picture haha wow. By the way i haven't done anything wrong,' he wrote in the lengthy rant.

'They are aloud (sic) to go to my mum's house abusing her about me, speak to her like s**t and than (sic) when someone comes over with a camera they start to speak nicely.

'My mum has never done anything wrong in her life. They also pull my young girl cousin over in my car asking bout me and telling her that I'm a weak scumbag and that, and yes you got it right she hasn't done anything wrong ever either.

He followed up several hours later with a selfie with him standing next to a park wearing sunglasses, inviting police to use it instead

Daniele is a self-confessed Rebels bikies member who frequently wears the gang's colours and makes reference to it in Facebook posts

'Oh and telling people the star force are gonna kick me in.'

Daniele then joked with a friend about seeing if there was a reward for information so they could split it.

The self-confessed Rebels bikies member followed up several hours later with a selfie with him standing next to a park wearing sunglasses, inviting police to use it instead.

'Here is a update (sic) picture you can use lol. Much love to everyone that's been there for me, wont ever forget that,' he wrote.

His Facebook intro section brags about his proud Rebels membership

Daniele also bragged about attending a nightclub while police were looking for him

'I guess life gos (sic) on and I'm sure as hell enjoying life. No one will stop that and to all you judgmental people out there that don't know me f**k use!!!! (sic). Dont hate us cause you aint us.'

Daniele was described as having an olive complexion, and standing about 180cm tall, and weighing 100 kilograms (though Daniele said he now weighs more like 120 kilograms).
The first batch of Hungary's 'border hunters' have been sworn in before they get to work patrolling a razor-wire fence built to keep migrants out.

Members of the border protection officers' new unit attended their swearing-in ceremony in Budapest today, and will undergo six months of training before they go on duty.

The new recruits will support Hungarian police officers and soldiers in border protection, and will be equipped with pistols with live ammunition, pepper spray, batons, handcuffs and protective kit.

Hungarian police were looking to recruit 3,000 of the 'border hunters' who will reinforce up to 10,000 police and soldiers.

New border protection officers attend their swearing-in ceremony in Budapest

The new recruits will support Hungarian police officers and soldiers in border protection

They will work alongside police and soldiers in patrolling a razor-wire fence built to keep migrants out

They are due to start work in May, and will be paid 150,000 forint (424) for the first two months, rising to 220,300 forint (622.50).

Those eligible to sign up must be over 18, physically fit and must pass a psychological test, police officer Zsolt Pozsgai told Hungarian state television in September.

The razor-wire fence the new recruits will be patrolling runs the entire length of Hungary's borders with Serbia and Croatia, where hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed during the refugee crisis.

The border officers will be equipped with pistols with live ammunition, pepper spray, batons, handcuffs and protective kit

Those eligible to sign up must be over 18, physically fit and must pass a psychological test

The razor-wire fence runs the entire length of Hungary's borders with Serbia and Croatia

The fence has been credited with sharply reducing numbers of migrants coming into the country, although footage has shown refugees attempting to climb or crawl under it.

In a referendum in October more than 98 per cent of participants supported Prime Minister Viktor Orban's proposals to shut the country's doors to refugees and reject any EU plans to introduce quotas among its member countries.

However, more than half of the electorate failed to vote, rendering the process constitutionally null and void.
It's not the Cheers bar, but everyone still knew these double daters' names as they ate dinner at an upscale seafood restaurant in New York this week.

Hillary and Bill Clinton were spotted dining with friends Ted Danson and his wife, Mary Steenburgen, at the Estiatorio Milos restaurant in Midtown on Wednesday night.

They didn't stop to chat with reporters, but Danson suggested to TMZ as he walked out that he and his wife paid for the dinner.

Since conceding in the presidential election in November, Hillary Clinton has only spoken publicly three times in Washington, DC.

Scroll down for video

Hillary and Bill Clinton (left) were spotted having dinner with Ted Danson (right) and his wife, Mary Steenburgen, at the upscale seafood restaurant Estiatorio Milos in the Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan on Wednesday

The four braved bad weather to attend a double date at the restaurant. Hillary Clinton has make public speaking appearances just three times since conceding in the presidential election in November

A makeup-free Clinton addressed the Children's Defense Fund's Beat the Odds gala on November 16, telling the audience that it was difficult for her to come a week after her defeat.

'I will admit, coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me,' Clinton said. 'There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again.'

But Clinton did leave the house, as she was spotted several times walking around the woods near her home in Chappaqua, New York, and also in the local grocery store.

Clinton's photos with supporters became such an online sensation that Saturday Night Live parodied them with a skit entitled 'The Hunt for Hill,' with Kate McKinnon playing the elusive former secretary of state, who's being pursued in the woods like Bigfoot.

Returning to DC in early December, Clinton joked about her reputation as a forlorn former candidate roaming the forests of New York.

Clinton spoke at an opening of the US Diplomacy Center, a museum space at the State Department, on Tuesday, her third speaking appearance since the presidential election

She appeared to other times: At the Children's Defense Fund gala a week after Donald Trump won (left) and in December at the portrait unveiling on Capitol Hill for outgoing Sen Harry Reid (right)

'This is not exactly the speech at the Capitol I hoped to be giving after the election,' she said at a dedication ceremony for a portrait of outgoing Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid.

'But after a few weeks of taking selfies in the woods, I thought it would be a good idea to come out,' she said.

Earlier this week, she spoke at an opening of the US Diplomacy Center, a museum space at the State Department.

Clinton, who was joined by the current and two former secretaries of state on Tuesday evening, told the crowd of diplomats - who greeted her with screams and claps - that 'democracy, freedom and rule of law are under attack around the world'.

She also warned that 'authoritarianism and illiberalism' are threatening the foundations of the post-World War II era
One Nation candidate Peter Rogers claims both historic incidents were fake

A One Nation candidate claims harrowing images of a lifeless Syrian toddler washed ashore on a beach, as well as the notorious Port Arthur massacre, were hoaxes.

Queensland candidate, Peter Rogers, penned the comments on both incidents in an blog post titled 'The drowned boy, the lie that changed the world'.

He claimed the images of three-year-old Aylan's body washed up on Turkish beach in 2015 were fabricated, as was Australia's worst mass shooting atrocity, which unfolded in 1996.

'The whole photo thing was fabricated, as it turns out this kid was alive and well,' the small business owner wrote in the post.

Aylan was fleeing war-ravaged Syria in an overcrowded boat when it capsized near the Greek island of Kos. The incident also claimed the life of his mother and brother.

The chilling image of his body sparked furore the world over, driving many nations to boost their intake of refugees in a bid to tackle Europe's migrant crisis.

Rogers cast doubt on what Aylan's father Abdullah Kurdi's purportedly varied accounts of the tragedy, citing various news articles.

Refugee Aylan, three, was washed ashore on Turkish beach in 2015 trying to flee Syria

The bodies of Aylan, three (left) and his brother Galip, five (right) washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach, sparking global outrage

'His story is made-up. He was never on that boat to watch his wife and children drown,' the post read.

'Listen to all the contradictions and holes in his story. This is an attempt to send his wife and children before him, while he never lived in a war zone'

He went on to claim Australia's greatest progress is founded on lies, citing the Port Arthur massacre as an example.

A victim is wheeled off after the notorious Port Arthur massacre, which claimed 35 lives

It is believed he was referencing a conspiracy theory suggesting convicted killer Martin Bryant did not commit the mass murder

'The greatest social changes that happen in Australia are founded on total lies and a fabricated incident. Look at Port Arthur,' it read.

It is believed he was referencing a conspiracy theory suggesting convicted killer Martin Bryant wasn't behind the mass murder. He gave no evidence to support the theory.
Amateur actor James Slattery outside Liverpool Crown Court yesterday after being sentenced for racial harassment

A prankster has been convicted of racially harassing a black woman in a slavery museum in what he claimed was a social experiment.

Amateur actor James Slattery told Sharna Sinclair he 'hated black people' and asked her if her family was 'from a tribe' in footage filmed at Liverpool's Slavery Museum.

After she began to cry, the unemployed builder told her she was being filmed as part of a 'social experiment', adding 'don't worry, my wife is black'.

He claimed he was trying to raise awareness of racism  but horrified victim Sharna Sinclair was 'humiliated' by the incident and called police.

Slattery has now pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Liverpool Magistrates' Court.

The court heard a video of Slattery pretending to racially abuse a black friend at the Slavery Museum on March 28 went viral after being posting online.

In that video Slattery told his black friend: 'It would have been better if the white people were slaves because we actually work better. You were slaves for a reason mate.'

One woman disgusted by what she heard said: 'I don't agree with you. You're being a bigot. Nobody is interested in your opinions - keep it to yourself.'

But Amanda Cullen, prosecuting, said Slattery's group tried the experiment again, on the same day, with 26-year-old Mrs Sinclair as an unknowing participant.

Ms Cullen said: 'The victim, who is a black female, was visiting Liverpool with her husband who is a white British male.

'They were looking at exhibits in the Slavery Museum when they became aware of three males. Male one (Slattery) was white and Irish, male two was black and male three was Asian.

Slattery told Sharna Sinclair he 'hated black people' and asked her if her family was 'from a tribe' in footage filmed at Liverpool's Slavery Museum

'They heard male one saying on a mobile phone, 'Is this a joke? I'm trying to get away from black people and you have sent me to a floor full of them'.'

Ms Cullen said Slattery then turned to Mrs Sinclair and said: 'Can you believe it? My friends have set me up because I hate black people.'

He also said: 'Can I ask you a question, are your family from a tribe?'

Slattery's black friend joined the act by pretending to confront him, which prompted Slattery to say: 'Black c***'.

The court heard a video of Slattery pretending to racially abuse a black friend at the Slavery Museum on March 28 went viral after being posting online (pictured)

The court heard the men came clean after Mrs Sinclair became 'really upset' and said: 'Don't worry, it's a social experiment, we have been filming you.'

Slattery added: 'Don't worry, my wife is black.'

Ms Cullen said: 'The victim felt very upset that she had been used for a social experiment. She felt extremely humiliated by that.'

Slattery was traced after the video of the earlier incident was uploaded by online prankster site Trollstation.

In that video Slattery told his black friend: 'It would have been better if the white people were slaves because we actually work better. You were slaves for a reason mate'

In his police interview Slattery, from Maidstone in Kent, claimed the idea for the stunt came when his black friend was racially abused during a visit to Liverpool.

He told officers he had apologised to Mrs Sinclair and her husband.

The court heard Slattery had a previous conviction for a public order offence relating to a row with a traffic warden  but also had a caution from 2003 for a racially aggravated common assault on his now wife.

Louise Bauress, defending, told the court her client was not racist and had been trying to 'raise awareness' that racism still took place.

One woman disgusted by what she heard said: 'I don't agree with you. You're being a bigot. Nobody is interested in your opinions - keep it to yourself'

She said another video filmed by Slattery, involving a confrontation over public breast feeding, had also been widely shared and was used by colleges in London for educational reasons.

She said: 'He wants to fully apologise to the victim in this case. He never intended to cause harassment or distress. He has intended to cause alarm to the public to see what reaction they would give to the scene that was acted out.'

Slattery was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and told to attend a rehabilitation course with the Probation Service to address his 'thinking skills'.
The British spook in hiding after allegedly producing the Donald Trump 'dirty dossier' is nursing his own secret heartache, MailOnline can reveal.

Christopher Steele, 52, set up his company Orbis Business Intelligence on March 16, 2009 - just six months before the death of his cherished wife Laura, mother of his three young children.

She died in 2009 aged 43, from cirrhosis of the liver after seven years of ill health.

Since then the former diplomat, who has been based in Moscow, London and Paris, has kept a low profile.

But this week, he was unmasked by a US publication as the author of a 35-page document, which alleged that the Kremlin colluded with Trumps presidential campaign.

It claimed that the Russian security services could blackmail the President-Elect with allegations that he paid prostitutes to defile a bed, once slept in by Barack and Michelle Obama.

Now MailOnline has pieced together the extraordinary story of the man, who has spent the past 30 years of his life working in the shadows but has now been thrust into the limelight amidst fears for his personal safety after a backlash from Moscow.

Born on June 24, 1964, the son of Lionel and Janet Steele, Christopher David grew up in Surrey with his older sister Alison, now 55, and younger sister Claire, 49.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in 1987, at the age of 23, and met his future wife Laura, who worked in personnel at the accountacy firm Peat Marwick McLintock, the following year on a double date with close friend and fellow accountant Neil and Lauras boss Sue.

Spook and his late wife: Former British spy Christopher Steele, 52, is allegedly the author into a dirty dossier into Donald Trump. His late wife Laura mother of his three children moved with him to Moscow in 1990. She died in 2009 from cirrhosis of the liver

Monitored: Steele, was posted to Moscow aged 26 in 1990, just months after marrying first wife Laura following a whirlwind romance. Laura complained that the feared Soviet secret police monitored them - and that at one stage a Russian aimed its gun directly at their flat

Russian links: Cambridge graduate Steele, a father of three, who was Second Secretary (Chancery), worked closely with Sir Tim Barrow, now Theresa May's EU Ambassador, in the cramped old British Embassy across the Moscow River from the Kremlin, pictured

Intimidated: Steele's wife, who died in 2009, complained that the Russian secret services kept tabs on them during their three-year spell in Moscow - and even broke into their flat and stole a pair of high heels she was due to wear to dinner

Laura was the daughter of Russian-speaking nuclear physicist David Hunt, who met the Queen after designing a high power laser at Britains Atomic Weapon Establishment.

The pair were introduced by a mutual friend, Neil as part of a double date and they were engaged just eight months later.

Laura's diary of that day 12th April 1988 read - lunch 12.30 Sue, Neil and 'Chris Whatsit'.

Neil recalled: 'I failed absolutely but "Chris Whatsit" was a fast mover - by Christmas he had proposed to Laura and the following July they married.

Soon after their wedding in Lambourn, Berkshire in 1990, the couple moved to Moscow when Steele, then 26, was made Second Secretary (Chancery).

He worked closely with Sir Tim Barrow, now Theresa May's EU Ambassador, in the cramped old British Embassy across the Moscow River from the Kremlin.

It was a momentous time to be in Russia in the aftermath of perestroika and the run-up to the collapse of the Soviet Union when Boris Yeltsin became the first President of the Russian Federation.

'The work was hard, the times were tough and there was constant harassment from the KGB,' said Neil, Steele's best man.

'On one occasion, they even stole Laura's favourite shoes  from their flat - just before an official dinner.

'On the day Yeltsin stood on the tank to proclaim change I rang Laura up. I asked how she was. Characteristically she told me that Chris was fine because he'd been sent on the streets to find out what was going on.

'What about you,' I asked? 'Fine,' she said, and hesitated slightly before saying she was a little concerned about the tank 500 yards away with its large gun pointing at their block of flats!

Moscow mission: The couple's friend, Neil, who was best man at their wedding in Lambourn, Berkshire in 1990, said it was a testing time in Russian and that within 18 months of arriving the Soviet Union had collapsed and the radical changes instigated by Boris Yeltsin were underway

Volatile time: It was a momentous period for the couple in the aftermath of perestroika and the run-up to the collapse of the Soviet Union where there were mass demonstrations and the following year when Boris Yeltsin became the first President of the Russian Federation

'I visited Chris and Laura in Moscow and recall how proud Laura was of her art, her rug collection, her cat and her husband. And definitely in that order!'

After spending three years in Moscow, Steele returned to the UK in 1993 as Second Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He was later promoted to First Secretary. Barrow also returned to Britain as head of the FCO's Russia Section that year.

The Steeles moved to Norwood, south east London, and had their two sons before the couple were posted to Paris in 1998, where Steele worked as First Secretary (Financial). Their daughter was born in France two years later.

'They lived with the boys for a while in Annie Lennox's apartment on rue Bonaparte before decamping to the beautiful village of Bougival up the Seine,' recalled Neil.

'This famously was impressionist country - both Monet and Renoir had lived and worked in their village.'

Their time in France was one of the happiest times in their marriage.

Dirty dossier: Steele is said to have been the former MI6 agent who compiled a dossier on Donald Trump (pictured) to discredit the incoming US President

But it was while they were living in France that Laura first fell ill. The couple moved back to England in 2002, settling first in Epsom, and later in Farnham.

But beset with health problems, Laura died in September 2009 at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, leaving him with two sons aged 12 and 10 and a daughter, eight.

She was interred in a personal vault at Guildford Crematorium the following February, on what would have been her 44th birthday.

At her memorial service, her devastated husband Christopher read the poem She is Gone, by David Harkins, while her father David, penned a tribute himself.

Speaking at the time, her father David, 78, said: 'Laura was a happy outgoing daughter with a wonderful personality.'

Six months before his wife's death Steele set up his company Orbis Business Intelligence, with Christopher Burrows, a former diplomat, who has been posted to East Berlin, Bonn, Athens and Brussels.

Six months before his first wife's death Steele, pictured with a female companion believed to be his second wife Katharine, set up his company Orbis Business Intelligence

Missing: The former MI6 agent was seen fleeing his gated Surrey home (pictured) in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on

Office: Former MI6 agent Steele, who worked in Moscow in 1990, was allegedly commissioned to compile a dossier on Donald Trump through his firm Orbis Business Intelligence, pictured

Since his wife's death, Steele has remarried to second wife Katharine and has kept a low profile. But his life changed the moment he agreed to work for a Washington firm, gathering information on Trump's connections to Moscow.

This week, he was unmasked by a US publication as the author of a 35-page document, which alleged that the Kremlin colluded with Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

It claimed that the Russian security services could blackmail the President-elect with allegations that he paid prostitutes to defile a bed, once slept in by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Oscar Pistorius and his family are confident that he will win his final appeal to serve the minimum jail term for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a friend has claimed.

The South African Paralympic gold medallist, who is serving a six year sentence for murdering model Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013, is said to have a 'positive outlook' about next month's appeal hearing, a source told The Sun.

State prosecutors are challenging Pistorius' latest six year sentence, arguing it was too lenient as it was less than half the 15-years they sought.

Pistorius' family have stood by him throughout his controversial and lengthy legal battle and in August his uncle Arnold shared a photo showing a side to the 30-year-old sport star that is not often seen.

Family photo: Oscar Pistorius is pictured (bottom right) with a beard and glasses in a rare photo of his relatives all together shared by his uncle Arnold (back centre)

A bearded Pistorius is pictured wearing glasses and a shirt alongside Arnold and his aunt Lois, who raised him after the death of his mother in 2002.

His four female cousins, their partners and children are also seen in the smiling family photo.

In November, Pistorius was moved to a 'cushy' jail with bathtubs and a vegetable patch as authorities claimed it was better suited to his rehabilitation.

He was switched to the Atteridgeville correctional centre, on the outskirts of South Africa's capital Pretoria, from the nearby Kgosi Mampuru remand centre.

'The issue is about access to rehabilitation programmes,' department for correctional services spokesman Manelisi Wolela said.

'A remand detention facility has no rehabilitation programme because everyone there is assumed innocent and therefore cannot be subjected to rehabilitation programmes.'

Oscar Pistorius (R) and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp are pictured here together in Johannesburg, February 7, 2013. The photo was taken a week before Pistorius shot her dead at his home in Pretoria

Shamed Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius walked across the courtroom without his prosthetic legs during the third day of his resentencing hearing at Pretoria High Court on 15 June 2016

The South African government confirmed that the former Paralympian had been moved at his request.

Pistorius will be one of the longest serving inmates to be held at Atteridgeville and one of only a handful of prisoners to be convicted of murder.

The jail takes only 'low risk, non-violent' offenders serving sentences of zero to six years.

Although the former track star was convicted of repeatedly shooting defenceless Steenkamp, then 29, through a locked door, he is considered by prison management to be 'low risk'.

The athlete, known as the Blade Runner for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, was treated for wrist injuries in August 2016 but prison services said he denied trying to kill himself.

Pistorius was sentenced to six years in prison in July after being found guilty of murdering Steenkamp on appeal in December 2015.

The track star originally received a five-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, that was upgraded to murder on appeal.

Pistorius says he shot dead Steenkamp by accident after mistaking her for an intruder in his house.

The former athlete's prison transfer came just a month after officials confirmed he had been secretly freed to join his family at a boutique hotel for a memorial service for his grandmother.

He was allowed out of the maximum security prison for four hours, under armed guard, for the celebration of Gerti Pistorius's life last month.

The shamed Olympian was given 'compassionate leave' to attend the event because he was considered 'low risk' by management at Kgosi Mampuru jail.

But as news of Pistorius' leave emerged, reaction appeared predominantly negative amid accusations that the athlete's 'white privilege' and status had led to him getting special treatment.

Cushy: Oscar Pistorius celebrated his 30th birthday at the comfortable Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, in Pretoria, pictured, surrounded by cards and letters from fans

The South African sprinter refused to eat prison food at the Kgosi Mampuru II jail, pictured, amid reports of a 'bounty' on his head at the jail that is home to 8,000 prisoners
She remains jailed on several charges including larceny, battery, grand theft of a motor vehicle and violation of probation

A maid of honor ruined her best friend's wedding last week when she got raging drunk at the reception, tried to steal the best man's car and punched a male guest.

Amanda Willis, 35, looked happy and sober as she posed for pictures during the wedding of her best friend Jennifer Jones to David Butler in Punta Gorda, Florida on January 6.

But the new Mrs Butler says that her maid of honor got drunk just 20 minutes into the reception and ruined the whole affair - eventually ending up hospitalized and then in jail.

'She was a mess. She drank almost a whole entire bottle of Fireball,' wedding guest Robert Templeton told WBBF. Fireball is a brand of whiskey.

Scroll down for video

Amanda Willis (second right) was arrested after getting drunk and causing a ruckus at her best friend Jennifer Butler's (second left) wedding in Punta Gorda, Florida last week

Willis (left), who was Butler's maid of honor, stole the keys to the best man's (right) car and nearly hit him as she tried to leave in the vehicle

The police were called when Willis punched a male guest in the face and he hit her back. She remains jailed on several charges related to the wedding breakdown

Once she was drunk, Willis reportedly started asking guests for their car keys - and eventually stole the best man's when she didn't get her way.

Willis then proceeded to try and drive off in the car, almost hitting the best man himself - David's brother Brian - as he tried to stop her from taking his vehicle.

Wedding guests helped wrestle Willis out of the car, who ended up going back inside to drink even more.

'She went back inside. She grabbed up the big bottle of Captain Morgan and just guzzled it like this,' Mrs Butler said, mimicking the way her friend chugged the hard liquor.

The police were finally called when Willis punched Templeton in the face, and he hit her back.

When the police arrived at the scene, Willis claimed she was having a heart attack and then started to shake as if she was suffering a seizure.

Willis was taken to the hospital, where she continued to misbehave - flashing cops, assaulting two medics and kicking over her bed pan.

Mrs Butler, right with her husband, says she has severed her friendship with Willis

After she was discharged from the hospital, police booked her in Charlotte County Jail where she remains behind bars for charges of larceny, battery, grand theft of a motor vehicle and violation of probation.

This is the ninth time that Willis has been arrested in the county.

Mrs Butler says that she has since severed her relationship with her maid of honor.
Wanted: Rigoberto Arevato Cubias, 30, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador living in California, is being sought after allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl in December

Police in California are on the hunt for an illegal immigrant who is accused of sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl last month.

According to a press release by the Fullerton Police Department, investigators have identified 30-year-old Rigoberto Arevato Cubias as a suspect in the crime of engaging in sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child under the age of 10.

The allegations against the man came to light on December 21 when Fullerton police responded to a hospital about a possible sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl.

Police Sgt Ron Radus tells ABC7 Cubias is an acquaintance of the victims family, and the alleged attack took place at a home in the 1900 block of Deerpark Drive in Fullerton.

Cubias is an undocumented immigrant from the Central American nation of El Salvador and may be in possession of a fake California driver's license.

The 30-year-old fugitive has a prior outstanding $50,000 arrest warrant for a DUI from 2014 under the alias 'Jose Cubias.'

Crime scene: The alleged attack on the child took place at a home in the 1900 block of Deerpark Drive in Fullerton, California (pictured)

He has been known to use multiple pseudonyms, including 'Jose Cubias'; 'Jose Cubais Arevalo'; 'Jose Riberto Cubias,' and 'Jose Alfonso Cubias Arevalo.'

Cubias is described as Hispanic, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 185lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.

Detectives believe Cubias is now aware that he is wanted by police and has ditched his previously owned car and cellphone in an apparent attempt to elude capture.
A man who draped himself in the American flag and jumped over the White House fence on Thanksgiving Day 2015 has been sentenced to three years of probation.

Prosecutors said in a statement that 24-year-old Joseph Caputo of Stamford, Connecticut, was sentenced on Thursday.

He had previously pleaded guilty to entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

Prosecutors say that while on probation Caputo is required to stay away from the District of Columbia and any facilities, sites or people under Secret Service protection.

Caputo's attorney Stephan Seeger called the sentence 'a fair one' in a telephone interview Thursday and said his client was never a threat to the public.

Joseph Caputo, 23, (pictured) was arrested on Thanksgiving Day of 2015 after scaling the White House fence

Joseph Caputo, 23, was arrested on Thanksgiving Day of 2015 after scaling the White House fence and engaging in antic celebrations on the lawn of the seat of executive power.

The Stamford, Connecticut man had initially faced a maximum sentence of one year before the plea deal.

The case stems from November 26 of 2015, went Caputo jumped the 7-foot tall steel fence around the iconic building from Pennsylvania Avenue, wearing an American flag as a cape and clutching a binder between his teeth containing a 're-written' version of the United States Constitution.

Caputo executed the criminal stunt wearing an American flag as a cape and gripping a binder containing his 're-written' version of the U.S. Constitution between his teeth

Caputo was also wearing weightlifting gloves and carrying a pocket guide to the Constitution and a USB drive in the shape of comic book hero Captain America's shield

Caputo charged across the North Lawn toward the White House, but surrendered peacefully when confronted by Secret Service agents, telling them 'I love my country'

Also in his possession were weightlifting gloves, a pocket guide to the Constitution, and a USB drive in the shape of comic book hero Captain America's shield.

Caputo then pumped his fists in an antic victory dance and charged across the White House's North Lawn, but surrendered peacefully when confronted by Secret Service agents.

'I love my country,' Caputo told the agents as they surrounded him, according to court documents. 'I knew I would get locked up.'

Caputo, who had previously discussed publicly his diagnosis with Asperger syndrome, left a suicide note indicating he expected to die in the stunt, the Stamford Advocate reported at the time.

'Death is a natural part of life,' the note read in part. 'Rejoice for those around us who transform into the Force,' it continued, appearing to reference the mystical Jedi religion of the 'Star Wars' franchise.

Caputo's defense team had previously argued that all charges in the incident should be dismissed on grounds that the First Amendment protected his right to free expression, arguments a federal judge dismissively concluded 'border on frivolous.'

The First Amendment does not protect the 'right to express one's self in a nonpublic area like the White House,' U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper wrote.

Just days before his November 2015 arrest, Caputo posed for a tourist snap near the very spot he would scale the White House fence, sporting a beard he shaved off before the stunt

Rather than jail time for Caputo, prosecutors decided to request three years of probation and a ban from the District of Columbia at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Thursday

Caputo is a fan of superhero comics and the Star Wars franchise, frequently posting references to the mystical Jedi 'Force' on social media

Caputo's stunt followed on the heels of several other breaches of White House security.

In 2014, Texas man Omar Gonzales jumped the building's fence while in possession of a folding knife, and was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

Another man, Dominic Adesanya, was arrested three times in 2014 for scaling the White House fence in a reported attempt to discuss spying devices in his home with the president, and was sentenced to one year of supervised release.
Kellyanne Conway refused to say Thursday whether the president-elect believes James Clapper's claim that the dirty dossier leak did not come from the intelligence community.

On the Today show, Conway said that Trump was 'very happy' to receive a call from Clapper yesterday telling him it wasn't his team but declined to take a position or assign one to her boss.

'Very happy that Mr. Clapper agrees with him - that there should be no leaks,' she said in response to Today host Matt Lauer's inquiry.

'I mean why intelligence officials, or other people, are leaking to media, rather than making sure the president-elect and the president, Obama, himself are briefed on sensitive information, I think is really the point here.'

Kellyanne Conway refused to say Thursday whether the president-elect believes James Clapper's claim that the dirty dossier leak did not come from the intelligence community

Trump suggested yesterday that the intelligence community leaked a briefing book containing false information about his sexual conduct and relationship with Russia. It 'would be a tremendous blot of their record if they did that,' he declared.

Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said in a statement last night that the briefing book 'is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product' and said 'I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC.'

Pressed to say whether Trump, who tweeted about a call with Clapper this morning but did not pass judgement on his statement, believes the intel head when he says the document did not come from his team, Conway deflected.

'Mr. Trump was very happy to receive that information from Mr. Clapper, and he has great respect for the intelligence community,' she told Lauer.

Conway said her opinion is irrelevant.

Fill-in host Meredith Vieira ultimately got the senior Trump adviser to say of the president-elect, 'You'd have to ask him what he believes.'

Conway lamented in the interview that the Trump team can't discuss 'private, sensitive information' because it's being leaked 'for political purposes.'

She also claimed that Clapper gave 'no credibility and veracity' to the contents of the dossier, allegedly compiled by the Russians, in his public statement.

What Clapper actually said was that the intelligence community hadn't reached a determination.

'The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions,' the statement read.

The Trump team is calling the document 'fake news.'

President-elect Trump said on his Twitter account this morning, 'James Clapper called me yesterday to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts.Too bad!'

Pressed to say whether Trump, who tweeted about a call with Clapper this morning but did not comment on the veracity of his statement, believes the intel head when he says the document did not come from his team, Conway deflected

Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said in a statement last night that the briefing book 'is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product' and said 'I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC'

Spokesman Sean Spicer reiterated on Fox & Friends that the document 'attempted to look like an intelligence document' but the 'director of intelligence in his statement last night made it very clear that it wasn't an intelligence document.'

'So for folks in the media and others to run with it as if it is gospel truth is patently inappropriate,' Spicer said. 'It was just that, a document that had been circulated around the internet as the director notes in his statement that had been out there for months.'

Trump aggressively denied the contents of the dossier on Wednesday and condemned the leak.

The briefing book claimed he was secretly taped watching Moscow prostitutes perform degrading sex acts.

A Trump tweet Wednesday referenced the leak and asked, 'Are we living in Nazi Germany?'

Asked about it later in the morning at a presser Trump doubled down. 'That's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do.'

Trump aggressively denied allegations that he was secretly taped watching Moscow prostitutes perform degrading sex acts in tweets yesterday morning and at a news conference. One tweet referenced the leak and asked, 'Are we living in Nazi Germany?'

President Barack Obama's press secretary Josh Earnest said later on Wednesday in response to Trump's comparison to Nazi Germany that the president-elect shouldn't be questioning the 'integrity' of the intelligence officials who brief him.

'I think it is deeply misguided for anybody at any level to question the integrity and motives of the patriots who serve in our intelligence community,' Earnest said. 'It doesnt mean theyre always right, but questioning their motives is another thing all together.'

Earnest said the men and women of the intelligence community 'are patriots' who work for the government 'not because the paycheck is large' or to get 'personal glory and credit.'

'Most of the men and women who serve in the intelligence community actually do their work in secret.'

He launched a defense of Trump's briefers, Director of National Intelligence Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, NSA chief Mike Rogers and CIA Director John Brennan, complimenting their 'integrity' at the end.

Among other things, the file, published by Buzzfeed and reported on by CNN, claimed Trump surrogates and representatives of the Russian government exchanged information.

The White House said Wednesday that Donald Trump's assault on the intelligence community for its suspected leak of a dossier that contains dirt on him is 'deeply misguided'

The president-elect issued a categorical denial on Twitter and at his news conference.

'Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

'Russia just said the unverified report paid for by political opponents is 'A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE.' Very unfair!' he tweeted shortly thereafter.

He also attacked intelligence agencies for 'allowing it to "leak"' saying: 'Are we living in Nazi Germany.'

The document claimed that Trump engaged in '(perverted) conduct' at the presidential suite of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow.

It cited 'Source D' as saying Trump's conduct included hiring prostitutes 'to perform a 'golden showers' (urination) show in front of him.' It says the hotel was known to be under the control of Russia's FSB, with hidden cameras and microphones.

'Does anyone believe that story? I'm also very much of a germophobe by the way,' Trump said at a press conference yesterday.

Trump said, 'It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen. And it was gotten by opponents of ours.'

'I told many people, be careful because you don't want to see yourself on television  cameras all over the place,' he said. 'You better be careful or you'll be watching yourself on nightly television. I tell this to people all the time.'

The incident pitted him against the intelligence community once again. Yesterday was the first time he admitted that they were right to pin election-timed hacking on Russia.

He accused intelligence officials of 'maybe' putting out the false report about the Russian dossier.

'Who knows, it may be the intelligence agencies  which would be a tremendous blot of their record if they did that,' Trump said. 'A thing like that should have never been written  and it certainly should never have been released.'

The documents were published by Buzzfeed, which in its own report said they contained errors and could not be verified.

The New York Times and Washington Post both said they had been handed the dossier in the past and did not publish it because they were unable to verify its contents.

Spicer slammed Buzzfeed as a 'left-wing blog' before the president-elect's news conference, saying the report was 'totally unsubstantiated.'

He called it a 'political witch hunt by some in the media' and said it is 'frankly shameful and a disgrace.'
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton splurge nearly $4,000 of taxpayer money on a 'working dinner' that included seven bottles of fine wine.

Mr Dutton hosted an extravagant three-course dinner at the five-star Jefferson Hotel for 10 guests during his three-day visit in Washington DC last February.

Taxpayers paid $36,682 for his trip to the US, including $27,800 for business class airfares for him and his chief of staff Craig Maclachlan.

Mr Dutton and his guests, including his staff and former US officials, were treated to a $360-a-head meal at the fine-dining restaurant.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) splurge $4,000 of taxpayer money on a 'working dinner' that included seven bottles of fine wine

Mr Dutton hosted a dinner at the extravagant Jefferson Hotel in Washington DC last year

They ordered two bottles of Far Niente Chardonnay at $106 ($US80) each, three bottles of Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain Cuvee at $100 ($US75) each and two bottles of Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Blend at $90 ($US68) each.

A spokesperson for Mr Dutton told Fairfax Media the department had organised the dinner during the Five Counties Ministerial Meeting.

'The minister [also] held bilateral meetings with US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and now UK Prime Minister Theresa May, visited the White House and the Director of the CIA and the minister was also negotiating the arrangement with the United States to accept people from Nauru and Manus Island,' she said.

Guests enjoyed Far Niente Chardonnay (left), three bottles of Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain Cuvee (centre) and Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Blend (right)

Mr Dutton and his guests were treated to a $360-a-head meal at the fine-dining restaurant

Documents released under Freedom of Information legislation revealed Mr Dutton and Mr Maclachlan were each given a $2,000 budget for 'meals and incidentals'.

But the cheque for the three-course dinner came to a total of $3,929 ($US2,790) - the exchange rate on February 17, 2016.

While it is unknown what food was served, the menu includes meals such as beeswax poached king salmon, lobster gratin and alaskan king crab leg.

For dessert, diners could order wild flower honey poached pear, Greek yogurt and ginger blanc mange and many more.
Effects of Endosulfan use devastating: SC

Published: January 12, 2017

The Supreme Court has described side effects of Endosulfan, a highly toxic agrochemical (pesticide) as devastating. It has directed Kerala government to release entire Rs. 500 crore compensation to over 5,000 victims in three months who have suffered from various deformities and health complications due to use of Endosulfan in the state. It also asked the state to consider setting up a centre to provide lifelong medical treatment to all the victims.

The major numbers of victims were reported to be affected in Kasargode (Kerala) after Endosulfan was aerially sprayed by state owned company on cashew plantations adjoining habitats where the victims are located. The apex court in 2011 had passed order to ban the production, distribution and use of endosulfan.

About Endosulfan

Endosulfan is a most toxic pesticides having hazardous effects on human genetic and endocrine systems.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2011 added it in list of banned substances and phasing it out as an agrichemical. It is banned in over 80 nations due to its high toxicity.

in 2011 added it in list of banned substances and phasing it out as an agrichemical. It is banned in over 80 nations due to its high toxicity. It is sprayed as pesticide on crops like cotton, fruits, tea, paddy, cashew, tobacco etc. for control of pests in agriculture such as whiteflies, aphids, beetles, worms etc.

Hazardous effects: In case of humans it causes delayed reproductive development, autism, bioaccumulation, endocrine disruption (stunting of hormones), long-range contamination, neurotoxicity, long-range contamination and sensory Loss.

In case of humans it causes delayed reproductive development, autism, bioaccumulation, endocrine disruption (stunting of hormones), long-range contamination, neurotoxicity, long-range contamination and sensory Loss. It blocks the inhibitory receptors of the Central Nervous System, disrupts the ionic channels and destroys the integrity of the nerve cells. The spraying of endsosulfan also destroys biodiversity of the area.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2017

Topics: Endosulfan  Environment  National  Public health

Latest E-Books
Donald Trump may be barred from appointing his family members to any official cabinet positions, but it seems he has found a way to guarantee them all a role in the White House.

Multiple reports have emerged claiming that when Trump takes office next week one of the many changes he will make is renaming the Office of the First Lady.

That will now become the Office of the First Family, a move that seems to strongly suggest that Ivanka will be taking some sort of role in the White House after she and her family move to Washington DC.

It was first reported last month by CNN that Trump transition aides had begun planning for an Office of the First Family in the East Wing of the White House, in the same place where First Lady Michelle Obama and her staff have worked for the past eight years.

The plan to change the name of the office was reported again by Fox News on Wednesday in a segment examining the possible dual roles Ivanka and the official first lady, Melania Trump, might play in the administration.

The Trump team disputes these reports however, telling DailyMail.com they are completely false.

Scroll down for video

Growing operation: Multiple reports claim that the Trump administration will be turning the Office of the First Lady into the Office of the First Family (l to r: Donald Jr., Eric, Donald, Melania, Tiffany and Ivanka trump in October)

Coming on board: That move suggests that Ivanka will likely take on a role in the White House once she has finished settling her family into their new home in Washington DC (Ivanka and her father on election night)

Meanwhile, there has been no word yet on who the key employees in that office will be, despite the fact that in past administrations it has been the transition team that announces who will be filling the major posts.

After President Obama's victory 2008, the incoming first lady and transition team announced who the senior members would be in late November and early December, well over a month before the inauguration.

Michelle Obama then worked with her staff on events she would attend and host in and around her husband's swearing in ceremony.

The first lady has been given a staff in the White House for the past 115 years, with Theodore Roosevelt's wife Edith being the first to bring in help when she hired a White House Social Secretary.

The number of staff hired by the first lady slowly grew over the years, with Eleanor Roosevelt adding a personal secretary to the staff and Jacqueline Kennedy a press secretary.

Michelle Obama with first social secretary Desiree Rogers, who was appointed to her post in November 2008, two months before the inaguration

By 1977 the staff had grown to the point that Rosalyn Carter began to officially refer to the first lady's staff as the Office of the First Lady.

The 2016 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff showed that Michelle Obama had at least 15 employees working for her who made combined salaries of $1,273,969.

The salaries of the first lady's staff are paid for by taxpayers, while the first lady herself receives no salary for her job as the official White House hostess.

In 2016, the first lady's senior staff members included her chief of staff, senior advisor, director of communications, director of strategic planning, director of special projects, social secretary and press secretary.

It is unclear if the change in the name of the office will result in more staff being hired under the Trump administration, as not appointments have been made at this time.

Ivanka has yet to officially reveal what her plans are once her father takes office, but did say on Wednesday that her first priority once she moved would be to settle her family into their new residence while her husband Jared Kushner begins his new job as a senior advisor to her father, for which he will not be paid.

She has already busied herself working behind the scenes by phoning members of Congress in an attempt to rally support tax-free childcare accounts and childcare deductions for families making under $500,000 a year.

Trump's oldest daughter also confirmed on Wednesday that she had stepped down from her senior position at the Trump Organization and put her eponymous fashion brand in the hands of the chief brand officer for the company, Abigail Klem.

The decision of the married mother-of-three to step down from her jobs seemed to confirm the long-held belief that she will be performing some of the duties which are normally assigned to the first lady while her father is in office.

She will certainly be the most visible first daughter that has ever been in the White House, and a source close to the family tells DailyMail.com that she is taking that role 'very seriously' at this time.

'She want to be respectful,' added the source.

Melania has made it very clear since the election that she plans to spend a majority of her time in New York City after husband is in office, taking care of their 10-year-old son Barron and allowing him to finish the school year.

This would mean that Ivanka could be the one hosting state dinners and meeting with foreign dignitaries and officials while also travelling the country for appearances and speaking engagements.

Priority: Melania Trump, the incoming first lady, has said she will spent a good deal of her time in New York City with her son Barron when Donald takes office (Melania, Donald and Barron in July at the RNC)

Mr and Mrs Kushner go to Washington: Trump announced on Monday that his son-in-law Jared would be one of his senior advisors (Jared and Ivanka above In November at Trump Tower)

Melania will however be the actual first lady, and in November met with Michelle Obama to discuss the role while also revealing that she was champion bullying as her cause once her husband took office.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday last month, Donald made it very clear that he wanted his daughter to be involved in some capacity with his administration, saying she and husband Jared were 'two very talented people' and that his team was looking over the legal restrictions.

'I would love to be able to have them involved,' said Donald.

'If you look at Ivanka - she's so strongly, as you know, into the women's issues and childcare ... Nobody could do better than her.'

It was announced on Monday that Kushner would be an adviser to the Trump after months of speculation about what role he would take in the White House.

Son-in-laws fall under the anti-nepotism laws, but since Jared has said he will not take a salary that should not be a problem as an appointee in violation of the rule is 'not entitled to pay.'

Just like his wife, Jared stepped down from his jobs as chief executive of Kushner Companies and as publisher of the Observer while also ridding himself of his holdings in the media company as well as interests in a venture capital form and one of the buildings he owns in New York City at 666 Fifth Avenue.

A lawyer for Jared confirmed that both husband and wife had taken the necessary steps to avoid any conflicts of interest and said in a statement after Jared's appointment on Monday: '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.'

Passing the torch: Ivanka confirmed on Wednesday that she had put her eponymous fashion brand in the hands of the chief brand officer for the company, Abigail Klem (above)

Big changes: Ivanka will likely be moving with her daughter Arabela, and sons Theodore and Joseph in the next week

New digs: The Trump-Kushners will be staying in a $5.5million home in the city, though it is unclear if they are renting or bought the property (above)

No two people played a bigger role in getting Donald elected this past November than Ivanka and Jared, who despite their young age and lack of experience are now two of the most powerful people in American politics.

The couple, unlike campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and strategist Steve Bannon, were with Donald from the day he announced his plan to seek the Republican nomination in June 2015 to the night of his victory, and their opinions have always appeared to be the most valued to the president-elect.

There have also been numerous indications over the past few weeks that both Jared and Ivanka would be taking roles in the White House.

The most notable of these was the news last week that the family would be moving into a $5.5million home in the District's Kalorama neighborhood.

It is unclear however if the couple bought the six-bedroom residence or will just be renting the home, which was sold just before the holidays to an unknown buyer.

The Trump-Kushners will now be just two blocks away from the home of Barack and Michelle Obama, who are moving to the neighborhood after next week so that their younger daughter Sasha can finish high school in the city.

Handover: Trump's lawyer Sheri Dillon stated that the president-elect would be putting control of his multi-billion dollar business with his two sons on Wednesday (l to r: Eric, Ivanka, Donald and Donald Jr.)

New son: Trump will not be able to speak about business dealings with his sons, but will be advised in the White House by Kushner (above with Steve Bannon in December)

The Trump Organization meanwhile will be run by her two oldest brothers, Donald Jr. and Eric.

Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric were the only three members of the family who were present on Wednesday for their father's first press conference, during which he revealed his plans for the future of the company once he starts work in the Oval Office.

Trump's lawyer Sheri Dillon stated that the president-elect would be putting control of the multi-billion dollar business in the hands of his two sons and longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.

What Dillon described as the 'wall that we are building between President-elect Trump and the Trump Organization' was later criticized by the Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.

'I need to talk about ethics today because the plan the President-elect has announced doesn't meet the standards that the best of his nominees are meeting and that every President in the past four decades has met,' said Walter M. Shaub Jr.
The wife of convicted murderer Robert Xie will continue to defend her husband's name, despite a jury finding him guilty of killing five of her relatives as they slept.

Kathy Lin wept openly in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday as the guilty verdict was read out, with her husband declaring his innocence one last time before being carted back to Silverwater Jail.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, Ms Lin said her husband was a 'loving father' who could never have killed her family as he 'loved them so much'.

Kathy Lin, wife of convicted murderer Robert Xie, will continue to defend her husband's name despite a jury finding him guilty of killing five of her relatives

Ms Lin said her husband was a 'loving father' who could never have killed her family as he 'loved them so much'

Xie was found to have brutally murdered his brother-in-law Min Lin, Min's wife Lily, their two young kids, and Lily's sister Irene. The pair are pictured together after Xie was granted bail in 2015

'This has destroyed my family  we were just a simple, happy family,' she defiantly told the publication.

'I know who my husband is and I know he had a good relationship with my parents, my brother and my brother's children  he loved them so much.'

Xie was found to have broken into his brother-in-law's home in North Epping, Sydney, in the early hours of July 18, 2009 - just hours after attending a 'normal' Friday night dinner with his extended family.

At the house, Xie disconnected the electricity before making his way upstairs in the dark.

He then used a hammer-like object to inflict horrific head injuries on his newsagent brother-in-law, Min Lin, 45, and his wife, Lily, 43, as they lay in their bed.

He did the same to Lily's sister, Irene, 39, in the next room.

Blood splatters revealed a furious struggle took place in the third bedroom occupied by Xie's nephews.

But Henry, 12, and Terry, 9, still suffered the same shocking fate in the family home.

Victims: Min Lin, 45, and Lily Lin, 43 were killed after being bludgeoned with a 'hammer-like object' by Robert Xie

A furious struggle took place in the bedroom of his young nephews Terry (left) and Henry (right) - but both were killed by their sinister uncle

Irene was the fifth member of the family to suffer a horrendous fate at Xie's hands, the jury found

TIMELINE OF MURDER CASE July 18, 2009: Five members of the Lin family are found dead in their North Epping home May 5, 2011: Robert Xie is arrested and charged with five counts of murder December 19, 2012: Xie is committed to stand trial July 22, 2013: Trial delayed to March August, 2014: Second trial begins, but is aborted due to judge's health issues February, 2015: Third trial begins, but jury is unable to reach a verdict after ten months December 8, 2015: Xie is granted bail June, 2016: Retrial is commenced in Sydney January 12, 2017: Xie is found guilty of five murders Advertisement

'This was a well-planned crime of a personal nature, by a single person who has carefully improvised a murder weapon,' prosecutor Tanya Smith said.

But Ms Lin, who has firmly stood by her husband since his arrest in 2011, claimed police initially believed the horrific crime had to have involved multiple people.

'In the early stages of the investigation, the police believed there was more than one person involved. No one could have done this by themselves. Not one person did this,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

Just days after the gruesome murders, Xie and Kathy Lin made an emotional public plea for information to help solve the terrible crimes.

They asked that media not show their faces because of concerns for their own safety.

Xie said he couldn't imagine any reason why anyone would want to harm the family, describing his dead brother-in-law as a 'very nice, hard-working, friendly person'.

LIN FAMILY HOME: This is the home where Robert Xie killed five members of his wife's family

Outside of court, Min Lin's parents wept in relief after the guilty verdict

The former ear, nose and throat specialist, who was arrested in May 2011, faced two aborted trials and a third lasting nine months which resulted in a hung jury.

As the majority verdict was handed down on Thursday, an emotionless Xie told the court he did not murder the Lin family.

'I am innocent,' he told the jury as he left the court.

Outside of court, Min Lin's parents wept in relief after the guilty verdict. 'We are happy,' they said to reporters, while holding framed photos of their lost loved ones.
A drink driver busted at more than three times the blood alcohol limit and with an unrestrained toddler in the front seat of his car has been released after spending almost two months in jail.

Wayne Pearson, 43, pleaded guilty to a string of 18 driving, fraud and robbery offences in Southport Magistrates court on Thursday over a six-month spree last year.

The most serious of those related to the high-range drink driving charge, where police claimed a toddler was standing up in the front seat of the car when he was stopped.

Wayne Pearson was busted adrink driving with an unrestrained toddler in the front seat of his car

The court heard the father of two had suffered from a relationship breakdown last summer, and magistrate Kay Philipson surmised his life had 'spiralled out of control'.

Along with the driving charges, Mr Pearson admitted to stealing more than $1500 worth of petrol and gas in nine separate robberies as he lived out of his Landcruiser.

He was also twice caught on low-range drink driving in October, when he was also arrested for obstructing police and driving while on a disqualified licence.

He was sentenced to a total of nine months' imprisonment but released on parole after spending 57 days in custody.

He was also disqualified from driving for a further two years.
Duffy's lawyer argued he had suffered enough and should avoid jail

She read a tearful victim's impact statement at his sentencing hearing

Roberts' mother Kerry wants Duffy jailed not a 'slap on the wrist'

A distraught mother wants her daughter's former boyfriend jailed for supplying the ecstasy pills it's believed killed her.

A tearful Kerry Roberts told a Sydney magistrate she didn't want Jordan Duffy to get 'a slap on the wrist' for giving her daughter Janie Panton Roberts, 21, three MDMA capsules at a music event last June.

'If he's supposed to love her, why would you give her something like that?' she said during an emotional victim impact statement at Duffy's sentence hearing on Thursday.

'I hope it never happens to somebody else, and I don't want him to get community service, I want him to get jail.'

Scroll down for video

Janie Panton Roberts, 21, died after taking three MDMA tablets supplied by her boyfriend Jordan Duffy, 19, at a gig in Sydney

Wiping her eyes with a tissue, the heartbroken mother said she found out about her daughter's death on the news.

Duffy had repeatedly apologised to her at the funeral but she was unable to forgive him.

'He supplied my daughter with drugs that led to her death... he put them in her hand,' she said.

'He must have known... did it even cross his mind there is every chance that she might die?'

The Newtown Local Court heard Duffy, 19, arranged the ecstasy several hours before he and Ms Roberts attended an event at the Petersham Inn in Sydney on June 4.

A tearful Kerry Roberts told a Sydney magistrate she wated Duffy jailed instea dof getting 'a slap on the wrist' for giving her daughter the drugs that killed her

The Newtown Local Court heard Duffy, 19, arranged the ecstasy several hours before he and Ms Roberts (pictured) attended an event at the Petersham Inn in Sydney on June 4

Prosecutor Skye Stromquist said once at the club Duffy bought seven MDMA pills from a man and gave three to Ms Roberts - a 'significant amount'.

The next morning Ms Roberts became ill and died before paramedics could arrive.

Duffy pleaded guilty to one count of supplying a prohibited drug.

A statement of agreed facts tendered in court outlined how Roberts started vomiting when she returned home from a party at the Petersham Inn.

The couple arrived at the Petersham Inn shortly before 9pm on June 4.

Duffy (L) outside Newtown Local Court for his sentencing hearing on Thursday

At about 10.30pm a work colleague of Duffy's, who had invited him to the party, arrived and supplied him with seven MDMA capsules throughout the course of the night.

The facts state Duffy had four himself and gave three capsules to his girlfriend 'without financial gain.'

The pair left the party at 2.30am before Ms Roberts vomited both outside the venue and when they got home to an Addison Road unit at 3am.

When his girlfriend fell asleep Duffy left the house. He returned home at 5.30am to find her still asleep, he told police.

Duffy saw his girlfriend 'gasping for air' when he woke up at 8.45am on June 5, according to the facts.

He yelled out to a friend who was sleeping in the lounge room. The friend then ran to a cafe to borrow a phone to call an ambulance.

Duffy performed CPR on Ms Roberts while he was waiting for the ambulance, but when paramedics arrived she could not be revived

A memorial for Ms Roberts set up after her death from the three MDMA pills

In a letter to the court Duffy said he felt 'numb' and thought about his dead girlfriend constantly.

'That morning haunts me every day and I wish I could change my actions,' he wrote in the letter, quoted in court by his lawyer Arjun Chhabra.

'It feels like a heavy cloud of guilt is always following me.'

Mr Chhabra said since the tragedy Duffy has given up drugs, moved back home and wants to retake his HSC next year.

He had suffered enough punishment and should be discharged without a conviction, the lawyer argued.

'He lost his best friend, he lost the love of his life. She died in his presence in their bedroom,' Mr Chhabra said.
Advertisement

Heathrow Airport has been slammed for axing 80 flights in advance as the Big Chill sweeps across the country.

The cancellations have come before any snow has even hit London today, despite spending 36million on vehicles and equipment to beat weather disruption at the airport six years ago.

Heavy snow was lying across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of the north of England by this morning.

While Heathrow cancelled 80 flights in anticipation of snow, only four flights were cancelled at Gatwick Airport and no services were axed at London City Airport.

Heathrow Airport has been slammed for axing 80 flights in advance as the Big Chill sweeps across the country

The cancellations have come before any snow has even hit London today, despite spending 36million on vehicles and equipment to beat weather disruption at the airport six years ago

While Heathrow cancelled 80 flights in anticipation of snow, only four flights were cancelled at Gatwick Airport and no services were axed at London City Airport

British Airways alone has already cancelled 60 departures and arrivals, including multiple flights to Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Geneva, Madrid, Milan and Rome.

A Heathrow Airport spokesman said: 'The latest forecast is for snow this afternoon, which will reduce the number of aircraft able to take off and land each hour.

'Alongside our airline partners and NATS, we have taken the decision to reduce the flight schedule on Thursday to allow airlines to rebook passengers onto un-allocated seats ahead of time where possible.

'We advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport. We apologise to those whose travel has been affected.'

Many people took to Twitter to hit out at the airport's pre-emptive cancellations.

Ron wrote: 'BA cancelling flights from Heathrow as it may snow later. What the hell is wrong with these people. What do they do in Canada then?'

Another user said: 'How can Heathrow cancel hundreds of flights already for today - not a spot of snow yet?'

Parizian Zee posted: 'Gotta love this place. The *rumour* of snow is enough to cancel flights at Heathrow. Not *actual* snow, just the *rumour* of it. Incredible.'

And JH WFC added: 'S**t, there is snow in Fife. Quick, cancel the flights departing and arriving at Heathrow #britishlogic'

Pictures emerged today of empty check-in areas at Heathrow Airport due to the cancellations.

The airport is attempting to avoid scenes of December 2010, when the terminals were jam-packed and overcrowded.

Passengers were forced to camp out in departure lounges as workers tried desperately to clear the runways.

An official report has declared that passenger 'distress' at Heathrow during the cold snap in December 2010 was caused by the 'initially ineffective' response to the snow of the airport operator.

BAA, who owns the London site, was responsible for the confused and contradictory messages that ultimately caused incorrect signals to go to airlines and passengers, the report said.

In response to that, airport bosses spent 50million on de-icing and snow clearing equipment to avoid similar weather disruption.

An official report has declared that passenger 'distress' at Heathrow during the cold snap in December 2010 was caused by the 'initially ineffective' response to the snow of the airport operator

In the end, a total of 36m was spent on 130 snow clearing vehicles and removal equipment and increased their support staff from 117 per shift in 2010 to 510 in 2013.

The vehicles and equipment included, 34 tractors, 16 Gator plough sweeps, 15 runway sweepers and three snow blowers.

Despite all the money spent on new equipment, the airport still felt the need to cancel flight in anticipation of forecast snow.

A Heathrow spokeswoman told MailOnline that its flight schedule is 98 per cent full and cancellations were needed for runways to be gritted and cleared in the vent of snow.

Around 1,350 flights take off and land from the two runways - making it one of the busiest airports in the world.

Passengers were forced to camp out in departure lounges as workers tried desperately to clear the runways

In comparison, in the winter, Gatwick 326 flights today and London City has around 300.

Gatwick Airport advised passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline and apologised for any inconvenience.

A spokeswoman said: 'As a result of the forecast of snow and ice today, some route restrictions have been put in place by air traffic control that may cause some delays and cancellations to flights.'

British Airways (BA) flights were among those affected at Heathrow.

A BA spokeswoman said: 'We're sorry that some of our customers' travel plans have been affected due to the forecast snow at Heathrow, which will lead to a reduction in the number of aircraft which can land or take off from the airport.

'For safety reasons, Heathrow Airport, air traffic control and all airlines have agreed to operate a reduced schedule to help mitigate the effects of the snow which is likely to fall throughout Thursday afternoon and early evening.

'We are refunding or rebooking any affected customers onto alternative flights so they can continue their journeys as soon as possible.

'Customers on some flights can also choose to travel on alternative dates even if their flight is still scheduled to operate.'

The airline advised customers to check the BA website for the latest information.

London City Airport has had no issues with the weather today, but say they are fully prepared for the snow which is forecast to hit the British capital.

A spokesman told MailOnline: ' London City Airport makes every effort to clear snow and ice from airside areas in the event of adverse wintery conditions.

'There are 6 vehicles available for de-icing, with a minimum stock of 50,000 litres of de-icing fluid on-site, along with 7 snow sweepers.

'Up to 17,500 passengers use London City Airport per day, with around 300 flights departing and arriving in total.'

The Met Office has issued yellow 'be aware' warnings of wind and snow for Scotland on Thursday, warning of gusts of up to 60mph in places and 4in (10cm) to 8in (20cm) of snow on higher ground.

The warnings also extend to northern parts of England as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, where thick snow blanketed Coleraine and Ballymena.

The weather has affected ferry services, with Caledonian MacBrayne warning of 'heavy disruptions'.

Northlink ferries and Orkney Ferries also warned disruption was likely due to the weather.

Heathrow Airport has been forced to cancel 80 flights as the adverse weather reached the South East. Pictured is an infographic from the airport on the winter policy

The Met Office described the weather as a 'real taste of winter' caused by a polar airmass, which originated over northern Canada, spreading south across the UK.

They said the heaviest and most frequent snow showers are likely across northern and western Scotland, Northern Ireland and around Irish Sea coasts, but eastern coasts will also be affected in the coming days.
A brand new birthday present saved the life of one snowboarder, whose terrifying ride through an avalanche was captured on his helmet cam.

Tom Oye, 29, may not have lived to tell the tale of his terrifying near-death experience if it wasn't for the inflatable backpack his family recently bought him.

Oye was shredding the fresh powder in Whistler, Canada when suddenly cracks cut through the snow.

The video captured the terrifying moment Oye realized the ground was about to fall out from underneath him.

Scroll down for video

The terrifying moment snowboarder Tom Oye was caught in an avalanche was captured on his helmet camera

The screen on Oye's helmet camera suddenly fills with white as he descends through the avalanche and opens up his inflatable backpack, which likely saved his life

'Oh s***,' the snowboarder exclaims.

Oye then brings his knees to the snow as he opens up his inflatable backpack, which helps to keep boarders at or near the snow's surface during an avalanche.

The screen on Oye's helmet camera suddenly fills with white as he descends through the avalanche.

Oye's heavy breaths can be heard in the terrifying footage before the sky suddenly appears, the sun once again shining down on him.

Oh s***, he says again, realizing he is safe.

One of his friends then comes sliding down the mountain, clearly shocked.

Holy f*** bro, you okay? he asks Oye.

Yeah, Im fine, Oye says calmly. That was uh, that was a little scary,' he then says, putting it lightly.

Oye's heavy breaths can be heard in the terrifying footage as the backpack keeps him near the snow's surface for safety

Suddenly the sky appears and the sun shines bright again and we know Oye is safe

One of his friends then comes sliding down the mountain, clearly shocked as he yells, 'Holy f*** bro, you okay?'

Another friend then comes through, also screaming Holy f***! as he realizes Oye is okay.

You okay? the friend asks.

Yeah, yeah Im alright, Oye says.

The incredible helmet cam video has already gone viral, racking up more than one million views in less than a day.

But Oye's family is just glad he's okay.

Marlene Oye, Tom's grandmother, revealed the family gave the backpack to the boarder during his recent visit back home to Adelaide, Australia.

'It was a lot of money, but, my God, it saved his life,' she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Marlene Oye, Tom's grandmother, revealed the family gave the backpack to the boarder (pictured) during his recent visit back home to Adelaide, Australia

Inflatable backpacks tend to cost around $1,000, but Marlene said 'it could have been a million dollars but it would have been worth it'.

Marlene said she has seen her grandson pull all kinds of crazy stunts, but was still shook up when she saw the footage.

'Having seen him come off motorbikes and that sort of thing, you know, you're a bit prepared I guess,' she said. 'But it was a bit scary.'

Marlene revealed that Oye used to be an Enduro bike rider, a type of mountain bike racing that she said gave the family 'enough frights'.

'He's been a very lucky young man,' she added, noting that Oye broke his leg in the snow 18 months ago.

'The gods smiled down upon him.'
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has split from her partner of nine years - just five months after they got engaged.

The 35-year-old broke up with fiancee Louise Riddell over the Christmas holiday.

Ms Dugdale only publicly revealed she is gay in April last year during the Scottish Parliamentary election campaign.

Kezia Dugdale, right, broke up with fiancee Louise Riddell, left, over the Christmas holiday, it was revealed today

The pair, who have been together since 2008, exchanged rings while on holiday in Port de Soller, Majorca, in August.

A spokesperson for Scottish Labour confirmed the pair had split up.

A Labour spokesman said: 'Kezia and Louise have separated and request that their privacy is respected.'

Ms Dugdale met Ms Riddell, one year her junior, at a house party in 2008 and five years later they bought a flat together in Edinburgh.

Announcing their engagement in August, Ms Dugdale said: 'I am utterly thrilled to be marrying the love of my life and we can't wait to start planning.

Ms Riddell, a lecturer at Edinburgh College, took to Twitter to share a photograph of their rings taken while on holiday, left, and right, the pair are pictured together at September's Labour party conference in Liverpool

Kezia Dugdale announced her engagement with Louise Riddell on Twitter in August

Scottish Conservative leader Rith Davidson was among those offering congratulations

'We hope this news brings a smile to a few people's faces and we'll certainly be toasting all those campaigners and activists who made marriage equality possible.'

Ms Riddell, a lecturer at Edinburgh College, took to Twitter to share a photograph of their rings taken while on holiday.

She wrote: 'She put a ring on it.' Both rings were purchased from Glasgow jeweller James Porter and Son.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson were among the first to congratulate the pair on the news in August.

Ms Dugdale took over as leader of Scottish Labour following the party's wipe-out in the 2015 General Election.

Labour was left with just one MP in Scotland and Ms Dugdale failed to stop the party's downward spiral and was humiliated last May when the Tories overtook Labour as the official opposition in the Scottish Parliament.
A woman who was supposedly abducted in South Africa by kidnappers who demanded a 10million rand (600,000) ransom has admitted faking the whole thing to see if her family loved her.

South African police spokesman Captain Lance Goliath said Shannon Lawrence's husband reported her missing on January 7, three days after she went shopping at the Town Centre Mall in Mitchells Plain, near Cape Town.

Lawrence's daughter received a WhatsApp message from a mystery phone which demanded the family come up with the huge ransom if they wanted to see her alive again.

Lawrence, 36, is from the Cape Flats, a large area of sprawling, impoverished townships just east of Cape Town.

Shannon Lawrence (pictured) has been arrested and has confessed to the bogus kidnapping

Capt Goliath said special 'grabber technology' was used to locate Lawrence's mobile phone.

On Monday searched two addresses in nearby Portland and Eastridge but could not find Lawrence.

The following day she was spotted in the Liberty Promenade Mall in Mitchells Plain while police were supposedly negotiating with the supposed kidnappers on WhatsApp.

Lawrence was spotted almost a week after her 'kidnapping' at the Liberty Promenade Mall (pictured) in Mitchells Plain, where she was chased and caught by police

She was chased and caught and has now been charged with kidnapping, extortion and defeating the ends of justice.

Paul Scheepers, from Eagle Eye Solution Technologies, told the Daily Voice newspaper his company also played a part in the capture of Lawrence.

'In this case, we created a chat with her, she co-operated with us and the police and met us at a point and was arrested,' he said.

Major General Greg Goss, commander of the local police, said she had wasted valuable resources in the hunt for her.
The Austrian government has defied the European Union with plans to give jobs to locals first in a bid to stop the surge of support for the anti-migrant Freedom Party.

In an apparent bid to win back voters from the Freedom Party (FPO), the centre-left Chancellor Christian Kern set out a 10-year plan focused on jobs and the economy.

Faced with a resurgent FPO that is running first in opinion polls and is buoyed by fears about Europe's migration crisis and rising unemployment, Kern called for the EU to allow preference for Austrian citizens in sectors with high joblessness.

The Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern delivers The Future of Austria speech in Wels

The Chancellor laid out his 10-year plan in a bid to win back votes from the rival parties

His centre-left government is under pressure from the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO)

Mr Kern clasps his hands together as the crowd around him applaud the delivery of his speech

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern holds aloft a book at his speech in Wels, Austria

He said: 'That means - only if there is no suitable unemployed person in the country can a job be given to new arrivals without restriction,' in a memo outlining his plan.

It singled out immigration from eastern European member states as a source of pressure on the small country's job market.

Mr Kern's plan runs way beyond the fixed term of government which ends in 2018

Speaking at an event in Wels, Mr Kern outlined a plan that runs well beyond the expiry of his coalition government's term in 2018.

Wels is the biggest town in Austria to be run by an FPO mayor and which had long been a stronghold of his Social Democrats.

There has been persistent speculation that the coalition between Kern's Social Democrats and the conservative People's Party will collapse.

That would leave the FPO well placed to win the snap election that would follow, since it is running a clear first in polls on more than 30 percent.

Kern's plan also expanded on comments he made last year in which he denounced multinational firms that base themselves in an EU country with a low tax base so they can avoid or reduce their tax bill in other EU states they operate in.

His plan called for a 'punitive' tax of more than 25 percent to be imposed on companies that book profits from sales in Austria in other European countries to avoid paying Austrian tax.

He also said online companies like Google should have to pay the same tax on advertising revenue as newspapers.

New border protection officers attend their swearing-in ceremony in Budapest

They will work alongside police and soldiers in patrolling a razor-wire fence built to keep migrants out

It comes as the first batch of Hungary's 'border hunters' were sworn in before they get to work patrolling a razor-wire fence built to keep migrants out.

Members of the border protection officers' new unit attended their swearing-in ceremony in Budapest today, and will undergo six months of training before they go on duty.

The new recruits will support Hungarian police officers and soldiers in border protection, and will be equipped with pistols with live ammunition, pepper spray, batons, handcuffs and protective kit.
Zuzu, the German Shepherd mix heartlessly dumped by her owners then taunted by them as they visited her shelter to get another pet, has been adopted by a new family.

The two-year-old dog has been taken in by Los Angeles couple Judith and Russ Gallo who felt compelled to give her a home after her story went viral.

Like thousands of others, the couple were left heartbroken by a video of Zuzu taken at the Downey Animal Care Center in November.

In the footage, Zuzu excitedly wagged her tail in the hope of being taken home when her old owners appeared at the shelter.

It went viral after care takers at the animal shelter shared it online.

She had been taken in to the center's care by staff who found her wandering locally and presumed she was a stray.

Scroll down for video

Zuzu, the German Shepherd mix who was dumped by her old owners at an animal shelter, has been adopted by Los Angeles couple Judith and Russ Gallo (Above together)

When her old owners appeared at the shelter, they presumed they were there to recollect her but were astonished when they admitted allowing her to escape.

The old owners, who have not been named, said Zuzu had become depressed since the death of her father and was no longer a desirable pet because she was unhappy.

They were visiting the shelter to find her replacement, they said.

Within days of her story spreading, Zuzu was taken in by the Pet Adoption Fund, a no-kill shelter which rehouses abandoned dogs.

It was inundated with by animal-lovers offering Zuzu a home but staff settled on Mr and Mrs Gallo who were looking for another dog to keep their pet Dodger company after the death of its companion.

'It broke my heart to see that they had to interest in her. Something just kind of told us, hey, we got to do something here,' Mr Russo, 64, told Inside Edition.

Staff told how Zuzu 'lit up like a Christmas tree' at the sight of her old owners when they visited the Downey Animal Care Shelter in November. They were not there to collect her but instead to find her replacement

The couple have one other dog, another rescue called Dodger, which excitedly greeted its new companion on Tuesday (above)

The animal-loving pair welcomed Zuzu in to the house and quickly gave her a new name tag on Tuesday

Mr Russo explained how the couple's beloved rescue Dinky died within hours of them hearing about Zuzu for the first time.

'This all started back on November 30, 2017, when late one night, I was watching TV, and the story of Zuzu the dog came on. After watching the story, I was a little disgusted and called it a night,' he said.

Dinky, who was also a rescue, died the following day.

'We were bummed out to the max, and headed home to our other rescue dog Dodger. While trying our best to be normal, I did the email stuff, then turned on the TV, and again the story of Zuzu reappeared.

Thousands were left heartbroken by the video after it spread. Zuzu was soon moved out of the shelter to a no-kill care facility (where she is pictured above) which tried to find her a new home

Mr and Mrs Gallo said they were heart broken by her story and felt compelled to offer her a home

Mr and Mrs Gallo's other dog, Dinky (above with Dodger) died the day after they heard of Zuzu's plight

'Im not sure why Dinky decided on that day of all days to take a new journey with his soul and to move on, but he did, and at that moment I knew that whatever we needed to do, whatever we could do, we needed to try to adopt Zuzu,' he said.

Zuzu had developed Whipworm which attacks the large intestine and required several weeks of special care before she could be brought home.

Mr Gallo said he was 'disgusted' that Zuzu had been left abandoned by her old owners

She settled in to the couple's house on Tuesday where she and Dodger greeted one another with wagging tails.

In a description of Zuzu's heartbreaking plight last month, Downey Shelter staff told how she 'lit up like a Christmas tree' at the sight of her old owners.

'With her fast wagging tail seeing her owners Zuzu lit up like a Christmas Tree.

'She looked like the happiest dog. Yeah, she's going home,' wrote shelter worker Desi Lara on Facebook.

'But no. Talking to her owners they told me they were not here to reclaim her, they were getting another dog.'

'Their solutions for her unhappiness was just leaving her here! And go get another dog,' she added.

The family did not take home another animal.

The Pet Adoption Fund took Zuzu in from the Downey Animal Shelter last month




Gujarat Government launches Indias first Student Startup and Innovation Policy

Published: January 11, 2017

Gujarat government launched Indias first student startup and innovation policy with an aims to provide Rs 200 crore in the form of grants to ideas developed by students/

The policy aims to support over 1,000 innovation per year in the state and create pre-incubation support in all universities of the state.

Key Facts

The policy will encourage the students from the state to undertake innovative projects related to society, industries, and community instead of conventional academic projects.

It will support student-led startups and innovations as well as create an Innovation and Pre-incubation Ecosystem Support (IPIES) across all universities of the state.

Under the pre-incubation support, help will be provided to students to convert their ideas from proof of concept (PoC) upto minimum viable proto-type (MVP) and also providing support for patent filing.

The policy has been developed under the aegis of Education Department and state government will provide Rs 200 crore as State Innovation Fund (SIF) during the next five years.

Of the Rs 200 crore SIF, Rs 100 crore will be allocated by the state government and the remaining amount will be created by internal sources, like university funds and CSR funds.

Earlier in 2015, Gujarat Government had unveiled startup-assistant scheme, as part of Gujarat Industrial Policy and in 2016 also had launched Information Technology Startup Policy.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2017

Topics: Government Policies  Gujarat  Innovations  National  Startup Policy  Startups  States

Latest E-Books
Donald Trump's nominee CIA director said Thursday at a hearing to discussion his fitness for the position that he would 'absolutely not' direct his agency to carry out torture tactics, even if the president demanded it.

Congressman Mike Pompeo said he 'can't imagine' that Trump would ask that of him in the first place, anyway.

The Republican lawmaker told colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee that he is 'deeply aware' changes to the United States' policy on so-called enhanced interrogation techniques must be approved by Congress.

'There's no doubt in my mind about the limitations,' he said, adding, 'I'll always comply with the law.'

Donald Trump's nominee CIA director said Thursday at a hearing to discussion his fitness for the position that he would not direct his agency to carry out torture tactics, even if the president demanded it

Pompeo has defended techniques like waterboarding that the CIA used when George W. Bush was president to elicit information from suspected terrorists. So has Donald Trump.

The prospective CIA director did not pass judgement on the tactics themselves today as he went toe-to-to with a Democratic senator who previously labeled them 'torture' but said he wouldn't engage in them so long as they are against the law.

Congress voted in 2015 to ban information-collecting tactics that fall outside of The Army Field Manual. Pompeo noted today, as he answered questions from lawmakers, that he was one of the legislators who voted in favor of the changes.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2014 when it released a report outlining the techniques, had asked Pompeo if he'd 'restart' the Bush-era program if Trump told him to.

'Absolutely not,' he told the California Democrat. 'Moreover I cant imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect, or then president.'

Pompeo sat before senators in a public hearing on Thursday morning, delayed from Wednesday without explanation, and was due to talk to them about classified information behind closed doors this afternoon following a lunch break.

He said in the open hearing that agreed with the CIA's assessment that Moscow directed election-timed hacks on Democrats and promised to pursue an investigation to the cyber attacks if senators confirm his appointment.

Lawmakers repeatedly asked him to promise that he would give Trump his 'unvarnished' opinion on matters of national security, even if they go against his politics, and Pompeo said he would.

'I've spent my life telling the truth. Sometimes in very, very difficult situations,' the army veteran said.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (LEFT), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee when it released a report outlining the torture techniques, asked Pompeo if he 'restart' the Bush-era program if Trump told him to

Pompeo's answers were mostly met with approval by senators on the intelligence panel, but he ran into trouble when the issue of domestic spying came up.

Senator Ron Wyden, one of Congress' most ardent advocates of personal privacy, confronted Pompeo with his support for programs that would collect metadata on Americans. Critics of such programs say the data mining amounts to mass surveillance on U.S. citizens.

Congressional legislation passed in 2015 restricted the National Security Agency from collecting and sorting through bulk data. Pompeo voted for the compromise legislation but has since said he'd like the CIA to have access to metadata again.

'We ought not to take that tool away from our intelligence community while the threats are as great as they are today,' he said in a Dec. 2015 op-ed.

Pompeo said Thursday that his position remains the same. 'I still continue to stand behind the commitment to keep Americans safe,' he said.

Putting aside his personal beliefs, the House Intelligence Committee member told Wyden, 'There are of course boundaries to this. First and foremost they begin with legal boundaries that exist today.'

He said the CIA should do 'all that it can in a lawful' and 'Constitutional manner' to protect the country's citizenry.

'You have my assurance that we will not engage in unlawful activity,' Pompeo stated.

Unsatisfied with his answers, Wyden said he'd like to Pompeo to submit to him in writing the limits he would place on spying programs.

BLACK OUT: Midway through the ranking Democrat on the committee's opening statement, just as he was getting to the topic of Russian hacking, live steams of the Pompeo hearing went dark

The official stream, provided by the Senate Intelligence Committee, said a 'short recess' was underway. C-SPAN first said it was 'technical difficulties.' It later said there was a power outage

Senate Intelligence Committee member Joe Manchin reads in the dark after the hearing room power loss, that delayed Pompeo's hearing by 30 minutes

The confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill was temporarily halted shortly after it began when the room senators were meeting in lost power.

Midway through the ranking Democrat on the committee's opening statement, just as he was getting to the topic of Russian hacking, live steams of the hearing went dark.

'Some things in life, you find that there are no answers to questions. We don't have an answer to the power problem that we had yet,' committee chairman Richard Burr said as he reconvened the hearing.

'But we have ruled out the vice chairman's comments,' he said to laughter.

Burr made a joke at the expense of his Republican colleague Susan Collins and said, 'We have ruled out that this is a conspiracy on the part of Senator Collins to highlight critical infrastructure in the cyber world.'

The official stream, provided by the Senate Intelligence Committee, said a 'short recess' was underway. C-SPAN said it was 'technical difficulties.'

Several minutes later, C-SPAN announced that power had gone out in the hearing room, located in the Hart Senate Building. Programming resumed a half hour later.

Senators who run the committee were delivering their opening statements when the incident occurred. Pompeo had not yet spoken.

Pompeo has defended techniques like waterboarding that the CIA used when George W. Bush was president to elicit information from suspected terrorists. So has Donald Trump

He said later, in his opening remarks, that the CIA 'must continue to be at the forefront' of cyber security and it must be a top priority of the agency to assist in the defeat of ISIS.

How the United States handles Russia, which he said has done 'nothing to aid' in the destruction of the terrorist network is a 'policy decision,' Pompeo said. He did, however, promise to provide 'accurate timely, robust, and complete intelligence and cleared eyed analysis' of Russia activities if confirmed.

Pompeo said he understands the need for transparency and support from Members of Congress. I've lived it,' the Republican lawmaker said with a laugh.

'We owe it to our constituents to get to the bottom of intelligence failures. But we owe it to the brave Americans of the intelligence community not to shirk our responsibility when unauthorized disclosures to the media expose controversial intelligence activities.

'Or when Edward Snowden from the comfort of his Moscow safe house misleads the America people about intelligence activities,' he said, getting in a jab at the former NSA contractor who's massive theft and release of classified materials led to the discovery of the bulk data program.

Mark Warner, center, was talking about Russian hacking when the lights went out. He said he is concerned after that the CIA and entire intelligence community 'has repeatedly and unfairly been subjected to criticisms of its integrity' since the presidential campaign

Burr began the hearing by introducing Pompeo's wife, Susan, and his son, Nick, seated behind the congressman, as is customary.

Reading through Pompeo's bio, Burr noted that he had represented Kansas in Congress since 2011.

The 53-year-old attended West Point, where he studied mechanical engineering and graduated first in his class, served in the cavalry, and went on to earn law degree at Harvard.

He working afterward as a lawyer for Williams and Connolly before founding an aerospace and security company that he sold in 2006. Before running for and winning a seat in Congress, Pompeo was president of oilfield equipment company Sentry International.

He is a member of the House's intelligence committee and the subcommittees that oversee the CIA, NSA and cybersecurity.

Pompeo represents Kansas in Congress. The 53-year-old attended West Point, where he studied mechanical engineering and graduated first in his class, served in the cavalry, and went on to earn law degree at Harvard

After reviewing his Republican colleague's bio, Burr told him, 'I believe your intellectual rigor your honorable service, and outstanding judgement make you a very natural fit to lead the CIA.'

Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the committee, spoke next. He said he would need assurance from Pompeo 'that you will always seek to provide, unbiased, unvarnished and timely assessments' to the president, cabinet and Congress.

'This intelligence must represent the best judgement of the CIA - whether or not that analysis in agreement with the views of the president or anyone else who might receive it.'

Warner said he is concerned after that the CIA and entire intelligence community 'has repeatedly and unfairly been subjected to criticisms of its integrity' since the presidential campaign.

'These comments have affected the moral of these dedicated men and women,' he said. This attitude will have a real impact on recruitment and retention of talented individuals willing to serve our country.'

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a former chairman of the committee, and Bob Dole, a former Kansas senator and U.S. presidential candidate, spoke on Pompeo's behalf

The Democratic senator said Pompeo must reassure operatives that the 'countless hours' they commit to their jobs and operations where they 'put their life on the line are not in vain and that their sacrifices will not be disregarded in the White House or anywhere else in the next administration.'

The comments were a not-so-subtle critique of Trump, who for months blew off an intelligence committee report identifying Russia as the source of cyber attacks on the Democratic National Committee and a top Hillary Clinton aide.

He said Wednesday, for the first time, that he thinks Russia engineered the hacking.

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a former chairman of the committee, and Bob Dole, a former Kansas senator and U.S. presidential candidate, were present at the start of the today's hearing to speak on Pompeo's behalf.

Dole, a retired lawmaker who's now a lobbyist, said as Pompeo prepared to deliver his opening address that he might have to leave the hearing early. 'I finally got a client,' he quipped.
An 18-year-old man is on the run after shooting his fiancee in the face at a Texas motel.

Liberty, Texas, police say the incident happened last Friday, when John Murton shot his girlfriend Brooke Luce, also 18, in the face at the Delux Inn off Highway 90.

He walked away from the motel with the gun and hasn't been seen since.

It's still unclear what led to the shooting, but the attack was witnessed by Luce's aunt Amanda Trahan, who was in the room at the time.

John Murton, 18, is wanted for shooting his fiancee Brooke Luce, 18, in the face last week at a motel in Liberty, Texas. Luce is pictured above recovering at the hospital

Last month, Luce posted a picture on Facebook proudly showing off an engagement ring with Murton

Trahan recalled the moments right before and after the shooting - but not what sparked it - in an interview with KPRC.

Trahan says that Murton, who allegedly had a history of violent behavior, stood over his girlfriend and then pointed the gun at her face.

'She looked at me and she was saying, "help me," and when she turned her head he had fired that gunshot,' Trahan said.

Luce has undergone two surgeries to fix the extensive damage to her face. She is pictured on the left with her mother and on the right with her brother

Meanwhile, Luce has undergone two surgeries at the hospital to fix the extensive damage to her face.

'Shes talking a little bit, but its more mulling than it is talking because of the damage done to the top of her mouth where the bullet went in, it disintegrated everything on the top of her mouth,' Dylan Luce, Brooke's brother, said.

Luce's mother Crystal Trahan says that the entire family confronted her about her violent boyfriend, but she refused to leave him because she was in love.

Posts on Facebook last month show Luce proudly showing off an engagement ring.

Luce's family say they warned her several times against continuing her relationship with the allegedly abusive Murton

Murton reportedly walked away from the motel last Friday with the weapon and has not been seen since. A warrant is out for his arrest on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

Her mom says that she has seen wounds from Murton's beatings before, and that her daughter tried to brush them off.

'She told me New Years she got drunk and fell down the steps, then she told me he pistol-whipped her and it was very bad,' her mom said.

Crystal herself warned Murton not to hurt her daughter, but he didn't listen.

Now she's just glad that her daughter survived the shooting and is on the mend.

Crystal Trahan, Brooke's mother, said that her daughter has tried to brush off previous wounds from Murton's beatings

'Its by Gods grace that shes alive, all the doctors said, "You should be dead,"' her mom said.

A warrant is out for Murton's arrest on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous.

A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help Luce with her medical bills.
Gruesome images of three lions mutilated for their body parts in South Africa have been released by their owner to highlight a devastating spate of crimes where 'black magic' is believed to be the motive.

Poachers poisoned the big cats in their enclosure, cut through the fences and then beheaded the animals and lopped off their paws.

Lion heads and paws are both believed to be used in black magic or 'muti' and officers from South Africa's specialist Occult Crimes Unit have liaised with the owner, Andre De Lange.

Mr De Lange and his 10-year-old discovered the horrifically mutilated animals shortly after dawn yesterday

Mr De Lange said: 'My poor animals, they were given no dignity at all'

He found the beautiful beasts when the sun came up yesterday and was absolutely distraught.

It is the second time Mr De Lange, a farmer who also runs a lion park for tourists, has suffered such an attack  last year three male cats were similarly killed and decapitated last year and several lions and two tigers were also mutilated.

Mr De Lange told MailOnline: 'My poor animals, they were given no dignity at all. They suffered short, very painful deaths and then they were just hacked into pieces. I am told that their heads and paws will probably end up going over a border  probably to Mozambique or further overseas.'

Mr De Lange is seen hugging two of his lions who thankfully avoided the poachers' poison. He says he has his suspicions how the poachers got past his park's sophisticated security systems

Each of the big cats, alive, was worth 22,000 but their heads and paws may have fetched far more when sold abroad

The grisly attack happened at Letaba River Lodge, outside Tzaneen in Limpopo Province, not far from the border with Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Local people believe the poachers were working for a customer, possibly in another African country, as there is high demand for witchcraft potions across the continent.

But it is possible the body parts were stolen to order by a disreputable collector in the Far East.

Mr De Lange said: 'They were killed to order, apparently lion heads and paws are considered to be very powerful in traditional medicine. What is happening to our animals in South Africa now with the poaching is just heartbreaking, and there doesnt seem anything anyone powerful is prepared to do about it.

'It was just so horrible the first time my lions were killed in this way but now I feel like getting away from having anything to do with wildlife.'

South African police's Occult Crimes Unit are working on the case

Mr De Lange, who was unable to prevent his 10-year-old son witnessing the appalling scene of the killings, said the poachers somehow bypassed his sophisticated alarm system and the armed guards who patrol his farm at night.

He saidL After I lost the last lions, I used to bring these cats into a smaller enclosure at night to offer them protection. There is a lot of money in providing inside information to get through the security and there are huge financial rewards for the poachers - this is a really big business, serious money is involved.'

The male cats, who were aged between four and six, were each worth 22,000 and were due to be sold to bigger safari parks in South Africa where lion populations are falling.

Fewer than 20,000 African lions are left in the wild  down from over 200,000 in the 1960s.

Traders in South Africa sold the skeletons of 4,981 wild and captive lions to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam or China between 2008 and 2014.

Traditional medicine is common in South Africa, usually involving harmless ingredients such as plants.

There are fewer than 20,000 African lions left in the wild in South Africa, down from 200,000 in the 1960s

But there have been regular spikes in more sinister cases involving human body parts and organs in recent years  with albino people commonly targeted.

Limpopo province once recorded 250 murders related to witchcraft in a single year.

Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe refused to say if there was a link between the lion deaths and witchcraft, but said: 'There is a similar modus operandi between the deaths of lions last year in our province and the most recent case.

A manhunt is under way but we are not ruling in or out any motive for the crime at the moment, he told MailOnline.
Justin Goldstein, 34, a former weather expert for WTNH-TV, in New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced to three years in prison for child pornography possession on Friday

A former meteorologist for a Connecticut TV station will serve three years in prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.

Justin Goldstein, 34, was sentenced on Friday, six months after he was arrested on child pornography charges and taken off the air.

Prosecutors and Goldstein, of Hamden, agreed to the sentence - in which he will also serve ten years of probation - in exchange for pleading guilty.

Goldstein is free on a $200,000 until a formal sentencing on March 17.

The former weatherman was arrested at his workplace, WTNH-TV (News 8), in New Haven in July and State Police executed a search warrant at his home as part of an ongoing child pornography investigation.

An investigation began in June after suspected child porn videos were downloaded from an internet account assigned to the weather expert, police claimed at the time of Goldstein's arrest.

Goldstein was not home when state police officers and members of the Hamden Police Department and FBI executed the search warrant, said state police spokeswoman Trooper First Class Kelly Grant last year.

Goldstein, originally from Staten Island, New York, was arrested at his workplace in July after a child pornography investigation was performed by the state

In July, Grant told the New Haven Register that police removed computers and computer-related equipment from Goldstein's home in Hamden, north of New Haven.

Grant said officers examined computer files at the scene and found what they believed to be child porn.

Goldstein, originally from Staten Island, New York, and a graduate of Kean University in Union, New Jersey, was charged with two class B felonies: promoting a minor in an obscene performance and first-degree possession of child pornography.

Soon after Goldstein's arrest, his profile was removed from WTNH-TV's website and his social media accounts were been deleted.

Before joining WTNH-TV's 'Storm Team 8' in 2013, Goldstein worked for TV stations in Philadelphia, Detroit (where he went by the name Justin Ryan), Toledo, Charleston and Norwalk, Connecticut.

His profile on WTNH-TV's website stated he wanted to become a meteorologist after he witnessed Hurricane Gloria in New York at the age of three.
A group of machete-wielding yobs trashed a young artist's flat after posing as a young woman wanting to visit the Royal Albert Hall to rent it on Airbnb.

Ela Boyd, 36, said the group caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, stubbed out cigarettes on her furniture and even urinated on her bed on New Year's Eve.

Neighbours said they saw people with machetes in the flat and it took 30 police officers to remove the vandals, who rented it by creating a fake profile on Airbnb.

Ela Boyd, 36, said the group caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, stubbed out cigarettes on her furniture and even urinated on her bed on New Year's Eve

She said that when she returned home, the flat looked like 'when you're leaving a festival', with empty containers all over the floor

Her bedroom was left in a terrible state and she described the once homely flat as 'unlivable'

Neighbours said they saw people with machetes in the flat and it took 30 police officers to remove the vandals, who rented it by creating a fake profile on Airbnb

The invented a young woman and told her that she was coming to London to visit her sister and the Royal Albert Hall in west London on December 31.

But she was shocked to discover that they had instead held a wild party in her home when a neighbour phoned her as she was away in her native Los Angeles.

The group were removed by police but tried to return the next day, although officers were called yet again to eject them from the ground-floor flat.

When Miss Boyd returned home, the flat was 'unlivable', with empty cans and bottles, Nitrous Oxide canisters and cigarette butts all over the floor and furniture.

They caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to her London home, which was once tidy and has access to communal gym and spa facilities

Her furniture was broken, empty bottles and cans were left all over the floor, and she is now trying to raise 20,000 to cover her financial losses and move away

The lock on the door was broken during the wild part, and Miss Boyd now plans to move back to her native country the US

She is now trying to raise 20,000 to cover her financial losses and move back to the US, a sum that includes a 2,250 security deposit for her flat.

She told the Evening Standard: 'The flat looked like when you leave a festival - with bottles, canisters and cigarettes everywhere.

'They stole clothes, make up, jewellery and even took my hair straighteners.

'They also took prints from the walls given to me by friends as well as my own art work.'
Relations between the UK and Russia are the 'worst they could get in peace time', a senior Tory MP has warned.

Crispin Blunt, who is conducting an inquiry into Russia, gave the alarming critique of the diplomatic crisis after Russia's London embassy posted a dark tweet about the 'dirty' Donald Trump dossier.

The discredited document, which alleged that Russia had collected salacious information on US President Elect Donald Trump, is believed to have been written by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

Russia's embassy in London today waded into the growing diplomatic row over the 'dirty' Donald Trump dossier by posting a dark Twitter message that read: 'MI6 officers are never ex'

Tory MP Crispin Blunt, who chairs the foreign affairs select committee, said Britain's relationship with Russia is 'about as bad as it could get'

The embassy's Twitter post, headed 'Christopher Steele story', stated that 'MI6 officers are never ex'.

It also claimed that British spies had been 'briefing both ways' against both Moscow and the US.

Mr Blunt, an ex-army officer and foreign affairs select committee chair, said: For a peace time political relationship, it is about as bad as it could get.

The mutually official shouting match between UK and Russia isnt helping either country or wider international relations.

When approached for a comment by MailOnline, a spokesman for the Russian embassy said: 'We have obvious questions.

Christopher Steele was President of the Cambridge Union debating society in 1986, before he joined MI6 in Moscow to spy as the Soviet Union collapsed, pictured at a Union reunion

'We don't raise them with HM Government given the frozen state of our official relationship. The tweet reflects the mood in Russia and speaks for itself.'

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, a former Nato secretary general, also warned about rising tensions with Russia.

He told the House of Lords that Britain could be 'sleepwalking to a potential calamity'.

He said: We must be aware of and act on the dangers inherent in the present confrontation between Russia and the West.

'Without the trip wires and warning arrangements of the cold war we are in grave danger of making a mistake or a miscalculation with potentially catastrophic results.'

Russia has rubbished the allegations made in the dossier, which is believed to have been written by former British spy Christopher Steele

He added: 'We have a crisis of optimism - hoping for the best and failing to prepare for the worst.'

It comes as the first picture emerged of ex-British spy Steele, who is now in hiding because he fears Russian reprisals over the Trump memos.

Steele, 52, was President of the Cambridge Union debating society in 1986, just before he joined MI6 in Moscow to spy as the Soviet Union collapsed.

Today it was thought the father-of-three from Surrey may have fled abroad after being sensationally revealed as the author of the dossier on Trumps alleged outlandish sexual perversions with prostitutes in a Russian presidential suite.

He apparently packed his bags and fled his 1.5million mansion in fear yesterday, telling his neighbour: 'Look after my cat.'

A photograph of the former British agent at a university reunion appears in a book written by a special adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May.

Missing: Steele, 52, was seen fleeing his gated Surrey home (pictured) in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on

Meanwhile, Britain's new ambassador to the EU was today adamant he 'had nothing to do with' the Russian 'dirty' dossier on Trump  as MailOnline revealed his links to the former British spy who compiled the document.

Sir Tim Barrow's name entered the frame as a potential candidate to have passed the dossier to US politician John McCain after it was suggested the Senator was handed the incendiary file by a former British ambassador to Moscow.

Scandal: The former British spy Christopher Steele, who is alleged to have compiled a 'dirty' dossier smearing Donald Trump, fled his 1.5million home in fear last night

The ambassador has not yet been publicly identified.

Meanwhile, lurid claims made in the salacious Russian dossier about Trump's sex life and bizarre footage allegedly held by the Kremlin's blackmail unit has seen Steele go to ground.

Mr Trump called the dossier 'fake' and 'phony', even suggesting that US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation before his inauguration.

He debunked the 'golden shower' claim by saying: 'Does anyone believe that? I'm a germophobe'.

Steele was seen fleeing his gated Surrey home in his car yesterday and appears to have been in such a rush most of the lights were left on.

A security source said: 'He is terrified for his safety', adding he may now be abroad or in a safe house.

Today Downing Street refused to be drawn on whether the government had offered any assistance to Steele.

The Prime Minister's official spokeswoman confirmed there was a "standard process" for supporting current and former holders of sensitive government posts whose identities became public.

Asked whether she could offer an assurance that the UK Government had no involvement in the creation of the dossier, she said: 'Nothing I have seen suggests that,' adding the media reports all related to a 'former employee'.
Giuseppe Verri, 58, has been banned from practising medicine in Britain for six months after he pinched a patient's breast and laughed at her when she told him to stop

An Italian plastic surgeon has been banned from practising medicine in Britain for six months after he pinched a patient's breast and laughed at her when she told him to stop.

Giuseppe Verri, 58, who is based in Rome but worked at private practices in the UK twice a month, was found guilty of misconduct by a tribunal in Manchester.

During a consultation for a breast augmentation operation, Verri shouted at the patient in Italian and broken English and without warning pinched her right breast over the top of her gown.

As the woman winced in pain, she asked the consultant to stop but he laughed at her and began 'batting' her left breast from side to side.

He then produced a camera before demonstrating various positions he wanted her to adopt so he could take photographs of her.

One included a stance in which she was topless with her elbows out and fists clenched, 'looking like a bodybuilder', a tribunal was told.

The unnamed woman, known as Patient A, was so embarrassed that she tried to cover her nipples with her hands and attempted to hide her face with her hair.

But Verri spoke to her in an aggressive tone and tucked her hair behind her ear when she moved it over her face.

He then exited the room whilst she was still half dressed without explanation.

In a statement, the patient said she felt 'freaked and frightened' during her dealings with Verri and said she was 'kind of in a daze.'

She added: 'When Dr Verri turned and walked back to the other side of the room, I put my fingers over my nipples and tried to cover them up. This is when he got angry and said: "No, show your breasts".

'Dr Verri showed me what he wanted me to do by gesticulation on himself to pinch my own breasts. He was saying this in Italian and in broken English in an angry voice.'

Detectives arrested the doctor over the incident. Although no police action was taken against him, subsequent inquiries revealed Verri had previously been suspended over his conduct with another patient.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, a fitness to practise panel suspended Verri after finding him guilty of misconduct but cleared him of sexually motivated behaviour.

It decided against ordering him to take an English test amid claims his communication had got better during his dealings with the patient.

It also ruled the issues of the case 'did not relate to his knowledge of English.'

The doctor would visit the UK up to twice a month to see patients on a private basis and worked at various clinics across the north of England - predominantly the Bridgewater Hospital in Manchester (pictured)

Verri himself did not attend the Manchester hearing, blaming illness, but sent the General Medical Council an email denying wrongdoing.

It read: 'As I have already declared to the police officers that the taking of photographs is a routine procedure in my clinical practice. I did not behave in any inappropriate way and I absolutely did not sexual assault (Patient A) I have not botched her operation she alleges.

'My behavior towards (Patient A) and all my patients has always been absolutely respectful and correct and I never received such calumnious and defame allegations. '

In making its decision, tribunal chairman Gil Mullen said: 'Dr Verri acted in a rushed, aggressive, insensitive and disrespectful manner towards Patient A.

During the consultation he did not treat her in an appropriate manner and acted in a manner which did cause her actual physical pain when he touched and pinched her breast. It is more likely than not that he did laugh at her when she said 'no' to him.

'It was Patient A's evidence that at this time she was still panicked about being hurt by the doctor and in her witness statement she states that she was compliant with his actions. After Dr Verri had touched and pinched her breasts and caused her pain, she was covering herself up and recoiling from him.

'Dr Verri had spoken to Patient A in an insistent and determined way which would be considered to be aggressive and therefore inappropriate. He acted in a way which caused bewilderment and distress to the patient.

'She was in a vulnerable position and was frightened and upset. It is clear his actions have had an adverse impact on her and continue to cause her distress.'

The hearing was told the doctor would visit the UK up to twice a month to see patients on a private basis and worked at various clinics across the north of England - predominantly the Bridgewater Hospital in Manchester.

Patient A had had breast augmentation done by another surgeon in 2009 but she unhappy with the procedure and was initially referred to Verri at a clinic in Newcastle in February 13 2012.

He acted in a way which caused bewilderment and distress to the patient. She was in a vulnerable position and was frightened and upset

At the first meeting, discussions were 'limited' due to his poor English and a further consultation was held the following month during which it was agreed her implants would be removed and replaced.

But trouble began during a consultation in April 2014 ahead of the operation during she was seen in a side room near the operating theatre.

Kathryn Johnson, counsel for the GMC, said: 'She was approached by Dr Verri as she was sat in a chair and he grabbed hold of her right breast over the gown and held it for a period of about three seconds.

'She described that he was pinching the whole of her breast in a hard manner, so hard that she pulled away and the pain made her eyes water. She exclaimed 'no' to him but described his response was to laugh at her.

'She then put her hand to her right breast and as she did this describes Dr Verri batting her left breast from side to side.

'She was then told to accompany him to an adjoining room and describes feeling scared by what was happening and confused but followed him. Nothing was said as to why she was going into the room but she realised he wanted to take photographs of her when he got a camera out of a bag.

'He spoke to Patient A in Italian which she was not able to understand. Patient A was very frightened by his actions. He doctor then got the camera and demonstrated various positions he wanted her to adopt so he could take photographs of her. There was a position with her elbows out and fists clenched, looking like a bodybuilder.

'The requests made of her were demanding. He was speaking in a loud voice to her, almost shouting at her. His demeanour and manner were part of what caused her to feel scared about the doctor. She felt embarrassed and covered her nipples with her hands and tried to cover her fact with her hair.

'She was told that she needed to show her face and initially refused but he came over and pulled the hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. She moved her head in an attempt to let her hair fall over her face.

'A number of pictures were taken of her by Dr Verri, the doctor pulled her hands from her nipples and gestured she should stand in different positions.. She felt he was irritated and angry with her.

'She describes being very confused and frightened at what was happening and powerless to stop what was happening to her. She describes the ordeal ending when she heard people approaching the room. '

Patient A initially said nothing of the incident claiming she felt at the time 'like a child not knowing how to react'.

She underwent the procedure but refused to attend a follow-up appointment despite there being a problem with her stitches. She later told another doctor that Verri had touched her in a manner 'she felt uncomfortable with.'

Verri was arrested and interviewed by police and gave a prepared statement in which he denied any wrongdoing, saying his actions were 'appropriate and necessary'.

It emerged he had been suspended from the Bridgewater Hospital following an incident on June 14 2014 in which he took another patient from the outpatient clinic directly into theatre to carry out a corrective procedure.

He was cleared of misconduct towards the other woman.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's right-wing National Front was spotted in Trump Tower early Thursday morning - meeting a man known as his 'European fixer'.

The president-elect's aides said he is not meeting the ultra-nationalist - and she is not meeting his transition team staff.

Le Pen wasn't on President-elect Donald Trump's schedule of meetings, Bloomberg News reported.

Trump's transition team did not read out her name when going through a series of meetings Trump did hold in a call Thursday, including one meeting with casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

Le Pen waived off questions from reporters camped out inside the lobby to observe who is coming and going.

Meeting: Marine Le Pen with (to her right) Guido 'George' Lombardi, who founded a pro-Trump group and is known for his links to European politicians

Couple: Marine Le Pen was sitting opposite Louis Aliot, her long-term partner. Her chief of staff declined to comment on why she was there. Trump aides said she was not meeting him or his team

She was spotted having coffee at the Trump Tower Ice Cream Parlor with three men.

One sitting opposite her was long term partner Louis Aliot.

More intriguing was the man to her right - Guido 'George' Aliot, a neighbor of Trump in the Trump Tower building who is an Italian-born businessman.

According to a profile in Politico, the Italian businessman is go-to figure if you are 'an ambitious European pol seeking an audience' with Trump.

He has taken calls from Le Pen and far right leaders including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and members of the Austrian Freedom Party.

Talks: Guido Lombardi was the conduit to Trump for a series of European politicians

Taking meetings: Trump was in his office at Trump Tower while Le Pen was in the coffee shop but it is not known if they are to meet

'I'm in contact with just about everybody,' Lombardi told the publication. 'When there is a high-level request, I pass it on.

'It may be to Eric [Trump], it may be to someone else. It may be to Donald himself. It depends on who, and what, it is.'

Her chief of staff, David Rachline, told Bloomberg Le Pen was making a private visit.

'It's not on her public agenda,' he said, asked whether she was planning a visit with Trump or a close official. 'We don't communicate about private visits,' he added.

Aliot, reached by text, told a reporter: 'Visite privie. Aucune diclaration.' (Private visit. No statement.)

Sean Spicer, who will be White House Press Secretary said of her appearance: 'Its a public building. People come and go. She was not meeting with anyone on the staff. I know facts.'

Trump has met with Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader, who campaigned with him and led the Brexit effort.

Le Pen has called Trump a 'sign of hope' and called Trump's victory 'an additional stone in the building of a new world'.

She has denounced anti-Semitic comments by her father, former National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

She has proposed expelling foreigners who preach hatred and taken a hard line on immigration, and has jumped in French opinion polls.
A woman attacked a member of Stansted Airport staff after she was late for her flight and told her gate had closed.

The irate passenger slapped the woman who was explaining that she could not board her flight to Athens on Monday morning.

A shocked witness tweeted a video of the attack and wrote: 'Late passenger slaps a member of staff @STN_Airport because she was late & gate 43 closed.'

A woman assaulted a member of Stansted Airport staff when she was told she could not board her flight because she was too late

The irate passenger slapped the woman who was explaining that she could not board her flight to Athens on Monday morning

The member of staff works for Swissport, which handles Ryanair, reported the Telegraph.

A Swissport staff member told the paper: 'It happened Monday morning, 9ish, the passenger had too many hand luggage bags, refused to pay or repack, and was advised the gate needed to close so aircraft could take off as already a bit late.

'Her flight was to Athens, when the gate closed that was her reaction.'

A spokeswoman from Essex Police told MailOnline that the woman was cautioned and removed from the airport.

She said: 'Police responded to a reported assault on a member of staff at Stansted Airport on Monday, January 9.

'A woman was given a police caution for common assault.

'She was also refused to fly and was removed from the airport.'
An Arkansas mother who fled domestic violence with her four children has shared the incredible story of how she rebuilt her family, by building her own home by watching YouTube tutorials.

When Cara Brookins escaped her 'controlling and violent' husband in 2008, she was not only broke, she and her family felt broken.

'We had been beaten so far down, that taking some sort of leap of a cliff, there felt like there was a lot less risk of failure,' Brookins told DailyMail.com.

'Because we'd already failed so big. What had I got left to lose?'

But she knew that she had to give her kids a new start if they ever had a chance of leaving the trauma behind them. And as she couldn't afford to buy a new home, they would have to roll up their sleeves and build it themselves.

Cara Brookins (center, in black) pictured with her four children, L-R, Roman, Jada, Hope and Drew, fled domestic violence and built her own home by watching YouTube tutorials

When Cara Brookins escaped her 'controlling and violent' husband in 2008, she was not only broke, she and her family felt broken

'We could afford all the supplies so we just put it together ourselves,' she said.

'I didn't know yet how to frame a window or a door, how to snake pipes and wires through a wall or how to draw up blueprints and obtain permits. But I knew my kids, and I knew we needed this,' she wrote in her book, Rise, How a House Built a Family.

With no building experience, Brookins, 45, and her kids sat and watched hours and hours of YouTube tutorials to teach them how to construct everything.

'With just a little bit at a time, we figured out how to lay a foundation block. There was a lot of asking people at Home Depot for help too.'

But in 2008, when they began their project, YouTube, was comparatively basic with fewer videos, while none of the family had smartphones.

Instead, Brookin says they would go home at night and watch videos together on 'how to frame a wall' and try to remember it the next day on site.

Despite their lack of training or experience, the house still managed to pass every city building code inspection. Although she said the inspectors were surprised when they found out who was doing the building work.

'I think they thought I was crazy,' Brookin joked. 'There wasn't a single person that thought this was a good idea aside from my kids.

'But to me, at the time, it felt like the only answer.

Brookin's eldest daughter Hope, who was just 17 when it began, said she initially felt intimated by the huge task ahead.

But she knew that she had to give her kids a new start if they ever had a chance of leaving the trauma behind them. And as she couldn't afford to buy a new home, they would have to roll up their sleeves and build it themselves (pictured is her son Roman helping build their home)

With no building experience, Brookins, 45, (pictured carrying breeze blocks for their house) and her kids sat and watched hours and hours of YouTube tutorials to teach them how to construct everything

'How are we going to build a house,' she asked. 'We have no idea what we're doing.'

Yet that's just what they did.

The family began construction of Inkwell Manor in Hickory Drive, Bryant in Arkansas in 2008. Nine months of back breaking labor later, the stunning five-bedroom home was complete.

And in March 2009, Brookin and her children moved in.

The property, which also features a library, three-car garage and workshop, was purchased and built for $130,000. It also has a two-story tree house in the backyard.

The last time it was appraised, it was valued at half a million dollars.

'Building a house was the most difficult challenge we ever faced,' her mom added in her book, 'and so was rebuilding our family amid the trauma of abuse.'

In her unflinchingly honest book, Brookin described how she married her high school sweetheart aged 18.

Sadly the marriage didn't last and he joined the military, touring the world. Her next marriage was to a man named only as Adam, who she described as a 'genius' who had 'crossed over' to insanity.

The schizophrenia sufferer, who 'stalked and terrorized' the family for years, recently committed suicide.

After living in fear of her husband, Brookin divorced her second husband, only to marry another violent and controlling partner in Matt.

Brookins, pictured with her four children enjoying dinner at the table inside their hand-built home

'Building a house was the most difficult challenge we ever faced,' said Brookin of her family

The Brookins pose outside their completed home Inkwell Manor in Hickory Drive, Bryant in Arkansas

'He was controlling, manipulative and violent within a few months of our marriage,' she wrote.

Brookin recalled one violent attack where she had woken up to find her third husband choking her to the point of unconsciousness. In another, she claims he threw her against a wall in a fit of fury.

'My kids and I spent years walking on our tiptoes,' she said about the years she spent living in 'real terror.'

'We felt broken, shattered, we were all just in this survival mode. We had all gone so far into ourselves, that we weren't working as a team any more. It was very difficult for us to communicate, or even to talk to each other.'

The family still bear some scars of their traumatic past.

Brookin bought a gun which she keeps on her to deter any of her ex husbands from coming too close again.

Rise: How a House Built a Family is released on January 24

Her daughter Hope, she wrote, became angry, occasionally lashing with 'stinging words' while her son Drew into himself, while things kept 'boiling under the surface'.

Hope said the hardest part of living with her violent step-fathers was the feeling of helplessness at seeing her mother hurt.

But building a house together had made them all stronger.

'I've learned that I can do anything,' Hope said.

'The idea of building our own home was not born out of boredom but rose as the only possible way to rebuild my shattered family while we worked through the shock waves of domestic violence and mental illness,' Cara Brookin added.

'We were not only building our home, we were rebuilding our family unit, and rebuilding our selves, our self confidence.

'By the end, we were finishing each other's sentences.

'One board at a time, we built a house and in the end, we discovered a home.'

Brookin said that living in a home she and her loved ones built made it special.

'There is a real difference living in a place where you have touched every two-by-four,' she told the DailyMail.com. 'It's never far from your mind.

'We know where every single pipe is... it's a very vert neat feeling.'

But while the memories of building together would stay with them all forever, Brookin says that doesn't mean they will stay at that house.

'There's a sense of 'its only a house,' she explained. 'What's important, is that we are who we are today because of it.

'My children are who they are because of it, and their belief that they can do anything.

The family said that building Inkwell Manor had made them closer and stronger

Brookins (pictured in her library at home) is also a motivational speaker and has published fiction novels including young adult, middle grade, and adult

Brookins is also a motivational speaker and has published fiction novels including young adult, middle grade, and adult. She is also the host of the weekly Raise My Roof podcast through Macmillan Audio.

But her new book, Rise: How a House Built a Family which is released on January 24. is her first memoir.

Brookin said that initially she hadn't told anyone about the project, and certainly never planned to write about it.

'It was very private because we were very ashamed that we had got to this place,' she said. 'I didn't even tell my coworkers.

'But eventually it became something I had to do to let go of this shame.

She also hopes that her story could inspire other victims of domestic abuse to do something 'big' and life-changing to reclaim their identity and their confidence.

'I don't think for everyone its building a house, but for overcoming any kind of trauma it takes such a huge shift for how people see you and how they see themselves.

'Find your big thing... and whatever healing trip you take, take your family with you.'
India, Kenya sign MoU in area of agriculture

Published: January 12, 2017

India and Kenya signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. India also announced $100 million Line of Credit (LoC) to Kenya for agricultural mechanization

The agreement was signed after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyian President Uhuru Kenyatta in New Delhi. It was first official state visit of President from Kenya to India since 1981.

Joint statement released by both leaders

Expansion of bilateral trade, greater flow of capital between two countries and stronger developmental partnership is a priority.

Both sides will also explore opportunities in blue economy . They also discussed long term arrangements for production and import of pulses .

. They also discussed long term arrangements for . Both countries will focus on quick operationalisation of the defence cooperation along with hydrography, anti-piracy, communication networks, capacity building and defence medical cooperation.

along with hydrography, anti-piracy, communication networks, capacity building and defence medical cooperation. They will encourage industry and business in both countries to take lead in exploiting opportunities in healthcare, tourism, IT, agriculture and energy.

in both countries to take lead in exploiting opportunities in healthcare, tourism, IT, agriculture and energy. Joint Working Group (JWG) focusing on cyber security, counter terrorism, combating narcotics trade, human trafficking and money laundering will meet early.

focusing on cyber security, counter terrorism, combating narcotics trade, human trafficking and money laundering will meet early. They also condemned terrorism in all its forms and reiterated their commitment to work together in this regard. They also committed to strengthen cooperation against terror threats from extremist groups.

in all its forms and reiterated their commitment to work together in this regard. They also committed to strengthen cooperation against terror threats from extremist groups. India invited Kenya to join the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and also offering its expertise in the area of LED smart street lighting and LED bulbs for domestic use.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2017

Category: Agriculture Current Affairs

Topics: Agriculture  Blue economy  Defence  India-Africa  India-Kenya  National  Terrorism

Latest E-Books
Identical Chinese twin sisters separated shortly after birth spent some quality time together in New York City Wednesday after being reunited for the first time.

Gracie Rainsberry and Audrey Doering explored Times Square and ate pancakes together on their way out of 'Good Morning America', where they gave each other a long-awaited hug in the morning.

The two 10-year-old girls were adopted as babies by two different American families. Gracie lives in Richland, Washington, while Audrey grew up almost 1,500 miles away in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Their relatives didn't know their daughters each had a sibling until December, when Audrey's mother found a photo of the sisters together as babies.

Scroll down for video

Twin sisters Gracie Rainsberry (right) and Audrey Doering (left) explored New York City together Wednesday after being reunited for the first time since being adopted from China

The 10-year-old sisters walked around Times Square (pictured), went to see the show 'School Of Rock' on Broadway and stopped to eat pancakes

During their day together, Audrey and Gracie realized they had similarities they never knew about. They said both of them tend to get messy when they eat and like to scare pigeons

Audrey and Gracie shed tears of joy as they met in person for the first time since their adoption, on live television. They spent the rest of the day bonding and discovering their similarities.

The sisters had pancakes after the 'Good Morning America' taping, skipped around town hand in hand, explored Times Square and went to see 'The School Of Rock' on Broadway.

During their day together, the twins realized they had similarities that they had never known about.

'We both like to scare pigeons,' Gracie told 'Good Morning America'.

'And when we eat, we both get really messy,' Audrey continued. 'We went to have pancakes after 'Good Morning America' and I had chocolate all over my face.'

Gracie said she, too, ended up covered in chocolate during their pancake break.

Reunited at last! Sisters Gracie (right) and Audrey (left) met for the first time in person Wednesday and exchanged a long-awaited hug on 'Good Morning America'

This photo, which shows the two girls as babies with their Chinese foster mother, led Audrey's mother to realize her daughter had a sibling. She later tracked down the Rainsberrys

The two sisters didn't know they had a sibling until December. Audrey's mother, Jennifer Doering, found a photo of both of them together as babies, posing with their Chinese foster mother.

Audrey had asked for a sister for Christmas this year, but Jennifer had a different idea: she wanted to give her daughter a copy of her 'finding ad', which is a photo that gets published in Chinese newspapers when a baby is placed in an orphanage.

Jennifer tracked down a copy of the ad and was shocked to find out it was a picture of not just one, but two babies.

Audrey and Gracie both appear next to each other on the photo, balanced on the knees of their Chinese foster mom.

Audrey (third from left) and Gracie sat down with their parents and the hosts of 'Good Morning America' after their emotional reunion. Both cried happy tears when they finally met

Audrey (pictured with her mother Jennifer) lives in Wausau, Wisconsin, along with her three older brothers - almost 1,500 miles from Gracie

Gracie meanwhile lives in Richland, Washington, with her family. Like Audrey, she has three other siblings - two brothers and one sister

The Doerings dug further and found that the other baby in the picture had a birth date close to Audrey's and shared her congenital heart condition. They reached out to the Rainsberrys and broke the news to their daughter.

Audrey, who grew up with three older brothers, thought her parents were joking when they first told her she had a sister, but the two later chatted via FaceTime, with Audrey saying of Gracie: 'She's me.' Gracie also has three siblings - two brothers and a sister.

After chatting via FaceTime, the girls were finally reunited in person Wednesday, live on 'Good Morning America'. Gracie and Audrey fell into each other's arms. The two sisters, who both wear glasses, had even arranged to wear identical outfits.

Audrey said that before meeting her twin sister, 'it felt like there was somebody missing'. 'Now, it's complete,' she added.

Gracie said not long after the reunion that she felt excited and happy - even though the even was 'very overwhelming'.

The girls' parents, who sat with them as they spoke to the anchors, also got emotional. Audrey's mother put her hands around Gracie's face, asking: 'Can I just touch you?
The top Democrat in the Senate says he will oppose the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement that although the Alabama senator is a colleague and friend, Schumer has no confidence that Sessions isn't getting his vote.

'The attorney general must wake up every single day ensuring the rights of all Americans: immigrants, minorities, young and old, gay and straight, disabled and not, are protected,' Schumer said.

'Every right  freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the freedom to vote, or any other enshrined in our Constitution or the law  must be protected for every American,' Schumer continued.

Scroll down for video

Sen. Chuck Schumer (left), the new Senate Minority Leader, announced today that he would not vote in support of Sen. Jeff Sessions (right) for attorney general

Schumer also says he doubts that Sessions can be an independent check on the incoming Trump administration.

He says he is deeply concerned about Sessions' views on immigration.

Schumer worked on the bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill in 2013 that had a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living here illegally.

Sessions opposed the bill.

Other Democrats have expressed similar concerns.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., bucked Senate tradition yesterday when he decided to testify against Sessions, a Senate peer.

Booker argued that one of the attorney general's chief concerns should be protecting 'civil rights, equal rights, and justice.'

'In many times in his career, he has demonstrated a hostility toward these convictions,' Booker said during the waning minutes of the two-day Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Sessions, who had served on the committee himself until earlier this year.

Today even more Democrats expressed their reservations with Trump's pick.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, -Ill., a war veteran who lost both of her legs in Iraq and uses a wheelchair, argued that she felt she couldn't support Sessions because he hasn't supported disability rights.

'Because I think it's important for Americans to understand that disability rights is a civil rights issue and it's an issue that my lawyer, the attorney general of the United States, should be committed to advancing,' she said.

Saying today at a press conference on Capitol Hill that she was 'deeply concerned' about Sessions' record, she argued that disability rights benefits all sides of the aisle, pointing to the recent case in Chicago where black teenagers tortured a young white disabled man, while yelling 'f*** Donald Trump' and 'f*** white people.'
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on fellow EU members to spend more money on defence

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on fellow EU members to spend more money on defence in a thinly-veiled suggestion that Europe will not be able to rely on the USA under Donald Trump.

She did not mention the President-elect by name, but clearly seemed to be referring to Trump's campaign trail comment that he would consider a country's NATO contributions before coming to their aid.

It comes amid growing challenges within Europe, including increasing terrorist threats.

'I am convinced that Europe and the EU must learn to take more responsibility in the world in the future,' Merkel told students in Brussels after receiving honorary doctorate degrees from Belgium's Leuven and Ghent universities.

'Let's not fool ourselves: From the viewpoint of some of our traditional partners, and I'm thinking of transatlantic ties, there is no guarantee of perpetuity for close cooperation with us Europeans. We have to continue to work at that,' she said.

Merkel said in November that Germany must increase defence spending to work toward meeting NATO targets, but played down expectations that this would happen soon.

The EU, which has relied on the United States to guarantee its security for the past seven decades, agreed to take initial steps toward expanded security and defence cooperation at a summit in December.

Merkel did not mention the President-elect by name, but clearly seemed to be referring to Trump's campaign trail comment that he would consider a country's contributions to the NATO alliance before coming to their aid

They called for an overhaul of the way the military operations are funded, including pooling and sharing of helicopters, weapons systems and other assets.

Facing criticism at home for her 'open door' refugee policy, Merkel also said Europe needed to accelerate its work on an entrance and exit registry to get a better grip on its borders.

She urged EU members to compromise on issues such as illegal immigration, including quicker efforts to return migrants who entered Europe illegally and were denied asylum.
Michael Bishop, 59, pleaded guilty to keeping a dog dangerously out of control

A dog owner whose pet left a young girl scarred for life in a horror attack as her family watched on has been ordered to pay compensation, and the animal will be put down.

The six-year-old had to have surgery for the facial injuries suffered after the collie cross New Zealand huntaway latched onto her face.

Owner Michael Bishop, 59, pleaded guilty to keeping a dog dangerously out of control today.

He was ordered to pay 1,500 in compensation to the victim, who was left with injuries to her eyebrows, eyelid and forehead which may require further surgery.

She had been lying on the floor pulling faces at the animal, the court heard.

The dog, named Marley, was on a lead when he lurched at the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Cheltenham Magistrates Court heard the dog was 'unpredictable', and ordered it be destroyed.

The young girl had been lying on the floor pulling faces at the animal when it attacked, the court heard

The girl sustained injuries to her face and may have to have further surgery next year

Bishop was chatting with the girl's family when he turned to Marley and said 'what are you looking at?'

The dog then leapt and attacked the child.

Bishop's statement, read by defence lawyer Dermot Clarke, said the child was alleged to have been 'lying on the floor making faces at the dog'.

The girl sustained injuries to her face and may have to have further surgery next year.

The court heard that Bishop (right) had bought Marley and another male dog six-and-a-half years ago because his children wanted a pet

In a victim statement, read out by prosecuting lawyer Matthew McCabe, the child said: 'I am a bit sad because I feel scared of dogs.'

She added that now avoids them and 'cowers' if strange dogs come near her. She has also suffered from nightmares since the attack, which happened in Gloucester.

The court heard that Bishop had bought Marley and another male dog six-and-a-half years ago because his children wanted a pet.

He had tried to train Marley, but had been successful, and so chose to keep Marley on a lead at all times because he didn't like other dogs.

Magistrates said the 'unpredictable' dog could be a danger to the public.
A hero passer-by shot and killed a gunman who ambushed an Arizona state trooper who was helping at the scene of a car crash.

The trooper was helping a woman who had been ejected from a car in a rollover crash when he was brazenly attacked by the suspect.

But a Good Samaritan stepped in and gunned down the assailant in the middle of the road.

Now the Arizona Department of Public Safety are trying to find the hero who intervened, because they believe the trooper may not be alive if it weren't for her actions.

Scroll down for video

A trooper was trying to help a driver in a car accident when he was shot in an ambush by a man was then shot dead by a Good Samaritan driving by

The trooper is with the Arizona Department for Public Safety, near Tonopah, and was helping a woman in a rollover crash who had been ejected from the wreckage

When he started to block lanes and put out flares, a suspect ambushed him, opening fire then physically attacking him

DPS Director Frank Milsted sent a message out to the Good Samaritan, who he has yet to talk to. He said: 'Thank you because I don't know if my trooper would be alive today without your assistance.'

A separate driver reported gunfire and a trooper was responding to that call when he spotted the car crash and stopped, Milstead and DPS Captain Damon Cecil said.

When he started to block lanes and put out flares, a suspect ambushed him, opening fire then physically attacking him.

The trooper was shot at least once near his chest and fought to the ground by the suspect. The man was on top of the officer and 'getting the better of him,' slamming the trooper's head into the pavement.

That's when the passerby spotted the altercation and asked the officer if he needed help. The officer said yes, and when the suspect ignored the passerby and continued attacking the trooper, the Good Samaritan shot him dead.

The trooper was shot at least once near his chest and fought to the ground by the suspect. The man was on top of the officer and 'getting the better of him,' slamming the trooper's head into the pavement

That's when the passerby spotted the altercation and asked the officer if he needed help. The officer said yes, and when the suspect ignored the passerby and continued attacking the trooper, the Good Samaritan shot him dead

DPS said that the trooper has been with the department for 27 years, and awaits surgery in hospital.

Milstead said he feared the worst when he headed to the hospital to check on the wounded trooper, who is stable.

He said: 'He's incredibly fortunate to be here with us today.'

The woman involved in the rollover crash died from her injuries, and it is unknown what caused the accident.

DPS Director Frank Milsted sent a message out to the Good Samaritan, who he has yet to talk to. He said: 'Thank you because I don't know if my trooper would be alive today without your assistance'

Officials said they were trying to determine exactly what happened and that the investigation faced major hurdles with the trooper seriously injured and two of the others involved dead

DPS said that the trooper has been with the department for 27 years, and awaits surgery in hospital. Milstead said he feared the worst when he headed to the hospital to check on the wounded trooper, who is stable

Officials said they were trying to determine exactly what happened and that the investigation faced major hurdles with the trooper seriously injured and two of the others involved dead. No identities have been released.

Investigators were trying to determine how the rollover happened and whether the suspect was involved with the initial report of gunshots, officials said. Investigators plan to speak with the person who made that call.

Westbound Interstate 10 was closed most of the morning, and traffic heading for California and western Arizona was detoured to other highways.
A blog called 'Blue Lives Matter' posted that a police officer found the message 'black lives matter' written on the box when he went to pick up his Krispy Kremes in Smyrna, Georgia

A police officer got a special message scrawled on his box of doughnuts on Wednesday morning - 'Black Lives Matter'.

A blog called 'Blue Lives Matter' posted that a police officer found the note written on the box when he went to pick them up.

Police in suburban Atlanta and Krispy Kreme officials say they're investigating the blog report.

Smyrna police spokesman Louis Defense tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the agency is looking into the report and would release a statement once they have 'vetted the issue.'

Krispy Kreme spokeswoman Sarah Roof says the company is also investigating the matter.

She told the Journal-Constitution: 'We are continuing to investigate the matter and will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the values of our company are upheld.'

The pro-police blog said a former Smyrna Police Department employee contacted it to share the story.

It didn't identify the officer who it says picked up the box from a Smyrna Krispy Kreme location Wednesday, January 11.

The blog condemned the incident and the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole.

It wrote: 'For those who are not aware this is extremely disrespectful to law enforcement.'
One of Malia Obama's friends was left bloodied and scarred after being bitten by the first family's dog Sunny on a visit to the White House on Monday.

Social media posts which surfaced online show the teen - who DailyMail.com is not naming - getting stitched up at the office of the president's physician.

'I f****** hate Sunny' the girl wrote in one picture, showing her laying down on a doctor's chair while Malia smiles nearby.

'Malia thinks it's funny,' the girl writes in another Snapchat photo.

The Obama family dog Sunny bit one of first daughter Malia's friends during a visit to the White House on Monday. The teen posted pictures of the aftermath on Snapchat

The girl, who DailyMail.com is not identifying by name, was left bleeding from the face after she tried to pet Sunny. The president's physician decided to stitch the wound up

Sunny is the younger of the Obama family's two Portuguese water dogs, a generally docile breed

Sources tell TMZ that the girl was upset when she learned that the bite could leave a small scar. Above, the first daughter in one of the girl's Snapchat photos

Sources tell TMZ that the girl, who is 18, was bitten by Sunny when she leaned down to to pet and kiss the pup.

Dr. Ronny Jackson, the president's physician, reportedly evaluated her and decided to stitch the wound up.

The teen was allegedly upset when he told her it could leave a small scar.

While Malia graduated from high school last spring, she is still living with her parents because she's taking a gap year before starting at Harvard next fall.

Sunny is the younger of the Obamas' two Portuguese water dogs, a generally docile breed. The elder, Bo, was promised to the Obama daughters if their father won the 2008 election. The first family bought Sunny from a breeder in the Great Lakes area in August 2013.

This isn't the first time that Sunny has misbehaved in front of guests. She jumped on a two-year-old girl at a White House Christmas party in 2013

Sunny (bottom left) is the younger of the Obama family's two Portuguese water dogs. The elder, Bo (bottom right), was promised to the Obama daughters when their father won the 2008 election. The Obama family pictured above in their 2016 Easter portrait (From left to right: First daughter Malia, first lady Michelle, president Obama and first daughter Sasha)

While Bo has been an upstanding First Dog, his four-year-old female companion has been more unruly.

Three years ago, the dog knocked over a two-year-old girl at the White House, who was attending a Christmas party for military families.

Sunny has also been a bit harder to potty train than Bo.

In an interview with People magazine, the president and first lady revealed that Sunny has a penchant for defecating near the Lincoln Bedroom.

'So Sunny is a wonderful dog. But there have been times where she just decided that the area near the Lincoln Bedroom and my office  at the other end of the hall from her crate  is included in being outside when it comes to pooping, which is not true. Its still the inside. She didnt always understand that,' the president said.

'She knows that shes doing something wrong because shell run and sneak [past me],' he said. 'Sometimes Ill be in my office, and Im doing my work and Ill see this like scurrying - and I got to get up and run before she does her thing, because if Im too late then theres a little gift that she leaves.'

The first lady said that Sunny hasn't done this in awhile, saying 'she's gotten much better'.
Advertisement

Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has spent $23 million to buy the biggest home in the city in one of Washington's most elite neighborhoods.

Bezos can count President Obama and his family, and future first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, incoming presidential adviser Jared Kushner, as neighbors when he moves into the affluent Kalorama area.

The billionaire, who became the second richest person in the world this year, bought the 27,000 square-foot former Textile Museum to turn it into a pied-a-tierre in the city for himself and his family, the Washington Post reports.

Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has spent $23 million to buy the biggest home in the city (pictured) in one of Washington's most elite neighborhoods

Bezos can count President Obama and his family, and future first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, incoming presidential adviser Jared Kushner, as neighbors when he moves into the affluent Kalorama area (pictured while it was being used as a Textile Museum)

Bezos (left) who lives with his wife McKenzie (right, with her husband) and their four children in Seattle, had made in clear when he bought the Washington Post in 2013 that he wasn't planning to relocate, bought the 27,000 square-foot former Textile Museum to turn it into a pied-a-tierre

But Bezos, who lives with his wife McKenzie and their four children in Seattle, had made in clear when he bought the Washington Post in 2013 that he wasn't planning to relocate.

'I won't be leading The Washington Post day-to-day,' he told Forbes at the time.

Bezos slipped into second place on the Forbes 400 this year, after adding $20 billion to his fortune as Amazon stock soared 46 per cent, overtaking Warren Buffett who slips into third place for the first time in 15 years.

The Amazon founder is now only behind Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Textile Museum founder George Hewitt Myers commissioned John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, to design his home at 2320 in 1912 which was later used as a museum (pictured)

The property at 2320-2330 S Street NW, which spans two historic mansions, was home to the Textile Museum for almost a century before it moved to George Washington University's campus in 2013T

The former Textile Museum sold on October 21 to a cash buyer for $23 million. In public documents, the buyer was described as the Cherry Revocable Trust.

And rumors about the identity of the billionaire buyer have been swirling ever since.

The property at 2320-2330 S Street NW, currently spans two historic mansions, was home to the Textile Museum for almost a century before it moved to George Washington University's campus in 2013.

Textile Museum founder George Hewitt Myers commissioned John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, to design his home at 2320 in 1912.

The adjacent mansion was designed by noted Washington architect Waddy Butler Wood.

Both properties, which are on the National Register of Historic Places, were sold together in May 2015 for $19 million.

They were put back on the market in 2016 at $22 million. And Bezos bought it in cash for one million over the asking price in October 2016.

The property is pictured while it was still being used as a Textile Museum in 2009 - before the exhibits were relocated to the new museum on George Washington University's campus

The property, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was sold with the neighboring mansion in May 2015 for $19 million

Architecture firm Barnes Vanze has since drawn up plans which are under review by the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

The property is based in Kalorama, one of Washington DC's most elegant neighborhoods, which will also be home to the Obamas after Donald Trump's inauguration.

With just one month left until President Obama's steps down, renovations to his new home are underway with plans to upgrade the security system and transform part of the garage into a home office.

Barack and Michelle Obama are moving into a $5.3million home in Kalorama, so 15-year-old Sasha Obama can finish out high school at the Sidwell Friends School.

Construction permits obtained by TMZ show the home will also be outfitted with an upgraded electrical system as well as a cat walk over one staircase. While the stately home is situated just off the street, Secret Service will be guarding the property and an enhanced security system will be installed.

Bezos bought the property, which comes with lush green grounds, in cash for one million over the asking price in October 2016

Architecture firm Barnes Vanze has since drawn up plans which are under review by the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission

The Obamas are leasing the house from Bill Clinton's former press secretary Joe Lockhart and his wife Giovanna Gray, who works for Glamour magazine.

The home, built in 1928 with nine bedrooms and eight and a half baths, is tastefully decorated in a white, beige and grey palette.

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are also planning a move to Washington DC and house-hunting for locations that would put them close to Ivanka's father when Donald Trump takes the White House, it was reported Monday.

The move would put the power couple in close proximity to Trump and provide them easy opportunities to dispense advice, talk business, or catch about family.
A religious perimeter could be created around an area of North London to help Jews avoid restrictions on the Sabbath.

Fishing wire would be suspended from tall poles to create the boundary for what would become a huge eruv, acting as an extension of the walls of a home.

Hundreds have objected to the proposal, presented to Camden Council by a group of synagogues, claiming they could lead to ghettoisation of the area.

If the plans were given the green light, 51 telegraph poles up to 18ft tall would be erected in the north of the borough, including St Johns Wood, Maida Vale and Regents Park.

A religious perimeter could be created around an area of North London to help Jews avoid restrictions on the Sabbath

Artist's impression: Two poles will be located at Elsworthy Terrace near the entrance to Primrose Hill

Others said the move could lead to the area becoming a target for terrorist attacks, and that such a religious boundary has no place in modern society.

Supporters say the symbolic boundary would enable Jews to carry out essential activities - such as the use of wheelchairs or carrying items- on the Sabbath.

The eruv would effectively extend the walls of the home, where Jews are allowed to carry out such tasks.

And Jewish community members say the eruv would be extremely helpful to the disabled and elderly who are often left in their homes from nightfall on Fridays until the same time on Saturday.

This would join other eruvium that already exist in Britain, including an 11-mile perimeter in North West London, which is the UK's largest, and another in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

But one objector, Adrienne Burgess, told the council planning department: 'Hampstead is a multi-faith and no faith community. No religious group should impose its structures on this community.'

Proposed location: A pole is shown where it would stand at the top of Heath Street in Hampstead, North London

And Karen Cramer added: 'We need to take in the views of the whole community rather than just a minority religious group.

'Going ahead with the eruv also increases the threat of religious encroachment on public spaces from any religious groups.'

Meanwhile Elena Moynihan said: 'Much as we want to preserve people's freedom to faith, this should not be taken as an excuse to override the rights and rules of everybody else. Nobody else is allowed to build in our common spaces so why should religious bodies be?'

The proposals have the backing of Camden Council's planning officers, who said 'the public benefits of the proposal to members of the Jewish community could be considered to outweigh the identified harm.'
An Australian couple who became separated from their tour guide on a glacier in Iceland have said they thought they 'were going to die' after spending seven hours in a fierce snowstorm.

David and Gail Wilson were with 11 other tourists on a snow mobile tour at Langjokull, South Iceland, on Tuesday when the extreme weather rolled in and the groups were split into two.

As there was zero visibility in the snowstorm, the tour guide told the group touch the sleigh in front, but Mr Wilson accidentally pressed the 'off' button with his glove and the couple were stranded.

'They said they'd be back within five minutes, but they didn't come back at all,' Mr Wilson told RUV.

Scroll down for video

David and Gail Wilson (pictured) became separated from their tour guide on a glacier in Iceland have said they thought they 'were going to die' after spending seven hours in a fierce snowstorm

A rescue team managed to track them down before nightfall and the couple were taken to the hospital, seven hours after they had become stranded. Their snow mobiles are pictured

Mr Wilson said the tour guide was driving back to check each buggie was touching the one in front every 100 metres, but when his mobile was switched off, he only drove back half way before urging the group to move on.

'Nobody told us how the on button or off button worked so it conked out,' Mr Wilson said.

'I stood on top of the snow mobile and started waving to him. But he came down, turned around about half way and took off with the group so we were standing there stranded'.

The couple had been told if any of the group were left behind, help would return within five minutes.

'Two and a half hours later and nobody came back and it was getting windier and windier,' Mr Wilson said.

Just before nightfall, the snowstorm eased enough for the couple to be able to see a faint outline of the trail and they decided to move on.

But they reached a point where the path ended and the glacier was just ice.

The Australian couple were with 11 other tourists on a snow mobile tour at Langjokull, South Iceland, (pictured) on Tuesday

They were forced to stop and fearing they would have to remain on the glacier overnight, they dug a hole to protect themselves from the wind.

'My wife was petrified. She thought we were going to die,' Mr Wilson said.

A rescue team managed to track them down before nightfall and the couple were taken to the hospital, seven hours after they had become stranded.

Mr Wilson said he blames the tour company, Mountaineers of Iceland, for their horrific experience and has called for them to be shut down.

But director of the company, Herbert Hauksson, said they were not to blame and it was 'unlikely' the couple had waited for two-hours when they were initially stranded.

'We are extremely sorry this has occurred and will examine all processes in the future,' Mr Hauksson told RUV.
January 12: National Youth Day

Published: January 12, 2017

The National Youth Day is observed every year on 12 January to mark the birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda.

Observance of the day seeks to propagate the philosophy and the ideals of Swami Vivekananda for which he lived and worked. It will also help and act as a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.

Several functions are being organised across the country to mark the occasion. To celebrate this day, the 21st National Youth Festival was held in Rohtak, Haryana. The theme this Festival was Youth for Digital India.

About Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendranath Dutta on 12 January 1863 and died on 4 July 1902. He and was chief disciple of the 19th century saint Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.

He was one of the most prominent figures of India who introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western World.

He is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century.

He is also considered as the major force in the revival of Hinduism in India, and contributed to the concept of nationalism in colonial India.

He is best known for his speech which began, Sisters and brothers of America , at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Chicago in 1893 in which he introduced Hinduism.

This speech was considered as one of his most significant contributions to the world and was a breakdown of the ancient philosophy of Hindusim, aided with logic and impeccable scientific insight.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2017

Topics: Days and Events  National  National Youth Day  Persons in News  Swami Vivekananda

Latest E-Books
Sen. John McCain said he did 'what any citizen would do' in turning over the dirty dossier, which contained unconfirmed secrets about the president-elect, over to the FBI.

The Guardian charted the path of how the dossier came to be and how it was that McCain got his hands on the controversial documents.

The story of the dossier began with an investigative firm in Washington, D.C., being tapped by one of Trump's primary allies to dig up some opposition research on the Republican hopeful.

Scroll down for video

Shortly after the election,John McCain (right) was attending a conference in Canada and spoke with a 'former senior western diplomat' who knew of the dossier's existence. That man was Sir Andrew Wood. He issued a nuanced explanation of his dealings with McCain: 'I would like to stress that I did not pass on any dossier to Senator McCain or anyone else and I did not see a dossier at the time.' He did not deny alerting McCain to its existence

Aide: Sir ANdrew Wood was Tony Blair's ambassador to Moscow until 2000

In turn, that firm outsourced the research to a 'retired western European former counter-intelligence official, with a long history of dealing with the shadow world of Moscow's spooks and siloviki (securocrats),' explained the Guardian.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal identified the ex-spy as Christopher Steele.

By the time the contractor had started digging, Trump's primary opponent had dropped out. But the firm found a Democrat who wanted dirt on the now Republican nominee instead.

The Guardian pointed out that just because a Democrat was willing to pay for the information that didn't mean that said Democrat was Hillary Clinton's campaign or the Democratic National Committee.

Sometimes donors seek out this information in order to ensure they've made a sound investment.

The contractor, who the Guardian didn't name, but the Wall Street Journal identified as Steele, reportedly found the information that he dug up to be concerning. He and another ex-British diplomat, Christopher Burrows, run their own company, Orbis Business Intelligence.

'If the allegations were real, their implications were overwhelming,' the Guardian wrote.

So over the summer he delivered the intelligence he had gathered from his Russian sources, living within the country and also in the west, to former colleagues in the FBI.

The Guardian suggested he also delivered the documents to his country's own intelligence service.

As fall approached, and he heard nothing about any FBI investigation into the documents, he was persuaded to tell journalist David Corn, of Mother Jones, of their existence.

The veteran reporter wrote about the dossier on October 31.

The intelligence agent, the Guardian reported, was worried about an FBI cover-up, as the bureau seemed to be spending most of its time and energy on an investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server.

It wasn't until mid-November, and after the presidential election, that the chips fell in place for the dossier to make its more public way to Washington.

Report: Christopher Steele (left) and Christopher Burrows (right) jointly run Orbis Business Intelligence which produced the report

London headquarters: This is the prestigious London headquarters of the intelligence firm run by an ex-spy who authored the discredited dirty dossier on Trump

On November 18, at the Halifax International Security Forum, McCain was introduced to a 'former senior western diplomat' who had set eyes on the documents and knew who put them together, telling the Arizona Republican that the individual was 'highly reliable.'

That man can now be named as Sir Andrew Wood, British ambassador to Moscow from 1995 to 2000.

Wood told the Independent that he had met McCain, spoken to him about Trump, and about the potential for him to be compromised.

In a carefully nuanced statement he said: 'Yes I did meet Senator McCain and his aides at the conference.

'We spoke about the kind of activities the Russians can be engaged in.

'We also spoke about how Mr Trump may find himself in a position where there could be an attempt to blackmail him with Kompromat [a Russian term for compromising material] and claims that there were audio and video tapes in existence.'

He added: 'I would like to stress that I did not pass on any dossier to Senator McCain or anyone else and I did not see a dossier at the time. I do know Christopher Steele and in my view he is very professional and thorough in what he does.'

He did not however address whether he told McCain there was a dossier - and how to get it.

Clearly, somebody did.

Ultimate recipient: The FBI Director James Comey was handed the document by McCain after its extraordinary transatlantic journey

Dossier of unverifiable sleaze Lurid sex claims The report states that in 2013 Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on the bed of the Presidential Suite at the Moscow Ritz Carlton, where he knew Barack and Michelle Obama had previously stayed. It says: 'Trump's unorthodox behavior in Russia over the years had provided the authorities there with enough embarrassing material on the now Republican presidential candidate to be able to blackmail him if they so wished.' Trump ridiculed the idea, pointing out that Russian hotel rooms are known to be rigged with cameras and describing himself as a 'germophobe'. Property 'sweeteners' The document states that Trump had declined 'sweetener' real estate deals in Russia that the Kremlin lined up in order to cultivate him. The business proposals were said to be 'in relation to the ongoing 2018 World Cup soccer tournament'. Russia 'cultivated' Trump for five years The dossier claimed that the Russian regime had been 'cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least five years'. According to the document, one source even claimed that 'the Trump operation was both supported and directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin' with the aim being to 'sow discord'. A dossier on Hillary Clinton At one point the memo suggests Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov 'controlled' another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over 'many years'. Elsewhere in the document, it is claimed that Putin was 'motivated by fear and hatred of Hillary Clinton.' Peskov poured scorn on the claims today and said they were 'pulp fiction'. Clandestine meetings At one point the memo says there were reports of 'clandestine meetings' between Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen and Kremlin representatives in August last year in Prague. However, Trump's counsel Michael Cohen today spoke out against allegations that he secretly met with Kremlin officials - saying that he had never been to Prague. It has now emerged that the dossier was referring to a different person of the same name. Advertisement

From there, McCain dispatched a 'trusted emissary' who flew across the Atlantic to meet the source of the documents at an airport that the Guardian did not name.

The aide was instructed to look for a man with a copy of the Financial Times and that's how the individuals met, with the source taking McCain's emissary back to his house and giving the American a copy of the documents.

Within 24 hours, the dossier was in Washington, though the contents of the file couldn't be verified without an investigation.

McCain, the Guardian said, was worried that his actions might be interpreted as revenge for some of the controversial comments Trump made about him  such as knocking the fact that the longtime senator had been a prisoner of war.

However, McCain decided to hand over the documents to FBI Director James Comey on December 9.

'Upon examination of the contents, and unable to make a judgment about their accuracy, I delivered the information to the Director of the FBI,' McCain said Wednesday in a statement about that matter.

'That has been the extent of my contact with the FBI or any other government agency regarding this issue,' McCain said.
Eight dogs have been found shot dead in the home of a woman who rescued more than 100 animals from a Texas animal shelter.

Brian Moore, 25, and his girlfriend, Whitney Smither, a recent high school graduate, have been accused of animal cruelty after authorities found the remains in their home in Horatio, Arkansas, leaving dozens of dogs unaccounted for, still.

Officials found the animals in the 100 block of Bradley Chapel Road in December, along with other dogs which had been abandoned and were suffering from eye infections, heart worm, and wounds, Dallas News reported.

Brian Moore, 25, and his girlfriend, Whitney Smither, a recent high school graduate, have been accused of animal cruelty after authorities found eight dogs shot to death in their home

Officials found the animals in the 100 block of Bradley Chapel Road in December, along with others which had been abandoned and were suffering from various conditions

Smither and Moore worked at Ark-La-Tex Animal Rescue Group in Texarkana, Texas, where they had permission to pull animals from the Fort Worth Animal shelter and find safe homes for them.

Whitney Harrison, who runs the animal rescue, realized the couple had been taking a lot more than they were permitted.

She thought Smither had only pulled about 12 to 15 dogs.

Smither worked at Ark-La-Tex Rescue Group in Texarkana, Texas, where she had permission to pull dogs from the Fort Worth shelter

Moore, 25, has been charged with eight counts of animal cruelty, but Smither has only been named as a suspect since she has not been questioned since she's moved to Indiana

The animal rescue director has put out a plea on social media asking people for any information on the other dozens of dogs Smither had rescued from the shelter.

About 80 per cent of the 161 dogs taken from the shelter by Ark-La-Tex Rescue in 2016 were pulled by the teen.

Among the dead dogs found was a one-year-old pitbull mix, named Charlie, who used a wheelchair to get around.

According to a Sevier County incident report, Moore has been charged with eight counts of animal cruelty, but Smither has only been named as a suspect since she has not been questioned since she's moved to Indiana.

About 80 per cent of the 161 dogs taken from the shelter by Ark-La-Tex Rescue in 2016 were pulled by Whitney Smither

The couple had been living together in the Arkansas home, but Moore told officials that Smither returned to her home state of Indiana in November.

Moore said he shot the dogs after she left and told police he killed the animals because they had heart worms and posed a threat, reports said.

Harrison said Smither had 'a lot of people fooled.'

Neither the city nor the rescue group know how many animals for which the couple are to be held accountable.

Out of the dozens of dogs pulled from the shelter, Harrison said she only knows of three that were adopted.

Smither was seemingly a lover of animals having frequently posted pictures of the rescue animals needing a home on her Facebook page.

Ark-La-Tex Animal Rescue took to Facebook to address the incident saying the surviving dogs that were rescued from the Smither's home have been sent to 'various rescues' in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

DailyMail has reached out to Smither for comment.
Eating raw chicken has always been considered dangerous because of the risk of salmonella poisoning, but that hasn't stopped one would-be chef sharing her own recipe.

The Facebook post by Australian Morgan Jane Gibbs shows a plateful of very pink pieces of chicken with the caption: 'Just made chicken medium rare chicken strips.

'They're so good can't believe I've never tried it like this before. Can't wait to dig into this with my homemade salad and veges. #healthy #newyearsresolution #clean #cleaneating'

Unsurprisingly the post has gained notoriety online as people try and figure out if Ms Gibbs is being serious with her nauseating dish.

The viral post showing a plateful of some very rare looking chicken has sent the internet into a frenzy

Texas woman Dakota Jean (pictured) posted the nauseating image and caption word-for-word a few days after Ms Gibbs, which was shared over 2,000 times

'Salmonella poisoning dude!' one outraged user posted.

Ms Gibbs replied: 'It's not salmon though it's chicken.'

The Australian woman even encouraged friends to try the recipe for themselves, a suggestion they quickly declined.

The post was even subject to a bit of thievery, when Texas woman Dakota Jean posted the image and caption word-for-word a few days later, with the addition of #vegan.

Her post sent the internet into further frenzy, being shared over 2000 times.

And while many again expressed disgust at the raw chicken dish, others quickly picked up that the image is in fact a joke and quickly joined in.

'You should only cook it this way if you're 100 per cent sure the chicken wasn't vaccinated. Because that gives them autism and autistic chickens get salmonella,' one user chimed in.

Another added: 'Medium rare chicken is the best, I don't know how people eat it any other way!'

The original 'medium rare chicken' post was shared by Australian user Morgan Jane Gibbs

The bizzare post gained notoriety online and quickly went viral

The 'medium rare' chicken recipe was unsurprisingly not met with much approval

When the issue of salmonella was brought up, it was met with a 'it's chicken not salmon'

The posts by Ms Gibbs (picutred), Ms Jean and countless others are definitely jokes, the controversial image itself appears to be legitimate

While the posts by Ms Gibbs, Ms Jean and countless others are definitely jokes, the controversial image itself appears to be legitimate.

It originally comes from a blog promoting tourism in the Japanese region of Shizuoka and the recipe for chicken tataki; chicken seared over hot coals and served raw.

Chicken sashimi is another Japanese dish where the bird is served raw, chefs manage to avoid the issue of pesky food poisoning by serving the meat as fresh as possible and raising the chickens in a hygienic environment.

Many were repulsed at the sight of the pick chicken, and raised concerns over the issue of food poisoning

While many expressed disgust at the raw chicken dish, others quickly picked up that the image is in fact a joke and quickly joined in
Juan Carlos, 20 (pictured), has been sued for negligence by an Uber driver who let him take the wheel during a trip from Philadelphia to The Bronx because he was sleepy

A Philadelphia Uber driver who made headlines last year when he allowed his passenger to take the wheel so he could take a nap, and later woke up to find the rider leading police on a high-speed chase, has filed a lawsuit against the 20-year-old.

The incident occurred in on April 2 when 20-year-old Juan Carlos hired Uber driver Corey Robinson, 43, to drive him over 100 miles from Philadelphia to The Bronx, where he lives.

Police said at the time that at some point during the trip, Robinson complained of being too drowsy to continue and asked Carlos to get behind the wheel so he could catch up on some sleep.

Robinson would later tell the New York Post that he was awakened by the sensation that his leased 2016 Hyundai Sonata 'was leaving the ground' because it was going so fast.

I told him [Carlos] to stop the car and he said, "the police are chasing us," Robinson was quoted as telling the Post in an article that was attached to his lawsuit.

A state trooper later clocked Juan Carlos going 86mph in a 65mph speed zone on Interstate 81 near Binghamton, New York.

Robinson joined the ride-sharing company as a driver in December 2015, but after the crash his Uber account was deactivated, as was Carlos'

Troopers tried to pull over Carlos for speeding, but he alleged refused to yield and instead accelerated, heading north, despite Robinsons repeated pleas to stop.

The wild chase came to an end only when Carlos slammed into a guardrail on Sanitaria Springs Road in Coleseville.

It was reported at the time that both Carlos and Robinson suffered minor injuries.

In the Uber driver's civil complaint claiming negligence, which was filed in mid-December in Bronx County Court against Carlos and Uber Technologies, Robinson claimed he sustained 'serious, severe, and permanent physical and personal injuries that left him 'sick, sore, lame and disabled.'

The Post article from April 5 quoted Robinson as saying that his leased vehicle was completely totaled in the wreck, and that afterwards he saw Carlos laughing.

Carlos was arrested at the scene of the crash and charged with fleeing police and driving without a license.

Robinson joined the ride-sharing company as a driver in December 2015, but after the crash his Uber account was deactivated, as was Carlos.'
Barbara Fletcher, Nancy Fassett and Margaret Sugg had been living together for almost 25 years back in 1992 when the final episode Golden Girls aired, and 25 years later the three women are still under the same roof.

The trio first began living together in the late 60s when Fletcher moved into a group house in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC where Sugg, then a a congressional staffer, and Fassett, a librarian, had already been residing for a few years.

Then, in 1975, the woman all packed their bags and headed to the suburbs when Fassett, 85, managed to convince the woman that instead of throwing money away on rent they should buy a home together.

That home was a five-bedroom residence in Bethesda, Maryland that had its own pool and plenty of parking, unlike the city.

'We thought wed be there two or three years and somebody would get married or maybe buy a house by themselves,' Sugg told The Washington Post in a profile of the three remarkable friends.

'But that just didnt happen.'

Scroll down for video

Best of friends: Barbara Fletcher, 76, Nancy Fassett, 85, and Margaret Sugg, 87, all lived together in the same group house in Washington DC in the late 1960s (l to r: Fassett, Sugg and Fletcher at their Bethesda home in 1980)

Going strong: The women then bought a home together in 1975 in Bethesda, Maryland which they lived in until 2014 (l to r: Fletcher, Sugg and Fassett in 2016)

Role models: Like the Golden Girls, the women said they came to realize they did not need a man in their lives (l to r: Rose Nyland, Dorothy Petrillo-Zbornak and Blanche Devereaux)

The relationship between the three women is more than just a friendship they explain however, with Fletcher saying: 'We are a family.'

Sugg, 87, was of the same opinion, saying: 'It really does feel like were sisters.'

She then added: 'Except that I always fought with my sister.'

Meanwhile, a former roommate who lived with the three back in their DC days shot down the notion some have she said of a more romantic relationship among the women.

'Immediately they think, "Well, theyre gay." But they really arent,' said Mary Riedlin of the reaction she gets when she speaks about the lifelong friends, who she describes as 'wonderful and unusual.'

Sugg did not use those same words to describe the three, but did admit there was something about their bond that people could not place their finger on and seemed to want in their own lives.

'A lot of people are awed by it, and have told me theyre envious - a lot of married friends included,' she said.

It was Sugg however who almost broke that bond when she was offered a job in New York City, and accepted the position.

In the end however, she didn't even make it out of the driveway, saying she woke up one morning and thought to herself, 'I can't do it.'

Over the years the woman filled their times by attending cocktail parties and dinners together, while also taking their friends on mystery vacations.

On those trips they would get people to the airport and convinced the pilot to not reveal their destination before they headed off to resorts or for parties in places like North Carolina.

Summer days: Once the women retired in the 90s they built a summer home in North Carolina and began to spend one month each year at a time share in Aruba (women above in North Carolina)

Party people: The women at their annual Christmas Party in Georgetown in 1974 (l to r: Fassett, Sugg and Fletcher); the cast of Golden Girls (clockwise from left: Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanch Devereaux, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo-Zborna)

Dinner date: After moving from Bethesda the woman purchased a duplex at a retirement community in nearby Gaithersburg (l to r: Fassett and Suggin 2016)

The 90s brought about another big change for the women, who began to retire from their jobs.

Fassett had been an employee of the local school system while Sugg and Fletcher, 76, were in real estate.

Around that time, the three women made the decision to get themselves a summer home, and all chipped in to build a house in Duck, a town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Their summers are now spent there, and ever March they not travel to their third property, a time share in Aruba.

Sadly, the Bethesda home came to be too much for the women, who in 2014 bought a much more practical duplex in the Asbury Methodist Village, a retirement community in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Also making the trip were two new members of the group - cats Mary and Max.

And after all this time they are still happy as can be, and realize now that just like Blanche, Rose, Sophia and Dorothy they never needed a man in their lives.

'We all dated, but not that seriously,' said Fassett.

'We were having too much fun together.'

They have now lived together in six decades, and in just a few years will celebrate 50 years of friendship.

They did not say what they might do for that monumental occasion, but it will hopefully involve cheesecake, a party with everyone they know, and some big gifts with cards attached that say, 'thank you for being a friend.'
Three teenage boys and a man have been charged with allegedly drugging and raping a young woman, then dumping her in a street three months ago.

Police allege the 18-year-old woman met a teenage boy, 17, known to her at a Lugarno pizza shop in Sydney's south on October 18.

The pair then allegedly met up with friends of the teenager, another 17-year-old , a 15-year-old and a man, 38, who gave the woman an unknown substance.

Three teenage boys and a man have been charged with allegedly drugging and raping a young woman

The woman was allegedly raped several times by the teenagers and the man, before being dropped off in a Riverwood (pictured) street several suburbs away

She was allegedly raped several times by the teenagers and the man, before being dropped off in a Riverwood street several suburbs away where she was found by a passer-by.

The woman was taken to Liverpool Hospital for treatment after the passer-by called paramedics.

The four males were arrested on Thursday and all charged with aggravated sexual assault in company and refused bail.

The teens will face a children's court on Friday with the man due to face Liverpool Court.
A Georgia homeowner found the body of a woman inside a plastic storage bin in their front yard, police said Thursday.

Police responded to the scene shortly after 1 pm, followed by crime scene investigators and other detectives.

The woman has not been identified and her age range is unknown. Authorities have referred to her as 'the victim' and described her as a black woman.

The body is showing early signs of decomposition, Gwinnett County police said. Investigators are now working to identify her and notify her next of kin.

A homeowner found a woman's body in their front yard Thursday in Lawrenceville, Georgia. James Road (pictured), were the body was found, was considered a crime scene

Lawrenceville's James Road, where the body was found, is now considered a crime scene.

Investigators said the woman was transported to the location and 'dumped' in the front yard.

'We can tell you that the body has not been at this location for longer than 24 hours. The homeowner reported that they did not see that in their front yard yesterday, Gwinnett County police Corporal Deon Washington told WSB-TV.

Washington had no knowledge of any gunshot wound or obvious signs of trauma.

Police shut down the roadway and asked the public to avoid the area as crime scene investigators gathered information and collected evidence on Thursday afternoon.

The medical examiner will determine the woman's cause and manner of death.
The grim sight of a line of trolleys in a bleak hospital corridor unmasked Jeremys Corbyn as a hypocrite, critics claimed last night.

The Labour leader said this week that the Tories were in denial about the crisis in the NHS in England.

But this scene at a crisis-hit A&E unit shows the state of the Welsh NHS, which has been run by Labour since 1999.

Tories said savage cuts by Labour had unleashed devastation.

The grim sight of a line of trolleys in a bleak hospital corridor in an Welsh A&E unit unmasked Jeremys Corbyn as a hypocrite, critics claimed last night

Their comments came as pictures taken by a relative of a patient showed a nine-strong queue of desperately-ill people waiting to see a doctor at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Wales.

Lucinda Wilcox, 31, from Trelewis, South Wales, was taking her 86-year-old grandmother to A&E with a suspected heart attack when she took a photo of the scene.

The businesswoman told how frail and elderly ladies were left on their own, abandoned by paramedics long since called away to deal with yet another emergency. Some had been there for 24 hours.

The Labour leader said this week that the Tories were in denial about the crisis in the NHS in England

She said nurses had to fold up their coats when the hospital ran out of pillows as patients shivered in thin sheets because there werent enough blankets to go round.

For some the pain was too much, and their condition so serious that IV drips had to be installed to make them comfortable.

Staff frantically manoeuvred patients away from the automatic doors which let in a blast of freezing air every time they slid open.

Outside Miss Wilcox saw three ambulances waiting with yet more casualties. In the A&E unit itself there was another queue of four patients.

Staff said the scene on Tuesday evening at around 6pm was normal  and getting worse every day.

Yesterday Miss Wilcox said: It was so worrying and upsetting to see. The patients were clearly in distress. Some of them were on their own.

You could see some of the elderly ones were slouched to one side, some were almost slipping off the trolleys. Some people had thin sheets without any blankets.

Lucinda Wilcox, 31, from Trelewis, South Wales, was taking her 86-year-old grandmother to A&E with a suspected heart attack when she took a photo of the scene

Some were in pain, some even had drips in them because the staff were trying to make them as comfortable as possible.

If any of the patients didnt have their regular medication on them, they couldnt get given anything until they saw a doctor.

Miss Wilcox, who did not have to wait because her grandmothers condition was so serious, said the photos show the corridor leading the entrance of the main A&E unit where there are just a handful of bays available.

She said: The staff said those situations were normal  that is how they work every day. So all they could do is apologise to people and move on to the next task, otherwise the problem is not going to get any better.

They said this year is worse than last year and each day is getting worse. They said its because people are in hospitals who shouldnt be in beds. Some can go home, but then there arent care packages in place soon enough.

Or some of the patients have dementia, and because dementia care home places are so tightly squeezed, they cant be accepted in a normal home so theres nowhere for them to go.

The images at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital were taken on the same day that the Welsh Governments health secretary, Vaughan Gething, insisted the NHS in Wales was not in crisis.

Yesterday MPs told the Mail that Labour was in denial over the severity of the problems in Wales.

Andrew Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: Jeremy Corbyn is playing a dangerous game in seeking to weaponise the health service, particularly given the state of the Welsh NHS under Labour.

Despite the best efforts of our hardworking staff, there is a crisis on the frontline of the Welsh NHS, and these cases are a distressingly familiar scene for all too many patients.

He added: Every time Corbyn speaks about the English NHS, people in Wales are reminded of the devastation that the Labour Party has unleashed on the Welsh NHS after years of savage budget cuts.

David Davies, Conservative MP for Monmouth, said: The NHS in Wales has been in crisis for many years. Its not perfect in England or Wales, but at least in England we have a minister who is acknowledging that and desperately trying to improve it.

In Wales they wont even acknowledge problems. The reality I have patients who are begging to be treated by the NHS in England. In Wales we wait longer for ambulances, we wait longer in A&E units, we wait longer for operations, and we have less access to cancer drugs.

Its high time that people realise that whatever the problems in England, things are much worse in Wales.

Pictures taken by Miss Wilcox showed a nine-strong queue of desperately-ill people waiting to see a doctor at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Wales

He added: The crisis is the number of people in Wales who want to be treated by a Conservative government.

James Davies, a GP and Conservative MP for the Vale of Clwyd, added: Labour have run the NHS in Wales since 1999 and my constituents in North Wales know only too well that the provision they receive is inferior to that only 30 miles east, in North West England.

Labour are in denial about the state of the NHS in Wales and their contributions at Parliament this week have been both unconstructive and hypocritical.

Vaughan Gething, the Welsh health secretary, said: Rather than desperately seeking to attack the Welsh NHS to deflect from the unprecedented situation facing the NHS in England, the Tories should be supporting dedicated health and social care staff at this busy and difficult time. We are proud of the fact that we continue work with and support our staff.

Miss Wilcox said: 'The staff said those situations were normal  that is how they work every day. So all they could do is apologise to people and move on to the next task'

He added: There have been some exceptional periods of pressure on urgent and emergency care services right across the UK but here in Wales, more than eight out of 10 people spend less than four hours in emergency care facilities from their arrival until admission, transfer or discharge.

A spokesman for Cwm Taf University Health Board, which runs the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, said: We continue to manage a high level of demand at both Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant.

The escalation levels are currently between three (severe pressure) and four (extreme pressure).

Although we have plans in place to deal with winter pressures, the public can help us by choosing the appropriate health care service for their needs including one of our minor injury units, their GP, pharmacy or ringing NHS Direct Wales.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'Unlike in England, the NHS budget in Wales has not been subject to savage cuts. In fact, thanks to the Welsh Government, health and social services spending is 6% higher in Wales than in England.

'It is also incorrect to say that people wait longer for ambulances in Wales. The latest statistics show that half of all emergency ambulance calls, known as RED calls, received a response in less than four minutes and 34 seconds and more than 78% received a response within eight minutes.'
President Barack Obama awarded a tearful Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with distinction, at a surprise ceremony Thursday at the White House.

Biden said he had 'no inkling' that Obama was going to honor him today with the highest award for a civilian of the United States. He thought he was attending an intimate ceremony with the president, first lady, his wife Jill and a few staffers.

'I don't deserve this, but I know it came from the president's heart,' Biden said.

Introducing his No. 2, Obama called Biden 'the best vice president America's ever had.' He teased him in his remarks about taking the Amtrak to work and his signature Aviator sunglasses.

Obama paid tribute to Biden once already this week, on Tuesday as he delivered an emotional farewell speech in Chicago. He said he wanted to pay tribute to 74-year-old former lawmaker's service to this country.

'This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance,' he quipped.

President Barack Obama awarded a tearful Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with distinction, at a surprise ceremony Thursday at the White House

President Barack Obama awarded a tearful Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with distinction, at a surprise ceremony Thursday at the White House

Biden said he had 'no inkling' that Obama was going to honor him today with the highest award for a civilian of the United States. He thought he was attending an intimate ceremony with the president, first lady, his wife Jill and a few staffers

Obama gave Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction - an even rarer honor

Obama said that serving beside Biden 'has been quite the ride.'

'There has not been a single moment since that time that I have doubted the wisdom of that decision,' the president said, thinking back on when he asked Biden to join his ticket. This is an extraordinary man with an extraordinary career in public service.

Biden, he said, has helped to protect women from violence, root out terrorists, reduce gun violence, make college more affordable and is working to cure cancer.

'For the past eight years he could not be a move devoted or effective partner in the progress that we've made,' Obama said.

'He visited college after college and made friends with Lady Gaga for our "It's on us campaign against campus sexual assault,' Obama said to laughter. 'And when the Pope visited, Joe was even kind enough to let me talk to the Holiness, as well.'

Obama and Biden lunched every week while they were in the White House. The VP was often known to huddle alone with Obama after staff meetings to discuss major upcoming decision.

'He's been unafraid to give it to me straight, even if disagree,' Obama said Thursday. 'In fact especially when we disagree. And all of this makes him in my belief the finest VP we have ever seen. And I also think he has been a lion of American history,' Obama said.

Biden, elected to the Senate in 1972, has a 'pretty remarkable legacy,' Obama observed. 'It is as Joe once said a big..deal,' the president stated, eliciting laughter from the audience.

Looking back on his eight years in office, the outgoing President paid homage on Tuesday to his wife, his daughters and the American people. But he seemed to save a special place in his heart for his VP.

'To Joe Biden, the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware's favorite son: you were the first choice I made as a nominee, and the best,' he said. 'Not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother.'

In closing his comments to Biden, Obama said: 'We love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our life.'

The bromance between the pair has become near-legendary now, inspiring memes and tribute videos. But the pair originally had an intense dislike of one another.

Brothers: Barack Obama called VP Joe Biden his 'brother' in his farewell speech Tuesday, before the pair embraced on stage

Teaerful: Biden is seen wiping tears from his eyes during Obama's final speech. His wife Jill sits next to him

Love: The President said the Obamas loved Biden and his wife Jill 'like family'. 'Your friendship has been one of the great joys of our life,' he added. Biden acknowledged the kind words with his trademark finger-point

Biden had entered congress in 1972 aged 30, becoming the sixth-youngest Senator in US history, and had attempted - and failed - to grab the presidency in 1988.

Obama appeared in the senate in 1997, aged 35, and had a similar young-buck quality that set Biden on edge as the pair served together in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The older statesman resented the Chicago lawyer's fast-rising star, while Obama saw Biden - who had run up a quarter of a century in the Senate - as patronizing.

Biden returned to the race in 2008, where he called into question Obama's lack of experience in politics, saying: 'I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.'

Friends: First lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden share a moment Obama speaks during his farewell address in Chicago

'Family': President Barack Obama is joined by First Lady Michelle Obama, daughter Malia Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden after giving his presidential farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago

But some early stumbles with race relations - referring to Obama as 'the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy' and joking about the number of Indian-Americans in Delaware - saw him losing campaign contributions.

That led to him dropping out of the race early. And that in turn led to the Obama camp coming calling about a possible VP ticket.

Biden initially turned down the offer, saying it would be a step down from the Senate position he'd proudly held for so long.

Time to say goodbye: Biden greets guests following President Barack Obama's farewell speech to the nation

But the pair had - perhaps to their own surprise - hit it off in initial meetings, and Biden came to reconsider that decision.

The road ahead wasn't easy, though, and Biden's habit of making off-the-cuff quips frustrated the Obama team on the election campaign, calling the remarks 'Joe-bombs'.

Obama became so irritated by the gaffes that at one point he remarked 'How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid?' according to the book Game Change.

Biden was frozen out of strategy meetings and their relationship became strained, but he apologized to Obama in a phone call and the pair were able to restore their relationship.

From there their friendship went from strength to strength, and Biden became Obama's closest political ally and friend.

Their relationship even became so famous that it left a series of popular memes in the weeks after Trump's election victory, portraying Biden as a mischievous prankster out to fool the new President, and Obama as his weary adult guardian.
One of Barack Obama's final acts as president will be to end the 'wet foot, dry foot' policy that granted residency to Cubans who arrived in the US without visas.

The Obama administration announced it is doing away with the immigration policy effective immediately in a statement on Thursday night.

'Today, the United States is taking important steps forward to normalize relations with Cuba and to bring greater consistency to our immigration policy,' Obama said in the statement.

'By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries.

Scroll down for video

One of Barack Obama's final acts as president will be to end the 'wet foot, dry foot' policy that granted residency to Cubans who arrived in the US without visas. He is pictured giving his farewell address on January 10

'The Cuban government has agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals who have been ordered removed, just as it has been accepting the return of migrants interdicted at sea.'

The President went on to say: 'The United States, a land of immigrants, has been enriched by the contributions of Cuban-Americans for more than a century.

'Sustaining that approach is the best way to ensure that Cubans can enjoy prosperity, pursue reforms, and determine their own destiny.'

The move comes about a week before the President leaves office and is likely the last major change he will make to his overhaul of the US relationship with Cuba.

It also means there is one additional thing Trump would have to undo once he takes office, as he has threatened to do in regards to the Cuba changes.

'If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal,' Trump tweeted in November.

Obama has had a drastic impact on relations between the two countries.

In December 2014 he announced the end to 'failed, Cold War-era policy' and over the two years since then the White House has worked to build a 'new course in relations' with the island nation.

The Obama administration is set to do away with the policy effective immediate, according to a senior administration official. A man is seen protesting the policy in Miami in 2006

The official said the US and Cuba have spent several months negotiating the policy change. Obama is pictured during a ceremony at the White House on Thursday

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON CUBAN IMMIGRATION Today, the United States is taking important steps forward to normalize relations with Cuba and to bring greater consistency to our immigration policy. The Department of Homeland Security is ending the so-called 'wet-foot/dry foot' policy, which was put in place more than twenty years ago and was designed for a different era. Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with US law and enforcement priorities. By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries. The Cuban government has agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals who have been ordered removed, just as it has been accepting the return of migrants interdicted at sea. Today, the Department of Homeland Security is also ending the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program. The United States and Cuba are working together to combat diseases that endanger the health and lives of our people. By providing preferential treatment to Cuban medical personnel, the medical parole program contradicts those efforts, and risks harming the Cuban people. Cuban medical personnel will now be eligible to apply for asylum at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, consistent with the procedures for all foreign nationals. The United States, a land of immigrants, has been enriched by the contributions of Cuban-Americans for more than a century. Since I took office, we have put the Cuban-American community at the center of our policies. With this change we will continue to welcome Cubans as we welcome immigrants from other nations, consistent with our laws. During my Administration, we worked to improve the lives of the Cuban people - inside of Cuba - by providing them with greater access to resources, information and connectivity to the wider world. Sustaining that approach is the best way to ensure that Cubans can enjoy prosperity, pursue reforms, and determine their own destiny. As I said in Havana, the future of Cuba should be in the hands of the Cuban people. Advertisement

The President announced in July 2015 that both countries were reopening embassies after they had been shut for more than half a century.

'When the United States shuttered our embassy in 1961, I don't think anyone thought it would be more than half a century before it reopened,' Obama said at the time.

'Americans and Cubans alike are ready to move forward.'

The sentiment was echoed by Cuba's President, Raul Castro, who said in a statement: 'We want to develop a friendship between our two nations that is based on the equality of rights and the people's free will.'

The policy change comes after it was reported earlier this year tens of thousands of Cubans fled their homeland since President Barack Obama announced the normalization of relations.

The policy was implemented as part of the Cuban Adjustment Act signed by president Bill Clinton in 1996. Pictured is a migrant boat on the shore in Miami

It stated that anyone who was caught on a boat between the US and Cuba would either be returned to the island nation or sent elsewhere, however those who managed to make it to American shores would be granted legal residency. Pictured is a boat crossing the ocean to Florida

The rush to leave led to the highest number of people trying to make the dangerous sea crossing in the past eight years, according to internal Homeland Security Department documents obtained by The Associated Press in April.

'The perception is that the time is now. Given all that is going on, I could see how that perception would exist,' said Coast Guard Capt. Mark Gordon at the time.

The policy was implemented as part of the Cuban Adjustment Act signed by president Bill Clinton in 1996.

It stated that anyone who was caught on a boat between the US and Cuba would either be returned to the island nation or sent elsewhere, however those who managed to make it to American shores would be granted legal residency.
CET         :       ;       
A former British ambassador to Russia has today admitted he told John McCain about the contents of the 'dirty' Trump dossier - but denied handing it to the President-elect's sworn enemy.

Sir Andrew Wood, 77, believes its author Christopher Steele, 52, a former MI6 agent he knows from Moscow, is right to have vanished amid claims he fears for his life.

The diplomat says the salacious file 'was pretty much public' last Autumn and spoke to Senator McCain about its contents at a Canada security conference at the time of the US election.

Donald Trump has again lashed out over the affair, calling Steele a 'failed spy' employed by 'sleazebag political operatives' and suggesting he wants to sue the ex-MI6 agent if he ever comes out of hiding.

He tweeted: 'It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued'.

The row has plunged Britain and Russia into a fresh outbreak of Cold War hostilities with Russia claiming Steele has never left MI6 and security sources say he spoke to UK Government officials before handing the dossier to the FBI.

Diplomatic incident: Sir Andrew Wood met with Senator John McCain in Canada last year and discussed lurid claims about Trump's sex life - but denies he handed him the dossier

Sir Andrew described alleged dossier author Christopher Steele (pictured), a former MI6 spy who has since gone into hiding, as 'professional and thorough'

Steele, 52, was described as a 'confirmed socialist' as a Cambridge student, circled in 1985 with, among others, DJ Paul Gambaccini (second from right, front row) and That's Life star Chris Seale (front row, centre left)

Donald Trump has again lashed out over the affair and tweeted: 'It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued'.

But today he admitted that bogus sex claims could have been maliciously fed to Steele by his Russian sources.

Sir Andrew Wood is now at the centre of the row but denies ever having a copy of the report, and attempted to defend Steele, once MI6s top spy on Russian affairs who lived in the shadows until being unmasked as the alleged author of the dirty dossier on Donald Trump.

Trump blasts 'phony allegations' cooked up by 'failed spy' and 'sleazebags' Donald Trump has accused 'sleazebag political operatives' of making up facts in the dirty dossier, which contained unconfirmed secrets about the president-elect, and ensured a hacking report on the documents would be released in 90 days. Trump has said there's no truth to the contents of the discredited dossier, which contained unverified information about Trump participating in alleged sex acts, that was published earlier this week by Buzzfeed. In early-morning tweets on Friday, Trump wrote: 'It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued. 'Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both Democrats and Republicans - FAKE NEWS! Russia says nothing exists. 'Probably released by 'Intelligence' even knowing there is no proof, and never will be. My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days!' Advertisement

Sir Andrew said: 'I know him to be a very professional operator who left the secret service to operate his own company.

'I do not think he would make things up - but I do not think he would always draw the correct judgement'.

Steele has been accused of 'appalling judgement' over the 'shaky' file containing far-fetched claims about the president-elect's sex life in Russia and MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger is said to be livid.

One senior intelligence source called him 'an idiot' and told The Sun: 'Chris should never have accepted this bit of work.

'It was always going to come out at some stage, as was his involvement with it, and that is deeply embarrassing to the service.'

Steele, who spied in Moscow in the 1990s, packed his bags and fled his 1.5million Surrey mansion this week and could be abroad or in a safe house.

On fears for his safety Sir Andrew said: 'The Russians would like to know where he got his information from, assuming it is true. They (the Russians) are accustomed to taking action'.

The British ambassador to Russia between 1995 and 2000 has confirmed he met McCain, an outspoken critic of Trump, at a security conference in Canada in November.

He was there in his role as Associate Fellow for Russia and Eurasia at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, better known as the Chatham House think tank.

Describing his exchange with John McCain he said: 'I know Chris Steele and the report we are talking about had already been seen by quite a lot of people in Washington but not by Senator McCain. I told him I was aware of what was in it but had not read it myself and still haven't'.

Sir Andrew told McCain it contained claims about Trump's links to the Russians and his 'sexual behaviour' - and that the US politician then sought out a copy himself from elsewhere.

One of his aides was instructed to look for a man with a copy of the Financial Times and that's how the individuals met, with the source taking McCain's emissary back to his house and giving the American a copy of the documents.

Sir Andrew and McCain discussed Trump's vulnerability to blackmail amid allegations contained in the discredited dossier.

He said: 'We spoke about how Mr Trump may find himself in a position where there could be an attempt to blackmail him with Kompromat (a Russian term for compromising material) and claims that there were audio and video tapes in existence.

'There were stories about his treatment of women and we know that the FSB and KGB do regularly use honeytraps'.

He added: 'I dont think I have done anything wrong at all in what I have done'.

Spooks: The Russian embassy in London suggested Steele was still working for MI6 and briefing both ways against Mr Trump and Moscow on Twitter - Sir Andrew suggested they were judging Steele by their own standards

Sir Andrew Wood (pictured alongside former Prime Minister Tony Blair) was British ambassador to Moscow between 1995 and 2000

Pictured: Mr Steele's 1.5million home in Surrey, bristles with CCTV cameras, which is still empty today

The document, which has opened up a deep diplomatic crisis, was delivered to FBI chief James Comey by Republican John McCain, but Sir Andrew insists it was not from him.

Sir Andrew Wood's five years as British Ambassador to Russia coincided with the arrival of Vladimir Putin first as FSB security service chief then premier, and finally acting president.

He has been married twice  to two American women - and his first wife died while he was posted to Belgrade and he had to look after their baby son.

Sir Andrew is currently one of 14 research fellows at Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia programme.

The think-tank, the second most influential in the world according to the University of Pennsylvania's 2015 Global Go To Think Tanks Report, received 14 per cent of its 15.9million income last year from government departments.

This works out at around 2.2million.

Sir Andrew is described on the Chatham House website as 'a consultant to a number of companies with an interest in Russia'.

The think tank also describes him as an expert on Russia's domestic and foreign policies.

In a series of major developments yesterday, it emerged:

Trump calls Christopher Steele a 'failed spy' and suggests he is on the run to avoid being sued

Sources told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Steele spoke to government officials before handing the dossier to the FBI;

Until 2009, Mr Steele worked as one of MI6s foremost Kremlinologists heading the spy agencys Russia desk;

He was the first person to conclude Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko had been murdered in a Kremlin-sponsored hit, and Litvinenkos widow said Mr Steeles life was in danger;

Mr Steele and his late wife suffered constant harassment by the KGB during his posting to Moscow in the early 1990s, including an incident when Russian agents stole his wifes favourite shoes;

Orbis, a company co-owned by Mr Steele, made 1million in profit in the past two years;

He worked with the FBI from 2010 onwards and helped them smash corruption at FIFA. The UK Football Association also employed him

Neighbours have said Steele fled home in his car on Wednesday.

IRATE MI6 BLAST 'IDIOT' EX-SPY OVER 'SHAKY' TRUMP FILE The former British spy behind the 'dirty' Donald Trump dossier has been cut off by MI6 and bosses believe he is an 'idiot'. Current MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger is said to be livid that Steele agreed to take on the work and has caused worldwide embarrassment to British secret services. Other spies believe that he has fallen into a Kremlin trap and was fed false information about Trump and extraordinary claims he was filmed paying prostitutes to do a 'golden shower' sex game on a presidential suite bed once slept on by Barack Obama. One senior intelligence source called him 'an idiot' and told The Sun: 'Chris should never have accepted this bit of work. 'It was always going to come out at some stage, as was his involvement with it, and that is deeply embarrassing to the service.' Advertisement

He had asked them to look after his three cats, and there were claims last night he was in an MI6 safe house. He could also be abroad.

Russia's relations with Britain went into the deep freeze last night as Moscow blamed MI6 for the dossier of sordid claims about Donald Trump.

In an alarming Twitter post, the Russian embassy in London suggested the dossiers alleged author, former British spy Christopher Steele, was still working for MI6 and briefing both ways against Mr Trump and Moscow.

It came as American sources claimed that the UK Government gave the FBI permission to contact Mr Steele, who is in hiding after vanishing shortly before the damning dossier made headlines around the world.

In an alarming Twitter post, the Russian embassy in London suggested Steele was still working for MI6 and briefing both ways against Mr Trump and Moscow.

A Russian embassy spokesman said the tweet  which said MI6 officers are never ex  reflected the mood in Russia.

Sir Andrew said today: 'They are speaking in their experience of KGB officers I suspect'.

Following the tweet, Tory MP Crispin Blunt, who is conducting an inquiry into Russia, said it was a sign UK-Russian relations were the 'worst they could get in peace time'.

Mr Blunt, an ex-army officer and foreign affairs select committee chair, said: 'For a peace time political relationship, it is about as bad as it could get.'

Ex-ambassador to Moscow briefed McCain at security conference where Trump was the 'only thing delegates wanted to talk about' Sir Andrew Wood's briefing for John McCain about the Trump 'dirty dossier' was at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, pictured Sir Andrew Wood's briefing for John McCain about the Trump 'dirty dossier' was at an event dominated by discussion about his election as US president The meeting took place at the Halifax International Security Forum Canada in mid-November, which was dominated by gossip about the billionaire and his policies. One seminar at the event was even called Make Democracy Great Again - and included one of Trump's famous baseball caps getting its own stool on the stage. Other events included Russia: Putin the Block Back Together, and Because Syria: Im Your Friendly Neighbourhood Terrorist. Sir Andrew Wood admitted today that because Trump had just won a sensational election victory it increased the importance of the report drawn up by Chris Steele last year. There, Mr McCain sought the advice of Sir Andrew about the report on Mr Trump and the Moscow connection. He said its contents appeared to have increased importance because of the way 'by the way Trump talked about the hacking exercise and about the stories of his treatment of women'. Sir Andrew knew its details but insists he never read it or had a copy and has been forced to admit he spoke to Trump's sworn enemy McCain as the report was leaked to the press and published in full by Buzzfeed. The Halifax forum was attended by some of the world's most important politicians including UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, French Defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator  and 2016 vice presidential candidate  Tim Kaine. Sir Andrew Wood was there in his role as Associate Fellow for Russia and Eurasia at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, better known as the Chatham House think tank. He spoke at an event called Maidan, Crimea and the Obstacles to Democracy in Ukraine - which appears to have been largely behind closed doors. Ahead of the event, when Trump was elected, experts said that the delegates would speak about little else than the billionaire and his impact on foreign and defence policy. Janice Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto said: 'For them, whatever else theyre worrying about, top of mind right now, is what will Donald Trumps foreign policy be? What will his security policy be? Will it be disruptive of the existing order? Are we going to see more change than we are going to see continuity?' Advertisement

US President Elect Donald Trump was scathing with the media after the document became public

Mr Steeles Cold War-style vanishing act reflects a career sparring with the KGB and its successor, the FSB.

Dossier of unverifiable sleaze Lurid sex claims The report states that in 2013 Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on the bed of the Presidential Suite at the Moscow Ritz Carlton, where he knew Barack and Michelle Obama had previously stayed. It says: 'Trump's unorthodox behavior in Russia over the years had provided the authorities there with enough embarrassing material on the now Republican presidential candidate to be able to blackmail him if they so wished.' Trump ridiculed the idea, pointing out that Russian hotel rooms are known to be rigged with cameras and describing himself as a 'germophobe'. Property 'sweeteners' The document states that Trump had declined 'sweetener' real estate deals in Russia that the Kremlin lined up in order to cultivate him. The business proposals were said to be 'in relation to the ongoing 2018 World Cup soccer tournament'. Russia 'cultivated' Trump for five years The dossier claimed that the Russian regime had been 'cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least five years'. According to the document, one source even claimed that 'the Trump operation was both supported and directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin' with the aim being to 'sow discord'. A dossier on Hillary Clinton At one point the memo suggests Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov 'controlled' another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over 'many years'. Elsewhere in the document, it is claimed that Putin was 'motivated by fear and hatred of Hillary Clinton.' Peskov poured scorn on the claims today and said they were 'pulp fiction'. Clandestine meetings At one point the memo says there were reports of 'clandestine meetings' between Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen and Kremlin representatives in August last year in Prague. However, Trump's counsel Michael Cohen today spoke out against allegations that he secretly met with Kremlin officials - saying that he had never been to Prague. It has now emerged that the dossier was referring to a different person of the same name. Advertisement

He joined MI6 after graduating from Cambridge University where he was described as a confirmed socialist.

As a young intelligence officer in Moscow, he was frequently harassed by the KGB  once even complaining they had stolen his wife Lauras high-heeled shoes from their flat.

The couple faced down Russian tanks after the fall of the Soviet Union and highly capable Mr Steele went on to become head of MI6s Russia desk  meaning he was one of the Secret Intelligence Services most senior spies.

It was no wonder he was considered hot property when he quit MI6 in 2009 to set up his own spies-for-hire firm, Orbis Business Intelligence.

Co-founded with another former MI6 officer, Christopher Burrows, it has earned 1million over the past two years and was instrumental in exposing corruption at world football body Fifa.

But it was Mr Steeles gold-plated contacts in Moscow that led wealthy opponents of Mr Trump to the black door of Orbiss discreet Belgravia office. They commissioned him to research Mr Trumps dealings in Russia.

He was born in 1964 in Aden  his father was in the military  and grew up in Surrey before attending Girton College, Cambridge, and becoming president of the Cambridge Union debating society in 1986  the same year in which Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was president of the Oxford Union.

Contemporaries recall an avowedly Left-wing student with CND credentials, while a book on the Unions history says he was a confirmed socialist.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: 'Boris never met or heard of him before so they did not meet or know each other during the Foreign secretary's time at Oxford.'

His work included collection information about corruption at football governing

Steele's work reportedly led to a lucrative deal to dig for dirt on Trump's dealings with Russia, where he worked for 20 years as a spy after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

But lurid claims made in the salacious Russian dossier about Donald Trump's sex life and bizarre footage allegedly held by the Kremlin's blackmail unit has seen him go to ground.

The explosive dossier alleged Mr Trump had been cosying up to Vladimir Putin and cavorting with Russian prostitutes. The president-elect has dismissed it as false and fictitious.

And as details of Mr Steeles extraordinary career emerged, Marina Litvinenko told the BBC: I believe it is very dangerous, particularly after the death of my husband, because when you just approach very specific information... you just easily might be killed.

Mr Trump called the dossier 'fake' and 'phony', even suggesting that US secret services had leaked it to damage his reputation before his inauguration.

He debunked the 'golden shower' claim by saying: 'Does anyone believe that? I'm a germophobe'.

Charismatic, widowed at a young age, and dangerously drawn to Russia: The incredible parallels between the two men at the heart of the Trump 'dirty dossier'

Sir Andrew Wood's five years as British Ambassador to Russia coincided with the arrival of Vladimir Putin

By Claudia Joseph in London and Will Stewart in Moscow

They will be intrinsically linked in the public consciousness as the two diplomats at the centre of the storm over who tipped off Senator John McCain about the dirty dossier.

But now the Mail online has discovered the extraordinary parallels between former spook Christopher Steele and ex-Ambassador Sir Andrew Wood, who both rose to the top of their careers in the Foreign Office after becoming widowers.

While the cherished wife of former M16 officer Steele, died tragically young of a haemorrhage, Woods beloved wife Melanie was a 33-year-old mother of a baby son, when she passed away.

The following year, charismatic widower Wood married her sister Stephanie, who was ten years her junior, and had another two children, who are - in an unusual twist - both half-siblings and cousins to his eldest son.

Tragically it was the second time the former Ambassador had suffered loss. His brother Thomas, who was three years younger than him, was born with the congenital heart defect, Fallots Tetralogy, and died at the age of 17 after catching a respiratory infection.

Andrew Wood at the Moscow christening of his daughter in 1981 with his second wife Stephanie inside the British embassy

The similarities between the two diplomats lives were revealed in an interview that Wood gave after he retired as Ambassador to Russia and Moldovia at the turn of the century.

Woods beloved wife Melanie (pictured) was a 33-year-old mother of a baby son, when she passed away

Incredibly Wood, who has now admitting tipping off Senator John McCain about the dossier, also revealed that he had once vowed never to return to Russia after being posted to the spiritually depressing country during the 1960s.

The 77-year-old, who was posted to Moscow by the British Diplomatic Service in 1964, and spent a year as Private Secretary to Sir Humphrey Trevelyan, claimed that diplomatic foreigners were treated with a great deal of suspicion in the former Soviet Union.

But Wood, who met McCain - an arch rival of Donald Trump - at a security conference in Halifax, Canada, was lured back to the country twice, leading to his high-profile role in one of Americas biggest scandals.

He returned to the former Soviet Union in 1979, after the death of his first wife Melanie, and his marriage to her sister and as Ambassador to Russia and Moldova in 1995.

Wood, who was born in Gibraltar, one of three sons of Colonial officer Robert Wood, and his wife Muriel, went to Ardingly boarding school, in West Sussex, before going up to Kings College, Cambridge, to read history.

The Kremlin has ridiculed the idea it holds lewd videos of Mr Trump shot at Moscow hotel

It was while he was at university, in 1960, that his younger brother Thomas died in Londons Hammersmith Hospital. Born with a congenital heart defect, the 17-year-old had undergone a Blalocks operation at the age of nine  a palliative procedure to insert a shunt and increase blood flow to his lungs, which sadly did not ultimately prevent his death from a respiratory infection.

The following year, Wood was recruited to the Foreign Office, where he studied Russian and economics. The 24-year-old bachelor was then posted to Moscow as Third Secretary. But, in some ways, life there proved a disappointment and, when he left, three years later, he breathed a sigh of relief.

No10 defies mounting calls for clarity on what government knew about ex-MI6 agent's claims of Russian 'dirty' dossier on Donald Trump No10 insisted it will not get into 'specifics' about the row Downing Street is defying mounting calls for clarity over what the government knew about an ex-MI6 agent's claims of a Russian 'dirty' dossier on Trump. No10 insisted it will not get into 'specifics' about the row despite reports that the intelligence services knew ex-spy Christopher Steele was talking to the FBI. A British former ambassador to Moscow has also admitted he told Mr Trump's sworn enemy, Republican senator John McCain, about the outlandish allegations in the memos. The boss of MI6 is also said to be 'livid' that Mr Steele's actions have put them in a difficult position with the new US administration - just weeks before Mrs May is due to make a crucial visit to Washington where she will try to lay the groundwork for a post-Brexit trade deal. Tory MPs and former Ukip leader Nigel Farage have urged Mrs May to distance the UK from the memos and make clear to Mr Trump's team that the authorities had nothing to do with it. But asked if the government had yet been in touch to reassure Team Trump there was no government involvement in Steele memos, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: There is contact between the UK and the President-elect's team about plans for the forthcoming visit. Pressed on whether the government had been aware of the FBIs reported request to talk to Steele about his memos, the spokesman said: 'How the FBI conducts an investigation is a matter for the FBI. 'It is not commonplace for us to get into specifics. Advertisement

In an interview with the British Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Churchill College, Wood, who lives in a Georgian townhouse, in one of Islingtons most exclusive squares, said: When I left Moscow I did it with contradictory feelings. I was very grateful to have served there. It was an enormous country. I had seen things and understood things that I would never have done otherwise.

But on the other hand it was fundamentally a spiritually depressing country, because it was a place where the language was not literally dead, but its inner meaning was being lost because so much of it was used to tell lies in terms of propaganda.

It was a country where foreigners, particularly diplomatic foreigners were treated with a great deal of suspicion. I thought that for a lot of the staff the Embassy was both a miserable and happy place.

It was miserable in the sense that people felt as they were cut off and a bit beleaguered, and it was also happy for the same reason, because people there were happy to get together and you made close friends, and that was great.

It was particularly rough on the wives. I didnt have a wife then and there were obvious advantages in being one of the few bachelors around. That was all right for me really. But I thought that it was very difficult for the families and especially for the wives. So, I thought when I left there I am going to take steps to make sure I never go back there again.

After leaving Moscow in 1967, Wood got a plum posting, as First Secretary in Washington. He returned to London three years later, working at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before being seconded to the Cabinet Office.

It was while he was in the capital that he landed his wife, making it less likely he would return to the Soviet Union. He married Melanie, the daughter of Ford Motor Company executive Andrew Masset and his wife Lee, who were living in Chelsea, south west London, in 1972 when she was 27 and he was 32. Melanie was the eldest of five siblings.

The couple had a son in 1975 before Wood was posted to Belgrade as First Secretary and Head of Chancery, the following year. But, tragically, in 1977 his wife died.

My first wife died when I was there and I remained very grateful for the way my colleagues and the local people, mostly Serbs, supported me and our then baby son, he added in his interview with Jimmy Jamieson.

Life in Belgrade was interesting and agreeable because it was quite a lively culture, a new language to get a grip on, and the rather unusual possibility of talking freely about issues with a socialist/communist group in power.

It was an interesting comparative study with the life of the Soviet Union and it was interesting on the whole. Britain has had quite a longstanding and reasonably intense relationship with Yugoslavia.

After being widowed for a year, Wood married his sister-in-law Stephanie in Mexico, where his father-in-law was working. The couple moved to Moscow the following year, where their daughter was born. Their son arrived when they were posted back to London.

Wood undertook his third stint in Moscow as British Ambassador between 1995 and 2000, coinciding with the arrival of Vladimir Putin - first as FSB security service chief, then premier, and finally acting president.

He saw the decline of the ailing vodka-soaked rule of Boris Yeltsin (pictured) and the rise of ex-spy Putin

He oversaw the UK embassy across the Moscow River from the Kremlin during some of the most momentous and fraught times in post-Soviet Russia, seeing the decline of the ailing vodka-soaked rule of Boris Yeltsin and the rise of ex-spy Putin, who was among the first to publicly question his second bloody war in Chechnya, an early sign of the new leader's ruthlessness.

He also choreographed Tony Blair's first visit to Moscow as prime minister (briefly losing touch with the Prime Minister in the crowds on the metro), represented Britain at the burial of the remains of the last Tsar Nicholas II and attended the funeral of former Soviet first lady Raisa Gorbachev in 1999 (watching her sobbing husband Mikhail Gorbachev lean over her open coffin to give her one final hug).

However, the diplomat who was once famed for his discretion in dealing with the Russians, has slowly become more dissillusioned with their politics and has become a regular, in recent years, at Western conferences, expressing concern about the direction the country is going under Putin.

Last month he was scathing about Russian claims to have had nothing to do with hacking the US election. Russia always denies bad news, he said on Sky News. The Putin regime has a strong record... of this sort of behaviour. What you will see is a pattern of increasing disappointment with what Russia did, he warned. Seizing Ukraine, or seizing Crimea in Ukraine, and invading part of the rest of eastern Ukraine.

Their actions in Syria have been in support of a regime which even in this world is notable for its use of torture and its indiscriminate bombing and killing of its own civilians. Their denial of any unwelcome fact is routine. They had no doping, they had nothing to do with bringing down the MH370, and so on and so forth.

Now he has raised his head further above the parapet, creating pressure on Trump. He once said: You could actually say I had a ruinous career since two countries  Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union  collapsed under my tender care.

Revealed: 'Ordinary 'citizen' John McCain dispatched a trusted aide across the Atlantic to get dirty dossier from ex-spy after former British diplomat told him about blackmail tapes Sen. John McCain said he did 'what any citizen would do' in turning over the dirty dossier, which contained unconfirmed secrets about the president-elect, over to the FBI. The Guardian charted the path of how the dossier came to be and how it was that McCain got his hands on the controversial documents. The story of the dossier began with an investigative firm in Washington, D.C., being tapped by one of Trump's primary allies to dig up some opposition research on the Republican hopeful. In turn, that firm outsourced the research to a 'retired western European former counter-intelligence official, with a long history of dealing with the shadow world of Moscow's spooks and siloviki (securocrats),' explained the Guardian. Shortly after the election,John McCain (centre) was attending a conference in Canada and spoke with a 'former senior western diplomat' who knew of the dossier's existence. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal identified the ex-spy as Christopher Steele. By the time the contractor had started digging, Trump's primary opponent had dropped out. But the firm found a Democrat who wanted dirt on the now Republican nominee instead. The Guardian pointed out that just because a Democrat was willing to pay for the information that didn't mean that said Democrat was Hillary Clinton's campaign or the Democratic National Committee. Sometimes donors seek out this information in order to ensure they've made a sound investment. The contractor, who the Guardian didn't name, but the Wall Street Journal identified as Steele, reportedly found the information that he dug up to be concerning. He and another ex-British diplomat, Christopher Burrows, run their own company, Orbis Business Intelligence. 'If the allegations were real, their implications were overwhelming,' the Guardian wrote. So over the summer he delivered the intelligence he had gathered from his Russian sources, living within the country and also in the west, to former colleagues in the FBI. The Guardian suggested he also delivered the documents to his country's own intelligence service. As fall approached, and he heard nothing about any FBI investigation into the documents, he was persuaded to tell journalist David Corn, of Mother Jones, of their existence. The veteran reporter wrote about the dossier on October 31. The intelligence agent, the Guardian reported, was worried about an FBI cover-up, as the bureau seemed to be spending most of its time and energy on an investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. It wasn't until mid-November, and after the presidential election, that the chips fell in place for the dossier to make its more public way to Washington. London headquarters: This is the prestigious London headquarters of the intelligence firm run by an ex-spy who authored the discredited dirty dossier on Trump On November 18, at the Halifax International Security Forum, McCain was introduced to a 'former senior western diplomat' who had set eyes on the documents and knew who put them together, telling the Arizona Republican that the individual was 'highly reliable.' That man can now be named as Sir Andrew Wood, British ambassador to Moscow from 1995 to 2000. Wood told the Independent that he had met McCain, spoken to him about Trump, and about the potential for him to be compromised. In a carefully nuanced statement he said: 'Yes I did meet Senator McCain and his aides at the conference. 'We spoke about the kind of activities the Russians can be engaged in. 'We also spoke about how Mr Trump may find himself in a position where there could be an attempt to blackmail him with Kompromat [a Russian term for compromising material] and claims that there were audio and video tapes in existence.' He added: 'I would like to stress that I did not pass on any dossier to Senator McCain or anyone else and I did not see a dossier at the time. I do know Christopher Steele and in my view he is very professional and thorough in what he does.' He did not however address whether he told McCain there was a dossier - and how to get it. Clearly, somebody did. Ultimate recipient: The FBI Director James Comey was handed the document by McCain after its extraordinary transatlantic journey From there, McCain dispatched a 'trusted emissary' who flew across the Atlantic to meet the source of the documents at an airport that the Guardian did not name. The aide was instructed to look for a man with a copy of the Financial Times and that's how the individuals met, with the source taking McCain's emissary back to his house and giving the American a copy of the documents. Within 24 hours, the dossier was in Washington, though the contents of the file couldn't be verified without an investigation. McCain, the Guardian said, was worried that his actions might be interpreted as revenge for some of the controversial comments Trump made about him  such as knocking the fact that the longtime senator had been a prisoner of war. However, McCain decided to hand over the documents to FBI Director James Comey on December 9. 'Upon examination of the contents, and unable to make a judgment about their accuracy, I delivered the information to the Director of the FBI,' McCain said Wednesday in a statement about that matter.' McCain said in a statement: 'That has been the extent of my contact with the FBI or any other government agency regarding this issue' Advertisement

Inside the shadowy world of Chris Whatsit: How the brilliant Cambridge spy behind the Trump 'dirty dossier' was the first to reveal Litvinenko was poisoned by Putin's thugs - and how his wife's high heels were stolen by Kremlin spooks

Mr Steele was dubbed Chris Whatsit by his late wife Laura (pictured) on their first date because she could not remember his name  but he revelled in being a man of mystery

The strange and fascinating world of the British spy known as Chris Whatsit was unravelling yesterday.

Christopher Steele was once MI6s top spy on Russian affairs and lived in the shadows until being unmasked as the alleged author of the dirty dossier on Donald Trump.

He was dubbed Chris Whatsit by his late wife on their first date because she could not remember his name  but he revelled in being a man of mystery.

Now the 52-year-old is hoping to return to anonymity after fleeing his 1.5million home in Surrey, telling his neighbour to look after his three cats.

Mr Steeles Cold War-style vanishing act reflects a career sparring with the KGB and its successor, the FSB.

He joined MI6 after graduating from Cambridge University where he was described as a confirmed socialist. As a young intelligence officer in Moscow, he was frequently harassed by the KGB  once complaining that they had stolen his wife Lauras high-heeled shoes from their flat.

The couple faced down Russian tanks after the fall of the Soviet Union and highly capable Mr Steele went on to become head of MI6s Russia desk  meaning he was one of the Secret Intelligence Services most senior spies. It was no wonder he was considered hot property when he quit MI6 in 2009 to set up his own spies-for-hire firm, Orbis Business Intelligence.

Co-founded with another former MI6 officer, Christopher Burrows, it has earned 1million over the past two years and was instrumental in exposing corruption at world football body Fifa.

But it was Mr Steeles gold-plated contacts in Moscow that led wealthy opponents of Mr Trump to the black door of Orbiss discreet Belgravia office. They commissioned him to research Mr Trumps dealings in Russia. The sensational results include claims that the Kremlin keeps a blackmail file on the president-elect which is said to contain a video of Mr Trump with Moscow prostitutes who are engaging in a sexually perverted act.

Yesterday a friend of Mr Steele described him as an experienced professional and not the sort to simply pass on gossip.

Mr Steele was born in 1964 in Aden  his father was in the military  and grew up in Surrey before attending Girton College, Cambridge, and becoming president of the Cambridge Union debating society in 1986  the same year in which Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was president of the Oxford Union. Contemporaries recall an avowedly Left-wing student with CND credentials, while a book on the Unions history says he was a confirmed socialist.

Mr Steele was pictured in his Cambridge university days alongside DJ Paul Gambuccini and TV presenter Chris Searle, who had been invited to a debate.

Security conscious: More cameras are seen around Mr Steele's home. Neighbours say he left the property on Wednesday

University friend Lance Forman, 54, who was also in the photo, told the Daily Mirror: Chris was pretty amiable. But I remember he did try to stitch me up in a student political battle 30 years ago. Student politics could be vicious at that time but thats water under the bridge now.

In 1988, he met Laura on a double-date with his friend Neil, who became best man at their wedding in Berkshire two years later where Mr Steele danced like a Cossack.

Recalling the date, Neil said: Lauras diary of that day read Lunch 12.30 Sue, Neil and Chris Whatsit.

I failed absolutely, but Chris Whatsit was a fast mover  by Christmas he had proposed to Laura and in July 1990 they married. Mr Steele was posted to Moscow months after the wedding. He and his wife lived in an apartment with a pet cat and she took a job with British Airways.

It was a momentous period in the aftermath of perestroika and the run-up to the collapse of the Soviet Union the following year, when Boris Yeltsin became the first president of the Russian Federation.

Neil said: The work was hard, the times were tough and there was constant harassment from the KGB. On one occasion, they even stole Lauras favourite shoes  from their flat  just before an official dinner. On the day Yeltsin stood on the tank to proclaim change, I rang Laura up. Characteristically, she told me that Chris was fine because hed been sent on the streets to find out what was going on.

The 'dirty dossier' includes claims the Kremlin keeps a blackmail file on Mr Trump which is said to contain a video of the President-elect with Moscow prostitutes who are engaging in a sexually perverted act

FIFA president Sepp Blatter resigned in 2015 after revelations about corruption in the soccer governing body, uncovered by Mr Steele's British-based company, Orbis Business Intelligence

What about you, I asked? Fine, she said, and hesitated slightly before saying she was a little concerned about the tank 500 yards away with its large gun pointing at their block of flats! Though he was spying on the Russians, 26-year-old Mr Steele worked under diplomatic cover as Second Secretary (Chancery), working closely with Sir Tim Barrow  now our new ambassador to the EU  in the cramped old British Embassy across the Moskva River from the Kremlin.

HOW DID THE DOCUMENT END UP IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN? It is alleged that Steele's firm Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd was recruited in 2015 to help Mr Trump's Republican rivals. The BBC claims he was initially hired by former Presidential candidate Jeb Bush. After Trump won the nomination, supporters of Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton recruited Steele to do the same job, according to reports. The dossier was handed to FBI director James Comey on December 9, it is claimed. Last week, the agency reportedly put the dossier before Trump. The FBI had first been tipped off two months before the election, in August last year, reportedly by Steele. When he heard nothing, he met with David Corn, a bureau chief from news website Mother Jones, which published extracts. Senator John McCain, an outspoken Trump critic, was allegedly handed the document late last year by an unnamed diplomat. Steele is believed to have passed a copy of the dossier to an FBI contact in Rome, and alerted his former bosses at British intelligence. On Tuesday CNN reported that a document had been presented by US intelligence officials claiming Russia had sensitive information which could embarrass or discredit Trump. It said the source was considered credible, but the claims had yet to be verified. The same afternoon, BuzzFeed published the full memos, packed with salacious allegations. In a press conference on Wednesday, Trump blasted both BuzzFeed and CNN. Advertisement

After spending three years in the Russian capital, Mr Steele returned to the UK in 1993. The Steeles moved to South Norwood, South-East London, and had two sons, Matthew and Henry, before the couple were posted to Paris in 1998, where Mr Steele took the title First Secretary (Financial). Their daughter Georgina was born in France two years later.

Their friend Neil recalled: They lived with the boys for a while in [the pop singer] Annie Lennoxs apartment on Rue Bonaparte before decamping to the beautiful village of Bougival up the Seine.

While they were living in France, Laura began suffering bouts of illness, and the couple moved back to England in 2002, settling in Surrey. Around this time, Mr Steeles work took him to Afghanistan, following the ousting of the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks on New York.

Sources said he was in an MI6 team at Bagram Airbase briefing Special Forces on kill or capture missions for high-value Taliban targets. But Mr Steeles interest and expertise in Russia did not diminish as he rose up the ranks.

He was a friend and contemporary of Alex Younger  now head of MI6. He moved back to London where he became head of MI6s Russia desk. When Alexander Litvinenko was assassinated in 2006, the then head of MI6, Sir John Scarlett, turned to Mr Steele, who concluded that Mr Litvinenko had been poisoned in a Kremlin-sponsored hit.

But at home, events took a tragic turn. Beset with health problems, Laura died of cirrhosis of the liver in September 2009, aged just 43, at Frimley Park Hospital. At a memorial service, Mr Steele described his late wife as a liberal in every sense of the word and always on the progressive side of the argument.

He added: She had a dry sense of humour  often at my expense.

Mourners were told by one friend: The Chris and Laura romance was a great love story that led to over 19 years of marriage and three beautiful children.

In any event, Mr Steele had decided to quit MI6 shortly before her death, and set up Orbis Business Intelligence with Mr Burrows. Company accounts signed off last month show it made 401,000 profit in 2015 and 621,000 profit in 2016.

The business thrived after Mr Steele fed the FBI with information on corruption at Fifa. He had been commissioned by the Football Association. US officials even met Mr Steele at his Belgravia office shortly before football officials were arrested over rampant and systemic corruption and long-time president Sepp Blatter resigned.

It was the Fifa work which is said to have led to the lucrative deal to dig for dirt on Mr Trumps dealings with Russia. Mr Steele was an ideal choice. During his years in Moscow, he had established personal contacts with KGB, then FSB, operatives, some of whom went into the private sector in Russias equivalent of companies such as Orbis.

One former Foreign Office official, who has known him for 25 years and considers him a friend, said: The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false, completely untrue. Chris is a very straight guy. He could not have survived in the job if he had been prone to flights of fancy.

Someone else who once worked with him said: He is rather an oddball. Hard to get to know and somewhat introverted. Certainly he did not present the image of the gregarious or flamboyant spy.

Nonetheless, Mr Steele is not shy either. Dressed in a dinner jacket, he was seen laughing with old friends at a bicentenary debate at the Cambridge Union in 2015, while listening to speakers including former Tory leader Michael Howard.

At a centenary party for MI6, he was on a team of ex-spies who played University Challenge  Intelligence officers v Intelligence historians hosted by Jeremy Paxman.

Steele reportedly bought his Surrey home with his second wife Katherine in July 2013, but he remains close to the family of his late wife.

Her father David Hunt, 79, said yesterday: We last spoke to him two weeks ago at our Christmas get-together, he was with us just after Christmas. He was fine. Weve just heard the news this morning and we are just a little concerned about it.

Mr Steeles neighbour Mike Hopper said he had left on Wednesday, asking him to feed the familys three cats while he was away.

He could be in an MI6 safe house, as senior British security sources have said emergency measures are in place to protect him.
A married middle-aged couple from Boston have been charged with operating a human trafficking and prostitution ring out of an underground brothel.

Yuet Chow, 53, and her 68-year-old husband, Kim Chow, appeared in Suffolk Supreme Court Thursday and were ordered held on $500,000 bail, down from $1million bail that had been set at the time of their arrest last fall.

The Chows, who have two daughters, were arraigned on charges of deriving support from prostitution, keeping a house of prostitution and human trafficking. Both pleaded not guilty to the counts.

House of ill fame: Police in Boston say Yuet and Kim Chow had operated a human trafficking and prostitution ring out of this private home at 6 Haskell Street

Police launched an investigation into the Chows activities last May after getting a report that a large number of men have been observed going inside a home at 6 Haskell Street in Allston, spending about 30 minutes there and then leaving.

The anonymous tipster also made mention of 'sexual sounds' coming from the apartment, according to the Boston Globe.

Police put the home under surveillance and later interviewed some of the male visitors, all of whom said that they had answered an ad on the classifieds site Backpage.com for Amy's Asian Models and were given the Haskell Street address, according to the Boston Herald.

The men said that after arriving at the residence, they were welcomed by a woman, later identified as Mrs Chow, who showed them upstairs, where they were met by a young lingerie-clad Asian woman.

Each of the male clients left $130 on a dresser, took off his clothes, received a back massage from the skimpily dressed woman, and then engaged in various sex acts with her, said Assistant District Attorney Lynn Feigenbaum.

When in September investigators executed a search of the property, which was leased under Kim Chow's name and paid for from the couple's joint bank account, they allegedly found three Asian women who traveled from New York City to stay in the home for 10 days, according to NBC Boston.

The search also yielded business ledgers, condoms and $20,000 in cash.

Officials said the Haskell Street apartment was used as a brothel 12 hours a day, between 11am and 11pm, seven days a week.

Yuet and Kim Chow have been in custody since last September. They are set to go to trial on September 26.
ISIS fighters shot each other in the chaos following a series of British airstrikes in the battle for Mosul.

Tornados targeted a lorry bomb and an armoured truck operated by the murderous organisation on Monday, the Ministry of Defence said.

The following day 'a Reaper eliminated a mortar team and a group of Daesh fighters while supporting Iraqi troops pushing into central Mosul,' the Ministry added.

The confusion caused by the attack led to ISIS forces firing on each other, the RAF reported.

In the fight for Mosul, Iraqi troops have recaptured areas on the city's east side but the western side of the city - smaller but more densely-populated - remains under ISIS control

Elsewhere today, a car bomb was destroyed in the east of Mosul.

A statement from the Ministry said: 'A pair of Tornados patrolled north of Mosul on Monday 9 January, assisting Iraqi forces as they cleared Daesh positions near Nineveh.

'The Iraqi troops came under fire from a Daesh-held building, as well as from a small group of extremists concealed under the canopy of another building.

'The Tornados were able to conduct a simultaneous attack on both targets, demolishing the first building with a Paveway IV guided bomb, and hitting those under the canopy with a Brimstone missile.

'A coalition aircraft had meanwhile identified a lorry-bomb nearby. Our Tornados destroyed the target with a second Brimstone.

'RAF aircraft then turned their attention to southern Mosul, where an armoured truck had been spotted. The truck was destroyed with a further Brimstone missile.

ISIS fighters shot each other in the chaos following a series of British airstrikes on Tuesday

'On Tuesday 10 January, an RAF Reaper supported Iraqi troops as they advanced further into central Mosul. The Reaper's crew identified a Daesh mortar team trying to conceal their activity in a wooded area, and struck them with a Hellfire missile.

'A second Hellfire accounted for a group of terrorists close to an Iraqi unit. In the confusion of the street fighting, the Reaper observed Daesh firing on each other, with at least one fighter killed by their own side.

'Reaper operations over Mosul continued on Wednesday 11 January. Our aircraft conducted one attack in northern Mosul against a group of Daesh caught in the open. It then kept watch on a building where over a dozen Daesh fighters were observed assembling.

'The surveillance effort enabled a successful strike by a coalition fast jet which demolished the building. The Reaper then moved to patrol over eastern Mosul, where another coalition aircraft had successfully disabled a car-bomb.

'A Hellfire missile from the Reaper destroyed the threat outright.'

Recapturing Mosul after more than two years of ISIS rule would probably spell the end of the Iraqi side of the group's self-declared caliphate, which spans Iraq and Syria

The campaign to drive ISIS from Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city and the extremists' last major urban stronghold, began on October 17.

More than a million people are believed to be in Mosul.

Iraqi forces have seized at least two-thirds of Mosul's eastern districts as well as its surrounding towns and villages, which have been under ISIS control for two years.

ISIS militants still rule over the city's water stations, and earlier this week they switched off the supply to 30 neighbourhoods.

With much of the eastern half of the city now under government control, most residents have stayed in their homes or moved in temporarily with relatives in other neighborhoods.

That has complicated the task of the military, which must fight among civilians in built-up areas against an enemy that has targeted non-combatants and hidden among them.

Iraqi forces have seized at least two-thirds of Mosul's eastern districts as well as its surrounding towns and villages, which have been under ISIS control for two years

Recapturing Mosul after more than two years of ISIS rule would probably spell the end of the Iraqi side of the group's self-declared caliphate, which spans Iraq and Syria.

But advances inside Mosul slowed in November and December as troops engaged in tough urban warfare with the jihadists, who are thought to number several thousand inside the city.

The militants have fought back with suicide car bombs and snipers hidden among the civilian population.

They have also blown up bridges crossing the Tigris to try to slow the Iraqi advance.
Chicago Fire star Joe Minoso stunned the real Chicago firefighters when he called for help on Wednesday.

The actor was trapped in an elevator and had no choice but to call the Chicago Fire Department.

'Slightly embarrassed cause I know who I'm gonna have to call,' he wrote on Instagram.

Chicago Fire star Joe Minoso stunned the real Chicago firefighters (pictured) when he called for help on Wednesday

The actor was trapped in an elevator and had no choice but to call the Chicago Fire Department (pictured). 'Slightly embarrassed cause I know who I'm gonna have to call,' Minoso wrote on Instagram

'But less than 15 minutes later the #chicagofiredepartment was there when I needed them. Thank you so much for the help boys!'

Minoso, who stars on the hit NBC show, also posted the video of the rescue on Instagram.

In the video, Minoso records the firefighters as they pry open the elevator door.

Three stunned Chicago firefighters quickly recognize the person they're rescuing.

One firefighter even pointed at Minoso in shock and said: 'Holy s**t! No way!'

'That's why you call the Chicago Fire Department,' Minoso said.

It's unclear where Minoso was at the time of the incident.

Minoso plays firefighter Joe Cruz on Chicago Fire, which is set to return at 9pm on Tuesday.

'That's why you call the Chicago Fire Department,' Minoso (pictured) said. It's unclear where Minoso was at the time of the incident
Vice President Joe Biden says that he and President Barack Obama were briefed on on the dossier that claimed the Russians had evidence Donald Trump participated in filthy sex acts.

They blew it off outright, he told reporters today. 'Neither of us asked for any detail.

'The president was like, "What does this have to do with anything?" he said, according to Politico. 'It surprised me that it made it to the point where the FBI thought they had to pursue it,' the VP said.

Vice President Joe Biden says that he and President Barack Obama were briefed on on the dossier that claimed the Russians had evidence Donald Trump participated in filthy sex acts and they blew it off outright

Trump has said there's no truth to the contents of the discredited dossier, published earlier this week by BuzzFeed.

He called it 'fake news' and cracked a joke about being a 'germophobe' in response to a claim in the document that he received a golden shower from a prostitute in a Moscow hotel room.

Trump suggested yesterday that the intelligence community passed the information to the press to harm him politically. He compared the attack on his character to the tactics used in Nazi Germany and said it 'would be a tremendous blot of their record if they did that.'

James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said a public statement Thursday night that the briefing book wasn't in the style of those that are compiled by the intelligence community, and he doesn't believe the leak came from them.

He spoke to Trump on the phone, too, the president-elect said in a tweet this morning.

A senior Trump adviser claimed afterward that Clapper gave 'no credibility and veracity' to the contents of the dossier in his public statement.

But what Clapper actually said was that the intelligence community hadn't reached a determination.

'The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions,' the statement read.

Biden said Thursday in a conversation with reporters in his office that Trump shouldn't have invoked the Nazis.

Trump has said there's no truth to the contents of the discredited dossier. He called it 'fake news' and cracked a joke about being a 'germophobe' in response to a claim in the document that he received a golden shower from a prostitute in a Moscow hotel room

'The one thing you never want to invoke is Nazi Germany, no matter what the circumstance is, even if youre trying to make a point that mayand Im not suggesting it didthat may be relevant,' he said, according to Politico. 'It is an overwhelming diversion from the point youre trying to make.'

The vice president said Trump's fury is understandable given that he's never worked in government and hasn't had the same access to intelligence that government officials have.

'I have been impressed with the quality of the intelligence we have gotten,' Biden said.

The VP admitted that he's been 'disappointed a couple times,' though. 'It would have been nice if the intelligence community could have seen around the corner and thought how quick ISIL had metastasized and been able to move on Mosul.'

'He may point to things where the intelligence community didnt get it right,' Biden said. 'Most of the time, its that they didnt get it in advance, as opposed to getting it wrong.'

'The president was like, "What does this have to do with anything?" ' Biden said of the document. 'It surprised me that it made it to the point where the FBI thought they had to pursue it,' the VP said

In the conversation with reporters Biden also said he 'never' knows what Trump means when he takes positions because they're constantly changing.

'Its hard to know what the president-elects position is, because his style is so different than any president or president-elect that Ive been associated with,' Biden said.

'Start off its going to be a 1,000 foot wall and 80 feet thick and theyre going to pay for it, now were down to, "Well, itll be a wall part of the way, therell be overheard imagery, and maybe well have a tariff and such and such." '

The VP also said that Trump's talk about his electoral victory is over-the-top.

'This idea that this was a great, overwhelming winfor Christs sake, three million fewer people voted for him, not withstanding the Electoral College, and what was it, 170,000 votes in three states?' Biden stated. 'Come on, man.'
Police officers in the Chinese city of Xi'an have been given training on how to work with the public while keeping cheerful.

According to the People's Daily Online, 20 police officers attended training in how to deliver service with a smile at a five-star hotel on January 8.

The training was held following complaints about police officers' bad attitudes.

Police in the north-west city of Xi'an are being trained in delivering a good service (File photo)

A television programme on January 5 highlighted bad attitude of officers in Xi'an (File photo)

On January 5, a television programme highlighted the bad attitudes of police officers in Xi'an.

It showed the experiences of locals who came to the station to handle various issues.

The following day, the Chang'an branch of Xi'an's police department unveiled a plan promising that it would improve police officers' service over the course of three months beginning with the first lot of hospitality style training on January 8.

Li Huxian, chief of the Chang'an branch of Xi'an's Public Security Bureau told reporters: 'Our officers cannot necessarily meet the standards of a five-star service provider in their daily work, but a smile from the bottom of one's heart reflects the details of our daily service.

'It will make people feel welcome.'

Training in how to smile is a current occurrence in some professions in China.

Many flight attendants are given the task of smiling while holding a chopstick in their mouth to achieve the perfect smile.

Flight attendants are often given the task of smiling while holding a chopstick (File photo)

Many people have commented on the story on Chinese social media site Weibo.

One user commented: 'That's great. Many police are so impolite.'

While another said: 'This is the first joke I heard in 2017.'
It has captured the imagination of astronomers and sci-fi fans alike - and could turn out to be a real rogue world.

Dubbed Planet Nine, the elusive world is believed by many to be responsible for the strange shaped orbits of objects in the outer realms of the solar system, but it is yet to be seen.

Now, a new theory claims it could be even odder than first thought.

Scroll down for video

Astronomers think an undiscovered ninth planet in the far reaches of the solar system could be discovered in the next 16 months. Planet Nine is believe to be responsible for the strange orbital paths of icy minor planets beyond Neptune (stock image used)

Researchers at New Mexico State University (NMSU) say it could have once been a 'rogue planet, and may have been captured by our solar system.

'It is very plausible' that Planet Nine is a captured rogue, a world that cruises through space unattached to a star, James Vesper, an undergraduate at New Mexico State University (NMSU), said during a news conference at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas.

WHAT IS PLANET NINE? Astronomers believe that the orbits of a number of bodies in the distant reaches of the solar system have been disrupted by the pull of an as yet unidentified planet. First proposed by a group at CalTech in the US, this alien world was theorised to explain the distorted paths seen in distant icy bodies. In order to fit in with the data they have, this alien world - popularly called Planet Nine - would need to be roughly four time the size of Earth and ten times the mass. Some of the most distant known objects in the solar system with orbits exclusively beyond Neptune (magenta) all line up in a single direction. They believe such an orbital alignment can only be maintained by some outside force, potentially an unseen Neptune-sized ninth planet Researchers say a body of this size and mass would explain the clustered paths of a number of icy minor planets beyond Neptune. Its huge orbit would mean it takes between 10,000 and 20,000 years to make a single pass around the sun. The theoretical Planet Nine is based on the gravitational pull it exerts on these bodies, with astronomers confident it will be found in the coming years. Those hoping for theoretical Earth-sized planets proposed by astrologers or science fiction writers - which are 'hiding behind the sun' and linked with Doomsday scenarios - may have to keep searching. Advertisement

Vesper and his mentor, NMSU math and physical science professor Paul Mason, performed simulations of 156 encounters between our solar system and rogue planets of various sizes and trajectories, according to Space.com.

'Rogue, or free-floating, planets may be abundant in the Galaxy,' he wrote in a paper accompanying the talk.

'Several have been observed in the solar neighborhood.

'They have been predicted to even outnumber stars by a large fraction, and may partially account for dark matter in the disk of the galaxy, as the result of circumbinary planet formation.

'We speculate that if rogue planets are abundant as predicted, then, Planet 9 may be a captured rogue.'

The simulations revealed in about 60 percent of the encounters, the incoming rogue planet would be flung out of the solar system.

In about 10 percent of all cases, the rogue would take at least one of our solar system's native planets with it as it departed, he added.

Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in a scene from, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.' The Star Wars spinoff Rogue One has captured the imagination of astronomers and sci-fi fans alike - and now astronomers say Planet 9 could be a REAL rogue world.

However, in about 40 percent of the encounters, the rogue would end up being captured by the solar system.

This could happen via a 'soft capture,' in which no native planets are ejected, or the invader could boot one or more worlds out as it came in, Vesper said; it would depend on the rogue's characteristics.

The simulations also suggest that our solar system has likely never had an encounter with a rogue world more massive than Neptune, Vesper added.

Astronomers could discover the solar system's mystery ninth planet by 2019, scientists have claimed.

But with up to 10 research groups scouring the skies, astronomers believe it won't remain hidden for long and could be discovered in the next 16 months.

The claims were made by astronomer Mike Brown, one of those who proposed the existence of the mystery world, while speaking at a conference in the US this week.

The distant worlds is thought to be roughly four time the size of Earth and ten times the mass, with its gravitational pull dragging small bodies further out towards its huge elliptical orbit (stock image)

'I'm pretty sure, I think, that by the end of next winter  not this winter, next winter  I think that there'll be enough people looking for it that  somebody's actually going to track this down,' said Professor Brown, speaking at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) in Pasadena.

The mystery world was first proposed by Professor Brown's team to account for the long elliptical orbit of frigid objects in the extending out beyond the Kuiper belt past Pluto  whose planetary status was in part killed off by Professor Brown's team at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) in Pasadena.

But with a number of research groups dedicated to finding evidence of the planet and some of the world's most advanced telescopes could help pinpoint it in the night sky, potentially before the next DPS conference.

The discovery would mark 'a pretty quick turnaround' from hypothetical to confirmed planet, explains Space.com's Mike Wall, who reported the claims.

An increasing number of distant icy rocks have been found past Neptune  the last known official planet of the solar system  including Eris, which was discovered by the CalTech team and was the death blow for Pluto's planetary status, due to its larger size.

Among these trans-Neptunian ice worlds are a growing number like Sedna and L91, whose distorted orbits take them far out from the sun, taking thousands of years to make a single pass.

But as more of these objects have been discovered, their elongated paths points to a strong gravitational pull from a large object beyond Neptune  the theoretical Planet Nine.

Professor Brown and the Caltech team have proposed that in order to exert such a huge gravitational pull on these minor planets, Planet Nine would be around four times the size of Earth, ten times the mass and take between 10,000 and 20,000 years to orbit the sun.

According to Space.com, one of the reasons it has not yet been spotted is that it is currently at its furthest point from the sun on its epic planetary path, called its aphelion.

This could mean Planet Nine is currently 1,000 astronomical units (AU) from the sun  with 1 AU being the distance from Earth to the sun.

But tools such as the Subaru telescope in Hawaii and instruments at Japan's National Astronomical Observatory could be up to the task.

Professor Brown told reporters: 'There are a lot of people looking, and we are trying as hard as we can to tell people where to look. We want it to be found.'
The firm says using Project Loon to bring the world internet is more

Many Titan team members have moved onto other projects at X

Titan team was told to look for new positions at firm

Google's secretive X R&D lab, a division of Googles parent company Alphabet, has pulled the plug on its drone project that would bring internet access to millions of people  Project Titan.

It has been confirmed by Alphabet that engineers were told to look for other positions within the Alphabet/Google community.

Although the project has been killed, the mission is still alive  the firm will continue to use Project Loon as a way to connect rural and remote areas of the world.

Scroll down for videos

X, a division of Googles parent company Alphabet, has pulled the plug on its project that would bring internet access to millions of people  Titan. It has been confirmed by Alphabet that engineers were told to look for other positions within the Alphabet/Google community

The news was first reported by 9To5Mac, which received a statement from an X spokesperson.

The team from Titan was brought into X in early 2016. We ended our exploration of high-altitude UAVs for internet access shortly after, said the spokesperson.

By comparison, at this stage the economics and technical feasibility of Project Loon present a much more promising way to connect rural and remote parts of the world.

Many people from the Titan team are now using their expertise as part of other high flying projects at X, including Loon and Project Wing.

HOW X WAS GOING TO CREATE A SUPERFAST NETWORK According to the documents, Project SkyBender was using drones to test what's known as millimetre-wave radio transmissions. High frequency waves can send large amounts of data quickly and can be 40 times faster than current 4G LTE speeds. Mobile networks, including Nokia, are also testing the technology. Nokia Networks recently teamed up with National Instruments (NI) to build 'the fastest cellular technology ever tested'. It sends the data over a frequency of 73,000 MHz, also known as 73GHz. At a summit in Boston, Nokia Networks demonstrated its system can deliver speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps). This is 40 times faster than the current maximum speeds achievable on 4G and means full-length HD films could be downloaded in the blink of an eye. Such speeds could also pave the way for next-generation video and pictures including 8K which is twice as clear as 4K and 16 times as clear as HD. Advertisement

Although the project has been killed, X has not given up on its mission  it is hopeful that Project Loon will be able to connect rural and remote areas of the world. A spokesperson said it is economically and technically feasibility of Project Loon to complete the mission

Google was the first of the three divisions to get their hands on the drone, as it purchased Titan Aerospace in 2014.

Following the purchase, Google said, Its still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation.

By 2015, the Titan division had been sent over to X during the Alphabet re-shuffle.

And it was then folded into Project Wing, the X division that works on delivery drones.

However, in the middle of the year, the Titan team made a crash landing in the Arizona desert that was caused by a faulty wing.

And just last year, the project's name was changed to Skybender.

Documents obtained by The Guardian revealed Project SkyBender was using drones to test whats known as millimeter-wave radio transmissions.

In 2016, the project's name was to Skybender and several prototype receivers were installed at Spaceport America (pictured) as part of the secretive project. High frequency waves can send large amounts of data quickly and can be 40 times faster than current 4G LTE speeds

WHAT IS PROJECT LOON AND HOW DO THE BALLOONS WORK? Project Loon is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to connect people to the internet in remote parts of the world. The balloons travel approximately 12 miles (20km) above the Earth's surface in the stratosphere. Winds in the stratosphere are stratified, and each layer of wind varies in speed and direction, so Project Loon uses software algorithms to determine where its balloons need to go. It then moves each one into a layer of wind blowing in the right direction. By moving with the wind, the balloons can be arranged to form one large communications network. The inflatable part of the balloon is called a balloon envelope made from sheets of polyethylene plastic that are 49ft (15 metres) wide and 40ft (12 metres) tall when inflated. The balloons harness power from card table-sized solar panels that dangle below them, and they can gather enough charge in four hours to power them for a day. Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area of around 25 miles (40km) in diameter using LTE, also referred to as 4G, technology. Project Loon is partnering with with telecommunications companies and mobile networks to share cellular spectrum. Ground stations with internet capabilities around 60 miles (100km) apart bounce signals up to the balloons. The signals can then hop forward, from one balloon to the next, along a backbone of up to five balloons. Advertisement

According to the documents, Project SkyBender is using drones to test what's known as millimeter-wave radio transmissions.

High frequency waves can send large amounts of data quickly and can be up to 40 times faster than current 4G LTE speeds.

However, the transmissions only work over short distances, typically a tenth of the distance of existing 4G phone signals.

According to Mark Harris at The Guardian: 'To get millimeter wave working from a high-flying drone, Google needs to experiment with focused transmissions from a so-called phased array.'

These solar-powered drones were designed to be sent to rural areas, for example, to increase coverage, or boost web speeds for mobile users in towns and cities

Facebook is working on similar technology, which uses a solar-powered drone with the wingspan of a Boeing 737 (pictured). Last year, engineers unveiled a drone with a 140ft (43 meter) wingspan that weighs less than 1,000 pounds

HOW DOES PROJECT WING WORK? Project Wing's aircraft has a wingspan of approximately 1.5m (4.9ft) and have four electrically-driven propellers. The total weight, including the package to be delivered, is approximately 10kg (22lb). The aircraft itself accounts for the bulk of that at 8.5kg (18.7lb). The hybrid 'tail sitter' design has wings for fast forward flight, and rotors for hovering for delivery and vertical take-off and landing. Dual mode operation gives the self-flying vehicle some of the benefits of both planes and helicopters. It can take off or land without a runway, and can hold its position hovering in one spot to gently drop packages. Packages are stored in the drone's 'belly' then dropped on a string before being gently lowered to the ground. At the end of the tether, there's a little bundle of electronics the team call the 'egg,' which detects that the package has hit the ground, detaches from the delivery, and is pulled back up into the body of the vehicle. Advertisement

A phased array is an antenna fitted with multiple elements that radiate the signal.

Mobile networks, including Nokia, are also testing millimetre-wave technology.

Google's solar-powered drones could be sent to rural areas, for example, to increase coverage, or boost web speeds for mobile users in towns and cities.

The files continued that the SkyBender system is being tested using drones made by Google Titan as well as aircraft from a company called Centaur.

Google bought Titan Aerospace in April 2014 and the firm specialises in high-altitude drones.

Facebook is working on similar technology, which uses a solar-powered drone with the wingspan of a Boeing 737.

Last year, engineers unveiled a drone with a 140ft (43 metre) wingspan that weighs less than 1,000 pounds.

It uses lasers to send internet signals to stations on the ground.

The drones hover between 60,000ft (18,300 metres) and 90,000ft (27,400 metres), above the altitude of commercial airplanes, so they are not affected by problematic weather.

In particular, during the day they will float at the higher altitudes, and will drift down to lower altitudes during the night to conserve energy.

Google is also attempting to connect even the most remote areas of the world with web-enabled balloons.

Under its Project Loon initiative, Google last year unveiled plans for a 'ring' of 300 floating hotspots that would create a 'continuous string around the world' that can provide web access even if one balloon moves in the wind.

Project Loon is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to connect people to the internet in remote parts of the world. The balloons travel approximately 12 miles above the Earth's surface and are made from sheets of plastic 49ft wide and 40ft tall

Speaking to Leo Kelion at the BBC, Mike Cassidy, vice-president of Project Loon said: 'We hope to build our first continuous ring around the world, and to have some sort of continuous coverage for certain regions.

'And if all goes well after, then after that we will start rolling out our first beta commercial customers.'

Project Loon is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to connect people to the internet in remote parts of the world.

Two years ago in June, Google launched 30 balloons into the stratosphere from New Zealand.

These balloons floated at altitudes up to 15.5 miles (25km) and travelled as fast as 200mph (324 km/h).

The balloons harness power from card table-sized solar panels (pictured) that dangle below them, and they can gather enough charge in four hours to power them for a day. Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area of around 25 miles (40km) in diameter using LTE

In February 2014, the record streak for a balloon lasting in the stratosphere was 50 days. By March 2015, the record was 187 days.

In a blog post announcing the Indonesian trial, Mr Cassidy continued: 'Starting next year, the top three mobile network operators in Indonesia will begin testing Project Loon balloon-powered Internet.

'Over the next few years, were hoping that Loon will help put high-speed LTE Internet connections within reach of more than 100 million Indonesians, giving them access to the limitless educational, cultural, and economic opportunities of the internet.'

He described Loon balloons as 'floating cell phone towers in the sky', flying on the winds at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes.

To plot the positions of its balloons, Alphabet uses data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to predict weather patterns and improve the balloon's ability to navigate winds.
You stay up late, worry about the future and never seem to be organised.

While these might not seem like the most positive traits, research has shown each of them is linked to a higher intelligence.

Now experts have revealed to MailOnline the ten surprising traits that might show people are more intelligent than their peers.

You stay up late, worry about the future a lot and youre not very neat and tidy. While these might not seem like the most positive traits, research has shown each of them is linked to people with higher intelligence (stock image)

10 SIGNS YOU'RE INTELLIGENT 1. You are left-handed 2. You are messy 3. You swear a lot 4. You are funny 5. You stay up late 6. You didn't have sex in your teenage years 7. You are a worrier 8. You are modest 9. You are a cat person 10. You are an older sibling Advertisement

1. YOU ARE LEFT-HANDED

If you are left-handed you might need different scissors and struggle with the position of the mouse on most computers.

But, on the other hand, you might also be better at maths.

A study earlier this year found a significant link between people's handedness and their ability to perform arithmetic tasks, but the correlation changes depending on age and gender.

Psychologists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Milan conducted a study involving 2,300 students in Italy aged between six and 17 years.

They asked them to complete a number of mathematical tasks, including simple arithmetic and problem-solving.

'This study found there is a moderate, yet significant, correlation between handedness and mathematical skill,' said Giovanni Sala, who conducted the study.

But the relationship is complicated.

'We found that the degree of handedness predicted mathematical performance in different ways, according to age, type of task, and gender,' Sala told MailOnline.

If you are left-handed you might need different scissors and struggle with the position of the mouse on most computers. But, you might also be better at maths. A study found a correlation between people's handedness and their ability to perform arithmetic tasks

2. YOU ARE MESSY

Managers and office busybodies might be keen on a clean desk - but it seems in terms of productivity, they could have it all wrong.

A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, researchers from the University of Groningen said in a 2012 study.

The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.

Visual and mental clutter forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.

Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl were notorious for their untidy desks.

'Messy desks may not be as detrimental as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can boost work efficiency or enhance employees' creativity in problem solving,' the authors said.

Managers and office busybodies might be keen on a clean desk - but it seems in terms of productivity, they could have it all wrong. A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, researchers from the University of Groningen said in a 2012 study

3. YOU SWEAR A LOT

Research in 2014 revealed people who frequently swear are more likely to have a bigger vocabulary than their clean-tongued peers.

A colourful tongue does not mean the talker is lazy or uneducated, the study published in the Language Sciences journal found.

Instead, those who are more confident using taboo words are more articulate in other areas.

Kristin and Timothy Jay, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts psychologists who co-wrote the study, said it proved swearing was positively correlated with verbal fluency.

'We cannot help but judge others on the basis of their speech,' they wrote.

'Unfortunately, when it comes to taboo language, it is a common assumption that people who swear frequently are lazy, do not have an adequate vocabulary, lack education, or simply cannot control themselves.'

In their conclusion, they added: 'The overall finding of this set of studies, that taboo fluency is positively correlated with other measures of verbal fluency, undermines the [normal] view of swearing.

The average profile of a swearer is often sophisticated, like that of the swear word-loving government spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (played by Peter Capaldi) in TV political satire The Thick of It

4. YOU CAN MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH

There is a strong correlation between humour and general intelligence, Dr Gil Greengross, a psychologist at the University of Aberystwyth told MailOnline.

Dr Greengross focuses on humour and what makes people laugh.

In a study published in 2010, Dr Greengross and a colleague from the University of Mexico found a good sense of humour is sexually attractive because it reveals intelligence, creativity and other good genes.

The strongest correlation is with verbal intelligence as you might expect, as humour is mostly verbal, Dr Greengross said.

Humour signals intelligence because knowing to say the funny thing in the right time, and deliver it correctly requires skill.

5. YOU STAY UP LATE

Night owls are more intelligent than people who get an early night, according to a study published in 2009.

It found that late risers tire less quickly than those who make a point of getting up at the crack of dawn.

The study is likely to be embraced by anyone tired of being branded lazy for their love of a lie-in.

And it added to growing evidence that it is night owls that rule the roost - previous studies had also found that those who rise later tend to be both cleverer and richer than early birds.

6. YOU DIDNT HAVE SEX IN YOUR TEENAGE YEARS

In research in 2000, Dr Carolyn Tucker Halpern from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found teens who engaged in sexual activities were less intelligent than their peers.

Teens with higher scores on the vocabulary test were significantly less likely to have had sexual (vaginal) intercourse, Dr Halpern told MailOnline.

The researchers tested teenagers intelligence using a vocabulary test called the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and their results were surprising.

Even very early behaviours, such as holding hands and kissing, are inversely related to PPVT scores, suggesting that higher intelligence is associated with a generalized delay in the onset of all partnered sexual activities, Dr Halpern said.

We were not surprised by the relationship with coitus, however, we were surprised by the correlations with non-coital behaviors like holding hands.

People who worry a lot tend to be more verbally intelligent, according to a study published last year

7. YOURE A WORRIER

People who worry a lot tend to be more verbally intelligent, according to a study published last year.

The study found that individuals who worried frequently, by thinking about potential future negative events, or who ruminated frequently, by revisiting negative past events over and over again, scored higher on verbal intelligence, Dr Alex Penney, from Lakehead University in Ontario, and lead author of the study, told MailOnline.

Meanwhile individuals who worried more often about recent social situations, thinking about being awkward or looking dumb in social situations, scored lower on non-verbal intelligence.

We believe that individuals who are more verbally intelligent are able to consider past and future events in greater detail, leading to more intense rumination and worry.

That is, being higher in verbal intelligences makes you more likely to worry and ruminate.

8. YOU TEND TO BE MODEST

This is called the Dunning-Kruger effect.

It describes how less competent people often rate their intelligence higher than it actually is, while more competent people rate theirs lower.

That's why the ignorant people are often over confident, researchers say.

9. YOU ARE A CAT PERSON

Pet owners have long fought like cats and dogs about whether felines or canines make the best furry companions.

But a study in 2014 claimed cat owners are smarter than dog owners  regardless of their pet's intelligence.

The research revealed that the owners of the two animals tend to have different personalities - with cat lovers being more sensitive and open-minded than dog lovers who are largely energetic.

The study by Carroll University, Wisconsin found that cat owners scored more highly on an intelligence test than dog owners.

A study in 2014 claimed cat owners are smarter than dog owners  regardless of their pet's intelligence. A cat that is believed to belong to Julian Assange, is adorned with a tie and collar inside the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy, London

10. YOU ARE AN OLDER SIBLING

Research in 2007 showed older siblings generally have higher IQ scores than their younger brothers and sisters.

Professor Petter Kristensen, from the National Institute of Occupational Health in Oslo, Norway, led the study.

We found that second born sons who grew up as eldest (because of death of elder sibling) scored on average similar to biologic first-born, Professor Kristensen told MailOnline.

He said the link was probably not biological, but rather due to social factors in the family environment.
Despite their terrifying names as 'vampire bats', these creatures were previously only thought to feed on the blood of birds.

But new research shows that vampire bats may live up to their name, as they have been caught feeding on humans for the first time.

The worrying prospect could lead to the spread of disease, as vampire bats are known to be major transmitters of rabies.

Scroll down for video

New research shows that vampire bats may live up to their name, as they have been caught feeding on humans for the first time

WHY ARE THEY FEEDING ON HUMANS? The researchers believe that human intrusion in the national park could be driving the vampire bats to try mammal blood. In their paper, published in Acta Chiropterologica, the researchers wrote: 'The record of humans as prey and the absence of blood from native species may reflect a low availability of wild birds in the study site, reinforcing the impact of human activities on local ecological processes.' Advertisement

Vampire bats rely solely on blood as their only food source, but usually get this from wild birds.

Researchers from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil set out to look at how the species would behave in a situation of scarcity of birds.

The team analysed 70 faeces samples from a colony of hairy-legged vampire bats, living in the Catimbau National Park in Brazil.

To their surprise, they found that three samples contained traces of human blood.

Speaking to New Scientist, Enrico Bernard, lead author of the study, said: 'We were quite surprised.

'This species isn't adapted to feed on the blood of mammals.'

Mammal blood tends to have a thicker, high-protein content than bird blood, making it more difficult for the bats to process.

In previous studies, when there is no wild bird blood available, bats have fasted and even starved to death, rather than attempting to try pig or goat blood.

The researchers believe that human intrusion in the national park could be driving the vampire bats to try mammal blood.

In their paper, published in Acta Chiropterologica, the researchers wrote: 'The record of humans as prey and the absence of blood from native species may reflect a low availability of wild birds in the study site, reinforcing the impact of human activities on local ecological processes.'

Vampire bats rely solely on blood as their only food source, but usually get this from wild birds. Researchers found traces of both human and chicken blood in their faeces

As well as traces of human blood in the faeces, the researchers also found that most of the samples had chicken blood in them.

Mr Bernard said: 'They are adapting to their environment and exploiting the new resources.'

The findings are a cause for concern for people in Brazil, as the bats could spread disease, such as rabies.

The team analysed 70 faeces samples from a colony of hairy-legged vampire bats, living in the Catimbau National Park in Brazil

In the paper, the researchers added: 'This opens a range of research possibilities on vampire bats in the Caatinga, both on the species' biology and the consequences for public health, considering the potential increase in the transmission of rabies in the region.'

The researchers believe that the bats enter houses through holes in the roof or windows, or target people sleeping outside.

They now plan to visit the homes of nearby residents to find out how often they are being bitten, and why.
While it might look like a smartphone, this device is really a folding, double barreled, .380 caliber pistol.

The weapon, called Ideal Conceal, has gone on sale in the US, and has already been reserved by 12,000 people.

Police are now on red alert in expectation of the guns being illegally smuggled outside of the US.

While it might look like a smartphone, this device is really a folding, double barreled, .380 caliber pistol. The weapon, called Ideal Conceal, has gone on sale in the US, and has already been reserved by 12,000 people

WHAT DOES IDEAL CONCEAL SAY ABOUT ITS GUN? 'The best gun is always the one you have with you.' 'Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with todays environment.' 'In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight.' 'The ground breaking Ideal Conceal is a carefully engineered double barreled .380 caliber people can safely carry in their purse or clipped to their side.' 'Ingeniously designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire.' Advertisement

'What's disturbing is that this looks like a real smartphone,' Andrew Patrick, Deputy Communications Director at Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, told DailyMail.

'There are countless stories of children playing with toy guns who were shot, because it was mistaken for the real thing.'

'This gun is not only dangerous, but it is also irresponsible.'

The firearm is being advertised as a lightweight one-piece frame with a hammerless firing system that is made with locally produced parts.

The firm says that since smartphones are everywhere, the pistol will 'easily blend in with today's environment', allowing you to carry and no one will know it.

'The ground breaking Ideal Conceal is a carefully engineered double barrelled .380 caliber people can safely carry in their purse or clipped to their side,' Ideal Conceal shares on its website.

'Ingeniously designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire.'

Just as a smartphone can clip to your pocket or belt loop, Ideal Conceal has added a clip to the side of the piece  allowing you to hide it in plain sight, just as they promise.

The weapon is normally carried with the safety on, according to Ideal Conceal, and the grip hides the trigger and trigger guard.

The firearm is being advertised as a lightweight one-piece frame with a hammerless firing system and made with locally produced parts. As soon as you turn the safety off, the grip swings open and the 'smartphone' transforms into a fully loaded weapon

The firm says that since smartphones (pictured) are everywhere, the pistol will 'easily blend in with today's environment', allowing you to carry and no one will know it. Just as a smartphone can clip to your pocket or belt loop, Ideal Conceal has added a clip to the side of the piece

As soon as you turn the safety off, the grip swings open and the 'smartphone' transforms into a fully loaded weapon.

'In general, the concept of any kind of weapon that's disguised, so that it's not apparent that it's a weapon, would be cause for concern,' Bill Johnson, executive director and general counsel for the National Association of Police Organizations, told CNN Money.

The pistol is now available for sale at a list price of $395 (325), and has already been reserved by over 12,000 people.

Just as a smartphone can clip to your pocket or belt loop, Ideal Conceal has added a clip to the side of the piece  allowing you to hide it in plain sight

Mr Patrick added: 'The more you have open carrying in communities the more people start to worry and become nervous, because you don't know a good guy with a gun from a bad guy with a gun until the shooting starts.'

'Someone could see this and just think it is a smartphone or might mistake a smartphone for a gun because of this.'

There have been other claims that his gun was devised by criminals as a way to trick police officers.

There have been other claims that his gun was devised by criminals as a way to trick for police officers. Karl de la Guerra, CEO at KDI Protective Services of South Carolina, did reach out on social media warning officers of 'a pistol that presents itself like a cell phone, but rapidly turns into a double barrel .380 with laser'

Karl de la Guerra, CEO at KDI Protective Services of South Carolina, did reach out on social media warning officers of 'a pistol that presents itself like a cell phone, but rapidly turns into a double barrel .380 with laser'.

Ideal Concept has responded to the idea of this weapon being a ruse for law enforcement by stating they support 'law enforcement 100 per cent' and their new design is geared towards those with a CCW 'and wants something he can conceal from the view of an attacker for self-defense'.
The geese at your local park might seem aggressive, but they are nothing compared to one of the modern bird's scary ancestors.

A giant goose that roamed the Mediterranean between six and nine million years ago weighed 50 lbs (22kg) used its wings to fight instead of fly.

This is according to a group of researchers that looked at new fossils of the giant goose, which shed new light on how the extinct bird lived.

A giant goose that roamed the Mediterranean between six and nine million years ago weighed 50 lbs (22kg) used its wings to fight instead of fly. Artist's impression pictured

THE GIANT GOOSE A giant goose that roamed the Mediterranean between six and nine million years ago weighed 50 lbs (22kg) used its wings to fight instead of fly. The huge bird would have even towered over some humans, at almost 5 foot (1.5 metres) tall, the average height for a human woman. Although the extinct bird was large, it had small wings which suggests it did not use these to fly. The bird is thought to have evolved these characteristics because it lived on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, meaning there was intense competition for territory and fresh water sources. Advertisement

The huge Garganornis ballmanni bird would have even towered over some humans, at almost 5 foot (1.5 metres) tall, the average height for a human woman.

Although the extinct bird was large, it had small wings which suggests it did not use these to fly, but to fight.

A new study, by researchers at the University of Turin, Italy looked closely at the carpometacarpus bone, the equivalent of our hand bone.

The fossils were found in Italy, in the Gargano area and the town of Scontrone.

'The presence of a carpal knob in the proximal carpometacarpus also indicates a fighting behaviour for this large terrestrial bird species,' the authors wrote in the study, published in the Royal Society Open Science journal.

The carpal knob is a small lump found in modern birds, that use it to fight over territory.

'It's covered over with hard skin, so it becomes a really effective weapon. In solitaires, they certainly broke each others' bones,' Julian Hume from the Natural History Museum in London told New Scientist.

A new study, by researchers at the University of Turin, Italy looked closely at the carpometacarpus bone, the equivalent of our hand bone (a and b), along with a variety of other bones, pictured

HOW THE GIANT GOOSE COMPARES TO OTHER EXTINCT SPECIES Species Location Age Body Mass Garganornis ballmanni Gargano, Italy Miocene 22.3 Cnemiornis calcitrans New Zealand Holocene 17.46 (14.520.36) Cygnus falconeri Malta Pleistocene 16.09 Cnemiornis gracilis New Zealand Holocene 12.18 (8.0315.55) Thambetochen chauliodous Hawaiian Islands Holocene 7.9 Thambetochen xanion Hawaiian Islands Holocene 6.4 Ptaiochen pau Hawaiian Islands Holocene 5.9

Drawings of the bones of the giant goose, Garganornis ballmanni. The carpal knob is a small lump found in modern birds, that use it to fight over territory

The bird is thought to have evolved these characteristics because it lived on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, meaning there was intense competition for territory and fresh water sources.

It did not need its wings to fly because, scientists have said, there were not many other predators on the island.

The bird would have been incredibly aggressive and capable of defending its young against most predators that were present.

The findings change our idea of this bird, and 'confirms its flightlessness and its extreme adaptation to a terrestrial, non-aquatic, lifestyle' the authors said.
Apple's next iPhone could come with a transparent screen, according to a patent granted to the company.

The technology could pave the way for Apple's step into augmented reality.

The patent also includes an OLED screen - something that has been rumoured from a number of sources to feature on the iPhone 8.

Scroll down for video

Apple's next iPhone could come with a transparent screen, according to a patent granted to the company. Stock image of a futuristic transparent phone, pictured

IPHONE 8 RUMOURS Several rumours have been circulating about the iPhone 8, and suggest the next device may have: - Dual-lens 3D camera - Augmented reality to generate real-time views of surroundings - Curved glass casing - Plastic OLED screen - Wireless charging - A folding element - New 5 inch (12.7 centimetre) and 5.8 inch (14.7 centimetre) models - A new 'pure white' model - Aluminum back will be replaced with two reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle Advertisement

'One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object,' the patent says.

'Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.'

Current features on the phone's face, like the camera, ear speaker and light sensors, could be hidden beneath the screen.

This is not the first evidence that points towards the world of augmented reality, that was made popular last year with the rise of Pokemon Go.

The iPhone maker is believed to be working with Carl Zeiss on an augmented reality project, which could go on sale this year.

The wearable headset would connect wirelessly to iPhones and show information that is superimposed onto a user's view of the real world.

'A Zeiss employee confirmed the rumors that Apple and Carl Zeiss AG are working on a light pair of augmented reality/mixed reality glasses that may be announced this year,' blogger Roberty Scoble wrote earlier this week.

The firm has talked about the project with potential suppliers for Google Glass-style headsets.

'Openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object,' the patent says

Earlier this week, another rumour surfaced saying the new phone will be designed with a stainless steel forging process that brings together two reinforced glass panels supported by a metal frame.

The rumour was first reported by Chinese newspaper DigiTimes, which revealed the new components would be ordered from Foxconn electronics US-based Jabil  firms who worked with Apple in creating the iPhone 4, reports 9To5Mac.

'The metal bezel will be made of stainless steel using a forging process to enhance its sturdiness and reduce costs and manufacturing time,' reports DigiTimes.

THE END OF GOOGLE GLASS Alphabet discontinued its own wearable glass headset, Google Glass, and closed the social media account linked to the device earlier this year. This ends its attempt to popularise the expensive devices with consumers. The device received plenty of attention when it was launched in 2012, but quickly ran into problems with its awkward appearance and privacy concerns over video recording. Advertisement

Other than giving the iPhone 8 a sleeker design, this move will ensure the glass panels in the front and back hold together.

And it should decrease costs by 30 per cent to 50 per cent.

Using stainless steel could send the iPhone 8 back in time, as this metal alloy was originally used on the iPhone 4 variants.

However, it would also mean this will be one of Apple's strongest smartphones yet.

This speculation is consistent with a major rumour  the iPhone could feature a curved OLED, which lets Apple include an edge-to-edge screen.

Aside from the rumours regarding the iPhone 8's body design, Apple received a new patent that also points to an edge-to-edge screen.

The patent, titled Electronic devices having displays with openings describes a method that places electronic components  such as cameras and speakers  underneath the screen.

The latest rumour to hit the web comes from an upstream supply chain that says the Cupertino company is ditching the aluminium back cover. Instead, it will be designed with a stainless steel forging process .Pictured is an iPhone 8 concept render

The patent, titled Electronic devices having displays with openings describes a method that places electronic components  such as cameras and speakers  underneath the screen. The openings would be so small they would be imperceptible to the human eye

According to AppleInsider, the openings on the screen would be so small they would be imperceptible to the human eye  resulting in a true edge-to-edge screen.

This setup would also make it possible to add in various sensors inside of the phone that could transmit information across the display.

An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the one or more openings in the display, reads the patent filed in February 2015.

Signals associated with the electronic component may pass through the openings.

Apple could be moving forward with this design, as the firm is up against other smartphone makers to design the thinnest and compact smartphone. And the best way to do this is to remove all of the features from the outer areas and hide them underneath the screen

The signals may include acoustic signals, electromagnetic signals such as radio-frequency electromagnetic signals, and light.

The electronic component may be a structure that uses light such as a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, a status indicator light, a light-based touch sensor array, or a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings.

Apple could be moving forward with this design, as the firm is up against other smartphone makers to design the thinnest and compact smartphone.

And the best way to do this is to remove all of the features from the outer areas and hide them underneath the screen.

The new design will bring together two reinforced glass panels supported by a metal frame. This will allow for an edge-to-edge screen, which is another rumour that has been floating around the web (pictured are artists impressions of the iPhone 8)

Just a month after the iPhone 7 hit the market, rumours began circulating about what to expect in 2017.

One of these speculations was the handset could feature an all-glass casing.

Experts say that the transition from metal to glass casing is key if Apple is to introduce a wireless charging feature in its next iPhone. The rumours were obtained by MacRumours, and come from Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities.

Mr Kuo is uncertain whether a wireless charger will be bundled with all new iPhones, but is convinced that the feature will appear in the iPhone 8.

A metal alloy phone casing could potentially cause wireless charging speeds to be reduced, which is why a glass chassis could be used instead.

iOS users may have also heard that there could be three iPhone 8 smartphones to choose from this year  oppose to the traditional two Apple releases every year.

IPHONE 7 IN JET WHITE? When Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 in September, its brand new 'jet black' design sold out in a matter of hours. But it appears that a new 'jet white' version could soon be hitting stores. A video has emerged online which hints at what the white version could look like, if Apple does release such a device. Could this be the Jet White iPhone 7? pic.twitter.com/pHoDiZ63ON  Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) December 27, 2016 Reports of a new white version first appeared in November, when Japanese site, Mac Otakara, suggested that Apple would add a sixth color option to its iPhone 7 line-up. Sources speaking to the website said: 'Apple seems to have a plan to add a pure white model to iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus.' The website cited the source as a 'supplier'. 'But this information may be unreliable,' the site added. While no official 'jet white' iPhone has emerged yet, a video has appeared on Twitter which hints at what the device may look like. The post, by Sonny Dickson, a technology leaking site, says: 'Could this be the Jet White iPhone 7?' alongside a video showing an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 7 Plus, both with white casings. Advertisement

According to Nikkei, there will be one premium model with a curved edge-to-edge OLED display alongside two models that have standard LCD displays. Citing a supply chain source, Nikkei says Apple will release the three iPhones in the following sizes: 5.5 inches, 5 inches, and 4.7 inches.

'Apple has tentatively decided that all the 5.5-inch, 5-inch and 4.7-inch models will have glass backs, departing from metal casings adopted by current iPhones, and Biel and Lens are likely to be providing all the glass backs for the new iPhones next year,' the source said.

All three iPhone 8 models will use glass supplied by Biel Crystal Manufactory and Lens Technology in China for both the front and back,
Researchers have predicted that a new megacontinent - Amasia - will form in the next 250 million years.

North and South America will crunch together, with the Caribbean Sea and Arctic Ocean disappearing, while Asia will join the Americas, according to new simulations from Yale University researchers and Japan's Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

This will happen because of the movement of the earth's tectonic plates - the enormous plates of the earth's crust that have drifted together and apart over hundreds and millions of years.

Scroll down for video

North and South America will crunch together, with the Caribbean Sea and Arctic Ocean disappearing, while Asia will join the Americas

The research, published in the journal Nature, is based on a theory called Orthoversion - after a supercontinent breaks up, the continents initially drift apart but become trapped within a northsouth band of subduction  where one plate dips below another.

On our present-day Earth this band is the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the new supercontinent will form.

To test the model, researchers used paleomagnetic data  records of the Earth's magnetic field preserved in rocks  to study variations in the rotation of the Earth with respect to its spin axis.

The research is based on a theory called Orthoversion - after a supercontinent breaks up, the continents initially drift apart but become trapped within a northsouth band of subduction  where one plate dips below another. On our present-day Earth this band is the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the new supercontinent will form

WHAT WILL HAPPEN The present-day Arctic Ocean and Caribbean Sea will vanish as North and South America fuse while they move northwards together, leading to a collision with Europe and Asia. The research is based on a theory called Orthoversion - after a supercontinent breaks up, the continents initially drift apart but become trapped within a northsouth band of subduction  where one plate dips below another. On our present-day Earth this band is the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the new supercontinent will form. Advertisement

These variations, known as "true polar wander", are caused by changes in the planet's mass distribution; they are the Earths attempt to maintain rotational equilibrium  a re-adjustment that takes place over millions of years.

By combining these data with knowledge of how supercontinents affect the Earth's motion, the researchers were able to predict Amasia.

The present-day Arctic Ocean and Caribbean Sea will vanish as North and South America fuse while they move northwards together, leading to a collision with Europe and Asia.

'After those water bodies close, were on our way to the next supercontinent,' said Dr Ross Mitchell, the papers lead author.

'Youd have the Americas meeting Eurasia practically at the North Pole.

WHAT ARE TECTONIC PLATES? Tectonic plates are composed of Earth's crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle. Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride. The Earth has fifteen tectonic plates (pictured) that together have molded the shape of the landscape we see around us today Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other. Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate. These areas are relatively weak compared to the surrounding plate, and can easily slip and cause an earthquake. Advertisement

The research has also been supported by a paper published in the journal Geology by Dr Masaki Yoshida, a geologist based at Japan's Agency for MarineEarth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

The most recent supercontinent, Pangea (Greek for All Lands), formed about 300 million years ago with Africa at its centre.

It began breaking apart into the seven continents of today with the birth of the Atlantic Ocean about 100 million years later.

The most recent supercontinent, Pangea (Greek for All Lands), formed about 300 million years ago with Africa at its centre

Researchers believe Pangea is the third or fourth supercontinent in Earths history.

Its immediate predecessors were Rodinia - which formed about 1 billion years ago - and Nuna, which formed about 1.8 billion years ago.

The idea of continental drift was introduced by German scientist Alfred Wegener in 1912, to explain how the shape of Earths countries looked suspiciously like jigsaw pieces that would fit together.

The Earths surface is formed from seven major and several minor tectonic plates that wander around at speeds varying from a few millimetres to two centimetres a year, the same pace that a human nail grows.
It is a route that first brought the Pilgrims from England to Plymouth in 1620.

Now, the route of the Mayflower is set to be followed again - by a entirely autonomous high tech ship.

Called the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), the unmanned ship runs entirely on renewable energy, and will sail on the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims' voyage from England to America.

Scroll down for video

Researches have revived the Mayflower for another journey across the Atlantic, but its design has a modern twist. Called the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), this vessel is a fully autonomous unmanned ship that runs entirely on renewable energy technology

MODERN MAYFLOWER The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) is set to sail in 2020 and take the same route as the pilgrims did in 1620. It will launch drones to gather meteorological, oceanographic and climate data, with the hopes of gaining knowledge about the current condition of the ocean The team will also perform research on renewable energy and propulsion systems for marine vessels. They will also be looking at data harvesting issues - how to know when something is significant enough to alert the scientists at mission control in Plymouth (UK) and Plymouth (USA). The ship is more than 100 feet long and will reach speeds of 12.5 knots with the electric motor and 20 knots with sails, basically 23 miles per hour in not very windy conditions. The trip could take as little as seven to 10 days with optimal wind conditions Advertisement

It will also launch drones during the trip to gather meteorological, oceanographic and climate data.

MAS is being developed by a partnership of the University of Plymouth, autonomous craft specialists MSubs, and public charity Promare which promotes marine research and exploration throughout the world.

However, the ship is still a concept and researchers note it will take two-and-a-half years to build, following a years worth of testing before it is ready to sail the open ocean.

The sail date will mark the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower from Plymouth, England to Plymouth Massachusetts.

The ship is more than 100 feet long and will reach speeds of 12.5 knots with the electric motor and 20 knots with sails, basically 23 miles per hour in not very windy conditions.

'Our approach to developing the concept was to fully explore and take advantage of the opportunities that arise from not having to carry crew, and to create a vessel that is capable of using only renewable energy,' John Shuttleworth, who runs Shuttleworth Design with his brother Orion, wrote in a statement.

'Working within the limitations of renewable energy sources has given a clear direction to the developing form of the vessel.'

The ship will also launch drones to gather meteorological, oceanographic and climate data, with the hopes of gaining knowledge about the current condition of the ocean, reported Tech Insider.

The vessel is intended to house one or more modular payload bays, much like a Space Shuttle, into which a diverse range of mission equipment will be fitted to support the various research tasks.

When the first started designing the ship, the team found issues with the solar cell area on the ship.

It was too large for sailing and was would become unsafe when the boat hit big waves.

However, the team found a separate method that uses a folding wing system - this increased the solar cell area by 40 percent in calm conditions.

While on the sea, the team will monitor how the renewable energy and propulsion systems handles, which could prove useful in other marine vessels.

THE ORIGINAL MAYFLOWER The original Mayflower traveled from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 The Mayflower was a three-masted ship, most likely between 90 and 110 feet long, that carried the people who came to be known a Pilgrims from England to Plymouth in 1620. The ship was hired in London, and sailed from London to Southampton in July 1620 to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage--much of which was purchased at Southampton. The Mayflower left Holland on 31 July 1620, joining the Speedwell in Southampton, England, for the voyage to America. The two ships sailed on 15 August but returned because of the leaky condition of the Speedwell. The Speedwell was eventually abandoned, and on 16 September, 102 passengers and crew aboard the Mayflower finally sailed from England. The voyage itself across the Atlantic Ocean took 66 days, from their departure on September 6, until Cape Cod was sighted on 9 November 1620. The Mayflower followed the land-exploring party and sailed into Plymouth, Massachusetts, harbor on 26 December, where it remained until houses could be built for the new settlement. Source: Encyclopedia.com Advertisement

They will also conduct research on the software for automated and autonomous operations for extended duration, advanced satellite communications and co-operative behavior between nested automated and autonomous vehicles operating below, on and above the water simultaneously.

The ship is more than 100 feet long and will reach speeds of 12.5 knots with the electric motor and 20 knots with sails, basically 23 miles per hour in not very windy conditions. A trimaran boat design is being used, which is a multi-hull boat consisting of a mail hull with two small outrigger hulls attached

'We'll also be looking at data harvesting issues - how to know when something is significant enough to alert the scientists at mission control in Plymouth (UK) and Plymouth (USA) and perhaps 'goal oriented programming' to create dynamic mission plans that better serves the scientific goals of a specific mission without significant human intervention through direct operation of the Mayflower Autonomous Research Ship,' explained Brett Phaneuf, managing director of MSubs.

Not only will the ship sail on the 400th anniversary of when the pilgrims traveled from Plymouth, England to Plymouth Massachusetts, it will launch drones during the trip to gather meteorological, oceanographic and climate data

A trimaran boat design is being used, which is a multi-hull boat consisting of a mail hull with two small outrigger hulls attached.

THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS The Mayflower, which carried the Pilgrims across the Atlantic, is illustrated above After setting sail from Plymouth, England in September, 1620 on the Mayflower, the Pilgrims set down on land at Provincetown Harbour on November 11, 1620. There were 102 passengers aboard and roughly 30 crew members, who endured two months of harsh conditions and sea sickness. One person died along the way. Though they initially intended to land at a site at the mouth of the Hudson River, supplies were running low as winter neared, causing them to anchor further north in the Cape Cod Bay. Expeditions on land led to skirmishes with the Native Americans after the Pilgrims disrupted grave sites and stole corn, prompting the settlers to move on to another site. The first landing party reached the site of what became the Plymouth settlement on December 21, 1620. There were 102 passengers aboard and roughly 30 crew members, who endured two months of harsh conditions and sea sickness. One person died along the way. Pilgrims at the new colony are illustrated Days later, the Mayflower dropped anchor. During the first winter, nearly half of the passengers died as a result of malnutrition and disease from the journey. Archaeologists have unearthed the first definitive evidence of the original Plymouth settlement, where the Pilgrims lived nearly 400 years ago. The landing of the 'Pilgrim Fathers' at Plymouth, December 22,1620 is illustrated Advertisement

Trimarans are common sail driven yachts that are for both recreational use and racing.

'A trimaran was chosen because it provides the most efficient hull form for low speed motoring,' explained Shuttleworth.

'The hull configuration developed from a requirement to reduce windage, while keeping the solar array sufficiently high above the water to reduce wave impact.'

Trimarans are common sail driven yachts that are for both recreational use and racing. 'A trimaran was chosen because it provides the most efficient hull form for low speed motoring,' explained Shuttleworth. 'The hull configuration developed from a requirement to reduce windage, while keeping the solar array sufficiently high above the water to reduce wave impact'

With the way the outer hulls are designed to skin the water, resistance is reduced by 8 percent.

'An Atlantic crossing could take as little as seven to 10 days with optimal wind conditions but what's important is that it could take seven to 10 months if we so choose, so that the ship could collect voluminous data for ongoing analysis by shore based teams of scientists and not worry about refueling, or re-provisioning, or illness.....or loneliness,' said Phaneuf.

An Atlantic crossing could take as little as seven to 10 days with optimal wind. The vessel is intended to house one or more modular payload bays, much like a Space Shuttle, into which a diverse range of mission equipment will be fitted to support the various research tasks

Researchers will closely monitor MAS throughout its journey, to watch for any structural, mechanical, electrical, corrosion and software issues.

The team will also keep an eye out for vandalism and piracy, although these aren't major concerns.
Icelands most successful fugitive is keeping quiet. He has nothing to say about his year on the run in the great wilderness or how he survived when winter blanched the world white.

What he ate, where he lived and how he eventually emerged sleek, smug and unrepentant, must remain a mystery. Klzki may have survival skills to shame Bear Grylls, but he is still a horse.

East Iceland is snowbound again now. Puffball white with frosted eyelashes, Klzki moves easily along despite having me on his back.

Iceland is a fairy-tale landscape where reindeer cascade from crags, rivers crackle with ice and the ground is pocked with unfamiliar tracks

Much of the area MailOnline Travel visits is extremely remote and undeveloped

Naomi's horse, Klzki, has survival skills that match those of Bear Grylls, she says

This is a fairy-tale landscape where reindeer cascade from crags, rivers crackle with ice and the ground is pocked with unfamiliar tracks. When we turn for home, the valley is twilight grey, silent and beguiling. It is time for stew and stories, washed down with rhubarb schnapps.

I wake in a little closet of wood, semi-sealed by white curtains. On the other side is a long dormitory studded with beds and antlers and wooden chests, a Viking hall equipped for 21st century visitors.

This supremely comfortable hideaway is on the edge of the biggest wilderness in northern Europe  which is hard to believe as we gather in the farmhouse kitchen for pancakes and steaming coffee served by Denni Karlsson.

Wiry and personable, he is one of the most capable men imaginable. In the last 24 hours alone, he has shoed the horses, cooked dinner, winched us across a river and shared some of the secrets of the valley, which he has known since childhood.

He has been aiming to open the farm  the Wilderness Centre  for more than a decade and his plan has finally come to fruition.

Iceland has incredible landscapes - with some of the world's most eye-catching waterfalls

Guests spend their days riding and trekking and the nights cocooned in history. It is a blissful retreat from the pace and pressures of modern life and one that reflects the ethos of Iceland's east coast, a region which should probably have its own time zone.

Much of this is geographical - the area is extremely remote and undeveloped. But in recent years, its residents have made a very deliberate decision to pursue this philosophy and preserve their traditions and the environment.

The most obvious centre of this is Djupivogur, the only town in Iceland to have Cittaslow (Slow City) status, a commitment to ethical, sustainable living.

It is a small coastal settlement with some good hotels and expansive views of the Atlantic, where craftsmanship is welcome and Coca-Cola signs are not.

We eat a suitably relaxed lunch of leek soup and rainbow trout from the fjord in the sea green dining room at Hotel Framti. Then we venture out into the light snow and frigid winds to visit Djupivogurs mesmeric black beaches.

Djupivogur is the only town in Iceland to have Cittaslow (Slow City) status, a commitment to ethical, sustainable living

In winter, these ebony sweeps of sand framed by grey sea and powder white hills have a desolate beauty. In summer, they brim with birds.

We drive along the coast, slaloming up and down the sea fjords and through a cluster of tiny places, most mysterious of which is Reydarfjordar.

It has signs in Norwegian, shops that are not shops and neon adverts for bars that do not exist.

The puzzle unravels as it emerges that the thriller Fortitude is filmed here, with Reydarfjordar standing in for Svalbard, where conditions make it too difficult to film.

Chilling out takes on a whole new meaning in Iceland

Towns in Iceland, such as Seyosfjordur (pictured), are hardy - but charming

Iceland has some incredible hiking opportunities - with views that'll take the breath away

Our guide Stefan, meanwhile, has his own stories to share.

He tells us of his ancestor, a Viking king in Dublin and of the legendary troll of Skrudur, who stole a priests daughter and was crippled by grief when she died giving birth to his child.

There is also the rather ribald tale of one hapless farmer's attempt to change the name of his smallholding from 'penis' to 'beautiful field' - a story with a very predictable (but not very happy) ending.

We swap Stefan and the mini-bus for some hard-core off-roaders and plough deep into the pristine snowfields. The first aim is to track reindeer  and it does not take long to find some.

Silvery, agile, they watch us with caution. The slightest movement sends them prancing away over the rocks. Its hard to believe theyre not native  all 6,500 of them descend from 35 who arrived on a boat from Norway in 1781.

There is time for a little gentle yoga in front of an icy waterfall and then we head for home.

East Iceland may be a long way from the cosmopolitan delights of Reykavik, but its alluring beauty and addictive wilderness offer a short cut to the sort of relaxation which usually takes two weeks on a beach.
Advertisement

As any devoted Game of Thrones fan will know, 'winter' has been coming for six seasons now.

But it's very much arrived at one of its main filming locations in Croatia, following an extremely rare and unexpected influx of snow.

Dubrovnik, the ancient city where HBO shoots the majority of the show's King's Landing scenes, awoke on Wednesday to temperatures of -5C, with snow cloaking its buildings and even its shores - a phenomenon not seen in the region for eight years.

Dubrovnik awoke on Wednesday to temperatures of -5C, with snow cloaking its buildings and even its shores (left) - a rare occurrence for a temperate city that averages 25C in the summer (right)

HBO's Game of Thrones uses Dubronik - along with the magic of CGI - to shoot its King's Landing scenes, pictured, and in the show, the sun is always shining

A further three more days of snowfall has been forecast, and according to Total Croatia News, schools are closed, 'numerous traffic incidents' have been reported, and the Libertas city bus service has 'given up entirely on its timetable'.

Temperatures in Dubrovnik typically only fall to around 9C in January, and come summer, it enjoys an average temperature of 25C.

The last time it snowed in the picturesque region was 2009 and the coldest recorded temperature on record was all the way back in January 1968, when it dropped to -6.6C.

Ever since it was chosen as the setting for Games of Thrones' capital city of Westeros, the Unesco-listed city has been a magnet for fans of the show.

Temperatures in Dubrovnik - its Banje beach pictured on Wednesday - typically only fall to around 9C in January and it hasn't snowed here in eight years

A further three more days of snowfall has been forecast in the region, pictured, with schools closed and numerous traffic incidents reported

The last time it snowed in the picturesque region was 2009 and the coldest recorded temperature on record was all the way back in January 1968, when it dropped to -6.6C. Pictured is Pile Gate

Its imposing walls, which in the fictional tale are built to protect the kingdom from invasion, were in reality built in the 10th century and fortified in 1453 for this exact reason.

In fact, historians regard Dubrovnik's 1.2-mile-long wall to be one of the greatest structural defenses of the Middle Ages - having never been breached by impostors during that time period.

Last year, the city attracted more than a million visitors, with Game of Thrones-themed walking tours proving extremely popular.

Dubrovnik's imposing walls, pictured, which in the fictional tale are built to protect the kingdom from invasion, were in reality built in the 10th century and fortified in 1453 for this exact reason

Pictured amid the unexpected blizzard, the Statue of Roland outside the Saint Blaise Church (left) and stairs in the Old City (right)

Dubrovnik - a Unesco-listed world heritage site - boasts beautiful old monuments including the Onofrio fountain, pictured

Things yesterday were looking eerily quiet in the city, which has a population of around 42,000, as residents hunkered down away from the cold

Stradun, the main street in Dubrovnik's Old Town, has been pedestrianised for almost 50 years - but there aren't many out and about this week

Ever since it was chosen to be the setting for Games of Thrones' capital city of Westeros, pictured, the city has been a magnet for fans of the show

Each year, cast from the hit show descend upon Dubrovnik to film key scenes - pictured, actors shooting season five (left) and season three (right)
An Indian-British woman hitch-hiking from Hong Kong to the UK has revealed the dark side of travelling after being branded a terrorist in Germany.

Rhinal Patel, 34, recalled a shocking racist incident when a stranger there refused to lend her his phone as he said she might be trying to organise a bomb.

The 34-year-old backpacker was journeying through Asia and Europe to raise money for charity when she was confronted with distressing prejudice.

Indian-British backpacker (pictured) Rhinal Patel was journeying through Asia and Europe to raise money for charity when she was confronted with distressing prejudice. Image courtesy of www.pacorocha.portfoliobox.io

Ms Patel travelled alone from her home in Wales to Hong Kong and returned without spending any money to raise funds for Goa Outreach.

Her route took her over 9,800miles through India, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, the Phillipines, Indonesia and into Europe where she encountered unexpected discrimination.

Ms Patel revealed that while hitch-hiking through Germany on her way to Poland, she was warned by a Brazilian driver about a number of burgeoning neo-Nazi towns in the north of the country.

She decided to re-route her journey to Berlin, adding 186 miles to her trip to avoid any unnecessary dangers.

Forced to stay overnight at a service station, as it was too late to continue hitchhiking, she slept in a toilet.

Ms Patel shared her situation online and a fan of her blog in Berlin offered to pick her up, pay for her bus ticket and a hotel. Before Ms Patel could reply she said she lost her internet connection and spent 90 minutes asking if anyone would mind lending her their phone to make a call to the host.

Ms Patel claimed a man refused to help her - suspecting her of 'trying to organise a bomb'

She explained: Everyone said no. Finally, one girl agreed and we waited for her boyfriend to come out of the toilet so I could explain my location to my contact in Berlin.

'As soon as he came out the look on his face told me he was not going to help me, but I did not expect what was to come out of his mouth: I am sorry we cannot help you. You might be trying to organise a bomb somewhere.

Ms Patel first shared the unnerving incident in the Guardian but has been shocked by the response she has faced from readers, unsympathetic to the prejudice she encountered.

She told MailOnline Travel: I was very confused. I did not understand what the issue was with me borrowing a phone and I had never experienced anything like that before in my life. Also, it wasn't "no" that I had a problem with. I had already considered sleeping in the service station toilet so that was no issue for me - it was more how it was said and finally what was said.

But this was not the first time I had experienced this, throughout Norway and Sweden I had felt the prejudice in some of the people from as little as asking for directions. Sometimes I would get a no with a judgmental look even before I had opened my mouth. I also became more aware of the harsh reality that refugees faced in their every day lives.'

On her blog, Ms Patel shared the purpose of her trip: One of the reasons I did what I did was to give a platform to issues facing vulnerable people and to experience that myself, as I don't believe you can ever really understand another persons life unless you have walked in their shoes especially for homeless people and refugees. What I learned was shocking and not what I anticipated.

'My intentions in my quest to travel with no money were very pure and admittedly possibly naive in retrospect.'
Over a third of Brits would be in favour of a combined passenger and luggage weight allowance, a surprising new study has revealed.

Almost half of airline passengers dont think current luggage limits are fair and would support a rethink on the controversial issue.

Lighter fliers expressed anger that they have the same weight restrictions as their heavier counterparts.

Over a third of Brits would be in favour of a combined passenger and luggage weight allowance, a surprising new study has revealed (stock image)

The research, by online travel agent eDreams, found that 39 per cent of British adults would back a combined weight allowance that penalised passengers for exceeding the limit.

Of the 45 per cent outraged by current airline rules, 18 per cent admitted to feeling angry that heavier passengers are entitled to the same amount of luggage as them.

CABIN WEIGHT AND THE COST OF FUEL The heavier an aircraft, the more fuel it uses and so the more expensive flying becomes for the airline. Fuel is the highest cost incurred by airlines in the aviation industry As more and more people want greater allowance of hand luggage in the cabin, the cabin-weight becomes more of a talking point. If the load weight of passengers is limited/lighter, could it mean more allowance for luggage? That will be what passengers will be hoping for. Advertisement

The study found that holidaymakers from Northern Ireland are most in favour of combining the allowance with 56 per cent supporting the idea, followed by fliers surveyed in Wales (45 per cent), Scotland (41 per cent), the North West (41 per cent) and the North East (40 per cent).

And its younger travellers who are most in agreement with the need for a change with 43 per cent of 35-44-year-olds backing a move, compared to 39 per cent of passengers aged 55 plus.

For 26 per cent of travellers, current weight restrictions are their top source of holiday stress.

Furthermore, 28 per cent of women claim that they find sticking to their luggage weight limits the most challenging part of any trip (compared to 16 per cent of men).

Of these women struggling to squeeze everything into a suitcase 18 per cent admit to pooling their luggage allowance with a partner.

Almost half of airline passengers dont think current luggage limits are fair and would support a rethink on the controversial issue (stock image)

Londoners were also the most likely to want to carry more luggage than allowed with 22 per cent hindered by current rules.

However, 55 per cent of those surveyed were satisfied with current regulations. In the UK, 61 per cent of people are overweight.

Kasia Jankowska, a travel expert from eDreams, said: It is clear that many travellers find packing to meet a specific weight restriction a huge cause of stress, which has in turn caused a substantial amount of resentment between passengers.'
They have been forced to spend months together in a tree house in the African jungle like a modern day Tarzan and Jane.

Now Dr Chris Brown, 38, revealed he has a strong bond he has with his 48-year-old I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here co-host Julia Morris.

In an interview with WHO Magazine, the TV veterinarian was asked who was the last person he sent a text message to.

Scroll down for video

Great friends: Dr Chris Brown reveals he texts with co-host Julia Morris regularly

'It would probably be to Julia [Morris],' he said

He said: 'We actually text quite often because sharing a house in Africa clearly isn't enough! We talk every few days.'

The friendship between the two TV personalities came under fire last year when promo clips for the upcoming series of the celebrity reality survival show caused a stir.

In costume: In the past the comedian has had to defend her comedic antics such as stroking the hunky doctor's torso from critics branding her as 'sexist'

Cheeky: She said, 'Im not objectifying Dr Chris [Brown] when we muck around on camera... He writes most of the jokes'

In the clip, the House Husbands actress is seen stroking his torso and hamming up her crush on the hunky doctor.

She felt compelled to defend herself from critics who branded her comedic antics as 'sexist'.

In a column forStellar magazine, she wrote 'Im not objectifying Dr Chris [Brown] when we muck around on camera on Im A Celebrity  Get Me Out Of Here! He writes most of those jokes.'

New season: The third season of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, which was shot in South Africa, will premiere on January 29

The former Australia's Got Talent host went on to say that she does not do anything he would find 'distressing or confronting.'

Julia and her husband, Dan Thomas, recently celebrated their twelfth wedding anniversary together.

Season three of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, which was shot in South Africa, will premiere on January 29 on Channel 10.


A Belgrade man was moderately injured in a crash Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. on Highway 21 in Washington County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol report, Owen Matthews, 25, was driving his 2007 Ford F-150 truck southbound on Highway 21 south of Benton Road when he failed to negotiate a left curve and his vehicle skidded off the left side of the road and struck a tree.

Matthews was wearing his seat belt and taken to Washington County Memorial Hospital by Washington County Ambulance with moderate injuries.

Matthews was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

In another accident in Jefferson County, a Bonne Terre man was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday at 6:47 p.m. on U.S. 67 at Papin Road.

According to the patrol report, Rodney Price, 66, of De Soto, was eastbound on Papin Road in his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee when he failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the front left of a 2001 Lexus ES300 driven by Patrick Tullock, 69, of Bonne Terre, who was driving southbound on U.S. 67.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts and Price was taken to Mercy Hospital Jefferson by Joachim Plattin Ambulance. Tullock was taken to Mercy Hospital St. Louis by Survival Flight with serious injuries.

A Bloomsdale man was moderately injured in a one-vehicle crash Wednesday at 5:40 a.m. in Ste. Genevieve County.

According to the patrol report, Jason Abt, 33, was driving his 2003 Dodge Dakota truck northbound on Route M a half a mile north of Route J when he went off the right side of the road, over-corrected and his vehicle went off the left side of the road and overturned.

Abt was wearing his seat belt and was taken to Ste. Genevieve Hospital by the Ste. Genevieve County Ambulance District with moderate injuries.
Bridget Malcolm celebrated a second wedding to her musician husband Nathaniel Hoho, last week.

Now, The Victoria's Secret bombshell has revealed that her brother presided over the beach ceremony.

The 25-year-old took to Instagram Thursday to share the first snap from beneath the arch at idyllic Rottnest Island in Western Australia.

Scroll Down For Video

Second wedding! Bridget Malcolm shared her first breathtaking snap from beneath the arch at her second wedding to musician Nathaniel Hoho on Thursday, revealing her brother (R) officiated the ceremony

After posting images and a video from the reception last week, this is the first look the model's followers got of the breathtaking location the couple presumably said their vows.

In the image, Bridget stood on her tip-toes to reach her hunky beau's eye-line.

The smitten pair appear moments away from sharing the passionate kiss that would seal their second marriage.

The blonde beauty wore a loose-fitting baby-pink dress from Australian label Zimmerman.

Stunning! The Victoria's Secret model wore a loose-fitting baby-pink dress from Australian label Zimmerman, while her husband looked dapper in a traditional slim-fitting black suit

Nathan looked dapper in a traditional slim-fitting black suit, his surfer hair styled naturally messy.

Clear white sand met the lover's toes in open-sandals, as boats bobbed on the crystalline water behind them.

Her brother Harry, who officiated the ceremony stood underneath the simple wooden arch beside them.

'One week ago, my brother married me.... and my love!' Bridget joked in the caption.

She added the hashtag 'Tasmanian', likely in reference to an incestuous stereotype the Australian state is often jokingly given.

Reception! Last week, the 25-year-old shared doting snaps from the reception. The Australian model can be seen cosying up to her musician partner before they tuck into dessert together, presumably wedding cake

Adorable! Shortly after, the lovers were pictured next to an adorable Quokka that had wandered into reception

Last week, Bridget shared doting snaps from the reception.

Looking ever the blushing bride, the Australian model can be seen cosying up to her musician partner before they tuck into dessert together, presumably wedding cake.

Later, in an image captured by photographer friend Caleb 'Salty' Davenport, the lovers were pictured next to an adorable Quokka that had wandered into reception.

First time! Bridget and Nathaniel first said 'I do' in July 2016 in an intimate ceremony on a mountain overlooking the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, US

Bridget and Nathaniel first said 'I do' in July 2016 in an intimate ceremony on a mountain overlooking the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, US.

Two months earlier in May the Victoria's Secret model told Daily Mail Australia of her wedding plans.

'We are having two weddings,' the stunning blonde said.

'Hes [fiance Nathaniel] a Pennsylvania boy so we are going to have one July 23rd next year, and one in Perth, so two summer weddings.'
Amy Schumer and a friend got into the spirit of things when they swung by a themed tearoom in New York City.

The 35-year-old comic was spotted on Wednesday emerging from an outpost of a Manhattan chain called Alice's Tea Cup.

Both women had put on bright fairy wings, and at one point spread their arms, pretending they were about to lift off from the pavement.

Getting into the spirit of things: Amy Schumer and a friend were spotted on Wednesday emerging from an outpost of a Manhattan chain called Alice's Tea Cup

The Trainwreck writer and star had perched a grey-rimmed pair of cat-eye sunglasses onto her face and a thick cap on her head.

Bundling up in a black anorak, she teamed a dark pair of tight jeans with gleaming black boots. She held a cardboard cup.

This has been a banner week for the Inside Amy Schumer star, who's announced her next stand-up special will premiere on Netflix on March 7.

Taking flight: Both women had put on bright fairy wings, and at one point spread their arms, pretending they were about to lift off from the pavement

In a statement The Hollywood Reporter have quoted, she said: 'Very happy to be a part of the Netflix family for this special,' cracking: 'Maybe now they will look at my Stranger Things audition tape to play the demogorgon for Season 2.'

Her most recent stand-up special, Live From The Apollo, was directed by Chris Rock, who's himself secured a $40 million deal for two Netflix specials.

Live From The Apollo premiered on HBO during October 2015 and earned three Primetime Emmy nominations, as well as one nomination each by the Director's Guild Of America and the Writer's Guild Of America.

Incoming: This has been a banner week for the Inside Amy Schumer star, who's announced her next stand-up special (not pictured) will premiere on Netflix on March 7

The set she's had filmed for the upcoming special took place at the Bellco Theatre in the Colorado Convention Centre in Denver early last November.

Snatched, a comedy she's co-written and starred in, will feature Goldie Hawn as her mother and will open in Britain and America on May 12.

Thank You For Your Service, a drama about American veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, will also feature her and is slated for release this year.
Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton protectively wrapped his arm around his co-star Natalia Dyer while catching a flight out of Los Angeles together on Monday.

On Wednesday, the 22-year-old Englishman further fueled romance rumours by sharing a snap of himself wearing her shoes captioned: '@nattyiceofficial Need my converse back!'

The Shut In actor could not stop smiling at the NYU student - who turns 20 this Friday - as they made their way through security inside the LAX terminal.

Scroll down for video

New couple? Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton protectively wrapped his arm around his co-star Natalia Dyer while catching a flight out of Los Angeles together on Monday

On Wednesday, the 22-year-old Englishman further fueled romance rumours by sharing a snap of himself wearing her shoes captioned: '@nattyiceofficial Need my converse back!'

Charlie's chivilrous manner at the airport suggested he and the Nashville-born brunette were more than just colleagues.

Heaton and Dyer's coy intimacy came after the pair donned coordinating Halloween costumes and greeted parrots during a Spanish holiday in September.

Fans of the Netflix binge-watching favourite were disappointed when their characters Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler didn't get together in the first season.

'In the original pilot, Jonathan was the clear choice because Steve [Harrington] was just such a jerk,' Natalia recalled to Teen Vogue in October.

Wearing his Converse: The Shut In actor could not stop smiling at the NYU student - who turns 20 this Friday - as they made their way through security inside the LAX terminal

Thick as thieves: Charlie's chivilrous manner at the airport suggested he and the Nashville-born brunette were more than just colleagues

More than friends? Heaton and Dyer's coy intimacy came after the pair donned coordinating Halloween costumes and greeted parrots during a Spanish holiday in September

'I'm not going to deny that there's obviously some kind of chemistry between Jonathan and Nancy. I don't think either of them know what it is, but I'd be excited to see where that goes in season two.'

The former Comanechi drummer also admitted he was 'bummed' about the love triangle's conclusion to PAPER Magazine in August.

Fittingly, Heaton and Dyer third-wheeled it with castmate Joe Keery (who plays Steve) during Sunday night's Golden Globe festivities.

'[Charlie, Joe, and I] spent a lot of time together off-set,' Natalia revealed to Harper's Bazaar in September.

'In the original pilot, Jonathan was the clear choice': Fans of the Netflix binge-watching favourite were disappointed when their characters Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler didn't get together in the first season

'Obviously some kind of chemistry': The former Comanechi drummer also admitted he was 'bummed' about the love triangle's conclusion to PAPER Magazine in August

'[We] got really close': Fittingly, Heaton and Dyer third-wheeled it with castmate Joe Keery (who plays Steve) during Sunday night's Golden Globe festivities

'None of us are from Atlanta or really knew Atlanta, so we explored together and got really close.'

Here's hoping they fare better at the SAG Awards - airing January 29 on TNT/TBS - than the Golden Globes where they lost two trophies.

15 actors in the talented cast (including Heaton and Dyer) scored a nomination for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series.

Faceplant: Here's hoping they fare better at the SAG Awards than the Golden Globes where they lost two trophies

Airing January 29 on TNT/TBS! 15 actors in the talented cast (including Heaton and Dyer) scored a nomination for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series

Reigning champs: But the Upside Down squad faces heavy competition against The Crown (pictured Sunday), Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, and Westworld

But the Upside Down squad faces heavy competition against The Crown, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, and Westworld.

The talented duo have been busy filming the highly-anticipated second season of Stranger Things in Georgia for the last three months.

The next nine episodes - set in fall 1984 - will feature newcomers Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Sadie Sink, Dacre Montgomery, and Linnea Berthelsen.

'011 is back!' The talented duo (3-R, 4-R) have been busy filming the highly-anticipated second season of Stranger Things in Georgia for the last three months
The impulse shopping force was strong for John Boyega in Sydney on Wednesday.

The Star Wars actor sent fans into a frenzy after he shared a photo of himself casually walking the streets of inner-city suburb Newtown.

The 24-year-old, who is in Australia to film a sequel to sci-fit hit Pacific Rim, was carrying a lamp that appeared to be for a new local residence.

Scroll Down For Video

Boyega down under: Star Wars star John Boyega sent fans into a frenzy when he was spotted shopping in Sydney, seen hauling a massive cardboard box down iconic King Street

In the image, the hunk was seen hauling a massive cardboard box down Newtown's iconic King Street.

He exposed his buff biceps in a tight black shirt and completed the outfit with skinny jeans and leather shoes.

The celeb, who plays Finn in Star Wars, parsed a wry smile as he walked by a local restaurant.

New Place? This comes as the 24-year-old is currently living in the country while filming a sequel to sci-fi hit Pacific Rim

'In Sydney's Newtown and found a lamp that works in my living room,' he said in the caption, prompting hopes that he was setting up a new abode in town.

The self-deprecating actor continued, noting that 'my sister cracked up at me like a damn secondary school kid calling me Uncle Ade. A brief reminder that I'm gradually becoming my father.'

Sadly for fans, it would seem the lamp is more likely for his native London home however, and the lamp constituted more of an impulse purchase that may prove a packing headache when it comes time to return to England.

Fan Frenzy! The news sent fans online into a frenzy. 'HOW LONG ARE YOU IN SYDNEY FOR?' One wrote in a comment on the Instagram post

While locals in the shot didn't appear to notice the megastar, online fan reaction to the Instagram post was emphatic.

Some supporters seemed to lose their cool: 'What??? Where are you???' one wrote.

'HOW LONG ARE YOU IN SYDNEY FOR?' another added.

Others tried their luck at getting the busy actor to hang out.

Good luck! Others tried their luck at getting the actor hang out, with one stating: 'Hi John! Am living in Sydney too....care for a coffee?'

'Hi John! Am living in Sydney too....care for a coffee?' wrote one.

Another went for a more informal approach: 'Maaaaate, I'm 2 mins away! Drinks?'

One fan took the chance to joke about what could really be in the box, writing: 'Clearly smuggling lightsabers.'

New film! John was snapped a few days ago in Northern Sydney dressed in a costume from the upcoming Pacific Rim: Uprising

John was snapped a few days earlier in Northern Sydney dressed in a costume for a sequel to Pacific Rim, that he's shooting in the country.

The English-born actor is set to star in an as of yet unnamed eighth Star Wars film, set for release in December.

The actor's other film, Pacific Rim: Uprising, will follow in 2018.

Tribute! John was among celebrities who shared loving memories of late actress Carrie Fisher. 'My heart is heavy but I'm grateful that I got to know her. I'll cherish the memories,' he wrote

John was among celebrities who shared loving memories of late actress Carrie Fisher.

In an Instagram post that showed the friends and Star Wars co-stars looking friendly, he paid tribute to the star who played Princess Leia.

'My heart is heavy but I'm grateful that I got to know her. I'll cherish the memories, conversations and her consistent support. Rest well.' He wrote in the caption.
She reached a milestone in her battle against breast cancer less than a week ago.

And on Wednesday, Shannen Doherty was spotted out and about, looking happy and healthy as she ran some errands in Malibu, California.

The 45-year-old actress just recently finished up an aggressive round of radiation therapy and already looks stronger, effectively earning the title of #CancerSlayer.

Glowing: Shannen Doherty, 45, was spotted out and about in Malibu after finishing up an aggressive round of radiation therapy to treat breast cancer

In July, Shannen - who has been battling breast cancer since 2015 - bravely took charge of losing her dark tresses to radiation therapy by documenting the shaving of her head in a six-part social media post.

The Charmed star found out she would be needing radiation therapy after doctors found the illness had spread beyond her lymph nodes.

She began treatment sessions in mid-November, beginning with a CT scan on November 18th that scared her so much it led to a panic attack.

Cool and casual: Doherty wore light blue jeans and a trendy oversized heather gray pocket tee

What a difference: Just six weeks ago, the actress was hard at work battling her debilitating illness alongside her loving husband Kurt Iswarienko

And after a long, emotionally and physically tasking journey in which husband Kurt Iswarienko was a huge support, the 90210 alumna finished up the round of therapy in the beginning of January.

She celebrated the end of radiation therapy by treating herself to a cut and color at her favorite salon, Ramirez Tran in Beverly Hills, where colourist Johnny Ramirez and stylist Anh Co Tran gave her a fresh new look.

On Wednesday morning, the star's hair seemed to be growing in rather rapidly as she was seen taking advantage of her freedom from the radiation room and enjoying the clean Malibu air with her cute new 'do.

Doherty wore light blue jeans and a trendy oversized heather gray pocket tee for her casual outing.

Looking stronger: Her face was partially covered by dark shaded aviator sunglasses, but a healthy pink flush could still be seen spread about her porcelain skin

Her face was partially covered by dark shaded aviator sunglasses, but a healthy pink flush could still be seen spread about her porcelain skin.

When others may have taken a break, Shannen didn't skip a beat.

The actress most recently starred in the 2016 sport drama Back in the Day alongside Alec Baldwin and Michael Madsen.

And in between battling the disease, she somehow found the time and energy to film the upcoming comedy How to Make a Deal with the Devil, starring herself and Matthias Hues.
His future as James Bond may well be shrouded in uncertainty, but there was a definite sense of purpose about Daniel Craig as he stepped out in New York City on Wednesday afternoon.

The British actor, 48, wrapped up against the biting winter cold in a casual chocolate brown winter coat and matching scarf as he took a stroll through trendy East Village.

Keeping his eyes shielded behind a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses and his head covered by a Liverpool FC cap, Daniel appeared to be upbeat while chatting on his mobile phone.

Scroll down for video

Out and about: His future as James Bond may well be shrouded in uncertainty, but there was a definite sense of purpose about Daniel Craig as he stepped out in New York City on Wednesday afternoon

The star was taking a short break from what has been a well-received portrayal of Iago in a New York Theatre Workshop production of Shakespeare's Othello.

But while Daniel treads the boards, executives have started planning for the next installment of the successful Bond franchise, set for release in 2018, without knowing if the British actor will take part.

A source told the Daily Mirror: 'Daniel and MGM are currently at a stalemate with him having not spoken to them about Bond.

Well covered: The British actor, 48, wrapped up against the biting winter cold in a chocolate brown winter coat and matching scarf as he took a stroll through trendy East Village

High spirits: Keeping his eyes shielded behind a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses and his head covered by a Liverpool FC cap, Daniel appeared to be upbeat while chatting on his mobile phone

'They have offered a bigger wage deal, and asked about his filming availability to his reps in 2017, but as yet they have not spoken to Daniel.

'They want Bond 25 out in October 2018, but currently they have no Bond, film dates or knowledge of when that will change.'

However Daniel has given a strong indication that he may well reprise his role for a fifth time, a U-turn on previous comments about preferring to 'slash his own wrists' rather than sign up for another film.

A man of leisure: The star was taking a short break from what has been a well-received portrayal of Iago in a New York Theatre Workshop production of Shakespeare's Othello

Speaking at the New Yorker Festival, he said: 'I got the best job in the world doing Bond. The things I get to do on a Bond movie and the type of work it is, there's no other job like it.

'If I were to stop doing it  just say  I'd miss it terribly. It's one of the most thrilling things as an actor you can do.

'I love this job. I get a massive kick out of it. And, if I can keep getting a kick out of it, I will.'

The actor is also set for the film Logan Lucky along with Katie Holmes and Adam Driver.
Hospital

Rating:

The Reassembler

Rating:

Professor George Hanna is quietly beside himself with frustration and anger. He has a cancer patient who requires an immediate, major operation to survive.

He has an operating theatre available for the six-hour procedure, to remove the mans diseased gullet and replace it with plastic tubes. He has a highly trained staff, including an anaesthetist and specialist nurses. He has equipment worth millions in one of the best hospitals in Europe.

But he is forbidden to do the op. There are no beds available in the intensive care unit where the patient will go to recover.

In Hospital (BBC2), cameras spent a week at St Marys in Paddington, London, recording the everyday catastrophes that are consuming the health service

Actually, thats not strictly true. There is a bed . . . but by the time Professor Hanna has finished the operation, another patient will probably have filled it.

So for the rest of the day the bed remains empty, the theatre unused, the surgical team stand idle and one of the most brilliant surgeons in Britain, who could be saving somebodys life, must sit on his hands.

Hospital (BBC2) did a superb job of explaining this complex situation without melodramatics. The cameras spent a week at St Marys in Paddington, London, recording the everyday catastrophes that are consuming the health service.

On Monday, the hospital was at Code Red. That alone ought to provoke national outrage: no part of the NHS should ever share its status with a nuclear power station in radioactive meltdown.

Code Red means there are no beds available anywhere, either in this hospital or within the health trust. Managers are talking about the full capacity protocol, a bureaucratic euphemism for extreme measures, such as placing adults in childrens wards. One administrator guiltily reminds her colleagues that in a real pinch nearby gyms can make useful spaces for extra beds.

There has been no terrorist attack, no flu epidemic or motorway pile-up. Its not even freezing outside. But the hospital is overwhelmed with admissions, and the admin staff are talking about emergency measures more appropriate for the aftermath of an atomic disaster.

This documentary did not get mired in explanations of how the overcrowding crisis has developed. Admissions to A&E are 10 per cent higher than last year, every bed is taken, and thats all we need to know.

Instead, the point was driven home by snappy interviews with senior doctors across the hospital. None of them had time to spare, and they all said the same thing. Every day we feel like we are just struggling to stay afloat, said one.

It seems rare to be allowed to go ahead and actually do an op, said another. The elastics closer to breaking than ever, warned a third. This was a programme with a single message, which never lost its focus or allowed its intensity to relent for a moment  an hour of television to leave you worn out and deeply worried.

Balm for the soul was on offer from The Reassembler (BBC4), a half-hour of occupational therapy in which James May slowly rebuilds vintage machinery from a neat array of component nuts and bolts. His chums nickname him Captain Slow but, as he spent 13 hours putting together a childs Japanese motorbike from the Sixties, he was more like Captain Eternity. Whole epochs passed in the time it took him to count out ball bearings or find the right screwdriver.

Balm for the soul was on offer from The Reassembler (BBC4), a half-hour of occupational therapy in which James May slowly rebuilds vintage machinery

And all the while he talks constantly. His voice is like a single-cylinder engine, chuntering away at a steady rhythm that never accelerates or hiccups. In earlier documentaries, such as his Cars Of The People series a couple of years ago, he tried too hard to copy his colleague Jeremy Clarksons style and humour.

But in The Reassembler he is completely himself, an amiable man who finds deep pleasure in boring minutiae and knows that lots of viewers do too.

Last week he discoursed at length on the difference between a bolt and a screw, and how there was no hard-and-fast distinction. This week, feeling he hadnt done the topic justice, he chatted about it for another ten minutes.
It's been more than 20 years since Michelle Fowler was a resident on Albert Square.

And shortly after making her return to the town of Walford where she grew up, it appears that the EastEnders character - now played by Jenna Russell - will be sharing a harrowing secret with her best pal, Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean).

In a dramatic new trailer for the long-running BBC1 soap, a weeping Michelle is seen telling her close friend: ' I've broken the law!'

Scroll down for video

Harrowing secret: Michelle Fowler is seen sharing a harrowing secret with her best pal Sharon Mitchell in a trailer for upcoming episodes of BBC1 soap EastEnders

Later in the brief clip, Sharon - seemingly upset with what she's learned - tells Michelle: 'You know, if you're gonna have them kind of secrets, keep 'em secret.'

Michelle, previously played by actress-turned-director Susan Tully, returned to London from the US at the end of last year for a visit.

But as friends and family throw her a farewell party ahead of her flight back across the Atlantic, it appears that her secret may force her stay in town a little longer.

Emotional: It appears that her secret could keep her from returning to the US for some time

Meanwhile, Sharon was seen getting more than she bargained for on Tuesday night's edition of the show.

The wife of ailing Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) went to spend a penny in the toilets at local pub the Queen Vic and ended up overhearing a shocking revelation about her husband.

Pregnant Denise Fox (Diane Parish) chose the pub lavatories to reveal the secret identity of her unborn child's father to Shirley Carter (Linda Henry).

While downstairs the residents of Walford were celebrating at the Carter's Italian themed night, Shirley followed Denise to the loos to accuse her of sleeping with her ex, Buster (Karl Howman).

'I know Denise. You had an affair with Buster,' she raged as Denise attempted to get into one of the cubicles.

'I did not sleep with Buster. I wouldn't. Anyway you can think what you want. I've got enough stuff on my mind,' was Denise's curt response.

'What's the secret? Because I know you've got one. If you're not covering for Buster then who's the father?' pressed Shirley, desperate to know more.

'Just a one-night-stand,' Denise lied.

'You're not that interesting!' Shirley spat back.

Denise decided, at this point, to reveal the identity of the father.

Toilet talk! EastEnders' Sharon overhears Denise telling Shirley that Phil is the father of her unborn child in the ladies' bathroom at the Queen Vic

'You've got to promise me, don't say anything. Swear it Shirley, because I'm trusting you,' she said, before revealing: 'It's Phil's. It's Phil Mitchell's son.'

Shocked and confused, Shirley asked: 'You're carrying his boy? But when? I mean he's been at death's door...'

'Shirley I know you and Phil have got history but you've got to keep it buttoned. You swore. You can't tell anyone yet,' Denise responded. 'This is seriously complicated. You just need to let me get through this next bit the way that I want to. Please.'

Reveloo-tions: While downstairs the residents of Walford were celebrating at the Carter's Italian themed night, Shirley followed Denise to the toilets to accuse her of sleeping with her ex, Buster

Shirley was left stunned by the news; and she wasn't the only one!

As she composed herself and returned to the party downstairs, it was revealed that Sharon overheard everything from one of the cubicles, unbeknownst to the other women.

A teaser trailer for the upcoming next episode sees the aftermath of the revelation, as Sharon tries to get her head around things, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror.

Looking flushed? Pregnant Denise Fox chose the pub lavatories to reveal the secret identity of her unborn child's father to Shirley Carter

In a tense moment, she then leaves the bathroom and storms downstairs to the bar, straight for Denise, who is getting ready to leave.

Shirley seems to realise what's happened as Sharon storms through the bar, side-stepping Denise and heading straight to Phil.

'What's wrong?' he asks his fuming wife.

EastEnders continues at 7.30pm on Thursday on BBC One.
She's been in the Caribbean for the past week with her pals showing off every aspect of her luxurious getaway.

But Tash Oakley has taken a moment to reflect over her busy and blessed life that sees her travelling around the world.

The Australian blogger, of course, took to Instagram to share a picture of herself sporting a black strapless, one-piece swimsuit.

Scroll down for video

Happy: Tash Oakley has taken to Instagram to share a reflective picture of herself looking out over the beautiful blue waters of Anguilla

Taken at sunset, the 25-year-old is seen staring out over the pristine blue waters of the East Caribbean sea - just off the coast of Anguilla.

The blonde bombshell captioned the image: 'Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you will look back, and realize they were the big things,' and included a star emoji.

Tash has been busy sharing her idyllic holiday with her model pals with her 1.8 million followers on Instagram.

Fashion shoot: Another post included snaps of her modelling an edgy, holiday look at the exclusive Malliouhana, An Auberge Resort, in Anguilla.

Leggy: The statuesque model showed off her trim pins in a midi length, acid wash denim skirt with a thigh split

One post included snaps of her modelling an edgy, holiday look at the exclusive Malliouhana, An Auberge Resort, in Anguilla.

She captioned the post: 'Lunch today at one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever seen!'

The statuesque model showed off her trim pins in a midi length, acid wash denim skirt with a thigh split.

She also put on a busty display in a strapless bodysuit which exposed her cleavage thanks to ribbon detailing down the centre.

Under the sun: In another shoot, she shows off her pert derriere in a white one-piece swimsuit and accessorising with round black sunglasses

Tash and her business partner Devin Brugman also flaunted their flawless bikini bodies on a yacht.

Sporting a plunging white one-piece swimsuit, Tash beamed for the camera while her American business partner Devin, 25, flaunted her slender frame in a black two-piece against an ocean backdrop.

Holiday mode: Bikini blogger Tash and her business partner Devon showed off their bikini bodies on a yacht on Wednesday

'High jump masters @tashoakley @songofstyle #anguilla,' Devin captioned the Instagram snap on Wednesday.

In another snap, Tash, Devin and another gal pal were pictured jumping off a luxury yacht into crystal clear Caribbean waters.

'If you jump I jump remember? @tashoakley @songofstyle #REVOLVEaroundtheworld,' she wrote.

Having a ball: In another snap, Tash, Devin and another gal pal were pictured jumping off a luxury yacht into crystal clear Caribbean waters

The vacation snaps come weeks after Tash shocked fans by revealing that she airbrushes her social media snaps, most of which picture the bronzed beach-bunny posing provocatively in barely-there swimwear.

'I think that everyone is doing that (retouching) because of what they see in the media,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

'I think with the general population are just trying to follow exactly what they see with pictures being edited'.

She also admitted that she feels pressure to look good all the time but is adamant her aim to look good is more for herself than anyone else.

'But for me, it's really more about feeling good in myself, and healthy and fit,' she noted.

Double trouble! Tash touched down in Saint Barthelemy last week alongside her best friend and business partner Devin, before promptly flaunting her travels on Instagram with this festive snap

'I think that everyone is doing that': Last year, Tash shocked fans by revealing that she airbrushes her social media snaps, most of which picture the bronzed beach-bunny posing provocatively in barely-there swimwear

For herself: She also admitted that she feels pressure to look good all the time, but is adamant her aim to look good is more for herself than anyone else

Doctored images: Tash's photos are gazed upon by some 1.8 million Instagram fans, many of whom are young girls who aspire to look just like her

Tash's photos are gazed upon by some 1.8 million Instagram fans, many of whom are young girls who aspire to look just like her.

In October last year, unflattering paparazzi snaps of Tash at the beach surfaced online, prompting many fans to question whether her Instagram-worthy physique was genuine.
They tied the knot in a lavish Byron Bay ceremony in January, 2014.

And to celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary this week, Australian model Bambi Northwood-Blyth and designer Dan Single, 36, gushed about one another on social media.

Bambi, 25, took to Instagram to share a number of images from their big day, and captioned one: 'Here's to three legendary years and another millions (sic) to come.'

Scroll down for video

Smitten: To celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary this week, Australian model Bambi Northwood-Blyth and designer Dan Single, 36, gushed about one another on social media and shared wedding pictures

The pair can be seen walking together hand in hand on their big day, with Bambi stunning in a white lace Roberto Cavalli gown.

She also shared another image of herself in a car on the way to the ceremony, with her arm around Dan's young son Justice, now ten, who he shares with ex-wife, fashion designer and stylist, Pip Edwards.

In another image, the pair hold hands as they prepare to say their vows.

Looking back: She also shared another image of herself in a car on the way to the ceremony, with her arm around Dan's young son Justice, now ten

'When we start to get down to the serious stuff... I do, I do, I do,' she wrote.

The brunette also shared another image of a shoot they did for Vogue Australia, adding their wedding date and love hearts.

Dan also shared a shot of himself kissing Bambi as they celebrated New Year's Eve in Sydney just weeks ago.

'Fireworks then, fireworks now': Dan also shared a shot of himself kissing Bambi as they celebrated New Year's Eve in Sydney just weeks ago

'Fireworks then, fireworks now, fireworks 4 eva (sic),' he captioned part of the post.

'Three years married to the most sincere, funny and beautiful creature to eva (sic) walk this earth.'

He added in part of his post: 'Mind blown and heart always exploding. I love you Stephanie angel face,' he finished, referring to Bambi by her first name Stephanie.

Beach break: It comes as the pair holiday in Byron Bay, which they seem to do each year around their anniversary

It comes as the pair holiday in Byron Bay, which they seem to do each year around their anniversary.

Back in 2013, Bambi told Cosmo about her relationship with Dan.

She said they met at a nightclub in 2008, where they kicked it off.

'We had an amazing night, then he said he was going to New Zealand the next day. I was like, "I dont want you to go!" and he was like, "You should come." So I went straight from the nightclub, via a friends house to get my passport,' she said.
She's well known for her impeccable style and taste.

But on Wednesday, Diane Kruger chose warmth over fashion to meet a friend at Alfred's Coffee & Kitchen in West Hollywood.

The 40-year-old actress was bundled for the curbside rendezvous with her handsome long-haired male companion.

Cozy: Diane Kruger, 40, chose warmth over fashion to meet a friend at Alfred's Coffee & Kitchen in West Hollywood on Wednesday

Blonde beauty: The actress showed off her natural good looks with barely there makeup

The Inglourious Basterds star wore dark skinny jeans with slashed knees tucked into strappy black combat boots and a pink hoodie.

Further shielding herself from the rare LA chill, Kruger rocked a cheetah print fuzzy jacket and a black and gray checkerboard striped coat that hit at her knees.

Her blonde tresses - cut short for her role in the German film Aus dem Nichts, renamed In the Fade - were allowed to air dry into its natural relaxed wave.

Brrr: Further shielding herself from the rare LA chill, Kruger rocked a cheetah print fuzzy jacket and a black and gray checkerboard striped coat that hit at her knees

Patiently waiting: Diane was spotted waiting for her friend at the restaurant's outdoor patio

All smiles: The actress smiled brightly as her companion approached

Old friends or new flame? When he arrived, the two embraced affectionately

Diane was spotted waiting for her friend at the restaurant's outdoor patio.

When he arrived, the two embraced affectionately - seemingly in an affable matter, as friends who have not seen each other in a long time would.

The mystery man wore dark blue skinny jeans and a navy zip up jacket as he held onto a coffee cup and seemed to launch into a story.

The SAG award winning actress split with Canadian actor Joshua Jackson - her boyfriend of over a decade - last July.

Where to go? The two seemed to make plans for later

The German beauty began to date the Shutter star in 2006, after she divorced her husband of five years, French director Guillaume Canet.

The exes were spotted out together a handful of times since the break up.

Since then, Kruger has been linked to Walking Dead star Norman Reedus. The two were last seen together taking photos at Reedus's photography exhibition in Paris in mid-December.
Megan Gale initially blamed herself for her miscarriage, admitting she 'couldn't look at Shaun' when she received the devastating news.

In a revealing interview with the February issue of InStyle Australia, the model said she became pregnant within a month of starting attempts to conceive, finding out shortly after filming the first episode of Australia's Next Top Model in 2016.

It was the first season the 41-year-old had agreed to take part as a full time judge on the reality show, thinking it would take six months for her to fall pregnant like it had with her first child River, who she shares with her long-term partner Shaun Hampson, 28.

Scroll down for video

'I couldn't look at Shaun': Megan Gale initially blamed herself for miscarriage after working full time before the tragedy

After finding out she had become pregnant so quickly, the swimwear designer soon battled bad health, contracting a cold, flu, laryngitis and a chest infection.

Megan continued working on Top Model, telling herself the next few gruelling months would be worth it when she had her child.

'I'm a bit of a nerd in that I just love to be professional and do the best job that I can,' she said.

Guilt: After receiving the devastating blow she wanted to blame herself, explaining she felt like she had 'really dropped the ball [and] somehow played a part'

But shortly before jetting off to the show's semi-finale in Milan, the model went for her eight week scan and received the news she had lost her unborn child.

'I couldn't look at Shaun - but he was with me, holding my hand,' Megan said.

After receiving the devastating blow, she wanted to blame herself, explaining she felt like she had 'really dropped the ball [and] somehow played a part'.

Megan was then forced to undergo a hospital procedure before getting on a long haul flight to Milan, deciding not to tell production out of fear the tragic news would get out publicly.

Decision: The former David Jones ambassador vows to never speculate whether a woman is pregnant, now understanding what an emotionally delicate subject it can be

The former David Jones ambassador vows to never speculate whether a woman is pregnant, now understanding what an emotionally delicate subject it can be.

It's not the first time Megan has spoken candidly about pregnancy and motherhood.

She told The Herald Sun while pregnant with her son in 2014 about the constant speculation she previously faced about whether she had conceived.

Don't ask: She told The Herald Sun while pregnant with her son in 2014 about the constant speculation she previously faced about whether she had conceived

'Because you dont know someones personal journey, you dont know if they have had a miscarriage, you dont know what theyre going through or what physical issues they or their partner might have as well,' Megan explained.

'Its not that casual a question that should be asked. I think people should be really sensitive towards that, unless someone is open to talking about it and brings it up themselves.'
She is smitten with her Elvis impersonator fiance, Mark Tabone.

And former iron woman Lisa Curry, 54, was proud as punch to be standing by her beau as they walked through Parkes, west of Sydney, during the annual Parkes Elvis Festival.

The happy couple are believed to have arrived at the country town on Wednesday for the event, which has been running for 25 years.

Scroll down for video

All Shook Up! Lisa Curry, 54, was proud as punch to be standing by her beau as they walked through Parkes, west of Sydney, during the annual Parkes Elvis Festival on Thursday

Lisa and Mark were spotted walking around town on Thursday, alongside two female companions.

The former competitive swimmer sported a long, flowing pink and white maxi dress with a black pattern detail and open-toed black ankle boots.

She also accessorised with long silver necklaces, elegant earrings, a bracelet with circular detailing and rings.

Summery: The former competitive swimmer sported a long, flowing pink and white maxi dress with a black pattern detail and open-toed black ankle boots

Loved up: She held her partner's hand tightly as they walked through the country town

Her engagement ring was not visible as she held her fiance's had tightly.

Lisa kept her look simple with a bit of mascara, bright pink lips her blonde locks up in a top-knot bun.

Mark, on the other, looked to be in his element walking through on the sunny streets of the town.

Showtime: Mark performed at the festival's opening night and Lisa shared images of the night on her Instagram page

Tribute to the King: Mark serenaded the crowds with the hit song Can't Help Falling In Love With You

All smiles: The loved up couple were accompanied by two other women as they strolled through the streets

Hand-in-hand: Lisa accessorised with long silver necklaces, elegant earrings, a bracelet with circular detailing and rings

Off-stage look: Mark looked to be in his element strutting through on the sunny streets of Parkes

Clearly still in his Elvis persona, he toned down his stage look but kept his slicked back hair.

He donned a blue and white Hawaiian shirt with tropical detailing and the top buttons undone, an ode to Elvis' love for Hawaii, as well as his black trousers and black loafers.

Mark, who is also known as Australia's Tribute Entertainer, performed on the opening night of the Elvis Festival Ball.

The Elvis crooner sang the 1961 hit song Can't Help Falling in Love to adoring fans.

Keeping it casual: Mark, who is also known as Australia's Tribute Entertainer, toned down his stage look but kept his slicked back hair

Slicked back hair: Mark donned a blue and white Hawaiian shirt with tropical detailing and the top buttons undone

Breezy: Lisa held on tight to Mark's hand as her maxi-dress flowed through the wind

The couple's whirlwind romance began when they met in 2015 at a charity event, just weeks after she had split up with her 33-year-old boyfriend Joel Walkenhorst.

Through social media, the couple have shared with followers their holiday to Fiji and Malta, where he introduced Lisa to his family where he also proposed to the mum-of-three.

In October 2016, the couple confirmed their engagement.

Out-and-about: Lisa and Mark first met in 2015 at a charity event, just weeks after she had split up with her 33-year-old boyfriend Joel Walkenhorst

Sun's out: Lisa used her hand to cover her face from the sun as the couple walked through Parkes

Elvis (impersonator) is in town! Lisa and fiance Mark posed in the hollow frames of Elvis Presley's trademark sunnies during their visit to the town
Tiffany Scanlon is on a holiday adventure that, according to her Instagram, she booked last minute, and it's brought her face to face with a cute quokka.

While on the beach at Rottnest Island, Western Australia, the Bachelor babe posed with one of the furry critters, who seemed all too pleased to get into her selfie.

The self-described 'experience junkie' captioned the image, which was taken on Thursday, 'Quokka selfie' and added a tick emoji.

Scroll down for video

Critter cray! Tiffany Scanlon is on a holiday adventure that, according to her Instagram, she booked last minute, and it's brought her face to face with a cute quokka

Ticked off: The self described 'experience junkie' who flashed her buns on the beach during her recent holiday, says posing with a quokka was a bucket list dream come true

The 30-year-old also mentioned that it was a 'bucket list' moment for her to take a selfie with the marsupial.

She's not alone. The #quokkaselfie challenge is a craze not only with international tourists visiting Australia but celebrities have gotten in on the action too.

Always on the ball, Hugh Jackman took part in the trend all way the back in 2015 when it was first kicking off.

The Wolverine actor posed with a furry quokka on Rottnest Island, which is located off the coast of Freemantle and where the critters are abundant.

Selfie challenge: The Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman posed with a furry quokka on Rottnest Island, which is located off the coast of Freemantle and where the critters are abundant

Hugh captioned the photo: 'Really wish I could have kept him/her?!?!'

Former Miss Universe contender Renae Ayris also took a snap with the small marsupial and shared it to Instagram, back in 2015.

The 26 year old captioned the image, 'This little guy has had way too much selfie practice'.

The trend is as popular as ever and more recently, Victoria's Secret stunner Bridget Malcolm has posed for multiple selfies with the sweet little fur balls.

Everyone loves them! Former Miss Universe contender Renae Ayris also took a snap with the small marsupial and shared it to Instagram, back in 2015

First at the end of 2016, she posted an Instagram snap with one of the critters, and captioned it, 'Let the quokka selfies begin!'

She had another run-in with a quokka during her her second wedding to musician husband Nathaniel Hoho on Rottnest Island in early January.

One of the marsupials wandered into her wedding reception and made itself comfy as the couple took wedding photos they'll never forget.
Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T both brought their significant others to a party on Wednesday celebrating a major milestone for their NBC show.

The 52-year-old actress wore a lacy short-sleeved black dress as TV Guide Magazine celebrated the 400th episode of her series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at the Gansevoort Park Avenue in New York City.

Mariska attended the bash with her actor husband Peter Hermann who looked dapper in a blue suit.

Television star: Mariska Hargitay donned a black lacy dress on Wednesday to celebrate the 400th episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in New York City

Her co-star Ice-T, 58, wore typical all-black including a Los Angeles cap.

He was accompanied by his wife Coca Austin, 37, who showed her curves in a tight yellow floral print dress.

Mariska smiled while standing next to a poster-size cover of TV Guide with her on the cover marking the show's 400th episode.

She also teamed up with show creator Dick Wolf, 70, who started the whole Law & Order franchise.

Cute couple: Ice-T brought his wife Coco Austin to the bash at Gansevoort Park Avenue

Floral print: Coco had her curves on display in a tight yellow floral print dress

Mother of one: Coco and Ice-T have a one-year-old daughter Chanel

Number one: Ice-T and Mariska both wore all-black to the party hosted by TV Guide

Michelle Hurd, 50, stood out in a dress that featured a black blouse with white hearts and a colorful skirt.

Kelli Giddish, 36, and 400th episode guest star Sarah Wynter also were at the bash.

Series regulars Peter Scanavino, Kelli, Ice-T and Mariska were spotted goofing around and enjoying a laugh together.

Cover girl: Mariska pointed to a poster-size TV Guide cover featuring herself

The creator: Law & Order franchise creator Dick Wolf teamed up with Mariska

Going strong: Mariska brought her actor husband Peter Hermann to the party

The NBC legal procedural premiered in September 1999 with Mariska starring alongside 55-year-old Christopher Meloni.

Chris left the spin-off of Law & Order after 12 seasons after a contract could not be reached.

Ice-T joined the series during its second season.

Cool dress: Michelle Hurd stood out in a colorful dress

Guest and star: Sarah Wynter, left, who stars as a guest in the 400th episode attended the party along with series regular Kelli Giddish

Law & Order: SVU was renewed last February for an 18th season and is the only remaining series in the franchise.

The original Law & Order was cancelled by NBC after its 20th season.

Law & Order: SVU follows New York Police Department detectives as they investigate and prosecute sexually based offenses.

Good times: Series regulars Peter Scanavino, Kelli, Ice-T and Mariska were having fun together




She's a familiar sight on breakfast television.

But Lisa Wilkinson has swapped her spot behind the Today desk for sightseeing, taking off to New York City with husband Peter FitzSimons.

The veteran journalist wrapped up her Channel Nine duties hosting the Christmas Eve carols, while her Today co-host Karl Stefanovic has taken time off since early December.

Scroll down for video

'A New York State of mind': Lisa Wilkinson swaps the Today desk for sightseeing in the Big Apple with husband Peter FitzSimons

In photos shared to Instagram since Tuesday, the 57-year-old has spent her time in the Big Apple seeing some of its main attractions.

Earlier this week, Lisa shared a photo of her lying on a window bench at her hotel, showing off the snow on the rooftops outside the building.

'Five degrees below here in #NEWYORK and the city is blanketed in snow,' the presenter captioned the photo, adding: 'So pretty.'

'Five degrees below here': Lisa showed off the view from her hotel room, which showed roofs blanketed in snow

Another photo shows Lisa and Peter about to take in a Broadway show, with the couple rugged up to protect from the cold temperatures.

The couple rubbed shoulders with Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh after attending the opening night of their Sydney Theatre Company production of The Present.

Photos shared on Thursday show Lisa visiting 30 Rockefeller Plaza and a John Lennon memorial.

Hitting Broadway: The couple rubbed shoulders with Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh after attending the opening night of the Sydney Theatre Company production of The Present

The former magazine editor looks radiant as she perches by a window at the famous building, a dramatic view of the Empire State Building visible behind her.

'A New York State of mind,' she captioned the photo.

Lisa's fans were quick to complement the journalist on her youthful appearance, with one writing: 'Was this taken when you were in your early twenties?'

Imagine: Lisa also took time to pay her respects at the John Lennon memorial in Central Park

The New York City trip is making for a much more relaxing summer vacation than two years ago.

In 2015, Lisa and Peter were holidaying in Paris when staff at satire magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed in a terror attack.

'Streets of #Paris where I am absolutely teeming with police. Many buildings guarded by police nursing serious armory,' she described the aftermath on Twitter.

Eventful past summer trips: In 2015, Lisa and Peter were holidaying in Paris when staff at satire magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed in a terror attack




She's played a variety of rolls, including one that garnered her an Oscar nomination.

But one of Anna Kendrick's next parts may be quite a stretch for the young actress, as Variety is reporting that the Pitch Perfect star is set to star as Santa Claus.

In the Disney-produced film, the 31-year-old will apparently play Santa's daughter, who must take over for the jolly one when her father decides to retire and her brother drops out before his first Christmas Eve mission.

Unconventional: It was reported on Wednesday that Anna Kendrick will play Santa Claus in a new Disney film

The scribe tasked with writing and directing the quirky film, currently titled Nicole, is Miss Congeniality writer Marc Lawrence.

His last film was 2014's comedy The Rewrite which starred Hugh Grant.

Last year, Anna showed her dynamic range by starring in a wide variety of projects including The Accountant, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, The Hollar and the recently completed Table 19.

New concept: The 31-year-old will apparently play Santa's daughter, who must take over when her father (pictured) decides to retire and her brother drops out before his first Christmas Eve mission

She also joined Justin Timberlake as one of the leads in the animated film Trolls.

Of course she'll also once again be reprising her role as Beca in the Pitch Perfect series as well.

Last week co-star Rebel Wilson, 36, took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes snap of the first day on set.

Seasoned: The scribe tasked with writing and directing the quirky film, currently titled Nicole, is Miss Congeniality writer Marc Lawrence (pictured left in 2015)

Versatile: Last year, Anna showed her dynamic range by starring in a wide variety of projects including The Accountant (pictured), Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, The Hollar and the recently completed Table 19

The aca-sisters appeared in high spirits as they posed with three fingers up to the camera to represent the commencement of the third film.

Rebel comically captioned the photo: '#PP3 #Bellas Day One Pitches x.'

While the Bellas - the fictional singing group from the film - were accounted for, Ruby Rose, who's slated to join the all-star female cast, was not pictured in the group shot.
She's used to strutting her stuff down the runway.

And Joanna Krupa looked every bit the graceful model as she was spotted walking into Catch LA in West Hollywood Wednesday night.

The 37-year-old Playboy alum looked sensational in a white cut-out crop top that displayed her ample cleavage.

Scroll down for video

Model behavior: Joanna Krupa, 37, looked every bit the graceful model as she was spotted walking into Catch LA in West Hollywood Wednesday night

With circular holes clasped together by tiny silver buttons running down the front, the top was cut so wide that it appeared to barely cover her nipples.

The Poland's Next Top Model host paired the revealing top with a pair of high-rise flowing white pants.

She wore nude pumps under the long pants that touched the ground, despite the high heel, to make her legs appear endless.

The gorgeous Polish model had her blonde hair parted down the center in loose curls framing her beautiful face.

Complete ensemble: The 37-year-old Playboy alum looked sensational in a white cut-out crop top that displayed her ample cleavage, which she paired with loose high-waisted white pants

Not a hair out of place: The gorgeous Polish model had her blonde hair parted down the center in loose curls framing her beautiful face

The Real Housewives of Miami favorite completed her look with a light gold clutch and some glitter around her wrist and fingers.

Her flawless makeup highlighted all her best facial features, including her stunning blue eyes, which she accented with sparking eye shadow and dark eyeliners and mascara to really make them pop.

She went for a nude gloss on her lips to complete her demure look.

Girls night out: She was there with a gaggle of girlfriends to enjoy drinks and conversation at the West Hollywood hotspot

Once inside, the busty blonde shared a photo with her gaggle of girlfriends all huddled around a table in the West Hollywood hotspot.

Usually based in Miami, she was clearly enjoying herself the group, captioning the photo: 'Girls night with my beauties,' and tagging all of her friends in the photo.

She also gave kudos to Australian designer Zimmerman who's outfit she wore for her big night out.

Joanna hasn't made it a secret that she loves her body and she works hard for it.

LA party time: Usually based in Miami, she was clearly enjoying herself the group, as they all posed together for a photo

In a recent interview with Express.co.uk, she revealed her secrets.

She said: 'I'm very proud of my body, I work really hard, I workout and try to stay in shape and eat healthy. I'm super proud of it and I believe if you have it you flaunt it!'

She also defended her Instagram account against haters who say she posts revealing photos.

'You should feel like a beautiful woman, no matter what and what I do on my Instagram is my business. It's my personal Instagram, if somebody feels like they shouldn't be looking at the photos that I'm posting then they shouldn't be following me.
Her late mother had a talent for effortlessly coining quotable phrases, which always contained a glimmer of her infectiously wry wit.

Billie Lourd turned to the treasure trove of books and interviews left behind by Carrie Fisher on Wednesday as she posted a sweet childhood snap to Instagram.

The 24-year-old, who lost her mom and grandmother Debbie Reynolds in less than one day, paid tribute to the writer and actress' profound sense of humour.

Finding solace: Billie Lourd turned to the treasure trove of books and interviews left behind by Carrie Fisher on Wednesday as she posted a sweet childhood snap to Instagram

She quoted the Star Wars icon in the caption: '"If my life weren't funny then it would just be true and that is unacceptable".'

She then gave some insight into her grieving process and how her mother's words have come to help provide context to the nature of loss.

She wrote: 'Finding the funny might take a while but I learned from the best and her voice will forever be in my head and in my heart.'

Coping: The star was seen with her beau Taylor Lautner on Monday in LA

The touching tribute was accompanied by a photograph of the actress as a child posing with her mother in the back of a limo.

Billie broke her silence about their deaths just over a week ago, posting a photo of herself as a young child with Fisher and Reynolds.

'There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby,' she wrote on the post.

The 24-year-old, who lost her mom and grandmother Debbie Reynolds in less than one day, paid tribute to the writer and actress' profound sense of humour (seen here in January 2015)

Her boyfriend Taylor Lautner meanwhile paid tribute to Billie after the news broke she had lost her mother, posting a photo of himself with his Fox costar and writing: 'This girl is one of the strongest, most fearless individuals I've ever met. Absolutely beautiful inside and out. I'm lucky to know you.'

He then capped those kind words off with a heart emoji.

Also paying tribute to Billie and the famous ladies in her life was her stepfather, who wrote her a touching letter on Instagram.

Billie broke her silence about their deaths just over a week ago, posting a photo of herself as a young child with Fisher and Reynolds

'[I]t's an honor to be your stepfather,' wrote Bruce Bozzi at the beginning of his note to Billie, which he posted on Instagram along with a photo of the 24-year-old standing next to her mother and grandmother after her college graduation.

Bozzi then recalled the details of that day and how he and Fisher 'laughed our a**es off, as she kept one fantastic line coming after the other.'

He also spoke about how Reynolds was the 'kindest most loving' grandmother to his daughter Ava.

'The strength of these women live so vibrantly in you,' Bozzi wrote to Billie.

'I've been lucky enough to see for a decade! Many decades to come.'
Married At First Sight's Zoe Hendrix welcomed daughter Harper Rose into the world, mid-November.

And the 27-year-old first-time mother, has shared rather candid snaps of parenthood to Instagram, since the birth.

'This s**t is hard,' Zoe revealed in a post on Thursday, that saw her sick in bed with the flu, nursing her newborn on her lap.

Scroll down for video

'This s**t is hard': Married At First Sight's Zoe Hendrix, 27, took to Instagram on Thursday, sharing a candid image of herself sick with the flu in bed, as she nursed eight-week-old daughter Harper Rose on her lap

'SICK AS a flea bitten dog in the backstreets of Bali. Except I'm not in Bali I'm in bed with a temp of 39, sore throat, body aches and an 8 week old,' Zoe began the caption.

'I salute all you mums/dads with chronic and serious illness who get up everyday and push through the pain and take care of your kids. this s**t is hard,' she continued, alongside the hash-tags #migraineandcryingbaby, #notafunmix and #shootmenow.

The image saw Zoe lying in a bed, sporting a white T-shirt pushed up, revealing her bra, and a pair of large headphones.

Precious daughter Harper was seen lying on her famous mother's lap, wearing a patterned onesie.

'My boobs had to be worn in boot camp style!' The post comes just a week after Zoe shared another candid snap of herself breastfeeding

The post comes just a week after Zoe shared another candid snap of herself breastfeeding.

'My boobs had to be worn in boot camp style,' she revealed in a lengthy post last Wednesday, in the hopes her outspokenness of the practice, would encourage society to 'normalise breastfeeding'.

'I FEED her body and she NOURISHES my soul. It took me a good two weeks to get the hang of breastfeeding. Like a new pair of shoes my boobs had to be worn in boot camp style!' Zoe began the post.

'Both Harper & I had to learn the art of attachment and it wasn't easy. I had days I wanted to give up. Thank god for the nipple shield which was a godsend when I needed in those early days when my nips resembled a crime scene.

Daddy day care: Zoe shared a photo to Instagram last Tuesday that showed her rather grossed out partner Alex Garner, 30, changing their baby daughter's dirty nappy

'And now when I feed my baby, I marvel at the perfect nourishment my body produces and I am so grateful and honoured I can breastfeed her, especially acknowledging it can be for many a horrible ordeal for a myriad of reasons.

'Our bodies are extraordinary ladies we must never forget or be made to feel we are doing anything but what our breasts were created to do,' she concluded, alongside the hash-tag #normalisebreastfeeding.

The comments were posted alongside a black and white close-up snap of the reality star mother breastfeeding daughter Harper.

Prizes galore: Zoe suggested that her reality TV hubby would get a pretty sweet reward if he went through with the messy task

Zoe's breastfeeding post took on a more serious note, as compared to the day prior, which saw the brunette joking about how fathers can score points in the bedroom.

'HOT TIP to all new dads out there, if you want to get lucky in the bedroom, get busy on your nappy change game,' she captioned a picture.

Zoe then listed several other chores Alex could do around the house before she'd be ready for some 'couples time'.

'Bath the baby, do a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, to a tired mama that sh*t is so SEXY! And appreciated, (sic),' she added.

The snap saw partner Alex Garner pulling a displeased expression as he attempted to change Harper's dirty nappy.

Baby Harper had a rather dramatic delivery.

Zoe was induced on November 14, after she suffered pelvic problems.

Proud: The reality star couple welcomed daughter Harper in mid-November, and have been sure to document life as a family to Instagram
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
It's one of the biggest nights of any star's career.

But heading to the Golden Globes wasn't a completely glamorous affair for nominee Naomie Harris, who admitted she took some rather extreme measures to keep her custom-made Armani Prive gown completely wrinkle-free.

The Moonlight actress, 40, explained during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday that, while on the way to the awards show, she was carried to her car and even laid flat on her back for over an hour inside the vehicle - all so that her dress wouldn't crumple.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

That's dedication: Naomie Harris explained during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday that, on the way to the awards show, she was carried to her car and even laid flat on her back for over an hour inside the vehicle - all so that her dress wouldn't crumple

Naomie described the painstaking detail that went into making the dress, a factor which led her to take such good care of the gown.

'The thing is, with these dresses, you know there's so many hours of work that goes into them,' she said.

'My dress has little crystals on it, and they're all sewn in by hand.

'They were sewn by this lovely guy called Leonardo from Armani, and he flew from Milan, didn't speak a word of English, but he flew from Milan, fit me in LA for the dress, and he just had so much love and care for this dress, like it was a baby or something.'

Work of art: Harris, pictured at the Golden Globes, described the painstaking detail that went into making the dress, which led her to lay down in her car for over an hour

'I got him to carry me like a child to the car': Naomie was unapologetic in her efforts to keep the dress perfect

She added: 'I just felt awful about the idea of wrinkling it! So, I got him to carry me like a child to the car, and then lay me flat so that I just spent the whole journey like this for like an hour on my way, because I just didn't want to wrinkle the dress for him!'

Naomie's portrayal of drug-addicted mother Paula in Moonlight earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress In A Supporting Role.

Though the honour ended up going to Viola Davis, Naomie is also up for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

In the name of fashion! The actress said, 'I just spent the whole journey like this for like an hour on my way, because I just didn't want to wrinkle the dress for him!'

Critically acclaimed: Naomie is also up for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Moonlight is set in a rough Miami neighborhood and chronicles one man's lifetime.

In order to portray drug-fuelled Paula, Naomie resorted to YouTube.

'Its an important aid for an actor, she told MailOnline. 'I watched videos of people addicted to drugs.'

The film also stars Janelle Monae, and was written and directed by Barry Jenkins.
She announced her second pregnancy last month in a figure-hugging tight dress.

And Lake Bell was proud once more to show off her visible baby bump as she arrived at the Cybex x Alliance of Moms benefit at Eveleigh in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old actress looked radiant in a tight, burgundy lace mini dress that put her long slender stems on display.

Burgeoning belly! Lake Bell was proud to show off her baby bump at the Cybex x Alliance of Moms benefit at Eveleigh in Los Angeles on Wednesday

The Secret Life Of Pets star donned the form-fitting number which included a see-through hemline.

She layered a full-length lightweight black coat over the chic maternity attire and stepped out in a pair of charcoal grey kitten heels.

A small black leather clutch rounded out the award-winning actress's ensemble.

Lake styled her silky honey tresses in soft curls which cascaded past her shoulders and were swept to one side.

Hot mama! The 37-year-old actress looked radiant in a tight, burgundy lace mini dress that put her long slender stems on display

A touch of smokey eye, rosy blush and matte mauve lip accentuated the mother-of-one's stunning facial features.

The Boston Legal actress made an appearance to show her support for the non-profit group Alliance of Moms.

According to their site, their mission is to 'break the intergenerational cycle of babies born to teens in foster care.'

And it's clearly a subject that is one of importance to Lake, as she is already mother to her daughter, Nova, aged two, with husband Scott Campbell, 39.

Showing support: The Secret Life Of Pets star layered a full-length black coat over the chic maternity attire as she posed with the co-founder of Alliance Of Moms, Danika Charity

Bell and the celebrity tattoo artist met on the set of her HBO show How to Make It in America in 2011.

The couple began dating and tied the knot in June 2013 in New Orleans. They welcomed their first child in October 2014.

While Bell is still yet to reveal when she found out she was expecting for the second time, she was very candid when asked about the moment two years ago with her first pregnancy.

She revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she found out she was expecting her first child the day she stripped down for a steamy topless cover shoot for Esquire.

Luscious locks: The Boston Legal actress styled her silky honey tresses in soft curls which cascaded past her shoulders and were swept to one side

Pointing to the saucy cover, she relayed: 'This day, before I went to go shoot this, I peed on a stick and found out that I was pregnant.'

'So, in my eyes, I'm just like 'holy s--t.' It was profound,' she mentioned.

And after her daughter Nova was born, the on-screen star was quick to snap back to her impressive pre-baby body.

Last year, she revealed her slimming secrets as well as gushing about her newborn, telling E! News: 'I think, you know, naturally when you have the babyyou are constantly jumping around and learning how to be a mom so, actually, it's the greatest exercise of all.'

'And also just breastfeeding and doing all the little things and very important jobs and responsibilities that come with those first few months.'

She also added: 'I'm taking baby steps. Pun intended.'
She'd already spent an estimated $30,000 on plastic and cosmetic surgery over the years by 2013, admitting to getting injections since the age of 25.

But Brandi Glanville, 44, still seemed to be ageing in reverse as she stepped at the FOX Winter TCA 2017 All-Star Party in Pasadena, California on Wednesday night.

The former Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills reality star slipped into a lingerie-inspired skintight dress that showed her ample cleavage.

Scroll down for video

Gorgeous! Brandi Glanville certainly made sure to be the center of attention on Wednesday night at the FOX Winter TCA 2017 All-Star Party in Pasadena, California

Transforming her full 5ft10in into bombshell mode for the evening, the reality star let her blonde locks cascade in sexy waves over her shoulders.

She pursed her lips, which forced her cheeks bones to pop out, though the look rendered her face almost unrecognisable from her early appearances on RHOBH.

Three years ago, Brandi said that she has had Botox injections in her face, twice a year, for 19 years but she 'prefers movement in her face'.

Eye popping: The 44-year-old (left, on Wednesday) looked remarkably different, even from three years ago (right)

Stunner: Turning her full 5ft10in into bombshell mode, the reality star let her blonde locks cascade in sexy waves over her shoulders

Speaking about her liquid nose job - which is often used to camouflage a bump by either filling below and sometimes above it - in 2013, Brandi admitted that she was correcting a break, which happened in 2009.

She told America's Life&Style magazine: 'I got a liquid nose job after I broke it. A doctor has to replace the fillers in it periodically. But I haven't had anything else done to my face.'

Except, of course, Botox - which she first got during her mid twenties - and fillers in her cheeks, about which she went on to say: 'I've been getting injections since I was 25.

'I had Botox back in 2002. I prefer movement in my face. That's why I only do Botox twice a year now.'

Bombshell: Here in April 2013, Brandi had spoken about her liquid nose job

Likes movement: Brandi admitted that she liked her face to move

She adds: 'I have that hollow area (in cheeks) injected with fillers. And I have acne scars filled sometimes.'

She also underwent a $12,000 'vaginal rejuvenation' and boob job following the birth of her two children Mason and Jake.

Brandi made it clear that she had opted for a B-cup when she had her boobs done, too, because she didn't want 'porn-style' implants.

Glanville was most recently seen putting on an amorous display with her mega-rich new beau Donald 'DJ' Friese, who is named after his glazing supplies billionaire father, outside a trendy restaurant in Los Angeles.

Implants: She has also confessed to improving her bust to a B-cup, to avoid 'porn star' size

Her new man is in line to inherit a huge slice of his billionaire father's fortune, and in some ways is an upgrade on her ex-husband, Sunset Beach legend Eddie Cibrian, who dumped her after starting an affair with his current wife LeAnn Rimes.

Donald Sr made waves after he sold his business C.R. Laurence for an eye-watering $885 million after taxes, then handed over $85 million to his employees.

Joking about his humble beginnings when he made the deal last year, the 76-year-old said: 'You know the saying, 'Some people are born with a silver spoon'? I didn't even have a spoon.'

Blazing a trail: The star wore the same outfit to a TCA panel earlier that day for My Kitchen Rules

He was the company's sixth employee after moving to Los Angeles from his native Pennsylvania. When Donald arrived he had just $125 in his pocket, and ended up taking over the company.

He cashed out after accepting an offer of $1.2 billion in cash and $100 million in promissory notes for the business.

Donald Jr, who likes to be addressed as DJ, is an executive vice president at the company, while his father serves as chairman and CEO.

Youthful: After admitting that she has been getting Botox since 25, Brandi did look remarkably youthful
With the glamour of Sunday's Golden Globes fast retreating into the past, it was business as usual for Jennifer Garner on Wednesday.

Braving the grey and dreary weather in California the 44-year-old actress cut a casual figure as she headed out to run errands in Brentwood.

While her ex Ben Affleck was working the red carpet with co-star Sienna Miller in London, Jennifer looked to be holding the fort back in LA, looking after her and the actor's three children.

Scroll down for video

Casually does it: Braving the grey and dreary weather in California on Wednesday, Jennifer Garner cut a casual figure as she headed out to run errands in Brentwood.

Cutting a casual figure as she stepped out in affluent area, Jennifer looked to have opted for a practical and comfy outfit for her afternoon out.

Choosing an all-black ensemble, the former Alias star looked ready for anything the afternoon might throw at her as she strode about in a pair of wellies.

In keeping with the outdoors theme the actress showcased her gym-honed legs by slipping into a pair of tight black leggings.

She teamed the leggings with a a warm zip-up fleece, under which she wore a black tee.

Just a regular day: While her ex Ben Affleck was working the red carpet with co-star Sienna Miller in London, Jennifer looked to be holding the fort back in LA, looking after her three kids

Practical: The former Alias star looked ready for anything the afternoon might throw at her as she strode about in a pair of wellies, leggings and a warm fleece

Keeping things practical, Jennifer left her outfit uncluttered by going without any accessories - except for her trusty iPhone.

Wearing her long dark locks loose in a centre-parting, she allowed her locks to fall down around her shoulders and frame her pretty features.

And it seems that Jennifer was in high spirits as she was seen laughing and smiling throughout a phonecall as she strolled along the sidewalk.

Her up-beat appearance came as her ex, Ben, attended the premiere of his latest film, Live By Night, in London.

Cute moment: Jennifer was joined by her sweet son Samuel

Cuddles: The duo were trying to avoid the rain in Los Angeles that afternoon

Happy go lucky? And it seems that Jennifer was in high spirits as she was seen laughing and smiling throughout a phonecall as she strolled along the sidewalk

Arriving at the premiere, held at the BFI Southbank, the Oscar-winning actor, 44, cut a dapper figure in a tailored three piece suit.

Opting for a fitted modern cut, Ben cut a dashing figure in the navy suit, which showed off his muscular frame.

He teamed the look with a light blue shirt, navy tie and brown shoes - while also sporting a peppered beard.

The Batman Vs. Superman actor looked to have formed a firm friendship with his co-star Sienna, 35 - with the A-Listers cosying up together as they arrived.

Leading man and his lady: Ben looked to have formed a firm friendship with his co-star Sienna Miller, 35 - with the A-Listers cosying up together as they arrived

Dream team: The two friends appeared to be in good spirits as they put on a very cosy display on the red carpet

Screen siren: Sienna commanded attention as she made a glamorous arrival for the Live By Night's premiere at London's BFI Southbank on Tuesday night

Hollywood hunk: Opting for a fitted modern cut, Ben, 44, cut a dashing figure in the navy suit, which showed off his muscular frame

Smiling as they posed for photos before heading into the cinema, both Ben and his co-star looked to be in very high spirits.

Sienna, who plays Irish minx Emma Gould in the flick, oozed elegance in a figure-hugging monochrome dress as she joined her hunky co-star on the red carpet.

The slinky satin number, which was mostly white with a diagonal slot of black, contoured her slim figure to perfection and bared her toned arms.

Glamour: Sienna, who plays Irish minx Emma Gould, absolutely oozed elegance in a figure-hugging monochrome dress

Monochrome magic: The slinky satin number, which was mostly white with a diagonal slot of black, contoured her slim figure to perfection and bared her toned arms

Slinky: The garment hugged her trim midriff and pert derriere

Vintage vibe: Her glossy blonde locks were styled in old school Hollywood waves and were pinned back on one side

Like a pro! There was a moment when she was all alone, soaking up the attention from the photographers

Opting for a vintage vibe, the British beauty's garment featured a black corsage on the left side of her chest.

Her glossy blonde locks were styled in old school Hollywood waves and were pinned back on one side, framing her striking features - which were accentuated in a glamorous coat of make-up.

Her towering open-toe heels boosted her height as she worked her angles on the red carpet while holding on to a chic, black clutch with one silver-encrusted hand.

Taking her time as she posed for photographers and mingled with fans, Sienna was clearly on top form.

Nice touch: Opting for a vintage vibe, the British beauty's garment featured a black corsage on the left side of her chest

Stunner: Her eyes featured a generous dose of mascara, while her lips sported pink gloss

Standing tall: Her towering open-toe heels boosted her height as she worked her angles on the red carpet

Dripping in diamonds: Sienna couldn't resist flashing her stunning silver earrings as she posed over her shoulder

Eternal beauty: Her stunning features were difficult to miss

Hanging out: The two co-stars put on a fun-spirited display as they posed together on the red carpet - despite the chilly British weather

Always a gentleman: Ben ensured that the leading lady wasn't cold while sharing his coat

Good sports: Despite the freezing temperatures, they ensured to enjoy their time by mingling with press and fans

Star: Sienna braved the chill to sign autographs for fans

Say cheese! She ensured to pose for photographs as well

Dapper: Ben meanwhile looked typically dashing in a fitted three-piece navy suit with showed off his muscular frame

Stylish: He teamed the look with a light blue shirt, navy tie and brown shoes

Ben plays Joe Coughlin in the movie, the son of a Boston policeman, who falls in love with Sienna's character, Emma, the mistress of the Robert Glenister's character, Albert White, who is the boss of an Irish gang of Boston.

No action-packed movie would be complete without a romantic story laden with sex scenes - and Sienna admitted the duo were forced into a bevy of romantic scenes - some of which left her in unprofessional fits of laughter.

Speaking to E!, Sienna revealed: 'Ben and I are like brother and sister, thank God, so there was no awkwardness. There was just a lot of stupid giggling. He's very professionalI am not, but he is.

Fifty shades of grey: The father of three also sported grey scruff

Pleasing them: He took time out to sign autographs for eager fans

Good pal: Ben did his best to keep the blonde bombshell warm

Wrapping up: At one point it seemed like the weather was becoming too much for Sienna to handle

What's so funny? Ben sported a shocked expression while Sienna stared humorously at his ensemble

Up close: Sienna recently admitted their whopping nine hours of sex scenes tickled her

The object of his desire: The handsome star plays Joe Coughlin in the movie, the son of a Boston policeman, who falls in love with Sienna's character, Emma, who is the mistress of the Robert Glenister's character, Albert White , who is the boss of an Irish gang of Boston

'In that environment, it was a cool scene. There was a montage in the script saying we did it everywhere: in the car, in the bar...I was like: "That's an entire day of just love scenes! OK. How do we do this?"

'Obviously, by the time nine hours of it has gone past, I was shaking with tears running down my face. I mean, I can't tell youbut you have to laugh. Ben is just professional. It is what it is.'

Live By Night also stars Elle Fanning and Zoe Saldana and will hit cinemas on January 13.

The squad: Sienna and Ben posed alongside their co-stars, Robert Glenister (L) and Chris Messina (R)

They're all there! All the stars squeezed in together for a group shot

Popular lady: Sienna also got cosy with her other co-star, Chris Messina

Talented man: As well as acting in it, Ben has also directed the flick

'There was a lot of stupid giggling': Speaking to E! News, Sienna revealed they resorted to humour to get them through the hours of sex scenes

Details: Sienna ensured to harbour all of her essentials in a chic black and red rimmed clutch

Also stepping out in style for the premiere was Made in Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt, who kept it super flirty in a heavily patterned co-ord set which flashed a peek of her toned stomach and flaunted her long legs.

Model Jada Sezer showed off her curvaceous figure in a skin-tight black dress which flaunted her sensational pins.

Actor Chris Messina put on a stylish display as he arrived with his gorgeous wife Jennifer Todd, who was clad in a stunning midi-length number.

Glam arrival: Also stepping out in style for the premiere was Made in Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt, who kept it super flirty in a heavily patterned co-ord set which flaunted her long legs

Gorgeous: The reality star accentuated her blue eyes with a heavy dose of mascara, which she teamed with a glossy pink pout

Enviable frame: Model Jada Sezer showed off her curvaceous figure in a skin-tight black dress which flaunted her sensational pins

Perfect pair: Chris Messina put on a stylish display as he arrival with his gorgeous wife Jennifer Todd who was clad in a stunning midi-length number

Pop of colour: Jenni Falconer wrapped up warm in style with a bright red coat, which she paired with trousers and heels

Spill the beans: The Scottish beauty was on hand to interview Ben for his role in the gangster flick, which is currently in cinemas

Tell us more: Jenni also had a giggly chat with Sienna, who was presumably spilling more sexy behind the scenes secrets with Ben

Meal: Later in the evening, Sienna was seen departing a post-premiere meal at 34 Restaurant

So happy: The actress appeared to be in particularly jovial spirits as she made her exit

Maintaining the glam: The screen star still looked just as glam as when she hit the red carpet

A helping hand: The actress was guided through a group of handlers as she made her way out

Layered: She threw on a smart blue jacket in an effort to stave off the biting wintry chill

Celebrate! Her co-star Ben was also seen leaving the same eatery after their celebratory night

Sign of the times: The Hollywood actor briefly paused outside to sign an autograph for a fan

Show me the way to go home: He quickly made his way to a waiting chauffeur-driven car
He recently split from his wife Jessica after reconciling in November following a recent split.

But Nick Knowles, 54, hinted at a new romance when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday to talk about his new meat-free cookery book.

Talking about his beard, he said: 'You've got to keep it trimmed at the front... otherwise kissing becomes a little...'

Scroll down for video

'It gets in the way of kissing': Newly single Nick Knowles, 54, hints at romance while talking about his new beard on Good Morning Britain on Thursday

Heartbreaking: Nick is moving on from wife Jessica who he reconciled with in November before splitting for a second time - pictured in May 2016

Ben Shephard replied: 'I don't do much kissing,' to which Susanna Reid chipped in: 'Do you not?'

Nick's words come just a day after Jessica, 28, appeared on This Morning to talk about her difficult year.

As well as splitting from Nick, the mother of his son Eddie, 18 months, also suffered a miscarriage and battled cervical cancer.

Talking about his beard, he said: 'You've got to keep it trimmed at the front... otherwise kissing becomes a little...'

It's over: His words come a day after ex Jessica spoke about their split during an interview about her battle with cervical cancer on This Morning - they share son Eddie, 18 months

Nick revealed he has also been battling ill health due to his stressful and heavy work load but has taken steps to improve matters.

He revealed: 'I sneezed in a taxi on the way here once and burst an artery. It didn't stop bleeding. I went to the doctor and they asked me about my work life.

'I went to a retreat in Thailand and took a TV crew. I was medically tested before and after the 26 day stint and my cholesterol and blood pressure was down.

Fixing things: Nick revealed he has also been battling ill health due to his stressful and heavy work load but has taken steps to improve matters

'I fasted and lost nine kilos. After three days of fasting, you can reset your body. On the second or third day, you start getting more stem cells.

'Three days in, you become super energised and I went swimming and running. For the first few days, you get headaches and feel lethargic.'

Nick said the trip has made him overhaul his eating habits.

He said: 'I went to a retreat in Thailand and took a TV crew. I was medically tested before and after the 26 day stint and my cholesterol and blood pressure was down'

He said: 'When I started eating again, I ate fruit and raw veg for the next 20 days. Now I would say I eat 80% plant based food.

'I still reserve the right, if I've been at the rugby having a few pints, to have a hot dog. You have to forgive yourself.

'I used to eat meat three or four times a day but I ate it less than ten times last year.'
She gave birth to her second child Forest Sage one month ago.

And Teresa Palmer, 30, revealed on Thursday that the newborn's unique moniker is quite 'fitting' because the precious bub 'loves to stare out at the trees.'

In a heartfelt post shared to Instagram, the Hacksaw Ridge star gushed about a then-3-week-old Forest.

Scroll down for video

Adorable: Teresa Palmer, 30, revealed on Thursday that her newborn son Forest Sage's unique moniker is quite 'fitting' because the precious bub 'loves to stare out at the trees'

Tribute: In a heartfelt post shared to Instagram, the Hacksaw Ridge star gushed about a then-3-week-old Forest

'Our little Forest born so knowing, pictured here at 3 weeks old, he just loves to stare out at the trees, pretty fitting I'd say #forestmagic @katherineschultzphotography just one of your stunning captures, grateful to you,' she captioned.

Little Forest is younger brother to Teresa and Mark's son Bodhi Rain, who turns three next month, and Mark's nine-year-old son Isaac Love from a previous relationship.

Last week, Teresa, who was once widely criticised for continuing to breastfeed her two-year-old son, proudly shared a snap of herself nursing baby Forest.

Bonding with bub: Teresa proudly shared an Instagram photo of herself nursing her newborn son Forrest Sage last week

The Hollywood actress was pictured enjoying a tender moment while feeding her precious bub right before a friend's wedding.

Sporting an off-white lace gown and flawlessly applied makeup, the blonde beauty clutched her newborn during feeding time and posed for an Instagram snap.

A friend could be partially seen in the background as the pair got ready for their friend's wedding.

Controversy: Teresa was previously criticised for breastfeeding her two-and-a-half-year-old last year

Second baby: The Hacksaw Ridge star welcomed the birth of her second son last month

Expanding brood: She and husband Mark Webber also share a son Bodhi Rain - who turns three next month - and the beauty is also stepmother to Mark's nine-year-old son Isaac Love from a previous relationship

Wedded bliss! Teresa and Mark, 36, wed in 2013

'Oh @jessica_mcnamee you have a glorious bum! getting ready for our girl @cassbasile's wedding! #maidofhonor #boobin,' she captioned the photo.

Last year, the lifestyle blogger defiantly hit back at critics of her decision to continue breastfeeding her two-year-old son Bodhi, calling it 'social discrimination' and saying she 'can't imagine' not doing it.

'I am personally really inspired by the idea of letting Bodhi choose how long he breastfeeds,' Teresa wrote on her YourZenMama website last year.

'Right now I can't imagine stopping breastfeeding, in fact thinking about our breastfeeding journey ending makes me feel really sad...

She added: 'The social discrimination against woman who breastfeed their older toddler can be immense ... From dirty looks, to whispers and nasty comments, it is downright bullying.'
She's taken on the role as newcomer Tabitha Maxwell-Brown in Hollyoaks and Dallas icon Linda Gray caused quite a storm when she appeared on GMB on Thursday.

Talking about her new role, Linda, 76, got very flirty with Ben Shephard, particularly when the interview drew to a close.

She said: 'Oh, is that all? I could sit and play with you, forever,' to which he blushed and burst into giggles.

Scroll down for video

'I could sit and play with you forever': Dallas icon Linda Gray, 76, put on a VERY flirty display with Ben Shephard during a chat about her new role on Hollyoaks on GMB on Thursday

Blushing? Ben looked a little embarrassed as Linda teased him a little with her playful mood

Earlier in the show, Linda couldn't stop saying innuendos after watching a clip of Idris Elba in which he said the word 'Fufu', in reference to an African dish.

'It sounds a little wrong doesn't it? Here's a Fufu I made earlier. You're a little Fufu aren't you?'

Accomplished actress Linda revealed she has struggled to understand her Hollyoaks co-stars due to their strong accents.

'It's been challenging,' she admitted. 'I keep having to ask them to repeat themselves.

'Lysette Anthony, who plays her onscreen daughter Marnie Nightingale, said: "Me Pradas" and I thought it was all one word. I couldn't understand that she was talking about shoes.'

'Your Scouse accent is coming on a treat,' Ben Shephard told her following her impression of her co-star.

Newcomer: Linda has taken on the role as newcomer Tabitha Maxwell-Brown in Hollyoaks

Back in the day: The iconic actress as the troubled Sue Ellen on Dallas - pictured in 1979

'Coming on a treat? What does that mean?' she enquired.

'It means you're improving,' Ben said laughing.

'Oh great, I love that' she said.

A laugh a minute: Earlier in the show, Linda couldn't stop saying innuendos after watching a clip of Idris Elba in which he said the word 'Fufu', in reference to an African dish

Awkward: Accomplished actress Linda revealed she has struggled to understand her Hollyoaks co-stars due to their strong accents

The star, who played troubled Sue Ellen in 1980s soap Dallas, is a welcome addition to the Hollyoaks cast list.

Linda made her Hollyoaks debut back in November when Tabby's daughter Marnie called her at her home across the pond.

Talking previously about her Hollyoaks role, Linda said, 'I'm thrilled to be going from one iconic series to another. Hollyoaks viewers are going to love it when Tabby whips up a storm just like Sue Ellen did.

'Hollyoaks have wonderful producers and they invited me over and when I saw some of the episodes, I said, "perfect, sign me up!" I have to go in and just shake it up a little.'

She explained about her character: 'She needs heavy duty, massive amounts of therapy, otherwise we love her. She's a charmer!'

Mwah! Richard Arnold was rather taken with the actress as he wore a Dallas inspired hat

Did she really say that? He seemed rather shocked with a few things coming out of her mouth
She's not shy of gushing about her loved ones online.

And Bindi Irwin chose to dedicate a sweet post to best friend of 10 years Jesse Wilkinson on Thursday for her birthday.

The wildlife conservationist, 18, shared a picture of the pair in sundresses to reminisce on their friendship, before saying: 'Have a beautiful day lovely.'

Scroll down for video

'Can't even imagine life without you': Bindi Irwin posts touching birthday message to her BFF via Instagram on Thursday

The pair are believed to have met while of primary school age, forming a friendship that has lasted almost a decade.

'We became friends almost 10 years ago and now I can't even imagine life without you,' Bindi gushed about her brunette friend.

She also ended her post with a hint of sad news: 'I wish I could be there to help you celebrate but I love you and I'm with you in spirit.'

'I wish I could be there to help you celebrate': While the wildlife warrior gushed over their long-standing friendship she admitted she couldn't help her celebrate this year, but missed her

'My sunshine': Her friend was quick to thank Bindi for her kind words, saying that she missed her and loves her 'always and forever'

Her friend was quick to respond: 'Thank you so much my sunshine Love you always and forever xx @bindisueirwin Miss you.'

Bindi has previously doted over her gal pal in adoring snaps together.

Last year she left Jesse with an extended message, thanking her for 'helping me solve all the world's problems, as well as listening to my endless stories.'

'All adventures with you are always so much fun': Last year she shared another touching tribute to her friend with boyfriend Chandler Powell visible in the background

Posing against an abandoned hut in the outback, she insisted: 'Exploring and hiking and all adventures with you are always so much fun.'

It's unsure where her best friend resides, but the fact she can't visit may be linked to her American beau Chandler Powell arriving back in Australian in recent weeks.

They pair been together for two years, but three weeks apart proved a long lonely wait over Christmas before being reunited.

Young love: Bindi and Chandler have been together for two years, but three weeks apart proved a long lonely wait over Christmas before being reunited

The American wakeboarder has hinted he is likely to stay at Australia Zoo with Bindi for the duration of the school holidays.

The loved-up couple enjoyed a romantic picnic dinner last week, to which Bindi captioned a candid video: 'You make me so happy.'

She filmed Chandler trying his first ever lychee, to his delight.

Bindi wore a flannel T-shirt jacket, black singlet and denim shorts, while Chandler lay down on the grass in a black graphic print T-shirt.
She made headlines on Wednesday after she posed naked while spooning her dog on Instagram.

But Caitlin Stasey took things down a knotch on Thursday as she cut a decidedly demure figure on the red carpet at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in California.

The Australian actress, 26, looked chic as she posed on the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder, plunging corset top and a pair of soft pink cocoon trousers in silk.

Scroll down for video

Chic and sleek! Caitlin Stasey took things down a knotch on Thursday as she cut a decidedly demure figure on the red carpet at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in California

Her look was completed wit ha pair of square-toed black heels, a delicate pendant necklace and an array of delicate rings.

Allowing her naturally flawless complexion to shine through, the brunette beauty wore a minimal makeup look for the red carpet event.

Her hair was slicked back into a voluminous coif, while her ears were festooned with a variety of piercings.

Pretty in pink! Her look was completed wit ha pair of square-toed black heels, a delicate pendant necklace and an array of delicate rings

Natural glow: Allowing her naturally flawless complexion to shine through, the brunette beauty wore a minimal makeup look for the red carpet event

Earlier that night, Caitlin made an appearance on stage for a panel discussion alongside her APB TV series co-stars.

Wearing a different ensemble to her red carpet look, Caitlin donned an off-the-shoulder green dress with long sleeves and a graphic floral print.

Caitlin stars as gifted technology officer Ada Hamilton in the upcoming police drama APB.

New gig: Earlier that night, Caitlin made an appearance on stage for a panel discussion alongside her APB TV series co-stars

Girl in green: Wearing a different ensemble to her red carpet look, Caitlin donned an off-the-shoulder green dress with long sleeves and a graphic floral print

New role: Caitlin stars as gifted technology officer Ada Hamilton in the upcoming police drama APB

The show's plot centres around the tale of a technology billionaire who takes control of a Chicago police district so as to close the case of a murdered loved one.

The show is loosely Inspired by the New York Times Magazine article 'Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,' by David Amsden.

Caitlin's new gig comes amid controversy relating to her recent social media post, in which she is seen posing naked while spooning a dog.

She titled the strange shot 'John & Yoko' in reference to the iconic couple's penchant for nude images.

Drama: The show's plot centres around the tale of a technology billionaire who takes control of a Chicago police district so as to close the case of a murdered loved one

Must watch: The show is loosely Inspired by the New York Times Magazine article 'Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,' by David Amsden
He's currently gracing US screens as a judge on reality cooking series, My Kitchen Rules.

And Curtis Stone was dressed to impress, as he attended the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour, in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old Australian chef cut a suave figure in a tailored suit jacket and pair of indigo jeans.

Scroll down for video

A cut above the rest! My Kitchen Rules judge Curtis Stone, 41, looked suave in a tailored suit jacket and pair of indigo jeans, as he attended the Television Critics Association Press Tour, in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday

Curtis sported a plaid button-up shirt, grey sweater, with a tailored suit jacket over the top.

Slim-fitting indigo jeans and black and white trainers finished off the red carpet look.

A silver statement watch, thin necklace as well as his wedding band, acted as accessories.

Details: A silver statement watch, thin necklace as well as his wedding band, acted as accessories

Spotlight: Curtis was no doubt in attendance to promote FOX's My Kitchen Rules, currently airing in the States

Over 200 journalists in television comprise of the Television Critics Association.

Stars such as Curtis Stone, as well as Susan Sarandon, Queen Latifah, Lee Daniels, Leighton Meester and Naomi Campbell, attended the All-Star party, to celebrate the organisation on Wednesday night.

Curtis was no doubt there to promote FOX's My Kitchen Rules, currently airing in the States.

Support: Over 200 journalists in television comprise of the Television Critics Association. Numerous stars including Curtis Stone, attended the All-Star party, to celebrate the organisation

Animated: Curtis appeared engaged in conversation during the event

Quick return: Prior to the chef's appearance at the star-studded bash, Curtis enjoyed a short trip to Cuba with his actress wife Lindsay Price, 40

Prior to the chef's appearance at the star-studded bash, Curtis enjoyed a short trip to Cuba with his actress wife Lindsay Price, 40.

The Los Angeles-based couple took to Instagram to share fun holiday snaps with their followers.

Curtis and Lindsay were seen dining out, as well as cruising around town in vintage cars.

Having a ball: The Los Angeles-based couple took to Instagram to share fun holiday snaps with their followers

The pair looked to have enjoyed a four-day vacation in Cuba with friends, posting a group shot with another couple.

The Cuba trip comes after Curtis and Lindsay took their sons Hudson, five, and Emerson, two, to Australia to spend Christmas with Curtis' family in Melbourne.

Last year, Curtis told the Daily Telegraph that he'd like to move back to Australia with his young brood, one day.

'I want my kids to be little Aussie kids as much as they're little American kids, it's important for them to spend time at home,' Curtis said.

'I have no imminent plans, but one day I'd love to,' he added.

Company: The pair looked to have enjoyed a four-day vacation in Cuba with friends, posting a group shot with another couple
Nacogdoches, TX (75965)

Today

Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with thunderstorms - possibly severe, especially this evening. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Over Christmas she was gushing about her latest boyfriend, male model George Alsford.

But Georgia May Foote seems to be holidaying alone currently, going by her recent Instagram uploads.

The former star of Coronation Street is away on what appears to be a solo trip in the tropics - although its unclear precisely where.

Some of her Instagram fans have speculated that she's in either Thailand or the Maldives - and wherever it is it's stunning.

Scroll down for video

'Sometimes you've got to run away for a bit' Georgia May Foote goes make-up free in busty bikini on beach getaway... but there's no sign of new boyfriend George Alsford

The actress and former Strictly contestant has been documenting the sights, uploading photos of the beach, the sea and the pool.

On Thursday she posted a photo of herself on a sun lounger, surrounded by palm trees, looking naturally tanned and make-up free, with her windswept hair falling in natural waves around her face.

The pretty brunette looked intensely into the camera, wearing a busty white and pink floral patterned bikini top, and captioned the image 'Good morning!'

In another photo she appeared to be sunbathing topless, but posed with her back to the sun, casting a dark shadow over her face.

Fun in the sun: The former Coronation Street star later posted an artistic snap as she enjoyed a sunbathing session by the pool

Sunkissin: In another photo she appeared to be sunbathing topless, but posed with her back to the sun, casting a dark shadow over her face and making it hard to tell

'So chilled right now': Another image featured Georgia kicking back with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep, at nighttime

She captioned that one 'Sunkissin'.

'Sunny to stormy in seconds. Then straight back to sun #holidays,' came another post, showing some dark clouds and bright sunlight over a pool.

Another image featured Georgia kicking back with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep, at nighttime.

This one was headed: 'So chilled right now. In a hammock, reading my book and looking at the stars. Absolute peace and quiet. Sometimes u just got to run away for a bit #metime #holidays (sic).'

Flying solo: The actress and former Strictly contestant has been documenting the sights, uploading photos of the beach, the sea and the pool

It's unclear whether her new boyfriend is with her, whether she's on holiday alone or if she's with friends; but there are no snaps of anyone else.

Georgia - who split from Strictly star Giovanni Pernice last summer - was feeling in the festive spirit on Christmas Day and shared a snap of her kissing her hunky new beau.

With the pair leaning in for a steamy smooch, a loved-up Georgia wrote: 'My fave xmas prezzie.'

'Sunny to stormy in seconds': Georgia's boyfriend didn't crop up in any of the images

Pec-tacular: George, who stands at 6ft 3 in tall, has appeared in campaigns for Hugo Boss and Pepe Jeans

As she moved on front her split from Giovanni in August, it was revealed that she had fallen hook, line and sinker for handsome George.

George, who stands at 6ft 3in tall, is signed with Select Model Management, the same firm which represents Georgia.

He has appeared in campaigns for Hugo Boss, Pepe Jeans and Russell & Bromley, among other top-flight brands, and frequently shows off his gym-honed torso on his Instagram account.
She partied into the early hours with her co-star Ben Affleck at the Live By Night premiere the previous day.

But Sienna Miller showed little sign of her big night out when she stepped out bright and early on Thursday morning, arriving at the Global Radio studios in London looking remarkably fresh-faced.

The 35-year-old actress looked like she needed a major caffeine boost, clutching a large coffee in one hand as she left her taxi.

Scroll down for video

Fresh-faced: Sienna Miller showed little sign of her big night out when she stepped out bright and early on Thursday morning, arriving at the Global Radio studios in London

Sienna wowed in a pair of dusty pink, high-waisted trousers with a chic material belt.

The blonde beauty dressed the look down with a simple black top and a pair of stylish peep-toe heels.

The screen star wore her locks down loose and accessorised with large silver hoops earrings.

Think pink: She wowed in a pair of dusty pink, high-waisted trousers with a chic material belt

Extra height: The blonde beauty dressed the look down with a simple black top and a pair of stylish peep-toe heels

Super chic: The screen star wore her locks down loose and accessorised with large silver hoops earrings

Sienna proved just how close the steamy scenes placed her with co-star and director Ben Affleck at the London premiere of the film on Wednesday - where the duo got super cosy on the star-studded red carpet.

The actress looked sensational in a silky slip dress yet the blistering chill descending on the capital grew too much so the Hollywood hunk wrapped his coat around her before partying on into the wee hours.

Sienna dazzled in her chic monochrome gown with thin spaghetti straps and a delicate silk material, yet the six degree temperature led her into her co-star's arms.

Always a gentleman: Sienna proved just how close she was to co-star and director Ben Affleck at the London premiere of the film on Wednesday

Good sports: The 35-year-old actress, who plays Irish minx Emma Gould, looked sensational in a silky slip dress yet the blistering chill descending on the capital grew too much so the Hollywood hunk wrapped his coat around her

Just days before at the LA premiere the duo were seen getting close and they made no exception on Wednesday as Ben wrapped an arm around her.

Strutting along the red carpet the duo greeted the world's press as a unit, before whispering to one another while they posed for the masses of cameras.

Ben plays Joe Coughlin in the movie, the son of a Boston policeman, who falls in love with Sienna's character, Emma Gould, the mistress of the Robert Glenister's character, Albert White, who is the boss of an Irish gang of Boston.

What's so funny? Ben sported a shocked expression while Sienna stared humorously at his ensemble

Good pal: Ben did his best to keep the blonde bombshell warm

Hanging out: The two co-stars put on a fun-spirited display as they posed together on the red carpet - despite the chilly British weather

Dream team: The good pals were in good spirits as they put on a very cosy display on the red carpet

Leading man and his lady: All eyes were on the acting duo as the stepped out in style for the event

No action-packed movie would be complete without a romantic story laden with sex scenes - and Sienna admitted the duo were forced into a bevy of romantic scenes - some of which left her in unprofessional fits of laughter.

Speaking to E!, Sienna revealed: 'Ben and I are like brother and sister, thank God, so there was no awkwardness. There was just a lot of stupid giggling. He's very professionalI am not, but he is.

'In that environment it was a cool scene. There was a montage in the script saying we did it everywhere: in the car, in the bar...I was like: "That's an entire day of just love scenes! OK. How do we do this?"

Up close: Sienna recently admitted their whopping nine hours of sex scenes tickled her

The object of his desire: The handsome star plays Joe Coughlin in the movie, the son of a Boston policeman, who falls in love with Sienna's character, Emma, who is the mistress of the Robert Glenister's character, Albert White , who is the boss of an Irish gang of Boston

Screen siren: Sienna Miller, 35, commanded attention as she made a glamorous arrival for the Live By Night's premiere at London's BFI Southbank on Tuesday night

Rock on! Sienna and Ben seemed determined to let the party live on as they headed to the Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in Marylebone shortly after

'Obviously, by the time nine hours of it has gone past, I was shaking with tears running down my face. I mean, I can't tell youbut you have to laugh. Ben is just professional. It is what it is.'

Sienna's slinky satin number, which was mostly white with a diagonal slot of black, contoured her slim figure to perfection and bared her toned arms.

Opting for a vintage vibe, the British beauty's garment featured a black corsage on the left side of her chest.

Famed for her sensational sense of style, Sienna's dress ticked all the red carpet boxes as she posed and preened while preparing to launch the movie.

Hollywood hunk: Joining Sienna on the red carpet was her hunky co-star, Ben Affleck

Glamour: The actress, who plays Irish minx Emma Gould, absolutely oozed elegance in a figure-hugging monochrome dress

Monochrome magic: The slinky satin number, which was mostly white with a diagonal slot of black, contoured her slim figure to perfection and bared her toned arms

Slinky: The garment hugged her trim midriff and pert derriere

Her glossy blonde locks were styled in old school Hollywood waves and were pinned back on one side, framing her striking features - which were accentuated in a glamorous coat of make-up.

Her towering open-toe heels boosted her height as she worked her angles on the red carpet while holding on to a chic, black clutch with one silver-encrusted hand.

Taking her time as she posed for photographers and mingled with fans, Sienna was clearly in good spirits for the occasion.

Vintage vibe: Her glossy blonde locks were styled in old school Hollywood waves and were pinned back on one side

Like a pro! There was a moment when she was all alone, soaking up the attention from the photographers

Nice touch: Opting for a vintage vibe, the British beauty's garment featured a black corsage on the left side of her chest

Stunner: Her eyes featured a generous dose of mascara, while her lips sported pink gloss

Standing tall: Her towering open-toe heels boosted her height as she worked her angles on the red carpet

Dripping in diamonds: Sienna couldn't resist flashing her stunning silver earrings as she posed over her shoulder

Eternal beauty: Her stunning features were difficult to miss

Ben meanwhile looked typically dashing in a fitted three-piece navy suit with showed off his muscular frame.

The handsome star was wise enough to prepared for the cold in his slick coat yet was forced to share with slinky Sienna.

He teamed the look with a light blue shirt, navy tie and brown shoes - while also sporting grey scruff.

Star: Sienna braved the chill to sign autographs for fans

Say cheese! She ensured to pose for photographs as well

Dapper: Ben meanwhile looked typically dashing in a fitted three-piece navy suit with showed off his muscular frame

Stylish: He teamed the look with a light blue shirt, navy tie and brown shoes

Fifty shades of grey: The father of three also sported grey scruff

Pleasing them: He took time out to sign autographs for eager fans

Wrapping up: At one point it seemed like the weather was becoming too much for Sienna to handle

The squad: Sienna and Ben posed alongside their co-stars, Robert Glenister (L) and Chris Messina (R)

They're all there! All the stars squeezed in together for a group shot

Popular lady: Sienna also got cosy with her other co-star, Chris Messina

Also stepping out in style for the premiere was Made in Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt, who kept it super flirty in a heavily patterned co-ord set which flashed a peek of her toned stomach and flaunted her long legs.

Model Jada Sezer showed off her curvaceous figure in a skin-tight black dress which flaunted her sensational pins.

Actor Chris Messina put on a stylish display as he arrived with his gorgeous wife Jennifer Todd, who was clad in a stunning midi-length number.

Talented man: As well as acting in it, Ben has also directed the flick

'There was a lot of stupid giggling': Speaking to E! News, Sienna revealed they resorted to humour to get them through the hours of sex scenes

Details: Sienna ensured to harbour all of her essentials in a chic black and red rimmed clutch

Glam arrival: Also stepping out in style for the premiere was Made in Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt, who kept it super flirty in a heavily patterned co-ord set which flaunted her long legs

Gorgeous: The reality star accentuated her blue eyes with a heavy dose of mascara, which she teamed with a glossy pink pout

Enviable frame: Model Jada Sezer showed off her curvaceous figure in a skin-tight black dress which flaunted her sensational pins

Elegant: Sienna's former step-mother, interior designer Kelly Hoppen, looked incredible in a sophisticated jade green velvet one-sleeved jumpsuit as she turned out to support the star

Perfect pair: Chris Messina put on a stylish display as he arrival with his gorgeous wife Jennifer Todd who was clad in a stunning midi-length number

Spill the beans: The Scottish beauty was on hand to interview Ben for his role in the gangster flick, which is currently in cinemas

Tell us more: Jenni also had a giggly chat with Sienna, who was presumably spilling more sexy behind the scenes secrets with Ben

Sienna and Ben seemed determined to let the party live on as they headed to the Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in Marylebone shortly after.

The blonde beauty had dealt with the cold by pulling on a slightly mismatched navy coat atop her gown.

Ben meanwhile remained in his ruggedly handsome ensemble as he prepared to indulge in the delights of the London night life.

Meal: Later in the evening, Sienna was seen departing a post-premiere meal at 34 Restaurant

So happy: The actress appeared to be in particularly jovial spirits as she made her exit

Maintaining the glam: The screen star still looked just as glam as when she hit the red carpet

A helping hand: The actress was guided through a group of handlers as she made her way out

Layered: She threw on a smart blue jacket in an effort to stave off the biting wintry chill

Celebrate! Her co-star Ben was also seen leaving the same eatery after their celebratory night

Sign of the times: The Hollywood actor briefly paused outside to sign an autograph for a fan
She's set to star in a hit new Fox series, beginning next month.

So it's no surprise that Australian actress Miranda Otto, 49, was on hand to celebrate at the FOX Winter TCA 2017 All-Star Party in Pasadena, California on Wednesday night.

The Lord of the Rings star oozed elegance in a sleeveless black A-line gown, which highlighted her naturally cinched waist and slender arms.

Scroll down for video

Elegant: Miranda Otto, 49, dazzled in black while attending the FOX Winter TCA 2017 All-Star Party in Pasadena, California on Wednesday night

The chic number featured intricate pink detailing along the waist and collar, which added a pop of colour to the overall look.

She paired the ankle-length gown with matching black pointed-toe pumps and a single bracelet.

Her makeup consisted of light foundation, blush, smokey-eyes and pink lipstick.

Chic: The Lord of the Rings star oozed elegance in a sleevless black A-line gown, which highlighted her naturally cinched waist and slender arms

Seasoned beauty: Her makeup consisted of light foundation, blush, smokey-eyes and pink lipstick

Her luscious red locks were worn loosely and styled in romance waves.

At one point, the mother-of-one, who is married to fellow actor Peter O'Brien, posed for snaps at the star-studded event.

Miranda was pictured catching up with her 24: Legacy costar Jimmy Smiths, as they posed for photos.

Radiant: Her luscious red locks were worn loosely and styled in romance waves

Familiar face: Miranda was pictured catching up with her 24: Legacy costar Jimmy Smiths, as they posed for photos

Miranda once starred alongside Hollywood stars Cate Blanchett and Rose Byrne in the 2013 Australian anthology film The Turning and she said the film's success was rare for Australia.

'You cant sell gritty crime shows from Australia, people want those from New York,' she previously told The Big Issue.

'There are perceptions of how places should be and since Neighbours and Home and Away, its that things from Australia that sell are sunshine, beach and cute kids.'
He was publicly humiliated by her betrayal a year ago.

And Stephanie Davis' ex-boyfriend Sam Reece appears to remain scorned by her affair with Jeremy McConnell, after she hooked up with the Irish model in the CBB house despite being in a relationship with him in the outside world.

The 23-year-old former Hollyoaks actress is currently in labour with the child she claims to share with Jeremy, yet Sam still lashed out at as she referenced current CBB stars Nicola McClean and Jamie O'Hara.

Scroll down for video

Oh dear... Stephanie Davis' ex-boyfriend Sam Reece appears to remain scorned by her affair with Jeremy McConnell, after she hooked up with the Irish model in the CBB house despite being in a relationship in the outside world

Stephanie entered the Celebrity Big Brother in January 2016, when she was in a long-term relationship with Sam, who she professed her love for in the early stages of her stay, before she fell for Jeremy.

While she was in the house and grew progressively closer to the Irish hunk, Sam denounced any connection with his girlfriend after which she became embroiled in an extremely tempestuous relationship.

The couple suffered a fractious and brief time together, with rumours of infidelity and blazing rows plaguing their dalliance, before Stephanie announced her pregnancy in May, with Jeremy vehemently denying paternity.

She has now gone into labour, after which Sam seized his moment to take a swipe - as he referenced the situation between Nicola and Jamie.

Fuming: The 23-year-old former Hollyoaks actress is currently in labour, with the child she claims to share with Jeremy, yet Sam still lashed out at as she referenced current CBB stars Nicola McClean and Jamie O'Hara

Something to smile about? Stephanie entered the Celebrity Big Brother in January 2016, when she was in a long-term relationship with Sam, who she professed her love for in the early stages of her stay, before she fell for Jeremy

Lost love: She has now gone into labour, after which Sam seized his moment to take a swipe - as he referenced the situation between Nicola and Jamie

They enjoyed a drunken flirtation, after which she lamented how her acts would appear to her husband Tom Williams on the outside.

Seemingly taking a doubt hit at both Nicola and Stephanie, the handsome model penned: 'Someone else gone in #CBB and forgets about her fella on the outside'.

Adding insult to injury he also filmed a Snapchat video in which he read the tweet before taking a large sip of tea. Stephanie's fans were less than impressed with the gesture and swarmed his Twitter with comments.

He hit back at the comments by urging his followers to calm down: 'Chill out guys Jesus.. Why so serious.. Sat here laughing head off'.

Chill out guys! He hit back at the comments by urging his followers to calm down: 'Chill out guys Jesus.. Why so serious.. Sat here laughing head off'

On the way: It was reported on Wednesday that Stephanie is focused on the 'safe arrival of her son' as she is said to have been taken to hospital on Tuesday to welcome her first child, according to The Sun

It was reported on Wednesday that Stephanie is focused on the 'safe arrival of her son' as she is said to have been taken to hospital on Tuesday to welcome her first child, according to The Sun.

The pregnant actress who announced her pregnancy last May, is thought to welcome Jeremy McConnell's baby in the coming hours, after the chosen godfather teased on Twitter that he'd 'never been so excited.

A source told the newspaper: 'Steph is so excited that the day has finally come that she will meet her son. At the moment she is focusing on welcoming her little boy  her priority is his safe delivery and spending some quality time with him.'

Stephanie has been noticeably absent from social media for the last two weeks and the friend insists that while she is grateful for fans' support, 'her attention is on getting to grips with being a mum.'
The family have just enjoyed an idyllic new year getaway in St. Barths.

And while they may have made a return home to California, Cindy Crawford and her family were still keen to enjoy some quality time together.

Heading out for a shopping trip in Malibu on Wednesday, the 50-year-old model and her mini-me daughter, Kaia, spent some quality time together.

Scroll down for video

Family fun: Heading out for a shopping trip in Malibu on Wednesday, Cindy Crawford and her mini-me daughter, Kaia, 16, spent some quality time together

Accompanying the two models was Rande Gerber, Cindy's husband of 19 years, who seemed to have tagged along for the ride.

The likeness between Cindy and her lookalike daughter was prevalent with both of them rocking relaxed and casual looks.

Cindy went for a dressed down look for the family shopping trip, with the supermodel opting for a classic mix of skinny denim jeans and a white V-neck tee.

Parental escort: Accompanying the two models was Rande Gerber, Cindy's husband of 19 years, who seemed to have tagged along for the ride

Adding a biker-chick vibe to her look, the supermodel slung a slate leather jacket around her shoulder.

She finished off her look with a pair of matching block-heeled boots, whilst she also sported a funky silk scarf and a leather handbag.

Wearing her long chestnut tresses loose and down around her shoulders Cindy allowed her youthful and striking features to shine through.

Kaia, 16, also went for a relaxed look and wore an all-black ensemble, teaming a hoodie with cropped trousers and Vans skate shoes.

Simply stunning: The family outing came just a day after Cindy had made an appearance at the Marie Claire Image Maker Awards, on Tuesday night, in Los Angeles

Legs ahoy! The stunning brunette cut a youthful figure as she arrived at Catch LA in West Hollywood in a cut-out black dress with sheer slits up her legs all the way to her waist

Wearing her own dark locks in an almost identical fashion to her mother's, the rising model looked the spitting image of her mother.

The family outing came just a day after Cindy had made an appearance at the Marie Claire Image Maker Awards, on Tuesday night, in Los Angeles.

The stunning brunette cut a youthful figure as she arrived at Catch LA in West Hollywood in a cut-out black dress with sheer slits up her legs all the way to her waist.

Cindy was at the event to present Balmain visionary Olivier Rousteing with the Icon Award.
She's the cheery comedian who isn't shy of using her own life as material.

And Julia Morris took to Instagram on Thursday from a fancy Melbourne restaurant to share a cheeky visual gag.

The 48-year-old mother's date held up a plate of lamington canapes in front of her bosoms for the visual gag as she appeared to laugh.

Scroll down for video

Cheeky coconuts! Comedian Julia Morris covers her bosoms with jam covered lamingtons in hilarious visual gag while enjoying a dinner date out in Melbourne on Thursday

The optical illusion made it seem like the star was partially nude at first glance, with fans commenting at how funny the stunt was.

Making the trick easier, Julia exposed her toned shoulder and decolletage in a mint green shoulder-less dress.

She captioned the image: 'Best date night ever @vuedemonde happy tummy, superb staff & brilliant experience #yum #lammo jx.'

Funny! Julia is known for pointing fun at herself, with her recent optical illusion being a hit with her 116k followers

The TV host wore her dark tresses down for the occasion, with a pair of sparkly dangle earrings complementing her look.

Julia recently celebrated 12 years of marriage with her husband Dan Thomas, who may have been her date at Melbourne's Vue de monde.

The media personality shares two children with Dan, 10-year-old Ruby and eight-year-old Sophie.

Date night with the hubby? Julia recently celebrated 12 years of marriage with her husband Dan Thomas last week, who may have been her date at Melbourne's Vue de monde

Julia has also formed a strong bond with her I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here co-host Dr Chris Brown.

They have been forced to spend months together in a tree house in the African jungle like a modern day Tarzan and Jane.

In a recent interview with WHO Magazine, the TV veterinarian was asked who was the last person he sent a text message to.

Great friends: Dr Chris Brown reveals he texts with co-host Julia Morris regularly

'It would probably be to Julia [Morris],' he said.

He said: 'We actually text quite often because sharing a house in Africa clearly isn't enough! We talk every few days.'

The friendship between the two TV personalities came under fire last year when promo clips for the upcoming series of the celebrity reality survival show caused a stir.

In costume: In the past the comedian has had to defend her comedic antics such as stroking the hunky doctor's torso from critics branding her as 'sexist'

Cheeky: She said, 'Im not objectifying Dr Chris [Brown] when we muck around on camera... He writes most of the jokes'

In the clip, the House Husbands actress is seen stroking his torso and hamming up her crush on the hunky doctor.

She felt compelled to defend herself from critics who branded her comedic antics as 'sexist'.

In a column for Stellar magazine, she wrote 'Im not objectifying Dr Chris [Brown] when we muck around on camera on Im A Celebrity  Get Me Out Of Here! He writes most of those jokes.'
He's taken a back-seat with his latest project, producing one a hotly-tipped award-winner.

And John Krasinski looked nothing but delighted with the fruits of his labour as he attended a screening of Manchester By The Sea in London, on Thursday.

Arriving at the Ham Yard hotel in Soho, the 37-year-old actor was all smiles as he cosied up to his wife, Emily Blunt, 33.

Scroll down for video

Loved-up: John Krasinski looked the picture perfect couple as they attended a VIP screening of Manchester By The Sea (which John's produced) in London, on Thursday

The couple, who tied the knot back in 2010, looked more loved-up than ever as they cosied up together in the hotel's basement bar.

Emily couldn't help but beam as her husband wrapped a tender arm around her, while John also sported a bright smile.

Playing the role of the supportive wife on the day, Emily opted for a stylish yet subdued look.

Teaming a simple peplum jumper with a pair of flaired tuxedo trousers, the Sicario star straddled the line between laid-back chic and trendy fashionista.

Picture perfect: Arriving at the Ham Yard hotel in Soho, the 37-year-old actor was all smiles as he cosied up to his wife, Emily,33

She rounded her look off with a pair of stone suede block-heeled boots, which served to subtly define her figure.

Keeping her outfit uncluttered the British-born beauty only accessorised with a maroon clutch.

Wearing her strawberry blonde locks in a swept-over side-parting, The Girl On The Train star allowed her locks to fall to her shoulders and frame her pretty features.

Partners in crime: The couple were joined at the event by John's fellow producer, Kevin Walsh

Host with the most: Both Jon, who was hosting the event, and Kevin gave a special speech ahead of the film's playback

John went for a smart but laid-back look, teaming a black jumper, shirt and tie with a a pair of grey trousers; before rounding off his outfit with a pair of boots on it.

The Office star, who has helped to produce the Grammy-winning drama, left a layer of stubble on his jaw - adding a rugged edge to his boyish looks.

The couple were joined at the event by John's fellow producer, Kevin Walsh.

Here come the A-List: They weren't the only movers and shakers at the event, as James Norton was also in attendance with a friend

A true legend: Also in attendance was Franco-American film legend Leslie Caron, 85, who cut a youthful figure

Dramatic: The film focuses on an Uncle who is obliged to return home to care for his nephew after his brother dies - unknowing he is to be the guardian and struggles with the decision

Both Jon and Kevin gave a special speech ahead of the film's playback, though they weren't the only movers and shakers at the event, as the likes of James Norton and joined the Leslie Caron were amongst the audience.

The film focuses on an Uncle who is obliged to return home to care for his nephew after his brother dies - unknowing he is to be the guardian and struggles with the decision.

Throughout the movie Lee (Casey Affleck) recounts past memories that caused him to leave Manchester so as to distnace himself from his past.

The drama has already struck gold this awards season, with the film netting Casey, 41, an award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama.
He may be busy promoting his upcoming series Taboo.

But by the looks of things, Tom Hardy hasn't been neglecting his fitness regimen.

The dashing actor, 39, showed off his buff biceps and tattoos when he appeared at a TCA Winter Press Tour panel for his new show in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Scroll down for video

Hitting the gym! Tom Hardy showed off his buff biceps and tattoos when he appeared at a TCA Winter Press Tour panel for his new show in Los Angeles on Thursday

Looking extremely handsome thanks in part to his thick beard, Tom no doubt had all eyes on him as he sat beside his co-stars on stage.

The star had his hair slicked back across his head, and he wore a tight white shirt that hugged his sculpted arms.

Taking the stage: The actor strolled onto the platform in blue jeans and a sweater

Smile! Hardy couldn't resist flashing a broad grin as he chatted about his upcoming series

Having a chat: The actor took a seat beside series director Kristoffer Nyholm and series co-creator and writer Steven Knight

He also sported a pair of jeans, blue sneakers, as well as a watch and bracelet.

Tom was joined on stage by co-stars Oona Chaplin, Michael Kelly, David Hayman, along with series director Kristoffer Nyholm series co-creator Steven Knight.

The actor appeared to have even the team behind Taboo in the palm of his hands, as he gave his two cents during the panel.

Character counts: Hardy was also joined on stage by his co-stars David Hayman, Oona Chaplin, and Michael Kelly

Handsome: Looking extremely handsome thanks in part to his thick beard, Tom no doubt had all eyes on him as he sat beside his co-stars on stage

The whole crew: The team behind Taboo gave Hardy their undivided attention

It was just the latest promotional event Tom has attended in recent days in support of the upcoming FX drama.

On Wednesday, he attended a press conference for the show at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles.

The actor dressed down for the promotional event in a navy jumper over a black tee, a pair of jeans and white trainers.

Speaking his mind: Hardy grew animated as he shared his thoughts

Not just work: Even though he's been busy promoting Taboo, it's clear Hardy has been enjoying himself in the process

Film star: On Wednesday, he attended a press conference for the show at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles

Standing with his hands in his pockets, the London-born hunk smiled for the camera with his back to an array of foliage.

The handsome star sported a thick beard and slicked back his short hairdo.

He gesticulated passionately inside the venue as he spoke about the eight-part series produced by Ridley Scott.

Relaxed: There wasn't a scowl in sight as Tom Hardy, 39, attended a press conference for the show at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Rugged: The handsome star sported a thick beard and slicked back his short hairdo

Menacing: Tom strips off on numerous occasions in the dark eight-part series

Tom has stripped off for several scenes in the series, and has also been seen in promotional shots in nothing but a loin cloth wading through a swamp.

Speaking of the adult side to the dark drama with BBC Newsbeat, Tom said he wished there had been more opportunities to get his naked body in the final cut.

'You're lucky there was a loin cloth because I didn't want one,' said Tom of the much-hyped snippet of him wading through the swamp.

On the promo trail: The star removed his jumper once inside to reveal his arm tattoos

He continued: 'It's not a period drama until someone gets naked and covers themselves in blood. At least you're showing willing.

'I was in Tilbury, in the moat, in the docks, with nothing on. We were trying to eke out drama from any opportunity and none of that makes the cut.'

Hardy plays a rogue 19th Century adventurer in Taboo, which is the brainchild of Hardy and his novelist father Chips.

Glint in his eye: Tom was in fine form as he addressed the press

The script was written by Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight.

Tom explained that he and his father Chips Hardy, who also created the show, approached Stephen about working on Taboo.

But Stephen ended up asking Tom if he would consider appearing in Locke and Peake Blinders, should he work on the show.

Good value: He gesticulated passionately inside the venue as he spoke about the eight-part series directed by Ridley Scott

He told IGN: 'We begged Steve to write our story because we had a concept and a basic treatment of the character, and Steve was busy and he had an offer informally, which was, "If you do Locke and Peaky Blinders, I would love to do your pilot and rewrite your title."

'That's where it all started, and the three of us set about trying to create a new piece of work.'

Also starring Jonathan Pryce and Oona Chaplin, its set in 1814, when Hardys adventurer hero Delaney returns from Africa to London to inherit whats left of his dead fathers shipping empire.

He is then caught up in a tale of conspiracy, murder and betrayal reaching right across the globe.

Stripping off: Tom previously said he wished there had been more opportunities to get his naked body in the final cut
His father has been a regular in the fashion magazines' best-dressed lists for years.

So, it's hardly surprising that rising fashionista Brooklyn Beckham has taken to raiding his famous father David's wardrobe.

Heading out to the shops in North London, the 17-year-old aspiring photographer stepped out with what appeared to be one of his father's flat caps on his head.

Scroll down for video

Where'd you get the hat? It's hardly surprising that rising fashionista Brooklyn Beckham has taken to raiding his famous father David's wardrobe - including his collection of caps

Brooklyn - David and Victoria's eldest child - looked to have taken some serious style inspiration from his father, as he donned a chic wintry ensemble.

Presumably nipping to the shops during a break in his timetable, the aspiring snapper and student headed to the shops to grab some sweet treats for himself.

Already a style guru for teens, having featured on the cover for the likes of Teen Vogue, the eldest of the Beckham brood donned a warm sheerling jacket.

Borrowing from dad? Heading out to the shops in North London, the aspiring photographer, 17, stepped out with what appeared to be one of his father's flat caps on his head

Keeping to the age-old rule of 'less is more', Brooklyn wore a white t-shirt teamed with jeans, before rounding his whole look off with a pair of heavy duty rigger boots.

He rounded his whole look off by borrowing what appeared to be one of his father's go-to accessories, donning a grey baker boy cap.

Sweeping his locks back off his face and under the cap, Brooklyn's resemblance to his father was striking.

On-trend: Already a style guru for teens, having featured on the cover for the likes of Teen Vogue, the eldest of the Beckham brood donned a warm sheerling jacket

Keep it casual: Keeping to the age-old rule of 'less is more', Brooklyn wore a white t-shirt teamed with jeans, before rounding his whole look off with a pair of heavy duty rigger boots

He rounded his whole look off by borrowing what appeared to be one of his father's go-to accessories, donning a grey baker boy cap.

Hangs with the boys: Sauntering out of the shop with a cheeky smile on his face, he was met by a group of pals whom he shared a laugh with

Sated the sugar cravings: Clutching a bag of M&M's in one hand, it looked as though Brooklyn had managed to snag something to keep his sugary cravings at bay

Sauntering out of the shop with a cheeky smile on his face, he was met by a group of pals whom he shared a laugh with.

Clutching a bag of M&M's in one hand, it looked as though Brooklyn had managed to snag something to keep his sugary cravings at bay.

Brooklyn's homage to his famous father comes just days after the teen supported the sporting hero icon at the launch of the latest Kent & Curwen menswear line at London Mens' Fashion Week.

David, who has partnered with the Enlgish fashion firm, was at the launch last week accompanied by both Victoria and Brooklyn - who has proudly been modelling some of the range on his Instagram.
He's currently in the middle of his second stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

But the past week has seen a slightly different Austin Armacost to the one viewers got to know in the 2015 season.

When he appeared on the show back then - alongside the likes of James Hill, Janice Dickinson and Jenna Jameson - he seemed a little lighter and less troubled.

But in the current season of the show - which has brought back 'All Star' housemates with 'New Star' participants - Austin has clashed repeatedly with the likes of James Jordan, Spencer Pratt and Stacy Francis, seen to drink heavily and kick off.

Scroll down for video

'He was standing at the end of my bed with gun!' Austin Armacost revealed the tragic family heartbreak behind his behaviour in the CBB house and said he 'needs help'

In the only pre-show interview he conducted before entering the new season, the 28-year-old revealed the tragic details of his turbulent family life, shedding light on his recent altercations.

'My brother died as a direct result of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan,' he told former civilian housemate Andy West. 'He was an infantry man with the US army. He did 17 months in Iraq.'

Austin's brother Tyler returned from the war with PTSD and a back injury, which could have potentially been fixed with a particularly expensive procedure.

'Instead of giving him back surgery that would have cost $40k, doctors packed him full of painkillers,' the reality star explained. 'As a result, he crossed over and fell at the wheel [while he was driving] and got hit by a semi-truck, a lorry.'

A shadow of his former self: The past week has seen a slightly different Austin Armacost to the one viewers got to know in the 2015 season

Honest: In the only pre-show interview he conducted before entering the new season, the 28-year-old revealed the tragic details of his turbulent family life, shedding light on his recent altercations

Austin made no qualms about the fact that he blames his brother's tragic and untimely end on after-effects of the war. He slammed the doctors treating him for prescribing such a large amount of pills - 'just so he could get through the day' - and noted that Tyler didn't drink or do street drugs.

'It was harder to take care of my brother than a mentally disabled or physically disabled person,' Austin went on. 'Not only was he left with massive issues, flashbacks...he had loaded weapons.

'Any PTSD doctor will tell you not to take guns off a sufferer unless they're suicidal or homicidal.'

Austin went on to recount the chilling events that would take place in his family home, following Tyler's return from the war: 'I'd wake up 3am and my brother - who had been up for 72 hours - would be standing at the foot of my bed with a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson [gun] with hollow point bullets that would have killed me in one shot.'

Angry: Austin made no qualms about the fact that he blames his brother's tragic and untimely end on after-effects of the war

Get me out! ' I got angry and bitter and upset. I look for people to blame. But that won't bring my brother back,' he admitted

Opening up: 'My brother died as a direct result of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan,' he told former civilian housemate Andy West (pictured)

The former star of The A List explained that this wasn't a threatening act and that he simply went everywhere with his gun.

'When he was asleep, awake, to the grocery store. My family all carry weapons!' he admitted.

Austin told the story of when a gun shot went off upstairs while he, his father and his other brother were playing cards downstairs.

'We walked up. The door was closed. I was at the front and I said that I just couldn't walk in there first. If I'd have walked in and seen what I thought was on the other side of the door I wouldn't have been able to handle it.'

In fact, the gun had gone off accidentally, and his brother remained unscathed until the tragic incident with the truck.

Guarded: Austin's furious exchange with Strictly's James Jordan saw him demanding to leave the show

Rage: Austin has clashed repeatedly with the likes of James Jordan, Spencer Pratt (pictured) and Stacy Francis, seen to drink heavily and kick off

Heartbreak: Revealing further family tragedy, Austin revealed that Tyler signed up for the army the day after 9/11 following the death of their cousin who had been on 105th floor of the World Trade Centre and died in the terror attacks

Revealing further family tragedy, Austin explained that Tyler signed up for the army the day after 9/11, following the death of their cousin who had been on 105th floor of the World Trade Centre and perished in the terror attacks.

'One of the hardest parts for me as a human, and a man, is you want to protect the people you love,' he said.

Austin's mother went to prison after she was caught embezzling money from her employer - thought to be around $700,000 - in order to help Tyler through the difficult time before he died.

'Once she went to prison my dad lost it,' Austin said. 'I would wake up on a loop for six weeks with him wailing.

'[Because of this] I cut off emotion...it's why my marriage dissolved. I became an a**hole. I got angry and bitter and upset. I look for people to blame. But that won't bring my brother back.'

Guilt: Austin expressed that he feels guilty if he doesn't cry, and so holds it in and spends sleepness nights in tears

Anguish: Austin admitted that if he drinks in the day when he's alone he lets himself look in the mirror

Turmoil: 'I still cry because its something that happened, I still haven't accepted it . I'm a proud man; I don't like to show vulnerability. Professional help is my next step - that or drink!' he explained

Austin expressed that he feels guilty if he doesn't cry, and so holds it in and spends sleepness nights in tears.

'I still cry because its something that happened, I still haven't accepted it. I'm a proud man; I don't like to show vulnerability.

'Professional help is my next step - that or drink! I have thrown myself into exercise but it's masking me being upset. It's different to sitting down and going "okay let's deal with this, where do I go from here? What is my ultimate outcome from these circumstances?"'

Austin ended the chat by admitting that if he drinks in the day when he's alone he lets himself look in the mirror.

Outcry: Since appearing on the show he has been seen drinking wine and having venomous arguments with other housemates while under the influence

Letting go: 'I have thrown myself into exercise but it's masking me being upset. It's different to sitting down and going "okay let's deal with this, where do I go from here? What is my ultimate outcome from these circumstances?"' the reality star said

'When I'm on my own I will look in the mirror and go: "You have every right to feel this way!"'

The interview was conducted just before Austin entered the CBB house last week, and he explained that he's 'off the booze for a while'.

Yet since appearing on the show he has been seen drinking wine and having venomous arguments with other housemates while under the influence, including a furious exchange with Strictly's James Jordan that saw Austin demand to leave the show.

He stayed, however, to see another day.

Celebrity Big Brother airs nightly on Channel 5 from 9PM.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 45F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
She is already a mother-of-three with her ex Peter Facinelli.

But Jennie Garth wouldn't mind becoming a mother for the fourth time.

The 44-year-old actress opened up about the possibility of having children with husband Dave Abrams.

Loved up: Jennie Garth opened up about the possibility of having children with husband Dave Abrams, as tehy are pictured together at an event in LA back in November 2015

In a recent interview with InTouch, she said it would be 'amazing' to have children with the actor she married in 2015.

She explained: 'We would be happy with just one. But were also happy with the girls we have, so whatever comes our way!'

Jennie has three daughters - Luca, 19, Lola, 14, and Fiona, 10, - with ex husband and actor Peter Facinelli.

Getting on: The 44-year-old actress gushed about her husband taking ont he role of a stepfather, as they are pictured on holiday in Colorado last week

Matchy matchy: He also joined Jennie and her girls for an adorable family photo by the Christmas tree as they all sported matching Holiday onesies.

The former Beverly Hills, 90210 star gushed about Dave taking the role as stepdad and believes that he will be a great father.

Jennie said: 'Hes never been a father, and hes taken on the role of stepdad to my girls so seamlessly.

'I have to give him so much credit for that, because it is a handful and a half!'

Dave definitely seems to be getting on with her children just fine as they took a family trip to snowy Colorado last week.

Daddy dear: Jennie shares three children with ex husband Peter Facinelli as he is pictured with Luca, 19, and Lola, 14, at The Grove in LA in May 2016

He also joined Jennie and her girls for an adorable family photo by the Christmas tree as they all sported matching Holiday onesies.

Jennie and Dave met on a blind date in Fall of 2014 and were engaged in April 2015. They married on July 11, 2015.

The actress was previously married to musician Daniel B. Clark from 1994 to 1996.

Jennie then married Peter Facinelli in 2001 after dating for five years. Their divorce was finalised in June 2013.
They're always after their Lucky Charms... and they only get them when fun aunt Khloe is in charge.

The youngest Kardashian sister shared some funny Snapchats on Thursday as she took care of nieces North and Penelope.

The 32-year-old uploaded a trio of videos in which she admitted feeding the girls something their are clearly not allowed when their mothers are around.

Scroll down for video

While Keeks is away: Khloe Kardashian shared some funny Snapchats on Thursday as she took care of nieces North and Penelope

'Cereal! Who was eating cereal?!' she prompted as a hyper and clearly sugar-fueled Nori ran around the room screaming.

'While Keeks is away Koko gives them lucky charms! lol sorry not sorry,' Khloe wrote.

The reality star then sat the two ladies in her make-up chair and spun them round until they were dizzy, before challenging North to walk.

Fun aunt Khloe: The 32-year-old uploaded a trio of videos in which she admitted feeding the girls something their are clearly not allowed when their mothers are around

Cereal! ' Who was eating cereal?!' she prompted as a hyper and clearly sugar-fueled Nori ran around the room screaming

The kats will play: 'While Keeks is away Koko gives them lucky charms! lol sorry not sorry,' Khloe wrote

'Glam room chronicles,' she declared as the three-year-old - dressed in an adorable pink Adidas tracksuit - collapsed after just one step.

The youngsters however got their revenge by plonking their aunt in the seat in the very next clip, spinning her as they scampered around her.

Khloe is on babysitting duty while big sister Kim makes her way to Dubai - her first international trip since being robbed at gunpoint in Paris last year.

Spin: The reality star had sat the two ladies in her make-up chair and spun them round until they were dizzy, before challenging North to walk

Your turn: The youngsters however got their revenge by plonking their aunt in the seat in the very next clip, spinning her as they scampered around her

The 34-year-old is hosting makeup masterclass alongside her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, with fans paying $1600 for ticktets.

Kim was originally meant to hold the event on October 14 last year, but it was cancelled in the wake of the October 3 heist.

French police had 17 people in custody who they arrested in connection to the theft in which armed men burst into Kim's hotel and stole $10 million worth of jewellery.
She recently returned to British shores after celebrating Christmas and the New Year in Barbados with her boyfriend, James Dunmore.

And Lucy Watson's mind was clearly still on the Caribbean island as she took to Instagram on Thursday to share a throwback shot of themselves on holiday.

Wearing a white bandeau top over an electric blue bikini, the 25-year-old brunette beauty is seen leaning against her hunk shirtless beau as they relaxed on a boat.

Scroll down for video

Tropic like it's hot! Lucy Watson shared a throwback shot of herself holidaying in Barbados with her beau James Dunmore on Thursday

Explaining the scenario, the former Made In Chelsea star captioned the image: 'Post snorkelling with the shark-like creature and nearly having a heart attack.'

On Sunday, Lucy shared one last bikini selfie with fans on before she and James finally returned home to London.

The TV personality displayed her toned and newly-tanned figure in a saucy Instagram snap as she soaked up her last rays on a boat trip - before she and 26-year-old beau headed to the airport.

Bikini babe: The 25-year-old also shared one last bikini selfie from her holiday on Sunday

Reclining on a boat against the stunning ocean scenery, the reality star displayed her incredible figure for all to see in the sizzling snap.

Clad in nothing but a skimpy two-piece, Lucy left her washboard abs and long, slender legs on show as she soaked up her last few hours of sun on the island.

She maintained her trademark trendy style even in her swimwear by rocking a white halterneck bikini top, which perfectly complemented her deep bronze tan.

Lucy then completed the quirky beachwear look with a set of clashing turquoise bottoms, and her signature retro rounded shades.

It's over: She and boyfriend James Dunmore then returned home to London later that day

However as all good things must come to an end, the boat trip marked the final day of her holiday in Barbados with boyfriend James - with the pair arriving at the airport later that afternoon.

The pair spent the Christmas and New Year period on the idyllic Caribbean island with James' family - welcoming in 2017 at a luxurious beach party.

Posting a selfie with her man on Instagram, Lucy wrote to her followers as 2016 came to an end: 'happy new year!!! i love this one too much, be grateful for the people closest to you.' (sic)

Clearly stronger than ever, the pair were both absent from the Made In Chelsea spin-off in the South of France last August - wanting to spend time alone and away from drama instead.

It was then announced in September that Lucy was leaving the E4 show that catapulted her to fame four years ago.

A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'After four amazing years on Made In Chelsea, Lucy feels that now is the right time to explore some other exciting opportunities and projects that she is passionate about.

Stylish: Lucy finished her set of holiday selfies with a sizzling snap of her in white shorts and a swimsuit, showing off her famously slim physique

'Being part of such a successful show has been an incredible experience for her, and she wishes everyone involved all the very best for the future.'

Her friend and co-star on the show Frankie Gaff later revealed the brunette was taking time away from the spotlight to concentrate on her relationship with James.

The Made in Chelsea star told BANG Showbiz: 'Lucy's not going to be in the next series. At the moment she's decided not to because she's loved up.'

Lucy and James have been dating since early 2015 after meeting on the London-based show - and have enjoyed a number of romantic holidays together since.
They ventured out on an extravagant trip to Persian Gulf together.

So it comes as no surprise that Kim Kardashian and Scott Disick are enjoying their time in the lap of luxury.

The 36-year-old reality star and 33-year-old former partner of Kourtney both took to social media to document her business trip to Dubai.

'Low key dinner': Kim Kardashian and Scott Disick shared snaps while seated at opposite ends of a very long dining table together during her extravagant business trip to Dubai

In one of the more humourous postings, the pair posted snaps of them seated at opposite ends of a very long dining table together.

Adding to the ridiculousness of it, the two stars also pulled out their mobile phones and appeared to be talking to each other while enjoying the meal.

No doubt the gag will be featured on the upcoming season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians as a camera crew could be seen in the background.

Staying connected: Adding to the ridiculousness of it, the two stars also pulled out their mobile phones and appeared to be talking to each other while enjoying the meal

It was quite the display as several intricate desserts and flower arrangements could be seen across the table.

Scott posted the snap with the funny caption: 'Low key dinner in Dubai.'

As if that wasn't enough indulgence, Kim took to Snapchat to share a video of the beautiful aquarium at The Atlantis The Palm hotel.

'Welcome Scott': As if that wasn't enough indulgence, Kim took to Snapchat to share a video of the beautiful aquarium at The Atlantis The Palm hotel and a special welcome for Scott

Stunning: The aquarium featured tons of fish and sharks

In the video a diver could be seen holding up a 'welcome Scott' sign as he is surrounded by plenty of fish and sharks.

Kim could be heard saying in the video: 'Look at Scott's welcome, how amazing!'

Marking her return to work, most of those attending the six-hour long seminar with Kim this week have forked out over $1,600 to be there.

'On our way': Kim has been documenting the trip on social media as she shared this snap on Wednesday while she prepared for the trip

The countdown is on: Kim and makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic got some prep in on Monday ahead of their trip to Dubai for the makeup Masterclass

While those tickets - which included a meet and greet with the star and her makeup guru and a gift bag - have sold out, Kim told fans in the Middle East that they can still be non-VIP tickets, which cost $500.

Kim was originally meant to hold The Masterclass in Dubai on October 14 but it was cancelled in the wake of her October 3 robbery.
They're known for their dancing prowess and are most at home on the stage.

But Strictly Come Dancing stunners Ola Jordan and Kristina Rihanoff took a backseat on Thursday night as they headed in to watch Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna opening night with Oxfam at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Although they may not have been the stars of this show, the blonde beauties still managed to turn heads on the evening as they dazzled in their chic ensembles.

Scroll down for video

Two of a kind: Strictly Come Dancing stunners Ola Jordan (L) and Kristina Rihanoff watched Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna opening night with Oxfam at the Royal Albert Hall in London

Looking effortlessly glamorous, Ola donned a paisley printed maxi dress that sheathed her toned physique.

Embracing boho chic, the garment featured flattering blouson sleeves, whilst laser cut detailing along her midriff accentuated her slender waist.

Proving that less is more, the ballroom dancer wore a black slip beneath the sheer maxi dress and donned a pair of black ankle boots.

Pretty as a petal: Looking effortlessly glamorous, Ola donned a paisley printed maxi dress that sheathed her toned physique

Kristina also dazzled on the evening, showing off her hourglass curves in a figure hugging little black dress.

Featuring a risque gold zip across the front of the garment, she added some extra colour with a pair of maroon ankle boots.

She finished off the look by styling her golden locks in loose waves that framed her pretty features.

Glamorous gown: Embracing boho chic, the garment featured flattering blouson sleeves, whilst laser cut detailing along her midriff accentuated her slender waist

Neither of the ladies were joined by their partners on the evening.

Kristina is dating rugby player Ben Cohen, whilst Ola is married to James Jordan.

Ola appeared on Loose Women earlier in the day to discuss her husband, who is currently appearing in Celebrity Big Brother.

Discussing his controversial house antics, Ola reasoned: 'He's a massive windup. He jokes that I have small feet so I can get closer to the sink. I say whatever. He knows his place.'

Chic and cheerful: Kristina also dazzled on the evening, showing off her hourglass curves in a figure hugging little black dress

Ella Eyre also made her way to the Royal Albert Hall for the Cirque du Soleil extravaganza on Thursday night.

The singer looked glam in an emerald green dress with elegant flute sleeves and a checked pattern.

Ella styled her curls into a half up do and completed her look with a chic box bag and nude heels.

Looking chic: Ella Eyre also made her way to the Royal Albert Hall for the Cirque du Soleil extravaganza on Thursday night

Gorgeous in green! Ella dazzled in her metallic shift dress and nude heels combination

Steady on! The songstress nearly took a tumble in her heels as she headed out

Dancer's body: Strictly pro Katya Jones showed off her trim waist in pink trousers and a racy lace crop top

Date night: Katya snuggled up to her husband and fellow Strictly star Neil Jones

Shooting stars: Katya and Neil posed with performers on the night

In the audience for a change: Strictly newbies Chloe Hewitt and AJ Pritchard also hit the show

Good looking couple: Brendan Cole was joined by his gorgeous wife Zoe Hobbs

Winter beauty: Kristina Rihanoff looked sartorially savvy in a wine-coloured coat and matching boots

Pals: Kristina was joined by her Strictly co-star Otlile Mabuse (R) who showed off her svelte frame in a skin-tight pastel pink dress

Pretty in pink! Oti showed off her dancer's figure in the tight pink dress

Who's that girl? Fleur East sported a very different look as she arrived in style

Details: Carrie Fletcher opted for a head-to-toe black ensemble which she teamed with cool printed boots

Meanwhile joining Ola and Kristina were a host of other Strictly stars.

Professionals and married couple Katya and Kevin Jones snuggled up on the red carpet, with Katya wowing in a racy lace crop top and high-waisted pink trousers.

Brendan Cole was joined by his gorgeous wife Zoe Hobbs, while Strictly newbies Chloe Hewitt and AJ Pritchard also hit the show.

All dressed up: TV icons Richard and Judy were looking very dapper for their night out

Ready for a night out: Denise Lewis looked chic in a leather coat while Fleur East showed off her quirky sense of style with a bold multicolour coat

Model looks: Toby Huntington Whiteley was joined by his girlfriend Cecily Brown

Lippie ladies: Great British Bake Off winner teamed a furry collared coat with her trademark pout, while Fifty Shades author EL James also rocked a bold lip colour

Always up for a night out! Lizzie Cundy flashed some skin with her mini skirt and boots combo

Ladies night: Kristina Rihanoff and Lizzie Cundy cuddled up for snaps with a pal

Show time! Natasha Kaplinski enjoyed the show with her husband Justin Bower

Night on the town: Actress Tina Hobley rocked leather trousers while DJ Kat Shoob was pretty in prints

Stars of the show! X factor star Matt Terry posed with some of the night's performers

Pretty in purple: Tamzin Outhwaite dazzled in a lilac coat

Hunk: The Body Coach's Joe Wicks also stepped out in style for the event whilst Sir David Jason seemed in great spirits on the evening
It was a justifiably proud Sylvester Stallone who joined the four glamorous women in his life at the 74th annual Golden Globes.

But the Hollywood veteran was nowhere in sight as model wife Jennifer Flavin and their three daughters, Scarlet, Sistine and Sophia, enjoyed a spending spree in Milan on Thursday evening.

The Stallone girls commanded attention as they browsed the aisles at a Dolce & Gabbana store shortly after arriving in the European fashion capital from their native Los Angeles.

Scroll down for video

Looking good: Sylvester Stallone's wife Jennifer Flavin looked typically chic in a monochrome winter coat and knee-length boots as she stepped out in Milan on Thursday evening

Here come the girls: The former model was joined by their daughters, (L-R) Sophia, Scarlet and Sistine

Leading the pack, former model Jennifer, 48, looked typically chic in a monochrome winter coat and knee-length boots as she made her way inside the sprawling store alongside her daughters.

Oldest daughter Sophia, 20, looked equally stylish in a black turtle neck and skinny jeans, while a fleece collared jacket kept her warm against the bracing winter temperatures.

Meanwhile model Sistine, 18, opted for a casual black top and skinny blue jeans teamed with a quilted jacket and distinctive two-tone trainers.

Youngest sibling Scarlet, 14, matched her relaxed ensemble by opting for a simple vest top and leggings.

Stylish pair: Sophia, 20, looked stylish in a black turtle neck and skinny jeans, while model Sistine, 18, opted for a casual black top and skinny blue jeans teamed with a quilted jacket and distinctive two-tone trainers

Stepping out: The Stallone girls commanded attention shortly after arriving in the European fashion capital from their native Los Angeles.

All three of Sylvester Stallone's daughters travelled to Italy after sharing duties as Miss Golden Globes 2017, presenting the awards and escorting honorees on Sunday.

As to be expected, the Rocky star, 70, approached prepping his trio for the task with the same vigor as he would his most famous Hollywood role.

'He actually makes me train in heels for an hour every day,' Scarlet, 14, told Us Weekly on Wednesday. 'He doesnt want me to fall!'

Low key look: Youngest sibling Scarlet opted for a simple vest top and leggings ahead of an appearance at Dolce & Gabbana with sister Sistine

Here they come: Sophia and mother Jennifer were not far behind the two girls as they made an exit

They're off: The girls piled into a waiting car following a short shopping spree at the designer store

The official announcement was made by Lorenzo Soria on November 10, but it was the ladies' famous father who got to break the news to them.

'We were all sitting in the family room and my dad called us in as if we were going to get some tragic news, Sistine recalled of the day he shared the announcement.

Not knowing what to expect from this impromptu family meeting, the sisters were braced for bad news.

'But he said, I got the call, youre going to be Miss Golden Globes and we freaked out!' Sistine shred. 'My mom blasted the music, dogs were barking and we were dancing!'
They infamously fell out long before co-starring in Oscar-winning drama What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? in 1962.

But there was certainly no bad feeling when Catherine Zeta-Jones joined the starry cast of FX's new anthology series Feud at the promo event for the Television Critics' Association at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Thursday.

The 47-year-old is set to play Olivia de Havilland in the eight-part drama that centers on the backstage battles between two of the greatest movie stars of all time, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, played by Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon respectively.

Channelling old Hollywood style: Catherine Zeta-Jones looked elegant in a blue dress with one shoulder at the TCA promo event for FX's Feud at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena on Thursday

Olivia, best known for Gone With The Wind, was a good friend of Bette's back in the day,

Catherine oozed old Hollywood charm in an elegant blue dress with just one shoulder.

The brunette had to wear a blonde wig to play Olivia who, at 100 years-old, is the only one of the Hollywood icons still alive.

Susan and Jessica were more conservatively dressed.

Timeless beauty: The 47-year-old plays Olivia de Havilland in the series that centers on the bitter row between iconic movie stars, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis

Leading ladies: from left, Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, Alison Wright and Catherine

Lady in black: Susan, looking much younger than her 70 years, plays Bette Davis in the anthology from executive producer Ryan Murphy

Saying it with ther hands: The beautiful redhead wore a black blouse and black skinny trousers for the promo

The 70-year-old redhead looked years younger than her age in a black blouse and skinny leg trousers.

The ever youthful Jessica, 67, wore a black jacket over a white blouse and cropped black trousers.

The Americans star Alison Wright, 40, who plays Pauline, an assistant in charge of development, also opted for a black blouse and trousers for the event.

Cool blonde: Jessica, 67, also wore black, adding a white blouse to her ensemble

Talking with her hands: She plays Joan Crawford in the series about the long simmering spat between Joan and Bette that exploded into back-stage battles on What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1962

Executive producer Ryan Murphy joined his starry cast at The L:angham.

Feud also includes Alfred Molina as Robert Aldrich. the director of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Stanley Tucci as studio executive Jack Warner, Judy Davis as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and Dominic Burgess as Crawford and Daviss co-star Victor Buono.

Feud is set to begin on FX on March 5.

The gang's all here: Executive producer Ryan Murphy, far left, with his leading ladies and other cast and crew. Feud debuts on FX on March 5
He's gearing up for the premiere of his new film Logan next month.

And after spending the holidays in Australia, Hugh Jackman, 48, has returned home to the chilly temperatures of New York City.

The actor and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 61, were spotted braving the cold on Wednesday as they took their dogs out for an early morning walk.

Scroll down for video

Puppy love: Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness were spotted braving the cold on Wednesday as they took their dogs out for an early morning walk

The Golden Globe winner strode the streets of Manhattan comfortably in a pair of black Ugg boots, track pants and a zip-up velour hoodie.

His wife of 20 years chose a relaxed active wear look, pairing black and pink sneakers with three-quarter leggings and a puffy jacket from Canada Goose.

They ensured the pets were protected from the cold, with Dali their French Bulldog matching Hugh in blue, and poodle-terrier mix Allegra in pink like Deborra.

Morning stroll: The actor and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness were spotted braving the cold on Wednesday as they took their dogs out for an early walk

Matchy: They ensured the pets were protected from the cold, with Dali their French Bulldog matching Hugh in blue, and poodle-terrier mix Allegra in pink like Deborra

The casual couple were later seen without their pooches as Hugh walked in front of Deborra upon returning to their home.

The Hollywood star is in the Big Apple working on his latest project, The Greatest Showman On Earth.

He stars as Barnum & Bailey Circus founder P.T. Barnum in the biographical musical drama, set for release on Christmas Day this year.

Wintery: The Golden Globe winner strode the streets of Manhattan comfortably in a pair of black Ugg boots, track pants and a zip-up velour hoodie

Comfy: His wife of 20 years chose a relaxed active wear look, pairing black and pink sneakers with three-quarter leggings and a puffy jacket from Canada Goose

His new movie, Logan, is set to premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival next month.

The debut is being lauded as a major coup, as it's one of the world's leading film festivals and reputable media events and rarely showcases superhero flicks.

Logan is the tenth installment in the X-Men series and the third and final Wolverine solo film.
Usually the one presenting the news, Amber Sherlock made headlines herself on Thursday, when leaked behind-the-scenes footage showed the reporter blasting a colleague over a white dress.

But the 45-year-old's rage-filled moment from this week isn't the only gaffe experienced by the journalist.

Amber's resume of on-air moments also include teleprompter fails and going into labour during live TV.

Scroll down for video

Making headlines: Nine News presenter Amber Sherlock has had more than one dramatic moment both on-air and backstage

Following a live bulletin for Nine News in 2009, Amber endured a seven-second moment of silence while blankly staring at her teleprompter.

The autocue fail saw the mother-of-two lost for words and instead, shuffling pieces of paper around on her desk, before finally continuing with the broadcast.

And in 2010, the brunette went into early labour with her first child, Piper, while presenting a live segment for Weekend Today.

Awkward pause: The 45-year-old suffered seven seconds of silence while her teleprompter failed during a live broadcast in 2009

While on-air her waters broke, and she was rushed to hospital where she gave birth to her daughter, six weeks before the due date.

Meanwhile, the drama continues backstage, with Yahoo Be reporting that the journalist is also very protective of her makeup products.

It's claimed that Amber has her own stash of beauty products in the studios, and is prohibited for use by any other presenters or guests, although in television terms this is not unusual.

Backstage drama: The mother-of-two is also said to have her own stash of makeup products in the studios, which can only be used on her and no other presenter or guest, although in television terms this is not unusual

On Thursday, Amber was accused of being a 'diva' by audiences on social media, after leaked footage from the Nine News studio showed a heated argument between the reporter and her colleague Julie Snook.

Wearing a white dress, Amber lost it at Julie when she arrived to the studio also wearing the same colour, demanding her to get changed and 'put a jacket on'.

Guest psychologist Sandy Rea was also wearing white, although Amber had no issue with her.

Labour: In 2010, the journalist's waters broke while presenting live on Weekend Today

Unexpected: She went into labour on live TV and was eventually rushed to hospital where she gave birth to her daughter Piper, six weeks earlier than the due date

Shane-O tweeted: 'Haha. Amber Sherlock is a bit of a diva. They'll laugh it off, but she was in full blown diva mode there!'

Adam Richard joked: 'Amber Sherlock currently yelling at her refrigerator that it needs to put a jacket on. Dishwasher is fine, she told her already.'

The clip, which was published by Mumbrella, showed Amber speaking to a producer, demanding: 'I need Julie to put a jacket on because we're all in white. I asked her before we came on Julie you need to put a jacket on.'

Gone viral: Thursday's leaked footage of Amber blasting her colleague Julie Snook (left) for wearing the same colour as her has now gone viral

Her fellow Nine News reporter apologised and said she had been 'flat out' and had not had time to switch into a different colour.

But a furious Ms Sherlock had no time for her apology and continued to demand she get changed before going live.

Psychologist Sandy, who by this point looked very uncomfortable, offered to find a jacket herself, as she was wearing white.

Heated: After an intense exchange, whereby Amber demanded her colleague to find a jacket to wear at the last minute before a broadcast, Julie was finally able to find something to wear

Amber insisted the guest was 'fine' to wear white, but 'there can't be three of us' and continued to berate Julie until she was finally able to find a black jacket to wear over the top of her dress.

Despite the row, both Amber and Julie laughed off the incident in a statement on Thursday night.

'Live TV can be a pretty stressful beast, at times,' Amber said.

Social media reactions: Twitter users joked about the reporter's meltdown, with one tweeting: 'Amber Sherlock currently yelling at her refrigerator that it needs to put a jacket on. Dishwasher is fine, she told her already'

'Diva': Another branded the journalist a 'diva' while praising her colleague Julie for handling herself 'so well'

'And as anyone knows, it's never much fun rocking up to work or to a party in the same outfit as one of your colleagues or friends. I probably overreacted with the pressure of presenting a live news bulletin.

'Thank goodness we had psychologist Sandy Rae around afterwards!!'

Julie meanwhile, insisted there were no hard feelings between the pair, and joked about the fight.

'What can I say? Amber and I just really love white!' she said.

'Amber and I are good friends and I really enjoy working with her. News is a fast moving environment and sometimes these things happen.'
He previously claimed that he would be staying 'off the booze' in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

But after enjoying a drink most nights in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Austin Armacost confided in Coleen Nolan and admitted he has an 'issue' with alcohol.

Speaking candidly during Thursday night's show, the reality star, 28, admitted: 'I can definitely say that I have an issue with drinking.'

Scroll down for video

Drinking: After enjoying a drink most nights in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Austin Armacost admitted he has an 'issue' with alcohol

He continued: 'I dont think Im an alcoholic I dont want to justify it, but I hardly ever drink when Im at home.'

Coleen reasoned: 'I think youre using it as self-medication in here. Even when you have a drink, theres a really fun lovely part of you!

'Its just when you have one that takes you over the line and you're almost looking for a fight.'

Austin's confession came after he admitted that he would be staying away from drink whilst he tried to come to terms with a family tragedy.

Changed his mind: Austin previously claimed that he would be staying 'off the booze' in the Celebrity Big Brother house but has enjoyed a drink most nights

Confessions: Speaking candidly during Thursday night's show, the reality star, 28, admitted to Coleen Nolan: 'I can definitely say that I have an issue with drinking'

In the only pre-show interview he conducted before entering the new season, Austin revealed the tragic details of his turbulent family life, shedding light on his recent altercations.

'My brother died as a direct result of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan,' he told former civilian housemate Andy West. 'He was an infantry man with the US army. He did 17 months in Iraq.'

Austin's brother Tyler returned from the war with PTSD and a back injury, which could have potentially been fixed with a particularly expensive procedure.

'Instead of giving him back surgery that would have cost $40k, doctors packed him full of painkillers,' the reality star explained. 'As a result, he crossed over and fell at the wheel [while he was driving] and got hit by a semi-truck, a lorry.'

'He was standing at the end of my bed with gun!' Austin previously revealed the tragic family heartbreak behind his behaviour in the CBB house and said he 'needs help'

A shadow of his former self: The past week has seen a slightly different Austin Armacost to the one viewers got to know in the 2015 season

Honest: In the only pre-show interview he conducted before entering the new season, the 28-year-old revealed the tragic details of his turbulent family life, shedding light on his recent altercations

Austin made no qualms about the fact that he blames his brother's tragic and untimely end on after-effects of the war. He slammed the doctors treating him for prescribing such a large amount of pills - 'just so he could get through the day' - and noted that Tyler didn't drink or do street drugs.

'It was harder to take care of my brother than a mentally disabled or physically disabled person,' Austin went on. 'Not only was he left with massive issues, flashbacks...he had loaded weapons.

'Any PTSD doctor will tell you not to take guns off a sufferer unless they're suicidal or homicidal.'

Austin went on to recount the chilling events that would take place in his family home, following Tyler's return from the war: 'I'd wake up 3am and my brother - who had been up for 72 hours - would be standing at the foot of my bed with a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson [gun] with hollow point bullets that would have killed me in one shot.'

Angry: Austin made no qualms about the fact that he blames his brother's tragic and untimely end on after-effects of the war

Get me out! ' I got angry and bitter and upset. I look for people to blame. But that won't bring my brother back,' he admitted

Opening up: 'My brother died as a direct result of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan,' he told former civilian housemate Andy West (pictured)

The former star of The A List explained that this wasn't a threatening act and that he simply went everywhere with his gun.

'When he was asleep, awake, to the grocery store. My family all carry weapons!' he admitted.

Austin told the story of when a gun shot went off upstairs while he, his father and his other brother were playing cards downstairs.

'We walked up. The door was closed. I was at the front and I said that I just couldn't walk in there first. If I'd have walked in and seen what I thought was on the other side of the door I wouldn't have been able to handle it.'

In fact, the gun had gone off accidentally, and his brother remained unscathed until the tragic incident with the truck.

Guarded: Austin's furious exchange with Strictly's James Jordan saw him demanding to leave the show

Rage: Austin has clashed repeatedly with the likes of James Jordan, Spencer Pratt (pictured) and Stacy Francis, seen to drink heavily and kick off

Heartbreak: Revealing further family tragedy, Austin revealed that Tyler signed up for the army the day after 9/11 following the death of their cousin who had been on 105th floor of the World Trade Centre and died in the terror attacks

Revealing further family tragedy, Austin explained that Tyler signed up for the army the day after 9/11, following the death of their cousin who had been on 105th floor of the World Trade Centre and perished in the terror attacks.

'One of the hardest parts for me as a human, and a man, is you want to protect the people you love,' he said.

Austin's mother went to prison after she was caught embezzling money from her employer - thought to be around $700,000 - in order to help Tyler through the difficult time before he died.

'Once she went to prison my dad lost it,' Austin said. 'I would wake up on a loop for six weeks with him wailing.

'[Because of this] I cut off emotion...it's why my marriage dissolved. I became an a**hole. I got angry and bitter and upset. I look for people to blame. But that won't bring my brother back.'

Guilt: Austin expressed that he feels guilty if he doesn't cry, and so holds it in and spends sleepness nights in tears

Anguish: Austin admitted that if he drinks in the day when he's alone he lets himself look in the mirror

Turmoil: 'I still cry because its something that happened, I still haven't accepted it . I'm a proud man; I don't like to show vulnerability. Professional help is my next step - that or drink!' he explained

Austin expressed that he feels guilty if he doesn't cry, and so holds it in and spends sleepness nights in tears.

'I still cry because its something that happened, I still haven't accepted it. I'm a proud man; I don't like to show vulnerability.

'Professional help is my next step - that or drink! I have thrown myself into exercise but it's masking me being upset. It's different to sitting down and going "okay let's deal with this, where do I go from here? What is my ultimate outcome from these circumstances?"'

Austin ended the chat by admitting that if he drinks in the day when he's alone he lets himself look in the mirror.

Outcry: Since appearing on the show he has been seen drinking wine and having venomous arguments with other housemates while under the influence

Letting go: 'I have thrown myself into exercise but it's masking me being upset. It's different to sitting down and going "okay let's deal with this, where do I go from here? What is my ultimate outcome from these circumstances?"' the reality star said

Celebrity Big Brother airs nightly on Channel 5 from 9PM.
By her own admission, Claudia Winkleman regularly leaves the house looking like she has slept in a skip.

Only now do we know why: her mother, Eve Pollard, banned all mirrors from the house when she was growing up.

Determined her daughter should be reliant on her brain, not her looks, the former newspaper editor instilled an admirable lack of vanity in the Strictly Come Dancing host - one, it seems, that has lasted into adulthood.

I got it from my mama: By her own admission, Claudia Winkleman regularly leaves the house looking like she has slept in a skip. Only now do we know why: her mother, Eve Pollard, banned all mirrors from the house when she was growing up

While particularly memorable public appearances include a red carpet event which saw the 44-year-old likened to a cavewoman, and a recent television one drew comparisons to notorious, smudged make-up-wearing rocker, Alice Cooper.

Speaking on stage at the In Conversation with Standard Issue event in London on Wednesday night, Miss Winkleman said: I was brought up by the strongest and most brilliant woman Ive ever come across - my mum.

She was strong and fantastic and taught me everything I needed to know in being female. We werent allowed any mirrors in the house, which would explain how I do my makeup... and the fact I look like Ive slept in a skip.

Role model: Determined her daughter should be reliant on her brain, not her looks, the former newspaper editor instilled an admirable lack of vanity in the Strictly Come Dancing host

I was 15 going out saying, "Mum, I need to know how I look, give me an idea!" Shed say, "fine"; she wanted to teach us that appearance is a waste of time, its not in the least bit important.

Read books, be funny, be clever, be chatty, this is how you make an omelette.... She was, and still is, my role model.

The presenter, who has previously admitted to never removing her eye make-up, is one of the most popular female stars on television - one particularly revered by women for her no nonsense style.

Her hero: Speaking on stage at the In Conversation with Standard Issue event in London on Wednesday night, Miss Winkleman said: I was brought up by the strongest and most brilliant woman Ive ever come across - my mum

Since 2010 she has co-hosted Strictly and she regularly presents the Comic and Sport Relief events on BBC1.

While she may be blessed with naturally glossy chestnut locks, the Cambridge graduate does not always run a hairbrush through them.

At the 2013 GQ awards, the mother of three memorably arrived with wild, dishevelled tresses, and eyeliner almost down to her nostrils.

TV star: The Strictly Come Dancing presenter is one of the most popular female stars on television - one particularly revered by women for her no nonsense style

And after doing her own make-up on the hit BBC1 dance show, fans compared her appearance to that of ageing rockers Gene Simmons and Alice Cooper.

However, on Thursday, her mother was quick to leap to Miss Winklemans defence - and said she was proud of her daughter, eyeliner or no eyeliner.

The 71-year-old broadcaster, who was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to journalism, told the Mail: I always felt it was more important to make people laugh, and to be a thinking, sensible being than just rely on your looks.

Her style secrets: While she may be blessed with naturally glossy chestnut locks, the Strictly host does not always run a hairbrush through them

Back then, it was a very male-dominated, testosterone-fuelled industry and the reality of 2017 is that there are still a lot of men in charge. Naturally men will fancy you if youre attractive, but what is much more attractive is to appeal to their brain.

I think its important to teach girls that they are people first and looks second. Frankly, mirrors are for brushing your teeth and thats about it - and I hope this has stood her in good stead for her career now.

Claudia works in one of the most vanity-obsessed industries and, yes, of course she uses the Strictly facilities and the spray tan, but the basics are actually about her being silly, funny and smart when she needs to.

When I see [pictures of her with make-up everywhere], I think good for her. But the reality is she is rising about, she has three kids and shes juggling all the balls.
It's the controversial series taking an inside look at the lives of some of Sydney's most lavish women.

And even though Real Housewives Of Sydney is yet to hit TV screens, the claws have already come out among some of its leading ladies.

Lisa Oldfield, a corporate leader and wife of former politician David, has hit out at her co-stars after it was revealed in the media this week that in one episode of the show she took her kids to the economy section of a plane so they could see 'poor people'.

Scroll down for video

Claws out: Lisa Oldfield took to Instagram on Thursday to share this screenshot of a Daily Mail Australia article and criticise one of her fellow co-stars for their parenting techniques

#mortified: The 41-year-old (pictured) hasn't been afraid to hit out at her co-stars even before the series airs

Taking to Instagram, the 41-year-old shared a screenshot of a Daily Mail Australia article about the issue with a less than pleasant caption.

'#mortified that one of my fellow #rhosydney #castmates could #parent like this #parvenu #gauche #arriviste #nouveauriche,' Oldfield wrote alongside the photo.

It came after a source on the set of the show told the Daily Telegraph about the shock parenting technique.

'One of the ladies tells about her way of teaching her kids about the class system by taking their kids to the economy seats on a plane and saying: 'This is what poor people look like', the source said.

Days before criticising her fellow RHOS cast member Oldfield - who is a mother-of-two herself - took to social media to share a photo of her being a doting mum.

She posted before and after shots of her six-year-old son Harry at a Sydney hairdresser with the hashtage 'bigboy'.

On point: This week Oldfield (pictured) posted this photo from the hairdressers with her son

Past and present: Oldfield is the wife of former One Nation politician David (pictured left) but didn't take too kindly to being referred to as a 'politicians wife' in the RHOS opening credits

Although the show doesn't air on Arena until February 26, Oldfield hasn't been afraid to make the early headlines.

On Tuesday she criticised Foxtel for incorrectly labelling her as a 'politician's wife' in the reality show's opening credit sequence.

Upset with the label, she again took to Instagram to vent her frustrations.

Not happy: She took to Instagram to complain about being referred to as a 'politician's wife' in the show's opening credits, instead calling herself 'Force of Nature who knows David Oldfield'

'Can you believe after an enormously successful corporate career @foxtel have labelled me as a #politicianswife?' she wrote alongside a screenshot of her in the opening credits.

Nevermind that my husband left #politics 10 years ago! I think I just became a #feminist at 41 #firstworldproblems #rhosydney #rhos #pissedoff.'

The Real Housewives Of Sydney stars AthenaX Levendi, Krissy Marsh, Lisa Oldfield, Matty Samuel, Melissa Tkautz, Nicole O'Neil and Victoria Rees.

The Real Housewives Of Sydney will premiere on Arena on February 26.
New lease of life for Jakarta's once-filthy rivers

A group of children gathered on the banks of the Ciliwung river in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, staring into the water and casting nets to try to catch fish.

Such a scene would have been unthinkable several years ago on the major river, which used to be heavily polluted with stinking rubbish that blanketed the water's surface.

The waterways that criss-cross the teeming, overcrowded city of 10 million inhabitants are getting a new lease of life after the local government began a programme to dredge and widen them in 2014.

A scheme to dredge and widen the 14 waterways that criss-cross Jakarta started in 2014 has also removed much rubbish and pollution GOH CHAI HIN (AFP)

"Much has been achieved, our rivers used to be very filthy," Isnawa Adji, head of the Jakarta environment agency, told AFP.

The rivers have been a central part of life for many in Jakarta for years, particularly those living in the poor slum areas that have grown up alongside them.

It is common to see adults and children swimming in the filthy water to escape Indonesia's searing, tropical heat, and small, wooden boats navigating the waterways.

As well as ridding Jakarta's 14 rivers of rubbish, authorities have pushed a programme of evictions to clear housing alongside the waterways, allowing them to be widened.

This is aimed at easing the floods that inundate Jakarta every year during the months-long rainy season but has also proved controversial, with activists accusing the government of tearing communities apart by forcing families from their homes.

Most of the main rivers have now been cleared of rubbish, said Adji, and the agency is now focusing on cleaning up more than 1,000 smaller waterways.

The narrow ducts typically run through slums, and residents have been dumping trash in the waterways for decades due to the lack of a decent rubbish disposal system in poor areas.

Activists praised the government's efforts, saying the livelihoods of those in riverside communities had improved, but urged authorities to do more to stop people illegally dumping rubbish.

"We need to strictly enforce the law against people who throw their waste in the rivers," said Abdul Kodir, founder of group "The Ciliwung lovers' community".
Stranded Bali tourists to head home after flights axed

Hundreds of tourists stranded on the resort island of Bali following the suspension of Tigerair Australia flights this week were given the green light to fly out Thursday after Indonesian officials grounded the carrier for violating regulations.

Officials granted Tigerair Australia permission to depart from Bali to Australia, the company said in a statement, adding that the airline would only be able to do so until January 16.

Hundreds of Tigerair Australia passengers have been forced to remain on Bali following a decision by authorities Wednesday to ground flights with the carrier after the airline allegedly broke Indonesian regulations.

Visitors to Bali often face travel disruptions, but it remains a popular travel destination SONNY TUMBELAKA (AFP/File)

The budget carrier said six of its services between Australia and the Indonesian island were axed on Thursday and Friday a day after the disruption began with the cancellation of several flights.

About 700 passengers were affected by the cancellations Thursday, and a similar number were affected Wednesday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Tigerair said the chaos was caused by the Indonesian government's decision to "impose new administrative requirements for the operation of its flights between Bali and Australia".

However the Indonesian transport ministry said it made the move after administrative violations by the airline.

It said Tigerair should not have been selling tickets within Indonesia for its chartered flights. Only Virgin Australia, Tigerair Australia's parent company, was authorised to sell the tickets, it said.

"All foreign airlines must comply with our regulations," ministry spokesman Agoes Soebagio said in a statement, adding all Tigerair Australia flights would be cancelled until requirements had been fulfilled.

Tigerair said Virgin Australia was sending two flights to Bali to bring affected customers back.

Bali, a pocket of ancient Hindu culture in Muslim-majority Indonesia, attracts millions of foreign tourists every year to its palm-fringed beaches and is a particular favourite with visitors from neighbouring Australia.
A former surgeon was Thursday found guilty of murdering five members of a Chinese-Australian family in Sydney, including two children, in a gruesome case that shocked the country.

Robert Xie, 53, was charged with killing his Chinese-born brother-in-law Norman Lin, Lin's wife Lily, their sons Henry, 12, and Terry, 9, and Lily's sister Irene.

Their bodies were found in their northwestern Sydney home in July 2009.

Scroll down for video

A jury in Sydney has found Robert Xie guilty of murdering five members of a Chinese-Australian family WILLIAM WEST (AFP/File)

The long-running case saw Xie -- an ear, nose and throat surgeon in China before moving to Australia in 2002 -- face four murder trials. Two were aborted, one ended in a hung jury and the most recent retrial lasted six months.

Xie was found guilty by the majority of a New South Wales Supreme Court jury, and will be sentenced on February 10, a court official told AFP.

"I did not murder the Lin family, I am innocent," Xie told the court after the verdict was announced, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

His wife sobbed, saying "he's innocent", the newspaper added.

Prosecutors alleged that Xie was motivated by bitterness towards the family.

It was Xie and his wife Kathy Lin, the sister of Norman, who discovered the bodies and called police, sparking a mammoth investigation spanning Australia and China. He was eventually charged in 2011.
Feuding Indian politicians do battle over a bicycle

The humble bicycle has taken centre stage in a bitter battle for control of the party that runs India's most populous state, underscoring the enduring importance of symbols in the politics of the world's biggest democracy.

India's myriad political parties are all represented in the polling booth by pictoral symbols -- a system that dates back to the first elections after independence, when fewer than one in five voters could read.

Although literacy rates have vastly improved since then, the symbols are still seen as hugely powerful marketing tools that provide instant brand recognition.

Akhilesh Yadav (L) is in a dispute with his father Mulayam Singh for control of the Samajwadi Party and its bicycle symbol Prakash SINGH (AFP/File)

Party names do not appear on the electronic voting machines in poll booths, which show only the name of the candidate alongside the party symbol.

That makes the bicycle a hugely valuable commodity ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh, India's biggest state, whose youthful chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, famously cycled around the campaign trail last time around.

"If pitched right, the symbol defines a value proposition," said the Bangalore-based branding expert Shivakumar Viswanathan.

"The bicycle is a poor man's transportation so it appeals to the masses -- effectively it is saying, 'I am with you'."

On Friday the Election Commission will hold a hearing to determine whether Yadav or his septuagenarian father Mulayam, who is refusing to cede control of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), has the right to use the bicycle symbol in the event of a formal split.

If no agreement can be reached, the Commission could rule that neither side can use the symbol and force the party and any breakaway factions to choose new ones with just weeks to go before the polls open.

They could face a difficult choice. The symbols the Commission's website lists as free include a plane and a car, neither of which has quite the same party-of-the-people connotations.

More baffling are the symbols that appear rooted in another era. These include a harmonium, a steam train, and a dolli -- a covered sedan chair once used to carry those who could afford to be carried and now used mostly for wedding ceremonies.

- Ban on animals -

There are several precedents for a party losing its symbol, such as when the Congress party of India's first leader Jawaharlal Nehru split in the late 1970s.

When the Election Commission chose to freeze the party symbol showing a cow tending to her calf Nehru's daughter, party leader Indira Gandhi, chose the current party symbol of a hand, palm facing forward to signify openness.

According to The Times of India the choice was initially unpopular with some party members who feared it could remind voters of traffic police -- but the symbol stuck nonetheless.

The ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uses a lotus flower, which is associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Perhaps the most successful new symbol of recent years is the broom deployed by the Aam Aadmi ("common man") Party that won state elections in Delhi two years ago on a promise to sweep away endemic corruption.

Parties are no longer allowed to pick animal symbols after activists raised concerns that it could lead to abuse of real animals.

According to reports, one candidate in the 1950s lost after a live chicken he brought to the polling booth to match his chosen symbol was eaten by vultures -- a less than auspicious sign.

The Election Commission has said it wants to settle the dispute over the SP's bicycle before January 17, when the process of nominating candidates for the first phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh begins.

The Hindustan Times quoted one supporter of Akhilesh Yadav as saying the party could survive the loss of the symbol as "this is the age of WhatsApp and Facebook. Within minutes, the party symbol will get communicated to every village in the state".

But in rural India things may not be that simple.

"The political party symbol in India is very important," former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi told AFP.

"Many people only identify a party with its symbol. If this cycle symbol of the Samajwadi Party is frozen for everyone by the election commission, lots of people may get confused."
Sydney-Hobart yachting champion ordered to stay away from wife

The skipper of the winning Sydney to Hobart yacht was Thursday ordered to stay away from his wife by an Australian court, just weeks after smashing the gruelling race's record.

Accountant Anthony Bell made global headlines when he broke the iconic contest's record by almost five hours with Australian supermaxi Perpetual LOYAL to take line honours in late December.

Bell, who is also the yacht's owner, was photographed hugging his wife Kelly Landry after getting off the boat in Hobart in the early hours of December 28.

Australian supermaxi yacht Perpetual LOYAL competes in the Sydney to Hobart race, off Australian coast, on December 26, 2016 Daniel Forster (Rolex/AFP/File)

But he said through a lawyer in a Sydney court that he was seeking a divorce from Landry, after police brought an apprehended violence order (AVO) against him on her behalf in relation to an incident on the same day as the win, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported.

"He is not going back to that house, he is divorcing his wife and he will continue to support her as the mother of his children," lawyer Chris Murphy told Waverley Local Court, the newspaper reported.

Bell agreed to an interim AVO until the case is heard again on February 17, a court official told AFP.

Landry is a well-known former television presenter who has two young children with Bell, who also took out the Sydney-Hobart line honours in 2011 with Investec Loyal -- the first time he sailed in the race.

Bell signalled his intent to move on after the latest win.
Syria regime strikes kill six civilians: monitor

Syrian government air strikes killed at least six civilians, including four children, in Aleppo province on Thursday, despite a fragile two-week-old truce, a monitor said.

In neighbouring Idlib province, at least 22 jihadists were killed in air strikes over the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Some were carried out by government aircraft, others by aircraft of the US-led coalition, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

A nationwide truce brokered by regime supporter Russia and rebel backer Turkey has brought quiet to large parts of Syria, but sporadic violence has continued in some areas Abd Doumany (AFP/File)

The civilians were killed early on Thursday when a government air strike hit a house in the village of Babka in the west of Aleppo province.

It said the death toll could rise because a number of the wounded were in serious condition.

Most of the dead in the Idlib strikes were fighters of the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham.

Two of the group's commanders were among 16 fighters killed in a coalition strike on their convoy on Wednesday, the Observatory said.

Earlier, three allied jihadists were killed in a government raid.

Later, three Fateh al-Sham fighters were killed in apparent drone strikes.

The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.

The strikes came despite a nationwide truce brokered by regime supporter Russia and rebel backer Turkey that has been in place since December 30.

The truce does not include Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, or the Islamic State group.

The ceasefire has brought quiet to large parts of the country, but sporadic violence has continued in some areas, threatening the fragile agreement.

Idlib province is largely controlled by a powerful alliance of opposition forces known as the Army of Conquest, which is dominated by Fateh al-Sham.
Isner bounced from ATP Auckland Classic

Two-time champion John Isner joined the exodus of seeds from the ATP Auckland Classic in New Zealand on Thursday, leaving the race for the title wide open.

Isner, the winner in 2010 and 2014, was seeded second this year but fell in the quarter-finals to fellow American Steve Johnson.

His exit robs the Australian Open warm-up tournament of another drawcard after other top seeds including four-time winner David Ferrer and defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut also departed for Melbourne early.

Steve Johnson (pictured) of the US knocked out two-time champion, compatriot John Isner from the ATP Auckland Classic in New Zealand on January 12, 2017 Miguel Medina (AFP/File)

American world number 23 Jack Sock, the fouth seed, was the highest ranked player to make the semis, where he will face Johnson.

The main threat to Sock's chance of claiming a maiden ATP title is probably enigmatic Cypriot eighth seed Marcos Baghdatis, who faces Portugal's Joao Sousa in his semi-final.

Isner had complained about feeling rusty after his previous match and his woes continued in the 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3) loss as he committed 53 unforced errors.

The hardworking Johnson, ranked 33 in the world, carved out three break point opportunities early in the first set but each time Isner's thunderbolt serve blasted him out of trouble.

The tactic failed on the fourth occasion, giving Johnson a decisive edge that allowed him to comfortably serve out the set.

Isner clawed back to take a closely fought second set 7-5 after 47 minutes, then held off a string of break point chances to force a third set tie-break.

But the towering world number 19 went behind immediately as Johnson continued to target his serve and went on to claim a deserved victory.

"Hopefully I can continue that form and you never now what tomorrow holds," the Californian right-hander said.

Sock downed Jeremy Chardy 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, setting up an incredible 25 break points against the dogged Frenchman, whose resistance slowly crumbled after he claimed the first set.

On the other side of the draw, Baghdatis had no trouble brushing aside Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4.

A fit-looking Baghdatis excelled as on-court temperatures reached 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit), racing around and looking ready for the energy-sapping conditions of Melbourne Park, where he reached the final in 2006.

Vesely, who won the only title of his career in Auckland two years ago, wilted in the heat as the Cypriot peppered him with winners.

Sousa also enjoyed a straight-forward victory, eliminating Dutchman Robin Haase 6-3, 6-2. He is yet to drop a set in Auckland and remains a dark horse contender for the title.
South African president says ANC ready for female leader

South African President Jacob Zuma has said the ruling ANC party is ready for its first female leader, days after his former wife was named by the party's influential women's league as its choice to succeed him.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has four children with President Zuma, is the head of the African Union Commission and a leading candidate to take office as president at the 2019 general election.

Zuma is expected to step down as African National Congress (ANC) party leader at the end of this year, although he will remain the country's premier until the election when his successor as head of the ANC will likely also succeed him as national president.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has four children with President Zuma, is a leading candidate to take office as president at the 2019 general election Filippo Monteforte (AFP/File)

Dlamini-Zuma, 67, has not declared her candidacy, but last weekend the ANC women's league gave her a major boost by publicly declaring its support.

"It is no longer a discussion in the ANC whether a woman can take a high leadership position or not," Zuma said on local radio.

"The ANC is ready for that in fact the party has been ready for some time.

"It will depend on the integrity that she possesses and whether members see her fit for the position."

Fielding listeners' questions on another public radio on Thursday, the president said Dlamini-Zuma possessed the credentials to lead Africa's most advanced economy.

"If Nkosazana becomes the president, is that not a concern to the family? In fact not at all. She has grown in the (liberation) struggle, she has held a number of positions, she has been a minister. There is no question at all.

"If the ANC says 'we think we can give you this responsibility' and she agrees, that's not a concern at all, not at all in so far as the Zuma family is concerned."

Zuma, 74, who has been engulfed by corruption scandals and poor economic data since he came to power in 2009, completes the maximum two terms in office as national president in 2019.

In August, the ANC -- which came to power in 1994 under Nelson Mandela after the end of apartheid -- recorded its worst-ever election results at local polls.

Among Zuma's other possible successors are deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize.

Zuma survived an attempt by ANC rivals to oust him in November, shrugging off criticism of his conduct by the official anti-graft watchdog and the Constitutional Court.

Dlamini-Zuma is not seeking a second mandate at the African Union, a move that has increased speculation that she has ambitions to succeed her ex-husband at the ANC.

She has held a string of ministerial posts under South African presidents, including the foreign affairs and home minister portfolios.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
US tweet riles Turkey over Kurdish fighters

A tweet sent by US Central Command insisting its Kurdish allies in the fight against IS in Syria are not linked to outlawed militants in Turkey whipped up a storm Thursday, with Ankara asking if Washington had "lost its senses".

Relations between the United States and Turkey have become increasingly bitter in the last month, with Ankara expressing hope of a "new chapter" under President-elect Donald Trump.

Turkey argues the Kurdish fighters backed by Washington in the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria are a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), while Washington insists they are part of a legitimate multi-ethnic opposition group called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Turkey argues the Kurdish fighters backed by the US in the fight against the IS group in Syria are a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party Kayhan Ozer (TURKEY'S PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP/File)

"SDF confirms that it has no affiliation or ties to PKK," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Twitter.

It posted a copy of a SDF statement saying it was made up of Arab, Turkic and Assyrian as well as Kurdish factions.

But analysts see the SDF as dominated by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls the YPG as a "terror group" over links to the PKK, and has repeatedly blasted the US for working with the group on the ground in Syria.

"Is this a joke or @CENTCOM has lost its senses? Do you believe anyone will buy this? The US must stop trying to legitimise a terrorist group," Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted.

Serdar Kilic, Turkey's ambassador to Washington, added: "@CENTCOM this account must be hacked by PKK".

The US backing of the YPG and criticism of the human rights climate in Turkey has angered Ankara in the final months of the administration of President Barack Obama.

"America's friends and allies are watching closely to gauge how America will reposition itself globally once President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in," Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.

In an article for the Washington Post he said that America's "continued insistence in Syria of working with a terrorist organisation" had placed the Turkey-US relationship under "severe strain".
Tillerson hits out at China during Senate hearing

Donald Trump's secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson hit out at China during his Senate confirmation hearing, warning the US would send a "clear signal" that the Asian giant must abandon its artificial islands in the South China Sea.

"We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first the island building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed," Tillerson told a US Senate panel.

Beijing has fuelled regional tensions by turning tiny, ecologically fragile reefs and islets in the strategically vital South China Sea into artificial islands hosting military facilities.

Former ExxonMobil executive Rex Tillerson testifies during his confirmation hearing for Secretary of State before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, on January 11, 2017 Saul Loeb (AFP)

The former ExxonMobil chief said China's building in the disputed waters and its declaration of an air defence identification zone over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea were "illegal actions".

"They are taking territory or control or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully China's."

Beijing asserts a claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea, based on a "nine-dash line" dating to 1940s-era maps.

An international tribunal -- whose jurisdiction Beijing rejected -- ruled last year that there was no legal basis to such claims.

Tillerson added that "building islands and then putting military assets on those island is akin to Russia's taking of Crimea."

His remarks came amid rising tensions between the two countries as Trump has suggested Washington could jettison its decades-old "One China" policy, and the Chinese military has ramped up activities in a show of strength, with its Liaoning aircraft carrier passing through the Taiwan Strait in a show of strength.

Tillerson said the US should affirm to Taipei it will live up to its commitments to Taiwan, which could require the US to intervene militarily if China attacks the island, but added he did not know of any plans to alter the "One China" policy.

In his remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he also criticised China for failing to sufficiently help rein in North Korea.

"China has proven a willingness to act with abandon in the pursuit of its own goals which at times has put it in conflict with American interests. We have to deal with what we see, not what we hope," Tillerson said.

"It has not been a reliable partner in using its full influence to curb North Korea," he added. Beijing is a close Pyongyang ally and is seen as critical in helping contain the pariah state's nuclear activities.

But the former oil executive said disagreements with Beijing on some issues should not preclude "productive partnership" on other matters.

Trump's nominee also branded Russia a "danger" during the hearing, signaling that he is prepared to diverge from the president-elect and take a firm line with Moscow.

Chinese warships conduct naval drills near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea

Disputed claims in the South China Sea Adrian LEUNG, Gal ROMA (AFP)
Nigeria should consider asylum for The Gambia's Jammeh: MPs

Nigeria should consider giving asylum to The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh as a way of ending the political crisis in his country, lawmakers said on Thursday.

A motion passed in the lower chamber House of Representatives gave members' backing to regional efforts to resolve the dispute, sparked by Jammeh's refusal to accept election results.

The MPs said "the clock is ticking fast" for The Gambia and there was a need to step up diplomacy, as the possibility of violence and mass displacement threatened West African stability.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh lost December 1 elections to opposition candidate Adama Barrow but has vowed to challenge the results in court Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

They called on Jammeh to "respect the will of the people", who voted for opposition candidate Adama Barrow in the December 1 election.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who is leading the regional diplomatic effort, should "extend Nigeria's readiness to offer... Jammeh safe haven in Nigeria to live securely as a way of ending the political stalemate in The Gambia", they added.

The motion is not binding on the government and there was no immediate response from Buhari, who is expected to travel to Banjul on Friday for talks.

Buhari's Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said on Tuesday that "violence should be avoided but nothing is ruled out" by regional bloc ECOWAS to ensure The Gambia's constitution was upheld.

Jammeh has taken legal action against the election result and said he will not step down until his complaint is heard.

That has raised the prospect of months of political deadlock because The Gambia lacks Supreme Court judges to handle the case.
Netanyahu dismisses 'rigged' Paris peace conference

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday dismissed as "rigged" this weekend's Middle East peace conference in Paris, with his government refusing to play any role in the meeting.

Sunday's conference to be attended by some 70 nations is aimed at exploring ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

Israel rejects the conference but Netanyahu says he is willing to hold bilateral talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this weekend's Paris peace talks as "a fraud, a Palestinian fraud supported by France, the aim of which is to adopt additional anti-Israeli positions" Gali TIBBON (AFP/File)

The Palestinians have welcomed the multilateral approach, saying years of negotiations have not ended Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances," Netanyahu said while meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende in Jerusalem.

"This pushes peace backwards. It's not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past. It's a last gasp of the past before the future sets in."

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

The conference comes on the heels of a landmark UN Security Council resolution passed on December 23 calling for a halt to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory.

In a rare move, the United States declined to use its veto and abstained, allowing the measure to pass 14-0.

Israel fears this weekend's conference will produce measures that could then be taken to the Security Council and approved before January 20 -- when Donald Trump takes over as US president.

Trump, who had called for US President Barack Obama's administration to veto the December 23 resolution, has signalled far more favourable policy towards Israel.

Obama's administration became increasingly frustrated with settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.

Israel later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

Settlements are built on land the Palestinians view as part of their future state and are seen as illegal under international law.

- 'Above the law' -

The United States and others say continued settlement building is steadily eating away at the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and 200,000 Israelis live in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state.

The settler movement holds important political power in Israel, and key members of Netanyahu's coalition push hard for more construction in the West Bank.

Some openly oppose a Palestinian state and call for Israel to annex most of the territory.

French President Francois Hollande said Thursday the objective of the conference is to "reaffirm the international community's support for the two-state solution and to ensure that the solution remains the reference."

However, in comments to ambassadors in Paris, he said peace would ultimately only come through bilateral negotiations.

Sporadic violence has meanwhile continued and Israel argues the conference rewards it.

On Sunday, a Palestinian rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four of them.

The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, dominated by Fatah, calls for peaceful resistance, but has not specifically condemned such attacks.

It however remains divided from Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip and calls for Israel's destruction.

Palestinian leaders have sharply criticised Israel's decision not to participate in the Paris conference.

The Israelis and Palestinians will not take part in the main gathering, but Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is due to meet his French counterpart Francois Hollande on Monday to be briefed on the proceedings, Palestinian officials say.

"Israel cannot continue to be above the law," Mohammad Shtayyeh, a senior Palestinian official and Fatah central committee member, said this week.
US troops arriving in Poland draw Russian ire

US troops and tanks began arriving in Poland Thursday, part of one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the Cold War that will eventually involve more than 3,000 soldiers.

The Pentagon operation sparked immediate anger from Russia, with the Kremlin describing it as a "threat" on its "doorstep."

The Atlantic Resolve mission will see an armoured brigade with more than 3,000 Amercian soldiers and heavy equipment deployed in Poland and nearby NATO partners Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary on a rotational basis.

American soldiers participate in a welcoming ceremony at the Polish-German border on January 12, 2017 NATALIA DOBRYSZYCKA (AFP)

The outgoing Obama administration ordered the deployment in 2014 to reassure eastern allies after Russia's actions in Ukraine.

But the operation comes a week ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested his Republican administration will seek to ease tensions with the Kremlin.

A contingent of US troops entered Poland at the Olszyna border crossing with Germany on Thursday.

Heavy equipment, including 87 Abrams tanks and over 500 personnel carriers including military-equipped Humvees were to follow.

"This operation threatens our interests and our security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"This is even more pronounced when a third party (the United States) reinforces its military presence on our doorstep in Europe," he added.

Russian deputy foreign minister Alexei Mechkov described the deployment as a "factor destabilising European security."

Last summer, NATO leaders also endorsed plans to rotate troops into Poland and the three Baltic states to reassure them they would not be left in the lurch if Russia was tempted to repeat its 2014 Ukraine intervention.

A separate US-led battalion working within the NATO framework will be stationed near Poland's north-east border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave.

Moscow has stepped up its presence in the Baltic Sea area over the last two years.

Its jets regularly violate the airspace of smaller ex-Soviet NATO allies like Estonia and in April they even buzzed a US naval destroyer.
India's feuding Tata Sons names new chief executive

India salt-to-steel conglomerate Tata Sons appointed a new chairman of the board on Thursday, the company said in a statement, following an acrimonious management dispute with its former chief.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who currently heads software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), will take charge from February 21 -- replacing former chairman Cyrus Mistry who was ousted in October from Tata Sons, the holding company of the sprawling $103 billion Tata Group.

"The Board of Directors of Tata Sons, at its meeting today, appointed Mr. N. Chandrasekaran as Executive Chairman," the company said in a statement.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who currently heads software giant Tata Consultancy Services, will take charge of salt-to-steel conglomerate Tata Sons from February 21

Popularly known as Chandra, the 53-year-old Tata lifer, joined the company in 1987 and has been chief executive of the software services company since 2009.

He said in a separate statement that he felt privileged "to lead this trusted institution that has a rich heritage".

"At the Tata group, we are at an inflection point. I am aware that this role comes with huge responsibilities," added Chandrasekaran, who was appointed to Tata Sons' board in October.

He announced that Rajesh Gopinathan, the current chief financial officer of TCS, would succeed him as head of the IT firm.

Chandrasekaran also serves on the board of India's central bank which describes him as "an avid photographer, music aficionado and a passionate long-distance runner" on its website.

Thursday's appointment is the latest in an ongoing tussle between former chairman Mistry and Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential business families.

Mistry held the post of chairman for nearly four years until he was sacked. He resigned from all group firms in December but hung on to his seat as a director of the board of Tata Sons.

The increasingly bitter battle saw a fresh twist last week with Tata's call for a shareholders' meeting next month to remove Mistry as a director of the board of Tata Sons, his last remaining foothold within the group.

Mistry's dismissal as chairman shocked India's business community and saw Ratan Tata take interim charge of the sprawling conglomerate, a post which the patriarch had held for more than two decades.

The 150-year-old Mumbai-based conglomerate, which was founded under British colonial rule, has long been a source of pride for India.

But the feud is threatening its reputation and has helped wipe around $9 billion off the collective stock market value of the group's eight main companies.

The Tata Group is arguably India's most famous family conglomerate and spans at least 100 companies in as many countries, including Britain's Tetley Tea and Jaguar Land Rover as well as the Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus.
Amazon to deliver 100,000 new US jobs

Amazon on Thursday unveiled plans to create 100,000 US jobs over the next 18 months, as President-elect Donald Trump presses the business world to boost activities on American soil.

The US tech and retail giant's plan to bring its American workforce to over 280,000 is the latest -- and largest -- of a string of job-creation announcements as Trump prepares to take office on a promise to boost US jobs and curb offshoring.

"These new job opportunities are for people all across the country and with all types of experience, education and skill levels -- from engineers and software developers to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training," an Amazon statement said.

An employee prepares order at Amazon's San Bernardino Fulfillment Center KEVORK DJANSEZIAN (GETTY/AFP/File)

Amazon made no mention of the president-elect, but Team Trump swiftly took credit for the plan, which came on the heels of similar initiatives by Japan's SoftBank, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler and air conditioning manufacturer Carrier.

"The president-elect was pleased to have played a role in that decision by Amazon," said spokesman Sean Spicer, noting that it followed a meeting in which Trump urged tech firms to keep jobs and production inside the United States.

Amazon said that "many" of the new full-time jobs would be in new "fulfillment centers" or warehouses where goods are stored for consumer delivery. It also pledged to add 25,000 who are veterans or military spouses.

"These jobs are not just in our Seattle headquarters or in Silicon Valley -- they're in our customer service network, fulfillment centers and other facilities in local communities throughout the country," said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

The world's largest retailer has often faced criticism over working conditions in its warehouses.

In Britain, Amazon has been assailed for its labor policies, particularly after it emerged that some of its workers were unable to cover the cost of their commute, and resorted to sleeping in tents outside the warehouse.

- 'Advanced logistics' -

The initiative comes with Amazon expanding from its origins as an online retailer to a diversified tech company offering streaming video and music, cloud computing, and home automation through its artificial intelligence program Alexa.

Bezos said new workers will be needed "as we open new fulfillment centers, and continue to invent in areas like cloud technology, machine learning, and advanced logistics."

Amazon's job creation move comes even as the firm invests in technology to allow for speedier deliveries, which could include automating some functions in its warehouses. It also has been laying out plans for delivery by drone, which in some cases could be fully automated.

Amazon has more than 300,000 employees worldwide, and also uses 45,000 "robotic units" for its operations.

The company recently announced plans to boost its brick-and-mortar presence with a handful of stores, including one in New York City. It has also demonstrated a concept high-tech grocery store with automated checkout.

The company boasted that it also helps stimulate jobs and the economy through its Amazon Marketplace, which allows people to sell goods over the online platform, and Amazon Flex, which allows people to drive and deliver on a part-time basis.

Bezos and Trump exchanged barbs during the 2016 presidential campaign but the Amazon founder was among technology executives who met the president-elect last month in New York.

During the campaign, Trump warned Amazon could have "a huge antitrust problem" and accused Bezos of using the Washington Post, which he owns, to work against him and to push policies that help Amazon avoid taxes.
Kerry back in Vietnam on last diplomatic tour

US Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Vietnam on Thursday for an emotional first stop on his final tour before stepping down as Washington's top diplomat.

Kerry fought in Vietnam as a naval officer before returning to the United States in 1969 to become a prominent opponent of the war, his first foray into public life.

Later, as a US senator, he worked to mend ties between the former foes and as secretary he has now made four visits to the country where once he battled Viet Cong rebels.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) is greeted by US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius (C) and others, as he arrives at the Hanoi Airport on January 12, 2017 Alex Brandon (Pool/AFP)

He is due to leave office next week when President Barack Obama hands over power to President-elect Donald Trump, but not before Kerry's final diplomatic trek.

On Friday he is due to meet Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, before travelling south to give a talk at Ho Chi Minh City university and to meet local leaders.

On Saturday, he will head to the Bay Hop river in Ca Mau province where, in February 1969 he beached his patrol boat and stormed ashore to shoot dead a Viet Cong ambusher.

Kerry won a Silver Star for this action, which saved the crew of his small naval Swift Boat from rocket attack.

But he came to see the war as a mistake and US tactics as counterproductive in the battle for Vietnamese hearts and minds. In 1971, after his return, he campaigned for peace.

There will be more than nostalgia on the menu during his visit, however. Kerry will seek to promote US-Vietnamese educational ties and efforts to counter climate change.

His talks in Hanoi will also touch on tensions in the South China Sea, where Vietnam is one of several Southeast Asian nations disputing China's territorial grab.

Under Obama and Kerry, Washington has remained neutral in the overlapping disputes while insisting that all shipping must enjoy freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.

But on Tuesday Trump's nominee to replace Kerry, former oilman Rex Tillerson, said Washington should take steps to halt China's tactic of building on disputed reefs.

Future US policy on trade is also now unclear. Obama pushed for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that would bind Washington closer to east Asian allies.

Trump has frequently condemned the deal as a threat to US jobs, and his November election victory had appeared to sound the death knell for the ambitious economic pact.

But Tillerson also said during this week's Senate confirmation hearing that he does not oppose TPP.
Trump taps Giuliani as cyber security guru

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Thursday former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to advise his administration on cyber security amid an outcry over Russian hackers' apparent attempt to meddle in the US election.

Giuliani, 72 and a key Trump surrogate, was last year a candidate for secretary of state but subsequently came under scrutiny in the US media over business dealings that posed potential conflicts of interest.

Trump on Thursday called cyber intrusion "the fastest-growing crime in the United States" and a "major threat" to national security.

President-elect Donald Trump (R) asked former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to share "his expertise and insight as a trusted friend concerning private sector cyber security problems and emerging solutions" Don EMMERT (AFP/File)

He said "immediate attention" and "input from private sector leaders" was required to "help the government plan to make us more secure."

The incoming Republican commander-in-chief only admitted Wednesday for the first time that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic Party computers during the election campaign.

Giuliani told reporters the aim was "to create a very vibrant and a very robust cyber defense for both the private sector and the government."

"We've let our defense fall behind," he said, adding that he would bring together leaders from the private sector to advise Trump on both the problems and the solutions to cyber security problems.

"By putting all of these people in the same room I don't know that we will solve it and create a perfect defense but we can do a heck of a lot better job than we're doing," he added.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Giuliani would chair a committee on cyber security, citing Trump's promise that he would give a team 90 days to come up with a plan to halt cyber attacks after meeting with intelligence chiefs.

But Trump's statement stopped short of giving Giuliani an official title, saying he would be "sharing his expertise and insight as a trusted friend concerning private-sector cyber security problems and emerging solutions."

Giuliani, dubbed America's mayor for his leadership in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 by jihadist group Al-Qaeda, is also a former US federal attorney who forged a tough reputation in the 1980s for indicting members of the New York mafia.

He currently runs an international security consulting firm and had been a candidate for secretary of state until he said last month that he had withdrawn his name.
Israel frees Palestinian UN worker jailed for aiding Hamas

A Palestinian UN worker sentenced by Israel to seven months for aiding Hamas was released Thursday and returned to Gaza, calling his prosecution "unjust" and hoping to resume his job.

Waheed Borsh, 39, arrived at his home in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip and was greeted by dozens of well-wishers handing out sweets and singing songs.

Israeli forces detained Borsh, an engineer, on July 16, causing a major stir in the aid community.

UN worker Waheed Borsh (centre) celebrates with his Palestinian relatives after he was released from an Israeli prison on January 12, 2017 Mahmud Hams (AFP)

He was sentenced last week to seven months in prison in a plea deal, but released on the basis of time served and for good behaviour.

Israel initially claimed Borsh had been recruited by Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, but it later dropped the allegation.

He was convicted for "rendering services to an illegal organisation without intention", his lawyer said.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where Borsh worked, said the deal showed there had been no wrongdoing by the organisation.

Speaking to AFP, Borsh said he was hopeful of returning to his job.

"I don't think what happened will affect my work," he said, insisting that his trial had been "unjust" and that he was never allied to any political party.

"The aim of the organisation (UNDP) is to help people," he said.

Separately on Thursday, the court case of the Gaza head of a major international Christian charity, World Vision, was adjourned for two weeks, his lawyer said.

Mohammed al-Halabi is charged with aiding Hamas, with Israeli officials accusing him of siphoning millions of dollars to the Islamist group.

A district court in Beersheba in southern Israel delayed the case until February 2, lawyer Lea Tsemel said, a day after two new charges were announced.

He did not enter a plea but told journalists in the court he was innocent, according to media reports.

Israel has fought three wars with Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2008.

Israel has long alleged that Hamas has sought to infiltrate humanitarian organisations and divert aid, accusations the Islamist movement denies.

Aid workers privately admit to pressure from Hamas.
Trump digs deep rift with crucial intelligence services

A week before he enters the White House, Donald Trump has picked a high-risk fight with the all-important US intelligence community, blaming it for an incendiary but unsubstantiated report on his alleged Moscow ties and lurid behavior in Russia.

Trump on Wednesday accused US spies of leaking the report, a dossier prepared for US politicians by a British private consultant, to the media to sabotage him, calling it a "disgraceful" act worthy of Germany's Nazi regime.

The outburst prompted a late night call from National Intelligence Director James Clapper, who told the president-elect he did not believe the leak came from the intelligence agencies.

US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference on January 11, 2017 TIMOTHY A. CLARY (AFP)

"I emphasized that this document is not a US Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC," Clapper said in a statement.

- Salacious dossier -

One week before he is inaugurated as US president, Trump has been rocked by the dossier, which a former British MI6 intelligence agent prepared originally as opposition research for other US politicians.

The 35-page report alleges longstanding communications between Russian officials and Trump's Republican campaign, and that Russian intelligence holds salacious videos involving Trump and prostitutes in Russia.

None of the allegations have been substantiated, but they were considered serious enough for US intelligence to investigate them and include its own conclusions in a top secret briefing to Trump last Friday on Russia's meddling in the US election, including the hacking of Democratic Party computers.

Trump exploded after media reported Tuesday that some of the dossier's allegations were included in the briefing, which was presented by Clapper with the heads of the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency.

That lent the dossier some credibility, and it was then published online by BuzzFeed, adding to the president-elect's outrage.

"Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?" Trump tweeted early Wednesday.

He repeated the accusation hours later in a press conference.

"I think it was disgraceful -- disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out."

"I think it's a disgrace, and I say that -- and I say that, and that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do."

His blasts against the intelligence community came after his repeated rejections of their conclusion that Russia had interfered with last year's election, a position he appeared to reverse on Wednesday.

Clapper, whose office coordinates 16 other spy agencies, did not comment in his statement on the specifics of the dossier or on Friday's Trump briefing.

But analysts say the four spy chiefs would not have raised the dossier in their briefing for Trump if they saw it as entirely unfounded.

"Part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security," Clapper said.

- 'Deeply misguided' -

Trump's attacks on the intelligence community left him appearing increasingly isolated. As president he will depend on Clapper's successor as Director of National Intelligence as well as the CIA chief for regular classified updates on threats to the United States.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said impugning the integrity of the intelligence services was "deeply misguided."

"Doesn't mean they're always right, but questioning their motives is another thing altogether," he said Wednesday.

Trump's own pick to lead the CIA, Congressman Mike Pompeo, defended the agency Wednesday and said he did not question the official intelligence assessment that Putin ordered the unprecedented election interference.

"I see nothing to cast any doubt on the findings in the report," he said.

Asked if the CIA is politicized, as Trump charged, he replied: "In my experience I have not seen that."

- Author of dossier respected -

Meanwhile in London people who know Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent turned private consultant identified as the author of the report on Trump and Russia, said he is well regarded in espionage circles.

"I do know these guys and they have a good reputation. There's no way they would have made up the dossier," a source close to the British intelligence services told AFP.

"The idea his work is fake or a cowboy operation is false, completely untrue," the Guardian quoted a former Foreign Office official and friend of Steele's as saying.

"He's not the sort of person who will simply pass on gossip. If he puts something in a report, he believes there's sufficient credibility in it for it to be worth considering."
Trump's Pentagon pick takes aim at Russia

James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for US defense secretary, on Thursday accused Russia of trying to break up NATO and said the United States needs to stand up to its old foe.

The retired Marine Corps general's stinging criticism of Russia stands in sharp contrast to the views of his future boss. Trump has repeatedly praised the leadership qualities of its "very smart" President Vladimir Putin and advocated closer ties.

Mattis told his confirmation hearing he believed the modern world order was under the biggest attack since World War II.

Retired Marine Corps general James Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination to be the next secretary of defense on January 12, 2017 Mandel NGAN (AFP)

"And that's from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

His testimony came a day after Trump's pick for secretary of state, former ExxonMobil boss Rex Tillerson, said he too would take a firm line with Moscow.

Mattis noted that, like Trump, he was open to greater engagement with Russia, but stressed he only had "very modest expectations about areas of cooperation with Mr Putin."

"I'm all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to," he said.

"There's a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and increasing number of areas where we're going to have to confront Russia."

US intelligence agencies say Russia interfered in the US election to help Trump, and an explosive -- but unverified -- dossier published this week alleged Moscow had longtime ties to senior Trump advisors.

While campaigning, Trump called into question the role of NATO, a bedrock of America's global security apparatus, by suggesting countries would be left on their own if they didn't chip in more cash.

Mattis said Putin was working to undermine NATO, and he called the alliance "vital for our national interests," noting that "if we did not have NATO today, we would need to create it.

"Right now, the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with with Mr Putin, and we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance," Mattis said.

- China 'shredding' trust -

With regard to China, which has a rapidly growing military, Mattis said it is "shredding trust along its periphery" as it builds up its military presence in the South China Sea.

In written testimony, he said America "must try to engage and collaborate with China where possible, but also be prepared to confront inappropriate behavior if China chooses to act contrary to our interests."

Trump has frequently spoken out against China's trade policies and ruffled feathers in Beijing when he took a call from Taiwan's leader after the election.

Mattis sailed through the three-hour hearing with broad support, despite some senators expressing reservations that his appointment runs counter to decades of Pentagon tradition -- and US legal custom.

A cornerstone of US democracy is that civilians, not people in uniform, control the military, and the commander-in-chief is the president.

US law prohibits officers from serving as defense secretary for seven years after leaving active duty -- but Mattis only hung up his uniform in 2013.

- Waiver granted -

The 66-year-old Washington state native needs a special Congressional waiver -- only granted once before, for the famous World War II General George Marshall who served under President Harry Truman from 1950-1951.

The Senate voted by a large majority to grant one, and the House Armed Services Committee also approved the measure, clearing the way for a full confirmation vote.

"Civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition," Mattis said.

Politicians across the spectrum lauded Mattis, and his appointment appears to be a formality.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said he would vote against the waiver for fear of setting a precedent.

But even he declared: "Let me say that very bluntly, if ever there were a case for a waiver of that principle, it is you at this moment in our history."

"Your appreciation for the costs of war in blood, treasure and lives and the impact on veterans afterwards will enable you to be a check on rash and potentially ill-considered use of military force by a president-elect who perhaps lacks that same appreciation."

A colorful commander famed for his pugnacious aphorisms, the media dubbed Mattis "Mad Dog" for his battle-hardened swagger and the sort of blunt language Marines are famous for.

He has been quoted as saying, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

But Mattis also has a well-known cerebral side: he issued reading lists to Marines under his command, and instructed them that the most important territory on a battlefield is the space "between your ears."

Mattis would replace technocrat Ashton Carter, President Barack Obama's fourth Pentagon chief.

Senators also grilled Mattis over a slew of security issues, including the pace of the fight against the Islamic State group, North Korea's nuclear ambitions, women in combat and budget constraints.

Trump has said his administration "will begin a major national effort to rebuild our badly depleted military."

US President-elect Donald Trump (L) has repeatedly praised "very smart" Russian President Vladimir Putin's leadership qualities and advocated closer ties DON EMMERT, Natalia KOLESNIKOVA (AFP/File)
San Diego Chargers confirm move to Los Angeles

The San Diego Chargers confirmed Thursday the franchise will make a controversial move to Los Angeles next season after failing to reach a deal on a new stadium at their existing home.

A letter from Chargers owner Dean Spanos posted on the team's website confirmed the team would end a 56-year stay in San Diego and exercise an option granted by the National Football League last year to relocate north to Los Angeles.

"After much deliberation, I have made the decision to relocate the Chargers to Los Angeles, beginning with the 2017 NFL season," Spanos wrote.

San Diego Chargers fans will lose their team to Los Angeles DONALD MIRALLE (GETTY/AFP/File)

"San Diego has been our home for 56 years. It will always be part of our identity, and my family and I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation for the support and passion our fans have shared with us over the years.

"But today, we turn the page and begin an exciting new era as the Los Angeles Chargers."

First reports of the Chargers' decision were greeted with anger by fans. A small group of supporters gathered at the team's headquarters where one fan pelted the building with eggs to register his dismay.

The move means Los Angeles has now acquired two NFL franchises in the space of a year after going more than two decades without a team.

The St. Louis Rams returned to the city last season and now the Chargers have followed suit.

In negotiations last year to secure the Rams return, the Chargers won the right to co-habit the Rams new multi-billion-dollar stadium being built in Inglewood, which is due to be ready for the 2019 season.

The Rams played their games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this season.

The Chargers said in a statement they will play their games at the 30,000-capacity StubHub Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer side.

The Chargers decision comes after the failure of a San Diego ballot measure to raise hotel room taxes in the city in order to provide public funding for a new stadium.

"Our ultimate goal is to bring LA a Super Bowl championship," Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said Thursday.

"When we say we will fight for LA, this is the essence of our pledge."
Court to rule on ex-Chad dictator's appeal on April 27

A special African Union court said Thursday it will rule on April 27 on an appeal on behalf of Chad's former president Hissene Habre against a life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union (AU), sentenced Habre in May to life behind bars, an unprecedented ruling seen as a blow to the impunity long enjoyed by repressive rulers.

Court-appointed lawyers acting for Habre launched an appeal on his behalf Monday, even though the 74-year-old ex-dictator has refused to recognise the court's authority.

Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre gesturing as he leaves a Dakar courthouse after an identity hearing on June 3, 2015 SEYLLOU (AFP/File)

Proceedings have continued in Habre's absence, and the court will announce its verdict on April 27, appeal court president Wafi Ougadeye said.

The verdict will be final. If his conviction is upheld, Habre will serve his sentence in Senegal or in another AU country.

The May decision brought closure for relatives of up to 40,000 people killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured during Habre's time as president.
US sanctions 18 in Syria over its chemical weapons use

The United States announced sanctions Thursday against 18 senior Syrian military officers and officials over the use of chemical weapons.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Syrian regimes use of chemical weapons," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.

A UN-backed investigation found that several units of the Syrian military had used toxic weapons against three villages in northern Syria in 2014 and 2015.

A doll lies amid debris in Aleppo, Syria JM LOPEZ (AFP/File)

Government helicopters flying from two government-controlled air bases dropped chlorine barrel-bombs on the villages of Qmenas, Talmenes and Sarmin, the panel's latest report said.

Chlorine use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from Russia.
Idris Elba auctions off a date with himself

"Luther" and "The Wire" actor Idris Elba has offered fans a chance to "pound my yams" during a date with him to raise money for an African charity.

"Hi there. Idris Elba here. I'd like you to be my Valentine. That's right love, just you and me, no one else around, just us," he said in an online video.

The British star of west African origin is offering a fan and their guest a chance to share a meal with him at his undisclosed favourite restaurant.

British actor Idris Elba, pictured in February 2016, is raising money for W.E. Can Lead charity NIKLAS HALLE'N (AFP/File)

"Once we're feeling comfortable, we can order whatever your heart desires," he says, quaffing champagne.

"Maybe some truffles, perhaps some steak. Pepper soup and fufu. That's an African dish and you pound the yams. And you know what? I'll let you pound my yams.

"And for dessert, you can have whatever you want, and I mean whatever you want."
Israel court backs women over Western Wall prayer curbs

Israel's top court has ordered the Western Wall's ultra-Orthodox administration to explain why women are banned from leading prayers at the holy site, as sought in a petition.

In accordance with strict ultra-Orthodox tradition, there are currently separate prayer sections for women and men at the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites.

Women are also barred from leading prayers or bringing in Torah scrolls, and activists have been campaigning for equal prayer rights.

In accordance with strict ultra-Orthodox tradition, there are currently separate prayer sections for women and men at the Western Wall, pictured, one of Judaism's holiest sites AHMAD GHARABLI (AFP/File)

The Israeli Supreme Court's decision on the side of the women who submitted the petition demanding equal rights was issued on Wednesday.

The petition came after a dramatic agreement was reached last year to create a third space near the wall open to both women and men at the adjacent archaeological site known as Robinson's Arch.

Women of the Wall, which for years has been pushing for equal prayer rights at the Western Wall, accepted the agreement.

But ultra-Orthodox political parties who form part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, as well as the Western Wall administration, came out strongly against the deal and have delayed its implementation.

The petition was filed by a group calling itself the Original Women of the Wall, who also reject the Robinson's Arch arrangement and demand to be allowed to lead prayers for women at the Western Wall plaza and read the Torah there.

A separate court order allows women to pray with shawls and phylacteries to the chagrin of the ultra-Orthodox establishment, which considers those practises counter to traditional Judaism.

Wednesday's court decision ordered the state to explain "why the petitioners can't pray according to their custom in the traditional plaza or alternatively to enable them to pray according to their custom at a site with similar access to the traditional plaza," a reference to the Robinson's Arch.

The Supreme Court also prohibited the Western Wall administration from conducting "extensive" bodily searches on women, which it had been carrying out to locate Torah scrolls that women were smuggling in.

The court said it would unify the case at hand with the Women of the Wall's petition against the state's delay in implementing the Robinson's Arch arrangement.
Obamas' dog, perhaps not taking transition well, bites visitor

Blood was spilled Monday at the White House, but the culprit's politics were not to blame: the Obamas' dog Sunny bit a teenaged guest of the family, leaving a gash above her cheekbone, TMZ reported on Thursday.

The 18-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, was trying to pet the animal, a female Portuguese water dog, when it bit her, according to the TMZ website, which specializes in celebrity news.

The president's physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, deemed it necessary to close the wound with a few stitches.

Obama family dog Sunny (R), who is seen in 2013 with the family's other dog Bo, was named after her generally radiant disposition Handout (Getty/AFP/File)

The young victim posted photos of her bleeding face on social networks. She is expected to be left with a slight scar, which TMZ said upset her -- though it will give her a good story to tell for years.

The Obamas have two Portuguese water dogs, a breed generally known for its peaceful ways.

The older of the two, named Bo after the president's initials, carries the prestigious title of "First Dog." Sunny, who at four is half Bo's age, was named after her generally radiant disposition.

The White House has not speculated on whether Sunny might have been perturbed by the packing going on as the Obamas prepare to turn over their home of eight years to Donald Trump.
Abbas to hold bilateral talks in Paris 'in coming weeks'

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will visit Paris "in the coming weeks" for bilateral talks, an official at the French president's office said on Thursday.

The announcement came after Abbas spoke by telephone with President Francois Hollande ahead of an international Middle East peace conference to be hosted by Paris on Sunday.

The conference to be attended by some 70 nations is aimed at exploring ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announces he will visit Paris for bilateral talks MUSA AL SHAER (AFP/File)

Abbas has not confirmed his attendance but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday dismissed the conference as "rigged", and his government has refused to play any role in the meeting.

Netanyahu has said instead that he is willing to hold bilateral talks.

Hollande stressed that the Paris conference would be an occasion "for the international community to underscore its interest in a two-state solution and the need for direct dialogue between the two sides", the president's office source said.

The Palestinians have welcomed the multilateral approach, saying years of negotiations have failed to end Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

The conference comes on the heels of a landmark UN Security Council resolution passed on December 23 calling for a halt to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory.

In a rare move, the United States declined to use its veto and abstained, allowing the measure to pass 14-0.
PNG failing to fight graft, police abuse: rights group

Corruption and police abuse will only end in Papua New Guinea when officials are held accountable for their actions, Human Rights Watch said Friday, accusing the government of failing to protect victims.

Dozens of people were injured and one man killed in June after police in the Pacific nation fired at students protesting against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill over corruption allegations, which he denies.

"People took to the streets to voice concerns about corruption, and the only government response was gunfire," said Human Rights Watch's Australia director Elaine Pearson as the global group released its annual report.

Police brutality in Papua New Guinea "continues with little accountability even for fatalities and egregious physical abuse", said a Human Rights Watch report Ness Kerton (AFP/File)

"Corruption and abuse will only end when abusive officials are held responsible for their crimes."

Police brutality, including towards children, "continues with little accountability even for fatalities and egregious physical abuse", the report said.

Despite 1,600 complaints of police abuse between 2007-14, with 326 classified as criminal cases, the government has not revealed if any of the accused officers had been convicted, HRW said.

The report noted that the impoverished, crime-ridden country remains one of the world's most dangerous places to be a woman, with "no meaningful reduction in the alarming rates of family and gender-based violence".

A law meant to tackle such abuse was passed in 2013, but has yet to be implemented, with police rarely pursuing investigations or criminal charges, the rights group said.

"The government is failing miserably to protect women and girls from discrimination and family violence," Pearson added.

"There is still a dire lack of services for people who have suffered family violence."

PNG also came under scrutiny over reports of violence against refugees at an Australian asylum-seeker detention camp on Manus Island.
2 found dead in Washington fire reportedly decapitated

TACOMA, Wash. (AP)  Officials say two women found dead in a Tacoma house fire last week were decapitated by a man during a drug binge.

KCPQ-TV reports (https://goo.gl/yQuDfD ) 32-year-old Matthew Leupold was charged Wednesday with murder and arson.

Prosecutors say Leupold told police he heard voices telling him to kill Theresa Greenhalgh and Mary Buras Jan. 4.

Lindsey Leupold, Matthew's sister, was charged with rendering criminal assistance.

Probable cause documents say the Leupolds were using drugs with Greenhalgh and Buras when Matthew Leupold said he began hearing voices and hit Greenhalgh and Buras in the head with a framing hammer. Documents say Leupold dragged both women into a bathroom, where he cut off their heads.

Documents say a boy who police say had been at the house told them he came back on a different night and helped Matthew Leupold set fire to the house.

___
Former Rams player Tre Mason arrested in Florida

LAKE WORTH, Fla. (AP)  Former Los Angeles Rams player Tre Mason has been arrested in South Florida on charges that he fled a deputy on an ATV in July.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office records show that Mason was arrested Tuesday.

An offense report says a deputy spotted Mason doing wheelies in a Lake Worth park on July 27. The deputy tried to stop him, but Mason reportedly rode past and eventually returned to his mother's nearby home. The deputy followed Mason, and he was issued two citations and a court summons for the following month.

A warrant for his arrest was issued Dec. 15.

Mason is charged with fleeing or eluding police. He is free on $5,000 bail. Jail records didn't list an attorney for Mason.
British Columbia approves oil pipeline to coast from Alberta

VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP)  Canada's Pacific Coast province of British Columbia on Wednesday approved the expansion of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline from the Alberta oil sands that would allow oil exports to Asia.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark announced the conditions her government placed on the project have been met with a deal that will help fund environmental protection projects. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave federal government approval late last year.

Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil sands production. Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports. Ninety-seven percent of Canadian oil exports now go to the U.S.

Both the federal government and the provincial government of British Columbia and Alberta are trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia against the concerns of environmentalists.

But there remains opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline in British Columbia, the birthplace of the Greenpeace environmental movement. There is no guarantee it will get built despite government approval as it faces strong opposition from environmentalists and indigenous leaders.

Ian Anderson, president of Kinder Morgan Canada, said they are planning to begin construction in September. Protests and court challenges are expected. The British Columbia premier is also facing election in the spring.

The expansion would triple the capacity of the existing pipeline, which runs from near Edmonton, Alberta, to the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia, and is expected to increase tanker traffic sevenfold. There are fears of oil spills on the pristine Pacific coast.

British Columbia's conditions included world-leading oil spill response and prevention, aboriginal participation in the project, a fair share of its economic benefits for the province, and successful environmental reviews.

Rachel Notley, the New Democratic premier of oil-rich Alberta, said the pipeline will help Alberta's battered economy, create jobs in both provinces and help attract international investment to Canada.

"I am very happy. It is good news for Alberta. It is good news for Albertans," Notley said. "We are not out of the woods by any means. There are a lot of difficult times ahead and hard work to do but this is certainly something that of course in the long-term will have measurable benefits in terms of GDP, and jobs and bringing investment."

The leader of the British Columbia opposition New Democrat party, John Horgan, said he plans to "use every tool in our tool box" to stop the pipeline expansion. He held up a small glass jar full with what he said was heavy oil to show how thick and difficult it would be to clean up if there was a spill.
Governor says there's less of him to hate: He lost 50 pounds

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Gov. Paul LePage says he had weight loss surgery and jokes now "there's 50 less pounds of me to hate."

The fiery Republican revealed the bariatric surgery on Wednesday on Portland-based WLOB-FM. He said he underwent the procedure on Sept. 29 and returned to work the next day.

LePage, 68, was spurred to action after his doctor told him he needed to lose weight to avoid diabetes. He said he now weighs about 200 pounds and hopes to stay there.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 19, 2016 file photo Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage, right, and House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, attend the Electoral College vote at the State House in Augusta, Maine. LePage says he had weight loss surgery and jokes that now "there's 50 less pounds of me to hate." The Republican revealed the bariatric surgery for the first time Wednesday, Jan. 11. He says he underwent the procedure on Sept. 29 and returned to work a day later. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

LePage is not the only governor to undergo weight loss surgery.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had lap-band surgery in February 2013. Christie, also a Republican, told NBC News in 2015 that it was "the best thing" he's ever done for himself.

New guidelines released in 2016 say weight loss surgery should become a more routine treatment option for diabetes, even for some patients who are mildly obese.

Such operations can cost $20,000 to $25,000.

Insurance coverage has become more common over the past decade but remains spotty. It's unclear whether LePage's surgery was covered by insurance or if he paid out of pocket.

There was no immediate comment from LePage's office.
Boy killed, 3 wounded in New Jersey housing complex shooting

NEWARK, N.J. (AP)  A teenager has been killed and three other people wounded in a shooting at a public housing complex in New Jersey.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office says gunshots rang out Wednesday evening at a complex in Newark.

Authorities say a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed. Another victim suffered grave injuries and the other two victims are expected to survive.

The prosecutor's office hasn't released the name of the boy, pending notification of his family.

No other information was immediately available.
Woman's decomposed body found in home shared with sister

BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP)  A woman who vanished a year and half ago has been found dead amid heavy clutter in a $1.2 million home near Boston where she lived with her sister.

The Boston Globe reports (http://bit.ly/2j95V74 ) a visiting cousin found the significantly decomposed body of 67-year-old Hope Wheaton in Wheaton's Brookline home last month.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office says the condition of Wheaton's body aligned with a report that she died in the summer of 2015. Officials say her body showed no clear signs of trauma or foul play.

The medical examiner hasn't released a cause of death.

Wheaton's 74-year-old sister, Lynda Waldman hasn't been charged. Officials wouldn't say why Waldman didn't call police when her sister died.

Wheaton's relatives, including Waldman, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

___
CIA nominee agrees Russia tried to interfere in election

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump's pick to run the CIA told Congress on Thursday that he accepts the findings in an intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the U.S. election with the goal of helping Trump win, even though the president-elect has been skeptical of some of the report's conclusions.

"Everything I've seen suggests to me that the report has an analytical product that is sound," said Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican congressman. His comments struck a different tone than those of his future boss, who called the focus on Russia and the election a "political witch hunt" before he was even briefed on the findings.

Trump, for the first time on Wednesday, acknowledged that Russia was behind the computer hacking that targeted Democrats during the 2016 campaign.

CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan. testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

As head of the CIA, Pompeo would be responsible for bringing to Trump intelligence assessments the president may find politically unappealing, including additional information on Russia's interference with the American democratic process. Pompeo promised senators on the intelligence committee that he would do so.

"My obligation as director of CIA is to tell every policy maker the facts as best the intelligence agency has developed them," Pompeo said. He is currently a member of the House intelligence committee.

Trump has been critical of the intelligence assessment that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and other political sites and that Moscow's aim was to get Trump elected. This week he said intelligence officials might be to blame for the leak of an addendum to the Russia assessment that was a summary of unverified claims that Russia had obtained compromising sexual and financial allegations about Trump.

The top U.S. intelligence official, James Clapper, said he did not think the disclosures came from intelligence agencies, and Clapper said late Wednesday that he told Trump the U.S. intelligence community "has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way."

Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, asked Pompeo to comment on what King said were "very serious allegations" about Trump's ties with Russia.

"I share your view that these are unsubstantiated media reports," Pompeo said, adding that he thought the leaks themselves were "intensely serious."

Pompeo's was one of seven confirmation hearings held this week for senior posts in the upcoming Trump administration. Senators separately questioned Pompeo about classified issues after the public hearing.

On other issues, Pompeo said he will uphold the law and not direct the CIA to revert to using torture tactics to interrogate suspected terrorists. He also said that while he has been critical of the Obama administration's deal with Iran on nuclear weapons, he would carry out the policy as it stands.

Pompeo was a vocal member of the partisan House committee set up to investigate the deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, which occurred while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. He told the committee that he understands that as CIA director he would have to make the transition from a partisan, policymaking lawmaker to an objective intelligence collector.

Adding a little drama to the hearing, the lights went out when the top Democrat on the committee mentioned Russia. The hearing was moved to a different building.

CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan. testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan. is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2017, prior to testifying at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan. talks to former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole right, during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. before the Senate Intelligence Committee. At left is Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan., flanked by former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, right, and Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Retired Gen. James Mattis has cleared the first of several hurdles today that stand in the way of his nomination to head the Department of Defense.

The U.S. Senate voted 81-17 to approve a one-time exception that would allow Mattis to serve as Donald Trump's defense secretary.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted overwhelming in favor of the measure, 24-3, earlier in the day. The House Committee on Armed Services will vote on it this afternoon, paving the way for the bill to get a vote in the House of Representatives.

A waiver is necessary because Mattis hasn't been out of uniform for at least seven years.

Scroll down for video

Retired Gen. James Mattis cleared the first of several hurdles today that stand in the way of his nomination to head the Department of Defense. The U.S. Senate voted 81-17 to approve a one-time exception that would allow Mattis to serve as Donald Trump's defense secretary

No career military officer has led the Pentagon since the 1950s, but even some of Trump's strongest critics have supported the exception for Mattis.

Mattis told members of the Senate armed services panel that Russia at No. 1 on his list of security threats. He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to 'break' NATO earlier today.

At his confirmation hearing Mattis portrayed Russia as a strategic adversary and said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is short on successful efforts at lasting cooperation, something President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pursue.

While he agreed with the thrust of Trump's plan to increase the size of the U.S. military, Mattis' views on Russia appeared dissonant with that of his potential commander-in-chief.

Trump has repeatedly emphasized his hope for good relations with Putin, even as U.S. intelligence agencies have accused the Russian leader of orchestrating a campaign of interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: 'He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance.'

He said he has explained to Trump his views on Russia, which include a deep worry that Moscow is determined to create a sphere of unstable states on its periphery through intimidation.

Mattis said he supports the Obama administration's moves to reassure European allies after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and military activity in eastern Ukraine. While the U.S. should remain open to working with Russia, Mattis said, the prospects for cooperation were narrowing.

Asked by Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services Committee's Republican chairman, if the U.S. military is ready to confront these challenges, Mattis replied: 'No, sir.'

CodePink protesters make the peace sign behind Mattis, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee today

William Cohen, (LEFT) a defense secretary for Democratic President Bill Clinton, introduced Mattis as a 'humble man with very little to be humble about.'

The context was clear. As Mattis spoke, Trump's choice to run the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, sided with intelligence officials who claim the Kremlin was behind the election cyberattacks, adopting a similarly tough stand against Russia.

Ties between the former Cold War foes also have been strained by Syria's civil war.

The legislation on Mattis' exception is separate from his confirmation process, which also seems assured. He faced no hostile questions from Republicans or Democrats, receiving bipartisan praise for his reputation as a straight-talking, well-read man of integrity and intelligence.

'How about Mr. Secretary?' Republican Lindsey Graham asked him half-jokingly.

William Cohen, a defense secretary for Democratic President Bill Clinton, introduced Mattis as a 'humble man with very little to be humble about.'

'He's a man of thought as well as action,' Cohen said.

Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, (LEFT) Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (RIGHT) opposed the legislation in the Armed Services Committee

Mattis said the world order is under 'the biggest attack since World War II,' blaming Russia, China and international terrorist organizations for its destabilization.

Asked by Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services Committee's Republican chairman, if the U.S. military is ready to confront these challenges, Mattis replied: 'No, sir.'

On cyberattacks, Mattis noted that wars often are started by miscalculation. He said the U.S. needs to set clear boundaries so that adversaries know what the U.S. will not tolerate.

A former top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Mattis said he believes Washington must 'restore a better relationship' with Israel and Arab partners.

Still, he declined to embrace the common Republican assertion that President Barack Obama allowed Israel's military edge over its regional foes to erode.

In prepared testimony, Mattis said he understands his role as the Defense Department's civilian leader would be different 'in essence and in substance' from his four decades in uniform.

'The esprit de corps of our military, its can-do spirit and its obedience to civilian leadership reduces the inclination and power of the military to criticize or oppose the policy it is ultimately ordered to implement,' Mattis said. He called civilian control 'a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition.'

President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as he leaves Trump National Golf Club Bedminster clubhouse in Novemember

Mattis, 66, retired in 2013 after serving as commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of all U.S. forces in the Middle East.

He is known for having strong views on Iran, but spoke of the U.S. having to honor a 2015 nuclear deal with the country. Trump has indicated he wants to renegotiate aspects of the agreement.

The last career military officer to serve as defense secretary was George Marshall in 1950-51.
1 Japanese, 2 Americans win Crafoord science prize

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  A Japanese and two American scientists have been awarded the 2017 Crafoord Prize for fundamental discoveries in immune regulation.

The prize committee says Shimon Sakaguchi of Osaka University, Fred Ramsdell from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in San Francisco, and Alexander Rudensky of the New-York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center share the 6 million Swedish krona ($660,000 award.

They were cited "for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases."
Trump's pick for top diplomat breaks from him in many ways

WASHINGTON (AP)  Rex Tillerson's foreign policy isn't sounding much like Donald Trump's.

At his confirmation hearing Wednesday, the former Exxon Mobil CEO selected by Trump for secretary of state called Russia a "danger" and vowed to protect America's European allies. He rejected the idea of an immigration ban on Muslims. He treaded softly on the human rights records of key U.S. partners like Saudi Arabia.

In the words of Sen. Bob Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's GOP chairman, Tillerson "demonstrated that he's very much in the mainstream of foreign policy thinking." But doing so forced Tillerson to break with several of the president-elect's most iconoclastic statements on diplomacy and international security.

Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2107, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Again and again, Tillerson hewed more closely to long-standing, bipartisan positions on America's role in the world, and who are its friends and foes.

That may help Tillerson win over senators who've expressed wariness about his extensive relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But it could leave him putting a Trump foreign policy in place that looks little like the vision he outlined Wednesday.

A look at where Tillerson's views didn't quite match those of his would-be boss:

RUSSIA

Tillerson adopted a tough tone toward Moscow, apparently attempting to rebut the perception that he's too close to Putin.

The Russian leader previously awarded Tillerson his country's "Order of Friendship" following Exxon's deals with Russia's oil industry. But on Wednesday, Tillerson called Putin's Russia a threat to the United States.

Whereas Trump as a candidate played down Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, arguing the population there was pro-Russian anyway, Tillerson said the annexation was illegal and amounted to "a taking of territory that was not theirs."

Whereas Trump's campaign team last summer softened language in the GOP platform calling for arming Ukraine, Tillerson said he would have recommended providing U.S. and allied defensive weapons, plus aerial surveillance, so the Ukrainians could protect their Russian border.

"The taking of Crimea was an act of force," Tillerson said. When Russia flexes its muscles, he said the U.S. must mount "a proportional show of force."

Still, the Kremlin said Thursday the former Cold War foes can overcome their differences once Trump takes office.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said he hopes the two presidents will get along and they can normalize ties if they show "mutual respect."

CAMPAIGN HACKING

Before Wednesday, Trump spent weeks ridiculing the U.S. intelligence agencies' accusations that Russia hacked and leaked emails, spread "fake news" and took other actions to interfere with the U.S. election.

Tillerson wasted no time in accepting the findings. He even went further than Trump, conceding it's a "fair assumption" the hacking couldn't have taken place without Putin's consent

Not Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin's leadership. While he said at a news conference Wednesday that "I think it was Russia," Trump sidestepped the question of Putin's responsibility. Instead, he argued, "If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? That's called an asset, not a liability."

THE MUSLIM BAN

During the campaign, Trump called for a temporary ban on Muslims immigrating to the U.S. The proposal then evolved into halting immigration from countries linked to terrorism. Trump later suggested he was reconsidering the Muslim ban.

"I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people," Tillerson said categorically at his hearing. He said the U.S. should "support those Muslim voices" that reject extremism and insisted Americans shouldn't be scared of Muslims.

RAPISTS AND CRIMINALS

Trump started his presidential bid by taking aim south of the border, accusing Mexico of sending "rapists" and criminals with drugs into the U.S.

Asked about those sentiments, Tillerson said he would "never characterize an entire population with any single term at all."

Mexico and other Latin American nations are anxious about Trump's campaign pledges to build a border wall and deport millions of immigrants illegally in the U.S.

Tillerson, by contrast, said he would engage closely with Mexico.

"Mexico is a long-standing neighbor and friend of this country," he said.

DEFENDING ALLIES

Trump sent chills through much of Europe when he suggested the U.S. might not defend its NATO allies if they came under attack, unless they'd contributed enough to the alliance's collective defense costs.

He later qualified his comments, while insisting NATO's future depended on members paying their fair share.

Tillerson offered ironclad support for NATO's Article 5, which obligates the allies to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. If a NATO member is invaded, the oil man said, the U.S. would join other members in coming to its defense.

"The Article 5 commitment is inviolable, and the U.S. is going to stand behind that commitment," Tillerson said.

SAUDI ARABIA

Trump used Saudi Arabia's shoddy human rights record as a campaign cudgel against Hillary Clinton, pointedly asking why she wouldn't "give back the money" the kingdom gave her family foundation.

He called out Saudi Arabia and other Mideast countries for violence against gays and women, and other human rights violations.

Tillerson played it more conservatively with a country at the heart of the American security strategy for the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia doesn't share American values, he said.

But Tillerson said he needed "greater information" before declaring Saudi Arabia a human rights violator.

It was an answer that wasn't well received by all the senators present. But it was, to use a turn of phrase, diplomatic.

___
Airstrikes escalate despite Syria cease-fire

BEIRUT (AP)  The U.N. envoy for Syria said Thursday that a cease-fire was "largely holding with some exceptions," as opposition activists reported a mounting number of government airstrikes, including a raid in the northern Aleppo province that killed at least six civilians.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Staffan de Mistura said he was concerned that fighting northwest of Damascus that has cut off the capital's clean water supply would further escalate and derail proposed negotiations between the government and the opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month.

The talks are sponsored by Russia and Turkey, which support opposing sides of the Syrian civil war. But the status of the meeting, planned for Jan. 23, is not clear. Rebels say the government's continued campaign for the Barada Valley, the capital's main source of water, has cast the talks in doubt.

Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria speaks during a news conference about the International Syria Support Group's Humanitarian Access Task Force at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)

The U.N. says the capital has suffered from a water shortage affecting 5.5 million consumers since December 22.

The leader of one of Syria's largest rebel factions, the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham, said in remarks aired Thursday that the violence in the valley and daily airstrikes on rebel-held areas "are signs of a collapsing truce."

De Mistura said five villages in the Wadi Barada area have reached an "arrangement" with the government, but two villages, including one which holds the source of water, al-Fijeh, have not.

"There is a danger, a substantial danger, imminent danger, that this may develop into a further military escalation," further imperiling the water supply, he said.

He also said the cease-fire, which came into effect Dec. 30, should widen humanitarian access to besieged areas, but that "unfortunately, that is not the case."

The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defense, a search and rescue group also known as the White Helmets, said its workers pulled the bodies of three children and three adults from the rubble of an airstrike on the village of Babka in the opposition-held countryside west of the once-contested city of Aleppo.

It was not clear who was behind the raid and others like it in the Aleppo countryside. Syrian and Russian aircraft regularly bombed the province before the cease-fire went into effect. The U.S. is believed to be behind a series of strikes in the neighboring Idlib province that activists say have killed several Al-Qaida-linked militants.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported four children among the dead.

The raid followed a day of strikes on two opposition pockets outside the capital, Damascus. The strikes on the Ghouta region, where pro-government forces are waging a ground offensive against rebels, were the first since the cease-fire came into effect, according to the Observatory. Another six civilians were killed in an airstrike on the Barada Valley Wednesday.

In Damascus itself, a suicide bomber killed at least seven people near a sporting club in an upscale neighborhood housing security offices, Syrian state TV reported. The target of the attack was not immediately known.

It is not clear how the ongoing violence may affect the talks expected on Jan. 23 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Little is clear about what is on the agenda of the negotiations or who will be attending.

"We had clearly rejected this truce because it is tied to an unspecific political solution that we were not part of drafting," Ali al-Omar, the head of Ahrar al-Sham, said in his first recorded interview, which was posted online. "The guarantor is Russia, an occupying force to Syria that came in support of the regime. Additionally, other factions were excluded from this truce, which is a pretext" for continued attacks by the government and its allies.

The government says the Fatah al-Sham Front, an al-Qaida-linked group allied with Ahrar al-Sham, and the Islamic State group are excluded from the truce. Moscow has pushed for declaring Ahrar al-Sham a terrorist group, despite the fact that it is taking part in a Turkey-backed operation against the IS group in northern Syria.

The Russian military said Thursday it had sent four warplanes to Syria and withdrawn six others as part of an ongoing rotation of forces.

Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said six Su-24 bombers have flown back to Russia and some other warplanes are preparing to leave the Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia.

At the same time, Konashenkov said that four Su-25 ground attack jets have arrived at Hemeimeem, which serves as the hub for the Russian air campaign in Syria.

In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to scale back its presence in Syria. Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and accompanying ships left the eastern Mediterranean last week and are heading back to their home base.

___

Keaten reported from Geneva. Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria arrives for a news conference about the International Syria Support Group's Humanitarian Access Task Force at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)
West Ham boss Bilic not prepared to let Payet leave the club

LONDON (AP)  West Ham is standing firm against Dimitri Payet's request for a transfer, refusing to sell the English Premier League team's star player.

"I am feeling let down and angry," manager Slaven Bilic said on Thursday as he revealed Payet no longer wants to play for West Ham.

But Bilic urged the France midfielder to show the same "commitment and determination" West Ham did by giving him a new contract through June 2021 last year.

"We gave him a long contract because we want him to stay," Bilic said. "We have said we don't want to sell our best players but Dimitri Payet does not want to play for us. We are not going to sell him.

"That's why we gave him a long contract, and then a new contract four months later. I phoned him with that and he refused to play for us."

The 29-year-old Payet joined from Marseille in June 2015 and made a huge impact on the club last season, helping it to finish seventh in the Premier League with his array of tricks and goals from free kicks.

This season, his performances have dipped and West Ham is in 13th place in the 20-team Premier League, as it endures a difficult start to its tenancy at the Olympic Stadium in London.

Still, Payet's outstanding performances from last season and his rare ability to win games make him highly sought after.

"He's probably been tapped up by some clubs or whatever," Bilic said. "I have spoken to the club, the chairman and the vice chairman. It's not a money issue. We want to keep him. That's it."

Although Bilic is adamant that Payet will stay, he is leaving him out until further notice.

"Until he changes his attitude he is out of the team and he's not going to train with us. But we are not going to sell him," Bilic said. "I expect from him to come back and to show commitment and determination to the team like the team has shown to him."

On the back of his performances last season, Payet broke back into the France team and was a key player in the side that reached the European Championship final, losing to Portugal in extra time. He scored three goals at Euro 2016, further raising his profile.

Payet played two seasons for Marseille but, at the time of his transfer, said he was unhappy to be sold and wanted to stay.

In an interview last month with French cable channel SFR  which has the exclusive rights in France to show the Premier League  Payet hinted that he would be happy to return to the southern port city.

"I'm not closing the door on anything," Payet told SFR in late December. "Marseille has a new project that seems to be interesting."

Marseille was bought in October by American businessman Frank McCourt  the former owner of baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers  who pledged to invest 200 million euros ($220 million) over the next four years.

"Of course, we're waiting to see the first actions of the new owners," Payet told SFR. "But everyone knows my attachment to this club and I speak very highly about (the club) because that's what I think. So, why not?"
Top German court rejects new challenge to EU-Canada pact

BERLIN (AP)  Germany's supreme court has dismissed another challenge to a European Union-Canada trade deal that was signed late last year following tortuous negotiations.

The Federal Constitutional Court in October rejected calls from opponents of the trade deal, known as CETA, to issue an injunction forcing the German government to withhold its approval of the pact. It did, however, impose some conditions  stipulating that CETA must be interpreted in a way that would allow a unilateral German exit from the deal's application.

Opponents then sought another injunction against the application of the deal. But the court said Thursday it had rejected their argument that the government hadn't complied with the conditions it imposed.
10 Things to Know for Friday - 13 January 2017

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Friday:

1. WATCHDOG TO PROBE JUSTICE, FBI ACTIONS BEFORE ELECTION

The Justice Department's inspector general says the investigation will include the department and the FBI's handling of the Clinton email controversy.

FILE - In this May 1, 2014 file photo, fourth-generation rice farmer Josh Sheppard walks across the dried-up ditch at his rice farm in Richvale, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12 a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

2. OBAMA ENDING 'WET FOOT, DRY FOOT'

The longstanding immigration policy allowed any Cuban who made it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident.

3. WHAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR CALIFORNIA

More than 40 percent of the state has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers announce.

4. MANY REMAIN IN WAR-TORN MOSUL, DESPITE HARDSHIPS

While more than 100,000 people have fled the fighting aimed at driving out Islamic State extremists, many people remain in the city despite no electricity or running water.

5. WHO'S LOSING FINANCIAL GROUND

The earnings gap between college graduates and Americans with no more than a high school diploma reaches its widest point on record.

6. US EASING SANCTIONS AGAINST SUDAN

The change comes in response to positive actions by the Sudanese government in fighting terrorism, American officials say.

7. HOW MARIJUANA AFFECTS USERS' HEALTH

Pot almost certainly can ease chronic pain, but may also trigger heart attacks and raise the risk of schizophrenia, a federal panel concludes.

8. AMAZON ON HIRING SPREE

The company plans to hire 100,000 full-time workers over the next 18 months, highlighting its ambitious expansion plans.

9. IN TEARFUL FAREWELL, PRESIDENT HONORS BIDEN

The vice president gets a big surprise at a White House gathering when Obama bestows upon him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

10. CHARGERS BOLTING SAN DIEGO FOR LA

With the Rams' recent relocation, the Chargers' move gives the nation's second-largest media market two NFL teams for the first time in decades.

President Barack Obama honors Vice President Joe Biden during a ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Cyprus: A historic venue of big power intrigues

LONDON (AP)  Cyprus, a small, divided island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, has played an outsized role throughout history because of its status as a jewel coveted by much bigger powers.

Its strategic location between three continents  Europe, Africa and Asia  has made it a prize, economically and politically.

Reunification talks on the island are at a critical juncture, with top officials from Britain, Greece, and Turkey joining the meeting in Geneva on Thursday to tackle the thorny issue of security.

FILE- In this July 20 1974, file photo Turkish troops pull ashore a Greek Cypriot torpedo boat damaged during fighting in Kyrenia on the day Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of Cyprus. Talks on reunifying the small Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus are now at a critical juncture with top officials from Britain, Greece, and Turkey joining the talks in Geneva Thursday, Jan. 12 , to tackle the thorny issue of security. (AP Photo, File)

Here's a look at Cyprus through the ages:

___

CYPRUS IN ANTIQUITY

In ancient times, Cyprus' location guaranteed it a role in flourishing trade routes.

Alexander the Great in 333 B.C. captured the island as part of his campaign against the Persians. As the supposed birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, Cyprus also gained cult status in the Hellenic world.

The Romans invaded in 58 B.C. and held onto Cyprus for nearly five centuries, interrupted by a short period under Cleopatra of Egypt. Roman rule brought stability and the economy flourished.

When the Roman empire split in two at the end of the 4th century, Cyprus was part of the Byzantine empire and a more chaotic era began.

___

CYRPUS AND THE CRUSADES

From the middle of the 7th century, Cyprus suffered wave after wave of Arab raids before the Byzantine emperor re-established a firm grip toward the end of the millennium.

In the 12th century, Cyprus was embroiled in the Crusades, becoming a launching pad for Christian armies aiming to reclaim the Holy Lands, including those from England's King Richard I.

He eventually sold the island to fellow crusader Guy of Lusignan, the displaced king of Jerusalem, in 1192.

The Lusignan dynasty lasted for three centuries and marked a period of prosperity, with the island's elites profiting from growing trade with Venice and Genoa. Average Cypriots, however, chafed under these feudal times.

___

A VENETIAN POWER BASE

In 1489, the commercially minded Venetians took control of Cyprus.

They maintained the unpopular feudal system as they used the island as a defensive military base against the rising power of the Ottoman Empire, which had already captured Constantinople, the Byzantine capital.

The Venetians' struggle to prevent the Turks from attacking the island forms the backdrop to "Othello," one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies.

Cyprus was eventually conquered by the Ottomans in 1571 after the Venetian chief Marcantonio Bragadin was captured and flayed alive in the port of Famagusta.

Turkish rule would remain for about three centuries.

___

THE AGE OF THE SULTANS

Turkish influence in Cyprus has had long-term repercussions to this day.

Although the Ottomans engaged with the island's Christian Orthodox representatives, its era of dominance was largely one of stagnation.

In the early part of the 19th century, the Greek independence movement started inspiring the island's ethnic Greek majority.

Reprisals against Greek rebels and those accused of conspiring with them fed a growing desire for union with modern Greece.

___

CYPRUS AND THE BRITISH EMPIRE

As the Ottoman empire faced a raft of nationalist movements, the British saw their chance to gain a foothold in Cyprus.

In 1878, the British took control of the island in exchange for military aid in the Ottomans' fight with Russia.

Britain then annexed Cyprus at the start of World War I when the Ottomans sided with Germany. The island helped defend Britain's crucial trade routes to India and safeguard its interests in the Middle East.

Britain transformed Cyprus, introducing its legal code and customs like driving on the left side of the road. But as the years went by, local calls for union with Greece kept growing.

A guerrilla campaign forced Britain out and Cyprus became independent in 1960.

___

MODERN GREECE AND TURKEY

Independence didn't make things quieter in Cyprus, though Britain, Greece and Turkey as so-called 'guarantor' powers were meant to keep the peace.

By 1963, the acrimony between pro-union Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots had turned to violence.

The following year the United Nations arrived to keep the peace.

More than 50 years later, they're still there, mainly patrolling the "Green Line" buffer zone.

Cyprus split into an internationally recognized, Greek-speaking south and a breakaway Turkish-speaking north in 1974  after Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece.

Tens of thousands became refugees. A series of attempts to reunify the island have ended in failure, most notably in 2004 when Greek Cypriots voted against a proposed peace deal.

___

THE NEXT REFERENDUM IN CYPRUS

Negotiators hope to make enough progress this week that the island's two sides vote this year on reunification.

Making sure there's no repeat of the events of 1974 will be central to any success.

Greek Cypriots say enough territory must be returned to their control but Turkish Cypriots want to limit the amount, for telling their people to leave what they have considered home for decades is unlikely to go down well.

It's a fine balance that Britain, Greece and Turkey as well as the domestic Cyprus communities have to tread.

FILE - In this July 24, 1974 file photo, Turkish soldiers advance during the fighting that followed the July 20, 1974, Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Talks on reunifying the small Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus are now at a critical juncture with top officials from Britain, Greece, and Turkey joining the talks in Geneva Thursday, Jan. 12 , to tackle the thorny issue of security. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 1943 file photo, Britains Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspects the 4th Hussars, a regiment in which he once served, during his visit to Cyprus, which was then a British colony. Talks on reunifying the small Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus are now at a critical juncture with top officials from Britain, Greece, and Turkey joining the talks in Geneva Thursday, Jan. 12 , to tackle the thorny issue of security. (AP Photo, File)
French judge clears art dealer Wildenstein of tax fraud

PARIS (AP)  A French judge has cleared international art dealer Guy Wildenstein of hiding valuable paintings to dodge paying tax.

Wildenstein, 71, the Franco-American heir of a billion-dollar New York art dealing empire, was accused of concealing much of his inherited fortune from French tax authorities in trusts held in offshore havens.

The judge in Paris' criminal court Thursday cited shortcomings in the investigation as the reason behind the acquittal  a blow to French tax authorities which are clamping down on fraud across the board.
United Arab Emirates' leader back from 'private' trip abroad

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The leader of the United Arab Emirates, who has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke nearly three years ago, has returned to the country after a "private visit" abroad.

The state-run WAM news agency says Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan returned from a weeklong trip on Thursday. WAM didn't say where he went.

He was born in 1948 and became president after his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, died in 2004. He is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the seven UAE sheikhdoms.

Sheikh Khalifa suffered a stroke on Jan. 24, 2014, and underwent emergency surgery. He went abroad for several months last year.
Jordan seeks $7.6 billion over 3 years for Syria refugees

AMMAN, Jordan (AP)  Jordan says it needs $7.6 billion through 2019 to deal with the fallout from the six-year-old Syria crisis, including hosting 650,000 refugees.

The appeal was presented Thursday to diplomats from donor countries.

Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki said the 2016 aid appeal was only half funded and urged donors to do better this year.

Some 5 million Syrians who fled civil war at home have found refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan.

With the refugees facing protracted exile, Jordan and the donors last year adopted a new approach to aid. For example, Jordan has allowed more refugees to work and the EU has granted improved trade terms to boost Jordan's economy.
Le Pen's world: French nationalism at heart of her campaign

PARIS (AP)  France  as envisioned by far-right leader Marine Le Pen  should be its own master and have no globalization issues, European Union membership or open borders.

It would join the United States and Russia in a global battle against Islamic militants. Francs, not euros, would fill the pockets of French citizens. Borders would be so secure that illegal immigration would no longer fuel fears of terror attacks or drain public coffers.

It's a vision that holds increasing appeal for voters once put off by the image of Le Pen's anti-immigration party as a sanctuary for racists and anti-Semites. It has made Le Pen a leading candidate in France's presidential election this spring.

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2017 file photo, Marine Le Pen, far-right leader and candidate for next spring's presidential election, delivers her New Year's address to the media in Paris. Le Pen, a top presidential candidate, sees a "grand return" of nationalism and a new France if she is elected. Le Pens vision for France is no European Union, no open borders and closer ties with Russia. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

A series of deadly extremist attacks, 10 percent unemployment and frustration with mainstream politics in France have helped make the party she has worked to detoxify a potentially viable alternative.

Early polls place her as one of the top two contenders. The other is former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, a conservative who would slash the ranks of civil servants and trim state-funded health care  an untouchable area for Le Pen, whose campaign slogan is "In the Name of the People."

Le Pen believes her chance of victory has been bolstered by Britain's decision to leave the European Union and by Donald Trump's U.S. presidential victory. She speaks with confidence of winning, saying "I will" change France.

"This page in the history of the world is turning. We will give back to nations reasoned protectionism, economic and cultural patriotism," she said.

On Thursday, Le Pen showed up at Trump Tower in New York and was seen sipping coffee in a basement coffee shop, leading to speculation she was looking to create a bond with the U.S. president-elect. However, no such meeting was on his agenda.

Trump Tower resident George Lombardi, who said he's been friends with Le Pen for over 20 years and is a friend of Trump's, said the French politician attended a private gathering on Wednesday evening at his residence.

She was joined by entrepreneurs, industrialists and diplomats  people she might be able to raise money from and "that have the possibility to help her with the campaign in France," Lombardi said.

"We did not reach out to the Trump campaign. We did not reach out to Mr. Trump," he said. "We did not go begging for any interview with anybody on the transition team because she was here to meet other people."

Like Trump, Le Pen, 48, a mother of three and lawyer by training, envisions improved relations with Russia, which she and other National Front officials have visited. But she takes it further.

"I want an alliance to emerge between France, the United States and Russia to fight Islamic fundamentalism, because it's a gigantic danger weighing on our democracies," she said last week.

For Le Pen and her supporters, "massive migration," notably from Muslim North Africa, is supplanting French civilization and is at the root of many France's modern woes. "On est chez nous" ("We're in our land") is a mantra at National Front rallies.

Le Pen insists she has no problem with followers of Islam, but wants people who espouse radical political ideas in the guise of religion to be put on trial and expelled before they install Sharia, or Islamic law, in France.

Traditional Muslim dress, which many in France consider a gateway to radicalization, could disappear from public view should Le Pen win the presidency. The National Front's No. 2, Florian Philippot, says Le Pen's platform calls for extending a 2004 law banning "ostensible" religious symbols like Muslim headscarves from French classrooms to include the streets.

Le Pen took over leadership of the National Front in 2011 from her father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. Her make-over included sidelining him. His party membership was revoked last year after he repeated an anti-Semitic reference that had drawn a court conviction.

But the slogan "French First"  coined by the elder Le Pen in 1985  remains alive under Marine Le Pen.

Newcomers to France would have to spend several years paying a stipend before availing themselves of free school and health care, Le Pen has said, benefits she considers a draw for immigrants.

Nonna Mayer, a leading expert on the party, said Le Pen has "gone half-way in changing the party," ridding it of its long-time anti-Semitic image but making Islam the enemy.

"At the heart of the party of Marine Le Pen ... there is something which is not really compatible with the values of democracy," she said. "It's the idea that one must keep housing, social benefits, family stipends, employment to the French."

Le Pen emphatically rejects the label of extremist, proudly calling herself "a patriot." The words "democracy" and "democratic" roll off her tongue.

Yet her entourage includes one-time members of an extreme-right movement once noted for its violence. A former leader of the hard-core Identity Bloc in Nice, Philippe Vardon, joined National Front ranks and quickly won a councilor spot.

Under Le Pen, the National Front was France's big winner in 2014 European Parliament election, taking more seats than any other French party. But she wants to do away with the 28-nation EU, which she claims has stolen national sovereignty, and ditch the euro currency, which she describes as a "knife in the ribs" of nations, ruining economies.

Her EU exit formula is "very simple:" Try immediately to negotiate a return of borders, national currency and "economic patriotism" to protect French jobs and industry and allow the French to pass laws unadulterated by directives from Brussels.

Six months later, she would call a referendum and counsel remaining in a "new Europe" if negotiations are fruitful, or advise bailing out as Britain has done.

"My program cannot be put into place if we remain subjugated by European diktats," she said. "I see the grand return of nationalism."

Le Pen is expected to present her full presidential agenda during a Feb. 4-5 convention. But she set the tone with her New Year's greeting, a "wish of combat" to defeat political adversaries that she contends represent the interests of banks, finance and the media.

___

Jill Colvin in New York contributed.

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2016 file photo, a journalist holds a poster with portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, France's far-right National Front president, Marine Le Pen, center, and President-elect Donald Trump, prior to Putin's annual news conference in Moscow. Le Pen, a top presidential candidate in France's 2017 election, sees a "grand return" of nationalism and a new France if she is elected. Le Pens vision for France is no European Union, no open borders and closer ties with Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
A South Carolina mother has been sentenced to 27 years in prison after she admitted to drowning her baby daughter in a rain-swollen creek while high on drugs.

Sarah Lane Toney, 34, pleaded guilty Wednesday to homicide by child abuse in 5-month-old Grace Carlson Santa Cruz's death.

A forensic psychologist testified that Toney was under the influence of methamphetamine and opioids when she walked into the flooded creek near Socastee with her daughter in November 2015.

Scroll down for video

Mom sentenced: Sarah Lane Toney, 34 (left), has been sentenced to 27 years in prison in the drowning death of her 5-month-old daughter, Grace Carlson Santa Cruz (right)

Emotional: Toney, pictured in court Wednesday. broke down in tears and exclaimed, 'Oh God,' after her sentence was announced

Crocodile tears: The woman was overheard saying of baby Grace, 'I miss her so much'

Medical University of South Carolina Forensic Phycologist Emily Gottfried also told the court that based on an interview she had conducted with Toney last May, she found the woman to be competent to stand trial and concluded that she should be held criminally responsible, as she had the mental capacity to tell right from wrong, reported the station WBTW.

The body of baby Grace was recovered from the water days later. Toney initially told authorities she was carrying her daughter across the creek when the child was washed away.

Neighbors in Myrtle Beach called 911 on the morning of November 3, 2015, after Sarah Toney came knocking on their door, drenched in water.

Toney reportedly told the homeowner that she had 'thrown' her daughter into the creek behind a house on Simms Drive in Myrtle Beach.

When police responded to the scene, they immediately began scouring the rushing waters for the girl.

Toney was taken into custody on an unrelated, outstanding warrant.

Two days later, divers recovered the lifeless body of baby Grace from the murky waters of the creek.

Watery grave: Baby Grace died after prosecutors said Sarah Toney threw her into this rain-swollen creek in Myrtle Beach on November 3, 2015

Divers (pictured) spent two days scouring the murky waters for the infant's body

Toney initially told authorities she was carrying her daughter across the creek when the child was washed away

At her bond hearing, Toney, who also has an older daughter, insisted that she went into the creek with Grace in her arms and was unable to hold onto her.

'I didn't intentionally put her in any danger. I was going with her, and I wasn't able to hold onto her when the water sucked me in,' she stated at the time.

During Wednesday's hearing, an emotional Sarah Toney was overheard saying of her deceased daughter, 'I miss her so much.'

In arguing for a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years, Toneys attorney, Eric Fox told the court his client was sexually abused as a child and a teenager, has long been struggling with drug addiction and may have been suffering from postpartum depression, reported MyHorryNews.com.

At her bond hearing in 2015, Toney (pictured in court at the time) claimed she did not intentionally put her baby in danger

He said the 34-year-old defendant has made conflicting statements after her arrest, including that she went into the creek on a cold November morning with her child in her arms to find God, and that the five-month-old Grace was somehow directing her movements.

'This really might be a case of psychosis,' he said. 'Its rare but not unheard of.'

As Toney was being led out of the courtroom after sentencing, the sobbing mother exclaimed, 'Oh, God!'
Hokulea back in Pacific after Panama Canal crossing

HONOLULU (AP)  A Hawaiian sailing canoe on an around-the-world journey has passed through the Panama Canal and is back in Pacific waters for the first time in nearly two years.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society said in a news release that Hokulea and its crew made it to the Pacific side of the canal Wednesday. A ship had been used to tow the double-hulled canoe across the canal's strong currents, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports (http://bit.ly/2jyY0gn).

Hokulea had arrived in Colon, Panama, on Jan. 2, about two weeks after leaving Key West, Florida. Canoe Captain Bruce Blankenfeld said they had been scheduled to start moving through the canal Monday, but a two-day journey across three sets of locks caused the delay.

The crew is expected to stay in Balboa, Panama, for about a week before heading out to the Galapagos Islands, the voyaging society said. That trip is estimated to last about 10 days and will be the first of about seven more legs on the crew's worldwide voyage.

Hokulea is expected to return to Oahu in June.

___
Lebanon closes airport landfill over bird risks

BEIRUT (AP)  Lebanon has closed a landfill at the foot of a runway at the Beirut international airport in response to concerns that seagulls circling around the site pose a threat to aircraft safety.

Public Works Minister Youssef Fenianos said workers were installing ultrasonic noise makers on Thursday to keep the gulls out of the flight path, after local media reported multiple bird strikes, citing unnamed airport workers.

Birds were seen around the landfill as planes touched down on the opposite end of the runway.

Since authorities opened the landfill last year, environmentalists have warned it would attract large birds, leading to catastrophic strikes if they were sucked into engines.
Officials: More than 40 percent of California out of drought

SONOMA, Calif. (AP)  More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow.

The weekly drought report by government and academic water experts showed 42 percent of the state free from drought. This time last year, 97 percent of the state was in drought.

Southern California, also receiving welcome rain from the storms, remains in drought but has experienced a dramatic reduction in the severity. Just 2 percent of the state, a swath between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, remains in the sharpest category of drought that includes drying wells, reservoirs and streams and widespread crop losses. Forty-three percent of the state was in that direst category this time a year ago.

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, file photo, morning traffic makes its way toward downtown Los Angeles along the Hollywood Freeway past an electronic sign warning of severe drought. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

California will remain in a drought emergency until Gov. Jerry Brown lifts or eases the declaration he issued in January 2014, while standing in a bare Sierra Nevada meadow that one of the state's driest stretches on record had robbed of all snow.

State officials said this week that Brown will likely wait until the end of California's winter snow and rain season to make a decision on revising the drought declaration.

For Northern California, at least, the onslaught of storms that brought the Sierras their heaviest snow in six years and forced voluntary evacuations of thousands of people as rivers surged will likely make it a much clearer call for the governor, water experts said.

"It's hard to say we have a drought here right now," said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California at Davis, an area near Sacramento that was awash after its heaviest rain in 20 years.

Lund spoke on his way back from taking students to see flood gates on the Sacramento River, opened by state officials Tuesday for the first time in 12 years to ease pressure on river banks and levees.

The opened gates were spilling a 2-mile torrent of excess water onto public lands in the Sacramento Valley, alongside the equally raging Sacramento, the state's largest river.

More storms Thursday raised fears of mudslides in Southern California and clogged commutes statewide. The Russian River in Northern California's wine region was among the tributaries still in flood. Residents in the resort town of Guerneville used canoes and kayaks to get around flooded areas, and even inside their inundated homes.

Forecasters said rain and snow would continue into Thursday afternoon. But the heaviest of the back-to-back systems fueled by an "atmospheric river" weather phenomenon had passed after delivering the heaviest rain in a decade.

"Everything is on the way down," said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Monterey.

The past week's storms were enough to double the snowpack in parts of the Sierras, runoff from which provides Californians with much of their year-round water supply. Stations up and down the mountain chain were reporting twice the amount of normal rain and snow for this time of year.

The state's reservoirs were brimming above average for the first time in six years.

"It's been so wet in some places this winter we would do pretty well even if it tapered off right now," said Daniel Swain, a fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles whose weather blog has been a closely watched chronicle of the drought.

Water experts look at factors including soil moisture, stream levels and snow pack in determining drought, said Claudia Faunt, a San Diego-based hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

At the peak of the drought in 2014 and 2015, urban Californians were under a mandatory 25-percent water conservation order from Brown. Dozens of threatened native species suffered as waterways shriveled. More than 100 million trees in the Sierra Nevadas died, foresters said.

California's underground water reserves have been so depleted by extra pumping in the drought that they would take decades, at a minimum, to replenish, experts said.

In a state as sprawling and varied as California, "where we are in a drought is complicated," Faunt said.

___

Associated Press writer Janie Har in San Francisco contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2017, file photo, Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program for the Department of Water Resources, plunges the survey tube into the snowpack as he conducts the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12, a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

FILE - In this April 1, 2015 file photo, Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program for the Department of Water Resources, and Gov. Jerry Brown walk across a dry meadow that is usually covered in several inches of snow to conduct a snow survey, near Echo Summit, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2017, file photo, a rainbow is seen over a flooded landscape in Hollister, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12, a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2017, file photo, vineyards remain flooded in the Russian River Valley in Forestville, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12, a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, photo, Briones Reservoir is seen near capacity in Orinda, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12, a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

FILE - In this May 1, 2014 file photo, fourth-generation rice farmer Josh Sheppard walks across the dried-up ditch at his rice farm in Richvale, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12 a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2017 file photo, the Merced River flows under the Pohono Bridge in Yosemite National Park, Calif. More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, Jan. 12 a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow. (Silvia Flores/The Fresno Bee via AP, File)
Puerto Rico pursues public-private partnerships amid crisis

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Puerto Rico's newly elected governor has signed his first law  one aimed at boosting the U.S. territory's economy via public-private partnerships.

He says the measure would promote public operation of public services without complete privatization. It grants priority to Puerto Rico businesses while aiming to attract outside investment as well,

Ricardo Rossello said late Wednesday that no such partnerships have been created in the past three years.

FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2016, file photo, Ricardo Rossello, then the Puerto Rican gubernatorial candidate, speaks during a forum organized by the Gasoline Retailers Association, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Governor Rossello has signed his first law on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, aimed at boosting the U.S. territory's economy via public-private partnerships. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File)

The law seeks to reduce the financial burden on a government that owes nearly $70 billion in public debt while generating revenue for a pension system that is about to collapse.
US gov't accuses Fiat Chrysler of cheating on emissions

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. government accused Fiat Chrysler on Thursday of failing to disclose software in some of its pickups and SUVs with diesel engines that allows them to emit more pollution than allowed under the Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a "notice of violation" to the company that covers about 104,000 vehicles including the 2014 through 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram pickups, all with 3-liter diesel engines. The California Air Resources Board took similar action.

"Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in a vehicle's engine is a serious violation of the law, which can result in harmful pollution in the air we breathe," said Cynthia Giles, EPA assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance.

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, file photo, 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees appear on display at a Fiat Chrysler dealership in Doral, Fla. On Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, the U.S. government alleged that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles failed to disclose that software in some of its pickups and SUVs with diesel engines allows them to emit more pollution than allowed under the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement that it issued a "notice of violation" to the company that covers about 104,000 vehicles, including the 2014 through 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Ram pickups, all with 3-liter diesel engines. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne denied any wrongdoing, saying the EPA was blowing the issue out of proportion. "We have done in our view nothing that is illegal," he said Thursday on a conference call. "We will defend our behavior in the right environment."

Marchionne said he was told by company lawyers that the Justice Department is investigating the company in concert with the EPA, raising the likelihood of an ongoing criminal probe. He said the company halted production of Grand Cherokees and Rams with diesel engines in September, but will continue to sell models manufactured before then that are still on dealers' lots.

The company said it intends to present its case to the incoming Trump administration. "We will work with the new leadership to get this issue through," Marchionne said.

A spokesman for President-elect Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House said Thursday that EPA makes enforcement decisions independently and that outgoing President Barack Obama wasn't involved in the decision to cite the company.

If found liable, Fiat Chrysler could face more than $4.5 billion in potential fines for violations of the Clean Air Act.

EPA said it will continue to investigate the "nature and impact" of the eight software functions identified through an intensive testing program launched after Volkswagen was caught in a 2015 cheating scandal involving its "Clean Diesel" line of vehicles. Regulators were not yet defining the software found in the Fiat Chrysler vehicles as so-called "defeat devices" intended to cheat on government emissions tests.

However, the agency said that numerous discussions with Fiat Chrysler over the past year had not produced any suitable explanation for why the company had failed to disclose the software, which regulators said caused the vehicles to emit less pollution during testing than during regular driving.

"This is a clear and serious violation of the Clean Air Act," Giles said. "When companies break the law, Americans depend on EPA to step in and enforce."

On Thursday California regulators also announced they were citing Fiat Chrysler for 11 violations under that state's strict air quality standards.

Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that its emissions control systems "meet the applicable requirements" and that it spent months giving information to the EPA to explain its emissions technology and proposed a number of actions including software changes to address the agency's concerns.

Regulators said owners of the affected models do not yet need to take any action and that they should continue driving their vehicles.

Fiat Chrysler shares tumbled 20 percent $9.12 Thursday morning as the EPA action was reported, wiping out about $3 billion of the company's market value. The shares recovered a bit to $9.91 by early afternoon but still were down nearly 11 percent.

Shares of Cummins Inc. also fell just over 2 percent to $137.59. Though the company manufactures some diesel engines for Fiat Chrysler, the company said Thursday it did not make the engines in the Jeep and Ram models cited by the EPA.

The announcement comes one day after Fiat rival Volkswagen pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal charges related to widespread cheating involving emissions tests, agreeing to pay a record $4.3 billion penalty. Six high-ranking VW executives have been charged in the scandal, which prompted a nationwide recall of more than a half-million affected cars and SUVs.

In the Volkswagen case, prosecutors alleged that top officials at the company approved of the cheating scheme, repeatedly lied to U.S. regulators and then orchestrated a mass attempted cover-up that included deleting computer files and emails.

EPA regulators made no such allegations against Fiat Chrysler on Thursday, though they said their investigation is in the early stages and is ongoing.

This isn't the first time the company has run afoul of a federal agency. In 2015, Fiat Chrysler was slapped with $175 million in penalties by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for mishandling recalls and failing to report safety data.

Marchionne, who clearly was agitated on a conference call with reporters, expressed confidence that the EPA will find no evidence of an illegal "defeat device" in the Jeeps and Rams. He said some of the computer software on the engines was not disclosed because it's standard among automakers and disclosure wasn't previously required. But he said the EPA changed the rules after the Volkswagen case.

Marchionne said there is no comparison between his company and VW because there was no intent by Fiat Chrysler to deceive the EPA or cheat on emissions tests.

"There's not a guy in this house that would even remotely attempt to try something as stupid as that," he said. "And if I found a guy like that I would have hung him on a door."

___

Krisher reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Krisher at Twitter.com/tkrisher and Biesecker at Twitter.com/mbieseck

___

This story has been corrected to show that Cummins does not make engines in the affected Jeep and Ram models.

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2015, file photo, Ram pickup trucks are on display on the lot at Landmark Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM in Morrow, Ga. On Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, the U.S. government alleged that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles failed to disclose that software in some of its pickups and SUVs with diesel engines allows them to emit more pollution than allowed under the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement that it issued a "notice of violation" to the company that covers about 104,000 vehicles, including the 2014 through 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Ram pickups, all with 3-liter diesel engines. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
Rights group: Civilians abused by rivals in Ukraine conflict

MOSCOW (AP)  A human rights group says civilians are being abducted and tortured by fighters on both sides of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

An annual report released by Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists of holding dozens of civilians in arbitrary detention in Ukraine's industrial east, where fighting has killed more than 9,600 people since 2014.

The rights group lauded Ukrainian authorities for putting on trial last year some of members of the volunteer battalions suspected of grave abuses against civilians. But the group criticized the government for what it says is a failure to respond to nationalists' threats against journalists working in the conflict zone.
5 best industries for aspiring entrepreneurs in 2017

This could be the year you decide to stop working for someone else and start your own business. While your individual skills and interests are key to determining what type of venture to pursue, the last thing you want to do is start a business in an industry with a gloomy outlook. Here are five industries with promising futures, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, market research firm IBISWorld and financial information company Sageworks.

1. HEALTH CARE

As the 75 million baby boomers age, there's increased demand for health care services. According to an outlook by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of the 20 occupations projected to have the highest percent increase in employment by 2024 are in the health industry. Meeting the needs of an aging population creates opportunities for physical therapists, doctors, optometrists and other specialists to open their own practices.

FILE - In this Friday, May 16, 2014, file photo, Daniel Lewis, Mosquito Authority, sprays to kill mosquitos before the summer season, in Jacksonville, N.C. From landscaping to cleaning to pest control, businesses in maintenance industries that service residences and commercial buildings saw a 13 percent increase in sales in 2016, according to Sageworks. If you gain the right expertise, Sageworks analyst James Noe says, these businesses are easy to start because they have relatively low upfront costs and dont require large inventory, staff or dedicated office space. (Maria Sestito/The Jacksonville Daily News via AP, File)

Don't have the expertise to open that kind of business? Starting a home health aide staffing firm is one idea you could pursue. According to the bureau, employment of home health aides is expected to increase 38 percent by 2024, and finding employees may be relatively easy since the job doesn't require a degree.

2. MARIJUANA

Good news for those with green thumbs: 28 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana . IBISWorld predicts that industry revenue for medical and recreational marijuana growers will jump 33.5 percent over the next five years. The retail side of the business is also expected to see sales rise this year, according to the firm.

But for every high, there's a low. Because the drug remains illegal at the federal level, says Dmitry Diment, a senior industry analyst at IBISWorld, new growth opportunities arise only when regulations are approved by the states. Those at the forefront of medical and recreational marijuana  like Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California  offer the best examples of how the industry could evolve, he adds.

3. E-COMMERCE

Personal disposable income is projected to grow by 4 percent per year from 2014 to 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and as disposable income grows, so does the "quantity and quality of online purchases," IBISWorld says.

But e-commerce can be an easily saturated market, given low barriers of entry. To increase your online business's chance of success, focus on your customers  whether through customizable products, timely support or fast delivery of products, IBISWorld industry analyst Madeline LeClair says.

4. TECH

In a similar vein, continued innovation in the tech world means continued opportunities for tech-savvy entrepreneurs. IBISWorld projects a 31 percent revenue boost for smartphone app developers alone in 2017. Don't forget about the support side of the industry; Sageworks found that tech consulting and installation services had strong sales growth in 2016.

5. HOME AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE

From landscaping to cleaning to pest control, businesses in maintenance industries that service residences and commercial buildings saw a 13 percent increase in sales in 2016, according to Sageworks. If you gain the right expertise, Sageworks analyst James Noe says, these businesses are easy to start because they have relatively low upfront costs and don't require large inventory, staff or dedicated office space.

______

This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Email staff writer Jackie Zimmermann: jzimmermann@nerdwallet.com . Twitter: @jackie_zm.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: How to start your small business https://nerd.me/2iKsuin
Former senator Mikulski joining Johns Hopkins faculty

BALTIMORE (AP)  Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski will join the faculty at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The university announced Thursday that the 80-year-old Mikulski will start next week as a professor of public policy and an adviser to university leaders.

Mikulski was the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress. The Baltimore native represented Maryland in the Senate for 30 years and retired earlier this month.

Mikulski began her political career as an activist in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood. She says in a statement that her new job will allow her "to continue to play a role locally in shaping Baltimore's future while promoting a national agenda of innovation, leadership and service."
Study: Just 7 percent of top films in 2016 directed by women

NEW YORK (AP)  A new study finds that just 7 percent of the 250 highest-grossing films of 2016 were directed by women.

The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University on Thursday issued the 19th annual edition of its report, titled "The Celluloid Ceiling," authored by the center's executive director, Martha M. Lauzen. The rate of female directors was down 2 percent from last year.

Despite widespread attention in recent years to gender inequality in the film industry, the study found not only that opportunities aren't improving, but are getting slightly worse. Nearly 20 years ago, in 1998, 9 percent of the top films were directed by women.

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2017 file photo shows director Ava DuVernay at the 2017 Film Independent Filmmaker Grant and Spirit Award Nominees Brunch in West Hollywood, Calif. A new study finds that just 7 percent of the 250 highest-grossing films of 2016 were directed by women. In recent years, gender inequality in Hollywood has drawn increased scrutiny, including an ongoing investigation by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)

Researchers found the disparity across the board. In 2016, women comprised 17 percent of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and cinematographers in the top 250 domestic-grossing films. That also is a decline of 2 percent from 2015.

In recent years, gender inequality in Hollywood has drawn increased scrutiny, including an ongoing investigation by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Numerous stars have also spoken out about pay disparity. Most recently, Natalie Portman, who last year released her directorial debut, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," told Marie Claire that she was paid three times less than co-star Ashton Kutcher in 2011's "No Strings Attached."

The center's study also showed the trickle-down effect of hiring female directors. In analyzing the top 500 films, researchers found that on films with female directors, women accounted for 64 percent of writers. On male-directed films, just 9 percent were women.
German TV slams exclusion from European nationalist meeting

BERLIN (AP)  German public broadcaster ARD said Thursday it may take legal action after being refused access to an upcoming meeting of European nationalist leaders in the western city of Koblenz.

ARD television's program director, Volker Herres, posted a statement on Twitter, saying the broadcaster's editors "condemn this massive encroachment against the freedom to report."

"It is a loss for our audience that we won't be able to report on the meeting of right-wing populist parties in Europe," the station said. "This gathering is of great importance for the future political course of this movement."

FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2015 file picture shows AfD (Alternative for Germany) politician Marcus Pretzell, during a party meeting in Hannover, Germany. German public broadcaster ARD says Thursday Jan. 12, 2017 it may take legal action after being refused access to a conference of European nationalist leaders later this month. Apart from Alternative for Germany co-leader Frauke Petry and its European lawmaker Marcus Pretzell, the Jan. 21 meeting in Koblenz also features French Front National leader Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders of the Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa via AP,file)

The meeting is being organized by a European Parliament faction that includes members of France's Front National, Italy's Northern League, the Party for Freedom of the Netherlands and Alternative for Germany. Known by its German acronym AfD, the anti-immigration party has risen to third in opinion polls ahead of the country's general election this fall.

Apart from AfD co-leader Frauke Petry and the party's European lawmaker Marcus Pretzell, the Jan. 21 meeting will also feature Front National leader Marine Le Pen and the Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders.

ARD said it was told by Alternative for Germany that it had been refused access for "not meeting journalistic standards in its past reporting on the party"  a claim the broadcaster rejected.

"We reserve the right to take legal steps," ARD said.

Pretzell said keeping public broadcasters away would benefit German viewers, who are required to pay a monthly fee for the service.

"It's a win-win situation," he said in an email to The Associated Press.

Pretzell said he had also denied access to reporters from the Handelsblatt business daily, the weekly Der Spiegel and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2016 file picture AfD (Alternative for Germany) chairwoman Frauke Petry attends a news conference of the party in Berlin. European nationalist leaders including French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and the Netherlands Geert Wilders plan to meet in Germany later this month. The office of Marcus Pretzell, a European Parliament lawmaker with the Alternative for Germany party, on Wednesday Jan. 11, 2017 billed the Jan. 21 meeting in Koblenz of the legislatures Europe of Nations and Freedom group as bringing together the top politicians of the new Europe. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, file)
IndyCar extends contract with chassis manufacturer Dallara

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  The IndyCar Series and longtime chassis manufacturer Dallara have agreed to new multiyear contract.

Series officials made the announcement Thursday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Terms were not disclosed.

Dallara will continue providing driver safety cells in 2018 when new cars are expected to be used. Series officials also provided sketches of what the new aero kits may look like. Early designs appear to provide more head protection for drivers.

Jay Frye, the series' president of competition and operations, says Dallara's safety record gives drivers "a great deal of confidence." The Italian company has its American headquarters based in Speedway, not far from the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar headquarters.

___
60 years since publication of famous travel guidebook

NEW YORK (AP)  This year the legendary travel guidebook writer Arthur Frommer celebrates 60 years since the publication of his 1957 book, "Europe on $5 a Day." Frommer began writing about travel while serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s. When his book of travel advice for American soldiers sold out, he launched what became one of the travel industry's best-known brands.

Frommer's philosophy  stay in inns and budget hotels, sightsee on your own, eat in small cafes instead of fancy restaurants  had a huge impact on the way Americans traveled in the mid- to late 20th century. His message of authentic bargain travel encouraged average people  not just the wealthy  to vacation abroad. There was a time when you couldn't go to a tourist attraction in Europe without encountering Americans clutching Frommer's books. It didn't hurt that his books hit the market as the rise of jet travel made getting to Europe easier.

But as the cost of travel increased over the decades, the titles changed too. The "$5 a Day" edition became $10 a day, $20 a day and so on. The series ended in 2007 with "$95 a Day" guides. By then, Arthur's daughter Pauline had joined the family business, and the brand continued. There are now 101 Frommer's guides available to destinations around the world.

In this Jan. 6, 2017 photo, Arthur Former, 87, right, poses with his daughter, Pauline, in New York. It's been 60 years since the publication of Frommer's legendary travel guidebook, "Europe on $5 a Day." Frommer's message of authentic, bargain travel was revolutionary in its day, encouraging average people and not just the wealthy to travel. Today there are 101 Frommer's guidebooks to destinations around the world and a Frommers.com website. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

Today, though, Frommer's is one of many sources of travel information in a crowded field, competing not just with free online advice but also with other best-selling travel guidebooks like Rick Steves and Lonely Planet. Still, Frommer's brand has survived in the digital world, with ebooks, a Frommers.com website and podcasts of a weekly radio show that Arthur and Pauline do live from New York.

Arthur Frommer, 87, recently shared his story with The Associated Press.

Q. How did the Frommer's brand begin?

A: I was drafted into the Army at the time of the Korean War. But luckily enough and to my great surprise, instead of being sent to fight in Korea, I was sent to Europe because I had certain linguistic abilities.

... And while in the army overseas, I was always struck by the fact that my fellow GIs did not travel. They were scared to travel. They were worried about how you would pay for various items. What currency would you use, where would you live at night, and I decided to do a guidebook. And in my last three weeks in the Army, I wrote a little book called 'The GI's Guide to Traveling in Europe,' which was circulated to the various PXs in Europe on the day that I left Germany and returned home. ... And immediately I got a cable from Europe that the book had sold out overnight.

Q. You returned to New York to practice law but decided to write another guidebook for civilians. How did you do it?

A. During a one-month vacation, I returned to Europe and I went running to 15 different European cities, getting up at 5 a.m. in the morning, hitting the streets, going from one guesthouse to another, from one low-cost restaurant to another, and I then wrote a book called "Europe on $5 a Day." I printed 5,000 copies of the book, the book went on sale and again it sold out.

Q. What was the impact of your books?

A. In the 1950s most Americans had been taught that foreign travel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially travel to Europe. They were taught that they were going to a war-torn country where it was risky to stay in any hotel other than a five-star hotel. It was risky to go into anything but a top-notch restaurant. ... And I knew that all these warnings were a lot of nonsense. ... I told them that every five-star hotel was identical to every other five-star hotel. ... I taught them to sightsee on their own two feet. I told them to use public transportation. ... I think we were pioneers in also suggesting that a different type of American should travel, that you didn't have to be well-heeled, you could be a person who just graduated from college.

Q. Do you ever fly first-class?

A. I fly economy class and I try to experience the same form of travel, the same experience that the average American and the average citizen of the world encounters.

Q. What's your favorite destination?

A. The one spot I could return to over and over again for the rest of my life is the city of Paris. It's Paris, France, that to my mind excels in virtually every major area of human thought in terms of art, in music, in cuisine, in political discourse. I love going to Paris and I am horrified over the fact that tourism by Americans to Paris has fallen by as much as 30 percent in the year that has just passed because of a fear of terrorism. I am continuing to travel. I will not permit some deranged terrorist from deciding where I should or should not go.

In this Jan. 6, 2017 photo, Arthur Former, 87, background, poses with his daughter, Pauline, in New York. It's been 60 years since the publication of Frommer's legendary travel guidebook, "Europe on $5 a Day." Frommer's message of authentic, bargain travel was revolutionary in its day, encouraging average people and not just the wealthy to travel. Today there are 101 Frommer's guidebooks to destinations around the world and a Frommers.com website. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)
El Salvador, one of the world's deadliest countries, has recorded a rare day without a single homicide.

National Civil Police commissioner Howard Cotto said at a news conference Thursday that no murders were reported the previous day in the gang-plagued Central American nation.

The last time the country went a full day without any killings was January 22, 2015. It also happened once in 2013 and on two days the year before that.

Relatives of murder vicitim, Alberto Hernandez, embrace as his body is retrieved in a rural area of El Salvador in June 2015

Ten people a day had been murdered so far this year until Wednesday's peace.

The police did not offer any explanation for the lack of violence.

And authorities were quick to deny that they had restored a controversial truce with the gangs.

The nation of about 6 million people averaged 14.4 murders a day last year.

Killings peaked at 104 per 100,000 residents in 2015, the highest rate for any nation not in open war that year.

Homicides fell by about 20 percent in 2016, but it was still one of the most violent countries with 81.2 murders per 100,000 residents.

A member of the National Civil Police elite forces secures an alleged member of the 'maras' or MS-13 gang during a raid close to capital San Salvador

Warring gangs known as 'maras' are involved in drug trafficking, organized crime and extortion rackets in the country.

The criminal groups were formed in the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s by children of Salvadoran migrants who had fled the country's brutal civil war.

When the war ended in 1992 many of them returned home and took the LA gang culture with them.
Russia, Turkey sign Syria flight safety agreement

MOSCOW (AP)  Russia's defense ministry says it has signed an agreement with the Turkish army to ensure flight safety over war-torn Syria.

The Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the memorandum lays the groundwork for coordination between the two countries' air forces to "prevent accidents involving planes and drones" in Syrian air space.

The ministry says a Turkish delegation traveled to Moscow to sign the agreement.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara took a hit in 2015 after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syria-Turkey border. It took Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan months to apologize for the incident.
Violent protests at Peru's capital over new highway toll

LIMA, Peru (AP)  Hundreds of Peruvians threw homemade explosives and rocks while police fired tear gas during a protest Thursday over a new road toll into Lima.

It was the second time in under a week that residents of the poor Puente Piedra district outside the capital fought with police on the Pan-American Highway, which is their only route into Lima.

The district's mayor and leftist lawmakers are supporting the protesters' demands to eliminate the toll, which is $1.50 to both enter and to leave Lima. But Lima Mayor Luis Castaneda says city's hands are tied because the toll is part of a project approved by his predecessor to build and maintain roads.

Protesters are angry because the $3 daily cost for driving to and from Lima is a burden in a country where the minimum wage is about $250 month. Not all the demonstrators have cars, but the toll has also driven up the cost of riding on buses and mototaxis.
Flames spew from California fire station while crew is away

BUENA PARK, Calif. (AP)  Flames poured from the windows of a fire station on a rainy Southern California morning, the raging blaze destroying firefighting vehicles and ravaging the building while a crew was out on a call Thursday.

No one was injured in the fire that broke out around 3:30 a.m. at Station 61 in the city of Buena Park near the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz said. Another crew housed in the station escaped safely.

The blaze destroyed a 100-foot-long aerial ladder truck, a battalion chief command SUV, a pickup truck and a swift-water rescue boat. In all, about $1.5 million in firefighting equipment was lost, Kurtz said.

Firefighters battle a two alarm fire ripped through Orange County Fire Authority Station 6 in Buena Park, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. County Fire Authority Captain Larry Kurtz says more than 50 firefighters worked in pounding rain to extinguish the flames, which heavily damaged the station and destroyed at least one truck inside. Officials say nobody was hurt in the fire that broke out around 4:30 a.m. Thursday at the fire station in Buena Park near the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park. (AP Photo/Kevin Warn)

It took more than 60 firefighters from multiple agencies several hours to douse the flames, which severely damaged the station. Water pooled around crews as they hosed down the blackened building.

The cause was under investigation. A fire engine was away on a call when the fire broke out, Kurtz said.

Station 61 had been earmarked to close and make way for a new, $13 million station house nearby, the Orange County Register newspaper reported.

The fire will not affect any requests for firefighting or paramedic coverage in Orange County, Kurtz told the newspaper.

"We have plans in place for scenarios like this," he said. "We're a very large organization, and we have plenty of backup apparatus and quarters."

___

This story has been corrected to show the fire was reported at 3:30 a.m., not 4:30 a.m.

Firefighters battle a two alarm fire ripped through Orange County Fire Authority Station 6 in Buena Park, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. County Fire Authority Captain Larry Kurtz says more than 50 firefighters worked in pounding rain to extinguish the flames, which heavily damaged the station and destroyed at least one truck inside. Officials say nobody was hurt in the fire that broke out around 4:30 a.m. Thursday at the fire station in Buena Park near the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park. (AP Photo/Kevin Warn)
Obama to ease Sudan sanctions on way out

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Obama administration is set to ease sanctions against Sudan and broaden now limited talks with the long estranged African government, a U.S.-designated terrorism sponsor whose leader has been indicted on war crimes charges, The Associated Press learned Thursday.

The change in policy is a response to positive actions by the Sudanese government in fighting terrorism, reducing conflict, denying safe haven to South Sudanese rebels and improving humanitarian access to people in need, three officials told the AP.

The White House is expected to announce an easing of sanctions on Friday as part of a five-track engagement process, said the officials, who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2016 file photo, students line up outside a classroom with a map of Africa on its wall, in Yei, in southern South Sudan. The Obama administration is set to ease sanctions against Sudan and broaden now limited talks with the long estranged African government, a U.S.-designated terrorism sponsor whose leader has been indicted on war crimes charges, The Associated Press learned Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Justin Lynch, File)

They said the administration will keep in place the broad set of economic and financial sanctions Sudan faces as a result of its "state sponsor of terrorism" designation. The penalties being suspended by the policy change could be re-imposed if Sudan backtracks on the progress it has made, they added.

In any case, decisions on continuing the diplomatic outreach will be up to the incoming Trump administration, which takes office on Jan. 20. Any changes are likely to enrage segments of the human rights community, who've long blasted Khartoum's Arab-led government for its conduct in Darfur and treatment of various ethnic groups.

Beyond recognizing Sudan's improvements, the officials said the new approach signals an admission that years of limited U.S. engagement with Khartoum had not produced the desired result. Such an acknowledgement fits with a general pattern under Obama of rapprochement with rogue or antagonistic states, including Cuba, Iran and Myanmar.

The administration hinted at a policy shift last fall.

In September, the State Department issued an out-of-the-blue statement welcoming Khartoum's cooperation in fighting Islamic extremist groups, without mentioning any specific development or reason for the public release. It said Sudan had taken "important steps" to take on the Islamic State group and other such organizations, adding that the U.S. would work with the country on security matters while pressing it on human rights and democracy.

At the time, the department said the U.S. maintained grave concerns about Sudan's policies, notably its handling of unrest in the western Darfur region, but described normalized relations as not out of the question.

The department first labelled Sudan a terrorism sponsor in 1993. Among those Sudan harbored was Osama bin Laden, prompting President Bill Clinton to launch airstrikes in 1998. Sudan is one of only three countries still identified as such after Cuba was removed from the list in 2015. Syria and Iran are the others, although the Obama administration sealed a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran a year and a half ago.

Sudan's changes have largely occurred below the radar. But the U.S. credits the country with limiting travel of Islamic State militants and shifting toward greater alignment with Saudi Arabia, and less with Iran. Israel also has pressed the U.S. to adopt a friendlier relationship with Sudan after it cracked down on shipments of suspected Iranian weapons to groups hostile to the Jewish state.

The announcement will surely draw criticism from human rights groups because of ongoing allegations of rights abuses, notably in Darfur, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court for related atrocities. Al-Bashir is wanted for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide charges.
Obama ends visa-free path for Cubans who make it to US soil

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama announced Thursday he is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident.

The repeal of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy is effective immediately. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S.

"Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities," Obama said in a statement. "By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries. The Cuban government has agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals who have been ordered removed, just as it has been accepting the return of migrants interdicted at sea."

A man runs past a Cuban flag near the United States embassy, behind right, in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. President Barack Obama announced Thursday he is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The Cuban government praised the move. In a statement read on state television, it called the signing of the agreement "an important step in advancing relations" between the U.S. and Cuba that "aims to guarantee normal, safe and ordered migration."

Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. Donald Trump could undo that rule after becoming president next week. He has criticized Obama's moves to improve relations with Cuba. But ending a policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to come to the United States without a visa also aligns with Trump's commitment to tough immigration policies.

President Bill Clinton created "wet foot, dry foot" policy in 1995 as a revision of a more liberal immigration policy that allowed Cubans caught at sea to come to the United States become legal residents in a year.

The two governments have been negotiating an end to "wet foot, dry foot" for months and finalized an agreement Thursday. A decades-old U.S. economic embargo, though, remains in place, as does the Cuban Adjustment Act, which lets Cubans become permanent residents a year after legally arriving in the U.S.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cuba has agreed to take back those turned away from the U.S., if the time between their departure from Cuba and the start of deportation hearings in the U.S. is four years or less. Officials said the timeframe is required under a Cuban law enacted after Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act.

"For this to work, the Cubans had to agree to take people back," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser.

Administration officials called on Congress to repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Officials said the changes would not affect a lottery that allows 20,000 Cubans to come to the U.S. legally each year. But Rhodes cast the shift as a necessary step toward Cuba's economic and political development.

"It's important that Cuba continue to have a young, dynamic population that are clearly serving as agents of change," he said.

Rhodes also cited an uptick in Cuban migration, particularly across the U.S.-Mexico border  an increase many have attributed to an expectation among Cubans that the Obama administration would soon move to end their special immigration status.

Since October 2012, more than 118,000 Cubans have presented themselves at ports of entry along the border, according to statistics published by the Homeland Security Department, including more than 48,000 people who arrived between October 2015 and November 2016.

Relations between the United States and Cuba were stuck in a Cold War freeze for decades, but Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro established full diplomatic ties and opened embassies in their capitals in 2015. Obama visited Havana last March. Officials from both nations met Thursday in Washington to coordinate efforts to fight human trafficking.

Obama said the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which was started by President George W. Bush in 2006, is also being rescinded. The measure allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to seek parole in the U.S. while on assignments abroad. The president said those doctors can still apply for asylum at U.S. embassies around the world.

"By providing preferential treatment to Cuban medical personnel, the medical parole program ... risks harming the Cuban people," Obama said.

People already in the United States and in the pipeline under both "wet foot, dry foot" and the medical parole program will be able to continue the process toward getting legal status.

Reaction to the announcement in Havana was muted Thursday afternoon.

"This was bound to happen at some point," said taxi driver Guillermo Britos, 35. "It could impose a more normal dynamic on emigration, so that not so many people die at sea, but it could also take an escape valve away from the government, which was getting hard currency from the emigrants."

Anti-Castro Cubans in Miami were mixed in their responses, with some expressing anger at Obama for what they called another betrayal of ordinary Cubans. Others said they thought the measure would increase pressure for change in Cuba.

"People who can't leave, they could create internal problems for the regime," said Jorge Gutierrez, an 80-year-old veteran of the Bay of Pigs invasion. But he added, "From the humanitarian point of view, it's taking away the possibility of a better future from the people who are struggling in Cuba."

Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican who emigrated from Cuba as a child, decried the elimination of the medical parole programs, calling it a "foolhardy concession to a regime that sends its doctors to foreign nations in a modern-day indentured servitude."

__

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Kevin Freking in Washington, Gisela Salomon and Michael Weissenstein in Miami, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and correspondent Andrea Rodriguez in Havana contributed to this report.

__

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acaldwellap and Julie Pace at www.twitter.com/jpaceDC

Fishermen and tourists are sprayed by a wave breaking over the Malecon seawall in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, where the Fort Morro lighthouse stands in the background. President Barack Obama announced Thursday he is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuban-American and veteran of Bay of Pigs Armando Gutierrez, proudly shows his Brigade ring, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, in the Little Havana area in Miami. Gutierrez said he agrees with Obama's ending the policy that allows Cubans who arrive in the United States to stay and become legal residents. Gutierrez, who arrived to the U.S. in 1959, and referred to those leaving Cuba to the U.S., said if they want their freedom, they should stay in Cuba and fight for it over there. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
Trump's Pentagon pick cruises toward likely confirmation

WASHINGTON (AP)  Retired Gen. James Mattis on Thursday cruised toward likely confirmation as Donald Trump's defense secretary, easily prevailing in a Senate vote granting him an exemption to run the Pentagon as a recently retired officer. At his confirmation hearing, he called Russia the nation's No. 1 security threat, accusing its leader of trying to "break" NATO.

The Senate voted 81-17 to approve legislation overriding a prohibition against former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform less than seven years from holding the Defense Department's top job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military. The House Armed Services Committee backed the waiver in a 34-28 vote; the full House will take up the matter Friday.

Mattis, 66, spent four decades in uniform, retiring in 2013 with a reputation as an effective combat leader and an astute strategist. Separate from the override legislation, the Senate will vote later on Mattis' nomination and will almost certainly confirm him.

Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis listens to questions from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., about his views on women and gays serving in the military, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The only other exception to the seven-year rule was made for the legendary George Marshall in 1950, the year Mattis was born. Even some of Trump's strongest critics have supported the waiver for Mattis, arguing that his experience and temperament can serve as a steadying influence on a new president with no experience in national security.

It was unclear if President Barack Obama would sign the legislation allowing Mattis to take up the post, or if it would fall to Trump after his inauguration.

At an uncontentious confirmation hearing, Mattis sketched an international security scene dominated by dark images of an aggressive Russia, resurgent China and violent Mideast. He described Iran as a major destabilizing force, called North Korea a potential nuclear threat and said the U.S. military needs to grow larger and readier for combat.

"We see each day a world awash in change," Mattis said. "Our country is still at war in Afghanistan and our troops are fighting against ISIS and other terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere. Russia is raising grave concerns on several fronts, and China is shredding trust along its periphery."

Mattis portrayed Russia as an adversary and said the history of U.S.-Russian relations is not encouraging.

"I have very modest expectations for areas of cooperation with Mr. Putin," he said, delivering an assessment strikingly dissonant with that of his potential commander in chief. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, even as U.S. intelligence agencies have accused the Russian leader of orchestrating a campaign of interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Of Putin, said Mattis, a former NATO military leader: "He is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance."

He said he has explained to Trump his views on Russia, which include a deep worry that Moscow is determined to use intimidation and nuclear threats to create a sphere of unstable states on its periphery.

Mattis, who has served in numerous senior military positions, including commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of all American forces in the Middle East, said he supports the Obama administration's moves to reassure European allies after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and military activity in eastern Ukraine.

While the U.S. should remain open to working with Russia, Mattis said, the prospects for cooperation were narrowing even as areas of disagreement grow larger.

As he spoke, Trump's choice to run the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, sided with intelligence officials who claim the Kremlin was behind the election cyberattacks, adopting a similarly tough stand against Russia in his confirmation hearing. Ties between the former Cold War foes also have been strained by Syria's civil war.

Mattis faced no hostile questions from Republicans or Democrats, receiving bipartisan praise for his reputation as a straight-talking, well-read man of integrity and intelligence.

William Cohen, a defense secretary for Democratic President Bill Clinton, introduced Mattis as a "humble man with very little to be humble about."

"He's a man of thought as well as action," Cohen said.

Mattis said the world order is under "the biggest attack since World War II," blaming Russia, China and international terrorist organizations for its destabilization.

On cyberattacks, Mattis noted that wars often are started by miscalculation. He said the U.S. needs to set clear boundaries so that adversaries know what the U.S. will not tolerate.

In prepared testimony, Mattis said he understands his role as the Defense Department's civilian leader would be different "in essence and in substance" from his four decades in uniform. He called civilian control "a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition."

Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis listens at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, welcomes Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, prior to the start of Mattis confirmation hearing before the committee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sudan news agency: President underwent heart procedure

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP)  Sudan's official news agency says the country's longtime autocratic president has undergone a heart procedure.

SUNA said Thursday that President Omar al-Bashir had an "exploratory catheter" inserted Wednesday at the Royal Care hospital in Khartoum. It says he was discharged immediately and returned to work.

The report says that "the Presidency has affirmed the result of the operation was exceedingly satisfactory."

A state media office distributed pictures of the president sitting in a salon and dressed in traditional white robe with a family member.
Police: Suspect in officer's killing was wearing body armor

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  A fugitive who is the focus of a four-day manhunt was wearing a bulletproof vest when he fatally shot an Orlando police sergeant earlier this week, Orlando's police chief said Thursday.

Investigators found clothing belonging to 41-year-old Markeith Loyd that suggests Master Sgt. Debra Clayton returned fire after she was shot, but that a bulletproof vest protected the suspect, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.

Clayton was killed Monday morning after approaching Loyd in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store. He was wanted at the time for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend in mid-December.

FILE - This undated photo provided by the Orlando Police Department shows Markeith Loyd. Loyd is wanted for killing an Orlando police officer outside a Wal-Mart in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Orlando Police Department via AP, File)

The fugitive shot Clayton several times, even when she was on the ground, the chief said.

Police arrested a former supervisor at the fried-chicken restaurant where Loyd worked, an ex-girlfriend and a niece on Tuesday and Wednesday on charges of helping him in the weeks after Loyd's ex-girlfriend was fatally shot. Mina said they haven't been cooperative in locating him.

"If there is anyone who is harboring, aiding, abetting him in any way, they will be arrested as we've seen with the past three arrests," Mina said.

Hundreds of deputies and officers have searched almost 100 places since Monday, and they've received more than 800 tips.

The searches have been lower-profile compared to Monday's door-to-door search of an Orlando apartment complex, and searchers have cast a broader net in central Florida, Mina said.

The crime-tip service Crimeline is offering a $100,000 reward for a tip that leads to Loyd's arrest.

"Anybody who makes a phone call is valuable to us at this point," said Barb Bergin, the local Crimeline's executive director.

After Clayton was shot, many of her colleagues immediately joined the pursuit. Among them was sheriff's Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, who died when he was thrown from his motorcycle in an accident.

Funerals were planned for Lewis for Friday and Clayton for Saturday.
The Latest: 3 charged with killing of 2 NY teenage brothers

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP)  The Latest on fatal shooting of two teenage brothers (all times local):

___

5:25 p.m.

Syracuse police have charged two men and a 17-year-old girl with fatally shooting two Cuban-born teenage brothers in what authorities believe was an attempted robbery set up by the girl.

Police Chief Frank Fowler says the three were arrested Wednesday night and charged with murder and attempted robbery. They're accused of shooting 17-year-old Daniel Diaz-Marrero and 19-year-old Ismael Diaz-Marrero on Tuesday evening.

Fowler says the shootings occurred during a robbery attempt set up when 17-year-old Sheahonni Davis asked the brothers to meet her. Police say 19-year-old Toriano Newson and 23-year-old Curtis L. Paige III tried to rob the brothers and Newson opened fire, hitting both siblings.

It couldn't be determined if the three suspects have lawyers who could comment on the charges.

___

11:46 a.m.

Authorities have charged three people with fatally shooting two teenage brothers in what Syracuse police say was an attempted robbery set up by one of the suspects.

Police Chief Frank Fowler says Thursday that two men, aged 19 and 23, and a 17-year-old girl were arrested Wednesday and charged with murder and attempted robbery.

They're accused of gunning down 17-year-old Daniel Diaz-Morrero and 19-year-old Ismael Diaz-Marrero around 5 p.m. Tuesday on the city's west side.

Fowler says the shootings occurred during a robbery attempt set up when the girl contacted the brothers and asked them to meet her. Police say the 19-year-old suspect shot and killed the brothers during the encounter.

The older brother was a sophomore at Le Moyne College, in suburban DeWitt. His sibling was a senior at a Syracuse high school.

___
Court revives suit alleging Apple monopoly on iPhone apps

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit accusing Apple of having an illegal monopoly on the sale of iPhone apps.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday the plaintiffs have the right to sue Apple because they purchased apps directly from the company. Apple had argued that it did not sell apps, but instead acted as an intermediary used by the app developers.

The ruling overturned a lower court decision dismissing the lawsuit.

An email to Apple was not immediately returned.
Chelsea have been granted planning permission for a 500million redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, the club have announced.

Hammersmith and Fulham Councils planning committee voted unanimously to approve the proposal for a 60,000-seat stadium at a meeting on Wednesday evening.

A statement on the clubs official website, www.chelseafc.com, said: More than a year ago, a planning application for a new stadium at Stamford Bridge with an expanded seating capacity was submitted to our local council, Hammersmith & Fulham.

(Hussain Nazrul/Herzog and de Meuron/Hammersmith and Fulham Council/PA)

Over the past 12 months, we have consulted widely with neighbouring residents, local businesses, statutory authorities and continued to work closely with the council.

Tonight the councils planning committee considered the application and we are grateful that planning permission was granted for the redevelopment of our historic home.

The committee decision does not mean that work can begin on site. This is just the latest step, although a significant one, that we have to take before we can commence work, including obtaining various other permissions.

The news was welcomed by Chelsea Pitch Owners, the group which owns the freehold to the land on which the stadium sits.

A statement said: The board of Chelsea Pitch Owners welcomes the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulhams approval of the planning application for the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.

We believe the plans will provide a world-class stadium and the bold architectural design will enhance the local area.

A computer-generated image of Chelsea's stadium redevelopment

As a supporter-based organisation and owner of the freehold of the land on which the current stadium lies - a role that is unique among the leading clubs in England - CPO was set up to ensure the club remains at the Bridge, its home since 1905.

That goal looks more secure than it has for many years following the planning approval. We look forward to continued co-operation with the club on this exciting project.

Members of the councils planning and development control committee had been recommended to approve the application, but arguments for and against were aired during discussions which lasted almost three hours.

A computer-generated image of Chelsea's redevelopment of Stamford Bridge

Several objectors spoke against the proposal, citing the impact the development would have on residents and the environment. However, there was no dissension when it came to the vote and now Chelsea will be able to plan for the next phase of the project.

That will involve working closely with council officers to gain full planning consent and also finalising the design of the new venue and logistics plans for the surrounding area. In addition, the club will set up a residents forum to identify and address issues which may arise.

The club have looked at alternative sites, including Battersea Power Station, as they seek to increase their current capacity of 41,663 - currently the seventh biggest in the Premier League  but have decided redeveloping Stamford Bridge, with owner Roman Abramovich footing the bill, is the best option despite logistical difficulties.
Russia has claimed the former MI6 officer reportedly responsible for an explosive dossier on Donald Trump may still be working for British intelligence.

Christopher Steele has apparently gone into hiding after being identified as the author of the report claiming Moscow held incriminating material on the US president-elect which it could use to blackmail him.

The former spy - who runs the London-based Orbis Business Intelligence Service - is said to have originally compiled the report for political opponents of Mr Trump in Washington.

A view of the building where Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd is located, in central London

A posting on the official Twitter feed of the Russian embassy in London said MI6 officers were never ex.

Posted over a picture showing three question marks, it said the dossier, which claimed Mr Trumps staff were in contact with Moscow in the run-up to the US presidential election, was briefing both ways  against Russia and the president-elect.

Christopher Steele story: MI6 officers are never ex: briefing both ways - against Russia and US President pic.twitter.com/tJwLtLZs24  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) January 12, 2017

Earlier Downing Street refused to be drawn on whether the Government had offered any assistance to Mr Steele, who was reported to be in fear for his life after being named in US media reports.

The Prime Ministers official spokeswoman confirmed there was a standard process for supporting current and former holders of sensitive government posts whose identities became public.

Asked whether she could offer an assurance that the UK Government had no involvement in the creation of the dossier, she said: Nothing I have seen suggests that, adding the media reports all related to a former employee.

The latest claims came after a furious Mr Trump denounced the claims in the dossier as fake news during a tumultuous press conference in New York on Wednesday.

President-elect Donald Trump

He accused US intelligence agencies of behaving like Nazis over the leak of the dossier after details were included in classified briefings to the president-elect and to President Barack Obama.

The US director of national intelligence James Clapper later said he had assured Mr Trump the leak did not come from the intelligence community.

The Twitter post marks the latest intervention by the Russian embassy which has been increasingly using its Twitter feed and website to taunt western critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

A web posting earlier this week referred to an impending official anti-Russian witch hunt in Britain involving the British special services.

Russian Embassy on widely expected anti-Russian witch hunt in Britain and suspected briefing by HMG against Russiahttps://t.co/grsplKBz9X pic.twitter.com/n91Rm6hXXd  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) January 10, 2017

There was no sign of Mr Steele at his home in the village of Runfold, near Farnham in Surrey, where neighbours said he had been living with his wife and four children for 18 months.

Next-door neighbour Mike Hopper, who was looking after the familys three cats said Mr Steele left on Wednesday. He did not say where he was going or when he was coming back, he said.
The wife of a paedophile has talked of how her life fell apart the moment that the police knocked on the door and revealed his shocking past.

Michelle Baxter, now 54, had recently celebrated her crystal wedding anniversary with Peter Yates when officers came to the house in December 2014.

Since then, he has been jailed for life after the court heard how he lured young girls to his home with sweets and abused them in the 1980s and 1990s.

Michelle Baxter, pictured with her mother and husband Peter Yates, thought her husband was the perfect gentleman and he had always been kind to her friends and family

But Peter Yates' web of lies was finally untangled when he was jailed for life for a string of child sex offences after a seven-week trial in 2016

Michelle, who started divorce proceedings immediately, is now hounded and insulted in the street - even though she had no idea of her husband's past

Michelle, who began divorce proceeding immediately, has been shunned and insulted ever since, hounded and insulted in the street when she goes out.

Now she has spoken out, telling the world how he 'groomed' her over the decades to believe his lies and cover up the shocking abuse he was responsible for.

She said: 'He didnt just groom his victims he groomed me. That carried on to the bitter end. I need people to understand that I knew nothing.'

She added: 'He was the perfect gentleman to my family. Everybody that met him thought he was a lovely man.'

Michelle, a former carer, first met Yates when she moved to Darwen, Lancashire  where she still lives  in October 2000, shortly after her first marriage broke down.

The pair bonded over their love for dogs and Michelle walked down the aisle after a whirlwind three month courtship.

Michelle (pictured in 2003, left, and 2007, right) said that they had a three-month whirlwind courtship and fell in love

He told her that he had been accused of rape in the 1990s but made up a convincing story to cover up his abusive past.

And she had no reason not to believe the man, who had been nothing but a gentleman to her since the day they met.

She said: 'Peter told me hed been accused of being a paedophile in the 1990s.

'He said his second wife, who has now died, had family who were making up tales to get money for the house.

'But he was charming and lovely to me, so I believed him that the vicious rumours werent true.'

Peter continued to charm Michelle, who was blinded by love, with lavish trips to Egypt. He also bought her several dogs and chickens.

The pair bonded over their love for dogs and Michelle walked down the aisle in 2001

Peter continued to charm Michelle, who was blinded by love, with lavish trips to Egypt (pictured, 2007). He also bought her several dogs and chickens

If youve been affected by childhood abuse, its never too late to get support. https://t.co/nQ8xNdazG6  Victim Support (@VictimSupport) December 19, 2016

But over time the relationship turned sour and Michelle began to notice his unusual quirks.

Rather than staying in Darwen, he took her to Accrington, 10 miles away, for their weekly food shops.

His job as supervisor of a CCTV monitoring station meant working four days on and four days off and he also timed their sex life to fit in with his shift pattern.

Michelle said: 'On the fourth day off he had to make love in the afternoon - wed be in bed between 3pm and 3.30pm.

But over time the relationship turned sour and Michelle (pictured in 2011) began to notice his unusual quirks

'I used to bring it up and tell him I was fed up with it. It was the same every time, with no spontaneity. But he always had some excuse.'

Yates, who had four children from two previous relationships, including his eldest, Shaun, 44, was often out of the house, pursuing his photography hobby.

So when, by 2008, their married life was punctuated by arguments, Michelle tried to raise his spirits by buying him photography gadgets and cooking him tasty meals.

That was until December 11, 2014, when her world came crashing down, after the police arrived on their doorstep and took him in for questioning.

That night, Yates told her the accusations that had been made in the 1990s had resurfaced.

And, unable to accept that her marriage had been a sham, she believed him when he insisted he was innocent.

But doubt stirred in her mind when, a few days after the police interview, he drove her to a tip and disposed of a bashed up laptop.

When Yates was interviewed again on March 13 2015, he still maintained his innocence.

He told Michelle (pictured) that he had been accused of rape in the 1990s but made up a convincing story to cover up his abusive past and she believed him

Michelle described how doubt stirred in her mind when, a few days after the police interview, he drove her to a tip and disposed of a bashed up laptop

By then, though, the couples relationship was breaking down and Michelle began to fear the worst.

Just a few days later on June 30, police turned up at their home at 6.30am and arrested Peter.

Distraught, Michelle started divorce proceedings immediately. Still, Yates wrote loving letters from jail protesting his innocence.

Yates' son Shaun Yates, 44, of Birmingham, was also sentenced to eight years, after he was convicted of two counts of rape

But on June 9 2016, after a seven-week trial Yates was found guilty of 36 child sex offences including seven counts of rape and 22 of indecent assault.

Yates, 67, was jailed for 25 years at Preston Crown Court for the crimes committed in the 1980s and 1990s and given a Sexual Harm Preventation Order

His son, Shaun Yates, 44, of Birmingham, was also sentenced to eight years, after he was convicted of two counts of rape.

Shocked Michelle said: 'I was in denial. I thought to myself: `No I havent married a paedophile, you would have known.

'You dont know, though, because they dont just groom the children they groom everybody around them.

'I dont think he ever loved me, but Im not bothered about it, because I wouldnt want a paedophile to love me.

She continued: 'I dont think Ill ever be in a relationship again. I love the countryside and dogs and Ill be happy without someone.

'I just hope and pray those poor young girls, women now, can try and be happy as well - thats all I wish for.'

Yates had impressed her with a lavish trip to Egypt and they had bonded over their live of dogs

Michelle, a former carer, first met Yates when she moved to Darwen, Lancashire  where she still lives  in October 2000, shortly after her first marriage broke down

Yates appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court, where he was jailed for life

Michelle, pictured in 2011, before her life fell apart when she learned that her husband was a child abuser

Pictured in 2003, Michelle says she was 'groomed' to believe her husband's lies

The pair shared a love of animals and he even told her that he had been accused of being a paedophile in the 1990s, but made up a cover story

Michelle, pictured in 2012, admits that she may have been in 'denial' about the allegations

Now, Michelle wants everyone to know that she was not aware of what her husband had done




Sir Andy Murray will be the top seed at a grand slam for the first time in his career at this years Australian Open.

Murray, who became world number one in November after winning four tournaments in a row, will be placed in the opposite half of the draw on Friday to Novak Djokovic, who is seeded second.

Djokovic is a six-time champion in Melbourne and has beaten the Scot four times in the final.

Our top 5 male seeds for 2017 are in.



Who are you cheering for?#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/0jVWb9AWt7  #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 12, 2017

After sitting out the second half of last season with back and knee problems, Roger Federer is seeded 17th, meaning the Swiss could be drawn to meet either Murray or Djokovic as early as the third round.

Federer has won four Australian Open titles but the 35-year-old has not played a competitive tournament since Wimbledon last year.

Rafael Nadal represents another potential early foe. The Spaniard is seeded ninth and could therefore meet any of the top four seeds in the last 16.

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic

Canadas Milos Raonic, who lost to Murray in last summers Wimbledon final, is seeded third while reigning US Open champion Stan Wawrinka is four.

Angelique Kerber is top of the womens draw and bidding to defend her Australian Open crown, after upsetting Serena Williams in the final here last year.

.@DjokerNole on #AusOpen: "To start out '17 w/ a win over the World #1 & my biggest rival, [it'd be] a dream start" https://t.co/ebDndyHsqw  #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 12, 2017

Williams, who also surrendered the world number one spot after Kerber won the US Open in September, is seeded second.

While Kerber, however, is looking for her third grand slam success, Williams is chasing her 23rd, which would see her overtake Steffi Grafs Open-era record 22 major triumphs.

British number one Johanna Konta is seeded ninth. Konta made a superb run to the Australian Open semi-finals last year before eventually falling to Kerber.
British Airways cabin crew are to stage a fresh strike in a dispute over pay.

Members of Unite will walk out for 72 hours from January 19 following two days of industrial action this week.

The union warned of continuing and deepening anger among members of the so-called mixed fleet crew, who have joined BA since 2010.

British Airways mixed fleet #cabincrew announce second wave of strike action https://t.co/aYUV903MxG pic.twitter.com/7OlSCmJGvQ  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) January 12, 2017

Unite claims they are on poverty pay rates, with many forced to take on second jobs or turn up for shifts if they are sick because they cannot afford to be off ill.

Unite national officer Oliver Richardson said: British Airways should be under no illusion about our members determination to secure a settlement that addresses their concerns over poverty pay.

Seeking to squeeze ever more from cabin crew and making passengers pay for services which were once complimentary is a sad state of affairs for an airline which once described itself as the worlds favourite.

Cabin crew members staged a 48-hour strike earlier this week

We would urge British Airways to avoid the inconvenience and disruption of industrial action by meaningfully addressing levels of poverty pay which are causing financial worry and distress to mixed fleet cabin crew.

Unite said over 800 mixed fleet cabin crew workers have joined the union since the start of the dispute, taking membership to over 2,900.

BA said this weeks 48-hour strike had failed in its objective of disrupting customers, maintaining that more than 70% of mixed fleet cabin crew reported for work as normal.

BA said more than 70% of mixed fleet cabin crew reported for work as normal during this week's two-day strike (Steve Parsons/PA)

A statement said: We operated nearly 1,600 flights over the two days, as planned, and transported all 210,000 customers to their destinations. So it is bizarre, as well as regrettable, that mixed fleet Unite branch has announced further strike dates.

We will again aim to ensure that all our customers travel to their destinations in this period and we will publish more details on Monday once we have finalised our contingency plans.

Unites attempt to create uncertainty for customers and further division among its own members is completely without justification.
Karim Benzemas goal in added time rescued Real Madrids long unbeaten run and saw them set a new Spanish record of 40 games without defeat as they drew 3-3 at Sevilla in the Copa del Rey.

The goal saw Zinedine Zidanes side surpass the previous record set by rivals Barcelona last season and, in the process, they progress to the quarter-finals with a 6-3 aggregate win.

Leading 3-0 from the first leg, it looked like Madrid would lose on the night as they went into the final quarter of an hour 3-1 behind at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Karim Benzema (Nick Potts/EMPICS)



We have set a new record in Spanish football - 40 matches unbeaten!#RealMadrid #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/hI6YPE1QHJ  Real Madrid C.F.  (@realmadriden) January 12, 2017

A Danilo own goal gave Sevilla the half-time lead but a superb individual effort from Marco Asensio brought the visitors level early in the second half.

However, Stevan Jovetic quickly restored Sevillas lead and Vicente Iborra extended it  giving Sevilla hope of making it through.

Those hopes were soon extinguished by a Sergio Ramos penalty before substitute Benzema struck in the 93rd minute to ensure a place in history.

 #RMCopa

We are through to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey after defeating @SevillaFC_ENG 6-3 on aggregate!#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/bZhFsp8Y2b  Real Madrid C.F.  (@realmadriden) January 12, 2017

The two clubs meet again on Sunday at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in a top-of-the-table clash in LaLiga, and with that huge game on the horizon both managers made changes.
Huge crowd bids farewell to Iranian ex-president who fell out with supreme leader

By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin

DUBAI, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Iranians massed in central Tehran on Tuesday for the funeral of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, an influential figurehead of the Islamic Republic whose pragmatism led to a rift with Iran's supreme leader.

Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday aged 82, was buried next to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 who founded its system of theocratic rule.

Rafsanjani's policies of economic liberalisation and better relations with the West attracted fierce supporters and equally fierce critics during his life.

While many of his opponents turned out to honour him, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stressed their close bond, what was intended by the state as a show of unity was clouded by the chants of thousands opposition supporters, as well as the absence of reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami.

An eyewitness told Reuters on the phone from Tehran: "Some were chanting slogans asking for political prisoners to be released, some hardliners were shouting 'Death to America!'. But they didn't clash. Everyone was respectful."

Some of the chants called for the release of former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi and of Mehdi Karoubi, a cleric and former speaker of parliament who lost the disputed 2009 presidential election to incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Both men refused to accept the results of that election and were placed under house arrest while Rafsanjani, who had backed them, was politically isolated along with his family.

KHATAMI ABSENT

Two separate sources said Hashemi's daughter Faezeh, jailed for six months in 2012 on charges of anti-government propaganda, had told people at the funeral that Khatami had been banned from attending. On state television's live coverage, the opposition chants were drowned out by solemn music.

As a leading power-broker, Rafsanjani helped Khamenei to secure Iran's most powerful position, that of supreme leader, after Khomeini's death in 1989, and won election as president himself a few months later.

However, their friendship gradually turned into rivalry as Rafsanjani, who continued to wield enormous influence even after his eight years as president ended, sided with reformists who promoted greater freedom, while Khamenei interpreted the values of the Islamic Republic much more conservatively.

In his condolence message, Khamenei said political differences had never been able to "entirely break up" their nearly 60 years of friendship.

Streets were filled overnight with billboards that showed a picture of the two men smiling and chatting as close friends.

"No one will be like Hashemi for me," the billboards quoted Khamenei as saying, using Rafsanjani's first family name.

KHAMENEI'S PRAYER

It was Khamenei who said the final prayer over Rafsanjani's body in the University of Tehran courtyard where the late president delivered many of his sermons during Friday prayers.

Politicians, military commanders and religious figures from all camps stood behind him.

President Hassan Rouhani, the head of parliament, the head of the judiciary and senior Khamenei advisers stood in the first line at the service, while cabinet ministers and the deceased leader's relatives filled the rows behind them.

Rafsanjani's body, sealed in a metal coffin with his white turban on top, was then brought in procession down Revolution Street in central Tehran, where hundreds of thousands of people came out in cold winter weather to pay tribute.

Among those attending were Revolutionary Guards Commander Qassem Soleimani, leading Iranian Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, several of Khomeini's grandsons and even a number of Iranian movie stars.

Rafsanjani's death is a blow to Rouhani, whom he had backed in the 2013 presidential election and who now faces re-election having resolved Iran's long nuclear standoff with the West but shown little of the economic payoff that he had promised.

Rouhani's deputy chief of staff, Hamid Aboutalebi, tweeted: "The glorious presence of people of Tehran in the funeral and their tearful farewell show that they will never forget Rafsanjani's moderate thoughts and his allies."
Trump recommits to "major border tax" on foreign-produced U.S. products

By Alana Wise

NEW YORK, Jan 11 (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday promised a "major border tax" on companies that shift jobs outside the United States, further pressuring American businesses days after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said heavy tariffs could force the company to shutter Mexican plants.

Since the Nov. 8 election, Trump has taken to Twitter to call out by name a number of manufacturers with both planned and existing operations outside of the country.

On Wednesday, he returned to the issue in his first news conference since the election. Trump, who will be sworn into office on Jan. 20, warned of a "very large border tax" on companies that shift production to foreign countries.

"You want to move your plant, and you think, as an example, you're going to build that plant in Mexico, and you're going to make your air conditioners or your cars, or whatever you're making, and you're going to sell them through what will be a very, very strong border ... Not going to happen. You're going to pay a very large border tax," he warned.

U.S. automakers in particular have felt the brunt of Trump's ire, as he has called for the industry to return to former manufacturing hubs in the American Midwest from Mexico, which accounts for a fifth of all vehicle production in North America and has attracted more than $24 billion in auto investment since 2010, according to the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research.

Trump thanked Fiat Chrysler and Ford Motor Co for announcements in the past week of investments in Midwestern plants. He added that he hoped General Motors Co, the No. 1 American automaker, would take similar steps to expand U.S. operations.

On Monday, Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said, "It's possible, if the economic terms imposed by the U.S. administration on anything that comes into the United States that, if they're sufficiently large, that it would make the production of anything in Mexico uneconomical.

"We would have to withdraw," Marchionne said. "It is quite possible."

Trump also reiterated his criticism of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet program, saying it was "way, way behind schedule and many, many billions of dollars over budget."

After the news conference, Lockheed Martin said in a statement read on CNBC, "We understand President-elect Trump's concerns about the F-35 program and we've given him our full commitment to drive down cost aggressively."

In its annual State of the American Business Address on Wednesday morning, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which traditionally has worked in concert with the Republican Party, urged Trump not to add to the "burdens" of exporters by erecting barriers to trade that could hamper economic growth.
League winger Radradra's move to Toulon confirmed

SYDNEY, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Fiji-born winger Semi Radradra will join French club Toulon on a two-year deal after completing the 2017 season with Australia's Parramatta Eels, the National Rugby League (NRL) club said on Thursday.

The powerful 24-year-old, who has played test rugby league for Fiji and Australia, was named Winger of the Year in the NRL in 2014 after scoring 19 tries in 24 matches and again in 2015 when he crossed 24 times in 18 outings.

Eels chief executive Bernie Gurr said in a statement that Radradra had rejected a "very attractive offer" to stay at the club and would not be released until November, some three months after the Top 14 season begins.

"The offer from Toulon was substantially higher than our club's offer," he added. "We look forward to Semi being a most productive member of the 2017 Parramatta Eels playing squad and then we wish Semi well in his rugby union venture with Toulon."
Romania - Factors to watch on Jan. 12

Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Thursday.

INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT

The National Statistics Board will release November industrial output data at 0700 GMT.

CEE MARKETS

Central European government bonds firmed on Wednesday as record demand at Prague's first auction this year drove yields deeper into negative territory and Poland's central bank held policy steady.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
Turkish deputies brawl during debate on constitutional reform

ANKARA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Turkish lawmakers came to blows in a brawl in parliament overnight, as tempers boiled over in a debate on a constitutional reform package to expand the powers of President Tayyip Erdogan.

MPs from the ruling AK Party and main opposition CHP threw punches and shoved one another as they crowded around the assembly's podium.

The AKP, backed by the nationalist MHP, is pushing through the legislation that Erdogan says will bring the strong leadership needed to prevent a return of the fragile coalition governments of the past.

The opposition CHP and pro-Kurdish HDP fear the reform will fuel authoritarianism.

During the row, CHP deputies objected to AKP members casting votes without entering the cabins set up to ease what was a secret ballot. AKP lawmakers then tried to grab the mobile telephone of a CHP deputy filming the scene.

Despite the clash, the third, fourth and fifth articles of the 18-article bill were approved in the parliamentary session, which continued until early on Thursday. Debate was scheduled to resume on Thursday afternoon.

The bill needs the support of at least 330 deputies in the 550-seat assembly to go to a referendum, expected in the spring. The AKP has 316 deputies eligible to vote and the MHP 39.

The three articles were passed with between 341 and 343 votes in favour.

The reform will enable Erdogan to appoint and dismiss government ministers, take back the leadership of the ruling party, and govern until 2029.
Poland - Factors to Watch Jan 12

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour):

PARLIAMENTARY CRISIS

Poland's parliament resumed proceedings after the winter recess on Wednesday in defiance of an opposition blockade of the plenary hall, escalating a stand-off that has raised fears for democracy in the European Union state.

ING BANK SLASKI

ING Bank Slaski Chief Executive Officer Brunon Bartkiewicz told Parkiet daily that his bank does not exclude acquisitions.

DEFICIT

Poland's fiscal deficit may have narrowed as much as to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2016, the lowest level in at least 21 years, mainly due to a decline in public investment, Rzeczpospolita daily reported economists at Citi Handlowy bank as saying.

****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
Italy's UBI plans 400 mln euros share issue to buy 3 rescued banks

MILAN, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Italy's fifth-largest bank UBI Banca said on Thursday it would launch a share issue for up to 400 million euros ($425 million) to strengthen its capital after offering to take over three small rescued banks.

UBI approved a binding offer worth 1 euro to buy Banca Marche, Banca Etruria and CariChieti, which Italy rescued from bankruptcy in November 2015 and struggled to find a buyer for in the course of last year.

Private equity bids were rejected over the summer as too low and an acquisition by UBI took longer than expected partly due to a number of conditions set by the lender.

UBI said its offer was subordinated to the fact that Italy's resolution fund inject 450 million euro in capital into the three banks before the closing of the sale.

The banks must also offload 2.2 billion euros in problem loans before then.
Mothercare's UK sales return to growth on online surge

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Baby goods retailer Mothercare Plc said third-quarter sales in the UK returned to growth, helped by a rise in online orders.

The company, which has been trying to revive its British business that has come under pressure from tough competition, said total sales in the UK for the 13 weeks to Jan. 7 rose 0.6 percent, with online sales rising 5.5 percent.

Sales at UK stores open over a year rose 1 percent during the quarter and online sales now represent about 40 percent of its total UK sales, the company said.

The return to growth in its British business comes after it has suffered heavy losses as margins have eroded over the past few years, partly hurt by cheaper competition from rivals such as AB Foods' unit Primark and online retailers including Amazon.

International retail sales were down 6 percent in constant currency basis hurt by currency tailwinds, the company said.
Just the facts; Japan seeks way out of Trump's bad books on trade

By Linda Sieg

TOKYO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Armed with fact sheets on jobs created and investments made in America, Japan aims to give Donald Trump a crash course on its contribution to the U.S. economy in hopes of persuading him that Tokyo is different from Trump's favourite trade target, China.

Tokyo wants Trump, who will become president next week, to see the merits of global trade, rethink his threats to impose a "border tax" on imports, and to stick to international trade deals on which Japan Inc bases its investment strategies.

And while Japan's economy still relies heavily on exports for growth, its officials also want to alter any lingering image Trump may have formed based on trade wars fought with the United States decades ago.

"Japan is preparing so that soon after the change in administration, we can ... explain our points in a format persuasive to the American side," Masahiko Shibayama, an advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, told Reuters.

"Japan is a country that lives by diplomacy and trade."

To make their case with hard numbers, Japan's government has prepared a briefing paper its officials are using in talks with U.S. counterparts. The document, seen by Reuters, has not been released, and sources would not say if it had been shown to Trump or senior members of his team.

Highlights included:

- 839,000 jobs created by Japanese companies jobs in the United States, second only to Britain and above the 38,000 employed by Chinese businesses.

- Cumulative Japanese investment of $411 billion, dwarfing China's $15 billion.

- Japan's shrinking share of the U.S. trade deficit to 9 percent from more than half in the early 1990s versus China's opposite trend.

Trump last week added Toyota Motor Corp to the list of multinational corporations he's threatened with a "big border tax" if they expand factories abroad to export into the United States.

Trump repeated that threat on Wednesday in his first news conference since winning the Nov. 8 election.

JAPAN IS NOT CHINA

He also lumped Japan with China and Mexico as big contributors to America's trade deficit -- a perception that Japanese officials are desperate to correct.

"We need to start pointing out very clearly the difference with China," a senior Japanese diplomat with trade negotiating experience told Reuters.

Officials in Tokyo also stressed that what Trump says before taking office next Friday and what he does after that may be different.

They also hope some members of his economic team, such as his choice for commerce secretary, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, who has done business in Japan, will temper his harsher views on trade.

Tokyo is keen to erase any lingering legacy of U.S.-Japan trade wars fought in autos, steel and semiconductors in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Trump's pick for U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, was deputy U.S. trade representative under Ronald Reagan and took part in some of those trade disputes.

Japanese companies, like other multinationals, are also getting into the public relations act.

Toyota's North America Chief Executive Jim Lentz said on Monday that Toyota would invest $10 billion in the United States over the next five years, but said the decision was not a response to Trump's criticism of the automaker's plans to shift some production to Mexico from Canada.

Japanese officials hope lobbying members of U.S. Congress and other politicians in regions where Japanese firms employ large numbers of Americans will help temper Trump's policies.

On Tuesday, Toyota President Akio Toyoda met U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the former governor of Indiana, a state where - according to the fact sheet - Japanese firms employed 47,400 people as of 2014.

Still, some fear the Trump administration will have to learn the hard way by seeing the damage done to the U.S. economy from disruptions to a global supply chain.

"It may take time for them to learn the lesson and it may have to be learned the hard way," the senior diplomat said.
Activists urge UN to cite Russia, Iran war crimes in Syria

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Syrian activists say they have given U.N. investigators evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Russia and Iranian-backed militia in the battle for the Syrian city of Aleppo, calling for them to face justice for killing civilians and other atrocities.

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Syria, which began collecting testimony and evidence five years ago for future prosecutions, has already shared some confidential files with national authorities pursuing foreign fighters.

Fadel Abdul Ghany, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, and Husam Alkatlaby, director of the Violations Documentation Center, met U.N. investigators on Wednesday to press the case for probing crimes committed during the long siege and recapture of rebel-held eastern Aleppo last month.

Syria, and its allies Russia, have dismissed accusations of abuses or war crimes.

Abdul Ghany said activists "found a similarity between the violations committed by the Russians and the regime, and sometimes the Russians exceed the regime in some kinds of violations".

"We recorded the killing of 1,305 civilians at the hands of Russian forces," he told Reuters, referring to victims of hundreds of Russian air strikes between July and December 2016. Roughly one-third of fatalities were children.

"All incidents we provided are violations of IHL (international humanitarian law). Lots of them amount to war crimes, especially targeting the vital civilian centres, especially when we are speaking about hospitals."

After months of bombardment and a final few weeks of intense air strikes and Syrian army advances on the besieged part of Aleppo, a local ceasefire was reached on Dec 15 which allowed tens of thousands of civilians and fighters to leave.

"The Russian air force was trying to target specific points, for example hospitals, schools or whatever. They fly at higher altitude (than the Syrian air force) - this comes through in the testimonies, the interviews," Alkatlaby said.

Since the Russian air campaign began on Sept 30, 2015, Russian forces have killed "a minimum" of 4,000 Syrians in all, Abdul Ghany said. "We have all documented, by name, details, date, photos."

"IRAN'S COMPLICITY"

The activists, joined by the "White Helmets" civil defence teams and the Independent Doctors Association, documented 31 cluster munition attacks in Aleppo by Russian forces and three by Syrian government forces, as well as their use of banned incendiary weapons, Abdul Ghany said.

Syria's government rejects accusations it has carried out abuses, denying reports of torture and extrajudicial killings, the targeting of civilians and use of chemical and incendiary weapons and improvised munitions known as barrel bombs.

Russia says it only bombs militants, and that accusations of war crimes against it are part of a Western-backed propaganda campaign. Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov has said the White Helmets organization is close to the jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

"There is clear evidence that the attacks by Russia on Syrian civilians constitute war crimes," the four groups said in a joint letter to the COI's chairman Paulo Pinheiro, whose team is expected to issue a report on Aleppo in February.

"We also urge the Commission to explore fully all credible accounts of Iran's complicity in war crimes in Aleppo," it said, citing the "central role" of Iranian-backed militias in enforcing the siege and preventing civilians from fleeing.

Iran, which has backed President Bashar al-Assad with weapons, oil shipments and military advisers, denies any involvement in killing of civilians and emphasises Tehran's determination to support Assad in his "fight against terrorism".

Abdul Ghany said a special tribunal should be set up to try war crimes, since Russia would veto attempts to send the issue to the International Criminal Court.
Indonesia eases export ban on nickel ore, bauxite

By Wilda Asmarini and Bernadette Christina Munthe

JAKARTA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia introduced new rules on Thursday that will allow exports of nickel ore and bauxite and concentrates of other minerals under certain conditions in a sweeping policy shift by the key global supplier.

A ban on unprocessed ore exports was imposed in 2014 to spur higher value smelting industries, but the government of Southeast Asia's biggest economy has faced a hefty budget deficit and missed its 2016 revenue target by $17.6 billion.

The resumption of shipments may have been drafted to help stop the gap.

The new regulations, which took effect on Wednesday, sent nickel prices tumbling more than five percent to a four-month low of $9,660 a tonne before they recovered.

The rules include broad changes to permit extensions, which may now be applied for up to five years in advance of expiry, as well as new divestment requirements.

Nickel miners must now dedicate at least 30 percent of their smelter capacity to processing low-grade ore, defined as below 1.7 percent nickel.

"Where, considering installed (smelter) capacity, they can't absorb production, (ore) will be allowed to be sold overseas," Coal and Minerals Director General Bambang Gatot told reporters.

Bauxite with an aluminium oxide content of at least 42 percent may also be exported "in certain amounts" under the new rules.

Gatot said exports would be allowed for up to five years and would be restricted to volumes decided by the government and independent inspectors, but he gave no further details.

"The government is between a rock and hard place. It's in a dire fiscal position on the one hand and allowing nickel and bauxite (exports) will help with that," Jakarta-based foreign legal counsel Bill Sullivan told Reuters.

A mining ministry official said in October that Indonesia could export up to 15 million tonnes of nickel ore in 2017 if the ban was lifted, about one-quarter of 2013 levels.

The policy shift was welcomed by state-controlled PT Aneka Tambang Tbk, whose revenues were hit hard after Indonesia banned nickel ore exports in 2014.

"Regional economies will grow, (and) mining areas that died because of the export ban can grow again," Antam CEO Tedy Badrujaman told Reuters.

Last year, Badrujaman said Antam hoped to export 20 million tonnes of low-grade ore to help attract smelter project financing, around 10 times more than the ore it currently processes domestically.

DOUBLE BLOW?

The new rules disappointed many investors in Indonesia's budding nickel smelter industry, which had been boosted by the export ban.

Jonatan Handojo, executive director of the Processing and Smelting Companies Association (AP3I), told Reuters the new policy "damages Indonesia's image throughout the world and makes us look like our laws and regulations can be changed just like that."

"Chinese companies will be most unhappy because they have invested something like $15 billion in developing smelters that are already in operation," Handojo said, adding the change could damage Indonesia's relations with China.

R. Sukhyar of the Indonesia Smelting Association said many aspects of the new rules were confusing. The ore export ban was designed to give Indonesia's resources sector a competitive advantage over its neighbours, and allowing exports again could cut short its development, he said.

"The industry is still in its infancy and the government should wait before changing the rules."

The Philippines displaced Indonesia as the world's top nickel ore exporter in 2014, but has now also started restricting output due to environmental concerns.

Another Jakarta-based nickel miner, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the new rules were a "massive double blow" for smelters.

"They have to take low-grade ore, which will raise operating costs, and then on top of that the market will crash and send prices down further," he said.

ARBITRATION?

The new rules are a mixed bag for U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Inc, which now has a window to continue copper concentrate exports beyond a previously imposed Jan. 12 deadline for full domestic processing, and to extend its long-term operating permit.

Freeport's Grasberg operation in Indonesia currently exports around two-thirds of its output as copper concentrate, but its shipments were stopped indefinitely on Thursday along with those of other concentrate exporters.

A spokesman for Freeport Indonesia said the company was studying the new policy but declined to comment further.

Companies like Freeport must also switch from Contracts of Work (COW) to special mining licences (IUPK) before they can apply for new export permits or operating permit extensions, a process mining minister Ignasius Jonan said would be done in a "maximum of 14 days" once all necessary documents are submitted.

But not everyone was convinced.

"There is still the question of whether there will be an interruption in operations because of the (administrative) requirement to change to IUPK," Sullivan said.

To do so, Freeport will have to agree on new taxes and royalties that it is currently exempt from, and divest up to 51 percent of its Indonesian unit from 30 percent under current rules. So far it has divested only 9.36 percent.
Energy crisis leaves Gaza with barely 4 hours of power a day

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - For weeks, Gazans have been making do with less than half their usual electricity supply - barely a few hours a day - with no sign of the shortages alleviating anytime soon, fuelling distress and frustration among the population.

Normally, Gaza's power alternates on eight-hour cycles, with generators providing electricity to those that can afford it in the down times. But since late last year, there have been only three or four hours of electricity a day in total.

The costs of running generators have spiralled. People are trying to light and heat their homes with candles or by burning scrap wood. Families wake in the middle of the night, when the power sometimes comes on, to take showers or wash clothes.

"We live like rats," said Mazen Abu Reyala, an unemployed fisherman and father of five, sitting around a primitive stove that he uses to warm his house. "Should I wait until we get burned? Or should I wait to return home and see that my children burned themselves because they lit candles."

The cause of the shortage is on the one hand simple and on the other complicated, with some citizens blaming Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, Hamas officials blaming the rival Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and still others pointing the finger at Israel.

The simple explanation is that Gaza requires 450-500 MegaWatts of power a day but is receiving barely a third of that. About 30 MW produced by its own ageing power plant, 30 MW imported from Egypt and 120 MW supplied from Israel.

With temperatures dropping to four or five degrees centrigrade at night, people are trying to run electric heaters and radiators, driving up power demand.

The local power plant, which was heavily damaged by Israeli bombing during a war in 2006 and remains only at about half of potential capacity, could produce slightly more, but there are not enough funds to buy fuel to boost output.

With unpaid consumer bills of around $1 billion, the power company is not in a position to seek more credit. Officials say they need $500 million to rehabilitate the power network. But with Israel and Egypt maintaining a tight blockade on Gaza, getting replacement parts is not even that straight forward.

The Palestinian Authority, which pays for power supplied by Israel and Egypt, normally transfers fuel to Gaza and exempts it from most taxes. But because of its own financial constraints, it is no longer offsetting all the tax, angering Hamas.

Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Hamas was open to solutions and accused the Palestinian Authority of using the crisis as a mean to "damage Hamas's image and sanction Gaza's people".

Israel's electricity company could supply more power, and has provisions in place to do so, but it has not been paid for all the electricity it has supplied in the past and wants financial guarantees before it delivers more.

Gaza's population of two million is growing increasingly angry. There have been protests and more are planned. Adel Al-Mashwakhy, a local comedian, was detained on Wednesday, hours after posting a video on Facebook criticising Hamas for the shortages. The video was soon watched 180,000 times.

"There is no work, no crossings, no food, no water to drink and also there is no electricity," he says in the video.

"Enough Hamas. Enough, enough, enough. We want electricity, we want electricity, we want electricity."

At night, Gaza is pitch black, with no street lights or electricity in most homes. On street corners, makeshift fires can be seen burning, with small crowds gathered for warmth.

The noise of generators can be heard from some factories and wealthier households, but most cannot afford to run diesel generators 20 hours a day.

Bakery owner Haitham Badra said he had suffered huge losses because he had to buy more fuel for generators.

"We used to buy 1,500 litres of diesel week. Now we have to buy 4,000 litres at a cost of 20,000 shekels ($5,250) a week," said Badra. "If the crisis continues much longer, all bakeries and restaurants in Gaza will collapse."

Tareq Lubbad, spokesman of the power company, said Gaza normally needed 450 MW a day, but that had increased due to high winter demand. He warned of deeper cuts to come.
Spain will work to defend rights of its citizens in wake of Brexit - PM Rajoy

MADRID, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Spain will work to defend the rights of its citizens in the wake of Britain's exit from the European Union, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Thursday in a joint press conference with his Irish counterpart Enda Kenny.

"Spain and Ireland will work to protect our interests, defend the rights of our citizens and maintain the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom," Rajoy said.

Tens of thousands of Spaniards live in Britain and the country is one of the most popular destinations for young Spaniards seeking work abroad. Negotiations betweeen Spain and Britain over Brexit will be done as part of the EU bloc of 27 countries.
Fleeing gang warfare, more Central Americans seek refuge in Mexico

By Anastasia Moloney

TAPACHULA, Mexico, Jan 12 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As Juan walked to school one morning a year ago in El Salvador, two men on a motorbike sped by and fatally shot a boy on the street in front of him.

The shooter took a good look at Juan's face. As a witness to a gang murder, Juan was now in the firing line.

"They said I had to be part of their gang," said Juan, 15, who declined to give his real name for security reasons.

Juan's mother, Teresa, took him out of school and he went into hiding for six months, living with relatives.

But then came the death threats from gang members by phone, and Teresa felt she had no choice but to flee in October.

"We had to leave," Teresa said, sitting on a bench with her sons at the Three Angels shelter for asylum seeking families in the Mexican city of Tapachula near the Guatemalan border.

"We left home as if we were just going for a walk not to raise any suspicion," she said, lamenting the loss of her job at a garment factory and a house she owned.

Entire city neighbourhoods in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, are controlled by two powerful gangs - Barrio 18 and its rival Mara Salvatrucha.

To maintain control, gang members extort money at gunpoint, rape women and girls, murder, and force children to join their ranks, said the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

Rising gang violence in these three countries has made them among the world's deadliest countries outside a war zone in terms of murder rates, the UNHCR says, and this is driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes every year.

"It's a refugee crisis. The situation in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala is critical," Paola Bolognesi, head of UNHCR's field office in Tapachula, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"People don't have an option but to flee criminal gangs who exert very strong pressure on communities. We are seeing entire families of up to 20 people fleeing to save their lives."

MEXICO FOR SANCTUARY

Mexico was until recently a transit country for Central American migrants seeking to reach the United States in the search of a better life.

But the escalating violence has led to a surge in the number of asylum claims from Central American migrants who are increasingly looking to Mexico for refuge, reaching levels not seen since the region's civil wars ended decades ago.

In the first 9 months of 2016, Mexico received nearly 7,000 asylum requests - more than five times more than in 2013.

"We expect this trend to continue so the number of migrants claiming asylum in Mexico is set to more than double this year compared with 2016," Bolognesi said.

Other Latin America nations have also felt the impact. In Costa Rica asylum claims have risen 176 percent since 2013.

"I pray they give us asylum. We can't go back to El Salvador," said Teresa, who expects a decision on her asylum claim within three months.

"We can make a life here," said Teresa, who hopes to get a garment factory job in Mexico and send her children to school.

Under international pressure, Mexico is receiving more refugees. Mexico's recognition rate for asylum seekers increased to about 64 percent in 2016, up from around 40 percent in 2013.

But this is still just a fraction of the 400,000 people crossing Mexico's southern border every year with thousands of migrants who could qualify for refugee status slipping through the net.

"Many Central American migrants fleeing gang violence still don't consider themselves refugees and know they have the right to claim asylum," said Bolognesi, adding this lack of awareness was the biggest challenge.

BORDER CRACKDOWN

A border crackdown in 2014 has also meant some migrants who could claim refugee status do not have the opportunity to do so.

Under U.S.-pressure, Mexico has attempted to stem the influx of migrants by beefing up border security through its "Southern Border Plan", which has seen deportations of Central Americans from Mexico soar to nearly 200,000 in 2015 from 107,000 in 2014.

"The Southern Border Plan has meant more Central American migrants have been deported from Mexico, some without a proper analysis of their protection needs," Bolognesi said.

Experts expect this trend to continue under U.S.President-elect Donald Trump who is likely to put more pressure on Mexico to deport more illegal migrants and to accept more asylum seekers to stem the flow to the United States border.

At the Good Shepherd shelter, on the outskirts of Tapachula, about half of 44 migrants there in mid-December were asylum seekers with posters on the wall informing them of their rights.

"For some migrants, it's literally a question of life and death," said Jose Ramon Martinez, who helps run the shelter.

Maria, a migrant from El Salvador at the shelter, hopes she and her children are granted refugee status in Mexico.

Until recently, Maria and her husband owned a thriving food business in El Salvador but one day last year she received a call from a gang member in prison who demanded $50 a day.

"We paid for nearly a year and then we just couldn't pay anymore. The business went bankrupt," said Maria, 36, as she cooked lunch for migrants in the shelter's kitchen.

"The gangs crush you. They don't let you prosper."

The breaking point was when gang members waited on the street for her children, aged 11 and 14, to return from school.

"My children are easy prey for the gangs. If we didn't leave, their future would be with the gangs," said Maria, 36.

A decision on her refugee status is expected within weeks.
Zimbabwe telecoms hike draws charges of social media crackdown

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's biggest mobile telephone company has pushed up data charges by a multiple of 25 in line with new regulations, prompting critics to complain that President Robert Mugabe's government is trying to throttle the use of social media.

Econet Wireless's new cheapest data package, which came into effect on Wednesday night, will see users get 10 megabytes for $1, compared with 250 megabytes for the same amount previously.

Last year, activists used the Internet to mobilise the biggest anti-government protests in a decade, bypassing traditional opposition parties as anger grew over Mugabe's handling of a failing economy.

Social media group #ThisFlag, which helped organise those protests, said of the price hike: "They didn't want us to continue to take pictures and videos of their abuse, neglect, incompetence and show the world."

The increase came after the Postal and Telecoms Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) set a base price of 2 cents per megabyte for data services and 12 cents per minute for voice calls.

POTRAZ said it was consulting "all relevant players". Its director general was quoted in a state-owned newspaper as saying Zimbabwe had higher data costs than countries like South Africa and Tanzania because of its landlocked geography and smaller population.

Information Communication Technology Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said on Twitter he is abroad on leave until Jan. 30 and "on return to work I will get to the bottom of it."

Econet Chief Executive Officer Douglas Mboweni said his company was aware that the new charges had caused "pain" but it was forced to comply with directives set by POTRAZ.

"Having said this, we would like to advise you that we will continue engaging the regulator on the impact this has had on you, our valued customers," Mboweni said in a statement. Econet says on its website it has over 10 million subscribers in a country with a population of 13 million.

Customers took to social media to criticise the company and the regulator, accusing them of helping the government stifle dissent.

Lashias Ncube, a frequent Twitter commentator, said: "Two imperatives feeding off each other, government bid to curtail use of social media finds willing and unwitting ally in corporate greed."

Zimbabwean activists have used Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp to vent anger against Mugabe, in power since 1980, and the ruling ZANU-PF party, which they see as detached from their daily struggles.

"We had advanced a million baby steps in technology and connectivity but POTRAZ just threw us back to the stone age," wrote Temba Dube, who posts regularly on Twitter.
Hungary to boost defence spending to 2 pct of GDP -minister

By Krisztina Than and Gergely Szakacs

BUDAPEST, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Hungary will increase its defence spending gradually to 2 percent of its economic output by 2026 from 0.95 percent now, Defence Minister Istvan Simicsko said on Thursday.

Hungary, which joined NATO in 1998, spends less on defence than other eastern European members Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.

Although military spending among NATO members has increased because of Russia's annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Ukraine, only Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia meet the goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defence.

Top NATO and European military officials have called for higher spending after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump questioned whether Washington should protect allies that do not spend enough on their own defence.

Simicsko told Reuters that Hungary's annual defence spending would increase by 0.1 percent each year, which means a rise to about 350 billion forints ($1.21 billion) this year.

"By 2026 we will could reach 2 percent (of GDP)," he said.

The minister said Hungary would embark on a defence development programme, which would include the procurement of military helicopters.

He said that four of Hungary's Russian Mi-17 helicopters were being refurbished in Russia at the moment and declined to say how many functioning helicopters Budapest had on hand.

Some were deployed to patrol the EU's Schengen border with Serbia to the south, he said.

"I would not exclude the possibility that a (helicopter) tender would be put out before (2018) elections," he said, adding that any decision on actual purchases could only be made after the parliamentary elections.

"We have to operate until then, that's why we made the decision to refurbish some of our Russian helicopters," he added.

Simicsko declined to say how many and what type of helicopters Hungary would want to purchase, but said that a force of 30 to 40 helicopters could be considered "significant" for a country the size of Hungary in the region.
U.S. farmers cut winter wheat acreage to 108-year low on supply glut

By Mark Weinraub

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. farmers slashed their winter wheat plantings to the lowest in more than a century as supplies of the grain ballooned to a 29-year high, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday.

USDA also dialed back its harvest estimates for the U.S. soybean and corn crops but 2016/17 marketing year production of both commodities remained at record levels. Corn and soybean supplies rose to record levels following the bumper harvest during the fall.

U.S. winter wheat seedings fell to 32.383 million from 36.137 million a year earlier. That marked the smallest winter wheat acreage since 29.196 million in 1909 and the second lowest on record.

Analysts, on average, had been expecting winter wheat plantings of 34.139 million, according to a Reuters poll.

Falling wheat prices have caused farmers in key production areas such as the Great Plains to alter their traditional acreage splits. Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures have fallen for four years in a row.

Wheat futures rallied to a fresh 4-1/2 month high after the report was released.

"Looking at winter wheat acreage down 3.8 million acres, that's a big deal," said Tom Fritz, analyst at EFG Group.

Soybeans which had been trading in negative territory, turned higher and hit their highest since Dec. 19. Corn firmed to a session high before turning lower.

U.S. wheat stocks as of Dec. 1 rose to 2.073 billion bushels from 1.746 billion a year earlier. That marked the highest December wheat supply base since 1987, when wheat stocks stood at 2.501 billion bushels.

Corn stocks as of Dec. 1 were 12.384 billion bushels while soybean stocks were 2.895 billion bushels.

USDA lowered its U.S. corn production estimate for the 2016/17 marketing year to 15.148 billion bushels from its previous estimate of 15.226 billion bushels. Average corn yields were trimmed to 174.6 bushels from 175.3 bushels per acre.

For soybeans, domestic production was pegged at 4.307 billion bushels, down from the government's previous estimate of 4.361 billion bushels, with average yields lowered to 52.1 bushels per acre from 52.5 bushels per acre.

The production cuts caused USDA to drop its U.S. ending stocks outlook to 2.355 billion bushels for corn and 420 million bushels for soybeans.

USDA also lowered its outlook for world corn and soybean ending stocks despite forecasts for big South American crops. It raised its Brazil soybean harvest forecast by 2 million tonnes to 104 million tonnes.
Brazil prosecutors charge Decal do Brasil executive Ferraz with corruption

SAO PAULO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Brazilian prosecutors on Thursday filed corruption charges against Decal do Brasil co-founder Mariano Marcondes Ferraz accusing him of bribing a former executive at state-run oil company Petrobras to win contracts for Ferraz's own firm.

Federal prosecutors allege that Ferraz paid $868,450 to Petrobras' ex-director of refining and supply, Paulo Roberto Costa, to renew at inflated prices contracts Decal do Brasil had with Petrobras to provide tanking and docking services at the Port of Suape in northeastern Brazil.

Lawyers for Ferraz did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the charges, nor did Group Decal, an Italian company that set up Decal do Brasil together with Ferraz.

Decal do Brasil first signed contracts with Petrobras in 2006, according to prosecutors, and by 2012 had signed several other contracts worth a total of 423 million reais ($132.92 million).

Petrobras was the only client of Decal do Brasil, according to the document that lodged corruption and money laundering charges against Ferraz.

Ferraz was arrested in Brazil in late October but freed on 3 million reais bond about two weeks later.

At the time of his arrest, Ferraz was also working at Swiss trading company Trafigura as a board member and the key executive for business development in Brazil and Africa.

Trafigura said in early November Ferraz resigned from the company to deal with the allegations against himself and Decal do Brazil and added that Trafigura was not a party to any contracts between Petrobras and Decal and had no business relationship with Decal.
USDA analysis says ethanol's environmental benefits better than forecast

By Chris Prentice

NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday said that ethanol made from corn is better for the environment than previously expected in a report boosting the country's biggest biofuel a week ahead of a new administration that has some in the industry concerned.

The report, the first of its kind from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to examine the actual impact of ethanol, said the biofuel reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 43 percent relative to gasoline, significantly more than the 21 percent estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010.

That marks a potential blow to critics who have questioned whether ethanol, the foundation of the country's biofuels program, is better for the environment than petroleum-based fuels.

The analysis, prepared for USDA by Washington consultancy ICF International, comes just a week ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. (Ethanol analysis: http://bit.ly/2jIZuso)

Trump voiced support for ethanol on the campaign trail, especially in Iowa, but at least two of the major players in the incoming administration are critics of the country's biofuels program and environmental regulations.

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005 and sets annual requirements for used of biofuels including ethanol. It has become a battleground for entrenched oil and corn interests in Washington.

Uncertainty over the future of the program grew after Trump nominated Oklahoma Attorney General and regulation critic Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the RFS program. Trump has also appointed billionaire and RFS critic Carl Icahn as a special adviser.

Less land use was dedicated to ethanol production than expected and corn yields have risen, the analysis showed. The analysis compared the biofuel with 2005 gasoline, before regular blending of the fuel with ethanol. Now, most gasoline is blended with about 10 percent ethanol.

USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement that the "report provides evidence that corn ethanol can be a GHG-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, while boosting farm economies."

Ethanol advocates including the Renewable Fuels Association praised the report.

A spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, which represents companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc's and BP Plc's U.S. units, noted that use of natural gas in production of fuels has helped reduced carbon emissions from power generation.

The analysis forecasts the emissions reductions to rise to 50 percent by 2022 if trends in corn yields, fuel switching and efficiency continue.
Two Indian nationals were arrested by the navy along with a fishing boat in the sea area North of Delft Island yesterday.

About 53 kg of Kerala Cannabis were found in their possession when they were arrested and it was suspected that the contraband had been smuggled to Sri Lanka from India via sea route.

The two Indian nationals and the stock of cannabis were handed over to the Kankesanthurai Police for further investigations.
Linda Jeffrey, the Mayor of Brampton in greater Toronto, Canada has been criticized by her city councillors for moving ahead with plans to enter a sister city agreement with Sri Lankan Municipality Vavuniya without the approval of Brampton City Council.

According to the Brampton Guardian, Regional Councillor John Sprovieri has said he doesnt believe the mayor has the authority to by-pass council. She would be foolish to do so, he said reacting to a recent announcement from the mayor stating her intention to formalize relations with Vavuniya.

At a recent Economic Development Committee meeting, councillors debated a request that would link Brampton and Vavuniya via a friendship relationship agreement.

Although several councillors expressed some skepticism about the benefits of such an agreement, committee members agreed to wait on a staff report before making a decision.

However, Mayor Jeffrey has issued a media release in late December announcing she would meet with Sri Lankan dignitaries in Brampton this month to formalize a sister city agreement with Vavuniya.

On January 11, members of Bramptons Tamil community, which is about 20,000, held a reception at Brampton city hall that also hosted Sri Lankas Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

The mayor had been on vacation and did not attend the ceremony. However, local politicians were disturbed that the mayor opted to act without councils blessing.

The mayors camp reacted stating that such an agreement is still in its infancy and that council would ultimately make the final decision.

We acknowledge there may have been some confusion  there are many steps prior to any agreement being signed, mayors press secretary Jaskaran Singh Sandhu said.

Martin Medeiros, the councillor who spurred on that process, said the Vavuniya agreement would follow along the same lines as the arrangement with Ribeira Grande.

Brampton has formal relationships with several cities and international organizations around the globe, including the Chinese city of Xuzhou, Plano Tex., Miami Beach Fla., and Brampton, Cumbria, England.

Last October, Jeffrey signed an agreement to initiate the process to formalize economic, social or cultural relations with the Portuguese city of Ribeira Grande.
A Pakistani court has stayed the execution of a severely mentally ill man, who had been due to be hanged next week.





At a hearing in Lahore today, the court granted a stay of execution for Khizar Hayat  a former policeman who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia  until January 30th. Mr Hayats lawyers at the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) had argued that his hanging would be illegal.





Mr Hayats execution had been set for Tuesday (17th), even though proceedings in his case are still pending before the Lahore High Court. Presiding today, Justice Shahid Hameed Dar reportedly said it would be unjust if the Court did not wait for an upcoming Supreme Court judgment in a similar case  that of mentally ill prisoner Imdad Ali  to determine how to proceed with Mr Hayat.





Mr Hayat is detained in isolation in a prison hospital ward. In 2015, the courts halted an initial government plan to execute him after seeing jail records documenting his severe mental illness. The documents include comments from doctors that Mr Hayat is suffering from active symptoms of severe psychosis.





The execution of mentally ill people is prohibited under Pakistani and international law. Pakistan has faced criticism from the UN, and from countries including the UK, over its plans to hang mentally ill prisoners such as Mr Ali and Mr Hayat.





Concerns have also been raised over wrongful executions in Pakistan, after two brothers who had already been hanged were found to be innocent by the Supreme Court. As in Mr Hayats case, a warrant was issued for their execution by the lower courts, despite the pending proceedings in a higher court.





Pakistans 8,000-strong death row is the largest in the world, and the government has hanged over 421 prisoners since resuming executions in December 2014.





Commenting, Maya Foa, a director of Reprieve  which is assisting Mr Hayat  said:





The court's decision to stay the execution of Khizar Hayat is extremely welcome. However, Khizars case  like that of Imdad Ali  is yet another example of how Pakistans death penalty system is broken. Since the authorities execution spree began two years ago, there have been disastrous miscarriages of justice  including the hanging of juveniles and innocent people. The Pakistani government has issued execution warrants for Khizar three times despite ongoing legal proceedings, in clear breach of international law. The authorities should establish a moratorium on executions, and stop any further injustices from being carried out their name.





 More information about Khizar Hayats case is available on the Reprieve website, here





Source: Reprieve, January 12, 2017. Reprieve is an international human rights organization.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!
Saying that it was good to regain the GSP+ facility, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that the country had not been adversely affected by losing the facility.

It is good to regain the GSP+ facility. It is good if they think the country will benefit from it. We did not suffer any loss even without it, he said.

Mr. Rajapaksa told the media, after he visited former minister Wimal Weerawansa in Welikada prison, that he had met the Chinese Ambassador yesterday and discussed the governments move to hand over land in Hambantota to a Chinese company.

I met the Chinese Ambassador and had cordial discussion about the taking over of ancestral lands belonging to the people of Hambantota. He listened attentively and we hope it will be successful, he said.

This protest is not against China; it is against the government taking over land occupied by the people. I requested the Chinese government to invest in Sri Lanka and send Chinese tourists here when I visited China, he said. (Ajith Siriwardana)

Video by Buddhi
United National Party (UNP) MP Ashu Marasinghe, a former chairman of the State Engineering Corporation, should have been arrested first if the alleged misuse of 40 state vehicles by opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa is true, National Freedom Front (NFF) said today.

NFF media spokesman Mohammed Muzammil said the FCID had arrested Mr. Weerawansa without any written evidence other than a complaint by Mr. Marasinghe.

We condemn Mr. Weerawansa's arrest. The UNP is attempting to highlight the fact that several of his relatives were also engaged in this vehicle scam causing a Rs.90 million loss to the state. But they have not revealed the actual facts on the case, he said.

He said the Jana Sevana housing project was carried out in seven stages and with the support of several close political allies and family members, journalists and the clergy.

A majority were our relatives who did their best to make the project a success without any benefits for themselves. They have been provided vehicle facilities to complete the project, Mr. Muzammil said.

He said Mr. Weerawansa had been remanded with the help of the FCID to serve political agendas.(Kalathma Jayawardhane)

Video by Susantha
President Maithripala Sirisena today attended the foundation laying ceremony of the Nestle Kurunegala factorys new facility in Pannala as the Chief Guest. Government ministers, Swiss Ambassador Heinz Walker-Nederkoorn and Managing Director for Nestle Lanka Shivani Hegde also attend the event. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
Deputy Megapolis and Western Development Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna who was the Deputy Minister of Construction and Engineering Services in the previous government when Wimal Weerawansa was the subject minister, said today that no one had recorded a statement from him over the alleged misuse of government vehicles.

The FCID arrested MP Wimal Weerawansa over a charge of misusing 40 state vehicles belonging to the State Engineering Corporation and causing a loss of Rs. 90 million to the state. .

The deputy minister told journalists during an event held at the Sapugaskanda Rajamaha Viharaya that he regretted the arrest of Wimal Weerawansa. Mr. Weerawansa and I worked together as the minister and the deputy minister of Construction and Engineering Services, he said.

He said he would not comment on the issue because it was sub judice.

He said former minister Dullas Alahapperuma had made a statement in connection with the issue and about him. I challenge him to prove I had done any wrong, he said.(Sudath Pubudu Keerthi)
National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa, who was remanded on charges of misusing government vehicles, observed Ata Sil at the Buddhist temple inside the Welikada prison premises today, officials said.

The Prison Authorities said they had permitted him to observe Sil because it was Poya Day.

From Wednesday, he was allowed to receive meals brought from home in place of food supplied by the prison.
The Sri Lankan-born doctor Chamari Liyanage, who killed her abusive husband in Western Australia in 2014, will be allowed to stay in the country after the Department of Immigration reinstated her visa, the ABC Radio Australia reported on Thursday.

Chamari Liyanage is serving a four-year prison term after being convicted of the manslaughter of fellow doctor Dinendra Athukorala at their home in the West Australian town of Geraldton in June 2014.

She was acquitted of the more serious charge of murder and has been eligible to apply for parole since June.

Her application for parole is due to be heard next month, but there were fears that if it was granted, she would be moved into immigration detention and possibly deported because her visa was cancelled while behind bars.

However, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has revoked its decision to cancel the visa after considering her case.

It means that if granted parole, the 37-year-old doctor will be released back into the community.

Her immigration lawyer Alisdair Putt said Liyanage cried when she learned she was able to stay.

"She's thankful for all the support she's gotten from a considerable number of people in the community. She was obviously very emotional but so relieved."

The decision comes after an appeal by prominent domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty last month.

In a letter to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton obtained by the ABC, Ms Batty wrote:

"Australia is a country to which people like Dr. Liyanage come to live in the hope they will be able to live free safe lives.

During Liyanage's trial, the court heard the couple's five-year marriage was defined by the "worst kind" of escalating sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

The court heard Athukorala kept 13 terabytes of encrypted child exploitation and bestiality images.

In an appeal to Mr. Dutton, Liyanage took full responsibility for what she did and said there was little to no chance of her reoffending.

She also said she planned to raise awareness about domestic violence upon her release.
AFP: Sri Lanka announced yesterday it would raise US $ 1.5 billion through a domestic bond sale this year as it moves to rebuild its foreign exchange reserves.

The cabinet approved the borrowing through dollar-denominated bonds to be offered to banks and investors in the country, said government spokesman Gayantha Karunatileka.

The move to borrow locally came weeks after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the countrys foreign reserves were below comfortable levels.

Last June the government, which came to power in January 2015, received a US $ 1.5 billion bailout from the IMF after facing a balance of payments crisis.

The IMF, in a November review before releasing the second tranche of the funds, said Sri Lankas performance was broadly satisfactory but that it needed to build its dwindling foreign reserves.

Foreign reserves at the end of December were US $ 6.06 billion, up from US $ 5.64 billion a month earlier, according to government data.

Sri Lanka also secured in December a three-year US $ 1.34 billion loan from the World Bank to fund a range of projects. It is also selling part of a loss-making US $ 1.4 billion harbour to a Chinese company to help repay crippling debts.
Even though there were divergent views within the government regarding the participation of foreign judges in the proposed judicial mechanism, there was a clear consensus across the board on the need of an independent and credible domestic mechanism as promised by the manifesto of President Maithripala Sirisena, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.

Speaking on the Sri Lanka's reconciliation process at Chatham House, he said as a democratic and sovereign government, Sri Lanka would work out the architecture of such a mechanism in consultation with all the stake holders.

Although the violence ended in May 2009, the healing of wounds of over two decades of conflict, achieving reconciliation and national integration, catching up on economic progress and development that eluded us due to conflict, and ensuring non-recurrence, remain challenging tasks for our Nation. Similarly, the tasks of improving governance, institutions, rule of law, and putting in place necessary measures to strengthen, promote and protect individual rights; while ensuring the dignity of all and building a truly national identity while preserving our pluralistic society  remain work in progress, he said.

He said Sri Lanka was committed to the implementation of the resolution which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka in 2015 so that as a country Sri Lanka could deal with the past honestly and truthfully, accept that past, put it behind us, and then move forward to build our Sri Lankan nation anew.

The content of the Resolution is based on commitments that we ourselves as a Government, made to our people, and proposals that we presented to the Council based on the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Report, the Paranagama Commission Report and advice of our experts, he said.

Mr. Sasaraweera said that Missing Persons was a phenomenon that had plagued Sri Lanka for long years and that apart from steps being taken to set up the permanent Office on Missing Persons, Sri Lanka had also become parties to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Prabagaran Srivijayan

A woman today pleaded with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to intercede on behalf of her son, Prabagaran Srivijayan, who was convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore and sentenced to die.





V. Eswary, 54, said in an open letter to the PM that she was told her 29-year-old son received an "unfair trial".





She said that the car he drove when he was arrested did not belong to him, but to a friend who lent it to Prabagaran. Prabagaran only used the car as he was afraid his motorcycle would be repossessed due to delinquent payments.





"Prabagaran was caught by the police because there was 'stuff' in the car," Eswary said in the letter read out by a representative at a press conference here.





"I was told by the lawyers that the proceedings and trial in Prabagaran's case were unfair. All his cases in the Singapore courts were rejected," she said.





Eswary said she last met her son on Monday, when he broke down and maintained his innocence.





"He's always cries, saying he didn't do it and said he is being forced to admit," Eswary added.





According to the Berita Daily news portal, Prabagaran was arrested in 2012 after 22.24g of diamorphine, a banned opiate was discovered wrapped in 2 bundles in the centre console of the car he drove at the Woodlands Checkpoint.





He was convicted in 2014 and given the death sentence that is mandated by the republic's drug laws.





Concerns about possible unfairness in the trial arose when it emerged that the conviction was secured without the testimony of 2 purportedly key witnesses.





Prabagaran has exhausted all legal avenues to appeal his conviction in Singapore.





His case was taken up by M. Ravi who professed to be an international human rights advocate and established the Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign.





Ravi is working with Malaysian lawyers Latheefa Koya and N. Surendran to urge Putrajaya to try and stop Prabagaran's execution.





At the press conference, Ravi said that he submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian government via its consulate in Singapore on December 22, but has not received any response despite being promised one.





The memorandum was in relation Singapore's obligation to uphold the right to a fair trial.





He said that the Malaysian government could file an immediate complaint with the International Court of Justice on Prabagaran's case.





"I think Singapore, in my respectful opinion, will abide by the decision," he said.





Ravi later told Malay Mail Online that he was a former lawyer who had previously represented Prabagaran in the Singapore courts.

2 drug pushers sentenced to death in Malaysia

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!

Source: themalaymailonline.com, January 11, 2017The High Court here sentenced 2 men to death for trafficking 745.6gm and 52.1gm of syabu respectively on Wednesday.High Court Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad delivered the sentence on Andy Majudil, 35, a local, and Mohd Noor Jumat, 38, a Brunei national after finding that the prosecution had proven its case.They appeared calm upon hearing the verdict.Andy and Noor were found guilty of committing the offence at a house in Taman Nelly, Inanam at 9.30pm on Nov 19, 2013.They were convicted under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which carries the death penalty upon conviction.Andy and Mohd Noor had on Nov 29, last year, respectively gave unsworn statements in their defence.They were represented by counsel Ram Singh and Datuk Seri Rakhbir Singh respectively, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Farah Farriza Wan Ghazali appeared for the prosecution.Source: thestar.com.my, January 11, 2017
Ahmed al-Musheikhis and Essam Koshak The authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested two human rights activists so far this year, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say. The authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested two human rights activists so far this year, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say.





Essam Koshak and Ahmed al-Musheikhis were summoned for questioning by police in Mecca and Qatif last week.





Officials have not disclosed the reasons for the detentions.





But HRW said they "fit a pattern of ongoing repression" against peaceful advocates and dissidents, at least 25 of whom have been convicted since 2011.





Many have been handed sentences as long as 10 or 15 years after being found guilty of charges including "breaking allegiance with the ruler", "sowing discord", "inciting public opinion", "setting up an unlicensed organisation", and violating the cybercrime law.





'Relentless persecution'





Mr Koshak was detained after being summoned for interrogation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Mecca on 8 January.





The 45-year-old was not allowed to appoint a lawyer and was being questioned about his Twitter account, which he mainly used to tweet about human rights issues, according to Amnesty





Mr Musheikhis, a founding member of the unregistered Adala Centre for Human Rights, was telephoned by CID officers and told to report to a police station in Qatif, in Eastern Province, on 5 January. He was subsequently transferred to the city of Dammam, where he remains in custody.





Amnesty said the 46-year-old was known for his work including helping relatives of those detained in Eastern Province as part of protests by members of the kingdom's Shia Muslim minority against what they say is discrimination against them by the Sunni-led government.





Mr Musheikhis' brother, Yussuf, was sentenced to death in January 2016 after being convicted of offences including "armed rebellion against the ruler". Amnesty said Yussuf al-Musheikhis was convicted after a grossly unfair trial at which he claimed he was tortured into "confessing".





Amnesty said another activist, Issa al-Nukheifi, had been detained in Mecca since 18 December after being summoned for questioning about his tweets.





"Saudi Arabia's relentless persecution of human rights defenders is a blatant campaign aimed at deterring them from speaking about the human rights situation in the country and working on behalf of victims of violations," said Lynn Maalouf of Amnesty's Beirut office.





The Saudi government has in the past insisted that its judiciary is independent, and that all trials are transparent and in line with Islamic law.





HRW also reported on Tuesday that the Saudi authorities had recently banned Jamal Khashoggi, one of the country's most prominent journalists, from publishing any of his writings in the country.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!

Source: BBC News , January 11, 2017
Christopher Wilkins

A Fort Worth jury sent Christopher Wilkins to death row for killing 2 men he admitted shooting over a $20 phony drug deal after Wilkins said he didn't care whether he was sentenced to death.





"Look, it is no big deal," Wilkins calmly said from the witness stand at his 2008 trial.





On Wednesday, more than 11 years after the killings, the 48-year-old Wilkins was put to death by lethal injection at The Walls Unit, in Huntsville, Texas.



Christopher Wilkins was pronounced dead at 6:29 p.m.





The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the execution. The court's ruling on appeals for Wilkins came about three hours before his scheduled lethal injection.



Wilkins' attorneys had argued to the Supreme Court that he had poor legal help at his trial and during earlier appeals. State attorneys argued courts had rejected similar appeals and that defense lawyers were simply employing delaying tactics.



Wilkins' execution is the nation's first this year.





In 2005, after serving time in prison for gun possession, Wilkins drove a stolen truck to Fort Worth, where police tied him to several aggravated assaults and burglaries. There he befriended 2 men, 40-year-old Willie Freeman and 33-year-old Mike Silva, who duped him into paying $20 for a piece of gravel he thought was a rock of crack cocaine.





According to court records, Wilkins said he shot Freeman on Oct. 28, 2005, for laughing about the scam, then he shot Silva because he was there.





Their bodies were found in a ditch. Wilkins' fingerprints were found in Silva's wrecked SUV, and a pentagram matching one of Wilkins' numerous tattoos had been carved into the hood.





"When I get wound up, I have a fuse that is short," Wilkins testified. "I don't think about what I am doing."





He also admitted that a day earlier he had shot and killed another man, Gilbert Vallejo, 47, outside a Fort Worth bar in a dispute over a pay phone, and about a week later he used a stolen car to try to run down 2 people because he believed 1 of them had taken his sunglasses.





"I know they are bad decisions," Wilkins said of his actions. "I make them anyway."



"I think subconsciously, I've been trying to kill myself or get myself killed since I was probably 12 or 13 years old," he added.





Kevin Rousseau, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney, described Wilkins as "a professional criminal. Very violent. He used violence as a means of achieve his means on a routine basis."





Wilkins' attorneys had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, saying he had poor legal help at trial and during other appeals, and that the courts should have authorized money to his current lawyer to support other appeals and a clemency petition.





"He has never had a meaningful opportunity at any stage to develop that claim, to have any court address it on the merits, or even to have it considered as part of a petition for executive clemency," attorney Seth Waxman, told the justices in his appeal.





Stephen Hoffman, an assistant Texas attorney general, said investigation of those arguments "would either be redundant or fruitless," and called the appeals a delaying tactic.



In his appeals, Wilkins had argued that his attorney ignored his wish to plead guilty and did not put on a vigorous defense and that an appellate lawyer had a huge conflict of interest, having already accepted a job with the prosecutor's office.





30 convicted killers were executed in the U.S. last year, the lowest number since the early 1980s. 7 were carried out last year in Texas, the fewest since 1996.





9 Texas inmates have already been scheduled to die in the early months of 2017.



Wilkins becomes the 1st condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Texas and the 539th overall since the state resumed capital punishment on December 7, 1982.



Wilkins becomes the 1st condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1443rd overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!

Sources: Dallas Morning News, Associated Press, Twitter live feed, Rick Halperin, January 11, 2017
Another Day in Paradise - Myuran Sukumaran's exhibition opens in Sydney. This week Sydneysiders will have their first opportunity to view the hauntingly beautiful artworks painted by Myuran Sukumaran during his final days on death row in Bali's Kerobokan prison. This week Sydneysiders will have their first opportunity to view the hauntingly beautiful artworks painted by Myuran Sukumaran during his final days on death row in Bali's Kerobokan prison.





While the exhibition, Another Day in Paradise which opens at the Campbelltown Arts Centre on Friday, is a chance to reflect on his life and the brutality of the death penalty, we mustn't shy away from a difficult home truth: the Australian Federal Police's role in his death.





In April 2015, Indonesia executed Sukumaran by firing squad, alongside Andrew Chan, a fellow member of the so-called Bali Nine who had also been convicted of drug trafficking offences.





The execution of the two men united Australia against the death penalty as never before. The men's rehabilitation during their 10 years in prison, as well as the harshness of the ultimate penalty, had struck a chord. Hundreds of thousands of Australians campaigned for mercy and gathered together for candlelight vigils and protests around the country.





The Australian government, to its great credit, advocated strongly for a stay of the executions. After the men were killed, Australia removed its ambassador to Indonesia in protest.





Later that year, the Australian government confirmed its commitment to working towards global abolition of the death penalty, making that cause a key part of its bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, the world's premiere human rights body.





Australia has not executed anyone for nearly 50 years. (It will be 50 years since Ronald Ryan's execution in February.) As a nation, we can and should be a global leader on this issue.





Yet in the midst of our shared grief and pain, and the government's apparent willingness to lead internationally, there remains a nagging issue: it was a tip-off from the AFP that led to the Bali Nine's arrest in the first place. It was the AFP that requested that the Indonesian National Police gather evidence and keep the Bali Nine under surveillance.





Under current laws and guidelines, if the Bali Nine case happened again tomorrow, nothing would prevent the AFP from acting in exactly the same way. In fact, the AFP has confirmed its view that its actions in the Bali Nine case were not only lawful, but also the right thing to do.





The AFP has strong law enforcement ties with police services in neighbouring countries. Undoubtedly much of its international co-operation is for good and valid reasons.





However, elements of the AFP's co-operation place people in harm's way. Evidence suggests that the AFP knowingly shares information with death penalty states and in so doing puts 370 people a year at risk of execution, 95 per cent of which is for drug offences.





The AFP's ongoing information-sharing with foreign police in death penalty cases, represents Australia's complicity in the very practice it seeks to stamp out. It is a stain on our track record and a blight our legitimacy to lead in the global eradication of this inhumane practice. It's time we cleaned it up.









In 2016, a parliamentary committee chaired by Philip Ruddock presented a blueprint to ensure that Australia works comprehensively to abolish the death penalty worldwide. The committee's report, " A world without the death penalty ", made 13 recommendations that must be implemented immediately in order to position Australia as a smart, sophisticated international leader on the issue. Fortunately, a way forward has been prepared and agreed across the political divide. It just needs to be implemented.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Emily Howie, January 12, 2017. Emily Howie is the director of advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

Read More
Equifax Inc. provides information solutions and human resources business process automation outsourcing services for businesses, governments, and consumers. The company operates through three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment offers employment, income, criminal history, and social security number verification services, as well as payroll-based transaction, employment tax management, and identity theft protection products. The USIS segment provides consumer and commercial information services, such as credit information and credit scoring, credit modeling and portfolio analytics, locate, fraud detection and prevention, identity verification, and other consulting; mortgage services; financial marketing services; identity management services; credit monitoring products; and online information, decisioning technology solutions, as well as portfolio management, mortgage reporting, and consumer credit information services. The International segment offers information service products, which include consumer and commercial services, such as credit and financial information, and credit scoring and modeling; and credit and other marketing products and services, as well as offers information, technology, and other services to support debt collections and recovery management. The company serves customers in financial services, mortgage, employers, consumer, commercial, telecommunication, retail, automotive, utility, brokerage, healthcare, and insurance industries, as well as state, federal, and local governments. It operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, the Republic of Ireland, Russia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Blog Hinangai

While there is much discussion in Guam about the economic benefits of increasing the islands military presence, the damages/dangers that they represent are rarely mentioned. This blog, a supplement to the Peace and Justice for Guam Petition, is meant to counter that by providing information about the US military in Guam, with the hopes of steering policy away from a dangerous unilateralist course to more sustainable notions of regional development and a strengthening international solidarity.
Babcock International Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides value-add services for aerospace, defense, and security in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Africa, North America, Australasia, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Marine, Nuclear, Land, and Aviation. It designs, procures, operates, and manages critical utility and process equipment; offers asset management, defense and maritime training, information and intelligence, equipment and system, and facilities and infrastructure services, as well as naval platforms; and designs, manufactures, and provides through-life support for mechanical and electrical systems and equipment. The company also offers naval architecture, engineering, and project management services; submarines and complex engineering services in support of various decommissioning programs and projects, training and operation support, new build program management, and design and installation; critical vehicle fleet management, and equipment support and training services for military and civil customers; and designs, assesses, manufactures, installs, maintains, and decommissions vehicles for police, fire and ambulance, civil service, military, and other security-focused organizations. In addition, it provides plain line track renewal services; and engineering services for track projects, signaling, telecommunications, and on-track plants. Further, the company offers critical engineering services to defense and civil customers, including pilot training, equipment support, and airbase management, as well as operates aviation fleets that provide delivering emergency services. Babcock International Group PLC was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, and international news to media organizations, professional, and news consumers through news agency and industry events. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of Cummins: Anvl, Apollo FC Holdings Ltd., Atlantis Acquisitionco Canada Corporation, Atlantis Holdco UK Limited, Brammo, CIFC Worldwide Partner C.V., CMI Africa Holdings BV, CMI CGT Holdings LLC, CMI Canada Financing Ltd., CMI Canada LP, CMI Foreign Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings C.V., CMI Global Holdings B.V., CMI Global Partner 2 C.V., CMI Global Partners B.V., CMI Group Holdings B.V., CMI Group Holdings Cooperatief U.A., CMI International Finance Partner 1 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 2 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 3 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 4 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 5 LLC, CMI Mexico LLC, CMI Netherlands Holdings B.V., CMI PGI Holdings LLC, CMI PGI International Holdings LLC, CMI Turkish Holdings B.V., CMI UK Finance LP, CMI UK Financing LP, Cherry Island Renewable Energy LLC, Consolidated Diesel Company, Consolidated Diesel Inc., Consolidated Diesel of North Carolina Inc., Cummins (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Cummins (Xiangyang) Machining Co. Ltd., Cummins Africa Middle East (Pty) Ltd., Cummins Afrique de l'Ouest, Cummins Americas Inc., Cummins Angola Lda., Cummins Argentina-Servicios Mineros S.A., Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Cummins Aust Technologies Pty. Ltd., Cummins BLR LLC, Cummins Battery Systems North America LLC, Cummins Belgium N.V., Cummins Botswana (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins Brasil Ltda., Cummins Burkina Faso SARL, Cummins CDC Holding Inc., Cummins CV Member LLC, Cummins Canada ULC, Cummins Caribbean LLC, Cummins Center of Excellence Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Centroamerica Holding S.de R.L., Cummins Child Development Center Inc., Cummins Colombia S.A.S., Cummins Comercializadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Corporation, Cummins Cote d'Ivoire SARL, Cummins Czech Republic s.r.o., Cummins Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Diesel International Ltd., Cummins Distribution Holdco Inc., Cummins EMEA Holdings Limited, Cummins East Asia Research & Development Co. Ltd., Cummins Eastern Marine Inc., Cummins Electrified Power Europe Ltd., Cummins Electrified Power NA Inc., Cummins Emission Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Emission Solutions Inc., Cummins Empresas Filantropicas, Cummins Energetica Ltda., Cummins Engine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Trading & Services Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine Holding Company Inc., Cummins Engine IP Inc., Cummins Engine Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Engine Venture Corporation, Cummins Enterprise LLC, Cummins Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtration GmbH, Cummins Filtration IP Inc., Cummins Filtration Inc., Cummins Filtration International Corp., Cummins Filtration Ltd., Cummins Filtration SARL, Cummins Filtration Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtros Ltda., Cummins Franchise Holdco LLC, Cummins Fuel Systems (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Americas Inc., Cummins Generator Technologies Germany GmbH, Cummins Generator Technologies India Private Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Italy SRL, Cummins Generator Technologies Limited, Cummins Generator Technologies Romania S.A., Cummins Generator Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd., Cummins Ghana Limited, Cummins Ghana Mining Limited, Cummins Global Financing LP, Cummins Global Technologies LLP, Cummins Grupo Comercial Y. de Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Grupo Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Holland B.V., Cummins Hong Kong Ltd., Cummins India Ltd., Cummins Intellectual Property Inc., Cummins International Finance LLC, Cummins International Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Cummins International Holdings LLC, Cummins Italia S.P.A., Cummins Japan Ltd., Cummins Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins LLC Member Inc., Cummins Ltd., Cummins Maroc SARL, Cummins Middle East FZE, Cummins Mining Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Mobility Services Inc., Cummins Mongolia Investment LLC, Cummins Mozambique Ltda., Cummins NV, Cummins Namibia Engine Sales and Service PTY LTD, Cummins Natural Gas Engines Inc., Cummins New Zealand Limited, Cummins Nigeria Ltd., Cummins Norte de Colombia S.A.S., Cummins North Africa Regional Office SARL, Cummins Norway AS, Cummins PGI Holdings Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (S) Pte. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (U.K.) Limited, Cummins Power Generation Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Power Generation Inc., Cummins Power Generation Limited, Cummins PowerGen IP Inc., Cummins Research and Technology India Private Ltd., Cummins Romania Srl, Cummins S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Sales and Service Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc., Cummins Sales and Service Private Limited, Cummins Sales and Service Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Sales and Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Sinai ve Otomotiv Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cummins South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins South Pacific Pty. Limited, Cummins Southern Plains LLC, Cummins Spain S.L., Cummins Sweden AB, Cummins Technologies India, Cummins Trade Receivables LLC, Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited, Cummins Turkey Motor Guc Sistemleri Sats Servis Limited Sirketi, Cummins U.K. Holdings Ltd., Cummins U.K. Pension Plan Trustee Ltd., Cummins UK Global Holdings Ltd., Cummins UK Holdings LLC, Cummins Vendas e Servicos de Motores e Geradores Ltda., Cummins Venture Corporation, Cummins West Africa Limited, Cummins West Balkans d.o.o. Nova Pasova, Cummins XBorder Operations (Pty) Ltd, Cummins Zambia Ltd., Cummins Zimbabwe Pvt. Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc..

Read More
It is a "fair assumption" that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind US election hacks, secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson has said.



The former CEO of Exxon Mobil told his Senate confirmation hearing the intelligence report on Russian tampering "clearly is troubling".



His comments came after Senator Marco Rubio pressed Mr Tillerson to admit Mr Putin's role in the cyber-breach.



Mr Tillerson's reported good ties with Mr Putin have alarmed some in the US.



In other testimony: Mr Tillerson said:



He disagrees with Mr Trump's remarks that more countries should have nuclear weapons



He does not oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive trade deal that Mr Trump has vowed to scrap his first day in office



The 2015 nuclear deal with Iran should be given a "full review", though he did not call for it to be rejected outright



The president should veto any bill that lifts the embargo on Cuba, and review whether Cuba should have been removed from the state sponsors of terrorism list



The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences could be serious enough to take action, but "our abilities to predict that effect are very limited"
The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United states and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products. This segment operates through select accounts, which serve small businesses; commercial accounts that serve mid-sized businesses; national accounts, which serve large companies; and national property and other that serve large and mid-sized customers, commercial trucking industry, and agricultural businesses, as well as markets and distributes its products through brokers, wholesale agents, and program managers. The Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, fidelity, management and professional liability, and other property and casualty coverages and related risk management services through independent agencies and brokers. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals through independent agencies and brokers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.
The German defense company Rheinmetall has teamed with Austrian arms manufacturer Steyr Mannlicher to manufacture and market the RS556  a German version of the 5.56mm x 45 cal. modular assault rifle system based on Steyrs STM556. The Austrian weapon was first unveiled in 2012. Eying the German market, Rheinmetall positions the new weapon as a candidate for the German System Sturmgewehr Bundeswehr  the planned replacement of the G36  the standard German military assault rifle made by Heckler & Koch. This project is set to begin in 2019. Rheinmetall will offer the new assault rifle as a joint program, locally produced (made in Germany), with a German value-added share of 60%.

Featuring an adjustable short-stroke gas piston system and rotating bolt, the gas-operated RS556 is based on the tried-and-tested Steyr Mannlicher Universal Army Rifle (AUG). With a 16 barrel (406 mm) and a fully loaded, 30-round magazine, the RS556 weighs around 4.2 kilograms, (just over 9 pounds.)

In a matter of seconds and without tools, the hammer-forged barrel can be easily exchanged. A number of standard barrel lengths are available (14.5, 16, 18 and 20); and, according to the company, customer-specific barrel and rifling lengths can be easily created. A special breech system with an emergency operation feature ensures that the weapon always functions reliably even under extreme operating conditions, e.g. in severely hot and cold environments.

The adjustable-length light-weight stock clicks into seven different positions, meaning that operators can adjust the RS556 to match their individual equipment profile in an optimum fashion.

The RS556 is compatible with Rheinmetalls modular Future Soldier  Expanded System (IdZ-ES), and can also be integrated with other soldier systems. The weapon has multiple standard and optional NATO accessory rails with receiver systems designed per MIL-STD-1913, STANAG 2324 and STANAG 4694, enabling soldiers to fit their weapons with various optics, night observation devices, and laser light modules. A 40mm grenade launcher can also be mounted on the new assault rifle.

Since entering service in 1997, the G36 became a favorite weapon in service with numerous military and law enforcement forces around the world. However, after experiencing overheating in extended firefights, the G36 proved unsuitable for long range engagement in hot conditions. After a thorough investigation that lasted three years, the German Ministry of Defense decided to phase out the G36 over these concerns. Heckler & Koch contested the decision claiming the German Defense Ministry did not provide clear specifics for the weapon.
A DARPA-backed small business effort broke boundaries for long-endurance flight this month by launching a uniquely designed, combustion-powered unmanned aircraft that stayed aloft for more than 48 hours. The propeller-driven VA001 built by Vanilla Aircraft of Falls Church, Virginia, is designed to carry a 30-pound (13.6 kg) payload at 15,000 feet (4.5 km) for up to 10 days without refueling. The flight was a step towards demonstrating the systems objective performance of carrying a 30-pound payload for 10 days at an altitude of 15,000 feet. This record-breaking flight demonstrated the feasibility of designing a low-cost UAV able to take off from one side of a continent, fly to the other, perform its duties for a week, and come backall on the same tank of fuel, Jean-Charles Lede, DARPA program manager commented.

The VA001 started its historic flight on the morning of November 30, 2016 at New Mexico State Universitys Unmanned Air Systems Flight Test Center near Las Cruces International Airport. After staying aloft for two days and two nights. VA001 made its first flight in early 2015 and in April 2016 performed a 25-hour flight at the same test range. The November flight was planned to test a 120-hour mission but was terminated several days ahead of schedule, due to predictions of unstable weather condition. The craft landed safely with more than half its fuel still onboard, suggesting it is capable of setting additional records for powered flight in its weight and power class and could ultimately offer significant new capabilities to ground forces and others.

The flight lasted for nearly 56 hours, where the plane flew at an altitude of 6,500  7,500 feet above sea level, averaging 57 knots (105 km/h) before landing on the afternoon of December 2. The airplane carried 20 pounds of actual and simulated payload and was a further step for the VA001 The payload included communications relay that operated continuously throughout the flight to demonstrate functionality out to the maximum range. The airplane also carried a multispectral imaging payload provided by NASA, as a demonstration of Earth science and agricultural remote sensing.

The ability of a low-cost platform to provide persistent surveillance, battlefield pattern of life, or aerial mesh network relay, in a responsive and robust manner, and without forward basing, does not currently exist, Vanilla co-founder and chief engineer Neil Boertlein explained.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an increasingly important means for military forces  especially small dismounted units  to bring extra communications or intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the field. Current designs, however, offer relatively short range and flight endurance; additionally, their need for frequent refueling, specialized launch and recovery equipment, and regular maintenance often limit them to flying from fixed bases close to the front lines.

The VA001 has transformational potential, providing a scalable aerial system solution without increasing personnel or operating costs. This capability would help extend the footprint of small units by providing scalable, persistent UAV-based communications and ISR coverage without forward basing, thereby reducing personnel and operating costs.

The VA001 would be a cost-effective option for widespread and regular low-level surveying. We could fill an extensive cost and payload-capability market gap between small electric and large military unmanned aircraft, which is perfect for many commercial applications, says co-founder and program manager Jeremy Novara. Vanilla is currently exploring strategic partnerships and equity financing to expand into this market.A representative from the National Aeronautic Associationthe organization that verifies and tracks flight-related world recordscertified the flight as achieving the world duration record for combustion-powered UAVs in the 50 kg-500 kg subclass (FAI Class U-1.c Group 1). Moreover, the flight was the fourth-longest for any unmanned airplane and the 11th-longest for a plane of any type (manned or unmanned, solar or fuel-powered).

The flight was supported by the technology innovation investments of the Department of Defenses Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) and DARPA-funded efforts through Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR).
The Albany City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a $50,000 grant to an Albany manufacturing company in exchange for a promise from its new owner that he would keep the company in the city for the next 10 years.

Lebanon resident Todd Piller is the new owner of Ameri-Tool, an injection mold plastics manufacturing company, which is changing hands after 30 years. He said he wanted to keep the 25-employee company in Albany but was weighing "an attractive package" from the city of Redmond to move the firm.

"My request is for the city of Albany to match the offer (from) Redmond," he wrote, offering in return to keep the company in Albany for the next decade.

The $50,000 is the "cash value" estimate of the offer, based on the forgivable loan fund in Deschutes County, which essentially offers grants to the tune of $1,000 to $2,000 per employee to companies interested in relocating to the county.

Piller said that the $50,000 would give him the capital needed to obtain an ISO certification, which would allow the company to bid on a wider range of much larger contracts in the federal and defense industries. The move, he said, would lead to company growth, and would allow him to add 50 employees to his payroll over the next few years.

Councilor Rich Kellum asked Piller why he was considering Redmond. Piller answered that he was surprised by how anxious Redmond was to bring in a plastics business and cited the city's lack of competition. He noted that in Albany he competes directly with Viper Northwest. City Manager Wes Hare pointed out the city has helped Viper with economic development funds in the past.

Kellum, who eventually voted for the grant, expressed concerns about Piller's motivation: "I'm a little skeptical of a person who says 'give me money or I'll leave,'" he said. "The bottom line is: Is it worth it? that's all there is to it."

With councilors Ray Kopczynski and Bill Coburn agreeing that it was easier to retain a company than to lure one, and with councilor Bessie Johnson calling the request "very generous," the motion passed unanimously, clearing the way for the city to award Piller the $50,000 in exchange for his agreement to remain in Albany for the next 10 years. Earlier in the day, Kopczynski had called Piller's move "sound business planning."

"It's obvious that communities are competing with each other for business," Kopczynski said.

The funds will come from Albany's economic development fund, which came from the 2010 PepsiCo settlement.

Former Ameri-Tool owner Steve Edwards spoke in favor of the grant, although he noted that he's not affected by whatever the new owner or the council does.

"It would be a shame if the city would allow this business to be moved to Redmond," he said.

Edwards made the argument that the amount would be an investment in the city, saying Albany needs more manufacturing jobs.

"It doesn't need more burger stands and Taco Bells," he said.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
RICHMOND  Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe opened the 2017 General Assembly session Wednesday night with an ode to bipartisanship over the last three years of divided government and a renewed plea for cooperation in the year ahead.

McAuliffe made no direct mention of last year's presidential contest between his close friend Hillary Clinton and President-elect Donald Trump, instead stressing the need to plow ahead in a spirit of collaboration and build an economy that can thrive regardless of what happens in world capitals, including Washington.

"For the past three years, our work together has seen far more bipartisan victories than divisive battles," McAuliffe told the state lawmakers, Cabinet officials and Supreme Court of Virginia justices crowded into the House of Delegates chamber. "While political fights rage in Washington, we have proven again and again that Virginia is a place where leaders still work together to get things done."

Reminders of conflict at times poked through as the governor laid out a rosy view of his working relationship with the Republican-controlled legislature.

The governor again called his action last year to restore voting rights to more than 200,000 felons who had served their time one of his proudest moments, noting that Democrats greeted it with applause while some Republicans brought lawsuits. Moving on with the speech, McAuliffe didn't mention that the Supreme Court of Virginia scaled back the order with the vote of a conservative justice Republicans elected after they ousted McAuliffe's pick for the high court.

Entering his final go-round with the General Assembly, the relentlessly upbeat Democratic governor urged support for several big-ticket proposals that are likely to land with a thud with Republicans, but serve to lay out a Democratic agenda with a gubernatorial race looming after the session. Those proposals included universal background checks on gun sales, a full repeal of Virginia's voter photo ID law, repeal of the law requiring ultrasounds before abortions and enacting some form of Medicaid expansion.

"Four hundred thousand people living without health care is a problem," McAuliffe said. "We should never stop seeking ways to solve it."

Expanding on his less controversial proposals for the 46-day session, McAuliffe called for reforms to Virginia's jail and mental health systems to "prevent future tragedies," additional funding to respond to the opioid crisis and substance abuse and shoring up the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to add stronger controls over taxpayer-funded incentives used to lure businesses.

On the state budget, a marquee item for every session, made more difficult this year by a revenue shortfall topping $1 billion, McAuliffe voiced openness to legislators' calls to give state workers a pay raise rather than the one-time, 1.5 percent bonus the governor included in his budget plan.

"If our revenue conditions do improve, I am eager to work with you to prioritize a more significant pay increase," McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe also endorsed an expansion of last year's bipartisan gun deal to keep firearms away from people subject to court orders for domestic violence. McAuliffe called for expanding that law to cover non-family abuse orders.

In a greatest-hits montage of his first three years, McAuliffe talked up his efforts to minimize veteran homelessness, increase education funding, enhance the state's transportation system and boost the state economy by bringing in business projects, 853 to be exact. To hammer the final point home, McAuliffe announced the latest deal from the podium, saying Navy Federal Credit Union had just agreed to bring 1,400 jobs and a $102 million investment in Frederick County.

The governor repeated his standing threat to veto any legislation he sees as discriminatory against LGBT people or restricting women's access to abortion. Pointing to the fallout in North Carolina over the state's law dealing with transgender bathroom access, he said Virginia has benefited from being a welcoming state. The governor mentioned CoStar, a real estate data company bringing 732 jobs to Richmond instead of North Carolina, as a real-world example.

McAuliffe reminded lawmakers of his 71-0 record on vetoes - lawmakers have not overriden any during his tenure - saying "I'm ready to keep my streak alive."

"But I hope you will deny me the opportunity by simply refraining from sending me things that are counterproductive to what we're trying to do with our business community," McAuliffe said.

Responding to the speech, House GOP leaders said they didn't hear much new from the governor and questioned McAuliffe's focus on social issues as the speech concluded.

"A lot of those are hot-button issues for his base," said Majority Leader M. Kirkland Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights.

They also suggested McAuliffe was looking to take credit for Republican ideas, including the pay raise for state employees that GOP budget leaders have said is a top priority.

"He can certainly join us and sign it if he'd like to," said House Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk.

Earlier in the day, the General Assembly gaveled in for the opening rituals of organizing, deciding committee assignments and beginning to implement the results of Tuesday's three special elections. None of the two Senate seats or one House seat flipped to the other party, leaving the balance of power unchanged with Republican majorities in both chambers.

Former Gov. Bob McDonnell, now cleared of corruption charges over the gift scandal that sunk his political career, was spotted enthusiastically making the rounds at the Capitol after attending Howell's pre-session reception and an early-morning prayer breakfast.

In a brief interview, McDonnell said he was back to thank former colleagues for "what they did for me during this ordeal." Asked for his thoughts on the coming session, McDonnell said it's "a privilege and a blessing to be a Virginian" and both sides want to keep it that way.

"I honestly can say I haven't followed it that closely," McDonnell said. "Money is always an issue up here. Money reflects priorities and values."
Winter has a ways to go, but the snow and ice that shut down schools and businesses off and on in recent weeks has disappeared from both streets and forecasts  at least for now.

Low temperatures and moisture in the air may combine for some freezing fog through Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service, but otherwise the mid-valley is looking to return to cloudy skies and rain.

That leaves local school districts with the challenge of deciding how and when to make up at least five days lost to bad weather.

Schools closed in Albany three times in December, then on Monday because icy slush hadn't dissipated from the weekend. They shut down again Wednesday after early-morning flurries threatened to grow into a larger storm that never fully materialized.

Some years, educators have held classes on Presidents Day as one of the makeup days, but no decisions have been made yet for this year. Members of the Albany School Board plan to discuss options as part of a special board meeting at 6 p.m. at the district office.

Martin Luther King Day, Monday, cannot be used as a makeup day, according to Oregon law. School is not allowed on legal holidays unless specifically authorized in the law. Presidents Day is specifically allowed while Martin Luther King Day is not.
Grab a ringside seat. Virginias gubernatorial race is getting interesting, with unexpected candidacies serving up some excitement.

Whats more, ringside is close to home: Two new candidates have ties to Albemarle and Nelson counties.

Former Virginia Rep. Tom Perriello kicked off the shift when he announced last week that he would seek the Democratic nomination. Until that moment, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam was the assumed nominee, needing only his partys final sanction.

Mr. Perriello grew up in Albemarle County, son of a popular local physician.

He graduated from Yale Law School and has held a fascinating series of jobs, both before and after his election, including special advisor to the international prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and special envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He won one term as U.S. representative for the 5th District, until the district shifted toward the Republican red zone.

Hes considered to be more populist than Dr. Northam, setting up the possibility of an intra-party fight similar to that a year ago between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

The Republican contest for nomination was shaken up this week with Nelson County distiller Denver Rigglemans announcement that he would join the fight. Hes the owner of Silverback Distillery, near the Albemarle County line, and a former Air Force intelligence officer and defense contractor.

Until then, the battle was among three long-time politicians: national GOP strategist Ed Gillespie; state Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach; and Prince William County Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart.

I believe someone needs to use blunt force trauma to break up the good ole boy system in Richmond that, as Ronald Reagan said, takes from the needy to give to the greedy, he said.

His candidacy, like Mr. Perriellos, is a challenge to the status quo.

In an ideal world, such challenges are good for democracy. They force candidates to better articulate their messages, as all sides compete for attention and support. That provides more information for voters and/or party decision-makers about candidates positions as well as their abilities to sell their visions to the public.

In reality, weve often seen how intraparty fights narrow and even distort candidates messages, rather than expand and clarify them; and how they intensify political antagonisms, resulting in a poisoning of the debate.

Probably, we can expect a bit of both in these two races  more clarifying rhetoric from the candidates, but also the chance of more acrimony in that rhetoric.

But of course, its these political fireworks that will lift the nomination races from the merely mundane, especially in the Democrats case, to the politically portentous.

And we in Central Virginia can enjoy the added zest of watching two candidates will local ties trying to buck the political establishment.
According to Albany Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Cowan, a call was received regarding smoke in the church shortly after 5:30 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they were told the smoke was in the basement. However, upon investigation, they discovered smoke throughout the building. Everyone inside was evacuated.
Albany Mayor Sharon Konopa and a state legislator are exploring ways to rein in predatory towing practices on the part of companies, often from out of town, that travel to Albany under the cover of darkness and tow away vehicles for various and sundry parking violations.

Konopa and the legislator, Sen. Chuck Riley of Hillsboro, are on the right track. Riley says he plans to introduce a bill in this year's legislative session to place additional restrictions on how these towing companies do business.

For Riley, it's the latest chapter in a battle that's lasted now for a decade. For Konopa, the fight is more recent: After hearing from Albany residents who had been victimized by towing companies, she asked city staff to research what options the city has in dealing with these companies. That report should be ready in the next few weeks.

Not only are these out-of-town companies giving a black eye to local counterparts who shy away from these practices, their actions tend to victimize those residents who are least able to afford the fees charged. That doesn't even include the hassle and expense involved in traveling to places like Salem or Portland, where these companies often tow vehicles.

A recent story in the Democrat-Herald was an eye-opener in terms of explaining how these companies operate, in at least one case ignoring explicit instructions from the Albany Police Department not to tow a particular vehicle.

In a recent case that came to the attention of Konopa and a Democrat-Herald reporter, a resident at Albany's Santiam Terrace apartment forgot to hang her permit for disabled parking on her rear-view mirror before parking in a spot reserved for the disabled.

When the resident returned to her car the day before Thanksgiving, she discovered it had been towed by a Portland company, Retriever Towing, that has a contract with the apartment complex. To add to the aggravation, it turned out that the driver for Retriever checked with the Albany Police Department to see if the car was allowed to be in the spot. The Police Department said it was, and advised the driver not to tow the vehicle. The driver towed the vehicle anyway. The tow cost the resident $470, and she had to go to Salem to retrieve the car.

The law currently allows companies wide latitude in deciding which cars to tow  and the laws that govern what they can charge are vague.

One of Konopa's suggestions is an ordinance that would prohibit towing companies from taking a towed car outside the city limits, which would at least ease some of the aggravation for victims retrieving their vehicles. It will be interesting to see whether that suggestion holds up after examination by city staff.

In the meantime, Riley, the Hillsboro senator, is gearing up for the latest round in his long fight against predatory towers. Among the provisions in his bill is one that would require towers to get a signature from a property owner before towing a car. That likely would cut down on the amount of late-night tows, since it presumably would be more difficult to get those signatures after midnight from some complexes.

Riley doesn't mince words when it comes time to characterize how he thinks the towing companies operate now: "What they do is they steal cars," he told a Democrat-Herald reporter.

We have no beef with local towing companies, which tend to charge much less for tows and aren't cruising to find victims after midnight. But the time has come to put the brakes on these predatory operators. (mm)
I am sorely disappointed in all that has happened to gut the OMMP (Oregon Medical Marijuana Program).

Oregonians in 1998 voted for a program that had to be self-sustaining. In short order, the program was self-sustaining as well as able to pay for other OHA programs. Instead of lowering costs to the sick and dying, or hiring more employees for better service, legislators continue to bilk money from patients with exorbitant fees and lack of service, as well as delays to get quality medicine from licensed dispensaries.

As of Oct. 1, there were 68,201 patients and 29,778 caregivers. How many employees are servicing these patients? How many millions are being taken from this program each year that could pay employees to get cards out in a day or three instead of the more than 90 days it has taken the past two years?

Several years ago us patients were getting bilked for $7 million per year due to excessive fees that are being charged; remember, the program only was to be self-supporting, not a cash cow for the Oregon Health Authority.

More recently, Oregonians voted on M91, a measure that said the medical cannabis program would be left alone. Instead, our program is being ripped apart. Patient/grower fees have quadrupled from at first nothing, then $50, and now $200 if someone else is your grower. Growers have all been given incentives to dump their patients, as well as having all incentive taken away to keep their patients with undue reporting requirements and more.

Oregon Legislature, repeal all changes and step away from the patients. You are causing harm!

Rhea Graham

Owner, Albany's Canna Kitchen

& Research and Gramsterdam

Albany (Jan. 8)
SWEET HOME  Saying he is moving to Corvallis, Jeff Goodwin resigned from the City Council Tuesday evening.

Goodwin has served on the council for two years and ran an unsuccessful campaign as an independent to unseat Oregon Rep. Sherrie Sprenger last fall.

The father of five, whose wife, Stephanie, is expecting their sixth child, said his family has had more than 80 medical appointments in Corvallis in the last two years. He added that his wife is from the Corvallis area.

It has been a pleasure to serve the people of this community, said Goodwin, who is a local attorney. I have fought hard and been a zealous advocate.

He said the councilors have at times butted heads, but that is the challenge of a democracy.

Goodwin added that he has also missed a lot of family time due to council obligations, and that since he made the decision to move he had lost interest in council issues.

He left the meeting after announcing his resignation.

When running for office, Goodwin said he wanted to make a difference in the community. The council has the ability to affect the community.

Goodwins vision called for the community to capitalize on its proximity to the Cascades and lost list of recreational opportunities, but to also attract light industrial jobs.

He said the communitys greatest challenges were high unemployment and drug abuse, especially among young people.

He was a consistent voice against the legalization of marijuana in the community.

In addition to serving on the council, Goodwin is involved in Scouting and is a volunteer with the Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District.

He is a graduate of the Willamette University College of Law and the Atkinson Graduate School of Management.

The council will begin the process of appointing a replacement to complete two years left on Goodwins term of office.
The DoT was awaiting AG's opinion before proceeding on the penalty suggestion of TRAI. (Photo: DC)

New Delhi: Paving the way for Rs 3,050 crore cumulative penal action on telecom operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, the Attorney General is learnt to have opined that the Department of Telecom has power to impose penalty on grounds of poor quality of service.

"AG has opined that DoT can impose penalty on telecom operators for violating quality of service rules," a source told PTI.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended imposing Rs 1,050 crore penalty each on Airtel and Vodafone and Rs 950 crore on Idea for violating quality of service rules.

TRAI, in its recommendation to DoT, said it has found the trio non-compliant with licence conditions and service quality norms, given the high rate of call failures and congestion at interconnect points for Reliance Jio.

Following TRAI's recommendation, the Telecom Department sought AG's opinion on the matter last week, sources pointed out. The DoT was awaiting AG's opinion before proceeding on the penalty suggestion of TRAI.

While giving its recommendation to DoT, TRAI had noted that denial of interconnection by the three operators to Reliance Jio "appears to be with the ulterior motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer".

The regulator had, in fact, stopped short of recommending cancellation of their telecom licences, saying it may lead to "significant consumer inconvenience".

The recommendation came on complaint by Reliance Jio that over 75 per cent of calls on its network were failing as incumbents were not giving sufficient points of interconnect to help complete calls.
Washington: Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany were indicted in the US. on Wednesday in the VW emissions-cheating scandal, while the company itself agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion - by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

In announcing the federal charges and the plea bargain, Justice Department prosecutors detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside the German automaker to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

"Volkswagen obfuscated, they denied and they ultimately lied," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

Prosecutors may have trouble bringing the executives to trial in the US. German law generally bars extradition of the country's citizens except within the European Union. Privately, Justice Department officials expressed little optimism that the five VW executives still at large will be arrested, unless they surrender or travel outside Germany.

Still, the criminal charges are a major breakthrough for a Justice Department that been under pressure to hold individuals accountable for corporate misdeeds ever since the 2008 financial crisis.

US. authorities are still investigating just how high the scheme went, and held out the possibility of charges against more VW executives. "We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy," Lynch said.

VW admitted installing software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the US. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit.

US. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences in testing and real-world emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the so-called defeat device but finally admitted it in September 2015.

Even after that admission, prosecutors said, company employees were busy deleting computer files and other evidence. The fines easily eclipse the $1.2 billion penalty levied against Toyota in 2014 over unintended acceleration in its cars. VW also agreed to pay an additional $154 million to California for violating its clean air laws.

The penalties bring the cost of the scandal to VW in the United States to nearly $20 billion, not counting lost sales and damage to the automaker's reputation. Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion civil settlement with US. environmental authorities and car owners under which it agreed to repair or buy back as many as a half-million of the affected vehicles.

Although the cost is staggering and would bankrupt many companies, VW has the money, with $33 billion in cash on hand.

As for why the fine was so big, "the premeditation here was very significant and that was at a very high level in the company," said Leslie Caldwell, an assistant US. attorney general.

"Lower-level people actually expressed concern along the way about the fact these defeat devices were being used and questioned whether they should be used. And higher-up people decided to use them," Caldwell said. "Volkswagen also lied to the regulators and the Department of Justice once our investigation had started. That's what distinguishes this."

Volkswagen pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importing vehicles by using false statements. Under the agreement, VW must cooperate in the investigation and let an independent monitor oversee its compliance for three years.

The six supervisors indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit were accused of lying to environmental regulators or destroying computer files containing evidence.

All six are German citizens, and five remained in Germany. The only one under arrest was Oliver Schmidt, who was seized over the weekend in Miami during a visit to the US.

Schmidt was in charge of VW's compliance with US. environmental regulations. Those indicted also included two former chiefs of Volkswagen engine development and the former head of quality management and product safety. Prosecutors said one supervised 10,000 employees.

All six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the US. by making false statements to regulators and the public. Three were also charged with fraud and clean-air violations.

Government documents say one engine development supervisor asked an assistant to search another supervisor's office for a hard drive that contained emails between them. Then another assistant was asked to throw it away, prosecutors said.

Authorities said the scheme began when VW officials realized new diesel engines wouldn't meet US. 2007 emissions standards. Acting on instructions from their supervisors, VW employees borrowed the defeat device idea from VW's Audi luxury-car division, which was developing different engines with similar software.

In November 2006, some employees raised objections about the defeat device to the head of VW-brand engine development, prosecutors said. That official allegedly directed the employees to continue and warned them "not to get caught."

In 2014, VW employees learned about a West Virginia University study that found emissions discrepancies in VWs. Three of the supervisors and other employees decided not to disclose the defeat device to US. regulators, prosecutors said.

In August 2015, a VW employee ignored instructions from supervisors and told US. regulators about the device.

VW also faces an investor lawsuit and a criminal investigation in Germany. In all, some 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the software.
Passengers will get the thrill of riding under the sea during as this first bullet train of the country will have a a 21-km tunnel under the sea. (Representational Image)

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Government today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 77,000 crore with the Ministry of Railways for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project.

The MoU was signed during the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Summit at Mahatma Mandir here today in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. Out of the total cost of Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the high-speed Bullet train project, Gujarat government would get 70 per cent share, the state government said in a release.

The agreement was signed between Gujarat government and the High Speed Rail Corporation (HSRC), which falls under the Railway Ministry.

"Under this agreement, Rs 77,000 crore will be invested in Gujarat for the Bullet train project. We have signed an MoU today in this regard with the Ministry of Railways," Rupani told reporters here.

The high speed Bullet train is expected to cover 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in about two hours, running at a maximum speed of 350 kmph and operating speed of 320 kmph.

The project is expected to be completed by the 2023. Passengers will get the thrill of riding under the sea during as this first bullet train of the country will have a a 21-km tunnel under the sea.

According to the detailed project report proposed by Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA), while most part of the corridor is proposed to be on the elevated track, there will be a stretch after Thane creek towards Virar, which will run under the sea. Rolling stock and other equipment like signalling and power system will be imported from Japan as per the loan agreement.

Railways has already allotted Rs 200 crore for the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), in which Maharashtra and Gujarat will have equity of 25 per cent each and the Indian Railways will have 50 per cent.

"Another MoU was signed to set up a training centre at Gandhinagar to impart training to engineers and employees associated with the Bullet train project," the release said.

Third MoU was signed between the state government and Railways to set up a container depot in Rajkot, for which Railways will invest Rs 100 crore, Rupani told reporters.
Gandhinagar: Over Rs 50,000 crore worth MoUs for investments and credit were signed at the end of the second day of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit with State Bank of India leading the pack.

SBI signed memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat Government for extending bank credit especially in priority sector. Under the MoU country's largest lender will give Rs 30,000 crore worth loans over two-year period, officials announced at the Summit here.

NABARD inked an MoU for rural financing worth Rs 13,000 crore while Union Bank of India entered into a pact with the state government for providing Rs 5,600 crore of bank finance across various sectors.

The investment commitment are besides the Rs 49,000 crore investment Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani had announced yesterday in expansion of capacity of three ports in the state as well as foraying into water and cement businesses over the next five years.

The BSE and NSE - the two leading stock exchanges in the country, also envisaged an investment of Rs 500 crore each in GIFT City for setting up International Exchange and international clearing corporation.

MRF also plans to invest Rs 4,500 crore in the state over a period of 10 years to set up manufacturing unit. MCX also outlined setting up of business continuity facility here.

Urban development department has signed 1,575 investment intention with various companies, in the area of domestic real estate and waste management companies. The summit saw participation from 110 foreign countries, they said.
Such Levels were last seen in February 2015, when Riyadh began to steeply raise production to deal a blow to US shale oil producers, effectively becoming the architect of a prolonged oil slump.

Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia has cut oil output to its lowest in almost two years, its energy minister said on Thursday, as the worlds largest oil exporter leads Opecs drive to eradicate a global glut and prop up prices.

Energy minister Khalid al-Falih said output had fallen below 10 million barrels per day  more than it had promised as part of a global output cut deal between Opec and non-opec producers.

Such levels were last seen in February 2015, when Riyadh began to steeply raise production to deal a blow to US shale oil producers, effectively becoming the architect of a prolonged oil price crash.

Mr Falih, speaking at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi, said output was not significantly below 10 million bpd currently and the Kingdom planned to make even deeper cuts in February.

This means Saudi Arabia has cut oil production by more than the 486,000 bpd it agreed to late last year under a global deal to curb production and stem a fall in oil prices.

Mr Falih also said he expected the oil market to tighten in two to three years, aided by the agreement of Opec and non-Opec producers late last year to curb production. We have been moving toward rebalancing the markets for some time, Mr Falih said.

Even better, the pace of rebalancing will be accelerated by recent production agreements within Opec and outside. I have confidence in these agreements to bring stability to the global markets.

Mr Falih predicted oil demand would grow by over 1 million barrels a day this year. I am confident that the combination of capping production by 25 countries and growth of demand will continue to balance and prices will respond accordingly, he added.

Opec and non-Opec producers last month reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly.
Lisa's October wedding was a low-key affair attended by both the families and some close friends (Photo courtesy: Instagram/ lisahaydon).

Mumbai: The newly-wedded model, who tied the knot with her boyfriend of one year, businessman Dino Lalvani, is going to be a Mama soon.

Lisa posted an adorable picture of her in a navy blue bikini, proudly showing off her baby bump. She captioned it: Humble beginnings

Minutes after posting the picture, Lisa was flooded with congratulatory messages from her fans and well wishers.

Here is to a new beginning. Cheers!
Vin Diesel and Deepika Padekone are in Mumbai to promote their upcoming film, xXx- The Return of Xander Cage

Mumbai: The star-cast of the Hollywood film 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage,' has finally landed in India. Actor Vin Diesel was accompanied by leggy lass Deepika Padukone, who is making her Hollywood debut with the film. The actors arrived at Mumbais Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport today morning along with filmmaker DJ Caruso.

The stars were welcomed in a fancy Maharashtrian style, where women draped in saree were seen sporting yellow turban and rode motorbikes wearing a helmet. Vin got smitten with the colourful welcome and expressed his love for Indian culture.

The actors are here to promote their upcoming action flick, 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage,' which will be releasing 5 days before its scheduled US release.
The film is set to have a Christmas release.

Mumbai: Rajkumar Hirani directed, Sanjay Dutt's biopic will go on floors on January 14.

Ranbir Kapoor, who will be slipping into Sanju Baba's shoes, has already begun with preparations for his role.

The shooting will commence in Mumbai, covering the crucial scenes first, followed by schedules in other parts of the country.

The filmmaker, last year, had captured Dutt's exit from Yerwada Jail in Pune, with the thought of including it in the biopic.

The 'Rockstar' actor and the 'PK' director have already started with the pre-production and were spotted in the latter's office many a times, reading the script.

However, the film is still looking for its perfect title.

The untitled biopic seems very intriguing, as it will be the first biopic, made on a Bollywood star.

The film is set to have a Christmas release.
Mumbai: Actor - Producer Vin Diesel, who is in India for the promotions of Hollywood film XXX: The Return of Xander Cage dodged questions that was posed to him about Donald Trump.

When asked Vin Diesel XXX: The Return of Xander Cage is releasing in the US on the same day when the 45th president of US, Donald Trump will be taking oath... so while the whole Hollywood is divided in their opinion about of how good or bad he will be for America what's your views on that on this the actor gave a witty reply.

He says, "On Jan 20th something very important is going to happen in America and that will be the return of Xander."

During Sundays Golden Globes, Meryl Streep used her time on stage to call out President-elect Donald Trump, though she avoided mentioning him by name.

Streep spoke of the importance of empathy in todays world and referenced the moment that Trump mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski during a rally in 2015 for his disability.

The much awaited Hollywood film XXX: The Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone and Vin Diesel in lead will hit the screens on January 14th in India.

The trailer of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage released in July this year was vastly esteemed by everyone. There is a lot of expectation from the critics and the trade gurus with Deepikas xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.
It was earlier reported that Vidya Balan was using her time off to prepare for her role in the upcoming biopic on feminist poet Kamala Das, who was known for her bold and honest treatment of female sexuality.

The actress had taken to learning Malayalam under the guidance of Malayali film actress Sreedhnaya and was also digging deep into the poetess life through books on her life and works.

However, it would seem that all of Vidyas language classes have been to no avail. Due to creative differences with the director, the actress has now opted out of Aami.

A close source to Vidya reveals, Vidya has a tendency to sit with the director and writers, to discuss the nuances of the film and add in a few inputs but with Aami, the case was different. The actress respects the director and the entire team working on the film, but she was having creative differences with the director, which could not be worked out. So, she has opted out of the film. When contacted, the actress spokesperson confirmed the news.
Dating applications have worked wonders for people with the right swiping and relationships for many. While Tinder is still popular, Grindr  the dating application for gay people is equally active. However, there are many organisations that think gay people do not interact in gay communities or practice unsafe sex and there is a need for sexual health advice.

According to a recent report in The Georgia Straight, a study regarding the sex lives of gay people said that the information is untrue and gay people are quite informed if not well informed. The most forms of involvement by gay people usually revolved around gay news, attending gay bars or pubs, watched and participated in gay pride parade.

The study also found that gay men spent most of their time online talking to other gay or bisexual men but had a lesser emotional inclination to communities. Associate Researcher Nathan Lachowsky who spoke to the paper said that guys who used applications preferred personal interaction rather than community oriented interaction. "It's more the fact that these guys tend to operate more with their friendsand that particular social network for them might be more important than the broader gay community," he said.

Interestingly, people who seek sex online were twice more likely to take precaution and ask other men about HIV infections before indulging in sex. Gay men also focused on educating themselves about sexual health unlike popular belief, which is a positive.
A Japanese macaque can be seen engaging in rare inter-species sexual behaviour with a female sika deer in a video filmed in Yakushima, Japan. (Photo: AFP)

Paris: Scientists on Tuesday revealed the "highly unusual" behaviour of a male monkey filmed trying to have sex with female deer in Japan -- a rare case of inter-species nookie.

Sex between animals from different species is uncommon, but exceptional cases are known to occur, chiefly in domesticated and captive animals, scientists reported in the journal Primates.

Mating is usually driven by the need to procreate, while sex across the species line is mostly fruitless or yields sterile offspring. For the new study -- only the second on the phenomenon of inter-species sex -- a Japanese macaque or "snow monkey" was filmed mounting at least two female Sika deer much larger than itself.

Without penetration, the young monkey makes sexual movements while riding on the does' backs on Japan's Yakushima Island. On some occasions its impertinence was tolerated but at other times the deer bolted and ran. The monkey ejaculated on the backs of the does, which licked the seminal fluid, researchers said.

"No ambiguity is possible, it is clearly sexual behaviour," study co-author Marie Pele of the University of Strasbourg, France, told AFP. Furthermore, the monkey appeared to "guard" the targets of its affection, chasing away other male macaques.

The scientists speculated the behaviour may be driven by "mate deprivation" in a community where competition for females is stiff, boosted by a surge of hormones in the breeding season.

"Sometimes young males, like the one in the study, do not have access to females in their social group as these are claimed by older males," said Pele.

"This young macaque... did not have access to females, but was very excited. It took advantage of the presence of the doe." Snow monkeys and Sika deer live in close proximity at Yakushima -- the deer eat food the monkeys drop from the trees, and sometimes feed on their faeces.

The team said further study is necessary to understand the origins of interspecies sexual behaviour, including zoophilia -- when humans are sexually attracted to animals.

The only other published scientific study on inter-species sexual behaviour was the much-publicised 2014 report of fur seals forcing themselves on penguins in Antarctica, the authors said.
It is always difficult to talk about death; the loss of a dear one always brings back tears to the eyes. Prince William did differently and spoke about his mother Princess Diana to grieving children when he visited them recently. The Duke of Cambridge consoled a small child and told her about his mother's death when he was young like her.

According to a report in the Metro, Prince William recently visited a Child Bereavement Centre where he met Aoife, a nine-year-old girl mourning her fathers death. The Duke spoke about his mother, Princess Dianas death and told the girl that his mummy too died when he was young to comfort her. He later revealed that he was very angry but he recovered from it.

Aoifes father had died from pancreatic cancer six years ago and was really sad about it when the Prince told her not to bottle up her grief and she should talk about it to as many people as she can, to recover.

After the meeting with William, Aiofe's mother Marie said, "I couldn't believe it when he started to talk about his mother. It was very emotional and I was willing myself not to start to cry. I almost did.
Hyderabad: A 16-year-old girl from Hyderabad who was forced into marrying a man twice her age, has approached child rights activists for help after her husband sent her a legal notice reminding her of 'conjugal duties.'

According to an NDTV report, the girl, who is currently studying in junior college, was married off to her cousin last year, just months before she was to appear for her class 10 exams. The girls family claimed that her aunt was on her death bed, and would like to se her married before she passes away.

Stating that she had no idea about her prospective grooms age, the girl said, "It (the wedding) happened very suddenly. He was more than 35 years old."

Though she gave her nod to the marriage on the condition that she be allowed to continue her studies, the girl packed her bags and returned to her parents home two months after her wedding after she was subjected to physical and sexual violence on a daily basis.

When her parents asked her husband to return the gold and Rs 1 lakh that was given as part of wedding, he sent her the legal notice.

The family later approached one Ms Anuradha, who is part of a government-run social action group, who thereafter called a panchayat meeting with all the elders to sort out the issue.

"But the husband turned up with two lawyers and said instead of returning money to her parents, he would pay lawyers,'' Anuradha said.

The family has now sought the help of child rights activists and is trying to have the marriage annulled.
Bengaluru: Within hours after a school girl and another woman were accosted by a pervert, the Bengaluru City police have nabbed him and booked under various sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and IPC. Police said the arrested accused, Manikanta (22), accosted a school girl who was heading home, and allegedly attempted to molest her. They further added that the accused, who seems to be a marijuana addict, accosted the girl, asking her: If you dont mind, can I hug you? The girl got scared and raised an alarm and soon the public gathered, but the accused fled. Following his arrest, investigation revealed that the accused had repeated the same incident earlier on Tuesday with a woman.
Bundi (Rajasthan): A 17-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gangraped by two youths at Ganeshpura village here, police said on Thursday.

The girl, a class XI student, was on her way to school with her two friends when the accused youths arrived on a motorcycle and abducted her, police said.

The accused duo, identified as Kailash Bairwa and Mukesh Bairwa of the same village, took her to a nearby jungle where they took turns to rape her and later left her at an isolated place, they said.

The girl's friends, meanwhile, informed her parents about the incident who went on a look out for the girl before approaching the police.

The youths who are absconding have been booked under IPC sections 363, 376 (D) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act, SHO Dayaram Meena said.

According to police, the victim and the accused belonged to the Bairwa community and claimed that their families were involved in an old enmity.

Meanwhile, the girl's parents have alleged "inaction and apathy" on the part of police in the case.

The girl was found at 11.30 AM but was sent for medical examination in the evening to a district government hospital about 55 kms away from here, they claimed.

Taking note of the matter, Superintendent of Police, Bundi, said, "The matter as to why the police delayed in providing medical treatment to the victim and in medical examination would be investigated."
The judge rejected his bail petition and posted the next hearing of the case to January 25. (Representational image)

Bhubaneswar: Arrested Trinamool Congress LokSabha member Sudip Bandopadhaya was on Thursdsay denied bail by a CBI court in Bhubaneswar and sent to jail.

He was produced in the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate P K Mishra after the completion of his 10-day CBI remand in two phases.

The judge rejected his bail petition and posted the next hearing of the case to January 25.

The MP's advocate sought bail pleading that his client has all along cooperated with the investigating agency. The counsel also claimed that Bandopadhaya was ill.

Bandopadhaya claimed he was innocent and had no involvement in the scam.

He was arrested in Kolkata on January 3 on charges of alleged link with Rose Valley Group chief Goutam Kundu, now in jail, and brought to Bhubaneswar next day. He has been in CBI custody since then.

Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of Rs 17,000 crore in different states including Odisha and West Bengal.

The CBI in its charge sheet against the ponzi scheme company in January last year had mentioned that the investors from Odisha alone had deposited Rs 450 crore with the Rose Valley Group.

Another TMC MP Tapas Pal has been lodged at a special jail at Jharpada in the same scam.
Thiruvananthapuram: All the 120 self-financing engineering colleges under the Kerala Self Financing Engineering College Management Association (KSFEMA) will remain closed on Thursday in protest against Wednesdays attack on the office of the association in Kochi following the suicide of Jishnu Pranoy, a student of Nehru College of Engineering and research centre at Pampady in Thrissur last Friday.

KSFEA president Jordy Mathai said after a meeting of the office-bearers of the association that Colleges have witnessed violence of enormous scale during the last couple of days. Colleges cannot function in such a violent atmosphere, Mr Mathai said. This cannot be tolerated. The colleges will close down indefinitely if the violence against the colleges continued, he said.

Mr Mathai said the association was not going for a strike now as there was an examination on Friday and the following days. Colleges conducting MBA and MCA programmes will also take part in the strike.

Association leaders claimed that its ethics committee would conduct an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the suicide of the first year B. Tech student. The association can take a stand on the issue only after the report of the ethics committee came, they said.

Education minister C Raveendranath asked to the Association to call off the strike. The association welcomed the governments decision to appoint an ombudsman for self-financing engineering colleges, Mr Mathai said.
Alappuzha: Shibin Thomas, a constable with the 28 battalion of Border Security Force (BSF), is a victim of ill-treatment by his superiors for daring to expose their corruption.

Shibin, who is currently in Raiganj in West Bengal, had been dismissed from service without pensionary benefits on December 2015 after he filed an RTI petition with the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 24, 2015 on the corrupt practices prevalent in his previous 41 battalion. He was reinstated in service pending inquiry in December 2016 after his parents sent a petition to the PMO describing their sons plight.

The parents, Thomas John, 55, and Saramma Thomas, 49, Ittiyam Veliyil, South Aryad here, say that Shibin is still being harassed by the same officials who have ordered a probe against him. They are also conspiring to terminate him, say the parents, who are daily wage workers.

In the RTI application, Shibin had asked the Home Ministry how much money was sanctioned to the 41 battalion of BSF, Maheshpur, Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur,West Bengal, annually for 2014-15 and 2015-16, and how much money had been spent on each jawan for various purposes.

However, Shibin (roll number 041462300) received a reply that the information was not available under the RTI Act. Thereafter, his commandants issued him a show-cause notice on December 16, 2015 on the charge of misbehaving with Dr Rohan Kumar, general duty medical officer in the battalion. The dismissal order of Shibin without service benefits was passed by the commandant of 41battalion on December 18, 2015.

However, he was reinstated through an order signed by D. Haokip, deputy inspector general, BSF, North Bengal Frontier, on November 4, 2016 due to the defective procedure followed by the commandant of 41 battalion. Shibin rejoined duty on December 30.

The parents say Shibins seniors siphon off the funds sanctioned by the central government. No Jawan has the courage to stand up against them. Our son was framed with false charges and we want a probe by an honest IPS officer, they demand.

We have requested the Prime Minister to let our son retire peacefully and proudly, they have said. Shibin is married to Sophiya, an unaided school teacher. They have no children.
New Delhi: Following a stern message by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over sale of doormats depicting the tricolour, Amazon today expressed regret for "offending" Indian sentiments and informed her about removal of the product from its Canadian website.

In a letter to Swaraj, Vice President and Country Manager of Amazon India Amit Agarwal said, "I am writing in connection with the products that carried the Indian flag, as referred to in your tweet...

"Amazon India is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extent that these items offered by a third-party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments."

He also said Amazon remains steadfastly committed to India, as evident by CEO Jeff Bezos' announcement last year of company's plans to invest USD five billion in India. "We value immensely our relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, and most importantly our Indian customers and employees," Agarwal said.

Yesterday, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The minister had also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

After the strong protests, the e-retail giant today removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India. "Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj had said in her tweets.

Tweeting Agarwal's response to Swaraj, the MEA Spokesperson said, "In response to EAM @SushmaSwaraj's tweet, @amazon writes to her, expresses regret at hurting Indian sensibilities, pulls offending item."

In his letter, Agarwal also explained that a third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada.

"These products were not available in India. After learning of the products' listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplaces or websites," he further said.

Agarwal also offered to meet Swaraj to discuss the issue and Amazon's broader relationship with India.
Jammu: In order to check the casualties caused by the snow avalanches at Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world, Army has inducted a special rescue force, 'Avalanche Panthers, Mountain Rescuers' to respond in case of an emergency.

The 'Avalanche Panthers, Mountain Rescuers' is a highly skilled force with in-depth knowledge, adaptability with local terrain and weather conditions, and capability to respond in the shortest possible time for rescue operations, especially in glaciated terrain, an army spokesman said.

The force was inducted by the General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command, Lt Gen D Anbu who visited the camp on Wednesday.

The force, raised on December 6 last at Siachen Base Camp, consists mainly of the troops from the Ladakh Scouts, who being the 'Sons of the Soil' are well adapted, to terrain and weather conditions prevalent in this high altitude region.

Lt Gen D Anbu visited the forward Siachen posts where he was accompanied by the Corps Commander of the 14-corps, Lt Gen PJS Pannu.

While interacting with the troops in the super high altitude posts, the Army commander appreciated their work in challenging and inhospitable terrain.

He was also briefed on the Operational preparedness and security situation in the region by the Corps Commander and other Commanders on ground.
Only a few schools have made stickers and ID cards mandatory. Rest of the schools are allowing even strangers to pick up the children. (Representational Image) (Photo: AFP)

Bengaluru: Strangers are barred from entering school premises to protect children from sexual harassment and other incidents, but parents complained that over the last one month, at least two incidents of strangers leading others children have been reported in city schools.

In both incidents, children were being led by strangers. As the incidents were reported within the campuses, it was sorted out. Now, a few schools have decided to improve security measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future, said sources in the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Tens of parents who spoke to Deccan Chronicle said that though schools are charging hefty amounts in the name of child safety, they are not providing foolproof security. Only a few schools have made stickers and ID cards mandatory. Rest of the schools are allowing even strangers to pick up the children. As police complaints were not registered in these cases, they have not come to the notice of the public, said a parent, whose child is studying at an elite school in West Bengaluru. Many schools even allow duplicate ID cards. After a series of sexual assault cases targeting girl students last year, strict guidelines were issued to schools. But within weeks, these guidelines were forgotten and no one seems to be following them anymore, he said.

But schools have a different point of view. The principal of a CBSE school said that though ID cards have been made mandatory for parents, they are giving them to maid servants to pick up their children. In a few cases, confusion occurred because of the negligence of parents. As this issue is very sensitive, it cannot be generalised, he said.

If any parent lodges a complaint, the department would take action, an officer from DPI said.
New Delhi: The procedure involved in raising the bills for chartered flights for Prime Minister's visit abroad cannot be disclosed because of "important security concerns", the Central Information Commission has held.

The current Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur, however, did not alter an order passed by his predecessor Satyanand Mishra, who had ruled that the expenditure incurred on VVIP visits, including those of the Prime Minister and Ministers, should be disclosed proactively "in larger public interest".

In his order on the query of Commodore (retd) Lokesh Batra, Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur said the information sought by him attracted section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act which exempted it from disclosure.

Batra had sought the "laid down instructions, process/procedure/steps involved in chartering flights for PM's foreign visits and later filing 'flight returns' and raising bills/invoices and clearing bills on completion of the visit; list of file(s)/records with reference number(s) on which bills for the chartered flights for Prime Ministers are processed since September 1, 2013".

He had also sought certified copies of 'flight return', air travel bill(s) and receipt(s) of an amount of Rs 2.45 crore paid/cleared in respect of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bhutan on 15-16 June, 2014, among others.

Before rejecting the plea seeking information under the RTI Act, the Prime Minister's Office said during the hearing that "each and every piece of information relating to arrangements for PM's visit is confidential and sensitive."

It said all travel arrangements of the PM, whether foreign or domestic, involved "important security concerns".

These aspects are looked into by multiple agencies, including intelligence and security organisations which are included in 2nd Schedule of the RTI Act and exempted under section 24 of the RTI law, the PMO said.

"On November 09, 2016, the Commission perused 3-4 different files regarding travel bills of the PM, as produced by the respondent no. 1 (PMO). On perusal of the files, the Commission is convinced that the sought for information are of a nature which is exempted under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, 2005," Mathur said in the order.

Batra had filed the RTI application as a large number of bills were not paid to Air India for the foreign visits of the Prime Minister.

The aircraft were chartered by Ministry of External Affairs, which said it had no role in delay in payment to the national carrier. The MEA said as per the practice, upon receiving the bills, it forwarded those to the Civil Aviation Ministry and then to the PMO, apparently hinting that responsibility for delayed payment lay at their doors.

The retired Naval officer wanted to see records to know why these bills were kept pending as Air India was already facing cash crunch. "I am disappointed with the order," Batra said.

During the hearing he had told the Commission that the PMO website during the period concerned showed only five bills had been paid and 14-15 were pending.
New Delhi: France on Thursday pressed for "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India and vowed to work with New Delhi to get terrorist Masood Azhar proscribed by the UN Security Council.

Without naming China which has blocked a proposal at the UNSC to sanction JeM chief Azhar, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said, "The international community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat."

On the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in September last year after an attack on Uri army camp, Ayrault said a country has a "right to defend itself" in the wake of such threats.

"France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism," the French Minister, who was on a visit to India, said.

Clearly referring to Pakistan without naming it, he emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism "originating from their territory or territories under their control".

"We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said.

The French Minister, who was on a four-day visit to India primarily to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, was asked about his views on the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army in September last to target terror camps based across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself," he replied.

With regard to China blocking sanctioning of Azhar, he said, "We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached."

He noted that Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the Committee's list of terrorist organisations and "therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested".

That's why France not only supported but also co-sponsored this request, he said.
More than 1.8 million faithful took part in last year's haj. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: In the biggest hike in nearly three decades, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday increased India's annual Haj quota by 34,500, a move welcomed by the NDA government as a "matter of pleasure".

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten inked an agreement in this regard in Jeddahon Wednesday, increasing the size of India's Haj quota from 1,36,020 to 1,70,520.

According to a statement issued by Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Naqvi, it is the "biggest increase" in quota for Haj pilgrims after 1988.

The latest increase in quota will be effective from the current year.

The Saudi authorities had five years ago slashed quotas for foreign pilgrims coming from each country by 20 per cent in view of safety of the devotees as they undertook expansion of Grand Mosque there.

Accordingly, India's quota was brought down to 1,36,020 from 1,70,000 in 2012. Last year, a total of 1,35,903 devotees from India performed Haj. Of these, 99,903 devotees went to Jeddah through Haj Committee of India. The remaining 36,000 pilgrims had proceeded through private operators.

Expressing pleasure at signing of the agreement, Naqvi tweeted, "Its a matter of pleasure that Saudi Arabia has increased India's Haj quota by about 34,000."

Naqvi said his meeting with Benten was "very fruitful" as "constructive" discussion was held on whole gamut of issues related to the pilgrimage, transport and accommodation facilities for devotees and their safety.

"On behalf of the people and Government of India, we also extend gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Excellency Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, for his keen personal interest and initiative in organising a successful Haj 2016," Naqvi said in the statement.

The Minister exuded confidence that under the visionary leadership of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, the "excellent" relationship between the two countries will be further strengthened.

Stating India and Saudi Arabia share ideals of global peace, progress and prosperity, Naqvi said the two countries are tied together with strong civilisational, cultural, economic and political links.

"The regular visits by the leaders and senior-level officials of the two nations have further strengthened the relationship between the two nations. The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia during April last year added new dimensions to our vibrant relationship," he said.

The Minister also expressed satisfaction over the improvements in services offered to pilgrims which indicates Saudi Arabia's firm commitment towards welfare and betterment of pilgrims.
New Delhi: A high-level Indian defence team will visit France next week to review the ongoing production of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft and to formalise the modalities for the payment of the second tranche due this year in the euro 7.878 billion deal.

Defence sources also said the first Rafale fighter is expected to come to India a few months earlier than the scheduled date in 2019.

A team comprising of senior IAF and Defence Ministry officials will travel to France next week to work out the modalities of the payment for the second tranche, the sources said, adding the delegation will also visit the production line in Bordeaux.

The Rafale fighters planes, aimed as a strategic asset against China, will be based in Sarsawa in Uttar Pradesh and Hasimara in West Bengal.

India and France had on September 23, 2016, signed the approximately Rs 59,000 crore deal for the Rafale jets, equipped with latest missiles and weapon system besides multiple India-specific modifications.

The 'vanilla price' (just the aircraft alone) will cost about 91 million euros each for a single seater and about 94 million euros for a two-seater trainer aircraft.

The deal, the first fighter plane contract in 20 years, comes with a saving of nearly 750 million euros besides a 50 per cent offset clause after several rounds of negotiations.

The 50 per cent offset clause means that Indian businesses, both big and small, will gain work to the tune of over three billion euros.

These combat aircraft, delivery of which will start in 36 months and will be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was inked, comes equipped with state-of-the-art missile weaponry.
Hundreds of youths who have gathered from southern districts, participating in a protest demanding the Central government to lift the ban on Jallikattu, in Madurai. (Photo: PTI)

Chennai: Amid the continuing protests across Tamil Nadu for allowing 'jallikattu' during Pongal, the bull taming sport was conducted in coastal Cuddalore town today defying the ban on it, following which 28 people were held.

With Pongal festivities during which jallikattu is organised starting on Saturday, the chorus in support of the sport grew with more sections of people, including students, joining protests in different parts of the state, including in places where it is not so popular.

On a day when the Supreme Court rejected a plea urging it to pass judgement on the sport before Pongal, functionaries of Nam Tamizhar Katchi conducted jallikattu in Cuddalore near the Tiruvanthipuram Devanathaswamy Temple premises and police arrested 28 people for violating the ban.

A Cuddalore district police official said: "28 people belonging to Nam Tamizhar Katchi have been arrested for conducting Jallikattu and a case is being registered against them."

With the apex court declining to hear the matter, DMK blamed the Centre and state government for "not taking appropriate, timely steps" to ensure conduct of the event and announced a state-wide stir tomorrow.

DMK Working President and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly M K Stalin participated in a demonstration held by college students here seeking permission for jallikattu. "I extended support for the agitation by participating in their protest. It is welcome that students are holding protests for Jallikattu," he said.

He said only such solidarity and participation by students "guarded our mother tongue", in an apparent reference to the large scale anti-Hindi protests by students in 1960's.

"Similarly, I believe that students' agitations will protect jallikattu, the cultural symbol of the Tamil people," he said.

In a Facebook post, he urged state and central governments to take urgent steps to conduct Jallikattu by "bowing" to the sentiments of students.

In places including Coimbatore and Madurai, students took out rallies raising slogans seeking permission for Jallikattu. They held placards expressing love for bulls and stating that the animals are not harassed during the sport.

Protest demonstrations were also held in the state capital. Film personalities including actor Sathyaraj, film maker Karu Pazhaniapan participated in a stir here pledging support for Jallikattu. Actor Simbu held a silent protest.

More than 10,000 people converged at a ground in Coimbatore in support of jallikkattu while protests were staged in Sivaganga, Dindigul, Pudukottai and Salem districts.

Organisers of 'manjuvirattu' (a form of jallikattu) in Siravayal in Sivaganga district asserted they would hold the sport as it was part of the temple custom and usage. Students and local villagers blocked traffic at many places in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga district, a report from Madurai said.

In Coimbatore, people from different spheres of life, cutting across caste, linguistic and political barriers, took part in the protest at the sprawling CODISSIA grounds under the banner of "Voice for Jallikkattu". A section of the crowd raised slogans against PETA for being 'instrumental' in the ban on jallikattu.

A group of 'rekla' racers also arrived at the venue in carts drawn by bulls and joined the protest. Organisers said the participants came in response to appeal by various outfits through social media.

In Madurai region too, the agitation united people from various walks of life such as students, political parties and film personalities. Police made a lathicharge to disperse participants in a picketing organised by students in Siravayal as the protest paralysed traffic on a national highway.

Traffic flow was severely hit on Madurai-Dindigul highway also as people held road blockade demanding permission to organise jallikattu.

In Salem, a relay race was organised demanding the ban on the sport be lifted. In Dindigul, student protesters wanted the government to bring an ordinance to pave the way for conduct of jallikattu.

The protests over jallikattu in Tamil Nadu had its echo in neighbouring union territory of Puducherry where volunteers of various youth outfits staged a human chain agitation supporting the bull taming sport on the ground that it was part of the time-honoured tradition of the Tamils.
The state was now able to supply rice and wheat, to persons in Antyodaya Anna Yojana list and priority list category and also to non-priority list group. (Photo: Representational Image)

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government would start providing food articles to ration card holders across the state under the National Food Security Act from April one.

Process to make the Public Distribution System more transparent had already started and new ration cards would be distributed in March, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P Thilothaman told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

He said state would ask the Centre to restore the rice quota of the state to 16.50 lakh metric tonne per annum for distribution under PDS.

This would be taken up with the Union Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan during the meeting to be held at New Delhi on January 16, he said.

There was a cut in the quantity of rice for the state after National Food Security Act came into force, he said.

The state would get only 14.50 lakh metric tonne in place of 16.50 lakh metric tonne which it was receiving, he pointed out.

Referring to UDF Opposition criticism that PDS in the state has collapsed, Thilothaman said problems in the distribution of food articles through ration shops has ended.

Distribution of ration articles for the last month was expected to be completed by January 14 and supply of articles for the current month has also started, Thilothaman told reporters.

State faced problems in the PDS after there was a reduction in the quantity of food articles following the implementation of National Food Security Act, he pointed out.

However, the state was now able to supply rice and wheat, to persons in Antyodaya Anna Yojana list and priority list category and also to non-priority list group, he said.

Stating that stern action would be taken against corruption, he said officials recovered nearly 100 tone of spoiled rice kept for distribution under PDS from a private mill in Kottayam.

A total of 1.87 lakh metric tonne paddy was procured from 53078 farmers at a price of Rs 22.50 per kg in the first season so far.

Out of a total of Rs 420.76 crore due to farmers under this account, an amount of Rs 184.78 crore was disbursed so far, he pointed out.
Khargone: Days after a farmer in Madhya Pradesh received Rs 2,000 notes from a bank without the image of Mahatma Gandhi, an ATM at a village in Khargone district dispensed two 'one-side blank' currency of the new Rs 500 denomination.

Hemant Soni on Tuesday night used his card to withdraw Rs 1,500 from a public sector bank's ATM at Segaon village, about 40 kms from Khargone district headquarters.

"Of the three Rs 500 notes, two were printed on one side while the other side was completely blank," Soni said.

He registered a complaint of the misprinted currency on Wednesday with the concerned bank officials, who subsequently replaced his notes with new ones.

The bank officials, however, said the misprinted notes were received as such from the Reserve Bank of India.

"We have changed these 'misprinted' currency notes after the consumer's complaint. We are now checking the currency notes before loading them into the ATMs," the deputy manager of the bank's Sabji Mandi main branch said.

"This is a printing mistake," he added.
Forest fires are usually seen in summer during April and May every year. But this year they have started very early owing to the lack of rain.

Mangaluru: The usually lush green hills and valleys of the Western Ghats are turning black and brown this winter thanks to forest fires that have come months too early owing to the poor rainfall that has dried up the grasslands.

Normally seen in summer, the fires began as early as end of December, consuming greenery in Barimale, Hosamane Gudda, Ramana Gudda and Soppina Gudda located between the Arekal Valley and Horatti Valley. Environmentalists fear they will harm not only the flora and fauna but also the small natural springs rising in the ghats owing to their large spread.

"Forest fires are usually seen in summer during April and May every year. But this year they have started very early owing to the lack of rain that has left the grasslands dry. During our recent trek we were shocked to see that many hills have already turned brown and black. This is the first time I have seen forest fires in January," said Sahyadri Sanchaya convenor, Dinesh Holla.

The activist is worried the forest fires will leave animals like the Sambar deer and bison short of food. "They will either starve or come down the hills where they face the threat of being poached," he added worriedly, explaining that estate owners often set grasslands on fire to extend their properties or to clear wild growth. "This fire later goes out of control and consumes forests. Sometimes trekkers too don't douse their camp fires. Although small to begin with, the fire later goes out of control and consumes the entire hill," he said.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday inaugurated the new transit terminal building of Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram this afternoon and urged the Centre to name it as NTR Amaravati airport.

"We will formally write to the Centre on this and you do the needful," Chandrababu requested Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Secretary RN Choubey.

The Chief Minister also wanted the Civil Aviation Ministry to change the location of the proposed Greenfield airport in SPS Nellore district from Dagadarthi to Krishnapatnam.

"Krishnapatnam has a port. There is Sri City SEZ, Tirupati airport and Chennai. This belt has huge potential for development and the NITI Aayog studied the prospect of developing a Coastal Employment Zone here. Hence the new airport should be built at Krishnapatnam," he added.

Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya, Y Satyanarayana Chowdary, AP Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Airports Authority of India Chairman GP Mahapatra and others attended the event.

Choubey said the Transit Terminal at Vijayawada airport was developed at a cost of Rs 162 crore while another Rs 30 crore was spent on allied facilities.

The terminal could handle 20 lakh passengers per annum and would be sufficient for passenger needs for the next four-five years.

"By then we will build a state-of-the-art permanent terminal building that will cater to 50 lakh passengers per annum. Once the runway expansion is completed, larger aircraft like Boeing 747 can land here," Choubey said.

The Chief Minister and the Union Ministers conducted a bhoomi puja for the runway expansion works, being taken up at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

The state government has acquired 750 acres of land, which the Chief Minister said was worth Rs 2250 crore, for the runway expansion and airport development.
Any cash beyond Rs 50,000 could be subjected to scrutiny by EC nominated flying squads. (Photo: Representational Image)

Muzaffarnagar: Over four lakh has been seized from a car headed to Delhi, near Chapar in Muzaffarnagar, police said on Thursday.

The car, coming from Haridwar was headed to Delhi and was intercepted by the police, who recovered over four lakh from the vehicle last evening, the circle officer Shirvraj Singh said.

The car was seized after the occupant failed to show any valid documents for the possession of cash, they said.

Any cash beyond Rs 50,000 could be subjected to scrutiny by EC nominated flying squads and the individual or entity carrying the amount should furnish documents in this regard.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the response of the Centre on a plea seeking its direction for allowing private FM radio stations, including community radios, to broadcast news like television channels.

A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to file its reply within four weeks.

The bench was hearing a PIL, filed by NGO Common Cause in 2013, seeking a direction to the Centre that private radio stations and community radios be also allowed to broadcast news as they are more accessible for the masses, particularly the poor.

The apex court had earlier issued notice to the Centre on the PIL way back on October 17, 2013.

The plea said unlike television channels, none of the 245 private FM channels and 145 community radio stations in the country are allowed to broadcast their own news and current affairs programmes, which was the monopoly of government broadcaster Prasar Bharati.

"India is perhaps the lone democracy where dissemination of news and current affairs programmes on radio remains a monopoly of the government-owned broadcaster, which owns and operates All India Radio/Akashvani," the NGO has said.

Separate guidelines for community and FM radio were "discriminatory" as they imposed "unreasonable restrictions" on the broadcast of news and current affairs programmes by them, especially when TV channels and the print media were not subject to such prohibitions, it said.

The petition also submitted that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which took over the regulatory duties for broadcasting in January 2004, has recommended to the government that rules restricting private and community radio channels from broadcasting news and current affairs programmes be removed.
Mumbai: Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface, was today launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) here.

Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi (Yard 11876). The submarine was launched by the Union minister's wife, Bina Bhamre. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled.

The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapon.

The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The stealth features will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines.

The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval task force.

It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of France, as part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. The first one, Kalvari, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy, a defence official said.

The Indian Navy's submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8 this year.

The Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on December 8, 1967, it said.

India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki.

The MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul, on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service today.

Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.

Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark, an MDL official said.

The launching of Khanderi also marks a critical milestone event for the shipyard which earlier has delivered two Shishumar class submarines in the 90s and has now strengthened its position as a submarine building yard for Indian Navy.

Started as a small dry dock facility for East India Company, MDL has established itself as a forefront Defence Public Sector Undertaking, with indigenous construction of several ships and submarines for Navy such as P 15 B Destroyers and P 17 A class stealth frigates being the latest.

The construction of six Scorpene submarines is presently in progress at Mazagon Dock Shipyard Limited (MDL), under Project 75 with Transfer of Technology from M/s DCNS, France as the collaborator.

At the launch event, Bhamre lauded MDL, saying it is the country's premier shipbuilding yard and has a rich history that dates back to 1774.

"In fact the history of indigenous warship and submarine building in India is more or less the history of MDL, as right from the days, since it started construction of the Leander class frigates in the late 60s, MDL has always been in the forefront of warship and submarine building in India," the minister said.

"It did the country proud when it became the first shipyard in the country to build submarines, when the MDL built INS Shalki was commissioned in 1992," he said.

"Despite facing numerous challenges, particularly delays due to material issues, MDL has successfully overcome all these challenges with typical determination and innovativeness of the work force. This speaks volumes about the technological prowess and skill set of this premier shipbuilding yard," he said.

"However, after MDL built the two SSK submarines, which were commissioned in 1992 and 1994, this critical skill was almost lost thereafter due to lack of orders for building submarines," he said.

The MoS further said that, "With the first submarine of the Scorpene class having successfully completed the deep dive trials and with the launching of this second submarine, MDL has proved beyond doubt that they have regained the world class skills required for submarine construction."

"It is therefore incumbent that we ensure that this critical skill set is not wasted, and is optimally utilised for constructing more submarines for our Navy. We will also optimally utilise the world class infrastructure set up here for submarine construction," he said.

Bhamre also said that though MDL has always been in the forefront of warship and submarine building in India, it will have to face competition from the private industry. "Knowing MDL, it will utilise this as an opportunity to re-invent itself to meet the challenge head-on. You have the capability, and I know that you will rise to the occasion," he said.

"This potent submarine Khanderi is a symbol of the capability of our great nation, a shining example of the 'Make in India' programme. It is a key milestone in attaining self-reliance in the vital field of submarine construction," he added.
Amaravati: Stating that Chennai was facing a grave drinking water crisis even before the onset of summer, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday requested Andhra Pradesh to immediately release at least two TMC ft of Krishna water from the Telugu Ganga project.

While promising to consider Tamil Nadu's request, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu suggested his counterpart that he exert pressure on upper riparian states Maharashtra and Karnataka --through the Centre -- to release water downstream in Krishna.

"We will assess the water availability position here and take a decision on releasing more water as we have already released one TMC ft. We are also facing water shortage here," Chandrababu said.

Panneerselvam, who flew down here from Chennai this morning, held a meeting with Chandrababu at the AP Secretariat at Velagapudi and discussed the Telugu Ganga water issue.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister told his AP counterpart that only 1.5 TMC ft of water was currently available in Chennai city, though it had tanks with a total storage capacity of 11.5 TMC ft.

"We are facing a grave drinking water crisis even before the summer. So we need at least two TMC ft of water immediately to mitigate the crisis," Panneerselvam told Chandrababu.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, AP Planning Board vice chairman Kutumba Rao said AP had already released one TMC ft of water that would soon reach Chennai.

"Our CM told the Tamil Nadu CM that dams and reservoirs in Maharashtra and Karnataka are full of water and they should release it downstream since our reservoirs are not full. He suggested that Tamil Nadu bring pressure on those two governments through the Centre for release of water," Kutumba Rao, who also took part in the meeting, said.

Chandrababu also told Panneerselvam that the issue of water release to Chennai through Telugu Ganga project would be taken up with the Krishna River Management Board. "The KRMB should decide the proportionate share of water to be released by Telangana and AP post bifurcation," Chandrababu added.

AP also asked Tamil Nadu to release Rs 443 crore as the latter's share in the Telugu Ganga project.

"There are differences in claims over this between the two states but we told the Tamil Nadu delegation that the accountant general's estimate was final. Panneerselvam agreed to release some amount soon but did not specify how much," Kutumba Rao said.

Officials of water resources departments of AP and Tamil Nadu would soon meet in Tirupati for further talks on Telugu Ganga water sharing.

Meanwhile, the AP Chief Minister requested Tamil Nadu to continue Telugu in schools there. "Panneerselvam responded positively to this," the Planning Board vice-chairman said.

There was no political discussion between the Chief Ministers during their 45-minute meeting, he added.

Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Y Palanisamy, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, government advisor Sheela Balakrishnan and other officials were part of the visiting delegation.
New Delhi: Terror outfits are known to use suicide bombers for attacks on public places during important events, but in a shift in tactic, the bombers may come in a new form  pets.

According to a report in DNA, intelligence agencies have issued a warning to anti-terror units that terrorists may resort to using animals as suicide bombers to carry out terror attacks during the upcoming Republic Day celebrations. Various cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad were mentioned as possible targets.

The agencies explained that terrorists may use winter to their advantage and use sweaters as explosive vests for pets like dogs, cats and rabbits and get them inside venues where they want to carry out an attack. Once the animal gets close to the target, a remote control would be used to set off the explosion.

"There are threats from surgically implanted explosives or explosive materials in humans or any animals," stated documents accessed by DNA.

The notorious Islamic State group is said to be the first terror outfit that had used animals  chickens  to bomb their enemies in Syria. ISIS militants would strap birds with deadly explosives and target government buildings.

Terror groups that plan to carry out attacks may have taken inspiration from the various new techniques used by militants in Syria and are getting increasingly innovative in their modus-operandi.

Central intelligence agencies have even warned anti-terror teams about the possibility of their dog squads being compromised. They have even been told that terrorists could surgically place an explosive inside an animal.

Security agencies across the country, especially in Delhi have been asked to be on their toes and be extra vigilant in the run up to Republic Day celebrations.
Chennai: While promising to ensure the conduct of jallikattu, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday declined to take up the ordinance route saying that the state government could not issue an ordinance as it would be against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Citing the growing protests for jallikattu, he said it was his duty to give an explanation to the people, in a five-page statement. He said the Supreme Court is hearing a petition on a notification issued by the centre to enable the conduct of jallikattu and added that he is hopeful of a favourable decision by the court.

Citing Stalins allegations that Supreme Court guidelines were violated in jallikattu conducted in 2014, Panneerselvam said the accusations were meant to help the opponents of jallikattu and a betrayal of Tamil people. When the state government is arguing in the Supreme Court that bulls were not tortured, Stalins views are supporting the contentions of anti-jallikattu organisations. By giving such opinions, he had shown that the DMK had concern for jallikattu and it is ready to give up states rights for political gains.

He said the DMK-Congress alliance government which issued a notification including bulls in the list of wild animals which could not exhibited in public was the reason for the jallikattu ban. Based on the notification of the UPA government, the Supreme Court ruled that the Tamil Nadu jallikattu Regulation Act was a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he said.

Referring to the protest held by the DMK in Alanganallur, Panneerselvam said leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin had alleged that the traditional game was stopped due to AIADMKs complacence. The DMK which was the reason for jallikattu ban, could not deceive people by holding protests, the Chief Minister said.
Panaji: "Fighting for systemic change, cleaning the economy to free the country from corruption, bringing crooks to justice, punishing politicians who use and generate black money and many more changes are some of your avowed objectives," Mesquita, who is also Commissioner for NRI affairs, said in a letter to the PM, a copy of which is with PTI.

"In Goa, unfortunately the opposite happens," he claimed in the letter dated January 6, 2017 which is also addressed to party president Amit Shah.

Mesquita has pointed out to the induction of two former Congress legislators, Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar into the party fold to support his claim against the local party unit.

"There is no better example of political expediency than the recent admission of two corrupt Congress party legislators, so branded by the BJP itself, which apparently were a liability to Congress," he has said.

"BJP leaders in Goa never wasted an opportunity and in fact used every platform including the precincts of the August house of the peoples representatives (Goa Legislative Assembly) to denigrate these two MLAs whom they have now embraced," the letter read.

"As a result BJP leaders in particular and the party in Goa in general have lost their credibility. The public now wonders whether these leaders are adept in spreading falsehood and lies and in character assassination with the sole aim of fooling them," Mesquita said.

"Is the decision of BJP to admit these two (leaders) branded by the very same party as corrupt Congress MLAs and their acolytes in the party fold, signal that partys (BJP's) new vision is to patronise corruption ? (Are) the gates of dishonesty in BJP wide open now?" he questioned.

In the run up to the upcoming State legislative assembly elections, Godinho and Madkaikar were admitted in the BJP. Their names also figure in the first list of candidates announced in Delhi by the BJP high command.
Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday asked the government to abolish the subsidy for the Haj pilgrimage.

Claiming that the Haj subsidy of Rs 690 crore is given to Air India and not the pilgrims, the MP said that the money is going to Air India  which is a sick airline  in the name of subsidy.

In a tweet on his micro-blogging site, Mr Owaisi said Rs 690 crore, which is being used for the Haj subsidy, must be used for the education of Muslim girls.

Mr Owaisi has been demanding the abolition of the subsidy for the Haj pilgrims as he felt that the Muslims dont need subsidy for their sacred pilgrimage.

Mr Owaisi, however, welcomed the statement of minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announcing an increase in the Haj quota from 1.30 lakh to 1.70 lakh by Saudi Arabia.
Hyderabad: The Union home ministry asked the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to act in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act, and not bring up historical facts regarding the sharing of assets of AP Bhavan.

Home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi held a meeting with the officials of the AP and Telangana governments on Thursday via video conference.

The meeting was attended by chief secretary S.P. Singh and principal secretary of the finance department K. Rama Krishna Rao on behalf of the Telangana government, and by chief secretary S.P. Tucker and principal secretary of State Reorganization L. Premachandra Reddy on behalf of the AP government.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had written to the Union home ministry previously, briefing them on the history of AP Bhavan.

He stated that the AP government had no right over AP Bhavan, which historically belonged to Telangana State only. In view of this, the Union home secretary commented that Telangana state was formed on the basis of the AP Reorganisation Act; and if the sharing of the assets of AP Bhavan were to be decided based on historical evidence, then history would have to be dug up on many other matters as well.

Mr Singh told the Union home secretary that he would send his governments response on the matter after discussion with the Chief Minister.

Mr Tucker, while maintaining that the assets of AP Bhavan should be shared between the two states as per the AP Reorganization Act, requested the home secretary to resolve the issue at the earliest.
New Delhi: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who made the controversial remark blaming Muslims for the countrys population growth, was on Thursday censured by the Election Commission and given a warning that stern action would be taken against him if he violates the model code again.

The BJP MPs remarks, at a sant sammelan in Meerut last week, had come days after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties and candidates cant seek votes in the name of religion or caste.

The EC had issued a notice to the Unnao MP on Tuesday to which he had replied. The poll watchdog, however, said it did not find the MPs reply satisfactory, because in the Commissions considered view, supported by observations of the Supreme Court, any statement to the effect of promoting enmity between different classes of society in connection with election on the grounds of religion made during electioneering or otherwise is violative of Model Code of Conduct.

Earlier, Sakshi Maharaj had informed the Election Commission that the statement was not made in a public or an election meeting but at a saints conclave and hence could not be considered violative of the model code.
New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, who was on a visit to a forward base in Utarlai in Rajasthan, today flew solo in a MiG-21 'Type-96' aircraft, his first such flight after taking charge of the force. It is also rare for an Air Force Chief to fly solo.

Dhanoa flew the same type of aircraft during Kargil Operations and carried out many night strike missions in the mountainous terrain. He was awarded Yudh Sewa Medal.

The MiG-21 is the oldest fighter fleet in the IAF inventory.

Dhanoa, who is visiting the forward air base in the western sector from January 12 to 14, will assess operational readiness and review the morale of the personnel stationed there.
Chennai: Contending that bulls are worshipped as deity and no cruelty is practised on them, AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala on Wednesday made a strong case for conduct of jallikattu this Pongal by bringing an ordinance to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, a copy of which was handed over to his office in New Delhi by AIADMK MPs, Mrs Sasikala said the event is inextricably linked to the rural, agrarian customs, practices and psyche of the Tamils.

Noting that the bulls that participate in jallikattu on the second day of Pongal festivities  Maatu Pongal  are specially reared for the purpose, he said the sport is not in the least cruel to animals, unlike other sporting events involving horses, camels and other animals.

The ministry of environment and forests, Government of India, should clearly de-notify bulls as performing animals and I request you, honourable sir, to take appropriate steps to enable the traditional sport of Tamil Nadu to be played in our soil. This is my earnest request as there is widespread resentment against the ban, she said in the letter.

The youth of the state in particular wanted the sport to be played, as they feel that it is their divine traditional right, wherein they exhibit their courage in taming the bulls, she said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that Rs 2 crore deposited by real estate major Unitech Resorts Ltd with its registry be distributed among 39 home buyers who have sought refund of their amount for delay in handing over the possession of flats in the firm's Vista housing project in Gurugram.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi said the flat buyers can withdraw the money from the apex court registry on pro-rata basis.

The court said it would take a decision on the rate of interest and compensation to be paid to the investors at a later stage.

"The appellant has deposited Rs 2 crore which shall be distributed among 39 respondents on pro-rata basis. As far as interest and compensation is concerned the matter to be taken up on February 4," the bench said.

It noted that Rs 16.55 crore was deposited by the 39 home buyers who had booked flats in Unitech Vista project in sector-70, Gurugram and are before the court.

It also said that the company had earlier deposited Rs 15 crore with the apex court registry in compliance with an order.

The apex court had on August 17 directed the embattled real estate firm to deposit Rs 15 crore principal amount by September-end to pay back investors and home buyers who were not given possession of the flats on time.

The investors had told the court that they had paid money to the firm on time and the company was scheduled to hand over the possession of flats in 2012 but had not done till date.

Over two dozen home buyers of Unitech's housing projects in Noida and Gurugram had approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) after the builder had failed to give them possession of the flats as the per schedule.

The consumer forum had asked Unitech to refund the money to the home buyers with interest.

The apex court had earlier asked the company to deposit an interim penalty of Rs 5 crore with the court registry after the firm challenged the order of the consumer forum which had asked the developer to pay Rs 5 crore penalty to three buyers of its Burgundy project.

The court had said the penalty deposited with the court will be awarded to the buyers or returned to Unitech, depending on the outcome of the case.
Lucknow: With filing of nominations for the first phase of Assembly polls drawing closer, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today asked his ministers and legislators not to worry about tickets as he finetuned with his close aides Samajwadi Party's strategy.

As his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and warring uncle Shivpal camped in New Delhi, waiting for the Election Commission to take up tomorrow the dispute in the party over its 'cycle' symbol, Akhilesh remained closeted with his close confidants at his 5 Kalidas Marg official residence to discuss the poll scenario.

"Don't get trapped in the symbol dispute. It is before EC and will get resolved tomorrow," he told party workers who had assembled at this residence for 'Janata Darshan'.

"Go to the masses. I will draw up my tour programme and will join you," Akhilesh, who replaced Mulayam as the SP president recently, directed his supporters, who aired their strong desire that he should be the chief minister again.

Akhilesh told his ministers and legislators that they should not worry about tickets. "You will get tickets, do not worry. Work hard for SP's victory," he told them during the 90-minute animated interaction.

"All is well in the party," he told waiting mediapersons on coming out of the meeting.

Senior SP minister and Akhilesh loyalist Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that the chief minister was giving final touches to the SP manifesto which was likely to be released soon after the symbol dispute is resolved by the EC.

The manifesto will focus on agriculture sector and welfare of minorities, he said.

Party insiders said Akhilesh was working on a new list of candidates, keeping out those facing criminal charges and accommodating deserving aspirants.

The two SP factions led by Mulayam and Akhilesh have staked claim over the party and its election symbol 'cycle' ahead of Assembly elections and the EC has decided to hear the matter tomorrow.

Mulayam, in a surprise softening of stand towards his son, recently said Akhilesh will be the next Chief Minister, but his statement failed to iron out the differences between the father-son duo on contentious issues like party president's post which Akhilesh does not want to give up.

Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on January 1, Akhilesh has been going whole hog consolidating his grip over the organisation by making new appointments and releasing list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls.

The seven-phase Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on February 11 and filing of nominations will start on January 17 before which the symbol dispute has to be resolved.

Party insiders said former ministers Narad Rai, Om Prakash Singh, Shahdab Fatima and Ambika Chaudhary might find place in the new list along with Arvind Singh Gope and Ram Govind Chaudhary.

Likewise, some tainted nominees, including Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari's brother Sibghatullah, and Amanmani Tripathi, son of a murder convict, given ticket by Mulayam and Shivpal could be dropped.

While Atiq is a politician with criminal background, Ansari is gangster-turned-politician heading the Qaumi Ekta Dal, whose merger with SP was strongly opposed by Akhilesh, before he had to give in to pressure from Mulayam.

Mulayam had announced candidates for all but eight of the 403 Assembly seats on December 30. Later the Akhilesh camp had circulated through social media an unsigned list of 250 candidates.

Apparently to send the message that he was calling the shots as 'president' of SP, Akhilesh has cleared the names of three candidates for the biennial elections to UP upper House - for Kanpur-Unnao (Teachers constituency), Allahabad-Jhansi (Teachers constituency) and Bareilly-Moradabad (Graduates constituency).

Akhilesh has already appointed heads of 11 district party units in Mainpuri, Moradabad, Fatehpur, Etawah, Farukhabad, Hardoi, Firozabad, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur.

The existing presidents of these district units were sacked with immediate effect to pave the way for new faces to demonstrate the chief minister's strengthening grip over the party.

Presidents in all these districts were dumped by Shivpal, who is state president of another faction of SP backed by Mulayam, his elder brother.
Rohtak: Contending that black money had "destroyed" the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached out to the youth, asking them to fight against it along with social problems like caste discrimination, untouchability and harassment of women.

Hailing the youth for their contribution to various aspects of the society, he pitched for new thinking while underlining the need for channelising the tremendous energy of the young people and preventing them from getting misled.

The Prime Minister asked the youth to focus on six social challenges - ending of illiteracy, insensitivity, perverted thinking, failure to rise above caste considerations, ill-treatment of women and callous attitude towards the environment.

"Black money has destroyed the country... Recently we took a major decision to fight black money. The youth have put in their energy into this," he said while referring to demonetisation under which Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes were withdrawn.

Modi, while addressing the 21st National Youth Festival by video conferencing, underlined that over 80 crore people aged under 35 years can contribute immensely to the social changes.

He specifically asked them to fight against caste discrimination, black money and untouchability while focussing on 3Cs -- collectivity, connectivity and creativity.

Talking about 'collectivity', he emphasised the need for unity by ending discrimination, saying it is a big power.

About 'connectivity', he said technology has reduced distances and technology is the demand of time.

With regard to 'creativity', he underlined the need for new views, new thoughts and new approaches.

"If new thinking ends, the life comes to a standstill. Give priority to new thinking. Work on new thoughts...Don't pay attention to what others say," he told the youth.

Modi said the support the country has got from the youths in the fight against corruption has convinced him that it is possible to bring a positive change.

"The work that you are doing today will impact the future of the nation," he said.

Underling that the theme for this festival is "youth for digital India", he said the young people would be given digital training for its usage in day-to-day life and asked the youth to help others learn making digital transaction.

"Please guide those around you on increased cash-less transactions. Corruption and black money adversely affects the progress of our nation," he said.

Modi also chose the occasion to invoke the life of Swami Vivekananda, saying that his life shows what one can achieve at a young age and the work that the youths are doing today will impact the future of the nation.

The Prime Minister also expressed the need to create a movement to make India a 'vishwa guru' (world leader) through "walking on the path of Vivekananda".

He also thanked the people of Haryana for bringing in a positive change in sex ratio and said he was confident that Haryana would "show the way through development".

Under 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat', he said there would be partnership between two states, like Haryana and Telangana, wherein youths of one state will interact with those from other states, leading to increase in affinity.

Earlier, Modi also addressed the inaugural event of Ramayana Darshanam Exhibition at Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari, via video-conferencing.

Stating that January 12 is no ordinary day, he said his powerful thoughts continue to shape several minds.

India today is a young country and it should develop both spiritually and materially, he said, adding that some people link spirituality to religion whereas it is directly connected to humanity.

The Prime Minister also paid homage to Saint Thiruvalluvar and social activist and leader Eknath Ranade.
New Delhi: Like the last Winter Session, the upcoming Budget session of Parliament also looks set to be stormy as an agitated Trinamool Congress is bent upon strongly protesting against the arrest of its two MPs besides demonetisation.

Giving a clear hint in this direction, Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien today said his party will surely agitate in Parliament against the "political vendetta" by the central government and demonetisation.

"A final decision will be taken by the Parliamentary Party (of Trinamool). But we will rake it up," he said when asked whether Trinamool will protest in Parliament against the arrest of its MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Pal by CBI in connection with Rose Valley scam case.

O'Brien, a Rajya Sabha member, went on to add that Trinamool will "consult all the 16 opposition parties like we did in the last session from November 16 to December 16". The Budget session begins on January 31.

During the last Winter session, Trinamool coordinated with parties like Congress, JD(U), Left and BSP to disrupt the proceedings over demonetisation and the session resulted in a washout.

Attacking the Modi dispensation over the arrest of Bandyopadhyay and Pal, O'Brien said, "Misusing of the agencies by the government of India to target us will only increase our resolve to fight for the common people."

Meanwhile, sources in Trinamool said the allegations against Bandyopadhyay were without any credibility and there was "no wrong doing" by him.

With regard to allegation of payoff of Rs 71 lakh to a school, the sources close to Bandyopadhyay, said as an MP, he had made a recommendation for admission of a student, whose parents may have later paid the "developmental charges" to the school like others.
Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Wednesday said that controversies related to veteran leader V.S. Achuthanandan were a thing of the past and the party was moving forward unitedly.

Speaking to reporters at the end of two day CPM state committee meeting here, Mr Balakrishnan said the central committee decision to make Achuthanandan invitee to the state committee was binding on all members. All party members will accept the decision.

He said Achuthanandan is the most respectable leader of the party who has been active in political sphere since freedom movement. Considering his contribution, the veteran was inducted as a special invitee to the central committee. As CC invitee Achuthanandan was regularly taking part in state committee meetings. As invitee to central committee he was airing his views in that forum as well.

Mr Balakrishnan said during the recent CC meet Achuthanandan had asked about the appropriate forum to express his views. The central committee meeting made it clear that the veteran could speak on any issue related to Kerala in the state committee. Hence from now on his forum was the state committee.

When asked whether the veteran leader would not be able to air his views outside the forum ? Even I am not allowed to speak outside the forum. All comrades have to express views their views in committees, Mr Balakrishnan said.

The CPM state secretary said the people of the state would not allow Sangh parivar to create a Kalburghi in Kerala. Those who publicly humiliated jnaanpeeth award winner M.T. Vasudevan Nair were now branding noted director Kamal anti national. They are trying to silence people who are speaking against the Sangh Parivar's divisive agenda in many other states . They are trying to resort to similar gag in Kerala as well.

Meanwhile the state committee decided to hold a mock public trial of Prime Mniser Narendera Modi for heaping miseries on the people in the name of demonetization. The public trial protest action will be held in all district headquarters on January 25. The demonetization decision was to help corporate Kodiyeri said and added that the decision had adversely affected the economy.

The CPM state committee decided to have peoples collective in 2000 centers in February to protest against the Centre's anti people ration policy. He asked the Centre to not only restore the rice quota but also enhance it as per the demands of the state.
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has made a pitch for capital punishment to rapists in the backdrop of rise in heinous crimes against women.

"Deliberations should be made across the country for a stringent law that allows awarding death penalty to rapists. Political parties, saints and social activists should initiate action in this direction," Chouhan said addressing the ongoing 'Namami Devi Narmade - Seva Yatra' at Sandiya village of Hoshangabad district on Wednesday.

"A law (in this regard) should be enacted by bringing amendments in the Constitution," he said in Bhopal referring to women safety in general.

On the de-addiction campaign, Chouhan assured that liquor shops won't be opened on banks of Narmada.

"Along with towns situated on the banks of river Narmada, the campaign will be conducted across the state," he added.

Chouhan also administered a pledge to the people for conserving Narmada.

"Life is not possible without water and Narmada has made a remarkable contribution in the development of Madhya Pradesh. Damage has been caused by felling trees on both the banks of Narmada. If this situation continues, we will not be able to see water in the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh in the next 50 years," Chouhan said exhorting people to save the river.
Gandhinagar: Attacking Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against Narendra Modi, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said his comments show that he is "worried" about the Prime Minister's growing popularity and "desperately" looking to save his political legacy.

"Yesterday, Rahulji had said some words about our Prime Minister. Congress's repeated defeat in elections is an indication that people have shown faith in Modi's leadership and their support and blessings are with Narendrabhai Modi," she told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on textiles at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar.

"It is but natural that after returning from vacation and after introspection, Rahulji is worried about Modi's popularity growing both in the country and internationally. In such a situation, it is but natural for him to make such low-level remarks on Narendrabhai Modi in his desperate attempt to save his political legacy," Irani said.

"I would only like to say that people's support and trust for Modi is the biggest reply to Rahulji," she said.

Irani said Gandhi's work for development of his Lok Sabha seat of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Modi's work as Gujarat CM over the last decade are there for people to compare.

"The Vibrant Summit was started when Modi was Gujarat Chief minister. I have contested elections from Amethi. The man who has not developed Amethi in 10 years of his political career is commenting on the person who has elevated entire Gujarat as an economic power at the world level," she said.

The Union Textile Minister also thanked the investors in textiles sector for promising investments of over Rs 8,000 crore through MoUs signed at the event and said this will ensure jobs to state youths.

At a national convention of Congress in Delhi on Wednesday, Rahul had accused Modi of instilling fear among people and wrecking the economy through demonetisation, while asserting that the party will unseat BJP from power in 2019.

"You look at BJP's policies. Their entire aim is to scare people of the country. Fear terrorism, maoism, demonetisation, scare the media. In two-three months, in the entire country, they have spread this fear," Gandhi had said.
Vijayawada: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday indirectly hit out at Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi saying some people were speaking of "Achhe Din" only with an intention to "loot again".

"Some people have become like fish out of water as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not letting them eat (indulge in corruption). So they started crying that Achhe Din will happen only with them. They are talking of Achhe Din only to loot again," Venkaiah remarked, addressing the India Aviation Summit in Vijayawada on Thursday.

"Earlier, these people used to swim in water and eat everything. They grew large but now that they don't have the opportunity to eat, they are struggling like fish out of water," the Union Minister said, referring to corruption.

Taking a dig at Modi's 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign line that "Achhe Din" will come when BJP comes to power, Rahul on Wednesday said that only Congress' return to power in 2019 will ring in good days.

Naidu also took an indirect dig at liquor baron Vijay Mallya. "Only 300 companies got 45 per cent of bank loans in the country previously. Some 'Yellaiah, Pullaiah, Mallaiah pocketed the loans. Now that Mallaiah took the money and vanished," Venkaiah said, in an oblique reference to Mallya.

Later, in a brief chat with reporters, the Union Minister took strong exception to Congress and Trinamool Congress' outbursts against the Prime Minister.

"Earlier, Opposition parties used only to criticise but now the Congress is foul mouthing the Prime Minister and comparing him with Hitler and Mussolini.

The Trinamool has deteriorated further and calling even the Prime Minister's parents' names," he said.

All this has only exposed the frustration of the Opposition parties, he said.

He asked the Opposition to listen to the 'high praise' that CEOs of foreign companies have 'lavished' on Narendra Modi.
New Delhi: With the prospect of the Election Commission freezing the Samajwadi Partys bicycle symbol looming large, both father Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh Yadav, who are locked in a bitter fight over the control of the party, have a Plan B ready.

While the party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav intends to merge his faction with another party, Lok Dal, and use its symbol  two bullocks and a farmer tilling land, Akhilesh Yadav, on the other hand, is likely to float his own party, the Akhil Bharatiya Samajwadi Party, with motorcycle as its symbol.

On Thursday, Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting with party workers and assured them that he would soon start campaigning.

On Friday, the full Election Commission, headed by chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi, will hear both the sides and take a decision on the party symbol based on the deposition by lawyers of both the camps.

On Thursday morning, Lok Dal national president Sunil Singh had a meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh, apparently to look at the options of a merger.

The meeting, at Mulayam Singh Yadavs New Delhi residence on Ashoka Road, was also attended by a couple of lawyers, who will represent the Mulayam faction at the Election Commission.

Emerging from the meeting, Amar Singh told this newspaper that though efforts were on resolve differences, in the event of EC freezing the symbol, we are looking at the options of Mulayam faction contesting on the Lok Dal symbol.

Asked whether the Mulayam faction would be called Lok Dal, Sunil Singh said, We are looking at all options. The Lok Dal website claims that the outfit was founded by former PM Charan Singh in 1980 and had all the top regional satraps. The names of the regional leaders listed by the website include Devi Lal, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nitish Kumar, among others.
More than a year ago, labourers began digging the flanks of the widest, but pot-holed road in my colony. Inquiries on its purpose provided little help. Within days, mid-sized concrete blocks were piled up in heaps along the length of the road. These were affixed in two lines almost three feet apart creating lanes on both sides. Negotiating the road became more torturous and as it got constricted, choking traffic flow. Within weeks, the lanes became stretches of garbage dumps and we had no answer to why Rs 90 lakhs  as per the local mill  were spent on the exercise. Everyone presumed that officials colluded with contractors and dished out two-phased contracts  first to fix these concrete blocks and later take these out. Anyone familiar with how public works are executed in the PPP mode would be familiar with this.

A year later, people know why lanes were separated from the road. Roads are being dug up in several areas to demarcate lanes. These will be reserved for cyclists. In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, where I live, the project is being executed with gusto to demonstrate the governments success with development, the only problem being that they are woefully short of time now. If this was not enough, there are spectacles every other day when fleets of police patrol cars crawl past the thoroughfare with piercing sirens and blazing flashlights. These new black-coloured Innovas and other older-generation cars have Dial 100 emblazoned on them. The crawl through markets and beyond appears similar to Colonel Hathi and his broods march in Jungle Book. Clearly, something is being flaunted  in this case the police presence and its new look.

I live in one of the first UP colonies as one drives out of Delhi into Ghaziabad and people here have never seen so many police vehicles at one go. Urban alteration currently underway in UP mirrors the makeover of chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs public image. Over the past months just as the state government has gone on overdrive to publicise its accomplishments, a concerted bid has been in progress to revive the promise that Akhilesh had been when he stepped into the states electoral arena in 2011. He took charge of the Samajwadi Partys fledgling campaign and given it a badly-needed modernist impetus. It worked in harmony with Mulayam Singh Yadavs old-style politics and played a significant role in the SP winning the highest number of seats any party bagged on its own since the Congress sweep of 1984.

Though he was chief minister, for the first three years and more in power, Akhilesh played along with old-style Yadav politicos led by his father and uncles. The general perception was he was chief minister only in name and actual power was with his father and his proxies. Akhileshs objective, as it unfolded in the past year, was to separate himself from all negatives of the SP. On the face of it, he has succeeded in his objective regardless of the way the current conflict within the party is settled. Before Akhilesh embarked to reinvent and reposition himself, Mayawati was the undisputed front-runner, there was talk that the SP would be relegated to being an also-ran in the two-horsed race featuring the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. By putting the onus for misses of his regime on Messrs Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh, Akhilesh has emerged with a fresh face. The reinvention is aimed at attracting transient urban supporters of the BJP, looking for an alternative for reasons ranging from absence of local leadership to thumbs down to demonetisation. In the rural core constituency of the party, Akhilesh hopes to convince them that his is the real SP in the case of a split.

In the last year and half, speculation has mounted over potential rivals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. Prior to Akhileshs rebranding, various names were evaluated  Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, the deceased Jayalalithaa and even Mulayam Singh Yadav, considered then as undisputed chief of the SP. But over the past several weeks, Akhilesh has succeeded in being viewed as potential alternative to Mr Modi by a section of the intelligentsia, including the media. By taking his father almost head-on, Akhilesh has acquired an independent identity, distinct from the elders. Regardless of the way the dispute within the SP is settled, Mulayam Singh Yadav will be little but the proverbial marg darshak, with Akhilesh or without.

Akhileshs projected modernism, clean politics, glib talk and governance ideas which Mr Modi made his hallmark are primary reasons why he is seen as an alternative to Mr Modi. Samajwadi Pension Yojana, Mukhyamantri & Samajwadi Swastha Bima Yojana Health Card, Vivah Hetu Anudan Yojana, Samajwadi Namak Yojana, Samajwadi Smartphone Yojana, Samajwadi Kisan & Sarvhit Bima Yojana are among the schemes publicised by Akhileshs faction. These are similar sounding to Mr Modis programmes  just substitute Samajwadi with Rashtriya or Bharatiya and Mukhya Mantri with Pradhan Mantri. Why, just as the Modi regime made Vidya Balan brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat, Akhilesh made her the face of his pension scheme.

Akhilesh has secured the position where he stands a chance to be the first chief minister to secure a consecutive mandate in the state after decades by effective marketing and by not harshly criticising Mr Modi over surgical strikes and demonetisation. His development strategy is similar to Mr Modis. Barring the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and state highways, Lucknow Metro and elevated corridors, there is no major achievement that one can recall. Growth remains sluggish and law and order a matter of concern. Yet, the idea that he has done a lot has caught on. The verdict will determine if the era of Modi-Akhilesh variety of branded politics is here to stay and Mulayam-Mayawati style of politics is passe. Arun Shourie famously described the Modi government as Congress plus cow. If Akhilesh manages to pull it off, he could well acquire the moniker of a centrist Modi.
Karachi: Despite its high-market valuation, Twitter is reportedly losing money. Then, the bellicose ignoramus (in the words of Martin Wolf in the Financial Times) who has been elected as the 45th President of the US would not be able to express US policies in less than 140 characters. Donald Trump appears addicted to this medium to communicate his feelings, facts, and non-facts reducing the discussion of serious policy issues to the level of farce.

Even prior to assuming office, Trumps tweets have moved markets, cowed corporations into making wrong decisions, provoked official demarches from China, evoked praise from Vladimir Putin, and created disagreement between the incoming US President and the US Intel community.

If Trumps tweeted prescriptions are translated into policy, it could yield disasters for America. Here are some examples.

Build a wall on the US-Mexican border to halt illegal immigrants. It is now to be funded ($20 billion) from the US federal budget. The wall is likely to be beaten by tunnels and bribery.

Question the One China policy as a means of coercing trade concessions from China. This crude proposal would destroy the foundation of the Sino-US relationship. It could spark a crisis in the Taiwan straits and an unwanted war.

Impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. This would increase prices for American consumers and fail in reviving outdated US manufacturing jobs.

Coerce China to reverse North Koreas nuclear brinkmanship. This may end Chinese cooperation and embolden Pyongyang to accelerate its nuclear and missile programmes.

Take military action against Pyongyang. Another Korean war would devastate both North and South Korea. The possibility of North Koreas collapse will lead to Chinese intervention.

Align with Russia in Syria to fight the Islamic State (not Assad). Unless the US is prepared to induct ground troops, this alignment also implies acceptance of Irans influence in Syria and Iraq. This would contradict Trumps endeavour to limit Irans role and to strengthen the Iran nuclear deal. It will also alienate Saudi Arabia and Arab allies.

Lift US sanctions imposed on Russia (for its takeover of Crimea and role in eastern Ukraine). This will face strong opposition from both the Democrats and Republicans like Senators McCain.

Engage in a nuclear arms race (with Russia). This tweet appears to contradict the desire for normalisation with Moscow. In any case, both Russia and the US are already engaged in significant nuclear modernisation. The real bone of contention is the US plan to deploy a anti-missile system in E. Europe.

Reduce subsidies for Nato and Japan. This could reduce US influence in Europe; intensify the vulnerability of the Baltic states, and enhance Russias influence in Europe. Japan may turn to greater militarisation or seek accommodation with China.

Align with anti-EU parties in Europe, like Frances Front National. This may contribute to the swing under way in Europe towards the right-wing. It could erode the EU and divide Europe.

Support Israels settlements in the occupied West Bank, thus undermining the two-state solution, the only viable prospect for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The proposal to move the US embassy to Jerusalem would confirm US alignment with Israels occupation and confirm the narrative of terrorist groups, like IS and Al Qaeda, that Muslims can secure justice only through the force of arms.

Trumps approach to foreign policy is a reversion to the ruthless use of US military power and economic coercion in the 19th and 20th centuries to secure the strategic advantages that made America great. But the world is no longer one where the US can dictate its will. Military and economic power is more widely distributed today, between the US, China, Europe, Russia and several emerging nations.

Ignorant aggression has caused the downfall of many great nations and empires in the past. Does Donald Trump herald the decline and fall of the American empire?



By arrangement with Dawn.
Previous estimates at the time of the study were at least 100 times higher than the actual rate.

Pluto's moon Charon may be significantly reducing the loss of atmosphere of the icy dwarf planet by creating a shield and redirecting much of the solar wind around and away, according to a new study.

Pluto's relationship with its moon Charon is one of the more unusual interactions in the solar system due to Charon's size and proximity. It is more than half of Pluto's diameter and orbits only 19,312 kilometres away.

To put that into perspective, picture our moon three times closer to Earth, and as large as Mars, researchers said.

The study by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US provides additional insight into this relationship and how it affects the continuous stripping of Pluto's atmosphere by solar wind.

When Charon is positioned between the Sun and Pluto, the research indicates that the moon can significantly reduce atmospheric loss.

"Charon does not always have its own atmosphere. But when it does, it creates a shield for Pluto and redirects much of the solar wind around and away," said Carol Paty, a Georgia Tech associate professor.

This barrier creates a more acute angle of Pluto's bow shock, slowing down the deterioration of the atmosphere.

When Charon does not have an atmosphere, or when it is behind or next to Pluto, then Charon has only a minor effect on the interaction of the solar wind with Pluto.

The study's predictions, performed before the New Horizons probe collected and returned data to Earth, is consistent with the measurements made by the spacecraft about Pluto's atmospheric loss rate.

Previous estimates at the time of the study were at least 100 times higher than the actual rate.

According to John Hale, the Georgia Tech student who co-led the study with Paty, the Pluto system is a window into our origins because Pluto has not been subjected to the same extreme temperatures as objects in closer orbits to the Sun.

"As a result, Pluto still has more of its volatile elements, which have long since been blown off the inner planets by solar wind," Hale said.

"Even at its great distance from the Sun, Pluto is slowly losing its atmosphere. Knowing the rate at which Pluto's atmosphere is being lost can tell us how much atmosphere it had to begin with, and therefore what it looked like originally. From there, we can get an idea of what the solar system was made of during its formation," he said.

The study affirms a popular hypothesis of Charon. The areas of discolouration near its lunar poles are likely caused by magnetised particles that have been shorn from Pluto's atmosphere, researchers said.

These particles have accumulated and settled on Charon over billions of years, particularly when it is downstream of Pluto.

The research was published in the journal Icarus.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Its hard to predict what the future holds as far as these two platforms are concerned as they continue to prevail in what appears to be a neck-to-neck competition. (Representational image)

The mobile market is primarily dominated by Apple and Google wherein iOS and Android operating systems manage to dwarf all others in the market. Both the platforms have their own share of profits over time. Apple experienced a surge in its market share over the past couple of months, thanks to its iPhone 7 launch. However, Android devices have not been left behind either especially given Googles Pixel launch among many others.

A new study by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech suggests that while Apples iPhone has had a strong holiday season, Googles Android continues to dominate overall. The latest smartphone OS sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows Android sales declined in the US , GB, and France , as iOS continued to make gains across most regions in the three months ending November 2016, the report started off. For Android, this marks the sixth consecutive period of decline in the US , at 55.3 per cent of all smartphone sales, down from 60.4 per cent in the same period a year earlier, the report added.

The report goes on to point out that iPhone sales in late 2016, following the release of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus accounted for 43 per cent in the US market which much higher when compared with 37 per cent during the same period in 2015. In UK , iPhone market share rose from 39 per cent in 2015 to 48 per cent in 2016. At the same time, Androids dominance in US appears to be slipping.

According to the same report, Android accounted for 55 per cent of smartphone sales in US, down from 60 per cent during the same period in 2015. However, even though Android decreased in the US over the past year, the brand new Pixel phone by Google made strong gains, rising to 1.3 per cent of sales in the three months ending November 2016, with more than half of that business done through Verizon.

Its hard to predict what the future holds as far as these two platforms are concerned as they continue to prevail in what appears to be a neck-to-neck competition.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Team leader Chen Xiaoping sounded like a proud father as he and his prototype appeared Monday at an economic conference organised by banking giant UBS in Shanghai's futuristic financial centre.

Jia Jia can hold a simple conversation and make specific facial expressions when asked, and her creator believes the eerily life-like robot heralds a future of cyborg labour in China.

Billed as China's first human-like robot, Jia Jia was first trotted out last year by a team of engineers at the University of Science and Technology of China. Team leader Chen Xiaoping sounded like a proud father as he and his prototype appeared Monday at an economic conference organised by banking giant UBS in Shanghai's futuristic financial centre.

Chen predicted that perhaps within a decade artificially intelligent (AI) robots like Jia Jia will begin performing a range of menial tasks in Chinese restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals and households.

In 5-10 years there will be a lot of applications for robots in China, Chen said. With flowing black hair and dressed in a traditional Chinese dress, Jia Jia looks strikingly real. Yet her charm has its limits and simple questions frequently stump her. Still, Chen said his team has made great progress over the past two years in developing her AI.

She was able accurately to answer a query about the day's weather, hold basic conversations and recognise the gender of her questioners. You are a handsome man," she complimented one, but when asked later if she has a boyfriend, replied, "I prefer to stay single.

Rapid advancements are being made in artificial intelligence and such products stole the limelight at last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A range of products were unveiled that can respond to voice commands to play music at home and follow other remote-control orders -- or even think on their feet by accessing and "learning" from the Internet cloud.

One company, Hanson Robotics, unveiled its life-like "Professor Einstein," which has realistic facial expressions and can engage in informative conversations such as lessons in math and science.

Jia Jia is not quite there yet, but Chen sees a bright future for her kind in China.

He said growing prosperity was causing many young Chinese to eschew jobs like waitressing, while an ageing population would require more hands on deck in hospitals and nursing homes -- even if they aren't human hands.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Logitech SmartDock offers HDMI input and output, three USB 3.1 ports and gigabit Ethernet, allowing a variety of Skype Room Systems-certified devices to be connected, including Logitech ConferenceCams.

Logitech has announced Logitech SmartDock, an AV meeting room solution designed in collaboration with Microsoft. Logitech SmartDock works with Skype for Business and qualified devices, including Logitech ConferenceCams, to provide a seamless, user-friendly touch-screen console to launch and manage video calls in any meeting space - from the huddle room to the large conference room.

With Logitech SmartDock, people can start meetings with one-touch join, then instantly project to the display in the room and share to remote participants via their Skype for Business clients on a smartphone or laptop. The Skype Room System also includes the ability to place or join an audio-only call.

Logitech SmartDock offers HDMI input and output, three USB 3.1 ports and gigabit Ethernet, allowing a variety of Skype Room Systems-certified devices to be connected, including Logitech ConferenceCams. In addition, a power-saving sensor conveniently activates the Logitech SmartDock when motion is detected in the meeting space, and automatically turns the display off when the room is empty.

Sharing content via HDMI is also a breeze with 1080p 60fps input and capture, bringing any collaboration experience to life. The optional Logitech SmartDock Extender Box with a single five-meter cable integrating HDMI, USB, LAN and power creates a clutter-free environment, clears extraneous cables from the conference table, and eliminates the need for a separate hub or power brick. With a pivoting, cast-metal base, the dock secures the tablet into place and a combination of tamper-resistant screws and a Kensington lock help ensure that the tablet is always ready for any meeting.

Logitech SmartDock will be available through authorized distributors in India from February, 2017. SmartDock has a price of Rs 69,995 and will be sold as part of a Skype Room System package. The SmartDock Extender Box has a price of Rs 29,995.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
With the introduction of the Pro center, Panasonic aims to promote 4K and 6K photo technology to its current and prospective customers.

Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd, a leader in innovation and technology, today inaugurated first of its kind Video and Still Photography School in India, offering an enhanced experience of the Panasonic 4K Technology available in cameras and camcorders. The store is located in Connaught Place, the heart of the National Capital, and is spread across 850 Sq. ft. With the introduction of the Pro center, Panasonic aims to promote 4K and 6K photo technology to its current and prospective customers. It is also a platform for the customers to reach out to specialized technical staff from Panasonic for the queries on camera operations and any other operational issues of the products.

Panasonic Pro Center for Video and Still Photography is a one-stop solution for Wedding, Documentary, Fashion, Candid, Advertising photographers, Broadcast videographers and amateurs in video and photography. For in-depth understanding in this field, hands-on training workshops will be conducted at the store for camera professionals and amateurs on fortnightly basis. The primary mission of Panasonic by conducting the workPro center is to impart knowledge to all video and still photographers.

The workshops for professionals will cover in depth knowledge of 4K technology, post production and new models. Moreover, it will provide understanding on finer points of Panasonic Micro four thirds, Wedding camcorders, 4K camcorders and AVCCAM range.

Customers will be able to experience an entire range of innovative products and services that the company has recently launched and will be offering at the store in 2017. The store allows Panasonic to form a healthy relationship with its customers directly on a one to one basis.

On the occasion, Mr. Gaurav Ghavri, Product Head  Digital Imaging, Panasonic India, said, This pro center lets our customers get a hands-on experience on the product features and operations. We will also be utilizing this opportunity to understand our customer queries related to the camera operations and product operational issues.

The school will have space for shooting and displaying videos. It will offer three side display for products dedicated to each category. The entire 4K camera and camcorder range will be made available at the all-new store. Panasonic Wedding Camera line-up will also be displayed at the store targeting towards the Wedding market.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump is under fire from Jewish groups who sought an apology from him for his remark comparing reports about him to Nazi-era propaganda, saying his statement was erroneous, offensive and denigrating to Holocaust survivors.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect condemned Trump for what they characterised as trivialising one of the singular horrors of the 20th century to score a political point, The New York Times reported.

"Has he no sense of shame?" Steven Goldstein, executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, said.

The Center is the American chapter of an international group that fights prejudice to honor the legacy of Anne Frank, the teenage diarist who perished in the Holocaust in 1945.

"The president-elect has shown the grossest possible insensitivity to survivors of the Holocaust before he even takes office," Goldstein was quoted as saying by the paper.

"Either he is completely callous in attacking US intelligence, or he is so ignorant of history that you would never want this man to be president."

Jonathan A Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti- Defamation League, said that Trump's analogy was "not only an inappropriate comparison on the merits, but it also coarsens our discourse."

Asserting that no one should cavalierly draw analogies to Nazi Germany, Greenblatt said it would be helpful for Trump to explain his intentions or apologise for the remark.

Trump made the offending remark on his Twitter account in response to media reports that Russia has a dossier with compromising personal and financial information about him.

"Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?" he tweeted on Wednesday.

The American Jewish Committee tweeted back: "We regret @realDonaldTrump's use of Nazi Germany regarding the media an inappropriate comparison that diminishes the horrors of that time."

This is not the first time Trump has gotten into trouble with Jewish groups while making a political point.

Last July, during the presidential campaign, he was criticised for posting a tweet with a photo of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton next to an image of the Star of David and a background of USD 100 bills. The text read, 'Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!'
Washington: The US has no plans to alter its One-China policy, but has made important commitments to Taiwan and needs to reaffirm them, Secretary of State nominee for the incoming Trump Administration has said.

"I don't know of any plans to alter the one-China position," Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson told members of Senate Foreign Relations during his confirmation hearing for the position of Secretary of State on Wednesday.

If confirmed, he would replace John Kerry as the Secretary of State.

However, Tillerson said the US had made important commitments to Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act, through the Six Issues Accord, and the country should express a reaffirmation of those.

"Again, this is part of this approach that I'm trying to lay out over and over, that we've made commitments to people. We need to reaffirm those commitments and live up to those commitments, and I think it's important that Taiwan knows that we are going to live up to the commitments under the Relations Act and the Six Issues Accord," he said.

"That in and of itself is a message, so I think the importance of that action to, again, this whole of China approach that I'm speaking about, is we've got to deal with the whole of China's actions and recognise that we have these balancing forces in our relationship that need to be dealt with," Tillerson said in response to a question.
Tillerson said he would require more information on how the government would approach constructing a registry of Muslims before he would consider lending his support to creating one. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Donald Trump's secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson has said he does not support blanket travel ban against Muslims even as he asserted that the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but in the war of ideas.

"I think what's important is that we are able to make a judgement about the people that are coming into the country.

And so no, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people," the 64-year-old former ExxonMobil CEO told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

"But clearly, we have serious challenges to be able to vet people coming into the country particularly, under the current circumstances because of the instability in the parts of the world that it's occurring," he said.

"It's a huge challenge and I don't think we can just close our eyes and ignore that. We have to be very clear-eyed about recognising that threat and developing a means to deal with it," Tillerson said.

President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to temporarily ban Muslim travel and immigration to the country after a wave of terrorist attacks carried out or inspired by the Islamic State in Europe and the US.

He has since walked back that promise, instead saying he would ban immigration from countries where terrorism is prevalent.

Tillerson, however, said he would require more information on how the government would approach constructing a registry of Muslims before he would consider lending his support to creating one.

"I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well other groups that are threats to the US," he said.

Tillerson said the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but must triumph in the war of ideas.

Tillerson said that because of his past work, he has travelled extensively to Muslim countries.

"I've gained an appreciation and recognition of this great faith. That's why I made a distinction that we should support those Muslim voices that reject this same radical Islam that we reject," he noted.

"Now, this is part of winning the war other than on the battlefield. I mentioned we have to win it, not just on the battlefield. We've gotta to win the war of ideas and our of our greatest allies in this war is going to be the moderate voices of Muslim, of people in the Muslim faith, who speak from their perspective and their rejection of that representation of what is otherwise a great faith," he said.

"My expectation is that we're going to be able to reengage with our traditional friends and allies in the region. Not just in the Middle East but I think as you pointed out there are large Muslim populations in South East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, other important countries in that part of the world where we have serious issues of common issues as well," he said.

Radical Islam, he said, poses a grave risk to the stability of nations and the well-being of their citizens.

Tillerson said eliminating ISIS would be the first step in disrupting the capabilities of other groups and individuals committed to striking America's homeland and allies.
US President-elect Donald Trump while speaking at the press conference on Wednesday(Photo: AP)

New York: Donald Trump on Wednesday got into a shouting match with a CNN reporter during his press conference, as the President-elect refused to allow him a question and slammed the news network as "fake news".

Trump engaged in a war of words with the CNN reporter over the release of an unverified dossier by BuzzFeed, which he termed as "failing piece of garbage."

With Trump looking to call on other reporters, CNN journalist Jim Acosta yelled out, "Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?"

"Not you," Trump said, adding that, "Your organisation is terrible!"

The reporter pressed on saying, "You are attacking our news organisation, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?"

Trump countered by telling him "don't be rude".

"I'm not going to give you a question," Trump responded.

"I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news!" the President-elect asserted.

Trump dismissed as "nonsense" the media claims that Russia has compromising information on him, saying the allegations may have been leaked by US intelligence agencies and it would be a "tremendous blot" on their record if they did that."

"It's frankly outrageous and highly irresponsible for a left-wing blog...to drop highly salacious and flat-out false information on the Internet just days before he takes the oath of office," he said, referring to BuzzFeed.

"The fact that BuzzFeed and CNN made the decision to run with this unsubstantiated claim is a sad and pathetic attempt to get clicks," he said during the press conference.
Researchers say fingerprint data can be recreated if fingerprints are in focus with strong lighting in a picture.

Tokyo: Could flashing the peace sign in photos lead to fingerprint data being stolen?

Research by a team at Japans National Institute of Informatics (NII) says so, raising alarm bells over the popular two-fingered pose.

Fingerprint recognition technology is becoming widely available to verify identities, such as when logging on to smartphones, tablets and laptop computers.

But the proliferation of mobile devices with high-quality cameras and social media sites where photographs can be easily posted is raising the risk of personal information being leaked, according to reports.

The Japanese researchers were able to copy fingerprints based on photos taken by a digital camera three metres (nine feet) away from the subject.

Just by casually making a peace sign in front of a camera, fingerprints can become widely available, NII researcher Isao Echizen told the Sankei Shimbun newspaper for an article published Monday.

Fingerprint data can be recreated if fingerprints are in focus with strong lighting in a picture, Echizen also told Yomiuri TV.

He added that advanced technology was not necessary and anyone could easily copy fingerprints.

But NII says it has developed a transparent film containing titanium oxide that can be attached to fingers to hide their prints, the reports said.

The film prevents identity theft but does not interfere with fingerprints being effective in identity verification, the Sankei Shimbun reported.

But the technology would not be ready for another two years, the paper said.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, followed by his wife Akie, walks during arrival honors at Manila's airport, Philippines. (Photo: AP)

Manila: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived Thursday for a two-day visit to Manila as the Philippines has boosted ties with China while taking a hostile stance toward Tokyo's main ally the United States.

The Philippines is Abe's first stop in a four-nation swing as the Japanese leader presses efforts to boost his country's trade and security engagements amid China's rise to Asian dominance. He will later travel to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Accompanied by his wife and a business delegation, Abe is the first head of state to visit since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June. It's an important affirmation of Duterte's leadership at a time he faces domestic and international criticism for a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed more than 6,000 lives.

"Japan is one of our strongest friends and ally and partner in this part of the world and we value this friendship," Duterte's foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr. said ahead of Abe's visit.

The two sides plan to sign agreements to bolster cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure and security. After Manila, Abe will travel to southern Davao city, Duterte's hometown where Yasay said the president may host breakfast for the Japanese premier at his home.

Japan may also provide help in the construction of rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, Yasay said.

China has backed Duterte's bloody crackdown on drug users and pushers, and a Chinese real estate magnate financed the construction of the biggest drug rehab center in the country, drawing praises from the president.

While Duterte has cozied up to China and Russia, he has railed at President Barack Obama's outgoing administration for raising alarm over human rights concerns. The brash-talking Duterte has repeatedly vowed to scale back joint military exercises and other defense engagements with the U.S., his country's treaty ally, but has walked back on many of his threats.

Duterte visited Japan in October when he and Abe agreed to cooperate in promoting regional peace and stability and acknowledged the importance of their alliances with Washington.

About two dozen activists led by four women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops in World War II protested outside the Japanese Embassy, calling for justice for their sufferings in a call that has largely been muted by the blossoming relations of the Asian neighbors.

Narcisa Claveria, 87, said she and other former sex slaves were treated "like pigs" by Japanese troops during the war, lamenting that many of her fellow victims had died without getting justice.

"Shinzo Abe, end the issue of women now," Claveria said at the protest. "You are meeting again with the president, will you bring forces of aggression here again? Are you going to make women here like pigs again?"

It's not clear if the demand by the former sex slaves would be raised by Duterte in his talk with Abe.

Japan is now among the top trading partners of the Philippines and one of its largest aid providers. It has also provided patrol ships to help the Philippines protect its territory amid longstanding territorial rifts with China.

Japan has expressed readiness to finance a major railway project in the south, where Duterte hails from, something that China also pledged.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, shakes hands with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, following their joint statement at the Malacanang Palace in Manila. (Photo: AP)

Manila: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday pledged $8.7 billion worth of business opportunities and private investments along with speedboats and other counterterrorism equipment to the Philippines, whose president has boosted ties with China.

Following talks with President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, Abe welcomed the Philippine leader's efforts to improve Manila's ties with Beijing "in light of the arbitral award," referring to the Philippines' victory in an arbitration ruling declaring China's claims to the South China Sea invalid.

China has refused to recognize the July 12 arbitration decision and has warned the United States and other countries not involved in the territorial row not to meddle in the disputes, which Beijing wants to be settled through one-on-one negotiations with other rival claimant countries like the Philippines.

Abe, however, said "the issue of the South China Sea is linked directly to regional peace and stability and is a concern to the entire international community."

His two-day visit to Manila aims to further solidify relations with the Philippines at a time when Duterte is cozying up to China and Russia while taking a hostile stance toward Tokyo's main ally, the United States. Japan is among the top trading partners of the Philippines and one of its largest aid providers.

The Philippines is Abe's first stop in a four-nation swing as he presses efforts to boost Japan's trade and security engagements amid China's rise to Asian dominance. He will later travel to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Accompanied by his wife and a business delegation, Abe is the first head of state to visit since Duterte took office in June. It's an important affirmation of Duterte's leadership at a time when he faces domestic and international criticism for a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has claimed more than 6,000 lives.

Japan will help the Philippines fight illegal drugs by helping formulate treatment programs and improve facilities, Abe said.

In a bid to foster Philippine development, he said Japan "will create business opportunities through Official Development Assistance and private sector investments which, together, will be in the order of one trillion yen ($8.7 billion) over the next five years."

Abe and Duterte witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and the exchange of documents, including a Japanese grant of 600 million yen ($5 million) for boats and other counterterrorism equipment for the Philippine coast guard.

At the start of their talks, Duterte thanked Abe for Japan's help to strengthen the Philippine coast guard and said he was looking forward for the delivery of additional Japanese assistance.

After Manila, Abe will travel to southern Davao city, Duterte's hometown, where Philippine officials said the president may host breakfast for the Japanese premier at his home.

China has backed Duterte's bloody crackdown on drug users and pushers, and a Chinese real estate magnate financed the construction of the biggest drug rehab center in the country, drawing praises from the president.

While Duterte has cozied up to China and Russia, he has railed at President Barack Obama's outgoing administration for raising alarm over human rights concerns. The brash-talking Duterte has repeatedly vowed to scale back joint military exercises and other defense engagements with the U.S., his country's treaty ally, but has walked back on many of his threats.

Duterte visited Japan in October when he and Abe agreed to cooperate in promoting regional peace and stability and acknowledged the importance of their alliances with Washington.

About two dozen activists led by four Filipina women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops in World War II protested outside the Japanese Embassy, demanding justice for their sufferings in a call that has largely been muted by the blossoming relations of the Asian neighbors.

Narcisa Claveria, 87, said she and other former sex slaves were treated "like pigs" by Japanese troops during the war, lamenting that many of her fellow victims had died without getting justice.

"Shinzo Abe, end the issue of women now," Claveria said at the protest. "You are meeting again with the president, will you bring forces of aggression here again? Are you going to make women here like pigs again?"

It's not clear if the demand by the former sex slaves were raised by Duterte in his talk with Abe.
Brussels: Belgium has charged two suspects with providing false documents to a man linked to the November 2015 Paris attacks, who later blew himself up on a crowded Brussels metro, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The pair, a man and a woman, were "suspected to have provided Khalid Bakraoui with the false documents afterwards used in preparation of the Paris attacks," which were claimed by the Islamic State group and killed 130 people, prosecutors said.

Bakraoui was the suicide bomber at a Brussels metro station while his brother Ibrahim and another man attacked Brussels airport in coordinated suicide attacks that killed 32 people on March 22 last year.

Belgian press reports said the suspects identified Thursday as Farid K. and Meryem E.B. were the same people who were arrested during an anti-terror raid on a home in the Brussels district of Laeken on Tuesday.

Farid K. has "been charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist group, falsification of documents and use of false documents," the prosecutor's office said.

Meryem E.B. "has been charged with falsification of documents and use of false documents," it said.

Farid K. has been placed in police custody while Meryem E.B was released under "strict" conditions, it added.

Some 20 people have been charged in Belgium in connection with the Paris attacks. Investigators say the Paris and Brussels attacks were carried out by the same cell.

Investigators said Bakraoui used a false name to rent an apartment in the southern Brussels district of Forest that was raided one week before the metro and airport bombings.

A French woman police officer and three Belgian colleagues were wounded in the March 15 shootout at the apartment in which an Algerian Islamist suspect was killed.

Police found in the apartment the fingerprints of Paris attacks fugitive Salah Abdeslam, the only known jihadist to have survived the massacres there, and arrested him three days later in central Brussels.

Prosecutors also believe Bakraoui used a false name and Belgian identity card to rent a flat in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi which served as a base for the Paris attackers.
Berlin: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday he was "perplexed" by Donald Trump comparing the leak of a dossier of unsubstantiated allegations against him to something that could have happened in Nazi Germany.

Furiously denying the explosive claims in the file as "phony stuff", America's incoming 45th president on Wednesday said the leak was "something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do".

"To be honest, about your question about the comparison with Nazi Germany, I am as perplexed as you are, I can't interpret that," Steinmeier responded in a press conference to a question on Trump's comment.

The focus of the president elect's hour-long press conference on Wednesday was the unsubstantiated claims that his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the US election, and that Russia has compromising information on Trump.

Steinmeier, 60, has emerged in recent months as the German government's most strident detractor of Trump.

He warned a day after Trump's shock election that relations would become "more difficult" with the United States making more decisions "on its own".

During the US campaign, Steinmeier was even more damning, saying the prospect of a Trump presidency was a "frightening" for the world.

He compared Trump to a "hate preacher", saying he had much in common with "fearmongers" in Germany's right-wing populist AfD party and advocates of Britain's exit from the EU.

Steinmeier said that based on Trump's first press conference since his election, it was not possible to draw conclusions on the foreign policy directions that his administration would take.

But he predicted that at some point, Trump would ease off on his penchant for communicating through Twitter.

"Each president must find his own style and President Trump will do that too. I can't imagine that these Twitter messages will go on for long, in any case I'm not in a position to formulate a foreign policy concept in 140 characters," said Steinmeier.

Trump has turned to Twitter to express views as widely ranging as accusing China of military expansionism to hitting out at veteran actress Meryl Streep over her criticisms to demanding that Mexico pay for a border wall.
Greece, together with Italy has been the main point of entry for the more than one million migrants who have entered the bloc since 2015 fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Berlin: Germany will begin returning asylum seekers to Greece from mid-March, an interior ministry spokesman said on Thursday, essentially lifting a five-year suspension on such transfers because of poor conditions there.

Under the EU's so-called Dublin rules, would-be refugees must file for asylum in the first member-state of the bloc they enter, often the Mediterranean nations of Greece and Italy.

If asylum seekers have travelled on to other EU nations, they are to be returned to their first port of call. But that requirement had been halted for Greece, which together with Italy has been the main point of entry for the more than one million migrants who have entered the bloc since 2015 fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

A German interior ministry spokesman told AFP that Germany would reinstate the Dublin rule in two months' time and return newly arrived asylum seekers to their first EU port of call.

"In line with the recommendation from the European Commission, Germany believes that such transfers will be possible from March 15," said the spokesman, Tobias Plate.

The EU recommended on December 8 that member states resume sending asylum seekers back to Greece from March next year, after such transfers were halted since 2011.

Athens has criticised the EU's assessment, with Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas saying the current legal framework was "unable to respond to the historic migration flows and leaves the burden to the member states that migrants first arrive in".

German refugee relief group Pro Asyl has also raised concerns, warning that the measure would put the asylum system in Greece, a country still recovering from a deep debt and economic crisis, under further pressure.

Germany's 2015 decision to open its doors to Syrian refugees, and to effectively suspend Dublin rules for them, brought 890,000 asylum seekers in that year alone.

But the move by Chancellor Angela Merkel has proved controversial, and the government has since sought to bring numbers down.

Last year, the figure dropped sharply to 280,000 arrivals, largely due to the closure of the Balkan overland route and a fragile EU-Turkey deal to limit the mass influx.

The plan to return asylum seekers to Greece could further slash new arrival figures, ahead of general elections expected in September, when immigration is set to figure as a key issue.
It is believed the weapon will be imported to European criminals within days, as officials struggle to control the borders amid terror fears. (Photo: Facebook/Con ceal)

London: A 9mm double-barrel gun designed like an iPhone has placed police in Europe on high alert after authorities received a warning that it could be flooded illegaly into the continent when it goes on sale in the US.

The "iPhone Gun" which has been pre-ordered 12,000 times, is disguised as an iPhone but can transform into a lethal weapon at the touch of a button.

It is believed the weapon will be imported to European criminals within days, as officials struggle to control the borders amid terror fears, The Evening Standard reported.

The device will go on sale for around 330 pounds half the price of an actual iPhone 7. Belgian police, who are already on high alert following a spate of terrorist attacks in Europe in recent months, were issued a warning about the gun, the report said.

An alert sent to Belgian police at the weekend said that although no copies had yet been found, the weapons were expected to turn up on European streets soon.

"To the eye, nothing can distinguish it from a mobile telephone," said the Belgian police alert, reported by Dernire Heure newspaper.

"Most people possess a smartphone, meaning that it can pass completely overlooked."

Created by Minnesota-based manufacturer Ideal Conceal, the gun goes on sale in the US next week. The company said on its Facebook page: "Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment. In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight."

In July last year, a passenger travelling through Stansted Airport in Essex was stopped by police for carrying an iPhone case designed to look like a gun.
It's a vision that holds increasing appeal for voters once put off by the image of Le Pen's anti-immigration party as a sanctuary for racists and anti-Semites. (Photo: AP)

Paris: France is partnered with the United States and Russia in a global battle against Islamic militants. Francs, not euros, fill the pockets of French citizens. Borders are so secure that illegal immigration no longer fuels fears of terror attacks or drains public coffers.

That is France as envisioned by far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a leading candidate for president in the spring election: no globalization, no European Union, no open borders. The nation is its own master.

It's a vision that holds increasing appeal for voters once put off by the image of Le Pen's anti-immigration party as a sanctuary for racists and anti-Semites. A series of deadly extremist attacks, 10 percent unemployment and frustration with mainstream politics have helped make the party she has worked to detoxify a potentially viable alternative.

Early polls place her as one of the top two contenders. The other is former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, a conservative who would slash the ranks of civil servants and trim state-funded health care - an untouchable area for Le Pen whose campaign slogan is "In the Name of the People."

Le Pen believes her chance of victory has been bolstered by Britain's decision to leave the European Union and Donald Trump's election to the U.S. presidency, for her revelatory signs of a world in transition with nationalism and protectionism the new watchwords. She speaks with confidence of winning, saying "I will" change France.

"This page in the history of the world is turning. We will give back to the nations reasoned protectionism, economic and cultural patriotism," she said last Friday at a meeting with the Anglo-American Press Association. She assured such an approach won't stop a deepening of international ties.

Like Trump, Le Pen, 48, a mother of three and lawyer by training, envisions improved relations with Russia, which she and other National Front officials have visited. But she takes it further.

"I want an alliance to emerge between France, the United States and Russia to fight Islamic fundamentalism because it's a gigantic danger weighing on our democracies," she said at a meeting last week with the Anglo-American Press Association.

"Terrorism is a pistol in the hand of the guilty" and only an alliance can defeat it. "I don't only fight the pistol. I fight the ones who hold it," she said.

For Le Pen and her supporters, "massive migration," notably from Muslim North Africa, is supplanting French civilization and at the root of many France's modern woes. "On est chez nous" ("We're in our land") is a mantra at National Front rallies.

Le Pen insists she has no problem with followers of the Islamic faith, but wants people who espouse radical political ideas in the guise of religion to be put on trial and expelled before they install Sharia, or Islamic law, in France.

Traditional Muslim dress, which many in France consider a gateway to radicalization, could disappear from public view should Le Pen win the presidency. The National Front's No. 2, Florian Philippot, said last weekend that Le Pen's platform calls for extending a 2004 law banning "ostensible" religious symbols like Muslim headscarves from French classrooms to include the streets. Philippot assured on the France 5 TV channel that "yes, it is part of her project."

Le Pen took over leadership of the National Front in 2011 from her father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. Her make-over included sidelining him. The elder Le Pen's party membership was revoked last year after he repeated an anti-Semitic reference that had drawn a court conviction.

But the slogan "French First" - coined by the elder Le Pen in 1985 - remains alive under Marine Le Pen.

Newcomers of all stripes would have to spend several years paying a stipend before being able to avail themselves of free school and health care, Le Pen has said, benefits she considers a draw for immigrants. A National Front statement this month linked lack of shelter for French homeless with the "massive migrant flux."

Nonna Mayer, a leading expert on the party and its electorate, said Le Pen has "gone half-way in changing the party," ridding it of its long-time anti-Semitic image, but making Islam the enemy.

"At the heart of the party of Marine Le Pen ... there is something which is not really compatible with the values of democracy. That's national preference," she said. "It's the idea that one must keep housing, social benefits, family stipends, employment to the French."

For Le Pen, "The enemy is the other. The other is the immigrant and the immigrant is Islam," Mayer said.

Le Pen emphatically rejects the label of extremist, proudly calling herself "a patriot." The words "democracy" and "democratic" roll often off her tongue.

Yet her entourage includes one-time members of an extreme-right movement once noted for its violence. A former leader of the hard-core Identity Bloc in Nice, Philippe Vardon, joined National Front ranks and quickly won a councilor spot in regional elections.

Under Le Pen, the National Front was France's big winner in 2014 European Parliament elections, taking more seats than any other French party. But she wants to do away with the EU, which she claims has stolen national sovereignty, and the euro currency, which she describes as a "knife in the ribs" of nations, ruining economies.

Her EU exit formula is "very simple:" try immediately to negotiate a return of borders, currency, "economic patriotism" to protect French jobs and industry and freedom to pass laws unadulterated by directives from Brussels. Six months later, she would call a referendum and counsel remaining in a "new Europe," if her negotiations are fruitful, or advise bailing out as Britain has done.

"My program cannot be put into place if we remain subjugated by European diktats," she said. "I see the grand return of nationalism."

Le Pen is expected to present her full presidential agenda during a Feb. 4-5 convention. But she set the tone with her New Year's greeting to the French, a "wish of combat" to defeat political adversaries she contends represent the interests of banks, finance, the media - the "system" she decries.
Italy: The $44 billion palm oil industry, under pressure in Europe after authorities listed the edible oil as a cancer risk, has found a vocal ally in the food sector: the maker of Nutella.

Italian confectionery firm Ferrero has taken a public stand in defence of an ingredient that some other food companies in the country are boycotting. It has launched an advertising campaign to assure the public about the safety of Nutella, its flagship product which makes up about a fifth of its sales.

The hazelnut and chocolate spread, one of Italy's best-known food brands and a popular breakfast treat for children, relies on palm oil for its smooth texture and shelf life. Other substitutes, such as sunflower oil, would change its character, according to Ferrero.

"Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward," Ferrero's purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters. He features in a TV commercial aired in Italy over the past three months that has drawn criticism from some politicians.

Any move away from palm oil would also have economic implications as it is the cheapest vegetable oil, costing around $800 a tonne, compared with $845 for sunflower oil and $920 for rapeseed oil, another possible substitute.

Ferrero uses about 185,000 tonnes of palm oil a year, so replacing it with those substitutes could cost the firm an extra $8-22 million annually, at those prices. The company declined to comment on these calculations.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said in May that palm oil generated more of a potentially carcinogenic contaminant than other vegetable oils when refined at temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius. It did not, however, recommend consumers stop eating it and said further study was needed to assess the level of risk.

The detailed research into the contaminant - known as GE - was commissioned by the European Commission in 2014 after an EFSA study the year before, into substances generated during industrial refining, identified it as being potentially harmful.

EFSA does not have the power to make regulations, though the issue is under review by the European Commission. The spokesman for Health and Food Safety, Enrico Brivio, said guidance would be issued by the end of this year. Measures could include regulations to limit the level of GE in food products, but there will not be a ban on the use of palm oil, he added.

The World Health Organization and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization flagged the same potential risk that EFSA had warned of regarding GE, but did not recommend consumers stop eating palm oil. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also has not banned the use of palm oil in food.

The issue became a hot consumer topic in Italy after the largest supermarket chain, Coop, boycotted palm oil in all its own-brand products following the EFSA study, describing the move as a "precaution". Italy's biggest baker, Barilla, also eliminated it and put "palm oil-free" labels on its wares.

The retailers' decisions followed pressure from activists, including Italy's main farming association Coldiretti and online food magazine Il Fatto Alimentare, which called on all food firms to stop using palm oil.

High temperatures are used to remove palm oil's natural red colour and neutralise its smell, but Ferrero says it uses an industrial process that combines a temperature of just below 200C and extremely low pressure to minimise contaminants.

The process takes longer and costs 20 percent more than high-temperature refining, Ferrero told Reuters. But it said this had allowed it to bring GE levels so low that scientific instruments find it hard to trace the chemical.

"The palm oil used by Ferrero is safe because it comes from freshly squeezed fruits and is processed at controlled temperatures," Tapella says in the TV ad, which was filmed at the firm's factory in the northern town of Alba and was accompanied by full-page ads in newspapers carrying the same message.

EFSA declined to comment on the possible risks of refining palm oil at lower temperatures.

Italian sales hit

Ferrero is by no means the only big European food firm to keep using palm oil in its products since the EFSA report. The likes of Unilever and Nestle use it in products including chocolate, snacks and margarine.

The two companies said they were monitoring the contaminant issue and were working with their suppliers to keep GE at lowest possible levels.

Ferrero is the only big European food company to mount such a public defence of the use of the ingredient in its products following the EFSA opinion.

The company told Reuters it carried out "hundreds of thousands of tests" on contaminants in both the palm oil it uses and finished products.

Retail sales of Nutella in Italy fell by about 3 percent in the 12 months to the end of August, which Ferrero partly blamed on rivals promoting products as palm oil-free.

To address consumer concern the company launched its advertising campaign in September and says it is now showing results.

Nutella sales in Italy rose 4 percent in the last four months of 2016, said Alessandro D'Este, the head of Ferrero's Italy business.

Global Nutella sales have been unaffected by the EFSA opinion and are growing at 5-6 percent annually, the company said. Family owned Ferrero, which is not publicly listed, did not disclose its sales for Europe outside its home market.

The group ended its fiscal year to August with total revenue of 10 billion euros ($10.5 billion), of which around 2 billion euros came from Nutella sales.

Environment concerns

EFSA's 284-page study comes on top of environmental concerns that have dogged the palm oil industry for several years. Green groups have accused the industry of causing deforestation.

Several firms using the ingredient, including Ferrero, say they buy palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, which works with producers to reduce the negative impacts of cultivation on the environment.

Tapella told Reuters that Nutella had contained palm oil since its creation in the 1960s and that the group relied only on palm plantations certified as sustainable.

Ferrero's advertising campaign has drawn some political fire.

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which is running neck-and-neck with the ruling Democratic Party in opinion polls, has asked the Italian advertising authority to block Ferrero's campaign and fine it for misleading consumers on both health and environmental risks.

A spokeswoman for the advertising authority said it had yet to decide whether to reject the 5-Star complaint or take measures against Ferrero, adding that the process could take several more weeks.

The palm oil industry, dominated by producers in Malaysia and Indonesia, believes Ferrero is playing an important role in addressing what it regards as misconceptions among consumers.

"It is good that Ferrero has clarified that the palm oil they use is safe and sustainable," said Yusof Basiron, chief executive of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

He said Malaysian producers had not suffered any impact on their European exports after the EFSA opinion. The Indonesian Palm Oil Association also said there had been no impact.
Switzerland: In a notable judgement, a criminal court on Monday convicted a man of rape for taking off a condom during sex without his partners knowledge in Lausanne, Switzerland.

According to a report on Independent, the court also determined intercourse could be termed as rape if a condom was expected to be used but instead the partner was tricked into having unprotected sex.

The convicted was given a suspended sentenced for 12 months on Monday.

The convict, who is from France met the woman, a Swiss native on Tinder. On their second date in June 2015, the duo started having intercourse with a condom. However, the condom had been removed, which the woman came to know only after they were done.

The court observed that the woman would have refuse to have sex with him had she known that a condom would not be used.
London: A new law that makes age checks on porn sites mandatory, breaches human rights of adults who use them, a senior United Nations (UN) official has said.

According to a report on Daily Mail, following the websites campaign, UK Culture Secretary Karen Bradley was about to make age-checks mandatory for porn sites to ensure only adults access explicit material online. Sites that do not comply can be fined up to 250,000.

However UNs special rapporteur for promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion, David Kaye, condemned the decision saying the rule unduly interferes with rights of freedom of expression and privacy.

In a letter to the ministers, he said that the Digital Economy Bill, currently in the Parliament, could infringe the 1976 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to maintain an opinion without interference.

He further opined that private user information of adults who watch porn was not safe, making the rule fall short of international human rights law standards. Anyone whose data is stored by such sites could easily be subject to abuse, such as hacking, blackmail and other potential credit card fraud, he was quoted as saying.

While observing the need to protect children from mature content on the internet, he opined that the measures ambiguity makes it ineffective. He also suggested that the users should be allowed to communicate secretly without having to be identified, according to the report.

The UN diplomat faced flak from various quarters for his remarks, with some terming the remarks rubbish.
Petrov has refused to say anything about the attack and his motive behind it. (Photo: MET police department)

London: A UK man has been arrested for attempting to kill his heavily pregnant fiancee by stabbing her in the head and face, and later jumping out of the window of their first-floor apartment in London.

According to a report in the Mirror, the accused identified as Petar Petrov attacked his eight-months pregnant partner and left her with multiple facial fractures and severely damaged lungs. He also slashed his wrist with a knife and jumped out of the window.

He was later found lying in a pool of blood and amid broken pieces of glass outside the couple's home in Edmonton, North London. Locals noticed Petrov's condition and informed the police department.

When police officials rushed to the apartment, they found the pregnant victim in a terrible condition. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where the doctors performed a caesarean surgery on her in order to save the couple's unborn child.

The couple's newborn somehow survived premature birth. The victim, however, remained critical due to the serious injuries inflicted upon her.

Police are trying to ascertain the motive behind the attack. Petrov, on the other hand, has refused to say anything about the attack and his motive behind it. He has been charged with attempt to murder and is scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey court on February 10.
The incident prompted anti-racism campaigners to stage a vigil after the assault which took place last week in the restaurant close to Hammersmith Town Hall in West London. (Representational Image)

London: A hijab-clad British woman eating at a London fish and chips shop was allegedly attacked by a fellow diner who tried to rip off her headscarf and accused her of "killing people", a media report has said.

The incident prompted anti-racism campaigners to stage a vigil after the assault which took place last week in the restaurant close to Hammersmith Town Hall in West London.

The man told the woman, who was having dinner, she "should not be here" and had her hijab grabbed at, The Sun quoted an anti-racism organisation Stand Up to Racism as saying.

The victim, visiting from Manchester, was reportedly eating with friends when she was attacked by a fellow diner who also accused her of "killing people", the report said.

The perpetrator grabbed her by the coat and attempted to drag her outside, saying he "was not going to tolerate it" before other customers at the restaurant and the victim's friends intervened, it said.

After the attack, restaurant staff called police but the suspect fled the scene.

The group has organised a protest vigil in Lyric Square, Hammersmith yesterday.

John Barker, a spokesman for the group said, "I have been told that she is pretty shaken by the event and I am not surprised considering the violence and hatred of the perpetrator".
Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out at critics of a government reform bill being debated in parliament that would greatly expand the powers of his office.

"Whatever you do, I believe that these (reforms) will pass through parliament and go before the people," Erdogan said in remarks apparently directed at the main opposition party which does not back the proposals.

On Monday, Turkish lawmakers began discussing a set of constitutional amendments that would transform the country's system of government and boost presidential powers.

Critics fear these changes, which need to clear parliament with several rounds of voting and will likely be put to a referendum, would allow Erdogan to govern unchecked.

Erdogan dismissed those concerns Thursday stating "if you have any respect for the people, if you have any respect for the will of the people then let these discussions end so that the people can make a decision."
In this Dec. 2, 2016, file photo, Rohingya from Myanmar make their way in an alley at an unregistered refugee camp in Teknaf, near Cox's Bazar. (Photo: AP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh on Thursday asked Myanmar to ensure quick return of normalcy in its Buddhist-dominated Rakhine state so that it can repatriate thousands of Muslim refugees who have crossed the border to evade persecution amid an army crackdown.

"We have asked Naypyidaw to find out the real cause of the massive exodus of their minority ethnic people (Rohingyas) to Bangladesh to address the problem at its roots so they could return home at the earliest," Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali told a media briefing at his office.

He said the exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine state was damaging "stability, economic development, and tourism" in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong region, especially in its sea resort town of Cox's Bazar.

Ali's comments came a day after Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi sent junior foreign Kyaw Tin as her envoy in an apparent effort to pacify Dhaka amid growing international criticism over the issue.

The UN, earlier this week, said at least 65,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh, a third of them over the past week since the army launched a crackdown in the north of Rakhine state.

"As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities in Cox's Bazaar," the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of UN said.

The latest spate of exodus began as Myanmar troops launched a campaign called "clearance operations" while searching for 'insurgents' behind the deadly raids on police border posts in October last year.

Suu Kyi's envoy held talks with Foreign Minister Ali and foreign secretary M Shahidul Haque and called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Officials familiar with the meetings said Dhaka sent through him a strong message demanding steps for early repatriation of the Rohingyas.

A Prime Minister's office spokesman earlier said Bangladesh Premier Hasina renewed her call to Myanmar to take back its nationals as visiting junior Myanmar minister called on her last evening.

"She (Hasina) also reiterated Bangladesh's 'zero tolerance policy' against terrorism and mentioned that Bangladesh won't allow its soil to be used for terrorist acts against any of its neighbours as the Myanmar minister called on her," premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters.

Ali, in his briefing, said Bangladesh hoped that a solution to the persistent crisis would be reached through discussions between the two countries.

Muslim minority escapees from Mayanmar have given harrowing accounts of security forces committing violence casting a pall over Aung San Suu Kyi's young government. Myanmar said the claims of abuse are fabricated and has launched a special commission to investigate the allegations.
Beijing: China on Thursday confirmed that its naval formation led by its sole aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through the Taiwan Strait en route to South China Sea for military drills, which prompted Taiwan to scramble its F-16 fighter jets.

"A naval formation consisting of the aircraft carrier Liaoning on Thursday passed through the Taiwan Straits en route to the South China Sea for drills and tests," said Liang Yang, spokesperson with the People's Liberation Army Navy.

"The Liaoning and other naval vessels in the formation were scientifically organised and meticulously operated during the navigation," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

This is the first official reaction from China since Taiwanese media reported on Liaoning's activities on Tuesday, which prompted the island's military to dispatch F-16 fighter jets to monitor the movements of China's only aircraft carrier.

Notably, the development comes just days after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen visited the US en route to Central America, despite protests from Beijing, and met with Senator Ted Cruz, who lost to Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary contest.

Earlier, US President-elect Trump has spoken with Tsai, in a major break with Washington's policy on China, triggering protest from Beijing.

China has increased its military activities near the Taiwan Strait since Trump in an interview last month suggested that the US can abandon its nearly four-decades-old 'One China policy'

Two Chinese military strategic bombers have also flown around Taiwan last month.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told state-run Global Times that the Liaoning battle group's movement in the area showed that the aircraft carrier is combat ready, which is good news for the Chinese people, but those who want to separate China's territory and support Taiwan independence will surely be afraid.

Since it was commissioned in 2012, the Liaoning has been carrying out training and tests steadily, the navy said.

The Liaoning is China's only aircraft carrier in operation. It was refitted based on an unfinished carrier from the former Soviet Union.

China claims the breakaway province of Taiwan as part of mainland and the ruling-Communist Party has vowed to retake the island, if necessary, by force.

Under a landmark 1979 agreement, the US has recognised the People's Republic of China, breaking its decades-old diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Washington now acknowledges Beijing's claims over Taiwan, while pledging to defend Taiwan from attack.

The US remains Taiwan's biggest arms-supplier and main supporter.
The old woman from the Chinese province of Guangxi was locked up in the cage by her son and daughter-in-law. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab)

Guangxi: A 92-year-old woman was rescued by Fengshan County Administration officials after a video footage showing her trapped in a filthy cage made its way to the internet, making it viral in no time. The video forced the local authorities to intervene and take action.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the old woman from the Chinese province of Guangxi was locked up in the cage by her son and daughter-in-law.

The rescued woman told the officials that she was kept in captivity for many years. She also said that she was not given enough food or clothes and was forced to live in dirty conditions.

The video footage showed the appalling conditions in which the woman was forced to live. She had very less access to light, no bed to sleep on and had no proper sanitation provision. The woman had to sleep on a piece of wood and had a piece of quilt for warmth. Moreover, the cage was always locked, making it impossible for her to escape.

After her rescue, officials questioned her son and his wife, who they accused of having bad attitude. Police officials have launched an investigation against the womans family and are waiting for her recovery for further information.
India's surface-to-surface missile was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island. (Photo: PTI/File)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday cautioned members of MTCR that introduction of "destabilising systems" like "missile defence programmes" and "inter-continental ballistic missiles" in South Asia pose a "risk" to regional stability, in an apparent reference to India.

Pakistan's "serious concerns" over the introduction of such systems in South Asia were expressed to a delegation of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a 35-member elite grouping that includes India and controls export in high-end missile technologies, a Foreign Office (FO) statement said.

"Pakistan highlighted the risks posed to regional peace and stability due to the introduction of destabilising systems such as missile defence programmes and inter-continental ballistic missiles," the FO statement said.

India is the only country in South Asia having successfully tested inter-continental ballistic missiles.

"Pakistan was, however, committed to avoiding any kind of arms race in South Asia," it said, adding that Pakistan's proposal on establishing Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR) in South Asia which covers nuclear and missile restraint remains on the table.

"Pakistan believes that progress on this proposal (SRR) through meaningful dialogue can promote peace and stability in the region," it said.

Highlighting Pakistan's non-proliferation credentials, Additional Secretary, FO, Tasneem Aslam told the MTCR that Pakistan has always remained in the "forefront to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction" and has "always followed international standards while delivering weapons".

Aslam also briefed the delegation led by by Ham Sang-Wook, the current MTCR Chair, about the administrative, legislative and regulatory measures taken by Islamabad for the establishment of a robust command and control system, an effective and comprehensive export control regime, and the steps taken to improve physical security at all levels.

"Pakistan's export control regime is at par with the best international standards and its national control lists encompass the items and technologies controlled by the MTCR,"

Aslam said.

A country's non-proliferation record is one of the key criteria to join MTCR.

Pakistan has intensified its efforts to join the exclusive club of countries, controlling exports in missile technology, since India joined the elite grouping last year as its 35th member.

Notably, India was successful in joining MTCR, ahead of Pakistan's all-weather ally China, whose application is pending since 2004.

However, experts say that Pakistan's controversial record in nuclear proliferation and absence of its patron China inside the club are major obstacles in Islamabad becoming a formal member of MTCR.

Aslam further said that hindrances in access to advanced technology for peaceful purposes "must come to an end".

Representatives of the MTCR delegation said that the group wants a joint policy to prevent the spread of missiles.

The delegation recognised that Pakistan has participated in several technical meetings held by the MTCR for the past several years, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign office also released a reviewed list of nuclear and biological weapons. The new list declares that Pakistan is determined towards nuclear non-proliferation.

The reviewed list was formed after consultation with relative ministries, it said. The list has been reviewed in the years 2005, 2011 and 2015.
People worldwide love the 'face with tears of joy' emoji, except the romantic French who prefer the 'heart' emoji, according to a new study that analysed 427 million messages from nearly four million smartphone users in 212 countries and regions.



Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) in the US and Peking University in China analysed whether emoji use was universal or differed based on user location and culture.



They used a popular input method app - Kika Emoji Keyboard - made available in 60 languages. The team's results are believed to be the first large-scale analysis of emoji usage.



"Emojis are everywhere. They are becoming the ubiquitous language that bridges everyone across different cultures," said Wei Ai, a doctoral student at the U-M School of Information and one of the lead authors of the study.



Ai and colleagues found that face with tears emoji is the most popular emoji, comprising 15.4 per cent of the total symbols in the study. Heart emoji and heart eyes emoji are the second- and third-most used ones.



According to the findings, the French love using an emoji the most, with nearly 20 per cent of messages including at least one symbol, followed by Russians and Americans.



In line with perceptions of the culture, the romantic French embrace icons associated with hearts, while users from other countries prefer emojis related to faces.



The researchers also explored other cultural preferences in using emojis. Countries with high levels of individualism, like Australia, France and the Czech Republic, overwhelmingly use more happy emojis.



Countries where ties between individuals are integrated and tight, like Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia, use more emojis expressing sadness, anger and negative feelings.



People in long-term orientation societies who tend to have values that center on the future - French, Hungarians and Ukrainians - are less likely to use negative emojis than those living in societies with low long-term orientation like Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Israel.



Contrary to their perceptions as high-indulgent cultures, countries like Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina do not use more positive emojis expressing happiness, researchers said.



The study found that they are more likely to use negative symbols, in comparison to cultures known for restraint and self-discipline, like Turkey, France and Russia.



"Our report shows that users from different countries can have various preferences to use emojis," said Qiaozhu Mei, associate professor at the U-M School of Information.



"The rank of emojis shown in the input methods should be country-aware to users," Mei said. Input methods could be developed to suggest relevant "next-to-use" emojis to users, research suggests.
A CISF jawan today shot dead his four senior colleagues with his service rifle in a fit of rage following a heated argument over leave issues in Bihar's naxal-hit Aurangabad district, officials said.





The fragging incident was reported around 12:45 AM at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit which is guarded by the force.



Constable Balveer Singh, hailing from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, fired about two dozen bullets, killing Head Constables Bachha Sharma and Amarnath Mishra on the spot, while Assistant Sub-Inspector G S Ram and Head Constable Arvind Kumar later succumbed to grievous injuries in a nearby hospital.



The incident took place when the victims and some others had assembled for a shift change.



Balveer, who had recently undergone a month-and-half-long de-stressing course in Yoga, was reportedly agitated over an administrative issue regarding his leave after he resumed duty on January 4. A heated argument ensued and the CISF jawan lost his cool, firing his rifle multiple times, Superintendent of Police Satyaprakash said.



He was quickly overpowered by other CISF personnel and handed over to police who arrested him. But before that could be done his targets lay sprawled on the blood splattered floor.



Sources said the trooper was sent for a special yoga session between November 10 and December 24 last year at the CISF's training institute in Deoli in Rajasthan. Following that he had gone on leave to his home before resuming duty on January 4.



The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit in Nabinagar is deployed at the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility against threats from naxals and other extremist elements.



NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.



The CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Sibal then said that the group had deposited Rs 13,000 crore with SEBI, which has found only 100 investors so far. He said the apex court should appoint a committee to scrutinise the documents submitted regarding the investors.



To this, the bench told Sibal that he has been raking up an issue which has already been decided by the court and it will not go into the issues which have already been decided.



The bench, however, granted liberty to the Sahara chief to transfer 24 million pounds deposited in a bank at London to SEBI-SAHARA account as part of Rs 600 crore he has been asked to pay by February 6.



At the outset, Enforcement Directorate also informed the court that during investigation, it has found seven properties of Sahara which needed to be provisionally attached. The bench listed the matters along with the plea of ED on February 7.



The apex court had on November 28 last year asked Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 next year in the SEBI -Sahara refund account to remain out of jail and cautioned him that in case of failure, he would have to return to prison.



The court had said that it may consider appointing a "receiver" of properties if the group found itself unable of selling them to pay back dues to the investors.



The court had said that the case which is pending since 2012, has a "history" and had asked SEBI and the amicus curiae to respond to the question whether the group was entitled to any further benefit in its re-payment schedule.



The court had on September 28 asked Sahara to deposit another Rs 200 crore by October 24 while extending the interim order releasing Roy and two other directors on parole.



While extending the parole of Roy and two directors -- Ashok Roy Choudhary and Ravi Shankar Dubey -- till October 24 last year, the bench had directed the group to deposit Rs 200 crore by then or go back to jail.



Sahara group chief Subrata Roy could be in for serious trouble again, with the Supreme Court today toughening its stand and refusing to extend time beyond February 6 for him to deposit Rs 600 crore, saying he would have to go to jail in case of a default."This court has given so much indulgence to you. This is the worst. If you don't pay the amount, you will have to go back to jail," the newly constituted bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said.The new bench scrutinised the repeated extension of Roy's parole and said too much indulgence has been given to him, more than any other litigant by the court."Parole is granted for a specific purpose and limited period. You (Roy) were given parole for performing the last rites of your mother. But you have been out for nine months. The specific purpose is over and this is continuing," it said.The bench asked SEBI counsel Arvind Dattar what would happen if the Sahara chief does not pay the amount to the market regulator. Dattar said there were 87 plus properties which would be attached, a receiver could be appointed and the properties sold through auction, if the company fails to pay the amount.The bench said "if he defaults to pay the amount then he will go back to jail, then properties will be attached, receiver appointed and sold through auction".Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sahara, said if this is the court's mood, then they may not be heard. "It is the most unfortunate statement which has come. If this is the mood of court then we need not be heard," he said.To this, the bench asked "can't the court say what are the options available before it." "We are here to hear you Mr Sibal. Has not the Supreme Court given so much indulgence to you than any other single litigant? Now you are saying we are not hearing you. This is not done," Justice Gogoi said.Sibal said he was just seeking time to pay the amount as directed by the court earlier as the economy has slowed down, real estate sector is down by 44 per cent, manufacturing sector has slowed down due to the demonetisation."When you were asked to deposit Rs 600 crore on November 28 last year, then also the economic situation was no better. You tell us you don't have a problem in paying Rs 285 crore. You still have time till February 6, arrange another Rs 300 crore and deposit it," the bench said.
India grew fastest among major economies worldwide at over 7.5 per cent in 2016 and will continue to drive global growth in 2017 with its share in the world GDP expected to rise to 17 per cent, a study said today.





"Asia will remain the fastest growing region of the world, but the spotlight will shift away from China to India and Indonesia," PwC's global economy watch (GEW) said, adding that Indonesia is set to become the world's 16th trillion dollar economy.



As per the projections Chinese growth to remain at around the 6 per cent mark, while India's contribution to world GDP growth could reach almost 17 per cent this year.



The study noted that China will feel the costs of higher private sector debt burden.

"China's non-financial sector debt stands at more than 250 per cent of GDP. If non-financial debt grows at the same average rate as it has since 2010, China could add over USD 650 billion to its total debt pile by the end of 2017," the study said.



Economists predict that globalisation will take a backseat this year and world trade is expected to see slow growth.



"The resurgence of economic nationalism in some parts of the world means World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules will be put to the test. The world's biggest bilateral trade route (US-China) is likely to come under pressure," it said.



Besides this, the other major global economic themes that could prevail in 2017, are that the US monetary policy is expected to move back towards normalcy and politics would drive uncertainty and economics.



Other key predictions for this year include that the US would drive growth in the G7; Core Eurozone employment to hit all-time high but 'peripheral' economies will create more jobs; while population growth is likely to put pressure on Gulf countries to reform public finances.


Following a stern message by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over sale of doormats depicting the tricolour, Amazon today expressed regret for "offending" Indian sentiments and informed her about removal of the product from its Canadian website.





In a letter to Swaraj, Vice President and Country Manager of Amazon India Amit Agarwal said, "I am writing in connection with the products that carried the Indian flag, as referred to in your tweet...



"Amazon India is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extent that these items offered by a third- party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments."



He also said Amazon remains steadfastly committed to India, as evident by CEO Jeff Bezos' announcement last year of company's plans to invest USD five billion in India.



"We value immensely our relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, an most importantly our Indian customers and employees," Agarwal said.



Yesterday, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.



The minister had also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.



After the strong protests, the e-retail giant today removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.



In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India.



"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.



"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj had said in her tweets.



Tweeting Agarwal's response to Swaraj, the MEA Spokesperson said, "In response to EAM @SushmaSwaraj's tweet, @amazon writes to her, expresses regret at hurting Indian sensibilities, pulls offending item."



In his letter, Agarwal also explained that a third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada.



"These products were not available in India. After learning of the products' listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplaces or websites," he further said.



Agarwal also offered to meet Swaraj to discuss the issue and Amazon's broader relationship with India.
Union Minister and LJP president Ramvilas Paswan was admitted to the ICU of a private hospital here late this evening after he complained of breathlessness.





Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the minister R C Meena told PTI that Paswan was admitted to the ICU of Paras hospital.



His younger brother and Bihar LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras told PTI from the hospital that the minister complained of breathlessness and was taken to the hospital around 8:30 PM where doctors were examining him.



As the news of Paswan's admission in the hospital spread, LJP supporters started gathering outside the hospital on Bailey road here.



Paswan, Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, earlier arrived here today on a four-day tour of the state during which he had some political engagements in Patna, Khagaria, Begusarai and Mokamah before hosting Makarsankranti feast in Patna on January 15.



LJP spokesman Ashraf Ansari said that the minister's wife and MP son Chirag Paswan are with him in the hospital.
Among their common traits, illiberal strongmen share a virulent mistrust of civil society. From Vladimir Putins Russia to Recep Tayyip Erdogans Turkey, illiberal governments regularly use imprisonment, threats and nationalist language to repress non-governmental organisations. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is going after their money.





The Lawyers Collective, an advocacy group in New Delhi run by the prominent lawyers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover, has for three decades provided legal assistance to women, non-union workers, activists and other marginalised groups, often without charge. In December, the Modi government barred it from receiving foreign grants. The political reasons were obvious: The Collective had represented critics of Modis sectarian record and environmental vision.



Under law, non-governmental groups that seek foreign donations have to register under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, which prohibits the use of overseas funds for activities detrimental to the national interest. Although accountability in the non-governmental sector is necessary to control malpractice, the foreign funding law is better known as a tool of political retribution than transparent auditing.



Its not just the Collective that has been punished. The Home Affairs Ministry recently revoked the licences of around 10,000 other NGOs. Even groups whose funding licences were renewed are worried about the future. It is activism on thinning ice from now on, an education activist told me.



The funding law is rooted in Cold War fears about foreign interference in domestic politics. In 1975, prime minister Indira Gandhi raised the spectre of the foreign hand, suspended civil liberties, arrested political opponents, and censored the press for an almost two-year dictatorial stretch known as the Emergency.



Gandhi, a socialist who leaned toward the Soviet Union, proposed the foreign funding law as a deterrent to political meddling. During a 1976 debate in the Indian Parliament on the law, the CIA was mentioned dozens of times as lawmakers expressed outrage over American bossism and the United States role in the overthrow of Salvador Allendes government in Chile.



The new law prohibited political parties, the news media and organisations of a political nature from receiving foreign contributions. Social, religious and educational organisations with foreign donors were required to obtain a permit.



India has moved away from the paranoid 1970s to a liberalised economy and is embracing the United States and global financial institutions. But the foreign funding law remains a handy weapon whose vague vocabulary (public interest and national interest) gives the state immense discretionary powers against critics.



In 2010, the Congress government made the law more stringent: it now requires licences to be renewed every five years, and allows the state to suspend permits and freeze groups accounts for 180 days during any investigation. The Congress government used the law to pressure civil society groups protesting corruption and a nuclear power plant.



Modis government has been even more openly hostile to civil society groups. It repeatedly denounces human rights and environmental activism as anti-national  a phrase that carries connotations of treason. The patriotic rage is a mask for a more pedestrian motive: punishing pesky critics. In 2016, what is normally a routine licence renewal process was used to punish groups that have been critical of Modi or his policies.



The Lawyers Collective has been prominent among such groups. In 2015, Priya Pillai, a campaigner from Greenpeace India, was travelling to London to testify in the British Parliament about coal mining in central Indian forests by Essar Energy, a corporation registered in Britain. Federal officers pulled Pillai off her flight, arguing that her deposition would have hurt Indias national interest. Pillai went to court; the Lawyers Collective represented her.



The Collective also represented Teesta Setalvad, who has been campaigning for justice for the victims of sectarian riots in Gujarat in 2002, when Modi was the chief minister of the state. Setalvad has sought to put Modi and other Hindu nationalist politicians on trial for allegedly overseeing or participating in violence. After Modis elevation to national office, Setalvad was accused of stealing donations meant for riot victims. In July, her home in Mumbai was raided by federal agents, and a few months later, Setalvads organisations lost their foreign funding licences.



Dalit atrocities



Since Modi rose to power, emboldened hardline Hindu activists have assaulted cow traders and people suspected of eating beef, claiming to defend Hindu beliefs. In July, vigilantes stripped and flogged four Dalit, or lower caste men in Gujarat for skinning a cow. Many Dalits earn their livelihood from skinning dead animals and selling their hides to leather traders.



The assault prompted protests by Dalits and damaged Modis image among the group, about a sixth of the countrys population. A Dalit rights organisation, Navsarjan Trust, played a leading role in the protests. On December 15, the federal government cancelled the foreign funding licence of the Trust.



Newspapers quoted unnamed officials claiming that intelligence agencies have described seven civil society groups, including the Trust, as working against public interest and painting the Modi government as anti-Dalit abroad.



Some of these groups are seeking redress in courts, which have largely been fair. But legal battles exact a cost: With bank accounts frozen for months during investigations, bills for rent, electricity and lawyers mount. Peoples Watch, a human rights group, was unable to pay salaries for 23 months. Many Greenpeace India employees took pay cuts in 2014. As court duels drag on, campaigns lag, research comes to a standstill and years of community mobilisation dissipate.



Yet, neither Modis Bharatiya Janata Party nor the Congress has had any qualms about accepting campaign funding from foreign businesses. In May 2014, a New Delhi court held both the BJP and the Congress guilty of receiving donations from a London-listed company in violation of the foreign funding law.



Modis government found a way of legally transforming its donors from foreign companies to Indian ones. It amended the law to change the definition of a foreign business, retroactively making a wider range of companies permissible campaign donors. While the civil society groups working with the poorest Indians are being choked, Indias political parties found many more avenues to receive more money.



Civil society groups do try hard to raise funds within the country, but philanthropists remain tight-fisted when it comes to issues like land or labour rights, health care access, quality of education, or resource exploitation by corporations.



Our rich guys will feed poor kids but wont question governments, a fund-raising manager in New Delhi explained. By yanking foreign funding licences, the Indian government is doing just what it accuses civil society organisations of: working against public interest.




Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday strongly defended the demonetisation exercise launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the sole intention of curbing black money.





Participating in a talk on demonetisation organised by the district BJP unit, Nirmala, who also holds the additional charge as state minister for finance and corporate affairs, called it as a failure on the part of erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the past, in taking such a bold step to weed out black money.



The Supreme Court had directed the then Union government to form a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into black money. But it was BJP that formed SIT, the minister said pointing at Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi, without taking his name.



Putting the ball in Congress court, she said, A white paper on black money released by the Department of Revenue in the year 2012 (when Congress was in power) stated that the black money had increased from 15% to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 19% to 21% till 1984. While another report by VISA indicated that each transaction had direct corelation with shadow economy up to 26%. Most importantly, 86% of total cash circulated were in the denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, Nirmala said underlining the cause of scrapping of high denomination notes.



She said there were several reports earlier which substantiated the extent of cash transactions going unnoticed succinctly evading tax net. In a joint study by a US-based firm and National Institute of Banking Management, Pune, in 2014, it has emerged that 87% of transactions were on the basis of cash. It again underlined the pace of taking corrective steps to scrap the notes in circulation and promote digital banking to check the scourge of black money, she said.


Twenty five high-tech Maruti Ertiga patrol vehicles that can reach crime spots quickly were inducted into Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate on Thursday.





Speaking after flagging off the vehicles, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the concept behind buying the new patrol vehicles and equipping them with modern gadgets is to improve the beat system. The government has allotted 322 such patrol vehicles for Bengaluru. Such vehicles will be inducted into all police commissionerates in the state, he said.



With this new vehicle, the police will now be able to reach crime scenes or trouble-hit areas at the earliest. This will help the police to patrol more intensely.



Every vehicle will have a tablet. When the control room receives a call, relevant details are shared with a mobile data terminal team, which then checks for a patrol vehicle that is closest to the scene of crime and the information will be passed on to the vehicle. In fact, an automatic route will also be generated to help the patrolling vehicle to reach the crime spot.



The police personnel should be alert while on beat. The constables should have knowledge on the houses and complexes on the areas assigned to him. Alertness would help in preventing the crimes. When writers and artistes face life threats, the police should keep an eye on their houses. Had we known that there was a threat to the life of scholar and researcher Dr M M Kalburgi, we could have installed CC camera and security could have been strengthened. We did not have any clues on threat to his life, he said.



Each vehicle will have two to three personnel and they will work in three shifts. It will not have any jurisdictional restriction while attending the crime scene, he explained and added that women police personnel will also be deployed in the patrolling vehicles in the future.



Stressing on the need to enhance security, the home minister said, We need to take preventive measures to curb crimes in the city, as people's safety is the priority.



On Shortage of staff in the Police Department, he said the process has been initiated to recruit 21,000 police constables. Already 16,000 constables have been recruited. The Home Department has sought approval from the Finance Department to recruit police personnel for the next three years. In addition, the selection process of 1,000 sub-inspectors are on.



To a query on inflammatory speech of MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Parameshwara said, We will examine whether the speech was provocative and then initiate action against him.


The officials of Women and Narcotics wing of Central Crime Branch on Wednesday busted a prostitution racket in Ejipura and rescued 14 women including one from Bangladesh.



The police arrested Deepu Mandal, Soumen Roy, Tarun Gosh, Sujit Sarkar, Achintya Majumdar, Sanjay Sil, Sorab Ali and Joshna Mondal, all from West Bengal on charges of immoral trafficking.



Based on credible information, raids were conducted on five houses in Ejipura, where the women were kept in confinement. The suspects revealed that the women were trafficked from West Bengal and Bangladesh. They were threatened and forced into prostitution. The women were working in various massage parlours in the city and were on the watch by the suspects who ensured that they did not flee the place or approach the police, said a senior police officer.



These women were assured of lucrative jobs and brought to the city. Once they were handed over to the suspects by the agents, they pushed them into prostitution. It is suspected that a big gang is behind the racket.



The police are also investigating whether these women were abducted, added the officer. A case has been registered in Viveknagar police station.


A local court has issued a warrant against Kannada film actor Pooja Gandhi in connection with a cheque bounce case.





The police said that the actor had taken Rs 4 crore from a financier after signing for a movie.

But the movie failed to take off and the financier asked her to return the money. The actor and her father had given a cheque which bounced due to insufficient balance in the bank account.



The financier had approached the local court and warrant was sent to the actor and her father.


One can now do away with complicated maps or site drawings to know if a house is located on a stormwater drain or raja kaluve. A web-based portal will now do this.





The portal www.rajakaluve.org enables Bengaluru residents to know if their property is built on a stormwater drain or raja kaluve. All one has to do is enter the taluk, hobli and village details to know the location of the property.



Inaugurating the portal, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad on Wednesday said: This portal enables public to access information about stormwater drains in one place.



Joint effort



BBMP, in association with Real Estate Research Initiative of Indian Institute of Management Bengaluru (IIMB-RERI) has developed this portal.



There is a general fear fuelled by lack of information among citizens on whether their properties encroach water bodies. Through this effort, we hope to allay fears by making information easily accessible to all, said Professor Venkatesh Panchapagesan, head of IIMB-RERI.



Information is not easily searchable and encroachment details are often provided only in the text embedded within survey drawings released by government agencies, said Sriram Ranganathan, product manager, IIMB-RERI.



350 villages



What began as an initiative for mapping of 50 villages around Whitefield, is now being expanded to provide details of 350 villages to help citizens.



Available in both Kannada and English, the portal makes it easy to access BBMP documents with details of encroachments and gives a summary view.



This would also give an indication of possible notifications from BBMP in future based on documents collected from landrecords.karnataka.gov.in/



A list of all affected survey numbers will be displayed below with links to relevant documents.



Colour codes help one identify the risk. A red dot indicates that the property is located on a raja kaluve and is notified as encroaching.



Yellow indicates that the property is located on a storm water drain, grey that the status is unclear and green if it is safe.


The recent order of the Supreme Court that bars political parties and candidates from seeking votes in the name of religion, race, caste, community or language, has put the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) in a spot.





The pro-Maharashtra outfit has always been contesting local body and Assembly elections on the language plank. A few days ago, leaders of both MES and pro-Karnataka organisations held meetings to discuss the repercussions of the apex court verdict. While leaders of pro-Karnataka organisations were gleaming after the order, the MES leaders appeared to be a little tense and were discussing the strategy they should adopt for the next elections.



They also decided to get a legal opinion on how to take their agenda before the people.Belagavi District Kannada Organisations Action Committee president Ashok Chandargi said that now the MES cannot use language as a plank for contesting the elections.



If MES leaders make language as an election issue, one could directly approach the Election Commission of India seeking disqualification of the candidates, without going to courts.



MES leader and lawyer Ratan Masekar said that according to the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, language and caste cannot be used during election campaigns to seek votes. The MES has been seeking merger of the Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka with Maharashtra and, support of other linguistic groups to support us. We need to study the verdict before making any statements, he said.



MES leaders, on condition of anonymity, said that they make language a plank for elections hereafter and, problems would crop up during the poll process. Words to be used during the election campaign has to be chosen cautiously, they said.






A video clip has surfaced in which the Kudachi MLA P Rajeev of BSR Congress is seen warning the police personnel that the police station would be set on fire if they harass innocent people, demand money from them or attempt to fix them in false cases.





Incidentally, Rajeev is a former police officer who had quit the service to join politics.



In the 1.18-minute video clip, Rajeev is found warning the personnel from Raibag Circle Inspector of Police office who had reportedly threatened Basappa Bhajantri of Nidagundi village in Raibag taluk that he would be fixed in a case of suicide of a woman.



The warning was issued probably on Tuesday when the MLA was campaigning for the elections to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees.



In the video, Rajeev tells the police personnel that on the day the woman committed suicide, Bhajantri had accompanied him for the poll campaigning.



Fled fearing false case



Police personnel had reportedly demanded Rs 1 lakh from Bhajantri and later settled for Rs 45,000 to not fix him in the case.



Fearing that the police will file a false case against him, Bhajantri had fled the village for a few days.



When contacted, Rajeev told DH on Thursday that he had made the statement in a of fit rage as he was angered by the acts of the policemen. Police stations should protect innocent people and not become centres of political activities and deals, he added.



Earlier this week, a video of Rajeev abusing a surveyor in filthy language had gone viral on social media.



In the video, the MLA was found taking Siddappa Sane to task over the delay in completing the survey of government lands during a visit to the office of the Raibag tahsildar. Government lands are said to have been encroached upon in the Kudachi Assembly constituency.



Rajeev had asked officials to survey the lands and demarcate their boundaries to reclaim the lands.



You are being paid salaries to protect government lands. If you cannot discharge your responsibilities, seek transfers, Rajeev is heard telling the surveyor in the video.




The KSRTC, which registered a profit of Rs 114.95 crore in 2015-16, has prepared a roadmap to increase passenger convenience despite an expected slump in revenue due to demonetisation and hike in diesel price.





Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told journalists here on Thursday that the annual revenue of the corporation will take a hit due to demonetisation and diesel price hike. He said the hike in salaries of the employees will further increase the expenditure.



However, the KSRTC has come up with a plan to increase passenger amenities ranging from free Wi-Fi in all its buses to deploying 2,500 additional buses on the suburban routes by May 2017. The corporation has already called a tender for providing Wi-Fi facility in all the 17,458 buses in the KSRTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC. An official said the facility would also be available in all bus stations by the end of March. About 35 lakh people have already used the free Wi-Fi in 24 bus stations.



To ensure safety measures, CCTV cameras are being installed in the corporations workshops, depots and 90 bus stations at the cost of Rs 14.95 crore.



Reddy said Rs 120 crore has been allocated by the state government infrastructure fund to the corporation and the KSRTC has sought an additional Rs 120 crore for infrastructure-related works.



To a question, the minister said the BMTC was yet to repay Rs 650 crore loan due to many reasons and steps need to be taken to address the problem.



He said the Ministry of Urban Development has sanctioned 487 city buses to KSRTC under JnNURM scheme. While purchase order has been issued for 354 buses,133 will be deployed within one month. There are plans to operate buses to Tirupati, Coimbatore and Salem from Kempegowda International Airport.



The KSRTC will establish new bus stations at Nanjangud, Kanakapura, Chunchanakatte, Koppa, Hassan, Chikkaballapur, Arehalli, Hosadurga, Hanur, Keralapura and Chandrashekarapura, he said.



Limca record



The KSRTC has entered the Limca Book of Records for winning the most number of awards by a state transport corporation in the country. Between 2008 and 2016, the corporation won 107 international and national recognitions, the Limca authorities noted.




Giving roof to the poor in a city like Bengaluru is a tough task for the government. Bengaluru Urban has performed badly when it comes to meeting the target set for housing for the poor during the current financial year.





According to statistics made available at a review meeting chaired by Housing Minister M Krishnappa here on Thursday, the target set for Bengaluru Urban for 2016-17 is 5,421 of which only 45% of the houses could be completed as on January 11, 2017.



Officials attribute the slow progress to delay in identifying beneficiaries, availability of sites and poor response from the beneficiaries in providing proof of construction after which government grants are released. At the other end of the spectrum, Udupi district stands first, meeting its target by 100% by December 2016. The state average is 67.97%.



Krishnappa said even if the government meets its target, there will still be 26 lakh families with no sites or houses of their own as per census data of 2011.
The Election Commission has censured BJP parliamentarian Sakshi Maharaj for flouting the Model Code of Conduct by blaming a particular community for population explosion in the country and for invoking religion during electioneering.





The commission noted that Maharaj, being a reputed political leader and MP, would be more circumspect in his public utterances during election time. You may also take a note that in case of any violation of MCC (Model Code of Conduct) in future, the commission shall take stern actions against you, using all powers available to it, the poll panel wrote to the Lok Sabha member.



Earlier notice



The commission had earlier served a notice on Maharaj for making the controversial remark while speaking at a conference of religious leaders at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. There are problems in the country because of the growth of population. Hindus are not responsible for that. Those responsible are the ones who talk of four wives and 40 children, he had said just two days after the Election Commission announced the schedule of elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states.
India will convey its disappointment with the United Kingdoms support to the proposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).





India will voice its concerns about the British government's move to encourage UK companies to invest in projects along the CPEC.



Corridor areas



New Delhi is opposed to the CPEC as it is set to pass through areas, which India accused Pakistan of illegally occupying in Kashmir, sources told DH.



The UK formally expressed interest in the CPEC during the recent visit to Pakistan of Alok Sharma, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Minister for Asia and the Pacific) of British government.


Amazon on Thursday apologised for putting on sale doormats designed like the national flag of India  a day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj warned the global e-commerce giant with stern action.





To the extent that these items offered by a third party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments, Amit Agarwal, vice president and country manager of Amazon India, wrote to the external affairs minister on Thursday.



Agarwal wrote to Sushma that a third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed doormats designed like the national flag of India for sale in Canada.



After learning of the products listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our marketplaces or websites, the Amazon India country manager said.



India on Wednesday threatened to deny visa to any official of Amazon unless the global e-commerce giant apologised for trying to sell tricolour doormats in Canada.Sushma also threatened to withdraw the visas already issued to the officials of the e-commerce company for their visits to India, if Amazon did not provide an unconditional apology and withdraw all products insulting the tricolour. She also asked acting High Commissioner of Canada to India, Arun Kumar Sahu, to lodge a protest with the top brass of Amazon.



Agarwal on Thursday wrote to Sushma that Amazon remained steadfastly committed to India, as evident by its chief executive officer Jeff Bezos announcement last year of plans to invest $5 billion in the country.



We value immensely our relationship with the Indian government, the countrys entrepreneurs and innovators and most importantly our Indian customers and employees, he added.



Indian community in Canada as well as social media users early last week strongly reacted after Amazon Canada started selling the doormats, themed not only on tricolour of India, but also on national flags of other countries.



An online petition was signed by over 3,000 people to force Amazon to apologise and remove the tricolour doormats from its site. The strong protests over social media forced the e-commerce major to remove the doormats from its portal in Canada by the middle of last week.



Swaraj, however, swung into action on Wednesday after a Twitter user Atul Bhobe posted on the micro-blogging website an old screen-shot of the portal of Amazon Canada, showing on sale the doormats themed on the national flag of India.




A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable Balbir Singh on Thursday gunned down his four colleagues at Nabinagar in Bihars Aurangabad district.





The suspect, who was later arrested, was said to be depressed over not being granted leave. Police sources said Balbir fired 32 rounds from his Insas rifle. As a consequence, two of his colleagues died on the spot, while the other two succumbed to their injuries while being rushed to the hospital.



Balbir, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. Those killed have been identified as Amarnath Mishra of Muzaffarpur, Bachcha Sharma of Patna, Arvind Kumar of Muzaffarnagar and Gaurishankar Ram of Garhwa (Jharkhand), said Aurangabad SP Satyaprakash.



The CISF headquarters in Delhi issued a statement saying any issue related to service leave had nothing to do with the jawan taking the extreme step, adding he had availed this facility well above the limit.



He had just returned from leave eight days ago on January 4 and had not asked for leave again. There was no issue at all regarding his leave, CISF spokesperson Deputy Commandant Manjit Singh said.
After years of dithering, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is all set to issue khatas and plan sanctions online.





Currently, khatas are issued and transferred manually. Everything will be online with our new software. We want to ensure that both khata and building plan approval are issued in a time-bound manner, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told DH.



Building plans can now be submitted online, but the process is not fully online. A program checks whether a building plan complies with bylaw and zoning regulations, but the scrutiny of related documents and grant of approval are still done manually.



Model bylaw



Sources said the BBMP was inclined to accept the Model Building Bylaw 2016 document circulated by the Centre in July last year.



But some recommendations, such as deemed approval for small residential properties, are unlikely to be implemented in Bengaluru, the sources said.



The Centres intention of sharing the document was to promote ease of doing business.



Interestingly, the BBMPs online initiative comes in the wake of Karnataka slipping to the 14th rank in the ease-of-doing-business rankings in 2016. A year earlier, it had been in the 9th position.



The failure to introduce online approvals for building plans was one of the reasons cited for the state ending up lower.



Corruption is rampant in generating and transferring khata, and granting building plan approvals, citizens complain.



In some prime areas, elected representatives have to give their blessings before officials process applications.



The BBMP had been talking about an online system for years, but had done little because of resistance from various quarters, the sources said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a stern warning to Sahara group chief Subrata Roy, saying he would be sent to jail again if he failed to deposit Rs 600 crore by February 6.





A newly constituted bench, presided over by Justice Dipak Misra, told Roys counsel that he was granted parole for performing the last rites of his mother and has been out of jail for nine months.



This court has given so much indulgence to you. This is the worst. If you dont pay the amount, you will have to go back to jail, the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said.



The court did not appreciate the plea by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, for extension of time fixed on November 28. The counsel sought time to pay the amount, contending that the economy has slowed down, real estate sector was down by 44% and manufacturing sector too had taken a hit due to demonetisation. When you were asked to deposit Rs 600 crore on November 28 last year, then also the economic situation was no better. You tell us you dont have any problem in paying



Rs 285 crore. You still have time till February 6, arrange another Rs 300 crore and deposit it, the bench said.



Has not the Supreme Court given so much indulgence to you than any other single litigant? the bench asked Sibal, who termed the courts observation unfortunate.

Sibal submitted that the group had deposited Rs 13,000 crore with SEBI, which has found only 100 investors so far.



To a courts query to SEBI on what would happen if Sahara failed to pay back the amount, senior advocate Arvind Dattar said there were more than 87 properties that would be attached, a receiver could be appointed and the properties could be auctioned. The bench granted liberty to the Sahara chief to transfer 24 million pounds deposited in a bank in London to the SEBI-Sahara account as part of the Rs 600 crore.



The court posted the hearing on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate for attachment of seven properties of Sahara on February 7.
Ending two months of speculation, Tata Sons appointed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) managing director and chief executive officer N Chandrasekaran as Executive Chairman following unanimous recommendation of the selection committee.





The board of directors of Tata Sons, at its meeting, appointed N Chandrasekaran (53) as the executive chairman. Chandrasekaran will take charge on February 21.



With this appointment, Tata Sons, the holding company of the $100 billion salt-to-software Tata Group has for the first time brought in a non-Parsi as its executive chairman of the 150-year old Tata Group.



Popularly known as Chandra, he joined the company in 1987 after completing Masters in Computer Applications from Regional Engineering College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu. He has been holding the position of CEO and MD of TCS since 2009. Chandrasekaran was appointed as a director on the board of Tata Sons on October 25, 2016.



Chandrasekaran has served as the Chairperson of the IT Industry Governors at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos in 2015-16.



Chandra has been playing an active role in the Indo  US and India-UK CEO Forums. He is also part of Indias business taskforces for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and Malaysia. He served as the chairman of Nasscom, the apex trade body for IT services firms in India in 2012-13 and continues to be a member of its governing Executive Council.He was also appointed as a director on the board of Indias central bank, the Reserve Bank of India in 2016.



At TCS, Chandrasekaran would be succeeded by Rajesh Gopinathan, currently the company's chief financial officer. Following the ouster of Cyrus Mistry, Tata Sons had named Ratan N Tata as the interim chairman on October 24, 2016. The board of directors had also constituted a selection committee consisting of Ratan N Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya to choose a new chairman within four months.



Surprises



The meeting to anoint Chandrasekaran too was full of surprises  like the way the October 24, 2016 meeting in which Cyrus Mistry was sacked. The board meeting was an unscheduled one. In fact, Chandrasekaran was to address the TCS press conference around 5 pm, but that briefing was rescheduled for 4 pm. After making his remarks, he rushed out. The board meeting commenced around 5.30 pm and it did not take much time to announce the selection of Chandrasekaran. Mistry, who is among the board of directors, however, was not present.



The appointment of Chandrasekaran comes at a time when the Tata Group is fighting a legal battle against Mistry in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).



A few firms owned by the Mistry family had filed an application in NCLT on Wednesday against the Tata Sons move to oust him as director and sought an order to restrain the company from conducting an extraordinary general meeting on February 6 to remove him.



Chandrasekaran has demonstrated exemplary leadership as the chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services. We believe he will now inspire the entire Tata Group to realise its potential acting as leaders in their respective businesses, always in keeping with our value system and ethics and adhering to the practices of the Tata Group which have stood it in good stead, said the Tata Sons board of directors on Thursday.



In his first reaction post appointment, Chandrasekaran thanked the Tatas and also acknowledged the responsibilities of the job. I am humbled and honoured to be chosen to lead a truly great institution that occupies a unique position in the hearts of the people in India and the world. I am proud to have been part of the Tata family for over 30 years and assuming this position is a great privilege, Chandrasekaran said.
Indian heavyweights Vodafone India and Idea Cellular have both shot down rumours that they are seeking a merger with Reliance Jio.

Jios entry into the Indian market in September has made waves, increasing competition and attracting 52 million subscribers in its first three months. The operator offered a selection of free services to lure customers, prompting rivals Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular to adopt similar tactics.

UK newspaper The Telegraph has connected these dots, suggesting that both Vodafone and Idea are interested in a potential move on Jio. However, a Vodafone source denied this, citing caps on the operators spectrum holding limits and revenue market share as proof that it could not entertain a merger. Idea has also refuted the claims.

Vodafone Group has funnelled money into its Indian unit to ensure its success, writing off a significant chunk of its debt with a payment and splashing out on 4G spectrum in Octobers auction. In November, the group revealed that it had seen its Indian revenues increase this fiscal half (ending March 2017) and stated that it would undertake an IPO for the unit as soon as market conditions allow.
A diabetes charity is urging parents and teachers to order its free resources to support children with the condition at school.

The InDependent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) has launched a new campaign to drive up standards of care and improve knowledge and awareness in educational settings.

Schools now have a legal duty to ensuring policies and care plans are in place for children with diabetes following the introduction of the Children and Families Act 2014.

In 2016, IDDT sent out 5,000 booklets about type 1 diabetes and children, and more schools are now being encouraged to come on board.

Their publications include Diabetes  What Schools Need to Know and the Parents Passport for Schools, which were developed to support the 20,000 children with the condition in the UK.

IDDT chief executive Martin Hirst said: Providing teachers and school staff with the relevant information about diabetes and the best way to help pupils manage their condition while at school is vital.

Many people do not understand the condition and the potential danger if it is not managed properly, which is why we urge all schools to take advantage of our free booklets and send off for them, because the information could really make all the difference to their pupils with type 1 diabetes.

The booklets look at the practical side of managing diabetes, as well the emotional effect it can have on everyone involved. The aim is to minimise the impact living with the condition can have and help the children enjoy and thrive during their school career.

Published last year, the booklet Diabetes  What Schools Need To Know provides information about diabetes, covering insulin, carbohydrates, testing blood sugar levels and exercise.

The charitys Parents Passport for Schools enables parents to inform teachers and the school nurse about key information relating to their childs condition. It was published in May 2015.

The charity has more than 17,000 members and helps and supports people with diabetes through a free helpline as well as providing publications, publishing newsletters and also staging events.

People can order the free resources by calling the charity on 01604 622837.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a $2.5 million research grant to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine to advance the field of glucose-responsive insulin in type 1 diabetes.

The NIH-funded university, based in Ohio, already received a $1 million grant from Helmsley back in 2013 to develop new injectable smart insulin molecules that detect abnormally high levels of glucose in the body and correct them.

With the first grant, researchers at Case Western Reserve designed a novel class of those glucose-responsive insulin (GRI) molecules.

The new funding will go to a lab at Case Western headed by Dr Michael Weiss, who has been studying insulin for 35 years and developed a number of insulin analogs commercialised by a company he spun off called Thermalin Diabetes.

Weiss and his research team will benefit from the grant for three years to develop their new GRI molecules. Unlike some other smart insulin molecules, which are designed to circulate longer in the bloodstream, these would stick to the inside of the skin until high blood sugars are detected.

The challenge resides in tweaking the chemical composition of the insulin molecule to make it more responsive to blood sugar levels, so that it has the fastest response to blood glucose spikes and releases just the right amount of insulin.

These modified insulin molecules also need to be able to bind to proteins under the skin and prevent too much insulin from being absorbed when blood sugars are low.

Researchers will create different variants of the engineered molecule for these purposes. Each will be tested, along with regular insulin and long-acting insulin, first in a laboratory setting then in animals, to determine what form is likely to work best in humans.

If one of these insulin analogs stands out  that is, gives more appropriate control of blood sugar than unmodified insulin or long-acting insulin, in different animal models, the research team could make a Pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

The IND, which is submitted to the FDA, is a gateway to the next stage of development: Phase I clinical trials conducted in humans. And if all these tests prove successful, the new GRI may be developed through Thermalin.

Researchers working on smart insulin in the UK are making some progress too. JDRF-funded scientists at the University of Birmingham recently found a way to build capsule containers for insulin, which would break open when exposed to high levels of glucose.

If all these projects succeed, they could bring us a step closer towards the end of repeated glucose monitoring and multiple daily injections for people with type 1 diabetes.
Nokia just sent an invite to us for its event at MWC where it will unveil plans for 2017.

Nokia just confirmed that its announcements at MWC 2017 will have relevance for Indian consumers too. The company just sent us an invite for its announcements at MWC. Nokia hasnt said anything more than what we already knew from its Facebook post earlier in the day, but this gives us a clearer picture about when we can hope to hear more about its Indian endeavours.

This also confirms long standing rumours about the company unveiling its new products at MWC 2017. Nokia announced the Nokia 6 earlier this month, but has made it clear that the phone will be exclusive to the Chinese market.

However, given the mixed reactions weve seen to the Nokia 6, it is possible that Nokia will have a country-specific plan for India. While the Chinese market is indeed the biggest for smartphones, the Indian market is a close second. Moreover, the opportunity of growth in the Indian market is huge, and Nokias brand value can go a long way in convincing customers here.

We do not know much about what the next smartphones could be, but we need only wait till February 26 for more information.
AIM-listed exploration company Petro Matad noted the jump in its share price on Thursday and confirmed there was nothing further to update the market on since its statement on Tuesday.

Earlier in the week, Petro said the $5m payment due from Shell following the approval by the Mongolian government of the reassignment of interest in exploration blocks IV and V has not been received yet.

The company said that the Petroleum Authority of Mongolia had proposed a change in wording of the reassignment of the blocks, which caused the delay in the payment.

At 1430 GMT, the shares were up 13.5% to 10.50p.
Shares in Tertiary Minerals fell as the explorer said there had been development delays to its most advanced fluorspar project in Sweden.

The company, which is aims to develop 100% owned fluorspar projects from discovery towards commercial production, said that the Storuman project has been delayed due to poor stock markets conditions for junior exploration companies and a continued poor global market conditions for fluorspar.

AIM-listed Tertiary said that a recent new case law established in Sweden is changing the way mine permits are granted, which has also contributed to the delay.

The company said that while it remains on track with its fluorspar strategy, it recognises the benefit of finding projects capable of generating revenue and profits in a shorter timescale than is achievable with the current portfolio of projects, and it is now evaluating a number of complementary projects for acquisition with near term sustained revenue and profit potential.

Managing director Richard Clemmey, said: "We are pleased to have started the evaluation process on a number of acquisition opportunities with the potential to transform the company into being one with sustainable revenues in the near term and which will complement our fluorspar assets currently in development.

Shares in Tertiary Minerals were down 15.24% to 0.89p at 0920 GMT.
Flooring manufacturer Victoria appointed industry veteran Philippe Hamers as chief executive and a director of the board, effective from 20 March.

Hamers, who has over 25 years experience in the flooring industry, previously headed Europe's largest carpet manufacturing operation at Balta Group and worked in the tufted and woven division of Beaulieu International Group.

He holds a Masters in business economics from the University of Antwerp and an advanced management degree from Vlerick Business School in Belgium.

Chairman Geoff Wilding, said: "Philippe joins Victoria at an exciting time of its development as we continue to prosper both in the UK and Australia. His international expertise and industry contacts will prove beneficial as we execute our advanced plans to expand into the growing 5bn European flooring market. "

Wilding added that Hamers experience will be invaluable as the company continues to drive profit improvements while maintaining its acquisition-led growth objectives in 2017 and beyond.

Shares in Victoria were up 0.43% to 349p at 0906 GMT.
US economic data is set to dominate Fridays agenda with the release of retail sales figures and the University of Michigans consumer confidence survey in focus.

Economists expect the Commerce Departments US retail sales rose 0.7% in December following a 0.1% increase in November. The data is a key gauge of consumer spending which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity.

The University of Michigans consumer confidence index is forecast to rise to 98.5 in January from 98.2 in December.

US business inventories data from the Commerce Department is expected to reveal a 0.5% rise in November following a 0.2% drop the previous month.

Elsewhere, China publishes its trade data for December, which is expected to show exports in dollar terms fell an annualised 3.8% and imports rose 3.0%. The trade balance is forecast to rise to $47.55bn in December from $44.61bn the prior month.

There is no UK economic data due. On the corporate calendar the only notable releases in the UK will be trading statements from Grafton and SIG.

On building materials compnay Grafton, Numis said it expects the full year divisional profile to be similar to that of the third quarter with the UK reporting broadly flat like-for-like sales in the four months to October, up 1.2%, but strong in the Ireland business with 11.4% growth in merchanting and 4% growth in retail. It also sees the Dutch businesses performing strongly in the first year of ownership.

Investor focus will be on ability to pass on imported FX costs through rising prices and any statement about the price competitive nature of the UK market, though we believe it is too early to be able to indicate how much product prices are rising even though we believe there is a general and genuine desire to ensure gross margins are unaffected across the general merchant space, Numis said.

Overall we expect estimates to be unchanged, and while the outlook will be uncertain going into 2017, Grafton has more levers than most in terms of growth capability both in the UK and overseas activities, hence it remaining our favoured stock in the general merchanting space.

The broker also commented on SIG, which issued a profit warning in November. Numis believes the warning from the supplier of insulation, roofing and construction products was solely UK related and in our view more of a reflection of competitive price warring than a lurch down in activity. However, investors focus will likely be on how the situation has changed since then.

Like-for-likes in the three months to October showed UK -1.1% and Europe +2.7% and the wider outlook will also be of interest, but the 150bps gross margin decline in the UK in H2 will be the focal point, Numis said.

We believe that the replacement for the CEO will unlikely to have been resolved by time of the trading statement. Overall, we remain concerned about downside risks notably as the H2 UK run-rate needs to see considerable improvement foe SIG to be able to produce flat earnings in 2017E in line with our current estimate.

Friday 13 January

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Acal, Brown (N.) Group, Cropper (James), Marks & Spencer Group, Polar Capital Holdings, Severfield, Tarsus Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Schlumberger Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)

AGMS

Catalyst Media Group, Funding Circle SME Income Fund

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

SIG, XP Power Ltd. (DI)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Associated British Foods, Carr's Group, K3 Business Technology Group, TP ICAP
Markets in Asia were mixed on Thursday, with Japanese shares falling as the yen strengthened against a Trumped-down dollar.

The Nikkei 225 was down 1.19% at 19,134.70, while the yen strengthened against the greenback.

It was last ahead 1.06% at JPY 114.19 per $1.

Mayonnaise giant Kewpie went against the grain and surged 4.56%, after it told traders it expects a 10.7% rise in operating profit for the full year to November.

As a result, the condiment conglomerate will raise dividends JPY 1.5 to JPY 36 per share.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite was off 0.55% at 3,119.63, while the Shenzhen Composite was off 0.87% at 1,951.30.

South Koreas Kospi was up 0.58% at 2,087.14, while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index finished 0.46% lower at 22,829.02.

In Seoul, Samsung Electronics was up 1.36% while Samsung C&T rose 1.59%, suggesting investors were unperturbed by reports that Samsung Group chief Jay Lee was being questioned by special prosecutors over the presidential corruption scandal.

US President-elect Donald Trump held his first proper press conference since he was elected in November on Wednesday, though he supplied little in the way of clarity to the markets when it comes to his policies.

Trump made a couple references to 'making America great again' but there was no detail on infrastructure spending, corporate tax reform, personal income tax cuts, the prospects for deregulation or the possibility of another tax repatriation holiday, read a note from Westpac Global Strategy Group.

Oil prices were lower during earlier Asian trading, but they turned around as the sun rose on Europe, with Brent crude last uo 0.92% at $55.61 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate adding 0.65% at $52.59.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.08% to close at 5,766.85, with the healthcare subindex reflecting losses in the US health sector on Wednesday.

Biotechnology company CSL was off 2.8%, and Mayne Pharma Group finished down 4.14%.

Trading was still quiet across the Tasman Sea as New Zealanders spent their summer holiday at the beach, with the S&P/NZX 50 dropping 0.1% to 7,063.59.

It was led lower by former monopoly telco Spark, which lost 3.4%, with oil processor New Zealand Refining the best performer, adding 2.6%.

The down under dollars were both stronger on the greenback, with the Aussie advancing 0.79% to AUD 1.3332, and the Kiwi strengthening 0.83% to NZD 1.4056 per $1.
AO World s third quarter revenue climbed but the European online electrical retailer remained cautious about the final quarter given the uncertain economic outlook in the UK.

For the quarter ended 31 December, revenue surged 12.3% year-on-year as it expects its full year results to fall within expectations, but is cautious about the final quarter due to the uncertain UK economic outlook, currency impacts on supplier pricing and the possible effect on consumer demand.

The company expects full year revenue to be between 700.3m-735.9m with adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 2.4m and losses of 4.7m.

Meanwhile, revenue from ao.com increased by 10.3% year-on-year and overall UK revenue rose 8.9%, against tough comparators from the same period last year.

In Europe revenue surged 28.4% year-on-year on a constant currency basis, as the company built its logistics capabilities and capacity for the business.

Chief executive John Roberts, said: "AO continues to make progress on its long term plan, delivering sales growth across all categories and territories, and convincing more customers to experience the AO Way.

"We performed well over our peak period, particularly through Black Friday.

During the period the company launched computing in the UK, and audio-visual in Germany, and Roberts said that early trading in computing has been encouraging and sales are building as AO World invests in attracting traffic to the category on ao.com, while both the businesses in Europe continue to gain traction.

He added: We have three months left of the current financial year and are mindful of the uncertain economic outlook. However, we remain confident that our market leading proposition will continue to drive customers to experience the AO Way and enter the New Year excited by the opportunities ahead."

Shares in AO World fell 6.46% to 172.40p at 0833 GMT.
Meat packing business Hilton Food Group said it performed slightly better than it had expected in the year to 1 January thanks to growth in a number of markets and the positive impact of foreign currency translation.

In Western Europe, Hilton continued to grow the business, especially in the UK, where it had a good last quarter and also in Ireland.

In Sweden and Holland, sales were slightly higher, but they fell in Denmark due to lower consumer demand.

In Central Europe, the performance has been in line with expectations as the group continues to adapt its business model to the local environment.

Hilton said it was pleased with the start-up of the pizza businesses in Poland and Sweden, along with the continued success of Hilton Food Solutions, its new trading subsidiary.

The company said its joint venture in Australia continues to make good progress, with the Victoria plant delivering strong year-on-year growth as expected.

The outlook for 2017 remains positive, with Hilton's growth prospects underpinned by the recently confirmed expansion plans in Portugal and Queensland, Australia. The group's financial position remains strong, positioning us well for further expansion.

Hilton remains well placed to deliver continued growth over the medium term and will continue to explore further opportunities to develop our business in both domestic and overseas markets.

At 1218 GMT, the shares were up 5.3% to 666p.
FTSE 250 estate agent Savills said on Thursday that results for the year to the end of December are likely to be meaningfully ahead of its previous expectations following a strong finish to the year.

The group saw the completion of significant volumes of commercial and residential transactions in a number of its businesses around the world and benefited from further sterling devaluation.

In the UK, Savills saw increased market share in commercial investment transactions, mostly as a result of the post-referendum interest from overseas. In addition, notwithstanding a slower December, its UK residential business performed rather better than anticipated, with the top end of the market showing similar currency-related drivers of investment activity from international buyers.

These factors largely mitigated the anticipated reduction in transactional activity during the year.

Savills Investment Management completed a number of significant disposal transactions earlier than anticipated, as part of the wind-down of the German mutual funds managed by the former SEB Investment Management business, which benefited the group in 2016. As a result, the company has now moderated its expectations for the transactional element of the business in 2017.

The companys Asia Pacific and Continental European transactional businesses performed ahead of its expectations, offsetting a flat performance from the US business where corporations deferred decision-making ahead of the change of US Administration.

Savills less transactional businesses performed in line with its expectations and the devaluation of the pound versus major currencies further boosted reported profits.

In the current year, against the backdrop of heightened uncertainty over global economic prospects, geopolitical risks and rising bond yields, we expect a tempering of the strong transaction volumes of recent times in many markets. Accordingly we retain our original expectations for 2017.

Numis reacted by upping its 2016 pre-tax profit forecast to 135m from 120m and its 2017 estimate to 130m from 124m. In addition, the brokerage introduced a 2018 pre-tax profit estimate of 140m.

We retain a cautious view for 2017 given global economic/political uncertainty although would note that Savills has a consistent track record of outperforming estimates. We think Savills diverse model is not reflected in its sub 10x PE rating and we reiterate our buy rating.

At 0955 GMT, the shares were up 7.8% to 744.50p.
Tesco notched an eighth consecutive quarter of like-for-like growth and its first quarterly market share gain in five years.

Over the 13 weeks to 26 November that made up the third quarter, group like-for-like sales grew 1.5%, with the UK LFL sales up 1.8%, slightly ahead of consensus forecasts.

For the six Christmas weeks to 7 January group LFL growth slowed to 0.3%, or 0.7% in the UK, with lower general merchandise sales due to not repeating a Clubcard 'Boost' promotion.

International LFLs sales declined 1.2% in the Christmas period, against growth of 0.6% in the third quarter, against a particularly strong seasonal performance last year on top of a weakening of consumer spending in Thailand.

Chief executive Dave Lewis said he was "very encouraged" by the sustained progress and third successful Christmas.

"Our fresh food ranges proved particularly popular, outperforming the market with great quality, innovative new products and even more affordable prices.

"Internationally, we have continued to focus on improving our offer for customers in challenging market conditions."

He later told reporters that he expected Tesco to meet operating profits forecasts by making "at least 1.2bn, maybe a bit more", from previous guidance of just 1.2bn.

The 19 week period ending 7th January saw group like-for-like (LFL) sales grow 1.1%. The UK delivered a strong performance, with sales up 1.4%, seizing market share in Q3 - although progress slowed over the Christmas period.

The group believes that it is on track to deliver underlying group operating profit of at least 1.2bn for the full year. The shares fell 2.2% following the announcement.

Analyst reaction

While analysts were largely positive, there was caution about Tesco's valuation and the likelihood that the supermarket price wars are unlikely to have come to an end.

Jefferies noted the "lopsided" sales versus peers, with sales slowing as others accelerated, and said assuming Tesco will consistently outperform the industry was now "more of a stretch" and its shares' underlying valuation was "pretty demanding".

Analyst James Grzinic said: "The emerging picture is one of a slowing momentum, with TSCO management confirming that the non-repetition of the 2015 Clubcard Boost impacted sales by more than planned."

Barclays analysts noted that guidance for current year group operating profit changed from 1.2bn to at least 1.2bn, which while a welcome improvement, one that appeared to have mostly anticipated given company-collected consensus is already at 1.24bn.

"Given the stage of the turnaround, current year profits are of limited relevance, in our view  the key is momentum towards its longer-term targets and Tescos core UK business seems very much on track at this stage," Barclays said.

"Tesco CEO Dave Lewis admission that further inflationary pressure is coming is likely to intensify this pressure with last years Marmitegate saga a signpost of what may lay ahead," said Mike van Dulken at Accendo Markets.

"Since 2004 weve seen annual retail sales growth breach 6% on just three occasions, and on each occasion after that weve seen a sharp slowdown, back to levels of around 2.5%. Retailers need to be prepared for that and while todays numbers are welcome, they are no guide to what 2017 may bring to the sector as a whole."

Analyst Nicholas Hyett at Hargreaves Lansdown said the signs were that "the giant might be stirring once again", though the slowdown over the Christmas period "will leave many investors worrying whether the group can achieve sustained growth".

However, he added: "food sales seem to have performed more strongly than the wider group, something we see as key to longer term recovery. Nonetheless there are turbulent times ahead for the sector, Tesco has committed to ensuring that it 'offers customers the best possible prices', suggesting that despite looming cost inflation the price wars may not be at an end."

Richard Hunter at Wilson King said Tesco has completed the supermarket sweep after Sainsbury and Morrisons results earlier in the week, with the much publicised potential damage to the UK economy following Brexit seemingly "an area where the UK consumer seems not to have read the script".

He added: "Inevitably, some challenges remain. In the background, bond yields generally continue to put pressure on the pension deficit, the discounters may well redouble their efforts following the success this quarter of the larger players, whilst the absence of a dividend remains disappointing despite being prudent."

Retail consultant John Ibbotson at Retail Vision said that Tesco's ability to increase its market share in a period of cut-throat competition was no mean feat.

To get Tesco to its new position of strength, Dave Lewis didn't reinvent the wheel but simply went back to basics. Tesco has reduced prices to regain competitiveness in the core UK business, rebuilt customer trust and strengthened its balance sheet by selling off non-core operations and stores.

"The latest round of restructuring is another example of Lewis future-proofing the business. Tesco still has some housekeeping to do, not least its large pension deficit, but its size will increasingly prove decisive, helping it to keep prices down for longer than its rivals and maintain its margins."
Costa Coffee and Premier Inn owner Whitbread has sold two sites in London hotels, which were then leased backed, in order to reinvest the funds in opportunities for growth.

The FTSE 100 company sold its 339 room hub by Premier Inn hotel in Tothill Street, Westminster due to open in October, in exchange for a 25-year lease agreement, from M&G Investments.

M&G Investments is to pay 101.8m for the Premier Inn, with an initial payment of 73.0m on exchange, with the balance paid on completion of the hotel construction.

The company also sold its 326 room Premier Inn in West Smithfield, Farringdon, due to open in December 2018, in exchange for a 25-year lease agreement from Aviva Investors.

Aviva Investors will pay 102.8m for the property, with an initial 66m payment on exchange, with the balance on completion of the hotel.

The deals have an initial net yield under 4% against yearly rent of 4.2m for the Westminster hotel and 4.24m for the Farringdon hotel.

The companys proceeds from sale and leaseback deals for the current financial year are now expected to be around 200m.

Whitbreads group finance director, Nicholas Cadbury, said these sale and leaseback deals follows the forward funding deal of a hub by Premier Inn at Kings Cross in July 2016.

He said: These agreements highlight the strength of Whitbread's covenant and the strong asset backing to our balance sheet and align with our property strategy to carry out modest sale and leaseback transactions to recycle capital into strong returning new growth opportunities in the UK and Germany."

Shares in Whitbread were up 0.52% to 4,042p at 1558 GMT.
French National Front party leader Marine Le Pen was spotted at Trump Tower less than four months before Frances presidential election, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Le Pens campaign chief of staff David Rachline said that she was making a private visit to New York. She was not, however, on Donald Trumps chief strategist Steve Bannons schedule, according to a source.

Le Pen plans to launch her official campaign on 4 February 2017 in a meeting with supporters in Lyon. She has openly supported Trumps policies for the US calling him a sign of hope for European anti-establishment politicians in a press conference this month.
Save my User ID and Password

Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site.

Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.
New steakhouse featuring bourbon poured down a bone

The new steakhouse, from Thompson Hospitality Group, features a unique menu of smoked old-fashioneds and bone marrow luges
Taiwan scrambled F-16 fighter jets and dispatched a frigate to the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday after China sent its sole aircraft carrier into the waterway, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported. The transit of the aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, came amid rising tensions between Taiwan and China after President-elect Donald J Trump broke decades of protocol by speaking on the phone with Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, after his election victory. Tsai leads a political party that has traditionally supported Taiwan's formal independence from China. Tsai, who is visiting Central America this week, made two calls to officials in Taiwan seeking updates on the Liaoning's transit, the Central News Agency reported, citing Alex Huang, the president's spokesman. China's decision to send the carrier through the waterway that separates it from Taiwan reflects an early foreign policy challenge for Trump. ''It's a show of force, and I think it is intended in part to intimidate, and that's worrisome from the US and Taiwan's point of view because we don't know how much more they are going to ratchet up these pressures and tensions,'' Bonnie S Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told The New York Times. ''If the Trump administration does see this as a test of US resolve, I suspect they'll push back pretty forcefully.'' China sent the carrier, which had been conducting exercises in the South China Sea, into the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday morning. Taiwan's response was the third time in three days that air forces in the region had scrambled jets in response to Chinese military activity, after Japan and South Korea deployed fighters on Monday. Those actions occurred when a squadron of six Chinese bombers and two other aircraft flew over the waters that separate Japan and South Korea and over the Sea of Japan. Taiwan, considered by Beijing to be Chinese territory, has been governed separately since 1949, when the forces of the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek fled to the island after their defeat on the mainland by the Communists. China views any assertion of Taiwan's separateness from the mainland - like Tsai's call with Trump - as an affront to its claim of sovereignty. Since 1979, the United States has recognised the government in Beijing and broke off formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan as part of the One China policy. In the wake of the Trump-Tsai call, China warned the incoming president against making changes to that policy after he takes office on 20 January.



Liu Zhenmin, a Chinese vice foreign minister, said on Wednesday that the Taiwan Strait was an international waterway and that it was normal for the Liaoning to pass through it. The passage would not have any effect on cross-strait relations, he said in remarks carried in the Chinese news media. Mark C Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters in Washington in response to a question about the Liaoning's passage through the strait that the United States ''wouldn't have a problem'' with countries sailing their vessels in international waters as long as it was done in accordance with international law. The Liaoning, commissioned in 2012 and built from a Soviet hull, is China's first aircraft carrier. In past decades, the United States has shown its resolve to defend Taiwan by sailing carriers through the Taiwan Strait. In 1995, the aircraft carrier Nimitz transited the strait amid heightened tensions after Beijing conducted missile exercises in the waters. Last Thursday, the front page of People's Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military, featured a report about the aircraft carrier's latest journey under the headline, ''We're sailing under the leader's attentive gaze,'' a clear tribute to Xi.










The yellow, red and black bricks of railway buildings in Dundalk provide a permanent link to the history of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland).

The GNRI was formed on 1 April 1876 when four separate railway lines and their respective companies amalgamated. Its central engineering works were established at the mid-point on the Dublin-Belfast Junction Railway Enterprise train line in Dundalk. The impact of this on the towns architecture can be seen through the identifiable coloured brickwork used in its engineering works, residences and train station.

The GNRIs first chief engineer was the Yorkshireman, William Hemingway Mills, appointed in 1876 and employed for 33 years. Mills was responsible for creating the GNRIs brand of architectural style for the new railway company, and in turn created an identity: of company, place and people.

This article shall trace the evolution of the residential railway architecture in Dundalk which links the houses at Railway Terrace, Mounthamilton House, Brook Street and Ardee Terraces, Demesne Terrace, Hemingway House, and some earlier railway domestic buildings.

Houses were constructed on the fields of the original Roden Estate to house railway staff and so created a Workmens Village. Three buildings on Ardee Road are associated with the railway complex: two semi-detached Georgian-style two-storey houses, and one grey, detached single-gabled two-storey house.

The two semi-detached houses are listed by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as being built c.1860 and probably associated with Dundalk Railway Station. Given their appearance and pure residential design, they were most likely not for public use but for senior railway employees, and their date links them with the original station which used to stand to the east of these buildings; its platform still exists today.

The latter grey, detached house (Hemingway House) was built as the GNRIs accountants house c.1902, the same time as Demesne Terrace.

The squared roughly coursed stone wall running eastwards to south of house [gave] access to timber buildings once part of [the] railway. In 1862, the Dublin Builder describes work undertaken for the accommodation of the Irish North Western Railway [INWR] Company: A new and convenient store-yard, with store-house, carpenters workshop, and other accommodation, has been enclosed at Dundalk station. These were probably the timber buildings behind the later-built Hemingway House, but one wonders why the accountant would have needed access to timber buildings? Do these structures still stand?

Other buildings associated with the earlier train companies are the workers cottages at Railway Terrace, accessed from Carrickmacross Road. Listed under Dundalk Railway Station (Old) in the Directory of Irish Architecture, this row of 12 cottages was built c.1860. Surprisingly these are not protected structures, but their construction date and square windows correlate with the semi-detached houses on Ardee Road.

An 1863 Ordnance Survey map displays a train turn-table behind Railway Terrace, whilst a 1908 map shows paths from behind the houses leading southward toward the tracks, but no turn-table.

Located at the mid-point between Railway Terrace and the buildings on Ardee Road, is Mounthamilton House, believed to have been the original station masters house. NIAH states it was built c.1870, but this is probably too late as the 1863 OS map shows its outline clearly beneath the train turn-table. It is also incorrectly listed at Mount Hamilton House. A 1908 map also shows a path from the front entrance of the house leading to the train tracks; this is now blocked.

The style of architecture chimes with that of the semi-detached houses on Ardee Road, with quoined exteriors and flat-fronted, Georgian windows. This house still stands and is currently used for Disabilities Services in Louth with access still gained next to Railway Terrace. This use of similar architectural styles marks an early establishment of connecting buildings by purpose, company and design. This practice continued with the GNRI, and it was Mills who continued this correlation.

The first houses built by the GNRI and designed by Mills were those at Ardee and Brook Street Terraces; two parallel rows of twenty terraced houses adjacent to the engineering works. Constructed simultaneously were two larger end-of-terrace semi-detached houses overlooking the works entrance: Brooklyn and Brook Ville. Plans signed by Mills dated 28 August 1880 show a proposed street layout with square outlines for the houses, backyards and WC units. An additional row was designed to be built to the south of Brook Street Terrace, but were not constructed as the land was liable to flooding and became the scrap yard of the works. These plans state that these twenty houses to be built under first contract, linking them with the construction of the initial engineering works. Both terraces are red-brick, two-storey with flat frontages, moulded coping and bonded window frames in yellow brick, which is also used on the rounded door hoods fanlights.

The addition of yellow adds an embellishment and identifiable feature to the terraces, linking them with the companys engineering works and their later railway station; although Mills design for the new station is dated 1892, it seems that he was already planning a branding for the GNRI.

The exterior wall at Number 1 Brook Street Terrace displays etched names of past residents. These include the first residents: J. McFeat 1899, who was probably 13 year old John McFeat, whose father, also John, was an engine fitter at the works.

At the eastern end of the terraces are two semi-detached, larger houses; Brook Ville and Brooklyn. Although these houses correlate in feature and material to the terraces, they are on a grander scale. With bay windows to north and south, the flat frontage faces the entrance to the works, suggesting surveillance, whether in practical or theoretical terms. Side bays are topped with projecting flat roofs, whilst the fronts have gabled pitched roofs with bargeboards. Quoins are pronounced in yellow brick, mirroring those at the works offices opposite and echoing the features of the earlier railway buildings. Door and window hoodings also use this same brick.

A later addition to the GNRIs catalogue of residential architecture, Demesne Terrace is a row of ten terraced cottages located north of Carrickmacross Road and parallel to the railway line and new station opposite. The cottages are listed as protected structures, with NIAH giving a construction date of c.1870. This cannot be correct as the GNRI was formed in 1876 and their original architectural plan, entitled Design for Four Room Two-Storey Dwelling House was signed by Mills on 5 November 1901. It is also logical that these houses were built after the new station had been opened in 1894, in order to provide more railway staff accommodation. Also, prior to this, land in the Demesne and Townparks areas did not belong to the railway company, but to the Roden Estate, as evidenced by the Plan Referred to document, signed by Mills and executors of the land sale dated 16 May 1889, in the Registry of Deeds: A Memorial hereof was entered in the Registry of Deeds, Dublin, at 16 minutes after 3 oclock on 2nd August 1889. And the execution hereof, and of said Memorial was duly proved. The plan clearly shows in red the areas which are to be purchased, with the areas either side of the existing tracks being recognisable as the sites for the new station and Demesne Terrace.

The detailed original drawings indicate that the houses on Demesne Terrace were to have three bedrooms; two upstairs and one downstairs to the front, left of the hallway. The hall led backwards to the kitchen, with an under-stairs pantry to the right and scullery to the rear left. The scullery had a door leading to the yard and adjoining coal shed. W.C. and ashes waste units were located in the left rear corner of the walled backyards, which were coped with double bull nosed bricks set and bedded with cement.

Built of red-brick, the houses use yellow-brick bonded windows and mouldings to echo those seen at the station and Ardee and Brook Street Terraces. The door hoods are not rounded like the earlier terraces, but rather match the gentle curve of the windows, also used at the new station. This architectural correlation is enhanced further by similar linear string coursing, for which solid mitered bricks of the proper form to be specially ordered for the moulded hood course. The frontage to the houses includes a gabled pitched roof over the first-storey central window.

The 1911 census does not list Demesne Terrace by name nor the Carrickmacross Road off which they are located, but deeper investigation suggests that it may have been included in the wider street census Dundalk Rural/Demesne Rural with twenty houses. Occupants of numbers 1-10 have occupations relating directly to the running of the train station; this is likely to be the row of ten houses at Demesne Terrace. Occupants of numbers 11-20 are of higher professions, such as civil engineer and solicitor. A brief survey of the current road supports this, with houses 11-20 being grander detached houses.

The 1911 census also reveals that the majority of occupants surrounding the tracks were employed by the GNRI. This impacted on the urbanisation of the area, which had previously lay as agricultural land west of the main town. The GNRI as a company connected its employees across a spectrum of ages, professions and classes, whilst architecture, both industrial and domestic, segregated them. The occupants of the buildings define the identity of the site; it is they who provided the manpower to run the GNRI and their existence which necessitated the need for residential architecture.

The input of William Hemingway Mills and the development of his architectural taste can be witnessed through original drawings with his detailed notes, instructions and authoritative signature of approval. Some buildings were built to plan and retained their intended function throughout the GNRIs operations, whilst others have several sequential drawings and physical alterations which changed their use. Analysis of the drawings alongside the buildings has not been undertaken before, and provides valuable insight into the site.

The GNRI buildings are a natural evolution of an existing place and domestic architecture provides another layer of architectural history to an established industrial town with a strong tradition of engineering ingenuity, and a strong sense of identity.

This article is adapted from the research paper, Railway Architecture: The GNRI at Dundalk, which details the architectural history of the GNRI and its impact on Dundalk including the engineering works and old and new train stations. It was awarded a distinction at Masters level at Trinity College Dublin. A copy has been donated to Louth County Council, the TD for County Louth, the Dundalk Railway Society, and the Irish Railway Records Society. Thanks are due to the Dundalk Railway Society who assisted with this research: Margaret Mallon, Brendan McQuaid, Paul Lynch, Artie McManus, and Dundalk Stations current Station Master, Anthony Monaghan.
Compared to other parts of Canada, Vancouver has the mildest climate. If I remember it right Vancouver also host the most number of Filipino immigrant workers and they also have more rainy days compared to other the rest of Canada.

So I was wondering what activities I can do on a cold damp place like theirs. Well I had some talks with the friendly people at the vancouver chat and here are their recommendations.
As some of you already know, (through my Twitter, Instagram and personal Facebook account updates) I was in Davao! I might be on my way back to Manila as soon as you read this if not back in Manila already. This visit was my first time in Davao and the first at any province in Mindanao ever! So I am glad my visit was very memorable as I get to experience how it is like to be a coffee farmer and a coffee for that matter!

Day 2 of my trip was the total immersion experience of being a coffee farmer girl, we were advised early on that we might need to wear boots because some farm can be very muddy or even have some leaches in them! Fortunately, it was a nice sunny day today, most of the farms were dry and warm so it didnt get that messy as I expect it to be.

OOTD Shot taken at : Nestle Experimental and Development Farm in Tagum City, Davao or in short the Nescafe Coffee Farm in Davao.

What Im wearing:

Denim short pull-overs: Trifted

Sandals: Ipanema

Shades: Mango Tango

Watch: Valii Watch

Chain Bracelets: Anagon Collectio

Sling Bag: Roxy

and a Nescafe Coffee Mug!

Aside from the Nescafe Farm, we also visited some local farmers who grow coffee trees among others

We visited awhere I get tobeing sold to the station for quality testing. Mind you we get samples from each sack!

The total immersion was not complete without having

I will tell you more about the immersion experience and the story Beyond The Cup of coffee we all love in another post soon! Meanwhile, enjoy this small teaser post that will give you an overlook of how a day in a life of a coffee farmer is like!

Stay gorgeous everyone!
Im still in Pangasinan as I write this post but it looks like I will be back again in May 1, 2013. Why? Well I just learned that Pangasinan will be celebrating their yearly feast in the province differently, the Pangasinan Pitay Dagat 2013 expect fo the first time dragon boat racing, kayak and speed boat exhibit!

How did I know of this? Well, we were just among the first to be able to see up close and personal the brand spanking new dragon boats, kayaks and speed boat parked under the bride of

Looks fun eh? Cant wait to see them boats in action during theof course!Thanks much Vanj Padilla for being my hostess again for this trip! You rock!

How about you have you witnessed this feast before?

Stay gorgeous everyone!

You may want to read about my Lingayen Beach trip and Razalan Beach operated by Vanj Padilla
Just a week ago, I was in Kota Kinabalu courtesy of Zest Air and Tourism Malaysia and Fleishman Hillard Philippines. One of the favorite activity we did at our Kota Kinabalu Tour was the trip to Mari Mari Cultural Heritage Village where we had a taste of the Old Sabah culture, taste, feel, sight and sound. FYI: Kota Kinabalu is the capital city of Sabah, Malaysia.

There arein the village which included the tribe of

First House: The Dusun Tribe Old House

What I learned from our Mari Mari Tour Guide Felix was that the Dusun tribe that they keep their rice away from their main house. They keep their rice on higher ground as they believe rice is sacred, they call such storage asIt is also away from the main house so in case there is fire they have their rice intact.

This is their kitchen and their so-called refrigerator in the old times, this is where they keep their food stored.

Second House:The Rungus Tribe Longhouse

In this tribe everyone lives in one house. They just add another room/ extension to the house each time a member of the family gets married. Which where the term longhouse came from.

Third House: The Lundayen Tribe House

You will see a lot of skeletons of animals they hunt and even human skulls displayed in the house of a warrior as they believe the spirit of the owner of the head will protect the house from evil or bad spirit and people.

Fourth House: The Badjau Tribe House

Felix confirmed that this tribe came from the Philippines so whatever Muslim culture and the way of living our old Badjao tribe does they do it here. They have the most colorful house especially when theres a wedding ceremony!

Fifth House: The Murut Tribe House

One of my favorite houses as they have aBut that trampoline is not just for fun

What we did at the Mari Mari Cultural Heritage Village Tour

What I love about this tour is that it was not just a typical look-see tour but an interactive one where visitors get to try how things are done in the olden days themselves.

We were shown how the Dusun makes rice wine and we had wine tasting too! I must say the wine taste really good!

They also showed us the old days refrigerator it is where they keep their food fresh, even meat and poultry products!

We were also shown how they cook in the traditional way by using bamboo trunk.They use bamboo and put the food they need to cook inside the bamboo and burn the bamboo to cook the food. We were able to try this ourselves too!

Tribes in the old times of Sabah loves to drink, so they have different kinds of alcohol this wine is from another tribe Dusun but it was a bit bitter compared to the rice wine

Cookie making! This cookie is good but a bit oily!

Fire making.

Vest and rope making

Henna Tattoo for us but in the old times they use some sharp objects and ink

And to complete the experience a Cultural Dance Show was held where audience get to participate in the end too by doing that bamboo dance we know here at Tinikling (I forgot what they call the dance!)

TheI think last about 2 hours. In all honesty, I forgot about the time as I was enjoying every inch of the interactive tour. It was just my stomach that was telling me it was time to eat! Fortunately at the end of the tour was a buffet waiting for all the guest to enjoy and to cap the night. Aside from whats in the buffet they also gave us the food we cooked when we started the tour around the village! Kewlness!

What I think about the Mari Mari Cultural Heritage Tour:

If you are going to Kota Kinabalu and you have half of the night free, tour starts at 5:30PM then you should not miss this one. This will complete your Kota Kinabalu Trip.

I completely understand why t he trip is held at nighttime so as to get that old feel ambiance . Especially the scary part where we visited the head hunters tribe who were said to be the most aggressive tribe of all!

I think they need more spotlight on the cultural dance part so as people can get better videos and pictures of the dance. But then again maybe thats intentional so as not to show everything when people upload it online haha!

How I wish the Philippines have such kinda village where tourist gets to have an interactive feel of how the old Filipino used to live.

Do I recommend this?

Absolutely. Mari Mari is a must see attraction in Kota Kintabalu! You should not miss this one in your travel itinerary to Sabah!

Mari Mari Cultural Heritage Village is 30 minutes away from the Kota Kinabalu City proper.

If you would like to try this heritage tour when you are in Sabah you may contact the Sabah Tourism Board www.sabahtourism.com or email them at info@sabahtourism.com

How about you, have you been to Mari Mari? Have you experienced such tour in your travels before?

Stay gorgeous everyone!

Some photo courtesy of Iris Camille Acosta of Pinayads.com
Starting their latest exhibition program, the Ayala Museum in cooperation with the Japan-Foundation Manila will have its I Love Kusama Exhibit at its Ground Floor Gallery and Third Floor Glass Lane beginning 16 July, 2013.

I Love Kusama features the artworks of Yayoi Kusama and the collection owned by Lito and Kim Camacho, one of the leading collectors of Kusama. Collectors Series, through curated thematic exhibitions, aims to expand the understanding and appreciation of local and international art by providing the opportunity to view artworks that are usually not seen in public, especially a body of work of a single artist whom a collector admires.

Yayoi Kusama, born in Japan, 1929, is one of the leading and most influential figures of the avant-garde scene and is credited to be an important precursor of various art movements which took shape between the 1950s and 60s, namely Minimalism, Feminism and Pop Art. Kusama remains active and relevant at 84, as attested by her works being one of the main highlights of the recently concluded ArtBasel HK.

Notable Kusama installations include her immersive infinity mirror rooms that have been featured in institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art and Tate Modern, and her iconic spotted pumpkin sculptures seen on both indoor and outdoor exhibitions in different countries. In 2011, Kusama also worked with fashion designer Marc Jacobs for a line of whimsical products and corresponding window displays for Louis Vuitton.

With the assistance of the Camachos and the Japan Foundation-Manila, and the guidance of Ota Fine Arts, Yayoi Kusama Studio, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the exhibition at Ayala Museum will be the first major Yayoi Kusama show in the Philippines.

I Love Kusama is held in celebration of the 40th Year of the ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month. The exhibition will be on view until 1 September, 2013. As part of its education component, Ayala Museum has invited Akira Tatehata, one of the worlds leading experts on Kusama and the curator the Japanese Pavilion during the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993 (when Kusama represented the country) for a one-time lecture on 10 August, 2013, 4PM, Ayala Museum Ground Floor Lobby.

For more information, call 757-7117 to 21, visit www.ayalamuseum.org, or email museum_inquiry@ayalamuseum.org.

This is one exhibit you should not miss at Ayala Museum!

Stay gorgeous everyone!
M&S Bank launches its lowest ever loan rate

M&S Bank has launched its lowest ever loan rate of 3.0% APR representative on loans between 7,500 and 15,000 from 12 to 84 months, available to both new and existing customers.

M&S Bank offers personal loans from 1,000 to 25,000 and customers have the option of taking a payment holiday for the first three months, subject to lending criteria.

As part of a range of new offers for the New Year, M&S Bank is also rewarding customers with M&S vouchers when they take out new home, motor and pet insurance products.

Households taking out a new buildings and contents policy will receive 40 in M&S vouchers, new premier motor insurance customers will receive a 50 M&S voucher and new pet insurance customers will receive up to 30 in M&S vouchers when taking out a new policy.

Paul Stokes, Head of Products, M&S Bank, said: We know that many families take the time to review their finances in the New Year so were pleased to be able to offer our lowest ever loan rate at a time when families need it most, along with a range of rewarding insurance offers.
Some of high-techs heaviest hitters will be in New York City Wednesday to meet with President-elect Donald J. Trump.

On the list of all-stars expected to attend the meeting are Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and Oracle CEO Safra Catz, according to a Recode report.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is likely to attend as well. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, whose reporters the president-elect at one point barred from his campaign events.

A number of high-profile tech players reportedly have not been invited or cant make the meeting. They include Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston and Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman.

Jack Dorsey, CEO and inventor of the president-elects favorite social medium, Twitter, apparently was uncertain if hed been invited, according to Recode.

Whats in It for Tech?

How might tech execs benefit from the meeting with the president-elect? For one thing, it might calm some frazzled nerves.

Ideally, the meeting will help quell concerns about Trumps anti-tech industry campaign trail blustering, observed Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Trumps comments about technology during the election campaign demonstrated a notable lack of understanding or open hostility about key industry issues and concerns, he told the E-Commerce Times, including Net neutrality, H-1B visas, relations with China  where many vendors have manufacturing partners  and diversity.

What the president-elect hopes the session will accomplish for his administration is anyones guess.

A similar meeting with heads of various media organizations devolved into Trump delivering a scolding, King noted. I doubt many in the group of CEOs invited to this sitdown will willingly endure a tongue-lashing by someone who appears to understand very little about their industry.

Primate Dominance

The president-elects meeting with the high tech execs could very well resemble the one with the media brass, said Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.

Trumps previous meeting with media executives seems to have been primarily an exercise in primate dominance display rather than achieving any particular concrete goal, he told the E-Commerce Times. The point may not be to move toward any particular policy goal so much as for Trump to satisfy himself that he can gather captains of industry in a single room.

The president-elects campaign rhetoric on immigration and trade has created uncertainties that are making the technology industry nervous, Sanchez added.

A restrictive immigration policy will hinder the industrys ability to gather the best minds from around the world  an ability that has been an enormous engine of Silicon Valleys growth and productivity, he explained.

The industry also is concerned that either through policy or use of the bully pulpit, the president-elect may disrupt the global supply chain that has made mass-market tech possible, said Sanchez.

Data Collection on Agenda

The technology industry could be valuable for accomplishing many of the goals the president-elect outlined during the campaign.

Many of Trumps policy proposals are heavily reliant upon personally identifiable data, such as religion, ethnicity, documentation status and sexual orientation, explained Reem Suleiman, a campaigner for SumOfUs.

Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that many of his tech goals are centered around data collection and the surveillance of vulnerable communities of color, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Data collection could be a point of contention at the meeting with the president-elect.

The CEOs may seek some sort of acknowledgment that their businesses are harmed by the current intelligence-gathering apparatus that the government operates, particularly abroad, noted Ross Schulman, senior policy counsel for New Americas Open Technology Institute.

Surveillance Problem

The tech companies to be represented at the meeting are global companies, Shulman pointed out.

For them to do business around the world, their non-U.S. customers want some sort of understanding that the U.S. government isnt pawing through their data at a whim, he said. Fixing that instead of going backwards would be appreciated by a lot of them.

However, indications are that wont be the case.

Nominations like Mike Pompeo for CIA director and Jeff Sessions for the DoJ are causing a lot of heartache for that reason, Shulman said.

Theyre gung-ho about collecting all the data that they can, he added. Thats got to be troubling for people in Silicon Valley.
Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
NECKARSULM - Lidl has become the first major supermarket retailer to publish a list of it major production facilities for textiles and footwear. The German retailer will publish its main production facilities of its approximately 650 suppliers for the textile and shoe range of Lidl's own brands on its website. Lidl will update the list every six months. Lidl, one of the world's leading discount retailers, boasts annual textile sales of one billion Euros.
By Hannah Norman

An otter backstrokes past the damp walkway as sea lions bark, resting on adjacent planks. Sunlight filters into the shaded labyrinth of mesh-lined cages that hang in the water column beneath Montereys Municipal Wharf No. 2. Inside the suspended cylinders, thousands of California red abalone are munching on freshly harvested kelp.

Welcome to our world under the wharf, said Art Seavey, co-owner of Monterey Abalone Company.

The historic pier is more than 90 years old; its wooden troughs were severely rotted out before the farm refurbished them and took up residence in the unused space. A built-in ladder eases the descent through a trapdoor from the bustling office and touristy marketplace above, where the company sells fully grown abalone for roughly $21 to $23 per pound. Local, high-end restaurants, as well as individuals, purchase the delicacy straight off the wharf.

Aquaculture provides more than half of all fish consumed globally, as wild fish catches are slowly diminishing. Experts say that seafood is an integral part of supplying food security, as well as sufficient protein and nutrition, to a global population that is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. A major battle for environmentalists and many aquaculture proponents alike is ensuring the industry moves away from environmentally harmful techniques, which have painted the growing sector with a negative brush.

Monterey Abalone Company hopes to help catalyze this shift. Founded in 1992, the company is one of six abalone farms in California, and it takes pride in its sustainable aquaculture practices. Monterey Bay Aquariums Seafood Watch, a program that helps consumers and businesses choose sustainable seafood options, gives abalonewhen farmed in enclosed systems such as that of Monterey Abalone Companya green, best choice ranking.

Trevor Fay, Seaveys partner, points out that the sea snails are indigenous to the Pacific coastline, as is their regular meal of hand-harvested kelp. One of the fastest growing plants on the planet, giant kelp expands 10 to 12 inches per day, providing a renewable, fresh resource to feed the abalone. It all comes back to us relying on a healthy kelp bed, said Fay. We need a healthy planet to continue our farming.

How an Army of Ocean Farmers Is Starting an Economic Revolution https://t.co/SI5Qt94XFu @HealTheBay @SeafoodWatch  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) April 11, 2016

Still, kelp harvesting has been the most controversial aspect of their operation, even though the company is one of only two hand harvesters in the entire U.S., according to Fay. During the 1990s, the Monterey abalone outfit came under fire after an out-of-town kelp harvester unrelated to the company mechanically clear-cut a giant kelp bed just offshore. It wasnt until after a 2000 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary study, which concluded that Fay and Seaveys business only harvested about one-tenth of one percent of the bays kelp, that tensions subsided.

Corey Peet, a sustainable seafood consultant, said that across the U.S. and Canada, the pendulum has swung too far toward the anti-aquaculture side, propelled in part by the notoriously bad byproducts of salmon farming, such as waste excretion from net pens, the overuse of antibiotics and the spread of disease to wild populations. Another problem with finfish farming is the feed conversion ratio. Salmon and other finfish, which are predators by nature, feed on harvested smaller fish that are ground into fishmeal. It can take up to five pounds of wild fish to produce one pound of salmon.

There are shades of gray in which the sustainability of our species will be determined, Peet said. Clearly, aquaculture has a role to play, but its not going to be salmon or tuna feeding the masses.

Thats where shellfish, and species like abalone that are lower on the food chain, come in. Bivalves, such as mussels and clams, are filter feeders, which means that they dont require any additional feeding, according to Judith Weis, a member of the Sierra Clubs Marine Action Team and a professor of biological sciences at Rutgers University. They also absorb excess nutrients from the ocean, which can actually be beneficial to water quality and local ecosystems.

Just like with finfish farming, however, not all shellfish aquaculture embraces best practices, notes Weis. Bivalve culture can be an avenue for introducing invasive speciesand their diseasesto a new area, along with smaller hitchhiking critters such as oyster drills, limpets and algae. Cultivating species in a native habitat prevents these negative impacts on local ecosystems. Aquaculture is a necessary thing because we are depleting wild stocks, but lets learn to do it right, she said.

Aquaculture can also be integral in restoring local species decimated by overfishing and coastal degradation.

Californias once plentiful abalone population succumbed to a combination of overharvesting and a disease called withering foot syndrome. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife closed both sport and commercial abalone fishing for all seven species of the sea snail. Today, only freediving for red abalone, the most abundant variety, is permitted on a short stretch of coast above San Francisco.

Though the Monterey Abalone Company raises their abalone for eating, Fay said they contribute to restoration and environmental efforts through their educational partnerships. In 2008, the company started a hatchery in a joint project with Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, a consortium campus for seven California state universities, where students can study the species early life cycle. It has also hosted groups from the restaurant industry, such as the Culinary Institute of America, to raise awareness about the environmental benefits of sustainable seafood. The farm regularly invites elementary and high school classrooms from around Monterey County in for discussions about Californias depleted abalone population, as well as aquaculture best practices.

Its very important to educate the public about how and why were doing it, Fay said. Most people arent aware of where the food comes from.

The company is doing a few experiments of their own, too, in order to minimize their environmental impact even more. The marine farmers have begun growing purple hinged rock scallops, which hang underneath the abalone in the water column and feed off of extra nutrients excreted from the abalone above.

The idea of cultivating species with different ecological roles together, multiaquaculture, is a really clever idea, Weis said. Thats really good.

Reposted with permission from our media associate SIERRA Magazine.
Americas national parks are already under threat, but will our beloved public lands survive Donald Trumps incoming presidency?

Trump taps well of protest with calls for more drilling in national parks https://t.co/y0DnUwpGJL  Reuters (@Reuters) January 11, 2017

The president-elect plans to open up federal lands for more energy development and, according to Reuters, energy companies and industry lobbyists are already expecting a flurry of new federal drilling and mining leases with the incoming administration.

This opportunity is unique, maybe once in a lifetime, Jack Gerard, president of the Washington DC-based American Petroleum Institute lobby group, told the news service in regards to increased access to federal leases.

Vast quantities of oil, natural gas, coal and uranium are tucked away in government-owned national parks and forests, wildlife refuges and tribal territories from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico.

As Reuters noted, under the Obama administration, oil output on federal land made up about a fifth of the national total in 2015, down from more than a third in 2010. Onshore drilling leases also fell about 15 percent.

However, Trump campaigned on a promise to unleash Americas $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, plus hundreds of years in clean coal reserves. He has accused Obama of denying millions of Americans access to the energy wealth sitting under our feet by restricting leasing and banning new coal extraction.

The U.S. government owns roughly 640 million acres of land, and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) manages most of it. In December, Trump nominated U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, a climate change skeptic and coal mining advocate as head of the department.

As it happens, The Wilderness Society calculated that 90 percent of the lands held by the Bureau of Land Management, a bureau of the DOI, is already open to oil and gas development. Most of these lands are in the West and Alaska.

The Wilderness Society

At the same time, with crude oil prices above $50 a barrel, a drilling boom is in sight. As Bloomberg reported, U.S. shale producers are starting to hire back workers after sharp cutbacks in recent years and have added rigs to the shale patch in North America.

Even though Trump has previously said that he wants to keep public lands great and is not looking to sell off land, that doesnt mean the leasing of public lands and waters for energy production is off the table.

Trumps own Energy Independence website states, Rather than continuing the current path to undermine and block Americas fossil fuel producers, the Trump Administration will encourage the production of these resources by opening onshore and offshore leasing on federal lands and waters. He also plans to end the war on coal and intends to scrap emissions regulations issued by the Obama Administration, such as the Clean Power Plan.

Trumps advisors are also seeking to privatize Native American reservations, which sit on an estimated 20 percent of the nations oil and gas, along with large amounts of coal reserves. These resources are worth nearly $1.5 trillion.

In an effort to safeguard the environment, President Obama recently designated about 1.6 million acres in Utah and Nevada as national monuments. He also banned new drilling in federal waters in parts of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Republican lawmakers, however, have vowed to undo the measures. For now, it looks like the Rights Drill, Baby, Drill ethos is back on.
ExxonMobil was dealt a major blow on Wednesday after a Massachusetts judge ordered the company to hand in more than 40 years of climate research.

On Wednesday, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Heidi E. Brieger denied the oil giant a protective order that would have blocked Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healeys subpoenas for Exxons internal research on climate change.

https://twitter.com/maura_healey/status/819337960558624768

This affirms our authority to investigate fraud, Healey tweeted after the decision. ExxonMobil must come clean about what it knew about climate change.

Exxon spokesman Alan Jeffers told Reuters the company was reviewing the decision to determine next steps.

In June, the company filed a lawsuit at a federal court in Texas to block Healeys investigation. However, a Texas judge later ruled that the court had no jurisdiction over an investigation in Massachusetts.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/743926498009161728

Exxon is cooperating with New York Attorney General Eric Schneidermans own subpoena and has already turned over thousands of pages of documents.

Healey and Schneiderman are among 20 state attorneys general who have launched an unprecedented investigation into whether Exxon knew about man-made climate change for several decades but disseminated false information to shareholders and the public in order to boost profits.

In April, DeSmog uncovered Exxon corporate documents from the late 1970s stating unequivocally there is no doubt that CO2 from the burning of of fossil fuels was a growing problem well understood within the company. Despite having this information, multiple reports have surfaced over the companys efforts to lobby the government against emissions regulations and funding of climate change denial.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/725330456439185409

The ruling is not just a huge win for Healy, it also raises significant questions over the countrys next presumptive secretary of state. On the same day of the courts decision, former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson faced off with the U.S. Senate over his nomination as Donald Trumps top foreign affairs adviser.

At one point during the rocky all-day hearing, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia asked Tillerson, Are these conclusions about ExxonMobils history of promoting and funding climate science denial, despite its internal awareness of the reality of climate change during your tenure with the company, true or false?

Tillerson, despite working for half of his 42 years at Exxon as an executive, said he could not answer the question since he no longer worked for the company.

https://twitter.com/MarkRuffalo/status/819303810493534208

Kaine, however, pressed on. Im not asking you on behalf of ExxonMobil. You have resigned from ExxonMobil. Im asking you whether those allegations about ExxonMobils knowledge of climate science and decision to fund and promote a view contrary to its awareness of its science, whether the allegations are true or false.

Tillerson again did not answer.

Do you lack the knowledge to answer my question, or are you refusing to do so? Kaine asked.

Tillerson finally responded, A little of both.

https://twitter.com/timkaine/status/819234488660197377

Oil Change International campaigns director David Turnbull told EcoWatch that the prospect of a sitting secretary of state becoming entangled in a lawsuit for his role in misleading the public about climate change is as real as it is alarming.

Tillerson should stop the evasiveness and make all of the documents it provided to New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman public, so we have a full account of his role in Exxons disinformation campaign, Turnbull added. Anything short of that will leave questions looming that evidence suggests may only be later answered in court.

350.org co-founder Bill McKibben issued a similar statement.

Rex Tillerson may be trying to make his getaway, but its good to see that the courts may yet hold Exxon responsible for the damage its done to this planet and to our democracy, McKibben said. It was astonishing to watch Tillerson dodge and weave, almost as if he hadnt spent his entire career at ExxonMobil. Apparently, alongside the climate damage it causes, longterm exposure to Big Oil impairs your memory.
Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and

Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant met with Donald Trump in New York to ask the president-elect to bless the companies planned $66 billion mega-merger.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/809172412591968256

It was a productive meeting about the future of agriculture and the need for innovation, a Bayer spokesman told

Reuters.

The German chemical giants pending takeover of the U.S. seedmaker would form the largest seed and

pesticide company in the world. Consolidation of the two massive companiesnot to mention the deals between DuPont and Dow Chemical Co, and ChemChina and Syngentawill completely reshape the global seed and pesticide markets.

According to

FOX Business, Baumann and Grant told Trump that a successful merger would create or keep jobs in the U.S. It is currently unclear how Trump responded to their plans during the meeting.

The CEOs are hoping that the prospect of additional U.S. jobs coming from the merger will be enough incentive for the incoming Trump administration to approve the acquisition, FOX wrote.

The multibillion-dollar merger still needs regulatory approval in several markets including the U.S. and Europe, and has already been subject to U.S. state and federal antitrust investigations.

https://twitter.com/monsantotribun/status/796474049740345344

While the companies tout the proposed deal as an altruistic plan to feed a growing global population and improve the lives of growers and people around the world, critics are worried that a successful merger will lead to fewer choices and increased prices for farmers as well as a monopolization of the world food supply.

As it happens, Trumps nominees will be leading antitrust enforcement at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Trump has yet to name his nominee to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Business analysts have said that the president-elects nominee for attorney generalSen. Jeff Sessions, a pro-business conservative from Alabamais good news for any pending mega-deals.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/800793742382944256

Sessions likely nomination and confirmation by the Senate, in which he has served since 1997, is a market positive for merger and acquisition activity, Terry Haines of the investment banking advisory firm Evercore ISI, wrote.

Sessions as attorney general would shift immediately from the current mostly red light Obama antitrust/competition policy and move towards one that would be friendlier to M&A activity, Haines added.

But as The Wall Street Journal reports, several members of Trumps agricultural advisory committee have spoken out against mega-mergers and have urged the president-elect to block them.

Iowa agribusiness mogul Bruce Rastetter, a member of that committee who has been shortlisted for the empty USDA spot, told The Journal he plans to raise his concerns about the mergers directly with Trump in the near future.

Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, senior scientist for Pesticide Action Network, has grave concerns over the merger.

Just six corporations already dominate worldwide seed and pesticide markets, she said. Additional consolidation will increase prices and further limit choices for farmers, while allowing Monsanto and friends to continue pushing a model of agriculture that has given us superweeds, superbugs and health-harming pesticides. Instead, we need to invest in agroecological, resilient and productive farming.
By Paul Brown

The prospects for expansion of the nuclear industry worldwide look worse in 2017 than at any time since the first atom stations were built in the 1950s.

Toshiba, the giant Japanese company that owns the American reactor designer Westinghouse, is the latest company to face financial difficulties due to unforeseen cost overruns and delays that run into billions of dollars.

Westinghouse Electrics troubles began after it bought construction contractor CB&I Stone & Webster and then had to write down the value of the acquisition by billions of dollars because of problems with building four new reactors for U.S. utilities.

Nuclear Problems

Electricite de France (EDF), the French company with ambitious plans to build four nuclear reactors in Britain, is in ever-deepening financial difficulties because it has failed to build new stations on time or on budget at Olkiluoto, Finland and Flamanville, in France. It is also embroiled in an ongoing scandal over faulty reactor parts.

Even Rosatom, the state-owned Russian company, keen to expand sales outside its own borders, is pegging back on its building plans at home. Alexander Lokshin, the first deputy director general, said on the companys website that, because forecasts of energy use growth in Russia have proved to be inaccurate, the company had settled for life extensions of existing plants rather than a large program of building new ones.

While China and India continue to press ahead with nuclear projects, both countries are putting ever-greater effort into renewables, which provide much quicker returns. China has cut back on nuclear plans, but is continuing to build both its own home-grown designs and two reactors of EDFs new design, which are still under construction although they should already be in operation.

South Korea seems to be the one bright spot for the industry. It now has 25 working reactors and is building moreincluding exporting four to be built at Barakah in the United Arab Emirates.

So while there are still plenty of reactors planned or under construction, they appear to be running late and over budget or are in countries where state ownership and subsidy props up the industry and disguises its flaws.

The industry is in most trouble in countries where nuclear has to compete on price with renewables and gas. Raising enough capital to build a nuclear station at market rates is no longer possible without state subsidy. In the European Union and the U.S., where a free market in electricity is supposed to prevail, government moves to boost the nuclear industry are increasingly controversial.

However, there are unlikely to be any bankruptcies. The governments of Japan, France and Britain will bail out these flagship companies because they employ far too many voters to let them fail. In addition, closing existing nuclear stations rapidly is technically difficult and would cause serious blackouts in France and possibly some neighboring countries.

But hopes of a nuclear renaissance now appear to be a pipe dream. This is partly because western companies have apparently failed to design new nuclear power stations that can be built on time and on budget.

Delays of years in construction times and the doubling of costs, are the new normal, while the prices of low-carbon alternatives, wind and solar, which can be deployed in weeks rather than decades, have continued to fall. It is now clear that solar farms and wind turbines produce cheaper power than new nuclear will ever be able to. In some cases even old nuclear stations are so costly to run that new wind and solar are cheaper.

Future of the Industry

The outcome of all this financial turmoil for the future of the industry is difficult to predict. It is probable that stations long under construction in the U.S., Finland, France and China, and due to be finished in the next two years, will be completed if no new technical problems arise. Starting them up will probably be a political rather than an economic decision.

But whether these companies embark on planned new constructions is the real issue. EDF continues with plans to build four European Pressurised Reactors in England, two at Hinkley Point in western England, which are supposed to be completed by 2025, and two more at Sizewell, east of London, where plans are still at the consultation stage. How the deeply indebted company will raise the finance for these projects is not clear.

Toshibas financial plight puts another British project, the plan to build three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors in north-west England, in jeopardy. With the companys debts close to its value in equity, the company credit rating has been lowered. It is hard to see who will put up the enormous capital required to finance the building of three new reactors with designs that already have a dubious record on building times and cost overruns.

These seven giant reactor projects are the first of 10 planned for Britain. So far there has not been the slightest hint from either the companies or the UK government that the plans might need revision. Time will tell whether anyone will come up with the $50 billion in capital needed to build them.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network.
By Andrew Seifter

Secretary of state nominee and former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 11. Tillerson is already under fire for making the seemingly false claim that Exxon has not lobbied against sanctions on Russia and other nations that would affect Exxons business dealings, but here are five other climate change-related takeaways that reporters should keep in mind in their coverage of the hearing and Tillerson nomination going forward.

https://www.facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/1416870398325893/

1. Tillerson distorted climate change science  again.

As researchers at Harvard and MIT have documented, Tillerson has falsely claimed in the past that the temperature record really hadnt changed over the previous decade and repeatedly made scientifically inaccurate claims seeking to sow doubt about the reliability of climate models.

Tillerson again wrongly cast doubt on climate models during the confirmation hearing. When asked by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) whether climate change is caused by human activities, Tillerson replied that the increase in the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect, but that our ability to predict that effect is very limited.

In reality, climate models have proven themselves reliable in predicting long-term global surface temperature changes, as The Guardians Dana Nuccitelli has noted. Indeed, in remarks to Mashable responding to Tillersons comments, Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann similarly said, Climate models have proven extremely skillful in predicting the warming that has already been observed. And David Titley, the former head of the Navys climate change task force, explained, The ability of climate scientists to predict the future is significantly more skillful than many other professions (economics, intelligence, political science) who try and predict the future.

As Texas Tech University climate researcher Katherine Hayhoe told Mashable, climate projections of emissions scenarios are based on physics and chemistry, the fundamentals of which have been understood since the 1850s.

2. Tillerson disputed the Pentagons determination that climate change is a significant national security threat.

When Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) asked Tillerson whether he sees climate change as a national security threat, Tillerson answered, I dont see it as the imminent national security threat that perhaps others do.

Among the others who disagree with Tillerson is the Pentagon, which has called climate change a security risk and said that considering the effects of climate change is essential to meeting the Defense Departments primary responsibility to protect national security interests around the world. A 2014 Defense Department report similarly stated that climate change poses immediate risks to U.S. national security and a bipartisan group of defense experts and former military leaders recently sent a briefing book to President-elect Donald Trump containing recommendations for addressing these risks.

For its part, the State Departments Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change calls climate change a global threat.

3. Tillerson refused to discuss the ExxonKnew scandal.

Tillerson refused to answer questions from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) about media investigations documenting that Exxons own scientists had confirmed by the early 1980s that fossil fuel pollution was causing climate change, yet Exxon funded organizations that helped manufacture doubt about the causes of climate change for decades afterward. Tillerson declared that he was in no position to speak on [Exxons] behalf and that the question would have to be put to ExxonMobil. Kaine explained that he wasnt asking Tillerson to respond on behalf of Exxon, but rather to confirm or deny the accuracy of the allegations against the company, which he ran until the end of December. When Kaine asked Tillerson whether he was unable or unwilling to answer Kaines questions, Tillerson replied: A little of both.

The media reports on Exxon, published in the fall of 2015 by InsideClimate News and the Los Angeles Times, prompted attorneys general in New York, California, and Massachusetts to each launch investigations of Exxon that are still ongoing. As InsideClimate News noted, If Tillerson spoke about this under oath at this hearing, it conceivably could complicate matters for lawyers at the company he led.

4. Tillerson declined to endorse the Paris climate agreement.

Under Tillersons leadership, Exxon issued several statements in support of the Paris climate agreement, which committed countries around the world to cutting emissions, with the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees Celsius. However, Tillerson declined to explicitly endorse the Paris agreement during his confirmation hearing.

When initially asked about the agreement by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tillerson did not address the agreement specifically, but he did say that its important that the U.S. maintain a seat at the table on the conversations around how to address the threats of climate change, which do require a global response. But when asked about the agreement by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) later in the hearing, Tillerson left open the possibility of renegotiatingor even withdrawing fromthe agreement, as InsideClimate News noted:

In case you missed it, Tillerson answered questions about whether the United States would remain in the Paris climate accord in a such a non-committal way that he left open the possibility for the Trump administration to ditch the agreement or pull out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as some of the Presidents team have recommended.

Tillerson suggested that the America First motto that Trump ran on would be the main criterion in assessing participation in the global climate accord.

Responding to a question from Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey about staying in the accord, Tillerson said that Trump would conduct a thorough review of global and bilateral accords on climate and that he would make his views known to the new president, who has vowed to cancel the agreement and who has most recently called climate change a hoax invented by the Chinese to hobble American business. Tillerson did not say what his views or recommendations would be.

Tillerson then continued: I also know that the president as part of his priority in campaigning was to put America first. So theres important considerations as we commit to such accords and as those accords are executed over time, are there any elements of that put America at a disadvantage?

[]

Markey then asked if it should be a priority of the U.S. to work with other countries to find solutions to that problem.

Tillerson answered: Its important for America to remain engaged in those discussions so we are at the table expressing a view and understanding what the impacts may be on the American people and American competitiveness.

Trump has said that he would renegotiate or cancel the Paris agreement. Hes also claimed since the election that he has an open mind about the agreement, but internal documents from Trumps transition team show the new administration plans to stop defending the Clean Power Plan, which is the linchpin of the U.S. emissions reduction commitments under the Paris agreement.

Some reporters are interpreting Tillersons reference to a seat at the table as support for the Paris agreement, but his broad phrasing could also apply to seeking to rewrite the terms of the dealor withdrawing from it altogether. Later in the hearing, Tillerson added that he believes its important to have a seat at the table in order to judge the level of commitment of the other 189 or so countries around the table and again adjust our own course accordingly.

5. Tillerson did not address climate change, oil or even Exxon itself in his opening remarks.

In their initial coverage of the Tillerson nomination, several major media outlets uncritically portrayed Tillerson as an advocate for action to combat climate change, despite hisand Exxonstroubling track record on the issue. But when Tillerson was given the opportunity to outline his vision and priorities for the State Department during his opening statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he did not once mention climate change, lending credence to the contention of Tillersons critics that his and Exxons professed support for climate action was all PR.

Tillersons opening statement also neglected to mention oil or even Exxon itself, where Tillerson has worked for the last 41 years. That glaring omission hints at a lack of concern for crucial questions about whether Tillersons oil industry experience prepares him to serve as Americas top diplomat or whether, as The New Yorkers Steve Coll put it, he will be willing and able to embrace a vision of Americas place in the world that promotes ideals for their own sake, emphatically privileging national interests over private ones.

Watch the confirmation below:

Reposted with permission from our media associate Media Matters for America.
ECSU Grad Honored on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for Teaching

When Michael Bonner committed to three-to-four years teaching at South Greenville Elementary, not far from East Carolina University, the 2013 Elizabeth City State University graduate had some idea of what he was getting into. What he didnt know was just how much his job would change his life, and the lives of the kids in his classroom.

Im teaching at a school no one wanted to teach at, said Bonner, 26.

Bonner was speaking on his phone while waiting for a plane at the Los Angeles International Airport. The fact that he was flying from Los Angeles back to Northeast North Carolina is a by-product of the work hes done as a teacher.

That work, it turns out, is so special, and so significant, that The Ellen DeGeneres Show surprised him, and he was interviewed by the popular talk show host, a segment that aired Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. But its the story about what got him there, on the talk show, which has people talking about Michael Lee Bonner, a native of Perquimans County, North Carolina.

You see Bonner knew going in to South Greenville Elementary that there would be a challenge before him. Out of 36 schools in the Greenville, North Carolina school district, it was the least popular, and arguably the most troubled when it came to the kids.

When I started the teachers would get together before school and pray, Bonner says, half joking, referring to the fact that they needed all the strength they could muster to push forward during the day.

At South Greenville Elementary, teacher turnover has been high in the recent past, says Bonner.

But none of that would deter Bonner. He was determined that he would reach his kids. At first, however, he wasnt seeing the results hed hoped for in the test results. Standard teaching methods were not reaching these kids.

Bonner describes himself as outgoing. He knew that he had the personality to connect with the kids; its just that the standard teaching methods seemed to be falling flat. But the kids, he thought, love music.

So Bonner began using music to teach his kids.

You have to find some way to engage, he said.

And he had found it. Bonner told his kids that if they performed well on their standardized tests, he would make a music video featuring them, and they song they created in class. That was their reward and they earned it. The music video went online and something happened. It went viral, and eventually caught the attention of his local television CBS affiliate, and that led to the CBS national news desk picking it up, which led to exposure to one of the producers with the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The producer told Bonner they were sending a crew to interview his kids for an online series they were producing. As a thank you, they would send him to Los Angeles as a guest on their show. Of course the whole thing was a ruse, and Bonner became a special guest on the show, highlighting and celebrating his efforts as a teacher.

Ellen DeGeneres presented Bonner and his school with technical equipment to help them continue creating videos and as aids to education. Wal-Mart, says Bonner, presented the school with $25,000, and the show set up a Go Fund Me site for South Greenville, to aid in needed funds.

All of this, says Bonner, points to something very significant not only to him, but also to the kids he teaches. He says coming from Perquimans County, he understands poverty. His mother enrolled at ECSU at 30 and earned a social work degree. That decision changed the course of his familys future.

To break the cycle of poverty, education is the number one tool, he said.
(Photo: REUTERS / Raj Patidar)Volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's Hindu nationalist organization, hold bamboo sticks as they take part in a drill during a training camp in the central Indian city of Bhopal June 7, 2014.

The persecution of Christians in the world has climbed for a fourth straight year and a notable statistic is India where persecution has risen over the past year and it can be a high-risk activity, says Open Doors.

India has risen to 15 on the list of places where those practising the Christian faith are most likely to be persecuted, with North Korea holding the spot at No. 1, says Open Doors which has monitored persecution over 60 years.

"The suffering of Christians simply because of their faith is taking place on a staggering scale. But it is not only Christians who suffer. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists and many others suffer persecution too," says Open Doors.

It notes that the rights of people from every faith and none to practice what they believe, is enshrined in Article 18 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

"Freedom of Religion or Belief cannot remain the Cinderella of human rights."

On average, more than 15 Christians were physically attacked every week in India in 2016.

Of India's 1.3 billion, 63.9 million are Christians, with Hindu making up near 80 percent and Muslim 14.2 percent.

"Since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power in 2014, radical Hinduism has increased steadily," says Open Doors.

"There are anti-conversion laws to prevent people from leaving Hinduism in five states, and there have been efforts to impose such a law at a national level.

"Some of those who have left Hinduism to follow Jesus have been attacked and even killed by their own parents."

Christians are also facing increasing pressure on a national level in India.

Five states have implemented anti-conversion laws and the ruling BJP has made no secret of its desire to make these laws nation-wide says Open Doors.

It says such laws are often used as an excuse to disrupt church services and harass Christians.

"With the Indian government refusing to speak out against the atrocities being carried out against Christians and other minorities, the situation is expected to get worse," said Open Doors.

India's Muslim neighbour Pakistan rose to number 4, being the country that faced most violence, even more than northern Nigeria.

"Among the numerous atrocities which raised it to fourth place on the list was the detonation of a bomb in a public park on Easter Sunday in Lahore, which killed at least 69 Christians."

In Somalia - number 2 on the Open Doors World Watch List  at least a dozen Christians were killed this year by al-Shabaab militants.

Militants were also active in neighbouring Kenya, leaving this Christian majority country firmly in the top 20.

Mali rose 12 places in the list: three people were killed when a gunman opened fire outside a Christian radio station.

In Nigeria, Open Doors found Christians face not only the violence of Boko Haram, but also Muslim Hausa-Fulani herdsmen who have driven thousands of Christians off their lands.

And persecution is also "official" policy in some places.

The Islamic governments of Sudan and Somalia are actively anti-Christian.

As a Somalian believer said, "Everything works against the Christian."

And, in Somalia, Kenya, Niger and Burkina Faso, Open Doors found Saudi Arabian money is building schools and mosques, and funding local politicians, leading to an increasing presence of radical Islam in mainstream society.
Billboards and yard signs throughout Grand Rapids, Mich., tell students to Strive for Less Than Five Days Absent. Leader boards inside school buildings display attendance by grade level. Students who miss too many days are contacted by school personnel and offered support.

Since the district began a focused campaign three years ago, chronic absenteeism has dropped from 36 percent to 23 percent. It is something every community looking at their data can dig into. Its very actionable, says Mel Atkins II, the executive director of community and student affairs for the Grand Rapids public school system.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act , states are required to report chronic absenteeism rates, and districts will be allowed to use federal dollars on training to reduce the problem. It is one of several options that states can use in order to meet ESSAs new requirement for a school quality indicator in addition to traditional measures such as standardized-test scores.

As state education officials develop their ESSA implementation plans for submission to the federal government, its unclear how many will choose to add chronic absenteeism rates as a gauge of success. While the indicator is seemingly straightforward, schools face hurdles defining what it means for a student to be absent (partial or full day), determining how much constitutes chronic, and being on top of tracking it.

Defining the Problem

Reporting chronic absenteeism is different from measuring truancy (unexcused absences) or a schools average daily attendance, which can mask problems with individual students who miss school for any reason, according to Hedy Chang, the executive director of Attendance Works, which helped develop the chronic absence measure and campaigned to get it into federal legislation. It is a relatively new approach made possible with electronic databases and the federal mandate, but it is not necessarily an extra burden, in Changs view.

Attendance Works recommends defining chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of a school year (or about 18 days) for any reasonexcused or unexcused, including suspensions.

Chang anticipates at least five states will adopt chronic absenteeism as the new school quality indicator in their ESSA accountability plans, but its hard to predict as officials are in the middle of preparing those plans. People dont understand there are multiple attendance metrics, she said. Before 2010, very few ever used the term chronic absence.

A question added to the Education Departments Civil Rights Data Collection in 2013-14 provided the first national snapshot of chronic absenteeism. About 13 percentor 6 million U.S. studentsmissed at least 15 days of school in 2013-14.

Research shows that chronic absenteeism is linked with lower achievement, disengagement from school, and increased risk of dropping out. And it disproportionately is a problem among low-income students and students with disabilities.

It was valuable to see the problem was highly concentrated so resources can be targeted, notes Chang.

This country is founded on the idea that every kid has an equal opportunity to learn and succeed, says Chang. If kids cant get to school when they are 4 or 5 because of health issues, violence in their communities, not having access to transportationthese are all excused absences, often  they are off track for reading by 3rd grade, and most never catch up.

Advocates such as The Education Trust, a nonprofit in Washington,D.C., that advocates on behalf of disadvantaged students and students of color, welcome the focus on improving attendance and the clear connection it has to student success, but also caution that states may game the system depending on how they define chronic absenteeism.

A lot of states, schools, and districts dont necessarily feel responsible for attendance. They have the attitude, We work with the kids that show up. The reality is there is a ton that schools can do to make sure kids get to school, says Natasha Ushomirsky, the director of K-12 policy development for The Education Trust. One clear benefit of including chronic absenteeism as an accountability measure is incentivizing schools to look at their practices and consider what it is they can do.

Rigorous Prevention Programs

Maryland State Superintendent of Education Karen Salmon says rigorous prevention programs are needed to attack the problem of chronic absenteeism and will likely be discussed as a suggested indicator. I dont know if it will end up being in the [ESSA] plan or not because its still in the draft stages, but it could be, she said. It has the potential.

Attendance is a stressor every year, according to Martha Bruckner, the superintendent of Council Bluffs Community Schools in western Iowa. The 9,000-student district has been able to improve high school graduation rates to 88 percent from 68 percent in the past decade. It has been able to improve attendance in the early grades and overall, but the district has not succeeded in noticeably improving attendance at the high school level.

While Bruckner believes working on chronic absenteeism is important, she said it is not a good indicator for ESSA since it is so closely related to other indicators that demonstrate challenges in high-poverty districts.

Why would we ever choose one more measure that points out the obvious ... one more reason why we are failing, she said. We can move the needle, but we will never move it to where some affluent districts are. Why put another L on our forehead for loser?

Chang says while some educators are worried that the absenteeism metrics are going to be used to judge them unfairly, the hope is the measure can bring additional resources to where they are needed most, rather than being punitive.

California has moved away from using truancy as the prime indicator of student risk to tracking chronic absenteeism. This will revolutionize the way that we are able to identify which student groups are at risk because of missing too much school, said David Kopperud, an education programs consultant and chairman of the state school attendance review board. Once the statewide data system has collected individual student attendance data, chronic absenteeism can finally become a performance indicator, says Kopperud.

The California legislature recently passed a law that revised the duties of attendance supervisors to identify and respond to early patterns of chronic absenteeism. Kopperud said the change reflects a shift in mindset that attendance is primarily something beyond the schools control or a matter for law enforcement.

Kopperud says the work is important because, repeating a quote from California Superintendent Tom Torlakson in April: You can have the best facilities, and the best teachers, and best curriculum in the world, but none of that matters if students are not in school.
The 6th Leman China Swine Conference & 2017 World Swine Industry Expo - Science-Driven Solution for the Global Swine Industry

Press release

In order to promote international communication and cooperation of the swine industry, the 6th Leman China Swine Conference and 2017 World Swine Industry Expo will be held on October 22-24, 2017 in Nanjing, China.

It is organised by The University of Minnesota and supported by: the Nanjing Government, the US Grains Council, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association, Jinlin University.



The University of Minnesota Allen D. Leman Swine Conference is the world's largest annual educational event for the global swine industry, with a 31-year of history. It is internationally recognised for bringing science-driven solutionsTM to the complex challenges facing the industry. In 2012, Leman China Swine Conference first entered China, and in just four years, the conference has drawn great attentions from China's and the world's pig industry. Attendance of the conference grows 30% annually from the first year's 650 to 3,158 in the third year with over 94.5% satisfaction rate. Participants are from more than 20 countries including China, US, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, and Thailand. The conference brings together expertise in swine production, veterinary medicine, animal health, feed and nutrition, and industrial-related services. It is considered one of the most valuable conferences in the swine industry.



While ensuring the high level and quality of conference contents, the 6th Leman China makes the World Swine Industry Expo a valuable experience for participating companies through a larger exhibition area and extended exhibition time. The Expo will serve as an industry platform for domestic and foreign enterprises to exchange industry information, promote new applied technology and products, and explore business opportunities. The Expo will be opened to the general public in addition to Leman China delegates. We will invite more people from the industry to visit the Expo. The Expo date will be from October 22-24, 2017. The Expo will offer over 25,000 square metres in exhibition area, with more than 30,000 visitors estimated.





Concurrent Activities

With ensuring the conference contents and quality as always, the 2017 Leman China Swine Conference will organise variety of pre-conference activities in conjunction with the main conference focusing on hot topics in the current swine market, such as: "Forum on Intensive Pig Production and Management in China," "China Green Pig Industry Forum", "China Swine Nutrition Forum" and " Next Generation Veterinarian and Technical Manager of Chinese Swine Industry". Some entertaining and educational activities like "Run Piglet" will also be organised during the conference.

2017 Leman China will continue to assist delegates to apply for continuing education credits offered by the Veterinary Diagnostic and Therapy Training Center, which is a Level One Training Center accredited by the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association.

More value-added services provided:

1. Pre-training



2. Technical seminar

3. Poster presentation

The conference features a poster session for participants to present their ideas, research, and development activities in areas covered by the event topics.





4. Dinner party





5. Product launch

We welcome your visit and participation; for more information, please contact:

Angelia

Tel.: 86-10-62919126

Email: angelia@lemanchina.com
The EU, working together

The Economic Resilience Initiative forms part of the joined up EU response to the challenges posed by forced displacement and migration, and is implemented in close cooperation with EU member states, the European Commission, donors and other partners.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom have all made vital contributions to the Economic Resilience Initiative.

To make a difference in the partner countries, the EIB is building on over three decades of experience supporting investment projects in the region. Given the urgency and importance for the EU, the EIB has started stepping up its support to the two regions in late 2016 as part of its own commitment to the Economic Resilience Initiative. With the arrival of the first donor contributions towards the end of 2017, the Bank has also started preparations on high-impact projects, which depend on support from donor resources.

Video: Building economic resilience in Europes neighbourhood




[A little dated, but sometimes Bill's stuff mysteriously disappears in transit. - HAC]





All weekend the major media has been denouncing what it calls fake news and attacking what it calls the #Pizzagate conspiracy theory. In doing so it has, as always, been spreading fake news of its own, while shrieking why does no one listen to us?



What is missing in this coverage is a rational investigation of the facts, primary of which is that specifics aside, a network of pedophiles really does in fact have disproportionate influence over the United States government, regardless of whether or not some given pizzeria is part of that network. Having followed the occasional eruptions of this network into the news over the years, and having known some of those accused of participation in it, it seems proper for me to weigh in.



NPR did a substantial expose this morning on #Pizzagate, in which it gave the broad outlines of what is being alleged --something more than I have been able to obtain from CNN or Fox News, who have treated the story as if the idea that the Judo-occult elite who run the United States are engaged in pedophilia as so prima facie ridiculous that the details do not need to be explored. Essentially, there is a pizza shop, Comet Pizza, in Dupont Circle in Washington , DC , where it is alleged that there is a child sex-slave market in the basement attached to a network of underground tunnels that connect it to various prominent locations.



On the face, I find this improbable, though there are a number of things which are true about it which are being ignored. I grew up near Washington , D.C. The DuPont Circle area is a faggot neighborhood. Having heard the lisping, whining owner of Comet Pizza on the television, it is clear that he himself is advertising that he is a homosexual. Comet Pizza is located very near some really perverse sex clubs.

One, which used to be owned by a friend of a friend of mine, was called Bound. Having seen TV video of the Comet Pizza, Bound was either located in the basement of the building Comet Pizza is in, or just across the street from it.

Nominally, this was a gothic-industrial dance club, but I recall going there with my friend when I was 20 or 21 or so. When I walked in the door, a topless fat white woman was whipping a naked black man who has chained to a device near the bar. I said What is this Kunta Kinte bullshit? to my friend, and almost got thrown right out. Bound was shut down maybe twenty years ago for violating a DC ordinance on the public display of torture devices, but clubs similar to it, many of them private in nature, still populate that neighborhood, and there are also several brothels and similar establishments. So the categorical denial that a pedophilia club could be operating secretly in DuPont Circle is far from implausible. D.C. is riddled with underground perverse sex establishments.



Now, just saying that will probably lead to false news allegations against me. All I can ever say is that I have been around a lot of things that have no attraction for me, and which I never chose to participate in. I have always been interested in people, the things that they believe in, and the things that they do as a result. This does not mean that I have always endorsed or participated in those beliefs, particularly when they are clearly sick or evil.



In attacking #Pizzagate, NPR and CNN have both provided commentators making statements like This is an extension of the Hillary Clinton e-mail non-scandal. First, the Republicans fabricated that there was something wrong with Hillary Clintons email server, and now these false news stories are just a logical extension of that false news.

It is almost as if the ones who manage our society do not realize the relationship between politically charged, false, or arguably false statements like that, and the absolute lack of credit that the Judo-occult media has in this country. There was something to the allegations that Hillary Clinton committed crimes with her email server. That is why Hillary Clinton is not President.

What there was is unclear because Hillary Clinton lied about it and the FBI covered it up. To make the fantastic assertion that there was nothing to the Clinton email scandal, and then state that that has something to do with why Hillary Clinton is not part a child sex ring being run out of Comet Pizza, inherently discredits the argument that there is,on its face nothing to the allegation that there is a child sex ring being run out of Comet Pizza.



NPR too, in attacking #Pizzagate, did a large segment on prior child sex scandals in the news. In doing this, they lied about the Franklin Coverup, the giant Republican child-sex scandal of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and then they ignored the very valid child sex scandals that have involved senior members of primarily the Republican Party, that are much more recent. For those who do not recall, the Franklin Coverup was a case that developed out of Lincoln, Nebraska in 1988 or 1989 in which a high-level Republican fundraiser, a negro named Larry King, was found to have been embezzling money from the Franklin Savings And Loan.

What developed from this was that witnesses came forward stating that King had taken children out of a local Boys Town orphanage and pimped them to senior Republicans at his fundraising dinners. [Kind of a $500-a-pop kind of thing. - HAC] The Nebraska state legislature tried to investigate, and a massive campaign was launched to drive out of office state legislators who were leading the investigative committee.

Several of them lost elections, and the investigation was dropped. However, before the investigation was dropped, it was discovered that a White House aid named Mark Tapscott had used an official credit card to hire two call-boy prostitutes who then entered the Bush White House in the middle of the night. Tapscott was fired from his job, but a federal grand jury declined to return an indictment.

On NPR the fact that a federal grand jury did not indict Tapscott was trumpeted, but the whole world knows that the grand jury process is a scam, and that if a Grand Jury does not indict it is because the prosecutor did not want an indictment.



Now, I knew Mark Tapscott when I lived in Montgomery County , Maryland . At the time, he was editor of the Montgomery Journal; he later went on to edit the D.C. Examiner. I was acquainted with him through a woman who was a political organizer in the county, and a bit of a fruit. I did not know about the Frankin Coverup allegations when I first became acquainted with Tapscott. When I learned of them, I sent Tapscott an email asking him about them. He never answered, and has never spoken to me since.



What I noticed about NPR as well is that they ignored the many more recent and legitimate, pedophile sex scandals involving the American elite which have led many to conclude that the Judo-occult rulers of this country are involved in the large scale rape of children.





First, there is the pedophile island scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein which has been widely reported in the British and Russian press, but was virtually ignored by America s Judo-occult media. This scandal involved the Jew Epstein, a close associate of many prominent American and British personalities who happened to have been kidnapping young girls from Florida towns and taking them to a private island in the Caribbean where he would pimp them to those same prominent personages. Epstein spent 18 months in prison for this, and had his federal charges dropped.



Similarly, there are the various child sex scandals involving Judaic organized crime in Russia and in the Zionist entity. For instance, there was the 1999 scandal involving the Israeli Embassy in Brazil . There the Israeli ambassador was found by Brazilian police to have been hosting child sex parties involving senior public officials and personages from Europe and the United States . Just before Brazilian police could arrest the man, he was whisked away to the Zionist entity, where he has been protected for the past two decades. In 2008, there was an effort to send the same man to Australia as its ambassador, and there is no question that he continues to enjoy a prominent role in Zionist politics.



Just after that, there was the child snuff porn scandal which involved the brother of a Jewish member of the board of Mitt Romneys Bain Capital. In this case two Italian journalists discovered that a Jewish organized crime ring based in both Russia and the Zionist entity were involved in making child snuff porn tapes.

On these tapes, children two and three years old were sexually abused and murdered. Someone came forward and released the mailing list of customers of this ringa list with 2000 names of prominent people in the United States and Europe . The American distributor of these tapes was the brother of the Jewish board member at Bain Capital.





The two Italian journalists who tried to break this story were told to kill it to protect the identities of the customers; they refused, and instead they broadcast scenes from these tapes on the air on Italian national television. The two journalists were fired. The story was suppressed in the British media. The FBI investigated in the U.S. , only charged the Jewish Bain Capital board members brother, and he only received 18 months in prison. The U.S. media mentioned the story in tiny little news articles on page 3.



And there have been other similar scandals -- the Dennis Hastert child abuse scandal, the Alaska Republican fundraisers child sex network, the fact that the Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of Britain used to be a lobbyist for pedophile groups, and so on. There are a disturbingly large number of American, British, and, Zionist public officials involved in committing cruel sexual acts against children. I believe that this is linked to the prevalence of homosexuality among the elite , and to the secret Satanic religion that the Judo-occult elite of Western nations participate in.





Now, on its face, I do not believe that there is a secret basement child sex market at Comet Pizza in Washington . (If there ever was, it was certainly closed the moment that the story began to hit the internet). However, looking at how the Judo-occult media has handled this story, I also do not believe that the belief that such a thing might exist is prima facie ridiculous, or constitutes fake news.



Over the weekend Donald Trump attacked the failing New York Times for having published a story claiming that he intended to continue working at Celebrity Apprentice during his presidency. I fell for this for a few days, until I found out that it was fake news -- as Trump called it in a tweet this weekend.

Trump is intending to continue to receive royalties from Celebrity Apprentice, which is very different. What I have learned over the years is that, when I hear something reported on CNN or Fox News or any other supposed real news station, I should wait and listen, and try to get at the original facts, because most of what those stations say is false. And this is my experience with almost everything that the Judo-occult establishment says, starting with prosecutions they initiate in their federal courts, and ending with stories in the New York Times.

What I know, from long experience, is that the ruling clique in this country is comprised of people who have been selected to join it primarily because of their gullibility, and only secondarily because of their merit. If you are gullible and willing to believe and echo what the Judo-occultists want said, you are promoted regardless of ability. If you are not, you are excluded, if necessary through extreme violence and murder.

American society is governed by its elite through technologies of deceit, and maintaining those instruments of deceit is a primary objective of that elite.





William A. White #13888-084

U.S.P. Marion

P. O. Box 1000

Marion, IL 62959








Search All categories Advertising General Aerospace General Agriculture General Airlines General America - Post 9/11 General Apparel General Apple Products General Architectural General Architecture Architecture Art & Entertainments Books Celebrities Country Music Dance Magazines Movies Museums Music Music Downloads News & Talk Shows Performing Arts Photography Television Web Sites Arts/Culture General Auction General Automotive Aftermarket Classic Autos Consumer Publications General Motorcycle & Bike Racing Recreational Vehicle Repair & Service Trade Publications Blogging & Social Media Blogging & Social Media Business Advertising / Marketing Books Consumer Research Direct Marketing e-Commerce Entrepreneurs Finance Franchise Human Resources Insurance Investment Management Markets Network Marketing Online Marketing / SEO Payday Loans Public Relations Publications Real Estate Retail Stocks Supermarkets Women in Business Careers/HR General Chemical General Coaching / Mentoring Coaching / Mentoring Computers Apple Products Databases Games & Entertainment General Hosting Instruction Linux / GNU "Open Source" Macintosh Microsoft Windows PC Operating Systems Programming Security Software Tablet PCs Utilities Construction General Consumer Gifts and Collectibles Hobbies Web sites / Internet Design Graphic Design Industrial Web E-Cigarette General eCommerce General Economy General Education College / University General Home Schooling K-12 Post Graduate Technical Electronics General Email Marketing General EmailWire Press Releases Press Release Tips Employment/Careers General Engineering General Entertainment General Environment General Events / Trade Shows General Finance General Food General Franchise General Fraud / Identity Theft General Gaming General Government General Judicial Law Enforcement Legislative Local National Public Services Security State Transportation Healthcare General Home and Family Banking / Personal Finance Bereavement / Loss Home Furnishings / Interiors Landscaping & Gardening Marriage / Relationships Money Parenting Payday Loans Pets Taxes Wedding / Bridal Home Schooling General Hotels/Resorts General Household General Industry Aerospace / Defense Agriculture Apparel / Textiles Broadcast Construction / Building Electrical Food Funeral Healthcare Leisure / Hospitality Logistics / Shipping Manufacturing / Production Mining / Metals Oil / Energy Paper / Forest Products Plumbing, Heating & AC Print Media Printing Publishing Radio Restaurants Tobacco Toy Insurance General Internet/Online General Legal General Leisure General Lifestyle Beauty Dating / Singles Diet / Weight Loss Fashion Food / Beverage Health & Fitness Hotel / Resorts Pastimes Restaurants Retirement Travel & Tourism Machinery General Maritime General Medical Addiction Allergies Alternative Medicine Asthma Cancer Cardiology Chiropractic Dental Dermatology Diabetes Emergency Family Medicine General General Geriatrics Hospitals Infectious Diseases Internal Medicine Managed Care / HMO Medical Products Mental Health Neurology Nursing Nutrition OB / GYN Pediatrics Pharmaceuticals Physical Therapy Plastic Surgery Psychology Radiology / Imaging Research Sports Medicine Surgery Vision Military General Mining/Metals General Miscellaneous General Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Non-profit General Occupational Safety Occupational Safety Oil/Energy General Opinion / Editorial Opinion / Editorial Paper Products General Paper/Forest General Pharmaceuticals General Podcasting Announce Tools and Services Politics Politics Print Media General Public Utilities Public Utilities Publishing General Radio General Real Estate General Religion Christian General Islam Jewish Other Restaurants General Retail General RSS & Content Syndication RSS & Content Syndication Science and Research Science and Research Self-Help / Personal Growth Self-Help / Personal Growth Shipbuilding General Society African American Interests Asian Interests Childrens Issues Disabled Issues / Disabilities Gay / Lesbian Hispanic Mens Interests Native American Senior Citizens Social Services Teen Issues/Interests Womens Interest Software General Sports Baseball Basketball Bicycling Boating / Maritime Bowling Boxing Fishing Football Golf Hockey Hunting Martial Arts Outdoors Rugby Soccer Tennis Water Winter/Snow Sports/Fitness General Stocks General Supermarkets General Technology Biotechnology Computer Electronics Enterprise Software Games Graphics/Printing/CAD Hardware / Peripherals Industrial Information Internet Multimedia Networking Public Sector/Government Robotics Semiconductor Software Telecommunications Webmasters Telecom General Wireless Television General Tobacco General Trade General Transportation General Travel General Utilities General Volunteer Volunteer Weather Weather
Oh, look who led us astray... again



California Senator Kamala Harris could set a good example for Republican senators-- maybe even shame them-- by recusing herself from voting on Trump's Treasury Secretary nominee, Steven Mnuchin . Mnuchin, who 2016 saw giving $10,000 pops to a very specific group of state Republican parties-- Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina and Arkansas-- as well as over $300,000 to the RNC, only donated directly to one U.S, Senate candidate, corporate Democrat Kamala Harris ($2,000 on February 10, 2016). Many people feel certain Mnuchin contributed to the sleaze-tainted Harris to avoid prosecution in relation to shady foreclosures . Unless she recuses herself, Harris will have to vote for or against Mnuchin's nomination.





Similarly, Rex Tillerson singled out just one Republican Senate candidate this year for a big contribution-- Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, who took a $5,400 check from Tillerson on August 31. Chuck Grassely ought to recuse himself from consideration of the Betsy DeVos nomination for Education Secretary since she gave him $2,700 directly on June 6.





Wilbur Ross , whose confirmation hearings have been delayed by the Senate Commerce committee over ethical considerations, didn't give any direct money to any of the Senate candidates this cycle but whoever got Mnuchin to contribute to the state Replublic parties in Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina and Arkansas seems to have persuaded Ross to make the exact same contributions-- none more, no less. That's no coincidence. Was that Mitch McConnell's office? Paul Ryan's? I wonder what that money was earmarked for.





In his Senate confirmation hearing today, Tillerson lied when he claimed Exxon didn't lobby against Russian post-Crimea sanctions. This report from Open Secrets shows that it absolutely did. This morning there was a report that FEC documents show that the Exxon-Mobil PAC controlled by Tillerson contributed $5,000 each to Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and John Barrasso (R-WY), who are both members of the Foreign Relations Committee. A member of Congress who asked to not be identified told me a few hours ago that both of these guys should immediately recuse themselves or face an ethics investigation.





Does Trump have to worry about ethical considerations at all. A new poll released by Quinnipiac seems to indicate his administration better start paying heed. The "honeymoon" ended even before the leaks about Trump and the golden shower prostitutes started leaking out. Americans seem to have had enough of Trump already! Most Americans now have an unfavorable view of him. His numbers are going in thew wrong direction. After the election 41% of Americans thought he'd be a better leader than Obama, but they number has now shrunk back down to 34%, basically the dumbbells who voted for him. In Quinnipiac's previous poll 40% of the respondents had persuaded themselves Trump's policies worked actually help make their personal; financial situation better. That didn't last long; it's now 27%. And when it comes to issues involved directly with his ethics... not good. 42% saw him as "honest" after the election. After his shenanigans of the last month,that number has sunk down to 39%. And overall, 28% said that watching Trump in action since the election have made them feel more uneasy how his coming presidency while only 23% said his actions have made them feel better.





Fewer people now think he's "level-headed," "strong, "intelligent," "empathetic" and has good leadership skills. As for the two parties, people have unfavorable views of both, more so of the Republicans. Overall, 33% of respondents have a favorable view of Republicans (55% unfavorable) and 37% have a favorable view of Democrats (52% unfavorable).





It now turns out two other Trump crooks nominated for cabinet positions, Betsy DeVos and Andrew Puzder, have had their confirmation hearings delayed for the same ethics questions as Ross. After Trump's press conference today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director Noah Bookbinder released a statement on behalf of his organization:

The only way for Donald Trump to avoid massive conflicts of interest is to sell his business outside the family and place the assets in a true blind trust, where he will not have any way of knowing or influencing how the assets are allocated. By refusing to divest, Trump is breaking decades of precedent, just as he did with his refusal to release his tax returns. He has failed to live up to the ethical standard of past presidents including Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and all others of the past 40 years.



He will continue to own his business, which will continue to have foreign interests. It is absurd to believe he will have no knowledge of his business, when he will continue to own it, and it will be run by his children. He claims that he will only know what he reads in newspapers, but newspapers report which foreign dignitaries are staying at his hotel. His businesses all have his name on them in giant gold letters. He will know what they are and what legislation, regulations, or actions will benefit or hurt them.



Hes not worried about conflicts of interest because the statutes dont apply to the president. If that sounds familiar, it was the position Nixon took when he told David Frost when the president does it, that means it is not illegal. Just because its not illegal, does not mean it is right or moral. Every decision he will make as president will be followed by the specter of doubt, and will be questioned as to whether his decision is in the best interest of the American people or the best interest of his bottom line. He will also face questions about whether he is violating the constitution by taking payments from foreign governments on a daily basis. Today was his first test as president. He failed.





After he was done speaking, Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) didn't seem impressed. "It is clear from President-Elect Trumps statement and answers today that he will not fully separate himself from his business transactions and potential conflicts of interest. He also has no intention of disclosing his financial interests, as past presidents have done. His response to these legitimate questions was simply 'trust me.' Our democracy and the American people deserve better... The legislation I have cosponsored would apply the ethical standards, norms, and precedents that have been developed over decades to our incoming administration, which refuses to follow them. I urge Speaker Ryan to put these measures to a vote and pass them with the urgency these critical issues demand."





H.R. 371, the Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act, would require the President, Vice President, their spouses, and minor or dependent children to release their tax returns, divest from all assets that may generate conflicts of interest, and disclose all of their financial interests. It would also force the President-Elect to create a blind trust to manage, oversee, and process the sale and proceeds of his holdings. Currently, the President is exempt from conflicts of interest laws. H.R. 356, To establish the National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election, would create a bipartisan commission to investigate and the Russian interference in the U.S. elections. It would aim to provide a full accounting of what happened, why, and how. And H.J.Res. 26 denies congressional consent for Trump to accept any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign state throughout the tenure of his Presidency. The idea of this resolution would is to grant Congress the power to deny transactions that violate the Constitutions Emoluments Clause.




DEC monitoring weather and travel conditions

The Department of Education and Children says it will be keeping in touch with the Met Office, emergency services, roads authority and transport division throughout the cold weather.

The Department says it would never take the decision to close the schools lightly, but that ensuring pupils and staff's safety is a top priority.

Should schools be forced to close during the day, the DEC says parents shouldn't panic, as their kids will be kept warm and looked after until they can be safely collected.

The final decision to close schools during adverse weather rests with the Minister.
MHK calls for living wage report



Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper

An MHK will ask Tynwald to support the introduction of a living wage when the Manx parliament sits next week.

Ramsey member Lawrie Hooper wants the Cabinet Office to look into the idea further.

The Liberal Vannin MHK will ask for support for the living wage, which would include a report into the move being presented to Tynwald in October.

The Government is already looking at the current minimum wage on the Island, and could make changes in the coming months.

The living wage is offered by some UK businesses to allow employees to take home a pay packet which covers the basic costs of living, such as bills, accommodation and food.
The Hoang Ha bronze drum is one of 16 national treasured being displayed at the National Museum of History through May. Unearthed in Hanoi in 1937, the drum recalls ancient life in Vietnam in carvings of daily life, sailing and the execution of prisoners. The drum is one of the most beautiful artifacts of the Dong Son culture, which spanned between 700 and 100 BC.
Retired vicar faces historic sex offence charge

A retired vicar who used to live in the Isle of Man is facing historic sex offence charges.

Police confirmed the 80-year-old appeared before the Magistrates Court in Douglas today charged with indecent assault towards a schoolgirl in 1990.

Graham Gregory - who now lives in York - will appear in court again on February 2nd.

Gregory was previously the vicar at St Ninian's Church in Douglas.
Mr. Robot Season 3 is one of the television series that doesn't have concrete details about the premiere. Nonetheless, the show is anticipated to air some this year and one of the storylines might revolve with Elliot demanding for Angela's explanation for betrayal.

According to Christian Post, one of the anticipated storylines to look forward to in Mr. Robot Season 3 is how Angela became a member the Dark Army. Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer) and Whiterose (B.D. Wong) must do something to make her join the bandwagon and be disloyal to her loved ones. It was noted that Angela has been very loyal to Elliot and sometimes to Darlene (Carly Chaikin).

Moreover, the series creator Sam Esmail previously exposed in an interview that Doubleday's character would take the spotlight in season 4. He stated that "Angela, to me, is one of the more fascinating characters. What's great about her character is that there's an elasticity to her motivations. You think she's going one way, and then you realize she's actually going another. This just doubles it down for us. Now she's part of this group we never would have expected. She's shifted once again. But is this an alliance with Elliot, or is it against Elliot, one of her oldest childhood friends?"

Furthermore, Mobile & Apps has learned that Mr. Robot Season 3 will also feature the deterioration of Elliot's mental disorder. Although it is still uncertain how the series will continue with that storyline, Esmail did ratify that they will not change anything. As a matter of fact he stated that, "It is about paring things down and focusing them a little more. It is not about changing the story. We plot out the whole season in an intricate way. To change one thing would have a domino effect."

Even though there will be no radical changes to the show's story, Esmail that he will move the focus a bit toward Angela's participation and "her involvement in all of this." He stated that "There is elasticity to her motivations." He also added, "You think she is going one way and then you realize she is actually going another. Now, she is part of this group we never would have expected."

As for the premiere of Mr. Robot Season 3, there is still no confirmed detail and its patrons will have to wait for further announcements.
Samsung Electronics is destined to release its flagship handset Samsung Galaxy S8 on April 18. The said smartphone is anticipated to be equipped with top caliber specifications and features.

According to Android Headlines, an investor has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will be launched officially during the third week of April. But then earlier reports had recommended that the device will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in late February. Some other alleged leaks have indicated that Samsung may essentially make the smartphone official in New York City in late March or early April. With this, it seems that there is still no concrete information about the release as of the moment.

When it comes with the specs, The Inquistr noted that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is speculated to launch in two variations, one with a 5.1-inch display, and the other with a 5.5-inch variant. On both of these models, the South Korean tech giant is anticipated to ditch the capacitive buttons naturally found on the bottom of their devices. It might be replaced by an on-screen navigation button. This move would let Samsung to radically decrease the size of the bezels of their devices, something that Apple is also assumed to do with the publication of the iPhone 8 later this year.

Samsung Electronics is also expected to copy another big feature from Apple's devices. The 3D Touch which allows for pressure-sensitive interaction with the handset will most probably be present with the Samsung Galaxy S8 in some form of another. Nevertheless, it's safe to conclude that Samsung will brand the feature in a different way on their smartphones.

There are also talks stating that Samsung could trail one of Apple's less popular moves too in ditching the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Whether the South Korean tech giant will substitute it with a USB-C connection or just carry on with their typical charging port, it remains to be seen.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S8 release date, the April 18 launch is still not confirmed by the company. With this, it seems that its patrons will have to wait for the tech giant to announce every detail about the upcoming flagship device.
Investing in EU bonds is investing in the future. We are sowing the seeds today, so we can harvest growth, jobs, and prosperity tomorrow.
LG to Give Tesla's PowerWall a Run For Its Money ROY, MI.--( eSolarEnergyNews )--LG Chem Ltd., a global leader in lithium-ion batteries for automotive, stationary and consumer application...

Internet of Things Includes the Ocean, and it's Solar Powered SAN DIEGO, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Kyoceras solar panels, tested for long-term deployment in marine and coastal areas, are powering an inno...

IKEA Taps Phoenix Solar for Rooftop Solar Project in Singapore SINGAPORE & SULZEMOOS, GERMANY --(eSolarEnergyNews)--Singapores Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd has been awarded a contract by IKEA Southeast Asi...

IKEA Installs the Largest Rooftop Solar in Memphis,Tennessee MEMPHIS, TN--( eSolarEnergyNews )--IKEA, the worlds leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that solar panel installation is com...

IKEA to Install Washingtons Largest Rooftop Solar Array in Renton, WA RENTON, WA.--(eSolarEnergyNews)--IKEA, the worlds leading home furnishings retailer, today announced plans to install solar panels atop t...

Sunnova and PetersenDean Partner to Deliver Integrated Solar Solutions to California Homebuilders HOUSTON, TX--( eSolarEnergyNews )--Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE: NOVA), one of the leading U.S. residential solar and battery sto...

Colorado Fires up Latest Solar Power Project WELLINGTON, CO --( eSolarEnergyNew s)-- PSEG Solar Source, Platte River Power Authority and juwi today joined to dedicate the PSEG Rawhide F...

Amazon Meets Solar Goals Quicker Than Expected SEATTLE, WA--( eSolarEnergyNews )--Amazon today announced the early completion of its commitment to host 50 solar systems on its fulfill...

SolarCraft Completes Rooftop Solar Installation for Appellation Trading Company Novato, CA, December 07, 2021 --( eSolarEnergyNews.com )-- The solar photovoltaic system is roof mounted and consists of 153 high-efficienc...
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter

Three men convicted in relation to the exploitation of a young girl for sex in return for drugs have been jailed for 29.5 years this morning (January 12).

The victim revealed how Mohammad Rostami, 37, who she met at a pizza shop in Duke Street, had groomed her into believing she was his girlfriend when she was aged just 13 or 14, before farming her out for sex to other men in the Iranian community.

When his interest in her fizzled out, she was exploited by Mehdi Zare, who arranged for her to have sex with other men in exchange for drugs or money.

Rostami, a hairdresser, formerly of Shoeburyness, was found guilty of one count of causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child aged under 18, two counts of sexual activity with a child aged under 16 and three counts of supplying cocaine, cannabis and mephedrone last month. He was sentenced to 21 years.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on a count of rape.

Zare, 32, a deliveryman, formerly of Chelmsford, was found guilty of one count of arranging or facilitating sexual exploitation of a child, one count of sexual activity with a child; and three counts of supplying cocaine, cannabis and mephedrone. He was jailed for 12 years.

He was found not guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Amin Kaveh, 35, who shared a home with Rostami, stood trial alongside Rostami and Zare. He was found guilty of supplying a controlled class B drug to the same victim, but was found not guilty of one count of assault by penetration and three counts of rape as well as one count of causing or inciting prostitution for gain, which related to another woman. He was jailed for 10 years.

Previous drug conspiracy involving Rostami and Kaveh

The convictions follow a linked investigation into drug dealing involving mephedrone, known as Dolly.

Essex Police carried out search warrants on April 17, 2015 at three addresses in Cowpar Mews in Braintree, Renown in Shoeburyness and East Hanningfield Road in Chelmsford.

They seized mephedrone with a street value of around 10,000 from Rostami and Kaveh's flat in Shoeburyness.

Items associated with drug dealing, such as drugs bags, mixing agent monosodium glutamate and mobile phones were found at all three addresses.

Rostami and Kaveh, as well as Asadollah Zare and Ebrahim Zare (who were not involved in the sex gang trial) were arrested and each charged with one count of conspiracy to supply mephedrone.

The court case ended in March 2016.

Asadollah Zare, 40, unemployed, formerly of Cowpar Mews, Braintree, denied the charge but changed his plea to guilty and was jailed for four years on March 21.

Ebrahim Zare, 42, unemployed, formerly of Cowpar Mews, Braintree, pleaded not guilty but was convicted and jailed for two years on March 21.

Rostami admitted conspiracy to supply mephedrone. Kaveh denied the charge but was convicted by a jury and were today sentenced to six years for the conspiracy charges.
With Donald Trump winning most of the Rust-Belt states, the incoming administration needs to make sure that the Rust Belt shares in the coming relief.

Despite being one of the most visible real estate tycoons of the past decade, Trump has managed to breach the wall of distrust among these constituents towards big business interests. Trump and his team are uniquely positioned to usher in an unprecedented era of cooperation between public and private leaders for the benefit of businesses and workers.

Dan Gilbert, the founder of QuickenLoans, expressed high hopes this past weekend in an interview with Bloomberg TV that the next administration would have a positive effect on his urban revitalization effort in Detroit.

Detroit, the de facto epicenter of the Rust Belt, was once the Motor City  the automobile manufacturing center of the United States and the fifth largest city nationwide. More recently, Detroit has contended with the highest violent crime rate in the country, as well as the most prominent emigration exodus in the last 20 years.

Gilberts decision to move the headquarters of his mortgage lending giant from the suburbs to downtown Detroit in 2010 came as a surprise to many residents, as well as many of his colleagues in the business community.

Citing his childhood love for the city of his birth, as well as the bargain-basement prices for office space in downtown Detroit, Gilbert said that the move was well thought out, from both a personal and a business standpoint. Gilberts real estate firm, Bedrock Real Estate Services, has acquired over 75 buildings in the downtown Detroit area  becoming one of the regions largest land owners - second only to the historical giant, General Motors.

As of this month, 90 companies have been attracted to downtown Detroit, directly or indirectly, because of QuickenLoans $2 billion plus investment in the purchase, renovation, and resale of spaces in downtown Detroit. Seed funding through another of Gilberts ventures has also succeeded in igniting Detroits tech-start up community  a community further supplemented by Twitters decision to open a regional office there in 2012. Even Chrysler has been enticed to move one of its headquarter offices out of Auburn Hills and into downtown.

Since Gilberts move into downtown Detroit, unemployment citywide has been nearly cut in half  from 19% in January 2013, to 10.4% this month. The role of government in this improvement is also worth noting. In early 2013, the city had declared bankruptcy. The crumbling tax base, a byproduct of emigration and commercial decline contributed significantly to the citys financial woes. In December of that year, the financial situation was stabilized. Gilbert cites the relative ease of business in that year, due to the partnership and regulatory flexibility of the government, as major drivers in Detroits success. It is largely in this respect, as deregulation looms large on Trumps federal agenda, that Gilbert sees the forthcoming government as a blessing.

Still, Gilbert is under no illusion that the Motor City of the future will have the economic composition of the past. To the dismay of some, the most lucrative opportunities in Downtown Detroit are in technology, not manufacturing. While expressing admiration for both free trade and fair trade, Gilbert rings more adamant about the skill gap between the technical skills needed to make Detroit the locus of the self-driving car world, and those currently available in Detroit.

The Trump administration has an asset in the good will of businessmen such as Gilbert. They admire the president-elects real-world business experience. If the new administration can leverage this good will into a partnership of government, with the pragmatic ear of private enterprise, the revitalization of Detroit might easily become the basis of the new deal for many Americans across the Rust Belt.

Shua-Kym McLean is a contributor to E21.

Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, E21 delivers a short email that includes E21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the E21 Morning Ebrief.
The European Union has condemned the recent attacks in both Jerusalem and northern Sinai. On Sunday (8 September), a truck rammed into a crowd of people getting off a bus in Jerusalem, killing 4 and injuring 17. The Israeli police called the incident an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene of the attack and said the perpetrator was by all indications a supporter of the Islamic State. Mr Netenyahu further said that this is part of the same pattern inspired by Islamic State, by ISIS, that we saw first in France, then in Germany and now in Jerusalem, and stressed that this is part of the same ongoing battle against this global scourge of the new terrorism.

The EU has released an official condemnation of the murder of the four young Israelis, as well as any praise or incitement for terrorist acts. The statement further read We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and hope that those injured will make a full recovery. There can be no justification for such a crime: the EU will continue to work with those who seek peace and denounce those who pursue violence and terror.

Only a day later (9 January), the EU condemned another terrorist attack  also using a truck  in northern Sinai, which killed at least 10 people and injured 22. The EU said the attack was a tragic reminder of the continuing terrorist threat to Egypt and expressed its condolences to the Egyptian authorities, the victims and their families. Brussels also reiterated that it stands side by side with Egypt in its fight against terrorism.
By submitting the accreditation form, the media representative accepts and agrees to the following:

The entered and transmitted personal data will be stored in the European Film Academy database and used to contact you in connection with the accreditation process and for information purposes concerning the European Film Awards.

Representatives name, media outlet and country may be passed on to other accredited media representatives, to our partners, sponsors and funding institutions, as well as to the agents of the nominees and winners of the European Film Awards. Furthermore, this information may be stored in order to fulfill our reporting obligations to the funding institutions and for other statistical evaluation.

Other personal data will be deleted as soon as the purpose for retaining such data ceases to apply, i.e. four weeks after the European Film Awards took place. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, data may be stored if required by Union of Member State law to which we are subject.

Data will also be blocked or deleted if a retention period prescribed by laws and regulations expires, unless there is a need for further storage of the data for the conclusion of fulfillment of a contract.

Please note that during all official events of the EFA Weekend photo and video recordings are made, which may be used in digital and/or in printed media for press information and public relations. For details please see our Privacy Policy.

Participating in the European Film Awards implies the unconditional acceptance of the above conditions.

The data protection officer of European Film Academy e.V. is Rainer Pyls. He may be contacted using the contact details provided above as well as at privacy@europeanfilmacademy.org. For further information please see our Privacy Policy.
We use cookies and external services on our website. Some are necessary, others enhance your user experience or help us improve this website.

You can change your privacy settings any time by clicking privacy policy.
After a full weeks risk-rally, the lasting strength of the Australian Dollar is unlikely to continue next week. However, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May set to hold her Brexit speech on Tuesday the Pound could easily fall too.

Friday morning's trade saw GBP/AUD making strong gains, up 0.45% on its opening level.

While Decembers Chinese imports did not fall as far as forecast on the year this was not enough to prevent market risk appetite diminishing on Friday, with a sharp decline in exports confidence in the outlook of the worlds second largest economy dimmed.

BoEs Carney Hints at UK Forecast Upgrade Fail to Spark GBP AUD Exchange Rate Recovery

The GBP AUD exchange rate has dropped today, although optimism has been seen elsewhere due to remarks from Bank of England (BoE) Governor Mark Carney.

The Pounds latest movement against the Australian Dollar has been negative, consisting of a -0.3% drop to 1.63 in the pairing.

This follows BoE Governor Carney answering questions from the Treasury Select Committee, during which time Carney hinted at revising up the UK economic forecast for 2017.

Coming after BoE official Andy Haldane stated that the BoE predictions for a UK economic crash after the Brexit vote were a Michael Fish moment, this news points towards rising optimism about future Bank of England (BoE) announcements.

Although Carneys statement about improving forecasts was delivered with a cautious phrasing, investors nonetheless remained optimistic that strong PMI stats in early January would be proof enough for a UK outlook upgrade.

Major Gains seen for Aussie Dollar after Iron Ore Price Jump

The Australian Dollar has been firm against the Pound today, having been bumped up in demand by still-high iron ore costs.

Despite the fact that the price of the commodity was expected to fall over 2017, the year so far has shown anything but declines, with a progressive and sharp rise coming since the start of January.

Further Australian Dollar (AUD) Gains Triggered by Slump in US Dollar Interest

Another source of support for the Australian Dollar against the Pound today has been a converse deterioration in US Dollar demand, which has come after the first press conference of the year by President-Elect Donald Trump.

After delivering a highly controversial press conference to assembled reporters, Trumps still-present rambling, bombastic delivery turned off investors, who are having to confront the reality of the controversial businessman nearing the top spot in the US political system.

Pound Sterling (GBP) Recovery Possible if BoEs Saunders Stokes Forecast Upgrade Fire

The last major UK announcement of the week is expected to consist of Bank of England (BoE) official Michael Saunders giving a speech on Friday morning.

For the Pound to rebound against the Australian Dollar, Saunders will need to expand on Carneys rhetoric from Wednesday and add further weight to the idea that a UK outlook improvement could be imminent.

GBP, AUD Data Releases for 13th January 2017

09:30 BoE Saunders Speech
Just a warning really  we printed out and filled in an FLR(M), all sent off only for us to receive a letter to say we had used the wrong version  apparently in the short time between printing, filling in, checking (many times) and posting a new version had been produced! How we were supposed to know is beyond me.



In addition, there was no reference on the FLR(M) to a Health Surcharge fee  now I know and am 500 poorer.



Julian
Hi,



Please find the list based on FM 1.7 and FM SE



Financial Requirement:



1 A. Last financial year April 2015- April 2016 bank statements (Personal)

1 B.Last Financial year business bank statement May 2015 to April 2016 ( I was in different job prior to that)

2. Audited Annual Accounts for 2015-2016 filed on 19th April 2016

3.VAT registration cert

4.Corp tax CT 600 filed proof from HMRC online log

5.Company Incorporation certificate

6.Dividend Vouchers for CT 600( May 15- Apr 16- totally 8 vouchers)

7.Payslips (May-2015 -Dec 2016)

8 a. Total Invoice for last 12 months

8 b. Total invoice for CT 600 period Apr 15-apr 16

9.Letter from Accountant stating total income from 1st dec 2015 - 31 dec 2016, Total Salary, Total dividends

10.Current Appointment report from Companies House

11.Annual Return filed copy for LTD company with share details



12. Interim Unaudited accounts period ended 31st dec 2016

13. P60 tax year to 5th April 2016

15. SA 100 online HMRC filing log

16. Letter from HMRC with PAYE ref

17.Copy of tax return SA 100 for the year ended 5th April 2016

18.SA 102 for 2015-16 tax calculation

19.SA 302 HMRC Tax calculation Summary year ended 5th April 2016

20. SA 110 2015-16

21. copy of Corp Tax return CT 600 for accounting period ended 19th April 2016

22.Letter from Accountant stating total income from May 2015 - Apr 2015 with total invoice, Total Salary, Total dividends

23. Personal and Business Bank statements covering period May 2016 - Dec 2016

24. Service certificate from previous employer to prove I was in perm job until April 2015.

25. Letter from Agency confirming on going contract

26. Invoice remittance slips from Agency

27.Letter from bank with the date when business account was opened



ENGLISH LANGUAGE:



28. 2 NARIC cert for my spouse( Spouse has Phd degree but NARIC cert for Masters degree obtained)

29.Original degree cert for my spouse(Bachelors, Masters and Ph.d)



ACCOMMODATION:



30. Council tax bill 2016/2017

31. Tenancy agreement of my flat single bed

32. Email proof from owner with no consent for my spouse to live in the flat

33. Latest Energy utility bill (Nov 2016)



OTHER DOCS:



34. My Passport copy (Sponsor)

35. Spouse Passport(Indian)

36. Tuberculosis Test certificate

37. Electoral registration cert

38. Online filled Form for the applicant

39. Sponsorship form SU07

40.Covering letter stating I will sponsor and will be responsible for all expenses for my spouse

41. Service certificate for my spouse - 7th May 2015- 15th Dec 2016

42. Hindu Marriage certificate in English

43. Wedding Photos -10 nos, Invitation card for proof

44.Appendix 2 Form

45. Copies of passport stamped pages



Anything else ? please guide
Hello



We are US citizens that want to open an account at Bangkok Bank before moving to Chiang Mai from Penang. We're Hoping to find out if they will open an account before having a local address? Also, can you open one on a tourist visa or do you need to have a non immigrant visa?



We plan on looking for a place to live for a week or two before vacating our current addresses in Malaysia and hope to get an account opened during that time.



Any comments from personal experience will be greatly appreciated



Thanks
British people are not known for their widespread ability to speak languages other than English but new research shows that parents want their children to learn Mandarin Chinese.It is named by parents as the most beneficial non-European language for their children to learn, according to new research released as part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme which was set up last year to help thousands learn the language by 2020.  Some 35% of adults with children under the age of 18 said Mandarin Chinese was in their top three when asked which languages they thought would be most valuable for their childrens futures.When questioned specifically about Mandarin Chinese some 51% of parents said they thought that learning the language would boost their childrens career prospects while 56% saw it as a skill that would open their childrens minds to an exciting and dynamic culture.The results also show that 51% stated that they would like their children to have the opportunity to study Mandarin with 27% saying that they would actively be encouraging their children to learn the language.And while the more traditional languages French, Spanish and German were favourites overall, picked in the top three by 57%, 54% and 40% respectively, Mandarin Chinese was considered the most vital non-European language for young people in the UK to speak, well ahead of Arabic and Japanese, both at 14%.The Department of Educations Mandarin Excellence Programme is the first language learning initiative of its kind in the UK and is being led by participating schools, supported by the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) in partnership with the British Council.Over the last decade, our work in schools has inspired increasing numbers of secondary school pupils to take up Mandarin Chinese. This programme provides a real boost and unique opportunity for more motivated pupils to be on track towards fluency in Mandarin, said Katharine Carruthers, director of the IOE.We are also developing new innovative teaching methods which will benefit the young people on the programme as well as the wider cohort of pupils learning Mandarin Chinese in our schools. The Mandarin Excellence Programme will undoubtedly help to further the UKs relationship with China at all levels, she added.According to Mark Herbert, head of schools programmes at the British Council, with the global economy becoming more interconnected and the drive to boost exports, language skills are increasingly vital for work and life.Mandarin Chinese is one of the languages that matter most to the UKs future prosperity. If the UK is to remain competitive on the world stage, we need far more of our young people leaving school with a good grasp of Mandarin in order to successfully work abroad or for businesses here in the UK. Learning Mandarin is also a fascinating process that brings a valuable understanding of Chinese culture, he explained.Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, and is seen as important for young people in the UK to master in order for the country to remain globally competitive in the future. Secondary school pupils on the Mandarin Excellence Programme are studying the language for an average of eight hours a week over the course of the next four years, a significant increase on the one to two hours per week that most year seven secondary pupils currently spend studying a language.
Spain, a world leader in organ donation and transplants for the last 25 years, has once again beaten its own record in 2016, with an average 43.4 donors per million inhabitants (a total of 2,018 donors) and 4,818 transplants. Waiting lists in just about every organ category have fallen, from 5,673 patients in 2015 to 5,477 in 2016, a drop of 196.

A lung transplant at a Madrid hospital.

In total, last year 2,994 kidney transplants were carried out. For livers, the figure was 1,159; for hearts 281; and 307 for lungs. There were also 73 pancreas and four intestinal transplants.

The figures were presented at a press conference by Health Minister Dolors Montserrat during a visit to the headquarters of the National Transplant Organization (ONT) on Wednesday, which has been headed by Rafael Matesanz for the last 28 years. He will be standing down in the coming months.

The oldest donor in Spain last year was aged 94 and provided a liver

The ONT says the improved results come from the increased use of non-heart-beating donors  who make up one in four of people who donate an organ  along with better coordination with medics working in accident and emergency to identify possible donors.

At the same time, there was a fall in the number of kidney transplants from living donors: 341 compared to 2015s 388, probably as a result of more organs being available from deceased donors.

The ONT says that donors are becoming progressively older: 54.6% are now aged over 60, close to a third are 70 or older, and almost 10% are in their eighties; the oldest donor in Spain last year was aged 94 and provided a liver.

For the first time, every region in Spain has provided more than 35 donors per million inhabitants, with more than 60 per million in Cantabria, the Basque Country and Navarre, and more than 50 per million in Murcia and La Rioja.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017

(NewsUSA) - The college application process and the college prep testing that goes along with it can be overwhelming for students and families. Tests such as the SAT and ACT are an important element of the application process, and therefore a source of anxiety. However, only about 30 percent of public schools have an advisor dedicated to college prep.

An outside organization offering test prep courses, such as Sylvan Learning, can make a significant difference in test preparation. More than 15,000 students benefit from Sylvan's test prep programs each year with higher test scores, and even some perfect scores, according to the company.

"Students need someone to help them navigate through this very confusing process and Sylvan Learning's prep programs are a valuable resource for that," says Anathea Simpkins, Sylvan Learning's Director of College Prep Products.

Since the debut of the revised SAT in March 2016, Simpkins says, she has noticed that more students have trouble with the math section in which calculators are not allowed. The "Words in Context" items in the reading and writing sections also pose a frequent challenge for students. Sylvan has adjusted its SAT and ACT prep programs to focus on these challenging areas and help give students the edge they need, Simpkins notes.

Tips for success on the new SAT include:

*Read more. The new SAT includes word problems in math, passages in writing, and text to be read before composing an essay. In addition, several items may be based on one passage, and failure to read effectively could impact several answers.

*Focus in class. Much of the SAT comes from sources used in the classroom. Many passages in the reading and math sections draw from the context of social studies and science, so it is important to pay attention in all subject areas, recognize connections, and apply familiar concepts to new ideas.

*Know your tough spots. An initial diagnostic test can show where a struggling student needs help, so these skills can be a top priority during test prep sessions.

Sylvan Learning takes on the challenges of college prep tests by identifying the skills needed to succeed in each section. Each chapter of a Sylvan program includes robust practice and a unique online component, SylvanPrep.com, which provides thousands of video-based lessons for additional practice and support that is especially useful in a student's problem areas.

Visit sylvanlearning.com/prep for more details about Sylvan Learning's college prep programs.

Article Resources Link to this article: Copy and paste the following code

Embed this article:

Editors, click here for story elements.

Let's block ads! (Why?)
Artists from 11 Countries Featured in

New Interactive Book

Denver, CO -- Holly E. Tripp once again shows us the power of music with Stories of Music, Volume 2, a follow-up to the award-winning, interactive anthology Stories of Music, Volume 1. In this book, she brings together authors and artists from 11 countries who tell their personal stories of how music has affectedand changedtheir lives. The result is a mixed-media book that is emotionally impactful. Full of photos, poems, and essays, and designed for readers to interactively experience original music and videos, the book offers a full sensory experience.

The anthology celebrates how music can propel people forwarddespite obstacles, pain, and uncertaintyand in some cases, save lives, which Tripp feels is timely in today's world. "It has the power to bring us together," she said. "And in a time of astonishing turmoil occurring all over the world, I'd say we need it more now than ever before"

In his foreword to the book, Jeff Campbell, Founder & Director of Hungry for Music in Washington, DC, wrote:

Music's ability to heal, to communicate peace, to express love, to inspire change, to build community, and to give us hope is helping to enlighten and open us up to a more harmonious existence. Holly Tripp's multimedia anthology series, Stories of Music, gives us hope that it is a real possibility. Holly's compilation of stories are beautiful examples of music's magical qualities that can help mend an ailing world.

The book starts off with a section called "Origins" and a fascinating story, "The Magic of the Mouth Harp," which provides a historical look at the mouth harpone of the oldest instruments known to manand how harpist Neptune Chapotin discovered the instrument and created the World Mouth Harp Festival of India. Another section of the book includes "Against All Odds," and perhaps one of the most inspirational stories, "Lost and Found," about a man who fighting MS with the healing qualities of music. And quite touching is "The Deaf Composer" by award-winning poet Darrell Lindsey, about a man who was left deaf in a trauma, but still enjoys the world through remembered sounds and the new way in which music reaches him. Reminding us that it is never too late is the story of the new pianist Alma Bond, who learned to play the piano at age 91.

Additional sections of the book include "Interconnection" (how music brings people together), "Exploration" (how some people have discovered their musical voices and journeys), "Transcendence" (how select musicians have transcended expectations), and "Ghosts" (how past musical experiences can both inspire and haunt us). The anthology ends with a striking photo, "Prayer with Conch Shell," taken on the steps of the Hindu holy city, Varanasi, India.

Tripp grew up in a musical family, co-writing songs with her brother Brandon, and playing music with her parents. She also loved hearing stories of how her great-grandmother listened to music "jam sessions" through a telephone party line. It was after Brandon was killed in an auto accident in 2008 that she fully realized the impact music has on emotions. Since the siblings were bonded through music, music was how she finally coped with his death. She wrote 20 songs that year, and the songs, in a way, brought a part of him back to her.

"There's a certain mystery to music that we can't explain, in the way that it touches us," said Tripp. "Music gives us an opportunity to communicate with one another in a profound way, beyond language"

To compile the book, Tripp put out a call for submissions in the art and literary communities. The results were over 1,000 submissions that she read through as they came in. "It was really difficult to pick," says Tripp, of the submissions. "But I started to see specific themes that really capture our most poignant experiences with musichow it can heal, create community, and inspire people to do amazing things"

The anthology is a masterpiece of mixed medium, and will reach audiences of all ages, races, and lifestyles. Acting on her belief that music heals, Tripp donates 10% of all proceeds to nonprofit organizations Hungry for Music and Music & Memory, the latter of which was the subject of the award-winning documentary Alive Inside.

This anthology's predecessor, Stories of Music, Volume 1 is the winner of two 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, including Third Place Grand Prize for nonfiction and another award for the anthology category. The book is also a 2016 Colorado Book Award winner for the anthology category. Stories of Music, Volume 2 promises to be an award-winning publication as well.

-END-

Stories of Music, Volume 2 ISBN: 978-0-9969327-4-5 (pbk), ISBN: 978-0-9969327-5-2 (companion web edition), 2017, Timbre Press, Interactive paperback $29.00, 192 pages, includes URLs and QR codes throughout to direct readers to the free companion web edition for accessing audio and video pieces. The book is available on the author's website, https://storiesofmusic.com , and on Amazon and Barnes HYPERLINK "http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-of-music-volume-2-holly-e-tripp/1125428581?ean=9780996932745" HYPERLINK "http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-of-music-volume-2-holly-e-tripp/1125428581?ean=9780996932745"& HYPERLINK "http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-of-music-volume-2-holly-e-tripp/1125428581?ean=9780996932745" HYPERLINK "http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-of-music-volume-2-holly-e-tripp/1125428581?ean=9780996932745"Noble.

About Holly E. Tripp

Tripp grew up in a musical household with musician parents and a passion to follow in their footsteps. These musical beginnings, and a love for storytelling, inspired the Stories of Music series, with which she has set out to celebrate the ways in which music is changing lives around the world. She lives in Denver, CO with her husband, and has just released Stories of Music, Volume 2.

Media Contact: For a review copy of Stories of Music, Volume 2 or to arrange an interview with Holly E. Tripp, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on twitter @ HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/aBookPublicist"BookPublicist
Saudi Arabia has reduced oil production to less than 10 million barrels a day, below its targeted level, and will consider renewing its pledge to cut crude output in six months, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said.

Kuwait has also exceeded its targeted cut, according to that countrys oil minister. Algerias energy minister said his nation, too, will reduce output by more than its quota. Russia has cut its January oil production, although it cant say how long it will cut output deeper than originally planned, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in Moscow.

Crude has advanced since the deal among OPEC and 11 other nations to temper supply, but it hasnt been able to sustain that rally above $55 a barrel amid concern that rising prices will spur more production. The U.S. government recently raised this years output forecast, and explorers have added drilling rigs for 10 straight weeks.

Whether or not OPEC proves to be fully compliant in their cuts, the market is impressed with their ability to overcome political and fiscal issues, to band together and create a floor, said Bruno Stanziale, director of commodity strategy at Eurasia Group. It all rests in the hands of the U.S. shale oil producers. The degree to which producers get back in the field will dictate the cap of this market.

West Texas Intermediate for February delivery rose 76 cents to settle at $53.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent for March settlement climbed 91 cents to settle at $56.01 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark was at a premium of $2.17 to March WTI.

Saudi Arabia, the worlds biggest oil exporter, is currently producing at a 22-month low. It had agreed to cut 486,000 barrels a day to 10.058 million barrels a day as part of a global deal to reduce output to curb a supply glut. The caps on production, together with rising demand and natural decreases in output in some countries, will help balance the market and support prices, al-Falih said in a speech at an energy conference in Abu Dhabi.

Oil production now is below 10 million so far, he told reporters later Thursday. So, were going the extra mile to lead our colleagues within and outside of OPEC to make sure that the market sees that theres serious action in place. Saudi oil output was last below 10 million barrels a day in February 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

We will consider renewing the agreement after six months, he said. The cuts began Jan. 1 and currently are set to stay in effect though June.

Saudi Arabia is due to meet fellow members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in May at their biannual meeting in Vienna to assess the market and the groups production policy. OPEC states will also gather with major producers outside the group later this month in the Austrian capital to monitor their compliance with the production cuts, which aim at shoring up prices.

We have been moving toward a rebalanced market for some time  too slowly to my liking, al-Falih said. The pace of rebalancing will be accelerated due to the recent agreements within OPEC and with our party from outside the group.

Al-Falihs comments amplified remarks made earlier at the same event by OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo, who said global oil inventories will start to fall by the second quarter of this year and that crude-producing countries will decide in May whether to extend their output cuts beyond the first half.

Global macroeconomic numbers have responded positively to the agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC producers to pare output, Barkindo said at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum. We have our target in accelerating those draw-downs to bring them closer to the five-year level  that is our target, he told reporters. OPEC isnt targeting a specific price for crude, he said.

Total SA CEO Patrick Pouyanne, speaking at the same event, said he expects that the decline in oil inventories will take two years.

Oil markets should be in balance in six months, and its premature to decide whether additional cuts will be needed, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al Mazrouei said at the Abu Dhabi conference. Countries with a naturally declining output of oil are contributing to a decrease in global production, he said.

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.

Kuwait has cut 133,000 barrels a day of oil output and is currently producing 2.7 million barrels a day, Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouk said at the conference. The production cut will be reflected in Kuwaits crude exports, he said. Kuwait had agreed to cut 131,000 barrels a day in the global deal to reduce output.

Algeria, which pledged to trim production by 50,000 barrels a day, has started cutting and will reduce its output in January by 60,000 barrels a day, Energy Minister Noureddine Boutarfa said in an interview in Abu Dhabi. It may cut as much as 65,000, he said.

OPECs Barkindo expressed confidence in the level of commitment from all countries participating in the agreement to decrease supply. I met with the Iraqi minister this morning, he said. He has reassured me Iraq will implement its part of the deal fully and on a timely basis.

Global oil inventories will decline this year by 700,000 barrels a day even if Iraq, which initially sought an exemption from OPECs output cut, fails to comply, according to London-based consultant Energy Aspects Ltd.

OPEC is likely to achieve 80 percent compliance with its promised reduction, a level higher than the not-so-shabby historical average of 66 percent the group had achieved in deals since the early 1980s, Energy Aspects said in an emailed report. The market, however, is dubious of any compliance at all, it said.

A committee of OPEC and non-OPEC producers responsible for monitoring compliance with the cuts will hold its first meeting on Jan. 22 in Vienna, Barkindo said. The committee, with Kuwait as chairman, also includes Algeria, Venezuela, Russia and Oman.
San Antonio Express-News /File photo

One of the companies of late trucking tycoon Bill Hall Jr. Trucking is trying to reinstate its bankruptcy after a federal judge dismissed it last week.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta dismissed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed by Bill Hall Jr. Trucking GP LLC last week after the companys lawyers missed a November deadline to file its reorganization plan and proof of property insurance.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A celebration of writers has turned into Texas lit vs. Texas Lege.

Calling the states so-called bathroom bill nonsense, best-selling author Rick Riordan has turned down an invitation by the Texas Legislature to attend a celebration of authors event March 8 in Austin.

Just turned down an invite to be honored by TX state legislature as a Texas author. If they want to honor me, they could stop this nonsense, tweeted the San Antonio native, and author of the popular Percy Jackson series of young adult novels after receiving the invitation Friday.

Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, the organizer for the author event  which includes the reading of a proclamation  told the Texas Tribune that Riordans refusal was a bummer.

I dont want to challenge (Riordans) belief system, Villalba told the Texas Tribune. I appreciate that this is his way of making his statement about what has occurred. My only disappointment is we cant show him how much we appreciate his great work.

Riordan isnt the only Texas author to snub the Lege.

More Information Texas Legislature Celebration of Authors event Authors who turned down the invitation in protest: Rick Riordan, author of the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series Sarah Bird, author of "A Love Letter to Texas Women" Amanda Eyre Ward, author of "The Same Story" Authors who have confirmed attendance: Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly contributor and author of "The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer" Don Graham, author of "Kings of Texas" Mike Blakely, author of "A Song to Die For" Kimberly Willis Holt, author of "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town" Mary Helen Specht, author of "Migratory Animals" Nikki Loftin, author of "Nightingale's Nest" and "Wish Girl" Bethany Hegedus, author of "Grandfather Gandhi" Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of "Feral" and "Tantalize" Authors invited who are unable to attend: Cormac McCarthy, author of "No Country for Old Men" Larry McMurtry, author of "Lonesome Dove" See More Collapse

Austin novelist Sarah Bird turned down the invitation because of laws passed by the Texas legislature concerning womens health issues.

I thought I was going to give an acceptance speech, Bird said by telephone Wednesday afternoon of the invitation, which she also received Friday. And I was getting nervous thinking about bringing it to them. But I was also really impressed that they wanted to reach across the aisle, because Ive written some books that are pretty critical of Texas, like Alamo House. But I had a lot of thoughts I wanted to share, and maybe Im naive, but I believe in showing up personally and telling your story.

Ironically, Bird was being honored in part for her latest work of nonfiction Love Letter to Texas Women, a paean to women such as Ann Richards and Molly Ivins.

If I had spoken, I would have been polite and respectful and diplomatic, but I would have liked to bear witness to the fact that I couldnt have been a successful Texas writer without access to womens health care, she said.

Birds tone and language probably would have been different, she said, than the speech she posted on TribTalk under the headline: Texas lawmakers retracted my award, but I wrote an acceptance speech anyway.

Heres a sample: Whenever I meet a woman of my age, old enough to remember those glorious carefree days back when America was great and we were pooping our panties as we trembled in fear of nuclear annihilation beneath our desks; or skipping merrily behind the truck spraying clouds of utterly safe DDT; or staring at the photo of a black girl nearly our own age who required the National Guard and more guts than you can hang on a fence to go to school; or, living in terror of becoming one of the thousands of women who died of an unsafe, illegal abortion, we shake our heads and wonder, How the hell did we get back here? ... The hypocrisy is wearying. And it would be laughable if the bodies of Texas women were not at stake.

People have been congratulating me for my courage, Bird said, but what would have really taken courage would have been to make that speech out loud.

According to the Chron.com, the Houston Chronicles website, Austin novelist Amanda Eyre Ward also declined to attend the event, tweeting to Rep. Villalba: Im sorry to decline your invitation to the #txlege celebration of authors. Sending a copy of my novel, The Same Sky, to you.

The novel is about a young Honduran girl named Carla, who makes an illegal journey to Texas to join her mother after violence erupts in her native country.

Former San Antonio Poet Laureate Carmen Tafolla also has been invited to the author celebration, but she has not decided whether she will attend.

Contacted by phone Wednesday, she said her 99-year-old mother Mary Tafolla had a sudden illness and she couldnt think about anything else.

My brain is kind of blank, thinking about those 99 years, she said.

sbennett@express-news.net
The feudal lords of Japan tortured many Roman Catholics during the 17th century, and yet the numbers of their victims pale when you consider how many people Martin Scorsese will ultimately torture with Silence.

Based on the novel of the same name by Shusaku Endo, this has been a dream project of Scorseses for nearly three decades, and its good that he got to make it. It can serve as a lesson to young filmmakers that artistic failure is no disgrace. Sooner or later, it happens to the best of them.

Indeed, the fact that Scorsese is one of our great filmmakers, coupled with the films unmistakable sincerity, could lead a person to mistake Silence for an important piece of work. But Silence is not just sincere. Its naive. Its performances are tin-eared and histrionic. The dialogue feels off, like it was translated from the Japanese by Google Translate, and the conversations go on and on and on.

It is an exhausting film to watch  not exhausting emotionally, because it barely engages the emotions, but physically. As bad movies often do, Silence sucks energy from the audience, and it does so for a punishing two hours and 41 minutes.

More Information Silence * Quick take: A punishing failure from a great director See More Collapse

It tells the story of a Portuguese Jesuit missionary Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield), who gets disturbing news at the start of the film. He and his colleague Father Garrpe (Adam Driver) are told that their mentor  their confessor and spiritual teacher Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson)  has turned apostate. Captured by the shoguns, Ferreira gave up his faith and married a Japanese woman.

The young priests dont believe that, and with all the impetuosity of sheltered youth, they get the idea to go to Japan and try to rescue him. They believe that the apostasy and marriage rumors are pure slander, and that Ferreira is either in hiding or being held prisoner.

In human terms, one can see how this could be interesting  two young men armed with nothing but their religious conviction, who dont even speak Japanese, go to a place where the authorities are killing every Christian they can find.

People are being set on fire, or drowned, or scalded with boiling water, or killed after being tortured for days. To escape torture, the authorities offer one out. If a prisoner implicitly rejects Christianity by stepping on a religious icon, he can get out of jail free.

Much of the conversation in Silence revolves around the implications of caving into authority. But the discussions never get sophisticated enough (and they certainly dont vary enough) to command a sustained interest.

While stepping on a sacred symbol would be disturbing to a person of faith, the moral absolutism of the young priest begins to seem excessive. Would a forgiving God really throw believers into the jaws of hell just for committing a harmless act to keep from being boiled alive? Would a Christian God do this, one who actually knows how scary it is to be in a human body?

As it stands, Silence feels like a film about two rival forms of primitive dogmatism in which neither side quite realizes that they both might be wrong. It doesnt seem remotely mystical, but earthbound.

The whole movie is reminiscent of the prayer that the King utters in Hamlet, which never takes wing but stays leaden on the ground. Its a strange case, a movie about spiritual doubt that unintentionally provokes spiritual doubt. Its just ugly and drab, with nothing transcendent about it.

Garfield is unconvincing as a man of conviction. The temptation would be to blame him, but he just got through playing a religious man in Hacksaw Ridge in one of the years best performances.

No, the problem is the material itself. Father Rodrigues wrestles with Gods silence, and Scorsese, who adapted the novel with Jay Cocks, leaves the audience feeling that Rodrigues is just talking to himself.

Well, Scorsese is free to do that, but if thats the case, why make the film? Either Silence is about the spirit, or its about a series of pathetic incidents, centuries ago, involving a delusional young man.

Garfield goes through the film speaking English with a Portuguese accent, and Driver has some kind of accent that might be Portuguese, but Neeson will have none of that. He just sounds Irish  from some previously unknown Irish section of Lisbon.

Most of the Japanese actors overact shamelessly, like they just drank 10 cups of coffee and watched a Kurosawa movie, but Tadanobu Asano is charismatic as the translator, and Issey Ogata plays the grand inquisitor with wit and presence.

When youre making a Christian epic and the best thing about it is the guy playing the inquisitor, you have a serious problem. 

Running time: 161 minutes

MPAA rating: R (violence and gore)
President-elect Donald Trump made an important concession about Russia. He criticized U.S. intelligence officials. He sparred with reporters and denounced fake news.

And that was all before he arrived at the ostensible reason for holding his first formal news conference since July: his plans to extricate himself from the operations of his vast business holdings.

Here are the highlights from the whirling, hourlong news conference in Trump Tower.

THE TOP 10 KEY MOMENTS

 Trump said that after his briefing on Friday with U.S. intelligence officials, he now thought Russia was behind the effort to hack his election opponents. As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, Trump said.

 Later in the news conference, Trump wavered slightly when pressed. But you know what, it could have been others also, he said when asked why he had been so critical of U.S. intelligence officials.

 He harshly criticized the publication of unverified reports that claimed Russia has salacious information about his behavior and finances. I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies let any information that turned out to be so false and fake out, he said. Explaining his Twitter post comparing the United States to Nazi Germany, he said of the leaks: Thats something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. Trump added that BuzzFeed is a failing pile of garbage that would suffer the consequences for publishing the uncorroborated report.

 Trump said he was untroubled by the intelligence reports that have been made public, which said Russia preferred him over Hillary Clinton and that President Vladimir Putin ordered the election meddling to benefit him. If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks: That is called an asset, not a liability, he said. He added that a strong relationship could allow the two nations to work together on difficult international issues.

 When asked whether he had a message for Putin, Trump said: He shouldnt be doing it. He wont be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I am leading it. He added: Theres no reset button. Were either going to get along or were not. But he did not address a question about whether he or anyone on his campaign staff had had contact with Russia during the campaign.

 Trump swatted away allegations included in the uncorroborated reports. He said he instructs aides any time he goes abroad to ensure that there are no cameras spying on him. He also added, apparently referring to a detail in the report about supposed sex videos with prostitutes, Im also very much of a germaphobe, believe me.

 Addressing the topic the news conference was supposed to cover, Trump said he would not divest from his vast business holdings as he takes office. Instead, the president-elect will turn over the operations and control of those holdings to a trust controlled by his eldest sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

 Donald Trump said that he had considered letting the Affordable Care Act implode on its own and letting Democrats take the political hit he said would follow. But he said he had decided on a more forthright strategy: repeal and replace almost simultaneously. Trump was short on details, but clearer in his intention to try to keep Democrats responsible. We dont want to own it politically, he said.

 The president-elect said he had asked David J. Shulkin, a current undersecretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs, to lead the agency. Trump said his team had interviewed at least 100 people in the search for a secretary.

 Near the end of the news conference, Trump got into a shouting match with Jim Acosta of CNN, who tried to press the president-elect into taking a question. Since you were attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance? Acosta asked. To which Trump replied: Your organizations terrible, and dont be rude, before dismissing the request once and for all: You are fake news. (CNN was the first to report that Trump and President Barack Obama had been briefed by intelligence officials on the uncorroborated documents, but the network did not publish them.)

MORE PUSHBACK ON THE RUSSIA REPORT

 Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, spoke first to address the publication of the unverified reports by BuzzFeed on Tuesday. Spicer called the reports a frankly outrageous and highly irresponsible attack on Trump and a sad, pathetic attempt to get clicks. Spicer said the documents were not an intelligence report and were categorically false.

 Vice President-elect Mike Pence followed Spicer and amplified his condemnation of news reports by BuzzFeed and other news outlets, which he said were irresponsible and aimed at discrediting Trumps legitimate election victory.

 Trump began by thanking news organizations that did not report what he called the nonsense that was released. He said he has great respect for freedom of the press, and all of that.

 Trump said that the document was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, which would be a tremendous blot on their record.

 He went on to cast blame on the Democratic National Committee for the hacking. He praised the Republican National Committee for having better defenses and commended Reince Priebus, his incoming chief of staff, who was the committee chairman.

 Trump reiterated his description of the report printed by BuzzFeed as fake news, saying he did not think Putin had compromising information about him or the Republican Party. Ill be honest, if he did have something, he would have released it, he said.

 He denied that he has any business dealings in Russia: I tweeted out that I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals in Russia. I have no deals that could happen in Russia because weve stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia. As a real estate developer, I have very, very little debt.

 Trump said he had requested that the intelligence agencies produce a major report on hacking defense to be delivered 90 days after he takes office, including an examination of this situation with Russia and other incidents of hacking.

DETAILS ON HIS BUSINESS PLANS

 Sheri A. Dillon, a lawyer for Trump, took the stage to describe how her client would turn over his business assets to a trust. President-elect Trump wants there to be no doubt in the minds of the American public that he is completely isolating himself from his business interests, she said, adding that Trumps sons will make all decisions for the company without any involvement whatsoever from Trump. She said Trump would resign from all positions he holds with the Trump Organization, as would his daughter Ivanka.

 Dillon said no new foreign deals would be allowed during the presidency and new domestic deals would be subject to strict restrictions. He will only know of a deal if he reads about it in the paper or sees it on TV, Dillon said, referring to Trump. She also said an ethics adviser would be appointed to the management team of the Trump Organization.

 Dillon argued that selling Trumps business would prove more difficult and create more ethical quandaries than the plan that the Trump Organization had chosen. A totally blind trust, she said, would likewise be impossible under the circumstances. And, she added, President-elect Trump should not be expected to destroy the company he built.

 Dillon laid out what amounts to the Trump administrations interpretation of the Constitutions Emoluments Clause, which prohibits government officials from taking payments or gifts from a foreign government. No one would have thought when the Constitution was written, that paying your hotel bill was an emolument, she said. To avoid any appearances of violations, Dillon said Trump had pledged to donate to the U.S. government all profits made by his hotels from payments by foreign governments.

 Trump was flanked by a table piled high with manila folders that he said contained paperwork that he had signed turning over control of the Trump Organization to his sons.

 Trump joked that if his sons failed to do a good job managing the company during his time in office, he would turn to them and say, Youre fired.

 In other comments about his businesses, Trump said he had been offered $2 billion worth of deals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, over the weekend but had turned them down.

 Asked about his tax returns, Trump said he was still not releasing them because they are under audit. He said that the American people did not care about the documents anyway. The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters, Trump said.

THE TRANSITION CONTINUES

 Trump said he was looking forward to his inauguration. Its going to be a beautiful event, he said. We have great talent, tremendous talent. And, he added, massive crowds as well.

 Asked to address criticism that his Cabinet choices have presented an abundance of conflicts of interest, Trump simply praised his appointments. I think we have one of the great Cabinets ever put together, he said.

 Trump said he expected to announce big news in the next few weeks about companies that would build factories in the Midwest.

 Trump said Carriers decision to keep jobs in Indiana sent a clear signal to other companies thinking of moving production overseas. The word is now out, he said, repeating a call for a major border tax on these companies that are leaving.

 About that wall: I dont feel like waiting a year, a year and a half, I want to start building, he said. He reiterated that Mexico would reimburse the cost, but he added cryptically that it probably wouldnt be in the form of a payment.

 Turning to the Supreme Court, Trump said he expects to announce a nominee to fill the courts vacant seat two weeks or so after he takes office.

 Trump was asked how he would reform the news media he criticizes frequently. I dont recommend reforms, he said. I recommend people that have some moral compass. He added: I will tell you, some of the media outlets that I deal with are fake news, more so than anybody.

__________

Nick Corasaniti contributed reporting.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

City Manager Sheryl Sculley told the City Council in an email Wednesday that installation of a major part of Google Fibers infrastructure has been put on hold because of constraints of several municipally owned properties.

The decision to halt the massive infrastructure project comes after months of complaints from residents in a Northeast Side neighborhood upset that Google was allowed to install a so-called fiber hut in their tiny Haskin Park. Those residents joined with their counterparts from District 3, who faced planned huts in a park and on a vacant lot between two homes.

Sculley wrote that it became evident that we needed to re-evaluate the remaining hut placement locations after the first two were completed in neighborhood parks.

Googles plans originally called for 40 huts, but the company ultimately was able to reduce that number to 17 before construction began.

Now, the remaining 15 sites  which include a police substation, four other parks, five fire stations, two libraries and three vacant residential properties  are on hold and being reviewed. Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni, whos overseeing the citys team now monitoring fiber installation, told the San Antonio Express-News last week that he and his colleagues already had determined park and residential sites werent suitable.

Google had pulled permits for seven locations and completed work on two: Haskin and West End parks. The five other permits now are on hold, he said.

The huts house the backbone of the network, an essential component to bringing gigabit Internet to residences throughout the city.

Sculleys email to the council was a response to an inquiry sent early in the week from Mayor Ivy Taylor, who indicated concern about disruptions to community life, which the City Council never intended when it approved a master-lease agreement with Google. That contract included access to city-owned property for the fiber huts.

Even as she asked for a review, Taylor underscored the perceived importance of having Google Fiber in San Antonio.

Google Fiber is clearly important to the citys commitment to achieving our goal of being a globally competitive city where everyone has opportunities to prosper. However, we have a serious problem with the placement of several Google Fiber huts in city parks and a vacant lot in a Southeast Side neighborhood (D3), Taylor wrote. These fairly large structures threaten to reduce neighbors access to their parks  Garza, Haskins (sic), Highland, Kennedy, and West End. We must also look at the proximity to residences.

Taylor noted that ultra-high-speed Internet access is crucial for economic competitiveness and improved quality of life, but said cant come at the expense of neighborhoods.

For the residents near Haskin Park, which is north of Eisenhauer Road and between North New Braunfels and Harry Wurzbach, the Google fiber hut instantly became an eyesore and an inconvenience. They say its harmed the usability of the green space and tarnished their views of the parks playground and open field.

City officials say Google failed to properly inform residents about the huts installation but there are no plans to force the removal of the structure. Sculley since has compiled a team to take up the slack left by Google.

Unfortunately, Google fell short of their committed obligations to properly inform neighborhood residents about the construction schedule, Sculley wrote. Shortly after this first experience with Google, we assembled a city staff team led by Marcus Hammer in (the Transportation and Capital Improvements Department) to enhance the neighborhood communication process and coordinate construction in the right of way.

The hut itself is 12 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 9 feet high. The fence surrounding the hut is 32 by 50 feet, taking in 1,600 square feet total.

Their monthslong rally against the fiber hut appears to have been futile, as city leaders say theres no plan to remove the prefabricated structure or restore the park space it consumes. But their anger over the project illuminated the friction caused by Googles plan to use space at six city parks and will likely prevent four other parks from becoming fiber hut sites.

Google made national news when it announced in February 2014 that it was eyeing San Antonio and a handful of other cities as potential locations for a second round of Google Fiber networks. The company promised blazing-fast Internet speeds from a network it would build from the ground up  with some 4,000 miles of new fiber-optic cable to be installed.

In March 2015, the council approved the master-lease agreement, which among other things, gave Google access to city-owned property for its fiber huts. Still, the company hadnt committed to building the network yet. Months later, Google formally announced it intended to construct a network here.

In early 2016, crews working for the company began the what Google officials said would be the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in San Antonio.

In her email, Sculley said she agreed with Taylors assessment about the impact Googles construction is having on residents.

We were fortunate to be one of nine cities selected for Googles high speed fiber services, she wrote. While we value the benefits that will come to San Antonio as a result of Googles fiber infrastructure, that progress should not come at the expense of the quality of life within our neighborhoods.

The initial work conducted by Googles crews also led to damage of water and sewer lines, Sculley said. Google requested permission to use micro-trenching  a method that doesnt require deep horizontal boring  and received approval in September for a pilot program, the city manager wrote. It has not yet begun the process, however.

City staff is in discussions with Google representatives on the hut site location issues, and we are committed to working with their deployment team this year to identify other more appropriate hut locations for their San Antonio network, Sculley said.

The council is expected to discuss the matter at a public meeting next week.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
As organizations such as the National Commission for Rationalizing Spanish Timetables (ARHOE) ramp up the demand that Spain reverts to its correct time zone , a number of physicists have warned against the potential impact on Spanish society. In fact, they declare that Spain is in the correct time zone and changing it would be pure folly.

A worker in the Nuevos Ministerios neighborhood, Madrid. SAMUEL SANCHEZ

Professor of Applied Physics from the University of Santiago de Compostela Jorge Mira argues that such a change would only bring problems. The chaos that would ensue would be very costly, he says. And it makes no sense because the Spanish lifestyle will stay the same, whatever the time zone. A time zone is simply the hand of a clock. The sun will still rise and set like it always has.

Currently people leave work at 6pm but if the time zone was altered, they would effectively be leaving later in the night, so life in general would shift towards nighttime, he explains. And if you compensated by going to work one hour earlier, things would be exactly as they are now.

Scientists are filled with panic as the demands for change are based on a flat map of the Earth

Mira explains that scientists are filled with panic as they observe how the reasoning behind the demands for change are based on a flat map of the Earth when the planet is round. You cant compare the north of the continent, where there are fewer hours of daylight, with the south where there are more, he says.

Mira refuses to acknowledge that the current time zone was the result of Franco switching Spains clocks one hour ahead to be in line with Nazi Germany. According to the physicist, there were several changes of time zone due to wartime issues during the Civil War and the Second World War and it was Charles de Gaulles decision to keep the current European time zone after World War II that accounts for Spain being the furthest west of all countries on CET.

Mira also queries the validity of the report by a commission set up for the Study for the Rationalization of Spanish Timetable in 2013 that provides the basis of ARHOEs argument for change, since it does not include expert scientific opinion that would have put the spanner in the works.

Meanwhile, scientist for the Superior Council for Scientific Research, Jose Fernandez-Albertos insists that it is the sun, not the time zone, that influences lifestyle. Its a fact that habits form according to the position of the sun. For example, although the time is officially the same on the east and the west of the peninsula, the social habits are different because the solar time is different, he says.

Fernandez-Albertos also claims that when the sun sets earlier in relation to the official time, people leave work faster. But he agrees with Mira when it comes to comparing Spain with the north of Europe. Its a mistake, he says, because they have fewer hours of daylight, especially in winter, and the working day is intensive, which favors family time, but in the south of Europe its more complicated to keep the working day uninterrupted.

Although the time is officially the same in the peninsula, social habits are different because solar time is different Scientist Jose Fernandez-Albertos

Fernandez-Albertos believes it would make more sense for Spain to compare itself to Japan, US, Italy and Portugal  countries that are in the same position with respect to the sun and which enjoy similar lifestyles.

Forcing a lifestyle change with a change of time zone is unlikely, he says. Societies adapt to the time zone theyre in. Perhaps, in the long-term, habits such as presenteeism might change or lunch hours might be shortened but it doesnt alter the fact that we have a lot of daylight hours and well gravitate back to where we were, he explains, adding that it would be very strange if Spain aligned itself with countries such as Denmark and Norway. We would be the odd man out. We would be a country with a lot of daylight hours, shoehorning our activities into a very short space of time.

Doctor of Physics from Seville University, Jose Maria Martin Olalla agrees that people adapt to the existing time zone and changing it only changes the number on the clock face. There are countries such as France, Belgium or Argentina whose time zone is artificial and it doesnt matter because the Earth keeps turning and midday still happens every 24 hours.

Olalla suggests that a change of time zone would only benefit people with very specific working hours, such as those with a long break for lunch, which would consequently be shortened. But for those with a continuous workday, it would mean putting back the time they would start and finish work, which would not benefit them at all. He also points out that not everyone can finish work at the same time. Nor, he says, can the level of activity they choose on leaving work be regulated, at least no more than is currently the case, which is perfectly reasonable.

One scientist suggests that a change of time zone would only benefit people with very specific working hours

The time zone has nothing to do with gaining more family time; that corresponds to the amount of time people spend at work, on lunch hour or whatever and that time is measured as a duration, he explains. But when we speak about time zones, we are speaking about time as a reference, what time the clock says in a given moment, something that is independent of the time used for an activity. They are two different concepts.

According to the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, the time zone debate is political and economic but scientifically it is neither here nor there. Meanwhile, Manuel Refueiro, President of the Geological College, says that it is more useful to be aligned with central Europe when it comes to work, though he does point out that time zones are fixed. They are worked out with coordinates and are completely defined and established.

Finally, the President of ARHOE, Jose Luis Casero insists that people go to work and school before they can enjoy a reasonable amount of daylight. And, as his colleague, ARHOEs General Secretary Angel Largo is quick to point out, Spain is not in the correct meridian with respect to Greenwich and current habits have changed. If the sun rose earlier and we ate earlier, we could leave work earlier and that would be a trigger for other change, as well as being better health-wise, he says.

English version by Heather Galloway.
The monthlong period to file for a place on the ballot for upcoming council elections begins next week, and campaigns for the 10 district seats and mayoral post are beginning to ramp up.

On Wednesday, Marco Barros made official his campaign for the District 9 seat being vacated by Councilman Joe Krier.

Barros, who has lived in the district for three decades, has secured the endorsement of Krier and former District 9 council members Elisa Chan, Kevin Wolff and Tim Bannwolf.

Barros said the thrust of his campaign will focus on public safety, holding the line on taxes and increasing quality of life, primarily through park improvements.

President and CEO of the San Antonio Area Tourism Council, Barros said hes the most-qualified candidate in the race.

In the mid-1990s, he worked for the San Antonio Express-News on a marketing project that focused on affluent residential areas in Mexico. Before that, he worked for VIA Metropolitan Transit on park-and-ride endeavors, Barros said.

He outlined his priorities: Public Safety in my No. 1 priority. No 2 is no tax increases  and staying fiscally responsibility. No. 3 is traffic.

A major concern hes heard from North Side residents is about congestion along Loop 1604 and U.S. 281.

Matt Pina, a Churchill High School graduate and former AmeriCorps member, plans to kick off his campaign for the District 9 seat, which he described as an uphill battle, on Sunday.

On his campaign website, he said his work with impoverished and underrepresented citizens helped him realize a need to complete a masters degree in political science and a need to make a difference.

Former Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Sylvia Romo is mulling a campaign for the District 9 seat, as is Patrick Von Dohlen, a hard-line anti-abortion advocate and outspoken critic of the citys nondiscrimination ordinance.

Freshman District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino has pulled a challenger in the May 6 election. Lawyer and entrepreneur Michael Montano told the San Antonio Express-News on Wednesday that hell launch his campaign Saturday.

Over the past year, District 1 residents and small business owners have approached me again and again to say that they feel ignored by City Hall, he said in a news release. I will restore respect for neighborhoods and help them guide their own development while pursuing smart, pro-growth policies.

Trevino, an architect, said hes pleased with civic engagement and that hes proud of his record in the district.

I'm confident the residents of District 1 recognize the things weve accomplished together, he said. I look forward to continuing the inclusive and innovative approach to problem-solving.

jbaugh@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A jury found David Alexander Zuniga, 18, guilty of murder Wednesday in the shooting of a 28-year-old man who was sitting at a bus stop on the East Side in 2015.

On Tuesday, jurors had watched as Zuniga told police in a video interview that he shot the gun that killed Jesse Lee Richards.

Testifying Wednesday in his own defense, Zuniga said his half-brother Daniel Jeremy Torres Jr. was the trigger man.

Prosecutors said both brothers intended to rob Richards while he was waiting for a bus shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2015, in the 400 block of Porter Street.

Torres, now 20, was arrested in March after a witness came forward. He also is charged with murder and is awaiting trial. An arrest warrant affidavit released at the time said Torres admitted to being at the scene of the shooting, but denied involvement.

Zuniga told the court he lied to police about planning to rob someone at gunpoint because one of his brothers needed money to pay rent. He said he was going to take the rap for the killing because he feared Torres would kill him or their mother if he didn't.

The Huntsville Item reported April 7 that Zuniga, then 17, was arrested April 5 by sheriff's deputies in Walker County on a Bexar County murder warrant.

Richards was found lying on Porter Street, covered in blood. He later was pronounced dead at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

In the video, Zuniga said at least twice that he pulled the trigger. When San Antonio Police Department Det. Ruben Perez asked him if he indeed shot Richards, Zuniga said, Yes, I shot the gun, while he demonstrated how he stood before the victim as he was shot.

Daniel Torres was brought to the stand but his lawyer said he declined to testify under his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Another brother, Juan Torres, testified Wednesday that both of his brothers were at his nearby home and took his .32 caliber automatic handgun with them to the bus stop.

Juan Torres said he was still at home but saw his brother Daniel Torres fire the gun while Zuniga sat with Richards at the bus stop. Juan Torres said Daniel Torres also threatened him if he said anything to authorities about the shooting.

The gun was never found, but prosecutors showed pictures of a .32 caliber automatic handgun on Zuniga's Facebook page that was posted 11 days after the shooting.

In his closing argument, defense attorney Kenneth E. Baker told the jury his client was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he lied to police about being the shooter because Daniel Torres, a crazy, violent, unpredictable man, threatened both of his brothers.

He went through 18 years in foster care without getting into trouble, Baker said of Zuniga. His father failed him, his mother failed him, the system failed him. Don't fail him.

In his closing statement, prosecutor Josh Somers reminded the jury that Zuniga said numerous times that he planned the robbery and shooting.

David and Daniel killed a veteran, Somers said. They shot and killed someone who would have died for them.

Richards was a U.S. Army veteran and served three tours in Iraq. The oldest in his family, he had two younger brothers and a sister.

I was so proud of him said Richards' mother, Kelly Hartman of York, Nebraska. My youngest son idolized him. We all miss him so much.

She said Richards had just moved to San Antonio from Georgetown about three months before he was killed.

ezavala@express-news.net
AUSTIN  On the second day of the 85th Texas Legislature, state Rep. Dennis Bonnen had a final request of the Obama administration: reimburse Texas taxpayers $2.8 billion for funding border security initiatives that are the federal governments responsibility.

The Angleton Republicans largest ask is for $1.4 billion to cover state funds that have gone in recent years to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Last session, lawmakers approved an $800 million plan that, in part, was meant to pay for an additional 250 DPS officers on the border.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is owed $463 million, while the state Health and Human Services Departments reimbursement totals $416 million, according to Bonnen, who said they were conservative estimates. Facing a gloomy economic outlook, the legislature is expected to make billions of dollars in budget cuts before they leave Austin.

Wednesdays news conference to request federal reimbursement echoed statements from Republican leaders in years past, including Gov. Greg Abbott, who complained in 2014 that a $3.7 billion Obama administration border security proposal shortchanged Texas taxpayers by not including money to pay back the state.

With the new administration coming into office, we hope the tide will turn, Bonnen said. I would like nothing more than to put dollars currently devoted to border security and criminal alien incarceration toward our states top priorities of public safety and education.

State Rep. Tan Parker, a Flower Mound Republican who leads the House GOP caucus, added that a culture of lawlessness on the border has strained relations between Texas and Mexico.

Texas has helped tremendously with surge operations to keep these criminal activities to a minimum, but we have done so at a great cost to Texas taxpayers, Parker said. If the Obama administration refuses to meet our request, then we call on President-elect Trump to act quickly to reestablish the federal governments primacy with regard to the border.

DPS has asked lawmakers this session to approve $320 million for the agency over the next two years to boost its operations on the U.S.-Mexico border. The additional money, on top of the base border-security budget of $750 million, would bring total funding to more than $1 billion. On Wednesday, Bonnen said he had not reviewed the controversial proposal, but some lawmakers already have cast doubt on the expense as they eye almost-certain budget cuts in the wake of a smaller-than-expected revenue forecast by the state comptrollers office.

State Rep. Cesar Blanco, an El Paso Democrat who has been critical of the state border funding and has pressed DPS for details to back up claims that the law enforcement surge is producing results, said Bonnens invoice to the federal government was political grandstanding. Without the Obama administration as a target in the coming years, Texas Republicans will have to hold their own party accountable, he added.

Appropriations are originated in Congress, which for several years has been under Republican control, Blanco said. House Republicans know they wont be able to throw the next administration under the bus.

The demand for federal reimbursement for border security efforts is not new. In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Perry sought  and didnt get  $349 million from Homeland Security. And during the George W. Bush presidential administration, then-Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano also sought and failed to get reimbursement for sending the Arizona National Guard to the border.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

On Jan. 21, the day after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated into the White House, a group of local activists will march through downtown San Antonio to protest the hate, misogyny, transphobia, xenophobia, displacement, violence against our peoples and planet, and all the oppressions that the new U.S. federal administration has vowed to embrace and perpetuate, according to the events Facebook page.

Its a local version of The Womens March on Washington taking place on the same day. Here, though, theres a mayoral twist.

The protest, From Trump to Taylor, SA Women March Against Hate, will link Mayor Ivy Taylor, who is running for re-election in May, to Trump, an unpopular figure here. (He won just 40.3 percent of ballots cast in Bexar County.)

Its an echo of a recent attack by Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina, who announced last week that hes challenging Taylor. Last month, Medina told me, Its no secret that Ivy Taylors strategy is to embrace Donald Trump and his movement and ride that wave to City Hall.

Jessica O. Guerrero, an organizer of the local march, told me that Medina did not help orchestrate the event, nor does the group support any mayoral candidate in particular.

This isnt about elevating one candidate over another, Guerrero said. Its absolutely not in conjunction or in relationship with any of the candidates  This is really about various aspects of (Taylors) administration thus far.

Those aspects include Taylors opposition in 2013 (as a councilwoman) to the citys nondiscrimination ordinance, as well as her priorities to developers and big business rather than people or neighborhoods, Guerrero said.

The mayor is fair game for criticism, of course. But its an extraordinary leap to link her to Trump, an apples to orange-man comparison that plays right into the hands of Medina, whether hes behind the march or not.

Medinas injection of hyper-partisanship into a nonpartisan council race might be a harbinger of a new era in local politics, but that doesnt make it any less disconcerting. If Medina were to win on a hyper-partisan platform, its not difficult to imagine the consequences: a balkanization of the 11-member council into quarrelsome factions unable to compromise on basic municipal issues.

For Rick Trevino, thats just a sign of the times.

A former national delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders, Trevino is running for council in District 6. Like Medina, hes openly partisan, currently serving as secretary for the Bexar County Democratic Party.

The reality is, we can romanticize nonpartisan politics, but most people think in terms of political parties, Trevino said. People do vote on a partisan basis all the time. The reality that Ive observed is that America is hyper-partisan. Weve become tribalized.

Its possible to trace the exact moment that party politics began seeping into city council: September 4, 2012, the day then-Mayor Julian Castro delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Later, while still serving as mayor, Castro traveled widely as a surrogate for President Obama, further arousing the ire of local Republicans.

Castros ascension as a Democratic star and the annoyance it caused conservatives likely contributed to the rise of Taylor, who was elected with the robust support of North Side Republicans, many of whom certainly remembered her opposition to the nondiscrimination ordinance.

Now, in a scenario that exists comfortably in todays absurd political climate, the citys first black, female mayor is the target of an organization protesting the denigration of minorities and women.

Guerrero said thats due to the mayors record, not her gender.

We want to reclaim feminism as a commitment to our communities, to justice and access to a life of dignity for all people, she said. Its not simply a woman leader, a woman political leader.

The march against Taylor goes beyond party allegiances, Guerrero added.

Why, then, use the Republican president-elect to attack her?

Likely for the same reason that Medina has chosen to do so; its convenient.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Carlyle Group, one of the worlds largest private equity firms, has become a partner in an upscale apartment complex thats about to start construction on the Museum Reach  the latest of several investments it has made in San Antonio.

The firm is joining Indianapolis developer SC Bodner Co. Inc. in building a $40 million, 220-unit apartment building at 120 W. Ninth St. just north of downtown, said Steven Bodner, the companys president. Construction is expected to start next week and last 20 months, he said.

The apartment complex was initially expected to break ground in fall 2015, according to media reports. SC Bodner didnt plan to bring on another partner, but its not something we were opposed to doing, Bodner said.

Carlyle Group previously partnered with South Carolina developer Greystar to build the luxury Agave Riverwalk complex in south downtown, Bodner said. Representatives of Carlyle didnt respond to a request for comment Thursday. Bodner declined to provide more details of the partnership.

Carlyle seems to have made a few other investments in San Antonio over the past year. Property records suggest it is also partnering with Greystar to build the the Overture Stone Oak apartment complex on the far North Side. A company linked to the firm bought 10 acres of land in September from Oak Hills County Club for an apartment complex, and another affiliate bought a 4-acre vacant lot on Wurzbach Road in the fast-growing Medical Center area in December.

The Carlyle Group manages $169 billion worth of assets across the globe, including $36 billion of real assets, according to its website.

San Antonio lately has been attracting more interest from national investors, especially in its multifamily residential market. In December, Oregon-based Windmill Investments bought the Peanut Factory Lofts complex on the near West Side.

Investors have said in interviews that they are drawn to the areas growing population and robust economy. Also, the local multifamily market hasnt become overheated like the ones in other cities such as Austin and Houston.

San Antonio is an impressive town, Bodner said. He pointed out that the area is gaining jobs and residents and has attractive weather.

Bodner said it hasnt yet been decided whether his company and the Carlyle Group will keep ownership of the five-story complex after construction is complete.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
The San Antonio-area foreclosure rate dropped last year to one of its lowest levels in the lastdecade, following a nationwide trend as the U.S. economy continues to recover from the housing crisis that began almost a decade ago.

The San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area had a foreclosure rate of 0.6 percent last year, with 5,137 properties in foreclosure, according to a report released Wednesday by analytics firm Attom Data Solutions. Thats down 9.3 percent from 2015, when the local rate was 0.67 percent, and 54 percent below the post-recession peak of 1.46 percent in 2010, according to Attom.

Job growth, rising home values and stricter lending standards after the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform bill have pushed the local foreclosure rate down, said Jim Gaines, chief economist at the Texas A&M Real Estate Center. He predicted the rate is on its way back to its historic norm of about 0.5 percent  a low rate by national standards.

San Antonio has always been a far more stable market, Gaines said. Lending in Texas, and particularly in the San Antonio area, never got extreme. The lenders know their market in that community very well, and they make loans that arent as risky.

The local foreclosure rate increased by about 22 percent between 2014 and 2015, from 0.55 percent to 0.67 percent, according to Attoms data. Gaines said that was likely caused by the downturn in the oil industry, which affected local homeowners who worked in the Eagle Ford Shale area.

The local housing market is thriving: Last year was almost certainly another record sales year, with 27,147 homes sold by November, slightly below the record 27,219 sold in all of 2015, according to data from the San Antonio Board of Realtors.

Sales prices are also climbing fast as population growth causes demand to outstrip supply. Economists expect San Antonio-area home sales and prices to continue their ascent this year.

The San Antonio-areas 2016 foreclosure rate is below the U.S. rate of 0.7 percent  the lowest national rate since 2006 and a 14 percent drop from 2015.

Tight lending and a stronger housing market are reducing foreclosures nationwide, said Daren Blomquist, Attoms senior vice president. Banks are also working their way through legacy foreclosures, or foreclosures on troubled loans made during the housing bubble between 2004 and 2008, he said. Those loans accounted for 55 percent of all loans in foreclosure at the end of last year, down from 75 percent three years ago.

Loans originated in the last seven years are performing very well. Youre not seeing those go into default at high rates, Blomquist said. Home prices have not only stopped their free fall from a few years ago, but theyve in many markets gotten back to new all-time highs.

Texas wasnt hit as hard by the housing bubble as many other states, and its foreclosure process is relatively speedy, so it has fewer legacy foreclosures piled up, Blomquist said. Those loans represented only 35 percent of all loans in Texas last year, he said.

Now that the U.S. foreclosure rate is at prerecession levels, Blomquist predicts it will stay about the same this year. But the administration of President-elect Donald Trump could bring big changes to mortgage lending, including the dismantling of Dodd-Frank.

The expectations are that the rules, the regulations and the oversight on mortgage lenders are going to be relaxed a little bit, or maybe even significantly, and thats going to make mortgage lending a little bit easier to get for borrowers, Gaines said.

San Antonio has more foreclosure activity than Texas as a whole, where the statewide foreclosure rate was 0.45 percent last year. San Antonios rate hasnt dropped as quickly as those of Texas other major metros so far this decade. In the Houston metro area, for example, the rate dropped to 0.47 percent last year from 1.61 percent in 2010. The Austin metro area had a rate of 0.34 percent last year, while the Dallas metro had one of 0.51 percent.

The difference between San Antonios foreclosure rate and those of other major Texas cities isnt significant, Gaines said. The booming housing markets in Austin, Dallas and Houston are reducing foreclosures there, he said  a homeowner in danger of default can escape foreclosure by selling the home and paying off the loan.

In defiance of the nationwide trend, foreclosure activity increased last year in Washington, D.C., and a dozen states, many of them in the Northeast. The biggest surge was in Delaware, where the foreclosure rate climbed 45 percent to 1.51 percent, followed by Rhode Island, with a 29 percent increase, and Massachusetts, with 21 percent. A weaker economy and a slower foreclosure process in those states are keeping rates high, Blomquist said.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
The Spanish auto parts industry is watching with concern as US president-elect Donald Trump issues threat after threat against US companies relocating their production to Mexico . Most Spanish companies with a presence in both Mexico and the US say its still too early to comment on the Trump effect. But the industry association Sernauto is openly using the word concern.

Grupo Antolin's car part plant in Burgos. Miguel Jelliss

So is Confebask, the Basque business confederation that promotes the interests of regional businesses and entrepreneurs (three out of Spains five largest auto parts companies are Basque).

While no auto maker has a Spanish passport, the auto industry plays a big role in the Spanish economy, which has developed a large components supply chain. These parts suppliers have accompanied their clients wherever the latter have chosen to open assembly plants. These places include Mexico and the US.

But now, Trump is threatening to suspend the NAFTA free trade agreement, and is announcing stiff duties for US companies that import cars assembled in lower-wage countries like Mexico. While he will not be be sworn into office until January 20, his words have already had tangible effects: Ford has canceled plans to invest 1.6 billion in Mexico.

This insecurity and absence of clarity is not positive for the US

Xavier Pujol, CEO Ficosa

Sernauto, just like the five car parts companies consulted for this story, strongly believes in the importance of NAFTA because of the auto parts industrys interests in those markets.

A few days ago, Confebask openly used the word concern. The parent companies of car parts suppliers CIE Automotive, Gestamp and Mondragon Automocion are are all Basque-owned.

Undesired consequences

Mondragons automotive division has invested around 200 million in Mexico in recent years. Oskar Goitia, its vice-president, feels that reversing this business dynamic with trade tariffs could result in undesired consequences.

Donald Trump has yet to take office, but his words are already affecting the auto industry in the US and elsewhere. JUSTIN LANE (EFE)

Meanwhile, the Catalan car parts maker Ficosa is waiting for the situation to settle down.

Xavier Pujol, the company CEO, says that a protectionist policy by the new US administration could have an impact on our clients, and we believe that this insecurity and absence of clarity is not positive for the United States.

Representatives for CIE Automotive, Gestamp and Grupo Antolin said it is still too early to comment on the effects of Trumps threats.

English version by Susana Urra.
Theres always something more to do.

After the holidays, things will slow down. Nah, maybe after calving, branding and breeding.

But then, summer comes and theres all that hay to make when the sun is shining, fences to build and cedars to eliminate (or insert your own region-specific fair-weather task).

It can be easy to review the mental project list and get discouraged, to feel like you can barely keep up. The rat race is real, even on the ranch. Sometimes you have to take a wider view to see the progress youve made.

Signs of progress

That old shed wears new tin or your grazing system now allows for 20 percent more cows on the same ground. Beyond just your gate, there are many calling for change. This beef business needs to get more coordinated and better able to address consumer demands.

We need to use fewer resources and better document the many improvements weve made. I bet youve heard, We need to tell our story, a time a two. Yes, yes and yes.

Those are goals worthy of time and energy. But Im not going to try to add more to your to-do list  at least not today.

Cattlemen and women everywhere have done good work. Darn good. Survey the past few decades and youll see.

You might even laugh to think of some of the challenges that used to be.

Easier jobs

This summer, Robbi Pritchard, South Dakota State University animal scientist, told a meeting room full of cattle feeders that ranch-level improvements have made their jobs easier.

Calving seasons are getting tighter. Calves are healthier, he said. We no longer need (backgrounding) time to get the skeleton to grow, we no longer need time for things to average out like we used to when management wasnt nearly as good. Time solved a lot of problems with cows. With quality-managed cattle today, we dont have to fiddle around with that time. We just have to be able to manage what we have to its best advantage.

Youve been listening and making decisions and improvements, and people are noticing. A quick look at quality grade trends shows the same sort of upward momentum.

In 2006, just 51 percent of the fed cattle graded Choice, and less than 2.5 percent Prime. Fast-forward a decade and 2016 totals will close somewhere around the 70 percent and 5.5 percent Prime mark.

Better quality

Along with that, the value spread between yesterdays level of beef quality and todays keeps growing, paying you more premiums.

Consumers have our attention, Pritchard told the crowd. We are doing things about quality assurance. Were doing things about food safety. Were doing things about animal care and well-being.

We still need to address the question of the ideal carcass size and dozens of other challenges, but Ill save them for another day. Today, I say, thank you for a job well done.

Next time in Black Ink, Steve Suther will preview his 36th calving season.
Hello Again,

Are you superstitious? Then Friday the 13th may not be a day that you look forward to.

I have a past co-worker and friend who wants nothing to do with the number 13. I can actually diagnosis her as suffering from Triskaidekaphobia. She goes out of her way to avoid the number 13.

The first Friday the 13th of the year is also known as National Blame Someone Else Day. This may be the answer to our prayers depending on what happens on that day. Remember it is to be all in fun.

National Blame Someone Else Day, was invented in 1982. Starting the day with an alarm clock not going off caused a domino effect of a day filled with bad luck events for Anne Moeller of Clio, Michigan.

Just saying but could it be where she lives? O-H-I-O! Jan. 13 also recognizes National Peach Melba Day, National Sticker Day, National Rubber Ducky Day, and Stephen Foster (American songwriter) Memorial Day.

So to celebrate Friday the 13th how about some Peach Melba (a peach raspberry sauce over ice cream) for dessert while listening to music written by Stephen Foster (Oh! Susanna and Camptown Races).

Offices closed

On Jan. 16, all government offices will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday. This day is to celebrate the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr.

He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transportation and for racial equality in the United States.

We are in week two of our yearly notification and reminders. This week we will be covering several topics. Keep these in mind for your upcoming year.

Discrimination

As a participant or applicant for programs or activities operated or sponsored by USDA you have a right to be treated fairly.

If you believe you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or marital or familial status, you may file a discrimination complaint.

The complaint should be filed with the USDA Office of Civil Rights within 180 days of the date you became aware of the alleged discrimination.

To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD), USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Nondiscrimination

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs).

Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form.

To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; fax, 202-690-7442; or email, program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Controlled substance

Any person convicted under federal or state law of a controlled substance violation could be ineligible for USDA payments or benefits.

Violations include planting, harvesting or growing a prohibited plant. Prohibited plants include marijuana, opium, poppies and other drug producing plants.

Accommodations

Special accommodations will be made upon request for individuals with disabilities, vision impairment or hearing impairment.

If accommodations are required, individuals should contact the county FSA office staff directly or by phone.

Bank changes

Current policy mandates that FSA payments be electronically transferred into a bank account.

In order for timely payments to be made, producers need to notify the FSA county office when an account has been changed or if another financial institution purchases the bank where payments are sent.

Payments can be delayed if the FSA office is not aware of updates to bank accounts and routing numbers.

Next week we will be concentrating on notifications and reminders relating to the land.

Thats all for now,

FSA Andy
COLUMBUS  The 2017 Ohio Beef School webinar series begins Jan. 17 with a close look at the profitability of the cow/calf sector in the future.

The second session, Feb. 7, looks at feeder cattle management and the final session, Feb. 28, takes a look at consumer demands.

The series shows how the three primary sectors of the beef industry in Ohio  cow-calf, backgrounding/stocker, and feedlot  must work together to produce high quality beef for todays consumer.

Presenters

Justin Rhinehart, Ph.D., University of Tennessee associate professor and Extension beef cattle specialist, will discuss how genetics and nutrition are key components of reproduction management.

Amy Radunz, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-River Falls, associate professor and beef cattle production specialist, will discuss proper nutrition during gestation.

On Feb. 7, Francis Fluharty, Ph.D., Ohio State University research professor, will compare grazing versus confinement growing systems for feeder cattle and share how calf health and management impact the end product.

During the final session, Feb. 28, Justin Sexten, Ph.D., supply development director for Certified Angus Beef, will share consumer prospectives on how producers raise feeder cattle and meeting consumer demand.

Details

For more information visit http://u.osu.edu/beefteam and look under events and programs.
DES MOINES  U.S. pig farmers are not only well aware of new federal rules for on-farm antibiotic use, but are already complying.

In a survey conducted by the National Pork Board in November, 95 percent of pig farmers surveyed said that they were ready to be fully compliant by the time the rules took effect Jan. 1.

Ready

The pork industry has worked toward the Jan. 1 date for nearly two years, said Jan Archer, National Pork Board president and a pig farmer from Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Pig farmers are committed to the change and many discontinued using antibiotics for growth promotion years ago, Archer explained.

One of the key changes to the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules is that medically important antibiotics could no longer be used for growth promotion.

Today, human medically important antibiotics can only be used to treat sick animals or to prevent disease and/or control it.

Veterinary oversight

Archer added a key hurdle in complying with new FDA rules is ensuring that every pig farmer has a defined and ongoing client relationship with a veterinarian.

That can be a challenge in remote areas of the country where the nearest veterinarian could be hundreds of miles away.

Last month the Pork Checkoff announced a partnership with Global Vetlink of Ames, Iowa, to offer a veterinarian locator tool, which is available at pork.org/antibiotics.
PHOENIX  American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall is calling on Congress to reform regulations that burden the lives of farmers.

The election should send a message  loud and clear  to our politicians: Ignore rural America at your own risk! Duvall said.

During his annual address Jan. 8 at the AFBF annual meeting in Phoenix, Duvall reminded the 5,000 farmers and ranchers in attendance that a reliable and profitable supply of labor is central to economic sustainability, and called on Congress to pass legislation to assure farm laborers can work without fear of deportation.

Without a legal supply of labor, too many farmers face lost crops, and they cant compete on the world market, Duvall said.

Mr. Trump says he wants to keep American jobs from going overseas. One way he can do that is by keeping Americas food production in America.

Top awards

During the annual meeting, the American Farm Bureau Federation presented its highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award to Bob Stallman and the Farm Bureau Founders Award to James Quinn, posthumously.

AFBF established the Distinguished Service Award in 1928 to honor individuals who have devoted their careers to serving the national interest of American agriculture. The Farm Bureau Founders Award is a new award to recognize exemplary leadership, service or contributions to Farm Bureau by officers or employees of AFBF and state Farm Bureau organizations.

Stallman

Stallman served as AFBF president for 16 years, stepping down in 2016. A rice and cattle producer from Columbus, Texas, Stallman became president of the Texas Farm Bureau in 1993, and AFBF president in 2000.

Under Stallmans leadership, the AFBF brand became stronger, and the organization was retooled for the 21st century. He moved AFBF headquarters from Chicago to Washington, D.C., to strengthen Farm Bureaus voice and policy influence for its members.

Stallman served as the first chair of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, and was appointed by both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations to serve on the advisory committee for the U.S. Trade Representative, and worked with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to address the issues facing rural America.

The secretary called Stallmans leadership critically important in the passage of the farm bill and in helping advance trade opportunities for American agriculture.

Quinn

More than a century ago, James Quinn was elected as the first president of the first Farm Bureau in the country, Broome County, New York, in 1911. A prominent local dairy farmer, Quinn set an important precedent for the Farm Bureau being directed by farmers and for farmers.

He got it started, and we have so much pride that it happened right here in Broome County, said Broome County Farm Bureau President Dave Johnson. I think he must have been a really trusting, respected person from the community because he was willing to accept new ways of farming.

He worked closely with one of the first county Extension agents in the country, John Barron, who taught Quinn and his neighbors best farming practices for their challenging soil. Quinn led by example, holding the first farm experiments on his land.
Spain has shattered its own tourism record for the seventh year in a row: 75.3 million foreign visitors made their way to the country in 2016. Thats 7.2 million more than in 2015, for a rise of 9.9%, according to early figures from Spains Energy and Tourism Ministry.

People from the UK, France and Britain made up the lion's share of foreign visitors to Spain last year. DAVID RAMOS (GETTY IMAGES)

Visitors to Spain in 2016 shelled out a total of 77 billion, up 8.3% from 2015 figures, while average per capita spending was 1,023 for a more modest rise of 3.75%. The average daily amount spent by visitors was 138, some 6.5% higher than a year earlier.

The lions share of foreign visitors to Spain came from the UK, France, and Germany. A total of 16.9 million Brits made their way to Spain last year, 12.3% more than a year earlier, evidencing that Brexit is not denting visitor numbers at all.

The tourism industry was an important driver of Spains economy during the crisis

In terms of the most popular regions for tourists, Catalonia took the top spot, receiving 17 million visitors from January to November, or 3.8% more than in 2015. The Balearic Islands welcomed 12.9 million visitors and the Canary Islands came third in the rankings with 12 million visitors.

Speaking about the results on Wednesday, Energy and Tourism Minister Alvaro Nadal also noted the strong growth for regions in the countrys interior: visitor numbers to the region of Aragon soared 67.4% while Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura also saw very healthy jumps of 32.8% and 31.3%, respectively.

Cabaneros National Park in the CastillaLa Mancha region, where visitors numbers rose 32.8% in 2016. VALENTIN RODRIGUEZ (AG)

Nadal said he was satisfied by Spains tourism results in 2016, but underscored the need to create economic policy aimed at consolidating a very important sector  one that the World Economic Forum described in 2015 as the most competitive in the world.

The tourism industry has been an important driver of Spains economy over the course of the crisis. It contributes more than 10% to GDP and provides 11% of jobs. However, there are concerns over the sustainability of its low-cost sand and sun model.

In a recent study, consulting firm Ernst & Young said that Spain would have to begin unashamedly targeting high-end tourists with a coordinated game plan. It pointed out that Europeans make up 89.4% of the total number of visitors to the country, but that they spend on average just 135 a day, compared to 960 for Chinese tourists and 672 for US travelers.

English version by George Mills.
Alan Walter, a member of Friends of Ohio Barns, moves an 1880s timber-frame barn from Strasburg, Ohio to his farm in Carrollton, Ohio.

CARROLLTON, Ohio  As a kid, Alan Walter found old barns simultaneously scary  because of the dust and cobwebs  and interesting  because, even then, he knew there was something special about their construction and size.

I have always loved old barns, said Walter, who is in the process of saving a barn near Strasburg, Ohio, built around 1885, and moving it to his farm near Carrollton.

The seed of doing something to save a barn was planted when he visited a Barn Again! exhibit in Wooster in the 1980s and learned how rapidly old barns were being destroyed.

I finally got serious about trying to preserve one when I attended a Friends of Ohio Barns conference in 2014 and learned that I could move and rebuild a historic timber-frame barn for not too much more money than an equivalent-size pole building would cost, he said.

Pam Gray, the president of Friends of Ohio Barns, commends Walter and his efforts to rebuild a historic barn.

Old barns are the backbone of our country and the heart of families that settled here, Gray said.

Old barn

Walter found the old barn through his sister talking to her Mary Kay consultant, Bonnie Jones. Bonnie and her husband Dave had bought some of the last land owned by the Shutt family of Tuscarawas County.

The annual Friends of Ohio Barns Barn Tour will be in Holmes County April 28-29. For more information visit www.friendsofohiobarns.org.

Most of the farmland had been sold for housing developments and a big piece became the site of the new Strasburg school.

An old barn set on the property the Jones purchased and for them, the barn felt like a liability, it was in disrepair and they were glad to sell it to Walter to re-build, rather than seeing it get chopped up for decorative elements.

Details

The barn is 36-by-71 feet, with 2,556 total square feet. The gable posts are 22 feet tall. It has hand-hewn posts and beams; circular sawed scantlings, which are smaller connecting pieces.

Walters best estimate of age is about 1885. It was built on land that had been owned by Daniel and Mary Shutt who settled in Strasburg in 1835.

The land was continuously in the Shutt family name until Dave and Bonnie Jones bought it at auction six years ago.

It cant have been built earlier than 1880 because it contained a hay trolley, which certainly was original to the barn and which has a patent date of Dec. 16, 1879, Walter said.

Disassemble

It took Walter about 40 days to disassemble the barn. Except for the frame and roof, he did all the disassembly himself with some help from family.

Sugarcreek Builders, LLC, from Sugarcreek, Ohio, handled the roof removal, tagging each post and beam and disassembling the frame. With Walter, they will completely rebuild the barn by this spring.

As I was disassembling the barn, many Strasburg residents stopped in and reminisced about the hours they spent as teenagers working with the potatoes, Walter said.

Walter shared that many alterations were done to the barn throughout the years.

Two hay mows were built using beams and siding from barns that were even older than this barn. One loft was built from beams from a barn that so old that it had log rafters, likely to have been early 1800s.

Two more lofts were built in the mid-1900s. Two of the logs were actually recycled power poles with ID buttons stamped Ohio Power 1932.

When Walter bought the barn, it had two lean-tos, which had probably been added in the 1950s and 1960s, both in horrible condition and were not salvageable.

The state of the lean-tos says a lot about the way that barns were built in the 1800s  the fact that the original barn easily outlasted additions that were only half its age.

Preservation

At some time in the 1900s, the owner had thoroughly covered all the barn walls in tar paper that looked like bricks. Walter paid his nieces to help him de-nail the siding and we filled three 5-gallon buckets with nails.

My best estimate was that about 18,000 nails had been used to hold the tar paper on the barn. It took from 10-30 minutes per board to remove all the nails.

The tar paper looked ugly, said Walter, but was probably the reason that the barn was in good condition, despite minimal maintenance being done to it in the last 40 years.

Chestnut

Walter was pleased to discover that the tar paper had been nailed to American chestnut siding boards that were up to 15 inches wide and were still very solid.

I expect that old-growth chestnut is more rot-resistant than modern pressure-treated lumber because board ends that had been in direct contact with the soil for decades had only 2-4 inches of rot, Walter said.

Many old barns were built from chestnut and we dont have chestnut trees anymore. They were destroyed, similar to what is happening with the ash trees today, making the wood and barn even more valuable, Gray said.

Prior to the tar paper, the barn had been painted with what appears to have been cream-colored milk paint with all the trim painted in nearly iridescent green. Walter plans to paint it white.

He hired an architect Chuck Bultman, Ann Arbor, Michigan, who specializes in timber frame barns to design the foundation, floor supports, insulation scheme and window layout.

Im planning to use the barn as a barn for the rest of my life, but its likely that Ill be the last person who will use it that way, Walter said.

Because his site is within the city limits of Carrollton, its likely to become a home, a bed and breakfast, a conference center or a commercial establishment after Im gone, he said.

He is taking the right steps now, to assist in passing commercial building codes, if needed down the road.

Changes

The barn had 16 doors in it when Walter bought it, including six in the lean-tos. He plans to reduce that to four doors for his use. It had only two windows, and he plans to add 20 to allow plenty of natural light in.

The granary had been built like a vault, Walter said. Its floor was 2 inches thick, white oak boards and the walls were 1 inch tongue-in-groove boards that were nailed with square-headed nails.

It was so solidly built that I moved the walls without disassembling them, he said.

Walter operates a small cut-your-own Christmas tree farm. When his parents bought the land in 1961, there were 3,000 plus trees already there, so it was a no-brainer to start up the business.

The barn will be used to hold his equipment.

Advocate

Walter is a member of Friends of Ohio Barns, a group that works to educate and bring awareness to old barns, an icon of our culture.

Even if you, personally, dont have a use for your barn, you need to make it a priority to keep the roof and the foundation repaired so that it wont fall down on your watch, Walter said.

It will have value to a future generation, so you at least need to give them the chance to enjoy it.

Walter Barn Alan Walter, Carrollton, Ohio, moved this 1880s timber-frame barn from Strasburg, Ohio. But he first removed the tar paper covering the chestnut siding; collecting three 5-gallon buckets of nails. < > < > 1 View Walter Barn Alan Walter, Carrollton, Ohio, moved this 1880s timber-frame barn from Strasburg, Ohio. But he first removed the tar paper covering the chestnut siding; collecting three 5-gallon buckets of nails. 2 View Walter Barn This tar paper-covered timber-frame barn is estimated to be built around 1885 in Strasburg, Ohio. Alan Walter disassembled the barn with the help of Sugarcreek Builders and is currently rebuilding it at his home in Carrollton, Ohio. (Alan Walter photo) 3 View Walter Barn A member of the Shutt family of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, stands in front of the 1880s barn after a potato harvest. This barn is being moved by Alan Walter to his home in Carrollton, Ohio. (Alan Walter photo collection) 4 View Walter Barn Sugarcreek Builders LLC puts up an 1880s barn, with chesnut wood siding, Alan Walter of Carroll County moved from Tuscarawas County. (Katy Mumaw photo) 5 View Walter Barn Alan Walter stands in front of the timber-frame barn being rebuilt on his farm in Carrollton, Ohio. 6 View Walter Barn Sugarcreek Builders are rebuilding the 1880s barn moved from Strasburg to Carrollton, Ohio
The Farmers Union of Wales has rejected proposals to split Wales into five bovine TB regions in its response to a Welsh Government consultation, highlighting the need to tackle the disease in badger populations instead.

The Welsh Government proposes splitting Wales into two high, two intermediate and one low TB level regions, with different rules applying in each region.

The proposals would mean a heightening of Wales cattle TB rules, which are considered amongst the strictest in the world.

But following a consultation with its twelve county branches, the majority of FUW members rejected the proposals, highlighting the need for 'meaningful' controls which address transmission of the disease from badgers to cattle.

'Strictest TB controls in Europe'

FUW TB Spokesman Brian Walters said: The consultation paper acknowledges that the level of disease found in badgers in Wales is 6.6%, around 1420% higher than the level found in cattle  which is 0.4 percent.

Members made it clear that the proposal to split Wales up into five regions and further add to what are already the strictest TB controls in Europe would only make sense if badger numbers were reduced in the areas where they are passing the disease on to cattle.

In 2012, the Bovine Tuberculosis subgroup of the EU Task Force for Monitoring Animal Disease Eradication criticised Welsh Government politicians for replacing a previously planned badger cull with a badger vaccination programme.

It stated: There is no scientific evidence to demonstrate that badger vaccination will reduce the incidence of TB in cattle. However there is considerable evidence to support the removal of badgers in order to improve the TB status of both badgers and cattle.

The latest official report on the badger vaccination programme, which lasted four years and cost 3.7 million, concludes that Consistent trends in indicators of bTB incidence have not yet been seen

By contrast, the governments official scientific advice had concluded that a badger cull in the area would have led to a significant reduction in the number of herds with TB and cattle slaughtered and actually saved money, despite costs being similar to those of the vaccination programme.

'Elephant in the room'

Amongst the proposals consulted upon by the Welsh Government was the adoption of a New Zealand type informed purchasing approach to cattle trading.

During a recent Welsh Assembly Climate Change Committee hearing, Dr Paul Livingstone, who previously led New Zealands successful eradication programme, said nothing was being done in Wales about the disease in badgers, describing the issue as the elephant in the room.

Brian Walters said: A New Zealand type approach is one the Welsh farming industry would fully support, because it is a genuine partnership between government and farmers in which politicians recognise the need to cull wildlife to control TB.

Without that commitment by Welsh politicians we will never achieve the success seen in New Zealand, Australia and other countries which have implemented successful eradication programmes by tackling the disease in both cattle and wildlife, added Mr Walters.
A Northern Irish farmer has been fined 650 for causing polluting discharge to enter a waterway.

Mr Robert Duncan from Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry was convicted and fined 650, plus 15 offenders Levy at Magherafelt Magistrates Court for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 11 June 2015, Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected the Coppies Burn at Magherafelt and observed the presence of agricultural effluent in the waterway.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to a farm owned by Mr Duncan.

On the farm the Inspectors discovered a valve had been left open which resulted in the effluent escaping and making its way into the pipe work and from there to the Coppies Burn.

The waterway was impacted for a distance of 3.2 kilometres resulting in the death of more than 880 native brown trout.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Mr Duncan was charged under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with the offence of making a polluting discharge to a waterway.
Northern Ireland's dairy businesses could be 'killed off' if access to EU free trade agreements is denied post-Brexit, a committee of MPs have heard.

Dr Mike Johnston, Northern Ireland Director at Dairy UK and Tim Acheson, General Manager of Food Service Operations at Lakeland Dairies, gave evidence to the House of Commons' Northern Ireland Affairs Committee as part of an inquiry on the future of the land border on the island of Ireland.

Dr Johnston said: "We have an efficient, well-oiled system that works and delivers benefits to all dairy stakeholders north and south of the border.

"Dairy companies are focusing on seizing every opportunity available but the lingering uncertainty created by Brexit raises many concerns in terms of future investments and our ability to plan for the future."

Major impact

Mr Acheson said: "Many dairy companies have operations spanning all over the island of Ireland. Any disruption to the free movement of raw milk or dairy products would have a major impact on dairy processors and dairy farmers while jeopardising our efficiency and our competitiveness.

Dr Johnston also highlighted the key role of exports and trade for the Northern Ireland dairy industry.

"Dairy exports to EU and non-EU countries are vital to our industry. Post-Brexit, we will need to be competitive not only with non-EU countries but also with our EU partners to gain access to new exports markets.

"We need a joined-up game plan between industry and Government to identify, target and secure new markets for dairy exports.

"We have tremendous potential to grow and we will focus on fostering collaboration throughout the supply chain and with Government and Parliament to achieve our goals."

Barclay Bell, president of the Ulster Farmers Union, told the committee that the border 'is a big, big issue when you consider the amount of cross-border trade.'

"Anything that would complicate or hinder that trade certainly would be a big big challenge to the industry in Northern Ireland," he warned.
Top UK civil servant Sir Richard Packer has revealed the 'huge' potential agricultural policy has for Britain, both in the negotiations before Brexit and benefits afterward.

In a new report for the Centre for Policy Studies, published on Friday (6 January), the conditions of trade in agricultural goods and food is likely to feature prominently in the Brexit negotiations.

The report states that agriculture accounts for 0.7% of GDP in the UK; that figure is less than half the EU average.

In 2015 the UK trade deficit in food, feed and drink was 20 billion per annum  of which 16.7 billion was with the EU.

In the event that the UK leaves the Single Market, negotiations on the rules for UK/EU trade in agricultural goods and food will be 'needed', the report stresses.

Given the UKs large trade deficit in agriculture and food with the EU, the Government will have a 'strong hand' to deploy in this section of the negotiations.

The report argues that, free to establish its own agricultural policy, Britain can take full advantage of the benefits of Brexit; including freedom from the payment of EU agricultural subsidies; the ability to establish national rules in policy areas such as plant and animal health and GM foods; and the simplification of the system of support payments to British farmers.

'Desired attributes'

According to the report, the desired attributes for post-Brexit UK agricultural policies should be:

 the encouragement of an efficient agricultural sector which contributes to national prosperity;

 a policy which costs no more than the present one, as measured both by PSE (which captures both financial and consumer costs together and is the terms in which WTO commitments are defined) and, separately, in financial terms;

 one which contributes to environmental aims in terms of both landscape and biodiversity;

 one which meets consumers needs in terms of the availability of nutritious food at reasonable prices;

 one which minimises bureaucracy and administrative expenditure by all parties.
Retailers stocking more British pork but 'more can be done'
"I think it's important for growers that CBH is running the business as though there is competition, and not as though its a monopoly because unless there's competition we really don't know how good CBH is."
"Growers who tweak or change their long-term rotation plan based on a market price early in the year should consider carefully how to protect that decision to ensure the profitability of that decision is maintained," he said.
The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement.

Support
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

Google Ad

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

Google Ad

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh
Events and things to do to celebrate Veterans Day in Cumberland County

Cumberland County will honor veterans for two weeks starting with the annual Veterans Day Parade on Saturday in downtown Fayetteville.
APPLICATION: CREATIVE EUROPE STUDY TOURS TO SLOVENIA AND CZECH REPUBLIC

The European Union-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme will organise two Creative Europe study tours for cultural operators from Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia to Slovenia and Czech Republic. The aim of the study tours will be raising awareness regarding the possibilities offered by the Creative Europe Programme, building capacity for cross-border cooperation and project development, and strengthen links between cultural operators from the Eastern Partnership countries and from the EU Member States. Eligible applicants can be government-funded state cultural institutes, private and commercial cultural operators, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations, engaged in the field of culture and creative sectors. The focus of study tour to Slovenia (Ljubljana) will be primarily on core art fields including performing arts (theatre, dance) and visual arts, cultural heritage (museums), etc. The detailed plan of study tour will be designed depending on the needs and expectations of the selected participants. The dates for the study visit to Slovenia will be 10-14 April, 2017. The focus of study tour to Czech Republic (Prague) will be primarily on cultural and creative industries, including design, architecture, music, publishing, games developing, creative hubs and clusters, festivals, etc. The detailed plan of study tour will be designed depending on the needs and expectations of the selected participants. The dates for the study visit to Czech Republic will be 22-26 May, 2017. The language of the study tour will be English. It is encouraged to pass the free online-course on the Creative Europe Programme before applying: https://www. culturepartnership.eu/en/ publishing/creative-europe- course

Submit your application through online form here by 31 January 2017.
Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson have been told they can't keep their custody battle private.

Uma Thurman

The former couple are disputing over finances and their four-year-old daughter Rosalind, who is known as Luna, but Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper ruled in Manhattan on Wednesday (11.01.17) that lawyers acting for the 'Kill Bill' star and the youngster had failed to comply with state law and give a "compelling" reason why the courtroom should be kept closed to outsiders.

The judge claimed the only thing different about this case from other custody rows is the parents are "rich and famous".

Virginia Lopreto, acting for Luna, and Uma's lawyer Eleanor Alter had argued a psychiatric forensic report on the child and her parents should not be aired in public, particularly because of the publicity the case had attracted, but the judge ruled there was nothing damaging in the document.

According to the New York Daily News newspaper, he said: "I have read the forensic report and it says nothing [bad] about the child. Whatever trouble that comes out of it has to deal with the parents.

"The only problem in this case is that the parents don't like each other."

However, Alter said there was a discussion within the report of "third parties that is detrimental" but did not elaborate, while Lopreto said it would "defeat the purpose" of their motion to discuss the document in detail.

Peter Bronstein, Arpad's lawyer, said his client was "not happy" about an open discussion of his finances but opposed the move to seal the trial.

He explained the French citizen - who has homes in London and the Bahamas - wants to spend time with Luna in his own homes, not just in Manhattan where his former fiancee lives, and feels the battle should be public as there could be wider implications for "foreign dads".

The lawyer said: "The question here is whether foreign dads have rights. ... If he is going to be denied his rights, he should be denied his rights in public."

While Arpad, 52, was not in court for the hearing, 46-year-old Uma - who also has kids Maya, 16, and Levon, 14, with ex-husband Ethan Hawke - was but gave no reaction to the judge's ruling.

The former couple got together in 2007 and got engaged the following year, only to briefly split then reconcile in 2009. They ended their engagement for the second time in 2014.

Arpad also has two sons with former girlfriend Ella Macpherson.
Beyonce leads the nominations for The VO5 NME Awards 2017 with five nods.

Beyonce

The 35-year-old R&B superstar has stormed the shortlist for the British ceremony and is up for Best Album for 'Lemonade', Hero of the Year, Music Moment of the Year, Best International Female and Best Video for 'Formation'.

Not far behind are rockers Bastille, who have been voted for a total of four awards; Best British Band, Best Album for 'Wild World', Best Track for 'Good Grief' and Best Live Band.

The indie group - fronted by Dan Smith - will battle it out with Beyonce's 'Lemonade', 'The Life Of Pablo' by Kanye West, 'Konnichiwa' by Skepta, Radiohead's 'A Moon Shaped Pool' and The 1975's 'I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It'.

This year's Best British Male sees a diverse selection in Skepta, Zayn Malik, Kano, Jamie T, Michael Kiwanuka

and Richard Ashcroft.

And the prestigious Hero of The Year sees late music legend David Bowie - who died in January 2016 from cancer - nominated along with Adele, Millie Bobby Brown, Gary Lineker, Beyonce, Liam Gallagher.

Music Moment of the Year sees last year's Inspiration Award winners, Bring Me The Horizon, up for invading Coldplay's table at the NME Awards in 2016.

The pop rockers - fronted by Oli Sykes - goes up against rivals Coldplay's Viola Beach tribute at Glastonbury, Beyonce's surprise album release of 'Lemonade', Skepta winning the Mercury Prize, Pete Doherty reopening The Bataclan venue in Paris following the terrorist attacks in November 2015 and The Stone Roses' comeback after 20 years with the single 'All For One'.

'Follow You' rockers Bring Me The Horizon are also up for Best Live Band along with Bastille, Slaves, The 1975,

Christine and The Queens and Wolf Alice.

And in the Worst Band category, 'X Factor' rapper Honey G is listed along with The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Nickelback, 5 Seconds of Summer and Twenty One Pilots.

Mike Williams, the magazine's editor-in-chief, said: "Every year we're bowled over by the enthusiasm of the NME readers, voting in their thousands for their favourite bands, artists, tracks, albums and more. Covering every genre under the sun, this year's shortlists reflect what an incredible 12 months of music we've had, both from returning superstars and brand new artists. We can't wait to get them together in the O2 Academy Brixton for the most rock 'n' roll night of the year, The VO5 NME Awards. Bring it on."

The winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony at London's O2 Academy Brixton on February 15.

Voting is open now.
The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), department of commerce, Government of India, has initiated sunset review investigation of anti-dumping duty concerning imports of nylon filament yarn originating in or exported from six Asian countries. The period of investigation for the review will be April 2015 to September 2016.

The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), department of commerce, Government of India, has initiated sunset review investigation of anti-dumping duty concerning imports of nylon filament yarn originating in or exported from six Asian countries. The period of investigation for the review will be April 2015 to September 2016.#

Anti-dumping duty was first imposed on imports of nylon filament yarn from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Korea vide a department of revenue notification dated August 29, 2006. Post first sunset review in 2011, the duties were imposed in January 2012. Now, DGAD has initiated the second sunset review to examine whether cessation of the duty is likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or injury.

The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), department of commerce, Government of India, has initiated sunset review investigation of anti-dumping duty concerning imports of nylon filament yarn originating in or exported from six Asian countries. The period of investigation for the review will be April 2015 to September 2016.#

The product under consideration in the present investigation is synthetic filament yarn of nylon, also known as polyamide yarns or nylon filament yarn. It includes all kinds of synthetic filament yarns of nylon or polyamides, other than sewing thread, such as flat yarn  twisted or untwisted, fully drawn yarn, spin drawn yarn, fully oriented yarn, high oriented yarn, partially oriented yarn, textured yarn  twisted or untwisted, and dyed yarn, single, double, multiple, folded or cabled. Also, all types of high tenacity nylon filament yarn are not within the scope of the investigation.

The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), department of commerce, Government of India, has initiated sunset review investigation of anti-dumping duty concerning imports of nylon filament yarn originating in or exported from six Asian countries. The period of investigation for the review will be April 2015 to September 2016.#

Nylon filament yarn has vast applications in textiles applications, which includes saree, dupatta, womens dress material, fashion wear, fancy casual knitwear, stockings, intimate wear, lingerie and night wear, kidswear, sportswear, activewear, swimwear, etc. (RKS)

The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), department of commerce, Government of India, has initiated sunset review investigation of anti-dumping duty concerning imports of nylon filament yarn originating in or exported from six Asian countries. The period of investigation for the review will be April 2015 to September 2016.#

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Government of India will soon set up a hosiery cluster at Sirsa and a carpet cluster at Panipat in Haryana, said Union textiles minister Smriti Irani. She also said that the government will provide its support for establishing a trade facilitation centre and encourage major design initiative to help the state have a huge influx into the industry.

The hosiery cluster in the Sirsa district of Haryana will help create more employment opportunities, said Irani at the Pravasi Haryana Diwas held in Gurugram. She noted that the district produces 40 per cent of the total cotton produced in Haryana.

The minister said that the government would support the design initiative so that the second and third generation of Haryana can take the legacy of Panipat forward. She also urged pravasi Haryanvis to contribute towards the development of the state by being a part of Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojna.

The Government of India will soon set up a hosiery cluster at Sirsa and a carpet cluster at Panipat in Haryana, said Union textiles minister Smriti Irani. She also said that the government will provide its support for establishing a trade facilitation centre and encourage major design initiative to help the state have a huge influx into the industry.#

Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar said during the event that the Haryana state government will introduce policies for various sectors including textile.

Two NRI cells will also be set up to safeguard the interests of non-resident Indians belonging to the state, said the CM. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Arvind, Indias leading denim firm, has installed the nations first Eco Line denim finishing range by Monforts, a leader among the manufacturer of textile machines, for faster production, major savings in energy, and greater flexibility in design and innovation at the companys Ahmedabad mill. Arvind is rated in the top three denim producers in the world.The installation has been made to increase production, reduce energy usage, and respond more quickly to customer requests for specified designs and finishes. The Eco Line, which can handle fabric widths of 1800 millimetres and operates at high speeds of up to 80 m/min, is operating alongside four Montex foam finishing stenters, which are also able to handle this same width of material.

Arvind, India's leading denim firm, has installed the nation's first Eco Line denim finishing range by Monforts, a leader among the manufacturer of textile machines, for faster production, major savings in energy, and greater flexibility in design and innovation at the company's Ahmedabad mill. Arvind is rated in the top three denim producers in the world.#

The Eco Line was manufactured in Monforts production facility MONTEX in Austria and installed by Monforts representive in India, ATE Enterprises Private Ltd.Aamir Akhtar, chief executive officer of Arvind Lifestyle Fabrics Denim division said, Arvind stays ahead of its competition through a policy of design and innovation. For all this, we need the best in technology. Having been a Monforts user from the earliest days, we had no hesitation in investing in the new Eco Line. Not only does this make us even more responsive to customer needs and demands, and more creative in our design and production, there is also the very great energy saving advantage and tight control over emissions.C V Babu, ATEs general manager for sales at the companys Ahmedabad office, said The Eco Line system reduces energy losses and energy use, increases thermal transfer and keeps the drying energy on the textile material longer, so that it can be used very efficiently. As a result, energy savings of up to 50 per cent can be achieved. Exhaust air energy can also be reduced to a minimum, which has a positive effect on the emission load into the atmosphere. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
OrganoClick, a green chemical and material technology company that develops performance materials based on cellulosic fibres, is representing Sweden in the environmental and corporate sustainability category of the European Business Awards. The company has already been named national champion for Sweden in this public voting competition.

The European Business Awards, Europes largest business competition, is set up to celebrate business excellence and best practice in the European business community. It requires the national champions in each country to make a presentation video, telling their unique story and explaining their business success. The public will watch the videos and vote for their favourite.

We really want to put Sweden on the European map of eco-friendly companies in the frontline. It is with great hope for the public votes that we head for the champion title. We want to inspire the world to make great business with environmentally friendly solutions, said Marten Hellberg, CEO of OrganoClick.

OrganoClick, a green chemical and material technology company that develops performance materials based on cellulosic fibres, is representing Sweden in the environmental and corporate sustainability category of the European Business Awards. The company has already been named national champion for Sweden in this public voting competition. #

OrganoClick was chosen from 33,000 businesses, by an esteemed panel of judges made up of European business and political leaders, academics and entrepreneurs, to represent Sweden in the category of environmental and corporate sustainability.

OrganoClick was internationally recognised for its research and development of alternative chemical technologies to replace environmentally harmful chemicals currently in use in fibre based materials. In addition, it has successfully taken its products to market with a rapid international sales growth.

OrganoClick produces and markets functional materials based on environmentally friendly fibre chemistry. Examples of products that are marketed by OrganoClick are the water-repellent fabric treatment OrganoTex, the flame and rot protected wooden material OrganoWood (through the subsidiary company OrganoWood AB) and biobased binders for nonwoven materials.

OrganoClick was founded in 2006 as a commercial spinoff company based on academic research examining the modification of biofibers performed at Stockholm University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Parineeti Chopra is currently holidaying in Dubai and the actress has been constantly posting some cool pictures on her social media handle strolling the place and visiting the best tourist spots and uber posh restaurants. Pari, was also seen having a good time at the beach, along with her friend.

Priyanka Chopra Bids Farewell To US President Barack Obama!

She captioned her beach clip as, "White sands, blue water, great weather and food, food, food - Can't stop dancing! I've got Happy Feet - Because I'm in Food Truck heaven!" Pari, seems to have absolutely loved the food in Dubai and said, "Drama! If food in Dubai can be this off the wall at a regular dinner - what on earth would it be like during the @dubaifoodfest?!?"

Check out the video clips of Parineeti Chopra holidaying in Dubai below!

Soakin in the sun!! Easy breezy in Dubai  pic.twitter.com/LtoXkXgpml  Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) January 10, 2017

White sands, blue water, great weather and food, food, food - Can't stop dancing!

I've got Happy Feet - Because I'm in Food Truck heaven! pic.twitter.com/XL9Xl3oJua  Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) January 10, 2017

Drama! If food in Dubai can be this off the wall at a regular dinner - what on earth would it be like during the @dubaifoodfest?!?  pic.twitter.com/mGPVNGb2PD  Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) January 11, 2017

Indulgence in #MyDubai is on another level! #JumeirahAlNaseem this ain't the last you'll see of me. pic.twitter.com/gJCtgJEzqQ  Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) January 11, 2017

I'd eat my heart out if I had this beach to work it off on everyday! Living the dream, Dubai style #discoveralnaseem pic.twitter.com/1olDdwHBc2  Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) January 11, 2017

On the work front, Parineeti Chopra is currently shooting for her upcoming film Meri Pyaari Bindu and is paired alongside Ayushmann Khurrana. The movie is being shot in Kolkata and is produced by Yash Raj Films.

Film-maker Prakash Jha Bids Farewell To Barack Obama! Says His Speeches Are A Privilege To Listen
The President-elect Donald Trump was mocked on stage by Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes Awards and Hollywood and Bollywood alike have shown their support to the actress and praised her for being bold. She was upset with the fact that Donald Trump made fun of a disabled reporter during his election campaign and Trump has denied the allegations despite clearly being caught on camera doing so.

Can Bollywood Do A Meryl Streep At Award Functions? Can B-town Openly Insult Leaders?

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi revealed that Bollywood can never stand up to a political leader like the way Meryl Streep did against Donald Trump for the fear of backlash! The mockery an actor receives for taking a stand against a political leader is unbearable and an artists career can come to a screeching halt. She said,



"After Meryl spoke out she got the wholehearted support of the entire Hollywood fraternity. In India no one will speak up in support of a celebrity's political stand for the fear of a backlash. There is no chance that Meryl Streep's films will be boycotted (In America) or theatres burned down when her next film is released because freedom of expression is respected there. Here we all know what happens."

Film-maker Prakash Jha Bids Farewell To Barack Obama! Says His Speeches Are A Privilege To Listen

Shabana Azmi also revealed the backlash she faced for her films. She said, "A pact was made between the government and 12 producers that I would be restrained from speaking on the Babri Masjid issue. My film Dharavi was pulled off the theatres, screens showing Fire were vandalised. Nandita Das and I were removed from Water after we had shaved off our heads."

Priyanka Chopra Bids Farewell To The US President Barack Obama!
The Grand Welcome

Hollywood actor Vin Diesel has reached India with his co-actress and Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone for the promotions of xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage. At the Chatrapati Shivaji Airport, Mumbai, Vin was welcomed in a proper traditional Indian style.

Dj Caruso With Deepika & Vin

Apart from Vin Diesel, the director of the film DJ Caruso has also come along to promote the film in India, where it is releasing 5 days before its scheduled US release.

Vin Overwhelmed With Such A Warm Welcome

Soon after arriving, Vin Diesel went live on Facebook. He expressed that he was overwhelmed with such a warm and great welcome. The Hollywood star also said that he loves Indian culture and has some personal connection with India.

The xXx Team Will Soon Address The Media

According to recent reports, the xXx team will be addressing the media over a press conference soon, after which the actors will head to the High Street Phoenix, Courtyard where they would be attending a crowd event.

Deepika Is Also Planning A Private Party For Vin

According to a leading daily, Deepika Padukone is also planning a private after party for Vin Diesel post the premier of xXx: Return of Xander Cage which is to be held in Mumbai on January 12, 2017.

Deepika Padukone Will Introduce Vin To Her Close Circuit

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone will reportedly introduce Vin Diesel to her close circuit, post the Indian premier of xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage.
Known to put his heart and soul into every project, ace film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj has definitely gone the extra mile for his larger than life period drama, Rangoon. The director brought in Norway-based choreographer Sudesh Adhana to train Kangana Ranaut for the song Blood Hell. The actress will be playing the role of a diva in the movie.

Ranveer Singh & Aditya Roy Kapur Try To Kiss Shraddha Kapoor!

"Sudesh is not just a choreographer but also a lecturer in modern dance. We collaborated on an opera in Paris, A Flowering Tree, which I directed and he choreographed. Then, we joined hands for Haider's 'Bismil' which bagged him a National Award. He is an unusual personality. This song is from a film within the film and Kangana worked really hard to get the dance form right", says Vishal.



Sharing interesting trivia about the songs, Vishal mentioned how Gulzar penned seven to eight options before they zeroed in on Bloody Hell. "Normally we take 10-15 days for a song but we have taken over two months to lock each song for this film", signs off the director.

Holiday Diaries! Parineeti Chopra Soaks In The Sun In Dubai

A dream that Vishal Bhardwaj harboured for the past 7 years, the excitement towards the film is building day by day. We can't wait to see this vision brought to life on screen! Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Vishal Bhardwaj and Viacom 18 motion pictures, Rangoon stars Saif Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor. The film is slated to release on February 24th, 2017.

Priyanka Chopra Bids Farewell To The US President Barack Obama!
The recently released Rangoon trailer starring Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut has already caught everyone's attention. Now, it's time to go the 'Bloody Hell' way with Kangana Ranaut! Yes, you heard it right. The makers have released the first song from the film and it's quite groovy and full of old world charm.

7 Reasons Why You Should Watch Shahid-Saif-Kangana's Rangoon First Day First Show!

Sunidhi Chauhan gives the song a sexy twist with her seductive voice. The song has Kangana strut in on a horse with a whip on her hand. There is a huge audience of men yelling on top of their voices in ecstasy as they see Kangana perform whilst saying, Bloody Hell before she breaks into a dance. You also get a glimpse of Saif Ali Khan enjoying her performance in the audience.

Check out the song here...

The track has lyrics penned by Gulzar with composition by Vishal Bhardwaj. We hear that the director had flown down Norway-based choreographer, Sudesh Adhana, to train Kangana Ranaut for the song. The actress who plays a diva from the forties, rehearsed through November and had perfected her moves by the time they shot the song in December.

Rangoon directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is set in the period of World War II in 1944 when India was in the brink of attaining independence. Saif Ali Khan, a movie producer sends his girlfriend Julia (Kangana Ranaut), the reigning queen of Bollywood circa 1940 to entertain the soldiers fighting a war in Burma. Shahid Kapoor, an army man and a freedom fighter is assigned the task of protecting her during the visit. However, the two fall for each other and what follows next is a story of 'love, war and deceit'.

The film is slated to release on 24th February 2017.

Rangoon Trailer: Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut's Love Triangle At The Time Of War!
Anu Emmanuel, the young actress who made her debut with the 2015-movie Action Hero Biju, is all set to be active in Kollywood. Reportedly, Anu is all set to join the upcoming Vikram-Gautham Menon project, Dhruva Natchathiram.

Some unconfirmed reports suggest that the actress is essaying the female lead opposite Vikram in Dhruva Natchathiram, which is the dream project of Gautham Menon. However, the reports are not officially confirmed yet.

Dhruva Natchathiram, which is said to be a spy thriller, was initially planned with Suriya in the lead role. But the actor backed out from the project citing creative differences, and the team went on to rope in Vikram for the role.

Earlier, it was rumoured that Nayantara has been approached to essay the female lead in the movie. But director Gautham Menon slammed the reports that the team is yet to finalise the leading lady of the project.

Anu Emmanuel , who is now busy with her Telugu project, was supposed to make her second Mollywood outing with the upcoming Dulquer Salmaan-Amal Neerad project. But she was replaced by a newcomer, after a few days of shoot.

It was reported that the actress decided to opt out of the project, following her fallout with director Amal Neerad. But Anu denied the rumours, stating that she backed out due to date issues. The actress will be next seen in Vishal starrer Thupparivalan.
Post Bigg Boss, Lokesh Feels Like A Celebrity

She feels that a lot of things have changed after she came out of the Bigg Boss house. She is getting a lot of love and appreciation by the people, which makes her happy. All these make her feel like a celebrity. She misses being in the Bigg Boss house!

Lokesh Opens Up On Her Transformation

"I don't know why people are calling it a transformation. I have always been like that. Having been raised in Delhi, I have always been stylish. I have just got a little makeover. I believe in the natural beauty, and therefore, I used to apply very less makeup when I was in the Bigg Boss house."

Lokesh Feels Bad When She Gets Negative Comments

"I feel bad when I read negative comments about myself and people calling me dumb. But these comments are an eye-opener and keeps on reminding me the things that I need to change in myself."

She Added

"People also call me fat, make fun of my voice and accent, but I take that in good spirit because I know they're right and I need to work on myself."

Is Salman Biased? Is The Show Scripted?

Lokesh feels Salman speaks the truth and is not biased at all. Salman is a great mentor and she respects him a lot. She further added that the show is not at all scripted and whatever they say or do is their personal decision.

Bigg Boss Experience

"I live in a joint family and the Bigg Boss house was similar, so I didn't find it difficult to adjust with everyone. I never felt afraid of the fights and arguments in the house. All that was happening in the house was tiny as compared to the things I have experienced in my own life."
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/11/17 -- Today, Cogeco Communications Inc. (TSX: CCA) ("Cogeco Communications" or the "Corporation") announced its financial results for the first quarter ended November 30, 2016, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

For the first quarter of fiscal 2017:

-- Revenue increased by $8.8 million, or 1.6%, to reach $549.1 million mainly driven by growths of 7.0% in the American broadband services segment and of 1.0% in the Canadian broadband services segment, partly offset by a decrease of 6.3% in the Business information and communications technology ("Business ICT") services segment. -- American broadband services revenue increased primarily as a result of the organic growth through primary service units ("PSU")(2) progression, growth in the commercial sector as well as rate increases implemented in September 2016; -- Canadian broadband services revenue increased as a result of rate increases implemented in February 2016 and the continued growth in residential and commercial Internet customers, partly offset by a decline in video and telephony customers due to the competitive environment and service category maturity; -- Business ICT services revenue decreased primarily as a result of competitive pricing pressures on the hosting and network connectivity services and the depreciation of the British Pound currency against the Canadian dollar compared to the same period of last year; -- Adjusted EBITDA increased by $5.6 million, or 2.3%, to reach $249.7 million compared to $244.1 million in the same period of fiscal 2016 mainly as a result of the following: -- Higher adjusted EBITDA in the American broadband services resulting from organic growth; -- Higher adjusted EBITDA in the Canadian broadband services resulting mainly from an increase in revenue; partly offset by -- Lower adjusted EBITDA in the Business ICT services resulting from a decrease in revenue, partly offset by lower operating expenses due to a $1.8 million gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment; -- Operating margin(1) slightly increased from 45.2% to 45.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2017, with operating margins of 52.1% in the Canadian broadband services, 43.6% in the American broadband services and 31.4% in the Business ICT services segments. The increase for the quarter resulted mainly from a higher margin in the Canadian broadband services segment and a stable margin in the American broadband services segment, partly offset by a lower margin in the Business ICT services segment; -- Profit for the period amounted to $75.0 million, or $1.53 per share, compared to a profit for the period of $61.1 million, or $1.25 per share in the comparable period of fiscal 2016, an increase of $13.9 million mainly as a result of the improvement of adjusted EBITDA combined with the decrease in depreciation and amortization; -- Free cash flow amounted to $101.4 million, an increase of $61.3 million, compared to $40.0 million for the same period of the prior year mainly due to lower acquisitions of property, plant and equipment, intangible and other assets as a result of the timing of certain initiatives mainly in the Canadian broadband services segment combined with a greater focus on capital expenditure optimization in the Business ICT services segment. The improvement of adjusted EBITDA also contributed to the increase in free cash flow; -- Cash flow from operating activities increased by $27.4 million, or 28.5%, to reach $123.5 million compared to $96.1 million for fiscal 2016 first-quarter. The increase for the quarter is mostly attributable to the improvement in adjusted EBITDA combined with the decreases in income taxes paid and financial expense paid, partly offset by the increase in changes in non-cash operating activities primarily due to changes in working capital; -- A quarterly eligible dividend of $0.43 per share was paid in the first quarter to the holders of multiple and subordinate voting shares, representing an increase of $0.04 per share, or 10.3%, compared to an eligible dividend of $0.39 per share paid in the first quarter of fiscal 2016; -- At its January 11, 2017 meeting, the Board of Directors of Cogeco Communications declared a quarterly eligible dividend of $0.43 per share for multiple and subordinate voting shares payable on February 8, 2017; and -- On December 9, 2016, the Corporation amended its Term Revolving Facility resulting in the extension of the maturity date by an additional year until January 24, 2022. (1) The indicated terms do not have standardized definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For more details, please consult the "Non-IFRS financial measures" section of the MD&A. (2) Represents the sum of video, Internet and telephony service customers.

"We are quite satisfied with the overall results for Cogeco Communications Inc., in this first quarter of our fiscal year 2017," declared Louis Audet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Communications Inc. "Given the high level of competition in the Canadian broadband market and the maturity of this industry, we are very pleased with the results of our Canadian broadband services subsidiary. Cogeco Connexion continues to maintain tight control on costs and has once again reported results that are in line with expectations."

"Our American broadband services subsidiary, Atlantic Broadband, continues to show a solid performance with strong organic growth," added M. Audet. "We are very satisfied with results so far in fiscal 2017 and see potential for further growth, particularly in the Connecticut and Florida markets."

"At Cogeco Peer 1, our Business ICT services subsidiary, we have a solid senior leadership management team and a new go-to- market strategy in place," stated Mr. Audet. "While market conditions are changing faster than ever before, we continue to focus on bringing more relevant solutions to market and cross-selling our services, positioning ourselves as a trusted advisor offering the whole breadth of relevant enterprise services. In addition, we have generated meaningful free cash flow reflecting our focus on optimizing our asset base."

(1) The indicated terms do not have standardized definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For more details, please consult the "Non-IFRS financial measures" section of the MD&A.

ABOUT COGECO COMMUNICATIONS

Cogeco Communications Inc. is a communications corporation. It is the 8th largest cable operator in North America, operating in Canada under the Cogeco Connexion name in Quebec and Ontario, and in the United States under the Atlantic Broadband name in western Pennsylvania, south Florida, Maryland/Delaware, South Carolina and eastern Connecticut. Cogeco Communications Inc. provides its residential and business customers with video, Internet and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks. Through its subsidiary Cogeco Peer 1, Cogeco Communications Inc. provides its business customers with a suite of information technology services (colocation, network connectivity, hosting, cloud and managed services), through its 16 data centres, extensive FastFiber Network and more than 50 points of presence in North America and Europe. Cogeco Communications Inc.'s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

Analyst Conference Call: Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) Media representatives may attend as listeners only. Please use the following dial-in number to have access to the conference call by dialing five minutes before the start of the conference: Canada/United States Access Number: 1 800-347-6311 International Access Number: + 1 438-968-3557 Confirmation Code: 3838378 By Internet at corpo.cogeco.com/cca/en/investors/

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quarters ended November 30, (in thousands of dollars, except 2016 2015 Change percentages and per share data) $ $ % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operations Revenue 549,090 540,313 1.6 Adjusted EBITDA(1) 249,703 244,142 2.3 Operating margin(1) 45.5% 45.2% - Integration, restructuring and acquisition costs - 2,030 - Profit for the period 75,024 61,106 22.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash flow Cash flow from operating activities 123,461 96,093 28.5 Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment, intangible and other assets 96,494 146,319 (34.1) Free cash flow(1) 101,379 40,042 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial condition(2) Cash and cash equivalents 43,541 62,286 (30.1) Property, plant and equipment 1,982,202 1,989,720 (0.4) Total assets 5,351,763 5,333,249 0.3 Indebtedness(3) 2,944,640 2,929,108 0.5 Shareholders' equity 1,438,989 1,379,915 4.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital intensity(1) 17.6% 27.1% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Per Share Data(4) Earnings per share Basic 1.53 1.25 22.4 Diluted 1.52 1.24 22.6 Dividends 0.43 0.39 10.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The indicated terms do not have standardized definitions prescribed by the International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For more details, please consult the "Non-IFRS financial measures" section of the MD&A. (2) At November 30, 2016 and August 31, 2016. (3) Indebtedness is defined as the aggregate of bank indebtedness, intercompany note payable, balance due on a business combination, principal on long-term debt and obligations under derivative financial instruments. (4) Per multiple and subordinate voting share. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contacts:

Source:

Cogeco Communications Inc.

Patrice Ouimet

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

514-764-4700



Information:

Media

Rene Guimond

Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs and Communications

514-764-4700






WOLFSBURG (dpa-AFX) - Volkswagen AG (VKW.L, VLKAF.PK, VOW.BE) said it has agreed with the U.S. government to resolve criminal and federal environmental and other civil claims against the company relating to the diesel matter. As part of the resolution, Volkswagen has agreed to pay penalties and fines totaling $4.3 billion and to a series of measures to further strengthen its compliance and control systems, including the appointment of an independent monitor for a period of three years.



The U.S. Department of Justice said that the six Volkswagen executives and employees are indicted in connection with conspiracy to cheat U.S. Emissions Tests.



Matthias Muller, Chief Executive of Volkswagen Group, said 'Volkswagen deeply regrets the behavior that gave rise to the diesel crisis. We will continue to press forward with changes to our way of thinking and working.'



The resolution comprises four settlements, including a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The plea agreement is accompanied by a published Statement of Facts that lays out the findings and facts established as to the origins and evolution of the misconduct in the diesel matter.



As part of its plea agreement with the DOJ, Volkswagen AG has agreed to plead guilty to three felony counts under U.S. law. The plea agreement, which is subject to U.S. federal court approval, provides for payment of a criminal fine of $2.8 billion and the appointment of an independent monitor for a period of three years. The monitor will assess, oversee and monitor the company's compliance with the terms of the resolution, including measures to further strengthen Volkswagen's compliance, reporting and monitoring mechanisms and implementation of an enhanced ethics program.



Volkswagen has further agreed to pay a combined penalty of $1.45 billion to resolve U.S. federal environmental and customs-related civil claims. Separately, Volkswagen has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $50 million to the Civil Division of the DOJ to settle potential claims asserted under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA). Volkswagen specifically denies any liability and expressly disputes these claims, which it is settling to avoid the uncertainty and expense of protracted litigation.



The DoJ noted that a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned an indictment today charging six VW executives and employees for their roles in the nearly 10-year conspiracy. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, 56; Jens Hadler, 50; Richard Dorenkamp, 68; Bernd Gottweis, 69; Oliver Schmidt, 48; and Jurgen Peter, 59, all of Germany, are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, defraud VW's U.S. customers and violate the Clean Air Act by making false representations to regulators and the public about the ability of VW's supposedly 'clean diesel' vehicles to comply with U.S. emissions requirements. The indictment also charges Dorenkamp, Neusser, Schmidt and Peter with Clean Air Act violations and charges Neusser, Gottweis, Schmidt and Peter with wire fraud counts. This case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Sean F. Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan.



Schmidt was arrested on January 7, 2017, in Miami during a visit to the United States and appeared in federal court there on Monday. The other defendants are believed to presently reside in Germany, the Justice Department said.



Volkswagen admitted in 2015 that about 11 million diesel cars worldwide were outfitted with so-called defeat devices, embedded algorithms used to game emissions tests. The settlement pushes the cost of the scandal to more than $23 billion in the U.S. and Canada and will force the company to increase the money set aside to pay fines and compensate affected customers, which currently totals 18.2 billion euros or $19.1 billion.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de


SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Samsung Electronics Co. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was summoned by special prosecutors in Seoul for questioning in a bribery probe as part of a widening influence-peddling scandal centered on South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her friend. The scandal has already led to the impeachment of Park in December.



Lee, who was named by the prosecution as a suspect on Wednesday, appeared before the investigation team's office in southern Seoul to undergo questioning over suspicions the country's largest business group gave undue financial support to Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil in return for business favors.



Samsung, South Korea's largest family-run conglomerate, has donated 20.4 billion won to two non-profit foundations backed by Choi. Investigators are probing whether Samsung's payments to the foundations were made in return for South Korea's pension fund's decision to support a major merger deal between two Samsung subsidiaries in 2015.



'I deeply apologize to the South Korean people for failing to show a positive image because of this incident,' Lee Jae-yong, also known as Jay Y. Lee, said upon his arrival at the South Korean special prosecutor's office.



In late November, South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday raided the offices of Samsung as well as the National Pension Service related to the corruption investigation.



The raids were related to allegations against Samsung that it bribed Choi to win state approval for a controversial merger of its two affiliates, including Samsung C&T Corp.



Choi is alleged to have used her influence to extort money from corporations like Samsung, Hyundai and LG. Choi has since been arrested, while Park faces criminal investigation for aiding in her friend's scheme.



Park was impeached by parliament for her supposed involvement in the scandal on December 9. She could become the first democratically elected leader in South Korea to leave office if her impeachment is upheld by the Constitutional Court.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Co-chairs indirectly participate and directly disguise Azerbaijans sabotage action (video)

The last statement by the OSCE Minsk Group encourages Azerbaijan towards barbaric actions; it is an indirect participation and direct disguise of Azerbaijans sabotage action, Larisa Alaverdyan, Chairman of Against Legal Arbitrariness NGO, former human rights defender of the RA, told journalists. She thinks that it is not only the problem of the Co-chairs, but first of all of the Armenian society. The Armenian side should not only use diplomatic techniques, but it also should carry out deep diplomatic work. Diaspora should also act. Before making any statement, the field should be examined. How many letters connected with December 29 incident have been addressed to the international institutions by the Armenian society? Not any. We, it seems, have got used to our neighbor and it think it is normal. According to L.Alaverdyan, we have representatives, who are paid from the budget in order to stay in Europe- Brussels, Strasbourg, Vienna; they should start working. She also noted that it is the first time the Co-chairs have made such an imperative statement. Was there such a though statement when the Azerbaijani side was cutting off the heads of the Armenian servicemen and publishing them? Then I expected no statement by the Co-chairs. Does such an unequal attitude show that no display of humanism is expected from Azerbaijan? To what extent is such an asymmetric approach normal? She reminded that through the Red Cross the Armenian side has sent a list of 99 missing people to Azerbaijan, on the return of whom neither the OSCE, nor any other international organization has made any statement.
TOKYO, Jan 12, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced that it became the main sponsor of the Visit Greenwich Destination Leaflet in the United Kingdom.Greenwich is the historic area in London with visitor attractions, accommodation providers, transport operators, meetings and event venues, the hospitality and retail sectors and the travel trade and media. Visit Greenwich is a public/private partnership, led by a board of tourism professionals, representing different sectors of the industry, with an independent chair. It promotes Greenwich and the surrounding area as a visitor destination and place to stay. Visit Greenwich works with partners including Royal Borough of Greenwich, Royal Museums Greenwich, Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich Hospital (Greenwich Market), London Cruise Ports, University of Greenwich, Docklands Light Railway, City Cruises, Cutty Sark, The Fan Museum, Emirates Air Line as well as hotels in and around the Greenwich peninsula.Not only has JCB built a JCB card acceptance network in the UK over the past 30 years, but also operates the JCB Plaza customer service desk in the UK within Liberty's of London which provides JCB cardmembers with local travel and sightseeing information, and actively recommends the best shops, restaurants, spots of interest and cultural facilities. The sponsorship will increase JCB brand presence in the market, and also develop JCB card acceptance in the Greenwich area. Acceptance of JCB card at Visit Greenwich's partner merchants and the associated historic world renowned sites such as the Cutty Sark, makes it more convenient to enjoy some of London's cultural heritage for JCB cardmembers from Japan, Asia including China, Korea, Taiwan, and other countries across the world.The Visit Greenwich Destination leaflet includes a detailed outline of all attractions and historic sites within the Greenwich area. This is available to all visitors to the UK through any one of 8 tourist information centres within London, including Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, as well as key train stations such as Paddington and Kings Cross St Pancras.Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director of JCB International (Europe) Ltd. (JCBIE) says "JCBIE are very pleased and proud to be associated with such an historic and important area of London within the UK. We are looking forward to sharing the experience of the Greenwich area including historic and vibrant attractions with our cardmembers. JCBI will continue to promote tourism and cultural exchange above and beyond the boundaries of corporate activity for payments."About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 32 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 23 countries and territories, with more than 100 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/Note: Statistics in About JCB are as of September 2016.ContactJCB International Co., Ltd.Ayako TanakaCorporate PlanningTel: 81-3-5778-8390Email: jcbinternational-pr@info.jcb.co.jpSource: JCBCopyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

CDON Alandia Ab, a company within Qliro Group, has at the request of the authorities of Aland paid EUR 5.9 million with regards to the tax claim previously put forward by the Finnish Tax Administration pertaining to the financial year 2012, pending the resolution of the tax dispute. CDON Alandia and its legal advisors maintain the position that the company has acted correctly and in accordance with applicable law. As previously disclosed, CDON Alandia has appealed the tax decision to the Helsinki Administrative Court where the process is still pending.

On 5 January 2016, Qliro Group announced that the Finnish Tax Administration has decided to impose an additional tax of approx. EUR 3.8 million and a tax surcharge of approx. EUR 1.9 million on CDON AB's Finnish subsidiary CDON Alandia Ab, registered on Aland, pertaining to the financial year 2012. At the request of the authorities of Aland, CDON Alandia has paid the claimed amount of EUR 5.9 million in aggregate, including delay interest, into the care of the authorities pending the resolution of the tax dispute.

CDON Alandia and its legal advisors still maintain the position that the company has acted correctly and in accordance with applicable law. As previously disclosed, CDON Alandia has appealed the tax decision to the Helsinki Administrative Court where the process is still pending. As of yet, no date for the hearing has been set. Against this background, the company will not expense the amount paid.

This information is such information that Qliro Group AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out below, at 08:00 CET on 12 January 2017.

For further information, please visit www.qlirogroup.com, or contact:

Marcus Lindqvist,

CEO

Tel: +46 (0) 10-703-20-00

Questions from media, investors and research analysts:

Erik Lofgren,

Head of Communications

Tel: +46 (0) 700-80-75-06

E-mail: press@qlirogroup.com, ir@qlirogroup.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/qliro-group-ab--publ-/r/cdon-alandia-ab-pays-eur-5-9-million-with-regards-to-the-tax-claim-previously-put-forward-by-the-fin,c2164498

The following files are available for download:
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Associated British Foods Plc (ASBFY.PK, ABF.L) reported Thursday that its Group revenue from continuing operations for the 16 weeks ended January 7 climbed 22 percent reflecting the weakening of sterling in late summer last year. At constant exchange rates, sales grew 10% with good growth delivered by all businesses. In its trading update, the company said that sales at Primark grew 22 percent on a reported basis and 11% at constant currency driven by increased retail selling space. The UK performed well. Like-for-like sales were good and market share increased. Like-for-like sales for the group were held back by declines in Germany and the Netherlands. AB Sugar revenue from continuing operations was 38 percent higher, benefited by higher sugar prices, increased production in Africa, and further benefit from the performance improvement programme. In the UK, production is projected to be just under 900,000 tonnes as a result of a smaller beet crop and yields marginally lower than last year. Revenue at AB Agri was higher than last year with progress made in all of its businesses. AB Mauri and ABF Ingredients both achieved good revenue growth and margin will again show substantial improvement. Looking ahead, the company said its outlook is unchanged with progress expected in adjusted operating profit and adjusted earnings for the group for the full year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HEIDELBERG, Germany, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Luxendo intends to use fundstodrive the uptake ofitsSingle Plane IlluminationMicroscopesinternationally

Luxendo, a privately held start-up spun out of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and developing its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology for biomedical research, announces today that the total capital raised in the Series A is 8 million. This follows a funding extension which was led by Life Science Partners (LSP), Amsterdam, EMBL Ventures, Heidelberg and EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM).

Luxendo will use these funds to drive the international sales of its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes by expanding its international sales and marketing team. Luxendo also intends to invest in the production capacity needed to support its growth.

Luxendo launched two different microscopes Mu-VI- and In-Vi- SPIM in 2016. Both microscopes are based on the SPIM technology. This technology allows scientists to observe living organisms for extended periods of time without them being adversely impacted by photo-toxicity. Luxendo's microscopes are able to avoid sample phot-toxicity by just illuminating sequentially a stack of small slices of the organism that is actively being viewed.

The MuVi-SPIM microscope, equipped with two of the latest sCMOS technology cameras provides superfast 3D imaging (up to 140 fps, 512x2000 px) without the need of sample rotation. The InVi-SPIM microscope, equipped with an inverted optical setup, allows extremely gentle specimen handling and is therefore dedicated to cell culture and early embryonic development imaging.

Luxendo plans to introduce a new instrument for quantitative fluorescence imaging in 2017. This novel instrument is in its final development phase.

Andreas Pfuhl, CEO of Luxendo commented: "We are extremely happy that interest from potential academic and industrial customers around the world for testing our MuVi- and InVi- SPIMs is greatly exceeding our expectations. We are delighted that this high level of interest has persuaded our existing investors to commit the additional funds we need to expand Luxendo sales, marketing and service capabilities. By strengthening our organization we will be able to drive the sales of our microscopes and to ensure that we deliver first class customer support."

"Today more than 2.500 cell biology labs around the globe use confocal microscopes to conduct their research, however there is a rapidly growing interest in microscopes that use SPIM technology by scientists in both academia and industry" comments Stefan Herr, Managing Director at EMBL Ventures. "Luxendo's SPIM technology means that it is well placed to tap this rapidly emerging market. We are confident that Andreas and his team will ensure that Luxendo is able to gain a significant share of this market due to the clear benefits the Company's products deliver."

"SPIM microscopy allows researchers to see things they couldn't dream of before, such as imaging the entire embryonic development of an organism with subcellular resolution," says Joachim Rothe, Managing Partner at LSP, "We are convinced that Luxendo will become the leading supplier of this exciting technology to biomedical research labs around the globe."

"We are pleased that with Luxendo, the most recent SPIM technologies company to come out of EMBL is focused on making its products available to the wider scientific community as rapidly as possible. This increased Series A financing will help it speed-up this process" commented Jurgen Bauer, Deputy Managing Director of EMBLEM.

Luxendo's proprietary SPIM technology is afluorescence microscopytechnique combined with a highoptical resolution. Only a thin slice (one to few micrometers) of the fluorescent sample is illuminated, and therefore highly reduces the photodamage and stress induced on a living sample that could occur with conventional laser scanning confocal microscopes.

-Ends-

Contacts



Luxendo Media contacts Dr. Andreas Pfuhl Citigate Dewe Rogerson Managing Director David Dible, Marine Perrier pfuhl@luxendo.eu luxendo@citigatedr.co.uk Tel: +49 6221 1873111 Tel: +44 20 7638 9571

About Luxendo

Luxendo is the most recent spin-off company from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The Company develops and internationally markets its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes which are based on its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology.

The Company currently markets the MuVI- and InVi- SPIM microscopes.

The MuVi-SPIM microscope allows fast 3D imaging of living objects such as spheroids and whole specimens for extended periods of time, and without the need of sample rotation.

The InVi-SPIM microscope allows extremely gentle sample handling. It is designed for fast 3D imaging of living objects such as cell cultures and developing embryonic samples.

Luxendo was founded in October 2015. The Company is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, and is funded by EMBL Ventures and Life Science Partners. To-date it has raised a total of 8 million.

For more information, please visithttp://luxendo.eu/

About EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH

EMBLEM, established in 1999, identifies, protects and commercializes the intellectual property developed in the EMBL world, from EMBL alumni and from non-EMBL third parties. EMBLEM facilitates and accelerates the transfer of innovative technology from basic research to industry by working closely with industrial partners spanning the biotech, IT and mechanical/electrical engineering markets.

For more information, please visithttps://embl-em.de/

About EMBL Ventures GmbH

EMBL Ventures invests throughout Europe in life-science companies with the aim to create significant commercial opportunities based on new therapeutic treatment modalities, next generation enabling technology platforms or innovations in the diagnostics and device area. EMBL Ventures manages over 120m on behalf of major European institutional and private investors and typically invests 3 to 8m as lead or co-lead investor.

For more information, please visithttp://www.embl-ventures.com

AboutLSP

LSP is a leading independent European investment firm, providing financing for private and public life-science companies. Since the late 1980s, LSP's management has invested in a large number of highly innovative enterprises, many of which have grown to become leaders of the global life-science industry. With over $1 billion of investment capital raised to date and offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP is one of Europe's largest and most experienced specialist life-science investors.

For more information, please visithttp://www.lspvc.com

AboutTheEuropean Molecular Biology Laboratory

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a Europe's flagship laboratory for the life sciences, with more than 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of structural, molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Founded in 1974, EMBL is an inter-governmental organization funded by public research money from its more than 20 member states. The Institute with over 1,600 employees operates across five sites: the main laboratory in Heidelberg, and outstations in Grenoble, Hamburg, Hinxton near Cambridge (the European Bioinformatics Institute EBI), and Monterotondo near Rome.

For more information, please visithttps://www.embl.de/
BAD ZURZACH, Switzerland, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

A New Global Campaign, Photographed By Renowned Celebrity and Fashion Photographer Rankin

Inspiring Women To 'Find The One For Every You'

Triumph is excited to announce the launch of a new global Spring Summer '17 campaign, 'Find TheOne For Every You'. Starring international model and entrepreneur Jessica Hart and shot by legendary fashion photographer Rankin, the empowering campaign marks an exciting new creative direction for the brand.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7968351-jessica-hart-triumph-lingerie-campaign

Triumph's Spring/Summer '17 ATL campaign celebrates 'Every You', a story of modern women and their multifaceted lives: she is an athlete, she is a business woman, she is a mother, she is sexy, she is confident. The new creative concept shows just how Triumph bras support women, whatever they do, highlighting the breadth of Triumph lingerie, to help women 'Find the One' for every age, shape, size and occasion.

Jessica Hart and supporting models are seen in various roles, oozing charm and character, which Rankin has captured so perfectly in his bold signature style. For this campaign with Triumph, Rankin plays on real personalities rather than an ideal reflection, resulting in a dynamic campaign, heroing individuality, femininity and style.

Rankin comments: "The most exciting thing about working on Triumph's Spring/Summer'17 campaign is that the brand is moving in a whole different direction. The images are modern, accessible and incredibly confident.We're really pushing the fact that it's not just for the'perfect'women. Triumph is for every woman and every woman can wear Triumph and feel really confident in it."

Jessica Hart adds:"It's a really cool new look and I'm super excited to be part of it - representing this playful side of Triumph that speaks to all women.Triumph understands that women play so many roles in theireveryday life-we're fascinating creatures! A huge part of being yourselfis feeling comfortable. One day you might feelmore like being cosy and supported, another you might want to feel sexy and strong. Theexceptional fit and comfort of Triumph products lets you be whoever you want to beandthat's something I really love."

Featuring in the campaign are Triumph's most coveted styles - from the iconic, feminine Amourette 300, confidence-enhancing Magic Boost and innovative Triaction.

'Find The One For Every You' at http://www.triumph.com/findtheone . Just drop in for a fitting or book an appointment online.





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/451965/Triumph_lingerie.jpg )





Video:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7968351-jessica-hart-triumph-lingerie-campaign










GETINGE, Sweden, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Getinge will issue its Q4 report for 2016 on Thursday January 26th at 13:00 CET, followed by a conference call at 15:00 CET, hosted by Joacim Lindoff, Acting President & CEO, and Reinhard Mayer, CFO.

We invite fund managers, analysts and the media to participate in the conference call. Please see details below to join the conference:

Swedish dial in number: +46 (0)8 5033 6574

UK dial in number: +44 (0)330 336 9412

US dial in number: +1 719-325-2202

Participant passcode: 5823854

Agenda

14:45 Call in to the conference

15:00 Review of the Q3 report

15:30 Q&A

16:00 End of conference

Two hours after the end of the conference call, a recorded version of the conference can be accessed for 5 working days on the following number:

Swedish dial in number: +46 (0) 8 5199 3077

UK dial in number: +44 (0) 207 984 7568

US dial in number: +1 719-457-0820

Code: 5823854

During the telephone conference a presentation will be held. To access the presentation, please use this link: http://www.livemeeting.com/cc/premconfeurope/join?id=5823854&role=attend&pw=pw1231

Alternatively enter the Live Meeting site and log into your meeting using the Meeting ID and Password below:

Live Meeting: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/premconfeurope/

Your Name: (Enter your name)

Meeting ID: 5823854

Meeting Password: pw1231

For more information, please contact:

Kornelia Rasmussen,

Executive Vice President Communications & Brand Management

Phone: +46 (0)10 335 5810

E-mail: kornelia.rasmussen@getinge.com

Lars Mattsson,

Head of Investor Relations

Phone: +46(0)10 335 00 43

E-mail: lars.mattsson@getinge.com

Getinge Group is a leading global provider of innovative solutions for operating rooms, intensive-care units, hospital wards, sterilization departments, elderly care and for life science companies and institutions. Getinge's unique customer offering mirrors the hospital's organization and value chain, and the solutions are used before, during and after the patients' hospital stay. Based on first-hand experience and close partnerships, Getinge provides innovative healthcare solutions that improve every-day life for people, today and tomorrow.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/getinge-group/r/getinge-group-announces-date-of-2016-q4-report-and-conference-call,c2164634

The following files are available for download:
BIELEFELD, Germany, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

itelligence India Software Solutions Pvt Ltd, an SAP platinum partner, announced the successful go-live of SAP S/4HANA for Shree Malani Group, a leading provider and the oldest manufacturer of sleep solutions in India.

Shree Malani Group, operating in a highly demanding market providing quality foams, among other products, faced several challenges related to transparency, goods tracking among the business units, manual tracking of serial numbers and managing of promotions and schemes, manual pricing, stocking and serviceability, AR, cash discounts, cash flow, credit management and controls. The company did not have an efficient system in place to combat the operational challenges.

Siddharth Malani, Managing Director, Shree Malani Group, stated, "The SAP S/4HANA implementation helped our business in centralizing pricing and discounts, stopped revenue leakage and automated sales pricing. Our team has derived transparency and tracking at the order level, and achieved visibility of stocks across all locations. Tracking of serial numbers is simpler. Now, we can centrally control credit check/release, manage cash discounts and simplify return goods management process."

The solution implemented under variant configuration was the usage of select conditions and procedures of bill of material (BOM) items. This variant configuration included repetitive manufacturing for sub-assemblies, standard process order under a multi-mix production scenario in the business environment and handling unit management. itelligence India ensured that the solution was thorough and comprehensive.

Norbert Rotter, CEO, itelligence AG said: "The implementation of the latest SAP solutions, like SAP S/4HANA, has proved to be a great success for our customer and for us, and it is exciting to now see an SAP S/4HANA project successfully come to fruition."

itelligence India has been delivering best-of-breed, customer-centric SAP solutions to its clients in terms of SAP S/4HANA consulting, implementation, cloud products, application management services. Clients benefit from technological expertise and customer-driven engagement models while leveraging itelligence's global assets, which helped in the successful go-live for Shree Malani Group.

Sanjeev Deshpande, Managing Director itelligence India, said, "We implemented key SAP solutions for Shree Malani Group, which included variant configuration of mattresses and multi-mix production scenarios in their business environment. This has helped the company in an era where automation directly impacts the quality of the products and services."

About Shree Malani Group: http://www.shreemalanifoams.com

Shree Malani Foams Pvt. Ltd.; a company established in the year 2008 with a vision to emerge as a manufacturer of high quality Polyurethane (PU) Foam. Since its inception, the company has incorporated the best in technology, powered by innovative research. This drive towards new and better solutions was the genesis of one the best and most advanced PU Foam plants in the country. Shree Malani Foams Pvt. Ltd. is a leading player in the PU Foam market in the country, mainly due to its product quality and range. Its technical and industrial foams are supplied to various consumers and converters, where as its furniture and mattress grade foams are widely distributed through an extensive retail channel. The company has an extensive network of warehouses and regional offices across the country to help it reach its customers.

###

SAP, SAP S/4HANA and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices.

About itelligence

itelligence is one of the leading international full-service providers of solutions in support of SAP solutions, employing about 5,400 highly qualified employees in 24 countries. As a frequently awarded SAP partner, among others global value-added reseller, SAP Certified in Cloud Services, SAP-Certified Provider of Hosting Services for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and SAP Platinum Partner, itelligence realizes complex projects in the SAP solution-based environment worldwide. The company's services in support of SAP solutions range from consulting and licensing to application management services and hosting services to proprietary industry-specific SAP. In 2015, itelligence generated total sales of EUR 696.2 million.

Public Relations itelligence AG

Silvia Dicke Konigsbreede 1

Tel: +49 (0) 521-91448 10733605 Bielefeld

Fax: +49 (0) 521-91445 201http://www.itelligencegroup.com

silvia.dicke@itelligence.de




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2017) - CVR Medical Corp. (TSXV: CVM) (FSE: B3BN) (OTCQB: CRRVF) ("CVR Medical") is pleased to announce that its "Carotid Stenotic Scan" (CSS) device has received IRB approval for clinical trials, to be conducted through the NIH HF Network at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital under the supervision of Dr. David J. Whellan , MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA.

CVR Chief Operations Officer Tony Robinson states, "With IRB approval, we look forward to continuing our progress through this final phase of clinical trials. To be able to do so with Dr. Whellan at Thomas Jefferson is something CVR is very proud of."

For additional information on the organization, leadership, and current news please visit the newly launched company website www.CVRMed.com

About CVR Medical

CVR Medical is a company that is involved in an equal parts joint venture with CVR Global Inc. (the "Joint Venture"). The Joint Venture operates in the medical industry focused on the commercialization of a proprietary subsonic, infrasonic, and low frequency sound wave analysis technology and has patents to a diagnostic device designed to detect and measure carotid arterial stenosis. CVR Medical is managed by a proven technical team. CVR Medical trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CVM.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

(signed) "Peter Bakema"

CEO, President & Director

For further information contact:

Brisco Capital Partners Corp.

Scott Koyich, President

Telephone: (403) 262-9888

This press release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events related to the Joint Venture. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: (1) a downturn in general economic conditions in North America and internationally, (2) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with commercialization of technology and the practice of medicine, (3) a change in health regulations, (4) any number of events or causes which may delay or cease commercialization and development of the Joint Venture, (5) the risk that the Company or the Joint Venture does not execute its business plan, (6) inability to retain key employees, (7) inability to finance operations and growth, and (8) other factors beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE INC. HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
BRUSSELS, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The best businesses from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were honoured at an exclusive event last night at the British Residence in Brussels, for The European Business Awards sponsored by RSM.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456934/European_Business_Awards_2017.jpg )



The 35 firms were chosen by a panel of independent judges, including senior businesses and academic leaders, to be 'National Champions' in Europe's largest business competition.

At the event, the third in a series of events across Europe, attendees had the chance to speak to leading businesses in their field and hear from guest speakers including Alison Rose, British Ambassador to Belgium and Mr Luc Toelen, Managing Partner, RSM Belgium.

Alison Rose, British Ambassador to Belgium said: "Congratulations to the National Champions who have shown excellent business acumen. I wish them every success in the future and hope they can be good role models to other businesses."

Lead sponsor RSM, is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms worldwide, and has supported the European Business Awards since its inception.

Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM, said: "The National Champions are stand-out leaders, demonstrating businesses tenacity and commercial excellence. These companies will lead the way forward bringing growth and prosperity across the continent and beyond. I would like to congratulate them all and wish them luck in the coming rounds".

In the next round, the National Champions are taking part in the Public Vote, which opened on 9 January at http://www.businessawardseurope.com. Category winners and the overall winner of the public vote will be announced at the Gala Final in May 2017.

The European Business Awards was set up to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries.

Further information about the National Champions and the Awards can be found at http://www.businessawardseurope.com and http://www.rsm.global

About the European Business Awards:

The European Business Awards' primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.

For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

 It celebrates and endorses individuals' and organisations' success

 It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to

 It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 10th year. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Last year's public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE and PR Newswire.

http://www.businessawardseurope.com.

About RSM:

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 760 offices and more than 38,000 people internationally. The network's total fee income is US$4.64 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.

RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.

RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. http://www.rsm.global

About ELITE:

ELITE is a full-service programme designed to share best practice and increase growth opportunities for fast growing companies, with a focus on understanding the capital markets. ELITE is an innovative programme based on exclusive training and a tutorship model, supported by access to the business and financial community. Its aim is to prepare companies for their next stage of growth and investment.

For further information on the programme, companies and the full list of partners, please go to:

http://www.elite-growth.com

About PR Newswire:

PR Newswire is the leading global provider of PR and corporate communications tools that enable clients to distribute news and rich content. We distribute our client's content across traditional, digital and social media channels in real time with fully actionable reporting and monitoring.

Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information on PR Newswire please visit http://www.prnewswire.co.uk
SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- CipherCloud, a leader in cloud security and governance, today announced it has been named a Premier Partner in the Dropbox Technology Partner Program. CipherCloud's industry-leading Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) will provide security and privacy for critical enterprise data that is shared and stored in Dropbox.

As enterprises continue to adopt a wide range of cloud storage and collaboration applications such as Dropbox, they face a new set of challenges meeting compliance, data privacy and data residency requirements. CipherCloud supports the collaboration and communication benefits of Dropbox by ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive and regulated data such as credit card numbers, healthcare information, or intellectual property. In addition, CipherCloud seamlessly integrates with Dropbox to prevent leaks of sensitive information with cloud data loss prevention (DLP), cloud malware detection, and comprehensive reporting.

The CipherCloud CASB platform delivers a consistent layer of visibility, data loss prevention, sharing controls and end-to-end encryption, across a wide range of enterprise clouds. CipherCloud's unique Active Encryption provides selective, policy-based protection for sensitive files, maintaining customer-controlled protection to the endpoint. Authorized users can access encrypted files through the CipherCloud app, while access can be remotely revoked if a device is compromised.

With Dropbox, CipherCloud customers can take advantage of a user-friendly collaboration platform that helps improve employee productivity and efficiency while cutting costs for the business. Dropbox's Premier Partners include a select group of industry leaders that are aligned with Dropbox values and committed to delivering customer innovation. By joining the Dropbox Technology Partner Program, as a Premier Partner, CipherCloud is taking advantage of Dropbox's open API and developer support to offer compelling user value to its customers.

"Dropbox is all about simplifying the way teams work together. By integrating with Dropbox, CipherCloud delivers visibility, security and compliance controls for data in the cloud while enabling users to work with the collaboration and content sharing tools they prefer," said Billy Blau, Head of Technology Partnerships at Dropbox.

"As enterprises increasingly move to the cloud and leverage Dropbox to simplify collaboration and communicate more efficiently, they face a new set of challenges related to data security, control and compliance," said Dev Ghoshal, Senior Vice President, Global Alliances for CipherCloud. "With CipherCloud, they can take full advantage of Dropbox for content sharing and collaboration and rest assured that their sensitive and confidential information is protected."

Additional Resources

Join the webinar, Data Privacy, Protection and Compliance for Dropbox

Learn more about CipherCloud Cloud Security Broker

Read more in the CASB Resource Center

About CipherCloud

CipherCloud, a leader in cloud security and governance, enables companies to adopt the cloud while delivering advanced data protection, compliance and control. CipherCloud delivers a comprehensive multi-cloud security platform that integrates advanced data protection, content control, monitoring, cloud discovery and risk analysis. The largest financial services, insurance, healthcare, telecommunication and government organizations across more than 25 countries have put their trust in CipherCloud.

CipherCloud was named by KuppingerCole as the Overall Leader in the CASB market and was named Cloud Computing Security Product of the Year by SC Magazine. CipherCloud has received investments from premier venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Transamerica Ventures, Delta Partners and T-Venture, the venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom. For more information, visit www.ciphercloud.com and follow us on Twitter @ciphercloud.

Media Contacts:

Dan Chmielewski

Madison Alexander PR

P:+1-714-832-8716

C:+1-949-231-2965

Email Contact




GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. (OTC PINK: CGRW), a Liaison and Consultant providing turnkey solutions to licensed growers announces the accomplishment of a significant company milestone as Licensed Grower, Category One Botanicals, LLC, prepares their first recreational marijuana products for wholesale distribution in the State of Colorado.

Dr. John P. Janovec, COO, stated, "The combined team of the CannaGrow Staffing Program and Category One Botanicals has worked diligently since August 2016 when licensed operations started, and the work is now paying off. The first harvest batch from the Ranger Greenhouses is now completely cured and being submitted for mandatory testing at a state-licensed laboratory. The first crop from the Nexus Light Deprivation Greenhouse is now in the first week of the harvest, drying, and curing process, and the resulting wholesale volume of 'pesticide-free' sunshine grown product to date is quite impressive. It gives me great pleasure to mention that over the last few weeks several interested buyers have visited the Colorado Buffalo Ranch Facility for tours and product quality verification, including a client with a high-profile brand in three States with inroads for distribution to over 200 recreational Marijuana dispensaries across the State of Colorado. The Facility is now fully optimized and production protocols are in place, so after an initial R&D phase, I can say with utmost confidence that the operational protocols and the crew are now in position for a record year in the wholesale recreational market in the State of Colorado. I encourage shareholders and interested parties to visit the CannaGrow Holdings Blog for more information about the harvest and production process at Colorado Buffalo Ranch Facility I (http://www.cannagrowholdings.com/cannagrow-blog)."

Jason Wells, Production Manager, added, "With two major harvests under our belts at Colorado Buffalo Ranch Facility I and the positive dialogue with interested clients, our production crew is now turning their focus to the production of a significant population of young transplants to quickly replace all individual plants harvested in the Nexus Light Deprivation Greenhouse. The down time will be minimal between crops and once the next crop is established in the Nexus, attention will shift to massive propagation of new clones and seedlings that will be grown out for transplant in the Spring through early Summer to the 17,280 square feet of production space in the six (6) climate-controlled Ranger Series 2000 Greenhouses. Now that the state-of-the-art facility is in full production mode, our production capabilities will enable about four (4) harvest cycles per year in the Nexus Greenhouse, and two (2) harvest cycles in the Ranger Greenhouses. I am pleased to say that our genetic catalog, mother plant colony, and propagation chambers are more than ready for the high throughput production milestones that we have set for ourselves over the next 12-18 months."

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc., the Liaison and Representative for NuGro Industries, will continue in its capacity of providing oversight as the Facilities Manager, working with the State/County Agencies and Category One Botanicals, LLC, the Licensed Grower, for the facilities. The completion of this project will now provide the company the basis to begin generating revenues from Licensed Growers subleasing the Turnkey facilities being built to the specifications of CannaGrow COO, Dr. John P. Janovec, and Consultant, Jason Wells.

About CannaGrow Holdings, Inc.

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. has entered the Medical/Recreational Cannabis Industry as a Lessor, Liaison, and Consultant to licensed Growers providing them with turnkey Growing Facilities in the State of Colorado. The Company intends to expand this business model within this industry as business opportunities evolve whereby providing for the highest return to its shareholders.

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. does not and will not, until such time as Federal law allows, grow, harvest, distribute or sell marijuana or any substance that violate the laws of the United States of America.

CannaGrow Holdings, Inc. encourages the public to read the above information in conjunction with its year-end statement for December 31, 2015, and the quarterly statements filed in calendar year 2016, at: www.otcmarkets.com.

The information contained in this press release may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements usually contain the words "may," "could," "possibly," "feel," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "expect," or similar expressions that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the Company's uncertain profitability, need for significant capital, uncertainty concerning market acceptance of its services, competition, limited service facilities, dependence on technological developments and protection of its intellectual property. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed herein.

CONTACT:



CannaGrow Holdings, Inc.

Delmar Janovec

Investor Relations

info@cannagrowholdings.com

http://www.cannagrowholdings.com/




BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China's yuan loans rose strongly in December, exceeding economists' expectations by a wide margin, data from the People's Bank of China showed Thursday. New yuan loan rose to CNY 1.04 trillion from CNY 794.6 billion in the previous month. Economists had forecast CNY 677 billion loans. The broad measure of money supply, M2, grew 11.3 percent year-on-year in December. Economists had expected the pace of growth to remain unchanged at 11.4 percent. Aggregate financing totaled CNY 1.63 trillion in December versus 1.74 trillion in the previous month. Economists had forecast CNY 1.3 trillion. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
GLASGOW, Scotland, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The definitive luxury malt, The Dalmore is set to release an exceptionally rare, Domaine Henri Giraud champagne-finished, 50 year old single malt to mark its Master Distiller Richard Paterson's 50th year in the whisky industry.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8016351-the-dalmore-50-single-malt-richard-paterson

Building on the celebrations surrounding Richard's 50th anniversary, the limited edition, The Dalmore 50 year old has been meticulously crafted in partnership with four other legendary luxury houses, to serve as a fitting tribute to each year of his illustrious career.

With up to 50 decanters released, which will be hand-filled on order, The Dalmore 50 has been matured in American white oak, Matusalem oloroso sherry casks from the world renowned Gonzalez Byass Bodega and port Colheita pipes from the Douro region of Portugal, before undertaking a final finesse for 50 days in rare champagne casks from Domaine Henri Giraud.

Paterson did not select the champagne cask by chance. Considered to be one of the region's hidden gems, Domaine Henri Giraud family estate is regularly lauded by experts from around the globe and is one of the only champagne houses to still mature their wines in casks. The casks selected have a unique intensity and aromatic complexity, giving Paterson the final flourish of wood needed to create this exceptional expression.

To hold this unique whisky, the artisans at prestigious French crystal house Baccarat have skilfully created crystal decanters, each of which will be held within a presentation case designed and crafted by the accomplished furniture makers at LINLEY.

Finally, each decanter will be adorned with a solid silver stag, created by silversmiths Hamilton & Inches, holder of The Royal Warrant.

Richard Paterson, Master Distiller at The Dalmore said: "This is a special year for me so I chose to finesse this whisky in a champagne cask, as this magnificent drink is synonymous with celebratory occasions.

"Bringing the champagne together with Matusalem oloroso sherry and port is perhaps the greatest example to date of our ability to innovate in both maturation and cask finishing while preserving the signature flavours of The Dalmore."

For further information please contact: Jenna Ciancia / Rory Brown at jciancia@webershandwick.com / rory.brown@webershandwick.com or +44 0131-556-6649.



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/454254/Domaine_Henri_Giraud.jpg )



Video:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8016351-the-dalmore-50-single-malt-richard-paterson


WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- The Board of Directors of Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSE MKT: PZG) ("Paramount") announced today the appointment of Rudi Fronk as an independent director of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Fronk's appointment expands the Board to 7 directors, 6 of whom are independent. Mr. Fronk will assume the role of non-executive Chairman and is expected to serve as a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating, and Compensation Committees. Mr. David Smith, who has served as Paramount Chairman for the past two years, will continue as a director.

"Rudi's 30 years of broad leadership experience in the mining industry will add valuable perspective to our Board of Directors," said Glen Van Treek, CEO and President. "His engineering knowledge will also assist us as we move through the process of completing a Pre-Feasibility Study on our Grassy Mountain Gold Project. Rudi has helped to oversee a number of these studies at Seabridge Gold. We appreciate his willingness to serve as a director and look forward to benefitting from his judgment and guidance."

Mr. Fronk, a graduate of Columbia University from which he holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering and a Master of Science in Mineral Economics, has over 30 years of experience in the gold sector primarily as a senior officer and director of publically traded gold exploration companies. In 1999, Mr. Fronk co-founded Seabridge Gold Inc. ("Seabridge Gold"), a US$500 million market cap company with gold reserves exceeding 45 million ounces and one of the world's largest resource bases of gold and copper. He currently serves as Chairman and as the Company's CEO, a position he has held since inception. In addition to his extensive experience with Seabridge Gold, Mr. Fronk has held senior management positions with Greenstone Resources, Columbia Resources, Behre Dolbear & Company, Riverside Associates, Phibro-Salomon, Amax and DRX.

About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp.

Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. is a U.S. based precious metals exploration company.

Paramount holds a 100% working interest in the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 9,300 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which a PEA has been prepared and key permitting milestones accomplished. For the PEA, click here. Additionally, Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares).

Paramount's strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and realizing value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering into joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account.

Contacts:

Paramount Gold Nevada Corp.

Glen Van Treek, President, CEO and Director

Christos Theodossiou, Director of Corporate Communications

866-481-2233




HERNDON, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Two brand new Lincoln Property Company apartment communities, Lincoln at Tinner Hill and Lincoln at Discovery Square, took home several awards from this year's Property Management Association's ceremony for annual Marketing and Advertising Excellence.

Lincoln at Tinner Hill, a new mixed-use community in Falls Church, VA surrounded by a myriad of shops, restaurants, and public transit, took home the award for Best Lease-Up Brochure. The agency utilized was Merrick Towle. Lincoln at Tinner Hill also received an honorable mention for Best Lease-Up Single Property Overall Marketing Campaign.

Lincoln at Discovery Square, an amenity-packed lease-up community in Herndon, VA, also took home two prestigious awards. The community was named Best Lease-Up Website, utilizing a parallax homepage design, bold colors and play-on-words verbiage. Lincoln at Discovery Square additionally received an honorable mention for Best Lease-Up Brochure. The designing agency was again Merrick Towle.

Both communities are under the management of Lincoln Property Company, the second largest multifamily manager in the United States.

About Lincoln Property Company

Lincoln Property Company was founded in 1965 as a builder and operator of high-quality residential communities. In the early 1970's, Lincoln expanded its product mix to include commercial, build-to-suit, office, hotel, industrial, and other mixed-use assets. In 1972, Lincoln took this expertise within the United States to Western Europe and the Middle East.

In 2001, Lincoln joined forces with the U.S. Department of Defense to renovate and redevelop family housing at selected bases for the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Army. Through innovative management, property rehabilitation and award-winning new construction designs, Lincoln is now one of the largest operators of military housing in the country. Lincoln continued its growth in 2013 with the acquisition of Grand Campus Living, increasing the depth of knowledge in the rental housing sector for the firm.

Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Lincoln focuses on real estate investment, construction and development, in addition to property management. Their national reputation has enabled Lincoln to attract a large client base of owners and investors who count on their ability to deliver quality results and continually serve as a market leader.

For more information about Lincoln Property Company, please visit http://www.lincolnapts.com/management-services or visit http://www.lincolnapts.com/regions/ for apartment listings in your area.

Follow Lincoln Property Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to hear about all the new deals to help you look forward to moving into your new home!

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3097397



Media Contact:

Sheri Sandefur Killingsworth

Vice President - Marketing & Communications

214-740-3300

Email Contact




NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. ("Aurora")("Company")(TSX VENTURE: ACU)(OTCBB: AACTF)(FRANKFURT: A82) is pleased to announce the introduction of an enhanced version of its Decima inline measurement system for quality control of bifacial solar cells during production. Bifacial solar cells have an open and active backside which enables collection of reflected light available from the earth, rooftops, etc. generating up to 25% more energy than traditional cells. Aurora's system, called "Decima Gemini", consists of a specialized pair of Decima CD measurement heads. With this novel system, the sheet resistance of the wafers' back-surface field and emitter are measured accurately and simultaneously. Each Decima Gemini system is managed and controlled as a unit by Aurora's Veritas process visualization software.

This unique measurement capability results from Aurora's patented Infrared Reflectometry measurement technology, which measures doped semiconductor layers without contacting the cell or the need for an electrical junction between doped layers. Because of this, the Decima can accurately measure the bifacial cell's back-surface field without interference from wafer resistivity variations - a crucial need for this type of application. No other back-surface field measurement technique is currently available without the complicated use of monitor wafers that reduce production yield and prohibit complete monitoring of production.

The Decima Gemini product is designed as a unit to fit above and below a wafer conveyor, and measures 100 percent of wafers at full production line speeds. Aurora's Veritas process visualization software provides process engineers and operators with a simple, single point to monitor and control the critical back-surface field and emitter formation processes. Furthermore, the Decima Gemini systems provides spatially-resolved measurements to allow manufacturers to observe and control intra-wafer variations.

"The Decima Gemini, which we are currently installing with an existing customer on multiple lines, is a direct response to increasing requests we have received from bifacial cell manufacturers for process monitoring and control", said Gordon Deans, Chief Operating Officer of Aurora. "Prior to the introduction of the Decima Gemini technology, manufacturers were forced to rely on manual sampling techniques that are wasteful and inadequate for control of the more complex and sensitive bifacial cell fabrication process. With our products, manufacturers get accurate measurement of 100 percent of the wafers in production, enabling them to achieve maximum yield in their bifacial manufacturing lines."

About Aurora:

Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. produces a family of measurement and control solutions which allow solar cell producers to improve manufacturing yield, lower costs, decrease waste and attain higher margins. Headquartered in North Vancouver, Canada, and founded by experienced leaders in process measurement, semiconductor manufacturing and industrial automation, the Company's shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and trade under the symbol "ACU". The Company was formerly "ACT Aurora Control Technologies". For more information, Aurora's website is located at www.aurorasolartech.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some statements in this news release contain forwardlooking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forwardlooking statement.

Contacts:

Michael Heaven, P.Eng., MBA

President & Chief Executive Officer

Aurora Solar Technologies Inc.

+1 (778) 241-5000

info@aurorasolartech.com



Investor Relations contact:

Nina Lafleur

+1 (604) 679-9964

info@aurorasolartech.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- OK2 Minerals Ltd., (TSX VENTURE: OK) (the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the 2016 reverse circulation (RC) drilling program on its 100% owned Pyramid copper-gold property located near Dease Lake, B.C.

Four holes were completed, with extreme winter conditions constraining the fifth hole prior to reaching its target depth. All samples were analyzed by SGS Labs in their Vancouver laboratory.

All drill holes intersected anomalous intervals of mineralized intrusive rocks. In addition to analyzing the entire hole, each hole was scanned by a Terraspec Halo hand held instrument (used to identify relative temperature of formation between certain minerals) to identify if gold mineralization is associated with hydrothermal alteration. The Terraspec readings confirm that the gold mineralization at Pyramid is consistent with hydrothermal alteration commonly occurring in porphyry copper-gold systems. These readings also confirm that the copper at Pyramid comes from a primary porphyry environment.

The following is a summary of the analytical results from each hole. Importantly, all holes hit anomalous mineralized intervals and coupled with the results from the TerraSpec analyses, demonstrate that the RC drilling was successful in helping target proposed diamond drill hole locations. As a result, management is planning a significant drill program to follow up on the 2016 drill program in Q2 2017.

RC Drilling Results

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depth From Interval Hole # (m) (m) To (m) (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Target ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chargeability PY-16-1 108.2 16.77 24.39 7.62 0.01 0.10 0.09 High --------- ----------------------------------------------- including 18.29 22.86 4.57 0.02 0.14 0.12 --------- ----------------------------------------------- and 48.77 50.29 1.52 2.50 40.30 0.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Stockwork, 153.9 increased silicification PY-16-2 45.73 94.5 48.77 0.03 0.08 0.02 --------- ----------------------------------------------- including 80.78 94.5 13.72 0.05 0.12 0.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depth From Interval Hole # (m) (m) To (m) (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Target ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chargeability PY-16-3 173.4 91.44 97.53 6.09 0.20 0.15 0.02 High ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alteration and 173.7 Chargeability PY-16-4 77.72 140.21 62.49 0.04 0.03 - High --------- ----------------------------------------------- including 103.63 118.87 15.24 0.10 0.03 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chargeability 54.7 High and High Surface Cu PY-16-5 0 54.73 54.73 0.07 0.08 0.02 values --------- ----------------------------------------------- including 1.52 13.68 12.16 0.20 0.15 0.03 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

These drill results are very encouraging for locating disseminated gold mineralization at Pyramid. Since gold is more mobile than copper, it would be expected to see relatively higher gold values distal to a copper-gold porphyry deposit. Hole PY-16-5, the final hole of the shortened program was only drilled to 55m and was targeted on a large, deep chargeability anomaly. Given the moderate to high grade surface samples in the surrounding area, this is now our main area of interest at the West Zone. Drilling also proved the hypothesis that the finer grained diorite porphyry was responsible for mineralization and intrudes the megacrystic unit.

The Pyramid project was staked in 2013 following up on anomalous regional stream geochemical sampling completed by the BC government in 1980 and detailed exploration has demonstrated the porphyry copper-gold potential for this under explored project located in the highly prospective Quesnel Terrane in Northwest B.C. Nearby projects include the Red Chris and Galore Creek Cu-Au deposits.

The Company's CEO Minaz Devji comments: "The work done at Pyramid in 2016 continues to demonstrate its potential for extensive porphyry style copper-gold mineralization. We are very excited about the drilling we plan to do in 2017 as we continue to explore this very prospective ground."

The Company will be hosting a conference call to discuss the results contained in this News Release. The conference call will be held on Thursday January 12, 2017, at 6:00am Pacific Time (9:00AM EST).

An accompanying presentation for the call will be available on the corporate website at www.ok2minerals.com

Details of the conference call:

Title: OK2 Minerals Drill Results Conference Call

Date: Thursday January 12, 2017

Time: 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time

North American dial-in number: (866) 521-4909

International dial-in number: (647) 427-2311

A playback of the conference call will be available by calling toll free: 1-866-521-4909

ABOUT OK2 Minerals Ltd.

OK2 Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals with two very prospective copper-gold exploration projects, the Pyramid Project and the Kinskuch Project, both located in northwestern British Columbia on or within the "Golden Triangle".

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF OK2 MINERALS LTD.

Minaz Devji, CEO and Director

This news release was prepared by Company management, who take full responsibility for its content. George Cavey P.Geo, Director, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this release.

The RC rock chip samples were prepared at the ISO certified SGS Canada Minerals in Burnaby, B.C. and analyzed at the SGS Canada Minerals facilities in Burnaby using a GE-IC14A procedure. IC14A is an Aqua Regia Digestion with an ICP-MS finish. The company routinely inserted known commercially prepared standards every 10th sample and did not detect any QC/QA concerns from the analytical results.

This news release contains forward-looking statements including in connection with the timing of future work programs. These statements reflect management's current assumptions and expectations. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and OK2 Minerals undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

Contacts:

OK2 Minerals

Mike Devji

(604) 258-8666

mike.devji@ok2minerals.com



Investor Relations

Kin Communications

1-866-684-6730 (toll-free)

ok@kincommunications.com




TAMPA, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Enviro-Serv, Inc. (OTC: EVSV), which targets highly profitable small service companies in the commercial and residential property maintenance industry, is pleased to announce its end of year letter to shareholders.

Dear Shareholders,

The year has been full of milestones. From successfully continuing our franchise relationship with Pestmaster Services to closing on several previous and new pest control contracts, I'm extremely pleased to say that 2016 has been a banner and record setting year for the company as we projected in our last letter at the end of 2015. We've been able to achieve these great things only because of our amazing support staff, employees and management team. To all of them including our supportive and patient shareholders I offer a heartfelt THANK YOU. With such an incredible year coming to a close and now behind us, I want to look forward to 2017.

2016 was a year of significant progress for the company. We executed several complex initiatives and continue to make great strides in delivering on the strategic initiatives that we have been working on for the last two years. Although not everything we set out to do in 2016 was achieved, overall the company's operations, competitive posture and foundation for profitable growth are all much stronger today than one year ago.

In 2014 we generated pest control sales of just over $50,000 and $107,000 in 2015 and are extremely proud to announce another record sales year in 2016 with approximately $220,000 of booked revenue. Pestmaster Services-Tampa, Our wholly owned subsidiary is now profitable on a stand-alone basis which allowed Enviro-Serv the ability to not issue any stock throughout the year to assist with capital funding. Quadrupling sales in 2 years is something to be very proud of and I owe great thanks to the hard working staff that has been with us since inception 2013.

In 2016 we were successful in raising capital utilizing four debt instruments and no equity. To reach our goal of $500,000 of internal sales and to become a one million dollar company in 2017 will require capital funding. I fully intend to execute our business plan objectives and utilizing funding measures that management believes will benefit shareholders the most. We have further targeted potential acquisition and merger candidates as well as identifying potential new territories within the Pestmaster Franchise Network as well. With our stock price of EVSV deflated almost the entire year while at the same time setting record financial results was extremely frustrating and made for extreme challenges in raising needed capital yet we made it happen anyways. Recently Enviro-Serv has secured new financing relationships which in turn will help assist in our quest to expand operations exponentially through acquisitions and mergers as well as organic growth.

It is my utmost goal in 2017 to increase both shareholder value and awareness and to get EVSV back on the radar once again. I cannot achieve this task alone we have over 800 shareholders of record and we all need to do our part. Having said this it is our intent to reward our old and new shareholders for their unwavering support. Discussions for this dividend plan of action are already underway look for an update soon.

In 2017 we will hyper-aggressively go after municipal and government contracts on the pest management side and with the learning curve now over we feel strongly about winning many new contracts in 2017 going forward. Residentially & commercially we had a record year in growth achieved hugely with the partnering of an online marketing firm which led to an unbelievable working relationship. This marketing program went so well we've made the decision to increase our budget with them by 200% starting in the first quarter. We re-secured the Tampa James Haley VA hospital system in renewing our bed bug pest contract for 2016/17 year. Revenues for 2016 VA contract were the largest since the contract inception in 2015 with the VA and we firmly believe another record year in sales will be generated within the VA system here in the Tampa Bay area. In 2016 we won the contract award at MacDill Air Force base private housing for all of their Ant control. As of yesterday morning we are in the process of bidding for the entire pest contract for the private housing within MacDill AFB and feel very strongly we can win this award now that we are embedded. As of today we are very excited to announce that we were awarded the general pest contract for the city of Winter Haven Florida commencing February 1st 2017. The combined revenue from the James Haley contract and Winter Haven is approximately $65,000 in value. MacDill is worth around $50,000 annually and additionally by the end of January we will submit a large contract with Sarasota county Florida for general pest control which will be worth $55,000-$75,000 annually and feel confident in our chances to win it.

WE have certainly hit the ground running in 2017!!!!

Lastly and maybe most importantly to date the management team and our Board of Directors have not discussed, voted or approved any type of capital restructuring nor do we envision this in our foreseeable future. This is very important to understand as I truly believe a huge reason our stock price is de-valued and disconnected from the reality of our internal operational growth is the fear of restructuring. Let me say this very clearly to our shareholders and potential new investors... WE ARE NOT REVERSE SPLITTING EVSV STOCK so don't be afraid to invest in our future. I greatly appreciate your taking time to review this update letter and wish each and every one of you a healthy and prosperous 2017.

Sincerely,

Chris A. Trina, CEO

About Enviro-Serv, Inc.

Enviro-Serv, Inc. (EVSV) is a Tampa based corporation specializing in providing property maintenance services in geographically concentrated warm climate states with a strong emphasis in pest management. Through an aggressive acquisition strategy, the Company is building a portfolio of highly profitable enterprises that offer year round services such as pest control management, lawn and landscaping care, pool maintenance, air conditioning/refrigeration installation and repairs and a host of additional onsite maintenance offerings. Please visit our websites at www.evsvinc.com and www.pestmaster.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. You should consider these factors in evaluating the statements herein, and not rely solely on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and Enviro-Serv, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

CONTACT:

Chris Trina

CEO

Enviro-Serv, Inc.

813-708-9910




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2017) - Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (TSXV: MMA) (the "Company" or "Midnight Sun") announces results of recently completed core drilling on the Mitu and Dumbwa Central areas of its optioned Solwezi copper-cobalt-nickel-gold properties in northwest Zambia. The drill program consisted of 1916.9 meters of HQ/NQ core drilled in 15 holes and 2581.5 meters in 95 shallow Air Core drill holes. Significant mineralization was reported in numerous holes including:

1.03% copper, 0.139% cobalt, 0.041% nickel and 63 ppb gold (1.933% copper equivalent*) over 11.0 meters (9.4 estimated true width) in hole MDD-16-09**

1.22% copper, 0.094% cobalt and 0.048% nickel and 129 ppb gold (1.863% copper equivalent*) over 8.0 meters estimated true width in hole MDD-16-01**

0.49% copper, 0.028% cobalt and 0.047% nickel (0.743% copper equivalent*) over 30.3 meters estimated true width*** and 0.497% copper, 0.021% cobalt and 0.029% nickel (0.675% copper equivalent*) over an estimated 9.0 meters in hole MDD-16-06

0.82% copper, 0.029% cobalt and 0.051% nickel (1.251% copper equivalent*) over 32.9 meters (28.0 meters estimated true width) in hole MDD 16-11***

1.02% copper, 0.033% cobalt and 0.059% nickel (1.332% copper equivalent*) over an estimated true width of 13.5 meters in hole MAC-16-01***

0.80% copper, 0.050% cobalt and 0.089% nickel (1.256% copper equivalent*) over an estimated true width of 9 meters in hole MAC-16-02***

*Copper equivalents were calculated using current metal price ratios and are presented only for ease of interval comparison among drill intercepts as recovery factors for various metals may vary significantly. Metallurgical work is in progress. Metal prices used were $2.50/lb copper, $14.83/lb cobalt, $4.58/lb nickel and $1175/oz gold.

** The higher grade zones in MDD-16-09 and MDD-16-01 were assayed to test for the presence of gold. Additional re-assaying for gold in other intervals is in progress.

*** Denotes near surface oxide mineralization.

- ppb = parts per billion

Mitu

The Mitu area was targeted for drilling as a potential location of ore shale type base metal mineralization based on evidence from geochemical and geological surveys conducted by the Company and previous operators between 2010 and 2015. Ore shale mineralization is the dominant form of copper, cobalt and nickel deposition in the Zambia-Congo Copperbelt, the largest single copper production area in the world. Mineralization is associated with shale units which form chemical and physical "traps" for base metals at or near the favourable contact between the Upper and Lower Roan units. This contact zone along the western flank of the Solwezi Dome extends for over 17 kilometers on the Company's License areas.

The 12-hole diamond drill program covered an area of 300 meters on strike direction and 400 meters of down dip extent. All holes encountered shale units with base metal sulfide mineralization at maximum vertical depths to 184 meters. This mineralization is overlain by a mantle of weathered overburden averaging approximately 38 meters in depth, hosting copper, cobalt and nickel in oxide form.

The 45 Air Core Holes covered a strike length of 1200 meters, and returned significant results over this length. Some of the significant results from the 2016 Mitu drill program are presented in the Table below.

Mitu Area Drill Results 2016 Hole Az Dip TD From To Interval Est True Copper Cobalt Nickel Copper Eq* Zone m m m m m % % % % MDD 16-11 0 90 98.6 7.1 40 32.9 28.0 0.817 0.029 0.051 1.251 Oxide and 71.0 88.8 17.8 15.1 0.253 0.016 0.031 0.403 Sulfide MDD 16-6 20 60 80.6 0 35.6 35.6 30.3 0.490 0.028 0.047 0.743 Oxide and 62.6 71.6 9.0 9.0 0.497 0.021 0.029 0.675 Sulfide MDD 16-9 0 90 185.6 16.1 24.1 8.0 6.8 0.245 0.017 0.063 0.453 Oxide and 71.6 150.6 79.0 67.2 0.287 0.028 0.026 0.502 Sulfide incl 139.6 150.6 11.0 9.4 1.034 0.139 0.041 1.933 Sulfide MDD 16-1 20 60 317.6 4.1 28.1 28.1 28.1 0.222 0.004 0.044 0.361 Oxide and 99.6 113.6 14.0 14.0 0.851 0.069 0.047 1.030 Sulfide and 104.6 112.6 8.0 8.0 1.223 0.094 0.048 1.863 Sulfide MDD 16-2 20 60 4.1 28.1 24.0 24.0 0.320 0.390 0.060 0.660 Oxide and 47.1 62.6 15.5 15.5 0.154 0.015 0.024 0.289 Sulfide and 85.1 95.6 10.5 10.5 0.332 0.019 0.031 0.504 Sulfide MDD 16-10 0 90 194.6 28.5 40.5 12.0 10.2 0.205 0.018 0.058 0.420 Oxide and 42 51 9.0 7.7 0.208 0.027 0.023 0.408 Oxide and 62.6 83.6 21.0 17.9 0.210 0.013 0.065 0.406 Oxide and 103.6 113.8 10.5 8.9 0.317 0.028 0.043 0.562 Sulfide and 123.6 127.3 3.7 3.1 0.242 0.014 0.017 0.354 Sulfide and 149.6 155.6 6.0 5.1 0.202 0.013 0.014 0.304 Sulfide and 167.3 174.7 7.4 6.3 0.226 0.010 0.027 0.337 Sulfide and 178.6 184.1 5.5 4.7 0.256 0.023 0.041 0.469 Sulfide MAC 1 0 90 31.5 0 31.5 31.5 31.5 0.541 0.021 0.036 0.731 Oxide incl 16.5 30.0 13.5 13.5 1.022 0.035 0.059 1.332 Oxide MAC 2 0 90 30.0 0 30 30.0 30.0 0.380 0.023 0.042 0.590 Oxide incl 21.0 30.0 9.0 9.0 0.797 0.050 0.089 1.256 Oxide MAC 6 0 90 40.5 4.5 33 28.5 28.5 0.263 0.026 0.034 0.482 Oxide MAC 9 0 90 25.5 12 31.5 19.5 19.5 0.217 0.028 0.391 1.099 Oxide MAC 14 0 90 54.0 4.5 54 49.5 49.5 0.148 0.038 0.062 0.489 Oxide MAC 7 0 90 42.0 10.5 31.5 21.0 21.0 0.218 0.022 0.047 0.432 Oxide and 0 90 21.0 37.5 16.5 16.5 0.217 0.017 0.106 0.513 Oxide MAC 22 0 90 40.5 28.5 40.5 12.0 12.0 0.205 0.018 0.058 0.420 Oxide and 0 90 7.5 18.0 10.5 10.5 0.103 0.023 0.030 0.291 Oxide MAC 47 0 90 30.0 16.5 28.5 12.0 12.0 0.328 0.024 0.049 0.554 Oxide MAC 4 0 90 22.5 4.5 18 13.5 13.5 0.203 0.027 0.054 0.462 Oxide Notes;

True widths were estimated by cross section analysis.

Copper equivalents were calculated on recent relative metal price ratios. The metals may have different recovery factors and copper equivalents have been included for ease of comparison only.

MDD = Diamond drill hole (HQ and NQ).

MAC= Air Core drill hole through overburden. 1.5 meter sample intervals.

The Company considers the Mitu area to be a priority target for further work. Geochemical work and geophysical surveys to detect the presence of conductive shale units along the favourable trend are planned for the spring of 2017 with follow up drilling at the conclusion of the rainy season. Metallurgical work to establish target mineralogies and recovery factors is in progress now and higher grade samples are being checked for gold values.

Dumbwa

The Company completed three diamond drill holes and 50 Air Core Holes in the Dumbwa Area within the Solwezi Dome. Some of the significant intercepts are provided in the Table below;

Dumbwa Area Drill Results 2016 Hole Az Dip TD From To Interval Est True Copper Cobalt Copper Eq* Zone m m m m m % % % DCAC16-3 0 90 24.0 0 16.5 16.5 16.5 0.410 0.009 0.463 Oxide incl 0 10.5 10.5 10.5 0.547 0.011 0.631 DCAC16-4 0 90 18.0 0 18.0 18.0 18.0 0.603 0.009 0.654 Oxide DCAC16-13 0 90 25.5 0 18.0 18.0 18.0 0.458 0.010 0.515 Oxide incl 0 6.0 6.0 6.0 0.957 0.014 1.042 DCAC16-15 0 90 21.0 0 21.0 21.0 21.0 0.362 0.010 0.423 Oxide incl 0 9.0 9.0 9.0 0.648 0.014 0.730 DCAC16-20 0 90 16.5 0 16.5 16.5 16.5 0.408 0.009 0.459 Oxide DCAC16-35 0 90 13.5 0 13.5 13.5 13.5 0.546 0.019 0.654 Oxide DCAC16-39 0 90 22.5 0 12.0 12.0 12.0 0.646 0.012 0.716 Oxide incl 0 6.0 6.0 6.0 1.059 0.013 1.175 DCAC16-40 0 90 18.0 0 18.0 18.0 18.0 0.595 0.009 0.646 Oxide incl 0 9.0 9.0 9.0 0.973 0.011 1.039 DCAC16-41 0 90 16.5 0 16.5 16.5 16.5 0.519 0.011 0.584 Oxide incl 3 15.5 7.5 7.5 0.727 0.012 0.799 DDD16-1 0 90 116.6 77 95.6 18.6 18.6 0.385 0.013 0.474 Oxide incl 77 86.6 9.6 9.6 0.575 0.010 0.642 DDD16-3 0 90 92.6 0 4.1 22.1 18.0 0.564 0.009 0.615 Oxide Notes;

True widths were estimated by cross section analysis.

Copper equivalents were calculated on recent relative metal price ratios. The metals may have different recovery factors and copper equivalents have been included for ease of comparison only.

Metal values used were $2.50/lb Cu and$14.83/lb Co

DDD= Diamond drill hole (HQ and NQ).

DCAC= Air Core drill hole through overburden. 1.5 meter sample intervals.

Three diamond drill holes focused on extending the sulfide copper zone detected at Dumbwa in 2015 with hole DC15-03 which reported 0.88% copper over an estimated true width of 7.8 meters. Hole DC16-01 located 50 meters south of this hole reported 0.575% copper over an estimated true width of 9.6 meters. As at Mitu and 22 Zone, the Dumbwa area is covered by a mantle of copper-cobalt bearing overburden and metallurgical work on this material is in progress.

22 Zone

Further drilling on MMA's primary Solwezi properties target, the 22 Zone, was deferred by the Company pending receipt of the results of previously announced due diligence investigations by First Quantum Minerals. Midnight Sun will publicly disclose any material results of the investigation or any material change in their relationship with First Quantum Minerals.

Highlights from previously reported drilling on the 22 Zone include;

5.71% copper over 14.2 meters, including 9.58% copper over 7.2 meters

5.08% copper over 8.0 meters; and

6.27% copper over 4.5 meters.

Note: The above reported lengths are intercept lengths and not estimated true widths

All drilling in the 2016 program was carried out by Blu Rock Drilling of Kitwe, Zambia and assaying was performed by Genalysis Laboratory Services, an internationally accredited lab.

Qualified Control/Quality Assurance: Samples obtained during core drilling were transported directly to Genalysis Laboratory Services in Chingola, Zambia by Midnight Sun personnel for sample preparation. Samples were sorted, dried, crushed, and pulped before being sent to Perth, Australia for final chemical analysis using ICP-MS methods. All samples returning >10,000 ppm Cu were automatically re-checked by Genalysis. Genalysis is a fully accredited Laboratory and sample duplicates, standards and blanks were inserted by Midnight Sun personnel and by Genalysis.

Qualified Person: Richard Mazur, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical data and contents of this release. Mr. Mazur is a Director of the Company and, as such, is not independent.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD



Robert Sibthorpe B.Sc.(Geology), M.B.A.

President & CEO



For Further Information Contact:



Al Fabbro

Director

Tel: 604-351-8850

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 NEWS RELEASE.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in commodity prices, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2017) - Blackrock Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRC) ("Blackrock" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Michael O'Connor as CEO of Blackrock effective January 12, 2017. The appointment was made as part of the Company's new strategy focusing on the acquisition of advanced gold and silver projects. Mr. O'Connor brings over 29 years' experience in wealth management, investor relations, corporate communications and corporate development and more recently held the position of President and CEO of a silver exploration company for five years.

Mr. O'Connor commented: "I am both honored and very excited to be joining Blackrock at this important and transformative time for the Company. In order to make Blackrock a successful gold and silver Company, our highly experienced board has implemented a new strategy focused on the acquisition of quality advanced gold and silver projects that have near term production potential and are located in mining friendly jurisdictions. I am confident that while working closely with the members of the Board of Directors, all of whom are very experienced and well respected mining industry professionals, we can, as a team, deliver concrete results on the Company's new goals and objectives."

The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Catalin Chiloflischi, CEO of Canarc Resource Corporation, to the Board of Directors effective January 12, 2017. Mr. Chiloflischi is a professional economist with 20 years of experience in business development, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, communications, governance and sustainability in Canada, US, Europe and Asia. He has been instrumental in raising over CA$200 million in joint venture, equity and debt financings for mineral resource projects since 2010.

Mr. Chiloflischi stated "I am pleased to join a broad team comprised of very skilled, experienced and successful mining professionals. Because of the quality of people involved both at the board and management level, I see Blackrock as a unique opportunity to help build a successful gold and silver company. While working together I believe we can realize Blackrock's new vision to acquire and advance gold and silver projects towards production."

A total of 300,000 stock options for a term of five years at an exercise price of CAD $0.075 have been granted to management and directors.

In order to finance its new strategy, the Company has amended the terms of its non-brokered private placement previously announced on November 21, 2016 (the "Private Placement"). The amended number of units has been increased to up to 4,000,000 units (the "Units") at an amended price of $0.075 per Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $300,000. Each Unit is comprised of one common share and one share purchase warrant.

Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional common share in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.15 per share, for a period of two years from the date the Units are issued. If during the exercise period of the warrants, but after the resale restrictions on the shares have expired, the Company's shares trade at or above a weighted average trading price of $0.30 per share for 15 consecutive trading days, the Company may accelerate the expiry time of the warrants by giving written notice to warrant holders that the warrants will expire 30 days from the date of providing such notice.

All other terms and conditions of the previously announced private placement remain the same. The Company plans to allocate the gross proceeds of the Private Placement to general working capital. A portion of the Private Placement may be completed in accordance with the exemption set out in BC Instrument 45-536 (Exemption from prospectus requirement for certain distributions through an investment dealer) (the "Investment Dealer Exemption"). In accordance with the requirements of the Investment Dealer Exemption, the Company confirms there is no material fact or material change related to the Company which has not been generally disclosed. The Private Placement is subject to the approval of the Exchange.

The securities issued in the Private Placement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or under any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy such securities in the United States.

The Company also wishes to announce that Mr. David Robinson has resigned as President, CEO and Director of Blackrock effective January 12, 2017. The Company would like to thank Mr. Robinson for his contributions in establishing Blackrock and wishes him every success in his future endeavours.

For further information, please contact:

Michael E. O'Connor

CEO

Blackrock Gold Corporation

Telephone 604-317-6197

Email m_oconnor@shaw.ca

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.

Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words"may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements, however, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed, implied by or projected in the forward-looking information or statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the ability of the Company to attract financing and the general market conditions of the industry in which the Company operates and the other factors discussed in the sections relating to risk factors discussed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings on SEDAR.

There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.
Legal successors of the Avetisyan family apply to Court of Cassation

The legal successors of the Avetisyan family today, on the day the family were murdered two years ago, have applied to the Court of Cassation. Arthur Sakunts, representative of the legal successors of the Avetisyans, told A1+. According to his words, during the investigation of the case a number of procedural violations have been registered, which must be observed by the Court of Cassation. We have also presented justifications in our appeal to the Court of Cassation why it is necessary that the Court examine our appeal. I think that mechanically attaching the materials of examination of the Russian side to the materials of the RA Investigative Committee is already a gross violation, said the advocate. He always keeps in touch with the legal successors of the Avetisyans, and he can say that they have no positive expectations from Armenias justice system: If the Court of Cassation refuses our appeal, we will certainly apply to the European Court of Human Rights. And before that the relatives and friends of the Avetisyan family visited their house, where two years ago the horrible murder took place. To remind, the Court of First Instance of Shirak marz on August 23, 2016 sentenced Valeri Permyakov, serviceman of Russian 102nd military base stationed in Gyumri, to life imprisonment for murder of seven members of the Avetisyan family.
TORONTO, ON -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Patriot One Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PAT) (OTCQB: PTOTF) (FRANKFURT: 0PL) ("Patriot One" or the "Company"), developer of a revolutionary concealed weapons detection system, is pleased to announce that Company representatives will be presenting at the upcoming Cantech Investment Conference on January 18th in Toronto, and subsequently at the Alpha North Capital Conference January 20th, in the Bahamas.

The Cantech Investment Conference 2017 is a tremendous opportunity to meet with investors, analysts, journalists and bankers from the Canadian technology sector. Patriot One will be available for meetings in Booth #308 where CEO Martin Cronin, President Dinesh Kandanchatha, and Director Jeffery Tindale will be in attendance for one-on-meetings. The Company will also be hosting a Feature Presentation in the afternoon. For more information visit: www.cantech17.com.

Event: Cantech Investment Conference 2017

Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Booth: #308

Feature Presentation: 2:40pm ET

Location: Mackie Stage

Venue: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto, Canada.

Event Hours: 8:30am - 5:30pm

The Alpha North Capital Conference is an invitation-only event held in the Bahamas January 19-21, 2017. Held at the prestigious Atlantis Resort and produced by Capital Event Management, the event features small cap innovators in the technology, biotech, healthcare and special situations spaces as well as providing opportunities to connect with the top institutions and specialist brokers in North America through a full day series of one-on-one meetings between issuers and financiers. Patriot One President, Dinesh Kandanchatha, will be in attendance on January 20th. Find out more at: www.capitaleventmanagement.ca.

Event: Alpha North Capital Conference

Date: Friday, January 20, 2017

Agenda: 18 twenty minute sessions

Venue: Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas

Patriot One's team will be presenting on the development and planned deployment of its revolutionary NForce CMR1000 concealed weapons detection radar-based software solution. Summary details will include a look at the intrinsic innovation of Patriot's patent-pending radar technologies. Key aspects of the systems revolutionary cognitive ability to learn signature identification patterns of prohibited items will be discussed. The covert identification of weapons such as guns or knives prior to entry into restricted areas will be presented with a view to the disruptive potential for this all-new technology.

Find out more at www.patriot1tech.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Dinesh Kandanchatha"

President & Director

About Patriot One Technologies, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PAT) (OTCQB: PTOTF) (FRANKFURT: 0PL)

Patriot One is advancing five years of academic research and successful testing into a commercial first-of-its-kind Cognitive Microwave Radar concealed weapons detection system. The Company's NForce CMR1000 radar-based software solution aims to Deter, Detect and Defend against active shooter threats before they occur. NForce CMR1000 is being designed to be cost-effectively installed in hallways and doorways to covertly identify weapons and to alert security of active threats before entry. Soon, facility operators aim to have an ability to prominently post anti-weapons policies with compliance assured. Patriot One believes widespread use of its technology could act as an effective deterrent, thereby diminishing the epidemic phenomena of active shooters across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit: www.patriot1tech.com.

CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to product development, commercialization and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to develop and commercialize the Company's technology as anticipated or at all, the ability of the Company to satisfy the conditions of the relevant securities exchange(s) and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will not update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements unless expressly required by applicable law.

For further information, please contact:

Patriot One Inquiries

+1 (888) 728-1832

info@patriot1tech.com

www.patriot1tech.com




MOSCOW, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The next international Gaidar Forum, Russia and the World: The Choice of Priorities, will take place from January 12 to 14, 2017 in Moscow. Over the past seven years, this forum has grown into the largest international-scale academic event in Russia in the field of economics.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456949/PRNE_Gaidar_Forum_Image.jpg )



As before, the Gaidar Forum speakers will include Government members and leaders of the Russian regions, renowned Russian and foreign experts, politicians, journalists and business leaders. The 8th Gaidar Forum will focus on the analysis of the current economic situation and economic growth prospects, will cover financial and social policy issues, business climate and priorities of regional development in Russia.

The Gaidar Forum provides a unique intellectual platform and a meeting point for theorists and practitioners, the world leading scientists and politicians and influential representatives of global financial and business elites. Every year the leaders of economic thought, Nobel Prize laureates, top professors of leading global universities (such as Harvard, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and representatives of Russian political establishment come to Moscow and gather at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

The Forum discussions usually focus on the most acute current challenges, with a special emphasis on the issues connected with understanding of Russia's place and strategic role in the world.

On January 12, 2017, on the first day of the Forum, David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund will take part in the Panel Discussion.

The World Bank will present their Report "Russian Federation Systematic Country Diagnostic: Pathway to Inclusive Growth". The report will be presented by the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Cyril Muller and Deputy Chief Economist for the World Bank Group Ana Revenga. Marek Belka, a famous Polish politician and economist, to give a speech.

The second day of the Gaidar Forum, January 13, 2017, will begin with a panel discussion on the model of sustainable economic growth for Russia. This is the central topic, which has been on the agenda of the country's leading economic conference for the past few years. The attention of the participants of the discussion will focus on the perspectives for economic growth in the country for 2018-2024. Experts will also discuss the global financial system and the stability of Russian financial markets. How appropriate is the international experience in macroeconomic regulation for Russia? How to prioritize public expenditures based on monitoring of the effective use of budget resources? These and other questions will form the basis for a dialogue between the main representatives of the Russian economy.

According to Ivan Fedotov, the Executive Director of the Forum, Vice Rector of RANEPA, Director of AIRR: 'The Gaidar Forum has become a traditional place to discuss the Government agenda for the coming year. All key stakeholders will come to RANEPA: state corporations, development institutions, governors, the Government'. Anton Siluanov, the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, and Maksim Oreshkin, the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, will take part in the discussion. Elvira Nabiullina, Governor, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and Tatyana Golikova, Accounts Chamber Chairperson, have confirmed their attendance. The panelists also include Andrei Klepach, Deputy Chairman, Vnesheconombank (Chief Economist). Alexey Kudrin, Chairman of the Board, the Center for Strategic Research Foundation (CSR), Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation (2000-2011), will make the key speech.

On January 13, 2017, day two of the Gaidar Forum, Herman Van Rompuy, President, the European Policy Centre; President, the European Council (2009-2014); Prime Minister of Belgium (2008-2009) shall deliver a speech. Sberbank head Herman Gref and Rusnano chief Anatoly Chubais will take part in the discussion Technological Challenges and Economic Dynamics: What is Really Going on?

Topics for the third day will be: The New Tax Policy in Russia, Smart Cities Technologies, Islamic Finance, Open Scientific Infrastructure, University 3.0: The Future is Coming, Contours of the New Global Economy and Russia's Challenge to Respond.

PARTNERS

General partner: Gazprom. Financial partner: Otkritie Bank. Strategic partners: Gazprombank, Unilever, ACIG Group of Companies, Johnson&Johnson, Novartis Group in Russia, MasterNard, Yegor Gaidar Foundation, MSD. Official partners: Microsoft, RVC. Partners: EY, Cotton Way, The Russian Brewers' Union, Tomsk region. Insurance partner: Rosgosstrakh.

General media partners: Russia 24, PH "Kommersant". General Internet Media: Gazeta.ru. General radio partner - Business FM. Strategic media partners: TASS, RT, RIA Novosti. Main media partners: Interfax Information Services Group, Prime Business News Agency CJSC.

Media partners: "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", Izvestia, Rambler News Service, Snob, The Moscow Times, Xinhua News Agency, PR Newswire, Agencia EFE, Radio "Echo of Moscow", Thomson Reuters, The Finmarket Information Agency, Polit.ru, BRICS Business Magazine, AK&M, Ekonomika I Zhizn', China Radio International, FederalPress, The National Banking Journal, The magazine "Region of development", "Banking", RAEX (Expert RA), "STRANA", Phoenix Satellite Television, The magazine "Moscow - Beijing. Two Countries - One Thing", RIA Standards & Quality, Business Excellence, Strategy Journal, Gosudarstvennaya Sluzba, Viable Healthcare, Bank Review, Financial One, Magazine "Banking", RAI - Italian Radio television.

Contact: Dmitry Sokolov

Head of Press

RANEPA/ Gaidar Forum

+7 (903) 788 38 02

Sokolov-dn@ranepa.ru


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- West Kirkland Mining Inc. (TSX VENTURE: WKM) ("West Kirkland" or the "Company") announces that it has given notice to Eastfield Resources (USA) Inc. ("Eastfield") of West Kirkland's election to purchase 7 patented mining claims comprising approximately 140 acres over a portion of the Hasbrouck and Three Hills Project. On September 11, 2014, the Company entered a mining lease and purchase agreement with Eastfield for the patented mining claims, including surface rights. Total consideration to be paid is CDN$285,000, of which CDN$155,000 has already been paid, leaving a balance due of CDN$130,000. The legal process to close the purchase has been initiated by the Company. Closing and registration of title are expected to be completed by the end of January.

The purchase of the Eastfield patented claims and surface rights is consistent with the fully permitted Plan of Operations for the Three Hills gold mine. Federal permits for the construction and operation of Three Hills as an open pit, run-of-mine, heap leach gold extraction operation were obtained in November, 2015.

The Company also announces that at Three Hills a 1,300 meter reverse circulation ("RC") drill program has now commenced. Drilling will initially explore targets east of the permitted open pit by stepping out from hole MW14-01 (40 meters @ 1.36 g/t, 55 meters below collar), and TH12R-15 (66 meters @ 3.3 g/t, 76 meters below collar). Drill targets at Three Hills are adjacent to some of the best intercepts on the property. The earlier holes referenced above are located within the permitted open pit boundary, but are not located within the current reserve boundary.

After the planned RC drilling at Three Hills is complete, the Company also intends to perform step-out and infill RC drilling at the newly acquired Hill of Gold property, which lies three kilometers south of Three Hills and between the Three Hills and Hasbrouck Mines. Earlier drilling at the Hill of Gold by past operators totals 29,926 feet from 83 reverse circulation holes and 6 core holes. A small historical resource was estimated at Hill of Gold. Core crushed to 1-1/2 inch was tested by McClelland Laboratories Inc. in columns with gold recovery from cyanide leaching projected at 81.0% and 86.7% after 62 to 79 days.

Drilling performed at Hill of Gold in 1993 in the area currently targeted by WKM includes hole 93-63 (32 meters of 0.5 g/t gold, 58 meters below collar), and hole 93-61 (41 meters of 1 g/t gold, 70 meters below collar). Drilling in this same area in 1996 included hole HG96-5 (29 meters of 1.2 g/t gold, 55 meters below collar) and hole HGC96-6 (17 meters of 2.9 g/t gold, 59 meters below collar). Modelling by West Kirkland suggests these intercepts are open for further expansion near-surface at potential open-pit depths. The Hill of Gold host rocks and geological setting of gold mineralization are similar to the Three Hills deposit.

To view the map accompanying this press release, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/WKM112.jpg

About West Kirkland Mining Inc.

West Kirkland owns a 75% interest in the Hasbrouck Gold Project in Tonopah, Nevada. A Pre-Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment with construction-level drawings and all federal and state permits for the phase-one Three Hills Mine provides an advanced project with the potential for expansion from current drilling. West Kirkland also holds a 60% interest in the open pit heap-leach TUG Gold Project in Utah in Joint Venture with Newmont.

On behalf of West Kirkland Mining Inc.

"R. Michael Jones"

Chief Executive Officer

Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Authors and Qualified Persons Statement

The historical drill hole information reported here is from well-known professional operators. These assays are prior to the establishment of NI 43-101. The author is aware of the companies involved in the work and has reviewed the historical reports.

R. Michael Jones, P. Eng., Chief Executive Officer for West Kirkland, and a non-independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the information contained in this news release and has verified the data.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "postulate" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, the statements regarding the use of proceeds and the holdings of the Company's major shareholders and other statements that are not historical facts. Information concerning mineral resource/reserve estimates and the economic analysis thereof contained in the prefeasibility study are also forward-looking statements in that they reflect a prediction of the mineralization that would be encountered, and the results of mining it, if a mineral deposit were developed and mined. Although West Kirkland believes that such timing and expenses as set out in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and estimates will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the market for gold or other minerals that may be produced generally, significant increases in any of the machinery, equipment or supplies required to develop and operate a mine, a significant change in the availability or cost of the labor force required to operate a mine, a significant increases in the cost of transportation for the Company's products, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks associated with the exploration and development of mineral properties. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Kris Begic

Investor Relations

(604) 685-8311

www.wkmining.com




ORLANDO, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Solodev today announces its web experience software solution is optimized to meet the needs of the education industry. Facing growing concerns about cybersecurity, school districts require a next generation website that complies with ADA's website accessibility regulations. With the Solodev platform, school districts across the country can build beautiful, powerful websites with unparalleled levels of security and scalability -- without compromising design.

Recently, Solodev partnered with Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS), one of the largest school districts in Florida, to launch its new website. Designed, built and hosted on the Solodev platform, the new site is secure, mobile responsive and scalable in order to accommodate future growth.

"Being a central online destination for roughly 70,000 students, in addition to their parents and families, SCPS required a secure and mobile responsive website that could grow along with Seminole County," said Shawn Moore, CTO at Solodev. "With a combination of the Solodev web experience platform, our rock-solid cloud infrastructure and world-class support team, SCPS now features a mobile responsive website with dynamic and engaging content. Even more, we've empowered the SCPS team with the end-user tools to take the wheel from here for easy management."

Following the website launch, the SCPS team was trained on features and functionality to add and edit content with powerful inline editing tools, including SEO-optimized web pages, content scheduling, dynamic site navigation and breadcrumbs, as well as the ability to create custom apps and easily add entries to existing apps -- making the staff completely self-sufficient.

"We are extremely pleased with the new website design Solodev has created for our district," said Dr. Walt Griffin, Superintendent, Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS). "The new layout, responsive design and interactive school mapping tool makes our site immensely user-friendly for our students, families and community to find the information they're seeking in a quick and easy way."

With Solodev being optimized for the education industry, the web experience software company identifies five website trend predictions for the education industry in 2017:

1. Interactive school maps: School districts should consider website solutions that offer a dynamic school listings map application. By using an API integration with Google Maps to display all schools within the district in relation to any given location, school districts can help visitors identify the top schools in their area.

2. Easier engagement: Schools should implement website features that make it easier for site visitors to find what they're looking for and engage with their selected school. Examples include sortable calendars, prominent social media icons and an alert manager to communicate quickly with students, parents and staff.

3. Ad management: Many public schools have begun to sell advertising space in order to raise much-needed funds. School districts can capitalize on this budget-boosting opportunity by using a custom application to manage and dynamically display specific ads on certain pages of their websites.

4. Going cloud: Increasingly, educational organizations are shifting from in-house computing architecture to a remote cloud infrastructure, like the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud. In addition to its world-class security, AWS helps a school district drastically increase the delivery speed of its website.

5. Scalability: It's imperative that growing school districts invest in websites that can auto-scale capacity up and down as their computing requirements change. By choosing a solution that offers elastic storage capacity, school districts can have the storage they need, when they need it, growing and shrinking automatically as files are added and removed.

For more information about Solodev, visit www.solodev.com.

About Solodev

Solodev is an industry-leading web experience software solution that empowers organizations with Total Design Freedom. Companies of all sizes can now build beautiful, powerful websites with unparalleled security and scalability -- without compromising design. Creators of the world's first on-demand enterprise web experience platform, Solodev powers leading global brands, including Universal Health Services, OneBlood, City of Miami Beach, CNL Financial Group, State of Florida and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Named "The Best Cloud CMS in 2016" by CMS Critic, Solodev ensures total customer success with its Tenacious Tech Support, featuring 24x7x365 U.S. based service. Solodev Web Experience Platform is currently sold directly at www.solodev.com, on the Amazon Marketplace and via the Federal GSA contract.

PR Contact

Melissa Landy

Uproar PR for Solodev

Email Contact

(321) 236-0102 x233




OAKVILLE, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. ("Saint Jean" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SJL), a carbon science company engaged in the design and build of green energy storage, green energy creation and green re-creation through carbon materials. The Company is pleased to announce that it is starting a significant drill program on one of its Buckingham mining properties, based on the helicopter born survey that was completed in the fall and the digitalization of the previous drilling. The goal of the drill program is to cover as much of the properties as possible and twin drill existing holes to verify historical information. The end result will help determine a resource model.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO, commented: "It's great to be back on the ground and working. All of the summer and fall work projects were successful and have lead us to start drilling; what will hopefully be the future of a certain number of small pit operations. As previously demonstrated, the blended graphite we created produced the highest possible quality, high performance lithium-ion batteries. As demand for spherical, carbon coated graphite continues to grow, knowing that we can make this product is half the way to success. The other half is figuring out how much we can make."

Christian Derosier, P.Geo., D.Sc., commented: "The drill program is planned for fifteen drill holes and will cover about 1,500 meters in length spread over many shallow new holes and twin holes next to historical holes for verification and to be in compliance with NI 43-101. The rejects and the pulps of the core samples will be sent out to determine grade, element analysis and quality. The cores will be blended for further scientific research and to work towards creating a mine signature for assurance of duplicating the results on a much larger scale."

The Company will use the results of the work program to continue to develop an engineering model and equipment designs for the high speed first commercial shaping and coating mill in North America. The Company is constructing the first stand-alone patent pending mill, as previously announced in a press release dated May 19, 2016. The mill will grind, size, shape and coat graphite for the lithium-ion battery industry for use in electric cars and bulk energy storage. Presently any material for production is sourced from a number of off shore graphite mines. The Company will release the results from the drill program as they become available.

Christian Derosier, P.Geo., D.Sc., is the qualified person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and, acting on behalf of Saint Jean Carbon, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

About Saint Jean Carbon

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with specific interests in energy storage and green energy creation and green re-creation, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jean's properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Saint Jean Carbon Inc.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jean's business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "intends" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved".

These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the conditions for completion of the Transaction, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, if necessary, will be met.

Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct.

Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Information Contact :

Email: info@saintjeancarbon.com

Tel: (905) 844-1200




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- George W. Sanders, President of Goldcliff Resource Corporation (TSX VENTURE: GCN)(OTC PINK: GCFFF) (the Company) is pleased to report that recently received surface sampling gold values confirm the exploration potential of the Pine Grove property beyond the areas of the drilled resources. The current Measured and Indicated resource of 3,060,000 tonnes grading 1.37 g/t gold (Amended & Restated Technical Report, February 4, 2015 by Telesto) occurs in two distinct deposits, one on the Wilson patented claims and one on the Wheeler patented claims. Beyond the two patented claim blocks there are several areas of favourable rock type and structure that have strong exploration potential. The recent reconnaissance program confirms this potential and gold values returned are consistent with grades found in the Measured and Indicated resource.

Field work focused on the northern flank of a high ridge, approximately 3,000 ft (914 m) south of the Wheeler gold deposit. Sampling was concentrated on a steep ridge between two semi-parallel, north trending topographic lineaments that cut Jurassic granodiorite. Granodiorite is the preferred host rock at Pine Grove. Sixteen grab samples were collected from various old prospect dumps (early 1900's) along the steep ridge that were previously sampled by Teck Resources in the early 1990's and found to be anomalous in gold. Of the 16 samples collected by geologists for project operator Lincoln Mining Corporation, seven returned assays greater than 0.5 g/t gold. The anomalous gold samples returned values of 0.516, 0.638, 0.772, 1.31, 1.52, 1.91, and 10.9 g/t Au. The higher grade 10.9 g/t sample is consistent with Pine Grove mineralization where previous drilling has encountered zones of high grade including multi ounce values. Anomalous copper is also present and is a characteristic of the Pine Grove gold system. High copper values included 1410, 1435, 1775 ppm Cu and 1.83% and 2.75% Cu.

This new target area is on the Southern Cross lode claims and is 100% controlled by the Pine Grove Joint Venture. Goldcliff is earning a 40% Joint Venture interest from Lincoln Mining Corporation by spending US$ 1.4 million over three years. The Southern Cross target has not yet been trenched or drilled.

In early 2017, the Joint Venture will focus on detailed permitting and preparation of a Plan of Operations submission to State and Federal regulators. Assay results from the recent step out drill program on the Wilson patented claims should be received by the middle of the first quarter and will be incorporated into the resource data base. Permits will be prepared and submitted for exploration drilling on targets beyond the boundaries of the patented claims.

On December 20, 2016, the Company received notice from FINRA that Goldcliff shares can now be quoted for trading in the United States on the OTC Pink Sheets. The US trading symbol is GCFFF.

Jeffery Wilson, Vice President of Exploration of Lincoln Mining Corporation, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 has reviewed the technical disclosure contained in this news release.

GOLDCLIFF RESOURCE CORPORATION

George W. Sanders, President

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of this news release.

Contacts:

Goldcliff Resource Corporation

George W. Sanders

President

250-764-8879 of Toll Free: 1-866-769-4802

info@directroyalty.com

www.goldcliff.com or www.directroyalty.com




BEIJING, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Department of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, met with Liu Yuzhu, Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and confirmed the return of illegally exported cultural property to China. An official ceremony will be held in Ottawa on January 18.

The significant heritage objects being returned are a 220-million year old Saurichthys fish fossil from China's Guizhou province, an early Ichthyosaur fossil, likely dating to the early Triassic period (252-247 million years ago) originating from China, and a pair of carved wooden roof supports from southwestern China. These objects were illegally exported from China and were detained in Canada by the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP. China claimed these objects as their cultural property and requested their return.

This return demonstrates Canada's ongoing commitment to prevent the illicit traffic of cultural property and to ensure its return to its country of origin. It is an example of the successful cooperation of government departments and agencies working together to enforce the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.

Quotes

"Canada recognizes that the illicit import and export of cultural property impoverishes the heritage of a country, and we will continue our efforts to prevent this activity. We are very pleased to return these significant heritage objects to the Government of the People's Republic of China. As evidenced by the Canada-China Program of Cultural Cooperation, which was renewed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last fall, Canada and China share a commitment to protect our respective heritage, and to collaborate in that protection."

- The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick Facts

-- Canada and China are signatories to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Under the Convention, participating states agree to assist each other in the recovery of illegally exported and stolen cultural property. -- In Canada, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is responsible for Canada's obligations under the 1970 Convention through its implementing legislation, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act. Under the Act, it is illegal to import into Canada any cultural property illegally exported from another State Party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention after the time when the Convention took effect in both Canada and that state. -- Since 1997, Canada has returned illegally exported cultural property to 12 different states on 21 occasions.

Associated Links

Returns of cultural property

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr.

Contacts:

For more information (media only):

Pierre-Olivier Herbert

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage

819-997-7788



Media Relations

Canadian Heritage

819-994-9101

1-866-569-6155

pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca




CARDSTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: AMK) ("American Creek") is pleased to report that Tudor Gold Corp. ("Tudor") has released the final results of the 2016 exploration program conducted at the Electrum Project JV located in northwest BC's "Golden Triangle" near Stewart.

Background

The Electrum project is a 60:40 joint venture between Tudor (as operator) and American Creek. The Electrum property is located directly between the past producing Silbak Premier mine some 25 Km south and Pretium Resources' Brucejack deposit some 20 Km to the north (currently under development with production targeted for 2017). Within that same area are several other past producing mines as well as new projects undergoing exploration. One small area of the Electrum property itself includes the site of the historic East Gold mine which was mined by hand between 1939 and 1965, and which produced 3,816 oz of gold and 2,442 oz of silver from 45 tons of hand selected ore (BC Ministry of Mines Assessment Report 30206); mining operations ceased with the unfortunate and untimely death of the mine operator. More recently, the Scottie Gold mine operated from 1981 to 1985 approximately five kilometers from the Electrum property. The current owners of the Scottie Gold mine, Rotation Minerals Ltd., note on their website that the mine "milled vein material averaging 16.20 g/t gold, producing 2,967,748 grams of gold (95,426 ounces gold) from 183,147 tonnes of mineralization" (these historic production values have not been independently verified).

Tudor was attracted to the Electrum property by the presence of a complex system of mineralized fault structures within which are networks of gold and silver bearing quartz veins. The gold and silver typically occurs within these veins as electrum, a naturally occurring amalgam of both metals.

The complexity of both the fault structures and the vein networks make it very difficult to specifically target the veins of gold and silver bearing materials using conventional surface-based exploration techniques such as diamond drilling or magnetotelluric surveys. With that in mind, Tudor set out to develop an exploration program which includes sub-surface exploration techniques and which targets mineralization rather than just vein structures. In this way, Tudor will gain a better and more useful understanding of the overall geology of the property.

The success of the East Gold mine demonstrates that the mineralized fault material is accessible using conventional underground mining systems and practices. The cost of either rehabilitating the East Gold mine or opening new adits is, however, prohibitive at this stage of the project's development. Tudor is instead focused on a scalable bulk sampling program which would, if warranted, conclude with the development of an open-cut mine of sufficient size to generate both a return for shareholders and financing for further exploration on the property. As with other properties in this area of the "Golden Triangle", an open-cut mine could be carried out in association with related conventional underground mining.

Tudor's exploration programs and long-term planning take into account two of the key economic advantages of the Electrum property; it is within 4 kilometers of a power-line, and the property is adjacent to an established haul road leading to the bulk terminal and deep-water port at Stewart.

2016 Exploration Program

The exploration program achieved the following three goals set for the 2016 field season:

1. Diamond drilling aimed at furthering the exploration work previously carried out by American Creek, 2. Trench sampling of a newly discovered mineralized surface exposure in what is now referred to as the "New Blast Zone", and 3. Collection and analysis of a 4 tonne bulk sample from the New Blast Zone.

In addition to the work aimed at achieving these goals, work carried out during the 2016 field season included the construction of temporary (removable) bridges and the stabilization and improvement of road access to ensure safe and efficient access to the property.

2016 Diamond Drilling

Nineteen drill holes totaling 1,406 meters were completed. A total of 1492 core samples were collected and assayed. The 2016 drilling program was carried out to extend and expand on the drilling programs carried out by American Creek in previous years. The results of the 2015 American Creek drilling program included these findings previously released by American Creek:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EL15-02 9.0 10.0 1.0 1.04 78.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EL15-03 16.5 17.5 1.0 6.09 242.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EL15-04 32.0 33.0 1.0 6.76 38.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EL15-05 28.0 29.0 1.0 1.31 189.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35.0 36.0 1.0 6.93 62.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EL15-07 13.0 14.0 1.0 14.65 22.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14.0 15.0 1.0 6.59 461.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35.0 36.0 1.0 3.47 58.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EL15-08 1.0 2.0 1.0 1.05 89.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the key goals of both the American Creek and Tudor drilling programs was to confirm that mineralized exposures visible on the surface carried on at depth below the surface. The results of these drilling programs do suggest that, as expected, mineralization carries on at depth.

Of particular interest, holes TG16-13-UTM, TG16-14-UTM, and TG16-15-UTM reveal sub-surface mineralization in the area generally below the newly identified "New Blast Zone". Because of the complexity of the fault structures in this area, however, Tudor is currently unable to state with the certainty required by NI 43-101 that the sub-surface mineralization confirms the presence of an unbroken, continuous zone of mineralization linking these drill holes with the surface mineralization.

Trench Sampling

As noted in the Tudor news release issued September 12, 2016, a trenching program was carried out on the New Blast Zone. The program targeted a vein system which is infilled with a fine-grained blackish, blue-grey mineralization. The structure includes wide sharp edged quartz fragments in a foliated sulphide-quartz-carbonate matrix; the sulphides are pyrite, pyrrhotite, with thin galena/silver seams.

Twelve representative specimens were collected across the vein structure. Assays of those specimens yielded averages of 3,461.92 grams (111.30 oz) silver per tonne and 2.24 grams gold per tonne. Complete results of the trench sampling may be found in the noted news release on the Tudor website at www.tudor-gold.com.

Four Tonne Bulk Sample

Following the success of the trench sampling program, a 4 tonne bulk sample was collected from the New Blast Zone. The sample was collected utilizing localized blasting resulting in an exposed face of approximately 120 square meters, and a total rubble pile of approximately 600 cubic meters, from which was selected approximately 4 tonnes of representative material.

The collected bulk material was then crushed to a size of "3 inch minus" using a crusher at a quarry in Mission, British Columbia. The crushed material was then provided to ALS Global's metallurgical laboratory ('ALS') in Kamloops, BC for metallurgical processing and testing. The processing included the use of rod and ball mill grinding followed by both floatation and gravity separation. The resultant material was then analyzed in four separate test runs over four consecutive days. The overall results of the analysis are set out in the following table:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) PB (%) Zn (%) Sulphur (%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.82 539 1.96 1.97 13.8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As with the trenching program, Tudor is very encouraged by these results. A complete description of the processing and testing employed by ALS will be added to the Tudor website at www.tudor-gold.com.

2017 Exploration Program

Tudor is satisfied that the results of the 4 tonne bulk sample program, together with all previous exploration work on the property, justifies scaling up the exploration program on the Electrum property. Tudor is satisfied that all of these results justify long-term planning based on an assumption that currently known mineralization on the property has the potential to support a modest sized open-cut mine that can be scaled up as further exploration dictates.

Subject to obtaining all necessary permits and financing, the current plan for the 2017 field season is to carry out the largest possible bulk sample program along with an as yet to be determined amount of diamond drilling.

The anticipated bulk sample program will utilize commercially available mining equipment commonly used in open-pit mining. Blasting will be carried out with the use of track-mounted drills, and on-site crushing will be carried out with the use of track-mounted crushers. It is anticipated that crushed, mineralized material will be hauled to Stewart and from there it will be transported to an appropriate smelter for final processing.

Walter Storm, Tudor President and CEO, stated: "We are very pleased with the results of the work on the Electrum this summer. Not only have we confirmed and increased the known mineralized gold and silver zones, we have also begun to develop a much better understanding of the geology of the property and we are satisfied that we have a proper basis for expanding our exploration program."

Darren Blaney, American Creek CEO stated: "We are very pleased with what Walter and the Tudor team have accomplished with this initial program. The bulk sample results are very encouraging and indicate the future potential of the property. We are very much looking forward to 2017."

The Qualified Person for the Electrum property and the technical data in this new release is James McCrea, P. Geo. for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

American Creek also has other projects in BC's prolific "Golden Triangle" including the Treaty Creek Project which is a joint venture between Tudor, American Creek and Teuton Resources Corp. and the 100% owned Dunwell property package which encompasses the past producing Dunwell gold/silver mine.

Information relating to the Corporation is available on its website at www.americancreek.com.

Cautionary Statements regarding Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially.

All statements including, without limitation, statements relating to the potential mineralization and geological merits of the Electrum property and other future plans, objectives or expectations of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks and uncertain ties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

American Creek Resources Ltd.

Kelvin Burton

403 752-4040

info@americancreek.com

www.americancreek.com




CloudCraze study finds a significant gap between B2B buyer expectations and the commerce experiences enterprises provideCHICAGO, 2017-01-12 15:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- B2B commerce is undergoing a massive digital transformation, leading to higher customer expectations for a seamless experience and robust ordering options. However, many B2B organizations rely on inflexible, outdated commerce systems, creating a gap between what B2B buyers expect and what enterprises can provide. CloudCraze's 2017 B2B Digital Commerce Imperative study found that roughly a quarter (27 percent) of B2B organizations plan to spend at least $2 million in the next fiscal year on their commerce systems to improve digital experiences.To further understand how flexible, cloud-based solutions can solve for the complex needs of digital buyers, CloudCraze, the enterprise B2B commerce platform built natively on Salesforce, surveyed nearly 200 B2B and B2C businesses with an online presence about their pain points, investments, and priorities when it comes to commerce. The study found that more than 65 percent of B2B businesses are running on commerce platforms that are over two years old, demonstrating a lag in the implementation of sophisticated digital offerings."The digital shift is revolutionizing the B2B commerce industry, so B2B businesses must reevaluate how they interact with customers and execute sales strategies," said Chris Dalton, CEO of CloudCraze. "There is a clear rift within the industry when it comes to the expectations of B2B buyers and opportunities provided by enterprises."B2B Commerce Complexities Lead To Missed Revenue OpportunitiesAs digital capabilities have improved, consumer expectations have also increased. The study found that in today's B2B world, 55 percent of business buyers expect mobile access to a seller's commerce platform, and 52 percent expect convenient payment processes. But many B2B commerce systems do not provide these offerings and as a result, experience challenges like:-- Cost efficiency (37 percent) -- Providing a seamless, omni-channel customer experience (35 percent) -- Gaining a holistic view of the customer (31 percent) -- Effectively using commerce data (30 percent)These pain points caused nearly a third (31 percent) of B2B businesses to miss out on $2 million in sales.The study found that B2B businesses' biggest obstacles in solving these issues are the cost of new technology (54 percent), as well as a lack of desire and willingness within the organization to innovate (44 percent). This leaves companies in a constant state of increasing technological debt, as they fall behind to innovative and forward-thinking companies that are investing in these advanced systems.B2B Business Priorities and Investment Plans Aren't Always AlignedB2B businesses know they need to provide quality digital commerce experiences. Among survey respondents, 38 percent of B2B organizations ranked offering an outstanding buyer experience as their highest priority.Despite these priorities, many organizations are not investing in the necessary technology to make them a reality. Three in four B2B organizations do not make technology updates a top priority."B2B commerce is expected to grow at an annual rate of nearly eight percent over the next three years," added Ray Grady, EVP of CloudCraze. "Therefore, technological advancements through cloud-based solutions should be the top priority for organizations looking to facilitate a quality customer experience. Self-service capabilities and advanced payment options allow B2B organizations to be more efficient and accurate with their ordering process, which will go a long way in improving the buyer journey and driving revenue."For more information on CloudCraze, visit www.cloudcraze.com.About CloudCraze CloudCraze delivers robust B2B Commerce native on Salesforce. With the power of Salesforce and agility of the cloud, CloudCraze allows businesses to generate online revenue fast and easily scale for growth. It delivers seamless interactions across commerce, sales, marketing and service channels for a 360-degree view of data that's 100% connected to the customer. The powerful CloudCraze platform with its trusted Salesforce infrastructure and core capabilities provides infinite flexibility to extend functionality, add products and channels, and conduct billions of dollars in transactions anywhere. CloudCraze powers eCommerce for Coca-Cola, Avid, AB InBev, Barry-Callebaut, Ecolab, GE, L'Oreal, Kellogg's, WABCO and more.CloudCraze was one of 8 firms recognized in The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q2 2015 and as a Visionary in the March 2016 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce. CloudCraze is a Platinum Salesforce ISV Partner.Salesforce, App Cloud, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.Media contacts Rachel Gulden Account Executive rachel.gulden@walkersands.com 312.267.0530Sarah Traxler Director of Marketing sarah.traxler@cloudcraze.com 866.217.3210


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After reporting a notable decrease in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits over the two previous weeks, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing a modest rebound in initial jobless claims in the week ended January 7th.



The report said initial jobless claims rose to 247,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised level of 237,000.



Economists had expected jobless claims to climb to 255,000 from the 235,000 originally reported for the previous week.



Meanwhile, the Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average edged down to 256,500, a decrease of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 258,250.



Continuing claims, a reading on the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment assistance also fell by 29,000 to 2.087 million in the week ended December 31st.



The four-week moving average of continuing claims still rose to 2,086,750, an increase of 16,500 from the previous week's revised average of 2,070,250.



Last Friday, the Labor Department released a separate report showing weaker than expected job growth during the month of December but also a significant acceleration in the pace of wage growth.



The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment climbed by 156,000 jobs in December, while economists had expected an increase of about 175,000 jobs.



The increase in employment in November was upwardly revised to 204,000, but the increase in employment in October was downwardly revised to 135,000, reflecting a net addition of 19,000 jobs.



The report also said the unemployment rate inched up to 4.7 percent in December from 4.6 percent in November, matching economist estimates.



The uptick in the employment rate came after it fell to its lowest level since hitting a matching rate in August of 2007 in the previous month.



Additionally, the Labor Department said the annual rate of growth in average hourly employee earnings accelerated to 2.9 percent from 2.5 percent, reaching the fastest rate of growth since June of 2009.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
UIC: EU Continues to Remain Armenias Main Trade Partner

Armenia negotiated an association agreement with the European Union from 2010 to 2013. And though a document was finally agreed as a result of the negotiations, Armenias membership in EAEU made signing of that agreement impossible. The pivot of the Association Agreement negotiated with the EU was the establishment of deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA) between the EU and Armenia. In case of ratification, this agreement would open the European market of 510 million people with high purchasing power to Armenian businessmen. It would also significantly increase the inflow of foreign investments, thus contributing to the economic development of Armenia. More than two years after the failure to pre-sign the Association Agreement (on December 2015), the parties announced the launch of negotiations over a new framework document of cooperation between Armenia and the EU. It is envisaged that this new agreement will be signed during this year. With this agreement, the EU and Armenia aim to deepen economic and political cooperation in all the possible sectors of mutual interest, taking into consideration Armenias new commitments to the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as the changed geopolitical situation. In this respect, it is interesting to discuss what importance the signing of such a document may have for Armenia. EU as Armenias Largest Trade Partner The European Union was and continues to be Armenias largest trade partner since 1998. Statistical data testify that Armenia-EU commodity turnover in the year 2000 made up 20.1%, and during the years following 2001, annual growth rates during some years reached 50%. The figure shows the change dynamics of EU and EAEU shares in exports from Armenia during the last years. As it can be seen from the figure, in 2010, exports from Armenia to the EU formed around half (48.10%) of the countrys total exports, reaching almost 500 million USD. EU maintained its dominant position among Armenias trade partners even after the country became member of the EAEU. During the months of January to November of 2016, EUs share in total exports from Armenia formed 26.6% compared to 21.98% share of the EAEU. In other words, during the eleven months of 2016, exports to EU exceeded those to EAEU by 7.5 million USD. Such a picture was observed in circumstances when exports to Russia have been artificially increased by 54% due to re-export of Turkish goods from Armenia to Russia. EU as a Source of Foreign Investments The EU countries are among Armenias main partners with regard to foreign investments, leading the lists of largest investors by years. In spite of this circumstance, the Russian Federation has exceeded the EU countries in the volume of gross investment flows by years. At the end of 2015, the net investments from EU countries formed around 1.22 trillion AMD compared to those of 1.15 trillion AMD from EAEU member countries. This indicator shows that European capital investments have a more long-term nature and have strategic importance for the Armenian economy. In 2014, the net investment inflows from EU countries formed 69% of overall flows compared to 14% share of the EAEU. In 2015, the net inflows from EU and EAEU suffered a sharp decline, reaching the negative level (capital outflow). However, in January to September of 2016, recovery tendencies were observed from EUs side. During this period, net inflows from EU countries have reached approximately 86 billion AMD, while in Russias case, 72 billion AMD capital outflow has been registered. The Future of Armenia-EU Relations The aforementioned data testify that despite membership in the EAEU, Armenia continues to be connected to the EU by impressive economic indicators. In this respect, it is obvious that Armenia should be interested in the successful outcome of the negotiations process since in case of such quality of relations, the agreement aimed at deeper cooperation may serve an additional impetus for the development of Armenian economy. Andranik Manukyan Union of Informed Citizens
SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) said that it plans to create an additional 100,000 full-time, full-benefit jobs in the U.S. over the next 18 months. Many of the roles will be in new fulfillment centers that have been announced over the past several months and are currently under construction in Texas, California, Florida, New Jersey and many other states across the country. Over the past five years, Amazon created over 150,000 jobs in the United States, growing its workforce here from 30,000 employees in 2011 to over 180,000 at the end of 2016. Amazon plans to grow its full-time U.S.-based workforce from 180,000 in 2016 to over 280,000 by mid-2018. In addition to direct job creation, Amazon businesses like Marketplace and Amazon Flex will continue to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for people across the U.S. who want the flexibility to start their own business, work part-time or set their own schedule. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. (OTC PINK: PNOW), parent Company of Numismatic Specialty Store (Meso Numismatics) announced today, that during this past weekend, representatives from Meso Numismatics attended the 62nd annual Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Show, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This year's theme, 'Where the Coins Are,' brought together over 1,500 numismatic dealers, 15,000 avid collectors, 15 educational seminars, live auctions by Heritage Auctions and representatives from the top numismatic grading services from around the country. "This was the absolute best event to kick off Meso Numismatics penetration into the U.S. markets," stated Melvin Pereira, President and CEO. "To have our U.S. representatives meeting with, shaking hands and making deals with some industry powerhouses, was absolutely invaluable for the Meso brand.

"This is just the start for Meso, a way to get our name and faces out there to the industry. Next event, we will be one of the larger dealers specializing in rare coins and banknotes from the Central American / Caribbean region. Not only that, at the following event, we will be partnering with Heritage Auctions, who will be auctioning some of our finest inventory. Upon leaving that show, we have no doubt that most avid industry collectors will know the name Meso Numismatics."

Meso's photos and schedule from FUN 2017 can be found at www.mesonumismatics.com. Highlights from the show included a $10 Million - Silver Dollar Coin, live, heated auctions presented by Heritage Auctions, live grading services and collecting societies from all over the country showcasing their prized pieces. Pereira concluded, "We've proven our business model on eBay, already selling several thousands of dollars in a few-months span. While we ramp-up our eBay efforts, now listing 150 items and growing, the fun part of our business plan begins... Heritage Auctions, Lyn Knight Auctions, Stacks Bowers Auctions and more. Now is our chance to show the public markets what we can do!"

About Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc.

PURE provides proprietary technology, marketing solutions and branding services to hotel operators and condominium owners. The Company's vision is to build competitive operations in the areas of (i) online marketing and hotel internet booking engine services, (ii) hotel branding and, (iii) own, operate and in some instances develop, boutique hotels under the new, "by PURE" brand. PURE is the creator of Oveedia, the Central American-Caribbean online travel hub.

Related Links:

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Pinterest

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Facebook

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Twitter

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Google +

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. LinkedIn

Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. Investors Hangout

Safe Harbor Statements in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements about plans and expectations regarding products and opportunities, demand and acceptance of new or existing products, capital resources and future financial results are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from those expressed. These uncertainties and risks include changing consumer preferences, lack of success of new products, loss of the Company's customers, competition and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Team PURE

IR Div.

(800) 889-9509




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- EEStor Corporation (TSX VENTURE: ESU) ("EEStor" or the "Company") today announced the hiring of Dr. Abhijit Paul, Principal Polymer Scientist, to its technical team in Cedar Park, Texas.

Ian Clifford, Founder and CEO of the Company commented: "We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Paul join the Company at this pivotal stage in the development of our technology. As previously disclosed, we are deeply focussed on high energy density solutions and the addition of Dr. Paul and his related advanced polymer experience adds dramatically to our path to success. Dr. Paul's initial focus will be on the development of flexible plastic CMBT-based high energy density storage systems, including the collaboration with and integration of advanced polymer solutions developed by our consultants at ASG, with the potential of achieving multiple technical and large-scale production advantages."

Dr. Abhijit Paul received his PhD in Polymer Chemistry from Oklahoma State University in 2012. Dr. Paul carried out his postdoctoral research at the University of Texas at Austin under Prof. Christopher W Bielawski and at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst under Prof. Todd Emrick.

Dr. Paul has over 15 years of experience with polymer synthesis, analysis, testing and characterization of polymeric materials, including formulations of high-performance organic coatings and rubber compounds. His advanced research interests include surface functionalization of nanoparticles, solid state and thermal battery technologies, phase change materials, polymer colloids, organic photovoltaic, polymer nanocomposites, polymer blends, alloys and zwitterions.

About EEStor Corporation

The Company's mission is to be the provider of leading edge electrical energy storage and related capacitor technologies. The Company operates on the principle and belief that a fundamental breakthrough in energy storage will be the catalyst for positive environmental and economic change globally. The Company's current business strategy is focused on licensing and partnership opportunities across a broad spectrum of industries and applications building on its recent technology achievements related to capacitors.

The Company holds an approximate 71.3% as-converted equity and voting interest and certain technology rights to a solid-state capacitor and related energy storage technologies currently under development by EEStor, Inc. The acquisition of the controlling interest in EEStor Inc. aligned the businesses of both companies and now allows EEStor Corporation to benefit from other revenue streams that should be available to EEStor, Inc., including applications throughout the capacitor industry and not limited to high density energy storage applications.

The Company's success depends on the commercialization of the technology developed by EEStor Inc and there is no assurance that it will be successful in the completion of the various enhancement phases to warrant the anticipated licensing opportunities in the technology. Readers are directed to the "Risk Factors" disclosed in the Company's public filings.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Ian Clifford

Chief Executive Officer

EEStor Corporation

416-535-8395

ian.clifford@eestorcorp.com




Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2017) - Aumento Capital V Corporation (TSXV: AMN.P) ("Aumento" or the "Corporation") wishes to announce that a shareholder of Aumento intends to bring forth a special resolution at the Corporation's upcoming special meeting of shareholders (the "Shareholders Meeting"), currently scheduled to be held on January 23, 2017, to set the number of directors of Aumento at six, an increase from the current number of three. It is further anticipated that at the Shareholders Meeting it will be proposed that the three additional directors of the Corporation will be appointed concurrently with the closing of the Corporation's previously announced qualifying transaction (the "Transaction") with WeedMD RX Inc. ("WMD"). The Transaction will result in the reverse take-over of the Corporation by the shareholders of WMD. The names and background information of the additional contingent directors to be appointed at the Shareholders Meeting will be outlined in a future press release to be issued by Aumento.

About WeedMD RX Inc.

WeedMD is a licensed producer of medical cannabis pursuant to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). WeedMD operates a 25,000 square foot, scalable production facility in Aylmer, Ontario with four acres of property for future expansion. The Company is focused on providing consistent, quality medicine to the long-term care and assisted living markets in Canada through its comprehensive platform developed exclusively for that industry. WeedMD is dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners and furthering public understanding of the role medical cannabis can play as a viable alternative to prescription medication in relieving a variety of chronic medical conditions and illnesses.

Aumento will issue additional press releases related to the final legal structure of the Transaction, officers and directors of the resulting issuer, sponsorship and other material information as it becomes available. For further information regarding the Transaction, please contact:

David Danziger, CEO

david.danziger@mnp.ca

(416) 515-3923

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and, if applicable, pursuant to the requirements of the TSXV, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the proposed Transaction; future developments; the conduct of the Shareholders Meeting and the business and operations of the resulting issuer after the completion of the proposed Transaction. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the results of continued development, marketing and sales. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Aumento disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Drill hole intersects 340m of copper-gold mineralization including 14m of 1.04% CuEq

Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2017) - Carube Copper Corp. (TSXV: CUC) is pleased to report the results from PVT-17-004, the initial hole drilled in a 2,000m program within the 100% owned Bellas Gate Project in Jamaica.

Results from PVT-17-004 include:

continuous copper mineralization over 340.1m from 45.3 to 385.4m, hole ending in mineralization; and

a 55.3m interval yielding 0.51% CuEq1 including a higher-grade section containing 14m of 1.04% CuEq1

Drill Hole

From (m) To (m) Length (m)2 Au ppm %Cu %CuEq1 PVT-17-004

45.30 385.40 340.10 0.09 0.20 0.25 Including

45.30 204.00 158.70 0.05 0.16 0.19 Including

204.00 240.13 36.13 0.12 0.23 0.30 Including

251.45 306.75 55.30 0.27 0.35 0.51 and Including 253.00 267.00 14.00 0.71 0.62 1.04 Including

306.75 385.40 78.65 0.05 0.17 0.19

Jeff Ackert, President and CEO of Carube Copper commented, "The wide intersection of continuous mineralization and alteration in this drill hole, along with the evidence from surface exploration, confirms that the Provost Prospect represents a genuine copper-gold porphyry. The higher-grade zone in PVT-17-004 seems to be similar to the zone intersected in Hole PVT-16-002 and could represent peripheral veining and overprinting in the upper portions of the copper porphyry system."

PVT-17-004 builds on similar mineralization that was intersected in hole PVT-16-002 which returned:

continuous copper mineralization over 339.15m from 29.0 to 368.2m, hole ends in mineralization; and

a 10m interval yielding 1.79% CuEq3

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m)2 Au ppm %Cu %CuEq1 PVT-16-002 29.00 368.15 339.15 0.12 0.28 0.34 including 80.00 93.00 13.00 0.16 0.41 0.50 including 138.00 148.00 10.00 0.90 1.28 1.79 including 189.00 204.00 15.00 0.24 0.38 0.52

1 CuEq (Copper equivalents) are calculated using a US $3.00/lb. copper and a US$1200 per ounce gold price assuming unlimited internal dilution and 100% recovery of both metals

2 The intervals do not necessarily indicate true width of mineralization, as its geometry is not known.

3 Previously announced in Press Release of July 22, 2016

Sample Preparation, Analysis and Quality Control: For a description of these items as pertaining to drill core and soil samples please see disclosure on Carube Copper's website at http://www.carubecopper.com/legal_notices.htmlCarube Copper and Activation Laboratories all have robust sample security and quality control programs in place for samples collected in Jamaica.

A second hole has been completed at Provost, which also intersected copper mineralization; assay results are pending. Further drilling is anticipated once the results from the second hole have been received. Drilling is presently on-going at the Provost SE Prospect, one of the five high priority targets scheduled for drilling in 2017.

Further Details: Geology, Alteration and Mineralization in Hole PVT-17-004

PVT-17-004 was drilled to expand a zone of newly discovered mineralization that was drilled in 2016. It targeted a zone beneath a significant copper-gold soil anomaly that is also coincident with a favourable porphyry "signature" combining geology, alteration, soil geochemistry, and geophysics.

The hole encountered mostly volcanic andesite along with several narrow monzonite to hornblende porphyritic dykes throughout, ranging in age from pre-mineral to post-mineral. Chlorite-sericite alteration was encountered briefly at the beginning of the hole but graded into potassic alteration comprised of k-feldspar, magnetite and biotite, which continued until the end of hole.

Veining and mineralization encountered in PVT-17-004 included quartz, quartz-carbonate, quartz-pyrite, quartz-magnetite, quartz-magnetite-chalcopyrite+/-bornite, chalcopyrite-pyrite+/-bornite sulfide veins, as well as disseminated, fracture filling and hairline copper sulfides. Veining intensity was variable throughout ranging from weak to intense. Copper mineralization as copper sulphides ranged anywhere from 0.1% up to 5.0%, being mostly coincident with veining intensity. Chalcopyrite+/-bornite was encountered at the bottom of the hole leaving potential for expansion horizontally and vertically within the 28 hectare Provost Prospect.

QP Statement: This press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Shannon Baird, P.Geo., Carube Copper's Exploration Manager in his capacity as a qualified person as defined under NI 43-101

Additional Corporate Information

The company's outstanding share capital now stands at 107,752,208 common shares, following the June 22nd issuance of 379,000 common shares resulting from the maturity of 379,000 Restricted Share Units granted in 2016, together with the recently announced debt settlement issuances of 3,108,696 common shares.

Wholly Owned Projects

Carube is focused on the exploration and development of copper and gold projects in Jamaica and Canada. In Jamaica, Carube Copper holds a 100% interest in 11 licenses, totalling 535 square kilometres. In Canada, it holds a 100% interest in three porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum properties, totalling 492 square kilometres within the Tertiary-aged Cascade Magmatic Arc in southwestern British Columbia. Carube is currently drilling on its Bellas Gate Project in Jamaica where it has recently intersected over 340m of continuous copper and gold mineralization at the Provost Prospect.

Contacts

Jeff Ackert, President and CEO  1-613-839-3258  jackert@carubecopper.com

Vern Rampton, VP of Corporate Development  1-613-839-3258  vrampton@carubecopper.com

www.carubecopper.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Carube Copper Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward looking statements".

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Carube Copper hereby incorporates the entire disclaimer set forth on its website at http://www.carubecopper.com/uploads/1/6/5/2/16521880/disclaimers-and-forward-statements.pdf
DUBLIN, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Hydraulic Cylinder Market 2016-2020" report to their offering.

The report forecast the global hydraulic cylinder market to grow at a CAGR of 4.39% during the period 2016-2020. The hydraulic cylinder industry will see a steady growth during the forecast period due to a continuous demand from the agriculture, construction equipment, mining equipment, material handling equipment, industrial equipment, aerospace, and defense sectors.

The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global hydraulic cylinder market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report discusses major drivers that are influencing market growth and challenges faced by vendors and the market as a whole.



One of latest trends in the market is rising popularity of integrated solution and services. Vendors are more focused on providing integrated solutions to its customers. They offer both the product (hydraulic cylinders' system) and solutions to differentiate themselves from other market vendors. Integrated solutions help achieve profitable maintenance and aftermarket service revenue. This also strengthens the vendor-client relation. In an integrated system, all components of a hydraulic system such as hydraulic cylinder, valve, and pump are sold as a single unit or kit. For end-users, this solution helps reduce the time frame of procurement. Clients react favorably to solutions that offer better outcome with enhanced performance. These systems provide users with efficiency, engineering, and purchase solution. This lowers the overall operational cost and lead times.

According to the report, one of the primary drivers in the market is rising demand for food and fiber to drive agriculture industry. The burst in population figures suggests that by 2050 the population will expand up to nine billion. In order to cater to the growing food requirements to sustain such a large population, the agriculture industry will need sophisticated equipment to carry out effective agricultural processes; the agriculture industry will grow at 3.61% CAGR annually. The mechanization of agricultural processes will help increase the sale of hydraulic cylinders.

Key vendors:



Bosch Rexroth

Eaton

HYDAC

Parker Hannifin

WEBER-HYDRAULIK



Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive summary



Part 02: Scope of the report



Part 03: Market research methodology



Part 04: Introduction



Part 05: Market segmentation by end-user



Part 06: Geographical segmentation



Part 07: Market drivers



Part 08: Market challenges



Part 09: Impact of drivers and challenges



Part 10: Market trends



Part 11: Vendor landscape



Part 12: Key vendor analysis



Part 13: Appendix

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8b23n9/global_hydraulic

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716






TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MEK) (the "Company") has been advised by its option partner Anaconda Mining Inc. (Anaconda) that Anaconda has completed a preliminary work program at the Jackson's Arm property, which is part of Anaconda's Great Northern project, located approximately 20 kilometers north of Anaconda's Viking project. The work program was successful in defining areas of prospectivity within the property by determining key geological controls associated with known surface mineralization.

The Jacksons Arm property is under option from Metals Creek whereby Anaconda can earn a 100% interest by making payments of $200,000, Issuing to Metals Creek 500,000 shares of Anaconda and completing work expenditures of $750,000 over 3 years. After vesting Metals Creek will retain a 2% NSR.

The following descriptions are taken from Anaconda news release dated Jan 12, 2017.

Key exploration highlights:

-- Completed 15 line kilometers of geological mapping, including detailed mapping of 10 trenches; -- Outlined a continuous zone of gold mineralization and alteration that is 1.7 kilometers long by 40 to 400 meters wide; -- Defined 4 kilometers of exploration potential to the north (1 kilometer) and east (3 kilometers); -- Rock samples assayed 24.5 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold and 0.03 g/t gold (Boot N' Hammer Prospect), 11.7 g/t gold (Stocker Prospect) and 3.35 g/t gold (Trench JT1); -- Determined that gold mineralization and alteration are associated with a series of fault zones that are splays off the Doucer's Valley Fault; a similar setting to the Pine Cove Deposit at the Point Rousse Project.

Geological Mapping

During the late fall of 2016, Anaconda completed a total of 15 line kilometers of grid, geological mapping and mapped 10 trenches in detail. Mapping outlined a 1.7-kilometer long by 40 to 400-meter wide continuous alteration zone that is host to the main gold prospects at Jackson's Arm on the west side of the property. The alteration is controlled by a fault zone that is interpreted to extend immediately to the north along strike beyond the current, known zone of alteration. The Company has also discovered similar repeating faults to the east (Exhibit A). Consequently, Anaconda believes the potential strike of the alteration system could extend an additional four kilometers, both north and east.

Overview of Geology

Alteration and gold mineralization is hosted within the Ordovician-aged granites of the Coney Head Complex. The alteration zone and host granites are in thrust faulted contact with younger Silurian volcanic and sedimentary rocks along its southwestern margin. This steeply ENE-dipping and NNW-striking fault zone and associated splays are interpreted to represent significant control on the localization of hydrothermal alteration and gold mineralization on the property, where the host granite forms a favourable mechanical host to gold mineralization. The fault zone is interpreted as a secondary splay off the Doucer's Valley Fault system. The host environment to gold mineralization at Jackson's Arm has been observed by Anaconda geologists at the nearby Thor and Rattling Brook Deposits, and also at the Pine Cove Mine where gold mineralization is hosted adjacent to secondary thrust fault systems.

States Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO of Metals Creek, "It is great to see the Jacksons Arm project being advanced by Anaconda. These recent results emphasize the property's potential and we look forward to results from Anaconda's continuing work. This is one of a number of properties that MEK has farmed-out to third parties while retaining an interest in the up-side. We will continue to generate new opportunities for possible farm-out while our main focus will be on our flagship Ogden Gold Project in Timmins, ON."

About Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has a 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF) that stretches between Timmins, Ontario and Val d'Or, Quebec. The Company has also recently entered into an Option/JV with Trifecta Gold Ltd. on Metals Creek's Squid properties in Yukon. Metals Creek also has a JV with Benton Resources on Metals Creeks Staghorn Gold Project in Newfoundland as well as two option agreements with Anaconda Mining Inc. on Metals Creek's Jacksons Arm and Tilt Cove Properties also in Newfoundland. The company is engaged in the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of other mineral resource properties, and presently has mining interests in Ontario, Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador. Additional information concerning the Corporation is contained in documents filed by the Corporation with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Alexander (Sandy) Stares

President and CEO

(709)-256-6060

(709)-256-6061 (FAX)

astares@metalscreek.com

www.MetalsCreek.com



Twitter: www.Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MetalsCreek






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - It has now emerged that some of Best Buy Co. Inc.'s (BBY) Geek Squad technicians have acted as paid FBI informants.



The information came to light in the case of a California doctor, Mark Rettenmaier, who has been accused of possessing child pornography and is facing federal charges.



The doctor had taken his computer to Best Buy's computer repair services for repair in 2011. One of Best Buy's Geek Squad technicians was an FBI informant, who reported that he accidentally located in the computer an image that met the definition of child pornography.



The information was then conveyed by the technician to the FBI and the hard drive of the doctor's computer was seized.



Rettenmaier's lawyer has claimed that FBI paid the Best Buy employee for turning over illegal content found on the doctor's computer.



While the possession of child porn picture is illegal, Rettenmaier's attorney is questioning the legality of how it was found. The pending court case raises questions about privacy and searches at computer repair shops.



Legal analysts say that the FBI could be violating the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from government searches without a warrant.



In addition, the files were said to have been found on the computer's 'unallocated space,' or the hard drive space that temporarily holds deleted files. A federal court has ruled that pornography found on unallocated space is not sufficient to prove that the user possessed it.



A Best Buy spokesman said the company and Geek Squad have no relationship with the FBI.



'From time to time, our repair agents discover material that may be child pornography and we have a legal and moral obligation to turn that material over to law enforcement. We are proud of our policy and share it with our customers before we begin any repair,' the Best Buy spokesman said.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Agrochemicals Market - Global Opportunities Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014 - 2022", the agrochemicals market was valued at $202,584 million in 2015 and is expected to reach $276,374 million by 2022, registering a CAGR of 4.6%. Asia-Pacific held more than half of the share in the global agrochemicals market in 2015, and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )

Summary of the Agrochemicals Market Report can be accessed on the website at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/agrochemical-market

The major factors driving the global agrochemicals market include high population and subsequent increase in the demand for food, soil degradation, limited agricultural land, and increase in awareness in the consumers regarding the benefits of agrochemicals. However, the market growth may be hampered by the potential harms of using synthetic pesticides such as 2, 4-D and atrazine herbicide. Agrochemicals when used in higher concentration result in surface water pollution and adversely affect the environment. Thus, the production of bio-based fertilizers and pesticides has created numerous opportunities for the key market players.

According to Eswara Prasad, Team Lead, Chemical Research at Allied Market Research, "LAMEA and Asia-Pacific are the most attractive market for the new entrants along with industry players, as the growth in number of industries and increased expenditure towards R&D is expected to provide significant opportunities to the entrants."

The fertilizers segment generated the maximum revenue and accounted for the highest volume share of the global agrochemicals market. This is attributed to the problems arising from high population and soil degradation. The major type of fertilizer used to enhance the crop productivity is nitrogenous fertilizers, accounting for around two-thirds of the total synthetic fertilizers market. Moreover, herbicides occupied over half of the synthetic pesticides market in 2015, and are expected to retain the share at the end of forecast period, growing at a CAGR of 4.6%.

Key Findings of the Study

Asia-Pacific dominated the global agrochemicals market in 2015, accounting for over half of the share, both in terms of revenue and volume.

dominated the global agrochemicals market in 2015, accounting for over half of the share, both in terms of revenue and volume. In 2015, fertilizers accounted for majority of the share of the global agrochemical market, and is expected to maintain its lead throughout the forecast period.

India is the fastest growing segment in the Asia-Pacific market, expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% in terms of revenue, during 2016-2022.

is the fastest growing segment in the market, expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% in terms of revenue, during 2016-2022. In 2015, the pesticides market accounted for one-fourth of the share in the North America agrochemicals market and is expected to occupy one-third share of the market at the end of forecast period.

agrochemicals market and is expected to occupy one-third share of the market at the end of forecast period. LAMEA is expected to grow at the fastest rate, registering a CAGR of 5.8%, throughout the forecast period.

The bio-pesticides segment is anticipated to grow at a rate of 16.9% in terms of revenue, increasing its share in the global pesticides market.



In 2015, Asia-Pacific dominated the global agrochemical market with more than half of the share, both in terms of revenue and volume. This was attributed to the high percentage of land available for agricultural activities and the high extent of agricultural activities in highly populated countries such as India, China, and others. The high population of these areas increase the demand for food crops, which in turn contributes to the growth of agrochemicals market.

The key players of agrochemicals market profiled in this report are Agrium Inc., Bayer AG, BASF SE, Dow AgroSciences LLC, E. I. du Pont Nemours and Company, Monsanto Company, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Syngenta AG, The Mosaic Co., and Yara International ASA.

Summary of similar reports can be viewed at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/materials-&-chemicals/speciality-and-fine-chemicals-market-report

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

Rahul Thakur

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com



Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In response to allegations by American Airlines' Group Inc. (AAL) flight attendants that their new uniforms made them sick, the manufacturer of the uniforms, Twin Hill, has said that the garments are safe.



In a letter to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants or APFA on Monday, Twin Hill's senior vice president and managing director Daryl Stilley said the company investigated the claims and tested the new uniforms for chemical content. The letter was addressed to APFA national president Robert Ross and APFA national health chair Gabby Harty.



'We had those garments tested for chemical content by an industry-leading worldwide independent lab, TUV Rheinland, which has confirmed that there are no restricted chemicals in the garments and that the chemicals that are present are well within acceptable standards for the clothing industry. Simply put, the garments are safe,' Stilley said in the letter.



Twin Hill also said that many of the public statements by APFA have been both inaccurate and damaging to its reputation.



Further, the clothing manufacturer said it supported the request of APFA representatives to visit its Houston distribution center and select uniforms directly for joint chemical testing with American Airlines. However, it added that the APFA has canceled three scheduled visits.



In late December 2016, American Airlines flight attendants filed a grievance with the airline about their new uniform that was introduced in September.



Thousands of American Airlines' flight attendants reported serious health and safety concerns after wearing the company-issued wool-blend uniforms.



The attendants said they experienced endocrine issues, eye swelling, rashes, skin blistering, throat and eye irritation, vertigo and fatigue, among other health problems.



AFPA national president Ross had written a letter to Paul Jones, American Airlines' general counsel, saying that the new uniforms continued to put the union members at risk, affecting their overall health.



He demanded that American Airlines stop issuing the new uniforms or permanently offer flight attendants the option of self-choice between the previous and new uniforms.



In its letter to AFPA, Twin Hill said it has shipped 1.4 million garments and accessories to more than 65,000 American Airlines employees worldwide and was continuing to fulfill orders.



'Within every population - aviation or otherwise - it is to be expected that there will be individuals with sensitivity or even allergy to certain fabrics and materials,' the company said.



Twin Hill also noted that it has offered American Airlines a non-wool alternative to employees experiencing any sensitivity to the uniforms and it was now working on designing entirely new 100 percent cotton garments as a third alternative.



Further, the company urged AFPA members to not delay scheduling their visit to the company's distribution center any longer.



'We remain as committed as ever to providing your members - and all of our customers - with the highest quality workwear in the industry,' Twin Hill concluded.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Human Rights Watch: Human rights situation in Armenia: report (video)

Armenias human rights record remained uneven in 2016. Authorities used excessive and disproportionate force against peaceful protesters, assaulted journalists, and pressed unjustified criminal charges against protest leaders and participants. Ill-treatment in custody remained a persistent problem, and investigations have been ineffective. Other concerns include domestic violence, often perpetrated with impunity, violence, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and unnecessary restrictions on access to pain medications for people with life-limiting illnesses. Excessive Use of Police Force In July, Armenian authorities used excessive force against peaceful protesters demonstrating support for a radical group opposed to the government, and assaulted journalists reporting on the demonstrations. Authorities arbitrarily detained dozens of protest leaders and participants, pressing unjustified criminal charges against them and denying some of them basic rights of detainees. Protests erupted after armed men from the radical opposition group, Founding Parliament, seized a police station in the capital Yerevan on July 17, killing one policeman and taking several hostages. Before the gunmen surrendered on July 31, public support for them and disaffection with the government grew into a protest movement. The protests were largely peaceful, with isolated incidents of violence from participants. On July 29, police fired stun grenades into peaceful crowds in the neighborhood of the seized police station, causing demonstrators to sustain first and second degree burns and fragmentation wounds. Police did not attempt less violent crowd control means, and did not make any meaningful effort to warn crowds to disperse or about their plans to use force. Police and unidentified people in civilian clothes acting with them, then charged towards the protesters, punching, kicking, and using wooden clubs and iron bars to beat some protesters, before detaining many of them. Police warned several journalists to move away from the main crowd before using force. While most journalists complied, police fired several stun grenades in their direction, injuring at least eight. Police and unidentified men also beat some journalists and damaged and seized their equipment. Authorities opened an investigation into police actions on July 29, sacked the Yerevan police chief, suspended four officers pending the investigation, and reprimanded 13. At time of writing, the investigation was ongoing. Arbitrary Detentions and Ill-Treatment In July and August, authorities arbitrarily detained dozens of people linked to the protests, beating many of them, and pressing unjustified criminal charges against some. Police held some detainees for up to 12 hours without documenting the detention, and on at least two occasions arbitrarily held groups of people in a gymnasium on an interior troop base. Authorities primarily relied on police testimony to press criminal charges against at least 40 people for allegedly organizing mass disorder, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment. Courts relied on general and abstract reasons to send many of the detainees to pretrial detention. On appeal, courts released some protest leaders from detention on their own recognizance. Authorities denied many detainees their basic rights, including prompt access to a lawyer of their choosing and the opportunity to inform a relative of their detention and whereabouts. Police also beat many detainees, in some cases severely, and did not allow some to get prompt medical care for their injuries. At time of writing, an investigation was pending into illegal detentions and beatings by police. In a separate case, on January 1, police arrested opposition activist Gevorg Safaryan for allegedly assaulting a police officer, amid a scuffle during a public event organized by Founding Parliament members. Sarafyan denies he attacked the officer. A court approved Safaryans pretrial detention despite no evidence that he posed a flight risk or risk to the investigation. Local human rights groups consider his prosecution politically motivated. Safaryans trial was continuing at time of writing. In June, authorities arrested Founding Parliament leader Jirair Sefilyan and six other members on charges of planning an armed coup. Sefilyan denied the accusations as politically motivated. The gunmen involved in the July armed takeover of the Yerevan police compound demanded Sefilyans release and the presidents resignation, initially in exchange for release of hostages. After the men surrendered, authorities charged them with seizure of state buildings, hostage taking, and illegal arms possession. Authorities also arrested several other Founding Parliament members, including on suspicion of aiding and abetting the gunmen. Among them is a US citizen of Armenian descent, Garo Yegnukyan, who participated in peaceful protests following the seizure of the police station, and considers the charges politically motivated. Yegnukyan remained in pretrial detention at time of writing. Womens Rights Despite evidence that violence against women remains common and sustained pressure from womens rights groups and activists, Armenia has no law criminalizing domestic violence and has not ratified the Council of Europes Convention on Prevention and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women published a report documenting 30 cases of women killed by intimate partners and family members between 2010 and 2015. The report notes that domestic violence is grossly underreported and largely perpetrated with impunity. Coalition members receive more than 2,000 calls about domestic violence each year. Palliative Care Authorities continue to discuss reforming complicated and time-consuming prescription and procurement procedures that create unnecessary obstacles in accessing essential opioid medications. Current regulations obstruct delivery of adequate palliative care, condemning most patients with life-limiting illnesses to unnecessary suffering. Lack of oral opioids, tight police controls on injectable opioids, and restrictive policies on procurement, prescription, and disbursement are inconsistent with many World Health Organization palliative care recommendations. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Activists reported that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LBGTI) people face discrimination, harassment, and violence. The government has not addressed hate speech or discrimination against LGBTI people. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not included as protected grounds in anti-discrimination or hate speech laws, limiting legal recourse for many crimes against LGBTI people. Following the October 2015 Rainbow forum, organized by Armenian LGBTI-friendly groups to discuss protection and promotion of minority rights, anonymous people targeted some participants with intimidation and threats, mostly on social media, including to burn and kill them. Authorities refused to launch a criminal investigation into the threats, citing lack of evidence. In June, the LGBTI rights group, PINK Armenia, published a survey revealing that 90 percent of the population is hostile to LGBTI people and support limits on their rights. In July, PINK Armenia released a report documenting 46 cases of violence and discrimination against LGBTI people in 2015. The government has not taken meaningful steps to combat stereotypes and discrimination against LGBTI people. Key International Actors The observation mission of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) called the December 2015 referendum to transform the government from a presidential to a parliamentary system driven by political interests instead of the needs of the Armenian public. PACE criticized inaccurate voter lists, allegations of vote buying, abuse of administrative resources, an imbalanced media field, and the effective exclusion of people with disabilities in the absence of mobile voting. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europes representative on freedom of the media, Dunja Mijatovic, called for an investigation into verbal and physical attacks on journalists at referendum polling stations. In response to the July demonstrations, the European Union delegation, together with heads of mission of EU Member States in Armenia, called on the authorities to avoid using unnecessary force and for effective investigations into police actions, and urged demonstrators to protest peacefully. The United Nations in Armenia called for swift investigations and respect for peaceful assembly and free expression rights and criticized the use of force against journalists. In a September Human Rights Council speech, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein criticized the authorities denial of full access for his staff, preventing full engagement with the government and civil society. In a report to the Human Rights Council in March, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, UN special rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography, acknowledged Armenias progress in combatting trafficking in persons, reducing placement of children in residential care, and limiting intercountry adoptions. However, she stated that the extent of child trafficking is unclear in the absence of relevant legislation and child-friendly complaint mechanisms, and insufficient awareness-raising among parents, professionals, and society. She urged authorities to pass domestic violence and other relevant legislation and ensure the child protection system consistently acts in the best interests of the child.
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Killam Apartment REIT (TSX: KMP.UN) will be releasing its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2016, on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, after the market closes. A conference call to discuss the results will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at 10:00 AM ET.

The dial-in numbers for the conference call are:

In Toronto: 647-252-4489

Outside Toronto (toll free, within North America): 877-407-0336

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be accessible on Killam's website at http://www.killamproperties.com/investor-relations/events-and-presentations. A replay will be available on Killam's website for 90 days after the conference call.

About Killam Apartment REIT

Killam Apartment REIT, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is one of Canada's largest residential landlords, owning, operating and developing multi-family apartments and manufactured home communities. Killam's current portfolio includes $1.9 billion in real estate assets. Killam's strategy to maximize its value and long-term profitability includes concentrating on three key areas of growth: 1) increasing the earnings from its existing portfolio, 2) expanding its portfolio and diversifying geographically through accretive acquisitions, with an emphasis on newer properties, and 3) developing high-quality properties in its core markets.

Contacts:

Dale Noseworthy, CPA, CA, CFA

Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Planning

dnoseworthy@killamreit.com

(902) 442-0388






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Voting largely along party lines, Senators approved a budget resolution early Thursday morning that clears the way for legislation to fast track the repeal of the healthcare reform law known as Obamacare.



The Senate voted 51 to 48 in favor of the resolution, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor and every Democrat in the chamber voting in opposition.



Senator Rand Paul, R-Ken., was the only Republican to vote against the bill amid concerns the underlying resolution would add nearly $10 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.



Final approval of the resolution came after a so-called 'vote-a-rama' on numerous amendments seeking to preserve popular provisions of Obamacare.



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., praised the passage of the resolution, which he said provides the legislative tools necessary to repeal Obamacare while the GOP moves ahead with smarter health care policies.



'The American people have called on Congress to act and finally bring relief from Obamacare,' McConnell said. 'I am pleased that the Senate took this critical step towards keeping that commitment tonight, and I look forward to our House colleagues passing it soon.'



The House is expected to vote on the resolution as soon as Friday, although some lawmakers have expressed concerns about moving forward with repealing Obamacare without a replacement plan.



The resolution includes reconciliation instructions to authorizing committees so that repeal legislation can move through a fast-track process and can pass with only a simple majority in the Senate.



Committees are required to report legislation to their Budget Committee by January 27th, just a week after the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.



Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., withdrew an amendment that would have extended the deadline, saying Senate leadership had provided assurances that Congress will follow a responsible timeline for replacing Obamacare.



During his highly anticipated press conference on Wednesday, Trump said repealing and replacing Obamacare will be essentially simultaneously but noted the process is very complicated.



Meanwhile, Democrats bashed the GOP for moving ahead with repealing Obamacare without a replacement plan, claiming the move will kick tens of millions Americans off their insurance and throw the whole healthcare system into chaos.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
DUBLIN, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Automotive Polishing Machine Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

The report forecasts the global automotive polishing machine market to grow at a CAGR of 8.22% during the period 2017-2021.

Global Automotive Polishing Machine Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

The recent years witnessed volatile demand for automobiles from developed economies due to the economic slowdown. However, the robust growth from emerging markets is increasing the overall automotive sales. Some of the factors impacting the growth in emerging economies are the ideal population demographics and elevated purchasing power of consumers. The growth in emerging markets, with ongoing industrialization and global trade activity, especially in Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC), have been vigorous. China's massive fiscal stimulus packages in recent years made it the leader in emerging markets. Over the past few years, China has maintained its position as the world's largest automotive market. The automotive market in India is dynamic in nature and rapidly growing. Many auto OEMs are entering the market to tap its huge potential.

According to the report, the automotive industry is dominated by a few global multinational players and several retailers. The multinational players are OEMs, whereas the retail market deals in both new and used cars. The financial crisis of 2008-2009 has negatively impacted the automotive industry. The sales of new vehicles had sharply declined after the crisis whereas, the market for the sales of used vehicles was improving. The aftermath of the financial crisis has finally resolved. However, the used car market is flourishing more in comparison to the new vehicles market.

For example, the used car market in the UK contributed the 52.3% of the total sales in 2015 with revenue of $45 billion. The ratio of used-car to the new-car transaction is growing, and the process of the transaction has become more transparent with the help of online platforms. Consumers can compare prices on different online platforms. Used car buyers are resorting to internet research for buying cars. The used car is sold in the market through three channels: private owners, franchised dealers, and independent dealers. In developed economies like the UK, private owners held 80% of the market share. The increasing penetration of online platform is driving the growth of the used car market.

Key vendors:

Robert Bosch Tool

DEWALT

Griot's Garage

Porter-Cable

Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive summary

Part 02: Scope of the report

Part 03: Market research methodology

Part 04: Introduction

Part 05: Market landscape

Part 06: Market segmentation by end-user

Part 07: Geographical segmentation

Part 08: Market drivers

Part 09: Impact of drivers

Part 10: Market challenges

Part 11: Impact of drivers and challenges

Part 12: Market trends

Part 13: Vendor landscape

Part 14: Key vendor analysis

Part 15: Appendix

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wp2qm5/global_automotive

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

A new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Infrared Detector Market by Type, Spectral Range and Application - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022," projects that the global infrared detector market is expected to reach $466 million by 2022 with a CAGR of 9.7% from 2016-2022. In the year 2014, North America dominated the market and contributed more than 33% share of the overall market revenue followed by Asia-Pacific. The presence of key market players in U.S. and Asia-Pacific, rapid industrialization, primarily in manufacturing sectors, rise in demand for better security and monitoring systems, increased application of infrared detectors in residential & consumer electronics sector and increase in government initiatives in aerospace & defense sector have fueled the infrared detector market growth. However, high cost and limited accuracy in harsh conditions could restrict the market growth.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )



Need more information, Please visit: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/infrared-detector-market

The photo infrared detectors accounted for about 61% of the overall infrared detector market in 2014. Higher accuracy and fast response of photo infrared detectors led this segment to dominate the overall infrared detector market. However, thermal infrared detector segment is expected to register a CAGR of 11.6 % and demonstrate significant growth during the forecast period. This is due to the low cost and less maintenance as many renowned companies have launched advanced technology products. Moreover, North America has contributed significantly in the photo infrared detector segment.

Even though, North America contributed towards the maximum revenue share in 2014. Asia-Pacific is expected to show highest CAGR during the forecast period. This could be attributed to various factors including increase in the security concerns in residential and industrial sectors and numerous government initiatives. Moreover, improvement in aerospace & defense technologies has boosted the installation of infrared detectors in Asian countries, particularly in China, Japan, and India.

However, Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region throughout the analysis period. China has the biggest market for infrared detector manufacturers and consumers. Moreover, surge in manufacturing industry activities and increased expenditures in the emerging markets, such as Japan and India, to satisfy the exponential growth in security concerns have strengthened the market growth. Technological advancements for cost-effective infrared detectors in these nations offer lucrative opportunity for the infrared detectors market.

Summary of Similar Reports can be viewed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/semiconductor-and-electronics/semiconductors-market-report

Key findings of the study:

The photo infrared detector type led the overall infrared detector market revenue in 2014, and it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period

Long-Wave IR segment is expected to exhibit rapid growth

North America led the world infrared detector market, but Asia-Pacific is expected to lead the market in2022

led the world infrared detector market, but is expected to lead the market in2022 China led the overall Asia-Pacific infrared detector market with about one-third of the market shares in the region

The key players in the infrared detector market are dedicated to expand their business operations in the emerging countries with acquisition and product launch as a preferred strategy. The major players profiled in this report include Texas Instruments Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Omron Corporation, Excelitas Technologies Corp., Hamamatsu Photonic K.K., FLIR Systems Inc., Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Raytheon Company, Sofradir, and Nippon Avionics.

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. The data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.



Contact

Pankaj Kumar

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com



Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com
Aetna Bearing Company, headquartered in Franklin Park, Illinois, entered a strategic partnership with Elgeti Engineering GmbH to be their dedicated bearing and system testing solution provider. Aetna Bearing, founded in 1916, looks to continue advancing their Engineering and Support capabilities to meet the needs of a demanding customer base. With Elgeti Engineering's unparalleled knowledge and expertise in bearing testing and validation, Aetna Bearing looks to deliver on its commitment of advanced engineering and innovation. Aetna Bearing is a leading manufacturer of Thrust Bearings, Belt and Sprocket Idlers, Clutch Release Bearings, and Custom Bearings and Bearing Assemblies.

Elgeti Engineering GmbH is a world-class bearing and gear box engineering solution provider offering bearing and system testing, advanced failure analysis, and condition monitoring. "This partnership is the perfect marriage of resources between two companies with complementary attributes. As we continue to expand our product portfolio and level of engineering support to our customers, we look at Elgeti Engineering as a critical support arm to delivering on our commitment," said Kal Beidas, Aetna Bearing Company President.

Hagen Elgeti, owner and Managing Director of Elgeti Engineering, founded the company in 2009 in Aachen, Germany. With a strong academia and research background in bearings and gear boxes, Mr. Elgeti has built a team of test engineers and bearing experts to support demanding applications ranging from the agriculture to the aerospace industry.

"After recently establishing our subsidiary in Valparaiso, Indiana, the Partnership with Aetna Bearing will allow us to showcase our capability and increase our exposure in North America. We offer a unique set of services to bearing and gear manufacturers that provides them with the confidence to propose their solutions in high-demand, critical applications. With Aetna Bearing's strong commitment to engineering innovation and unparalleled service and support, we believe this partnership will strongly complement its breadth of solutions," said Hagen Elgeti.

About Aetna Bearing Company

Aetna Bearing Company was founded on July 11, 1916, in Chicago, Illinois. Aetna quickly built a reputation for manufacturing the highest quality Thrust Bearings, Belt and Sprocket Idlers, and Clutch Release Bearings. The company was privately owned until March of 1937, when its common stock was first listed on the Midwest Stock Exchange. With numerous patents under its belt, Aetna has never been a company that was satisfied with just resting on its laurels. Much like its customers have a deep passion and a need to propel their businesses forward, this same goal is what drives every decision Aetna Bearing makes to this day. Aetna proudly serves the Agriculture, Mineral Exploration, Automotive, Off-Highway, Manufacturing, Pumps and Compressors, Material Handling, and Defense industries.

About Elgeti Engineering GmbH

Elgeti Engineering GmbH was founded on November 3, 2009, in Aachen, Germany as an engineering service provider focused on bearing and gearbox testing, failure analysis, condition monitoring, material inspection, supplier development, and supplier evaluation. Elgeti Engineering conducts extensive bearing endurance testing and evaluation, for which it designs and manufactures the test rigs in-house.

As an independent service provider, Elgeti Engineering uses a broad portfolio of state-of-the-art engineering methods and is involved in several research projects to stay ahead of the technological curve. This includes an active membership in German Research Association for Drives and Power Transmission Engineering (FVA).

Elgeti Engineering supports global customers from various industries, including but not limited to automotive, railway, agricultural, mining, and wind energy.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005763/en/

Contacts:

Aetna Bearing Company

Joe Galvin

Technical Sales Director

T. 630-694-0024

F. 630-694-0087

www.aetnabearing.com
According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global duty-free retailing marketis expected to grow at a CAGR of close to 9% during the forecast period.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005070/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global duty-free retailing market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This research report titled 'Global Duty-free Retailing Market 2017-2021' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This market research report also includes up to date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

The global duty-free retailing market is expected to grow to USD 114.53 billion by 2021, mainly driven by the increasing number of international travelers. This increase in number is indicative of the fact that the major consumer base for duty-free products belongs to the airport visitors' category. Overall, airports account for more than three-fifths of the total revenue generated from this market.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55700

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.

Based on the product category, the report categorizes the global duty-free retailing market into the following segments:

Fashion, accessories, and hard luxury products

Cosmetics and perfumes

Wines and spirits

Tobacco

Confectionery and fine foods

The top three revenue-generating product categories in the global duty-free retailing market are discussed below:

Fashion, accessories, and hard luxury products

"In 2016, the fashion, accessories, and hard luxury segment dominated the global market with a share of almost 34%. Key products in this category are precious jewelry, briefcases, handbags, and shoes. With increasing disposable income and growing influence of the fashion goods industry on consumers' purchase decisions, the adoption of luxury apparel and accessories is mounting," says Poonam Saini, one of the lead analysts at Technavio for retail goods and services research.

Chinese travelers are the highest contributors to the sales of luxury brands, who account for 25% of the global revenue of luxury products' retailers. Michael Kors, Armani, Fossil, Gucci, and Burberry are some of the top brands in this market space.

Cosmetics and perfumes

Cosmetics and perfumes are one of the largest segments in the duty-free retailing space due to an increase in international travel, luxury foreign spending, growing disposable income of middle-class travelers, and rapid urbanization. Some of the top selling cosmetics and perfume brands are Chanel, Christian Dior, Estee Lauder, and Guerlain

L'Oreal, one of the largest cosmetics and perfumes manufacturers, has a division only for duty-free retail, describing the division as the Sixth Continent. Similarly, Estee Lauder expanded its brands' presence by opening a boutique in emerging countries like the UAE and in Detroit Metro Airport, the US, which acts a primary gateway to Asian countries for procuring duty-free cosmetics and perfumes. Such moves by top brands are driving the growth of this segment.

Wines and spirits

"Most consumers prefer buying premium alcoholic beverages through duty-free retail, as the sector offers these premium products at a lower price. Innovations in store layouts, well-trained staff, more limited editions, and technological innovations, which help customers to compare prices with duty-paid shops, are some of the key drivers in this category," says Poonam.

Johnnie Walker, Diageo's Scotch brand, continues to be the top-selling brand, followed by Absolut, Jack Daniel's, Chivas Regal, and others. Despite limitations on the quantity of alcohol that can be procured, the global duty-free retailing market for wines and spirits is estimated to showcase significant growth through the forecast period.

The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's research analysts in this report are:

Dufry

Lagardere

Lotte Shopping

LVMH

Browse Related Reports:

Global Retail Displays Market 2017-2021

Global Specialty Spirits Market 2016-2020

Global Commercial Airport Baggage Handling Systems Market 2016-2020

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 apparel and textile, luggage, and retail systems. 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 media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170112005070/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market will possibly attain a value worth US$ 1,491.0 Mn by 2016, up from US$ 1,255.0 Mn recorded in 2015. In-house robotic vacuum cleaner will remain a leading product type segment, whereas Europe will continue to be the largest regional market for residential robotic vacuum cleaner.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO )

Rising urbanisation is the primary factor fuelling the demand for robotic vacuum cleaner. In addition, vacuum cleaners are gaining higher traction since the past few years owing to busy lifestyle of people worldwide and lesser time dedicated to household chores. Increasing consumer inclination toward automated cleaning devices is another key factor driving the growth of the global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market. Robovacs or residential robotic vacuum cleaners are lightweight, compact, portable, and possess intelligent sensors for efficient cleaning. These features, in addition to time and energy efficiency, collectively escalate the demand in market.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-113

Consumers nowadays are highly concerned about indoor air quality and indoor air pollution management. This is anticipated to hold a positive influence on the demand. Greater emphasis on health and hygiene will remain an important factor impacting the adoption positively. Increasing prevalence of asthma and allergic conditions spur the sales of HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaners. Growing awareness about managing indoor air pollution and increasing adoption of automated home appliances in developing countries will be a major factor influencing the demand in near future.

Rising R&D investments and launches of innovative products, such as vacuum cleaners with spinning brushes, UV sterilisation, and security cameras are foreseen to strongly support the market growth. Discovery of stair-climbing robot cleaner is identified to create lucrative growth opportunities. In 2015, iRobot Corporation introduced an advanced robotic vacuum cleaner (Roomba 980) that has in-built adaptive navigation, visual localisation, and connected app control. It is designed for enhanced efficiency on carpets. However, higher costs and stringent energy-efficiency regulations are likely to challenge the market growth.

Preview Analysis on Global Residential Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Market by Revenue: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-residential-robotic-vacuum-cleaner-market

Based on the robot type, the global market for residential robotic vacuum cleaner is classified into in-house and outdoor robot segments. In terms of value, the in-house robot segment is projected to reach US$ 1,221.8 Mn, accounting for over 81% market share by the end of 2016. Outdoor robot segment, with merely 18% share in 2016, is likely to witness a stellar Y-o-Y growth of 29.5% in 2017 over 2016.

By the mode of charging, the global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market is segmented into manual charging and auto battery charging segments.

Based on geography, the market for residential robotic vacuum cleaner is fragmented into five key regional markets viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Europe will remain dominant with around US$ 665.0 Mn revenues and 44% market value share by 2016 end. APAC will continue to be another key market with over 18% market value share in 2016. MEA is identified to be the fastest growing region.

Speak with Analyst for any Report Related Quires: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-113

Some of the leading companies operating in the global market for residential robotic vacuum cleaners, include Neato Robotics, Inc., Yujin Robot, Co., Ltd., Robot Corporation, Dyson Inc., Ecovacs Robotics, Inc., Hayward Industries, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Philips Electronics N.V, Pentair plc, and Milagrow Business & Knowledge Solutions (Pvt.) Limited. Most of the key players are currently focusing on innovative product development to take over the competition.

Long-term Outlook: Over 2016-2021, the global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market is estimated for a robust CAGR of 12.0%, reaching a value beyond US$ 2.4 Bn by 2021 end.

More From FMI's Cutting-edge Intelligence:

Tablet Market Segmentation By Product Type - Detachable, and Slate Tablet; By Operating System - Android, iOS, Windows; By Screen Size - Below 8 inch, 8 inch and above; By End-Use - Consumer, and Commercial: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/tablet-market

Workstation Market Segmentation By Product Type - Tower Workstation, Mobile Workstation, Rack Workstation, Blade Workstation, All-in-One Workstation; By Operating System - Windows, Linux, Unix; By Application - Digital Content Creation, Economic/Finance, Engineering, Scientific, Software Engineering, Other Commercial: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/workstation-market

Mass Notification Systems Market Segmentation By Application - Interoperable Emergency Communication, Integrated Public Alert and Warning, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery and Business Operation; By Solution - In-building Solution, Wide-area Solution and Distributed Recipient Solution; By Product Type - Hardware, Software and Services; By End-user Vertical - Ommercial, Education, Energy and Power, Healthcare, Defence, Automotive, Transportation and Logistics and Government Institutions: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mass-notifications-systems-market

About Us

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

Browse More Electronics, Semiconductors, and ICT Market Insights

Contact Us

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,

Valley Cottage, NY 10989,

United States

T: +1-347-918-3531

F: +1-845-579-5705

T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790

Sales: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Press Office: Press@futuremrketinsights.com

Website: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Valener Inc. ("Valener") (TSX: VNR)(TSX: VNR.PR.A) and Gaz Metro Limited Partnership ("Gaz Metro") plan to announce their first quarter 2017 results on Wednesday, February 8, 2017, at approximately 8:00 a.m. (ET).

A conference call to discuss the firm's results will be held at 1:00 p.m. (ET) and will be open to the public.

Dial-in: 647-788-4922 or toll-free 877-223-4471

Webcast: accessible under "Events and presentations" in the "Investors" section of Valener's web site

Replay: A replay of the call will be available for 30 days at 416-621-4642 or toll-free at 800-585-8367 (access code: 40885898). The webcast will be available for 365 days on Valener's web site.

Overview of Valener

Valener is a widely held public company that serves as the investment vehicle in Gaz Metro. Through its investment in Gaz Metro, Valener offers its shareholders a solid investment in a diversified and largely regulated energy portfolio in Quebec and Vermont. As a strategic partner, Valener, on the one hand, contributes to Gaz Metro's growth, and on the other, invests in wind power production in Quebec alongside Gaz Metro. Valener favours energy sources and uses that are innovative, clean, competitive and profitable. Valener's common and preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the "VNR" symbol for common shares and under the "VNR.PR.A" symbol for Series A preferred shares. www.valener.com

Overview of Gaz Metro

With more than $7 billion in assets, Gaz Metro is a leading energy provider. It is the largest natural gas distribution company in Quebec, where its network of over 10,000 km of underground pipelines serves more than 300 municipalities and more than 200,000 customers. Gaz Metro is also present in Vermont, where it has more than 310,000 customers. There, it operates in the electricity production market and the electricity and natural gas distribution market. Gaz Metro is actively involved in developing and operating innovative, promising energy projects, including natural gas as fuel, liquefied natural gas as a replacement for higher emission-producing energies, the production of wind power and the development of biomethane. Gaz Metro is a major energy sector player that takes the lead in responding to the needs of its customers, regions and municipalities, local organizations, and communities while also satisfying the expectations of its Partners (GMi and Valener) and employees. www.gazmetro.com

Photos, videos (b-roll) and logos are available in Gaz Metro's Multimedia library.

Contacts:

Investors and analysts

Mariem Elsayed

514-598-3253

investors@valener.com



Media

Marie-Christine Demers

514-598-3449

www.twitter.com/gazmetro

www.gazmetro.com/pressroom




NACKA STRAND, Sweden, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Hexagon AB, a leading global provider of information technologies that drive productivity and quality across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications, today announced the following organisational changes:

Gerhard Sallinger has been appointed new Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Hexagon and Mattias Stenberg has been appointed President of PPM.

Mr. Sallinger has served as President of Hexagon's PPM division since 2001. In his new role, he will lead efforts to strengthen Hexagon's strategic alliances to better exploit the synergistic opportunities that exist across its businesses.

Mattias Stenberg, who has served as Hexagon's Chief Strategy Officer since 2013, succeeds Mr. Sallinger as President of Hexagon's PPM division. Mr. Stenberg has been with Hexagon in different roles since 2009 and has played a vital role in strengthening Hexagon's strategic direction.

"With more than 30 years of service and commitment to PPM's mission, Gerhard is the ideal candidate for this role. He has led the organization through tremendous growth and has been fundamental in developing strong customer relationships among PPM's key accounts," says Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollen. "As we look to the future, we remain focused on leveraging PPM's established technology leadership to open up new business opportunities and serve the growing needs of our customers. As a long-term member of Hexagon's group management team with knowledge and expertise across all aspects of Hexagon's businesses, Mattias is the ideal candidate to accelerate this expansion."

The organizational changes will be effective as of today.

For further information, please contact:

Maria Luthstrom, Investor Relations Manager, Hexagon AB, +46 8 601 26 27, ir@hexagon.com

Kristin Christensen, Chief Marketing Officer, Hexagon AB, +1 404 554 0972, media@hexagon.com

CONTACT:

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/hexagon/r/hexagon-announces-the-appointment-of-new-senior-vice-president-of-strategic-alliances-and-new-presid,c2165588

The following files are available for download:




Leading Health Companies Combine Health IT Expertise to Advance Patient Health Outcomes

BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --BERG, a biopharmaceutical company uncovering health solutions through a data-driven, biological research approach, announced a multi-year agreement between BERG Analytics, a division of BERG, and BD's MedMined' solution. This new collaboration will leverage the combined healthcare IT expertise of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and BERG to focus on the development of a medication adherence algorithm that will help healthcare workers identify certain patient populations that are at the highest risk for nonadherence post-discharge. Through this innovative solution, clinicians will be able to better prioritize patient interventions and engage the most appropriate ancillary staff to improve patient outcomes once they leave the hospital.

Slava Akmaev, Chief Analytics Officer at BERG said, "Through this new collaboration, we look forward to advancing clinical decision making through predictive analytics. This pro-active surveillance solution will drive targeted medication adherence programs and ultimately, improve patient outcomes."

BERG Analytics' proprietary artificial intelligence-based platform bAIcis' will be used to gather Patient Intelligence' and develop custom risk models of medication non-adherence for a number of chronic and acute conditions to enhance BD's MedMined' solution for healthcare providers. BERG's bAIcis analyzes data in a hypothesis free manner, discovering new knowledge in an unbiased and strictly data driven way.

"We are at a tipping point in healthcare IT, where merging key technologies such as BERG data driven analytics platform and BD's data mining expertise can provide more informed, precise solutions for clinicians," said Niven R. Narain, Co-founder, President and CEO of BERG. "Utilizing these technologies to understand patient populations and offer clinical decision support will become the cornerstone of creating more efficient healthcare delivery."

About BERG Analytics (a division of BERG, LLC)

BERG Analytics provides predictive and prescriptive solutions to optimize patient treatments and improve population health. Our innovative machine learning platform, bAIcis', uses powerful artificial intelligence technology to deliver new insights and drive better outcomes for healthcare companies and their patients. BERG Analytics provides healthcare stakeholders with actionable Patient Intelligence' that promotes best practices, dramatically reducing adverse events and readmissions, while supporting value based care initiatives.

For additional information, please visit analytics.berghealth.com

About BERG

BERG is a clinical-stage company disrupting and re-defining the approach to drug discovery, research and development through its Interrogative Biology platform. Its platform identifies therapies and biomarkers by applying algorithm- and probability-based artificial intelligence to analyze large numbers of patients' genotypic, phenotypic and other characteristics. BERG's platform operates at the intersection of biology, technology and artificial intelligence analytics and integrates many data characteristics regarding patients' lifestyles, demographics and biology. BERG believes this allows the company to better understand patients' disease profiles and consequently to identify and reveal molecular signatures to guide and accelerate product candidate selection and development. By identifying biomarkers and patient characteristicsthat are unique to the disease state, BERG is able to identify novel therapeutic product candidates and develop companion diagnostics to enhance specificity in its drug development process.

To learn more about BERG, LLC please visit www.berghealth.com








CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX: SJR.B)(TSX: SJR.PR.A)(TSX: SJR.PR.B)(NYSE: SJR)(TSX VENTURE: SJR.A) ("Shaw") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared dividends for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017 of $0.17444 per Cumulative Redeemable Rate Reset Class 2 Preferred Share, Series A ("Series A Share") and $0.15681 per Cumulative Redeemable Floating Rate Class 2 Preferred Share, Series B ("Series B Share"), payable on March 31, 2017 to holders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2017.

The Series A Shares and Series B Shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the respective ticker symbols SJR.PR.A. and SJR.PR.B.

The foregoing dividends are designated as "eligible" dividends for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and any similar provincial legislation.

Shareholders will not be entitled to receive this dividend unless they are holders of record on the record date. There is no entitlement to any dividend prior to such date.

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, video and fleet tracking services. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE - SJR, and TSXV - SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Investor Relations

investor.relations@sjrb.ca

www.shaw.ca




French tech start-up goes global as HR tech market matures

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PeopleDoc, the European start-up standout, grew its core business by 90% in its most recent fiscal year which ended December 31, 2016. The company expanded global operations and now has more than 500 clients using its solutions to provide app-like HR cloud services for 2.9 million employees in 165 countries. New or significantly expanded clients during the last year include BCD Travel, Biogen, Bureau Veritas, Canfor, Equinox, GoDaddy, IGT, EDF, Nestle, Omnicom Health Group, Total, Travelex, Solvay, Ubisoft and UMass Memorial. PeopleDoc also extended its perfect record of 100% client retention, a key measure of company health in the Software as a Service industry.

In 2016, PeopleDoc clients reported HR productivity gains of 30-80% and improved employee satisfaction. As enterprises have sought to reduce HR service costs and improve employee engagement, they are remaking their internal operations into digital service centers. The first wave of investment focused on implementing HR information systems to digitize employee data. Now companies are investing in HR Service Delivery solutions to use that data to provide employees efficient and personalized help while putting less stress on their HR resources. There is plenty of room for improvement: in a recent survey PeopleDoc conducted with Changeboard, 68% of HR leaders said their function still spends too much time on administrative tasks.

PeopleDoc growth was also fueled by the increasing popularity of user-friendly cloud solutions. By specifically designing for HR teams and end users, PeopleDoc solutions can be fully implemented in only eight to twelve weeks. Because HR teams can use PeopleDoc independently, they don't need to invest in customizing generic enterprise solutions or in ongoing coding, IT maintenance or hardware expenses.

With the growth of its client base, PeopleDoc has grown its ecosystem. It has documented integrations with more than 200 HR systems to share data and create more seamless processes for employees. PeopleDoc HR Service Delivery was a featured solution in the launch of the new SAP SuccessFactors App Center in Q4 2016. The company has expanded its relationships with HR consultants and systems integrators in 2016 including new relationships with Change Associates in the UK andwith HR Campus in Switzerland.

"With the new PeopleDoc platform, HR Campus is enhancing its portfolio of solutions to help HR departments in Switzerland," says Marek Dutkiewicz, CEO and founder of HR Campus."Fast and efficient HR processes, reduced lead time for employee requests and fully integrated HR document management are only some of the added values. This solution bridges an important gap in administrative HR systems of our clients."

PeopleDoc grew its employees to 165 adding offices or employees in Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Nordics. New executive hires included Edwin Neumann as Chief Financial Officer and Aimee Stone Munsell as Chief Marketing Officer, both based out of the global HQ office in New York.

An unusual story for the tech world, PeopleDoc began in Paris and grew next to North America before expanding into northern Europe. The company has raised $55M in capital making it one of the most funded startups in French history.

About PeopleDoc

PeopleDoc is on a mission to make the difficult job of HR easier. The PeopleDoc HR Service Delivery platform helps HR teams more easily answer employee requests on demand, automate employee processes, and manage compliance across multiple locations. PeopleDoc cloud solutions include case management, process automation and employee file management. 100% software as a service, PeopleDoc solutions integrate with existing HR systems, can be implemented in 8-12 weeks, and are designed for agile ongoing use by HR teams serving diverse workforces. PeopleDoc serves more than 500 clients with employees in 165 countries in nine languages with a 100% customer retention rate. More information is available at www.people-doc.com.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457023/PeopleDoc_Logo.jpg
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- BudCube Cultivation Systems (BCS), a subsidiary of Cherubim Interests, Inc. (OTC PINK: CHIT) ("the Company"), an expansion-stage alternative construction and real estate development company, along with venture-partner United Cannabis Corp (OTCQB: CNAB) announces the completion of construction and deployment of its first mobile testing and extraction laboratory.

The video can be viewed here.

The companies expect deployment of the laboratory to the West Indies on January 13, 2017.

United Cannabis Corp. has teamed with Jamaica-based Cannabis Research & Development and initiated a pilot program in collaboration with the Rastafari Studies Centre for Cannabis Research, University of West Indies, Mona, to establish protocols for the development of Ital Standards which will be used as a guide for the processing, cultivation and consumption of cannabis.

United Cannabis will work in collaboration with the Rastafari Studies Centre to support the activities of the DHAPA Association in accord with their broader objective of establishing an infrastructure for licensed Rastafari farmers and trainees to participate in the Jamaican marijuana industry. The Joint Venture's initial task will be to document and verify the genetics of the Centre's preliminary plantings, as well as provide guidance in the development of appropriate standards and training methods for future activities.

"We at United Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research and Development are extremely happy with the attention to detail CHIT showed throughout this project. We feel the option to drop ship a lab pre-made to our specifications will deliver a competitive advantage to our affiliates and partners," said CEO Earnest Blackmon.

"We are thrilled to execute and formally enter into this niche and position ourselves on firmer footing to take on more orders," said CHIT CEO Patrick Johnson.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: Cherubim Interests, Inc. (OTC PINK: CHIT) and BudCube Cultivation Systems USA is planning execution of its stated business objectives in accordance with current understanding of State and Local Laws and Federal Enforcement Policies and Priorities as it relates to Marijuana (as outlined in the Justice Department's Cole Memo dated August 29, 2013), and plan to proceed cautiously with respect to legal and compliance issues. Potential investors and shareholders are cautioned that the companies will obtain advice of counsel prior to actualizing any portion of their business plan. Advice of counsel with regard to specific activities of the companies, Federal, State or Local legal action or changes in Federal Government Policy and/or State and Local Laws may adversely affect business operations and shareholder value.

About United Cannabis Corporation

United Cannabis Corporation was formed to advance the use of cannabinoids in medicine through research, product development and education. The Company is dedicated to improving the lives of patients through the creation of products using only the highest quality genetics, purest extractions and most effective protocols possible. The Company's A.C.T. Now Program and patent-pending Prana Bio Nutrient Medicinals provide a comprehensive solution designed to enable physicians and patients to design, implement and monitor effective therapy protocols.

For further information, please visit www.unitedcannabis.us

About BudCube Cultivation Systems

BudCube Cultivation Systems USA ("BCS") has developed a proprietary, fully portable and scalable, Controlled Environment Cultivation Technology that serves as a turnkey solution for cultivators of legal medical and recreational cannabis, as well as any other plant species. Coupled with a real estate development and property management business model, BudCube Cultivation Systems can position itself anywhere in the world where the cultivation of cannabis is legal. BCS provides cultivation solutions for commercial application. It offers cultivators quick entry into a fast growing market at a price point that is very attractive when compared to the traditional construction and cultivation solution. BCS features a business model unparalleled in the industry and stands to benefit greatly as more and more market participants seek to gain entry into this sector.

For more information, visit www.budcube.com

About Cherubim Interests Inc.

Cherubim Interests specializes in alternative construction projects, as well as covering the entire spectrum of real estate development: due diligence, acquisition, planning, construction, renovation, and management; providing complete beginning-to-end development programs for mixed use, single, and multifamily projects and properties.

For more information, visit: www.cherubiminterests.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E and/or 27E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's suppliers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3098374



Cherubim Interests, Inc.

Patrick J. Johnson

Chief Executive Officer

(844) 842-8872

pjohnson@cherubiminterests.com




Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - January 12, 2017) - Brexit. Trump. Terror. Amidst all the remarkable headlines, here's one nugget you might have missed last year: 2016 was the last year in which offline transactions accounted for a majority of European travel bookings. According to a new report from travel industry research authority Phocuswright - European Online Travel Overview Twelfth Edition -- offline channels captured 51% of European travel bookings in 2016. But despite the continuing importance of traditional travel agencies in several countries, European travelers are increasingly using online channels -- including mobile devices -- to book their trips, and the offline share will slip steadily in the years to come.

"There's no doubt that traditional travel agents and tour operators still represent a key distribution channel in Europe, particularly in markets such as Italy and Spain," says David Juman, Phocuswright director, research and editorial. "But it's getting tougher for them to compete, as online platforms offered by suppliers and powerhouse intermediaries like Booking.com and Expedia become ever more sophisticated, and consumers grow more comfortable researching and purchasing travel products with their smartphones."

According to the report, by 2020, the offline share of travel bookings will slip to 42%, while both OTA and online supplier bookings will gain significant market share. Online direct bookings will advance most dramatically, as suppliers across all segments and markets intensify their efforts to attract consumers directly, through loyalty programs, robust mobile offerings, deals and other incentives.

Phocuswright's European Online Travel Overview Twelfth Edition presents findings on the European leisure and unmanaged business travel markets, with sizing and projections from 2014-2020. Coverage includes analysis of the region's key segments and players, distribution dynamics and market challenges.

Regional analysis and trends are great. But since no two countries are alike, Phocuswright's European Online Travel Overview Twelfth Edition also encourages a deeper dive into country-specific sizing, trends and challenges of the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. The research contains hundreds of data points and figures covering Europe's largest and most influential travel markets.

For detailed information relating to the paper or to speak with an analyst, please contact Eugene Ko at media@phocuswright.com or +1 860 350-4084 x475.

For more insights into the European travel market, attend Phocuswright Europe (16-18 May 2017 in Amsterdam). Network with the region's savviest leaders, explore new ideas and solutions, and get more business done in three days than you have all year. Press passes are available -- learn more.

ABOUT PHOCUSWRIGHT INC. (www.phocuswright.com)

Phocuswright is the travel industry research authority on how travelers, suppliers and intermediaries connect. Independent, rigorous and unbiased, Phocuswright fosters smart strategic planning, tactical decision-making and organizational effectiveness.

Phocuswright delivers qualitative and quantitative research on the evolving dynamics that influence travel, tourism and hospitality distribution. Our marketplace intelligence is the industry standard for segmentation, sizing, forecasting, trends, analysis and consumer travel planning behavior. Every day around the world, senior executives, marketers, strategists and research professionals from all segments of the industry value chain use Phocuswright research for competitive advantage.

To complement its primary research in North and Latin America, Europe and Asia, Phocuswright produces several high-profile conferences in the United States and Europe, and partners with conferences in China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Industry leaders and company analysts bring this intelligence to life by debating issues, sharing ideas and defining the ever-evolving reality of travel commerce.

The company is headquartered in the United States with Asia Pacific operations based in India and local analysts on five continents.

Phocuswright is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northstar Travel Media, LLC.

ABOUT NORTHSTAR TRAVEL GROUP (www.northstartravelgroup.com)

Northstar Travel Group is the leading provider of business-to-business news, information, data, transactions and custom content solutions for the travel, meetings and hospitality industries. Brands under the Northstar umbrella include Travel Weekly, Travel Weekly China, Travel Weekly Asia, TravelAge West, Business Travel News, Phocuswright, Meetings & Conventions, M&C China, Web in Travel and Inntopia. Northstar is the industry leader in marketing solutions, custom content communications, content licensing and database management serving the travel and meetings industries. The company produces more than 52 face-to-face events, taking place in North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Northstar is based in Secaucus, NJ, and is a portfolio company of Wasserstein & Co. www.northstartravelgroup.com

ABOUT WASSERSTEIN PARTNERS IV (www.wasserco.com)

Wasserstein Partners IV is a mid-market buyout fund managed by WP Capital Management, the private equity investment company formerly associated with Wasserstein Perella Group and Wasserstein & Co. The firm manages capital on behalf of institutional and individual investors. Its investment activities are focused on the media and communications, consumer products and water and industrial sectors. WP Capital's investment team has completed 27 platform acquisitions and 49 add-on acquisitions over a 23-year period. WP Capital is located in New York.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/1/12/11G127266/Images/PhocuswrightEuropeanTravelMarketShareByChannel-ea7c9a697b2ea94a921ce8e0693e4498.jpg

Contact:

Phocuswright Media

+1 860 350-4084

media@phocuswright.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A waiver allowing retired Marine Corps General James Mattis to serve as President-elect Donald Trump's Defense Secretary easily cleared a Senate committee on Thursday.



The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 24 to 3 in favor of the waiver, with Democratic Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., voting against the bill.



The waiver is required because Mattis retired from the military in 2013, and U.S. law requires a retired officer to be out of uniform for at least seven years before he can assume the role of Defense Secretary.



The full Senate could vote on the waiver as early as Thursday afternoon, with the bill being fast-tracked to allow President-elect Donald Trump to sign it into law on Inauguration Day.



Some House Democrats have expressed opposition to the waiver after the Trump transition team canceled Mattis' scheduled appearance before the House Armed Services Committee, but the bill is still expected to be approved.



The vote by the Senate Armed Services Committee came shortly after the panel completed its hearing on the retired general's nomination.



During the confirmation hearing, Mattis took a hard stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he accused of trying to break up the North Atlantic alliance.



'I'm all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to,' Mattis said. 'There's a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and an increasing number of areas where we're going to have to confront Russia.'



The comments from Mattis come even though Trump has spoken positively of Putin and indicated a willingness to work with the Russian leader to restore U.S.-Russian relations.



Mattis also appeared to be at odds with Trump regarding the nuclear deal with Iran, with the retired general saying the U.S. must live up to its commitments. Trump has promised to rip up the agreement.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - More than two months after the presidential election, an investigation of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while Secretary of State is back in the headlines. The Justice Department's internal watchdog revealed Thursday it has initiated a review of the FBI's handling of the investigation. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the review will examine a number of issues, including public communications by FBI Director James Comey. After recommending no criminal charges against Clinton in July, Comey revealed shortly before the election that the investigation had been reopened. While the FBI once again cleared Clinton of criminal charges, Democrats have claimed the news impacted the outcome of the election. The review will also examine allegations that Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Peter Kadzik improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign. Horowitz said the review was initiated in response to requests from numerous Chairmen and Ranking Members of Congressional oversight committees, various organizations, and members of the public. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures rallied for a second day amid hopes for increased Chinese demand in the new year. Reports showing OPEC production fell sharply in December also gave oil prices a lift. OPEC has promised output quotas that will eat away at the global supply glut in 2017. Most OPEC producers, notably Saudi Arabia, are respecting the arrangement. OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeria expressed hopes that Russia will also follow through on planned output quotas. 'I remain very confident with what I have seen in the last several months,' Barkindo said at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi. 'The level of commitment from both sides ... is unparalleled.' WTI light sweet crude oil was up 76 cents, or 1.5 percent, at $53.01, taking back steep losses from earlier in the week. In economic news, the number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits in the first week of 2017 rose by 10,000 to 247,000. U.S. crude ended Thursday's session up 76 cents, or 1.5 percent, at $53.01 barrel. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Atacama Pacific Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE: ATM) ("Atacama Pacific") announces that it has commenced a technical drilling program on its Cerro Maricunga Oxide Gold Project located in Chile's Region III, 140 kilometres northeast of Copiapo. The drilling campaign is designed for the collection of data for the finalization of metallurgical and geotechnical parameters required for the pending feasibility study and will comprise 1,000 metres ("m") of PQ diamond drilling for advanced metallurgical testing as well as 2,000 m of reverse circulation drilling for condemnation and geotechnical information.

Corporately, Atacama Pacific has granted 1,860,000 options of which 1,575,000 were granted to directors and officers and 285,000 were granted to consultants. Each option entitles the holder to acquire one common share at an exercise price of $0.60 until January 11, 2022.

Metallurgical Test Program

The Cerro Maricunga Preliminary Feasibility Study, published August 2014, incorporated plans for three stage ore crushing to a size of approximately two centimetres ("cm") with projected gold recoveries of 79% from a conventional heap leach operation. In support of the upcoming feasibility study, which will consider single stage crushing to a coarser crush size (approx. 10 cm) as part of Atacama Pacific's efforts to reduce capital and operating costs, a metallurgical drilling program has commenced for the collection of ore from each of the three main ore zones (Crux, Phoenix and Lynx zones). Test work will be completed on each zone and at a range of deposit depths.

The current metallurgical program will follow-up the positive results (table 1) achieved from previous column tests conducted on non-agglomerated ore, conventionally crushed to a P80 of 5.0 to 15 cm. To date, thirty-six column tests have been completed on ore from throughout the Cerro Maricunga oxide gold deposit, the majority of which were undertaken on material crushed to a P80 of 1.9 cm and which achieved average gold recoveries of 82%.

Table 1 - Conventional Column Test Results - 5 to 15 cm Crushed Ore ------------------------------------------------------------------ Test # Grade Crush Recovery NaCN Lime(ii) Cement Weight ------------------------------------------------------------------ (g/t Au) (P80, cm) (%) (kg/t) (kg) (kg) (kg) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 60036 0.58 5.0 78 0.10 6.7 1.0 211 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 65822 0.50 5.0 80 0.91 5.0 0 204 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 60001 B 0.54 5.0 78 0.10 7.7 0 211 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 60001 A 0.58 10.0 77 0.09 7.6 0 580 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 60033 0.58 10.0 77 0.09 6.6 1.0 580 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 68801A 0.33 10.5 72(i) 0.96 0 1.0 699 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 65860 0.39 15.0 76 0.18 5.9 1.0 560 ------------------------------------------------------------------ (i) low cement and no lime negatively impacted NaCN consumption and Au recoveries (ii) tests not optimized for lime consumption ------------------------------------------------------------------

Geotechnical Program

Ten reverse circulation condemnation drill holes, approximately 100 m deep, will test the areas to be used for permanent structures, leach pads and waste rock storage. For geotechnical purposes, three 300 to 350 m inclined reverse circulation drill holes, 14 cm in diameter, will be drilled near the final pit walls of each of the main ore zones. Each of the three drill holes will be surveyed with a borehole optical televiewer and, in conjunction with the existing geotechnical information acquired from previous diamond drilling programs, will be used to determine the optimum pit wall angles.

Cerro Maricunga Oxide Gold Deposit

The Cerro Maricunga oxide-associated, breccia-hosted gold deposit hosts total Proven and Probable mineral reserves of 294.4 million tonnes grading 0.40 grams per tonne for 3.74 million ounces of gold representing one of the largest undeveloped oxide gold deposits in the world. Before commencing with its Feasibility Study, Atacama Pacific is reviewing development options for Cerro Maricunga with the goal of reducing capital and operating costs through the elimination of the secondary and tertiary crushers, by using valley fill leaching at a location adjacent to the open pit and by commencing operations at a lower production rate of approximately 40,000 tonnes per day over the first years of production ramping up to 80,000 tonnes per day. The project will be re-costed to reflect current lower input cost for items such as electricity, fuel, labour, metallurgical consumables, equipment, etc.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

As defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Qualified Person for the Cerro Maricunga program is Sergio Diaz, a resident of Santiago, Chile. Mr. Diaz is a Public Registered Person for Reserves and Resources N degrees 51, in Chile, and is also registered in the Colegio de Geologos de Chile under N degrees 315. Mr. Diaz has reviewed and verified the technical contents of this press release. Maria Leticia Conca Benito, Mining Engineer, Universidad de Chile, Registered Member of Chilean Mining Commission, CEO and Project Director, Alquimia Conceptos S.A., was the independent qualified person, as defined by NI 43-101, responsible for the compilation of the information and preparation of the overall 2014 Prefeasibility Study.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward looking statements, including predictions, projections and forecasts. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the successful completion of the Offering. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "expects" or "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or "belief", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. Such factors include, among other items, the timing of the completion of the Feasibility Study, the impact of proposed updated mining conditions, including crushing and processing methods and mining rates, the results of due diligence activities, changes in economic parameters and assumptions, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the results of regulatory and permitting processes; future prices of gold; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; market conditions, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; the results of further economic and technical studies, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in Atacama Pacific's publicly filed documents.

Although Atacama Pacific has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Carl B. Hansen

President and CEO

416 861 8267

info@atacamapacific.com

www.atacamapacific.com




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/12/17 -- Shaw Communications Inc. ("Shaw") announced that, at its annual general meeting held earlier today, the resolutions proposed in Shaw's proxy circular were carried.

The detailed results from the annual general meeting are as follows.

1. Election of each of the following fifteen nominees as directors of the Corporation (by ballot):

Votes For Votes Withheld ----------------------------------------------- # % # % ----------------------------------------------- Peter J. Bissonnette 19,951,538 greater than 99.99 200 - Adrian I. Burns 19,951,738 100.00 - - Richard R. Green 19,951,538 greater than 99.99 200 - Lynda Haverstock 19,948,453 99.98 3,285 0.02 Gregg Keating 19,948,453 99.98 3,285 0.02 Michael W. O'Brien 19,951,538 greater than 99.99 200 - Paul K. Pew 19,951,738 100.00 - - Jeffrey C. Royer 19,951,738 100.00 - - Bradley S. Shaw 19,951,738 100.00 - - Jim Shaw 19,951,738 100.00 - - JR Shaw 19,951,538 greater than 99.99 200 - JC Sparkman 19,948,253 99.98 3,485 0.02 Carl E. Vogel 19,951,588 greater than 99.99 150 - Sheila C. Weatherill 19,951,538 greater than 99.99 200 - Willard H. Yuill 19,948,253 99.98 3,485 0.02

2. Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as auditors of the Corporation (by show of hands - proxy result shown):

Votes For Votes Withheld ---------------------------------------- # % # % ---------------------------------------- 19,901,118 100.00 - -

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, video and fleet tracking services. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TSX: SJR.B)(TSX: SJR.PR.A)(TSX: SJR.PR.B)(NYSE: SJR)(TSX VENTURE: SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Investor Relations

investor.relations@sjrb.ca

www.shaw.ca




Corephotonics, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based startup developing dual camera technologies for smartphones, completed a $15m funding round.

Backers included Samsung Ventures, Foxconn, MediaTek, and two additional investment funds from China and Hong Kong. They joined current investors Magma VC, Samsung Ventures, Amiti Ventures, Li Ka-shing, Horizon Ventures, OurCrowd, SanDisk, CK Telecom, and others.

The company, which has raised more than $50m to date, will use the funds to develop its cameras for smartphones, and expand existing products penetration and grow into the automotive, drone, surveillance, and action camera markets.

Founded in 2012 by David Mendlovic, CEO, Gal Shabtay, VP R&D; and Eran Kali, VP Licensing, Corephotonics is advancing dual camera technologies for smartphones, which aim to improve the image quality. The technology is based on the combination of two cameras, which enables stills photography with optical zoom of up to 3x and up to 8x zoom in video, even in low light conditions and the creation of a bokeh effect (blurring the pictures background and making the main subject stand out).

The company, which currently has 50 employees, intends to recruit dozens of additional engineers for the companys headquarters in Tel Aviv, as well as support and integration engineers in China and South Korea.

FinSMEs

12/01/2017
Kuli Kuli, an Oakland, Calif.-based manufacturer and distributor of moringa*-based products, raised $4.25m Series A funding.

The round was led by eighteen94 capital, Kellogg Companys venture capital fund, with participation from InvestEco and S2G Ventures. In conjunction with the funding, Simon Burton, managing director of eighteen94 capital, will join Kuli Kulis board of directors.

The company intends to use the funds to expand globally.

Led by Lisa Curtis, Founder and CEO, Kuli Kuli is a moringa brand in the U.S. Its Moringa Superfood Bars, Pure Moringa Powder, and Moringa Green Energy Shots, provides a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids.

*moringa is a complete plant protein, produced by trees grown in semiarid and tropical areas. Its leaves, pods and oil can provide a source of iron, calcium, Vitamin A, and other antioxidants.

FinSMEs

12/01/2017
Luxendo, a Heidelberg, Germany-based developer of proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology for biomedical research, raised additional funding as part of Series A round now totalling 8m.

The extension round was led by Life Science Partners (LSP), Amsterdam, EMBL Ventures, Heidelberg and EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer.

The company intends to use funds to expand its international sales and marketing team.

Founded in October 2015 as a spin out of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Luxendo develops and internationally markets its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes which are based on its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology.

The company  led by Andreas Pfuhl, CEO  currently markets:

The MuVi-SPIM microscope, which allows fast 3D imaging of living objects such as spheroids and whole specimens for extended periods of time, and without the need of sample rotation.

 The InVi-SPIM microscope, which allows extremely gentle sample handling. It is designed for fast 3D imaging of living objects such as cell cultures and developing embryonic samples.

FinSMEs

12/01/2017
Laviu, a Dresden, Germany-based sex toys startup, raised over 1m in funding.

Backers included Technologiegrunderfonds Sachsen, which committed 800k, and Stephan Siegel.

The company, which has raised a total of 1.36m, intends to use the funds to advance its first product, a soundless vibrator.

Led by Chief Executive Officer Julia Ryssel, Chief Creative Officer Martin Cirillo-Schmidt, and Chief Marketing Officer Anne Friebel, Laviu is building hands-free, soundless vibrators with design based on nature made in Germany with high quality, medically tested materials and sustainable through rechargeable battery.

The company offers the Laviu One, the tradition version of a vibrator, and the LAVIU rabbit, which provides for a simultaneous inner and outer massage of the body through extra ears.

FinSMEs

12/01/2017
Earlier today, there were spy shots of the new Honda City floating around on the Interweb, and now the Japanese car manufacturer has launched the car in Thailand. The refreshed Honda City sedan retains the silhouette of the outgoing car but looks a tad more grown-up than before.

The 2017 Honda City gets new front and rear bumpers. The headlamps are all LED units, inspired by the ninth-generation Accord, and also come with LED DRLs...
Bharathan's action drama Bairavaa, starring the Tamil sensation Vijaya, has turned out to be a casualty in the ongoing tiff between the Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation (KFEF) and Kerala Film Producers Federation in the state.

It was earlier reported that as many as 350 theatres in Kerala downed shutters indefinitely from 12 January onwards over sharing of profits among exhibitors, distributors and producers. However, International Business Times reports that the distributor of Bairavaa, IFar International, has issued an ad in the newspapers claiming that the exhibitors who had signed an agreement with them to screen the film will be liable to indemnify the distributor for all the losses that the film suffers as a result of being boycotted by those exhibitors.

The notice of the company reads that not screening the film stands as a clear violation under the competition commission of India Competition Act, 2002 and that the distributors will opt for the legal route in the event of the exhibitors choosing not to screen the film in their theatres.

Firstpost journalist Sreedhar Pillai had reported last month on the root cause of this ongoing tiff between the exhibitors and the producers/distributors. "The current crisis is basically over the percentage of box-office collections. The single screens in Kerala were paying 60 percent of the total net to distributors and producers in the first week of a new film. KFEF chief Liberty Basheer, who has control over a large number of screens in the Malabar area  which accounts for 45 percent of the total box-office collections in Kerala  wants parity with multiplexes, which get 50 percent of the total net in the first week," the report stated.

However, the report by International Business Times points out that Bairavaa is being screened in about 100 screens in Kerala as it is being allowed into the cinema halls that do not come under the KFEF, such as the multiplexes, government-owned screens and B and C theatres.

But since single screens are the lifelines of such commercial potboilers, especially down south, Vijaya's film is bound to bear the brunt of the battle that it was not a part of.
Dance music powerhouse David Guetta's highly anticipated concert in Bengaluru has been cancelled citing safety concerns.

The concert was to be held on Thursday, 12 January 2017.

The cancellation is being seen as the fallout of the Bengaluru mass molestation incident that occurred on New Year's Eve, with the authorities stating that they cannot guarantee the safety of such a large number of attendees.

However, ANI later quoted the SP for Bengaluru Rural stating that they only wanted the organisers to come up with a different date and there was no law and order issue.

Firstpost had reported on 5 January 2017 that Guetta  who first performed in India in 2012  was scheduled to headline a special gig called #Guetta4Good in Bengaluru.

#Guetta4Good had been organised for a charitable cause, in association with Sunburn. All the funds raised from the performance (via the sale of donor passes) were to be donated to the NGO Magic Bus which works for underprivileged children.

India is a magical place. The energy that I get from the country and fans inspires me. Music can change lives, Guetta had said, at the time of announcing his special gig.

Sunburn CEO Karan Singh had said, We are extremely excited to have David Guetta perform in India for this noble cause. The idea of using music as a medium to raise funds to support our children is one that has connected with the youth of India and am sure we will see an overwhelming response for Davids performance. We have always believed that music transcends all boundaries and this is a unique way of integrating dance music with the concept of supporting a charity.

Apart from the Bengaluru show, Sunburn Arena will host Guetta in Mumbai on the 13 January, Hyderabad on the 14th and New Delhi on the 15th as a standalone 2017 Tour. At the time of publishing this report, those shows were expected to proceed as planned.

Here's a statement released by Sunburn on Twitter, regarding the Bengaluru cancellation:
Tamil actor Gautami Tadimalla, who was last seen in Chandra Shekhar Yeleti's Malayalam film Vismayam, the dubbed version of the Telugu film Manamantha, is all set to do an original Malayalam film after a long span of 16 years.

Gautami's last Malayalam film was back in 2003, KR Ramdas' Varum Varunnu Vannu. Now, The Times of India reports that she will be seen in another Malayalam film this year in PT Kunju Muhammad's Vishwasapoorvam Mansoor. She will play the role of a 'modern mother' to the character essayed by Roshan Mathew.

The same report quotes Muhammad as saying, "Her character's name is Maliyekkal Fathibi aka Fathima Beevi. She is a broadminded woman, who resides in Thalassery with her son. Their world is confined to each other, till a mother and daughter make an unexpected entry into their lives."

Asianet Newsable reports that the film also stars Pragya Martin, Shweta Menon, Leona Lishoy, Renji Panicker, Sajitha Madhathil and Santhosh Keezhattoor. It will go on floors next month and will be shot at locations in both Thalassery and Mumbai.

Gautami made her Malayalam debut back in 1999 with Sibi Malayil's musical thriller His Highness Abdullah. Since then, she has starred in over a dozen Malayalam films. Besides Malayalam, she also has several Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films to her credit.

She was loved by the Malayalam cine goers last year in Vismayam. However, that was only the dubbed version of her Tamil film, Manamantha. Now that the 48-year old actor will be seen in a strong supporting role in Vishwasapoorvam Mansoor, her Malayalam fans cannot wait but look forward to the film eagerly.

Gautami was also in news last year for her emotional blog post in which she confirmed that she has parted ways with fellow actor Kamal Haasan after a relationship of 13 long years.
In the opening scene of Shlok Sharmas Haraamkhor, a young girl in a typical small town school uniform is crouching on a rock staring towards a dusty open plain down below. This shot repeats later in the film. Is she seeking out something or looking for someone? After the two-hour viewing, I am still unclear.

In the very next scene, some boys are up to mischief and one of them ends up with two fractured arms. For most part of the film, Kamal runs around continuing to be be a nuisance. egged on by his over-smart best friend Mintu. Much of Sharmas film is from the point of view of these pre-pubescent boys who get away with all kinds of bad behaviour. Kamal adores Sandhya (Shweta Tripathi) from afar and Mintu encourages him with silly ideas such as if they see each other naked they are certain to marry each other etc.

But Sandhya, new in this village, is besotted with her teacher Shyam (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). While the characters' motives often remain hazy, there is no doubt about Shyams motivations  hes a sleazy, immoral small man who enjoys the adoration of his students and exploits his (limited) position of power. For instance, Shyam has married a woman who was formally a student. There is little subtlety or discretion in the way Shyam and Sandhya conduct their affair  sharing careless whispers in the school grounds, travelling into the nearby town on a sensitive mission and meeting at her home whenever her policeman father is away on official work.

Deserted by her mother and raised by her father, Sandhya has complex abandonment issues. Her policeman father is a drunk who is unable to emotionally connect with his teenage daughter and is struggling to share a secret with her.

There seems to be no real threat to this illicit affair, except discovery by Shyams wife as the taboo relationship intensifies. One of the most powerful scenes in Haraamkhor is when Sandhya and Shyam meet at a dusty, windy, unpopulated spot. With a long shot, with the intensity of the wind as a soundtrack we feel the passion between the 15-year-old and her seducer.

The occasional shaky handheld camerawork is bothersome and the jumpy narrative makes you wonder why the filmmaker needs you to apply so much guesswork. There is also a subplot of a new family dynamic in Sandhyas home and a female influence that delivers a speech about the side effects of abandonment and anti-depressants.

What the narrative does not deliver, the actors do  Tripathi pulls off the innocence, rebellion and ego of a teenager while Siddiqui is the perfect foil  he enjoys his status as a teacher but he coats it in a greasiness as he (mostly) pulls off the deception without missing a beat. The two young boys are naturals in their parts. Though the scenes are repetitive, Sharma does succeed in walking the edge between intensity and airiness and transporting the audience into this simple and confined world. As the uneasiness builds, you brace yourself for an explosive end.

Unfortunately, when it does come there is a sense that everything that preceded it was designed to lead up to it and, as grisly as it is, like everything before, this scene too does not move you. I didnt feel for any of the characters and I was let down by this emotional disinterest.

Watch the Haraamkhor trailer here:
Vidya Balan's Malayalam jinx strikes back. Once again, she has opted out of a Malayalam film in Aami, the biopic on poet Kamala Das, which was being directed by the National Award-winning filmmaker Kamaluddin Muhammed, better known as Kamal.

Hindustan Times reports that while Balan has cited divergent approaches to the process as the reason behind the abandonment, Kamal suspects that it could be because of right-wing pressure being exerted upon the actor, though he clarifies that there is no proof of the same.

The Indian Express reports that Balan was being pressurised by Shiv Sena to back out of the project. There were speculations initially as well that Hindu right-wing religious outfits are miffed with Balan agreeing to get into the shoes of Das, a controversial figure, who converted to Islam in the latter half of her life.

However, Mumbai Mirror reports that Balan had given her nod to the film and was in fact excited to play the role. She even read Das' autobiography titled My Story and started taking lessons to pick up Malayalam. However, in the same interview to the daily, she stated, "Im still wondering if she was who shes made out to be, pretending to be her or misunderstood, hoping to get some answers at some point during the film."

Balan sought answers on the same from her director. She thought that she was still not prepared for her role and wished to spend some more time with Kamal to get into the skin of the character. She also suggested a few changes in the script and did not approve of the final draft. Hence, she decided to walk out of the film amicably. Her agent has rubbished the news of her backing out due to any political reasons, according to the report by Hindustan Times.

Kamal's statement, however, paints a different picture. The director invited the ire of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu religious outfit, when he lent his support to some members of the audience who did not stand up while the National Anthem was being played at the International Film Festival of Kerala.

Kerala has also been in news recently for the shooting strikes and halting down of operations of 350 theaters as a mark of protest during the ongoing tiff between Kerala Film Exhibitors' Federation and distributors and producers over sharing of collections. Hindustan Times reports that Balan had stopped shooting for the film, her manager stating that the dates had been slightly pushed owing to the film strike.

Irrespective of the reason, Balan's Malayalam jinx seems to be on a roll. The Times of India reports that Kamal's 2003 film Chakram was supposed to be Balan's Malayalam cinema debut but the film was eventually done by Meera Jasmine as even Kamal had walked out of the film. It is quite a strange coincidence that Balan has walked out of another project after 14 long years in spite of the fact that her roots belong to Kerala.
Hollywood star Vin Diesel received a rousing reception when he landed in Mumbai on Thursday, 11 January, to promote his forthcoming release xXx: Return of the Xander Cage.

The American actor was accompanied by co-star Deepika Padukone, who is making her Hollywood debut with xXx, and director DJ Caruso.

They arrived to much desi fanfare with women dressed in red saris and yellow turbans greeting them. Diesel looked excited as he waved out to the media and to the crowd there with much gusto.

Dressed casually and sporting a pair of shades, he walked out of the airport here hand-in-hand with Deepika, who opted for an all-black 'biker' look complete with black stilettos.

Deepika and Vin Diesel smiled and posed for the cameras.

A traditional 'tilak' was part of the welcome ceremony.

Diesel's two-day India trip is packed with fan meets, music and drama. He is promoting xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which is releasing in India on Friday  before anywhere else in the world.

He has fan interactions, a glitzy red carpet gala and a star-studded premiere lined up.

According to sources, plans are in place to give Diesel a "splendid taste of India"  and the start has been in tune with that.

The actors, along with other members of the film's cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

Deepika and Diesel's movie is a new installment in the xXx series after the 2002 film xXx and the 2005 entertainer xXx: State of the Union.

It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.





 With IANS inputs
For years now, the 'overprotective father' has been a well-worn trope in Bollywood, both on screen and off it.

We've had a fair share of benevolent dictator-type dads on the big screen, who're all about watching out for their beloved betis by enforcing super-strict rules and ensuring their upbringing is full of the appropriate quantities of parampara.

By chance or design, there's a similar over-protectiveness when it comes to Bollywood's real life betis as well: At one point, there was a consensus that daughters from film families would not work in the industry, while sons would.

Shweta Bachchan Nanda didn't work in the movies  although she has clearly stated that it wasn't because she was held back by anyone, but because she didn't want to be part of the 'goldfish bowl' that an actor's life devolves into. Neither did Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (her cousins Karisma and Kareena did/do have successful film careers; it's ascribed to their mother Babita). While Neetu Kapoor has previously said, "Neither Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) nor I told Riddhima not to work in films. Perhaps, because I had quit films, she presumed we didnt want her to. Weve never discussed it, she never brought it up herself, maybe she thought it would hurt us if she did. Its also a question of the way you are brought up" there is some indication in Khullam Khulla (the to-be-launched Rishi Kapoor autobiography) that this was not entirely the case.

Sanjay Dutt was one of the fathers who openly stated that he did not want his daughter Trishala to join the film industry. In this interview from 2011, Dutt was quoted as saying, "I am not encouraging my daughter to do films at all. It never happens with the Dutts. My sisters or my niece could have been in the movies too, but that is not the way my father raised us. This is the way he wanted it. She is keen, but then she has studied forensic science, which is also a great career option. She will have to listen to me."

He reiterated the point in a 2013 interview as well. Whether Dutt's views have changed in the intervening years isn't known.

However, 'new age' fathers in Bollywood seem to be stepping away from the previous norm.

For instance, Saif Ali Khan has spoken out in favour of his daughter Sara's in-the-making film career. "It's a very creative and a wonderful job. I bless Sara for what she has learned. She has wanted to do this since she was two years old, but I asked her to finish college first. In fact, she has done theater in the US as well. She wants to enjoy the acting and not treat it as a superficial, glamorous profession," he said in an interview.

He also provided a counterpoint to the "big bad world of Bollywood" when he said: "Sara doesnt need me to be protective, but if she does, I will be. I am concerned and protective about her, but she can look after herself, and its not such a scary place. The world outside is scarier. We are still good and decent people in Bollywood..."

Anil Kapoor too has never expressed any reservations about his daughter Sonam Kapoor joining the industry; in fact, she made her debut at a much younger age (22/23 when she did Saawariya in 2007) than her brother Harshvardhan (26; with Mirzya last October).

But it is Shah Rukh Khan's recent statements regarding his daughter Suhana that most recently caught our eye.

In an interview with Femina, Shah Rukh spoke about Suhana's acting ambitions, and how she's working on her skills by being involved in theatre. (His son Aryan is currently studying filmmaking.)

While the entire interview has several quotable quotes, here are a couple where SRK explains his 'take' on Suhana being an actress:

"Id like her to be on the cover of magazines like all my heroines are, wear any kind of clothes she wants to wear, and look sexy and beautiful. I want her to feel attractive, beautiful and respected, and more importantly, I want her to work hard. There are days when I feel down  the only reason I get up and go to work is when I think of her. I have only one mandate where shes concerned: she can act, but she has to study first."

"She can be an actor if she has the passion and guts to work five times harder than me and get paid 10 times less than I do, if times dont change for women actors. I want her to experience what my female co-stars have gone through. My daughter will be an actor like them and I want (her) to feel the pain."

But he also asserted that he's a typical dad when it comes to the subject of Suhana's prospective dates. In fact, he came up with this list of rules for those hoping to date his teenage daughter:

1. Get a job.

2. Understand I don't like you.

3. I'm everywhere.

4. Get a lawyer.

5. She's my princess, not your conquest.

6. I don't mind going back to jail.

7. Whatever you do to her, I will do to you.
Amazon Canada might have removed the offensive product  doormat bearing the Indian tricolour  from its listings but it must go the whole hog and apologise to India for the infra dig heaped on Indians who wear their National Flag and nationalism on their sleeves.

The manufacturer, XLYL, may be one of the thousands of suppliers using the Amazon Canada portal, but that does not mean the e-commerce giant should be allowed to wash its hands of the stinking mentality of its supplier. Earlier, images of Indian gods were emblazoned on doormats sold by a supplier on the Amazon US portal. One wonders whether the offender then was the same XLYL. Amazon would do well to investigate the antecedents of such India-phobes and rein in them. The fig leaf of a 'marketplace model' should not be used as a cover by e-commerce portals to escape responsibility.

It is not surprising that the mischief maker is insulting India, not from India but from abroad, even though it must be conceded that virtual world has no physical borders. Left liberals should not instinctively spring to the defence of such renegade firms that delight in slighting India from foreign soils. The pusillanimous and ignoble firm XLYL has chosen the Canadian platform and not directly taken liberties with Indian sentiments fearing a more direct reprisal from Indians.

Be that as it may, the issue brings to fore more than ever before the appropriateness of the marketplace model, most of the e-commerce giants seem to embrace and adopt. Their glib assertion is they are mere facilitators providing a robust online platform for sellers and buyers to come together and consummate their deals. It is baffling that our government vide DIPP Press Note 3 (2016 series) has virtually capitulated to the e-commerce giants with deep pockets when one expected it to toughen the regulations so as to make them more accountable.

The e-commerce portal is not responsible for quality of the product.

The e-commerce portal is not responsible for consumer satisfaction.

The e-commerce portal is not responsible for IPR violations of the sellers using its platform.

There are a few seemingly tough conditions though  no one seller should predominate on the portal by accounting for more than 25 percent of the sale done through the portal. The e-commerce portal should not decide the price of the products sold online through its portal.

It is time the world order is changed. While we can only plead with other nations, our own government can lead by example by making e-commerce sites responsible for the acts of omissions and commissions of the sellers including tax misdemeanours and intellectual property rights violations. Respecting the national and religious sentiments must figure high on the agenda of the Indian government insofar as e-commerce reforms are concerned.

The Indian regulations enshrined in Press Note 3 to be sure requires the name, address and contact details of the sellers to be provided on the website but what good it is when they can defy accountability by hiding behind the e-commerce portal? In other words, both can indulge in buck-passing, leaving the consumers and regulators bemused and tongue-tied. It is strange that the e-commerce portal can provide warehousing, logistics, call centres, ordering booking and payment collection services, and yet when it comes to the crunch, wash its hands of disagreeable transactions.

The inventory model in contradistinction is the one under which the e-commerce portal claims ownership of the goods on offer. And in the inventory model, the website would be more fully accountable both to the government and the consumers. The time has come for the Indian government to examine whether the so-called marketplace model pulls the wool over everyones eyes. It is widely known that the e-commerce portals participate actively in price fixing even though the Press Note clearly says it is not the remit of the portal but of the individual sellers.

The marketplace model is a farce. It must be replaced lock, stock and barrel with the inventory model. Meanwhile the Indian government should put its entire might behind the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs demand for an unconditional apology from Amazon at the risk of visas of its Indian officials being cancelled and fresh ones to wannabe Indian employees denied.
New Delhi: After residents, NRIs and People of India Origin (PIO) are now braving long queues to exchange the old Rs 500/1000 notes at 5 designated RBI branches across the country but because of stringent conditions several of them have had to return disappointed.

Tempers ran high outside the central bank branches as people coming from long distances were denied entry by guards on the grounds that they were not carrying the requisite documents.

Many NRIs complained that they are not allowed to speak to officials who could at least listen to their grievances.

"Though I have foreign passport, I still have roots in India. Our family comes to India every year. We have few Indian currency notes and we want to exchange them but we are not allowed to enter RBI. Mr Prime Minister are we supposed to burn Indian currency that we have?," said Ritu Diwan, an agitated US national.

This unnecessary harassment simply indicates that PIOs are no more welcome to the country of their birth, she added. Dharamveer, another US national, said PIOs generally keep some amount of Indian currency as they frequently visit India because there is no point in paying commission on exchange of currency on each visit.

"Any PIO who regularly visits India would easily have Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh worth of Indian currency and I challenge the government to prove this as black money and forfeit this from us", he said, adding that "this money, we don't spent in the country where we live but country of our origin".

"It is by chance that we are here at this time and wanted to exchange few currency but we are not allowed to do so. It is very frustrating," he added.

Many PIOs who were turned away protested that they don't have crores of rupees but only few thousands which the administration should exchange.

Frustrated at the "high-handedness of RBI" and the "government policy", there are reports of NRIs throwing defunct Indian currency at the gate of RBI as a mark of

protest.

Besides PIOs, many Indian who failed to deposit junked currency notes during the 50-day demonetisation period are also being turned away after standing in the queue for hours.

Disappointed at the flip-flop of the government on the issue, Ram Kumar said Prime Minister in his November 8 address had said that people would have time till March 31 to exchange their old notes at the RBI.

Hoping against hope some are coming repeatedly thinking that if they were lucky they would be allowed by the security guards to enter RBI office for exchange of scrapped currency notes.
Gandhinagar: Over Rs 50,000 crore worth MoUs for investments and credit were signed at the end of the second day of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit with State Bank of India leading the pack.

SBI signed memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat Government for extending bank credit especially in priority sector. Under the MoU country's largest lender will give Rs 30,000 crore worth loans over two-year period, officials announced at the Summit here.

NABARD inked an MoU for rural financing worth Rs 13,000 crore while Union Bank of India entered into a pact with the state government for providing Rs 5,600 crore of bank finance across various sectors.

The investment commitment are besides the Rs 49,000 crore investment Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani had announced yesterday in expansion of capacity of three ports in the state as well as foraying into water and cement businesses over the next five years.

The BSE and NSE - the two leading stock exchanges in the country, also envisaged an investment of Rs 500 crore each in GIFT City for setting up International Exchange and international clearing corporation.

MRF also plans to invest Rs 4,500 crore in the state over a period of 10 years to set up manufacturing unit.

MCX also outlined setting up of business continuity facility here.

Urban development department has signed 1,575 investment intention with various companies, in the area of domestic real estate and waste management companies.

The summit saw participation from 110 foreign countries, they said.
New Delhi: Acting on banks' allegations that liquor baron Vijay Mallya had transferred US $40 million to his children in "flagrant violation" of various judicial orders, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked him to file his response on the matter in three weeks.

A bench, comprising justices Kurian Joseph and A M Khanwilkar, asked the beleaguered businessman to file an affidavit and fixed the plea of the consortium of banks led by State Bank of India for further hearing on February 2.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the banks, alleged that orders of Debt Recovery Tribunal and Karnataka High Court have been violated by Mallya by transferring US $40 million to his children.

It is a matter of record that Mallya and his firm owe over Rs 6,200 core to the banks and the money should have been deposited here, he said.

Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Mallya, sought time to respond to the banks' plea, which was granted.

In October last year the court had rapped Mallya for not making full disclosure of his overseas properties and had asked him to do so within a month.

The bench had also pulled up Mallya for not giving details of USD 40 million which he had allegedly received from British firm Diageo in February last year, saying it was of the "prima facie view" that proper disclosure as per its earlier order was not made.

The Attorney General had alleged that the US $40 million belonged to the consortium of banks which was now stashed in Mallya's Swiss bank account and said that it should be brought back to India or the Supreme Court.

The consortium of banks including SBI had on August 29 last year told the Supreme Court that Mallya had deliberately not made full disclosure of his assets including the USD 40 million he received on February 25 from Diageo.

It had asked Mallya, who owes over Rs 9,000 crore to around 17 banks, to deposit a "substantial amount" with it to "prove his bonafide" that he was "serious" about meaningful negotiations and settlement.
Patna: A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan allegedly opened fire on his colleagues, killing four of them at their unit at a thermal power station in Aurangabad district of Bihar on Thursday.

Officials said the incident was reported around 12:30 AM at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit where the force is deployed to guard the facility.

The accused jawan has been identified as constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the deceased personnel have been reported to be three personnel in the ranks of Head Constable (HC), and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI).

The CISF jawan lost his cool following a dispute over leave and fired off his rifle, Superintendent of Police Dr Satyaprakash said. Balveer has been arrested, the police said.

"Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his other colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident. While three were killed in the firing, one another succumbed at a nearby hospital later," they said.

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit is deployed in the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility.

They said the incident took place when Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change. Balveer was then overpowered by his colleagues.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said. NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

While the SP said senior officials have rushed to the spot, the CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
The controversy over Indian flag-themed doormats on Amazon's Canadian platform has several dimensions pertaining to specific legal, cultural, ideological and political grey areas. The discussions over the topic have so far been devoid of nuance, conflating separate issues while taking black or white positions.

While Sushma Swaraj, India's external affairs minister, has received widespread social media support for warning the e-commerce behemoth via Twitter to either take down the products or face visa-related sanctions prompting Amazon to drop the merchandise, critics have called it a 'bullying tactic', 'governing by social media' and have suggested that Indians are needlessly touchy when it comes to the Tricolour.

While, all of these are valid issues, each of them merits individual attention.

When it comes to the law, the e-commerce giant's 'marketplace' model may provide it with a certain legal immunity since the product was not part of its inventory. Nevertheless, by facilitating the sale of the Tricolour doormats through its platform in a foreign country did it violate any Indian legal provisions? Bear in mind that though Amazon wasn't selling the products in India, any of its customers even in Canada could have been Indians (residents or visitors).

Section 3 in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) under the title 'Punishment of offences committed beyond, but which by law may be tried within, India' says: "Any person liable, by any [Indian law] to be tried for an offence committed beyond [India] shall be dealt with according to the provisions of this Code for any act committed beyond [India] in the same manner as if such act had been committed within [India].

And what would constitute an "offence" when it comes to the Tricolour? Under The Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971, the subhead 'Insult To Indian National Flag And Constitution Of India' says: "Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or *otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both."

The law is clear. But let's move beyond the legal boundaries and consider the controversy from another angle.

Citing the national flags of other countries, it has been said that if an American or a Briton can turn the Stars and Stripes or the Union Jack into tee shirts, cushion covers, undergarments or even doormats (it seems Amazon was selling flag-themed doormats of other countries as well), why do Indians have such a huge problem with the Tricolour being embossed on a product of daily use?

Let me explain why such a "liberal" view is wrong and why Indians are justified in feeling outraged.

This "liberal" argument goes at the heart of what is wrong with "liberalism" as a tradition and why it is facing such a global crisis. This false equivalence is symptomatic more of an ignorance of the nature of liberalism as a truly syncretic tradition, not a "one-size-fits-all" doctrine. True liberalism tolerates, respects and tries to syncretise different traditions of culture and faith and seeks common ground, rather than imposing its own assumptions and beliefs. This western brand of hard, monolithic liberalism runs contrary to the liberal ethos native to us. It sits at odds with the ganga-jamuni multi-culturalism and pluralism inherent in Indians.

Indians have grown to revere the symbols as ciphers of varying beliefs and it wouldn't have survived as a melting pot had there been no mutual respect.

Let me clarify.

The conflation of British and American examples with Indian attitude towards Tricolour ignores the fact that Indians have a different view of emblems. Indian respect for symbols is part of a long tradition of liberalism arising out of a heterogeneous civilisation. As a confluence of different faiths, identities, cultures and traditions, Indians have grown to revere the symbols as ciphers of varying beliefs and it wouldn't have survived as a melting pot had there been no mutual respect.

The imported brand of 'monolithic liberalism' that suffers from a bad case of self-righteous certitude undermines this very inclusiveness of which the respect towards the Tricolour is just one manifestation.

Beyond the argument over cultural sensibilities, let's now focus on the action taken by external affairs minister Swaraj, who had taken a stringent view of the matter and had threatened Amazon with visa-related sanctions and even ordered the Indian embassy in Canada to take it up at the "highest level".

It can be argued that the affable minister is guilty of overreaction and yet the development posed a political dilemma for Swaraj. The very public nature of the rebuke signifies that the minister wanted to leave no space for the Opposition to exploit it, which otherwise could have become a handy issue bang in the middle of an election season. The warning to the e-commerce giant was as much a venting of her personal indignation as a political reaction to a sensitive topic.
Reacting to the plea of the BSF jawan who posted a video on social media complaining about the poor food quality at camps on the Line of Control, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday sought a report from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the same, according to CNN-News8.

Meanwhile, a PIL has also been filed in Delhi High Court drawing its attention to the claim of the BSF jawan alleging poor quality food due to corruption and administrative lapses.

Earlier, BSF trooper Tej Bhahadur Yadav had posted a video on Facebook, which went viral on 9 January, showing the dire quality of food served to jawans posted in tough weather conditions at the border.

In the videos, Yadav sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention, saying the plight of troopers posted along the cold, hilly border was pathetic.

The news garnered extensive media attention and the public outrage on social media platforms, prompting the BSF to initiate an investigation, even as the institution denied it's jawan's allegations stating that there was no evidence to back his claims.

Several BSF sources also sought to draw attention to Yadav's "difficult past" and "history of run-ins with the superiors" and subsequent disciplinary action, calling him a "habitual offender", as Sandipan Sharma points out in this Firstpost piece.

Meanwhile, according to The Times of India, the BSF trooper's wife also alleged that Yadav was being forced to retract his complaint and tender an apology.

But now with the MHA, and the PMO seeking reports on the isuue, the matter is set to escalate.

Meanwhile, all eyes will also remain on the high court plea filed by an ex-serviceman, which is likely to be heard this week.

The plea has sought direction to the MHA to submit a status report with respect to all paramilitary forces in India over allegations of the BSF jawan in his video.

Petitioner Puran Chand Arya, in a PIL filed through advocate Abhishek Kumar Choudhary, sought direction to MHA and five paramilitary forces to "classify what is the scenario of ration procuring and food preparing and serving food to all categories of ranks".

The plea further sought directions to take serious action against the officers or authorities concerned into the incident so that the morale of the personnel and citizens is not affected.

BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav had used his cell phone and social media to complain about the poor quality of ration. In the video(s) posted on Facebook which have since received over 10 lakh views, Yadav shows the meal box claiming that a watery soup-like dal, with turmeric, salt and without lentils, and burnt chapatti had been served. A tumbler of tea and an open tiffin case is shown in the background.

The plea, claiming it has been filed for the benefit of the public to assert their fundamental rights conferred in the Constitution's Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (right to life), urged the court that the authorities should not take any adverse action against the BSF jawan who has rung the bell for a genuine demand for food to survive.

It also sought direction to depute the higher officers to supervise cooking of proper healthy food and its distribution.

Meanwhile, following Yadav's video, another Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable, Jeet Singh, also took to social media to appeal to the nation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give equal facilities to personnel employed with the paramilitary force just like the Indian Armed Forces.

"We don't get canteen facility. We don't even get medical facilities... Our pension has stopped.. We don't even get our holidays in time. (And) our duty is always the maximum," Singh says in the video, addressed directly at Modi.

"We don't have any problem with the facilities given to the Indian Army. They should get the facilities. But why is this discrimination towards us?" he asks.

With inputs from PTI
Farooq Ahmad Sheikh was one among the thousands of Kashmiri youths who had secretively travelled to Pakistan in the early 90s for arms training. Disillusioned by the movement, instead of coming back, they got married and settled in Pakistan.

In 2010, Jammu and Kashmir government launched a rehabilitation policy for former Kashmiri militants, who had crossed over to Pakistan but did not return, and had shunned violence. The policy document designated four points of return, these include Wagah, Atari, Chakan Da Bagh, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The document said only those militants, who have crossed over to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, between 1 January, 1989 and 31 December, 2009, and their dependents are eligible for consideration under the policy.

That was enough to lure hundreds of people like Sheikh back home. One day in 2011, he told his wife and three children, that he was returning to the Kashmir Valley and selling everything, including his business, to be among his own people.

I always missed home and wanted to come back, despite raising a family and having a business there, Sheikh told Firstpost over phone.

On Wednesday, the state government in the Legislative Assembly, said that no youth has been able to return through the four designated points under the rehabilitation policy launched in 2010 for the former militants to return to a normal life in Kashmir Valley. In a written reply, the government said that only 377 ex-militants along with 864 family members have returned from Pakistan via Nepal and Bangladesh since 2010. It further said that since none of these youths returned via the approved routes, they are not entitled to any benefits available under the policy.

The returnees or the ex-militants usually avoid these designated points of return to evade the Pakistani security agencies, who keep a close watch on them, and also to avoid getting arrested by the Indian security forces.

The documents said that no youth has been able to return via appropriate routes due to inexplicable reasons and difficulties, and that there are still 4,088 missing persons in the government records, who are believed to be in Pakistan.

All the ex-militants till now have returned via Nepal, where they destroy their Pakistani passports, and then cross the porous border between Nepal and India and finally reach Kashmir. After their return, they try getting regular papers so that they can get work and resume normal life. However, most people who have returned so far have failed to do so.

The biggest chink in the policy is that Nepal is still not exactly a sanctioned route. It is the route we are using because the ones that the policy originally envisaged required some sort of complicity on the part of the Pakistan authorities, which is clearly not going to happen, Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who launched the policy in 2010 had said in an interview in 2013.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti too has demanded Nepal to be recognised as an official point but there has hardly been any response from New Delhi.

To address the political realities of Kashmir, the Government of India during the UPA regime held three round table conferences from February 2006 to April 2007. It was during the second round table conference in 2006, led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, brought up the issue of those Kashmiri militants, who had crossed the LoC but had later shunned the path of violence. Finally in 2010, a rehabilitation policy was announced by Omar Abdullah, which was then endorsed by the central government.

Majority of these former militants who have returned had thought that they could have a normal life in the valley, but that's not the case.

We didn't come back on our own, we were called here. We were promised a dignified life. But till this day, nothing has been done for us. Fameed Khan, a resident of Rawalpindi married to a former Kashmiri militant from Shopian, told Firstpost. They had returned in 2012.

Our children have been denied school admission and husband a dignified source of income. Our travel documents have been put on hold. We are not allowed to meet our parents," Fameed added.

The future of our children is ruined because of the bureaucratic tussle and New Delhis inaction. This has also stopped many from returning, Sheikh, who returned in 2013, said.

At least, we were happy working there. We sold everything there and here a dark future awaited us, he added.
Kerala, the land of strikes and hartals, is in the grip of yet another fast-spreading student agitation.

What began as protest against a private engineering college in Trichur district in northern Kerala a few days ago following the alleged suicide of a student has turned violent and reached the office of the association of managements of such colleges in Kochi. Going by Keralas history of violent student agitations, its only a matter of time before it spreads to the rest of the state. Fearing more damage and demanding protection, about 120 private engineering colleges in the state have been closed for a day on Thursday.

The apparent ire of the agitating students is against the alleged extra-legal disciplinary methods employed by the management in the Trichur college because thats what reportedly forced the student to commit suicide. According to his friends and family, he had been ridiculed and abused by a staff member for allegedly copying in an exam hall. Immediately after this incident, the students went on the war path and told the media horror stories about the college that ranged from misrule and physical abuses to poor facilities.

Simultaneously, reports of similar stories of discipline-related abuses, poor infrastructure and facilities emerged from the rest of the state. The overall picture presented by the students is that of a ruthless statewide enterprise and in some cases, mafia-like operations.

And that is the talk of the state now.

Ironically, this is exactly what many educationalists had warned the state government when it began privatising higher education in the state two decades ago. Whats more ironical is that at the forefront of the agitation is Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress, which had kickstarted and even intensified this privatisation. Today, the state has about 160 engineering colleges, of which 120 are in the private sector  on an average about 11-12 engineering college per district.

Its a crazy statistic for a state which before the privatisation drive had less than 20 engineering colleges, that too run by the government. Today, most of the private engineering colleges that mushroomed, disproportionate to the need of the state, are unable to fill their seats and manage a pass rate of even 40 percent. Fifty percent of them dont even reach 40 percent pass rates. In some colleges, its doesnt cross single digits.

What the Congress-led UDF and the subsequent LDF governments have created in the state is a reckless mess where everybody is unhappy  the students, the managements, the faculty and the job industry. The managements that rushed to opening such colleges are unable to make the kind of money that they thought they would, while the students and even the poorly-paid faculty feel that they are being taken for a ride. Is it a problem created by profit-driven managements alone?

Not really. The students and the faculty are also part of the problem because most of them are of poor quality. The glut in availability of seats enabled a large number of incompetent students with very poor Class 12 marks study engineering that they were incapable of. Unsurprisingly, on an average, 60 percent of them failed, and even among those who obtained a degree, a substantial number were unemployable because of poor skills. The situation became vicious and has dragged the standards further down when the managements chose their faculty from the same catchment of engineering graduates. So, today, the management, the students and the faculty together have created a mutually worsening ecosystem. The threshold of student-admission has been kept abysmally low and the managements want them to be lowered further. This is the real race to the bottom.

Theres no escape unless the state government, which incidentally created this ugly monster, takes drastic steps. In response to the present student agitation, the CPM-led LDF government has announced the appointment of an ombudsman to redress their complaints. As usual, a high-level committee will study the functioning of the private colleges and the government will do an assessment.

All that the ombudsman and the expert committee can do will be cosmetic because the underlying root causes cannot be addressed without structural changes. An education system in which 60 percent of the students fail, a system in which entry-barriers are literally non-existent, a system that doesnt produce a reasonable number of employable candidates and a system that doesnt contribute to academic literature needs to be completely overhauled. The vicious cycle of profits, poor management and poor students has to be disrupted. One sixty colleges for 14 districts is an unsustainable overkill which is meant to fail. The size and scale have to come down and the quality has to rise. The flab has to go.

But the present LDF government wouldnt be able to cut the flab. In fact, the issue had come before the state Assembly in 2012, during the previous UDF governments time. But this is what Education Minister PK Abdu Rabb then said, Closing down these colleges and rehabilitating the students in other colleges would lead to a lot of problems. So the government is of the view that the existing colleges should be allowed to function with stern measures to improve their standards.

What prompted the discussion in the House then was an observation of the Kerala High Court the previous month that the AICTE should revoke the affiliations to colleges that didn't have a pass percentage of 40. The court made the point based on the report of an expert group which found the quality of education at most of the private engineering colleges  in terms of facilities, faculty, salaries and management arrangement, marks of students  very poor. It noted that in one college, the principal didnt even have an engineering degree.

Evidently, even after the high courts intervention and the Kerala governments promise of setting things right four years ago, things havent changed. The present LDF governments patch-work too will not work because the real problem is in its DNA. What has been wrongly done has to be undone. The tumour has to be excised.

Unfortunately, that wont be possible either because the managements represent all kinds of influences  money, religious and caste groups, and even political organisations  and the system has been co-created by both the UDF and the LDF governments. The UDF started it and the LDF nurtured it quite generously. In fact, had the LDF applied the brakes, the damage could have been limited because between 2001, when the UDF started the mayhem, and 2006, the number was still under 50. But instead of stemming the rot, the LDF government under VS Achuthanandan, allowed about 30 more colleges and when the UDF came back under Oommen Chandys leadership, it added another 30-odd. Since the 2001, the increase in the number of engineering colleges in the government sector has been marginal. The government, whether UDF or LDF, obviously had more or less withdrawn from technical education.

Probably, the purveyors of the globally famous 'Kerala Model of Development' should disseminate this worst practise as well because public funded high quality education (a number of technical heroes of the country came from the old government engineering colleges in the state) and health were among the pillars of Keralas unique human development story. Both are in the dumps today and both the Congress, which has been reckless in its policies, and the CPM, which gets opportunistically preachy, are equally responsible.
Chief information commissioner RK Mathur, who administers the Right to Information Act (RTI), and Delhi University's central public information officer Meenakshi Sahay have done a disservice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by giving out the impression that they are trying hard to keep details of Modi's Bachelor of Arts degree under wraps. Here is how.

Firstly, Sahay refused to inspect documents sought under RTI, on the grounds that a postal order for Rs 10 which accompanied the application was not made out in favour of the Registrar of Delhi University. Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu called this "penny wise, pound foolish", and fined the CPIO Rs 25,000.

The saga does not end there, however.

Within days of this order, Mathur, without any explanations, took Acharyulu off the domain he was dealing with, that is questions regarding the Human Resources Department. Acharyulu found such a legal battle over a Rs 10 postal order inexplicable, and said he was "vexed with non response from the CPIO".

It was possibly Acharyulu's gumption in pulling up the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) last year for not providing certifications of Jana Gana Mana as the National Anthem and Vande Mataram as the National Song. He had also faulted a flurry of transfers of applications from one department to another.

His being divested of the HRD charge only adds fuel to the fire that attempts may be on to not share details of Modi's degree certificate. As The Indian Express reported, the CIC's order "comes only days after another order on 29 December, on allocation of work in which Acharyulu had retained the HRD Ministry".

The question is not whether Modi's BA degree from Delhi University and an MA from Gujarat University  as claimed by him in his affidavits in the 2004, 2007, and 2014 elections  are genuine or not, but of the concerted bid to stonewall publicising the details of it.

Mathur's action, so close on the heels of a punitive step initiated by Acharyulu, does raise doubts, and it is something that a CIC could do without, since he's holding an office in which people repose lot of trust, one that's a key route to ferret what governments hide.

As to the question of whether Narendra Modi has a BA degree from Delhi University, the answer could be yes or no. He has been in politics and been holding public office, initially as Gujarat chief minister for 11 years, before moving up to Delhi for another top elected office. The question should be whether he is a good administrator. Does his brand of ideology, inherited or developed, fancy voters to show their approval? That is normally the yardstick. When voting, one does not look beyond that.

Most voters don't even bother about the contents of the affidavits that politicians file with the Election Commission. The one key component, which is the financial status, could even well be a fudge. Which is why the Election Commission would now like to see them reveal the source of the income they show. Not having done so yet is an indication of why that affidavit was a formality, more in form than content. In short, pointless.

Coming back to Modi's educational degrees, it is hardly pertinent to the manner in which government ministers are appointed. A finance minister could be a lawyer  a la Arun Jaitley  and not a finance guy. Appointments are usually made on political considerations. Information regarding Modi's educational status  "qualification" is a word not advisedly used here, for it is no benchmark in the matrix we are talking about  has to be extracted one tooth at a time.

First, it was the Aam Aadmi Party's allegation that Modi did not hold a degree he claimed to have held. Quick release of an authenticated copy would not have let the fear of obfuscation take hold. When the degrees were shown by BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a press conference in May last year, the matter should have ended. But it didn't.

A bellicose AAP insisted that the degrees displayed were fake, a very serious allegation indeed, but thereafter, instead of further proving the authenticity of the degrees, there have been attempts to stall it. RTI, a key right provided to all citizens of India, came into play.

If doubts about the degree are not put to rest entirely, questions arise about the integrity of the person. Let us assume that Modi does hold the degrees he claims to, and has no qualms about it, but why is the establishment making attempts to stall its disclosure?

The word of the Delhi University Registrar about the authenticity has not cut much ice with those who want to prove that it was not genuine. He had provided both the enrolment and examination numbers and explained that a variation in the way the name was written in the records was an error  something that does happen.

The DU demurred when it came to further clarifying it. The university said in response to an RTI application that "DU, as a matter of policy, seeks to maintain the privacy of every student as it holds the data pertaining to a students in a fiduciary relationship with the student concerned".

It could be so in principle, but it was an issue regarding the personal integrity of a man holding the highest office in the land, and in consultation with him, the details could have been allowed scrutiny. Especially when an RTI applicant was denied scrutiny on grounds that the postal order accompanying was not in favour of the Registrar.
By Devanik Saha

During a recent visit to Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his alcohol ban policy in Bihar. He said: I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor. But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All the political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a jan-jan ka andolan (peoples movement).

In April 2016, Kumar announced a ban on the sale and consumption of country liquor in the state. The ban was one of Kumars key poll promises made to women voterswho rallied behind him strongly, as this Mint report indicatesduring the 2015 assembly elections.

Thirty days after the ban, Kumar claimed that the crime was down 27% , according to his analysis of crime data from April 2016 and April 2015.

Nine monthsor 270 daysinto the ban, an IndiaSpend analysis of Bihar Police crime data, reveals that cognizable crimewhich the police can investigate without a magistrates orderrose 13% between April and October 2016, from 14,279 in April to 16,153 in October (latest available data).

In other words, the liquor ban does not correlate with a drop in crime, a primary reason for the new law, which came into being despite the Patna High Court holding it violative of the Constitution because it denied citizens their right to privacy under Article 21.

Conviction of criminals in Bihar had declined 68%, from 14,311 in 2010 to 4,513 in 2015, and cognizable crimes rose 42% over the same period, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

Source: Bihar Police

Every major crimemurder, rape, kidnapping, riotingincreased in the months following the liquor ban.

Source: Bihar Police

Bihar has a lower crime rate than more prosperous states with fewer people, such as Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, mainly due to under-reporting, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

The Patna High Court had quashed the alcohol ban in September 2016, terming the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act 2016, illegal.

The new Bill provided punishment that included arrests of all adults in the family if anyone stores or consumes alcohol. Those flouting the ban face up to 10 years in jail, and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. If a government bill is struck down by the courts, legislative sanction can convert it into a law that the courts cannot interfere with. That is what happened in Bihar.

Within two days of the high court order, the Bihar government notified a new law, the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, ensuring that the ban on sale and consumption of alcohol, including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and spiced and domestic liquor, continued in the state, even though the high court said a ban was ultra vires of the constitution.

(Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.)
Bhubaneswar: Arrested Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Sudip Bandyopadhyay was on Thursday denied bail by a CBI court here and sent to jail.

He was produced in the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate P K Mishra after the completion of his 10-day CBI remand in two phases.

The judge rejected his bail petition and posted the next hearing of the case to 25 January.

Bandyopadhyay's advocate sought bail pleading that his client has all along cooperated with the investigating agency. The counsel also claimed that Bandyopadhyay was ill. Bandyopadhyay claimed he was innocent and had no involvement in the scam.

Bandyopadhyay was arrested in Kolkata on 3 January on charges of alleged link with Rose Valley Group chief Goutam Kundu, now in jail, and brought to Bhubaneswar next day. He has been in CBI custody since then.

Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of Rs 17,000 crore in different states including Odisha and West Bengal.

The CBI in its charge sheet against the ponzi scheme company in January last year had mentioned that the investors from Odisha alone had deposited Rs 450 crore with the Rose Valley Group.

Another TMC MP Tapas Pal has been lodged at a special jail at Jharpada in the same scam.
In a major setback to Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the petition urging the apex court to pass an interim order allowing Jallikattu before Saturday, reported News18. With the Supreme Court refusing to intervene, the 2014 ban on the traditional Tamil sport remains.

Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Tamil Nadu government requested the Centre to pass an ordinance on jallikattu before Pongal. The traditional bull-taming sport is played during the three-day harvest festival across the state.

#BREAKING -- Tamil Nadu Government want Central govt to pass the ordinance on #Jallikattu: TN Govt Sources to CNN-News18 #JallikattuFight pic.twitter.com/pWh4fugfF5  News18 (@CNNnews18) January 12, 2017

The apex court commented that no one can force it to hasten the process of judgement, and said, it was "unfair to ask bench to pass an order", the report added.

Taking a measured approach, Environment minister Anil Dave told News18 the government will look into the Supreme Court order and then react.

#JallikattuFight -- Will look into the Supreme Court order and will react after that: Environment Minister Anil Dave to CNN-News18 pic.twitter.com/7I1wPeidwh  News18 (@CNNnews18) January 12, 2017

Reacting to the verdict, AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswarthi told News18 that the Tamil Nadu government will do whatever it can to allow Jallikattu to be played.

The DMK, while supporting a positive verdict on the traditional sport, said that it is disheartened by the apex court's decision and wanted the state government to act fast.

The Opposition party lashed out at Chief Minister O Panneerselvam for his statement on Jallikattu on Wednesday, calling it a "strategic mistake" and expected the chief minister to have been more circumspect in his statement.

DMK leader Kanimozhi, while urging the Centre to intervene, added that Tamil Nadu had not acted in time.

"The bulls used in Jallikattu are not hurt. they raised with a lot of love, like family. It is part of our culture. Why is Jallikatuu being singled out for animal cruelty? An elephant being kept in a temple can also be seen as animal cruelty, but no one says anything about that," News18 quoted her as saying.

Both, chief minister Panneerselvam as well as AIADMK supremo Sasikala had written letters to the centre urging them to allow Jallikattu during Pongal.

Urging the Centre to intervene by isuing an ordinance, Panneerselvam on Monday wrote a letter stating that the sport of Jallikattu is about bull taming and not harming the animal.

Panneerselvam, in his letter to the prime minister, said "considering the groundswell of sentiment and support for the conduct of Jallikattu all over Tamil Nadu, this is an issue on which the government of India must act with maximum despatch."

"Given that Pongal festival, which holds great importance to the people of Tamil Nadu, is less than a week away and Jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities, considering the urgency of the issue, Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of Jallikattu during Pongal, 2017," he said in the letter.

VK Sasikala on Wednesday wrote a letter to the prime minister reiterating the demand for an ordinance to allow the ancient sport.

"The ban on Jallikkattu has incensed the public of Tamil Nadu and the youth in particular, and all efforts have to be taken to revoke it," she had said.

This sporting event was "inextricably" linked to the rural, agrarian customs, practices and psyche of Tamils and also helped in conservation of native germplasm, since bulls with excellent physical attributes alone are reared for Jallikattu, she had noted in the letter.
Sushma Swaraj, just exercised India's soft power, in a manner that China frequently does when it concerns Tibet and Taiwan.

A few days ago, The New York Times app was taken off the China App Store after a request by Chinese authorities to do so. However, the app is available for download on app stores elsewhere. This closed one of the last few options for Chinese readers to freely access The New York Times in China without having to use hacks such as VPNs or proxies.

For the past few years now, China has been using its soft power, especially the strength of its market access, to have companies toe the line. Internet companies like Google have faced increasing pressure to conform in order to have access to Chinese markets. In 2010, Google took the brave step of refusing to censor searches in China in response to pressure from the Chinese government. In 2014, Google's main services such as Gmail, Google search and Chrome were no longer accessible in China.

Companies in China are forced to comply with Chinese censorship regulations in order to have access to the world's largest population. Apple, for example, may have had its App Store completely blocked in China had it not complied with the request to block The New York Times. Many US companies, like Facebook, Google and others have taken a strong stance in favour of free speech and have refused to enter the Chinese market as a result of this. However, there are now rumours that even Facebook may kowtow to Beijing.

In 2014, China once again used its diplomatic prowess to ensure that the Dalai Lama could not attend a Nobel Peace Summit in South Africa.

China uses this soft power to pursue a very definite foreign and domestic policy angle. Namely a 'One-China' policy that preserves its one-party system of government and continues its totalitarian form of government.

Which brings us neatly to India. On Wednesday, the country's foreign minister used India's soft power, and threatened to deny Amazon officials visas and deport those who are already in India, if Amazon Canada didn't take down a doormat that had India's National Flag on it.

Let me be very clear, I completely understand the foreign minister's sentiment. A National Flag on a doormat is absurdly offensive to me. The flag is a very important symbol not just to me, but to a billion of my fellow Indians. But the question comes, was this an appropriate instance, to so blatantly exercise India's soft power?

The Ministry of External Affairs could have asked the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada to have a quite phone call with Amazon Canada and put the matter to rest. There was absolutely no need to put it up on social media for all the world to see. Soft power is delicate and needs to be exercised carefully. It is not something that needs to be thumped around. Usually, when soft power is exercised, the attention is not on the country that exercised the soft power but it should be on the person who was subject to the exercise of that power.

The headlines should be reading 'Amazon buckles under Indian pressure and takes down offensive article' and the stories should have almost no mention of the fact that the Ministry of External Affairs intervened in the matter. We lose our credibility in the world, if we intervene in such situations, that may be misunderstood by the global community at large.

It represents a failure in image projection and image management. China, on the other hand, and despite its far more devious use of soft power, does brilliantly with this. India has a lot of potential to use its soft power to not just have other nations act in our foreign and domestic interests but to have major multinationals do so as well. But if we have to use our soft power, we need to be a lot more tactful about how we use it.
Chennai: Amid the continuing protests across Tamil Nadu for allowing 'jallikattu' during Pongal, the bull taming sport was conducted in coastal Cuddalore town on Thursday defying the ban on it, following which 28 people were held.

With Pongal festivities during which jallikattu is organised starting on Saturday, the chorus in support of the sport grew with more sections of people, including students, joining protests in different parts of the state, including in places where it is not so popular.

On a day when the Supreme Court rejected a plea urging it to pass judgement on the sport before Pongal, functionaries of Nam Tamizhar Katchi conducted jallikattu in Cuddalore near the Tiruvanthipuram Devanathaswamy Temple premises and police arrested 28 people for violating the ban.

A Cuddalore district police official told PTI: "28 people belonging to Nam Tamizhar Katchi have been arrested for conducting Jallikattu and a case is being registered against them."

With the apex court declining to hear the matter, DMK blamed the Centre and state government for "not taking appropriate, timely steps" to ensure conduct of the event and announced a state-wide stir on Friday.

DMK Working President and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly M K Stalin participated in a demonstration held by college students here seeking permission for jallikattu.

"I extended support for the agitation by participating in their protest. It is welcome that students are holding protests for Jallikattu," he said. He said only such solidarity and participation by students "guarded our mother tongue", in an apparent reference to the large scale anti-Hindi protests by students in 1960's.

"Similarly, I believe that students' agitations will protect jallikattu, the cultural symbol of the Tamil people," he said.

In a Facebook post, he urged state and central governments to take urgent steps to conduct Jallikattu by "bowing" to the sentiments of students.

In places including Coimbatore and Madurai, students took out rallies raising slogans seeking permission for Jallikattu.

They held placards expressing love for bulls and stating that the animals are not harassed during the sport.

Protest demonstrations were also held in the state capital. Film personalities including actor Sathyaraj, film maker Karu Pazhaniapan participated in a stir here pledging support for Jallikattu. Actor Simbu held a silent protest.

More than 10,000 people converged at a ground in Coimbatore in support of jallikkattu while protests were staged in Sivaganga, Dindigul, Pudukottai and Salem districts.

Organisers of 'manjuvirattu' (a form of jallikattu) in Siravayal in Sivaganga district asserted they would hold the sport as it was part of the temple custom and usage.

Students and local villagers blocked traffic at many places in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga district, a report from Madurai said.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeens president, Asaduddin Owaisi, has an interesting proposition on how to overhaul the current budget structure. Owaisi mooted his idea asking to allocate funds of the BMC budget to Muslims in the corporation, in proportion to their strength. Muslims represent about 21 percent of the population in the wards of BMC, hence, logically, Rs 7,770 crore should go to the welfare of the community, Owaisi said.

Muslims represent around 21 percent of total populations of wards in BMC. If the budget of BMC is Rs 37,000 crore, Rs 7,700 crore should have been allotted for development of muslims, Owasi said addressing a public rally in Byculla. This suggestion hasnt apparently gone down well with other political parties and they want the statement to be probed by the election commission and the courts especially in the wake of a recent Supreme Court order.

BJP wants the speech to be probed, We are against any division of budget on communal lines. In fact, we are also against any divide on communal lines. We condemn the communal and objectionable statement by Owaisi. We have filed a complaint with the EC and want them to take action, said Aashish Shelar, President of Mumbai Unit of BJP.

Shelar and other party leaders who have raised voice against Owaisi just dont get it. The Owaisi model of budget is not a bad idea, after all.

Lets extrapolate the Owaisi method of budget resource allocation a bit to other religions/comunities and see what really BMC could do about it. According to 2011 Census India, population of Mumbai is 1,24,42,373. Of this, about 65.99 percent is Hindus.

Assuming the a total budget corpus of Rs 37,000 crore, Hindu Mumbaikars should get Rs 24,416 crore. Since Owaisi has already calculated the Muslim budget, lets next go to the Buddhist budget, since Budhhists constitute the next big pie of Mumbai, 4.85 percent, which gives them Rs 1,794.5 crore. Jains who make up 4.10 percent of Mumbai should get Rs 1,517 crore, Christians and Sikhs, who are 3.27 percent and 0.49 percent of Mumbai, should be having a share of Rs 1,209.9 crore and 181.3 crore.

Remaining funds, if something really remains, should go to the 0.66 percent whose community comes in the others category or not stated.

This is, unarguably, an innovative model, which should also be replicated nationally for 125 crore Indians of all castes, religions and communities. Union finance minister, Arun Jaitley could give a try in the 1 February budget, which can be later replicated by his counterparts in all the states and unions territories.

The ideal mode of implementation and likely benefits of the Owaisi method budget allocation are the following:

One, the hassles of complex, time taking, painful process of budget resource allocation to a number of segmentsinfrastructure, agriculture, defence and railways (for Jaitely), social welfare schemes, financial inclusion, housing, industry and poverty alleviationcan be done away with.

Instead, the FM(s) should only sit with the latest available census break up of population based on religion and a calculator to directly divide the total resources with percentage of population. The idea of this mode of funding should be to use the funds for the promotion of religious identities, not wasting the money for the conventionally used and failed purposes such as social and economic development of all citizens.

Two, at next stage, the budget presentation shouldnt be held as a single-day event. Based on the population numbers, the budget should be split into at least six budgets---Hindu budget, Muslim budget, Christian budget, Budhhist budget, Jain and Sikh budgets. The respective budgets should be presented incorporating inputs from the enlightened beings of each of these religionsyogis, mullahs, priests and saints. At a later stage, the number of religion-budgets should be increased to accommodate Parsis and other religions that are small and weak in number. Further, caste based budgets, within communities, too can be considered.

Three, the Owaisi method of budget will, thus, eventually help nurture the secular fabric of this country and will unite citizens of all communities as a single group, bonding them further to stand together as a strong nation, since now everyone have their own budgets. The method can be applied not just for allocation, but also for revenue mobilization. The Hindus should contribute only to the Hindu budget. Whats the point in using the hard earned money for the welfare of any other religion?

That defeats the very purpose of Owaisi model of budget. The temples and Hindu taxpayers can, thus, contribute to the Hindu budget, the Mosques and Muslim taxpayers to the Muslim budget and so on. This ensures the principles of secularism and character of a constitutionally-guided democratic society evolves in terms of all yardsticks that should define a modern society.

Four, the more important point is Owaisis budget recommendations will eventually set an example to political leaders from other religions. For the sake of a secular country and its larger ideals, they will also start pitching for the unarguably innovative model of community-based budget allocation and revenue collection.

Owaisis idea of a Muslim budget isnt a bad idea and why only Muslims? Lets cut the budget into parts to have a Hindu budget, Christian budget and a Jain budget too.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here.
Addressing the Vibrant Global Summit 2017, at Gujarats Gandhi Nagar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, said the Narendra Modi-government has taken bold steps for the growth of the country and bring in more transparency, echoing the line of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yes, Modi government has done much better than UPA-regime to take high-risk reform calls, demonetisation is the biggest example.

The goods and services tax (GST), insolvency code, efforts to rationalise or cut down subsidy burden, bring more transparency in the financial system shows Modis reform intent, something which, even his political enemies wouldnt doubt. But, Modi will risk losing his focus on the bold reform agenda if he fails to address the banking sector reforms beyond what is already done.

Indias PSU banks, which make up 70 percent of the total banking industry, are in a sad state. Consider this. The state-run banks are neck-deep in bad debts (about 12 percent of their total loans are either bad or being restructured) and are ready with their begging bowls to march to North Block for survival capital. They are unable to fend for themselves--to service their mandatory reserve requirements, bet on higher credit growth and repair their impaired balance sheets. If there is a serious intent to revive the banking sector and the idea is overhauling the banking sector, cosmetic changes will not help.

Following are the problem areas:

Capital

The current annual allocation of Rs 25,000 crore under the Indradhanush programme is inadequate to equip the banking system for a higher growth phase in the economy. Sidhharth Purohit, analyst at Angel Broking Ltd, estimates that at least Rs 35,000 crore should be infused in the state-run banks to make them strong institutions and enable these banks aid the economic growth in Asias third largest economy.

Under the governments Indradhanush plan, of the Rs 1.8 lakh crore capital needed by banks under Basel-III, the government has offered to infuse Rs 70,000 crore over four years till 2018-19 and wants the government banks to fend for themselves for the remaining Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the market. This is clearly not enough. Also, how does the government expects that weak state-run banks will find takers? This compounds the problem. So far, there is not much progress on the reform front. That is why the government, the majority owner in these banks, will have to think about infusing them with higher chunks of capital and push the reform button.

Demand revival

Capital, however, is only one part of the issue. The bigger problem is that there is no economic activity on the ground at this stage necessitating more capital. So, the government will have to do something to boost demand from companies, while simultaneously recapitalizing banks. The initiatives in the housing sector are welcome step in this direction. Lending rate cuts alone wouldn't do the trick since there isn't enough demand for loans, especially from corporations.

Privatisation

Once banks are adequately capitalised and the ongoing bank clean up exercise is over, it is critical that Modi-government initiates the privatisation process or consolidation among the public sector banks. It doesnt need to do in one go, but a solid roadmap is essential. It doesnt make sense to retain several weak public sector banks purely at the mercy of government capital. Presently, there are at least 15 banks in which government has shareholding of over 70 percent and five of them in which the government holds over 80 percent. There is no reason why government continues to be in the owner so many state-run banks except to use them as vehicles for populist schemes such as mass loan waivers or directed credit to certain sectors.

Bad loan resolution

The ongoing clean up exercise, initiated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under Raghuram Rajan, has helped to dig out much hidden dirt from the bank balance sheets but that isnt enough. Recognising the problem is one part, the next step is how to deal with it. Recovery of large corporate loans is a nightmare to public sector banks. The debt recovery tribunals have failed to speed up the process. The battle often ends up in courts prolonging the dispute resolution to years. Will the new insolvency code change this scenario is a question one needs to wait and watch. But, one efficient way for the resolution of bad loans stuck in the banking system is by creating a separate entitybad bankto deal with this task. All the bad assets in the banks should be transferred to this new entity, whose sole task will be to recover this chunk of impaired assets.

Autonomy in functions

By now, there are reasons to believe that the Modi-government has happily inherited the practice of micromanaging banks from the UPA-regime, asking them what to do and what not to do. This is something they should stop immediately. We saw banks being pushed to the corner for Jan Dhan targets, now the latest example came when PM Modi called for a rate cut from banks, in his speech on the new-year eve, which was religiously followed by banks with up to 90 basis points lending rate cuts. This yet again send a wrong signal if the idea is to let banks do their business. If the idea is autonomy in functions, it is not the government but the banks that should take a call on their business. Else, there isnt any difference between the Modi-administration and what the UPA-governments used to do in the past.

Rating agencies too have repeatedly cautioned that a weak banking sector continues to be a major drag in the India growth story. It is time Modi government pay attention to the warning signals from banking sector which is the backbone of any economy. The latest data shows that bank credit growth slowed to the lowest since 1997 (read the story here). This should ring a bell to the government about how deep is the pain inflicted by demonetisation resulted cash crunch on economy. Bank credit coming to a grinding halt mirrors the poor economic activity on the ground. Even if this is a short-term phenomenon, the government cant and shouldnt ignore the signal.

The bottomline is this: It is even more critical now for the Modi-government pay more attention to the banking sector problems. At the end of its 5-year tenure, banking sector reforms will be watched closely to evaluate this governments willingness and ability to undertake bold reforms. The UPA, under Manmohan Singh, failed to initiate bold reforms in the banking sector. Narendra Modi shouldnt repeat the mistake.

(Data support from Kishor Kadam)

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday released the first list of BJP candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. The minister released the names of 17 candidates in the first for the upcoming polls. The minister also announced the names of 29 candidates for the Goa polls.

Delhi: JP Nadda releases BJP's first list of candidates for upcoming Punjab polls pic.twitter.com/ZLNxVsO3px  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Have released the list of 17 candidates for Punjab polls and 29 candidates for polls in Goa: JP Nadda pic.twitter.com/dQSUaIhgxY  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Earlier, a report in The Tribune stated that the BJP was likely to announce the candidates on Wednesday. However, no announcement took place.

The BJP, in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is expected to fight 23 seats, while the Parkash Singh Badal-led party would be contesting the remaining 94 of the 117 seats.

The SAD had earlier released its list of 93 candidates, the The Economic Times noted.

It is being speculated that the party is also expected to release its manifesto.

In October 2016, BJP chief Vijay Sampla said that the party would release the manifesto by December, according to a report in the Hindustan Times. However, that did not materialise.

It is important to note that the Congress party released its manifesto on Monday, in the presence of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

The Rajya Sabha MP said, "Punjab is a state with tremendous unexploited potential. This potential has not been exploited because of mismanagement by the current government," said Manmohan.

"This election manifesto is a forward looking visionary document, which promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the state government in the past 10 years," the former prime minister added.

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, while speaking to the press, also addressed the problem of consumption of drugs in the state and said, "Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in four weeks, we will end this drug menace in Punjab."

Punjab goes to polls on 4 February, while counting will take place on 11 March along with the four other states which went to polls.
Last month, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh chose to pontificate on the need for sterilisation in the Indian Union using the Hindi term "nasbandi", thus bringing back the memory of the draconian sterilisation initiatives during the emergency regime of Indira Gandhi.

Apart from adding a rhyming effect to the term "notebandi", the Hindi term for demonetisation, what he said is that demonetisation had to be followed up with sterilisation (nasbandi) and that all sections of the society should adopt it. To be fair, he did not speak of forced sterilisation, but he marked out "population explosion" as a problem in the "country" and laid out his prescription to solve it. While he is free to suggest solutions, however outlandish, there is a problem in it. There is a population explosion problem in the country only if by "country" he means his homeland Bihar. The Indian Union does not have a population explosion problem. Let me explain what I mean.

It is fashionable in Delhis power circles to characterise this or that as a "national" problem. The Indian Union is a federal union of extremely diverse and different ethnolinguistic nationalities, whose achievements and failings also differ. Thus, all such cases of "national problem" need to be analysed carefully because more often than not, characterisation of something as a "national problem" by such powerful people from the Delhi power circuit leads to "national" policies to provide "national" solutions. And since it affects a huge number of people including those who people like Singh may not have in mind when they evoke the "national" in a problem. Probably because the idea of their "nation" stems from their backyard that may be their "nation" but not everybody elses. So, lets look at his so-called "national problem" called "population explosion".

The total fertility rate (TFR) is a good measure of future population growth trends. TFR is defined as "the number of children who would be born per woman (or per 1,000 women) if she/they were to pass through the childbearing years bearing children according to a current schedule of age-specific fertility rates". A TFR less than 2.1 is generally considered to be a below replacement rate, which means, when TFR falls below that number and that is sustained, in future, the population actually decreases. In areas with very high mortality, the replacement TFR rate can be somewhat higher. What is the TFR scenario across different states of the Indian Union? West Bengal's Total Fertility rate is 1.64, which is among the lowest in the world  same as Netherlands, Canada and Denmark. The Dravidian homelands do not have a problem. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are similar to West Bengal at around 1.7. Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana, since post state division data is not still available), Karnataka and Maharashtra are around 1.8, comparable to Belgium, Finland and Norway. All of these are better than USA and UK. Thus, these states and most others, which comprise the whole of the Deccan peninsula and the East, do not have a "population explosion" and thus do not share the "national problem". If anything, they have the opposite problem  of having TFR below replacement level.

However, Singh claimed that the Indian Union "adds population equal to Australia every year". That is also true but only partially. There are only six states with a TFR higher than the national average of 2.34  who add so much population that they reverse the first world level TFRs of West Bengal and states that form the Deccan peninsula. They are Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. All of them have Hindi as the primary official language, I mention that because the language ties them into a cultural sphere that is the source of the so-called "national problem". Thus Singhs "national" problem is a Hindi-belt problem. Hence, if solutions are to be sought, it is to be sought by breaking it down to these political-cultural units and then identify what exactly about them is problematic. And that is where it gets tricky.

This Hindi-belt population growth is a drag on the meagre resources of the economy, whose revenues are disproportionately generated by states who do not have a population problem. Moreover, when Hindi-belt problems arise, what Delhi does is transfer huge funds from non-Hindi states to Hindi states to solve a Hindi-belt problem. It is also useful to see why this problem becomes a "national problem" in Singhs mind. The six problem states contributed to 60% of the seats that the BJP won in 2014, while seat-wise, all the seats in these states (not only those won by the BJP) make-up less than 37% of the total number of Lok Sabha seats. This means that the problem states have an undue hold on the composition of the Union legislature. Hence, it is not unnatural that this disproportionate hold on the Union government leads its functionaries to use the "idea of India" and "nation" to falsely generalise the problems and then devise ways for the non-problem states to pick up the bill when it comes to paying for the solution to such problems.

There is another aspect to this. Since no internal migration controls exist between the states of the Indian Union, the economic and social gains that come with a low TFR are denied to the low TFR states. The high TFR states thus send across people to low TFR states, thus burdening low TFR states with the problem of high TFR states that Giriraj mischaracterised as a "national" one. In fact, such is the scale of the problem that among the top 10 linguistic groups in the Indian Union only Hindi-speaking population's percentage as a proportion of the total population of the Indian Union has increased every decade for the last 5 decades. Apart from the economic costs, this aspect along with uncontrolled migration has grave consequences for the distinct socio-cultural fabric of almost all non-Hindi states. The problem does not speak its name due to political correctness, but it is so acute that NDA partner Telugu Desam Partys supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has highlighted the TFR differences as a huge source of the problem.

However, Singhs apparently sudden observations on "population explosion" have a more sinister dog-whistle element. Because, just two months before voicing his concerns about "population explosion", Singh had suggested that Hindus should increase their population by producing more children. Thus, perhaps what he had in mind was a Muslim population growth issue that he chose to couch in terms of a "national problem". However, Giriraj Singh doesnt know, perhaps due to his Hindi-belt centric view of his nation, that the Muslim population growth rates in most non-Hindi states are lower than the Hindu population growth rates of the six main Hindi belt states. Thus, if we combine his October prescription and his December concern with actual population growth trends, the only population explosion that might please Giriraj Singh is that of Hindi-speaking Hindus, given that group also happens to be the BJPs primary support base.

The false generalisation of Hindi-belt problems as "national" problems goes beyond this specific episode. Take the example of Indo-Pak rivalry. It is not uniformly popular. There are anti-Pak Hindi films but no one has heard of an anti-Pak Bhojpuri or Bangla film. There simply is no market for it. More often than not, looking at things always from an Indian Union-wide perspective hides more than it reveals about the question at hand. This was also evident during the recent English New Year molestation cases in Bengaluru and Delhi. Following those unfortunate events, media was abuzz with the talk about the behaviour of "Indian" men in urban centres. Delhi is so off the charts compared to other major metros (which happen to be non-Hindi speaking majority) when it comes to the rate of reported rape, stalking, child rape, abduction, workplace sexual harassment, etc, that a characterization of the men in Kolkata or Chennai (both cities whose reported rape rates are more than 20 times lesser than Delhi!) in light of the behaviour of men in Delhi is doing them a huge disservice in front of the world.

Yes, rapes occur everywhere and one rape is a rape too many. And rape is a common global problem and so is patriarchy, but attitudes differ and so do the consequences due to those differences. Delhi with a reported rape rate that is 47 times greater than the rate of Kolkata and 9 times greater than the rate in Bengaluru do not share the same set of problems. Because, rates matter. Because it means that a woman in Delhi is 47 times more likely to get raped than a woman in Kolkata. And hence, it is more useful to talk about Delhis men separately from Kolkata or Chennais men. Because if we mischaracterise the problem under the garb of "Indian men" that puts Haryana and Mizoram in one basket, we will end up advocating a similar set of solutions for men who rape at a rate 47 times higher.

The idea of "national" needs to be relooked in the face of the real differences in the real world. Decentralised policymaking, which in turn means state specific policymaking, can lead to maximum benefits out of policy interventions. However, from the tendencies of the present Union government through its imposition of uniform policies via Delhi-based technocratic bodies like Niti Ayog, it is clear that in its pursuit of the "national", it has anything but the real people and their real differences in mind. This has to be rationally countered by pointing to the diverse realities and trajectories of the various states of the Indian Union. So, next time someone tells you about something national, ask him or her to break it down to the level of states and then make your own conclusions.
If you slap vigilance cases against us, we will not work  this message from a section of the states top bureaucrats last week could have left any state government in utter chaos. But the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chose to crack the whip instead.

Not only has Vijayan quelled the mutiny with an iron hand, but the Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in the state, which comes under the Home portfolio held by Vijayan, has decided to set up a governance audit in all government offices and Public Sector Units in the state. A circular on this was released by the VACB on Wednesday.

On Monday morning, following a dressing down from the chief minister himself, the revolting bureaucrats including the chief, home, finance and industries secretaries, who had otherwise planned a one-day token strike, went back to work quietly.

The CPM strongman was obviously showing the powerful civil servants lobby in the state that he was the boss. But more importantly Vijayan was setting the ball rolling on what could turn out to be a master strategy in rooting out corruption from the system.

If anyone thinks they can arm twist the government to their liking, then they are thoroughly mistaken. Vigilance cases against officers will continue and the government has no plans to interfere in them. Such form of protest from top officials are unacceptable and it has been conveyed to them, a visibly irked chief minister said at a media briefing after meeting the bureaucrats.

By reiterating that the vigilance cases against officers would continue, Vijayan has managed to not only push the bureaucrats out of their comfort zones but also cause a serious chink in the armour of an otherwise powerful IAS lobby in the state.

The battles lines have clearly been drawn. On one side is the chief minister and his favourite foot soldier Jacob Thomas, director of the VACB, one of the senior-most IPS officers in the state and on the other side are the top rung of the states bureaucracy.

With the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court accepting to file a complaint against the chief secretary himself for supporting the strike planned by the bureaucrats, the fight is now turned into a full-blown war. The complaint alleges that SM Vijayanand, the chief secretary, seems to have taken no effort to stop the officers from deciding to go on strike.

Tit for tat, on Thursday, Industries Secretary Paul Antony wrote a letter to the government asking whether he should continue in his position after being named as the third accused in a case of nepotism. Industries Minister EP Jayarajan had earlier resigned after being accused of nepotism in the same case where Antony is the third accused.

Antonys letter is seen as yet another attempt to step up the heat on the Vigilance Department and the chief ministers office by playing the victim card and force a watering down of charges against erring officers. Almost 20 civil servants in the state, many of them senior, are today facing a vigilance probe.

Civil rights and anti-corruption activists like CR Neelakandan say that it is perhaps for the first time that a chief minister in the state has refused to bow down to the interest of the powerful civil servants.

Neelakandan points out that the state has had a long history of civil servants going hand-in-glove with politicians in corruption cases. While a few unlucky ones had been caught in the net, most of them had managed to give the slip to the investigating agencies along with their political masters.

While on one side there had been a completely toothless and namesake vigilance over the years, most of the bureaucrats had managed to escape saying that they were just doing their duty.

Look at the case of Paul Antony. He says that he is innocent and the only thing he has done is to implement an order of the minister concerned. But if he knew that minister was wrong, what stopped the secretary from writing a note of dissent. He had the right and the power to do it but he didnt. So wasnt he as much a party to it as the minister. But for years this is how the top bureaucrats used to get away, said Neelakandan.

Activists are now hopeful that Vijayans strong action would break this myth among the bureaucrats that they could get away easily with corruption. Activists also add that apprehension has suddenly gripped the IAS community in the state over the last few days. Top civil servants are thinking twice before inking crucial decisions.

Many also say that the open dissent shown by a section of the IAS Association is only a reflection of their desperate attempts to ensure that the present crackdown on corruption does not reach them.

How the revolt broke out

On the evening of 7 January, a section of the IAS officers met at the chamber of one of the secretaries and prepared a note denouncing the vigilance action against some of the senior officers. They called the action vindictive, a violation of natural principles of justice and abuse of power on the part of vigilance director Jacob Thomas.

The note then went on to make personal attacks against Thomas and also accused the government of shielding him even against court cases. The note ended thus  We are requesting our colleagues of the Kerala IAS to avail one days casual leave on 9 January to express our sadness, frustration and professional dissatisfaction and to show our solidarity with our aggrieved colleagues, in allowing the present Vigilance Director to continue abusing his power.

This note, which had no ownership or signature, was released to the media through the Public Relations Department (PRD) of the state government. Political analysts say that the bureaucrats certainly have a right to raise their grievances through a proper platform. But a call to strike, akin to what trade unions do, because some of their colleagues are facing vigilance probes, was like biting off more than they can chew.

Next morning, the chief minister dealt with it with an iron hand.

Not only have the civil servants violated the All India Service rules but they have even questioned the basic tenets of the Constitution by threatening to strike overnight. How can they do this in the name of protecting one of their own from a vigilance case when the Supreme Court has clearly said that the no bureaucrat enjoys immunity of any kind in corruption cases? asks Advocate DB Binu, a leading RTI activist in the state.

Binu goes on to add that even when the chief secretary was arrested and his house raided in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, civil servants there did not even raise a finger. The difference, he points out, is that the IAS lobby in Kerala is so neck-deep in power play that they seemed to have overlooked the legal implications of protecting officers who are facing corruption charges.

The lobby is so strong that even administrative reforms have had little effect among the babus in Kerala. It is shocking that the officers here have failed to realise the futility of their move to protect such corrupt officers. They should have approached the court than issue such anonymous notes against the government and hold the state to ransom, adds Binu.

Meanwhile, the director of vigilance and the Anti-Corruption Bureau, on whose name the whole battle had erupted is unfazed by the allegations that are thrown at him almost every day. He is all set to take the battle against corruption a notch higher by involving an effective mechanism that would measure inefficiency, inaction and abuse or misuse of power by officers in all government establishments.

The latest circular, issued on Wednesday, also talks of a quarterly or half-yearly audit to upgrade the level of governance by nailing those responsible for incompetency and inaction.

I have a policy to implement here and that policy is zero tolerance on corruption. This is the mission of the government as announced by the governor in the state Assembly. There will be resistance to it which will have to be managed as we do in all cases, says Jacob Thomas, director, VACB.

Representatives of the IAS association were not available for comment in spite of repeated attempts to reach them over the phone.

The chief minister seems to have won the first round in this battle with civil servants but the crucial question is whether governance will take a hit in the state.

Will Vijayan be the man who will finally rein in the powerful IAS lobby? That bet is up for grabs.
A single statement made by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls in 2015, left the prospects of the BJP seriously damaged.

"Reservation should be on economic basis," he had said in an interview.

Nitish Kumar's strategists were quick to pounce on it and give it an electoral spin. The man behind that clever move was Prashant Kishor, the chief minister's poll strategist who is now giving his services to the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand for the upcoming polls.

Kishor is now planning to give Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodias recent statement on Arvind Kejriwal as the chief ministerial face of the party a similar spin. Similar to the Bihari vs Bahari' slogan, he has started an outsider vs insider debate in Punjab.

Sisodia, Delhis deputy chief minister, had said on 10 January that people of Punjab should cast their votes "assuming that Kejriwal will be the chief minister of Punjab". His comments drew strong reactions from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress in the state.

Backed by its phenomenal success in Delhi Assembly election and with its only four MPs, all from Punjab, the AAP has posed a tough challenge to both SAD and Congress in Punjab.

The Punjab Congress and Prashant Kishors I-PAC team have chalked out a strategy to use Sisodias statement with a counter-narrative  outsider versus insider  and take it to public.

The entire branding of Punjab Congress and its chief Amarinder Singh has been designed around Punjab, Punjabi, Punjabiyat, so that it could resonate strongly among the voters of Punjab. The key focus was on the Punjab vs Non-Punjabi narrative. Now, we have planned a new narrative and will take it to multiple platforms, a source close to the Congress strategy team told Firstpost.

The Punjab Congress chief launched his campaign with catchy slogans and themes like Chaunda hai Punjab, Captain di Sarkar; Coffee with Captain, etc.

The insider vs outsider strategy

The Congress now wants to make a strong pitch across the state with a campaign song that underlines the new theme insider vs outsider:

Gairan de hath dor na deni, gair tan haunde gair...Ghar da banda howe jehra, ghar di mange kher...Mitti ki rag rag jaane, agla pichla sab pehchane (Do not give the reigns to an outsider, he is an outsider after all...The one who belongs to the state is the one who wishes for the betterment of home. He is the one who knows the history of the land and its people).

The Punjab Congress team led by Amarinder and backed by I-PAC will take this narrative to social media, public rallies, mass contact programmes and door-to-door campaigning. Cartoons, sketches, slogans and seeking public referendum will be used as tools to propagate the message.

Congress will unleash a massive campaign through Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to evoke the Punjabiyat narrative and a debate on the insider vs outsider CM. We want to make it a talking point in every public rally and meeting to seek peoples referendum on whether the chief minister should be a Punjabi or Bahari  a Punjabi or an outsider, a Punjab Pradesh Congress source said.

Will it work against Badals?

The Congress has an answer to this as well. And they have coined a slogan to counter SAD and the Badals.

Badals are Punjabis and insiders as well, but were looking at the anti-incumbency factor against the SAD government. People in Punjab are fed up due to the misrule, poor governance, rise in crime and drug menace. So, Punjab needs a Punjabi to lead it and its Punjab da Captain Amarinder Singh, the source added.
Chandigarh: Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has strongly condemned the hurling of a shoe at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi and appealed to Punjabis to shun elements who want to destroy the peaceful fabric of Punjab.

"I appeal to Punjabis to remain calm and give a befitting answer to miscreants by voting for Badal Sahab to lead them again," she told reporters at Budhlada town in Mansa on Wednesday.

"Miscreants who want to destroy hard won peace can never succeed in this endeavour. I condemn the cowardly attack on the most respected politician and appeal to Punjabis to shun elements who want to destroy Punjab's peaceful fabric," she said.

Harsimrat also hit out at AAP senior leader and MP Bhagwant Mann, dubbing him as a "joker". She accused AAP of egging people to resort to violence ahead of the state Assembly polls on 4 February.

The Bathinda MP was referring to the shoe hurling incident in Ratta Khera village of Lambi Assembly segment and another incident in which the cavalcade of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked in Jalalabad Assembly segment in Fazilka on 8 January.

Without naming anyone, a furious Harsimrat said, "Inanoon sochan di lod hain ki jey kithe Badal sahib ne Akaliyaan nu keh dita ki inade khilaf daang chak lo, inanu muhn dikhaun ki yeah zinda rehan de layak nahi rehange (They need to think if Badal sir tells Akali workers to pick up sticks against them, let alone showing their faces to anyone, they will not be able to live)".

However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, the minister sought to charge the media with "sensationalism".

"I appeal to the media not to sensationalise my statements. I have stressed that Badal Sahab always stands for exercising restraint but the exact opposition has been reported by a newspaper which has chosen to twist part of the statement," she said.

"I again reiterate that Badal Sahab has always stood for peace and communal harmony and so does the Shiromani Akali Dal," Harsimrat said.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Thursday strongly condemned Harsimrat's "provocative remarks" and warned the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as well as Aam Aadmi Party against "inciting violence", saying any such move would not only backfire but would also cause irrevocable damage to the state.

Urging restraint in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Amarinder also urged the Election Commission to take serious note of such statements and initiate stern action to crack down on all disruptive elements to prevent the Punjab elections from spiraling into a vortex of violence.

"The series of clashes between AAP and SAD workers in the past few days endorse my worst fears about Punjab heading for a violent election," he said.

"Instead of instigating party workers, Harsmirat should try to defuse the situation by urging them to stay calm," the former chief minister said, adding radical elements would otherwise get the opportunity to exploit the tension in the state to create widespread violence. He also deplored the incidents of stone and shoe throwing at the Badals, calling upon the people to vent their anger against the Akali leadership by exercising their vote judiciously instead of resorting to violent and provocative acts.

"These elections are your biggest opportunity to get rid of the corrupt and criminal Badal sarkar," Amarinder told the people, asking them not to waste the opportunity by diverting attention through violence.
Lucknow: With filing of nominations for the first phase of assembly polls drawing closer, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday asked his ministers and legislators not to worry about tickets as he fine tuned with his close aides Samajwadi Party's strategy.

As his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and warring uncle Shivpal camped in New Delhi, waiting for the Election Commission to take up on Friday the dispute in the party over its 'cycle' symbol, Akhilesh remained closeted with his close confidants at his 5 Kalidas Marg official residence to discuss the poll scenario.

"Don't get trapped in the symbol dispute. It is before EC and will get resolved tomorrow (on Friday)," he told party workers who had assembled at this residence for 'Janata Darshan'.

"Go to the masses. I will draw up my tour programme and will join you," Akhilesh, who replaced Mulayam as the SP president recently, directed his supporters, who aired their strong desire that he should be the chief minister again.

Akhilesh told his ministers and legislators that they should not worry about tickets. "You will get tickets, do not worry. Work hard for SP's victory," he told them during the 90-minute animated interaction.

"All is well in the party," he told waiting media persons on coming out of the meeting.

Senior SP minister and Akhilesh loyalist Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that the chief minister was giving final touches to the SP manifesto which was likely to be released soon after the symbol dispute is resolved by the EC.

The manifesto will focus on agriculture sector and welfare of minorities, he said.

Party insiders said Akhilesh was working on a new list of candidates, keeping out those facing criminal charges and accommodating deserving aspirants.

The two SP factions led by Mulayam and Akhilesh have staked claim over the party and its election symbol 'cycle' ahead of Assembly elections and the EC has decided to hear the matter on Friday.

Mulayam, in a surprise softening of stand towards his son, recently said Akhilesh will be the next Chief Minister, but his statement failed to iron out the differences between the father-son duo on contentious issues like party president's post which Akhilesh does not want to give up.

Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on 1 January, Akhilesh has been going whole hog consolidating his grip over the organisation by making new appointments and releasing list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls.

The seven-phase Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on 11 February and filing of nominations will start on 17 January before which the symbol dispute has to be resolved.

Party insiders said former ministers Narad Rai, Om Prakash Singh, Shahdab Fatima and Ambika Chaudhary might find place in the new list along with Arvind Singh Gope and Ram Govind Chaudhary.

Likewise, some tainted nominees, including Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari's brother Sibghatullah, and Amanmani Tripathi, son of a murder convict, given ticket by Mulayam and Shivpal could be dropped.

While Atiq is a politician with criminal background, Ansari is gangster-turned-politician heading the Qaumi Ekta Dal, whose merger with SP was strongly opposed by Akhilesh, before he had to give in to pressure from Mulayam.

Mulayam had announced candidates for all but eight of the 403 Assembly seats on 30 December.

Later the Akhilesh camp had circulated through social media an unsigned list of 250 candidates, apparently to send the message that he was calling the shots as 'president' of SP.

Akhilesh has cleared the names of three candidates for the biennial elections to UP upper House: for Kanpur-Unnao (Teachers constituency), Allahabad-Jhansi (Teachers constituency) and Bareilly-Moradabad (Graduates constituency).

Akhilesh has already appointed heads of 11 district party units in Mainpuri, Moradabad, Fatehpur, Etawah, Farukhabad, Hardoi, Firozabad, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur.

The existing presidents of these district units were sacked with immediate effect to pave the way for new faces to demonstrate the chief minister's strengthening grip over the party.

Presidents in all these districts were dumped by Shivpal, who is state president of another faction of SP backed by Mulayam, his elder brother.
If 'post-truth' and 'surreal' were the words of the year, as per a couple of notable dictionaries, the word that defines the transition of America into Trumpland is quite simply 'delegitimisation'.

Thats been there theme trumpeted by the US president-elect Donald Trumps campaign since 8 November. Whether this has referred to the Russian hack of the Democratic National Committees emails or the popular vote win for Hillary Clinton in the General Election (to be fair, a non-factor in determining the presidency), that has been the constant complaint. That the media is echoing liberal propaganda is now the default position and will continue through the process of vetting of Trumps Cabinet nominees and any questions that are raised about their suitability for the offices they will hold or just questions that may be deemed unsuitable.

That was very evident during the press conference held by the president-elect, the first in nearly six months and possibly the only one of the transition phase. Two news organisations touted an apparent intelligence dossier that pointed to sexual deviation on part of Trump that could have been used by the Kremlin to blackmail him. Among them was Buzzfeed, a website that also offers up such headlines like '19 Lies You Actually Believed As A Teen'. As the presser progressed, Trump brushed aside another outlet, saying, Im not going to give you a question, you are fake news.

The 'dossier', apparently prepared by a former British intelligence agent, makes for sensational reading but representatives of multiple news organisations, including The New York Times, have publicly noted that they cannot be substantiated.

Trump and his people have taken advantage of a deep loss of credibility within the American media as the results of the Presidential Election started streaming in. All polls and pundits got it incredibly wrong. That became even more damning as the 'hacking of the election' meme collapsed as three states went through recounts without those allegations getting any sort of confirmation. As stories of 'faithless' electors dumping Trump then gained currency, that too was debunked by double the number of members of the Electoral College ditching Clinton than they did Trump. And as the media positioned itself to take on an adversarial role to the Trump, that suspicion grew stronger as reports like Russia hacking the US power grid fell apart.

Even before Trump came to the podium, the stage had already been set with the cry of a "concerted effort" to "deligitimise this election and demean the incoming administration". Vice-President-elect Mike Pence tom-tommed that line as he said such reporting could "only be attributed to media bias".

Whats happened in America in the two months since the election is that there has been a conversation over "fake news", which was apparently disseminated at the instructions of Moscow to influence voters. That "fake news" straw man is now an employee of the Trump organisation. As pro-Trump Right-of-Centre outlets, disparaged as the Alt-Right, have turned it around to undermine the mainstream American media, as that phrase is handy to batter anti-Trump reporting. "Its phony stuff," Trump said at one point during the media interaction, and thats become part of the pushback against what his supporters (and voters) believe to be the medias collusion with the Alt-Left, a neologism to describe shriller voices on the liberal side.

This episode, like those earlier, will be very useful to a President Trump: Criticism will be filed under the "fake news" category and the schism between him and the press will widen as he preaches from a social media bully pulpit. More than Hillary Clinton, the media may have become the biggest casualty of the US elections and it may take a debacle of Trumpian proportions to make such delegitimisation defunct.
By Manuel Mogato

| MANILA

MANILA The Philippines is deferring plans to repair and upgrade features it occupies in the disputed South China Sea, the country's military chiefs said on Thursday, to avoid provoking China while the two traditional foes seek to bury the hatchet. The Philippines would continue to observe a moratorium on construction in the Spratly islands that it adopted while an international tribunal handled an arbitration case it lodged against Beijing in 2013.Even though a ruling handed down in July last year went in favour of the Philippines, its military top brass felt the timing was not right to start upgrades.The decision to defer upgrades was to avoid "any aggressive action in the West Philippine Sea," Military chief General Eduardo Ano told a news conference at an army base, using the name by which the Philippines refers to the South China Sea. He said the move aimed to preserve a new era of friendlier relations with China under President Rodrigo Duterte, who decided to engage Beijing, rather than confront it in the wake of a arbitral award it bitterly opposed.

Duterte says he is in no hurry to discuss that ruling and will do so only when China is ready.The Philippines has been occupying nine features in the Spratlys, including a submerged reef on which a rusting transport ship ran aground in the late 1990s.The Philippines has by far the weakest defence structures in the disputed area and most facilities are dilapidated. Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and China also occupy areas of the contested archipelago.

China has reclaimed seven reefs, building man-made islands with anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries. Satellite imagery shows development has continued lately, despite the arbitral ruling declaring that illegal.Vietnam, which occupies the largest number of features in the South China Sea, has also enhanced its facilities."I don't know if we can now lift the moratorium," Defence Minister Delfin Lorenzana told reporters. "We're on status quo for now."

Lorenzana said the government had allocated 800 million pesos ($16.15 million) to upgrade an eroded runway on an airfield on Thitu Island, but that work would not happen soon.Rex Tillerson, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, told U.S. legislators he wanted to send China a clear signal to stop building islands and leave those it has already made.($1=49.5300 Philippine pesos) (Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Emily Chow

| SUNGKAI, Malaysia

SUNGKAI, Malaysia The Malaysian plantation district of Sungkai has become an initial - and unlikely - battleground for an election that embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to call this year. Sungkai is home to ethnic Malays who work for the national palm plantation operator, Federal Land Development Authority (Felda). Known as "Felda settlers", they have long been among the beneficiaries of government affirmative action programmes for Malays, who form the majority of the population.The Felda settlers have been a rock solid vote bank for Najib's ruling coalition, even as urban Malays have poured into the opposition camp in recent years, alienated by a series of political scandals. Najib's coalition lost the popular vote in the last general election in 2013, but still won a majority of seats in Malaysia's gerrymandered constituencies.Malaysia's opposition is hoping the settlers could be the next to defect, which was why opposition lawmaker Rafizi Ramli on Sunday night was in Sungkai, a former mining town that now mainly relies on palm oil and rubber planting.The settlers have been angered by Felda's decision to purchase a 37 percent stake in Indonesian palm oil firm PT Eagle High Plantations (BWPT.JK) for $505 million, more than a 100 percent premium based on its closing share price on Wednesday.FELDA'S DEBTS

Eagle High is owned by one of Indonesia's richest men, Peter Sondakh, who has done a number of deals in Malaysia and is a longtime friend of Najib.Najib's office did not respond to requests for comment about the deal. Sondakh has not publicly commented about the deal in Jakarta.Just six months ago, Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party secured a sweeping victory in a by-election in this constituency in northern Perak state. But on Sunday night, more than 300 people gathered on the lawn of a Sungkai resident under a dank tropical night to hear opposition lawmaker Rafizi Ramli tell the cheering crowd: "We will change our prime minister and our government." "Felda's debts are growing ... and the government will use the settlers money to pay it off," said Rafizi, a 39-year-old lawmaker from People's Justice Party (PKR)."If we don't stop this, the debt will be shouldered by our future generations."Felda has said the deal will not impact its existing commitments and programmes to improve the well-being of the settlers. Felda itself is planning a series of roadshows to convince settlers in its plantation areas of the deal's benefits.

QUARTER OF PARLIAMENT

Felda settlers are the majority voters in at least 54 of the 222 seats in the national parliament, and has helped bring the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition to power in every election since independence in 1957.Even the opposition's attempt to highlight a multi-billion dollar alleged money-laundering scandal at state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that erupted in 2015 did not resonate with rural voters.The Felda issue, however, affects them directly."All this while, UMNO has won the elections because there are 54 parliamentary seats in the Felda (settlers) areas. Now I am sure the sentiment has changed," said Mazlan Aliman, president of the National Felda Settlers' Children Society (ANAK).He estimates that over half of his association members and their families will vote for the opposition party if the Eagle High deal goes through. "If this happens, (Barisan Nasional) will lose in the upcoming elections," Mazlan said.

Najib has to call elections by 2018, but a government source told Reuters he may do it earlier, possibly in the second half of this year. ELECTION HEADWINDS

The prime minister is heading into the next election already saddled with the scandal around 1MDB, which has been investigated in a half-dozen countries for money laundering. His government said nearly $700 million of 1MDB money that wound up in Najib's personal bank account came from an unnamed Saudi.Yet Najib, who has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, retains a tight grip on UMNO by commanding a vast patronage system that spreads the largesse among ordinary Malays as well as party apparatchiks.He is wielding sticks along with the carrots: Anwar Ibrahim, the charismatic opposition leader, remains in jail on sodomy charges, activists and politicians have been charged with sedition, critical news websites have been closed.Rafizi, the lawmaker who spoke at the Sungkai rally, is himself on bail pending an appeal after he was sentenced to 18 months in jail for leaking a confidential 1MDB document.But the prime minister is fighting economic headwinds. The ringgit currency has fallen by more than a quarter over the past two years, prices have risen after state subsidies were slashed and a national goods and services (GST) tax launched, and economic growth is expected to slow in 2017.

All that is being felt in rural Malay heartlands such as Sungkai, and is contributing to the sour faces over the Felda-Eagle High deal.FELDA'S FALLEN FORTUNES

Felda, created by Najib's father and Malaysia's second prime minister, resettled and employed the rural poor in the palm industry. It helped lead Malaysia to become one of the world's two largest producers of palm oil, along with Indonesia.The settlers leased government land for palm cultivation and many also own shares in Felda Global Ventures (FGV) (FGVH.KL), a unit of Felda that raised over $3 billion in a listing in 2012.But Felda's fortunes have slumped in recent years - its shares fell by over 60 percent since its IPO. The shares plunged another 5 percent on Dec. 23, when the Eagle High deal was announced."This is a waste of money," said Khalili Kasim, a 64-year-old settler, saying Felda should be providing housing loans, or educational aid instead of putting money into Eagle High."Land owners should be rich, but why are some of us still struggling and living under the poverty line?" Khalili said.But the opposition will be fighting an uphill battle to secure the votes of Felda settlers, who have long been loyal UMNO supporters."In the lead-up to the elections, if they (UMNO) can develop measures that can persuade the voters ... then they can still mitigate the concerns arising from the purchase of Eagle High," said Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center."But this is not a done deal; it is a developing story." (Editing by Praveen Menon and Bill Tarrant)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: US senator John McCain has admitted that he gave the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) a dossier detailing claims of a Russian blackmail plot against President-elect Donald Trump.

The Arizona lawmaker, who is a longtime Trump critic, made the public statement on Wednesday as questions piled up about his alleged role in spreading an unverified and error-riddled document that Trump has denounced as "a complete and total fabrication."

"Late last year, I received sensitive information that has since been made public," The New York Post quoted McCain in its report.

"Upon examination of the contents, and unable to make a judgment about their accuracy, I delivered the information to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That has been the extent of my contact with the FBI or any other government agency regarding this issue," the senator said.

Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein, who contributed to a story about the dossier reported by on Tuesday, said McCain was given the document by a former British ambassador to Moscow.

"It came from a former British MI6 agent who was hired from a political opposition research firm in Washington who was doing work about Donald Trump for both Republican and Democratic candidates opposed to Trump," Bernstein told CNN.

"They were looking at Trump's business ties. They saw some questionable things about Russians, about his businesses in Russia. They in turn hired this MI6 former investigator," said the Watergate reporter.

"He then came up with additional information from his Russian sources. He was very concerned by the implications of it. He then took it to an FBI colleague that he had known in his undercover work for years," Bernstein also said.

"He took it to this FBI man in Rome who turned it over to the bureau in Washington in August," Bernstein added.

"And then, a former British ambassador to Russia independently was made aware of these findings and he took the information to senator John McCain in the period just after the election, and showed it to him - additional findings," he added.

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday denied Russia has collected compromising information on Trump and dismissed news reports as a "complete fabrication and utter nonsense". Dmitry Peskov insisted that the Kremlin "does not engage in collecting compromising material".

McCain is no fan of Trump as he disavowed the president-elect weeks before the election.

During the campaign Trump said McCain wasn't a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War.
One suave, debonair, the perfect orator, replete with the Rajesh Khanna type tilt of the head, the boyish smile, the visually mesmerising cafe au lait good looks combined with the command over oratory that even Marcus Antonius would have admired.

The other, trite, clumsy, almost oafish, rude, crude, lacking in grace and dignity or so we think. A billionaire twice over he is more Sinatrish because he wants to go with the my way option.

The sort of person it is so easy to loathe. He doesnt fit the stereotype.

None of it matters. Come Friday and the torch will be passed to a new generation of Americans, from that same time and place that JFK made these words immortal. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask instead what you can do for your country.

Donald Trump, 45th President of the US may well have to paraphrase his sentiments as his detractors ask with trepidation not what he can do but what he will do to the country.

As a non-American I am not really getting into much of a twist, believing firmly that the more things change the more they stay the same. By which measure I have also enrolled into that small school of thought that found the Meryl Streep grandstand offensive, fey, cute and fake. Largely because the NYT reporter he has supposed to have imitated for being handicapped is an incident that Trump denies.

All his debates Trump has that Raj Kapoor type of rigid hand movement. Go watch it. It is like mild palsy. Most of his photographs also catch that Calibanesque stoop and the jiggly overturned palm in the front. So give him his benefit of doubt. Many of us have visible quirks like running a finger in our ears, touching our noses, shaking our legs while sitting. Trump projects that Mera Naam Joker stiffness.

He didnt bring his guns to town and take it over. He was voted into power. By a democratic process and you have to believe first in aliens before you accept that the Russians actually messed around with the e-vote.

So give him his 100-day honeymoon. Watched his press conference. Gruff, no desire to charm he promised great jobs, disinvested himself of anything would be a commercial conflict of interest and was combative with specific members of the press. So, okay, he doesnt care. We media folks have also become so thin skinned about how we should be treated. He doesnt like you, he doesnt like you, stop whining. The British Press is mocking him for this first performance and they can do sono one cares what they think this side of the pond anyway.

Sure, there is no script in a DT conference, so no one knows where he will take it. Just because he chose to make his assault on the media the core of his pre-oath taking conference and badmouthed some sections does not make him a rotten POTUS.

He chose not to be politically correct and he decided to cut with the courtesy to the fourth estate.

Maybe he will be a disaster. Perhaps he will say outrageous things. Chances are he will break protocol like he has by dropping 89-year-old announcer Charles Brotman who has always made the call these past sixty years.

Tactless, arrogant, thoughtless.

So be it. This is Donald Trump and at least he says it like he sees it. You cannot be much of an idiot if you make a billion, lose a billion, make it again and then get voted in as the powerful man on earth.

For all you know the harsh sticks in the broom may sweep lot cleaner than you think.

Like it or not, Barack Obama has left the party and now America dances to the Trump tune.
Washington: Donald Trump shocked everyone with his first speech as the US president-elect on Wednesday. Trump threw a lot of curved balls during his speech whether it was his "failing" jibe at Buzzfeed for running the "golden shower" story, rebuffing intelligence leaks of his ties with Russia and calling himself an "asset" because Russian President Vladimir Putin likes "Trump" to accepting for the first time that Russia did hack the US and sending the American Pharma market tumbling down with his announcement to introduce bidding in buying medicines to telling a CNN reporter to "shut up" a CNN reporter for asking for his tax returns during the event.

Here are the top few comments that the US president-elect made during his first speech.

Russia did hack Hillary's emails

Trump acknowledged Wednesday, for the first time, that he believed Russia was responsible for the hacking of email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, including Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. The revelations from which are believed to have heavily tilted the election in Trump's favour.

"As far as hacking, I think it was Russia," Trump said. "But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people."

Trump insults US intelligence agencies, likens release to "living in Nazi Germany"



Trump threw new rounds of insults at US intelligence agencies on Wednesday speculating that they may have leaked details about a classified briefing with him that included unsubstantiated allegations that Russia had collected compromising sexual and financial information about him.

"I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press," Trump said.

He said any such information was not true: "It's all fake news. It's phoney stuff. It didn't happen."

Trump was referring to a dossier that contained unproven information about close coordination between Trump's inner circle and Russians, including details about Russian hacking into Democratic accounts as well as unsubstantiated claims about unusual sexual activities by Trump, attributed to anonymous sources. Firstpost has not authenticated any of the claims.

It would be a "tremendous blot on their record if they, in fact, did that. A tremendous blot, because a thing like that should have never been written, it should never have been had and it should certainly never been released," Trump said. He also likened the release of information to "living in Nazi Germany", saying "it is "disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information  that turned out to be so false and fake  out."

Trump also denied any business dealings with Russia. "I have no dealings with Russia, no deals in Russia, no deals that could have been in Russia, no loans with Russia at all," says Trump.

Trump calls BuzzFeed "failing piece of garbage", labels CNN as "fake news"

Trump engaged in a war of words with the CNN reporter over the release of an unverified dossier by BuzzFeed, which he termed as "failing piece of garbage".

With Trump looking to call on other reporters, CNN journalist Jim Acosta yelled out, "Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?"

"Not you," Trump said, adding that, "Your organisation is terrible!"

The reporter pressed on saying, "You are attacking our news organisation, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?" Trump countered by telling him "don't be rude".

"I'm not going to give you a question," Trump responded. "I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news!" the President-elect asserted.

I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created

Trump also asserted that he would be the "greatest jobs producer that God ever created" as the President-elect highlighted the new jobs he has been able to bring back to the country through private firms.

"We're going to create jobs. I said that I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created. And I mean that, I'm going to work very hard on that," Trump told reporters at his first news conference in six months.

"We need certain amounts of other things, including a little bit of luck, but I think we're going to do a real job. And I'm very proud of what we've done," he said.

Trump said a lot of car companies are going to be moving in too.

"We have other companies  big news is going to be announced over the next couple of weeks about companies that are getting building in the Midwest," he said.

Trump also took credit for Fiat Chrysler's announcement to build another factory in the US and Ford's announcement that they stopped plans for a billion dollar plant in Mexico and they are going to be moving into Michigan and expanding, very substantially, an existing plant. However, a fact-check by Washington Post revealed that these decisions had nothing to do with Trump administration.

Trump's announcement to introduce bidding in drugs send Pharma shares down

The Pharma industry shares tumbled on Wednesday after the US President-elect said that it will reintroduce bidding in the drug industry.

"Our drug industry has been disastrous. They're leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but they don't make them here, to a large extent. And the other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drug industry because they're getting away with murder," he said. Pharma, Trump said, has a lot of lobbies and a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power and there is very little bidding on drugs.

"We're the largest buyer of drugs in the world and yet we don't bid properly and we're going to start bidding and we're going to save billions of dollars over a period of time," he said.

Will repeal and replace Obamacare simultaneously: Trump.

In an effort to set at rest all speculation with regard to the signature health care programme of outgoing US President Barack Obama, Trump said that he would simultaneously repeal and replace 'Obamacare'.

"It'll be repeal and replace. It will be essentially, simultaneously. It will be various segments, you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week, but probably, the same day, could be the same hour," Trump said.

One of his major campaign promises, Trump alleged that Obamacare is a complete and total disaster. He blamed the media for being guided by supporters of Obamacare.

"We are gonna do repeal and replace, very complicated stuff. And we're gonna get a health bill passed, we're gonna get health care taken care of in this country. You have deductibles that are so high, that after people go broke paying their premiums which are going through the roof, the health care can't even be used by them because their deductibles bills are so high," he said.

"As soon as our Secretary is approved and gets into the office, we'll be filing a plan. We're going to have a health care that is far less expensive and far better," he said.

Mexico won't pay for the wall directly, but reimburse it

Trump also acknowledged that Mexico won't pay for the wall along the US-Mexico border, but his government will still build the wall.

"We're going to build a wall. I could wait about a year-and-a-half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get to office, but I don't want to wait. I don't feel like waiting a year or a year-and-a-half. We're going to start building. Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us and they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall," Trump said, while responding to a question on his major election promise of building a wall along the US-Mexico border for which Mexico would make the payment.

Mexico, however has said, it would never pay for the wall. To which, Trump replied: "That will happen, whether it's a tax or whether it's a payment  probably less likely that it's a payment. But it will happen. So, remember this," he said, adding that it's more likely going to be in the form of a reimbursement.

Will release anti-hacking plan in 90 days

Claiming that the US is least prepared in defending its cyber assets resulting in various countries, including Russia and China, intruding into its online system, President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to come out with a major anti-hacking plan within 90 days after he assumes office on January 20.

"Within 90 days, we will be coming up with a major report on hacking defence, how do we stop this new phenomena  fairly new phenomena because the United States is hacked by everybody. That includes Russia and China and everybody," Trump told reporters.

If Putin, likes Donald Trump, it's an asset

Trump not only denied any relationships with Russia, he also called Russian President Vladimir Putin's likeness as an asset for the US. "If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin likes Donald Trump it is an asset not a liability," he said.

Russia will respect US with "Trump as leader"

Russia, Trump also claimed, will have far greater respect for the US when he is leading it. "There's no reset button. We're either going to get along or we're not. I hope we get along, but if we don't, that's possible too," he said on ties with Russia.

Trump declined business in Dubai

Trump said that he declined a business deal worth USD 2 billion in Dubai even though he is not obliged to do so as president. "Over the weekend, I was offered USD 2 billion to do a deal in Dubai with a very, very, very amazing man, a great, great developer from the Middle East, Hussein Damack, a friend of mine, great guy," Trump said.

Trump won't sell business, but his two sons will run it

Trump said that he has handed over complete control of his business empire to his two sons and they won't discuss its operations with him, in a move to avoid conflicts of interest once he assumes the office.

"My two sons - Donald Jr. and Eric - are going to be running the company. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. They're not going to discuss with me its operations," Trump, surrounded by his sons, daughter and son-in-law, said.

"I have signed documents turning over complete and total control to my sons," he said, before handing the stage to his lawyer Sheri Dillon.

Trump asserted that he is doing all this even though under current law, he can run his business and be president as well. "I didn't have to turn it down, because as you know, I have a no conflict situation because I'm president. I didn't know about that until about three months ago, but it's a nice thing to have," he said, adding that he does not want to take advantage of something.

"I have something that others don't have, Vice President Pence also has it. I don't think he'll need it, I have a feeling he's not going to need it. But I have no conflict of interest provision as president," Trump said.

Trump said he does not like the way that looks, but he would be able to do that if he wanted to.

"I would be the only one to be able to do that. You can't do that in any other capacity. But as president, I could run the Trump organisation, great, great company, and the country. I'd do a very good job, but I don't want to do that," he said.

Trump won't release his tax returns, tells reporters to shut up

Responding to questions, Trump refused to release his tax returns as they are under audit. "I'm not releasing the tax returns because as you know, they're under audit. The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters, OK? They're the only ones who ask," he told the reporter who asked the question.

In the news conference, Trump's lawyer Sheri Dillon said that Trump's investments and business assets commonly known as the Trump Organisation, comprising hundreds of entities, have all been or will be conveyed to a trust prior to January 20.

With agency inputs
By Francesco Guarascio

| BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS The European Parliament will elect a new speaker next week in an unusually heated vote that could end a decade-long cooperation between mainstream parties, complicate lawmaking and trigger a reshuffle of top EU jobs.All eight political groups of the legislature have fielded candidates, but the winner is expected to be one of the two Italians put up by the main centre-right and centre-left groupings.Conservative Antonio Tajani, 63, a close ally of Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, is the favourite as he can count on the support of the European People's Party, the largest grouping in parliament. However, unlike past appointments which were agreed in advance by the main parties, he faces a real challenger in Gianni Pittella, 58, who is bidding to succeed predecessor Martin Schulz, also of the centre-left.Breaking from a decade-long convention whereby the major groupings take turns to hold the high-profile job, Pittella has vowed to stimulate genuine debate and to dispel the idea that all main parties in the Parliament are part of a reform-shy establishment.Pittella also argues that a deal to make Schulz, a German Social Democrat, head of the parliament in 2014 implied that the Socialists were entitled to hold at least one top EU job.

If Tajani wins, the conservatives would hold all three top posts. Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg heads the EU's Brussels-based executive, the Commission, and former Polish prime minister Donald Tusk chairs the European Council, which groups the national governments. Socialists have warned that if Pittella does not win in the Parliament, they will push for a reshuffle of the key posts. Tusk's mandate ends in May but he is expected to want to stay on. Juncker has three years left, but has been weakened by Brexit, the migration crisis and recurrent criticism over Luxembourg's tax deals with multinationals during his nearly 19 years as the country's prime minister.

BOOST FOR EUROSCEPTICS?

The vote is scheduled for Tuesday and the 751 EU lawmakers might take up to four rounds to select the president.

Whatever the outcome, the divisive vote may make EU lawmaking more complicated, potentially delaying important pieces of legislation on financial services or the internal market over which the EU Parliament has a say.A fragmented and inefficient parliament risks giving a further boost to eurosceptic forces, which are also likely to play a key role in electing the new president.Tajani may need the support of French MEPs from Marine Le Pen's far-right Front National or those of Nigel Farage's United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) to be elected, giving them unprecedented negotiating power. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
London: A former MI6 officer who is believed to have prepared a memo claiming that Russia has compromising material on US President-elect Donald Trump is now in hiding, the BBC said in a report on Thursday.

Christopher Steele has been widely named as the author of the memo -- which has been published in some US media -- that contains extensive allegations about Trump's personal life and his campaign's relationship with the Russian state.

Among the allegations are that Moscow has a video recording of Trump with prostitutes and damaging information about his business activities.

Steele, who runs a London-based intelligence firm, is believed to have left his home on either Tuesday or Wednesday, before he was publicly named, and was now "in hiding", the BBC report said.

It said that Steele had asked his neighbour to look after his cats.

MI6 officials considered Steele "extremely, highly regarded" and he was thought of as "competent".

Steele is believed to be a former member of the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 and is a director of Orbis Business Intelligence -- which describes itself as a leading corporate intelligence consultancy.

According to the report, Christopher Burrows, who is listed as a co-director of Orbis alongside Steele, refused to confirm or deny whether the firm had produced the memo on Trump.

The 35-page dossier on Trump -- which is believed to have been commissioned initially by Republicans opposed to the real-estate mogul -- has been circulating in Washington for some time.

But the allegations have not been independently substantiated or verified and some details have been challenged as incorrect by those who are mentioned.

Trump himself was briefed about the existence of the allegations by the US intelligence community last week but has since described them as "fake news" and "phoney stuff", accusing the American intelligence services of leaking the dossier.
LISBON Portugal will appeal to the European Commission over the planned construction by Spain of a nuclear waste storage facility at the Almaraz power plant because it fears cross-border environmental risks, Environment Minister Joao Matos Fernandes said on Thursday.Matos Fernandes spoke after talks with representatives of the Spanish government, whose announcement on Dec. 29 of the decision to build the storage facility took the Portuguese side by surprise."Portugal will request the intervention of Brussels in this case...Once accepted, the issue between neighbouring countries will have to be resolved by the European Commission," Fernandes said in remarks broadcast by Portuguese television after the meeting in Madrid.Portugal has no nuclear power reactors and the public is generally opposed to the idea and distrustful of Spain's seven nuclear-fuelled power plants.

Almaraz, on the River Tagus, is located just 100 km east of the Portuguese border. The Tagus crosses into central Portugal from Spain and meets the Atlantic Ocean near the capital Lisbon.The Portuguese government argues that the project to build the facility next to the nuclear power plant did not evaluate potential cross-border impact, which is against European Union rules.

"We are not saying there is necessarily an impact for Portugal, but any potential impacts have to be properly studied, which has not been done," Fernandes said.

The Spanish energy ministry declined to commment on the dispute and the environment ministry had no immediate comment. (Reporting By Andrei Khalip, additional reporting by Jose Elias Rodriguez, editing by Angus MacSwan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Patricia Zengerle and Yeganeh Torbati

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson expressed views on Wednesday at odds with President-elect Donald Trump's positions on key foreign policy issues like nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico.In a nine-hour Senate confirmation hearing, the former chief executive of oil company Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) said he favoured maintaining U.S. sanctions against Russia for now and that NATO allies were right to be alarmed by Moscow's growing aggression.Russia dominated much of the hearing because of concerns by Democrats and Republicans over Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election and its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and involvement in the Syrian civil war.Questions soon moved to the threat posed by Islamic State, China's behaviour in the South China Sea, human rights and Tillerson's ability to make a clean break from a career at Exxon Mobil to become America's top diplomat.Tillerson said his differences with Trump on some major issues would not necessarily put him at loggerheads with the White House. He said everyone in Trump's Cabinet would have the chance to discuss issues "and the president will decide." He described himself as open and transparent.In a stark departure from Trump, Tillerson said it would not be acceptable for some U.S. allies to acquire nuclear weapons. He also did not see the need for a Muslim registry, saying he did not support targeting any particular group.Asked by Democratic Senator Edward Markey about Trump's comments in interviews he would not oppose U.S. allies including Japan obtaining nuclear weapons, Tillerson replied: "I do not agree."Tillerson said he did not oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, which Trump has criticized, but acknowledged the negotiated deal may not serve all U.S. interests.Tillerson, however, left room for broad reversals or changes to Obama administration policies, in line with Trump's positions, including trade with Cuba and the Iran nuclear deal, which he said ought to undergo a full review.The hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was interrupted sporadically by protesters. Tillerson, 64, is expected to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.'OPEN, FRANK DIALOGUE' WITH MOSCOW

Senators have expressed concern about Tillerson's ties to Russia while at Exxon Mobil and Trump's desire to improve relations with Moscow.Tillerson refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and kept the door open to a possible change in U.S. sanctions policy against Russia, saying he had not seen classified information on Russian meddling.

"I would leave things in the status quo so we are able to convey this can go either way," Tillerson said, suggesting "open and frank" dialogue with Moscow to better understand its intentions.He blamed Russia's aggression towards Ukraine since 2014 on an "absence of American leadership" and said the United States should have taken stronger actions to deter Russia."I'm advocating for responses that will deter and prevent further expansion of a bad actor's behaviour," he said.Tillerson said it was a "fair assumption" Putin was aware of Russian efforts to interfere in the U.S. election. He said he had not discussed Russia policy with Trump, which Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said was "pretty amazing."In a tense exchange, Republican Senator Marco Rubio pushed Tillerson on whether he believed Putin was a war criminal, in reference to Russia's military actions in support of Syria's government."I would not use that term," Tillerson said, adding: "Those are very, very serious charges to make and I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion."Rubio, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, shot back: "There's so much information out there. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putin's military has conducted war crimes in Aleppo," referring to the Syrian city recently retaken by government forces backed by Russia. He added: "I find it discouraging, your inability to cite that which I think is globally accepted."

Tillerson sidestepped questions on human rights, declining to condemn countries like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines for rights abuses, saying he wanted to see the facts first.Rubio told reporters later that he was unsure he could vote for Tillerson. As one of 11 Republicans on the 21-member panel, his support is key to Tillerson winning the committee's backing. IRAN DEAL REVIEW

Tillerson said he would recommend a "full review" of the nuclear deal with Iran reached with the United States and world powers. He did not call for an outright rejection of the 2015 accord in which Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.Trump has made contradictory statements about the deal and has threatened to dismantle it.Tillerson said China should be denied access to islands it had built in the contested South China Sea. He added his approach to dealing with North Korea, which recently said it was close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation.Asked if he could make unbiased decisions after his time at Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, he said he would act in America's interests.

Tillerson dodged a direct question on whether he believed climate change was caused by human activity."The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken," he said, adding the ability to predict the effect of greenhouse gas was "very limited." Trump has called global warming a hoax perpetrated by China and has threatened to quit the Paris climate accord, a global agreement to curb emissions.Tillerson called Mexico "a long-standing neighbour and friend of this country."Trump has said he will build a wall on the Mexican border, and in his 2015 presidential announcement speech described Mexican migrants to the United States as drug-runners and rapists.LOBBYING

Tillerson's responses were calm and measured, without any obvious reliance on notes. He opposed U.S. sanctions against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine because he said he thought they would be ineffective.On Wednesday, he said he never personally lobbied against sanctions and emphasized that he was not aware of Exxon Mobil directly doing so.Tillerson later acknowledged he spoke to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew regarding gaps between American and European sanctions on Russia.Democratic Senator Chris Murphy vigorously challenged Tillerson on the issue, saying he called a U.S. senator to express concerns over the measures, which "likely constitutes lobbying." Exxon lobbied Congress regarding sanctions against Russia following the annexation of Crimea. The lobbying directly related to energy matters, according to regulatory filings. (Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Writing by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday opposed a Chinese-funded industrial park in the port city of Hambantota, threatening to scrap the deal once he returns to power.

The statement comes days after 21 people were injured in a protest against the project, which many locals believe is a forceful takeover of private land, The Hindu reported.

Rajapaksa, who hails from Hambantota, had a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang recently, as per media reports. The topic of discussion is said to be the concerns over Chinese investments in the island nation.

During a Twitter Q&A, the former president answered many questions relating to Beijing's rising influence in Sri Lanka. Measuring his words carefully, Rajapakasa said that while he is opposed to the way Chinese invested projects are being implemented by the current dispensation led by President Maithripala Sirisena, he reiterated that Beijing has always been a friend of Colombo.

#AskMR My request is to implement the project according to initial agreement w/ displacing people & harming the environment. 2/2 #SriLanka https://t.co/EcoGRjB3mX  Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) January 11, 2017

Rajapaksa. who had visited China recently, added that he had not given any assurance to the Chinese high command on stopping his opposition to Chinese projects, and claimed that Beijing is welcome to invest in his country if people's interest are taken into consideration.

Were not against obtaining Chinese support for development work as long as the #SriLanka peoples interests are protected. #AskMR https://t.co/HmtGg1TyUK  Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) January 11, 2017

Strongly refuting to one of the questions on Twitter that the Chinese envoy had expressed displeasure over his anti-China statements, Rajapaksa said that the Chinese ambassador himself had raised concerns over the manner in which the Hambantota investment zone project was being implemented.

No. The Ambassador also had concerns about the way the project is now being implemented. #AskMR https://t.co/paWlBUfQlj  Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) January 11, 2017

The latest row over China's investment in the Hambantota arose after the Sri Lankan government decided to divest 80 percent of its holding in the Hambantota port and hand it over to a Chinese firm in order to tide over the country's economic crisis, reported The New Indian Express.

However, ironically Rajapaksa as president had actually allowed China to invest heavily in developing the country's infrastructure. The Hambantota port deal was signed when Rajapaksa was the president of the island nation.

As The Hindu noted, Rajapaksa was seen as pro-Beijing in India's policy circles. "With Chinese loans, he built a massive port and airport in the southern city of Hambantota, which the current government has termed financially non-viable 'white elephants', the report said.

Rajapaksa's current hostility towards China is in sharp contrast to his pro-Beijing policies were during his rule between 2005 to 2015, when he was defeated by Sirisena. During his 2014 visit to Beijing, where he met Chinese President Xi Xinping, Rajapaksa is reported to have said that the "Sri Lankan side is grateful for the friendship and support from the Chinese side. The help from China is very important to promoting economic and social development of Sri Lanka."

The official communique from the Chinese foreign ministry also added, "The Sri Lankan side firmly supports China to safeguard national unity and fight against terrorist forces. Sri Lanka hopes to actively participate in the initiative of the Silk Road On the Sea of the 21st Century and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to strengthen maritime cooperation, to accelerate bilateral FTA negotiations, and to promote infrastructure construction and personnel exchanges between the two countries."

His present-day stance against China's investment, thus, seems more to be doing with his attempt at returning to power, while trying to hit a raw nerve with his Sinhalese electorate.
Never mind if we can't get Lalit Modi extradited, if we can't get Vijay Mallya to face Indian courts and pay up his overdue loans or even if we have to just make up stories about Dawood Ibrahim's assets being frozen in Dubai. As long as we can get the owner of some mom-and-pop store in Canada for selling mats and rugs to Canadians, we can always claim to be a great country with a lot of diplomatic muscle.

So, congratulations, Sushma Swaraj for taking down a retailer in Canada!

Our flag is now indeed flying across the globe, everyone is genuflecting to it out of fear and threat of eviction.

On Wednesday night, the Indian foreign minister threatened to not allow Amazon employees to travel to India if the online giant did not take down from its Canadian site, doormats and rugs with the Indian flag on them. She also threatened to rescind visas of the staff in India if Amazon did not comply with her threat.

What the Indian foreign minister has effectively done is this: She has bullied an MNC into not allowing a third party retailer to sell its products in a foreign country to people of that country because it hurts the sensibilities of Indians due to the presumed disrespect to the Indian tricolour.

This has set a new precedent and opened up a Pandora's Box. For argument's sake, let us consider the corollary. If tomorrow, the US has a problem with a product sold in India for Indians (emphasis added), will its foreign secretary bully the retailer into withdrawing it by denying visa, or threatening some other action? What if every country starts having problems with products being sold in every other country? Will we now enter an era of foreign ministries throwing a fit if some shopper in Mozambique decides to sell a product that hurts sensitivities?

Thankfully, the great powers of the world are not so touchy about their flags  their pride is not hurt by practices prevalent in the free market, whose defining principle is demand-and-supply and the unwritten dharma is laissez faire. Their foreign ministers do not pull the diplomatic trigger because the flags of their countries are embossed on retail products.

The Union Jack, for instance, is available in every form, on every conceivable product not just in Canada through Amazon but also across stores in Great Britain. It is marketed as rugs, doormats, even as thongs, undergarments and vests. Hundreds of people buy them for daily use and as souvenirs. But, the UK never threatened to rescind visas of Amazon staff or throw out its own citizens for selling products embossed with their national flag.

Similarly, the US doesn't treat its flag as an extension of its ego. Its extant laws allow not just its use on clothes, household items  doormats with the Star and Stripes are available on Amazon websites and till last heard, outgoing secretary of state John Kerry had not broken out into a rash  but also burn it down during protests.

But, India, of course, is different. Here patriotism and nationalism are practiced more as rituals with symbolic acts rather than as an ideology or way of life; they are meant more for public display  like showing off a new car or a mobile  than as a virtue that is lived in daily life. Naturally, in this culture of pop patriotism, the flag turns into a sacred entity that could be violated if sold as a doormat in some other country. And diplomacy turns into a bullying tactic aimed at demanding respect through threats, instead of earning it.

Perhaps Swaraj doesn't know this because nobody pointed it out to her on Twitter. Several retailers use the tricolour, the Indian map and insignia related to the Indian nation with their products. The tricolour, like the Union Jack and flags of several other countries, is sold online on thongs and panties, it is embossed on beer mugs, whiskey glasses and, well, on undergarments with words that may shock sanskari Indians. (On a lighter note, would it be more offensive to let someone wear tricolour briefs or to ask them to remove them?)

So, will the foreign ministry now trawl the internet, scan every online store to bully retailer into withdrawing products that hurt our pride, sensibilities. And why stop at just online policing? Would special squads from India would now be dispatched to every country to check if the Indian flag is not being misused by brick-and-mortar retailers. Will we now have a branch tracking only tricolour undies and doormats?

Mallya, Modi and Dawood can relax. The Indian foreign ministry now has a whole new laundry list of priorities.

Hey you! Yes you, the one hawking a pair of tricolour panties in Mogadishu! Beware! The Indian foreign minister is watching you.
By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing on Wednesday, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.In comments expected to enrage Beijing, Rex Tillerson told his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China's building of islands and putting military assets on those islands was "akin to Russias taking Crimea from Ukraine.Asked whether he supported a more aggressive posture towards China, he said: Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.The former Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands it has built up from South China Sea reefs, equipped with military-length airstrips and fortified with weapons. Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for specifics on how China might be blocked from the artificial islands.Tillerson also said Washington needed to reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, but stopped short of Trump's questioning of Washington's long-standing policy on the issue."I dont know of any plans to alter the 'one China' position," he said.Tillerson said he considered Chinas South China Sea activity "extremely worrisome" and that it would be a threat to the "entire global economy" if Beijing were able to dictate access to the waterway, which is of strategic military importance and a major trade route.

He blamed the current situation on what he termed an inadequate U.S. response. "The failure of a response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelop on this," Tillerson said."The way weve got to deal with this is weve got to show back up in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia," he said.Democratic President Barack Obamas administration conducted periodic air and naval patrols to assert the right of free navigation in the South China Sea. These have angered Beijing, but seeking to blockade China's man-made islands would be a major step further and a step that Washington has never raised as an option. Under his strategic "pivot" to Asia, Obama has increased the U.S. military presence in the region, and Trump has vowed a major naval buildup.

Tillerson's words also went beyond Trump's own tough rhetoric on China.Obama has sought to forge a united front in Southeast Asia against Chinas pursuit of its territorial claims, but some allies and partners who are rival claimants have been reluctant to challenge Beijing.Tillerson called China's South China Sea island-building and declaration of an air defence zone in waters of the East China Sea it contests with Japan "illegal actions.""Theyre taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas," he said.

Tillerson also said the United States could not continue to accept "empty promises" China had made about putting pressure on North Korea over that country's nuclear and missile programs.He said his approach to dealing with North Korea - which recently declared it is close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile - would be "a long-term plan" based on sanctions and their proper implementation.Asked if Washington should consider imposing "secondary sanctions" on Chinese entities found to be violating existing sanctions on North Korea, Tillerson said: "If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions, then it's appropriate ... for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply."He accused China of failing to live up to global agreements on trade and intellectual property, echoing past remarks by Trump, who has threatened to impose high, retaliatory tariffs on China. But Tillerson also stressed the "deeply intertwined" nature of the world's two biggest economies."We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership," he said. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Phil Stewart and Patricia Zengerle

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon put Russia at the top of a list of threats to U.S. interests on Thursday and told Congress that America must be ready to confront Moscow where necessary, even as he backed Trump's bid for better relations. The remarks by retired Marine General James Mattis were the latest by one of Trump's Cabinet picks that veered away from the president-elect's campaign rhetoric, which included praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledges to improve ties with him. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson on Wednesday also expressed views at odds with Trump on key foreign policy issues like nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico.Mattis said Russia, China and Islamist militants were presenting the biggest challenge to the U.S.-led world order since World War Two, and called for Congress to lift spending caps undermining military readiness."I'm all for engagement but we also have to recognize reality in what Russia is up to," Mattis said, adding there were a "decreasing number of areas" where the United States might cooperate with Moscow. Asked about the main threats to U.S. interests, Mattis said: "I would consider the principle threats to start with Russia." Mattis said he wanted to meet with the new Trump national security team to "craft a strategy to confront Russia for what it's done," when questioned about the possibility of new U.S. sanctions.Due to enter the White House in eight days, Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that Russia likely hacked the Democratic National Committee and emails of top Democrats during the 2016 presidential election campaign, a conclusion reached by U.S. spy agencies.Mattis cited Russian involvement in hacking and information warfare among the challenges posed by Moscow. Others include treaty violations, destabilizing activities abroad and "alarming messages from Moscow regarding the use of nuclear weapons." STRONG BACKING FOR NATO

He also accused Russia of trying to undermine NATO. Unlike Trump, who appeared to question the alliance during his campaign, Mattis strongly embraced it -- calling NATO central to America's defense."We recognize that he (Putin) is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance," Mattis said.Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the committee, said he "could not be happier" about Mattis' nomination. He warned sternly against optimism about engaging with Putin."Putin wants to be our enemy. He needs us as his enemy. He will never be our partner," McCain exclaimed.Mattis also singled out China for its activities in the South China Sea, where it has been building man-made islands with anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries.Together with Russian activities and the threats of Islamist extremists, Mattis said China was part of mounting assault on global stability, and the relationship with Beijing needed to be carefully managed.

"I think it (the world order) is under the biggest attack since World War Two, sir, and that is from Russia, from terrorist groups, and with what China is doing in the South China Sea," he said, as he railed against defense spending caps imposed by Congress.WAIVER NEEDED

Mattis, who retired from the military in 2013, is technically ineligible for the job since he has not been a civilian for at least seven years. That means Congress would need to grant him a waiver, something it has not done since 1950, but appears inclined to do now. In his opening statement, Mattis said he can lead the military as a civilian, even after a 44-year military career. "I recognize my potential civilian role differs in essence and in substance from my former role in uniform," Mattis said.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he expected bipartisan support for Mattis would help him overcome that hurdle."The other thing he has going for him is that he may be a restraint on some of Trump's more extreme impulses," Cancian said. Mattis, 66, has tried to persuade Trump privately against the use of waterboarding, which simulates drowning, as an interrogation tactic. Top U.S. officials, many lawmakers and human rights groups have denounced waterboarding as torture. Trump's pick for CIA director took a similar line during his confirmation hearing on Thursday, saying he would stand firm if necessary against Trump on the issue of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques."On the Middle East, Mattis was fiercely critical of Iran, cautioning that Tehran's "malign influence" in the region was growing."Iran is the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and its policies are contrary to our interests," Mattis said in his written responses to the committee, also made public on Thursday.On Iraq, where a U.S.-led coalition is backing Iraqi troops battling Islamic State, Mattis said the main goal should be to ensure "that it does not become a rump state of the regime in Tehran." Officials who knew him before he retired in 2013 said Mattis clashed with top Obama administration officials when he headed the military's Central Command over his desire to better prepare for potential threats from Tehran.Mattis said the U.S. strategy to retake the Islamic State militant group's de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria would to be reviewed and potentially re-energized. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Howard Goller and Alistair Bell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: US authorities have imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship".

"The North Korean regime not only engages in severe human rights abuses, but it also implements rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behaviour," Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) John E Smith said on Wednesday.

The list includes Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister and Vice Director of the Workers' Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD), Efe news reported.

Kim Won Hong, the Minister of State Security, a body that Washington considers responsible for torture and inhuman treatment in the country's network of political prison camps was also on the list, along with the State Planning Commission and Ministry of Labour.

OFAC will also freeze the US-based assets of the sanctioned officials and parties.

The US Department of the Treasury's announcement coincides with the State Department's report stressing that North Korea "continues to commit extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced labour, and torture."

Washington emphasised that these abuses take place in the country's prison camps, where it is estimated that "80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, including children and family members of those subject to persecution and censorship."
Violence involving law enforcement is spreading across the nation, according to The Washington Post database, which reported 963 people shot and killed by police in 2016. With tensions between police and communities on edge, there is a push to better understand police standoffs and the decision to pull the trigger.

Centinel Solutions has developed a first-of-its-kind, patent-pending, American-made alternative to the contentious and controversial body cameras; a gun mounted camera.

Your typical body camera will pre-record 30 seconds before you hit the record buttonso in an officer-involved shooting you can appreciate that if there is a threat, the priority isnt going to be to turn the body camera on, says Max Kramer, CEO of Centinel Solutions.

When the Shield Weapon Camera is removed from the holster it wakes up very quickly before its fully extended, so you are getting a video recording in the middle of the firearm being pulled from the holster, explains Kramer. The camera then turns off once holstered again and the footage is saved locally.

Unlike the body cameras line of sight, which could be disrupted once the police officers firearm is drawn, the Shield Weapon Camera offers no conscious activation requirements and clear site range.

The Department of Justice has allocated $20 million for the purchase of body cameras for the nation. Designed to be Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliant and able to fit all service weapons and holsters nationwide, the Shield Weapon Camera is a viable alternative.

"I hope that people recognize that its something thats been created with the community in mind - - Max Kramer, Centinel Solutions CEO & Founder

This to me seems like a very sensible option for those who are on the fence about the costs and privacy concerns, adds Kramer.

According to a 2015 Bureau of Justice Statistics report, in 2013, 32% of local police departments provided at least some officers with body-worn cameras. Still a hot debate, there are inconclusive reports on a body cameras effectiveness.

The success rate is 100% through our tests, says Kramer.

Tested throughout the nation in various agencies, the Shield Weapon Camera is offering a much needed option for police.

We spoke to the unions and they were all saying, this is what we neededwith a body camera thats a question of when do you record, when do you not record, whats privacy, whats not privacy? So this would be I pulled my weapon, this is why I pulled it, says Anthony Holloway, chief of the St. Petersburg, Florida Police Department.

For the past five months, Holloways agency has been testing the Shield Weapon Camera and weighing the option to invest in traditional body cams.

They have an extra feature that when you pull your weapon, it sends an alert to the supervisors and partners that the weapon has been pulled so they know you need help, adds Holloway.

While the devices are synced through Bluetooth and WiFi, safeguards and integrity controls were also built in. An administrator or shift supervisor will be notified of the battery status if the device is actually pulled from the holster or if someone is trying to turn it off, says Kramer.

He adds: The trend across the country is every time you point your weapon at somebody a supervisor has to come to the scene. Its a very lengthy process and its not that streamlined so we have been able to streamline that process.

There is not a lot of research on the effectiveness of body cams. A study by George Mason University has found body cameras may reduce complaints against the police or result in quicker resolution of complaints; it is uncertain whether that means increased accountability or improved police or citizen behavior.

We would have to talk to the community; you wouldnt see what led up to the incidentwould the community be happy not seeing why the officer drew his weapon but why the officer pulled the trigger? asks Holloway.

I think, I hope that its used rather infrequently. Obviously I hope that people recognize that its something thats been created with the community in mind, says Kramer.

Be sure to watch the Shield Weapon Camera in full force in the video above.
The Internal Revenue Service has filed a John Doe summons in an attempt to acquire data from Coinbase, a digital assets exchange company. If successful, digital currency users who have been using Bitcoin and other alternative currencies to dodge paying taxes could be fined by the federal agency for evading taxes.

However, a Bitcoin user has filed a motion to block the summons and a hearing will be heard on January 19, 2017.

The value of Bitcoin, the crypto currency that many are interested in but few understand, hit $1,153.02 on January 4, nearing its all-time high of $1,165.89, which it reached on November 30, 2013.

Since January 4, the currency has plunged roughly 40 percent according to CoinDesk. The recent volatility has sparked a renewed interest in Bitcoin and its future.

In a nutshell, Bitcoin is a decentralized currency with finite limits. Bitcoin users set up a wallet that gives them a unique address, similar to an email, allowing them to exchange Bitcoins with people around the world. Every transaction since the very beginning is recorded on an unforgeable ledger, known as the blockchain.

It is a revolutionary technology in the currency world, and some believe what we are seeing today is only a fraction of its potential.

Theres a Marketplace because people believe the technology of Bitcoin has just begun, Nick Spanos, founder of the Bitcoin Center NYC, said. Its like we just invented the wheel and soon were going to have the train, the motor car, the airplane - were going to have all these things come about through Bitcoin and the block chain.

Something that makes Bitcoin unique is that unlike the U.S. dollars, which can be printed whenever the government sees fit, a centralized government does not control it.

"With Bitcoin, it's kind of controlled by the people," Charlie Lee, director of engineering at Coinbase and creator of Litecoin, said. "So, it's what they call a decentralized currency - it's because people are running the software that controls Bitcoin."

Yet despite its recent upward momentum, not everyone is convinced about Bitcoins value. Investors especially have been hesitant to buy into the new currency.

"With Bitcoin, I appreciate that the trend has been higher," Sameer Samana, global quantitative strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said. "That value could've gone up as much as you know, who knows how many thousands percent in 2013, only to crash back down in 2014 and 2015. That's not what you want your paychecks to be doing or your investments."

Ever since its creation in 2008, the cryptocurrency has been characterized by volatility, causing potential users or investors to think twice. A top concern: how do you determine its worth?

"It's really hard to define it - almost a speculative commodity. For something like oil and for something like gold you can at least figure what the supply and demand picture looks like, said Samana. But with Bitcoin, just looking at it over the last few years, this thing is either the best store value since fiat paper currencies or its something that should be avoided at all costs based on just how its traded the last five years."

So, the future of this innovative currency then relies on defining its intrinsic value.

"Bitcoin's genius is not the ability to be untraceable, it's the ability to be un-censorable - that's the value it provides," said Lee. "The value is being able to send money that cannot be blocked."

When donations to the site WikiLeaks were blocked by services such as MasterCard, VISA, and PayPal in 2010, the site nearly folded until it opened funding portals to digital currencies like Bitcoin and litecoin.

Cyber security hacks, like the incident in August of 2016 where $60 million worth of Bitcoin was stolen from Bitfinex, one of the worlds largest Bitcoin exchanges, have also raised red flags for investors.

Despite its volatility and inherent cyber security risks, it appears people are slowly beginning to understand Bitcoins value. The Winklevoss twins have filed an application for a Bitcoin ETF, and if approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bitcoin could see explosive growth.

The currency has also seen a dramatic increase in places that are experiencing economic turmoil. In November 2016, when Indias government decided to ban large currency bills, the weekly volume of Bitcoin trading in the country nearly doubled the following month, according to a report by Quartz media.

Bitcoin has grown into a service that is used by more than 100,000 merchants, according to a 2015 survey by BitPay. Some believe the technology could help shape the future of the global banking industry.

But for now, Samana says Bitcoin is still a risky proposition.

For most of our clients, and just other investors in general, I think a lot of these thing will have a positive from the standpoint of consumption and how they store and use their net worth and income. But people really shouldnt view it as an investment.
Hollywood actress Jessica Albas Honest Company seemed to be well on its way to becoming a consumer goods empire.

In 2015, the starlet made the cover of Forbes for creating a billion-dollar company  which today is valued at $1.7 billion  that focuses on non-toxic, organic products. And she did it in just six years, which is something that attracted the attention of big corporations like Unilever and Proctor & Gamble. The two corporate giants were reportedly in talks to acquire Honest last year.

But along with the fast growth came growing pains and they keep coming. After facing lawsuits over some of the ingredients used in its products, this week Honest Company announced a recall of its organic baby powder due to concerns it may cause skin irritation. One brand expert said even if the company is out in front of the complaint this time, its not good for business.

From falsely labeled as organic to a full-blown product recall, consumers have complained on social media widely about issues with the Honest companies products, Kris Ruby, a brand expert and founder of Ruby Media Group, told FOXBusiness.com

Related Stories
Linda Bean, the granddaughter and co-owner of L.L. Bean, on Thursday said U.S. businesses are under attack and being bullied by anti-Trump groups.

A group, Grabyourwallet.org, called for a boycott of L.L. Bean after Linda Bean, one of 50 family members that own the outdoor apparel maker, contributed $60,000 to a political action committee supporting President-elect Donald Trump. The Federal Election Commission said the donation exceeded the PACs individual donor limit of $5,000.

Its bullying, Bean told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo. They want to control how we spend our money, what we buy, where we buy it. Thats wrong, its un-American.

Shortly after her appearance on Fox Business, Trump tweeted a thank you to Linda Bean and urged customers to buy L.L. Bean.

Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean. @LBPerfectMaine  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

Grabyourwallet.org is calling for boycotts on 38 stores  including Walmart, Bloomingdales and Macys  that carry Trump products, are supportive of Trump, are owned by Trump or are normalizing Trump.

I gave the donation personally to a pact to support Trump, she said. We should have that privilege. We live in America. Its a free country.

The group added L.L. Bean to its boycott list last Friday. Two days later, L.L. Bean Executive Chairman Shawn Gorman blasted the group and urged it to reverse its position.

We were disappointed to learn that Grab Your Wallet is advocating a boycott against L.L. Bean solely because Linda Bean, who is only one of 50-plus family members involved with the business, personally supported Donald Trump for President, he said on Facebook.

The group later said it would only remove L.L. Bean from the boycott list if the company cut its ties with Linda Bean.

.@LLBean: happy to remove you from #GrabYourWallet list once your board no longer using my hard earned  to fund rise of guys like Donald.  Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) January 9, 2017

Linda Bean, however, told Fox Business that she has no plans to resign from the board. She noted that the company has seen a slight uptick in business following the Trump controversy.
Confirmation Hearings Underway

The confirmation hearings continue today as defense secretary nominee, General James Mattis, CIA director nominee, Mike Pompeo, and Housing and Urban Development nominee, Dr. Ben Carson all take the stage.

Mattis will require a waiver that must be passed by both chambers along with 60 votes in the Senate in order to exempt him from the current law that requires a general to be out of the military for at least seven years before assuming the role of Pentagon chief.

Varney & Co. will take you live to the Mattis hearing with expert insight and analysis, beginning today at 9:30 am ET.

Saying Goodbye to Obamacare?

President-elect Trumps promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act now has legs. By three votes, the Senate approved key committees to take the first steps in drafting a resolution to repeal Obamacare. The House of Representatives will vote next week.

Cavuto Coast to Coast breaks down the decision, and dives into all things Obamacare, beginning today at 12pm ET.

L.L. Bean Controversy

L.L. Bean, the clothing manufacturer faces threats of boycotts from the ant-Trump group after learning Linda Bean, an heiress of the company donated $60,000 to the Trump campaign.

Should L.L. Bean fear protests among anti-Trump supporters? Linda Bean joined Maria in a must-see interview today to find out!
German drugs and pesticides maker Bayer , which will need regulatory approval for its $66 billion deal to buy U.S. seeds giant Monsanto , said company chief executives had a productive meeting with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

Trump talked to Bayer Chief Executive Werner Baumann, Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant and some of their advisers in New York, his transition team said on Wednesday, part of meetings before he takes office later this month.

"It was a productive meeting about the future of agriculture and the need for innovation," a Bayer spokesman said on Thursday, declining to provide more details for the moment.

The fate of major proposed mergers, not just Bayer-Monsanto but also Dow Chemical and DuPont , which plan to spin off their combined agriculture businesses, will be decided by Trump's nominees to lead antitrust enforcement at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.

Antitrust and industry experts see the regulatory hurdles to a deal as manageable because Bayer's main business in agriculture is pesticides while Monsanto's focus is on genetically modified seeds.

Under such a scenario, Bayer could at worst be asked to divest soybean, cotton and canola seed assets as well as LibertyLink-branded crops that are resistant to its glufosinate herbicide, an important alternative to Monsanto's Roundup Ready seeds.

But uncertainty remains over what regulators will make of the merged group's grip of the overall agriculture market, with a combined market share in seeds and pesticides of about 28 percent.

Critics argue this dominant market position will allow it to crimp research and development efforts. Bayer has said that much needed innovation will come from combined seeds-chemicals offerings and that it needs to merge to compete against other integrated suppliers such as the future Dow-Dupont.

Monsanto shares closed little changed at $108.45 on Wednesday, offering an 18 percent upside to Bayer's takeover bid of $128 per share or $66 billion in total. Bayer shares were down 0.6 percent at 100.40 euros at 0942 GMT (4:42 a.m. ET).

The meeting took place on the day of Trump's first news conference as president-elect, which also saw him slam drug companies as "getting away with murder" in what they charge the government for medicines.

Bayer, the inventor of aspirin, is among the world's top 20 pharmaceutical groups, with products including Yasmin birth-control pills and stroke prevention drug Xarelto.

(Editing by Keith Weir)
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy
Last week brought the energy market the first few days of OPEC's oil production cut, and for the first time in years, some cartel members are actually following through on their pledges to reduce output. In this clip from Industry Focus: Energy, Motley Fool analysts Sean O'Reilly and Taylor Muckerman explain which countries have cut production so far (and which haven't), and how that might change in the near future.

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 Jan. 5, 2017.

Sean O'Reilly: Really quickly, I just want to mention OPEC, because it's what we do.

Taylor Muckerman: Yeah. We're going to try and trim that down unless there's something major. But, new year, I feel like we have to at least briefly hit on it.

O'Reilly: Well, this is the first month they're supposedly going to do the production cuts they agreed to.

Muckerman: Yeah, they start the cuts. Up to 1.8 million barrels a day, including the 11 other countries that committed to --

O'Reilly: Right. The big story a couple weeks ago was that Mexico was in on it, and blah blah blah.

Muckerman: And Russia, yeah.

O'Reilly: I actually just saw on the wires this morning that Iraq has already cut production. They're actually doing it.

Muckerman: Yeah, they're cutting medium and heavy crude, which is basically what everybody produces over there.

O'Reilly: I'm mildly impressed with how everybody is actually doing what they said they would do.

Muckerman: Well, we don't know the degree to the extent that they have cut. But yeah, they have started to cut, along with Oman and Kuwait as well. There's at least three out of the OPEC members.

O'Reilly: We're 10% there, yay.

Muckerman: Yeah. We don't know much about the other countries. Mexico wasn't necessarily cutting; they were just expecting a natural decline of oil wells, without having the replacement there. But of those 11, all eyes are on Russia, who hasn't begun to cut or provided any guidance of when they might decide to.

O'Reilly: I get the distinct impression that Russia views the world as being on a need-to-know basis.

Muckerman: Yeah. I think maybe they're waiting to see what happens when everyone else cuts, and if prices rise, they're probably going to be like, "Well, you know what? Thanks, guys!"

O'Reilly: You know that Saudi Arabia already increased their prices -- you know how they set monthly prices to Asia and the U.S. and stuff. They already upped it a little bit because of the cut. They're like, "We cut production, so we're upping the price."

Muckerman: Yeah, upping prices. But we mentioned this a couple weeks ago, straight from the mouth of the former Saudi Arabian oil minister talking about OPEC and their previous cuts, saying, "We tend to cheat." So, we'll be surprised to see 100% of that 1.8 million barrels per day cut. Analysts I've seen, a Goldman Sachsanalyst says he believes around 84% of that total will be achieved. I've seen as low as 70%.

O'Reilly: Before the holiday, you said "historically." You said, you usually get about two-thirds? Over the last 40 years or whatever.

Muckerman: Yeah, I think it falls right in that 60% to 75% range.

O'Reilly: If we got 83%, that'd be a win.

Muckerman: Yeah, historically, it would be a win.

Sean O'Reilly has no position in any stocks mentioned. Taylor Muckerman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
For the past few years, Weatherford International (NYSE: WFT) has tried to rebuild itself as a more competitive oil services company through numerous restructurings and corporate moves. For investors, those moves haven't exactly panned out. There is no more telling sign of Weatherford's struggles than this past year as the company's stock took a beating in the market while the rest of the industry showed signs of life.

Are Weatherford's struggles just a matter of timing that will correct itself in 2017, or are there deeper issues that are keeping this company from reaping the benefits of the oil and gas industry's recovery? Let's take a look at what happened at Weatherford this past year and what we can expect in 2017.

Image source: Getty Images.

Can't get over the hump

These past few years have been tough ones for Weatherford. Even before the crash in oil prices, the company was struggling with low rates of return and an onerous debt load. Back in 2014, the company really started to address these issues seriously by drastically reducing its head count, selling off some business segments, and looking to get back to generating free cash flow to pay down debt. The plan looked great, but the timing was terrible, as it also coincided with the most recent oil market decline.

During this decline, Weatherford has been trying to play catch-up to meet its cash flow and debt reduction goals. Between year-end 2014 and the most recent quarter, total headcount declined 43% and the business' support ratio -- employees in support functions such as administrative versus direct operations functions -- declined from 59% to 35%. According to management, this has cut a whopping $2.6 billion out of its cost structure.

This sounds like the kind of drastic cuts needed to get a business turnaround going. Over that time frame, though, revenue at the business declined close to 59%, and that wiped out any chance of the company generating profits.

The other problem this created was the fact that Weatherford's management has been put behind the eight ball in regards to its debt. Management's original plan was to generate about $150 million to $250 million in free cash flow in 2015 and another $600 million in 2016 to pay down some of its near-term debts. When that plan didn't pan out, the company was forced to refinance much of that debt at even higher rates than before.

Image source: Weatherford International investor presentation.

One of the biggest reasons why Weatherford's stock declined as much as it did was from disappointing quarterly results. This was most prominent in the first and third quarters of the year, as the company wildly missed GAAP earnings per share expectations. A lot of those big misses were due to large asset writedowns and impairments. This was especially concerning because management had said in 2015 that -- after several billions in writedowns in prior years -- it didn't foresee any further impairments or one-time charges.

If those weren't enough problems to deal with, Weatherford also announced a big scare on Nov. 1 when it said that it was coming precariously close to its debt covenants. With all of that newly issued debt out there, the last thing investors or creditors want to hear is that the company is already at risk of not paying them back.

All of this led to the resignation of founder and CEO Dr. Bernard Duroc-Danner. In November, it was announced that he would be stepping down from the role of CEO and chairman. Duroc-Danner was replaced with the company's CFO Krishna Shivram as CEO and Vice Chairman Robert Rayne took the executive chairman spot.

If the rest of the industry was struggling as much as Weatherford was, then perhaps this wouldn't be as much of a story. However, 2016 proved to be a pivotal year for the business as we have started to see drilling activity pick back up again in the United States. Also, several companies in this industry have made moves to make them more competitive in this lower-price environment.

First, we had Schlumberger(NYSE: SLB)complete its acquisition of Cameron International. The we saw General Electric's (NYSE: GE)oil and gas business segment look to combine forces with Baker Hughes(NYSE: BHI). These two moves will give each business a leg up over its competitors as it integrates both equipment and services, something that has the potential to save the industry billions through simpler procurement procedures and more standardized equipment.

As a result, we saw Weatherford's stock plummet while its peers posted double-digit gains.

WFT data by YCharts.

Can it recover in 2017?

With a new CEO in place and a much smaller labor force, the company does actually look like it is in a better position to succeed in this coming year. Companies are starting to open their wallets again to spend on new projects, and some of that will flow to Weatherford. The company's much lower cost structure should translate any modest uptick in revenue into operational profits, and hopefully put it on the track of generating free cash flow that has eluded management for years.

From an investor's standpoint, though, this may not be the stock worth pursuing. Weatherford's stock is down 78% from when the oil market crash started to take root, so any marginal gains in revenue and operational profit will likely lead to much higher stock prices. However, the company's long-term prospects are much more uncertain with that large debt load. Furthermore, most of its peers look to be in a much better position to capture the gains in the market with their better offerings. If you are looking for a long-term investment in this industry, then Weatherford is probably the last of the oil services stocks you want to look at.

10 stocks we like better than Weatherford International When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Weatherford International wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017

Tyler Crowe owns shares of General Electric.You can follow him at Fool.comor on Twitter@TylerCroweFool.The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric and Halliburton. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Editor's Note: The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General announced Thursday it will launch an internal probe on the Federal Bureau of Investigation handling of Hillary Clinton email investigation, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton regarding her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State is back in the spotlight after the FBI recently released another batch of email documents.

In an interview on FOX Business Networkas Varney & Co., Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano said the investigation of Clintonas email is about to be reopened.

aThe FBI has demonstrated conclusively and beyond the doubt that states secrets that she sent to (former Clinton aide) Sid Blumenthal were accessed by hostile powers, Russia and China and friendly hackers, if there could be such a thing, the Israelis,a Napolitano said.

According to Judge Napolitano, one of the metrics used by the Justice Department to decide on whether or not to indict someone is to ask if any harm has been done as a result of the actions by the accused.

In October 2016, FBI Director James Comey decided to reopen the case related to Clintonas use of a private email server in a letter to Congress, stating that the bureau alearned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.a

When asked if reopening a criminal investigation brings up the idea of a Clinton pardon, Napolitano said, aThat of course is for the President and the President alone.a
Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted his support of Maine catalog retailer L.L. Bean after an activist group opposed to the U.S. president-elect called for a boycott of the company.

The boycott call began online last week after reports that a member of the Bean family that owns the company, best known for its rubber-bottomed hunting boots, had donated money to Trump's candidacy.

"Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L. Bean for your great support and courage," Trump said in a tweet early on Thursday. "People will support you even more now. Buy L.L. Bean."

The "Grab Your Wallet" website added L.L. Bean, based in Freeport, Maine, to a lengthy list of retailers it is urging Trump opponents to boycott because of their ties Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

L.L. Bean scrambled to distance itself from Linda Bean's donations, noting that she was one of more than 50 members of the founding family associated with the 105-year-old company, which described itself as politically neutral.

"Our owners, employees, and customers hold views and embrace causes that are individual and diverse," the company said in a statement late on Sunday. "We fully acknowledge and respect that some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors."

A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Trump's tweet drew responses from supporters and opponents on Thursday, some of whom vowed to boycott the company, others who said they planned to buy its merchandise.

Trump has taken on several prominent U.S. companies, including United Technologies Corp's Carrier air conditioning unit and General Motors Co for manufacturing products outside the United States.

His track record of pouncing on high-profile executives has left the leaders of corporate America wary of waking up one morning to find themselves Trump's latest target.

Maine is politically divided. It has a split Congressional delegation and a two-term Republican governor, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton carried the state in the Nov. 8 election.

On Thursday, Governor Paul LePage, a vocal supporter of Trump, praised Linda Bean.

"It is reprehensible how progressives have bullied her and her family's company," LePage said. "I encourage Mainers and customers around the globe to continue their strong support of L.L. Bean."

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon put Russia at the top of a list of threats to U.S. interests and told Congress on Thursday that America must be ready to confront it where necessary, even as he backed Trump's bid to engage with Moscow.

Retired Marine General James Mattis said Russia, China and Islamist militants were presenting the biggest challenge to the U.S.-led world order since World War Two, and called for Congress to lift spending caps undermining military readiness.

His remarks to the Senate Armed Services Committee appeared set to clinch the panel's backing for his nomination, as Russia-wary lawmakers hope he might temper Trump's stated desire to partner with Moscow.

"I'm all for engagement but we also have to recognize reality in what Russia is up to," Mattissaid, adding there were a "decreasing number of areas" where the United States might cooperate with Moscow.

Asked about the main threats to U.S. interests, Mattis said: "I would consider the principle threats to start with Russia."

Due to enter the White House in eight days, Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that Russia likely hacked the Democratic National Committee and emails of top Democrats during the 2016 presidential election campaign, a conclusion reached by U.S. spy agencies.

Mattis cited Russian involvement in hacking and information warfare among the challenges posed by Moscow. Others include treaty violations, using tactics short of open war to destabilize other countries and "alarming messages from Moscow regarding the use of nuclear weapons."

Mattis said Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to undermine NATO. Mattis had talked about the importance of the Western military alliance with Trump who was open to the discussion, the retired general said.

Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the committee, said he "could not be happier" about Mattis' nomination. He warned sternly against optimism about engaging with Putin.

"Putin wants to be our enemy. He needs us as his enemy. He will never be our partner," McCain exclaimed.

Mattis also singled out China for its activities in the South China Sea, where it has been building man-made islands with anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries.

Together with Russian activities and the threats of Islamist extremists, Mattis said China was part of mounting assault on global stability, and the relationship with Beijing needed to be carefully managed.

"I think it (the world order) is under the biggest attack since World War Two, sir, and that is from Russia, from terrorist groups, and with what China is doing in the South China Sea," he said, as he railed against defense spending caps imposed by Congress.

WAIVER NEEDED

Mattis, who retired from the military in 2013, is technically ineligible for the job since he has not been a civilian for at least seven years. That means Congress would need to grant him a waiver, something it has not done since 1950, but appears inclined to do now.

In his opening statement, Mattis said he can lead the military as a civilian, even after a 44-year military career.

"I recognize my potential civilian role differs in essence and in substance from my former role in uniform," Mattis said.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he expected bipartisan support for Mattis would help him overcome that hurdle.

"The other thing he has going for him is that he may be a restraint on some of Trump's more extreme impulses," Cancian said. "The concern that people would have is OK, you vote downMattis, who do you get?"

Mattis said the U.S. strategy to retake the Islamic State militant group's de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa would to be reviewed and potentially re-energized.

Mattis was also critical of Iran's influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

"Iranian malign influence in the region is growing. Iran is the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and its policies are contrary to our interests," Mattis said in his written responses.

Officials who knew him before he retired in 2013 said Mattis clashed with top Obama administration officials when he headed the military's Central Command over his desire to better prepare for potential threats from Tehran.

On Iraq, where a U.S.-led coalition is backing Iraqi troops battling Islamic State, Mattis said the main goal should be to ensure "that it does not become a rump state of the regime in Tehran."

Mattis, 66, has tried to persuade Trump privately against the use of waterboarding, which simulates drowning, as an interrogation tactic. Top U.S. officials, many lawmakers and human rights groups have denounced waterboarding as torture.

By Phil Stewart and Patricia Zengerle; (Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Howard Goller and Alistair Bell)
Nicole Kidman thinks it's time Americans get behind President-elect Donald Trump.

The actress, who was born in Hawaii but raised in Australia, said it's time to let go and accept the results of the election.

"[Trump is] now elected and we, as a country, need to support whoever is the president," Kidman said on the red carpet for her new film "Lion."

The actress, who lives in Nashville with her country superstar husband and holds dual Australian and American citizenship, added, "That is what the country is based on. And however that happened, it happened, and let's go."

STAR POLITICS: WHO LEANS LEFT AND WHO LEANS RIGHT?

Kidman's opinion differs greatly from most of her Hollywood colleagues. Most recently, Meryl Streep was praised by her fellow celebrities for standing up against the President-elect in her Golden Globes acceptance speech.

However, there are some stars who are sick of their fellow entertainers' political rants.

Country star Travis Tritt said on Twitter earlier this week, "If you have fans who respect your talent enough to spend hard earned money to see your talent, be thankful and gracious and leave it at that."

Piers Morgan echoed Tritt's words, adding he hasn't "heard such elitist snobbery since Hillary Clinton branded Trump supporters 'a basket of deplorables.'"
Italian confectionery firm Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, is battling back in defense of palm oil, an ingredient that many food companies are now boycotting amid claims from a U.K. study that says the controversial ingredient may cause cancer.

In May, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said that palm oil produces a higher potential carcinogenic contaminant than other vegetable oils when refined at temperatures higher than 200 degrees Celsius (about 390 degrees Fahrenheit).

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT NUTELLA

Although authorities didnt recommend against eating it, they did say that further evaluation and research would be needed to determine the level of risk.

Now the creator of the popular chocolate and hazelnut spread, is pushing back against those claims and is publicly arguing that a change in the ingredients would compromise the integrity of Nutella.

"Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward," Ferrero purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters. Palm oil, it says, helps stabilize the spread, keeps it creamy and enhances its shelf life.

The company has also launched an advertising campaign including TV spots filmed at Ferrero's factory in Alba, Italy and newspaper ads to assure consumers Nutella is safe for consumption.

But there's also a major financial element at play.

An attempt to swap out palm oil for a similar ingredient could have steep economic implications. Wholesale, its one of the least expensive vegetable oils at around $800 a ton- while sunflower oil is around $845 and rapeseed oil is $920. While these oils have been used as palm oil substitutes by other other companies, Ferrero says that sunflower oil would change the spreads character.

FOR THE LATEST FOOD & DRINK FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

Currently, Ferrero uses approximately 185,000 tons of palm oil a year. A potential replacement, could drive up compay costs an estimated $8 to $22 million annually, according to Reuters calculations.

Throughout Europe, many food producers have already taken steps to move away from palm oil, the harvesting of which environmentalists claim leads to deforestation.

Italys biggest supermarket chain-- Coop-- has boycotted palm oil in all of its branded products after the EFSA study was released.

Coop labeled the move a precaution but Italys largest baker, Barilla, soon followed and eliminated palm oil from its products, too.

UPDATE: David Elvy, a representative for the Ferrero company based in the U.K. reiterated the company's stance on its use of palm oil in the following statement emailed to FoxNews.com:

"The health and safety of consumers is an absolute and first priority for Ferrero and we confirm that Ferrero products are safe.

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has analyzed the presence of contaminants in a large number of products and oils stating that the presence of contaminants depends on the oils and fats used as well as the processes they are subjected to.

It is for this reason that Ferrero carefully selects quality raw materials and applies specific industrial processes that limit their presence to minimum levels, fully in line with advice from the EFSA. In addition, we constantly monitor such factors and guarantee the food safety of our products to the consumer."
Gov. Paul LePage revealed the cause of his dramatic weight loss Wednesday, telling a local radio show that he underwent bariatric surgery in September after a warning from his doctor about diabetes. LePage, who spoke to Portland-based WLOB, said he was treated as an outpatient and has lost 50 pounds since the procedure.

The 68-year-old Republican told the Sun Journal that he is feeling well and now weighs around 200 pounds. LePage joked that not only are there 50 less pounds of me to hate, but that hell also look dapper in a tuxedo if he attends one of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration balls.

Guidelines released in 2016 said weight loss surgery should become a more routine treatment option for diabetes, even for some patients who are mildly obese.

There are several types of bariatric surgeries with an overall goal of making the stomach smaller. Studies show that many patients who undergo bariatric surgery lose about 15 to 30 percent of their starting weight, but over time some individuals may regain a portion of their loss, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

On average the surgery can cost between $15,000 to $25,000 depending on the type of procedure performed, though it was unclear if LePage went through insurance or paid out of pocket as his office would not comment when asked by The Portland Press Herald.

We do not comment on the governors personal medical care, Pat Steele, LePages communications director told the news outlet. If he chooses to talk about it publicly, that is his decision.

LePage is not the first governor to undergo weight loss surgery. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had lap-band surgery in February 2013 and later called it the best thing hes ever done for himself. The 52-year-old former Republican presidential candidate later told NBC that he wished he had done the surgery years ago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A new review of past research shows limited evidence that yoga may be better than no exercise when it comes to relieving general back pain but little evidence that yoga is better than other types of back exercise.

The analysis of data from a dozen studies, published online by the Cochrane Library, looked at back pain that persisted for at least three months and had an unknown cause. A common problem, such pain is usually treated with self-care and over-the-counter medicines. Doctors often recommend exercise, including the stretching found in yoga.

The research team, led by Susan Wieland of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, found moderately good evidence that yoga is effective, compared to no exercise, when done for six months. Evidence for a benefit when yoga was done for shorter or longer periods was less convincing.

"It seems yoga is better than not doing exercise and it seems to be effective in making small improvements in pain and small-to-moderate improvements in function," Wieland told Reuters Health by phone. "The jury is still out when it comes to comparing yoga with other exercise."

Five percent of back-pain patients who tried yoga said the technique actually made their symptoms worse. Whether other types of exercise designed to help sore backs are just as likely to aggravate the condition is not known.

"The risks were all mild or transient exacerbations, and that's what you see with exercise generally," Wieland said. "No exercise is completely safe."

There was no good evidence that adding yoga to other exercises for 10 weeks helped either, the researchers concluded.

Even when people reported back pain relief from yoga, it didn't seem to be clinically important. The Wieland team predicted that a 15-point improvement on a 100-point scale would be enough to make a difference in people's lives. "We found it was more like 5 points," Wieland said.

Altogether, the researchers looked at data on 1,080 participants enrolled in seven trials in the U.S., three trials in India, and two in the UK. In each trial, the yoga lessons were specifically designed to help back problems and were conducted by experienced and qualified instructors. Most used Iyengar, Hatha, or Viniyoga forms of yoga, the researchers said. One problem with the trials: the people involved knew that treatment they were getting, which can bias the results.

One study was financed by a yoga institution; three did not report a funding sources.

The analysis looked at evidence published through March 2016. The Cochrane Collaboration, an international not-for-profit organization that evaluates and reviews medical research, periodically updates its findings as new results come in. Wieland said five additional studies that have been completed or are underway should be incorporated into a new review in about a year.

For now, "the lesson for consumers is, if you have chronic low back pain and you're interested in trying yoga, and your doctor agrees, it's worth a try," she said. "But be sure you're attending a yoga class where the yoga is designed to be helpful and safe for people with back issues. And make sure your teacher is well trained. It will minimize your chances of injury and maximize your chances of seeing a benefit."
The most impressive aspect of Trumps first news conference was this: he hasnt changed a bit. Anyone hoping to see a Donald Trump cowed by the enormity of the tasks set before him, defensive about unconfirmed salacious oppo research just released, placating of the media regulars who will cover his time in office  were disappointed.

For the millions  now half the country  that support him, his first press conference since becoming president-elect was a wonder to behold. Strong, assertive, focused on making America great again.

Make no mistake, theres a new sheriff in town, one who refuses to be intimidated by the news media.

The president-elect came out swinging against those who had published and thereby given credence to the unverified and compromising material collected by Russian operatives, reports that Trump called phony.

He praised the New York Times for making it clear the information is unconfirmed and admitting it was intended to derail Trumps candidacy.

On the other hand, in retaliation for its role in disseminating the reports and treating them like a smoking gun, he refused to take questions from CNN, which he named fake news; many in the room applauded, and rightly so.

After weeks of telling the country how damaging fake news is to our democracy, it appears hypocritical in the extreme for the media to gleefully disseminate more of the same, as long as it might discredit the GOP president-elect.

While the press conference was timed to focus on the considerable measures the president-elect is taking to isolate himself from his business empire, most of the questions asked by reporters concerned the hacking by Russia of the DNC and John Podestas emails.

Trump agreed that Russia (and maybe others) had been behind the intrusions, but criticized the U.S. (and by implication the Obama administration) for its slow response to cyberattacks  from Russia, China, and other countries  and said that the federal government has done a particularly poor job defending against such invasions. He noted that of seventeen different industries, the federal government ranked 17th in protecting its data.

Trump more than once commended Reince Priebus, who, as head of the RNC, arranged to protect the partys communications, noting that the DNC had only itself to blame for the apparent ease with which Russia had penetrated its servers.

He also drew attention, rightly, to what really harmed Hillary Clintons campaign  not the act of hacking, per se, but rather the injurious information revealed about Hillarys camp conspiring with the DNC against Bernie Sanders, getting debate questions ahead of time, John Podestas unflattering view of the candidate and so on.

As to his purported bromance with Vladimir Putin, President-elect Trump emphasized that good relations with Russia would be an asset  not a liability  as the two countries have common ground in trying to eradicate ISIS.

He did not guarantee that he would be able to work with the Russian strongman, and suggested that if need be he would be tough on the Putin.

Answering a question about the possibility that Russia has video of Trump misbehaving in some way, or other materials with which they could blackmail him, the president-elect pointed out that he has been for many years a public figure, and as such, careful about security.

On his many trips to other countries, he said, he had always cautioned his entourage to be wary of hidden cameras and possible scrutiny. Like so much of Trumps real-world practicality, this had the ring of truth.

Indicating that he takes cybersecurity seriously, Trump announced that he had charged Senator Dan Coats, his nominee for director of national intelligence, and Mike Pompeo, his pick for CIA chief, with preparing a report within 90 days outlining measures to bolster the countrys cyber defenses.

Mr. Trump reiterated his promise to build a wall to secure our southern border, and that through some means Mexico will pay for the wall. He dismissed criticism that he had backed away from that guarantee, explaining that he wanted to move ahead with the construction instead of waiting for a year or more to line up Mexicos contribution.

The president-elect made it clear that another kind of wall  one which isolates him from his business interests and potential conflicts of interest  will be constructed even sooner.

His sons will run the Trump organization, and he personally will have no input, and will not even receive detailed information about its progress.

To avoid possible pay-to-play problems, his real estate company will not undertake any new deals in foreign countries, and has scrubbed 30 such projects that were already underway. While domestic deals will be allowed, each will be thoroughly vetted by an ethics advisor. Also, any profits collected by foreign diplomats staying at Trump properties will be turned over to the U.S. Treasury. Though critics will doubtless find these arrangements insufficient, the plan seems thoughtful and quite comprehensive.

At the end of his time in office, Mr. Trump said he will review how his sons have done, and hopes that they will have done well. If not, he said, hell tell them Youre fired.

Yup, the same old Trump.
President-elect Trumps pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David J. Shulkin, is the current undersecretary for health at the VA. Though not a veteran himself, he is an experienced physician and leader. But no experience could prepare him adequately to deal with the vast problem of caring for our vets, especially when it comes to their mental health.

The VA reports that 46 percent of the 1 million troops who left Afghanistan or Iraq from 2002 to 2009 have come to the VA for care, and 48 percent of these men and women have been diagnosed with a mental health problem.

But the real story is that, despite these prodigious numbers, the invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress, remain underdiagnosed, vastly undertreated and shrouded in stigma.

Esteban Santiago, suspected of killing five people and wounding six others in last weeks Ft. Lauderdale airport shootings, is an Army veteran who served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011. He was arrested a year ago for allegedly attacking his girlfriend and damaging property. He has said he hears voices. He recently told the FBI in Anchorage that a U.S. intelligence agency had infiltrated his mind and was compelling him to watch ISIS propaganda videos. This erratic behavior may well have been a prodrome for psychotic behavior, which can frequently be exacerbated or brought on by PTSD.

Our war fighters who put their lives on the line to protect our country deserve our compassion and attention when they come home damaged, even if we cant see their wounds.

A senseless attack like this is a wakeup call for more mental health screenings and for paying more attention to veterans invisible wounds. Santiago won 10 medals, including an Army Commendation and Good Conduct Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star and a National Defense Service Medal. But that is no reason to believe he couldnt have been suffering PTSD symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, depersonalization or derealization. The fact that he was receiving psychological treatment in Alaska doesnt automatically mean these problems were being addressed, or that the treatment was successful if they were.

One problem here is that celebrated military service may lead to more clearances and less scrutiny when, in fact, there is a greater need for concern  especially given the degree of personal denial associated with these mental health disorders. Clearly, someone with Santiagos history should not have been allowed to possess weapons or fly with them in his luggage.

But more than that, the problem appears to be one of proper diagnosis and treatment. With a genetic susceptibility to psychosis combined with a history of heavy trauma exposure, you are more likely to develop a new onset psychosis that is difficult to treat, says Dr. Charles Marmar, chairman of psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, director of the Cohens Veterans Center and a leading international expert in PTSD.

The problem is enormous. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are more than 600,000 veterans with PTSD. Marmar says the military has done an excellent job in ramping up its screening and treatment programs, but the problem is so vast that the Department of Defense, VA, as well as private sector solutions are overwhelmed. He says we need an effective public-private partnership to address this problem.

Psychosis is a rare event, a loss of reality testing. But many veterans who never reach this point are still suffering from depression, anxiety or PTSD.

Some will never be themselves again, but many others will be able to achieve the new normal if they receive the proper treatment.

An astute, well trained psychiatrist like Marmar can help, and research is underway to develop more sensitive diagnostic tests, including neuro-imaging and biomarkers.

More than anything else, our war fighters who put their lives on the line to protect our country deserve our compassion and attention when they come home damaged, even if we cant see their wounds.

The Ft. Lauderdale shootings may not be a predictor of others, but they are a warning about a problem that is bubbling over.
In the years since September 11, 2001 U.S. policy leaders have authorized and sanctioned a number of controversial programs and activities. This includes enhanced interrogations, extraordinary renditions, and the mission to kill Usama Bin Laden. There is a lingering impact from these activities. This is true despite the ending of enhanced interrogations, extraordinary renditions, and the death of Bin Laden in 2011.

To further elaborate, the stated actions were approved at the highest levels of the American government. This includes the president of the United States and the gang of eight in Congress. The individuals who oversaw the implementation of these programs included the leaders of both the executive and legislative branches of the government.

As with any strategy, these policies were approved at the 30,000-foot level by senior officials. Midlevel intelligence officers and cooperating individuals then had the responsibility to make the policies become real actions and activities. They had to get their hands "dirty." They were the ones responsible for rendering individuals, performing interrogations, and killing Usama bin Laden in Pakistan. They took great risks to carry out U.S. foreign policy.

Most of the time the people taking these risks continue to have the support of their government. However in some instances, operatives at the ground level are left behind when the proverbial dirt hits the fan. So while political leaders who authorize these activities may continue to enjoy their comfortable livelihoods in politics, on corporate boards, or in their retirements, the realities for the others become incredibly different and difficult.

President Obama and his Justice Department did the right thing. In 2012 they decided against prosecuting individuals involved in the enhanced interrogation program. He supported them instead.

Some have not benefited in the same way. Dr. Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani who helped positively identify Bin Laden before the May 2, 2011 raid now languishes in Pakistani prison. It is very possible that without his help Usama Bin Laden might still be alive. He was instrumental in one of America's successes against the terrorists.

So while President Obama feverishly works to clear out Guantanamo Bay of people dangerous to the United States, Dr. Afridi is still in prison in Pakistan with no expectation of freedom.

In yet another disappointing and currently developing case, Sabrina De Sousa, reportedly a former CIA case officer in a rendition case of Abu Omar in 2003, may soon find herself serving a four-year sentence in an Italian jail. Convicted in abstentia by Italian courts, De Sousa and other CIA intelligence officers have faced the possibility of imprisonment since 2006.

It is a real possibility for her today. De Sousa was detained in Portugal in December 2015 per an extradition request from Italy. In response, the Portuguese courts will seemingly honor the extradition request to send De Sousa to Italy by January 17, 2017 to begin serving her sentence.

Mrs. De Sousa and the other Americans, convicted in abstentia by the Italian government, merit the support of the U.S. government. Even if the facts presented by the Italians are purportedly true, their actions of 2003 needed authorization from both the American and Italian government. It is also worth noting that Italian intelligence officials participated in the 2003 snatch and grab of Abu Omar.

Washington is indefensible in neglecting to defend the upstanding individuals it hires to protect and serve the United States of America. -- Policy leaders continue to enjoy their freedom while others worry about their ability to travel, see their families or just live their lives.

Ms. De Sousa, Dr. Afridi, and the other Americans convicted in Italy should not be forgotten.

The time is long overdue for America's leaders to finally support those who risked so much by doing what they were directed to do  complex and dangerous work.

It is unacceptable that allies and friendly governments hold mid-level U.S. government operatives accountable while America's leaders stand silent.
President-elect Donald Trump took on the press after the so-called journalists at CNN and BuzzFeed exposed themselves as hacks by running wild with unconfirmed and completely unfounded allegations that Trump has been compromised by Russia.

In his first news conference since his election victory, an hours after key members of the alt-radical left media stooped to a new low with reports on a dossier full of lies, Trump let loose on both the media and the intelligence community with both barrels.

A thing like that should have never been written, it should never have been had and it should certainly never have been released, he said.  It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen.

I think it's a disgrace, he continued. And I say that, and I say that. And that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. I think it's a disgrace that information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public.

He was right. CNN and BuzzFeed should be ashamed of themselves.

The so-called dossier was put together as opposition research by Trump's political opponents. It had been out there for months. Responsible media outlets like the Fox News stayed away from it, but CNN, the "Clinton News Network," could not resist.

CNN has learned that the nation's top intelligence officials provided information to President-elect Donald Trump and to President Barack Obama last week about claims of Russian efforts to compromise the president-elect, Donald Trump, CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper breathlessly reported Tuesday night.

The Trump-bashing news network continued, with correspondents including Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame weighing in. It didnt matter that they even admitted they had no idea if what they were reporting was true.

Again, we haven't confirmed them, but it is something that is being taken very seriously, and they're going to have to get to the bottom of it, Justice Correspondent Evan Perez said on the air.

On Wednesday, Tapper had to correct some of the major allegations about Michael Cohen, who had supposedly met secretly with Russian operatives in Prague.

My reporting suggests that people did try to run that down and they concluded that it was a different Michael Cohen, a sheepish Tapper said. It was a Michael Cohen with a passport from another country, the same birth year, different birthdate.

Imagine that: There is at least one other Michael Cohen in the world.

CNN is still defending their smear against President-elect Trump, which once again proves that journalism in America is dead  as I have been saying since 2008.

When it comes to the alt-radical left liberal press, there is a massive double standard. They will push fake news stories about President-elect Trump, but they never bothered to even ask about or look into President Obama's very troubling past.

The media asked Obama only one single time -- and I fed the question to George Stephanopoulos - about his relationship with the unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, even though Obama launched his political career in Ayers' living room, gave speeches him and sat on boards with this guy.

Obama for 20 years attended the church of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who was recorded on tape saying "God---n America," and, after 9/11, "America's chickens have come home to roost." And Obama unabashedly embraced the tactics of left-wing activist Saul Alinsky.

If Donald Trump had done any of those things, had any of those connections, it would have been on the front page of every newspaper and led every TV newscast for months. But CNN doesnt seem to understand how far it strayed from fair and balanced journalism. On the very day its indefensible treatment of Trump was exposed, correspondent Jim Acosta badgered Trump repeatedly.

Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question? Since you're... , Acosta said, trying to get in a question at the press conference.

Although Acosta kept shouting at him, Trump was having none of it.

Your organization is terrible, Trump said. You are fake news.

Not everyone at CNN is so aggressive. You may remember back in 2009 when former New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny, who now works for the "Clinton News Network" -- was drooling over President Obama after his first 100 days with these softball questions.

During these first 100 days, what has surprised you the most about this office, enchanted you the most about serving in this office, humbled you most and troubled you the most? Zeleny asked as even the president chuckled.

Enchanted? Really?

The media has continually proven they are incapable of treating President-elect Donald Trump or any Republican fairly. What we saw from CNN and BuzzFeed should serve as a warning to the incoming Trump administration. The media desperately wanted Hillary Clinton to win, and now that she didn't, they're going to try and destroy the president-elect, soon to be President Donald Trump.

President-elect Trump, my advice is to ignore these people. If that's how they're going to treat you, they don't deserve the access they think they deserve.

Adapted from Sean Hannitys opening monologue, airing on Hannity, Jan. 11, 2017
Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., was rushed to the hospital Wednesday night after suffering a cardiac episode in the House GOP cloakroom.

Security officials locked the doors to the cloakroom, located just off the House floor, as Rutherford was treated by EMTs and medics from the congressional Office of the Attending Physician.

Rutherford was eventually wheeled out of the Capitol on a stretcher.

Late Wednesday, Rutherford's chief of staff released a statement saying the congressman was "conscious, alert, and in good spirits."

Kelly Simpson added that Rutherford had not suffered a heart attack, but was still being evaulated by doctors. Simpson said further updates on Rutherford's condition "will be provided once doctors have finished their evaluation."

Rutherford, 64, was sworn in last week after being elected to represent Florida's 4th congressional district. The district encompasses most of Jacksonville and some of its suburbs.

Prior to his election to Congress, Rutherford worked in law enforcement for 41 years and served as Jacksonville's sheriff, winning three elections for that post.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker cast aside long-standing precedent Wednesday and testified against a sitting Senate colleague, as he urged the chamber not to confirm Jeff Sessions for attorney general  a move that earned him a rebuke from Republicans.

Critics charged the New Jersey senator was merely burnishing his credentials for a presidential run, with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., writing on Facebook he was disappointed Booker has chosen to start his 2020 presidential campaign by testifying against Senator Sessions.

According to the Senate historian, no sitting senator has ever testified against a colleague at a Cabinet nomination hearing. Cotton said Booker knows better than to use the hearing as a platform for his presidential aspirations.

The first-term senator countered in his testimony that Senate traditions were not the priority here.

"I believe, like perhaps all of my colleagues, that in the choice between standing with Senate norms or standing up for what my conscience tells me is best for our country, I will always choose conscience and country," Booker told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Testifying during the second day of Sessions confirmation hearing, Booker charged that his colleague is incapable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the office of attorney general.

Senator Sessions has not demonstrated a commitment to a central requisite of the job [of attorney general] -- to aggressively pursue the congressional mandate of civil rights, equal rights and justice for all of our citizens, Booker said.

The senator asserted that at times during his career Sessions has demonstrated a hostility toward these convictions.

Ever since President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to the AG post, Sessions has been battling efforts to revive allegations of past racist comments which helped derail his failed 1986 nomination for a federal judgeship.

Wednesdays testimony coincided with other civil-rights figures testifying against Sessions including NAACP head Cornell Brooks and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon who marched with Martin Luther King Jr.

Sessions, however, adamantly denied claims of harboring racial animus during the opening day of the hearing Tuesday. He decried the false charges and said critics were painting a caricature of him.

Jeff Giertz, Bookers communications director, confirmed to FoxNews.com that the senator attended parts of yesterdays Judiciary hearing in-person and watched the hearing throughout the day when he wasnt able to be in the room.

Though Booker, a former Newark mayor, came out against a Senate colleague just three-plus years into his term, Democrats came to Bookers defense -- suggesting his break with tradition pales in comparison to Republican tactics.

He is taking a stand and is doing so fully recognizing that a lot of his Republican colleagues will be upset. Republicans did not think much of discretion and deference when they refused to give [Obama Supreme Court nominee] Merrick Garland a hearing, Jim Manley, a former spokesman for ex-Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, told FoxNews.com.

Cotton answered Bookers testimony on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, by joking that his attacks on Jeff Sessions are so far-fetched I half-expected his make-believe friend T-Bone to be next witness.

T-Bone is a reference to an individual Booker frequently claimed over the years had threatened his life when he was mayor of Newark. It came to light during his campaign for the Senate that T-Bone was not an actual person.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, the only other black member of the Senate, gently chided Booker for his appearance Wednesday.

I have always respected Senator Booker as a colleague. This is not a decision I would have made, he said in a statement to FoxNews.com.

Bookers comments Wednesday stand in contrast to remarks he made less than a year ago.

I feel blessed and honored to have partnered with Senator Sessions in being the Senate sponsors of this important award, Booker said of his collaboration with Sessions on a bill honoring participants of the Selma civil rights marches with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Mexican drug cartels and human traffickers are cashing in ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration by exploiting anxiety over his vow to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigration  fueling the latest surge across the U.S.-Mexico line, according to local law enforcement.

The president-elect reiterated his pledge at a press conference Wednesday to build a "wall"  which he claims will curb illegal immigration, reduce gun violence and stop drugs from being smuggled into the country.

For now, however, the Obama administration's leniency, combined with concerns about Trump's crackdown, is seen as contributing to a spike in crossings from California to Texas.

Theres definitely a percentage of folks who believed that they can beat the clock, said Jose Villareal, chief of operations for the Border Patrols Rio Grande Valley sector.

On a recent ride-along in south Texas, Cameron County Sheriff's Office Lt. Robert Rodriguez told FoxNews.com he has noted an increase in the flow of border crossers since Trumps White House win.

I can feel the anxiety, Rodriguez said. You can cut it with a knife.

He said: We see more and more people cross every day. ... The cartels are taking advantage of people being scared.

Rodriguez patrols a patch of road that includes the most southern tip of Texas. Hes seen battered bodies float lifeless down the Rio Grande River and is no stranger to the sight of corpses  from babies to men in their 80s  littered along the land. Some were shot by drug lords, human traffickers and cartel members, while others were abandoned by their coyotes  paid guides to get them across the border.

He says moving people across the border is a high-stakes shell game that authorities at the local, state and federal level are losing.

Rodriguez, who says he's been in two shootouts, has seen people come over on foot and packed in passenger vehicles as well as ferried over the Rio Grande in rafts.

This is ground zero of the problem, Rodriguez said of the route known as Farm to Market Road 1419 in Cameron County. As for the human carnage he has witnessed, he said, Youre a commodity. Youre a thing.

And the traffickers who see border crossers this way are looking at boom times -- at least for now.

In November, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 47,214 migrants along the southwest U.S. border  an increase of 44 percent compared with a year earlier. November was the Border Patrols busiest month since June 2014. In the past six months, agents have caught nearly a quarter-million migrants -- about 1,300 a day -- trying to cross illegally.

Smugglers are telling them that they need to come across now while theres a chance, Art Del Cueto, a Border Patrol agent in Tucson, Ariz., recently told Fox News.

In response, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection dispatched 150 more agents to police the southwestern border. They also opened two temporary facilities to detain thousands of people trying to come over illegally.

"CBP is prepared to add housing, beds, toilets and bathing facilities as necessary," it said in a statement. "CBP is addressing this migratory surge along the southwest border in a humane way, consistent with our border security mission and our American values."

The border itself remains a challenge.

Of the 315 miles of border in the Rio Grande Valley, only 54 miles have a border fence. The sector, made up of 34,000 square miles of U.S. territory, accounts for more than half of the migrant apprehensions each year.

As the son of Mexican migrant workers who crossed the border illegally decades ago  they later became naturalized citizens  Rodriguez believes talk of the border wall is Washington window-dressing for a more complicated problem.

Smugglers change their tactic all the time, he said, adding that with a wall, people can go underneath it, over it or around it.

Most of the wall in Cameron County is 18 feet tall and made from rusty iron bars. In other parts, its fence. At a cost of more than $6 million per mile to build, the barrier runs through peoples backyards and farmers fields. There are gigantic gaps along the way -- stretches where the wall abruptly stops.

There are actually openings in the wall, Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez told FoxNews.com. I havent seen people go around the wall or over the wall. Ive seen them go right through those openings.

For some residents in the region, the rush of border crossers ahead of Trump taking office has bred fear.

One McAllen-area resident, who asked not to be named out of safety concerns for her young children, said she has seen a big jump in numbers.

The area is enormous and there arent enough [authorities] out here, she said. We see people cross all the time. Could we say something? Should we? Of course, but what about our kids?

Rodriguez says intimidation by cartel members is common and that scouts for coyotes and gangs are everywhere.

One day, a resident complains and the next, theres a blacked-out SUV in front of their house, he said. They get the message.
Republican leaders in Congress are looking to the incoming Trump administration to rein in a federal agency they say has gone unchecked for the last eight years.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who chairs the Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee, told the College Fix that he wants the next education secretary to appoint someone at the agencys Office for Civil Rights (OCR) who will stop the practice of using the office as an unchecked regulatory entity.

Likewise, the new chair of the House Education Committee, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., hopes to see the [entire] department scaled back.

Republican furor about the Department of Education stems from 2011 when the department began pressing colleges to more aggressively police sexual assaults and threatening to take away Title IX funding from schools that failed to do so. Title IX is a law enacted in 1972 that prohibits any educational program or activity that receives federal financial assistance from denying benefits to or discriminating against someone based on their sex.

Some of the most egregious examples of executive overreach and intimidation took place at the department, and I believe it was this type of overreach that the American people repudiated in this election, Lankford told the College Fix.

Officials at the Education Department have abused Dear Colleague letters and guidance documents to mandate policies for schools without adhering to legally required regulatory processes, he said.

Lankford is referring to letters sent by the OCR to schools in April 2011 that made sexual assault a form of harassment prohibited by Title IX. The department currently has some 216 schools under investigation, while other schools have expelled accused students on what critics say is scant evidence, often with no legal recourse or due process.

Since the Obama administrations crackdown on schools, a number of students who have been found guilty by their colleges of sexual assault have filed lawsuits alleging their due process rights were violated during the investigation and ruling of the cases.

What we represent is not a popular issue, we know that, Cynthia Garrett, co-president of Families Advocating for Campus Equality, which supports due process rights for accused students, told FoxNews.com back in November. But there are so many young men whose lives have been destroyed by these allegations.

While Lankford, Foxx and other congressional Republicans are confident that Trump and his pick for education secretary, Michigan businesswoman and education activist Betsy DeVos, will quickly reverse course when it comes to Title IX, neither of the two have spoken at length on the issue.

Campus Sexual Assaults

11.2% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).

Among graduate and professional students, 8.8% of females and 2.2% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

Among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

4.2% of students have experienced stalking since entering college.

*Information from RAINN.org

During the presidential campaign, Trumps biggest qualm with the Department of Education  as with many other federal agencies  was to say that it is massive and it can be largely eliminated. DeVos has also not broached the issue of sexual assault on college campuses or commented on the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX.

Groups representing victims of campus sexual assaults say that nobody would benefit from a rollback of OCR policies because schools would be held even less accountable for their investigations into sex assault accusations.

I get where they are coming from, Anna Voremberg, the managing director of End Rape On Campus, told FoxNews.com. But were on the same side.

Voremberg added: The only way to get a true ruling is to have a fair and equitable process for both parties  a dialing back of Title IX would not do that.
Defense secretary nominee Gen. James Mattis issued a grave warning Thursday at his Senate confirmation hearing, saying the established world order is under its biggest attack since World War II as he called for boosting military readiness and Americas alliances.

Under questioning from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., about Russia and other threats, Mattis said the U.S. should recognize the reality of dealing with Vladimir Putins government and that hes trying to break the North Atlantic alliance.

Citing Russias aggressions and other concerns, he said: I think [the world order is] under the biggest attack since World War II  from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea.

To address this, Mattis testified, deterrence is critical.

His assessment came as he called for strengthening military readiness while also pursuing business reforms at the Pentagon. He said U.S. forces must be the best led, best equipped and most lethal in the world.

If you confirm me, my watchwords will be solvency and security in providing for the protection of our people and the survival of our freedoms, he said.

Mattis, a tough Marine general who earned the nickname Mad Dog over the course of his career and most recently led U.S. Central Command before retiring in 2013, is poised to become the first career military officer in charge of the Pentagon since the 1950s.

He addressed any potential concerns about that break from tradition at his hearing Thursday, saying he recognizes civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition.

Civilian leaders bear these responsibilities because the esprit-de-corps of our military, its can-do spirit, and its obedience to civilian leadership reduces the inclination and power of the military to oppose a policy  it is ultimately ordered to implement, he said.

Before Mattis can join the Cabinet, Congress must approve a one-time exception to a law requiring a military officer to be out of uniform for at least seven years before leading the Pentagon. Even some of Trump's strongest critics say Mattis merits the exception -- and the Senate voted decisively Thursday to approve the waiver on a 81-17 vote. It goes next to the House.

The question of budget restraints at the Pentagon is a critical one for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. McCain warned at Thursdays hearing that the military cant proceed with business as usual as he ripped arbitrary congressional caps on spending.

Mattis agreed that those policies cause concerns. His assurances on dealing with Russia also follow concerns from McCain and other senior lawmakers that the incoming Donald Trump administration is wrongly warming to Moscow.

Mattis testimony falls amid a packed week of confirmation hearings for top Trump Cabinet nominees, including Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Rex Tillerson for secretary of state. Both nominees have faced pushback on Capitol Hill, but virtually all of Trumps picks  Mattis included  are expected to win confirmation provided Republicans hold together on the final vote.

In prepared remarks for the hearing, Mattis expressed unqualified support for traditional U.S. international alliances. In contrast, during the White House campaign, Trump insisted that U.S. treaty allies and security partners pay more for their own defense and for hosting American forces on their soil.

Mattis is a former leader of NATO's transformation command, in charge of efforts to adapt the alliance's structure and capabilities to 21st century threats.

In his testimony, he spoke about the importance of the alliance, calling for the U.S. to maintain "the strongest possible relationship with NATO."

On the Iran nuclear deal, Mattis said he would not have personally signed the pact, but said that when America gives its word, we have to "live up to it."

Mattis also was challenged by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., on his views on allowing homosexuals and women to serve in combat roles:

"Do you believe that openly serving homosexuals along with women in combat units is underminding our force?" she asked.

Senator, my belief is that we have to stay focused on a military thats so lethal that on the battlefield it will be the enemy's longest day and their worst day when they run into that force," Mattis responded, before saying he had no intention to roll back current policy. "I believe military service is a touchstone of patriots of whatever stripe."

Eliot A. Cohen, a senior State Department counselor in President George W. Bush's administration who has publicly criticized the incoming Trump team, said at a Senate hearing Tuesday that he feels a "sense of alarm" about the judgment of the incoming administration. But, he said, Mattis "would be a stabilizing and moderating force, preventing wildly stupid, dangerous or illegal things from happening."

Mattis, 66, is one of three recently retired senior generals selected by Trump for top jobs in his administration.

After retiring, Mattis joined the Hoover Institution, a conservative-leaning think tank. He also is a member of the board of directors of General Dynamics, the big defense contractor.

He has remained outspoken in his concerns about Iran. In remarks last April at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Mattis called Iran "the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East."

Mattis is best known as a battle-hardened combat officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. But he also has worked behind the scenes with senior civilian officials at the Pentagon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he was ending a longstanding immigration policy that allowed any Cuban who made it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident.

In a statement, Obama said the so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy was "designed for a different era" of U.S.-Cuba relations.

Under the new policy, which takes effect immediately, Cubans who attempt to enter the U.S. illegally without qualifying for humanitarian relief will be sent back to the island.

"By taking this step," Obama said, "we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries."

Obama added that the Havana government had agreed to accept Cubans ordered to leave the U.S., a concession that was a focus of months of negotiations. A senior administration official told the Associated Press the Cubans gave no assurances about treatment of those sent back to the country, but said political asylum remains an option for those concerned about persecution if they return.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the move "goes a long way to putting our relationship with Cuba on equal terms with our relationships with other neighbors."

Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. President-elect Donald Trump could undo that rule after he is sworn in next week. He has criticized Obama's moves to improve relations with Cuba. But ending a policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to come to the United States without a visa also aligns with Trump's commitment to tough immigration policies.

The "wet foot, dry foot" policy was put in place in 1995 by then-President Bill Clinton as a revision of a more liberal immigration policy. Until then, Cubans caught at sea trying to make their way to the United States were allowed into the country and were able to become legal residents after a year. The U.S. was reluctant to send people back to the communist island then run by Fidel Castro, and the Cuban government also generally refused to accept repatriated citizens.



The Cuban government has in the past complained bitterly about the special immigration privileges, saying they encourage Cubans to risk dangerous escape trips and drain the country of professionals. But it has also served as a release valve for the single-party state, allowing the most dissatisfied Cubans to seek better lives outside and become sources of financial support for relatives on the island.



Relations between the United States and Cuba were stuck in a Cold War freeze for decades, but Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro established full diplomatic ties and opened embassies in their capitals in 2015. Obama visited Havana last March.



U.S. and Cuban officials were meeting Thursday in Washington to coordinate efforts to fight human trafficking. A decades-old U.S. economic embargo, though, remains in place as does the Cuban Adjustment Act which lets Cubans become permanent residents a year after legally arriving in the U.S.



The official said that in recent years, most people fleeing the island have done so for economic reasons or to take advantage of the benefits they know they can receive if they make it to the U.S.



The official also cited an uptick in Cuban migration, particularly across the U.S.-Mexico border -- an increase the official said reflected an expectation among Cubans that the Obama administration would soon move to end their special immigration status.



Since October 2012, more than 118,000 Cubans have presented themselves at ports of entry along the border, according to statistics published by the Homeland Security Department. During the 2016 budget year, which ended in September, a five-year high of more than 41,500 people came through the southern border. An additional 7,000 people arrived between October and November.



The influx has created burdens on other countries in the region that must contend with Cubans who have yet to reach the U.S. border, the official said.



The Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which was started by President George W. Bush in 2006, is also being rescinded. The measure allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to seek parole in the U.S. while on assignments abroad.



People already in the pipeline under both "wet foot, dry foot" and the medical parole program will be able to continue the process toward getting legal status.



The preferential treatment for Cubans reflected the political power of Cuban-Americans, especially in Florida, a critical state in presidential elections. That has been shifting in recent years. Older Cubans, particularly those who fled Castro's regime, tend to reject Obama's diplomatic overtures to Cuba. Younger Cuban-American voters have proven less likely than their parents and grandparents to define their politics by U.S.-Cuba relations. Exit polls show President Barack Obama managed roughly a split in the Florida Cuban vote in 2012, and Trump in November won the same group by a much narrower margin than many previous Republican nominees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Sen. Charles Schumer, the Senates top Democrat, came out Thursday against Republican colleague Jeff Sessions for attorney general.

Calling Sessions a colleague and friend, Schumer nevertheless said he could not support the Alabama senator for the Trump administration post.

After reviewing his record and giving careful consideration to his answers during the hearing, I am not confident in Senator Sessions ability to be a defender of the rights of all Americans, or to serve as an independent check on the incoming administration, Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. I am also deeply concerned by his views on immigration, which I saw firsthand during the push for comprehensive immigration reform. For those reasons, I will oppose his nomination to serve as the next Attorney General.

The statement follows a sustained campaign against Sessions by his critics, including the unprecedented testimony of a Senate colleague  Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.  against him during Wednesdays hearing. Booker testified that Sessions has not demonstrated a commitment to a central requisite of the job  to aggressively pursue the congressional mandate of civil rights, equal rights and justice for all of our citizens.

Critics charged the New Jersey senator was merely burnishing his credentials for a presidential run, with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., writing on Facebook he was disappointed Booker has chosen to start his 2020 presidential campaign by testifying against Senator Sessions.

Sessions and his allies also have fought back against the accusations, many of which stem from allegations that first surfaced during his failed nomination to a federal court position in 1986.

During a lengthy hearing appearance on Tuesday, Sessions adamantly denied claims of harboring racial animus. He decried the false charges and said critics were painting a caricature of him.

Republicans senators have come to Sessions' defense. On "Fox & Friends" Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reminded his critics that Sessions prosecuted Klansmen years ago.

Sessions is still likely to be confirmed, provided Senate Republicans hold together on the vote.
Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Wednesday that CNN reporter Jim Acosta should apologize to President-elect Trump after Spicer said Acosta was "rude, inappropriate and disrespectful" during Trump's press conference earlier Wednesday.

"I think Mr. Acosta owes the president-elect and frankly the entire press corps an apology for his childish and inappropriate behavior," Spicer told Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

TRUMP SPARS WITH REPORTER FOLLOWING RUSSIA CLAIMS

Acosta repeatedly called on Trump to let him ask a question after the president-elect disparaged reports by CNN and BuzzFeed that Russian spies have collected compromising information about him. Trump refused to call on Acosta, at one point telling him "Don't be rude" before finally blasting CNN's report as "fake news."

After the press conference, Spicer said he approached Acosta and "I informed him that I thought that no one should be treated that ... disrespectfully, and that if he did it again in the future, I would have him removed."

"No one needs to be treated with that level of disrespect and rudeness," Spicer later added.

The former Republican National Committee spokesman added that the contentious nature of Wednesday's presser could be a preview of future briefings under a Trump administration.

"If you want to have a conversation and engage in a polite and respectful manner with the president-elect, hes gonna treat you in kind," Spicer said. "But if you come in hot and want to be disrespectful and rude, as Jim Acosta was today, hes not gonna sit back and take it. This is a man who fights and wins."
A pair of California lawmakers introduced bills Wednesday in hopes it will combat the wave of fake news that trickled to the forefront of the 2016 presidential election.

Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez wants high schools to teach students how to spot the different between real news from fake.

Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat, said students should learn reasoning skills to assess what they read online.

"Recently, we have seen the corrupting effects of a deliberate propaganda campaign driven by fake news," Gomez said in a statement. "When fake news is repeated, it becomes difficult for the public to discern what's real. These attempts to mislead readers pose a direct threat to our democracy."

AB155 would commission new curriculum standards that include strategies for identifying false reports.

According to the Los Angeles Times, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, proposed a separate bill to piggyback off of Gomezs fight against fake news. Dodds bill proposes that requires the state education board to start a media literacy curriculum.

Dodd called the rise of fake news deeply concerning and added that its also concerning people cant distinguish between whats fact and whats fiction.

The problem of false reports masquerading as news emerged as a major issue of the 2016 election. Many such reports were shared widely on social media during the campaign.

Gomez insists fake news poses "a direct threat to our democracy."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from the Los Angeles Times.
President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, took a swipe at China during his confirmation hearing with the Senate on Wednesday.

The former Exxon-Mobil CEO likened Chinas island-building in the South China Sea to the annexation of Crimea by Russia  a sharp change in tone from the Obama administrations focus on cooperation.

Tillerson accused Beijing of declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas. He added that Chinas actions were extremely worrisome and the U.S. failure to respond has allowed them to keep pushing the envelope in seas that carry $5 trillion of trade annually.

Beijing has reclaimed more than 3,000 acres of land and constructed military-grade infrastructure. Over the last year, has been fortifying its islands with surface-to-air missiles and fighter jet deployment. China has also flown its nuclear-capable bomber over the sea in an effort to intimidate the other countries that have territorial claims in the region.

"This is a threat to the entire global economy if China is allowed to somehow dictate the terms of passage through these waters," Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Under Obama, the U.S. has worked with China to fight climate change and contain Irans nuclear program. But Beijing has only half-heartedly pressed North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and has willfully disregarded Washington's appeals to moderate its activities in the South China Sea.

Asked if he supported a more aggressive U.S. posture, he said, "You're going to have to send China a clear signal that first the island building stops, and second your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed."

Past U.S. administrations have entered office seeking to get tougher on China, and failed. Trump himself has threatened to impose punitive tariffs to address America's trade imbalance with China and tested ties by questioning the longstanding U.S. policy on the status of Taiwan.

A perennial challenge is to break China's long-time partnership with North Korea's hereditary dictatorship. Beijing is unwilling to exercise economic pressure that could destabilize its unpredictable ally, even as it shares U.S. concerns about the isolated nation's rapid development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them.

Earlier this week, outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry chided Beijing over its efforts to pressure North Korea, which relies on China for 90 percent of its international trade. He said China needed to "increase its focus" and that the U.S. may need "more forceful ways" of dealing with North Korea.

Tillerson spoke in starker terms. He accused China of making "empty promises" on North Korea and supported U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies found to be violating U.N. Security Council resolutions, recently beefed up to tighten restrictions on North Korean coal imports.

"If China is not going to comply with those U.N. sanctions then it's appropriate for the United States to consider actions to compel them to comply," Tillerson said.

Speaking generally, he described military force as the "least attractive option." And he sought to play down Trump's recent tweet on North Korea's development of a missile that could strike America  "It won't happen!"  saying it wasn't a "red line."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
For BuzzFeed to publish totally unsubstantiated allegations against Donald Trump -- while saying there is serious reason to doubt the allegations -- turns the practice of journalism on its head.

It is a perversion of what we do for a living to spew out material that may be nothing more than bogus rumors and disinformation, and to claim, as BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith does, that this is how we see the role of reporters in 2017.

The president-elect and his team decided yesterday to tackle this head on, to take the fight to both BuzzFeed and CNN, to make the media the issue rather than defensively deflecting the questions. And they had a big fat target.

BuzzFeed, a pop culture site with an overlay of news, is not exactly friendly to Trump. In fact, Smith told his staff in a 2015 memo that its entirely fair to call him a mendacious racist, as the politics team and others have reported clearly and aggressively: he's out there saying things that are false, and running an overtly anti-Muslim campaign. This, said Smith, was fact, not opinion.

Trump called BuzzFeed a failing piece of garbage that is going to suffer the consequences of its actions. Sean Spicer called it frankly outrageous and a highly irresponsible decision by a left-wing blog. Mike Pence blamed it on media bias. The decision to have the incoming vice president and press secretary denounce the website before Trump spoke -- with Reince Priebus doing the same on the morning shows -- underscores how they viewed this as a prime opportunity to discredit the press.

Smith told MSNBCs Chuck Todd last night, When you have an object thats in play  you do have to ask the question, why should I suppress that?

But Todd shot back: Youve just published fake news.



But its worth noting that Trump also said this: I want to thank a lot of the news organizations, some of whom have not treated me very well over the years -- a couple in particular -- and they came out so strongly against that fake news, and the fact that it was written about by primarily one group and one television station.

The furor began Tuesday when anchor Jake Tapper said the following: A CNN exclusive. CNN has learned that the nation's top intelligence officials provided information to President-elect Donald Trump and to President Barack Obama last week about claims of Russian efforts to compromise President-elect Trump.

Now CNN made an editorial decision not to detail those claims because they are unverified. Thats an important distinction.

But by using the fact that Trump was briefed about a two-page synopsis as a way to report the story, CNN put it in play and raised doubts whether, in some nefarious way, Trump had actually been compromised. I wouldnt have made that decision, and other news outlets that now say they had the material didnt either.

There was a confrontational moment at the presser when Trump started criticizing CNN and its correspondent, Jim Acosta, demanded to be heard. I can understand him shouting out, but when he did it repeatedly as the president-elect refused to call on him, it sounded rude. Trump finally dismissed him by saying: You are fake news.

After the presser, Tapper told viewers: I suspect we are seeing here is an attempt to discredit legitimate responsible attempts to report on this incoming administration with irresponsible journalism that hurts us all.

But it was BuzzFeed that published the whole sex-lies-and-videotape report, which you can easily find elsewhere. All this put the rest of the media in the uncomfortable position of reporting on an unproven story while trying to dance around the details -- although some websites were happy to repeat the rumors.

As one example, the 35-page dossier says that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen met with Kremlin envoys last year in Prague. Cohen says he has never been to Prague and can confirm where he was on the date in question.

As a reporter, Ive heard all manner of rumors, unproven conspriacies and salacious crap over the years. I would never dream of publishing them without rock-solid confirmation.

Dean Baquet, executive editor of the New York Times, told his paper: We, like others, investigated the allegations and havent corroborated them, and we felt were not in the business of publishing things we cant stand by.

BuzzFeed -- whose other offerings yesterday included How Bitchy Is Your Resting Face?" and Would you get rid of your phone just to have an orgasm?-- says it is being transparent with its readers. Unfortunately, the transparency enabled all of us to see shoddy journalism in action and handed Trump a gift-wrapped present.
The U.S. Air Force's mysterious X-37B space plane has now spent 600 days in Earth orbit on the vessel's latest mission, and is nearing a program record for longest time spent in space.

The robotic X-37B lifted off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 20, 2015, kicking off the program's fourth space mission (which is known as Orbital Test Vehicle-4, or OTV-4).

If the uncrewed spacecraft spends 74 more days aloft, it will break the duration record set during OTV-3, which touched down in October 2014. [The X-37B's Fourth Mystery Mission in Photos]

But it's unclear how long OTV-4 will last, or just what the X-37B is doing as it circles Earth; most details about the space plane's missions and payloads are classified.

Milestone record keeping

The first OTV mission began on April 22, 2010, and concluded on Dec. 3 of that year, following 224 days of orbit. OTV-2 lifted off on March 5, 2011, and landed on June 16, 2012, after 468 days in orbit.

The record-setting OTV-3 mission chalked up nearly 675 days in orbit, circling Earth from Dec. 11, 2012, until Oct. 17, 2014.

All three previous OTV missions have come down to Earth at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, but that may change for OTV-4's landing, whenever it occurs.

Heading for Florida?

Progress has been made on consolidating X-37B space plane operations, including the use of NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida as a landing site for the robotic space plane.

A former KSC space-shuttle facility known as Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) was converted into a structure that will enable the Air Force "to efficiently land, recover, refurbish and relaunch the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV)," according to representatives of the aerospace giant Boeing.

X-37B vehicle development falls under the control of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems in El Segundo, California, which is Boeing's center for all space and experimental systems and government and commercial satellites.

The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office is leading the Department of Defense's OTV initiative, by direction of the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and the secretary of the Air Force.

Fleet size

To date, only two reusable X-37B vehicles have been confirmed as constituting the space plane fleet. The current OTV-4 mission is the second flight of the second X-37B vehicle built for the Air Force by Boeing.

The military space plane looks like a miniature version of NASA's retired space shuttle orbiter . The X-37B is just 29 feet long and 9.6 feet tall, and has a wingspan of nearly 15 feet. For comparison, the space shuttles were each 122 feet long, with wingspans of 78 feet.

The X-37B has a payload bay about the size of a pickup truck bed that can be outfitted with a robotic arm. It has a launch weight of 11,000 lbs and is powered in orbit by gallium arsenide solar cells with lithium-ion batteries.

Payloads aboard

Some payloads aboard the OTV-4 craft have been previously identified.

For example, Aerojet Rocketdyne has said that its XR-5A Hall Thruster had completed initial in-orbit validation testing aboard the X-37B space plane. Also on board is a NASA advanced-materials investigation.

Such test-bedding of equipment is one of the main purposes of OTV missions, along with the development of reusable-spacecraft technologies, Air Force officials have said.

"It remains a very useful way to test out things," Winston Beauchamp, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space, told Space.com last September during an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) meeting in Long Beach, California.

When asked about adding more X-37Bs to the nation's fleet, Beauchamp said that the current number of vehicles meets the Air Force's needs.

Published on Space.com .
A reliable weapon can be the difference between life and death for those serving in the military.

The Magpul Industries PMAG GEN 3 is a magazine for rifles that ensures the user stays lethal in a fight. More than 20,000 rounds fired? No problem. Still no magazine stoppages.

Why is that so important? Because every time a stoppage happens with a weapon, it means a lost opportunity to neutralize an enemy combatant. But the even bigger issue is that a stoppage can put the warfighter at risk and even lead to loss of life.

With AR, M4, and M27 weapons for example, magazine problems are a primary culprit in stoppages. But if a warfighter uses the PMAG, then the risk of stoppage is massively reduced.

The US Marine Corps has made the decision to ensure that all Marines have the best magazine available. Going forward, Magpuls PMAG GEN 3 has become the official magazine, giving Marines that extra advantage to stay alive and lethal in a firefight.

This is the first commercial magazine adopted as the official standard for the Marine Corps primary service rifle, Magpul explained.

THE 5 COOLEST MILITARY INNOVATIONS OF 2016

Magpul has also introduced the PMAG GEN 3 in the medium coyote tan color. The black and medium coyote tan are now the only magazines authorized by the USMC for combat and training. The government-designed EPM USGI (aluminum) magazine will be used only for training purposes.

PMAG GEN 3 Basics

The PMAG GEN 3 would be ideal for the M4, M16, M27IAR (Infantry Automatic Rifle) and M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). And the magazine works with all types of bullets.

And in spite of tens of thousands of rounds, it wont melt because of its special advanced material.

The military put the PMAG GEN 3 through years of testing, and thousands and thousands and thousands of rounds. And what did they find? No stoppages.

For example, testing found that even in 20,400 rounds of M855A1 a tricky ammo type still there were zero stoppages.

How tough is tough?

Both the US and NATO have whats called rough handling testing and Magpuls PMAG GEN 3 passed all of it with flying colors.

What does mean? It is one rugged magazine. You can use it in extreme cold as in -60 degrees Fahrenheit cold all the way through to 180 degrees of extreme heat, and this magazine still cannot be stopped. It is reliable.

HOW SKYDIVING MILITARY SNIPERS HARNESSED TOP OXYGEN TECH ON MOUNT EVEREST

The magazine also easily passed military testing against things like dust, UV exposure and even salt fog. You can also throw whatever dirt and grime is around and it will still outperform other magazine options.

So how does it work?

The PMAG GEN 3 loads from stripper clips. It inserts rapidly on a closed vault with a full 30 rounds. There is a smart over-insertion stop to protect against hard-core magazine changes and drops.

When youre shooting, there is a handy window that Magpul describes as working like a gas gage. As you fire, it will provide exact data on just how many rounds you have left by a quick glance at the orange coil.

THESE HACKERS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE IN A DISASTER

This magazine drops free, making reload very quick and efficient. Theres a dust and impact cover, but you dont need it to store the magazine loaded. It is really there to protect against major impact like dropping the mags out of aircraft, for example.

Unlike the USGI aluminum magazine, it is very easy to disassemble to clean.

Dominating the field and winning the Marine Corps contract

In battery after battery of military testing over the course of several years, the PMAG GEN M3 relentlessly dominated the competition. In tens of thousands of rounds, there were zero magazine-related stoppages and it performed better than any other magazine. The GEN M3 was pitted against both government developed USGI and commercial mags but none could come close to rivaling the PMAG GEN 3s relentlessly reliable performance.

Magpul is highly motivated to find top-notch solutions for warfighters. Founder Richard Fitzpatrick was Marine Reconnaissance, many at the company served in the Corps, and have children currently serving. This is a company that understands the needs of those serving in the US military and takes delivering excellence extremely seriously.

Firearm performance is a passion for us at Magpul, whether for military weapon systems or for civilian arms for defense and recreation, Duane Liptak, Magpul Industries product management and marketing director, said. Very early in the company history, Magpuls founders identified shortcomings in the USGI magazine, and weve been dedicated to making the most reliable magazines in the world because although it may seem like a simple box with a spring, peoples lives depend heavily on this item performing.

Whats next for Magpul? For civilians, there will be some very big reveals at SHOT Show next week. To find out first, download the latest Tactical Talk and meet a former Marine Corps fighter pilot who will give you an exclusive peek at some of the exciting news.
Two Microsoft employees claim the company made them look at photos and videos "designed to entertain some of the most twisted and sick minded people in the world." Now they're suing.

Courthouse News reports Henry Soto and Greg Blauert were part of Microsoft's online safety team whose job was to figure out what online content should be taken down and when it should be reported to police.

In that position, Soto and Blauert say they had to look at images of child pornography, murder, bestiality, and "indescribable sexual assault." They filed a lawsuit against Microsoft last month, accusing the company of negligence, disability discrimination, and violation of the Consumer Protection Act.

Both Soto and Blauert claim they're suffering from PTSD. Soto says Microsoft transferred him to the online safety team in 2008, and company policy forced him to stay there for a year and a half.

He says he had nightmares and hallucinations after seeing a girl "being abused and killed." Blauert says he had a breakdown in 2013 and is still being treated for "acute and debilitating PTSD." They claim Microsoft didn't warn them about what to expect in the job and didn't provide psychological support.

While Microsoft's digital crimes unit was given protections and support, Soto, Blauert, and the rest of the online safety team were simply told to go for a walk, take a smoke break, or play video games to clear their heads, the lawsuit states.

The men say their suggestions for improvements were ignored, per the Daily Beast. Microsoft responds: "We have put in place robust wellness programs to ensure the employees who handle this material have the resources and support they need.

In a statement Microsoft said that it disagrees with the plaintiffs claims. "Microsoft takes seriously its responsibility to remove and report imagery of child sexual exploitation and abuse being shared on its services, as well as the health and resiliency of the employees who do this important work."

The tech giant says that it uses "industry-leading technology" to detect and classify illegal imagery of child abuse and exploitation that are shared by users on Microsoft Services. "Once verified by a specially trained employee, the company removes the imagery, reports it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and bans the users who shared the imagery from our services," it added.

Microsoft says that while the work is difficult, it is crucial to a safer Internet. "The health and safety of our employees who do this difficult work is a top priority," it explained, in its statement. "Microsoft works with the input of our employees, mental health professionals, and the latest research on robust wellness and resilience programs to ensure those who handle this material have the resources and support they need, including an individual wellness plan. We view it as a process, always learning and applying the newest research about what we can do to help support our employees even more."

This story has been updated with Microsoft's response.

This article originally appeared on Newser: Microsoft Made Employees Watch Child Porn, Murder: Suit
2017 marks the 10th anniversary of iPhone, which means anticipation is ramping up faster than usual for the next Apple phone. FoxNews.com asked analysts what they think Apple needs to do to stay on top.

First, the latest rumors. A report this week from Taipei-based DigiTimes, which sources information from iPhone component suppliers, suggests that the 2017 iPhone will use a glass-encased design. That supports prior reports that claim at least one iPhone model will have a redesigned all-glass body with a steel frame housing an edge-to-edge, curved OLED display, as pointed out by Apple enthusiast site MacRumors, referring to the organic light-emitting diode displays that Samsung uses on its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

As the rumor and hype cycle intensifies, Apple will have to meet rising expectations, according to Jitesh Ubrani, an analyst at market researcher IDC.

APPLES IPHONE CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

I think a redesign of the iPhone is certainly warranted if Apple wants to maintain their image as a design leader, Ubrani told FoxNews.com in an email.

In recent years, from a design perspective, Apples most significant changes were introducing larger screen sizes and a gold/rose gold iPhone, Ubrani said. Meanwhile, their competition has clearly surpassed them by employing different materials, curved screens, OLED displays and more.

Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, agrees. There was a fair amount of public grousing when the iPhone 7 failed to introduce any exciting new features, he said in an email to FoxNews.com. A really beautiful new finish would be good. Voice control at the level of [Amazons] Alexa would be nice. The best and broadest video service in the world could help.

10 YEARS OF THE APPLE IPHONE: IN PICTURES

But even if Apple executes, the world has changed a lot since the iPhone was introduced in 2007. Theres a reality that the rest of the world has caught up, and new, fantastic features are hard to come by. In 2007, Apple had as much as a three-year lead on everyone else. No longer, Kay added.

And about that 10th Anniversary iPhone thats rumored this year. Its not the name that counts but the industrial design, says Daniel Matte, an analyst at market research firm Canalys.

Im not sure that it really matters if this years iPhone is the 10th anniversary model, though a redesign is definitely needed, Matte said in an email.

HOW APPLE RECOVERED AN ORIGINAL IPHONE PROTOTYPE IN TOTAL SECRECY

I think Apples [industrial design] constraints have boiled down to how much OLED production it can secure that meets its quality standards, he added.

And lets not forget AR or augmented reality, which CEO Tim Cook favors over virtual reality.

Outside of that, they also need to reveal, or at least lay the groundwork for their mobile AR framework, said IDCs Ubrani. Apple has been on an acquiring spree in the recent past and there is lot of interest from the developer community and to some extent the larger commercial audience, to see those acquisitions come to fruition. The AR market is still in its infancy but its on track to be the next wave of computing and paramount in securing Apples future.

HUH? IPHONE 8 MIGHT HAVE HOLES IN IT

To wit, another report surfaced this week that said Apple is working on augmented reality glasses that could debut in 2018.
An Australian couple say they faced a near death experience after becoming stranded on a glacier in Iceland for seven hours during a ferocious snowstorm.

David and Gail Wilson were on a group snowmobile tour of Langjokull glacier with local touring company Mountaineers of Iceland, despite a storm warning having been issued earlier that day.

David Wilson told Icelands national broadcaster RUV the tour group was told to make sure their snowmobiles were lined up bumper to bumper as the guide went up and down to check on everyone.

FAMILY OF BOY KILLED ON KANSAS WATERSLIDE SETTLES WITH PARK

He said trouble struck when he accidentally killed the engine on his snowmobile.

We were out on the glacier and a blizzard blew in. It started to get pretty hairy, Wilson said.

He [the guide] would always say, Are you touching the [mobile] in front? I leaned forward to touch the [snowmobile] in front to have a look, and as I came back, my glove accidentally hit the off button.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF ELLIS ISLAND

Nobody had told us how the off button or the on button worked. So, it conked out.

Wilson said he stood on his snowmobile and waited for the guide to make his return trip down the line. But instead, the guide took off with the group, leaving the Wilsons stranded.

Wed been told if anybody got left behind, stay put and theyd be back within five to ten minutes ... thats what we did, Wilson said.

But we stayed there for two and a half hours and no one came back.

It was getting windier and winder, freezing cold, and it got to just before dark and we could see the trail in front of us so we thought weve got to try and follow this trail.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS SLAM NICKELODEON'S PROPOSED UNDERWATER THEME PARK

The couple said they followed what they could see of the trail until they hit ice and it became pitch black.

They then decided to bunker down by digging a big hole they hoped would help them survive the night.

At 7 p.m. we decided to turn the snowmobile off because we worried it would run out of gas and if it did wed have no light, and we knew the light was the only thing that would save us, Wilson said.

My wife was petrified: she thought we were going to die.

About two hours later the couple were spotted by a rescue crew and brought to safety.

Gail Wilson said it was a relief."

I thought we were going to be there all night until the morning and that wasnt going to be very good, she tearfully told RUV.

The Wilsons were taken to the hospital for x-rays and other medical tests, which they said cost them a fortune."

Wilson now says he thinks the tour guide company, Mountaineers of Iceland, should be shut down.

This company sent us out when there was a severe weather warning, he said. We spoke to another guide, he took his group out and within 15 minutes he turned around and brought them back because it was so unsafe.

Number two, they never told us anything about the on/off button. Thats just ridiculous. Thats protocol that should happen.

They were a very, very unprofessional company.

Mountaineers of Iceland director Herbert Hauksson denied wrongdoing by the company but said he was extremely sorry for the couples misadventure.

A search party was sent as soon as it was clear that one snowmobile was missing, he said. We are extremely sorry this occurred and will examine all processes in the future.

This story originally appeared on news.com.au.
Between 1892 and 1954, immigrants arriving on the shores of the United States passed below the towering face of Lady Liberty before docking at Ellis Island. A processing center for more than 12 million people, Ellis Island earned the dubious nickname of the Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears.

Following its close, Ellis Island was transformed into a museum. Every year, visitors come for a glimpse at the historical gateway to New York Cityincluding the Renaissance Revival architecture featuring intricate Guastavino tiling. But a place like Ellis Island is not without its share of mysteries and unknown facts.

Ellis Island was once barely even an island

If you go back a few centuries, you'll find that the site of Ellis Island was merely part of a tidal flat colonized by oysters, which were an important food source for the native Lenape people. One of the flats was eventually dubbed Gibbet Island (after some pirates were publicly hanged there) before being purchased by Samuel Ellis (whose name stuck around). Eventually, the island became the site of Fort Gibson and continued to function as a military base for much of the 1800s. It wasnt until railroad construction in the Northeast required a place for land filling that the island grew in size.

The island straddles New York and New Jersey

Since the 1800s, the status of jurisdiction over Ellis Island has been contested. Both New York and New Jersey have laid claim. In 1998, the Supreme Court heard the (appropriately titled) case, New Jersey v. New York, and decided that all portions of the island constructed by landfill after 1834 (more than 80 percent of land) are part of New Jersey, while the rest fell to New York. Peculiarly, some buildings lie in both states.

Large portions of the island are abandoned

For a long time, one of the nations largest public health operations was active on the south side of Ellis Island. The 22-building hospital site has been abandoned, however. Nearly 10 percent of all immigrants who passed through Ellis Island were examined at the hospital. Some were even sent back overseas after being deemed unhealthy to enter. The care and reputation of the hospital were so high that some of New York Citys wealthiest denizens even made the boat ride over. Today you can get an inside view of the hospital with a guided tour.

Ellis Island saw a number of famous passengers

With millions of people arriving through its doors, Ellis Island was bound to see some who would ride to great prominence in their new land. The list of famous faces includes comedian Bob Hope (of the United Kingdom), exotica music legend Yma Sumac (of Peru), and acclaimed classical pianist Arthur Rubenstein (of Poland). Even the founders of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, Reuben and Rose Mattus, once set foot on Ellis Island.
Authorities executing a search warrant Tuesday on an abandoned home on Detroit's west side looking for narcotics instead made a startling discovery -- seven children inside living in squalor.

Police told FOX 2 Detroit the children ranged in age from 9 months to 9 years old and were in the house, which had no heat, no working toilet, or even beds for the group to sleep in. Narcotics investigators found feces, and even a deceased dog inside the home.

All of the children were taken to the hospital, and are now in the care of Child Protective Services.

The children's father, a 29-year-old, was taken into custody, while their mother was not arrested. Detroit Police said they found two guns inside the home, and the case remains under investigation.

While the home appeared unlivable from the outside, a reporter from FOX 2 Detroit came across a woman inside, who wouldn't say who she was or answer any questions.

Diana Dupree, who lives nearby, told FOX 2 she noticed a child there once a few weeks ago.

"I seen a little boy. I don't know how old he was - maybe about five or six - in the window," Dupree said. "He had no shirt on and I just know it was cold that day. I just said wow - but I didn't know. I haven't seen nobody in a while."

She described the situation as "sad."

"I mean I've seen people in and out - you know the regular neighborhood drug addicts and stuff - but I didn't know there was that many kids," Dupree said.

Click for more from FOX2Detroit.com.
Rescue workers used boats and firetrucks to evacuate dozens of Northern California residents from their flooded homes Wednesday as a drought-busting series of storms began to move out of the region after days of heavy rain and snow that toppled trees and created havoc as far north as Portland, Oregon.

Reports of the flooding started about 2 a.m. Wednesday as water from a quickly rising creek in the small rural town of Hollister deluged homes on a two-lane stretch of road called Lovers Lane.

Torrents of rain gushed down the street even after rescuers finished evacuating residents more than seven hours later. Some homes had mudlines about five feet high, marking how far the water rose. The water by that time was receding but still waist-deep in places.

"It's just a lot of water," said Kevin O'Neill, emergency services manager for San Benito County. "Fields that look like lakes. The ground just can't soak it up. Vehicles that are partly submerged, homes have water damage."

Hollister resident Richard Sanchez said he didn't evacuate because he wanted to look after his animals after seeing his yard flood.

"My yard is just an ocean," Sanchez said. "I decided to stay because I have animals. I wasn't being hardheaded. I just wanted to make sure they were safe."

Forecasters said precipitation would continue through Thursday, but the brunt of the back-to-back systems fueled by an "atmospheric river" weather phenomenon had passed after delivering the heaviest rain in a decade to parts of Northern California and Nevada.

The massive rain and snowfall that prompted a rare blizzard warning in parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains is helping much of Northern California recover from a six-year drought. The series of storms has also added 39 billion gallons of water to Lake Tahoe since Jan. 1.

Stormy weather extended north where Portland, Oregon and Southwest Washington were slammed with a surprising foot of snow, unusual for an area that normally sees rain. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon closed Tuesday and into Wednesday with more than 8 feet of snow on the ground.

The staggering snow totals in the Sierra Nevada up to 11 feet the past week at some ski resorts around Lake Tahoe  was great for easing drought conditions but bad for area ski enthusiasts as road closures and avalanche threats kept most resorts closed for the third day in a row Wednesday.

"In all my years, it's so rare to have too much snow," said Dan Lavely, who moved to Lake Tahoe in 1968 and now lives in Reno. "Having a season pass, you pretty much live for these conditions. You want 2 or 3 feet of fresh powder, and you want to go play in it."

In Southern California, as the latest round of rain tapered off, a 9,000-pound of concrete wall and foundation slid down a rain-soaked, unstable hillside in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills neighborhood.

It landed on a roadway that had been closed because of concerns about the undermined home. No injuries were reported.

The home, built in 1925, was red-tagged as unsafe to occupy while two neighboring homes were yellow-tagged, meaning residents can stay inside but can't go into their backyards.

A Kern County Sheriff's Office helicopter flying grand jury members over areas affected by flooding spotted an elderly woman in distress and rescued her Tuesday, the office said.

Along the Russian River, north of San Francisco, some residents began to assess the damage.

Lorin Doeleman, 62, said so much water flooded her house in Guerneville that she decided to kayak through it to survey the damage and rescue a treasured bottle of brandy.

"I rescued my brandy," she said, laughing. "You've got to have a little bit of fun with it. I feel grateful: Nobody got hurt, the house can be fixed."

Near Sacramento, a small tornado tore tree limbs and ripped awnings late Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist David Rowe said.

No injuries were reported from the twister, which was about 100 yards wide and registered on the low end of the tornado scale.

Some 50 homes were affected in Hollister, about 95 miles south of San Francisco, said O'Neill, the emergency services manager. About 60 residents evacuated on their own. Personnel using boats, Jeeps and firetrucks rescued about 50 people.

It wasn't just people who needed rescuing: Nearly a dozen cows sought refuge on top of a mound of dirt in their pen at a Hollister farm, which was completely flooded.
Reddit users and the Internet have raised more than $160,000 for the man abused in a Facebook Live video last week that drew outrage from community leaders and got the attention of President Obama, who called the video despicable.

Razor Sheldon, who was identified in The Washington Post as the man behind the UpliftingNews subreddit, a forum on the website, told the newspaper that he first set the goal at $5,000 to show the victim that people out there cared. But donations surged. The report said as of Wednesday morning, 5,000 people from all 50 states have donated.

The attorney for the 18-year-old victim said his clients family is working class with modest means. The money will help him going forward in treatment, he said.

My clients are overwhelmed with the warm, kind generosity of perfect strangers, Neal Strom, the lawyer said in a statement to The Chicago Sun-Times. It just came out of the clear blue skyIt shows that there are good people out there after all [the victim] has been through.

Four suspects are facing charges of battery, kidnapping and hate crimes in connection with the attack on the 18-year-old victim. The suspects - two men and two women - are black and the victim is white.

Authorities said the victim was tied up for several hours. Video footage shows the assailants taunting him with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump.

A GoFundMe spokesman confirmed the victim's family is working with the company on the campaign.

The family, through a spokesman, has declined to comment on the attack.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two men paroled from a New York state correctional facility after serving terms for drug convictions allegedly made a bomb threat while riding a Greyhound Bus away from prison, The Daily News Online reported.

The report identified the two as Michael P. Kelley, 55, and Brian R. Rice, 41. After an investigation, the two were reportedly charged with falsely reporting an incident, which is a felony and could result in a four-year prison term.

Neither had an explanation as to why the threat was made, the report said.

New York State Police told the paper that the bus was on the Thruway near Genesee County. Emergency officials said a 911 call claimed that a bomb was on the bus. The bus was located, pulled over by troopers and an investigation resulted in the charges.
Detroit's police chief says two members of an elite police unit can return to work after being acquitted of stealing money from people they stopped on the street.

A jury acquitted Officers Charles Lynem and Chancellor Searcy this week.

Chief James Craig tells WXYZ-TV that there will be a transition period for the officers before they return to the streets. They had been suspended without pay.

Lynem and Searcy were partners in Detroit's Tactical Response Unit. The charges in October 2015 followed a yearlong investigation. They were accused of taking money from three people, starting with a 33-year-old man who was arrested in March 2013 at a gas station.

They faced charges including embezzlement, larceny, misconduct and falsely reporting a felony charges.
A historic Baptist congregation in Washington, D.C. recently hired a same-sex married couple to serve as senior ministers for their church.

MORE THAN 1,000 TO ATTEND CONSERVATIVE PRESBYTERIAN GATHERING

Calvary Baptist Church, a congregation formed in the 19th century by abolitionists, voted unanimously to call Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen to the positions of co-pastors.

Carol Blythe, spokesperson for Calvary Baptist, told The Christian Post that this was the first time the progressive congregation had an openly gay leadership.

PASTOR'S TEENAGE DAUGHTER WHO WAS MISSING FOR DAYS FOUND ALIVE

"Scripture is full of heroes of the faith who history, tradition, and religious authorities said could not be used, and yet these men and women were the very ones God chose to do God's work in the world," said Blythe.

"Calvary's only criteria for hiring our new senior ministers was to discern who God was leading us to for this time in our church's 150-year history and it is clear it was Maria and Sally."

Blythe directed CP to a statement from the church regarding the new co-pastors, noting that the two will begin their service to Calvary Baptist on Sunday, Feb. 26.

"The married couple come to Calvary from Greenville, South Carolina, where Sarratt has been serving as associate chaplain for behavioral health in the Greenville Health System and Swearingen as associate chaplain at Furman University," the church said in the statement released on Monday.

"Sarratt has also been filling the role of part-time associate minister at Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Both Sarratt and Swearingen were ordained at their home church, First Baptist Church of Greenville, after it adopted and implemented a non-discrimination policy in 2015."

In 2012, Calvary Baptist garnered headlines for voting to disaffiliate from the theologically conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

The Rev. Amy Butler, the senior pastor at Calvary Baptist at the time, told CP in a 2012 interview that the decision came due to assorted differences the congregation had with the SBC.

Click Here to Read the Full Story at ChristianPost.com
Authorities in Southern California were searching for an illegal immigrant from El Salvador on Wednesday who is accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl.

SAN FRANCISCO CAN'T BE SUED OVER KILLING OF KATE STEINLE BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, JUDGE RULES

Fullerton police said Rigoberto Arevalo Cubias, 30, is suspected of engaging in sexual intercourse of sodomy with a child under the age of 10 years old after an investigation, which started in late December. Authorities believe Cubias might have a fraudulent California drivers license, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Cubias also has an outstanding $50,000 arrest warrant from a 2014 DUI. Police say he goes under many different aliases, including Jose Cubias, Jose Cubias Arevalo, Jose Riberto Cubias and Jose Alfonso Cubias Arevalo. Investigators Cubias may have ditched his car and cellphone in an attempt to throw off police.

Detectives believe that Cubias now knows he is wanted by police and he is on the run from law enforcement. He has discarded his previously owned vehicle and cellular phone in what Detectives believe is an attempt to elude capture, police said in a news release.

Hes described as a Hispanic male, about 5-feet 7-inches tall, weighing 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Cubias is asked to call Fullerton police Det. Carin Wright at 714-738-6754.
Police say a juvenile has been charged with trying to kill her baby after the child was found in a plastic container in Roanoke.

Roanoke police say in a news release that officers went to the home Jan. 5 after being called to investigate suspicious circumstances involving a newborn.

Authorities say the mother first denied having the baby, but an officer heard the child cry in her bedroom.

Roanoke police spokesman Scott Leamon said in a telephone interview Thursday that the infant was found inside a medium-size plastic tub with the lid closed. Both the child and the mother were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The mother was charged with attempted murder, aggravated malicious wounding, and child neglect. She was taken to a detention center. Her age wasn't released.

WSET-TV reports that officials say the baby remains hospitalized.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

The Marine Corps says it is addressing the concerns of a military mom who posted a YouTube video warning about what she claims are potential cancer risks for anyone who has resided at her familys former military housing unit in South Carolina.

Amanda and Joshua Whatleys daughter, Katie, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 6 in 2015. The family lived in the Laurel Bay Military Housing community in Beaufort, S.C., from July 2007 to November 2010, while Joshua Whatley was stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island.

Laurel Bay, an 1,100-acre community that was built in the 1950s, contains mostly single-family military housing.

In a YouTube video she posted on Jan. 7, Amanda Whatley says Katie is one of eight children she knows of who lived at Laurel Bay and have been diagnosed with cancer.

The purpose of my video today is to sort of tell you our story, Whatley says on camera. Talk about Katie, tell you about her cancer and her diagnosis, in hopes that you will share this video with the military families that you know that have potentially been stationed at Parris Island and lived in the Laurel Bay housing area.

The video had been viewed more than 43,000 times by Thursday morning, and Whatley has already updated its caption to note that The number of children with cancer has grown from 8 to 13 since the video went live. I have also received emails from at least 20 adults who were stationed in Beaufort and then diagnosed with cancer.

In an exclusive interview with FoxNews.com, Whatley explained why she made the emotional video.

This is not an angry video. My husband is still on active duty. This is our lifeblood, she said. The motivating factor is how many children have been diagnosed with cancer, and since the video was published  the number is up to 13.

I dont want someone to die or get sick. I want people to know the signs of cancer, so if they see them, their child can get treated.

A cancer connection?

Whatley, who now lives with her family in Norfolk, Va., said she connected with another military mom, Melany Stawnyczyj, after Katie was diagnosed because she knew Stawnyczyjs son, Roman, had been diagnosed with leukemia in September 2012, when he was 4.

Stawnyczyj had also lived at Laurel Bay.

Whatley told her doctor about Roman, and the doctor wondered if it might be more than a coincidence. Katies oncology team soon determined that more children who had lived at Laurel Bay had been diagnosed with cancer between 2012 and 2015.

We started with seven cases, Whatley said. Six of them agreed to participate in the investigation of the base.

They have all been verified by the medical officer in charge of the investigation. The eighth child was diagnosed in December, which is what prompted the video.

Whatley said her husband and Melanys husband, Marko Stawnyczyj, also an active duty Marine, met with senior members of the Marine Corps to express their concerns on March 13, 2015. The servicemen, whose wives were not present, said they requested that all residents who had lived or were living at Laurel Bay be notified of the potential health risk.

In a statement sent to FoxNews.com, Capt. Clayton Groover, the public affairs officer for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, wrote that the Marines had initiated a study in June 2015 to determine if an exposure pathway exists for potential health hazards aboard Laurel Bay, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. That study is under way. At the conclusion of the study, the findings will be released to the families and the public.

He wrote that every effort has been made to keep families informed. Our goal is to remain as transparent as possible throughout the process and to provide the NMCPHC study results when complete."

Groover said he understood why Whatley made her video.

We feel for any family when their child is diagnosed with a disease. Our thoughts and prayers are with these children and their families. It took real courage for this mom to tell her story in such a candid and sincere way, and for her to remain so strong for her daughter.

Look underground

Melany Stawnyczyj told FoxNews.com that the investigation is focusing on possible contamination from underground fuel tanks at Laurel Bay.

The military says that over 1,000 tanks have been removed, all tanks that were on their map, she said. They admit to have found tanks that were not mapped. Instead of one, they would often find three on a property.

There are many that were not mapped that they came across. Some houses had two, three tanks underneath. They have not stated how the area has been cleaned out.

FoxNews.com obtained a letter dated March 26, 2015, in which a military official said he would be reviewing the Whatley and Stawnyczyj families list of requests, which include notifying families; determining if the tanks are sources of contamination; creating a database that tracks diagnoses of medical diseases, disabilities and disorders; and determining whether there is a distinguishable pattern that can be attributed to geographical or environmental factors.

On Jan. 9, two days after her friend Whatley posted her YouTube video, Stawnyczyj wrote a letter to the military point of contact for the environmental study stating: Many current and previous military residents of Laurel Bay housing have responded and communicated their lack of knowledge of the situation. We are at a count of 13 diagnosed children. Childhood cancer is rare. We cannot move slowly anymore. Two years have passed and that is time too long wasted in waiting for results without fair warning.

Katie and Roman today

Katie Whatley is 8 now. She recently received a bone marrow transplant from her younger sister, but the procedure has brought many complications.

We really dont know. We dont have a clear future for Katie, her mom said. I would have got her checked out a lot sooner if I knew about the other children on the base.

Roman Stawnyczyj completed his chemotherapy treatments in November 2015. He had his surgery to remove his port in May of 2016, his mom said. He saw the oncologist once a month until his November anniversary. Now he sees oncology every other month. Every anniversary we add a month to the wait of visitation. Eventually it will be annually, but he will be seeing a doctor for the rest of his life.

Katie and Romans moms have created an open forum, Concerned Military Family United by Pediatric Cancer Beaumont, on Facebook for families who have lived at or are currently living at Laurel Bay and have been diagnosed or fear they may be diagnosed with cancer.
More human remains have been recovered in the search for wreckage of a corporate jet carrying six people that crashed in Lake Erie two weeks ago, authorities said Thursday.

Cuyahoga County's medical examiner, Dr. Thomas Gilson, said DNA testing will be required to identify the remains found Wednesday. Officials have said remains found Jan. 6 on a seat pulled from the lake were those of a male.

Searchers on Thursday also found more debris believed to be from the plane, officials said.

Divers have found the jet's cockpit voice recorder, seats, part of the fuselage, an engine cover and the left wing, in addition to the human remains. A box that records mechanical information on the plane  but isn't crash-proof  also was found and sent to federal investigators.

The plane was carrying a Columbus businessman, his wife, their two teenage sons, a neighbor and the neighbor's daughter, a University of Wisconsin-Madison nursing student. They were returning to Columbus after making the trip to a Cleveland Cavaliers game.

The slow-going search  hampered by ice, high winds and murky waters that limit visibility along the lake bottom  shows just how difficult it is to find the wreckage of a plane in water or a remote area despite the use of emergency beacons and high-tech equipment.

___

WEATHER IMPACT

The weather on the shallowest of the Great Lakes has been a hindrance for searchers since the night of Dec. 29 when the plane vanished from radar.

High waves and blustery conditions stopped some U.S. Coast Guard boats from going out in the early hours. Snow squalls and darkness caused more problems.

All that was known was that the plane took off from a small airfield in downtown Cleveland and turned north across the lake before suddenly losing altitude about 2 miles out.

With no exact location to guide them, search planes and boats covered 128 square miles before the Coast Guard determined the next day that it was a recovery mission.

___

WATER SEARCHES

It's not unheard of for searches to stretch for a week or more, but most of those have been in larger bodies of water.

Several weeks passed before crews found most of the wreckage of a plane that crashed off the Mississippi coast in 2015. And the hunt is still on for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that vanished over the Indian Ocean in March 2014.

The initial search in Lake Erie included boats equipped with sonar that track underwater images, and signals thought to be from the plane's emergency beacon helped narrow the area to 12 square miles.

But it wasn't until an underwater locator beacon received transmissions from the cockpit voice recorder that searchers found what is believed to be the crash site. The recorder and a seat with human remains were pulled from the water the next day  eight days after the plane disappeared.

___

RECOVERY EFFORTS

Despite being close, finding the rest of the plane has been difficult. Investigators believe it broke apart on impact, scattering the debris. All six people aboard are presumed dead.

Recovery crews have been contending with an ice-covered surface and freezing conditions that limit divers to two hours in the water at a time. Along the bottom, they can see only a few inches. They're feeling their way through the water, guided by crew members at the surface using sonar.

"When you're down there you don't know which way is north, south, east or west," said Tom Gouin, who works with Great Lakes Diving & Salvage in Gaylord, Michigan, but is not part of the recovery effort in Lake Erie.

"All you can do is look for the bubbles because they always go up," he said. "It's all a guessing game pretty much."
A woman has been sentenced to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty in the drowning death of her infant daughter more than a year ago in a rain-swollen creek.

Local news outlets report that 34-year-old Sarah Lane Toney pleaded guilty Wednesday to homicide by child abuse in 5-month-old Grace Carlson Santa Cruz's death.

A forensic psychologist testified that Toney was under the influence of methamphetamine and opioids when she walked into the flooded creek near Socastee with her daughter in November 2015.

The baby's body was recovered from the water days later. Toney told authorities she was carrying her daughter across the creek when the child was washed away.
Police in suburban Atlanta and Krispy Kreme officials say they're investigating a blog report that a police officer found the words "Black Lives Matter" written on his box of doughnuts when he went to pick them up.

Smyrna police spokesman Louis Defense tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://on-ajc.com/2iLLBWi ) that the agency is looking into the report and would release a statement once they have "vetted the issue."

Krispy Kreme spokeswoman Sarah Roof says the company is also investigating the matter.

The Blue Lives Matter blog posted a photo of a Krispy Kreme box with the writing on it.

The blog said a former Smyrna Police Department employee contacted it to share the story. It didn't identify the officer who it says picked up the box from a Smyrna Krispy Kreme location Wednesday.
More than 40 percent of California has emerged from a punishing drought that covered the whole state a year ago, federal drought-watchers said Thursday, a stunning transformation caused by an unrelenting series of storms in the North that filled lakes, overflowed rivers and buried mountains in snow.



DROUGHT KILLS 102 MILLION TREES IN CALIFORNIA, OFFICIALS SAY

The weekly drought report by government and academic water experts showed 42 percent of the state free from drought. This time last year, 97 percent of the state was in drought.

Southern California, also receiving welcome rain from the storms, remains in drought but has experienced a dramatic reduction in the severity. Just 2 percent of the state, a swath between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, remains in the sharpest category of drought that includes drying wells, reservoirs and streams and widespread crop losses. Forty-three percent of the state was in that direst category this time a year ago.

SMALL TORNADO TOUCHES DOWN DURING CALIFORNIA STORM

California will remain in a drought emergency until Gov. Jerry Brown lifts or eases the declaration he issued in January 2014, while standing in a bare Sierra Nevada meadow that one of the state's driest stretches on record had robbed of all snow.

State officials said this week that Brown will likely wait until the end of California's winter snow and rain season to make a decision on revising the drought declaration.

For Northern California, at least, the onslaught of storms that brought the Sierras their heaviest snow in six years and forced voluntary evacuations of thousands of people as rivers surged will likely make it a much clearer call for the governor, water experts said.

"It's hard to say we have a drought here right now," said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California at Davis, an area near Sacramento that was awash after its heaviest rain in 20 years.

Lund spoke on his way back from taking students to see flood gates on the Sacramento River, opened by state officials Tuesday for the first time in 12 years to ease pressure on river banks and levees.

The opened gates were spilling a 2-mile torrent of excess water onto public lands in the Sacramento Valley, alongside the equally raging Sacramento, the state's largest river.

More storms Thursday raised fears of mudslides in Southern California and clogged commutes statewide. The Russian River in Northern California's wine region was among the tributaries still in flood. Residents in the resort town of Guerneville used canoes and kayaks to get around flooded areas, and even inside their inundated homes.

Forecasters said rain and snow would continue into Thursday afternoon. But the heaviest of the back-to-back systems fueled by an "atmospheric river" weather phenomenon had passed after delivering the heaviest rain in a decade.

"Everything is on the way down," said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Monterey.

The past week's storms were enough to double the snowpack in parts of the Sierras, runoff from which provides Californians with much of their year-round water supply. Stations up and down the mountain chain were reporting twice the amount of normal rain and snow for this time of year.

The state's reservoirs were brimming above average for the first time in six years.

"It's been so wet in some places this winter we would do pretty well even if it tapered off right now," said Daniel Swain, a fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles whose weather blog has been a closely watched chronicle of the drought.

Water experts look at factors including soil moisture, stream levels and snow pack in determining drought, said Claudia Faunt, a San Diego-based hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

At the peak of the drought in 2014 and 2015, urban Californians were under a mandatory 25-percent water conservation order from Brown. Dozens of threatened native species suffered as waterways shriveled. More than 100 million trees in the Sierra Nevadas died, foresters said.

California's underground water reserves have been so depleted by extra pumping in the drought that they would take decades, at a minimum, to replenish, experts said.

In a state as sprawling and varied as California, "where we are in a drought is complicated," Faunt said.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

Authorities have charged three people with fatally shooting two teenage brothers in what Syracuse police say was an attempted robbery set up by one of the suspects.

Police Chief Frank Fowler says Thursday that two men, aged 19 and 23, and a 17-year-old girl were arrested Wednesday and charged with murder and attempted robbery.

They're accused of gunning down 17-year-old Daniel Diaz-Morrero and 19-year-old Ismael Diaz-Marrero around 5 p.m. Tuesday on the city's west side.

Fowler says the shootings occurred during a robbery attempt set up when the girl contacted the brothers and asked them to meet her. Police say the 19-year-old suspect shot and killed the brothers during the encounter.

The older brother was a sophomore at Le Moyne College, in suburban DeWitt. His sibling was a senior at a Syracuse high school.
Authorities in Colorado were investigating a possible hate crime after a woman was sexually assaulted at a shopping center last week.

Investigators say a 24-year-old woman was attacked Friday at the Mission Viejo Plaza Shopping Center in Aurora, according to CBS Denver.

Aurora police say two African-American men sexually assaulted the woman and yelled racial slurs at her before leaving the scene. Police say the woman, who is white, didnt know the alleged attackers.

Police havent said whether they were calling the attack a hate crime.

You feel less safe. You feel worried for your family. I have daughters that are 18 and 21, so same for them. It makes us all feel vulnerable, Claire Miller, an Aurora resident, told CBS Denver.

Police said they dont have any leads or suspects, but were scouring the area for clues and going over surveillance footage.

Click for more from CBS Denver.
A teenager who has previously been charged with impersonating a doctor in Florida has been indicted on fraud charges in Virginia.

Malachi Love-Robinson, 19, was arrested last September and charged with false statements to obtain credit, obtaining money by false pretenses and identity fraud after authorities said he tried to purchase a $35,000 vehicle at a car dealership in Stafford, Virginia. He was formally indicted by a grand jury on Jan. 3, according to the Palm Beach Post.

According to officials, Love-Robinson was accompanied by an elderly woman, who he claimed was his relative, to help him finance the vehicle. But employees at the dealership became suspicious after they discovered the 19-year-old had been previously arrested on fraud-type charges in Florida.

CLICK TO READ THE STORY AT FOX5DC.COM




Rex Tillerson's foreign policy doesn't sound a lot like Donald Trump's.

At his confirmation hearing Wednesday, the former Exxon Mobil CEO selected by Trump for secretary of state called Russia a "danger" and vowed to protect America's European allies. He rejected the idea of an immigration ban on Muslims. He treaded softly on the human rights records of key U.S. partners like Saudi Arabia.

In the words of Sen. Bob Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's GOP chairman, Tillerson "demonstrated that he's very much in the mainstream of foreign policy thinking." But doing so forced the former Exxon Mobil CEO to break with a variety of the president-elect's most iconoclastic statements on diplomacy and international security.

Again and again, Tillerson hewed more closely to longstanding, bipartisan positions on America's role in the world, and who are its friends and foes.

That may help Tillerson win confirmation with senators who've expressed wariness about his extensive relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But it could leave him implementing a Trump foreign policy that looks little like the vision he outlined Wednesday.

A look at where Tillerson's views didn't quite match those of his would-be boss:

RUSSIA

Tillerson adopted a tough tone toward Moscow, apparently attempting to rebut the perception that he's too close to Putin.

The Russian leader previously awarded Tillerson his country's "Order of Friendship" following Exxon's deals with Russia's oil industry. But on Wednesday, Tillerson called Putin's Russia a threat to the United States.

Whereas Trump as a candidate played down Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, arguing the population there was pro-Russian anyway, Tillerson said the annexation was illegal and amounted to "a taking of territory that was not theirs."

Whereas Trump's campaign team last summer softened language in the GOP platform calling for arming Ukraine, Tillerson said he would have recommended providing U.S. and allied defensive weapons, plus aerial surveillance, to the Ukrainians so they could protect their Russian border.

"The taking of Crimea was an act of force," Tillerson said, adding that when Russia flexes its muscles, the U.S. must mount "a proportional show of force to indicate to Russia there will be no more taking of territory."

CAMPAIGN HACKING

Before Wednesday, Trump had spent weeks ridiculing the U.S. intelligence agencies' accusations that Russia hacked and leaked emails, spread "fake news" and took other actions to interfere with the U.S. election.

Tillerson wasted no time in accepting the findings.

And he went further than Trump, conceding that it's a "fair assumption" that the hacking couldn't have taken place without Putin's consent

Not Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin's leadership.

While he said at a news conference Wednesday that "I think it was Russia," Trump sidestepped the question of Putin's responsibility. Instead, he argued: "If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? That's called an asset, not a liability."

THE MUSLIM BAN

During the campaign, Trump called for a temporary ban on Muslims immigrating to the U.S. The proposal then evolved into a plan to halt immigration from an unspecified group of countries linked to terrorism. Yet Trump later suggested he was reconsidering the Muslim ban.

"I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people," Tillerson said categorically in his hearings. He said the U.S. should "support those Muslim voices" that reject extremism and insisted Americans shouldn't be scared of Muslims.

RAPISTS AND CRIMINALS

Trump started his presidential bid by taking aim south of the border, accusing Mexico of sending "rapists" and criminals with drugs into the U.S.

Asked about those sentiments, Tillerson said he would "never characterize an entire population with any single term at all."

Mexico and other Latin American nations are anxious about Trump's campaign pledges to build a border wall and deport millions of immigrants illegally in the U.S.

Tillerson, by contrast, said he would engage closely with Mexico.

"Mexico is a longstanding neighbor and friend of this country," he said.

DEFENDING ALLIES

Trump sent chills through much of Europe when he suggested the U.S. might not defend its NATO allies if they came under attack, unless they'd contributed enough to the alliance's collective defense costs.

He later qualified his comments, while insisting the alliance's future is dependent on other members paying their fair share.

Tillerson offered an ironclad commitment to NATO's Article 5, which obligates the allies to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. If a NATO member is invaded, the oil man said, the U.S. would join other members in coming to its aid.

"The Article 5 commitment is inviolable, and the U.S. is going to stand behind that commitment," Tillerson said.

SAUDI ARABIA

Trump used Saudi Arabia's shoddy human rights record as a campaign cudgel against Hillary Clinton, pointedly asking why she wouldn't "give back the money" her family foundation accepted from the kingdom.

He called out Saudi Arabia and other Mideast countries for violence against gays and women, and other human rights violations.

Tillerson played it more conservatively with a country that lies at the heart of the American security strategy for the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia doesn't share American values, he said, but he said he would "need to have greater information" before declaring Saudi Arabia a human rights violator.

It was an answer that wasn't well received by all the senators present. But it was, to use a turn of phrase, diplomatic.

___

AP writers Matthew Lee and Bradley Klapper contributed to this report.
Thousands of U.S. troops crept up on Russia's doorstep Thursday, rolling into Poland amid a slew of unanswered questions about their future in the region.

RUSSIA STEPS UP MILITARY PRESENCE IN SYRIA, DESPITE PUTIN PROMISE

It marked the first deployment of armored brigade combat teams and armor to Europe after a long drawdown from the continent. For decades, Poland had asked for help in keeping Moscow at bay, but at the same time, President-elect Donald Trump has signaled he could try to pursue a friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Still, the president-elect said Wednesday nothing was off the table. "I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there's a good chance I won't."

TURKEY BOGGED DOWN IN SYRIA AS IT REALIGNS WITH RUSSIA

Russia clearly wasn't happy with the deployment. "We perceive it as a threat," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "These actions threaten our interests, our security, especially as it concerns a third party building up its military presence near our borders."

Moscow also announced it deployed anti-aircraft missile systems around the city. Russia had already been using the s-400 Triumph air defense system, capable of hitting moving targets including missiles and planes, in Syria, The Sun reported.

Soldiers in camouflage with tanks and other vehicles crossed into southwestern Poland on Thursday morning from Germany and headed for Zagan, their planned base. Poland's prime minister and defense minister said they would attend official ceremonies Saturday celebrating the Americans' arrival.

The deployment "symbolizes a turn in our efforts on this front, and is an important part of our continued effort to deter Russian aggression and maintain a free Europe," U.S. European Command spokeswoman Meghan Henderson responded.

U.S. and other Western nations have carried out exercises on NATO's eastern flank, but this deployment -- which includes around 3,500 U.S. troops -- marks the first-ever continuous deployment to the region by a NATO ally. It represents a commitment by President Barack Obama to protect a region that became deeply nervous when Russia stormed Ukraine and took over Crimea in 2014, and then began backing rebels in Ukraine's east.

The deployment was "separate yet complementary to NATO's deterrence and defense activities," Henderson added.

Many people in Poland said they still felt betrayed by Obama's own "reset" with Russia early on in his administration, which involved abandoning plans for a major U.S. missile defense system in Poland and replacing it with plans for a less ambitious system.

Many U.S. soldiers said they were optimistic. "Hopefully we can get right into training, get some range time in and have some fun," Spc. Kyle Smith, an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, told Stars and Stripes.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A storm system that brought heavy snow and rainfall to California is expected to create dangerous traveling conditions across the southern Plains this weekend, with crippling ice accumulations and heavy rain, according to forecasters.

The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning Thursday for northwestern Oklahoma, much of Kansas and Missouri, and parts of Illinois.

Forecasters said the potential for a significant ice storm is increasing and the entire region could see up to 1 inch of ice, with additional storms expected to impact the area Saturday and Sunday.

"We could see some fairly significant ice accumulations," Kevin Brown, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma told the Associated Press. "Enough ice accumulations to cause a lot of problems with trees and power lines and power interruptions."

Latest % chances of receiving >0.1" and >0.5" of freezing rain through Sunday evening. #icestorm https://t.co/ylHw1Ojlwm pic.twitter.com/uY39x4pypt  NWS WPC (@NWSWPC) January 12, 2017

In Oklahoma City, crews spent much of the day pre-treating bridges and overpasses, Fox 25 reported.

Oklahoma City said that up to 34 salt and plow trucks are available to treat and clear snow routes, and that crews will work in 12-hour shifts until the storms are over.

Residents have been snatching up flashlights, batteries and alternative energy sources in anticipation of power disruptions.

"They're grabbing generators, and I'm sold out," said Raymond Bopp, assistant manager of the Woodward Ace Hardware store in Woodward, Oklahoma, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

The last time the area experienced a significant ice storm was in 2001, when electrical power was interrupted for three or four days, Bopp said.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties due to the predicted severe winter weather.

"Emergency personnel are coordinating with state and local officials to ensure we are prepared and ready for whatever comes our way," she said in a news release.

In Kansas, up to 1 inch of ice was expected to fall in "multiple rounds" of freezing rain between Friday and early Monday in parts of the state.

Further east in Missouri, officials in Kansas City, Mo. are urging patience and asking people to avoid travel.

Troy Schulte, city manager for Kansas City, told Fox 4 this weekend is a big one for the city with Sundays Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers division playoff game.

The pavement temperature determines whether theres going to be ice," he told FOX 4. "It wont solve the issue with limbs coming down on the power lines which is the big public safety issue but allows us hopefully to keep the roads passable both for emergency services equipment and that were hosting 80,000 people on Sunday."

Concern about the storm prompted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to activate the state Emergency Operations Center.

"Everyone should be aware that this potential weather event could disrupt travel and cause power outages across the state," Greitens said in a statement.

In the St. Louis area, hospitals are preparing for the ice storm with crews bringing out cots so nurses can stay overnight, FOX 2 reported.

Helen Sandkuhl, Director of Disaster Services at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, said the hospital system is prepared to take care of patients, families and staff no matter how bad the weather becomes.

"You worry about all the sick people at home that have medical equipment now they dont have power so theyre going to be coming to the emergency department," Sandkuhl told FOX 2.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said that abandoned vehicles on highways and interstates will be towed as they are impeding the flow of traffic, and drivers should retrieve their vehicles off road shoulders as soon as possible.

As soon as this begins to hit  we are going to start towing vehicles that are on the shoulders, said Cpl. Justin Wheatley with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

In California, the storm brought heavy snowfall in higher elevations and led thousands of people to evacuate as rivers surged. Forecasters say the Pacific Ocean moisture that helped feed the storm has shifted south, and created the potential for ice and heavy rainfall in southern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from OCKFOX.com.

Click for more from FOX4KC.com.

Click for more from FOX2NOW.com.
14 Images

US Border Patrol recruits wild horses tamed by prisoners

Arizona prisoners train wild mustangs that will eventually be adopted by the U.S. Border Patrol, providing the agency with inexpensive but agile horses, and inmates with skills and insights they hope to one day carry with them from priso
Hundreds of unlicensed, unregulated fishing vessels exploit the South Atlantic, pulling out an estimated 300,000 tons of ilex squid a year.

The species, which roams across the maritime boundary between Argentina and the Falkland Islands, is key to a food chain that sustains penguins, seals, birds and whales. Managed well, it could sustain a vigorous fishing industry and steady revenues for both governments.

But the two sides, Argentina and the British-held islands, aren't even talking.

Argentina pulled out of a fisheries management organization it had shared with Falklands in 2005. The lack of cooperation has left both sides ill-equipped to deal with the fleet scooping up squid just beyond their maritime boundaries, and sometimes within.

"It's like the Wild West out there," said Milko Schvartzman, who campaigns against overfishing for Greenpeace International. "There are more than 200 boats out there all the time," and many routinely follow squid into Argentina's economic exclusion zone, he added. "Unfortunately the Argentine government doesn't have the naval capacity to continually control this area."

The Falklands are defended by British warships, planes and submarines, giving the fisheries agency considerable muscle to enforce licenses in its waters. But Argentina's navy has never recovered from its 1982 war against Britain for the islands, and its coast guard has just eight ships to cover more than 1 million square miles (2,800,000 square kilometers) of ocean, said its chief of maritime traffic, Mario Farinon.

Farinon says the lack of seizures doesn't mean Argentina isn't trying. The coast guard always has at least one enforcement boat monitoring the squid fleet," he said, and "the important thing is not capturing them, but preventing them from coming in."

Still, the problem is so big that it can be seen from space: Images of the Earth at night, taken by a NASA satellite last year, show darkness at sea the world over, except for this spot in the South Atlantic. There, 200 miles from the nearest coasts, the lights of this renegade fleet shine as brilliantly as a city.

The industrial ships transfer tons of squid to huge refrigerator ships and get refueled and resupplied at sea so that they can fish without pause.

Overfishing is a global scourge: The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of the world's fish species are threatened.

The countries that share the North Atlantic cooperate, with scientists, regulators, fishermen and armed forces working together to monitor fish populations and enforce limits on what can be caught each season.

Not so in the South Atlantic, where Argentina ended 15 years of joint fisheries management in 2005 because it didn't want any government relationship suggesting a recognition of the islanders' claim to the British-held islands.

"We consider this to be Argentine territory under a situation of colonial occupation, and because of that we discount any of their claims towards sovereign jurisdiction," explained Juan Recce, who founded the Argentine Center for International Studies in Buenos Aires.

And so each government goes its own way, licensing boats and trying to enforce its stretch of the sea, while refusing to cooperate against the much larger fleet that's just beyond their individual reach.

"It is one of the most pressing questions facing us on the Falkland Islands," Gov. Nigel Haywood said. "We've seen the collapse of whiting stocks, we've seen the collapse of hake stocks ... that bridge Argentine waters and Falkland islands waters. We see that the Ilex squid stocks are similarly threatened."

"It's very important to us that Argentina should engage with us in a dialogue, as they're obliged to do under the law of the sea, to ensure that fish stocks are conserved properly," Haywood said.

Inside the fisheries office in the islands' capital of Port Stanley, a computer monitor shows the location of each boat licensed to fish in Falklands waters. Similar GPS devices installed in Argentina's licensed fleet show their locations in an office in Buenos Aires. But the lack of cooperation has left both nations relatively blind and powerless to control the outlaw fleet.

"It's not the scientists who are behaving like politicians, but I think politicians themselves are pushing on their scientists not to communicate with us, easy as that. It's a very unfortunate situation," said Alexander Arkhipkin, a government fisheries scientist in Port Stanley.

Each government has licensed about 100 boats a year to go after Ilex squid, which spawn off the coast of Uruguay each year.

Squid licenses have provided about half the Falklands government's revenues over the years, ever since it showed it meant business by chasing an unlicensed Vietnamese shrimper all the way to South African waters, and firing into its hull along the way.

In Argentina, however, most fishermen can't compete against the outlaws, said Guillermo de los Santos, the chamber president of Argentina's squid fishing fleet. He said more than 20 fishing businesses based in the port city of Mar del Plata alone have had to declare bankruptcy since 2005, when the unregulated international fleet, much of it from China, swelled.

"China has the world's largest fleet, and Argentina hardly has a single boat in its own waters," Schvartzman said.

Farinon said that he participated in many high-seas captures of boats that tried to escape from territorial waters when he was a coast guard captain from 1987 to 2007. Such captures are less frequent lately, he acknowledged, although he said he didn't have any numbers.

More guns also could help. But Argentina's coast guard only challenges boats that it can prove were fishing in territorial waters, and that's not easy, Farinon said. "We're often talking about a matter of meters. You have to have a plane right on top of them, and a boat alongside, or else you could be mistaken that they crossed the border," he said.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides countries with tools that Argentina could use right now to combat overfishing.

One is the "hot pursuit" article, which enables enforcers to pursue boats fishing illegally within their territory into international waters. Another is the "straddling species" clause, which allows governments to protect wandering species like the ilex squid, by applying the same rules on both sides of their maritime border. Countries that jointly manage their seas often grant each other reciprocal permission to arrest rule breakers, and any two countries can make bilateral agreements to regulate their fleets as they see fit, Greenpeace attorney Daniel Simons said.

The territorial dispute makes that impossible here.

"Argentina should enforce the same rules and impose its sovereignty beyond the 200-mile limit," said de los Santos of the fishing chamber. "But it would have to have a fleet 10 times bigger."

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino

Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino
Nine first-responders were killed, seven others injured and two were missing as they battled a fire of unknown origin that destroyed an archive of bank documents in Argentina's capital on Wednesday.

The fire at the Iron Mountain warehouse took hours to control and the sprawling building appeared to be ruined despite the efforts of at least 10 squads of firefighters.

The nine firefighters and civil defense workers were crushed when a brick wall collapsed on top of a large group of first-responders on the sidewalk and street outside, Argentina's Security Secretary Sergio Berni said.

"It took them completely by surprise," Berni said. "Some of the injured are fighting for their lives."

Berni said Iron Mountain also had its own internal firefighting team at the site, and that a search continued for two missing employees who may have been trapped somewhere inside.

Rescuers removed rubble by hand to reach people caught under the collapsed exterior wall.

The destroyed archives included documents stored for Argentina's banking industry, said Buenos Aires security minister Guillermo Montenegro.

The cause of the fire wasn't immediately clear.

Boston-based Iron Mountain manages, stores and protects information for more than 156,000 companies and organizations in 36 countries. Its Argentina subsidiary advertises that its facilities have multiple protections against fire, including advanced systems that can detect and quench flames without damaging important documents. The company says separately that it uses halon gas to smother fires. Calls and messages left with Iron Mountain on Wednesday were not immediately returned.

"There are cameras in the area, and these videos will be added to the judicial investigation, to clear up the motive of the fire and collapse," Montenegro told the Diarios y Noticias agency.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

Swedish police have started clearing a Roma camp in Malmo after a months-long standoff between city authorities and about 200 people who had settled there without permission.

Dozens of people remained in the camp despite a weekend deadline to move out after local authorities deemed the camp unsanitary and a threat to the environment and the health of the people living there.

Police moved in before dawn Tuesday to remove protesters who were blocking city authorities from tearing down the camp, a cluster of ramshackle homes built on an abandoned industrial lot.

Police commander Tommy Sverngard said the officers were helping city officials "to execute their decision without risk of being hindered or injured."

The city has offered temporary shelter to the camp dwellers, many of whom are from Romania.
A prominent U.S. senator condemned on Friday the slaying of prominent indigenous activist and environmentalist Berta Caceres in her home in Honduras.

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called her murder "shocking" and demanded that Honduran authorities investigate her killing to the fullest.

Ms. Caceres was a tireless champion for Honduras indigenous peoples and an outspoken advocate for environmental stewardship," Cardin said in a press release. "President Hernandez and Attorney General [Gustavo] Chinchilla must take all necessary steps to investigate Ms. Caceres murder and ensure that the perpetrators of this horrendous crime swiftly be brought to justice. Ms. Caceres death cannot end in impunity, and international support for a comprehensive investigation is imperative."

Caceres, who won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, was shot to death Thursday by attackers who broke into her home, authorities said.

The a 40-year-old Lenca Indian activist had complained of receiving death threats from police, soldiers and local landowners.

"The fact that Ms. Caceres received numerous death threats prior to her death, speaks of the urgent and profound need to provide greater protections to human rights defenders in Honduras," Cardin said. "As the United States expands its engagement in Central America  an effort which I support  the Department of State and USAID must place greater priority on efforts to protect human rights and strengthen the rule of law.

Tomas Membreno, a member of her group, the Indian Council of People's Organizations of Honduras, said at least two assailants broke into the home and shot Caceres in the town of La Esperanza.

"Honduras has lost a brave and committed social activist," Membreno said in a statement.

The killing appeared to be targeted: A Mexican rights activist at the house was only slightly wounded in the attack, but Caceres's body had four bullet wounds. Police said they had detained a suspect, but did not identify the person.

Caceres, a mother of four, led opposition to a proposed dam on the Gualcarque river, considered sacred by the Lencas.

Many of the project's backers have largely abandoned building plans.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez wrote in his Twitter account that "this act has caused mourning among all Hondurans."

His chief of staff, Jorge Alcerro, said, "The president has instructed all government security forces to use all means to find the killers."

Alcerro said Caceres was supposed to be receiving special protection because of the death threats, but did not explain why there were no police guarding her when she was killed.

Security Minister Julian Pacheco said police had initially been assigned to a protective detail but Caceres asked for them to be withdrawn because they bothered her. He said more than two attackers broke down the door of the home to gain entry.

After night fall, dozens of young people protesting the killing set fire to a Burger King restaurant in the capital. The protesters then clashed with police for several hours in the area, throwing sticks and rocks at officers.

The London-based nonprofit group Global Witness calls Honduras "the most dangerous country per capita to be an environmental activist" in recent years, with 101 such advocates slain between 2010 and 2014.

The U.S. ambassador in Honduras, James D. Nealon, issued a statement saying: "We strongly condemn this despicable crime. The United States of America calls for a prompt and thorough investigation into this crime and for the full force of the law to be brought to bear against those found responsible."

Later Thursday, the Honduran government said it was designating a commission of 12 experts to investigate Caderes' killing.

"The United States is helping on the case," Hernandez said, inviting other countries to "join this noble cause."

The United Nations special investigator on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, wrote that "it is highly probable that her assassination is linked with her work in protecting the human rights of the Lenca indigenous peoples to their lands and territories."

The website of the Goldman Environmental Prize said Caceres "waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world's largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam," which the site said "would cut off the supply of water, food and medicine for hundreds of Lenca people and violate their right to sustainably manage and live off their land."

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director for Amnesty International, said in a statement that "the cowardly killing of Berta is a tragedy that was waiting to happen."

"For years, she had been the victim of a sustained campaign of harassment and threats to stop her from defending the rights of indigenous communities," Guevara-Rosas said.

Outside the morgue, dozens of indigenous people used flowers and sawdust to create a representation of the river that Caceres had defended. Relatives said her body would be interred Sunday.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

A 24-year-old newlywed from Utah is suddenly at the top of Venezuelas worst enemies list.

Since his arrest on June 30th, Joshua Holt has been portrayed by the pro-government media as el agente gringo, a U.S. spy who infiltrated the country under the guise of a man in love, but in reality the mastermind of a plot to destabilize the socialist government.

Today marks the 55th day Holt spends incarcerated in one of the headquarters of the almighty Venezuelan intelligence police, also known as Sebin, along with 20 men and women who call themselves political prisoners and have been there for months if not years.

To his devastated mother, Laurie Moon Holt, the profoundly devout Mormon is still her little boy and a good, kind person who fell in love online despite warnings about traveling to the South American country to get married.

Im living a nightmare. I dont have a life. This is my full-time job, she told Fox News Latino over the phone from her home in Utah.

She said Joshs lawyer in Caracas, Jeanette Prieto, is urging her to get the help from the U.S. government. [The lawyer told me Josh] is being held as a political pawn.

FNL reached out to Prieto for comment but she declined.

On June 30th, Holt and his wife of five days, Thamara Caleno Candelo, were arrested in a raid in the public housing complex they were living in as they awaited her U.S. visa.

They were accused along seven people of being part of a paramilitary gang called Los Sindicalistas, responsible for the murder of Chavista leader Omar Jesus Molina Marin on April 12.

Authorities claimed to have found assault rifles and a hand grenade in their apartment and held them on suspicion of being spies.

"Under different facades, the secret services of the United States are seeking to achieve goals in an unconventional war through interventionist actions that stimulate the formation of criminal paramilitary gangs in housing complexes," then-Interior minister Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez said on July 20th referring to the Holt case.

"We won't permit the dark interests of capitalism, backed by the criminal gangs, to suffocate the stability and peace of the country," he added.

A month later, Holts mother posted on Facebook a transcript of a handwritten message she recently received from him saying he is terrified, as the jail is filled with innocent people.

I have been told by 10 or 20 people, prisoners, and guards, that I am here because I am American, he wrote. I have also been told by guards that Americans have no rights here.

Personnel from the U.S. embassy in Venezuela last saw him on August 16th.

A U.S. government official who asked to remain anonymous told FNL that they are providing Holt with all possible consular assistance. International regulations leave them unable to do much more.

While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law, the official said.

We monitor conditions in foreign prisons and may protest allegations of abuse against U.S. citizen prisoners when requested to do so by the prisoner. We work with prison officials to ensure treatment consistent with internationally recognized standards and to ensure that U.S. citizens are afforded due process under local laws and international standards, the official said to FNL.

Holt is the 12th U.S. citizen known to be in Venezuelan custody.

Holts case has been widely covered by the local media, but they are making him out to be a villain. Still, Holts mother said the Venezuelan people are on their side.

[The media] are working for their government, but the opposition is in favor of Josh and knows the charges are trumped up, she said. The people know.

Holt spent his first week and a half in a cell where you could only fit a twin size bed, with two small windows about 12 feet above the ground.

His fellow inmates at Helicoide, a 1960 commercial mall turned jail, include Manuel Rosales, a former governor and presidential candidate, three lawmakers and opposition activist Betty Grossi, who was arrested in August 2015 for financing terrorism.

Grossis lawyer, Joel Garcia, described the jail conditions at Helicoide.

They normally dont have clean water and sometimes the prisoners have to collect money to pay for a tanker truck to have access to water, he said. The cells even have flatworms.

In the letter Holt said this is when he sees his wife: once a day when he goes to retrieve pop bottles filled with water to bathe.

Under these conditions, Holt's health has deteriorated.

He is suffering from sickness, kidney stones, bronchitis and a permanent itch without a known cause, according to the letter posted on Facebook.

According to Garcia, the lawyer, no medical attention is provided in the prison. When a judge orders a health check for a prisoner, Sebin just does it when they please, he said, explaining that the Intelligence office follows commands directly from the Interior ministers office and is accountable to almost no one.

Its hard to express the feeling I felt yesterday, as my lawyer told me that we were accused and would have to stay until the 15th of September. My heart was broken as she tells me that we need more help and support from my government, Holt wrote in the 2,000-word letter posted on Facebook.

When it comes to taking my money my government becomes an expert and never fail, but when it comes to saving my life, he added, they abandon me and say there is nothing they can do.

Wednesday, the judge in Josh's case ruled that he and his wife will remain in jail until their hearing, scheduled for September 15th.

Laurie Holt posted the below update to her Facebook page.

Rebekah Sager contributed to this report.
A Japanese and two American scientists have been awarded the 2017 Crafoord Prize for fundamental discoveries in immune regulation.

The prize committee says Shimon Sakaguchi of Osaka University, Fred Ramsdell from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in San Francisco, and Alexander Rudensky of the New-York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center share the 6 million Swedish krona ($660,000 award.

They were cited "for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases."

The prize is awarded in one discipline each year  this time in Polyarthritis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences gives it annually to honor achievements not always covered by its more famous Nobel Prizes. It was named after Holger Crafoord, the Swede who designed the first artificial kidney.
The U.S. government is paying the salaries of tens of thousands of non-existent Afghan soldiers, police, teachers and civil servants, a top Pentagon official said Wednesday in reporting on the scale and variety of misspent U.S. money.

John Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGAR), said the salaries of ghost soldiers is just one of many ways Americans' money is wasted in Afghanistan  all for rather modest gains.

His comments summarize a SIGAR report that aims to help inform the new Congress and administration of the most pressing reconstruction challenges in 2017 and beyond. Sopkos message was one American leaders have heard before.

Including U.S. war funding unrelated to reconstruction, U.S. appropriations for Afghanistan now totals more than three quarters of a trillion dollars -- not including the $43.7 billion requested for fiscal year 2017, he said in a speech before the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

U.S. taxpayers footing the bill for security at unused Ghost Hotel in Kabul

To date, more than $115 billion of U.S. taxpayer money has been spent, sometimes wisely  too often not. Another $7.5 billion has been appropriated but not yet spent, and international donors have pledged to provide financial support to Afghanistan and its security forces through 2020.

Despite the huge amounts spent in Afghanistan, conditions are deteriorating.

As of Aug. 28, 2016, only 63.4 percent of the countrys districts were under Afghan governments control or influence, a reduction from the 72 percent as of Nov. 27, 2015, Sopko said.

Afghan forces are generally capable and effective at protecting major population centers, preventing the Taliban from maintaining prolonged control of specific areas and at responding to Taliban attacks.

But the Afghan military, a reportedly 320,000-strong force is basically playing whack-a-mole following the Taliban around Afghanistan.

In addition to the military situation, American efforts to curb opium production are failing.

Although the United States has committed more than $8 billion to counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan, the opium trade has grown significantly since the fall of the Taliban. [The U.S.] estimates that as much as 60 percent of the Talibans funding comes from poppy production and cultivation.

The scale of money spent on Afghanistan since reconstruction efforts began in 2002 mirrors the scale of casualties among U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

Sopko said 2,247 U.S. military personnel have died in support of operations there, while more than 20,000 others were wounded in action.

After 15 years, Afghanistans government is still in no position to support itself -- and corruption in endemic, he said.

The percentage of Afghans who believe corruption is a problem of daily life, now 90 percent, has steadily increased over time. In 2016 Afghans paid more in bribes than the government is expected to have generated in revenue from taxes, customs, tariffs and other sources of income.

There is evidence that the Taliban has instructed its field commanders to simply purchase U.S.-supplied weapons, fuel and ammunition from Afghan soldiers because to do so is both easier and less expensive, Sopko said.

Some of the blame for the wasted military spending, growing drug problem and widespread corruption can be laid on Washingtons doorstep.

The U.S. contributed mightily to the problem by dumping too much money, too fast, into too small an economy, with too little oversight, he said.

There have been some improvements because of American efforts to ensure that money is properly spent.

I was encouraged to hear that, as of this month, Afghan security forces are being paid based on a DOD-developed verification system, known as AHRIMS [Afghan Human Resources Information Management System] that relies upon ID cards embedded with biometric information being registered daily to measure attendance, he said.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

The leader of the European Union's presidency says that record numbers of migrants will try to cross the Mediterranean this spring and he wants the EU to work with Libya now to stem the flow.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Thursday that "we will have a crisis."

Muscat said Europe can choose between "trying to do something now, or meeting urgently in April, May ... and try to do a deal then."

He says that the EU should draw up an arrangement with Libya, from where most migrants leave Africa for Europe. It would use European money and expand an agreement already in place between Italy and Libya.

Muscat said "there is already a framework that has been negotiated. The Italian deal can serve as a basis."
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

A French court has ordered the release of a jailed former prime minister of Kosovo pending a decision on whether to extradite him to Serbia, where he's wanted on war crimes charges.

Overturning an earlier decision, the court in the eastern French city of Colmar said in a statement Thursday that Ramush Haradinaj can leave jail but must stay in France under judicial supervision while his case is studied.

Serbia's government formally requested his extradition after French police detained Haradinaj last week at Basel Mulhouse Frieburg airport.

The arrest has angered Kosovo, where lawmakers called on the European Union to intervene to secure his release.

Haradinaj, a former guerrilla fighter in Kosovo's 1998-1999 war for independence from Serbia, was cleared of war crimes charges by a U.N. tribunal.
Hungary stuck to its promise of protecting the nation against a flood of refugees by swearing in its first wave of so-called "border hunters" on Thursday, officials said.

GERMAN POLICE SEE SUPPORT FOR CRACKDOWN DESPITE SOME CRIES OF RACIAL PROFILING

More than 500 border guards took their oaths ahead of their planned deployment to the Serbian border, the Budapest Business Journal reported. They would carry pistols with ammo as well as pepper spray and batons, the BBC added.

Hungary is one of the safest countries in the European Union, where there is no violence, and where no one drives trucks through crowds, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, referring to terrorist attacks including the July 2016 massacre in Nice, France. At the same time, this does not mean that such atrocities cannot happen here.

23 DEAD, 17 MISSING AFTER FERRY CATCHES FIRE IN INDONESIA

Political leaders in Hungary have blamed non-governmental organizations for pointing refugees toward the country. Opponents took an apparent swipe at NGOs by drafting a bill that would force the groups to post financial statements publicly, even though they haven't received public funds. The NGOs have called it a plot to silence them.

Thousands of refugees reportedly poured into Hungary and other nations in the region daily at the height of the crisis in 2015, many of them sailing to Greece and traveling northwest to escape ISIS, war and famine in the Middle East. Hungary has since built a razor-wire fence signaling that refugees should head somewhere else.

As many as 100 people still try entering Hungary each day, according to the prime minister's top security advisor, Gyorgy Bakondi. The government reportedly has aimed to boost its number of "border hunters" to 3,000.

Meantime, Eastern Europe has been under the grip of a deadly cold snap, with some areas seeing its coldest temperatures in a decade, and with refugees at significant risk. In Serbia, officials blamed the cold for the deaths of six people.

Greece's navy sent a ship to the island of Lesbos to house some 500 refugees and migrants. A medical association on the island said conditions at the main camp there were "inhuman," with refugees in tents exposed to freezing temperatures. Rights group Amnesty International urged the European Union and the Greek government to move migrants from the Greek islands to the mainland and launched an online petition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

London's Heathrow Airport says dozens of flights have been cancelled amid forecasts of snow and strong winds in Britain.

Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, said 80 out of about 1,350 flights scheduled Thursday have been cancelled pre-emptively because of the wintry weather.

Britain's weather forecasters have issued warnings for snow for much of the country up until Saturday, with frequent snow showers and gales expected across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. Sleet or snow may affect southern England as well.

Schools in parts of the country have closed and some students have been sent home.

Forecasters say the weather is caused by a polar air mass that originated over northern Canada.
The first of 100 Airbus planes that Iran is expected to receive after its historic nuclear deal with world powers ended some sanctions has landed in the capital, Tehran.

Iran Air's brand new A321 jet landed at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday on a flight from Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.

Iran Air finalized a deal with the European plane maker in December for 100 planes worth more than $18 billion dollars at list prices.

Iran's flag carrier has separately agreed to buy 80 planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing.

Most Iranian planes were purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Out of Iran's 250 commercial planes, 162 were flying, while the rest were grounded due to lack of spare parts.
Members of one of the worlds most persecuted religious groups, the Yazidis of northern Iraq, are struggling over whether to leave their ancestral homeland or rebuild their diminished and traumatized community outside the Middle East.

Some Yazidi leaders oppose migration and are seeking foreign help to re-establish their community in Iraqs Sinjar region. Other Yazidi leaders support migration, and various western governments are welcoming them as refugees.

Yazidi religious leaders are among those opposed to resettlement, fearing that being scattered will mean the end of their identity. Baba Chawish, the head of the Yazidis Spiritual Council and guardian of their holiest site, Lalish, told FoxNews.com that they desperately need protection and help, emphasizing that most Yazidis want to be able to sleep in their own houses and own beds and that if they have to leave Yazidis will vanish.

Thats a view held by many lay people in the Yazidi community.

Yazidis are a small religious minority. They have lost people in genocidal campaigns and vast areas of land in the past two hundred years, one Yazidi person in Iraq, who requested anonymity, told FoxNews.com. Immigration is another major threat to the future of this religion and ancient culture.

In addition, the head of Iraqs Kurdish Regional Government, Nechervan Idris Barzani, recently released a statement opposing plans for thousands of Yazidis to be permanently resettled in Canada, emphasizing that he is opposed to any organized attempt to mass migrate members of its community.

Yazidi leaders who want their community to stay in Iraqs Sinjar region, where they have lived for centuries, agree that members are free to leave. But they plead with western governments to fund and assist them in rebuilding their villages rather than welcoming Yazidis as refugees.

Migration will have a negative impact on the Yazidi religion in Iraq and Kurdistan. We encourage Yazidis to remain, said Qewel Bahzad, a member of the Yazidi Spiritual Council.

The migration controversy deepened on Monday after the KRGs security services closed the offices of Yazda, a Yazidi advocacy group, in the Iraq-Kurdistan region, accusing the organization of failing to abide by the terms and conditions for NGOs in the region. An official source told FoxNews.com that there have been grave concerns over Yazdas encouraging migration. Yazda confirmed on social media that those offices were closed but stated that the closure was for unknown reasons.

Beyond concerns over the dangers of migration are worries that, longer term, Iran will benefit from any Yazidi exodus out of Iraq. Sinjar is contested land between the Baghdad Central Government and the Kurdish Regional Government, although it is currently under control of the Kurdish Peshmerga. Some officials in the region have also expressed worry that Iran, which has significant influence in Baghdad and is known to garner support with various minorities in Iraq through financial incentives to boost its foothold  has its eyes set on the traditionally Yazidi homeland close to the Syrian border.

If secured, a reported long-held Iranian goal, the land bridge would enable Iran and its proxies clear passage for supplies and oil between the Mediterranean and Tehran and guarantee a crescent of influence.

The fewer people in the way, one Iraq-based source added, the less resistance and the less trouble.

On the other side of the debate is Yazda and its best-known representative, Nadia Murad, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the UNs first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. The 22-year-old, who is represented by British lawyer Amal Clooney, catapulted onto the international stage in December 2015 when she documented for the UN Security Council how jihadists assaulted her village in early August 2014 and her subsequent time in captivity as a sex slave.

Nadia has traveled the world advocating for safe passage and visas for Yazidis. She urges numerous western governments to resettle as many Yazidi refugees as possible, stressing that they are victims and have the right to seek a safe country that safeguards (their) dignity.

Murad Ismael, Yazdas executive director, said the international community needs to grasp how chronic and acute Yazidi suffering has been.

Genocide was committed against the Yazidis. They were not protected by the state, he said. Yazidis should be allowed to relocate if they choose to be relocated.

Meanwhile, western governments are already responding to appeals like Nadias.

Canadas House of Commons voted unanimously in late October to begin resettling Yazidis. Sonia Lesage, spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in the Canadian government told FoxNews.com that they are committed to offering protection to the Yazidi population at risk, and that individuals who are accepted for resettlement will have full permanent resident status upon arrival.

Canadian MP Michelle Rempel echoed such a sentiment, saying that while Canada has resettled over 25,000 refugees, mostly Syrian, almost no persecuted ethnic and religious minorities have been referred, something which needs to change.

Scottish members of parliament are now urging their government to follow suit, and Murad is also encouraging the U.K and Australia to open its doors permanently to Yazidis.

The United States, too, is putting plans in place to resettle Yazidis. According to Danna Van Brandt, public diplomacy and public affairs advisor in the U.S State Department, the U.S Refugee Admissions Program, actively resettles Yazidis and has many cases in process. The first tranche of cases is due to be submitted in early 2017.
A Mexican priest missing since Jan. 3 was found dead, a Roman Catholic diocese in northern Mexico said Thursday.

The Saltillo Diocese in Coahuila state said in a statement that it was informed by authorities about the discovery of the body of Rev. Joaquin Hernandez Sifuentes. The diocese did not release any other information, and there was no comment from the state prosecutors' office.

"Father Joaquin was someone who looked for perfection in everything he did; the desire to always innovate in his work, has been reflected in love by the faithful, including during the past 10 days," the diocese said.

Hernandez was supposed to take a short vacation beginning Jan. 3. But a close friend was unable to reach him by phone that day. Early that same morning, a neighbor saw two young men take Hernandez's car, but did not see the priest with them.

The friend went to the priest's residence at the church and found his room a mess. Later he found the priest's packed suitcase and eyeglasses.

Several Roman Catholic priests have been attacked in Mexico recently. Three priests were abducted in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz in late 2016; one was found alive, and two were found shot to death. Another priest was killed in the western state of Michoacan in September.

At least 31 priests have been slain in Mexico since 2006.
In an apparent attempt to foster more moderate expressions of Islam, the African country of Morocco reportedly banned the burqa, the full-body veiled often used by conservative Muslim women.

The government has not issued a formal announcement of the move; however, local media have reported that vendors and merchants received written warnings on Monday from Interior Ministry representatives telling them to stop making and selling the religious garment.

MERKEL'S CALL FOR BURQA BAN IN GERMANY DRAWS BACKLASH

#MAROC : Le Ministere de lInterieur interdit la vente du voile integral. Les commercants ont 48 heures pour se debarrasser de leur stock. pic.twitter.com/caIkmQlZmV  LiesBreaker (@Lies_Breaker) January 9, 2017

A photograph shared widely on social media this week showed a letter bearing the stamp of the Interior Ministry.

The notice reads: Following the observations of the authorities, we notice that you make and sell burqas  we are calling on you to get rid of these clothes within 48 hours from your receipt of this message and to refrains from producing, selling them in the future.

DUTCH LOWER HOUSE LAWMAKERS APPROVE BURQA BAN

Moroccan news site Le360 quoted a senior interior ministry official announcing the ban on the sale of the burqa, which is often blue and fully covers the head.

We have taken the step of completely banning the import, manufacture and marketing of this garment in all the cities and towns of the kingdom, the unidentified official said.

The official did not confirm whether the ban extended to wearing the burqa. The reported ban did not mention the sale or use of the hijab or the niqad, which does not cover the eyes.

About 99 percent of Moroccos 32.6 million people identify as Muslim, while the other 1 percent identify as Christian, Jewish or Bahai.

According to the New York Times, the use of the burqa has been relatively low in Morocco as women typically wear traditional dresses and head scarves. The burqa is common in more conservative Muslim countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Public reaction to the ban has reportedly been muted in the absence of official confirmation, France24 reported, but it has spurred debate among Moroccans on social media.

SWISS LAWMAKERS APPROVE PROPOSAL TO BAN MUSLIM WOMEN FROM WEARING BURQAS IN PUBLIC

Farah Cherif DOuezzan, the founder of the Center for Cross Cultural Learning in Rabat, told the Times there still was a great deal of confusion surrounded the alleged ban because of the lack of official confirmation. She said it would also be difficult to implement.

If it is true that there is a ban, to me, the ban is justified for security reasons, she said. But at the same time, there is not evidence for associating the burqa with security threats. I would like to know how many people have been arrested.

She added: I believe that men or women should have the right to choose how to dress. The number of women who wear the burqa in this country is still insignificant.

The countrys official religious authorities have not taken a position on the issue.

If the ban extends to the use of the burqa, Morocco would join France and Belgium who have prohibited Muslim women of wearing the full-body veil.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

Israel's prime minister is condemning an upcoming conference in Paris aimed at reviving the Israel-Palestinian peace process.

Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with Norway's foreign minister on Thursday: "It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances. This pushes peace backwards. It's not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past. It's a last gasp of the past before the future sets in."

The Palestinians have welcomed the French initiative, which takes place Sunday.

Netanyahu insists the conflict can only be resolved in direct peace talks and has repeatedly called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume them. Abbas refuses unless Israel ends settlement construction first.

The U.S. mediated the last round of talks, which collapsed in 2014.
Tareck El Aissami, one of the most powerful men in Venezuela, just acquired more power. Last week the self-proclaimed radically Chavista became the countrys second in command after President Nicolas Maduro appointed him as vice president.

The son of a Lebanese mother and a Syrian father, the 42-year-old El Aissami is also one of the most obscure figures in government circles -- he is suspected of having ties to the Islamist militant group Hezbollah and is reportedly being investigated by U.S. prosecutors for possible involvement in drug trafficking.

Its very concerning, said Joseph Humire, executive director of Secure Free Society and an expert on radical Islams presence in Latin America.

Im worried that his power will only grow stronger. Iran, in particular, benefits greatly from having El Aissami as VP as he has been their man in Venezuela.

According to Humire, El Aissami allegedly controls a criminal and terrorist network across at least six countries that operates with several companies, accounts and assets.

This network, he said, moves illicit funds and drugs from Latin America to the Middle East and brings back foreign fighters suspected of belonging to Islamic terrorist organizations and are fleeing justice. El Aissami allegedly provides them with legal support and even money to conceal their true identities, the expert told Fox News.com.

There are rumors that Tareck El Aissami met with high-level Hezbollah representatives in the Tri-Border Area [of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil] prior to becoming minister [in 2008] to arrange services by the Venezuelan government. These rumors are not confirmed, but should be investigated, Humire said.

El Aissamis stellar rise started a couple of decades ago, when as a student leader he caught late President Hugo Chavezs attention and was recruited as one of the partys top assets.

His zeal has remained intact through the years: Socialism is the way to saving the country, not capitalism; its not the terrorist and criminal right, he said after being sworn in on Jan. 4.

El Aissami, also one of the richest men in Venezuela, was elected to Congress in 2005, appointed vice minister of citizen safety in 2007 and, the following year, he was tapped to the Interior and Justice Ministry. He headed the powerful ministry until 2012, when he was elected governor of Aragua. He left that post last week to become Maduros right hand  and a heavy one at that.

El Aissamis first assignment as vice president has been to create an Anti-Coup Command in charge of preventing any attempts to destabilize the regime or unseat the unpopular president.

The so-called command is already bearing fruit, with the arrest Wednesday of a legislator from the opposition, Gilber Caro, and the re-arrest of a former general and strong critic of the regime.

"This is about capturing and breaking up opposition elements that insist in taking the path of violence, El Aissami said upon Caros arrest. President Nicolas Maduro has deployed the anti-coup command based on information provided by intelligence agencies.

If he succeeds and elections are called in 2018 as scheduled, El Aissami will very likely be the Chavista candidate.

He is Maduros trusted man and this is probably a wise appointment, said former Caracas Mayor Juan Barreto, a Chavista. [In his inaugural speech] he spoke of a reencounter with the people, lets see if he does that from a place of partisanship or from a more open standpoint, he told FoxNews.com.

But the more moderate wing of Chavismo has expressed some concern, saying that political persecution is bound to increase.

Nicmer Evans, a political scientist from the Chavista Marea Socialista party, admitted he is worried that El Aissami may resort to extremes to accomplish the very specific mission hes been assigned.

He must make sure Maduro finishes his term. Hes the one in charge of chasing and capturing [political opponents], Evans said. And hes willing to do anything to achieve his goal.
Nigerian legislators are debating whether to offer asylum to Gambia's longtime leader, who is refusing to cede power after losing elections.

Rep. Yisa Orker-Yev told The Associated Press a motion to offer a safe haven to President Yahya Jammeh will be debated later Thursday. It was not clear if Jammeh requested the asylum.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is leading a committee of the Economic Community of West African States trying to negotiate a diplomatic resolution. The regional bloc also has a military force on standby to intervene if Jammeh does not step down when his mandate expires Jan. 19.

Jammeh initially accepted defeat at Dec. 1 elections, but changed his mind, ordered troops to take over the electoral commission office and is challenging election results at the Supreme Court.
A human rights group says civilians are being abducted and tortured by fighters on both sides of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

An annual report released by Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists of holding dozens of civilians in arbitrary detention in Ukraine's industrial east, where fighting has killed more than 9,600 people since 2014.

The rights group lauded Ukrainian authorities for putting on trial last year some of members of the volunteer battalions suspected of grave abuses against civilians. But the group criticized the government for what it says is a failure to respond to nationalists' threats against journalists working in the conflict zone.

Human Rights Watch Ukraine researcher Tanya Cooper urged both sides to hold their forces accountable for crimes.
A senior Romanian intelligence official has been suspended after a businessman indicted on wide-ranging corruption charges claimed he had a close relationship with the officer.

Florin Coldea, the No. 2 at Romania's Intelligence Service, was removed from his post Thursday after the agency announced it was investigating his conduct to determine whether he had broken any laws or rules.

In recent days, businessman Sebastian Ghita has boasted in footage broadcast on a private TV channel that he vacationed with Coldea and his family in the Seychelles, Italy and Paris, providing photos to support his claims.

Officials have issued an arrest warrant for Ghita, who illegally left Romania after he was charged with bribery, blackmail and money laundering.
Russia's defense ministry says it has signed an agreement with the Turkish army to ensure flight safety over war-torn Syria.

The Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the memorandum lays the groundwork for coordination between the two countries' air forces to "prevent accidents involving planes and drones" in Syrian air space.

The ministry says a Turkish delegation traveled to Moscow to sign the agreement.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara took a hit in 2015 after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syria-Turkey border. It took Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan months to apologize for the incident.

After he did, Russia brought Turkey onboard as a key partner to broker a peace settlement in Syria.
Billionaire George Soros is being shunned by his own country, but he and his roster of activist groups won't go without a fight.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his conservative party have told the 86-year-old financier, philanthropist and political power player his many nonprofit organizations are not welcome. Orban's party has charged the Soros-funded groups are out to undermine the regime in Budapest and vowed to "sweep out" the NGOs.

The president of the ruling Fidesz party, Szilard Nemeth, told local media this week that Soros Open Societies Foundations, which funds scores of groups in Hungary, puts political correctness over national government and that the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. offers an opportunity internationally to crack down on these groups.

Orban was the first European leader to publically back Trumps bid for the presidency.

Orban is seeking more centralized control in order to challenge multinational corporations, keep Hungarians from debt slavery and make sure the country does not become a colony of the European Union.

In a comment to Bloomberg on Wednesday, however, the president of the OSF, Christopher Stone, voiced his concern over Hungarys crackdown on the foundation and vowed to continue working in the Eastern European nation.

The Open Society Foundations will continue to work in Hungary despite government opposition to our mission of fairer, accountable societies, Stone said in an email to Bloomberg. In Hungary and around the world we are more focused than ever on working with local groups to strengthen democratic practice, rights, and justice.

In addition to funding groups in Hungary, Soros OSF donates to Black Lives Matter and the U.S. Democratic Party. Critics have accused Soros and OSF of sowing chaos and instability around the world, but advocates say they fight for freedom in countries ruled by oppressive regimes.

Despite widespread criticism from fellow European Union nations and U.S. President Obamas administration, Orban has constricted the freedom of press, helped set up an oligarchic economy similar to Vladimir Putins Russia and concentrated power around his Fidesz party political party.

In 2014, Orban called groups such as those funded by Soros and others covers for paid political activists and Hungarian police raided three groups funded in part by Norway Grants, a group set up by the EU and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to aid the continents less developed societies. Later this year, lawmakers in Hungary are set to debate a bill that would allow authorities to audit NGO executives in the same way it does public officials.

They want to stamp out any independent source of information, Milada Vachudova, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told FoxNews.com. Orban and Fidesz have been incredibly vicious in concentrating their power.

Despite the recent chill, relations between Soros and Orban have not always been so icy.

Soros, a Hungarian Jew whose family escaped the Holocaust by posing as Christians and who went on to become the business magnate at the head of Soros Fund Management, has donated billions of dollars to democratic movements throughout the former Soviet Union over the last three decades. Soros founded the OSF in 1993 as a grant making network to financially support civil society groups across the globe and it has since reported expenditures of over $11 billion.

An early incarnation of the OSF has operated in Hungary since 1984 when it funded anti-communist groups working behind the Iron Curtain. To date the OSF has given more than $1.6 billion to aid groups working on democratic development throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

One of those groups would later morph into Fidesz and was led by Orban, who at the time was a young, anti-communist student leader. Orban even received a Soros scholarship to study at Oxford University in the United Kingdom in an attempt to familiarize him with multi-party democratic systems.

Almost everyone from Eastern Europe who has studied abroad has benefited from these scholarships, Vachudova said. And that definitely includes Mr. Orban.

Orbans politics, however, switched from a more liberal, integrationist ideology toward center-right national conservatism soon after being elected to Hungarys National Assembly in the early 1990s. He was first elected prime minister in 1998 and returned to power in 2010.
Two people have been charged on suspicion of providing fake documents to a man who helped plan the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people.

2016 WAS THE DEADLIEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR SUICIDE ATTACKS, ANALYSTS SAY

The man and woman, named as Farid K. and Meryem E.B., respectively, were arrested after a house raid in Brussels, the federal prosecutor's office said.

Farid K., who was also charged with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group," has been remanded in custody, while Meryem E.B. was released under "strict" conditions.

PARENTS OF AMERICAN JOURNALIST KILLED BY ISIS CLAIM US FAILED THEIR SON

Prosecutors said in a statement that the pair are "suspected to have provided Khalid El Bakraoui with the false documents afterwards used in preparation of the Paris attacks."

Bakraoui blew himself up at a Brussels metro station in March of last year.

In a linked attack, his brother Ibrahim and another suicide bomber attacked the Brussels airport. Thirty-two people were killed.

It is believed that Bakraoui rented a safe house in the Belgian city of Charleroi that was used in preparation for the November 2015 attacks in the French capital.

He also rented an apartment under a false name in Brussels' Forest borough where police looking for Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam killed another suspected militant.

Click for more from Sky News.
KIGALI: BUSINESSES IN RESIDENTIAL PREMISES ORDERED TO RELOCATE

Investors in real estate have been complaining of low levels of occupancy in the different modern commercial complexes for both business and office purposes. It is against this background that businesses in Kigali operating in residential facilities have been given 3 months to relocate.

https://youtu.be/JgF5mqNaE9k
Readers can find parallels between issues affecting their communities and the country today and the subjects Martin Luther King discussed throughout his life. Racial inequality and violence, community service, overcoming apathy, dedication to action. Area organizations and community leaders will reflect on Kings life, words and impact during the 11th annual Martin Luther King Celebration at James Monroe High School on Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. The event is presented by The Partnership for Academic Excellence and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity with GEICO as title sponsor.

People of all ages and backgrounds will provide music during the celebration, including the Fredericksburg Gospel Fest Choir, Eric Armstead and Sons, Donna Green, and performing arts students of Lafayette Upper Elementary School. Agape Fellowship Ministries Liturgical Dancers, Daughters of Zion and the Anointed Sons Mime Ministry of Stafford will also perform.

Community leaders and students will also share oratories first given by King. The Rev. Dr. Aaron Dobynes, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) and a scholar on Kings life and legacy, will present his famous 1963 speech I Have a Dream.

In addition to remembering Kings words, community leaders will comment on his impact. Leaders presenting include Dr. Troy Paino, president of the University of Mary Washington; Eliese Bernard, administrator of Mary Washington Hospital; The Rev. Dr. Faye Gunn, retired pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria; Dr. Gene Carter, retired CEO and executive director of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (and former Norfolk City Schools superintendent); and The Rev. Doug McCusker, minister of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg.

Free activities for children will be provided by local members of the James Farmer Multicultural Center at the University of Mary Washington.

Xavier Richardson, program co-chair and executive vice president of corporate development and community affairs for Mary Washington Healthcare, said reading Kings work means something differently to him whenever he revisits them. He hopes the event will bolster people to continue serving the area and fighting for equality.

It is my hope that everyone leaves rededicated to keeping Dr. Kings dream alive by continuing to work to make our communities and the world places where equality for all is the norm, not the exception, Richardson said.

He hopes the event will also reach youth in the area and allow them to understand Kings life and aim for racial justice.

That is why it is so important to honor his legacy, Richardson said, because his words continue to be relevant even today.Emily Hollingsworth: 540/374-5411
Police are searching for a man who robbed the First Citizen's Bank at Cowan Crossing on U.S. 1 near Cowan Boulevard just before 4 p.m. Thursday.

Fredericksburg Police Department spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick said a white man who appeared to be in his mid-50s entered the bank at 3:57 p.m. and handed a teller a note saying he had a weapon and demanded cash. The teller complied, and the man left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash, Kirkpatrick said.

He was last seen headed toward the nearby CVS pharmacy.

Police were still on the scene Thursday afternoon and officers were actively searching for the man.

"He is considered armed and dangerous," Kirkpatrick said, warning that if anyone sees the man they should not approach him.

Instead, she said anyone with information should contact police immediately.

The police department's number is 373-3122. To make an anonymous tip, send a text to 847-411 and text FPDtip followed by your tip. Tips can also be sent by using a free FPD Tip app available for Android and iPhones.
The King George County Board of Supervisors assured the School Board it continues to support plans for an expansion of the middle school after hearing an architects presentation at a joint work session of the two boards Tuesday night.

School Board Chairman T.C. Collins highlighted the opportunity to expand the building in the future if needed as one advantage of the design. He said it seemed prudent.

I think youve had the full support of the board, Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ruby Brabo said. We just have to figure out the money. Thats all.

Brabo was impressed by architectural renderings presented by Jeff Harris of RRMM Architects, calling it "a beautiful building.

The middle school expansion will accommodate sixth-graders, a change needed due to increased enrollment at the county's elementary schools.

The School Board has offered to give the former middle school building to the county if supervisors want it, and answered questions about that building Tuesday night.

Supervisor Richard Granger asked about using the former middle school to accommodate sixth-graders. Collins said it would be more cost effective to expand the current middle school rather than renovate the old one.

Using the old building would require bringing it up to code, making structural changes, adding furnishings, updating information technology and additional operating costs such as hiring another principal and support staff, he said.

The expansion option also allows the district to get more for the money, Collins said.

The additional space and renovated space will feature a new project-based learning center and a maker space. There will also be a new light-filled cafeteria, auxiliary gym, media center and administration center.

Collins said the board isn't trying to toss the building at the county, but wants officials to have the opportunity to consider reusing it. School Board member Mike Rose said the school system has no need for the old school anymore.

We didnt want to turn it into another Ralph Bunche where it just sits there and falls to the ground, Rose said. If there is something you all can use it for, by all means use it.

Brabo said she didnt anticipate a drawn-out process to decide if the county wants the former school, although there are lots of choices to consider. Collins said the school district would continue to heat, cool and insure the building in the meantime.
Harsher penalties for illegal demonstrations and independent taxing authority for school boards are among the slew of proposals by Fredericksburg-area lawmakers for the Virginia General Assembly to consider in its session that kicked off Wednesday.

Del. Mark Cole, RSpotsylvania County, recently filed a proposed constitutional amendment that would let elected school boards impose property taxes. Some advocates for such taxing authority say it could lead to more accountability for school boards.

Currently, boards of supervisors and city councils control the purse strings.

Cole did not immediately return a call for comment.

Other proposals from Cole include:

A constitutional amendment to put all primary candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general on the same ballot, regardless of political party. The top two vote-getters for each office, party notwithstanding, would advance to the general election ballot. The general election ballot would not include a write-in option. In addition, political parties could endorse, but not nominate, primary candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, the bill states.

A bill requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The proof could come in the form of a U.S. passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers.

Legislation to revamp a long-standing process that awards all 13 Electoral College votes to Virginias popular vote winner. Under Coles proposal, the top overall vote-getter would receive two Electoral College votes. The remaining votes would be allotted based on the outcome in each of Virginias 11 congressional districts.

Sen. Richard Stuart, RStafford County, introduced a few bills to stiffen penalties for riots or "unlawful assemblies. One of those bills, for instance, would make it a Class 6 felony to block a public highway. Last year, 13 Black Lives Matter protesters were charged with obstructing the free passage of othersa Class 1 misdemeanorafter blocking traffic on Interstate 95 in Richmond.

State Sen. Bryce Reeves, RSpotsylvania County, proposed a bill stating that school principals can choose not to report misdemeanor crimes by students to law enforcement. The bill directs the state Board of Educationin consultation with other state agencies and interested stakeholdersto "provide guidance for principals in exercising such discretion." Currently, principals must report conduct involving alcohol or marijuana, in addition to other more serious offenses.

House Speaker Bill Howell, RStafford County, proposed legislation this week that would penalize dog owners who let their dogs run at large onto another persons land after being toldin writing or verballyto keep the animals off the property. Violators would face a civil penalty of $100 per dog.

Del. Mark Dudenhefer, RStafford, put forward a bill allowing homeowners to defer part of their real estate tax bills if the assessed value of their homes increased by at least 5 percent because of public improvements on adjacent properties. The homeowners would have to pay the deferred taxes, plus interest, if they sold their homes.

The Stafford Board of Supervisors requested the legislation after a dramatic increase to the taxable value of homes near the new Lake Mooney reservoir.

Dudenhefer also proposed a bill to require at least one school nurse at every elementary, middle and high school. Schools would also have to employ at least one full-time nurse for every 1,000 students, the bill states. The state currently recommends one nurse per 1,000 students, but does not mandate the position.

Del. Bobby Orrock, RCaroline County, proposed a bill that would require the Virginia Department of Transportation to maintain the 2-mile Spotsylvania Parkway starting in 2022. Currently, homeowners in Lees Parke and Virginia Heritage pay for the maintenance under a 2005 Easement and Cost Sharing Agreement, according to the bill. Two Virginia Heritage residents wrote in a Free LanceStar opinion piece that the homeowners associations have paid more than $2.4 million on the parkways landscaping since 2005.

Orrock also proposed a bill that would let counties and cities offer lifetime dog and cat licenses for up to $50 each.
Not long after Ricky Javon Gray was arrested and confessed to murdering seven people in Richmond, he apologized and told police, I just want to die.

Gray is scheduled to be executed next week for the killings of Ruby Harvey, 4, and Stella Harvey, 9, and according to a statement released by his lawyers Wednesday, he remains sorry, if no longer hoping to die:

Remorse is not a deep enough word for how I feel. I know my words cant bring anything back, but I continuously feel horrible for the circumstances that I put them through. I robbed them of a lifelong supply of joy. Ive stolen Christmas, birthdays and Easters, Thanksgivings, graduations, and weddings, children. Theres nothing I can do to make up for that. Its never left my mind, because I understand exactly what I took from the world by looking at my two sisters. Im reminded each time I talk and see them that this is what I took from the world. You know, the potential for greatness in those kids.

Im sorry they had to be a victim of my despair.

His lawyers wrote that Gray apologized for the crimes when arrested and has always been remorseful for the senseless pain and suffering he and (Ray) Dandridge caused. He mourns the Harvey girls every day, and he remembers them through his two youngest sisters who are the same ages Stella and Ruby would be today.

Meanwhile, citing horrific childhood abuse said to have been suffered by Gray, more than 50 mental health professionals have sent a letter asking Gov. Terry McAuliffe to commute his death sentence to life in prison.

As professionals in fields devoted to mental health; treatment of and advocacy for victims of violence and sexual abuse; and the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and addiction, we urge you to recognize the impact these factors had in Mr. Grays life, begins the four-paragraph letter dated Tuesday.

Two of the signers are James W. Stewart III and Jim Reinhard, prior commissioners for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson turned down a bid to delay Grays Jan. 18 execution for the Jan. 1, 2006, slayings of the Harvey sisters.

Gray also killed their parents, Bryan Harvey, 49, and Kathryn Harvey, 39, in their South Richmond home. The victims were bound, stabbed and beaten with a hammer, and their house set on fire. Days later, Gray and Dandridge, 39, killed Ashley Baskerville, 21; Baskervilles mother, Mary Tucker, 47; and stepfather, Percyell Tucker, 55, in their Richmond home.

Notice was filed Wednesday by Grays lawyers that they will appeal Hudsons decision to the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Gray also has a clemency petition pending before McAuliffe in which his lawyers ask the sentence be commuted to life, the same sentence that Dandridge received.

Grays lawyers said they argue in the petition to McAuliffe that evidence developed since Grays trial sheds light on his behavior and provides an understanding of  not an excuse for  why he committed the crimes with Dandridge.

This evidence should have been presented to the jurors deciding whether to sentence Gray to death. Gray was under the influence of powerful drugs, including psychosis-generating PCP, at the time of the crimes. He was introduced to the drug as a child, and became addicted as a way to try to block out the effects of the physical and sexual abuse he suffered for years at the hands of his family members. Ever since he has been free from PCP, Gray has exhibited no violent behavior, and has been a model inmate, Grays lawyers said in a prepared statement Wednesday.

In support of the clemency petition, Grays lawyers said they provided reports from experts who evaluated Gray after his trial and found that he was particularly susceptible to the effects of PCP and other drugs because childhood trauma had changed the development of his brain, and because his drug abuse was so serious.

His lawyers said witnesses reported that by the time Gray was 12, he was using PCP several times a week to numb the trauma resulting from the beatings, rapes and other abuse he suffered starting as a young child. The clemency petition states that from the time he was 4 until he was 11, Gray was raped and sodomized, often on a daily basis.

The mental health professionals who signed the letter Tuesday said they reviewed the material on the physical and sexual abuse suffered by Gray and his resulting substance abuse and drug addiction problems.

In Mr. Grays case, his abuse and trauma were left unaddressed and predictably led to profound despair and other serious trauma symptoms, drug addiction, and the drug use that resulted in the tragic crimes he committed with Ray Dandridge, the professionals wrote.

They concluded: The crimes committed by Mr. Gray and Mr. Dandridge were horrible and deserving of strong punishment. But it also is beyond dispute that Ricky Gray was the victim of horrific sexual and physical abuse  starting at a very young age and continuing throughout his childhood, which led to drug abuse, crippling addiction, and ultimately criminal behavior.

In these circumstances, we offer our support for a decision to commute Mr. Grays decision to life imprisonment without possibility of parole, the mental health professionals concluded.

It is not known when McAuliffe will act on Grays petition. In 2015, he turned down a clemency bid from serial killer Alfredo Prieto several days prior to his execution.
WARM SPRINGS  Virginias mental health agency and its local counterpart in Bath County say they cannot be held legally responsible for the suicide of a senators son.

In November 2015, state Sen. Creigh Deeds claimed in a $6 million wrongful death lawsuit that his son died two years earlier as a result of neglect by the states fragmented mental health care system, which was unable to place the troubled 24-year-old in a psychiatric facility.

One day after he was released from emergency custody, Austin Gus Deeds stabbed his father multiple times and then shot himself to death at the senators Millboro farm.

Attorneys for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services are asking that the lawsuit be dismissed. In a response filed Monday in Bath County Circuit Court, Assistant Attorney General Scott Moore cited the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity, which generally shields public agencies and officials against lawsuits stemming from their performance of a governmental function.

The Rockbridge Area Community Services Board, also named as a defendant, is making a similar argument in defense of its actions and those of Michael Gentry, who handled Gus Deeds case as mental health worker for the local agency, which serves Bath County.

Gentry is accused of not working hard enough to place Gus Deeds in a psychiatric hospital after his father had him detained temporarily on an emergency custody order the morning of Nov. 18, 2013.

Gus Deeds was released later that day after Gentry said he could not find an available bed within the legally required eight hours  even though it later became clear that at least five psychiatric facilities in the area had room that day to admit him.

The following morning, Gus Deeds confronted his father outside a barn at their Bath County home. Creigh Deeds was stabbed 13 times, but he managed to escape and was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. A short time later, Gus Deeds fatally shot himself with a rifle.

According to the lawsuit, Gentrys inadequate search for an empty bed was nearing an end when he received a call from Gus Deeds mother, begging that her son not be released. Gentry brushed off Pamela Miller Mayhews concerns that her son would kill Creigh Deeds and himself if he was not hospitalized, the lawsuit alleges.

The local and state mental health system acted with a complete neglect for the safety of Gus, the lawsuit alleges.

Under Virginia law, the protection of sovereign immunity does not apply if there is evidence of gross negligence.

While the lawsuit alleges gross negligence, the states response points to a number of steps that Gentry took in an effort to help Gus Deeds, which included evaluating him, talking to his family members and a physician, and calling or faxing at least seven different facilities in search of an available bed.

It is clear from the allegations in the compliant that the defendants were not indifferent to Austin [Gus Deeds]; they showed some degree of care, Moore wrote in arguing that they did not act with gross negligence.

Apart from invoking sovereign immunity, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services is also saying that it cannot be held responsible for the actions of Gentry, who was not a state employee when he treated Gus Deeds. Although the department provides funding for community services boards like the one Gentry worked for, the local agencies do not function as an arm of the state, Moore wrote.

Roanoke attorney John Lichtenstein, who represents Creigh Deeds, has said earlier that mental health providers had a responsibility to find a hospital bed for the senators son.

Instead, they released him, even after they were made acutely aware that because of his illness, Gus was a danger to others and himself.

Although the lawsuit was filed in November 2015, the case was essentially on hold after Lichtenstein did not ask that papers be served on the defendants for scheduling reasons. Lawsuits must be served within a year of their filing to remain active, and Lichtenstein started the process in October 2016.

Now that the local and state mental health agencies have received copies of the lawsuit and filed their answers, Lichtenstein will respond in writing before a hearing is scheduled for a judge to consider the motions to dismiss the case.

Many of the problems cited in the lawsuit are not new to the debate about how Virginia treats its mentally ill.

A key part of the 23-page document is the assertion that systemic problems at the root of Gus Deeds mistreatment had been identified  and then ignored  by the state two years earlier.

In a review of the mental health system conducted in the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shootings, the states inspector general documented the fragmented way in which people with psychiatric emergencies are treated by state hospitals, community services boards and local jails.

The lawsuit lists more than a dozen improvements suggested by the inspector generals report that were not implemented, including making sure that hospital beds are available.

Though the list is long, what [Deeds] has failed to show is that the Commonwealth has a legal duty to perform any of those tasks, Moore wrote, arguing that decisions left to the legislatures and state agencies discretion cannot be the basis for a lawsuit.

In an email Wednesday, Lichtenstein said:

We respectfully disagree with the defendants filed positions that they are by law immune from suit and thus bear no responsibility in this tragedy.
DONALD TRUMP took questions from the media Wednesday for the first time since he was elected president on Nov. 8. And he quickly put to rest the idea that his rapidly approaching presidency would fundamentally change his tone, style or basic approach to issues and the media.

Consider:

 Trumpthrough a lawyersaid he would not put his assets in a blind trust, the traditional way in which presidents wall off their private interests from their public obligations.

Trump was also quick to note that as president it is impossible for him to, legally speaking, have a conflict of interests and, therefore, any steps he takes to separate his business interests from his presidency were above and beyond the call of duty. (This was a similar line of logic used by Trumps lawyer to explain how he would deal with the Emoluments clause.)

 Trump refused to offer a timetable for the release of his tax returns. He insisted that the only people who care about his tax returns are reporters. (Not true!) As evidence that no one cares about his tax returns, Trump offered this: I won.

 Given the chance to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump did not. Instead, he said it was an asset that Putin allegedly likes him. When asked directly about the Russian hacking of the election, Trump acknowledged it was probably Russiawhich is further than he has gone beforebut quickly pivoted to emphasize that Putin wouldnt be doing these sorts of things under a Trump administration.

 Trump began his news conference with somewhat surprising words of praise for the media and their discernment in not publishing allegations in a Russia dossier. (BuzzFeed did publish the full dossier, even though the allegations are unsubstantiated and have not been corroborated by any major news organization to date.) But, by the end of the news conference, Trump was back to his old, media-hating self; he shouted down CNNs Jim Acosta, who repeatedly tried to ask him a questioneventually telling Acosta that he was fake news.

Those four examplesand those were only the four that immediately sprang to mindmake very clear that Trump has absolutely no plan to pivot when he assumes the presidency. He is who he is. There is no Trump but Trump.

Ive long believed that talk of a pivot or an unveiling of a more presidential Trump, which has been a nonstop subject since it became clear Trump would be the Republican presidential nominee last spring, is an absolute misjudgment not only of Trump but of what his many victories over the past 18 months have taught him.

Ask yourself this: How many 70-year-old men fundamentally change their personality? How about 70-year-old men who have been extremely successful? Is there a number less than zero?

That was true even before Trump started to win primaries and caucuses over the course of 2016. What his primary win taught him was that he was right and the Republican brain trust was wrong.

What his general election victory taught him was that he was right and that everyone in the political classelected officials, consultants, the mediawas wrong. Why the hell would Trump change his approach to politics and policy after the year he has had? The simple answer is he wouldnt.

For Trump, the ends justify the means. In winning, he showed that everything from tax returns to blind trusts to cordial relations with the media were immaterial to regular people.

How can it be bad/wrong if I won? is the Trump thought on, well, everything. His news conference on Wednesday proved that basic belief wont be changing when the president-elect becomes the president in nine days.

Chris Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and the writes The Fix, a politics blog.
RAAA grateful for generous holiday donors

The Rappahannock Area Agency on Aging would like to thank those organizations that gave so generously to local seniors this holiday season.

These include the Spotsylvania and Stafford sheriffs offices and the Fredericksburg Police Department. The departments sponsored shopping trips for seniors so each was able to spend $100 on themselves. A trip like this is unusual in the population served by RAAA. Both TRIAD, a crime prevention organization, and Wal-Mart also provided money for this event.

Supported by the community, Home Instead Senior Cares Be A Santa To A Senior provided each of RAAAs clients gifts that made them feel a part of the holiday season. The Silver Cos. adopts clients each year and purchases individualized gifts. Gerdau, a Northern Virginia reinforcing steel company, assisted three nursing-home residents. Meals were sponsored by the White Oak Volunteer Rescue Squad, The RappahannockFredericksburg Rotary Club, New Light Cathedral Church, Wilderness Baptist Church, CVS Pharmacy, Sedona Taphouse and Rappahannock District members of Alpha Delta Kappa. The Virginia Star Quilt Guild completed several beautiful handmade quilts. New this year is Legal Aid Works, which gave holiday cheer to one RAAA client.

Many of the recipients of these gifts would have received nothing had it not been for the generosity of these wonderful organizations. Last, for many years now the Rappahannock Emergency Medical Services Council has donated gift cards. These cards become safety nets to seniors whose income is a bit over the limit and cant be helped by other programs.

The Fredericksburg area has always been generous. Lets continue that generosity year round by becoming involved: Donate a gift card, volunteer a little time or donate arts and crafts supplies.

Keep up with us on Facebook. Our wish for you is healthy aging in 2017.

Leigh Wade

Stafford

The writer is the executive director of the Rappahannock Area Agency on Aging.

Congress places ideology above Americans needs

The 115th Congress has begun, and already I have to ask: Who are these guys?

Late-night votes behind closed doors, petty micromanaging, even ignoring real damage to taxpayers who elected them. First, the House tries to use a secret ballot to dissolve an independent ethics panel; then they reinstate an 1876 rule to allow any member to cut any civil servants pay; next they plan to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities with money taxpayers have sent to the U.S. Treasury for use in school lunches, law-enforcement grants, Social Security, Medicare, VA benefits, employment retraining and more.

Now, the GOP says its OK to increase the deficit by $20 billion or so to build a wall along the borders with Mexico, but not say a word about the $30 billion needed to replace lead pipes for drinking used by their constituents around the nation.

Perhaps it might not be a bad idea for any employer (voter) to share the Holman Rule and permit us, too, to reach deep into Congress and slash the pay of an individual senator or representative.

This Congress is shaping up as one that values personal ideology over any duty to serve in a representative democracy.

Marie Gozzi

Stafford

Parade nice addition to Sundays paper

Thank you for including Parade magazine in the Sunday Free LanceStar. Something was missing since USA Todays Sunday insert was discontinued sometime ago.

Brett Matthews

Spotsylvania
A foundation for better vaccine design

To get at the question of how broadly neutralizing antibodies affect HIV evolution, the scientists teamed up with Fred Hutch HIV researcher Dr. Julie Overbaugh in their most recent study. Using a strain of HIV directly isolated from an infected child, the researchers made another library with every possible Env mutation and infected T cells in the presence of the broadly neutralizing antibody PGT151.

The researchers then sequenced the mutant viral strains that were able to infect cells in a petri dish in the presence of this antibody to see which mutations allowed HIV to escape PGT151.

This is important, Bloom said, for researchers to better understand the evolutionary paths HIV could take to escape a broadly neutralizing antibody  and, ultimately, to understand how to head off those paths through smarter vaccine design.

Studies like this also yield, indirectly, an inferred map of where a given antibody binds to a given virus  and the method is simpler than 3-D crystallography, the gold standard in the field of understanding how two proteins interact. The mutations that allow HIV to slip through the antibody binding and infect cells in the lab are by their nature going to be in sites important for how the viral protein connects with the antibody.

All of this falls under the rubric of better understanding HIVs biology to continue building a foundation for better vaccine design, Bloom said. We have many working vaccines against other viruses that researchers dont fully understand, he said, but for really tricky viruses like HIV, were going to need to be more rational about how we make vaccines.

If we can understand where the antibodies bind, we can engineer vaccines that elicit more of those types of antibodies, Bloom said. And when we find really good antibodies, we can understand what parts of the virus are sites of vulnerability.

Laboratory versus nature

Bloom is quick to point out that although their research and this new method could teach researchers something about how HIV behaves in nature, the study is not designed to perfectly recapitulate how HIV naturally evolves in its human host.

Theres always this trade-off in science, Bloom said. Either you observe whats happening in nature, where you can see whats happening but you dont know why, or you perform manipulations in the lab, as his team as done, where you can control the "why" but you cant perfectly recreate the natural setting.

The goal of our experiment is not to exactly mimic whats happening in nature, its to start to deconstruct the different forces that are responsible for evolution in nature, Bloom said.
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.
However, some farms found it a challenge to secure enough seasonal workers for plucking and processing.

Our sales were up  we sold out, as many others did  and we supplied more outlets too, said Patrick Lambert, of Buckinghamshire-based Starveall Turkeys, which produces some 5,000-5,500 birds annually for the festive market.

Farmgate sales were up 20% on the year, Mr Lambert told the annual Christmas post-mortem meeting of the Anglian Turkey Association, held on Tuesday (10 January), at Prested Hall, Feering, near Kelvedon, Essex.

PageBreak..

Mr Lambert said he believed a number of reasons were behind the bumper increase in demand for birds. Consumers wanted turkeys of known origin grown locally, with more shoppers willing to pay a premium for them, he said.

The farm had recently won a two-star Great Taste award, which may also have contributed to the rise in sales, said Mr Lambert.

It had invested in a good website and may have benefited after two nearby farms recently ceased turkey production.

Attention to detail

Attention to detail was important, said Mr Lambert. We deliver when the customer wants us to and we invest in robust boxes, which cost more, but are worthwhile because they stay firm when they are put in the fridge or stacked seven high.

However, Mr Lambert cautioned against excessive price rises. We label and price for more of our customers, he said.

This year, none of our butchers passed on the price rise I gave them. Christmas turkeys are not price sensitive, but if you consistently overprice, you will pay the penalty.

Mr Lambert said he felt the relentless rise in sales of turkey butterfly joints had eased  although he acknowledged that this may be because Christmas 2016 fell at a weekend, which may have encouraged consumers to buy whole birds instead.

Despite the huge numbers of turkey crowns and butterflies being sold, dry-cut birds are holding up well, said Mr Lambert. We feel the market for free-range dry-plucked bronze birds is growing.

Focus on input costs

Margins were buoyed by keeping a rein on input costs. Starveall birds are reared on wholewheat from 18-19 weeks onwards to reduce the feeding bill. For the second year in a row, we bought turkey feed at a good price, said Mr Lambert.

However, he sounded a note of caution on the issue of seasonal workers.

Fewer people were available and Brexit meant overseas workers were less willing to come to the UK. For the first time this year we found seasonal labour in short supply.

Duncan Wreathall, of Forest Lodge Christmas Turkeys, said his familys business had sold 6,500 birds to butchers and a further 700 birds direct to the public from the farm gate at Forest Lodge Farm, near Chelmsford, Essex.

Turkeys reared well this year, with below-average mortality, said Mr Wreathall. Birds had plucked average, but could have been cleaner, he added.

Staffing was OK this year, although the farm was considering a move to wax plucking to pre-empt any labour shortages.

Bronze beats white

For the first time this year, bronze sales outnumbered whites at the farmgate, said Mr Wreathall. Sales of whole birds to butchers were down, with crowns and turkey rolls up. There was also a trend towards further processing for farmgate sales.

Labour is becoming an issue for us  we are concerned about whether we will get enough seasonal staff in the future.

There are fewer and fewer people about who want to work with turkeys in the run-up to Christmas. It felt a bit vulnerable this year.

Ed Hurford, of Berkshire-based Copas Turkeys, said Brexit had shone a negative light on the UK for seasonal workers from overseas. There is a definite feeling among them that they are not welcome  but we are of course trying to persuade them otherwise.
On The Water: You might need a bigger boat for Transpac 2023
Sept. 25, 1926  Jan. 3, 2017

Elsie was raised in New Jersey and graduated from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia in 1948. She moved to Stockton, California with her parents and two siblings, Peggy and Raymond in 1948, where she then attended University of Pacific, receiving a masters degree in Education. Elsie eventually settled in Santa Rosa, California and after raising her two daughters, she began a new career at Wells Fargo Bank and moved to Sacramento, California eventually retiring in 1994. She moved to Corvallis in 2005 to be closer to her family.

Elsie was a lifelong Girl Scout and a leader during her adult years with her daughters. She made several trips to Our Cabana in Cuernavaca, Mexico and the Girl Guide Hostel in Mexico City as a troop leader while living in Santa Rosa, California.

Elsie loved to travel during her younger senior years. She took many trips to Hawaii, but also traveled to many of the European countries. Elsie was active with several bridge groups in Corvallis playing bridge 4 days a week. She also swam laps every morning at her local pool.

Survivors include her daughters Sheila Potkonjak and Sharon Griffin; brother Raymond Drew; three grandsons and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her sister Peggy Bravard.

DeMoss-Durdan Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Corvallis Police are asking for the public's help in locating Christian "Chris" Long, 19, according to the department's Facebook post.

Long was reported missing by his father, who last heard from his son via text message on Oct. 28 at about 5:30 a.m., when he was staying at the Corvallis Days Inn.

He is 5-foot-7 with brown hair and green eyes and weighs 120 pounds.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Long, contact Det. Greg Kantola at 541-766-6781.
After enduring months of negative comments in a bruising series of public meetings, Hollingsworth & Vose is hoping to win over critics of its south Corvallis glass fiber plant by aggressively reducing the amount of particulates and other pollutants coming out of its stacks.

In December of 2015, state environmental regulators discovered that the H&V plant at 1115 S.E. Crystal Lake Drive had been operating under the wrong class of air pollution permit for nearly two decades and had been putting out much higher levels of carbon monoxide and fluoride compounds than its permit allowed. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined the Massachusetts-based company but allowed it to keep operating the Corvallis plant at current production levels while it applied for the appropriate permits.

At several community meetings since then, neighbors voiced concerns about the DEQs regulatory failures and the health effects of breathing tiny bits of glass and other potentially harmful emissions coming from the plants smokestacks.

Last week company officials sent a letter to about 2,400 south Corvallis residents and other interested parties outlining plans to install new pollution control equipment they said would go well beyond the established regulatory standards.

Among other things, the letter said, the state of the art system will eliminate 99 percent of filterable particulates, significantly reduce fluoride emissions, cut water use by more than 90 percent, virtually eliminate the steam plume above the plant and reduce noise levels from the operation.

Installation is expected to begin within the next few months, pending building permits from the city, and should be completed about six months after the work starts.

Signed by H&V President and CEO Val Hollingsworth and Cindy Frost, the companys Corvallis site manager, the letter listed both their phone numbers and invited residents to call with questions or comments.

Hollingsworth  who was in Corvallis for a visit this week along with Ken Fausnacht, H&Vs vice president for global operations  told the Gazette-Times that the letter was part of an effort to mend fences with aggrieved neighbors and improve the companys reputation in the community.

It was clear that to be here for the long haul  which we want to be, which we intend to be  we need to get the community on our side, he said in an interview. We could see that the level of community interest and concern was something that we had to deal with.

Hollingsworth declined to specify how much money the company is investing in the new pollution controls, other than to say its in the millions. But he added that H&V engineers had spent the last 10 months designing and testing a customized system for the plant.

The Corvallis plant, which manufactures glass fiber for specialized applications in products such as battery separators and clean room air filters, employs about 150 people. Hollingsworth said the company hopes to grow its local work force over time, although there are no plans to add more production equipment.

There are also plans to spruce up the facilitys appearance with new landscaping. Other improvements may include more sound barriers, and the company is talking with Corvallis officials about a possible bike path.

"Working with the neighbors and working with the city to make the plant something the neighborhood can be proud of is very important to us, Fausnacht said.

Marilyn Koenitzer of Clean Air Corvallis, a citizens group that formed around the H&V emissions issue, said the letter has been generally well-received.

At first glance, it looks like a miracle, she said.

However, she added, questions remain about the details. For instance, how much particulate matter will still get past the new scrubbers? Will the company seek to increase production at the plant sometime down the road? And, if so, does that mean overall emissions will increase?

Im hoping for the best, Koenitzer said, but I just dont know how its going to turn out.

State Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, said she too is cautiously optimistic about H&Vs pledge to clean up its emissions.

My frustration in this situation is much more with DEQ than with the company, she said.

Gelser took the agency to task during a community meeting in September over what she characterized as a lax approach to regulation and an overly cozy relationship with polluters.

Its important for government to be accessible and fair to regulated entities, she said. But regulatory agencies are essentially environmental and consumer protection agencies  their primary mission has to be protecting the public.

Since then, Gelser added, she has met privately with both DEQ and H&V officials and was very encouraged by those conversations.

Hollingsworth said he understands local residents may be skeptical of his companys promises, and hes OK with that. He said monitoring data from the new pollution control equipment will be available to the public, and he hopes H&Vs performance will rebuild trust with the community over time.

I think we also recognize that this is a process, he said. The proof is in the pudding, and were going to have to earn the results.

DEQ officials, meanwhile, also are responding to public concerns about emissions from the Hollingsworth & Vose plant. The agency plans to install its own monitoring equipment in the neighborhood to measure ambient air quality and particulate levels.
Oregon State University will be hosting a week of events to honor the life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. starting Saturday.

The events include the 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Breakfast, which will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center, located at 725 S.W. 26th St., although the events registration is full.

A separate event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the LaSells Stewart Center. That free event, a speech by Franchesca Ramsey, an actress, comedian, writer and activist, does not require a ticket and is open to the public. Ramsey is the host of the "Decoded" series on MTV News.

Following the speech there will be a march from the LaSells Stewart Center, next door to the alumni center, to the Student Experience Center plaza.

Another notable event is the universitys day of service Saturday. Students, faculty, staff, and their partners and children are invited to participate in projects that take place throughout the community Saturday.

Visit http://sli.oregonstate.edu/cce/mlkservice for a schedule of projects and to register and help out with one.

The university also will be hosting a forum with Mercy Corps workers stationed in Senegal, Myanmar and Iraq. The event is 9 a.m. Wednesday in Room 112 in the Student Experience Center, at 2251 S.W. Jefferson Way

Visit http://eoa.oregonstate.edu/ for a full schedule of events.
There's much more work ahead for the city of Corvallis' climate action plan, but the timing for the plan couldn't be much better  unless it had come decades ago.

At its last meeting of 2016, the outgoing City Council approved the work of its climate action task force, signing off on an 81-page draft plan. Creating the plan was one of the council's six goals for the 2015-16 council. (The online version of this editorial includes a PDF version of the plan.)

The work's not done. One of the big remaining pieces involves crafting an action plan to help flesh out the goals and objectives identified in the draft. That's part of the reason why a climate task force will continue its work for the next six months; Zach Baker, the retired Ward 3 councilor, has been tapped by Mayor Biff Traber to lead that effort. Seeing how Baker led the council's efforts on this issue over the two years of his term, it's a good choice, and ensures continuity for the effort.

One of the overall goals of the plan is to reduce 1990 levels of greenhouse gas emissions in Corvallis by 75 percent by the year 2050. This jibes with a similar goal for the state of Oregon.

Reaching that goal, in Corvallis and in Oregon, will require work, and the draft plan identifies a variety of strategies to get there locally. Reaching the goal also will require a thoughtful and consistent communications effort to spread the word about what's in the plan and (just as important) what isn't.

Here's one of the questions that members of the task force likely will be confronted with as they talk with community members about the plan: Isn't the targeted reduction in greenhouse gases for Corvallis just a drop in the bucket? What difference could this possibly make in the larger scheme of things? (In fact, we confess, the same question has occurred to us.)

But we think the answer to that question dramatically changed after the Nov. 8 presidential election, when Americans elected a man who frequently has cast doubt on climate change science and who once said (on Twitter, naturally) that climate change was "created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."

What does Donald Trump really think about climate change? Who knows? He says today that he meant the tweet as a joke. But it says something that it came as a slight relief when his nominee for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, said Wednesday at his confirmation hearing that "the risk of climate change does exist and that the consequences of it could be serious enough that actions should be taken."

Regardless, it seems a good bet that the Trump administration is unlikely to put climate change high on its to-do list.

And that shifts the burden back to states and to communities like Corvallis. In fact, as a piece in The New York Times recently argued, much of the work on renewable energy has been focused at the state level anyway: More than half of the states, including Oregon, have adopted mandates on renewable energy. Efforts to roll those back generally have failed. (Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, recently vetoed a rollback bill.)

So there is a need for communities like Corvallis to move ahead on their climate plans, not only to make what difference we can, but to send a message: We're moving forward on this, even if we have to go it alone. And in that process, we likely will find that we are not, in fact, going it alone. (mm)
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Bonn Uni-Clinic Director : Aerial cableway is only alternative to clogged roads

BONN Because of canal work on access roads to Venusberg, drivers and passengers were once again left splitting their hairs. Traffic stretched back to Poppelsdorf and Kessenich. The medical director at the University Clinic also waited in line. His conclusion: without an aerial cableway, it doesnt work.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

Wolfgang Holzgreve, the medical director of the University Clinic, says The traffic jams on the access routes to the Uni-Clinic have exceeded a critical level, bearing in mind recent congestion caused by black ice. We are taking many measures to reduce individual traffic, from the Mobility Ticket to E-bikes to carpooling, all which are worth a lot of money to us, he said. But ultimately it is about getting to the clinic. Even when the weather is fine, there is still stop-and-go traffic, often already at the traffic lights in front of St. Marien Hospital.

One cant legally enforce an alternative route through the Kottenforst and a tunnel with an elevator to the Venusberg is utopian. A cableway is sensible and ecologically sound, he says. Its also the best solution financially.

Traffic expert, professor Heiner Monheim expects a cost of around 50 million euros for a gondola route between the Regierungsviertel (government district) and the clinic. The state would cover over 90 percent of the costs. Results from an ongoing feasibility study are expected in March.

But there are also opponents like the citizens initiative "Bonn remains cable-free", which is currently collecting signatures for their campaign against an aerial cableway system. Critics complain that the cable route would go over their houses and clear a path free of trees all the way up the Venusberg.

The medical director does not care whether the cableway station would be located at the clinic or next to it. Anyone who arrives at the top of the road can reach all the buildings quickly by foot.

Should there be a green light for the aerial cableway project, which could also bring recreation seekers to the mountain, the construction should be possible within a few months. This is because specialist companies have a lot of experience with mountain railways and have built urban cableways in other parts of the world.

In Bonn, for example, the valley station could be located at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) and/ or the future stop at the UN Campus where many different forms of traffic will converge. A trip from there to the Venusberg would take only a few minutes.

According to the city, the construction zone traffic lights on Robert-Koch-Strae will soon disappear and the traffic flow will improve again. The canals are to be finished on February 24.
President Tran Dai Quang welcomes New Zealand Ambassador Wendy Irene Matthews (Photo: VNA)



At a reception for New Zealand Ambassador Wendy Irene Matthews, President Quang expressed his delight at the growing Vietnam-New Zealand ties since the two countries set up their comprehensive partnership in 2009 and issued a joint statement on comprehensive partnership towards strategic partnership in 2015.

He proposed that the two sides should define contents and roadmaps for their strategic partnership, while coordinating in the building of the Vietnam-New Zealand action programme for the new period and organise the sixth session of the Joint Committee for Economic and Trade soon.

He said he hopes the ambassador will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between ministries, sectors, localities and businesses of both sides to raise two-way trade to USD1.7 billion in 2020.

The State leader also suggested that the New Zealand will support Vietnamese firms in increasing export products to the country, especially farm produce and apparel, while continue assisting Vietnam in sustainable development, climate change response and natural disaster risk management.

Vietnam, as the chair of the APEC Year 2017, hopes for continued cooperation from New Zealand to the success of the event, he said. The President took the occasion to invite New Zealand Prime Minister to visit Vietnam to attend the APEC Summit Week 2017.

On her part, Ambassador Matthews highlighted the high potential for Vietnam and New Zealand to lift up their ties to strategic partnership as they share firm foundation of sound cooperation in politics, economics and defence.

She affirmed that New Zealand hopes to foster collaboration with Vietnam in multilateral frameworks such as the RCEP and TPP.

Welcoming Timor Leste Pascoela Barreto dos Santos, President Quang stated that Vietnam always attaches much importance to partnership with Timor Leste and wishes to further the ties both bilaterally and multilaterally.

He held that a number of agreements signed between the two countries have paved the way for expanding economic and trade relations. The President suggested Ambassador Santos help step up exchanges of delegations at all levels and through all channels of State, parliament, Government and people-to-people contacts, thus deepening mutual trust and understanding.

He also urged both sides to finalise internal procedures to put the bilateral trade deal into operation, while speeding up the bilateral investment protection agreement and effectively implement the memorandum of understanding on rice trade for the 2015-2017 period.

The State leader said he hopes Timor Leste to continue facilitating Viettel Groups operation, affirming that Vietnam always welcomes and backs Timor Leste businesses.

The Timor Leste diplomat stated that her country treasures ties with Vietnam and is keen on boosting people-to-people relations with the country. Timor Leste encourage Vietnamese firms, especially those in the telecommunication area, to invest in the country, she said, pledging to coordinate with Vietnamese authorities to create a breakthrough in bilateral partnership, especially in economy, trade and investment.

At a meeting with Ambassador of Cote dIvoire Dosso Adama, President Tran Dai Quang lauded the African countrys cooperation with Vietnam at international forums, expressing his hope that Cote dIvoire will support Vietnamese Ambassador and Presidents Special Envoy Pham Sanh Chau to run for the post of UNESCO Director General for the 2017-2021 period as well as Vietnams candidacy for non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021.

He underlined the important role of Cote dIvoire as the second largest trade partner of Vietnam in Africa with large consumption of Vietnamese cashew and rice. He proposed that Cote dIvoire will create conditions for Vietnam to directly export rice to the market, urging the negotiations for a number of important bilateral deals.

Ambassador Dosso Adama asserted that there is room for both sides to further promote their cooperation, vowing to work hard to make the ties more fruitful. He added that his country is interested in importing more goods from Vietnam.

Congratulated Rwanda Ambassador Charles Kayonga on his new position, President Quang affirmed that Vietnam highly values the traditional friendship with African friends, including Rwanda, especially in health care, education and agriculture.

Ambassador Kayonga said he hopes Vietnam will share with Rwanda its development experience, adding that his country welcomes Vietnamese businesses to invest in the country.

At a reception for Slovenian Ambassador Janez Premoze, the State leader underlined significance of partnership with Slovenia, expressing his pleasure at the bilateral trade ties.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is forming a Vietnam Subcommittee under the Vietnam-Slovenia Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic Cooperation, he revealed, asking the two sides to hold the first session of the committee in the first half of 2017 to seek ways to bolster trade and investment affiliation.

President Quang also proposed that the two countries step up negotiations for the double taxation avoidance agreement and an agreement on recognising qualification and certificates of each other, while asking for Slovenias contributions to the signing of the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement and the EUs recognition of Vietnams market economy.

Ambassador Janez Premoze stated that Slovenia is interested in cooperating with Vietnam in all fields and frameworks./.
Article

Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
Alleged Moto G5 Plus photos leak, listing sheds light on key specs and pricing News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Moto G5 Plus seems promising.

Ever since the launch of the very first Moto G smartphone lineup a few years back, the company become one of the popular brands in the affordable smartphone segment. Also, the Moto G smartphones are one of the best sellers in the global markets.

Now Motorola is in the headlines as its upcoming Moto G5 Plus prototype has been leaked online. The photos of the alleged Moto G5 Plus have been spotted on a listing on a reselling site in Romania. These photos also reveal many details of the device.

One of the leaked photos of the upcoming Motorola smartphone shows that the device might come with a round rear camera housing, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro-USB port, and a fingerprint sensor as in the Moto G4 Plus that went official last year.

Motorola Moto G5, G5 Plus Are Already in the Making

In terms of looks, the Moto G5 Plus seems to have similar looks as the Moto X (2017) that was leaked in late December. However, it remains unclear if these reports will turn out to be true.

The leaked product listing of the alleged Moto G5 Plus also shed light on the potential specifications of the smartphone. It is likely that the handset might carry the model number XT1685 and feature a 5.5-inch FHD 1080p display. Under its hood, it is said to employ an octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor teamed up with 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Also, the other aspects listed include a 13MP rear-facing snapper, a 5MP selfie shooter, a 3,080mAh battery, and Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box.

Motorola Moto X (2017) Leaked Image Renders Reveal a Moto Z-Like Design

Going by the listing on the Romanian reselling site, the device seems to be priced at 1650 Romanian Leu (approx. Rs. 26,000). Even the specifications of the Moto G5 Plus seem to be decent enough for the pricing. However, these are not official details and we are yet to get a confirmation from Motorola regarding the device and its specifications. Until then, these details have to be considered as a dose of skepticism.

Source

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge to receive Android 7.1.1 Nougat update from January 17 News oi -Sneha Android Nougat update coming soon.

Launched last year, Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy S7 is expected to receive the Android 7.1.1 Nougat update. Better late than never, Nougat update is expected to make its first public appearance on Samsung Galaxy S7 only by next week, probably on January 17.

We had earlier reported that Samsung Galaxy S7 might receive Android 7.0 Nougat. Well, if the fresh rumors are to be believed, the Galaxy S7 is expected to directly jump to Android 7.1.1 Nougat skipping Android 7.0 Nougat as rumored earlier.

With the new Nougat update, Samsung is aiming to fix all the bugs and might offer a security update as well. Furthermore, the Samsung Galaxy S7 handsets might also get updated with a wide range of new gender equality emojis along with the ability to create app shortcuts directly from the home screen just by long pressing on the app icon.

SEE ALSO: Samsung's A3 (2016) and A5 (2016) smartphones to get Android Nougat update soon

Along with Galaxy S7, Samsung might also extend the Nougat update to Galaxy S7 Edge since the South Korean giant rolled out its Galaxy Beta Program for both the S7 smartphone users in order to test Android 7.0 Nougat update on their respective smartphones. So, there are high chances that Android Nougat update might hit both the Samsung handsets together.

Well, Samsung is yet to release an official statement regarding the new Android Nougat update.

Best Mobiles in India
Refugee postgraduate breaks new ground in 4-D technology

The destruction of Aleppo has particular poignancy for Syrian refugee Mahmoud Amir Alagha. The postgraduate dental student knows his parents and one of his sisters have been living in the shadow of the bombardment. And even if they were not in what were the rebel-held parts of the city, he knows their lives have been fraught with danger.

But even if he has not seen these members of his family for five years  and does not know when he ever will  Mahmoud believes he has much to be thankful for.

Mahmoud Amir Alagha

When the Syrian refugee crisis was escalating in summer 2015, the University announced a scheme to offer four fee-waiver scholarships to refugee students  one for each of the four Colleges. Mahmoud was selected to receive the scholarship for the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences.

Having studied previously at Kalamoon University near Damascus and then the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, he applied to Glasgow to do a Masters in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2014. He was able to fund the first year of his two-year postgraduate course but by last year faced huge financial hardship and thought he would have to drop out of his studies.

The fee-waiver scholarship was my only hope. I was grateful for the attitude of the University, not just because I was the one who got the scholarship itself, but that they really care about people who are facing this sort of situation. For me, this was a new life, said Mahmoud.

The young Syrian has now graduated with distinction in his Masters degree and hopes to take his research to a higher level by doing a PhD.

His research has focused on the use of four-dimensional technology  the fourth dimension being time  to measure facial paralysis associated with a number of conditions, from Bells Palsy to cancer.

By using video images of facial movements, Mahmoud creates a digital mask made up of thousands of mathematical points of reference.

This data opens up a new horizon in the management, diagnosis and prognosis of these cases, said Mahmoud.

The Glasgow Coma Scale for the assessment of trauma victims was developed by Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett at the Southern General hospital in Glasgow; Mahmoud hope that he and his colleagues can develop the Glasgow index of facial paralysis  one that would replace the current methodology.

One of the most satisfying aspects of his line of research is the potential to change peoples lives, not just physically but also psychologically.

His dream, however, is to enter academia full-time and pass on what he has learned to future dental students. His inspiration has been Ashraf Ayoub, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the School of Dentistry.

When Mahmoud arrived at the University of Glasgow, he was nervous about his lack of research experience and ability to write essays.

On his induction day, Professor Ayoub assured him: You lack nothing. You will be taught how to do it and if you work hard and give your best, you can achieve this.

Professor Ayoub has proved to be not only a challenging teacher but also a compassionate father figure. When Mahmoud was called to an interview by the Borders Agency in Croydon and warned that he faced deportation, Professor Ayoub was his emotional support.

He is my role model in life, said Mahmoud.

His hope for the future is that a long-term ceasefire will be achieved.

We have seen enough killing of innocent people. I hope that Syria can become a peaceful country again and people can just have a proper life.

Media enquiries: liz.buie@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 2702
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.
RICHMOND  The College of Henricopolis School of Medicine on Tuesday received a 12-month extension to meet the mid-point requirements of a Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission grant.

Dr. Noel Boaz, president of the proposed medical college, and Martinsville City Attorney Eric Monday spoke to the Tobacco Commissions Executive Committee in Richmond Tuesday, requesting an extension to an $800,000 TROF (Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund) grant.

Martinsville had received the grant 18 months earlier and disbursed the funds to the medical college. As per the terms, the school promised to hire 111 employees and invest $1 million in the area.

The grant is a 36-month grant, and if certain requirements were not met by the mid-point mark at 18 months, the Executive Committee would have been able to clawback (recover) the $800,000 from the city. Although the requirements had not been met due to a lack of funding for the medical college, the committee voted to extend the mid-point requirements by 12 months. The committee will meet with Boaz again in January 2018 to reassess the situation.

The requirements include the hiring of 25 percent of staff  in this case, 30 FTE (full-time equivalent)  and $1.5 million in capital investment by the end of the grant period.

At the committee meeting at the Homewood Suites on East Main Street in Richmond, Boaz initially requested a two-year extension to the grant, informing the board that after more than a year of negotiations, he had received a letter of intent from a southern California investor willing to help raise $25 million for the medical college.

He has indicated to us that he has a half-million dollars now in hand, Boaz told the committee. He indicated in our conference call yesterday with the city that he has $1.5 to $3 million within the next two weeks with the goal of $25 million over  an 18-month period. What we would need to proceed with our (national) accreditation is the assurance that the total $25 million would be forthcoming.

Boaz said that the medical college has applied four times to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which offers national accreditation to medical colleges.

Boaz told the commission The College of Henricopolis School of Medicine already has been certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to confer the degree of Doctor of Medicine in Virginia contingent upon receiving national accreditation, he said.

Bulletin staff reached out to SCHEV members, who said that wasn't entirely correct. Yes, on May 20, 2014, state records show Henricopolis received preliminary certification, but it expired after the school failed to meet all of the requirements. The first requirement was, as Boaz mentioned Tuesday, to get national accreditation. But they also had to submit all the facultys credentials to SCHEV for a final review, go through a site visit by SCHEV staff and demonstrate financial surety, guaranteeing they could refund students for tuition if the school happened to close.

As of May 2015, Henricopolis hadnt completed the requirements ordered by the state and so, on June 1, 2015, SCHEV sent a letter, announcing the certification had expired.

Submitting again

Boaz told the commission on Tuesday his group was almost ready to make another attempt.

We are ready to submit for the fifth time, Boaz said. That is the requirement of the LCME that we have an approximate amount of $25 million set aside for the medical school development. Other than that, we are successfully ready to submit.

Monday told the Executive Committee that Martinsville City Council supported the request for a grant extension.

(Boaz) does have a letter of intent from an investor who commits to raise up to $25 million for this medical school, Monday said. The city council is fully supportive of the concept of a medical school. Were under no illusions, and were not at the time the commission made the original grant, as to the citys responsibility for the clawback in the event that this did not pan out, and were still aware of that. We do think that a two-year extension to allow Dr. Boaz and his group to raise the necessary investment would be very helpful. This could be an enormous benefit to Martinsville.

Echoing Mondays comments, Executive Committee member Del. Danny Marshall reminded the committee that the funds had been disbursed to the city of Martinsville, which in turn disbursed the funds to the medical school. As a result, he said, the city  not the medical school  would be on the hook for the $800,000 should the committee decide to institute a clawback.

Its the city of Martinsville that is really asking for the extension, he said. Ultimately, I dont think Martinsvilles going anywhere.

When asked how the $800,000 was spent, Boaz told the committee that the funds were divided into two parts. One part of the funds went toward operations, including staffing. The other portion went toward renovations to the medical college building, which is owned by the non-profit component of the medical college, the Integrative Centers for Science and Medicine (ICSM).

We own a 22,000 square foot building in Martinsville at the corner of Fayette Street and Moss Street, which will be renovated as a medical education building, Boaz said. Its called the Shackleford Medical Education Building. The money was spent for the capital expenses there: Remediation of the environmental hazards, (including) asbestos removal  and interior demolition to enable it to be renovated.

Tobacco Commission Director Evan Feinman pointed out that the city Commissioner of Revenues report listed the medical college as having zero capital investment. However, in a later interview with the Martinsville Bulletin, Boaz clarified that point, saying that the capital investment is not yet taxable because the building is owned by ICSM, which is a tax-exempt organization. Once ICSM rents the building to the medical school, however, the approximately $140,000 in capital investment will become taxable.

The 12-month extension to the mid-point requirements was approved, with all but one committee member voting in favor of the extension.

Moving forward

Following the meeting, Boaz spoke to the Martinsville Bulletin, saying that he was pleased with the executive committees decision.

Its very positive, he said. We just need more time. The problem was that the investment component took us awhile. Weve been negotiating with this group of investors in California for well over a year, and its complicated. Its a lot of money.

The investor originally was going to fly into Martinsville over the weekend and come to Richmond with Boaz to speak directly to the Executive Committee, Boaz said. However, the hazardous weather conditions over the weekend prevented that from happening.

Boaz declined to identify the investor at this time.

I will say that he has convinced us that he is very much committed to the idea of a medical school and the benefit it could have to the health and economic benefit of not only Martinsville and Henry County but all of southern Virginia, Boaz said. Were not quite there yet. He hasnt gathered the check for $25 million yet. But we think weve got a real step forward.

Capital investment has been the biggest stumbling block the medical college has faced, Boaz said, and he is hopeful that having a committed investor on board will pave the way for national accreditation.

We just have to have the funding and we can move forward, he said. We know exactly what to do.

In an interview with the Martinsville Bulletin, Monday agreed that the 12-month extension was a good outcome from the citys perspective.

If Dr. Boazs potential investor pans out, I dont see why they wouldnt be able to meet those goals, he said.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 11, 2017) -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BSR) ("Bluestone" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement dated January 4, 2017 (the "Agreement") with Goldcorp Inc. ("Goldcorp") to acquire 100% of Goldcorp's Cerro Blanco Gold project ("Cerro Blanco") and Mita Geothermal project ("Mita Geothermal") in Guatemala (the "Proposed Acquisition").

"Cerro Blanco represents a unique and transformational acquisition for Bluestone," stated John Robins, CEO and Chairman of Bluestone. "The Cerro Blanco Gold Project is fully permitted for production, designed and developed to world class standards and hosts very high gold grades with strong potential to expand existing resources. We are excited to have Goldcorp as a partner and shareholder in the development of Guatemala's next low cost, underground gold mine."

Acquisition Highlights

High-Grade Gold. Cerro Blanco is one of the highest grade pre-production, fully permitted gold projects in the world: Goldcorp's most recent public resource statements outline historical resources of 2.05 Mt grading 12.69 g/t for 840,000 ounces of gold in the Indicated category, as well as 0.75 Mt grading 9.34 g/t for 230,000 ounces of gold in the Inferred category.*

Feasibility Level Study. Goldcorp completed an internal feasibility level study on the project in 2013. Bluestone does not consider this feasibility level study to be current and has therefore engaged JDS Energy & Mining Inc. to complete an NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment on Cerro Blanco prior to the closing.*

Significant Infrastructure In Place. Since 2006, over US$170 million has been spent advancing the project, including two underground declines from surface; 3 km of underground development; two alimak vent raises; significant dewatering infrastructure and an operating water treatment facility.

Fully Permitted. Cerro Blanco is fully permitted for remaining construction and mining operations.

Location. Cerro Blanco is located less than 10 km from the Pan American Highway, near the town of Mita, within the state of Jutiapa, Guatemala.

Community and Social Responsibility (CSR). Bluestone is committed to maintaining the high levels of community, social, and environmental standards at Cerro Blanco and working with local and regional stakeholders to protect these values.

Significant tax pools in excess of US$120 million.

VAT receivable of US$15 million should commercial production be achieved.

Geothermal Potential. Approximately US$60 million has been invested exploring and advancing the Mita Geothermal project near Cerro Blanco, including the drilling of four production wells. Third party studies contemplate production capacity from these wells alone of approximately 7MW. While more test work is required on the geothermal resource, these studies suggest there may be sufficient pressure and entropy at exploitable levels to support the fully licenced capacity of 50 MW. Bluestone is evaluating various options to monetize the geothermal assets.

* Note: The indicated and inferred resources, including those used in the Goldcorp internal feasibility level study, are historical estimates and use the categories set out in NI 43-101. These resources are effective as at June 30, 2016 and are disclosed in Goldcorp's press release dated October 26, 2016. Resources were estimated using US$1,400 per ounce gold and US$20 per ounce silver. Given the source of the estimates, Bluestone considers them reliable and relevant for the further development of the project; however, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Bluestone has initiated an independent review of the data and the resources by Garth Kirkham P.Geo. A current NI 43-101 resource estimate is being calculated, which is anticipated to be released prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction.

Summary of the Proposed Transaction

Under the Agreement with Goldcorp, the Company will acquire:

a 100% interest in Minerales Entre Mares de Guatemala, S.A., Goldcorp's indirect wholly-owned Guatemalan subsidiary which holds a 100% interest in Cerro Blanco; a 100% interest in Geotermia Oriental de Guatemala, S.A., Goldcorp's indirect wholly-owned Guatemalan subsidiary which holds a 100% interest in Mita Geothermal; a right of first refusal (the "Marlin Equipment ROFR") on the assets, including the mining fleet, processing plant, and other equipment related to Goldcorp's Marlin mine in Guatemala once mining and processing activities cease; and a commitment by Goldcorp to fund 9.9% of all future equity financings undertaken by the Company in connection with the development and construction of Cerro Blanco for a period of three years from the closing date of the Proposed Transaction (the "Closing Date").

The purchase price for the assets consists of:

US$18 million cash, plus an additional US$2 million cash as a non-refundable deposit to be applied to the purchase price of Marlin equipment purchased under the Marlin Equipment ROFR (collectively, with the US$18 million cash payment, the "Total Upfront Cash Consideration"), to be paid on the Closing Date; a 1% net smelter returns royalty (the "Royalty") on the sale of gold and silver produced from Cerro Blanco. If Goldcorp elects to sell the Royalty, in whole or in part, the Company would retain a right of first offer on the sale; US$15 million to be paid in cash to Goldcorp within six months of commencement of commercial production at Cerro Blanco; and 9.9% of the fully diluted issued and outstanding securities of the Company (the "Consideration Securities") after completion of the Financing (as defined below).

In connection with the issuance of the Consideration Securities by the Company to Goldcorp, Goldcorp will: (i) agree to vote the Consideration Shares in accordance with management recommendations for a period of three years from the Closing Date, except in certain circumstances, (ii) enter into a lock-up agreement pursuant to which it will agree to not sell any of the Consideration Securities for a period of three years from the Closing Date, except in certain circumstances, and (iii) participate as to 9.9% in all future equity financings undertaken by the Company in connection with exploration and development at Cerro Blanco for a period of three years from the Closing Date. So long as Goldcorp maintains at least 5.0% equity interest in the Company, it will have the right to appoint one nominee to the Company's board of directors.

The Company and Goldcorp intend to execute a formal definitive agreement within 45 days of the signing of the Agreement. Further details of the transaction will be provided upon the signing of the definitive agreement.

It is anticipated that the Company will undertake an equity financing of not less than US$30 million (the "Financing") to raise the Total Upfront Cash Consideration and working capital. The terms of the Financing will be determined in the context of the market and will be announced at a later date.

The Company intends to strengthen its board and management prior to the Closing. Additional details will be provided in a later release.

Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of standard conditions precedent, including, without limitation, the completion of the Financing and receipt of all regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

The Proposed Transaction is an arm's length transaction and will be treated as a "Fundamental Acquisition" pursuant to the policies of the Exchange. The Company does not intend to seek shareholder approval for the Proposed Transaction.

Trading in Bluestone's common shares will remain halted until satisfactory documentation is filed with the Exchange.

Advisors

The Company has engaged Cormark Securities Inc. as its financial advisor in connection with the Proposed Transaction and Financing.

The Company has engaged JDS Energy & Mining Inc. as its lead technical consultant and Axium Law Corporation as its legal advisor.

Qualified Person

Mr. Garth Kirkham, P. Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and independent of the Company has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this press release.

About Bluestone Resources Inc.:

Bluestone Resources Inc. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of economic mineral deposits. Founded in 2004, the Company has assembled a team with the business acumen and technical expertise to identify and advance undervalued mineral exploration projects world-wide.

On behalf of the Board

Bluestone Resources Inc.

John Robins, President and Chief Executive Officer

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forward-looking statement", and "forward- looking information" under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements, which include the Company's expectations about the completion of the Proposed Transaction and the Financing, future performance based on current results and expected cash costs and are based on the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs, which may prove to be incorrect. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans", and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which, may cause the Company's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projects of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: liabilities inherent in mine development and production; geological risks, the financial markets generally, the results of the due diligence investigations to be conducted by the Company, the ability of the Company to complete the Financing or obtain requisite Exchange acceptance and shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
(AIM Ticker: LND.L)

LONDON, UK, Jan. 12, 2017 /CNW/ - Landore Resources Ltd. (AIM:LND) ("Landore Resources" or "the Company") is pleased to provide this progress report on extension drilling of the BAM East Gold prospect on its Junior Lake Property, Ontario, Canada ("BAM East Gold Prospect").

Highlights:

Drilling results continue to report wide zones of gold mineralisation including high grade intersections with drill-hole 0416-555 reporting 18.27 metres (m) at 3.69 grams/tonne (g/t) gold including 2.00m at 21.49g/t gold and drill-hole 0416-557 reporting 30.00m at 2.27g/t gold including 5.00m at 4.17g/t.



The Central Zone of the BAM East Gold Prospect has now been extended to over 800 metres of strike length from 2100E to 2900E and to > 250m down dip. The Zone remains open down dip and to the east and west along strike.



Drilling and exploration on the BAM East Gold Prospect has concluded for the year with all results now received and submitted for inclusion towards the Maiden Resource and Technical Report due for release in Q1 2017.

Commenting on this report, Chief Executive Officer of Landore Resources, Bill Humphries, said:

"Since Landore's discovery of the BAM East Gold Prospect in late 2015 drilling has successfully delineated a significant gold occurrence in the Central Zone, over 800 metres in length and 250+ metres down dip, together with identifying other highly prospective gold occurrences with similar lithology along a potential 2.7 kilometre strike length.

Landore awaits with excited anticipation receipt of the Maiden Resource and Technical Report for the BAM East Gold Prospect in Q1 2017."

BAM East Gold Prospect:

This new gold prospect is located approximately midway along a 2.7-kilometre long, east-southeast to west-northwest trending MaxMin geophysical anomaly (MM-7), at the western end of which is located the historical BAM gold zone discovered by Landore Resources in 2003.

Since drilling commenced on the BAM East Gold project in December 2015, 44 (6HQ and 38NQ) diamond drill holes, for 8,539 metres, have been drilled, successfully delineating a significant gold occurrence in the Central Zone and identifying other highly prospective areas with similar lithology along the 2.7 kilometre potential strike length.

All results have now been received and submitted for inclusion towards the Maiden Resource and Technical Report due for release in Q1 2017.

Fall Drilling Campaign:

The fall drilling campaign has been completed with 15 (6-HQ and 9-NQ) diamond drill holes (0416-546 to 0416-560), for 3,682 metres, having been drilled to test the east, west and down dip extensions of the new gold zone.

Latest results received include the following.

Easting Northing Drill-hole From Interval* Au



No Metres Metres g/t 1000E 500N 0416-550 15.50 1.10 2.37 1000E 400N 0416-551 107.70 6.10 1.25



including 112.10 0.70 6.44 2100E 228N 0416-560 66.44 5.01 1.37 2100E 100N 0416-556 199.22 6.32 1.15 2200E 70N 0416-555 186.00 18.27 3.69



including 202.27 2.00 21.49 2397E 00N 0416-557 126.71 9.45 0.74



and 161.72 3.00 1.02



and 172.72 30.00 2.27



including 175.72 5.00 4.17



including 193.72 1.00 11.70 2550E 10S 0416-558 149.00 8.16 1.39



including 149.00 0.65 8.85

* Drill Holes 0416-557 and 558 were drilled north at 55 degrees with the remaining drill-holes at 45 degrees into a lithological package dipping approximately 40 degrees to the south. The actual true thickness of mineralisation is estimated to represent between 80-85% for 0416-557 and 558 and between 85-90% for the remaining drill holes for the intervals shown in the above table.

Drilling completed on lines 1000E and 1600E intersected similar lithologies to the Central Zone with gold mineralisation reporting up to 6.44g/t in drill-hole 0416-551 on line 1000E.

Studies in progress:

Metallurgical Testing: Drill core material was submitted to ALS Metallurgy Kamloops of British Columbia for Gravity Concentration and Cyanidation Bottle Roll Testing. The preliminary report has been received and is currently being reviewed prior to results being released.

Borehole Surveying: DGI Geoscience of Ontario was engaged to conduct Borehole Surveying, using an Acoustic Televiewer, of selected drill-holes on the Central Zone to provide true orientation of features for structural studies and for future geotechnical studies. The report is scheduled for receipt in Q1 2017 and will be interpreted by a Consultant Structural Engineer.

Resource Estimate: Landore Resources has retained consulting engineers RPA Inc. ("RPA") of Toronto, Canada, in order to complete an initial Mineral Resource estimate and NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Bam East Gold Prospect, scheduled for completion Q1 2017.

Planned Works:

Future Drilling: Planning has commenced for a Winter/Spring drill programme in Q1/Q2 2017 along 400 metres to the west of line 2450E in the Ladle Flats which is highly prospective to contain the near-surface extension of the Central Zone, as well as further drilling to test down dip and East-West strike extension.

Michele Tuomi, (P.Geo., BSc. Geology), Director/VP Exploration of Landore Resources Canada Inc. and a Qualified Person as defined in the Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified all scientific or technical mining disclosure contained in this announcement.

About Landore Resources

Landore Resources is an exploration company that seeks to grow shareholder value through the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and base metal projects in eastern Canada. The Company is primarily focused on the development of the Junior Lake Project. Landore Resources has mineral rights to five properties in eastern Canada. The Company is headquartered in Guernsey, with an exploration office located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

This announcement contains inside information as defined in Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation No 596/2014.

SOURCE Landore Resources Ltd.
Leagold to acquire the Los Filos Gold Mine in Mexico for US$350 million, of which US$279 million will be paid in cash and US$71 million in common shares of Leagold.

Goldcorp to become an approximate 30% shareholder of Leagold at completion.

Leagold will undertake debt and equity financings, arranged by UBS Investment Bank and BMO Capital Markets, respectively.

Los Filos Mine is one of Latin America's largest gold mines with 2015 production of 272,900 ounces, and 9 months to September 30, 2016 production of 194,000 ounces at an AISC/oz of US$854.

Leagold aims to build a new mid-tier gold producer with a focus on opportunities in Latin America; Los Filos is the first acquisition.

VANCOUVER, Jan. 12, 2017 - Leagold Mining Corp. (TSX-V: LMC.H) ("Leagold") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding sale and purchase agreement with Goldcorp Inc. ("Goldcorp") dated January 11, 2017 to acquire the Los Filos Gold Mine in Guerrero State, Mexico for US$350 million (the "Acquisition") through the purchase of Goldcorp's Desarrollos Mineros San Luis S.A. de C.V. ("DMSL") subsidiary. The purchase price is made up of US$279 million in cash and US$71 million in common shares of Leagold. Based on Leagold's transaction financing plan, Goldcorp is expected to become an approximate 30% shareholder of Leagold at completion of the Acquisition. Goldcorp will have the right to nominate a director to Leagold's Board at completion of the Acquisition.The Los Filos operation consists of two open-pit mines, Los Filos and El Bermejal, an underground mine at Los Filos and the opportunity to develop an underground mine at El Bermejal. Gold is recovered from crushed and run-of-mine ore via a conventional, low-cost heap leach process. A National Instrument 43-101 independent Technical Report, that will include detailed information on Los Filos and the potential underground mine at El Bermejal, is being prepared by Stantec Consulting International LLC. This report is expected to be filed on SEDAR in late January 2017. This is a preliminary news release regarding this Acquisition and Leagold will provide additional information in a comprehensive news release when contents of the 43-101 are available. Leagold advises that its common shares will remain halted from trading on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") until further notice.Neil Woodyer, CEO, commented, "The Los Filos Gold Mine represents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a quality operation with scale that generates free cash flow and has an identified future growth project. Los Filos has near-term upside potential from optimizing the current operations under a focused management team and from the development of a new underground mine at El Bermejal. Additionally, there are several exploration opportunities within the area of current operations that could extend mine life. Leagold's management team has significant experience successfully acquiring gold mines, increasing productivity, lowering costs and optimizing development projects. We look forward to working with the Los Filos team and the local communities to develop the long-term potential of the mine. We are also pleased to be partnering with Goldcorp with a shared vision of Leagold becoming a leading intermediate gold producer in Latin America with a 'buy & build' strategy that includes the acquisition of additional gold mines and developing advance-stage projects into operating mines."Frank Giustra, Chairman, commented, "We are thrilled to have Goldcorp as a strategic partner as we launch Leagold with a tremendous asset. We have a highly-experienced management team that is strengthened by a well-connected Board of Directors giving us the mix of skills and relationships needed to achieve our strategic goals."Leagold will purchase the Los Filos Gold Mine and related assets for US$350 million, of which US$279 million will be paid in cash and US$71 million in common shares of Leagold. Leagold has also agreed to distribute to Goldcorp the VAT receivable amount in DMSL that is outstanding as of the Acquisition completion date, as and when these amounts are received from the Mexican tax authorities. Leagold will undertake debt and equity financings to fund the Acquisition and related working capital. Leagold has engaged UBS Investment Bank to arrange the debt financing and BMO Capital Markets to arrange the equity financing.Completion of the Acquisition is expected during Q1 2017 and is subject to standard conditions, including the completion of acquisition financing, receipt of Mexican anti-trust approvals, and the approval of the TSX-V. As this is an arm's length transaction and pursuant to TSX-V Policy 5.2, Leagold is not required to receive approval from its shareholders. Leagold intends to apply for a sponsorship waiver pursuant to TSX-V Policy 2.2.The price of the common shares of Leagold to be provided to Goldcorp as part of the consideration for the Acquisition will be equal to the price at which Leagold issues shares under its equity financing and Goldcorp has agreed to hold these shares for a minimum of two years, subject to certain exceptions.Upon completion of the Acquisition, Goldcorp will be entitled to maintain its percentage ownership of the issued and outstanding common shares of Leagold as well as have representation on Leagold's Board of Directors. These entitlements will remain in place so long as Goldcorp's share ownership of Leagold remains at or above 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Leagold.UBS Investment Bank is acting as Leagold's exclusive M&A advisor, and both UBS Investment Bank and BMO Capital Markets have advised on Leagold's transaction financing plan and capital structure.Leagold's legal counsel is Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP.Doug Reddy, P.Geo, Leagold's Senior Vice President  Technical Services, is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of Leagold.William A. Glover, P.Eng., is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and independent of Leagold, and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of Stantec Consulting International LLC.Leagold aims to build a new mid-tier gold producer with a focus on opportunities in Latin America. Leagold is based in Vancouver, Canada and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "LMC.H".On behalf of Leagold Mining Corp.Neil WoodyerChief Executive OfficerThis news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), including but not limited to, statements with respect to completion of the Acquisition, Leagold's plans and operating performance, including in respect of the Acquisition financing and growth potential of the Los Filos Mine, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of future production, future capital expenditures, future financing sources, and the success of exploration activities. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts" and "anticipates". Forward-looking statements and information, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the completion of the Acquisition, including receipt of all necessary approvals, risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions and credit availability, actual results of current exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of metals including gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, increases in market prices of mining consumables, possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in countries in which Leagold operates. Although Leagold has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward looking information are made as of the date hereof and Leagold disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publically announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward looking statements or forward looking information contained herein to reflect future results. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Please refer to Leagold's most recent filings under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting Leagold and its business.There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Leagold should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.AISC and free cash flow are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standard meaning under IFRS.NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO A US NEWSWIRE SERVICE OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESSOURCE Leagold Mining Corp. For more information on Leagold please visit the Company website at www.leagold.com or contact: Doug Reddy, SVP Technical Services, +1-604-609-6114, dreddy@leagold.com
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 12, 2017) - West Kirkland Mining Inc. (TSX VENTURE:WKM) ("West Kirkland" or the "Company") announces that it has given notice to Eastfield Resources (USA) Inc. ("Eastfield") of West Kirkland's election to purchase 7 patented mining claims comprising approximately 140 acres over a portion of the Hasbrouck and Three Hills Project. On September 11, 2014, the Company entered a mining lease and purchase agreement with Eastfield for the patented mining claims, including surface rights. Total consideration to be paid is CDN$285,000, of which CDN$155,000 has already been paid, leaving a balance due of CDN$130,000. The legal process to close the purchase has been initiated by the Company. Closing and registration of title are expected to be completed by the end of January.

The purchase of the Eastfield patented claims and surface rights is consistent with the fully permitted Plan of Operations for the Three Hills gold mine. Federal permits for the construction and operation of Three Hills as an open pit, run-of-mine, heap leach gold extraction operation were obtained in November, 2015.

The Company also announces that at Three Hills a 1,300 meter reverse circulation ("RC") drill program has now commenced. Drilling will initially explore targets east of the permitted open pit by stepping out from hole MW14-01 (40 meters @ 1.36 g/t, 55 meters below collar), and TH12R-15 (66 meters @ 3.3 g/t, 76 meters below collar). Drill targets at Three Hills are adjacent to some of the best intercepts on the property. The earlier holes referenced above are located within the permitted open pit boundary, but are not located within the current reserve boundary.

After the planned RC drilling at Three Hills is complete, the Company also intends to perform step-out and infill RC drilling at the newly acquired Hill of Gold property, which lies three kilometers south of Three Hills and between the Three Hills and Hasbrouck Mines. Earlier drilling at the Hill of Gold by past operators totals 29,926 feet from 83 reverse circulation holes and 6 core holes. A small historical resource was estimated at Hill of Gold. Core crushed to 1-1/2 inch was tested by McClelland Laboratories Inc. in columns with gold recovery from cyanide leaching projected at 81.0% and 86.7% after 62 to 79 days.

Drilling performed at Hill of Gold in 1993 in the area currently targeted by WKM includes hole 93-63 (32 meters of 0.5 g/t gold, 58 meters below collar), and hole 93-61 (41 meters of 1 g/t gold, 70 meters below collar). Drilling in this same area in 1996 included hole HG96-5 (29 meters of 1.2 g/t gold, 55 meters below collar) and hole HGC96-6 (17 meters of 2.9 g/t gold, 59 meters below collar). Modelling by West Kirkland suggests these intercepts are open for further expansion near-surface at potential open-pit depths. The Hill of Gold host rocks and geological setting of gold mineralization are similar to the Three Hills deposit.

To view the map accompanying this press release, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/WKM112.jpg

About West Kirkland Mining Inc.

West Kirkland owns a 75% interest in the Hasbrouck Gold Project in Tonopah, Nevada. A Pre-Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment with construction-level drawings and all federal and state permits for the phase-one Three Hills Mine provides an advanced project with the potential for expansion from current drilling. West Kirkland also holds a 60% interest in the open pit heap-leach TUG Gold Project in Utah in Joint Venture with Newmont.

On behalf of West Kirkland Mining Inc.

"R. Michael Jones"

Chief Executive Officer

Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Authors and Qualified Persons Statement

The historical drill hole information reported here is from well-known professional operators. These assays are prior to the establishment of NI 43-101. The author is aware of the companies involved in the work and has reviewed the historical reports.

R. Michael Jones, P. Eng., Chief Executive Officer for West Kirkland, and a non-independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the information contained in this news release and has verified the data.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "postulate" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, the statements regarding the use of proceeds and the holdings of the Company's major shareholders and other statements that are not historical facts. Information concerning mineral resource/reserve estimates and the economic analysis thereof contained in the prefeasibility study are also forward-looking statements in that they reflect a prediction of the mineralization that would be encountered, and the results of mining it, if a mineral deposit were developed and mined. Although West Kirkland believes that such timing and expenses as set out in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and estimates will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the market for gold or other minerals that may be produced generally, significant increases in any of the machinery, equipment or supplies required to develop and operate a mine, a significant change in the availability or cost of the labor force required to operate a mine, a significant increases in the cost of transportation for the Company's products, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks associated with the exploration and development of mineral properties. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 12, 2017) - Carube Copper Corp. (TSXV: CUC) Mr. Jeff Ackert, President and CEO of Carube Copper is pleased to announce that Carube Copper Corp. has defined over twelve high-priority targets, and plans to drill at least four of them in the coming months. The drill targets were prioritized based on the presence of significant drill intersections and a review of all results from the last several years of exploration by the former OZ Minerals/Carube Copper joint venture.

$15M Spent to Date

The review was based on over $15M worth of exploration work completed on the Bellas Gate Project, including high-resolution magnetic and radiometric airborne surveys, 46 line kilometres of Induced Polarization (IP) surveys, over 10,000 soil samples, 400 rock chips and over 17,000m of core drilling.

Mr. Ackert stated: After an in-depth analysis and interpretation of all of the new geophysical, geochemical, geological mapping data and drilling information collected by the joint venture, we are delighted with the incredible quality of targets that are ready to drill at Bellas Gate. OZ Minerals' exploration work over the last several years has confirmed that significant copper and gold porphyry systems exist at Bellas Gate. Our recent review of the exploration data has created a porphyry model that helped us develop a large number of very promising, high-priority drill targets. We are highly motivated to drill these.

First Priority Targets

The Provost Target lies within the Southern Alteration Zone (SAZ) and will follow up on results from drill holes:

PVT-16-002, which intersected 339m of 0.34% CuEq (0.28%Cu, 0.12 g/t Au), including 10m of 1.79% CuEq (1.28%Cu, 0.90 g/t Au); and

PVT-16-001, which intersected 82m of 0.46% CuEq (0.37%Cu, 0.16 g/t Au), including 29m of 0.63% CuEq (0.49%Cu, 0.24 g/t Au).

The Provost Target area is the top priority for Carube as Hole PVT-16-002 intersected some very strong porphyry copper mineralization with intense alteration and veining. Alteration assemblages encountered in both PVT-16-001 and PVT-16-002 suggest a propylitic assemblage interpreted as the margins of a porphyry deposit. The proposed holes to follow up this intersection will be approximately 100m and 200m south of PVT-16-002 and will drill beneath the strongest copper in soil anomaly on the target. This area also has enhanced gold, silver and molybdenum in soils. Porphyry pathfinder geochemistry exhibits depletion in manganese and an enrichment in bismuth and selenium and points to a broad porphyry system at moderate depth. The magnetics and IP- chargeability also show characteristics favourable to the presence of a significant porphyry system.

The Provost SE Target is located 1.25km southeast of the Provost target and also lies along the SAZ, which includes a corridor of manganese depletion and enrichment in bismuth, selenium and other porphyry cap pathfinders. Copper, gold, silver and molybdenum are also highly enriched in the Provost SE target area. Surface mapping has outlined several alteration zones marked by limonite, hematite and quartz as well as a zone of epidote, chlorite  sericite. The magnetic signature at the Provost SE target area shows a slight magnetic high within an area of mag low, very similar to the magnetic signature at the Connors Porphyry. IP chargeability is in the 20 to 30 millirad (MRad) range at surface, broadening at depth, all favourable to the presence of a porphyry system.

The Connors SE Target area is inferred to be one of a series of porphyries within the Northern Alteration Zone (NAZ) that includes the Connors Porphyry, which is located just over 1.0km to the northwest. The NAZ has a porphyry pathfinder geochemistry signature similar to the signatures over copper porphyries throughout the SAZ such as Hendley, Provost, Camel Hill and Geo Hill. At Connors SE, copper, gold, molybdenum and porphyry pathfinder soil anomalies are separated by a high bedrock ridge composed of volcanics; the porphyry indicator anomalies are muted on this ridge due to the rock thickness. The target area also exhibits a strong Ti-Zr ratio indicative of a porphyry intrusive system.

The Hendley Target is located in the SAZ. Drilling will focus on following up on drill hole:

HEN-15-003, which intersected 261m of 0.22% Cu and 0.07 g/t Au.

It will be drilled from the same collar as HEN-15-003, which intersected porphyry mineralization, and will target high copper and gold in soil anomalies. Porphyry pathfinder elements suggest a porphyry-type body(ies) at moderate depths. Some of the geochemistry in the central part of the target area is muted by conglomerate cover. The IP chargeability and resistivity anomalies, which characterize this target, indicate a mineralization system at shallow to moderate depths.

The intervals do not necessarily indicate true width of mineralization, as its geometry is not known. Copper equivalents are calculated using a US $3.00/lb. copper and a US$1200 per ounce gold price assuming unlimited internal dilution and 100% recovery of both metals.

Other Target Areas

Other Priority targets areas include Hendley West, Diamond Creek, Simon, Geo Hill, GP, Charlie, Upper Ginger, Lucky Valley SW and Camel Hill. (See attached Figure 1.)

Through the review of the extensive database, it was realized that the soil geochemistry and IP surveys have been important tools for generating drill targets. A number of areas will be covered with infill soil geochemistry, notably between the SAZ and NAZ, which both host numerous porphyries. IP surveys will be completed as required between a number of the previously surveyed lines and to cover areas that show promise of buried porphyry mineralization to the south of the existing survey.

QP Statement: This press release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Vern Rampton, P. Eng., in his capacity as a qualified person as defined under NI 43-101.

 END PRESS RELEASE 

Contacts

Jeff Ackert, President and CEO  1-613-839-3258  jackert@carubecopper.com

Vern Rampton, Executive VP of Corporate Development  1-613-839-3258  vrampton@carubecopper.com

Alar Soever, Chairman  1-705-682-9297  asoever@carubecopper.com

www.carubecopper.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Carube Copper Corp. (TSXV: CUC) is a Canadian exploration company focused on the exploration and development of copper and gold projects in Jamaica and Canada. In Jamaica, Carube Copper will hold, subject to finalization of the final agreement with OZ Minerals, a 100% interest in 11 projects, totalling over 500 square kilometres. In Canada, Carube Copper holds a 100% interest in three porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum properties, totalling 593 square kilometres within the Tertiary-aged Cascade Magmatic Arc in southwestern British Columbia. Exploration continues on these properties with the goal of joint-venturing them to larger exploration and mining companies. Carube Copper continues to seek opportunities in Canada and the Caribbean for acquisition and development.

DISCLAIMER & FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Carube Copper Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward looking statements".

IMPORTANT NOTICE: By reference herewith, Carube Copper incorporates into this release the entire disclaimer set forth on its website at http://carubecopper.com/disclaimer.htm





To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

[http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2661/24481_a1484229402051_91.jpg]

Figure 1: Location of Priority Target Areas at the Bellas Gate Project, Jamaica.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - January 12, 2017) - Millrock Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: MRO) ("Millrock" or "the Company") is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities, an overview of the Company's goals and growth plans for 2017, as well as a review of 2016 accomplishments.

Millrock continued to rigorously follow the Project Generator-Joint Venture business model and took advantage of low cost acquisition opportunities. Metal prices and investor interest fluctuated significantly over the year, but despite the market fluctuations, Millrock was successful in delivering on the two areas most important to our model: new funding partnerships and new project generation.

Exploration expenditures exceeded US$2 million in 2016, of which 85% was funded by partners through earn-in option agreements. Revenue from property payments and exploration management fees partially offset overhead costs. Millrock also accomplished a number of milestones throughout the year, as follows:

2016 - Year In Review

Project Partnership & Exploration:

Signed an option agreement with Centerra Gold Inc. ("Centerra") on both the Los Chinos and Los Cuarentas gold projects

Executed exploration work valued at $1.2 million with funding provided by Centerra Completed a surface exploration and a drilling program on the Los Chinos gold project Completed surface exploration on the Los Cuarentas gold project -- the project is now drill-ready

Signed an option agreement with Vista Minerals to explore our Stellar copper-gold project in Alaska Vista carried out an induced polarization geophysical survey that appears to extend the high-grade copper-gold Zackly skarn

Advanced the Liberty Bell gold project in Alaska through surface exploration work

Continued partner-funded work under a strategic alliance agreement with a major mining company in Alaska

Completed a ZTEM airborne geophysical survey at the Oweegee Dome porphyry copper-gold project, located in the Golden Triangle district of British Columbia In combination with other existing geophysical information interesting new targets were developed and the project is ready for drilling



Project Generation

Acquired land positions in the Goodpaster Mining District near the producing Pogo gold mine as part of a strategic alliance relationship with a major gold producer

Acquired the Apex gold project in Alaska; a high grade former producing gold vein mine, and acquired drilling permits

Consolidated claims in the Golden Triangle, British Columbia to form three large, cohesive claim blocks adjacent to Pretivm's Brucejack gold deposit and Seabridge's KSM copper deposit Acquired the Willoughby gold prospect near Stewart, British Columbia Assumed an option on an LNT polymetallic property, again near Stewart, British Columbia Purchased a 100% interest in an exploration operations facility in the town of Stewart, British Columbia

Purchased the Chisna project from Corvus Gold Inc. Along with the mineral rights, Millrock purchased an exclusive copy of a proprietary exploration database covering the claims and the surrounding district. The data represents an estimated US$11 million worth of exploration work.



Some projects that could no longer attract partners were terminated. These include the Estelle gold project, the Alaska Peninsula, AUDN and Humble copper projects in Alaska.

Millrock completed the year with approximately $2.5 million in cash, and less than 48 million shares outstanding. At the beginning of the year the company's share price was 25 cents, and at year-end it was 47 cents, an 88% increase. The company intends to continue to rigorously follow the Project Generator business model throughout 2017 and outlines the following key catalysts and growth plans for the year:

2017 - Looking Ahead

Growth Plans and Potential Catalysts

Recently Millrock announced a strategic alliance agreement with Centerra focused on gold projects in Sonora, Mexico Under the Alliance Millrock will execute generative exploration and evaluate prospective properties to develop gold exploration projects; Centerra will provide funding of at least US$250,000 this year for this generative exploration It is expected that several new projects will emerge from alliance activities

A drilling program at the Los Cuarentas gold project is planned and will likely be executed in spring 2017

Exploration results from the recently completed ZTEM survey on Oweegee Dome copper-gold project in British Columbia will be released

Millrock expects to announce multiple new joint-venture agreements in 2017 in Alaska, British Columbia and Mexico

The company will advance many of its newer projects to a drill-ready, fully permitted state, making them attractive to future partner companies

Millrock plans to acquire and generate quality exploration projects and prudently advance them to the stage that will attract funding partners

Millrock's President and CEO, Gregory A. Beischer, stated: "While we will not under-estimate the work ahead, we continue to carry forward into 2017 with a spirit of optimism. The cycle seems to have changed, and we have positioned Millrock as best we possibly can to capitalize on a bull market in precious, base and energy metals. We now have an extensive exploration property portfolio diversified across four excellent mining jurisdictions, and the company is being actively funded by partners. With continued excellent scientific work, supportive funding partners and shareholders, we have the potential to make a transformative discovery in the coming year."

About Millrock Resources Inc.

Millrock Resources Inc. is a premier project generator to the mining industry. Millrock identifies, packages and operates large-scale projects for joint venture, thereby exposing its shareholders to the benefits of mineral discovery without the usual financial risk taken on by most exploration companies. The company is active in Alaska, British Columbia, the southwest USA and Sonora State, Mexico. Funding for drilling at Millrock's exploration projects is primarily provided by its joint venture partners. Business partners of Millrock have included some of the leading names in the mining industry: Centerra Gold, First Quantum, Teck, Kinross, Vale,

Inmet and Altius.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Gregory Beischer"

Gregory A. Beischer, President & CEO

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include without limitation the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programs on schedule and the success of exploration programs.

"NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE."
Politicians and members of the media are increasingly bemoaning the rise of "fake news," though rarely is there agreement on how to define it. But can this new phenomenon be legislated away?Two separate bills introduced by Democratic lawmakers Wednesday aim to do just that by offering proposals that would help teach Californians to think more critically about the news they read online.Democratic Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez has introduced a measure that would require the state to develop curriculum standards that incorporate "civic online reasoning" to teach students how to evaluate news they read on the internet."Recently, we have seen the corrupting effects of a deliberate propaganda campaign driven by fake news," Gomez said in a statement. "When fake news is repeated, it becomes difficult for the public to discern what's real. These attempts to mislead readers pose a direct threat to our democracy."Gomez said his bill, AB 155, would prepare California students to differentiate "between news intended to inform and fake news intended to mislead."In a similar measure, SB 135 by state Sen. Bill Dodd, a Democrat, the state education board would be tasked with creating a framework for a "media literacy" curriculum."The rise of fake and misleading news is deeply concerning. Even more concerning is the lack of education provided to ensure people can distinguish what is fact and what's not," Dodd said in a statement.The fake news phenomenon burst into public consciousness at the close of the 2016 election, when analysts found that factually inaccurate news stories found surprisingly large audiences online.But defining "fake news" has increasingly become a thorny exercise, as partisans have used the phrase to disparage news stories they dislike.President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump have referenced the fake news phenomenon. Obama, in remarks after the election, forcefully lamented the "age of misinformation (that is) packaged very well, and it looks the same when you see it on a Facebook page or you turn on your television."On Wednesday, Trump dismissed news coverage of a report detailing unverified allegations of his supposed ties to Russia as "fake news," and singled out the outlets BuzzFeed and CNN as purveyors of false information.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal's State of the State address Wednesday morning focused on two statewide issues -- education and the military -- that have a tremendous impact on Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley.The governor, speaking to a joint session of the General Assembly in the House chambers, told the legislators that his proposed state budget would address mental health issues facing active duty personnel and veterans, as well as the state's failing schools.Deal, in his seventh year as the state's top executive, said the state revenue picture was much brighter than it was six years ago when he took office. He projected a 3.6 percent growth in state revenue next year over the current budget of more than $23 billion. The reserve fund has grown from $116 million -- enough to operate the state government for about two days -- to more than $2 billion, Deal said."Why did this happen? Because we had faith and we accentuated the positive," he said. "So, this year, the budget and the legislation I bring to you will continue to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative."Deal took a great deal of time to address the military issues facing the state."I am asking that this legislature remove barriers to mental health services for our veterans," he said. "There are approximately 61,288 active military personnel, 27,233 reservists and 752,000 veterans currently in Georgia. They have given of themselves to protect us. It is only fitting that we should protect them in kind."Deal proposed funding to better train existing state employees who provide state and federal-funded services to veterans; allocated for a Women Veterans Coordinator position who will work with female veterans that have suffered military sexual trauma; and authorized $3 million in bonds for a rehabilitation facility that will provide behavioral health services to veterans who have traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder.Those were initiatives that Sen. Ed Harbison, D-Columbus, embraced."I was encouraged that the governor focused on some military aspects," said Harbison, a Marine and Vietnam veteran. "The piece about making sure that we set up a facility dealing with PTSD and other related medical issues that our people will be facing was great for me."The governor proposed a 2 percent salary increase for all authorized state teacher positions in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. That is in addition to the 3 percent merit pay increase included in the current fiscal year's budget."As our educators accentuate the positives in our children and eliminate the negatives, we should latch onto the affirmative and reward them for that invaluable service," Deal said. "As we do so, we should also seek to eliminate whatever systemic negatives are preventing students and teachers alike from realizing their full potential."Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus said he was pleased with the way the governor handled the raises."I was encouraged that Gov. Deal is building in a 2 percent raise for teachers into the budget so that local school boars can not raid those funds for other purposes as occurred last year," McKoon said.To that end, he addressed the state's failing schools, pointing out that two years ago there were 127 chronically failing schools with roughly 68,000 enrolled students. Last year, there were 153 schools that had a failing score for three consecutive years, Deal noted. Those 153 chronically schools served almost 89,000 students last school year -- more than 20,000 more students than he spoke of last fall.Deal's plan for state takeover of those schools failed in a statewide ballot measure in November."It should be abundantly clear to everyone, including those in the education community who so staunchly support the status quo, that this is unacceptable," Deal said. "If this pattern of escalation in the number of failing schools does not change, its devastating effects on our state will grow with each passing school year."For the second straight year, the Muscogee County School District has reduced its number of schools considered chronically failing.MCSD had 10 of the 141 schools on the state's original list of chronically failing schools released in February 2015 and eight of the state's 127 chronically failing schools last year. This year, MCSD again reduced its number chronically failing schools, to seven, while the state's number increased to 153.Rep Richard Smith, R-Columbus, said Deal was on the mark when it came to his education proposals."It really shocked me that so many education groups came out opposed to his plan last year to work with these schools," Smith said. "If we have a school that is failing, we have to do something. Those kids don't stand a chance."Smith admits a legislative fix after the referendum failed will be a difficult proposition."It may be, but you go talk to those 89,000 students and their parents who are in those failing schools," Smith said. "You tell them I can't support that."The state has increased K-12 spending by 2.017 billion over the last four years, including the proposed budget. About 50 percent of all new growth in state revenue has gone to K-12 public education, Deal said.Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, listening to his 43rd State of the State address from his seventh governor dating back to Jimmy Carter, was pleased with the focus on education."I am glad the governor continues his emphasis on education, especially in the area of funding because of all the austerity cuts over the years due to the recession," Smyre said. "Education is the escalator to upward mobility and it's one of the keys to our workforce development. Paying attention to education and funding education is critical."The governor submits his Fiscal Year 18 budget to the General Assembly, which approves state funding. The governor has the authority to veto any part of it.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to launch a two-year pilot program this summer with seven retailers to allow food stamp recipients the ability to purchase their groceries online.More than 44 million Americans participated last year in federal government's low-income food assistance program, called SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Last year, the average benefit each person received was just over $125.50 per month."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 in a release. "We're looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP."The pilot program will take place in seven states, in both urban and rural areas.
Former Opa-locka Commissioner Luis Santiago admitted Tuesday that he plotted with other top officials and employees to pocket up to $40,000 in bribes in a scheme that shook down several local business owners and corrupted nearly every level of the citys financially troubled government.In an effort to reduce his prison time, Santiago pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to accept multiple bribes and extort businesses seeking city licenses, water connections and zoning permits  an offense that will likely put him behind bars for more than three years under a plea agreement.Santiago, 55, who otherwise would have faced up to five years under the bribery law, acknowledged to a Miami federal judge that he wanted to accept responsibility for his crime.I think thats the best way to go, said Santiago, who was flanked by his defense attorney, Roderick Vereen.Santiago, the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the still-widening FBI probe of Opa-locka City Hall corruption, will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams on March 30. Santiago, who remains free on bail until then, is not assisting authorities in the investigation.
The city of Baltimore and the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday signed a historic agreement that, if approved in federal court, will mandate a range of costly police reforms in coming years, from how officers stop residents on the street to how they are trained, supervised and disciplined.Mayor Catherine Pugh called Thursday a "great day" in Baltimore as she announced the 227-page consent decree agreement at City Hall alongside Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Police Commissioner Kevin Davis and other officials."For me, this was not about cost. This was about fairness and understanding," Pugh said. She said the focus of the reform would be "training, training, training, training."Lynch said she is not under any "illusions that change is easy," but called the deal "robust" and "comprehensive." She said she was confident the reforms would make a difference in the lives of Baltimore residents and thanked Baltimore officials for cooperating with her agency.The two sides had been locked in negotiations over the agreement since August. The deal must be approved in the U.S. District Court for Maryland in Baltimore, where the case has been assigned to Judge James K. Bredar, a former federal public defender in Colorado and Maryland who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010.The agreement will require the city and the Baltimore Police Department to adopt community-oriented policing tactics, and "conduct all investigatory stops, searches and arrests in a manner that protects people's rights," the Justice Department said.It touches on a range of reforms on how officers stop, search and interact with residents, including youths, those with mental disabilities and those exercising their free speech rights; when and how officers can use force; how detainees are transported; and how sexual assault complaints are handled.It also mandates new protocols to ensure impartial policing, the acquisition of new technologies, improved supervision of officers, enhanced accountability in the handling of misconduct investigations, and better coordination with Baltimore City Schools police. It requires changes to the departments recruitment, retention and hiring, and enhancements to how it analyzes data.It mandates the department track data, including from stops, frisks and arrests, and use it to ensure impartial policing. It also establishes a "Community Oversight Task Force" that will recommend improvements to civilian oversight of the department.Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division within the Justice Department who oversaw the negotiations between the two parties, said the agreement would help "end the legacy of Baltimore's 'zero tolerance' policing."Davis said he hopes his department becomes a model for other law enforcement agencies all across the country, and that officers would benefit from the deal as much as anyone in the city.Tessa Hill-Aston, president of the local NAACP chapter, said she was glad the deal has been reached, but that "citizens need to see change as we move forward" in order for it to make a difference. "The community needs to see that the police will be going about things differently, because the inner city and African American men and women have been affected by police behavior," she said.Maryland's representatives to Congress said they were happy an agreement had been reached."We look forward to learning more about the contents of this important document, and hope that it will provide the roadmap for reform the BPD needs," said Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Elijah Cummings, John Sarbanes and Dutch Ruppersberger in a joint statement. "We must ensure that the basic human rights of every Baltimore City resident are respected and upheld by the police officers charged with keeping them safe."Sen. Joan Carter Conway, a Democrat and chair of the Baltimore City delegation, said persuading the state to help pay for the DOJ-mandated reforms will be a top priority for the delegation."We need to move on, we need to move forward, we need to rectify many of the police abuses," she said. "Everybody knows it's going to be very, very expensive _ I think $30 million or more to implement many of the changes."The union that represents rank-and-file officers in the city, meanwhile, issued a terse statement saying that it had not been included in the process."Despite continued assurances by representatives of the Department of Justice that our organization would be included in the Consent Decree negotiations, no request to participate was ever forthcoming and we were not involved in the process," the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 said in a statement.It said its leadership, members and attorneys had not had a chance to read the document as of Thursday afternoon, but that "a response will be forthcoming at the appropriate time."The city's spending panel had voted unanimously Thursday morning to approve spending city money on the consent decree agreement, before it was released. Members of the public went before the five-member Board of Estimates to comment on the proposed deal without having seen it. Pugh, who sits on and controls the board, said there would be additional opportunities for the public to comment on the agreement before it is approved by a federal judge."This is only the beginning of the process," she said.The cost of the reforms will be shaped by decisions in the future, including by a federal monitor appointed to oversee the process. The agreement says the monitor will be selected for three years, and then can be reappointed. The deal also includes a cap on how much the monitor can be paid by the city, at $1.475 million annually. Other costs associated with the deal were not outlined. It is expected to cost the city millions.It comes after weeks of rushed, nearly around-the-clock negotiations spurred on by fears, expressed by both sides and outside stakeholders such as local elected officials and community leaders, that the potential for an agreement would collapse if left to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.Trump, a Republican, and his Attorney General nominee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, have both expressed skepticism about such Justice Department arrangements, and Trump has backed policing strategies _ such as so-called "stop and frisk" street enforcement _ that the current Justice Department has denounced as ineffective and discriminatory.The Justice Department began investigating the Baltimore Police Department _ with the support of city officials _ in 2015, after the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray from injuries suffered in police custody. Gray's death sparked widespread protests that later devolved into rioting, looting and arson.The unrest laid bare deeply entrenched distrust between the police and the community.In a 163-page report in August, federal investigators said the police department had for years engaged in discriminatory and unconstitutional policing that disproportionately affected residents in poor, predominantly black neighborhoods. Among other problems, the investigators said the police department engaged in unconstitutional stops and searches, disregarded sexual assault complaints, violated the free speech rights of protesters and routinely used excessive force _ including on youths and people with mental disabilities.It also said the department did not properly oversee or train its officers, lacked basic technology, and had insufficient mechanisms in place to properly track and retain data.In light of the findings, the city agreed to enter into negotiations over a consent decree with the Justice Department in lieu of an immediate federal lawsuit to force reform. Pugh, her predecessor, former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and Police Commissioner Kevin Davis have all said they are committed to reform _ and the department has tried to get ahead of the curve by introducing changes in recent months that are in line with past Justice Department consent decrees.Chinedu Nwokeafor, a Morgan State University senior who led protests at the university in the days after Gray's death, said while the consent decree may contain orders that seem like common sense, a lack of common sense to call a medic and check on Gray during his transport in the police van in which he suffered his fatal injuries is what proved to be fatal."If you just look at it at a basic level, there were basic things that weren't done," said Nwokeafor, a member of the Morgan group Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard Work. "At least now there's no excuse because there's a decree. Even though it may seem redundant, that's a good way for accountability."William H. "Billy" Murphy, the attorney for Gray's family, said the agreement between the city and the Justice Department marked a "revolution" in policing in the city.Bredar, the judge who was randomly assigned the case, will have to review the deal to determine if it is fair, reasonable and adequately serves the public good, experts said. It's unclear how long that will take.The judge could approve the deal in writing, unilaterally recommend changes, or schedule a hearing on the matter, experts said. Outside groups, such as the police union, could also file motions to intervene in the case, experts said.The city and the Justice Department asked in a joint filing that the judge consider written input on the deal, and hold a hearing before approving the agreement.There's no certainty that the agreement will be approved and become binding before Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. Agreements submitted to the courts under recent consent decrees dealing with police reform in other cities typically took months to be approved by a judge.
California's first-in-the-nation law requiring prosecutors, rather than secret grand juries, to decide whether a police officer who kills someone should be charged with a crime has been struck down by a state appeals court.The law, supported by defense lawyers and civil rights groups and opposed by prosecutors, took effect in 2016. It followed decisions by closed-door grand juries not to indict officers in the deaths of two unarmed black men, Michael Brown of Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner of Staten Island, N.Y., prompting demands that such decisions be made publicly by elected district attorneys.But the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento said Tuesday that the law interferes with a county grand jury's authority, established by the California Constitution in 1879, to issue an indictment after receiving evidence of a felony."The Legislature does not have the power to enact a statute that limits the constitutional power of a criminal grand jury to indict any adult accused of a criminal offense," Justice M. Kathleen Butz said in the 3-0 ruling. Otherwise, she said, lawmakers could go further and eliminate a grand jury's role in all criminal cases.The ruling preserves the long-standing system in California of allowing prosecutors to submit criminal cases to a grand jury for indictment or file charges on their own. The U.S. Constitution, by contrast, requires a grand jury indictment for any federal felony charge unless the defendant waives that right.El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson, who challenged the law, said Wednesday that the legislation was a product of "antipolice rhetoric sweeping the country ... fueled by some misguided politicians, by special-interest groups and by false news stories."Referring to killings by officers, Pierson said, "Occasionally, these very difficult cases need to be investigated by a grand jury because the public is entitled to a comprehensive, professional and transparent investigation into all criminal activity."But supporters of the law made the opposite argument -- that referring cases to secretive grand juries enables prosecutors to avoid accountability -- and the court said they had a point.Butz, in her ruling, quoted the bill's author, state Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, who said that the criminal grand jury system "lacks transparency," and that openness and accountability "are key to establishing and keeping" public trust in the system.But Butz said legislators could enact laws to make criminal grand juries less secretive. She said they could also adopt a state constitutional amendment and submit it to the voters, although that would appear unlikely, as such amendments require two-thirds majorities in both houses and Mitchell's bill narrowly won passage in both the Assembly and state Senate.The court case came from South Lake Tahoe, where a police officer responding to reports of suspected domestic violence at a motel in June 2015 fatally shot a man who was climbing out of a bathroom window, and who proved to be unarmed.To challenge the state law, Pierson, the district attorney, held onto the case until January 2016, then convened a grand jury and issued subpoenas to officers and others involved in the incident. Before the jury could convene to consider possible charges, a Superior Court judge ruled the subpoenas invalid and dismissed the panel, prompting an appeal that led to Tuesday's ruling.The officers or the state attorney general's office could seek review in the state Supreme Court. David Mastagni, a lawyer for the officers and their police association, said they haven't decided whether to appeal but were willing to proceed under either SB227, Mitchell's bill, or the former system."We just want to have a fair and open system so the public gets to know what's going on," he said.
When a malicious hacker locked out 1,800 staff and teachers from their computers at Los Angeles Valley College this week, college administrators faced an agonizing choice: pay a ransom or leave 20,000 students in the lurch.They elected to pay a $28,000 ransom. In bitcoins."In consultation with district and college leadership, outside cybersecurity experts and law enforcement, a payment of $28,000 was made by the District," Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez, in a statement Friday."It was the assessment of our outside cybersecurity experts that making a payment would offer an extremely high probability of restoring access to the affected systems, while failure to pay would virtually guarantee that data would be lost."Computer systems throughout the Valley Glen campus suffered a massive meltdown Friday that continued through the New Year's holiday into the start of college's winter session.While classes that began Tuesday were conducted as usual, 1,800 Valley College administrators and teachers were shut out from hundreds of computers, crippling access to spreadsheets, lesson plans, emails, voicemail, even the LAVC website.District computer techs soon discovered the culprit: a ransomware virus spread by an anonymous hacker to randomly infect the entire college computer system.Not unlike the growing number of cyber attacks that have cost businesses, hospitals and even police departments and government agencies hundreds of millions, the hackers demanded money in exchange for access to campus computer data."You have 7 days to send us the BitCoin after 7 days we will remove your private keys and it's impossible to recover your files," said a ransom note inserted on a college server, according to the campus newspaper.After the payment was made via a third party Wednesday, according to the college district, a "key" was delivered to unlock computer systems.It may take weeks to unlock every campus computer, officials said, as well as to assess the damage to computer systems. It's also unclear how much of the cost will be covered by the district's cybersecurity insurance policy.An investigation is being led by a Los Angeles Sheriff's Department cyber security unit. A computer security firm, The Crypsis Group of Virginia, was hired for an unknown sum to delve into the nature of the attack.Officials say it was ultimately cheaper to pay the $28,000 ransom than to remove the unidentified ransomware virus -- and risk the loss of precious staff, faculty and student files.At this point, no one could say whether the extortionist was domestic or from overseas. No data breach at L.A. Valley College was identified, college district officials said, nor were any of its eight other community college campus computer systems infected."It's still very early in the investigation," said LACCD consultant Yusef Robb. "The first task was to make sure classes were up and running and that data could be recovered."There were hundreds of thousands of files that were potentially affected and will take some time to know the scope of this."Last month, a Nigerian national and others were charged in connection with hacking Los Angeles County emails that might have exposed personal data from nearly 800,000 people who had conducted business with county departments. The attack occurred May 13.Last February, a ransomware attack demanded Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center pay $17,000 in bitcoin to restore access to its computer system. Last Thanksgiving, a hacker demanded $73,000 to unlock a San Francisco transit system, but Metro Muni officials refused to pay while fending off the cyber assault.A new law written by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, allows any hacker suspected of employing ransomware to be charged with felony extortion punishable by prison sentences up to four years.The legislation followed more than $200 million in ransomware payments in the first three months of last year, compared with $25 million in all of 2015, according to the FBI. Many cases go unreported. It took the Los Angeles college district five days to announce the attack.Hertzberg said that, in addition to stiffer punishment for offenders, law enforcement agencies need more funds to hire computer experts, while a culture of institutional secrecy about being hacked must be broken in order to aid investigators."This stuff is happening everywhere," Hertzberg said. "My office was hacked while I wrote a ransomware bill. It's costing billions of dollars."If you're in government, you're afraid of looking bad. If you're at Valley College, you don't want to admit you have a problem."
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Bakers administration has stripped 30 vehicles of their blue emergency lights after they were deemed unnecessary, the Boston Herald reported.

A state audit identified these vehicles, and auditors said employees did not need lights to do their jobs. Not counting the state police fleet, there are now 474 vehicles with lights, down from 504.

Last year, the state announced it would cut its take-home fleet following employee misuse of a state vehicle.
The Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, urged local entrepreneurs to make full use of the numerous facilities put at their disposal by Government so as to better promote and showcase their products in an efficient and effective way.

In his address this morning at the signature ceremony of two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Port Louis between the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) with Mauritius Network Services (MNS) and the Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co. Ltd (MDFP), the Minister called on small and medium entrepreneurs to make good use of technology to boost up productivity.

Minister Bholah outlined that the MoU between MDFP and SMEDA relates to the implementation of Government decision to revamp the handicraft sector in Mauritius. The SMEDA is confident that the local craft products will be effectively marketed at the outlets of MDFP and that this will boost visibility of the operators and facilitate their access to a wider tourism market. By virtue of the agreement MDFP will purchase local handicraft products exclusively from SMEDA on an agreed list of products.

He recalled that SMEDA had previously signed three MoU with the Association of Chartered Certificated Accounts, Microsoft Indian Ocean Islands Limited and the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry so as to boost the entrepreneurship sector.

According to Mr Bholah the MoU with MNS will further assist in the organisation of interactive workshops for Small and Medium Enterprises to enable entrepreneurs to understand the importance of Information technology in their day to day operations. It will also facilitate access to cloud business solutions and promote the delivery of training courses to SMEs.

SMEs have been identified as major role players in the economic growth and transformational development of Mauritius and it is very important to develop the capacity, knowledge and skills of local entrepreneurs, he said.
(TNS) - While cleanup and power restoration efforts have been ongoing on Albany streets, Public Health resources have been utilized to man the shelters offering sanctuary to those displaced after the storm that hit on Jan. 2 while also helping with a safe recovery.American Red Cross shelters have been operating at the Albany Civic Center and Avalon United Methodist Church since last Thursday, with the Civic Center shelter still operating as of Wednesday. At those shelters, representatives of the Southwest Public Health District have been pulled in on a 24/7 basis to ensure the publics safety.At the shelters, up to two nurses per shift are on duty, along with clerical workers. Dougherty County Environmental Health staff inspected the Red Cross and Good Samaritan shelters before they opened and later conducted daily inspections.Epidemiologists were also brought in to address any potential communicable diseases that might present a problem, including stomach and respiratory illnesses.We check all residents when they come in, Dougherty County Health Department Director Vamella Lovett said. We dont want an outbreak in an area like this.Some instances of chest pain and blood sugar fluctuation have occurred at the shelters, in which case arrangements are made to get individuals to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Lovett said.Shelter management has been a collaborative effort among the city of Albany, Red Cross, Public Health, Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, and the Emergency Management Agency.When the storm hit the area last week, Public Health employees disaster training paid off.We were able to start right off with the Red Cross and open the shelters, Lovett said.Lovett said the storm that hit Jan. 2 differed from the Flood of 1994 in that the main problem this time was a warm place to sleep, rather than losing everything. She also said she has been in contact with state Public Health officials to keep them up to date, and that overall the shelters have been running smoothly.Dougherty County Environmental Health Director James Davis said a list of predesignated shelters is maintained, and when they are needed, inspections are done prior to opening to make sure the disaster did not compromise the facilitys safety.Environmental Health officials have also been keeping an eye on restaurant sites impacted by the storm, helping them get back up and operational as soon as possible. This includes guidance on food safety following a power outage, and conducting re-opening inspections for those that have had prolonged power loss.Davis said that, as of Wednesday, 19 of the 20 restaurants impacted by the storm had re-opened.Some Public Health staffers have been limited in their ability to help with recovery efforts due to the impact on their homes. The Dougherty County Health Department and Baker County Health Department were impacted with the storm, along with the districts main office on North Jackson Street.Aside from a lack of heat at the main office and no power at Doughertys environmental health office, the districts facilities were operational on Wednesday. The Environmental Health staff has been working remotely since their displacement.We havent missed a beat, Davis said.Environmental Health is encouraging the community to contact the agencys offices at (229) 438-3943 with questions regarding food safety and well water screening. Meanwhile, free tetanus shots are being offered at all the districts 14 county public health departments for those injured doing recovery work.If they are injured and it breaks the surface of the skin, they should be immunized, said Dr. Charles Ruis, director of the Southwest Public Health District.The Public Health staff is expected to be on site at the Civic Center as long as the shelter is open, which was tentatively planned to close today. Sixty-seven people were sleeping there Tuesday evening, Public Health officials said.2017 The Albany Herald, Ga.Visit The Albany Herald, Ga. at www.albanyherald.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) -- Faurecia, a French automotive supplier with offices in Auburn Hills, offered a glimpse of what may be the future of car interiors: Sensors that track biofeedback; glass, wood and even stone and touch displays, and seats that give you the feeling you are relaxing in your living room."We're looking at how we want to transform the vehicle," Tony Sapienza, Faurecia's director of communications, said Wednesday at a hands-on exhibit the company had set up the Crowne Plaza Pontchartrain hotel, across from the Detroit auto show. "We're working on the cockpit of the future today."Faurecia (pronounced like four-see-ah) is anticipating that the next generations of vehicles will be autonomous, freeing drivers to focus on more than the road.As a result, the company is designing and engineering automotive seats and interiors that are more comfortable, safer and smarter.It also expects that as cars and the technology in them evolve, automobiles will become more connected to people's homes and mobile devices.In one demonstration, which the company calls Active Wellness 2.0, eight sensors -- in the dashboard and seats -- gather about a dozen data points including heartbeat, breathing, sweat, facial expression, blinking, and whether your eyes are open. The aim is to help you feel more comfortable.If the system senses perspiration, it might lower the temperature. If the data indicates you are uncomfortable, it might adjust the seat position or the lighting. If your eyes are closed, it might conclude you are sleepy and send you warnings -- or take over the driving.The system also could factor in other data, such as weather, time of day and driving conditions to enhance comfort and safety.Eventually, company officials said, all this data could be tied to an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.In addition, the system could interact with mobile apps and be useful as the auto industry develops more connectivity.It could help enhance safety for young and inexperience drivers -- or aging drivers with dementia.But, the company acknowledged, this technology also raises many new questions about data security and privacy for the industry and government to wrestle with.A system like this could start appearing in more luxury cars within five to seven years, the company said.The company also showed off new dashboard designs using new materials.The redesign makes the dashboards lighter, and they look -- and function -- more like smartphones and tablets. Glass interfaces have haptic feedback.The company also is tinkering with surfaces with wood and stone veneer that also work as control panels.In many ways, Sapienza said, as cars do more of the driving, the interior designs will change, giving way to seats that swivel or lie back. Drivers can spend less time watching roadways and more time talking to passengers or paying attention to other things."We think," Sapienza said, "this is a revolution in how you use the vehicle."
(TNS) -- LOS ANGELES  Its been more than a decade since a handful of ambitious entrepreneurs saw their plans to provide global telecommunications service through massive satellite constellations blow up, doomed by runaway costs.Now, a new generation of satellite entrepreneurs is headed back to the launch pad. Backed by billions of dollars from deep-pocketed investors, they plan to blanket the earth in the next few years with perhaps thousands of miniature satellites beaming cheap, ubiquitous broadband service.Whats different? Launching one of these smaller satellites can cost a fraction of the price for a larger, school-bus-sized satellite. These new satellites will largely be mass-produced. And consumers now demand high-speed Internet connectivity pretty much everywhere, on airplanes, cruise ships and in the remotest village in Africa.Companies such as SpaceX, OneWeb and Boeing have all recently proposed networks of satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide high-speed broadband access around the globe.Even Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has aspirations to bring Internet to poorly connected areas  a plan that was derailed in September after a satellite set to beam high-speed service to areas including sub-Saharan Africa was destroyed in the explosion of a SpaceX rocket on a Florida launch pad.If this latest wave of satellite networks gets off the ground, it could pose a challenge to a $224.6 billion industry currently dominated by telecom and cable companies with their miles of fiber-optic and copper wires.Thats going to shake up how these operators are controlling different regions, and its going to allow the consumer a little more of an option, said Taylor Palmer, industry analyst at market research firm IBISWorld.In mid-December, the Arlington, Va.-based OneWeb said it secured $1.2 billion of funded capital in a round led by Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group Corp., which contributed $1 billion of the total.The money will fund construction of a Florida satellite manufacturing plant, which is set to start production in 2018.SoftBank is just one addition to OneWebs list of big-name investors, which includes Qualcomm Inc., Airbus Group, the Coca-Cola Co. and Richard Bransons Virgin Group.One of the main challenges is raising financing from investors, so this proves they are able to continue doing that and theyre still attracting money from these big, established companies, said Bill Ostrove, aerospace and defense analyst at market research firm Forecast International. Thats going to be really vital.Satellite-provided broadband service is still tiny. It generated revenues of $1.9 billion in 2015, according to a June report from the Tauri Group that was commissioned by the Satellite Industry Association trade group. That compares with $97.8 billion for satellite television.But interest in satellite broadband is growing as consumers expect high-speed service in places that arent always well-served by fiber or cable.Last month, Southwest Airlines said it planned to equip its entire fleet of more than 700 planes with Wi-Fi.Theres a competitive advantage for those that have that service available, said Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association. Broadband has essentially become an expected fact of life.Analysts say satellite constellations could have the biggest effect in remote areas.In 2014, almost half of the worlds population lived in rural regions, which are largely unconnected to the Internet, according to a report from ITU, a special agency of the United Nations that handles information and communication technologies.Internet access is fundamental for understanding of culture, cultural differences, civic understanding and participation, said Greg Wyler, founder and executive chairman of OneWeb. It helps make the unconnected economically relevant to the developed world. When theyre economically relevant, we pay a lot more attention to them.The company has an ambitious timeline. It plans to launch the first 10 satellites into low-Earth orbit in early 2018 to test their capabilities. More launches will follow, with its broadband access beginning as early as 2019.By 2022, OneWeb says it will connect every unconnected school to the Internet. Eventually, OneWeb plans a 700-satellite constellation.OneWebs satellite manufacturing facility in Exploration Park, Fla., is key to these plans. The company will mass produce its micro-satellites with automated assembly capabilities similar to those used in aircraft production facilities, eventually making three a day.OneWeb has said the satellites will weigh about 330 pounds.SpaceX, based outside Los Angeles, plans to eventually launch more than 4,000 satellites for its network. Each satellite would be about 13 feet long and six feet wide, with 19-foot-long solar arrays.In 2015, the company received a $1 billion infusion from Google Inc. and Fidelity Investments and opened an office in Redmond, Wash., near Seattle, to focus on developing the small satellites. SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the whole constellation could cost $10 billion to $15 billion.After launching an initial 800 satellites, SpaceX said it could provide broadband coverage to the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. By its final deployment, the company said it will pass over virtually all parts of the Earths surface.Boeings proposed 2,900-satellite constellation is intended to provide broadband access to both commercial and government users worldwide. The aerospace giant said it planned to launch more than 1,300 satellites within six years of the license approval.The satellite swarms are made possible by advances in miniaturized parts and microprocessors. They could also help shrink the price gap between satellite and terrestrial broadband access, said Palmer of IBISWorld.In the past, satellite broadband was hampered by slower data transfer based on the long distance from Earth  a problem the companies hope to solve by putting their satellites in low-Earth orbit. They will also launch extra satellites to ensure coverage if a few break down.If theyre really able to optimize the production  and get it out at a cost-per-unit measurement that makes sense for a household  then it really could expand satellite broadband into a major competitor for some of these terrestrial companies, Palmer said.But first the satellite systems must get approval from the FCC to use specific airwaves. And mobile broadband providers have fought back when proposals for certain frequencies have overlapped with their own plans.The satellite ventures may be able to lean on their powerful investors. Several of OneWebs backers have ties to the wireless industry, including SoftBank, which has a controlling stake in Sprint Corp., and Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, a business group that includes leading Indian telecommunications company Bharti Airtel Ltd.Wyler insists OneWeb will be a partner with the Earth-bound networks, serving as an extension of current networks. OneWebs business model is to sell the broadband connectivity and capacity on its satellites to telecommunications operators.Were not competing at all, Wyler said. These are areas (where) the current broadband infrastructure are not designed to provide services.In some cases, he said cellular operators might be able to put a tower in a rural area, but the location is too remote to lay cables or fiber to provide Internet service. Thats where OneWeb could step in and beam service to the tower, Wyler said.Ultimately, an expanding market for broadband probably can accommodate both technologies, said Ostrove of Forecast International.I think its just going to be another way  for the end user to get that service, he said.
When a citizen dials 311, it has been the longstanding preference by mayors to have a city employee on the other end of the line to deliver the ever-valuable personal touch.But when efficiency is the priority, are we really best served by having city employees at 311 call centers act primarily as switchboard operators, sifting through online scripts or, worse, binders or spreadsheets and responding to information requests with specifically coded responses?More often than not, citizens will call 311 with an information request  to determine their trash pick-up day, the hours the public pool is open or another simple ask. The North Carolina Innovation Center is now using chatbots for its internal IT help desk hotline, where between 80 and 90 percent of calls are for help changing a password.Still in its experimental stage, North Carolina uses the bots to free up help center operators to handle more challenging and complex concerns. Instead of spending the majority of their time unlocking accounts and resetting passwords, the IT center workers can focus their efforts on more time-intensive service requests.Given the recent private-sector advances with virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa and Cortana, as well as natural language use and cognitive learning, government should look to broaden the use of artificially intelligent assistants, particularly for the next generation of 311. The implementation of these artificially intelligent assistants should be more than an internal experiment; it should be targeted and complemented with deep contextual knowledge.Because of enhancements in app-driven digital channels, it might be perceived that the Internet is the primary route citizens take to voice concerns to their city, but a 2015 report from the International City/County Management Association suggests that the telephone will remain the most popular citizen-government line of communication.The next generation of 311 must make the phoning-in process more responsive. In most cities today an interactive voice response system screens and redirects calls to a live operator. Yet those voice response choices are relatively static, and even after fighting through them, the live operator who engages the citizen remains dependent on often dated and difficult-to-find scripts and with little real time for problem-solving.Responsive government requires using the likes of Siri and Alexa to help answer questions and complete simple tasks and commands. A bots ability to quickly digest thousands of pages of documents will both more quickly resolve informational requests and more accurately find up-to-date information from official documents and other approved sources. The improvements in efficiency will allow 311 center workers to focus on addressing and solving complex citizen complaints  producing a truly personal touch.Call center operations should rely on chatbots to read the applicable documents, mine the relevant social media (e.g., spot a tweet from a frustrated parent that the swimming pool is not open as it should be) and turn the more difficult problem-solving over to engaged operators. Ironically, a bot will in fact bring forth efficient personalization, in multiple languages and with less frustration. Siri, can you help make my city hall operate better?
Using bots to affect humans

Raising additional questions

lmfao! Trolls make it interesting [] I sometimes troll back if Im in a really good mood [] I get similar comments all of the timesometimes I laugh hysterically and lose focus because Im tickled

My favorite was someone telling me in Rocket League "I hope every one of your followers unfollows you after that match. My response was My mom would never do that! Lol"

Beyond just helping individual streamers manage their audiences behavior, this approach may be able to capitalize on the fact that online bots can help change peoples behavior , as my own research has documented. For instance, a bot could approach people using racist language, question them about being racist and suggest other forms of interaction to change how people interact with others.In 2015 I was part of a team that created a system that uses Twitter bots to do the activist work of recruiting humans to do social good for their community. We called it Botivist We used Botivist in an experiment to find out whether bots could recruit and make people contribute ideas about tackling corruption instead of just complaining about corruption. We set up the system to watch Twitter for people complaining about corruption in Latin America, identifying the keywords corrupcion and impunidad, the Spanish words for corruption and impunity.When it noticed relevant tweets, Botivist would tweet in reply, asking questions like How do we fight corruption in our cities? and What should we change personally to fight corruption? Then it waited to see if the people replied, and what they said. Of those who engaged, Botivist asked follow-up questions and asked them to volunteer to help fight the problem they were complaining about.We found that Botivist was able to encourage people to go beyond simply complaining about corruption, pushing them to offer ideas and engage with others sharing their concerns. Bots could change peoples behavior! However, we also found that some individuals began debating whether  and how  bots should be involved in activism. But it nevertheless suggests that people who were comfortable engaging with bots online could be mobilized to work toward a solution, rather than just complaining about it.Humans reactions to bots interventions matter, and inform how we design bots and what we tell them to do. In research at New York University in 2016, doctoral student Kevin Munger used Twitter bots to engage with people expressing racist views online. Calling out Twitter users for racist behavior ended up reducing those users racist communications over time  if the bot doing the chastising appeared to be a white man with a large number of followers, two factors that conferred social status and power. If the bot had relatively few followers or was a black man, its interventions were not measurably successful.Bots abilities to affect how people act toward each other online brings up important issues our society needs to address. A key question is: What types of behaviors should bots encourage or discourage?Its relatively benign for bots to notify humans about specifically hateful or dangerous words  and let the humans decide what to do about it. Twitch lets streamers decide for themselves whether they want to use the bots, as well as what (if anything) to do if the bot alerts them to a problem. Users decisions not to use the bots include both technological factors and concerns about comments. In conversations I have seen among Twitch streamers, some have described disabling them for causing interference with browser add-ons they already use to manage their audience chat space. Other streamers have disabled the bots because they feel bots hinder audience participation.But it could be alarming if we ask bots to influence peoples free expression of genuine feelings or thoughts. Should bots monitor language use on all online platforms? What should these bot police look out for? How should the bots  which is to say, how should the people who design the bots  handle those Twitch streamers who appear to enjoy engaging with trolls?One Twitch streamer posted a positive view of trolls on Reddit Other streamers even enjoy sharing their witty replies to trolls:What about streamers who actually want to make racist or sexist comments to their audiences? What if their audiences respond positively to those remarks? Should a bot monitor a players behavior on his own channel against standards set by someone else, such as the platforms administrators? And what language should the bots watch for  racism, perhaps, but what about ideas that are merely unpopular, rather than socially damaging?At present, we dont have ways of thinking about, talking about or deciding on these balancing acts of freedom of expression and association online. In the offline world, people are free to say racist things to willing audiences, but suffer social consequences if they do so around people who object. As bots become more able to participate in, and exert influence on, our human interactions, well need to decide who sets the standards and how, as well as who enforces them, in online communities.
The decision to add elections systems to the list has caused confusion and concern among the state and local officials who handle U.S. elections.In a statement released on Monday, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) said, "While we recognize the need to share information on threats and risk mitigation in our elections at all levels of government, as we did throughout the 2016 cycle, it is unclear why a critical infrastructure classification is now necessary for this purpose."David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, agrees.DHS and the federal government absolutely has access to [cybersecurity] resources that a state wouldnt possess, he said. That being said, those were largely already being shared with the states before this designation ever occurred.Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill, the president of NASS, said during a press call on Monday that she worries increased federal involvement could bring harm to the elections system by adding an unnecessary layer of bureaucratic oversight and by centralizing an inherently local -- and decentralized -- system.But in his announcement of the designation, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson stressed that the feds will only offer cybersecurity assistance to those who request it.This designation does not mean a federal takeover, regulation, oversight or intrusion concerning elections in this country, he said in the statement. This designation does nothing to change the role state and local governments have in administering and running elections.There are currently 16 sectors and 20 subsectors of critical infrastructure. Similar to elections, many of them are largely run by state and local governments -- a fact that DHS thinks should calm some of their concerns."If you talk to the electric sector, if you talk to the water sector, they can tell you this is very much a partnership, where we are not dictating anything," said Caitlin Durkovich, DHS assistant secretary for infrastructure protection. "We are helping bring to light the threats and hazards that could impact a particular infrastructure."Some, however, are skeptical of those assurances.Christy McCormick, a member of the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission, opposes the designation. She wonders whether the states and localities that choose not to request assistance will still receive the same important security information -- both classified and unclassified -- from the federal government. If not, then she questions the extent to which the assistance is really voluntary. McCormick also wants to know if DHS assistance will require states to conform to any federal security standards.Leading up to last weeks announcement, state and local elections officials had tried to clarify what the designation would do and how it would be different from what DHS already provides.We kept asking for something in writing, said Merrill of NASS. And we never got that.Unlike laws and regulations, a designation of this kind doesn't require a public comment period or other vetting that might reverse Johnson's decision. But Merrill said the secretaries of state would discuss the topic in February at their annual conference, where they may vote to ask the Trump administration to remove the designation.Both NASS and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission view the DHS decision as unnecessary because most states are already working with the federal government to guard their elections systems against cyberthreatsLast fall, at least 33 states and 11 county or local election agencies approached DHS about taking advantage of federal cybersecurity services.The Arizona and Illinois incidents have led to some confusion about whether election systems, more broadly, have been hacked. So far, there is no evidence that any machines in any state or locality that count and report votes were hacked. Still, some cybersecurity experts have demonstrated how theyhack machines to affect vote tallies.Dan Wallach, a computer scientist at Rice University who researches the security of electronic voting systems, said the DHS decision should also make grants available to upgrade state and local cybersecurity infrastructure."In practice," he said, "this designation should be nothing but helpful."
MP Serhiy Taruta has said that the decision of the board of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to put Platinum Bank on the list of insolvent banks could be considered as political bankruptcy of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

"The president could not have been unaware that Gontareva [NBU Governor Valeriya Gontareva] is withdrawing the money via Platinum Bank. Not only me, but all serious economists of the country, Verkhovna Rada deputies and former employees of the NBU dismissed by Gontareva informed about it each day," Taruta said on Wednesday.

He said that declaring Platinum Bank insolvent is the ground for a trial against NBU top managers and resignation of the head of state.

"I repeated many times  Gontareva and Rozhkova [Deputy NBU Governor Kateryna Rozhkova] must be brought to court. Today, after bankruptcy of Platinum [Bank] I say - Gontareva and Rozhkova must be brought to court and the president must resign," he said.

As reported, NBU on January 10 issued decision placing the Platinum Bank (Kyiv) on the list of insolvent banks. As of January 1, 2017, the bank did not reach the positive value of capital.

As the result of banks stress testing in the first half of 2016, in June 2016 the necessary amount of additional capitalization was approved for all banks in the second twenty in order for them to reach the positive value of regulatory capital by January 1, 2017, the NBU said.

The NBU declared the bank's structure as non-transparent in June 2016 and in August 2016 Borys Kaufman submitted to the central bank a package of documents to coordinate an acquisition of a 75% stake in the bank by him through controlled companies. As of today, the NBU has not approved the acquisition of the bank's shares by Kaufman, taking into account the absence of certain documents, in particular the lack of clearance from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.

According to the NBU, as of January 10, 2017, the holders of large stakes in the banks were Kaufman and Israeli citizen Gregory Gurtovoy.
Members of the Supreme Courts conservative majority are questioning the continued use of affirmative action in higher education. In lengthy arguments Monday, the justices wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race. The justices heard from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission. One conservative justice likened affirmative action to giving some college applicants a head start in a footrace. But a liberal justice said universities are the pipelines to leadership in our society and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop.
In the coming days the Ministry of Finance will submit the draft law on the establishment of the Financial Police for consideration of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, "for which business is waiting for and the IMF memorandum refers to," Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk said.

"At the end of 2016, due to a technical error, the Verkhovna Rada actually announced the tax police outside the law starting from January 1, 2017 [...] Is it worth to fix the mistake again legalizing repressive tax police? It is obvious that it is not. It is necessary to move only forward," Danyliuk wrote on his Facebook page.

According to the minister, the development and approval of the draft law were completed in September 2016.

The document provides for a number of basic principles on which it is planned to create the Financial Police: replacement of a power approach to an analytical approach; reduction of personnel up to 2, 500 people (with 15,000 now); non-interference in the work of honest business; staff renewal through a transparent competition and an independent selection committee, representatives of the security staff - no more than 25%; salaries, which will reduce the risk of corruption and provide an opportunity to attract the best staff.

"We plan to submit a draft law to the government at the next meeting and send the bill to the parliament after its approval. It is desirable the deputies will avoid "clerical errors," Danyliuk said.
Distributors in Ukraine have stopped ordering medicines from the list of 21 international nonproprietary names (INN) to be reimbursed from April 1, 2017. The pharmaceutical market players are waiting for explanations and official information.

"We know well that today distributors do not order medicines from the approved list [21 INN] from manufacturers. This means that after February 1, 2017 only medicines manufacturers of which will be able to cut the prices as it was planned will be left in pharmacies," European Business Association (EBA) Health Care Committee Executive Director Natalia Serhienko said.

Commenting on the government resolution on regulation of prices of medicines and reimbursement to Interfax-Ukraine she said that for some reason the government is confident that manufacturers, and most of them are global pharmaceutical companies operating in many countries, would have to 'tune' their prices of the relevant medicines to regulation in Ukraine.

"Those of them [manufacturers], who would not be able to do this due to unbiased reasons, would have to stop supplies of medicines to the Ukrainian market. Representatives of the Health Ministry are not concerned about this fact, unfortunately," Serhienko said.

She said that the decisions made would not result in a decline in prices of medicines, as there is no understanding of the specifics of the operation of the pharmaceutical market and they hurried.

She said that the EBA always backed the idea of introducing the medicine reimbursement system in Ukraine.

"It is not enough 'to have desire' and provide some funds to introduce the system. One should understand how reimbursement models in other countries work and how not to bring the situation to absurd. Now we start seeing this situation," she said.

Serhienko said that there is no adequate information about the functioning of the system introduced by authorities for the key market players  manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. Availability of medicines for patients depends on their well-coordinated work.

"At the end of the year when the situation was tense and pharmacies did not know what the ultimate price could apply to the relevant medicines, in the last hours of December 31, 2016 an amendment was made to one of the resolutions [No. 862] permitting sales of ending stocks of medicines at old prices until February 1, 2017 to continue working under Ukrainian law," she said.

Serhienko said that the registers of prices and any official explanation from the Health Ministry on many issues are absent today.

She expressed fears that the forced switch to cheaper medicines by patients would worsen health of most of them.

"One should not ignore the fact that there are notions as "benefit-risk profile" and "bioequivalence" of medicines. We hope that understanding that deprival of citizens of a right to freely select that is far from the European approach would come earlier than the range of medicines in Ukrainian pharmacies would bring medicine back to the times of the Soviet Union," she said.

The Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM Ukraine) also believe that legal acts introducing reimbursement of the cost of medicines and amendments to the public regulation of prices of medicines are the most important legal acts in the pharmaceutical sphere that will take effect in 2017.

AIPM Ukraine also said that there are no explanation and information about the functioning of the system.

"At present it is unclear how legal amendments would touch the pharmaceutical market. The problematic issues of introducing reimbursement and reference pricing  using the INN list, the small volume of financing of the reimbursement program and the unclear situation with regulation of the free market  could potentially create problems for all market participants: importers, manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and patients," the association said.
Colfax Furniture & Mattress will hold a ribbon cutting 11 a.m. Tuesday for its new Greensboro store. The 52-year-old company, based in Greensboro, opened its fourth store in December in the Westridge Square Shopping Center at Battleground Avenue and Westridge Road.

The new store offers samples from the High Point and other furniture markets, upholstery, dining and case pieces and wall art. This store also sells mattresses, including the Serta iComfort line.

Colfax Furniture & Mattress has other stores on Holden Road in Greensboro, and in Kernersville and Winston-Salem.

Farmers Market set to celebrate its customers

The Greensboro Farmers Curb Market is celebrating its loyal and new customers during January. Customers can register weekly to win items from the markets farmers, artisans, bakers and other vendors. First-time market shoppers will get an extra raffle ticket.

Customers may register for the raffle on Saturday, Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 at the information desk during market hours, 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

The Wedding Fair

rescheduled for Sunday

The Wedding Fair originally scheduled for Jan. 8 at the Embassy Suites Greensboro will take place Sunday. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Couples can meet wedding professionals during the fair. Tickets are available by visiting www.33bride.com. They are $20 at the door, or $10 if purchased online.

Kmart in Madison

to close in March

The Kmart at 102 New Market in Madison is among the Kmart and Sears stores that will close in March, Sears Holdings announced last week.

Sears Holdings over the last couple of weeks has announced the closing of 108 Kmart and 42 Sears stores, all considered non-profitable.

Belk seeks fashion designers for showcase

Belk department store is seeking fashion designers with a Southern connection for its fifth annual Southern Designer Showcase.

The company, based in Charlotte, is looking for Southern designers of womens, mens and childrens clothing, shoes and womens accessories. Winners will have their clothes and accessories sold in Belk stores and on belk.com in spring 2018.

To apply, visit belk.com/southerndesigner through April 30. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in the South, or have a strong connection to it. Belk executives will select finalists by May 15 and invite them to present their designs at Belk headquarters on June 29.
(I've updated this post once below.)

Last we left the Charlotte School of Law, the for-profit, ah, law school had lost its access to federal financial aid dollars for a variety of sins that you can read about here.

The cutoff of the student loan spigot usually causes a school to close, which is really kind of the point of the feds doing what they did. But Charlotte seems unwilling to go quietly.

The Charlotte Observer reported last week that Charlotte Law would start the spring semester Jan. 17 as scheduled. The ABA Journal reported Tuesday that the school pushed its opening date back to Jan. 23 and that current students would be able to get loans for the spring semester. However, the school wont admit new students.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte paper reported that the school fired one of its deans (who, weirdly, will remain on faculty). The Observer also reported that the school is negotiating a teachout with the feds to give current students a way to finish their degrees. That would suggest the school will be closing sooner than later, but Charlotte Law isnt commenting on that possibility.

One angle Charlotte Law is working is a deal to let its students transfer to Florida Coastal School of Law. (Or the students will remain in Charlotte and Florida Coastal will essentially operate the old Charlotte Law campus; I've read a couple different versions of what might happen.)

The two schools share the same corporate parent (InfiLaw). Worse, the two schools also share some bleak statistics: declining enrollment, below-average bar passage rates, poor employment prospects. Here's the Law School Transparency report; here's the required ABA disclosure.

Transferring to Florida Coastal might not be the best option, however. Here's a National Law Journal story from Wednesday (emphasis mine):

Two law schools have landed on the U.S. Department of Educations list of college programs with extremely high student loan debt compared with graduates earnings.

Florida Coastal School of Law and Charleston School of Law are identified as failing on the departments gainful employment list, released Monday. Should those schools fail a second year in a row, they will lose access to federal student loansa situation that is currently rocking the Charlotte School of Law as it struggles to remain open after losing federal loan access at the start of the year.

I don't see how this gets any better. Oh, wait, there is a way! From the same National Law Journal story:

Ben Miller, a higher education expert at the Center for American Progress, ... said it will be difficult for either Florida Coastal or Charleston to meet the (gainful employment) rule in a year, given their earning and debt statistics. Theyve performed very poorly, he said. Theyre nowhere near passing. Id be skeptical that theyre going to pull it off. ...

The best chance for both schools is for the Trump administration to do away with the controversial rule, he said.

Which is something that probably will happen sooner or later, based on what I keep reading. Stay tuned.

Update, 11:30 a.m. Friday: The probable demise of Charlotte Law has the folks at UNC-Charlotte talking again about starting their own law school. UNCC was kicking the tires on the idea in 2008, but stopped when the wheels came off the economy. Smart move.

By the way, in the same Charlotte Observer story about a possible UNCC law school, the reporter writes about the Charlotte Law teachout and the issues with Florida Coastal. The reporter also talks to a Charlotte Law student who has sued the school about the possibility of one InfiLaw school taking over from another.

The money quote: "Its essentially the old cup and ball trick used by hustlers on the street."

Ouch.

Want to make sure you see these blog posts? Like me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter.

Have something to say? Email me at john.newsom@greensboro.com.
National Radio and TV Council tells providers to disconnect Russian Dozhd TV for failing to recognize Ukrainian territorial integrity

The National Radio and TV Council (NRTC) of Ukraine has obliged Ukrainian broadcasters to cease retransmitting Russian TV Channel Dozhd (Rain) within a month for failing to recognize Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"In part, the channel's broadcasts [portrayed] the administrative border between Ukraine's Kherson region and Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea as the border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation," NRTC member Serhiy Kostynsky said during a council meeting.

Kostynsky said during the course of 2016 NRTC noted violations of Ukrainian law committed by the TV channel. Russian advertisements were broadcast, and journalists at the channel visited Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in early 2014.

As earlier reported, in December 2014, NRTC recognized Dozhd TV as complying with requisite demands of the European convention on cross-border television broadcasting and Ukrainian legislation.

NRTC has banned broadcasting of about 35 Russian TV stations for violating national security and violating advertising regulations.
Concerning the three liberal, Democratic, Washington civil rights lawyers condemnation of attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions (Second Opinion, Jan. 9), I comfortably place my confidence in Sen. Sessions evaluations of his involvement with civil rights cases in the past.

Because, being from the deep South, his signature on civil rights complaints and other similar court filings, his support for reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act, his assistance and guidance on voting rights and school desegregation cases (which the D.C. lawyers so belittled), and his aggressive prosecution of the KKK confirm his commitment to these efforts.

And, his possible statement that some of President Obamas judicial nominees have ACLU DNA confirms only that he is a good judge of character.

I use possible with equal ease as the civil rights attorneys cavalierly use the word allegedly in describing some of Sen. Sessions supposed statements.

Asking former Justice Department civil rights lawyers to pass unprejudiced judgment on any Southern Republican official is like asking David Duke to objectively evaluate Teddy and Bobby Kennedy.

We all have prejudices. Sen. Sessions has proven his ability to lay his aside when making important decisions and judgments.

Clyde L. Hunt Jr.

Greensboro
The National Police of Ukraine on January 11 again unexpectedly raided offices of Poltava Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of Britain's JKX Oil&Gas Plc with assets in Ukraine.

"We will be bringing this matter up with the relevant authorities in Kyiv. I believe these actions to be a distraction for JKX and damaging to Ukraine's investment climate," CEO of JKX Tom Reed said in a report of JKX on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on Thursday.

According to the report, the raids are part of an ongoing investigation announced by the company on June 15, 2016. Poltava Petroleum Company is fully cooperating with the investigation, but nevertheless believes that it is in full legal compliance with matters outlined in the warrant and that the action is completely without merit.

As reported, in the middle of June 2016 JKX reported that the police raided the office of Poltava Petroleum Company and houses of its two executives. The raids were initiated by the Prosecutor General's Office in a tax nonpayment case.

Last summer the company asked British and U.S. Embassies in Kyiv for their assistance in engaging with the relevant authorities to resolve the situation with the local police investigation in Poltava into operations of its subsidiary.

The largest shareholders of the company are Eclairs Group of Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholiubov with 27.54% of the shares, Glengary Overseas Limited of Oleksandr Zhukov with 11.45%. In addition, Russia's Proxima Capital Group owns 19.92% in JKX.

KYIV. Jan 12 (Interfax-Ukraine)  The National Police of Ukraine on January 11 again unexpectedly raided offices of Poltava Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of Britain's JKX Oil&Gas Plc with assets in Ukraine.

"We will be bringing this matter up with the relevant authorities in Kyiv. I believe these actions to be a distraction for JKX and damaging to Ukraine's investment climate," CEO of JKX Tom Reed said in a report of JKX on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on Thursday.

According to the report, the raids are part of an ongoing investigation announced by the company on June 15, 2016. Poltava Petroleum Company is fully cooperating with the investigation, but nevertheless believes that it is in full legal compliance with matters outlined in the warrant and that the action is completely without merit.

As reported, in the middle of June 2016 JKX reported that the police raided the office of Poltava Petroleum Company and houses of its two executives. The raids were initiated by the Prosecutor General's Office in a tax nonpayment case.

Last summer the company asked British and U.S. Embassies in Kyiv for their assistance in engaging with the relevant authorities to resolve the situation with the local police investigation in Poltava into operations of its subsidiary.

The largest shareholders of the company are Eclairs Group of Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholiubov with 27.54% of the shares, Glengary Overseas Limited of Oleksandr Zhukov with 11.45%. In addition, Russia's Proxima Capital Group owns 19.92% in JKX.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

One of the decades biggest and most complex antiquities fraud investigations led to an arrest days before Christmas, and the case could lead to some of the nations most respected museums to give up artifacts worth millions.

Institutions caught up in the tangled web of potentially smuggled antiquities include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Norton Simon Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and National Gallery of Australia, according to the website of the investigated Manhattan gallery.

Theyre all institutions that have directly and indirectly received works from one of New Yorks formerly most prominent antiquities dealers, Nancy Wiener, who was arrested in Manhattan on Dec. 21. Its unclear whether the items these museums procured through Wiener were smuggled, but the institutions will face a tough decision if found out they were: keep the illegally retrieved antiquities or return them at a loss, according to Dean Nicyper, who focuses on commercial disputes and art law for Withers Bergman, which has offices in Greenwich.

The National Gallery of Australia in 2015 found that one of its prized pieces bought from Wiener was looted from India, and arranged a deal to donate the antique back to its home country.

Wiener ultimately returned the gallerys $1.08 million it had used to purchase the sculpture.

But museums that wind up in a similar situation could end up on the hook for any illegal pieces they obtained from Wieners gallery, Nicyper said this week in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media.

The investigation has been dubbed Operation Hidden Idol, in which another Manhattan dealer, Subhash Kapoor, was charged with dealing stolen artifacts from India to museums around the world. From there, authorities found expansive evidence that Wiener has also been involved in illicit art dealings.

Wiener has been charged with possession of stolen property and conspiracy to buy and smuggle antiquities worth millions. According to the charges brought against her, Wiener bought and gave out falsified documentation for the smuggled objects.

Nancy has been around a long time and had been thought of as a reputable gallery, Nicyper said. These works, all of which seem to come from southeast Asia, are subject to very serious claims. Its important that anyone who deals in antiquities be very careful in looking at the documented evidence concerning them.

A number of reputable museums may have been duped by Wiener, pending the investigations conclusions. But there may not be a method of recourse to get their money back if they choose to give up the pieces, he said.

Museums used to be resistant to returning items based on these types of claims, Nicyper said. But more recently, in the last 10 years or so, you see museums not wanting to be tarred by somebody elses improprietous activities and theyll want to turn over the works if they were part of criminal activity.

Authors and investigative reporters Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino, who have won awards for their work investigating and exposing black market dealings in antiquities, are working on tracking down all items related to Wieners gallery. They are seeking help from readers through their blog chasingaphrodite.com.

Contact the writer at MBennett@hearstmediact.com, 203-625-4411; Twitter @Macaela_
Researchers at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois at Chicago recently conducted "the first nationwide study of positive relationships."



Bill Chopik, an assistant psychology professor who studies relationships and their effects, and Matt Motyl of the University of Illinois at Chicago studied survey data of 127,070 adults from all states to find the best and worst states for romantic relationships.
The Chinese government has handed over telecommunications equipment worth about $100,000 to the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.

"We together with Ambassador of China Du Wei have just signed a document on China's transferring assistance in the form of telecommunications equipment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. We are very grateful for this support in the difficult time for our state. We regard this as another evidence of a high level of mutual understanding and cooperation between our countries," State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Andriy Zayats said at the opening of a photo exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and China in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry noted the amount of such technical assistance is about $100,000.
The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could in the coming weeks recommend the executive board to hold the third revision of the EFF program, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice has reported.

"I don't have [the exact date of the meeting], but we expect it to be soon, in the coming weeks. And let me say why. Because we see good progress having been made on the policies needed to complete the third review under the IMF arrangement within the EFF program. We think the adoption of the 2017 budget of Ukraine is consistent with the program targets, the filing of asset declarations of high level officials and decisive safeguard actions to safeguard financial stability have been important so far. So the IMF staff have been in close contact with our partners in Ukraine on the remaining policy initiatives needed for the completion of the third review, including energy sector reforms and finalizing the memorandum of understanding in the policies regarding the timing of the upcoming measures. So, assuming all the remaining issues are resolved soon, we expect to propose the completion of the review to our executive board in the coming weeks," he said at a traditional press briefing in Washington.
Anthony LoFrisco loves to cook and tell stories. So when he invites you to his house in Wilton for dinner, you are in for a deliciously long evening.

It was my good fortune recently to spend such a night with LoFrisco, a retired 83-year-old attorney who has written and published The LoFrisco Family Cookbook. It is equal parts memoir and family-style Italian cookbook, spiced with a dash of Sicilian humor.

LoFrisco greeted me with a glass of wine, a fine Brunello de Montalcino, that he says, will get better as the night goes on. He goes back to rolling dough that would eventually become our dessert, cream puffs, and tells me about his very first cooking lesson.

Its a very specific memory. I was 6 years old and spending the night at my aunts house. She was like a grandmother to me. Very warm and giving. The next morning, she asked me what I wanted. And I said, Spaghetti. So she gets out the frying pan, the spaghetti leftovers and she teaches me how to fry spaghetti. Its a dish I love to this day.

His culinary education continued in his familys kitchen in Dyker Heights, a Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood in the shadows of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, where he watched his mother cook great family meals every day.

My mother (Josie) came to this country from Sicily when she was just 6 years old. By the time she was 9, she was the live-in cook for a very successful Italian family in Albany (N.Y.). They were connoisseurs, so she learned to cook very well, he says.

More Information Sunday Sauce (Meat Sauce) Serves 8-10 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic 3/4 pound ground sirloin beef 6 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes 3/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese (plus more for serving) 2 (6-ounce) cans plain tomato paste ( or 2 (2.8-ounce) tubes Amore Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Paste) 1/2 teaspoon black olive paste, optional 2 cups water, if needed In a food processor, chop canned tomatoes until smooth. I prefer my sauce chunk-free. Heat the olive oil in a 10-quart stainless steel sauce pot over medium heat. While the oil comes up to temperature, smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife and remove the skin. Add the garlic to the pot and cook until light brown. Remove large pieces of garlic and discard. Add the chopped beef to the sauce pot to brown, breaking up any chunks larger than a pea. A potato masher will make this job easy. Add the blended tomatoes, parmigiano cheese and tomato paste to the sauce pot. Cook uncovered over moderate heat for two hours, stirring frequently. Do not allow sauce to scorch. Check for burning by scraping the bottom of the saucepan, lower heat and scrape from the bottom of the pot while cooking, if possible. If sauce becomes too scorched, transfer it to a clean saucepan to continue cooking and be sure to stir the sauce. Add water, a 1/2 cup at a time, if sauce gets too thick. If it approaches the consistency of chili, it is definitely too thick. Add optional black olive paste a few minutes before serving. Sauce can be made the day before, but must be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. Do not cook or store in aluminum pots or containers. Meatballs Makes 25 1 batch Sunday Sauce (see recipe above) 2 pounds ground beef 1 1/4 cups plain breadcrumbs 3 large eggs 4 cups freshly grated parmigiano cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves, optional 1-1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, if frying meatballs In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, if using, and parmigiano cheese. Mix thoroughly by hand. Add water by 1/4 cup until meat mixture has a very soft consistency, but will hold a spherical shape. A cup will usually do, but sometimes a little more is needed. Using your hands, form meatballs about twice the size of a golf ball. You may want to rub a little olive oil on the palms of your hands before working with the meat to prevent meatballs from sticking. Once the meatballs have been shaped, you can either put the raw meatballs directly in the boiling Sunday Sauce or pan fry them as noted below. I prefer to cook them completely in the Sunday Sauce. If you choose to fry the meatballs before adding them to the sauce, cover the bottom of a large skillet with 1/4 inch of olive oil and place over moderate heat. Cook meatballs in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Fry meatballs until the bottom is browned, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn the meatballs and fry another 2-3 minutes. The meatballs will be raw in the center. Place the fried or raw meatballs in the Sunday Sauce. Cook at least 30 minutes in the sauce at the low boil stage. Stir the sauce just before adding the meatballs, then do not stir again for about 5 minutes while the meatballs begin to cook. Stir carefully after that point to avoid breaking up the meatballs. Serve as a main course or over pasta, topped with more parmigiano cheese. - Recipes from "The LoFrisco Family Cookbook: How Josie Brought Sicily to Brooklyn," by Anthony F. LoFrisco See More Collapse

LoFrisco starts another story when his sous chef Christine politely suggests he had better start cooking if we were going to get through the feast he had planned. And thats when I saw the printed list that was our sampling menu: Ricotta Cones, Caponatina, Pizza Rustica, Seafood Salad with bread, Meatballs and Sunday Sauce with Ricotta, Chicken Cacciatore, Cacio e Pepe, Cream Puffs and Cuchidada. LoFrisco returned to his labors, talking as he cooked. I continued with the wine and anticipated the meal to come.

I wrote this book for my kids and family. They were after me for years to write down grandmas recipes. But I was too busy with my law firm. But now I have more time, so I decided to do it, the new author says. All the recipes are simple. That was really the whole point. Good cooking is really all about the ingredients. The rest is easy.

I then heard about St. Eleanor, LoFriscos affectionate name for his late wife, who devised a clever way to suss out the secrets of her mother-in-laws recipes. My mother never measured anything. So my wife would invite her over to cook. Eleanor would measure out all the ingredients and place them in separate bowls. My mother would grab what she needed. Then, after my mother was finished, Eleanor would measure the amount left in each bowl. Thats how she figured out the exact amount of everything my mother used, LoFrisco says.

Eleanor achieved sainthood, according to LoFrisco, for putting up with all my wild ideas. LoFrisco had discovered an obscure French cookbook while browsing through the New York Public Librarys rare book collection, a frequent haunt during his high school days. The fancy ingredients and different foods fascinated me, he says. He eventually decided French cooking was too fussy, but not before he and Eleanor threw a Henry VIII feast. It seems the British royal who ruled the Empire for the first half of the 16th century, and his French counterpart, Francis I, competed to see which court could produce the most lavish meals.

I cooked all this wonderful food. And we set up a big table. All of our friends dressed in period costume. And I insisted that there be no utensils, just like in Henry VIIIs day. Eleanor thought I was nuts, but she put up with it. Thats why shes St. Eleanor, LoFrisco says with a hearty laugh. And, as if on cue, Christine laid down several dishes in front of us, and we had a LoFrisco version of the Tudor feasts.

As we sampled the Pizza Rustica, Chicken Cacciatore, and other tasty Italian cuisine, LoFrisco kept repeating his mantra about keeping things simple. He cited the cream puffs as a perfect example.

Traditional creme puffs are filled with creme patissiere, which is a wonderful filling that requires precisely mixing sugar, flour, egg yolks, eggs, vanilla and milk. It was a lot of work. One night I ran out of time, so I just made some whipped cream and My-T-Fine vanilla pudding. It was delicious. I never used creme patissiere again.

LoFriscos book runs close to 300 pages, is beautifully designed and illustrated, and is printed on heavy paper stock. It is the kind of cookbook to be used while cooking; the pages look like spilled red sauce or a misplaced dollop of caponatina would wipe right off with no damage done. Like the recipes, the book is designed to last.

I would love to describe all the wonderful flavors I ate at chez Anthony, but LoFrisco does it so beautifully in his book that I will just refer you to his website, lofriscocookbook.com. The books subtitle is How Josie Brought Sicily to Brooklyn, and its how her son is sharing it with the rest of us.

Bob Horton is a columnist for the Greenwich Time and a regular contributor to Sunday Arts & Style.
Hes made millions by stealing our wages, they say. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

With time ticking till his nomination hearing, the antiAndy Puzder forces are coming out in full swing. On the heels of yesterdays survey that reported that Carls Jr. and Hardees have 50 percent more sexual-harassment claims than the industry average, Fight for $15 has now organized protests of Trumps labor secretary pick in some two dozen U.S. cities today.

Puzders Senate confirmation hearing probably wont happen till February, but it sounds like the cooks and cashiers at CKE Restaurants are ready to march against their boss right now. New Yorks rally is scheduled for noon at the Labor Departments building in Soho, and several labor leaders and members of City Council have committed to attending. The group says protesters will be armed with a variety of signs saying, CEO of the rigged economy.

In a press release, Fight for $15 explains that as head of the Labor Department, Puzder would be charged with upholding many of the labor laws and regulations CKE routinely violated during his time as CEO. Besides objectifying women to sell burgers, Puzder has also been one of the loudest proponents of automating the fast-food industry, arguing machines never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex or race discrimination case. Fight for $15 also points to another irony, which is that the Labor Department itself found that 60 percent of CKE restaurants have broken the Fair Labor Standards Act in the past seven years.



Puzders allies are also coming out swinging for their guy. The International Franchise Association, on whose board Puzder sits, has asked its 15,000 members to sign a letter backing Trumps nominee. About 500 or 600 have agreed so far, a spokesperson tells Bloomberg, the biggest one apparently being Popeyes. Trumps team also released a statement bashing ROC Uniteds claim about CKE Restaurants sexual harassment: The survey was paid for by unions and special interests opposed to Andy Puzders nomination and is a flagrant example of fake news, it said. ROC used leading questions and deceitful surveying tactics, such as posing as CKE corporate representatives, to fabricate results.


Another CES has come to a close, and although there werent many huge announcements in the mobile space, a couple of notable appearances come quite close, particularly from the likes of TCL and BlackBerry. Honors 6X continued the idea that a decently equipped smartphone shouldnt have to cost that much. ZTE announced a couple of new devices, one of which was crowdsourced and the other which is set out to dethrone Honors 6X.

Asus unveiled a new Tango-enabled phone, and Huawei even talked about Tango in the not-so-distant future. But, one of the most talked about features for any type of product, whether appliance or smartphone, was the integration of Amazon Alexa in third-party hardware, Huawei, included.

Sadly, we didnt hear much of anything in the wearables space. For an industry that exploded with popularity just a few short years ago, it appears that tech companies might be waiting for Android Wear 2.0 to officially launch before they decide to build another smartwatch. The only exception is the integration of iOS for the Samsung Gear S3.

If you think you missed anything from CES, hopefully this compilation of mobile tech can help you catch up on any tech you might have missed during the winter break.

Honor

Honor didnt announce a spanking new phone, since the Honor 6X was already announced back in October for the companys home market in China.

Quite expectedly, Honor took the stage and announced that the Honor 6X was coming to the remaining global markets most notably the US, EU, UK, and UAE. For a full list of countries, check out the news post. Hands-on for the Honor 6X can be found here.

Last year, the Huawei-owned company debuted its first device in the US at CES called the Honor 5X. It offered features that were unheard of for $199. Honor upped itself with the Honor 6X, though it also bumped the price up by $50. Honor is going with a Chinese retail practice with the Honor 6X in the States: The company will be hosting four flash sales with limited quantities at $50-off the MSRP.

The Honor 6Xs design is refined over the 5X. Honor went with a HiSilicon Kirin 655 CPU instead of relying on Qualcomms mid-range Snapdragons. Also new to this price range is a dual-camera setup, this camera setup pairs a 12MP camera with a 2MP depth sensor. The dual-camera setup lets you take up to an f/0.95 simulated aperture for portrait-style shots with lots of bokeh (the cameras blur effect).

While the phone and its specs look great, for the price, a couple of drawbacks are the lack of a USB-C port in 2017, as well as skipping out on Android Nougat. Thankfully, Honor said it will upgrade the Honor 6X to Android Nougat sometime in Q2 of this year.

Honor is no longer unopposed in the hyper-value smartphone space. The ZTE Blade V8 Pro was also announced at CES, which puts the Honor 6X right in its crosshairs.

ZTE

ZTE set out to one-up the Honor 6X. With the success of the ZTE Blade lineup in Asian markets, the Chinese phone maker was ready to leverage the CES stage for what its worth. Honors 6X finally has a match with dual-13MP cameras and comparable specs, including a fingerprint scanner and a plentiful but efficient octa-core Qualcomm CPU.

The ZTE Blade V8 Pro has launched as a result of growing consumer demands in other markets (hands-on here). A 5.5 inch screen, Snapdragon 625, USB-C port with Quick Charge 2.0, and a fingerprint scanner, all make their way into the sub-$300 price range. With a price of $230 for an unlocked unit in the US, Honor may be breaking a sweat, because both of these devices will be sold on the online retail market (i.e. sold as GSM-unlocked devices through e-retailers like Amazon, Newegg, etc.

Another significant announcement is ZTEs official unveiling of its first, crowd-sourced product. ZTE called this Project CSX: ZTE community members could submit ideas for a smartphone or smartphone accessory that would be financially realistic and that would be affordable for the masses.

The result of Project CSX is the ZTE Hawkeye, a self-adhering smartphone that can stick to many surfaces, and can be controlled with natural gestures of the eyes. Scrolling and navigating around the Hawkeye is as simple as looking toward whichever task you are trying to achieve.

The Hawkeye is now available for pre-order through KickStarter for $199, although its KickStarter goal is a bit ambitious: to raise $500,000 by February 18. Unfortunately, if there is not enough interest among the public light, the Hawkeye may only live on as a prototype.

Asus

Asus announced a couple of new devices at its own Zennovation event in Vegas. First off, are the companys combined efforts with Google in creating a new Tango-capable smartphone, the Asus Zenfone AR.

Its the second phone to ever come with Googles Tango platform with a more refined and smaller tri-camera, which makes it easier to build the camera setup the platform requires without taking up a lot of space like the giant Lenovo Phab2 Pro did. Check out the hands-on post here.

With a 5.7-inch screen and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 CPU, the Asus Zenfone AR is a much more manageable size and offers better all-around performance with a Tango device. The Zenfone AR will also be compatible with Daydream out of the box, so that makes two of Googles platforms compatible with the Asus handset.

Another device that makes a debut with dual cameras is the Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom. Dual cameras are officially on the rise, even in the midrange segment. So Asus announced the Zenfone 3 Zoom, which shows a lot of promise with its 2.3 optical zoom, 12X digital zoom, 1.4 micron pixel size, f1.7 aperture, and combination of OIS and EIS, which should make for some really great-looking photos.

More recently, the Asus Zenfone 3 Zooms price was outed in China, which translated to about 530 USD. Either way, Asus was slim with the specific details like CPU, RAM, or pricing. The phone is set to be released sometime next month.

Huawei

Huawei was at CES this year, but unlike last year, it didnt announce any new products at CES. Instead, Huaweis huge announcement was its official entry into the US market starting with the Huawei Mate 9. The Mate 9 is now available in the US through e-retailers like Amazon, Newegg, B&H, as well as brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy.

The Mate 9 is (arguably) competitively priced at $599, especially among Apple and Google phones which start at $650, or Samsung phones which might start even higher depending on the carrier you choose. Currently, the Mate 9 would only be unlocked for use on GSM networks, but with a successful first year into the States, wed love to see Huawei make their way into the mobile carrier space, perhaps with a Mate 10?

A couple of other significant announcements include the integration of Amazon Alexa into the Huawei Mate 9. The first integration of its kind. Once the OTA update comes around for the Mate 9, youll be able to use the wakeup word Alexa to control lights, set timers, ask about the weather, or even call an Uber. In addition, Huawei has announced that the Mate 9 will become Google Daydream compatible.

Also, Huawei has announced that it has teamed up with Google to introduce Tango-enabled hardware for Huaweis portfolio, only the partnership was announced, so there was no announcement of any Tango hardware at this time.

LG

Although LGs press event didnt reveal any new smartphones, the company had already announced its new line of mid-range devices late last month. The LG Stylus 3 (or Stylo 3, depending on the market, hands-on here) leads the pack with a 5.7-inch screen and a stylus that stows away inside the handset. Theres also a fingerprint scanner on the back which also introduces the new button layout that moves the volume keys back to the body and keeps the power button on the back.

The new K Series smartphones cater to the mass market, so while the K3 and K4 models pack a Snapdragon 210 while the K8 is powered by a Snapdragon 425. And finally, the Stylus 3 and the K10 packs a Mediatek MT6750. The K3, K4, K8, and K10 will all be market dependent, and with the K10 leading the pack, its the only one that has a fingerprint scanner aside from the Stylus 3.

Samsung

Samsung didnt announce any smartphones or smartphone accessories at CES, but the company did announce a new line of Chromebooks set out to compete directly with the iPad Pro.

The Chromebook Pro is the first Chromebook that Samsung released after Google announced the operating systems ability to run full Android apps. This addition will surely let Chrome OS appeal to an even larger user base than ever before.

Theres also a Chromebook Plus, which is identical to the Pro, minus the Intel processor. The Chromebook Plus uses an ARM-based CPU versus the Chromebook Pros 2GHz Intel M3 processor. Another device we had the chance to check out is Samsungs new Odyssey 17 gaming laptop. There are two models, one with a 17.3 screen and another with a 15.6 screen. Seeing that the Odyssey is first gen hardware, it might take one or two more versions before it catches on. Check out the hands-on here.

TCL

One of the most talked about smartphones to come from CES 2017 was actually not even an official announcement. TCL invited several journalists the chance to get a first look at the next BlackBerry. In fact, itll be the first BlackBerry that TCL (parent company of Alcatel) will design and build after it has acquired the licensing rights to BlackBerry hardware.

Seeing as CES isnt exactly where the years biggest phones are announced, the BlackBerry Mercury (as its been referred to frequently) is officially out of the dark, but not officially here yet. TCL wouldnt tell us anything about the specs of the phone, but the hardware looks quite promising. Battery life was brought up a couple of times during the briefing so we hope theres a large battery packed inside. More concrete information will be announced at MWC toward the end of February.

Theres something about the satisfyingly click-happy keys on the physical keyboard that will strike a nostalgic chord with early-smartphone users before touchscreens dominated the market and the iPhones virtual keyboard was met with much skepticism by BlackBerry addicts. And backed with the vast capabilities of Android, BlackBerry has all the tools needed to break its way back into the mainstream.

If TCL plays its cards right, both it and BlackBerry can really put the Mercury (name is not yet finalized) on the map, worthy of rubbing shoulders with the likes of (a new entry into the US) Huawei, Samsung, and perhaps even Apple.
By now you probably know all about the Nokia 6, the newly unveiled smartphone that represents the Finnish brand's long awaited re-entry into the mobile space. This model was oddly made official during the weekend, and Nokia has crushed the dreams of many international customers when it confirmed that the 6 would be exclusive to the Chinese market. At least at first, since it's entirely possible that a global version will be introduced during Nokia's MWC press conference in late February.

Today the phone has become open for reservations in China, with just a CNY 66 ($9 or 9) deposit required to make sure you will be among the first to pick one up when it actually goes on sale.

Speaking of which, the Nokia 6 will become available in China on January 19 at 10 AM through JD.com, the country's biggest online retailer. The handset's price is CNY 1,699, which is around $245 or 231 right now.

It comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, the Snapdragon 430 chipset, a 16 MP main camera, an 8 MP selfie unit, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

Via 1 (in Chinese) | Via 2
ZTE is currently in the process of rolling out a new software update for the Axon 7 mini. The new release is unfortunately still based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and not Nougat, and it's still a mystery when (or if) this smartphone will get its taste of the latest version of Google's mobile OS.

That said, today's update is by no means useless. It brings with it support for Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) when using T-Mobile, as well as all the missing security fixes from Google up to the December patch level. Yes, that's not the latest anymore since we're in January, but it will have to do. New APNs have been added for all major North American carriers, some Google apps were updated, and "other general fixes" are in too. Finally, ZTE says it's improved the camera focus speed and night mode.

The update still comes with ZTE's MiFavor UI 4.0, while the build number ends in B21. It's a 419MB download, and you can grab it manually straight away if you go to the update menu in Settings.

Source
Lenovo's sub-brand ZUK has some good news today for owners of its Z2 and Z2 Pro smartphones that were launched last summer. According to a Lenovo Group VP, both of these devices are set to receive their updates to Android 7.0 Nougat next week. A more specific release date hasn't been shared, but what's important is that it's finally a matter of days before these updates go out.

For both handsets, the underlying Android 7.0 Nougat release will have ZUK's new ZUI 2.5 on top, an update for the ZUI 2.0 that both the Z2 and Z2 Pro shipped with. Aside from bumping up the Android version, this also brings with it various bug fixes and performance enhancements. These will be incorporated into the ZUI 2.5 build for the newly announced ZUK Edge too, as you'd expect.

The last time a Lenovo official teased the Nougat update for the Z2 was back in November, so it's definitely good to finally see it out. Interestingly, an official announcement from last month said the Z2 Pro would taste Nougat on January 28, but in fact it's getting it a week earlier.

Source (in Chinese) | Via 1 (in Chinese) | Via 2
Job Archive July 2021 (524) June 2021 (681) May 2021 (698) April 2021 (659) March 2021 (688) February 2021 (615) January 2021 (699) December 2020 (714) November 2020 (671) October 2020 (631) September 2020 (690) August 2020 (713) July 2020 (713) June 2020 (690) May 2020 (713) April 2020 (690) March 2020 (713) February 2020 (667) January 2020 (713) December 2019 (713) November 2019 (687) October 2019 (711) September 2019 (689) August 2019 (711) July 2019 (707) June 2019 (688) May 2019 (2002) April 2019 (1978) March 2019 (2039) February 2019 (1688) January 2019 (2253) December 2018 (2098) November 2018 (1932) October 2018 (1986) September 2018 (1915) August 2018 (39) July 2018 (72) June 2018 (44) May 2018 (76) April 2018 (65) March 2018 (16) February 2018 (32) January 2018 (201) December 2017 (352) November 2017 (381) October 2017 (600) September 2017 (1211) August 2017 (1655) July 2017 (1590) June 2017 (1506) May 2017 (1902) April 2017 (1965) March 2017 (1417) February 2017 (1808) January 2017 (1807) December 2016 (1593) November 2016 (1376) October 2016 (1408) September 2016 (1317) August 2016 (1499) July 2016 (1505) June 2016 (1421) May 2016 (1391) April 2016 (1340) March 2016 (1476) February 2016 (1396) January 2016 (1474) December 2015 (1409) November 2015 (1367) October 2015 (1478) September 2015 (1441) August 2015 (1467) July 2015 (1465) June 2015 (1410) May 2015 (1057) April 2015 (1269) March 2015 (1132) February 2015 (1151) January 2015 (1152) December 2014 (1156) November 2014 (1267) October 2014 (81)
Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, a trustee for Dnipro-based PrivatBank's notes maturing in 2018, has informed noteholders that it has no funds to pay the costs of investigating the implications on the notes of the terms of a Deposit Guarantee Fund Letter or a PrivatBank Letter.

"The Trustee has no funds at its disposal to pay the costs of investigating the implications on the Notes of the terms of the Deposit Guarantee Fund Letter or the PrivatBank Letter," it said in a Notice of Material Events dated January 5, 2017.

The notice was issued in light of reports in the press that PrivatBank had been nationalized and that the loans relating to the Notes are to be 'bailed-in' by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

The Deposit Guarantee Fund Letter dated December 29, 2016, refers to a press release issued by the NBU saying that "Article 41.1 of the Law of Ukraine on Households Deposit Guarantee System provides for the resolution of a regulated bank by appointment of a temporary administrator, the bail-in of certain liabilities and the nationalization of the bank."

"Pursuant to the exercise of Article 41.1 in respect of PrivatBank, each of the loans represented by the loan agreements were bailed-in during the temporary administration of PrivatBank. The nationalization of PrivatBank (at which point the temporary administration of PrivatBank ceased) has also occurred on 21 December 2016. Payments under each series of Notes are made on a limited recourse basis to the extent that principal, interest or other amounts are received by the issuer of the Notes under the relevant Loan Agreement and as such where no payments are made under the Loan Agreements following bail-in, no payments will be made under each series of Notes," the NBU said in the press release.

At the same time, the Trustee's Notice says that Clause 17.3.2 of both Trust Deeds provides that, the Trustee is not obliged to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties or the exercise of any right, power, authority or discretion thereunder if it has reasonable grounds for believing the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against, or security for, such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

"In light of the current uncertainty surrounding the borrower and the issuer's financial position and more specifically Clauses 17.3.2 'Expenditure by the Trustee' of both Trust Deeds (as summarized above for ease), any noteholder wishing to provide funding to the Trustee to pay its fees and costs in this matter, which includes the costs of any financial or legal advice the Trustee may require, should contact the Trustee in the manner given below as soon as possible," it said.

PrivatBank had the following notes in issue:

1. US $175 million 10.875% Loan Participation Notes due 28.02.2018;

2. US $200 million 10.25% Loan Participation Notes due 23.01.2018; and

3. US $220 million 11% Loan Participation Notes due 2021.
ASRock Z270 Gaming K6 Fatal1ty

ASRock going high-end on the new Kaby Lake platform

In this review we'll discuss the ASRock Z270 Gaming K6 Fatal1ty in a wide variety of benchmarks and situations with a Core i5 7600K processor. Join us as we review yet another Kaby Lake ready motherboard. This is the all new ASRock Z270 Gaming K6 Fatal1ty edition with nice black/red looks and an AURA RGB LED system that can be controlled from the EUFI BIOS. ASRock enhanced a thing or two on this motherboard, including an easier to tweak environment, dual M2 slots, enhanced audio and two Gigabit jacks from Intel. Kaby Lake processors for the desktop platform have been released and even though you'd think it is an all new chip, it is however merely a respin seen from Skylake, meaning both series processors are Socket 1151. This also means that IF you are in the market for a new series 7000 processor, your H170 or Z170 motherboard can be compatible with Kaby Lake after a motherboard BIOS upgrade. The new series Kaby Lake processors are fairly energy efficient, still as powerful as they have been for years. If you are interested in new technologies like Intel Optane, you will however need to upgrade to a Z270 and H270 range motherboard. This new Z270 platform offers supports for Optane SSDs and offers supports for slightly faster DDR4 memory.



As you are going to find out, Gaming K6 Fatal1ty edition proper looking motherboard with black and red color elements. The motherboard has been fitted with the latest that technology can house like up-to 3866+ MHZ XMP DDR4 memory, the fastest NVMe PCIe and M.2. storage unit support (two of them) and some really nice looks. The K6 thus comes with two M.2. slot. The steel armored PCIe slots pop out, and ASRock improved on the Realtek 1220 audio codec by using Nichicon capacitors for this 7.1 channel audio ready setup, as well as a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Cinema 3 software suite bringing a 120 dB SNR to this platform.





Much like pretty much all other motherboard anno 2017, RGB LEDs are here as well. ASrock once again did it clever though, no nagging forced to load up software in windows, no you can control it from the BIOS. Obviously there is a lot more going on, what we like for example is that this motherboard offers two Intel Gigabit Ethernet jacks. Armed with that Z270 chipset this motherboard offers three x16 slots: 1x PCIe 3.0 x16and three 3.0 x1. But yeah. But let's get on with the review, next page please.




Haiti - FLASH : UNIBANK to acquire Scotiabank operations in Haiti





UNIBANK, Haiti's largest financial institution, announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Scotiabank's operations in Haiti. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.



This transaction will give customers access to a broader suite of products and services as well as a larger branch and ABM network.

As part of the transaction, UNiBANK will make offers of employment to all active employees of Scotia bank in Haiti and will retain all four of its branches. Moreover, Scotiabank will establish a corrcspondent banking relationship with UNIBANK.



"We believe that UNIBANK is the right partner for this transaction given our shared commitment to customer service and its reputation as a top employer," said Jacqueline Sharp, Senior Vice President and Head of the Caribbean North and Central.



"Through this acquisition, UNIBANK will strengthen its market leadership. With four additional branches, it will continue to offer its broad range of products and services to its numerous clients both in Haiti and abroad", said F. Carl Braun, Chairman & CEO of UNIBANK.



Over the next several months, both organizations will be working closely to help ensure a smooth transilion for all employees and customers.



About Scotiabank :

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of$896 billion (as at October 31, 2016).



About UNIBANK :

UNIBANK S.A. is a privately-owned banking corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of Haiti. It operates in the following business segments: retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, remittances, rural and urban micro credit, and insurance. It is Haiti's largest bank, with assets exceeding USD 1.3 billion and shareholder equity of USD 180 million (as of September 30,2016). It ranks among the Top 25 CARICOM banks in assets and equity (Financial Times rankings). UNIBANK and its group of companies provide financial services to approximately 900,000 customers in Haiti and 300,000 Haitians living abroad. It has a market share of deposits and loans of 31.8% and 30.6%, respectively (Central Bank Statistical Report, as of September 30, 2016). The UNIBANK group employs 2,077 persons, and delivers its services through a network of 46 branches and kiosks and more than 2,400 other points of sale and service.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Earthquake 2010 : Statement of the Ambassador of the European Union





Wednesday in the context of the commemoration of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010, European Union Ambassador Vincent Degert expressed his deep solidarity with all the families mourned by this tragedy, the entire population and the Haitian authorities.



"[...] In this day of recollection, it is also useful and relevant to reflect on all the measures that are being taken to strengthen preparedness for natural disasters. In this context, the European Union welcomes the initiative of the authorities to have declared January 12, 2017 'National day of reflection and awareness on the vulnerability of Haiti to the risks and disasters'.



The devastating earthquake of 2010 had brought painful and tragic proof that the preparation was dramatically inadequate. But with a high-risk national territory, from the northern fault to a short distance from Cap Haitien to other fractures that run through the basement of the country such as the Enriquillo fault, the question is unfortunately not whether another earthquake will hit Haiti, but when and to prepare for it.



[...] The European Union, together with its Member States and other international partners, is actively engaged alongside the Haitian authorities and the public in contributing to meeting these challenges of disaster preparedness and capacity building of populations to cope, adapt and recover after a disaster strikes.



These efforts must not only be pursued but redoubled. This is the best way to concretely pay tribute to the victims of January 12, 2010, by showing that we do not forget them and that we are doing what we can to anticipate and reduce as much as possible other tragedies in the future."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - NOTICE : Application for university scholarships HELP





The Haitian Education & Leadership Program (HELP) informs Philo students and bachelors in particular that admission forms are available at its office located at # 4, Rue 5, Pacot, Port-au-Prince (Zone College St Francis of Assisi). Deadline for filing applications on 30 April 2017 at 4h00 p.m.



HELP's mission is to train, through its scholarships, based on merit and need, a community of young professionals and leaders who will promote a more equitable Haitian society. Since 1997, HELP has offered scholarships to young, academically deserving students from disadvantaged stata of society who are unable to enter university. These scholarships are offered at the level of the bachelor's degree in Haitian universities recognized by the Ministry of National Education (MENFP), the Rectorate of UEH and affiliated to the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF). Currently, HELP scholars attend universities and faculties of the following universities: Haiti State University, Center for Planning and Applied Economics (CTPEA), Quisqueya University (UNIQ), Higher Institute of Infotronics of Haiti ( ESIH), University of Notre Dame of Haiti (UNDH).



HELP scholars receive the following support: payment of university tuition fees, loan of books required for their courses, access to their computer lab with Internet access, common housing, monthly financial allowance for food and transport, courses in English, Computer Science and Leadership, accompanying to the production of the dissertation, psycho-social supervision and placement and career services.



Information and required requirements :



Scholars are chosen on the basis of the following two criteria: academic excellence (merit) and low financial means (need).



To ensure the continuity of the program and give the same opportunity to the largest number of students, scholars are required to contribute 15% of their income (15 gourdes out of every 100 gourdes earned) during a period of nine (9) years as soon as they started working.



HELP does not fund medical studies or those at the master's level.



Participation in HELP activities during the orientation period and throughout the academic year is compulsory from Monday to Saturday.



Minimum eligibility requirements :



HELP receives candidates currently in philo and those who have already passed the baccalaureat. However, those currently in Philo can forward their form before the final results of their school and those of the baccalaureate. To be eligible and receive a form, all applicants must total a weighted average of 7.5/10 minimum from the 9th fundamental year to the Rheto. But if the postulant has already completed the class of Philo, the general average of the class of philo will be taken into account.



All applicants must be 22 years of age at the time of application.



Admission Procedures :



Step 1: Go to the HELP office (or a representative of HELP) with its note record from the 9th fundamental year to the Philo accounting for the overall average of 7.5/10 minimum.



Step 2: The first step verified, the candidate will receive an admission form and will have to return it with all the required documents.



For further information :

2943-0760 or 2943-0796 or write to the email address: admissions@uhelp.net



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Commemoration : Message from the Young President of Haiti (GJH)





As part of the 7th anniversary of the earthquake of 12 January 2010, Amos Cincir, the young President of the 3rd Youth Government of Haiti (GJH) at the end of his mandate https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19621-haiti-notice-call-for-candidacy-for-the-4th-youth-government-of-haiti.html delivered a message to the people and the authorities while renewing with sadness his condolences to all those who still mourn the loss of a loved one.



"As a young President of Haiti and on behalf of Young Prime Minister Nathanael Noel and the young ministers of the Youth Government of Haiti, I take this opportunity to share my thoughts with the Haitian community while inviting theHaitian state to better prepare itself to face natural disasters instead of waiting again and again the interventions of NGOs and foreign countries...



[...] January 12, should remain an unforgettable day for the Haitian people and by duty to remember everyone, especially young people, should say no to uncontrolled construction, which are largely responsible for this tragedy, but also learn from this fateful date.



7 years after this tragedy, there is every reason to be worried. The progress made in terms of improving the living conditions of the population, particularly the disadvantaged and a real reconstruction, is so insignificant that they are almost invisible.



In order to avoid possible disasters, the Haitian authorities are required to take the necessary security measures for a better management of the city through the implementation of a modern land and sea transport system and a policy for construction of houses and road infrastructure.



[...] I strongly encourage all the actors who say that Haiti comes before their personal interests to collaborate [...] because it is now that we must decide the protection of our loved ones and our property. Haiti is our country, we must take care of it. To quote Martin Luther King : 'The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people'.



Through this thought, I invite every Haitian to get involved and show a willingness to live together with the pride of being Haitian. I invite civil society organizations, the private sector and international institutions to step up their efforts to get Haiti out of this appalling situation...



May God bless you and comfort the Haitian people!



Amos Cincir, Young President"



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Only obstacle for receiving second tranche of EU macrofinancial aid is lifting timber exports ban

Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has said that the only obstacle for receiving the new tranche of EUR 600 million of macrofinancial assistance from the European Union (EU) by Ukraine is lifting the ban on exports of round timber.

"This is the only issue blocking the receiving of more assistance from the EU by Ukraine, macrofinancial assistance, not credits," she said on Channel 5 TV.

She said that this is EUR 600 million.

She said that after introducing the moratorium on exports of round timber Ukraine has violated its liabilities under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and under the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.

Klympush-Tsintsadze said that the moratorium is not effective today, as forests are being cut, and timber is exported after changing the purpose of its use.

She said that at present she does not see a possibility of lifting the moratorium in the Verkhovna Rada, as the issue has been politicized.




Haiti - FLASH : The Embassy of Canada victim of fraud in Haiti





An investigation by the Canadian government, which began after the first suspicions of fraud in 2015, just revealed that the Embassy of Canada in Haiti had been the victim of fraud between 2004 and 2016 for an estimated amount of nearly $2 million.



Among the techniques used by fraudsters, the investigation revealed, among other things, overcharged amounts at the mission, theft of goods stored in Ambassade's premises, embezzlement of goods for the mission and collusion between employees and businesses.



Following this investigation, according to our sources at least 15 employees of the Embassy, locally hired would have been fired. The administrative inquiry is continuing. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) could in turn investigate these frauds, which could lead to criminal charges.



To be continued...



TB/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





The National School Dufailly burned down

The National School Dufailly (Complete Fundamental) in Grande Riviere du Nord, was burned and totally destroyed in the night of 10 to 11 January 2017 by unidentified unknowns. The Ministry deplores this criminal act...



The CEP without opinion on Guy Philippe

Concerning the case of the elected Senator of Grande Anse Guy Philippe, arrested and extradited to the United States on 5 January https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) said that for now it has no taked opinion or position in this case, pointing out that until now, Senator Guy Phlippe had not been tried or convicted until now https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19731-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-the-charges-are-known-appearing-on-january-13-2017.html



More than 31,000 candidates in the local elections

More than 31,000 candidates, including 38.92% of women, will take part in local elections on 29 January. There will also be 8 senators participating in the second game (2 having won from the first round). In addition, 75,725 representatives were registered by the political parties.



24 new deputies

The powers of 24 deputies were validated Tuesday evening in plenary session in the Lower House, before the formation of the new Bureau of the Chamber https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19769-haiti-politics-new-bureau-in-the-lower-house-blockade-in-the-senate.html



Requiem mass

This Thursday morning, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security organized a Requiem Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Turgeau to commemorate the disappearance of 26 members of the Ministry's staff during the January 2010 earthquake.



Follow-up of the preparations of the January 29 poll

The preparations are going well for the organization of local elections and the second round of the third of the Senate on 29 January. Sensitive materials are expected to arrive in Haiti on 18 and 21 January, confirmed Uder Antoine, the Executive Director of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), adding that the distribution of non-sensitive materials is underway in different regions of the country.



Grand Concert Philharmonic

As part of the commemorative activities of the earthquake of January 12, 2010, the Regional Office North of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries invites you to a great concert on January 14 at 5:00 pm at the heritage site of the Palais Sans Souci in Cap-Haitien under the theme "Peace and Reconciliation", with the Philharmonic Orchestras of Yale and Cornell Universities (USA) and the Holy Trinity Orchestra. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19753-haiti-social-commemoration-activities-in-memory-of-the-disappeared.html



For information and reservations : 2811-3090 / 4743-5566



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Kat Jamieson is an author and tastemaker who has been sharing her passion for lifestyle topics such as fashion, decor, travel, and cooking since 2011 on her blog: With Love From Kat. Her first book, Blended, was recently released in October. In this book, Kat shares a seasonally inspired and holistic approach to cooking, as well as her take on entertaining and living well. She shares more than 125 recipes that have helped her to feel energized, vibrant, and balanced. Aside from these nourishing recipes, Kat also discusses how she has obtained a truly balanced and...
Published on 2017/01/11 | Source

It looks like group SS501 member and actor Kim Hyun-joong's damages suit with his ex-girlfriend is going to take more time.

Advertisement

The Seoul High Court No. 32 Civil Affairs Division held an appeal for damages on the 11th at 2.20PM. The Choi and Kim lawyers put up a fierce fight. It also turns out Choi was charged with defamation by publications and attempted fraud by the prosecutions.

Choi explained her appeal ad said, "The cost of damages went down from 1,600 million won to 700 million. In the process of the two people involved seeing and drifting far apart from each other, Kim's parents tried to manipulate her to get rid of the baby and inflicted mental illness. It was also let known to media that Kim paid 600 million won in settlement, which breaches the credit clause".

Kim stated that Choi claimed she was pregnant when she actually wasn't. Kim believed her but she'd fooled him. Then she claimed that the baby was lost due to his assault and came out strongly against him. As a celebrity figure who was about to join the military, this inflicted tremendous mental instability on him.

On this day, it came to attention that Choi was charged with defamation by publications and attempted fraud by the prosecutions. Right after the trial, Kim met with reporters and said, "It looks like the prosecutors decided Choi's action of interviewing that she'd lost the baby because of my assault and filing a claim for damages was a crime".

The justice court checked out this matter and said this damages trial needs to be proceeded according to the charges of defamation by publications and attempted fraud. The second trial will be announced later on.

Previously in August last year, Choi had pressed damage charges on Kim. In the first trial, the court ruled for Choi to give compensation of 100 million to Kim. The claim of the plaintiff and the defendant has been dismissed". Choi submitted a petition of appeal on the same month and so did Kim Hyun-joong.

Meanwhile, Choi had a son in September of 2015 and clarified that the DNA tested matched his.
U.S. response to Russia's actions in Ukraine is weak - Tillerson

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state Rex Tillerson has said that response of the United State to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is weak.

He gave his opinion speaking in the Senate during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Tillerson said that sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 did not help to stop Russia from invading eastern Ukraine.

Asked if military force should have been used in the situation when Russia took Crimea, Tillerson said that the presences of military force on the border would have helped to understand that after taking Crimea they should stop and not to go further.
Vandalized memorial to Poles in Ukrainian village to be restored with help of Polish side

The Lviv regional council will address the restoration of a memorial to Poles killed during WWII in the village of Huta Peniatska (Huta Pieniacka) in the Lviv region at its next session, Lviv regional council deputy head Volodymyr Hyrniak said.

"We'll work on a mechanism for restoring the memorial together with the Polish side. I am not sure this can be done before February 28, when people come to commemorate the dead," the city council press service quoted Hyrniak as saying.

At the same time, the fact that Ukrainian monuments have also been ruined in Polish territory deserves attention as well, he said.

Hyrniak doubted that the memorial could have been ruined by locals. "What we see here, what's been done by vandals couldn't have been done with a sledgehammer. It rather looks like a blast. And this was done by certain forces that don't want Ukrainian-Polish mutual understanding," Hyrniak said.

It emerged on January 10 that unidentified individuals had partially ruined a monument to Polish residents of Huta Pieniacka killed during WWII.

Preliminary reports of law enforcement officials indicate that a memorial cross was destroyed, and the tombstones carrying the names of the slain villagers were painted in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and a red-and-black flag. SS lettering was also painted on one of the tombstones.

The village of Huta Pieniacka inhabited by Poles was exterminated in February 1944. Historians have differing accounts of those events. Most Ukrainian historians believe the village had been annihilated by German troops, while Polish historians tend to believe that a unit of the Waffen SS Galicia (Halychyna) Division was responsible for the slayings.
Josie Franca, a fourth-grade student in Ms. Monica Parsons class at Westwood Elementary in Ashe County, met with NC House Representative Jonathan Jordan, on Thursday Jan. 5, 2017. Josie shared with Representative Jordan her Bill Proposal for School Safety Issues.

Rep. Jordan said, I was very impressed with her thoughtfulness and knowledge of the Bill Process.

Ms. Parsons, said that Josie had arrived at this idea on her own, presented it to Ms. Robinson the principal at Westwood, and received permission from her parents John and Fran Franca to visit Representative Jordan at his District Office in Jefferson.

A fourth grader at Westwood loved learning about how our NC government works. She wanted to do something that would benefit all of the elementary students across our state. Ashe County teachers do an awesome job supervising students at recess, and playing rough is never allowed, Parsons said. She wanted to write a bill to make sure all elementary schools in our state have these same rules in place so that students wont get hurt. Today she met with Representative Jonathan Jordan to present her idea. He listened to all of her thoughts ,and he said that he would talk to other school systems to ensure that there were rules in place to keep all students safe. We are very proud of Josie and her drive to make North Carolina schools the best in the nation.

Representative Jordan always welcomes students and is excited to meet with those interested in State Government. He invited Ms. Parsons along with any other fourth grade classes in Ashe and Watauga Counties, to contact him when they are planning a trip to Raleigh, and he will be honored to give them a guided tour.

Representative Jordan serves the 93rd District of North Carolina, Ashe and Watauga Counties.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Reddit

Pocket


By Jessica Isaacs | [email protected]

Photos by Ken Ketchie

Friends across Avery County kicked off a new year Wednesday night with a favorite tradition  the Banner Elk Chambers annual dinner at Stonewalls restaurant. The evening began with fellowship and a meal at the restaurant, which is now under new ownership, as the ceremony began.

With Chamber President Jo-Ann McMurray out sick, her husband Tom asked local resident Roy Krege (whos always quick to step up and help out) to read the remarks and announce the winner of this years Person of the Year Award. Although the recipients name would be a surprise to him, too, Krege was more than willing to take the microphone, as he almost always does at local functions.

Were all involved, each one of us, one way or another, day in and day out, in making Banner Elk the place to be. This is not to say this years selection was difficult. In fact, it was quite easy, Krege said to the crowd. This person is the epitome of our town booster and someone that can be relied upon when something needs to be done. Our board is quite certain that everyone here tonight will consider this years honoree a well-deserved addition to the honor roll of past recipients.

McMurray passed him the plaque, and Krege continued, We are pleased to announce that the recipient of this years Frank Watts Person of the Year Award is  

When he read his own name listed as the recipient, the crowd erupted in laughter and applause as Krege remarked, Thats a dirty trick.

The roomful of friends and neighbors enjoyed time together over another great dinner at Stonewalls, thanks to new owners Scott Garland and Chef Tim Heschke, as well as updates on local chamber happenings and sharing words of encouragement and appreciation with the Krege family.

Chamber Vice President Deka Tate said to the group:

Roy Kreges impact on the Banner Elk community is massive and integrated into the very fabric of life in the town. Roy picks up trash along the highways to maintain the attractiveness of the town. Roy takes woolly worms into the local schools to excite children about the upcoming festival. Roy has driven thousands of miles from early August to late September to promote the Woolly Worm Festival, even getting Paul Harveys attention during one of his radio broadcasts.

Roy dresses in pink to support the Cancer Resource Center at Cannon Hospital. During charitable auctions, Roy gets bidders to offer $40 for a $20 item. He was at every summer concert in the park, verbally jesting with members of the audience. He was at every summer theatre production at Lees-McRae College, organizing the evening for a smooth performance and selling candy bars during intermission.

There is no good stopping place when trying to tell the personal good works of Roy Krege  the list is long and varied. The evening of Jan. 11, 2017 will mark just one additional attempt by a grateful community to say, Thanks, Roy. Its good to know you and call you friend.

In recent years, the realities of a heart condition have convinced Krege that its time to pass the torch on some of his self-appointed responsibilities around town, but hell always be Mr. Banner Elk.

Im very honored by it. Humbled by it. At this stage in my life I certainly would not have expected that, Krege said. Maybe theres some advantage to going through all these heart problems and everything? Maybe they just thought, If were going to ever do anything for this guy, we better do it now before its too late. Ive come along way, and were feeling pretty good about it.

A Servants Heart

A lot of good can happen during a span of five decades, and it certainly has in the community of Banner Elk thanks to beloved local resident Roy Krege, whose kind heart, benevolent spirit and proclivity for service have earned him a reputation as ambassador for all that is good in Avery County.

If youve spent any time at all in the Banner Elk area, chances are youve happened upon the legend himself, and he was likely sporting the color pink for cancer awareness or a suit donned with woolly worms when you did. If youre a regular around town, youve probably been blessed to know him in one way or another, and he probably calls you a friend.

Lovingly known as both Mr. Banner Elk and Mr. Woolly Worm, Kreges had a hand in nearly every fundraiser, service project, nonprofit program, community outreach, awareness project and local event in the area since he moved here with his wife, Marion, in the late 1960s. He joined the family of Banner Elk, jumped right in and never looked back, and the High Country is undoubtedly a better place because of it.

His friends and neighbors literally cannot say enough about the humble man who continually captures the hearts of an entire community.

The Kreges made Avery County their home in 1968 when Roy began his venerable career at Lees-McRae College, where he served in a variety of directorships and vice presidencies covering arenas like business affairs, financial aid, institutional development, alumni relations and more. Over the years, he and Marion also became heavily involved in the colleges summer theatre program, a family of which theyre still very much a part to this day.

I have known Roy for almost 40 years. Our journey began at Lees-McRae when he was one of the vice presidents and is current now, as he is in charge of several areas of Lees-McRae Summer Theatre, said Janet Speer, the programs artistic director. I have yet to meet a person so driven to serve. I do believe his brain is fully wired to creatively seek out ways to meet the needs of family and community.

He also joined the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk, where his servants heart felt right at home in a local branch of the international mission to improve the lives of children around the world. For Krege, no task is too big or too small if it means a chance to make a difference.

In all things that bring people together  community, school, college, hospital or even an orphanage  Roy is there. He will spend hours gathering money for the Kiwanis duck race, or pour your coffee as you dine at a benefit. He will emcee community concerts, or call a square dance for school children, said Speer. His work seems bottomless, much like his heart.

I would be remiss if I did not also say that his wife, Marion, is not only his support, but also travels with him on most all of these journeys. She is truly part of his mission. To add to that, their three children are three of the kindest people I know  all live to serve, taking their cue from their father and mother. Avery County was truly blessed when Roy and Marion decided to make their home here.

When he earned the Kiwanis organizations prestigious Walter Zeller Fellowship in April 2016, Krege said, As a Kiwanian, I can put good works into my belief that to be great in Gods kingdom you need to be the servant of all.

Mr. Woolly Worm

His active role in the Kiwanis Club led to heavy involvement in the annual Woolly Worm Festival in downtown Banner Elk, which was established in 1973 by Jim Morton, editor of the now defunct Mountain Living Magazine and son of Grandfather Mountain developer Hugh Morton.

When the Kiwanians and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce took the reigns in the late 70s, Krege took over as festival emcee and hes been doing it ever since. Hes spent countless hours and traveled many miles to help promote the festival, the community and its local businesses, and his devotion to the project (along with his signature woolly worm suit and hat) have earned him his title.

On stage at the festival last October, Krege announced to the crowd that he was officially retiring from his role as Mr. Woolly Worm and would pass the reigns to his right hand man, Adam Binder, whos also been dubbed Mr. Woolly Worm in Training.

I moved to the High Country back in 2009 and was just looking for a way to get involved, and I found it through the Kiwanis Club and the Woolly Worm festival as a volunteer, Binder said. I realized in very short order that the person I wanted to emulate more in my life was Roy Krege. From top to bottom, he lives to help other people.

I realized that if something was going on in Banner Elk or surrounding areas and I showed up, Roy would be the focal point, whether he was the emcee or just participating. I started to show up where he was and started talking to him and his wife, Marion, about how I could help. He might be the emcee for many events, but people dont realize hes always the first person to show up and the last person to leave, picking up things from the grass as he leaves. Hes not just the guy on the microphone.

Grandfather Academy

Krege is also known for his active work at the Grandfather Home for Children, where he joined as assistant director in 1995 after serving at Lees-McRae for many years. At the time, he worked closely with fellow Kiwanian Jim Swinkola, who was acting CEO of the ministry at the time.

I was fortunate enough to be CEO when Roy came in as Assistant Director. At that time, he had already established the Mr. Woolly Worm title for himself; such that when the local newspaper, The Avery Journal, came to do a story on his joining the staff, the headline was Mr. Woolly Worm Joins Grandfather Home, Swinkola said. Roy worked literally 20 feet away from me. My office was just across the hallway.

Not only was Krege a staunch advocate for the Grandfather Home and the children it served, his heart for people made him a true representative of its mission to create a kinder, better world for people in the community.

Roy has a remarkable talent and a remarkable characteristic for paying attention to the inner feelings of people, and I admire him for that. That is not something God gave me a great gift for, so there was a perfect balance, said Swinkola. If you were looking at it like a teeter totter, my decisions were based on data and crunching a lot of numbers to try to move forward. Roy would always be there to support the staff and the children and he kind of kept that balance  he was the perfect counterweight for me, in my opinion.

He paid a lot of attention to the people things. He was always well liked, always making jokes, always knew whose birthday was about to happen, and, if a staff member had a sick child, he would do something to help that sick child. That kind of person orientation, that people sensitivity, was his greatest strength and it just permeates everything Roy Krege.

During his time at Grandfather Home, Krege also led the effort to establish the ministrys on-site academic program, the Grandfather Academy.

There was a major, major controversy when the school system refused admission to the children who were residents at Grandfather Home into their schools, Swinkola said. Turns out that, exactly at that point in time, North Carolina was establishing charter schools, so we were first in line for a charter school application and Roy was the principal and director of Grandfather Academy, one of North Carolinas first 32 charter schools.

His education background was put to good use in the establishment of the academy. Meanwhile, down the road in Crossnore, Kreges other half was making strides of her own.

While Roy was the principal of the charter school, his wife Marion was the principal of the charter school at Crossnore School, said Swinkola. So, this husband-and-wife team had the two charter schools in Avery County under their command and directorship.

Although now retired from the Academy, Kreges role as an administrator, educator and champion for children will forever tell an important part of the story of the academy and the Grandfather Home for Children, which has since been merged with the Barium Springs organization to form Childrens Hope Alliance.

A Legacy of Love

No matter who you ask or how they know Roy Krege, anyone whos crossed his path will agree that hes one of a kind, and the legacy that hes created is just as special and unique.

I started helping Roy with the festival in 2010, and the next year I assumed a title that I gave myself as Mr. Woolly Worm in Training. My line has always been that I would love to keep that in-training title for 20-30 more years, said Binder. The reason I love doing it so much is because I get to do it alongside Roy.

The Banner Elk Chambers Man of the Year Award is one of many recognitions hes received for his service over the years, but those who have seen is heart in action agree that there could never be reward enough to repay Roy Krege for what he has done for the community.

He will always tell you its about God, family and community. Hes very faithful with his church and religious beliefs and his family is the number one priority in his life, Binder said. Hes got amazing kids and grandkids and he does everything for them. Then, theres his community. I always ask him, When do you have time for you? but those three things are so engrained in who he is.

The story of Roy Krege is a truly inspiring tale, and all who call the High Country their home are blessed by his lifes work and the example he continues to set for us all.

He could probably be considered for every type of award youre giving in any context. He truly is special. Hes more than Mr. Banner Elk, more than Mr. Woolly Worm, and his selfless nature is the main reason, said Binder. Nothing is about him at all. If something was made about him, hed shy away from it. I remember that I emceed a roast in his honor many years ago, and we had to cut so many segments of it out because he does so many things that you cant even calculate it.

The title of Mr. Banner Elk is in his DNA. Hes totally selfless  its always about the cause or the people or the area. Thats just what he does. Congratulations, Roy, this is well deserved.

Continue reading to see what more of Kreges friends and neighbors have to say about this Person of the Year and scroll for more photos of Roy doing what he loves to do  serving the community.

Im the pastor here at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. Ive been here for 15 years, so Ive known Roy all this time. He is probably the most service-oriented person that I have ever known. Three years prior to becoming pastor here I was a member for three years, so in 18 years worth of observation I can say that serving people is his comfort zone. Helping others is his lifes mission and thats the place that he seems to be most happy and most powerful. His lifetime of service has more than qualified him to be recognized as man of the year. Hes a man of faith and has a deep-rooted sense of connecting his serving others to his belief in Christ, and I believe thats a big part of why he does it. He believes thats the way God would have him live. I really admire him and his family. They have shown themselves to be the kind of people to follow in his footsteps and he has made a real impact on our church and our community, and were a better place because of that.

 The Rev. George Wright

I have known Roy for as long as we have been here, which has been more than 30 years. Ive known him more as a friend and a fellow Kiwanian, and I have always been impressed by his devotion to the concept of service. He takes that concept very seriously, and he does not hesitate to tell others to take serve very seriously. He manages to do all of that by managing not to take himself very seriously, and hes always joking and jesting and having fun with people; but the root of his being is still service, and thats just a neat thing to be able to say about a person.

 Ann Swinkola

Ive lived here since June 2005 and anytime theres an event or fundraiser in Banner Elk or surrounding areas, Roys always a part of it helping through the process. At many fundraisers hes front and center, and he also started the summer concert series in Banner Elk. If theres a fundraiser going on, hes promoting it. Hes a hard act to follow. Even those of us who do volunteer work will only ever accomplish a small fraction of what hes been able to do. Thats his legacy.

 John Heinlein

I have never met a person with more dedication to his community, and with his dedication we all benefit. Hes made volunteering fun and hes been a role model for others. I met him when I first moved up to the High Country in the early 80s and we went to church together, Kiwanis together and I got to know him professionally through the chamber. I just think the world of him, and we even share the same birthday. I could have grown u p to be like Roy, but theres no way I could do it with his style and grace  and he is older than me. Weve got big shoes to fill, that is for sure, and were all better served by knowing Roy.

 Kathy Boone

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Reddit

Pocket


Kyiv's business court of appeals upheld the ruling of a court of lower instance declaring valid the agreement to introduce the mobile number portability (MNP) service between SI Center and the Ukrainian State Center of Radio Frequencies (UCRF).

"This is a great leap from vagueness society saw for almost one year. With pleasure we start executing the court ruling and the agreement. Each Ukrainian will be able to feel all advantages and opportunities of the MNP service this year," UCRF Executive Director Vadym Hulko wrote on his Facebook page.

He told Interfax-Ukraine that according to the agreement, from the moment of the court decision SI Center has 85 days to launch the MNP service.

"In three months  tentatively in April  we expect that the MNP service will be launched in the test mode," he said.

Hulko said that UCRF would do its best, including in relations with mobile operators, so that all mobile communications user are able to use the service soon after the test launch.

As reported, late October Dialink LLC decided to challenge a ruling of Kyiv's business court dated October 21, 2016 declared valid the agreement to introduce the MNP service.

UCRF on January 25, 2016 chose Dialink LLC to buy software and equipment required to introduce the MNP service. SI Center that was not allowed to participate in the assessment phase of the tender but filed the cheapest bid and its partner Teletech successfully challenged the results of the tender in Ukraine's Antimonopoly Committee.

UCRF decided not to challenge the committee and stuck to all its recommendations. SI Center was announced the winner of the tender on April 21.
Klimkin to visit Myanmar, Brunei and Singapore in next few days

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin is making the first in the history of bilateral relations visit to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on January 11-13, 2017.

The goal of Klimkin's visit to Myanmar is to intensify political dialogue, discuss perspective directions of bilateral cooperation, deepen cooperation in the international arena, as well as to exchange of views on topical international and regional issues, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on its official Facebook page on Wednesday.

"During the visit Klimkin is scheduled to meet with President of Myanmar Htin Kyaw, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as the commander of the Myanmar Armed Forces Min Aung Hlaing," the report says.

In addition, on January 13-14, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister will be in Brunei Darussalam "to resume the political dialogue at the highest level, discuss ways of bringing bilateral relations to a new level, as well as to strengthen cooperation in international and regional organizations."

The program of the visit to Brunei will include a meeting with Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadi Bill Bolkiah, the second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lim Jock Seng and the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Dato Ali Apong.

Then Klimkin is to pay a visit to Singapore on January 15-16.

"The purpose of the visit is to maintain the dynamics of the political dialogue, intensification of economic and investment cooperation, the establishment of cooperation in the humanitarian and scientific and technical spheres," the Foreign Ministry said.

In Singapore Klimkin will hold talks with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and Home Affairs Minister of the Republic of Singapore K Shanmugam.

In addition, Klimkin will deliver speech at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and will exchange views with leading political scientists and experts of Singapore.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister is also scheduled to meet with the Ukrainian community of Singapore.
Motorists will not be subjected to tracking without their consent, she assures in a press release from the Ministry of Transport and Communications .

Anne Berner (Centre), the Minister of Transport and Communications, has dispelled concerns aroused by her proposal to equip road vehicles with tracking systems as part of the mooted introduction of road-use charges.

There has been a lot of discussion about tracking vehicles as part of [introducing the road-use] charges. It is not our intent to track citizens. A system of time-based charges would not require a tracking system, states Berner.

Motorists, she underlines, would be able to decide whether or not to transition to distance-based charges.

Packages of kilometre-based charges could be later offered to motorists alongside [the time-based charges]. The data security and privacy protection of a system of kilometre-based charges would be guaranteed under the law, says Berner.

The idea of tracking road vehicles by equipping them with the so-called black boxes has aroused data security concerns among the public.

Janne Paalijarvi, a member of the Pirate Party of Finland, recently revealed that he has detected a data security flaw in one of the black boxes currently on the market, prompting the manufacturer in question to admit that the location data collected by the box were freely available on the Internet.

It was a mistake to put it plainly, Borje Nummelin, the managing director of Semelin, told Tivi.

Berner has yet to respond to requests for a comment from Uusi Suomi.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications will publish its proposal for developing the transport network on 19 January, 2017. The ministry has, for example, explored the possibility of founding a state-owned company to maintain and develop the transport infrastructure in order to reduce the financial burden on state coffers.

Unless we address the current situation, our maintenance backlog will grow further, new transport projects will stall and our ability to receive EU funding for transport investments will deteriorate further, explains Berner.

The state-owned company would fund its operations by, for example, introducing road and other user charges.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has assured that the costs of motorists would not increase because the new charges would be offset by cuts in transport-related taxes, such as the vehicle tax.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Prymorsky District Court of Odesa on January 11, 2017 suspended order of Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry No. 1-o dated January 6, 2017 reshuffling acting head of the state-run enterprise Ukrainian Sea Port Authority until the decision in this civil case is made.

Acting Head of Ukrainian Sea Port Authority Yuriy Nakonechny filed the claim.

Earlier the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority said that on January 10, 2017 the authority received Infrastructure Ministry order dismissing Nakonechny from the post of acting head of the authority and appointing Serhiy Hronsky to the post. The document was signed by the director of the communications and analytical department of the ministry.

The authority saw some infringements in the document. According to the law on the civil service and the law on the central executive power agencies, only the secretary of the ministry is authorized to appoint and dismiss heads of enterprises managed by the ministry. According to government resolution dated December 28, 2016, Andriy Halushcak was appointed secretary of the Infrastructure Ministry.

In addition, the authority said that the tasks of the communications and analytical department and its director is drawing up of draft documents and operating decisions, materials, orders and instructions of top managers and fill in the website of the ministry.

The press service of Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reported that Latvian citizens and port specialists Raivis Veckagans will be appointed acting chairman of state-run enterprise Ukrainian Sea Port Authority.

"Despite many attempts of the government and Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine to normalize operations of the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority, this enterprise is the example of inefficiency, corruption and abuse of power. There are many questions about management of the authority. There was no larger resistance of top managers of the enterprise to any proposals of the ministry to settle its operations. We are reshuffling top managers of the Sea Port Authority. This will be a first step in the large-scale reform of the maritime sector," Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said.

He said that he announced the changes early December 2016.

"Maybe, this induced the top managers we are reshuffling to add bonuses of UAH 700,000-1.5 million per person for December. These are only official bonuses. We can only imagine the scale of abuse of office at the state-run enterprise," the minister said.

He also said that the ministry appointed Hronsky acting chairman of the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority to normalize the operation of the enterprise.
Twink can keep her 1.2m home after she paid off 18,000 of mortgage arrears.

The veteran panto star had been forced to put the Georgian property in Knocklyon on the market before Christmas after a court battle with Start Mortgages.

However, the Circuit Civil Court yesterday heard that Twink, whose real name is Adele King, had cleared 18,000 in arrears, a move that returned control of Idrone House to her.

Barrister Shaula Connaughton-Deeny told Judge Jacqueline Linnane that repossession proceedings against King and her estranged husband, David Agnew, could be struck out.

Ms Connaughton-Deeny said King had paid off all mortgage repayment arrears and her client, Start Mortgages, no longer required her to sell her home or for the bank to obtain a possession order against it.

The court heard that Twink had paid off the debt, as joint defendant Agnew had not been engaging with the bank and had not been living in the property.

Judge Linnane had earlier heard that Agnew was aware of the proceedings but had to be served with the legal writ at his place of work, the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, on Rathmines Road, Dublin.

When the bank issued proceedings against the couple it was owed about 250,000 overall, including the 18,000 arrears, the hearing was told.

Value

Twink's clearance of the arrears means she continues to own her home and will return to making monthly repayments of 209.80 on the remaining mortgage.

The last known market value of Idrone House - which has its own priest hole - was 1.2m.

Twink gave a newspaper interview about the "proposed sale" of her house, but when the proceedings were last mentioned before Judge Linnane last month, Ms Connaughton-Deeny said there had been confusion as to whether or not the property had actually been publicly advertised for sale.

She said that an online search on the day before the December hearing had not shown it to be on the market, other than what had been reported in the press.

Twink's solicitor, Mark Doyle, had told that hearing that according to a property agent there was a strong interest by potential buyers.

A property industry professional told the Herald yesterday that although the house never went on the open market, there had been potential buyers lined up who were "very interested" in it.

"It was ready to go and a list of potential viewers was lined up but it was never put on view. The house never went on the online property sites either," the source said.

Judge Linnane struck out possession proceedings against Twink and Agnew.

No mention was made in court with regard to legal costs attached to the drawn-out proceedings and numerous court hearings.
Over the past day the militants opened fire on positions of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 62 times in the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) zone, the press-service of the ATO staff said.

In particular, in the sector of Mariupol the militants fired Krasnohorivka and Maryinka using 120 mm and 82 mm calibers mortars, while Pavlopil, Hnutove, Hranytne, Vodiane, Novohryhorivka, Shyrokyne, Talakivka and Maryinka were fired by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

In the Luhansk sector the enemy shelled Troyitske with 122 mm caliber artillery, Novozvanivka and Troyitske - with the use of 120-mm mortars and 82 mm grenade launchers, Krymske - with large-caliber machine guns and weapons of infantry combat vehicles and Stanytsia Luhanska - with small arms.

In the Donetsk sector militants fired vicinities of Avdiyivka, Zaitseve, Novhorodske and Troyitske applying mortars of 120 mm and 82 mm calibers, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms were used to attack Avdiyivka, Mayorske, Pivnichne, Novoselivka Druha, Zalizne, Verkhniotoretske and Zaitseve, weapons of infantry combat vehicles fired at Avdiyivka. In addition, a sniper was shooting at Opytne.

As a result of the shelling, one soldier has been killed, four soldiers have been wounded and one - injured.
A dedicated garda unit is trawling through various social media platforms in an effort to prevent the online organisation of mass street brawls.

One of the country's most senior garda officers has said fights organised on websites such as Facebook "are a recurring problem" for gardai in the capital.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Jack Nolan, who is responsible for policing in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), added that investigations would continue into the organisation of mass brawls through social media.

It comes after four youths were arrested following a mass public order incident involving more than 200 teenagers in the north inner city on St Stephen's Day.

Youths gathered on Mary Street and surrounding streets throughout the day, with viol- ence erupting shortly after 5pm.

A number of people were assaulted, while some shopkeepers on the street were forced to pull down their shutters.

"With regards to social media fights, certainly I am aware of the incident happening on Henry Street and Mary Street on St Stephen's Day," Mr Nolan told the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

"I have people actually continuing to trawl through social media for any indication of anything like that.

"A number of people have been arrested in relation to what happened on St Stephen's Day and other investigations are continuing.

"It is not a new problem, it's a recurring problem periodically, but we will keep on top of that."

The specialist garda unit is also used to monitor the social media accounts of known criminals to detect any unusual or suspicious behaviour.

Riot

Rival gangs of teenagers, totalling more than 200 youths, were involved in the "mini riot" on St Stephen's Day, which was arranged through Facebook.

Two groups of teens, mainly from Blanchardstown and Tallaght, arranged the bust-up, and a number of fights were filmed and shown on Snapchat.

City councillor Nial Ring, a member of the Dublin Central JPC, previously told the Herald: "More gardai are needed on the streets now. Businesspeople are trying to make a living and young people can't be allowed to be running around out of control.

"There are 130 fewer gardai on the beat in the city centre because of cutbacks.

"Gardai can't effectively police these mass activities without proper manpower."

Mr Ring also said gardai in the north inner city would need to liaise with colleagues from the areas where the teenagers originate, while continuing to trawl social media.

"Gardai will need to monitor Facebook and Snapchat to identify the perpetrators and liaise with their colleagues in Tallaght and Blanchardstown," he said.

City councillor and former Lord Mayor Christy Burke, who is also on the policing committee, said: "Gardai in the inner city are already very busy policing the gangland feuds without having to deal with something like this as well.

"This behaviour could get more out of hand if other young people start to follow suit. Gardai have to deal with this problem rapidly."
OSCE SMM records over 300 truce breaches in Donbas during New Year holidays

Fighting continued in Donbas during the New Year and Christmas holidays, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) Principal Deputy Chief Monitor in Ukraine Alexander Hug said.

SMM monitors recorded ceasefire violations in all of the 'hot spots' on January 7, Hug said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday. In particular, 40 explosions of projectiles fired with grenade launchers, two explosions in the air and 56 explosions of unknown origin were recorded near the populated localities of Hnutove and Pyschevyk.

All in all, monitors recorded 336 ceasefire breaches from January 2 to January 8, 2017, Hug said, adding that half of them occurred in the Svitlodarsk area.

Truce breaches were also reported near Mariupol, Horlivka and at the Avdiyivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport sector, he said.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko during a visit to Odesa region has said he decided to appoint Maksym Stepanov as a new Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, who won the competition for occupying the post at the end of 2016.

"Today I have decided to appoint a person, who won the competition for occupying the post of the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Maksym Stepanov," Poroshenko said during the introduction of the new head of the Odesa Regional State Administration to the region's leaders in Odessa on Thursday afternoon.

The president said he sets high hopes on Stepanov, especially in those areas where the previous management of the Odesa Regional State Administration failed to achieve the results.

In particular, the president has called on a new head of the regional administration to promote business development in the region, creation of workplaces, ensure the fight against crime in cooperation with the Prosecutor's Office, the Security Service and the police.

Poroshenko particularly asked Stepanov to keep operating the center of administrative services opened by former Head of the state administration Mikheil Saakashvili.

The president also asked the deputies, officials of various departments, entrepreneurs and security forces officers help and support the new leadership of the Odesa Regional State Administration.

In late December 2016, Stepanov, occupying the post of Director of state-run Ukraina Polygraph Combine printing and publishing plant, won the contest for the post of the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration. Once the results had been announced on the air of the 'First City's' Odesa TV channel, Stepanov said that he would start with the "restoration of manageability of the region." Among the priorities in his work he called the development of the tourism potential of the region, the fight against crime, the development of the regional economy as a whole.

On December 21 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the appointment of Stepanov as the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration.

Stepanov has experience in a number of commercial structures, including in Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the State Tax Administration of Ukraine. From 2008 until 2010 he had been serving as the deputy head of the Odessa Regional State Administration. Since 2011 he had been managing the state-run Ukraina Polygraph Combine printing and publishing plant which specializes in printing passports, driving licenses, excise stamps, etc.

As reported, on November 7, 2016 Mikheil Saakashvili announced his resignation as head of the Odesa Regional Administration. He said that he was leaving his post because he was tired of constant deception and corruption, including from authorities in Kyiv. On November 9 the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers authorized the dismissal of Saakashvili from the post of the head of Odesa Regional State Administration.

In the evening on November 9, Poroshenko dismissed Mikheil Saakashvili from his post and from the post of non-regular advisor to the president of Ukraine.

Since then the region had been governed by Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Solomia Bobrovska.
Upcoming changes in the area of land relations, as well as improvement of tax legislation in the land sector will be developed with the assistance of international partners of Ukraine and members of the public, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"We will introduce farmland turnover. Besides, same taxes should be applied to land owned by the state and land in private ownership," the head of state said at a meeting with local authorities of southern regions of Ukraine in Odesa on Thursday.

Poroshenko also noted that they were working on improving the administration of tax laws in land relations. He said advice would be sought from international partners and the public on this matter.

As reported, referring to a memorandum of cooperation signed by Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, the Ukrainian government sought adoption of a bill on farmland turnover by late December 2016. Instead, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada extended the moratorium on the sale of farmland imposed in 2002 until 2018.

According to the law on the national budget for 2017 posted on the Verkhovna Rada's website, executive agencies, the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences as well as national sectoral academies of science are to ensure the lease of state-owned land parcels on tender basis.
State police: Man found dead by suspected drug lab in Smithsburg area

The Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a Smithsburg-area man after his body was found Thursday near suspected homemade ecstasy lab.
Saakashvili says he shot down financial channels by which money came right 'to Poroshenko's pocket' in Odesa region

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is angry with politician Mikheil Saakashvili because he deprived the president of corruption finance flows from Odesa region when he served as the governor there, Saakashvili said.

"The Ukrainian president is lying because he is fully aware that what he says isn't true. He is speaking not of the money which should have gone into the budget, he is speaking of the money which should have come into his pocket from the Odesa customs that didn't come when I had headed [the region]," Saakashvili said at 112. Ukraine TV channel on Thursday.

While serving as the governor of the Odesa regional state administration, Saakashvili shut down corruption finance flows, which had been coming from the 7th Kilometer market and other projects in the region, the politician said.

"He lost flows from the Odesa region. Poroshenko is angry with me," Saakashvili said.

On January 12, while presenting the new Odesa region governor Maksym Stepanov in Odesa, Ukrainian President Poroshenko criticized the former government of the region. He said that he has great expectations for Stepanov, especially in the directions, in which the former governor failed to achieve success. In particular, the president called on the new governor to facilitate job creation and development of business in the region, ensure the fight against crime in cooperation with the prosecutor's office, the Security Service of Ukraine and police.

As reported, on November 7, 2016, Saakashvili said that he was resigning from the post of Odesa regional state administration head because he was tired of constant deception and corruption, including on the part of the authorities in Kyiv, and the Ukrainian government agreed on Saakashvili's dismissal from his post on November 9.

Poroshenko signed a decree dismissing Saakashvili from the post of Odesa state regional administration head, as well as from the post of his external advisor, in the evening of November 9.
Big Bangs T.O.P. Bought A Large Piece Of Land In Argentina

Big Bang's biggest art enthusiast member T.O.P. recently bought a large piece of land in Argentina just to satisfy another obsession.

According to Koreaboo, the 29-year-old YG artist revealed in a recent fan meeting that he bought a large piece of the grape field in Argentina because he wanted to have an endless supply of wine.

T.O.P. told his fans that the grape field can produce as much as 8,000 bottles of wine on an average but that he doesn't plan on selling any of it. Instead, he plans to give some of these to his fans while he'll be keeping all 3,000 bottles to himself.

Advertisement

The rapper and actor are undeniably a wine enthusiast based on his Instagram posts that are littered with photos of wine or of himself drinking some wine.

He also revealed on MBC's "Radio Star" when Big Bang made a rare guest appearance last month that he spends a huge chunk of his money on buying art.

"I spend at least 95 percent of my income on buying new art," said T.O.P.

His bandmates dubbed him as the "T.O.P.vre" (a word play of T.O.P. and Paris' The Louvre Museum) because he owns a large collection of various art pieces in his home.

He also became the first young Asian idol to collaborate with "Sotheby's" and curate his own art collection "#TTOP" last year.

His fans, however, dislike his social media posts as he's considered the number one celebrity with the most number of fans who choose to unfollow.

He explained a particular post of the infamous toilet photo.

"It was all a misunderstanding," said T.O.P. "I uploaded that photo as a way to tease fans about our upcoming song 'FXXK IT' because it was about three days before we released it. I wanted to show a photo that represented 'I don't care, fxxk it', but a lot of people began taking it very seriously."

He said he understands why most people would want to unfollow him on Instagram.

"I almost unfollowed him too," revealed G-Dragon.

"It was really a very shocking picture," added Taeyang.

T.O.P. revealed that even YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk sent him a text message that said, "You're either crazy or you just don't have common sense. I think it's both."

Advertisement Advertisement

Like us and Follow us

Follow @Koreaportal and

 2022 Korea Portal, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Delegates from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) discussed goods and services trade and investment as they met in Beijing on Wednesday for the 11th round of trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen led the Chinese delegation, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

Since their launch in November 2012, China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Agreement negotiations have been carried out.

The three parties agreed that the establishment of a trilateral FTA will help give full play to their advantages, unleash the economic vitality of the three countries and boost regional prosperity and development.

In November 2015, leaders from the three nations reiterated in a joint statement that they should accelerate the FTA negotiations.

China is the largest trading partner of Japan and the ROK. The three countries, whose combined GDP accounts for around 20 percent of that of the whole world, would constitute one of the three largest economic blocs, along with the European Union and North America, both of which already have FTAs among themselves.
(Global Times) 08:51, January 12, 2017

Vietnam's top leader begins an official four-day visit to China on Thursday, a move expected to cement ties between the two countries in the face of uncertainties in the Asia-Pacific region.

The trip is the first official visit by Nguyen Phu Trong to China after he was re-elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee in January 2016. Analysts expect the trip will revive bilateral relations swayed by island disputes in the South China Sea, at a time when the future US policy on the South China Sea is unclear following the election of Donald Trumpas president.

Although voices of the claimant countries in the South China Sea dispute have subsided, tensions have escalated in the Asia-Pacific in the past two months, which will deeply influence relations between Vietnam and China and the US and Southeast Asian nations, said Zhuang Guotu, dean of the School for Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University.

The two sides are likely to confront and resolve thorny issues such as the South China Sea island disputes and trade imbalance, Zhuang said. "During this trip, Trong is expected to ascertain the actual situation of China and find a way of developing bilateral relations that both sides can accept," he said.

Zhang Mingliang, a professor with the Southeast Asian Institute of Ji'nan University, described Trong's visit as "a trip to hold the bottom line," which is to secure peace with China.

"The first priority of Trong's trip is to cement the relationship with China and to clear misunderstandings," Zhang said.

The promotion of friendly relations between China and Vietnam depends primarily on high-level dialogues rather than social exchanges, he said.

Tensions over the South China Sea issue have eased in the recent months, leading to an improvement in China's relationship with countries in the region.

"The display of friendship by other ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, especially the Philippines, has an impact on Vietnam," said Gu Xiaosong, head of Southeast Asian Studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"China has both land and sea borders with ASEAN countries, so it places a high value on the relations with all ASEAN countries."

Vietnam is good at dealing with big powers like China and the US, with its flexible diplomatic tactics. In the past three to five years, it has benefited from the relations with both China and the US, which is very impressive, said Zhang.

"The essence of the South China Sea issue is the confrontation between China and the US. Vietnam is attempting to create a balance between the two powers to keep its independence, and it is doing well in this regard," Zhuang told the Global Times.

"Overall, Vietnam cannot get too close to the US due to different ideologies and political systems, besides, China is a neighbor of Vietnam," he added.

Trade expansion

Trade will be high on the agenda of the visit, according to experts. China has been Vietnam's biggest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. As bilateral trade continued to expand, in 2016, Vietnam became China's biggest trading partner among ASEAN nations.

China currently enjoys a trade surplus with Vietnam, but figures show that in the past year, there was a substantial increase in Vietnam's exports to China.

In the first 11 months of 2016, Vietnam's exports to China reached $32.9 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 20.8 percent. Vietnam's trade deficit decreased by 31 percent, according to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi.

China's direct investment in Vietnam also rose by a whopping 112.7 percent in 2016, leaping to fourth place among 68 countries and regions that invest in Vietnam.

"Though Vietnam complains about trade deficit with China and poor quality of Chinese products, it benefits greatly from trade with China," said Zhang.

China provides not only raw materials for Vietnam's manufacturing industry and exports to Europe and the US, but also creates a lot of jobs in Vietnam, which contributes to the social stability of the country, he said.
EDENTON  A North Carolina father will spend at least 5-and-a-half years in prison after being found responsible for the death of his 9-year-old son in a drunken driving wreck.

Multiple media outlets report 47-year-old Robert Altman was sentenced to up to more than 7 years behind bars for felony death by motor vehicle in the death of his son. Briar Altman was thrown from the pickup truck on Aug. 30, 2014.

Robert Altman also was sentenced to two years for drunken driving.

Testimony and evidence in Chowan County Superior Court last week showed Altman drove 75 mph on a narrow, rural road after leaving a pig-picking where he drank beer. Evidence also showed he had a blood alcohol content of .21 percent. The legal limit in North Carolina is .08 percent.
(Xinhua) 09:51, January 12, 2017

Chinese monks perform Chinese Shaolin martial arts at a theater in Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, on Jan 10, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Cypriot officials and fans crammed into a theater here on Tuesday night to watch a unique performance of Chinese Shaolin martial arts.

The performance was part of the "Happy Chinese New Year" cultural events and supported by the Chinese Embassy to Cyprus and the Cypriot Ministry of Education and Culture and the Nicosia Municipality.

In an address to the gathering read by a ministry official, Cypriot Education Minister Costas Kadis noted that the event offered a unique experience and the opportunity for Cypriots to witness one of the most ancient styles of martial arts developed more than 1,500 years ago by the monks of the legendary Shaolin Temple.

Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Huang Xingyuan said while addressing the gathering that such events contribute to a deepening of the traditional friendship of Cyprus and China and to the strengthening of relations between the two countries and peoples.

Education ministry officials, academics, officers of the Cypriot National Guard and the Police, foreign diplomats based in Cyprus, Chinese expatriates and local fans of Chinese martial arts watched the performance.
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/
Eik tei monaa, duja baarla. In the Queens language that translates to mean an outsider with cropped hair.

A sure disqualification that in the scramble for the traditional Sikh vote in Punjab! Illustration: the religious-parochial slogan was used by word of mouth against finance minister Arun Jaitley in the 2014 election he lost from Amritsar.

Jaitley was a Punjabi who battled Amarinder Singh, a former chief minister whos also a former Sikh maharaja. If the label stuck to him, the connotation could be graver for Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party.

In that milieu, Manish Sisodias call for a vote on the assumption that Kejriwal would be CM was eminently avoidable. The statement, to be fair to him, was carefully crafted. His emphasis was on the de facto, not the de jure guarantee for delivering on the partys promises to the electorate.

But theres little use for nuances in poll time rhetoric thats a game of distortions. Regardless of the Delhi CM clarifying that he desired no office in Punjab, the Congress and the Akalis see in his deputys comments a vindication of their portrayal of Kejriwal: a Haryanvi out to grab power in the state in cahoots with other non-Punjabis.

Read | Vote assuming Kejriwal will be Punjab CM: Sisodia sets off storm, AAP clarifies

In an increasingly triangular contest, the old-guard parties will brook no hurdle to show Kejriwal as a closet CM candidate whod be an unreliable broker in Punjabs water dispute with Haryana. In fact, the outgoing deputy CM, Sukhbir Badals first riposte to his Delhi counterpart set the stage for a fresh slugfest on the SYL issue.

Leave aside the Akalis, Sisodias comment bolsters the charge of AAP renegades such as Sucha Singh Chotepur that the partys Punjab arm was remote-controlled from Delhi. The revival of such contradictions could impact as much the fortunes of its local faces.

It remains to be seen how the remark goes down with the rural folk rooting for Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann in Sukhbirs pocket borough of Jalalabad. The fact of the stand-up comedian being pitted against the mighty Badal showed him as a chief ministerial prospect. Ditto for HS Phoolka, the activist-lawyer of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, contesting from Dhaka in Ludhiana.

Their presence in the fray had helped AAP live down the burden of being a party of outsiders. From the voices one recently heard in Punjab, it appeared the public perception of the fledgling outfit was on the mend -- after the initial high that had hit a low in recent months.

Read | Arvind Kejriwal in Patiala: Punjab CM will be from Punjab, I am Delhis CM

Aia baarla ki hounda hai...whats this outsider bit about? What have the so-called natives done for us, asked Babbu Singh, a farm worker I met in Ferozepur. He felt AAP stood for the poor and deserved his support: Id go with them this time... Others who got their chances failed us miserably.

Such voices werent sporadic. Though not as much in urban centres, they were evenly spread across the Punjab countryside. In Amritsars Raja Sansi some 200 km removed from Ferozepur, a vegetable grower bemoaned selling potatoes for Rs two a kg and green peas for Rs five. Unlike my produce, my vote wont go cheap this time. Itll be well invested, he said.

Theres an opening therefore for AAP in the widening class divide. So long as its leaders desist speaking out of turn.

Vinod Sharma is the political editor, Hindustan Times
Across north India, Magh, the 11th month of the Hindu and Sikh calendars, marks a change of seasons. In Punjab, the westerly winds, colloquially called pacchhon, gently sweep away the chill and fog, revealing stunningly sun-drenched lush-green swathes of wheat crop, the air redolent with mustard in bloom. This time, the breeze has a palpable flavour, that of political change.

Punjab is on the cusp of a history-making assembly election. The first shape-shifter is evident in the contours of the contest itself. Since 1947, the two traditional parties, the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress, have dominated the electoral landscape and taken turns to rule the border state  a neat seven times each.

Only 2012 was an exception when the SAD-BJP combine romped home to an unprecedented successive win, thanks largely to the Congresss hubris and blunders in ticket distribution.

This time, however, the Aam Aadmi Party has disturbed the bipolar mould. Never before has Punjab seen such a potent third force in the power sweepstakes. It has, to all intent and purposes, turned the long-entrenched revolving door politics into a TITA (there is third alternative) narrative.

What the rookie party lacks in grassroots organisational muscle of its powerful rivals, it has more than made up for by tapping into a groundswell of voter angst with a Trump-style, take-no-prisoners campaign.

Read: Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal files nomination from Lambi for assembly elections

Undisputedly, it will be a momentous election for all three contestants. The outcome will have a bearing beyond the state and on the political fortunes of those in the fray. And, the Congress has the highest stakes. Of five poll-bound states, its only in Punjab that it has a realistic chance to win and refashion national narrative. Yet another debacle, the third on a trot, could well push it off the map of yet another state.

Also, 75-year-old Captain Amarinder Singh has a lot to redeem in what he calls his last electoral outing. Blemished by two successive assembly defeats, the scion of the Patiala royal family recovered his political luck in his dramatic Amritsar victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. On test is his reputation as the only leader capable of catapulting the party onto the victory podium.

But, he has to contend with a determined AAP which is proving a more powerful foe than the Akalis whom Rahul Gandhi recently reckoned were a formidable machine.

Read: Arvind Kejriwal in Patiala: Punjab CM will be from Punjab, I am Delhis CM

For the rookie party, its a make-or-break election after it pulled off a stunner in the 2014 polls, picking all of its four Lok Sabha seats from Punjab and garnering a 25% vote share. In Kejriwals scheme of things, Punjab is low-hanging fruit. Its a critical addition for his national ambitions for 2019 and to prove that he is not a one-trick pony.

Despite being hit by a string of splits and scandals that have dissipated some of its energy, AAP is still cutting a swathe in the states complex religion-caste algebra. Its change the system caller tune has many takers among the youth, the most vocal protagonists of popular disenchantment with traditional parties.

Cognisant of the third players disruptive politics, both the Congress and the Akalis are centering their anti-Kejriwal tirade on the outsider versus native narrative. Punjab Punjabian da ( Punjab belongs to Punjabis) goes the new Akali rallying cry. The reference to the Delhi chief ministers Haryanvi ancestry is in the context of Punjabs long-standing water and territorial disputes with Haryana. Such a parochial pitch overlooks the fact that Punjabis, by nature, are a great risk takers.

Whats stoking the mood for change is a mixture of aspirations and anger. There is no denying the big-ticket development agenda  the prime calling card of SAD-BJP combines poll campaign -- has made a difference. In last ten years, Punjab has seen surplus power, mega infra projects, a huge heritage makeover and a social welfarism to the extent that 80% of one of richest states is the beneficiary of the subsided atta-dal scheme . But, then, the iconic Yeh dil maange more tagline holds more true for Punjabis than Pepsi.

All this, coupled with pre-poll sops of 30,000 jobs and the jettisoning of unpopular MLAs, hasnt soothed the public ire. Truth be told, resonating in the grassroots discourse across poll-bound Punjab is the theme of arrogance of power that manifested itself in the patronage to myriads of mafias, the brazen promotion of the Badals business interests, misuse of police and even arm-twisting of the media.

Read: Punjab leaders provoking violence ahead of polls?

Worryingly for the Akalis, there is a disquiet even on the Panthic turf  their power bedrock - over incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib and the misuse of Sikh institutions for political ends. The ruling Badals are seen as the focal point of anti-incumbency. This last election of 89-year-old patriarch Parkash Singh Badal will test whether his son and heir apparent can keep up his winning streak . This is what holds the key to a smooth dynastic succession in the 96-year-old regional party.

Akalis may be down but are certainly not out. Apart from the Modi magic to swing the urban voters, they are counting on Sukhbirs genius for a split-and-scrape-through strategy by propping up vote-splitters from the Congress and AAP dissidents. The Congress is scenting a victory, but its campaign is yet to gather momentum.

In todays Punjab, there are no clear winners. Unless the breeze turns into a wind (hawa) in the next three weeks, the state which has always voted decisively could well be heading for another historic first  a split mandate.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Last month, a Delhi toddler was kidnapped, doused in acid and dumped in a bin by a man who his mother claims was stalking her. Most of us remember the case of Priyadarshini Mattoo, a law student who was found dead at her uncles house. Her senior, Santosh Kumar Singh, who had been stalking her for years, was the main accused. Later, it was revealed Santosh, the son of an IPS officer, strangled her with a wire around her neck. He smacked her face many times with a helmet making her face unrecognisable. Of late incidents of stalking and crimes against women are on the rise across the country.

More recently Bengaluru has seen a spate of molestations. Jyothi Kumari, a 27-year-old advocate was killed last week. Two months ago, she had complained to the police about B .Madhu, who had been stalking her for the last four years before he finally ended her life.

Read:Stalking cases on the rise, conviction isnt

Stalking  the obsessive pursuit of an indifferent object  has been dangerously palmed off as undying love in the popular imagination. Many Bollywood heroes have married the women they have stalked and followed obsessively on the screen. Great literature has collaborated in confusing the categories for us. Robert Brownings poem Porphyrias Lover  a telling misnomer  is a case in point. Women who have been stalked have sometimes been known to admit that although it was frightening, there was a way in which they felt indispensable to the stalker, something they had never experienced. There is something compelling about this act that so successfully masquerades hate as love.

The stalker as we see it, is someone who persists in the face of rejection; unable to accept humiliating reality. Stalking is then sustained through a delusion that persistence is the virtue that will get its reward; not an unusual delusion in itself. Much proverbial wisdom relies upon such delusions! But what stalking does is that it erases otherness, it strips the pursued of subjectivity and renders the desired to a mere object. But while this is the effect, in the imagination this stalked object is a potent and even dangerous, titillating object: whose mastery makes ungovernable desire more governable. We only need to recall Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho to revive this connection between unmanageable emotions and psychopathic behaviour.

Read:Take stalking seriously, it can never be harmless

But not all these stalkers are crazed, lonely figures. Some of these incidents from Bengaluru were group assaults on women. Between 2 to 5 men collaborated in some of these incidents. There is a thrill in group crime which seems to promise safety. There is also a homoerotic bond here that takes violent delight in inflicting pain on women. It is in fact the ultimate act of misogyny that seals the male bond: it refutes the possibility of heterosexual love by splitting the sexual so frighteningly from tenderness.

This particular kind of sadism is really brought home in the case of the Bengaluru stalker who assaulted a woman and bit her tongue in the Koramangala area of the city. He also allegedly grabbed her, biting her lips and tongue. This vicious, oral attack is so primitive that we can no longer pretend that this is about love or desire; it is in fact an unmistakable regression to an even earlier state than that of the group described earlier. However both forms of regression identify women as dangerous carriers of otherness and if - consumed, bitten, destroyed, or burned- can allow these endangered men to survive.

So is there a sudden spurt in these incidents? It is difficult to tell whether these are more visible or whether violence itself has gone up. It seems dubious to argue that people are more vicious, but perhaps there is more ready access to both instruments and reports of violence. It seems reasonable to conjecture that since women are more visible in the public domain, our rigidly binarised culture makes them more convenient carriers of hate.

Nilofer Kaul is a teacher and a psychoanalystViews expressed are personal
Ahead of his first solo special, comedian Naveen Richard says he made prank calls as a kid, has a fear of pressure cookers, and cant count to save his life.

Comedian Naveen Richards (26) Bandra residence breaks all the stereotypes that you may have about a bachelor pad. It is spick and span to the point of giving us an inferiority complex. Theres even art on the walls. Kanan [Gill, comedian] bought it from London, Richard says. He shares the apartment with Gill, and fellow stand-up comedian Kenneth Sebastian.

All three Bengaluru boys moved to Mumbai in the past few months. It doesnt really feel like Im living in Mumbai because Im surrounded by people from Bengaluru. I have found a cosy little denial place, Richard says, adding, We were spending so much time in the city because of shows, we thought we might as well move here.

Work in progress

Richard is known for the absurd sci-fi themed web series, Star Boyz, and the mockumentary web series, Better Life Foundation (BLF). Apart from writing season two of BLF, he is currently touring the country with his first solo special, Dont Make that Face, and will perform in Mumbai this weekend. The set is a mix of some of my oldest and newest jokes, he says. Ill talk about how I cant cook, how I have a fear of pressure cookers, and then theres a story about how I went a year early to the airport due to a confusion with the ticket.

READ MORE: Most serious ever: Biswa on life before Pretentious Movie Reviews

Richard says many of the traits his character (founder of the NGO) display are inspired by Richards real-life personality. For instance, his terrible Hindi, and the difficulty in getting his signature right (which causes cheques to bounce) and in counting. In fact, when we ask Richard in which month did he move to Mumbai, he is unable to give us an answer. Instead, he recounts an incident which took place when he was around 10. Someone asked me when my birthday was. I couldnt remember. I made an excuse and ran way. Then, there was this girl in college who started crying because I didnt remember her birthday. She said even my friends had called her. I wished that was not how I found out how important I was to her, he says.

The class clown

Growing up in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Richards friends compared him to Mr Bean while in school, Jim Carrey when in college, and eventually to Steve Carell (known for the mockumentary sitcom, The Office, which BLF is partly inspired by). When he was a kid, he once called up a cellular networks customer service centre as a prank. I said, I want to change my phone. The executive said, Okay, so you want to change your number? I said, No, I want to change the colour of my phone. He genuinely tried to help me, and I felt bad for the guy, Richard recalls, adding, I was a prank caller with some moral ethics.

Be there

What: Dont Make That Face by Naveen Richard will be held on January 14, 8.30pm

Where: The Cuckoo Club, St Andrews Road, Bandra (W)

Tickets: Rs 500 on insider.in

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Election Commission is examining a complaint against Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann, who is accused of inciting supporters to throw stones on rival Shiromani Akali Dal leaders during the campaign for the February 4 Punjab polls.

The AAP, making its Punjab assembly poll debut, is locked in a bitter fight with the Akali Dal that has been ruling the state with coalition partner BJP for the past decade.

AAP parliamentarian Mann, a professional comedian, is trying to get into the 117-member state assembly from Jalalabad constituency where Akali Dal head and the chief ministers son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, is his main competitor.

Mann was caught on camera on January 4 instigating supporters to throw stones at Akali leaders.

Read | SAD, Cong leaders object to Bhagwant Manns provocative speeches

They will not get votes but stones. There will be black marketing of stones within the coming days. The identity of stone-pelters is never known, he said at a rally in Mansa.

The Akalis released the video and complained to the poll panel.

Chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Thursday the Akali complaint is being looked into.

Mann has had its share of controversies. He was suspended from the Lok Sabha during the winter session in December after he was found guilty of putting Parliaments security at risk by posting a video of its premises.

Hate-filled rhetoric is not uncommon in Indian elections, but Manns case could provoke deeper scrutiny from the poll panel after Sukhbir Badals convoy was attacked with stones in Jalalabad on Sunday. At least four Akali supporters were wounded in the incident.

Sukhbir Badals Union minister-wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal added fuel to the charged atmosphere after she reacted angrily to the incident of a man hurling a shoe at her 89-year-old father-in-law, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, at a rally on Wednesday.

If the CM were to tell SAD workers to turn violent, AAP workers will not stay alive, she said, threatening an eye for an eye. The chief minister was wounded in the eye as the shoe broke his glasses.

According to the poll panel, AAP has not complained against central minister.

The violence is not recent. Since last year, both AAP and Akali workers have clashed at rallies and registered police complaints against each other. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwals car was attacked in Ludhiana last February.

The AAP has fielded Jarnail Singh against chief minister Badal for the Lambi constituency. Singh, who had thrown a shoe at former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, became a legislator when AAP swept the Delhi polls in 2014.

He is now considered a contender for Punjab chief ministers post if AAP forms the next government.

Read | Punjab leaders provoking violence ahead of polls?
The external affairs minister, vast responsibilities in her domain, took to Twitter to admonish, even threaten online retail giant Amazon with stopping visas to its officials on account of it allowing the sale of doormats with the Indian flag on it. Amazon is an online marketplace where individual sellers can setup virtual stores. Several other flags also featured, but never mind that.

It is extraordinary that a minister should use Twitter as a platform to issue this kind of threat when it could have been done through the proper channels, if needed. Her sensitivity on the issue of using the flag on a product is quite common among our hyper-patriots who perceive insults to national symbols very easily.

Any disrespect to the Indian flag is punishable in law. But honestly, why do we get so hot and bothered about the use of the flag on any other place that is not officially sanctioned?

Read | Sushma Swaraj intervenes, Amazon removes Indian flag doormats

Is it our case that we Indians love our flag more than other nationalities do of theirs? The Americans dont love or respect their flag any less and the Stars and Stripes are all over the place  in public and private. They display their love for their flag in many ways including using it on everyday products from swimwear to luggage. It is seen as an engagement with a patriotic symbol rather than an insult. The Europeans too do not hesitate to show off their flags. The Danish flag is fondly called Dannebrog or Danish cloth. It is used at various private occasions from weddings to graduation ceremonies to decorating confectionary to gift wrapping.

In many western countries flags are not treated as something handed down to the people by the State. They are considered the peoples possession and the people are free to do with them as they please. In fact, they are so popular in everyday use that it not an issue at all where it might pop up next.

Merchandising and the flag are considered par for the course. The best at this is Britain where the Union Jack and all the merchandise it appears on are popular with not just the citizens but also tourists. At some point of time, many of us on a first visit to the UK have brought a mug or T-shirt with the Union Jack on it, I am sure.

Read | Sushma Swaraj demands apology from Amazon for selling doormats with Indian flag

You might argue that this undermines the sanctity of the flag but it is not seen that way. I must confess some of the uses of the flag border on the crass, but this is really a sign of what democracy should be all about  nationalism that is accessible to you and me. The people embrace their flag, the State has no particular privileges over its everyday use.

The Union Jack is on clothes, including underclothes, shoes, tableware, key chains, mugs, I could go and it is seen as cool, even chic.

In none of these countries is there any disrespect to the flag, rather it is displayed as a symbol of reverence and nationalism. The Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes are perhaps the most identifiable flags in the world today. And that is a matter of pride for Americans and the British.

Read | On Twitter, Sushma Swaraj rebukes Pune techie seeking wifes transfer

We should really lighten up a bit. Why should we not use our tricolour in different ways so that people get familiar with it in their everyday lives? Instead we see that a former beauty queen was slapped with charges for draping herself in the tricolour in a moment of pride.

Amazon has backed off in the face of Sushma Swarajs fury and that of a myriad nationalists on social media. After all, it has business interests in India. A nice bit of arm-twisting there by the State. We certainly havent come out with flying colours on this one.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A poster of the animation feature Love Sick[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China never lacks access to quality animation productions. The difficulty lies in how to translate them successfully and adapt them into the market, but young Chinese animation creators are on the move. Zhang Xingjian reports.

From the Disney-made blockbuster Zootopiato the recent Shinkai-style animation feature Your Name, it is common to see one or two animations arouse a heated discussion among viewers every year, and 2016 was no exception.

These hit animations may shape several vivid characters, have fascinating animation effects or boast an interesting yet rigorous storyline. However, they are seldom made in China. But that trend could be in the past.

At the beginning of 2017, a nine-minute short animation titled Love Sickengulfed the internet. Since its initial release on December 23, the animation has already reached 100 million hits within ten days on Chinese social media platforms, including Vmovie.com, MiaoPai.com and Bilibili.

In addition to its enormous popularity online, Love Sickhas been critically acclaimed widely among movie-goers. It has scored a high grade of 8.8 points on Douban Movie, the Chinese version of IMDb. Reputed by quite a few netizens as the first touching animation in 2017 to bring you to tears, Love Sickhas swept a wave of Chinoiserie for domestic animation productions.

Originating from Love Pea, a renowned poem written by Wang Wei, as the creation inspiration, overall Love Sicktells a sentimental love story between a notable figure from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) called Wang Chutong and his childhood sweetheart Liu Niang. In the animation, they fall in love with each other but Liu Niang's family forces her to marry a wealthy man, resulting in a failed marriage. After many ups and downs, Wang and Liu meet again and decide to take care of each other in the future as a brother-and-sister relationship, not as lovers.

Attention to every detail

How does such a short animation go viral go online?

"To be honest, it is quality. I am confident to say everything in the animation stands the test of history," Peng Qingzheng, director of the animation answered.

"Upon making up my mind to do the program, I have tried my best to render the viewers a sense of reality," Peng told.

"From the background props to every word spoken by the characters, I have done a lot of studies to make them line up with the historical facts. I also invited historian Gu Zhenwei, who is familiar with Jiading history and culture, as my consulter," said Peng.

In addition, Chinese mountain-and-water painting skills and Chinese-style music have added glamour to the success of the animation.

"To be honest, I am not a master of Chinese brush paintings. At the preparation stage, I bought many related books for studying. At the creation stage, I cooperated with my team members to integrate the Chinese brush painting style into many scenes. For instance, the speed and sound of raindrops may vary from time to time to reflect on the mood of the leading characters," Peng said.

"Also, it is worthwhile to notice that the background music is an essential part of the animation. The theme song is turning the Love Peapoem into a melody and having a child choir constantly sing it. Meanwhile, our team invited the musician Yi Xiaobao to create six partitas on the basis of themes songs. When the characters are happy, excited, sad or desperate, we play different partitas to exaggerate the feelings, and it works well," Peng added.

Burden of the fame

As a matter of fact, the director did not plan to release the second part of the animation at first.

"People may be accustomed to a happy ending from some Disney movies. But not every story should end in this way, as life is not that perfect. Sometimes, a story with a little regret and sadness can really touch the deep heart of viewers," Peng said.

However, given the enormous popularity of Love Sickand heightened expectation from animation-lovers, the director has to reconsider his idea.

According to Peng, in comparison with the first part of the story told from the perspective of Wang Chutong, the second part will try something different and follow the storyline of Liu Niang, from the standpoint of a female.

With regard to the specific content of the story, the director said that he had not reached an agreement with the screenwriter. Peng wanted to endow the roles with more character traits and interpret the Chinese-style elements in more diversified ways. Therefore, it will still take time to finish the final story.

Many movie-goers have reputed Peng as the next Shinkai, but he did not agree with this.

"It is my honor to be referred to in that way, but I am who I am. Every animation creator has his own style that cannot be copied by others," the director said. "Hayao Miyazaki is proficient in discussing the human-nature relationship through animations while Makoto Shinkai is known as the 'Father of Wallpaper' for his conscientious efforts in scenery drawing. I am still in the process exploring, trying to shape my own style one day."

In response to his growing reputation, Peng said he sometimes feels stressed but usually finds happiness through his work.

"Animation is my beloved career and my deepest interest, and it will not change, I am pretty sure," the director said.

"There is still a long way to go before reaching my goals. For example, I hope my works can hit the big screen in the future," Peng added.
The government could consider in this years Budget a targeted cash dole of Rs 5,000 a year for each jobless person from the poorest sections of society.

But to implement the scheme the government will have to dig into funds for a host of subsidies such as food, health and fuel.

The unemployment benefit is planned as a substitute for the universal basic income (UBI), which some countries are considering but India doesnt have funds to go ahead with.

We dont have the money to introduce UBI. Even if we consider UBI at the value of the poverty line and that would mean 12.5% of the GDP. Its not possible, a top government official said.

The UBI is a form of social security in which residents of a country will regularly receive a sum of money from the government or public institutions.

It wasnt clear how funds would be generated. But if any of the current subsidies are done away with to pay the jobless, it could trigger political and public outrage.

The Niti Aayog, the governments think tank which replaced the planning commission, is working on the monthly social security scheme for the unemployed from poor families, especially those below the poverty line. The stipend works out to a little above Rs 416 a month.

States such as Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Chhattisgarh have similar schemes for the jobless, but it will be a first by the Centre.

Apart from funds, the exercise could face stumbling blocks because of inadequate data on Indias unemployed.

In a workforce of 480 million as on 2015, more than 85% are in the informal sector, making it difficult to calculate the exact number of people without jobs.

Economists and social security experts were divided on the scheme.

India is a growing economy, so deficit financing can be adopted where the money for a scheme like this can be financed through borrowing. It all depends on the spending priority, economist Ajit Ranade said.

The economic survey of 2016 pegged Indias subsidy bill at below 2% of the GDP for 2015-16. This was largely on account of falling global crude prices. This bill was 4.2% the previous fiscal. But this does not include the spending on education, healthcare, mid-day meals and the public distribution system.

The rational has to be clear. Which are the subsidies that can be replaced? Fertiliser subsidy is a production subsidy and cannot be removed as it is not a consumer subsidy, explained Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India.

Development economists such as Jean Dreze have argued against direct cash transfers, pointing to inadequacies in the banking system. Others warn of leakage of money dispensed for the jobless.

Sources said the 2017 economic survey could reflect a strong pitch for UBI.

No country has adopted the UBI. Finland will start an experiment with 2,000 citizens, while Switzerland voted against it last June. Madhya Pradesh conducted a small experiment in 2011, but never implemented.

(With inputs from Garima Garg)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Payments banks are stripped down versions of banks that have existed for many decades. The Reserve Bank of India, in 2015, gave licences 11 companies, including Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Paytm, Airtel and Vodafone, to open payments bank.

The banks are aimed to reach out to the unbanked population of the country, many of which live in very small towns and villages.

1.Mobile banks: In its true sense, the payments banks will be mobile only banks, which mean they will not have full-fledged branches like an SBI, ICICI Bank or HDFC Bank. The account holders will be able to operate their accounts using the mobile app.

2.Small savings and small loans: Up to Rs 1 lakh of deposits can be made in a payments bank account. Also, the bank will be able to give loans up to Rs 1 lakh, especially targeted at small merchants.

3.ATM and debit cards: The cards issued by the payments bank can be used across the banking network and at any banks ATM for cash withdrawal.

4.Mobile services: It allows transfers and remittances through the mobile, offers services such as automatic payments of bills, cashless purchases, chequeless transactions through a phone, and money transfer directly to bank accounts at nearly no cost being a part of the gateway that connects banks.

5.Saving account and interest: Like any normal bank account, the payments bank account holder will earn interest on the balance in their savings account. For example, Airtel offers 7.25% to savings account holder. The interest are expected to be higher as the bank has less infrastructure cost.

Read: Paytm becomes a bank: 5 features to handle your money better

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
In India, the cliche has it that people enter politics to become rich. Its a cynical truism, a measure of the lamentable corruption in the political system. In the United States, the reverse seems to be increasingly true; you have to be rich to enter politics. And not just rich, but stupendously rich. The members of Donald Trumps proposed Cabinet include several billionaires and numerous captains of finance and industry. Together, they will form the wealthiest Cabinet in American history, estimated to be worth $12 billion. During his populist campaign for the presidency, Trump pledged to drain the swamp of Washington, to sweep away encrusted political elites and corporate interests. Now as president-elect, he is assembling an administration that will tug the United States towards oligarchy.

Republicans in Congress rushed through the confirmation of a slew of Trumps appointees this week despite grave concerns voiced by the office of government ethics. According to the New York Times, the standard ethics and financial disclosure forms dont have enough boxes to accommodate the extraordinary assets of many of the nominees. The worry is that the new Cabinet members historic investments in certain domestic industries and in strategically sensitive countries abroad may improperly shape government policy.

Read | Controversial dossier on Trump was written by ex MI-6 spy known to US agencies

But whats wrong with having successful businesspeople in charge? Ive often heard well-educated, professional Indians bemoan the dominance of career politicians in India, those men and women who have no track records of accomplishment outside of politics, whose only credentials seem to be ingratiating themselves with party leaders and marshalling their cadre.

From a middle class perspective, politicians are not to be trusted because politics is their livelihood. They seek power in order to line their pockets. Americans, too, share a similar disdain for the political class, fed by a steady trickle of scandals involving national and local figures. In the last year in New York, where I live, a number of prominent state politicians were imprisoned for acts of corruption, bribery, and misuse of public office (all prosecuted by the tenacious Indian American federal attorney Preet Bharara). Many New Yorkers saw those crimes not just as the sins of a few individuals but as proof of the guilt of the entire political establishment.

In both places, the corrupt failings of traditional politicians make some people yearn for more technocratic, managerial leadership. Thats why its not uncommon to hear praise in Indian sitting rooms for the more decisive, bulldozing (and undemocratic) Chinese system. Sensing the changing national mood, the current and previous ruling governments in Delhi have invited leading businessmen to work more closely with the Centre.

Read | Trump accuses US spy agencies of Nazi practices over phony Russia dossier

Trump campaigned entirely on his credentials as a businessman, since he has no political experience. It worked, in large part because voters were drawn to the idea of Trump as the consummate Washington outsider; his extraordinary wealth freed him from having to play the same tawdry game as other politicians, freed him from needing to curry the favour of powerful, moneyed interests. When his supporters called Washington a swamp, they imagined the capital as a place infested with career politicians, corporate lobbyists, and other back-scratching elites disinterested in the lives of ordinary Americans.

Instead of draining the swamp, Trump is muddying the waters. His choices for Cabinet include individuals who have donated lavishly to his campaign, as well as former executives from Wall Street (vilified during his campaign, embraced after his victory). Betsy De Vos, the prospective secretary of education, is a billionaire who has spent her entire career championing the dismantling of the public education system that she will now preside over. Andy Puzder, picked to head the department of labour, made his fortune in the fast-food business and is dead-set against expanding the minimum wage and other provisions for workers. Scott Pruitt, the next head of the environmental protection agency, attacked that same agency on behalf of oil companies. Rex Tillerson, the presumptive secretary of state, was until recently head of Exxon, and now will be in charge of US foreign policy, suggesting that the caricature of the state department as merely an organ of corporations may now carry greater truth.

Thats just a few of Trumps disgraceful nominations. The worry here is not that these figures will tilt American policy in a frightfully Right-wing direction, but that their ascent represents the triumph of the revolving door between government and business, where the desires of big corporations become the imperatives of the political executive.

Read | #TrumpPressConference sets Twitter afire with fake news, stupid wall

Trumps own conduct doesnt bode well. While he has surrendered his rights and responsibilities in The Trump Organization to his sons, he has refused to divest from his vast holdings or form a blind trust. He seems keen to treat the White House like a family business, bringing his daughter Ivanka to Washington. He recently appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner as senior White House adviser. This isnt the way democracies should be run. As journalist Jon Schwarz noted, other politicians to deputise their sons-in-law include Raul Castro, Saddam Hussein, and Mussolini.

Kanishk Tharoor is the author of Swimmer Among the Stars: Stories. The views expressed are personal

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Congress and BJP are taking extreme care while finialising tickets distribution with only eight days left for the nomination process to begin. Both parties have chosen Delhi as the venue to avoid intervention from ticket hopefuls.

The Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), which had six members comprising three independents, two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and one Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) legislator, is now left with only five after BSP MLA Hari Dass joined the Congress early this month. PDF had supported the Congress in forming the government in 2012 and saved the Harish Rawat government in 2016 floor test.

The Congress isnt in a mood to disappoint its members especially three independents, Mantri Prasad Naithani, HC Durgapal, Dinesh Dhanai, and UKD member Pritam Singh Panwar. Insiders claim, if not given a ticket, PDF members could eat up votes in various constituencies by contesting independently or associating with the BJP.

Rawat is directly handling the matter and was in Delhi on Thursday for the core committee meeting. Their alliance with the Congress has been significant and the national leaders along with the CM will take a favourable decision for them, said Surendra Kumar, media spokesperson to CM.

However, Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay said, The Congress will contest from all 70 seats.

Dhanai had defeated Upadhyay in the last polls from Tehri. Insiders claim both want to contest from the same seat, making it difficult for the party high command to pick one unless Dhanai agrees to contest as a Congress candidate.

The BJPs decision-making process too isnt going to be a cake walk. Ten Congress rebels, who have joined the BJP, have an upper hand as ticket aspirants, say insiders. While the party has reported infighting, senior leaders do not want to disappoint the existing leaders.

The rebels are now a part of the BJP and injustice will not be done to them. At the same time, party leaders have to be cautious while distributing tickets to avoid conflicts, Kedar Joshi, state BJP vice president told HT. Those defeated by the 10 Congress rebels are also seeking tickets.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A Congress convention for booth-level workers in Haldwani on Thursday  addressed by chief minister Harish Rawat and PCC chief Kishore Upadhyay, among others  was marred by a noisy protest from a group of workers over the presence of a PDF leader on the stage.

The supporters of Congress leaders seeking ticket from Lalkuan were angry over the presence of Harish Chandra Durgapal, Independent MLA from Lalkuan, at the party event meant for the booth-level workers from Nainital and US Nagar districts.

Initially, both the chief minister and the state Congress chief urged the workers to end the protest, but in vain. Following this, Upadhyay called out the names of the protesting ticket seekers  Harendra Bora, Sandhya Dalakoti and her husband Kiran Dalakoti  and told them to control their supporters or get ready to face punitive action. This led to the protestors moving out of the venue.

The programme was to be conducted by political strategist Prashant Kishor, but he did not turn up.

Addressing the party workers, the chief minister said the onus for victory would fall back on the hard work of booth-level workers. You would be manning the booths, and would be the most important link in our victory, he said.

Rawat also said he was the first chief minister in the country to survive the imposition of Presidents rule and be reinstated by courts. It has all happened on account of your strength and hard work, he said.

Rawat said the Congress main aim was to be able to help eliminate poverty and check migration from the hills, after returning to power.

He said he was like chilli powder in the eyes of some people who wanted him to be removed from politics.

You have to rely on two Kishores now, state president Kishore Upadhyay and political strategist Prashant Kishor, for victory in Uttarakhand, he said.

Upadhyay said the party vice president, Rahul Gandhi, had issued guidelines to the party for victory in the upcoming polls and all had to abide by them. We have kept a box for receiving suggestions from the workers which would be used by the high command to formulate policies and changes, he said.

He said about 1,000 people had sought Congress tickets while there were only 70 seats. Those who are left out should work with full strength for the victory of the party as a committed soldier of the Congress, he said.
On January 21, dont be surprised if you see women marching across the streets, as part of a nationwide protest from 5pm to 9pm. The multi-city campaign was planned after the mass molestation incident in Bengaluru on New Years Eve.

The incident impacted many, including a 26-year-old research consultant Divya Titus. She sent out a message to 10 of her Facebook friends, asking for support to start an online petition. I live just 200 meters away from the place. It upset me so much that I sent out a group message and within 3 hours 100 people showed support, says Titus.

The appeal to start a petition spiraled into a campaign and has now taken shape of a movement #IWillGoOut, which will see women and even some men come together for a march on January 21. Its probably for the first time that a multi-city march (in at least 14 cities) is organised in India at the same time. And not just metros but even smaller cities such as Pondicherry, Silchar and Ahmedabad are organising the march, says Japleen Pasricha,

27-year-old feminist-activist from the Delhi Chapter of the campaign.

A 24-year-old social entrepreneur Bhani Rachel Bali from Delhi says, What happened in Bangalore, I wouldnt call it mass-molestation it was mass harassment. We are against victim shaming and politicians blaming women for such incidents. After December 16, Bangalore still happened and its time that we stand in solidarity. Everyone who will be coming for the march will carry their own posters which will also address the issue of bystander intervention.

Though the venue in Delhi is yet to be finalised, in most of the other cities the place and police permissions are already in progress. Bali adds, We were earlier planning to organise the march on January 7, which got postponed to January 21 since we awaited permissions from different authorities. I think it is only good because now we are much more in number even before we have started promoting the event.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The self-styled chief of banned outfit Kangliepak Communist Party (KCP Poori Meitei) Khoirom Ranjit was arrested along with a woman associate from east Delhis Mayur Vihar by the Delhi Police special cell on Thursday morning. Police said the two were allegedly wanted in a series of terror strikes in Manipur. Both of them belonged to Manipur but had been hiding in Delhi for the past some weeks.

Ranjit, alias Rocky, and Inugbam Sanatombi Devi were caught by a team led by deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav following inputs about their movement in Mayur Vihar.

We have arrested them and will now produce them in a city court to seek their police custody, said a senior police officer. The two were trying to set up their base in Delhi to carry out anti-national activities, he added.

The police will question them about their other associates in Delhi who were helping them find safe shelter in the capital. The Manipur police have been informed about the arrests.
The Delhi Metro has decided to apologise for frequent snags that are crippling the Blue Line (Dwarka-Vaishali/Noida) through video messages. After two snags during peak hours on Wednesday, another snag disrupted movement of trains on Thursday morning.

According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the view and control of the signalling and automatic train control system (Blue Line) at Operation Control Centre (OCC) was lost at 11.28am due to power failure. As a result, the trains needed to be controlled manually, which led to bunching of trains. This was the third snag in less than 24 hours and seventh in 40 days.

Through video messages, which will be displayed at Metro stations, we want to apologise to commuters for the problems they faced. The safety of commuters is our priority and that is why whenever there is a snag in control room, trains stop automatically. We are building a parallel backup system to avoid such delay in the future. We appreciate that passengers showed patience, said Anuj Dayal, DMRC spokesperson.

Read: Metros Blue Line catches cold, train services hit as circuit fails

Dayal said that the DMRC will also use social media to inform passengers whenever such snag happens.

Over 50km of network, five interchange stations and 30% increase in the expected ridership, seem to be too much for the line and the DMRC is hoping that Phase-3 stations will share the burden.

The DMRC had estimated that ridership of this line to be 9.18 lakh per day by 2016, but in August 2015, it was 11.94 lakh in a day. This line carries over 30% of the Delhi Metros passengers and since most of the line is elevated, the vulnerability to snag is more.

It is the longest route and most of it exposed. The problem in overhead wires happens because of heat and frequent thunderstorms, this line is most vulnerable. The track circuit problem occurs because of variation in temperature. Today, when a spark was noticed, the speed of the trains was slowed down as a precautionary measure. Since the line is getting old, it requires regular maintenance, said a DMRC official.

The DMRC said that operations are controlled from the centralised control room and in case of loss of power supply, the screen at control room goes blank. In such cases, we have divided the Blue Line in 17 interlocking station and trains are operated at local (station) level. The interlocking stations are then given permission to allow trains and control the movement of trains locally, Dayal added.

Read: Elevation, exposure, crowds: Why Delhi Metros Blue Line breaks down so often

An interlocking station is the station where trains can change tracks and have reversal facility.

On Thursday, the control came back to OCC at 11.43am. The OCC then started giving identification to each trains from 11.49am and finished by 12.20pm, but by that time 60 trains were on the track and due to bunching, the movement was slow.

The DMRC, however, is still not sure about the reason behind snag and said that detailed investigation into the probable cause of the fault will be started after revenue hours. An alternative channel for power supply back up has also been planned.
Investigation into thefts of luxury cars from posh south Delhi localities led Delhi Police to a mortuary of stolen vehicles in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut.

The spot, near the MM School in Lisari Gate area of Meerut, had metallic frames and other body parts of the cars. The police said the gang of vehicle thieves used to drive the stolen cars to Meerut and dismantle them there. The car parts were sold in Lucknow, Meerut and other UP cities. The metal frames were dumped at the spot.

The police have arrested four members of the gang who explained their modus operandi to the police. They confessed that selling a stolen car was a risky affair and it could be traced easily. Therefore, they used to dismantle the car, took out costly spares and sell them off, leaving no trace of the vehicle.

Read: In 2 years, Delhi cops cracked just 8% vehicle thefts, 15% burglaries

Police said Dilawar Singh, 54, Mohammad Salman, 27, Mohammad Mehtab,25, and Mohammad Aftab, 23, have been involved in over 25 cases of vehicle theft.

With their arrest the police claimed to have solved 15 cases of theft. Seven stolen cars, one stolen motor cycle, body of a stolen Fortuner and Scorpio SUVs and tools were recovered from their possession of the gang members.

Explaining how the gang was busted, DCP (South) Ishwar Singh said, We had formed a special team to gather information about the auto lifters active in south Delhi. During surveillance the team spotted three men in a stolen Swift car, with a fake registration plate. The men were apprehended.

They told the police that they had been involved in theft of 25 luxury cars. They said they used to dispose off the cars in a godown at Kaveri Colony, near Meerut Bypass. The godown belonged to one, Tahir. The police raided the godown seized and one stolen Honda City Car and spares of a Fortuner, Scorpio and other cars from there, Singh said.

The gang told the police that two members used to observe the area on a motor cycle and others followed them in stolen car to identify the target vehicle. They used to steal cars late night from posh colonies in south Delhi. They also carried tools, ECM (electronic car module) and lock sets of the luxury cars with them. After committing the theft they used to dismantle the parts of the stolen car and sell them in the scrap market in Meerut, Singh said.
Oscar: Chinese Super League can be among world's best

Shanghai SIPG's new Brazilian signing Oscar believes the Chinese Super League could soon rival the best competitions in Europe.

Oscar joined a growing list of high-profile players to move to China last month when he signed with Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea for a reported $74 million.

"I don't think it is a step down," Oscar told reporters in Doha, where Shanghai SIPG are currently on tour.

"I think in China they are making a great project for me and all the good players that are coming to the league. I am pretty sure that in the future the Chinese league will be one of the best leagues in the world."

Oscar's transfer was followed days later by Shanghai Shenhua's signing of Argentina striker Carlos Tevez for a reported 90 million US dollars.

Others to join Chinese clubs in recent times are Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Demba Ba (Shanghai Shenhua) and Ezequiel Lavezzi (Hebei China Fortune).

Oscar is said to be earning a weekly salary of almost $500,000 while Tevez's wage is reportedly $760,000 a week.

"This happens with every player, if it wasn't for money I wouldn't leave Brazil," Oscar said.

"When you go to Europe you go because of the money and because of the good clubs also, and in Shanghai the project is to be one of the best leagues.

"Of course it was also good for me and my family and for everyone involved in the transfer."

The 25-year-old added that he agreed to the move almost immediately.

"It didn't take long, everybody accepted it was a good deal for all sides, so it was a quick deal," he said.

Oscar is confident of adding to his 47 Brazil caps, citing Paulinho and Renato Augusto as China-based players that are currently in the Selecao's starting eleven.

"I don't think that will be a problem, if I am playing good for my team I will be in the national team without a problem," he said.
Amid protests from students over a notice banning students from taking selfies, Delhi Universitys Miranda House clarified that no such rule will be imposed on students and they are free to click photos in the college.

The School of Open Learnings (SoL) centre at Miranda House had recently banned clicking selfies, combing hair and modelling in the corridors for women studying here on weekends through distance mode.

In a notice, the authorities had said those indulging in these activities will be suspended and even asked to leave the university premises.

The college principal, Pratibha Jolly, claimed the notice was not signed by her and was brought out months ago for a particular event.

Read: No selfie, no brushing hair at Miranda Houses SOL centre

It is not signed by me and I refute it. We are a progressive college and we will never impose such rules on students. I take selfies myself so why will I ban the students from doing this, she said.

However, she had earlier said the notice was put up for safety of students. These students perch dangerously on parapets and pillars while clicking selfies in groups. It is solely out of safety concerns that we put up this notice, she had said.

But students studying at the centre alleged they were discriminated against and were not even allowed to sit in the canteen and lawn.

The administration treats us differently. They keep shouting on us if we sit in the lawn or walk in corridor. The regular students dont have to face all this, said a first-year student, who did not wish to be named.

The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), a students organisation met Jolly and were assured that the rule will not be imposed on students.

Read: DUs SRCC set to go cashless from tomorrow

The notice in Hindi reads, Some students have been found clicking selfies, combing hair and modelling along the corridors. This is wastage of time. The university does not give permission for all this. If any student is found wasting their time, they will either be suspended from the class or will be asked to leave the university premises.

But this isnt the first time that a DU college has brought out rules for students dictating behaviour and dress code.

In 2016, Hindu College, in its hostel prospectus, had said female students must dress as per the normal norm of society in the common areas of the colleges first hostel for girls. Following protests, the decision was withdrawn by the college.

In 2011, Daulat Ram College banned the use of mobile phones and laptops in the hostels but following protests from students the decision was done away with.

The same year, students at St Stephens held a protest on Valentines Day during which they gave free hugs to protest against college officials for allegedly stopping them form holding hands or getting to close.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A number of areas of east Delhi, which reeked of garbage till yesterday (Wednesday), were cleaned on Thursday after a majority of sanitation workers of east corporation called off their strike.

Among the several areas that were cleaned on Thursday were the dhalaos in New Ashok Nagar, Vinod Nagar, Radhu Place and Lakshmi Nagar.

East Delhi Municipal Corporation managed to lift 2,614 metric tons of garbage on Wednesday, with the help of sanitation workers who have resumed work and private contractors.

On Thursday, EDMC trucks made 235 trips and cleared 1,135.99 metric tons of garbage between 6 am and 4 pm, said a senior EDMC official.

However, with more than 6,000 workers continuing with their strike, the conditions in the inner lanes of some localities of east Delhi remained deplorable, with garbage emanating a foul smell forcing residents to stay indoors.

Abhigyan Dutt, a resident of New Ashok Nagar said: The trucks picked up the garbage from the dhalaos, but the inner lanes are still dirty as the trucks cannot enter the narrow lanes.

We are thinking about leaving the city for a week. I cannot let my children choke in Delhis pollution, Dutt added.

Similarly, the inner lanes and housing colonies of Geeta Colony and Partpaganj too had garbage strewn and rotting all over it. While garbage was not being lifted from the dhalaos all these days, many residents complained that sanitation workers did not even collect garbage from their houses.

Residents said that they tried to hire private workers to pick up garbage, but corporation workers warned them to back off.

A senior official of the east Delhi corporation, however, said that the inner localities were being cleaned using auto tippers. He said in a couple of days things would be back to normal as salary of all the workers will be credited in their bank accounts.

Anil Chatrath, resident of Mayur Vihar Phase II said, The garbage from this area was last picked up three days ago. We tried to hire private workers but they refused to come help us. They said that they got threat calls from corporation workers.

People fear that the rotting garbage and the foul smell might create a health crisis.

Divya Ghosh, resident of Chilla Village said: The condition in Delhi is such that people should migrate if they want to stay alive. The air here is already polluted and with garbage not being picked it adds to the problem.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday hit out at former lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung over his remark that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may face criminal charges over irregularities found by the Shunglu Commission.

Now that he (Jung) has enough time, he must be reading spy thrillers to say this, AAPs Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey told reporters, adding that the Centre has numerous agencies under it to probe the allegations and it is free to do so.

Pandey said the Centre has numerous agencies under it to probe the allegations and it is free to do so.

In an interview to a news channel on Wednesday, Jung had said Kejriwal may face criminal charges over irregularities found by the Shunglu Commission in the decisions taken by the AAP government, alleging nepotism and gross favouritism.

Read: Najeeb Jung says PM Modi not anti-Muslim, calls for relook at triple talaq

In the interview, Jung had also said that the Shunglu committee had found irregularities in appointment of Satyendar Jains daughter Soumya Jain in mohalla clinic project and Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwals wife, as Jains OSD without following due procedure.

Within 2-3 weeks (of his appointment), he (Agarwal) was sent on a tour to China, Jung had said.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain, too, criticised Jung for making nepotism charges against him and the Delhi government. Jain said Jung was lying openly and his allegations was an addition in the series of an ongoing attempt on to unnecessarily defame AAP ahead of Punjab polls.

Reacting to the case involving Nikunj Aggarwal, a relative of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals wife, Jain said Aggarwal was never sent on a trip to China as claimed by Jung.

All his allegations are based on lies. His (Aggarwals) passport can be checked to see whether he went to China or not, he said.

On charges of appointing his daughter as an advisor for Mohalla Clinics project, Jain said: Saumya was working as a volunteer. She was not appointed at any post. She worked without any payment.

Read: Jung resigns as Delhi L-G, Kejriwal calls it a surprise

Jung had alleged that Soumya took payment for the job but later returned it.

On appointments made by DCW chief Swati Maliwal, Jain said an expanded workforce was necessitated due to her redoubled efforts in taking up cases.

This is all keeping the Punjab polls (on February 4) in mind and it seems he (Jung) is campaigning. He should lead a peaceful post-retirement life which he so wanted. Why is he creating nuisance, he asked.

On Jungs assertion that the Kejriwal governments plan to set up a counter-IB like structure had rattled him, Jain said, We had just created an anti-corruption helpline. He had deployed paramilitary in ACB scared of our drive against corruption.

(With agency inputs)
Among the nine jails in Tihar, the countrys largest prison, jail number 7 is different.

One, it is for adolescent prisoners only  aged between 18 and 21; secondly, this is the first and the only mens jail headed by a woman superintendent.

Officer Anju Mangla is heading the prison for the past 6 months. Manglas mission is to connect with the young prisoners and ensure that their time in jail does not affect their future.

This is a big responsibility given by my superiors. Because the inmates in jail number 7 are young. It is important that we talk to them and ensure they do not feel lost in life. Some of them were here because of adverse circumstances. I talk to them every day hoping that when they are released, they go out as better human beings, said Mangla.

Read: Tihar jail guards: MBAs, engineers who also teach inmates, manage prison factory

Mangla says she has been stressing the importance of education and she ensures that even in prison the young prisoners pursue their education. If there is anyone who was studying then we try and help provide him all the resources to continue his education. Also, my officers are in touch with all prisoners. We want to develop a healthy bond and ensure there is effective communication between prisoners and jail employees. We are also encouraging all these youths to take part in all extra curricular activities so that they have a wholesome personality development.

Recently, the inmates of jail 7 performed a play with the inmates holding a moot parliament. We helped them understand how the Parliament functions and how democracy works. They were shy but prepared well for their roles and done wonderfully well, said Mangla.

An officer of the 2007 batch, Mangla was heading the womens prison in jail 6. In jail 7,she is in charge of around 900 prisoners.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday pulled up the Delhi government, civic bodies and the Centre over the garbage crisis in Delhi due to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) sanitation workers strike.

The tribunal has sought an explanation for the menace and asked the government and civic bodies of their plans to deal with solid waste.

In a tussle between government and corporations, you have made the general public suffer, NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

Over the matter of pending salaries of the East DMC employees -- the cause of their strike, the NGT sought an explanation from all municipal corporations, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government.

The NGT sought a detailed report regarding how much budget MCD received from the Delhi government and why it could not give salaries to its sanitation employees, said Balendu Shekhar, East DMCs counsel.

He said the NGT also asked about the transportation system of the garbage.

What is the plan of Delhi government to deal with the waste? Why have you failed as a government to deal with the issue, Swatanter Kumar asked the Delhi government.

The NGT also asked the ministry of urban development what it has done till date for sanitation of Delhi.

In another matter, the Tribunal has issued a notice to other states asking them why segregation, collection and disposition of municipal solid waste is not in place.
The officials of the East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations, which are battling a financial crunch leading to repeated strikes by employees, say their salary liability has increased and the fund received from Delhi government, as per Third Delhi Finance Commission recommendation, is not enough to meet the requirement.

The Delhi government, however, maintains that the sanctioned funds under non-plan head (primarily meant for salary payment) has almost doubled.

Under the non-plan head, the three corporations are entitled to receive 10.5% of the money collected through taxes, duties, tolls among others from the state government. The grand-in-aid is divided in three parts: 5% as education expenditure, 4% for basic assignments and 1.5% for municipal reform funds.

In 2015-16, the amount disbursed under the non-plan head to the east corporation was 702.53 crore while in the current financial year, the state government has released 604.62 crore to date. In 2014-15, the total fund released under the head was 441.96 crore, according to government officials.

Similarly, the north corporation received 1,093.91 crore in 2016-17 and 1,206.91 crore in 2015-16, an increase from 848.47 crore in 2014-15.

North Corporation officials argue that they need more funds to meet the salary requirement due to the increasing liability. For the current financial year, the north MCD requires 232 crore per month. In 2015-16, the requirement was 199 and in 2014-15, the requirement was 188 crore per month to pay 57,000 employees and pensioners.

We are not questioning the data provided by the Delhi government. In fact the existing government has not even deducted loan and interest on the amount received under non-plan head for the last two years. But our salary expenditure is increasing every year. It is not due to increase in workforce but other factors such as increasing dearness allowance (about 10% every year), pensions and miscellaneous expenses, said Pankaj Singh, chief finance officer, north corporation.

However, the corporation fails to explain why they couldnt foresee the problems after the trifurcation and raised the matter with the state government.

After trifurcation we received 560 crore as loan from Delhi government and 300 crore from the leasing a portion of the Civic Centre. In 2013-14, also we received 250 crore as loan and 300 crore as lease money. The money was enough to establish the body and start the functioning of the system. But the then state government started deducting the principal amount (loan) and interest from the non-plan head and this started creating imbalance in our revenue sources, said a senior north corporation official.

Likewise the East Delhi Municipal Corporation requires 1,608 crore to pay salaries for the current financial year (2016-17). The entire 605 crore released by Delhi government under non-plan head, officials said, has been used apart from the money from their own revenue sources.

Mayors and leaders of the three corporations will address a press conference on Thursday.

.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A fourth year B.Tech student committed suicide at his hostel room in Noidas Sector 62 area on Wednesday night. A student of Jaypee Institute of Information and Technology (JIIT), 23-year-old Abhinav Gupta was found hanging from ceiling of his hostel room at about 9 pm.

His family members told the police that he was upset over not being offered any campus placement.

We were informed about the incident on Wednesday night. We rushed a police team to the spot. We took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem. We didnt find any signs of a scuffle or foul play at the scene, Zaheer Khan, station house officer, Sector 58 police station, said.

The officers found a suicide note at the spot where the victim said nobody is to be blamed for his fate.

The deceased hailed from Meerut. He was to appear for his B.Tech final exam. His family members said he was depressed after not getting any campus placement, Khan said.

The police said no case was registered as the youths family members didnt lodge a complaint against anyone. His body will be handed over to the family after the post-mortem, police said.

The cops also found a handwritten suicide note in which the youth said he wished to donate his eyes after death and blamed no one for the extreme step. However, his last wish couldnt be fulfilled as his family members were not aware of the procedure surrounding eye donation, Khan said.

An official at the institute said Abhinav was a bright student and had secured 6.8 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in the recent semester.

He fared even better in the previous semester in 2016 scoring 7.4 CGPA. He was a promising student and would have got a placement soon. The campus placements are still on and the final semester is yet to take place. His father told police that he was disturbed as many of his friends got placements and he couldnt, an administrative official at the institute said.
When a toxic haze descended on Delhi even before the sparkle of Diwalis fireworks faded last November, it sparked off a flurry of long-delayed government activity. Daily meetings were convened, power stations shut down and road sweeping ordered. The smog lifted after a week, and with it, the semblance of official concern vanished about a chronic problem that is not only killing thousands but also shaving crores off Indias economy.

A recent Greenpeace study reported that air pollution killed 1.2 million Indians annually and none of the 168 cities surveyed complied with global air quality norms. About 3% of the countrys GDP is lost because of air pollution, the study added. This might be an understatement. An OECD report last year said the macroeconomic effects of pollution  loss in labour productivity, slowing agriculture, mounting health costs, and welfare costs of illness and morbidity  tend to multiply over time and hurt the economy. Additionally, people dont want to move to places with toxic air and businesses suffer because the poor quality of life deters investors.

The World Bank said in September that about 8.5% of the countrys GDP in 2013 was lost to air pollution  indicating bad air was enough to offset the growth rate. An Economist article said lower air pollution in Los Angeles, for example, would have seen a service sector productivity boost by an astonishing $374 million. Imagine, then, the impact of cleaner air on a national economy. Warning signs of this magnitude should have triggered a nationwide alarm, the kind that saw the UK Clean Air Act passed in 1956 after the great London smog killed 12,000 people.

But the response has either been nationalist  remember the outrage when New York Times Gardiner Harris left Delhi blaming the air quality  or disdainful, as evidenced by the governments frequent dismissal of reports.

Whenever there has been any action, it has been sporadic and focused on big cities. But such an approach neglects the fact that air cannot be cleaned piecemeal and needs deep policy intervention. In Delhi, the odd-even scheme failed to make an impact because the citys transport system remained inadequate, the bus network broken and last-mile connectivity missing. This encouraged people to purchase more vehicles, driving up emissions. Industrial pollution cannot be tackled without national standards, strict implementation and monitoring agencies with teeth. Garbage burning cannot stop without a radical overhaul of how cities generate and segregate waste and pollution from mines will continue in the absence of a new policy.

A problem such as multi-state stubble burning  which causes pollution in Delhi  can be stopped with concerted policy efforts by the national and state governments, not by emergency meetings on a few days every winter.

The focus also needs to shift away from Delhi and big metros to smaller cities, where near-absent monitoring, lax oversight and poor awareness propel pollution. Nine of the 10 most-polluted cities on the Greenpeace list arent metros and will probably not get any attention. The time for quick fixes is over.
The Delhi high court came down heavily on the city government on Thursday for creating chaos and confusion in the nursery admission process every year by putting up fresh notifications just before the admission season starts.

Why have you put up a new notification in January, when the admission process starts in January... This makes the citizen jittery, who does not know where to go, justice Manmohan fumed.

The judge noted that this behaviour of the government created chaos and confusion for parents who didnt get enough time to plan admission process of their kids.

It has become very difficult to deal with this government... In the last four years, you (government) have come up with at least three notifications in the month of January, justice Manmohan remarked, while hearing a fresh petition moved by an association of private unaided schools challenging a January 7 notification on nursery admission.

The court noted that the late notification on nursery has created a situation where if anyone challenges it and the court interferes, the whole admission planning of parents gets disturbed.

What were you (government) doing the whole year. This notification should have come at least six months or a year in advance so that parents gets to plan in advance. Dont take anyone by surprise, justice Manmohan said, posting the case for hearing in the afternoon.

Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools, consisting of more than 450 private unaided recognised schools functioning in Delhi has challenged the notification restricting private schools on public land to admit toddlers only using the neighbourhood or distance criteria.

Read | Parents must learn about nursery admission criteria before applying, say experts

The new policy was approved by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal and announced by the government on Saturday.

One of the major problems about 300 private schools, which are built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land, has with the new guidelines is that they can no longer deny admission to anyone who seeks admission from their neighbourhood.

The government January 7 notification said these private schools cannot refuse admission to the residents of the locality and fill 75% of the capacity. The remaining 25% seats are mandatorily reserved for children whose parents annual income is less than Rs 1 lakh a year.

Read | Nursery admissions: How to decide on a good school for your child

The notification gave priority to students living within a radius of one kilometre. In case seats remain vacant, those living within a distance of 3km will get a chance.

There are 1,400 private unaided schools in the Capital and 298 of them are built on land allotted by the DDA.

The committee has challenged the notification contending that it was illegal, arbitrary, whimsical and unconstitutional. It contended that the terms of allotment was superseded by the lease deeds subsequently executed and registered by the land owning agencies in favour of the private educational societies.

Find schools for your child that match Delhi governments distance rule

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, which conducts ICSE and ISC examinations, has said it will release the revised timetable for Class 10 and Class 12 exams soon after it had to reschedule their dates because of the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

Gerry Arathoon, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination chief executive and secretary, told Hindustan Times over the phone on Thursday that the revised schedule for the Indian School Certificate and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education exams will be announced on the councils website.

We cannot give you the dates as of now. We are working on it and the revised schedule will be announced shortly, Arathoon said.

Arathoon told HT last week that the new dates will be notified in 10 days.

According to the schedule issued earlier, the ISC exam was to begin on February 6 and the ICSE exam was to start from February 27.

The ISC art paper 1 was scheduled for February 11 on the first phase of the polls for 73 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The computer science paper 2 was to be held on February 15 - the day of the second phase of polls for 67 seats in the state.

The ISC English paper 1 and 2 were to be held on February 23 and 27 along with the fourth and fifth phase of the elections for 53 and 52 seats. Lastly, the physical education paper 1 (theory) was to be held on March 8, the last phase of the polls.

The ICSE English language paper 1 was scheduled for February 27 when the fifth phase for 52 seats will be conducted. The art paper 1 was slated for March 4 and second language and modern foreign language paper was to be held on March 8.
[File photo]

The World Bank forecasts a 2.7 percent growth for world economy and 6.5 percent growth for Chinas in 2017, according to the organizations latest World Economic Prospects on January 10. Experts believe that Chinese economy will achieve a stable performance this year while maintaining progress, once again becoming the locomotive of the global economy.

Emerging markets and developing countries are expected to see a 4.2 percent rise in their economy, contributing 1.6 percent to the global growth, the report says.

"The development of world economy in 2017 continues to rely on emerging economies," Yu Miaojie, deputy dean of the National School of Development under Peking University, told People's Daily. Developed economies and emerging economies are the two engines that drive the global economic growth. The US, the EU and Japan represent the developed economies, while the emerging economies include China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa.

The world economy is still full of uncertainties, said Yu, pointing out the possibility of more black swan events. He predicted that the uncertainty of the elections of Germany and France would exert significant impacts on global economy.

According to Yu, the sluggish economy of Europe and the de-globalization trend of US in its economic policies are the two major negative factors threatening the global trade liberalization.

However, the developing countries led by China have showed a signal of steady development in the new year. It is expected that emerging countries, with China as the core, will drive the global economy in 2017.

Yu noted that the US would set up more trade barriers after Donald Trump takes the office. As a result, international trade friction is expected to rise. Meanwhile, Brexit and migrant crisis in Germany are likely to further hurdle the European economy.

Besides, with an expected growth of 0.6 percent, it's almost impossible for Japan to be the mainstay.

On the contrary, China's economy will achieve a stable performance while securing progress thanks to its continuous supply-side reform that centers on the improvement of productivity. At the same time, the country will enjoy an expanded domestic market, growing consumption and increased imports as well. In addition, more Chinese enterprises are expected to enter overseas market with sharpened competitiveness, increasing the country's greenfield investment. As a result, more jobs will be created in the investment destinations.

Despite the uncertainties in 2017, China, with its large size of economy, high-speed growth and the spirit of mutual-benefit and win-win cooperation, will become a leading force to revitalize global economy. More and more countries have echoed China's proposals such as "Belt and Road" initiative, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and South-South Cooperation.In one word, China will play an irreplaceable role in the economic development of Asia-Pacific region, and even the world at large.
Are we ready to get diverse and inclusive in our beauty campaigns? With a transgender, a model with Caribbean heritage, an artist from Nepal and Blake Lively starring together in a new beauty campaign, it sure looks like 2017 maybe the year we finally shed skin-colour based stereotypes in the fashion world.

Your Skin, Your Story is the latest campaign for True Match foundation range by LOreal Paris, which comes in a spectrum of 33 different shades designed to suit all skin types. The commercial sees multiple models with various personal histories and heritages talking to the camera about their roots  which range from Irish to Kenyan  and their foundation needs, offering a truly diverse picture of US beauty.

Lively, one of the brands global spokeswomen, is not the only star to feature in the clip  models Lara Stone, Alexina Graham, and Xiao Wen Ju appear in the ad, alongside transgender model and trans rights activist Hari Nef, body diversity advocate Sabina Karsson, and more.

Its a beautiful illustration that we are in this together, said Lively of the campaign. And we are listening to one another and celebrating each other for both our similarities, and our differences.

The ad, which aired for the first time over the weekend, is the latest in a growing number of examples of a major mainstream beauty brand celebrating diversity via a makeup campaign. Equality was big business in 2016, with cosmetics giant CoverGirl naming its first male ambassador, 17-year-old YouTube beauty vlogger James Charles, before giving Muslim beauty vlogger Nura Afia a starring role in its So Lashy! BlastPro mascara in November.

However, 2017 looks set to be the year the concept goes global; just last week, Maybelline unveiled its first male beauty ambassador, vlogger Manny Gutierrez, who stars in his debut campaign for the companys Big Shot mascara. Meanwhile MAC, the first makeup brand to secure a one-off lipstick collaboration with transgender poster girl Caitlyn Jenner back in 2015, has just launched the campaign for its debut makeup line with the star.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
After getting the nod from the Haryana government to take up rehabilitation of Dwarka expressway oustees with original titles deeds, Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) Gurgaon has resolved that the Gurgaon section of the road from Kherki Daula to New Palam Vihar will be made motorable by March 31.

The proposal was approved in a meeting of the authority chaired by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh. It was also agreed that issues pertaining to general power of attorney or special power of attorney (GPA/SPA) holders can be decided later as this matter was still under litigation.

The decision comes in the wake of immense pressure from apartment buyers and developers who have properties on both sides of the expressway. Over 70,000 home buyers have invested in this area with the hope that the road will offer better connectivity both to Delhi and Gurgaon.

As per the Huda proposal, the authority will acquire property of oustees with original titles and directions have already been issued to identify these within a week.

The court had issued stay on issue of allotment letters to GPA/SPA holders. By taking this new approach, work can be expedited and road can be made motorable by March 31, 2017. There are only 68 persons who are GPA/SPA holders and their matter can be resolved based on the courts directions, said Yashpal Yadav, Huda administrator.

The authority had allotted 269 plots to expressway oustees through draw of lots between July and August 2016. Around 60 plots were also allotted to GPA/SPA holders from a pool of 465 applicants. But, none of them could be given allotment letters as a land owners objected to the inclusion of GPA/SPA holders in the draw of lots and obtained a stay from Punjab and Haryana high court.

However, with the Haryana government giving the go ahead to the rehabilitation of other oustees, Huda will now be able to conduct a draw of lots for 140 oustees of Kherki Daula and Chauma, who had earlier disagreed with the land settlement.

The draw of lots, issue of allotment letters and removal of structures should not take more than a month. We want to make this road motorable by March 31 at all costs, said Yadav, adding that an early hearing petition will also be filed in court once the communique from government comes.

The urban authority is also planning to write to the railway department to expedite the construction work of railway overbridge. Besides, it has also asked the enforcement wing of Huda to identify major structures on the right of way and hand over these to the engineering wing for demolition.

The Dwarka expressway has been delayed by over seven years due to litigation by land owners and the latest court case had brought the project to a standstill.

In October 2016, the Punjab and Haryana high court had stayed the issue of allotment letters to oustees, who did not have original title deeds.

In November, 2016, the High Court had sought all documents including the GPAs/ SPAs on the basis of which allotment was made.

The Court also did not give any relief to the authority when it approached it for vacating the stay and listed the matter for March, 2017.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Two non-resident Indians living in USA bore the brunt of demonetisation when the customs department at the Indira Gandhi International Airport seized more than 1 lakh in demonetised 500 and 1,000 currencies.

Narender Joshi and Jasbir Saini has come to attend Pravasi Haryana Divas and were detained at the airport on the night of January 9. They were carrying 56,000 in scrapped 1,000 denomination and 53,500 in the scrapped 500 notes.

Alleging harassment, Joshi said they had to wait for three hours to complete the paper work at the airport and then did not get their rooms booked at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi.

The duo belongs to Kurukshetra and shifted to USA 15 year ago. Joshi lives in Washington and heads a company, JMD Group, which owns departmental stores. Saini lives in Boston and has a chain of American restaurants.

We did not know that old notes were not valid in India. There is no new currency with us. We had to request taxi drivers to accept payment in dollars, Joshi told HT. He claimed to have paid extra dollars to taxi drivers as they were not ready to accept foreign currency.

Customs authorities issued us a form and told that the currency would be released through a court. We have a return flight on January 16 and are not sure of pursuing the matter in the court. Officials at the helpdesk at the airport, to help those attending the event, also expressed helplessness, Joshi said.

He said apart from the issue of currency, they were shocked at the treatment meted out to them at Haryana Bhawan. When we entered the building, there was no one at the reception and attendants were sleeping. They told us that only one room was booked, but when we checked, it was already occupied by someone, Joshi claimed.

They travelled to Gurgaon that night where rooms were booked at a private hotel for the next day. The hotel staff asked for 6,000 as the booking was from the next day, but they later waived the charges after the intervention of a local resident, Joshi claimed.

The government officials, involved in arrangements for the event, expressed ignorance about the issue. An official said more than 90 officials were deputed for liaison and no such complaint was received.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
With less than two months to go for Gurgaons civic elections, all major political parties are sweating to come out victorious.

Stakes are high for everyone as victory would re-emphasize the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) increasing sphere of influence while it would be a morale booster for the Congress that has been loosing its footing in recent elections. For the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it is a chance to make inroads into Haryana.

The experience of its candidates, recent civic results, and a weak opposition are in the favour of the BJP. The party is looking to appease its factions and field the same candidates that won the election in 2011.

The Congress and the AAP, meanwhile, are still trying to find suitable candidates.

Senior BJP leaders, however, are divided over repeating last terms councillors as candidates.

In 2011, only four BJP supported candidates won seats. Congress had secured the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.

Later, when local MP and Union minister of state Rao Inderjit Singh switched from the Congress to the BJP, 20 elected councillors, including the three top post holders, also made the switch.

One faction of the BJP views the 20 councillors as Inderjits loyalists whose allegiance to the party cannot be trusted. Hence, the faction is in favour of slotting candidates from the partys cadre. The other faction views them as tried and tested candidates who are capable of securing a landslide victory.

The party is in the process of finalising candidates and accordingly, preparations for the upcoming elections are underway, Bhupender Chauhan, Gurgaon district BJP president, said.

The Congress had lost a significant hold after most of its councillors defected. In 2014, the Congress won only 15 of the 90 seats in the state legislative assembly elections. In last months civic elections in Faridabad, it failed to secure a seat. The party leaders, though, are unfazed by recent results and claim they have been gaining ground.

The anti-incumbency wave against the BJP is significant in Gurgaon as their decisions have adversely hit the industrial sector and work opportunities to contractual wage-earners. In such a scenario, the party is confident of securing a victory, a senior Congress leader said.

For the AAP, ward 30 councillor Nisha Singh is their sole representative. The party did not take shape when the last election was held. The party is yet to find its feet in the state and it is unlikely to field a large candidate list.

As a first-time entrant, the party is looking forward to the upcoming elections to make its presence felt in Gurgaon, Singh said.She did not comment on the number of candidates her party would field.

Naveen Jaihind, AAPs Haryana convener, had stated that the party will shift its attention towards Haryana after the Punjab elections.

Municipal corporation election is due in March following the Punjab and Haryana high courts order. The tenure of 35 elected councillors ended in June but the polls scheduled in May has been delayed because of confusion over a wards delimitation order issued in 2016.

.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Director DJ Caruso, who arrived in Mumbai with star Vin Diesel for the premiere of their forthcoming film xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which also marks the Hollywood debut of Deepika Padukone, was overwhelmed by the welcome they received.

Caruso, along with Hollywood star Vin Diesel and Indian actress Deepika Padukone were welcomed with dhol, tutari and tilak. They arrived to a typical desi fanfare of women dressed in traditional Marathi nauvari (nine-yard) saris and yellow turbans.

The greatest welcome ever! XXX India Premiere. Wow and a blessing to go with it, Caruso tweeted on Thursday.

The greatest welcome ever! #XXXIndiaPremiere. Wow and a blessing to go with it! https://t.co/IHM47SCush  D.j. Caruso (@Deejaycar) January 12, 2017

The mania was overwhelming for the director as he also shared on Twitter an image featuring an enthusiastic cameraman who is seen trying to capture Deepika and Diesel from his bike.

Deepika Padukone and Vin Diesel chased by photographers on streets of Mumbai. I am in car behind them, Caruso tweeted.

@deepikapadukone and #VinDiesel Chased by photographers on streets of muambi. I am in car behind them! pic.twitter.com/skeVRz5Ci9  D.j. Caruso (@Deejaycar) January 12, 2017

Diesels two-day India trip is packed with fan meets, music and drama. He is promoting xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which is releasing in India on Saturday -- before anywhere else in the world.

He has a packed itinerary full of fan interactions, a glitzy red carpet gala and a star-studded premiere.

According to sources, plans are in place to give Diesel a splendid taste of India -- and the start has been in tune with that.

The actors, along with other members of the films cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

The movie is a new instalment in the xXX series after the 2002 film xXx and 2005s Ice Cube-led xXx: State of the Union. It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Hollywood actor Vin Diesel, who got a desi welcome in India on Thursday morning, says he dreamt of exploring the country and is glad that his dream has finally come true.

Diesel, along with his xXx: Return of Xander Cage co-star Deepika Padukone and director DJ Caruso, was welcomed with dhol, tutari and tilak. They arrived to a typical desi fanfare of women dressed in traditional Marathi nauvari (nine-yard) saris and yellow turbans.

Diesel expressed his excitement on Instagram.

So honored to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and @deepikapadukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander. A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jan 12, 2017 at 12:22am PST

He posted: So honoured to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and Deepika Padukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child, I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander.

Diesels two-day India trip has a lot of things planned. He is promoting xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which is releasing in India on Saturday -- before anywhere else in the world.

The actors, along with other members of the films cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.

The movie is a new instalment in the xXX series after the 2002 film xXx and 2005s xXx: State of the Union. It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Amazon has asked its Canada unit to remove all doormats that have the Indian flag on them after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj lashed out at the global e-commerce giant.

We have taken the products off the site, an Amazon spokeswoman told HT.

Amazon, which has committed $5 billion of investments in India and treats the country as its most important market outside the US, cannot afford to be at loggerheads with the government or sell any products perceived as anti-national.

However, the spokeswoman did not clarify Amazon has sent the unconditional apology that Swaraj demanded. She declined to comment on the matter.

Amazon must tender unconditional apology and must withdraw all products insulting our national flag, tweeted Swaraj, who is one of the most active politicians on Twitter and has seven million followers.

Read | Amazon Canada removes doormats with Indian flag after protests

Her response came after a person named Atul Bhobe tweeted to her, Amazon Canada must be censured and warned not to sell Indian doormats. Please take action.

In case Amazon fails to apologise, Swaraj threatened action against the company, including denying visas to the firms officials and rescinding the ones issued earlier. This means, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wouldnt be able to travel to India if the company doesnt apologise.

The Indian flag-themed doormats featured on Amazons Canadian site were removed last week after some browsers found it offensive and the Indian high commission in Ottawa formally communicated its displeasure over the products.

An official of the high commission said they followed standard procedure in the matter. The doormats were no longer featured on the website, the official added.

This happened after Swaraj instructed the mission to act in a tweet, which was part of a series slamming the product on Amazon and warning that India could retaliate.

Swarajs reaction was welcomed by those campaigning against the products, listed on Amazon.ca by the vendor XLYL. Its an example everyone will remember now, said Phoenix-based Ratnesh Mishra, who first flagged the matter.

Read | Not just Amazon doormat: Websites sell Indian flag, emblem as shoe, dog coat
During a recent visit to Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his alcohol ban policy in Bihar. He said, I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor. But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All the political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a jan-jan ka andolan (peoples movement).

In April 2016, Kumar announced a ban on the sale and consumption of country liquor in the state. The ban was one of Kumars key poll promises made to women voterswho rallied behind him strongly, as this Mint report indicatesduring the 2015 assembly elections.

Thirty days after the ban, Kumar claimed that the crime was down 27% , according to his analysis of crime data from April 2016 and April 2015.

Nine months  or 270 days -- into the ban, an IndiaSpend analysis of Bihar Police crime data, reveals that cognizable crimewhich the police can investigate without a magistrates orderrose 13% between April and October 2016, from 14,279 in April to 16,153 in October (latest available data).

In other words, the liquor ban does not correlate with a drop in crime, a primary reason for the new law, which came into being despite the Patna High Court holding it violative of the Constitution because it denied citizens their right to privacy under Article 21.

Conviction of criminals in Bihar had declined 68%, from 14,311 in 2010 to 4,513 in 2015, and cognizable crimes rose 42% over the same period, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

Every major crimemurder, rape, kidnapping, riotingincreased in the months following the liquor ban.

Bihar has a lower crime rate than more prosperous states with fewer people, such as Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, mainly due to under-reporting, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

The Patna High Court had quashed the alcohol ban in September 2016, terming the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act 2016, illegal. The new Bill provided punishment that included arrests of all adults in the family if anyone stores or consumes alcohol. Those flouting the ban face up to 10 years in jail, and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. If a government bill is struck down by the courts, legislative sanction can convert it into a law that the courts cannot interfere with. That is what happened in Bihar.

Within two days of the high court order, the Bihar government notified a new law, the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, ensuring that the ban on sale and consumption of alcohol, including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and spiced and domestic liquor, continued in the state, even though the high court said a ban was ultra vires of the constitution.

(Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.)

This story was first published in Indiaspend. Indiaspend.org is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit.
Contending that black money had destroyed the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached out to the youth, asking them to fight against it along with social problems like caste discrimination, untouchability and harassment of women.

Hailing the youth for their contribution to various aspects of the society, he pitched for new thinking while underlining the need for channelising the tremendous energy of the young people and preventing them from getting misled.

The Prime Minister asked the youth to focus on six social challenges -- ending of illiteracy, insensitivity, perverted thinking, failure to rise above caste considerations, ill-treatment of women and callous attitude towards the environment.

Black money has destroyed the country... Recently we took a major decision to fight black money. The youth have put in their energy into this, he said while referring to demonetisation under which Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes were withdrawn.

Modi, while addressing the 21st National Youth Festival by video conferencing, underlined that over 80 crore people aged under 35 years can contribute immensely to the social changes.

He specifically asked them to fight against caste discrimination, black money and untouchability while focussing on 3Cs -- collectivity, connectivity and creativity.

Talking about collectivity, he emphasised the need for unity by ending discrimination, saying it is a big power.

About connectivity, he said technoloogy has reduced distances and technology is the demand of time.

With regard to creativity, he underlined the need for new views, new thoughts and new approaches.

If new thinking ends, the life comes to a standstill. Give priority to new thinking. Work on new thoughts...Dont pay attention to what others say, he told the youth.
A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan allegedly killed four fellow-soldiers with his service rifle on Thursday at a power plant in Bihars Aurangabad district, officials said.

The accused had recently completed a yoga course, one of the several measures introduced by the countrys military and paramilitary forces to relieve stress in soldiers which experts attribute to long periods of separation from families, posting in hostile areas and tough living working environment.

The incident at Bihars Nabinagar power plant, 175 km from Patna, came barely a few days after a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan posted videos on his Facebook page alleging they were being served poor quality food at a camp in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources in the CISF  a paramilitary force which guards vital installations -- said the accused was recently denied leave.

CISF deputy inspector general of police, eastern sector, SN Singh hinted at the fact that the constable could have been disturbed, using a euphemism for mental illness.

The accused has been arrested and was being interrogated.

While two CISF personnel were killed on the spot, two others died on way to the sub-divisional hospital.

Those killed have been identified as Bacha Sharma, Amarnath Mishra (both head constables), GS Ram (assistant sub inspector) and Arvind Ram (havildar).

Aurangabad superintendent of police Satya Prakash said, We are trying to get details of the case. The incident took place at around 12.15 pm on Thursday.

The constable, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, had joined the CISF in 2008.

Sources said home ministry has sought a detailed report of the incident.
China is developing a more environmentally-friendly pen tip that is lead-free, according to Taiyuan Iron and Steel (Group), or TISCO, based in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. The group recently announced that it has finally developed its own pen tips, ending China's long-time reliance on imported pieces.

Special microelements must be added to liquid steel to make a quality tip that is able to write continuously for at least 800 meters, but the formula had long been a trade secret kept by foreign manufacturers, leaving imports as the only option for Chinese pen makers, explained Li Jianmin, technology director of TISCO. Li said the development team conducted numerous experiments, adjusting parameters to find the ideal formula.

Domestic enterprises are reportedly starting to use the pen tips produced by TISCO, which meet international quality standards and are priced lower than their imported counterparts. The domestic tips are expected to replace the imports within two years.

Last November, an industry standard on steel pen tips, drafted by TISCO, was approved by CMSI, China's national steel standards committee, to spur innovation. Besides technical difficulties, the idea that manufacturing pen tips would cost more than simply importing them was another reason why Chinese iron and steel enterprises did not make pen tips in the past, reports stated.

China's current domestic consumption of pen tips is just 100 to 150 million tons, yielding a total market volume of less than 200 million RMB ($29 million). However, the cost of R&D is relatively high -- a situation about which Chinese enterprises are less enthusiastic.

Nevertheless, Li believes that TISCO has the capability to control costs and yield a profit.
US President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for the post of attorney general has assured lawmakers of taking steps towards pushing legislative measures to curb misuse of H-1B and L1 work visas significantly used by Indian IT professionals.

Its simply wrong to think that were in a totally open world and that any American with a job can be replaced if somebody in the world is willing to take a job for less pay, Senator Jeff Sessions told members of Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing for the position of US attorney general.

We have borders. We have a commitment to our citizens and you have been a champion of that. Ive been honoured to work with you on it, Sessions said in response to a question from Senator Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

India is the largest single country source for H-1B hires, by both Indian firms operating in the US and American companies such as Cognizant, IBM and others. The Indian companies and their American partners will be hit the hardest with restrictions.

Under the H-1B visa programme, US-based companies hire highly skilled foreign workers, up to a maximum of 85,000 a year  65,000 hired abroad and 20,000 from among foreign nationals studying in the US.

In the past, both Sessions and Grassley have worked together to bring legislations on H-1B visas that can badly hit Indian IT companies.

Read | As Trump readies to take over, Indian IT firms in huddle over H-1B visa plan

The Office of Special Counsel for immigration-related unfair employment practices is an office within the Justice Department, which would be headed by Sessions if he is confirmed by the US Senate.

The office enforces the anti-discrimination provisions of Immigration and Nationality Act.

Senator Jeff Sessions arrives to testify at his confirmation hearing to be attorney general of the US before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (AFP Photo)

While the office is designed to protect foreign nationals with employment visas from discrimination, it is also charged with ensuring that American workers are not discriminated against in the workplace.

Many US workers advocate that the layoff of American workers and the replacement by cheaper, foreign, H-1B workers constitutes de facto nationality based discrimination against American workers, Grassley said.

The Obama administration has failed to protect American workers here. Will you, this is my question, will you be more aggressive in investigating the abuses of these visa programmes? he asked.

Read | Bill against H1B visa back in US Congress: How will it affect Indias IT sector

I believe this has been an abuse. And I have been pleased to support your legislation and some others too, that others have produced that I believe could be helpful. It needs to be addressed, Sessions said.

Describing Sessions as a vocal champion for American workers, Grassley said many American workers are being laid off and replaced by cheaper foreign labour imported through some of the US visa programmes.

Sessions, Grassley and Senator Dick Durbin in the past had co-sponsored a bill that would reform H-1B visa programmes by ensuring that qualified American workers are considered for high skilled job opportunities before those jobs can be offered to foreign nationals.

It also prohibit a company from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50% of their employees are H-1B or L1 visa holders, he said.

Trump has listed immigration reform among five executive actions he plans to take on his first day in office. They include asking the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of the visa programmes that undercut the American worker.

Bill on H-1B visas

A bill backing key changes in the H1-B programme that allows skilled workers from countries like India to fill high-tech jobs in the US has been re-introduced in the US Congress last week by two lawmakers who claim that it will help crack down on the work visa abuse.

The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act that makes important changes to the eligibility requirements for H-1B Visa exemptions was re-introduced on January 5 by Republican Darrell Issa and Scott Peters  both from California.

Among other things, the bill aims to increase the minimum salary of H-1B visa to $100,000 per annum and eliminate the Masters Degree exemption.

Read | Infosys, TCS, Wipro stocks in focus as US plans tougher H1-B visa norms
Days after a farmer in Madhya Pradesh received Rs 2,000 notes from a bank without the image of Mahatma Gandhi, an ATM at a village in Khargone district dispensed two one-side blank currency of the new Rs 500 denomination.

Hemant Soni on Tuesday night used his card to withdraw Rs 1,500 from a public sector banks ATM at Segaon village, about 40 km from Khargone district headquarters.

Of the three Rs 500 notes, two were printed on one side while the other side was completely blank, Soni said.

He registered a complaint on Wednesday with the concerned bank officials, who subsequently replaced his notes with new ones.

The bank officials said the misprinted notes were received from the Reserve Bank of India.

We have changed these misprinted currency notes after the consumers complaint. We are now checking the currency notes before loading them into the ATMs, the deputy manager of the banks Sabji Mandi main branch told PTI.

This is a printing mistake, he added.
Come back to India quickly, your son has been shot, a relative on the other side of the phone wailed. The sun had barely risen in Nairobi but Sadhu Singh bolted out of his home and rushed back to India but it was too late his younger son had been shot dead by police.

In Tanzanias Arusha, Sukhraj Singh got an identical phonecall. He took the next flight home but reached only in time for his fathers funeral.

A year later, they are sitting in the bright sunshine at Sahej Dhaba outside Kotkapura in the heart of Punjabs Malwa region.

No one fulfilled their promise. They dont even take my phone calls, Sadhu says. He has made little headway with the courts, officials and even a government-appointed inquiry commission.

<a href=https://www.omnivirt.com/>Virtual Reality Advertising & 360 Video VR Player</a>

The area was rocked by unrest following a string of sacrilege incidents involving the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. Massive protests ensued and the police opened fire at an unarmed crowd near Bargadi, killing two.

The jobs given to us were just lollypops and the commission a fraud, says Sukhraj, whose family was given a position as a lab assistant that paid just Rs 5,900 a month.

Anger runs deep in this politically crucial region that holds more than half of Punjabs 117 assembly seats as the dominant Sikh community views the desecration as an insult.

Guru Granth Sahib is our life. We are angry because no one was caught. Why didnt you do fingerprinting or DNA tests? asks Surjeet Singh, the panchayat chief of the village where the torn pages of the holy book were first found.

On top of that, you kill two of our naujawans and dont punish any police officers.

Dhaba Bites part I | Drug menace debate at Punjab eatery is serious food for thought

Timeline of an unrest June 1: Guru Granth Sahib disappears from Jawahar Singh Wala village October 12: First incident of sacrilege, torn pages of the holy book found in Bargadi October 14: Police firing kill two villagers near Behbal Kalan village October 15: Justice Zora Singh Commission constituted July 1, 2016: Commission submits its report to Punjab government, not made public

When violence first broke out in October last year, it brought back fear of a return to the militancy hit days of the 80s. As torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib appeared in one village after another, tens of thousands of protesters regularly gathered at an hours notice in defiance of prohibitory orders, police officers were helpless and many ministers were cloistered in their offices, unsure of facing their angry electorate.

Much of this ire is directed at the Akalis. They call themselves a Panthic government and dont do anything. My wounds from 1984 have been opened and they wont be healed until our sentiments are assuaged, says Gurpreet Singh, a local doctor. Others nod gravely and sip their tea as the sunshine gives way to chilly winds.

Local MLAs didnt dare enter villages for a month. SGPC members were slapped and driven away, says Congress leader Gurbeer Singh Sandhu. Surjeet alleges that local Akali leaders threatened him to not reveal names of police officers in front of the state government-appointed probe commission.

Dhaba Bites part II | A third of population, Dalits hold key in Punjab power game

But I will name them again and again, he says, his voice choked with emotion as he reels off names of every police officer he saw shoot at the apparently unarmed crowd.

The anger has singed chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is seen to be in undisputed control of his party and the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee. The Congress has attempted to take over the space by reaching out to the Sikhs but large crowds at Aam Aadmi Party rallies in the region indicate the novice party is very much in the running.

Off the record, most villagers say the government orchestrated the desecration to take focus away from farm agitations sweeping the state last year and point out the first desecration happened just hours before protesting farmers sat on a massive rail roko.

On record, the word they use is agencies.

The word agencies originates in the 80s and reveals deep-rooted mistrust in shadowy government officials and outsiders. It signifies death, disappearances and unclaimed bodies, says writer Amandeep Sandhu.

This is the reason why the AAP is branded as an outsider.

In Jawahar Singh Wala village  from where the Guru Granth Sahib was stolen in June last year  local residents report frenzied activity in the past few weeks. The police have detained the local granthi for questioning indicating the Akali administration is trying to appear proactive ahead of polls.

Our protests are always nonviolent, unlike, say, the Jats. Such polarization is used to benefit parties that have communal vote bank, says Pant Preet Singh, a preacher. He says the Sikh youth arrested in the violence were falsely implicated.

But why did Punjab erupt the way it did after desecration last year, especially given there have been similar incidents before? The answer, experts say, lies in a larger crisis of faith and Punjabi consciousness.

For years, Punjabis felt pride in their state that led the country in farm output and industrialization. But in the past two decades, economic growth has cratered, the agrarian crisis has widened, the suicide rate has zoomed with no prospect of improvement in sight.

Incidents of desecration were reported in Bargadi, Faridkot district Mishriwala village, Ferozepur district Bath village, Tarn Taran district Kohrian village, Faridkot Sarai Naga village, Mukhtsar district Gadani, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district Kohrian village, Sangrur district Kotli Ablu village, Mukhtsar

The idea of the great Punjab has shrunk to about a seventh of its size from Maharaja Ranjit Singhs time, there is a riparian conflict and the feeling is that Punjab gave so much to the country but got nothing back, says Sandhu.

This sense of desolation has crept into faith. The complete domination of the Badals over the political and religious arms of Sikhism may have boomeranged on the family.

Sandhu says the Malwa region, which saw the brunt of the violence, has always been the most neglected of Punjabs three regions and local leaders were properly integrated into the SGPC just a few decades ago.

The average Sikh feels feels trapped because one family controls everything. When the sacrilege happened and no one was caught, the community felt the SGPC betrayed them, he adds.

Mudding the waters is a massive organization just across the states border in Haryanas Sirsa that was formed in 1948 but came into its own the nineties thanks to a charismatic and controversial leader.

The Dera Sacha Sauda influences at least 35 seats on the back of its massive support base among the low-caste population, the migrant workers and parts of the rural poor  all sections that have been systematically pushed to the fringes of the main religion. Locals say their strength lies in the one thing the dominant community doesnt have: A living guru in Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh.

Dhaba bites part III | SYL canal slugfest highlights poll-bound Punjabs water woes

Singh allegedly impersonated Guru Gobind Singh in 2007, the Akal Takht hauled him up, only to pardon him eight years later  an event that is said to have triggered the first wave of Sikh anger. Many leaders say Badal wanted to tap the Deras support base and hence pushed the clergy to let him off.

But the tit-for-tat sackings and upheavals in the clergy and massive unrest on the ground changed everything  Sikhisms holiest men, the Punj Pyaras, were dismissed, the jathedars were not allowed to speak at congregations and the faith plunged into crisis.

I thought it was 1984 again. Two Sarbat Khalsa (general congregation) were called for the first time since Operation Bluestar. There were more then 2.5 lakh angry people demanding changes in the clergy and hierarchy, Sandhu says. How parties navigate this anger and turn it to their advantage will hold the key to Punjab.
Former TERI chief R K Pachauri, facing allegations of sexually harassing an ex-woman colleague, will not have to seek courts permission any more to go abroad, with a Delhi court on Thursday allowing his plea for discharge of surety.

In a span of two years during investigation since the FIR was filed, Pachauri was allowed to travel abroad over two dozen times to a large number of countries.

The court allowed his application for discharge of surety while considering an earlier order of the sessions court by which he could not leave the country without permission till the investigation was over.

Read | Post-RK Pachauri Teri is safer for women

Directing that Rs 5 lakh furnished as surety by the accused be discharged, Metropolitan Magistrate Chetna Singh said, It has been stated that as per order dated March 21, 2015, certain conditions were imposed upon the accused which included seeking prior permission of the court by him before leaving the country till investigation is over. Now charge sheet has been filed and investigation is over.

Heard. Perused. It is clear that surety given for travelling abroad is not required for any further purposes and the FDR in the sum of Rs 5 lakh be released to the surety.

Surety stands discharged. Original documents, if any, be returned to the rightful claimant against acknowledgement. Accordingly, application stands disposed of, the court said.

In his application filed through advocate Ashish Dixit, 74-year old Pachauri, submitted that charge sheet has already been filed and he was granted regular bail by a magisterial court in July last year.

The applicant has travelled abroad over two dozen times with prior permission of the court and has meticulously complied with all the conditions imposed on him while granting permission, his plea said.

The sessions court had on March 21, 2015 granted anticipatory bail to Pachauri while imposing several conditions on him including that he would not leave the country without prior permission of the court till the probe was over. He was granted regular bail on July 11 last year.

Read | Sexual harassment case: Pachauri sent on leave, Teri gets new chairman

The court, while taking cognisance of charge sheet on April 23, 2016, had said there was sufficient material to proceed against him under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault against woman with intent to disrobe), 354D (stalking), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of woman) and 341 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC.

The charge sheet filed by Delhi Police on March 1 last year had arrayed 23 prosecution witnesses, many of whom are present and former employees of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). An FIR was lodged against Pachauri on February 13, 2015.
A senior BJP Goa leader and former state minister Wilfred Mesquita has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his displeasure against the goings-on in the local party unit claiming that they have been patronising corruption and working against the prime ministers objectives.

Fighting for systemic change, cleaning the economy to free the country from corruption, bringing crooks to justice, punishing politicians who use and generate black money and many more changes are some of your avowed objectives, Mesquita, who is also commissioner for NRI affairs, said in a letter to the PM, a copy of which is with PTI.

In Goa, unfortunately the opposite happens, he claimed in the letter dated January 6, 2017 which is also addressed to party president Amit Shah.

Mesquita has pointed out to the induction of two former Congress legislators -- Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar -- into the party fold to support his claim against the local party unit.

There is no better example of political expediency than the recent admission of two corrupt Congress party legislators, so branded by the BJP itself, which apparently were a liability to Congress, he has said.

BJP leaders in Goa never wasted an opportunity and in fact used every platform including the precincts of the august house of the peoples representatives (Goa legislative assembly) to denigrate these two MLAs whom they have now embraced, the letter read.

As a result BJP leaders in particular and the party in Goa in general have lost their credibility. The public now wonders whether these leaders are adept in spreading falsehood and lies and in character assassination with the sole aim of fooling them, Mesquita said.

Is the decision of BJP to admit these two (leaders) branded by the very same party as corrupt Congress MLAs and their acolytes in the party fold, signal that partys (BJPs) new vision is to patronise corruption ? (Are) the gates of dishonesty in BJP wide open now ?, he questioned.

In the run up to the upcoming Goa legislative assembly elections, Godinho and Madkaikar were admitted in the BJP. Their names also figure in the first list of candidates announced in Delhi by the BJP high command.
The road transport and highways ministry is considering a proposal to reduce the maximum permissible decibel range of vehicle horns, a move aimed at curbing noise pollution from compulsive honking on Indian roads.

Under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, the noise range for horns has been fixed between 93 decibel (dB) and 112dB. The decibel is measured at a distance of 7.5 metres from the horn and at a height of 0.5 to 1.5 metres.

Honking has become a nuisance. In India, its more of a behavioural issue. We can bring down the decibel level but drivers will have to stop honking, a senior road ministry official said.

The ministry wants to cap the maximum cut-off range to below 100dB.

We are discussing it with automobile manufacturers. We have had several meetings with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the official said.

Experts warned that chronic exposure to sound beyond 93dB for eight hours can cause irreversible hearing loss. Horns are a major contributor to noise pollution in Indian cities.

Besides irritability, ringing in the ears, it can result in hearing loss. You hardly hear any honking abroad, including in Southeast Asia. Why does it happen here? If one follows the rule, keep to his lane there should be no need to honk, said Dr SC Sharma, head of ENT at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

In European Union nations, the lower noise limit for vehicle horns is 87dB while the upper limit is 112dB. In Australia and Canada, the upper noise limit is 104dB.

Car makers are against the proposed cap of below 100 dB.

The issue has been under discussion for quite some time. We have had meetings with the road transport ministry officials and have agreed to reduce the maximum decibel level of horns to 106db from the current 112dB. We do not want to reduce it further, said KK Gandhi, executive director (technical), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

He argued that horns are required to warn pedestrians. Reducing the minimum range will make the sound inaudible.

He pushed for curbs on loud multi-tone and pressure horns, especially on buses and trucks.

Despite the Central Motor Vehicle Rules banning multi-tone horns, it is rampantly used by trucks and buses. This is illegal and authorities should take strict penal action.

The decibel level of such horns can go up to 140dB.

Several cities in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have banned use of multi-tone horns.

In July 2016, the National Green Tribunal banned the use of pressure horns in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Lending a new dimension to the tussle between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the saffron camp, Kolkata police has denied permission for RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats January 14 rally in the city, prompting the Sangh to move Calcutta high court for approval.

Bhagwat is scheduled to address a rally and oversee a drill by swayamsevaks in their traditional attire on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

Earlier, RSS had taken permission for Bhukailash grounds in Kidderpore (west Kolkata) from the Bhukailash Trust that manages the ground, but the police turned it down. Thereafter, Sangh leaders obtained the nod of the army to conduct the rally on iconic Brigade Parade Grounds. But the police again refused permission.

Ironically, while refusing permission for the Bhukailash grounds, police said it was too small for the crowd and may lead to law and order problems. When we applied for a meeting in the maidans (Brigade Parade Ground), the police turned down the plea on the basis that the ground is too big. Since Gangasagar pilgrims are also passing through Kolkata, it may be difficult for the police to sufficiently man the rally, said Jishnu Basu, RSS secretary, south Bengal.

On January 9, RSS filed a petition in Calcutta High Court seeking permission to hold the rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds. The matter is being heard by the single bench of justice Joymalya Bagchi, said Biplab Roy, RSS spokesperson in Kolkata.

Incidentally, Kolkata Police had also denied permission to a rally by BJP chief Amit Shah on November 2, 2014. BJP eventually obtained permission from the court.

In December 2014, Bhagwat addressed a rally, organised by Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP), at the Parade Grounds. There he defended Ghar Wapsi which caused a national stir.

In Bengal, Hindus are at the receiving end. With recent incidents like Dhulagarh where tension between two communities ran high, Sangh is the only platform to speak for Hindus. The government is trying to muffle our voice, alleged Basu.

Kolkata police refused to comment on the issue.

Bhagwat is scheduled to reach Kolkata on January 13 night. After the rally on January 14, Bhagwat will hold a series of meetings on January 15 with Sangh and BJP leaders.

According to sources, state Sangh and BJP leaders are awaiting his guidance at a time when the party is trying to spread its base in the state amid rising tension between communities.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A mass Surya Namaskar was organised in schools, colleges and other academic institutions run by the state government besides panchayats across the state on Thursday to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Thousands of students and others took part in the event that began at 9.30 am.

Addressing students in Bhopal, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan underlined the importance of yoga in life and how it was beneficial for students in their studies.

Earlier, Muslim community leaders distributed pamphlets in Bhopal and other places in the state to make an appeal to the community members not to take part in the Surya Namaskar programme.

The minister of state for school education, Deepak Joshi, dismissed the protest by Muslim leaders and said participation in the Surya Namaskar programme was not mandatory. He added that the event had nothing to do with any religious practice as no mantra was recited.

The ruling BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has been organising the one-day mass Surya Namaskar event for almost a decade.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has replaced Mahatma Gandhi in the 2017 wall calendar and table diary published by the Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC), official sources said on Thursday, as opposition leaders reacted sharply to the move.

The cover photo of the calendar and diary shows Modi weaving khadi on a large charkha, in the same classic pose as Gandhiji. In response, the employees of KVIC at its Vile Parle headquarters plan to stage a silent, soul-cleansing protest wearing black bands on their mouths, during lunch hour on Thursday.

Political leaders took a jibe at the Prime Minister for replacing the iconic image of Gandhi, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and former AAP member Yogendra Yadav, tweeting about it.

Becoming Gandhi requires years of austerities. One cannot become Gandhi by acting to spin the Charkha, this would only ridicule them, Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Gandhiji would've welcomed it, also opposed his photo on notes.

We should welcome it too. Less hypocrisy.https://t.co/q1fVI2RYmA  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) January 12, 2017

Rahul too called Modis move the mangalyaan effect, referring to Indias Mars Orbiter Mission.

The Mangalyaan effecthttps://t.co/NnkbJ4i7vx  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 13, 2017

While Gandhis historic picture weaving khadi on a simple charkha, wearing his trademark loin cloth, is legendary and imprinted in the minds of the masses since generations, Modi comes across in his signature attire of kurta-pyjama-waistcoat, weaving khadi on a slightly modern charkha.

KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said this was not unusual and there have been deviations in the past.

The entire khadi industry (udyog) is based on Gandhijis philosophy, ideas and ideals, he is the soul of KVIC, so there is no question of ignoring him, Saxena told IANS.

KVIC calendar & dairy without Gandhiji's pics have been issued earlier too.Spirit is more important than the image.@PMOIndia,@ashokepandit. pic.twitter.com/57ksjFD1LQ  Chairman KVIC (@ChairmanKvic) January 12, 2017

How can anyone replace Bapu? One can only emulate his action.Does it not showcase the commitment to khadi @ the highest level of governance?  Chairman KVIC (@ChairmanKvic) January 13, 2017

He added that Modi has been wearing khadi since long, and has popularised it among the masses and even among foreign dignitaries, while developing his own styles around khadi.

In fact, he is khadis biggest brand ambassador, and his vision matches KVICs, of Make In India by making villages self-sufficient, skill development by generating employment among the rural masses, infuse modern technology for khadi weaving, innovations and marketing. Plus, the PM is a youth icon, Saxena explained.

We are pained at this systematic easing out of Mahatma Gandhis ideas, philosophy and ideals by the government. Last year, the first attempt was made by including the PMs photos in the calendar, said a senior KVIC staffer, requesting anonymity amid fear of official reprisals.

In fact, in 2016 the staff unions in KVIC had raised the calendar matter strongly with the management and were assured that it would not be repeated in future.

However, this year its a total washout. The pictures and teaching of Gandhiji - who created khadi for the poor masses and made it a symbol of the swadeshi self-reliance during the struggle for Independence - are completely left out in the calendar and diary, the staffer rued.

Incidentally, Modi already has a khadi garment unofficially named after him - the casual and comfy, half-sleeved Modi Kurta - since the days he was Gujarat chief minister and sported it regularly in public in various shades and styles.

During the four-month period between Gandhis birthday on October 2 and his martyrdom on January 30, the KVIC launches special promotions and offers special rebates to boost khadi sales across India.
Union minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre said on Thursday Pakistan has committed it will release the Indian soldier, who inadvertently strayed across the Line of Control in September last year.

Chandu Chavan, a 22-year-old soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had mistakenly crossed the de-factor border in Kashmir hours after Indias surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC. Chavan belongs to Borvihir village in Dhule district of Maharashtra.

Bhamre said Chavan is alive and that the Indian government is in contact with the relevant authority in Pakistan for Chavans release. He added that he will be released very soon.

The minister was in Mumbai to launch Khanderi - the second of six indigenously-built Scorpene class submarine at Mazagon docks.

The Pakistani army had earlier informed its Indian counterpart that it is not aware of Chavans whereabouts. Under a bilateral arrangement, soldiers who inadvertently cross the LoC are handed over to their side.

Chavans family has been under tremendous stress since the news broke on September 29  his grandmother died of a heart attack two days later. Chavans parents died when he was two years old and grandmother Lilabai took care of her two grandsons.
A "no-pants" flash mob erupted in Hangzhou's subway on Jan. 12, the first such event in the city. Just after 10 boys stepped onto the subway, they began removing their pants in the train compartment.

It is an awkward matter to deal with, given that they took their pants off on the train, said Wu Ting, office manager of the Hangzhou Subway Group, adding that such behavior is not encouraged, even though it did not disturb the public order. Meanwhile, some net users adopted a skeptical stance toward the behavior, calling it uncivilized.

The idea of the so-called No-Pants Subway Ride originated in America, and has since swept across the world, maximizing shock value while at the same time making life a little more interesting.
Rejecting Subrata Roys plea for more time to deposit Rs 600 crore with SEBI, the Supreme Court on Thursday said the Sahara Group chief would be sent to jail if the money is not paid by February 6.

A new bench led by Justice Dipak Misra noted that the court had given too much of indulgence to the Sahara boss.

The bench, comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice AK Sikri, toughened its stand and warned that Saharas properties would be attached and auctioned in case of violation.

Sahara wanted more time to pay, and claimed that demonetisation had hit the real estate market badly. The company, it said, was finding it difficult to arrange the funds.

A statement released by Sahara after the court order said the company will now deposit the money as per its November order.

Read: Subrata Roys parole continues, asked to pay Rs 600 crore by February 6

Roy was released on parole by SC in May last year, two years after he was jailed. He was given parole on compassionate grounds when his mother died.

On October 25, the top court had extended his parole after the company deposited Rs 200 crore with SEBI for repayment of investors. His parole and that of directors Ashok Roy Choudhary and Ravi S Dubey was subsequently extended on the condition they deposit money at regular intervals.

In November, the company had proposed a roadmap to repay the outstanding amount of Rs 11,136 crores to SEBI, as per which Sahara would take two-and-a-half years to pay up.

As per the roadmap, Roy and the two directors would be jailed again if there are three defaults.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Amid a row over a BSF jawans allegation of poor-quality food being served to paramilitary troops at border areas, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said he personally monitors quality of food served to Army and has ordered serving of only FSSAI-approved chicken.

Speaking to reporters on sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, he said he would not be able to comment much about BSF as it comes under Home Ministry.

But in last two years, for the Army we have been continuously evaluating that whether satisfaction level for the food being served has increased or not. I am myself monitoring it, he said.

Read | BSF says soldier who posted videos of hardship had discipline issues

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2012-13 had made certain observation in a report and we are improving it, he said.

We have supplied frozen chicken to 26 centres. Now we have issued direction that in next two years FSSAI-approved frozen chicken is supplied to every unit. So that quality automatically improved, he said.

BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav in a Youtube video alleged poor-quality food being served to paramilitary troops at border areas.

While the Home Ministry has ordered a probe into Yadavs claims, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) too has sought a report from the ministry.

Read more | HT Exclusive| Flaws put lives of soldiers at risk, says army report
Information commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu has been divested of human resource development (HRD) ministry charge, days after he ordered Delhi University to make public records of BA students of 1978, the year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had passed out.

Chief information commissioner R K Mathur on Wednesday issued an order, reallocating work among information commissioners, as per which Acharyulu was divested of the HRD ministry charge.

The change came within 10 days of a previous order dated December 29, 2016 in which Acharyulu had retained the HRD ministry as part of his job portfolio.

Acharyulu, on a petition by one Neeraj, had on January 8 directed the Delhi University to allow inspection of records related to all the students who had passed BA degree in 1978, the year in which, according to the university, PM Modi had cleared the examination.

The commission rejected the contention of the central public information officer of the university that it was a third party personal information, saying it finds neither merit nor legality in it.

It directed the university to facilitate inspection of relevant register where complete information about result of all students who passed in Bachelor of Arts, in year 1978 along with roll number, names of the students, fathers name and marks obtained as available with the university and provide certified copy of the extract of relevant pages from the register, free of cost...

Acharyulu had also pulled up the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and the environment ministry last month for not providing information on the certifications of Jana Gana Mana as our national anthem and Vande Mataram as national song.

Responding to an appeal by a Gurgaon-based RTI activist, the commission, in its order dated December 27, 2016, had directed the PMO to initiate fresh efforts to find out the historical facts about Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram, and the status accorded to them, so as to dispel widespread misnomers about them and instil real patriotism.

The CIC stated that the PMOs response of not giving information was not proper and legal, and it breached the right to information of people.

The Supreme Court had recently made it imperative to honour the national anthem, making it a punishable offence for not standing when it is played in cinemas.

However, the CIC, tracing several media reports and information on social media, noted that there was a misunderstanding among people about Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram, and the nation needed authentic information about them.

Before punishing people for not standing/respecting the national anthem, they should be informed of its greatness, the order given by Acharyulu, said.

(With inputs from agencies)
Protests erupted across Tamil Nadu on Thursday after the Supreme Court decided against passing an order on permitting bull-taming sport Jallikattu before January 14, when the four-day Tamil harvest festival of Pongal is slated to begin.

A students protest in Madurai turned violent when police resorted to a lathi-charge in an attempt to disperse them. The agitators maintained that it was a peaceful protest, and they were on their way to the collectors office to submit a letter in support of Jallikattu when police stopped them. We only wanted to meet the collector. Jallikattu is our tradition why should they ban it? They have misunderstood the sport, said Nagaraj, a law student from the city.

Students in Coimbatore also shouted slogans outside the collectors office to demand lifting of the court-imposed ban.

Both the ruling AIADMK party and opposition DMK came out with statements portraying the importance of Jallikattu to Tamil culture, and vowed to push the Centre in this regard.

MK Stalin, DMK working president, announced on Thursday that his party would hold protests in every district of the state on Friday to force the Centre to allow the sport. AIADMK spokesperson C Saraswati dubbed the apex court decision as unfortunate, and said the state government would do everything in its power to ensure that the event is held.

Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport played predominantly in Madurai and its surrounding districts, is a customary sight during the three-day Pongal celebrations. The Supreme Court banned the event in 2014, stating that it amounted to cruelty to animals.

Earlier on Thursday, the apex court rejected a petition seeking an order on Jallikattu before the start of the Pongal festivities on January 14, saying it was unfair to ask the bench to pass an order.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
In villages of this coastal state, the catchphrase is undercurrent  an unseen drift that Elvis Gomes hopes will crest in victory for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the February 4 polls.

You can sense the undercurrent, people are fed up of the BJP and the Congress, said Gomes, a retired bureaucrat and the AAPs chief ministerial candidate in Goa, as he canvassed support in his village of Cuncolim. They are ready for change.

In the states small population of 1.8 million  a tenth of Delhis, high literacy, internet penetration, and a popular perception of rampant corruption, AAP members see the perfect platform for the party to establish its credentials as a national alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

We decided on Goa soon after we won Delhi in 2015, said AAP spokesperson Ashutosh. We conducted more than 500 meetings; there is a clear undercurrent in our favour.

Read | There comes a time when you say enough is enough: Elvis Gomes, AAPs Goa CM face

In 2012, deep disaffection with the Congress drove even its traditional supporters such as Catholics and Muslims to vote BJP. Next month, many such reluctant BJP voters could gravitate to the AAP.

Political observers, however, said AAP was still seen as a Delhi party in a state with strong regional parties and a suspicion of outsiders.

There was a lot of excitement when the party entered Goa, but that aura has since faded, said Sujay Gupta, editor of OHeraldo, one of Goas oldest newspapers. Goans are wary of Delhi people coming down and telling them how to vote. He said a faltering ruling party and fragmented opposition meant AAP could win seats, but was unlikely to get a majority.

Across the state, AAP has reached out to the same mix of young professionals and working class voters as its base in Delhi. Goas Scheduled Tribes, for instance, are underserved and outside mainstream political conversation, said a Delhi-based AAP worker. We see a parallel here with Delhis unauthorised colonies.

Read | BJP to contest 37 seats in Goa, support 3 candidates in Catholic stronghold

The absence of neighbourhood-level networks is a drawback, but the party has tapped activists such as Oscar Rebello, a physician and former convener of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, a coalition of activists which opposes rezoning of forest cover into industrial areas under the regional plan. Oscar has helped us tap into a much wider network, said the AAP worker.

But working with activists has also hurt the party. In Benaulim in south Goa, AAP relied on the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum (CCCF) to spread its message. Last month, Judith Almeida, the CCCF secretary, accused the party of lacking transparency. She is now contesting the Benaulim seat as a candidate for the United for Mother Goa-Goenchea Lokancho Avaz.

Ultimately, the partys most ardent supporters are those who say they are tired of choosing between the BJP and the Congress.

I voted BJP in 2012 because they opposed the regional plan, but then they disguised the same provisions as the investment promotion board, said Gavin Alvares, a 48-year-old cartoonist and undersea welder. Alvares has since participated in protests against the regional plan and donated money to AAP. I am just sick of politicians treating us like we are stupid. We arent stupid.

Read | Goa Church to give guidelines for helping people pick right candidate in polls

Even as AAP exudes confidence and Gomes marches on, it is his home turf Cuncolim which illustrates why the 2017 election is proving so hard to call.

Cuncolim had never elected a BJP representative, but in 2012 Joaquim Alemao, Congress MLA and minister for urban development, lost to Subhash Rajan Naik, a BJP municipal councilor, by only 1,313 votes.

We were so tired of the Congress, we voted against a sitting MLA and minister, said Edwin Rebello, a sailor in the merchant navy. But Rajan Naik didnt do anything, so, we are supporting AAP now. Rebello said he and his shipmates had taken leave to stay on shore and campaign for Gomes.

Naik is contesting again this year, as is Alemao  this time as an independent. The Congress is expected to field a candidate as well; which means the Catholic vote could go three ways.

In Cuncolims busy market square, Damodar Desai, head of the Shanti Durga Autorickshaw Association, a union with 25 members, said he would support Alemao. AAP has been propped up by the BJP to break the Catholic vote, Desai said. Gomes was a bureaucrat for 20 years; he has the governments blessings to fight this election.

Gomes bristled at this allegation, saying he left service after the ruling BJP superseded his promotions in favour of junior officers with political connections. Gomes challenged the order in court and won, but decided to retire anyway.

We won 67 out of 70 seats in Delhi, marginalising the BJP and relegating the Congress to zero, said Gomes. It is simply propaganda to say we are the B-team of the BJP.

AAP spokesperson Ashutosh said the electorate was receptive to the partys core promises: corruption-free administration; 50,000 new jobs over five years; unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 per month; old age pensions; rehabilitation for those affected by mining; and closing Goas casinos.

Like in Delhi, AAP has prepared individual manifestos for each of the 40 seats in Goa. In Cuncolim, Gomes has promised to revive the constituencys faltering industrial area by bringing in non-polluting industries that will provide jobs for locals.

The constituency manifestos worked very well for us in Delhi, as voters put forward ideas we would never had come up with by ourselves, said Ashutosh. In Patparganj in east Delhi, for instance, voters had asked for a public library. In Goa, in many constituencies, parents said they wanted more extra-curricular activities in their schools.

Read | AAP does not have a single penny to fight Punjab, Goa polls: Kejriwal

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education declared results of Class 10 board examinations on Thursday, but did not divulge details of toppers or percentage of students passed.

The results of Class 12 exams have not been declared yet and are expected by next week.

Board officials said the details will be announced after the second phase of examinations in March.

Schools in Kashmir were closed for over five months following the unrest triggered after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in July 2016.

Following debates on whether the exams should be held in November or March, the state government in an unprecedented move had announced to hold the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams twice  in November with 50% syllabus and in March with the full syllabus for students who fail to appear in the first time.

In the first phase, the exams were conducted in mid-November, Over 98% students appeared in it. The exams for rest of the students are expected to be held in March.

We will be announcing the toppers after March exams. The percentage of those who passed the exams will also be calculated after the second phase of examinations, said a senior board official.

According to officials, out of 56,277 a total of 55,500 students appeared in the exams in November, while 777 are yet to appear.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are inching closer to an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as both sides work on a common minimum programme and bridge the gap on the contentious seat-sharing dispute.

The top leaders of the two likely alliance partners -- Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav  havent formally met but sources said a broad understanding through intermediaries and telephonic discussions has been achieved for a CMP and seat sharing.

The alliance is likely to be announced any time after the election commission passes an order on the Samajwadi Partys election symbol. We understand a 10 to 12 point CMP is being worked out and the Congress may get a share of 90 to 100 seats. As of now, the Rashtriya Lok Dal is not being considered, though other smaller parties may be roped in, said sources.

Assembly elections 2017: It will be a fight for every vote in battlefield UP

According to sources, work on CMP has started as there are no indications of an amicable solution between the two warring SP factions, one led by Akhilesh and the other by his uncle Shivpal. Both sides are fighting over the partys name and symbol, the bicycle.

The Congress has been in a dilemma over an alliance with a faction of the Samajwadi Party, despite being in touch with the Akhilesh group. The ECs order on symbol would make the situation clear. If the CM faction fails to get the cycle symbol, it may decide to contest as a group named after Akhilesh Yadav. Hence the CMP is being worked out, said sources.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have conducted study possible candidates, past performance and the prevailing situation. Rahul and Priyanka have taken necessary feedback and held preliminary discussions with the party men at various levels. They will be in a position to take a quick decision when seat sharing for an alliance is worked out, said a senior Congress leader, on condition of anonymity.

Other senior leaders also refused to go on record on the issue of alliance but exuded confidence that the seat sharing would be respectable if an alliance was worked out. It may be 90 to 100 seats, they said. The party leaders confidence is based on an internal report on the prospects of contesting an election with or without an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

According to sources, the report suggests that though a likely alliance would make a considerable improvement in the Congress performance, the situation would not be as bad as being projected without an alliance. At best, the party will be able to win 50 to 60 seats if the alliance gets acceptance among the people. However, the party would be able to perform equally well even without an alliance. So the increase in seat share in the likely alliance will mean more seats for the Congress. That is why the party has been pushing for more seats, said another senior leader.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The income tax department has started a crackdown on suspicious bank lockers after searches and raids revealed that these were being used to stash illegal cash and jewellery.

Tax officials were seeking details of lockers operated multiple times, especially in co-operative banks, after the government announced the recall of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes on November 8, sources said.

Benami bank lockers are being monitored to check ownership as these have been used for illegal activities and hoarding illegal cash and wealth, a government official said.

However, it must be reiterated that it is aimed at addressing the black money issue and there will be no sealing of bank lockers, as we have already said.

Read | I-T dept asks for details of cash deposits in months before demonetisation

A benami, or ghost, locker is operated by someone other than the person in whose name it is issued. There have been instances when a holder has agreed to keep cash or jewellery for a family member, an acquaintance or even a senior at work.

Large quantities of cash  Rs 600 crore -- and gold, most of it in the form of jewellery, have been seized during nation-wide raids. Undisclosed income amounting to Rs 5,343 crore has been earthed, so far.

The government said the note ban was part of its war against corruption and black money. But with more than Rs 14 trillion of the Rs 15 trillion that was scrapped back in the system, fears are that the corrupt managed to beat the system.

Gold and jewellery sales had zoomed within hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modis demonetisation announcement. Several jewellers and bullion traders have been issued I-T notices.

Most of the suspicious lockers, so far, have been reported from smaller towns, though such abuse couldnt be ruled out in the cities as well, sources said.

Read | 1000 raids in 50 days: Taxman monitoring deposits of Rs 2 lakh and above

Research, real-time information from multiple sources and information collected during raids helped them zero in on such accounts, sources in the department said.

Tax sleuths also dont rule out the possibility of city residents using lockers in small towns to escape scrutiny. Several banks offer locker services to customers who do not hold accounts with them.

Sources said the tax department had also sought details from both private and public banks of accounts opened after November 10, the first banking day after demonetisation.

More than 6,000 notices have been sent to holders of accounts that saw suspicious transactions.

The tax department, which conducted more than 1,000 searches across the country, has referred 279 cases to the enforcement directorate while the CBI has been asked to look into 247 cases.

Read | From the mint to organised racket? Home delivery of new notes under I-T lens

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday met his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu to seek the release of drinking water to Chennai from the Telugu Ganga Project.

Panneerselvam, who had last week written a letter to Naidu on the issue, flew in to meet him personally to make the request due to the severity of the problem.

The Tamil Nadu CM is also understood to have discussed other issues. In a letter on January 7, Panneerselvam had urged Naidu to release water from Krishna river for Chennais drinking water needs.

Reacting to this, Naidu had said that he needs to look into the issue as even Andhra Pradesh is facing drinking water shortage.

Chennai city is facing an acute shortage in the reservoirs.

I am given to understand that as on 5.1.2017, Kandaleru reservoir has a storage of 13.53,000 million cubic feet (TMC ft). Therefore, AP appears to be in a position to release water from Kandaleru reservoir to Chennai, Panneerselvam wrote.

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 released at the Tamil Nadu border to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai.

Normally, 8 TMC feet of water is to be supplied between July and October and another 4 TMC feet from January to April.
Arrested Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Sudip Bandopadhaya was today denied bail by a CBI court here and sent to jail.

He was produced in the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate P K Mishra after the completion of his 10-day CBI remand in two phases.

The judge rejected his bail petition and posted the next hearing of the case to January 25.

The MPs advocate sought bail pleading that his client has all along cooperated with the investigating agency. The counsel also claimed that Bandopadhaya was ill.

Bandopadhaya claimed he was innocent and had no involvement in the scam.

He was arrested in Kolkata on January 3 on charges of alleged link with Rose Valley Group chief Goutam Kundu, now in jail, and brought to Bhubaneswar next day. He has been in CBI custody since then.

Read | Sudip arrested as he refused to meet PM on demonetisation, alleged TMC chief whip in Lok Sabha

Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of Rs 17,000 crore in different states including Odisha and West Bengal.

The CBI in its charge sheet against the ponzi scheme company in January last year had mentioned that the investors from Odisha alone had deposited Rs 450 crore with the Rose Valley Group.

Another TMC MP Tapas Pal has been lodged at a special jail at Jharpada in the same scam.

Read more | Sudip Bandyopadhyays arrest: TMC MPs march to PM residence, detained mid-way
Sanitation workers in the Erqi district of Zhengzhou recently received high heels as part of their employee benefits, triggering hot online debate, according to Xinhua. The workers said they were originally expecting to receive warm shoes, and the actual gifts were very unexpected.

"Everyone got women's shoes. How can a sanitation worker sweep the ground while wearing high heels?" some asked.

Their company said it received a large number of donated shoes, face masks and gloves, which were intended to be distributed to sanitation workers. But due to the staff's negligence, some workers did not receive the proper items. Based on workers' feedback, the company contacted the enterprise that donated the goods to replace some of the items. The exchange is still underway, as the number of workers involved is quite large.

The enterprise has apologized to the sanitation workers. It promised to distribute more proper items soon. According to the publicity department of the district government, this offering will not have any influence on government subsidies for the sanitation workers.
The Madras high court on Wednesday said triple talaq certificate issued by the chief kazi had no legal authority and must instead be seen as opinions under the 1880 Kazis Act.

A bench comprising chief justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and justice MM Sundresh also announced  pending approval from the Muslim Personal Law Board  no further certificates on triple talaq will be issued.

The bench made its judgment in response to a plea by A Bader Sayeed, a former MLA and currently a practising lawyer, who sought directions to restrain the kazis from issuing documents that approve talaq. Her PIL had the support of the Women Lawyers Association of Madras high court.

A counsel for the All India Muslim Personal Board and the Shariat Defence Forum said the nature of certificates issued by the chief kazi was only an opinion. The board also said it would examine the format in which talaq certificate could be issued by the kazi so that there would be no further legal ambiguities.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on February 21.
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan was admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Patna on Thursday evening after he complained of breathlessness.

Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the minister RC Meena told PTI that Paswan was admitted to the ICU of Paras hospital.

His younger brother and Bihar LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras told PTI from the hospital that the minister complained of breathlessness and was taken to the hospital around 8.30pm where doctors were examining him.

As the news of Paswans admission in the hospital spread, LJP supporters started gathering outside the hospital on Bailey road here.

Paswan, Union minister for food and consumer affairs, earlier arrived in Patna on Thursday on a four-day tour of the state during which he had some political engagements in Patna, Khagaria, Begusarai and Mokamah before hosting Makarsankranti feast in Patna on January 15.

LJP spokesperson Ashraf Ansari said that the ministers wife and MP son Chirag Paswan are with him in the hospital.
The Lok Dal on Thursday offered its symbol to embattled Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest the Uttar Pradesh elections in case the cycle symbol is frozen by the Election Commission due to feud in the party.

Lok Dal is a registered, unrecognised party which its national president Sunil Singh claimed was formed by socialist leader Charan Singh in 1980.

I met Mulayam Singh and offered him to contest the elections on our symbol (farmer ploughing the field)) in case the cycle symbol is frozen. But he is hopeful that the feud will be settled and the symbol would not be frozen, Singh told reporters after the meeting.

Asked whether he discussed any modalities with Yadav, Singh said Mulayam is a senior socialist leader and he is free to be the party president.

Tomorrow, the Election Commission will hear the Mulayam and Akhilesh camps who have staked claim over Samajwadi Party and its symbol.
Talks for an alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party faction led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav are likely to revive after the Election Commission hearing on the SP party symbol, according to Congress sources.

The Election Commission will hear on Friday the Samajwadi Partys two warring factions, led by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his son Akhilesh Yadav, to settle the dispute over control of the party and its election symbol of cycle.

According to sources in the Congress, the alliance talks were happening but had temporarily stalled due to the internal divide within the Samajwadi Party.

Read | UP elections: Samajwadi Party and Congress stand to gain from a goodwill formula

The alliance will most likely happen. The talks are on. It will revive after the Election Commission hearing on their (SP) symbol on January 13. The talks are going on with Akhilesh Yadav, said a Congress leader.

Mulayam Singh Yadav has not been supporting the idea of an alliance with any party.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had earlier said she favoured a pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav, and that she is ready to step aside as Congress chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh.

Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor has also met both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, adding to the alliance speculation.

Akhilesh had said alliance with Congress in UP could fetch them more than 300 of the states 403 seats.

Uttar Pradesh -- the countrys most populous and politically significant state -- will go to elect its 403-member state assembly in seven phases: February 11 (73 seats), February 15 (67 seats), February 19 (69 seats), February 23 (53 seats), February 27 (52 seats), March 4 (49 seats) and March 8 (40 seats).
Seemingly unperturbed by the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Yadav family, the Akhilesh Yadav faction of the Samajwadi Party is working on a fresh list of candidates that it would declare soon, according to sources.

While those facing criminal charges will be kept out, the revised list will be declared with the permission of netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and accommodate deserving aspirants of both the factions, said a party source close to the Akhilesh camp.

The first indication of Akhilesh Yadav asserting his position in the party came on Tuesday when Akhilesh-appointed SP UP unit chief Naresh Uttam released names of three party candidates for UP legislative council elections to be held on February 3.

Party sources said former ministers Narad Rai, Om Prakash Singh, Shadab Fatima and Ambika Chowdhary, who were sacked by Akhilesh following tit-for-tat expulsions of his loyalists from the party, may be included in the new list .

Much significance is being attached in this regard to the meeting between UP minister Pawan Pandey and Mulayam on Wednesday. An Akhilesh loyalist, Pandey was sacked for his alleged assault on Aashu Malik, a Mulayam loyalist, and later denied party ticket from his assembly seat Ayodhya by Shivpal Yadav, who was then state SP chief. Pandey, according to sources, reportedly explained everything to Mulayam and has sought his blessings for his candidature. Sources in the party said Pandey would be SPs nominee from Ayodhya in the new list.

Other supporters from Akhilesh camp, who were denied tickets but are now reportedly back in the reckoning include Arvind Singh Gope, Ram Govind Chowdhary (all ministers) and Atul Pradhan from Meerut, Richa Singh from Allahabad. Similarly, those who have already been issued party ticket by Mulayam but are now likely to be axed because of their tainted record include Atiq Ahmed from Kanpur, jailbird Mukhtar Ansaris brother Sibghatullah Ansari, Aman Tripathi, son of murder convict Amarmani Tripathi. My leader is Akhilesh and I have already told him that I am going to fight the election from Meerut come what may. You will soon find out how, said Pradhan.

Read more: Samajwadi Party feud: The 4 issues Akhilesh Yadav camp is worried about

Mulayam had announced 395 candidates  eight short of total 403 assembly seats  on December 30. Later Akhilesh had released his own list of around 250 candidates. The changes will not be on more than three dozen seats on which tickets have already been announced, said a party legislator from Lucknow.

All eyes would also be on Lucknow, which has nine assembly constituencies. Mulayam declared candidates on all the seats, five of whom also figure in the list prepared by Akhilesh.

The CM, in the list he had earlier handed over to Mulayam, did not declare his nominees on Lucknow Cantonment, where the party has fielded Mulayams daughter in-law Aparna Yadav, and Lucknow East.

There were differences on Malihabad and Bakshi-ka-Talaab assembly constituencies. While Akhilesh proposed the names of Indel Kumar Rawat and Gomti Yadav, Mulayam made Sonu Kannaujia and Rajendra Yadav as party candidates, respectively.

Read more: SP and Cong set to reach deal on fighting UP elections together

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
From the turmoil of pre-Independence era to the first UP assembly election in 1951, Tanveer Printers  one of the oldest printing presses operating in Lucknow  has seen it all.

Though the printing press has braved the vagary of time for decades, demonetisation has dealt a severe blow to the unit bringing it on the verge of closure.

Proprietor of Tanveer Printers, Haroon Nomani, terms demonetisation as the last nail in the coffin of printing presses which are already tottering to their fall in the age of e-books and Kindle.

Be it Uttar Pradesh or any other part of the country, election season always ensures good business for printing presses. But this time, notebandi has pushed printing presses into oblivion. Printers in Uttar Pradesh are the worst hit, laments Nomani.

Haroon Nomani, owner of Tanveer Press in Lucknow. (HT Photo)

This is for the first time in the 84-year history of Tanveer Printers that machines have fallen silent in election season. I still remember the glorious past of this unit when we used to be overworked during election, he recalls.

We hired at least 10 small printing presses to meet the order, he says.

Nomani adds that printing work for election generally starts pouring in about three months in advance.

It includes orders of posters, banners, calendars, badges, cards and other canvassing material. During assembly election in 2012, the situation was no different as our machines worked round-the-clock to meet the demand, he says.

But there is hardly any business this time around. We also contacted a few political parties but their leaders say they are facing cash crunch. UP election is hardly a month away. Despite it being the peak season, there is no business for us, he adds.

Owners of other printing press echo the same sentiment.

There are many units in the state which have installed new printing machines. The latest imported machines from Czechoslovakia cost about Rs 4 crore. Owners of many units are facing bankruptcy due to shortage of printing order, says Jawahar Lal Bhargava, president of Lucknow Printers Association.

Election season brings good business for printing presses but demonetisation has hit them hard this time. (HT Photo)

Bhargava owns Swastik Printers which is the refurbished version of the Oudh Printing Press, established in 1927.

He says besides note ban, the ongoing feud in the Samajwadi Party has also made an impact on their business.

Since SP is the ruling party, many printing presses and agencies prepare publicity material in advance. Many of them are ready with coffee mugs, mufflers, badges and artefacts which bear pictures of SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, along with the party symbol. Uncertainty over the fate of the party and its election symbol has left the agencies in a fix, Bhargava points out.

Another reason for poor business is the fact that the political parties, except the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), have not declared their candidates so far.

According to Bhargava, the impact is not only on 1,200 printing presses in Lucknow but also on almost all the units in the state where machines are silent in the peak business season.

Read more: Behenji ko aane do: BSP lines up video series to woo voters ahead of UP polls

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
During the ticket distribution exercise for the 2017 polls, an idea was floated in the Bahujan Samaj Party to field Muslim candidates in all the seven assembly constituencies in Saharanpur district in west UP.

Saharanpur has 50 percent Muslim population. The idea literally kicked a storm in the party with other castes warning the leadership of communal polarisation, an advantage BJP. Finally, the party decided to give tickets to all the castes they are banking on to ride to victory. The list had a Brahmin, two Muslims and Dalits.

Mayawatis mentor Kanshi Ram often described Uttar Pradesh as his political lab to carry out experiments to achieve his goal of changing the upper caste dominated democratic face of the state. He succeeded in his experiments as from mid-1990s backward caste took the centre-stage of state politics.

Now his protege is blatantly moving from a time-tested political trajectory of caste to communal politics, the base of which is sheer arithmetic.

Political expert Dr Badri Narayan explains, Mayawati has 25,000 to 27,000 Dalit votes in almost every constituency. As no other caste is seemingly inclined towards the BSP, she has decided to shift to communal politics. Its a strategy or experiment and it may succeed or fail.

According to Dr Narayan, her Dalit voters understand the partys need to attract Muslims by giving them political representation to win the elections.

Lucknow University professor Manoj Dixit has a different opinion. He says, It is the BJP which converted west UP into a lab of their communal politics. Other parties, including the BSP, are falling into their trap.

Dixit says Mulayam believed in sheer symbolism to attract Muslims  like giving tickets to Atiq Ahmad and Mukhtar Ansaris brother or by raising emotional issues like giving relief to Muslims falsely implicated in terror cases. But Mayawati is shifting from caste to communal politics, he added.

Read more: BSP game plan: No manifesto; upper caste, backwards fielded in eastern UP

Mayawati in her endeavour to keep her base vote of Dalits in humour eventually spared Saharanpur and some other Muslim dominated districts of West UP, but she did not abandon her formula of stitching Dalit-Muslim alliance in Rohelkhand and parts of central UP.

Take for instance Bareilly, which has been witness to recurrent communal riots, where the BSP fielded Muslims in four out of eight constituencies. Similarly in Gonda, she gave Muslim candidates in three of five constituencies, in Bahraich four in eight constituencies, in Siddharthnagar three in five and in Bijnore six in eight constituencies.

Incidentally, the BSP also became the first party to field a Muslim from Ayodhya, the nerve-centre of temple/mosque movement and a stronghold of the BJP which was conquered by the SP in 2012. An emotional Mulayam Singh Yadav had then said : people have forgiven me for opening fire on kar sewaks to save the shrine in 1990.

While Kanshi Ram used to travel by cycle to unite Bahujan Samaj against the upper caste, Mayawati has deployed her close lieutenant Naseemuddin Siddiqui to send her message of Dalit-Muslim bhaichara in Muslim dominated constituencies.

Dr Narayan says, Kanshi Ram did caste mobilisation as he had opportunity to unite scattered castes. But he also addressed Muslim rallies as they formed a part of their Bahujan Samaj.

This is not the first time Mayawati is experimenting with communal politics.

She had failed in similar experiment in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In most of her rallies she used to exhort Dalits and Muslims to make Dalit ki Beti Indias prime minister. And she used to draw parallel between the poor economic conditions of both Dalits and Muslims since countrys Independence in all public utterances and rallies.

She often says , BSP is trying hard to give India its first Dalit prime minister  man or woman.

Mayawati had then also done her arithmetic: Dalit-Muslim (21.1+18.5% of UPs population) combination looked like a winning formula. In fact, as the party had fielded Dalits only in 17 constituencies, she used to tell Muslims it was their moral responsibility to support them to victory.

However, while Narendra Modis wave demolished all formulas and the BSP ended with a big zero, Dalits were upset.

Political expert M Hasan says, Her very own ideological base, Agra, is under threat. Muslims are waiting for the SP feud to be over. They will move to the Cong-SP alliance as they want to stop Modi from coming to power in 2019.

In 2017, as Brahmins did not respond to her political gestures, she decided to experiment the D-M card to give UP a better administrator.

However, the challenge is to convince the Muslims about her secular credentials due to her past alliances with the BJP, as also to keep her core vote intact by reassuring them of her commitment to the dalit agenda.

Till the other day, the cadre vote were hardly concerned with whom the party allied or fielded whom, but today are being allured by others, namely the BJP. In other words, they have multiple choices.

Read more: Why UP matters: Can Indias most populous state decide the fate of Delhi?
The Indian gallery in the world famous Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the largest museum of decorative arts and designs, is all set to unwrap the history of the erstwhile kingdom of Oudh and its capital Lucknow, the city of Nawabs.

According to the museum authorities, plans are afoot to give a distinct look to the Indian gallery with artifacts from Oudh and Mughal courts and other parts of India. The Indian gallery is a part of South and South-East Asia section which comprises nearly 60,000 objects, including 10,000 textiles and 6,000 paintings.

Its a big move which V&A Museum is planning this July, said Susan Stronge, a senior curator with V&As Asian Department.

Stronge has specialised in Mughal arts and authored several books like Tipus Tigers Move to South India and Late 18th Century Court of Tipu Sultan, highlighting the intriguing story of his famous wooden man-tiger-organ and its travels from Mysore to the museumsaid that the transformation would showcase the rich Oudhi culture and its sophisticated nawabs.

Nawabi era metal artifacts, largely the bidri ware, a kind of metallic ware composed of zinc, tin, and lead with gold and silver inlay work, textile work, furniture and water-colour paintings would be well highlighted, said Stronge, who was on her maiden visit to the state capital on Wednesday.

An opaque water colour painting (acquired from Faizabad)of Nawab Shuja-Ud-Daula of Oudh that portrays the Nawab in Afghan dress, a drawing showing a panoramic view of Lucknow which was sketched in 1832 by artists Smith and Robert Captain, a photograph of the Mall Avenue Cemetery in Lucknow possibly of the 1850s , a photograph of the Qaiser Pasand cemetery of the 1850s and a photograph of Chhatar Manzil with its reflection in the river Gomti are among the paintings and photographs that would be highlighted in the planned make-over.

Since water colours have been used in many paintings, it would be ensured that they are not placed under sunlight as the colours may fade Such paintings would get special placement, she added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Though Congress has been out of power in Uttar Pradesh for a quarter of a century, evidences of election campaign of former Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1957 still lives on the walls of Municipal Market in Chowk. The traders, mostly Muslims, have taken care of this wall writing which was established during British period.

In those days the election campaigning was done mainly through public meetings and wall writings. Its written high above on the wall. Due to which very few people notice it. About 10 years back when I was sitting right in front of this building I suddenly saw this slogan for Shastriji. I enquired from the local people and traders, whose shops were situated in the locality since generations, and none of them were aware of it, said Anandji (Pappanji) Tandon, a garment trader in Chowk.

Tandon said It is a legacy left behind by Lal Bahadur Shastri, who gave the famous slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kisan to the country. When his grandson Adarsh Shastri contested Lok Sabha election from Allahabad on Aam Aadmi Party seat in 2014, I informed him about this wall writing. According to him just like the historic Neem tree, this wall writing should also be preserved as it is a legacy.

UP Congress Committee spokesperson Javed Urfi said it was unfortunate that they could not take much initiative to preserve this wall writing. Today, on his death anniversary we not only pay homage to this great leader, but also take a pledge to preserve this legacy. He was one of the leaders who earned respect from all the parties in those times, he added.
Bairavaa

Director: Bharathan

Cast: Vijay, Keerthi Suresh, YG Mahendra, Thambi Ramaiah, Jagapathi Babu.

Rating: 1/5

Often Indian cinema crafts a story and script specifically for an actor, and Tamil films have been doing this with almost obsessive passion. I have seen this in the case of Sivaji Ganesh and MG Ramachandran (MGR). In recent times, Rajinikanth has commanded (maybe even demanded) this  with authors and directors penning plots that transform him from a mere mortal into a demigod. The latest to join this club of actors is Vijay, whose Bairavaa in Tamil language catapults him to unbelievable heights. And writer-helmer Bharathan travels along the roads of Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu to empower his hero, Bairavaa (Vijay), with almost supernatural powers.

Bharathans almost three-hour yarn begins in Chennai, where Bairavaa works for a well-known private sector bank as an officer responsible for collecting principals and interests from those unwilling or unable to pay. In one such case, the bank manager, having failed to collect Rs 64 lakhs from a habitual defaulter, enlists the help of his employee, Bairavaa  who undertakes the operation and succeeds through highly questionable means  methods which some years ago came in for sharp criticism and were stopped by some of the leading banks. I really do not understand how the bank in question in the movie has allowed its name to be associated with such an unlawful activity.

Bairavaa would have hardly finished being the managers saviour, when he gets embroiled in the life of a girl, Malarvizhi (played by Keerthi Suresh, and what a tongue-twisting name she has been given). She has been traumatised by the unnatural death of her policeman father and a friend, killed by a notorious gangster, PK (Jagapathi Babu)  once a butcher called Kasaab (!), but now a respectedindustrialist running a medical college, where Malarvizhi and the friend were classmates.

The rest of the film flows like a dark fairytale with Bairavaa using all the powers at his disposal to vanquish PK. More often than not, Bairavaa uses his bare fists to grapple with dozens of evil-looking men  whose bullets and knives invariably whizz past our hero. Even when tens of sachets containing petrol are hurled at him, and a large mob of hooligans carrying burning torches chases him down the streets of Thirunelveli, he remains unfazed and undefeated  except for the minor inconvenience of having to strip himself of his shirt to display his bare chest (a la Salman Khan).

Yes, there are pauses to these mindless fights (with an irritating background score), when Bairavaa gets tired of running or fisting around or, better still, tossing a coin in the air, or preaching before a judicial magistrate the importance of educational institutions being run by noble men. And these pauses are used by Bairavaa and his lady-love to literally explode into songs -- a mere excuse to get the lead pair to cavort in exotic locales in designer wear.

Sadly, Vijay is turned into a mere showman  a clever ploy to get his fans into the theatres, and here again he has hardly anything original to offer. In the end, Vijay is a bit of an MGR, a bit of a Rajinikanth and a bit of a Surya. And sadly so. Suresh, despite her early promise, hardly makes an impression. But who cares about the heroine in a Vijay movie. He has to hog the title and just about every frame. Indeed, he ends up being the very soul and spirit of a film he stars in. Bairavaa is no exception, and will not appeal to anyone other than a Vijay fan.

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
The Bombay high court has acquitted four Govandi residents, 11 years after they were apprehended on the charge of raping, sodomising and killing three-and-half-year-old daughter of a local chemist.

The division bench of Justice VK Tahilramani and Justice AM Badar reversed conviction of Samir Shaikh (27), Asif Mansoorali Ansari (32), Mohammed Sharif (31) and Parvez Ahmed (40), giving them the benefit of doubt primarily in view of doubtful evidence led by the prosecution to prove its case.

According to the prosecution case, the toddler was kidnapped by the quartet on 7 April 2006, gang-raped and sodomised and murdered. Two days later, her body was found dumped in the water tank of a public toilet in the locality, Bainganwadi.

Four days after finding the body, the police arrested Samir Shaikh and Asif Ansari. Mohammed Sharif was apprehended a week thereafter and Parvez Ahmed, a month later. The prosecutions case against them was based on circumstantial evidence of 23 witnesses and medical evidence. The trial court on October 24, 2008, convicted all the four and sentenced them to suffer life imprisonment.

All the four had then approached high court challenging their convictions as also the life terms handed down to them by the trial court.

High court found that the prosecution failed to connect the chain of circumstances sought to be proved against the four. One of the circumstances was that a local resident had seen the four together on the day when the child went missing, with one of them, Parvez Ahmed, carrying the girl in his arm, and proceeding towards Plot No. 10, where the body was later found dumped.

The other important circumstances cited against them was the motive  that the girls father had refused to provide the accused certain medicines to them, bruises found on private parts of two of the accused persons and results of their brain mapping test.

As regards the circumstances, the high court found the evidence falling short of requisite standards, but it out rightly rejected the results of scientific tests, as such results are not admissible as evidence against the accused persons, although additional material collected by police on the basis of the result of such tests is admissible evidence, the bench said.

Also read:

Mumbais streets were more unsafe for women in 2016

College student arrested for rape of minor friend in Matheran
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in his address at the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) state executive meet in Thane on Thursday prepared the ground for a possible alliance with the Shiv Sena in the upcoming polls, by asking his cadre to look at the big picture to make India Congress-free.

But he put a caveat, saying such an alliance would be possible only on the BJPs agenda of transparency and transformation inspired by the Prime Minister. We have decided we will usher in complete transparency in work and that is our direction. But as we move in this direction, understand why we speak of a coalition. After so many years under PM Modis leadership, there is a possibility of a Congress-free India. The Congress, its off-shoot parties and leaders have looted the country and the state. A coalition is to ensure these powers dont get strength, said Fadnavis.

Fadnavis, in his speech, also tried to appropriate the Maratha warrior king, Shivaji and his soldiers. He told his party cadre to fight like mavlas, Shivajis soldiers, in the upcoming electoral battle, without a care for the enemy, keeping trust in their king and his aim of good governance.

Even the PM, Fadnavis said, had no personal agenda and only worked for the benefit of the country.

Under PM Modi, the country is heading for a transformation by 2019. If an alliance has to be happen, it will happen on the agenda to transform Maharashtra and transparency, not just for power or on basis of seat-sharing, he said. Taking a cue from the speech, party leaders and political observers said unless the saffron allies formalised a pact, there would be no finality or clarity on the saffron alliance.

Its clear, however, that the parties will go ahead with the talks. From the BJP, state president Raosaheb Danve, education minister Vinod Tawde and city chief Ashish Shelar are likely to hold the talks, while from Sena industries minister Subhash Desai and party MP Anil Desai, both Uddhav Thackerays trusted leaders, will be soldiers in the negotiations. The talks are likely to go on for a while. In the meanwhile, Fadnavis and Thackeray will also hold direct communication.

While no one from the BJP spelt out the transparent agenda that will be brought to the table, it is learnt the party wants the Sena to concede at least 105 seats in the BMC, in case of an alliance. This includes the share for BJPs ally, Republican Party of India (A). The Sena may be willing to concede between 90 to 100 seats, said sources. Last election, we gave 63 seats to the BJP and 22 to the RPI. This time, with the RPI not being there, we can give those seats to the BJP too, and a few beyond that, a senior party functionary said.

Meanwhile, the conclave saw BJP leaders and party cadre insisting on going solo in the polls to 10 municipal corporations and 25 district councils. They claimed the party would single-handedly win the polls. The sentiment in the party is against a coalition with the Sena, given the recent high of winning big in the municipal council polls and Thackerays consistent attacks on BJPs central leadership.

BJP legislator Madhu Chavan sent a proposal to contest solo in the polls, which was accepted by all present with a show of hands. The backdrop of the dias at the venue called for shat pratishat BJP or 100 per cent BJP.

Many in the party feel they are heading towards a re-run of the 2014 Assembly polls, when the seat sharing negotiation stretched out and then broke down last minute. We dont want a bad name for breaking an alliance, so talks will happen and thats exactly what the CM has indicated. But we want at least 105 seats in the BMC. Will the Sena give it to us? asked a senior party leader.

While the Sena party cadre prefers to not have an alliance , sources said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is keen on out an alliance. It is a possibility that the BJP might register a strong victory in the Mumbai civic polls and this might embarrass the Sena, a senior party leader said, adding there is a likelihood of the alliance taking shape.

Read

Talk to Shiv Sena leaders on seat sharing, Fadnavis tells partymen

Exit state, central govt if you disagree with BJPs policies
In a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the BMC polls, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday alleged that the ruling party was behind the de-reservation of plots worth Rs2 lakh crore meant for public amenities in Mumbai. The party said this was done to benefit a few developers. NCP spokesman Nawab Malik alleged that Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar was behind the de-reservation, which was done through the BMCs civic improvement committee headed by BJP corporators for years. Shelar refuted the allegations and said he will request chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to investigate.

All these years, the civic improvement committee worked to benefit some developers. A large number of reserved plots meant for public amenities  including recreational grounds and playgrounds (RG/PG)  were de-reserved in the years of Sena-BJP rule, alleged Malik.

He said a prime plot at Hill Road, Bandra reserved as playground was de-reserved recently and a housing complex is currently being built on the plot. This is just one example. I will come up with the list of all such plots in the coming days, he claimed.

NCP leaders pointed out that ever since the saffron allies came to power in the civic body, the chairman of the civic improvement committee has always been a member of the BJP.

Any proposals to lift reservations put on plots are moved by improvement committee. Once cleared, it is placed before the civic standing committee and then the general body of elected representatives for final approval.

Shelar said he did not play a role in proposing the de-reservation of plots. Malik has to present proof to substantiate his claims. If the reservation of Bandra plot has changed, then this was done during the previous Congress-NCP rule, the Mumbai BJP chief clarified.

The urban development department has the authority to change the reservation of a plot. The Congress held the portfolio back then, the local MLA was also from the Congress. Even today, the sitting corporator of that area belongs to the Congress. I will soon ask the chief minister to probe the matter of the Bandra plot so the truth comes to light, Shelar added.

Read

Congress, NCP to tie up for elections?

Can BJP breach Congress-NCPs rural bastions?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Good roads, better water supply , sewerage schemes, and garbage management  ahead of Februarys elections, these are the development works a citizens group says it expects the BMC to undertake in 2017-2022.

The Mumbai Vikas Samiti (MVS) prepared a charter with 13 such demands on Wednesday, the day the state election commission announced the poll dates.

MVS, formed by retired engineers, said it created the charter for citizens. We have created the charter as we want citizens to know what to expect from candidates. Candidates too should know what to work towards, said SN Patankar, convener, MVS. Among their demands is a system to segregate dry and wet waste over the next five years. The MVS has also asked for a 30% implementation of the Development Plan (DP) 2014-34, which is yet to be passed. The BMCs track-record in implementing the s infrastructure blueprint has been poor. While only 33% of the 1991 DP was implemented, this number was 18% in 1964.

The MVS also released a 90-page report on the civic bodys performance in the past five years. In terms of water supply management, the report points out BMCs leakage detection cell was not successful. It has demanded the cell be revamped to reduce the water that goes waste owing to theft and leaks.

READ MORE

CM and I will take final call on tie-up: Uddhav

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A city-based chartered accountant has approached the Bombay high court challenging the state governments ambitious plan to construct a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial in the Arabian Sea.

In a public interest litigation (PIL) filed on January 4, Mohan Bhide said the states decision to construct a 192-m-high statue of the Maratha warrior king at the cost of Rs3,600 crore was illogical and uncalled for.

I have full respect and honour for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, states the PIL. But, I am against the huge expenditure of taxpayers' hard-earned money. Constructing a statue in the middle of the sea is nothing but a stunt by all the states political parties, it adds.

Bhides lawyer mentioned the petition for urgent hearing before a division bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice Girish Kulkarni on Thursday. The bench, however, refused to hear the matter on an urgent basis.

Have you [Bhide] seen the statue at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu or the statue at Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad? the chief justice asked the petitioners lawyer. If those state governments can afford the statues, we are sure the Maharashtra government can afford this, as it is richer, she added.

Bhide asked the high court to direct the state government to scrap the project. The state government spent Rs77 crore only to host the opening ceremony. All this expenditure  at a time when the government is facing a financial crunch itself  is unnecessary, he said.

Last year, the government declared more than 25,000 villages drought-hit, states the PIL, which insists that the state focus on addressing this first. The public is not concerned with the building of such memorials. We expect the state to provide a better standard of living and better public amenities. It should prioritise this, the PIL states.

It added that if political parties wanted to construct a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, they should have first taken steps to maintain the forts built by the Maratha king and his descendents across the state. Many of these forts are in a dilapidated condition and the government has not taken any measures to maintain them, said Bhide.

Read

Fishermen begin week-long protest against Shivaji statue

What Maharashtra can do with Rs 3,600 crore if Shivaji statue isnt built
With major political parties gearing up to take control of the richest civic body  the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation  that has an annual budget of Rs30,000 crore, parties that have a limited presence in Mumbai are also preparing for the polls. These small parties will either help or damage the prospects of major players as even a small margin of votes could make a difference.

Many in the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) wonder whether the party will be able to perform like it did during the 2012 polls. However, the MNS is still in a position to create problems for the ruling Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it targets the traditional Maharashtrian vote bank. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)  a new entrant to the BMC polls  will try to garner Muslim votes, creating trouble for the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP). The Congress, which banks on Dalit votes, may face-off against the Republican Party of India (RPI-A) led by Union minister Ramdas Athawale, said experts.

The MNS  which won 28 seats in 2012 with 20.67% of the votes  isnt looking convincing so far, but could walk away with a chunk of Marathi votes. Some of its sitting corporators too may manage to retain their stronghold. The party hopes for a BJP-Sena alliance so the Sena can no longer criticise the BJP over demonetisation. In that case, Raj Thackeray could seek the votes of those unhappy with the notes ban.

Prakash Bal, political analyst, said the MNS cannot be called a deciding factor in this poll. It could have been if MNS chief Raj Thackeray had undertaken activities necessary for the partys growth. Nashik, where the party had won a majority of the votes last time, in now in shambles. The MNS may eat into Sena votes, but only in some Marathi pockets. The party has lost its influence, he said.

The Congress has been banking on minorities  especially Muslim voters  to win more seats, but it will be challenged by the Owaisi brothers-led AIMIM.

The party hurt the Congress during the 2014 assembly elections and won the Byculla assembly seat. This will be its first civic election and will test its strength in Muslim-dominated areas. Whatever seats it gets will indicate that Muslims (traditional Congress voters) are wearing away from the Congress and cannot rely on the party anymore, he said.

Political expert Pratap Asbe said a large faction of Dalit voters led by RPI-A may go with the BJP in the polls owing to the anti-Maratha factor that gained momentum in the backdrop of the silent Maratha protests demanding reservation. The RPI will contest the polls in alliance with the BJP. We are planning to contest 25 seats if saffron parties ally. Otherwise, we will demand around 50 seats with BJP, said Athawale.

The MNS dismissed the idea that it is seen as a minor party, and said it would exceed the 2012 tally of 27 corporators. The party is now gearing up to contest all 227 seats. Our corporators have done commendable work and people are tired of the misrule of the Sena-BJP alliance, said MNS corporator Sandeep Deshpande.

He argued that the partys 2014 debacle should not be taken into consideration as the vote was for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not even for the BJP.

Abu Asim Aazmi, MLA and state SP chief, refuted observations about AIMIM eating into the SPs votes.

The AIMIM has been exposed. One cannot get votes just by making speeches. The performance of the party is actually needed while going for polls and we delivered wherever we were given the responsibility. We are hoping for a rise in our tally from nine seats , he said. SP plans to contest around 100 seats.

Read

AIMIM now eyes Mumbai, Thane

Why does Congress find it difficult to win Mumbai civic polls
Engineering colleges in the city are witnessing a grim placement season this year, with fewer jobs being offered by the core engineering companies, especially those from the construction sector.

In colleges across the city, very few construction companies have participated in the campus placements so far. The companies that did visit the campuses made substantially fewer offers to civil engineering graduates this year.

For example, at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), in Matunga, only 15% of final-year civil engineering students have been placed so far. According to VM Phalle, training and placement officer (TPO), at the college, more than 50% students usually get offers by this time of the year. "The civil engineering placements were going on smoothly till October, but slowed down later. We hope that the situation will improve soon," he said.

Demonetisation threw the Indian economy in a turmoil, especially the construction sector or real estate firms, which largely depend on cash. The slump in construction offers was expected. The sector was adversely affected post-demonetisation as it heavily relies on informal workers. The property values have gone down as well, said Rituparna Chakraborty, , executive vice-president at TeamLease Services, a human-resource consulting agency.

The effects are visible in the government-run Sardar Patel College of Engineering (SPCE) in Andheri, as well. Here, some construction companies, which had made offers last year, delayed the joining of graduates. One real estate developer, which had hired students in large numbers, didn't make even one-fourth number of offers it made last year.

The placement officials at Rizvi College of Engineering in Bandra and MH Saboo Siddik College of Engineering in Byculla, said the construction firms have been delaying their visit to campus. Some companies, which had scheduled interviews in January, are requesting us to postpone them, said a placement official from Rizvi College.

However, Rahul Dahatonde, TPO at SPCE, said the demonetisation had little, if any, impact on the placements. "The civil placements were slow since the beginning of the academic year," he said.

On the other hand, the real estate industry blames demonetisation and governmnet regulations for its decline. "The sector is facing a severe recession owing to conflicting policies of government agencies. The situation worsened by demonetisation," he said.

Also read

Despite demonetisation, Mumbai colleges see more job offers, better pay packages

Many people in unorganised sector may lose job due to demonetisation: Ajay Maken

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The elections to the countrys richest civic body was announced on Wednesday. Heres what makes the fight for these polls different

A triangular fight

Between Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena; Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are not likely to make a dent. In the last three elections, Mumbai saw a direct contest between the two alliances with Congress-NCP playing off against Sena-BJP.

Corruption in the civic body

It will dictate campaigns. The BJP, Senas partner in the BMC, has levelled this charge against its ally most vocally. In the run up to the polls, BJP has successfully instituted a probe into the road and desilting scams, eroding Senas credibility. For the first time, the saffron allies are also likely to contest the polls independently

The note ban

It is expected to hit candidates expenses and reduce the buying of votes owing to the cash crunch. The polls may also see newer, more innovative ways of campaigning; candidates may offer sops on credit or promise more than plain cash

New wards

The redrawing of the electoral boundaries in Mumbai has affected 90% of the 227 wards, with sitting corporators unlikely to get fielded from their old constituencies. This will bring more fresh faces into the fray and lead to a lot more party-hopping as political parties start finalising candidates

Social media

Campaigns will go online, parties will use social media to get the voters interest. All political parties have invested in special social media cells and have drawn up strategies and hired consultants to operate Twitter and Facebook accounts, release YouTube videos of campaign trails

Read

Mumbai civic polls matter: Five reasons for you to vote
Patients at the municipal H Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli spent almost six hours on Tuesday without nurses as the staff was busy dancing at the annual day celebration.

When the staff returned only after 3.30pm, the outpatient ward (OPD) had reported almost 100 patients and 25 admissions, including emergencies like motorcycle accidents.

Dhananjay Junnarkar, social activist and local member of the Congress, said when he visited the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, the Medical Officer (MO) on duty, responsible for entire operations of the hospital, was attending to patients, administering injections and checking intravenous saline in the emergency ward  work normally done by nurses.

While he (MO) said he is unaware of the absenteeism, other employees informed me that all the nurses who were on duty, had participated in an event which was taking place at nearby Prabhodankar Thackeray Auditorium. The patients were either being transferred to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli or were given primary medication and discharged because there was not a single nurse to attend to them, said Junnarkar.

The 11-storey, newly-built medical facility which was inaugurated last year, has 72 posts for staff nurses, of which 46 are filled by permanent employees. The hospital, according to official figures of civic body, is still short of 26 nurses.

Sources from the hospital confirmed that the event, nurses annual day celebration, started at 10am and concluded around 2.30pm. All the nurses, reported to work at the hospital around 3.30pm. Dr Pradeep Jadhav, chief medical superintendent and in-charge of all municipal periphery hospitals in the city, was the chief guest, invited by Matron Usha Patil and Dr KG Pimple, medical superintendent of Shatabdi and Bhagwati Hospitals. In a way, all the three influential personalities of the hospital, were okay with leaving patients in the lurch and allowing the on-duty nurses to dance and celebrate at the event, said one of the doctors from the hospital.

Dr Jadhav refuted the claims and said the function was organised by school of nursing and the participants were not staff nurses but students from Nurses Training College (NTC). It was an annual NTC function and none of the participants were on-duty nurses. We had sufficient nurses at the hospital and there were no problems whatsoever, said Dr Jadhav.

However, Dr Pimple, who did not specify whether the participants were on-duty staff nurses or trainees, said the two senior MO from Bhagwati Hospital were responsible to manage the staff since its an annual nursing function. I had got an update from the hospital that additional doctors were pushed into the duty and there was sufficient staff available. Two senior MO from the hospital had informed me that they are looking after the operations, said Dr Pimple.

Read

Short-staffed Mumbai hospital flouts norms
The University Grants Commission (UGC) wants college students to become change-makers by promoting a cashless society.

On National Youth Day, celebrated on January 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the UGC wants students to get familiar with various modes of digital payments and educate others about it. Every year, the UGC calls for various activities to be conducted at colleges and universities through the week to mark the day.

Every youngster, who is not conversant with digital payments, must learn at least one mode. Those conversant with digital payments should educate at least 10 people in this regard, stated the circular released on the UGC website earlier this week.

Youth organisations in colleges have been asked to organise training programmes as part of the celebrations.

While most colleges in Mumbai have taken steps to spread literacy on cashless transactions, some are also planning to use this opportunity to go beyond the campus. On Friday, the management of RD National College in Bandra will hold a one-day workshop to train small businessmen about cashless transactions. Digital payment is the need of the hour, especially for small businesses. The orientation programme will be held in partnership with several experts, said Dinesh Panjwani, principal of the college.

Also read

Demonetisation blues? Job offers for civil engineering students in Mumbai slump

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias Armed Forces have 35 times violated the ceasefire in different directions along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Jan. 12.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in the Kamarli and Jafarli villages of Azerbaijans Gazakh district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in the Dovekh village of the Noyemberyan district and in the Azatamut village of the Ijevan district of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani army positions located in the Alibayli village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district were shelled from the Armenian army positions located in the Aygepar village of the Berd district of Armenia.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions underwent fire from the Armenian positions located near the Armenian-occupied Goyarkh village of the Tartar district, Shirvanli village of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Horadiz village of the Fuzuli district, as well as from the positions located on the nameless heights of the Goranboy, Tartar, Khojavand, Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
After mooting a super communication Expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur, the state government is now exploring the possibility of a green-field expressway between Mumbai and Goa. If the project materialises, motorists can zip through the expressway in five to six hours.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has asked it to take up the project. NHAI had asked MSRDC if we can implement the expressway between Mumbai and Goa and we have sent them our affirmation. We will carry out the feasibility study, PWD (public undertaking) minister Eknath Shinde told HT.

The NHAI has already begun widening the national highway between Mumbai and Goa. The busy NH-66 (previously NH-17) is a two-lane road making it accident-prone and hence the need to widen it into four lanes. Apart from this, the state government has also planned a coastal road to develop the Konkan belt and to reduce the distance between Mumbai and Goa. Better connectivity via an expressway like the one that connects Mumbai and Pune would give a boost to development in the Konkan belt. It would also help tourists reach Konkan and Goa faster by road.

When asked about the need for an expressway when the existing road is already being widened, Shinde said, We will examine every aspect in our study  existing and planned roads, current traffic and estimated increase.

However, senior state government officials said the MSRDC has its hands full at the moment with the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. Officials said the MSRDC intends to put the expressway on track and only then take up the Mumbai-Goa project. The focus of the MSRDC is currently on the Mumbai-Nagpur project because it is being monitored closely by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The MSRDC has written to the NHAI that it will implement the project, an official said, on condition of anonymity.

The official said the MSRDC, which is facing opposition to acquire land for the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, will face similar challenges while implementing the Mumbai-Goa expressway project. It will be interesting on what alignment would be taken for the expressway. If it is closer to the coast, people would oppose giving up their land and if it is inwards then there are forest areas to navigate through, the official said.

Read more:

Maharashtra seeks global bids to push construction of Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Mumbai crime branch on Thursday filed a 600-page long charge-sheet against the two accused  former Congress corporater Razzak Khan and his son Amjad Khan  in connection with the murder of RTI activist Bhupendra Vira.

The 61-year-old Right to Information (RTI) activist Bhupendra Vira was shot dead at his residence in Razzak Chawl, Kalina at Santacruz (East).Vira was shot on his head by Amjad on October 15, while he was watching television around 9.30 pm. Within 24 hours of the incident, the police had arrested Razzak and Amjad. The police had claimed that Amjad was spotted by four witnesses in the area at the time of the murder.

In the charge-sheet filed on Thursday police had alleged that the duo killed Vira over a property dispute. The crime branch alleged that Vira and Razzak were in the middle of a tussle over the ownership of a shop in Andheri. The prosecution has also alleged that Vira had filed several complaints against Razzak for his construction work and BMC officials had also acted on his complaints.

The police had in the investigation sized the pistol used in the murder along with 12 live rounds, the footage of several CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity and Amjads car. The crime branch stated that the ballistic report has confirmed recovered by the police from the accused was fired from the pistol.

The police have strengthened the case with the footage of the CCTV camera in which Amjad was captured parking his car some distance away from Viras residence at the time of the incident and later getting out of the car before the murder and returning soon after.

Apart from the forensic evidence, the crime branch has added statements of around 92 witnesses, which includes statements of eye witnesses and Viras family members.

Also read: RTI activists murder: Son blames cops for not acting on complaint
A first year college student from Dombivli was arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl at Matheran on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old accused was arrested on Wednesday after a case was lodged with the Manapada police station. He is a resident of Manpada in Dombivli.

On Tuesday, the victim  a 14-year-old studying in Class 9 was asked by the youth, who was apparently her friend, to go along with him for a trip to Matheran. The girl told her parents that she was going to Nashik but went to Matheran instead along with the accused.

Inspector S Raut said, After reaching Matheran, the accused wanted to rest in a hotel and as soon as they got into a room, the youth threatened to kill the girl and allegedly raped her.

The incident came to light late on Tuesday when the survivor contacted her parents and filed an FIR against the accused. He was arrested, produced in court and remanded in police custody.

An officer said, We have sent the survivor and the accused for a medical test and are waiting for the report.

Also read: 11 years on, Bombay high court acquits 4 of rape, murder of 3-year-old girl

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Nehru Nagar police have arrested a 29-year-old tourist car driver who had been using the symbol of the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on his vehicle to evade toll and fines.

According to the police officials, the arrested accused has been identified as Gaurav Datta Tikke, a resident of Dadar.

The police said that the accused believed that the traffic police or toll booth officials would not stop ACB vehicles for fines and fees as they are scared of traps. So he stuck the symbol on both sides of the car.

Tikke was nabbed while he was arguing with one of the traffic wardens in Kurla, as he was stopped for jumping the signal and later trying to threaten the police on the pretext of being an ACB official.

Senior police inspector Pramod Khoparde from Nehru Nagar police station then intervened into the matter.

I asked for the drivers identity card and car papers and took them to the police station. During investigation, we learnt that the accused was driving a car hired by an NGO named after the anti-corruption bureau, said Khoparde. He added, We called the NGO they claimed that they have been helping ACB department with vital information but never permitted the driver to use the symbol.

Also read: 2016 saw lowest corruption cases in Maharashtra in past 3 years, says ACB

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Two men were injured after a major fire broke out at a slum in Mankhurd on Thursday evening. The blaze started at a scrapyard in the Mandala area at 6pm and destroyed shanties there. No casualties have been reported in the incident.

While Raju Yadav, 30, who sustained 10-12% burns, was admitted to Shatabdi Hospital, Aju Patel, 40, with 14% burns, was taken to Rajwadi Hospital. The structures that caught fire also include scrapyards and some godowns.

As many as 17 fire engines, eight jumbo tankers, five water tankers and five ambulances were rushed to the spot. An NDRF team of 45 members were present at the site. Water Filling points at Deonar Abaittor and Ghtakopar yard and five borewells are used as filling points for tankers.

Even after four hours, the fire could not be brought under control. Slum residents were evacuated and provided with temporary arrangement in three municipal schools at Mankhurd.

The billowing smoke could be seen from as far as Chembur.

Officials suspect that the fire was aggravated due to chemicals in the scrapyards.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The blaze also affected traffic on Ghatkopar-Mankhurd road and Eastern Express Highway.

READ

25 injured after major fire breaks out at furniture market in Mumbai

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
French DJ David Guettas concert, scheduled in Bengaluru for Thursday night, has been scrapped with the organisers citing law and order situation following the alleged molestation on New Years Eve as the reason.

The DJ, 49, is on a four-city tour which was expected to begin from Bengaluru and then move to Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

Due to the present law and order situation in Bengaluru following the events that transpired around New Years Eve, the authorities have recommended against holding the David Guetta concert scheduled today in the city, Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said in a statement.

We at Sunburn tried our very best to make it happen but the authorities understandably are not prepared to take any chances. Hence, todays concert unfortunately stands cancelled, he added.

The organisers said they hope to reschedule the concert if they get permission from the authorities and the artiste but there is no clarity at the moment.

The SP, Bengaluru Rural told ANI that the concert was not cancelled, it was just postponed due to Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) elections. No law and order problem, he said.

David Guetta concert not cancelled.Told organisers fix different date due to APMC polls. No law & order problem: SP Bengaluru Rural to ANI  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Other shows in Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad are on as per schedule, Singh said.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The Ghaziabad district administration on Thursday published the final electoral roll for the upcoming assembly elections. Since January 2016, the district has witnessed a rise of nearly 13.36% voters and the final tally of voters stood at 25,92,459. The district goes to polls on February 11 in the first phase of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The previous electorate figure was 25,30,768.

According to the list, the six assembly segments of Loni, Murad Nagar, Modi Nagar, Ghaziabad city, Sahibabad and Dhaulana (part) have 14,55,440 male and 11,36,918 female voters. The final tally also includes 101 other voters.

This year, we have major additions as well as deletion of voters. The deletions were on account of migration of voters, repetition and deaths. This time, we carried out exhaustive revision at 2,490 polling booths, conducted by block level officers (BLOs). It was aimed that no polling both should be left out, said Nidhi Kesarwani, district magistrate (DM), Ghaziabad.

In the final electoral roll, total 1,34,732 requests for additions were admitted while a total of 73,041 deletions were made.

The list was also published at various polling booths and schools on Thursday for voters to check their names. For any modification, voters will have to contact their nearest tehsils. Before the election, the BLOs will also provide the voters slip to people, said an officer at the district election office.

In the final publication of the electoral roll, the Loni assembly segment has 4,55,284, Murad Nagar has 4,16,748, Sahibabad has 8,61,793, Ghaziabad has 4,22,172, Modi Nagar has 3,30,668 and Dhaulana (part) has 1,05,794 voters.

The major change of voters was witnessed in Loni at 4.36%, 3.06% in Sahibabad and 1.9% in Ghaziabad city. Murad Nagar and Modi Nagar stood at 1.23% and .55%, respectively.

To increase the turnout, the administration has planned various activities. It also identified 10 polling booths from all the assembly segments which registered lower polling percentage as compared to the segments overall polling percentage.

Officers and volunteers will visit voters to encourage them to vote, the DM said.

In Ghaziabad, the polling percentage in 2012 assembly polls stood at 62.34% for Murad Nagar, 60.19% for Loni and 62.61% for Modi Nagar assembly segments, which have a major rural voters base. The urban voters base segments fared dismal with Ghaziabad City recording 54.08% and Sahibabad recording 49.31% as per state election commission records.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Uttar Pradesh transport department has said that not using seatbelts and using pressure horns, both of which are violations of the Motor Vehicles Act, is mandatory in government vehicles. The order to this effect issued by the UP additional transport commissioner said that enforcement teams in their respective areas must initiate action against anyone found not wearing seatbelts while sitting next to the driver in government vehicles.

A special checking drive against such vehicles was to be conducted on January 12. However, as the day fell during the transport departments weeklong road safety drive that began on Monday, no checking of government vehicles could be done for seatbelt and pressure horn violations as the staff were busy with the drive.

We intercepted five government vehicles, but no offence was found, said Rajesh Singh, assistant regional transport officer (ARTO), in charge, enforcement.

The transport departments order comes after a meeting of senior state officials headed by the chief secretary on December 27. The meeting took a serious view of violations by government vehicles. The officials also decided that making special adverse entry (in the service book/confidential report) against the controlling officer of the official using the government vehicle in which such violations are found to be conducted can be contemplated.

It is a moot question whether enforcement wing officials in the transport department will take action against an offence committed by senior government officials, said a transport department official.

There are around 2.5 lakh cars registered with the Noida transport department, of which only 150 vehicles are that of the government.

There are people who misuse government vehicles and bring a bad name to the department. We are trying to improve the system. Seatbelt is a safety measure and pressure horns are essential only in some vehicles that provide emergency services, said Rachna Yaduvanshi, ARTO, Noida transport.

The order clearly asks for action against government vehicles using pressure horns. These horns are only allowed in essential services vehicles such as ambulance, fire, transport, traffic etc. Any other vehicle using pressure horns violates the Motor Vehicle Act and causes inconvenience to pedestrians, cyclists and others. The order also mentions that the headquarters received several complaints of people disturbed by use of pressure horns in government vehicles.

We will launch a drive in this regard soon, but before that we will issue advisory to government vehicles registered with the department. If we find people using pressure horns and not wearing seatbelts in government vehicles, we will take action as per law, said the ARTO.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
As the revised voters list for the upcoming state assembly elections was released on Thursday, residents visited polling centres to check their names in it. Booth Level Officers(BLOs) were present at booths and distributed new voter cards.

The district magistrate (DM) has also appealed residents to check the revised electoral roll.

At Sector 20 polling centre, BLO Sneh Lata said, There were 764 voters in my booth. Some additions were made to the list, and now there are 757 voters in my booth. The voters belong to F block.

However, there is a problem. In the electoral roll of my booth, instead of block F, block D is mentioned. In the voters cards, too, block D is mentioned instead of block F. I have received complaints from voters, and, I have repeatedly complained to the higher authorities but the error has not been rectified yet,said Lata.

Another BLO, Satinder Kumar, said,At my booth, earlier there were 1,305 voters, the revised list has 1,343 voters.

Kumar, too, raised a problem. I had submitted 18 forms for deletion of names. However, only three names were deleted. Ravinder Kumar Sharma, a resident of D-83 had submitted deletion form on October 9,2016. He has a voter card from Hathras and is contesting the polls from there. If his name is not deleted from our list, it will pose problems for me.

BLO from booth number 217, Kiran Kandwal, said, There were 1,019 voters in my booth, and, the number has risen to 1,055 in the revised list. Although I made calls to new voters informing asking the to collect their voter cards, very few turned up. I will now deliver them at their doorsteps.

As for the rectification of the anomalies in the voters list, additional district magistrate Kumar Vineet said, There was some problem with the software, which may have added errors to the list. All errors pointed by BLOs will be rectified.
Following guidelines laid down by the Election Commission, the sector magistrates on Thursday visited all designated polling booths to inspect the facilities and infrastructure and gave voters a demonstration on how EVMs (electronic voting machines) work.

At Sector 20 polling centre, sector magistrate RK Goyal schooled voters in operating EVMs. He joined the ballot unit and the control unit in putting the voters through the paces with regard to the functioning of EVMs and showing them how to vote for the candidate of their choice.

He said the EVM training is essentially aimed at raising awareness among voters, especially in the grassroots, and making them comfortable with the idea of voting through this device. The names of the candidates and the symbols of the parties they represent will be put up at the ballot unit. It would make it easier for voters to identify the candidates and the number key they have to punch to vote for them.

Goyal said a decision on whether one ballot unit would suffice would be taken once the process of nomination is over and the number of candidates known.

Replying to a voters query on whether the name of his favoured candidate would flash on the control unit to which the presiding officer has full access, Goyal assured it wouldnt and that neither the presiding officer nor any other official on poll duty would know who he voted for.

He then took stock of the infrastructure and facilities at the centre. He toured the area where polling booths would be set up and also oversaw the measures to ensure voter security and easy accessibility. He also enquired if ramps would be put in place for the benefit of disabled voters. He also checked if steps have been taken to ensure uninterrupted power supply to booths.

I have been assigned to take stock of preparations in sectors 19, 20 and 21. I will submit a report. Im satisfied by the arrangements. All booths in my area have requisite facilities for voters, Goyal said.

Other sector magistrates undertook similar stocktaking exercise at polling centres on their watch.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

Trend:

The OSCE monitoring held along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops passed without incidents, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry told Trend Jan. 12.

The monitoring was held Jan. 12 under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative in the direction of the Ashagi Veysalli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring was held by field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Hristo Hristov, Simon Tiller and representative of the High Level Planning Group, Major Cavit Elyas.

On the Azerbaijani territories occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring was held by field assistant of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Peter Svedberg and head of the High Level Planning Group, Colonel Hans Lampalzer.

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.
Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav may finally be one up on his younger brother, deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

Tej Pratap, who holds three important portfolios, including health, has reportedly applied for CRPF security cover. At present, the Yadav brothers enjoy state government protection, while their father, RJD chief Lalu Prasad is under Z-plus security cover.

We will make an appraisal of the threat perception to see whether Tej Pratap actually requires CRPF security cover. If so, under which category, said a CRPF official.

If there is a security threat, he may get up to 11 security personnel under Y category, the official said.

If the threat perception was not high, Tej Pratap might get six security personnel, he added.

CRPF deputy inspector general Sajnuddin, who is the nodal officer for VVIP security, said he was not aware if a decision on security to Tej Pratap had been taken.

The Y category cover is the third category of protection after Z-plus and Z. It is, however, higher than X, the lowest category, where 4-5 commandos guard aVIP.

Three companies of CRPF have been deployed in Bihar exclusively for VVIP security. The three companies, comprising around 405 personnel, are providing security cover under X, Y and Z categories to 17 persons in the state. They include former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and three Union ministers from the state, who have been provided Z category security cover.

Nine other political leaders from Bihar, including state Congress chief Ashok Choudhary and Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav, have been accorded Y category security.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Complying with a Supreme Court ruling, the Bihar police have started uploading first information reports (FIRs) of all cognizable offences on their websites.

The top court had on September 7 last year directed all states and Union territories to upload the FIRs on their websites within 24 hours of registration at police stations. However, it had exempted the state police authorities from uploading the FIRs on sensitive cases pertaining to insurgency and sexual offences against women and children.

The police will be free to decide the sensitiveness of the cases which should not be uploaded on the web, said director general of police (DGP) Pramod Kumar Thakur.

The step would help people to upload or download FIRs from the website of the state crime records bureau (SCRB), Thakur said. More than 25,000 FIRs had already been uploaded on the website, he added.

Abiding by the SC order, a module had been prepared wherein in-charge of all police stations would upload FIRs online and SPs concerned would monitor them, he said. The FIRs would be easily accessible to complainants and public online, he added.

Thakur said a special offline module had been prepared to deal with the situation wherein the FIRs would be converted into online mode.

The uploading of FIR's on the website will put a curb on offenders bid to tamper with the contents of FIRs and get bail by furnishing forged documents in courts.

Taking note of glaring discrepancies in the original FIR and those presented in the court by undertrials, the Patna high court has many times pulled up the police in the past.

Bihar, however, has many police stations in remote areas without any internet connectivity. Due this, a team from the SCRB has been given the responsibility of uploading the FIRs. Supervised by additional director general (modernisation) Preeta Verma and inspector general (SCRB) Kamal Kishore Singh, the team comprises inspectors and sub-inspectors, besides personnel to man technical cells.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
More than three months after the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, came into force, on October 2 last year, special courts mandated in the new law for trial of liquor related cases are yet to be constituted.

As per provisions of the Act, consumption or possession of liquor within the state, will lead to arrest under non-bailable sections and all districts will have special courts for trial of liquor-related cases. The special courts were to have a special judge and special prosecutor.

This has not happened even as arrests in such cases and recovery of liquor have remained unabated across the state. Sessions courts and chief judicial magistrate (CJM) courts are handling these cases, as before.

Excise commissioner AK Das told HT, the law department had been requested to pursue the matter, as the special courts have to be constituted by the Patna high court.

Principal additional advocate general (PAAG) Lalit Kishor said the request for special courts had been placed before the HC in writing.

"We have requested for one special court each in Patna and in all the other divisions. Till this happens, sessions court will hear such cases," he added.

Reached for a reaction, registrar general of Patna HC, PC Jaiswal, told HT that the matter was under process. "We have received the request from the government and a final decision in this regard will be taken by the standing committee," he added.

However, sources said shortage of judicial officers might also be a reason behind delay in constitution of special courts. Asked about this, Jaiswal said, "Scarcity of hands is a reality."

As per excise department figures, around 29,000 persons have so far been arrested in liquor-related offences across the state since April 5, when complete prohibition came into force. However, many of those arrested have obtained bail.

In another development, the state government has moved the Supreme Court for transfer of all cases against liquor ban law from the HC to the apex court.

"The apex court has issued notice and stayed the proceedings of the HC. They will be heard in the SC now," said Kishor.

The apex court had in October stayed the Patna HC's order quashing the old notification banning consumption and sale of liquor in the state.

"The SC has given further four-week time to the other side to reply," Kishor said.

On January 21, the Bihar government has planned a long human chain in support of addiction-free Bihar to strengthen its case for prohibition.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
PATNA: Senior IAS officer SM Raju, at present posted as additional member, board of revenue, Bihar, has been suspended for irregularities in distribution of scholarship among SC/ST students.

A notification issued by the general administration department on Thursday said Raju had been suspended following lodging of an FIR by the state vigilance investigation bureau on November 29, 2016 under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said suspension of the officer was a natural corollary following the lodging of the FIR.

The bureau had registered FIR against Raju, then secretary in the welfare department, and 15 others after detecting irregularities in disbursement of post-matric scholarships to SC/ST students pursuing technical education in institutions outside Bihar during 2013-14 and before.

The bureau has found incriminating evidence against Raju, as he was directly involved with the entire process, a senior official said, adding there were many middlemen who swindled crores of rupees through fake admissions in institutions outside Bihar, many of which existed on paper only.

The government ordered an inquiry by the vigilance investigation bureau following uproar over the issue in the Bihar legislative assembly. The BJP had insisted on a CBI inquiry into the Rs 50-crore scam.

Vigilance sources said the FIR was lodged in the case after thorough investigation and clear evidence. The vigilance bureau sent its teams to some of the colleges where students from Bihar were supposed to be studying, but they were found to be registered on paper only. If some students were admitted, they left within a year and payment kept reaching the institutions even after that, they added.

Sources said the guidelines laid down for scholarship distribution were clearly flouted in more ways than one and the middlemen seemed to have controlled the affair, as many institutions got money under the government welfare scheme without having any student.

It was only after thorough investigation that the FIR was lodged. Further investigation into all out-of-state institutions could lead to more evidences, they added.

Raju was in the thick of controversy in 2003 also and then leader of opposition in the Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi had sought his dismissal over corruption charges. Modi had advised the government not to accept the services of Raju following his suspension in Karnataka, where he had gone on deputation.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, Arvind Kejriwal, scotched speculation on Wednesday that he is in the race for the top job in Punjab, saying his party will make a states native the chief minister if his party wins the February 4 assembly polls.

Speculation swirled after his deputy, Manish Sisodia, told people in Mohali on Tuesday that they should vote assuming that it is to make Kejriwal the chief minister.

Political rivals  the Congress and ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)  latched on to the Delhi deputy chief ministers remarks, alleging that the AAP was trying to foist an outsider to head the government if it comes to power.

Who says the CM will be from outside the state? The Punjab CM will be from Punjab only, said Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister whose AAP has emerged as a major force in its debut Punjab assembly elections.

Then he said: Whosoever will be the Punjab chief minister, it will be my personal responsibility that all promises made by AAP are fulfilled.

Kejriwals party is seeking to wrest power from the BJP-SAD combine that has been at the helm for two terms. The Congress too is in the fray.

Kejriwal said party colleague Sisodias remarks have been misinterpreted.

(Chief minister Parkash Singh) Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh have been saying that Punjabs CM should be from the state. I will take on the Badals and Amarinder after AAPs victory and recover every penny of the peoples money they have looted over the years, he said, addressing a rally 30km from Patiala. The AAP chief promised that Punjabs development will be his partys priority.

We have prepared a blueprint of 150 projects if we form a government here, he said and promised to tackle one the states topmost problems  drug abuse.

Sisodias statement came against the backdrop of rivals accusing the AAPs central leadership of trying to run its Punjab unit from Delhi.

But the party dismissed the allegations, saying he was only seeking votes in Kejriwals name.

Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who is shouldering the Congress campaign, alleged that Kejriwal has sought to become the Punjab chief minister without contesting elections.

The Akali Dal too made similar remarks, saying Punjabis will never tolerate outsider Kejriwal as their chief minister.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The poll scene heated up in Captain Amarinders home district as Arvind Kejriwal, AAP national convener, began twoday tour here with back to back rallies throughout Wednesday.

In his six rallies in support of partys candidate at Shutrana, Samana, Bhadson and Nabha constituencies, he did not mince any words to take on Punjab Congress chief Amarinder.

Capt Amarinder during his tenure as chief minister from 2002-2007 had deposited his illegal money in Swiss bank. We have the bank account number and will bring back the money, he said at the rally in Patrans grain market.

He further said both Badal and Amarinder have looted Punjab. I will put them behind bars if AAP is voted to power, he said during his election speech at Patrans grain market.

He also raised the issue of regular flooding of Ghaggar river in Shutrana constituency and promised to solve the issue once they form the government.

Kejriwal also said his party would implement recommendations of Swaminathan report on crop prices within three years so that the farmers could get adequate price for their produce.

At Samana, the Delhi chief minister appealed people to vote to save Punjab from corrupt political system alternatively controlled by SAD and Congress.

TAKES ON SUKHBIR AT NABHA, BHADSON

Sukhbir is haunted by the thought that Kejriwal will fight elections in Punjab said Kejriwal at well-attended rally at Nabha. He said if voted to power, AAP government will ensure the cut in supply of intoxicating drugs in one month and make the arrangements for the treatment of 40 lakh young victims of drug abuse within six months.

He also listed his plan to provide employment by facilitating industry which will be mandated to employ 80% from within Punjab. Regarding funds, he said the government will save by controlling corruption. But when asked if Punjab CM will be a dummy one and representative of Delhi leadership, he said he would reply for it tomorrow.

CONGRESS MANIFESTO BUNDLE OF LIES

On Congress manifesto, he said it was a bundle of lies as there was no iota of truth. Captain claimed in his manifesto that he will increase widow pension to Rs 2,500 per month in Punjab. If that is so then why Congress has not done it in five others states they rule, he said.

FOUR RALLIES IN PATIALA ON THURSDAY

On Thursday, Kejriwal will address four rallies in Patiala in support of partys candidates for Patiala urban and Patiala rural. In afternoon, his rally is scheduled at Tripari and Gurbaksh Colony. He has another two rallies in the evening at Quila Chowk and Dheeru Di Majri.

He would also hold rallies in Sanaur to support Kuldeep Kaur Tohra, a daughter of late Akali Stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it seems, is in a quandary over repeating six big faces  four ministers and a chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) in the outgoing Punjab government and a former minister  as candidates from the respective assembly seats they had won in the 2012 polls.

Sources say Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present at the meeting convened by BJP national president Amit Shah on Wednesday evening, insisted on bringing in new faces in place of the big faces, to fight out anti-incumbency of ten years of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab.

The BJP national leadership has asked state party president Vijay Sampla to send a fresh panel for these six constituencies, it has been learnt.

Other than the candidature of four ministers  Anil Joshi from Amritsar North, Bhagat Chunni Lal (Jalandhar West), Surjeet Jyani (Fazilka) and Madan Mohan Mittal (Anandpur Sahib) the nomination of CPS Som Parkash (Phagwara) and former minister Manoranjan Kalia (Jalandhar Central) was held back on Wednesday evening.

The BJP will contest 23 seats while its ally SAD has kept 94 out of the total 117 seats in its kitty.

The saffron party is also keeping in mind that the last date of filling nominations is January 18, so the process has to be expedited.

Interestingly, the party high command has allowed seven candidates who lost the 2012 polls to contest from the same constituencies again this time.

The BJP top brass and the Rashtriya Swyamsewak Sangh (RSS) are of the view that public perception of SAD is at the lowest ebb, which can impact the saffron party as well. They feel that by bringing in new candidates, the BJP could do a damage control.

Madan Mohan Mittal, who is above 75, has rushed to Delhi to urge the party high command to field his son Arvind Mittal from Anandpur Sahib, in case he is denied the party ticket due to the age factor.

I have already started campaigning in Anandpur Sahib. My health is fine and I am ready to contest again, but if my party wants to impose the age bar on me as suggested by Modi ji, the party can make my son a candidate, instead, Mittal told HT. He denied any anti-incumbency against him.

Similarly, Kalia has also started campaigning in the Jalandhar Central constituency.

However, both the leaders said they would take the partys decision as final.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Dakha, HS Phoolka, demanded Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badals removal from the cabinet, condemning a statement that she made after the incident in which a shoe was hurled at Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday. Harsimrat said if the CM told the party to turn violent, AAP workers would not be alive. She is the food processing minister in the Union cabinet.

On Thursday, interacting with the media, Phoolka also demanded an apology from Badal, saying, If Badal stands by her (Harsimrat Kaur Badals) statement, he has no right to remain the CM. He should rather step down, he said.

He added, Such statements are a blot on the free and fair conduct of the polls. The Vidhan Sabha polls are slated for February 4.

Phoolka further said it was inappropriate of a cabiner minister to talk in such a manner. We demand her removal from the cabinet and urge the Election Commission to register a case against her for intimidating AAP workers, he said.

Navkiran Singh, a Chandigarh-based lawyer who has also joined the AAP, said he will lodge a complaint with the chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi to take action against Harsimrat. We will also demand that free and fair polls are conducted under strict vigil by paramilitary forces, he added.
A hotbed of communists, Mansa, is where the upstart Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is now trying to make its political statements. There is also the symbolism  it falls in the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency of Harsimrat Badal, Union minister and daughter-in-law of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann may be fighting against Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal from Jalalabad but he chose Mansa to forewarn a violent campaign season ahead of February 4 polls in Punjab.

The public meetings of Mann are pulling crowds even during night hours and videos of his speeches  peppered with his slapstick jokes  have been going viral as youth and NRIs, the AAPs main support base are sharing it on social media.

In these videos, Mann can be heard telling voters that ruling Akalis will be welcomed with stones.

The first such video is of July 17 last year of Manns speech in Mansa. The most recent is of January 4 at Sardulgarh, also a part of Bathinda Lok Sabha seat. They (SAD leaders) will not get votes but stones. There will be black marketing of stones in the coming days.

The identity of a stone-pelter is never known. Dala dala (stone) hota hai, pata nahi kidhar se chala hota hai (a stonepelter is never caught as nobody knows about his identity), he said in a speech at Mansa and then asked people to cheer, if they liked it, and many are doing so it seems.

VIRTUAL WAR TURNS INTO GROUND REALITY

These videos have been evoking a bitter exchange of comments between Akali and AAP supporters on Facebook, YouTube and WhatApp. But the virtual war has now turned into a bitter ground reality.

Within two days of hurling of stones at Sukhbirs convoy in Jalalabad, a shoe was hurled on Wednesday at CM Badal while he was campaigning in his bastion, Lambi.

The AAP has fielded Jarnail Singh against the CM. Jarnail had shot to fame by hurling a shoe at former Union finance minister P Chidambaram. He was elected Delhi legislator and is one of the contenders for AAPs CM face in Punjab.

Harsimrat added more fuel to the already charged-up poll atmosphere in Punjab. Reacting to hurling of shoe at the CM, she came up with an eye for an eye threat, with even worse consequences for the AAP. If Badal Sahab will ask party workers to get violent, then AAP workers would not even stay alive, Harsimrat said.

The violence in the state is not a recent phenomenon. Both AAP and SAD workers have been clashing at rallies and registering police complaints against each other for about a year.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwals car was attacked in Ludhiana in February last year.

As SAD and AAP clash, Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh has his own reasons to express fears of Punjab polls turning violent. He believes Akalis would indulge in violence as they are on a downswing.

But the AAP aggression has made the Congress anxious. Amarinder has condemned the attack on Sukhbir but described it as pent-up anger of the people.

A Congress leader explains, It was earlier the Congress that was making news by holding sitins inside the state assembly and outside CMs residence. Now, the AAP is taking the aggression route to up its game in Punjab and fan strong anti-incumbency sentiments. Public perception matters in elections and AAP may emerge as Badals main challenger.

The AAPs popularity with Sikh radicals has the SAD as much worried as the Congress. And both have been targeting Arvind Kejriwals party by alleging it is flirting with Sikh radicals and getting funds from them, reminding voters of Punjabs troubled past.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday alleged that the recent incidents aimed at inciting violence in Jalalabad and at Lambi were part of a conspiracy hatched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in alliance with radical organisations.

The recent disturbances in Punjab have occurred shortly after AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal held meetings with radical elements, he claimed after filing his nomination papers in Jalalabad.

On Wednesday, a shoe was hurled at Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal by a relative of a radical Sikh leader at his home constituency Lambi, and a group of people threw stones at the cavalcade of Sukhbir in his constituency Jalalabad a few days ago.

Watch | Stones hurled at Sukhbirs convoy in Jalalabad by protesters

Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who accompanied him, also filed her nomination as a covering candidate for the SAD president.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal along with Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal filing nomination papers from Lambi constituency at MIMIT college in Malout on Thursday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT Photo)

Sukhbir claimed Kejriwal had recently held meetings with the three self-styled jathedars supported by radical elements besides radical ideologue Mokhan Singh. Mokhan heads the United Akali Dal (UAD), a separatist body, that has earlier tried to incite violence in Punjab, he said. Kejriwal also held a breakfast meeting with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) frontal organisation Akhand Kirtani Jatha spokesperson RP Singh three days back, the SAD president claimed.

He has also met radical Sikh leader Amrik Singh Ajnala, whose brother attacked Parkash Badal on Wednesday. All this proves that the recent incidents of violence were part of a larger strategy to create trouble in Punjab, he said.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, recently, openly asked people to throw stones at the senior SAD leadership and even admitted this in a television interview, he claimed, adding it had been brought to the notice of the Election Commission.

Read | Not funny: Bhagwant Mann under EC probe for saying throw stones at Akalis

Sukhbir said all these acts were the result of extreme frustration on the part of AAP. The party realises that the ground is slipping beneath its feet and that the people are rejecting its anti-Punjab agenda. It is because of this that the party is now resorting to such acts, he alleged.

Asking AAP not to test the patience of the SAD, Sukhbir said the Akali cadre was quiet because it was peace-loving and was committed to maintain law and order.

The very fact that peace and communal harmony has reigned in Punjab for the last ten years is testimony of this. This peace was achieved after nearly two decades of turbulence. But now some forces have got together and are resorting to gunda gardi, he said.

Meanwhile, Parkash Badal said in Bathinda the rank and file of the SAD have been instructed not to be provoked through deliberate incitements. He said, When peace and communal harmony go up in flames, those inciting the people to set the set initial spark are the first to run away and escape, leaving the hapless peace loving common people to bear the brunt of tragedy and pay the price for the dangerous games they play.

Read | AAP workers wont stay alive if Badal tells Akalis to turn violent

Badal asked the people of the state to be aware of the dangers to their unique religious and historical heritage and legacy and remain vigilant against non-Punjabi elements busy in hatching anti-Punjab conspiracies. He said Wednesdays incident seemed to have a two-pronged strategy. The first was to dilute and damage his image and sour the profound and almost a century-old bond between him and the people of this state.

It is an unparallelled bond in which I have spent all my life moving about in streets, lanes and by lanes of Punjab cities and villages, visiting every home and meeting the common people of my state to understand and address their problems, 89-year-old five time chief minister Badal said.

The enemies of our state are aware that SAD is the only party which is Punjabi in flesh, blood and spirit and has lived and grown with the people of the state here. The stakes of the SAD and those of the Punjabis are identical, he said. All the other main contesting political parties are clearly not only non-Punjabi but are instinctively anti- Punjab, he said, adding they have put on a sweet masks merely to befool Punjabis. They pose a serious challenge to the unique identity of Punjabis and even the honour of our people will not be safe, as recent happenings in the Congress and the AAP have demonstrated, he said. These parties are instinctively full of contempt for Punjabis and our culture, he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Diplomatic opportunities must be used to return the body of the killed Azerbaijani soldier, now kept by the Armenian side, said the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during a briefing on Jan. 12.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on Dec. 29, 2016. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders and suffered heavy losses. Chingiz Gurbanov, a serviceman of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, went missing during the fight.

It was later found out that Armenia kept the soldiers body.

The Azerbaijani side has officially appealed to the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan, the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as to Andrzej Kasprzyk, personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office. Despite this, the Azerbaijani soldiers body has not been given yet.

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.
Chances are that youve recently heard of Jallikattu, Kamal Haasan and Pongal thats because media lenses are trying to fathom the mood in Tamil Nadu.

This weekend Tamil Nadu celebrates Pongal. Pongal marks Tamil Nadus harvest festival and this time it falls on Saturday, January 14. A highlight of the festival is bull taming event called Jallikattu  where youngsters hug the hump of a bull and prizes are either tied to the horns of the bull or are given to the person who hugs it the longest. Jallikattu is traditionally held on the third day of pongal, called Maattu Pongal.

Over the years, the eventwhich was primarily organised around the local templebecame violent with numerous instances of animals being abused. This led to the Supreme Court banning Jallikattu in May 2014.

And thanks to Haasan, talk about the ban on Jallikattu has moved from a cultural and political issue to one that has caught the attention of national media. At a media event recently in Chennai, the film star expressed his support for the event calling it an integral part of Tamil culture.

In his film Virumandi, released in 2004, Haasan portrayed a character that takes part in Jallikattu.

Not to be left behind, GV Prakash, music composer and actor, has announced that he will release a song on Pongal, dedicating it to Jallikattu. Titled Kombu Vacha Singamda Prakash was quoted by news agency IANS as saying, Its a motivational song which will encourage everybody to support Jallikattu. The revenue we earn through downloads of this song will be given to the struggling families of farmers.

Many actors, including Khushbu Sundar, have come in support of Jallikattu.

This has also united all major political parties in Tamil Nadu in the demand that the ban on Jallikattu be revoked.

Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has requested that the groundswell of sentiment and support for the event should not be unnoticed. The Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of Jallikattu during Pongal, 2017.

Chennai has also requested that the Union ministry of environment and forests denotify bulls as performing animals from a 2011 notification by the Ministry.

Panneerselvam recalled that both he and his predecessor, the late J Jayalalithaa, had put forth a demand to Modi that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests should clearly denotify bulls as performing animals and that Section 11(3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, be suitably amended exempting Jallikattu.

Animal activists, however, favour a ban, listing the abuse the bull undergoes during Jallikattu. Activists have documented instances where the animal has been given alcohol, its tail twisted and chilli rubbed in its eyes to agitate the bull (in order to have a spectacle).

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A motorcycle expedition to Ladakh figures in the wishlist of most Indians. I was one of those who lived that dream eight times beginning 1998 as a member of a motorcycle club. But I wanted to do more. Ride solo to Ladakh through the Mughal Road.

And so in 2013, five years after my last expedition with the gang, I decided to go on my own to Indias northernmost place called Turtuk beyond which is part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). My only window for the trip was May-June because my sons school would be closed and my wife wouldnt have to bother about running from office to pick him up.

So what was my adventure like? In a nutshell, something like this: 44 degrees Celsius through the first two days, torrential rain near Sonamarg, landslides at Zoji La (pass), less than minus zero degrees at Khardung La, romancing the cold desert in Hunder, eating the worlds sweetest apricots in Turtuk and lots of momos  all these garnished with the kindness and hospitality of locals.

Kids in a village in Turtuk. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

I started on the third week of May. Two days of riding through scorching heat brought me to Jammu. Only by the third day I began to enjoy the ride as I headed for Rajouri through a route I had never taken before and where the temperature was more tolerable. The caretaker at the Jammu and Kashmir tourism guest house turned out to be a turned out to be great company in an otherwise deserted facility as he gave me a commoners firsthand account of life under the then National Conference headed by Omar Abdullah.

The weather was great with just a nip in the air as I headed for the Mughal Road the next morning. Just outside Rajouri, the countryside began to unfold like a picture postcard. A short climb to a place called Thanamandi and then a long downhill stretch through a dense forest area brought me Bafliaz, officially the starting point of the Mughal Road.

Bafliaz, located by the roaring Suran river, has a primeval connect. It is named after the horse of Alexander the Great, called Bucephalus which is said to have died there.

For now, Bafliaz is small, quiet town. The Mughal Roads greatest advantage to people in Rajouri and Poonch is that it has cut travel time to Srinagar by a day. So those from Rajouri, Poonch and Bafliaz heading for Srinagar need not drive an extra 200 km or so through Jammu.

Traffic at Zoji La. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

Srinagar is 135 km away from Bafliaz. Pound for pound, no other highway in India comes close to the Mughal Road. Its a highway motorcyclists dream of. Smooth road for most part and stunning scenery make for a heady ride. Little below the current road, are the ruins of Mughal architecture, mostly serais or inns that were built for the caravans.

Most people heading from north India to Srinagar prefer the Jammu-Srinagar highway so traffic on the Mughal Road is till sparse which enhances the riding experience. The jams I got caught in were those triggered by massive herds of goats and sheep as shepherds were on their annual migration mostly from

Rajouri to the Kashmir Valley. The shepherds normally stop ahead of Shopian where the Mughal Road ends and spend the summer selling dairy products and wool before heading back home ahead of the winters onset. Theirs is a tradition that has run for generations along the Mughal Road.

A shepherd on the Mughal Road. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

By time I reached Pir ki Gali, the highest point on the Mughal Road at over 11,000 ft, I was in Alpine country with lots of snow around. Named after a saint whose tomb also serves as the milestone for Pir ki Gali, the place is indescribably beautiful. Towering mountains with seemingly perfect ski slopes and sprawling lush green pastures on the other side of the road made me wish to stay put forever there.

By the time I rolled into Srinagar and found a small hotel near the backwaters of the Dal Lake, it was close to evening. Although I was tired after the days ride, I still went for a stroll along the Boulevard Road, Srinagars version of Mumbais Queens Necklace. Even at 9 pm, the place was chock-a-bloc with tourists, some haggling with souvenir sellers, others with shikara owners for a ride across the lake.

The next day I caught up with Arshad, an old friend whom I met after 18 years. We had worked together at Press Trust of India in New Delhi from the early to the mid-1990s before he returned home to Srinagar. Much of the day went walking down memory lane. Arshad also gave me an account of life is in the Valley, how the apparent boom in tourism doesnt quite reflect the public disquiet and how the government has failed its people.

A mountain in the Pir Panjal range at Pir ki Gali. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

Arshad suggested that I visit Kaman Post in Uri which is where bus passengers bound for Muzaffarabad in PoK alight, cross the Friendship Bridge on the LoC and take another bus to reach their destination. He arranged an army pass for me and the next morning I headed for Uri. A Captain heading a Gorkha unit at Kaman Post gave took me through a guided tour of the place and told me of the protocol for the passengers. For some reason, I did not quite feel I was in one of the worlds most heavily militarized zones. But the outing at Kaman Post gave me enough food for thought about how partition and Indo-Pak hostility has cleaved a state and its population.

Back in Srinagar, I slept early that night because I wanted to wake up on time for my ride to Kargil. But it wasnt to be my day. Rain stopped several times. By the time I was nearing Sonamarg, the rain was a torrent and it was impossible to ride. Around lunchtime, I checked into a spanking new hotel, haggled with the young manager to halve his room rent from Rs 2000 to Rs 1000 and then changed my clothes. The rain did not relent through the rest of the day.

By the evening I learnt that the army had closed the Zoji La for two days because of landslides. Left with no option, I returned to Srinagar the next morning.

Tourists on Bactrian camels in Hunder. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

Arshad and his friends convinced me to take a public transport to Kargil and Leh and then hire another motorcycle from Leh to complete the Ladakh leg of the trip. I was Arshads guest and did not want to offend him. So the next day I ended up in a bus with a young Kashmiri businessman named Riyaz as my co-passenger. A very interesting character, Riyaz can speak several languages including English, Hindi, Bangla and some Malayalam. He has shops in Bengal and Kerala too besides Srinagar and Leh which sell shawls, stoles and jewelry and so it helps that he knows different languages.

The weather was bright that day, but we still got caught at the base of Zoji La. A truck in an army convoy headed downhill had broken down and the military police had stopped the uphill traffic. We waited for two hours inside the bus a bitterly cold wind raged. Even after we were allowed to move, progress was painfully slow because of heavy downhill traffic and a couple of trucks that had broken down which made overtaking dangerous. The journey was made worse by the incessant chatter of a middle-aged couple sitting behind us.

By the time we reached Kargil, it was midnight. Early next morning Riyaz and I boarded another bus for Leh which also had many foreigners in it. Shortly after midday, we rolled into Leh. Riyaz helped me find a hotel near his shop in the heart of the town. I spent the much of the day in the room acclimatizing to the altitude before venturing out in the late afternoon to explore Leh after five years. Once an outpost on the ancient Silk Route, Leh is now a prosperous town with new homestays and hotels to accommodate an ever increasing rush of tourists.

A brief stop. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

The next morning I procured my permits to visit Hunder and Turtuk beyond Khardung La and then hired a motorcycle for a three-day trip. With nothing else to do that day, I spent much time with Riyaz in his shop that seemed to be a hit with foreigners. Riyaz picked up conversation with a Frenchman named Misha and tried unsuccessfully to convince him to convert to Islam. Among other visitors were a couple of Germans and a Japanese tourist.

At Riyazs shop I also came across a Malayalee man and a Romanian woman who had met on social media, became friends, fell in love and were meeting for the first time after woman flew down to India. The two had come to buy a stole, but Riyaz managed to sell them a shawl and some jewellery too!

The ride across Khardung La the next day was tough. Melting snow near the top of the pass, officially the highest motorable road in the world, had washed off much of the blacktop and made a mess of the road. Fog and cold worsened the situation. The road was equally bad on the other side of the pass for some time as my bike rocked, rolled and bucked. But the weather became warmer as I descended towards Diskit.

The Shyok river. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

The Shyok river which breaks through like a blue ribbon the sandy plains is a sight for sore eyes. Diskit, the district headquarters of Nubra valley, is a green patch inside a high-altitude desert. By 3 pm I was in Hunder, about 120 km from Leh. I found a nice little homestay run by a couple.

The afternoon was spent exploring the sand dunes and talking to camel owners who make a living by ferrying tourists on joy rides across a vast expanse of dunes. Across Hunder, many tented accommodations have become a hit with tourists. Sadly, I noticed that tourists kept themselves insulated and hardly interacted with the locals. The woman at the homestay told me the same thing in as many words.

Hunder is a charming place, quiet place, lined up with eucalyptus, mulberry, poplar and walnut trees. I learnt that poplars are widely grown because they are used to build houses and act as pillars.

My ride the next morning was so exhilarating that I failed to notice when I moved into Shyok valley. I notice the mountains had changed colours from dark brown to almost purple and some with a tinge of orange. I went past the Thoise airstrip from where supplies are sent for soldiers in Siachen glacier and not long after that I crossed a bridge that once marked the boundary with Pakistan.

A shepherd on teh Mughal Road heading for Shopian. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

Turtuk is so nondescript that I could have gone past it had I not kept track of the distance (about 100 km from Hunder). Another homestay. Three Israeli tourists who were preparing to vacate a room when I walked in. I chatted up the owner and a couple of cops who were having snacks and tea. They told me to visit two villages nearby and meet Mohammad Khan Kacho of the Yagbo dynasty that ruled over the Baltistan region for almost a thousand years before the empire began to faded in the 19th century.

The small porch outside the building was a nice place to sit and listen to the magpies and the steady roar of the Shyok as it flowed between the mountains. By afternoon, I went to explore the twin village where barley fields swayed in the wind against a backdrop of mountains. Cobbled streets and an extensive channel system that carries water

An old grizzled man whom I met on the edge of Kachos village told me rather dramatically, We slept in Pakistan one day and woke up in India, when I asked him about the 1971 Indo-Pak war. I learnt there was no skirmish around that area because the Pakistani forces had retreated.

A stream that serves Hunder. (Sabir Hussain/HT Photo)

I finally found Kacho in his palatial house that had once been a small palace for the kings. Time has not been kind to Kacho and he has been reduced to a farmer who grows barley and raises chicken that he sells to an army camp nearby to make ends meet.

Elsewhere in the village, I met two other men  uncle and nephew  who regaled me with stories of Turtuk and insisted that it is better off than it had been under Pakistani rule. I bought apricots from the duo because they sell Rs 100 cheaper a kilo than in Leh. And yes, they are the sweetest.

That night as I sank in bed, I noticed that the red velvet bedcover has Welcome to China emblazoned on it. I had travelled 1600 km through diverse terrain, some decidedly hostile, to achieve my dream of riding solo to Turtuk, but this was one sign I hadnt expected to see in a place we had wrested from Pakistan!

(Sabir Hussain is a journalist with Hindustan Times. He is also a veteran of nine motorcycle expeditions to Ladakh, including a solo trip in 2013. His book Battlefields & Paradise that chronicles his journey through the Mughal Road and Kashmir to Indias northernmost point in Ladakh has just been published by Westland.)
A fifth Pakistani social activist has gone missing from the capital Islamabad, a colleagues said on Wednesday, days after four other campaigners disappeared in a way that has alarmed supporters of free speech.

Samar Abbas, president of the Civil Progressive Alliance of Pakistan (CPAP), an anti-extremism activist group, went missing on Saturday, according to Talib Raza, who worked with him at the Karachi-based organisation.

Abbass brother, also named Talib, told local media on Wednesday that his brother had vanished over the weekend.

The family waited for a few days to inform people. When the stories about other activists disappearing started emerging, it became clear what was going on, Raza told Reuters.

It is not known how the four activists went missing last week, but some rights groups and newspapers are questioning whether state or military agencies were in any way involved.

The Interior Ministry has said it is doing all it can to recover the missing men.

This government is not in the business of disappearing people and we will not tolerate such disappearances while we are in power, said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, according to English-language Dawn newspaper.

A Dawn editorial on Tuesday implicated the state in the disappearance of the missing activists, including poet and rights activist Salman Haider, who has written columns for the newspaper and went missing on January 6 in Islamabad.

The other three are social media activists who have often voiced secular or anti-government views.

Now, with the disappearance of Salman Haider and at least three other activists, a dark new chapter in the states murky, illegal war against civil society appears to have been opened, the Dawn editorial said.

The United Nations and international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, on Wednesday also voiced concerns about the disappearance.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted in a statement the difficulties surrounding free expression in Pakistan.

Human rights lawyer Jibran Nasir has filed an application with Pakistans Supreme Court requesting judicial intervention. The Supreme Court has not yet responded to his request.

By intimidating and picking up social media activists like this, they have taken away our microphones, Nasir told Reuters.

Activists held rallies in several major city across Pakistan on Tuesday calling for the recovery of the missing activists.
An Airbus A321 airliner landed in Tehran on Thursday, the first to arrive out of the 200 Western-built aircraft ordered by IranAir following the lifting of sanctions on Iran last year.

This is a historic moment for Iran, signalling the end of the sanctions era for the country ... This is a prelude to the delivery of other aircraft and the renovation of Irans ageing air fleet, state TV said.

Analysts say IranAir flies one of the worlds oldest fleets and has had to rely on smuggled or improvised parts to keep them operational.

Iran, which has not directly purchased a Western-built plane in nearly 40 years, has ordered 100 airliners from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 turboprop aircraft from Toulouse-based ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italys Leonardo Finmeccanica.

The one exception was the sale of a plane to replace an Airbus jet shot down by the U.S. Navy in 1988.

The arrival of the Airbus 321 on Thursday comes just over a week before the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is opposed to the deal struck by Western powers in 2015 which lifted sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on the countrys nuclear activities.

Republicans in the U.S. Congress have also objected to the pact, which was signed by the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, Germany and Iran.

Irans pragmatist president Hassan Rouhanis success in ending international sanctions by reaching the deal has also intensified a power struggle among the countrys faction-ridden elite, who have criticised the deal for a lack of tangible economic benefits since sanctions were lifted.

This (aircraft) delivery was very crucial ... especially the timing of it. Now people can see the result of lifting sanctions, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

It will increase Rouhanis popularity ... and his chances for re-election in May.

IranAir Chairman Farhad Parvaresh said in France on Wednesday in taking delivery of the Airbus plane that he hoped the United States would not block the agreement.

Both Airbus and Boeing needed U.S. export licences to deliver the jets because of the number of U.S. parts they contain.

Both have received licences but Boeing needs to have the majority extended due to the lengthy delivery period and analysts expect it to point to the Airbus delivery in order to press its case.

Everything has been done according to the international regulations and rules up to now. We hope that nothing special happens to end this contract, Parvaresh told reporters on Wednesday.

IranAir hopes to receive at least two more aircraft from Airbus by the end of March and a total of six A320 aircraft in calendar year 2017. State TV quoted Parvaresh as saying on Thursday that Irans Bank of Industry and Mine had financed the purchase of the first plane delivered.
The Senate early on Thursday passed a measure to take the first step forward on dismantling President Barack Obamas health care law, responding to pressure to move quickly even as Republicans and President-elect Trump grapple with what to replace it with.

The nearly party-line 51-48 vote came on a nonbinding Republican-backed budget measure that eases the way for action on subsequent repeal legislation as soon as next month.

We must act quickly to bring relief to the American people, said Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The House is slated to vote on the measure on Friday, though some Republicans there have misgivings about setting the repeal effort in motion without a better idea of the replacement plan.

Trump oozed confidence at a news conference on Tuesday, promising his incoming administration would soon reveal a plan to both repeal so-called Obamacare and replace it with legislation to get health care taken care of in this country.

Were going to do repeal and replace, very complicated stuff, Trump told reporters, adding that both elements would pass virtually at the same time. That promise, however, will be almost impossible to achieve in the complicated web of Congress, where GOP leaders must navigate complex Senate rules, united Democratic opposition and substantive policy disagreements among Republicans.

Passage of Thursdays measure would permit follow-up legislation to escape the threat of a filibuster by Senate Democrats. Republicans are not close to agreement among themselves on what any Obamacare replacement would look like, however.

Republicans plan to get legislation voiding Obamas law and replacing parts of it to Trump by the end of February, House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Wednesday on The Hugh Hewitt Show, a conservative radio program. Other Republicans have said they expect the process to take longer.

The 2010 law extended health insurance to some 20 million Americans, prevented insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and steered billions of dollars to states for the Medicaid health program for the poor. Republicans fought the effort tooth and nail and voter opposition to Obamacare helped carry the party to impressive wins in 2010, 2014, and last year.

Thursdays Senate procedural vote will set up special budget rules that will allow the repeal vote to take place with a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, instead of the 60 votes required to move most legislation.

That means Republicans, who control 52 seats, can push through repeal legislation without Democratic cooperation. Theyre also discussing whether there are some elements of a replacement bill that could get through at the same time with a simple majority. But for many elements of a new health care law, Republicans are likely to need 60 votes and Democratic support, and at this point, the two parties arent even talking.

Increasing numbers of Republicans have expressed anxiety over obliterating the law without a replacement to show voters.

Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she wants to at least see a detailed framework of a GOP alternative health care plan before voting on repeal. She said Republicans would risk people falling through the cracks or causing turmoil in insurance markets if lawmakers voided Obamas statute without a replacement in hand.

Collins was among a handful of Republicans to occasionally break ranks to support some Democratic messaging amendments aimed at supporting such things as rural hospitals and a mandate to cover patients with pre-existing medical conditions. They were all shot down by majority Republicans anyway.

House leaders planned a Friday vote on the budget, though Republicans in that chamber also had misgivings.

Many members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were insisting on first learning details about what a GOP substitute would look like  or putting some elements of the replacement measure in the repeal bill.

We need to be voting for a replacement plan at the same time that we vote for repeal, said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., an influential conservative.

Some GOP senators have discussed a phase-in of three years or longer to give lawmakers more time to replace Obamas overhaul and make sure people now covered by that law can adjust to a new program.

Some more moderate House Republicans were unhappy, too, including Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., a leader of GOP centrists in the House Tuesday Group. He said he would oppose the budget because there was too little information about the replacement, including whether people receiving expanded Medicaid coverage or health care subsidies under the existing law would be protected.

Were loading a gun here, MacArthur said. I want to know where its pointed before we start the process.
Chinas Navy has commissioned a sophisticated electronic reconnaissance ship, capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock observation on multiple targets, the latest addition to Beijings expanding fleet amid tensions over its assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.

The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) now operates six electronic reconnaissance vessels, the state-run China Daily newspaper said today.

In a rare move, PLA Navy media outlet made public the composition of the nations electronic intelligence fleet comprising of six ships, including the new one.

The new ship CNS Kaiyangxing, or Mizar, with hull code 856, was delivered to a combat support flotilla of the North Sea Fleet on Tuesday morning in Qingdao, Shandong province, the daily reported.

The Kaiyangxing is capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock reconnaissance on multiple and different targets, the daily quoted an official PLA Navy media adding that the ship is so sophisticated that only a few countries, such as the US and Russia, are capable of developing it.

As per the details released, the PLA Navy now operates six electronic reconnaissance vessels - Beijixing (Polaris), Tianwangxing (Uranus), Tianlangxing (Sirius), Haiwangxing (Neptune), Kaiyangxing (Mizar) and another whose name has not been revealed and is only known by its hull code of 855.

The report also gave specific information about the ships such as their capabilities and functions. Until now, the PLA Navy has never made public so many details about its intelligence collection ships.

The Kaiyangxing is a Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship, which has a full displacement of 6,000 metric tons and a maximum speed of 20 knots, or 37 kilometers per hour, according to the Modern Navy report, which added that it is equipped with three small-caliber naval guns.
Many inspectors of the Communist Party of Chinas top anti-graft body, which is leading a high-profile anti-corruption campaign under President Xi Jinping, are not above taking bribes themselves.

A new official documentary aired on national television revealed several inspectors from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) had taken tens of millions of yuan in exchange for writing favourable reports about suspects.

One such inspector was Wei Jian, a senior official in CCDI who had participated in a number of investigations involving guilty officials including that of CPC Politburos Standing Committee member, Bo Xilai. Weihad accepted millions of Yuan in bribes to influence investigations, Xinhua agency reported.

Weis fatal flaw was that he believed as an investigator himself, he was about investigations. Who would investigate the CCDI? he said in the three-episode documentary titled To Forge Iron, One Must Be Strong.

The documentary, jointly produced by China Central Television (CCTV) and the CCDI, interviewed Wei and other guilty inspectors and sheds light on enhanced discipline within China's anti-graft authorities.

Around 7,900 officials from discipline inspection organs nationwide received party disciplinary punishment and 2,500 have been subject to organisational punishment since the party Congress in 2012 for discipline violations, Wu Yuliang, deputy secretary of the CCDI, was quoted as saying.

One of the sources of violation of rules and discipline lay in the handling of case property and money seized during investigations.

In its plenary session concluded earlier this month, the CCDI passed pilot work rules for discipline inspection organs.

The new rules, which focus on inspection and discipline procedures, clarify procedures for the handling of cases, including the collection and verification of facts, case filing, case hearing, and how to dispose of money and goods involved in a case, the documentary said.

The anti-corruption battle must go deeper, Xi said at the CCDI plenary session, calling for strict governance of the CPC systematically, creatively and effectively.

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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

Trend:

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz pledged support to the OSCE Minsk Group in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, said a message posted on the OSCE website.

According to the message, Kurz made the statement in his inaugural address to the OSCE Permanent Council as the new OSCE chairperson-in-office Jan. 12.

With regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Kurz noted the important contribution of his Personal Representative Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and the Head of the High-Level Planning Group, Colonel Hans Lampalzer, reads the message.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
The British police have recorded the major speech on immigration and other issues delivered by home secretary Amber Rudd in Birmingham last October as a hate incident, embarrassing the Theresa May government.

Rudds speech at the Conservative Party conference announcing plans for new visa curbs on foreign professionals and students came in for much criticism.

The West Midlands police recorded it as a hate incident after Oxford University academic Joshua Silver complained against it.

Since it is recorded as a hate incident and not a hate crime, it will remain in the records as per rules that state that such incidents needed to be recorded whether or not the complainant was a victim or whether there was any element of hate.

Silver told The Times: I felt politicians have been using hate speech to turn Britons against foreigners, and I thought that is probably not lawful.

The West Midlands police have reportedly written to the professor stating that the inquiry is concluded and the matter has been recorded in line with the National Police Chiefs Council manual as a non-crime hate incident.

A Home Office spokesman said: This was not a hate crime.

Rudd had told the conference: I can announce...we will shortly be consulting on the next steps needed to control immigration. We will be looking across work and study routes. This will include examining whether we should tighten the test companies have to take before recruiting from abroad.

British businesses have driven the economic recovery in this country, with employment at record levels. However we still need to do more  so all British people get the opportunities they need to get on in life.

The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do. But its become a tick box exercise, allowing some firms to get away with not training local people. We wont win in the world if we dont do more to upskill our own workforce.

Its not fair on companies doing the right thing. So I want us to look again at whether our immigration system provides the right incentives for businesses to invest in British workers.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Any step to restrict the H-1B visa program may adversely affect Silicon Valley, which sources many of its top executives and skilled workers from India, and hurt the job prospects of thousands of IT professionals looking to work in the US.

Jeff Sessions, United States president-elect Donald Trumps nominee for attorney general, has said he would be pushing legislative measures to curb the misuse of H-1B and L1 work visas.

His comments follow the re-introduction of a bill last week in US Congress backing key changes in the H1-B programme, which allows skilled workers from countries like India to fill high-tech jobs in the US, by two lawmakers who claim that the proposed amendments would help crack down on work visa abuse.

Read | H-1B visa curbs coming, says Donald Trumps pick for US attorney general

H-1B visas admit 65,000 workers and another 20,000 graduate student workers each year and are assigned through a lottery once a year by Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The fear of a tighter immigration policy under Trump was expected, and the move, if any, will have an adverse impact on the $110 billion IT industry, as the US continues to be its biggest market.

Silicon Valley depends on H1-B

Silicon Valley relies heavily on hiring talent from countries like India, a practice made possible through the H-1B visa program for specialised workers. Data from US Citizenship and Immigration Service shows that the tech sector is by far the biggest beneficiary of the program, taking more than 64% of the 315,000+ H-1B petitions in 2014.

According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than half of US unicorns  startups that are valued at $1 billion or more  have at least one immigrant founder.

Some of the tech sectors most established companies have Indian immigrants helming the ship, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. And foreigners have filled the middle ranks of many tech companies as well, especially in technical jobs.

Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New York Universitys Stern School of Business told Wired magazine in an interview that the Silicon Valley may not see an immediate immigration-related impact since demand for these workers far exceeds supply at the moment.

Read | As Trump readies to take over, Indian IT firms in huddle over H-1B visa plan

In November, the Internet Association, an umbrella body for internet corporations representing Google, Facebook and Amazon, among others, had addressed president-elect Trump in an open letter, laying out the industrys stance on key policy areas.

Among other things, the letter called for immigration reform that would allow more high-skilled graduates and workers to stay in the United States and contribute to our economy  a notion that runs counter to attorney general nominee Sessions.

FWD.us, a lobbying group backed by industry leaders such Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Marissa Mayer, is pushing the US government for reform that makes it easier for H-1B visa recipients to become US citizens. Currently, the visa lasts three years, with a three-year extension allowed after that.

Indians the biggest beneficiary

Indian citizens receive almost 70% of all the H-1B visas issued worldwide, according to a statement by US Assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, Michele Bond.

According to data from 2014, 86% of the total H1B visas issued that year for technology firms was used to hire IT professionals from India.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has been caught on tape boasting that four Pakistani mujahideen carried out Mondays attack on an Indian Army facility in Akhnoor, with the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder describing it as a surgical strike.

Saeed, who now heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawah that has been designated a front for the LeT by the US, was recorded while speaking at a gathering of hundreds of JuD operatives at Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on Wednesday.

Though Saeed spoke of an attack on an Indian Army camp, a camp of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), located barely 2 km from the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor, was targeted by terrorists. Three casual labourers of GREF were killed and another injured in the attack.

Four young men, day before yesterday in the evening, entered the camp at Akhnoor, Jammu. I am talking about something recent, its not an old event, it happened two days ago, Saeed is heard saying in Urdu in the tape running little more than two minutes.

They entered the army camp, the young men say they cleaned up 10 camps of Indian troops and all four of them returned safe and secure, they were not harmed. Yeh eik kirdar hai, yeh hai surgical strike, he said.

Saeed, who did not say whether the attackers belonged to the LeT, boasted that this was a response to the surgical strikes carried out by Indian special forces in retaliation for a terror attack on an army in Uri last September.

Modi also talked about a surgical strike, I had replied to Modi. Nawaz Sharif doesnt reply to Modi, I reply to Modi, by the grace of God. And he (Modi) only accepts my reply, not the reply of anyone else, he said.

I said Modi you made a false claim, Indian troops are being dropped by helicopter and they ran a movie. They are very good at making magnificent movies. Movies are one thing, fighting is another, so they ran a movie about carrying out surgical strikes, we crossed the border and killed 40 jawans of Lashkar-e-Taiba and went back. This was a drama, a film made to fool the world.

Saeed added, But you have given an opportunity and the mujahideen will tell you what is a surgical strikeI am telling you about the strike carried out two days ago, in a place like Jammu where they say nobody dares to enter. Four mujahid entered the camp, cleaned up 10 rooms and killed 30 soldiers. They destroyed the camp, burnt it and all four came back safely.

Saeed is wanted by India for his alleged role in masterminding the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 in November 2008. Though he was briefly placed under house arrest after the assault on Indias financial hub by LeT operatives, he was freed soon after by the Lahore high court.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A hijab-clad British woman eating at a London fish and chips shop was allegedly attacked by a fellow diner who tried to rip off her headscarf and accused her of killing people, a media report has said.

The incident prompted anti-racism campaigners to stage a vigil after the assault which took place last week in the restaurant close to Hammersmith Town Hall in West London.

The man told the woman, who was having dinner, she should not be here and had her hijab grabbed at, The Sun quoted an anti-racism organisation Stand Up to Racism as saying.

The victim, visiting from Manchester, was reportedly eating with friends when she was attacked by a fellow diner who also accused her of killing people, the report said.

The perpetrator grabbed her by the coat and attempted to drag her outside, saying he was not going to tolerate it before other customers at the restaurant and the victims friends intervened, it said.

After the attack, restaurant staff called police but the suspect fled the scene.

The group has organised a protest vigil in Lyric Square, Hammersmith yesterday.

John Barker, a spokesman for the group said, I have been told that she is pretty shaken by the event and I am not surprised considering the violence and hatred of the perpetrator.
Donald Trump says he is leaving his famed business behind.

Well, sort of.

That is the muddled message from the president-elects news conference Wednesday about plans to separate himself from his business while in office to avoid conflicts of interest.

Trump and his lawyer portrayed his moves as extraordinary. Ethics lawyers whove worked with previous presidents in both parties had other opinions: uninspiring, inadequate.

The clash of views reflects different ideas of what separation should mean and how far Trump should go to avoid the desire for private profit coming before the pursuit of public good.

Trump says handing over management control, stopping international deals and appointing a watchdog of sorts to monitor conflicts is enough, and far more than required under law. His critics say that he should do what most modern presidents have done: sell his business holdings completely.

Read | Watch: You are fake news, Trump to CNN reporter in heated exchange during presser

A look at what Trump says hell do, and why the debate over it is so heated and important:

What does Trumps plan include?

Trump outlined three parts to allay conflicts.

First, he said he will put his business assets in a trust and hand over management control of his company to his two adult sons and a long-time Trump Organisation executive. Second, he has vowed to wall himself off from communications about his company, including discussing it with his children. Third, he promised no new deals overseas. The company will also appoint an ethics officer who would have to approve any deals in the U.S. that would raise concerns about conflicts.

Trump announced several smaller moves, like a liquidation of his securities portfolio. He also said he would also donate any profits from foreign government payments at his hotels to the U.S. Treasury.

At the news conference, Sheri Dillon, an attorney who helped prepare the Trump plan, called the steps extraordinary.

President-elect Trump wants there to be no doubt in the minds of the American public that he is completely isolating himself from his business interests, she said.

Read | Highlights: US President-elect Trump holds first press conference after win

So what is the problem here?

Ethics lawyers who have worked for presidents in both parties say the plan leaves Trump far too open to shape regulations, taxes and foreign policy to enrich himself, and for other people to try to curry favor with him. He has hotels and resorts in the US that can be sued in US courts and must follow labor regulations. As president, he will appoint people with big influence over those areas.

Foreign governments could create plenty of trouble, too. They could seek to influence him by rewarding or punishing his business interests in their countries. Trump has struck deals for hotels, residential towers and resorts in South Korea, the Philippines, Uruguay, Turkey and many other countries.

Even if Trump always acts in the public interest, these legal experts say, there will be damage. Rightly or wrongly, people will harbour doubts about the real motives behind US policy, and all the second guessing could compromise the moral authority of the office of the president.

Walter Shaub, the director of the office of government ethics, pointed to this ephemeral, crucial quality of a president in a speech following Trumps news conference.

Officials in any administration need their president to show them that ethics matters, not only through words but through deeds, he said.

Read | Trump Organisation cancels talks over projects in Pune, Brazil and Argentina

So what can Trump do?

Ethics lawyers say he should follow the precedent of previous presidents and sell his holdings, though its not clear that would be easy.

President Jimmy Carter sold his Georgia peanut farm when he took office. Soon after he was inaugurated, Ronald Reagan cashed out his personal holdings  worth about $740,000  and put the money in a blind trust.

Trumps holdings are far bigger, and far more complex.

With interests in hundreds of companies in about 20 countries, no modern president comes close to having owned so much, and had it spread so far around the globe.

Real estate cant be sold quickly like stocks, and it would be difficult to separate the Trump buildings from his gilded name above their entrances. But aside from that, Trump lawyer Dillon said, selling would raise the ethical question of whether the price he was receiving was a fair one, or one designed to gain advantage with the new president.

She also said moving too quickly could create a fire sale environment that devalued the company to which he has dedicated his entire adult life.

President-elect Trump should not be expected to destroy the company he built, said Dillon, a lawyer at with the firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Read | Ivanka Trump to step down from businesses to comply with ethics law: Reports

So is this the last well hear of Trumps plans?

Hopefully not, given all the unanswered questions from the bare-bones plan outlined.

Trump says he will donate profits from hotel stays by foreign diplomats to the U.S. Treasury, but how is Trump defining profits? Will there be any tax benefit accruing to his business from the donation and, if so, doesnt that compromise his position as president? Will there be any way of checking that Trump doesnt talk to his sons about the company?

Its possible that Trump may alter his plan. In his speech, OGEs Shaub did strike an optimistic note. He said he would be happy to provide Trump constructive feedback should he change his mind.
Sequin jumpsuits and Vegas showgirls outnumbered shirts and ties at Sydneys Central station on Thursday as hundreds of Elvis fans boarded a train bound for a festival dedicated to The King.

Elvis fans wait at Central station to board a train to take them to The Parkes Elvis Festival from Sydney on January 12, 2017. (AFP Photo)

Peak hour travellers were serenaded by tribute acts performing on a stage erected on the platform, while poodle skirts twirled at one of the citys busiest commuter hubs as fans danced away the wait for the 9.20am Elvis Express to Parkes in the Australian countryside.

A female Elvis fan boards a train from Sydney to attend The Parkes Elvis Festival, an annual event held to celebrate the music and life of Elvis Presley. (AFP Photo)

The annual Parkes Elvis festival, which last year attracted more than 20,000 people, features five days of tribute concerts, memorabilia exhibits and even a Priscilla Presley look-a-like competition.

Elvis fans arrive at Central station to board a train to take them to The Parkes Elvis Festival. (AFP Photo)

Held in the small rural town of Parkes, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) west of Sydney, the festival began 25 years ago as a modest Elvis-themed birthday party and has since ballooned into a tourism boon for the area, with more than 120 events scheduled over the five days.

The festival last year attracted more than 20,000 people (AFP Photo)

I dont think that any Elvis fan can really tell you what it is about Elvis, said impersonator Aaron Mansfield.

Its magic, its got this sort of... I dont know man, you just cant describe it.

A fan strums Elvis melodies on his guitar as thousands throng the small rural town of Parkes to attend annual festival. (AFP Photo)

Fans await their turn to board the train to New South Wales town of Parkes. (AFP Photo)

The Elvis Parkes Festival runs from January 11 to 15.

Fans rejoice as the train carrying to the Parkes chugs off. (AFP Photo)
The order of the Knights of Malta has refused to cooperate with a Vatican investigation ordered by Pope Francis, in the latest twist of a public spat between two of the worlds oldest institutions.

All members of the ancient Roman Catholic order, which now runs charities, hospitals and disaster relief in 120 countries, swear allegiance to the pope. However, its leaders have been locked in a legal tussle with the Holy See since one of its top knights was sacked in the chivalric equivalent of a boardroom showdown.

Grand master Matthew Festing fired grand chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, accusing him of allowing the use of condoms in Myanmar when he ran Malteser International, the orders humanitarian aid agency.

Pope Francis effectively came to von Boeselagers defence, urging dialogue to resolve the internal dispute and appointing a five-member committee to investigate the circumstances of his December 6 ousting.

The order, which last month told the pope the ouster was an internal affair, raised the stakes late on Tuesday with a bold statement rejecting the Vatican investigation as illegitimate.

Considering the legal irrelevance of this group and of its findings relating to the legal structure of the Order of Malta, the Order has decided that it should not cooperate with it, a statement on its website said.

It also instructed members not to directly or indirectly contradict the official position if they talk to Vatican investigators.

The Church does not allow the use of condoms as a means of birth control and says abstinence and monogamy in heterosexual marriage is the best way to stop the spread of AIDS.

But the pope wants the 1.2 billion-member Church to avoid so-called culture wars over moral teachings and show mercy to those who cannot live by all its rules.

Von Boeselager said in a statement that he felt bound by the teachings of the Church.

He said he shut down two projects in Myanmar when he discovered condoms were being distributed but kept a third running for a period because closing it would have abruptly ended all basic medical services to poor people.

The orders chaplain is Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, an American whom the pope demoted from a senior Vatican position in 2014 and who has been a leading conservative critic of the pontiff. Burke backed the sacking of von Boeselager.

The order, which was formed in the 11th century to provide protection and medical care for Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, has the status of a sovereign entity.

It has extraterritorial rights in Rome and maintains diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union and permanent observer status at the United Nations.

The order has offices in central Rome and a large palace on the Aventine Hill overlooking the Tiber River with a breathtaking view of the dome of St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican, which is a sovereign state.

Both the Order and the Vatican have their own car licence plates and print their own stamps.
The decline in the number of Indian students coming to Britain continued after new figures released on Thursday showed a 9% decrease in 2015-16 compared to the previous year, dismaying higher education stake-holders and others.

Figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that 16,745 Indian students registered at higher education institutions during the year, marking a new low since the decline began in 2010. China with 91,215 students topped among non-EU countries.

The latest figures amount to a drop of more than 50% in Indian students coming to Britain since 2010, attributed to student visa restrictions that include closure of the post-study work visa. The closure of nearly 800 bogus colleges is also mentioned as a reason for the drop from India.

HESA said: India saw the largest percentage decrease, at 44% between 2011/12 and 2015/16. In numbers, this meant that in 2015/16, the number of student enrolments domiciled from India was 13,150 less than in 2011/12.

It is worth noting however, that the decline in student enrolments domiciled from India began a year earlier, in 2010/11.

Karan Bilimoria, member of the House of Lords, told HT: This new drop of Indian student numbers is so, so sad. The policies are not only damaging Britains soft power but will also damage its ability to forge free trade agreements in the post-Brexit scenario.

It is shooting ourselves in the foot. This is economic illiteracy, when international students bring billions of pounds to the British economy and enrich our campuses. We should be more welcoming to international students.

As Indian student numbers in Britain decline, reports suggest that their number is increasing in countries such as Australia, Canada, United States and Germany.

Responding to the new figures, Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents all UK universities, said:

While demand from Chinese students remains exceptionally strong, we have seen a further and worrying decline in student numbers from countries such as India [-9%] and Nigeria [-10%]. Numbers from India have almost halved since 2011. Malaysia and the United States have now overtaken India in the table of countries providing students to the UK. In comparison, the number of Indian students enrolling in the USA during the same period increased by 25%.

The UK could be doing much better than this. The UK has the potential to be one of the worlds fastest growing destinations for international students, building on its current status as the second most popular destination for international students [after the US]. The UK benefits enormously, economically and academically, from international students.

If the UK wants to remain a top destination for international students and academics, it needs a new approach to immigration that is proportionate and welcoming for talented people from across the world. This will be even more important as the UK looks to enhance its place in the world post-Brexit.

Home secretary Amber Rudd announced at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham in October new plans to curb non-EU professionals and students in a post-Brexit Britain.

Indian students in UK: The downward spiral

2010-11 39,090

2011-12 29,900

2012-13 22,375

2013-14 19,750

2014-15 18,325

2015-16 16,745

(Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency, UK)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Sikhs in America are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers after it issued a new regulation on religious liberty to accommodate people who sport turbans and beards for religious reasons.

In a significant move to enable all religious minorities in America, including the Sikhs, the US Army last week issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs.

The new set of rules allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.

This is a historic day for Sikhs in the US, said Rajwant Singh secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, which organised an event to celebrate the US Army announcement in this regard.

Sikhs are now planning to join the US Army in large numbers, he said.

This is a well-timed policy change that the Department of Defence and the White House made for the Sikh community since it aligns with the auspicious occasion of the 350th birth-anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who taught us to stand up for who you are and work for the religious freedom of all, Singh said.

Sikhs have been campaigning for quite some time to get the restrictions removed and we were pressing the White House to push the changes in the waning days of the Obama Administration.

We are thankful to President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Army Eric Fanning for making sure that these restrictions against religious articles are removed. Sikhs are thrilled and there are many young people who are eager to serve. This will provide an opportunity to people of faith who are loyal and patriotic Americans to serve this country with dignity and without compromising their faith, Singh said.

We must realise that there can be no dagger into the heart of bigotry and divisiveness than to see all of the worlds cultures, standing visibly in one formation, united against hate, said Ravi Chaudhary, a former Pentagon official and who served as a member of the Presidents Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Joining the celebration, Dilpreet Kaur Sidhu, an official from the National Security Council at the White House, said, there is lot of work to be done.

The administration worked really hard to achieving in what they did and there a lot more to be done. There are not too many Sikhs working in the Federal government. It is important that we encourage Sikh youth to opt for career in public service, he said.

This is the result of that continued struggle but we need to continue. Only one agency has changed the rules and we need to work on other agencies. This would be possible only with the support of the community, he said.
A New Zealand man and his six-year old daughter missing at sea for more than a month have landed in Australia after sailing their small, damaged yacht across the treacherous 2,000 km (1,241.7 miles) Tasman Sea.

Alan Langdon, 46, and his daughter Que had planned a short journey from Kawhia to the Bay of Islands on New Zealands east coast, but after a storm damaged the yachts rudder they found themselves drifting out to sea.

Once we were in the position with no rudder, we didnt have as many options, Langdon told local media after docking his 21 foot (6.4 metres) yacht on Wednesday in Ulladulla, a fishing port 230 kms south of Sydney.

I waited for the fine weather, that didnt come. At that stage we were getting pushed south and out, said Langdon, adding he then decided it would be safer to head to Australia across the Tasman Sea.

Their arrival in Australia ends an international search for the pair. Langdon will spend a few days in Ulladulla fixing the broken rudder before sailing north to Port Kembla to be processed by Australian customs.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

One of Austrias main priorities in the OSCE will be the collective work in the security field, aimed to avoid escalation of conflicts in the OSCE countries territories, said Sebastian Kurz, OSCE chairperson-in-office, Austrias foreign minister, on Jan. 12.

He was commenting on the previously announced priorities of Austrias chairmanship in the OSCE.

The world today demonstrates instability and growing distrust, according to the diplomat.

Austrias efforts during the OSCE chairmanship will be aimed at the restoration of trust, he said.

Kurz added that the country will fight radicalism and terrorism which pose the biggest threat to society.

The stability and safety of all people living in Europe will depend on the success of Austrias chairmanship and its forthcoming activities in the OSCE, according to him.

Kurz also thanked Germany for the work it carried out in 2016.

Austria took over the OSCE Chairmanship from Germany on Jan. 1, 2017.

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 the author on Twitter: @Anahanum
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called on the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to protect the interests of the fishermen of Gwadar Port, most of whom have reservations about the over 50 billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Highlighting this concern of the fishermen, HRCP secretary general I.A. Rehman said that the federal government in Islamabad and the provincial government in Balochistan need to treat this matter with some urgency, given that the province and its inhabitants are already victims of sectarianism, corruption and subjected to all kinds of inhuman behavior.

He said that the residents of Gwadar were already wrestling with issues such as non-availability of drinking water and unemployment, and therefore, must not be subjected to further disadvantages through the CPEC.

The port of Gwadar is the epicenter of the CPEC. China plans to use this project to connect the western province of Xinjiang with Gwadar in Balochistan.

The creation of the CPEC includes energy, fiber optics and industry-based projects in Pakistan and both countries are on record as saying that this project will bring unprecedented economic development to both.

China is projecting the CPEC as an important part of its larger and ambitious One Belt, One Road plan (OBOR), stretching its economic across the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa via maritime routes and rail links.

China is building a deep-sea port in Gwadar, but what is being ignored is that around 70-80 percent of the regions inhabitants are dependent on fishing, and fear being crushed under the weight of the CPEC.

Local fisherman and other stakeholders have said that the project once completed, will not allow them to continue with fishing, as the Gwadar jetty will not be accessible to them.

Locals said that fishing is central to their livelihood and employment and they are extremely worried about their future.

The Gwadar jetty is the heart of fish trade in Balochistan, and fishermen have often said that they dont and wont know where they will get their next meal from if entry to the jetty is stopped.

They have also said that the construction of the expressway on the east bank of the Gwadar port will result in them being uprooted.

Another road project undertaken by the Gwadar Development Authority on the west bank, they say will crush the small-boat making industry.

The fishermen will suffer no doubt, but along with them so will boat makers, oil factories, middle men, and buyers.

True development it is said ushers change in the living standards of the downtrodden, not make them more vulnerable, but in Gwadar, such is not the case.

Most said that it is the duty of the state to give every fisherman his due rights, but the government is giving them more problems.

The plight of the Gwadar fisherman is one of the neglected concerns of the CPEC plan. Rehman has in the past said that these fishermen are the original inhabitants of the land, living there for centuries, and fishing is their only source of income. He feels the attitude of the state toward these fishermen is condemnable, and has called for fishermen to be made part of Gwadars development rather than being kept on the sidelines.
Donald Trumps secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson hit out at China Wednesday during his Senate confirmation hearing, warning the US would send a clear signal that the Asian giant must abandon its artificial islands in the South China Sea.

Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first the island building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed, Tillerson told a US Senate panel.

Beijing has fuelled regional tensions by turning tiny, ecologically fragile reefs and islets in the strategically vital South China Sea into artificial islands hosting military facilities.

The former ExxonMobil chief said Chinas building in the disputed waters and its declaration of an air defence identification zone over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea were illegal actions.

They are taking territory or control or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas.

Beijing asserts a claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea, based on a nine-dash line dating to 1940s-era maps.

An international tribunal -- whose jurisdiction Beijing rejected -- ruled last year that there was no legal basis to such claims.

Tillerson added that building islands and then putting military assets on those island is akin to Russias taking of Crimea.

His remarks came amid rising tensions between the two countries as Trump has suggested Washington could jettison its decades-old One China policy, and the Chinese military has ramped up activities in a show of strength, with its Liaoning aircraft carrier passing through the Taiwan Strait in a show of strength.

Tillerson said the US should affirm to Taipei it will live up to its commitments to Taiwan, which could require the US to intervene militarily if China attacks the island, but added he did not know of any plans to alter the One China policy.

In his remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he also criticised China for failing to sufficiently help rein in North Korea.

China has proven a willingness to act with abandon in the pursuit of its own goals which at times has put it in conflict with American interests. We have to deal with what we see, not what we hope, Tillerson said.

It has not been a reliable partner in using its full influence to curb North Korea, he added. Beijing is a close Pyongyang ally and is seen as critical in helping contain the pariah states nuclear activities.

But the former oil executive said disagreements with Beijing on some issues should not preclude productive partnership on other matters.

Trumps nominee also branded Russia a danger during the hearing, signalling that he is prepared to diverge from the president-elect and take a firm line with Moscow.
US president-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of state Rex Tillerson might have set up a confrontation with Beijing even before beginning his term saying China should not be allowed access to the South China Sea Islands.

Tillerson might also have set up a string of confrontations with his future boss. He seemed to disagree with Trump on a large number of issues, including Muslims, as emerged at his confirmation hearing in US Senate on Wednesday.

Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed, he said when asked if a more aggressive approach was needed on the country.

He went on to say that China was taking territory or control, or declaring control of territories that are not rightfully Chinas and that the failure of adequate US response has allowed them just to keep pushing the envelope on this.

By denying access to the islands, as Tillerson suggested, the US would escalate tensions to previously unknown levels. Washington has so far confined its response to sending air and naval patrols through disputed waters close to the islands.

Trump angered Beijing recently by accepting a congratulatory phone call from Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, in a major departure from Americas longstanding one-China policy. And Tillersons remarks might add to Beijings irritation.

Tillerson however didnt go with Trump, who has defended his call with Tsai, all the way though. Asked about Americas one-China policy, the former ExxonMobil CEO said, I dont know of any plans to alter the 'one China' position.

Tillerson differed with Trump on a whole host of issues, which made Democratic senator Christopher Coon remark, after listing the differences, All of these to me are quite encouraging. But these suggest some tensions with the president-elect.

Asked, for instance, about Trumps proposal, which he has toned down, to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the US, the secretary of state-designate said, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people.

About a registry to keep track of Muslims, proposed by a Trump supporter but not fully endorsed by the president-elect, Tillerson said, I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well  other groups that are threats to the US.

Tillerson also differed with Trump on Russian meddling in the elections. He said it was a fair assumption that Russian president Vladimir Putin was behind it. The president elect has only been leery of blaming Russia as unambiguously as others.

Trump brought up the issue once again on Thursday tweeting that the director of national intelligence called him to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts.

Tillerson wasnt asked about this memo. The other issue he differed with Trump on were climate change and the Paris Accord. He said he would like the US to keep a place at the table; Trump started by saying he would tear up the deal, and pull the US out of it.

He also differed with Trump on nuclear weapons. He said the US should work towards non-proliferation, while Trump has said he would be fine with South Korea and Japan going nuclear, and the US getting into a nuclear arms race with Russia.

There were other differences  Iran, Saudi Arabia and NATO.
The incoming Trump administration may be considering more specific changes than previously known to the H-1B visa program that allows US companies to hire high-skilled foreign workers and that, according to critics, has led to loss of American jobs.

One is to scrap the lottery system used to distribute visas under this temporary programme  65,000 abroad, and 20,000 to foreign students in the US every year  and, two, make the application fee prohibitively expensive.

These proposals were discussed at a meeting president-elect Donald Trump held with Silicon Valley CEOs and leaders in January, called the Tech Summit, according to Reuters news agency that first reported them on Thursday.

Details of the meeting  what was discussed and who said what  were never fully announced and have been pieced together by reporters from accounts related by those who attended and thus could not immediately be verified with the transition team.

Read | Bill against H1B visa back in US Congress: How will it affect Indias IT sector

Senator Jeff Sessions, Trumps nominee for the post of attorney general, has assured lawmakers about taking steps to push legislative measures to curb the misuse of H-1B and L1 visas.

Its simply wrong to think that were in a totally open world and that any American with a job can be replaced if somebody in the world is willing to take a job for less pay, Sessions told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing.

Indian tech companies, which have been on tenterhooks since a bill backing key changes to eligibility requirements for H-1B visa exemptions was reintroduced in the Congress last week, brushed off their worries on Thursday as the Nifty crossed the key 8,400-level, led mainly by IT, power and banking stocks.

Trump, who has used H-1B visas for his own businesses, has said his first priority is to prevent the loss of American jobs. He will order investigations into the abuse of the H-1B and other visa programmes within the first 100 days in office.

Sessions too is an outspoken critic of H-1Bs, and, as senator, moved legislations to reduce the annual intake by 20,000 from the current 85,000 and make hirings expensive by removing the wage arbitrage.

Read | As Trump readies to take over, Indian IT firms in huddle over H-1B visa plan

Both proposals discussed at the Tech Summit could lead to similar outcomes.

Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller, who, according to Reuters suggested scrapping the lottery system, earlier worked for Sessions and is a strident critic of H-1Bs.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which runs the H-1B programme, began using a lottery system  officially called computer-generated random selection process  since 2007 to deal with demand that far outstrips availability.

It received 236,000 petitions for 2017 for the 85,000 H-1B visas on offer within less than a week of announcing the start of the process. USCIS tags every application with a number and runs them through the random algorithm.

Miller has suggested ending this system. And a possible replacement could be a system that gives priority to petitions for the highest paying jobs, which would typically disadvantage those bringing foreigners to cut costs.

Thats where Indian IT operations in the US come in  such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and scores of others smaller operations. As major recipients of H-1Bs, they have been are waiting for the new administration with a sense of impending doom.

Read | Infosys, TCS, Wipro stocks in focus as US plans tougher H1-B visa norms

The second proposal discussed at the Tech Summit  to increase the cost of applications for major companies to discourage bulk filing  came from Trump himself, who, according to Reuters, asked the tech leaders if anyone had an objection. No one did.

Increasing the application fee would be a problem for India, which is likely to view it as an anti-free trade move. It has already taken the US to the WTO over last years hike in the fee for H-1Bs and a similar programme for intra-company transfers.

While the H-1B and other such programmes are seen as an immigration issue in the US, India sees them as a trade issue and considers direct and indirect curbs as anti-free trade.

Right now it is unclear if the H-1B visas will see a curb. We have been facing challenges with H-1B visas from last year but we have kept dialogues open with the US government, making them aware of the CSR initiatives that our companies are taking, a Nasscom spokesperson said.

One of such initiatives was by TCS, which donated $35 million to Carnegie Mellon University, the spokesperson said, adding this money will be invested in bridging the skilled labour problem in the US.

President-elect Trump realises India is a friend as our companies have helped in creating 411,000 direct and indirect jobs. They are training people in US divisions to make their life better, the spokesperson said, adding there is no disparity between the salaries of Indian and US employees.

Read | Donald Trump in White House: Now, what will happen to H-1B visas?
In his first news conference since the November 8 election, President-elect Donald Trump set social media ablaze on Wednesday with remarks including harsh criticism of the press and a defence of his goal to improve ties with Russia.

The session, held in the lobby of his Trump Tower headquarters in Manhattan, featured a number of viral moments, like an exchange with a reporter whom Trump accused of peddling fake news.

Im not going to give you a question, Trump told the journalist from CNN, which reported on Tuesday that the Republican president-elect had been briefed by US intelligence agencies about allegations that Russian operatives had compromising information about him.

This was quite something. After attacking CNN, Trump refuses to answer a question from @Acosta and says "you are fake news" pic.twitter.com/QGHxmG1NXt  Colin Jones (@colinjones) January 11, 2017

You are fake news! he told the reporter in a moment that reverberated on Twitter.

We had a great News Conference at Trump Tower today. A couple of FAKE NEWS organizations were there but the people truly get what's going on  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

Great Nazi tactic @realdonaldtrump PROJECT ON OTHERS your vile self.... you will turn our intelligence Nazi like, you are chief of FAKE NEWS  GuardianOfLiberty (@mahilena) January 12, 2017

Professor: You failed your midterm

Me: That's fake news

Prof: You didn't even answer half the questions

Me: YOU are fake news  lefty loony liar (@relhazy) January 11, 2017

Trumps comment that reporters were the only ones who care about whether he released his tax returns stirred up 165,000 tweets during the session. Social media users asked others to retweet if youre not a reporter and still care about seeing Trumps tax returns.

"Only ones who care about my tax returns are the reporters."



Retweet this if you're not a reporter, but you care about Trump's tax returns.  Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) January 11, 2017

Retweet this if youre not a reporter and you care about Donald Trumps tax returns and you want to venmo me $20.  Christopher Lipe (@cmlipe) January 11, 2017

In Russia, the hashtag #TrumpPressConference was a top-trending topic during the news conference and for several hours afterward.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability because we have a horrible relationship with Russia, Trump, who takes office on January 20, said in reference to the Russian president.

I dont know that Im going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But theres a good chance I wont, Trump said, prompting thousands of tweets from people in Russia.

US intelligence agencies have said Russia was behind a hacking campaign aimed at boosting Trumps presidential candidacy against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

There were some 80,000 tweets worldwide stamped with the #TrumpPressConference tag during the hour-long session with about 250 reporters.

Twitter sentiment regarding Trump during the event was 14% positive, 63% neutral and 23% negative, according to global digital marketing technology company Amobee.

Also stirring Twitter reaction were Trumps comments about the wall he has pledged to build on the US-Mexican border and to have Mexico pay for.

He said he would not wait for negotiations with Mexico before beginning construction, but added: Mexico in some form ... will reimburse us.

In response, former Mexican President Vicente Fox tweeted:

Neither today, nor tomorrow nor never Mexico will pay for that stupid wall.
Turkish lawmakers came to blows in a brawl in parliament overnight, as tempers boiled over in a debate on a constitutional reform package to expand the powers of President Tayyip Erdogan.

MPs from the ruling AK Party and main opposition CHP threw punches and shoved one another as they crowded around the assemblys podium.

The AKP, backed by the nationalist MHP, is pushing through the legislation that Erdogan says will bring the strong leadership needed to prevent a return of the fragile coalition governments of the past.

The opposition CHP and pro-Kurdish HDP fear the reform will fuel authoritarianism.

During the row, CHP deputies objected to AKP members casting votes without entering the cabins set up to ease what was a secret ballot. AKP lawmakers then tried to grab the mobile telephone of a CHP deputy filming the scene.

Despite the clash, the third, fourth and fifth articles of the 18-article bill were approved in the parliamentary session, which continued until early on Thursday. Debate was scheduled to resume on Thursday afternoon.

The bill needs the support of at least 330 deputies in the550-seat assembly to go to a referendum, expected in the spring.The AKP has 316 deputies eligible to vote and the MHP 39.

The three articles were passed with between 341 and 343 votes in favour.

The reform will enable Erdogan to appoint and dismiss government ministers, take back the leadership of the ruling party, and govern until 2029.

The plans foresee presidential and general elections in 2019, with a maximum of two five-year terms.
A high-tech sea-based US military radar has left Hawaii to monitor for potential North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test launches, a US defense official said on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that the isolated, nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the radar, known as the Sea-based X-band radar (SBX), left on Monday and would reach its destination, about 2,000 miles (3,218 km) northwest of Hawaii, towards the end of January.

The radar is able to track ICBMs and differentiate between hostile missiles and those that are not a threat.

On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the U.S. military might monitor a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test and gather intelligence rather than destroy it, as long as the launch did not pose a threat.

If the missile is threatening, it will be intercepted. If its not threatening, we wont necessarily do so, Carter said, Because it may be more to our advantage to, first of all, save our interceptor inventory, and, second, to gather intelligence from the flight, rather than do that (intercept the ICBM) when its not threatening.

Carters remarks came just over a week after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump vowed that North Korea would never fulfil its threat to test an ICBM. Trump said in a January 2 tweet: It wont happen!

The SBXs current deployment is not based on any credible threat; however, we cannot discuss specifics for this particular mission while it is underway, Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, said.
US intelligence chief James Clapper has expressed profound dismay to Donald Trump over leaked details of a security briefing that reportedly contained explosive but unsubstantiated allegations about the president-elect.

American intelligence officials last week presented to Trump, as well as to President Barack Obama, a two-page synopsis about the potentially embarrassing allegations involving Russia, according to CNN, The New York Times and other media.

Clapper in a statement said that he and Trump spoke on Wednesday about unverified claims that his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the US election, and that Russia has compromising information on Trump.

Read: The name is Steele: Ex-British spy whose reports put Trump in trouble

This evening, I had the opportunity to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss recent media reports about our briefing last Friday, Clapper said.

I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security, he said.

Trump at a press conference on Wednesday denied explosive allegations about his ties to Russia, and attacked US intelligence agencies and the media over the allegations.

But Clapper said he told the incoming US president that it is doubtful that the leak came from within the intelligence community.

I emphasised that this document is not a US intelligence community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC, Clapper said.

The IC has not made any judgement that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions, he added.
The US military in Afghanistan said on Thursday that its investigation into a November firefight with the Taliban in northern Kunduz province has shown that 33 civilians died in the raid during which U.S. troops fired on Afghan homes.

The probe followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from airstrikes called in to support Afghan and U.S. forces who came under fire in the provinces village of Buz-e Kandahari, which targeted two senior Taliban commanders.

The two Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation.

According to a U.S. military statement, the investigation determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded as troops responded to fire from Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions.

After the raid, Kunduz residents carried over a dozen corpses of the dead, including children and family members of the Taliban fighters, toward a local governors office in a show of rage.

Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, the statement quoted Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. On this occasion the Taliban chose to hide amongst civilians and then attacked Afghan and U.S. forces.

I wish to assure President (Ashraf) Ghani and the people of Afghanistan that we will take all possible measures to protect Afghan civilians, Nicholson added. We will continue to assist the Afghan security forces in their efforts to defend their country.

But a Kunduz official told The Associated Press that the Afghan civilian death toll in the U.S. military probe was less than what local authorities had.

More than 50 people, including women and children, were killed in the Afghan and U.S. forces attack in Buz-e Kandahari, said Toryalia Kakar, a deputy provincial council member.

Kakar urged the United States to compensate the victims families who he said not only lost their loved ones but also saw their homes and property destroyed in the airstrikes.

The Taliban briefly overran the city of Kunduz, the provincial capital with the same name, in October 2015, in a show of strength by the insurgents that also highlighted the troubles facing local Afghan forces, 15 years after the U.S.-led invasion of the country. The Taliban captured and held parts of Kunduz a year earlier as well, before the city was fully liberated weeks later with the help of U.S. airstrikes.

In the 2015 operation, a U.S. Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship attacked a Kunduz hospital run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, killing 42 people. Sixteen U.S. military personnel, including a two-star general, later were disciplined for what American officials described as mistakes that led the strike. Doctors Without Borders has called the attack a war crime and demanded an independent investigation.

After the firefight last November, Ghani criticized the Taliban for using women and children as a shield during the raid in Buz-e Kandahari. He also announced a local investigation had been started.

The U.S. military statement further added that its investigation concluded that U.S. forces acted in self-defense in the joint Afghan-American raid in the village.

As an indication of the ferocity of the fire faced by friendly forces from the Taliban-occupied houses, two U.S. soldiers and three Afghan Army Commandos were killed, it said. In addition, four U.S. soldiers and 11 commandos were wounded.

The raid also killed 26 Taliban fighters and wounded around 26 other insurgents, the U.S. military report said.

However, Kakar, the Kunduz official, disputed that death toll, saying not more than 10 Taliban fighters died.

The investigation concluded that U.S. air assets used the minimum amount of force required and that the civilians who were wounded or killed were likely inside the buildings from which the Taliban were firing. In addition, the U.S. military said a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded, which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

It has been determined that no further action will be taken because U.S. forces acted in self-defense and followed all applicable law and policy, the statement concluded.

NATOs combat operations ended in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a move that put Afghan forces in charge of the countrys security. Since then, Afghan forces have suffered heavy casualties battling the Taliban, who have tried to expand their footprint across much of the country. NATO and U.S. casualties have been few.
Secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson expressed views on Wednesday at odds with president-elect Donald Trumps positions on key foreign policy issues like nuclear proliferation, trade deals, climate change and relations with Mexico.

In a nine-hour Senate confirmation hearing, the former chief executive of oil company Exxon Mobil said he favoured maintaining US sanctions against Russia for now and that Nato allies were right to be alarmed by Moscows growing aggression.

Russia dominated much of the hearing because of concerns by Democrats and Republicans over Moscows interference in the US presidential election and its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and involvement in the Syrian civil war.

Questions soon moved to the threat posed by Islamic State, Chinas behaviour in the South China Sea, human rights and Tillersons ability to make a clean break from a career at Exxon Mobil to become Americas top diplomat.

Tillerson said his differences with Trump on some major issues would not necessarily put him at loggerheads with the White House.

He said everyone in Trumps Cabinet would have the chance to discuss issues and the president will decide. He described himself as open and transparent.

Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J. questions Rex Tillerson as he testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo)

In a stark departure from Trump, Tillerson said it would not be acceptable for some US allies to acquire nuclear weapons. He also did not see the need for a Muslim registry, saying he did not support targeting any particular group.

Asked by Democratic Senator Edward Markey about Trumps comments in interviews he would not oppose US allies including Japan obtaining nuclear weapons, Tillerson replied: I do not agree.

Tillerson said he did not oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, which Trump has criticized, but acknowledged the negotiated deal may not serve all US interests.

Tillerson, however, left room for broad reversals or changes to Obama administration policies, in line with Trumps positions, including trade with Cuba and the Iran nuclear deal, which he said ought to undergo a full review.

The hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was interrupted sporadically by protesters. Tillerson, 64, is expected to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Open, frank dialogue, with Moscow

Senators have expressed concern about Tillersons ties to Russia while at Exxon Mobil and Trumps desire to improve relations with Moscow.

Tillerson refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and kept the door open to a possible change in US sanctions policy against Russia, saying he had not seen classified information on Russian meddling.

I would leave things in the status quo so we are able to convey this can go either way, Tillerson said, suggesting open and frank dialogue with Moscow to better understand its intentions.

He blamed Russias aggression towards Ukraine since 2014 on an absence of American leadership and said the United States should have taken stronger actions to deter Russia.

Im advocating for responses that will deter and prevent further expansion of a bad actors behaviour, he said.

Tillerson said it was a fair assumption Putin was aware of Russian efforts to interfere in the US election. He said he had not discussed Russia policy with Trump, which Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said was pretty amazing.

(Left-right) Former US defence secretary Robert Gates, former Senator Sam Nunn, Senator Ted Cruz and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn testify for former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. (AFP Photo)

In a tense exchange, Republican Senator Marco Rubio pushed Tillerson on whether he believed Putin was a war criminal, in reference to Russias military actions in support of Syrias government.

I would not use that term, Tillerson said, adding: Those are very, very serious charges to make and I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion.

Rubio, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, shot back: Theres so much information out there. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putins military has conducted war crimes in Aleppo, referring to the Syrian city recently retaken by government forces backed by Russia.

He added: I find it discouraging, your inability to cite that which I think is globally accepted.

Tillerson sidestepped questions on human rights, declining to condemn countries like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines for rights abuses, saying he wanted to see the facts first.

Rubio told reporters later that he was unsure he could vote for Tillerson. As one of 11 Republicans on the 21-member panel, his support is key to Tillerson winning the committees backing.

Iran deal review

Tillerson said he would recommend a full review of the nuclear deal with Iran reached with the United States and world powers. He did not call for an outright rejection of the 2015 accord in which Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.

Trump has made contradictory statements about the deal and has threatened to dismantle it.

Tillerson said China should be denied access to islands it had built in the contested South China Sea. He added his approach to dealing with North Korea, which recently said it was close to carrying out its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, would be a long-term plan based on sanctions and their proper implementation.

Asked if he could make unbiased decisions after his time at Exxon Mobil, the worlds largest publicly traded oil producer, he said he would act in Americas interests.

Tillerson dodged a direct question on whether he believed climate change was caused by human activity.

The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken, he said, adding the ability to predict the effect of greenhouse gas was very limited.

Trump has called global warming a hoax perpetrated by China and has threatened to quit the Paris climate accord, a global agreement to curb emissions.

Tillerson called Mexico a long-standing neighbour and friend of this country.

Trump has said he will build a wall on the Mexican border, and in his 2015 presidential announcement speech described Mexican migrants to the United States as drug-runners and rapists.

Lobbying

Tillersons responses were calm and measured, without any obvious reliance on notes.

He opposed US sanctions against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine because he said he thought they would be ineffective.

On Wednesday, he said he never personally lobbied against sanctions and emphasized that he was not aware of Exxon Mobil directly doing so.

Tillerson later acknowledged he spoke to US treasury secretary Jack Lew regarding gaps between American and European sanctions on Russia.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy vigorously challenged Tillerson on the issue, saying he called a US senator to express concerns over the measures, which likely constitutes lobbying. Exxon lobbied Congress regarding sanctions against Russia following the annexation of Crimea. The lobbying directly related to energy matters, according to regulatory filings.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

Trend:

An awarding ceremony dedicated to completion of the Quantum Physics Presented by Young Scientists was held at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS).

The project was implemented with financial support from Youth Foundation under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic. BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov, Vice-Rector for General Affairs Rashad Hasanov, Professor Siyavush Azakov, and young scientists Sakin Jabbarov, Yusif Aliyev, Sevda Rzayeva and Mirlan Karimov, who were the project trainers, attended the event as honorable guests.

Speaking at the ceremony, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov told about a number of projects implemented by students and staff members of the Higher School with financial support from the Youth Foundation under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Rector Elmar Gasimov highly praised the Foundation activity and expressed his gratitude to the organizations management for their support of various youth initiatives and projects. He emphasized that such support is conducive to the successful implementation of the State Youth Policy in Azerbaijan. Rector Elmar Gasimov informed that in 2016, eight projects of students and staff members of BHOS became winners of the VIII Contest for Grants by the Youth Foundation. He emphasized that all of them were carried out with support from the Higher School.

The Quantum Physics Presented by Young Scientists Project manager, Head of the BHOS Student Affairs department and Chairperson of the Higher School Trade Union Committee Habiba Sadigli provided information about the project. She said that the project started on November 27 last year. Within five weeks of the project implementation, trainings and other activities were conducted by young scientists every Sunday at the BHOS premises. The project Organizing Committee was comprised of the Higher School students.

BHOS Professor Siyavush Azakov and project trainers Sakin Jabbarov, Yusif Aliyev, Sevda Rzayeva and Mirlan Karimov emphasized that the project was very well organized and attracted interest of its participants. They also expressed their confidence that similar projects would carried out in the future.

At the end of the ceremony, the project participants were awarded with certificates and presents.
The Bangladesh cafe besieged by militants who killed 20 hostages last year has quietly reopened a few blocks away from its old, bloodied site, which remains taped off by investigating police.

For Shahriar Ahmed and the 16 other staffers, some of whom were working during the horrifying siege, the reopening of Holey Artisan Bakery represents hope and a new beginning.

This is beautiful to come back here with all my dearest colleagues, Ahmed said while preparing a cappuccino for a customer on Thursday. Our old, familiar guests are coming and congratulating us, congratulating from their hearts.

Shahriar Ahmed, a survivor of the July 1 attack at Holey Artisan Bakery, works at the reopened restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, January 12, 2017. (AP Photo)

The July 1 attack by five young Bangladeshi extremists stunned the nation and drew condemnation from abroad.

The attackers held dozens hostage overnight, quizzing them on details of the Quran and killing some of those who failed to answer to their satisfaction. When Bangladeshi police and soldiers stormed the restaurant the next morning, killing all five attackers, they found a gruesome scene of torture and killings. Twenty hostages including 17 foreigners were dead.

The government responded by cracking down on extremist groups in the country, blaming one in particular  Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh  but dismissing claims of responsibility by the Middle Eastern extremist group the Islamic State.

It followed several years of smaller attacks targeting scores of individuals deemed by extremists to be enemies of radical Islam, including secularists, writers, religious minorities, foreign aid workers and activists.

Bangladeshi employees wait for customers inside the newly reopened Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka on January 11, 2017. (AFP Photo)

The cafe reopened Tuesday in a section of a shopping mall. The new location is smaller, doesnt have a backyard and theres no view of the lake overlooking the Gulshan diplomatic zone that had drawn so many in the past.

The previous site remains closed to the public and is under the control of police who are still investigating the attack.

The new cafe is already doing brisk business. The mood is cheerful, with many customers greeting the waiters with smiles.

You cant compare it with the old place, one owner, Sadat Mehedi, said while wiping down a tabletop. This is definitely small in size, but we have the same spirit. Its heartening that our tables are full.

A foreign customer waits at the counter of the newly reopened Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo)

He said reopening the restaurant after last years traumatic attack was all about hope and aspiration to start again, to keep the spirit up.

We want to grow again, want to create more jobs, he said.

As one customer took a seat, a server named Rocky cried, Welcome back, maam! We are ready to serve you. She ordered an ice cream for her daughter, a toddler.

They all know me, we know them all, Rocky explained. Its lovely to see them again.
The tension between the United States of America and North Korea is always on the higher side and the tension may rise more after the newly elected president Donald Trump joins the office. Previously, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent several threats to the United States and he has also stated that the North Korean missiles are good enough to destroy the USA.

In recent times, North Korea is exercising some ballistic missiles tests. Therefore, a high-tech sea-based US military radar has left the Hawai in order to monitor the North Korean missile activities.



Different official sources have confirmed that the SBX radar system has left Hawaii on Monday. It is expected that the sea-based radar system will reach its destination at the end of January which is almost 2000 miles far from Hawaii.



This is a very advanced radar system and this system has enough intelligence to detect the missiles which can be harmful. At the same time, it can detect those missiles which can't be considered as a reason of threat. If the system finds any missile as a threatening one then it will immediately intercept that missile. On the other hand, if it is not so threatening then it will not intercept.



The North Korean ICBM can be a bit dangerous to some of the countries and the United states are also included in the list. Though North Korea has started to test the full strength of this ballistic missile but the recently elected president Donald Trump has tweeted that "It won't happen".



Though the SFX currently not in any kind of dangerous position to intercept the ICBM. But it has been told that details about different specifications won't be shared when the mission is under action.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

Trend:

A special unit of December issue of the federal prestigious Russian journal   (Business Russia) was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Azerbaijans State Independence and President Ilham Aliyevs jubilee.

An article entitled UNEC: World - class University was published on the journal on which economic and social issues take place.

Innovations implemented at UNEC were widely informed about in the article. It was noted that more than 18 thousand undergraduate, graduate and post graduate students are studying and1650 academic and administrative staff carry out their activities at the biggest economy- oriented higher education institution of the Southern Caucasus.

It was also noted fundamental scientific researches in different directions are being carried out at UNEC which is the main higher education institution of Azerbaijan developing professional cadres in economic and business areas: Highly- skilled economic cadres conduct researches required in the real sector of the national economy at the Scientific Research Institute, Scientific Innovation Center and Technology Transfer Center performing at UNEC applying innovative methods. The investigations also give impetus to improve the education at UNEC.

A wide place to international affairs of UNEC was given in the article. It was said UNEC cooperates with more than 100 prestigious universities (the University of Siegen, London School of Economics, the University of Montpellier, the University of Malaga and Mykolas Romeris University and so on) of over 30 countries (Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Lithuania, Southern Korea and Turkey etc.).

Dual Degree Programs and Students- teacher Exchange Programs are implemented in the development of Undergraduate, Graduate and Post- graduate students. In addition to being a member of international associations and organizations, UNEC is also in close ties with the leading global economic bodies. It was also stressed in the article that 11 Nobel Peace Laureates are UNECs Honorary Doctors and they conducted lectures at UNEC.

According to the article, training is conducted in four languages- Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian and English at UNEC. At the same time the information about the Russian School of Economics which provide education in Russian on 11 majors and the International School of Economics which provide training in English on 5 majors was delivered.

UNECs ranking in international ratings was emphasized: UNEC became the first among the universities of Azerbaijan according to the results of one of the ratings of the world higher education institutions Webometrics two years continuously. At the same time, it is the best 200th university of the region and 4th economy- oriented of the QS Ranking Agency among the Developing European and Central Asian Universities.

It was also brought to attention that UNEC is the only university of Azerbaijan which has a branch abroad. The Branch performing in Darband city of Dagestan Republic of Russia was highlighted to play essential role in cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia.

UNEC is the brand of Azerbaijan State University of Economics. The brand of UNEC has been registered and patented by the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patent on January 21 2016.
T op of the sourcing list for interior designers, this fair lets you share their secrets.

Up to 140 dealers reveal one-off pieces with provenance.

Join the hunt for fine, formal, country, Art Deco or mid-century furniture, plus upholstery, lighting, mirrors, glassware, ceramics, textiles and art, priced from about 50 to 50,000-plus.

This years foyer display goes Gothic, inspired by newly restored Strawberry Hill House, though the mood is mostly delicate and light, offset by heavier pieces in carved timbers.

Theres a champagne bar and delicious home-cooked food.

Upstairs, on the same ticket, is the London Antique Rug and Textile Art Fair, where 17 dealers offer thousands of fine and decorative rugs, runners, and kilims.
The De Pree Art Center and Gallery at Hope College is hosting the traveling exhibition Between the Shadow and the Light: An Exhibition Out of South Africa from Monday, Jan. 9, through Thursday, Feb. 9.

Additional events will include a curators talk, artists talk and closing reception on Friday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m. at the De Pree Art Center and Gallery.

The public is invited to the exhibition and the related events. Admission to each is free.

Between the Shadow and the Light: An Exhibition Out of South Africa includes art created by 21 Christian artists from the United States, Canada, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The artists (including Katherine Sullivan, who is a professor of art and chair of the Department of Art and Art History at Hope) spent two weeks together in South Africa in an intensive seminar in June of 2013, participating in a program designed to introduce them to the many social, economic and political complexities in the region. The result was an exhibition of nearly 40 works in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, installation and video, using a range of styles and approaches to explore those issues raised throughout the seminar.

The curators talk will be delivered on Friday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m. by Jo-Ann VanReeuwyk, who is a fiber artist and associate professor of art and art history at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. She has been featured in galleries in Washington, British Colombia, Montana and Michigan, and compares her work to personalities: Just as our personalities are multi-dimensional, and just as we need to peel away layers to discover the true essence of someone or something, these pieces reflect complexity.

The artists talk will be presented on Friday, Feb. 3, at 4 p.m. by Margaret Allotey-Pappoe, who is the department chair of Art & Design and assistant professor of graphic design at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

The closing reception will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, beginning at 5 p.m. and running until 6:30 p.m. The reception will include a display of posters depicting students experiences while participating in the colleges May Term in South Africa led by Dede Johnston, professor of communication at Hope.

Between the Shadow and the Light: An Exhibition Out of South Africa is co-sponsored by the Lilly Fellows Program for Humanities and the Arts, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and the Nagel Institute of Calvin College, with major support from Walter and Darlene Hansen, the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship and the Joan L. and Robert C. Gilkison Family Foundation.

The De Pree Art Center and Gallery is located at 275 Columbia Ave., between 10th and 13th streets. The gallery is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
When you go to the grocery store, you are not just doing business with the produce department, but the entire store. As a consumer, if I want to know where capers are in the store, I am going to look for the first employee I see and ask for the location of the capers. My expectation is that they will tell me, not only the number of the aisle, but also the location in the aisle. Even better than that, walking me to the capers is the best customer experience they can provide!

All businesses need to speak a very consistent message to their employees on the expectation of assisting customers. You may work "in a department," but you work "for the company." No one knows all the answers to the questions asked by customers, but it's your job to make sure the customer is not left fending for themselves in finding what they need.

Cindy Ott

ProSolutions LLC.
It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore).

Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net.

Go back to home
"YARAT Friends" membership platform, functioning within YARAT Contemporary Art Space brought it's members together for year end reporting as well as New 2017 celebration in the conceptual restaurant Passage 1901. An opening speech was delivered by Bjorn Geldhof, an artistic director of Yarat Contemporary Art Space. Mr.Geldhof emphasized the significance and essentiality of YARAT Friends membership platform. Later, Hokuma Karimova, head of platform as well as the head of PR and Communications department of YARAT summarized the results of 2016 with a short film featuring YARAT Friends events throughout the year. The night's program included the fire and photodiode performance, a musical performance by Mikail Rafiyev and Emin Eminzade, and a dancing contest by Ilham Osmanov. The evening was finalized with a DJ session by Elchin Quliyev.

This special event was supported by CHELEBI FURNITURE & DECOR, who generously provided all members of YARAT Friends platform with exclusive gifts.

YARAT Friends is a unique platform for corporates and individuals to be a member of the Art community. The goal of platform is to introduce the notion of contemporary art to wider ranges of the society and create a community of contemporary art lovers. The platform offers exclusive tours with the participation of curators and artists, invitations to events and special ceremonies organized only for members, as well as additional opportunities and advantages like special Art Travel program. By being a member of YARAT Friends community, you will have the opportunity to improve your knowledge, contribute to the development of contemporary art and support delivering the best contemporary culture of Azerbaijan to the world.

Art lovers who want to be the member of YARAT Friends platform can get in touch through email address [email protected] or contact directly to YARAT Center.
Muir Beach, California rapper Bones is one of the most prolific independent recording artists bar none. The spitter/producer, who refuses to go commercial  just released a new mixtape  Disgrace  through his collective TeamSESH. Hes released more than 40 projects so far.

Known for his moody music, Bones has worked with A$AP Rocky and performed with him on Jimmy Kimmel Live! crouching for most of the performance. Disgrace is a descent into his underworld-like beats, full of heavy bass and high ominous keys. Fuck what you heard unless you heard it from me, he sings on BiggestLetdown. The rapper inspires to live through his art authentically without the trappings of fame or excess.

Listen to Disgrace below.
The Dixie Gun & Pawn shop in Mapleton, GA has been robbed several times, but not until last month had the burglars come during store hours. For good reason. Of course, the employees of a gun shop are naturally in proximity to lots of guns. And one would think that they know how to use them. Those thoughts apparently never crossed the mind of two robbers who entered Dixie Gun & Pawn in broad daylight on Dec. 26. Within seconds, one of them was shot and killed by store owner Jimmy Groover.

The whole scene was caught on camera. First one can see another employee enter the scene with his hands up, and then one can see the two armed robbers. Just as the would-be thieves were making their presence known  telling the employees to get on the ground  Groover whipped out his handgun, which was already on his person, and began firing off rounds. With his first shot, Groover hits and kills one of the robbers with a bullet that soared through the glass cabinet holding his stores guns.

WARNING: Graphic footage

I had no other choice, Groover told WXIA News. I hate that it happened.

After his partner fell, the other burglar fled the store, and he reportedly remains at large. Police doubt that Groover will face any charges, seeing that he acted in self-defense. As reported by WXIA, an attempted after-hours break-in had occurred a week before the deadly shootout.

Gun store
A judge issued a warrant for Young Thugs arrest after the rapper failed to appear in Atlanta court Thursday morning. The hearing was scheduled to sort out a ticket he had received for illegal window tints on his car.

This is the second time Thugger has failed to show up in court for this specific ticket. Shortly before Christmas, he was arrested while shopping at the Fendi store in Atlantas Lenox Square Mall after a police officer recognized him and realized he had a warrant. Thug posted $500 bond within a matter of hours.

What will become of Young Thug and the tinted window saga? Pay the damn ticket, Thug.

[via]

Young Thug
With 106 million followers to her name, Selena Gomez is the owner of the single most popular Instagram account on the planet. (After @instagram. Raised in Disneys factory of child stars, she began her career as a youngster on Barney, then graduated to the lead role in Wizards of Waverly Place en route to becoming a full-fledged, jack-of-all-trades megastar.

The saucy 24-year-old Texan and Abel Tesfayes new girlfriend has been known to flaunt her natural beauty on social media. Follow her on Instagram and click through the image gallery to witness 10 of her most legendary IG pictures to date.

Selena Gomez
A white woman from the town of White Center, nearby Seattle, is being held in jail on $500,000 for posting a Facebook Live video that has been deemed to be evidence of a hate crime. In the 10-minute video, part of which is still available online, 48-year-old Sandra Jametski tailgates a Hispanic woman, named Dolores (whose last name was not released for her protection), while she hysterically delivers a racist rant about Spanish privilege.

The video was posted on Nov. 21, and Jametski was jailed on Dec. 3 upon being charged with malicious harassment, which is considered a hate crime, reports The Seattle Times. She pleaded not guilty to the charge at her arraignment on Dec. 15. The judge has denied the defenses motion to reduce the charges to misdemeanor harassment and also to reduce the bail.

This is America. We dont drive like that here. We dont drive like youre in Mexico, lady, shouts Jametski.

It turns out that Jametski and Dolores live less than a quarter-mile away from each other and that Jametski has been aware of (and upset about) the presence of Dolores family in their neighborhood for some time now.

This is my freakin neighborhood. This is where I grew up. I grew up here, not them, Jametski yells while driving. This woman dont deserve to belong here, she dont belong here. She dont (expletive) belong here.

Jametski is alleged to have threatened to ram Dolores vehicle during the Facebook Live rant, according to court papers. Dolores was driving her son to school while being tailgated by Jametski. Upon arriving in the school parking lot, Jametski got out of her car and confronted Dolores, still recording their interaction with her phone and broadcasting it to Facebook Live. She is alleged to have threatened Dolores with a lawsuit as well as deportation.

It so happens that Jametski and Dolores daughter (driving her mothers vehicle) had been involved in an accident over a year earlier. The daughter, 16 at the time, had just gotten her learners permit. She went out for a drive with her mother on Nov. 25, 2015, and shortly after leaving home, another vehicle  that of Jametskis  began tailgating them, said Dolores.

Dolores daughter signaled to turn left, and while preparing to turn, Jametski allegedly tried to pass them (on the left). There was no contact between the two cars, but Jametski lost control and crashed into a curb and a pole. A man got out of Jametskis car and began yelling at Dolores and her daughter, who, at the time, were not aware that Jametski was the driver, as she apparently did not leave the vehicle.

An accident report confirms Dolores account of the incident. Jametski was cited for passing in a no passing zone, and neither Dolores nor her daughter are mentioned in the report. In her incriminating Facebook Live video, Jametski threatens to sue Dolores for totaling her vehicle and for putting her in life-threatening danger.

Dolores did not call police after her direct confrontation with Jametski, but her family chose to do so after they became aware of the Facebook Live video, feeling that Jametski was targeting them and encouraging others to do the same. She knew our house, she knew our cars, she knew where my brother goes to school, said Dolores 21-year-old daughter, Adriana. She seemed to have a personal vendetta against everyone in our family. We just felt really threatened and scared and just didnt feel safe.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mike Hogan referred to the incident as an attack on the entire Latino community.

Factored into Jametskis $500,000 bail is her past criminal record, which includes convictions for second-degree assault as well as driving under the influence.

Jametski
This article can only be read with a Premium Account
WASHINGTON - Rex Tillerson's confirmation as Secretary of State seemed less than certain the day after a contentious Senate hearing, as key Republican lawmakers remain wary of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and lukewarm on his nomination to the top cabinet position.

With a vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expected next week, attention was focused on Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, who expressed reservations about Tillerson shortly after he was named by President-elect Donald Trump.

He clashed with the former Exxon Mobil chief executive during the hearing over Russia's bombing of civilians in Syria in support of the dictator Bashar al-Assad, the characterization of Putin as a war criminal, and Saudi Arabia's treatment of women. As CEO of one of the world's biggest oil companies, Tillerson did business in Russia, Saudi Arabia, and other nations criticized for human rights records.

"This is a very important decision and I recognize the partisan split on the committee and what it means," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told CNN after the hearing. "I'm prepared to do what's right."

If Rubio votes against Tillerson - along with all the Democrats on the committee - that would leave the Texas oilman on the losing end an 11-10 vote. While embarrassing for Tillerson, even were the committee not to recommend Tillerson for confirmation, his nomination could still be sent to Senate floor for a full vote.

Around Washington on Thursday, hallways were abuzz with speculation on whether Rubio and other Republican senators would defy Trump before he even takes office.

The tough questioning of Tillerson on Wednesday stood out in contrast to treatment of past secretary of state nominees, who were typically from the political and foreign policy establishment, but its significance is tough to read, said Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.

"One way to look at their tough questions was they just wanted to use the hearing to show their displeasure with Tillerson," he said. "It might be they vented and now that's it."

The last time a president's cabinet nominee was not confirmed by the Senate was in 2009 when Tom Daschle, then the Democratic senator for South Dakota, withdrew his name for consideration as Secretary of Health and Human Services after it came to light he had not paid his income taxes from 2005 to 2007, according to the Senate Historical Office. Without a similar controversy, chances are Tillerson will be confirmed, Jones said, speculating that Democrats from fossil fuel rich states like Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, and Heidi Heitkamp, of North Dakota might lend support.

Tillerson's long relationship with Russia as an Exxon executive, however, has divided Republicans. His tendency during Wednesday's hearing to defer judgment on matters abroad until he was granted access to classified U.S. intelligence reports further rankled his GOP critics.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who along with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has questioned Tillerson's relationship with Putin, told CNN that Tillerson's response to questions around the Russian hacking of the Democratic Party ahead of the presidential election was "fuzzy."

"If he doesn't clear that up, it would be a problem, and I think he can clear it up and he needs to clear it up," he said.

Other GOP lawmakers have come out strongly for Tillerson, however. Texas Sens. John Cornyn, the majority whip, and Ted Cruz have both put their support behind the former Exxon chief, sitting on either side of him at the start of Wednesday's hearing.

"Mr. Tillerson understands how to separate friendships and business," Cornyn said. "He knows who he works for."

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said after the hearing, "I thought he handled himself well." Meanwhile, Democrats continue to examine - and criticize - Tillerson's record. At least two, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., have said they plan to vote against Tillerson. In a tweet Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said "Tillerson hearing raises real questions as to whether (Trump) & cabinet are prepared to stand up to Putin, Iran & represent US interests."

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Committee, said late Wednesday that he would present Tillerson with more questions while "consulting with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle."

"There's no doubt that Mr. Tillerson has stamina, is well prepared, and has knowledge of the world," Cardin said in a statement. "But I am troubled by his confusing statements about how Exxon handled U.S. sanctions and by his refusal to directly acknowledge or even accept well-documented and verified truths such as Russia's war crimes in Syria."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

Trend:

A fire broke out on a cargo ship in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijans Ministry of Emergency Situations said Jan 12. that the ministrys Crisis Management Centre received information about the fire on the cargo ship named after Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, which was near the Khara Zira island in the Caspian Sea.

A Vixr-7 vessel and a helicopter of the State Fire Protection Service have been sent to the event scene to put down the fire.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON - Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson pushed back against criticism Wednesday that his long career with the Texas oil giant and his relationships with foreign leaders and adversaries, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, would color his actions if confirmed by the Senate as secretary of state.

During eight hours of questioning by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson made the case for himself as a pragmatic diplomat, free of entanglements, who would apply strategic and negotiating acumen acquired while leading one of the world's biggest oil companies to threats including "radical Islam" and Russia and China's attempts to expand their territories.

"We face considerable threats in this evolving new environment," Tillerson said. "I will serve only in the interests of the American people."

After a 40-year career at Exxon, including more than a decade as CEO, Tillerson has found separating himself from his past life near impossible, with senators from both sides of the aisle questioning him on Exxon's activities at home and abroad. Following some tense exchanges, Tillerson's testimony drew criticism from some committee members, who will later recommend whether Tillerson should be confirmed.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., ranking member on the committee, said in a statement late Wednesday that while Tillerson "has knowledge of the world" the senator was "troubled by his confusing statements" on a variety of subjects.

The hearings were initially expected to stretch over two days, as they did for attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. But as the number of senators in the room diminished Wednesday afternoon, committee chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Cardin agreed one day would suffice.

"I thought he handled himself well," Corker said, after the hearing.

Tillerson was a surprise pick for the top Cabinet post after President-elect Donald Trump considered a long list of contenders, including Corker and two of his key supporters during the campaign, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. During the hearing, Tillerson, 64, was grilled on a variety of topics, at times haunted by Trump's controversial comments on issues from the construction of a wall on the Mexican border to the Paris climate change agreement, which Trump has said he wants to abandon.

Tense exchanges

One of the tensest exchanges occurred early on the hearing, when Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., pressed Tillerson on the human rights record of Putin, whom Trump has praised and Tillerson dealt with regularly while negotiating Exxon deals in Russia. Tillerson criticized that record and later argued a more "forceful" response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 might have deterred Putin from further defiance of the United States.

But when Rubio asked if Putin, was a war criminal, he demurred.

"I would not use that term," Tillerson replied.

Rubio then highlighted thousands of civilian casualties in Syria at the hands of Russian troops, who are supporting the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, "I find discouraging your inability to say that which I think has global acceptance," Rubio told Tillerson.

Throughout the hearing protesters in the audience yelled to senators to block Tillerson's nomination, bringing proceedings to a halt before they were dragged out by police. Outside the Capitol building, a troupe of cartoon-like "T-Rex" dinosaurs paraded to the amusement of passing congressional staff.

Under Tillerson, Exxon has in recent years shifted away from skepticism of climate research, supporting the agreement in Paris to dramatically cut carbon dioxide emissions to slow global warming, signed by by almost 200 world leaders.

Tillerson acknowledged that man-made climate change is real, but questioned the reliability of scientific models predicting sea level rise and widespread drought. "I don't see it as the eminent national security threat others do," Tillerson said.

Environmentalists criticized his testimony. "It's encouraging that Tillerson recognizes that climate change requires a global response and that the U.S. must be at the table. But he must go further," said David Waskow, director of international climate initiative at the think tank World Resources Institute.

Growing competition

A native of Wichita Falls, who repeatedly referred to his background in engineering and the Boy Scouts of America, Tillerson presented himself as a careful and precise businessman. Again and again, senators pressed him to give an opinion on specific human rights abuses abroad, only to have Tillerson respond he wanted more information before responding - namely classified reports to which he did not yet have access.

After another tense exchange with Rubio - this time over Saudi Arabia's treatment of women and criminals - Tillerson said, "There seems to be some misunderstanding that I see the world through a different lens," he said, explaining that while he agreed with Rubio's concern, "these are centuries-old cultures."

But Tillerson also offered himself as a steady, principled voice in the Trump administration - at times disagreeing with some of his soon-to-be boss's views. Asked by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., whether he would characterize Mexicans as "rapists" and "criminals" - as Trump did during the presidential campaign - Tillerson said he would never describe any group of people in such general terms.

"Mexico is a long-standing neighbor and friend of this country," he said. "We have many common areas of concern."

Throughout the hearing, Tillerson described a dangerous world in which the United States faced growing economic competition from China and a Russian government seeking, "respect and relevance on the global stage." He described the recent Russian cyber-attacks on the Democratic Party ahead of the presidential election, as described by U.S. intelligence agencies, to the latest in long-running attempts to undermine U.S. democracy that date back to the Cold War.

He also questioned U.S. involvement in removing foreign leaders in countries like Iraq and Libya, where the ouster of the dictators Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi, respectively, unleashed sectarian, ethnic and tribal violence, destabilizing the countries and creating new threats to the United States.

"We want those people to have what we have," he said, " but balancing that against our national security interests and what's most important is we protect the American people first."

So-called nation building efforts have been at the center of U.S. foreign policy for decades, as presidents from Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton attempted to spread democracy around the globe - at times working to remove foreign powers considered counter to those efforts. But Tillerson's comments indicated a shift away from that role in the world, said Jennifer Harris, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former State Department official under Hillary Clinton.

"It's a shift for the Republican Party," Harris said. "I'm not sure if it's that much of a shift from what Obama has been doing."

President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. troops from Iraq, drastically reduced them in Afghanistan, and, unlike Russia, has refused to commit them to the struggle in Syria.

Climate change

The hearing opened with Tillerson flanked by Republican Texas Sen.John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, a Democrat.

"Mr. Tillerson understands how to separate friendships and business," Cornyn said. "He knows who he works for."

Again and again, senators returned to the topic of Exxon. Menendez questioned what exactly Exxon's lobbying activity around U.S. sanctions against Russia entailed. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked Tillerson to explain how Exxon had funded groups questioning climate change despite its own research showing the planet was warming.

When Tillerson referred the climate question to Exxon itself, Kaine asked if it was because he didn't know or simply was refusing to answer.

"A little of both," Tillerson quipped.

Jordan Blum and David Hunn of the Chronicle and Bill Lambrecht of the San Antonio Express-News contributed.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Houston's mayor and regional law-enforcement officials said Thursday they plan to increase resources to combat human trafficking in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl -- and continue aggressive enforcement after the big game is over.

The crime, which includes sex and labor trafficking, is a problem the city has dealt with "on a continuous, ongoing basis," Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a midday news conference at City Hall.

City and agency officials said they intend to target human trafficking in advance of Super Bowl 51, which will take place Feb. 5 at NRG stadium, but they also stressed a need to recognize that the crime happens every day.

"This serves as an opportunity to highlight the importance of us utilizing all of our strategies to combat human trafficking," Turner said. "We don't want to be known as the hub in this region for it."





Houston is considered a hub for human trafficking for various reasons. It hosts many conventions and major sporting events, and it's located along major highways and close to airports and an international port.

"It's sad, but true that right here in our community, people are being treated as sex slaves," said Douglas A. Williams, an assistant special agent in charge with the FBI.

While quantifying the crime is difficult, Texas ranked second in the volume of calls placed to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center in 2015. Turner launched a wide-ranging effort to combat the problem last year.

With major sporting events like the Super Bowl, the crime may increase, but it doesn't typically spike as dramatically as had been previously believed, a recent study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers found.

The city has talked with the Carnegie Mellon researchers about tracking how the prevalence of online sex ads may change over this coming period, Turner said.

City officials also plan to reserve beds for organizations involved in direct outreach efforts to use for victims who may need them, and they have updated a webpage with a calendar of trafficking-related events.

Law-enforcement agencies, too, expressed a commitment to fighting the crime Thursday, as did a representative of the Harris County district attorney's office.

"We will use all means necessary on a regular basis to stop the abuse of women and children on our streets," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. "We're going to make sure that we continue to fight this."

Art Acevedo, Houston's new police chief, spoke of not only rescuing trafficking victims but also arresting those purchasing sex. He warned that photos would be distributed to media outlets of those accused of paying for prostitution, which can often involve a trafficking victim.

"For the johns," Acevedo said, "We're putting you on notice today... When we arrest you, we will expose you for the sick person that you are."
A Montgomery County commissioner is moving forward with plans to connect Texas 249 and FM 2978, drawing concern from Woodlands residents and township officials who had strongly opposed a different route for linking the two highways west of the master-planned community.

The plan backed by County Commissioner Charlie Riley, who represents a precinct west of The Woodlands, calls for moving the connector south of Woodlands Parkway, as some residents had urged. Woodlands residents and officials had strongly opposed a $22 million proposal to extend the parkway by 6 miles from FM 2978 to Texas 249, fearing it would worsen traffic congestion in the built-out township.

With no discussion Tuesday morning, Montgomery County commissioners approved two contracts related to the project. The court awarded land-surveying services to Tomball-based Arborleaf Engineering and Surveying Inc. for $264,855 and engineering services for the project to Houston-based R. G. Miller Engineers Inc. for $264,477.

Costs questioned

Gordy Bunch, the new chairman of the township board, said he was surprised to hear about the project.

"It goes against the communications we had with Commissioner Riley and Judge (Craig) Doyal," said Bunch, adding that there was supposed to be discussion before any movement on the connection. "No one was notified that I was aware of.

"So to go forward with a project  is disappointing, that's the nice word."

Bunch questioned the cost of the contracts approved by commissioners, the reason for the relocation, and what happens to the rights of way already purchased for the project.

Riley could not be reached for comment.

Doyal said Riley is using his budget for the engineering costs and added that the rights of way still would be used. No timeline was available.

The issue arose in early 2015 when residents learned that Riley was planning to extend Woodlands Parkway, a project that was included in a $350 million road bond referendum set to go before voters in May of that year.

Concerned about an increase in traffic in the community, residents of The Woodlands urged county commissioners to remove the project from the May bond. But the court, specifically Riley, refused to take the project off his list. And on May 9, 2015, voters rejected the bond, with more than 57 percent of county voters opposing it.

In August 2015, the court agreed to move forward with another road bond for the Nov. 3 ballot, this time in the amount of $280 million.

That referendum excluded several projects, including the Woodlands Parkway extension.

Voters easily approved the $280 million road bond measure, with more than 63 percent of voters for it.

The extension of Woodlands Parkway has been part of the long-term thoroughfare plan since the late 1980s, but controversy over it only dates back to its inclusion in the May 2015 road bond.

Nevertheless, county commissioners agreed last year to keep the parkway extension in the long-term plan.

Most of the opposition has come from Precinct 3 in The Woodlands, where residents said they didn't want the project, which is within Riley's Precinct 2. They were concerned it would funnel more traffic through The Woodlands.

Debate over route

Riley has maintained his constituents, particularly in Magnolia, want and need the connector and that it is unlikely motorists would use the route through The Woodlands as a way east to Interstate 45.

Community leaders in The Woodlands, including Precinct 3 County Commissioner James Noack, urged Riley to select a route farther south. One option was widening Hardin Store Road to carry more traffic between FM 2978 and Texas 249, which is being widened and extended north by Harris and Montgomery counties.

Eventually, officials envision new toll lanes spurring the creation of an "Aggie Highway," a widened Texas 249 between Houston and College Station that will in turn allow for faster trips to Waco.

Bunch also favors widening Hardin Store Road, noting that it makes "more sense" to widen an existing road rather than build a new one.

"You can straighten out that goofy 90-degree turn on Hardin Store and widen it before you get around to building a one-lane road between Mansions Drive and Dobbin Huffsmith Road," Bunch said.

But Riley, along with Doyal, said widening Hardin Store Road was not a viable option because of the difficulty in obtaining rights of way. According to Doyal, one of the main reasons he purchased the majority of rights of way for the future extension of Woodlands Parkway while he served as Precinct 2 Commissioner was because it was more difficult to purchase such land along Hardin Store Road. He said the railroad tracks that cross Hardin Store Road would be a challenge.

In February, the township board approved a resolution opposing the extension of Woodlands Parkway, Branch Crossing north, Gosling Road north and Grogan's Mill north. Bunch said he likely will ask the newly elected board to affirm that resolution.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The forecast called for the kind of cold, cloudy, blustery day that only duck hunters love. The lowering skies meant the ducks would be flying closer to the ground in search of calmer areas to feed and rest.

Starett Burk felt excited. That's how he was before every hunt.

"He was a true woodsman," said Brandon Brock, one of his best friends and a frequent hunting companion.

Still, Brock told him to be safe. Burk said he would be. "I'll kill a couple for you," he said before leaving for Carancahua Bay, roughly 120 miles southwest of Houston.

It was before dawn last Friday when he and two friends, Spencer Hall and Chris Ruckman, launched their flat-bottomed boat into the bay. A front was blowing in from the north. The wind exceeded 20 knots, and waves reached 2 feet in height. The temperature was already below 50 degrees and wasn't going to get warmer after sunrise.

Their destination was Redfish Lake, about 2 miles west of the ramp. The 17-foot aluminum boat carried the three men, two dogs, decoys, shotguns, ice chests and other gear - a typical load for a few hours of hunting under normal conditions.

But the weather was working against them and other waterfowlers. That day, two hunters were rescued after their boat's engine failed in nearby Espiritu Santo Bay. Game warden Weston Burris was interviewing them when he heard a report about three hunters who hadn't returned home.

The emergency call from Ruckman's girlfriend came about 10 p.m. By 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Burris confirmed that the truck and trailer belonging to the hunting party was still at the ramp.

Unable to get a boat into the bay because of the worsening conditions, Burris drove to within 100 yards of the blind where Burk, Hall and Ruckman were headed. He saw no signs of them. He also didn't see them at other spots where they had hunted previously.

Another game warden tried to locate the group by cellphone. But the devices were either turned off or dead. The last location for one of the phones was near Salt Lake, just north of Redfish Lake, roughly a half-hour after they had left the boat ramp, Burris said.

The U.S. Coast Guard, meanwhile, dispatched a helicopter - and later an airplane - to join the search.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department called in game wardens from four neighboring counties to assist. But bad weather prevented them from adding boats to the search before 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

By then, it was unlikely anyone had survived. The temperature had dropped to 24 degrees - with a wind chill of 16 degrees.

"If anyone is wet in those conditions," Burris said, "the likelihood that they'll get hypothermia is like 95 percent."

'It's a tragedy'

The Calhoun County medical examiner has yet to determine how Burk, Hall and Ruckman died. But the water measured at 49 degrees, cold enough to cause unconsciousness in less than an hour.

The bodies of two men and one of the dogs were recovered from the frigid water by early afternoon Saturday. The third man was found about 4 p.m. with the overturned boat, which was wedged on a sand bar between the Matagorda Ship Channel and Pass Cavallo, some 15 miles south of where the group had launched. The other dog was not found.

All three hunters and the dog were wearing life jackets, Calhoun County Sheriff Bobbie Vickery said.

"It's a tragedy," said Vickery, who was in his first week as sheriff. "These bays are treacherous and unforgiving when you have that kind of weather. You can get pulled out a lot farther than they did. It's possible that they could have been swept out the jetties (into the Gulf of Mexico), and we would still be looking for them."

The tale is a cautionary one, illustrating the risks faced by hunters who use boats to get to their blinds. The best conditions for hunting birds can be the worst for the safety of hunters.

That's because they are on the water before first shooting light, operating boats in the darkness. Their small but heavily loaded crafts are prone to capsizing and swamping in rough conditions. And the water is cold enough that a soaking can cause dangerously low body temperatures.

Hypothermia is a leading cause of death for duck hunters. But the exact number is hard to track because many drowning deaths occur after a person has lost ability to move in frigid water.

The deaths of Burk, Hall and Ruckman came four days after a father and his 5-year-old son drowned while hunting near Dallas. Their 12-foot boat capsized on Lake Tawakoni amid high winds, rain and hail.

In Oklahoma, a 22-year-old duck hunter drowned Saturday while trying to save his retriever from icy water. Meanwhile, two Louisiana hunters were rescued after their boat overturned near where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf.

At least two other groups of Texas hunters were found safe or rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard or game wardens over the weekend, Texas Parks and Wildlife Capt. Jason Bussey said.

Lived life to fullest

Burris said he had held on to the hope that they would find Burk, Hall and Ruckman alive, too.

"The only thing to take away from this is that we were able to recover the bodies for families to properly grieve," he said.

The three men from near Baytown shared a passion for the outdoors and had hunted together before. The area of their last trip is a prime stretch of the Central Flyway - a migratory route for many waterfowl and one of North America's most envied birding grounds. A local outfitter said there are at least 14 species of ducks along the Texas coast.

Brock described Burk, 25, as always prepared for their hunting trips. Brock often forgot a jacket, but there always would be one waiting for him in the front seat of his friend's truck. Burk, who graduated from Sam Houston State University, aspired to be a game warden.

"He was always very present," said Brock, a real estate agent in Humble. "He wasn't someone who would do anything dangerous. He didn't need a thrill because he lived life to the fullest."

Brock said the easygoing Burk never met a stranger.

"Everyone thinks they were his best friend because that was who he was," Brock said. "It didn't matter if you knew him for a lifetime or for five minutes on the boat ramp."

Hall, 19, and Ruckman, 18, were close friends who graduated from high school last year. Hall loved to cook recipes involving duck and collected duck calls, and Ruckman had plans to join the Navy.

Their families will hold a joint funeral Thursday in Mont Belvieu, with those attending encouraged to wear camouflage. The funeral for Burk will be held Thursday in Anahuac.

The hunting tragedy has resonated beyond those who knew Burk, Hall and Ruckman. The country duo Maddie & Tae, for one, is raising money for the families by auctioning signed guitars.

"Me and my dad, we went duck hunting in that area on Christmas Eve," Maddie Marlow told KHOU. "It could have been any one of us."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Former judge David Mendoza has been tapped to lead the newly created division of professional integrity for the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

He will be advising the 700 employees in the district attorney's office - including prosecutors, investigators and other staff - on ethics and professionalism, District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Wednesday.

"There are few jobs where judgment is more important than it is as a prosecutor," Ogg said. "His experience will be a tremendous asset to our office, ensuring that our lawyers and staff always have access to expertise on issues of ethics."

Mendoza will lead the Office of Professional Integrity, a new division, to address appropriate use of prosecutorial discretion, discovery, immunity and the state's Michael Morton Act, designed to increase defense access to evidence.

He also will oversee the district attorney's training section and help revise policies and procedures.

"I'm honored to be part of a team to assist district attorney's office employees in performing their duties at the highest professional level," Mendoza said in a statement.

Ogg was sworn in Jan. 1 after handing pink slips to 40 prosecutors, mostly senior officials in the former administration. Since then, she has begun hiring defense attorneys as her top lieutenants including noted lawyer Vivian King, who as chief of staff will oversee budgets, operations and other day-to-day running of the office.

She also hired attorney David Mitcham as Interim First Assistant and trial bureau chief to oversee the majority of the 300 prosecutors in the office, supervising the trial bureaus and special prosecution divisions.

Mendoza began practicing law in 1979 as an assistant district attorney in Harris County. He went on to be a board-certified criminal defense lawyer and practiced for 17 years.

Mendoza, a Democrat, was a misdemeanor judge for eight years, then a felony court judge for another eight. He announced his retirement last year and was replaced Jan. 1.

Mendoza, a native of Houston, is married to a retired educator. He is a past president of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and director of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston.

News of Wednesday's appointment spread quickly through the courthouse.

"I think he'll definitely be an asset to the DA's office," said veteran defense attorney Sam Cammack. "He was a very fair judge and didn't play favorites. That's a good place for him."

Others agreed.

"He's a man of great integrity," said lawyer Karen Barney. "That's a good move."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A Muslim woman charged with stalking for her alleged part in a criminal plot that ended with two fatal shootings in 2012 will be allowed to worship at a mosque once a week while under house arrest as she awaits trial, a Houston judge ruled Wednesday.

Nadia Irsan, 32, was released this month on a total of $250,000 in bail.

In ironing out the bail conditions, state District Judge Jan Krocker said Irsan cannot take driving lessons, must wear a GPS ankle monitor and must essentially stay home except for court appearances and Friday services at her mosque.

"Let me make this clear," Krocker said in court. "Since this is a stalking case, I don't want her wandering around."

Krocker also voiced her frustration that the four-year-old case has yet to be resolved and set it for trial in July.

After considering whether Irsan should hire her own legal counsel, the judge decided to keep two lawyers from the Harris County Public Defenders Office, Eric Davis and Jackie Carpenter, on the case.

After Wednesday's hearing, Davis said Irsan's bail was paid by family members taking out debt and that she is "effectively indigent."

Irsan is awaiting trial along with her father, Ali Mahwood-Awad, and his wife and adult son for their alleged part in two shootings that authorities have called "honor killings."

They are all accused of gunning down her sister's husband and her sister's best friend, Iranian activist Gelareh Bagherzadeh.

Prosecutors say the family conspired to commit the shootings after the sister disavowed the family to marry a Houston man, 28-year-old Coty Beavers, who was killed in 2012.

Irsan and other members of her family have been convicted of fraud in an unrelated case in federal court.

After she was convicted in 2015, Irsan was moved to the Harris County Jail to face state charges for her alleged role in the shootings.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Third Ward thoroughfare running alongside Texas' first public park - long Houston's only green space open to blacks, thanks to its purchase by freed slaves in 1872 - lost its link with the Confederacy on Wednesday and was reborn as Emancipation Avenue, a name that matches the neighborhood's newly renovated green space.

City Council unanimously approved changing the name from Dowling Street, though the vote provoked a bit of unrest when At Large Councilman Mike Knox, seeking "a full understanding of the entire history," listed some of Dick Dowling's accomplishments that were not related to his time as a Confederate officer, such as his role in a group that later became the Houston Fire Department.

"I'm not going to sit here and allow you to glorify him," Mayor Sylvester Turner responded. "The reason we're changing the street is because Emancipation Park is on that street and it's consistent with what we've done with Memorial and Hermann."

District B Councilman Jerry Davis added, "Yes, it's part of history, but I think we need to be a bit sensitive. Because I will guarantee you this room would be full - every person on your street - if I got  your street turned to 'Nat Turner Way.' "

District I Councilman Robert Gallegos, who had delayed the vote one week, repeated his concern that council was setting an "arbitrary precedent" by acting outside of the process laid out in city ordinance - a challenging threshold Gallegos failed to reach years ago when he and other eastside civic leaders tried to change the name of Wayside Drive to honor farm labor leader Cesar Chavez.

Those detours in the discussion did not dampen enthusiasm among civic leaders from the predominantly black Third Ward after the vote.

"We know today that Dowling Street is no longer Dowling Street; it's Emancipation Avenue now, and we salute all those people involved in the process," said Deloyd Parker, director of SHAPE Community Center, sporting an 'Emancipation Now' shirt. "Ain't no power like the power of the masses, and the masses spoke today. We're really excited about it."

Former city councilman Peter Brown has pledged to cover the city's cost of replacing street signs, a process that will be completed before the June celebration at which the park's $33 million renovation will be feted.

In other action Wednesday, City Council approved putting an additional $10 million toward local drainage repairs, such as grading and cleaning roadside ditches and repairing collapsed culverts and pipes.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The first meeting with potential investors, who are interested to work in the free trade zone (FTZ) in the Alat township of Bakus Garadagh district, will be held in February 2017, a source in Azerbaijans financial market told Trend Jan. 11.

The source said that the meeting will be held outside of Azerbaijan, but didnt specify in which country.

However, the source added that the meeting will be attended by investors from various countries. The source noted that the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is the meetings organizer.

It will be the first meeting on attracting potential investors to the free trade zone. This is the result of the memorandum (MoU) signed in late 2016 between the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector and Baku International Sea Trade Port, said the source.

The memorandum was signed on Dec. 8, 2016, within the first international investment conference in Baku. One of the main purposes of the MoU is to study the potential opportunities in the Port of Baku and Alat Free Trade Zone and examine the possibility of involving private sector in their implementation.

The ICD will become the second international organization attracted for consultations within the project of creating the free trade zone. In September 2016, the Azerbaijani government and Dubai Port World (DP World), one of the worlds major port operators, signed an agreement on provision of consulting services for the creation of the free trade zone in Alat settlement.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector operates in Azerbaijan since 2003.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

AUSTIN - On the second day of the 85th Texas Legislature, state Rep. Dennis Bonnen had a final request of the Obama administration: reimburse Texas taxpayers $2.8 billion for funding border security initiatives that are the federal government's responsibility.

The Angleton Republican's largest request is for $1.4 billion to cover state funds that have gone in recent years to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Last session, lawmakers approved an $800 million plan that, in part, was meant to pay for an additional 250 DPS officers on the border.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is owed $463 million, while the state Health and Human Services Department's reimbursement totals $416 million, according to Bonnen, who said they were conservative estimates. Facing a gloomy economic outlook, the Legislature is expected to make billions of dollars in budget cuts before they leave Austin.

Wednesday's press conference to request federal reimbursement echoed statements from Republican leaders in years past, including Gov. Greg Abbott, who complained in 2014 that a $3.7 billion Obama administration border security proposal shortchanged Texas taxpayers by not including money to pay back the state.

"With the new administration coming into office, we hope the tide will turn," he said. "I would like nothing more than to put dollars currently devoted to border security and criminal alien incarceration toward our state's top priorities of public safety and education."

State Rep. Tan Parker, a Flower Mound Republican who leads the House GOP caucus, added that "a culture of lawlessness on the border" has strained relations between Texas and Mexico.

"Texas has helped tremendously with surge operations to keep these criminal activities to a minimum, but we have done so at a great cost to Texas taxpayers," Parker said. "If the Obama administration refuses to meet our request, then we call on President-elect Trump to act quickly to re-establish the federal government's primacy with regard to the border."

DPS has asked lawmakers this session to approve $320 million for the agency over the next two years to boost its operations on the U.S.-Mexico border. The additional money, on top of the base border-security budget of $750 million, would bring total funding to more than $1 billion.

On Wednesday, Bonnen said he had not reviewed the controversial proposal, but some lawmakers already have cast doubt on the expense as they eye almost-certain budget cuts in the wake of a smaller-than-expect revenue forecast by the state comptroller's office.

State Rep. Cesar Blanco, an El Paso Democrat who has been critical of the state border funding and has pressed the Department of Public Safety for details to back up claims that the law enforcement surge is producing results, said Bonnen's invoice to the federal government was political grandstanding. Without the Obama administration as a target in the coming years, Texas Republicans will have to hold their own party accountable, he added.

"Appropriations are originated in Congress, which for several years has been under Republican control," Blanco said. "House Republicans know they won't be able to throw the next administration under the bus."

Calling it "a distraction," Blanco also said recent border funds from state lawmakers have obscured attention to other areas which are more deserving of state money, including public schools and mental health care.

"There's been no accountably tied to border security dollars," he said. "Bonnen said Texas would continue its funding until the border is no longer porous. We don't know what that means."

The demand for federal reimbursement for border security efforts is not new.

In 2011, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security requesting a reimbursement of more than $349 million for "the federal government's failure to properly secure our international borders."

During the George W. Bush administration, former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, wrote to the U.S. Department of Defense asking for millions of dollars to support the Arizona National Guard's deployment to the Mexican border.

Neither of those efforts was successful.
Although Texas lawmakers have access to their honorary "physician for the day," we presume during this first week of the 2017 session to offer them medical advice from one of the world's most venerated pediatricians, a native Texan named T. Berry Brazelton. Born in Waco 98 years ago, "America's pediatrician" was for decades professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and remains deeply involved in public policy issues regarding children's health.

Brazelton continues to remind us that we need to invest in the health of our children, for their benefit and ours. "Science has shown that deprivation in the womb has lifelong negative effects on health," he wrote not long ago. "So does adversity during early childhood. We know now that access to quality health care - at the beginning of life and during pregnancy - can help prevent both."

Access to quality health care means access to physicians. It means access to information about how to live healthy lives, as children and adults. It means access to preventive measures that are invariably less expensive than treatment after the fact.

The key to access is health insurance. Without insurance, parents of modest means will postpone visits to the doctor, hoping against hope as they listen to the nagging cough or measure the high temperature that the young body will heal itself. If not, they'll wait until the last minute before taking their child to a costly hospital emergency room. At a time when the number of uninsured children is declining across the country, including Texas, lawmakers can still do more to meet the goal of coverage for every young Texans, as a recent report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families illustrated. The center offered a comparative assessment of children's health coverage rates in the two states with the largest population of uninsured children, California and Texas. About 28 percent of all uninsured children (984,000) live here and in the Golden State.

California embraced the Affordable Care Act, while Texas resisted the ACA, refused to establish a state-based marketplace and rejected funds for Medicaid expansion. The percentage of uninsured children in California declined by four percentage points, from 7.4 percent in 2013 to 3.3 percent in 2015, a decline that sent California from No. 36 among the states to No. 14. Texas also made progress. Thanks in large part to Obamacare and the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, the number of uninsured Texas children fell by an estimated 100,000. That's a decline from 12.6 percent in 2013 to 9.5 percent in 2015, although the state was still ranked 50th in both 2013 and 2015. The national average was 4.8 percent in 2015.

Texas is not going to establish state-based insurance exchanges - now that Obamacare is in the crosshairs. Republican lawmakers are eager to note. Texas is not going to expand Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for the poor and disabled. It too is fatally flawed, those same GOP lawmakers will tell you. Even without a miraculous GOP replacement for Obamacare, Texas lawmakers, for our kids' sake, still can push to expand coverage by negotiating a plan with the federal government to cover workers who don't have insurance coverage through their employers, just as Arkansas and other red states have done. Obviously, kids benefit when their parents are healthy.

Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities, points out that Texas can lower its rates of uninsured by improving outreach and enrollment for children, particularly in rural areas. She urges more effective partnerships between state agencies and community organizations, whether schools, faith-based organizations or philanthropic groups. Texas also could extend coverage to young Texans regardless of their immigration status.

More than 7 million children live in Texas today; that's 1 in 10 children living in the United States. One in 4 Texas children live in poverty, a condition that often has lifelong health consequences, whether its asthma, obesity, diabetes or learning disabilities. Every Texas youngster needs to be covered.

We must make investments in our future for our children's health, for this state's economic health. A wise old man from Waco will tell you that they're one and the same.
One of the most stirring images from the last inauguration day of a new president happened in 2009 not on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, but at a ball celebrating the nation's new leader. As the first African-American president stood in a spotlight dancing with the new first lady, Beyonce sang "At Last," a ballad whose title carried special meaning after an inauguration many Americans thought they wouldn't live to witness.

The words "first black president" are destined to appear in dictionaries and encyclopedias next to the name of Barack H. Obama long after he leaves office. But the history-making leader who delivered his farewell address as president earlier this week leaves behind a legacy much more dynamic than that simple phrase implies, a heritage of striking successes and deeply disappointing failures.

When he entered the Oval Office, President Obama's most important job was nothing less than saving the nation from another Great Depression. Following the path set by his predecessor George W. Bush, he poured more than $400 billion into failing banks and automakers and implemented an $836 billion economic stimulus package. At one point in the Obama presidency, a stunning 1 in 10 Americans was unemployed. Today, the unemployment rate is less than half that at 4.7 percent, the stock market is punching into record territory and an economy that was teetering on the brink of collapse a little more than eight years ago is now, by most standards, robust. And yet, many Americans feel profoundly insecure about their own financial futures, a pessimism fueled partly by partisan anger unrelated to the economy. Nonetheless, to paraphrase another former president who led the nation through an economic boom, we are way better off now than we were eight years ago.

But the verdict on this president's most noteworthy legislative landmark is decidedly mixed. After the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration boasted that 20 million previously uninsured Americans have signed up for health insurance. At the same time, premiums are rising by double-digits, consumers are getting clobbered by sky-high deductibles, and insurers are losing so much money many of them are bailing out of the Obamacare business. Some of the experts who've studied the ACA predict GOP leaders taking over in Washington will adopt reforms that basically improve Obamacare, then they'll claim they've repealed and replaced it. Let's hope so.

One of the most disappointing failures of the Obama years has been our paralyzed federal government's inability to overhaul the nation's immigration system. Despite his rhetoric defending immigrants, Obama will leave office with an immigration system incapable of dealing with an estimated 11 million people living in this country illegally. The outgoing president used a contentious assertion of his executive power to protect from deportation an estimated 730,000 children of undocumented immigrants. At the same time, his administration aggressively enforced the law to deport more than 2.4-million people, almost as many as his two predecessors combined.

Perhaps the strangest dichotomy of the Obama era emerged during his first year in office, when the Nobel committee awarded its peace prize to a rookie president who frankly hadn't done anything to deserve it. The newly minted laureate would spend his entire eight-year term as a wartime president. The former U.S. senator who opposed the war in Iraq pulled U.S. troops out of that country, then slowly began sending them back. He tried to eschew conventional warfare, but he had no compunction about deadly drone attacks.

Still, it should not easily be forgotten that under President Obama's watch and command, a U.S. special operations team hunted down and killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks. For that unmitigated military triumph, the outgoing president deserves unqualified credit.

Next week, President Obama will once again become citizen Obama, and we'll deliberate his place in history long after President-elect Trump is sworn in. His final address Tuesday gave our contemplation an uplifting direction, reminding us that democracy isn't in the White House, it's in each of us and we must protect it. Yes, we can.
It has been 26 years and counting since Mary Beth Rogers managed the last successful Democratic gubernatorial campaign in Texas for Ann Richards. It was a landmark victory, but the seeds of the coming Republican wave were clearly visible in statewide wins in 1991 for Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Today, surveying the subsequent decline of Democrats in Texas, Rogers has written about a possible path back to political relevance aptly titled "Turning Texas Blue." She makes the case that while Democrats need to expand their base Latino vote, their success ultimately lies in appealing to white suburban voters who still dominate the state's voter turnout.

It's ironic that the national Democratic Party, which is soul searching after an unexpected defeat, is now dealing with the same challenge that Texas Democrats have increasingly faced during the past 20 years - how to appeal to white voters. The reality is that no party can claim relevance if it can't better the 25 percent of the white vote that Wendy Davis received in 2014. It's also true that no party can win without trying. Look at the state representative races in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this past election. In three districts - 105, 113 and 115, all districts where Hillary Clinton won - indications were that stronger Democratic challengers to Republican incumbents could have won, if they had better early financial support. But Democrats lost all three. What's worse is that in some districts, Democrats did not field candidates. For example, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions ran unopposed in a district that Clinton also won.

A party serious about governing needs to run and fund serious candidates, even if the road to relevance means losing elections. Much as the Republican Party ran losing campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s that eventually turned to wins as conservative Democrats moved into the GOP, contested losses by Democrats might lead to wins if the Trump presidency implodes.

But is the Democratic brand irreparable? Take a look at the 2008 election cycle when Democrats came within a handful of votes in a single Dallas state rep race of creating a 75-to-75 tie in the state House. They had the benefit of an increasingly unpopular Republican president in the White House, but they also had candidates running on an issue that suburban whites cared a lot about: public education.

With the upcoming state legislative session likely to significantly cut government spending, isn't there an opening for a united party that shines a light on the consequences of education cuts when thousands of additional students enter the system every year? On a series of issues including public health, traffic congestion and infrastructure, child protective services, even immigration, isn't there room for a second party in legislative debates? That's the challenge for Democrats. They must figure out how to make their voices and their issues heard so that they can answer how things would be different if they were in power.

Several years ago at the LBJ Library, former senior adviser David Axelrod was asked whether anyone in the Obama administration felt any responsibility for the collapse of Democratic numbers in state legislatures and Congress. Visibly annoyed, he said the Democrats would come back, that demography was dynasty.

That may be eventually true in Texas. Houston and Dallas have turned reliably blue, and growing diversity in places such as Fort Bend County portends a Democratic future. A Latino electorate in numbers that reflect their status as the single largest ethnic bloc in the state will also materialize someday, but who knows when. In the meantime, Rogers writes that while Democrats have "a dozen different caucuses for every imaginable group," there's nothing "that focuses on the concerns or needs of suburban Texas communities where millions of white voters live. It is as if they don't exist."

Until Texas Democrats figure out how to make their policy priorities clear - especially to a significant number of white voters who might be their natural allies on key issues and without whom statewide victories and significant legislative gains are impossible - Texans are destined to live with a one-party system for the foreseeable future.

Stekler is the producer of numerous documentaries on American politics and the chair of the Radio-Television-Film Department in the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin.
I want to say first that I am truly thankful for the opportunity to work for the Houston R-1 School District. This is a great community with so many people, both in and out of the school district, working to help the area grow and prosper. Recently, several questions have arose regarding the Houston R-1 School District APR and end-of-year test scores. First, let me assure everyone that your children are getting a good education at the Houston R-1 School District. The school continues to be fully accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). We have some outstanding teachers and staff who work very hard to provide excellent learning environments for our students. However, as recent reports show, there are several areas that need improvement. Testing data received in October is the result of testing performed in the spring of 2016 and also shows the accumulation of performance from 2014 and 2015.

There are several parts to the DESE APR score. These include Achievement, Subgroup Achievement, College and Career Readiness, Graduation Rate and Attendance Rate. Achievement is based on scores received from end of the year tests. Grades 3-8 MAP ELA (English and Language Arts) and Math, Grades 5 and 8 MAP Science, and EOC (end of course) tests in Algebra I, ELA II (10th grade), American Government and Biology are the main tests scored for all public schools in Missouri.

Subgroup Achievement is also based on these scores, however schools receive a separate score based on certain subgroups which for Houston are special education and free and reduced lunch students. In addition, achievement is based on how a school did this year, along with how the school progressed from the previous years, and how each student progressed from one year to the next. Test scores from a one-time, end-of-year test are not a perfect way of assessing student learning, however, it is one part of the APR score.

Sometimes, people offer up excuses for poor testing results. Often, I have heard people say the state tests and standards have changed each year and that accounts for poor student performance. Others have said it is getting more difficult each year to motivate students or to get the necessary assistance from home. These factors certainly affect test scores, however, these are also factors that all school districts in Missouri face. Our students are just as capable as any of the districts around us. We have to look beyond these obstacles because it is our responsibility to educate our students and make sure that they are able to succeed in the world.

When looking at school improvement, there are a couple of items to be careful of. First, there is no magic program or curriculum that needs to be purchased. Second, if a district implements too many changes, it is more difficult to determine what is successful and what is not. With that said, a district must be careful to choose research based programs and changes that have been identified to help areas needing improvement.

Another necessary move should be limiting or eliminating programs or practices that hinder or keep students from progressing.

Finally, improvement is not something that happens overnight. We are looking for gradual, sustained improvement in all areas. Do we want to see improvement the first year? Absolutely. However, we want improvement every year for the next 5-10 years as well.

What are we doing this year? The district has purchased i-Ready which is a new assessment and instructional tool. This was not an effort to obtain the latest fad, but an effort to move toward a stronger, more accurate assessment tool that brought with it instruction based on the individual students needs and goals. i-Ready pinpoints each students needs down to a sub-skill level and then provides continuous progress monitoring to help students meet end-of-year targets.

In addition, the Houston R-1 School District has implemented STEM curriculum through Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which was implemented through a special state grant given to schools in the 10 county SOAR region. Houston has been selected as one of the showcase schools to initiate and then demonstrate STEM curriculum working in our school. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, allows students to become hands-on problem solvers and teaches collaboration with fellow students. Elementary teachers in grades 1-5 have just completed training and are currently prepping their classrooms. We had 13 staff members voluntarily sign up and complete the training. The teachers came back so excited and eager to begin implementing these modules into their classrooms. Our goal is to bring this to the entire elementary in 2017-2018 along with a middle school component. Eventually, this will lead to such courses as Computer Science, Engineering and Biomedical Science in grades 9-12.

As a whole, the district will be focusing on making sure teachers are teaching the new Missouri Learning Standards and utilizing instructional time. The administrative team has been working on a plan which identifies areas of concern in each building and then looking at ways to make improvements in those areas. This is important to us all.
A look at the status of several criminal cases in which Texas County residents were charged with major offenses in recent years. They are listed in alphabetical order.

DANIEL G. CAMPBELL

CAMPBELL

Case: Charged with first-degree murder and several other felonies in the November 2016 shooting in which one man was killed and another critically wounded, and more charges after escaping from the Texas County Jail.

Status: On Nov. 28, Campbell, 39, of Success, entered a plea of not guilty on all counts and a trial date setting hearing was set for Jan. 17. On Dec. 6, the defense filed for a change of venue.

Location: Campbell is serving a 5-year sentence for first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle at Missouri Department of Corrections Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center.

DANIEL W. CHAPMAN

CHAPMAN

Case: Charged with second-degree murder in the August 2011 shooting of his wife, Sandra, at a gas station in Cabool. Chapman was later apprehended in Colorado.

Status: After pleading guilty, Chapman, 60, was sentenced on Oct. 2, 2012 to life in prison plus three years, to run consecutively.

Location: Incarcerated at Missouri Department of Corrections Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.

NOLAN C. DECKER

DECKER

Case: Charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the March 2016 stabbing death of another man during a street fight at Licking.

Status: Case was transferred to Maries County after defense filed for change of venue in June 2016. During a hearing Jan 4, 2017, a jury trial was set for May 9 in front of Judge William Hickle.

Location: After having his probation revoked on several previous charges, Decker, 44, of Licking, is held in the Jefferson City Correctional Center.

ROBERT LANE

LANE

Case: Charged with hindering prosecution after being accused of assisting murder suspect Daniel Campbell in October 2016. Also charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

Status: Lane, 37, of Licking, was eventually convicted on the drug charges and received a 5-year suspended sentence and three years of probation for the felony charge and a 5-day jail sentence for the misdemeanor (receiving credit for time served). He is a witness in the Daniel Campbell case.

Location: Not incarcerated.

SEAN RIEF

RIEF

Case: Charged with involuntary manslaughter (vehicular, intoxicated), second-degree assault (operating vehicle while intoxicated resulting in injury) and driving while intoxicated resulting from a multiple-vehicle crash on U.S. 63 near Simmons that killed a Licking woman in a car and caused a Cabool man on a motorcycle to lose a leg.

Status: After pleading guilty, Rief, 28, of Bucyrus, will be sentenced in a hearing Jan. 17 in Texas County before Judge John Beger.

Location: Incarcerated in the Texas County Jail.

COREY Z. SMITH

SMITH

Case: Charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action after allegedly attacking and seriously injuring another man with a hatchet in a May 2016 incident at Licking.

Status: On Nov. 14, 2016, Judge William Hickle ordered Smith, 19, of Houston, to be committed into the Missouri Department of Mental Health system.

Location: State DMH system.

STEVEN M. SPROUS

SPROUS

Case: Charged with first-degree murder, four counts of armed criminal action, four counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one other felony after being accused of shooting his wife, Courtney, while she was passed out in the bathroom of their Bucyrus home, and also firing several rounds into multiple adjacent residences in a January 2016 incident.

Status: A trial-setting hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17 in Texas County in front of Judge John Beger.

Location: Sprous, 31, is held in the Texas County Jail.

CODY STRUBE

STRUBE

Case: Charged with first-degree assault (serious physical injury) and armed criminal action after being accused of stabbing another man in a June 29 incident at a Main Street residence in Cabool.

Status: Circuit Judge William Hickle on Nov. 14 filed an order for mental examination. Case review hearing is set for March 7 in Texas County.

Location: Strube, 20, of Cabool, is held in the Texas County Jail.

ROGER L. WAKE

WAKE

Case: Originally charged with felony terroristic threat after a November 2015 bomb threat at the Texas County Justice Center, Wake was eventually charged with misdemeanor making a false report.

Status: After numerous filings and motions, Wake, 32, of Cabool, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge on Oct. 25 and was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

Location: Not incarcerated.

WILLIAM R. WOOD

WOOD

Case: Charged with voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action after the August 2012 shooting of a 59-year-old man at Woods Carter Lane residence in Tyrone.

Status: After a change of venue to Pulaski County, Wood, 40, of Elk Creek, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Dec. 4, 2013 to 13 years for the manslaughter charge and three years for the armed criminal action charge.

Location: Serving sentence at Missouri Department of Corrections Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston.

Missouri criminal cases can be followed on the states casenet website  www.courts.mo.gov/casenet. Cases can be tracked by filing date or litigants name. Cases being tried in Texas County are listed under 25th Judicial Circuit.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 12

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway is today considered to be the shortest way to deliver cargo from China to the markets of the Persian Gulf countries, the Chinese newspaper Jenmin Jibao reported citing Chinar Rustamova, Turkmenistans ambassador to China.

The Turkmen diplomat made the remarks at a symposium dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Turkmenistan.

The total length of the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway route is around 10,000 kilometers and the journey time is around two weeks.

In recent years, Turkmenistan and China have been intensively exchanging views on the bilateral and regional cooperation in creation of a transportation corridor along the route of the Great Silk Road, which is an important integration project positively affecting the economic and social progress in the region, said Rustamova.

The Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railway, which is the central element of the North-South transportation corridor, was commissioned in December 2014.
Firefighters from the Licking, City of Houston and Raymondville fire departments responded at about 3 p.m. Wednesday to a fire at a two-story house at 206 Glendale in Licking.

Houston Chief Joey Moore said his departments ladder truck and five personnel went to the scene, along with a pumper and five men from Raymondville and an undetermined number of responders from Licking.

Moore said the blaze apparently started around the flue of a wood-burning stove. He said firefighters had to fight strong winds and where the fire started there was a double roof from an addition.

That made it hard to get to the fire, Moore said.

Damage to the home was significant, but it was not fully destroyed. The house is on a corner lot in a neighborhood, but not close to other homes, so no other structures were threatened.

Moore said personnel remained on location for about 3  hours.

The American Red Cross was also called to the scene.
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!

OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK

The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

A new railway station will be commissioned in Kazakhstans city of in Astana in May 2017, Kazakh prime-ministers website reported.

Construction work at the new railway station and railway junction in Astana have been completed by 80 percent as of today, Kazakhstan Temir Zholys (Kazakh railways) Kanat Alpysbayev said at the meeting chaired by Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin.

The capacity of the railway station is envisaged at 35,000 passengers per day.

The launch of the railway station is timed to the opening of the Expo 2017 Astana exhibition in the country.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
A Toronto driver accidentally stranded himself and his passenger Tuesday after driving onto frozen Lake Ontario.

Toronto Police responded to the scene at Cherry Beach on Tuesday morning where the jeep was stuck on the ice.

Advertisement

"The driver was trying to impress a passenger. I think it was someone trying to be adventurous," Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook took CBC News.

Jeep driver wandered off-road. Didn't realize under snow was lake. Will face tow-bill. #ItsaJeepThing #54710 ^vk https://t.co/vEdZNtzSzK  Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) January 10, 2017

The jeep was sinking in about half-a-metre of water, so police had to use their marine towing equipment to pull the vehicle out, blogTO reported.

Police told CP24 that the driver would foot the bill for their rescue.

Watch the rescue above.

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also on HuffPost

LOOK: Winter Driving Tips You Need To Know See Gallery
A Conservative leadership contender from Saskatchewan has scored the endorsement of four Quebec MPs days ahead of a major French language debate.

Andrew Scheer said Thursday that he has won the support of MPs Alain Rayes, Pierre Paul-Hus, Luc Berthold, and Sylvie Boucher. The endorsements are potentially significant because there are just 12 Tory MPs from Quebec, and two  Maxime Bernier and Steven Blaney  are also running for leader.

Advertisement

Quebecer Denis Lebel, the deputy Opposition leader, has pledged to stay neutral in the race.

In a statement, the four MPs called Scheer a hard-worker who can earn the respect of all Canadians.

The support is a signal his campaign is resonating across Canada, Scheer said in a release.

Quebec is the only province where we made gains in the last election, and we must continue this momentum, Scheer said.

Ex-House speaker leading with caucus support

With the endorsements, Scheer, a former House Speaker, now boasts 23 MPs backing his campaign.

Ontarios Erin OToole is second in terms of caucus support with 14 endorsements. OToole also announced Thursday that former leadership rival Dr. Dan Lindsay is backing him.

Advertisement

Scheer, who is bilingual, recently tried to goad celebrity businessman and likely rival Kevin OLeary to enter the race in time for the debate in Quebec City on Jan. 17, saying it was time to fish or cut bait. OLeary does not speak French but signaled in a Facebook video Thursday that he is inching closer to making his bid official.

Longtime Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, also considered a top-tier candidate for the leadership, has said OLearys inability to speak French is disqualifying.

Bernier is being backed by just one other Quebec MP so far, Jacques Gourde.

Bernier came out against Canada's system of supply management for the dairy and poultry industry last May, something he deemed a government cartel. The system sets quotas for domestic producers and imposes tariff controls on foreign competition.

Its an issue that's close to many farmers who feel the system protects their way of life, particularly in Quebec, as Bernier acknowledged.

Advertisement

My own riding is among those with the largest number of farms under supply management in Canada, he said at the time. But political leadership is about tackling difficult issues, not avoiding them.

What about Deltell?

The moves leave four other Quebec MPs who have not yet backed a candidate in the race: Gerard Deltell, Bernard Genereux, Alupa Clarke, and Joel Godin.

Deltell, the Tory finance critic and an emerging star in the party, is arguably the most coveted endorsement of the bunch. Deltell has said it is an absolute necessity the next Tory leader speak French well to compete with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

On Tuesday, the MP tweeted a photo of himself and Scheer at dinner. Deltell noted that Scheer was in Quebec City for a French immersion course.

Sympathique souper avec mon collegue @andrewscheer qui est a Quebec cette semaine pour cours d'immersion en francais pic.twitter.com/VDvkHMeDOZ  Gerard Deltell (@gerarddeltell) January 11, 2017

Advertisement

Also on HuffPost
Louisiana mom LaQueena Hunter Grover has a good reason for not wanting any more children: she just gave birth to a whopping 14-pound baby!

The new mom was shocked when she welcomed her son, Loyalty Adonis, on Dec. 6, weighing 14.1 pounds and measuring 22 inches long.

Advertisement

Right when the doctor was taking him out, my husbands mouth literally just dropped. He was like, Thats a big baby, Grover told WDSU.

I remember the nurse came running back and when she told me that, I swear, had I not been on the gurney already, I wouldve passed out right there when she said that.

According to the mom, her first two kids weighed a little over seven pounds  which is roughly the weight of an average newborn  and her third weighed 11.9 pounds, so she was not expecting her fourth to be so big.

Advertisement

Describing Loyaltys size, she said: He wears a Size 3 Pamper. Hes supposed to be in a Size 1 as a newborn. He wears three-to-six-month-old clothes and he wears some six-to-nine-month clothes. I put on him some shorts that were for 18-month-olds.

But despite his big size, the baby boy is perfectly healthy. After spending 27 days in the NICU, the infant was sent home with his family.

He acts like the Incredible Hulk when he does not get what he wants, Grover said of her sons personality. He does not like to be wet. He likes to be changed immediately. And he wants to eat as soon as he gets hungry.

Now that her little one is here, the mom-of-four says she doesnt plan on having any more kids.

While Loyalty is certainly the biggest baby born in 2017 thus far, he hasnt broken last years record of 15 pounds.

Advertisement

That baby girl was born to a 19-year-old mom in Karnataka, India, via C-section. The infant's birth weight was the same as an average six-month-old, the Daily Mail reports.

Also on HuffPost
Canadas immigration office will significantly reduce its intake of certain private sponsorship applications for Syrian and Iraqi refugees to 1,000 for 2017.

The move, affecting groups of five and community sponsor applications, was quietly announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in a news release during the holidays. Officials cite a backlog of active applications and pressure to cut down processing times.

Advertisement

The backlog grew because, prior to 2012, there were no limits on the number of new applications that could be submitted, department spokeswoman Remi Lariviere told The Huffington Post Canada in an email.

As a result, we received more applications annually than we could process given the number of spaces in the immigration plan.

Its a change that affects smaller sponsor groups. Larger groups called sponsorship agreement holders, will be able to apply to support up to 7,500 refugees in the new year.

Advertisement

Lariviere explained there are more than 45,000 refugees from all parts of the world who are currently waiting for their applications to be processed by Canadian officials.

Some have been waiting for years, she said.

Nearly 40,000 Syrian refugees have been settled in Canada as of Jan. 2, according to government data.

IRCC said the 2017 targets are noticeably lower because there were additional resources and special measures put in place last year to fulfill a promise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged during the 2015 election campaign.

This effort was an exceptional and time-limited situation which required extraordinary measures in order to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in roughly 100 days, Lariviere said.

Our goal is to eliminate the backlog by 2019 and reduce wait times for new applications to about 12 months.

Advertisement

And beyond the private sponsorship application cap, the department will also undergo a change of leadership.

Trudeau announced this week that Ahmed Hussen, a former Somali refugee, will replace longtime Liberal MP John McCallum as immigration minister.

Frustration from some private sponsors

Jeremy Gans is a Toronto-based documentary filmmaker and writer is part of a private sponsorship group supporting a newly arrived Syrian family of six.

He told HuffPost his group had raised enough money to take in a family at the beginning of 2016, but their application got snagged in processing delays. From application submission to familys arrival in Canada, the process stretched over 14 months.

Advertisement

In the grand scheme of things, is it a big deal? No ... we consider ourselves quite lucky.

The delay with their application stemmed from the group being matched with a family who wasnt travel-ready. After being caught in bureaucratic limbo, the sponsor group was eventually reassigned another family.

Gan is empathetic with the governments decision to cap its intake of private sponsorship applications this year.

I kind of get it. Its really hard to bring in 25,000 refugees, he said. In the grand scheme of things, is it a big deal? No. Our family arrived on Dec. 27 and theyre  we consider ourselves quite lucky. Theyre lovely.

Backlog until 2019

In Quebec, applications to resettle Syrian refugees there are handled through the provincial system. But officials arent capping applications for 2017, theyre halting them altogether.

Earlier this week, Quebec's Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil announced a temporary suspension of private sponsorship applications to support Syrian refugee resettlement. She cited a backlog due to a large inventory and long processing times.

Advertisement

We will continue to respect our humanitarian commitment by welcoming refugees from all origins, in accordance with the Quebec immigration plan for 2017 and our ability to welcome refugees, she said in a statement.

The province says the current backlog means an application received this year would not be processed until 2019.

There are more than 10,000 applications in Quebecs system in various stages of processing.

Quebecs temporary suspension will take effect on Jan. 27. All requests received before this day will be processed, Weil said.

Also on HuffPost

Trudeau Greets Syrian Refugees See Gallery
"If my life weren't funny then it would just be true and that is unacceptable" -rr Fr Finding the funny might take a while but I learned from the best and her voice will forever be in my head and in my heart

A photo posted by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on Jan 11, 2017 at 7:58pm PST
While the communities of Derby Line, Vt. and Stanstead, Que. lie on either side of the Canada-U.S. border, residents of both basically ignored it for many years.

People crossed it to visit friends, neighbours and schools without incident, and many Canadians have dual citizenship.

Advertisement

But since Sept. 11, 2001, officials on both sides have tightened security.

North-south streets are now blocked by metal gates, and locals have to have their passports in hand to cross into the U.S.

But theres one public place where people can enter the other country without any trouble: the Haskell Free Library and Opera House.

The Queen Anne Revival-style building was built in the early 1900s and donated to the two communities in memory of an American sawmill owner and his Canadian wife, according to Canadas Historic Places.

Advertisement

A black line indicating the border runs through the librarys reading room and the opera house seats. The building also has two addresses.

Even though the entrance is on the American side, Canadian visitors don't have to go through customs, library director Nancy Rumery told CTV News.

"As long as their vehicle remains on the Canadian side of the street, they may walk around and enter the library," she told the outlet.

"As long as they go back the same way there's no problem."

But people have still exploited it for its unique location.

A Florida woman allegedly tried to smuggle guns into Canada via the library back in 2012, according to the Newport Daily Express.

Advertisement

Drug mules have also used a fire escape door that opens from the opera house into Canada to exchange items, Derek Lundy wrote in an article for Canadian Geographic. So that door is now locked.

But the building is still a special spot for the two communities, which are struggling economically, to share the arts, theatre director Lynn Leimer told CTV News.

"Our audiences are both Canadian and U.S., and it becomes a meeting of the minds it's just a really special place that resonates on both sides of the border."

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also on HuffPost

Hawaii Envisions Beachside Presidential Library See Gallery
When it comes to style, Kate Middleton is just like us.

Well, kind of. She did spend a lot on her wardrobe in 2016. And by a lot we mean her India tour wardrobe was valued at $50,000, whereas her Canadian tour wardrobe was worth around $100,000.

Advertisement

Catherine Duchess of Cambridge attends a Goverment of British Columbia reception at Government House on September 26, 2016 in Victoria, Canada. (Photo by Pool/Sam Hussein/WireImage)

Wowza.

But, hey? When you're the Duchess of Cambridge and have to travel the world fulfilling royal duties, you need to look good, right? Right!

But on the regular, Catherine has proved time and time again that you can look totally chic at an affordable price.

Take these Gap skinny ankle trousers for example:

Advertisement

The mother of Prince George and Princess Charlotte wore them as she visited the Eden Project in Cornwall, England with Prince William back in September. And hold you're breath, everyone  the trendy pants retail for a mere $23.

From Gap to Zara to Topshop, Kate is finding fashionable bargains that we too can get our hands on.

Follow Huffington Post Canada Style on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Also on HuffPost
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Russian Helicopters Holding will supply four Mi-35M attack helicopters to Kazakh Defense Ministry in 2018, the holding reported.

The supply contract was signed within the implementation of the Treaty on military-technical cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan and envisages payments in Russian rubles.

The multirole Mi-35M helicopter is a comprehensive modernization of the Mi-24V and has been produced since 2005.

The Mi-35M boasts enhanced flight capabilities, and can be operated at high temperatures and in mountainous terrain. The Mi-35Ms design ensures low noise levels, greater combat resilience, and reduces the workload on maintenance staff.

In addition to its attack capabilities, the Mi-35M can also be used for transportation of up to 8 paratroopers with equipment, transportation of military and other cargo weighing up to 1,500 kilogram internally and for carrying the sick and injured accompanied by medical personnel. The Mi-35M is also fitted with an external sling system, expanding its cargo carrying capacity to 2,400 kilograms.

Kazakhstans fleet counts on about 200 Russian-made helicopters.

Russian Helicopters, (part of State Corporation Rostec), is one of the global leaders in helicopter production and the only helicopter design and production powerhouse in Russia. The company comprises five helicopter production facilities, two design bureaus, a spare parts production and repair facility, as well as an aftersale service branch responsible for maintenance and repair in Russia and all over the world.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Every jar of Nutella starts with 56 roasted hazelnuts  and apparently cancer-causing palm oil.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, a recent study found palm oil was linked to an aggressive spread of cancer in mice. The oil is essential to Nutella's smooth texture and shelf life.

Advertisement

Food companies in Italy have already begun boycotting the oil. Several supermarkets, including the country's largest grocery store chain Coop, are also removing palm oil products, according to The Independent.

Ferrero, the company that owns Nutella and is one of Italy's best-known food brands, isn't planning any recipe changes.

Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward, Ferrero top exec Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters.

The company uses about 185,000 tonnes of palm oil a year, so switching to another oil would not be easy. Palm oil is the cheapest vegetable oil and costs about US$800 a ton, while sunflower oil, for example, costs US$845.

Advertisement

While the food safety authority raised concerns about the oil, it says the level of risk is unclear and more research is needed. It stopped short of recommending a boycott.

Nutella isn't the only delicious product that's made with the oil in question. Chocolate bars, ice cream, cookies and pizza dough also contain palm oil, according to the World Wildlife Organization.

So, Nutella may not be the healthiest product in the grocery store. But that's not really a surprise, is it?

Follow Huffington Post Canada Living on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Also on HuffPost

The Best Nutella Recipes See Gallery
No Steve Harvey, just no.

The "Steve Harvey Show" host is in hot water after racist comments he made last week about dating Asian men. The 59-year-old host ran a segment where he tried to make a joke (keyword: tried) while talking about a 2002 book titled, How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.

Explaining that the book should only have a single page asking white women, "Excuse me, do you like Asian men?," the host followed up with his own answer: "No. Thank you."

Advertisement

And to make things worse (and seriously, we didn't think it could get worse), the "Family Feud" host made up a fake book called, How to Date a Black Woman: A Practical Guide [for] Asian Men,Mashable reports.

"Same thing," he said on television, hinting both white and black women wouldn't date Asian men. "You like Asian men?... I dont even like Chinese food."

"I don't eat what I can't pronounce."

Really Steve? In 2017?

Advertisement

Television host Steve Harvey attends the Christian Dior show as part of the Paris Fashion Week.

Fortunately, the Internet was having none of it. On Twitter, some users pointed out that his comments are racist, not funny, while others pointed out his complete ignorance.

Steve Harvey mocked asian men, implying that they are unattractive/undesirable. This is complete ignorance.#Underratedasian  Christy (@cxhaitea) January 11, 2017

Ive been attracted to TONS of asian men, but ive NEVER been attracted to a Steve Harvey. So theres that. https://t.co/66vCEHKdtG  Sire L. Lamar-Becker (@SireLeoLamar) January 11, 2017

damn steve harvey must really be confused if he thinks asian guys are unattractive  KAIA PAPAYA$$  (@ailanikai) January 11, 2017

*does not even care enough about steve harvey to come for him and his giant suits but here u go: that segment was racist and ur suitsr ugly* https://t.co/cF7E4jyhzd  Tanya Chen (@Tanya_Chen) January 10, 2017

Advertisement

Steve Harvey is, and always has been, an ignorant, racist, and misogynist asshole.  J. Freedman (@Jfreedman13) January 10, 2017

However, others also pointed out this still isn't an excuse for Asians (or anyone for that matter) to be anti-black.

Okay Steve Harvey's joke about Asian men being unattractive was trash but that doesn't mean Asians can use it as an excuse to be anti-black.  big bad wolf (@CHOWKlNG) January 10, 2017

*grabs megaphone* Fellow Asians, we can call out Steve Harvey's nonsense without being anti-Black pieces of garbage, FFS.  Sal the Tater Thot (@salmattos) January 10, 2017

In the past, the Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man author received backlash for misogynist and sexist comments from his book, and as Salon points out, this so-called dating expert's ideas around relationships have a "disturbing undercurrent of 'boys will be boys' apologia."

Advertisement

"[He is] arguing that men are this way for a reason and women might as well deal with it. On the subject of cheating, Harvey believes that men cheat because they are weak, but its also a womans fault if the man strays; after all, no man would do that if he were satisfied in his relationship."

Salon also reports that his screw up during the 2015 Miss Universe pageant (yes, that screw up), was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Of course, Harvey didnt admire these women for their immense contributions to making the world a better place but instead for their assets. According to [Bustle], Steve Harveys commentary as the host was nothing but a series of comments about how great the ladies looked in their bikinis."

Harvey has yet to comment on his racist remarks about Asian men.

Also on HuffPost

Swoon-Worthy Asian Actors See Gallery
Toronto is planning to create the country's first indigenous business and cultural district.

"It's a timely initiative considering the reconciliation efforts that are underway across the country," said city Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam. She initiated the idea about six years ago because her ward has one of the citys largest indigenous populations, up to 75,000 across Toronto.

"You can go through Little Portugal, you can go to Chinatown, you can go through Little Italy. You have these wonderful culturally diverse sections of Toronto. We don't have that type of space here for Canada's first peoples," said JP Gladu, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and an Ojibwe of the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation.

"The idea is to create a space where independent business can come and flourish, added Gladu, who is working with Wong-Tam and Chief Stacey Laforme of Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation whose traditional territory the city of Toronto and beyond is built upon.

Advertisement

The district, which will likely combine street-level businesses, start-up incubators and a cultural gathering place, is widely supported but she says the holdup has been finding land.

"Indigenous people probably have the best sense of humour about this because the irony is not lost on them.

Wong-Tam recently secured a site with over 13,000 sq. ft. at the downtown corner of Jarvis and Dundas streets. But the rest is to be determined, from timeline to cost to the name itself.

Advertisement

"I essentially said 'Whatever the name is, we will learn to pronounce it.'"

Laforme said, "Having a business district that also ties in the cultural aspects of things gives the indigenous people in Toronto an opportunity to showcase who they are and what they can accomplish."

Laforme believes it will also improve relations between indigenous and non-indigenous people. "The greatest thing that draws people together is finding commonalities," he said. "Having a district where it's open and welcoming, everyone will be happy to go there and learn a lot about each other.

"Having this type of district is also an opportunity for Toronto to be a leader," he added. "If we do this, and do it right, other cities across Canada, and maybe the world, can take this model on. Why can't every major city have an indigenous district?"

Advertisement

This indigenous business district comes on the heels of Toronto introducing indigenous names on street signs, Toronto schools acknowledging indigenous lands and plans to start hoisting the Mississaugas flag at City Hall.

"There's just so much racism right now in the country and I think it's a real opportunity to address the ignorance," Galdu said of these efforts.

"It's sometimes overwhelming. It warms my heart and make me feel like I matter. It makes indigenous people feel like they matter, that we are being taken seriously for a change, that there's energy and resources being sent our way in a way that is proactive and meaningful."

Also on HuffPost:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he used the private helicopter of the Aga Khan during his holiday trip to the Bahamas  travel that could well represent a violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.

Speaking to reporters in Kingston, Ont. as part of a cross-country tour, Trudeau was again asked about his family vacation to the religious leader's private Bell Island.

Advertisement

National Post reporter David Akin noted that the prime minister travelled to Nassau on the governments Challenger plane, but the Aga Khans island is located 115 kilometres from there.

Could you explain how you travelled from Nassau to the Aga Khans island? Akin asked.

The travel back and forth from Nassau to the island happens on the Aga Khans private helicopter which he offered us the use of, Trudeau answered. Thats something I think were in the process of explaining in detail to the media.

And its something that certainly we look forward to discussing with  the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner but we dont see an issue on that.

Advertisement

Requests for ethics probe

Conservative ethics critic Blaine Calkins has asked Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson to investigate the details of Trudeaus vacation, as has Tory leadership candidate Andrew Scheer.

In a letter to Dawson Wednesday, Calkins noted that Section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states:

No minister of the Crown, minister of state or parliamentary secretary, no member of his or her family and no ministerial adviser or ministerial staff shall accept travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft for any purpose unless required in his or her capacity as a public office holder or in exceptional circumstances or with the prior approval of the Commissioner.

Given that, according to yourself the Prime Minister did not contact your office in regards to any elements of this trip, had he travelled on the helicopter, he would appear to be in violation of the Act, he wrote to Dawson.

Scheers earlier complaint was focused on whether the "free vacation" constituted a gift that might be seen to influence Trudeau. The Aga Khans foundation, which supports development projects in Africa and Asia, has received tens of millions of dollars from the federal government. It is a registered lobbyist.

Advertisement

Trudeau was also pressed on how such travel meets the standard he set with his own Open and Accountable government guidelines.

CBC News reporter Katie Simpson read aloud the following passage on sponsored travel:

Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries must not accept sponsored travel, i.e. travel whose costs are not wholly paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, or by the individual personally, or his or her political party, or an inter- parliamentary association or friendship group recognized by the House of Commons. This includes all travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft for any purpose except in exceptional circumstances, and only with the prior approval of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and public disclosure of the use of such aircraft. Any hospitality accepted must strictly adhere to the requirements of the Conflict of Interest Act.

Simpson asked how he was able to square he didnt break the rules when they so clearly say online he cant accept that kind of travel.

Trudeau again said he would answer any questions from the conflict of interest commissioner.

As Ive said many times, the Aga Khan is a personal family friend and travel to and from the island only happens through private means, he said.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of 15 million Ismaili Muslims, is a long-time friend of the prime minister. He also served as an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of Pierre Trudeau.

Advertisement

Liberal MP Seamus ORegan and party president Anna Gainey were also on the trip, accompanied by their families. ORegan told the National Post that no government business was discussed.

Conservatives released a video on Twitter Thursday saying Trudeau admitted to breaking the rules while on TV.

Justin Trudeau admits to breaking the rules while on national television. #cdnpolipic.twitter.com/utcAI9f3UR  Conservative Party (@CPC_HQ) January 12, 2017

Also on HuffPost
Paris Jackson is not okay with the shameful portrayal of her late father, Michael, in the U.K. series Urban Myths.

Advertisement

The first trailer for the show was released on Wednesday showing Joseph Fiennes bizarre depiction of the King of Pop. The series is based on an alleged road trip Michael took with Elizabeth Taylor (played by Stockard Channing) and Marlon Brando (played by Brian Cox) following the September 11 attacks in 2001.

In response to the trailer, Paris took to Twitter to voice her opinions, calling the casting so offensive that it honestly makes me want to vomit.

@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

@TheMJCast it angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother liz as well  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

Advertisement

@TheMJCast where is the respect? they worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. shameful portrayal  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

The 18-year-olds cousin Taj Jackson, who is the son of Michaels brother Tito Jackson, also shared his anger and disappointment on Twitter.

@soledadobrien Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with. No words could express the blatant disrespect. https://t.co/WKCiwOqPpN  Taj Jackson (@tajjackson3) January 11, 2017

Fiennes first received backlash last year after he was cast as Michael, with many accusing him and the show of whitewashing.

In response, the 46-year-old actor said Michael was probably closer to my colour than his original colour and that as a white, middle-class guy from London  I'm as shocked [about the casting] as you might be, BBC reports.

Advertisement

Similarly, Sky Arts, which produced the show, defended themselves in a statement to Rolling Stone: Joseph Fiennes is cast as Michael Jackson. It is part of a series of comedies about unlikely stories from arts and cultural history. Sky Arts gives producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set.

Despite this, many have voiced their outrage over the casting choice and portrayal of Michael in the series.

#UrbanMyths is such a disgrace, it's so obvious they just wanna make fun of Liz and MJ, so disrespectful  Pau Hyperion (@Blasphemind) January 12, 2017

White ppl have no chill. MJ, the greatest to ever do it deserves better then this. #Whitewashing should be criminalised. #urbanmythspic.twitter.com/Ig2FFYEycH  Mohamed H. Umar (@realmohamedumar) January 12, 2017

Advertisement

Worst trailer I've ever seen, what a disgrace and so disrespectful #MichaelJacksonMovie#urbanmyths  Jennifer Bass (@jennifer_bass) January 11, 2017

A petition to boycott the series is now circulating, with over 21,000 signatures.

This casting is an insult to the very real professional struggles and health issues Jackson dealt with during his lifetime, the petition reads, referring to Michaels skin condition called vitiligo.

It's bad enough when actors of colour are denied opportunities to play fictional characters of their own ethnicity due to the preferential treatment of white actors, it continued. But it's absolutely inexcusable for a film to whitewash a movie based on an actual human being, whether his appearance was typical of what we expect a black man to look like or not.

Needless to say, many had this reaction to both the casting and the trailer.

Me after seeing #JosephFiennes as Michael Jackson pic.twitter.com/t8FOdHClh7  Tammy Tam (@nubiansweet) January 11, 2017




Fonda has shown that she can learn in the past...

One thing stands out when reading about Jane Fonda, who visited the Fort McMurray region this week. She seems, sometimes at least, to learn from her mistakes.

Let's face it; in the world of superficial Hollywood activism populated by the likes of Leo DiCaprio and Daryl Hannah, self-awareness seems to shut down as soon as the director yells "cut." Off-camera, activist movie stars tend not to express much interest in new information. For Leo and Daryl, you get the sense they know everything there is to know. No additional knowledge is needed, and no retractions will be made.

Advertisement

Then along comes Jane Fonda, a little battle-weary, and slightly more mature.

It would be an understatement to say Fonda has led a controversial life marked by its share of political missteps. But here's the interesting thing: she's not above taking on new perspectives -- and even apologizing.

For example, she's apologized for her clumsy, youthful 1972 photo op in North Vietnam that earned her the name "Hanoi Jane." ("It was a huge, huge mistake," the 79-year-old recently said.)

No, she doesn't regret her vocal opposition to America's presence in Vietnam. But she deserves some credit for attempting to make amends for a North Vietnamese media stunt gone way wrong.

Advertisement

In the same vein, in a Lena Dunham blog post Fonda recently explained at length that she regrets taking so long to come around to the feminist agenda. "When I turned 60 and entered my third and final act," wrote Fonda, "I decided that, no matter how scary it was, I needed to heal the wounds patriarchy had dealt me. I didn't want to come to the end of my life without doing all I could to become a whole, full-voiced woman."

To the extent that I get to have an opinion on this -- after all, I'm a guy and therefore a little reticent to pass judgment in this area -- I think her adoption of feminism, even so late in life, is admirable. There's no doubt she now plays a valuable role in raising awareness about the need for equal rights for women and girls worldwide.

For her to admit her failure in supporting women's issues for so many years shows integrity.

But if she believes, as she has said, that "feminism isn't just about women, but about letting all people lead fuller lives," then Fonda's life journey toward feminism seems to me far from complete. She should acknowledge the need for society to obtain energy from countries that, at a minimum, uphold the legal and social rights of women and girls.

And Canada does that proudly.

Fact is, there's at least six countries that produce oil with higher emissions than Canada.

The World Economic Forum 2015 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 134th out of 145 countries for gender parity. All Saudi women, regardless of age, are required to have a male guardian, and Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving.

Meanwhile, Canada ranked 29th, above every other significant supplier nation. Canada also ranked second in the world for social progress in 2016, far ahead of the countries that will happily take Canada's market share if we don't produce our resources. While Fonda's visit to Fort McMurray might be her attempt to underline what she sees as our social or environmental transgressions, Albertans understand well that we lead the world on matters of energy sustainability.

Advertisement

That's because Albertans know that since 1990, Canadian oil sands producers have reduced per barrel GHG emissions by an average of 30 per cent -- and some have achieved reductions as high as half.

It's possible that during her recent visit, Fonda will have learned that the world's top oil reserve countries -- the oppressive Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iran and United Arab Emirates -- are less deserving than Canada to win future energy supply contracts. It may even be the case that Fonda will have learned that, over the past 14 years, aboriginal companies earned more than $10 billion in revenue through working relationships with the oil sands industry. Additionally, more than 25 per cent of all First Nations in Canada currently produce oil and gas now or want to in the future. A strong majority of all First Nations are open to pipeline and resource development.

My point is simply that Fonda -- more than the typical self-centred Hollywood activists like Hannah and DiCaprio -- has had some time to understand the world. I'm thinking she might even recognize that no single technology will provide the energy required to power society -- but that a combination of existing technologies may be needed while technology continues to make advances.

Advertisement

I hope that, when looking at renewables, climate justice, social responsibility and ethical trade, Fonda will see that a reasonable way forward is to pay attention to all of the above -- together.

And if it's the patriarchy she is truly most concerned with lately, as she says she is, then I hope she determines there's no patriarchy more in need of wholesale change than many other top oil producers around the world where Jane isn't making a visit.

Canada Action On Alberta Oilsands See Gallery

Cody Battershill is a Calgary realtor and founder / spokesperson for CanadaAction.ca, a volunteer organization that supports Canadian energy development and the environmental, social and economic benefits that come with it.
BrianAJackson via Getty Images Saving to buy a house, real estate or home savings, piggy bank in front of property

A Chinese-Canadian family doctor complained to me that he was affluent enough to drive fancy vehicles but he couldn't afford a decent house in Vancouver. That conversation was 5 years ago and nowadays the house prices are way more unaffordable. We have a housing crisis in Vancouver -- not only young people, but professionals are not able to afford a home for their family.

Earlier, mainland Chinese (investors, housewives, foreign students) were highlighted as culprits who caused the housing crisis. Now, immigrants are being blamed for causing the appalling housing situation.

Advertisement

Should the Chinese or immigrants be blamed for our housing crisis? Why not? Many of the expensive properties are purchased by people with Chinese surnames. It also appears that immigrants have a high percentage of owning their own house.

I've visited many ethnic immigrant families that were not wealthy when they first landed in Canada. Somehow they set home purchasing as their family priority, with all the family members contributing to the down-payment and mortgage payment. Also, they often rent out the basement to generate income.

On the surface, immigrants from other countries and in-migrants from other provinces have increased the demand for housing. According to statistics, British Columbia had a net gain of 31,418 migrants, a net gain of 14,676 immigrants and 16,742 in-migrants. From 2011 to 2015, altogether 171,955 new immigrants and in-migrants landed in the province. These are indeed no small numbers.

There is no doubt that the newcomers have heightened the demand and contributed to our housing situation, but we should also look at the big picture.

Advertisement

"Let's think about how our economy would look like if B.C. or Canada did not have the intake and growth brought by immigrants."

The most basic economic principle is, when there is a rise in demand, the invisible force of supply will kick in, and this is how economic growth is generated.

Statistics Canada data show that, from 2011 to 2015, the housing start in B.C. was 140,721 units. For a family of 2, these units could house over 280,000 people. For a family of 3, it could house over 420,000.

That is 2.5 times more than the total immigrants and in-migrants landed. Studies indicate that in the 90s, the average family size of immigrants was from 3.2 to 4, depending on the period they arrived.

Thus, immigrants and in-migrants did not contribute to the shortage of housing stock; they are contributors to the economic growth during that period.

Advertisement

The housing start in 2011 was 26,400 units and it increased to 31,446 in 2015. Clearly the increase in demand had generated more supplies to the market.

31,446 units a year. If we average them at, say, $400,000 per unit, we're talking about over $12B. Think about the spin-off effect on our economy. No wonder B.C.'s economic growth has been leading the country and the provincial government is recording huge budget surpluses.

For those who want to blame the housing crisis on immigrants, let's think about how our economy would look like if B.C. or Canada did not have the intake and growth brought by immigrants.

Nevertheless, for the sake of social justice and stability, for our future generation, we must resolve the housing crisis and that would be the focus of my next article.

Advertisement

I regard housing as a social justice issue. Why? According to the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, housing is one of the basic human rights.

For a country as wealthy, developed and advanced as Canada, yet whose well-educated and hard working citizens cannot afford to provide housing for their family even with two jobs, what kind of society is that?

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 11



By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:



Some 233,000 Peugeot vehicles were produced in Iran over the 2016, under the license of the French carmaker.



French carmaker PSA Group says its global sales in 2016 increased by 5.8 percent, to 3.146 million units including 233,000 vehicles produced in the Islamic Republic under the French carmakers license.



In the Middle East and Africa region, the PSA Group doubled its sales in 2016 with 383,500 vehicles, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.



In less than a year, the Group's return to Iran took firm shape with the signature of two joint venture agreements between Peugeot and Iran Khodro as well as Citroen with SAIPA.



The statement described Iran Khodro (IKCO) as "the brand's historic partner". IKCO is Iran's major automaker, producing about 600,000 cars a year.



Launched at the start of 2016 in partnership with the Iranian group Arian Motor, DS (a luxury vehicle brand of Groupe PSA) opened its first DS Store in Teheran and markets the DS 5, DS 5LS and DS 6.



According to the statement, PSA's global sales volume in 2015 stood at 2.972 million.



The output of Iranian carmakers over the first eight month of the current fiscal year (starting March 20) surpassed 820,000 vehicles indicating a 35.9 percent growth year-on-year.
CP handout/Facebook

The murder-suicide in Nova Scotia of Aaliyah, Shanna and Brenda Desmond by Corporal Lionel Desmond has sent waves of despair and outrage through the veterans' community.

Cpl. Desmond had been desperately seeking mental health treatment -- seeking but not receiving. Family and friends report that the corporal had received little treatment in the Forces before he was discharged, and that Veteran's Affairs and the Nova Scotia Health Authority had either denied or was dragging out access to more care.

Advertisement

Adding insult to tragedy was watching Minister Kent Hehr on TV telling veterans that help is available and to call the VAC crisis line.

And then there's people who think we should ignore that and focus on Lionel Desmond as a woman hater: Ardath Whynacht, Isabelle Coteand Elizabeth Renzetti.

All three accuse the media of bias for framing the Desmond tragedy as being about veterans' mental health. The irony is that all three are doing just that: hijacking this horrible event to promote own narratives about male violence. They are fundamentally wrong.

Advertisement

Whynacht and Cote, as sociologists, should know better than to compare the military society with civilian society. They are not at all comparable. As I have learned through my advocacy, the society in which Forces members live is very different from the one the rest of us inhabit.

Forces members learn -- and believe -- that there is always "someone" who can and will take charge and sort out problems. That same unspecified individual can and will also come down hard on Forces members for the actions of their families, including their partners and children. That is the reality of that society. Members needing help get it if they just talk to the chief, or their commander, or the padre.

Likewise, words are had with the Forces member if their child is acting out on base, for example, or their partner got sloppy drunk in the mess. Despite the scandals that we civilians hear through the news, there is a general perception within the ranks that the rules are clear, are known to all and are enforced. Even if they are punished unfairly, Forces members believe that the offence of which they are accused deserves penalty.

The single biggest challenge Forces members face... is that our society doesn't function the way the military one does.

(This explains the anger some Forces members and veterans exhibit when faced with evidence of systemic unfairness and injustice, but that's for another article.)

Advertisement

In fact, the single biggest challenge Forces members face when they are released is that our society doesn't function the way the military one does.

The differences between military society and civilian society are so fundamental that it requires serious effort to understand them. Sociologists should know that. Since there is only limited data regarding family violence in the Forces, it is impossible to compare military to civilian society in that regard, either.

The commentators' points about media coverage may be generally true, but don't apply to the Desmond case. Whynacht, Cote and Renzetti all leapt to the conclusion that this was a typical example of man-on-woman violence, and they ignored facts in order to promote their agendas. That makes them guilty of the bias, not the media.

Yes, violence occurred and a family wiped out, but that does not equate to the domestic abuse situation they imply. They are inferring a history of family violence based solely on this one event, then extrapolating motive forwards from that, based on their own preconceptions. They have demonized Lionel Desmond as a typical example of male entitlement and bemoan the media portraying Lionel as a victim.

Advertisement

They even try to hide their own bias under the guise of defending against mental health stigma -- suggesting that Lionel chose to kill -- when the lack of mental health services is central to this tragedy. Whynacht, Cote and Renzetti completely ignore statements from members of the Desmond and Borden families, as well as friends of the Desmonds. Those who knew them best describe Lionel Desmond as a kind, caring person, and the family as a happy one.

This is completely at odds with typical murder-suicides, where it is generally reported that the family has withdrawn from the outside world, have been arguing constantly, that there was escalating violence and so on. In typical cases, victims' families are quick to publicly condemn the perpetrator. Shanna's sister describes a loving husband and father who was fighting severe mental illness. This is in keeping with statements from extended family and friends.

We cannot know exactly what happened that day, what was going through Lionel's mind, but here are the known facts:

Lionel Desmond, like all recruits, was certified clear of mental illness when he enlisted.

Lionel Desmond developed severe mental illness during his time in the Forces, especially related to his war service.

Advertisement

As a result, the Forces discharged Lionel Desmond from service.

Lionel was trying desperately to get help.

Lionel was denied that help.

Lionel was afraid of what his illness may cause; frightened enough to stay out of the family home in the days prior.

The Desmond family was doing whatever it could to cope, relying on family and friends because Canada kicked this mentally injured soldier to the streets.

The Desmond family is now dead.

That is not speculation about male violence, nor stigmatizing all people with PTSD. Those are the bare facts of this case.

Could this have been prevented?

Lionel Desmond, prior to his release, was posted to the Joint Personnel Support Unit -- the special unit which is supposed to help injured members and families get the help they need before discharge. The JPSU failed to do their job. The Forces failed in its responsibility to this soldier and his family. Veterans' Affairs failed this family.

Could this have been prevented? We'll never know, because we didn't try.

Canada failed the Desmond family.

The deceased -- Aaliyah, Shanna, Brenda and Lionel himself -- are delayed casualties of war.

That is not assumption or speculation. That is also a fact.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:

Advertisement
Valeriya via Getty Images life insurance policy. Blue toned

Canada's health-care system is facing some very real challenges, and has been for some time, from underfunding and those who would like to see more privatization.

With the defeat of the Harper Government just over a year ago, there was hope among supporters of Medicare that a new Liberal government in Ottawa would mean a restoration of adequate funding for health care.

Advertisement

A central part of that would be the return of a comprehensive Health Accord to establish funding commitments and targets, and reversing the previous government's unilateral cuts to federal transfer funding.

As we start 2017, however, that early optimism is increasingly difficult to maintain.

Just as 2016 was drawing to a close, the provinces and territories met with the federal government to hammer out a new formula for stable and predictable health care funding. Both sides came to the meetings with key demands.

That early optimism is increasingly difficult to maintain.

Ottawa wanted to see spending on home care and mental health services, while maintaining the proposed Harper cuts in the form of reduced increases in federal transfers. The provinces and territories wanted larger annual increases in the transfers from the federal government. When a deal could not be reached, the talks collapsed on December 19.

Hopes that the provinces would hold strong and force Ottawa's hand to improve its offer began to crumble three days later, when New Brunswick broke ranks and signed a unilateral deal modeled on the federal government's last offer. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador soon followed suit. Each province also won a "me-too clause" stipulating that if the other 10 provinces and territories got a better deal, their province would too.

Advertisement

With solidarity between the provinces seemingly breaking down, however, getting a better deal will be increasingly difficult. This should worry all Canadians, and the lack of provincial solidarity poses a major challenge for all supporters of a strong health care system in this country.

As one of those supporters of public health care, it is up to me and others who believe in a strong Medicare system to raise our voices and support the provinces that have not cut individual side deals to fight for something better.

There is a reason that Medicare is seen as a basic human right in Canada. It represents our mutual commitment to support one-another through good times and bad, and our belief in equality and equity of opportunity. We cannot be truly equal as a society if some of us have less access to a public service such as health care.

It is vital, then, that supporters of a strong, public and well-funded health-care system speak out in 2017 to bolster the solidarity of the provinces as negotiations continue with the federal government.

Advertisement

This effort will be especially important in the next few months as we enter budget season in Ottawa.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau will no doubt cry poor as those discussions begin, citing an end-of-the-year report that the federal government is unlikely to see budget surpluses again until the 2050s -- much later than was thought a year or two ago.

There can be no doubt that Ottawa needs to be careful with how it spends taxpayers' money. This, however, is an issue of priorities and how the government intends to support health in this country.

We cannot be truly equal as a society if some of us have less access to a public service such as health care.

Supporters of a public health-care system need to make sure that the federal government knows that we stand with the provinces in wanting a new Health Accord. It is up to each of us to advocate for stronger health-care system, one that includes support and services for mental health and that provides high-quality care for every Canadian, regardless of their income level or where they live.

Advertisement

We, the residents and voters, must let Morneau know that by tempting the most cash-strapped provinces into signing side deals, he has not done anything to damage the solidarity of the wider community of health-care advocates.

There is nothing wrong with the federal government's call for more home care and mental health services. Both are important, but cannot come at the price of restoring the damage done to health care overall thanks to the chronic underfunding of the previous government.

Progress on other health care priorities, such as a national universal pharmacare program, will be limited until the question of a Health Accord and secure finding for all provincial health care systems is settled.

We cannot let the breakdown in discussions last month further delay much-needed improvements to health care in this country. This is why we must act now.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:

Advertisement
MarcBruxelle via Getty Images Gay rainbow flags waving over blue sky background

Duncan Kinney of Progress Alberta argues that "Alberta Should Be Proud of Gay-Straight Alliances in its Schools" (Huffington Post, 6 January 2017). He states that progressives need to celebrate the "victory" of a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) being set up at Strathcona Christian Academy, a school east of Edmonton.

However, the Sexual and Gender Acceptance (SAGA) student club at this school will be led and guided by Evangelical Christian leaders. The school will ensure, as stated in its November 22 letter to parents, that the club does not promote beliefs which challenge church teaching that sex is reserved for the marriage of a man and a woman.

Advertisement

This means that the SAGA club believes that sexual expression outside of a male-female marriage (of which gay sex is only one example) is sinful.

The difference between SAGA and GSA is not mere nit-picking over words.

A GSA, as defined by GSA websites, seeks to fight "homophobia."

The clinical and scientific definition of a "phobia" is "extreme or irrational fear." But GSAs see "homophobia" as including Christian, Islamic, Orthodox Jewish and other religious teachings about marriage and sexuality. For example, the Fight Against Homophobia Award was given to the Members of Parliament who voted in favour of same-sex marriage in 2006.

One does not need to be a philosopher or logician to understand that one is "homophobic" for believing that marriage is between a man and a woman. The Fight Against Homophobia Award is one of thousands of examples where the word "homophobic" is used to describe any opinion (or person) in disagreement with the idea that homosexuality is normal, natural, healthy and worthy of full moral and cultural acceptance.

Alberta's former Progressive Conservative government passed Bill 10 (now section 16.1 of the School Act) because Alberta's Catholic, Muslim, Jewish and Protestant/Evangelical schools were never going to allow student clubs that promote beliefs that are hostile to the school's purpose, beliefs, culture and character. The whole point of Bill 10 is to force religious schools to establish and host anti-religious clubs known as GSAs. r. Kinney explains this concept of coercion accurately: "Strathcona Christian Academy is only allowing a GSA at their school because they have to by law." [Emphasis added] Still, Strathcona Christian Academy is not hosting the kind of "GSA" envisioned by those who passed Bill 10 into law, namely a GSA that fights "homophobic" religious beliefs about marriage and sexuality.

Advertisement

The ideological coercion favoured by Mr. Kinney is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Article 26(3) states that "parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children." The Universal Declaration was signed in the wake of World War II, after Canada and other democracies had defeated Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. These countries - like all dictatorships past and present - used the education system to indoctrinate children, and to separate children from their parents.

In the Universal Declaration, parental rights in education are as important as other rights which the Axis powers had viciously suppressed: free speech, religious freedom, freedom of association, the right to a fair trial, voting rights, and the rule of law.

In 1976, Canada ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Article 18.4 commits Canada to respect the liberty of parents "to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions." In harmony with parental rights in education, the Declaration and the Covenant also state that "the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State."

Bill 10 attacks the right of parents, principals and teachers to determine what clubs and activities are permitted at their children's school. This law's supporters have yet to answer basic questions about its merits. Why should children, who can't legally drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, join the military or vote in elections, decide what kinds of clubs and activities are allowed at school?

Advertisement

Why is it good to strip local schools (principals, teachers and parents) of their former right to create and enforce their own anti-bullying policies?

Why should a top-down solution be imposed on the whole province from Edmonton? Why should Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Catholic and Evangelical/Protestant schools be forced by law to host clubs and activities which preach and promote an ideology that is openly hostile to these schools' beliefs and traditions? How can it be good for the law to impose one belief system about sexuality and marriage on every school in Alberta?

These questions are ignored by Mr. Kinney and other supporters of Bill 10. In Alberta, debate about Bill 10 is squelched by calling its opponents "homophobes," "bigots," and "hateful."

The "victory" which Mr. Kinney seeks to celebrate comes at the price of stripping parents of their prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children, and the right of parents to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions - not Mr. Kinney's convictions.

In the long run, progressives like Mr. Kinney are better off with a truly free education system, which fully respects the right of progressive parents to educate their children in progressive beliefs and values. Such schools already exist, as we are reminded by the recent case of a private school teacher who was fired because his pro-life views made students at this progressive school feel "triggered".

Advertisement

When one weakens the fundamental freedoms of parents and other citizens through measures like Bill 10, progressives (as well as religious conservatives) all suffer a loss of freedom in the long run, by giving more power to government. The power to violate parental rights can be used by anyone and everyone. The resulting loss of freedom cuts in all directions, to the ultimate detriment of everyone.

Calgary lawyer John Carpay is president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (www.jccf.ca)
It's time to take a stand.

After listening to worried Canadians in every province and territory, I have to speak out against two of my opponents who are using the phenomenon of negative and irresponsible populism imported from the United States to successfully garner media attention.

If the Conservative Part of Canada is going to achieve victory in 2019, we will need a strong, unified and inclusive party. I'm running for leader because that is my vision for our party and our country.

Advertisement

Stephen Harper showed us a path to win three elections and make life better for Canadians. How did we earn the trust of Canadians for nearly a decade? We were in touch with the values and concerns of Canadian families.

And always thoughtful about how Canadians would hear our words.

We knew the only path to victory was a united and inclusive party focused on our shared values of hard work, optimism and self-reliance -- the keys to a better future.

These are the values that inspired me to seek public office in 2008 to be part of a pragmatic, unified Conservative team that was ready to lead and win.

Advertisement

Today, we have two leadership candidates who threaten that path.

Kevin O'Leary and Kellie Leitch are embracing elements of Donald Trump's campaign while ignoring others.

O'Leary is the TV entertainer with no filter. The man who told our soldiers and veterans there is "nothing proud about being a warrior." The man who said if he were "prime minister for 15 minutes" he would "make unions illegal" -- and in his words, "anybody who remains a union member will be thrown in jail."

Canadians will not elect someone who says nonsense like this.

Meanwhile, Kellie Leitch is embracing the other half of Donald Trump -- the half that wins votes by pinning all our problems on immigrants.

Leitch called Trump's message "exciting" and she wants to bring it to Canada. She wants to test immigrants for her undefined "Canadian values."

She wants to destroy one of the pillars of my party's success -- a decade of work becoming the party of immigrants, the party of Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney.

Advertisement

Kevin O'Leary and Kellie Leitch are both taking lessons from the worst of what we saw in the U.S. election and embracing a style of negative, irresponsible populism.

Unfortunately for them, we are not Americans and neither of them are president-elect Donald Trump.

This brand of negative and divisive politics would drive our party right into the ground.

Their bluster would allow Justin Trudeau to govern for a generation. Instead of talking about broken Liberal promises and foolish Liberal failures, we would be wasting time and energy on baiting and sensational antics with O'Leary or Leitch.

I refuse to let that happen.

Canadians deserve a candidate who is willing to stand up to them and their cheap talk. I will. I am reaching out to Canadians across the country who want neither of these candidates in our politics.

I will oppose any attempt to take our party down a self-defeating or divisive path because that will only guarantee four more years of Justin Trudeau.

Too many Canadians are hurting and they won't be helped by sensationalized theatrics.

We can unite, lead and win by being the party that embraces lower taxes and smaller government while protecting the services that matter most.

A party that respects diversity but understands the difference between right and wrong -- and is always prepared to stand up for what is right. A party that will put jobs first -- not just in one region, and not just in our cities but for farmers, fisherman, miners, mill and factory workers as well.

And a party that avoids cheap demagoguery -- and ensures everyone is judged not by who they are, but what they do.

If principled, pragmatic Conservatives don't join together, we will see our party hijacked by the loudest narcissistic voices who aim to boost their profile at any cost.

I will oppose any attempt to take our party down a self-defeating or divisive path because that will only guarantee four more years of Justin Trudeau.

Advertisement

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
by Lauren Ravon, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Oxfam Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided to forego his trip to Davos this year and opted instead for a tour across Canada to meet with ordinary citizens. If you're a feminist -- here's why you should care.

Every January politicians, businesspeople, celebrities and investors descend on Davos, Switzerland for a highly exclusive meeting -- the World Economic Forum. This year, as a backdrop to the forum, people around the world are saying they're fed up with the global economic system.

Advertisement

And they're right. Our current economic model works exceptionally well for the one per cent -- who, since 2015, own more wealth than the rest of the planet combined. But it doesn't work very well for most of us, who have seen stagnating wages and a simultaneous rise in the price of consumer goods and housing costs.

We want an economic model that works for women.

And it absolutely does not work for women or the poorest 10 per cent of society. In fact, this current model of GDP-obsessed, profit-focused growth actually drives rising inequality. It makes rich people richer, and keeps women and the poor trapped in a cycle of poverty and debt. It's not a pretty picture.

So it makes sense for prime minister Trudeau to skip the show in Davos to speak with real people here at home.

This is an opportunity -- not only for the prime minister to boost his approval ratings, but for feminists across the country who have a message for him. As the weeks close in before the release of the next federal budget, we need to get out our loudspeakers and make sure this government hears us clearly: we want an economic model that works for women.

Advertisement

Women contribute significantly to the economy but gain the least from economic growth. They are often employed in low-pay sectors and face high levels of discrimination in the workplace. In every single country on this planet they continue to be paid less than men. And to add insult to injury, as governments continue to slash public services, women are asked to pick up the majority of unpaid care work, now estimated to be worth US$10 trillion a year. In short, women are subsidizing the global economy with free and cheap labour, enriching the one per cent while many are unable to escape poverty themselves.

According to research from Oxfam and labour rights groups in Myanmar, garment workers are working up to 11 hours a day, six days a week, but remain trapped in poverty. The CEOs of these companies are some of the highest-paid people in the world.

In short, women are subsidizing the global economy with free and cheap labour.

Inclusive growth is about leveling the economic playing field here at home, but also holding Canadian companies accountable abroad and making sure we don't feed into a global race to the bottom on taxation and wages. It's also about increasing our international aid budget, which is at an appalling 50-year record low, so that Canada can become the global leader it aspires to be.

Trudeau's cross-Canada town halls next week must absolutely include women's rights and anti-poverty organizations. He needs to meet with women staying in shelters and hotel cleaners with precarious contracts. He needs to speak to day care workers and single moms. And he needs to be reminded of women everywhere on the planet who are getting shortchanged by a broken economic system.

Advertisement

If the prime minister is serious about inclusive growth, he needs to speak with women who've been left in the dust by an economic system that's spiraling out of control. Their insights will certainly be more valuable to him than those of any business tycoon in Davos.

When prime minister Trudeau attended the Forum in Davos last year, he received accolades for his feminist speech. This year I hope he'll have meaningful conversations about women's rights with Canadians as he travels across the country, and shortly thereafter announce a federal budget that fights inequality and works for women.

Why expect anything less from a feminist government?

To support Oxfam's call for an economy that works for women go to www.shortchanged.ca

To find out more about Oxfam's recommendations for the 2017 federal budget, download the SHORTCHANGED report.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
Hero Images via Getty Images Aerial view of green treetops

The new year has begun, and it is going to be an important one for B.C.

On Vancouver Island, there's hunger for change on an issue that brings local environmentalists back to their roots.

Forests.

At the Wilderness Committee, we began last year battling in court against Teal Jones, the logging company that is destroying rare old-growth rainforest in the Walbran Valley.

Advertisement

The Walbran is a flashpoint in the fight over old-growth on Vancouver Island, where only ten per cent of the original low-elevation forest remains. This debate isn't new, but it did gain unprecedented momentum last year.

Motions opposing old-growth logging were passed by the Union of BC Municipalities, and the BC Chamber of Commerce. This followed a statement from the Ahousaht Nation, which announced a moratorium on old-growth logging in its territory in the heart of Clayoquot Sound in fall 2015.

Will 2017 finally be the year that we move away old-growth logging? That's up to you.

Forest policy in B.C. is set by the provincial government, and there's an election in May. Neither the government nor the Official Opposition has called for a ban on old-growth logging. This puts them offside with citizens, businesses and municipal governments. The excuse they make is that they can't oppose any logging practice because we need to protect forestry jobs.

Yet most people calling for an end to old-growth logging are also advocating for a healthier wood products industry with more sustainable jobs. Many -- like me -- grew up in rural communities where the forest industry is important, or has been in the past.

Advertisement

And when we talk about forestry jobs, we have to talk about raw log exports.

I spent the spring and summer meeting and marching with forest industry workers advocating for sustainable second-growth forestry, and a ban on raw log exports.

When it comes to creating jobs, BC has the most inefficient forest industry in the country. According to Statistics Canada data, every province generates more jobs and more dollars per tree cut than we do. The main thing we do differently is export raw logs on a massive scale.

How many?

The unprocessed logs we export in one year could fill logging trucks that would stretch in an unbroken line from Vancouver to Thunder Bay, Ontario. That's enough timber to build houses for the entire population of Abbotsford.

We must end old-growth logging, and we must protect the people who work in forestry. We need to make the industry more efficient and save existing jobs, and we can do that by eliminating raw log exports and focusing on maximizing local production.

Industry and government will say this isn't feasible, but their arguments are based on the laws of economics, which we can change.

Advertisement

The survival of old-growth forest is based on the laws of nature, which we can't.

As we shift away from old-growth logging and raw log exports, we must also ensure the rights and respect the authority of the First Nations who have stewarded these forests since time immemorial. Every tree on Vancouver Island belongs to the Indigenous nation on whose territory it grows.

Vancouver Island's forests once provided for an abundance of fish and wildlife that we can only dream of today. We would all be better off if Indigenous peoples regained forest management within their homelands. This has already begun in places like Clayoquot Sound and needs to spread across the Island.

Let's make sure that this year's changes are positive. Let's work together to achieve justice: for ecosystems but also for the people who make their livings from the resources within them.

If we prioritize each other and our surroundings over the profits of a handful of corporations, we can do this. We can improve and stabilize second-growth forestry while protecting remaining old-growth. There is the knowledge and the widespread community desire to do this.

What's missing is the political will, and that's where you come in.

In the lead up to the election, demand that your candidates take a stand on banning old-growth logging. Demand they stand with citizens and with science instead of with the logging corporations that donate to them. Show up at events and question them on this, as often as you can.

Advertisement

We're not the first ones to fight for this. The battle over forestry on Vancouver Island has been going on for a long time. Let's make 2017 the year we win.

I'll see you on the streets and I'll see you in the woods.
Justin Trudeau just shuffled his cabinet. It was needed and timely, and not just because self-confessed "pussy grabber," liar, racist, misogynist, xenophobe and bully billionaire president-elect, Donald Trump, is set to take the reins of the United States.

There were other legitimate reasons obvious for anyone to see, such as rookie ministers screwing up simple or not-so-simple issues and damaging the Trudeau brand. The shuffle, while staunching the bleeding on the electoral reform and other files, also prepares Canada for a fast-changing world with violent turmoil in the Middle East and parts of Africa; the insurgent radical right in Europe; Brexit; as well as the Trump upheaval causing tremors in the politics and economy of our next-door neighbour and the rest of world.

Advertisement

Chrystia Freeland moved from trade to foreign affairs, and veterans such as John McCallum and Stephane Dion (who both served Canada with dedication and distinction) are gone from the cabinet table. Maryam Monsef has been shifted from the difficult electoral reform file to the status of women. There are some new faces, including Ahmed Hussen in immigration.

Beyond that, the Trudeau shuffle is already old news and business as usual, Ottawa-style, is likely to take over in Ottawa.

But Trudeau needs another shuffle -- no, not a cabinet shuffle, but a shuffle nonetheless -- to shake up the PMO that has brought him so much grief over the past several months. In his heart of hearts, Trudeau probably knows he needs it. Those in the PMO around him may not yet or ever see the need for one; they may be willfully blind because, if ever the prime minister so decided, it could be some of them who would be next to be shuffled out or dumped.

Advertisement

Who deserves to be fired or demoted from Trudeau's PMO? Some of the powerful political appointees who are the architects of government policies, strategies and tactics comes to mind -- those who advise the prime minister and his cabinet on matters of ever-evolving policy and the shifting sands of question period.

In his heart of hearts, Trudeau probably knows he needs it.

The powerful men and women in the PMO who send forth ministers armed with questionable pronouncements clad in what they deem clever words to perform impossible somersaults, twists and turns in the House on serious issues had obviously crafted the scripts for MP Maryam Monsef and House Leader Bardish Chagger -- something they do for most ministers.

Monsef was a rookie minister and clearly didn't remember that her brief was not to lecture colleagues, but to shepherd electoral reform through the House. Only a rookie minister armed with talking points from the PMO and its wordsmiths would have publicly reasoned that public consultations were superior to public referendums as a way of deciding what kind of an electoral system Canadians prefer.

Chagger, also a rookie obviously guided by the PMO, spoke endlessly about how the "cash for access" being granted by the prime minister and his ministers was all well and good -- all within the ambit of the law -- while she and her boss the PM must have known all along that the original ministerial mandates were being grossly and blatantly violated.

Advertisement

It was also the PMO that advised and/or insisted that Trudeau's inadvisable, secret and ultimately not-so-secret vacation on Aga Khan's private island didn't raise any conflict of interest or ethical questions. The advisers must have been willfully blind to the clear but awful optics of the prime minister -- and a champion of middle-class Canadians, no less -- spending secret time at a private island of a billionaire.

Even more troubling is the fact that the prime minister or no one around him saw any ethical concerns in the fact that said billionaire's charitable foundations have received and may continue to receive money from the government that Trudeau now heads. How could they bungle things so badly -- and how could the PM allow them to?

As a consequence of PMO's bad advice and /or untimely silence, when speaking truth to the prime ministerial power may have been warranted, Trudeau has had to embark on a hastily scheduled Canadian "listening tour." To do the "listening," he is even giving the Trump inauguration a miss.

Trudeau's inner circle/PMO is mainly responsible for the mess he faces.

Talking to Canadians is always important for any prime minister. However it is not responsible for Trudeau to skip Trump's swearing-in. Despite most Canadians' dislike of what Trump stands for, the U.S.-Canada relationship is the most important among Canada's country-to-country relationships.

In sum, Trudeau's inner circle/PMO is mainly responsible for the mess he faces. His PMO team requires strengthening, whether by addition or subtraction. It certainly needs overhauling substantially, if not fully. If Trudeau doesn't do it soon, he may have to be on permanent standby for even more hurriedly scheduled listening tours across the country.

Advertisement

Prime minister! Happy listening (and shuffling) in 2017.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his cabinet on Nov. 10, 2016. The shuffle took place Jan. 10, 2017.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
An estimated 5.5 million people, including two million children, have been cut off from running water for over three weeks in Damascus and its surroundings, the longest cut Syria's capital has seen.

Intense fighting damaged the water infrastructure for the two main drinking water sources for Damascus -- Ain El Fijeh and Wadi Barada -- located in a mountainous valley near the capital.

Advertisement

Water rationing program was initiated by local authorities allowing some neighbourhoods to receive running water for up to two hours every three or four days, barely enough to cover basic needs.

"When my father tells us it's our turn to receive water, we prepare everything we can fill at home - bottles, jerry cans, pots and pans," said Bashir, a 12 year-old boy living in Al- Midan neighbourhood of Damascus. "When the water comes, it's just like a party for us!" he added.

Severe water shortages raise health concerns

As the water crisis continued, families resorted to alternatives such as buying water from private vendors for double the price with no guarantees on quality or safety, raising concerns of the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly amongst children. In some areas in Damascus, people are paying up to US$12 for 1,000 liters of water from private companies. The same volume of water used to cost just US$5 a year ago.

Last week, Bashir was hospitalized due to abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

"At the hospital, they told me that the cause might be contaminated food or water," said Bashir who missed two days of school when he fell ill.

Advertisement

Children bear the brunt of water cuts

The burden of collecting water disproportionately falls on children. Many have to wake up before dawn to queue at local water distribution points before they run dry. Walking long distances under the weight of heavy jerry cans has become daily routine for many children. Time that should be spent playing, studying or resting is replaced by hours of collecting water.

Every other day after school, Dania, 11, walks to a nearby mosque with her father and grandfather, carrying a 10-liter jerry can to collect water. The 15-minute journey feels longer on the way back.

"I get tired on the way back, but I take a break every few steps. I also drag the jerry can when I can't carry it anymore," said Dania. "I don't ask my father for help because he usually carries two or three jerry cans every time so I try to help even though my arms and lower back hurt." she added.

Some families are forced to use water form untreated boreholes, which have not been used in years.

Twelve-year-old Abdulrahman goes through the same struggle daily. Instead of doing homework, resting or playing with friends, he spent hours fetching water for his family.

Advertisement

"Every day after school I tie three empty jerry cans to my bike and head to a nearby mosque to fill them. It's tiring but I'm the eldest of my siblings so I have to do it for my family," he said.

'Without water we will die'

The long water cuts have left some residents with few options. Some families are forced to use water form untreated boreholes, which have not been used in years. A father told a UNICEF team, "If we get sick we can get treated -- but without water we will die."

Around 700,000 people in Damascus, most living in elevated areas, have not had any water for more than 18 days because of the low pressure due to reduced volume of water coming from underground wells, the only source for millions of people since water from the mains was cut on 22 December 2016.

Sever water shortages are putting additional strain on families already suffering from long power cuts and lack of gas and heating oil in the midst of bitter cold weather.

Advertisement

UNICEF is on the ground rehabilitating and equipping underground water wells and pumping stations, and trucking water to schools. To support UNICEF's response in Syria, click here.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
The five things you need to know on Thursday, January 12

1) THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

In one of his last acts as President, Barack Obama has today sent 3,000 troops and tanks to Poland to reassure Nato allies worried about an aggressive Russia. The timing could not be more apt after Jeremy Corbyns spokesman told us in the post-PMQs huddle yesterday that the Labour leader wanted to ratchet down military tensions in Eastern Europe. When I asked directly if Corbyn supported the deployment of 800 UK troops to Estonia, the spokesman replied that was one of the escalations of tensions that have taken place. We want talks and engagement.

Advertisement

And when pressed on what Corbyn would want if Russia invaded the Baltic state, he proceeded to reinterpret what Article 5 of the Nato treaty actually meant - and it wasn't a military response: Article 5 [of the Nato treaty] means that if there is an attack on another Nato state there has to be a response by Nato members  it doesnt define what that response should be. In practice, if you see from the wording of the treaty, that can be a whole range of things.

Not surprisingly, Labour MPs like Mike Gapes pointed out this was a wilful misreading of the treaty. But the Guardian reports that Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith was furious too, not least as she had visited the troops in Estonia and used an interview with Forces TV to express staunch support for Nato.

All of which is being stored up by the Tories for the Copeland by-election, where they intend to focus on Corbyn and his radical views on nuclear weapons, nuclear power and defence policy. The BBCs Ross Hawkins has got hold of a new Tory leaflet which quotes Corbyn after the Fukushima disaster: I say no nuclear power, decommission the stations weve got. Hes refined his message since but will that reassure Sellafield workers? No wonder Labour is hoping the NHS is a bigger issue locally.

As it happens Labours NEC panel today interviews candidates and drafts its shortlist for Copeland. As I revealed this week, the panel is the most Corbynista ever for a by-election: Jon Trickett, Unites Jenny Formby, grassroots leftwinger Christine Shawcroft (as well as more moderate NEC chair Glenis Willmott). The candidate Corbyn supporters are backing is Rachel Holliday. Len McCluskeys Unite challenger Gerard Coyne has his manifesto launch today and nuclear and defence policy may well come up.

Advertisement

2) ON THE FEAST OF STEVENS

I watched every minute of Simon Stevens three-hour evidence to the Public Accounts Committee yesterday and it didnt disappoint. It was a masterclass in how a public servant can play the political game better than many politicians, and gave us in the media a feast of story lines.

The Times had splashed on alleged No.10 claims that the NHS chief executive was not enthusiastic enough in his dealings with Theresa May. And one of Stevens many barbs was that he had been running a little campaign against government cuts to social care. Enthusiastically, I might add. You can read the key quotes of his evidence HERE, but the killer quote really was that the PM was stretching it to say the NHS had been given more money than it asked for. We got less than we asked for. No wonder Labours Jon Ashworth has written to the PM asking if she agrees with each of his verdicts.

Media-savvy Stevens (a former special adviser to Tony Blair), used a Daily Mail article as a prop and namechecked the Sun and other papers to make his case. By contrast DH Permanent Secretary Chris Wormald looked like a frantic junior press officer, or at least more of a Bernard than a Sir Humphrey, desperately trying to defend the No10 line. Stevens began growing his beard last summer on holiday in Siberia. Times sketchwriter Patrick Kidd points out that after yesterday May will probably insist that he heads straight back there, this time with a one-way ticket.

But although Stevens knows hes unsackable in the short term, the backlash may well grow after yesterday. Tim Montgomerie tweeted Cameron & Osborne swooned around every Blairite they could co-opt; good that May is withdrawing SS' blank cheque. And last night, former Treasury Permanent Secretary Sir Nick Macpherson tweeted: Simon Stevens a good guy but he should not determine health spending. NHS bottomless pit. Money should be linked to reform. Stevens real battle is as much with the current Treasury as it is with No.10. And his warning of an updated five-year plan, with detailed cash demands, in March tees up the Budget nicely.

3) LEAK INQUIRY

Donald Trumps batshit crazy press conference yesterday was truly extraordinary. But one of the main problems was that it turned into a Vaudevillian spectacle rather than a forensic attempt to get real answers out of the President Elect.

Advertisement

At least weve learned a new word this week: Kompromat, the Russian for compromising material. Yet the most depressing result of the sex allegations is that they suck all the attention away from more worrying claims that Trump is compromised financially by links to Moscow - and that hes not properly distancing himself from his business interests in office.

The BBCs superb correspondent Paul Wood, who named the British spy in the row as Christopher Steele, has written an excellent Spectator blog on claims that the Kremlin paid the Trump campaign through associates.

Dont forget that for many Americans watching yesterday, particularly his core supporters, the most interesting bit of the press conference was not Trump suggesting the CIA were like Nazis, but that car jobs would stay in the US and that the wall with Mexico would go ahead.

Away from the spectacle of the New York, in Washington Trumps nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was making statements that sparked real alarm. The South China Morning Post points out that its not Trumps cosying up to Russia we should worry about, but his agression towards China. And it makes its main story Tillersons threat that the US would stop Beijing from accessing islands it has built in in the South China Sea: Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.

Defense Secretary nominee Mad Dog James Mattis today faces his own confirmation hearing.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch Oscar Jefferson, the 9-year-old British boy whose tears on the Spanish Junior Masterchef, after getting his fish-and-chip recipe wrong, have touched the nation.

Advertisement

4) BERLIN CALLING

On a less busy news day, Mark Carneys row-back on Brexit before the Treasury Select Committee would have got much more play. But the Bank of England governors line - financial stability risks around the [Brexit] process are greater on the Continent than they are in the U.K - was still significant and delighted Eurosceptic ministers.

This fits perfectly with the Three Brexiteers (David Davis, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson) belief that the EU will realise that cutting off trade would do them more damage than us. Something else that didnt get much play this week was Boris own words in FCO Question Time that it would be the height of insanity to imperil the 344k British jobs and 222k German jobs that depend on trade between the two countries.

Chancellor Philip Hammond was in Berlin yesterday making the mutually assured destruction point, although with a soft Brexit emphasis rather than the threat of a hard one. He said he understood Germanys priority will be to protect the integrity and unity of the EUBut this does not have to be a negative sum game. A lot is at stake. Hammond added: The referendum decision is irreversibleWe need to find a solution which recognises the constraints on both sides, but delivers an outcome that supports continued economic growth. The FT reports, however, that quarter of German businesses expect to profit from Brexit as firms abandon the UK.

The one other Brexit story yesterday was immigration minister Robert Goodwill telling a Lords select committee (always a good place to commit news) that a post-Brexit annual levy of 1,000 for each EU recruit would be helpful to British workers. Guy Verhofstadt said the idea was shocking but Frank Field said hed welcome it if we used the money to train natives. No.10 shot it down swifly though, with the PMs spokeswoman telling us the idea was not on the Governments agenda. Even if it was on Goodwills.

(My colleague Owen Bennett has started a weekly Brexit Briefing, sent out every Thursday. To get a round-up of all the best Brexit news, subscribe HERE).

Advertisement

5) PRIVATE PARTS

Like his boss, Clive Lewis is learning rapidly how one stray remark can be seized on by your opponents with gusto. During the Commons Urgent Question yesterday on the Governments sell-off of the Green Investment Bank (GIB), the Shadow Business Secretary asked: If its a success story, why are you selling it off? Is it simply the case public good, private bad  thats what we think on this side. But on that side of the House, you think its private good, public bad.

Prompted by backbencher Huw Merriman (one to watch folks), even the mild-mannered business minister Nick Hurd couldnt resist this one. It couldnt have been clearer from the Opposition frontbench: Public good, private bad. For good measure, Hurd added: That will have been noted in the business community across the country, reinforcing the question mark that the business community across the country has about the attitudes of the Labour party toward it.

Now of course, many people from Green party's Caroline Lucas (who asked the UQ) to former climate change minister Greg Barker and Vince Cable, have condemned the sell-off. And as with Corbyns line on fat-cat pay, Lewis may think the row is worth it if the public hears Labour saying unashamedly it prefers the public sector to run some things. He was specifically referring to the Green Investment Bank, not a wider anti-private firms policy. Yet you can still expect that 'private bad' quote to pop up on Tory leaflets sometime soon: the CCHQ dossier bank on Labour is already bursting and ready. Not just for Copeland, but for a general election.

If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox.
omersukrugoksu via Getty Images

'Rwandan wisdom is that you go back home to help rebuild your country when its in trouble' my friend's colleague told him as he recently weighed up the pros and cons of staying in Kigali or coming back to England. Of course, I thought when I heard that - I should expect that a people who emerged from the horror of the Rwandan 1994 genocide could tell us a thing or two about rebuilding.

And it got me thinking. So many of us are struggling to make sense of the new world we find ourselves in post-Brexit vote UK - struggling to be hopeful when it seems so final and struggling to compute what the new normal looks like. The country is divided, the mood is bleak and the path ahead is painfully unclear. How do we fit in or respond? And yet friends and colleagues of mine around the world have been doing this for decades - making sense of their lives when the politics doesn't stack up. They have worked out how to find hope and purpose pragmatically in the midst of uncertainty, without shutting out politics completely.

Advertisement

If you grew up through the military dictatorship in Argentina when people simply 'disappeared', and then lived through its economic crisis when people lost their life savings and resorted to trading household items for food, you know how to live without taking stability for granted. You might not have the answer to Brexit but your nation knows that building a strong civil society is crucial. You know that people organising to bring solutions to local needs is key to moving forward. In neighbouring Brazil, community leaders can teach us about seizing the right moment to be vocal about the need for change and progress. The Rio Olympics saw them bring a crucial message at a crucial moment.

On the other side of the world we get a different perspective. From Russians we can learn the long game. This summer I heard from well-educated, free-thinking Russians that they were dreaming of a better Russia for their children. They were choosing to stay and wait it out, perhaps for decades. Just in case, they said, they had weighed up the red lines that would make them leave, but for now they were believing in their country's future. Mongolians took an even longer view of history. Their perspective encompassed eras, filled with the rise and fall of empires. A fiercely proud nation that has both ruled and been ruled took a view of a year as another small marker in centuries of nomadic life. Next door China, the land of the collective and not the individual, of the extended family and not the one opinion, has a different wisdom. My Chinese friends have carefully explained that there is a bigger picture than their own experience that keeps together a country of 1.3 billion people - what is best for everyone is what is desired.

Back closer to home, I watched Francois Hollande's New Year's speech deliberately take France back to its national values - liberte, egalite, fraternite. It was a rallying cry for a nation who will go to the ballot box this year with many eyes watching anxiously. It said 'hold firm, as the world rocks, to what you believe underpins everything'.

Advertisement
Tehran, Iran, January 12



By Mehdi Sepahvand, Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:



Irans first brand-new A321 Airbus aircraft has landed in Tehran after 38 years of international embargo, IRNA news agency reported.



This is the first brand-new airliner Iran has received since the 1979

revolution, thanks to the landmark nuclear deal signed in 2015.



This is the first aircraft Iran has received from its list of ordered

aircraft.



The contract was signed last year when President Hassan Rouhani visited France, only a few days after the nuclear deal officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was put into force, ending decades long economic sanctions on Iran.



Under the contract, Iran has put orders for 100 aircraft with Airbus. Iran made a similar deal with the American Boeing, but the prospect of it is overshadowed by the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, as he has strongly opposed the nuclear deal and Irans economic freedom.



Under sanctions, Irans aviation industry has become aged and remains

underdeveloped. The country plans to buy about 500 new aircraft in the near future.


Ben Birchall/PA Archive

If 2016 proved anything it that is the current international situation is becoming less stable and predictable. In 2017, with our global institutions weaker, the re-emergence of an antagonistic Russia and the continuation of unconventional terrorist threats, the picture is not particularly rosy.

In addition, climate change and migration are growing issues and, of course, there is the Brexit factor to consider. The post-war global order is at risk and if we are to tackle this, it will only be achieved multilaterally.

Advertisement

The work that our armed forces carry out on our behalf, proves that as a team, they are the best. Yet with spending down across NATO and the UK conventional armed forces the smallest in the P5, our armed forces are facing serious deficiencies and we do not currently have the capability to address the range of threats.

Whilst UK deployments of the early 21st Century have largely been asymmetrical conflicts with elements of peacekeeping, counter-terror, and nation building. In 2016, global affairs have shown the possibility for rapid upheaval.

To ensure the UK is able to insure itself in an unstable world, we must do everything possible to build our international alliances and re-evaluate current defence policy in light of fast-changing global circumstances.

So what can be done to mitigate some of these issues?

Alliances for intelligence need to be secured. The rise of "hybrid-warfare" means that cyberspace should be considered an additional, non-kinetic strategic space. Informational systems and institutions must develop resilience against cyber-attacks and the effects of anti-satellite warfare. 'Lawfare' - the strategy of using law, rather than traditional means, to achieve an operational objective - is likely to be used more prominently.

Advertisement

The UK has smaller physical capabilities than comparable countries but spends more money on defence. We should consider less future spending on enormously expensive pieces of equipment, as our adversaries only have to knock out one to hurt us enormously. Instead, an increase in spending on equipment and forces prepared for a range of scenarios, up to and including large scale mobile warfare.

Without a doubt unarmed ships, planes and even submarines will become established, for some situations, as a vehicle or carrier of choice. We have seen this recently in Iraq and Syria, but these must not be thought of as low cost alternatives, there is always a team of skilled analysts behind every sortie as well as the crew themselves.

Investment in Research and Development must be increased, working in conjunction with both universities and private contractors. Falling behind adversaries in terms of numbers or spending may be fine if the UK is ahead technologically, but a disaster if outnumbered and outgunned. USA invests huge amounts of money through DARPA and ARPA programs.

The UK must retain the ability to respond to Russian actions in the Baltics in a resolute but proportionate way and ensure safe and open trading routes across the global commons, especially in South China Sea, and Arab Gulf.

Finally, we were top of the soft power league both in 2010 and 2015. This position was deserved and in our current situation no bad thing. But we need to use our diplomatic and soft power wisely to ensure allies take defence seriously. The challenges faced by the UK are global and collective self-defence is cheaper and more secure than all the alternatives.

Advertisement

So when the 2020 Strategic Defence and Security Review team sits down to look at its direction, it will need to look at our defence policy in the light of possible future conflicts, highlighted above and not only in light of counter-terror operations. With a clearer idea of our economy in the post Brexit world there may be a need to review and possibly reduce our expenditure commitments of 2015.
ICW had a great 2016, setting attendance records and expanding the brand. The company further developed its relationship with WWE, leading to an appearance from Finn Balor at its biggest show and Insane alumni including Noam Dar and Big Damo (now Killian Dain) were picked up by WWE, demonstrating what a good eye for talent the crew have. 2017 already looks like it is going to top last year for the company. Excitement is sky high for the 6th annual "Square Go" (ICW's Royal Rumble with benefits) in Newcastle. The company will be out on tour in Southamption, Sheffield and Manchester (Feb 17-19) and Liverpool, Bristol and Leeds (March 10-12) and that's not to mention Fear & Loathing X on November 19 in Glasgow (tickets for all events here). In order to get hyped for the insane year ahead, we spoke with ICW's top tag icons, Jackie Polo (JP) and Mark Coffey (MC) aka Polo Promotions. The current and longest reigning tag champs are hard-hitting, uncompromising and just plain brilliant at entertaining. 2017 is going to be big for Polo Promotions, so make sure you get to see them in your town. For now, read all about it...

How long have you known one another and how did you get to be a team?

MC: Well we met when I was what, three years old? Jackie was friends with my brother Joe [Coffey] who's also a wrestler. Jackie is just as much of a big brother to me as Joe is - friends forever. When we started wrestling, to get me some more experience they'd put me in with Jackie so that he could help me out and to show me the ropes.

Advertisement

JP: Well that trend has now been reversed...

MC: We just have a real natural chemistry in the ring and we really enjoy it which makes things a lot easier. It's not like we're fighting against something or we don't want to be a tag-team. That's pretty much all we want and it's a dying art in wrestling. There's so few tag-teams and even less guys who are clear that's what they want to do. They don't have the Shawn Michaels boyhood dream Wrestlemania moment, to win the belt by themselves. We want to have that moment together, we could spend our whole adult lives working in the same ring night after night. That's what we're chasing.

JP: It takes a certain type of individual to do that. It's like a marriage in a way. You have to be a bit selfish and a bit of an egomaniac to do this job so it's unusual for people to be happy in that environment and to be sure it's a route they want to go down.

MC: A lot of people don't want to share the limelight but there's nothing I can think of that's better than being stood in the spotlight, having my best friend stood next to me.

JP: You get to share all these cool moments and lean on each other in difficult times. It's definitely more satisfying to do it together.

Advertisement

Team 3D have done that very successfully and you faced them at Fear & Loathing IX. Were you looking forward to that?

MC: Facing teams like that is exciting. With the exception of facing Brian Kendrick and Paul London, it was the only other team that we watched when we were younger. In a way it's a wee bit surreal but that's wrestling right now. There's a lot of things happening which you wouldn't have guessed or imagined would happen. That match was one we wanted in order to improve ourselves because they're the guys we want to be.

You guys are one of the longest running and most successful tag-teams in ICW. Are there others coming through you think we should look out for?

MC: Guys like Mike Bird and Wild Boar - we faced them recently. I think Jackie, you'd been in the ring with Boar before but I'd not been in the ring with either of them. That was a pleasant surprise. A good, hard-hitting hardcore match. It was like "right, let's do that again!" The London Riots who we faced in London, let's do that again. The thing we want is teams - not just guys that are being used together... "I'm not doing anything, you're not doing anything lets be a team"

Advertisement

JP: Or guys that are singles competitors who used to be in a team, that's frustrating as well.

MC: We are after guys who go "This is what we want to do!" It's the same as us and its being a tag team.

Given what you've said is there no singles run in your futures? You trained individually?

MC: We both work singles matches occasionally. It's just a nice break but personally I think it's a wee bit lonely now when you're in the ring.

JP: In an ideal world, I'd have 100% of my matches as a tag-team wrestler. Of course people have different needs and want different things from us at different times and there are conflicting schedules. The only way we'd be prepared to do a singles run on a longer term is - we have to be prepared for injuries or if one had to take time off, the other would be encouraged to continue. It's not our mission to do that though.

Is your mission a spot with WWE?

MC: The goal is everything! It's to wrestle. The goal in my mind anyway, for us, is to wrestle everywhere as a team. The goal is to do this for as long as we possibly can as a team, a career tag team and if that means WWE, great. If it means New Japan, great. If it means Mexico or anywhere we can do this together as a team...

Advertisement

JP: If it means ICW and staying in Britain... If there is the capacity to have a full time career doing this? That's what we want.
OcusFocus via Getty Images

Every post you make, every breath you take, every search you make, they'll be watching you. Every bit of information you have ever entered anywhere online is stored, collated and held. For the most part, we give this data over without even thinking about the consequences, assuming it is safe.

If you think you are protected, if you think you have taken every step to keep your data safe, if you think, just because you take all precautions possible, you cannot be attacked, you are wrong. In truth, unless you have somehow managed to have no data online (which if you are reading this would be next to impossible), you are at risk, you are exposed. As the former FBI Director Robert Mueller said in 2012 "There are only two types of companies: those who have been hacked, and those that will be."

Advertisement

The internet has often been likened to the old American Wild West, with very few rules governing what goes on. However, in recent years this has begun to change. As technology has progressed, governments and corporations are slowly giving structure to the internet. A reappraisal of the modern online landscape shows it is clearly no longer bandit country but one governed by major forces be they nation states or powerful corporations. Much like the world itself. And like the world, it has a dark underbelly of thieves and criminals. However, unlike in the real world, where we have a system of law and order and locks to keep us safe, online we are completely exposed.

In 2010 a website called pleaserobme.com launched to brutally demonstrate the security flaws in social media. This website used publically available information on people's locations, taken from Facebook, Twitter and other social media with geotagging to highlight when people were not at home. For example, if you lived in London but had recently announced your arrival at JFK Airport with all the family, chances are your house was empty and much easy to rob. The controversial site showed this with shocking results.

Now seven years on, the issue has not improved. Data is still easily available and not only could it expose your house to being robbed but your entire life could be stolen. There are countless examples of people losing nearly everything from online fraud, or from having their data accessed.

This level of risk exposure goes way beyond tech issues, though those do exist: it strikes at the very heart of how we live now so much of our lives are online.

Advertisement

Imagine waking up one day to realise your front door cannot be locked, there is a hole in your wall, the roof of your house is missing and it's all your fault. Feel safe? I think not. The blunt truth is our online lives are as exposed as our physical one and we are living in houses with no doors. For the past few years we have been living through an age of wishful thinking, believing that we are safe or that cyber security problems are small and will be solved, and it will all work out in the end.

This wishful thinking comes down to an organisational mindset across governments and companies the world over, that treats technology as just another commodity. People are assuming that tech can be treated like everything else, what we 'do'. The reality is that it is at the core of entire lives. It is what we are.

Until we achieve a shift in mindset that recognises this fact, and leads the world to act accordingly, the issue of cyber security exposure will never really be solved. As we make our way into 2017 we have not even started to approach the concept of being safe online. Our companies, our lives and our governments are exposed to terrifying risk, and ultimately it is all our own fault. By failing to adapt our awareness, change our assumptions and shift our thinking to the new world order we have left ourselves open to attack.

Only with such a shift can the problem of cyber security really be tackled. It is not a matter of resources, as Richard Bejtlich, Chief Security Strategist at cybersec company FireEye, once outlined; for $1 million a team could be assembled to hack any target. But $1 million wouldn't be nearly enough for a company to protect against attack.

To reiterate, technology is such an integral part of our lives that the assumption it can be treated as an added extra, or something to bolt on, rather than at the very core has left us completely open to a catastrophe. This may never happen, but the clear and present danger will always be with us until our collective mindset changes.

Advertisement
Move(mber) over Stoptober, there's a new gimmicky month in town - all hail the month of Veganuary... yep, that's right, this month is apparently the time to put down the carving knife, kick all thoughts of eggs to kerb, and get down and dirty with some root vegetables. But while the idea of eating raw veg tofu for 31 long days may not sound too appealing, trying out veganism isn't actually as tasteless or tough as you may first think. As a cheese-loving vegetarian, the challenge of finding a fab meal sans fromage initially filled me with dread, but I'll give anything a go and knowing that I'm a big fan of falafel gives me hope. So to celebrate the success of the tasty chickpea patty I have rounded up the best five places in London town to try falafel this Veganuary...

Photo credit Pilpel

Pilpel: Famous for chickpeas and chilli, the Pilpel falafel recipe is more than 60 years old. There are branches all across town from Spitalfields to St Paul's and they serve up the most succulent falafels you could imagine. Soft centres which ooze flavour are surrounded by a crispy exterior. And if you're also watching your weight as part of your New Year's Resolutions there's a handy calorie calculator on their website allowing you to add up the nutritional value of the meal you're about to dig into!

Advertisement

Comptoir Libanais - Enjoy a healthy selection of mezze, salads, wraps and tagines this winter. Mezze plates come with baba ghanuj, tabbouleh, falafel, lentil salad and grilled halloumi cheese, while wraps and salads come packed with falafel - or even halloumi and chicken for those of you not on the vegan wagon. There are branches in Soho, South Kensington and Liverpool Street.

Mr Falafel - Located in New Shepherd's Bush Market, offers a range of wrapped sandwiches featuring all my favourite falafels, with accompaniments including juicy olives and spicy potatoes. The bareboned cafe may not look like much from the outside, but this Palestinian falafel eatery has established itself as one of the leaders in the hotly-competed falafel restaurants of London town!

Yalla Yalla - A more sophisticated venue, Yalla Yalla has two central outlets (in Fitzrovia and Soho) and also a pop-up in Greenwich. With a selection of mezze all served with pitta bread and olives, these chickpea and broad bean patties are served alongside crisp salads, tahini and a garlic yoghurt sauce and offer a real taste of Beirut street food.

Honey & Co - This Middle Eastern deli on Warren Street has become a firm favourite, with their Yemeni falafel delicately seasoned with cardamom and coriander. Honey & Co is the first solo venture of established chefs (and happily married couple) Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich. While Sarit trained under Chris Galvin, Jerusalem-born Itamar worked his way up through Tel Aviv restaurants before heading to the UK. What you are served here really is a deliciously authentic taste of the Middle East.

Advertisement

Whether you decide to commit to the whole Veganuary craze, or simply like a Middle Eastern twist to your lunch break, these five falafel joints are great places to explore the versatility of the humble chickpea patty.
GOH CHAI HIN via Getty Images

The modest silhouette continues to gain momentum with influencers, international runways and global brands. The impact of social media is undeniable and the access this brings to millennial influencers has changed the way the world operates. The simple act of sharing images of their lives and modest ensembles, on their blogs and social media, has given the world access to an otherwise unknown within the world of fashion. The question on the mind of many, from advocates for the modest movement, to those who critique it is: is modest fashion a fleeting trend or a permanent shift in the sartorial world?

Modest fashion started to gain media attention several years ago with the rise of the millennial bloggers who - for the most part - sought to use social media as a creative outlet. On demonstrating that dressing conservatively could coincide with being on trend, they have subverted the notion that modest dressing is at odds with being fashionable. For many women seeking modest yet trendy clothing, the lack of availability of such clothing has made it difficult to put together outfits that would not compromise on either. Fashion influencers such as Dian Pelangi and Ascia Akf who have garnered over a million followers on social media, provide direction for these women, showing them how to mix and match high street clothing in innovative ways. For instance, by pairing long-sleeved tops with sleeveless dresses, or wearing kimonos over straight-cut jeans, they're indulging in fashion without sacrificing their values. On speaking to Haute Elan, Canadian blogger Hanan Tehaili, said that "Modest fashion is a way of expressing your style parallel to your way of life. It is beautiful because of the varying styles and beliefs that are intertwined to create this phenomenon."

Advertisement

While people can be quick to make the assumption that women who choose to cover themselves do so due to social, cultural or religious pressure, social media provides women with a platform that has demonstrated quite the contrary. On partaking in a recent campaign with YouTube, hijab-wearing British YouTuber Dina Tokio, brought to light the way the platform is 'made for breaking stereotypes.' Arguably, the modest fashion movement has further provided an opportunity to empower all women, marking a shift away from the sexualisation of the female form, while in turn, personifying it.

These young tech-savvy women who are influenced by mainstream fashion are not a niche community; they will emerge as one of the biggest global communities of women, driven largely by high Muslim population growth. According to Pew Research, Muslims will shortly grow to approximately 2 billion of our global population and by 2030 will become nearly 30% of the global population, with over 50% of them under the age of 30. Although Muslims form the majority of the modest dressing community, there are many other groups of women outside the Muslim population that also dress conservatively. Without a doubt, it is a global market that is largely underserved. Platforms like Haute Elan and Hijup cite the lack of an ample product offering as the only constraint to their visitor growth. While global interest in the platforms continues to grow, supply must meet demand if modest fashion is to expand.

Advertisement

The rise of modest fashion has resulted in an increase in awareness that women don't need to be 'sexy' and naked to be considered attractive; this is impacting and creating an evolution of the global fashion scene. Modest trends include palazzo pants, long-line shirts and long tunics - items that continue to dominate runways and collections season after season. While bloggers may have forged the path towards a reinvention in the way we perceive fashion, designers have been unsurprisingly delivering on this shift. Just last year, Dolce and Gabbana launched a collection of luxury hijabs (headscarves) and abayas (full-length, loose dresses), tapping into the Muslim market. High street brands have also acknowledged the billion-dollar market, with H&M collaborating with Dina Tokio, and featuring Mariah Idrissi in a recent campaign. New York Fashion Week SS/17 saw Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan receive international acclaim for being the first designer to present a collection which featured models wearing hijabs with each outfit.

Arguably, the high street has been slow in catering directly to the modest market, allowing the flourishing community of modest fashion entrepreneurs to break into the market. As a movement that is inspired by the inherent values held by conservative Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, it's rooted in an entire system of values. For Saima Khan, a modest fashion influencer: "Modest fashion is the way you carry yourself. It is a movement that allows you to express who you are and what you stand for. It is a form of expression based on the individual's religious and cultural values."

Although styles will shift, we can be sure that the modest silhouette will remain. The real question is; how long will it take for everyone to realise?
shutterstock

As Obama gave his farewell speech, many across the political spectrum watched in nostalgia as the first black President of the United States bowed out, giving way to the...entity that is Donald Trump. Of course, 2008 to 2016 signified a period of time where the mistakes of the past were learned from: the US didn't intervene to devastating effect in foreign nations, Guantanamo Bay was closed, and the working class was allowed to flourish.

Of course, that last sentence was in jest. The following is a list of people that the Obama administration and its policies actually worked for:

Advertisement

1) Big banks, which were bailed out using taxpayers' money. This is of course, in response to a crisis caused by reckless decisions by these same banks, hedging their bets on a housing bubble. Who caused the crisis? The bankers. Who suffered? The people, who not only lost their homes but were then hit with cuts to social programmes and welfare as a result of the bailout.

2) Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, known funders of both terrorism and the ideology behind it, Obama was keen to maintain relations with the US ally, supplying them with plenty of arms to commit genocide in Yemen with.

3) Corporate media; with the 'fake news' hysteria of the past new months, it's clear to see that it's not quite big bad Putin brainwashing his people, but America's very own loved news channels. On the 27th of December, Obama passed into law the NDAA, essentially handing over the right for news channels to spread state propaganda. The law, intended to "counter foreign propaganda and disinformation", could further narrow the media spectrum we have already. This comes in light of the recent US intelligence report (though I would hardly describe it that way) which theorised that Russia Today was one of the causes of Donald Trump's victory. Naturally, Obama agrees with the Establishment that the role of the media is not to hold the government to account, but to prop it up instead.

4) Corporations, which, through the TPP and TTIP, should they be passed, will be granted a legal status higher than even the nations they reside in.

Advertisement

5) Censorship, which ran a huge victory as whistle-blowers were persecuted. While Manning has been arrested and detained for releasing information to Wikileaks documenting US crimes in Iraq, Edward Snowden is seeking asylum in Russia for making it known to the American people that they are under the watchful eyes of a mass surveillance system, and Julian Assange is still holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy.

6) Radicals, ranging from far right nationalists in Ukraine to ISIS in Syria and Libya. The disastrous decisions made to fund rebels makes Bush's foreign policy seem tangible.

7) Donald Trump, who naturally benefited from the gradual deterioration of Obama's legacy. Obama was complicit in the rigging of the Democratic primaries and the subsequent fall of Bernie Sanders. It's telling that when Hillary Clinton promised "more Obama", Obama voters flocked to the other side.
karandaev via Getty Images

It's 29th December and after days of visits from friends and family, my boyfriend and I are finally alone. I look over at him and realise we're both on the same page....

No, this isn't the start of a 'Fifty Shades'-style blog, it's actually something far more tragic.

On that day between Christmas and New Year, my boyfriend and I had planned to spend some quality time together. We'd discussed potential days out and floated the idea of a cinema trip, but in the process we'd gotten a little distracted.

Advertisement

Instead of exploring a new city or having an overdue date, we were sat side by side on the sofa, mindlessly looking at our phones.

Looking up and seeing a perfect mirror of myself was enough to snap me out of my trance. So this year I'm cutting down on technology (and openly bullying my boyfriend to do the same).

In a bid to spend less time wasting time, I've deleted the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone to make them less accessible. I haven't quite cut down on Instagram yet (due to the fact that it's useless on Safari) but hey, sustainable change is always about making baby steps.

Bizarrely, I have to thank the Channel 4 show 'Humans' for contributing to my moment of post-Christmas clarity. I began watching the series earlier in December and soon became utterly engrossed.

Advertisement

I won't give too much away, but the series is based on a world where robots slowly gain more power. In the ever-changing world, lines become blurred, and characters forget what it means to be human.

Yes it's a fictional programme, but when I noticed us sitting on the sofa I couldn't help but draw comparisons. My phone wasn't planning its own uprising, but technology was still having a negative effect on my life.

Instead of using social media to be part of a positive community, I'd fallen into the habit of silent scrolling. I'd find myself analysing photos of 'that girl from school who I haven't spoken to for six years' , wondering how I'd gotten to 2015 in her timeline, but feeling unable to look away.

I've always been my own worst critic and for too long, social media has enabled a personality trait that I've tried so hard to overcome. Having instant access to other people's carefully crafted lives is a sure-fire way to make you doubt your own progress, even when deep down, you know 80% of social posting is one big facade.

It's not just confidence that I'd lose every time I logged on, but time. Checking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram had somehow become part of my morning routine. When I got too hot drying my hair, I'd reach for my phone, rather than do something useful, like making breakfast. As a result, I'd end up rushing out of the door, feeling flustered because I'd run out of time before work.

Advertisement

It's less than three weeks into my mini digital detox and I already feel more calm. I still instinctively reach for my phone during breaks in the day, but I'm enjoying the act of regaining control, reminding myself that I have my own life to lead and I don't need to see everyone else's.

I haven't completely cut out social media because when used in the right way, it can be a marvellous thing. A friend I made while working in the US five years ago recently sent me a Facebook message to say she'd be in London in May. We're in the process of organising a weekend together and without social media, we may well have lost touch.

So when I sign in to social media in 2017, I'll be asking myself one important question: "is this making a positive contribution to my life?"

If the answer is "no" I'll be putting my phone back down and if anything I've said sounds familiar to you, I'd highly recommend you do the same.
Bryan Bedder via Getty Images

We would be entitled to approach 2017 with trepidation - so many people still battered and bruised, grieving and confused by the events of a momentous 12 months.

Now a new year has begun and with it new commitments to get back to our core values. Big decisions have to be made. Millions of children's lives are at stake. Do we protest and rise up or do we figure out a way to work with what we have? We need to do both, I believe.

Advertisement

Last January I mapped out my priorities for girls and boys. I said: "The state of our planet and its people depends on whether global leaders make and stick to the right, courageous decisions. And it falls to us to use our voices to persuade them. If we fail, we fail together."

Nothing has changed there. I stand by every word. It is the absolute essence of how we should choose the actions we take as campaigners this year.

The voices we heard in 2016 delivered unexpected political outcomes but I am not sure that we have yet fully understood what the message was. What is abundantly clear is that many people feel short-changed on hope. They want action.

We must challenge our current circumstances both by acknowledging where we are and by calling for more and for better - better government, better funding and fairness, better life chances.

Advertisement

Following an extraordinary year, here are my revised campaign priorities for the changed world in which we now live.

Integrity

Last year I called for integrity in the development and humanitarian space. The change is not fast enough - too many campaigns are narrow in their ambition to fundraise for individual programmes and disingenuous when it comes to looking squarely in the face of real change. Fake news, untruths and swathes of self-justification are spiralling through everyone's media and communications. It is time now for the 'save-the-world' theorists to lead the way in reforming ways of working to produce more successful outcomes and contribute to a bigger picture. None of us should be afraid to look to our own sectors whatever we do and launch our own critique.

Business

There has been great progress in the private sector which has started working with international development departments and NGOs to provide education for all (The Education Cannot Wait Fund and the Global Business Coalition for Education are two examples). New partnerships are being fostered by big business but there will be some very righteous challenges to the way business can also contribute by paying fairer taxes in both developing and highly-developed countries.

Girls

Girls around the world are nowhere near the point where an equal and fulfilled life is guaranteed and gender violence and prejudice still abound. Women are attacked in India, still forbidden to drive in Saudi Arabia, still dying in pregnancy and childbirth in parts of the USA as much as in sub-Saharan Africa and still earning and learning less throughout their lives.

This year we return to our International Women's Day initiative - #rewritingthecode. We will be looking at why girls around the world don't have equal access to education. And why women don't have equal pay and equal opportunity in the workplace.

Advertisement

Early Childhood Development

90% of the brain's development occurs before a child is five and world leaders are taking notice of the need to invest in the children before they arrive at school, if they are to fulfil their full potential. There are a number of organisations coming together to each campaign on this in 2017 including Unicef, Save The Children and Theirworld.

Theirworld's #5for5 campaign focuses on the five interventions needed to provide every child with quality care: nutrition, health, learning, play, and protection. The campaign is focused on building political will and generating funding to give every child the best start in life. To do this, a global movement is needed to build public demand for action. Currently countries spend less than 0.1% domestic GDP on early childhood care and development (R4D Commission background). The World Bank could lead the way on this in 2017 and make early childhood development a priority of its Global Finance Facility.

Accountability

As hard as we all try to encourage investment in international development, the need to see investments reach their destinations is paramount. Rising inequality will mean impatience against corruption and poor governance.

Anti-poverty and human rights campaigners will join with education campaigners to create even stronger messages and calls for action. The vast networks of young campaigners mean that every country in the world will have its moment of speaking truth to power.

Campaigners are coming together this month to remind world leaders of a promise made. In February, 2016, world leaders met in London. They pledged a school place for every single Syrian refugee child in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Governments promised more money that day than at any other one-day event in history. Today half of all Syrian refugee children are being given an education - and a future. But the other half - 800,000 children - are yet to set foot in a classroom. So what happens now? We want to get the attention of world leaders currently preparing for the G7 summit in May to get the remaining Syrian refugee children back into school where they belong - and create similar plans for all other countries of major crisis and conflict.

Advertisement

Decisions, decisions

As Ban Ki-Moon has bowed out from the United Nations leaving a positive legacy the new Secretary General Antonio Guterres will preside over his first UNGA in September. This could be a pivotal point as he sets his agenda for peace-building and bringing opportunity for those who miss out.
Blend Images - Jeremy Woodhouse via Getty Images

What's going to define public policy in 2017? With a bit of help from the think tanks, here's the top four challenges we've identified at Think Tank Review that will set the tone.

The wide mandate claimed by the government in enacting the "will of the people" through Brexit comes with risks. Missteps will have drastic political consequences, and delays are proving to be just as damaging. Downing Street is already being criticised for cautious micromanagement, and in the absence of a clear plan set out from the centre "trying to divine the Government's position from the personal musings of individual ministers is creating unhelpful uncertainty", reports the Institute for Government.

Advertisement

Announcing his departure as UK's ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers cautioned that "multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall". The UK has two years to finalise the terms of withdrawal from the EU, for which the civil service will need considerable resources: an extra 500 staff, costing around 65 million per year. Subsequently, we need to conclude six levels of trade negotiations, and the economic costs of uncertainty provide a strong incentive to make concessions. The average length of time it takes to sign a trade deal is 28 months.

We know that Nicola Sturgeon has five tests for the Brexit deal. In the R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union case, the government tried to persuade the Supreme Court that it retains the Crown prerogative on international affairs despite the European Communities Act 1972. That means the Scottish Parliament doesn't need to sign off on the deal. If the government succeeds, however, it will want to authorise leaving the EU via a one clause bill authorising it to give notice under Article 50. In that case the votes of 54 SNP MPs will be essential. The deal to secure them may have to contain provisions for another referendum on Scottish independence. If not, removing references to EU law from devolution legislation would likely require consent from the devolved administrations - not asking would risk another referendum.

The prime minister has committed to involving the devolved administrations in negotiations - but the UK government retains the final say. Can the four governments get it together? How far does this commitment go?

Advertisement

As EU expansion goes into reverse, and the US steps back from global leadership, the next stage of international affairs may be one of awkward co-existence between democracies and their more authoritarian counterparts, predicts Chatham House. The 100-page 2015 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence & Security Review committed the UK to the strengthening of a "rules-based international order" as a key national interest, and stated our willingness to use armed force to protect those interests. But that was a long time ago in policy terms, and this year's review was "a holding document", argues Policy Exchange.

With our historic reliance on soft power, some believe Britain may have to lower its ambitions on the international stage after Brexit. Without a liberal consensus behind it, our negotiating position going into a flurry of bilateral trade deals is weakened. Take the United States for example. Donald Trump may consider Britain to be "very special", and his commerce secretary may want to put a deal with the UK at the front of the queue. Yet that deal is unlikely to be acceptable to both Congress and British voters.

The referendum lays bare the conflict between our hyper-liberal international ambitions, and the pick-and-choose liberalism practised at home. Theresa May has stayed true to the interpretation of the result as a call for controlled immigration - to the extent of jeopardising a trade deal with willing Indian partners. The "protective state" that Will Davies spies emerging from her policy platform has a very problematic logic: "protectionism (of indigenous industries and workers) is never simply an economic policy, but involves clear statements of who is in and who is out."

May has therefore edged closer to the 'robust' views of the Conservative base on immigration since she left the Home Office, but what's most important to this group is her ability to unite the nation. This is precisely what is under threat in the Brexit negotiations, as the Scottish response shows. Moreover, any economic interventionism in pursuit of "a country that works for all" would put May at odds with her party membership. You can't always get what you want, even when you get it.

Charities are playing a larger and larger role in public service provision: government contracting now accounts for a quarter of the sector's income. But as Sonia Sodha's definitive report argued, the size of many of these contracts mean that all but the largest charities end up working under private companies in complex subcontracting arrangements, and "can find themselves taking on inappropriate amounts of risks from the state". Devolution, by broadening the number of contracts available, should present opportunities for smaller charities: but this requires forming genuinely collaborative relationships with everyone engaged in tackling a specific social issue.

Advertisement

Public trust in charities reached an all time low this year, attributed in a Charity Commission study to "critical media stories about charities, a distrust about how charities spend donations, and a lack of knowledge amongst the public about where their donations go". Many within the sector lamented a seeming lack of willingness amongst charities to defend themselves against attacks from the press. Charities regained the initiative when the controversial 'anti-advocacy clause' in Cabinet Office grantmaking guidelines was reversed. As Geoff Mulgan pointed out, the charity sector is a soft target for action against lobbying - an industry worth some 2bn. It might be argued that given their role in delivering public services, it is natural that they should seek to shape the policy agenda.

There have been positive outcomes from a year of scrutiny. Kathy Evans of Children England argues that "It's an opportunity for charities to refresh rather than rebrand", particularly with respect to how much they seek to emulate the private sector. "A donation is not a sales stream", she continues. "Charities are a different space." How much charities are willing to flex to deliver for government is another question.

The Leader of Essex Council argues that the devolution agenda has ground to a halt. "Whitehall and Westminster seem consumed by debates about governance", he argues, while many parts of the country view elected mayors with "'apathy or horror". There's an urgent need to open up the process to more local initiative and public engagement.

Last year's Cities and Local Government Devolution Act makes devolution to combined authorities legally possible, but does not specify the terms of negotiation. This makes the process dependent on political personalities and deals behind closed doors. Resisting a plea to advance a deal for Greater Lincolnshire in Parliament, the new Secretary of State insisted that "it is not right for central Government to impose deals on any area". Yet George Osborne shaped the process by insisting on metro mayors as a precondition to devolution deals, which local areas are now resisting. For that reason agreeing a deal and "getting it over the line" have become quite different processes. As a Public Accounts Committee report concluded last year:

The rhetoric surrounding devolution is that local areas are the driving force behind the deals. However in practice central government is stipulating certain requirements, such as around local governance, without making them sufficiently clear up front.

The act itself also grants the Secretary of State powers over the governance arrangements of local authorities, the constitution and membership of local authorities, and structural and boundary arrangements. LGiU has previously voiced the concerns of smaller local authorities that devolution may actually amount to "restructuring by another name". We should, argues UCL's John Tomaney, learn from the US experience, where empowered mayors have not necessarily sparked a democratic renaissance or revived the economic fortunes of cities.
2016 was a significant year for cyber security. We saw the Russian 'Fancy Bears' hacking team leaking athlete's medical data, the Tesco Bank hack, and the Bank of Bangladesh heist - where US$101 million was stolen in a cyber attack. And all this before we get to the alleged Russian hacking of the US Election campaign...

The hackers and cyber criminals are seriously upping their game. Amongst the most concerning developments is the continuing escalation of ransomware, and the release of the Mirai malware onto the Dark Web in October 2016. Mirai can turn 'Internet of Things' (IoT) devices such as webcams, CCTV systems and home broadband routers into large, malevolent networks called a 'Botnet', which can be used to undertake very large scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against websites. There is no doubt that we will see an increase in the size and frequency of DDoS attacks in 2017 as a result.

Businesses - as well as the general public - will consequently have to get smarter and more agile if they don't want to fall victim to an increasingly sophisticated and well-coordinated network of cyber gangs.

Advertisement

Is 2017 The Year That Toasters Take Down Big Business?

Whilst the significant DDoS attacks in the latter half of 2016 - including one incident which took down popular sites such as Twitter and Reddit - utilised around 150,000 Mirai infected IoT devices, there are already criminal gangs offering to rent botnets consisting of over 400,000 compromised IoT gadgets on the Dark Web. Such botnets are likely to be included in the arsenal of hacktivist groups such as Anonymous, as well as that of the cyber criminals. We could see DDoS attacks with the capability to knock banks, governments and businesses offline for a significant period of time.

Growth In Crime-as-a-Service Will Require Increased Cyber Education For All

Hackers are now looking to further monetise their skills by offering a range of cyber attacks for hire on the Dark Web. Whilst hiring out IoT botnets for undertaking DDoS is a growing area, I foresee that the real expansion is in ransomware, where the profits can significantly exceed the required investment.

Some cyber criminals are now offering a customised ransomware package for as little as US$100, enabling people with almost no technical expertise to launch a campaign. With one version of the CryptoWall family estimated to have generated US$325m in 2015, it's easy to see why people are tempted.

It's not easy to defend against ransomware - the attackers need only be lucky once, whereas you need to be lucky all the time. Make sure you take effective anti-spam and anti-phishing measures and get used to backing up your data - ideally on a daily basis.

Advertisement

Inspiring Young People Is Key To Bridging The Cyber Skills Gap

The global lack of suitably qualified cyber security personnel - especially at a senior level - is likely to become an increasing issue in 2017. As Boards start to come to terms with the scale of the cyber threat and initiate programmes of work within their organisations, an already small group of available experts will start to reduce. To address this skills shortage quickly, the UK must introduce more information security courses in both schools and universities, create a robust apprenticeship scheme to service a growing SME industry that is crying out for interested and talented young people to train up; and inspire young people early on. We should also look at opportunities for getting those looking to change careers into the industry. After all, what's not to like about a career in cyber security? The pay is good, there are opportunities for global travel and it's certainly a growth industry.

Get Yourself Security Savvy

It's easy to read the stories in the news and get a sense that we cannot win against the cyber criminals. The good news is that there are several measures that we can all take to protect our key data - it just requires some focus and effort. Businesses need to get the fundamentals correct, identify where their weaknesses are, and start plugging the gaps. As individuals there are a number of measures we can take to help protect ourselves and our families. Learn how to construct strong passwords, back-up your data frequently and re-set those factory default passwords on all your smart devices moving forwards.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

Strengthening of ties between Turkey and Russia does not mean deterioration of the Ankara-NATO relations, Turkish Anadolu agency quoted the countrys Defense Minister Fikri Isik as saying Jan. 12.

The minister was addressing the 9th conference of Turkish ambassadors in Ankara.

Ankara is still committed to the strengthening of solidarity within NATO, he said.

Turkey is abiding by all its commitments to NATO. The recent development of our relations with Russia doesnt mean Turkeys ties with NATO would be weakened, the minister noted.

Isik further said Ankaras criticism of NATOs inactivity in honoring commitments is quite natural.

If the countries which sent their forces to the region to fight against the Islamic State terrorist group (IS) do not support Ankaras counterterrorism efforts, then Turkeys negative reaction is quite natural, he explained.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
Maidens during a Reed Dance at a Queen Mother's Royal Palace in Mbabane, Swaziland, Monday, Sept. 3, 2012. The annual event brings unmarried girls from all over Swaziland to pay homage to the Swazi Queen Mother, Ntombi Thwala. In recent years Swazi King, Mswati III, has also used the occasion to select a new wife. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

By Agnieszka Flak and Helen Nyambura-Mwaura

LUDZIDZINI ROYAL VILLAGE, Swaziland (Reuters) - Thousands of bare-breasted young Swazi women paraded in front of their king to celebrate chastity and unity, dismissing criticism of the lavish ceremony in one of Africa's poorest countries for its last absolute monarch.

Clad in beaded mini-skirts and clutching machetes and mobile phones, women and girls as young as five danced and sang tributes on Sunday and Monday to the king and queen mother, also known as the Great She-Elephant, in a traditional Umhlanga Reed Dance meant to celebrate womanhood and virginity.

Advertisement

"I'm proud to be Swazi and to be a virgin. We are here to show unity with the king and with each other," said 18-year-old Gcebine Dlamini, bracing the cold of the southern hemisphere's winter in her skimpy outfit as scores of tourists had photos taken next to the topless women.



SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS

King Mswati III, who has at least a dozen wives and a personal fortune estimated at $200 million, faced unprecedented protests last year when his appointed administration ran out of money after a 2009 recession in neighbouring South Africa.

Despite the straitened times, the royal household has shown few signs of wanting to tighten its belt. In July, South Africa's Mail and Guardian newspaper reported that three of Mswati's wives joined a 66-strong royal entourage heading to Las Vegas on a shopping spree. There was no comment from the palace.

But women at the annual event gathered behind the monarch in the week-long celebrations, even though police kept a close watch on what they might tell journalists and tourists roaming the grounds of the royal village, some 20 km (12 miles) outside the capital.

Advertisement

In the past, the king has used the ceremony to choose a new wife, and some girls still hoped to catch the king's eye.

"If chosen, I would be able to live a better life than what I have, have a lot of money, live a queen's life and travel overseas," said Fakazile Dlamini, 14, who arrived on a lorry from her village 60 km away to attend the ceremony.

New royal wives have often received a BMW and their own palace, fuelling criticism in a country where more than two-thirds of its 1.4 million people live in abject poverty.

Women's groups and political opponents also say Mswati's penchant for multiple young brides ill befits a country with the world's highest rate of HIV/AIDS, but the monarch says polygamy is part of Swazi tradition and helps cement national unity.

Maidens flocked in from across the country - some attend the ceremony every year until they marry - cut reeds from river beds, which they then presented to the queen mother in a mile-long singing and foot-stamping procession.

Advertisement

In the past, they would have been accommodated by families living close to the royal household but are now put up in camps and protected by police from other men.

Even though the girls refuse to criticise UK-educated Mswati who arrived at the event dressed in beads and lion cloth, not everyone supported his polygamous lifestyle.

"I don't want to be a queen, I don't want to share my man. Polygamy is not okay," Siphesihle Mdluli, 20, who hopes to go on to study medicine said while waving her bundle of reeds.
The growing importance of big data in healthcare is something I've touched on a lot in the last few months. It should perhaps come as no surprise therefore, that the European Commission have recently released a paper that examines the issue in depth, including the key areas it is being used, and some of the policy implications involved.

The paper looked at a number of solutions in key policy areas, including:

supporting the sustainability of health systems

improving the quality and effectiveness of treatment

combating chronic disease

supporting healthy lifestyles.

One of the more well known examples analyzed by the researchers was the E-Estonia national identity scheme, which includes within its remit a digital patient record.

Advertisement

"The backbone of all Estonian e-services including the e-health services is the so called X-Road. It is an environment which allows the nation's various e-services databases, both in the public and private sector, to link up and operate in harmony. Thus, it is not a centralized national database, but retrieves data from various providers using different systems, and presents it in a standardized format. As a consequence, there is no single owner or controller, and every government agency or business is free to choose an IT solution which fits their requirements best," the authors say.

The paper goes on to provide an analysis of a number of interesting projects from across Europe, including what they aim to do, and the implications of their project for officials.

Policy implications

This then feeds into an exploration of the policy implications of big data in healthcare. The paper breaks this analysis down into twelve distinct policy areas:

Legal aspects, including privacy and data ownership Stakeholders, and their roles and responsibilities in this field Privacy and data protection, especially around systems to encourage good data governance Open data and data sharing, and the need for international guidelines to promote open data Standards and protocols, to ensure the interoperability of data sources Technological development, especially in areas such as data collection and storage Data sources, and specifically the need for legacy systems to work smoothly with newer forms of data, such as mobile and genomics Data analysis, and the need for both new analysis methods to be used, such as machine learning, but also to ensure those methods are ethical and appropriate Applications, as above, it's important that big data applications don't weld in biases or use poor quality data Communication, should include informing the public both of the benefits of big data, but also their legal rights Human capital, especially in terms of improving the data science capabilities across the health ecosystem Funding, needs to be funneled towards projects that support the use of open data in healthcare

Policy recommendations

The paper then provides ten distinct policy recommendations to help support this broad agenda.

Awareness building -"Develop and implement a communication strategy to increase the awareness of the added value of Big Data in Health and encourage a positive public mind set towards Big Data in Health." Skills and training - "Strengthen human capital with respect to the increasing need for a workforce that can utilize the potential of Big Data in Health." Data sources - "Expand existing and explore new sources of Big Data in Health and secure their quality and safety." Data sharing - "Promote open use and sharing of Big Data without compromising patients' rights to privacy and confidentiality." Use cases - "Target-oriented application of Big Data analysis in health based on the needs and interests of stakeholders including patients." Data analysis - "Identify the potentials of Big Data analysis, improve analytical methods and facilitate the use of new and innovative analytical methods." Data governance - "Implement governance mechanisms to ensure secure and fair access and use of Big Data for research in health." Data standards - "Develop standards for Big Data in Health to enhance and simplify its application and improve interoperability." Funding - "Ensure purposeful investment steered by the European Commission to warrant cost-effectiveness and sustainability." Privacy - "Clarify and align existing legal and privacy regulation of Big Data in Health."

There is tremendous potential in this area, and despite some pleasing early steps, both in the case studies referenced in the paper, and projects such as the Precision Medicine Initiative in the US, there is still a lot of potential untapped.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters while appearing with Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma after their meeting at Trump Tower in New York, U.S., January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Responding to news reports raising suspicions that his presidential campaign colluded with Russia to help him win the White House, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted: "Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?"

He doubled down on this irresponsible and deeply inaccurate and misleading comparison in his subsequent news conference.



Trump's evocation of Nazi Germany suggests that he is the victim of truly monstrous forces -- among the worst evils the world has ever seen. It suggests that he is fighting against dark, mysterious forces working secretly against him -- a tactic Hitler himself used against the Jews.



This allows Trump to change the subject and avoid answering the serious questions being raised. But worst of all, it cheapens and devalues the memory of what Nazism really represented and of the millions of people who were its victims -- Jews, gays, blacks, Roma, political opponents, the physically and mentally disabled -- the list goes on and on.



Trump's evocation of Nazi Germany is particularly ill-chosen in view of the fact that his presidential campaign repeatedly used classic anti-Semitic images and tropes to promote his candidacy. Back in July, Trump angrily defended the use of a six-pointed star, which resembled the Star of David, mounted over a pile of $100 bills as part of an attack against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The same image previously appeared on a website popular with white supremacists.

Advertisement

Trump has also raised alarm by appointing Steve Bannon as his chief White House strategist. The Anti-Defamation League said: "It is a sad day when a man who presided over the premier website of the Alt Right, a loose-knit group of white nationalists and unabashed anti-Semites and racists - is slated to be one of the most senior staff members in the 'people's house (the White House)."

After pushing the libelous "birther" slander about President Obama, Trump now says he is a victim of fake news.



Lastly we come to the case of David Friedman, nominated by Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Friedman has repeatedly compared fellow members of the Jewish community whose views on Israel differ from his own to "kapos" -- Jews who were enlisted by the SS during the Holocaust to serve them in the concentration and extermination camps. He has called members of J Street, a pro-Israel, pro-peace organization, "worse than kapos."



Using this term to describe one's political opponents actually aids the work of Holocaust deniers because it suggests that kapos were not a tragic group of people caught in a uniquely awful dilemma. Rather, they are anyone with whom one disagrees.



Trump and his acolytes Bannon and Friedman are all part of the same sickness. They are not averse to using some of the tactics of totalitarians, notably the big lie, to put their critics on the defensive and stir up popular anger against them. At the same time, they preen as so-called victims of Nazism.

Advertisement
(COMBO)This file photo combination image created December 13, 2016 shows the current key cabinet nominees of US President-elect Donald Trump who takes office on January 20, 2016.Shown top (L-R)nominees for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price and Energy Secretary Rick Perry .(2nd row top) (L-R) Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Commerce Wilber Ross and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin.(3rd row bottom) (L-R)Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Attorney General Jeff sessions and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson. Bottom row (L-R)Secretary of Labor Andrew Puzder, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. / AFP / STAFF (Photo credit should read STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Online there is a top ten and a bottom ten in almost every imaginable category. I thought it was only fitting to rank the ten worst Trumpster, members of the Trump team, starting with number ten. The criteria I used for assigning positions is their danger to the nation and danger to the planet. It was hard to fit everybody into just ten slots so I cheated twice, once with a tie, and once with a pair. Much of the information comes from the website Truth-Out and a composite bio put together by Agence France-Presse.

The Rankings

10. David Friedman is Donald Trump's nominee as Ambassador to Israel. Friedman has no clear qualifications for the job except that he is former Trump bankruptcy lawyers and is aligned with the Israeli far right. Not only is Friedman unqualified, he is the anti-diplomat, calling Jews who disagree with his positions on Israel the equivalent of Nazi collaborators. Friedman's positions supporting expanded Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands in violation of international agreements and on moving the U.S. embassy to the divided city of Jerusalem, will further antagonize U.S. relationships with the Islamic world. Friedman seems determined to enflame anti-United States terrorist actions. Rating: BAD.

Advertisement

9 Tie. Tom Price, Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services and Andrew Puzder, Trump's nominee as Secretary of Labor. It is hard to believe that Price is a medical doctor since he doesn't seem to care at all about patient health. He is a leading critic and wants to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which provides health coverage to over 20 million Americans. Puzder is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, which owns the fast food chains Car's Jr and Hardee's, and will be an anti-labor Secretary of Labor. To keep his company profitable Puzder opposes raising the national minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour since 2009. Puzder also backs increasing using robots to displace workers and keep labor costs down. Rating: BAD.

8. I thought the Secretary of State was supposed to represent the interests of the United States. But it is not clear whether Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, will be representing his old company, ExxonMobil, or his close friend and business partner, Russian headman Vladimir Putin. For decades ExxonMobil was at the forefront of efforts to discredit climate science. Meanwhile, from 1882 to 2002, ExxonMobil production and products contributed about 5% of global carbon dioxide emissions. But that's okay because Donald Trump does not believe in human contributions to climate change. Rating: VERY BAD.



7. Jeff Sessions for Attorney General. Donald Trump must have misunderstood the purpose of this position. The job of the Attorney General is to defend and enforce the Constitution of the United States, not to pretend it does not exist. While a Senator from Alabama, Session questioned whether the Constitution guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States, (14th Amendment), challenged the principle of separation of church and state (1st Amendment), declared same-sex marriage a threat to American culture, and voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. He was tried to gut the Voting Rights Act, champions the privatization of prisons, speaks against immigration and immigrants, and was once denied a federal judgeship because of racist comments about Blacks. Rating: VERY BAD.

6. For the Environmental Protection Agency Trump nominated Scott Pruitt, the equivalent of appointing an environmental axe-murder. As attorney general for Oklahoma Pruitt was a climate change denier who sued the EPA to prevent regulation of the fossil fuel industry. Oklahoma is the state that promotes unregulated fracking for natural gas, and as a result experienced 109 magnitude 3+ earthquakes in 2013, 585 magnitude 3+ earthquakes in 2014, 907 magnitude 3+ earthquakes in 2015. I guess Trump figures that Pruitt can work in tandem with ExxonMobil's Tillerson to raise ocean levels and pollute the atmosphere - poor polar bears, coastal city dwellers, and people who breathe. Rating: VERY BAD.

Advertisement

5. Vice-President-elect Michael Pence. Standing next to Donald Trump, Mike Pence seems almost normal, so you have to look at his record in Congress and as Governor of Indiana. Governor Pence led a national campaign to defund Planned Parenthood, signed the most restrictive abortion regulations in the United States, called discrimination against gays as religious freedom, transferred money from public to private schools, threatened to actively violate environmental protection laws, and opposed any regulation of assault weapons. In Congress Pence tried to restrict funding to help people with HIV/AIDS, opposed anti-discrimination laws, and called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Pence opposes most immigration reform proposals, supports building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican borders, and tried to block the settlement of Syrian refugees in his state. Rating: REALLY, REALLY BAD.

4. Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education is Betsy "Amway" DeVos. As a teacher and educational activist I wanted to rank her lower (higher?) on my list, but there are just too many really horrible Trumpsters. If DeVos gets her way, say good-bye to public education in the United States. A right-wing billionaire, DeVos has spent decades and millions of dollars in campaigns to privatize, defund, and destroy public education in her home state of Michigan and in the United States. DeVos is a product of Christian education and she and her family members are involved across-the-board in rightwing activities including anti-gay marriage efforts and covert for-profit military operations. DeVos never worked in public education in any capacity and her children all attended Christian academies that she wants to fund with federal vouchers. Rating: REALLY, REALLY BAD.

3. Trump's chief campaign strategist Steve Bannon will now be his right-hand rightwing man in the White House. Bannon was the executive chairman of the alt-right fake news Breitbart website. His appointment does not require Senate confirmation so there will not be public hearings on whether Bannon shares the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, and white supremacist views promoted at Breibart. Rating: TERRIBLY BAD.

Advertisement

2. Ivanka Trump (Donald's First Lady?) and Jared Kushner (Trump's Senior Advisor): Trump's daughter and her husband are the new power couple in Washington DC and offer a media friendly "socially liberal" veneer to cover over some of the President-elect's boorish behavior. Part of the problem will be that the public will want to like them, think Jackie O and Princess Di, and not look closely at what they stand for and are doing. Ivanka will resign as executive vice-president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization but apparently will continue selling jewelry and clothing, trading on her father's international brand name. Ivanka shoes are made by low-wage workers in China, but she appears to be shifting production to even lower-wage workers in Ethiopia. Right after Donald's election Ivanka was involved in lending her celebrity to a New York City charter school network and selling coffee time for a charity affair to wealthy investors who wanted to get close to the Trump family. Jared, like his father-in-law, started rich and became even richer through real estate deals. While advising Trump on appointments, Jared was privately negotiating a Manhattan real estate deal with a Chinese company that has close ties to the Chinese government. Ivanka and Jared claim they will comply with federal ethics laws, but if they do not get paid for advising Trump, they might be exempt from the rules and be able to use connections and influence to make heaps of money. Basically will are looking at two very attractive and shifty characters whose main job will be to make Trump look good. Rating: TERRIBLY BAD.

1. Donald Trump, who chose these people, may be the United States' first totally narcissist, megalomaniac President with the attention span of a tweet. Trump's philosophy in life is to win at whatever the cost for other people. That might make sense in the real estate business, but it is a disaster for running a nation. Trump made millions bankrupting Atlantic City casinos while stockholders lost money, employees lost jobs and the municipality was left with bills it could not pay. The global economy and military system work to the extent that they do because since World War II the United States has defined its self-interest as maintaining functioning systems. Trump's insistence on placing United States interests first, renegotiating all international deals, abandoning alliances, and winning at all costs is a recipe for World War III. Rating: SCARY AS ALL HELL.
Alexandra Katehakis and Center for Healthy Sex (CHS) have released their Annual Best/Worst Sex List for 2016.

It was a difficult and challenging year, especially seen through the lens of sexual health. It was a year in which politics came close to displacing sexual politics as the most-talked about topic on therapist couches.

Even the positive advances in the field of sexuality seem to have emerged surrounded by an undertow of oppressive conflict threatening to pull them back under in the future. As always, our intention is to bear witness, to be better informed, and to develop our compassion.

Advertisement

With this in mind, here is our annual list of the 10 Best & 10 Worst Sex Stories that made headlines this year, as well as 3 additional newsworthy stories that defy category.

Best Sex #1:

Supreme Court Protects Access to Abortion

The Story: On June 27, the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that Texas cannot place restrictions on the delivery of abortion services that create an undue burden for women seeking an abortion. On June 28, the Court refused similar challenges from Wisconsin and Mississippi.

Why this matters: Anti-abortion activists in state government have been enacting harmful regulations for years designed to impede a woman's right to an abortion. Abortion is legal and access is crucial for the sexual health of women and families.

Best Sex #2:

ICC Makes First Conviction for Sexual Violence

The Story: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. This year a Congolese politician became the first person to be convicted of crimes of sexual violence in war, as well as the first to be held directly responsible for subordinates' use of rape as a weapon of war.

Advertisement

Why this matters: Throughout history, rape has often been considered an inevitable consequence of war. Since 2002, the ICC has made many convictions but never for sexual violence until now. It's high time the historic practice of military rape as a tool of war had its day in global court.

Best Sex #3:

Oregon Court Rules "Non-Binary" a Legal Gender

The Story: In April, Jamie Shupe filed a sex change petition with the Multnomah County Court in Oregon to have their sex legally declared as non-binary. In June, a judge granted the petition, making Jamie Shupe the first person to be legally declared as non-binary in the United States.

Why this matters: The perception of gender as solely binary might be rooted in tradition, religious dogma, power, or other forms of bias but it is not a perception integrating the reality of chromosomal, physiological and psychological variations.

Best Sex #4:

Pentagon Ends Transgender Military Ban

The Story: Department of Defense regulations that ban transgender persons from US military service were repealed on June 30, 2016. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that medical coverage for transgender service members will include doctor-approved hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery.

Why this matters: It's estimated that more than 15,000 transgender people are already serving. It's vital for the policies and laws of America to support and protect transgender individuals in the military for their safety and respect.

Advertisement

Best Sex #5:

California Revokes Rape Statute of Limitations

The Story: Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill revoking California's 10-year statute of limitations on rape cases. However, the new law will only apply to crimes committed after January 1, 2017.

Why this matters: It takes years, often decades, to process the immediate trauma of sexual assault. This is especially true for a child. There is no set timeline in psychology for when a rape survivor will become capable of publicly revealing a rape, and there shouldn't be a timeline in the law.

Best Sex #6:

Africa Combats Female Genital Mutilation

The Story: Unicef released 2016 statistics on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) revealing there are 100 million girls and women alive having undergone the ritual cutting, 70 million more than previous estimates, with females in Egypt, Indonesia and Ethiopia accounting for half of FGM victims worldwide. As a result, Indonesia launched a national campaign this year to end the practice, while Egypt's parliament voted in August to increase penalties for those who perpetrate FGM.

Why this matters: At its core, this ritual is based in gender inequality, in age-old attempts to control women's sexuality. FGM is traumatic and can result in lifelong health consequences, with no reported health benefits.

Best Sex #7:

Celebrity Voyeur Lawsuits Bring Major Damages

The Story: Juries awarded $55 million to Erin Andrews and $115 million to Hulk Hogan in separate trials -- both had been filmed in the nude and the recordings were publicly uploaded to the Internet without their consent where they went viral.

Advertisement

Why this matters: Voyeurism is not a victimless crime. It is a sexual violation without consent and today's technology makes it more possible than ever. The court has sent a clear message this year -- consequences for voyeurism can be costly.

Best Sex #8:

Scientists Invent 8-Inch Bionic Penis Implant

The Story: Wisconsin scientists have invented a heat-activated metal penis implant made from nitinol, a metal alloy of nickel and titanium, that grows to 8 inches with the help of a remote control.

Why this matters: This new device is designed to help men with erectile dysfunction who don't respond to other treatments. Satisfaction rates with currently available pump devices are very high with 80%-90% of men reporting they would choose the surgery again.

Best Sex #9:

Birth Control Apps Arrange Home Delivery

The Story: At least six digital apps, including Planned Parenthood, now provide prescriptions written by clinicians after women answer questions about their health online or by video. Some apps even provide home delivery, no doctor or pharmacy visit needed.

Why this matters: There are too many restrictions to birth control, which should be available over the counter. These apps are easily available, easy to use, and they make it easier for women to manage their sexual health, which is a saving grace in these times.

Advertisement

Best Sex #10:

Obama Defunds 'Abstinence Only' Sex Ed

The Story: President Obama removed all funding for abstinence-only education in his proposed federal budget for 2017, cutting a $10 million per year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services that supports such programs, which have never been proven effective.

Why this matters: Despite the lack of scientific evidence, over the last 25 years Congress has spent nearly $2 billion on such "abstinence-until-marriage" programs. Research has proven that abstinence-only campaigns have been unsuccessful at preventing teen pregnancy or sexual activity. The programs are usually religiously driven and don't feature any actual educational components.

Worst Sex #1:

Trump Elected Despite Sexism, Sexual Assaults

The Story: During the 2016 campaign he took misogyny and casual sexism to unprecedented lows. Video tape showed Donald Trump bragging about forcing himself on women by outright grabbing their vaginas, which is sexual assault. Other women came forward credibly accusing Donald Trump of the very sexual assaults he bragged about. This man was elected President.

Why this matters: Forget about eradicating rape culture on college campuses and comprehensive sex education, the President-elect and his policies are a threat to sexual rights we've taken for granted.

Worst Sex #2:

Closeted Male Attacks LGBT Club in Orlando

The Story: Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard, killed 49 people and wounded 53 others inside Pulse, a gay Latino nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016. It was both the deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in United States history.

Advertisement

Why this matters: Sexual repression is a form of self-violence that, when projected outward, can be destructive and even deadly. Mateen's ex-wife claimed that his own father called him gay and her current fiance revealed their family believed he was gay. Officially, the shooting has been classified as an act of terrorism and a hate crime.

Worst Sex #3:

Roger Ailes Accused of Sexual Harassment

The Story: Roger Ailes, founder and former Chairman and CEO of Fox News, was forced to resign this year amidst allegations of sexual harassment. Fox privately reached financial settlements for a number of the cases, and Ailes went on to work as a political consultant for the Trump campaign.

Why this matters: The public relies on major media outlets for true and ethical reporting of world events. When a sexual predator presides over such a toxic environment, the quality of the news is suspect. Suppression of sexual misconduct continues to be a major stain on human society worldwide.

Worst Sex #4:

States Plan Anti-Gay 'Religious Freedom' Laws

The Story: A year ago, Indiana enacted the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" into law to protect Christian businesses that did not want to provide services to gays and lesbians, but after massive boycott threats and businesses' concerns the state was later forced to recapitulate, amending the law to ensure civil rights protections. This year similar laws were attempted in Mississippi and Georgia.

Why this matters: Within his first 100 days in office, the President-elect has pledged to join Congress and the Senate to pass the "First Amendment Defense Act," an anti-LGBT bill allowing businesses to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons based on religious beliefs. Homophobia goes to Washington.

Advertisement

Worst Sex #5:

Transphobic Bathroom Laws Cause Harm

The Story: On May 13, the federal government told public schools they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity or risk losing federal funding. In August a federal judge in Texas ordered a nationwide injunction blocking the policy. In retaliation, several states attempted to implement so-called "bathroom bills" to require transgender persons to use the restroom corresponding to their assigned gender at birth. Only North Carolina signed such a bill, HB2, into law resulting in nationwide outrage, boycotts, and lawsuits.

Why this matters: These terrible transphobic bathroom laws have resulted in cases of mistaken identities as cisgender women are mistaken for transgender and humiliated by patrons and police. Transgender individuals have experienced heightened harassment, fear, and trauma around this issue which speaks directly to the right to self-identify.

Worst Sex #6:

Zika Virus Found to Spread Via Sexual Contact

The Story: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in July that the mosquito-borne Zika virus can be sexually transmitted. Public health experts confirmed that Zika can be passed from a person who has Zika to his or her sex partners through sex that includes vaginal, anal, oral sex, and the sharing of sex toys even if the person does not have symptoms at the time.

Why this matters: Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus and infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. Eighty percent of people who become infected never have symptoms. Condoms can reduce the chances of infection.

Worst Sex #7:

Brock Turner Serves 3 Months of Rape Sentence

The Story: Brock Turner stood trial in March for sexually penetrating a 22-year-old unconscious woman behind a campus dumpster, in a case known as the "Stanford Rape." In June, Turner was convicted on three charges of felony sexual assault, carrying a potential sentence of 14 years in prison. But the judge only sentenced him to six months in prison, and after serving three months, Turner was released -- and the public was outraged.

Advertisement

Why this matters: The rape victim submitted to the court a powerful and profound 7,138-word victim impact statement describing in vivid detail her physical, emotional, and spiritual experience. Public outrage railed against the judge and a system of judicial bias in favor of male and class privilege.

Worst Sex #8:

Pakistani Council Approves Domestic Violence

The Story: Pakistan's Islamic Council on Ideology (CII) passed non-binding legislation this year recommending husbands should be allowed to "lightly beat" their wives. The CII was created so that democratically-elected legislators can seek clerical advice before implementing legislation that may conflict with Islamic law.

Why this matters: Possible infractions include if a woman defies her husband's demands, turns down sexual intercourse, refuses to dress up per his desires, interacts with strangers, or speaks too loudly. Pakistan's Human Rights Commission estimates 70 percent of Pakistani women have suffered domestic violence.

Worst Sex #9:

Anthony Weiner Caught Sexting Underage Girl

The Story: It was the final straw -- a photo of former Congressman Anthony Weiner in his underwear, his toddler child lying next to him on the bed while he sexts with yet another online woman. Huma Abedin, the wife who stood by his side through similar scandals, announced their separation in August. One month later it was reported Weiner knowingly engaged in sexting with a 15-year-old girl, provoking an FBI investigation.

Why this matters: What kind of person would endanger the psychological health of his own child with that kind of neglect? Who would repeat the same sexual activity that has led to his public disgrace not once, not twice, but multiple times? This is obviously an unwell individual utterly driven to destruction by compulsive sexual behavior.

Advertisement

Worst Sex #10:

Rehab Mogul Charged with Sexual Assaults

The Story: Christopher Bathum, a self-described "rehab mogul," founded 19 sober-living facilities in Southern California and Colorado where prosecutors allege he sexually assaulted female clients and provided some with drugs. He's been charged with 12 counts of furnishing drugs and 34 counts of sexual assault-related offenses, including rape, as well as money laundering, insurance fraud, grand theft and identify theft.

Why this matters: When operated ethically, sober-living homes are a great resource to the recovery community. The blatant abuse of power by criminals like Christopher Bathum defies the very concepts of safety and recovery.

The Rest #1:

Holland Grants Euthanasia to Sex Abuse Victim

The Story: A Dutch woman in her 20s was the victim of child sex abuse from the age of 5 to 15. Her post-traumatic stress disorder included severe anorexia, chronic depression, tendencies to self-harm, hallucinations, obsessions and compulsions. She was almost entirely bedridden. This year it was revealed that doctors in Holland granted her request for euthanasia, the first known case of legally assisted suicide to end trauma resulting from sexual abuse.

Why this matters: Euthanasia provides dignity for those who face unimaginable torment due to severe physical or mental dysfunction. The word comes from the Greek language meaning "good death."

The Rest #2:

Rolling Stone Loses U-Va. Rape Defamation Case

The Story: In 2014, Rolling Stone published an article by Sarbina Erderly titled "A Rape on Campus," depicting a gang rape at a fraternity at the University of Virginia. Rolling Stone retracted the story after it was revealed to be based on false information. The school's chief administrator for handling sexual assault issues filed a defamation lawsuit and in November 2016, a jury found Rolling Stone and Erderly liable for $3 million in damages.

Advertisement

Why this matters: This false story caused a lot of collateral damage. It's not inconceivable that a rape victim might behave erratically, mis-identify people or mis-remember events -- all symptoms of trauma. But it takes unbiased, investigative interviews of all parties involved to uncover the truth.

The Rest #3:

Urinal Technology Cleans Penis After Urination

The Story: There's a new toilet in town -- a team of Spanish inventors debuted a prototype for "Urinal 2.0," which is basically a urinal bidet. After urination, programmed sensors inside the urinal activate an automated cleaning service using a soap-and-water mix to wash the penis and then blow dry it in just three seconds.
There's a thing I say to my wife Kate from time to time that perfectly sums up our marriage:

"No matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, no matter what hardships life throws at me or challenges I am forced to endure, I always know that you will be there...to knock me down a peg."

It's not always easy being married to someone with high expectations. It took me a long time to recognize that Kate's frequent suggestions of how I can improve are expressions of love, not malice. Early on, I realized it wasn't enough to apologize for my behavior, because the apology was inevitably followed by "How did this happen???"- because if we don't know the cause, how can we be sure the behavior will NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN??? Rather than getting annoyed or confrontational, I learned that the best way to defuse such situations is three simple words - "I'll be better" - a simultaneous admission of guilt and willingness to change, but one that's doesn't commit me to any specific course of action or timeframe.

So the other day Kate and I were driving and, as often happens, I wasn't paying close attention to the "rules" of "driving" and made a turn in front of an oncoming car - not close enough that there was any danger of an accident, but close enough that the other driver recognized my grievous affront to her dignity and the dignity of drivers everywhere, and, seemingly in slow motion, gave me the finger while leaning on the horn and screaming "fuuuuccckkk yooooouuuuu" as she drove past.

Advertisement

This presented a predicament for Kate. On the one hand, she wants to be supportive of her loving and adoring husband. On the other hand, it was clear to her that I had fucked up in such an unconscionable manner that she can relate to the other driver's need to flip me off. While her sense of obligation might counsel her to take my side, her sense of justice told her I should be held responsible and pay for my crimes.

It was then that Kate introduced me to the concept of the fuck you sandwich. Rather just watching as I'm being flipped off, Kate - bearing witness to my transgressions and being true to herself in solidarity with the woman giving me the finger - would be waiting with a fuck you of her own when I looked back. No matter where I turned, I would be surrounded by fuck you, trapped in a pile of fuck you at the fuck you concert, an ocean of fuck you in every direction, with me the filling in an all-encompassing fuck you sandwich. Only then would I learn.

As with other sandwiches, there are different variations: open face (when it's just Kate telling me to fuck off); double-decker (Kate and two others); triple-decker (Kate and three others, perhaps at a dinner party); and on it goes. But then I got to thinking, how big could a fuck you sandwich get? What would an enormous fuck you sandwich look like? And what if the people involved in the fuck you sandwich were directing their anger not at my personal failings, but at the failings of Donald Trump. And then it hit me - what Trump needs to make him a better person is a gigantic, nationwide fuck you sandwich!

But, you might ask, what Trump failings would warrant a giant fuck you sandwich? Let's start with the lying. In a recent interview, Trump advisor Kellyann Conway tried to explain Trump's lies saying "You always want to go by what's come out of his mouth rather than look at what's in his heart." One would have hoped that what came out of Trump's mouth was "true" and would not be "made up" and would have "some basis in reality." But this is what it's come to - the soon-to-be-president's closest advisors saying you can't trust a word he says.

Advertisement

Yesterday's press conference was the last straw. The lying, the obfuscation, the dissembling about the campaign, the victimization and grudge against the media, the juvenile comparisons to Hillary, the puffery, the lying about Obamacare, the lying about Russia, the lying about his conflicts of interest, the lying about his tax returns. And it just keeps coming.

In the past few weeks, I've noticed a growing chorus of otherwise well-meaning people saying we should give Trump a chance, that we shouldn't pre-judge, that he hasn't even taken office yet and we need to come together for the good of the country and he might not be that bad. As if some switch will be magically flipped at the inauguration and Trump will suddenly become presidential.

The fact is that every action Trump's taken since he was elected - the cabinet selections, the lying, the tweeting, the open displays of ignorance - confirm what we already know we've got with Trump: A liar. A huckster. A fraud. A charlatan. A manipulative, self-involved, remorseless, ego-obsessed, conspiracy-theory-stoking, grievance-nursing, white-supremacist-coddling, 3rd-grade-maturity-level-exhibiting, immigrant-deporting, racist-sympathizing, grab-em-by-the-pussy, don't-give-a-fuck-about-anyone-but-himself, golden-shower-enthusiast Russian puppet with an inferiority complex. It's not going to change. There is no switch to flip. And now we are left to deal with the wreckage of the worst collective decision in American history.

So what's to be done? I suggest we follow the advice of a few good Americans. To paraphrase Kellyann Conway, do not believe a word Trump says as long as he is president, but instead, look into his heart - his cold, dark heart. To paraphrase Mitch McConnell, our goal is to make Donald Trump a one-term president (or less). And to paraphrase another great American patriot, Kate Hoff, our job is to be the colossal America-sized fuck you sandwich that Trump deserves, surrounding Trump with fuck you as far as his cucumber-shaded eyes can see. Only then will he learn.

To America, I promise that no matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, no matter what hardships life throws at me or challenges I am forced to endure, I will be a slice of bread in the biggest fuck you sandwich this country has ever seen.

Advertisement
At his confirmation hearing this week, the burden was on Jeff Sessions to prove to the Senate and to the American people that, if confirmed, he would have the independence and integrity necessary to serve as the United States Attorney General, even if that meant standing up to the man who put him in office. That is a burden that he utterly failed to meet.

As Sessions himself has acknowledged, the Attorney General is the people's lawyer, not the President's. This means that it is not the Attorney General's responsibility to defend the President's actions, no matter how unlawful; rather, it is his responsibility to defend the Constitution and the laws of the land and to tell the President "no" if he seeks to engage in activity that runs afoul of those laws. As Sessions put it in the past, ""[T]he attorney general has got to say no to the [P]resident if he wants to do something, just like a good corporate lawyer has to tell the CEO sometimes, 'We can't do it that way, Mr. CEO or Mr. President. You can do it this way, but you can't do it that way.'"

When Senator Sessions walked into the hearing room this week, there was good reason to be skeptical that he would be able, if confirmed, to fulfill that responsibility. As an op-ed on his tenure as Attorney General of Alabama explains, he "produced legally flawed opinions that were favorable to" the sitting governor, not to mention "conveniently[] aligned with the interests of one of Alabama's most politically powerful and deep-pocketed organizations." He was, as the op-ed put it, "a rubber-stamp loyalist." He is also incredibly close to the President-elect, having been the first sitting U.S. Senator to endorse Trump, an active participant in the campaign, and a close adviser.

Advertisement

Thus, coming into that room, Sessions needed to make clear that, if confirmed, he could put aside his ties to the President, and that he would be able to do as United States Attorney General what he was apparently unable to do as Alabama Attorney General. He didn't do it. To be sure, Sessions said in general terms what he was supposed to--that he would be willing to say no to Trump and that he wouldn't be a "rubber stamp"--but what other answer could he possibly have given? The real test was when he was asked about specifics, and when that test came, he failed to put his money where his mouth was.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, for example, asked Sessions about the conflict presented by Trump's multi-million dollar loan from Deutsche Bank, a bank that has been the subject of investigation by the current Justice Department for "creating and repackaging bad mortgage products." As one news outlet has explained, the Justice Department has been trying to reach a settlement with Deutsche Bank, but if that settlement is not reached by January 20, "a federal government run by Trump will have to decide how hard to push the bank that Trump owes so much to and that has been critical to Trump's fortunes." Somewhat inexplicably, given the many, many stories about this issue, Sessions told Blumenthal that he wasn't "aware of that case" and was "totally uninformed" about its merits.

Sessions also plead ignorance when Senator Blumenthal asked him about the Emoluments Clauses, key anti-corruption provisions of the Constitution designed to ensure that the nation's leaders serve the people's interests, and not their own. The Foreign Emoluments Clause prohibits the President, absent congressional consent, from receiving emoluments--compensation, gifts, or other forms of profit or gain--from foreign governments, while the Domestic Emoluments Clause prohibits the President from receiving them from state governments and their instrumentalities.

After acknowledging that the Clauses apply to the President, Sessions said, "[T]he discussion is to what extent does it apply and how does it apply in a concrete situation, which I have not studied." Perhaps just as Sessions has missed the Deutsche Bank stories, he's also failed to read the many, many stories about the constitutional problems posed by Trump's business and financial conflicts.

Advertisement

Sessions' response was not that surprising--he has long been disturbingly silent about Trump's Emoluments Clause problems and other extremely troubling aspects of Trump's candidacy, such as Trump's promises to take actions that would violate the civil liberties of American Muslims. But even if it is not surprising, it is troubling. And it is more troubling now than ever, after President-elect Trump's press conference yesterday in which he presented his plan for dealing with his conflicts issues--a plan that notably fails to adequately address the Foreign Emoluments Clause and does not even try to address the Domestic Emoluments Clause.


"It is time to for us to awaken to our true selves, to listen to what makes our hearts sing - to find our element." -- Sacha Abercorn, Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn

When terror and fear is left in a child, Sacha Abercorn OBE, the Duchess of Abercorn, explains it will "carry further destruction with it through a lifetime." In 1987, the Duchess founded The Pushkin Trust, which began as The Pushkin Prize in Ireland, a creative writing competition for primary schools in the North and South of Ireland to help children express their thoughts and feelings. Today, creative writing still remains at the central core of Pushkin activities that often use the environment as a source for inspiration. The overarching goal of their work is to develop the "wholeness" of every person, nurturing them through imaginative workshops or summer camps to find their 'voice,' i.e. to connect with the "energising, creative core that lies at the center of every individual." This year, the charity will celebrate its 30th anniversary. Its programs for children have expanded and evolved to include opportunities for teachers and entire school communities. For example, Pushkin's "Inspired Educators" program seeks to help teachers find their own "inner child" again.

Advertisement

In 2015, the Duchess of Abercorn visited America to share Pushkin ideologies and practice at the Creative Oklahoma conference in Oklahoma City, which is where we met. Sacha is the greatgreatgreat granddaughter of the famous Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin. It is my great pleasure to welcome her to The Global Search for Education.



"To be truly creative means to be a human being fully alive. What more can be asked of us!" -- Sacha Abercorn, Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn

Sacha, in this new information age, how important is it to help students cultivate their own 'voice'? How might this help them be better writers, communicators, employees, and citizens?

The challenge for our young people at this time is the struggle to retain their

sense of individuality, health and well-being in the face of over-whelming technology in this age of limitless information.

Advertisement

It is only by the nurturing of the heart and soul and by allowing children from the earliest age to be valued and listened to, by giving them ways to express their thoughts and feelings by creative means that this balance can be redressed.

It is time for us to awaken to our true selves, to listen to what makes our hearts sing - to find our element.

The finding of our own 'voice' comes firstly from recognizing that we have a story to tell. Over the past 30 years' experience with children involved in the Pushkin Trust, we have witnessed how thoughts and feelings have taken shape and form in short stories and poems and given the child a sense of self worth and motivation that has encouraged them to become life long learners.

The great maxim, "Unto thine own self be true," is perhaps what is needed now above all else. For how can we become good citizens and empathize with those around us if we have not first begun to understand that our hearts have equal value to our thoughts? To be a whole human being is the challenge of our time.

Pushkin himself was committed to social reform and emerged as a spokesman for literary radicals. How has his legacy as an artist but also a person influenced the Pushkin Trust?

Pushkin was a poet, a story-teller and a man of universal spirit. He was not a political figure.

As a human being, he lived life to the fullest. He experienced the heights and depths of what it was to be human in his short life and was able to express himself in every aspect of the written word from lyric poetry, prose poetry to short story and historical drama.

Advertisement

Pushkin's ability to give voice to the heart and to express it in words has made him the guiding spirit of the Pushkin Trust.



"We are talking about humanizing values which are encouraged by listening to our feelings, and finding ways to express them creatively, by allowing children to day-dream and by recording our dreams."

-- Sacha Abercorn, Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn

Do you see creativity as something that is properly valued in education today? What is the true value of creativity in our lives?

Because creativity which is to do with the non-rational aspects of our being cannot be given marks, it is unable to be valued on a par with our rational mind. If we learn our History or Geography or Mathematics, we can be assessed for being correct or incorrect. But how can we give marks for how we feel and therefore how we express ourselves?

To be truly creative means to be a human being fully alive. What more can be asked of us!

What kinds of essential skills to live a full and flourishing life are not taught today but should be?

Advertisement

In the work of the Pushkin Trust, we are not talking about skills because we are not talking about training.

We are talking about humanizing values which are encouraged by listening to our feelings and finding ways to express them creatively by allowing children to day-dream and by recording our dreams. The importance of tuning in to our own images instead of being bombarded by images from the television or computer games is paramount. It is vital to be able to turn inwards and discover our inner landscape - the world of the imagination from which life is regenerated.



"Young people today are pushed around so much that they have lost all orientation. The Pushkin Trust focuses on a stillness that allows a person to turn inwards and to become centered in themselves."

-- Sacha Abercorn, Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn

How do you see the Pushkin Trust pushing young people to create and exemplify good work - work that is excellent in quality, socially responsible and meaningful to its practitioners?

Young people today are pushed around so much that they have lost all orientation. The Pushkin Trust focuses on a stillness that allows a person to turn inwards and to become centered in themselves. From that center within flows their life force. This in turn brings about a re-calibration of their moral compass and the wholeness or holiness of the human emerges.

Advertisement

It is your 30th Anniversary this year, and in the words of Seamus Heaney, you will be "Celebrating the Marvellous". Tell me what that means to you.

It means we will not only be celebrating the voice of the child being heard in classrooms in Ireland and Russia and the cross-fertilizing of thoughts and ideas by way of the imagination between our two nations, but also we will be celebrating the voice of the teacher - the Inspired Educator. We will be celebrating that marvellous moment when child and adult, pupil and teacher are working together - the teacher no longer as authority figure but as psychopomp or keeper of the threshold. The story of the young Pushkin as a boy being told the fairy stories of his land by his old Nanny, Arina Rodionovna, was a perfect example of this. It was this early experience of story-telling that caught Pushkin's imagination and led him to be the voice of the soul of Russia. It is this voice that so many nations are seeking at this time.

Thank you Sacha.

(All Photos are courtesy of the Pushkin Trust)



C. M. Rubin with Sacha Abercorn, Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn

Join me and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Michael Block (U.S.), Dr. Leon Botstein (U.S.), Professor Clay Christensen (U.S.), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (U.S.), Dr. MadhavChavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (U.S.), Professor Andy Hargreaves (U.S.), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Jean Hendrickson (U.S.), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Honourable Jeff Johnson (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Dr. EijaKauppinen (Finland), State Secretary TapioKosunen (Finland), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Lord Ken Macdonald (UK), Professor Geoff Masters (Australia), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Shiv Nadar (India), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Dr. Pak Tee Ng (Singapore), Dr. Denise Pope (US), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Dr. Diane Ravitch (U.S.), Richard Wilson Riley (U.S.), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Professor Manabu Sato (Japan), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. Anthony Seldon (UK), Dr. David Shaffer (U.S.), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (U.S.), Yves Theze (LyceeFrancais U.S.), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (U.S.), Sir David Watson (UK), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Dr. Mark Wormald (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today.

The Global Search for Education Community Page
By Thomas Kennedy

All across the country in dozens of cities, communities are gearing up for January 14th, a national day of action where people will link arms and stand up against the Trump agenda, which threatens to deport millions of immigrants, rip families apart and drive millions of others to silence out of fear.

Here in Florida, we plan to do the same, but with a slightly narrowed focus. Across the country, but in Broward County in particular, we face an immigrant detention crisis. The use of private prisons and immigration detention centers to lock up undocumented immigrants in the United States has exploded in the past decade thanks to a congressional mandate dictating a "bed quota" for these centers. This quota requires that the Department of Homeland Security make 30,000 beds available for the detention of immigrants.

The detention of immigrants has become highly profitable for private corporations. Today, for-profit prison corporations manage 62 percent of ICE immigration detention beds, up from 25 percent in 2005. The high numbers of people detained at these centers equals big money for the industry.

Advertisement

These for-profit immigration detention centers have been called out repeatedly for human rights abuses. A scathing report by the U.S. Civil Rights Commission found that most detention facilities fail to provide adequate medical care, deny detainees proper legal representation, officials ignore cases of rape or sexual abuse and engage in Islamophobic behavior, such as barring Muslims from celebrating religious holidays.

For undocumented immigrants like my parents who live in South Florida, these statistics are troubling. My parents drive to work every day with the fear that one mistake could lead to their detainment. Just last month, my dad was involved in a minor fender bender, and although the situation fortunately did not escalate, it was nerve-racking to think that this small incident could have resulted in his detention.

Undocumented immigrants and allies did not stay silent, however, when Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz attempted to build a second private immigration detention center in Broward County here in South Florida. They organized with other activists and camped outside of the proposed site until they defeated the proposal.

While the proposal for a new site was scuttled, hundreds of undocumented immigrants are detained at a center in Pompano Beach, managed by The GEO Group, one of the biggest private prison companies in the world. A report released by the Seattle University School of Law and the immigrant rights group OneAmerica has detailed human right abuses at this center, including medical malpractice, a lack of proper care for detainees, sexual assaults, inadequate access to legal services and extremely low wages for labor performed by detainees.

Advertisement

Unfortunately, these accusations have not stopped South Florida politicians from taking thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the private prison industry. Senate records show that the GEO Group lobbyists paid between $220,000 and $360,000 to influence legislators. This money has allowed these companies to operate in Florida without fear of hard opposition from some state legislators.

Opponents of the private prison industry logged a major win when the Department of Justice announced its decision on Aug. 18th to phase out the use of private prisons. Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it will reexamine its use of private contractors for immigrant detention facilities. These victories are now under threat by the incoming Trump administration that promises to reverse many of the Obama administration policies. In fact, many are speculating that the industry will see a boost under President-elect Trump.

Despite this, a coalition of undocumented immigrants, community activists, and overall well doers are ready to stand up against the profiteering of human lives. As part of a national day of action organized by the immigrant rights organization United We Dream and its allies, these activists will go to the Broward Transitional Center,the Pompano Beach facility owned by GEO Group, to show the state - and the world - how immigration makes American great, by contributing to the economy as well as a vibrant and diverse culture.

The abuses against for-profit private prisons show that the privatization of the prison industry is wrong and immoral. These companies are financially successful at the expense of the liberty of human beings. The financial incentive to incarcerate people and keep them incarcerated is too great. It is time to do away with this industry that has profiteered from locking up hard-working people like my parents.

On January 14th, organizations such as SEIU, United We Dream, Students Working for Equal Rights & more will host a rally in front of the Broward Transitional Center, a private immigration detention center in Pompano Beach, to demonstrate that immigration is beautiful. It is what builds culture and love.



RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1236335523080270/

Advertisement
My commitment is I want always to remind people that when we think about civil rights it's not about white and black anymore. Diversity is such a broad idea and this idea of being inclusive is what we need to remind people that we need to be inclusive and that also means LGBT and so we have to continue to remind people that just as we fight for civil rights in the sixties and fight for civil rights in 2016 we have to make the LGBT community a part of that equation. When you look at some of the different stories that have come out of the past week we have to remind people that inclusion isn't just about race anymore, it isn't about gender, specifically women. It's about how people are living today and for me it's important to continue to tell those stories to remind people these are our equals, these are part of the broader community. They are the broader community and these are important stories we have to keep putting out there until people understand that they are just like you or I, they are me or you and they are our brothers and sisters and they have to be part of the greater good of sharing story.
Russian and Turkish military officials on Thursday agreed to coordinate airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria and signed a memorandum on combat flight safety during missions in Syrian airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry said, Sputnik reported.

On January 12, Russian and Turkish military officials held consultations on coordination of actions in the fight against terrorists in Syria at the Russian Defense Ministry.

"The memorandum establishes mechanisms of coordination and interaction between Russian and Turkish aircraft during airstrikes against terrorist targets, as well as measures aimed at preventing flight incidents involving aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in Syrian airspace," the ministry said in a statement.
Aside from some hard feelings on both the left and right, the sun has finally set on our divisive presidential election and a new day is about to begin when security analysts and global strategists try to construct a blueprint of what American foreign policy under President-elect Trump might look like. Will a stream of forceful if sometimes confusing tweets be enough to do the job? Hardly!

We all need to think more seriously as to where our country is headed. Presumably, President Trump will quickly discover this on the job.

Come Jan. 20, Trump will raise his right hand and swear to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States and will to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. While I leave much of this to constitutional experts to deal with in case Mr. Trump bends the law, shreds the Constitution or deploys any tactics that undermine our long-standing traditions, the focus of many will be our relations with the rest of the world.

Advertisement

Three key areas involving foreign policy will require Mr. Trump's immediate attention, each of which I'll deal with in a series of columns before and after his inauguration. This way, I can present my argument to readers in a simple, concise and digestible format. While there are three main topics (Middle East, China and Russia) I believe Mr. Trump will have to address immediately, this week I address the Middle East; next week will be about China; and we'll conclude this series with Russia.

Given furor recently over Israel, Syria and Turkey, the Middle East must take the lead. It's not as though the entire region is lacking in conflicts. It now must add another in the person of Trump himself, clearly a foreign policy novice, no matter how well-intentioned he might be.

While pundits inside the Washington Beltway fear that Mr. Trump will pursue an isolationist foreign policy, current events on the ground -- Syrian civil war, Yemen's upheavals and Iraq's ongoing sectarian violence, just for starters -- may end up shaping his policies toward the region. But don't assume for a second that Mr. Trump's approach is a furtherance of President Obama's seeming semi-detachment of the United States from Middle East problems.

Advertisement

On the Syrian front, for instance, I predict Mr. Trump will coordinate with the Syrian regime (an effort facilitated by Russia) to deal with Islamic State terrorism. The United States will adopt a stance far removed from that of the Obama administration. Mr. Trump's objective is to restore calm through restoration of the Assad regime as the latter now calls Trump a natural ally for fighting terrorists.

Call it another instance of strange bedfellows. After all, some argue that confronting Hitler in World War II made strange allies of Josef Stalin and the Allies.

As to the Iran deal, Mr. Trump needs to understand that ditching the admittedly controversial deal the West reached with Iran would free Iran from any restrictions vis-a-vis uranium enrichment. One thing is sure: If Trump moves forward with his campaign rhetoric, Russia and China will not support any re-implementation of sanctions. That in itself may start to show cracks in the Trump administration approach to global affairs, including his supposed friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After all, the two could easily end up on different sides in one of the most politically provocative foreign policy issues of the 2016 presidential campaign. Such are the dilemmas that arise in actual foreign policy.

Conversely, Mr. Trump could wait and see the outcome of Iran's upcoming presidential election. Will Iranian President Hassan Rouhani be re-elected? Or will a hardliner ascend to power? I do not see how Russia and China will relinquish their newly found access to the Middle East through Iran. Complicating the picture further: Western companies lining up to enter the Iranian markets will be furious and might hinder Trump administration efforts if and when it becomes clear that entry into Iran is suddenly being sabotaged by the American president.

Advertisement

As to Iraq and Yemen's ongoing turmoil, it's very hard to ascertain where Mr. Trump stands given his limited understanding of cores issues there. I am hopeful members of his cabinet will advise him well, so long as they do not pursue a militarized U.S. foreign policy, given how some retired military brass have been nominated to cabinet positions. Note: To defeat Islamic State terrorism, Mr. Trump must understand that without the cooperation of Iran and Russia, his efforts are doomed.

Another wild card: How Trump's fierce support of Israel and settlements in the Palestinian West Bank complicate prospects for peace in the Middle East. Complication rests not only with Trump's policy toward these settlements but also on the outcome of the investigation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and if he's charged with corruption. There's also the possibility of emergence of another intifada or uprising by Palestinians.
Lawyer holding document and speaking to jury in courtroom

Among the most disturbing aspects of Rex Tillerson's confirmation hearing -- he failed to disavow the idea of "a national registry for American Muslims"; he declined to offer an opinion on whether Vladimir Putin (pictured above with Tillerson) had committed war crimes; he said he didn't view climate change "as the imminent national security threat that perhaps others do"; and more -- was his general refusal to answer questions about ExxonMobil, the company where he has worked for 41 years and where he has been the CEO since 2006.

The members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were entitled to ask Tillerson about his career, his successes and failures, and the record of the company he has run, including its relationship with Vladimir Putin's Russia and its conduct with respect to climate change.

Advertisement

Tillerson refused.

When asked by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) about the ongoing controversy about whether Exxon knew about the magnitude of the climate change threat, but concealed it from the public, Tillerson replied with a prepared answer: "Senator, since I'm no longer with ExxonMobil, I'm in no position to speak on their behalf. The question would have to be put to them." When Kaine persisted, asking."Do you lack the knowledge to answer my question or are you refusing to answer my question?," Tillerson responded, "A little of both."

The Senate should reject Tillerson's response as entirely inadequate. The Senate, and the public, have a right to answers regarding Exxon's conduct while Tillerson was at the helm -- especially because Exxon's alleged deceptions on climate change are, right now, the subject of multiple federal and state law enforcement investigations.

Investigative reporting in the past year demonstrated that Exxon scientists have known and had told Exxon management for decades that burning fossil fuels was heating up the planet. But rather than educate the public on the dangers and change its business strategy, Exxon instead spent millions supporting efforts to publicly question and deny the science of climate change. There also are questions as to whether ExxonMobil has properly accounted for its oil reserves in the wake of global price drops and evidence of global warming.

Responding to those reports and other evidence, New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman issued a subpoena to ExxonMobil in November 2015. In response, ExxonMobil has provided Schneiderman with more than 700,000 pages of documents relating to climate change. On October 26, 2016, a New York judge ordered ExxonMobil to give Schneiderman additional records.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, in April 2016, Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey issued her own civil demand, seeking 40 years of climate change documents from ExxonMobil.

Yesterday, a Massachusetts judge handed Healey a big victory, ordering ExxonMobil to comply. Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Heidi Brieger firmly rejected the company's claim that Healey was on a political crusade or acting out of bias against the company.

ExxonMobil has responded aggressively to these investigations, filing an unprecedented federal lawsuit in its home state of Texas, in which it seeks to question under oath both Healey and Schneiderman about their motives for investigating the company. The judge in the case initially give ExxonMobil the green light to conduct such a probe, but he has backed off, for now, after the two attorneys general complained to a federal appeals court.

In the wake of her court victory over the company yesterday, Healey said, "Exxon must now end its obstructive tactics and come clean about whether it misled Massachusetts consumers and investors about what it knew about climate change, its causes and effects."

But the New York and Massachusetts investigations are not the only ones focused on ExxonMobil and climate change. ExxonMobil also faces an investigation from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, initiated in August 2016, examining a similar set of issues. In addition, in January 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice, responding to a congressional request to investigate ExxonMobil, referred the matter to the FBI.

Advertisement

There are a number of reasons to be concerned about Tillerson, not least that a man who has built a close business relationship with Putin and received Russia's Order of Friendship decoration is the wrong choice to check the wildly pro-Putin impulses of Donald Trump and designated national security adviser Michael Flynn. But the law enforcement investigations are a central problem.

If Tillerson were confirmed as Secretary of State, he would take the job under a cloud. Law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the allegedly deceptive behavior of the company he ran. He might be tied up in the litigation, with his own conduct at issue, and be forced to answer questions from investigators working for his own government. At the other extreme, Tillerson's powerful role in the government might create pressure for federal investigators to ignore the facts and shut down the investigation, especially under a president who shows little disregard for rules or ethics.

Given the ongoing fraud investigations against his company, the Senate should not confirm Tillerson, especially if he refuses to address senators' questions, right now, about ExxonMobil and climate change.
USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, Check up visit in doctor's office

As the 115th Congress begins its work, it's clear that Republican leaders are wasting no time - and leaving no procedural stone unturned - in their rush to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). They are moving at a breakneck pace to end a law that has helped 20 million more Americans gain health coverage, many for the first time. It has brought the country's uninsured rate to its lowest level in history. And it has been, without question, the greatest advance for women's health in a generation.



The ACA's benefits are myriad and very clear. To mention just a few:

Most health plans now cover women's health services like maternity care and contraception.

Most plans now cover, without cost-sharing, women's preventive services, including birth control and breastfeeding support, counseling and equipment.

Women - and men - with preexisting conditions can no longer be denied coverage because they have been sick. That means breast cancer and domestic violence survivors, women who have had cesarean sections and people with chronic conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes cannot be denied health coverage.

The law prohibits lifetime and annual caps on benefits, and other predatory practices, so that insurers can no longer take away your coverage when you get sick and need it most.

Women can no longer be charged more than men for the same insurance policies. Before the ACA took effect, more than nine in 10 of the best-selling plans on the individual market practiced gender rating, which cost women approximately $1 billion per year.

Discrimination in federally funded health care - including sex discrimination - is finally against the law.

Women stand to lose all this, and much more, if Republicans repeal the ACA. Indeed, doing so would jeopardize the health of millions of women and undermine the economic security of countless families.

Yet Republican congressional leaders seem undeterred. In the days or weeks ahead, they seem absolutely determined to take coverage away from tens of millions of people.

The big question facing the country is: What comes next?

And answers are just about impossible to come by.

That's because Republican leaders in Congress are refusing to provide real answers to hard questions about what happens to women - to those of us with preexisting conditions - to those who cannot afford coverage without the financial supports the ACA provides - if the ACA is repealed. The answers they give are designed to sound reassuring but, in fact, they are grossly inadequate.

Advertisement

When it comes to our health care, as with so much else, the details matter - a lot. We deserve transparency. With so much at stake, "trust us" simply isn't good enough.

In fact, reasonable people have no cause to trust opponents of the ACA. Republicans have been attacking the law since it was first introduced in Congress. But for more than six years, they have failed to coalesce around an alternative. They have failed to make clear their priorities for health care reform. They have failed to offer a better way.

Instead, they have spent precious time attacking and working to undermine a law that has helped millions of women, men and children in this country.

What do ACA opponents in Congress support as an alternative and what, if any, protections will continue under their ACA replacement law? The fact is: We don't know. But it's a question that urgently needs answers.

When we talk about international treaties, lawmakers like to say that trust without verification is a dangerous thing. It is indeed. And this is certainly true when it comes to something as critical as our health coverage. Offering no details - no verification - about a replacement package, Republican congressional leaders are asking us to trust them as they strip millions of their health coverage and economic security.

Advertisement
The only Arab member of the Security Council, Egypt, withdrew its proposed resolution after a talk between President Al Sisi with PM Netanyahu, and voted in favor of the resolution finally tabled, out of no choice, and that was just an illustration, though symbolic of Arab displeasure with the US. When exactly was the breaking point, the event which led Arabs to view President Obama with a very suspicious, if not to say, cynical attitude is not exactly clear. I can offer three possible such events. First, the attitude towards President Mubarrak of Egypt, and the support given to the Muslim Brotherhood there, something which seemed to be support for the forces of radical Islam, a direct challenge to all those Arab regimes, chief among them Saudi Arabia, which were fearfully watching the Arab Spring, viewing it as the greatest threat to their own survivability. Beyond that, there was the Arab displeasure with what was perceived as a display of American disloyalty to an old friend. Loyalty is an important element of Arab society and politics, and Mubarrak being the loyal ally of the US for three full decades was unceremoniously abandoned by the US. Second, it was the famous story about the Red Lines in Syria, the specific Obama Administration threat to act against Bashar Assad, if it was proved beyond any reasonable doubt, that he used chemical weapons against his own people, which it was. Obama's reaction? Words, and more words, in short, as the Arabs say, Kalam Fadi [empty words]. Third, and probably, the most significant example of American failed policy, was the tremendous effort behind the Iran nuclear deal. For many Arabs, this was THE breaking point. The US bending over backwards to appease the ONE country which was and is considered the greatest threat to stability and peace in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was not Arab concern for Israel's security which fueled their opposition to the deal, not any fascination with Netanyahu speech in Congress, but the fear of the Sunni world from the rising power of Shi'ite Iran. With that, we can see a connection to Kerry speech. For many Arabs, the speech was no more than a rant of a disgruntled politician, being too little and too late, another of the speeches given without any actions to support them. The Iran deal proved what the US could do when it really wanted to achieve a goal, so giving such an arousing speech in the last days of the administration was taken to be an empty gesture. Sure, many Arabs are elated to see the Israelis sweating and running amok against Obama, but clearly everyone knows, that there is a new sheriff in town, and what Kerry and his superior did not do in eight years, they will not do in eight days.
UNITED STATES - MARCH 10: Andrew Puzder, chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants Inc., speaks during an editorial board meeting in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, March 10, 2009. CKE operates and franchises Carl's Jr., and Hardee's restaurants in the United States and abroad. (Photo by Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The President-elect's appointees to cabinet posts seem to come from a Bizarro world, where characters are the polar opposite of what their new positions represent: an energy secretary who denies climate change and expressed the desire to shut down that department; a health secretary who wants to privatize Medicare; an attorney general responsible for protecting voter rights who has a track record of opposing voting rights.

One of the most Bizarro examples is Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants and nominee for Secretary of Labor.

Advertisement

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is clear: "to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment." Yet Mr. Puzder's public comments and his company's lingering controversies show him to be someone geared to undermine such a mission. He opposes improvements such as paid sick days or overdue adjustments in the minimum wage. Rather than advancing opportunities for wage earners, he wants to replace them with robots who, he says, "never take a vacation, they never show up late, there's never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case."

The DOL is responsible for enforcing workplace protections such as wage theft and health and safety, yet Mr. Puzder's company has a long track record of violations of these very laws. The National Restaurant Association (NRA), which lobbies to stop any measures that promote the welfare of workers, applauded Mr. Puzder's selection as Secretary of Labor, calling him an "active member of the association."

The Women's Bureau of the DOL has been a critical tool for improving the employment of women, who make up the majority of restaurant workers. Mr. Puzder's demeaning comments about women make him wholly unfit to oversee this bureau. His workers say they experience sexual harassment at even higher rates than restaurant workers in general - not surprising when the boss says, "We believe in putting hot models in our commercials, because ugly ones don't sell burgers."

Compare Bizarro nominee Puzder to the current Secretary, Tom Perez. Secretary Perez has used his office to initiate roundtables with workers to illustrate the need for and benefits from laws that raise their earnings and ensure they won't be fired or docked their pay when they're ill. He has reached out to business owners as well best practice employers who make the economic case for investing in their workers and want minimum standards to ensure every business does the same.

Advertisement

Or compare him to Julie Su, the California Labor Commissioner who would have been a candidate for Secretary of Labor had Hillary Rodham Clinton become president. Su's motto for the California Department of Labor came from a third-grader's drawing about garment workers that asked, "Cual vale mas, una camisa o una vida?" Which is worth more - a blouse or a life?

Last September I heard Su speak to representatives of state labor agencies responsible for enforcing paid sick days laws. "My job is to ensure labor laws are meaningful and real in every place in the state," she said, "to show that every working person is valued." When someone told her that 'wage theft' is a hostile term, she replied, "Wage theft is a hostile act."

Ms. Su described her approach to enforcement: "We are on the side of the law - that puts us on the side of good employers who play by the rules. It also puts us on the side of workers who've been cheated. We should be impartial, of course, in adjudication and fair in evaluating evidence. But we are not neutral. The law is on our side." For employers who threaten someone about their immigration status when they stand up for just treatment, Su's position was clear: "That's not only illegal, it's extortion under criminal law."
"So how's your day going?" asked the post office lady as I bought some colorful Cook Islands postage stamps (I'm very analog and love sending post cards on my travels rather than posting to Facebook).

Funny thing was, the way she asked I had a feeling that she would have lent an ear were I interested in sharing the details of my day, which by the way had gone splendidly. I was in the Cook Islands, after all.

When you ask a Cook Islander what the one reaction visitors have when visiting here, they invariably answer "the people are so friendly." Of course, the Cooks have the sun and sand and aqua waters you've always associated with the South Pacific, as do Tahiti and Fiji. But there are several ways the Cooks stand out from those other destinations.

Advertisement

First, it's the cheapest destination to reach by air. Air New Zealand flies here every Saturday on a Boeing 777, a 9- or 10-hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles, and frequently offers airfares around $899 round-trip, or even less with their occasional $400 off coupon codes, which bring the price down to a ridiculous $499-$598 round-trip (the country subsidizes the flights if you're wondering. Airfare to other South Pacific hot spots are usually $1200 round-trip or more).

Second, the main island, Roratonga, with its large lagoon, is a continuous land mass. Whereas your resort on Fiji or Tahiti might be isolated on its own island, the ones here are all on the same island so you can easily explore different resorts, restaurants, and attractions. The small airport is just a few minutes drive from most resorts. Once you land, you're there.

There are no high-rises, no chain stores, no McDonald's, not even a stop light. This is, as they say, Hawaii like it was 50 years ago.

When to visit: November to April is rainy season, so resort prices are lower, and November to March is cyclone season, although the country hasn't had a serious storm in several years, and July to October is "whale season" during which cavorting whales and their offspring are visible from the shore.

Advertisement

Things to do: Take a sunset cocktail cruise on the lagoon. Several resorts offer these.

Visit the Whale and Wildlife Centre and Cafe. Ask them to let you feed a minnow to their resident rock fish and enjoy some excellent coffee in the cafe.

Take a Tik-E electric tuk-tuk tour with Karl Jackson, a New Zealander expat. Anything you ever wanted to know about the Cooks will be revealed.

Attend a Sunday church service: Sunday services are colorful events when women sport elaborate Polynesian head dresses and the choirs are uplifting.

Take a BBQ lagoon cruise with Kia Orana Cruises and enjoy just-caught charcoal-grilled fish and other treats while you visit empty, white sand beaches and snorkel among the reefs. Unlike some of the lagoon cruises here, this one accommodates just eight guests so it's much more manageable and intimate. $125 per person or $800 for a private charter up to eight people.

Obviously, snorkeling and diving are popular here. The Dive Centre in Aroda is the place to go. Also of note: Cross-island treks, Jungle Quad Tours with Coconut Tours, and the Te Vara Nui Village with its "Legends of Tongaiti" show featuring the islands' finest dancers and musicians.

Advertisement

Connectivity: This is an interesting aspect of any visit to the Cooks, and there's good news and bad news. There is no such thing as "free WiFi" here because all data is transmitted by satellite rather than less expensive undersea fibre optic cables and there's only one provider. Check rates at bluesky.co.ck (100 megabytes start at NZ$10, or 20 cents per megabyte). The good news: while you can get online if you must, you end up asking yourself how much it's worth it to pay to sort through email and read all the depressing news from back home. Instead of Facebooking or Insta-bragging your trip, send a postcard. Postage back to North America is about 70 cents. Or read a book and relax on the talcum-powder-sand beaches. Costly internet connection rearranges your thinking about what's really important.

Cuisine: There are over 50 cafes and restaurants on Roratonga, operated both by the native-born and New Zealand expats. Fish and other seafood are the thing to have here. You eat what was caught that day.

Reserve dinner at Tupuna's Restaurant for fresh coconut crab and the creamiest, most decadent cheese cake you will ever taste. Moorings Cafe offers fresh fish sandwiches and addictive smoothies. If you think you don't like fish, it may be because you haven't eaten it here.

One word to know: kia orana. It means hello, may you live long, and many other things.

Getting around the island: many resorts offer shuttle service, and you can rent cars and mopeds (drive on the left). A public bus circumvents Roratonga every 30 minutes and costs NZD$5 per ride, $30 for ten rides, or $16 for an all day hop on, hop off pass.



Where to stay: The three most luxurious resorts, on Roratonga, according to TripAdvisor.com, are Rumours, Te Manava (13 self-catering villas) and the recently-opened Nautilus with 20 stylish villas and apartment units. There's no government tax on rooms (yet), however resorts add a surcharge to use credit cards (typically four percent). On Aitutaki, the other most-visited island,the 27-room Pacific Resort is the place to stay.

Advertisement

Shopping: Stores close around 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon on Saturday. Everything is closed on Sunday. Jewelry designed from highly polished shells, carved by local artisans, make a beautiful gift.

Excursions: A 50-minute flight to Aitutaki, the other major island in the Cooks, is a popular option. All resorts here are beachfront or waterfront. There are many other smaller islands to explore, but without scheduled air service.

Etiquette: don't be surprised if you're greeted with a kiss on the cheek instead of a handshake, even on a first meeting. These people really are friendly! People speak their minds, even to strangers.

Tipping: is not customary.

Currency: the New Zealand dollar (currently equal to 69 cents U.S.)

Interesting fact: the country will most likely be the first to run on 100% renewable energy. The current plan is that it will happen by 2020, although the Prime Minister assured me that it will happen before then.

Passports and visas: stays of up to 31 days with a valid passport and return ticket, with extensions up to 5 months.
Just weeks after the surprise deaths of mother-daughter duo Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, the soul-stirring HBO documentary "Bright Lights" moved audiences to laughter--and tears--at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), where it played to a packed house earlier this week. Other screenings of the deeply moving endeavor, directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, are on the festival roster, but Wednesday night's screening was shrouded with intrigue and empathy for a number of reasons.

For starters, it was one of the very first times people gathered en masse to view "Bright Lights" after the passing of Fisher and Reynolds last month. Fisher died on Dec. 27 from complications of a heart attack (she was 60); Reynolds died of a fatal stroke one day after her daughter (she was 84). Twist of fate or divine timing, the loss of the two famous entertainers left Hollywood and fans stunned and heartbroken. The PSIFF screening morphed into a rare opportunity for a large group to celebrate the lives of the famous performers.

"We obviously programmed [the film] at this festival when Carrie and Debbie were alive," co-director Stevens told the crowd prior to the screening. "Debbie loved Palm Springs, and there are a couple of shots in the film of Carrie and Debbie here. Obviously, there has been a big turn of events, but we felt it was important to still screen this."

Advertisement

Stevens went on to say that he didn't change a frame in the doc since the legends' deaths. "We were shocked and devastated," he went on, "but I don't want to get emotional right now."

That came later.

As the documentary unraveled, it became evident that the audience was more than a traditional biopic. No. This was a different kind of love story--a positively unique one shared between a mother and daughter, two consummate performers with equal parts wit and charm.

Sired from an original idea that Fisher, the famed "Star Wars" actress and "Wishful Drinking" author--had several years ago to document her relationship with her mother, the end result does several things very well. It illuminates why Reynolds maintained her celebrity beyond her breakout film "Singin' In The Rain"--style, grit, class--and it also gave us a closer look at the inner workings of Fisher, whose sense of humor, struggles with mental illness, and devotion to her mother shined through brightly. That the doc manages to capture the rare symbiosis the two women shared is an achievement. In the hands of other filmmakers, we'd be inundated with a gaggle of "talking heads." Not here.

"They're just performers through and through," noted "Bright Lights" editor Sheila Shirazi on the red carpet prior to the screening. "If you look at old footage, they're always singing showtunes, singing around the piano together. They really were dyed-in-the-wool showbiz people."

Advertisement

Asked what challenges she faced while compiling, literally, an auditorium-sized vault of vintage home movies kept by Carrie's sibling Todd Fisher, Shirazi says: "I think the temptation when you are making a movie like this is to get bogged down in the details. You want to tell everything about their fascinating lives. We really chose to focus on the relationship, keeping it focused on the present while touching on the past to help you understand the larger context for their relationship."

Judging by the roar of applause by the time the credits rolled, it's apparent the filmmakers managed to capture it all effectively. In the meantime, as Hollywood still mourns the fading of these two magnanimous stars, the numbers have been tallied over at HBO, where "Bright Lights" premiered shortly after the stars' death: An impressive 1.6 million viewers tuned in.
In one of his first tests as President, Donald J. Trump will have to decide whether to uphold an eleventh hour appointment by the Obama Administration giving carmakers the keys to the development of robot cars.

Will Trump let the robot car manufacturers guard the robot car factories?

Yesterday, General Motors CEO Mary Barra was appointed to lead the new car industry-dominaed Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation (ACAT), with every single major robot car maker and developer represented on the body, but not a single consumer advocate.

Along with legendary auto safety pioneer Joan Claybrook, my consumer group Consumer Watchdog called for Barra to be Trump's first firing and for the panel, charged with developing robot car, drone and other key technology, to have consumer group representation.

Advertisement

The gift to the robot carmakers was made by Dep. of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who along with National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration Administrator Mark Rosekind, are almost certain to go to work of the robot car industry. Both refused to take a pledge not to work for the companies they regulate.

The issue is critical for Trump because what's at stake is not just the security of our vehicles and the safety of our roads, but millions of blue collar jobs now held by truck drivers, taxi drivers and ride sharing workers.

"As you know, robot cars, trucks, drones and other technology threaten to replace tens of millions of American jobs, pose a danger to the safety of our roads and public spaces, and come with significant privacy and security threats," we wrote in a letter to the president-elect. "We should not allow the robot makers alone to oversee the safety of vehicles coming out of robot factories, but the Obama Administration's eleventh hour appointments do just that."

Advertisement

Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx announced formation of the 25-member Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation on Wednesday. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday. Thirteen of the members represent companies; more come from industry trade associations.

"In keeping with your campaign pledge to 'drain the swamp' and protect the interests of ordinary people, we ask that the first firing of your Administration be co-chair Mary Barra," we wrote.

"Autonomous vehicles may offer benefits in the future, but it is imperative that any testing on public highways be done in a completely transparent way to ensure the public's safety is protected," the letter said. "Consumer Watchdog cannot fathom how a committee dominated by companies and trade associations will advocate for safety when doing so might cost money however minimal."

Uber has a seat on the panel, along with all other major industry players, and some academics.

The letter explained how Uber recently refused to obtain required permits from the state Department of Motor Vehicles as 20 other companies had done to test its robot cars in San Francisco and moved them to Arizona. The company appeared to do so to avoid mandatory reporting of accidents and problems encountered by the technology, as DMV permits require. When the DMV said it would take Uber to court, Uber took its robot cars out of state.

At a news conference Wednesday Trump warned about the dangers of hacking and said that he was asking for a report recommending necessary defensive measures the United States should take. Autonomous vehicles pose a serious terrorist threat if they can be hacked and turned into a weapon. A carmaker dominated panel is very likely to put development first and security last.

Advertisement

"The companies pushing to market and sell robot cars on us have shown little willingness to protect our data," we wrote. "Google executives, for instance, refused to agree to use data gathered by an autonomous vehicle only for navigating the robot car, not for other purposes".

How Trump handles these midnight appointments will be an interesting barometer for his presidency.

GM has been in his sights over loss of factories and sending a message to the car industry and Barra about public accountability is squarely within his wheel house.
Sessions, who has consistently voted against abortion rights in the Senate and has a 0% rating from several abortion rights groups, told senators overseeing his committee hearing that although he believed Roe v. Wade violated the Constitution, he would defend it.

"It is the law of the land, it has been settled for some time," Sessions said. "I will respect it and follow it."



Sessions said, however, that he believes the decision was a "colossal" mistake by the Supreme Court.
There is no doubt that the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election was a surprise for all of us. The polls, Democrats, Republicans, and all of the pundits got it wrong. But despite our loss at the presidential level, the fact of the matter is that as a party, we continue to be intact... and still growing.

As a party, a majority of people voted for our presidential candidate. To be clear, Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.5 million votes, in comparison to Mr. Trump.

As a country, we have the responsibility to continue moving forward and work together and continue to look for solutions to the problems our country is facing. And yes, that includes working with Republicans. As President, Trump has the responsibility to govern for all Americans, despite their political preference.

Advertisement

What did we learn during the 2016 Presidential Election?

The Latino vote continues to grow. In part, because of the work of our party, many organizations, including the Digital Agency 'Espora', and the Clinton Campaign - the most inclusive and diverse campaign in the history of The United States - more than 13 million of Latinos voted across the country. That's a record number in terms of participation in comparison to the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.

Despite what critics and pundits want to say, the fact is that a majority of Americans support the political agenda of our party.

As Americans, we must reflect and look for ways to come together.

Even though The United States is one of the strongest Democracies in the world and Secretary Clinton is much more prepared than her former challenger, it seems that part of the problem behind of all of this is the sad truth that The United States still isn't ready for a female president.

In the coming years, we must assure that the feminist movement continues to grow and empower women across our country to run for elected office.

Advertisement

As sons and daughters, we must all be feminists, and as a country, we must ensure that our mothers, sisters, daughters, wife's, our female family members and friends, all have the same rights as the rest of our society.

In addition, we must make it our mission to elect more women to all levels of Congress; only then can we assure that our country continues to move forward.

As Democrats, we have a little less than 24 months to take back control of The Senate and The House of Representatives.
Five Malian soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine in the centre of the country, Reuters reported.

The explosion occurred between the central Segou and Mopti regions.

"We have lost five men. Their vehicle set off a mine. They were all in the same vehicle," a Malian military official told AFP yesterday.

Another Malian military source confirmed the blast and blamed "terrorists" for the killings, without naming any group.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Fear in immigrant communities started to build long before the 2016 presidential election, amid Donald J. Trump's promises to increase deportations dramatically if he won. Although Trump's policy positions have sometimes shifted--is he planning to ban Muslims, or not?-- this core tenet has stayed constant. As the country marches towards the inevitability of January 20, 2017, and Trump's assumption of the presidential mantle, immigrants are scrambling to prepare for an enforcement onslaught.

Americans differ over whether Trump's immigration stance will help or hurt the United States. It also remains to be seen how swift and strong his "deportation force" will be. But there is one group in particular that sees economic benefits from any crackdown: people who prey on immigrants by offering shoddy or nonexistent legal "services."

Advertisement

Immigrants are ideal victims. They shell out money they can ill afford in the hope of securing the ability to live and work here. People pretending to be lawyers, and attorneys who promise to fulfill immigrants' wishful thinking, can put themselves on a path to at least temporary riches when policy upheaval is on the horizon.

Immigrants who have a valid opportunity to remain lawfully in the United States may find that chance destroyed if eager attorneys take on more cases than they can manage, and risk mishandling them. As one colleague likes to remind me, sometimes the best-case scenario is losing money on an attorney who does nothing. The much uglier scenario is where an overly occupied attorney, or someone pretending to be an attorney, files case documents that trigger deportation.

From many attorneys' perspective, these are the ne'er do wells who diminish the profession's credibility. But there is no point in denying their existence. All human beings are flawed, we all make mistakes, but some people exploit immigrants as a business practice. The legal profession can be no more perfect than humanity itself.

One of the more notorious swindlers of recent years--non-attorney Stella Figueredo--bilked her "clients" of hundreds of thousands of dollars running an unlicensed law practice. Another scoundrel, John Waldemar Lugo, snared "clients" by claiming that he was a former immigration officer and a law school graduate. In reality, he had provided security services to an immigration detention center, where he apparently identified a population vulnerable to fraud. Both Figueredo and Lugo eventually came to the attention of state Attorney Generals (New York for Figueredo and Texas for Lugo) and were ordered to cease their illegal activities. The New York order also landed Figueredo more than $1 million in the hole.

Advertisement

These stories beg the question, how can you tell? How do you know when someone wants to help you, not just himself? There are a few steps, listed below, that are simple and effective in screening out non-attorneys or known charlatans, but my sense is that few people use them. Attorneys' business models and lures may also provide clues, though those clues are far more subtle, variable and subjective.

Screening Tool 1: Is the service provider a licensed attorney?

That's an easy one. Every state bar organization has a list of licensed attorneys, and if you ask the service provider where he is licensed to practice you should be able to verify his claim on line. Conveniently, the American Bar Association (ABA) has compiled links to every state's directory of licensed attorneys here. There is simply no excuse not to check the directories, and it can nip scams in the bud.

Screening Tool 2: If the service provider is a licensed attorney, has that attorney been reprimanded or suspended from practice?

Again, the ABA makes this question easy to answer, by providing links to state disciplinary authorities here. A disciplinary history does not automatically disqualify an attorney. Imagine a twenty-five year old lawyer who misses a deadline and negatively alters the course of a client's life, but who, after a one-year suspension from practice, spends the next decade building a stellar reputation. You may view this attorney differently from the guy down the block who is currently in disciplinary proceedings, after receiving a public reprimand only a few years back. Or maybe you won't. It's your choice to make, once you have armed yourself with information.

Screening Tool 3: Ponder attorney business models. What signals do they send?

Attorneys have a range of legitimate business models. Some charge flat fees, typically when the amount of time necessary to complete casework is foreseeable. In some instances, hourly rates may be preferable, in particular if the amount of work is hard to predict.

Advertisement

But there are some business models that I find perplexing. For example, an attorney might charge his clients a monthly fee, with no stated end-date or final lump sum amount, for the privilege of being on his roster. Paying monthly installments to reach a final total over the life of a case--sure. We all recognize that as a payment plan. But the other sounds more like a membership fee. I have difficulty seeing how it benefits anyone but the lawyer.

One client told me a story about an all-cash, up-front payment that I found troubling. According to the client, a previous attorney insisted on going to the bank with him so that he could withdraw the entire case fee, which amounted to thousands of dollars, and pay it then and there. Does something feel wrong about that? Does it give you the impression that the attorney planned to evade taxes? If the attorney is willing to lie to the government, might he be willing to lie to you? Try to understand the messages that financial behavior sends.

If a client wishes to pay in cash, so be it. And some attorneys rightfully prefer being paid up front instead of chasing well-earned fees after the fact. It was the attorney's insistence on a large all-cash payment that was troubling.

One of the most dangerous lures is the guarantee of success. If a potential client calls an immigration law office, and is promised success in his case even before the attorney has conducted a consultation, that office has waved a big red flag warning him away. In general, promising success makes no sense. The government, not the attorney, holds the keys to the castle.

A few months ago, a potential client scheduled a consultation and said he would bring in the full legal fee for a green card application. I had to tell him that I couldn't take the case (or the fee) before our meeting. My takeaway from the conversation was that he believed his proposed sequence of events was standard practice. It should not be.

Advertisement

Advertising a high success rate can be problematic, particularly if there is little to no indication of the complexity of the cases or the nature of "success." Taking an example from criminal law, would you find that acquittal on one count outweighs conviction on four others, and therefore indicates "success"? It would have to depend on the strength of the evidence on each count, among other factors. The point is that general claims like "95% success rate" are not very meaningful.

Free consultations can be tricky. Obviously, no attorney makes money on the service. Certainly, an excellent and experienced attorney may offer free consultations when starting up a new practice. In many areas of the law, free consultations are the norm. But if you walk into an immigration law office, and there is a crowd of people waiting for free consultations, pause and think about it. How is the attorney making up for the unpaid hours? Does the attorney take more cases than she can handle? Or does she charge excessive fees? Maybe she has good answers to these questions. I don't know.
"Don't make art as a career," says award-winning American artist Dan Graham. "Because that means you're just doing the same boring things that you reacted against in the beginning."

In this short interview Dan Graham offers advice to younger artists by tallying up the best and worst things about art schools: visiting many different artists, going on class excursions and having access to books are all important opportunities for the young artist. Also art schools might give access to technical schools so you can earn a living. The worst? "Trying to make art theoretical and misuse of the word 'problematize'," says Graham with a tongue-in-cheek poke at the contemporary art world. Furthermore Dan Graham advises young artists to go and experience great art in museums.

Advertisement

Dan Graham (b. 1942) is an award-winning American conceptual artist whose work spans across curating, writing, performance, installation, video, photography and architecture. He is perhaps most known for his pavilions, which he has designed since the late 1970s and which have been realized across the world. His work has been shown at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, USA, Musee d'art Moderne de la ville de Paris, Paris, France, Kiasma Museum, Helsinki, Finland and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebk, Denmark. Graham's works are also shown numerous times at prestigious events such as dOCUMENTA in Kassel, Germany and at the Venice Biennale, in Italy.

Dan Graham was interviewed by Christian Lund in his home in SoHo, New York, October 2015.

Camera: Pierce Jackson

Edited by: Klaus Elmer

Produced by: Christian Lund

Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2016
The first tax deadline of 2017 is rapidly approaching - January 17! Scared you, didn't I? Well, for independent contractors or self-employed folks that date is when the final payment of estimated taxes for 2016 is due. If you, like millions of other Americans, are making extra money (or trying to) doing side hustles, gigging, freelancing, consulting, or moonlighting, it is important to figure out how much you are making so you can pay your estimated taxes. It is important for two reasons: first - pay as you go is required under our system of taxation; second, if you underpay by too much, you can owe penalties and interest - and no one wants that. Here's what you need to do right now.

Track Your Income and Expenses - During my career, I've met people that were shocked to receive a 1099-MISC. Somehow they forgot about assisting a photographer, painting a house, or writing an article they were paid for until they got that 1099. Though any time you make more than $600 from one client they are required to issue a 1099-MISC to you and send a copy to the IRS, some businesses issue them regardless of the amount paid and some that should have issued one - don't. Keep in mind, whether you received a 1099 or not, you are responsible for reporting all the income and expenses from your business. If you made money it is generally taxable whether you get a 1099-MISC or not. Maybe you moved, maybe it got lost in mail, maybe the company just decided NOT to send you one - but DID send it to IRS. In any case, keeping track of (and reporting) your earnings is the rule and just smart business. Tracking your expenses is as critical as tracking your income when it comes to self-employment - those expenses can add up to a lot of deductions when used appropriately. Don't wait until the end of the year to review your income and expenses or you may find that you didn't pay enough or paid too much in estimated taxes.

Advertisement

Pay Estimated Taxes - Ideally, you paid taxes as you made money throughout the year - at least enough to cover your liability. If you didn't make your estimated payments - on time or at all - then try and figure out what you owe and pay extra with your 2016 Estimated Tax 1040-ES 'Payment Voucher 4.' That's the one I mentioned earlier as due January 17. Hurry up, because the IRS could charge you a penalty for no or late payments - even if you are due a refund. There are many tax details to contend with when you are self-employed and determining and making estimated tax payments can be complicated. Find a good Tax Pro to help you determine the right amount of estimated payments and ensure that your taxes are done right. You will save yourself time, stress, and maybe even money. If you've got it all figured out and you know what your final 1040-ES payment for 2016 should be, use IRS Direct Pay to make your payment quickly, safely, and securely.
A politician counting money in front of the US Capitol Building

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Trump's choice to be the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coordinated an effort by Republican state attorneys general to oppose the confirmation of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

Pruitt then used this effort as a basis to request financial support for his federal Political Action Committee (PAC), called Oklahoma Strong.

Advertisement

In a March 2015 email (see here) that he sent to supporters of Oklahoma Strong, Pruitt boasted of his effort to block Garland's confirmation.

Donors to Oklahoma Strong include major energy interests and leading D.C. law firms. Many of these donors have interests before the courts that could have been significantly affected by the confirmation of Garland.

Oklahoma Strong has raised more than a third of its total funds from the energy industry, according to reporting by Politico. These have included contributions from Joe Craft, the President of the coal firm Alliance Resources, and from J. Larry Nichols, the founder of the fracking giant Devon Energy.

Pruitt is well known to have strong ties to the energy industry. A 2014 New York Times investigation revealed that Devon Energy lobbyists had drafted letters for Scott Pruitt, which he in turn sent to the EPA and to the Department of the Interior under his own name and with almost no changes. Eric Lipton of the Times received a Pulitzer Prize for this reporting.

Advertisement

Other donors to the PAC have included David Green, the CEO of Hobby Lobby, and Harlan Crow, the billionaire real estate developer from Texas who is reported to be a close personal friend of Justice Clarence Thomas. Partners from major U.S. law firms with interests at the Supreme Court, including Reginald J. Brown at Wilmerhale and David B. Rivkin at Baker Hostetler have also contributed.

On March 16, 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to become a Supreme Court Justice, taking the seat vacated by the late Antonin Scalia. The next day, a letter was sent to Senator Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and to Senator McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, urging them to block Garland's confirmation. That letter was signed by 21 state attorneys general, all Republican.

According to the email from Oklahoma Strong, Pruitt had asked his fellow Republican attorneys general to sign the letter, acting in his role as board chair of the Rule of Law Defense Fund (RLDF).

The RLDF is a so-called "501C4" organization, which means it is not required to publicly disclose any information about its sources of funding. It was created in 2014 by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), with which it shares staff and office space and holds some joint events.

RLDF is highly secretive about what it does. For example, it does not put any details about its activities or meetings on its website.

Advertisement

Despite this, the Center for Media and Democracy obtained an agenda for one RLDF meeting via a public records request. This meeting, held in April 2016, featured a session about blocking the Clean Power Plan. Scott Pruitt was a speaker on that panel, which also included David Rivkin, a partner at the law firm Baker Hostetler. Rivkin, also a donor to Oklahoma Strong PAC, is representing the state of Oklahoma in the lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan, which will likely end up at the Supreme Court.

Currently, only two funders of RLDF have been identified, both with deep ties to the fossil fuel industry.

One is Freedom Partners, the mega-fund created by Charles and David Koch, which gave RLDF $175,000 in 2014. The Kochs own Koch Industries, which operates a network of oil and natural gas pipelines and refineries.

That isn't the only connection of RLDF to the Kochs. In 2015, RLDF appointed Samantha Dravis as its President, in a shared position with RAGA where she serves as Policy Director and General Counsel. Dravis joined RLDF from Freedom Partners, where she had been the organization's Legal Counsel.

The other known RLDF donor is the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), which gave RLDF a $25,000 contribution in 2014. EEI is the trade association for the utility sector, and has already engaged in litigation in an attempt to block the Clean Power Plan.

Advertisement

Unlike RLDF, RAGA must publicly disclose its funding sources. According to the Center for Media and Democracy's analysis of IRS filings, RAGA has raised almost $4 million from fossil fuel industry connected entities since 2014, including ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy and the American Petroleum Institute.

The Center for Media and Democracy has previously released other materials on both RAGA and RLDF. These materials demonstrate the efforts of the two organizations to block the Clean Power Plan, and to help stall state investigations into ExxonMobil for its role in promoting climate change denial.
What was it like to leave Google to start ThirdLove? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

What was it like to leave Google to start ThirdLove?

The scariest part: The scariest thing about leaving Google was the fact that I gave up a good gig, and a salary. I was reporting to the VP of Americas marketing, working on some really interesting projects and I loved my co-workers (one of my closest friends still today is someone I met in my first week of Google). Leaving a well-paying job to bootstrap a company, with no income coming in, is scary. It took me months of discussion and contemplation before actually taking the plunge to start ThirdLove.

The most exciting part: When you're about to start a company, the world is rosy. We had a clear idea of what we were going to do and how fun starting a company would be. Then, reality hit... very quickly. Working out of a small apartment with my husband and no employees, no real product and just an idea was going to be much harder than we thought. The excitement dissipates a bit when you realize what you really have gotten into. No more Google, no more organic lunches, chair massages to break up the day, cheery co-workers to grab a drink with after work. Just you, your co-founder and a big idea.

Advertisement

The most inspirational part: One thing that Google taught me that I will always be thankful for is to embrace change. Prior to Google I had worked for bigger, more traditional companies where day to day things just kind of moved along (Bank of America, McKinsey, Aeropostale). Within just a few months at Google, there was a re-org and my role completely changed. That change gave me the opportunity to work with new people across the company and take on more responsibility. I learned at Google to look forward to change, and to recognize that it creates opportunity. And that, at the core, allowed me to have the confidence to make the jump to starting a company.

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:
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S., October 26 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Or Is That the Least of Our Problems When It Comes to U.S.-Iranian Relations?Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

Stack up the op-eds and essays on the disasters that await the world once Donald Trump moves into the White House and youll have a long list of dismaying scenarios.

Advertisement

One that makes the lineups of most pundits involves a crisis with Iran. So imagine this. Trump struts to the podium for his first presidential press conference, the trademark jutting jaw prominent. Hes spent the previous several days using Twitter to trash the nuclear agreement with Iran, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Unlike former President Barack Obama, Trump loves drama. But the JCPOA runs 159 pages, so he cant literally tear it up on live television as part of his performance. (And no, its not the small hands problem.) Instead, he announces that the nuclear deal is a dead letter, effective immediately.

Could he really do that? Pretty much -- through an executive order stating that the United States will no longer abide by the accord and reinstituting the American sanctions that were lifted once the International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA) certified Irans compliance with the agreement and it survived a vote in Congress.

Theres a reason Trump might choose to quash the Iran nuclear deal in this manner. As the State Department put it in November 2015, responding to a clarification request from Congressman Mike Pompeo, a sworn enemy of the agreement and Trumps pick to head the Central Intelligence Agency, the JCPOA is not a treaty or an executive agreement, and is not a signed document... [It] reflects political commitments between Iran, the P5+1 (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China), and the European Union. As you know the United States has a long-standing practice of addressing sensitive problems that culminate in political commitments. Assuming that Trump would bother providing a nuanced defense of his decision, he could simply claim that the Obama administration had cut a global political deal that lacked legal standing and that, as hed said repeatedly during the campaign, was also a terrible deal.

Advertisement

Theres not much Congress would be able to do. Indeed, Trump might not even face significant resistance from its members because the agreement never had deep support there. In May 2015, even before the negotiators had signed the JCPOA, Congress passed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), asserting its right to scrutinize the terms of the accord within 60 days of its conclusion and vote to approve or disapprove it. That bill passed 98-1 in the Senate. The lone dissenter was Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton, who demanded that a nuclear arms agreement with an adversary, especially the terrorist-sponsoring Islamist regime, be submitted to the chamber as a treaty, in which case approval would have required a two-thirds majority. The vote in the House for INARA, 400-25, showed a similar lack of enthusiasm.

Pending Congressional review, the INARA barred the Obama administration from lifting or easing the nuclear-related sanctions on Iran. And it imposed short deadlines for submitting the agreement to Congress and for a report on verification: five days for each task. On top of that, the Act mandated a semi-annual report on matters outside the scope of the agreement, including money laundering by Iran and its planning of, or support for, terrorism against the United States or a United States person anywhere in the world.

The nuclear agreement was signed on July 14, 2015, and that September 11th, the House voted against it, 269 (including 25 Democrats) to 162. Barely a week later, Senate Democrats managed to muster 58 votes to prevent a resolution of disapproval from moving forward. So yes, the Obama administration prevailed -- the vote tally in the House was insufficient to override a veto -- but the results showed yet again that support for the Iran deal was barely knee deep, which means that President Trump wont face much of a problem with legislators if he decides to scrap it.

Why the Nuclear Deal Is Worth the Bother

And that possibility cant be ruled out. Not only does Trump routinely act on impulse, he has attacked the JCPOA, during and after the campaign, as (among other things) stupid, a lopsided disgrace, and, in a classic Trumpism, the worst deal ever negotiated.

Advertisement

My number-one priority, he proclaimed in March while addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which did its best to sink the agreement, is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran. He called it catastrophic for America, for Israel, and for the whole of the Middle East. Iran, he added, got $150 billion in sanctions relief (mainly from the unfreezing of assets it held overseas) but we received absolutely nothing in return. As recently as December in a stay strong tweet to Israel following the Security Councils condemnation of that countrys settlements on the West Bank (which the Obama administration refused to veto), Trump referred again to the horrible Iran deal.

Trumps inner circle has also demonized the agreement. In a July 2015 interview, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, the incoming national security adviser, warned that, by enabling the lifting of nuclear sanctions, the JCPOA had given Iran extra money for strengthening its military and promoting terrorism, while offering the United States nothing but grief in return. The verification measures, he added, were mere promises, and the agreements text read like a high school paper. Speaking to supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina, in October, Vice President-elect Mike Pence pledged that Trump would rip up the agreement once in office. As for Mike Pompeo, amid reports in November that he would be the new CIA director, the congressman said, I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism.

While Trump has yet to pick his Deputy Secretary of State, among the top contenders appears to be John Bolton, a former ambassador to the U.N. beloved by his fellow neoconservatives. Bolton, unsurprisingly, also abhors the Iran deal. While the talks were still underway, he labeled them an unprecedented act of surrender, adding that he couldnt imagine any worthwhile agreement with Iran because its leaders were hell-bent on building nuclear weapons. The best way to deal with that country in his view was to promote regime change there. Nor did he alter his position once the agreement took effect. In a November op-ed, he advised Trump to abrogate the Iran nuclear deal in his first days in office.

Given the right wings barrage against that deal and the looming Trump presidency, its worth bearing in mind that the Iran nuclear deal is anything but the catastrophe its critics claim it to be. Its an achievement worth defending, but to understand just why, you have to put on your policy-wonk hat for a few moments and do exactly the sort of thing that Donald Trump seems to like least: plunge into the sometimes abstruse details of that small-print, 159-page report. So fair warning, here goes.

Advertisement

The agreement, in fact, blocks the two paths Iran could take to build nuclear weapons, one based on uranium, the other on plutonium. Recall that Iran went from 164 centrifuges in 2003 to 19,000 by the time the negotiations on what would become the JCPOA started in 2013. (Centrifuges spin uranium hexafluoride, UF-6, at high velocity to achieve the 90% concentration of the Uranium-235 isotope needed to make nuclear weapons.) Under the agreement, Iran can retain a maximum of 5,060 centrifuges at its Natanz and Fordow sites, and they must be the older 1R-1 models. The surplus stock of those as well as all the more advanced IR-4, 5, 6, and 8 models must be placed in continuously monitored storage. Together, Fordow and Natanz could house more than 50,000 centrifuges of various types; so quantitatively and qualitatively, the ceilings set by the JCPOA are very significant.

The agreement also bars Iran from enriching uranium beyond 3.167% -- nowhere near the concentration required for building a nuclear bomb. Enrichment can occur only at the Natanz plant; the two centrifuge cascades permitted at the Fordow facility cant be used for this purpose. Moreover, Iran can retain no more than 300 kilograms of uranium enriched even to this level for research use and medical purposes, which means that its stock of low-enriched uranium (LEU) will be cut by 98%. Iran is also prohibited from building additional plants for uranium enrichment.

Nuclear weapons can be built with plutonium as well, specifically Plutonium-239 (PU-239), but the JCPOA blocks that path, too. It requires that Irans (unfinished) heavy water reactor at Arak be redesigned so that it can be fueled only with LEU. In the meantime, the reactor has been disabled and concrete poured into its core. In the future, Iran is banned from reprocessing plutonium produced by the reactor or building reprocessing facilities and must export the reactors spent fuel. Its stocks of heavy water, used as a coolant in reactors, cannot exceed 130 metric tons; any excess must be exported.

Such an agreement, of course, can be no better than the provisions that verify its implementation. To build nuclear weapons, Iran would have to breach several of the JCPOAs provisions and persist with various prohibited activities. Given the multiple means of verification at hand, thats virtually impossible. As International Atomic Energy Agency documents detail, Iranian nuclear installations will be under constant surveillance involving electronic seals and online monitoring (which relay information on uranium enrichment), as well as on-site inspections.

Advertisement

The last of these mechanisms is especially significant because the agreement also requires that Iran accept the terms of the 1997 Additional Protocol that strengthened the monitoring agreements the IAEA has reached with signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). States that implement the Protocol must permit on-site inspections by the IAEAs technical teams, sometimes on short notice. As it now happens, Iran is committed to implementing the Protocol not just for the 15-year lifespan of the agreement, but for as long as it remains party to the NPT.

Finally theres the procedure for resolving disputes about verification. Ill skip the details on this and just cut to the chase: Iran cant stretch out the process or sanctions will resume under a snapback provision, and while a Security Council resolution could theoretically lift those sanctions, the United States could veto it.

Turning Up the Heat on Iran: Trumps Plan

In other words, the Iran deal couldnt be more worth saving if your urge in life is not to have Iran join the nuclear club. It essentially ensures that reality and, according to a December 2016 poll, more than 60% of Americans are pleased that it exists. But dont assume that public support, stringent verification processes, and a dispute resolution procedure stacked against Iran will necessarily immunize the agreement from Trump, who is not exactly a details guy. Nor does he spend much time listening to experts because, well, hes so smart that he knows all the answers. (Besides, if he needs additional information, he can always turn to the shows, his apparent go-to source for crucial military information.) As for the members of his entourage, theyve made it plain en masse that they have no use for the agreement.

Still, dont consider it a foregone conclusion that Donald Trump will scrap the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action peremptorily and permanently either, even though hes repeatedly denounced the deal. After all, hes also said that hed consider renegotiating its terms to ensure that it meets his (unspecified) standards. As usual, hes been all over the map.

Advertisement

Consider this: in September 2015, during an appearance on Morning Joe, he told the Washington Posts David Ignatius that the United States had signed a disastrous deal in so many ways... We have a horrible contract. But then, in effect invoking the sanctity of contracts, he added, Id love to tell you Im gonna rip up this contract, Im going to be the toughest guy in the world. But you know what? Life doesnt work that way. His solution back then: make sure Iran fulfills its part of the bargain.

And among the various positions he took on the agreement over those months, he wasnt alone in taking that one. Once the nuclear deal became a reality, others who had doggedly opposed it began to call for monitoring Irans compliance rather than scrapping it. In November, Walid Phares, one of Trumps top advisers on the Middle East, hedged in this fashion: Trump, he insisted, would take the agreement, send it to Congress, demand from the Iranians to restore a few issues or change a few issues, and there will be a discussion.

In an April speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, retired General James Mattis, Trumps choice for secretary of defense, called Iran the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East. That said, however, he then cautioned that the United States would be alone if it tore up the Iran deal and that unilateral sanctions would not have anywhere near the impact of an allied approach to this. Senator Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee and a fervent critic of the agreement, as well as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a one-time contender to be Trumps secretary of state, made exactly the same point once it took effect.

And the same can be said not just about the various Iranophobes soon to populate the Trump administration but about whole countries. Israel and Saudi Arabia both lobbied feverishly against the agreement. Now that its in effect, however, neither seems to be pushing the president-elect to abandon it.

And even if he were to do so, Europe, China, and Russia wouldnt follow suit, which would mean that their companies, not American ones, would reap the benefits of doing business with Iran. Some 29 European and Asian companies have already concluded energy agreements with Iran or are on course to do so. Given its continuing economic difficulties, the European Union (EU) would have no reason to take a hit by disavowing an agreement in which it had invested so much time and that will benefit so many of its businesses like Airbus (which in December signed a contract to sell Iran 100 planes). In November, the EUs foreign ministers reaffirmed their support for the Iran deal, increasing the likelihood that Trump would risk a rupture with them if he withdrew from it.

Advertisement

In addition, doing so unilaterally would essentially be senseless. American companies like Boeing, which signed a deal worth nearly $17 billion with Iran in December, would forfeit such opportunities. Would Trump, who presents himself as the ultimate dealmaker and vows to create millions of jobs in the United States, really like to take credit for that? Again, its hard to tell given the consistency of his inconsistency. After all, he initially criticized the Boeing deal, only later to complain that Iran might buy from Europe, not America. Well know where he stands, should those in Congress who have tried to block the Boeing aircraft sale persist.

Even if Trump doesnt withdraw from the nuclear deal, dont for a second assume that he wont turn up the heat on Iran, which remains subject to various American non-nuclear sanctions aimed at its ballistic missile program, human rights record, and support for Hezbollah and Hamas. Bear in mind that, in December, Congress extended -- with only one dissenting vote in the House and unanimity in the Senate -- the Iran Sanctions Act for another decade. And Trump could, in fact, expand these penalties, as several conservatives have urged him to do. Vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council Ilan Berman, for example, recommends extending the 2016 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to Iran on the grounds that Trump could then use visa bans, asset freezes, and commercial blacklists to punish any of its officials engaged in corruption or human rights violations.

The new president could go even further by following the recommendation of Council on Foreign Relations Iran expert Ray Takeyh. In December, Takeyh argued that Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is presiding over a state with immense vulnerabilities, and the task of U.S. policy is to exploit all of them. Takeyhs ultimate aim is regime change, and he believes that the United States has a real capacity to shrink Irans economy and bring it to the brink of collapse.

So despite Donald Trumps bluster, theres at least a reasonable likelihood that he wont summon the press to announce the Iran nuclear deals strangulation at his hands. But instead of being a rare dose of good news, that could well come as cold comfort. Under Trump, the Iranian-American relationship is essentially guaranteed to get a whole lot worse, whatever happens to the treaty itself. Even if Trump does adhere to the agreement, he could easily attempt to show both his contempt for the Iranians and his resolve by getting tough in a host of other ways.

Advertisement

There are plenty of potential collision points, including in Irans coastal waters along that crucial oil route, the Persian Gulf, as well as in Lebanon, in Syria (where Iranian forces and advisers are fighting for autocrat Bashar al-Assad), and in Yemen (where Houthi insurgents aligned with Iran are being bombarded by Saudi warplanes, with devastating consequences for civilians). Israel and Saudi Arabia may no longer be fixated on torpedoing the nuclear agreement itself, but once the Obama administration is history they may also feel freed of any restraints from Washington when it comes to Iran. Certainly, key Republicans (and not a few Democrats) will back the Israelis in any kind of confrontation with that country. Both the Israelis and the Saudis have made no secret of the fact that they considered Obama soft on Iran, and they are likely to be emboldened once Trump enters the White House.

Should either of them clash with Iran, the stage will be set for a potentially direct military confrontation between Tehran and Washington. In other words, there may not be a potentially more combustible spot on the planet. So we may be missing the point by speculating on what Trump will do to the Iran deal. The real question is what hell do to Iran -- and just how disastrous the consequences of that may be.

Rajan Menon is the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of International Relations at the Powell School, City College of New York, and Senior Research Fellow at Columbia Universitys Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. He is the author, most recently, of The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention.
"I'm also very much of a germaphobe, by the way, believe me."

Try not to think too much about the story that led to this comment from the President-Elect of the United States. It's not easy, I know. We're only human, after all, and that story is so ... so out there. It's hard to turn away.

It's also hard to turn away from Trump's abusive treatment of the press, or his poor grasp of national security, or those long periods when his rambling turns to near-incoherence. All of those qualities were on conspicuous display in Wednesday's press conference.

So was the brush-off he gave when concerns were raised about Putin's role in the election: "Well, if Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability."

Advertisement

About that unconfirmed hotel story, the salacious one that led to the "germaphobe" remark, the one for which no evidence has been presented: The very fact that people think it might be true tells us that we're in a new and different historical moment. It suggests sordid chaos at the highest levels. It feels like end-state, social decay, late-stage-empire stuff. It's Caligula-in-the-corner-office stuff.

But there's something more important going on, and you don't need unsourced reports to see it. It was hiding in plain sight when, in a bizarre intermezzo, Trump interrupted his own press conference for a legal presentation from the Washington law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

People joked about attorney Sheri Dillon's flat affect and boring speaking style. But it was Dillon, not Trump, who provided the day's biggest shock. If her dullness of tone helped camouflage it, that may not have been an accident. It was Dillon who outlined Trump's plan for managing his businesses while he's in the Oval Office.

If that plan doesn't amount to premeditated corruption, it certainly paves the way for it.

Dillon made it clear that Trump won't be selling his assets to avoid conflicts of interest. Nor will he be establishing a blind trust, a form of distancing that's far from adequate (no less an authority than Mitt Romney once called blind trusts "an age-old ruse") but at least provides a minimal distance between an officeholder and his or her assets.

Advertisement

Instead, Trump intends to turn leadership of his organization to his two sons. "It would be impossible to find an institutional trustee that would be competent to run the Trump Organization," said Dillon. (Apparently, nobody in the entire universe of experienced business people has that special blend of insight and experience that is so self-evidently present in Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.)

Dillon insisted that Trump would not accept any revenue from foreign governments and would instead "voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotel to the United States Treasury."

That from someone who reportedly hasn't paid any taxes to the United States Treasury for years.

Leaving aside the more obvious questions - such as, who determines what is and isn't a "foreign government payment," and, who determines the amount of profit received? - that leaves an even more fundamental conflict in place: What will Trump do if, as president, his national security team proposes a course of action that will affect travel to a country where he has extensive hotel holdings?

Remember, Trump will still know exactly what he owns, and where. Decisions of war and peace could be influenced by how they might affect his own bottom line.

As for Donald Jr. and Eric: Are we to believe that there will be an iron wall of silence between Trump and his two sons? The man doesn't seem to be a big respecter of boundaries, even with his own children.

Advertisement

And as for Russia: Donald Trump Jr. reportedly told attendees at a 2008 real estate conference that "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets." He added: "We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."

Like father, like son: "Russia is one of the hottest places in the world for investment," the elder Trump stated in a 2007 deposition, according to the Washington Post, adding: "We will be in Moscow at some point."

But it's wrong to fixate exclusively on Russia. Trump Jr. also expressed enthusiasm for investment in China, and the trade publication that covered his talk noted that the Trump organization has a joint-venture agreement covering 19 Middle Eastern countries.

But he and little brother won't talk about such things with Dad. No, never.

Expert observers promptly rejected Trump's plan. Zephyr Teachout is a law professor who wrote an entire book on political corruption. After the press conference, Teachout stated flatly that Trump "will be violating the foreign bribery/emoluments clause of the constitution."

Norman Eisen, President Obama's ethics advisor, agreed that Trump's plan fails to meet the requirements of the emoluments clause. "Mr. Trump's ill-advised course will precipitate scandal and corruption," he flatly told The Atlantic, adding:

Advertisement

"Mr. Trump did not make a clean break with his business ownership interests as his predecessors for four decades have done ... and offered an inadequate and scantily-detailed ethics wall."

Walter Schaub Jr., Director of the Government Ethics Office, noted today that the calls for Trump to divest have been bipartisan, coming from "President Bush's ethics counsel ... the conservative Wall Street Journal ... (and) conservative columnist Peggy Noonan."

Added Schaub:

"It's important to understand that the President is now entering the world of public service. He's going to be asking his own appointees to make sacrifices. He's going to be asking our men and women in uniform to risk their lives in conflicts around the world ... I don't think divestiture is too high a price to pay to be the President of the United States of America."

Many Trump opponents continue to believe he'll be undone by revelations about Russia or sex. They're probably wrong. Trump is rewriting the rules of scandal, as his comeback about Putin showed. What outrages people in Washington doesn't seem to offend voters in West Virginia or boost Democratic turnout in Milwaukee. But everyone understands greed, and graft, and selfishness.

Here's a prediction: Barring some unforeseen revelation, people will remember that a President of the United States profited from his presidency long after they've forgotten those hotel sex stories.

Advertisement
"The F-35 Lightning II Program (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter Program) is the Department of Defense's focal point for defining affordable next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 will bring cutting-edge technologies to the battlespace of the future."

Lurking behind this perky little PR blurb, from the F-35's own website, is the void into which the soul of the human race has disappeared.

This is war consciousness: locked into place, awash in money. The deeply flawed F-35, the most expensive military weapons system in history, is ultimately projected to cost over $1 trillion, but no matter: "It will bring cutting-edge technologies to the battlespace of the future."

Advertisement

What does that mean? It sounds like an ad for the next Star Trek movie, but it's U.S. foreign policy -- or, more accurately, the defining assumption of nationhood: We will always be at war with someone. It's the quintessential self-fulfilling prophecy. When we spend trillions of dollars "preparing" for war, by God, we'll find an enemy.

This is the consciousness we must transcend, and opposing Lockheed Martin's way-over-budget, absolutely-unnecessary-for-national-security F-35 fighter jet, which is supposed to be ready to go by 2019, is certainly a good place to start.

"The F-35 is a weapon of offensive war, serving no defensive purpose," reads the petition now in circulation, initiated by a dozen organizations. "It is planned to cost the U.S. $1.4 trillion over 50 years. Because starvation on earth could be ended for $30 billion and the lack of clean drinking water for $11 billion per year, it is first and foremost through the wasting of resources that this airplane will kill. . . .

"Wars are endangering the United States and other participants rather than protecting them. Nonviolent tools of law, diplomacy, aid, crisis prevention, and verifiable nuclear disarmament should be substituted for continuing counterproductive wars. Therefore, we, as signers of this petition, call for the immediate cancellation of the F-35 program as a whole, and the immediate cancellation of plans to base any such dangerous and noisy jets near populated areas."

Advertisement

At the local end of this travesty, the F-35s, which would be based in Burlington, Vermont, and Fairbanks, Alaska, are so dangerous they could render nearby residential areas uninhabitable. The extreme noise level could cause cognitive impairment in children, according to a World Health Organization report; and the planes' high risk of crashing, combined with highly toxic materials used in their construction, put local residents at an unacceptable risk.

But the absurdity of subjecting people to such risks is magnified exponentially by the needlessness to do so.

Roots Action, one of the organizations calling for the F-35's cancellation, describes the fighter jet as "a first strike stealth weapon designed to penetrate air space undetected. It will be used for massive killing and destruction in more wars like Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Vietnam in which millions of civilians have been killed and wounded and millions of refugees created."

Yet these wars didn't advance any rational agenda whatsoever. They didn't make America safe, much less "great." To confirm this point, the Roots Action site cuts to CIA director John Brennan, testifying before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee last June:

"Unfortunately," Brennan tells the committee, "despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach."

Advertisement

He goes on: "The resources needed for terrorism are very modest, and the group would have to suffer even heavier losses of territory, manpower, and money for its terrorist capacity to decline significantly."

Let's sit in silence with these words for a moment.

In the silence, the word "why" emerges with enormous force, more force, perhaps, than it's possible to bear, at least when one begins adding up the costs of our ineffective efforts. Why are the weapons of war the only tools we choose to wield -- the only tools we can imagine wielding -- against the threat we call terrorism? Why are the multi-billion-dollar agencies of government trapped at such a feeble level of consciousness -- war consciousness -- that they are able to envision nothing but the wreaking of more destruction to "keep us safe," when everything about this activity weakens us, endangers us, makes us ever less safe?

What if we began waging peace against terrorism? That is to say, what if we began to recognize that understanding the enemy is what's crucial, while thinking we can destroy what we fear is an illusion of monstrous proportions?

Consider: "The Defense Department is designing robotic fighter jets that would fly into combat alongside manned aircraft," the New York Times reported in October. "It has tested missiles that can decide what to attack, and it has built ships that can hunt for enemy submarines, stalking those it finds over thousands of miles, without any help from humans. . . .

"Defense officials say the weapons are needed for the United States to maintain its military edge over China, Russia and other rivals, who are also pouring money into similar research (as are allies, such as Britain and Israel). The Pentagon's latest budget outlined $18 billion to be spent over three years on technologies that included those needed for autonomous weapons."

Advertisement

What a world we're planning! I believe there's still time to change directions, but the demand to do so must begin today.

- - -

Robert Koehler is an award-winning, Chicago-based journalist and nationally syndicated writer. His book, Courage Grows Strong at the Wound is available. Contact him at koehlercw@gmail.com or visit his website at commonwonders.com.
Lesotho is completely encircled by South Africa, so making a visit to the fabled mountain kingdom was a big priority of mine when I knew I'd be nearby. The only question was how. Many options for visiting Lesotho exist, but several of them are logistically challenging.

I could've traveled via the Sani Pass in South Africa's southern Drakensberg region. This would've allowed me to enjoy a cocktail at the Sani Chalet, which is arguably one of the World's Best Bars, at thousands of meters above sea level. The problem? Getting to the southern Drakensberg is difficult for backpackers, and Sani Pass treks are very expensive.

Alternatively, I had the option to rent a car somewhere in South Africa and enter Lesotho from the west, via its capital Maseru. Since roads in Lesotho are rough - and many insurance policies on South African rentals don't cover travel into Lesotho - this wasn't a great choice, either.

Advertisement

When all was said and done, I decided to travel to Lesotho via a day trip from a backpackers lodge in the northern portion of the Drakensberg region. Although the trip only lasted six hours, it took me to a remote part of Lesotho that is far off the tourist trail, and gave me a glimpse into the real lives of the Besotho people.

The world I found upon exiting South Africa was not immediately different, although it is of overall greater altitude: With the lowest point of the kingdom over 1,000 meters above sea level, Lesotho is officially the planet's highest country.

Ironically, the detail I initially shrugged off - that Lesotho, at this point along its border had no official entry point - would prove illustrative of the differences between it and the neighbor that totally surrounds it.

For example, because of the poor condition of the roads in Lesotho, it would technically be much easier for Basotho people in the northeastern part of their country to travel down into South Africa's Free State province to obtain goods and services.

Advertisement

But just as Lesotho lacks a proper entry/exit facility, the mechanism for its citizens to obtains passports is essentially non-existent, which confines many of those who want to live a life other than one of subsistence farming with few other options.

Likewise, while Lesotho provides free primary and secondary education like its neighbor does, budgets tend to cover only a fraction of the students who actually attend school, many of whom do so at great logistical inconveniences - actual, daily re-enactments of the two-hour, uphill-both-ways walks to school your grandparents told to you - to themselves.

And this says nothing of the problem of HIV in Lesotho, where as many as one in every two people is infected in some regions.

This is not to say my trip into Lesotho told a completely tragic narrative about the people there. As is the case with people in many of the poorest countries I've visited, the Basotho exude a quantity of joy that is highly disproportionate to the circumstances of their lives.

And they are generous: They shared a delicious polenta and spinach dish with us, and also a maize-brew beer, which was admittedly a more acquired taste.

Advertisement

My brief trip into Lesotho made me sad that I don't have time in my itinerary to visit longer, but committed to spending more time in the mountain kingdom in the future. Let's have a look at some of what I saw.
The Privilege of a Lifetime!

Last night, as many did, I was glued to the set, to see and hear President Barack Obama, for his final speech. "My Fellow Americans", he would say, thank you.

And Mr. President, let me thank YOU -- for your leadership, your love, your legacy.

Thank you for giving me the outstanding privilege of being in your Administration, serving you and the American people, as a USS Ambassador, a Diplomat, I'm Dorothy's Daughter, from a small town outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, and you blessed me with an amazing opportunity and gift, to be the US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Here are some reflections of that marvelous, life-changing journey, (some excerpts will also be in a book, Mr. President, to be released tomorrow at the National Press Club in Washington DC).

President Barack Obama: The Privilege of a Lifetime!

THE CONVENTION:

I was there, for that moment in history. I remember, so well, the excitement in Denver, at the 2008 Democratic Convention when the first African American accepted the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States. The Black clergy had met a few days earlier, and those who had been with Hillary, sat with the faith advisors for Barack, and we became ONE in the SPIRIT. This was a moment in time, an Ecclesiastical Kairos moment, that demanded that we would Walk together, Talk together, Pray together, and Stay as ONE!

Advertisement

ELECTION DAY:

Then that November, Election Day, I was back home in Harlem, when the roar erupted and folks were dancing in the streets. From the Apollo Theater, to as far as the eye could see and ear could hear, as Barack Obama would be the President of the United States of America.

OMG! This was what and who we had been waiting for: Strong, Black, Family intact, Brilliant, Resilient, Formidable and Filled with Faith.

THE PHONE CALLS:

Then, when I was asked, on a phone call of the National African American clergy advisory team, to deliver one of the readings/prayers for the President on his first day in office, I leaped with joy, actually cried like a baby is more accurately descriptive.

INAUGURATION DAY:

With the coveted purple, gold and orange passes, we rushed, trying to be as orderly as possible, but knowing that unless we moved strategically and quickly, we would miss the moment. We were held back for a few minutes, just as we were about to enter the area for our purple ticket pass holders, and his motorcade went by. We caught a glimpse of OUR President. Cheering, tearing, we were standing out in the cold, with pleasure, and baited breath, for hours. As Barack took the oath of office on the steps that had been built with the hands of our slave ancestors. Every Moment was a "WOW ", "Thank you Jesus," "Praise God from whom all blessings flow,", We've come this far by faith, moment. Anyone we were near, hugged us, and we hugged them. I was so glad to be sharing the moment with the three men in my life, my family: two African American young men, and one African American dad, witnessing an African American family getting ready to occupy the White House. Our ancestors, who could not see or imagine this day, were there with us, in SPIRIT, as thousands upon thousands flew in by plane, rode in by train, bus, car service, or walked in through tunnels, stood out on the mall, sat near the stage, or stayed glued to the TV. No one moved. Everyone around me was crying. And then, collectively, Blacks, whites, Asians, Native Americas, Latinos, all around me, joined together and began to recite the Lord's prayer.

Advertisement

Heaven was on earth, and earth was touching heaven. This was a pre-ordained, predetermined, pre-anointed, divinely appointed and assigned moment in history.

GOD WAS UP TO SOMETHING:

Yes, he had run a great campaign, but there was something more happening. God was kissing us, and offering heavenly reparations, for ALL the years of racism, neglect, rapes, rudeness and insensitivity and inhumanity that we, as a people, had experienced.

THE WORSHIP SERVICE ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE:

At the CATHEDRAL, we robed and lined up, awaiting our instructions for rehearsal, when we were asked if we would mind taking a photo. We of course were thrilled to have been asked, and one by one, all the program participants, not only had the privilege of meeting and posing with President and First Lady Michelle, we were also joined by Vice President and Mrs. Biden, and then later, in the sanctuary, entered the Clintons.

The service was the highlight of my life. I knew the Clintons personally, but I made eye contact with our new First Lady as soon as she sat down. I KNEW everything was going to be alright-- that America had, at its helm, the right man, with the right woman and team for the job.

Advertisement

THE OTHER PHONE CALL:

There was so much going on, excitement, energy, but after an Inaugural Ball, and festivities ended, it was time to get to work. I was absolutely FLOORED to have received the phone call and nomination by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who invited me to join the Obama Administration. I was APPOINTED by President Barack H.

Obama, to be the first African-American and first woman to serve as the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, representing our President in more than 25 nations as his lead diplomat, attending and speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, as the President's Ambassador, and representing my parents: the late Wilbert T. and Dorothy C. Johnson, who started in the deep South as Sharecroppers, but who were able to escape the cruel fields, and build wealth in America. As their family business still is the longest running Black-owned business in the Bronx, New York. I, their daughter, the descendant of those who had to use an OUT HOUSE, now could walk in the front door where a Mighty Man,

President Barack Obama, lived in the WHITE HOUSE.

A PRIVILEGE:

I never forgot, each day, to thank God for my blessings. But on the days I was in the country, and not overseas on a Diplomatic mission, I walked past the White House each day, and offered a prayer for the entire Obama family, by name. I also felt like one of his "Aarons and Hurs" to do such a good job in my role, that it would hold up his arms, as he led our nation. Systemic racism is deep, and deeply entrenched in all of our institutions, even government. Moreover I heard and experienced some things as well. Specifically aimed at him, but received by whomever were his appointees. From the Senate Confirmation Hearings, all the way through my tenure, But I would not waver, nor sleep on my assignment. For this was OUR President. What a privilege. And tonight, just as it happened eight years ago, as President Obama spoke, for what would be his last time addressing the American people as President, tears flowed, tears of joy. And as he ran down the list of accomplishments, I realized, I had worked with two great Presidents in my lifetime: a man from HOPE, and a man who gave America HOPE.

What a Mighty God we serve. Thank you, awesome God, for the Privilege to stand with BLACK ROYALTY., and to serve our nation during his administration. And thank you, President Obama, First Lady Michelle, and family, for your service, sacrifice and soul May you be blessed, and May God Bless America!

Advertisement
Parliament's General Assembly launched talks on Monday on the long-debated constitutional amendment package, after 338 out of 550 deputies voted in support of the planned package and adopted the first two articles of the bill, Daily Sabah reported.

Proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and backed by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the constitutional amendment foreseeing Turkey's transition to a presidential system was discussed at the Parliament's General Assembly on Monday. Prime Minister Binali Yldrm will also be working throughout the process along with deputies and ministers.

Late Tuesday, the first two articles of the change were adopted. While 347 deputies voted in favor of the first article, 132 others voting against it and 343 deputies voted in favor of the second article, with 133 against it.

The second article of the proposal increases the number of deputies from 550 to 600 in accordance with the increase in population.

The third article, which will allow every Turkish citizen over 18 to be in the parliament was also accepted late Wednesday. The article which decreases the age requirement from 25 to 18 was voted in favor by 341 deputies.

The fourth article, which dictates that the presidential elections and general elections be held together and the elections be held every five years, was accepted early Thursday with 343 votes.
Mr. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran is Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE). He is based in New York City.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Would you talk a bit about the motion that you and some colleagues will be filing with the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC)?

The Sixth Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution criminalizes peaceful advocacy for an independent state. In highlighting this fact, a former Judge of the High Court of Madras (India) Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam, the former U.S. Attorney General, Mr. Ramsey Clark, and I signed a communication to be filed with the UN Human Rights Committee with respect to the Sixth Amendment. Through this communication, the TGTE is calling all progressive lawyers from across the globe to lend their support and provide legal representation for this communication.

Advertisement

The enactment of this protest is reminiscent of Sri Lanka's 1976 Trial-at-Bar proceedings taken up against Tamil political leaders at the time for distributing to the public copies of the Vaddukoddai Resolution which had been adapted by all the major political parties and leaders in 1976, including the present opposition leader, Mr. Sampanthan.

Like the Million Signatures campaign calling for the referral of Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in which more 1.6 million people participated, we believe thousands of lawyers across the globe will participate. The TGTE has also set up a website in which interested lawyers will be able to log their names, affiliation, and their country of residence in order to express their solidarity in joining the call for legal representation.

While this campaign is predominantly a legal one, it also has a political dimension. We believe this campaign will contribute to solidify the legitimacy of Tamils' campaign for an independent state. It will also mobilize and solidify the soft power of the Tamils.

It is our belief that given the present Sri Lankan government's duplicitous political exercise of drafting a new constitution and a call for a referendum, this campaign is a timely one. The Sixth Amendment to Sri Lanka's constitution prohibits the Tamils to articulate their political aspirations freely. If a referendum is to be held, it should be held in an unhindered, open political space. Otherwise it is a sham exercise.

Advertisement

This campaign can been seen as part of a global effort to strengthen democracy. A well-known human rights lawyer from Canada, David Matas, is coordinating our campaign to the UN against the Sixth Amendment. Why is the Sixth Amendment to Sri Lanka's constitution problematic?

The Sixth Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution criminalizes peaceful advocacy for an independent state, by its people, and we hold the strong view that this amendment is a violation of freedom of thought and conscience and freedom of speech guaranteed to citizens in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in sections 18 and 19.

Do you expect the government of Sri Lanka to respond? What do you think will happen once the motion is filed with the HRC?I do not think the Sri Lankan government has the moral courage to respond to this. Since the Sri Lankan state practices democracy as ethnocracy, we do not expect that the Sri Lankan government will respect Tamil people's democratic rights and repeal the Sixth Amendment. However we are confident that the campaign would increase the legitimacy for the political struggle of Tamil people.

Once the communication is filed, the Human Rights Committee of the UN will call for an explanation from the government of Sri Lanka.

Regarding this initiative, how much support do you have from Tamils residing in Sri Lanka?

The starting point of the Sixth Amendment is in fact the well-known 1976 Vaddukoddai Resolution which called for (for the first time) the establishment of an independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam in the island of Sri Lanka. In fact, the Vaddukoddai Resolution was promulgated before the armed struggle by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) began.

Advertisement

During the subsequent general elections of 1977, the Vaddukoddai Resolution was put forward to the people and a mandate was sought by the united Tamil political leadership at the time. The Tamils in the North-East all vehemently voted in favor of the resolution and gave a resounding mandate. All elections since 1977 have been held under the imposed parameters of the Sixth Amendment. This implies that the mandate given by the people at the 1977 general election, the last time elections were held in an open political space, remains a valid one. If anyone today wants to claim that the Tamil people have given up their political aspirations for an independent Tamil state, I dare them to resign their position and contest elections after repealing the Sixth Amendment or to conduct a referendum after repealing the Sixth Amendment.
I'm stumped. The outgoing Nobel Peace Prize-winning president has confronted Russia over its cyber hacking of emails during the election. But he has turned a blind eye to Russia's overt support of Bashar al-Assad's slaughter of 500,000 Syrians, not to mention five million Syrian refugees and an additional six million Syrian homeless. Am I missing something?

Less than nine months into Obama's first term as president, he was awarded the 2009 Peace Prize in recognition, according to Nobel committee chair Thorbjorn Jagland, of the sudden improvement that Obama had on "the international climate." Here we are in Obama's last weeks and, well, "the international climate" speaks for itself.

To be fair, the chaotic and dangerous state of the world cannot be laid at Obama's feet. And the Iran nuclear deal has arguably made the world a little safer (although this remains to be seen, especially as Iran has been economically strengthened with the curtailing of sanctions, emboldening its financial and tactical support of Assad's military repression). With Russia supporting Assad and holding one of five permanent seats and veto power, the U.N. Security Council wasn't going to make any progress on no-fly zones, safe havens, or anything remotely useful in restraining Assad's horrific genocide (and the eventual Russian bombing that destroyed Aleppo). So it fell to Obama to take the lead on what was clearly a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe, which is presumably why he issued his "red line" warning in August of 2012 - the use of chemical weapons by Assad would trigger US intervention.

Advertisement

In August of 2013, when Assad unleashed chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb that killed 1,000 innocent civilians, Obama reneged on his red line threat. A last minute deal was struck with Russia to remove most of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons and Obama opted for an indirect and non-interventionist policy of supporting moderate rebel groups, in the vague (and retrospectively naive) hope that pressure could be applied to force Assad to depart so a new coalition government could take over. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of civilians continued to be slaughtered by Assad's military subjugation.

Why did he opt for such soft-arm tactics in a civil war that was destroying innocent people and the cities such as Aleppo in which they lived? Obama will hopefully share his logic more thoroughly once he vacates his office, but insider speculation has focused on three concerns. First, he didn't want to embroil the US in yet another failed attempt to import some form of democracy in an authoritarian state, only to end up with the same messes he inherited following the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the mess he himself initiated in Libya. The American public's appetite for another foreign fiasco was limited and the political costs of intervention were high. Second, he didn't want to confront Putin directly, escalating conflict in a region where Russian support for Assad was explicit. Third, he didn't want to risk derailing the Iran nuclear treaty that was secretly being negotiated at the time.

Advertisement

All three of these reasons were legitimate, but they render his idle red line threat even rasher in retrospect. More importantly, the three reasons were easily superseded, I would argue, by the more pressing humanitarian necessity of intervening. While past US-led interventions should give pause to any Pollyannaish attempt to engender democracy in an authoritarian state, there are surely equally important lessons from the genocide in Rwanda, where the West turned its back as hundreds of thousands of Tutsis were slaughtered by the Hutu government. Some interventions are justified no matter how uncertain or messy the outcome - when hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake.


Trump has appointed 'a cabinet of generals' to lead the US. Mike Segar/Reuters

Should Latin Americans be concerned that Donald Trump has picked General John Kelly to lead the United States Department of Homeland Security? Kelly oversaw the US military's Southern Command - which oversees US military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In truth, US citizens should also be scared. Designating a general to protect the nation from threats to life and liberty portends militarisation, not security. Soldiers trained for combat discern enemies in every expression of dissent.

Perhaps that seems exaggerated. Some will recall that president Obama also tapped a man associated with the defence sector as secretary of Homeland Security. Yes, in December 2013, Jeh Johnson, previously General Counsel of the Air Force under president Bill Clinton, assumed that role. But Johnson is a lawyer, not a military man.

Advertisement

At the helm of Southcom, Kelly will have acquired the habits of the US strategy for addressing Central America and the Caribbean's security concerns: deploying America's armed forces to train other countries' armed forces to combat drug trafficking and organised crime.

The US did this in Latin America throughout the 1990s and 2000s; yet in the US, such activities are assigned to the police, not the defence sector.

If only for that reason, Latin Americans and Caribbeans should be worried. Kelly will be a strategic part of president-elect Donald Trump's announced policy of dealing with immigration as a national security problem, not a humanitarian issue. Although at Southcom the retired general may have had a broader focus on Latin America's problems, at homeland security Kelly won't be able to stray far from his boss's orders.

Nor does he seem inclined to. A few months ago, Kelly said, "Unless confronted by an immediate, visible or uncomfortable crisis, our nation's tendency is to take the security of the Western Hemisphere for granted. I believe this is a mistake".

Advertisement

Kelly's distrust of Latin America could result in a strengthening of the regional military relationships of a prior era, from military indoctrination at the School of the Americas and quiet support for military coups to expressed distrust of civil political authorities.

This isn't so different from how his Republican colleagues view their neighbours to the south. In March 2015, Arizona senator John McCain, Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, stated: "We are all particularly concerned about Central America, which is mired by feeble governance and weak security institutions, high rates of corruption, and is home to several of the most violent countries in the world."

In the same hearing, Kelly sustained that "Southcom is the only government organisation that is 100% dedicated to looking at the issues of Latin America and the Caribbean."

Woe be to Latin America if its relationship with the US government actually depends on Southcom.

Militarising human rights

American citizens probably wouldn't be pleased if the promotion and defence of their human rights was handed over to the military.

James G. Stavridis, a former Southcom director and dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, wrote in 2014:

Advertisement

The divisive struggle in the 1990s over the US Army School of the Americas is an example of how difficult it can be to reach common ground, as well as how counterproductive an adversarial relationship between the US military and the human rights community can be.

Yet, thanks to America's Human Rights Initiative of 1997, Southcom has been in charge - surely at the cost of more sensible missions - of promoting a human rights model program for military forces. Given the history of civilian repression under Latin America's armed forces, this should be a priority for the region - but civilian specialists in human rights should do the job, not US troops.

In Latin America we have learned from experience to be genuinely concerned when our armies begin to take on domestic security functions. The US has federal law and a strong tradition of civilian law enforcement; the military cannot take on police duties except in catastrophic cases, like natural disaster recovery. Will Kelly start a new tradition once he's directing domestic security?

Militarising everything else

Indicators of the militarisation to come are bolstered by the designation of General James Mattis as Defence Secretary. If he receives a waiver for the federally required seven-year gap between military and government service, he will become only the second general ever to lead the Pentagon.

This is worrying some government officials. "While I deeply respect General Mattis's service, I will oppose a waiver," New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in December 2016. "Civilian control of our military is a fundamental principle of American democracy".

Advertisement

Rounding out his cabinet of generals, Trump has also named Lieutenant General Michael T Flynn as national security adviser; Admiral Michael S Rogers as the director of national intelligence; and Mike Pompeo, graduate of the West Point military academy, as CIA Director.

As US Senator Jack Reed once observed, often what starts as Southcom's problem "soon becomes Northcom's problem" - that is, an American concern.

Even if the wall on the US-Mexico border is never built, the military-focused incoming cabinet of Donald Trump seems likely to share a predominantly negative view of Latin America.

So today, in Latin America, we find ourselves reversing Reed's notion: what starts out Northcom's problem may soon become Southcom's problem.


The nativity scene, organised and prepared by Christians in Peshawar just before Christmas. A.Khan, Author provided

"The year 2017 will be one of peace and love," Naheed Naz told me. "There is nothing in the scriptures about it, but Jesus puts feelings in your heart about what is going to happen. It is a matter of faith and we believe in it."

I met Naz, in her 40s, and a nursing teacher with a Masters degree in Public Health, at the All Saints Church in the heart of Peshawar's old city. She sounded optimistic despite the last days of 2016 bringing more turmoil in Pakistan for Christians.

Advertisement

I could feel this tense atmosphere as I approached the All Saints Church on Christmas Day. The 19th-century building of Islamic Saracenic style reflecting in the brilliantly sunny day outside.

As I entered the the church's hall, the faithful were taking seats in anticipation of the Christmas mass. I had to come in through heavy security. The street where the church stands was blocked at both ends by sand barriers and guarded by security personal. On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack during a Sunday mass at the church killed 127 people.

I asked Naz how the Christmas of her childhood differed from now. She recounted memories of her childhood and her sister's: the letter to Santa, her mother and father who used to make their life loving and rich, and the moral values of love and peace Christmas used to bring. Naz lost her mother in the 2013 bombing.

Advertisement

A little later, as I sat in the church, I met Shafi Maseeh, 75, who also lost his son in the same terror attack. He had little to say. Shafi is the real prototype of a Christian in Pakistan. A janitor by trade, he had no good memories to share of anything.

Most Christians I talked to felt a loss of identity, isolation and a deep sense of alienation. There was no nostalgia for the past, nor any enthusiasm for the present.

In the All Saints Church, I was not alone at the Christmas ceremony. The local media had come too. Father Patrick Naeem was happy to see them and thanked the government, the media and the chief of the Pakistani army, while also asking journalists to respect the parishioners as they took photos of the ceremony.

One reporter asked me what I was doing there. When I told her I was going to do a story on Christmas and would like to interview her too she angrily replied, "I am not a Christian, do I look like one?" I was shocked for a moment. "There is nothing wrong with being a Christian," I said.

Another reporter warned me as I was leaving the place: "Be careful, liberals are on the hitlist." I just kept quiet.

Advertisement

Pakistan's Christian minority

There is no definitive figure, but Christians make up roughly 1.6% of the population of Pakistan, as many as Hindus, according to the latest official statistics.

Christians mostly converted from Hinduism to escape the caste-dominated Indian society before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. But changing religion didn't help: the roots of discrimination based on caste run deep in both Indian and Pakistani society.









A. Khan





The plight of Christians has persisted for decades, but there has also been a rise of hatred against Christians since the late 1980s, when the dictator Zia ul Haq introduced Pakistan's blasphemy law, particularly used to persecute Christians.

A double oppression

Pakistani society is still marred by racism and questions of caste, even among Muslims, despite the Qur'an setting out radical equality for all.

Across South Asia, Muslims remain divided up by various hierarchical systems. This long trail of caste-related injustice goes back to the beginnings of subcontinental societies and seems impervious to the intrusion of other sources of identity such as the nation state or religion.

Advertisement

So the Christian community reels under a double oppression of racism, based on the low castes many Christians come from, and religious intolerance towards their belief system.

But even among minorities, Christians are particularly singled out, for a number of reasons. They are visible: they live mostly in urban areas and are often employed in low-wage jobs. They are also the poorest of the community.

In December 2015, the Capital Development Authority of Islamabad submitted a report suggesting that the Christian "ugly slums" of the capital be destroyed to keep the city clean. The CDA, in this unprecedentedly stupid move ("their Trump Moment" as the English daily Dawn put it), argued that the campaign of destruction would preserve Islamabad's aesthetics and maintain its Muslim-majority demographic balance.

The proposal was rightly contested by political parties, activists, and NGOs and thwarted by the Supreme Court, but it was a worrying sign of just how poorly Christians are thought of by the Pakistani elite.

Adding insult to injury, Christians in Pakistan are also seen as representatives of the US and other Western powers who are often held to be responsible for the plight of Muslims around the globe.

Advertisement

Christianity in politics

The plight of Christians is linked to the political foundation of Pakistan and the much criticised Two Nation Theory which became the basis of Partition in 1947. Partition aimed to create a state for Hindus (India) and one for Muslims (Pakistan).

Christians are historically considered to have positively contributed to Pakistani statehood, thus helping the development of the Pakistani society, but today they, along with other non-Muslims, are forbidden from holding high office.

The Christian vote in Pakistan is around 1.3 million, second to the Hindu vote, which is around 1.5 million. While the Hindu vote is mostly concentrated in the Sindh and Punjab regions, Christian voters are more scattered. Since the minority vote is restricted to a few electorates, political parties are not generally interested in serving them, though there is a lot of lip service to minority issues.

Minority representatives protest the problem of segregation from mainstream politics. There is no doubt that the electoral system adds to the problems of already frustrated minority communities in Pakistan. Minorities don't have the right to place their own candidates in elections. They can vote for any Muslim candidate in their constituency from within the general seats, and they also have the right to vote for a minority candidate, but they don't have the right to choose these. They are instead given minority seats for which tickets are allotted by mainstream political parties.

Fractured communities

While talking to various Christians, I observed very little sense of community. All identity revolves around the personal and in Pakistan, that is steeped into the psychology of status.

Advertisement

Christians in Pakistan are faced with both victim-blaming from without and the self-loathing it generates within the individual.

Continuous repression as a community within social and political life in Pakistan has led some to blame themselves for their problems. Self-incrimination, a shallow sense of belonging to the mainstream and the loss of the social self were often apparent in my conversations for this article.

"Our people are not serious about their studies; they don't save money," a priest who works as a waiter at my university's student accommodation told me. "I do save, though I am usually in debt, while keeping my needs to the minimum." When I asked if it is because of the loss of hope that some Christians struggle in school and work, he replied, "No, I have made it from a janitor to a waiter. My boys are going to school. Isn't it an environment conducive to success?"

Living with contradiction

Christians are often the recipient of local charities. "Yes, we like them, because they grew up with us," a high-level political activist in Peshawar told me. "They clean our homes and we give them our used clothes, and also food. They are good people. We also offer them gifts on Christmas. We just did this year, too." The activist was also a trader in the market in front of the All Saints Church.

Christians often feel the same way. "The political parties don't care for us," the priest at Peshawar University said. "Some politicians do, though. They offer us gifts on Christmas. I also got my package. They change the carpets of our church every now and then. This is good."

Advertisement

In the present environment of hopelessness and fear, the only option left for Christians is to learn to live with Pakistan's deep contradictions - discrimination from the state, but charity from politicians.

Centuries of continuous repression have left many without any sense of identity within their home country. Many Christians here just want to breathe - being able to truly live is a distant dream.
Curriculum Associates may be the most important EdTech success story you don't know about.

It's headquartered in North Billerica, Massachusetts, not in Silicon Valley. The former workbook publisher has never taken venture capital, instead bootstrapping an adaptive learning business from scratch. In four years, the company has grown into a $190 million blended learning giant. They extended their impact exponentially while traditional publishers shrank each year.

In addition to a focus on student learning, Curriculum Associates was scaled with the intent to benefit nonprofits. Today we learned who that would be--the Iowa State University Foundation (ISUF) announced that Curriculum Associates donated company shares worth about $120 million to the university--one of the largest gifts ever given to a public university.

At a later date, ISUF will donate a portion of the proceeds worth about $28 million to the Boston Foundation to benefit charities in the Greater Boston area.

Advertisement

CA Backstory

Founded in 1969 by a group of educators, Curriculum Associates established itself as a print workbook publisher. Among its notable early products was BRIGANCE, which blossomed into a comprehensive suite for early childhood, head start and special education programs.

Eight years ago, company co-founder and then-CEO Frank Ferguson met Rob Waldron, a former Kaplan executive who scaled Score tutoring centers and served as CEO of the nonprofit education organization Jumpstart. They found shared interest in scaled impact and constructed a unique service-focused structure to ensure the company's financial success would also benefit charitable causes. To avoid typical next-quarter leadership, Waldron signed a contract with 20-year terms. This arrangement allowed the company to take a long view and reinvest long cash, driving remarkable financial growth and creating an historic charitable gift that became known today with the ISUF announcement.

The Curriculum Associates goal, according to Waldron, "is to make educators more productive...by making simple-to-use products that save teachers and administrators time, all while increasing student achievement."

In building Curriculum Associates into one of today's industry leaders, Waldron recruited a top notch team and created a world class culture (one recognized as a Boston Globe Top Employer for the last three years) where 94% of employees would recommend a friend to work there (compared to just 49% nationwide). We're a "values-based company," said SVP of Sales Woody Paik, "a company educators trust because of our transparency and hustle."

Advertisement

Today, Curriculum Associates employs more than 650 full-time staff, over 20% of whom were hired in the last year. Of over 10,000 applicants in 2016, the company hired fewer than 2%, and Waldron interviews every final candidate before an offer is extended.

"I believe my greatest responsibility is ensuring we hire world-class talent," said Waldron. "I make it a priority to interview every final candidate, even the summer interns, meaning I interview 300-400 people per year."

This year's bookings were $190 million, up a third from last year. The company's year over year growth has far outpaced the average growth of competing major publishers as reported by the Association of American Publishers.

The secret, says Waldron, is having "the best people working together with shared values." It helps to have a structure focused on long-term impact and public benefit.

The business success is based on a K-8 adaptive math and reading product called i-Ready. Independent research shows that students using i-Ready Instruction for 45 minutes or more per week grew 44% more than the average student in reading and 65% more in math. Launched in 2012, i-Ready today serves over four million students (about 11% of K-8 U.S. enrollments) - something no high profile EdTech startups have matched. Schools recognized the impact, and average weekly time on i-Ready is up 40% over last year.

Advertisement

Ready is a series of print classroom instruction books for K-8 reading, writing and math. In a study of more than a million students, proficiency rates for schools using Ready were 19% higher in reading and 24% higher in math. Many schools use a combination of i-Ready and Ready as a blended learning solution.

Noteworthy Progress

There are four remarkable things about this story:

A workbook publisher assembled a tech team and coded an adaptive platform for both reading and math in 2011. Competitors typically focus on one subject and take years to make the same progress.

A publisher familiar with selling discrete products so adeptly they launched a software-as-a-service model (cloud-hosted subscription-based continuously updated software).

All of these new products were rolled out with remarkably high service levels. For example, in serving Florida, where there are a large number of i-Ready implementations, Curriculum Associates has a 7:1 service to sales ratio.

The Curriculum Associates strategy focuses on delivering well-funded premium products for identified customers rather than viral products seeking to capitalize on network benefits.

A Harvard business school case study on the company gives learners an opportunity to explore "how a small or medium-sized privately-owned company can leverage its strengths and innovate while grappling with the challenges of providing software-as-a-service in the education sector, a leap for a company used to selling directly to schools and school districts."
From crowdfunding to peer-to-peer networks -- there are plenty of ways you can raise money for your startup that don't come from an investor.

A. Nonprofit Lenders

Nowadays, there are lots of alternative financing options, including crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending. Do plenty of research and identify the method that's best for you. One option that many people overlook is nonprofit lenders, but this isn't for everyone. If you need a very large amount, you'll have to look elsewhere. But for smaller loans of $50,000 or less, it's worth looking into. - Shawn Porat, Scorely

A. Crowdfunding



I can't stress enough how powerful and beneficial crowdfunding can be for your startup. If you're a good fit for it (hardware or consumer product company at an angel or seed round), don't hesitate to launch in Indiegogo or Kickstarter. We raised $600,000 on Indiegogo when most investors told us our idea would never succeed. You get the funding you need, validation for your idea and even some press. - Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Doorbell

Advertisement

A. Low-Interest Government Loans and Grants



One of the least leveraged non-VC resources is low-interest government loans and grants. The key is to reach out to local governmental contacts, such as chambers of commerce, small business development centers, and community and economic development offices. These entities will want to see that you are going to create jobs, and you should communicate effectively that there is money. - Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com

A. Peer-to-Peer Networks



There are marketplace lending options with good business term loans and lines of credit. As long as you have a good credit rating, you'll get lower rates and more advantageous payback options. You can also look to friends, family members and business associates for alternative sources of funding. - Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now

A. Friends and Family

An investment from friends and family can be a great source of funding if you are early on in the process. Ideally, this should be a win-win. They get to invest in a company they believe in and you get funding quicker, allowing you to focus on your business. - Douglas Baldasare, ChargeItSpot

A. Grants and Contracts



If you have a technology-based business in the early stages, then consider some of the many grant opportunities that are out there. Programs like Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) can be a tremendous source of early-stage capital for high-risk, high-reward. Be informed about the amount of effort necessary to submit and manage an award. - Douglas Hutchings, Picasolar

Advertisement

A. Small Business Loans



When looking for money, take the time to talk to your local small business center or Small Business Administration branch. They are entrepreneur-friendly and offer government loans that are often more lenient in their qualifying standards, which is helpful to a company looking to get off the ground. - David Ciccarelli, Voices.com

A. Merchant Cash Advances

One of the most under-utilized yet beneficial sources of funding in today's market is a merchant cash advance, or MCA. MCA's are not traditional loans and don't possess the stringent requirements of traditional bank loans. They're often funded much quicker, with fewer required documents, and payback is based on your revenue rather than static payments, making repayment flexible. - Blair Thomas, First American Merchant

A. Line of Credit



A line of credit is a great source of funding because you pay interest only on what you use and it serves as security in case you need it. Every company should have access to this not just for emergency funding but as a great resource to grow without having to give away equity or control. - Anthony Davani, Kreoo

A. Customers

Find a product that has good margins and sell slowly at first. For each product you sell, buy another one with the profits. Do this year after year without taking money out of your business. In the end, you'll find that you didn't have to take external sources to fund your business, but instead, with your strict reinvestment of your limited resources, you got your customers to fund your business. - Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors, LLC
ADS ADS

"We had a good year and experienced growth, so the brand is doing well. There are some great things in the pipeline and the ambiance in the company is great. People are highly motivated to maintain our position and win market share.



We aim to grow in quality. If we cap production at 40,000 units per year then we aim to sell more through our own retail network. So people are increasingly entering an Audemars Piguet environment to buy their watch, which is proof of quality. The product mix will also change. We launched the skeleton double balance wheel models this year in a limited edition of just 500. But these are 500 watches that I have effectively taken from somewhere else in our production capacity and they are more expensive. The average price therefore increases, which in turn increases turnover.



Until we completely sell out all 40,000 watches that we produce each year, we will not produce 40,001. We have the benefit of being an independent company and our strategy has been fully approved by the family owners. This means that we can do what we want and we are not bound by shareholders to produce a return on investment."
Bill Self, Kurtis Townsend won't be on sidelines for KU's first four games
ADS ADS

The Patek Philippe boutique, located at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and operated by Cortina Watch, began operations in 2010. It came a year after Patek Philippes very first mono-brand boutique in Singapore located at ION Orchard, was opened back in 2009.

For the 152 square metre (1,636-square feet) Patek Philippe boutique at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, it underwent two-and-a-half months of renovation works. Finely-furnished with precious wood, luxurious leather upholstery, custom-made glass, Baccarat crystals and burnished brass finishings, the decor and feel of the boutique is in line with the brands concept at ION Orchard.

These include an exhibition area featuring a wall detailing key milestones in Patek Philippes history and even that of its partnership with Cortina Watch. For example, the 2015 highlight is Patek Philippes donation of three one-of-a-kind hand-enamelled dome clocks that were put up for private auction to commemorate Singapores 50th anniversary of its independence.

Patek Philippes partnership with Cortina Watch began in 1972, the very same year the watch retailer based in Singapore was founded by Anthony Lim, who is Chairman and CEO of Cortina Watch.

One of the dome clocks, The Esplanade  Singapore Ref. 1677M, which is hand-guilloched in cloisonne enamel and depicts the skyline of the city including iconic landmarks like Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum and the Singapore Flyer, was actually acquired by Cortina Watch for SGD750,000 (equivalent to around USD518,000 based on exchange rates at the time of writing). The sale proceeds went to the National Heritage Board.

Though smaller in size and with similar decor, this Patek Philippe boutique holds rare treasures within. These include the extremely rare Patek Philippe Ref. 5370P and the Ref. 5204P which were sighted in the showcase. There is no guarantee that such prized timepieces will remain within the boutique but the main draw for us, that will surely remain, is the piece unique Ref. 1677M dome clock which stands proudly on display within this boutique, an apt home since the beauty of Marina Bay Sands is the artwork depicted. This is one of the main reasons why fans of the brand should make this boutique a must-visit stop when in Singapore and at Marina Bay Sands.

We have to thank Cortina Watch for trusting Patek Philippe for this [boutique] is a big commitment. We started young and we did make mistakes but that is how you learn, says Thierry Stern, President, Patek Philippe, who was in Singapore in early December 2016 for the re-opening ceremony. We are getting more mature and we can always do better but step-by-step, says Stern in his characteristically humble manner.

Note: Patek Philippes newly expanded 265.48 square metre (2,857.6 square feet) boutique at ION Orchard, also operated in partnership with Cortina Watch, is currently the brands largest in South-East Asia, having undergone a fourfold jump in retail floor space. It was only recently relaunched in April 2016.
Seven out of ten consumers would welcome robo-advisory services for insurance and other financial services, a new survey reveals.The global study by professional services firm Accenture found that computer-generated advice would be accepted by most but only to a certain level. For more complex matters, human interaction remains important.For insurance advice, 71 per cent of respondents said they would be open to robo-advisors for helping to determine which coverage to purchase. This is the same percentage as for advice on which bank account to open.Complaints is one area where consumers are less happy to deal with a computer but generally two-thirds want human contact for financial services matters.The report also discovered the 29 per cent of respondents would consider switching to Google, Amazon or Facebook for insurance services and 30 per cent would switch to a retailer or supermarket.Personalized insurance is a big one with 64 per cent of respondents showing an interest.Unsurprisingly, many of the respondents who were open to new platforms and outlets for their insurance and other financial needs are millennials and those from emerging markets but even in mature markets there is an increasing acceptance of new ideas.Economic inequality, societal polarization, and intensifying environmental dangers have been identified as the top three risks in the latest Global Risk Report from the World Economic Forum.The report, developed with support from insurers Marsh and Zurich , surveyed 750 risk experts and highlights that rising inequality between top earners and those at the bottom is the largest risk to global development in the next 10 years.The environment is second and reached a milestone with key elements of climate change being ranked highly both for risk and for likelihood. Extreme weather events are the top risk identified in this sector.Polarization of societies is the third highest risk and there is also concern that society is not keeping pace with technological trends.We live in disruptive times where technological progress also creates challenges. Without proper governance and re-skilling of workers, technology will eliminate jobs faster than it creates them, warns said Cecilia Reyes, chief risk officer of Zurich Insurance Group.She added that governments cannot continue to blame globalization for societys challenges but must embrace cooperation.AIG has teamed up with law firm Bond Dickinson to develop a document processing solution which will save time and money for the insurers lawyers."As part of AIGs strategic focus to concentrate resources on delivering value to our clients, we are continually looking for ways to streamline operations and automate processes and systems, explained Chris Newby, General Counsel at AIG. This approach simplifies the way we template legal documents enabling the legal team to focus on delivering value to the business."The focus was the automation of non-disclosure documents with templates created by the law firm, which has represented AIG for many years. The process has been migrated to the insurers service center in Manilla.
It would appear that US insurance brokerage USI Insurance Services will soon be up for sale  with a cool price tag set at around $4 billion.Earlier today, Reuters reported that Canadian private equity firm Onex Corporation is exploring the possibility of a sale, quoting people familiar with the matter.Onex originally acquired USI back in 2012, purchasing it for $2.3 billion from Goldman Sachs Groups private equity firm. The company is among the leaders in the USA for property casualty, personal risks services, retirement and specialty solutions with 140 offices across every US state and more than 4,400 people employed. Its annual revenue is in excess of $1 billion.Should the sale go ahead  and according to the report Onex is working with Bank of America on a possible auction  it would continue a wave of consolidation throughout the sector which has not grown at a sufficient enough rate to support a host of smaller brokerages.
The Select Board is pondering cuts and use of reserves to fix a budget gap they're not sure exists.

Clarksburg Officials Skeptical of Budget Gap Numbers

CLARKSBURG, Mass.  Town officials are requesting help from the state Department of Revenue and its outside auditor to track down a $240,000 error in the fiscal 2017 budget.



Town Administrator Carl McKinney has taken the responsibility for the error, saying he overestimated revenue and underestimated charges from the state.



"It was my mistake," he said at Wednesday's Select Board meeting. "I am embarrassed and quite upset over my own mistake. ...



"I apologize to the town. I hope we can work together to correct this error I made."



But the Select Board and former Finance Committee members aren't convinced it's all his fault.



"Carl can fall on his sword if he wants ... but it's not just you," said Mark Denault, former chairman of the Finance Committee. "We had the town accountant looking at this, we had the state looking at this. Other people were looking at this ... How did it get missed?"



McKinney believes the problem lies in two areas: school choice revenue and charges by the state. The town had been working with the worst-case scenario of state charges and revenue  as outlined on the so-called cherry sheets  out of the three budgets proposed in Boston by the governor, House and Senate.



The town had been developing the fiscal 2017 budget based on about $155,000 in charges that somehow ballooned to $180,000.



Denault backed that up with an email from the DOR putting the charge amount at about $145,000 early in the spring.



"From last year to this year, those numbers had to be dramatically off, $25,000 off," he said, wondering how the state missed it.



The school choice error was confirmed by DOR, McKinney said. The problem appeared to be his marking school choice revenue of $203,013 on the town side rather than the school side of the ledger. For school choice and tuition, the town pays out but the school takes in.



But Select Board member Linda Reardon, former principal of the school, questioned the excessive amount.



"That number doesn't make any sense for school choice," she said.



Clarksburg School has around 20 school choice children and the state pays $5,000 per child, prorated on attendance. That comes out to closer to $100,000 than $200,000.



Clarksburg for fiscal 2017 received $203,013 for incoming students and was charged $133,934 for students going out (that does not include tuition to the high schools or charter school).



In fiscal 2016, the numbers were $159,657 coming in and $90,681 going out; in 2015, $122,000 coming in and $42,450 going out; in 2014, $123,203 coming in and $67,067 going out. So in 2015 and 2014, there were about 24 school choice children; in 2017, the number comes up 40 coming in. The school's enrollment is 163.



"We can't say the $90,000 is not going to hurt, it's going to hurt," he said. "What's going happen again is a level-funded budget that is going to put us behind so we're going to have to raid free cash."




Haiti - Diplomacy : Qatar seeks Support from Haiti





Wednesday at the National Palace, de facto President Jocelerme Privert received the visit of Richard Griffiths, the representative of the Minister-Counselor of the Emir of Qatar, Dr Hamad Bin Adulaziz Al-Kawari, to present his candidacy to the Directorate General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).



Richard Griffiths, who was accompanied by Armand Anton, an Antigua and Barbuda special envoy to the United Arab Emirates, sought Haiti's support for Al-Kawari's election.



Jocelyne Privert listened with interest to Qatar's request and underlined diplomatically that it would be up to the new Government after February 7 to decide on the choice of Haiti for these elections, which would take place at the end of 2017.



IH/ iciHaiti


















A young Chinese Internet addict receives an electroencephalogram check at the Beijing Military Region Central Hospital. (Photo : Getty Images)

China just drafted a regulation that will protect minor's rights in cyberspace. Experts said that this will bring an end to the electroshock therapy to cure Internet addiction, which became controversial and has caused physical and psychological damage to the minors who used it.



A draft was released by The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council on Friday. The public is invited to give comments on the draft through their website before Feb. 6.



Advertisement

The draft indicates that no individuals or organizations are allowed to force or abuse teenagers in seeking to cure Internet addiction that will hurt their mental and physical health or infringe their legitimate rights.



It also stipulates that video games providers ban services for minors from midnight to 8 am, and restrict their continuous period and daily accumulated time on playing games.



These providers should also be responsible for taking technical measures for preventing minors to become addicted to video-games.



Song Yinghui, the deputy director of law school in Beijing Normal University, said: "Electroshock therapy, such as that used by the controversial Internet Addiction Treatment Center in Shandong Province will be banned if the draft is adopted."



The China Youth Daily reported last August that Electroconvulsive therapy is a legitimate medical technique for severe depression, but it has no role in addiction therapy. A Shandong center, however, used it for treating more than 6,000 Internet addicts since 2006, most of which are teenagers.



According to the Nandu Daily, the treatment center in Linyu, Shandong came to public attention in 2009 after reports claimed that juveniles were suffering from psychological trauma after treatment.



"Though service providers shall take responsibility to protect juveniles' health, the main method to prevent Internet addiction should come from families' guidance and education," said the director of the Beijing Youth Legal and Psychological Consultation Service Center, Zong Chungsan.


China is planning to launch more than 30 space missions in 2017. (Photo : YouTube)

China has sent three satellites into space via the rocket Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A), marking the country's first commercial rocket mission.



According to China.org, the rocket was launched into space on Monday, carrying two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1 and the satellite JL-1.



The Kuaizhou 1A booster blasted off at around 12:11 p.m. on (Beijing time) on Monday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.



Advertisement

The KZ-1A is a solid-fuelled carrier that was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 rocket. It was made with short preparation period as a low-cost launch option for delivering up to 300kg into low-orbit satellites, according to China.org.



The JL-1 satellite yields high-definition video images that can be used for forestry surveying, transport and disaster prevention, environmental protection and land resource and relief operations.



Meanwhile, the Caton-1 and XY-S1 are experimental satellites that can test VHF Data Exchange System and low-orbit narrow-band communication technologies.



The KZ-1A rocket reached a "near-circular polar orbit ranging between 328 miles and 337 miles in altitude, with an inclination of 97.5 degrees," wrote The Spaceflight Now, citing data from a U.S. military tracker.



Commercial launches of the KZ-1A will now be under Expace, a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC).



The group's first contract amounting to $14.5 million was inked last year. The success of this mission is said to pave the way for more cost-efficient and faster launch services for local and foreign clients.



"Foreign clients told us that they are interested in Kuaizhou rockets' strong capabilities and competitive prices," said Zhang Di, vice president of the CASIC Fourth Academy and chairman of Expace, in a China Daily report.



"The Kuaizhou models are specifically designed for launches of small satellites. They are capable of lifting four to six satellites to multiple orbits in a single flight and require a short period of time for pre-launch preparations, and fewer than 10 operators."


China Wants to Take Lead in Battle Against Climate Change

A Chinese labourer stands next to a cooling pit at an unauthorized steel factory on Nov. 4, 2016, in Inner Mongolia, China. (Photo : Getty Images)

China has recently announced that it wants to take on the leadership role in promoting the Paris Agreement. However, it looks like China's ability to perform the task is still questionable because of the lack of transparency in its carbon emissions data.



Despite numerous scientific papers supporting the existence of climate change as a global phenomenon, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump called it a hoax created by China.



Advertisement

In 2012, Trump posted a tweet saying that climate change was created by China in order to secure an unfair trade advantage.



And it seems he still hasn't changed his view on the matter, as the soon-to-be U.S. president said that he plans to withdraw from the Paris Agreement to control greenhouse gas emissions.



With this, it is possible that Washington might lessen the pressure on China's compliance of the agreement, encouraging it to become less and less transparent on its data submission.



The agreement requires countries to report and submit for verification their respective carbon emissions data. But with the agreement resting on the foundation of transparency and good faith, it has been challenging to get accurate and timely reports.



Just like other countries, China has refused to submit itself to international monitoring and stated that it will provide the data to outside observers.



Known as one of the world's biggest polluters, it seems that China is making efforts to reduce its emissions by shifting to renewable energy.



China has planned to build renewable energy sources which will be completed by the year 2020. The $361 billion project included solar, wind, hydro and nuclear power aims to form half of all new electricity generation by the said year. The government estimates that this project will generate energy that is equivalent to 580 metric tons of coal.



With Trump's stance on climate change, China issued blunt warnings to the president-elect and U.S. leaders if they choose to abandon international efforts to combat the problem.



"If they resist this trend, I don't think they'll win the support of their people. Their country's economic and social progress will also be affected," said Xie Zenhua, China's long time climate negotiator.



If China is serious in pursuing its desire to lead the battle against climate change, it must then lead by example. Aside from shifting towards renewable energy sources, it must be able to properly and accurately report its emissions data to encourage the rest of the countries to follow suit.


Dancers perform on the stage during opening ceremony at the Shanghai Disney Resort on June 16, 2016 in Shanghai, China. (Photo : Getty Images)

While people could discuss at length whether talents are inborn or acquired, the most famous mouse in the world offers a course on how to develop it.



This year marks the start of the Shanghai Disney Resort Talent Class to be conducted in some of the schools in the country, as announced through the resorts website.



Advertisement

To officially launch the program or what the resort also refers to as comprehensive talent development training, Shanghai Disney and one participating institute, the Shanghai Second Polytechnic University (SSPU) took part in a signing ceremony on Jan. 6.



Some people from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission viewed the signing.



Ten schools--among them, Rizhao Polytechnic aka Rizhi (Shandong Province); Sanda University (Shanghai); Shanghai Jianqiao University; SSPU; Tourism College of Zhejiang (Hangzhou City); Zhengzhou Tourism College (Henan Province)--inked a cooperation agreement with Shanghai Disney.



They shall comprise the very first batch who will participate in the program, which aims to support campus talent development and to elevate tourism education and service standards, according to the resorts press release.



Shanghai Disney offers paid internship to students of its partner schools. After graduation, the passionate young talents can apply to become Cast Members, the term Disney uses to refer to its employees.



The resorts general manager, Philippe Gas said that the program would serve as another initiative by Shanghai Disney to support local tourism in Shanghai and, in a broader scale, the service industry in Yangtze River Delta.



Gas added that the resort would contribute to the development of Shanghai through talent education and cultivation, leveraging the best Disney practices and resources from around the world.



Prior to its opening on June 6, 2016, the $5.5-billion 963-acre (389 hectares) theme park already generated thousands of jobs for Shanghai residents as well as for other locals across China.



Lara Tiam, Shanghai Disneys Vice President of Human Resources, said: Disney is known across the world as an employer of choice, providing a wide range of unique Disney training programs, including our traditional immersive training . . .



SSPU President Yu Tao said, I believe by working with Disney, we can help enhance our vocational education and benefit the entire local tourism industry, quoted the Global Times.



SSPU has been a partner school since 2014.






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 }}

Harnessing the tides could provide major amounts of cheap, reliable and renewable energy, according to the author of a report commissioned by the Government into what could be the worlds first lagoon power plant.

A private firm, Tidal Lagoon Power, is seeking state subsidies to help fund a 1.3bn scheme in Swansea Bay.

It would involve building a large U-shaped wall out into the bay. Turbines in the wall would be driven by the regular rise and fall of the tide, providing electricity for more than 150,000 homes for some 120 years.

In addition to providing a new source of vast amounts of pollution-free electricity, the project is seen as a chance to establish Britain as a world-leader in tidal power.

The report, by former Conservative Energy Minister Charles Hendry, was commissioned by the Government last year to examine whether such lagoon power systems would be value for money and how much electricity could be produced in the UK.

It said that tidal lagoon power technology could have a cost-effective role in generating electricity in the UK, as it would be cheaper than offshore wind and significantly less expensive than nuclear over the first 60 years of its life.

And it was beyond question that the local economy would benefit, the report concluded

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Hendry said: We know it absolutely works. One of the great advantages is it is completely predictable for all time to come.

We know exactly when the spring tides and neap tides are going to be every single day for the rest of time and so, in terms of meeting security of supply, lagoons can play an important role.

Tidal Lagoon Power has said the scheme would require about the same level of support from the state as nuclear power.

But Mr Hendry said: If you look at it over the cost of that 120 years [its expected life-time], then you get a very much lower figure than almost any other source of power generation.

Currently, building any kind of power plant in the UK requires some form of subsidy from the state.

Mark Shorrock, of Tidal Lagoon Power, described the report as a watershed moment for British energy, British manufacturing, British productivity and our coastal communities.

Home-grown power from the tides, starting at Swansea Bay, is something we can all agree on: communities and investors, conservationists and industrialists, politicians of all persuasions and now an independent Government review, all singing from the same hymn sheet, he said.

Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon is a vision of how Great Britain can replace part of our ageing power station fleet with low cost, reliable power that also revitalises our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.

When we pay our electricity bills, we are mostly supporting other countries energy industries and other countries workers. It doesnt have to be that way. Tidal lagoons will generate electrons that work for Britain and bring down bills.

Other experts broadly backed the reports conclusion.

Recommended Global carbon emissions stall after US and China reduce coal use

Dr Robert Gross, director of policy at the Energy Futures Lab, Imperial College London, said: Tidal lagoons are expensive to build but could provide electricity almost indefinitely.

If they can be financed cheaply over the long term their electricity works out quite cheap too.

But UK governments have not been very good at thinking long term. Private investors welcome secure and long term investments in energy infrastructure but only if, and it's a big if, government changes its approach and really thinks long term.

Dr Simon Harrison, chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technologys energy panel, said: Although it may seem relatively expensive at first, its important to remember that this is a pathfinder project which, when applied at greater scale in other locations, promises long term cost competitive and predictable renewable energy, and a potentially exportable technology.

This has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the electricity system as we move more to a smart system where consumers will be able to respond to price signals by adjusting the timing of some of their demand, such as when they charge their electric car.

Tidal lagoons are large and complex construction projects, but if Swansea Bay performs well we might expect to see large scale contributions to the UKs electricity from tidal sources by the late 2020s or 2030s.

And Dr Athanasios Angeloudis, also of Imperial College London, said the UK was "blessed with some of the largest tidal energy resources in the world".

"This outcome should be seen as a landmark step towards making the first significant contribution to the national electricity mix from this sustainable energy source," he said.

A recent study by Aurora Energy Research found that tidal power schemes could provide more than 10 per cent of UKs total power generation by 2030, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Greenpeace UKs chief scientist, Dr Doug Parr, urged the UK Government to get on with it.

The Swansea Bay project was a chance to lead the world in providing a new, renewable innovation to meet our clean energy needs, he said.

If Swansea is successful it could prove the investment case for further major projects that could potentially generate a significant chunk of the UKs electricity needs, and help towards meeting our carbon targets, whilst creating thousands of new infrastructure jobs too, Dr Parr added.
Foreign stores sell food products in Yangshan Bonded Port Area at the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. (Photo : Getty Images)

The Chinese government has lifted restrictions on foreign investment in sectors such as services, manufacturing and mining, to enhance the country's competitiveness in the global market as well as attract foreign capital into the country.



Advertisement

The Global Times reported that China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is also opening up financial institutions and other services that include auditing, architectural design and rating, based on the seventh revision to the country's foreign investment industry catalogue.



In the past years, China restricted foreign investment in the services sector by limiting the ownership ratios and investment methods, Sang Baichuan, director of the Institute of International Business at the University of International Business and Economics, said.



"As China's competitiveness in the services sector has risen, the country is now in need of foreign capital. Foreign investment could help those industries develop as well as offer support for the real economy," Sang told the Global Times.



MOFCOM data showed that in the first 11 months of 2016, China's foreign direct investment (FDI) reached about 731.8 billion yuan ($105.6 billion), a 3.9 percent increase from the same period last year.



In the services sector, FDI increased by 8 percent in the same period, accounting for nearly 70.1 percent of the country's total FDI.



Wang Shouwen, MOFCOM vice minister, said in a briefing on Friday, Jan. 6, that a series of measures to enhance FDI were presented by different ministries late last month.



On Dec. 7, the MOFCOM and the National Development and Reform Commission sought public input for revision to the foreign investment industry catalogue.



The agency said it is working to hasten the final revision for the draft catalogue to be presented to the State Council as the period for public input closed on Friday, Jan. 6.



Based on the new catalogue, the number of domestic industries restricted to foreigners will be decreased from 93 to 62.



According to experts, China is striving to attract foreign capital by enhancing its business environment. However, it is facing challenges from the global markets.



Chen Fengying, an expert at the Institute of World Economics Studies under the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said that one of the major challenges is the flow of global capital to the U.S.



Chen noted that the global investment situation could be structured as developed countries such as the U.S. may try to bring manufacturing jobs back to their countries.



Chen added that new measures will be adopted by government to ease foreign business in China such as creating a level field, the streamlining of business registration and intensified efforts to remove it from the negative list.



On the other hand, Sang added that the country will also step up efforts on globalization investment liberalization to attract foreign investors.



"For industries where the government encourages foreign investment, preferential policies about tax and land use will be provided to investors," Sang said.



MOFCOM vice minister Wang said that China is committed to opening up its market to foreign investment despite an increase in anti-globalization and protectionism in the world market.


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 }}

North Korea is synonymous with dictatorship and allegations of war crimes and famine, less so for a thriving beer scene and high-street chains. But this is the side of the hermit kingdom that a British tour operator is showcasing with his fascinating Instagram account.

Simon Cockerell has visited North Korea over 100 times since 2002 as the head of his firm Koryo Tours. Despite being a regular visitor, Cockerell is still subject to North Koreas strict rules on tourism and is accompanied by guides at all times. As such, its never clear whether what he documents is partly staged or real.

Nevertheless, Cockerells has a unique insight into the nations food culture  including its beer which he argued in an interview with Munchies is better than its neighbour South Korea's.

Almost two decades ago, the government imported the Ushers of Trowbridge brewery from rural Wilthshire to the capital of Pyongyang to make Taedonggang. The beer, named after the river which runs through the capital, is North Korea's favourite, said Cokerwell. But due to rations in the Pyongyang, citizens can only buy beer with tokens.

While there is increasingly silly behaviour, the occasional spilling of a pint and jokes that one would expect at a bar, there is not so much political humour", he said.

Cockerells Instagram feed also documents the food and drink that is meaningless to North Koreans because of its isolationist policy, but will raise eyebrows among Costa and KFC fans. One image on his Instagram shows a coffee cup bearing the logo of the high-street chain, while another depicts sorry-looking crisps in a carton emblazoned with the white lettering KHC.

I have seen some Costa Coffeebranded mugs in Pyongyang, but it wasnt at a Costa, just at some restaurant. They probably just got them from a wholesaler, explained Cockerell.

Another image shows dog ribs, or sweet meat, served at a restaurant. Regarded as a delicacy as pets arent kept as dogs in North Korea, the meat is only served on special occasions.

The regimes chequered history  not least a 2014 UN report which accused the North Korean government of crimes against humanity towards its citizen  means that tourism in the Asian nation is controversial.

In a Reddit Ask Me Anything post, Cockerell defended his firm against a user who accused him of indirectly funding the regime with his trips.

The money spent on the tour goes to many places. Mostly payment for goods and services. This is not payment to 'the regime' though. The government taxes companies there and this is where they get their hands on some of the money," he said.

The world's biggest food fights Show all 11 1 /11 The world's biggest food fights The world's biggest food fights La Tomatina, Bunol, Spain Biel Alino/AFP/Getty Images The world's biggest food fights La Tomatina, Bunol, Spain Biel Alino/AFP/Getty Images The world's biggest food fights La Tomatina, Bunol, Spain Biel Alino/AFP/Getty Images The world's biggest food fights World Custard Pie Championship, Kent Funk Dooby/Flickr The world's biggest food fights World Custard Pie Championship, Kent Funk Dooby/Flickr The world's biggest food fights La Merengada, Vilanova i la Geltru, Spain Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltru The world's biggest food fights La Merengada, Vilanova i la Geltru, Spain Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltru The world's biggest food fights Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea, Italy Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images The world's biggest food fights Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea, Italy Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images The world's biggest food fights Clean Monday, Galaxidi, Greece Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images The world's biggest food fights Clean Monday, Galaxidi, Greece Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images

Of course if someone fully and completely objects to one penny of their money making their way to the central coffers of the DPRK (there to be spent on all the things they fund, good and/or bad) then they shouldnt travel there.

He added: I would also mention the value of having people actual have some interaction is (I believe) immensely high. Incrementally and over time, this has more value that we can see in the short term.
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 }}

The family of a woman who died from cervical cancer aged 25 has said the current age limit for smear tests should be lowered.

Amber Rose Cliff, a housing officer and business studies graduate from Sunderland, died last weekend after fighting the illness for four years.

Ms Cliff began experiencing worrying symptoms in her late teens, but was refused a screening by her GP numerous times because she was too young, said her brother Josh Cliff.

We went for a private smear test when she was about 21, three years after shed first been to the doctors, Mr Cliff told local newspaper Chronicle Live.

It turned out that the cancerous tumour in her cervix had been growing for years.

Ms Cliff had chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but the cancer spread to her lungs and throat, by which point doctors were unable to help.

Smear tests are currently only given to those over 25.

Mr Cliff is calling for younger women to be given the option of being screened if they visit their GP with gynaecological complaints more than once.

However, Cancer Research UKs health information officer warned that research shows screening women under 25 for cervical cancer can, on balance, do more harm than good.

This is because cervical changes that screening detects in younger women tend to clear up by themselves and are less likely to develop into cancer, so screening may lead to unnecessary tests and treatment, said Dr Jana Witt.

Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Show all 6 1 /6 Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Art helped Ms Black to cope with her treatment. She is pictured here with an Alice in Wonderland 'Drinke Me' bottle painted on her head, symbolising the drugs she took but didn't understand. Lillyan Ling Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Nikki as she waits to be tattooed Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Comedian Nikki Black before being tattooed Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Nikki being tattooed at The Gilded Lily Design Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Ms Black mid-way through her tattoo Breast cancer survivor gets double-mastectomy tattoos Nikki Black after being tattooed

Whatever your age or screening history, if you notice symptoms such as bleeding between periods, after sex, after the menopause, or any other unusual changes, it's really important to contact your GP and get them checked out.

An online petition set up by Mr Cliff has gathered more than 66,000 signatures.
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 }}

Motoring journalists have been undertaking epic pan-European road trips in Lamborghinis for years. So when the factory asked us to take its tired Huracan demonstrator car from London back home to Italy, we jumped at the chance. Just one challenge: the factory was shutting for Christmas, so there was no time to lose.

Back in the glory days, this wouldnt have been a problem. We could simply have maxed it all the way there and been done with it. Speed limits are a little stricter these days though. Oh, and it was snowing in Europe, and the car we were taking back was the rear-wheel drive Huracan LP580-2.

Suddenly, Feltham to SantAgata seemed a little more of a challenge. Particularly as wed wisely decided to factor in a diversion to a remote French hillside village to deliver a bottle of Christmas whisky to an old family friend

Lamborghini insisted we also visit its Lyon outpost to fit some winter tyres. This is a legal requirement in Europe at this time of year, so we had no choice. We decided to be sensible, and leave London late on Wednesday, to make up time. Then we lost it all by getting lost at Reims. Dammit.

There are worse ways to expensively cruise up and down multiple times between peage booths, mind. The Lambo is a real event car: the cabin is spartan but proves comfortable and details like the solid aluminium paddle shifters are satisfying. The noise is also pretty epic even in (relatively) normal use.

Next day, to Lyon, for those winter tyres, and an unrequested car clean. Dammit again: we wanted to retain the winter weather patina. More dull driving across France ensued, before reaching Alpine valleys, when finally things became exciting.

Believe me, 580hp to just the rear two wheels makes for a very exciting ride indeed, particularly with falling light and deserted roads, plus an engine whose feral nature means you need at least 6,000rpm for things to get truly epic. The noise is ferocious and the Huracan is a thrillingly fast car. Even after 20 hours, the last few hours mean sleep is a long time coming.

Next day, more schlepping through the Mont Blanc Tunnel region. Things get off to a softer start. Literally: the front end lacks the bite of comparable Ferraris and McLarens and, at times, the amount of wheel-twirling is almost comical. Blame the winter tyres? Maybe. We blast up and down mountain passes, trying to figure it out, as this blessed bottle of whiskey rolls around the boot up front.

Then we happen to notice the sat nav ETA. Our Friday night flight back to the UK closes at roughly the same time that were due at the airport. And the weather is closing in. And the road I was planning to use is blocked by snow, forcing a lengthy U-turn. Oops.

Finally, we arrive at the factory to drop the car off. No time for sight-seeing or grabbing a fancy shot of the driver sitting on the bonnet writing notes about the epic road trip: its straight into a cab for a dash to the airport.

Its not until were somehow safely on the flight that we can relax, and soak up what weve just done: driven a Lamborghini across Europe back to its home, delivering the mud-streaked car back with minutes to spare. It was a bit of an adventure. Yes, maybe the handling was softer and the car less hardcore than we expected, but who cares: its still a proper Lamborghini.

LAMBORGHINI HURACAN LP580-2

Engine: 5,204cc V10

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto (Lamborghini Doppia Frizione), rear-wheel drive

Power (hp): 580@8,000rpm

Torque (lb ft): 397@6,500rpm

0-62mph: 3.4sec

Top speed: 199mph

Weight: 1,389kg (dry)

MPG: 23.7mpg (NEDC combined)

CO2: 278g/km

Price: 150,000 Euros + VAT

Rob Adams is a writer for PistonHeads.
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 }}

Giving asylum seekers the right to work while their claims are being processed would combat poverty and save millions of pounds of public money, an MP has said.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss led a parliamentary debate in which she criticised the Government for keeping asylum seekers in destitution. Ms Thewliss cited a study published last month by Warwick University which found that, if even 25 per cent of asylum seekers were employed, the Government could save 70 million a year.

Asylum seekers are currently barred from working while the Home Office processes their claim. The Government aims to deliver a decision within six months, but often miss this target, particularly because of a huge backlog of immigration cases. The MP for Glasgow Central said the most recent figures indicated that over 20 per cent of asylum seekers were waiting over the six month cut-off point.

If a Home Office decision takes longer than a year, asylum seekers may apply for a work permit. However, they still face tight restrictions on the kinds of jobs they can apply for.

Asylum seekers may only work in sectors where the government has decided there is a national shortage of workers. These are often highly skilled roles such as chemical engineers or computer programmers.

The Refugee Council said the policy means only an extremely small number of asylum seekers will ever be able to work, no matter how long they have been waiting for a decision on their application".

Asylum seekers are also excluded from mainstream benefits, receiving 36.95 a week from the Home Office to cover food and other living expenses. Ms Thewliss said latest figures indicated that 8,000 migrants were barely surviving on the money.

Ms Thewliss also read out testimonies from asylum seekers in her constituency.

One mans testimony read: Its so depressing. I have a duty of care to my family, and not being able to do that, I feel like Im a failure.

Another constituent was allegedly told by the Home Office that the voluntary work he had done for the Red Cross while waiting for his claim to be processed was a sign of bad character, and had counted against his application.

Nazek Ramadan, director of the charity Migrant Voice, told The Independent: In a week where much has been made of the need to promote cohesion and integration, it seems strange that we still bar people resident in this country from being active in our civic life.

"Granting asylum seekers the right to work would not only save millions in public money, it would give vulnerable people fleeing some of the world's most extreme circumstances to retain their dignity.

In a statement posted on her website, Ms Thewliss said: Today I outlined the societal and economic benefits of lifting the ban on asylum seekers working. Frustratingly, the Government merely repeated the usual right wing rhetoric were so used to hearing when it comes to asylum and immigration policy.

The SNP wont be letting go of this issue. The case for lifting the ban on asylum seekers working is both morally and economically justified.
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 }}

Hungary plans to crack down on non-governmental organisations linked to billionaire George Soros now that Donald Trump will occupy the White House, according to the deputy head of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans party.

The European Union member will use all the tools at its disposal to sweep out NGOs funded by the Hungarian-born financier, which serve global capitalists and back political correctness over national governments, Szilard Nemeth, a vice president of the ruling Fidesz party, told reporters on Tuesday.

No one answered the phone at the Open Society Institute in Budapest when called outside business hours.

I feel that there is an opportunity for this, internationally, because of Trumps election, state news service MTI reported Nemeth as saying. Lawmakers will start debating a bill to let authorities audit NGO executives, according to parliaments legislative agenda.

Orban, the first European leader to publicly back Trumps campaign, has ignored criticism from the European Commission and US President Barack Obamas administration for building a self-described illiberal state modeled on authoritarian regimes including Russia, China and Turkey.

In 2014, Orban personally ordered the state audit agency to probe foundations financed by Norway and said that civil society groups financed from abroad were covers for paid political activists.

Orban and his administration have frequently singled out NGOs supported by Soros, a US Democratic Party supporter with a wide network of organisations that promote democracy in formerly communist eastern Europe.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Trump also accused the 86-year-old billionaire of being part of a global power structure that is responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities.

In a pre-election advert, he showed images of Soros along with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Lloyd Blankfein, all of whom are Jewish. The Anti-Defamation League criticised the ad for touching on subjects that anti-Semites have used for ages.

Bloomberg
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 Donald Trump-inspired stock market rally, in the wake of the US election, dealt a billion dollar blow to financier George Soros.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the veteran hedge fund manager lost nearly $1bn (820m) as a result of equities rising sharply in the aftermath of Mr Trumps election victory in November.

But the paper reports that Stanley Druckenmiller, Soross former deputy, had positioned himself more favourably for the market move enabling him to chalk up significant gains.

Recommended George Soros NGOs face crackdown in home country thanks to Trump

The US election, broadly considered the most divisive in history, sent markets roiling  both before and after the result was announced.

Americas primary stock market index, the S&P 500, fell 70 points in the two weeks before election day as the prospect of a Trump victory became more likely and markets worried about what the unpredictable candidate would do in the White House

Since then however, the President-elects promises to press ahead with a vast infrastructure spending spree and implement business-friendly policies have helped the index to surge 5.6 per cent from those lows.

For Mr Soros, who placed bearish bets in the aftermath of Mr Trumps victory, this has been bad news. Nonetheless, the Journal reports that the picture could have been worse if the billionaire investor hadnt exited some of those trades in late 2016.

Mr Soros, has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump. In late November he pledged $10m from his Open Society Foundation, which promotes liberal values around the world, to help combat the rise in reported hate crimes since the election.

Due in part to the incendiary rhetoric of the President-elect, dark forces have been awakened since Mr Trumps victory, Mr Soros told the New York Times back then.

We must do something to push back against whats happening here, Mr Soros told the newspaper. He reportedly said he was deeply troubled by the rise in incidents of harassment.

Women go on strike against Donald Trump Show all 7 1 /7 Women go on strike against Donald Trump Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump Protestors march during a demonstration against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump near Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, December 12, 2016. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Women go on strike against Donald Trump Protestors march during a demonstration against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump near Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, December 12, 2016. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Certainly [feelings of hatred] got inflamed as a result of the campaign, he admitted. It really broke out afterwards. However, he said his donation was not intended to be a political statement about the election of Mr Trump.

Right-wing elements in Hungarian-born Mr Soros home country have also been emboldened by Mr Trumps victory.

Szilard Nemeth, deputy leader of the ruling Fidesz party told reporters on Tuesday that all NGOs linked to Mr Soros would be swept out because they serve global capitalists and back political correctness over national governments.
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 }}

Donald Trumps scathing comments about the pharmaceutical industry, which wiped billions of dollars off the US healthcare market on Wednesday, are sending shockwaves through the sector on this side of the Atlantic on Thursday.

In his first media conference since Novembers vote, the President-elect on Wednesday accused US firms of getting away with murder.

Almost $25bn was wiped off the value of US pharma companies and close to 11.6bn was shaved off the value of their European counterparts in morning trade a day later. Investors are concerned that Mr Trump could introduce policies that will adversely affect the global healthcare market.

In the UK, shares in AstraZeneca were recently down more than 1 per cent, while shares in GlaxoSmithKline fell by almost as much. Dublin-based Shire, which specialises in drugs for attention deficit disorders and rare diseases, saw its shares fall 3.5 per cent.

In continental Europe, shares in Switzerlands Novartis were down by nearly 3 per cent, while Tamiflu-maker Roche saw its shares fall around 2 per cent. That took the Stoxx Europe 600 Health Care index to a loss for the day of more than 2 per cent, extending its weekly decline to just over 3 per cent.

Jake Robbins, global equity fund manager, said: Healthcare has been regarded as a growth sector due to favourable demographics driving growing demand, but pricing pressure will hit revenues, margins and earnings making the sector less attractive than previously believed.

Caroline Simmons, deputy head of the UK Investment Office at UBS Wealth Management, said Mr Trump was becoming more vocal about bringing drug prices down, which will continue to have a big impact on European shares.

She told The Independent: If Mr Trump wants to implement price controls or price caps it will have an impact on European companies, which have big exposure in the US. Unfortunately, shares will continue reacting to his rhetoric and this will in turn increase market volatility."

According to UBS Wealth Management, MSCI Europe healthcare has an average revenue exposure to the US of about 35 per cent. At a company level this ranges from negligible exposure to 75 per cent.

Shares in Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Celgene and Eli Lilly, all fell between 1 and 5 per cent on Wednesday.

Speaking to members of the press for the first time since swinging to victory in hotly contested election battle in November, Mr Trump said: We have to get our drug industry coming back. Our drug industry has been disastrous.

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

They supply our drugs but they don't make them here, to a large extent. And the other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drug industry, because they're getting away with murder.

Mr Trump, who takes office in eight days, suggested during his press conference that there should be price controls.
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices 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

Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Conservative MPs have voted to block plans for sex and relationship education (SRE) to be made compulsory in schools.

Under increasing pressure from campaigners over the past year, Education Secretary Justine Greening repeatedly suggested she was open to reforming the current Government guidance on SRE, which currently allows free schools and academies to opt out of teaching the subject in class.

As the law stands, state schools are obligated to cover sex education from a biological aspect.

But no British schools are required to teach pupils about the social or emotional aspects of sex, or make classes LGBT inclusive.

Recommended 7 out of 10 schoolchildren want compulsory sex education classes

Debating the matter in Parliament this week, an all-female group of MPs tabled an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill to make lessons on sex and relationships education, same-sex relationships, sexual consent, sexual violence and domestic violence mandatory in all UK schools.

The new law would require schools watchdog Ofsted to evaluate schools on their SRE as part of regular inspections, judging whether the information provided to pupils is accurate and balanced, age-appropriate, inclusive or religiously diverse.

In a vote of ten Conservative and five Labour MPs, the amendment was rejected  with the vote divided 10-5 between parties lines.

No other party was represented on the bill committee.

Conservative MP for North Dorset, Simon Hoare told Parliament that the amendment did not offer enough protection for faith schools who oppose homosexuality.

He said: Some form of protection is needed for those who run faith schools, all faiths, to make the position absolutely clear.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

I have little or no doubt that I will receive emails from constituents who happen to read my remarks. They will say that this is all about promotion, and this or that religion thinks that homosexualityor another elementis not right.

To provide a legislative comfort blanket, for want of a better phrase, the new clause needs to include a clear statement that we are talking not about promotion, but about education, and where sex education is delivered in a faith school environment, those providing the education should not feel inhibited about answering questions such as What is the thinking of our faith on this particular aspect of sexuality?

Recalling his own faith school upbringing, Mr Hoare said he was much in support of the intentions behind the clause, but pointed out that it was tabled solely in the name of Labour Members of Parliament who all happen to be women.

Addressing Labour MP Stella Creasy, who led the amendment, he said: A father, a husband and a boyfriend have as much interest in ensuring a high quality of PSHE as women do."

He added that she "might want to think about that point, which is why I hope that she will not press this new clause to a vote today but instead think about some proactive cross-party working on Report.

 House of Lords blocks controversial Higher Education bill

Junior Education Minister Edward Timpson said the government would be bringing forward its own plans to reform SRE in schools, but agreed the amendment was incomplete, with lots of repercussions that need to be thought through.

He added: We hear the call for further action on PSHE and we have committed to exploring all the options to improve delivery of SRE and PSHE.

We are actively looking at how best to address both the quality of delivery and accessibility to ensure that all children can be supported to develop positive, healthy relationships and to thrive in modern Britain today.

We welcome the support in delivering this in a timely and considered manner.

Pressing the new clause to a vote, Ms Creasy said: Millions of children in our schools right now are simply not getting the right sort of information about relationships, consent and sensitive issues such as their relationships with the other sex and with the same sex, domestic violence and abuse, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

She added: I am sorry, but frameworks and guidance are what we have had for the past six years, and we are not making progress.

The rejected amendment comes amid fresh criticism from charity campaigners, who claim present teachings are seriously out-dated for the smartphone generation of children who are exposed to the internet and influenced by social media.

SRE guidance for schools has not been updated in close to 17 years - making the current legislation older than the majority of pupils learning about the subject.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 children conducted by Barnardos children's charity found that seven in 10 pupils aged 11-15 thought the government should ensure that all children have age-appropriate SRE in school.

Barnardos Chief Executive Javed Khan called for the government to give children the knowledge that will help keep them safe.

He said: It's time to listen to children who are clearly telling us that they need help in understanding the digital dangers and the risks of sharing images of themselves with strangers.

Online grooming is a very real danger facing all children and nearly half of the girls polled said they were worried about strangers contacting them online.

Compulsory SRE lessons for all children must be introduced as soon as possible- it will help prevent children being groomed and sexually exploited.

Calling the vote "shameful", HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust said the vote was "another missed opportunity by the government to make SRE statutory in schools".

An Ofsted report in 2013 found 40 per cent of schools required improvement or were deemed inadequate in their provision of sex and relationship education.

A Department for Education spokesperson said in a statement: High-quality education on sex and relationships is a vital part of preparing young people for success in adult life  helping them make informed choices, stay safe and learn to respect themselves and others.

Education on sex and relationships is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools, and many academies and free schools teach it as part of the curriculum. We are actively considering what further steps we could take to improve the quality and availability of sex and relationships education.
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 }}

Police are still completely bemused as to how an iron gate stolen from one of Nazi Germanys biggest concentration camps ended up in Norwegian countryside.

Detectives, who have completed their investigation, say they have no clue as to how the metal door from Dachau reached a small village near Bergen more than 1,100 miles away.

The 100kg black iron gate, bearing the infamous slogan Arbeit macht frei (work will set you free), was stolen in November 2014.

Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp in 1933 to hold political prisoners Getty (Getty)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the crime appalling, before it was discovered in December in Gaupas after an anonymous tip-off.

We do not know the gates history. We have no information on how it ended up in Gaupas, said police inspector Paal Duley, speaking to the citys tabloid Bergensavisen on Tuesday.

No DNA traces have reportedly been found, no arrests have been made and the Ministry of Culture have been asked how best to transport it back to Germany.

History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US Show all 9 1 /9 History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg-getty.jpg Getty Images History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg2.jpg History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg3.jpg Getty Images History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg4.jpg History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg5.jpg History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg6.jpg History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg-8.jpg History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg9.jpg History of Nazi Germany to be revised as diaries of Hitler confidante Alfred Rosenberg are tracked down in US rosenberg1.jpg

The gate was a 1965 replica of the original one, when the camp opened as a memorial site.

Dachau, which lies around 12 miles north-west of Munich, was the first of the Nazi concentration camps in 1933 when it opened just two months after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor.

Originally set up to incarcerate political prisoners, it slaughtered 32,000 including Jews, not including thousands more who were undocumented.

Approximately 800,000 people visit each year.

Karl Freller, head of the Bavarian Memorial Foundation, said in December: It is a relief to me that this original evidence of the Nazis' cynicism and contempt for humans has been rediscovered.
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices 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

Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A womans blood pressure before she gets pregnant could affect whether she has a boy or a girl, scientists have claimed.

Researchers found those with lower blood pressure tended to have a girl, while higher blood pressure was an indication that a boy was more likely to be conceived.

It was unclear whether a woman who wanted to have either sex could influence the outcome by deliberately raising or lowering her blood pressure.

The issue is controversial because of the practice of gendercide  in which female babies are aborted or even killed after birth  in some male-dominated societies.

One of the researchers, Dr Ravi Retnakaran, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, said their research suggested a womans blood pressure before pregnancy is a previously unrecognised factor that is associated with her likelihood of delivering a boy or a girl.

This novel insight may hold implications for both reproductive planning and our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the sex ratio in humans, he said.

The scientists, who published a paper about their work in the American Journal of Hypertension, studied a group of women from Liuyang in China who were planning to get pregnant.

Their blood pressure was tested before and after conception and other factors, such as age, whether they smoked, weight and cholesterol, were taken into account.

The researchers said that 1,411 had ultimately given birth to 739 boys and 672 girls.

Those who had a female child had an average systolic blood pressure of 103.3mmHg before pregnancy, while for mothers of males the figure was 106, about 2.6 per cent higher.

Fundamental biology means there is generally a 50/50 split in the sex ratio, although in humans there is a slight bias towards males. This is seen as natures way of balancing out their slightly higher risk of premature death.

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

But various methods of influencing the outcome have been suggested over the ages.

Aristotle thought it was determined by the ardour of the man during sex, but other Ancient Greek philosophers thought it was something to do with the left and right sides of the body.

An 18th century French surgeon suggested men who wanted a boy should cut off their left testicle.

Food supplements, folk remedies and special crystals under the bed have also been suggested.

In 2009, a scientific study found that being closer to the equator meant a baby girl was more likely.
Giant Pandas Play After Snow In Hangzhou (Photo : Getty Images)

To help promote the protection of giant pandas and the image of Chengdu in China as a global tourist landmark known for its panda, filming on a documentary began on Tuesday in Sichuan Province. Titled Return to Nature, the documentary tackles the conservation, breeding and rehabilitation of the panda in a breeding facility in the Sichuan capital city and a research hub in Dujiangyan City.



Advertisement

9-Month Filming



The filming would likely last nine months, said Drew Fellman, the documentarys director. The finished movie would be shown in IMAX 3D cinemas, Xinhua News Agency reported.



The documentary, funded by the American non-profit organization Global Cause Foundation, is the result of collaboration between IMAX Corporation in Canada and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.



Panda Champions



On Monday, the breeding center welcomed 15 young people from different countries who are winners of an online writing contest. The trip to China is part of the prizes of the 17 winners  two could not come  from Algeria, Russia, Columbia, U.S., Japan, Nigeria, Peru, South Korea, Britain, France, Mexico, Jordan, Pakistan and China, China.org reported.



The 17 are the United Nations Panda Champions who came to Chengdu to learn more about the panda, considered a vulnerable species. When they return home, the youth are expected to help disseminate the word about the UN sustainable goals such as ending hunger and the protection of forests and oceans.



Besides meeting Qiqi and Diandian, the twin pandas which as the first animal ambassadors of the UN Development Program, the 15 will help take care of the two animals. They will undergo training at the Dujiangyan Field Center to learn how to reintroduce captive pandas to the wild. The group would also track wild pandas at the Sichuan Longxi-Hongku Nature Reserve.



The research projects set up by the Chengdu base, which the Global Cause Foundation is working with, releases pandas to the wild.






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 }}

One of Britains most-wanted criminals  suspected paedophile Stephen Carruthers  has been arrested in France after crashing his car.

The 43-year-old has been on the run after after police found thousands of obscene images of children on his computer.

The most serious of the images showed contact sexual abuse between adults and children, according the National Crime Agency, which named him as one of Britains 10 most wanted criminals.

Carruthers, who featured in a most wanted fugitives campaign run by the NCA and Crimestoppers, was living in a cottage in Saint-Denis-Catus and is believed to have been using a false name, according to the NCA.

Recommended Pope Francis to meet Palestinian president ahead of Paris peace talks

He was admitted to Cahors Hospital with minor injuries on Saturday and was kept in for observations, and subsequent checks by the French authorities on the EU law enforcement database revealed his real identity.

After officers executed a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) at the hospital, Carruthers appeared before the general prosecutor of the appeal court of Agen where he was remanded in custody.

Extradition proceedings are now under way and his next hearing is on Wednesday, the NCA said.

Matt Burton, head of the NCA's International Crime Bureau, said: "The majority of our most wanted fugitives are captured as a result of intelligence-led operations, but with Carruthers his days on the run ended thanks to a huge slice of luck.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

"Following the car crash the French authorities carried out checks that revealed his real identity and enabled them to execute the EAW. Now after being at large for nearly three years he will be returned to the UK to face justice."

Officers raided Carruthers' home in the idyllic village of Ambleside, in the Lake District, in March 2014.

When interviewed by officers the 43-year-old denied committing any offences. He was released on bail and has now been on the run for more than two and a half years.

But officers discovered 5,332 obscene images of children on his computer.

The most serious of the images showed contact sexual abuse between adults and children, the NCS said.
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 }}

Employees responsible for manufacturing and maintaining the UKs nuclear weapons are to go on strike.

Workers at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are to stage two 48-hour walk-outs as part of a long-running dispute over pensions.

Unite said 600 of its members, who work as managers, craft and manual workers at the AWEs two sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire, will strike on 18 and 30 January.

A spokesperson said workers felt deeply betrayed by promises made decades ago guaranteeing their pensions, when they were transferred from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the private sector, being broken.

 Britain backs renewal of Trident nuclear programme

Unite is protesting at plans to close the defined benefit scheme at the end of the month and replace it with a defined contribution one.

Bob Middleton, the unions regional officer, said: It was in the House of Commons in the early 1990s that the then-Tory government made copper bottomed promises to AWE workers regarding the future of their pensions, once they transferred to the private sector.

Recommended MPs vote to renew Trident nuclear deterrent system

It is quite clear that this pledge has been shattered and our members feel deeply betrayed. The hallmark of this dispute is a litany of broken promises.

The most just course of action would be for the pension scheme to be taken back by the MoD.

The four days of strike action later this month are not being taken lightly. It is not a political strike, but one taken reluctantly by our members who have no desire to see thousands of pounds wiped off their retirement incomes.

Unite claimed new pensions proposals, which would see the AWEs pension contributions lowered, violated pledges made in a ministerial statement to the Commons in the 1990s.

The AWE, owned by a consortium of Lockheed Martin, Jacobs Engineering and Serco, is contracted by the MoD to build and maintain nuclear warheads for Royal Navy submarines.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

They form the UKs Trident nuclear deterrent, which MPs voted to renew at an estimated cost of 31bn in July.

Speaking in a Commons debate on the controversial programme, Theresa May called it essentialto deter the most extreme threats to the UKs national security, listing Russia and North Korea among potential aggressors.

Tensions have been steadily worsening with Russia over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, as well as a weapons build-up with Nato, while North Korea is continuing attempts to develop an intercontinental nuclear missile.

The Prime Minister also hailed Tridents role in employment, saying nuclear manufacturing was supporting thousands of highly skilled engineering jobs.

We must continually convince any potential aggressors that the benefits of an attack on Britain are far outweighed by their consequences; and we cannot afford to relax our guard, she added.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said the four new nuclear submarines were due to replace Tridents ageing Vanguard fleet when it goes out of service in the early 2030s.

A spokesperson for the MoD said it was aware of the upcoming industrial action, adding: Changes to the AWE Pension Scheme are a matter for AWE plc to determine as the employer.

Safety and security of the AWE sites are of the highest priority and measures are in place to ensure these would not be compromised in the event of industrial action. The MoD is being kept informed of developments.
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 }}

Millennials are too self-interested to pursue a life in the military and a greater effort must be made to recruit them, according to the head of the British Army.

General Nick Carter told a conference in London that young people born in the 1980s and 1990s were overly concerned with instant self-gratification and whats in it for them when they chose a career, leading them to reject the military option outright.

We are now dealing with a different generation, Generation Y, and they have a slightly different expectation of life, General Carter said, while announcing a new collaboration between British businesses and the army. It tends to be slightly self-interested, very committed.

He added: They are much more adaptable to the information age than my generation, they want to know whats in it for them. They are looking for instant self-gratification. What we wish to do is empower every level to seize opportunities that further our cause.

"Whether you are led or whether you are a leader, leaders don't accept the status quo, they set a clear direction. They have a duty to set standards and have the moral courage to enforce them. We need help in explaining what this is all about and persuading employers that this is not a burden, it's actually a bonus."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

The British Army was looking to recruit young people from production, creative areas and fashion design to the reserves to build a portfolio of ideas, he said.

General Carter also helped tp re-launch the Armed Forces Covenant - a hypothetical agreement first signed in 2013 between military personnel and the nation which means they forgo certain rights like free speech while in uniform.

It followed last week's launch of a new UK-wide advertising campaign by the British Army to promote unique lasting bonds of friendship formed in service.

It currently has 79,000 fully trained soldiers, with a target of 82,000 by 2020.
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 }}

Blizzard-like conditions are set to cover the UK in up to eight inches of snow, forecasters have warned, bringing a real taste of winter to the whole of the country.

Frequent snow showers and strong winds are expected across the whole of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the north of England on Thursday, with the possibility of sleet and snow for shorter periods in the south of England.

Forecasters said it will be much colder for all areas of the country, with daytime highs of 2-5 degrees Celsius, but warned it will feel much colder with gale-force winds of up to 60mph in parts.

The sudden cold snap is said to be caused by a polar airmass originating over northern Canada, spreading south across the UK from Thursday.

Public Health England advised member of the public to take action to stay warm, particular for older people, by ensuring they have foods and vital medicines in place before the cold weather arrives.

Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said the heaviest and most frequent snow showers are likely across northern and western Scotland, Northern Ireland and around Irish Sea coasts, but eastern coasts will also be affected in the coming days.

Most northern areas are very likely to see snow showers at times over the next few days, but the situation over the southern half of England is more complicated, Mr Gundersen said.

In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe A fountain on Saint Peter's square is covered with ice at the San Pietro square, Vatican City, 07 January 2017. EPA In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe Snow covers rooftops of Santeramo on 8 January 2017, near Bari in the Puglia region in the south of Italy. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe Syrian refugees carry their children through a snow storm at a refugee camp north of Athens, Greece, on 10 January Reuters In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe A local villager walks at the frozen Mirusha waterfalls near the village of Lapceve, Kosovo, on Monday, Jan 9, 2017. AP In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe Migrants warm themselves by the fire in an abandoned warehouse in Belgrade, Serbia, 8 January 2017 AP In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe People walk along a seaside promenade during heavy snowfall in Thessaloniki on January 10, 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe A woman visits the archaeological site of Olympion Zeus in Athens, after rare snowfall on the city, on 10 January AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe A migrant stands next to a snow-covered tent at the Moria detention camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on 7 January AFP/Getty In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe Turkish police officers patrol around the Blue mosque (Sultan Ahmet) during snowfall in Istanbul on January 8, 2017. Getty In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe A man with a dog walks through a snow covered park on a cold winter day in Belgrade, Serbia AP In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe Drift ice floats in the water of River Danube at the Szabadsag (Freedom) Bridge in Budapest, Hungary AP In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe A street is cleared from snow in Kleinmachnow, eastern Germany AP In pictures: Deep freeze hits Europe In Italy, sub-freezing temperatures were blamed on the deaths of a half-dozen homeless people, while heavy snows and high winds resulted in re-routed flights, delayed ferries, canceled trains and closed roads AP

Southern counties of England and Wales can expect a cold and wet day with some heavy rain on Thursday, but there's an increasing chance this will turn to sleet or snow, especially over hills, during the afternoon and evening.

There is a chance of snow settling bringing disruption to transport during the evening rush hour and possibly interruptions to power supplies, this more likely across East Anglia and south-east England. As skies clear on Thursday night it is likely to become icy in many areas.

A gust of 93mph was recorded at High Bradford, South Yorkshire and gusts of 82mph at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire on Wednesday.

The Forth Road Bridge that connects Edinburgh and Fife was closed all day after a lorry was blown over and damaged the central reservation. The 54-year-old driver was charged by Police Scotland as the bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles at the time of the accident.

Recommended Freezing weather and snow kills more than 60 people across Europe

Wet and windy weather in Scotland and the north of England have left homes without power and caused major travel disruption this week.

Mr Gundersen added:Forecasting snow is always challenging and there's often a fine line between whether it will rain or snow in a particular location depending on slight changes in air temperature. Keep an eye on the forecast and warnings for your area for the latest information.

The Energy Networks Association has reminded people they can call 105 - the new, free national phone line - if the weather damages their local power network and affects their electricity supply.

Additional reporting by PA
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 Corbyn has clashed with his own defence spokeswoman after he again cast doubt on his support for Nato.

Nia Griffith made clear she was absolutely furious after the Labour leaders spokesman questioned Britain sending 800 troops to Estonia as part of a Nato taskforce to deter Russia.

The spokesman said: Jeremy has expressed concerns about that being one of the escalations of tensions that have taken place.

Recommended Britain could lose senior Nato position to France after Brexit

But a source close to Ms Griffith told the BBC that support for Nato was a red line for her, although she was not considering her position.

The Shadow Defence Secretary has visited the troops in Estonia and had earlier expressed her staunch support in an interview with Forces TV.

She told the station: I think its very, very, important that we now play a very strong role in Nato, particularly as we are leaving the European Union.

I think its very important for Nato to be absolutely clear, following what has happened in Ukraine, that we are standing together as Nato nations and there is no way that we would tolerate any attack on any one of our member states.

But, a few hours later, in a briefing for journalists, Mr Corbyns spokesman suggested both Russia and Nato had to share the blame for worsening relations.

And he again cast doubt on whether Mr Corbyn believes Nato members are committed to offer military support if a fellow member is attacked.

The spokesman said: What we dont want to see is a ratcheting up of tensions between Russia and the West, as has been taking place.

Weve said repeatedly that we want talks and engagement to wind down military tensions, particularly on the Nato-Russian border and in the Middle East.

Asked what would happen if, for example, Russia invaded Estonia, the spokesman said the appropriate response could fall short of military action.

He said: Article 5 [of the Nato treaty] means that if there is an attack on another Nato state there has to be a response by Nato members  it doesnt define what that response should be.

In practice, if you see from the wording of the treaty, that can be a whole range of things. But what were looking for is a reduction of tension and a negotiated engagement.

Asked about the comments, a source close to Ms Griffith said she was absolutely furious and absolutely livid.

Labour backbencher Mike Gapes, tweeted: Labour Attlee established Nato. Under Blair enlarged to Baltic States. Article 5 collective defence absolutely essential for all members.

In June 2015, RAF Typhoons, which have been deployed to the Baltic region each year since May 2014, were scrambled from Estonia to intercept and shadow two Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

The Ministry of Defence announced last July that 500 UK troops would be permanently based in Estonia, that number being increased to about 800 in October. They will be deployed soon.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the military build-up was intended to deter Russia from any further aggression.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Conservative Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning has accused Jeremy Corbyn of "collaborating with Russia" in response to comments that British troops about to be deployed to Estonia were there to "escalate tensions" between Russia and NATO.

Mr Penning said the comments made on Wednesday by a spokesperson for Mr Corbyn showed that Labour "cannot be trusted with Britain's national security".

800 UK troops will be part of a Nato taskforce that will be stationed in Estonia this spring, amid fears of Russian aggression in the region, and concerns President elect Donald Trump may not honour the United States's commitments as a member of Nato to defend other members.

In an interview with BBC Wales today, Mr Corbyn said it was "unfortunate that troops have gone up to the border on both sides".

He added: "I don't want to see any more troops deployed on the borders between Nato and Russia, I want to see a de-escalation, ultimately a de-militarisation and better relationships between both sides of it... there cannot be a return to a Cold War mentality."

But Mr Penning said: "Britain has Nato's second biggest defence budget and plays a leading role in the alliance. It is unprecedented for a leader of the opposition to attack the defensive deployment of British troops in Nato territory.

"These comments suggest that the Labour leader would rather collaborate with Russian aggression than mutually support Britain's Nato allies. As with Trident, everything Labour says and does shows that they cannot be trusted with Britain's national security."
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 }}

Home Secretary Amber Rudds speech to the Conservative Party conference on foreign workers was treated as a hate incident by police.

In her speech in October 2016 the Tory minister proposed tougher rules on foreign workers to stop immigrants coming to the UK taking jobs British people could do.

Her comments were reported to West Midlands Police by Joshua Silver, a physics professor at the University of Oxford.

Police have now written to Mr Silver stating the incident has been recorded in line with the National Police Chiefs Council manual as a non-crime hate incident.

In her speech in Birmingham, Ms Rudd said: I want us to look again at whether our immigration system provides the right incentives for businesses to invest in British workers.

She continued: We will shortly be consulting on the next steps needed to control immigration. We will be looking across work and study routes.

This will include examining whether we should tighten the test companies have to take before recruiting from abroad. British businesses have driven the economic recovery in this country, with employment at record levels.

However, we still need to do more so all British people get the opportunities they need to get on in life. The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do.

Her speech sparked a backlash and the Conservatives were accused of peddling myths about foreigners taking British peoples jobs.

Professor Silver explained his case on the BBCs Daily Politics, saying: I didnt actually see the speech but Ive read the draft.

And Ive looked at all the feedback that there was to the speech. Ive read the speech carefully and Ive looked at all the feedback.

Its discriminating against foreigners, you pick on them and say we want to give jobs to British people and not to foreigners. It was interpreted that way.

But Lord Howard, the former Conservative Home Secretary, said: Of course it wasnt a hate incident.

What Amber Rudd said was no different from Gordon Brown when he said there should be British jobs for British workers.

I think Mr Silver should be thoroughly ashamed of himself because what hes doing is to bring a well-intentioned piece of legislation into disrepute.

Prof Silver said he had also looked into a statement by Prime Minister Theresa May in which she said she was in effect going to expel all foreign doctors.

 James O'Brien says Amber Rudd's speech echoes Mein Kampf

Days later the Government U-turned on the plans, which critics said would have included naming and shaming firms by making them reveal what proportion of their workforce is foreign.

Ministers said the data collected under the policy would in fact not be made public and would be for internal policymaking purposes only.

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said Mrs Rudds comments and the subsequent police action was a sign of how much this Conservative Brexit Government has abandoned the centre-ground and embraced the politics of Nigel Farage.

I do have concerns over whether the police should be investigating a politicians speech, but Amber Rudd should certainly examine her own conscience over these grubby and divisive remarks.
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 }}

An Israeli embassy official at the centre of alleged plots to influence British student movements, lobbying groups and politicians has resigned his post.

Officials said Shai Masot would have no further contact with the Ministry for Strategic Affairs in Israel.

We consider that this scandal is now done and behind us, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry told Middle East Eye.

Mr Masot listed himself as a senior political officer on his business card but was labelled a junior employee by a spokesman after the scandal broke.

Israeli embassy official Shai Masot discussing taking down pro-Palestinian MPs at a restaurant in London in October (Al Jazeera)

An undercover investigation by Al Jazeera showed Mr Masot discussing how to take down pro-Palestinian MPs, including the Conservative foreign minister Sir Alan Duncan.

Students and campaigners told a reporter posing as a pro-Israel activist they had been given funding and support from Israels embassy in London to counter the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

When asked whether he had ever built a group, Mr Masot replied: Yeah, I did several things like that, yeahin Israel and here. Nothing I can share but yeah.

Its good to leave those organisations independent, but we help them actually.

The National Union of Students said it was investigating alleged attempts to influence last years leadership election, which saw its first black, Muslim, female president Malia Bouattia voted in.

Following claims that opposing NUS members held secret meetings with activists supported by the Israeli embassy, a spokesperson for the union said: NUS takes these allegations seriously. We are looking into them and, when we have all the information available, the behaviour of NUS officers will be reviewed and appropriate action taken.

Emily Thornberry, Labours shadow Foreign Secretary, called for an inquiry into the investigation, which included footage of Mr Masot calling Jeremy Corbyn a crazy leader and discussing failed attempts to set up a young friends of Israel group within the party.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

Improper interference in our democratic politics by other states is unacceptable whichever country is involved, she said.

This is a national security issuethe Government should launch an immediate inquiry into the extent of this improper interference and demand from the Israeli government that it be brought to an end.

Members of the Labour Friends of Israel hit back at suggestions it had been influenced, saying Mr Masot had been exaggerating his role.

Mr Masot resigned swiftly after the first clip from Al Jazeeras four-part investigation was released late on Saturday night.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy told The Independent he stepped down at the beginning of the week.

The Embassy of Israel rejects the remarks concerning Minister Duncan, which are completely unacceptable, a statement said.

Sir Alan Duncan was targeted after comparing the situation in a West Bank city to apartheid (Getty)

The comments were made by a junior embassy employee who is not an Israeli diplomat, and whose employment with the embassy has terminated.

Maria Strizzolo, a Tory aide filmed discussing the take down with Mr Masot, also resigned her post at the Skills Funding Agency and part-time role as aide to skills minister Robert Halfon.

Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs that the Houses of Parliament pass available to Ms Strizzolo was in the process of being returned.

The Israeli ambassador, Mark Regev, personally apologised to Sir Alan and the Foreign Office said it had accepted that Mr Masots comments do not reflect the views of the embassy or government of Israel.

Boris Johnson, who Mr Masot and Ms Strizzolo agreed was basically solid on Israel in the undercover footage, also said he considered the row resolved.

The Israeli ambassador made a very full apology for what had taken place and the gentleman in question, the diplomat in question, no longer seems to be a functionary of the embassy in London, the Foreign Secretary said.

Whatever he may exactly have been doing here, his cover can be said to have been well and truly blown. I think we should consider the matter closed.
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 }}

Labour has called on an influential committee of MPs to investigate an Israeli officials threat to take down a critical British minister  after the Government refused to.

Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, suggested the Foreign Affairs Select Committee should probe the extremely disturbing affair.

It is simply not good enough for the Foreign Office to say the matter is closed. This is a national security issue, she said.

The controversy erupted when the Israeli embassy official, Shai Masot, was recorded talking to Conservative MP Robert Halfons former chief of staff, Maria Strizzolo, at an upmarket restaurant in Kensington.

During the conversation between the pair, revealed on Sunday, Mr Masot said: Can I give you some MPs that I would suggest you would take down?

In response, Ms Strizzolo appeared to laugh, before responding: Well you know, if you look hard enough, Im sure there is something that theyre trying to hide.

Alan Duncan, a Foreign Office minister, was named in the conversation as one of the pro-Arab MPs who should be targeted.

Ms Strizzolo resigned over the affair and Israels ambassador to the UK Mark Regev apologised for the completely unacceptable behaviour, saying Mr Masot had been sent home.

However, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has rejected calls for any further disciplinary action, considering the matter closed.

Now Ms Thornberry has written to Crispin Blunt, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, to request an investigation.

She added: The exposure of the Israeli embassy official, Shai Masot, discussing how to bring down or discredit a government minister and other MPs because of their views on the Middle East is extremely disturbing.

Improper interference in our democratic politics by other states is unacceptable whichever country is involved.

This is a national security issue and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should immediately launch an inquiry into the extent of improper influence, and I shall be writing to Boris Johnson to that effect.

However, I wonder if it is also a matter for the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to investigate as well.

Mr Blunt told the news website Middle East Eye that there was a need to curb any Israeli interference in British affairs.

He said: What we cannot have is Israel acting in the UK with the same impunity it enjoys in Palestine.

This is clearly interference in another countrys politics of the murkiest and most discreditable kind.

The incident came just over a week after Theresa May put herself at odds with the US government after Secretary of State John Kerry criticised the Israeli government.
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 }}

Overcrowding in NHS hospitals has become so severe that last week more than 20 trusts issued black alerts, meaning they are unable to guarantee life-saving emergency care.

The top-level alert, considered a serious incident by NHS England, can result in scheduled operations being cancelled and patients being diverted to other hospitals as overflowing A&E departments struggle to cope.

At least 23 hospital trusts in England declared they were unable to manage demand last week, reported The Guardian.

In Leicester, patients were made to wait in ambulances until A&E staff were able to see them, according to the newspaper.

And bed shortages at Royal Surrey hospital in Guildford at one point are said to have left 27 patients in need of a bed with nowhere to go.

Around a third of NHS trusts said they were facing intense pressures in December, according to the Nuffield Trust, which found 50 hospitals had declared alerts at the two highest escalation levels on an official scale last month.

Most of the 23 trusts The Guardian spoke to said they had reached the most severe of the four levels, with some describing the pressures they were facing in terms of a serious internal incident.

A Nuffield Trust spokesperson told The Independent if more than 20 of these alerts were at Opel 4, the top of the alert level system, that would mean an unbelievably high number of hospitals were failing to cope with demand.

 Jeremy Hunt dodges questions from Sky News reporter as she chases him

In December, seven of the 50 trusts who issued alerts for intense pressure were at Opel 4, which warns there may be "increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised," with the rest at Opel 3, which requires "further urgent actions" in response to major pressures.

Vital NHS services are struggling or failing to cope, said senior medics at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which represents more than 30,000 doctors across 30 specialties.

The RCP joined a growing multitude of doctors and leading medical authorities demanding an urgent boost to health and social care funding after the British Red Cross warned of a humanitarian crisis in NHS hospitals.

Recommended Everyone the Conservative government has blamed for NHS crisis

But Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt have said health funding is already at record levels and have instead suggested steps be taken to reform the NHS  blaming a number of different factors for the problems faced by the service.

It is alarming for this many trusts, in less than a week, to say they cant cope, and it shows the scale of the crisis in our NHS at the moment, Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, told The Independent.

Instead of outlining a plan to deal with the crisis, the Government has tried to play down the pressure that services are under," he said.

(Statista (Statista)

"If the health and care service continues to be deprived of much-needed resource this will impact on patients and will ultimately limit the care doctors can provide.

The fact is that we can only get to grips with pressure on A&E if every part of the system  from general practice to social care  is adequately funded, supported and working well.

NHS chief Simon Stevens has warned the Prime Minister that problems in the health service are set to grow if funding levels are not increased, warning that 2018 is poised to be the toughest year.

More than two million people waited over four hours to be seen at A&E departments last year, according to the latest data from NHS digital.

In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Accident and emergency junior doctor, Jennifer Hulse, holds a homemade placard outside St Thomas' Hospital as she strikes with colleagues in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike A supporter displays a slogan on her bag during a junior doctors' strike outside St Thomas' Hospital in London Reuters In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London, as thousands of junior doctors begun the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS after the Health Secretary said the Government would not be "blackmailed" into dropping its manifesto pledge for a seven-day health service PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Junior doctors and supporters take part in a strike outside the Royal United Hospital in Bath Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary visits a British Medical Association picket line at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, to show support for striking junior doctors on the second day of the union's annual health conference PA

And waits of more than 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years.

"Planned operations are really important, and if they are cancelled individuals get sicker and their life chances could potentially be narrowed," Rehana Azam, head of public services at GMB, the largest union in the ambulance service, told The Independent.

"We are in the second week of January and things are yet to get worse. We call on the Prime Minister to stop being in denial. We want an urgent NHS summit with interested parties coming together to work out how best to address this."

The British Red Cross, which stepped in to help at hospitals in the East Midlands, said the government should take immediate action to stabilise the health service after it emerged two patients died on trolleys in the A&E department of Worcestershire Royal hospital.

Mr Hunt said some A&Es had very, very serious problems over Christmas and no one would want to minimise what happened.

He said while he did not accept the Red Crosss description of a humanitarian crisis in NHS hospitals, the Government needed to take action to prevent that happening again.
A worker inflates a giant chicken resembling Donald Trump in a factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, on Jan. 6, 2017. (Photo : Twitter)

A balloon factory in eastern China's Zhejiang Province is currently offering giant inflatable chickens that look like U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to help Chinese usher in the Lunar New Year with a twist.



The five-meter (16-foot) balloons, which sport Trump's signature golden mane and mimic his hand gestures with tiny wings, were inspired by an art installation by Seattle-based artist Casey Latiolais outside a shopping mall in Taiyuan, the capital of north China's Shanxi Province late last year.



Advertisement

Cartoon figures of animals from the Chinese zodiac are commonplace around Chinese New Year, and with the Year of the Rooster coming in at the end of the month Chinese manufacturers are quick to pounce on Latiolais's now-viral work with smaller, tweaked versions of the sculpture online.



"I saw his image on the news and he has a lot of personality, and since Year of the Rooster is coming up I mixed these two elements together to make a Chinese chicken," Wei Qing, the owner of the balloon factory in Jiaxing city, told the AFP.



"It is so funny, so we designed it and tried to sell it and it turned out to be popular."



The "bigly" birds don't come cheap, however, as the factory is selling the balloons for as much as 14,400 yuan ($2,080) on the Chinese online shopping platform Taobao.



Chinese businesses have also offered their own versions of the Trump rooster with a wide range of dimensions and prices on Chinese online shopping sites, according to Shanghaiist.



As for possible trademark issues with Latiolais' original work, Wei said he was unaware that the American designer had created the original and "there are some differences in the facial expression. And that one is glass. Ours is inflatable."



Trump has been a source of controversy in China for his fiery stance on Chinese trade practices he says are unfair to American consumers.



He has also angered Party officials for taking a phone call from Taiwan President Tsai-wen, breaking with decades of U.S. diplomatic practice.


Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond took a stake in a food technology business shortly before it received a government grant to develop low fat ready meals.

According to records at Companies House, Mr Hammond took a stake of 15 per cent in Hydramach, a food tech company based in Cambridgeshire, in October 2015 when he was still Foreign Secretary. In April 2016, the company received a share of a 560,000 grant from Innovate UK, a tech start up agency of the then Business department.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the grant was to develop low fat and low sugar soups, ready meals and sauces. Mr Hammond was appointed Chancellor by new Prime Minister Theresa May in July.

Hydramach has not yet received any monies, and has even withdrawn from the project, which was to produce reduced fat and salt in soups, sauces and ready meals by utilisation of novel procedures to create novel micro-structures and was part of a government initiative on public health.

Mr Hammond did not declare it in the register of members in interests.

A director of Hydramach told The Daily Telegraph: Hydramach withdrew from the proposed consortium and declined to enter into the agreement with Innovate UK and therefore Hydramach has not received nor will receive or benefit in any way from any grant paid to the other members of the consortium."

A spokesman for Mr Hammond said: The shareholding has been fully declared to the Director General for Propriety and Ethics [Sue Gray] at the Cabinet Office and the independent adviser on Ministers' interests [Alex Allan] who were content with the arrangements.

He added: Hydramach initially joined the consortium, but later withdrew its participation and did not bid for, or receive any research funding. Mr Hammond does not have any day to day involvement in the company.
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 }}

Martin McGuinness has signalled he is willing to meet the Democratic Unionist Party for talks on how to resolve the Northern Irish political crisis. The Sinn Fein politician, who was Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland prior to his resignation on Monday, which triggered the crisis, has told the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny he is prepared to meet his unionist counterparts to begin talks.

However, in an apparent split within Sinn Fein, party president Gerry Adams continues to insist there is no basis for any negotiations with the Democratic Unionists.

The apparent divide is an unusual stance for the party, which is normally united on political negotiations.

Mr McGuinness resigned in protest at the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, which is thought to have cost taxpayers more than 400m due to mishandling under the Democratic Unionists. Known locally as the cash for ash scandal, it emerged that a scheme set up in 2012 to encourage Northern Irish businesses to use renewable energy was flawed, and companies were being given a financial incentive to burn fuel needlessly.

Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster was the executive minister responsible for the scheme at the time. Allegations have emerged that she asked civil servants to doctor documents to reduce her appearance of responsibility for the scheme. She strongly denies this.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

Pressure has been mounting on Ms Foster to stand aside while an independent investigation takes place into the RHI scandal, but she has refused. Citing concerns at the DUPs arrogance, Mr McGuinness then resigned as Deputy First Minister on Monday. Under power-sharing rules, both the Deputy First Minister and First Minster must both be in partnership at all times or the structures collapse. Mr McGuinness resignation therefore meant that Ms Foster lost her position too.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire issued an urgent statement on the collapse of power-sharing in the House of Commons on Tuesday, calling the situation very grave. He now has until 5pm on Monday to secure a replacement for Mr McGuinness from Sinn Fein, in order to restore power-sharing. However, the Republican party have insisted they will be putting no such replacement forward. It is therefore expected that when the time elapses Mr Brokenshire will have to declare fresh elections in Northern Ireland, in a bid to elect a new government for the Assembly at Stormont.
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 }}

While nobody can be sure what the next four years with Donald Trump as President will look like, it is guaranteed to feature Alec Baldwin mocking the President-elect.

The actor has revealed he will play Mr Trump on Saturday Night Live on 21 January, just a day after he is sworn in as President. The sketch is likely to parody the standout moments of the billionaire tycoon's inauguration ceremony.

Baldwin, who has has been playing the incoming President since October, quipped Mr Trump was ultimately their head writer.

Were going to play [Trump] the day after the inauguration. Were doing SNL the day after the inauguration, Baldwin told Extra.

All of this comedy stuff we do on SNL, Trump is our head writer. Trump just hands it to us in a basket with a big bow on it every day.

On Wednesday, Baldwin separately said his Trump impersonation might not always be limited to SNL and there had been discussion about other venues.

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

Baldwin first took on the role of Mr Trump when the regular sketch parodied the first presidential debate between Mr Trump and Hillary Clinton which saw 84 million people tune in. His straw-coloured comb-over, bottom lipped sneer, spray tan, and Trump-like pronunciation of China won him rave reviews among many.

Nevertheless, unsurprisingly, Mr Trump has been rather less keen on Baldwins impersonations. Before he won the election, he tweeted calling for the show to be retired, declared that Baldwins impression stinks, and dubbed the show boring and unfunny on Twitter.

After Baldwins first post-election result show, Mr Trump ironically responded to SNLs sketch about his obsessive tweeting habit by tweeting.

Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad, he wrote.

At the time Baldwin directly replied, saying he would stop playing Mr Trump if he were to release his tax returns. Mr Trump has persistently resisted calls for him to release details of his tax returns.
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 }}

Barack Obama has reportedly put Chelsea Manning on a 'short list' to have her 35-year prison sentence reduced.

The former US Army intelligence analyst was jailed in 2010 after handing 700,000 military files, diplomatic cables and videos to WikiLeaks.

But a decision on a possible commutation could be imminent, according to NBC News.

Deborah Manning, Mannings aunt, told the news channel she had more hope right now than at any other time since her sentence.

"I do think it's the last hope for a while," she added.

Manning has tried to kill herself twice in the past year, and went on hunger strike in September in a bid to receive gender reassignment surgery.

With just nine days to go of Mr Obamas presidency, Manning believes a petition she made to the President in November is her last chance for a very long time.

It is widely thought President-elect Donald Trump will not look favourably on the 29-year-old and will let her life sentence run its course.

 Snowden, Assange and Manning statues unveiled in Berlin

Manning told the Guardian she had not had the chance to live yet after spending most of her adult life either homeless, in the military or in prison.

Until Mr Obama steps down on 20 January, he has the presidential power to commute or fully pardon any individual who has been convicted of a crime.

Manning pleaded guilty to a range of charges in 2010, including violations of the Espionage Act. After sentencing, she delivered an apology to the court, which has been broadcast for the very first time by NBC.

'I am Chelsea. I am female': Soldier tried as Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman' Show all 2 1 /2 'I am Chelsea. I am female': Soldier tried as Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman' 'I am Chelsea. I am female': Soldier tried as Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman' web-manning-epa.jpg EPA 'I am Chelsea. I am female': Soldier tried as Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman' bradley-manning-woman.jpg

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that my actions hurt people. I'm sorry that they hurt the United States," she said.

"I understand that I must pay the price for my decisions and actions.

Edward Snowden, another whistleblower who is living in exile in Russia, has urged Mr Obama to grant Manning clemency.

More than 117,000 people have signed a petition launched in November calling for her sentence to be reduced.
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 pick for Attorney General does not have the empathy for the role, according to Cory Booker, one of only three African American senators.

Jeff Sessions has not demonstrated a commitment to a central requisite of the job  to aggressively pursue the congressional mandate of civil rights, equal rights and justice for all, Mr Booker said.

The New Jersey Senator was testifying at the nomination hearing for Mr Sessions, who has been chosen by the President-elect to serve as the US government's chief law enforcement officer and chief lawyer.

But Mr Booker said that if Mr Trump's choice of the two-decade senator for Alabama was confirmed into the role he "will be required to pursue justice for women, but his record indicates that he wont.

Recommended Jeff Sessions denies racism and will not investigate Hillary Clinton

He added: He will be expected to defend voting rights, but his record indicates that he wont."

Mr Booker was echoing the concerns raised by civil rights campaigners, who have been vocal in their criticism of Mr Trump's choice for the role.

Mr Sessions has previously been accused of bringing criminal prosecutions against a pair of black officials in his home state, as retaliation for their roles in derailing his nomination to be a judge.

J Gerald Hebert, a senior civil rights attorney at the Department of Justice, also said in sworn testimony to the Senate that Mr Sessions had described a white attorney as maybe a disgrace to his race for working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

He also accused Mr Sessions of dismissing other civil rights organisations. Others have claimed he used racist language in the past.

In a 2009 discussion about a new federal hate crime law that would protect LGBT people and women, Mr Sessions said: Today, Im not sure women or people with different sexual orientations face that kind of discrimination, I just dont see it.

Despite the controversy, the nomination hearing - which started earlier this week with the senator holding a mixed-race baby in his lap - is expected to confirm Mr Sessions' appointment.

Senate Democrats do not have the votes to block his nomination and they do not appear to be seeking help from their Republican colleagues to do so.

 Jeff Sessions holds baby on lap as Senate hearing begins

Mr Booker, who has gained a reputation in the Senate for some degree of bipartisan work, nonetheless argued that the ideals of the nation called on him to oppose Mr Sessions nomination.

I know it is exceptional for a senator to testify against another senator nominated for a cabinet position, he said. But I believe, like perhaps all of my colleagues in the Senate, that in the choice between standing with Senate norms or standing up for what my conscience tells me is best for our country, I will always choose conscience and country.

He added that Mr Sessions' "record indicates that we cannot count on him to support state and national efforts toward bringing justice to a justice system that people on both sides of the aisle readily admit is biased against the poor, drug addicted, mentally ill, and people of colour.

The video of Mr Booker's testimony has already been viewed more than 3 million times on his official Facebook page.

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

Mr Sessions nonetheless attempted to assure officials that he would say no to Donald Trump if the President-elect tried to go beyond the law while in office.

He also poured cold water on the idea of a Muslim registry and bring back torture techniques that are currently banned, like waterboarding.
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 incoming Defence Secretary has said world order is under the biggest attack since World War II.

General James Mattis claimed that Vladimir Putin was trying to break the Northern Atlantic alliance and said the US needed to take steps to defend itself, at his Senate confirmation hearing.

The retired general was also asked about the nuclear arms deal with Iran, and he said that although it was the biggest destabilising force in the Middle East, that the US had made a deal and should stick to its word.

The two statements provide a stark contrast to his future boss, Mr Trump, who dismissed the claims about the Russian hack on the US as ridiculous and accused the intelligence agencies of peddling fake news related to Russia.

While Mr Trump has voiced criticisms of Nato, General Mattis described it as the most successful military alliance probably in modern history, maybe ever.

Mr Trump also vowed throughout his presidential campaign to rip up the Iran deal that was signed under President Barack Obama in 2015. At other times, Mr Trump pledged to renegotiate the deal, or clamp down on it so hard that it could collapse under the weight.

General Mattis responded that the US needed to adopt a strategy to checkmate Irans goal for regional hegemony.

When America gives its word we have to live up to it and work with our allies, he said, implying the US should not abandon the agreement.

The general was asked about his recent opposition to women serving in combat roles in the US army. He said in 2015 that it would lead to reduced standards and that men and women, serving alongside each other, could not be expected to act like little saints.

In the hearing, however, when asked about the issue by Democratic senator Claire McCaskill, he said, I have no plan to oppose women in any aspect of our military.

As long as applicants meet the expected standards, he said, thats the end of the discussion.

Current Defence Secretary Ash Carter opened all areas of the military to women in January last year.

General Mattis also came under scrutiny for making a comment at a veteran conference that it was a lot of fun to shoot some people.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand asked him directly whether he believed openly gay people should not serve in the military, and he responded that the army should be as lethal as possible and that the army was a touchstone for patriotism.

She then asked whether he believed LGBT members would undermine the lethality of the army.

Frankly, Senator, Ive never cared much about two people and who they go to bed with, he said.
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 Trump has claimed US intelligence chief James Clapper called him to "denounce" an explosive dossier alleging links with Russia, despite an official statement hours earlier that said no judgement had been reached on the document's reliability.

Mr Clapper spoke with the President-elect on Wednesday evening to discuss the dossier - believed to have been compiled by a former British spy - that claims to show Russian intelligence agencies have compromising material about Mr Trump.

In a statement released after their conversation the director of national intelligence said: The IC [intelligence community] has not made any judgement that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions.

But Mr Trump used his first tweet on Thursday morning - just a few hours later - to claim that the intelligence chief had instead rubbished the report.

The incoming president wrote: James Clapper called me yesterday to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated. Made up, phony facts. Too bad!

A fresh row between the President-elect and Americas most senior intelligence officer threatens to drive a deeper wedge between the agencies and Mr Trump, who will be inaugurated on 20 January.

In his New York news conference, Mr Trump made clear that he suspected US intelligence agencies of releasing the 35-page dossier, saying it would be a "tremendous blot" on the agencies' reputation if they were shown to have leaked it.

He earlier said they should never have allowed this fake news to leak into the public and compared the intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany.

 US President-elect Donald Trump on recent allegations

Mr Clapper responded by denying intelligence responsibility in a statement released after the news conference, saying: I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security.

I emphasised that this document is not a US Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC.

Senior aide to the incoming president Kellyanne Conway told NBC's Today programme that the President-elect was "very happy" to get Mr Clapper's call.

However, she did not say whether Mr Trump believes the intelligence chiefs suggestion that the document was produced by someone outside the intelligence community.

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr (Getty) (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

The dossier contains unproven information about coordination between Mr Trump's inner circle and Russians about hacking into Democratic accounts, as well as unproven claims about unusual sexual activities by Mr Trump.

In October, then-senator Harry Reid wrote to the FBI asking it to release what it knew about the property tycoons ties to Russia.

In a letter on 30 October Mr Reid said he learned of the information from FBI Director James Comey and other top national security officials.

A few weeks later Senator John McCain became aware of the allegations but decided it was impossible to verify them without a proper investigation, according to reports.

Bu it was only last week that Mr Trump and President Barack Obama were briefed on the intelligence community's findings.
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 papers that Donald Trump made the centre of his first press conference in six months actually appear to have been blank.

The conference also appears to have been filled with staff members who were expected to laugh and applaud throughout the event.

The President-elect claimed that the documents, which were placed next to him as he spoke, were evidence of the preparations he had made to give over control of his businesses to his sons. That move has been claimed by Mr Trump and his lawyers as a way of avoiding any conflicts of interest during his time as President, but it hs been criticised as inadequate by the Office of Government Ethics.

Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Show all 14 1 /14 Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - NOVEMBER 23: A woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A woman walks past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A child walks past a graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a bar in the old town in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, May 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural People walk past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A man photographs a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A young woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the slogan "make everything great again," in reference to Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again," on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A morning commuter stops to look at a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Restaurant owner Dominykas Ceckauskas pose next to a mural on the wall of his establishment depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. / AFP / Petras Malukas (Photo credit should read PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images) Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A passerby photographs a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Getty

Both Mr Trump and his lawyer Sheri Dillon pointed at those documents and claimed they were just part of the various papers required to separate Mr Trump from his business. They each pointed at the pile repeatedly as proof that the preparations were being made.

But reporters were not allowed to look at any of the documents, which all were held in folders meaning that the actual paper was hidden.

And the pages themselves appear to be blank. While the majority of the sheets were hidden, some of them were visible  and there was no sign of page numbers or the sticky notes that lawyers tend to use to mark places in large documents.

The paper itself also appeared to be the wrong size, printed on A4 rather than legal size sheets, and appears to have fallen like fresh sheets of paper. And the folders themselves were also entirely blank, despite Mr Trump suggesting that each of them related to a different business that Mr Trump was moving himself away from.

It is possible that the documents had been printed precisely for the press conference, but the fact that reporters weren't allowed to check the details of the documents led to concern that they didn't include any information at all.

The room also appears to have been filled with staff members, as well as the reporters who attended the event. Those staff members laughed and applauded throughout the conference, in noted contrast with the occasional hostility from journalists.

The papers supposedly put Mr Trump's business assets into a trust. But they also hand over the management of his international real estate development, property management and licensing company based in New York to his sons.

Trump and the company are taking steps to assure Americans that he is "not exploiting the office of the presidency for his personal benefit," said Sheri Dillon of the firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Yet, the arrangement, which tracks closely with plans Trump has described in recent weeks, falls short of calls by some ethics experts  and the Office of Government Ethics  for him to sell off his businesses and put the proceeds in a blind trust overseen by an independent manager.

 US Ethics chief brands Donald Trump's plan to handle business interests as 'wholly inadequate'

"Firewalls work in businesses, not in families," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight. "Trump's plan doesn't prevent his business interests from benefiting him or his family while he's in office or interfering with his presidential duties."
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 }}

Russia has been cultivating Trump for at least five years

Speaking to a trusted compatriot in June 2016 sources A and B, a senior Russian foreign ministry figure and a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin respectively, the Russian authorities had been cultivating and supporting US Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump for at least 5 years. Source asserted that the Trump operation was both supported and directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

COMMENT: Although the former intelligence official who put together the report is said to have extensive contacts in the Russian security apparatus, no evidence of this has been made public.

Trump was compromised through his sexual activities in Moscow

Former top Russian intelligence officer claims FSB [Russian security service] has compromised Trump through his activities in Moscow sufficiently to be able to blackmail him. According to several knowledgeable sources, his conduct in Moscow has included perverted sexual acts which have been arranged/monitored by the FSB.

This aspect of the allegations seems at once one of the most salacious and the hardest to verify independently. It seems unlikely anyone in a position of power would engage in such activity given the likelihood the FSB would be monitoring his movements, but it would also be particularly compromising for that reason.

Russia kept a secret dossier on Hillary Clinton, on the instructions of Vladimir Putin

It had been collated by Department K of the FSB for many years, dating back to her husband Bills presidency, and comprised mainly eavesdropped conversations of various sorts rather than details/evidence of unorthodox or embarrassing behaviour. Some of the conversations were from bugged comments Clinton had made on her various trips to Russia and focused on things she had said which contradicted her current position on various issues. Others were most probably from phone intercepts.

COMMENT: It seems plausible that Russia would keep a dossier of information on Ms Clinton, as most world powers would with regards to other world leaders.

Russia admitted it was responsible for the DNC email hacks

Inter alia, Source E, acknowledged that the Russian regime had been behind the recent leak of embarrassing e-mail messages, emanating from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), to the WikiLeaks platform. The reason for using WikiLeaks was "plausible deniability and the operation had been conducted with the full knowledge and support of Trump and senior members of his campaign team. In return the Trump team had agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue.

COMMENT: The allegation of the supposed deal on Ukraine was made by the former intelligence official in a report. Summer statements made at the time by Mr Trump and the activities of his camp tend to back this scenario, but no evidence has been made public.

Regular exchange between Mr Trump surrogates and Kremlin actually dates back eight years

However, in terms of established operational liaison between the Trump team and the Kremlin, the emigre confirmed that an intelligence exchange had been running between them for at least eight years. Within this context Putins priority requirement had been for intelligence on the activities, business and otherwise, in the US of leading Russian oligarchs and their families. Trump and his associates duly had obtained and supplied the Kremlin with this information.

COMMENT: Time and other news outlets have previously reported how Mr Trump, while failing to establish business links within Russia itself, has several interests outside the country which are nonetheless entangled with members of Mr Putins circle. The Los Angeles Times reported that three of Mr Trumps top advisors have themselves extensive financial ties to Russian financiers  and Paul Manafort, Carter Page and retired Lt General Michael Flynn are all named in the new memos. But to go from that to suggesting Mr Trump fed information to the Kremlin consistently over almost a decade is a big stretch.

Russia promised not to use compromising information against Mr Trump because of high levels of cooperation

As far as kompromat (compromising information) on Trump was concerned, although there was plenty of this, he understood the Kremlin had given its word that it would not be deployed against the Republican presidential candidate given how helpful and cooperative his team had been over several years, and particularly of late.

COMMENT: Intelligence services like to gather Kompromat if they are able to do so. Mr Trump has been remarkably reticent about criticising Mr Putin on any matter.

Mr Trumps attorney had a secret meeting with Kremlin officials in Prague in August 2016

[Michael] Cohen had been accompanied to Prague by three colleagues and the timing of the visit was either in the last week of August or the first week of September. According to [redacted], the agenda comprised questions on how deniable cash payments were to be made to hackers who had worked in Europe under Kremlin direction against the Clinton campaign and various contingencies for covering up these operations and Moscows secret liaison with the Trump team more generally.

COMMENT: Mr Cohen denies he has ever been to Prague in his life, and showed Yahoo News his passport which appeared to have stamps running from 2009 to late 2016 but none from the Czech Republic. Given the country lies in the Schengen zone, however, it is not impossible that he could have entered the country without receiving a passport stamp. But his rebuttal has been swift and total.

The documents contain some clear factual errors

Top level Russian official confirms current closeness of Alpha Group-Putin relationship. Significant favours continue to be done in both directions and Fridman and Aven still giving informal advice to Putin, especially on the US.

COMMENT: The company is named Alfa Group, not Alpha Group as it appears throughout the documents. Elsewhere, according to BuzzFeed News, the unnamed author describes the settlement of Barvikha, outside Moscow, as reserved for the residences of the top leadership and their close associates. It is not reserved for anyone, and it is also populated by the very wealthy, BuzzFeed News reports.

Russia supported Mr Trump because he was viewed as divisive in disrupting the whole US political system

Asked to explain why Putin and the Kremlin had launched such an aggressive Trump support operation in the first place, the MFA (foreign ministry) official said that Russia needed to upset the liberal international status quo, including on Ukraine-related sanctions, which was seriously disadvantaging the country. Trump was viewed as divisive in disrupting the whole US political system; anti-establishment; and a pragmatist with whom they could do business. As the Trump support operation had gained momentum, control of it had passed from the MFA to the FSB and then into the presidential administration where it remained, a reflection of its growing significance over time. There was still a view in the Kremlin that Trump would continue as a [divisive] political force even if he lost the presidency and may run for and be elected to another public office.

COMMENT: This, if true, would mean that the Kremlin has been extremely far sighted as Mr Trumps political prospects were viewed as negligible and his success came as a surprise to most.

Trump associates confirmed he would lift Russian sanctions in exchange for 19 per cent stake in a Russian oil giant

In terms of the substance of their discussion, Sechins associate said that the Rosneft President was so keen to lift personal and corporate western sanctions imposed on the company, that he offered (Carter) Page/Trump associates the brokerage of up to a 19 per cent (privatised) stake in Rosneft in return. Page had expressed interest and confirmed that were Trump elected US president, then sanctions on Russia would be lifted.

COMMENT: Mr Trump has indicated in the past that he would value improved relations with Russia, and the lifting of sanctions would be a logical extension of this. But it is a very serious and unverified Trump has indicated in the past that he would value improved relations with Russia
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 former British ambassador to Russia played a key role in American intelligence agencies receiving explosive allegations about Donald Trump and the Kremlin.

The Independent has learned that US Senator John McCain spoke to Sir Andrew Wood, who served in Moscow as the UKs head of mission for five years, about claims that the US President-elect was susceptible to blackmail over alleged sexual activity and that his team had colluded with Moscow during the presidential election campaign.

The meeting took place at an international security conference in Halifax, Canada, last November, after Mr Trumps victory. There, Mr McCain sought the advice of Sir Andrew, a highly respected retired diplomat, on a dossier that was put together by Christopher Steele, a former MI6 officer, about Mr Trump and the Moscow connection.

 CNN anchor calls out Trump team over criticism of Russia allegations

Mr McCain, the chair of the Senate armed forces committee, was so concerned by what he had heard that he personally met James Comey, the director of the FBI, after returning from the Canadian conference, and passed on the information. It formed part of a report about Russian interference in the US presidential election process that was presented to Barack Obama and Mr Trump by the intelligence agencies last week.

Members of the international media have been trying to find out the identity of the British ambassador who had spoken to Senator McCain about the Trump allegations after reports of a meeting began to surface in the US. Sir Andrew told The Independent: Yes, I did meet Senator McCain and his aides at the conference.

The issue of Donald Trump and Russia was very much in the news and it was natural to talk about it. We spoke about the kind of activities the Russians can be engaged in. We also spoke about how Mr Trump may find himself in a position where there could be an attempt to blackmail him with Kompromat [the Russian term for compromising material] and claims that there were audio and video tapes in existence.

Sir Andrew, who became an advisor to Tony Blair after serving as ambassador to Russia from 1995 to 2000 and then Yugoslavia, said: I would like to stress that I did not pass on any dossier to Senator McCain or anyone else and I did not see a dossier at the time. I do know Christopher Steele and in my view he is very professional and thorough in what he does."

Now an associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank, he added: Senator McCain and I talked about Russian hacking in the US election as well. I find it difficult to believe that Donald Trump could not have known something about the hacking. He had basically asked people to prove it; he has never said this is something that should be investigated. My view is that these are serious matters and that they should be investigated. I dont think I have done anything wrong at all in what I have done.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the head of the British military, and Baroness Pauline Neville Jones, the former head of MI5, were in the list of participants at the Nova Scotia conference. There is no suggestion that any of them had played any part in discussing the Trump claims with Senator McCain.

Mr Steele, who had been based in Moscow and subsequently started a security company in London called Orbis Business Intelligence, was commissioned by political opponents of Mr Trump to investigate growing claims that Vladimir Putins government was trying to manipulate the US elections.

He produced a series of reports claiming that the Russian intelligence service had compromising tapes of Mr Trump with prostitutes in a hotel room and that he had been offered  and had declined  lucrative business deals. There were further claims that the Kremlin had been grooming the businessman for over five years to be, in effect, the Moscovian candidate in the White House.

The US intelligence services acknowledged that they had not verified the claims made by Mr Steele, but they had included them in the report because of the high regard in which he had been held in the security world. American intelligence sources say that information from other sources was also included in the document.

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 Government sought to impose a DA (Defence Advisory) Notice to stop the media from disclosing Mr Steeles name  standard practice for serving and former intelligence officers. However, this was lifted after the name emerged overseas.

The revelations have been followed by some Tory MPs fulminating that the British role in it was a plot to sour relations between the UK and the incoming Trump administration. Some have claimed that this was an anti-Brexit plot. A right-wing tabloid claimed sources have revealed that Mr Steele was a confimed socialist. Sir Andrew said: Really? Thats news to me. I think the feeling is that these are matters that need to be looked into.

British intelligence services were told about the Trump allegations by Mr Steele, The Independent has learned. A senior official from one of the services confirmed that this week, before the news of the dossier broke in the US.

Under normal procedure the seriousness of the issue and the importance of the person in the centre of it, the President-elect of the US, would mean that the Prime Minister and the relevant members of her cabinet would be kept informed.

This means that as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson would almost certainly have been told about the allegations by MI6 and would have been aware of them during his visit to America this week to meet officials close to Mr Trump.
I Am Not Madam Bovary (Photo : Movieclips Film Festivals & Indie Films/YouTube)

The Asia Film Awards released on Wednesday the list of nominees for the yearly event. The AFA returns to Hong Kong where the award ceremony would be held on March 21.



Topping the list of nominees is The Handmaiden, a lesbian fantasy drama produced in South Korea. The film, which got six nominations for performance and design, debuted in Cannes. But Park Chan-wook, the movies director was not nominated and the film is not a nominee for Best Picture, Variety reported.



Advertisement

The Handmaidens Nominations



The nominations of The Handmaiden are for Best Supporting Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It is among the 34 movies from 12 countries nominated across 15 categories for the 2017 AFA Awards.



The Fan Bingbing-starrer, I Am Not Madame Bovary, got five nominations, including for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress. The four other nominees for Best Film are The Age of Shadows and The Wailing from South Korea, Godspeed from Taiwan and Harmonium from Japan.



Train to Busan, the surprise hit of 2016, got five nominations but not in the Best Film, Best Director or Best Script categories. Hit commercial films, such as Stephen Chows The Mermaid, Operation Mekong and Your Name from Japan received only one nomination each.



Dominated by China & Korea



Although movies from East Asia dominated the nominations, an Indian actress, Shabana Azmi is a Best Supporting Actress nominee for Neerja and Asghar Frahadi, an Iranian, is a Best Screenwriter nominee for The Salesman. China and South Korea dominated the nominations with 21 and 20, respectively.



The AFA returns to Hong Kong to observe the regions 20th anniversary of handover to China. In the past three years, the event was held in Macau. The event would be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.






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 Trump has tweeted praise to a businesswoman who donated to his political campaign, drawing more attention to a controversy that the company took steps to avoid.

Mr Trump tweeted: "Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean."

The boot-maker company, on whose board Ms Bean sits, has been the subject of a boycott by consumer activist group Grab Your Wallet after it found that the board member had donated $60,000 to Mr Trumps PAC, Making America Great Again.

According to the Federal Election Commission, the donation exceeded the PACs limit.

LL Bean responded in a Facebook statement that it was "disappointed" to be involved in the controversy just because Ms Bean, one board member of 10, personally chose to support Mr Trump.

Like most large families, the more than 50 family member-owners of the business hold views and embrace causes across the political spectrum, just as our employees and customers do," executive chairman Shawn Gorman said.

And as every member of the family would agree, no individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company that L.L. built."

Neither LL Bean nor Grab Your Wallet could not be reached for comment by The Independent.

Grab Your Wallet also opposes companies that "do business with the Trump family", including Amazon, Macys NASCAR and Walmart.

It was founded by Shannon Coulter after the leaked Access Hollywood tape which showed the President-elect bragging about his right to grab womens genitals.

She told Maine Public Radio that the consumer group would take LL Bean off its list if Linda Bean was dropped from the board.

As fans of L.L. Beans products, everybody is hoping that the company is really seriously evaluating whether or not Linda Beans presence and contributions to the company are worth the damage she continues to inflict on L.L. Beans brand and reputation, Ms Coulter said.

Companies have been affected by boycotts following praise of Mr Trump.

Shoe retailer New Balance suffered a backlash after a spokesman for the Boston-based company said that, under a President Trump, "things are going to move in the right direction".

Despite a statement to say the spokesmans comments were taken out of context and that the company does not accept bigotry, the shoe company was quickly adopted by the Neo Nazi movement, with fascist writer Andrew Anglin praising the companys brave act.
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 group of explorers and archaeologists were struck down by an aggressive tropical disease which eats through the face while uncovering the mysteries of a legendary lost city in Honduras.

The team, including best-selling novelist Douglas Preston, were exploring the previously untouched ruins of Ciudad Blanca, also known as the City of the Monkey God, which were fully excavated last year in the middle of the jungle.

The ruins have been dated between 1,000 and 1,500 AD, and are thought to contain many valuable artefacts buried beneath thick foliage. A new laser mapping technology was used to analyse the jungle floor in search of ruined settlements.

Archaeologists believe Ciudad Blanca was deserted by its residents in the 16th century because they thought it was cursed by disease. The area was conquered by Spanish explorers in 1520 who had heard the city contained great wealth, and brought diseases with them.

The team took a cameraman along with them and survived multiple attacks from venomous snakes during the course of their dangerous expedition.

They said they had particular trouble cutting their way through the dense trees of the Mosquitia rain forest, on the border of Honduras and Nicaragua, and stumbled on some ruins by chance.

Multiple rare artefacts have been dug out of the ruins of Ciudad Blanca since they were first unearthed last year (Getty Images) (ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images)

However they concluded that the site could not be excavated at that time, and waited for intervention by the Honduran government.

Upon their return Mr Preston and his colleagues discovered they had contracted a virulent strain of Leishmaniasis, a disease transferred by sand flies which can eat through the face, and needed urgent hospital treatment. All members of the crew survived the disease unscathed.

The parasite migrates to the mucous membranes of your mouth and your nose, and basically eats them away, Mr Preston told CBS News. Your nose falls off, your lips fall off, and eventually your face becomes a gigantic, open sore. Its just too dangerous. Getting in and out of the jungle is dangerous.

Discoveries that change the way you see the world Show all 30 1 /30 Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discoveries that change the way you see the world Million-year-old human footprints discovered Million-year-old human footprints have been discovered on the beach as Happisburgh, Norfolk Discoveries that change the way you see the world The world's oldest face Scientists discovered the worlds oldest face, which belongs to this 419 million-year-old fish - an ancient sea predator that might also re-write the history of our evolution from the seas Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of the ancient forest Ancient forest revealed by storms. The recent huge storms and gale force winds that have battered the coast of West Wales have stripped away much of the sand from stretches of the beach between Borth and Ynyslas. The disappearing sands have revealed ancients forests, with the remains of oak trees dating back to the Bronze Age, 6,000 years ago. The ancient remains are said by some to be the origins of the legend of Cantrer Gwealod , a mythical kingdom now submerged under the waters pif Cardigan Bay Discoveries that change the way you see the world Bowhead whale genome, linked to cancer resistance, DNA damage repair and increased longevity, mapped by scientists In a UK-based study, scientists working together with scientists in Alaska, Denmark, Ireland, Spain and South Korea successfully mapped the genome of the bowhead whale - the longest-living mammal - identifying a number of genes that are linked to cancer resistance, DNA damage repair and increased longevity PA Discoveries that change the way you see the world Researchers develop 'imaginary meal' pill An 'imaginary meal' pill called fexaramine has been developed by researchers at the Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory Discoveries that change the way you see the world Scientists prolong lifespan of flies Scientists at the Institute of Cell Biology, in Switzerland, have successfully managed to prolong the lifespan of flies, activating a gene that destroys unhealthy cell Discoveries that change the way you see the world Green tea can help cure oral cancer Green tea can help kill off cancerous cells, say researchers Discoveries that change the way you see the world Mars once had a large ocean covering a large portion of its northern hemisphere Almost half of the northern hemisphere of Mars was once covered by a large ocean that held 20 million cubic kilometres of water: more than the Artic Ocean Discoveries that change the way you see the world Offices playing natural sounds can boost worker moods and improve cognitive abilities Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute learned that offices which play natural sounds such as ocean waves, trees and bird calls can boost the moods of workers and improve their cognitive abilities, as well as providing privacy (by masking speech) Discoveries that change the way you see the world Impact glass may exist on Mars Brown University researchers found that spectral signals indicate the existence of impact glass on the surface of Mars, with specific deposits conserved in craters Discoveries that change the way you see the world Fathers experience weight gain Fathers have been found to experience weight gain and a rise in their body mass index (BMI), according to a research conducted by Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine. The study, which followed over 10,000 men throughout a 20 year period, also revealed that the men who didnt become fathers actually lost weight Discoveries that change the way you see the world The world's oldest skull Divers Alberto Nava and Susan Bird discover the world's oldest skull found in an underwater cave in Mexico, believed to be the earliest trace of first Americans Discoveries that change the way you see the world Scientists create intelligent mice that do not experience fear or anxiety Scientists participating in a joint University of Leeds and Mount Sinai Hospital study managed to alter a gene within mice; improving their intelligence and reducing their ability to feel anxious or fear. The discovery could prove instrumental in research into age-related cognitive decline, such as Alzheimers or schizophrenia Discoveries that change the way you see the world Paralysed man walks again The brain-computer interface system will be improved by developing an implantable version, say experts. A 26-year-old male who had suffered a spinal cord injury which had paralysed him from the waist down was given the ability to walk again by scientists, who rerouted brain waves to electrodes on his knees.The doctors responsible said that he was the first person with paraplegia caused by a spinal injury given the ability to walk without relying on manually controlled robotic limbs Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of the medieval royal palaces Archaeologists in southern England have discovered what may be one of the largest medieval royal palaces ever found  buried under the ground inside a vast prehistoric fortress at Old Sarum. The probable 12th century palace was discovered by archaeologists, using geophysical ground-penetrating x-ray technology to map a long-vanished medieval city which has lain under grass on the site for more than 700 years Discoveries that change the way you see the world The world's rarest diamond This rare diamond that survived a trip from deep within the Earth's interior confirmed that there is an oceans worth of water beneath the planets crust Discoveries that change the way you see the world Virtual reality can revolutionise healthcare Cardiologists at the Institute of Cardiology in Poland have successfully used virtual reality to restore blood flow to a blocked artery, leading the way for it to revolutionise certain aspects of healthcare, in surgical procedures and during training. Using wearable virtual reality equipment, similar to that of Google Glass, developed specifically for the surgical procedure, doctor completed the difficult procedure Discoveries that change the way you see the world Puppies born by IVF in the US After years of failed attempts, scientists at Cornell University successfully bred the world's first puppies born through IVF, allowing for research into the conservation of endangered breeds and protection of those that are at risk of disease Discoveries that change the way you see the world Cancer is caused by environmental factors Research into the causes of cancer concluded that, on the whole, it is due to environmental factors, not, as was previously thought, bad luck Discoveries that change the way you see the world Fossil fight 'Astounding' fossil find from Montana revealing two dinosaurs locked in mortal combat Discoveries that change the way you see the world Fusion reactors could become economically viable Researchers at Durham University and the Oxfordshire Culham Centre for Fusion Energy have found fusion reactors could become economically viable ways of generating electricity in just a few decades, telling politicians and policy makers to begin the process of planning for their introduction and the replacement of nuclear power stations. Analysis by these researchers has found that the costs associated with fusion power shows its feasibility, when compared with traditional fission reactors, generating electricity at a similar price Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of the whale skeletons Chilean and Smithsonian paleontologists study several fossil whale skeletons at Cerro Ballena, next to the Pan-American Highway in the Atacama Region of Chile Discoveries that change the way you see the world Discovery of The Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls are almost 1,000 biblical manuscripts discovered in the decade after the Second World War in what is now the West Bank. The texts, mostly written on parchment but also on papyrus and bronze, are the earliest surviving copies of biblical and extra-biblical documents known to be in existence, dating over a 700-year period around the birth of Jesus. The ancient Jewish sect the Essenes is supposed to have authored the scrolls, written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, although no conclusive proof has been found to this effect Discoveries that change the way you see the world Complete mammoth skeleton discovered The first complete mammoth skeleton to be found in France for more than a century was uncovered in a gravel pit on the banks of the Marne, 30 miles north-east of Paris. Picture shows experts at work making a silicon cast of the mammoth's tusk Discoveries that change the way you see the world Byzantine mosaic discovered Plans for a walkway at the centre of the furious dispute over Jerusalem's holiest site were delayed by the discovery of a Byzantine mosaic Discoveries that change the way you see the world Neolithic 'lost avenue' - prehistoric stone circle discovered The discovery of a Neolithic 'lost avenue' was described as one of the most important finds of the last century. Since the 1700s, archeologists and historians have argued over the existence of the huge sarsen stones, which were unearthed at the site of the world's biggest prehistoric stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire Discoveries that change the way you see the world Ancient gold found near Stonehenge Gold fitting for a dagger sheath (around 1900 BC.) found near Stonehenge Discoveries that change the way you see the world The Rosetta Stone discovery The Rosetta Stone is a basalt slab inscribed with a decree of pharaoh Ptolemy Epiphanes (205-180 BC) in three languages, Greek, Hieroglyphic and Demotic script. Discovered near Rosetta in Egypt Discoveries that change the way you see the world We are made from stardust In 1957, a paper was published which said we are all made of stardust. Well, not quite that, but almost. Four scientists of the University of Cambridge, Fred Hoyle, William Fowler and Margaret and Geoffrey Burbidge, had conducted extensive research into stellar nucleosynthesis, the theory that all elements are created in the oldest chemical factories in the universe - stars. This paper, called Synthesis of the Elements in Stars, but better known as B2FH because of the initials of its authors, was at odds with the theory common at the time that all the elements were synthesised during the Big Bang. B2FH argued that when a star ages and dies it will enrich the interstellar medium with heavier elements, from which new stars - and, presumably, we - are formed Discoveries that change the way you see the world Optical fibres discovery The internet is a truly incredibly thing, but we all hate it when it works too slowly. Thats where optical fibres come in. Made of a high quality extruded glass called silica, they guide light through a process of refraction, and in doing so are able to transmit bandwidths at a remarkably high speed and over remarkably long distances. As such, they are used in telecommunications and computer networking to speed up internet connections, able to do so due to the fact that the total internal refraction of light means very little data is lost. And the best thing about optical fibres is when at Imperial College London they were first demonstrated to be able to bend light by Harold Hopkins and Narinder Kapany, dubbed the founding father of fibre optics

In January last year, the excavation site was visited by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who said: "We are blessed to be alive at such a special time in Honduran history. This discovery has created a lot of excitement because of its significance for Honduras and the world."

Artifacts excavated from the ruins will be displayed in a museum in the municipality of Catacamas.
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 Barack Obama awarded Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, the highest civilian honour, in a surprise tribute at the White House.

Mr Obama celebrated the longtime Delaware senator and Pennsylvania native, saying he was a "lion of American history" and the "best vice president America's ever had", before making the surprise announcement that he was giving Mr Biden the award.

"For your faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country, and for your lifetime of service that will endure through the generations, I'd like to ask the military aide to join us on stage," Mr Obama said. "For my final time as President, I am pleased to award our nation's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES

The President bestowed the honour on Mr Biden with "an additional level of veneration"  making him the fourth person in US history to receive the award, along side Pope John Paul II, President Ronald Reagan, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Mr Biden, who had already had tears in his eyes from the farewell event  which he believed was to be a simple toast between him, the President, and senior staffers  accepted the honour in a tearful speech, thanking the President, his staff, his wife, Dr Jill Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Joe Biden tears up as President Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom "to my brother" pic.twitter.com/dKQQM90W67  Colin Jones (@colinjones) January 12, 2017

Mr Obama honoured Mr Biden for serving public office for almost half a century, which included decades in the Senate and two terms as Vice President. During his time in public service, he authored the Violence Against Women Act, spearheaded the Cancer Moonshot initiative, and led the "It's On Us" campaign against sexual assault on college campuses.

But despite his decades of work, he said he owed all the credit to those around him.

"I get a lot of credit I don't deserve because I've had so many people to lean on," he said.

He thanked Mr Obama especially for giving him a much more powerful vice presidency than normal by having him serve as a top advisor in the Oval Office.

"Mr President, you know that with good reason there is no power in the vice presidency... and there is no inherent power, nor should there be," he said. "Mr President, you have more than kept your commitment to me by saying that you wanted me to help governent.

"Every single thing youve asked me to do, Mr President, you have trusted me to do. And that is a remarkable thing."

Mr Obama recalled sentiment he expressed in his farewell address to the nation on Tuesday, where he referred to Mr Biden as a brother. In the final days of the Obama administration, the President proclaimed that while their time in office is almost up, they will be "forever binded as family".

"This is a remarkable man," Mr Biden said of Mr Obama. "I just hope that the asterisk in history that is attached to my name when they talk about this presidency is that I can say I was part of a journey of a remarkable man who did remarkable things for this country."

After he leaves office, Mr Biden has said he will "set up shop" to continue his cancer "moonshot" work at the university's Ambramson Cancer Centre. The Vice President suffered a major loss in 2015 when his son, Beau, died from brain cancer.

The Joe Biden Cancer Initiative seeks to cure cancer within five years. Mr Obama announced the initiative in his final State of the Union address last year, but Mr Biden said he did not yet have the necessary resources to complete the task during the administration's final term.

In Mr Biden's executive report delivered to Mr Obama this week, he said he now has the momentum and support to achieve such an ambitious humanitarian goal.

"We had access to the worlds best nurses, physicians, and researchers. And the more time we spent with them, the more we understood that even if we couldnt save our son, the science, medicine, and technology are progressing faster than ever to save countless other sons and daughters," Mr Biden said in the report.

"Theres a recognition that the cancer system of the 20th Century must be reimagined for the 21st Century to match the breakthroughs creating an inflection point in this fight."
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 Justice Department will review allegations that FBI Director James Comey mishandled the Hillary Clinton email investigation, the departments inspector general Michael Horowitz announced on Thursday.

In his statement, the inspector general explained the he made the decision after members of Congress complained that actions taken by the FBI and Justice Department were politically motivated.

Last July, Comey was criticized by Republicans for declining to recommend charges related to Clintons use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. And just 11 days before the 2016 presidential election, Comey wrote a letter reigniting the controversya move that Clinton blames for her election loss.

"Allegations that decisions regarding the timing of the FBI's release of certain Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents on October 30 and November 1, 2016, and the use of a Twitter account to publicize same, were influenced by improper considerations," Horowitz said in a statement.

Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks Show all 8 1 /8 Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonAs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonOs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonOs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonOs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonOs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonAs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonAs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Sources point to FBI office in New York City for Hillary Clinton leaks NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 4: A view of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a field office on the 23rd floor, November 4, 2016 in New York City. FBI Director James Comey informed Congress last Friday that his agency was taking steps to review newly discovered emails relating to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonAs private email server. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty

Brian Fallon, the Clinton campaigns former press secretary and former Justice Department spokesman, told The New York Times that the probe is necessary to restore the reputation of the FBI.

This is highly encouraging and to be expected, given Director Comeys drastic deviation from Justice Department protocol, he told the news outlet. A probe of this sort, however long it takes to conduct, is utterly necessary in order to take the first step to restore the FBIs reputation as a nonpartisan institution.
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 nominee for Secretary of State appeared to disagree on some issues with the President-elect when he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Rex Tillerson said he supported current US sanctions against Russia after hearing the revelations about alleged attempts by the Kremlin to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.

While Mr Trump has reluctantly conceded that Russian operatives may have been behind the hacks of the Democratic National Committee, he has insisted that they in no way had an effect on the outcome of the election.

But the CIA, FBI, and NSA  the agencies behind the highly classified report delivered to both Mr Obama and Mr Trump  did not reach that conclusion, as they could not measure how information obtained through the hacks influenced public opinion.

Mr Tillerson was speaking on the second day of confirmation hearings for Mr Trumps Cabinet picks, which still need congressional approval.

He did not mention the conclusions reached by the intelligence community in his opening statement, but when questioned by Senator Marco Rubio, Mr Trumps former rival for the Republican presidential nomination, he said he found the findings clearly troubling.

He also admitted that it was a fair assumption that President Vladimir Putin directed the cyber attack.

The former ExxonMobil chief executive has conducted extensive business with the Russian President, causing concern among critics of the incoming Trump administration, that already faces scrutiny for their relationship with the country.

In 2011, Mr Tillerson negotiated an energy partnership with Russia that Mr Putin valued at approximately $500bn (409bn). The partnership resulted in Mr Tillerson receiving the Order of Friendship, Russias highest honour awarded to foreign nationals.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

But ExxonMobil had to cease operations in the region in 2014, after US sanctions resulted from the illegal annexation of Crimea  which Mr Tillerson opposed at the time. The head of the oil giants Russian operations, Glenn Waller, said the company would return to the project once sanctions had been lifted.

Mr Tillerson said there should have been a military response to Russia in 2014, and their aggression toward the Ukraine resulted from an absence of American leadership.

Im advocating for responses that will deter and prevent further expansion of a bad actors behaviour, he said.

Sanctions are a powerful tool, and theyre an important tool.

 Heckler interrupts Tillerson'a confirmation hearing, shouting "I reject you"

But he stopped short of being overtly critical of Vladimir Putin  especially when it came to his actions in Syria  and refused to call him a war criminal.

I would not use that term, he said. Those are very, very serious charges to make and I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion.

Mr Rubio responded: Theres so much information out there. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putins military has conducted war crimes in Aleppo.

The Florida senator and former presidential candidate could throw a wrench in the President-elect's plan to place the oil executive in the highest foreign policy position in the US.

Should Mr Rubio decide to vote against Mr Tillerson, then the committee would deliver an unfavourable report to the Senate.

Only three Republican Senators, then, would need to break with the party and vote against Mr Tillerson to reject his nomination.

"I'm prepared to do what's right," Mr Rubio told reporters after the hearing, declining to give a definitive answer regarding his decision.

On the issue of climate change  a matter that the Obama administration has worked to tackle, resulting in a global agreement to slash carbon dioxide emissions  Mr Tillerson diverged from Mr Trumps denial of the phenomenon and admitted that it existed. But he wrote off his companys role in spreading disinformation to undermine the science behind global warming.

The risk of climate change does exist, and the consequences could be serious enough that action should be taken, he said. Our ability to predict that effect is very limited [and the action nations should take] seems to be the largest area of debate existing in the public discourse.

But when asked about the role of ExxonMobil throughout his 41 year career with the company, he dismissed the question.

Documents published by Inside Climate News, a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit, indicate that Exxon knew about the impact of fossil fuels on the environment as early as 1982.

Since Im no longer with ExxonMobil, I cant speak on their behalf, Mr Tillerson said. The question would have to be put on ExxonMobil.
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 pick for Secretary of State has played down the alleged murder of Vladimir Putins political opponents saying these things happen.

On the second day of his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Rex Tillerson was asked about his closes ties to Moscow.

The former ExxonMobil chief executive was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship in 2013.

Senator Marco Rubio asked if he was aware that people who oppose Vladimir Putin wind up dead all over the world  poisoned, shot in the back of the head.

He replied: People who speak up for regimes which are oppressive are often at threat and these things happen to them. In terms of assigning specific responsibilities, Id have to have more information.

Continuing his line of questioning, Mr Rubio, the former Republican presidential candidate and rival to Mr Trump, asked whether Mr Tillerson believed Mr Putin was a war criminal.

He replied that he wouldnt use that word about the Russian leader.

Mr Rubio, who expressed serious concerns about Mr Tillersons appointment, asked if he believed Mr Putin and his cronies are responsible for ordering the murder of countless dissidents, journalists and political opponents.

Mr Tillerson replied that he did not have enough information to comment on that.

I believe when advising the president it is important to have access to facts and to a large body of information," he said. "Now Im sure that Ive never seen what is in the classified realm.

I look forward, if confirmed, to becoming fully informed but Im not willing to make conclusions on what is publicly available or publicly reported.

Mr Tillersons nomination as the countrys most senior diplomat has attracted significant criticism over his closed ties to Mr Putin.

His former company has billions of dollars of oil contracts with Russia that it can only fulfil if the US lifts the sanctions imposed on Moscow after the downing of the MH17 jet over the Donetsk region of Ukraine in 2014.

This has led to accusations of a conflict of interest.

However, Mr Tillerson insisted that he supported Barack Obamas decision to impose the sanctions following CIA and FBI revelations that Moscow allegedly tried to tamper with the result of the presidential election by hacking into the emails of the Democratic National Committee.

However, he insisted that they did not have any effect on the outcome of the election.
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 }}

Barack Obama delivered his farewell speech to a tearful crowd to mark the end of his eight-year presidency.

In the 52-minute address, the outgoing president spoke of his legacy and repeated calls for unity in a climate of increasing political division.

However, arguably his most powerful message was a thinly-veiled attack on the blue-collar billionaire, and President-elect Donald Trumps populist campaign rhetoric, which seized on white working-class dissatisfaction in Americas rust belt.

If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hard-working white middle class and undeserving minorities, then workers of all shades will be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves, he said.

Many accredit the success of Mr Trumps campaign to his ability to tap into anger over industrial decline and diminishing prospects, vilifying minorities and causing a backlash against establishment forces.

But Mr Obama warned against politics of division, and called for unity in the face of growing wealth disparity.

The President also spoke out against the polarisation of ideals, making citizens susceptible to fake news and propaganda.

In the rise of naked partisanship and increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste, all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable, he said.

And increasingly, we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether its true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on evidence that is out there.

He also used the opportunity to acknowledge the persistence of racial tensions in the US, despite many believing America had arrived in a post-racial era after he was elected to office.

After my election there was talk of a post-racial America. And such a vision, however well intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society, he said.

If were unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they dont look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children  because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of Americas workforce."
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

More than 65,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Burma since a new flare-up in violence began, the UN has said, amid continued reports of the minority group suffering murder, rape and arson at the hands of the Burmese military.

A third of the refugees left in the last week alone as reports of the treatment of the Rohingya prompted a visit from the UNs human rights envoy for Burma, Yanghee Lee.

The Burmese government denies any mistreatment of the Rohingya minority and, in an official commission's report, said there was no evidence of genocide or ethnic cleansing taking place.

Recommended Burma detains police seen beating Rohingya Muslims in video footage

The UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced the sudden rise in the refugees in its weekly report.

Over the past week, 22,000 new arrivals were reported to have crossed the border from Rakhine state, it said.

As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities in Coxs Bazaar, in Bangladesh.

It comes after the Burmese military launched a crackdown in Rakhine state, where the majority of Rohingya live. Human rights groups have reported a series of abuses committed by soldiers but the Burmese government has denied the allegations.

Ms Lee was reportedly prevented from visiting the site of one of the violent outbreaks in Kachin state because of security concerns.
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 }}

Donald Trump and other populist leaders pose a profound threat to basic human rights, Human Rights Watch has warned.

The US President-elect, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and other demagogues were seeking to undermine democracy and the rule of law, the non-government organisation (NGO) concluded in its 687-page annual report.

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, Syrias Bashar al-Assad and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were among other world leaders criticised by the report, which reviewed human rights abuses around the world.

Human Rights Watch singled out Mr Trump for criticism after his presidential campaign which saw him attack immigrants, mock a disabled reporter, dismiss allegations of sexual assault, advocate the use of torture, threaten to deport Mexicans and ban Muslims from entering the US.

Recommended Marine Le Pen makes unannounced visit to Trump Tower in New York

The charity accused him of fomenting hatred and intolerance and breaching "basic principles of dignity and equality. It said the Republicans campaign was a vivid illustration of the politics of intolerance.

In an introduction to the report, Human Rights Watchs executive director, Kenneth Roth, said authoritarian populist leaders treated human rights not as an essential check on official power but as an impediment to the majority will.

He added: The rise of populism poses a profound threat to human rights. Trump and various politicians in Europe seek power through appeals to racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and nativism.

"They all claim that the public accepts violations of human rights as supposedly necessary to secure jobs, avoid cultural change, or prevent terrorist attacks. In fact, disregard for human rights offers the likeliest route to tyranny.

These are the countries with the best and worst reputations Show all 20 1 /20 These are the countries with the best and worst reputations These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 1. Iraq (worst) The country was ranked at the very bottom of the Most Reputable Countries 2016 survey by the Reputation Institute, out of 70 surveyed. Multiple invasions have led to major infrastructural issues in the Middle Eastern nation. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 2. Iran (worst) Iran is often perceived as run by a brutal regime which beheads more citizens per capita than any other country in the world. Media freedom is also limited. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 3. Pakistan (worst) Terror incidents and reports of poverty have kept Pakistan low in international rankings for some time. AFP/Getty Images These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 4. Saudi Arabia (worst) Widely broadcast executions of dissidents and drug addicts, as well as scrutiny of the only country in the world which does not allow women to vote in public elections, has damaged Saudi Arabia's international reputation. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 5. Nigeria (worst) Nigeria regularly ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, with a widening inequality gap and Islamist groups such as Boko Haram attacking the population. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 6. Russia (worst) Civil liberties and right-wing extremism in Russia is a concern for many in more liberal European countries. President Putin is frequently criticised by international leaders for his role in global conflict, in Ukraine and Syria. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 7. Algeria (worst) The largest country in Africa faces serious socioeconomic problems and is listed as significantly corrupt. Isis and other armed groups on its borders have threatened security. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 8. Angola (worst) The country has a history of violent conflict after a civil war which began in 1975 and lasted, with interludes, until 2002. Low oil prices has also hit Africa's second-largest oil producer hard. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 9. Nicaragua (worst) Close ties between corporations, the military and government has led to accusations that Nicaragua's hard-fought democracy has been dismantled and replaced with dictatorship. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 10. Kazakhstan Kazakhstan faces both environmental challenges such as radiation from nuclear testing sites, as well as high levels of pollution from years of Soviet-era industry. Lead poisoning is also a problem. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 1. Sweden (best) The country of high taxes has a strong level of trust from its citizens, a proportionately representative government and 16 months parental leave shared between parents and paid at 80% of one's salary for the first 390 days. Its economy is stable. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 2. Canada (best) Canadians have a high quality of life according to international comparisons, live longer than their American neighbours, do well in international education league tables and have a progressive view on LGBT rights. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 3. Switzerland (best) The country is considered a good business investment, clean, organised, independent and beautiful. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 4. Australia (best) Warm weather and high standards of living in Sydney, Melbourne and especially Canberra won Australia a place in the top five, having taken the crown the previous year. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 5. Norway (best) A country of outdoor activities, particularly skiing and hiking, as well as socially progressive policies towards gender equality and refugees has endeared Norway with many of its neighbours. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 6. Finland (best) The Finnish education system is regularly considered one of the best on the planet - trying new ideas, lending teachers autonomy, and paying them very well for their time - while women make up more than 40% of positions in national government, one of the highest in the world. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 7. New Zealand (best) Outdoor living, low levels of corruption and a friendly national culture keeps New Zealand's reputation favourable abroad. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 8. Denmark (best) Strong public services are matched by a small- to medium- sized enterprises economy based on families. The government is proportionately representative of votes. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 9. Ireland (best) A friendly culture with a pro-EU mindset and a recent vote to legalise gay marriage has impressed many of Ireland's neighbours. These are the countries with the best and worst reputations 10. Netherlands (best) The Netherlands has long been considered progressive in its views on drugs policy, sex workers and gender equality. Amsterdam remains one of the top tourist destinations in Europe.

He warned that responsibility for stopping authoritarian politicians lay with the public and called on citizens to demand a politics based on truth and the values on which rights-respecting democracy is built.

We forget at our peril the demagogues of the past: the fascists, communists, and their ilk who claimed privileged insight into the majoritys interest but ended up crushing the individual, Mr Roth said.

When populists treat rights as obstacles to their vision of the majority will, it is only a matter of time before they turn on those who disagree with their agenda.

Mr Trump will be sworn in as President on 20 January amid continued concerns over the impact his presidency will have on minority groups in the US.

His shock election triumph over Hillary Clinton came on the back of a wave of populist triumphs across the western world.

The Human Rights Watch's report was released as a new poll suggested Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader of the French Front National, is ahead in Frances presidential race just four months before the first round of the election. Ms Le Pen has a lead of 1.5 per cent over Francois Fillon, the Republican Party candidate, in second place.

Other right-wing parties in Europe have also seen their popularity soar. In Britain, the UK Independence Party is now the third biggest party, while in Austria far-right candidate Norbert Hofer only narrowly missed out on becoming president in last Decembers election.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Chancellor of Austria has been compared to Donald Trump after pledging to make his country "strong again".

In a speech aiming to claw back votes from the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Christian Kern said his government would ask the EU to allow Austrians to be given priority for jobs over European citizens.

He pledged that his centrist government would be changing course with a 10-year plan covering issues including immigration and the economy.

 Right-wing candidate defeated in Austrian presidential election

German-language newspapers accused him of mimicking Donald Trump after he used the slogan: Lets make our country strong again.

Mr Kern said he would push for measures to restrict practices under which companies can send eastern European workers to Austria without paying full taxes.

We have a situation where these eastern European countries are exporting their joblessness to Austria, he added.

"I thought to myself - is this Kern or Trump speaking about Mexico?" one commentator wrote.

His plan, which stretches beyond when the coalition's term expires in autumn 2018, includes a push within the EU for candidates in Austria to be given priority for jobs in sectors that are particularly under pressure.

The far-right FPO, whose candidate achieved a record score in last years presidential election, is leading opinion polls with support of roughly a third of Austrians, capitalising on concern over immigration and rising unemployment.

A protest against FPO presidential candidate Norbert Hofer (Getty)

Many of its new voters are former supporters of Mr Kern's Social Democrats (SPO) who have been left frustrated by the coalition with the conservative People's Party, an alliance marked by frequent bickering that is widely seen as ineffective.

The Chancellor dismissed speculation that the fragile alliance could collapse, forcing a snap parliamentary election.

Those who no longer believe in us, those who are disappointed by us, those who are perhaps angry, I hear your message and I understand your disappointment, he said. From today we will change course.

Mr Kern was speaking to hundreds of supporters in Wels, the biggest city in Austria run by an FPO mayor and a former SPO stronghold.

His 146-page plan covered a range of issues including healthcare, raising the minimum wage and punitive taxes for companies who register profits outside of Austria.

It also called for 200,000 extra jobs alongside greater public investment and measures to help start-ups.

Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Show all 10 1 /10 Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Migrants walk in a long line along the highway near Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015 AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Migrants walk on the railway tracks between Bicske and Szar, some 40 km west of Budapest, Hungary, 04 September 2015 EPA Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria The destination for most of those walking is reportedly Austria AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Most refugees have come to Hungary through the southern border with Serbia AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria People walk in a long line along the highway near Budapest, Hungary AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Over 150,000 people seeking to enter Europe have reached Hungary this year AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees walk along Budaorsi Street on their way out of Budapest EPA Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees hold up an EU flag as they on the highway out of Budpest AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees exit Budapest AP Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Refugees march from Hungary to Austria Hundreds of migrants walk after leaving the transit zone of the Budapest main train station AFP

The nationalist FPO, whose representatives have met Mr Trump's team, runs under the slogan Austria First. It opposes immigration, the EU, same-sex marriage, Islam and any perceived threat to Austrias cultural identity.

Its populist agenda has drawn surging support since the start of the refugee crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants pass through Austria.

The head of the governing coalitions junior party has called for further limits on the number of people allowed to apply for asylum in the country, after a cap was imposed in January 2016.

Reinhold Mitterlehner, the head of the conservative People's Party, said he wanted to halve the existing limit of 35,000 asylum applications in a year to around 17,000.

He claimed the move was necessary to fight sexual assaults and criminality, drawing criticism from left-wing politicians and human rights groups.

Under current rules, if the asylum cap is reached an emergency decree enters into force allowing authorities to turn away refugees at the Austrian border.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Memorial site for victims of the 1937 Nanjing massacre. (Photo : Getty Images)

In a move to stir nationalism among the Chinese youth and increase the support for the ruling Communist Party, the Xi government has recently ordered a revision of its textbooks. Specifically, to revise the details about the Second Sino-Japanese war, which will now be described as the "14-Year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression."



Advertisement

According to the Ministry of Education, the move to add six years to the war is aimed at promoting patriotic education and to highlight the Communist Party's "core role" in resisting Japanese fascism prior to the Second World War.



Aside from extending the time frame, the war will also be getting a new name.



The Marco Polo Bridge incident (also known as the Lugou Bridge incident) is widely viewed as the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. On 7 July 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army exchanged fire with Chinese troops near the bridge after a Japanese soldier was reported missing.



The revision will now point to the bombing in Mukden, now known as the northeast city of Shenyang, in 1931 as the start of the war.



On 18 Sept. 1931, the Japanese staged the bombing of their own railway in the city. However, the explosion was so small that a train still managed to pass through despite the damage. It may seem like an unimportant event, but Japan used this to occupy Manchuria where they established the puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932.



"I think this is a very wise decision and that the country's record of history is moving in the right direction because it is in accordance with the historical reality and helps young people, especially those in northeast China, to understand the history of the area better," said Jin Shenghong, a historian whose work focuses on the Japanese occupation of Nanjing.



From a historical perspective, historians believe that the revision is justified.



"But it would also have political benefits for the party and would encourage anti-Japanese sentiment," said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based historian.



The revision might build tension to the already deteriorating relationship between the two nations. According to Yasuhisa Kawamura, press secretary for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was not up to China to decide the length of the war.



He added that the two nations "should not excessively focus on the unfortunate past."



While it is true that history is written in the point of the view the victor, it is also important that it is used as a reference to current and future issues. If it won't be used for such a purpose, what then is the use of learning history if we are only going to repeat it?


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 }}

An unaccompanied minor living in a childrens accommodation centre in France after spending months in the Calais Jungle has died of a heart attack.

Samir, a 17-year-old from Sudan, died at the reception centre in the town of Ameugny, in the eastern Saone-et-Loire region, after he was found unconscious at the foot of his bed during the night. Paramedics were called to the scene, but were unable to resuscitate him.

An autopsy stated the teenager would have already had several small undetected cardiac arrests, and that a virus he caught a few days earlier weakened him to the point his heart could no longer function.

A judicial investigation into the death is currently underway, according to a spokesman for the mayor of Saone-et-Loire, who declined to comment on the death until proceedings were concluded.

Volunteers within the Taize community, who are responsible for the refugees in the centre, had been unaware the youngster had any form of heart condition. He had reportedly undergone a medical check on arrival at the centre, but no heart-related problems were detected.

Francois Benoit, a leader in the Taize community who works with the refugees, told The Independent he believed Samir's death could have possibly been prevented if he had had more rigorous medical checks over recent years.

It is possible that because of the lack of medical attention Samir had while in the Jungle and during his journey, an existing problem wasn't diagnosed earlier, Mr Benoit said.

Identified only as Samir, the teenager had recently been informed that his application for asylum in the UK had been rejected by the Home Office, and was preparing to register for residency in France.

Samir arrived here in November from Calais, along with 16 other children. He had been living in the Jungle for a few months, Mr Benoit said.

Four of the minors have recently moved to the UK, but he was one of those who were rejected. While some are contesting decision, he had decided to seek a safe life in France.

Samir was one of the kindest, most gentle teenagers youd meet. You would never have known all the things he had been through from the way he conducted himself.

The youngsters mother and brother, who he had been in contact with in previous weeks, have reportedly been informed of his death through contact details Samir had saved on his phone.

With the agreement of his mother, the funeral will be held in Ameugny, according to Mr Benoit, and is likely to take place on Friday, conducted by a local Imam, because Samir was a Muslim.

He said the other child refugees living in the community were very shocked and saddened by their friends death.

It's very shocking for all of us, added Mr Benoit.

The other youngsters have been upset, and they are keen to have his funeral as soon as possible, in keeping with Muslim tradition. A local Imam visited on the weekend to support them, which helped a lot.

Amid the sadness and shock, there has been a remarkable show of solidarity among the children, which has also extended to the wider community.

Lynn King, co-founder of UK-based organisation Social Workers Without Borders, which is working with 37 children in France, including one at the centre in Taize, said she was concerned about the impact the sudden death would have on unaccompanied minors across France.

Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Show all 8 1 /8 Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Heavy rainfall has turned the camp into a 'swamp' The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Heavy rainfall has turned the camp into a 'swamp' The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Heavy rainfall has turned the camp into a 'swamp' The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' People gather outside the Eritrean church at the camp The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Heavy rainfall has turned the camp into a 'swamp' The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' Heavy rainfall has turned the camp into a 'swamp' The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' A fire at the camp destroyed shelters for 180 people The Hummingbird Project Calais refugee camp is at 'crisis point' A fire at the camp destroyed shelters for 180 people The Hummingbird Project

Ms King told The Independent: We are concerned about the impact on the minors who lived with the young boy, and for the other children throughout the centres in France at the moment. They are all going to find out.

It will add to the continued uncertainty, and increase their sense of helplessness and fear. It's unusual for this to happen to someone so young.

In December, some of the minors living in the Taize centre went on hunger strike in protest at the lack of information they were given by the Home Office with regards to their asylum applications.
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 }}

Marine Le Pen has overtaken French presidential favourite Francois Fillon to become the frontrunner in the latest first round election poll.

The Front National leader is now polling at 26.5 per cent, a lead of 1.5 per cent over former Conservative Prime Minister Fillon.

However, Mr Fillon is still expected to beat the far-right leader in a second round runoff in May, with polls giving him 64 per cent over Ms Le Pens 36 per cent.

Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe think tank, said that while the result was important, it was imperative not to exaggerate its significance at this stage.

You can get a one off poll to say anything you like, so it is important not to get ahead of ourselves, but Le Pen is obviously in a strong position. The primaries on the left are going to be crucial because there are polls now putting Emmanuel Macron ahead of both Fillon and Le Pen, he told The Independent.

Former economy minister Mr Macron has gathered momentum with his own transpartisan political party En Marche, polling consistently in third place and between 17 and 20 per cent in the first round poll, likely to be helped by Manuel Valls diminishing success with the ruling Parti Socialiste.

However Mr Valls' rivals former ministers Arnaud Montebourg and Benoit Hamon are polling close behind him, which could be damaging for Ms Le Pen.

The Ifop Fuducial poll for Paris Match showed Mr Fillon taking between 24 and 25 per cent of the vote in the first round, depending on the choice of Socialist candidate, who will be selected in the left-wing primaries on 22 and 29 January.

However, when pitted against Mr Macron in the runoff, Mr Fillon is set to lose to the newcomer by 48 per cent to 52 per cent.

Political sociology Professor Stephen Fisher at the University of Oxford said the unknown identity of the socialist candidate could be skewing the polls in Ms Le Pens favour.

Two polls showing Marine Le Pen in the lead mean it is looking a little more likely she will do well, but the main thing to consider is the public still know her much better than her likely two competitors, in particular they don't know who the Parti Socialiste competitor will be at all, he told The Independent.

So what you would expect in this situation is the less known candidates in this election will become better known, and their popularity should increase. Another thing you tend to see is a slight rally towards the government towards the end of the election, whereas mid-term, people tend to grumble through the polls - although obviously, as seen in the US, this is not always the case.

Dr Joseph Downing, French politics expert and fellow at Frances National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), warned a small margin between any of the front runners would allow for outside factors to weigh heavily on the final result.

When you are dealing with such a small margin, a few percentage points can be quite trivial. In addition to further political developments, more terror attacks or an upsurge in the migrant crisis could have a big impact on the result, we don't know what the world will bring us before the second round, he told The Independent.

The poll, which had a margin of error of 1.3 per cent, was conducted between 3 and 5 January and was based on a sample of 1,860 people registered to vote.
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 }}

Two new suspects have been arrested in connection with the Paris attacks as authorities continue to investigate the Isis supercell behind the massacres and bombings just four months later in Brussels.

Belgiums federal prosecutor said the pair were suspected of falsifying documents for Khalid el-Bakraoui, who was involved in planning the November 2015 attacks.

A spokesperson said a man identified as Farid K was in custody after being charged with participation to the activities of a terrorist group, falsification of documents and use of false documents.

 Paris attacks anniversary: Bataclan survivors remember the terror

A woman named as Meryem EB has been charged with falsification of documents and use of false documents, but was released on bail.

They are suspected to have provided Khalid el-Bakraoui with the false documents afterwards used in preparation of the Paris attacks, the prosecutors office said.

The 27-year-old Belgian, a former bank robber and criminal, evaded Interpol after being found to have rented a safe house in Charleroi to prepare bombs for the Isis militants who would go on to murder 130 people.

His brother Ibrahim had already been identified by Turkey as a potential Isis fighter in Syria and American security services also wanted Khalid for terrorism, extremism and recruitment.

Police tracked the pair across Belgium and France, killing another jihadi at an apartment rented by Khalid in the Brussels district of Forest on 15 March.

In pictures: Paris attacks Show all 25 1 /25 In pictures: Paris attacks In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police with protective shields walk in line near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers evacuate an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Vigipirate troops mobilize next to Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French soldiers mobilize near to the Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks People react as they gather to watch the scene near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police secure the area outside a cafe near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers workers evacuate victims near the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President Francois Hollande attending an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Spectators invade the pitch of the Stade de France after explosions were heard outside AP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A man lies on the ground as French police check his identity near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police officers man a position close to the Bataclan theatre AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Two men evacuate the Place de la Republique square in Paris as a police officer looks on AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Football fans are evacuated from the Stade de France stadium In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks An armed police officer Dan Gabriel In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France is evacuated after reports of an explosion In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A member of the French fire brigade aids an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police are seen outside a cafe in 10th arrondissement of the French capital Paris, In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers assist an injured man on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The scene at a restaurant in 10th arrondissement In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Bataclan theatre - where around 100 people are thought be held hostage In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France as it was evacuated In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Forensic experts inspect the site of an attack outside the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis AFP

Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam, whose fingerprints were found inside, was arrested three days later and taken for questioning.

But the brothers, using a series of aliases, were not found until the day of the Brussels attacks on 22 March 2016.

Ibrahim blew himself up at Brussels Airport, alongside bomb maker Najim Laachraoui, while Khalid detonated his explosives little over an hour later at Maelbeek Metro station.

Like the rest of the Paris-Brussels cell, the Bakraoui brothers had used a series of fake names and forced ID cards to prepare for the atrocities.

In its Dabiq propaganda magazine, Isis claimed the pair supplied weapons, cars and lodgings for the Paris attacks, before organising their own atrocity with at least two other jihadis.

It is firstly due to Allah and then to Ibrahim and his brother that the raid in Paris took place, an article said.


For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Pope is preparing to host the Palestinian president at the Vatican for the third time, two years on from the presidents last visit.

Pope Francis will welcome Mahmoud Abbas to Rome for talks shortly before the start of an international conference in Paris aimed at finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is not currently known what they will discuss; Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano will also meet with the president on the same day.

The pontiff has met President Abbas on two previous occasions: once during a trip to the Holy Land in 2014, and once during the Palestinian leaders only other Vatican visit the following year.

It is believed a Palestinian embassy will be established in the Vatican at some point this year. An accord was signed two years ago in which the Pope and clergy officially recognised the Palestinian state.

Tensions between the Vatican and Israel have been high since the signing of the accord, and suffered further strain when Pope Francis described Mr Abbas as an angel of peace during a previous meeting.

Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images

Last week, President Abbas said the Palestinians would be willing to fully resume peace talks with Israel if it stopped building settlements.

Meanwhile Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the upcoming Paris talks as "a fraud, a Palestinian fraud supported by France, the aim of which is to adopt additional anti-Israeli positions". His government refused to take any part in the discussions.

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 region of Russia has banned abortions for one day in order to commemorate the religious day of The Slaughter of Innocents, it has been reported.

Local religious leaders from the Russian Orthodox Church declared 11 January a day of silence without abortions to mark the religious feast day, Russia Today reports. The Church says that the ban will be in place in the city of Yaroslavl and that they have the backing of the local health department.

Abortion is legal throughout Russia and the procedure is state funded. However, it continues to be controversial among some conservative, religious groups.

In a statement, posted to the Yaroslavl dioceses website, the Chruch announces: The event is dedicated to the memory of Bethlehem children slaughtered by King Herod, who wanted to kill the newborn infant Christ. On this day it is forbidden to carry out abortions in all state medical institutions in Yaroslavl Region.

A local newspaper for the area said an official at the local state health department confirm the temporary ban will take place.

Local worshippers will also hold a Candle of Memory ceremony in memory of terminated foetuses and infants who were killed under the biblical King Herod.

They are also calling on private clinics to opt in to the ban too.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In September, the Orthodox Church stepped up its campaign efforts against abortion. Patriarch Kirill, who is head of the group, signed a petition calling for a nationwide ban on terminations. He has also spoken of his desire to eliminate state funding for abortions in a bid to make them harder to access for women with low incomes.

However, public opinion remains in favour of legal abortions being offered by the state. A nationwide poll recently found 72 per cent of Russians which for abortion laws in the country to remain as they currently stand.
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 bill aimed at decriminalising domestic violence to preserve the tradition of parental authority has easily passed through the first stage of approval in the Russian parliament.

Ultra-conservative MP Yelena Mizulina, who chairs a committee on family and womens affairs, proposed the bill to have battery within families taken out of Russias criminal code, removing the right of victims to press charges.

In Russian traditional family culture parent-child relationships are built on the authority of the parents power, she told a meeting of parliament in Moscow. The laws should support that family tradition.

The proposed law was approved by 368 MPs, with only one coming out in opposition.

In July last year, Vladimir Putin oversaw an amendment to the law which declared family violence a criminal offence for the first time in Russia. Ms Mizulina and her supporters have been protesting the ruling ever since.

Battery carried out towards family members should be an administrative offence, Ms Mizulina continued. You dont want people to be imprisoned for two years and labelled a criminal for the rest of their lives for a slap.

The decision was strongly opposed by women's rights activists who believe the new legislation will make victims of domestic violence even more vulnerable, according to The Moscow Times.

These lawmakers believe that fines for domestic tyrants is better than criminal liability, activist Alyona Popova said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

According to Russian government statistics, around 40 per cent of all violent crimes are committed within families. 36,000 women are assaulted by their partners every day, and 26,000 children are attacked by their parents every year.

In 2015, the United Nations urged Russia to address its domestic violence epidemic by introducing new legislation and establishing shelters for vulnerable women.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Secretary General of Nato has called any attempts to influence foreign elections unacceptable amid allegations that Russia supported cyber attacks to aid Donald Trump.

Speaking after a meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jens Stoltenberg said Nato had created a team of experts to be deployed to any allies under attack.

We are concerned about cyber security and we have seen reports about cyber attacks against many Nato allies, he added.

 DNI Chief describes current Russian cyber threat

Any attempt to intervene or to influence national elections from outside is unacceptable. Thats also one of the reasons why Nato has focused on strengthening our cyber defences.

The Russian government has denied any role in the alleged hacking or any other interference, including an allegedly withheld file of compromising information on the President-elect.

Recommended Russia denies claims it is holding compromising material about Trump

Vladimir Putins spokesman has also hit out at Nato for expanding deployments in the Baltics, describing recent military operations as a truly aggressive provocation.

Mr Stoltenberg said the alliance does not see any imminent threats to its allies, but added: What we see is a more assertive Russia, a Russia that has invested significantly in their armed forces and in new military capabilities, and has been willing to use military force against neighbours.

Thats the reason why Nato has responded with the biggest reinforcements to collective defence since the end of the Cold War.

US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 US Presidential election: key moments in pictures US Presidential election: key moments in pictures The 2005 Access Hollywood video which showed Mr Trump bragging to Billy Bush Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Hillary Clinton and her health concerns Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Hillary Clinton and her health concerns Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Mr Trump suggests gun-supporters could kill Hillary Clinton to prevent her from picking the supreme court justices Reuters US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Melania Trump plagiarises Michelle Obamas speech Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Mr Trump said that judge Gonzalo Curiel would not be able to rule fairly, as he was of Mexican heritage United States Federal Court/AP US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Donald Trump anxious over securing black vote Reuters US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Hillary Clinton and concerns about securing black vote Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Pope Francis Questions Donald Trump's Christianity Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Donald Trump and his relentless remarks against Mexican people Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures Donald Trump and the sexual assault allegations Getty US Presidential election: key moments in pictures FBI director announced that there would be no charges for Hillary Clinton amid email scandal Getty

Nato announced British forces would be taking command of two key forces comprising thousands of troops on Wednesday, following concern the UKs role in the alliance could be depleted by Brexit.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said Britain remained at the heart of Nato, while increasing global defence commitments.

The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) had warned the post of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander (DSACEUR)  held by Britain for more than 60 years  could be transferred to an EU member after Brexit.

France is reportedly among the countries vying to take the position, which ranks at number two in the alliances military command structure.
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 }}

Arab citizens of Israel have gone on a nationwide strike after Israeli authorities destroyed 11 Palestinian homes they said were illegal in the central town of Qalansawe.

We condemn the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally for these crimes, Mohammad Baraka, the head of the High Follow-Up Committee, a representative body for Palestinian citizens of Israel, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The committee called on Arab citizens of the Jewish state to stand together to repel the new attack that the government has taken against us.

Workers in both the public and private sectors were encouraged to participate in Wednesdays symbolic one-day walk out. It is estimated that of Israels 1.5million Arab citizens, around 500,000 took part.

The dispute comes after buildings in the Arab-majority town of Qalansawe were demolished for allegedly being built without proper planning permits. The residents whose homes were destroyed said they had been denied permits several times, forcing them to build illegally.

Israels Finance Ministry released a statement on Wednesday saying that the buildings were not inhabited because they were still in varying stages of construction, and built on land outside the towns approved borders.

Qalansawes mayor has resigned in protest.

The Arab population at times builds in an unregulated manner because it hasn't been given the possibility of building, Zionist Union politician Zuhair Bahloul said.

Illegal Arab building is needed because the current policy is failed and discriminatory Its a provocation against... Arab citizens of Israel. [Prime Minister] Netanyahu is telling them, 'You don't belong to the state.'"

Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the controversy with a statement on his Facebook page which said that: We are continuing to implement equal enforcement in Israel... Home demolitions must be egalitarian.

The same law which necessitates the evacuation of Amona, necessitates the evacuation of illegal construction elsewhere in our country... I will enforce Israeli law in the Negev, in Wadi Ara, in the Galilee, in the centre  all over the country.

Amona, a wildcat outpost in the West Bank built without government permission, is currently being emptied of residents after a high court ruling last year deemed the settlement illegal.

More than 5,000 Arab homes in Israel have been destroyed in the last 20 years and Palestinians control of just 2.3 per cent of the states land, which activists say is indicative of their status as second class citizens of the country. Strikes are a common method of protest for Palestinian citizens.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently involved in a corruption investigation. Police are trying to determine whether he accepted lavish gifts from business leaders and allegedly attempted to curry favourable coverage in the Israeli media in exchange for a financial deal.

Critics have interpreted the demolitions as an attempt to deflect attention from the ongoing scandal.
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 }}

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called talks aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process scheduled to take place in Paris later this week rigged against Israel.

Announcing that his country would not participate in the negotiations due to start Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said the conference would be rigged by the Palestinians and the French in such a way to push peace backwards.

[The conference] is not going to obligate us. Its a relic of the past, its a last gasp of the past before the future sets in, he said during a public meeting on Thursday.

French President Francois Hollande who spearheaded the initiative, said that the talks are aimed at strengthening the international communitys support for a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

They are supposed to address energy, transport and infrastructure issues.

The meetings will be attended by representatives from 72 different countries, but, although the governing Palestinian Authority welcomed the French initiative, no Palestinian officials will be in attendance.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to engage directly with the Israeli administration unless settlement construction in the West Bank over the 1967 Green Line  viewed by the international community as illegal  is ended first.

Peace will be achieved by Israelis and Palestinians, and nobody else. Only bilateral negotiations can succeed, Mr Hollande said in a speech to diplomats on Thursday.

 Israel diplomat calls Boris Johnson an 'idiot'

The prevailing mood in Israeli politics has shifted to the right in recent years. Several high level politicians are publicly against the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Public support for a two-state solution among Israeli Jews has also waned in the light of renewed violence since the 2014 Gaza War, and dozens of knife and gun attacks in Israels cities.

Israels most loyal ally, the US, is also set to become far friendlier to Israeli interests once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January.

 Israeli man starts charity to get injured Syrians to Israel for medical treatment

His pick for US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is in favour of recognising Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, and moving the US Embassy building to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Palestinian Authority officials have warned such stances will be detrimental to the peace process, and security analysts say they could spark future violence.

Mr Trump also signified on the campaign trail that he would seek to undo the Iran nuclear deal struck by Barack Obamas administration which eased Western relations with the Middle Eastern country in return for changes to its nuclear programme.

The state is committed to the destruction of Israel.

The last round of US-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in 2014, although late last year the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders had said they are willing to meet in Moscow at an undisclosed date.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Israeli police have questioned the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as a newspaper publisher he is accused of trying to strike a deal with for favourable coverage, as the premiers potential involvement in the scandal spirals.

Legal experts interviewed by Israeli media on Wednesday have said that if some of the allegations which have surfaced in the last two weeks were proved to be true, they would constitute bribery as defined by the Israeli penal code.

This week it emerged that Mr Netanyahu has been accused of trying to negotiate a deal with Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth for more favourable coverage of his administration in 2014.

If the facts that have been published... are correct, the circle of give-and-take has been completed, and constitutes proof of bribery, attorney Avia Alef, formerly head of the economic division of the State Prosecutors Office, told The Maker.

Israeli law presents several tests for what constitutes bribery, but if the allegations stand up, Mr Netanyahus reported actions would fall into the category, she added.

Public servants that take bribes connected to their work can be punished by up to 10 years in prison, even if the terms of the illicit deal are not honoured - as appears to be the case in the allegations against the prime minister.

Police first talked to Mr Netanyahu at his Jerusalem home on January 1 as part of a huge corruption sting involving more than 50 influential Israeli business leaders and other public figures. It is alleged that he received lavish and inappropriate gifts from wealthy supporters such as cigars and champagne.

 Netanyahu congratulates Trump

Yair Yegev, an attorney who once headed the police forces international investigation unit, said that those allegations were less serious.

The prime minister has been questioned by police twice. He has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a witch hunt, and warning political opponents not to celebrate [his] downfall yet.

On Thursday Israeli media reported that Sara Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, Yedioth Ahronoths publisher, had been summoned for questioning the previous evening. There was no immediate comment from the police.
President Xi Jinping of China attends a bilateral meeting with President Barack Obama at the Nuclear Security Summit March 31, 2016, in Washington, D.C. (Photo : Getty Images)

China urges the nations in the Asia Pacific region to abandon the Cold War mentality, respect other countries' legitimate interests and accomplish positive interactions to achieve peace and stability. It opined that nations of small and medium sizes should refrain from taking sides.



A day before President-elect Donald Trump takes oath as the new leader of the United States, the People's Republic of China released a white paper, through CCTV, entitled "China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation," highlighting its stance on the regional conflict while endeavoring to maintain peace and stability.



Advertisement

According to the white paper, China's interests in development and security are part of its strategic task toward modernization.



Toward such end, China encourages other nations to establish partnerships in the Asia Pacific, instead of forging alliances, and to pave a new road to dialogue rather than confrontation. The partnerships formed should be characterized by mutual trust, beneficial cooperation and inclusiveness.



The white paper also reveals that China has been cooperating with the United States in building a different model designed for "major-country relations" to feature non-confrontational and non-conflicting cooperation.



Further, the white paper said that China is committed to creating a closer partnership with India and in deepening its "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia."



Also, part of its policies is to intensify its military cooperation and exchanges as guarantee of peace and stability. Its armed forces significantly provide support to its development and contributes to its maintenance of regional stability and world peace.



While it adheres to consultation and negotiation in resolving disputes, especially when it comes to territorial disputes over the South China Sea, it will nevertheless augment its military exercises to support stability and peace in the Asia Pacific, according to the document.



As it faces complex and diverse threats to its security, territorial integrity and national unity, China is poised to build a powerful national defense force consistent with its international status.


For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The rubble of a bridge blown up by Isis in Mosul to block advancing Iraqi forces has become a lifeline for civilians as more and more of the northern city breaks loose from the grip of the ultra-hardline militants.

Men and women, children and the elderly scramble down the banks of the Khosr River, a tributary of the Tigris some 30 metres wide and a metre deep which counter-terrorism forces crossed last week in a night-time raid.

Lumbering over ladders and pipes, civilians crawl onto the span of the bridge, which has collapsed into the murky water, and shimmy up the opposite bank along a dirt path.

Those escaping east to Zuhur district drag suitcases along with strollers and wheelchairs. Those returning west to Muthanna carry sacks of rice, potatoes and onions, cartons of eggs and packs of baby diapers. The journey in either direction is usually several kilometres.

Despite being bombed the bridge still has foot traffic in both directions (Reuters)

Now there are people entering and people leaving, Major General Sami al-Aridi said this week after touring both sides of the river on foot.

The ones who left are returning, and those who are leaving now are coming from ... neighbourhoods where there are currently clashes.

He said he expected the latest evacuees to return in a day or two as Iraqi forces pushed further west.

The United Nations had warned that the US-backed campaign to kick Isis out of Mosul, their largest urban stronghold in Iraq or Syria, could displace up to 1.5 million people.

But with much of the eastern half of the city now under government control, most residents have stayed in their homes or moved in temporarily with relatives in other neighbourhoods.

That has complicated the task of the military, which must fight among civilians in built-up areas against an enemy that has targeted non-combatants and hidden among them.

The offensive, involving a 100,000-strong ground force of Iraqi troops, members of the autonomous Kurdish security forces and mainly Shi'ite militiamen, is the most complex battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.

When it launched the offensive in October, the government hoped to have retaken the city by the end of 2016 but Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in December it could take another three months to drive the militants out.

Fawaz, a 46-year-old schoolteacher going back across the ruptured bridge to his familys home in Muthanna on Monday, held a jerry can filled with fuel in one hand and a bag of fresh food in the other.

We spent two months without food, just what we had stored up, he said, describing the harsh conditions that many residents faced after the Mosul campaign began in mid-October. Fawaz said he lost some 30kg (66lbs) in that period.

He crossed the river earlier in the day to buy supplies and check in with his old workplace but was returning before nightfall to his neighbourhood, where Iraqi forces are now in charge but mortars fired by Isis still land.

He shrugged off the danger with a laugh and, expressing the deep faith that Mosul residents say sustained them through two-and-a-half years of brutal Isis rule, said: God is present.

Along a road running west towards the citys ancient ruins, black armoured Humvees race down one side, transporting soldiers to and from the frontline where theyre fighting Isis suicide attackers with machine guns, rockets and air strikes.

Civilians, including infants and the disabled, pad along the other side. Many are fleeing clashes with only their most prized possessions but others are pursuing more mundane tasks such as shopping for groceries or reconnecting electricity cables.

A Humvee rushes down the road to reinforce the troops. Behind, a man wearing a grey hoodie bicycles in the dust kicked up by the vehicle. Two more Humvees pass in the opposite direction carrying disabled civilians in their open beds.

You see with your own eyes: one hand fights, one hand helps, said a soldier guarding a forward command post.

A corner grocery has opened on the street and a school-age boy sells packets of sunflower seeds to soldiers.

Young children, one grasping a Barbie doll, play in side streets where orange trees hang low under the weight of ripened fruit. A general clad in black uniform hands out chocolates.

The kids do not flinch at the sound of explosions or gunfire. During a particularly heavy spell of clashes nearby, two boys no older than 10 stop in the road where stray bullets occasionally land. They scan the skyline.

There, there is the Apache [attack helicopter]. There, its coming! Its going to work them in, said one, turning to add: Weve become accustomed.

Mosul residents say that despite the obvious dangers, they prefer their homes to camps outside the city where conditions are austere and movement heavily restricted.

About 135,000 people have fled to camps outside Mosul run by the government and aid groups. Rapid advances have accelerated displacement in the past two weeks but the figures are still a fraction of the total population.

We havent stayed in our homes and endured all this bombardment and everything just to live in tents, said Abu Ahmed, visiting his family in Zuhur at the weekend.

The war raging just down the road doesnt worry him.

God willing, there is nothing, he said before dropping to the ground and running for cover at the buzz of a missile overhead.

The street he was standing in suddenly clears of civilians and soldiers. Fifteen seconds later, the rocket explodes about a kilometre away sending a plume of grey smoke into the sky.

Cracks of gunfire replace the greetings and serendipitous reunions that had filled the street just moments earlier.

Abu Ahmed stands up again with a chuckle and brushes himself off. A rocket, he said. Thanks and praise to God.

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 }}

Satellite imagery of Russian cargo ships reportedly transporting military equipment to the conflict in Syria has emerged, despite an announcement from the Russian armys chief of staff that Moscow was beginning to scale down its military presence in the country.

Valery Gerasimov said in a statement last week that Russias only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, and several other warships were to return to Murmansk after a November deployment to the Syrian port of Tartous.

The increase in firepower was instrumental in helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regain control of Aleppo, which was captured from rebel forces last month.

However, satellite images captured from the Mediterranean and analysed by security sources show that Russia has moved more equipment - including a dozen Su-25 fighter planes - to the regime-controlled city of Latakia since last Fridays announcement.

Pro-regime news outlet al-Masdar reported that the jets will be used in campaigns on rebel-held Idlib province, which neighbours Aleppo.

The UK-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 30 air strikes had been carried out in the area in the last few days, despite the current ceasefire deal.

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 30 December cessation of hostilities between Syrian opposition groups and the Syrian government has been plagued by accusations of violations by both sides, and disagreement over whether certain rebel factions are included in the truce.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said Russia had agreed to reduce its military deployment in Syria under the terms of the deal.

Peace talks are due to go ahead on January 23 in the Kazakh capital of Almaty, although it remains unclear whether any direct representatives of the Syrian opposition will be present.
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 the height of the Syrian conflict, there has been an attack on hospitals and other medical facilities once every 29 hours, a new report has revealed.

The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said Russian military intervention was one of the principal causes for the increased intensity in the latter half of 2016. The vast majority of the 178 attacks recorded were carried out by aerial bombardment, and were allegedly committed by the Syrian government and its allies.

Healthcare has been used as a tool of war in Syria, with hospitals and medical personnel being repeatedly targeted. SAMS said.

The report also demonstrates that the UN resolution on attacks against medical facilities has been completely ineffective. Since the Security Council passed the resolution on the 3rd May, SAMS have recorded an 89 per cent increase in the number of attacks on medical facilities.

This animated map shows every attack on the hospital between June and December 2016. Unsurprisingly, the bulk of these attacks (42%) were carried out in besieged Aleppo by pro-government forces and their allies.

Fourteen medics were killed, and twenty-three injured, in attacks on medical facilities.

Humanitarian charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said, The Syrian government continues to deny repeated requests by Medecins Sans Frontieres to access government-controlled areas. In a country where we should be running some of our largest medical programmes, the opportunities to reach people and to respond in a timely manner to the enormous needs remains extremely limited.

This is a forceful reminder of how access to medical care is by and large not respected and is in many cases directly targeted by those involved in the conflict and used for political purposes.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The international campaign to eradicate polio, which has vaccinated 2.5 billion people since it began in 1988  nearly all of them children  has faced one setback after another. Its goal of wiping out the disease, which was meant to happen in 2000, is about 17 years overdue, but getting close.

The campaign has confined the disease to only three countries and hopes to reach its goal by the end of this decade. Now, however, the fight faces a new threat: a critical shortage of vaccine. The campaign, conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Unicef, Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was expecting to receive 110 million doses of injectable polio vaccine (IPV) this year.

The two manufacturers have told the groups they can supply only about half that. We dont have specifics, but something is preventing the scale-up of vaccination production, says Shanelle Hall, director of Unicefs supply division. We are projecting now that we wont have the quantities we need until 2018.

An Indian medical volunteer administers a dose of injectable polio vaccine (IPV) to a child during a vaccination drive in Hyderabad (Getty)

More than 100 countries are depending on those doses. Without them, planners worry the eradication campaign will lose momentum, and so many children will go unprotected that there will be fresh outbreaks. Polio vaccination strategies are complicated but come down to this: since the 1950s, there have been two vaccines, Jonas Salks injectable formula, which uses a killed virus to evoke an immune response, and Albert Sabins oral version, which relies on a weakened live virus to do the same thing.

Salks vaccine was adopted by the industrialised world, but when eradication efforts began elsewhere, the people behind that campaign decided to rely on the oral poliovirus vaccine, known as OPV. That was partly because the drops are less expensive to buy and administer, and because they can be given by volunteers with no medical training.

But it was also because the weakened vaccine virus performs a trick that the Salk virus cannot: it reproduces in the guts of children and then is expelled in their faeces and when it enters the environment, it can create immunity in anyone who accidentally ingests it, creating a kind of passive immunisation. That ability to reproduce and spread is a marvellous tool, one that has an unintended consequence.

The attenuated virus can mutate back to a disease-causing type, and when it reproduces, it spreads infection instead of protection. Last year, there were only 74 cases of polio in the world, and 32 were caused by a vaccine-derived virus. To reduce the chances of that happening, the campaign switched all of the countries using OPV from one formula to another in April.

The abandoned formula contained weakened versions of all three strains of poliovirus (dubbed type 1, 2 and 3). The new formula contained only types 1 and 3. The campaign removed type 2 because that strain has been eradicated in the wild  it has not been picked up by any surveillance mechanisms since 1999  and because it was more likely to mutate into the disease-causing type, compared with the other two strains.

Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari with Bill Gates and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote, at the signing of the Abuja Agreement on Polio Eradication (Getty)

Planners acknowledged the strategy held some risk; it raised the possibility of a type 2 outbreak, if that strain of virus reappeared or if a vaccine virus still in someones system mutated and escaped. That risk was supposed to be nullified by a second strategy: in every country still using OPV, children were also supposed to receive one shot of the injectable vaccine, because it contains all three strains and, being a killed-virus vaccine, does not lead to reproduction.

That clever plan was working, but now IPV is running short. Every child born since May, if they live in a country that does not have access to IPV, is not getting any immunity against the type 2 poliovirus,  says Dr Stephen Cochi, a paediatrician who leads the CDCs polio eradication effort. If we get an increased supply of IPV, we can catch up to those children. Before then, we have to depend on no vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks occurring. 

To cope with the shortfall, the campaign has divided countries still using OPV into tiers, depending on their risk of outbreak. The three countries that still harbour wild polio  Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan  are at the top of the list to receive the most IPV.

Countries towards the bottom of the list will not receive any IPV doses until the supply situation improves; other manufacturers that bid on supplying the campaign are supposed to deliver vaccines in 2019. The two companies that fell short on deliveries are Bilthoven Biologicals BV in the Netherlands, owned by the Serum Institute of India, and Sanofi Pasteur in France.

Health workers walk the streets to immunise children against polio and measles in Lagos (Getty)

Bilthoven Biologicals did not respond to a request for comment. Ashleigh Koss, Sanofi Pasteurs head of media relations for North America, emailed a statement that acknowledged the shortage but did not explain it. Michel Zaffran, the WHOs director of polio eradication, said the campaign knew there were supply difficulties before the vaccine switch in April.

A Pakistani health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a door-to-door polio campaign in Karachi (Getty)

The agencys immunisation advisers felt the benefits of removing [type 2 from the vaccine] far outweighed the risk, he said. But since April, there have been further reductions in supply, and 29 countries have not been able to introduce IPV at all.

To stretch the supply, the WHO is urging countries to try fractional doses of the injectable, a tricky manoeuvre that involves injecting vaccine into the skin instead of into muscle. But that requires training and constitutes an off-label use, so some countries have been reluctant to do it.

Preparing to add the injectable vaccine to existing national immunisation programmes was not a small task for countries, so in addition to the epidemiological risk of possibly sparking outbreaks, planners are concerned the reputation of the eradication campaign  which already has consumed billions of dollars and occupied millions of volunteers  will suffer as countries put what they did on hold.

I have had to personally visit several countries and explain to them why they are deprived of vaccine when other countries are getting it, Zaffran says. We insisted on countries introducing IPV for very good reasons, and now we are finding ourselves without enough vaccine to comply.

Despite the setback, researchers are hopeful they can complete the mission. But the decision to switch vaccines turned out to be a bigger risk than anyone expected. To get through it, the campaign will need a little luck. And luck is never something to count on when dealing with infectious diseases.

 Newsweek
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 }}

The air-traffic service, NATS, is expected to restrict flight arrivals from 3pm in order to allow ground teams to remove snow from the taxiways and runways at Europe's busiest airport.

Aircraft will also need to be de-iced, which can also delay departures.

The airport told intending passengers: Wintry weather is forecast at Heathrow and across the UK and airlines will be adjusting their schedule as a result.

Recommended Polar bear has video camera strapped round its neck

If you are travelling, check the status of your flight with your airline and please allow extra time for your journey to the airport. We apologise for any disruption to your journey.

British Airways alone has already cancelled 60 departures and arrivals, including multiple flights to Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Geneva, Madrid, Milan and Rome.

The airline told intending passengers: As a result of the forecast poor weather we have agreed with Heathrow Airport, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and other airlines to reduce the afternoon and early evening flight schedules at the airport on Thursday 12 January.

Please do not come to the airport unless you have a confirmed booking on a flight that is operating.

We are sorry for the difficulties which are likely to be caused by the poor weather and will do all we can to minimise the effect it has on our operations.

Weather watch: flights to Heathrow from airports such as Amsterdam could be grounded, as this KLM warning explains (KLM)

Passengers booked on BA short-haul flights due to depart from 3pm onwards on Thursday are being invited to re-book for an alternative flight either earlier in the day or on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Virgin Atlantic made a similar offer: Due to the forecast weather conditions in South East England, customers booked to travel from London Heathrow on 12 January 2017 who prefer to re-book may do so, without penalty.

Loganair, which flies mainly within Scotland, is offering passengers booked on Thursday or Friday to re-schedule their trips.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

The Dutch airline, KLM, also said passengers booked between Heathrow and Amsterdam could re-book for other dates. It has cancelled two arrivals and departures on the route.

Aer Lingus has cancelled two round-trips between Dublin and Heathrow, while other cancellations include Lufthansa to Munich, TAP to Lisbon, and Swiss to Geneva and Zurich.

BA warns that flights to and from Gatwick and London City airports might also be affected. But easyJet, whose main base is Gatwick, said it intends to operate its flying programme on Thursday as scheduled.

Flybe said: We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this possible poor weather might cause you. Whilst we cannot control the weather, we will always do all that we can to get you to your destination as soon as is safely possible.

Click here for the latest travel offers from Independent Holidays
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 }}

As the horror of the tragedy unfolded, a frequent response was astonishment that guns could be carried in checked baggage on commercial flights.

Yet the rules on flying with weapons and ammunition are based on a simple premise: that an individual who is legally entitled to possess a gun in a particular locality  a country or US state  should be able to transport the weapon.

Airlines insist that they are told in advance: some, like British Airways, demand three days notice. But within the US, where possession of firearms is commonplace, the airlines simply ask that you tell them at check in.

The gun must be unloaded and packed in a locked case inside your checked baggage. Some countries have additional restrictions (for example South Africa and Italy insist that the weapon and the ammunition are in separate cases), and airlines typically limit the amount of ammunition to 5kg. But transporting guns is an everyday activity.

At the end of each journey, the passenger picks up their weapon and ammunition from baggage reclaim, or occasionally a separate desk in the baggage hall. Usually they then leave the airport. But there have never been any restrictions to prevent an atrocity of the sort that took place in Floridas second-biggest airport last weekend.

Aviation security is focused squarely on a particular threat: that armed hijackers could once again take over an aircraft, or attack it by some other means. So everyone, and everything, that goes airside is screened very carefully. But people accessing landside areas of airports are not screened. And that includes arriving passengers. Once youre at baggage reclaim, the thinking goes, youre not getting back on the plane.

A top safety expert says the casual approach to transporting weapons must now stop. Adrian Young, senior aviation consultant for the Dutch firm To70, has called for swift action to prevent a repeat of the Fort Lauderdale massacre.

A quick fix would be to have weapons handled as dangerous goods, he says. Thats what they are, after all. They should be checked in and collected at cargo areas, or at least areas away from the passengers.

Mr Young concedes such an arrangement would be not very convenient for the gun owner. But, he says: My view is clear. Its about keeping weapons away from large groups of people.

In the US, and other countries, a murderer with a gun need not arrive on a plane to cause mayhem at an airport. The domestic baggage reclaim area in American airports is usually adjacent to the roadway with just a glass door between, because it helps people to have only a short distance to walk to their cars. Sometimes there is a dedicated security presence at baggage reclaim, but in my experience that is aimed at preventing theft of luggage from the area, rather than deterring armed attackers.

The Fort Lauderdale attack appears to be a random shooting event of the kind that are sadly common in the US, which happens to have taken place at an airport, rather than an aviation security incident involving terrorism. Even so, it raises important challenges about keeping passengers and staff safe.

Evidence from the attacks at Brussels and Istanbul airports last year suggests that the better we get at preventing terrorists boarding planes, the more they switch attention to high-profile aviation targets that are poorly protected. And that means airports.

Until a holistic approach to aviation security becomes the norm, my advice remains the same as ever: get to an airport as late as you realistically can, spend as little time landside as possible, and reach the relative safety of airside quickly.
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 }}

As poor weather caused British Airways to cancel 80 flights in a single day, the Unite union announced a second wave of strike action by some BA cabin crew at Heathrow.

Union members in BAs Mixed Fleet operation stopped work on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing 48 flights to be cancelled.

Now a three-day strike has been called, from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 January. The airline will publish a revised schedule on Monday.

The pattern of cancellations is likely to be the same as before: about 3 per cent of BAs daily schedule, with mainly short-haul flights affected. Crew at Gatwick and London City are not involved in the dispute, and most routes from Heathrow are not crewed by Mixed Fleet.

Recommended Arctic weather warning prompts dozens of flight cancellations

The staff involved in the dispute were all recruited following the end of the bitter cabin-crew dispute in 2010, and are employed on inferior terms to longer-serving staff.

Unite says basic pay starts at 12,192 annually, together with 3 an hour for time spent on duty. The union estimates that the average member of Mixed Fleet earns 16,000, including allowances, a year.

BA says the lowest-paid member of cabin crew last year earned more than 21,000.

The airline will publish a revised schedule

The union demanded that BA drop its confrontational stance.

Unites national officer, Oliver Richardson, said: We would urge British Airways to avoid the inconvenience and disruption of industrial action by meaningfully addressing levels of poverty pay which are causing financial worry and distress.

The union says that more than 800 Mixed Fleet cabin crew have joined BA since the dispute began. It says two out of three of the 4,500 Mixed Fleet employees are now Unite members.

Unite claimed the first stoppage was strongly supported. But BA said: More than 70 per cent of Mixed Fleet cabin crew ignored the strike call and reported for work as normal.

BA described the call for strike action as bizarre and completely without justification. In a statement, it said: We have spent many days in negotiation and agreed a deal with Unites general secretary, Len McCluskey, before Christmas  but the Mixed Fleet Unite branch refused to recommend it and said it had been rejected on the basis of an online poll that lacked control over who voted or how many times an individual could vote.

Recommended We took one of the first BA flights where you have to buy your food

By 5pm on Thursday, BA had cancelled 80 flights because of the wintry weather at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City, affecting an estimated 10,000 passengers. Most of the departures and arrivals were short-haul, but transatlantic services to New York and Washington were also axed.

Aer Lingus, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS and Swiss also made multiple cancellations.

Delays look set to build during the evening, with some Heathrow departures now scheduled for after midnight  a rare event.

Further disruption is expected on Friday, which is the busiest day of the week for aviation.
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 Moroccan government banned the sale, production and import of burkas on Monday  retailers were given 48 hours to destroy their stocks of the garment. Though no official announcement has been made, a high-ranking Interior Ministry official confirmed the ban to the French-language website Le360, citing security concerns.

Controversy is raging in the country. Some argue the ban impinges on the freedom of women. Others welcome it as a curb on the influence of an interpretation of Islam that is both foreign to the kingdoms religious heritage and extreme. In protest, Moroccan Salafist Sheikh Abdelhamid Abounaim has pledged to defy the ban by giving away the garment for free. Prominent cleric Sheikh Mohamed Fizazi has argued the ban is justified as the burka is culturally symbolic of other countries and is not a Moroccan religious outfit.

However, the ban on the sale, production and import of the burka does represent a more considered response to a rising fear of extremism than the burkini ban which swept through France last year. Through restricting access to the garment, it is hoped fewer women will wear it. A Moroccan woman is therefore still free to wear the burka  but good luck with acquiring it in the country.

This approach means Morocco has, so far, avoided criminalising the female form in the way an outright ban on the wearing of the garment would. Though this could be pitched as a positive and a smarter response to perceived threats to the fabric of Moroccan society, it unfortunately seems similar to the approach Saudi Arabia takes to women driving.

In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans PA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Jenny Dawkins, a curate from All Saints Church in Peckham, at an anti-burkini ban protest at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans PA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Somayia Khan's six-year-old daughter at a protest against burkini bans at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Friends Rebecca (L) and Hannah (R) at a protest against burkini bans at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans Reuters In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans EPA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London People participate in a 'Wear what you want beach party' protest outside of the French Embassy in London EPA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London A protester holds a sign which reads "Are you Burkini Beach Body Ready?" as she lies on a beach towel outside the French Embassy in London on August 25, 2016, AFP/Getty Images

In Saudi Arabia, there is no official law banning women from driving  they are simply not issued licences. The result in both cases is the same: womens choices are restricted and their autonomy over their own bodies is sacrificed for a wider political agenda.

At a wider glance, the fixation on what Muslim women wear is now verging on the ridiculous. It is not new or restricted to a particular region of the world. The face veil is banned in France and in Belgium a Muslim woman can face a fine and seven days in prison if caught wearing it in public spaces. In the Netherlands, the burka is banned on public transport, in government buildings, schools and hospitals, and in Switzerland a Muslim woman faces a fine of up to 8,000 if caught wearing the face veil in public buildings. Chad and Niger, to name a couple, have similar bans.

Restricting a womans autonomy over her own body simply because society chooses to project symbolic meaning on to her physicality is nothing short of social appropriation. Suddenly, in the eyes of the law, a womans body does not belong to her; it belongs to everyone.

It is for this reason that bans on what women wear, whether through restricting access to garments or criminalising the act of wearing them, will always be counter-productive. The sacrifice is simply too high.

 UN condemns anti-burkini law

Perhaps it is time to change the debate and move away from discussions over what parts of the female body are appropriate for public display, a debate extremist ideologues are also engaged in. The female body is not a canvas on which society can draw lines to demarcate the limits of its morality. Where that line is drawn  the wrist, the cleavage, the bikini line, the face  changes culture by culture, but the sentiment remains the same.

Put simply, expecting a woman to bear the burden of reflecting her societys moral integrity back on itself is expecting too much.

Saeida Rouass is an author and North Africa project manager for FATE (Families Against Terrorism and Extremism). Her novel The Assembly of the Dead will be published by Impress Books in the spring
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 }}

President-elect Trump indicated that work on his wall would start as soon as possible and that federal funds will be used pay for the wall. However before bids can be put forth to private contractors the following steps must be completed. The route of the wall must be identified, the route will have to be surveyed, and the land not presently under either federal or state ownership purchased, and also designs and specifications for the wall finalised.

It is difficult to believe that these tasks can be completed in less than a years time. Also Congress will have to appropriate the funds necessary to fund the contracts. Only after all of these steps have been completed can the contracting process begin. The procurement process includes the request for proposal cycle which usually allows 90 days-120 days for bidders to submit their bids and another 60 days for the government to complete evaluation of the bids and background checks of the contractors. Once the contracts have been awarded, contractors must be allowed time to purchase the materials required to build the wall, move them to the construction site, and recruit a work force. This will add another 60-90 days before work can start. One needs not to be either a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to see that actual construction of the wall could not possibility start prior to the summer of 2018.

George D Lewis

Northamptonshire

Hate speech

I welcome the news that the police have recorded Home Secretary Amber Rudds speech at the last Tory conference as a hate incident. In that speech Rudd made the proposal  since withdrawn  that UKs firms should keep lists of their foreign workers.

Academic Joshua Silver reported her speech to the police explaining, I felt politicians have been using hate speech to turn Britons against foreigners, and I thought that is probably not lawful.

I feel that Silvers was correct to report Rudds xenophobic speech. But it begs the question why the laws against hate crime arent being raised in relation to similar speeches from other politicians and political commentators.

Sasha Simic

London

If you want a first-class service, you have to pay for it

On the surface I am inclined to agree with Theresa Mays assertion that the Red Cross saying that the NHS is facing a humanitarian crisis is irresponsible and overblown. A closer look at the accepted definition of a humanitarian crisis as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people, then they are in fact spot on.

We may agree that the NHS has been woefully underfunded in recent years and is no longer fit for purpose in its current form, but we have all been complicit in this. It is not rocket science to expect that treating many more people for longer, with more complex illnesses, requiring higher levels of expertise and costly equipment will in the end bust the budget.

The bleating refrain of low wages and long hours is tiresome. Staff are not press-ganged into selecting the NHS as an organisation in which to work, and whilst I do have some sympathy, there are many of us in other industries also having to work our socks off in less than satisfactory working environments. As sad as it may seem, it is a common ailment of modern-day life.

There is clearly a huge gap between what we expect and what the NHS can afford to provide. To blame the Government is to take too simplistic a view of the situation. Contrary to the belief of some, money does not grow on trees. If we, the general public, users of the NHS, want to a have a first-class service then we will just have to pay for it, it is as simple as that.

Linda Piggott-Vijeh

Address supplied

Your pet is colder than it looks

Since freezing Arctic blasts are threatening England this week, its important that guardians know how to take care of their animals during adverse weather conditions. Although dogs, cats, and other animals have fur coats, they can still suffer from deadly frostbite and exposure, which is why it's critical to keep animals  and especially puppies and kittens  indoors. (Short-haired animals will also benefit from wearing a warm jumper or coat on walks.) Cats shouldnt be allowed to roam freely outdoors because during winter, they sometimes climb under the bonnets of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the vehicle is started. (To help prevent this, bang loudly on the bonnet before starting the engine.) Keep an eye out for strays, and take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians or get them to an animal shelter. If strays are skittish or otherwise unapproachable, provide food and water and call the RSPCA for assistance with trapping them and getting them indoors. If snow is on the ground, be sure to wipe off your dogs or cats legs, feet, and stomach after they come inside, as salt and other chemicals can make your animals sick if they ingest them.

Jennifer White

London

If you dont like strikes, maybe you also dont like having civil liberties?

Each time there is a Southern rail strike or an underground strike, I keep seeing letters in the press calling for the outlawing of strike action for vital public services, which I find rather unsettling. The trouble with the idea of passing a non-strike bill is that we would be taking away the basic right of individuals to withhold their labour  the last time I checked, bonded slavery had been abolished in the UK.

Emergency services and the armed forces generally never strike because they are looked after, treated well and made to feel valued and respected by the rest of society  for the time being, at least. How much longer that will last in the face of continuing dogma-driven cuts remains to be seen.

We cannot force people to work against their will and nor should we aspire to  unless, that is, we envisage turning this country into some kind of a military state and surrendering all of our hard-won human rights and civil liberties. Or do those who are inconvenienced by industrial action feel that, while they are free citizens in their own right, those who serve them are merely worker units who should have to accept whatever conditions are imposed upon them? Be thankful that you have a job  at least you have an employer to oppress and exploit you!

Perhaps we ought to put the freedom of our citizens to a referendum  after all, of late the UK has shown itself to be filled with turkeys who are both willing and eager to vote for Christmas.

Julian Self

Milton Keynes
Florida Federal Judge issues ruling allowing gay marriages across the state. (Photo : Getty Images)

Qui Bai, a senior from Sun Yat Sen University, filed a case against the Ministry of Education because homosexuals are referred to a psychological condition in a textbook.



Guangdong's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) for college textbooks included the use of the textbook in schools. The book categorized homosexuality in the same group as pedophilia, zoophilia, and necrophilia.



Advertisement

The book recommended "aversion therapy," which includes electric shock, to rid the person of his or her homosexual attachment.



On describing the proceedings of the trial, Qui said that the Ministry kept silent and did not want to reveal much information on their review standards.



"They kept silent on the ministry's responsibility to review textbooks . . . and on the fact that the textbook has stigmatized homosexuality," Qiu added.



She also said that the Ministry denies any involvement in stigmatizing homosexuals. They also refuse to include the review of the book in its mandatory evaluation of learning materials.



"Since 2001 when homosexuality was declassified as an illness in mainland China, 40 percent of the psychology and mental health teaching materials published on the mainland say homosexuality is an illness," Qiu said.



She added, "As someone studying within the education system, when the ministry of education tells me that the education materials have no connection with us and we won't deal with it, it's really disappointing."



Qiu and his lawyer are not hopeful that the Chinese government will have a change of perspective. The government is stern with its anti-gay position.



A gay couple's appeal to marry was also denied by the Supreme Court.



"Even though the case was rejected by the court I still think it is a big step since it has already raised huge attention and discussion, which was the case's original goal," said Shen, a gay right's activist.


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 }}

Melodramatic feuds are integral to fake news politics, and few are more unconvincing than the venom between Marine Le Pen, the wannabe French President, and her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. Their staged schism is crucial to project Front National, the attempt by a notoriously racist and anti-Semitic far-right party to deliver Frances next head of state.

The deceit is that Ms Le Pen has grown out of her fathers bigotry and, since taking over the FN in 2011, has exorcised its demons. This process has included expelling papa from the party for re-iterating his description of the Holocaust as a mere detail of history, defending the collaborationist World War II Vichy regime, and making a lot of other ghoulish statements. She is adamant she has nothing to do with such obscenities  cue the often-unrestrained glee with which commentators in countries such as Britain now whitewash her. They push for another anti-establishment triumph in France in May, to follow Brexit and Trump; an unexpected victory that would threaten a Frexit and, potentially, the absolute collapse of the European Union.

How hollow such reasoning currently looks, now that Ms Le Pen has admitted she will borrow 6m (5.2m) from a company owned by her father to fund her presidential campaign. This is not solely because she cannot get a loan from French banks, but because a Russian financial institution that offered the FN millions in 2014 was subsequently declared insolvent.

Le Pen Senior is, of course, a very rich man. Decades of milking the establishment gravy train and a substantial inheritance from a friendly tycoon at the start of his career not only allowed him to bring up his three alpha daughters in absolute luxury, but also to bankroll the Le Pen dynastys political adventures. The idea that Ms Le Pen would accept yet another massive handout while actually being in dispute with him is a myth. The pair, in fact, still get on extremely well.

 Marine Le Pen claims no difference between her policies and Ukip

Last November, Mr Le Pens abiding influence on the party he founded was also rubber-stamped by a Paris court who said he would remain Honorary President, despite his expulsion. This kept the FN firmly rooted in Frances fascist past.

Those who wish the party well also appear oblivious to the fact that Mr Le Pen remains an FN MEP, as well as a convicted racist and anti-Semite. Moreover, he is a legendary hero to thousands of FN supporters, many of whom share his street thug bigotry. Little wonder that the rabble rousing dinosaur took time out from his latest criminal enquiry (Paris prosecutors want him to go on trial for allegedly inciting more race hate) to say of Donald Trumps win: Today the United States, tomorrow France!

Like many disingenuous opinion formers, the Le Pens want to portray modern France as a cauldron of anger. They blame immigrants and their descendants  and especially those from the former North African colonies  for most of societys ills. Much of their demagoguery in fact harks back to a recent past when imperial subjects were being tortured and murdered.

The FN is indeed a direct product of the Algerian War of Independence, when Lieutenant Le Pen participated in the barbaric fighting, including the Battle of Algiers. Just a few years earlier, and still just about in living memory, the French were entraining Jews and other undesirables to their deaths in German concentration camps during the Holocaust. Such a legacy has a far more powerful effect on the national consciousness than those in other countries appreciate. It is perhaps the primary reason why an FN representative is not going to become president.

The largest political demonstrations of 2016 were against employment reforms introduced by the nations socialist government, yet the France First FN insists that their insidious brand of identity politics is what really drives society. In such circumstances, Marine wont do a Donald. Instead, she will continue to rant and rave, bringing shame to a country whose historical involvement in murderous extremism lingers too close in the collective psyche to allow an FN leader.

All of this is by no means related to the sins of the father only. In 2015 Ms Le Pen failed in her bid to punish a comedian who called her a fascist bitch in a magazine column. The clear legal position was that such a description was perfectly reasonable when made in a political context, the judges ruled.

Many would rightly welcome France having a woman president for the first time, but image is still very important to French voters, just as it is in all western democracies. Harsh as it sounds, a chain-smoking, twice-divorced daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen is not how most French voters, least of all women, view their potential head of state.

Wide-eyed Le Pen backers should also know that the French electoral system is designed to foil extremist chancers. Ms Le Pen is always rejected when she tries to win a seat in the Paris parliament, where her party currently has just two MPs. The FN is principally a hot air protest movement that allows people to let off steam in the first round of elections, but then falls apart in the second.

So it was that the pacte republicain  voters of all political persuasions tactically uniting against a common enemy to protect the Republic  crushed Mr Le Pen in the 2002 presidential election. In the second round run-off, a decidedly lacklustre Jacques Chirac won more than 82 per cent of the vote, by far the biggest electoral landslide in French history. There is no evidence that a generally responsible French electorate has changed significantly during the last 15 years.

I appeared on the BBCs Dateline London programme back in July and, based on interviews with contacts I made while living in Americas rust belt, I predicted a Trump win because he had nationwide appeal. Le Pens powerbase is, in contrast, centred on small town and village councils. She has one of two-dozen FN-linked seats in the European Parliament, an institution she reviles. Like Hillary Clinton in the minds of the US voters, she appears to have been knocking around for decades, owes much of her success to nepotism, and puts her personal career fantasies before the good of her country.

In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A man reacts near bouquets of flowers near the scene where a truck ran into a crowd at high speed killing scores and injuring more who were celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday in Nice Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A woman arrives with a toy and a bouquet of flowers as people pay tribute near the scene where a truck ran into a crowd in Nice Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A woman reacts as she places flowers in front of the memorial set on the 'Promenade des Anglais' where the truck crashed into the crowd during the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice EPA In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack People gather to view the floral tributes near the site of the truck attack in the French resort city of Nice AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A man reacts near bouquets of flowers as people pay tribute near the scene where a truck ran into a crowd at high speed killing scores and injuring more who were celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday, in Nice Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Floral tributes are laid out near the site of the truck attack in the French resort city of Nice AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A child's toy is placed among the floral tributes laid out near the site of the truck attack in the French resort city of Nice AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Investigators continue at the scene near the heavy truck that ran into a crowd at high speed killing scores who were celebrating the Bastille Day in Nice Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Crime scene investigators work on the 'Promenade des Anglais' after the truck crashed into the crowd during the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice EPA In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A forensic expert examines dead bodies covered with a blue sheet on the Promenade des Anglais seafront in the French Riviera city of Nice Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A forensic expert evacuates a dead body on the Promenade des Anglais seafront in the French Riviera city of Nice, after a gunman smashed a truck into a crowd of revellers celebrating Bastille Day Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A man reacts as he sits near a French flag along the beachfront the day after a truck ran into a crowd at high speed killing scores celebrating the Bastille Day in Nice Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Discarded items are left on the beach, not far from the site of the truck attack in the French resort city of Nice AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Bullet holes in the windscreen of the lorry that was driven into the crowd at high speed Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A man walks through debris on the street in Nice, France, the morning after a lorry ran into a crowd, killing at least 84 and injuring 50 Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Rescue workers help an injured woman to get in a ambulance AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Authorities investigate a truck after it plowed through Bastille Day revelers in the French resort city of Nice, France AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Celebrations of Bastille Day were targeted by the lorry driver AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack People cross the street with their hands on thier heads as a French soldier secures the area after at least 84 people were killed along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A paramedic attends one of the dozens of people injured in the Nice Bastille Day attack In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Soldiers march on street where the lorry crashed into the crowd REUTERS In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A man sits next to a body seen on the ground after at least 84 people were killed in Nice, when a truck ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Bodies are seen on the ground after at least 84 people were killed in Nice, when a truck ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Children were among the 84 killed in the atrocity, with around 50 more hospitalised Reuters In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve (2nd L) speaks to the media in Nice AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack A man walks with his hands up as police officers carry out checks on people in the centre of French Riviera town of Nice AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack With injured people laying in the street police and onlookers react near to a truck in Nice AP In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Police officers, firefighters and rescue workers are seen at the site of the attack AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Police officers speak with a soldier after a truck that ploughed into a crowd leaving a fireworks display in the French Riviera town of Nice AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Bastille Day Nice attack Police shine a light into the cab as they approach the driver's cab of a truck, in Nice AP

The stench of sleaze from her partys finances also covers a high-profile case in which Ms Le Pen is currently being investigated by Paris prosecutors for employing two EU-funded assistants for her non-parliamentary work. This is illegal under EU rules. She and other FN MEPs face a range of allegations including breach of trust, organised fraud and the use of forged documents. The inquiry could stop Ms Le Pen from being able to stand for president at all.

Note too how Lord Llewellyn, Britains Ambassador to Paris, this week told UK MPs that neither he nor his staff have any contact at all with the Le Pens. With respect to the Front National, we have a policy of not engaging, there is a longstanding policy, he said.

Beyond such antecedents, and the constitutional firewall, the latest cynical financial link with her own father is another compelling reason why Marine Le Pen is extremely unlikely to find herself ensconced in the Elysee Palace this May.
Paul Givan said he had identified funding to keep the scheme running

James Brokenshire warned that a poll would be potentially divisive and make it harder to bring people together afterwards

The Irish and British governments have conceded a snap election is increasingly likely in Northern Ireland as Stormont's power-sharing administration heads for collapse.

The clock is ticking on dissolution of the devolved institutions, with the UK's Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire set to order a poll at the start of next week.

The Democratic Unionists have called for fresh negotiations to avoid a "brutal" contest but Sinn Fein insisted the matter should be placed before the people.

On Thursday a DUP minister reversed his controversial decision to cut an Irish language initiative.

Some interpreted Paul Givan's move as an olive branch to Sinn Fein, but the minister said his motivation was to "neutralise" republican attempts to make it an election issue.

Mr Brokenshire said: "The reality remains, the high probability remains, that we are heading towards an election."

He said he did not want to pre-judge what the outcome of the vote might be and warned an election could be divisive.

foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan was also in Belfast to try to avert a poll.

He said: "I believe an election is much closer. The Secretary of State on Monday, in my view, will be left with no choice but to dissolve the Assembly and announce an election."

Mr Flanagan said there was only a slight hope the administration could be saved. "There is a window of opportunity, albeit extremely narrow," he said.

A scandal over a botched green energy scheme that threatens to leave the taxpayer 490 million out of pocket precipitated the resignation of Sinn Fein's ailing deputy first minister Martin McGuinness on Monday.

It is a joint office so he took first minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster, who established the eco-boilers scheme, with him and has doomed the institutions to fall unless Sinn Fein nominates a successor next Monday - a step republicans have vowed not to take.

Sinn Fein Stormont health minister Michelle O'Neill said: "Martin made his position very clear when he placed his resignation in the Assembly on Monday. We now need to move to an election.

"We now believe, on the back of this latest scandal of the renewable heat incentive (RHI), and a whole litany of issues in relation to equality, that it is now over to the public to have their say and to place their vote."

Later Ms O'Neill warned plans being developed by her department to cut hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland were now on ice due to turmoil in the executive.

Mr Givan's decision to cut a 50,000 bursary to pay for children to visit Irish-speaking communities - the Gaeltacht - infuriated Sinn Fein and has been seen as a key factor in the republican party's decision to pull the plug on the power-sharing institutions.

Explaining his U-turn, Mr Givan said: "I will not allow Sinn Fein to use the Irish language as a political weapon."

Despite the reversal, hundreds of Irish language activists gathered outside the minister's departmental offices in Belfast to protest about the DUP's attitude.

The DUP communities minister has also been involved in a wrangle with Sinn Fein finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir on whether Stormont mitigation payments for those losing out under the Government's so-called "bedroom tax" can be distributed amid the crisis.

Mr Givan had insisted the approval of the now-paralysed executive was required - a claim Mr Muilleoir disputed. Both issued contradictory legal advice from their departments.

On Thursday evening Mr Givan said he would press ahead with the payments by by-passing the executive and bringing legislation directly before the Assembly, potentially as early as next week.
A woman arrested over the sudden and unexplained death of a four-month-old baby has been released without charge, gardai said.

The baby boy died on New Year's Day following what investigators described as "an incident" at a house in Bohola, Co Mayo, on December 28.

He was first taken by ambulance to Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar and was later moved to Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin, where he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out by the State Pathologist.

Gardai said they would not release details of a preliminary report for "operational reasons".

A woman in her 20s was arrested on Wednesday as part of the investigation.

She was questioned at Claremorris Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

The woman was released from custody without charge on Thursday morning and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A Garda spokesman said: "The investigation is ongoing."
The joint owners of Dublin's Ilac Centre have begun the redevelopment of the Centre's Moore Mall South.

Hammerson and Irish Life have started the works - which will see the creation of five new units - at the well known shopping centre.

The centre is adjacent to Henry Street, Irelands busiest shopping street and is home to 85 retail and catering units, including H&M, River Island, and Argos. New brands introduced to the centre in recent months include Tiger, Paese Cosmetics and Chopped.

The development, expected to be completed by this summer, involves an investment of some 1.5m - and forms part of a wider plan by the Ilac's owners to improve the centre's tenant mix.

The Ilac Centre currently comprises 291,808 sq ft of retail accommodation and in the 12 months to December 31 last year had footfall of 17.8 million people.

Agreements have already been exchanged for four of the five new units and these will see BB's Coffee & Muffins, book retailer The Works, So Nutrition, and specialist catering equipment retailer, Nisbets join the Ilac Centre's present compliment of 85 retail and food units.

Read More

Hammerson acquired 50pc stakes in Dundrum, the Ilac, and the Pavilions after paying Nama 1.85bn for 2.6bn worth of loans connected to the developments.

Hammerson and German insurer Allianz acquired the so-called 'Project Jewel' loans from Nama, with all of the loans associated with developer Joe O'Reilly and his firm, Chartered Land.

Irish Life owns the other 50pc of the Ilac. It also owns 25pc of the Pavilions, with IPUT owning another 25pc.

Hammerson also secured sole ownership of a prime Dublin city centre development area, and development land beside the Pavilions.

Simon Betty, Hammersons Director of Retail, Ireland, commented: Investing in the retail experience and improving the tenant mix at the Ilac Centre will be a major priority over the course of 2017, and we look forward to working with Irish Life to achieve this. The centre is well located in the centre of Dublin, benefitting from high footfall and sales, and through this refurbishment and other asset management initiatives we will ensure that the centre continues to offer our customers the right mix of retail and food & beverage.

Deirdre Hayes, Head of Property Asset Management at Irish Life, added: The start of the Moore Mall South refurbishment underpins Irish Lifes commitment to retail in Dublin city centre and marks an important milestone for the Ilac Centre by enhancing the quality and mix of retail and leisure for the citys considerable catchment area. We look forward to working with Hammerson on this and future projects.
Global beef production is expected to increase by 1.4pc in 2017, while consumption is forecast to remain static.

This global market outlook was delivered by Bord Bia's Mark Zieg at a beef outlook seminar in Naas last week.

While major beef exporter Australia is expected to show a 24pc drop in exports this year - due to the tightest beef supplies in 20 years - increased production from other quarters is expected to make up any shortfall in global supplies.

Higher export volumes from USA, Brazil, India, Canada and Paraguay are expected to offset the reduced supplies from Australia and New Zealand.

International consumption is expected to be driven by higher consumption in Asia and Africa and by increased demand from these markets.

However, despite the difficult global outlook, there may be opportunities for increased Irish exports. Industry sources indicate that the drop in Australian beef production, and consequent hike in prices, has opened the door for possible Irish exports to Egypt.

It has been suggested that the Egyptian authorities are keen to agree trade deals with other beef exporting nations in order to guarantee supplies and to ensure price competition for contracts.

2016 was a difficult year for live exports, despite 20,000 head being shipped to Turkey and a 26pc increase in live exports to Spain.

Last year saw a 55pc decline in cattle movements to Northern Ireland in the wake of Brexit and the continuing difficulties regarding meat labelling in Britain for what are regarded as 'nomad cattle'.
Lakeland Dairies has increased its milk price by 1 cent per litre to 30.28 cents per litre including VAT for December milk.

It comes as farm organisations are pushing for a further lift in milk prices for December supplies despite a 4pc drop in the first Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction of 2017.

The ICMSA and IFA insisted that supplies of dairy commodities on world markets remained tight and there was scope for further price increases to milk suppliers as a consequence.

A number of dairy processors are due to meet this week to set their December milk price, with Kerry Group, Lakeland Dairies and Glanbia usually among the first to make a decision.

Base prices have increased continually since last summer and now range from around 29c/l to 31c/l.

Gerald Quain of ICMSA said the EU and world price for dairy products remained in a fundamentally strong position despite two consecutive falls in GDT auctions.

He described these reductions as 'blips' which did not change the fundamental trend of supply falling behind demand across the globe.

And he warned that milk suppliers would be "furious" if processors used the GDT falls as an excuse to cut milk prices. "ICMSA expects the underlying upward trend in milk prices to continue for the first six months of 2017," Mr Quain insisted.

The ICMSA representative said the average cost of production was 28c/l and returns to farmers had only been above this level for 10 weeks. He said 'spot' prices across Europe were in the region of 35c/l on the back of lower milk volumes.

Meanwhile, the IFA's Sean O'Leary said the EU Milk Market Observatory's (MMO) report for 2017 confirmed the view that milk prices of 32-33c/l plus VAT were justified.

"Assuming a representative Irish product mix, the prices reported for the week ending January 1 suggest gross returns of just under 38c/l, and therefore equivalent to a farm-gate price of 32-33c/l plus VAT," he said.

"A growing number of contracts signed by Irish co-ops will be for products priced nearer those higher levels, and this will undoubtedly improve the ability and confidence of co-ops to pay further milk price increases, not only on December milk, but also in the coming months," added Mr O'Leary.
In times of difficulty, planning ahead can be a saving grace.

It occupies the mind, allows you to temporarily sideline torment and encourages positivity.

Two years ago, Josie Hanrahan became ill. The mother of three small children, from Nenagh, Co Tipperary was aged just 35 at the time.

She was determined to stack the deck in her family's favour. Josie, and her husband Shane, a carpentry joiner and suckler farmer, sat down and outlined plans for her recovery.

"We made a plan that if she got any bit of good news after the first session of chemotherapy we'd change our lifestyle. I'd give up the carpentry and go dairy farming because it would free up more time and it would be a steady income. That was our vision," said Shane.

Slowly things started coming together for the young couple. After a successful operation and round of chemotherapy, Josie was given the all clear in September 2015.

"We were thrilled. We started building the milking parlour. I had everything in place and ready to go after getting such good news."

"Josie had great plans to feed calves and hens and to enjoy a better quality of life".

"I began digging out the tank, built two sheds and started milking cows the following spring," he said.

But then, just as their innovative dairy, featuring the latest technology, was up and running the cancer returned.

"Josie went for a second operation. There was a lot of people giving me a hand with the kids and everything which was a great help. She started chemo again but it didn't work," he said.

Last September, Hospice moved into the house. "We thought we'd have longer but we didn't and unfortunately Josie died last October."

"It's hard because there is nobody here to share this with. It's all about stability now for the children. We had a plan and I'm going to continue on and see it through."

This Friday, Shane, along with the support of family, friends and many within the farming community, will host a special open day on his modern dairy farm in Ballyanney, Nenagh, Co Tipperary. Expert speakers from Dairymaster, Glanbia, AIB and Teagasc will be there to discuss maximising feed output, spring dairy nutrition, calf rearing and more between 11am and 4pm.

Munster and Ireland rugby legend, John "The Bull" Hayes will also be a special guest.

All funds raised will go to the Irish Hospice Foundation.

"Hospice were very good to us and allowed Josie to pass away at home. They did everything they could. I think she would be very proud of what we have achieved. It's just unfortunate that she's not here to see it," he said.

Silage awards

Three young farmers were awarded top class honours at last nights prestigious Silage Awards in Co Sligo.

The competition, organised in association with Macra na Feirme and Aurivo Co Op, received more than 200 entries from members in 10 counties nationwide.

However, the top spots were claimed by David Blair of Proper Job Macra club in Donegal, Diarmuid Murray of South Roscommon Macra club and Siobhan Gallagher of South Leitrim Macra.

First prize was a specially commissioned trophy and a grass measuring plate meter.

Entry samples were tested by Aurivo in their testing laboratory and entrants were contacted by Aurivo farm commercial specialists and received nutrition advice based on their results.

Speaking at last nights presentation at the Sligo Park Hotel, experts offered young farmers practical tips for producing quality silage in 2017.

Sean Finan, Macra na Feirme President said the purpose of the competition is to encourage best practice.

We want young farmers to get into the habit and recognise the needs and benefits of good silage for their animals, he said.

Email: cmccormack@independent.ie
AMD vs. NVidia: NVIDIA might use Volta GV100 GPU to respond to AMD's Vega, but not soon

President and CEO of Nvidia Jen-Hsun Huang speaks at the 2014 AUDI CES Keynote presentation at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on January 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Getty Images/Gabe Ginsberg)

A handful of leaked information regarding NVidia's next-gen Volta GPUs on Baidu forums is hinting that the tech giant will not remain stashed away even as AMD enthusiasts use the upcoming Vega 10 GPUs to browbeat NVidia fans.



To begin with, the credibility of NVidia Volta GV100 GPU leaks cannot be doubted as the source, a Baidu forum member named USG Ishimura, is known for giving accurate leaks on hardware. The last leak from him signifies that NVidia's next architecture, after Pascal will be Volta and will be much revamped and fast compared to AMD's upcoming Vega.



Advertisement

Just like its Pascal-based predecessor, NVidia Volta architecture will be first aimed at High-Performance Computing (HPC) and then proceed to the consumer market. Reports point at a GTC 2017 unveiling by NVIDIA's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, who will also showcase the latest NVidia roadmap with new code names and tech details of upcoming chips.



According to The Motley Fool, the Volta architecture will drive NVidia to 7nm process straight from 10nm with all the upcoming GPUs expected to support GDDR6 and HBM3 memory standards. However, the earliest availability of these graphics cards for consumer markets will be 2018.



A bigger part of 2017 will be spanned by Pascal refresh, whose architecture will be fully tuned for next-gen games. Volta will then take over, bringing with it GDDR6 technology and 16 GB of VRAM capacities on 245-bit cards.



Already, this is a doubled increase over the likes of GTX 1080 and 1070, which means improved efficiency and high performance. A GV102 GPU will further feature a 384-bit bus with 24 and 48GB of VRAM, depending on the variant.



Based on the fact that GDDR6 is slated for a 2018 launch, it is well inclined with consumer launch of consumer Volta GPUs. It is also backed by NVidia's partnership with Samsung and Micron, which has seen several successes in the memory industry.



According to WFFCtech, although NVidia Volta will be fully compliant with HBM2, products with this technology will be focused on specialized markets. Currently, the only NVidia Pascal chip with HBM2 is GP100 and is focused on HPC. The company might follow the same road with Volta to integrate it in an HPC chip as well.



As NVidia prepares to unveil Volta in 2018, AMD will have launched its Vega 10. But that is not all. Rumors disclose that AMD is also preparing to launch its next-gen architecture dubbed Navi. Seemingly, the battle for winning the bigger share in the graphics card market will not have a winner unless further production ceases, which is utterly impossible.



Here is a video overview of what is expected with Volta:






Ireland needs to cast off concerns about Brexit and continue the forward momentum that has been generated over the past couple of years, according to leading author and public speaker Keith Ferrazzi.

Mr Ferrazi told independent.ie that there had been a tangible shift in the energy in the country over the past couple of years, but said that the scars of the recession were still evident in the mindset of some.

"There is an awareness about the struggle that the country faced in the recent past. Now that it's been overcome, people have a tendency to look for the next struggle on the horizon," he said.

"People need to see what has been achieved. Ireland has the wind at its back. Every moment of attention that's dedicated to focusing on the struggle is attention that is not spent focusing on the growth."

Mr Ferrazzi was speaking at Pendulum Summit, a two day business empowerment conference in the Convention Centre in Dublin.

He said that Ireland had a unique place in Europe as a "jumping off point" for American firms in Ireland and that the country was ideally placed to generate huge business in the tech industry.

Mr Ferrazzi said there was an affinity between American people and the Irish that should be exploited be Irish entrepreneurs.

He also noted that the Irish "rebel spirit" was something that should be utilised more often.

"The Irish have a great rebel spirit that comes out when things are at their worst. How about channelling that energy and spirit into how you do things every day?", he asked.

Read More

Delegates at the event believe the two-day conference will provide them with the ideal platform for innovation in the year ahead.

An estimated 6,500 people are expected to participate over the two days in the conference that is aimed empowering business people from Ireland and abroad.

Organiser Frankie Sheahan estimates that the conference will provide up to 20m to the local economy. The event is certainly littered with nationalities from all around the world .

Eoin O' Malley runs is the founder of TICN, an investor network hub that teaches people how to invest in the stock market. O' Malley's business is focussed on "demystifiying" the stock market for investors starting out and giving them the confidence and expertise to become successful investors in the own right.

O' Malley's now has networks in 52 countries across the globe, and says the summit has provide a unique opportunity to develop strategies for the year ahead.

"It's an ideal way to start the year. We are spending a couple of days here and then we are going to go off an spend a few days brainstorming after this. So there's a lot you can take away from it and it's a great opportunity to meet and to listen to new ideas."

Ana Rodriguez travelled from Asturias in northern Spain to attend the conference, and said she was delighted to have made the trip.

"The quality of the speakers is outstanding. They are the best role models out there for people like me. What they are talking about is very close to my heart. They grab you by the balls and make you want to take action. The fact that the event is in Dublin is also a double kick for me," she said.
The salary guide noted that the jobs most in demand will continue to be in the pharmaceutical, financial services and IT sectors. Stock image

Workers are in line for salary increases of between 5pc and 10pc this year in areas of high skill demand, including science, engineering and accounting, an analysis has found.

The study, by recruitment consultants Morgan McKinley, also forecast that the total number of people in employment will continue to grow this year, albeit at a slower pace, with the potential for average salary increases of 5pc to 10pc for what are regarded as critical skills positions.

The salary guide noted that the jobs most in demand will continue to be in the pharmaceutical, financial services and IT sectors.

Karen O'Flaherty, Morgan McKinley chief operations officer, said forecasting is difficult given uncertainty around Brexit and the potential implications for the Irish economy, including a reduction in the forecast rate of economic growth by 0.5 percentage points to 3.4pc.

"FDI employment demand is currently strong...and it remains to be seen if there will be positive or negative impacts on FDI flows arising from Brexit and from changes in the US administration," Ms O'Flaherty said.

"However, we firmly believe Ireland's talent base and supportive infrastructure remain very attractive to inward investment."

Ms O'Flaherty noted about 30pc of all employment is in sectors that are heavily related to UK exports - particularly SMEs in the agrifood and tourism sectors.

"Given the increased prominence of a 'hard Brexit' scenario, any negative shock to export demand would flow through the economy with potential implications for the labour market and employment," she said.

Meanwhile, job postings for skilled tradespeople in Ireland increased by 44pc between 2014 and 2016, according to job site Indeed.

Key roles identified include carpenters, which recorded a huge 94pc increase, electricians, which saw a 30pc rise, and plumbers, up 29pc.

Indeed EMEA economist Mariano Mamertino said that while there is clear evidence of growth in the construction sector, the data gives rise to concern that the acceleration is not happening quickly enough.

Some of the sectors most in demand

Accounting: Regarded as a "buoyant" sector with a notable increase in hiring and significant competition for experienced and newly-graduated professionals expected.

Financial services and treasury: Job offers have never been more competitive. In some cases newly qualified accountants are seeking a minimum starting salary of 55,000 plus benefits.

Life sciences: Salaries will remain competitive in 2017. Demand for science skills is strong across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics.

Sales and marketing: Salaries in 2017 will remain steady with some increases depending on the skill sets.

Tax: Expect an increase in demand for positions across all areas of tax from global mobility and employment tax to VAT, corporate tax and personal tax.
US insurance giant AIG has asked the Government how it would view an application to move the company's European headquarters from London to Dublin, as the company eyes a post-Brexit shift.

AIG's chief financial officer, Sid Sankaran, the chief executive of its consumer division, Kevin Hogan, and Declan O'Rourke, the head of AIG's operations in Ireland, met with Finance Minister Michael Noonan last month.

Mr Sankaran and Mr Hogan are both board members of AIG.

While the meeting with Mr Noonan largely revolved around emerging political issues in the US and Europe, the AIG executives also broached the possibility of AIG moving its European HQ to Dublin, and queried how such a move might be met by Government.

It's almost certain that Mr Noonan was open to the idea, and it's thought he expressed his view that AIG was well-regarded in the industry and by regulators.

Anthony Baldwin, the ceo of AIG's European and UK arms, has previously said that Dublin was among the cities being considered if AIG moves its London-based European HQ.

AIG employs about 2,500 people in Britain, not all of them at the head office.

"At a certain point in time you've got to pull the trigger, absent of any clarity on where negotiations are going in the transition period," Mr Baldwin told an Association of British Insurers conference in November.

AIG moved its European HQ from Paris to London about five years ago.

The process, from making the decision to move to completing the transition, took 18 months and affected a couple of hundred employees.

Mr Baldwin said at the conference that AIG could make a decision in the coming year about its European HQ and where it will be based.

However, he insisted that AIG would continue to have a significant London hub.

The fact that senior AIG board members have already raised the topic with Mr Noonan will intensify speculation that the company is seriously considering a move.

The boss of asset manager Irish Life Investment Managers (ILIM), Patrick Burke, said this week that the firm has received more than 50 enquiries from companies considering moving operations from the UK following June's Brexit vote.

ILIM's assets include a portfolio of premium office blocks, with some major projects due to come to the market this year, including a huge complex on Dublin's George's Quay that was formerly home to Ulster Bank.

Mr Burke said the enquiries from UK firms were mostly from companies involved in financial services, most of which already have operations in Ireland.

It's likely that most companies thinking of moving operations out of Britain to other European locations will make decisions on doing so within the next six months, given the time required to move.

The IDA has also been handling a large number of enquiries from potential clients considering moving activities to Ireland as the UK leaves the EU.

IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan said last week that Japanese financial services firms have also expressed an interest in moving operations to Ireland from London as a result of Brexit.

UK prime minister Theresa May hopes to begin formal EU exit negotiations in March and to complete them by 2019.
Investors earning less than 25,000 (29,000) a year will be eligible for buy-to-let property loans from Bank of Ireland, after it cut lending rules at its UK arm that lends through brokers.

The Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries' mortgage business in Britain said it has removed a 25,00 minimum income requirement for UK buy-to-let lending, this week. The bank said it will also lend to older borrowers and boosted the maximum it will lend for buy-to-lets to 1.5m.

At the same time the bank tightened loan-to-income standards that limit how much an investor can borrow based on their income.

Bank of Ireland said the move brings it in line with the UK market.

"We are introducing these changes to further support our business, building strong propositions in our chosen markets and in response to feedback from our intermediary partner networks. These changes are in line with the wider market and we are pleased to be able to help more customers, whilst maintaining our commitment to responsible lending," the bank said.

The changes include allowing loan-to-value ratios that would not be allowed in the 14pc State-owned bank's home market.

For new-build homes in the UK, Bank of Ireland said it will now lend up to 85pc of the value of the property to buy-to-let investors. It will lend up to 80pc of the value of an apartment. The bank said it will consider lending up to 90pc of the price of apartments in modern high-rise developments.

Mortgage rules set by the Central Bank of Ireland cap lending to buy-to-let investors here at a 70pc of the value of the property.

The Central Bank's loan-to-income (LTI) and loan-to-value (LTV) measures were designed to boost not only the resilience of borrowers to another financial shock, but also protect the banking sector and stop a repeat of the loose lending that led to the Crash.

While Bank of Ireland is regulated in Ireland, the reach of the Central Bank's mortgage lending regime does not extend to the bank's UK lending.

The Bank of England does not enforce a policy regarding loan-to-value ratios, but does have loan-to-income restrictions.
Some of the world's biggest and best-known motivational speakers were on stage with advice on how to get richer - or just how to be a better human being in general.

But it was a janitor in charge of the toilets at the airport in Johannesburg who stood out as perhaps the most inspirational of them all at the Pendulum Summit.

Expand Close Grainne Seoige and Norma Sheahan at the Pendulum Business and Self-Empowerment Summit at the National Convention Centre in Dublin. Photo: Gerry Mooney / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Grainne Seoige and Norma Sheahan at the Pendulum Business and Self-Empowerment Summit at the National Convention Centre in Dublin. Photo: Gerry Mooney

"Welcome to my office," he declared in the video taken by world-renowned speaker Robin Sharma, author of 'The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari' - who had happened to bump into him at the airport.

He said that he considered himself and the cleanliness of his facilities to be an ambassador for South Africa.

"Can you be a leader without a title?" Mr Sharma asked him.

"Yes," the janitor said, who had it all in a nutshell.

Expand Close INM Group Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae and Pendulum speaker Jack Canfield. Photo: Gerry Mooney / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp INM Group Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae and Pendulum speaker Jack Canfield. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Amongst the illustrious roll-call of speakers were Keith Cunningham, best known as author of 'Keys to the Vault', Lisa Nichols of 'The Secret' and Jack Canfield of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul'.

The event at the National Convention Centre in Dublin, which continues today, will see 6,500 people attend.

Amongst those in attendance were Moya Doherty, Ivan Yates, Bobby Kerr and Bill Cullen.

Brexit also emerged as a strong theme amongst the speakers.

Mr Sharma spoke of the Irish love of fun and their strength in adversity, with the collapse of the economy in 2008 and "now Brexit".

Read more: People can 'make the right decisions at the wrong time' - Motivational business expert on Ireland's financial crash

He urged business leaders to see the opportunity rather than the uncertainty in the changing situation.

"The victim is frightened by change, the leader gets inspired by change," he said.

"The leader is asking 'what is the gorgeous and monumental opportunity here?'"

Host Grainne Seoige revealed that her new trade in diamonds is keeping her so busy she doesn't have time to plan her own wedding.

"We're at peak romance," said Grainne. "But it means that I don't really have time to be thinking of the guna ban," she said of her own wedding plans.

Organiser Frankie Sheahan said they had doubled their numbers since last year, with visitors travelling from as far away as Australia and South Africa to attend. He said it gave a 20m injection to the local economy at a time when tourism was quietest.

Lisa Nichols had enjoyed a night out in Temple Bar the evening before - and had brought her father along, who had ended up making friends with "half the bar", according to Mr Sheahan.

Later she told the audience: "There's a Gandhi in this room...there's a Mother Teresa in this room, they might just look different."

With such comforting thoughts delivered in the same time frame as Donald Trump held his press conference, the audience went on their way to face into whatever challenges 2017 may bring.
Aidan Heavey is to step down as chief executive of exploration firm Tullow Oil, ending a 32-year dynasty as the head of the company he founded in 1985.

Mr Heavey, who turns 64 in March, will remain as non-executive chairman for up to two years before leaving the company.

He is being succeeded as chief executive by chief operating officer Paul McDade. Current chairman Simon Thompson will quit the firm.

Analysts said the changes were not unexpected, while Mr Heavey said that he would have left the chief executive role earlier had oil prices not collapsed.

"For the last two decades, people have been asking me when I'm going to retire," an in-form Mr Heavey told the Irish Independent yesterday. "I think they'll be glad to see the end of me."

He added: "When the oil price collapsed, the thing was to stick around and see that through, which we have done. I'll never not be involved in the business. I still have a shareholding. It's the right thing to do. For the new team, it's good to start off with a period of growth."

A former Aer Lingus accountant, Mr Heavey set up Tullow Oil after learning of opportunities to exploit small fields that had been considered uneconomic by oil majors.

A native of Roscommon, he sold his collection of vintage cars and mortgaged his house to raise 1m and initially targeted Senegal in west Africa.

He has recalled some hair-raising experiences along the way, including visiting a somewhat worse-for-wear drilling rig off the Ghana coast in 1988 and being hauled up from a dug-out canoe to it in a net as sharks circled below.

But the slump in oil prices between 2014 and 2015 prompted huge turmoil for Tullow and other exploration and production firms as they grappled with a new economic environment.

Tullow moved quickly to shore up its position, axing its headcount by 37pc in 2015. Mr Heavey insisted yesterday that the company is now "in tremendous shape".

Tullow's 2016 revenue is expected to have fallen 19pc to $1.3bn (1.24bn), and its gross profit will be 15pc lower at $500m (477m).

Tullow is largely focused on Africa, where it has a 35pc stake in the huge Jubilee offshore oil field off Ghana. Tullow also has a 47pc stake in the massive TEN (Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme) field close to Jubilee.

The TEN field came on stream this year, but has encountered problems that have hampered output. There have also been issues with the Jubilee field.

This year's West African production estimate has already been scaled down by the company to between 78,000 and 85,000 barrels per day (bpd), with the TEN fields expected to contribute a lower-than-expected 50,000 bpd due to a reservoir issue. At full capacity, the TEN fields should be producing about 80,000 barrels a day.

Earlier this week, Tullow sold most of its stake in Uganda's Lake Albert project for $900m (859m) to French group Total.

The deal includes $200m in cash and $700m that will be used to fund the future development of the fields and associated infrastructure. Tullow is planning use the cash flow from TEN to deleverage its balance sheet. It has net debt of $4.8bn (4.58bn). "Tullow is now very well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that conditions in the sector offer," said Mr Heavey.

Davy Stockbrokers analyst Caren Crowley said issues at TEN have suppressed Tullow's shares. "We believe the uncertainty regarding TEN's production has kept a lid on Tullow's share price despite a good farm-out of equity in its Ugandan asset," she said.

Tullow's capital expenditure in 2017 will be $500m. The company will drill in Kenya and Suriname this year.
CMNL owns seven regional newspapers, including the Anglo-Celt in Cavan and the Meath Chronicle. (stock photo)

The proposed acquisition of the Celtic Media Group of local newspapers by Independent News and Media (INM) plc has been referred for a full media merger review to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland by Communications Minister Denis Naughten.

Last November, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission approved the acquisition of the Celtic Media Group by INM.

The CCPC (formerly the Competition Authority) ruled that "the transaction would not lead to a substantial lessening of competition" in the areas of business concerned.

However, the proposed acquisition by INM, which publishes the Irish Independent, and 'Sunday Independent', as well a number of local newspapers including the 'Fingal Independent', 'The Kerryman' and the 'Sligo Champion', is now the subject of a review under Section 28e of the Competition Act 2002.

Minister Naughten must assess - under legislation governing media takeovers - whether the deal has implications for media plurality.

If the minister is concerned that a media merger may be contrary to the public interest in protecting plurality of the media in the State, he can request the BAI to carry out a full media merger examination.

INM said it will co-operate fully with the Authority in the review process.

"Consolidation within the print media sector, which is undergoing significant challenges, is essential for its survival," said the company.

"Combining these two groups of regional papers would strengthen the overall newspaper channel in Ireland. Celtic Media Group's publishing division comprises six weekly regional newspapers, a bi-weekly newspaper, and a pre-press service. Celtic Media's printing business is not part of the transaction".

The proposed deal will see Independent News & Media Holdings Ireland Limited (INM Holdings), a wholly owned subsidiary of INM, acquire the entire issued share capital of CMNL Limited (CMNL).

CMNL owns seven regional newspapers, including the 'Anglo-Celt' in Cavan and the 'Meath Chronicle'.

The National Union of Journalists had opposed the move and claimed INM should not be allowed to further expand its newspaper stable.

The CCPC said its investigation identified four distinct product markets in which the businesses operated.

These markets are newspaper publishing (which includes advertising and readership); pre-press services to local/regional publishers; printing services to local/regional publishers; and the distribution of local/regional titles.

The CCPC said its analysis involved in-depth economic assessment of the affected markets, consideration of detailed submissions from the parties involved, as well as consultations with competitors of the merging parties and other third parties.

"The CCPC concluded that, although both INM Holdings and CMNL are involved in publishing local/regional newspapers, there is very limited overlap between their activities and the transaction would not lead to a substantial lessening of competition in any of the product markets mentioned above," said the commission.

"Following the determination by the CCPC, the parties must submit a separate notification to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Section 28 of the Competition Act 2002 sets out the process by which the Minister for Communications (and, where applicable, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland) will assess the merger separately in relation to media plurality".
Homeowners have until 5pm Wednesday afternoon to pay their property tax

Those who pay the lump sum amount by single debit authority, debit card, credit card, cash, cheque or postal order have a short time frame left in which to do so.

Failure to meet this deadline could result in interest as high as 8pc added to the tax bill.

Revenue sent 300,000 warning letters warning that property owners must make the payment by this deadline.

And that seemed to do the trick for many, with a large number of property owners having already paid for 2017.

A report last week indicated that the tax authority collected 463m from the tax last year, with some 97pc of owners paying the tax last year.

Those who want to pay the tax by electronic cheque  what Revenue calls an annual debit authority  must inform tax officials by Wednesday about this, and the funds will be taken out of their bank account in March.

If you wish to pay your property tax in full, you most likely already got a letter from Revenue with your property ID and PIN, confirming the amount due.

You can log on to the website and access the account with these details, paying by debit or credit card - or inputting your bank account details for a transfer from your account.

At this stage, cheque payments are too late as Revenue requested these by Friday, January 7, to give time for the cheque to clear ahead of the deadline.

Homeowners who pay by direct debit or in cash installments dont have to do anything ahead of the deadline.
The Big Bang Theory Season 10 episode 13 not airing on Jan. 12: Here is what to expect [Spoilers, new airdate]

'The Big Bang Theory' stars Mayim Bialik, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki and Simon Helberg attend The Paley Center For Media's 33rd Annual PALEYFEST Los Angeles. (Photo : Getty Images/Matt Winkelmeyer)

"The Big Bang Theory" Season 10 episode 13 will not be airing on Jan. 12, Thursday. The show is expected to resume its run next week on Jan. 19. Here is what to expect from the latest episode. Read on to find out what's next for Penny, Leonard, Sheldon, Amy, Howard, Raj and others.



[Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "The Big Bang Theory" Season 10 episode 13. Do not read further if you don't wish to know more about it.]



Advertisement

In episode 12 "The Holiday Summation," each couple revealed what they did during the holidays. Sheldon and Amy visited Sheldon's mother and informed her about their live-in arrangement. Sheldon even got his ear pierced which caused him a lot of pain. Meanwhile, Leonard and Penny's Christmas took an unexpected turn when they found out that the tree that they painstakingly chopped and got home has an animal living in it. Meanwhile, Bernadette and Howard deal with parenting issues and try to adapt to the new member in their family.



According to International Business Times, "The Big Bang Theory" Season 10 will take a small break this week and return with episode 13 titled "The Romance Recalibration" next week. It will reportedly be the last episode airing in the week of January until it returns from another hiatus in February.



Meanwhile, the website reveals that "The Big Bang Theory" Season 10 episode 13 will see Penny and Leonard struggle with a misunderstanding which causes tension between the couple. Penny thinks Leonard is taking her for granted. In order to make Leonard realise his mistake, Penny decides to leave him alone on the weekend and take Amy for a spa session. As for Leonard, he might approach his friends to deal with the problem.



The network is yet to release a promo video for the upcoming episode. It is expected to be out soon.



"The Big Bang Theory" Season 10 episode 13 airs Jan. 19 on CBS. Stay tuned for more spoilers and updates.


Europe's biggest carmakers are drawing on the full force of the continent's industrial prowess to build a network of ultra-fast charging stations as they look to stoke demand for electric cars and break Tesla's stranglehold on the market.

BMW, Volkswagen, Ford and Daimler plan to build about 400 next-generation charging stations in Europe that can reload an electric car in minutes instead of hours.

The long time it takes to charge batteries is one of the main disadvantages of electric cars compared to conventional cars with petrol tanks that can be filled up in seconds.

Until now, drivers of electric cars have had to leave their vehicles plugged in for hours at a charging station for a journey between cities, making many long range journeys impractical.

Installing new, faster chargers would spur the overall market, and also help the traditional car manufacturers close the gap with Tesla, the Silicon Valley-based e-car leader, which maintains its own network of charging stations.

Tesla's chargers are the fastest in the industry, and are incompatible with existing electric cars made by rivals.

The carmakers are roping in experts from the European power and engineering industry, including Germany's Innogy, E.ON and Siemens and Portugal's Efacec, which are all working on the technology, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The new 350 kilowatt (kW) chargers would be nearly three times as powerful as Tesla's.

"This is a structured and concerted effort across sectors to tackle the infrastructure issue in a real way," one of the sources said.

(Reuters)
Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat have won the messaging war and the rest can go home. Right?

Not so fast, says Viber's chief operating officer Michael Shmilov. The Israeli-born voice and messaging service, which has over a million users in Ireland, says that it's growing aggressively and has no intention of ceding the texting market to Mark Zuckerberg or anyone else.

"We have passed 800m registered users and I definitely expect that to get to one billion by the end of 2017," he tells the Irish Independent. "We're growing very steadily."

In Ireland, around 400,000 people use Viber every day. It's the fourth-most used voice and messaging service here (behind Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat) according to Ipsos MRBI. While it hasn't matched the local growth of Facebook's services and Snapchat (both of which have risen 50pc here over the last two years), its penetration has remained steady with two in five adults still operating a Viber account.

But in other parts of the world, Viber is growing quickly.

"We're actually the biggest service in some Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and others," he says.

"Viber is second to Facebook in a large part of the world. Russia is our top country by size, then Ukraine, the Balkans, Greece and a lot of southern European countries."

In all, the service has 260 million active users, more than all but two global telecom companies and roughly the same as Snapchat. Now owned by Japan's Rakuten, Viber sees little by way of easing up. To this end, it recently introduced a couple of new features aimed at getting businesses involved more. In the same way that Facebook and Snapchat are courting commercial organisations' advertisers, Viber is now giving companies more tools to operate their own channels on the service.

"We're giving business the ability get onto Viber and then to promote themselves when they're there," he says. "Things like sponsored stickers. It opens the door for us to become a much bigger business. To date, the vast majority of monetisation on Viber has been in B2C [business to consumer] activities, such as gaming.

"What's starting to happen now is more B2B2C [business to business to consumer]. You can expect more building blocks from us in ecommerce and payments In this area, there is a big opportunity for us. The scale is very significant."

But is Viber living on borrowed time? Its penetration in the countries that Shmilov mentions is impressive. But is that simply because it got an early advantage? How long can it hold out against the increasingly indomitable, super-rich Facebook empire of Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram?

The answer, he says, lies in acknowledging what competitors do well and then developing intelligent extra services for Viber itself. For example, the service has recently started to include disappearing messages after the feature proved to be so popular with Snapchat users.

"We definitely look at the product evolutions," he says. "We recently launched a 'delete message' function. So if you send a photo to the wrong conversation, you can now actually pull it back. Then we launched a secret, or hidden, chat that you can hide from your list.

"We also had a hackathon and from that we released a product called Wink. It's a standalone application which, once it's sent, will disappear as soon as it's seen."

Does this mean that Snapchat is effectively setting the tempo at present?

"I don't want to say that we're going to do the same things [as Snapchat]. We have different ideas for things that are more suitable for our audience. You can definitely expect more things within our core messaging around more privacy and control for users."

One problem that 'over the top' services such as Viber, Skype and others have faced in their voice call features is the issue of guaranteed quality. Most people who use such services are familiar with lags in voice times, patchy reception and an overall sketchier experience. This largely comes down to investment in network optimisation, which operators themselves spend a lot of money on for their own voice services but which companies like Viber have little control over. Still, Shmilov insists that the quality of voice calls is improving.

"Our voice quality is dramatically better now than at launch," he says. "But it's also dramatically better than it was this time last year. We can see that reflected in the amount of people using it, the number of calls they make and the length of the call they make. These metrics are going dramatically up."

The stats suggest that voice makes up an important part of Viber's offering. Shmilov says that 75pc of Viber users make calls on a monthly basis, while 85pc use its messaging services.

"We're definitely continuing to invest in voice," he says. "A lot of that traffic is coming from the continued growth of smartphones as there are still quite a lot of people getting smartphones and data for the first time and in many countries, Viber is now seen as a core service. Another factor is the cost of calls on traditional networks."

This competition with established telecoms networks has sometimes brought Viber into a heated public debate over the future of funding such networks.

Traditional operators have long complained that 'over the top' services are getting a free ride on the back of their infrastructure investment. Some international operators have even tried to block services such as Viber, claiming that such services are gradually putting them out of business.

"There are ups and downs in our relationship with telecoms companies," says Shmilov. "But at the end of the day, there are multiple partnerships with telcos in place and they use us, too. We have telcos as public chats on Viber in all of our top markets. So I would say it's about co-operation.

"Yes, it's a business threat to telephones in their original format. But that's something that many telcos don't really focus on monetising much any more in the western world. Today, it's all about data infrastructure and the brand they provide for businesses."

The future for Viber, says Shmilov, is to deepen existing products rather than tacking on completely new ones.

"If you're good at something, keep doing it," he says. "There's a difference between evolving your current offering and trying to add completely new services.

"We find that people respond better to evolving one of your core functionalities. For us, that has to be attached to the reason someone first came to Viber. Our users came to connect with friends and families, to do it freely and securely and every time we improve something, we see tremendous impact on engagement.

"On the other hand, whenever we add something on the side such as games, commercially it might do well for us but the impact tends to be lower. So if you find a way to add features that are native, there's definitely something there."
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) will suspend further investment in France if National Front leader Marine Le Pen becomes president in this year's elections, according to the company's chief executive officer.

Its a signal that a wave of unpredictable elections this year across Europe are already being weighing on investors' risk appetite.

"It cannot be positive," said Christophe Evain in an interview at his offices. "We would certainly freeze investments for some time and see what happens." His London-based firm has 22bn of assets under management.

ICG, a major UK-based specialist in debt investments, has 29pc of its portfolio in France. Evain cited Le Pen's economic policies, which include backing protectionism, as a cause for concern, and said her proposal to take France out of the euro would add to the political instability in Europe.

Le Pen, who has spent years trying to detoxify her anti-immigration party in the minds of the electorate, is a front-runner in the presidential elections, which start in April and conclude in a possible run-off the following month.

An Elabe poll for Les Echos last week suggested Le Pen would get through the first round of voting, though Evain doesn't think she'll win the presidency. Still, the Paris-born ICG chief cited the risk of political upheaval as one of the biggest challenges facing his firm in 2017.

"At this stage I think it's highly unlikely she'll win," Evain said. "But I got it wrong on Brexit and I got it wrong on Trump. I'm worried about jinxing the whole process."

ICG invests in French firms including Groupe Charlois, a manufacturer of oak barrels for wine and cognac production, and DomusVI, which operates about 200 nursing homes across the country.

The money manager's assets have swelled from 12.1bn in September 2013, fuelled by institutional investors seeking higher returns as traditional assets like government bonds yield close to zero. Its stock has risen to 710 pence as of 8.25am in London on Wednesday, after sliding to as low as 501 pence in the wake of the UK's June decision to quit the European Union.

The company plans to do more direct lending in the US this year and to bring two of its established funds involved in products including US mezzanine and European direct lending back to the market, Evain said. It's also looking to acquire new teams.

ICG is tightening the criteria for deploying capital in the UK, where it has about 11pc of its portfolio, due to concerns over the nation leaving the world's biggest single market. Companies vulnerable to rising import costs or a decline in consumer spending are now less attractive, he said.

"We'd rather invest in companies that are not going to suffer as much from a difficult Brexit," Evain said.

(Bloomberg)
Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF) said sales at the retailer have jumped by more than fifth thanks to a boost from the Brexit-hit pound.

The fashion retailer saw sales at actual exchange rates leap 22pc compared with last year as it also benefited from a 16pc increase in selling space in the 16 weeks to January 7.

Like-for-like sales for the period were good and market share had stepped up, but group like-for-like sales were pegged back by a drop-off in Germany and the Netherlands.

ABF group revenues rose 22pc as the company enjoyed a fillip from sterling's weakness following Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

On currency, the firm said its operating profit margin would decline throughout the year as it grapples with the impact of the strong US dollar on input costs.

ABF was also riding high on the back of a "substantial increase in profit" for its sugar business after higher sugar prices bolstered production in Africa.

Revenues at AB Sugar at actual exchange rates were up 38pc on last year and climbed 22pc at constant exchange rates.

It added: "With 2016/17 forecast to be a second year of global sugar deficit, world prices are much higher than last year."

The group also cheered strong sales from its Twinings tea business on the back of good performances in the UK, America and Australia, while Ovaltine "performed well" in Asia.

Liberum analyst Robert Waldschmidt said he expects a "strong rebound" in full-year group profits in 2017, as the sugar business recovers and Primark continues it store roll-out programme.

"We estimate Primark can double sales and profits over the next five years," he added.

Primark trades under the brand name Penneys in Ireland, with the first store opening in 1969 in Dublin.
Volkswagen has already announced 18.2bn of provisions to cover the costs of "Dieselgate," of which 16.2bn were booked in 2015.

A SETTLEMENT with the US authorities over emissions-test cheating will push up the cost for Volkswagen, but the bill is likely to remain below $20bn (19bn), a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.

Europe's biggest carmaker has said it is in advanced talks with the Justice Department over a $4.3bn (4.1bn) settlement, exceeding provisions set aside to cover the costs of the scandal.

Volkswagen (VW) has already announced 18.2bn of provisions to cover the costs of "Dieselgate," of which 16.2bn were booked in 2015.

"We are counting on a sum of 16bn plus X. The X is likely to be in the 2bn to 4bn range," the source said.

VW declined to comment.

The German company's supervisory board was meeting yesterday to approve the draft deal with the Justice Department, which would be a major milestone in its attempts to recover from the biggest business scandal in its 80-year history.

VW shares rose as much as 4pc in early trade to their highest since the scandal broke in September 2015.

The company's acceptance of the settlement agreement and its plan to plead guilty to criminal misconduct was expected to be announced yesterday in Washington by the Justice Department and environmental regulators, said sources. (Reuters)
The rise in the use of botox and fillers by Irish women will feature on the Late Late Show this Friday.

Herald columnist Amanda Brunker will feature on this week's show to discuss the topic before undergoing a procedure in which anti-wrinkle jab botox will be administered.

And a member of the audience will have lip filler administered.

The live cosmetic procedures, which will be performed by a qualified GP, will be part of the item about such treatments in Irish society today.

Host Ryan Tubridy will chair the discussion.

Experts who will feature claim 95pc of their clientele who seek such cosmetic work are female.

They claim demand is climbing year on year.

Anecdotally, they will say that women in their 20s are undergoing their procedures in a bid to look like celebrities such as Kim Kardashian.

Women in their 30s are using treatments such as botox and lip fillers to "slow down the ageing process", industry insiders have said.

At the height of the Celtic Tiger some clinics were reporting up to a 200pc rise in patient numbers year-on-year. Commercial clinics dominate the market, with around eight major players and over a dozen smaller operators. In 2015, estimates valued the industry in excess of 50m and growing.

This figure is expected to increase further for 2016. The rise of social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram is thought be behind rising demand globally.
OLYMPIC diver Tom Daley, soap stars Ryan and Adam Thomas, style guru Brendan Courtney and former Miss Ireland Amanda Brunker will all appear on RTEs two main chat shows this weekend.

The Late Late Show will feature an interview with tragic coast guard Caitriona Lucas husband.

The mother-of-two was the first member of the Irish Coast Guard to lose their life during a rescue mission. Her husband Bernard, who is also a Coast Guard volunteer, will be in studio to talk to host Ryan Tubridy about the devastating impact of her death and to pay tribute to her.

The show will be celebrating the work of the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI, hearing from members hailing from all around the country and some of the people who owe their lives to their tireless efforts.

The show will also examine cosmetic procedures and their rise in Ireland.

The show will be hearing from a doctor who says botox and lip fillers are becoming commonplace.

Former Miss Ireland Amanda Brunker will be getting botox live in studio and there will be a demonstration of the increasingly popular lip filler procedure.

Read More

Fashion designer and TV presenter Brendan Courtney and his family faced the toughest decision of their lives when it became clear that, following a stroke, his father Frank was suddenly no longer able to care for himself.

Making the heartrending choice between caring for their father at home or letting him go into long term care is a decision that can tear families apart. Brendan will be sharing his familys story and shining a light on how few options there are for families facing a similar situation.

Ryan will also be catching up with DUnbelievables comedian Jon Kenny and Glenroe actress Mary McEvoy as they prepare to take to the Gaiety stage with John B Keanes The Successful TD.

The presenter will also be meeting some of the young minds impressing at the BT Young Scientists Exhibition.

The Ray DArcy show on Saturday night will see Olympic medallist Tom Daley chat to Ray about his recipes for a healthier life and his upcoming marriage to Dustin Lance Black.

Video of the Day

Ray will also be joined on the couch by Oisin Mc Conville, Evelyn Cusack, Simon Delaney and Niamh Kavanagh. Hell find out what's cooking for the stars of Celebrity Masterchef and how they are handling the heat in the kitchen.

In their first ever TV interview together, the heart-throb Thomas Brothers - actors Adam and Ryan and reality TV star Scott - will discuss Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Love Island and their plans for the future.

And in keeping with the famous family theme Ray finds out what life is like in the Hook household when he talks to George Hook, his wife Ingrid and daughter Michelle.
The occupation of Apollo House in Dublin's city centre ended as residents vacated the building this morning.

Residents started vacating Apollo House at approximately 9.45am and the majority had vacated the premises by approximately 10.15am. However, one person has stayed in the building following the end of the occupation.

Expand Close The occupation of Apollo House in Dublin's city centre ended Photo: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The occupation of Apollo House in Dublin's city centre ended Photo: Colin O'Riordan

Home Sweet Home spokesperson Rosie Leonard said: "As far as we are concerned, everyone was leaving this morning, but I have heard that one person may have stayed when we were leaving."

Ms. Leonard added that each of the residents, including anyone who remained while the majority of the group were leaving, was offered temporary accommodation by Home Sweet Home.

The end of the occupation was confirmed to the High Court this morning.

Michael Lynn SC acting for the members of the Home Sweet Home Coalition, which was behind the organisation of the occupation, this morning informed Mr Justice Justice Paul Gilligan on Thursday that all persons who had been in the building have left.

Counsel said that steps were still being taken to safely remove the many items of furniture and property that had been donated by members of the public to help the homeless persons staying there, including fridges and televisions, from Apollo House.

That would take a little more time to complete, counsel added.

Well done to all involved in the #apollohouse demo. You're endeavours have been noted far beyond Irish shores. Fighting Irish alive & well.  Niall'O' (@Uibhfhaili) January 12, 2017

I've been watching the #apollohouse story with a fair bit of interest from over here. There's a lot @HSHIreland has to be proud of.  Asinus Pervicax (@Cato_of_Utica) January 12, 2017

In reply Rossa Fanning SC for the Nama-appointed receivers who own the property said the news was "a welcome development."

Counsel said his clients still had to verify that the occupation had ended as they had not yet been able to re-take possession of the property.

Expand Close The occupation of Apollo House in Dublin's city centre ended Photo: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The occupation of Apollo House in Dublin's city centre ended Photo: Colin O'Riordan

However counsel said that the receivers would quite happy to assist in any orderly wind down of the occupation.

Following an request from Mr Fanning Mr Justice Paul Gilligan adjourn the matter to 2pm on Thursday when the court is to be updated about the progress of the end of the occupation.

Activists arrived at the gates of the building shortly after the building was vacated.

According to trade unionist and Home Sweet Home co-founder Brendan Ogle, these people have now been rehomed in temporary accommodation of homes and hotel accommodation.

Ogle added that Home Sweet Home's aim from the very outset was "to raise the bar for the minimum standards that have been provided to homeless people and people forced to sleep on our streets in this city. In the last few weeks, what used to be one night beds have gone to six month beds; what used to be cover for 8-10 hours, has gone to 24 hour cover.

"Last week in a meeting with us, Simon Coveney committed to two new hostels... and the state has significantly ramped up the services it is prepared to make available to homeless people because of this campaign and the people behind it."

He also passed reference to the standard of hostel accommodation offered, stating: "We visited the hostels and some of the residents were not comfortable with the facilities in those hostel, so Home Street Home has housed the residents of Apollo House independently."

Ogle went onto thank the volunteers, who "put down their keyboard, went in there and looked after people. They gave people on the street the best and most joyful Christmas they've had for many years. They are heroes in a country in dire need of heroes."

He added that there is a "duty of care" to the residents.

Movie director and activist Terry McMahon, who is an active member of the campaign, added that this accommodation is being completely funded by an online "Fundit" page, before stating that Home Sweet Home is "more than just bricks and mortar".

Mr McMahon added: "The reality is there is a duty of care required here. These people, these vulnerable and courageous people need to be able to access medical or basic food requirements and this government shut down the capacity for that to happen through a court order so it would be irresponsible for us to leave [residents in this building] there. We would be neglecting our duty of care.

Tom Ryan, one of the support workers for Home Sweet Home, has experienced homelessness himself. The man, who is now in temporary accommodation, said that "seeing homelessness on both sides of the fence" is why he got involved in the campaign.

Mr Ryan, who is currently studying Social Studies in college, was one of the people involved in negotiating temporary accommodation for residents.

He said of the accommodation offered: "The standards of these places was absolutely disgraceful. One place, there was no doors on the units. You wouldn't put a dog in it, so how would you put a human being in it."

Home Sweet Home member, Rosie Leonard, confirmed that between 15 and 20 residents left the building this morning.

Home Sweet Home spokesperson Rosie Leonard said 72 residents have now received accommodation for six months, which was previously considered "gold dust".

The building, located on Tara Street and Townsend Street in Dublin offered as accommodation to the homeless.

The announcement that the occupation has ended comes a day after the High Court had dismissed an application by lawyers acting for several organisers behind the occupation to be allowed to stay on in the building for an extra week .

Dismissing the application, which was brought over the suitability of alternative accommodation on offer to homeless people in Apollo House, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan said the court "could not get involved in a dispute over the standard of alternative accommodation."

The judge said while he sympathised with the plight of the homeless the court had already found that the occupants had no right or entitlement to be on the premises.

Any issue about the quality of accommodation for homeless people was "a matter for government" and "not one for the courts," the Judge said.

Mr Justice Gilligan had when granting an injunction late last month requiring the residents to leave the building placed a stay on his order allowing the occupants to remain on until 12noon on Wednesday.

Lawyers for the occupants asked the court for a seven day extension on the deadline. The application was brought by them over the suitability of alternative accommodation for the residents had arisen.

While efforts were being made to find suitable accommodation more time, they claimed, was needed so that suitable accommodation can be found for the 25 people who had remained in the building.

The application for an extension was opposed by the Nama appointed receivers who own the building.

Following the judge's decision to dismiss the application for an extension Mr Fanning asked if an assurance could be given that the building would be vacated before the case returns before the High Court on Thursday.

In reply Ross Maguire SC for the occupiers said he could not give such an assurance.

In his ruling on December 21st Mr Justice Gilligan granted an injunction sought by Tom O'Brien and Simon Coyle of Mazars, who were appointed joint receivers over the building by a Nama related company Nalm Ltd in 2014, to vacate the property and restraining the trespass at Apollo House.

The receivers had sought orders against four named individuals they said were involved in the occupation musician Glen Hansard, trade unionist Brendan Ogle and activists Aisling Hedderman and Carrie Hennessy who are all members of the Irish Housing Network group which is part of the coalition.

They had opposed the application for an injunction.

When seeking the injunctions the receivers said the application had been brought over concerns about the health and safety of those occupying the building.

Due to the occupation the building, which has been vacant since mid-2015, no longer has fire insurance and that its public liability insurance will lapse in mid January unless the receivers are able to regain possessing.

The joint receivers were appointed over the property by Nalm Ltd. It acquired loans advanced by Anglo Irish Bank to the building's owners Cuprum Properties Ltd who had defaulted on borrowing of approximately 357,000,000.

The building forms part of a block due for re-development. The receivers want to sell the property in order to deliver the best possible return for the taxpayer
Actor Zo In-Sung arrives for the 6th Korean Film Awards at the Sejong Center on December 1, 2007 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo : Getty Images/Chung Sung-Jun)

Jo In Sung, who is best known for playing Oh Soo in 2013's "That Wind, the Wind Blows," recently talked about his close friendship with fellow actors Song Joong Ki, Lee Kwang Soo, Kim Woo Bin, Park Bo Gum and EXO's D.O.



On Jan. 11, Wednesday, the 35-year-old actor welcomed fans on Naver's real-time broadcasting V-app to promote his upcoming political crime thriller film "The King." There, he was asked which actors visit his house frequently.



Advertisement

"Lee Kwang Soo comes over the most," Jo revealed. "Do Kyung Soo (EXO's D.O.), Kim Woo Bin and Song Joong Ki also come from time to time."



EXO's D.O., whose house is actually quite close to Jo, sometimes call the latter in the morning to ask if he had already eaten breakfast. He reminisced, "If I haven't, he'll bring some Seolleongtang (ox bone soup) over and we'll share a meal together."



In August 2016, Kim revealed to fashion magazine Elle Korea, as cited by Soompi, that there is a big dining table at Jo's house, which serves as the group's hideout. There, the actors will just have some tea and talk about happy things.



Meanwhile, Jo, who began his acting career in the 2000 teen drama "School 3," is set to make his comeback in the upcoming film "The King," Drama Beans reported. He plays an ambitious prosecutor, Park Tae Soo, who uses his colleagues and gang member friends to his advantage.



Directed by Han Jae Rim, "The King" is said to be the most-anticipated movie in South Korea due to its depiction of the country's political climate that includes power-hungry prosecutors. Besides Jo, the film also stars Jung Woo Sung, Bae Sung Woo, Kim Ah Joong, Ryu Jun Yeol, Jang Myung Gab, Kim Eui Sung and Jung Eun Chae.



"The King" is set to be released in South Korea on Jan. 18 and in Australia on Feb. 02. Check out the trailer here:






Apollo House activists have ignored a court order to leave the building and remain "hell bent" on remaining in the property until all its inhabitants are housed.

Over 100 supporters of the Home Sweet Home (HSH) campaign formed a human chain around the building yesterday morning to express their anger following the High Court's decision.

The campaigners are now in breach of the court order and illegally occupying the building.

However, their decision to defy this ruling could see them forcefully evicted by the authorities.

HSH spokesperson Freda Mullen-Hughes told the Irish Independent the volunteers have a duty of care to the 10 remaining residents.

"The fact of the matter is that we don't want this building," she said, "but unless every one of these people are housed, we're not going anywhere."

Asked if the HSH campaign will cease to operate if the last 10 occupants are housed, Ms Hughes said: "This is barely the beginning.

"We haven't made any definite future plans yet, but the HSH campaign and the Irish Housing Network have chosen not to stop.

"We will continue to fight for the rights of homeless people until the Government change their attitude towards this crisis," she said.

On Tuesday, eight residents returned to Apollo House citing unsuitable conditions in the alternative accommodation offered to them.

One resident claimed he was offered a room with blood on the walls and mattress.

Intolerable

Mr Justice Gilligan stated that the High Court could "not stand idly by and allow the trespass to continue".

He went on to say if the situation was "allowed to drag on" this would be "an intolerable situation in a democratic state".

Speaking at the demonstration, Apollo House occupant and volunteer Tony Walsh said the campaigners have "raised the bar" on how to run a homeless hostel.

"I believe the Government are downplaying the homeless situation in Dublin. They have told us that Dublin City Council can house every homeless person across the capital and that there's no need for Apollo House.

"However, every night since we occupied this building, doorways around the city are full of rough sleepers. The hostels that the council provides are not suitable for homeless people at all and are far too dangerous.

"Apollo House is how a hostel should be run and we're hoping that DCC will follow suit," he said.

Last night, supporters of the movement held a vigil and a sleep-out outside the building.

The receivers will lodge an attachment of committal tomorrow at 10am.
A number of searches by gardai investigating issues at Anglo Irish Bank were unlawful and unconstitutional.

The disclosure was made on the first day of evidence at the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick (68) on charges of misleading auditors about loans of up to 100m he received from the bank.

But despite the unlawful nature of the searches, a jury was told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court had ruled they could still be shown documents seized using the warrants.

The court heard about two warrants for searches at the headquarters of Irish Nationwide Building Society and five warrants for searches at Anglo's headquarters and another Anglo building in Dublin. These led to large quantities of documents and electronic material being seized in 2009 and 2010.

The court heard evidence from three garda officers who were involved in the searches.

One of them, Detective Sergeant Brian Mahon, testified that warrants were secured from the District Court in order to gain access to Irish Nationwide and Anglo premises.

But under cross-examination from the defence, he agreed that those searches had been deemed by the court to be unlawful.

"All of the entries were ruled by the court to be unlawful and unconstitutional, but it will have no consequence in terms of the jury receiving the documents," the defence said.

Details of further searches which were subsequently deemed by the court to be unlawful were also outlined by two other garda witnesses.

Witness

However, the court has decided that documents obtained in these other searches can also be put before the jury.

Sergeant Karl Moriarty testified about serving production orders on Irish Nationwide and Anglo in 2011 while on secondment at the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

These required the two institutions to produce certain documents and material in relation to bank accounts.

The information sought included the beneficiaries of certain accounts, bank statements, and details of cheques and payments drawn from those accounts.

The witness said the orders led to many thousands of documents being produced.

Following his evidence, the prosecution said there was a legal issue that needed to be dealt with and Judge John Aylmer excused the jury until this morning.

The judge told the jurors not to seek out information about the case anywhere outside the court and warned them against seeking information on the internet and social media.

Mr FitzPatrick, of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to 27 charges he is facing.

Yesterday was the first day jurors have heard evidence in the case, which is entering its 59th day.

Jurors were previously informed that evidence had been delayed due to a number of legal matters which needed to be decided upon in their absence.
A disqualified driver who lead ten garda cars on a high speed chase down the M50 has been jailed for five and a half years.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Andrew Allen (38) had recently been warned by gardai that his life was in danger and said he panicked when an unmarked garda patrol car signalled him to pull over.

Garda Paul Doona told the court that the pursuit which began in Finglas and ended in Carrickmines lasted about 30 minutes but that Allen had first encountered a marked garda patrol car four minutes after the chase began. He collided with two patrol cars during the incident.

He said at the end of the pursuit along the M50 from the N3 to Carrickmines Allen was being followed by approximately ten marked patrol cars with sirens and lights activated.

Allen, of Corduff Crescent, Corduff, Dublin pleaded guilty to endangerment, dangerous driving and driving without insurance at various locations in the city on October 7, 2015.

Allen also pleaded guilty to burglary at a house on the Navan Road on April 11, 2016.

He has 87 previous convictions, including 53 previous road traffic offences and was disqualified from driving at the time of these offences.

Judge Patricia Ryan imposed sentences totalling five and a half years with the final year suspended and ordered one year probation supervision.

Fiona Murphy BL, defending, said Allen offered a full apology for his actions. She said there was no doubt that some time into the pursuit he could not but realise it was gardai who were following him.

Ms Murphy said he had panicked in light of receiving the warning of a threat on his life and felt he was in severe danger. She said he was currently using his time in custody well and making efforts to turn his life around.

Gda Doona told Cathleen Noctor BL, prosecuting, that gardai observed two men in a Toyota car acting suspiciously on Barry Road in Finglas at about 9.30pm. He said they activated their siren and the car gave an indication it would pull over before accelerating away.

Allen, who was driving the Toyota, overtook a number of vehicles and drove on the wrong side of the road at speeds in excess of 120 kmph in a 50 kmph zone. The pursuit continued along River Road, described as a narrow country road with blind sweeping bends.

Allen overtook a jeep on a blind bend forcing an oncoming vehicle to brake suddenly. Gardai were unable to safely get past the jeep for about 20 second and lost sight of the Toyota.

Further gardai continued the high speed pursuit of Allen along the N3 before he continued onto the M50 after breaking a red light at a major junction governing six lanes of traffic.

During the high speed pursuit Allen mounted a footpath at a roundabout to manoeuvre around other traffic, collided with two patrol cars, narrowly avoided a collision with other vehicles at a level crossing and drove on the wrong side of the road.

He travelled southbound on the M50 weaving between lanes and travelling on the hard shoulder at high speed.

Debris

Gda Doona said Allen was travelling at 180 kmph and at times in excess of 200 kmph. One of his tyres became detached from the wheel and debris scattered in the path of gardai.

Allen veered onto slip roads off the motorway as if to take an exit before veering back at the last minute into the path of other road users. Near Leopardstown he collided with the rear bumper of a garda patrol car and came to a stop surrounded by garda vehicles.

Allen, a disqualified driver, was also found to be driving without insurance.

The court heard no gardai or civilians were injured during the pursuit. Allen received medical treatment for minor injuries.

Gda Doona agreed with Ms Murphy that prior to the offences Allen had received a warning from gardai that there was a substantial threat to his life and that he had been wearing a bullet proof vest.

He agreed that Allen's initial interaction had been with an unmarked patrol car and gardai in plain clothes. He agreed it was not unreasonable that Allen had panicked and believed they were not members of the gardai.

Garda Padraig Walsh told Ms Noctor that in April 2016 Allen was involved in a burglary on the Navan Road in which a resident of a house woke up to find a man in his bedroom. He shouted at the man who fled. He was arrested after he was found hiding behind a bus shelter.

He was on bail for a number of the earlier road traffic offences at the time of the burglary.

Ms Murphy said her client had a difficult childhood, left school early before falling into drug use and criminality as he hung around with an older crowd. He began a cycle of crime, prison and relapsing into drug use on release.

She said had previously shown he was able to reform his life but he was having difficulties with heroin at the time of this offence.
A businessman who sells edible insects faces jail for a professional shoplifting scheme where he stole high value household goods to order using a modified pram.

Anthonie Van Wilderoden (44), a Dutch national living in Wicklow, set up a business called Eddiebug with the help of a government loan. The company sells insects as a speciality foodstuff.

He is also the director of a chocolate making company in Wicklow.

He said he began the shoplifting enterprise because had built up heavy debt and his estranged wife had gone to America with his children leaving him with no way to support himself.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard he would put up advertisements on the Donedeal website selling household products. He would then steal these products from shops depending on the interest in the ad. None of the buyers knew the goods were stolen.

Van Wilderoden used a modified baby's pram to steal items from Arnotts, Curries and Harvey Norman including a Nespresso coffee machine, crockery sets, a vacuum cleaner and an electric blanket.

He was caught and charged in 2015 but was arrested again shortly afterwards for stealing a 900 Jimmy Choo handbag from Brown Thomas. Van Wilderoden claimed this was supposed to be a mother's day present and that it wasn't stolen to order.

Van Wilderoden of Ballyknockan, Valleymount, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to ten sample counts of theft from the four stores between December 2014 and March 2015. He also admitted possession of a specially modified pram and possession of three stolen gold plated mirrors.

Garda Michael Moran told prosecuting counsel Pieter Le Vert BL that he got a call from a security guard at Arnotts, Henry Street who became suspicious when he saw Van Wilderoden wheeling around a pram with no baby in it.

The guard stopped the accused and found crockery sets and a coffee maker inside. The pram had been modified with bungee cords to hold down the goods.

Van Wilderoden was arrested and admitted taking the goods but said they were presents for his wife's birthday. He allowed gardai search his car where they found goods stolen from other stores such as a high-end food mixer and a broadband modem.

Gardai also found two pages with goods listed on it. Van Wilderoden admitted this was a shopping list which he used to keep track of what to steal. He admitted he put the ads online and stole the goods to order.

He was released on bail and two months later was caught stealing the handbag from Brown Thomas. On this occasion gardai searched his house and found three stolen mirrors.

Van Wilderoden was again released on bail and later entered an early guilty plea. However, he then fled to Belgium before his sentence date. He was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant and returned to Ireland in November 2016.

He has 19 previous convictions from Ireland, The Netherlands and Belgium including fraud, forgery, theft and embezzlement.

Van Wilderoden said he set up his businesses with his wife using loans from his wealthy father-in-law. He said he owed money to this person as well as lending institutions and a loan shark.

He received a insurance payout of 155,000 resulting from a botched surgery which caused him to lose a kidney. He said he used this money to repay his father-in-law.

Defence counsel Sean Rafter BL said Van Wilderoden was sexually abused as a child and became a male prostitute as a teen. He said he saved the money from this to set up his first business but that he was a person who is totally incapable of handling money.

Counsel said Van Wilderoden had bought a plane ticket back to the Netherlands and if he was given a suspended sentence he was willing to promise not to return to Ireland.

Judge Cormac Quinn will hand down sentence tomorrow.
A deserted mother of two has told a judge she believed her husbands bringing her a cup of tea in the morning was to keep her away from the postman and news that their finances were on the rocks.

Karen Jepson said in the Circuit Civil Court today that it was only after her husband Ian went missing that she found out their mortgage repayments were 43,000 in the red and that he had a gambling problem.

It was a shock to me to discover we were in arrears of 43,000 and that he hadnt paid a penny off the mortgage since 2015, a tearful Karen told Judge Jacqueline Linnane as she pleaded with the judge to overturn a possession order on her home.

Barrister Gary Hayes, counsel for KBC Bank Ireland, said the lender had obtained the order early last year on the couples home at Kellys Bay Tower, Skerries, Co Dublin, after having taken all appropriate legal steps to recover the property.

Mr Hayes, who appeared with Eversheds Solicitors, said the court had given Ian and Karen Jepson a three months stay on repossession of their home but no proper appeal had been lodged or application made to vacate the order until now.

Karen Jepson, who legally represented herself, had belatedly asked the court to vacate the 2016 possession order as she had been kept ignorant by her husband of all proposed legal proceedings or registered mail deliveries regarding mounting arrears and the threat of losing their home.

I can only surmise now that the reason he kept bringing me cups of tea in the morning was to keep me away from the postman who he was friendly with, Karen told the court. Of course he would give me post relating to ordinary matters such as appointments etc. I did not know he was throwing away other letters without opening them.

Karen said she had gone to the bank about her predicament after her husband Ian disappeared overnight. He had gone missing and had been presumed dead until traced in February last year to somewhere in the United Kingdom.

Judge Linnane heard that prior to his turning up in the UK gardai had carried out searches of the docks for his body after his phone had initially been traced to the Clontarf area of Dublin. They had even searched the attic of their home in Skerries for him while she and their children remained downstairs.

Ms Jepson, who said she was now on social welfare of 237 a week, told Judge Linnane she believed her husband had returned to his mothers home in Ireland but was not in touch with her.

Judge Linnane said the bank had dealt appropriately with the situation and had engaged with Ms Jepson, advising her about what legal steps were open to her and they she should go to MABS. She had allowed her brother-in-law to negotiate with the bank but had not been kept fully informed by him.

She told Jepson the outstanding balance on the mortgage was just over 230,000 and repayments from a social welfare allowance was unstainable. The judge said that as similar houses near to Ms Jepson were selling for around 350,000 she should put her home up for sale and take what equity from it as she could before it was all dissipated.

Judge Linnane granted Jepson a stay of three months from today against the bank taking any further steps in the matter providing she put the house up for sale. Failure to comply with a sale would allow the bank to move immediately to take possession of her home.
A MAN suing his stepmother for a share of a 3.38m Lotto win has denied he was given a choice between a house or 200,000.

David Walsh told the High Court he went to the home of his father Peter and stepmother Mary Walsh at Knocknagreena, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, on January 23, 2011, where his father asked him to sign the back of a winning Lotto ticket.

He said his father told me Id have nothing to worry about for the rest of my life.

The 12 ticket, which was sold at Salmons store, Main Street, Ballinasloe, was one of two winning tickets for a jackpot of 6.7m on Saturday January 22, 2011.

Expand Close Mary Walsh pictured leaving Dublin High Court,where Mr David Walsh has brought proceedings against his step mother Mrs Mary Walsh claiming he is entitled to a one sixth share of the Lotto prize. Pic Collins Courts / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Mary Walsh pictured leaving Dublin High Court,where Mr David Walsh has brought proceedings against his step mother Mrs Mary Walsh claiming he is entitled to a one sixth share of the Lotto prize. Pic Collins Courts

Mary Walsh (65), of Perssepark, Ballinasloe, disputes the claim by David Walsh (52), a painter/decorator, of Knocknagreena, that he was part of a six-member syndicate that owned the winning ticket.

David Walsh claims his late father Peter Walsh, his cousin Kevin Black, Mrs Walsh, and her sons Anthony and Jason Daly, were also part of the syndicate. Mr Walsh claims his signature is one of six on the ticket and Ms Walsh and the estate of his late father hold 560,000 in trust for him.

Asked about claims he was given a choice of 200,000 from the win or the home of his father and Mary Walsh at Knocknagreena, valued at 135,000, Mr Walsh said it had not happened.

In her defence, Mrs Walsh claims she purchased and owned the winning ticket. She claims she was advised by the company then operating the lottery that the other signatures on the winning ticket would avoid payment of gift tax.

Expand Close David Walsh pictured leaving Dublin High Court,Mr has brought proceedings against step mother Mrs Mary Walsh claiming he is entitled to a one sixth share of the Lotto prize.Pic Collins Courts / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp David Walsh pictured leaving Dublin High Court,Mr has brought proceedings against step mother Mrs Mary Walsh claiming he is entitled to a one sixth share of the Lotto prize.Pic Collins Courts

She claims that should the court rule David Walsh is entitled to a share, he would be unjustly enriched in circumstances where the Knocknagreena house was transferred to him. The case continues.
The extradition of a man to his native Poland was delayed after he claimed to have a fear of flying.

Piotr Pawel Skiba is wanted in Poland to serve two prison sentences following his conviction for certain offences in Polish courts.

He was arrested in Ireland on foot of a European Arrest Warrant and his surrender to Polish authorities was ordered by the High Court on December 1.

His surrender was initially supposed to take place on or before Christmas Day and arrangements were made in the normal way for surrender to be effected on December 22.

As is usual in Ireland, the envisaged mode of actual surrender was that Mr Skiba would be placed on a commercial flight from Dublin Airport to Poland and that he would be accompanied on the flight by Polish police officers.

However, his surrender did not take place as planned.

Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan, of the Garda Extradition Unit, told the High Court that, at the departure gate, Mr Skiba refused to go and it became apparent that he wasn't going to go except by using more than minimal force.

The Captain of the plane decided at that point that he didn't want him (Mr Skiba) on his plane, according to Det Sgt Kirwan.

The attempt to surrender was abandoned and Mr Skiba was returned to Cloverhill Prison.

In the High Court the following day, Mr Justice Richard Humphries fixed January 5 as the new surrender date because Mr Skiba would not be surrendered within the time provided due to circumstances beyond the control of the State.

The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's order today.

Giving judgment in the three-judge court, Mr Justice John Edwards the High Court judge's assessment was conducted with due diligence and was consistent with the relevant evidence actually before him.

Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Sean Ryan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, said he would dismiss the appeal.

As a result, the stay on the order for Skiba's surrender was accordingly lifted.

On December 12, Mr Skiba's solicitor telephoned the Irish authorities advising them that their client had a fear of flying.

Det Sgt Kirwan expressed himself to be skeptical of the claimed phobia. He observed that no indication concerning the alleged fear of flying had been made on December 1.

Moreover, no medical evidence had been proferred in support of the claimed fear.

Det Sgt Kirwan said: I've dealt with hundreds of surrenders by air Judge, 99.9pc of them going according to plan and I have met many people  (who) said they have never been on a plane before and they would be quite anxious and it is normal enough but they didn't have any problem boarding the plane."

Mr Skiba's lawyers contended that the phonecall on December 12 sufficiently put the State on notice of a potential problem and to render it foreseeable that Skiba might refuse to board the plane.

As such, it could not then be contended that there were circumstances beyond the control of the relevant parties, Mr Skiba's lawyers contended. They appealed Mr Justice Humphries' order and in effect sought the discharge of their client.

Mr Justice Edwards said a matter such as fear of flying is very easily asserted, but before action on foot of it could reasonably be justified there would have to be some assessment of the level of theoretical risk involved.

He said very many people have a fear of flying and would prefer to travel by sea or overland despite the additional time involved in doing so.

In assessing the possible implications of an asserted fear of flying an assessor would look to see if the assertion was particularised and supported such as details by the person himself concerning how he had been affected, third party accounts and optimally relevant expert testimony.

A bald assertion could do no more than flag a remote and theoretical possibility rather than a foreseeable risk to be actively responded to.

Mr Justice Edwards said there were no details of the degree to which Mr Skiba suffered from the claimed fear or details concerning how he had been affected by it up to that point in time.
Two smartphones placed on top a table, which depict the speculated look of the upcoming Nokia Edge Android smartphone. (Photo : YouTube/ GONE IN 180)

Nokia phones specs, price, and release date remained highly sought by excited Android consumers. After the unveiling of Nokia 6, Nokia Edge and Nokia C1 other high-end smartphones are expected by fans to be unveiled at the upcoming Mobile World Congress this year.



After months of rumors and speculations, Nokia finally unveiled their brand new Android smartphone for this year. The company introduced Nokia 6 that features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage that runs an Android Nougat operating system, according to The Verge.



Advertisement

The same website also detailed, that since the $250 Nokia latest offering is not of a high-end type, it is to be expected that high-end line-up will follow Nokia 6's introduction. Such inkling was hinged on the Facebook post made by the Finnish brand saying that more announcements will follow by next month.



In light of the said pronouncement, many fans expect that the so-called Nokia Edge and Nokia C1 will be introduced during the MWC event in Barcelona, Spain this February. Moreover, new leaks also suggest that another high-end Nokia phone may also be included in the line-up in the said trade fair introduction.



According to reports, Nokia 8 otherwise known as Nokia Supreme will also be launched during the MWC event. This particular smartphone is considered a high-end flagship product for it feature the powerful Snapdragon 835 processor, wide 5.7-inch display that supports Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, 24-megapixel rear-facing camera with OIS, and 6GB of RAM according to GSM Arena.



With regards to the price point and release date of the highly anticipated high-end Nokia phones, details still remain elusive. However, most rumors would suggest that upcoming Nokia high-end smartphones will likely be release weeks after its launching. Consequently, its price tag will likely be within a $400 to $500 price point, as hinted in a separate report.



Watch here below Nokia's return discussion:






THE High Court has dismissed an action by a woman who claims she was sexually abused some 67 years ago by a Dublin diocesan priest who died more than 50 years ago.

The woman claimed she was raped on a number of occasions between 1949 and 1954 by the priest who was attached to her local parish. She also claimed she was sexually abused by her father and her brother.

It was not until the 1990s that she made a complaint about her brother's alleged abuse.

In 2014, she brought a negligence claim in relation to the priest, who died in 1964, against the Archdiocese of Dublin alleging it was vicariously liable for the priest's alleged abuse.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the named defendant on behalf of the Archdiocese, sought to have the case struck out on grounds that the delay in bringing it, the time lapse between now and the alleged acts, and the death of the priest in 1964, would make it impossible for there to be a fair trial.

Mr Justice Michael White said it would be unfair to place blame for the delay in bringing the case on the woman given the "horrific history" she had outlined in affidavits.

However, the court was objectively of the view that it would be impossible for the defendant to defend a claim of vicariously liability in relation to matters which occurred more than 60 years ago. It would be impossible for the defendant to get a fair trial, he said, dismissing the proceedings.

Counsel for the Archbishop said his client was not seeking any costs against the woman. The judge said he would make no order as to costs which means both sides pay their own.
Hopefully, Leaving Cert students have returned to school this week feeling energised. Conversations in school are now probably focused on preparing for the mocks and filling in the CAO form.

Regardless of whether last term was a roaring success or students recognise that they could have done better, there is still time to get plenty of study done and do a good job on the CAO form, as long as the student maintains, or introduces, solid study habits and focuses on careers research.

Deciding what order to place your course in on the CAO is no easy task and requires careful consideration. It is essential that all students fill out the CAO in genuine order of preference but it can be difficult to decide what is your order of preference.

When filling out the form, research is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately every year students guess the contents of the course from the title, or presume that courses with similar titles, in different colleges, will have similar content. However, this is not always the case. Applicants should thoroughly research their choices using the college websites, and literature as well as qualifax.ie, careersportal.ie and unibrowse.ie.

A common mistake that applicants make is thinking that they must apply for the highest point courses possible.

Sometimes students talk about not wanting to 'waste' their points and only look at courses whose cut-off points last year are similar to the points they expect to achieve. However, it is more important that students apply for courses they feel that they will enjoy and which will suit them.

It can be very helpful to talk about possible choices with people who know you well. Parents, friends and relatives can all help with insight into what might suit you well, or make suggestions you have not yet considered. Remember, the points are based on supply and demand and not on how difficult, interesting or suitable that course will be for a particular student.

Don't rule out courses because you know or have heard of someone else who had a bad experience or dropped out. The most common reason for dropping out of third-level courses is that the content, college or material was not what the student expected. Just because a course did not suit another person does not mean that it is not the right course for you.

It is always surprising how many students apply for courses without having ever visited the institution or completing proper research.

So listen to the opinions of others, but also listen carefully to their reasons for leaving a course, and make your decisions based on what is right for you.

Always ensure that a first preference course is your 'dream' course, even if you are uncertain whether or not you will achieve the required points. The CAO cannot offer you a course for which you have not applied.

Once you have filled in your CAO form in genuine order of preference, it may be helpful to check that there are one or two courses listed for which you are sure you will make the entry requirements (essential subjects/grades).

These can be considered your 'banker' courses. It may be a risk to apply only for very high points courses, with no back-up plan.

Finally, students should ensure that they have made full use of both the Level 7/6 and Level 8 lists. These lists will be considered completely separately and means that students may receive two offers in August, one from each list, giving them choice.

Aoife Walsh is a guidance counsellor at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin

Important dates

Today

Mature student CAO Info Session - Cork IT

OMG We're Going Dutch: Meet Dutch Universities - ECom Centre, Ennis

CAO Info Evening - Maynooth University

Tomorrow

NUI Galway Info Evening - Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny

JANUARY 13

Open Day - Liberties College

JANUARY 14

Open Day - Dun Laoghaire IADT

Course & CAO info Morning - Dundalk IT

Open Day - Mary Immaculate College

Open Event - Pulse College

Open Day - UL

JANUARY 15

Application Deadline - UCAS

JANUARY 16

HEAR and DARE Clinic - University College Cork

JANUARY 17

Open Day - Crumlin College of FE

Lifelong Learning & CAO Options - Galway-Mayo IT Castlebar

CAO Info Evening - IT Sligo

Parents Info Evening - University College Cork

FETAC Science, Computer Science, Ag & Food Science Open Day - UCD

JANUARY 18

Open Day - Blackrock FE Institute

CAO mature student and parents Info Evening - DCU

Open Evening - Dublin Business School

Open Day - Griffith College Dublin

Open Evening - IT Tallaght

Open Evening - Irish College of Humanities and Applied Science

Mature student Open Evening - NUI Galway

HEAR & DARE Clinic - UCC

Engineering Open Evening - UCD
Forget what you may have heard about the entitled, self-involved Insta Generation. These days, Ireland's 'snowflakes' are all fired up, and have taken it upon themselves to go toe-to-toe with some of society's most pressing issues. And this sense of curiosity and thirst for answers is certainly writ large at this year's BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.

Founded in 1963 (and given its official name 17 years ago), this gathering of young minds boasts an iron-clad tradition of innovation and imagination. And, this year, the projects run the gamut, from geology and pharmacology to psychology and technology.

Yet, it's the breadth of the social and behavioural sciences topics that catch the eye. This year's bright young minds are turning their acumen to such salient topics as fertility awareness, gender spectrum awareness, the HPV vaccine, sexual consent, ageing, dating methods and even wine as 'the new tea'. Research, in other words, that is likely to light the blue touch paper even after this week's event ends.

Says Mari Cahalane, head of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition: "These students are looking at what's interesting and getting society talking. They see these issues being raised in the press and on social media, and the conversations are being started among their peers and at home.

"We don't really do the lab coat thing anymore," she adds with a wry smile. "For a long time, scientists were seen as nerds God, they're so far from it now."

There has long been a perception that female students have gravitated towards the behavioural sciences category leaving 'harder' sciences like physics, technology and chemistry to the boys. This year's entrants don't necessarily conform to that notion.

Of the 4,591 students who entered from 375 schools across the country, 61pc of them are female, and 39pc are male. Social and behavioural sciences is the most popular category (41pc of entries), followed by biological and ecological sciences (29pc), technology (16pc) and chemical, physical and mathematical sciences (14pc).

Ellen Collins (16) and Katie Lombard (15), from Colaiste Choilm in Cork, are addressing the issue of gender identity in their project, 'Did you just assume my gender? - Gender spectrum awareness in young people'.

"Based on the projects our class mates would have been doing [in preparation for this event], you'd definitely notice a trend of what type of project each gender would do," says Ellen. "But the fact that our school heavily promotes and encourages STEM for girls is a great leap forward, and the interest is certainly there."

Their teacher, Paudie Scanlon, adds: "My background is more science, so this more social topic is sort of new to me. I'm impressed with the students' ability to say, 'let's have this talk'. Historically, it's always been the case that girls shy away from [hard sciences]. In some cases we don't have the role models in those areas for the girls yet."

Elsewhere, students Tara Dolan (16) and Chloe Kilkenny (15) from Magh Ene College in Donegal are presenting their project, 'A survey of parental attitudes in the North-West towards the HPV vaccine'. Both see this as not just a 'female' issue, but a societal one.

"I find that even in conversations in social sciences, the females in our class are more vocal," says Tara. "These are the things we tend to speak about. The boys in the class are definitely more focused on the other sciences."

Their teacher, Yvonne Higgins, delights in nurturing the interests of her charges and enabling them to "develop an enquiring mind".

"I think it's easier for many students to engage in the behavioural sciences category," she says. "It's all about tapping into that natural curiosity and seeing how they can run with a project. Down the years, most of our Young Scientist students would have been girls, which I guess goes against that general perception of girls not being interested in science. In our school a lot of the science department is female, and we promote the physical sciences and maths to girls."

If some Irish schools experience a gender divide when it comes to interest in the respective scientists, Simon Leonard (16), Conor Lavin (16), and Michael Egan (17) from Roscommon Community College are bucking the trend with their project, 'Insight from a new Generation - Fertility Issues'.

"When they did the research, they found that it's an issue that boys don't discuss and they feel it's a 'female' issue," explains their teacher Joanne Broggy Shea. "I think we as teachers were interested to see how the boys would deal with the research; after all, you don't hear boys talking much about ovulation. It was met with a little bit of joking but they settled into the work very quickly. It made for a refreshing change."

Says Simon: "We found that a lot of people thought that only women could be affected by infertility, but nearly 800,000 people in Ireland are affected. That's a pretty big number, and there's a severe lack of knowledge and awareness in our generation."

With VHI running their own sizeable research project on infertility, Simon and his classmates would like to see their own research findings grow legs even after this year's BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition winds down.

Certainly, alumni from years past have managed to parlay their experience into a lucrative career path. Ciara Judge, Emer Hickey and Sophie Healy Thow, who won at the Exhibition in 2013, went on to be named in 'Time' magazine's top 30 most influential teenagers in the world, for their research on diazotroph.

Famously, Patrick Collison scooped the gong in 2005 with a project entitled 'CROMA: A new dialect of lisp', and went on to found Strype, making Patrick and his brother John Ireland's youngest self-made billionaires. Kate (16) and Annie Madden (15), who appeared at the 2014 event, have founded animal food supplement company FenuHealth, and already have a staff of six, exporting to racing camel owners in the Middle East.

Not surprisingly, this year's high-achieving entrants already have career success in their crosshairs.

"I would be interested in pursuing a career in journalism or politics, both of which could be used as platforms to promote LGBT issues, which I feel would be an important thing to do," says Ellen Collins.

Watch this space, in a word.

 The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is at the RDS, Dublin from today until Saturday, January 14. For more info, see btyoungscientist.com
STATE-OWNED ESB is paying more than 80,000 to an embattled union boss who described his members as "spoilt".

The energy supplier admits it finances secretary of the group of unions Brendan Ogle's salary, including his full-time secretary's wages and offices on Merrion Square in Dublin.

The commercial semi-state company last night said the arrangement was "unique" as Mr Ogle was on secondment from Unite union.

The ESB added that Mr Ogle's appointment to the job three years ago was the first time a union official had taken the role and gone on the payroll.

Previous holders of the position were already staff members.

The revelations raise questions about why a company would pay a union representative who is supposed to represent staff in talks with management.

Mr Ogle was yesterday forced to apologise to ESB staff, who earn an average 75,000 a year, after describing them as "spoilt" in a speech in May that was caught on camera and posted online.

In the speech to the republican socialist group Eirigi, Mr Ogle also claimed ESB workers enjoyed government "gravy" in the form of perks such as after-work schemes.

Mr Ogle claimed his comments were reported "completely out of context".

"Nevertheless, I fully appreciate that the comments were made in an inappropriate environment and manner and I sincerely apologise to all ESB staff for any hurt caused by recent reportage," he added.

"Throughout my address, I repeatedly stated that I am lucky and privileged to represent the staff in ESB. I reiterate that comment now.

"In that role, I have consistently pointed out to staff that due to the downturn, loss of customers and the fall off in project development, that 'gravy', which all workers in the public and private sector benefited from during the so-called Celtic Tiger years, would dry up."

He claimed that he was not aligned to any "party or group" and had taken up invitations to speak from groups of varied political persuasions.

"However, clearly, insofar as my role as secretary of the ESB group of unions is concerned, this episode demonstrates that I will now have to review this approach," he said.

Gravy

His "gravy" comments came to light at the weekend as the ESB announced a 12pc hike in prices, to hit consumers next month.

The episode comes at a sensitive time for the group of unions secretary, as he is due to begin talks on 140m cuts in payroll on behalf of the workforce of more than 7,000 today.

He may also face the wrath of members of the five-union group, as an emergency meeting has been called in Unite head office on Abbey Street in Dublin this morning.

There was further anger among workers at the ESB's Northern Ireland Electricity yesterday. They urged the ESB to clarify whether it will continue to pay Mr Ogle's wages.

Former ESB deputy chairman Joe La Cumbre said he had been contacted by the workers, who were angered by the "context and location" of the speech "in front of two posters demanding 'Brits out'".

"A speech against the backdrop of these posters is an appalling portrayal of trade unionism in the south of Ireland," he said.

Sources said TEEU members were also furious as they were beneficiaries of the work perks described by Mr Ogle as "gravy", which meant they got double time on Saturdays and triple time on Sundays.

Last night, the ESB refused to give details of the financial package that Mr Ogle enjoys.

But sources told the Irish Independent Mr Ogle's pay was more than 80,000, plus expenses.
People should be allowed opt-in to having a water meter installed on their property, and enjoy a tax rebate or other financial incentive if they reduce consumption, the water regulator has said. Stock Image

Householders would effectively earn money from beating their meter under radical plans to help save the water charging system from disaster.

People should be allowed 'opt-in' to having a water meter installed on their property, and enjoy a tax rebate or other financial incentive if they reduce consumption, the water regulator has said.

The details are contained in submissions to the Dail committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, chaired by Galway Senator Padraig O Ceidigh, which sits today.

The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will also tell the committee that the metering programme, which has cost 465m to date, should be stopped, given the levels of investment needed to bring the network in line with EU quality standards.

In a submission, it says that despite 884,000 meters being already in place, it should "not be a priority" to continue the rollout. Currently, just 58pc of 1.52 million households are metered, and continuing the installation programme would require "significant" money.

"If a decision was taken to complete further metering then either significant additional funding would have to be made available or a significant level of necessary capital investment would have to be deferred from other priorities for water investment in the time period 2017-2018," it said.

Expand Close Galway Senator Padraig O Ceidigh. Photo: Brian Farrell / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Galway Senator Padraig O Ceidigh. Photo: Brian Farrell

"The CER considers that any decision to either complete or extend the rollout of the domestic metering programme should be evidence based, taking account of other capital investment priorities and include a cost-benefit analysis."

Both the CER and Irish Water will appear before the committee today as part of a probe into how the annual 800m operational costs and 20-year 13bn capital investment plan needed to upgrade the network will be funded.

An expert commission recommended that water for "normal personal use" should be paid from general taxation, with excessive or wasteful use incurring a direct charge. It also suggested that an allowance per household should be determined by the regulator.

But how families using excessive quantities will be identified in the absence of metering presents a problem. Data from Irish Water suggests that almost 20,000 metered households use in excess of 800 litres of water a day. Across the utility's customer base of metered and unmetered customers, the figure rises to almost 50,000.

Despite its misgivings, the CER points out that the meters have provided Irish Water with "vital information" about the state of the network, helping to identify and eliminate leaks. To date, some 65 million litres of water a day have been saved. In Denmark, it said, consumption fell by 12.6pc following the introduction of meters.

Consideration, it said, should be given to conservation measures including allowing customers request that a meter be installed.

"An opt-in approach could be provided for whereby customers opt to have a meter installed in return for some from of financial incentive by beating the allowance, eg some form of tax rebate," it said. It added that if households with meters were found to be using excessive quantities, the cost should not be punitive, but based on the cost of providing the water used.

To encourage conservation, incentives could be introduced to promote investment in water-saving technologies by way of a grant or tax relief. This "carrot" could be coupled with a change to building regulations requiring all new homes to be fitted with meters.

Irish Water will also suggest that legislation should be introduced to ringfence funding for necessary upgrades. It also said that enshrining the utility in public ownership would make the company a "more attractive credit proposition" for commercial lenders.
Gardai have been urged to put more officers on the beat in the affluent south Dublin area where a young tourist was attacked and robbed, leaving her with "broken teeth and a bloody mouth".

Officers are investigating the incident that occurred at about 5.30am yesterday on the Killiney Road. Two men approached three American tourists as they went for a bus to bring them to Dublin Airport.

The men managed to grab a handbag containing the women's passports, then fled.

During the robbery one of the victims, a 22-year-old woman, was pushed to the ground and suffered face injuries.

She was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, and treated for minor injuries.

Officers from Dun Laoghaire garda station are investigating the theft and assault but no arrests have yet been made.

Expand Close The Fitzpatrick Hotel in Killiney, Dublin. Photo: Steve Humphreys / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Fitzpatrick Hotel in Killiney, Dublin. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Read more: 'One of the girls had a bust lip, broken teeth and a bloody mouth' - Three young female tourists attacked on way to airport

Gardai are also investigating a violent knife attack in the area on December 24.

Local Fianna Fail councillor Cormac Devlin described yesterday's incident as "appalling", and said that more gardai were needed on the ground.

"It's an appalling attack on anybody, particularly a tourist visiting the country. To me, it highlights the need for increased garda numbers," Mr Devlin said.

"Detection of these types of crimes is the only way of solving and combating them.

"My thoughts are with the three women and hopefully the perpetrators will be brought before the courts."

Local Stephanie O'Connor (26) said that she woke up after hearing the girls scream.

"I woke up to a girl screaming 'help' outside my house. When I looked outside I saw a girl running and screaming. I saw a car nearby and bags lying on the ground. My initial reaction was that the girl was being kidnapped, so I ran after her to see if I could help."

Ms O'Connor said when she went outside she saw three American girls "in hysterics".

"They were walking to the Fitzpatrick Hotel to get the bus to the airport to catch a flight home to America but they were attacked by two men who stole their bags," Ms O'Connor said.

"They noticed the men following them but it was only a 10-minute walk to the bus.

"One of the girls was physically assaulted and she had a bust lip, broken teeth and a bloody mouth. She was in shock and her friends were frantically trying to calm her down."

One of the males is described as being of average height and build, wearing a white jumper, according to gardai.
A surgeon has spoken of his frustration after being forced to tell patients suffering pain that their hip and knee operations have been cancelled due to the trolley crisis.

Peter O'Rourke is an orthopaedic surgeon at Letterkenny Hospital, where 17 patients were on trolleys yesterday morning.

He said even his reduced theatre list of just five patients for January had to be postponed because there were no available beds this week.

Hundreds of patients in hospitals across the country are being told the devastating news that surgery they waited months for has had to be postponed as overcrowding left wards stretched to the limit.

Mr O'Rourke last winter said there were days he was forced to walk his dog instead of operating.

Now he is expressing his frustration again, as statistics show hospital overcrowding escalating, with at least 543 patients on trolleys in need of a bed.

The real figure was higher as it did not include St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin, which suffers some of the worst gridlock, and had 22 patients on trolleys at 8am, according to the HSE.

Mr O'Rourke, who normally operates on 15 patients a month, said this has been reduced by two-thirds for January and February.

Respite

"No patient who needs a hip or knee replacement is not waiting in pain. There is no more efficiency we can achieve - 20 years ago a patient was in hospital for 10 days and now it is down to three," he said.

The Mater Hospital in Dublin also had to cancel surgery and appeal to the public to attend their GP where possible yesterday afternoon after 17 patients piled up on trolleys.

There was also no respite for patients in Cork University Hospital, which has been gripped by overcrowding since the beginning of the year.

It had to cope with 46 patients on trolleys yesterday, most of whom were in its emergency department.

Read more: Ireland's seemingly never-ending trolley crisis: What the Ministers have said

Mullingar Hospital and University Hospital Limerick were also under severe pressure, as were Beaumont and Tallaght Hospitals in Dublin.

The HSE was unable to give a timescale for the installation of prefab modular units on some hospital grounds - including the campus of South Tipperary Hospital in Clonmel.

The temporary accommodation is aimed at alleviating overcrowding.

But a HSE spokeswoman said the tender process for the buildings was still being concluded.

Clonmel specialist Professor Paud O'Regan said the "hotel" may not be ready until next year and was caught up in red tape while the hospital endured chaotic conditions this winter.
Auditors have raised questions about the future of Irish foreign aid charity Goal, which has been rocked by an investigation into alleged fraud.

Independent.ie has learned funding for 2017 is expected to be just over half of the 210m the charity received from donors in 2015.

In a report released today on the charitys financial statements for 2015, Deloitte said Goal was dependent on continued funding from donors.

These conditions indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt over the companys ability to continue as a going concern, the auditors report stated.

However, it noted Goals board of directors was satisfied the accounts could be prepared on the basis the charity was a going concern.

Goals general manager Celine Fitzgerald sought to allay concerns about the future of the charity, but indicated it would be reducing the level of its operations.

Programmes in India, Nepal, Yemen and Ukraine are to close during 2017, while job losses are also on the cards.

Our continued sustainability is entirely dependent on continued funding from donors. If anything were to happen in 2017 to affect that, there would be a risk around the organisation, said Ms Fitzgerald.

As long as donors continue to provide funding for our programmes, Goal is sustainable. I think the auditors and the board were satisfied that with all the information we have at this point in time that Goal is sustainable for the year, albeit at a smaller level.

Goal announced last week it would be shedding 25 jobs, one fifth of its office operations in Dublin and London.

Last April, the organisation was rocked by news that the Office of the Inspector General in the US had launched an inquiry into allegations of bid-rigging by suppliers to Goal and other humanitarian organisations working in Turkey and Syria.

The probe is focussed on the activities of individuals on the ground and there is no suggestion of any involvement by senior management.

Two Turkish-born Goal staff were fired and a consultant also left the organisation after the probe was launched.

Goal and other agencies were ordered to halt procurement by USAid, the US governments foreign aid arm.

The Irish Governments foreign aid arm, Irish Aid, also decided to suspend around 7m in funding, but this suspension has since been lifted.

Goal chief executive Barry Andrews stepped down in the aftermath of the controversy, to be replaced by Ms Fitzgerald.

In his resignation statement, he said he believed Goal required a fresh start in terms of leadership.

The accounts also reveal the former head of Goal USA, Mark Bartolini, earned between 220,000 and 229,999 in 2015.

In comparison, Mr Andrews had an annual salary of 95,000 with a 20,000 pension contribution, while Ms Fitzgeralds package is worth 100,000.

Mr Bartolini resigned last year and the US office was closed in October 2016 as part of the downsizing of the organisation.
Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a shooting incident in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast on 12th January 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

A man and woman have been shot at a house tonight.

The attack happened in the Norglen Parade area of west Belfast at around 6.15pm. Police say the pair, in their 50s, were shot in the legs.

Detective Sergeant Keith Wilson said: "Both the man and the woman have been taken to hospital for treatment to their injuries.

"I would ask anyone with any information about this incident, or anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the area, to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 900 of 12/01/17.

"Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."
To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

Disclaimer

Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.
To lose one special adviser may be regarded as a misfortune, but to lose two looks like carelessness, to borrow a line from Oscar Wilde.

However, the announcement that Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor was saying farewell to another adviser less than two months after the resignation of ex-TV3 broadcaster Alan Cantwell did not come as a major shock to political observers in Leinster House.

To put it mildly, Ms Mitchell O'Connor is gaining a reputation as an employer with a fast turnover of staff. She saw parliamentary assistants come and go as a TD and one of her ministerial drivers left soon after she was appointed minister.

The latest to go was Jim McGrath, a well-respected political adviser who survived five years working for former Environment Minister Alan Kelly. It was expected that his time working for th#e brash and outspoken Mr Kelly would prepare him for anything.

Mr McGrath departed on good terms and in the press release announcing his decision to resign, Ms Mitchell O'Connor praised his professionalism and hard work. But there were clearly difficulties, as there were between the minister and Mr Cantwell.

The first-time minister, it is said, does not take instruction well from her staff but at the same time lays the blame at their door when things do not go according to plan.

She would often be seen brushing aside Mr Cantwell when he tried to brief her during important press conferences. In November, Mr Cantwell decided it was time to move on. Friends of Mr McGrath highlighted the treatment of Mr Cantwell and other staff as one of his reasons for leaving.

"He enjoyed working with Mary and it was always amicable and cordial but I think the relationship had been exhausted," the friend said. The source said Mr McGrath was "a cool head" during crisis and loyal to the minister but "wasn't impressed" by her management style.

The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation essentially runs itself and most of the heavy lifting is done by Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Authority (IDA). Ms Mitchell O'Connor oversees their work but her main role is to attend meetings with international firms thinking of setting up in Ireland.

A department source said the minister has impressed at some of these events but on other occasions clearly was not on top of her brief.

"The media coverage of her has been unfair but she doesn't do herself any favours," the source said.

Former IDA communications executive Ellen Lynch takes over from Mr McGrath shortly and will have her work cut out.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has arrived in Madrid to meet his Spanish counterpart to discuss the implications of Brexit ahead of negotiations between the EU and the UK, and the possibilities of growing the links between Ireland and Spain.

He was warmly greeted by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as he arrived at Palace Moncloa in the Spanish capital.

They chatted informally for 20 minutes before going for lunch, taking a brief stroll in the Spanish sunshine through the Palace grounds.

A press conference will follow later in the afternoon.

Mr Kenny will be seeking to secure support from the Spanish leader for Ireland to be treated as a special case in relation to Brexit because of the fragility of the peace process and the border.

Spain is the first official visit to a European Capital by the Taoiseach, with 2017 set to be a crucial year in Irelands Brexit preparations.

French President Francois Hollande has already given assurances that he believes Ireland to be a special case.

The British Prime Minister Teresa May will visit Dublin at the end of January to discuss the situation before she triggers Article 50 by the end of March.

Spain is taking a hard stance on Brexit with regards to Scotland, with Mr Rajoy confirming that Madrid will oppose any separate deal for Scotland. Spain fears such a move could encourage separatist movements in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Mr Rajoy has also proposed joint sovereignty between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar, the British territory which has a land border with Spain.

The Taoiseach and the Spanish leader are both amongst the longest serving members of the European People's Party in Europe.
A young mother sobbed as she confronted Health Minister Simon Harris during his Cork hospital tour today over the ongoing delay in getting life-saving cannabis oil treatment for her daughter.

Vera Twomey-Barry challenged Mr Harris over why a special sanction has not been given for cannabis oil to be given to her daughter Ava (6) who suffers from Dravet's Syndrome.

One Irish child has already been given sanction for the use of cannabis oil because of a life-threatening condition.

"You are putting your hand out to me now but you didn't put your hand out to me since before last Christmas," the mother of four sobbed.

"I had respect for you. I have been a member and I have voted for Fine Gael for the last 20 years of my life. You have betrayed us and let us down.

"I cannot believe what you (the Government) have done to us.

"I have stood outside that (Dail) gate - the humiliation of standing outside that gate yesterday from 1.45pm until 7.30pm. Gino Kenny eventually came up and he pulled me away from the gate because he said I had to come away as I was frozen and perished with the cold.

"You were able to give a statement to TV3 and able to tell them what was going on but you didn't have the common decency to come down and have a word."

Mrs Twomey-Barry broke down and had to be consoled by her husband, Paul, and friends during the impromptu meeting with Mr Harris as he entered Mallow General Hospital to open a new local injuries unit.

Read More

The family have been campaigning for cannabis oil treatment to be made available for Ava for almost two years.

Mr Harris said he had three meetings with the family over recent months as Health Minister.

He stressed that he does not have a signed request from a doctor to sanction the provision of cannabis oil use under a ministerial exemption provision for Ava.

"The law is very clear - if we want to make a medicinal cannabis product available I need a doctor to make an application.

"You both have been very powerful campaigners in relation to medicinal cannabis. As a result of your campaigning and the work of other families I have reviewed the policy on medicinal cannabis for the first time ever.

"When I met you I made it very clear that the HPRA will have that review done this month," the Fine Gael TD said.

"By the end of this month we will know what we can do in relation to medicinal cannabis. I have made it very clear I will follow those recommendations.

"I am not a doctor - I cannot prescribe as product that is illegal in Ireland to anybody.

"It is very important that people understand," he said.

"I have huge personal respect for you Vera - that is why I met you three times. I want to help and I will help."

But her husband, Paul, said they were effectively being ignored by the Government.

"Why do you keep ignoring us? We have had no phone call replies, no email replies and no text replies - nothing.

"We have done everything you asked - every time it is another road block after another road block."

He claimed that every time the family are ready to make a full submission to the Department of Health, officials come back looking for further information and queries.

Mr Harris stressed that he does not have the required application from a doctor for Ava's medicinal cannabis use.

"If a doctor puts in an application for your daughter to have medicinal cannabis that will be acted on. No application has been made - there is not a doctor who has submitted a an application.

"I don't like talking about individual patients cases but Vera has spoken very publicly about the extraordinarily difficult circumstances she finds herself in.

"Vera and Paul will rightly do everything for their daughter Ava.

"As Minister for Health I want to do everything and anything to help Ava and any other patient.

"But my role is very clear - I am not a doctor. I am not in a position to prescribe medication. What I am in a position to do is twofold.

"The law in this country allows a doctor to apply for a license to my department to provide a product to a named patient. I have not yet received that application.

"I can say categorically I have not received that application.

"An application was submitted for another child and was granted before Christmas.

"When that application (for Ava) is submitted, it will be assessed immediately and as an absolute priority."

Vera had protested outside the Dail in rain and hail on Wednesday evening demanding action on treatment for her daughter Ava (6) - and wept as she said she felt "humiliated and frustrated" at the lengths she was having to go to just to get cannabis oil treatment for her child.

Last November, Vera had launched a 300km walk from her Cork home to Dublin in a desperate bid to meet Mr Harris.

The little girl suffers from Dravet's Syndrome and has terrible bouts of seizures.

The walk was called off after a meeting was arranged with Mr Harris.

Vera warned the family cannot wait any longer and need urgent action.

Ava suffers from Dravet Syndrome, a rare condition where she gets virtually uncontrollable epileptic seizures.

The little girl suffered 16 seizures alone over one 36 hour period.

Children with Dravet eventually reach a point where normal medications become increasingly ineffective in controlling the seizures - with medicinal cannabis oil the only known treatment option.

"My daughter is extremely ill. She is having seizures every day and they are getting worse," she said.

"She desperately needs this treatment and we desperately need help."

The Aghabullogue mother of four said she is now desperate to get help in Ireland for Ava.

"A lot of politicians have told me that the situation is very complicated. I fully accept that.

"But I am afraid that if Ava suffers something like 22 seizures, will she have another heart attack and will she be gone? There have been four or five children since the start of the year and they have passed away.

"You are looking to the future and wondering is that going to happen to us?"

Also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), Dravet affects just one in 60,000 children in its most catastrophic form.

With Dravet Syndrome, a sufferer can initially have their seizures treated by normal epilepsy medicines.

However, over a short period of time, the seizures become immune to the medications and increase both in their frequency and severity.

The only known long-term treatment for Dravet Syndrome involves the use of cannabis oil.

However, the controversial product is not licensed in Ireland or other EU member states.

Its medicinal uses, in specific cases, has led to cannabis oil being permitted in parts of the US, Australia, Brazil and even Columbia.

That is the only hope that Ava now has, Vera explained.

I dont want to be forced out of Ireland with my family to get treatment for Ava.

There are five people with Dravet Syndrome in Ireland  and all would likely benefit from treatment with cannabis oil.

One trial in the US indicated that a person with Dravet Syndrome who was suffering 300 seizures every day managed to reduce those to just two seizures a month thanks to cannabis oil.

All we are asking for is a little commonsense. That and the realisation that children like Ava dont have any other alternatives, Vera said.

It is heartbreaking to have to take Ava to an emergency department when she gets severe seizures despite knowing that there is nothing they can do for her.

The couple, who are based in Aghabullogue in mid Cork, have three other children, Sophia (4), Michael (3) and Elvera-Mae (14 months).

All we are asking is that Ava has some chance of a normal life. Surely every Irish child has that right, she said.

Details of Vera and Pauls campaign for Ava is available from Facebook on CBD For Ava Support.
The new boss of Bus Eireann has assured staff it plans to hold onto its Expressway service despite facing the threat of going bust within 18 months.

Acting chief executive Ray Hernan sent a letter to his 2,600 employees yesterday after a consultants' report commissioned by the company warned it may soon have no option but to axe the inter-city service.

But Mr Hernan, a former Brown Thomas, Arnotts and Ryanair manager who is planning a drastic cost-cutting plan, said no decision has been taken to drop the troubled commercial business.

He pointed the finger at intense competition on commercial routes as a key factor in the need for the company to hold and win business.

The letter may be an attempt to take the heat off the Government, Transport Minister Shane Ross (inset) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) after it emerged that top executives might get exit deals of over 500,000 while Expressway's 30-plus routes and 516 jobs are at stake.

Mr Hernan said the company is facing losses which are not sustainable.

"We have reached a point where we must act decisively," he said. "The threat of insolvency within the next 18 months is very real, and it is very clear we must now change our current business model."

He said the company's revised forecast for losses at the end of last year are in the order of 8m and this could not continue.

"Urgently we need to address our financial and solvency issues. However, more importantly we need to be competitive," he said. The current challenges faced by Expressway will only be resolved successfully by retaining the business as part of the overall total company structure and making it more competitive, he said.

"To be clear, Expressway is and will continue to be part of Bus Eireann," he said. "A combination of operational efficiencies and a sharp focus on all cost drivers can achieve this."

Mr Hernan hinted that cuts to workers' terms and conditions will be outlined soon in meetings with unions to address the "very precarious financial position which now threatens our future".

The letter came after details of the Grant Thornton report, advising that the Expressway service be scrapped, were published in yesterday's Irish Independent. Expressway was once profitable but it has faced intense pressure from competition on inter-city routes.

Read more: Bus Eireann told to axe inter-city routes - but warned of 'excessive' 500k packages for senior staff

Read more: Transport Minister Shane Ross defends his response to turmoil at Bus Eireann

However, the director of the National Transport Authority, Tim Gaston, denied its decision to grant commercial licences to bus operators is to blame for the company's difficulties.

Bus Eireann commercial services, such as Expressway, account for only 19pc of all the company's passengers, he said.

He said that if some Expressway services were discontinued, National Transport Authority would step in.

Willie Noone of Siptu said it was "ludicrous" that management could get pay-offs of over 500,000 in circumstances where workers were laid off, routes cut and garages closed.

He noted the cost of redundancy packages could top 85m. "To put that in context, Bus Eireann lost 7m last year," he said.

Fine Gael came under fire from unions who accused it of using the "opportunity of a crisis". The party was accused of having an aim of privatising the bus service.

The National Bus and Rail Union (Nbru) and Siptu vowed to fight the "outrageous proposals" and called on TDs whose constituents depend on the services to support them.

Dermot O'Leary of the NBRU said the transport network has taken generations of Bus Eireann staff to build.

He said policy makers must all take part in talks. "It is high time for those politicians who purport to represent rural Ireland to step up to the mark and work towards protecting this vital piece of irreplaceable infrastructure," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Ross would not say whether he believes Bus Eireann should axe its Expressway services.

A spokeswoman for the minister, who is the semi-state company's shareholder, said it would not be appropriate for him to say while it draws up a cost-cutting plan. She said the minister had not seen the Grant Thornton report but had been briefed on it.
Viewers have praised the handling of an emotional topic as Kym Marsh and Simon Gregson lost their baby at birth

The chairperson of a stillbirth and neonatal charity in Ireland has said that "there's still a view that parents should just 'forget about' infant death."

The chairperson of a stillbirth and neonatal charity in Ireland has said that "there's still a view that parents should just 'forget about' infant death."

On Wednesday evening, Coronation Street was praised for "raising awareness" about stillbirths after Michelle Connor, played by Kym Marsh, lost her baby at 23 weeks.

"This subject has been very taboo for far too long. Sharing is absolutely imperative to being able to put the pieces of your jigsaw back together," Marsh said of the heartbreaking issue.

However, Mairie Cregan, chairperson and co-founder of Feileacain, the stillbirth and neonatal death association of Ireland, said that Ireland still has a long way to go when it comes to infant death.

"There is still a view in our community that infant death should not be discussed - that parents should 'forget about it' and 'get on with their lives,'" she told Independent.ie.

"They are still told that they 'have other children to be grateful for', 'you are young and can have more', and a number of other statements meant to be helpful but are in fact deeply wounding. What people are saying, while trying to offer comfort, is that 'this baby doesn't matter - he or she is replaceable.'"

"Families never forget a baby who has died, and often we have mothers coming to the end of their life reaching out to Feileacain to help them find their child's grave - they never forget."

Mairie said that while Michelle and her husband Steve McDonald's storyline in Coronation Street was dealt with "sensitively and accurately" for the most part, it "jumped a bit too fast into the future."

Expand Close Viewers have praised the handling of an emotional topic as Kym Marsh and Simon Gregson lost their baby at birth / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Viewers have praised the handling of an emotional topic as Kym Marsh and Simon Gregson lost their baby at birth

"Wednesday night's episode of Coronation Street where baby Ruairi was born too soon was powerful viewing, and for the most part was dealt with sensitively and accurately.

"In Ireland we have a set of National Bereavement Standards which would mean that hopefully the couple would have been more prepared for what was to happen once the couple were told of the onset of Michelle's early labour - and all staff entering the labour room would have introduced themselves and their role and try to reassure the couple as best they could.

"It also jumped a bit too fast to the future when Michelle spoke of how many children she will tell people that she has, as most couples at this stage are trying to get though the next few days and organise the funeral.

"Our experience is that this issue does not raise its head for a few weeks or months."

If you want to support a bereaved parent and acknowledge their loss, Mairie suggests calling the baby by his or her name.

"Let the parents talk about the child and don't run away from them because you don't know what to say," she advises.

"Tell them that you are sorry and find it hard to put into words how sad you feel for the parents, but that you are there for them.

"Don't tell them you know how they feel unless you too, have had a very similar experience.

"Many people ignore a baby's death rather than risk upsetting the parents, but remember - they are already upset.

"If they cry that's ok. If they don't want to talk at this time they will let you know, but they will be grateful that their child has been acknowledged.

"Remembering birthdays and anniversaries is also very important as well as Mother's and Father's Day - bereaved parents are still parents, even if our children aren't with us."

If you've been affected by this article or storyline, you can contact Feileacain on 0852496464 or feileacain.ie.
Are fuel costs and 'schedule padding' leading to longer flights? Hugh Morris reports.

Today, a non-stop flight from New York to Houston, Texas, takes about four hours. In 1973, the same flight would have taken just over two and a half hours.

So much for progress.

But this is not an isolated case: flight times are getting longer.

London to Edinburgh takes, on average, 10 minutes longer than it did in the mid-Nineties; Madrid to Barcelona takes up to 20 minutes longer.

New York to Chicago is likely to take two hours and 50 minutes rather than the two and a half hours it took in 1996.

There are a number of reasons that more time is needed for airlines to fly from A to B, but one explored recently is fuel costs.

According to Business Insider, as the price of fuel rose in the Noughties, from $0.70 per gallon to over $3, airlines realised they could save millions of pounds per year by flying their planes slower, therefore using less fuel  but arriving at the destination later. A gallon of jet fuel cost $1.59 at the end of 2016.

For example, in 2008, Associated Press reported that American airline JetBlue saved $13.6million (12.9m) a year by adding two minutes onto the length of each flight.

It is not a particularly new tactic.

In 2014, Reuters reported that jet fuel consumption in the US, after peaking in 2005, fell more than 15 per cent in 10 years, the equivalent of more than 200,000 barrels per day.

Traditionally, the typical flying speed (546-575mph) is a trade-off between commercial pressures and fuel consumption  reaching a destination quicker is not only more appealing to customers but also minimises crew costs and ensures a new load of passengers quicker.

Another reason flight times are thought to be growing is one Telegraph Travel explored in 2015, a practise known as schedule padding.

The accusation is that airlines are coming under increasing pressure to have as high an on-time performance score (OTP) as possible, and are consequently allowing themselves plenty of wiggle room when allotting flight times, the article read.

A report by aviation analysts OAG showed how the scheduled flight times of a number of different routes has grown between 1996 and 2015.

Jim Paton, a senior lecturer in the Department of Air Transport at Cranfield University, told the BBC: "The practice of buffering the airline schedule times is something that is very common, almost universal in Europe and in other parts of the world."

However, airlines deny the practise exists.

Read more:

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Life would be a whole lot easier for Sinn Fein TDs if Gerry Adams decided to make the brief trip from his constituency in Louth back to West Belfast.

A dramatic return to Northern Ireland politics by Mr Adams to replace Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness would give his party colleagues in the south some breathing space after a troublesome six years since he ventured across the border. Their appearances on television and radio would no longer be dominated by questions on the party leader's links to the atrocities of the Troubles.TDs and senators - a growing number of whom are too young to remember the bloody conflict - could move beyond the cult of Mr Adams's personality and present themselves to the electorate as a real alternative to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

The smart and articulate Sinn Fein members, as Government Chief Whip Regina Doherty describes them, would eventually have their time to shine. Mary Lou McDonald is one of those smart and articulate Shinners who is regularly tipped as a future Sinn Fein leader.

If Gerry was to return to Northern politics, Ms McDonald would be an obvious successor in the Dail.

The Sinn Fein brand, which has been stained in the eyes of many with the blood of the Troubles, could be given a significant makeover under her stewardship. There would be concerns among some voters about the party's anti-business policies but Ms McDonald would give a new lease of life to a party which has been stagnating in the polls since the election.

The Sinn Fein deputy leader was asked about this very scenario during an appearance on Newstalk yesterday morning.

She claimed Gerry was going nowhere and fudged her response on personal leadership ambitions.

Nonetheless, there is talk that Niall O Donnghaile, a current Sinn Fein senator and former lord mayor of Belfast, could be parachuted into Louth to replace Mr Adams. This would free up Mr Adams to concentrate on the difficult job of holding together the increasingly fragile assembly.

Mr McGuinness, who is still recovering from a serious illness, has been accused of being too conciliatory in his dealings with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

It is hoped Mr Adams would be firmer with Sinn Fein's power-sharing partners in the DUP, who have run rings around the party in recent times. However, there are drawbacks to Mr Adams moving back North. While his IRA links are celebrated by die-hard republicans, they stop the party attracting moderate voters.

The other option is to move Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty to the North and put Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn forward for an easy by-election win in Donegal. However, Mr Doherty is a key asset in the south who also has leadership ambitions. There are also options among the Sinn Fein MLAs, but none have the national profile of Mr Adams or even Mr Doherty. Either way, tough choices will have to be made sooner rather than later.
A big national conversation is set to kick off which is likely to turn into a big national row. It is a conversation that people have been having informally in the last few years about how what Ireland should look like in the years ahead.

We have all heard the debates about a two-speed recovery, the decline of rural Ireland, the fate of small towns versus the economic rejuvenation of Dublin.

The Government, under Planning Minister Simon Coveney's department, will shortly begin a formal consultation process which will inform the new National Planning Framework policy.

This won't just consider issues like planning law, but it will take a big picture look at the spread of limited investment resources around the country - where and how they should be concentrated and to what end.

The final future policy will form a framework to replace the old National Spatial Strategy, which was first published in 2002.

That policy was criticised on several fronts. Some said it was spread too wide. Others said it wasn't spread around enough.

Some claimed it abandoned certain communities by placing too much emphasis on the creation of nine key gateway cities and towns. Others criticised it for not concentrating enough and by designating so many places it became meaningless.

The new draft proposals are unlikely to make the same mistakes, if Mr Coveney's comments before Christmas are anything to go by.

He has emphasised the importance of backing the key regional cities. The plan is expected to focus on Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, as well as a potential new city in the Midlands.

The only way to have a meaningful strategic economic focus is not to spread it too thinly. Modern economies are now built around population centres. Cities are attracting a greater slice of human as well as financial capital.

Trying to pretend that every county can be prioritised or given the same level of attention simply won't work.

Similarly, the nation's economy won't work if Dublin doesn't prosper too. However, a message of this kind would be very tough medicine for rural Ireland and many small or medium-sized towns. It will also be extremely difficult for politicians to accept, especially in a Dail with as many disparate interests and independent TDs as the one we have today.

The old spatial strategy added four new national level gateways to the existing gateways of Dublin, Cork, Limerick/Shannon, Galway and Waterford. The plan added Dundalk, Sligo, Letterkenny and the Midland towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar. It then went on to identify nine other economic hubs. This was one for everyone in the audience stuff.

Reducing the focus will be political dynamite. For example, the old plan was to encourage Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar to move economically closer and form the basis of a new single economic entity.

Some experts believe these towns were too far apart to ever achieve this, and a better case could have been made for focusing on Portlaoise.

Interestingly, the population of Co Laois experienced one of the highest population growth rates between 2011 and 2016, whereas both Westmeath and Offaly had only minor population growth.

Population appears to be key to economic development in many respects. Already, nearly half of the people living in rural Ireland who have jobs, commute to nearby towns and cities. Recent research by the ESRI showed that when it comes to high tech jobs, access to people with third-level qualifications was the number one driver in deciding where in Ireland to locate. Relative wage rates, the number of people working and broadband were the other factors.

Having an airport or access to a motorway featured further down the list in seventh and 11th respectively.

Parts of rural Ireland that are a commuting distance from a city have a much better chance of retaining their population and having a higher percentage of people at work than those which are further away.

Some regional cities have done well since the Crash, despite experiencing heavy job losses and emigration during the recession. Limerick, for example, has had 7,800 foreign direct investment jobs announced in the last three years.

Galway, as a county, gets more foreign tourists than Kerry. It also lands four-and-half times as many tourists as Donegal. In 2015, overseas tourists spent twice as much in Galway as they did in Kerry, which has traditionally been seen as Ireland's great tourism success story.

Developing our regional cities makes a lot of sense. It can act as a counterbalance to the dominance of Dublin, which accounts for 40pc of GDP. When the commuter belt is included, the wider Dublin area accounts for 50pc of GDP according to Davy Stockbrokers.

In 15 years' time, 60pc of the country's population will live within 25 miles of the east coast. The housing crisis shows just how unprepared the east coast is for this.

These problems in Dublin should provide opportunities for cities elsewhere, yet they have infrastructure shortfalls. The traffic congestion in Galway city is terrible. Public transport in some cities leaves a lot to be desired.

Deciding to channel investment in cities won't be difficult. The real political challenge will be around not doing a "one for everyone in the audience". Many will expect practically every town to be earmarked for special treatment.

The department's own literature on the National Planning Framework refers to the "hard choices" that will have to be made. It also talks about avoiding a "winners and losers" approach, but harnessing each region's different potential and not treating all regions in the same way.

That is the tricky bit. The department refers to the Scottish National Planning Framework, which was published in 2014. This document talks about concentrating on all seven Scottish cities and it identifies a further 18 "enterprise areas". This seems like a lot, but every one of those 18, except three very geographically peripheral towns, is very close to a city.

A similar approach in Ireland would prove to be very unpopular in some areas, particularly in the Border and north west which doesn't have a city. Yet, this region may be poised to suffer the most from Brexit.

Developing a national strategy of this kind, is not about abandoning entire communities.

In fact, some of the areas with lowest population densities have the greatest potential in certain sectors like tourism, food or renewable energy, but probably not in software.

They do need help to achieve their potential which may lie in developing their own local resources and human capital.

Making somewhere a desirable place to live is central to the future economic plan of any community. That requires the efforts of the local community as much as it does national policies.

The Government wants to produce a final draft of the national framework by this summer. There is a real danger that the carefully worked out initial proposals for a concentration of resources to key strategic areas around the country, will get politically diluted beyond all recognition to a meaningless political consensus by the time it becomes Government policy.

Or perhaps we are about to see a new level of political courage from Government ministers and TDs which will see them develop a realistic plan and stick to it.

History is not on their side and neither is the arithmetic behind government formation in the current Dail. But what's this they say? Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
The EU, even without Britain, has a population of 400 million, which represents a huge market on our doorstep

There has been much sounding of alarm bells over Ireland's trade with Britain, following the Brexit vote.

Britain is regularly described as 'Ireland's largest trading partner'.

The EU is very unlikely to permit Ireland any 'special relationship' with Britain that goes beyond whatever is agreed on an EU-wide basis.

As it looks certain Brexit will happen sooner or later, perhaps it's time Ireland stopped crying over spilled milk and instead got proactive developing new market relationships elsewhere before the inevitable happens.

We've only been in the EU for the last 44 years! Britain has a population of some 60 million, but the EU - even without Britain - has some 400 million. Even a small slice of that would compensate for the loss of easy access to the British market.

Yes, such a move would require the Irish business community to develop some proficiency in EU languages, when the laziness of the Irish in acquiring a second language compared to our EU fellow-citizens is almost proverbial.

Maybe we could tap into some of the many EU expats living here to help.

It could only be a good thing - opening a wider window on the world to us than our traditional, narrow, English-speaking one and finally providing some real competition for consumers.

So why do we rely so heavily on Britain when there's a market of 400 million on our doorstep? The EU has been there for us since 1973, let's start using it.

Nick Folley

Carrigaline, Co Cork

Little chance of soft Border

I read in your paper (Irish Independent, January 9) that according to the Irish Commissioner to the EU, Phil Hogan, Britain must lobby for Ireland in the EU.

With his usual diplomatic skill in his interview with John Downing, he stated "clearly Brexit is a mess and getting messier".

Later in his interview he hoped that the EU "may be able to persuade the London government on a common position for the entire island of Ireland".

The previous week it was reported that the UK minister for exiting the EU, David Davis, said last month in Gibraltar that he was "loath" to pursue a special status in terms of Brexit accepting that Gibraltar had a special economic dependence on Spain.

He was well aware of Gibraltar's strategic importance as the UK's listening post for the entire Middle East and North Africa. Also, due to the fact that from time to time an RAF squadron was based there, it controlled exit and access to the Mediterranean.

He told the assembly in Gibraltar that he was asked by the House of Lords special committee about the possibility of special arrangements for Gibraltar and Northern Ireland because of their circumstances.

His comments "dismayed many of those who had been hoping for a special deal for Gibraltar".

In the same paper, it was reported that Spanish customs are reintroducing identity checks on vehicles entering Gibraltar. The registration plates will be automatically scanned with the objective of clamping down on tax evasion by Gibraltar citizens residing in Spain.

A soft Border does not look likely.

Hugh Duffy

Cleggan, Co Galway

Trump claims are not helpful

Donald Trump defied all expectations and won the US election.

Previous attempts to vilify him in the eyes of the electorate have backfired spectacularly, making him strong and resilient.

It is true that Mr Trump holds seemingly unacceptable viewpoints about Muslims, the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem, Jewish settlements in historic Palestine and climate change, to name only a few.

However, raising false, absurd and unfounded allegations against him at this critical juncture will only divert attention from the critical topic that has contributed to the upsurge of international extremism and terrorism and the global humanitarian refugee crisis affecting Jordan, Lebanon, Europe and the wider world. That topic is political, economic and social disenfranchisement and religious and ethnic alienation.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London, UK

Teach pupils critical thinking

I'm glad to read that first-year students in Maynooth University have been offered a new critical thinking skills module (Irish Independent, January 11).

However, it is long overdue that secondary school students across Ireland have the opportunity to take a class in critical thinking, conflict resolution and/or logic.

For the most part, we now have secondary school students entering adult life without any knowledge in these disciplines.

No democracy can thrive unless its citizens are trained in these skills and disciplines.

Vincent J Lavery

Dalkey, Co Dublin

Goodbye to wrinkles

Scientists tell us that wrinkles may soon be a thing of the past.

Surely this news will be met by some raised eyebrows?

Tom Gilsenan

Beaumont, Dublin 9

Ireland needs a proper army

Retired Commandant Edward Horgan said in his letter that: "It's time we Irish matured sufficiently to put behind us our cap-in-hand colonial servitude attitude at 'fighting in every clime, for every cause'" (Irish Independent, January 6).

While Ireland has no reason to fight in the Middle East, perhaps the Irish are joining the UK army because Ireland spends as little on its army as Andorra, and its air defence depends on the kindness of the UK.

Mature neutral nations rely on their own military strength for their defence - like Finland with its relatively large fleet of combat-capable aircraft - and they do not rely on their former colonial masters for their military radars.

On no account should a sovereign Ireland be outsourcing its communications security to UK companies.

For example, Britain-based security firm Verrimus was asked to investigate alleged bugging at the office of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission.

Instead of lambasting those Irish who joined the British Army, commentators should put pressure on the Government to build a proper army for Ireland - capable of defending its own people, in its own clime, for its own cause.

Grzegorz Kolodziej

Bray, Co Wicklow
Brandon Block fought back tears as he told his housemates he had decided to quit Celebrity Big Brother.

The DJ, 49, left the house on Wednesday evening, one day after American artist and songwriter Ray J Norwood also left the reality show.

His departure was aired on the Channel 5 series's companion show, Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side, hours after the news broke.

Block looked emotional as he approached his co-stars after speaking to Big Brother in the Diary Room before asking to speak to them all.

He said: "Listen, I've not been happy for a few days. I love you all, I really mean that, I'm just not myself.

"It's been a great experience but I'm just not feeling me, I don't want to sit out there all day and, you know ... smoke. Crack on everyone."

Before leaving the house he received hugs from visibly upset housemates Austin Armacost and James Jordan.

Bit On The Side host Rylan Clark-Neal asked chef Rustie Lee, a panellist on the show, if Block would be missed from the series.

Lee said: "Not really. He's been sat around depressed, probably, not happy at all with what's going on. We've seen no action from him."

Clark-Neal said: "It does make sense he has been feeling like that."

Video of the Day

He added: "We want to send our best wishes for the new year to Brandon."

Block previously said he was "incredibly honoured" to have the experience of being a part of Celebrity Big Brother.

He became one of the celebrity contestants to be "edited out" when the series kicked off last week.

Block was forced to wear a beige tracksuit and was left out of some activities as part of the first task of the series as he was chosen by the All Star members of the house acting as producers.

Ahead of taking part in the show, Block said he was looking forward ''to getting away from technology for a while and having a laugh with new people''.

Block made a name for himself as a DJ in the 90s, and also became well known for his former rock 'n' roll lifestyle.

His departure came one day after Norwood, 35, left the TV lock-up after he blacked out over pain caused by a cracked tooth.

Norwood has since threatened Celebrity Big Brother with legal action after he said he was prevented from re-entering the house.

The first live eviction for the series will take place on Friday, with Angie Best, James Cosmo, Stacy Francis, couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt and Armacost up for the chop.
Billie Lourd, right, with her mother Carrie Fisher at the world premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Invision/AP)

Actor Billie Lourd has paid a rare public tribute to her mother, the late Carrie Fisher.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, she shared a photograph of herself as a toddler sitting with Fisher in the back of a car.

Quoting the Princess Leia star in the caption, she wrote: "If my life weren't funny then it would just be true and that is unacceptable."

Lourd added: "Finding the funny might take a while but I learned from the best and her voice will forever be in my head and in my heart."

Lourd, 24, daughter of Fisher and Bryan Lourd, has largely held back from speaking publicly about the death of her mother last month.

Her post follows just one other on her account since the death of Fisher and her grandmother Debbie Reynolds.

Alongside a family photo of the three together, she wrote: "Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist.

"There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby.

"Your love and support means the world to me."

Fisher, 60, died on December 27 after suffering a heart attack on board a flight four days before.

Video of the Day

Singin' In The Rain star Reynolds died a day later at the age of 84.
Olympic boxer Kenny Egan has welcomed his first child with fiancee Karen Sullivan into the world.

The 2008 silver medallist announced the good news on Twitter this morning, congratulating his "amazing" partner.

"9lb5 baby Kate welcomed into the world at 5.15am. Well done @Karen__Sullivan. You are amazing," he wrote.

The Fine Gael councillor and new mother Karen got engaged at Christmas - and announced that they were expecting a child several months later.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Karen Sullivan and Ken Egan Karen Sullivan and Ken Egan / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Karen Sullivan and Ken Egan

In March, Karen took to Facebook and Instagram to announce the news.

Read More

"Scan done this morning all going good , we are delighted xxx," she wrote.

Following suit on social media, Kenny has kept his 11,500 Twitter followers up to date on mother and baby progress since the birth.

Thank you all so much for the well wishes, mammy and baby are doing really well. #parenthood  Cllr Kenneth Egan (@kenegan30) October 7, 2015

"Thank you all so much for the well wishes, mammy and baby are doing really well. #parenthood," he wrote this afternoon.

The couple are set to marry next year, moving their original plans to wed this summer.

Expand Close Olympic boxer Ken Egan, Silver, with his mother Maura and girlfriend Karen Sullivan in 2008 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Olympic boxer Ken Egan, Silver, with his mother Maura and girlfriend Karen Sullivan in 2008

Video of the Day

Trained addiction counselor kenneth won a seat on South Dublin County Council as an elected representative for Fine Gael in June 2014.
The foreign ministry said the three Egyptian men have been released after months of detention in Addis Ababa

Egypt's foreign ministry says Ethiopia has released three Egyptian nationals detained for months during a recent wave of violent protests that left hundreds dead in the East African country.

The foreign ministry secured the three men's release after a months-long effort, the ministry said in a statement late on Wednesday. The nationals departed Ethiopia's Addis Ababa for Cairo Wednesday night. They were not charged with any wrongdoing, the ministry added.

Egypt's Foreign minister Sameh Shoukry traveled to Addis Ababa in November to discuss the release of the men with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

In October, Ethiopia blamed "elements" from Eritrea and Egypt for stoking an unprecedented wave of protests against the Ethiopian government over land grabs and human rights abuses that led the government to declare a six-month state of emergency.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi denied the accusations of Egyptian involvement.

"Egypt has never ever offered any support to the opposition and will not carry out any conspiratorial action against Ethiopia," El-Sisi said at the time.

Ethiopia's information minister Getachew Reda was quoted saying that such elements were "not necessarily directly linked with the Egyptian government."

Tensions have arisen in recent years between Cairo and Addis Ababa over each country's access to the Nile River as a water source.

On the detainees' release, Egypt's foreign ministry said it "reflects that both sides are keen to preserve the gains that have been achieved on bilateral relationsand bolster and develop such ties."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Guy Wildenstein is the Franco-American heir of a billion-dollar New York art dealing empire (Michel Euler/AP)

A French judge has cleared international art dealer Guy Wildenstein of hiding valuable paintings to dodge paying tax.

Mr Wildenstein, the Franco-American heir of a billion-dollar New York art dealing empire, was accused of concealing much of his inherited fortune from French tax authorities in trusts held in offshore havens.

The judge in Paris's criminal court cited shortcomings in the investigation as the reason behind the acquittal - a blow to French tax authorities which are clamping down on fraud across the board.

Mr Wildenstein, 71, was accused of "fiscal fraud and money-laundering" and had faced up to 10 years in prison.

He did not attend Thursday's court proceedings.

AP
Jane Fonda says Canada's PM Justin Trudeau has disappointed her over Alberta oil pipeline deals

Jane Fonda speaks at a press conference for indigenous rights in Edmonton Alta during her trip (The Canadian Press/AP)

Jane Fonda has said people should not be fooled by "good-looking liberals" like Justin Trudeau, after the Canadian prime minister "disappointed" her by approving pipelines from the Alberta oil sands.

After touring the oil sands area, the Hollywood star and political activist said environmentalists everywhere had been impressed by Mr Trudeau at the Paris climate conference in late 2015.

"We all thought, 'Well, cool guy'," Fonda, 79, said, before adding: "What a disappointment."

"He talked so beautifully of needing to meet the requirements of the climate treaty and to respect and hold to the treaties with indigenous people," she said.

"Such a heroic stance he took there and yet he has betrayed every one of the things he committed to in Paris."

Fonda, on a trip organised by Greenpeace, is calling for a stop to pipelines and oil sands development.

"I guess the lesson is we shouldn't be fooled by good-looking liberals no matter how well-spoken they are," she said.

Last year Mr Trudeau approved Kinder Morgan's plans to triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, as well as replacing Enbridge's Line 3 to Wisconsin.

But he also pushed ahead with a national carbon price and rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway project to north-west British Columbia, which would pass through the Great Bear Rainforest.

Mr Trudeau's Liberal Party government is trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia against the concerns of environmentalists.

Fonda, a two-time Oscar winner for best actress, is the latest celebrity to visit and express concerns about the Alberta oil sands.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Hollywood film director James Cameron have also visited.

But Alberta premier Rachel Notley said Fonda was using her celebrity to promote ill-informed information.

She said Fonda should not lecture oil workers about getting jobs elsewhere and added that it was "tone deaf" for her to visit Fort McMurray, Alberta, so soon after devastating wildfires that destroyed 2,400 homes and buildings.

Ms Notley, who leads the left-leaning New Democratic Party, added that Alberta had a plan that made the province a climate leader in North America.

"Dining out on your celebrity is something that someone ought to pair with knowledge and research and she failed to do that," she said of Fonda.

"She didn't know what she was talking about. It's not helpful."

Alexandre Deslongchamps, a spokesman for Canada's natural resource minister, said: "Our government believes that the environment and the economy go hand in hand.

"The oil sands are an important source of jobs and economic prosperity for Canadians.

"We believe we can only develop our natural resources when we can do so sustainably.

"That's why we are putting a price on carbon pollution, strengthening environmental and safety standards and making real investments in clean technology."

Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil production.

Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports, with 97% of them now going to the US.

AP
A New Zealand man and his six-year old daughter missing at sea for more than a month have landed in Australia after sailing their small, damaged yacht across the treacherous 2,000 km (1,241.7 miles) Tasman Sea.

Alan Langdon, 46, and his daughter Que had planned a short journey from Kawhia to the Bay of Islands on New Zealand's east coast, but after a storm damaged the yacht's rudder they found themselves drifting out to sea.

"Once we were in the position with no rudder, we didn't have as many options," Langdon told local media after docking his 21 foot (6.4 metres) yacht on Wednesday in Ulladulla, a fishing port 230 kms south of Sydney.

"I waited for the fine weather, that didn't come. At that stage we were getting pushed south and out," said Langdon, adding he then decided it would be safer to head to Australia across the Tasman Sea.

Their arrival in Australia ends an international search for the pair.

Langdon will spend a few days in Ulladulla fixing the broken rudder before sailing north to Port Kembla to be processed by Australian customs.
The scene of the plane crash in Queensland in which an Irishwoman was seriously injured.

Emergency services at the scene of the plane crash in Queensland in which an Irishwoman was seriously injured. Photos: LifeFlight

A man has spoken of his horror as he watched a small plane carrying his teenage son plummet into sand dunes.

Jesse Lonnon (13) sustained non life-threatening injuries in the crash in Queensland, Australia which left an Irish woman fighting for her life.

His dad, Jason, has described how he climbed into the plane wreck to try and cut his son out of his seatbelt.

The private plane, which was carrying four passengers, crashed near Agnes Waters in Queensland on Tuesday killing a young British woman.

The crash, which occurred just before 11am local time, took place during an excursion to the remote Middle Island.

The Irish woman (21) on the plane sustained a head injury. A spokesperson for Queensland Police Service told Independent.ie the woman has been transferred to a specialist unit in Brisbane to treat her injuries. The woman's condition is still listed as 'critical'.

Expand Close Pilot Les Woodall suffered extensive injuries. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Pilot Les Woodall suffered extensive injuries.

Dad Jason Lonnon was travelling in the aircraft behind his son when he saw the plane started to turn down.

"We thought they were getting ready to land but they disappeared out of sight behind the sand dune and within a few seconds later we saw the plane wreck on the ground," he told the Brisbane Times.

Expand Close The scene of the plane crash in Queensland in which an Irishwoman was seriously injured. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The scene of the plane crash in Queensland in which an Irishwoman was seriously injured.

"It is hard to describe how I felt at the time knowing my son was down in there in that mess.

"I managed to get the door off the plane and we started pulling people onto the beach there was fuel leaking everywhere," he continued.

"He was still trapped in his seat, I had to climb into the wreck and cut the seatbelt away."

Authorities in Queensland are now investigating engine failure as the likely cause of the light plane crash.

"Police are now preparing a report on the deceased for the coroner and the aviation authority's investigation is underway," the spokesperson told Independent.ie.

"Preliminary information is suggesting something along the lines of engine failure but there has not been any confirmation."

Meanwhile, RACQ Capricorn Rescue Helicopter crewman Dave Patterson said he is amazed anyone survived the incident.

The aircraft, once it hit the beach, rolled up and destroyed a lot of the cabin area so the fact there were survivors was incredible, he told the Gladstone Observer.

It is understood it took police some time to reach the scene because of the remoteness of the location. LifeFlight, a rapid response rescue crew, attended the scene of the crash. It said the victims were tourists planning to stay on the island.
Kim Kardashian West will attend an event in Dubai on Friday

French investigators are keeping the brother of Kim Kardashian West's Paris chauffeur in police custody as part of their investigation into October's 10 million dollar (8.1 million) jewellery heist.

Authorities have decided to keep 27-year-old Gary Madar, as well as nine other people, in custody after they released three men and a woman on Wednesday night.

Madar worked for the same car service company as his chauffeur brother Michael Madar, 40.

Authorities are focusing on the possibility that the robbery was an inside job.

It comes as the reality star used Instagram to reveal she is jetting to Dubai for her first major public appearance since the Paris ordeal, headlining a Friday masterclass by her make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic.

AP
Donald Trump's pick to run the CIA has said he accepts the findings in an intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the US election with the goal of helping the Republican win, even though the president-elect has been sceptical of some of the report's conclusions.

Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican congressman, said: "Everything I've seen suggests to me that the report has an analytical product that is sound.

His comments to Congress struck a different tone than those of his future boss, who called the focus on Russia and the election a "political witch-hunt" before he was even briefed on the findings.

On Wednesday, Mr Trump for the first time acknowledged that Russia was behind the computer hacking that targeted Democrats during the 2016 campaign.

As head of the CIA, Mr Pompeo would be responsible for bringing to Mr Trump intelligence assessments the president may find politically unappealing, including additional information on Russia's interference with the American democratic process.

Mr Pompeo promised senators on the intelligence committee that he would do so.

"My obligation as director of CIA is to tell every policy-maker the facts as best the intelligence agency has developed them," he said.

Mr Trump has been critical of the intelligence assessment that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and other political sites, and that Moscow's aim was to get him elected.

This week, he said intelligence officials might be to blame for the leak of an addendum to the Russia assessment that was a summary of unverified claims that Moscow had obtained compromising allegations about the president-elect.

The top US intelligence official, James Clapper, said he did not think the disclosures came from intelligence agencies, and he added that he had told Mr Trump the US intelligence community "has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way".

Senator Angus King, a Maine independent, asked Mr Pompeo to comment on the "very serious allegations" about Mr Trump's ties with Russia.

"I share your view that these are unsubstantiated media reports," Mr Pompeo said, adding that he thought the leaks themselves were "intensely serious".

Mr Pompeo's was one of seven confirmation hearings held this week for senior posts in the upcoming Trump administration. Senators separately questioned Mr Pompeo about classified issues after the public hearing.

On other issues, Mr Pompeo said he will uphold the law and not direct the CIA to revert to using torture tactics to interrogate suspected terrorists.

He also said that while he has been critical of the Obama administration's deal with Iran on nuclear weapons, he would carry out the policy as it stands.

Mr Pompeo was a vocal member of the partisan House committee set up to investigate the deadly attack on a US diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, which occurred while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state.

He told the committee he understands that as CIA director, he will have to make the transition from a partisan, policy-making politician to an objective intelligence collector.

Adding a little drama to the hearing, the lights went out when the top Democrat on the committee mentioned Russia. The hearing was then moved to a different building.

AP
The probe followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from air strikes called in to support Afghan and US troops under fire in Kunduz (AP)

The US military has said its investigation into a clash with the Taliban in Afghanistan has shown that 33 civilians died in the raid during which American troops fired on Afghan homes.

The probe followed claims that civilians died in November when air strikes were called in to support Afghan and US troops under fire in the village of Buz-e Kandahari, Kunduz province, which targeted two senior Taliban commanders.

The two Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation.

A US military statement said the investigation "determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded" as troops responded to fire from "Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions".

After the raid, Kunduz residents carried more than a dozen bodies, including children and family members of the Taliban fighters, to a local governor's office in a show of rage.

In the statement, General John Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, said: "Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives.

"On this occasion the Taliban chose to hide amongst civilians and then attacked Afghan and US forces.

"I wish to assure President (Ashraf) Ghani and the people of Afghanistan that we will take all possible measures to protect Afghan civilians. We will continue to assist the Afghan security forces in their efforts to defend their country."

The Taliban briefly overran the city of Kunduz, the provincial capital with the same name, in October 2015, in a show of strength by the insurgents that also highlighted the troubles facing local Afghan forces, 15 years after the US-led invasion of the country.

The Taliban captured and held parts of Kunduz a year earlier as well, before the city was fully liberated weeks later with the help of US air strikes.

In the 2015 operation, a US Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship attacked a Kunduz hospital run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, killing 42 people.

Sixteen US military personnel, including a two-star general, were disciplined for what American officials described as mistakes that led to the strike.

Doctors Without Borders has called the attack a war crime and demanded an independent investigation.

After the firefight in November, Mr Ghani criticised the Taliban for using women and children as "a shield" during the raid in Buz-e Kandahari. He also announced a local investigation had been started.

The US military statement added that its investigation "concluded that US forces acted in self-defence" in the Afghan-American raid.

"As an indication of the ferocity of the fire faced by friendly forces from the Taliban-occupied houses, two US soldiers and three Afghan army commandos were killed. In addition, four US soldiers and 11 commandos were wounded."

The raid killed 26 Taliban fighters and wounded around 26 other insurgents, the US military said.

The investigation concluded that US air assets used the minimum force required and the civilians who were wounded or killed were probably inside the buildings from which the Taliban were firing.

The US military said a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded, which destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

"It has been determined that no further action will be taken because US forces acted in self-defence and followed all applicable law and policy," the statement concluded.

Nato's combat operations ended in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a move that put Afghan forces in charge of the country's security. Since then, Afghan troops have suffered heavy casualties battling the Taliban, who have tried to expand their footprint across much of the country.

AP
Stephen Carruthers, who went on the run and became one of Britains most wanted fugitives and who has been arrested in France after crashing his car (Photo: PA)

A suspected paedophile who went on the run and became one of Britain's most wanted fugitives has been arrested in France after crashing his car, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Stephen Carruthers, 43, from Bury, was wanted by Cumbria Police on suspicion of 18 offences of making indecent photographs of a child.

Carruthers, who featured in a most wanted fugitives campaign run by the NCA and Crimestoppers, was living in a cottage in Saint-Denis-Catus and is believed to have been using a false name, according to the NCA.

He was admitted to Cahors Hospital with minor injuries on Saturday and was kept in for observations, and subsequent checks by the French authorities on the EU law enforcement database revealed his real identity.

After officers executed a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) at the hospital, Carruthers appeared before the general prosecutor of the appeal court of Agen where he was remanded in custody.

Extradition proceedings are now under way and his next hearing is on Wednesday, the NCA said.

Matt Burton, head of the NCA's International Crime Bureau, said: "The majority of our most wanted fugitives are captured as a result of intelligence-led operations, but with Carruthers his days on the run ended thanks to a huge slice of luck.

"Following the car crash the French authorities carried out checks that revealed his real identity and enabled them to execute the EAW. Now after being at large for nearly three years he will be returned to the UK to face justice."

Carruthers was originally arrested in March 2014 at an address in Ambleside, and a computer recovered was found to contain 5,332 indecent images of children.

The NCA said the most serious of the images showed contact sexual abuse.

After being interviewed he was given bail to re-attend the police station but failed to return.

Carruthers is the 79th fugitive to be arrested out of 96 publicised through Operation Captura.

Lord Ashcroft, founder and chairman of Crimestoppers, said: "There are still 17 fugitives on the list, many of whom continue to pose a threat to the UK as well as the communities where they hide.

"They rarely cease their criminal activity once they're on the run which is why we pursue them."
A heroin addict who bludgeoned her elderly neighbour to death with a rolling pin has been jailed for at least 21 years for the brutal murder.

Sandra Weir launched her attack on defenceless Mary Logie in the pensioner's own home in Leven, Fife, last January.

The 82-year-old grandmother, also known as Rae, suffered 31 injuries to her head and neck - including multiple skull fractures - and sustained defensive wounds as she tried to fend off her attacker.

Weir then left her victim lying seriously injured but alive for hours before returning to deliver the fatal blows, prosecutors believe.

In the months prior to the killing, Weir (41) had befriended the pensioner but was in fact siphoning off cash from her account to fund her drug habit.

Weir was convicted of murder by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh last month.

Judge Michael O'Grady QC, who previously described the manner of Mrs Logie's death as "breathtakingly wicked", handed the killer an automatic life term when she returned to the court for sentencing on Thursday.

He ordered her to spend a minimum of 21 years behind bars before she can even be considered for release.

Regular churchgoer Mrs Logie was found battered to death in the living-room of her first-floor flat in Green Gates on January 5 last year.

She had planned to visit a friend in hospital on the day in question but never turned up. She had spent Christmas with one of her sons in England not long before her death.

Weir denied murder and pleaded alibi, claiming she was elsewhere at the time, but the truth was she was the one who had lashed out violently at the pensioner.

Weir became close to Mrs Logie and acted as her unofficial carer, but she had been a drug addict since her 20s and had racked up debts.

Described by detectives as a "callous and uncaring individual", Weir regularly exploited Mrs Logie for financial gain.

The motive for the brutal homicide may never be fully known but police suspect it was fuelled by Weir's greed.

Investigators believe the killer initially assaulted Mrs Logie in the morning. Weir returned in the evening to inflict the fatal blows.

Mrs Logie's death had a profound impact on the local community where she had lived an active life, with lots of friends.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie, of Police Scotland's major investigation team, said after the verdict: "The level of violence inflicted upon Mary, coupled with the prolonged period of bullying and intimidation, demonstrated Weir's complete disregard for the wellbeing of her victim.

"This was a very, very brutal and horrific attack committed by a despicable individual."
In a meeting on Thursday, the religious leader told Dutch MPs that Egypt's religious institutes bear responsibility for countering extremism

Egypt's Grand Mufti Shawky Allam held a meeting in Cairo on Thursday with a visiting Dutch parliamentary delegation, in which he said that terrorism and violent extremism constitute a threat to every country in the world.

The 12-member Dutch delegation arrived Monday night in Cairo, to meet with Egyptian officials and representatives for two days, before returning to the Netherlands on Thursday.

In the meeting with Egypt's Grand Mufti, attended by the Dutch Ambassador in Cairo, Allam stressed that terrorism will not be defeated without international solidarity and that every country in the world must play a role.

The religious leader praised the Netherlands' support for the people and the government of Egypt in combating the terrorist threat.

The Grand Mufti told the delegation that Egypt's religious institutes bear responsibility for countering extremism and spreading a message of peace and development in Egypt and abroad.

In 2014, Egypt's central authority for issuing religious rulings Dar El-Iftaa  an internationally influential body which Allam heads  launched a department to monitor extremist edicts being released across the Islamic world.

The Dutch MPs met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal in two separate meetings on Tuesday, to discuss a range of issues, including Egypt's recent internal developments.

The delegation, led by chairwoman of the Dutch parliament's foreign affairs committee Angelien Eijsink, discussed with El-Sisi Egyptian-Dutch relations, according to the Egyptian presidency.

The president also discussed with the MPs ways that Egypt could benefit from Dutch experience in several fields, including education and agriculture. The meeting was attended by Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry.

The delegation was briefed by Abdel-Aal on a number of issues including terrorism, the construction of churches in Egypt, the new NGO law and the countrys economic reforms, according to a statement from the parliament speaker's office.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Home Secretary Amber Rudds speech to the Conservative Party conference on foreign workers was treated as a hate incident by police.

In her speech in October 2016 the Tory minister proposed tougher rules on foreign workers to stop immigrants coming to the UK taking jobs British people could do.

Her comments were reported to West Midlands Police by Joshua Silver, a physics professor at the University of Oxford.

Police have now written to Mr Silver stating the incident has been recorded in line with the National Police Chiefs Council manual as a non-crime hate incident.

In her speech in Birmingham, Ms Rudd said: I want us to look again at whether our immigration system provides the right incentives for businesses to invest in British workers.

She continued: We will shortly be consulting on the next steps needed to control immigration. We will be looking across work and study routes.

This will include examining whether we should tighten the test companies have to take before recruiting from abroad. British businesses have driven the economic recovery in this country, with employment at record levels.

However, we still need to do more so all British people get the opportunities they need to get on in life. The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do.

Her speech sparked a backlash and the Conservatives were accused of peddling myths about foreigners taking British peoples jobs.

Professor Silver explained his case on the BBCs Daily Politics, saying: I didnt actually see the speech but Ive read the draft.

And Ive looked at all the feedback that there was to the speech. Ive read the speech carefully and Ive looked at all the feedback.

Its discriminating against foreigners, you pick on them and say we want to give jobs to British people and not to foreigners. It was interpreted that way.

But Lord Howard, the former Conservative Home Secretary, said: Of course it wasnt a hate incident.

What Amber Rudd said was no different from Gordon Brown when he said there should be British jobs for British workers.

I think Mr Silver should be thoroughly ashamed of himself because what hes doing is to bring a well-intentioned piece of legislation into disrepute.

Prof Silver said he had also looked into a statement by Prime Minister Theresa May in which she said she was in effect going to expel all foreign doctors.

Days later the Government U-turned on the plans, which critics said would have included naming and shaming firms by making them reveal what proportion of their workforce is foreign.

Ministers said the data collected under the policy would in fact not be made public and would be for internal policymaking purposes only.

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said Mrs Rudds comments and the subsequent police action was a sign of how much this Conservative Brexit Government has abandoned the centre-ground and embraced the politics of Nigel Farage.

I do have concerns over whether the police should be investigating a politicians speech, but Amber Rudd should certainly examine her own conscience over these grubby and divisive remarks.
ONE of the suspected armed thieves in the Kim Kardashian jewellery heist is a "granddad gangster" linked to a cocaine smuggling ring involving a Saudi prince and a Colombian drugs cartel, prosecutors said.

French police yesterday released Ms Kardashian's driver, who had chauffeured her back from a restaurant to her flat on the night of the robbery and taken her sister Kourtney and bodyguard to a nightclub.

Also released yesterday were the wife and son of one of the suspected thieves arrested in connection with the 10m robbery in Paris. Police are working on the theory that the raid on October 3 on the exclusive apartment block where Ms Kardashian (36) had been staying during Paris Fashion Week was an "inside job".

Police arrested 17 people on Monday and seized 2,440,000 in cash. Fourteen are still in custody, among them the chauffeur's brother, who works for the same company.

Also under arrest are the five men believed to have robbed the US reality television star of valuables that included her 4m engagement ring, after tying her up in her apartment, along with the block's security agent.

CCTV caught some of the men arriving and leaving the building on bikes, some disguised as police officers.

Among the suspects is Didier Dubreucq, who is in his sixties and nicknamed 'Blue Eyes'.

In 2003, he was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a high-profile drug-smuggling case involving Prince Nayef Bin Fawwaz al-Shaalan, of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Nayef was later sentenced to 10 years in prison in absentia after using his diplomatic immunity to smuggle two tons of cocaine to France in his private Boeing 727 in 1999.

The US drug enforcement agency had accused the prince of making contacts with Colombia's Medellin cartel.

Another suspected thief is Marceau B, a 64-year-old from the travelling community nicknamed 'Scraped Nose'.

Prosecutors said they suspect the mastermind to be a 59-year-old Frenchman of Algerian descent nicknamed Omar Le Vieux (Omar the Old), arrested with his two sons, aged 23 and 29, near Paris.

The oldest suspect under arrest is Pierre B (72), known to police in counterfeit money cases and reportedly close to a notorious Marseille gangster called Tony Cossu, nicknamed 'the Eel' for his jail-breaking skills. ( Daily Telegraph London)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Jewish groups have condemned Donald Trump for likening of the actions of today's US intelligence agencies to those of Nazi Germany.

A number of organisations and Holocaust education groups have called the President elect's reference to the Third Reich "cavalier" and "inappropriate", and demanded an apology from the incoming US leader.

Speaking during his first news conference as President-elect, the Republican dismissed the leak of a dossier allegedly containing salacious and compromising allegations against him, saying: Thats something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do, I think its a disgrace that information that was false, and fake, and never happened, got released to the public.

But Steven Goldstein, executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect called his comments "a despicable insult to Holocaust survivors around the world".

He said: The President-elect has denigrated our nation and its commitment to freedom on the eve of his inauguration. He must retract his tweet and apologize to survivors and to our entire nation.

Read More

The incoming leader, Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt also demanded an apology.

No one should cavalierly draw analogies to Nazi Germany, especially the next leader of the free world," he said.

It is not only a ridiculous comparison on the merits, but it also coarsens our discourse and diminishes the horror of the Holocaust.

The American Jewish Centre said in a tweet: "We regret Donald Trump's use of Nazi Germany regarding the media  an inappropriate comparison that diminished the horrors of that time."

Throughout his campaign, Mr Trump received continued support from neo-Nazi groups, including the American Nazi Party, although he disavowed the group after he won the election.

The incoming leader also once re-tweeted a neo-Nazi meme, which depicted his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton with a Star of David and a pile of money.

Several academics have drawn comparisons between the Republican leader's proposed policies and that of facist governments.
US president Barack Obama has made an emotional farewell speech that sought to comfort and encourage a country on edge over economic changes, persistent security threats and the election of Donald Trump.

Mr Obama's valedictory speech in his home city of Chicago was a public meditation on the trials and triumphs, promises kept and promises broken that made up his eight years in the White House.

Arguing his faith in America had been confirmed, he said he ended his tenure inspired by its "boundless capacity" for reinvention, declaring: "The future should be ours."

His delivery was forceful for the most part, but by the end he was wiping away tears as the crowd embraced him one last time. He and his wife Michelle hugged former aides and other audience members long after the speech ended.

Reflecting on the corrosive recent political campaign, Mr Obama (55) said America's great potential "will be realised only if our democracy works. Only if our politics reflects the decency of our people. Only if all of us, regardless of our party affiliation or particular interest, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now".

He made only passing reference to Republican Donald Trump, who will replace him in just 10 days.

He said he pledged to Mr Trump that his administration would "ensure the smoothest possible transition" just as his predecessor George W Bush did for him, and the nation's politics needed to reflect "the decency" of the American people.

But when Mr Obama noted the imminence of that change and the crowd began booing, he responded, "No, no, no, no, no", saying one of the nation's great strengths "is the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next".

The president acknowledged "stark inequality" was corrosive to America's democratic principles, in a nod to the economic uncertainty that helped Mr Trump win the White House.

He said too many inner city and rural families had been left behind, convinced the "game is fixed against them" and the government serves only powerful interests.

Protecting America's way of life, he said, was the job of citizens as well as the military, adding: "Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear."

To cheers from the crowd, Mr Obama, referring to Mr Trump's calls for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration, said he rejected discrimination against Muslim Americans "just as patriotic as we are".

Earlier, as the crowd chanted "four more years", he simply smiled and said: "I can't do that." Nevertheless, during his speech he carried out what seemed like a point-by-point rebuttal of Mr Trump's vision for America. He lamented politicians who question climate change and warned about the threat to US democracy posed by purposely deceptive fake "news" and a growing tendency of Americans to listen only to information that confirmed what they already believed.

Get out of your "bubbles", said Mr Obama who rose to prominence with a message of unity, challenging divisions of red states and blue states.

He also revived a call to activism that marked his first presidential campaign, telling Americans to stay engaged in politics. "If you're tired of arguing with strangers on the internet, try to talk with one in real life," he said.

Mr Obama also paid tribute to the sacrifices made by his wife and his daughters, who were young girls when they entered the big white home in Pennsylvania Avenue and now leave as young women.

Mr Obama praised his wife for taking on her role "with grace and grit and style and good humour" and for making the White House "a place that belongs to everybody".

Soon Mr Obama and his family will exit the stage, to be replaced by Mr Trump, a man who Mr Obama had stridently argued posed a dire threat to the nation's future.

His near-apocalyptic warnings throughout the campaign cast a continuing shadow over his post-election efforts to reassure Americans anxious about the future. Indeed, much of what Mr Obama accomplished over the past eight years could potentially be upended by Mr Trump.

After returning to Washington, Mr Obama will have less than two weeks before he accompanies Mr Trump in the presidential limousine to the Capitol for the swearing-in.

He then plans to take some time off, write a book, and immerse himself in a Democratic re-districting campaign.
Donald Trump has used his first press conference since being elected US president to lash out at the intelligence agencies for leaking details of Russia's "compromising information" on him to the media.

Mr Trump said that such leaks were "like Nazi Germany", rounding on the intelligence agencies and the media in a fiery gathering which sparked laughter and anger by turn.

On the eve of yesterday's press conference, CNN reported that intelligence agencies had warned Mr Trump in a meeting last week that the Russians had "compromising information" on his business and personal details.

Buzzfeed then went further, publishing a document which it claimed was research on the Russian spying on Mr Trump, but which Mr Trump - and many analysts - believe to be fake.

Mr Trump tweeted yesterday morning that the Buzzfeed report was false, and was furious about the suggestion that this report could be the one which came from the intelligence agencies.

Read more: 'Fake news, hidden cameras and comparisons to Nazi Germany' - Eight things we learned from Trump's first press conference since the US election

Expand Close The President-elect with children Eric, Ivanka and Donald Jr. Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The President-elect with children Eric, Ivanka and Donald Jr. Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

"Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak' into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?"

He continued on the theme in the press conference a few hours later, saying: "I think it was disgraceful - disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. That's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. I think it's a disgrace that information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public."

Multiple media outlets have known about a possible dossier of embarrassing or legally dubious material, but none have yet published it.

Mr Trump clashed with a correspondent from TV news channel CNN, which thrust the document into the heart of political debate by reporting on Tuesday that intelligence officers had briefed both Mr Trump and President Barack Obama on its contents.

In an often rowdy conference lasting just over an hour, Mr Trump announced plans to:

Hand over control of the Trump Organisation to sons Donald Jr and Eric to avoid perceived conflicts of interest while he is in the White House;

Remove daughter Ivanka - whose husband Jared Kushner is a key aide - from all positions with the company;

Donate any profits from foreign governments using his hotels to the US Treasury.

He said he was taking the measures voluntarily, as the law did not require presidents to avoid conflicts of interest.

And he brushed off demands for the publication of his tax returns, saying he was unable to release them as they were under audit and that anyway, voters had demonstrated that they "don't care" about the issue when they elected him president.

He confirmed plans to repeal and replace his predecessor's 'Obamacare' health system and to build a wall along the border with Mexico, with the costs to be reimbursed by Mexico.

But the long-awaited conference was dominated by allegations about the dossier, which had been circulating in Washington for some time as media organisations, uncertain of its credibility, held back from publication.

Read more: Kremlin says it is 'total nonsense' that Russian officials have compromising dossier on Trump

In the hours before his appearance, Mr Trump issued a series of tweets in which he denounced the document - supposedly compiled by a British former intelligence agent - as "a complete and total fabrication, utter nonsense!"

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reports were "complete fabrication and utter nonsense" and said the Russian government "does not engage in collecting compromising material".

Standing in front of a row of US flags, Mr Trump blamed the creation of the dossier on his political opponents who he said had "got together - sick people - and they put that crap together".

Some of the more lurid details of the allegations were highly improbable because he was a "germophobe" who hated uncleanliness, he said.

He was also very aware of the danger that hotel rooms may contain hidden cameras.

Mr Trump insisted Moscow had "no leverage" over him as he had "no deals, no loans, no nothing" with Russia.

He said he accepted Mr Putin's assurance that it had not been gathering information on him and hoped to enjoy good relations with Russia.
President-elect Donald Trump talks to Vice President-elect Mike Pence during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Steve Bannon, senior counselor to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump waits for a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

President-elect Donald Trump arrives for a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump argues with CNN's Jim Acosta during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stands with Vice President-elect Mike Pence during a press conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump argues with CNN's Jim Acosta during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Donald Trump refused to take a question from CNN - the organisation that had reported US intelligence officials had briefed the tycoon about unverified claims about his relationship with Russia.

On Tuesday, CNN reported that officials had provided a summary of a dossier of information that was apparently generated by political opponents. The information claimed Mr Trump had been compromised by salacious information about his personal and business dealings in Russia.

Mr Trump had tweeted that the claims were not correct and amount to nothing more than fake news. At a news conference he refused to take a question from CNN. He also criticised BuzzFeed News, which had published the allegations in their entirety.

You are fake news, Mr Trump told reporter Jim Acosta.

CNN's Jim Acosta was yelling questions to Trump. Trump refused to answer. "You are fake news," he said.  Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 11, 2017

Mr Trump said that BuzzFeed, which had published 35-pages of claims and accusations about the President-elect it said it could not verify, as a "failing piece of garbage".

I think theyre going to suffer the consequences, he added. They already are.

Mr Acosta, CNNs senior White House correspondent, tried to ask Mr Trump to address him. Since youre attacking our news organisation, will you give us a question," he said.

Read More

Mr Trump responded: Not you. No, Im not going to give you a question. You are fake news.

CNN later released a statement in response to the tycoon's claims, saying that he was using using BuzzFeeds decision to deflect from CNNs reporting, which has been matched by the other major news organisations.

"CNNs decision to publish carefully-sourced reporting about the operations of our government is vastly different than BuzzFeeds decision to publish unsubstantiated memos. The Trump team knows this," it said.

Fortunately ABC's Cecilia Vega asked my question about whether any Trump associates contacted Russians. Trump said no.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 11, 2017

"We are fully confident in our reporting. It represents the core of what the First Amendment protects, informing the people of the inner workings of their government; in this case, briefing materials prepared for President Obama and President-elect Trump last week.

"We made it clear that we were not publishing any of the details of the 35-page document because we have not corroborated the reports allegations. Given that members of the Trump transition team have so vocally criticised our reporting, we encourage them to identify, specifically, what they believe to be inaccurate.
The chocolate spread contains a contaminant which has been found to increase cancer risks Photo:Getty

Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, has hit back at claims that palm oil used in their hazelnut and chocolate spreads could cause cancer.

In May, the European Food Standards Authority warned that the contaminants found in the oils edible form are carcinogenic. It warned that even moderate consumption of the substances represented a risk to children and said that, due to a lack of definitive data, no level could be considered safe.

Palm oil is found in hundreds of household name food brands including Cadburys chocolate, Clover and even Ben & Jerrys, but Nutella has so far faced the brunt of a consumer backlash.

Several retailers in Italy, including the countrys biggest supermarket chain, Coop, have boycotted the spread as a precaution.

In response, Ferrero has launched an advertising campaign in an attempt to reassure customers that its products are safe.

Ferrero insists that the decision to keep palm oil in Nutella, despite safety fears, is about quality, not cost. The substance is used to give the spread its smooth texture which it says cant be achieved by using other oils. Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward, Ferrero's purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters.

Substitute oils, derived for example from sunflowers or rapeseed, could be used but would increase the cost of making the product by as much as $22m (18m), a calculation by Reuters found. Ferrero has not confirmed the figures. The company was not immediately available for comment.

The cancer fears centre on a compounds known as glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE), which are produced in palm oil when it is heated above 200 degrees celsius, as it is in the processing of for many foods.

Dr Helle Knutsen, chair of Contam, the EFSA panel that investigated palm oil, said in May: There is sufficient evidence that glycidol is genotoxic and carcinogenic, therefore the Contam panel did not set a safe level for GE.

The contaminants can be found in some other vegetable oils, margarines and processed foods but the EFSA found that they are produced in higher, potentially dangerous, amounts in palm oil.

The World Health Organisation and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation have also expressed concerns about GE but have stopped short of issuing warnings about its consumption.

It is not the first time that palm oil has caused controversy. In November Amnesty International raised concerns that global firms including Colgate-Palmolive, Kellogg's, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever have been using palm oil produced by children as young as eight, working in hazardous conditions on Indonesian plantations.

Children were carrying sacks of palm fruit weighing up to 25kg, for Singapore-based company Wilmar, Amnesty found.

Palm oil has long been linked to environmental degradation, including mass deforestation causing the loss of critical habitats for endangered species such as orangutans. Ferrero says all of the oil it uses comes from sustainable sources as certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a body set up by major producers and purchasers to set standards and self-regulate the industry.

The RSPO has been criticised by many non-governmental organisations who say that its standards are too low and enforcement too weak. Greenpeace said in its 2013 report "Certifying Destruction" that the RSPO's standards left it free to fell pristine forests to make way for plantations.
Egypt's General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek referred on Thursday two of the country's health officials to criminal court for requesting an EGP 4 million bribe.

The officials allegedly demanded the bribe in exchange for ordering the direct signing, without bidding, of a supply contract for bone marrow transplant equipment to a private company, state-owned news agency MENA reported.

The prosecution's evidence in the case includes recorded phone calls between the health minister's consultant for specialized hospitals and another official at Cairo's Ain Shams hospital in which the two mediated the bribe request from the company's officials.

Last May, security forces arrested the health minister's consultant for medical centre affairs on corruption charges.

The defendant was caught receiving bribes, in the form of cheques worth a total of EGP 4.5 million, at the Ministry of Health headquarters, according to an official statement by the ministry.

The corruption case, opened in September 2015, involved multiple other defendants including cabinet officials. The scandal triggered a cabinet reshuffle that resulted in the appointment of a new health minister.

In Early 2016, sacked agriculture minister Salah Helal received a 10-year prison sentence and an EGP 1 million fine on charges of corruption.

For the month of December, 2016, the Local Observatory Partners For Transparency (PFT) recorded five cases of corruption and violations in the country's health sector.
Former general James Mattis looks set to be confirmed as Donald Trump's defence secretary after the Senate voted to grant him an exemption to run the Pentagon as a recently-retired officer.

At his confirmation hearing, he called Russia the nation's number one security threat, accusing President Vladimir Putin of trying to "break" Nato.

The Senate voted 81-17 to approve legislation overriding a ban on former US service members who have been out of uniform less than seven years from holding the Defence Department's top job.

The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military. The House is scheduled to vote on Friday.

Mr Mattis, 66, spent four decades in uniform, retiring in 2013 with a reputation as an effective combat leader and an astute strategist.

Separate from the override legislation, the Senate will vote later on Mr Mattis's nomination, which is seen as all but certain to be confirmed.

The only other exception to the rule was made for the legendary George Marshall in 1950, the year Mr Mattis was born.

Even some of Mr Trump's strongest critics have supported the waiver for Mr Mattis, arguing that his experience and temperament can serve as a steadying influence on a new president with no experience in national security.

At an uncontentious confirmation hearing, Mr Mattis sketched an international security scene dominated by dark images of an aggressive Russia, resurgent China and violent Middle East.

He described Iran as a major destabilising force, called North Korea a potential nuclear threat and said the US military needs to grow larger and readier for combat.

"We see each day a world awash in change," Mr Mattis said.

"Our country is still at war in Afghanistan and our troops are fighting against Isis and other terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere.

"Russia is raising grave concerns on several fronts, and China is shredding trust along its periphery."

Mr Mattis portrayed Russia as an adversary and said the history of US-Russian relations is not encouraging.

"I have very modest expectations for areas of cooperation with Mr Putin," he said, delivering an assessment strikingly different to that of his potential commander in chief.

Mr Trump has repeatedly praised Mr Putin, even as US intelligence agencies have accused the Russian leader of orchestrating a campaign of interference in the 2016 US election.

Mr Mattis, a former Nato military leader, said Mr Putin "is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance".

He said he has explained to Mr Trump his views on Russia, which include a deep worry that Moscow is determined to use intimidation and nuclear threats to create a sphere of unstable states on its periphery.

Mr Mattis, who has served in numerous senior military positions, including commander of US Central Command in charge of all American forces in the Middle East, said he supports the Obama administration's moves to reassure European allies after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and military activity in eastern Ukraine.

While the US should remain open to working with Russia, Mr Mattis said the prospects for cooperation were narrowing even as areas of disagreement grow larger.

AP
Yes, you heard that right, a choreographer from Norway was flown into the country to train Kangana Ranaut for her song 'Bloody Hell' in Rangoon.

Vishal Bharadwaj had specially asked Norway-based choreographer, Sudesh Adhana to show the ropes to Kangana for her song "Bloody Hell".

The ace filmmaker shared,"Sudesh is not just a choreographer but also a lecturer in modern dance. We collaborated on an opera in Paris, A Flowering Tree, which I directed and he choreographed. Then, we joined hands for Haider's "Bismil" which bagged him a National Award. He is an unusual personality.This song is from a film within the film and Kangana worked really hard to get the dance form right".

Right now Vishal Bharadwaj is busy with the post-production of 'Rangoon' which is produced by ace producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

The talented actress plays a diva from the 40's era and Kangana has really worked hard throughout November to master her dance moves when they shot the song in December.

'Bloody Hell' is indeed special as even legendary lyricist Gulzar had given 7-8 options for the song and then Bloody Hell was crystallized.

Vishal Bharadwaj also shared that normally it take 10-15 days to finalize a song but for 'Rangoon' it has taken two months to lock each songs for the film.

Rangoon is an upcoming Bollywood period romance drama, which has Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles.

Rangoon is a period film set during World War II.

Helmed by national award winner Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, The film is scheduled for release on 24 February 2017.
Egypt's Ministry of Education announced on Thursday that Thanaweya Amma (national high school) examinations for 2017 are set to start on 4 June.

The ministry said in a statement that make-up exams are scheduled for 12 August.

This year's high school exams will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on 29 May.

Last year, test questions were leaked online through a Facebook page called Chao Ming, with students protesting after the education ministry decreed they must sit in for new exams.

Nearly 500,000 students take the high school examinations in Egypt annually.

Thanaweya Amma students must take highly competitive exams in a number of subjects at the end of their final year of school. The marks scored determine what universities and faculties students may attend, if any.

In 2015, a presidential decree stated those who leak exam scores will face a year in prison as well as fines ranging from EGP 20,000 to EGP 50,000.
The European Union said on Thursday in a statement that the decision by an Egyptian court to uphold an asset freeze on two NGOs  the Arab Penal Reform Organisation (APRO) and Nazra for Feminist Studies  continues a worrying trend of restricting civil society in Egypt.

A Cairo criminal court upheld on Wednesday an earlier court decision to freeze the assets of Nazra director Mozn Hassan and APRO director Mohamed Zaree over charges that they illegally received foreign funding.

Human rights defenders and an active civil society play a key role in democratic and economic development, helping build political stability this regard, an EU spokesperson said in the statement.

It is essential that human rights defenders and civil society are free to operate in a favourable environment and that all the guarantees stipulated in the Egyptian constitution regarding freedom of expression and association are fully implemented and upheld.

Hassan and Zaree are among a number of prominent Egyptian human rights activists slammed with asset freezes and travel bans in 2016 pending trial into charges of receiving illegal foreign funding.

A law managing the activities of NGOs was passed last December by Egypt's parliament  yet to be ratified by the president  sparked widespread criticism by human rights activists locally and internationally.

Twenty-two NGOs and six political parties have signed a statement saying that the draft law would end civil society by putting it under the control of government and security bodies.

Also, in a statement on wednesday, the United States Departemnt of State said it is "troubled" by the Egyptian court decision.

Egypt has repeatedly described international reports on the countrys human rights record as biased and politically motivated, stressing that it rejects comments by international organisations on Egyptian court verdicts.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Thursday with Germany's vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel the latest economic and social developments in Egypt and the region, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.

Shoukry, who started a two-day visit to Germany on Wednesday, shared with Sigmar updates on economic reforms recently adopted by the Egyptian government, the statement read.

Shoukri also discussed with Sigmar Egypts controversial new law regulating the work of NGO in the country, which has been passed by parliament but not yet ratified by the president, stressing that Cairo supports a strong role for non-governmental organisations in social and economic development.

The Egyptian FM also told the vice chancellor that the recent presidential pardons to dozens of prisoners convicted on breaking the protest law show that the Egyptian government is committed to safeguarding freedoms.

Sigmar explained at length to the Egyptian FM that Germany and Europe face a challenge to confront the threat of terrorism and radical ideologies in the continent, the statement read.

The Egyptian foreign minister shared with Sigmar Egypts own efforts in fighting radicalism and reforming religious discourse.

During the meeting, Shoukry expressed wishes that Egypt's partners in Europe, including Germany, appreciate what Egypt has achieved in its democratic transition and the war against terrorism.

Germany's vice chancellor Gabriel assured Shoukri that Germany would fully support Egypt during this important phase in its history and would continue to provide economic support to Egypt.

During the meeting, Minister Shoukry suggested convening a fourth meeting for of two countries' joint economic committee in Germany to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.

Germany has been a strong supporter of the Egyptian government in economic, financial, infrastructure-development and military fields.

On Thursday, Shoukry also met with German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, where they discussed a number of issues including the developments in the Middle East.

Shoukry also met with majority leader in the Bundestag Volker Kauder, where they discussed bilateral relations, the latest developments in the Middle East, the war on terrorism and irregular migration.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said talks to discuss the Middle East peace process in Paris on Sunday would be "rigged" against Israel, which has announced it would not participate.

"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances. This pushes peace backwards," Netanyahu said in public remarks on Thursday.

"It's not going to obligate us. It's a relic of the past, it's a last gasp of the past before the future sets in," he said in English, during a meeting with Norway's foreign minister.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Everybody knows that a life insurance policy provides protection against life, but there are many options and benefits which come along with a life insurance policy and most of the people are not aware about it. Due to this unawareness, many people do not know about various provisions offered under a life insurance policy. One such provision is the Assignment Clause under your life insurance policy. It allows the transfer of the rights of the life insurance policy from the policyholder to another person or entity.So, through this article, let us demystify various aspects of Assignment under a life insurance policy.Assignment of life insurance policy is the process in which the policyholder legally transfers the rights of life insurance policy to another person for various reasons. The process of transfer is known as an Assignment. Assignment Clause is expressed in section 38 of the Insurance Act,1938. The policyholder who assigns the policy (transfers the rights) is known as Assignor and the person to whom the policy is assigned is known as Assignee. After the assignment of the life insurance policy, the assignor loses his rights over the policy and the assignee becomes the owner of the policy. You can assign a policy for taking a loan against your life insurance policy or even if you wish to gift it to someone. While taking a loan, you assign the policy to the bank and the bank becomes the owner of the policy, but the life assured in the policy is the policyholder, so that even if the original policyholder (assignor) dies, the bank can get the death benefit to recover the loan. So, the life insurance policy will serve as a collateral for taking up the loan from the bank.There are two types of assignments which can be done:1. Absolute Assignment - Absolute assignment means the complete assignment of the ownership, benefits, liabilities under the life insurance policy from assignor to assignee without any terms and conditions. No conditions are applicable in the absolute assignment. Once the policy which is assigned cannot be owned again by the assignor.Example- Nitin owns a life insurance policy of Rs 10 lakh and he wants to gift his life insurance policy to his mother. So he will have to go for an absolute assignment of the policy. After the assignment of the policy, the death benefit or maturity benefit of the life insurance policy will be paid to Nitins mother. Nitin will not have any right over the policy and its benefits. After the assignment of the policy, if his mother wishes to gift this policy to someone else, then she can easily do so subject to the clauses and acceptance of assignment request by the insurance company.2. Conditional Assignment - Conditional assignment means the transfer of rights will happen from assignor to assignee subject to the specified terms and conditions.Once the conditions are fulfilled, then the life insurance policy is assigned back to the original assignor from the assignee.For example, Vijay has a life insurance policy of Rs 20 lakh and he wants to get a loan of Rs 20 lakh from the bank. So, Vijay (assignor) can do conditional assignment of the policy under which he will assign the policy to the bank basis the condition that all the rights, benefits of the policy will stay with the bank (assignee) till the time Vjay has an outstanding loan amount. In case Vijay fails to pay the loan, the bank can recover the outstanding amount by surrendering the life insurance policy. If Vijay is able to pay back the loan amount to the bank then the bank will reassign the life insurance policy back to Vijay. If Vijay dies before paying the loan to the bank, then the bank will get the death benefit and no family member of Vijay will have any right over the policy. In case benefit received under the policy is Rs 20 lakh and outstanding loan is for Rs 10 lakh, the insurance company will give Rs 10 lakh to the Bank and the remaining amount to the legal heirs of Vijay in case of his death.The nomination is the right given to the policyholder to appoint a trustworthy person, who is entitled to receive the policyproceeds of the life insurancein case of death of the policyholder. The person appointed by the policyholder is known as the nominee. The basic difference between a nomination and assignment is that while in nomination, the nominee will have no right on the benefits of life insurance policy if the policyholder is alive and is simply the receiver of the policy benefits in case of death.The nominee is liable to transfer the same to the legal heirs. On the other hand, in the assignment clause, the assignee has full right on the benefits of the life insurance even if the policyholder is alive. This happens because in assignment, all the rights, including the liabilities of the policy is transferred to the assignee and the original policyholders right is terminated (basis the type of assignment) while in nomination, the policyholder only nominates the person for receiving policy money after the death of the policyholder and all the rights remains with the policyholder and his heirs.There are two ways of assigning a life insurance policy.The assignment request has to be made in writing. The first way is through endorsement on the policy document and the second one is by a separate assignment deed (stamp duty has to be paid). In any of the conditions, you will have to give noticeto the insurer about your assignment of the policy in writing and send requisite documents for the same. The assignment should be attested by at least one witness and signature of the assignor is also compulsory.The conditions may vary from insurer to insurer.Yes, an insurance company can decline your assignment request.With the addition in Insurance Act 2015, an insurer has the right to accept or decline assignment of the policy. This addition in the insurance act was made because of the useof assignment of life insurance policy as a profit making business. Trading of life insurance policy is strictly banned and is considered illegal. If the insurer finds that your reason of assignment is not genuine or is forceful then they will decline your assignment request.Even after the assignment of the policy, the tax benefit stays with the assignor(if he is paying the premium) because his life is insured under the policy. Even if the assignee is paying the premium, he will not be entitled to any tax benefit. In the case of assignment of policy to bank for loan, the premiums paid by the assignor are tax deductible.Lastly, assignment of the policy can be used to gift your insurance policy to someone or to take a loan against your policy. But the final decision of assignment of your policy is in the hands of the insurer, which puts restriction on any misuse of the assignment clause under your life insurance policy.
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
An Airbus A321 airliner landed in Tehran on Thursday, the first to arrive out of the 200 Western-built aircraft ordered by IranAir following the lifting of sanctions on Iran last year.

"This is a historic moment for Iran, signalling the end of the sanctions era for the country ... This is a prelude to the delivery of other aircraft and the renovation of Iran's ageing air fleet," state TV said.

Analysts say IranAir flies one of the world's oldest fleets and has had to rely on smuggled or improvised parts to keep them operational.

Iran, which has not directly purchased a Western-built plane in nearly 40 years, has ordered 100 airliners from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 turboprop aircraft from Toulouse-based ATR, which is jointly owned by Airbus and Italy's Leonardo Finmeccanica.

The one exception was the sale of a plane to replace an Airbus jet shot down by the U.S. Navy in 1988.

The arrival of the Airbus 321 on Thursday comes just over a week before the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is opposed to the deal struck by Western powers in 2015 which lifted sanctions against Iran in return for curbs on the country's nuclear activities.

Republicans in the U.S. Congress have also objected to the pact, which was signed by the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, Germany and Iran.

Iran's pragmatist president Hassan Rouhani's success in ending international sanctions by reaching the deal has also intensified a power struggle among the country's faction-ridden elite, who have criticised the deal for a lack of tangible economic benefits since sanctions were lifted.

"This (aircraft) delivery was very crucial ... especially the timing of it. Now people can see the result of lifting sanctions," a senior Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

"It will increase Rouhani's popularity ... and his chances for re-election in May."

IranAir Chairman Farhad Parvaresh said in France on Wednesday in taking delivery of the Airbus plane that he hoped the United States would not block the agreement.

Both Airbus and Boeing needed U.S. export licences to deliver the jets because of the number of U.S. parts they contain.

Both have received licences but Boeing needs to have the majority extended due to the lengthy delivery period and analysts expect it to point to the Airbus delivery in order to press its case.

"Everything has been done according to the international regulations and rules up to now. We hope that nothing special happens to end this contract," Parvaresh told reporters on Wednesday.

IranAir hopes to receive at least two more aircraft from Airbus by the end of March and a total of six A320 aircraft in calendar year 2017. State TV quoted Parvaresh as saying on Thursday that Iran's Bank of Industry and Mine had financed the purchase of the first plane delivered.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


As technology and travel continue to make our world smaller, an increasing number of Americans are forming connections with people around the globe. Despite this, African-Americans often find that negative stereotypes about Black people exist globally. One local woman believes the best way to debunk those labels is to make meaningful connections across racial and cultural boundaries.

Sheaundra Graves is a local coordinator with Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG), a nonprofit organization that places foreign exchange students with families across the U.S. Graves wants to encourage Black families in Indianapolis to host international students, because she feels it would be an opportunity to share African-American culture with the world.

There is so much going on in todays society, and there is so much pointing the finger at African-Americans. You never really hear much good. I know plenty of good African-American citizens in Indiana. I feel like this is a great opportunity to get families to educate themselves about other cultures while also educating that student about our culture, said Graves.

Graves became interested in working with FLAG after helping a friend find host families for students. She felt the need to get involved because she wanted the world to know that Black people cared about international issues.

Whenever you see World Vision or things like that, they only show a lot of caucasian families. That leaves the world thinking they are the only people that are helping, and thats not true. I was working with inner-city youth with my church The Caring Place, and I wanted to do more to get involved. If I cant go overseas on a mission trip, why not reach international students here?

Sarah Britt, a short-term program manager with FLAG, says she has seen students change negative perspectives after getting to know their host families. Britt recalled a time when a student was placed with an interracial couple that included a Black man.

The student was adamant that they were not going to live there. We told him this is just how American culture is, and a couple of weeks into it he loved that family, said Britt. When they come from a white farm town in Germany and everyone is a white German, its a completely different world. A lot of our school systems here are so diverse, it changes everything.

Sixteen-year-old Dickson Alexander is one of many students currently in America via the FLAG program. Originally from Tanzania, a large country in eastern Africa, he says his time in America has been a positive experience.

I wanted to come to America because I feel like its the most diverse country. I want to learn about different cultures, but not just the American culture; I want to learn the Asian and European culture and other cultures, said Alexander. Where Im from its like a whole different world. For the first couple of days, it was difficult adjusting to being here. When I first got here, everything was different. How they did things were different, and the food was different, too. My favorite part of being in the program is meeting different people and learning how they live.

The trip to America has given Alexander the opportunity to connect with kids from around the globe, including Japan, Germany, Spain and Brazil. Recently, all of the local FLAG students took a group ski trip with staff to spend time together.

Graves feels that rather than teaching students about America, the experience ended up being more of a cultural exchange that allowed her to learn just as much from her students as they have from her.

Ever since I started working with FLAG and meeting these students from around the world face to face, Ive had a different perspective on their cultures. It surprised me, because its not what I think based on school history classes, said Graves.

Britt hopes that both the host families and students take away a lasting appreciation of other cultures and gain an inclusive view of the world.

After you become an adult, you get set in your ways, and its harder to change someones perspective, she said. At 15 or 16, this experience causes their whole worldview to change. There is a prejudice that exists in the world, and these students take their changed worldview home with them. Its important for these students to experience our culture and for us to experience theirs, as well.

Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG) is a U.S. based nonprofit international exchange organization. For more information on FLAG, visit flag-intl.org or contact Sheaundra Graves at (317) 979-1509.
Today, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced that Bryan Roach, a 26-year veteran of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, will take the helm of chief.

Roachs detailed tenure with IMPD includes a wealth of service experience. He has held each rank, both merit and appointed, within the department. His most recent assignment was as assistant chief of administration, and for the past several months he has been intimately involved with the mayors Criminal Justice Reform Task Force.

Last month when first learning of this impending vacancy, we knew a thorough search would be necessary to find a leader that was ready to take on the challenges that we face in our city, said the mayor. While there are many bright, thoughtful leaders within IMPD  one is best equipped to face those challenges.

Last year, Roach received the Jake Laird Local Public Safety Hero Award, and in 2015, he was recognized by the Indiana Public Health Foundation with the Tony and Mary Hulman Health Achievement Award for his contributions in creating the states first law enforcement program targeted at assisting victims of opioid overdose. Roach is also a graduate of the FBIs National Academy.

I appreciate the opportunity throughout my career to rub shoulders with many department chiefs and command staff. I feel that I have been prepared by them and others in my life for this, what I believe to be, a calling, said Roach. I feel confident in my abilities.

Roachs appointment comes after the December 2016 resignation of Troy Riggs, who served in the role for less than a year after leaving a position at IUPUI as director of public safety outreach. Roach shared with the media that he has promised Hogsetts office he will stay in the role for at least the next three years. Valerie Cunningham, who has been with IMPD for 24 years, served as interim chief for a very brief period of 11 days. Had she been appointed, it would have marked the first time a woman had served in this role in the history of the department.

Cunningham said that while she decided not to pursue the role herself, she campaigned heavily on behalf of Roach. I chose to spend my energy promoting this individual who I firmly believe in and who I will work in concert with. We have a wonderful working relationship, and I think this is a phenomenal choice and a great opportunity for this agency to keep us on track, she said. Internally we know the merits of Chief Roach. Externally, the Haughville community knows him from when he was a commander, but the other communities are going to get to know him. I can tell you, this was my choice for a chief. I am extremely pleased.

Cunningham added that her individual position will change at some point, but she will remain in a prominent role within the department.

Diversity has been a recurring conversation surrounding the department in recent weeks. Late last week, City Councilor Stephen J. Clay spoke out against IMPDs recent interdepartmental promotions. Of the 23 officers promoted to the rank of sergeant and the five sergeants promoted to the rank of lieutenant, one was a Black male and another a woman of Latin descent.

In a written statement, Clay said, The current promotion list is yet another example, in the photo album of this department, that seems to indicate a commitment to preserving the status quo of lily-white officers.

Though there was no formal plan laid out in Wednesdays press conference about how to address the issue, Roach mentioned that diversity would be a focus of his. Another would be transparency within the department.

Dr. David A. Hampton, deputy mayor of neighborhoods, said the announcement marks the dawn of a new day.

I think that the mayors choice was very positive in that it sent a message of confidence within our ranks, said Hampton. It was very optimistic that Chief Roach met, prior to the press conference, with a number of clergy and answered some very tough questions. One of the tough questions had to do with transparency. Hampton shared that participants in the informal gathering felt that if the department expects the community to divulge more information to them about crime, then the community would like the same courtesy when officers are reprimanded internally for misconduct.

According to the deputy mayor, the group was pleased with Roachs answers and his willingness to work with the community.

When asked about how he plans to lead, Roach pointed to a three-tiered policing philosophy focused on protecting and serving the community, exploring simple solutions in complex situations and a passion for establishing a high level of trust with the public, deeming the latter most important.

There are hundreds of thousands of opportunities each year for individual officers to interact with individual citizens. Our officers in those situations must treat people as people, no matter the circumstances, he said. Its every interaction that our officers have the community, no matter the situation, that builds that trust and understanding and gives the community a view of what the department is.

Though the appointment became effective immediately with the announcement on Jan. 11, a formal swearing-in ceremony will be held in the coming weeks.
Next week, residents of the northwest side will be invited to share their opinions on a proposed design for the new Michigan Road branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. The meeting, to be held on Jan. 18 from 5:307:30 p.m. at the Fay Biccard Glick Family Pavilion, is the last in a series of three public meetings held for the branch. The design schematics and renderings of the branch, which will be located at 62nd Street and Michigan Road, are derived from a concept of project architects from krM Architecture+. The $7.3 million building will be funded by a bond issue approved by the Indianapolis City-County Council.

John Helling, director of public services, said the organizations intent was to consider the publics ideas. Attendees of the community forums were encouraged to think outside of the norm and contribute unique suggestions. A digital initiative, via Facebook, served as an additional platform for input.

We asked them to imagine themselves five years in the future, writing a postcard that says, This is what Im excited about at my library branch, said Helling.

The remarks ran the gamut, from more traditional wishes like more study rooms and huge windows for natural light, to out of the ordinary suggestions like a drone dock.

Helling, whose role with the library is to oversee all 24 branches as well as the outreach, programming and volunteer services departments, shared it was imperative that the community have a say from the outset of the planning process.

Its extremely important to us that the public feel connected to this building and to the library. We dont want it to just be a warehouse full of books, he said. We wanted it to be a vibrant center of the community and for people to feel like its their second living room, so to speak.

For this matter, after each public meeting, Helling and his team conversed about the input gathered and considered the feasibility of each suggestion from a cost and space perspective. In the end, many of the recommendations, such as ample space for meetings, study rooms and more computers, were included in the proposed plan.

The 20,000-square-foot facility also plans to feature spaces for early literacy programming; research and job skills counseling; 31 public access computers; and a 100-seat community meeting room with integrated audio-visual equipment.

Overall, the entire system in on track to have several changes over the next few years with more facility renovations and some closures as well, in particular the Fountain Square and Flanner House branches.

Currently, Southport, East Washington and Warren Branches are being renovated, and a plan is in the works to relocate the Brightwood branch. Through 2020, the Library plans to update five existing branches, relocate an additional three branches and build three new branches.

Recently, it was announced that the Central branch, would be opening a new Center for African-American Literature and Culture. Nichelle Hayes, the director of the center, said in a written statement that she was excited to have the opportunity to add to the Librarys existing offerings.

The Center for African-American Literature and Culture will be located in the 3,990-square-foot Robert B. Annis West Reading Room at Central Library. Its targeted opening will correspond with the 100th anniversary celebration of Central Library this fall.

Were doing our best to position ourselves and respond to the way people use libraries. We want to make sure were not resting on our laurels; were trying to stay active and responsive and really do our best to be a 21st century library, said Helling.

In regards to the closures, which will happen within the next two to three years, Helling said that the librarys administration consulted population data and other sources to reach their decisions. He added that the ultimate plan is to move away from leased facilities (as is the case for both Fountain Square and Flanner House) to buildings that the Library owns outright. This, he deduced, is a better use of taxpayers dollars.

We understand that its not ideal to lose your branch, he said. As librarians, we wish we could put libraries on every corner, but we have to try and do our best for the entire service area.

Helling stated there would be conversations had with patrons in both communities to determine what the library would leave behind, as they do not intend to completely vacate the neighborhoods. Proposed ideas include a weekly story time program, a remote book pick-up location and a public computer lab.

Construction on the Michigan Road branch is slated to begin in the fall of 2017 and be completed in the fall of 2018. For more information about other library projects, visit indypl.org/renovations.
The Bad River runs through the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Photo: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources



The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe is taking a stand against a pipeline that runs through the reservation in Wisconsin.

The tribe informed Enbridge Energy that it won't renew rights-of-way for the 64-year-old crude oil Line 5 . The tribe also said it would start the process to remove the aging infrastructure from its lands.

"We depend upon everything that the Creator put here before us to live mino-bimaadiziwin -- a good and healthy life," Chairman Robert Blanchard said in a press release announcing the tribe's decision. "We will work with our Native and non-native communities to make sure that Line 5 does not threaten the rights of people living in our region, and we will reach out to federal, state and local officials to evaluate how to remove Line 5, and we will work with the same communities and officials to continue developing a sustainable economy that doesn't marginalize indigenous people."

Enbridge was "surprised" by the decision, according to a January 6 statement. The firm said it had been talking with the tribe about renewing a series of easements that expired in 2013.

"Enbridges Line 5 pipeline has been safely operating through the reservation since 1953 and it provides an important supply of light crude oil and natural gas liquids," the statement read.

Line 5 runs for 645 miles through Wisconsin and Michigan before terminating in Ontario, Canada, according to the firm . Tribes in both states have raised concerns about oil spills -- a different pipeline operated by Enbridge was the subject of a settlement when it spilled over 1.2 million gallons of crude into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.

Additionally, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe joined a lawsuit that challenges whether Line 5 was properly approved by the federal government.

Read More on the Story: Enbridge May Face Tough Legal Battle to Keep 60-Year-Old Pipeline Running (Reuters 1/11) Tribe wants pipeline off its land (The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 1/10) Northern Wisconsin Tribe Wants Enbridge To Remove Pipeline From Reservation (Wisconsin Public Radio 1/6)

Join the Conversation
France said on Thursday Syrian peace talks should resume as quickly as possible under the auspices of the United Nations and appeared to question plans for Russian-backed discussions on the subject in Kazakhstan.

Syria's government and rebel forces started a ceasefire on Dec. 30 as a first step towards face-to face negotiations, backed by Turkey and Russia, and due to take place in the Kazakh capital Astana. The date and its participants remain unclear.

The United Nations had previously led talks in Geneva, but after several fruitless rounds and an escalation of violence in the six-year civil war that has benefited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his backers, Moscow and Ankara agreed in December to launch new peace efforts.

"Negotiations have to resume as quickly as possible," President Francois Hollande told the foreign diplomatic corps in a New Year address.

"They have to be led under the auspices of the United Nations within the framework agreed in Geneva in 2012."

Moscow has said the proposed Astana talks would complement the United Nations. However, European diplomats and opposition sources have suggested only some armed groups will be invited with political opposition representation limited despite discussions on aspects such as the constitution.

Hollande, a key backer of the Syrian opposition, said there was no need to go over the framework for talks.

"The parameters have been set so what needs to be done is to invite the concerned parties, all the parties, except fundamentalist and extremist groups, and to act in the Geneva framework," Hollande said.

U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has said he wants to convene a new round of talks during February.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Chairman Mark Fox of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. Photo: MHA Tribal Chairman Mark N. Fox



The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation is considering its options as lawmakers in North Dakota move forward with an energy tax bill that affects the tribe's revenues.

The tribe and the state share taxes from oil development on the Fort Berthold Reservation. But lawmakers reduced the rates imposed on developers in 2015, depriving the tribe of some of its revenues.

Lawmakers are now considering a new bill that would impose a flat tax structure and eliminate bonuses that both the tribe and the state have enjoyed. That has the tribe prepared to walk away from the original deal.

Were not bluffing," Chairman Mark Fox told lawmakers on Tuesday, according to news reports.

Oil from Fort Berthold accounted about 17 percent of the state's production in just one month last fall, The Jamestown Sun reported. So the state could lose a significant share of revenues if the agreement comes to an end or if the tribe pursues litigation or other remedies.

Separately, the tribe has pushed the Bureau of Indian Affairs to prevent the state from imposing taxes on its reservation. An update to the Indian Trader Regulations is in the works at the agency.

Fox has said that the tribe has been forced to share more than $1 billion in revenues over the last few years with the state.

Read More on the Story: Tribe threatens to leave oil tax agreement with ND (The Jamestown Sun 1/11) Tribes threaten to pull out of oil tax agreement with North Dakota (AP 1/10) Tribe may walk from state-tribal revenue agreement (The Bismarck Tribune 1/10)

Join the Conversation

Related Stories
Twitter

After Mexico and London, Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone landed in Mumbai on Thursday to promote their upcoming film xXx: Return of the Xander Cage. Both the stars got a warm desi style welcome as several girls dressed in traditional sarees with yellow turbans on their heads and the thali in their hands smiled at Diesel as he stepped out holding his co-star Deepika Padukones hand for the photogs. Dressed casually and sporting a pair of shades, Deepika looked lovely.

Accompanying Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone was director D.J Caruso. Have a look!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

PHOTO 10: #DeepikaPadukone, #VinDiesel and Mr Director Deejay Caruso are here in Mumbai! Are you ready for #xXxIndiaPremiere? #xXxReturnOfXanderCage @deepikapadukone @jalaluddinshaikh212 @farhandhalla @vindiesel A photo posted by Daanish Dhansi  (@daanishdhansi) on Jan 11, 2017 at 9:24pm PST

#6

PHOTO 9: #DeepikaPadukone, #VinDiesel and Mr Director Deejay Caruso are here in Mumbai! Are you ready for #xXxIndiaPremiere? #xXxReturnOfXanderCage @deepikapadukone @jalaluddinshaikh212 @farhandhalla @vindiesel A photo posted by Daanish Dhansi  (@daanishdhansi) on Jan 11, 2017 at 9:24pm PST

#7

Watch video. How Vin Diesel's traditional welcome in India. @dnaafterhrs #Repost @danielbauermakeupandhair  When Deepika and Vin come to town #deepikapadukone #xxxmovie #vindiesel A video posted by DNA After Hrs (@dnaafterhrs) on Jan 11, 2017 at 9:24pm PST

#8

Muito amor por eles!  #VinDiesel #DeepikaPadukone #xxxthemovie #xxxreativado #xXxPremiere #serenaunger #xxx3 #thereturnofxandercage A photo posted by Deepika Padukone Brasil  (@deepikapadukonebr) on Jan 11, 2017 at 9:18pm PST

#9

#10

Ready to welcome @vindiesel and @deepikapadukone in style! #xXxIndiaPremiere #xXxReturnOfXanderCage A photo posted by Viacom 18 Movies (@viacom18motionpictures) on Jan 11, 2017 at 5:56pm PST

#11

#12
The new year incident that happened in Bengaluru has left the entire nation in a state of deep shock. It has again raised several questions on women safety, law, and order.

After this incident, David Guetta's Bangalore concert has been canceled. According to a PTI report, David Guetta, 49, who was on a four-city tour, was all set to begin the tour from Bangalore and then move to Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi.

The concert that was scheduled here for tonight, has been scrapped with the organisers citing "law and order situation" following the molestation incident during New Year's Eve as the reason.

BCCL

In a statement, Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said, "Due to the present law & order situation in Bengaluru following the events that transpired around New Year's Eve, the authorities have recommended against holding the David Guetta concert scheduled today in the city. We at Sunburn tried our very best to make it happen but the authorities understandably are not prepared to take any chances. Hence today's concert unfortunately stands cancelled."

BCCL

The organisers have also said that they will try to "reschedule" the concert if they get permission from the authorities and the artiste but there is no clarity at the moment.

BCCL

However, other shows that are scheduled to happen in Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad are on as per schedule.
If people have already forgotten Aleppo, Mosul is the current example of how poor civilians are facing burnt of the war. Ever since the Iraq army launched offensive in Mosul against ISIS in October 2016, around 50 per cent of the total casualties are civilians. Mosul is the last bastion of ISIS on Iraq.

AFP

"You would expect in a conflict like this that the number of civilian casualties would be around 15 per cent, a high of 20 per cent. What we're seeing in Mosul is that nearly 50 per cent of all casualties are in fact civilians," said Lisa Grande, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq said on Wednesday.

"It's clear that this is because of direct targeting by combatants. They're being targeted by ISIL (or ISIS)," she added.

Though, no figure of the estimated death toll is out, the conservative numbers suggest that several thousands have been killed in what they call the last stage of war in Iraq. Apart from the death of civilians, displacement of the civilians is another issue which have made them further vulnerable to ISIS bullets.

Mosul is the city of 1.5 million people and around 110,000 have been forced to flee their homes. And of those, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated over 50,000 were children.

AFP

The statistics from the UN have come US Department of Defense announced that the majority of Mosul has been recaptured by US-backed forces, which includes Iraq's Counter Terrorism Service (CTS). The Iraqis believe the fight is between 70 and 80 per cent complete with eastern Mosul," Army Colonel Brett Sylvia was quoted in IBT.

"And really, in terms of kind of the doctrinal definition of defeat, you can say that there has been a defeat there because they have certainly broken [Isis'] will to fight... in earnest, in eastern Mosul."

AFP

On Tuesday (10 January), Lt. Gen Talib Shaghati, a top Iraqi commander, told the Associated Press (AP) that efforts to defeat the terror group could be complete in three months.
Days after four prominent rights campaigners and bloggers "disappeared" mysteriously, activists say yet another Pakistani rights activist has gone missing. According to his colleagues, Samar Abbas, a middle-aged IT worker and head of the anti-militancy Civil Progressive Alliance, disappeared under mysterious circumstances on Saturday.

Samar Abbas/ Facebook

Abbas is a Karachi-based activist who has been raising his voice against atrocities committed against minority groups in the country.

Abbas's colleagues alleged that his disappearance is not an isolated incident and is part of a larger conspiracy to silence liberal voices.

"This seems to be an organised attempt to shut the progressive and liberal voices in the country," Talib Raza, a colleague of Abbas told Pakistani media. Meanwhile the whereabouts of four activists who went missing in a span of days last week still remains unclear.

The four men, Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed had disappeared on January 4, while poet and academic Salman Haider disappeared on Friday and Ahmed Raza Naseer has been untraceable since Saturday.

Many fear that they might have been abducted by intelligence agencies and their life could be in danger.

Rights groups including Human Rights Watch and the United Nations had expressed concern over the rise in abductions and enforced disappearances of activists.

One of Pakistan's most powerful establishments, the all powerful army and the intelligence agencies, including the ISI have been blamed for these arbitrary detentions. For years this has been rampant in Balochistan, where a decades long insurgency seeking secession from Pakistan is gaining momentum.

IVBMP

According to exiled campaigners Pakistan has resorted to a kill and dump policy in the province, where activists are picked up by agencies, tortured in custody, murdered and their bodied dumped in isolated areas.

What has alarmed rights groups in Pakistan is that despite their attempts to bring the disapperences into focus, the practice continues unchallenged and is spreading to other areas.

Southern Sindh, where a movement seeking autonomy for the Sindhi people is gaining momentum, activists say they are witnessing an alarming increase in the number of disappearances.

IVSMP

According to Sindhi freedom movement, Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) over a hundred of their activists have been extra judicially killed by Pakistani agencies in the recent years.
What do you call someone riding without a helmet? The official twitter handle of the Mumbai Police tweeted on Wednesday evening.

BCCL

If youre scratching your head over this, fret not, for the Mumbai Police also posted the answer: An organ donor.

Cue the applause.

Continuing its penchant for witty public awareness messages that get the point across without being preachy, the Mumbai Police kicked off its Road Safety Week with another tweet in a similar vein.

Longer you live, longer can you talk to your loved ones #AlertIsAlive #RoadSafetyWeek pic.twitter.com/oPJVC0UJiY  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 10, 2017

Since joining Twitter in December 2015, the Mumbai Police has won over a million followers with its humorous one-liners, clever puns and hashtags.
Tunisian police firing tear gas clashed on Thursday with hundreds of youths who tossed rocks and petrol bombs in protests over jobs and a lack of development in a town in the country's south, residents said.

Six years after their revolt ousted autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's central and southern regions are still flashpoints for rioting in marginalised towns where many young Tunisians see little economic progress since the uprising.

Local residents said police clashed with several hundred young men in the centre of Ben Guerdane, and that protesters lobbed rocks and petrol bombs and set tyres ablaze.

"Police are firing tear gas to try to disperse hundreds of youths who are protesting in the centre of the town demanding work," Fethi Chandoul, a local resident, told Reuters.

Residents and local media said shops and offices were closed for a general strike in Ben Guerdane, the site of an Islamic State attack last year by militants crossing over from nearby Libya.

Around 4,000 protesters also marched peacefully in the central town of Meknessi to demand work opportunities and development projects.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed was sending a ministerial delegation to Ben Guerdane on Friday to talk with protesters, according to the state news agency TAP.

Since the 2011 uprising, Tunisia has mostly avoided the political violence that has plagued much of the Arab world. The North African country emerged as a model of peaceful democratic transition with free elections, a new constitution and compromise between Islamist and secular rivals.

But economic progress, a central demand of many Tunisians, has failed to match the country's political advances. In rural southern and central regions, where farming remains one of the few sources of income, tensions often flare over the dearth of jobs.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Pakistan army authorities today committed that Indian soldier Chandu Chavan, who inadvertently had crossed the border last year, will be released after inquiry. Subash Bhamre, Union Minister of State, Defence informed the media today.

"They (Pakistan) have admitted that Chandu Chavan is alive, and that they will soon release him after inquiry, which is nearing completion," Bhamre said after the launch of second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi, at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in south Mumbai.

"We are trying at the level of DGMO (Director General of Military Operations), to secure his release. So far, the DGMO has spoken to their Pakistan counterpart at least 15 to 20 times," the minister said.

"The last time such talks took place was two days ago. They (Pakistan) said that the inquiry is getting over and Chandu Chavan will soon be released," he said. Incidentally, Chavan hails from Bhamre's Lok Sabha constituency. "I have been in regular touch with his family," the minister said.

On September 30 last year, Chavan had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control.
Vietnam leader Nguyen Phu Trong, who arrives in Beijing on Thursday, will be under pressure to call off reported negotiations with India for purchase of a missile system, sources said. The Indian media has reported that Hanoi is in discussion with Indian authorities to purchase the Akash surface-to-air missile system from New Delhi.

Reuters

China, which has emerged as a major arms seller, is reluctant to allow another Asian nation to enter into competition, sources said. This is one reason why Beijing has been objecting to India's entry into Nuclear Suppliers' Group, which has the potential of enlarging India's nuclear industry.

The focus of Nguyen's talks with Chinese leaders is regional security ahead of the Donald Trump presidency in the United States, which has caused a lot of strain in Beijing. Any move to buy military equipment from India would make Beijing very nervous, sources said.

"If the Indian government genuinely treats its enhancement of military relations with Vietnam as a strategic arrangement or even revenge against Beijing, it will only create disturbances in the region and China will hardly sit with its arms crossed," Global Times, the organ of the Chinese Communist Party, said in a commentary on Wednesday.

AFP

On the face of it, China does not mind military ties between Vietnam and India, it said.

"Yet such ties should be built for the sake of peace and stability in the region, rather than stirring up troubles or anxiety for others," the paper said betraying the concerns in Beijing.

India provided Vietnam a credit line of $500 million for buying military equipment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Hanoi in September last year. India is already training the Vietnam Navy personnel in operating the Russian-origin Kilo-class submarine. The government has also asked BrahMos Aerospace, which produces the BrahMos missiles, to accelerate sales to a list of five countries topped by Vietnam.

The Beijing-based paper did not mention the fact that China has been arming Pakistan, which has no other reason to accumulate arms other than planning to use against India, with sophisticated military equipment. But it rapped countries who feel comfortable about dealing with India.

"Due to geopolitical factors, some nations have been cozying up to India over the years, which to a large extent contributed to India's fruitful development," it said. "New Delhi understands that the best strategy for itself is to continue its collaboration with all parties, instead of picking a side and turning hostile to one another. Otherwise, it might not only turn others' troubles to its own puzzles, but also suffer enormous losses of development opportunities," the commentary said hoping to dissuade India from signing up Hanoi on the missile deal.

Reuters

Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee will meet Chinese president Xi Jinping and other leaders during his four-day visit to China. He is also expected to discuss the South China Sea dispute. Vietnam is one of the half a dozen countries disputing Chinese claims to much of the South China Sea islands.

"In the past two months, tensions have ratcheted up in the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe, and this will deeply influence the relations between Vietnam and China, the US, and the Southeast Asian nation," Zhuang Guotu, dean of the School for Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University told the local media.

"So in this trip, Nguyen is expected to ascertain the actual situation of China and find a way of developing bilateral relations that both sides can accept," he said.

"India has a dream to grow into a great power. But under today's international circumstances, it will be extraordinarily hard to achieve the goal on its own. What India needs is more pragmatic cooperation with other countries," Global Times added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first international exchange-India INX- on Monday at International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat International Financial Tech City (GIFT) located in Gandhinagar.

India International Exchange (INX), the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), through its global bourse, will start trading initially in equity derivatives, currency derivatives, commodity derivatives including Index and Stocks. Subsequently, depository receipts and bonds would be offered once the required infrastructure for the same is in place.

"The exchange will create new standards in quality of service and speed of transactions in different time zones," Prime Minister Modi said while opening the global exchange.

"I have been told that the international exchange would work for 22 hours a day. It will start when Japan exchanges begin and close when US markets end. The exchange will work from sunrise to sunset", he added.

Reuters

"My vision is that GIFT City should become a price setter in several financial instruments, Non-Residents," he said.

Although the international exchange was inaugurated on January 9, the trading operations are scheduled to begin on January 16.

"India INX is one of the world's most advanced technology platforms with a turn-around time of 4 microseconds. It will operate for 22 hours a day to allow international Non-ResidentsIndians to trade from anywhere across the globe," the exchange said in a statement.

"BSE is a pioneer in the world of financial services and India INX will act as a gateway to raise capital for the country's infrastructure and development needs. In parallel, it would provide cross-border opportunities of investment with a comparatively low cost of transaction in the world's most technologically advanced platform," said Sudhakar Rao, Chairman, BSE at the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani.

Reuters

The international exchange inauguration was held as part of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit- 2017, to be kicked off by PM Modi on Tuesday at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

BSE is also going to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Vibrant Summit proposing Rs 500 crore for its international exchange, clearing corporation and other activities.

GIFT IFSC provides a competitive advantage in terms of tax structure and supportive regulatory framework. These include benefits in security transaction tax, commodity transaction tax, dividend distribution tax and long term capital gain tax waivers and no income tax.

As many as 250 trading members, including commodity and overseas brokers, have expressed interest to function from India INX.
Two sisters in Pakistan have been injured when a relative, who wanted to marry one of them, attacked them with a hand grenade after being rebuffed by the family, police said. Samreen, 19 and Sanam, 17 were injured when a hand grenade was thrown at them at their home in Koohi Goth in Landhi area Tuesday, police said.

AFP/Representational Image

According to the father Qadir Buksh, a relative Sajid had sent marriage proposals twice for the sisters but his proposal was turned down by the family, Sajid Khorio, Shah Latif SHO, said.

Sajid has been interested in getting marriage with one of my daughters which we already refused, said Buksh in his statement to the police. The accused, according to Buksh, had also threatened the life of Buksh and his family before the incident.

Reuters/Representational Image

Sajid is a member of a gang and also a drug addict, said police officials. The police have registered an FIR on behalf of Buksh against Sajid and further investigation is on to arrest the suspect, Ahmed said.

The sisters were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment where doctors said they were out of danger. The hand grenade was thrown at the sisters when they were asleep on the roof of their small house, Buksh said.
The United States announced sanctions Thursday against 18 senior Syrian military officers and officials over the use of chemical weapons.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Syrian regimes use of chemical weapons," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.

A UN-backed investigation found that several units of the Syrian military had used toxic weapons against three villages in northern Syria in 2014 and 2015.

Government helicopters flying from two government-controlled air bases dropped chlorine barrel-bombs on the villages of Qmenas, Talmenes and Sarmin, the panel's latest report said.

Chlorine use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from Russia.

In response to its use, the US has targeted individuals including top intelligence officials and military commanders.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was seen at Trump Tower on Thursday but a spokesman for President-elect Donald Trump said she was not meeting with him or his team.

"No meetings with anyone," transition spokesman Sean Spicer said. "It's a public building."

Le Pen, whose National Front party holds anti-immigrant and anti-European Union views, was seen entering an elevator at the building, according to a Reuters witness. Earlier she was seen in the building with three men and declined to say why she was there, a media pool report said.

Reuters identified the men with Le Pen as Louis Aliot, her partner and vice president of National Front; Ludovic De Danne, her international affairs adviser; and Italian businessman George Lombardi, a Trump friend who lives in Trump Tower.

Le Pen, who is seen losing a runoff with conservative former prime minister Francois Fillon in next May's election, has struggled to raise money for her campaign.

Her staff confirmed her multiple-day visit to New York, characterizing it as a private trip.

"She took two days to have a break," campaign director David Rachline said.

Le Pen has sought to burnish her credentials with foreign appearances. Her staff in April announced that she would go to Britain to campaign for that country's exit from the European Union but she ended up not going after being shunned by the Brexit campaign.

Trump Tower has been the site of a series of meetings between Trump, a Republican, and business and political leaders as he assembles his administration ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration. It also has become a tourist destination since Trump's surprise November election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The group Human Rights Watch mentioned both Trump and Le Pen in a report warning that the rise of populist leaders threatens global human rights. It cited Trump's victory as well as Britain's move to leave the European Union, which was led by Nigel Farage, who has been praised by Trump.

Le Pen is expected to earn enough votes in the first round of presidential voting in April to enter a second round election set for May 7.

Last summer Le Pen told a French magazine that if she were American, she would vote for Trump rather than Clinton. A week after Trump's victory, Le Pen said she, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "would be good for world peace."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


US Intel Agencies Try to Strong-Arm Trump into War With Russia





By Mike Whitney

January 11, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Counterpunch " - Powerful elites are using the credibility of the US Intelligence agencies to demonize Russia and prepare the country for war. This is the real meaning of the Russia hacking story which, as yet, has not produced any hard evidence of Russian complicity.

Last weeks 25-page report, that was released by the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, illustrates to what extent intelligence is being fixed around the policy. Just as the CIA generated false information related to Weapons of Mass Destruction to soften public resistance to war with Iraq, so too, the spurious allegations in the DNIs politically-motivated report are designed to depict Russia as a growing threat to US national security. The timing of the report has less to do with the election of Donald Trump as President than it does with critical developments in Syria where the Russian military has defeated US-proxies in Syrias industrial hub, Aleppo, rolling back Washingtons 15-year War of Terror and derailing the imperialist plan to control vital resources and pipeline corridors across the Middle East and Central Asia. Russia has become the main obstacle to Washington achieving its strategic vision of pivoting to Asia and maintaining its dominant role into the next century. The Intelligence Community has been coerced into compromising its credibility to incite fear of Russia and to advance the geopolitical ambitions of deep state powerbrokers.

The Russia hacking flap shows how far the Intel agencies have veered from their original mandate, which is to impartially gather and analyze information that may be vital to US national security. As we have seen in the last two weeks, the leaders of these organizations feel free to offer opinions on issues that clearly conflict with those of the new President-elect. Trump has stated repeatedly that he wants to reduce tensions and reset relations with Russia, but that policy is being sabotaged by members of the intelligence community, particularly CIA Director John Brennan who appeared just last week on PBS Newshour with Judy Woodruff. Heres an excerpt from the interview:

We see that there are still a lot of actions that Russia is undertaking that undermine the principles of democracy in so many countries. What has happened in our recent election is not new. The Russians have engaged in trying to manipulate elections in Europe for a number of years the Russians tried to interfere in our electoral process recently, and were actively involved in that. And that is something that we cant countenance. (Interview with CIA Director John Brennan, PBS Newshour)

Brennan, of course, provided no evidence for his claims nor did he mention the hundreds of CIA interventions around the world. But Brennans accusations are less important than the fact that his appearance on a nationwide broadcast identifies him as a political advocate for policies that conflict with those of the new president. Do we really want unelected intelligence officials  whose job it is to provide the president with sensitive information related to national security to assume a partisan role in shaping policy? And why would Brennan whose is supposed to serve at the pleasure of the president accept an invitation to offer his views on Russia when he knew they would be damaging to the new administration?

Powerful people behind the scenes are obviously pushing the heads of these intelligence agencies to stick to their anti-Moscow narrative to force Trump to abandon his plan for peaceful relations with Moscow. Brennan isnt calling the shots and neither are Clapper or Comey. Theyre all merely agents serving the interests of establishment plutocrats whose geopolitical agenda doesnt jibe with that of the incoming administration. If that wasnt the case, then why would the Intelligence Community stake its reputation on such thin gruel as this Russian hacking gibberish? It doesnt make any sense. The people who launched this campaign are either supremely arrogant or extremely desperate. Which is it? Heres an excerpt from an article by veteran journalist Robert Parry sums it up like this in an article at Consortium News:

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. (US Report Still Lacks Proof on Russia Hack, Robert Parry, Consortium News)

Bottom line: Brennan and his fellow spooks have nothing. The report is little more than a catalogue of unfounded assumptions, baseless speculation and uncorroborated conjecture. In colloquial parlance, its bullshit, 100 percent, unalloyed Russophobic horse-manure. In fact, the authors admit as much in the transcript itself when they say:

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.

What kind of kooky admission is that? So the entire report could be BS but were supposed to believe that Putin flipped the election? Is that it???

Whats really going on here? Why have the Intelligence agencies savaged their credibility just to convince people that Russia is up to no good?

The Russia hacking story has more to do with recent developments in Syria than it does with delegitimizing Donald Trump. Aleppo was a real wake up call for the US foreign policy establishment which is beginning to realize that their plans for the next century have been gravely undermined by Russias military involvement in Syria. Aleppo represents the first time that an armed coalition of allied states (Russia, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah) have actively engaged US jihadist-proxies and soundly beat them to a pulp. The stunning triumph in Aleppo has spurred hope among the vassal states that Washingtons bloody military juggernaut can be repelled, rolled back and defeated. And if Washingtons CIA-armed, trained and funded jihadists can be repelled, then the elitist plan to project US power into Central Asia to dominate the worlds most populous and prosperous region, will probably fail. In other words, the outcome in Aleppo has cast doubts on Uncle Sams ability to successfully execute its pivot to Asia.

Thats why the Intel agencies have been employed to shape public perceptions on Russia. Their job is to prepare the American people for an escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed superpowers. US powerbrokers are determined to intensify the conflict and reverse facts on the ground. (Recent articles by elites at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institute reveal that they are as committed to partitioning Syria as ever.) Washington wants to reassert its exceptional role as the uncontested steward of global security and the lone unipolar world power.

Thats what this whole hacking fiasco is about. The big shots who run the country are trying to strong-arm the Donald into carrying their water so the depredations can continue and Central Asia can be transformed into a gigantic Washington-dominated corporate free trade zone where the Big Money calls the shots and Capital reigns supreme. Thats their dreamstate, Capitalist Valhalla.
The Crimes of SEAL Team 6 By Matthew Cole Officially known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, SEAL Team 6 is today the most celebrated of the U.S. militarys special mission units. But hidden behind the heroic narratives is a darker, more troubling story of revenge ops, unjustified killings, mutilations, and other atrocities  a pattern of criminal violence that emerged soon after the Afghan war began and was tolerated and covered up by the commands leadership. 1 - The Wedding Party Massacre On the afternoon of March 6, 2002, Lt. Cmdr. Vic Hyder and more than two dozen operators from SEAL Team 6 boarded two Chinook helicopters en route to eastern Afghanistan hoping that within hours, they would kill or capture Osama bin Laden. Earlier that evening, general officers from the Joint Special Operations Command had scrambled the SEALs after watching a Predator drone video feed of a man they suspected was bin Laden set off in a convoy of three or four vehicles in the Shah-i-Kot Valley, where al Qaeda forces had fortified themselves. Although the video had revealed no weapons, and the generals had only tenuous intelligence that the convoy was al Qaeda  just suspicions based on the color of the mans flowing white garb and the deference others showed him  they were nervous that bin Laden might get away again, as he had a few months earlier after the bombing of the Tora Bora mountains in December 2001. This was a crucial moment: Kill bin Laden now and the war could be over after only six months. The vehicles were headed east toward the Pakistani border, as if they were trying to escape. The mission was code-named Objective Bull. Continue reading. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
The Neocons Declaration of War Against Trump By The Saker After several rather lame false starts, the Neocons have now taken a step which can only be called a declaration of war against Donald Trump. It all began with CNN published an article entitled Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him which claimed that: Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN. The allegations were presented in a two-page synopsis that was appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible () The two-page synopsis also included allegations that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government, according to two national security officials.

The website Buzzfeed then published the full document. Here it is in full. When I first read the document my intention was to debunk it sentence by sentence. However, I dont have the time for that and, frankly, there is no need for it. I will just provide you here with enough simple straightforward evidence that this is a fake. Here are just a few elements of proof: The document has no letterhead, no identification, no date, no nothing. For many good technical and even legal reasons, sensitive intelligence documents are created with plenty of tracking and identification information. For example, such a document would typically have a reference to the unit which produced it or an number-letter combination indicating the reliability of the source and of the information it contains. The classification CONFIDENTIAL/SENSITIVE SOURCE is a joke. If this was a true document its level of classification would be much, much higher than confidential and since most intelligence documents come from sensitive sources there is no need to specify that. The allegation that The dossier is controlled by Kremlin spokesman, PESKOV, directly on PUTINS orders is beyond laughable. Clearly the author of this fake has no idea how the Russian intelligence and security services work (hint: the Presidential spokesman has no involvement in that whatsoever) On page 2 there is this other hilarious sentence exploit TRUMPs personal obsession and sexual perversion in order to obtain suitable kompromat (compromising material) on him. Nobody in a real intelligence document would bother to clarify what the word kompromat means since both in Russian and in English it is obviously the combination of the words compromising and materials. Any western intelligence officer, even a very junior one, would know that word, if only because of the many Cold War era espionage books written about the KGB entrapment techniques. The document speaks of source A, source B and further down the alphabet. Now ask yourself a simple question: what happens after source Z is used? Can any intelligence agency work with a potential pool of sources limited to 26? Obviously, this is not how intelligence agencies classify their sources. I will stop here and submit that there is ample evidence that this is a crude fake produced by amateurs who have no idea of what they are talking about. This does not make this document any less dangerous, however. First, and this is the really crucial part, there is more than enough here to impeach Trump on numerous grounds both political and legal. Let me repeat again  this is an attempt at removing Donald Trump from the White House. This is a political coup detat. Second, this documents smears everybody involved: Trump himself, of course, but also the evil Russians and their ugly Machiavellian techniques. Trump is thereby confirmed as a sexual pervert who likes to hire prostitutes to urinate on him. As for the Russians, they are basically accused of trying to recruit the President of the United States as an agent of their security services. That would make Trump a traitor, by the way. Third, within one short week we went from allegations of Russian hacking to having a traitor sitting in the White House. We can only expect a further Tsunami of such allegations to continue and get worse and worse every day. It is interesting that Buzzfeed has already preempted the accusation of this being a smear and demonization campaign against Trump by writing that Now BuzzFeed News is publishing the full document so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government. as if most Americans had the expertise to immediately detect that this document is a crude forgery! Fourth, unless all the officials who briefed Trump come out and deny that this fake was part of their briefing with Trump, it will appear that this document has the official imprimatur of the senior US intelligence officials and that would give them a legal, probatory, authority. This de-facto means that the experts have evaluated that document and have certified it as credible even before any legal proceedings in court or, worse, in Congress. I sure hope that Trump had the foresight to audio and video record his meeting with the intelligence chiefs and that he is now able to threaten them with legal action if they now act in a way contradicting their behavior before him. Fifth, the fact that CNN got involved in all this is a critical factor. Some of us, including yours truly, were shocked and disgusted when the WaPo posted a list of 200 websites denounced as fake news and Russian propaganda, but what CNN did by posting this article is infinitely worse: it is a direct smear and political attack on the President Elect on a worldwide level (the BBC and others are already posting the same crap). This again confirms to be that the gloves are off and that the Ziomedia is in full state of war against Donald Trump. All of the above further confirms to me what I have been saying over the past weeks: if Trump ever makes it into the White House (I write if because I think that the Neocons are perfectly capable of assassinating him), his first priority should be to ruthlessly crack down as hard as he legally can against those in the US deep state (which very much includes the media) who have now declared war on him. I am sorry to say that, but it will be either him or them  one of the parties here will be crushed. [Sidebar: to those who wonder what I mean by crackdown I will summarize here what I wrote elsewhere: the best way to do that is to nominate a hyper-loyal and determined FBI director and instruct him to go after all the enemies of Trump by investigating them on charge of corruption, abuse of power, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and all the other types of behavior which have gone on forever in Congress, the intelligence community, the banking world and the media. Deal with the Neocons like Putin did with the Russian oligarchs or how the USA dealt with Al Capone  get them on tax evasion. There is no need to open Gulags or shoot people when you can get them all on what is their normal daily behavior :-)] I sincerely hope that I am wrong, and I admit that I might be, but I dont have the gut feeling that Trump has what it takes to hit hard enough at those who are using any and every ugly method imaginable to prevent him from ever making it into the White House or to have him impeached if he tries to deliver on his campaign promises. I cannot blame him for that either: the enemy has infiltrated all the level of power in the US polity and there are strong sign that they are even represented in Trumps immediate entourage. Putin could do what he did because he was an iron-willed and highly trained intelligence officer. Trump is just a businessman whose best training to deal with such people would probably be his exposure to the mob in New York. Will that be enough to allow him to prevail against the Neocons? I doubt it, but I sure hope so. As I predicted it before the election, the USA are about to enter the worst crisis in their history. We are entering extraordinarily dangerous times. If the danger of a thermonuclear war between Russia and the USA had dramatically receded with the election of Trump, the Neocon total war on Trump put the United States at very grave risk, including civil war (should the Neocon controlled Congress impeach Trump I believe that uprisings will spontaneously happen, especially in the South, and especially in Florida and Texas). At the risk of sounding over the top, I will say that what is happening now is putting the very existence of the United States in danger almost regardless of what Trump will personally do. Whatever we may think of Trump as a person and about his potential as a President, what is certain is that millions of American patriots have voted for him to clear the swamp, give the boot to the Washington-based plutocracy and restore what they see as fundamental American values. If the Neocons now manage to stage a coup detat against Trump, I predict that these millions of American will turn to violence to protect what they see as their way of life, their values and their country. In spite of the image which Hollywood likes to give of them, most Americans are peaceful and non-violent people, but if they are pushed too far they will not hesitate and grab their guns to defend themselves, especially if they lose all hopes in their democracy. And I am not talking only about gun-toting hillbillies here, I am talking about the local, state and county authorities, who often care much more about what their local constituents think and say than what the are up to in DC. If a coup is staged against Trump and some wannabe President a la Hillary or McCain gives the order to the National Guard or even the US Army to put down a local insurrection, we could see what we saw in Russia in 1991: a categorical refusal of the security services to shoot at their own people. That is the biggest and ultimate danger for the Neocons: the risk that if they give the order to crack down on the population the police, security and military services might simply refuse to take action. If that could happen in the KGB-controlled country (to use a Cold War cliche) this can also happen in the USA. I sure hope that I am wrong and that this latest attack against Trump is the Neocons last hurray before they finally give up and leave. I hope that all of the above is my paranoia speaking. But, as they say, just because youre paranoid doesnt mean that they are not after you. So please tell me I am wrong! http://thesaker.is The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. It was me: Sworn Trump enemy John McCain admits HE handed smear dossier to FBI : Details surface of document's bizarre journey from British former spy and diplomat
There was an angle I didnt get to see when ordering my new work boots, he wrote.

The California-based company which manufactures the boot, Conal International Trading Inc, is recalling the boot, claiming it wasnt aware of what was happening on the boot soles until it saw the complaint on Reddit.

That was totally something that wasnt intentional or anything like that, the companys e-commerce manager, Anthony Nguyen, told the Daily Mail.

Its something that were going to pull off the shelves obviously  It was obviously a design flaw.

The boots made news in Germany, too, where Stern, a weekly magazine based in Hamburg, noted another oddity  the boots name, Polar Fox.

That happens to be the name of an operation carried out by the Wehrmacht of the German Reich in the Second World War: from Finnish and Norwegian soil, the goal was to conquer the port town of Murmansk against the Soviet Union, the magazine noted.

Furthermore, the (boot) can be described as  military combat boots.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed Feb. 10 to rule on whether or not it will dismiss the treason charges preferred against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The court would also rule on whether or not to quash the charges preferred against three other defendants, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who were charged along with Kanu.

Similarly, the court would give a ruling on an application bordering on the competence of the charge against Kanu, the first defendant.

The four defendants are standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and terrorism.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Kanus Counsel, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, argued that his clients application challenging the charge against him was based on the fact that there was no case against him.

Our application was premised on the fact that the proof of evidence attached to the charge cannot sustain the charge because it did not disclose a prima facie case against Kanu.

According to him, the proof of evidence is empty, baseless and unfounded and in that circumstance, the court is required to quash the charge and discharge and acquit the person involved.

He is being accused of committing an offence of treasonable felony and also conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, the law requires that ingredients of the said treasonable felony should be established.

But the defendant was not found with any arms, was not caught with anybody holding a meeting, never said he was coming to overthrow the president of the country.

They are merely exercising their right to self-determination which is clearly provided under article 20 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and also under article 1 and 55 of the United Nations Charter.

He said these were constitutional rights and could not translate to a case of treasonable felony.

Counsel to the 2nd to 4th defendants, Mr Inalegwu Adoga, Mr E.I Esene and Mr Maxwell Okpara, all made similar arguments.

They all held that the proof of evidence attached to their clients charge did not establish a prima facie case against them and should be quashed.

Adoga, in his argument, said that his client was arrested for his intentions and not because of an overt act, adding that the prosecutions case against his client was based on mere sentiments.

On his part, Okpara added that his client was only brought into the matter in order to convict the first defendant.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr Shuiabu Labaran, opposed the applications on the grounds that they had no substance.

The judge, Justice Binta Nyako, adjourned till Feb. 10 to rule on the applications.

Nyako had said on Tuesday that the ruling on the applications would determine whether the case would be terminated or continued.

Mr Osaro Odemwingie, a representative of the British High Commission, was in court to witness the proceedings, while placard carrying IPOB members were outside the court complex singing and dancing.
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has warned job seekers against fraudsters who use the name of the commission for extortion.

The commission said on Thursday in Abuja that is was not recruiting.

A statement by Dr Kayode Olagunju, Assistant Corps Marshal Policy Research and Statistics, said some fraudsters were those intending to be recruited into the corps to make payments of some money to certain bank accounts

The management wishes to restate that the corps marshal  Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi  does not have a Facebook or Twitter account and that the corps is not presently engaged in any staff recruitment exercise

Members of the public should also note that the corps has not directed anybody to recruit on its behalf and will not direct any applicants to pay any money into any individuals account.

We have reported the activities of the fraudsters to the security agencies and they are on the trail of the criminals, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Oludare Fadogba, Zonal Commanding Officer of FRSC, Jos Zonal Command, has urged newly promoted officers to be good ambassadors of the Corps.

Fadogba made the appeal while decorating some of the promoted officers in the zone with their new ranks in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Jos Zonal Command comprises Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states.

Fadogba said the promotion was well deserved by the officers, due to their hard work and commitment to duty.

I wish to congratulate the newly promoted officers for the feat they have recorded by moving to the next rank in their career.

We all know that the promotion exercise was very competitive, but you stoically, in spite of all odds, made it to the height of leadership position in the Corps.

This is obviously an attestation of your hard work, dedication and commitment to duty. We have no doubt that you will live up to your calling and expectations.

I, therefore charge all of you to be good ambassadors of FRSC anywhere you go, he said.

The Zonal Commanding Officer advised the officers to remain focused, eschew all bitterness and be humble, as they would soon take new responsibilities.

He urged them to run an open-door policy and correct the lapses of their subordinates.

Responding on behalf of the decorated officers, Mr Celestine Anzewu thanked the Corps Chief Executive, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, for finding them worthy of the new ranks.

He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for approving their promotion.

Anzewu, who is currently the Zonal Public Education Officer, gave an assurance that the promoted officers would live up to expectation.

He said they would project the image of the Corps in good light.

Source: NAN
The Kaduna State Government said on Wednesday that it would spend more than N45 billion on education as part of efforts to raise the standard of the sector in the state.

Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai disclosed this when he received the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, in Kaduna.

He said that the government would use part of the fund to improve the capacity of teachers.

According to him, the government is also engaged in direct recruitment of 2,200 teachers to teach English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and ICT in secondary schools.

What we inherited was a situation in which 42 per cent of our teachers were not qualified to teach and when we tested them on the same common entrance exams that primary six pupils take, more than 42 per cent failed.

We are doing something about raising teacher quality this year, the governor said.

El-Rufai said that the introduction of free feeding in primary schools had raised enrolment from 1.5 million pupils in June 2015 to 2.1 million pupils in September 2016.

He explained that the school feeding programme was aimed at enhancing the nutrition of primary school pupils and reducing the burden on parents.

The governor added that the administration had expanded access to education by making the first nine years of basic schooling free.

He said that most of the 4,200 primary schools in the state were in various conditions of dilapidation when he assumed duty as governor.

In most of these schools, at least 50 per cent of the pupils took lesson on the floor because there was no furniture.

He said that the government responded by introducing the schools rehabilitation programme to provide decent classrooms, furniture, water and toilet facilities.

El-Rufai said so far, about 500 of the schools had been rehabilitated at the cost of about N6 billion.

According to him, after a review of the cost and the demographic trend and the level of overcrowding in the classrooms, the government would now build multi-storey school blocks with more classrooms to accommodate 30 to 40 pupils per class.

The rebuilding programme would be launched this year with support from the World Bank. We have also intervened to improve nutrition in senior secondary schools.

We met a situation where students in boarding schools are being fed at N44 per student per meal and we have increased it to N100 per meal, meaning that each student is fed with N300 per day.

Our youth need quality education, accessible health care, good governance and jobs.

We are supporting entrepreneurship programme targeting university graduates and training them at the Kaduna Business School, where they acquire skills to produce business plans that can be funded by our intervention fund with the Bank of Industry (BoI).

He further said that the state government had also launched a public service revitalization and renewal project, to inject young people into the public service and make the service more dynamic and reflective of the community it is serving.

Source: NAN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on European Union members on Thursday to increase their security and defence cooperation because there was no "guarantee of perpetuity" in relations with the United States.

Europe faced growing challenges within its own borders and in nearby regions, including migration, increasing terrorist threats, the war in Syria, violence in eastern Ukraine and poverty and famine in Africa, she said.

Merkel did not mention President-elect Donald Trump by name but clearly seemed to be referring to new U.S. leader's campaign trail comment that he would consider a country's contributions to the NATO alliance before coming to their aid.

"I am convinced that Europe and the EU must learn to take more responsibility in the world in the future," Merkel told students in Brussels after receiving honorary doctorate degrees from Belgium's Leuven and Ghent universities.

"Let's not fool ourselves: From the viewpoint of some of our traditional partners, and I'm thinking of transatlantic ties, there is no guarantee of perpetuity for close cooperation with us Europeans. We have to continue to work at that," she said.

Merkel said in November that Germany must increase defence spending to work toward meeting a NATO target of 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but played down expectations that it would meet the target the near future.

The EU, which has relied on the United States to guarantee its security for the past seven decades, agreed to take initial steps toward expanded security and defence cooperation at a summit in December.

They called for an overhaul of the way the bloc pays for its military operations abroad by reforming its common-funded Athena mechanism, and a separate fund for pooling and sharing of helicopters, weapons systems and other assets.

Facing criticism at home for her "open door" refugee policy, Merkel also said Europe needed to accelerate its work on an entrance and exit registry to get a better grip on its borders.

She urged EU members to increase their willingness to compromise on issues such as illegal migration, including quicker efforts to return migrants who entered Europe illegally and were denied asylum.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Publisher of an online news medium, Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore has been arrested by the Police in Lagos State.

His arrest followed a complaint by one Lekan Fatodu, a London-based journalist, who accused him of defamation of character.

In a tweet, Fatodu said: I just got Sowore Omoyele of Saharareporters arrested for criminal defamation, blackmail and threat to my life and career.

Findings revealed that Fatodu is also the publisher of Check it Out Magazine.

Reacting, however, Sowore said, I was attacked in Lagos by some boys of a former minister. We are on our way to Panti Police Station.
The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara has named a new cabinet of 28 ministers as well as Amadou Gon Coulibaly as prime minister.

The cabinet shakeup comes just days after a mutiny by former rebels who blocked roads across the country and sparked political tensions. Following the crush of the mutiny, former Prime minister, Daniel Kablan Duncan tendered his resignation on Monday.

I have tendered my resignation and that of the government, he said at the Presidential palace, after a meeting with President Alassane Ouattara,
The political uncertainty in The Gambia looks to be far from over as President Yahya Jammeh who lost in the Presidential elections in December 2016 has vowed to stay on in power until May 2017.

Jammeh lost to opposition candidate, Adama Barrow in the Presidential elections held on December 1 and initially conceded defeat. However, he made an unprecedented turnaround barely two weeks later, rejecting the election results, citing irregularities.

West African powers have prevailed on Jammeh to step down with the ECOWAS leaders led by Nigerias president, Muhammadu Buhari as well as Ghanas former President, John Mahama.

Their first meeting with Jammeh produced no results and the new leaders insistence on staying in power comes ahead of another planned mediation in the country on Friday.

He slammed foreign interference in a statement in a televised broadcast today as he said Our review and investigation have revealed an unprecedented level of foreign interference in our elections and internal affairs. And also, a sustained smear campaign, propaganda and misinformation,
Nigerias foreign minister, Godfrey Onyeama disclosed on Wednesday that the Taiwanese trade mission in the countrys capital would be shut down in Abuja and moved to Lagos instead.

The announcement was seen as a move by Nigeria to take sides with China in exchange for a $40bn development pledge. China has refused to recognize Taiwans sovereignty, insisting that it has legitimate claims over the tiny Island nation.

Only 21 countries in the world recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country but Nigeria has never had formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Taiwanese officials have reacted to Wednesdays announcement with some degree of ire, accusing the Nigerian government of allowing itself to be manipulated by China.

Taiwans foreign office said in a statement lashed Nigeria for collaborating with Chinas political goal to engage in unreasonable, barbaric, rough and violent political manipulation.
An teenager from Illinois, USA found herself trapped behind bars after exploring an abandoned local prison.

The girl was wandering through Collins Street Prison with a friend when she accidentally locked herself inside one of the prisons cells, WJOL reports.

Illinois police said the facility had been closed to the public since 2002, but the two girls managed to sneak in through a hole in the fence on Monday afternoon.

About 2:45 p.m., they were wandering around the building when one of them managed to lock herself inside a cell, Joliet Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Stromberg told The Herald-News. They didnt call 911, but did call the fire departments front office.

Firefighters arrived at the scene in less than an hour and used a sledgehammer to break through a brick wall to set her free.

Her jail time was about 45 minutes, Stromberg said.

The two girls will face trespassing charges for the incident, according to state police.
Dont Overlook These 3 Small Cap Dividend Stocks Sure Dividend - 17 minutes ago Small-caps are often ignored by income investors, but these 3 small caps have strong dividend yields and future growth potential.

Nemenoff Report 11/04/2022 The PRICE Futures Group - 23 minutes ago Financials; Dec. Bonds are currently 1,1 lower at 119,7 10 Year Note 13 lower at 109;21 and 5 Year Note 10 lower at 105;25. Unemployment came in at 261K new jobs vs. estimates of 193k. Earlier this week...

Coffee Climbs on Brazilian Real Strength and Reduced Colombia Coffee Exports Barchart - 33 minutes ago December arabica coffee (KCZ22 ) this morning is up +4.70 (+2.73%), and Jan ICE Robusta coffee (RMF23 ) is up +54 (+2.93%). Coffee prices this morning are moderately higher, with robusta posting a 1-week... KCH23 : 171.20 (+1.69%) RMF23 : 1,887 (+2.44%)

Crude Jumps on Dollar Weakness and China Reopening Hopes Barchart - 53 minutes ago Dec WTI crude oil (CLZ22 ) this morning is up +3.54 (+4.01%), and Dec RBOB gasoline (RBZ22 ) is up +6.39 (+2.37%). Dec Nymex natural gas (NGZ22 ) is up +0.077 (+1.29%). Crude oil and gasoline prices this... CLZ22 : 91.59 (+3.88%) RBZ22 : 2.7297 (+1.33%) NGZ22 : 6.168 (+3.23%)

WHEAT: Collapse of Grain deal and bad weather threaten Global supplies Wavetraders - 1 hour ago Wheat is bullish and it's looking higher within final 5th wave from Elliott wave perspective.

Risk-On In the Making Monica Kingsley - Fri Nov 4, 9:47AM CDT S&P 500 has good odds of having reached a local bottom, and performance around my yesterdays level of 3,752 would reveal the index direction for today. As for non-farm payrolls, Im looking for the...

Cracking Up The PRICE Futures Group - Fri Nov 4, 9:35AM CDT The ultra-low sulfur diesel crack spread cracked up, hitting a new record high, as physical buyers are scrambling to secure supply. I have talked to many of my physical players and there are reports that...
This edition will include new artists participating in the symposium, which will run from 21 January till 4 March

Egyptian artist Ahmed Abdel-Wahab will be the guest of honour in this years edition of the 22nd Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (21 January - 4 March), and is contributing a granite sculpture to the Outdoor Museum, according to the symposiums general commissioner Nagi Farid.

Abdel-Wahab, born in 1932, graduated from the Helwan Faculty of Fine Arts in 1957 and studied in Rome at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1970.

The artist is a State Merit Award recipient (2002) and was the head of the Sculpture Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria between 1979 and 1988.

Abdel-Wahabs work, which largely deals with semi-divine figures, is included in local and international collections, such as the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art in Cairo and the Museum of Modern Art in Prague.

The Outdoor Museum, which opened two years ago, is designed by architect and sculptor Akram Al-Magdoub and houses more than 200 monumental works created during the previous editions of the symposium.

Symposium general commissioner Farid also said that this year will include 10 main artists, five are young Egyptian artists who have participated in the symposiums workshops in the past years, and five international artists from Japan, China, Georgia, Germany and Spain, Al-Ahram Arabic reported on Friday.

The artists were chosen from a pool of 80 applicants, while participants in this years workshops include six Egyptian artists under 30.

The duration of the symposium has been lessened this year to 40 days instead of 45.

The symposiums higher committee is comprised of Hamdy Abo El-Maaty, head of the Syndicate of Arts, Khaled Sorour, head of the Fine Arts Sector, Mohamed Sabry, assistant curator and founder of the symposium, Adam Henin, honorary member of the committee, as well as Hany Faisal, Essam Darwish and Sherif Abdelbadie.

The symposium is one of the oldest artistic events in Egypt, and has been held uninterrupted for 22 years.

"This annual event is already well recognised internationally. Sinai is plentiful with granite quarries, and after so many crises with tourism, the region needs a boost," Farid told Ahram Online.

A press conference will be held on 22 January to announce more details of the upcoming edition.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

Search Keywords:

Short link:


By Roy Kaufmann

Collecting unpaid rent on self-storage units is neither fast nor easy. Moreover, the process is fraught with legal danger. One misstep and you could find yourself sitting behind the defendant sign in a courtroom. Or equally disheartening, if not more so, the government could slap you with penalties for noncompliance with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This was the case for San Diego-based Across Town Movers. The company settled a suit with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015 in which it agreed to pay $170,000 in penalties for selling the belongings of a deployed Navy officer. Such sales are prohibited without a lien, and operators cant get a lien without a court order if the client is an active servicemember.

The United States has statutes, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, to protect consumers from abuses such as unfair collections practices. Although federal law sets rules regarding your right to lien, seize, sell and dispose of tenant property, each state is different and may enact stricter rules. Its your responsibility as a storage operator to be aware of and heed these rules, lest you be forced to suffer the consequences.

The Act

SCRA is a far-reaching consumer-protection act that was passed in 2003 to safeguard active-duty military personnel from certain penalties, including liens and foreclosures. Its purpose is to provide these personnel with relief from worries such as bills while theyre serving their country. Your self-storage business is subject to the SCRA, and noncompliance can be costly. Areas the SCRA covers include:

Mortgage relief

Lease termination

Eviction protection

Interest rate cap of 6 percent

Stay-of-court proceedings

Reopening of default judgments

Now more than ever, its critical for self-storage operators to grasp the scope of the SCRA. Violating the act can result in fines and penalties, including imprisonment. The SCRA grants protection not only from liens, but from the sale and disposal of property. This protection extends to members of the military reserves when called to active duty as well.

Notification

You might think a servicemember has a duty to inform your storage facility if and when hes going on active duty. It would save you a lot of time and trouble if he did. In reality, servicemembers may have a moral duty in this area, but they dont have a legal obligation.

However, there are steps you can take to encourage your military tenants to notify you of their status. For example, you can post signs asking them to inform the storage manager before they go on active duty. This is a request, not a legally enforceable rule, but it may make for fewer headaches. You can also add a line or a paragraph on the lease asking if the prospective tenant is in the military or reserves; although this information cant be used as proof in a court of law. You should also ask for the names and numbers of family members in the event of an emergency. This information can be used later as a means of helping identify the tenant and his military status.

Another option is to ask all tenants to sign a waiver saying they voluntarily give up their rights under the SCRA. This waiver cant be attached to the lease, however, and tenants cant be compelled to sign it as a condition of renting. The waiver must also stipulate it only applies to the lease. If the tenant does agree to sign, he must do it during or after his period of active duty. If its before, its unenforceable.

Verification

When a tenant stops paying rent and you have no information about his military status, you must find out before you place a lien on the unit or auction the property. For this endeavor, there are a number of paths to consider. Many turn to the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), the government office in charge of curating information on U.S. Department of Defense personnel.

Unfortunately, even though DMDC is a government entity, this source is rife with errors and outdated information. The center is working to remedy this situation, but youre still taking a risk by relying on the information it provides. Unless you have the tenants Social Security number, you may get results for relatives or others with the same or similar names. These vouchers come with disclaimers and are rarely accepted by courts as proof of military status. In addition, getting these reports takes time, sometimes weeks or months, due to the huge backlog of requests.

If timeliness is important or you have a batch of requests to process, youre better off working with a private company. You wont need to provide a Social Security number, as these companies use other channels to uncover the proper documentation. They provide verification, plus an affidavit within 24 hours you can take to court.

Its important not to make any moves until you have this verification. Once you do, if the tenant isnt a servicemember, you may proceed with placing a lien on the storage unit. If the tenant is on active duty, however, youll need a court order before you can safely place a lien, evict or foreclose. Some states allow you to place a padlock on the unit in the interim.

Legal Requirements

Storage operators can run into trouble outside of the SCRA as well. Consumer protection is complex and evolving. A tenants circumstances, including his age, and your states rules can come into play. State laws on selling and disposing of others property provide certain rights and obligations to both the self-storage owner and tenant.

When it comes time to decide whether to sell or dispose of a delinquent tenants property, talk to your lawyer first. Most tenants would view the sale and disposal of their goods as a personal assault upon their household. Many keep important papers, family heirlooms, memorabilia, photos of loved ones and other valuables in their units. Such sales could result in potentially expensive lawsuits.

With consumer-protection claims in generaland sale-and-disposal claims in particularcourts want careful documentation. Theyll likely ask for proof that you properly informed the tenant of the past-due bill, you gave him time to pay, and you checked to see if he was a servicemember.

You can usually find the legal requirements and timelines in your state's consumer-protection statutes.

Its critical you follow the guidelines carefully and comply with the requirements for all notices to your customer of your intentions and his obligations. You should also consult with your attorney and insurance agent, get a copy of your states consumer-protection statutes, prepare a timeline and follow it carefully. Do this regularly, since rules and regulations change often.

Penalties

Going to court over selling a tenants belongings rarely turns out well for a self-storage owner. Most juries will feel sorry for the plaintiff. In court, stored items suddenly seem to take on a sentimental patina they may never have had otherwise. The emotional appeal to a jury is almost certain, so litigation always poses a risk. The least a jury will expect to see is that the storage operator adhered to the laws and gave notice. Otherwise, he runs the risk of looking like a thief in the minds of jurors. This will only serve to reward plaintiffs.

In many areas, a violation of the consumer-protection act carries stiff penalties. These may include fines that have tripled as well as the plaintiffs legal fees. A claim of hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost property might be more than your insurance policy covers. This can leave your facility responsible for the balance.

Consumer-protection acts in various states require you to carefully consider your right to sell and dispose of property owned by a tenant. Know the laws in your state before proceeding.

Attorney Roy Kaufmann serves as the director of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service in Washington, D.C. As a recognized authority on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), he has published hundreds of articles and hosted many webinars. His teachings help law firms and businesses remain compliant with the SCRA rules and regulations to avoid costly fines. For more information, visit www.servicememberscivilreliefact.com.
Absolute Storage Management (ASM), a self-storage owner and property-management firm, has purchased two Madison, Ala., facilities in a joint venture with an affiliate of The Natchez Group, a self-storage developer. Balch Road Self Storage at 325 Balch Road and Madison Boulevard Mini Storage at 9091 Madison Blvd. comprise 83,000 square feet of storage space. ASM plans to upgrade the offices and security systems at each facility, according to a company press release.

The acquisition was financed by Simmons Bank and brokered by Trey Kirby, vice president of NAI Nashville, a division of commercial real estate firm NAI Global

Madison is a thriving market, and these assets are both located on well-traveled roads through town, said Michael Haugh, president of ASM.

Founded in 2002, ASM manages 88 self-storage facilities, 16 of which are owned and operated in joint ventures with the company. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., it has regional offices in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Jackson, Miss.; and Nashville, Tenn.

Based in Nashville, The Natchez Group was founded in 2013 by local real estate investor Taylor Preston. It has storage projects under development in Tennessee, including a six-story, mixed-use development in Germantown, and an eight-story facility in the SoBro neighborhood of Nashville.
Calvin Choi, chairman and president of Hong Kong investment house AMTD Group Co., was looking for ventures in which to invest back in early 2012 when he made a cold call to Lending Club co-founder Soul Htite. Instead of reaching out by phone, Choi connected via LinkedIn.

Choi expected Htite to be in San Francisco, home of Lending Club, a top U.S. peer-to-peer lender. But the entrepreneur, born to French-Moroccan parents in Montreal, responded from Shanghai, where he was planning the launch of P2P lending platform Dianrong.com. Choi was immediately interested in backing the venture.

One of Dianrongs earliest investors, AMTD has allocated a total of $100 million, or 10 percent of its fintech and digital innovation investment fund, the largest such vehicle in Hong Kong and one of the biggest in Asia. Besides its 10 percent position in Dianrong, the asset manager and full-service financial group owns stakes in companies worldwide.

For its part, Dianrong, which Htite founded with Shanghai-based lawyer and private equity investor Kevin Guo, has become one of Chinas premier P2P lenders. Over the past three years the platform has extended $3 billion in loans, giving creditors the chance to earn average returns of 7 to 8 percent. We will have to wait another ten to 20 years for banks here to learn Internet lending, which is not a simple thing, Htite says. In the meantime, we are here to both help and profit from the opportunities.

AMTD represents the rise of Asian investors in the global fintech industry, which until recently was dominated by Western private equity outfits. But the firm doesnt want the market all to itself: At home and abroad, it has shown a willingness to work with fellow investors and other parties.

We see a lot of ground for collaboration between AMTD and Dianrong, says Choi, noting that Dianrongs credibility in the marketplace was further enhanced when London-based emerging-markets bank Standard Chartered and the China Fintech Fund, an AMTD affiliate, led a consortium that invested $207 million in the lender last September. Standard Chartered follows on the heels of U.S. investment firm Tiger Global Management -- an early backer of Facebook -- whose venture capital unit took a stake in Dianrong in 2015.

Last year AMTD formed a long-term alliance with the largest fintech event organizer, New Yorkbased LendIt, to promote the growth of the industry in Hong Kong and other parts in Asia. The two have begun hosting summits for entrepreneurs and investors in Hong Kong and Shanghai. They also recently announced that they will open a joint global office in New York to focus on connecting Asian capital with fintech opportunities in the U.S. and other developed markets.

Expect to see more global fintech players establish concrete partnerships with local players, says Choi, 38, who previously held posts at UBS and Citigroup and oversaw initial public offerings by several major Chinese financial institutions in the past decade, among them China CITIC Bank International, China Everbright Bank Co., and Haitong Securities Co. And expect to see these alliances with institutions regionally expand beyond their local markets.

China is home to the worlds largest online finance market, with more than 3,000 fintech firms offering a wide range of services to 500 million users, according to a recent report by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. McKinsey estimates that Internet finance companies lent out 12 trillion yuan ($1.73 trillion) to 15 trillion yuan between 2012 and 2015.

Growth in the sector has been so explosive that regulators recently issued a series of rules to clamp down on inevitable scams and fraudulent behavior. These changes  which include mandates that fintech companies must register with financial regulatory agencies, that they cant offer banking services without banking licenses, and that P2P firms, in particular, can only be brokers and not lenders  have forced the industry into consolidation.

The new rules show that the P2P industry has reached a size and scale that may pose a threat to the nations banks, many of which are state-owned or -controlled, says Janos Barberis, founder of information platform FinTech Hong Kong and SuperCharger FinTech Accelerator, a start-up incubation ecosystem based in Hong Kong that works with fledging firms throughout Asia. They will cause the industry to contract around few larger and more established players, Barberis predicts.

Choi of AMTD says hes happy to see the new rules. We welcome this type of industry regulation, he adds, arguing that it gives the fintech sector a clearer direction for growth and focus.

AMTD has taken stakes in half a dozen other fintech firms in China and overseas. Among them are China-based chauffeur service UCAR, which last year listed on the nations over-the-counter markets with U.S. private equity firm Warburg Pincus as another shareholder. AMTD also joined IDG Capital, a Chinese affiliate of media giant International Data Group, by investing in leading online-to-offline secondhand car retailing platform YouChe.com, which intends to go public in the next 12 to 18 months.

AMTD typically puts up between $30 million and $50 million for a 15 to 20 percent stake in a company. However, the firm wants a board seat so it can deploy staff to join portfolio companies to participate in management, provide strategic input, and create value when the need arises.

There is no geographic restriction, Choi says. AMTD has invested in the U.S.  where it has stakes in student loan provider Credible Labs and Peachjar, a platform that keeps parents informed about after-school programs  and is preparing to move into Southeast Asia. We like the Southeast Asian market, where we see many opportunities, given its world-leading population base and its role as a growth engine for Asia.

In addition to managing its fintech and digital innovation fund, AMTD worked with its two major shareholders  the offshore unit of China Minsheng Investment Group, a privately owned investment conglomerate based in Shanghai; and L.R. Capital Group, a $4 billionplus multifamily office that represents Li Ka-shing and several other Asian tycoons  to launch the China Fintech Fund in 2015.

This vehicle can invest substantially more than AMTD typically does in a fintech venture, Choi says, adding that AMTD and the fund are constantly scouring many Chinese provinces for start-ups with outstanding entrepreneurs and strong business plans.

China has the biggest population in Asia, and its growth potential remains enormous, Choi says. It will take time for traditional financial services companies there to embrace financial technology. In the meantime, this gives financial technology players opportunities to grow.
This content is from: Video

Inflation remains the primary concern for the worlds central banks, which have engaged in the broadest and fastest tightening regime in history, according to Alejandra Grindal, chief economist at Ned Davis Research.
Erie Insurance Group, an Erie, Penn., based insurer, has announced operational and senior leadership changes in order to further position the company for continued growth.

The new appointments are effective January 19.

Claims & Customer Service

Under the executive leadership of Lorianne Feltz, Claims and Customer Service represent Eries front-line touchpoint with customers. The changes in these areas are expected to further align the organization and create efficiency and the opportunity for sharing knowledge between complementary disciplines.

Corporate and Field Claims, currently separate divisions, will be combined under the leadership of Senior Vice President Chris Zimmer. Zimmer joined Erie in 1991 as a district sales manager. He has experience within sales and claims operations, including serving as branch manager in Charlotte, N.C., regional vice president of the Southeastern region and his current role as senior vice president of Field Claims Operations.

Pat Burns, currently senior vice president of Corporate Claims, will take on the role of senior vice president of Customer Service. In this role, he will work to bring together all customer contact operations.

Burns began his insurance career in 1986 and held various claims positions in the industry before joining Erie in 1999. He started his career with Erie as claims manager for Indiana and was named regional claims officer of the West region in 2011. He most recently served as senior vice president of Corporate Claims, a position he took on in May 2014. Burns also served as interim executive vice president during the summer of 2016.

Dave Russo, currently vice president of Processing Operations and Customer Service, will be promoted to senior vice president of the newly formed Service Operations & Support Division. This area aligns quality and systems administration across Claims and Customer Service.

Russo has experience in underwriting and customer service roles at Erie. He joined the company in 1988 as a commercial rater. He then moved to the Office of the President. In 2001, Russo returned to underwriting in Eries former Reinsurance Division. He was promoted to assistant vice president in 2003 and led the companys Commercial Processing Operations. In 2010, the company consolidated processing operations under Russos leadership in the Customer Service Division.

Sales & Products

The changes in Sales and Products, under the leadership of Executive Vice President Doug Smith, are aimed at reinforcing and leveraging profitable growth.

Louis Colaizzo, currently senior vice president of Sales & Agency, will lead Eries life insurance operations as senior vice president of Erie Family Life. In this position, Colaizzo brings his knowledge of the agency force and sales capability  including his own time as an agent  to Eries Life business.

From 1985 until 1994, Colaizzo managed the A.L. Colaizzo Agency in Canonsburg, Penn. He joined Erie in 1994 as branch manager of Eries Pittsburgh Branch. He held numerous leadership roles in the organization during his tenure, including regional vice president and director of Agency Operations, before taking on his current role.

Commercial and Personal Lines Underwriting will be combined under the leadership of Senior Vice President Marc Cipriani. Cipriani brings more than 30 years of experience with Erie to his new role. He currently serves as senior vice president of Commercial Lines, overseeing all activities related to commercial insurance strategy and operations.

During his career at the company, Cipriani has held various supervisory and managerial roles in Commercial Underwriting. In 2010, he moved into field sales operations as branch manager of the Erie, Penn., branch office. He was promoted to his current position in 2012.

Mike Plazony, currently senior vice president of Erie Family Life, will oversee a new division focused on personal lines product development. An experienced P&L leader with more than 30 years of multi-line insurance practice, Plazony joined Erie in 2009 as vice president of Erie Family Life. He was promoted to his current position in 2010.

Ann Zaprazny, senior vice president and regional officer, will oversee the new Commercial Lines Product Division. Zaprazny has 30 years of experience in the property/casualty industry, which includes 22 years with Chubb Group where she held various positions in marketing, branch administration, IT and loss control. Prior to her work with Erie, she served as senior vice president of commercial lines for Donegal Insurance. Zaprazny joined Erie Insurance in 2010.

Mike Fletcher, Eries West Virginia branch manager, will be promoted to senior vice president of the Agency Division. The division will include field operations, agency administration and sales and promotion. Fletcher brings 29 years of insurance experience to his new role, including positions in underwriting, marketing and field operations. A former Erie agent, he has led growth in the West Virginia branch since joining the company in 2003.

Source: Erie Insurance Group

Topics Claims Leadership Pennsylvania
Rising inequality and social polarization are set to shape world developments for the next decade after contributing to Britains decision to leave the European Union and the ballot-box success of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said.

Climate change was underlined as the third major global trend in the WEFs annual assessment of global risks, published on Wednesday at an event at Bloomberg LPs European headquarters in London. It said world leaders must work together to avoid further hardship and volatility in the coming decade.

Theres a wide array of potential threats; growing social and political turmoil, potential business interruptions which could stem from inter-state conflict, from social instability, terrorist attacks, John Drzik, president of global risk at Marsh USA Inc., which contributed to the study, said in an interview. This whole social and political context creates the potential for disruption.

A weak economic recovery following the global financial crisis has widened the gap between rich and poor, fueling a sense of economic malaise thats led to the rise of populist parties, according to the report. While Brexit and Trump were the highest-profile signs of an anti-establishment backlash in Western democracies, the evidence extends far wider, with support growing for far-right parties in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands among others.

Continued slow growth combined with high debt and demographic change creates an environment that favors financial crises and growing inequality, WEF founder Klaus Schwab wrote in the reports preface. Pervasive corruption, short-termism and unequal distribution of the benefits of growth suggest that the capitalist economic model may not be delivering for people.

The survey involved 750 experts assessing 30 global risks ranging from deflation and asset bubbles to extreme weather events, terrorist attacks, food crises and cyber attacks. They identified trends including an aging population, climate change, social polarization and income inequality that could amplify those risks.

The forum ranked risks by impact and by likelihood. While weapons of mass destruction were deemed the most impactful risk, they were also judged unlikely. Extreme weather events were the next most impactful, and were also rated the most likely risk. The next four most likely risks were large-scale involuntary migration, major natural disasters, large-scale terrorist attacks and a massive incident of data theft or fraud.

The report will be discussed at the WEFs annual gathering of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, beginning Jan. 17. Rising income inequality was identified as the most important underlying trend determining global events, followed by climate change and societal polarization.

The WEF said that the share of income going to the top 1 percent of earners has increased in countries including the U.S., Britain, Australia and Canada since the 1980s. The policy of quantitative easing, whereby central banks make large-scale purchases of government bonds, has exacerbated inequality by enriching owners of financial assets, it said.

Concerns over income and wealth distribution are becoming more politically disruptive, and much greater emphasis is needed on the increasing financial insecurity that characterizes many peoples lives, the WEF said. The combination of economic inequality and political polarization threatens to amplify global risks, fraying the social solidarity on which the legitimacy of our economic and political systems rests.

The reports authors pointed to a deteriorating commitment to global cooperation, with Russia and South Africa among nations pulling out of the International Criminal Court in 2016 and China rejecting the verdict of an international tribunal over disputed waters in the South China Sea. In addition, Trump has said hes considering pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, the first truly global deal committing nations to curb the emissions that cause global warming.

For businesses, the biggest risk is the potential for cyber attacks, particularly as more household devices and industrial controls become connected to the Internet, according to Drzik.

This is the risk that is on the minds of the boards and CEOs, Drzik said. If you take an event where 100,000 household devices are activated as weapons, it starts to get you to think in an era of geopolitical tensions and state-sponsored attacks about what could happen. These are things like thermostats, any lighting device, anything thats connected to the Internet in your house can be used now as a weapon.

New Technologies

The WEF called for the creation of new policies to help more people benefit from new technologies. It examined 12 emerging technologies, ranging from three-dimensional printing to renewable energy. Advances in artificial intelligence and robotics yielded the greatest potential benefits, but also the biggest potential negative effects, it said.

Without proper governance and re-skilling of workers, technology will eliminate jobs faster than it creates them, said Cecilia Reyes, chief risk officer at Zurich Insurance Group, which contributed to the study. Governments can no longer provide historical levels of social protection and an anti-establishment narrative has gained traction, with new political leaders blaming globalization for societys challenges, creating a vicious cycle in which lower economic growth will only amplify inequality.

Source: World Economic Forums Global Risks Report 2017

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Tech Europe Climate Change
The U.S. Senate took the first step toward repealing Obamacare in a razor-thin vote early Thursday, even as House leaders were struggling to line up support for a vote later this week.

The 51-48 vote fell almost entirely along party lines, an early sign of the contentiousness surrounding Republican plans to undo President Barack Obamas signature health-care law.

Senate Republicans held together to defeat Democratic amendments aimed at defending popular portions of the Affordable Care Act, including expanded Medicaid and Medicare drug benefits and allowing kids to stay on their parents insurance until 26.

The House is planning to vote on the budget as early as Friday, but the timing could slip because of intra-party angst. Doubts were growing among both moderate and conservative Republicans about the wisdom of voting for repeal without laying out more details about the eventual replacement.

Republicans intend to come up with the repeal bill in the coming weeks, though they remain far apart over how it would work.

The budget blueprint lets Republicans repeal much of Obamacare without any votes from Democrats, because follow-on legislation wouldnt be subject to filibusters.

GOP leaders initially discussed setting an Obamacare repeal sometime months or even years in the future, with a replacement to be enacted by that date. But a revolt by rank-and-file members in both chambers, with apparent agreement from President-elect Donald Trump, has lawmakers looking for a near-simultaneous repeal and enactment of a new health-care law several weeks or months into the new administration.

The budget resolution, S. Con. Res. 3, sets a Jan. 27 target for writing the first Obamacare replacement bill. A group of five Republicans proposed changing that target to March 3, but they withdrew the amendment late Wednesday after GOP leaders reassured them that there was no practical difference because missing the deadline doesnt carry a penalty.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said he voted against the budget resolution for an unrelated reason  it would allow the federal debt to increase by more than $9 trillion over the next decade. Republicans control the Senate 52-48, which meant that Republicans could afford only a single additional defection to advance the measure before Trumps inauguration.

The vote-a-rama procedure for budget resolutions allows Democrats to force unlimited votes on amendments, which meant hours of votes before final approval of the measure. Democrats tried to use the amendments to demonstrate a split between where the country is on popular provisions and the Republican base.

The Republicans cannot please their base and the broader public at the same time, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on the Senate floor. From a policy perspective, they cant repeal the law and keep in place the provisions that are overwhelmingly popular with a majority of Americans. Thats why theyre in such a pickle.

An amendment on prescription-drug pricing  a hot topic in the wake of the furor over Mylan NVs EpiPen price increases and others in the last year  received a vote. The provision aimed at allowing importation of drugs from Canada was defeated 46-52, with numerous Democrats and Republicans breaking from party ranks in what was a significant symbolic win for the powerful pharmaceutical industry.

Provisions were also filed on numerous other issues, including the carried interest tax break, trade and veterans benefits, but most of them did not get roll-call votes.

Previous vote-a-ramas have been nearly all-night affairs with proposed amendments on a wide range of topics, but Democrats focused most of their amendments on Obamacare. Democrats are due to get another chance at offering dozens of amendments later this year, when Republicans plan to vote on next years budget, including fast-track provisions intended to speed an overhaul of the tax code.

GOP Control

Most Republicans seemed inclined to vote against even items they support to avoid hiccups that could create an embarrassing start to GOP control of Washington. Several senators said many of the amendments are effectively meaningless.

No Democratic amendments were adopted. But one, an attempt to create a 60-vote threshold on legislation that would harm rural hospitals, had the backing of four Republican senators  Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Dean Heller of Nevada and Rob Portman of Ohio. The attempt failed on procedural grounds, but could be a preview of the difficulty Republicans can expect in actually writing a repeal bill.

Ideally, leaders want the House to adopt the Senate resolution later this week and move on, but its not clear yet whether Speaker Paul Ryan will have the votes to do so without changes to assuage his restive conference.

Senior House Deputy Whip Dennis Ross of Florida said Wednesday hes been advised by a colleague that more Republican votes must be found to adopt the resolution, since all Democrats are expected to oppose the measure. The vote is tentatively set for Friday, but Ross said that GOP leaders are preparing for the possibility that the vote may have to be moved to Saturday to allow more time to assemble enough support.

Serious Reservations

Some House Freedom Caucus members are opposed to the current plan, while Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, who co-chairs a group of moderate Republicans, said he has serious reservations at this point about voting for the budget.

Among the differences Republicans are struggling with are how to treat states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare  a priority for senators like Capito  and whether to immediately repeal all of the Obamacare taxes or keep some of them in place for now to ensure funding for a robust replacement.

Trump said Wednesday that he plans to weigh in on the outlines of a replacement after he takes office.

Were going to be submitting, as soon as our secretarys approved, almost simultaneously, shortly thereafter, a plan, Trump told reporters. Were going to do repeal and replace, very complicated stuff, and were going to get a health bill passed.

Georgia Republican Representative Tom Price, the president-elects pick for Health and Human Services secretary, faces a hearing next week in front of the Senates health committee, although the key hearing for his confirmation hasnt yet been scheduled.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Legislation Drugs Politics
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant announced Tuesday that by executive order, hes requiring all state employees to take online training in sexual harassment awareness and prevention.

This should be a low-cost alternative to expensive seminars and provide a standard of prevention in this litigious society, Bryant said.

The move comes months after the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agreed to pay $25,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former employee against the bureau and its deputy director.

Everyone deserves a workplace free from intimidation and hostility, Bryant said on his Facebook page. I will not tolerate sexual harassment in those agencies that fall under my control.

State employees must complete the 30-minute course on the Mississippi State Personnel Board website by June 30. It provides examples and definitions, noting, among other things, that sexual harassment is not limited to members of the opposite sex.

The course also says sexual harassment can occur among co-workers outside the office. For example, it says it could be harassment if one employee reaches over to buckle another employees seatbelt in a state vehicle and intentionally touches her breasts. And if a male employee posts pictures of himself on Twitter and a female co-worker replies with sexual comments about him, that too could be sexual harassment, if the behavior has an effect on the work environment.

Mary Katherine Sullivan, the former Bureau of Narcotics employee, alleged that throughout her employment, she had been subjected or exposed to sexual comments, dirty jokes and sexual propositions by deputy director Mike Perkins, and that his offensive behavior escalated after she asked him to stop.

Despite his leadership position, Perkins office at MBN headquarters is conspicuously adorned with a certificate he received from sexual harassment training with the word failed stamped in large print. The plaintiff and other female employees have seen this certificate on numerous occasions while conducting business at headquarters, the lawsuit said.

Sullivans lawsuit also said that Perkins, in her presence, would rank potential female employees he was interviewing for employment with a sexually motivated number system, with the higher the number the more physically attractive to him. She said it was widely known at MBN as the Perkins Scale.

Perkins retired in August, two months after the lawsuit was settled.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Training Development Mississippi
After winning the Muhr Feature Award for Best Actor at the 13th Dubai Intl Film Festival, Sobhy talks to Ahram Online about his career, how art changed his life, and how it impacts the community at large

Egyptian actor Ali Sobhy won the Muhr Feature Award at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) for Best Actor for his role as Aly Meaza in the film Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim (Ali, Meaza and Ibrahim).

Directed by Sherif El-Bendary, the films world premiere was in Dubai and is expected to be released across Egyptian cinemas starting February.

The award came as a great surprise to Sobhy. His name has been mainly known for his participation in Outa Hamra (Red Tomato) clown troupe and for his many street performances.

He also hit social media in March 2011, when he was arrested and reportedly beaten up with others by security forces during the dispersal of a Tahrir Square sit in.

The incident sparked an online campaign "Aly Sobhy is our friend and not a thug" by his friends and activists.

It was not a surprise, then, following his success in Dubai, social media congratulated the actor adding, "Aly Sobhy is the best actor and not a thug" on posts that went viral.

Sobhy dedicated his win to all persons rejected by their communities for being different.

The 33-year-old Sobhy  who prefers the term artist rather than actor, since his 18-year-long career includes acting, singing, and dancing  considers himself one of those rejected by their community for being different.

As he clarified to Ahram Online, his choices throughout his life were not normal, taking us on his personal journey from his working class neighborhood in Cairo, Ain Shams, to the Dubai festival.

Road of coincidence and the force of art

When Sobhy was 15 he started acting, by coincidence, as he describes it.

His elder brother's friend was an actor in Mansour Mohamed Studio, which was an initiative in the 1990s for contemporary motion theatre and trained many who later became actors, including some from Sobhys neighbourhood.

"I used to attend their performances in the neighbourhood. It was a big event that we, the residents of Ain Shams, would celebrate," Sobhy recalls.

Sobhy began attending their rehearsals in the community youth centre and it did not take long before he joined the studio.

Sobhy was having problems in school. He felt he was not learning anything.

"When I first went to school I was good at reading. But I finished primary school with pronunciation problems" which, he explained, resulted in much bullying.

"In the neighbourhood where I lived, I could have easily ended up as a criminal. But art rescued me," Sobhy told Ahram Online.

Sobhy then enrolled in high school, the phase he perceives as very significant in his life, as he started to be aware that acting was his vocation. From then on, theatre began absorbing him completely, leaving little time to study. He spent seven years trying to finish high school, constantly facing problems and escaping into creative activities.

He also joined a theatre troupe that operated within the high school. Ironically, as he struggled with regular studies, he gained many awards for his acting and was honoured by the school principal.

However those successes did not allow him to escape repeated expulsions.

After I was dismissed from school, I was dissatisfied with myself and with my life  I even left the school theatre and stayed for almost one year and a half standing on street corners doing nothing," Sobhy said.

Again by coincidence, Sobhy met Mohamed Abdel Fattah, his neighbour who also used to act in Mansour Mohamed Studio. Abdel-Fattah was gathering actors to launch a theatre troupe called "Hala" (A case), one that was to become one of the most prominent street troupes during the 10 years prior to the Egyptian revolution.

Since Sobhy joined Hala in 2001, he never returned to doing nothing on dark street corners.

With the troupe, he participated in street performances that due to their political context attracted the attention of Mubarak's state security apparatus.

Sobhy, however, was not interested in politics until the deadly fire of the Beni Suef national theatre in 2005, an incident that claimed the lives of dozens of artists, including actor friends.

He began helping the families of the victims, and visited the injured in hospital. This experience resulted in a performance called "Fire" which did not attract a great audience, in contrast to Halas hallmark sarcastic comedy.

Hala started to become popular with other works though, soon giving performances not only in the street but also in theatres.

As Sobhy explains, the audience grew, and at the same time the members began developing the feeling of being celebrities in a sense, a fact that held them back from doing better.

With their last musical show, "Kastour," the whole troupe, that also started to organise a festival for mobile films and independent films, disintegrated in 2010.

Passion matured: Outa Hamra and cinema

Throughout those years, Sobhy's career did not give him any income of any kind. However, he found what he considers to be much more valuable: the love of his life (now his wife), as well as appreciation and a sense of achievement.

Still, I needed income, so I worked almost in everything: in a pharmacy, or as a seasonal sales person. My first income from the arts came when I started working in cinema," Sobhy said.

His first role in a feature-length film came when he was cast in an independent production Ain Shams, directed by Ibrahim El-Battout.

Until this moment, he never considered film as a rewarding experience for an actor with a theatrical background, but El-Battout managed to change his perception. El-Battout introduced me to a different kind of cinema, different than what I used to watch in cinemas.

From that moment, Sobhy would explore cinema behind the scenes, taking different responsibilities within the field. In Tamer El-Saids In the Last Days of the City (Akher Ayam El-Medina), a film that was shot in 2008, he was an actor as well as assistant producer.

In 2009, Sobhy met a group of French clowns from Clowns Without Borders with whom he worked in two performances and who inspired him to establish Outa Hamra (Red Tomatoes) troupe a year later.

"As Outa Hamra, we performed in the popular neighbourhoods of Cairo and other cities of Egypt and outside the country. We collaborated with local centres, and developmental organisations. We often involved the residents of the places we went to in the performance, and I could see how their reception of our shows was changing over time: from primary hostility to a warm welcome. Parallel to the performances, members of Outa Hamra trained refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Eretria, and Syria with whom they also organised a variety of shows, Sohby explained.

"After my arrest in 2011, I became distanced from politics and focused more on projects that created a palpable change within civil society. After one of the performances that addressed discrimination and which we staged in an economically underprivileged community, people were so touched that they came on the stage and began apologising for the way they treated refugees in their neighbourhood.

For Sohby, such reactions are priceless.

"I believe in the ability of art to change people, the same way it changed me, to a better person," he said, hoping to continue carrying the torch of change.

Aly Meaza as a victory for all 'different persons'

The idea of the film Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim and casting Sobhy first came to the mind of director Ibrahim El-Battout. We worked on the script together with a team of actors. We secured the funds, but in 2011 El-Battout left the project, Sobhy explains.

A few years later, the producer decided to reach out to another director, Sherif El-Bendary to help the scriptwriter Ahmed Amer, finish the film.

The shooting, which began in May 2015, took a year and a half.

The film centres on a man who believes that his dead girlfriend has been reincarnated as a goat, which he names Nada. At the healers clinic, Ali meets Ibrahim, and they are both diagnosed as being cursed.

When the healer prescribes a solution to break the spell, it sets them off on an adventure that takes them to the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Nile.

Both characters, who were rejected by their communities, manage to get acceptance at the end for being different.

"Aly is not a weird character. In fact, we share a lot of characteristics: he looks like any human being, has two eyes, two ears, and a nose  he just has different ideas," Sobhy laughs.

According to the actor, the film was granted a substantial budget. It is a fortunate fact for an independent production. Todays independent industry has evolved a lot in Egypt. What makes them unique is not the question of budget, but rather the way of production, the ideas, the content, he comments.

Sobhy dedicated his award at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival to all people who are rejected by their communities. We do not have to love a different person, but we should learn how, at least, to accept him. In the world where everyone follows the same patterns, difference has a bigger value.

Recognition as a film actor did not take away Sobhy from street art and clowning, and he assures he is not giving up on this art form.

"Following Dubais recognition, I was offered many scripts, but I will not act in any film unless I feel that it suits my abilities, as well as the film can create an impact on society, he commented, adding that in order to move further in his artistic career, he considers gaining a degree, possibly studying theatre in Berlin.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

Search Keywords:

Short link:


San Francisco, Calif.-based Wells Fargo is completely restructuring how it pays tellers and other bank branch employees after a scandal over its aggressive sales practices.

Employees will no longer get incentives for opening accounts or meeting sales goals. They will instead receive part of their overall salary based on how the products they sell are used. Accounts that are used frequently will help an employees pay, while idle accounts will not be a factor.

A component will be based on independently measured customer service scores for branch locations. And employees will receive more of their overall compensation as a base salary, not incentives and bonuses.

The change was considered a priority for the CEO and the head of Wells Fargos community bank division, both of whom took those jobs after the scandal emerged.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Moscaroli has moved from DLA Piper and will advise clients on corporate and international tax matters, including tax planning, transfer pricing, as well as tax structuring of M&A, real estate, banking and private equity transactions.

In addition, chartered accountant and auditor Federico DAmelio has also joined the same tax practice as an associate. He was previously a tax adviser at Clifford Chance.
Ben Bernanke was the chair of the board of governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014. Bernanke took over the helm from Alan Greenspan on Feb. 1, 2006, ending Greenspan's 18-year leadership at the Fed.

A former Fed governor, Bernanke was chair of the U.S. President's Council of Economic Advisors prior to being nominated as Greenspan's successor in late 2005.

Key Takeaways Ben Bernanke is a former Federal Reserve chair, serving from 2006 to 2014.

As Fed chair, Bernanke oversaw the central bank's response to the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession.

Bernanke succeeded Alan Greenspan and was replaced by Janet Yellen.

Bernake introduced several strategies, including quantitative easing, to boost the U.S. economy during the 2008 recession.

Critics argue that Bernake flooded the economy with too much money, contributing to inflation and increased debt.

Investopedia / Alison Czinkota

Early Life and Education

Born Benjamin Shalom Bernanke on Dec. 13, 1953, he is the son of a pharmacist and a schoolteacher and was raised in South Carolina. A high-achieving student, Bernanke completed his undergraduate degree summa cum laude at Harvard University and then completed his Ph.D. at MIT in 1979.

He taught economics at Stanford and then at Princeton University, where he chaired the department until 2002 when he left his academic work for public service. He officially left his post at Princeton in 2005.

Notable Accomplishments

Bernanke was first nominated as chair of the Fed by President George W. Bush in 2005. He had been appointed to President Bush's Council of Economic Advisors earlier the same year, which was widely seen as a test run for succeeding Greenspan as chair.

In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him for a second term as chair. He was succeeded by Janet Yellen as chair in 2014. Before serving his two terms as chair of the Federal Reserve, Bernanke was a member of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors from 2002 to 2005.

Economic Contributions

Ben Bernanke was instrumental in stimulating the U.S. economy after the 2008 banking crisis that sent the economy into a downward spiral. He took an aggressive and experimental approach to restore confidence in the financial system.

One of the multiple strategies that the Fed applied to curb the global crisis was enacting a low-rate policy to stabilize the economy. Under the tutelage of Bernanke, the Fed slashed the benchmark interest rates near to zero. By reducing the federal funds rate, banks lend each other money at a lower cost, and in turn, can offer low-interest rates on loans to consumers and businesses.

$16.2 trillion The total net worth American households lost between 2007 and 2009 of the Great Recession.

As conditions worsened, Bernanke proposed a quantitative easing program. The quantitative easing scheme involved the unconventional purchase of Treasury bond securities and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) to increase the money supply in the economy. By purchasing these securities on a large scale, the Fed increased the demand for them, which led to an increase in the prices. Since bond prices and interest rates are inversely related, interest rates fell in response to the higher prices. The lower interest rates reduced the financing costs for business investments, hence improving a business financial position. By bolstering operations and activities, businesses were able to create more jobs, which contributed to a reduction in the unemployment rate.

Bernake's Bail Outs

Ben Bernanke also helped to curb the effects of the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions by bailing out several troubled big financial institutions. While the Fed underwrote the decision to let Lehman Brothers fail, they bailed out companies, such as AIG Insurance, due to the higher risk that the bailed-out companies posed if they went bankrupt.

In the case of AIG, Bernanke believed that the companys huge liability was solely isolated in its financial products which involved hundreds of billions of dollars in derivatives speculation. If the company lost out on its speculative position on these derivatives, it would not have sufficient funds to pay out or cover its losses. For companies like Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns, the Federal Reserve incentivized Bank of America and JPMorgan to purchase and take over both companies by guaranteeing the bad loans of the troubled banks.

Published Works

In 2013, Bernake released The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis, a compilation of his lectures about the history of the Federal Reserve and the financial crisis of 2008. It features his insights on the Fed's activities, decisions, and responses to events.

Two years later, he published The Courage to Act: A Memoir of a Crisis and Its Aftermath, chronicling his experiences as the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and exposed how close the global economy came to collapsing in 2008, stating that it would have done so had the Federal Reserve and other agencies not taken extreme measures. President Barack Obama has also stated that Bernanke's actions prevented the financial crisis from becoming as bad as it could have been. However, Bernanke has also been the subject of critics who claim he didn't do enough to foresee the financial crisis.

Legacy

Although Bernankes actions were indelible to the recovery of the global economy, he faced criticism for the approaches that he took to achieve this recovery. Economists criticized his pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy through the bond-purchase program which potentially increased individual and corporate debt, and led to inflation. In addition to these economists, legislators also criticized his extreme measures and opposed his re-appointment as Federal Reserve Chair in 2010. President Barack Obama, however, reappointed him for a second term.

As of August 2022, Ben Bernanke is currently serving as an economist at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public organization based in Washington, DC, where he provides advice on fiscal and monetary policies. He also serves as a senior advisor to Citadel.

What Boards Did Ben Bernake Serve on? After stepping down as the chair of the board of governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Ben Bernake served as a member of the Montgomery Township Board of Education in New Jersey for two years and is now an economist for the Brookings Institution and advisor for financial services firm Citadel.

What Did Ben Bernake Do During the Financial Crisis? To counter the effects of the financial crisis of 2008, Bernake employed a low-rate policywhereby rates were reduced to practically nothingand a quantitative easing plan to increase the money supply. Bernake also bailed out many large, failing financial institutions.

To What Economic School of Thought Does Ben Bernake Belong? Ben Bernake belongs to the Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz school of thought. Bernake subscribed to the principle that the Federal Reserve Board could reduce inflation and revitalize the economy by increasing the money supply at the same rate as the gross national product (GNP).

The Bottom Line

Ben Bernake, the former two-term chair of the Federal Reserve, is largely regarded for implementing strategies that saved the U.S. economy. His methods, albeit somewhat controversial, led to an increase in U.S. jobs, the bailout of well-known, established financial institutions, and a robust economy. His actions were not exempt from scrutiny, however, as there were a host of critics who believed his actions were more detrimental than good. Despite varying opinions, Bernake remains in high demand as an economist and advisor and is esteemed as one of the most influential Fed chairs in history.


Americans may be optimistic people by nature, but when it comes to retirement, many of us have our doubts.

In the 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 30% of respondents said they were very confident of having enough money for a comfortable retirement. Another 40% were somewhat confident.

That leaves almost a third of Americans, or roughly 30%, who doubt theyre on track to retire successfully. And unfortunately, they may be right.

The pandemic has had an impact on confidence, but not across the board. Over half of workers and two-thirds of retirees surveyed as part of the Retirement Confidence Survey said the pandemic has not changed their confidence in reaching a secure retirement. But more than one-third of workers and one-fourth of retirees say the pandemic has made them somewhat or significantly less confident that they are on track for a comfortable retirement. The rest of the group falls somewhere in the middle.

Key Takeaways For many Americans, retirement planning is becoming a pressing issue.

Determining your expected expenses in retirement is an essential first step.

While most people have one source of income, retirees can have several: Social Security, investments, pensions, and retirement plans.

If your projected expenses are greater than your projected income in retirement, it might be time to take decisive steps like spending less now and adding more to retirement savings.

To determine whether youre on track, it helps to know where you want to go. What kind of retirement lifestyle do you envision for yourself? Whats that likely to cost? And, the make-or-break question: Will you have the money to pay for it? Heres how to get some answers.

1. Estimate Your Expenses

Generations ago, people assumed their expenses would automatically decline in retirement. More recent experience shows that isnt always the case. Some expenses should go down, especially work-related ones like commutingbut others, such as vacations and dining out, may go up.

If you plan to downsize to a smaller home, you might save some money on housing. If you intend to upsize or do major remodeling, though, your housing costs could be higher.

So, starting with your current expenses as a guide, try to create a ballpark budget for retirement. Some experts even suggest living on that budget for a while before you retire to see how realistic it is.

We study cash flow, taxes, and retirement plan contributions to establish a lifestyle amount," says Nick Vail, co-owner and financial advisor at Integrity Wealth Advisors in Granger, IN. "This represents what you are currently living on now."

Vail adds the following:

The majority of people are not living on 80% to 90% of their income, as many companies will suggest youll need in retirement. Many are closer to 65% to 70% when you take into consideration mortgage payments, taxes, and what they are currently deferring into retirement plans. We use the lifestyle amount as a baseline when projecting retirement income needed.

2. Add Up Your Income

During your working years, youve probably had one basic source of income: a salary. In retirement, however, youll most likely have multiple sources, including Social Security, a traditional employer pension (if youre lucky enough to have one), investments, and earnings from any work you do. Try to estimate each of those, then tote them all up. The following are some tips:

Social Security

You can get a projection of your future benefits at the Social Security website, using the Retirement Estimator or other calculators on the website that help you estimate important elements, such as life expectancy.

I encourage everyone, and I mean everyone, to create an account on www.ssa.gov to see their exact benefits," says Marguerita Cheng, CFP, CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth in Gaithersburg, MD. "In fact, I do it right with my clients. If the client has a spouse or partner, I have them both do it.

Employer Pensions

If you have a traditional, defined-benefit pension coming from an employer, you should receive periodic estimates of your benefits. However, your benefit could vary depending on when you retire and the form in which you elect to take the money (lump sum vs. annuity, single-life vs. joint-life payout, etc.). Your plan administrator should be able to estimate your likely pension income under the scenario of your choice. Test out several possible scenarios to see which is best.

Investment Income

Your investment and retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs, could provide a substantial portion of your monthly income in retirement, especially if you lack a traditional pension. After age 72, youll generally have no choice but to withdraw a certain amount each year from the retirement accounts, in the form of required minimum distributions.

For the purposes of this exercise, figure that every year during retirement you can withdraw 4% of your total principal, plus a small annual increase for inflation, without exhausting your savings. The 4% rule, as this is called, is the subject of some controversy in the financial planning community, but its still a reasonable place to start.

Earnings From Work

Many Americans say they plan to keep working in retirement, either part-time or full-time. That doesnt always work out, however, so its best not to count on any income you arent absolutely sure of.

3. Do the Math

If your projected income exceeds your projected expenses, youre on track, at least for now. Something could still come along and derail youa job loss, a market plungebut so far, so good.

If you discover a shortfall, however, all is not lost. For example, could you:

Scale back your spending now and in retirement?

Plan to retire a little later?

Save more aggressively between now and then?

Any of those steps, or some combination of them, could help put you squarely back on track.

The Bottom Line

The only way to know whether youre on track to a comfortable retirement is to run the numbers. Make a best-guess estimate of your retirement expenses, add up all your likely income sources, and compare the two. If the result isnt what you hoped for, you might need to adjust your plans.

According to Mark Hebner, founder, and president of Index Fund Advisors, Inc., in Irvine, CA, and author of Index Funds: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors:

Depending on how close you are to retirement, you can either start saving more or youre going to have to slowly start adjusting your standard of living. It doesnt have to be dramatic, but you may want to get to a point where you are comfortable with the standard of living that you can afford.
Top News - Investor Idea

A Boat-full of Potential - Renewed Interest in the Cruise Industry Bolsters Luxury Markets (OTC: MASN) (NYSE: CCL) (NYSE: CUK) (NYSE: RCL) (NYSE: NCLH)

Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering luxury goods and cruise ship stocks releases a special report featuring Maison Luxe, Inc. (OTC: MASN), a company that offers luxury retail consumer items.

Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) AI Driven Financial Technology Patent Application Received a Notice of Publication

San Diego, CA - November 3, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) received a notice of publication for its financial software patent application.

Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer

NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents.

Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea

Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures $3.8M Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA from Italy

CAVE CREEK, Az. - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-based, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured a new $3.8 million USD order for its newly acquired, non-nicotine based vape product, HYLA from customers in Italy.

Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas:

Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by

Investorideas.com Newswire:

Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire
The Obama administration has finally found the courage to hurl bitter truths at Netanyahus government, though for Palestinians it's too little, too late

After an eight-year delay and in its last days in power, the Obama administration has spoken what it has been silent about. We have said over and over again that occupation and settlements are squeezing the life out of any possibility of creating a Palestinian state, destroying the chances of peace, that there is no alternative to the two-state solution except one state, that the incumbent government in Tel Aviv is the most radical right-wing government in the history of Israel, that its most extremist members are steering policy, and that the future of the region is in imminent danger because of it.

Also, that anyone who differs with Israel is described as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic, and that peace with Arabs is impossible without giving the Palestinian people their rights, and that the core of the problem is occupation which has become a ghetto system, and that settlements devour more than 60 per cent of occupied West Bank territories.

In short, Kerry in his belated comments warned Israel it has created and embedded an apartheid system without anyone daring to speak the term that former US President Carter had noted years ago.

Kerry said that the number of settlers grew by 100,000 during Obamas tenure, but he did not mention that his administrations failure to confront Israel and force it to stop settlement building is the reason for this. He did not mention how Obama buckled under pressure from Netanyahu and reneged on his promise made during his address in Cairo in his first year in office to work on ending settlements.

In fact, the Obama administration encouraged Israel to continue its arrogance. It was the most supportive administration of Israel in history, by way of which Israel now receives more than half of the US foreign military aid budget. Washington gives it the best weapons and opposes anyone who criticises it; fights the boycott campaign against it; and has approved giving unprecedented military assistance to Israel worth $38 billion.

But all this did not protect Kerry from Netanyahus insolence who described the former as insane and fake. Neither did bias towards Israel save Obama from the harsh embarrassment dealt out by Netanyahu in the US Congress.

What is most notable in Kerrys speech are the criteria he suggested for a settlement, which the Palestinian people will never accept. We can never accept the description of our just and legitimate struggle as terrorism and incitement. We can never accept Kerrys objections to our right to popular resistance, including the boycott movement, imposing sanctions, and withdrawing investments in Israel. We cannot accept the notion of recognising Israel as a Jewish state because this means abolishing the rights of two million Palestinians who succeeded in remaining in the 1948 territories, and obliterating the right of return.

No one will accept replacing the right of return of refugees with financial compensation or naturalisation in foreign countries. If Kerry wants to refer to UN Resolution 181, he must remember that according to that resolution, the Palestinian state includes Jaffa, Galilee, the Triangle and part of Negev. We cannot replace the notion of ending occupation in all territories taken in 1967 with amendments to the border to give legitimacy to settlements that the world community has condemned as illegal.

We cannot replace our recognised rights in occupied Arab Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state with a general and ambiguous phrase such as capital of two states, which gives Israel an opportunity to suggest that Jerusalem as a capital can be replaced with one of the surrounding districts, such as Abu Dis. Freedom of worship does not conflict with our right to complete sovereignty over the heart of Jerusalem, the old city, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Resurrection.

Security is not only an issue for Israel; the right of Palestinians to security cannot be ignored. We do not possess an army like Israel or 400 nuclear warheads or F-35 jets or nuclear submarines. The ones in need of protection are the Palestinian people, more than anyone else.

Albeit late, Kerry presented a correct analysis and premise which is commendable. But his conclusions and criteria were mistaken and harmful.

Palestine does not need new criteria. We already have enough international resolutions and laws, the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, world consensus that 50 years of occupation must end and the path of the 70-year-old naqba must be corrected. Israel and its settlement policies have violently clashed with the world community in recent days, as seen in the Security Council and Netanyahus haughtiness and terseness towards dozens of countries. This is all thanks to the struggle of the Palestinian people, their resilience and resistance.

It is thanks to popular, political and diplomatic resistance and the boycott campaign and imposing sanctions through the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement around the world.

Today, Israels isolation is growing and the balance of power continues to tip in our favour. The cause of Palestine continues to coalesce since it is the greatest moral issue of our era, as Nelson Mandela put it.

Happy New Year to you and to Palestine.

The writer is secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Showcasing people-based IoT solutions for increased safety, health and productivity February 7-10, 2017 at the Internet of things technology event

Calgary, AB, Canada  January 11, 2017  Aware360, a Canadian, PeopleIoT company announced today they will be showcasing their IoT solutions at the IoT Evolution Expo, to be held February 7-10, 2017, at Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Florida. IoT Evolution is the leading educational and networking forum for the IoT ecosystem and for any company looking to understand how to develop and implement IoT solutions that drive measurable results and business transformation. Aware360 at IoT Evolution at booth #1003 to learn more about their strategy for leveraging personal technology.

IoT Evolution highlights IoT applications within all vertical markets and will concentrate on edge/fog computing, smart buildings, connected transportation and developers programming. The event will feature a robust exhibit floor, powerful keynotes, case studies, live demos, unique sessions, special events, networking opportunities and much more.

Based out of Calgary, Alberta, Aware360 has had experience with M2M integrations for over 25 years. Now, through leveraging the power of the IoT, the company is making peoples lives better through improved health, safety and productivity.

Aware360s CTO, Robert Forget, will be joining the panel IoT in the Office Workplace: When and How? on Thursday, February 9th @ 1:45PM in the Expo Hall Theatre. Visit this session and the companys booth (#1003) to learn how you can leverage Aware360 solutions for your organization.

Registration for IoT Evolution is now open. For the latest IoT Evolution news, updates and information follow the event on Twitter at @IoTEvolution.

About [Company]:

Aware360 makes peoples lives better through early identification and communication of risks and events to a response center - enabling a guaranteed outcome. Leveraging personal technology (such as wearables and apps) Aware360 solutions ensure each individual is protected and healthy, regardless of their environment. Managers, co-workers, family members and friends can be certain those they care about will receive help when its needed. Aware360 offerings enable a robust and growing global ecosystem of device manufacturers, IoT platform providers and Real Time Response Partners.

About TMC:

Global buyers rely on TMCs content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. This presents branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities for vendors/sellers.

TMCs Marketplaces:

Unique, turnkey Online Communities boost search results, establish market validation, elevate brands and thought leadership, while minimizing ad-blocking.

Custom Lead Programs uncover sales opportunities and build databases.

In-Person and Online Events boost brands, enhance thought leadership and generate leads.

Publications, Display Advertising and Newsletters bolster brand reputations.

Custom Content provides expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts.

Comprehensive Event and Road Show Management Services help companies meet potential clients and generate leads face-to-face.

For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com.

About Crossfire Media:

Crossfire Media is an integrated marketing company with a core focus on future trends in technology. We service communities of interest with conferences, tradeshows, webinars and newsletters. Crossfire Media has a partnership with Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) to produce events and websites related to disruptive technologies. Crossfire Media is a division of Crossfire Consulting, a full service Information Technology company based in New York.

Media and Analyst Contact:

Jessica Seabrook

Marketing Director

203.852.6800 ext. 170

[email protected]

Aware360 contact:

Jen McDade

Communications Manager

(403)252-5007

[email protected]

Edited by Ken Briodagh
With the onset of the new year, rising complaints about price hikes, and increasing media and parliamentary criticism of government performance, the time seems ripe for a Cabinet shuffle

In fact, the rumor mill is already grinding: it will be minimal change, limited to a handful of weak-performing ministers. Or actually, it will bring sweeping change, possibly even a new prime minister.

Or in fact, there wont be any changeits just a way of reminding ministers theyre being constantly monitored so they dont get too comfortable.

Either way, the matter is not so simple. Under the constitution (Articles 147 and 148), the presidents decision to dismiss the government requires the approval of a majority of parliament. If a new government is formed, it must present its program to the House and again earn majority approval.

A more limited ministerial shuffle would require the approval of at least one-third of the House. Though parliamentary approval may not constitute a real obstacle, any Cabinet change still requires time and effort that dictate serious advance thought.

But the truth is that rumors of the expected shuffle are overshadowing a discussion of a much more important subject: given the current conditions, would any government have the powers and prerogatives to do its job capably while also being responsible to the public?

According to the constitution, the president is the head of the executive branch (Article 139), but the Cabinet and president both set public policy and oversee its implementation (Article 150). The Cabinet is the supreme executive and administrative body of the state (Article 163), tasked with preserving the nations security and protecting citizens rights and state interests (Article 167).

The constitution thus establishes a fine balance between the presidency and the Cabinet, while giving executive oversight authority to parliament.

We should recall that one of the criticisms of the new constitution was that it gave the Cabinet powers and autonomy that did not exist in the 1971 constitution.

But is this how it works in practice? I dont think so. In reality executive power rests with the presidency and the government is not an active partner in defining state policy. Its role is limited to practical implementation. Nor does the parliament exercise any real oversight of government performance. That role is left to security and regulatory agencies, which in turn communicate directly with the presidency.

But then whats wrong with this? What harm is there if the Cabinets job is simply to execute policy set by the presidency? Isnt the president elected by the people to be the head of the executive?

In my view, this situation has negative practical repercussions that go beyond constitutional theory. Although the president sits at the apex of the executive and selects his government to implement his policies, the Cabinets circumscribed role and powers denies it the ability to think in the long term, coordinate effectively among ministries and state agencies, and respond swiftly to developing events and crises. I believe this is the source of what people perceive as weak government performance.

An observer of the recent crises with powdered milk, imported wheat, fertilizer, sugar, and pharmaceuticals will notice that they all share a common feature: a tardy engagement with anticipated problems with known consequences and a reluctance to make a decision. The crisis is only resolved following directives from the presidency or when the armed forces intervene to make up a shortage or rebuild what was destroyed.

Meanwhile, the media machine unleashes criticism of the government, its head and ministers, and their policies, accusing them of failure and dereliction of duty and demanding they be replaced. What the media misses is that ministers have very little room for discretionary action, though they bear sole, full responsibility for any error or fault, even if it followed from the execution of orders from on high.

This isnt a criticism of the person of the prime minister, and I dont think He could act with more effort, sacrifice, and sincerity than he already has. Its about the need to change policies and also the way the country is managed, not the people involved.

The same is true, perhaps even more so, for governors, the heads of public agencies, and heads of governorate directoratesfor anyone who possesses power on paper without the adequate tools, resources, or prerogatives to exercise it.

Before a Cabinet shuffle, what the country needs is radical shift in the relationship between the government and the presidency. Ministers should help draft policies and programs and set priorities for public spending; they should be empowered to exercise their constitutional authorities and given greater room to act freely and independently before they can be fairly held to account.

In the current climate, a Cabinet shuffle is neither useful nor harmful. Its just a move to bring in new faces to appease the public, which might blame the government for now, but sooner or later will realise the problem is bigger, that whats needed is a change in how the country is managed, not who does it.



*The writer holds a PhD in financial law from the London School of Economics. He is former deputy prime minister, former chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority and former chairman of the General Authority for Investment.

A version of this article was published in Arabic in El-Shorouq newspaper on Monday, 9 January.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


iPhone has an amazing camera. Its no secret we take hundreds of photos when were on a trip or when we meet people. But most of the time, they just end up on our iPhone, collecting dust. Maybe you select some photos and send them to your friends using WhatsApp or email. But thats a pretty one-sided interaction.

What if your entire group wants to create a pool of photos from a trip? Or you want to share photos of your kids with your parents who live far away? This is where photo sharing services come in.

Why Use a Photo Sharing Service

If youre looking for reasons to switch to a photo sharing service, or you need reasons to convince your friends or family, here they are.

The process of sharing photos is seamless and trackable. If you use WhatsApp or email for this, it turns into a hazardous situation very quickly.

Its really easy for all members in the shared album to add photos, and to download photos that others have shared.

You can comment on photos.

Theres a way to generate a public link so anyone can view photos in a shared album.

The process is much faster.

In the end, you end up with photos that are backed up to the cloud, securely.

RELATED :13 iPhone Settings You Should Change Right Away

The Two Horses: iCloud Photo Sharing and Google Photos

Well talk about each of them in more detail below but I just want to acknowledge that these are currently the two best options out there.

iCloud Photo Sharing is already integrated into your iPhone and it just takes 4-5 taps to share a photo with your friends and family. The process is really intuitive.

But its limited to people with Apple devices and the experience can be buggy. I, for instance, was having issues adding more than one person at a time to the shared album. Upgrading to the latest iOS beta didnt help either. Plus, theres the issue of Apples unreliability with cloud syncing.

Google Photos, on the other hand, is basically everywhere  iOS, Android, and even the web. And reliable. You can add to shared albums from the web. This is something you cant do with iCloud Photo Sharing.

If youre already heavily dependent on Google for online services, and if your family members arent all in on Apple, it makes sense to use Google Photos instead. The apps AI features are also really interesting.

1. iCloud Photo Sharing

If all your friends and family are in the Apple ecosystem, it makes sense to use the built-in Apple option. iCloud Photo Sharing feature is available in the Shared tab in the Photos app and is ready to go.

With iCloud Photo Sharing, you create an album and share it with your friends and family. Any photo or video you add in there will be visible to all the members (theyll also get a notification). Theyre then free to like and comment on photos. And they can even add their own.

iCloud Photo Sharing might not be turned on for you. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings -> iCloud -> Photos to see the option.

When you go to the Shared tab in the Photos app, youll see an album called Family created for you already. You can just start using that or create a new one.

Tap the + icon to create an album by giving it a name. From the next screen, youll be asked to add members. Search for people in your contact list, add them and tap on Create.

Adding photos is quite easy as well. In the Photos app, select all the photos and tap the Share button. Then from the list, select iCloud Photo Sharing. Then choose the album you want to add it to. Boom, now your friends or family in the album will get a notification about it.

Things to know about iCloud Photo Library:

You can share photos from the Mac Photos app as well. And view photos on the Apple TV, as long as youre signed into the same iCloud account.

While shared albums work only for Apple devices, you can create a  Public Website  for an album so the photos are visible to anyone with just a link. This though is a static website (without the ability to add photos to the album).

 for an album so the photos are visible to anyone with just a link. This though is a static website (without the ability to add photos to the album). Theres a Windows app for Photos as well.

You can save photos youve received in a shared album by tapping on Share and selecting Save Image.

A really great thing about iCloud Photo Storage is that it doesnt count against your iCloud storage limit. So even if your 5 GB iCloud storage is full, you can still share thousands of photos with your family. Each shared album does have a limit of 5000 photos, though, but thats more than enough I think.

2. Google Photos

Google Photos is cross platform, its easy to share from iPhone, iPad, Android and even the web. If your friends and family are split between iOS and Android, this is basically your best option. And thats not a bad thing because Google Photos is a nicely designed app with a seamless workflow. The feature is a bit hidden but once you figure out where it is and how it works it becomes second nature.

Just like iCloud Photo library, anyone who joins an album can put photos in. Google Photos being unlimited itself, there arent any limits for photos up to 12 MP. You can share photos, video and also memories videos generated by the app.

To create a new shared album, tap on the Albums tab in the bottom and select Shared option from the top.

Then tap the + button in the bottom-right. Then select the photos from your library. If theyre not uploaded yet, theyll be uploaded right now. theres no way to skip or minimize this step.

Next, give the album a name and invite people to it. If your friends or family are already Google users who are in your contact list, this process is really simple. And then youre done.

Invites are sent, and youll get notifications when they join, comment or add photos. From the albums menu, you can copy the public link to share the photos as a website with people who dont have a smart phone.

Download: Google Photos

3. Facebook Moments

Facebooks photo sharing app is quite specific, with only apps available for iOS and Android. But its really good at one specific thing. Getting photos of you, from other people. And a really great use case for this is when you go on trips with your friends who are your Facebook friends.

The app does some really smart facial recognition things that lets you automatically select photos you have of your Facebook friends and share it with them using the Moments app (alternatively you can do this using the Facebook Messenger as well).

The only issue is that Facebook does compress the images, especially if you send it using Messenger.

But I have yet to see a faster way of sending photos of your friends that you took on a trip.

Download: Facebook Moments

Whats Your Solution?

How do you share photos with your friends and family? Email? AirDrop? Share with us in the comments below.
Critics of water charges are warning that Irish Waters latest plans for billing would still see half a million households hit with bills.

It is after the utility sent figures to TDs showing that around a third of households use more than 123 litres per person per day.
A man and a woman have been charged on suspicion of providing fake documents to Paris attacker Khalid El Bakraoui.

The suspects, named as Farid K and Meryem E.B, were both arrested after a house raid in Brussels according to the federal prosecutor's office.
Prosecutors have been looking into whether Samsung payments of about 30 billion won (23.5m) for a business and foundations backed by Ms Parks friend, Choi Soon-sil, were connected to a 2015 decision by the national pension fund to back a controversial merger of two group affiliates.

Ms Park could become South Koreas first democratically elected leader to leave office early after parliament voted in December to impeach her over the corruption scandal, which has triggered big weekly rallies calling for her to step down.

The impeachment must be upheld or overturned by the constitutional court. A spokesman for prosecutors said the Samsung leader had been summoned for questioning over suspicions including bribery.

The spokesman declined to comment on whether Jay Y. Lee or other Samsung executives will be indicted but would not rule out the possibility of the prosecution seeking an arrest warrant against Mr Lee.

A Samsung spokeswoman declined to comment.

Proving quid-pro-quo dealings between the Choi-linked organisations and Samsung are critical to prosecution efforts to bolster its case against president Park and show that she, or a surrogate, collected bribes in exchange for favours, analysts said.

For Samsung and its founding Lee family, an indictment or conviction of Jay Y. Lee would deal a blow to efforts to secure a stable transfer of control to heirs from ailing patriarch Lee Kun-hee.

The conglomerate has undergone major restructuring since 2014 to streamline its ownership structure and consolidate power under Jay Y. Lee and his two sisters.

Park Ju-gun, head of corporate analysis firm CEO Score, said while professional managers at affiliates such as Samsung would be able to keep the companies operating smoothly in the absence of Jay Y. Lee, key initiatives such as acquisitions and investments into new businesses would inevitably be slowed should the 48-year-old be imprisoned.

I think Samsung Group is facing a bigger crisis than even the death of chairman Lee Kun-hee, he said, referring to billions of dollars in inheritance taxes the Lee family heirs will be forced to pay when their father dies.

Shares in Samsung units did not move sharply on the news Jay Y. Lee was named a suspect, as investors anticipated the possibility he could be formally indicted.
Climate change was underlined as the third major global trend in the WEFs annual assessment of global risks, published yesterday.

It said world leaders must work together to avoid further hardship and volatility in the coming decade.

The report will be discussed at the WEFs annual gathering of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, beginning next Tuesday, on January 17.

Theres a wide array of potential threats; growing social and political turmoil, potential business interruptions which could stem from inter-state conflict, from social instability, terrorist attacks, John Drzik, president of global risk at Marsh USA, which contributed to the study, said.

This whole social and political context creates the potential for disruption, he said.

A weak economic recovery following the global financial crisis has widened the gap between rich and poor, fuelling a sense of economic malaise thats led to the rise of populist parties, according to the report.

While Brexit and Mr Trump were the highest-profile signs of an anti-establishment backlash in western democracies, the evidence extends far wider, with support growing for far-right parties in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands among others.

Continued slow growth combined with high debt and demographic change creates an environment that favours financial crises and growing inequality, WEF founder Klaus Schwab wrote in the reports preface.

Pervasive corruption, short-termism and unequal distribution of the benefits of growth suggest that the capitalist economic model may not be delivering for people, he said.

The survey involved 750 experts assessing 30 global risks ranging from deflation and asset bubbles to extreme weather events, terrorist attacks, food crises and cyber attacks.

They identified trends including an aging population, climate change, social polarisation and income inequality that could amplify those risks.

The forum ranked risks by impact and by likelihood. While weapons of mass destruction were deemed the most impactful risk, they were also judged unlikely.

Bloomberg
Since May, the Turkish government has been importing breeder and feeder cattle with a 0% import tax, introduced for three years, up to 2018, said the seminar speaker from the GIRA international research consultancy specialising in the meat and dairy sectors.

Up to this year, Ireland had only a small share of the live cattle trade to Turkey, which is dominated by Uruguay and Brazil. But it is now a growing trade for Ireland, with a strong likelihood of increased exports, since the first shipment was sent in October.

Mr Claxton told the seminar the EU beef supply will grow this year, but with less cull dairy cows in the mix.

This promises a better opportunity for prime beef, with some improved demand for steak cuts albeit at suppressed prices.

His 2021 forecast is for growing global demand for all meat. Ireland can benefit, but the supply of beef in the global market will grow, as key producers develop herds.

Brexit remains the big unknown for inter-European trade. However, Mr Claxton said the UK benefits currently from its heavy reliance on the EU (especially Ireland) to supply beef imports, because average import prices from the EU are lower than from non-EU sources.

In turn, Ireland is heavily reliant on the UK market, with cutting and retail packing facilities aligned with UK retailers. The cross-border trade with Northern Ireland of both live cattle and meat, badly hit by Brexit trends, is a useful outlet in both directions, said the meat analyst.

The importance of Asia as a destination for Irish meat was highlighted by Mr Claxton. The strong production decline limiting Australian beef output, over four years of severe drought, has changed the Asian dynamic, but Australia is now restocking.

Dominating the Asia market is China, where the decline in pork production has opened the door to a meat import surge. Beef is growing steadily in China, helped by introduction of western eating habits and availability of better quality beef. But the high price hinders consumption growth.

Mr Claxton said the Middle East and North Africa present growing export opportunities, but volumes are still small, with BSE restrictions.

Ireland has been given the green light to ship beef to Egypt, but it remains to be seen if Irish exporters can rebuild this business after a gap of more than 15 years.
Siptu-represented operators, lab workers and shift leaders based in the Ringaskiddy operation of the pharmaceutical giant have voted 207 to nine in favour of industrial action, while 203 to 13 voted in favour of escalating that to strike action if a resolution over pensions was not forthcoming.

It is thought the industrial action would include work-to-rule measures.

In September 2014, 900 of 3,300 Pfizer workers in Ireland were told the company wanted to move them from defined benefit pensions to defined contribution schemes.

Defined benefit is where the company or employer guarantees a defined pension or lump sum on retirement, while defined contribution is where both employee and employer contribute to the scheme.

The pensions issue went to the Labour Court and negotiations have been ongoing since. Pfizer said it could not afford to sustain what it was paying into its defined contribution scheme. The company, best known for drugs such as Viagra and Lipitor, is worth about 200bn.

In 2015, up to 20 operators were hired in Ringaskiddy and Little Island but were not put on the same terms as existing workers, who remained on defined benefit schemes as labour relations negotiations continued.

Siptu said the new workers should be treated the same as existing ones and should have started on the same defined benefit scheme as their colleagues until negotiations concluded.

Only when the new employees are put on the same terms will a settlement be forthcoming, those with intimate knowledge of the situation say. One told the Irish Examiner: This is about fighting for the rights of newcomers who deserve to be treated equally. The ballot is not about pensions at this time, it is about equality for fellow workers.

The Labour Court recommended in November that the parties engage in a 12-week process to reach an agreement. Pfizer said in a statement it accepted the Labour Court recommendations in 2016 and that it was disappointed that Siptu has indicated that industrial action will take place.

Pfizer said the new employees would be on the same future pension arrangements as the existing defined benefit employees when negotiations are concluded.

The company, as part of its approach to ensuring that future pensions provision for staff is sustainable, is willing to negotiate across a comprehensive range of measures such as contribution rates, timeframes and incentives to move to the defined contribution scheme.

Pfizer said any defined benefit pension to date will be honoured, that employees on the scheme will keep all earnings until they start on a defined contribution, and that the new agreement would not be retroactive.

Pfizer is one of Corks best-known employers, with about 800 working in Cork, spending 312m in Ireland since 2013, including 57m on two new Cork facilities. Up to 130 jobs were to be shed in 2012 as its patent ran out for Lipitor. Those jobs were reprieved in 2014.

Pfizer had anticipated that other companies making a generic version of its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor would mean its profits sinking but it continued to make huge profits.
The Home Sweet Home group, which has been occupying the vacant office block in Dublin to house the homeless since December 15, had until noon yesterday to leave the building.

An application by the occupiers to remain in Apollo House for one more week due to the unsuitability of alternative accommodation, was dismissed by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan yesterday.

He said the court could not get involved in a dispute over the standard of alternative accommodation.

Any issue about the quality of accommodation for homeless people was a matter for government and not one for the courts, the judge said.

Activists from Home Sweet Home spent seven hours in a meeting with Housing Minister Simon Coveney last Friday.

In a Home Sweet Home statement issued last night, it was claimed that former residents of Apollo House were forced to return there because alternative accommodation was unsuitable.

Home Sweet Home is defying the High Court order as the conditions of our vacation have not been met. Yesterday eight residents returned to Apollo House citing unsuitable conditions in the alternative accommodation offered to them.

One resident reported that he was offered a room with blood on the walls and mattress, and syringes on the floor. This is not appropriate accommodation, said a campaign spokesperson. There are now 18 remaining residents in Apollo House.

Mazars was appointed by Nama as receivers to the building last June.

Yesterday, counsel for the receivers said they are sensitive to the plight of the homeless and had been in contact with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and the Peter McVerry Trust, both of whom were satisfied there were places available for all those in Apollo House last night.

However, a spokesperson for the Home Sweet Home group said: We refuse to vacate Apollo House when our residents are not being appropriately accommodated.

Earlier, the Department of Housing had issued a statement encouraging activists to engage with homeless services.

In relation to Apollo house, the minister would encourage the representatives of the Home Sweet Home campaign to continue to engage with the Peter McVerry Trust and Dublin City Council with a view to making arrangements for the transition of people currently in Apollo House to alternative suitable accommodation with appropriate supports, said a spokesperson for the department.

Pat Doyle, the CEO at Peter McVerry Trust, said that since December 22, it had assessed 85 people  more than twice the capacity of Apollo House  and that by the court deadline, at which point Peter McVerry Trust staff vacated Apollo House  it had re-accommodated 76 people.

The case will return before Mr Justice Gilligan in the High Court this morning.
Documents seen by the Irish Examiner show the hike was signed off by the councils corporate policy group, which claims it will mean an average increase of just 1.50 per week.

The rent increase will bring in an estimated 750,000 per year.

Tenants will be written to in the coming days informing them of the move.

The council is to carry out a countywide review of tenants incomes.

This will get under way in March and will determine how much they will pay based on the household income.

Sinn Fein councillor Des OGrady said the household income review should have been carried out before any across the board 3% rise.

We are totally opposed to these unnecessary rent increases during the present housing crisis in the context of continually decreasing standards of maintenance and the poor service many tenants are seeing for their rents, as well as the fact that Cork County Council is failing to maintain its properties on an ongoing basis, said Mr OGrady.

He said the latest rent hike will impact on all council tenants and cause severe hardship for many families across the county.

Low-income families who suffered a drop in living standards in recent years simply do not have extra disposable income and they cannot afford a rent increase of any amount, he said.

A 3% increase may seem very little to those earning huge salaries but this rent increase could drive people, who have already suffered years of austerity and are only scraping by financially, into homelessness.

He said the whole process is doubly flawed as the council is first introducing a blanket 3% increase in a ham-fisted manner and afterwards carrying out a review of current rents.

Mr OGrady maintained this is totally unjust as many families may end up paying unwarranted higher rents while this review is taking place.

Will they be able to claim back the money, I doubt it, he added, describing this as inexcusable as it is coming at a time when the council has amassed an extra 3.3m income in 2016.

This is made up of a 2m increase in local property tax (LPT) and an extra 1.3m in commercial rates from new businesses.
Hungarian national Krisztina Berta, 37, her fiance Angel Catala, 38, from Spain, and their 11-week old baby Christopher, have been ordered to leave their one-bed apartment by April 19. It is due to be sold at auction after a tranche of apartments were acquired by a vulture fund.

They had just left the Maternity hospital on the Ennis Road in Novemberwhen they received the news that they had to leave their home of six years.

We are just really sad. We love this apartment so much, and are so attached to the place.

We have looked at other places to live in the city, but theres huge demand and none of the letting agents have called us back, Ms Berta told the Limerick Leader.

The couple, who both work for the Clarion hotel on Steamboat Quay, now under the Clayton name, said they had just finished decorating a corner of their apartment for their son when they received a phonecall and a letter ordering them to leave.

If it was just us on our own, it might be OK. But with a baby now, its scary trying to find somewhere new. Why cant they sell the apartments and leave tenants in place? she asked.

Currently, the couple have not been able to source alternative accommod- ation.

They are paying 750 a month for their one-bed apartment, though there is an ad on Daft.ie for a similar one-bed apartment for 1,100 a month.

Residents have initiated an online petition, addressed to Housing Minister Simon Coveney, calling for the evictions to be stopped, and rallying against the actions of vulture funds, which are acquiring distressed assets to sell them for a profit.

Krisztina Berta and Angel Catala with their 11-week old baby Christopher. They have been ordered to leave their apartment.

The petition now has more than 1,100 signatures.

We also call on Minister Coveney to amend the Residential Tenancies Act to abolish sale of a property as a ground for terminating a tenancy, it states.

Some 25 apartments in the Strand complex on OCallaghan Strand have been sold in the past 12 months, after loans acquired by Nama from the company in charge of its development were bought by another company.

The company formerly in charge of the apartments, Sova Properties Ltd, had bank loans of 117m and in August 2010 its loans were transferred to Nama.

The directors of its parent company, Galway developer John Lallys Lalco Holdings Ltd, entered into an agreement with the National Asset Loan Management Agency in April 2012.

In July 2016, Nalm, a subsidiary of Nama, sold its loan and security interests to OCM EmRu DebtCo DAC, which was incorporated in June 2016, and is a sub- sidiary of Oaktree Capital Management.

The evictions have been taking place on a phased basis over the past year, and the majority of the remaining tenants are due to leave by this April, as further auctions of apartments are due, with units sold to the highest bidder.
Barrister David Langwallmer, who is also co-director of the European Innocence Network, attended the hearing in the Greek Supreme Court on behalf of Julie and Mark Marku, and said it lasted barely an hour and left him more sceptical than ever about the impartiality of the judiciary.

The idea that someone cant attend their own hearing is totally bizarre. Clearly they did not want him to be there because they did not want him to talk, he said.

Mark, 31, from Albania, met Julie (nee OReilly) in Greece in 2007 and the couple married in 2009 in Ireland where they made their home. But while he was in Greece working temporarily in 2010 he was among eight Albanian men arrested for a series of robberies and charged with 15 offences each.

They were tried and convicted in 2012 and sentenced to 18 years in prison despite the fact that no evidence was produced for 11 of the charges and Mark was in Ireland on six of the dates cited.

Lawyers and law students from the Irish Innocence Project, with experts in the US project, proved Marks presence in Ireland and revealed major flaws in the prosecution case.

Mark appealed his conviction but his challenge was rejected and he then turned to the Supreme Court which reserved judgement after yesterdays brief hearing.

He was released on an eight-year parole last April with strict conditions, including that he not leave the island of Crete, which meant he could not travel to the mainland for the hearing.

He also can not return to Ireland although Julie said the Greek authorities had indicated they would consider letting him go if Ireland issued a visa for him. However, the visa authorities here said they had to await a decision from Greece first.

Were going around in circles on the visa issue for the last 13 months, Julie said from Greece. The Supreme Court is supposed to come back with a decision in a month but realistically, that could be four or five months and while we have to be hopeful that it will go our way, we dont have any expectations. All we want to do now is get home to Ireland.

The couple will consider going to the European Court of Human Rights if the Supreme Court rules against Mark but David Langwallner said such a step should not be necessary.

The Greek justice system is under trial here. They have been totally exposed as to the corruption in their processes. But if a case raises questions like weve got our identification evidence all wrong, weve got our DNA evidence all wrong, our police are engaged in egregious misconduct, were racist  all of that sort of stuff  then theyll do everything to cover up the tracks.
He made the call ahead of the committee questioning officials today with Irish Water about the future of bills for households.

Committee members say they will ask Irish Water n how it intends to fund the future of services or get private investment if charges are largely supplemented by the State.

An independent commission report last month proposed most homes should get water for free, through an allowance system, and that charges should be applied to excess use.

The Oireachtas committee, chaired by Independent senator Padraig OCeidigh, is examining the commission report and is scheduled to make a recommendation to the Dail on the future of domestic charging by the end of March. That vote will decide if and how people pay.

However, Mr Hayes yesterday said the European Commission should be made accountable and explain how Ireland needed to comply with the water framework directive.

This committee needs clear legal advice from the commission about what system does or does not comply with the directive, if it is to make recommendations to the Dail and Seanad, he said.

Through the odd letter or response to an MEPs parliamentary question, the commission has given often vague positions on the water- charges debate. We need complete disclosure from the commission as we aim to put this issue to bed finally.

Committee member Jan OSullivan also agreed that the EU needed to answer questions.

You cant do work [on this] unless you know the consequences for Ireland if charges are abolished indefinitely, she said.

The Labour TD said she would seek answers from Irish Water and the energy regulator, also set to appear today, about what average usage levels or charges were in place in others countries. Answers were also needed about measures to tackle excessive use of water, she said.

Fianna Fails Barry Cowen, also on the committee, agreed. He said doubts had been expressed in the special commission report about the average water consumption level per day here.
Lawyers for the banks former chairman Sean FitzPatrick, aged 68, told the jury at his trial that despite the searches being unlawful, they would still see the relevant evidence that was seized.

Mr FitzPatrick, of Whitshed Rd, Greystones, Co Wicklow, is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court accused of misleading auditors about multimillion-euro loans between 2002 and 2007.

He has pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. These include 22 charges of making a misleading, false, or deceptive statement to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information in the years 2002 to 2007.

On day 58, the trial has begun in evidence before a jury sworn in last September. Since then there have been around three months of legal argument.

Det Sgt Brian Mahon testified that he had been seconded from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement from 2007.

He gave evidence of obtaining warrants at the district court to enter the offices of Anglo Irish Bank in 2009 and the offices of Irish Nationwide Building Society in 2010.

He said he required warrants from the district court under section 20 of the Companies Act in order to enter the premises lawfully. He said on foot of these warrants, gardai carried out searches of the offices and seized documents and computer hard drives.

Under cross-examination, he agreed with Bernard Condon, defending, that the searches had been subsequently ruled by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to be unlawful.

He agreed that the court had found the warrants to be both unlawful and unconstitutional. He also agreed that despite this there was no consequence in terms of the jury receiving all the relevant documents seized in the searches.

Before the evidence began, Judge John Aylmer told the jury that the previous estimate they were given for the trial finishing by the end of February was no longer accurate.

He said the case was now anticipated to finish by mid-March with a possibility that it could go to the end of March.

He warned the jury not to seek out information about the case anywhere outside the court, including seeking out information on the internet or on social media.

If you are exposed to it, ignore it. But actively seek to avoid coming across that type of material, said Judge Aylmer.

In November, Dominic McGinn, prosecuting, gave the jury an overview of the States case against Mr FitzPatrick.

He told them that loans taken out by the accused, his wife, and family members increased from in the region of 10m in 2002 to around 100m in 2007.

The loans were used to finance development of shopping centres, hotels, and offices at a time when a lot of money could be made in property development, said Mr McGinn.

He said the amount of these loans was artificially reduced for a period of two weeks around the banks end-of-year financial statement by short-term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide.

He said this trial was about the alleged failure by the former director to disclose the extent of his loans to the banks auditors, Ernst & Young.

The trial continues.
Alex McSweeney pleaded guilty to the crimes at Cork District Court yesterday.

Judge Olann Kelleher jailed him for a total term of four months.

McSweeney admitted robbery on July 11, 2016. Insp John Deasy said the injured party bought some beer at Scallys off-licence on Skehard Rd and as he left he was punched in the face by McSweeney, who stole his beer from him.

McSweeney also pleaded guilty to breaching a protection order by putting his parents in fear at the family home on August 16, 2016.

Gardai Sean Stack and Michael Kiely responded to a call to his parents home at Cherry Lawn in Blackrock, Cork.

Insp Deasy said McSweeney was in the kitchen shouting and getting aggressive to his parents and to gardai. The young man was foaming at the mouth at the time and resisted arrest.

Ten days later he was getting out of a taxi on Church Road and stole the drivers mobile phone. The phone was never recovered.

He had 43 previous convictions including counts for assault and 14 counts of engaging in threatening behaviour.

Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said the accused had a drink problem dating to when he was 14 years old.

He knows he is going to have to get treatment. It is just getting worse and worse. He goes through long periods when he is not rational.

He cannot handle alcohol, it brings out demons in him, Mr Kelleher said.

The solicitor said it was dawning on the defendant how serious his situation was becoming as he spent Christmas on remand in custody on the charges, having been refused bail.
The property website which has 2.21m unique users each month recorded an increase of 125% in searches for new homes when compared with the same period last year.

Interest in new homes was greatest in the Dublin area, along with Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Wexford and Limerick. Commenting on the data, Martin Clancy from Daft.ie said certain suburbs in the capital received the most interest from people searching the website.
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.
He outlined the situation in a private meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Dublin yesterday in which he broke with his partys previous position to say he is now willing to hold talks with the DUP to prevent the collapse of the Stormont government.

Speaking on RTE Six One News last night, Mr Kenny said he met with Mr Adams and Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald at Government Buildings yesterday, and also held phonecalls with Martin McGuinness and Ms Foster.

Mr Kenny said that during the discussions, Sinn Fein have confirmed to me that they would be willing to accept an invitation to talks with the DUP first made by Ms Foster on Tuesday, adding that Mr McGuinness would be willing to attend that meeting.

Mr Kenny said the Irish and British governments will give any support we can in order to facilitate the meetings during the limited window, pointing to the fact Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan is already due to hold meetings in Belfast today.

However, a senior Sinn Fein official last night told the Irish Examiner that while the party is now open to speaking with the DUP, it remains of the view that the only way to prevent an election is if Ms Foster agrees to fully step aside by Monday.

The situation has arisen after Ms Foster on Tuesday offered to hold immediate talks with Sinn Fein and to open an investigation into the renewable heat incentive scandal, which could cost taxpayers 563m, in a bid to salvage the Stormont government, despite refusing to step aside.

Within an hour of Tuesdays offer, Ms McDonald rejected the request outright, saying the time for talks had passed.

The position was reiterated by Sinn Fein MLA and Northern Ireland health minister Michelle ONeill, who told reporters in Belfast yesterday that her party is not interested in further talks.

Contradicting the previous position during a press conference at the same time in Dublin, Mr Adams said thats not my understanding, were always open for talks, of course we are.

The shift in Sinn Feins position has been seen by some as confirmation that an election  which must be called by Monday at 5pm unless the party appoints a successor to Mr McGuinness as deputy first minister  could still be avoided.

However, others have suggested the move is instead an attempt by Sinn Fein to appear willing to find a solution despite the widespread expectation that its demand for Ms Foster to step aside will not be accepted by the DUP. Sinn Fein, meanwhile, has called a meeting of its potential candidates for Sunday.

Mr Flanagan, the foreign affairs minister, has said all parties must find any way to avoid the automatic triggering of elections next week.

Northern Ireland secretary of state James Brokenshire made similar comments, saying there was a high probability were moving towards an election.

Speaking on RTE Radios Today with Sean O Rourke, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern  who was closely involved in securing the peace process  said Sinn Fein and the DUP should resolve their differences.

Citing comments from Ms Foster that recent days had shown that power-sharing arrangements between nationalists and unionists do not work, Mr Ahern said: That would be read as going back to unionist rule, that kind of language is dangerous.
Karl Smith, aged 19, was due to get 196.36 for two days work with Industrial Insulation Specialists but 19,639 was lodged when the decimal point was put in the wrong place during the bank transfer.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Smith was anxiously awaiting his wages and was flabbergasted when he rang his bank to check his balance.
ALTHOUGH Co Cork-born poet and retired academic Bernard ODonoghue has lived most of his life in England, his elegiac poetry is rooted in his native Cullen in North Cork. Short-listed for the second time for the TS Eliot Award, to be announced on January 16, the quietly spoken ODonoghue (who doesnt think hell win the award) says, quite simply: My heart is here.

Over coffee in a Cork city hotel, ODonoghue says he has always felt like a bit of an exile in the UK. Not an unwelcome exile, but that has all been shaken up by Brexit. It has changed how people feel about the world and how outsiders feel about England.

He admits that while lecturing at Magdalene College at Oxford in medieval English, he was protected from racist jibes, thanks to the civilising forces of places of learning.

However, he remembers the tension in the air around the time of the Birmingham bombings and the subsequent injustices.

ODonoghue, whose latest collection is titled The Seasons of Cullen Church, says that the common theme running through all his poetry is his former life in rural Co Cork.

I dont plan it like that. Thats how it comes out.

This is despite the fact that ODonoghue left for Manchester in his teens and has lived in Oxford since 1965. He and his academic wife Heather (they have three grown-up children) stay in Cullen for the Easter and summer holidays, having bought an old farmhouse.

MATCH TRAGEDY

When aged 16, ODonoghue was at a Cork-Kerry football match with his father, who dropped dead.

A crowd gathered. People were very kind. It made a complete change in my life. At that point, I was living in Cullen, going to Pres [Presentation Brothers College in Cork city].

ODonoghues mother was English (a McNulty of Irish descent). A teacher of history, she got a job in a school in Manchester, where she had been brought up. ODonoghue and his two older sisters settled into life there.

He says he had a happy childhood. A disadvantage for a writer, surely? They say that, dont they? It was a childhood marked by nature, a country upbringing. It was happy and interesting. It becomes different from a later perspective.

A poem, Sawdust, from his new collection, is about the big top coming to ODonoghues locale, but his childhood memory is tempered by a cloud descending on the circus performers. I was brought up on a farm, but my father hated farming. My mother did all the farming and my father drove around Kerry selling insurance.

TIMES ARE A CHANGIN

Cullen has changed since ODonoghue was a boy. The population of a couple of hundred in the parish and about 50 in the village is now much more comfortable. Affluent is way too strong a word, but people are better off. There isnt the poverty there like there was in the 1950s. We were not poor by the standards of the time. We had a car and a phone, because of my fathers work. In the 50s, ours was the only house in the townland that had a bathroom.

Its completely different now, but the people are the same. There used to be characters. Sometimes, the eccentricity was a by-product of poverty, with people living in strange houses having to make do. There was an old woman, for example, who used to go around asking people for flour bags to sew together to make sheets.

Its all grist to the mill for a poet that has the outsider status of an observer. In As if the Hare, ODonoghue uses the sudden appearance of a hare in the fields as a metaphor for a writer. The hare scuffed the ground/ half-turned sideways, affecting indifference/as if what people thought meant nothing to him/as if absorbed in writing his own message/in the dust.

ODonoghue, though, is far from an ivory-tower dwelling self- obsessed poet. He is engaging company, keen to convey his left-wing and green politics, and is definitely not a literary snob.

Awarding Bob Dylan the Nobel Prize for Literature is something that hes delighted about. Its good for poetry. All this stuff saying hes not a real poet is so much the worse for poetry. I think hes a terrific poet, a terrific creator. Poetry could do with him rather than the other way around.

Asked if he likes the work of contemporary performance poets, such as Kate Tempest, ODonoghue says: I think shes probably a good thing. Its not the kind of world Ive got to know, really. I tend to be more familiar with writing on the page. As with Dylan, its a good thing if poetry has that outside impact, but Im not completely sure that that kind of poetry has as much popular implication as people claim for it. For instance, I dont think Kate Tempest has more outreach than Philip Larkin, but its good that people are thinking outside the conventional boundaries in that way.

INSPIRATIONAL TEACHER

ODonoghue likes mathematics and the initial career plan was for him to study engineering. But in Pres, I fell under the influence of [teacher and actor] Dan Donovan. He was a wonderful teacher and a marvellous actor. I saw him doing Macbeth in my fifth year in Pres. That got me onto books and reading.

It wasnt until his 30s that ODonoghue started writing poetry. When he started working at Oxford, he says the only outside life you could have outside of teaching was joining a society. I joined the college poetry society  and you couldnt go to it unless you wrote a poem. I wrote mainly about North Cork and I got away with it.

ODonoghue has carved out a successful niche as a poet by writing lyrically about the local and making it universal. In his poem, Stigma, he writes of a farm hand that drank his earnings. In the poem, the poet interrogates himself. Why not stay with the poverties of our present time: beggars on bridges for us to trip on/or asylum seekers loping through/ the infra-red at detention centres/on the coast of France, or drowning/in their hundreds in the Med?

But ODonoghues work, while often rooted in a particular place, has resonance far beyond Cullen.

The Seasons of Cullen Church by Bernard ODonoghue is published by Faber & Faber. The winner of the TS Eliot prize will be announced on Monday
"Technology transfer is a crucial part of our shared response to our global interdependence and common vulnerability," he said.

His hope is that the young people would treat scientific and technological innovation as a global common good  to be enjoyed by all those who live on this fragile planet.

The President officially opened the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS yesterday.

Now in its 53rd year, the event is one of the longest running of its kind in the world.

A total of 550 projects were accepted to take part this year in the finals and, for the third year in a row, there were more qualified project entries from Cork (125) schools than from Dublin (84).

Maths behind Cork accent

Transition-year student Andrew Nash, from Colaiste Mhuire, Crosshaven, Co Cork, with his project. Picture: Dave Meehan

A teenager has analysed the Cork accent using a combination of mathematics and technology.

Transition-year student Andrew Nash, 16, of Colaiste Mhuire, Crosshaven, Co Cork, wanted to find out what makes the Cork accent unique.

His project  Modelling the Mathematics of the Cork Accent  is one of 550 from all over the country on display at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin this week.

He analysed the accent, derived mathematical functions that defined it, created a mapping function between the Cork and other accents, and tested its predictability.

Andrew used two samples  a Cork-accented voice and a Dublin-accented voice, both sourced from recordings collected by linguist Professor Raymond at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

I found that the Cork pronunciations were slower to rise to a peak amplitude  the highest point in the word, than Dublin pronunciations in their waveform representations, Andrew explained.

His research focussed on just 55 words from two speakers so he could not definitively say what he discovered applied to all Dublin and Cork accents.

Nevertheless, the methodology Andrew used could be used to improve voice activity technology and he hopes to take his project further.

New voice recognition engines are becoming to mainstream technology and I have an interest in maths and technology, he said.

Under-performing turbines spark idea

Second-year student Joseph ODonoghue, of St Josephs College, Tipperary, with his Solar Sleeve project. Picture: Dave Meehan

A young student got a bright idea when his father complained that the wind turbines on his farm were not generating enough energy over the summer.

Joseph ODonoghues family have two wind turbines on their farm in Templederry, near Borrisoleigh in North Tipperary.

The second-year student at St Josephs College in Borrisoleigh showed how solar panels could double the functionality of the turbine  the solar panels would power 56 homes in Ireland.

One day I heard my dad complaining that the wind turbines were not being used to their full potential and that gave me the idea for my project  Solar Sleeve, said the 13-year-old.

He worked out a way of adding solar panels to the tower turbines to increase the amount of electricity being added to the national grid.

A grid connection can cost up to a 1m, and you could have to wait up to 10 years to get one, Joseph said.

A wind farm already has a grid connection so putting solar panels on the towers would save time and money.

Josephs science teacher, Mary Gorey, said he did not need a lot of help in completing the project for the exhibition.

He was happy to go up to the wind farm every day and take the results himself. He was very into it and a pleasure to work with.

Ms Gorey said it was her third year to accompany students from the school to the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS in Dublin. Josephs project was one of six to be included in the 550 on display this week.

Another project that made it to the finals was Ultra Vision  sensor glasses, developed by Kerry student Timothy McGrath, to help blind people avoid obstacles.

They were designed by Timothy McGrath, 14-year-old, a third-year student at Killorglin Community College, has been working on the project for a year.

He has developed the glasses to a point where the sensors are concealed in the frame.

Timothy said the glasses would not be expensive either  a pair could cost around 50 to produce.

He got the idea for the glasses when walking home from school one day.

There is a blind person who lives in our town, and I saw him bump into a wing mirror sticking out of a car. He had problems with temporary obstacles and obstacles sticking out of the ground.

Junior students fitter than senior students

Holly Meaney and Eimear Power from Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School, Waterford, at the RDS. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

Limerick students found that third-year pupils in their school are the fittest of them all.

Three transition-year students from Colaiste Ide and Iosef in Limerick  Aoife Curtin, Ciara Hunt, and Emily Pierse, tested fitness in different groups of students.

We found that those in third year were much fitter than those in any other year, said Aoife.

The three 16-year-olds also found that those in third year, unlike the older students, spent nearly all year playing a sport outside of school.

Seven out of ten of the students take part in a sporting activity and soccer was by far the most popular  62% of the students tested played the game.

Their science and physical education teacher, Maria McMahon, said the girls found that the pressure of exams at senior cycle had a negative impact on fitness levels.

We were able to find out that junior students were fitter than senior students; boys are fitter than girls, and soccer was the most physically demanding sport, said Aoife.

We were surprised at the differences in fitness levels between the junior and senior students.

Ciara said they intended presenting the results to their school principal.

We hope to make physical education compulsory for the Leaving Certificate cycle in our school because we have seen a deterioration in the students fitness levels from third year.

There has been some discussion about making PE a Leaving Certificate subject in the next few years. Like any other subject on the curriculum, students will be able to earn points from studying PE. Emily said they had clearly demonstrated that this must happen.

Judging at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition continues today when doors open to all schools and the general public. The overall winner will be announced tomorrow evening.

Apart from the participating students, up to 50,000 visitors are expected to view the exhibits and enjoy the shows from World of Robots, Titan the Robot, and David Meade.

The overall winner, or winners, of the competition will receive a cheque for 5,000 and the chance to represent Ireland at the 30th EU Competition for Young Scientists in Estonia later this year.

Judges seek enthusiasm, energy, and imagination

Enthusiasm, imagination, energy, and, of course, good science.

Thats what the judges are looking for among projects on display at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin.

Leonard Hobbs, originally from Cork, is head of the competitions technology competition. He spent more than two decades with Intel and now runs his own consultancy company, TechRD, in Rathcoffey, Co Kildare.

There was no technology category in the competition until I took it on 18 years ago, he said.

Technology is about innovation and science is about discovery and it is wonderful to see the two co-exist in the same competition.

Mr Hobbs loves technology and is really in his element when he sees young people coming to the exhibition to showcase their work.

The standard improves every year and I guess that is because the number of entries is increasing.

This year a record 2,091 projects and 375 schools entered the competition, up from 2,048 entries and 396 schools last year. However, the number of projects taking part in the finals has to be restricted to 550 because of the size of the hall.

Several years ago there were empty spaces in the hall because some projects did not show up. That never happens now, said Mr Hobbs. And he rarely finds that a project is not really up to the mark. All of the projects I see now are good. It is the exceptional ones that bubble up to the top and, ultimately, win the big prizes.

One of the goals of the competition is to encourage young people to choose STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and maths courses at when they go to university and Mr Hobbs has no doubt it is doing just that.Looking at these kids, I think Ireland is doing extraordinarily well, he said.
'Darkness Is My Canvas, Light Is My Brush'

1/12/2017 ISO 1200 Magazine 0 Comments

Like many others, I get my best kicks from the nature. By contrast I also use a lot of urban landscapes and places in my work. - said about light painting Hannu Huhtamo -

About Author:

Great Big Story is a video network dedicated to the untold, overlooked & flat-out amazing. Humans are capable of incredible things & we're here to tell their stories. When a rocket lands in your backyard, you get in. Let's Get Connected: www.greatbigstory.com Great Big Story is a video network dedicated to the untold, overlooked & flat-out amazing. Humans are capable of incredible things & we're here to tell their stories. When a rocket lands in your backyard, you get in.

SUBSCRIBE

Get Latest Videos,Promotions & Exclusive Offers Via Email:









We don't send spam!

During the dark winter months in Finland, one man fills the night with light. Hannu Huhtamo is a light painter . The artist takes long exposure photographs and uses flashlights and other simple tools to transform dark and sometimes forgotten places into magical new worldsno Photoshop required.
Although everyone thought that the controversy in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is going to end once the candidate was elected, things escalated to a whole new level after Donald Trump was chosen as the winner, since rumors regarding Kremlins involvement in the DNC hack were starting to rise. Now, the U.S. intelligence agencies published a 25-page report explaining d several points regarding the Russian hacking, and the situation suggests that this will be the subject that is going to frame the first year of Trumps administration.

Given the importance of this issue, here are three important things you need to know about the Russian hacking.

Vladimir Putin Ordered The Hacks

As the U.S. intelligence agencies reported, probably the most important detail about the Russian hacking was that Putin had a clear preference for Donald Trump since he was a candidate whose unpredictability could fit on Kremlins interest, and because of the fact that the Republican has shown admiration for the former KGB-agent.

Of course, combining this situation with the problematic relationship between the U.S. and Russia, Putin saw Donald Trump as someone who would fit his interest in weakening the European Union, in order to create a geopolitical change in which his regime could increase its power and influence.

However, even when everyone believed that this was the main motivation behind the Russian hacking, Putin also ordered the hacks as retaliation against the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, because of the massive protests against his regime that took place in late 2011 and early 2012. Also, another important objective was to undermine the public faith in the democratic process, since this could be a powerful weapon to harm the American system.

The Russian Military Intelligence Provided The DNC Files To WikiLeaks

This is probably the most controversial point in the report, given the fact that WikiLeaks credibility is something that many people seen as out of question, and that its leader Julian Assange has constantly denied that his sources were Russians. However, the FBI, NSA, and the CIA agrees tha the Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) were the group that provided the DNC stolen files to WikiLeaks.

In fact, the report suggests that Putins regime chose WikiLeaks as the perfect organization to release the stolen files, precisely of its famous reputation. However, as it was reported in a previous article, this Kremlins choice could be considered as something predictable, given the fact that WikiLeaks and Russian government has always show good relations between each other, since the Julian Assanges group has always published classified documents from the U.S. and its allies, but never from Moscow.

Naturally, WikiLeaks played a huge role in the Russian hacking according to the report, but theres no physical evidences that prove these suggestions. Nevertheless, there are many reasons to believe this is actually true, considering how beneficial it was for Russia WikiLeaks actions.

RT Also Played A Major Role In The Russian Hacking

As everyone knows, RT is a Russia state-founded network that always runs pro Kremling propaganda, so its main role in the Russian hacking according to the report was to influence the campaign by endorsing Donald Trump and giving its main focus to the classified information that WikiLeaks published about the Democratic party and Hillary Clinton.

In fact, RT coverage of the Democratic candidate was extremely negative and aggressive against her, to the point in which the network spent a huge amount of hours in criticizing almost everthing related to her political career, including her physical and mental health. Actually, the media got to the point of assuring that if she won the elections, there would be a war between the U.S. and Russia. As reported by the intelligence agencies, the Russian hacking has been a case in which a lot of parties were involved, and the proper responses will be taken.
Long before, a significant number of science boffins believe that the impressive structures of the huge icy skyscrapers had only existed on Earth, until NASA's latest findings have been revealed. NASA's New Horizons space probe for the historic Pluto flyby mission that has been launched in 2015 have recently discovered stunning towers of ice reaching 500 metres into the sky. It was found that this was allegedly the first time in history of mankind that this phenomenon has been found anywhere in the Solar System other than on Earth. Now, a new analysis explains atmospheric process that caused them to form.

Pluto's Gigantic Towers As Discovered By NASA: What Might Have Caused It?

According to reports revealed by Science Alert, it was found that in July of 2015, New Horizons had flown over to Pluto's Tartarus Dorsa region, in which the icy skyscrapers had been discovered. Dubbed as penitentes, it was found that the ridges can allegedly be seen at high altitudes on Earth, taking the shape of towers, or blades as what other experts consider it, of hardened snow or ice, all angled together in the general direction of the Sun.

Furthermore, as NASA researchers would describe it, the icy structures was apparently having an intricate but puzzling patterns of blue-grey ridges and reddish material in between. In one of their statements reported by Daily Star, study lead researcher John Moores, from York University in Canada, has reportedly got the first evidence of them occurring somewhere other than Earth, while exposing these gigantic towers of what they really are. In the study, it was explained that the icy features which are basically caused by erosion could possibly exist on other planets as well considering that the environmental conditions are similar. Ultimately, Moores said that these explanation presented in the study could also be used to explain the formation of these features on Earth as predicted in the same theory.
Tech companies have been putting a great effort in producing an excellent virtual assistant for their smartphones. As it was termed, it is currently what people are looking for before buying a certain device. With this, companies have been really serious about building their own voice assistants that would not just be appealing but would be very functional as well.

Samsung Introduces Bixby, A Virtual Assistant That Would Defeat Cortana, Alexa And Siri

According to International Business Times, Samsung, joining the other companies, have made their own voice assistant that would be attached in their smartphones. The said assistant, which is named as Bixby, would be the substitute for the previous S-Voice functionality of the company. Aside from Samsung, it was first reported that Google, Microsoft, Amazon already had its own voice assistants.

Sources told that the Samsung's new feature is based on Viv Labs' buyout. This buyout consists of people who already worked on Siri before. Bixby will be included in the Samsung's upcoming devices, Note 8 and Galaxy S8. Just like any other AI, Bixby will be answering the consumer's questions and would perform tasks that would make smartphone usage a lot easier. News also reported that Bixby would be focusing on Samsung's own applications.

The Battle Between Virtual Assistants Begins As Tech Companies Introduces Their Own AIs

Meanwhile, Google Assistant has been very driven to clarify all user's queries, making it effective and efficient in function. The said assistant has been very helpful for getting things done faster that the user. The company accountable with the said feature admitted that it would be more personalized in the near future.

However, Apple's Siri is yet to proved its worth as it is still tagged as the very first fully functional voice assistant. Siri has been very patient to answer all consumers' question in a more exciting and fun way. Apple made Siri respond in conversational form which is impressive as some reviews would say. But as original as it might be, the said virtual assistant is allegedly outdated than the other AI-based features today.
The 2017 Samsung Galaxy A7 and UMI Plus E are two of the hottest mid-range smartphones in the market right now. If you were to choose between the two, which smartphone will you pick?

Price

The 2017 Samsung Galaxy A7 was introduced last January 5, 2017, and will be available this coming January 25th. It is said to cost around 23,990 PHP ($483) while the UMI Plus E is said to only cost between $240-250 (depending on where you buy it).

Design

The Samsung Galaxy A7 comes in with a metal and glass construction and has a body dimension of 156.8 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm. It has a water and dust resistant feature that makes the smartphone capable of being submerged in water for up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. It also has a fingerprint sensor embedded on its Home Button and an always-on screen feature.

On the other hand, the UMI Plus E features an aluminum case. It measures 155 mm x 75 mm x 8.8 mm and weighs 185 grams. On its left side design, it has this button that activates its camera app, but some sources claim it could be customized as to what app you want to link it with. So whenever you press that button, the app connected to it will open. One more thing, its USB C port located at the bottom is kind of long, you if you don't use a USB C cable made by UMI, you may find out that using other USB C cables will only fall-out.

For this round, the Samsung Galaxy A7 is better. Well, first reason, the combination of glass and metal is sexy to me and it makes it look like a premium smartphone. The second reason is that I really, really like its always-on feature.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy A7 features 5.7-inch super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (16M colors) with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and is protected by an unspecified corning gorilla glass. The UMI Plus E features a 5.5-inch full HD IPS LCD Capacitive touchscreen (16M colors) that has a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and protected by the T2X-1 (aka Dinorex).

The choice for this round will be the Samsung Galaxy A7. There are two reasons as to why. First, though both smartphones are quite similar to sizes, the Galaxy A7 features a much larger screen which is a big plus for me. The second reason is kind of bias because for me AMOLED screens offer a much better display performance, specifically with the vibrancy of the colors, contrast, and the saturation.

Platform And Memory

The Samsung Galaxy A7 runs on Android Marshmallow (hopefully there will be an update for Nougat) and is powered by a 1.9 GHz Octa-core processor. It features 32 GB with 3 GB of RAM. It also has an expandable storage option of up to 256 GB.

The UMI Plus E runs on Android Marshmallow and is equipped with the latest Helio P20 chipset by MediaTek. It features 64 GB (though some sources claim it's 32 GB) with 6 GB of RAM. And just like the Samsung Galaxy A7, it also has an expandable storage option of up to 256 GB if you insert both SIM trays with SD cards.

This is kind of hard to decide base on the video sources. Well, both smartphones are fast in terms of software, but in gaming performance, the UMI Plus E is way better and faster. You can literally throw any intense Android game at and it will work just fine. So for this round, the UMI Plus E is the winner.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy A7 features a rear and front camera both with 16 MP and an aperture of f/1.9. It shoots at 1080p@30fps. The UMI Plus E features a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP rear camera. It also shoots at 1080p@30fps and in 4k.

Now, for the camera performance of both smartphones, it is hard to judge as of now because there aren't that many sources that talks about the 2017 Galaxy A7's camera performance in details. But for the UMI Plus E, there are many. There are even glitches that cause the camera app to crash down on rare occasions.

So, the rear camera performance of the UMI Plus E does pretty well in daylight, while in low light conditions it has trouble preserving details and accuracy. For its front camera, users claim that it is decent enough in daylight, but in low light conditions and if I will scale it from 1-10 with 10 as the highest, I will say 5. And for its video, the rear camera is okay enough in daylight, but with other things, let's just say it was below average and the colors are washed-out.

So for this round, I will go with the Samsung Galaxy A7. Yeah, there are only few details about its camera performance, but a 16 MP for both its front and rear camera is bound to be better than a 5 MP front camera and 13 MP rear camera, right? Plus, there were glitches with the camera app of the UMI Plus E (which UMI currently working on to fix) that causes it crash down on rare occasions. I think that is deal-breaker and if that is not, then I don't know.

The Verdict

The tally is Samsung Galaxy A7 with 3 wins and the UMI Plus E with 1 win, making the Galaxy A7 the winner. So, yeah, I believe that the 2017 Samsung Galaxy A7 can definitely match the UMI Plus E.
Twitter Dashboard, an iOS exclusive and desktop app dedicated to helping users manage their accounts, is scheduled to take an exit on February 3. News of the Dashboard shutdown was revealed through a series of Tweets posted by the team.

Twitter launched Dashboard in late June 2016 as "a powerful tool designed to help businesses connect with their customers and community." Twitter product and engineering manager, Noah Pepper said that "It gives business owners a clear picture about what's being said about their businesses, lets them schedule tweets, and offers insights."

The app's features include the ability to customize feeds, schedule your tweets, personalize your notifications, and tweet recommendations. You can see what other people are saying about you or the business, check out the analytics while allowing you to engage with your audience.

Twitter has not revealed the reason they are removing Twitter Dashboard, however, it did say that all scheduled tweets will still be posted as it was scheduled and can be managed using the desktop tool with more or less the same function, TweetDeck. The Dashboard shutdown was not really a shocker since the app was still said to be in its beta phase. It's just a shame since it was apparently well received by its users.

Is it really the end of Dashboard though? It may not be so. It was announced that Dashboard will have its best features integrated into Twitter for everyone to use. We have no idea just yet which features we will be seeing.

Twitter has been trending with goodbyes lately, as its head of mobile EMEA, Ross Sheil, is also exiting from the company to broaden his horizon in the mobile tech world. Kathy Chen, the head of Twitter China also announced at the end of 2016 that she was leaving her position as managing director after just seven months.
Far from limiting the brand to the release of the Nokia D1C and the Nokia P1, the Finnish company launched its first Android smartphone called Nokia 6 in China, making its first step in a journey that hopes to end up recovering the brands old importance in the market. Nevertheless, even when many customers were complaining about the possibility that this mobile device will only be available in China, new information suggesst that it could be launched globally.

The Nokia 6 Could Be Released Globally In A Different Model

According to Pocket-Lint, Nokia 6 official teaser video not only show some details about the phone but also explain that more announcements are coming on 26 February, which is the day before the Mobile World Congress officially beings. Naturally, its pretty likely that this could mean a global launch, given the fact that this kind of announcements always means that the brand will release the product to other countries.

However, theres also the possibility that the announce could mean that the Nokia 6 will definitely be launched globally, but in a different version than the one released in China, which would be a move that wouldn't be exactly great for the brands lover. The reason of this possibility is that Nokia Power has unearthed a variant of the mobile device passing through the Bluetooth certification, and while the Chinas version ha the model number TA-1000, theres another model number called TA-1003.

Theres A Strategic Reason To Keep It In Exclusively In China

Nevertheless, as reported by Tech Times, theres also strategic reasons to believe that the Nokia 6 could only be available in China, as the fact that the brand will return with its brand-name smartphone after a terrible experience with Microsoft. In this situation, and in this situation the Finnish company cannot take another risk and underestimate the possible consumers skepticism. Naturally, the best way to study this issue is by launching the Nokia 6 only in one country and see what happens.

In any case, the Nokia 6 that has been released in China wears a 5.5-inch 1920 x1090 full HD display, a Dolby Atmos for mobile, and the Snapdragon 430 processor with 4GB and 64 GB storage. Although these specs dont exactly scream flagship, the Nokia 6 is a phone that customers would definitely want to give a try.
A healthy 16-year-old boy, Adam Tolfree, went to bed fit and healthy but died hours after waking up due to blood poisoning caused by meningococcal bacteria. Adam was coughing and vomiting blood after waking up which worried his family and rushed him to a hospital. Hospital staff ran tests which showed that the teen's blood was teeming with bacteria.

Adam's family and friends could not believe what had just happened to him. His family most especially is shattered by his untimely passing as they could not believe his sudden and unexpected death. His parents claim that he looked happy and healthy the night before he died.

Septicemia is identified as the killer of the previously healthy teen. In simple terms, it means that the blood has been poisoned by the incredibly large number of bacteria that have leaked out from somewhere in his body. The hospital suspects that the bacteria was meningococcal in origin, the Mirror Online reports.

Meningococcal bacteria is one of the most common causes of septicemia with a 10 percent to 20 percent mortality rate. It is usually found in underdeveloped or developing country and is easily preventable by a vaccine. Adam's family claims that he had been fully vaccinated and that they were up to date with vaccinations especially since they have lived both in Zambia and the US previously.

The symptoms that were observed in Adam were high fever and rashes that will not go away. These are all similar to the symptoms observed in other children who have previously died due to the same infection. Septicemia affects 150,000 people every year which results to death in 44,000 of those affected, over 1,000 of those are children, the Daily Mail says.

Due to the severity and urgency of this medical condition, doctors are now urging health workers working in the ER to include sepsis in their initial diagnosis. The deadly condition escalates quickly but with immediate emergency care it can be treated with antibiotics. With the surge of flu in the northern hemisphere, people are required to be more cautious and vigilant with diseases, including ones caused by meningococcal bacteria.
On Wednesday, Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against the 6 Volkswagen executives for their roles in the companys emissions-cheating scandal. This is said to be a sharp turn by a departing administration that is trying to regain its image of being soft on corporate crime.

Six Volkswagen Executives Charged In Emissions Scandal

As reported by Edngadget, Volkswagen agreed to pay an amount of $4.3 billion to settle the criminal and civil charges brought by the United States Justice Department over the company's use of emissions-cheating technology. This happened in millions of its diesel vehicles sold all over the world.

The 6 executives include the former head of development of the company, Volkswagen, brand and the head of engine development. One of those charged on Wednesday, Oliver Schmidt, was arrested in Florida last week; the other five are believed to be in Germany, according to The New York Times.

As part of the said settlement, Volkswagen pleads guilty to 3 criminal charges and it will be needed to work with an independent monitor for 3 years. As far as records are the concern, this is the largest penalty handed down to an automaker all through the US history.

In the meantime, Volkswagen is already on the hook for $14.7 billion after it completed a case against the California regulators and the owners of about 475,000 vehicles compromised by the company's "defeat device." Volkswagen plans to buy back all of these cars and otherwise compensate the owners, and it promises to devote billions to enhancing and improving its zero-emission infrastructure.

Volkswagen On Clean Air Act

Volkswagen also formally declared guilty to charges of conspiracy to perform wire fraud and to violate the Clean Air Act. It is considered as customs violations and obstruction of the justice. Many of the 600,000 cars in the United States are equipped with emissions-cheating software were imported from either Germany or Mexico.
The brand new Kia Stinger launched at the recently-concluded 2017 Detroit Motor Show, is likely to feature an all-electric model that will rival Tesla's upcoming Model 3.

The sleek, all-new 5-door GT will be launched along with a 3.3-litre V6, followed by 2.0-litre petrol and then a 2.0-litre diesel model. But assuming the initial reaction to the Stinger is good, then the all-electric version will automatically get the nod.

About the all-new Kia Stinger

In an exclusive interview with Auto Express during the Stinger's unveiling on the eve of the Detroit show, Spencer Cho, Kia's head of overseas marketing, said that this all-new platform is 100% capable of a full EV powertrain during a later date.

The 365bhp V6 model will be arriving this coming October with the 252bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine coming early in 2018, and to be followed a few months later by a diesel-powered version with a development of Kia's existing 2.0-litre diesel engine. This means that an all-electric version is unlikely to be seen much before the end of 2018 or more likely, 2019.

New technologies for the Stinger

Spencer Cho has also promised that the Stinger would have a lot of technological features on board during its launch, with a lot more to come. He also said that the company is working on level 3 and 4 autonomous technology, and the Stinger is definitely a good platform to add some of that technology too. "We're carefully evaluating this technology before we decide to put it into our cars, though," Cho said.

Albert Biermann, Kia's engineering boss, has also confirmed that a 4-wheel drive version of the Stinger is also on its way to battle the likes of the Quattro versions of Audi's new A5 and the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe X Drive models.

Official Price

The official price for the V6 Stinger is likely to start at around the 40,000 mark with a fully-loaded model costing at around 43,000. The 2.0-litre petrol should cost about 35,000 with the diesel set to be sold in the high thirties.
There are arguably three handhelds that are going to take the tech world by storm this year: Apple's iPhone 8, Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Microsoft's Surface Phone. Each unit has its own thing going for it, but the last of the three has time going for it. At least, several publications have claimed that it might be unveiled next month at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona.

Despite not currently having a heavy hand in the mobile industry, Microsoft has confirmed its attendance at the MWC. And as noted by Windows Report, the company has even put up a website, which allows MWC visitors to arrange meetings during the event. Of course, what the Redmond tech giant has planned for those days are still unknown, but the general thinking is that the Surface Phone will finally be revealed.

The MWC will undoubtedly be a good platform to showcase the Surface Phone for the first time. Several tech companies have taken advantage of the event for the exact same reason in the past. So it is a possibility that Microsoft will follow suit - but would the tech giant jump over the opportunity to create its own event and make a big reveal for the first smartphone under its exceptionally popular Surface line?

Probably not, but there is another reason why the Surface Phone might not make it to the MWC 2017. That is, that the device is simply not ready. Microsoft's Satya Nadella has already claimed that it will be a mobile device unlike any other. He described it as the "ultimate" handheld. The company is sure to to take its time to deliver.

But this leaves the question of what the tech giant will do at the highly publicized event on February 27 to March 2. As Forbes notes, it is more likely that the company is there to support one of its long-standing partners in hardware. The HP Elite X3 is powered by Windows 10 and has generally been positively received. It is possible that Microsoft will be there as support, or to stand behind its mobile software.

It is also possible that Microsoft will also discuss some things about an upcoming update. The publication claims that an update will be coming in the latter half of 2017. The update, which will be called Redstone 3, will be third development made to Windows 10. It is at this point that the Surface Phone is more likely to be released.

Partnering up the update - essentially the latest software - with the Surface Phone, the ultimate handheld device, is a logical choice. However, this pushes back the release to beyond July, which may or may not be a good move. On the one hand, this will allow Microsoft to prepare its own unveiling event, but on the other, it will put the unit in direct competition with at least the iPhone 8, which is expected sometime in September.

There is very little doubt that the Surface Phone will be released within the year, but the exact date is still up for debate. Microsoft has several ways in which to go about the same and the public will be watching out with eager ears and eyes.
Now that the new calendar year has already started, we're pretty sure that a huge wave of new smartphones are also prepping to be launched. While most eyes are waiting for flagship releases, there are people who are more interested in midrange devices. The good thing about midrange phones is that they are cost-friendly but at the same time, competitively spec'd.

Mid-range phones may not have all the extra perks that you can find in super expensive and premium phones and they may not be powered by top-of-the-line processors, but as a whole, they can provide all your smartphone needs without being very expensive. If you're one of the people who are pro-midrange phones, here are some of the devices 2017 has to offer.

Samsung Galaxy Phones

Samsung's midrange labels are the Galaxy J and Galaxy A series. As per Phone Arena, the 2017 phones from these two series have already been revealed by a market insider. It was said that the Galaxy A aims for a 20 million target and the Galaxy J has a 100 million target. Right now, Samsung has already unveiled one model from its midrange series. The Galaxy A 2017 was revealed last week and it is coming to less developed markets like Eastern Europe and Russia. This phone isn't coming to the US and is more targeted towards the mentioned countries where midrange phones have already been proven popular.

As for the Galaxy J series, there's also good chance that it won't be officially sold in the US. If you're from the States and eager to get a J series phone, you can actually buy one as there are many means to do so. However, just make sure to do your research to find out whether or not the devices will work properly on your desired carriers. The Galaxy J series has been very popular and pretty much more embraced than the Galaxy A series, practically for its superb specs and low prices. As per the recent leaks, the 2017 Galaxy J smartphones will be strongly improved over its predecessors.

Asus Zenfone Phones

Asus has already revealed a number of smartphones to enter the 2017 market. There's the Asus Zenfone Pegasus 3s that comes with a 5.2 inch display, at least 32 GB storage, 3 GB RAM and 13 MP/8 MP camera combo. There's also the Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom ZE553KL that comes with a bigger 5.5 inch display with higher resolution. This phone also comes with a more powerful internals and more competitive camera specs (13 MP front camera and dual 12 MP rear cam). Both phones then come with an FM radio and a massive 5000 mAh battery.

Asus has already established its worth to the consumers last 2016. The company has actually made it hard for its competitions to compete with the Zenfone series spec to spec. The huge batteries, amazing cameras and all Asus' native features absolutely made the company a clearer option for those looking to buy a new phone, at least in markets where the Asus Zenfone models are widely sold.

Nokia Android Phones 2017

As of now, one Android smartphone has come out of Nokia's doors. The Nokia 6, although widely talked-about, has only been launched in China. Nevertheless, more phones are expected to come out from Nokia during the span of the whole year. There are news saying that there could be at least four Nokia Androids this 2017 and there are also news saying that there could be at least six. What's certain is that HMD Global, the new licensed owner of Nokia, promises to release a number of new Nokia smartphones this year.

The new Nokia 6 smartphone is higher mid-range in specs and it is expected that the next series of smartphones from Nokia will also mostly fall under the midrange category. It's quite obvious that the company doesn't want to dive too deep into the smartphone market. Instead, Nokia looks like it wants to take things slowly but surely. Hopefully the company can do as great as it did before the rise of smartphones.
Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus.
Feds laud $83M to better Pell Bridge The congressional delegation of Rhode Island was in Jamestown to celebrate an $82.5 million grant to upgrade the bridge that connects Conanicut Island to Newport. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a...

Local author, illustrator collaborate on book A local woman has turned her digital cross-country teatimes with her granddaughter into a childrens book. Tuesday Tea, written by Debby Furness Saletin and illustrated by Maryann England, both of...

Local group asks for rental rules changes A group of residents is expected to present its recommendations on how to improve the ordinance that governs short-term rentals. Member Ron Ratcliffe said the item is scheduled to be...
Email

Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday.
The sentencing date for Paul Burks, founder of defunct Ponzi scheme ZeekRewards.com, is for Feb. 13, according to a legal filing.

The 9:30 a.m. hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Max Cogburn Jr. will be in a Charlotte courtroom at 401 W. Trade St.

ZeekRewards was one of the largest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history at $939 million, according to federal regulatory officials and prosecutors. The companies, which debuted in January 2011, were shut down and their assets frozen in August 2012.

On July 21, a federal jury found Burks, 67, of Lexington, guilty of wire and mail-fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and tax-fraud conspiracy.

The sentencing process has been conducted mostly in a sealed format. Burks has been free on bond awaiting his sentencing date.

It is possible Burks could spend the rest of his life in prison.

The wire and mail-fraud conspiracy charge, the mail-fraud charge and the wire-fraud charge each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The tax-fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine.

Kenneth Bell, receiver for the company, said Jan. 20 that victims are entitled to be heard at Burks' sentencing by sending an email to HearingLetter@zeekrewardsreceivership.com.

Bell said the court would like to hear about any of the below circumstances:

* Becoming insolvent;

* Filing for bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy code;

* Suffering substantial loss of a retirement, education or other savings or investment fund;

* Making substantial changes to employment, such as postponing retirement plans;

* Making substantial changes to living arrangements, such as relocating to a less expensive home; and

* Suffering substantial harm to his or her ability to obtain credit.

Prosecutors claimed Burks received at least $10.1 million from the scheme.

Burks reached a consent settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in August 2012 in which he did not admit wrongdoing or that his companies operated as a Ponzi scheme. However, he agreed to pay a $4 million penalty.

In another ZeekRewards legal case, a trial date of May 15 has been set for six net winners in the Ponzi scheme.

Net winners have been defined as the 9,400 participants who won more money  at least $1,000  than they paid into the scheme. The list contains 15 individuals from Forsyth County, 105 from the Triad and Northwest N.C., and 390 statewide.

The six net winners facing trial  Catherine Parker, Leon Killam, Yong Sheng Wang, Brian Fussey, James Macelwain and Mei-Ping Liang  were found in default in December 2014. The largest judgment was requested against Parker at $213,953.

Federal judge Graham Mullen has approved multi-million dollar penalties against eight other net winners. The potential combined amount from the net winner class could reach $200 million.

The SEC accused Rex Venture Group LLC, Zeekler, ZeekRewards and Burks of raising more than $800 million through unregistered securities, also known as penny auctions, and another $96 million in subscription fees.

The companies raised the money from at least 2.2 million customers, including more than 230,000 in the U.S., with 47,000 of those in North Carolina.

The court-appointed receiver for ZeekRewards, Kenneth Bell, said that as of Sept. 30, he had recovered $362 million and disbursed $269.8 million to victims. Many victims have received funds accounting for between 60 percent and 70 percent of their losses.

On Sept. 13, two top ZeekRewards officials were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

Dawn Wright-Olivares and her stepson, Daniel Olivares, pleaded guilty in February 2014 to fraud charges. Wright-Olivares served as chief operating officer, while Olivares was senior technology officer.

Wright-Olivares pleaded guilty to an investment fraud conspiracy charge and to tax fraud conspiracy. She was sentenced to a 90-month prison term. Olivares pleaded guilty to an investment fraud conspiracy charge. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Wright-Olivares faces up to a $500,000 fine, while Olivares faces up to $250,000 fine. Wright-Olivares were said to have received about $7.2 million in victim funds and Olivares $3.1 million.
There are many uses for industrial hemp: Horse bedding, particle board, even the fabric on car-door interiors.

The list runs long.

So says Patrique Veille, a co-owner of American Hemp LLC in Winston-Salem. In the industrial-hemp business for years, Veille has long relied on imports. But by the end of the year, he may be able to buy industrial hemp products from North Carolina farmers rather than growers in other countries.

Congress eased regulations in 2014 to allow for the limited cultivation of industrial hemp.

State legislators followed by setting up the N.C. Industrial Hemp Commission. On Thursday, the commission will hold a public hearing in Raleigh on its proposed rules governing a pilot program for the cultivation of industrial hemp in North Carolina.

Farmers would have another crop and this would be a very good fit. North Carolina can help lead the way, Veille said this week.

With the proposed rules, the commission set the framework for industrial hemp cultivation. The rules define how a grower may cultivate the crop, how to apply for a license and under what law-enforcement conditions the crop may be grown, among other things.

Farmers had been prohibited by federal law from cultivating industrial hemp for nearly 80 years, in part because it comes from the same plant species as marijuana.

But there is a big difference between industrial hemp and marijuana, according to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, who is one of two law enforcement officers appointed to the hemp commission. The other is Cary Police Chief Tony Godwin.

The psychoactive agent in marijuana  known as THC  comes in concentrations that can range from 3 percent to as much as 15 percent.

In industrial hemp, THC concentrations may not exceed 0.3 percent, under state law.

Still, there are concerns that dubious growers may try to cultivate illegal marijuana plants by hiding them among legal industrial hemp plants.

As it turns out, the proposed rules deal with such a scenario.

In fact, Page helped make recommendations that would allow for the sampling of crops for THC levels as well as tracking industrial hemp fields with GPS.

I think thats why they (state legislators) made sure they had law enforcement on the commission, to make sure we follow federal and state laws, Page said. Education is important. We need to tell people what this is and what it isnt. This is not illegal marijuana.

I hate to see our farms go away. This may be provide a good crop alternative, he said.

All growers would be working in partnership with N.C. A&T State University or N.C. State University.

Abiding by the 2014 federal law, the cultivation of industrial hemp will be done with research as its main purpose. The commission will gather information on such things as best farming practices as well as how markets may respond.

If all goes well, there could be a crop this year, according to Sandy Stewart, the director of the Research Stations Division at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

We dont know the perfect planting date. Were thinking May or early June. Its all part of the research, Stewart said.

Thats if all goes well.

Comments from the public hearing will be reviewed when the commission meets again Feb. 13, Stewart said. The N.C. Rules Commission will hopefully approve the proposed rules Feb. 16.

After that, growers would be able to apply for a license.

But getting a license from state agricultural officials is just part of the process.

Growers would still have to get the green light from officials at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
A Republican congressman has asked the architect of the Capitol to review whether a high school student's painting of the events in Ferguson, Missouri, should be displayed on Capitol Hill.

The painting has the image of a pig in a police uniform aiming a gun at a protester. It hangs among hundreds of other works of art chosen in last year's Congressional Arts Competition.

In a letter on Wednesday, Republican Rep. Dave Reichert of Washington state says it's not his desire to censor an individual's right to freedom of speech and expression.

But Reichert says the painting is "in clear violation" of the competition's official rules, which state that exhibits "depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalist, or gruesome nature are not allowed."

The painting has set off a battle in Congress, with several Republicans taking it down and Missouri Democrat William Lacy Clay of Missouri putting it back up. Clay maintains that the paint represents free speech. Republicans call it offensive to law enforcement.
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ben Cardin used one of the oldest saws in politics to lay out an imperative for the coming Trump era. "It cannot be business as usual," Cardin said.

He was talking primarily about Russia, but his statement stands on its own. Under the 45th president, it cannot be business as usual for the media, for Congress or for any citizen who values our liberties. We are in for a very dangerous national ride.

Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who is one of the least partisan voices in Congress, spoke at the opening of Senate hearings on Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson -- a man with close ties to Vladimir Putin -- for secretary of state. The hearing began against the backdrop of shocking allegations that Russian intelligence services have compromising material on Trump's personal life and finances. There are also reports of collusion between Trump's political operatives and Russia's spies and cyber thieves.

Let it be said that the word "allegations" is key. A lot of what has been released has not been verified. It could turn out to be a mixture of truth and enough that's not true to allow Trump to push it all aside, as he did at his news conference on Wednesday. "It's all fake news," he said. "It's phony stuff. It didn't happen."

But given Trump's relentless public praise for Putin and the derision he has directed at those who mistrust Russia and its intentions (our president-elect called those who disagree with his Russia policies "stupid"), the accusations need to be dealt with very seriously and investigated meticulously. If we have learned nothing else, we know that Trump denials can never be believed until they are independently confirmed. The new standard for presidential statements must be: "Mistrust and verify."

And so much else in Trump's often nasty encounter with reporters was, quite simply, petrifying. He slid toward admitting that the hacking of the Democratic National Committee was Russia's work -- "I think it was Russia." But he immediately downplayed the import of what he had said by adding: "We also get hacked by other countries and other people."

He laid more blame on the Democrats for doing "a very poor job" of defending themselves against hacking than he did on Russia, and praised the hackers for the fruits of their theft: "Look at what was learned from that hacking."

He denounced news organizations by name and imperiously refused to allow their reporters to ask questions. He declined to make a clean break with his business holdings or to promise wide disclosure, which all but guarantees conflicts of interest.

And he continued to hug Putin close. "If Putin likes Donald Trump," he said, "I consider that an asset, not a liability." It's hard to escape the idea that the autocrat Putin must have very much liked the Donald Trump on display nine days before his inauguration.

So although it was not his intention, Trump brought home the importance of the central forward-looking theme of President Obama's moving farewell address in Chicago on Tuesday night. At heart, Obama's speech was a warning and a plea: an alert about the dangers our democracy confronts, and a call for Americans to be active and vigilant in protecting our liberties.

"Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift," Obama declared in what may prove to be its most important passage. "But it's really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning -- with our participation, and with the choices that we make and the alliances that we forge.

"Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms, whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law, that's up to us," he continued. "America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.'

That last line was ominous, and so were Obama's other warnings -- that "Democracy can buckle when it gives in to fear," that terrorists cannot defeat the United States "unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight," that rivals "like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world unless we give up what we stand for, and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors."

And Obama presented the country with this marching order: "We must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are."

Obama never mentioned Trump by name. Alas for us all, he didn't have to.

E.J. Dionne's email address is ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: @EJDionne.
Federal regulations  whether good, bad or indifferent  can blindside local governments and companies, leaving them struggling to find money to comply. Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of our 5th District has joined with Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas on a bill that, if it becomes law, will alleviate this problem of unfunded mandates.

City Manager Lee Garrity of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County Manager Dudley Watts both indicated that they would welcome the transparency the bill would bring. The legislation seems to promise a greater awareness of how federal legislation impacts the communities, Watts told the Journals Bertrand M. Gutierrez. The bureaucracy to implement a program in communities  that usually involves a state intermediary  creates a chasm between the federal government and cities and counties where unintended consequences flourish. Efforts to identify these and work through them on the front end is a good move, Watts said.

Foxx said in a press release: Every year, Washington imposes thousands of rules on local governments and small businesses. Hidden in those rules are costly mandates that stretch state and city budgets and make it harder for businesses to hire. This legislation will help restore transparency and hold Washington bureaucrats accountable for the true cost  in dollars and in jobs  that federal dictates pose to the economy.

The bill (H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act) has been referred to a committee. It would tighten a 1995 law. Those affected would be able to comment on proposed mandates, federal agencies would provide members of Congress and the public with better tools to figure out the real cost of regulations, and the bill would require an accountability mechanism that ensures federal agencies abide by the bill as well as the 1995 law, known as the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, the Journal reported.

We want to help our local governments and businesses by relieving unnecessary and costly red tape so that budgets, projects and jobs arent halted, Rep. Cuellar said in the press release. This bill would require the federal government to measure and consider the total cost of the regulations they impose.

City Manager Garrity told the Journal that the city supports transparency in federal mandates that clearly show the implementation costs for local governments. While in many cases the city also supports the policy and objectives of the mandate, we are always concerned about fairness and the cost impacts for citizens and businesses.

Seven organizations representing state and local governments are backing the bill: the National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of State governments, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors and the International City/County Management Association.

Foxx has long pushed this legislation. It passed the House last year but did not make it through the Senate. We urge the full Congress to approve this important measure.
RICHARD MERLO, Elkin

Holding forth

It seems to be human nature to offer ones opinions, even when unqualified. This tendency to over-opine is especially common among celebrities; I suppose the headiness of success strengthens the illusion that what one has to say is important. So when a movie star holds forth, advising President-elect Trump as he approaches his presidency, we shouldnt be surprised (Streep denounces Trump in award speech, Jan. 10).

What is surprising is how many fans will consider the advice seriously. Actors and actresses are, after all, pretenders, and to credit the advice one must know who theyre pretending to be.

******

DIANA WARD, Boone

Up the mountain

I want to say thanks to the Journal for safely making it up the mountain to Boone on Jan. 8 and 9 with the paper. I dont take it for granted, especially since you folks also had snow to deal with.

******

ROBERT BESEDA, Winston-Salem

Called him out

Im sure we all fully expected President-elect Trump to tweet out something after Meryl Streeps speech at the Golden Globes Sunday night (Streep denounces Trump in award speech, Jan. 20). She sure called him out, like it or not.

But to call her one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood is downright ridiculous and as untrue as suggesting Trump International Hotel at One Center Park West in New York City is a sleazy bedbug-ridden flop house. (Trust me, its not.) She is unquestionably one of the most respected, successful, rightfully honored, transcendent actors of our time.

******

PERRY MITCHELL, Winston-Salem

Listening to each other

Thanks for running the column Mount Airy offers a microcosm of Donald Trumps support (Jan. 9). That and other recent writings, like J.D. Vances book Hillbilly Elegy, make it clear that weve done a poor job of listening to our brethren in small towns.

The truth is that theyve done a poor job of listening to their big city brethren, also. This is exemplified in the column by Mount Airy Mayor David Rowe contrasting secular progressivism with values like honesty and hard work.

As a secular progressive, and a friend of many others, I know that we do value honesty, hard work, and many of the other virtues Rowe and his neighbors think belong to them alone. Theyve either failed to listen or accepted the testimony of unworthy witnesses.

This isnt to diminish the point, though. We all need to listen without prejudice, as the late George Michael put it. Listen at length, with a desire for understanding and peace. Maybe if we do, we can find the way forward that weve lost because of corrosive politics.

******

BOBBY FIELDS, Winston-Salem

Hasnt happened yet

So on Jan. 6, after asking Congress to pay for the wall, President-elect Trump 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!

Maybe he should actually get Mexico to agree to pay for the wall before complaining that the media hasnt reported something that hasnt happened.

Trump makes the media look better every day. Maybe one day hell claim credit for restoring the publics trust in it.

******

J. GILBERT COX, Wilkesboro

Ethical oversight

What has happened to Rep. Virginia Foxx?

I was surprised to see a positive letter about Rep. Foxx (Positive on Foxx Jan. 6) in The Readers Forum. She apparently followed the lead of more liberal legislators to prevent dismantling of much-needed ethical oversight.

Obviously no true conservative Republican would dare suggest that any form of government-sponsored regulatory monitoring is necessary or of any value. Only a liberal Democrat would prevent removal of such burdensome government overreach and intrusion.

If Rep. Foxx keeps this up, soon she will be labeled a bleeding-heart, job-killing, tree-hugging liberal. Before you know it, Rep. Foxx could be voting to improve and support the nations public education system as opposed to siphoning off tax dollars to private and unregulated schools of choice.

When You Write

The Journal encourages readers comments. To participate in The Readers Forum, please submit letters online to Letters@wsjournal.com. Please write The Readers Forum in the subject line and include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. Or you may mail letters to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Letters are subject to editing and may be published on journalnow.com. Letters are limited to 250 words. Letter writers are allowed one letter every 30 days.

If you would like a photo of yourself included with your letter, send it to us as a .jpg file.

For more guidelines and advice on writing letters, go to journalnow.com/opinion/submit_a_letter.

The Journal welcomes original submissions for guest columns on local, regional and statewide topics. Essay length should not exceed 750 words. The writer should have some authority for writing about his or her subject. Our email address is: Letters@wsjournal.com. Essays may also be mailed to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Please include your name and address and a daytime telephone number.
Reddit Email 74 Shares

Reviewed by H. Patricia Hynes | (Truthdig) |  

The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of Americas Soldiers

A book by Joseph Hickman

They are called this generations Agent Orangethe open fire pits operated on over 230 US military bases across Iraq and Afghanistan during our wars there. Every kind of wasteplastics, batteries, old ordnance, asbestos, pesticide containers, tires, biomedical, chemical, and nuclear waste, dead animals, human feces, body parts, and corpseswas incinerated in them.





The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of Americas Soldiers

The word incinerate, suggesting an enclosed burning facility with pollution controls, is misleading. These barbaric burn pits were dug on military bases in the midst of housing, work, and dining facilities, with zero pollution controls. Tons of wastean average of 10 pounds daily per soldierburned in them every day, all day and all night. Ash laden with hundreds of toxins and carcinogens blackened the air and coated clothing, beds, desks, and dining halls, according to a Government Accounting Office investigation. The burn pits recklessly violated the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Defense (DOD) waste disposal regulations. And predictably, base commanders temporarily shut them down when politician and high-ranking generals came to visit.

Some of the US bases were built on the remnants of Iraqi military bases that had been bombed and flattened by US air strikes. A handful of these basesat least fivecontained stockpiles of old chemical warfare weapons, among them the nerve agent sarin and the blistering agent mustard gas, used by Iraq against Iran and the Kurds in the 1980s and 1990s. The burn pits of these American military bases were placed and dug within the residue of chemical weapons, without first analyzing soil samples.

In his no-holds-barred book, The Burn Pits: the Poisoning of Americas Soldiers, former Marine and Army sergeant Joseph Hickman exposes the knowing contamination of thousands of soldiers stationed on bases with these lethal pits. After interviewing more than a thousand very sick veterans and military contractors about their exposures and investigating the non-response of the Pentagon, high-ranking military in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the author concludes:

In my experience as a noncommissioned officer, and after serving twenty years in the military, I can honestly say I would believe the words of a private over a general any day of the week.

Soon after Hickman retired from the military in 2009, he began to hear from veterans about medical illnesses they were suffering after being in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thus began his unstinting investigation, interviewing veterans, military contractors, and numerous medical health researchers who, in the void of Pentagon neglect, conducted extensive studies on the health effects of burn pit exposure. From the ailing veterans, he learned of medical claims denied by DOD and VHA doctors, who flatly refused to consider that their health problems were service-related, and insinuated that they were looking for a free ride. He discovered that veterans had more than 20 class action lawsuits in 2008 and 2009 against the KBR Company, the DOD contractor that constructed the burn pits. And he recounts an incriminating conversation with a retired military officer turned KBR manager in charge of construction on Afghanistan and Iraq bases. The engineer characterized KBR as bragging that they could get away with doing anything they wanted (e.g. no soil and air testing, shoddy construction, hazardous to health open fire pits, and so on.) because the Army could not function without them.

KBR, then a subsidiary of Halliburton, (Dick Cheneys former company), was the major Iraq war profiteer with no-bid contracts and a known master of phantom charges in their invoices to DOD. In self-defense KBR states matter-of-factly to Hickman, that it constructed and operated the burn pits in conformance with contract specs and Army operational guidelines. In fact, this was true. In its haste for war, DOD flaunted its own environmental regulations and approved open air burn pitshuge poisonous bonfireson US bases in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nor did DOD require the testing of soil, air, or burn pit emissions to monitor the pollution their soldiers were exposed to daily.

In the course of his research, Hickman enlisted the legal assistance of Seton Hall University Law Schools Center for Policy and Research. The Center was highly regarded for its uncovering of human rights violations at Guantanamo and exhaustive probing of the 2008 financial crisis. Its work yielded a list of the most prevalent illnesses reported by 500 veterans interviewed by Hickman, namely, acute and debilitating respiratory illnesses (74 percent) and throat, lung and brain cancers and leukemia (26 percent). Over 90 percent, after long waits, were refused disability. Most significantly, the Seton Law investigation found that those veterans with the most critical health problems had served at a small number of former Iraqi military bases. These particular bases had been major chemical weapons research, processing or storage sites during the reign of Saddam Hussein and still had old stockpiles of chemical weapons when the US bombed them and built military bases with open fire pits.

Was it coincidence or not, Hickman queries, that Beau Biden, the son of Vice-President Joe Biden, who served as a major for twelve months in two Iraq bases, contracted fatal brain cancer, as did many with whom he served? Medical research has since pinpointed titanium dust particles, inhaled by soldiers from the burn pits, as a likely cause of their high rates of brain cancer.

The book does not shy away from US complicity during the Reagan administration in Saddam Husseins chemical weapons program. The support, all to spite Iran, included chemical weapons design and enlisting western partners and western companies in manufacture and production. This complicity now haunts the current war in Iraq: the New York Times reported in 2015 that ISIS had captured a key center of former chemical weapons production.

The tragic tale of burn pit victims replicates the bitter chronicles of the Vietnam War veterans exposure to Agent Orange, the ongoing Gulf War Syndrome, and depleted uranium exposure, from which hundreds of thousands of veterans are injured and disabled. Further, some of these exposed veterans were likely victims of the epidemic military sexual assault in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Yet those victimized by these crushing maladies have been ignored, disbelieved, blamed for their plight, and refused help by their government. They tell an inconvenient truth that yields, at best, years of often inconsequential studies by a reluctant government, a government that will spend hundreds of billions each fiscal year on defense contractors and weapons of war but penny pinches its injured veterans.

How can an institutionapparently so trusted by a majority of Americans and praised as the backbone of our country by every president, Democrat and Republican alikeconsistently treat its veterans like so much scrap cast into a burn pit, and get away with it?

A final word on the ultimate war victims. The people of Iraq have been poisoned from the war in 1991 through the current war on ISIS. The arc of poisons begins with the oil fires in Kuwait set by fleeing Iraqi soldiers, which burned for 7 months, and depleted uranium weapons used by the US in the first Gulf War (1991) and in the Iraq War (2003-2011). It extends to the burn pit air toxins from US bases that wafted into nearby towns and cities and the recent oil conflagrations set by ISIS and ignited during US bombing of ISIS strongholds.

Once among the best health systems in the Middle East, Iraqs system of care has been decimated by war; health facilities have been destroyed and not rebuilt; and doctors have fled the continuing violence. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)31073-X/abstract Massive civilian suffering is unrelieved, with severe shortages of medicines, unsafe drinking water, a broken government, millions displaced by 25 years of war, and the surge of fundamentalist subjugation of women, especially since the Iraq War. The startling rise of birth defects and cancers in Iraq and high lead levels in the baby teeth of Iraqi children are, in large part, the legacy of our war-created pollution in that country.

We, the United States, have never fixed what we have broken in war since World War II. Our imperial ambitions lie at the core of many now-ruined countries, millions of dead across the world, millions of living dead and displaced, toxic environments, and hundreds of thousands of disabled US veterans who fought for the war machine. In the words of economist Jeffrey Sachs, Its time to abandon the reveries, burdens, and self-deceptions of empire and invest in development at home and in partnership with the rest of the world.

Pat Hynes, a retired environmental engineer and professor of environmental health, directs the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice in western Massachusetts. http://traprock.org

Published with permission of Truthdig
Reddit Email 0 Shares

TeleSur |  

The countries include Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan.

In the waning days of the Obama administration, new research by the Council on Foreign Relations, CFR, has confirmed the militaristic legacy it leaves behind: the United States dropped at least 26,171 bombs in seven Muslim-majority countries in 2016.

According to CFR researchers, who conducted the study, this estimate is even undoubtedly low given limitations on available government data.

The countries targeted last year were Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan, an increase from the six bombed by the United states in 2015. The number of bombs dropped also rose, with at least 23,144 bombs dropped the year before.

The majority of the bombs were dropped in Iraq and Syria, followed by Afghanistan, where the so-called war on terror has ravaged the region since 2001.

Another 496 bombs were dropped by the U.S. in Libya, where the United States began an air campaign to oust the Islamic State group, who along with other extremist groups, filled the void when NATO carried out a regime change operation that toppled the countrys leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The year 2016 also saw the continuance of drone strikes in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan, where the United States has carried out covert drone wars for years, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths.

via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Drops 26,171 Bombs In One Year
Reddit Email 203 Shares

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

In his first news conference in months, president-elect Donald J. Trump engaged in a series of petulant tirades. For anyone like myself, who has lived under dictators in the global South, his performance was unpleasantly reminiscent of their authoritarian publicity techniques.

Instead of letting a wide range of reporters attend, he limited their spots so that he could pack the hall with his own supporters. Those supporters were the ones applauding, and since the cameras were not turned on the audience, television viewers may have thought the cheers came from reporters. This effect was intended. There are some allegations that some of the Trump supporters in attendance were actually part of a rent-a-crowd, a common technique among Middle Eastern dictators. And then there was the typical technique of painting dissidents and critics as themselves authoritarian. Innocent Japanese were interned during WWII on unsupported charges that they were imperialists. Members and former members of the 50,000-strong Communist Party in the US were accused of trying to take over the US government. Trump on Wednesday characterized the leak of the intelligence report as Nazism, as though he were a victim of an authoritarian genocide being perpetrated by a web news site. The charge is ironic, as Rula Jebreal pointed out:

Sir, you were endorsed by the KKK, supported by neo-Nazi groups, you hired an anti-Semitic Chief Strategist -you revived the 1930s. https://t.co/MCYgfEM9wG  Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) January 12, 2017

1. Disagreement is treason. Trumps spokesman slammed Buzzfeed for publishing the annex to the US intelligence report on Russian hacking of the US election, complaining that it was false and not verified by the intelligence agencies. I said yesterday that I found the dossier unconvincing. But Buzzfeeds conviction that the document was of public interest and the at the public should be able to see and judge it for themselves can be argued about. Buzzfeed did not certify it as true. Trump essentially put them on trial for treason. As for inaccuracy, Trump and his people want a monopoly on it. Lets remember that Trump denied for years that President Obama was born in the United States, that he keeps saying that the murder rate in the US has risen (it has fallen dramatically since the 1990s), that he denies that humans burning hydrocarbons causes climate change, that he says that unemployment is 42%, and that there are 30 million undocumented workers in the US (it is about 11 million and has fallen). His campaign allies at the Neo-Nazi Breitbart rag accused Hillary Clinton (edited by Steve Bannon) of practicing voodoo and/or of being part of a pedophilia ring run from a Washington, DC pizzeria. At least the report on Trumps having been compromised by Russian intelligence on his escapades in Russia actually exists.

2. Divide and rule. Trump tried to single out Buzzfeed for publishing the document and CNN for reporting that it was part of the intelligence communitys report by denouncing them as fake news and refusing them the opportunity to question him. He instead allowed the white supremacist Breitbart (a chief producer of fake news from its inception) to toss him a softball. Creating disfavored and favored news outlets is a typical authoritarian move. Trump is punishing CNN to create an incentive for other news outlets to treat him with kid gloves, and he is hoping the other reporters will climb over the prostrate bodies of the Buzzfeed and CNN journalists on their way up to White House access. The reporters and news organizations will have to stick together to overcome this tactic. Trump is also trying to legitimize his buddy Steve Bannons Neofascist monstrosity, Breitbart, by favoring it over CNN in public. (The Breitbart reporter suggested that Trump crack down on all those mainstream fake news outlets, which is sort of like a wine-seller arguing for prohibition). Incidentally, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper confirmed CNNs story later in the day. CNN did not publish the two pages of salacious material and were treated completely unjustly by Trump.

3. The Big Lie. Trump contradicted the US intelligence community, which maintained that Russian hackers also broke into the servers of the Republican National Committee but declined to leak those documents in contrast to the way they treated the Hillary Clinton campaign. Trump said, had they broken into the Republican National Committee, I think they wouldve released it just like they did about Hillary . . . But they did and they didnt. Trump continues to manufacture his own reality, in his own interests. (If the Russians treated their hacked information differently, some would argue, that his how they threw the election to Trump. He wants to deny that he had any help and so denies the facts of the case.)

4. Weasel words. Aware of arguments being made that he is beholden to Russian financial concerns, Trump said As a real estate developer, I have very, very little debt. I have assets that are  and now people have found out how big the company is, I have very little debt  I have very low debt. But I have no loans with Russia at all. This assertion is disingenuous because he might have partnerships or Russian investors without categorizing that money as loans. In fact, Trump owes at least $300 million to creditors, and if you total up the debts held by all the companies in which he has at least a 1/3 stake, the debts may come to $1.5 billion! One of the New York City buildings he has a part ownership of carries a $950 million debt, some of which is held by the Bank of China. Trump may presently have no Russian creditors or projects (and his finances are so Byzantine that it is impossible to know), but that does not rule out his having Russian partners or investors in US or European projects. As for investments inside Russia, he certainly has tried. Contrary to what he said, he has tried on several occasions to build Trump Towers in Russia. The deals collapsed, but not for lack of trying. in 2008 he made $54 million on a sale of a Florida mansion for $95 million to a Russian billionaire. Thats a suspiciously large profit in Florida in 2008, and there have been questions about Russian or former Soviet Union businessmen laundering money through joint ventures with Trump. Trump also had a $30 million deal to put on a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013 and wanted to invited and befriend Vladimir Putin.

5. Substituting spectacle for substance. Trump had one of his attorneys put on a dog and pony show about how he will handle his finances during his presidency, implying that he thereby put to rest the worries about his business conflicts of interest. No one who knows about the pertinent laws appears in the least convinced that Trumps proposals resolved these issues. The attempt to use smoke and mirrors to finesse this matter is typical of authoritarian regimes, who deny their own corruption via public spectacle and the strong-arming of critics. The big piles of Manila folders were apparently empty and just for show.

Empty and just for show will be some of the words inscribed on the tombstone of Trumps presidency.



Related video:

PBS: Donald Trumps first press conference as president-elect
Reddit Email 0 Shares

By Deirdre Fulton, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org ) |  

Listening to his hearing, it would be easier to conclude Tillerson is under criminal investigation than under consideration for secretary of state

Joined by 15 T-Rex dinosaurs, more than 200 people demonstrated mass public opposition to the appointment of former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, urging senators to #RejectRex. (Photo: Eman Mohammed/350.org)Joined by 15 T-Rex dinosaurs, more than 200 people demonstrated mass public opposition to the appointment of former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, urging senators to #RejectRex. (Photo: Eman Mohammed/350.org)

At his senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, U.S. secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson on Wednesday dodged questions about ExxonMobils long history of denying climate science, lending credence to claims his tenure would be a disaster for the planet.

When pressed by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) about the major charges unearthed by the ongoing ExxonKnew investigationnamely, that the oil company hid evidence going back to the 1970s of how the burning of fossil fuels impacts the climate, and funded misinformation campaigns to spread skepticism about growing scientific consensusformer Exxon CEO Tillerson essentially pled the fifth, said Oil Change International executive director Stephen Kretzmann.

Since Im no longer with ExxonMobil, Im in no position to speak on their behalf, said Tillerson, who recently separated from the company after 42 years. The question would have to be put to them.

Kaine asked as a follow-up question: Do you lack knowledge to answer my questions or are you refusing to answer my question?

Tillerson responded: A little of both.

The coy retort left environmentalists unimpressed.

Tillerson is still lying about what Exxon knew about climate change, said 350.org executive director May Boeve, whose group organized a 200-strong anti-Tillerson protest outside the hearing on Wednesday. Asked directly about the companys climate cover-up, Tillerson demurred and denied. We need a secretary of state who acknowledges that the climate crisis requires bold action, not an oil industry CEO who is dedicated to spreading misinformation.

Added Carroll Muffett, president of the Center for International Environmental Law: The universe of subjects Rex Tillerson knows, admits to knowing, or is permitted to speak to is vanishingly small for someone who would be the U.S. voice to the world. Listening to his hearing, it would be easier to conclude Tillerson is under criminal investigation than under consideration for secretary of state.

Meanwhile, InsideClimate News reporter Neela Banerjee noted that Tillerson answered questions about whether the United States would remain in the Paris climate accord in a such a non-committal way that he left open the possibility for the Trump administration to ditch the agreement or pull out of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as some of the Presidents team have recommended.

And when questioned about whether human activity is contributing to climate change, Tillerson also failed to give a straight answer.

The increase in greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere are having an effect, he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Our ability to predict that effect is very limited.

In fact, Banerjee wrote, [t]hats incorrect. Climate scientists have gotten an increasingly fine-grained view of the effects climate change is having and could have, including longer and more intensive heat waves and droughts, sea level rise and its impact on coastal communities, loss of species, increase in pests, and constrained water resources.

ExxonMobil itself has for decades been preparing for rising sea levels, warming temperatures, and increasing storm severity caused by climate change, as the Los Angeles Times reported in its 2015 ExxonKnew investigation.

If after 40 years of climbing up the company ladder and 10 years at the helm, Tillerson lacks knowledge about ExxonMobil corporate strategy on climate changeincluding its role in spreading climate disinformation and funding denial groupsthen he should have been fired as CEO long, long ago, declared Kathy Mulvey, climate accountability campaign manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists, on Wednesday. And as someone who continues to disparage climate models, he is unfit to lead the U.S. and world on climate action.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

Via Commondreams.org )

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

CSpan-3: Senator Tim Kaine asks Rex Tillerson about Exxon, climate knowledge
Reddit Email 1 Shares

By Phyllis Bennis | (Institute for Policy Studies) |  

If the U.S. goes ahead with the GOP plan, says Phyllis Bennis, all bets are off.

In of the very first moves as the U.S. Senate began its term in 2017, three Republican senators  including former presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio  introduced legislation designed to force the U.S. State Department to move its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem.

Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem a Dangerous Provocation

That would be a significant and unprecedented provocation to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, explains IPS Middle East expert Phyllis Bennis.

There is no country in the world that has its embassy in Jerusalem, she told the Real News Network recently. According to several UN Security Council resolutions, the city is supposed to remain a separate body managed by an international agency, presumably the United Nations itself, until final borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state are negotiated.

Yet those talks are far from finished, Bennis said. They are, in fact, not even underway.

Jerusalem, Bennis told the network, is significant not only as a global religious landmark, but as a living city with real people whose lives are completely circumscribed by the reality of Israeli occupation. The gradual Israeli settlement of majority-Palestinian East Jerusalem, she added, goes to the core of what Israeli occupation looks like.

Congress has made similar moves with respect to the U.S. embassy before, Bennis explained, but past presidents have always bypassed them. With Donald Trump coming into office, however, that could change.

Trump, Bennis said, says not only that he supports this, but he has, in fact, appointed David Friedman as his ambassador to Israel. Friedman  who is Trumps bankruptcy lawyer, not a diplomat  is known for being a financial supporter of the settlements and has gone on to say he looks forward to carrying out his work in the eternal, undivided capital of Israel in Jerusalem.

Bennis speculated that the move could prompt the UN General Assembly to pass an overwhelmingly popular resolution that would condemn the United States action, along with protests at U.S. embassies around the world. Hopefully, those would not become violent, but they may well, she worried.

She allowed that the latest moves may be nothing more than typical pro-Israel posturing by right-wing members of Congress. But with this administration in the White House, she concluded, we cant assume that the usual practice will be underway this time. All bets are off now.

Middle East expert Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism project at the Institute for Policy Studies.

Via The Institute for Policy Studies
The Govenor of the Brazilian state of Amazonas [official website] on Tuesday dismissed [news report] the official in charge of the prison where 56 inmates died during a riot on New Years Day. The dismissal came as a reaction to the news that, weeks before the killings, two inmates had alerted the government that officials of the prison were receiving money from gangs in exchange for allowing the entry of weapons, phones and drugs into the prison. The two inmates who alerted the government were fearing for their lives in prison, and a request was made to transfer them. However the government entity in charge of moving the inmates went on recess soon after without analyzing the request. The two inmates died in connection with the riot, before being transferred out. The Court of Justice of the State of Amazonas has ordered an investigation into the allegations surrounding the riot.

The dismissal of the jail official is one in a long line of cases of government officials being involved in wrongdoing in the later years in Brazil. In August the Brazilian Senate began the impeachment trial [JURIST report] of former president Dilma Rousseff who was alleged to have manipulated government budget accounts and spent without congressional approval. In November the former governor of Rio de Janeiro Sergio Cabral was arrested on allegations of corruption [JURIST report]. The arrest was based on claims by the police, that they were in possession of documents detailing public funds being paid as bribes to state officials, as well as instances of corruption, bribery, and money laundering. In October the former speaker of the house in Brazil Eduardo Cunha was arrested [JURIST report] for his alleged participation in an embezzlement scheme. He was arrested along with other politicians after an investigations into the relationships between the government and the local oil company Petrobras.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] against a Detroit suburb on Tuesday for allegedly violating the Voting Rights Act [text, PDF]. The DOJ claims [press release] that black residents have been denied an equal opportunity to elect city council members. The lawsuit contends that no black candidate has ever served on the Eastpointe City Council. In the lawsuit, the DOJ explains that Eastpointe has a black population that makes up roughly 40 percent of the total population. In votes, black voters continuously vote for the black candidate while white voters tend to vote against such candidates. This prevents black voters from having a city council official of their choice. The lawsuit contends [AP report] that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits practices where the ability of citizens to elect candidates of their choosing is diluted. The DOJ is requesting that Eastpointe be split up into four voting district, each of which can vote for a single city council member to make up the four council member panel. The lawsuit contends that due to the black communitys geographic situation, they would be able to constitute a majority in one of the single-member districts. The Eastpointe City Manager has stated he hopes to enter into a consent judgment to settle the lawsuit and that there are no philosophical differences between his office and the DOJ. Such a change would require an amendment to the city charger, which would have to go before the voters.

Voting rights and how voters are grouped and counted has become and increasingly important issue over the past year. Earlier this week the US Supreme Court blocked [JURIST report] a ruling ordering the redrawing of the congressional district map and special elections to be held in North Carolina. This came after the Supreme Court heard arguments [JURIST report] in racial gerymanderings cases from Virginia and North Carolina in December. In September several organizations filed a federal lawsuit challenging Georgias voter registration system [JURIST report]. In April the Supreme Court unanimously upheld [JURIST report] an Arizona commissions decisions regarding the redistricting of voting districts in the state.
[JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] Wednesday that bondholders of Puerto Ricos Employee Retirement System deserve a hearing to determine if their case has merit to proceed. The lawsuit focuses on Puerto Ricos fiscal emergency law [text, PDF] that was passed last year. Lawsuits over debt payments, particularly any lawsuits toward the Government Development Bank, are frozen and its protects the government [AP report] from being sued for defaulting on payments. The court also ruled that the board under PROMESA [NBC News report], the bill the Senate approved in November to help the country achieve fiscal responsibility and access to the capital markets, had a right to intervene and constitutes an abuse of discretion by the lower court.

The debt crisis of Puerto Rico has been extensive and a severe worry to many around the world. A UN independent expert warned last week that increasing austerity measures to the American territory will threaten residents human rights [JURIST report]. Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky stated that ensuring financial stability, controlling public debt and reducing budget deficits are important goals, but should not be achieved at the expense of human rights. In June the US Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] 5-2 that Section 903(1) of the Bankruptcy Code preempts Puerto Ricos Recovery Act. All of this was preempted by the Puerto Rico legislature passing a bill [JURIST report] that would allow the island territory to enter into a state of fiscal emergency and begin the process toward a debt moratorium.
A French court of appeals on Thursday ordered the release of Ramush Haradinaj, former prime minister of Kosovo, but the court also issued a condition that Haradinaj remain in France until an extradition review from Serbia is reviewed. The extradition request accuses Haradinaj of war crimes during his role as a guerrilla commander during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war [BBC backgrounder]. The issue has broken up talks between Serbia and Kosovo that were a precondition to EU membership. Government officials in Serbia are against even this conditional release, while Haradinajs Alliance for the Future of Kosovo believes the conditional release is not justice. Until the extradition request is reviewed, which could take weeks or months, Haradinaj will be required to stay and report to the police twice a week [Reuters report].

Haradinaj was arrested [JURIST report] last week, and Kosovos current president, Hashim Thaci [official website], condemned the arrest and called it a threat to stability in the region. Haradinaj was a senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the ethnic Albanian guerrilla force, that opposed Slobodan Milosevic during the Kosovo war. He was tried twice and acquitted of 37 charges of war crimes in both 2008 and 2012 [JURIST reports] by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website].
A 22-year-old Illinois man filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] Wednesday after he was arrested for posting a video of him burning a flag, calling the states law unconstitutional. Byron Bryton Mellot posted six pictures on social media of him burning an American flag on July 4, 2015. These posts led police to arrest Mellot at his work, resulting in him being detained for multiple hours. Mellot stated [Chicago Tribune report] after his arrest that, open dissent is the highest form of American patriotism. He is being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois [advocacy website] which stated [press release], We are asking the court to strike down the Illinois law to ensure that law enforcement in Urbana and across Illinois know that this statute cannot be enforced. The US Supreme Court first ruled that flag burning was protected as free speech in Texas v. Johnson [text] in 1989. Further backing up their decision, the court protected the right to burn the flag in 1990 with United States v. Eichman [text]. Despite this federal ruling, 40 states still have laws making flag burning illegal. President-elect Donald Trump has said that anyone who burns a flag should face consequences, such as loss of citizenship or jail time, despite the Supreme Court rulings.

Many people have come out condemning the actions of burning a flag, but respect the Supreme Courts decision to protect citizens that do. In May 2014 the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that Missouris ban on flag was burning unconstitutional. This decision was held on appeal from a decision in March 2012 the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that a ban could not be enforced against burning a flag. In 2006 a proposed amendment failed by one vote [JURIST report], which would have made flag burning illegal.
The Lahore High Court [official website] on Thursday delayed the execution of former police officer Khizar Hayat until the Pakistan Supreme Court [official website] can rule on the case of another mentally ill convict. Hayats execution is now scheduled for January 30 [Al Jazeera report], and whether it is carried out may depend on the Supreme Courts decision. Hayat is a former police officer, and was sentenced to death in 2003 for shooting another police officer in a private dispute. Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) [advocacy website] is handling Hayats case, and argues that he does not know or understand why he is on death row.

The Lahore High Court issued its order [JURIST report] to execute Hayat on Wednesday. In August the Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld [JURIST report] the death sentences of 16 civilians convicted of terror-related offenses by military courts. Last year a group of independent UN human rights experts called on [JURIST report] Pakistan to reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty after reports of minors being sentenced to death. A Pakistani court suspended the execution [JURIST report] of a paraplegic prisoner after numerous human rights groups claimed that a hanging would be cruel and inhumane. In 2015 Pakistan executed [JURIST report] a man alleged to have murdered a child when he was a minor despite international criticism and allegations that his confession was coerced. Pakistan lifted [JURIST report] a 6 year moratorium on the death penalty in March 2015.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday held the second day of confirmation hearing for Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions [official websites], President-elect Donald Trumps proposed attorney general. Sessions first day of confirmation hearings took place Tuesday, where Sessions pledged to fulfill [JURIST report] the duties of attorney general with integrity. While various individuals testified to support [hearing report] Sessions nomination on Wednesday, including former attorneys generals Michael Mukasey and Larry Thompson [statement transcripts], the testimony against him was particularly vehement. For example, the Senate heard testimony from Cornell Brooks, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [advocacy website], who stated [transcript], Senator Sessions record conclusively demonstrates that he lacks the judgement and temperament to serve effectively [as] his record throughout his careerevinces a clear disregard, disrespect and even disdain for the civil and human rights of racial and ethnic minorities, women, the disabled, and other who suffer from discrimination in this county. In addition, David Cole, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] expressed [transcript] that Sessions past statements and actions have demonstrated not just insensitivity but active hostility to the rights of many of our fellow citizens.  The ACLU cannot and does not take a position on whether you should confirm Sen. Sessions nomination. But we do maintain unequivocally that Sen. Sessions record of hostility to civil rights warrants the most serious examination. The Senate also heard testimony from current Senator Cory Booker, who spoke out in opposition of Sessions nomination. Now that the hearings have concluded, the Senate Judiciary Committee can either move the nomination straight to the Senate floor for a full vote, or not move it at all, effectively killing Sessions nomination. If the nomination clears the committee, the Senate can confirm with a simple majority.

The Republican senator and former US attorney had been the first senate member to support Trump [JURIST report] during his presidential campaign, and he later worked with Trump to construct immigration, trade and counterterrorism policies. He is expected [Politico report] to be confirmed since the Republicans will likely have a 52-48 advantage over Democrats in the committee. Sessions will not need to meet a 60-vote threshold for nomination since the requirement has been repealed, and therefore he will likely face little difficulty unless Republicans defect. Upon choosing Sessions for the attorney general position, Trump also chose [Guardian report] Republican Representative Mike Pompeo as the director of the CIA and retired general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. Both of the chosen candidates are believed to share Trumps views regarding surveillance, espionage and foreign policy. Trump must still make official announcements regarding top positions such as the secretary of state, secretary of defense and treasury secretary.
The US Supreme Court [official website] heard oral arguments arguments [transcript, PDF] in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District [SCOTUSblog materials] on Wednesday over education benefits for disabled students. The justices will consider what level of educational benefit school districts must confer on children with disabilities in order to provide them with free appropriate public education guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) [text, PDF]. Petitioner argued that schools that provide minimal and insignificant benefits do not meet the IDEA requirements. Rather, schools must supply sufficient instruction and related services to a child that provide substantially equal educational opportunities. Petitioner is seeking a standard where each disabled childs circumstances are examined along with how their disability impacts their education and then they received sufficient benefits from the school to make up that deficit. Respondents argue that such a standard is ambiguous and does not conform with the Spending Clause. Furthermore, the Supreme Courts precedent in Hendrick Hudson Dist. Bd. of Ed. v. Rowley [opinion, PDF] examined the substantial standard petitioner asked for and did not adopt it. Finally, respondent argues that through the recent amendments to the Act and their choice not to update the statutes substantive standard language, Congress has made its intent clear that it does not adopt such a standard.

A complaint was filed [SCOTUSblog report] after parents of an autistic student felt their child did not receive significant benefits that were tailored to their child and his changing needs as he progressed and got older. A hearing officer found in favor of the school. The parents then filed a lawsuit in federal court, which also found in favor of the school. On appeal, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit [official website] upheld the ruling [opinion, PDF], stating that the school merely needed to provide the child with a benefit that was more than de minimis.
The Obama administration expanded sanctions [press release] against North Korea for alleged human rights violations on Wednesday, adding to the list of North Korean officials on the Specially Designated Nationals List [official website]. The eight persons added to the list were all officials of the government of the North Korea or the the political party, Workers Party of Korea, including Kim Jong Uns sister. The consequences of being added to the list includes freezing of all US assets and that no US individual or business may deal with people on the list. The original sanctions was initiated after a congressionally mandated report [text] published by the US State Department [official website] detailing numerous human rights violations in North Korea including sexual violence, deliberate starvation, severe beatings, forced abortions and secret executions.

North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un and 10 other high ranking officials were placed on the list [JURIST report] in July after the release of the report detailing the human rights violations in the country. In March the Obama administration also issued sanctions [JURIST report] against North Korea for their recent actions of nuclear and ballistic missile testing. The sanctions included a ban on exports of goods, services and technology to North Korea and prohibits any new investment with the nation. Last January the House of Representatives approved legislation [JURIST report] that would increase the sanctions against North Korea in response to reports that they had successfully tested hydrogen bomb.
A Venezuelan opposition politician, Gilber Caro, was arrested [press release] Wednesday with authorities alleging that weapons, including explosives, were found in his vehicle. Caro is a lawmaker in Miranda. Popular Will [party website], the political party to which Caro belongs [WSJ report], released a statement [text] alleging that Caro has been kidnapped by the national authorities. The government claims that Caro was attempting to foment violence.

Venezuela has been in the throes of political unrest since the December 2015 election. Last November the National Assembly postponed a symbolic trial of in an effort to ease political tension in the nation [JURIST report]. In October the National Assembly voted to open criminal impeachment proceedings [JURIST report] against Maduro, alleging that he manipulated the constitution to remain in power. That same month the Assembly also declared [JURIST report] that there is a breakdown of constitutional order and that the government had staged a coup by blocking an attempt to remove Maduro from power. In June government officials asked the Supreme Court to deny a referendum [JURIST report] to remove Maduro proposed by opposition leaders. In April Venezuelas opposition-led parliament approved [JURIST report] new referendum rules. In March the Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that the Venezuelan national assembly may not review the appointment of 13 justices [JURIST report] to the high court by the Socialist Party.
NEWSLETTER

Sign up

Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive.

Just Drinks Daily News

The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday.

Just Drinks Weekly News

A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday.

Just Drinks Magazine

The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter
PepsiCo has announced the launch of its Lays Stax crisps sub-brand in Russia.

Free Report Unilever- A Deep-dive into Product Launches and Advertising Strategy Track product launches by FMCG companies to get an understanding of the product-level strategies including geographic concentrations, innovation types, product claim, category focus and more

Monitoring the advertising strategies of various brands and gain insights into channel focus, regional focus, and more

Perform company-level analysis to understand business model, size, and geographic focus Dont miss out on key market insights that can help optimize your next investment  read the report now. Unilever product advertising is mainly through mainstream TV channels. Out of the products advertised so far at least 50% (over 850) of ads have been run on TV, while print media comes second with 496 ads. Unilever also utilizes social media platforms for advertisement. Unilever products are categorized by innovation ratings and tags in our product launch database. The North American region consists of almost 74 products with innovations related to the formulation of the product. Europe and other regions also have more products categorized under formulation-related innovation, followed by the packaging and positioning of the products. Most Unilever products are tagged with High Vitamins, Recyclable, and Natural tags to understand what the product differentiator is from other products available in the market. The majority of products belong to the personal care industry with a total of 5,788 products to date. This report, through the Unilever Example, illustrates how GlobalData Explorer enables you to:Dont miss out on key market insights that can help optimize your next investment  read the report now. by GlobalData Enter your details here to receive your free Report. Please enter a work/business email address Country United Kingdom United States Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of The Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D"ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People"s Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People"s Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Download free Report By clicking the Download Free Report button, you accept the terms and conditions and acknowledge that your data will be used as described in the GlobalData privacy policy By downloading this Report, you acknowledge that we may share your information with our white paper partners/sponsors who may contact you directly with information on their products and services.



Visit our privacy policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address. Thank you.Please check your email to download the Report.

The company said yesterday Lays Stax, which are sold in 110g cylindrical packs, are available in flavours popular in Russia including sour cream and onion, salted, green onion and crab.

Darya Tebar, PepsiCos marketing manager in Russia, said the launch of Lays Stax marked a step into a new niche market in the country. The launch followed a study of local tastes and preferences, Tebar said.

Lays Stax are already sold in other markets such as the US and Brazil and the product was introduced in France towards the end of last year in original, sour cream and onion, plus paprika varieties.

As in other international markets, PepsiCo is taking aim at Kelloggs Pringles brand with Lays Stax.

In November, PepsiCos business in Kyrgyzstan launched a cottage cheese product under its Merry Milkman brand, with the start-up of a new production line at its Bishkeksut facility in the country.

Related Companies
Zygmunt Bauman was a consistent critic of postmodernity and identified the basic mechanism of reproduction in contemporary societies: consumption and seduction.

We have accustomed ourselves to treating Zygmunt Baumans work as a process. Taking into our hands his consecutive books, we were wondering what insight into modernity he will offer this time, how did his thinking evolve, and how does it relate to his previous thesis.

Today, with great sadness, we have to accommodate the thought that Baumans life and work has achieved its definite form.

Baumans work has always been defined by intellectual courage and audacity. Whether he was writing about the sociology of knowledge in 1960s or about consumption in the 1990s, he always related his analysis to the great themes of social thought: emancipation and alienation, autonomy and domination, identity and otherness.

The importance of his books came from his ability to combine sensitivity and focus on concrete things with a talent for building big narratives about freedom, modernity and hopes for gaining control over reality. When one adds to that his lucid and beautiful language, its easy to understand why not only was he a renowned academic but also a popular writer to whom people turned for explanation of how their individual problems connect with collective fate.

For me, three things settle the issue of Baumans uniqueness in contemporary thought. First, its his reflection upon the unintended consequences of social projects. Second, its his analysis of postmodernity as a system of exclusions and third, his attempt at founding an ethics of nonavoidance.

As the author of Modernity and the Holocaust or Legislators and Interpreters, he studied how hopes for establishing an ideal social order can turn into a system of violence and domination, which eliminates people who are dangerous for that order or who remind that the world is not perfect yet. Today, his diagnosis that the pursuit of some final ordering of reality often leads only to more and more chaos, ambiguity and uncertainty that give birth to a vicious cycle of frustration and aggression, seems to be unusually correct.

Although the author of Legislators and Interpreters had the label of a postmodern thinker and many thought of his work as affirming modernity as a fulfilled utopia of individualist choice, similar to that found in the work of Anthony Giddens, one has to remember that Bauman was a consistent critic of postmodernity.

He noticed that the basic mechanism of reproduction in contemporary societies is consumption and seduction, and not ideology and sanctions, but that at the same time the system produces social exclusion and domination. The homeless, the poor, the flawed consumers, the refugees, the illegal migrants: Bauman gave a place in public debate to the outcasts of postmodern times, the people uprooted from their communities by global capitalism and pestered peoples conscience by showing them that their individual welfare has its dark side and a price paid by other people.

Zygmunt Bauman was aware of the limitations of traditional ethics of rules and remained wary of grandiose projects of enforcing them on people.

At the same time, he never was a nihilist or a supporter of leaving things to divine providence. He searched for an ethics that would allow for standing up to injustice without leaving a trail of fire. First, he sought inspiration in Emmanuel Levinas principle of responsibility for the Other  a concrete and alive person who embodies ethical challenge. Second, as Adam Ostolski once said  he practised an ethics of not turning a blind eye to the world.

Its often said that as long as ones books are read or even as long as ones ideas have influence upon peoples minds, one exists even after death. Baumans books preserve his sensitivity and wisdom and his work wont be exhausted as a source of concerns and illuminations any time soon.

Maciej Gdula is a professor of sociology at University of Warsaw and a member of Krytyka Polityczna, a circle of Polish left-wing intellectuals gathered around a journal of the same title.

This article is co-published with PoliticalCritique.org.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler speaks in Ottawa on January 4, 2013. Fiddler is calling for a national suicide strategy following the deaths of two 12-year-old girls from a remote First Nation in northern Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project's Westeridge loading dock, at bottom with green tanks, is seen in Burnaby, B.C., on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. British Columbia has granted environmental approval to the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.The decision checks off another of the five conditions that Premier Christy Clark placed on the pipeline's approval.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Not every love story is as smooth

as butter. Some had curves, dents, bruises but then, they came out

triumphant.

Captain Hassan and his pretty bride-to-be,

Tosin Owonibi will get married on February 18, 2017.

A graduate with a Masters from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, Tosin

shares her love story:

Hassan is fully

convinced that we met when we were kids but Im pretty sure that we didnt

(something in his mind as fully convinced him of this). The first time I met

him was at my undergrad graduation party. I remember he came with his mum and

one of our mutual friends. It was an intimate party so I knew everyone there

except him. So it wasnt really hard to notice the new face in the crowd. I

just said hello to him and continued to enjoy the rest of the party.



Shortly after this, I was posted to Abuja for my service

year so I had to move down to Abuja. A few days after I got to camp it was his

birthday and our mutual friend had put his picture up on her DP and I

recognised him as that guy from my grad party. So I told her to wish him a

birthday for me. Next thing I know I got a BBM request from him and I accepted

and we started talking almost everyday.



Fast forward to a few weeks later, we officially started

our long distance relationship. By the end of the first half of the year, we

went our separate ways (story for another day). The day after we broke up,

he deleted me off his BBM. I was so burnt and I remember ranting to my friends

about how rude he was for deleting me. By this time I had started applying to

schools for my MSc and then I got accepted into one of them so I just pushed

him out of my mind and focused on the new adventure that was ahead of me.



Fast forward to a few months

later, it was his birthday and I had just gotten the WhatsApp application on my

phone. So I decided to hit him up just to wish him a happy birthday. A part of

me expected him not to respond but he surprised me and replied. Then we started

catching up on gist and all that had been going on in our separate lives. At

this point we were both in different relationships and different countries. A

few months later, the relationship I was in ended for the best but Hassan was

still in his own relationship.



I bagged my degree and back to Nigeria

I came. The day I got in to Nigeria was the day he had to fly out to his new

posting Liberia. Then I got a job and had to go on 5 month training. At this

point we only spoke occasionally because we were both busy with work. Then I

got a call from him one day saying that he was coming back to Nigeria soon. At

the point I was really indifferent about this news because I thought he was

still in his relationship. But I later found out that the relationship had

ended.



Shortly after he moved back to Nigeria,

we reconnected and you know the rest of the story. (sic)

Congrats #ToSSAN17#
U.S. President Barack Obama has been the first commander in chief to widely use social media, and at the end of his farewell speech Tuesday, he sent the most popular tweet sent from the presidential Twitter account.

"Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believe -- not in my ability to create change, but in yours," Obama tweeting, using the @POTUS account.

By noon on Wednesday, the tweet had been retweeted 500,000 times, which eclipses his previous top tweet about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn state bans on gay marriage.

The @POTUS account has over 13 million followers, while the president's personal account, @BarackObama has more than 80 million followers.

The @POTUS account will be turned over to President-elect Donald Trump once he assumes office on January 20. Trump's twitter account, @RealDonaldTrump currently has 19.5 million followers.


The U.S. has imposed sanctions on seven North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong-un's sister, for what it calls the North's "ongoing and serious human rights abuses and censorship activities."

Two North Korean government agencies -- the labor ministry and state planning commission -- also were sanctioned Wednesday.

The sanctions freeze their U.S. property and interests. U.S. citizens are generally barred from doing business with the seven North Koreans and the agencies.


Japan's government is planning legal steps that would allow Emperor Akihito to abdicate and his son to ascend the throne in two years, media reported on Wednesday, potentially setting the stage for the first abdication in two centuries.

Japanese Emperor Akihito, 83, hinted in August that he wanted to abdicate, saying he worried that age might make it difficult for him to carry out his duties fully. Abdication is not possible under current Japanese law.

However, media reports said the government was considering steps that would allow Akihito to abdicate and for 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito to ascend the throne on Jan. 1, 2019. The abdication itself would take place on Dec. 31, 2018, or Jan. 1, some reports said.
A local judge has been arrested after being indicted by a grand jury.

Jesus 'Chuy' Garza of the Webb County Court at law Number Two is now out on bond.

On Thursday afternoon Garza turned himself in at the Webb County Jail.

Garza was indicted by a grand jury for a class A misdemeanor.

He was booked at around three in the afternoon and posted a 2500 bond shortly after.

The attorney general's office made his indictment public.

It says Garza intentionally solicited a $3,000 loan from attorney Shirley Mathis for an employee of the court number two Christopher Casarez.

It also alleges Judge Garza did this despite knowing he would be presiding in a case where Mathis would be serving as a guardian over an estate owned by C.Y. Benavidez.

His attorney, Oscar O. Pena says Garza is maintaining his innocence.

Pena says he will be able to investigate and form a defense before deciding what their next course of action will be.

At last checked, Garza has not submitted his resignation.

Casarez was an employee of the court at law number two, last month he was a victim of suicide.

Mathis is an attorney who handles real estate and wills, among other topics as well.

KGNS News did reach out to the attorney who is representing Judge Jesus Garza.

In a statement sent to KGNS , Oscar O. Pena says that Judge Jesus Garza maintains his innocence, and that he intends to investigate the state's claim and he looks forward to defending himself and putting this matter behind him.

Pena went on to say that "Judge Garza is a respected member of the local bar who has been in public service for 31 years."

Pena adds that he has not had access to the state's report of the investigation as of yet.

Judge Chuy Garza has been in public office for over three decades, serving in various capacities within the legal system.

He is the longest tenured active elected county official in Webb County.

He has held the positions of municipal court judge and justice of the peace.

In 1993 he was elected as county court at law two, the position which he has held for the past 24 years.
Laredo's mayor Pete Saenz took a pledge to take Laredo to the next level at his third State of the City Address.

At the event, Sazenz highlighted many of the city's accomplishments from the past year.

Saenz says Laredo is growing more and more each year and with that comes many challenges for the city.

Mayor Saenz reassures the community that the city is more than ready for a prosperous Laredo, where he promises more transparency.

The mayor updated residents about the city's growth in commerce, the rise in jobs and economic development.

He also added that the city must oppose the construction of the border wall.

Saenz plans on taking the city's transportation and trade business one step further.

In 2017 Saenz says he plans to reach out to TAMIU to help research how the city can increase the use of the airport.

The mayor also informed the community that after research back in October, it was found that there was enough demand for a convention center but city council will talk about it at the next meeting.

During Thursday night's address, the mayor pointed out their initiative in beatifying Laredo by placing ornament LED lighting along the corridors downtown.
De facto Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong is being questioned by the independent counsel over bribery charges in the crony scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye.

The independent counsel's team has asked the National Assembly committee probing the scandal to file a criminal complaint against Lee for perjury.

Lee appeared at the independent counsel's office in southern Seoul on Thursday morning and made a brief apology before entering the building.

Investigators believe that Samsung gave W20.4 billion to two dodgy foundations controlled by Park's longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil between October 2015 and January last year, and another W8 billion last autumn to Core Sports, a paper company Choi and her daughter established in Germany.

The money was allegedly a sweetener to win Park's support for the merger of Samsung C&T and affiliate Cheil Industries, which thanks to Samsung's byzantine holding structure transferred effective control of the sprawling conglomerate to Lee Jae-yong (US$1=W1,196).


Question: We started saving in a 529 plan for my daughter soon after she was born, putting the money in aggressive stock funds. Now she's a freshman in high school. How should we adjust our investments with college a few years away? We're still adding to the account every month.

Alternatively, she says, you can invest 60% to 70% in a growth portfolio and 30% to 40% in an FDIC-insured savings account within the 529.

She recommends that you continue to invest new monthly contributions in growth funds, to benefit from dollar-cost averaging. With dollar-cost averaging, when the stock market drops, you can buy more shares for your money -- and then wait for those shares to rise over the years, she says.

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

If you dont have to invest in your state's plan to get a tax break, Kiplinger's recommends the Utah Educational Savings Plan (opens in new tab) for hands-on investors, which offers low-cost Vanguard funds as well as an FDIC-insured bank account. For more information about our favorite 529 plans in several categories, see The Best 529 College-Savings Plans. For more information about each states plan, see our state-by-state guide to 529 plans (opens in new tab) and at SavingforCollege.com (opens in new tab).

TAKE OUR QUIZ: How Much Do You Know About 529 College Savings Plans?
Source: David Morgan for The Gold Report 01/10/2017

View Original Article: https://www.streetwisereports.com/pub/na/precious-metals-bull-market-will-continue-in-2017-says-david-morgan

David Morgan, publisher of The Morgan Report, reflects upon his 2016 stock picks and discusses his expectations for 2017.

Nothing beats performance for anyone in our industry. No matter how well liked or disliked, anyone in the investing industry is judged by PERFORMANCE. Making stock selections is a tough business and market timing is even tougher. This does not deter us, however, and we will share our views for 2017 by looking back at January 2016. This is the information originally given only to our paid members. There is a free list available through the website for those seeking a weekly perspective on all the markets. Our premium members receive not only analysis on resource companies, but intermediate timing calls as well.

We highly suggest that all readers of this exclusive content given to Streetwise Reports take a look at our "picks" against an index, to verify just how well we did or did not perform with our analyses. And, yes, the January 2017 Morgan Report will continue to bring you investment ideas to help you preserve and build wealth.

Here is a partial look into last year's January 2016 issue:

Every year we list our top picks than we expect will outperform over the following 12-to-18 months. We typically choose two to four from each category: Top-tier, Mid-tier and Speculation. If you had put an equal dollar amount into each pick, you would have ended the year up 99%. While this is an excellent rate of return over a 12-month time-period, 2016 was a wild ride for precious metals and especially the mining stocks.

If you had the ability to get out of each position at its 52-week high, you would have returned 228%. While this is unrealistic, had you listened to David Morgan's call for a medium-term top, and sold your trading positions, you would have booked a realized gain of roughly 190%. We will provide some of these picks and why we chose them, as well as listing the worst performing.

Senior Producers. First Majestic Silver Corp. (FR:TSX; AG:NYSE; FMV:FSE): This was a no brainer given the market valuation of the company, starting the year out at just $3.42/share. It has an excellent management team and a very lucrative asset base driven by low cost production, even though it didn't engage in what most primary silver miners did; high-grading. In fact, First Majestic "low-graded" select assets such that it could mine higher grades when silver prices rise. The typical silver company doesn't have the luxury of being able to do this. Costs were lower year-on-year for many reasons including the 2015 acquisition of Santa Elena, which First Majestic was able to mine more profitably, as well an identifying the potential for future expansion. Going forward, the company will realize capital investments made into existing assets after starving them of capital during the 20122015 bear mar ket. This will be illustrated through higher output at existing operations in the second half of 2017, to the first half of 2018.

Mid-Tier Producers. Klondex Mines Ltd. (KDX:TSX; KLDX:NYSE.MKT): The operator of the highest-grade gold mine in the world (Fire-Creek) had a lot to offer in terms of upside potential coupled with a valuation discrepancy. Klondex began the year just under $2/share, and lagged the mining complex for essentially the first seven months of the year and then began to outperform. This was driven by several elementsthe bid for and subsequent acquisition of the high-grade Hollister mine, first production from True North tailings reprocessing and a prefeasibility study of a full scale True North operation and a positive production decision. Organic growth from Fire-Creek, Midas and True North should support growth through the end of the decade, complemented by additional growth from Hollister, which could begin operating in 2017 as the Midas mill has excess capacity from which it can process material from Hollister.

Speculation. Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (SCZ:TSX.V; SZSMF:OTCQX; 1SZ:FSE): This was a very speculative and risky pick at the start of 2016 given its debt-laden balance sheet but like all investments, especially in this sector, it is all about management. It had over $20 million in debt at the start of the year, the majority coming due within the next 12 months. Its management team led by Arturo Prestamo was able to amend its debt obligations through a combination of paying some down through raising capital, a portion being forgiven and a portion amended into a much smaller note due in quarterly installments beginning in H2/17. Aside from that, Santacruz had acquired the rights (for a period of 15 years) to mine the formerly producing Veta Grande mine in Mexico, which is now its cornerstone asset, complemented by the Rosario mine and mill and the Cinco Estrellas mine (mined material has begun t o be trucked to the Rosario mill, given that it has 300+ tons per day (300+ tpd) excess capacity).

While the majority of our top picks outperformed the HUI (NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index) or related benchmarks, we did manage to pick some underperformers, the most notable being Goldcorp Inc. (G:TSX; GG:NYSE). The company had some small hiccups in the first half of the year with operations remaining fairly steady over this time, but this was enough to cause its stock price to lag related benchmarks.

2017 Outlook and a Top Pick for You

Last year I was optimistic that we would see a rise into the first few months, as things appeared better my caution remained as gold was leading silver. This was confirmed because the gold/silver ratio was not confirming the move. Finally, silver came on with a vengeance with the shares leading the way. However, with the recent sell-off to some, it feels like the entire precious metals complex is similar to the Greek myth of Sisyphus where the sinner is condemned to an eternity of rolling a boulder uphill then watching it roll back down again.

At this point we are convinced we still are in a bull market even though we are well aware of the Harry Dents and Martin Armstrongs letting everyone know gold is going lower. In a bull market there will be some severe shakeouts to convince people they should not be in the market, and that is what we are experiencing now. If the gold/silver ratio were to move above 80 and gold were to trade below US$1050, we would reexamine our view. At this point we think most of the damage is done and we can expect a first-quarter rally that may not begin until late January or February.

Since we still affirm that the bull market is intact, it makes sense to us to trade a portion of our holdings as market conditions warrant. We did make our call and sold into strength, taking some gains off the table. Those gains have been gathering dust, staying in cash for now, with the plan to buy in over the next four to six weeks. We understand that position trading is not for everyone, but it does give one some advantages to see that boulder roll back down the hill AFTER taking some profits.

We don't often provide our research to the public for free, after all it is how we make a living. Yet let us give you a speculation, Prophecy Development Corp. (PCY:TSX). This company has been on our list a long time staring as Prophecy Coal, and the company spun out the Wellgreen PGM mine for free to shareholders, very similar to one of our current holdings. The PGM company went straight up for a short time increasing many multiples.

Prophecy Development has two very attractive development projects in Bolivia in Pulacayo and Paca. Pulacayo has had already seen significant capital investment in recent years as it was held by Apogee, which was overextended when precious metal prices entered the bear market from 20122015, and in turn sold these projects to Prophecy.

Prophecy is looking to commence small-scale production (200 tpd at Paca and 100 tpd at Pulacayo) sometime in the spring or summer. Both deposits are very high grade with Pulacayo (underground) having a resource with silver and silver equivalent grades of 530 grams per tonne (530 g/t) and 688 g/t and Paca (open-pit) having a resource with silver and silver equivalent grades of 363 g/t and 444 g/t.

Initial production should see total production of roughly 700,000 oz silver (annualized), however, this has the potential to increase and increase very significantly moving forward. In particular, we view the scalability at Pulacayo to be tremendous, making Prophecy a very exciting company to watch for years to come. The biggest drawback for investors is the fact that its silver assets are located in Bolivia and while this is a risk, we do believe the "Bolivian discount" is overdone and with recent history regarding asset nationalization has primarily been on early-stage projects which haven't been permitted. Even so, we categorize a company such as Prophecy as a speculation for a reason.

Further, Prophecy isn't a single asset, single country company as it also owns two significant coal assets including Ulaan Ovoo (with the significant rise in thermal coal prices over the last year, Prophecy is discussing whether to bring it back into production as early as this year), located in Mongolia and 17km away from the Russian border and the Chandgana power plant development project, also in Mongolia. Lastly, Prophecy owns an exploration stage titanium-vanadium-iron project in Ontario, Canada.

A Speculation where our hands are tied

Let's face the facts. There is a lot of competition in the resource sector to deliver, which means large capital gains count! We have a trifecta of speculations that seem to line up at the start of this year, and we can only hint at one, because we make our living through the paid research we do for you in the paid Member's Only section of the website. We have a speculative company that will be voting on a spin-off company that could be a leader in the electronic waste field. We are not allowed to mention much more because of legal restrictions that require all information be in the public domain at the time we publish. When/if this company "changes the path of the mining industry itself" remember you read it exclusively in Streetwise Reports.

The Morgan Report not only keeps an eye on the obvious mining sector investment pearls, but, in addition, doesn't hesitate to cast its analytical net far and wide in hopes of unearthing an investment gem that not only might "rewrite" our subscribers' portfolios, but that could even change the path of the mining industry itself.

To follow The Morgan Report, use these links:

Free e-letter available www.TheMorganReport.com

Subscribe here: http://www.themorganreport.com/join

YouTube  Silverguru https://www.youtube.com/user/silverguru

Twitter- @silverguru https://twitter.com/silverguru22

Office 480-325-0230

E-Mail support@themorganreport.com

David Morgan is a widely recognized analyst in the precious metals industry; he consults for hedge funds, mining companies, depositories and individual investors. He is the publisher of The Morgan Report, author of the book The Silver Manifesto, and a featured speaker at investment conferences in North America, Europe and Asia. As a public service, he provides a free weekly e-letter available at The Morgan Report.

By Gold Report

Email: info@streetwisereports.com
Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's younger brother and nephew have been indicted in New York over a tale of influence-peddling gone pathetically wrong.

Ban Ki-sang and his son Joo-hyun will face trial in a Manhattan federal court on charges that they tried to bribe a high-ranking government official in Qatar with US$500,000 in return for business favors as they sought to sell a high-riser in Vietnam in 2014.

According to the arraignment, Keangnam Enterprises sought to sell the Landmark 72 skyscraper in Hanoi back in 2013, when it ran into financial trouble following a W1 trillion investment to build the structure (US$1=W1,196).

Keangnam chairman Sung Wan-jong sought the help of Ban Ki-sang, who was an adviser, and U.S. realtors Colliers International, where Ban Joo-hyun served as director. Their efforts came to nothing until the Bans were approached by a middleman called Malcolm Harris, who claimed to have connections to a Qatari official who would in turn persuade an investment fund owned by the Gulf monarchy to buy the building.

The Bans allegedly gave Harris $500,000 in April 2014 and agreed to pay him another $2 million if the building was sold. But Harris in fact had no connections to Qatari officials and used the money to pay the rent for his penthouse in Manhattan.

Keangnam's financial troubles worsened, but Ban Joo-hyun still expected the bribe to pay off and told the company and investors that a sale was imminent. In 2015, Keangnam went bankrupt and Sung committed suicide after writing a confession with the names of politicians who took bribes from his company. It included several senior figures close to President Park Geun-hye, not least then-prime minister Lee Wan-koo, who eventually resigned.

There were rumors that Ban Joo-hyun boasted that his uncle the UN secretary-general could help him get in touch with the emir of Qatar, but Joo-hyun denied turning to his uncle for help.

Lee Do-woon, a spokesman for the former UN chief, said Ban only found out about the sorry saga "through media reports." "He probably knew nothing about the deal and was very surprised," Lee added.


HANOI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0106 GMT.

Jan 12 Jan 11 USD/VND mid-point 22,164 22,166

USD/VND interbank 22,570/22,574 22,530/22,610 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.32/36.64 36.30/36.62

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank quotes are indicative bid/ask prices.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co, the gold manufacturer.

Interbank offered rates are indicative, quoted from market sources.

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
HANOI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Following is a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0405 GMT.

Jan 12 Jan 11 USD/VND mid-point 22,164 22,166 USD/VND interbank 22,570/22,575 22,530/22,610 USD/VND unofficial 22,670/22,720 22,750/22,800 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.33/36.65 36.30/36.62

Interbank offered rates Overnight 4.8-5.3 4.7-5.2

1 week 4.9-5.3 4.7-5.2

1 month 5.0-5.4 5.0-5.4

3 months 5.0-5.4 5.1-5.4

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
(Kitco News) - Goldcorp Inc. (TSX: G, NYSE: GG) has announced the sale of two assets  the Los Filos Mine in Mexico and the Cerro Blanco gold-silver project in Guatemala.

The gold-mining giant announced early Thursday that it has agreed to sell Los Filos to Leagold Mining Corp. (TSXV: LMC-H). Goldcorp will receive estimated consideration of $438 million, including $279 million in cash, subject to certain closing adjustments; $71 million in Leagold common shares; and retention of certain tax receivables of approximately $88 million.

The shares issued to Goldcorp are expected to represent approximately 30% of outstanding shares of Leagold, following the closing of the transaction, Goldcorp said. Also, with the transaction, Goldcorp said it Goldcorp expects to recognize a reversal of a 2015 impairment in mining interests at Los Filos of approximately $30 million to $60 million on a pre-tax basis..

"The divestiture of Los Filos is consistent with our strategy of focusing on our core camps to drive increasing net asset value per share," said David Garofalo, president and chief executive officer of Goldcorp, pledging that the company will work to ensure a smooth transition.

The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.

The news came after Goldcorp announce late Wednesday that it entered into an agreement to sell the Cerro Blanco gold-silver project to Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSXV: BSR).

Goldcorp will receive $18 million at closing, a 1% net-smelter-return royalty on production, and common shares of Bluestone representing approximately 9.9% of the outstanding shares. Goldcorp will receive an additional $15 million upon declaration of "commercial production" at Cerro Blanco. In addition, Goldcorp has granted Bluestone a right of first refusal for certain assets and equipment at the Marlin mine, also located in Guatemala.

The last ore is to be processed at Marlin early this year, with reclamation and revegetation activities planned for the next three years. This transaction also is expected to close in the first quarter.

We view the divestitures positively as it strengthens GG's balance sheet through the $297 million upfront cash received and increases the company's focus on its core assets, said a research note from Credit Suisse, which describes itself as neutral on Goldcorp ahead of the companys investor day on Jan. 17.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Follow @KitcoNewsNOW
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 12 (Reuters) - South African bullion producer Harmony Gold said on Thursday that 1,700 miners were staging a wildcat sit-in at its Kusasalethu mine west of Johannesburg, an operation that has been a flashpoint of labour unrest and violence in the past.

The company said a statement that the sit-in began on Wednesday when employees failed to return to the surface at the end of the morning shift. It also said the miners had made no formal demands.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) is the majority union at the mine and Harmony spokeswoman Marian van der Walt said most of the strikers were AMCU members.

"Union leaders are going there today and we hope to resolve the situation," she said. AMCU officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kusasalethu, which has around 4,500 employees, produced just over 124,000 ounces of gold in the 2016 financial year and the company said in August it was reducing its life to five years from 24 because grades were expected to become much lower.

(Reporting by Ed Stoddard. Editing by Jane Merriman)
(Adds background)

By Paul Kilby

NEW YORK, Jan 12 (IFR) - The Republic of Chile announced on Thursday a peso-denominated 144A/Reg S bond due February 28 2021, with pricing set as early as January 18.

The new bond is a tap of a local instrument that priced last year and will be sold in a Euroclearable format to foreign investors, a source familiar with the deal told IFR.

The structure is similar to what has been done in Mexico, where the sovereign and some corporates such as oil company Pemex have sold domestic bonds that can be settled in both Euroclear and locally.

The idea is to widen the appeal of local currency instruments among foreign accounts and bring more depth to that market.

The security carries a 4.5% annual coupon, accruing from the issuance date of September 1 2016. The deal is governed by Chilean law and is listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange.

Bookrunners are BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Local currency ratings are Aa3/AA/AA-.

The bond is being led by BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. The country's local currency ratings are Aa3/AA/AA-.

(Reporting by Paul Kilby; Editing by Marc Carnegie)
By Senor John Stringer formerly coNZervative (and perhaps again).

The Tango was invented in southern Buenos Aries as a passionate folk dance of the poorer people. That is disputed, a bit like where the pavlova came from. It was considered immoral and disregarded but much later the French (cabaret I think) picked it up and it was anointed by the Argentinian elites. It was danced for the first time in a respectable facility on the famous 9th July Avenue. It instantly became respectable if riske  a universal truth that if the rich appropriate something it becomes cool: (cigarettes; Andy Warhol; flappers; taking drugs; top hats; powdered wigs; pantalooms; beards). You can see this passion and vibrancy for life -as in dance- everywhere in Buenos Aries: the architecture, the colours, gesticulation in cafes and on street corners.

Below; typical street bars and cafes celebrating Tango; and the way Portanes (citizens of Buenos Aries) tattoo themselves (we go for Polynesian black or blue swirls) I found this human art quite interesting as it is more Scythian than Polynesian with which we are familiar.

Above: you do see these electric colours in Buenos Aries everywhere but generally Portenas (people of the port) dress down and are very casual whereas Brazil is all about fashion and facelifts. Love the colours of the buildings which is like the Greeks in Santorini or womens attire in Nigeria. Bright and cheerful and embracing of life and colour.

I mentioned earlier cultural gaudiness (ancient Greece and the Puerta Madero suburb of old Buenos Aries). Here are some more images of this unique indigenous architecture made up of gathered materials and what could be got at hand thus the eclectic mix of colours that then became a thing.

Below: the beguiling cobblestone streets and colour of San Telmo and La Bocha are suburbs of the historic old south the working class strongholds of Buenos Aries. Think peeling stucco enriched by the culture of African slaves who came in through the port followed by later Italian immigrants in the 1880s. It remains one of the poorest districts but has a thriving art scene (I recommend a stroll around El Caminito street) but beware the Tango escorts who will pop a hat on your head and take a photo and youre then expected to pay. While were on that also resist the street beggars who in BA have children with them; they may get you to hold their baby or child while they pick pocket your wallet or bag.

I was very taken with the street art and murals everywhere in BA; the one above commemorates some historic fire I think or the fire service. Their murals are often three dimensional as in El Caminito where lurid paper mache sculptures leer down at you from balconies or from shop doorways or carved in high relief as above. Below is a while district faced by these murals and you can see some of the three dimensional figures as well. The folk art traditions of BA are rich and unpretentious and so far unencumbered by Globalist influences.

One of the things that interests me when travelling is what police cars and taxis look like and what security guards are dressed like: here is a police car and their taxis are small black sedans with a canary yellow roof (so a blend of London and NY cab). The Police look like black storm troopers.

In the image above (right) you can glimpse the famous BA crome flower sculpture in the Plaza Nacionas Unidas the Floralis Generica. This opens and closes (when it works  so Argentinian). That is a good segue to my surprise of BA  the vibrancy and depth of their arts.

We spent an amazing day at two BA art galleries: The Malba and the Musee National de Bellas Artes and I recommend you visit both (the latter is by far the best).

The Malba is in Palermo (the embassy district) and costs to enter and is contemporary art. The MNdBArtes is a short walk down the Plazas of Uruguay and Chile to Recoleta and is free. The latter has an AMAZING art collection and I mean WOW. Because you can walk between the two galleries this is a good trip and there are lovely cheap street side cafes in between opposite the Law faculty which is half way between.

Above: Palermo the embassy district; and right the intimidating university Law faculty (university is free in BA and you can study anything) between the two art galleries which as far as architecture goes would cheer National Socialists (an ugly monolith). Looks like the NY Post Office.

If DPF is interested perhaps Ill showcase some of the amazing art we discovered at the free Musee National de Bellas Artes as a separate series of posts  so far the highlight of this trip for me  but Tomorrow were off to the markets in Recolata (the biggest flea market in BA).

Below: the Musee National de Bellas Artes. Me with Frida Kahlo (in whose home Trotsky was murdered with a pick axe; and no thats not a kakapo or kakariki). And with Jackson Polluck (you like my matching shirt?) ~ J.

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Reddit

WhatsApp

More

Pinterest

Print



Tumblr


Stuff reports:

A Ngapuhi elder who called Bill English a spoiled child for not attending this years Waitangi commemorations says hes embarrassed about his comments.

After seeing the letters exchanged between his iwi and the Prime Ministers office, which said English could not speak at all on the marae unless a Maori representative did so for him, Kingi Taurua said hes ashamed and disgusted by the treatment given to the Prime Minister.

I didnt know the letter contained that he wasnt permitted to speak and if so he had to get someone Maori to speak for him. I express my apologies to the Prime Minister for that and Im very ashamed.

On Monday Taurua attacked Englishs decision not to attend Waitangi events, saying he needed to respect marae protocol that political talks would happen away from the marae following the powhiri. Hes now asking for Englishs forgiveness.

In a letter (readable in full at the bottom of this page) to Englishs chief of staff, Wayne Eagleson, the Waitangi marae chairman Ngati Kawa Taituha stated small but significant changes to the powhiri including, your Maori representatives speak or mihi on the Prime Ministers behalf during the powhiriand then at the conclusion of the powhiri process we will provide a stage and forum for the Prime Minister to engage with Ngapuhi, address the nation and talk politics freely and uninhibited, if he so wishes.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has indicted seven incumbent and former executives of Volkswagen's Korean office including CEO Johannes Thammer over an emissions-rigging scandal.

The announcement came a year after the Environment Ministry asked prosecutors to investigate Volkswagen for the alleged offenses.

Prosecutors accuse Thammer and other executives of selling cars in Korea even though they were aware of rampant forgery of emissions test data and cheating software in diesel cars. The ensuing investigation revealed that Volkswagen's headquarters in Germany was also involved.

The ministry has canceled the sales permits for 80 Volkswagen and Audi models sold here until they submit the proper paperwork.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday denied that a Chinese import ban on some Korean cosmetics came in retaliation for Korea's decision to station a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here.

The agency said the products simply did not meet Chinese quality standards or the paperwork was incomplete.

According to the KFDA, 13 products lacked proper documentation, one product had more microorganisms than permitted, two contained ingredients not specified in the documents, two contained the banned substance dioxane, and one was a completely different product to what the documents said.

"There has been a surge in cosmetics exports to China, so there's greater scrutiny at Chinese customs, and that naturally leads to more products failing to meet standards. It would be an exaggeration to relate the issue to the THAAD deployment.

The KFDA promised to give up-to-date information on Chinese regulations to Korean cosmetics companies, and offer training sessions to help companies meet them.


By Kim Tae-gyu, Park Ji-won



U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has met with international heavyweights both in politics and business since his surprise victory in November.



Among them were Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Alibaba founder Jack Ma and SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son; but no Korean big shots.



Korean political and business leaders have failed to grab the opportunity to affect Trump in his political and business policies early on due to a lack of proactive diplomatic efforts.



"The government should have formed a delegation including business leaders to meet Trump and his aides just as Japanese Prime Minister Abe did," Prof. Lee Phil-sang at Seoul National University said.



He said the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and the ongoing political scandal should not be an excuse to ignore the need for policymakers to meet with Trump and his aides.



"It's urgent to open communication channels," Lee said. "Better late than never."



President Park was impeached last month over the corruption scandal involving her shadowy confidant Choi Soon-sil, who had illegally interfered in state affairs and is currently behind bars.



As a result, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is the acting president now with the Constitutional Court expected to rule on the impeachment case in a few months.



Soon after his election victory, Trump called Park for a 10-minute conversation but there was no further communication between the two.



Professor Kim Sang-jo at Hansung University also noted that the country should set up a communication channel with the new U.S. administration as soon as possible, but he added that there are major stumbling blocks.



"First of all, Prime Minister Hwang is notoriously inactive. He will not try to do something that might cause trouble later," Kim said. "Plus, the opposition parties would not agree with Hwang flying to the United States to meet Trump."



Other analysts worry that the belated contact between Seoul and Washington could generate further problems at a time when the nation faces diplomatic hitches due to the planned deployment of a U.S. missile defense system here.



Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery this year in order to tackle North Korea's missile threats.



The announcement angered China, which is opposed to the system because it could also monitor airborne objects in the world's most populous country.



Although it officially denies doing so, Beijing is suspected of having imposed retaliatory steps against Korean companies.



Prof. Kim Tae-dong at Sungkyunkwan University said Hwang should not meet Trump.



"Such a meeting would be aimed at giving some credence to this government, which has already failed," said Kim who worked as a senior economic presidential aide during the Kim Dae-jung administration.



He did not elaborate but seemed to mean it was better to leave diplomatic issues with the U.S. for the next administration to deal with.




By Park Hyong-ki



KEB Hana Bank and one of its senior executives face scrutiny over their loans extended to Choi Soon-sil and her daughter Chung Yoo-ra, two currently implicated in a scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and Korea's leading conglomerates including Samsung Group.



A local daily reported that the bank recently relocated Lee Sang-hwa, the senior executive in charge of global sales, to another bank office to keep him hidden away from the press.



Lee was pinpointed as one of the bank executives who allegedly assisted Choi and Chung to secure loans for their business and property purchase in Germany. KEB Hana's branch in Germany lent them 380,000 euros backed by Choi's land in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province as collateral in 2015 when Lee was the head of the German branch.



In return for his support, Lee was alleged to have been promoted to his current position. The media questioned whether KEB Hana properly handled its loan procedures and screened Choi's credit viability.



German authorities are currently probing into Choi's financial affairs involving the possibility of money laundering.



KEB Hana refuted these allegations, saying that Lee temporarily relocated to another office in Seoul as the bank's headquarters is under construction.



Also, the bank said that it did not send Lee to a "secret office" as described by a local daily.



"The reports are groundless," said a bank spokesperson, noting that Lee also had to relocate because he could not perform his job under the media scrutiny at the headquarters.



The bank added that it has extended the loans to Choi and her daughter by the book, reporting to authorities, including the Bank of Korea, during the loan-approval procedures, and they have fully paid back their debt including interest.



The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the country's financial regulator, said late last year that KEB Hana has properly handled the matter, the bank noted.



KEB Hana was questioned as to how Chung could receive a letter of credit from the bank at a young age without a viable credit, and secure the loan from its German branch.




Strategy and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho, right, meets with a group of U.S. investors in New York, Wednesday, to assure them of the country's solid economic fundamentals. / Yonhap



By Yoon Ja-young

Strategy and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho sought to assure global investors Wednesday (local time) that South Korea's economic fundamentals were strong enough to tide the nation over the political scandal and household debt problems.

At an investor relations (IR) session on the Korean economy at the Intercontinental Times Square Hotel in New York, Yoo said the presidential scandal will have only a minimal impact on financial markets, and household debt will not lead to systematic risks.

Around 170 investors and executives of global financial companies attended the session under the title "The Korean Economy: Navigating Uncertainties."

Household debt reached 1,300 trillion won ($1.1 trillion), but Yoo noted that the growth rate of the debt will slow down though the total sum may continue to increase.

He cited the key rate hike in the United States, protectionism in trade, the possibility of a "hard-Brexit" and China's corporate debt as external uncertainties.

"The expansion of global protectionism in trade, the slowdown in China and conflicts on the trade front between the United States and China may impact Korea's exports unfavorably."

He said global efforts are needed to stop the expansion of protectionism, adding that Korea will focus on diversifying its export market.

Internally, he said there remain political uncertainties following the National Assembly's decision to impeach President Park Geun-hye. When an investor asked whether this would be a problem for the economy, he said it won't. "We'll find a way, we always have," the minister said, citing a line from the movie "Interstellar."

He added that the political corruption scandal will stop the government's intervention in businesses. "Deals between the political circle and the top management of the businesses will notably decrease."

The minister said that the government will continue to carry through corporate restructuring and take steps to improve corporate governance.

Yoo said external risks such as the U.S. key rate hike would matter much more than the internal problem.

Despite uncertainties, he said the Korean economy has strength such as external soundness and capacity for adequate fiscal policies.

On top of competitiveness in exports, he pointed to industrial restructuring where the country is shifting its focus from traditional manufacturing to IT, medicine and healthcare, and services.

Yoo stressed that the Korean economy has been growing relatively steadily compared with developed economies. Its sovereign credit rating has been improving since 2015 while its CDS premium fell in 2016.

He added that the government will continue its efforts to maintain Korea's strengths while coping with uncertainties. The government plans to implement a 20 trillion won supplementary budget to sustain the economy.

On the previous day, Yoo had meetings with Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein as well as Stephen Schwarzman, chairman of the Blackstone Group.
By Nam Hyun-woo

Hyundai Capital Services said Thursday that its green bond had been named as Korea's best in 2016 by The Asset, a Hong Kong-based finance magazine.

According to the company, The Asset recognized its inaugural $500 million green bonds last year as one of the best deals of the year in North Asia.

"Hyundai Capital's green bond was the first-ever senior unsecured green bond issuance out of the auto sector globally and the deal garnered sufficient demand amid a challenging market backdrop and achieved an impressive distribution to U.S. and European investors," an official at The Asset said.

A green bond refers to a bond issued for the sole purpose of financing projects that have a positive environmental impact. Since they were introduced in 2007 by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, issuance of the bonds had been confined to development banks, but from 2013 companies started to issue them.

Hyundai Capital launched its green bond, which matures in five years with a coupon rate of 2.875 percent last year. The bond was to raise money for car installment financing and automotive loans from Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors eco-friendly vehicles. Hyundai Capital is a financial unit of Hyundai Motor Group.

The company is the first private Korean firm to issue a green bond. Prior to this, the state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea issued the bonds in 2013 and early 2016.

"We believe that the this recognition is due to Hyundai Capital's efforts to achieve Hyundai Motor Group's vision of becoming the world's second-largest eco-friendly carmaker by 2020 through diversifying funding sources," a Hyundai Capital official said.
An installation view of "Before the Beginning" at K Museum of Contemporary Art

/ Courtesy of K Museum of Contemporary Art



By Kwon Mee-yoo

This is going to be another busy year for the global art scene. In the first half, big international events are lined up, including the prestigious Venice Biennale, the quinquennial dOCUMENTA which will be co-held in Athens and Kassel for the first time, and the world's largest art fair Art Basel in Switzerland. Korean artists and galleries are heading outwards to present works to international audiences at the events.

In the second half of 2017, major Korean institutions will offer well-prepared exhibits of Korean masters and budding artists, as well as internationally established artists.

National Museum of Contemporary Art



This year puts Bartomeu Mari, the first foreign director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), to the test.

"When Art becomes Liberty: The Egyptian Surrealists" opening at the MMCA Deoksugung in April is the first exhibit led by Mari himself. It aims to rediscover the history of modernism through artists outside mainstream Europe.

"New Women" at MMCA Deoksugung from October to March 2018 will highlight modern femininity and how women developed their subjectivity through art.

Im Heung-soon, the Silver Lion winner at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, will host a solo exhibit sponsored by Hyundai Motor at MMCA Seoul in November.

Other major exhibits include "Picasso and the Popular Arts and Traditions," a retrospective of British artist Richard Hamilton and an exhibition of Poland-born artist Krzysztof Wodiczko.

The museum also commissioned outdoor site-specific projects for each branch, which will bring together different generations of artists.

However, the MMCA postponed one of its major exhibits, "Andy Warhol: Shadows," without rescheduling as of Thursday. The traveling exhibit was slated for a February opening, but the museum said it is on hold for now.





Krzysztof Wodiczko's "Hiroshima Project" / Courtesy of MMCA



Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art (SeMA) highlights architecture in autumn in collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) Congress in Seoul. The architectural exhibit held from Sept. 3 to Nov. 5 will shed light on the status of contemporary architecture and the dynamics between art and architecture.

Other than the UIA exhibition, SeMA continues to give attention to Korean artists of different generations. Graphic designer Ahn Sang-soo will hold an exhibit from March 14 to May 14. Ahn's signature typographic design as well as Pati, his alternative school centering on design in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, will be introduced at the exhibit.

At SeMA's northern Seoul branch the Buk Seoul Museum of Art, the "2017 Title Match" exhibit (July 25 to Oct. 15) invites senior artist Kim Tchah-sup and young artist Jun So-jung to contrast their works and seek communication between generations.





Lee Yoo-tae's "Research" / Courtesy of MMCA



Leeum

The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Seoul, focuses on the charms of Korean art in 2017.

Leeum's Kim Whan-ki (1913-1974) retrospective scheduled to run from April to August is highly anticipated among art connoisseurs. Kim is the pioneer of Korean modern abstract art and one of the most highly sought-after artists in Korea. His works are the most expensive pieces now, dominating the top five in prices paid for Korean artworks at auction, breaking the record four times in the past two years.

This exhibit will give a comprehensive look into the artist's view of art, combining Korean traditions with Western elements, featuring his early works to those from his twilight years as well as drawings, letters and photographs to help visitors understand the artist.

The next exhibit will shed light on the beauty of Korean calligraphy from September to December. This is Leeum's first attempt to put calligraphy at the center of an exhibition.

Calligraphic works from Leeum's extensive antique collection will be displayed next to contemporary artworks reinterpreting calligraphy to present refined pieces transcending time and space.





Kim Whan-ki's "Song of Eternity" / Courtesy of Leeum



K Museum of Contemporary Art

The K Museum of Contemporary Art recently opened in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, aiming to become Seoul's Museum of Modern Art or Palais de Tokyo, opens daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., maximizing accessibility for visitors.

The museum currently holds two inaugural exhibitions  "Before the Beginning and After the End" and "Lobbyist Show."

"Before the Beginning and After the End" sheds light on the use of color by Korean artists, featuring works of Park Saeng-kwang and Jeon Hyuck-lim. "Lobbyist Show" is held on the first floor of the museum, providing a new interpretation for the lobby, a first impression of the building.

Major galleries

The Kukje Gallery, which has been a vanguard of promoting Korean art within and outside the country, is packed with interesting exhibitions encompassing Korean and international artists alike.

The gallery begins the New Year with Ahn Kyu-chul in February and Dansaekhwa artist Kwon Young-woo's solo exhibit in March coincides with Art Basel Hong Kong. In May, artist and filmmaker Park Chan-kyong will reveal his latest work "Citizen's Forest" for the first time in Korea.

In the second half, exhibits of internationally renowned artists Paul McCarthy, Michael Joo and Joris Laarman are lined up.

Gallery Hyundai will host an exhibit of British conceptual artist Ryan Gander in March, introducing his works incorporating a wide range of materials in Korea for the first time.

Arario Gallery presents Japanese artist Nobuko Watanabe's "Beyond Color and Space" at its Cheonan branch from Jan. 17 to May 7.





A view of Dansaekhwa exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016 / Courtesy of Kukje Gallery



Korean art heads overseas

International attention on Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting) continues and Yuz Museum in Shanghai will hold a major exhibit in September, featuring works of Kwon Young-woo, Lee U-fan, Chung Sang-hwa, Chung Chang-sup, Ha Chong-hyun and more.

Individual Dansaekhwa artists also have events across the globe. David Zwirner Gallery in New York hosts an exhibit of Yun Hyong-keun from Jan. 14 to Feb. 18. London's White Cube Gallery offers "ZIGZAG: Ecriture 1983-1992," a second exhibition of Park Seo-bo at the gallery, from Jan. 20 to March 11. Chung Chang-sup's works will be presented at Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, from Jan. 28 to Feb. 18.
Classical Concerts

Strauss Festival Orchestra of Vienna: New Year's Concert'

Seoul Arts Center

Jan. 19

The Strauss Festival Orchestra of Vienna will hold a New Year's Concert at Seoul Arts Center on Jan. 19.

The repertoire includes waltz pieces by Johan Strauss II and his family. In addition to the orchestra's performance, four ballet dancers will perform to the music, taking the audience back to a ballroom of 19th century Vienna.

Tickets cost 25,000 to 120,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call (02) 599-5743.

Vienna Boys Choir New Year's Concert'

Seoul Arts Center

Jan. 21 and 22

One of the world's most renowned choral groups, the Vienna Boys Choir, will visit Korea for a New Year's Concert on Jan. 21 and 22 at Seoul Arts Center.

Since the choir's first visit to Korea in 1969, it has returned 26 times and held over 170 concerts around the country.

In this concert, the choir will perform under the theme of "smile," and present many songs to make the audience smile. The program includes Henry Purcell's hymns, traditional songs from various countries, soundtracks from movies and other classical pieces.

Tickets cost from 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call 1577-5266.

KBS Symphony Orchestra 714th Subscription Concert'

Lotte Concert Hall

Jan. 25

KBS Symphony Orchestra will have a concert at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 25.

KBS Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1956, and became one of Korea's leading orchestras. For this concert, the orchestra will perform the third symphony of Mahler, in collaboration with Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts. Conductor Joel Levi, the music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra and a Mahler specialist, will lead the orchestra.

Tickets cost 20,000 to 90,000 won. For more information, visit lotteconcerthall.com or call (02) 6099-7400



Big Tickets

2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III The Wings Tour in Seoul'

Gocheok Sky Dome

Feb. 18 and 19

Bangtan Boys (BTS) will have concerts on Feb. 18 and 19 at Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul.

BTS is a K-pop boy band with seven members. The band debuted in 2013 with their first album "2 Cool 4 Skool." Since then, they have emerged as one of the most popular Korean boy bands in Southeast Asia, China and Japan. In 2016, BTS released their second studio album, "Wings" which was ranked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 chart and became the best sold K-pop album in the U.S.

These concerts mark the beginning of BTS's 2017 world tour, during which the band will visit various countries including the U.S, Chile, and Brazil.

Tickets cost 99,000 to 110,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 446-2690.

Pop & Jazz

2017 Sechs Kies Yellow Note Final in Seoul'

Jamsil Indoor Stadium

Jan. 21 and 22

The first generation K-pop idol band, Sechs Kies, will perform at Jamsil Indoor Stadium on Jan. 21 and 22.

Sechs Kies debuted in 1997 as a male idol group with six members. They instantly rose to stardom and released numerous hit songs including "Couple" and "School Byeolgok." For these concerts, the band will perform rearranged and remastered versions of their hit songs.

Tickets cost 99,000 to 143,000 won. For more information, visit ticket1.auction.co.kr or call (02) 1566-1369.

Plays & Musicals

Monte Cristo'

Chungmu Arts Center

Until Feb. 12

The Korean version of the musical "Monte Cristo" will be performed at Chungmu Arts Center through Feb. 12.

The musical is based on novel "The Count of Monte Cristo," written by French writer Alexandre Dumas. This musical is about Edmond Dantes, a young sailor who is falsely accused of a crime and goes to jail. In jail, he meets Priest Faria who becomes his mentor and tells him about a treasure on the remote Island of Monte Cristo. After he breaks out of jail, he goes to Monte Cristo and finds the treasure. With the newly gained wealth, Edmond pretends to be a nobleman, Count Monte Cristo, and sets off to Paris. In Paris, he plans to take revenge on the people who framed him.

Actor Ryu Jung-han, Um Ki-joon, Kai, and Shin Sung-rok play Edmond Dantes.

Tickets cost 50,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-6478.

Phantom'

Blue Square

Until Feb. 26

"Phantom," a musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel "Phantom of the Opera," will be performed at Blue Square Samsung Electronics Hall through Feb. 26.

"Phantom" is about Erik, a mysterious man living in the dark cellar of a Paris opera house. One day he hears someone singing and is enchanted by her heavenly voice. Discovering that the voice was of Christine Daee, he decides to make her the new diva of the Opera Theatre and begins to give her secret lessons every night. With the help of Erik, Christine has her debut, but it is ruined by Carlotta. Erik seeks revenge on her.

Park Hyo-shin, Park Eun-tae and Jeon Dong-suk star as Erik, the Phantom. Kim So-hyun, Kim Soon-young and Lee Ji-hye share the role of Christine Daee, and Jeong Young-ju and Shin Young-sook will alternate for Carlotta.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-6478.

The Underdog'

Uniplex

Through Feb. 26

A musical featuring the life of abandoned dogs, "The Underdog" will be staged until Feb. 26 at Uniplex.

Jin is an abandoned Jindo dog. One day, he is caught and taken to a dog shelter, where he meets other abandoned dogs, each of whom has their own tragic stories. However, he finds out the horrible truth about the dog shelter, and tries to escape with his new friends.

Actor Kim Joon Hyun and Lee Tae Sung play the main character Jin.

Tickets cost 33,000 to 88,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1522-6561.

The Bodyguard'

LG Arts Center

Until March 5

A musical adaptation of the movie "The Bodyguard" will be staged at LG Arts Center through March 5.

The musical features numerous popular songs from the original soundtrack of the movie "The Bodyguard," such as "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. After its premiere in London, 2012, the musical has won extensive recognition in Europe, Australia and the U.S. This is the first time for the musical to be staged in Asia. One of the best musical actors in Korea, Jung Sun-ah, will play the main character, Rachel Marron, and actor Lee Jong-hyuk and Park Sung-woong will play the role of her bodyguard, Frank Farmer.

Tickets cost from 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555.

Our Friends, the Humans'

Seoul Arts Center

Until March 5

French author Bernard Werber's play, "Our Friends, the Humans," will be staged at the Seoul Arts Center until March 5.

Raoul is a timid scientist who works on animal testing, and Samantha is a short-tempered, attractive tiger trainer who loves animals. They find themselves within a glass wall, without knowing where they are, and why they are there. They try to figure out what is happening to them, gradually putting clues together.

Actor Go Myung-hwan, Oh Yong, Park Kwang-hyun, and Jeon Byeong-wook play Raoul, and Ahn Yu-jin, Kim Na-mi, and Stephanie Kim play Samantha.

Tickets cost 34,000 to 49,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call 1577-3363.

Dance

The Pen, The Sword, The Dream, The Dance'

Arko Performance Arts Center

Jan. 18 and 19

Korean creative dance performance, "The Pen, The Sword, The Dream, The Dance" will be staged at Arko Performance Arts Center on Jan. 18 and 19.

This performance is a combination of two dance pieces, "The Great Teacher Confucius" and "Hero Yi Sun-sin," both choreographed by Lim Hak-Sun. The first half of the performance will portray the philosophy and hardships of Confucius, and the second half will present the life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

Tickets cost 30,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 2263-4680.

Clubs

Club Octagon

Nonhyeon

Near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon, this club is notable for its stylish interior and elite clientele. The club offers a stage, lounge bar and dining area to satisfy any night out after work or on the weekend. It is near exit 4 of Hakdong Station on subway line 7. For more information, call (02) 516-8847.

Club Globe Lounge

Itaewon

Club Globe Lounge is famous among women looking for a place to throw birthday parties or enjoy a light dinner. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., it serves as a bar, changing into a club after 10 p.m. Every Thursday, Club Globe Lounge has a Happy Hour buffet for guests. Club Globe Lounge is located near the Hamilton Hotel by exit 2 of Itaewon Station, subway line 6. For more information, call (02) 792-1127.

Club Evans

Hongik University

Club Evans is a live jazz club that has served as a platform for emerging jazz artists for a decade. It operates jazz recording studios and a jazz academy as well, producing albums for many local jazz artists. Club Evans provides jazz concerts and leads music sessions every Monday and Tuesday. Club Evans is located near exit 1 of Sangsu Station, subway line 6. It opens at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit clubevans.com or call (02) 337-8361.

Once in a Blue Moon

Apgujeong

Once in a Blue Moon is one of the best-known and well-established jazz clubs in the city. It features live jazz sets from two different bands every night, usually starting at 7:30 p.m. It is located between the Hakdong Intersection and Galleria Department Store in the posh district of Apgujeong. For more information, visit onceinabluemoon.co.kr or call (02) 549-5490.

Club Answer

Cheongdam

Club Answer, chosen as one of the five hottest clubs in Seoul by CNN, provides a spacious interior and brilliant lighting system with entertaining DJs on stage nightly. Club Answer is in the classy area of Cheongdam, a district known to lead the party culture of Seoul. It is located near exit 13 of Cheongdam Station on subway line 7. For more information, call (02) 514-4311.

Club Double Eight

Sinsa

Opened in 2010, Club Double Eight takes clubbing to its heights. Located in Gangnam, it provides diverse hotel promotions and features weekend lineups with exuberant DJs. It is located near exit 1 of Sinsa Station on Line 3. For more information, call (02) 543-8803.




Chey Tae-won answers questions from reporters as he is being pardoned from Uijeongbu prison on Aug. 14, 2015. / Korea Times file



By Lee Han-soo

The special prosecution team investigating Korean President Park Geun-hye's corruption scandal has set its crosshairs on SK Group, which allegedly financially supported Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil in return for pardoning group Chairman Chey Tae-won.

The prosecutors are investigating a taped conversation between Chey and the conglomerate's vice CEO Kim Young-tae in a prison in the city of Uijeongbu on Aug. 10, 2015.

"Supreme chairman' has decided to come home,'" Kim said to Chey in the recording, using phrases the prosecutors suspect were code words. "Our burden has also increased. The chairman has given us a certain task.'"

The prosecutors suspect that "supreme chairman" is a reference to President Park, while "come home" means the pardoning of Chey, and "certain task" indicates a form of payment.

It has been confirmed that the Chairman of SK Supex, the group's decision-making body, asked President Park for Chey's pardon just 17 days before the recording.












By Chung Hyun-chae







Kim Kyung-sook

The independent counsel team summoned Kim Kyung-sook, former dean of Ewha Womans University's College of Science and Industry Convergence, Thursday, over her alleged involvement in providing favors to the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye's confidant who is at the center of a corruption scandal.



Kim appeared as a suspect at the investigation team's office in southern Seoul, at 9:47 a.m., and told reporters, "I will explain to the investigators all I know."



Kim is under suspicion that she was deeply involved in a plot to help Chung Yoo-ra, Choi's daughter, get into Ewha and maintain good grades despite her absence from classes and underachievement in class work.



Investigators grilled her over whether she ordered professors to grant special favors to Chung.



They suspect Kim played a role in granting the special treatment for Chung. Former Ewha President Choi Kyung-hee approved of Kim's orders, and former admissions officer Namkung Gon and another Ewha professor Lyou Chul-gyun, known by his penname Lee In-hwa, followed them.



Namkung and Lyou already told the investigators that Kim ordered them to give special treatment to Chung. The two have been arrested on charges of interfering with the business of the school, and the counsel team is likely to seek an arrest warrant for Kim as well.



The team will also summon Choi Kyung-hee for questioning soon.



Earlier at the National Assembly's hearing on Dec. 15, Kim denied all allegations against her.



"Grading is up to each professor's sole discretion. I never gave such orders," she said at the hearing.



On Monday, the Assembly filed a complaint with the special prosecutor against Kim, Namkung and Choi Kyung-hee, demanding the team investigate them for perjury.

The investigation team is looking for links between special favors offered to Chung and Ewha's winning of multiple financial support programs from the Ministry of Education.
By Jun Ji-hye

Campaigning for the 2017 presidential election has begun  unofficially  after former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, one of the two prominent possible presidential hopefuls, returned home Thursday.

While Ban is being cited as a leading conservative candidate, other hopefuls from the both conservative and liberal parties are already making various moves to woo voters.

Among them, Moon Jae-in, the former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), visited North Chungcheong Province just a day before Ban's return in an apparent bid to get ahead of him.

Chungcheong Province, site of the hometown of the ex-U.N. chief, has been regarded as holding the casting vote in previous elections.

"The Chungcheong region has affected the fate of previous presidential elections," Moon told reporters. "The late Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun were able to become heads of state thanks to their victory in this region. I also want to be picked by voters here."

Moon denied that he was visiting the region just before Ban's return to get a lead on him, saying, "There was no special reason for me to come here today. I just came here because this region is important."

But Moon, at the same time, suggested a tempting pledge to residents there, vowing to move the National Assembly and Cheong Wa Dae, currently in Seoul, to Sejong in South Chungcheong Province.

Moon, who served as chief of staff in the Roh Moo-hyun government, appears to be outpacing the career diplomat in the latest opinion poll of potential presidential contenders released by pollster Realmeter, Thursday.
By Park Si-soo



The National Assembly has decided to accuse Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of perjury.

A special committee dedicated to probing the Park Geun-hye scandal made the decision on Thursday, wrapping up its investigation.

Lee said during a parliamentary hearing in December that President Park neither mentioned nor asked him to contribute to the foundations set up and controlled by Park's close friend Choi Soon-sil when the two had a private meeting on July 25, 2015.












US professor sees little change in tough stance on N. Korea



By Kang Seung-woo

Andrew Martin, dean of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts at the University of Michigan

Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to give up deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea despite growing protests from China, according to a U.S. security expert, Thursday.

"It is clear that the nuclear issue in North Korea is not going to disappear. With regard to THAAD, my thinking is ultimately the Trump administration will be supportive of it moving forward," Andrew Martin, the dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan, said in an interview in Seoul.

Martin, also a professor of political science and statistics, visited Seoul to attend the school's Seoul Alumni Dinner.

The deployment plan currently faces strong opposition from China which claims the system could hurt its strategic and security interests. The country has made economic retaliations against South Korea  mostly in business and cultural areas  to pressure Seoul to scrap the deployment.

"A lot of that turns on the relationship with China and I think that certainly we've seen since the election and I suspect we will see in months to come the U.S.-China relationship will continue to be strained," Martin said.

"So, I suspect Trump ultimately wants to continue with this defensive measure not only within the context of the strained relationship with China, but also because I think he understands its strategic importance of having the missile defense."

As Martin said, incoming U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn met with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin in Washington, Tuesday, and the allies confirmed that the missile defense system will be deployed here as planned.

Amid the intensifying retaliations from China, opposition parties insist the THAAD decision should be postponed until the next Korean government begins its term.

Trump's N. Korea policy

As issues regarding the Middle East and the economy are expected to be high on the agenda under the Trump administration, there is speculation that the U.S. government may not keep North Korea's nuclear program on a short leash.

Pyongyang is seeking to modernize its nuclear and missile weapons, as evidenced last year by two nuclear tests and a series of ballistic missile launches in defiance of U.N. resolutions, ratcheting up tensions in the region.

However, Martin said Trump's North Korea policy in substance is not going to change very much.

"He has hired foreign policy hawks on his administration. These are senior people who understand North Korean threats and security context of this region of the world," he said, adding that civil servants in the government are acutely aware of North Korea issues.

"So, I can't just imagine that the U.S. policy change would happen. It would also be very politically difficult for President Trump to change that aspect of our foreign policy."

Reportedly, the incoming U.S. administration considers imposing a "secondary boycott" designed to punish Chinese firms doing business with North Korea as part of an effort to curb the reclusive state's missile and nuclear programs. The punishment is regarded as one of the last-remaining sanction tools against the North that the outgoing Obama administration has been reluctant to use out of concerns over souring relations with China.

Seoul-Washington relations

South Korea has been suffering from a leadership vacuum since President Park Geun-hye was impeached, Dec. 9, and the Constitutional Court is deliberating on the case, which may take up to 180 days.

As a result, the government is facing uncertainty of how to handle President Trump  an utter stranger to South Korea  in sharp contrast to Japan whose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Trump in November.

Martin said the leadership vacuum may adversely affect the relations between South Korea and the United States.

"One of the places it makes quite difficult has to do with a crisis situation. If we were (facing a crisis) particularly given the transition is happening in the United States at the same time, I think it could get complicated very quickly," he said.

"It's also the case that the United States I believe is going to want to initiate discussions about trade and about the security and relations with other nations here in Asia."

He added: "It is hard to dance when you don't have a partner."
By Kim Se-jeong

A variety of celebratory events will be held through Sunday at the Seoul Citizens Hall, a public center in the basement of the City Hall building, marking its fourth anniversary which fell Thursday.

The hall has been used by citizens who need spaces for gatherings, such as weddings and discussion sessions, and the city has also organized public events there.

"The Citizens Hall has been a great supporter for civic activities, drawing 7.3 million visitors," Seo Jeong-hyup from the city government said. "We'll continue our support."

Visitors to the hall are invited to write their wishes for the hall on notes and to draw the hall's mascot on postcards through Sunday.

On Friday, two exhibitions will open. One will feature a winter forest with the images of the forest and wild animals in virtual reality, while the other will introduce the city's welfare and tourism policies.

On Saturday, the city will celebrate with an anniversary concert at the hall, featuring Dream Orchestra from Child Fund Korea, and Sweet Sorrow, a four-man vocal band. The concert will start at 2 p.m. for two hours. Also on Saturday, the city will open a special exhibition, showcasing the history of the hall and its activities.

Opened on Jan. 12, 2013, the hall has been used for 140 weddings and 3,156 small exhibitions and concerts. The city also organized 5,033 events for residents.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by his wife Yoo Soon-taek, waves to supporters upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. Ban returned home after his 10-year service at the international organization amid widespread expectations that he will run for president. / Korea Times Photo by Choi Won-suk



By Yi Whan-woo

Ban Ki-moon said upon his arrival here Thursday that he is awaiting the United Nations' opinion about whether it is a violation of a U.N. rule if he runs for the Korean presidency.

However, Ban said he personally thinks it does not constitute a violation to seek an elected position after retirement, showing strong eagerness to join the presidential race.

This indicates that he has been discussing with the U.N. whether it is appropriate to launch a presidential bid after returning to Korea. Depending on the U.N.'s decision, he may have to drop running for the presidency.

"The U.N. will give an authoritative interpretation over the matter," Ban told reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport. "But I personally think that the U.N. rule does not prevent me from making political moves, especially concerning an elected position."

He also said he has not officially declared his bid for the presidency, although many believe he will do so eventually.

Ban's remarks came amid controversy over whether it will be a breach of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 11 for him to run for the presidency less than a year after his U.N. tenure ended, Dec. 31.

Adopted in 1946, the resolution states: "Because a Secretary-General is a confidant of many governments, it is desirable that no member should offer him, at any rate immediately on retirement, any governmental position in which his confidential information might be a source of embarrassment to other members."

It also states that "a Secretary-General should refrain from accepting any such position."

Ban said he was disappointed by the dispute over his eligibility to run for the presidency, claiming that the National Election Commission was in favor of his possible presidential bid.

"I have to question the intention behind those who stir up disputes. It is not fair or right," Ban added.

Ban returned to Korea amid a series of allegations being raised against him and his family members.

They include a bribery scandal that implicates Ban, also a former foreign minister, of taking $230,000 from an entrepreneur, Park Yeon-cha, while serving as minister and U.N. chief between 2005 and 2007.

"I can't understand why my name is being mentioned in the bribery scandal," he said, adding that he "clearly explained" his views on the matter and all his statements were truthful.

He said there has been a misunderstanding about "congratulating" President Park Geun-hye in January 2016 after Korea and Japan reached an agreement in December 2015 over former Korean sex slaves during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

The criticism over his remarks grew again this year after Japan cited the controversial agreement in its retaliation against Korea for the installment of a new statute of a girl outside the Japanese consulate in Busan, Dec. 30. The statue symbolizes Tokyo's wartime sex crimes and Japan has acted in a "paranoid fashion" about those erected in Korea and abroad.

"As a U.N. secretary-general, I always welcomed and encouraged bilateral agreements when the parties in conflict sought to resolve them peacefully through negotiations," he said.

"My welcoming remarks should be understood in this context, although I believe a perfect agreement over the sex slavery issue should be one that can resolve the elderly victims' deep sorrow.

"I'm aware of objections raised by Japan over the statute in Busan, but I think we should be future-oriented while correctly looking at the past to settle the issue."

Ban said he will use his experience as U.N. chief to bring people together and unite the country, calling the current political situation a "crisis."

"I have already vowed to devote myself to the country and this remains unchanged," he said.

He held politicians and other leaders of society responsible for the political chaos and promised to make a fundamental change in politics.

On his way to home to Sadang-dong, Seoul, Ban rode on an airport express train and stopped by Seoul Station where he was greeted by supporters.
Janghenggun Multicultural Family Support Center will provide free Korean lessons to multicultural families who live in Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province. / Courtesy of Janghenggun Multicultural Family Support Center



By Lee Jin-a

Janghenggun Multicultural Family Support Center will provide free Korean lessons to multicultural families who live in Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province.

The center, which is operated and funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said Wednesday it will offer lessons to married migrants in Korea and their children to help them overcome the language barrier.

"We hope more foreign women and children will learn how to adapt well to Korean society and how to communicate more fluently with local citizens through our program," the center spokesman said.

Selected students will be divided into five groups based on their Korean proficiency. The lessons run on Thursdays and Fridays from the beginning of March to the end of November.

For those interested in the lessons but cannot visit the center because of family issues, the center will provide Korean lessons in their homes.

Applications can be made at the center, by phone on 061-864-4815 or by fax on 061-864-4812.
The United States imposed sanctions on the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday for her links to human rights violations in the communist nation.



Kim Yo-jong, the leader's younger sister and vice director of the Workers Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department, was among seven North Korean officials and two agencies that the State Department blacklisted for their roles in the regime's human rights violations.



It was the second time the U.S. has imposed human rights sanctions on the North after blacklisting leader Kim Jong-un, 10 other top officials and five state agencies in July, which marked the first-ever sanctions ever imposed on the North's leader.



The sanctions underscore Washington's determination to keep pressure on Pyongyang, which has aggressively been pursuing nuclear weapons and its delivery systems at the expense of the well-being of the country's 24 million hunger-stricken population.



The six other newly blacklisted North Korean officials are Minister of State Security Kim Won-hong; senior Workers' Party officials Choe Hwi, Min Byong-chol and Jo Yong-won; provincial security official Kim Il-nam; and military official Kang Pil-hun.



The two agencies are the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Labor.



The officials and entities were added to the Treasury Department's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons that calls for freezing assets of and banning American transactions with those blacklisted, though the measures are expected to be largely symbolic as North Korean officials have no assets in the U.S. and do not engage in transactions with Americans.



"The North Korean regime not only engages in severe human rights abuses, but it also implements rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behavior," the Treasury Department said in a statement. "Today's action exposes individuals supporting the North Korean regime and underscores the U.S. government's commitment to promoting accountability for serious human rights abuses and censorship in North Korea."



It said the Propaganda and Agitation Department, in which the leader's sister serves, is the North's "primary agency responsible for both newspaper and broadcast censorship."



The State Department said the North's human rights abuses remain "among the world in the world," saying the regime continues to commit extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced labor, and torture.



Many of such abuses are committed in the political prison camps, where an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, the department said, adding that the systemic and oppressive nature of the North's censorship and information denial "remains omnipresent."



"We will continue to identify more individuals and entities in future reports as part of our on-going efforts to promote accountability for North Korean officials," the department said. "With these efforts, we are sending a signal to all DPRK government officials, particularly prison camp officials, interrogators, and border guards, that we can and will expose human rights abuses and censorship in the DPRK."



South Korea welcomed the latest U.S. sanctions, saying that it is viewed as a reaffirmation that human rights will be one of Washington's top priorities in its policy to the communist state.



"This is expected to raise global awareness of the severity of human rights conditions in the North, including distortion of the reality, censorship and forced labor within the country. Also it will contribute greatly to strengthening debates on the issue and encouraging the international community to take concrete actions," Seoul's foreign ministry said.



The North has bristled at any talk or criticism of its human rights record, denouncing it as a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.



Pyongyang is expected to react angrily to the latest sanctions. (Yonhap)




South Korean food products and kitchenware are popular in North Korea despite a strong crackdown on them because of the dissemination of South Korean movies and dramas in the communist country, a U.S. broadcaster, monitored here, reported Thursday.

"Scores or hundreds of boxes of famous South Korean ramen products produced in China are being brought into the North without restrictions as long as their outer packages contain only Chinese letters with no hangeul (Korean alphabet)," Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing a Chinese source well-versed in the North.

"Main purchasers of the South Korean products are restaurants in Pyongyang, and such products have never been produced in the North," the sources said.

"It's also not so difficult for most of South Korean-made kitchenware to go through the (North Korean) customs if only their brands are simply removed," the source said.

An owner of a kitchen appliances shop in the Chinese city of Dandong bordering the North also said, "I would sell (to the North) scores of stone pot bowls for 'bibimbap (a traditional Korean dish of rice and vegetables)' at a time, which are being used in South Korean restaurants."

"The scenes of South Korean restaurants and menus shown on South Korean dramas and movies are very valuable material to those who run luxury restaurants in the North," he said.

The popularity of South Korean food products and kitchen appliances has something to do with the widespread circulation of South Korean films and dramas among North Koreans via China, North Korean experts here said. (Yonhap)
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month found in favor of police who broke into a home and killed two dogs. The officers had a search warrant. But a search warrant should not be a death warrant for innocent dogs.



The court tells the story mostly from the perspective of Christof Klein, a Battle Creek, Mich., police officer. Klein said he saw a "beware of dog" sign while approaching the house. He said he saw the dogs themselves barking in a window while he and his colleagues approached the home. And yet he broke down the door.



By the time the raid was over, Klein and his colleagues had killed both dogs. Klein said one was moving toward him when he shot her. The other, he said, was barking.



The 6th Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Eric L. Clay, ruled that killing a dog can violate the Fourth Amendment (search, seizure and probable cause), but that in this case, it didn't. The question, the court said, was whether the dogs presented "an imminent threat to the officer's safety," as an "objectively reasonable officer" would have seen it given the circumstances. The judge found that killing the dogs met this standard. He's wrong.



It is objectively unreasonable to say that a barking dog was a real threat to an armed police officer. That's not an even match. The greater threat was not to the cops. And, to the extent that the dogs were a threat at all, this threat was created by breaking down the door  threatening the dogs and their territory.



The court should have demanded actual evidence that that was a reasonable decision. Instead, it relied on its own speculation about what might have happened if the officers had taken the time to find a way to protect the dogs  what they should have done.



Instead, the court set a precedent that will make it very hard for any other dog owner whose beloved pets have been killed in a search to argue that the police should have protected them. That makes this case, and this judge's decision, a double outrage.





This editorial appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




By Rahul Raj





Following the end of the Korean War, South Korea was a major recipient of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from foreign countries in order to help rebuild its infrastructure and fund a range of humanitarian programs. However, owing to its economic turnaround since the 1970s, South Korea has transformed itself from an aid receiving nation into a donor country. Although the genesis of Korea's ODA goes back to the 1960s, its activities were mainly supported by the United States and the United Nations. However, with its economic transformation surging, in 1976 the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MOFA) launched the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), which coordinates the Korean government's ODA programs. KEXIM was given an allocation of $2 million to support developing countries and later further expanded its mandate to support economic outreach in foreign countries by Korean companies. Later it created two special government supported agencies, the Economic Development and Co-operation Fund (EDCF) in 1987, and the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) in 1991, to more efficiently administer its ODA funding. Over the next few years South Korea became a significant player among ODA countries, distributing its assistance through grants, aid and loans to several developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, although Asia receives the largest allocation from Korea's ODA budget.

Although a major portion of South Korea's ODA funding has gone to several Asian countries, India, with a rapidly growing economy that constantly needs huge injections of aid and loans to uplift its people from poverty and develop its shabby infrastructure, was not on Korea's ODA radar. On the other hand, Korea's neighbor, Japan has been the largest donor of ODA resources to India since 2003. The reason behind this dissimilarity was that India's own stringent policies barred Korea and other countries from providing ODA assistance. Until 2015, the government of India allowed ODA only from a select group of countries, primarily, G8 and EU nations. This allowed Japan, a G8 nation, to extend its ODA loans through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and become involved, in supporting several poverty alleviation and infrastructure projects in India to spur economic growth.

On the other hand, KEXIM was finding it difficult to provide development loans to India. This may have been one of the reasons why, despite South Korea's pledge to provide $10 billion to India, which was proffered during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to South Korea in 2015, KEXIM (which would have provided 90 percent of the funding) expressed doubts about the arrangement because of a lack of proper planning.

However, in November of 2015, the government of India, in several economic policy reforms, eased the rules for ODA donor nations to enable the developing nation to receive aid from other countries in order to support India's push to develop its infrastructure and boost its manufacturing sector. Kang Soon-ki, chief representative of the KEXIM Bank in India, expressed confidence that the conditions would make it easier for Korean companies to utilize this money for several infrastructural projects in India. Although KEXIM had supported projects in the past, with the tweaking of India's ODA rules and $9 billion in its kitty, the bank would find it much easier to support various infrastructural projects unveiled by India in the coming years. South Korea should also explore to include India in its ODA funded KOICA program to share its expertise and training with the Indian people to broaden its outreach for sustainable development goals.

There is a saying in Korean, "ingangwangae," which means "human relationship." Until now South Korea's investment in India has been more focused on trade and manufacturing and hence often viewed as a business partnership. Perhaps it may be time for South Korea to utilize the change of ODA rules in India and expand its outreach in both infrastructure as well as humanitarian aid programs to realize the real meaning of ingangwangae between both countries and take the relationship to a new level.





Rahul Raj is assistant professor in the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at Sejong University and adjunct professor in the Department of Korean Studies, Hanyang University.
The unemployment problem is going from bad to worse amid little indication of an economic turnaround.



The number of jobless people surpassed 1 million last year for the first time since the government adopted the current measuring system in 2000. The unemployment rate for young people aged between 15 and 29 hit an all-time high of 9.8 percent last year. In 2015, the figure also hit a record high of 9.2 percent.



But these figures might not reflect the true nature of our entrenched unemployment woes, considering that more than 2 million people are actually out of work. That's because the official jobless statistics exclude nearly 630,000 young people preparing to look for jobs and 448,000 who have given up seeking work.



Our dismal unemployment reality stands in sharp contrast with the situation in leading economies. Japan is almost in full employment, with its youth jobless rate dipping from 8.9 percent in 2010 to 5.6 percent in 2015. The U.S. has also seen its youth unemployment rate fall dramatically. Its employment conditions look set to improve as President-elect Donald J. Trump is eager to attract businesses.



What is even more distressing is that the labor market could worsen amid deepening economic uncertainty. In fact, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance forecast our employment conditions to aggravate, hit by corporate restructuring and sluggish domestic demand.



All governments have exerted efforts to boost job creation without exception. But the results have hardly been satisfactory, as evidenced by the rising youth unemployment rate. All this requires employment measures to be more business-friendly and creative. Given that 61 percent of jobs might disappear by 2025 as a result of the 4th Industrial Revolution, rehashing outdated measures won't help ease the unemployment problem.



Our politicians are not free from criticism when it comes to boosting employment. The tripartite committee of labor, employers and government hammered out labor reform bills in 2015, but they have been stuck in the legislature because of partisan conflicts. It's imperative to pass uncontested bills first, and then the parties should do whatever they can to narrow their differences on the remaining ones. They also must hurry to approve bills on the services industry and deregulation, which are vital to job creation.




US president leaves office with people's affection



U.S. President Barack Obama, who will leave office on Jan. 20, delivered a farewell address to his people and the world in Chicago Tuesday.



As he made his way through the emotional speech, many people shouted "four more years." It is obvious many Americans are sorry to see him go. After two terms, the first African-American to be elected U.S president is leaving with a high job approval rating  more than 50 percent.



The 44th U.S. president's laudable economic record is one of the reasons he deserves all the praise he is getting. It would not have been possible without Obama's efforts to advance the American people's livelihoods, which he kept up even in the twilight of his presidency. As a result, he is closing out his eight years with a 4.7 percent unemployment rate, a considerable improvement from the 10 percent in 2009 shortly after he took office. Also, the U.S. added more than 2 million new jobs in 2016. But Obama did not flaunt his achievements, but instead paid tribute to the people, saying "Because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started."



The high popularity Obama is enjoying at the very last stage of his presidency is something we have not seen with Korean Presidents. In most cases, Korean presidencies have ended in tragedy. Presidents suffered from their lame-duck status well before their terms ended and some fell into disgrace with corruption scandals involving family members and friends. One president even committed suicide eight years ago after leaving office.



President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached by the National Assembly in December 2016, still has some time left until her term is officially over. But regardless of the Constitutional Court's final decision on the impeachment, many people already cannot wait to get rid of her and start afresh with a new president.



Obama's departure has stirred strong wishes in many Koreans for a similarly happy ending for a Korean president in the future. Even if Park is reinstated by the Constitutional Court, it is too late to save her scarred presidency. So for those aiming to be the next president, it is important to closely examine the reasons that made Obama such a popular leader. One of biggest reasons is Obama's effective communication. He succeeded in establishing a reputation as an accessible, caring leader with an active social media presence.



He also placed utmost importance on national unity. He vowed a peaceful transition of power to President-elect Donald Trump. In contrast, Park has only caused division. The so-called blacklist of anti-government cultural figures is just one example of the Park administration's divisive policies.



A leader who puts priority on communicating with the people and bringing the people together will be able to leave office with their affection.




U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Tuesday that the U.S. could seek "more forceful ways" to affect North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's thinking if he persists in forging ahead with intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities.



Kim threatened last week that the communist nation reached the final stage of preparations to test-fire an ICBM apparently capable of reaching the continental U.S.



"If he persists, as he said he would the other day, in moving forward on the intercontinental ballistic missile front, it more immediately drags the United States into an immediate threat situation, to which we then may have to find other ways or more forceful ways of having an impact on the choices that he is making," Kerry said during a visit to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He did not elaborate on what those "forceful ways" could be.



Kerry also said North Korea is the No. 1 challenge for the incoming administration.



"My advice to the next administration is that this is at the top. I don't get into first or second or third, but this is at the top of a short group of major priorities. This is one of the most serious, if not the most serious," he said.



"There's a reckless dictator who holds his country effectively in a gulag, in a kind of prison. He's unpredictable, and recklessness and unpredictability for somebody who has their hands on nuclear weapons is a very genuine threat, and particularly as they pursue intercontinental ballistic capacity, which would threaten the United States of America," Kerry said.



Kerry said the U.S. will never accept the North as a nuclear state.



The outgoing top diplomat also said the next administration should increase pressure on the North.



"We will make it clear to the incoming administration that there are diplomatic ways of increasing the pressure, which we've been ratcheting up," he said.



Cooperation with China is critical in resolving the North Korea problem, he said.



"China provides 100 percent of the fuel that goes to North Korea -- every airplane, every truck, every car that moves in North Korea gets its fuel from China," he said. "China also is the facilitator, through Beijing, for the banking system and for whatever movement of commerce there is, of money, etc., for the North Koreans."



"My counsel to the next administration will be to work with China very, very closely and try to get the Chinese to, in fact, have a greater impact on the North in order to affect their behavior," he said. (Yonhap)




Company denies allegations involving FKI, Cheong Wa Dae



By Yoon Sung-won



KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu has been caught up in another controversy for allegedly asking President Park Geun-hye, Cheong Wa Dae and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) to turn down the merger plan for SK Telecom and CJ HelloVision last year, according to industry sources, Thursday.



Expectations are that the allegation could be another blow to Hwang, who is currently running for his second term as chairman, with his reputation already slightly marred by several other suspicions over his involvement in the latest government scandal.



KT released a statement saying the allegations are not true.



"We have not received a request from the FKI to suggest a proposal," the telecom company said in a statement, Wednesday. "We also have not drawn up a report with 30 to 40 pages about an argument against the merger of SK Telecom and CJ HelloVision and delivered it to the FKI and to the office of the senior presidential secretary for economic affairs at Cheong Wa Dae."



On Wednesday, news media here reported that Hwang allegedly asked Cheong Wa Dae to stop SK Telecom and CJ HelloVision's merger plan before his private meeting with Park last February. The telecom company allegedly received messages from the FKI and the senior presidential secretary's office regarding preparations for the meeting and a request to submit any proposal, according to the special prosecution looking into the massive scandal involving Park and her confidants.



In a bold move to strengthen its budget mobile service and fixed-line network businesses including cable broadcasting, SK Telecom announced its acquisition of CJ HelloVision in November 2015. A month later, the nation's largest telecom company requested approval from the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the Korea Communications Commission and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.



To hold back their rival's massive expansion, KT and LG Uplus have desperately pushed against the merger plan. Consequently in July 2016, the FTC astounded the industry by rejecting the merger plan, saying the integration of SK Telecom and CJ HelloVision could aggravate monopolization in the pay broadcasting industry.



Earlier on Jan. 6, Hwang officially admitted he will run for his second term as the chairman of Korea's second-largest telecom company.



The chairman has been much expected to lead the company for three more years in a second term not only due to his contributions to business performance but also because the company is in need of strong leadership to prepare for fifth-generation (5G) network services in time for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.



Though KT seemed to be relatively free of direct involvement in the latest corruption scandal, the telecom company has been accused of hiring an executive surnamed Lee in charge of advertising, who is close to President Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil, and of signing multiple ad contracts with another close confidant of Choi, who is surnamed Shin, according to the special prosecution led by Park Young-soo.



As Hwang revealed his willingness to run for a second term, the company's CEO recommendation committee will review the chairman to see if he is fit for a second term. The results are expected to be released within this month.




Visitors to this year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Orlando, Florida, inspect new engineered stone interior materials at the LG Hausys booth, Tuesday (local time). / Courtesy of LG Hausys



By Lee Min-hyung

LG Hausys has unveiled new stone interior materials in the United States, in a bid to raise its market share to compete with leading players such as DuPont.

The building materials unit of LG Group said, Thursday, it has participated in this year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the world's most influential trade show for kitchens and bathrooms, revealing a showcase of its new engineered stone and acrylic solid surfaces.

LG Hausys is the No. 2 acrylic solid surface maker in the U.S. with a market share of 20 percent, compared with DuPont's 30 percent.

The company believes the new product lineup will further raise its profile and increase production.

Contrary to most Seoul-based hardware-manufacturing firms, LG Hausys is relatively free from any possible restrictions from the coming Donald Trump administration's expected protectionism measures, as it recently expanded its manufacturing facility in Georgia.

The company said it would focus on aggressive marketing in the U.S. to increase sales.

"We will leap to an engineered stone market leader there to generate synergies with our expanded production lines," Kim Joo-woen, president of LG Hausys America, said. "Toward the end, LG Hausys will focus on launching a series of aggressive marketing strategies."

For the three-day exhibition, which started Tuesday (local time), the company has drawn keen attention by exhibiting a kitchen, shower and laundry room featuring its new products.

Demand for engineered stone is rising, particularly in North America and Europe, as its appearance is similar to natural stone and it resists pollutants. The product is expected to become the firm's key revenue source, as engineered stone is three times more expensive than acrylic solid surface materials.
Bigbang's TOP is known for his love to wine. He really loves this kind of drink. He has much collection of wine and he really like to boast it to other members. Even though he cannot really drink much, but he really appreciates wine.

Recently, according to report from koreaboo, TOP has bought a huge land in Argentina. It is a grape field that can produce for about 8000 bottles of wine. The land must be so huge to produce that amount of average.

TOP is known to have some unique hobbies. Every member knows that TOP has many collections on art. He bought artwork from Andy Warhol, Kim Hwan Ki, and many more. He must spend much money since that piece of art is really expensive.

When he appeared on Radio Star, he said that almost 95% of his income goes to his hobbies, according to report from soompi. They are collection of arts, chairs and wine. So, actually wine is not the only hobby he has.

As for wine, it seems that he goes all out on it. Buying a huge land of grape field is a big decision. But seeing his personality to always follow his hobby, it is no surprise that he did that. He also said that he wanted to share the wine for his fans. As for some, he would like to drink it by himself.

It is a smart way for him to go all out of his positive hobby. It can be an investment for him in the future. The collection of his arts will give him big amount of money in the future. Not forgetting that he also owns a big building in Seoul.

With his huge field of grape, he will never run out of stock to make wine. He can even make his own brand of wine if he wants to. Let's see what he is going to do in the future. Well, we might have to wait until he finishes his duty in the army.
A man who was found with a missing 13-year-old girl from Springfield on Tuesday night is now charged with using the internet and cell phones to entice her from her home to have sex with him. Dominic Pearson, 25, was charged in federal court on Thursday.

The girls father reported her missing on Sunday. Her parents said theyd last seen her at their home at 11:40 a.m., and realized at 1:45 p.m. that they didnt know where she was. They told police that the girl didnt have a phone of her own, according to the probable cause affidavit filed against Pearson.

Springfield police examined the girls parents cell phones, which they had let the girl use, and found messages between her and a user identified as darklestat_lwp on the KIK application, according to the FBI agents affidavit. The users screen name was black heart and he sent several message between Jan. 5 and Jan. 7.

I am on the way to you, we are going to meet up with our ride, said one message from "black heart."

Other messages were more graphic. One said I cant wait to be with u and marry u. Another indicated black heart might be coming to get the girl from the east side of Nebraska, I am working my way there.

Investigators got records from KIK and Verizon and tracked the messages to a certain cell phone number. It was assigned to a prepaid cell phone from Florida. They got records from Google about who owned the email address associated with the messages. It was registered to Pearson.

The Oak Grove Police Department found the girl with Pearson in their town east of Kansas City. They were in a lounge at a truck stop off Interstate 70. On surveillance video at the lounge, investigators saw Pearson laying his head on the girls lap.

At a hospital in Kansas City, a social worker interviewed the girl. She said Pearson bought her food and clothing and raped her after he took her away from Springfield.

The girl said she met Pearson on the Internet about two months ago. She said she communicated with him through an app on her fathers cell phone. She said Pearson was aware of how old she was during their online communications. She said Pearson picked her up from Lynn or Lexington, Missouri. Pearson picked her up in a small blue car with a friend named John, according to the FBI agents affidavit.

Lexington, Mo., is about 150 miles north of Springfield on the Missouri River. There is no Lynn, Mo. The affidavit doesnt provide information about how the girl got to another town from Springfield, or whether the girl might have meant Lynn Street or Lexington Avenue in Springfield. There also doesnt appear to be a second person charged for the girls disappearance.

The charge was filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Springfield. It appears Pearson had not appeared before a U.S. magistrate, as of late Thursday afternoon.
The Federal Government on Wednesday says she will no longer recognise Taiwan as a country but rather pledged support for One China. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, stated this while answering questions from newsmen after a joint news conference with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

Onyeama said Nigeria had withdrawn all diplomatic relations with Taiwan as a country, adding that Taiwanese office in Abuja would be shut down and be relocated to Lagos.

According to him, Nigeria has communicated Taiwan and they are moving to Lagos as soon as possible.



Taiwan will stop enjoying any privileges because it is not a country that is recognised under international law and under the position we have taken internationally we recognise the people of China.

Taiwan will not have any diplomatic representation in Nigeria and also they will be moving to Lagos to the extent that they function as a trade mission with a skeletal staff.

Chinese Government does not oppose trading with Taiwan as such as long there is no formal contact with the Government that will suggest recognition of Taiwan as sovereign country, he said.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Alibaba's Jack Ma meets with Trump

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-01-10 11:16

Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma met US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday and laid out the Chinese e-commerce companys new plan to bring a million small US businesses onto its platform to sell to Chinese consumers over the next five year, an Alibaba spokesman said.



Alibaba Group Holding Ltd expects the initiative to create a million US jobs as each company adds a position, company spokesman Bob Christie said in a phone call.

Trump and Ma emerged from their meeting at Trump Tower in New York together. The president-elect told reporters they had a great meeting and would do great things together. Ma called Trump smart and open-minded. He said the two mainly discussed supporting small businesses, especially in the Midwest.

Ma said that businesses such as farmers and small clothing makers could tap the Chinese market directly through Alibaba.

He called the meeting with Trump very productive.

"We mainly talked about small business and young people and American agriculture products to China. And we also think, that the China and US relationship should be strengthened, should be more friendly, he said.
Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of...

An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...
National awards for top scientists

From:Xinhua | 2017-01-10 11:17

President Xi Jinping (center) with Zhao Zhongxian (right) and Tu Youyou after he presented them with Chinas top science award in Beijing yesterday for their outstanding contributions to scientific and technological innovation. Zhao is a leading scientist in the field of superconductivity, while Tu won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on malaria.  Xinhua



Two Chinese scientists, physicist Zhao Zhongxian and pharmacologist Tu Youyou, won the nations top science award yesterday for their outstanding contributions to scientific and technological innovation.

President Xi Jinping presented them with certificates and offered his congratulations at an annual ceremony held to honor distinguished scientists and research achievements.

Zhao is a leading scientist in the field of superconductivity, while Tu won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of artemisinin to treat malaria.

Addressing the ceremony for the State Scientific and Technological Awards, Premier Li Keqiang pledged better services and policies to boost reform and innovation in science and technology.

China will advance key projects in cutting-edge technology targeting future needs, improve infrastructure, enhance basic research and innovation, and establish mechanisms to support workers in the sector.

Scientific research institutions, universities and people taking the lead in innovation will be entitled to more power in doing their job, Li said.

Distribution policies must be better implemented to honor and reward innovators, he said, adding that the country is willing to offer opportunities for talented individuals from home or abroad to fulfill their ambitions in China.

Presiding over the ceremony, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli called on those involved in science and technology to follow the example set by the prize winners and contribute to the countrys drive to become a major power in the sector.

The ceremony, attended by around 3,300 representatives from the Communist Party of China, state and military organs and science and technology circles, honored 279 projects, seven scientists and one international organization with national prizes.

The international cooperation prizes were awarded to five scientists from the United States, Germany and France, and the Mexico-headquartered International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.

Shanghai excelled at the ceremony with 52 projects and scientists honored.

French scientist Jean-Raymond Abrial, who has been working with local scientists on system and software engineering, won the international science and technology cooperation award.

Shanghai-based chip designer Spreadtrum won in the technology progress category for its contribution to the development of TD-LTE (time division-long term evolution), the China-developed 4G standard for phones.

Tongji University was Shanghais biggest success story with seven programs developed by its staff winning one first prize and six seconds.

A team led by Tong Xiaohua, a professor at its College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, won first prize for an invention that improves the accuracy of information collected by remote sensors, thus providing important support for aerospace projects, such as improving imaging quality of Chinese laser sensors for finding safe landing sites

When satellites and other aerospace facilities are flying high in the space, they may have jitter vibration and face other challenges that will disturb them from taking precise images and data, Tong said. Our technology by image analysis can detect and estimate the influence of the disturbances, and thus improve geo-positioning accuracy of high-resolution images together with ground geometric calibration.

The achievement came after 10 years of cooperation with the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Development Research Center of the China Geological Survey.

Another team led by Zhu Hehua, a professor at Tongjis College of Civil Engineering, won a second prize for developing a series of key technologies for underground construction in urban areas.

A major health award went to Dr Jing Zaiping of Changhai Hospital for his research into minimally invasive endovascular surgery. His work on aortic dissection and aneurysms made once fatal diseases treatable.
Road to Healing Audio Article Ceyapi, this past Saturday we cried as we listened to the stories of many who were hurt in one of...
KPCC has announced a revamp of its four-year morning experiment to go big and beyond LA with the "Take Two" show, hosted by Alex Cohen and A Martinez. Cohen will leave the show to become the station's local host of "Morning Edition." Martinez will remain as host of a one-hour show airing at 9 a.m. Larry Mantle's venerable "Airtalk" will move back to its old 10 a.m. slot (10 to noon) and KPCC will slide "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross into the noon hour. It has not been on KPCC until 8 p.m. in recent years.

Cohen, who used to be with NPR, originally joined KPCC as afternoon news host. This is closer to that than hosting an interview show, and comes with a spiffed up title and role. KPCC is calling her "the voice of "Morning Edition." Sounds like it will be beyond what the late Steve Julian did as morning news anchor on KPCC. Here's Cohen on Twitter:

excited to reinvent mornings @kpcc. sad to leave @taketwo. ready for YOUR ideas: what do you want to hear in the am? https://t.co/qWQohxI99N  Alex Cohen (@kpccalex) January 12, 2017

Here's what KPCC has to say:
This article appears in the January 13, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

GLASS-STEAGALL

This Is War!

by Robert Ingraham

[Print version of this article]

Jan. 8On Jan. 3, 2017, as the new 115th Congress convened in Washington, D.C., they were met by an organizing team from the LaRouche Political Action Committee. This team of political activists and volunteers walked the halls of Congress, buttonholed Senators and Congressmen, and took part in numerous meetings, whose primary focus centered on the emergency economic measures which must be taken to save the nation. At the heart of these discussions was the necessity to adopt economic, credit and science policies coherent with Lyndon LaRouches Four Laws, and, most importantly, the initial urgent action to restore Franklin Roosevelts Glass-Steagall legislation.

View full size

National Archives

This demand to reinstate Glass-Steagall has now been given an additional grass-roots boost, in the form of two initiatives which have come out of the American Midwest. In Ohio, a group of Democrats, who are calling themselves Our Revolution, are now circulating a letter and petition calling on President-elect Trump to demand Glass-Steagall restoration in his inaugural and State of the Union addresses. Their call is titled, Let Us Hold President Donald Trump to his Word: Endorse the Glass-Steagall Act in Your State of the Union Address! Their petition, addressed to any and allOur Revolution, Tea Party, Republicans, Democrats, Labor, and Business, states:

We the undersigned strongly feel the need for protecting our economy from another unnecessary market crash and recession like the one experienced in December of 2007. As you take office, the conditions for a collapse are too similar to those of 2007: rising asset values together with a lack of separation between FDIC-insured banking and risk-investment brokering. We applaud your campaign statement in Charlotte, North Carolina, October 26, 2016, endorsing a call for A 21st Century version of Glass-Steagall and reintroducing a modern day Glass-Steagall Act. We trust that you understand that stabilizing the business climate and securing the assets as separate from Wall Street speculation is a key to prosperity during your administration. To set the tone of discourse in Congress 2017, we ask that you restate your support for a Glass-Steagall Act during your State of the Union address. Be assured in doing so, you will find common ground with both the Republicans and the Democrats since both party platforms have the support of banking legislation that separates insured accounts from Wall Street speculation in their respective platforms. . . .

This Ohio initiative follows on the heels of earlier action by the Illinois House of Delegates which adopted a resolution to the U.S. Congress, not only for Glass-Steagall, but for a broader program to save the economy. That resolution is given here in part:

WHEREAS, A return to a durable recovery will require adoption of national credit and national banking policies as was done by Alexander Hamilton, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy; the program of federal credit to industry, states and cities built the industry and agriculture of our nation; WHEREAS, National credit, under this Constitutional program, can be made available for the creation of productive jobs in infrastructure, manufacturing, and high technology projects, thus creating mass employment for our now heavily unemployed and underemployed workforce, especially young people; therefore, be it RESOLVED, we urge the United States Congress to immediately adopt the American Recovery program by doing the following: 1) Restore the provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act, and pass the relevant bill in the U.S. House of Representatives and a bill in the U.S. Senate which aim to immediately restore the separation of investment and commercial banking; Glass-Steagall was law for 66 years; it prevented banking crises like the one experienced in 2008; 2) Return to a national banking and a federal credit system, modeled on the principles of Alexander Hamiltons First Bank of the United States, which built all the infrastructure of the nation for the first 40 years; it was re-instituted as Abraham Lincolns National Banking-Greenback policy that built everything from railroads to steel mills;. . . 3) Use the federal credit system to build a modern network of high speed rail, power generating systems, water projects, such as those urgently needed in the Southwest and cities like Flint, Michigan; Chicago; Philadelphia; and others nationwide; and other critical programs; and 4) Launch a program to rebuild our space program to put a permanent manned colony on the Moon and explore the solar system, and develop a program to create nuclear fusion, to finally solve the energy needs of the nation and the planet. . . .

Similar resolutions have now been introduced into the Illinois Senate, and the North Carolina House of Delegates.

The Battle Lines, and the Stakes

In a major campaign speech at Charlotte, North Carolina, on Oct. 26, 2016, then candidate Donald Trump issued a forceful call for passage of a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act. Subsequently, he defended and reiterated that call. Response from the establishment media outlets has been one of almost violent opposition, including demands that Trump remove Glass-Steagall from the agenda of his incoming administration. The life-and-death battle for Glass-Steagall is now upon us. It is not a fight between the Republican and Democratic parties. On the one side is the growing cross-party coalition of forces which LaRouche PAC is determined to lead to victory for Glass-Steagall. In opposition, the Wall Street faction in both parties, including among both Democratic and Republican members of Congress, is fiercely determined to stop the restoration of Glass-Steagall.

This is no mere economic policy debate. In 2010, a senior American economist who was in an advisory capacity to the Obama Administration, was in the City of London, and had a meeting with a very senior official of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This economist was given a very specific message, with the understanding that it would get back to the United States, and would not only get into the White House, but would be delivered as well to Lyndon LaRouche. The message was, that if the United States moved to reinstate Glass-Steagall, this would be considered a casus belli by the British. In other words, it would be considered an act of war, against the British Empire, if the United States were to return to Glass-Steagall.

Two years later, in an interview published in Rolling Stone magazine, President Barack Obama forcefully and uncompromisingly stated that Glass-Steagall would never be allowed during his Presidency.

Two things that must be understood from these 2010-2012 events are, first, that the Empire which will go to war against Glass-Steagall is not the nation-state of Great Britain, but rather that financial empire centered in London, an empire which most emphatically encompasses most of present-day Wall Street, i.e., those banking and financial forces who see Glass-Steagall as a dagger aimed at their hearts, one which will end their present-day global power. Second, Barack Obama, the puppet of this London-centered empire, is the same President who has murdered hundreds through his personally-authorized drone attacks, and brutalized countless others. Obamas statements against Glass-Steagall must be taken as deadly threats against Glass-Steagalls proponents.

In each of the past two Congressional sessions, more than one hundred Representatives and Senators have sponsored or co-sponsored bills to restore Glass-Steagall, and in discussions with the LaRouche PAC organizing team on Jan. 3, several members of Congress indicated that they are ready to re-introduce Glass-Steagall legislation again in both Houses of Congress. At the same time, glimmers of an actual bi-partisan approach to rebuilding the American economy were seen in last weeks press conference by several anti-free-trade Democratic Representatives, such as Ohios Marcy Kaptur, Oregons Peter DeFazio, and Connecticuts Rosa DeLauro (all Glass-Steagall supporters in the last Congress), accompanied by AFL-CIO head Richard Trumka, where they announced that they are prepared to work with President Trump on rewriting NAFTA, and will give very strong support for any such endeavor.

Nevertheless, Wall Streets puppetsincluding both radical free-market Republicans as well as the Obama/Hillary Clinton Democratic forcesare mobilizing to defend the global speculative regime. The Democratic National Committee announced that it has hired former Hillary Clinton campaign staffers to beef up its war room against the incoming President and to protect President Obamas legacy, as stated by DNC interim chair Donna Brazilewhile Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York made clear to Glass-Steagall advocates last week that he is flatly opposed to Glass-Steagall.

 Given the reality that, in the recent election campaign, the platforms for both the Democratic and Republican parties contained planks endorsing Glass-Steagall;  given the announced support for Glass-Steagall by President-Elect Trump;  given the support for Glass-Steagall expressed to the LPAC lobbying team by members of Congress on Jan. 3, and  given the grass-roots mobilization by ordinary citizens, Democrats, and Republicans alike, now taking place throughout the nation; It is abundantly clear that adequate forces exist now, at this moment, to accomplish a successful passage of Glass-Steagall. The real issue is one of a willingness to fight through for victory.

In truth, the one hundred-plus members of Congress who signed onto Glass-Steagall legislation during the last several sessions of Congress, did very little to actually fight for it. One complaint often heard from them was, There is no chance of passing this; we dont have the votes. But, was that response one that was motivated by pessimismor by fear? In the years since 9/11 and the Patriot Act, and since the 2007-2008 bank bailoutsbailouts which defined the integrity of the Wall Street financial system as a matter of national securitythe power of the London/Wall Street apparatus over our nation has become frightening. Most Congressmen and most Americans fear to challenge it.

Remember that in February of 1933, one month prior to his inauguration, there was an assassination attempt against Franklin Roosevelt, and following that, during the next twelve months a conspiracy was hatched by leading Wall Street elements to carry out a military coup in the United States, a coup plot which was exposed in Congressional testimony in 1934.

Greater courage is now required. Recognize, however, that much of the hysteria, which we are now seeing in the establishment news media, about what Trump might do, signals that it is now our enemies who are increasingly afraid. The tables have been turned, and the passage of Glass-Steagall is now on the agenda. This will open the door for both U.S. participation in the Russia-China-BRICS New Paradigm of global economic development as well as the full agenda for progress enunciated by Lyndon LaRouche in his Four Laws. An all-out fight, a total mobilization for Glass-Steagall, now! can win the day.
PRESS RELEASE

Gerasimov Refutes Ash Carters Claim that Russia Has Done Virtually Zero Against ISIS in Syria

Jan. 11, 2017 (EIRNS)Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, reported, yesterday, that Russian warplanes in Syria have flown 19,160 sorties, delivering 71,000 strikes against terrorist targets.

"Our aviation targeted militants training camps, ammunition factories and workshops, and also illegal oil-extraction facilities of terrorists of the ISIL"

he said, adding that the Russian air task force

"destroyed more than 200 such objectives, 174 oil refineries, and 111 oil tank convoys." In Gerasimovs estimate, "this helped both disrupt the system of ISIL illegal armed formations supply and deprive them of their basic source of revenues."

With the support of Russias air task force, the Syrian government troops have liberated 12,360 square kilometers of Syrias territory and 499 communities since the start of its operation, the chief of the General Staff said.

"The actions by our air task force started on September 30, 2015, have reversed the course of the struggle against terrorism in the Syrian Arab Republic,"

he noted.

"Over this period, large illegal armed formations were routed near Hama and Homs. The province of Latakia has been freed from militants, the liberation of Damascus suburbs is nearing completion, and the basic transport artery linking the capital with the countrys north has been unblocked. The cities of Aleppo and Al-Karyatein that are of key significance have been liberated"

Gerasimov said.

And, in what was an obvious rebuke to Ash Carter, who claimed during a Jan. 8 appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, that the Russian military deployment in Syria has done next to nothing against ISIS, Gerasimov said that the U.S.-led coalition was far less effective.

"They [the US-led coalition] have not achieved any significant success. At the same time, a large number of civilian deaths as well as Syrian government troops deaths has been recorded"

Gerasimov noted, referring to the Sept. 17, 2016, U.S.-led air strike on Syrian troops in Deir Ezzor.
If listening is an art, then the narrator of Rachel Cusks new novel, Transit, is a virtuoso. Faye, a writer, has recently returned to London with her two sons following a divorce. As she goes about rebooting her life, she listens to contractors, builders, old boyfriends, cousins, hairdressers, students, fellow writers, panel chairs, real estate agents, prospective love interests and more. Indeed, as in Cusks last novel, Outline (2015)  set in Athens, and also narrated by Faye  the majority of this hypnotizing new offering is composed of the sometimes pages-long speeches of Fayes interlocutors, who seem, once they have started talking, either unwilling or unable to stop.

Sometimes, as in the equal parts hilarious and unbearable case of a logorrheic fellow writer named Julian, the speakers are already blabbing away when Faye encounters them, and all she has to do is sit back and let them talk. With others, like an initially reticent male student in Fayes creative writing workshop, a bit of prompting at the outset is required and then a story pours forth. Still others, like a group of women Faye encounters at her cousins house, require something resembling ongoing engagement from Faye to continue speaking. But speak and speak and speak they all do.

If this sounds like a recipe for sleep soup, rest assured: It is anything but. This is because everything in the novel is filtered through Faye, and Faye is as funny and moving and ruthlessly articulate as she is good at paying attention. She is also up to something. At first, we might be forgiven for imagining that her central aim is satirical: to expose the many quacks and mansplainers who cross her path and the quirks of contemporary life that come to mind.

Advertisement

This is certainly part of the calculus in and great pleasure of Transit: A friend of mine, depressed in the wake of his divorce, had recently admitted that he often felt moved to tears by the concern for his health and well-being expressed in the phraseology of adverts and food packaging, and by the automated voices on trains and buses, apparently anxious that he might miss his stop; he actually felt something akin to love, he said, for the female voice that guided him while he was driving his car, so much more devotedly than his wife ever had.

Faye is as funny and moving and ruthlessly articulate as she is good at paying attention. She is also up to something.

But Faye doesnt just offer funny send-ups and skewerings of the computer-generated astrologers, ex-boyfriends and nasty neighbors who importune her; we also hear from people she clearly loves, like her sons, or those she feels both empathy and disdain for, like a female student obsessed for odd reasons with the painter Marsden Hartley. Listening, and then reporting  to the page, to us  what she has heard, is a way of being for Faye, one she is actively, interestingly pursuing. As she says deep in the novel, I had found out more, I said, by listening than I had ever thought possible. One suspects that Cusk has too.

Many of the things she finds out are strange and striking. Once she has gotten her workshop student to speak, we discover that he is not just the innocuous, empty bumbler being dominated by a fellow student that he first appears to be. His pride and joy is a handsome dog, a Saluki, a breed renowned for its grace and ability to follow instruction and act as one with its pack. As he observes, about the day he first goes to pick it up and finds it among its fellows, Whenever their trainer passed, the nine long, elegant noses would lift in perfect synchronicity and follow her movement like nine compasses. The student goes on, in the wake of the subtlest prompts from Faye, to speak with depth and passion, channeling in turn, as Faye does his, the voice of the breeder, who first encountered the dogs on a beach in Oman: There, running along the sand beside the frill of surf, was a pack of dogs. Their silence and lightness and speed was such that they appeared almost to be some kind of hallucination.

Another notable interaction also takes us far from the autumnal gloom of London. Conversing with one of the builders working on her new apartment, an otherwise laconic man named Pavel, Faye learns that he has built a house in a forest in his native Poland. The house had enormous windows, he went on, that went from the ceiling to the floor. In every room  even the bathroom  the forest was so visible that you almost felt you were living in the open air.

Like Pavels, the house of fiction is made from materials both transparent and opaque. We dont know, of course, what Faye, a fiction writer, is choosing to leave out or to underplay or invent in her reconstructions. She makes no promises to us. Nor does her creator, Cusk, whose life looks from a distance to have more than a little in common with Fayes. This is fictional autobiography or autobiographical fiction that refuses to name  and thereby limit  itself.

A concomitant desire to understand or at least illuminate the mechanisms and limits of freedom moves insistently through the pages of Transit. It is not for nothing that Fayes new apartment, whose floors and walls are being ripped out and replaced, sits at the center of the book. Fayes interest transcends the very real concerns of how to balance feeling simultaneously unmoored and liberated of someone rebuilding her life after the messy breakup of a marriage. It seems clear that Faye has been thinking about and listening for useful information on this subject for a good while.

When, in the relatively rare moments that Faye reveals what she has been moved to think about all she is taking in, she never draws easy conclusions, or offers explicit judgment, so we are free to draw and make our own. This kind of freedom is no small gift. It is hard to have to wait for Cusks next novel to see where Fayes listening, and readouts of it will take her, and us, next.

Laird Hunts new novel, The Evening Road, is out in February.

Transit

Rachel Cusk

Farrar, Straus and Giroux: 272 pp., $26
With 655.8 number of miles winding along the California coast on Highway 1, 101 miles of jaw-dropping stops along the way, 10 uncrowded beaches invite you to leave your shoes in the car and 12 state parks invite the explorer in you to go for a hike. For anyone looking to get away, the Coastal Discovery Route beckons.

Departing from Los Angeles traveling north, the Highway 1 Coastal Discovery Route has many reasons for a pit-stop  even when you dont need one. Midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in beautiful coastal San Luis Obispo County, awaits an amazing number of must-see and must-do destinations.

Ever seen a castle? Hearst Castle welcomes visitors from all around the world. Not too be left behind in the waves are the bountiful wine regions, and farm-to-table cuisine options to delight all your senses. Unique wildlife habitats and sights that leave a postcard in your mind, this 101-mile stretch of Highway 1 offers everything you could want for a relaxed and inspiring vacation, including 500 lodging choices.

Advertisement

So wherever you roam along the Highway 1 Discovery Route, you will find the best of Highway 1. Experience the Perfect 10 or learn more at www.highway1discoveryroute.com.
Income growth is slowing for the highest-earning Californians.

Thats the single biggest driver of the $1.6-billion deficit projected on a $179.5-billion overall budget by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday. And once again it is raising the question of whether California has grown too reliant on taxing rich people with often wildly fluctuating incomes.

We are lining ourselves up for a massive budgetary crisis. Its a function of when and not if, said Chris Thornberg, co-founder of Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm. Its hard to feel bad for someone whose income goes from $2 million to $1 million in a year, but the reality is that is going to have a tremendous impact on our budget.

Advertisement

The top 10% of earners  who made an average of $404,184 in 2014  paid 79% of all personal income tax revenue that year, up from 70% two decades ago.

California is so dependent on high earners to fill state coffers partly because of Proposition 30, a measure approved in 2012 that temporarily raised taxes on people earning more than $250,000. Those rates were set to begin phasing out in 2018, but on Nov. 8 voters elected to prolong them by approving Proposition 55, which extends higher taxes through 2030.

Those propositions have increased the dependence of the state on a volatile tax base, said Jerry Nickelsburg, an economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast.

Supporters of continuing to tax the wealthy at high levels  people earning more than $263,000 in 2015 paid a top state income tax rate of 10.3%  say its crucial to keep state money flowing to public services. Although the top 10% may see their income fluctuate from year to year, they point out, rich people have steadily increased their earnings for decades.

If not this revenue source, then which? said Jonathan Kaplan, a policy analyst at the California Budget Center. This was the only game in town, and we believe those who have more resources in the state should carry a bigger burden than those who have less.

Personal income tax make will make up 69% of total revenue in the state next fiscal year, meaning that the richest people in the state probably will supply more than half of its revenue.

Alternative sources of revenue have their own problems. Some lawmakers and economists have proposed raising property taxes, especially on commercial real estate, but that would require marshaling the Legislature and the voting public to overturn Proposition 13s limits on property reassessments.

Another option is a tax on services other than rent, utilities and healthcare; Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) has introduced two bills to apply such a tax, and both died last year.

The state doesnt yet have data on how much personal income from the highest earners declined last year. But it does track income from sources other than salaries, which captures the money that the highest earners get when they, for example, sell stocks or cash in on options to buy shares. That type of income dropped 4% in 2016 compared with 2015.

Its not growing as fast as expected, said Irena Asmundson, chief economist at the state Department of Finance.

The slowdown in those windfall earnings is the central factor behind the projected deficit next fiscal year, although slower wage growth in sectors that pay the highest salaries will also dent the budget, Asmundson said.

Industries that typically offer fat paychecks  finance, professional services and information, which includes the movie business and some technology firms  will increase their wages about 1 percentage point less than expected in 2017, the Department of Finance projects.

Personal income overall will grow more slowly in coming years, the department says. It estimates that taxable personal income went up 6.3% in 2015 and projects that it will slow to a 4.4% uptick by 2020.

A sluggish market for new technology stocks could be tamping down the incomes of the richest Californians, Asmundson acknowledged.

Only 21 tech companies last year took the plunge to sell stock for the first time. Those initial public offerings, or IPOs, often generate large payouts to employees and big capital gains taxes for the state.

Existing tech stocks such as those of Menlo Park, Calif.-based Facebook and Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia  a maker of electronics chips for game players and mobile devices whose share price gained nearly 227% last year  held up in a volatile market. But they could face greater challenges this year, which influences the decision by newer companies to go public and could be contributing to the states scaled-back outlook.

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley  the source of so much of the states wealth  is tightening its belt in other ways.

After about three years of booming investment, venture capital flowing to young companies tumbled 12% nationally in 2016, to $69 billion from a peak of near $80 billion the year before, according to data from the PitchBook research firm. Even companies that raised financing said they were holding large chunks in the bank as a hedge against more difficult fundraising conditions.

Facebook has warned that the number of ads it can show users might max out this year, flattening sales growth. In December, Google parent company Alphabet eschewed its usual holiday bonus of free gadgets for employees in favor of a charitable donation as the Mountain View, Calif., giant continues to exercise greater spending discipline.

And slowing iPhone sales are weighing on Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, which recorded a revenue decline for the first time since 2001 last year and cut Chief Executive Tim Cooks pay by about $1.6 million, to $8.7 million, in 2016.

The state can look to the expected IPO of Snapchat developer Snap Inc. in coming months as a big tax event. But the Venice companys windfall will be much smaller than that of the 2012 Facebook IPO. Facebook at the time had double the number of employees and as much as quadruple the valuation.

People may have deferred income, and state and federal taxes, late last year in hopes of favorable policy changes under the Trump administration, said David Neighbors, principal at Silicon Valley accounting firm Gallina. Others have shifted their incomes out of California to avoid the states high rates under Brown, he said.

High-net-worth individuals would definitely take advantage of those opportunities, Neighbors said.

On the other hand, state revenue could at least briefly pick up in the coming months as people cash out of holdings in the hot stock market, he predicted.

More broadly, Browns finance department is weighing the possibility that Californias six-plus years of post-recession economic expansion will finally begin to fade.

The states current run  five years of more than 2% job growth  puts it well beyond the average length of expansions in the post-World War II era, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance. The dot-com bust of 2001 and the financial crisis of 2008 offer a glimpse into the massive losses that wealthy investors can experience if markets plunge.

The law of averages suggests that we are due for an expansion to end, Palmer said.

Independent economists mostly dont expect the state to fall back into a recession anytime soon, however. They see the post-election upswing in the stock market as a sign that the finances of the wealthy could fare better than expected in 2017.

Not to be discounted is how the tax revenue estimates play into the Brown teams budget bargaining strategy, said Thornberg, the Beacon Economics co-founder.

Its how he opens negotiations  you never put your cards on the table, you start out with a very dismal view, Thornberg said.

Natalie.Kitroeff@latimes.com

Twitter: @NatalieKitro

paresh.dave@latimes.com

Twitter: @peard33

ALSO

Allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices is a popular solution to healthcare costs. But it may not work

Verizon chops unlimited data plans: Big users can switch or be disconnected

This is Us is TVs biggest new hit. So why did Fox give it to NBC?
Disneylands Fastpass ticketing system, which lets visitors avoid the long lines for crowded attractions by booking a ride time, has been a free feature since it was created in 1999.

But Disney announced Wednesday that it will let parkgoers use the Disneyland smartphone app to electronically book and redeem Fastpasses, as well as download unlimited photos taken by resort photographers  for $10 a day.



For the record: An earlier version of this story stated that the new digital Fastpass system at the Disneyland resort will launch next year. It is set to launch later this year.

The resort said the new electronic feature will launch later this year.

Advertisement

The advantage of the electronic Fastpass is that park visitors dont have to stand in line at a Fastpass kiosk to retrieve a ticket to book a time to get on an attraction and avoid the long queues. But visitors will have to wait until they get past the turnstiles to book the digital Fastpass, rather than doing so from home or elsewhere in the resort.

Disney also announced that it will add the Fastpass feature on two existing attractions, Toy Story Mania in Disney California Adventure park and Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland. That means the resort will increase to 16 the total number of attractions that are available for Fastpass access.

The new digital Fastpass option, dubbed Maxpass, will operate alongside the free, paper Fastpass ticket system.

The immediate response to the news was mixed on theme park blog sites.

Some park fans wondered if annual pass holders who already get unlimited photo downloads will still have to pay an extra $10 just to get the digital Fastpass service. Disney officials said they will soon answer that question.

Other parkgoers complained that the feature is squeezing more money from guests who have already endured regular ticket price increases.

This is TERRIBLE, Luke Renfro wrote on the DisneyParks blog. I cant believe you would charge extra for this feature. Awful.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.

ALSO

Disney fans gather to celebrate  and mourn  the Tower of Terror

Theme park crime: Counterfeiters prefer Disneyland; shoplifters like Universal Studios Hollywood

The paper-cutting silhouette artists of Disneyland are quick and affordable. Sit for them on Main Street

UPDATES:

3:05 p.m.: This article was updated to note that the new digital Fastpass program will be called Maxpass and that it will operate alongside the traditional paper ticket system.

This article was originally published at 2:50 p.m., January 12.
A Massachusetts judge has ordered Exxon Mobil to submit 40 years of documents regarding the companys studies of the impact of fossil fuels on climate change.

Superior Court Judge Heidi E. Brieger said state law supports arguments by Massachusetts attorney general that the government agency has the authority to pursue questions about whether Exxon Mobil misled the public about the role fossil fuels play in climate change.

Exxon Mobil had argued that Atty. Gen. Maura Healey was biased against the company because of public statements during a news conference with other attorneys general about their investigations.

Advertisement

In her 14-page order, Brieger disagreed with Exxon Mobil and backed Healeys actions.

It is the attorney generals duty to investigate Exxon if she believes it has violated the law, Brieger said in her order, issued Wednesday. Nothing in the attorney generals comments at the press conference indicates to the court that she is doing anything more than explaining reasons for her investigation.

Several attorneys general launched investigations into the oil and gas giants position on climate change after the Los Angeles Times reported that internal company documents suggested that during the 1980s and 1990s the company used climate research as part of its planning and other business practices but simultaneously argued publicly that climate change science was not clear-cut.

Californias attorney general also launched an investigation.

Exxon Mobil has rejected allegations that it suppressed climate change research contained in media reports.

An Exxon Mobil spokesman said the company is reviewing the decision.

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), who had called on federal authorities to investigate Exxon Mobil, said the judges decision offers another avenue for consumer protection.

One of the reasons America is great is the separation of powers in federalism, Lieu said. Here you have the judiciary ordering Exxon to provide documents about what they knew and when they knew it.

UPDATES:

3 p.m.: This article was updated with Times staff reporting, replacing an earlier version by the Associated Press.

This article was originally published at 11:45 a.m.
High ceilings, gracefully arched French doors and wrought-iron balconies contribute to the elegance of this Spanish-style house in Santa Monica. California coastal and European design elements blend to create a resortlike dwelling with ample indoor-outdoor living space.

Address: 215 21st Place, Santa Monica 90402

Price: $4.595 million

1 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 2 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 3 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 4 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 5 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 6 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 7 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 8 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 9 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 10 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 11 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 12 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 13 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 14 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 15 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 16 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography) 17 / 17 Home of the Day | Santa Monica (Todd Goodman / LA Light Photography)

Built: 1998

Lot size: 7,625 square feet

House size: 4,598 square feet, five bedrooms, five bathrooms

Features: Foyer, exposed-beam living room, temperature-controlled wine room, kitchen island, butlers pantry, breakfast room, family room, two indoor fireplaces, outdoor kitchen, separate guest house

Advertisement

About the area: The median sale price for single-family homes in the 90402 ZIP Code in November was $3.835 million based on eight sales, according to CoreLogic. That was a 23.4% increase compared with the same month last year.

Agent: John Hathorn, Partners Trust, (310) 500-1288

To submit a candidate for Home of the Day, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to lauren.beale2@latimes.com.

Follow Lauren Beale on Twitter @LATHotProperty.

See more Homes of the Day:

A Malibu mobile home made for outdoor entertaining

Log home at Big Bear Lake is set near the ski slopes

Newly built contemporary in Encino blends luxury with comfort
Hugh Hefner is living out his days in the Playboy Mansion, even though the legendary property no longer belongs to him.

The 29-room Holmby Hills home went on the market with a unique stipulation: that its 90-year-old resident be allowed to stay until he passes away. Last summer, investor Daren Metropoulos agreed, buying the mansion for $100 million and promising to lease it to Hefner for $1 million a year.

Till-death-do-us-part property deals are a regular part of estate planning in Southern California, home to scads of older wealthy residents in high-value homes.

Advertisement

Socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor resided in her Bel-Air estate until her death Dec. 18 at age 99, despite selling the 28-room property for $11 million three years prior. Gabor bought the French Regency-style mansion  which counts Howard Hughes and Elvis Presley as former tenants  in 1973.

Theres this whole subculture, this unseen gray market of properties in Southern California, where really sophisticated sellers are selling these hugely appreciated assets or gifting them to Cedars Sinai or USC while staying in the house, said Dana Taschner, who runs a boutique law firm in Los Angeles.

Guaranteeing lifelong residency can happen in several ways.

Homeowners who dont want to sell can set up a life estate that passes the property to their heirs  family or otherwise  while reserving the right to remain until death. The future beneficiaries, known as remaindermen, hold legal interest in the home and dont have to worry about tricky probate issues.

Charitable remainder annuity trusts are another option. Rather than sell their home and risk a capital gains hit, some homeowners opt to gift it. As part of the deal, some ask to retain residency, with annuity payments for life from the charity

The income tax deduction can be hefty. In Southern California, some institutions are so flooded with offers of gifted homes that theyre selective about which properties theyll accept, Taschner said.

If youre selling a company or a big chunk of stock, giving your home to an institution may be the singular biggest write-off youll have for that particular year, he said.

Occasionally, though, older homeowners with cash-flow concerns will sell a property and demand down and annuity payments to support their continued occupancy.

Its similar to a French concept known as viager  for life. In viager deals, property buyers make a down payment and then send regular sums to the home seller for the rest of the latters life.

Essentially, its a morbid form of real estate speculation. Buyers gamble that the tenant dies before the the full value of the property is paid out. Switzerland considers viager so risky that it banned the practice.

The difference in the U.S. is that such deals generally arent quite as risky. The buyer is usually on the hook for the full value of the house, regardless of when the seller passes away. The total can be paid up front or over time.

But the arrangements can still be tricky. Buyers often want a discounted price in exchange for waiting an indeterminate amount of time to inhabit or control the property.

Older homeowners can also engineer a range of hybrid solutions to retain residency, said Kira S. Masteller, an estate planning attorney and shareholder at the Lewitt Hackman law firm in Encino. They can negotiate with buyers or heirs about property tax payments and maintenance responsibilities, the chain of command for improvements or rental income and more.

Such decisions are informed by a host of factors, such as tenant age and property reputation.

Other times, buyers end up paying to move the tenant out of the house into long-term assisted medical care to keep them from dying on the property.

It puts a bit of a cloud over the value of the house if you somebody passed away in the master bedroom, Taschner said.

Masteller said less than 5% of her well-heeled clients resort to till-death-do-us-part property deals.

Its for limited situations, she said. The average person would not do this type of agreement.

hotproperty@latimes.com

MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY

DJ Mustard buys a gated spread in Chatsworth for $2.36 million

Eva Longoria parts with Mediterranean villa in the Hollywood Hills

Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof sell their Brentwood home for $8.16 million

Zootopia director Rich Moore buys a Mediterranean in historic Whitley Heights
For Cannupa Hanska Luger, the protests at Standing Rock are personal. The artist, who makes sculpture, video and installations, was born on the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, and he is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, whose territory is nearby. He is in possession of German and Norwegian blood too. I am North Dakota, he jokes.

Now based in New Mexico, where he was recently an artist in residence at the Institute of American Indian Arts, he has been traveling to his home state over the last nine months to support the encampment in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline. Though many protesters left the site after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the pipeline in early December  and after a hard winter set in  the encampment is still active.

In this lightly edited telephone conversation, which took place late in December, he discusses what its been like to watch the protests evolve, why these have been so important to Native American culture and what inspired him to produce mirrored shields to help protect activists on the front lines.

What was it like to see Standing Rock develop into one of the major news events of 2016?

Advertisement

Its been pretty interesting  even more so being from that region and growing up around there. When we were kids, we used to fish and dive off of those bridges that are now the front lines. That river is home. I go back every summer guaranteed. Ive been up seven or eight times since this whole thing began.

SPECIAL SERIES: Are Hollywood values out of touch with America? 

My dads side of the family, they have a ranch in the Standing Rock reservation. My moms side is from Fort Berthold [reservation], which is where the current oil fields are. I watched that community get destroyed by the extraction of oil. Ive seen wells poisoned. Ive seen the cycles of boom and bust.

Artists, we live on the periphery. But we are the mirrors.  Cannupa Hanska Luger, artist

A lot of artists Ive spoken with have described their journeys to the Standing Rock encampment as transformative.

It seems like everyone who has interacted with the space, there is something transformative that has happened there. The medias general interest is in struggle porn, so people have missed what is beautiful about it.

When you first come through the gate  there is one entrance and one exit  they look through your car. They ask you if you have weapons or drugs. Then you are welcomed in, and they say, Welcome home. Your first interaction is being included, which is not something that people are used to in this country. This is an exclusive country. Its all about fences and borders.

You set up camp and someone gives you firewood. The whole thing of guarding your stuff goes away. Its so much easier to share things. Culturally we have a practice called seven generations. As you walk through the world, you are not yourself. You are not a singularity. You are not an American individualist bootstrapping bull .... You are only borrowing this place from children you will never meet. And the only reason you have an opportunity to do that is because elders took care of it for you.

Everybody came in hoping to experience something new, something profound. But when they got there, they realized theyre not a part of something new, theyve just been absorbed into something that is much older than the entire country. Thats incredibly humbling.

What do you think Standing Rock has done for societys understanding of indigenous culture and issues?

The big difference is that I think [people have] had the opportunity to encounter us not as a mystic, romantic other. Its just like, Dude, were just human beings. What does Lakota mean in English? It literally means the people.

This is why we say this is not a protest, why we are water protectors. Were not just in protest of a pipeline. What we are trying to do is maintain a cultural practice. This is our culture. Its a part of our society.

Our original bible, that comes down from on high, it is the land. We have an oral tradition and we tell stories about magical characters that are bound to the landscape, that are bound to geology. Why is that stone red? There is a story. So where everyone else sees a pipeline and progress, what we see is someone going through our bible and editing things without any care, ripping a line straight through that story.

The medias general interest is in struggle porn, so people have missed what is beautiful about it.  Artist Cannupa Hanska Luger on the Standing Rock protests

The battle for the pipeline isnt over, but having the Army Corps of Engineers deny the permit certainly stands as an important victory.

The amazing thing is that whether you were Native or not, what we witnessed up there is the awakening of a giant that has been sleeping. Its the power of us as living things  rather than us waiting for somebody to save us. It was so grass roots.

Native people have never been subject to that amount of solidarity. It left everybody awestruck. And the number of Native people coming together, nothing like this has been seen since the 19th century. Enemies that had previously been enemies, coming together  theres no way for me to describe to you what that means. Its far too profound.

One of Cannupa Hanska Lugers mirror shields reflects police in riot gear at Standing Rock. (Rob Wilson / Rob Wilson Photography )

You made a series of mirrored shields that you distributed to people on the front lines. How did that come about?

I was inspired by these activists in the Ukraine. These women  old women and children  and they came out and carried mirrors from their bathrooms and into the street to show these riot policemen what they looked like. From the photos I saw, it seemed profoundly effective. I wanted to bring that same level of recognition to the front lines there.

But Standing Rock is in the middle of nowhere. I didnt want people to bring mirrors to the front line and get hit with batons and cause more damage than good. So what we needed was a mirrored shield. So I came up with a simple, easy and cheap design to make these mirrored shields using vinyl and Masonite  materials you can find in any hardware store. From one sheet of Masonite, you could make six shields.

I started making them after that Sunday that they were hitting people with hoses. I personally made close to 100 of them. But then another group out of Minneapolis made 500. I have no idea how many are in circulation. But I keep seeing them here and there.

What role do you think artists can have in protest?

Being an artist, it is a way to weaponize privilege. I could have been on the front line a dozen times, but my wife said, You are one person there; you are 10,000 here  where you can engage all of these resources.

I did a mural at the Center for Civil and Human Rights [in Atlanta] about these issues because I had the opportunity. And if I dont utilize every amount of privilege for a cause thats worthwhile, then what is the point? If I am not for you, then who am I for?

Artists, we live on the periphery. But we are the mirrors. We are the reflective points that break through a barrier. You dont have to be in the same economic place that I am to relate to the work that I make. That is the power of art.

We are not rich people. But we are incredibly wealthy. We have ideas.

Below, We Are in Crisis, a video by artists Cannupa Hanska Luger, Dylan Mclaughlin, Ginger Dunnill, Merritt Johnson and Nicholas Galanin, that serves as a meditation on the issues at play in Standing Rock:

Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 



carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah

ALSO:

Art, celebrity and how Standing Rock will shape protest in the Trump years

John Scalzis 10-point plan for getting creative work done in the age of Trump

The notion of a liberal agenda in Hollywood is absurd

Postcommoditys Repellent Fence made of air rises at the border
This week: Indonesian shadow theater at REDCAT, five short plays by Samuel Beckett at the Odyssey, and Segerstroms Off-Center Festival continues.

Chapatti Two animal lovers in Dublin connect in Christian OReillys romantic comedy. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Sun., 5:30 p.m.; Wed., 7:30 p.m.; Thu., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 5:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 29. $40-$65. (949) 497-2787.

A Touch of the Poet Return engagement of Eugene ONeills drama set in early 19th century New England. Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice. Sun., next Sun., 3 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; other dates; ends Jan. 29. $25-$30. (310) 822-8392.

Advertisement

The Best Friends Club #1: A Great Idea New sketch show inspired by The Baby-Sitters Club book series. Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, 5919 Franklin Ave., L.A. Tue., 9:30 p.m. $7. www.losangeles.ucbtheatre.com

Matilda  The Musical Orange County premiere of this Tony-winning adaptation of Roald Dahls childrens book about a mischievous schoolgirl. Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tue.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 29. $29 and up. (714) 556-2787.

Saturday Night Fever  The Musical Stage adaptation of the disco-themed 1977 drama that starred John Travolta. The Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Tue.-Wed., 7:30 p.m. $33 and up. (805) 899-2222.

27th Annual LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards Ceremony Includes musical performances by DOMA Theatre Company. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Tue., 7:30 p.m. $100. www.OvationAwards.com

Adler & Gibb U.S. premiere of Tim Crouchs drama about two conceptual artists in late 20th century New York. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 29. $25-$70. (213) 628-2772.

Amy Snowden & Friends An evening of comedy. Comedy Central Stage @ The Hudson, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. Wed., 8 p.m. Free; reservations required. (323) 960-5519.

Bassem Youssef: The Joke Is Mightier Than the Sword CAP UCLA presents the Egyptian comic and TV host. Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood. Wed., 8 p.m. $19-$39. (310) 825-2101.

7th Annual Company Creation Festival New works by local ensembles, performed in repertory; details at www.sonofsemele.org. Son of Semele Theater, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A. Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 5 p.m.; ends Feb. 12. $18. (213) 351-3507.

fellowship Cornerstone Theater Company presents this immersive work in which audience members are invited to help prepare sack lunches to feed the hungry in L.A.; details at www.CornerstoneTheater.org. Various locations, L.A. Thu.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 5 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb. 12. Pay what you can (suggested donation, $20). (800) 578-1335.

Late Company A Canadian couple hosts a small dinner party a year after the suicide of their gay son in the U.S. premiere engagement of Jordan Tannahills drama. Theatre 40, Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills. Thu., 8 p.m.; Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb. 19. $30. (310) 364-0535.

Latin Standards Marga Gomez explores her life as a comic, a lesbian, and daughter of a famed Cuban entertainer in this solo show; for mature audiences; part of the Off-Center Festival. Judy Morr Theater, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends Jan. 21. $25. (714) 556-2787.

Time of Women Belarus Free Theatre presents this docudrama about three women imprisoned for protesting election results in Belarus in 2010; in Russian with English subtitles; for mature audiences; part of the Off-Center Festival. Studio Performance Space, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 21 $25. (714) 556-2787.

Whose Stories? Who Tells Them? Series of five panel discussions on writers and diversity. Various venues in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. Thursdays, 7 p.m.; ends Feb. 18. Free. www.sierramadreplayhouse.org

Dina Martina The drag artist presents music, comedy and more. Cavern Club Theater, 1920 Hyperion Ave., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 8 and 10 p.m.; ends Jan. 28. $25. (800) 838-3006.

The MisMatch Game Host Dennis Hensley returns with a new edition of his off-color send-up of the 1970s-era game show. L.A. Gay & Lesbian Centers Renberg Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. $15. (323) 860-7300.

Rose and the Rime A young woman seeks the witch who murdered her parents in the West Coast premiere of this dark fable. Sacred Fools Theater Company, 1076 Lillian Way, Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends Feb. 7 p.m. $25. (310) 281-8337.

Under the Streetlamp Vocal quartet sings classic doo-wop, pop, rock and more. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Fri., 8 p.m. $50-$85. (562) 467-8818.

What If? Jenny Jacobs new autobiographical cabaret show. The Found Theatre, 599 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach. Fri.-Sat., 7 p.m.; next Sun., 4 p.m.; ends Jan. 22. $20. (562) 433-3363.

Beckett5 The KOAN Unit presents five short plays by Absurdist playwright Samuel Beckett: Krapps Last Tape, Come and Go, Footfalls, Act Without Words II and Catastrophe. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 5 p.m.; ends March 5. $25-$34. (310) 477-2055.

Drumline Celebration of the marching-band style popularized at historically black colleges and universities. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Sat., 8 p.m. $45-$85. (562) 467-8818.

The Found Dog Ribbon Dance Dominic Finocchiaros new romantic comedy about a woman trying to return a lost dog to its owner. Echo Theater Company, Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., L.A. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 4 p.m.; ends Feb. 26. $20, $34. (310) 307-3753.

Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players Roberts and company perform kid-friendly rock songs. Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu. Sat., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. $10, $15. (310) 506-4522.

King Hedley II An African American man returns home to Pittsburgh after a stint in prison in August Wilsons 1980s-set drama. The Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., L.A. Sat., 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb. 12. $35. www.eventbrite.com.

The Last Five Years Jason Robert Browns romantic musical charts the relationship between an aspiring author and a struggling actress. La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb. 12. $20-$70. (562) 944-9801.

Morgans Journey Family-friendly interactive show about a young clowns adventures; for ages 4 to 8. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Lovelace Studio Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. Sat.-next Sun., noon and 2:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 22. $20. (310) 746-4000.

God Bliss (In the Name of Semelah) New work from Eko Nugroho and his Indonesian shadow theater ensemble Wayang Bocor tells the story of how Islam came to Java and Indonesia. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., L.A. Next Sun., 7 p.m.; ends Jan. 22. $20, $25. (213) 237-2800.

Hansel & Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat Multimedia-enhanced all-ages rock musical based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale. Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. Next Sun., 3 p.m. $38 and up. (818) 677-3000.

David Sedaris: A Work in Progress The author and humorist workshops material for an upcoming book in this CAP UCLA presentation. Little Theater at Macgowan Hall, UCLA, 245 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Westwood. Next Sun., 7 p.m.; ends Jan. 28. $59. (310) 825-2101.
Like a fog that corrupts your ability to be entertained, Top Coat Cash is genre amateurishness that neither thrills nor makes sense. A dim-witted melange of testosterone and cliche, it begs to be treated as a how many mistakes can you count game for any moviegoer tired of the base competence provided by 1990s-era late-night cable time-wasters or homemade YouTube pranks.

David Tittones first blunder was writing a brainless clump of tough-guy tropes masquerading as the story of a hard-luck fighter with a criminal record whose return home to Kansas City is marred by involvement with bank robbers, shady businessmen and his venal ex-wife. Casting himself in the main role was Tittones next big error, followed by directing his cast to deliver lines as if theyd just learned how to speak.

Tittone is more animated by scenes of violence and action anyway, but his unflagging energy depicting anything from masked gunmen screaming and shooting at citizens to extended drill torture and domestic vengeance is routinely undercut by laughably inane story and character details. (No space to enumerate them here  make that your own masochistic pastime.) Cops will always tell you that the reality is, 99% of criminals are stupid. Top Coat Cash will make that majority feel awfully good about themselves.

Advertisement

-------------

Top Coat Cash

Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Not rated

Playing: Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Movie Trailers

calendar@latimes.com
Movie recommendations from critics Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and other reviewers. Click title for full review.

Arrival Amy Adams stars in this elegant, involving science-fiction drama that is simultaneously old and new, revisiting many alien-invasion conventions but with unexpected intelligence, visual style and heart. (Kenneth Turan) PG-13.

The Eagle Huntress A portrait of a 13-year-old Kazakh girl from Mongolia who defies eons of tradition by learning to hunt with fierce golden eagles is a documentary so satisfying it makes you feel good about feeling good. (Kenneth Turan) G.

Advertisement

The Edge of Seventeen Hailee Steinfeld gives a superb performance as a high-school misfit in Kelly Fremon Craigs disarmingly smart teen dramedy, the rare coming-of-age picture that feels less like a retread than a renewal. (Justin Chang) R.

Elle Paul Verhoevens brilliantly booby-trapped thriller starring Isabelle Huppert is a gripping whodunit, a tour de force of psychological suspense and a wickedly droll comedy of manners. (Justin Chang) R.

The Handmaiden The most absorbing feature in years from South Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) is a teasingly witty and elegant puzzle-box of a thriller about two women (played by Kim Tae-ri and Kim Min-hee) pursuing their destinies in 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea. (Justin Chang) NR.

Jackie Star Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy and director Pablo Larrain brilliantly pull back the curtain on one of the most public of private lives. (Kenneth Turan) R.

La La Land Starring a well-paired Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, writer-director Damien Chazelles tuneful tribute to classic movie musicals is often stronger in concept than execution, but its lovely and transporting all the same. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

Loving Beautifully acted by Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton, this involving, socially conscious Jeff Nichols drama shows the personal lives of the interracial couple whose marriage led to the 1967 Supreme Court ruling that anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional. (Kenneth Turan) PG-13.

Manchester by the Sea Powerful, emotional filmmaking that leaves a scar, Kenneth Lonergans drama starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams is both heartbreaking and heartening, a film that just wallops you with its honesty, its authenticity and its access to despair. (Kenneth Turan) R.

Moonlight Superb filmmaking and an exceptional level of emotional honesty universalize a very specific coming-of-age experience, that of a gay black man growing from child to adult starting in 1980s Miamis crack cocaine epidemic years. (Kenneth Turan) R.

Neruda Pablo Larrains intoxicating puzzle of a movie is less a straightforward biopic of the great Chilean poet (played by Luis Gnecco) than a rigorous and imaginative investigation of his inner world. (Justin Chang) R.

Paterson Jim Jarmuschs wonderfully serene and beguiling movie is a portrait of a young artist refining his craft, drawing impressions from his everyday existence and coaxing them into a pleasing and provocative shape. (Justin Chang) R.

Silence Martin Scorseses wrenching adaptation of Shusaku Endos 1966 novel, about 17th century Portuguese priests experiencing a crisis of faith in feudal Japan, ponders the dogmas and mysteries of Christian faith with astonishing rigor and seriousness. (Justin Chang) R.

Toni Erdmann Sandra Huller and Peter Simonischek give splendid performances as a high-strung businesswoman and her screw-loose dad in this magnificently unpredictable comedy from German writer-director Maren Ade. (Justin Chang) R.

Things to Come The great Isabelle Huppert and director Mia Hansen-Love combine for a film about a woman newly on her own. Its quiet satisfactions very much sneak up on you. (Kenneth Turan) PG-13.

20th Century Women Mike Mills lovingly fictionalized snapshot of his late-1970s adolescence belongs to Annette Bening and her marvelously suggestive and layered performance. (Justin Chang) R.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Movie Trailers

calendar@latimes.com
The spotlight falls on black culture on Thursday with the ABC special Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories that Changed America.

The star-studded two-hour special, recorded last fall, includes appearances by among others, Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Chappelle and Tom Hanks and also marks one of the final public events attended by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Veteran producer Don Mischer and music legend Quincy Jones collaborated on the special, which features performances by Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Fantasia, John Legend, Gladys Knight and others.

Advertisement

Also honored during the special are six surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Mischer called the special one of the highlights of his 40-year career.

He said he and Jones were hopeful that the special will help all Americans see how our stories, our histories, and our cultures are an interwoven tapestry.... to see beyond our differences, to celebrate the America all its citizens have helped to create, a culture born in the struggle for freedom that is one of the most diverse, dynamic and cheered in the world.

greg.braxton@latimes.com

Twitter:@GeBraxton
Geoffrey Beene has tapped an action hero to serve as the new face of its advertising campaign. No, its not Batman or Superman  its Twilight actor Kellan Lutz.

Lutz has been brought on board as the brands ambassador and is being featured in A Man on a Mission print, outdoor and online campaign that will break next month. The ads, and accompanying video, are intended to raise awareness of Geoffrey Beenes corporate structure that donates 100 percent of the companys net profits to cancer research at the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

Lutz said he met Geoffrey Beene chief executive officer Tom Hutton at a charity event for Saving Innocence in Los Angeles a few years ago and they struck up a conversation that eventually led to the partnership. When Tom educated me on what they were doing, I quickly wanted to help out, he said. As a celebrity, Im blessed to have a platform to spread the word.

He said cancer has touched his life  he lost both his uncle and grandmother to the disease  so Beenes cause was fueling to my soul.

The Geoffrey Beene campaign featuring Kellan Lutz. (WWD)

But its not just Beenes cause that Lutz connects with  its the clothes, too. I like to dress up and be comfortable and Geoffrey Beene is very much what I would wear, he said. With the very first box of clothes they sent me, everything fit, and I get sent a lot of stuff and most of it doesnt fit. Lutz is still involved in his Abbot + Main, California-inspired lifestyle line, but its casualwear, not tailored.

In the video and the ads, Lutz is featured wearing Geoffrey Beene tailored clothing and furnishings running and jumping over rooftops and other obstacles, which plays into his passion. I love playing action heroes in movies, he said, so this campaign was very organic to who I am.

The campaign was created by CoolGraySeven, and the print campaign was shot late last year by photographer Matthew Scrivens on location in Long Island City, N.Y. The video was produced by Grit Films, LLC.

Hutton said using that by using Lutz as an ambassador, he hopes to connect with the socially conscious Millennial generation and attract them to Geoffrey Beene. There are no other companies I know of that give 100 percent of its profits to cancer research. We want this company to thrive and prosper to it can continue to do the work that its doing.

He said Lutz will continue to work with the brand for at least a year and hopefully beyond. The actor will be a guest at tonights YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund dinner, which is underwritten by Beene, where he will help present the scholarship awards.

The Geoffrey Beene campaign featuring Kellan Lutz. (WWD)

In the video and the ads, Lutz is featured wearing Geoffrey Beene tailored clothing and furnishings running and jumping over rooftops and other obstacles, which plays into his passion. I love playing action heroes in movies, he said, so this campaign was very organic to who I am.

The campaign was created by CoolGraySeven, and it was shot late last year by photographer Matthew Scrivens on location in Long Island City, N.Y.

Hutton said using that by using Lutz as an ambassador, he hopes to connect with the socially conscious Millennial generation and attract them to Geoffrey Beene. There are no other companies I know of that give 100 percent of its profits to cancer research. We want this company to thrive and prosper to it can continue to do the work that its doing.

He said Lutz will continue to work with the brand for at least a year and hopefully beyond. The actor will be a guest at tonights YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund dinner, which is underwritten by Beene, where he will help present the scholarship awards.
The public transportation system in Los Angeles is maturing fast, and its a great way to explore the region  especially when youre most interested in discovering its great bars and restaurants. If youve already tackled the Metro Red Line beer crawl, here are even more breweries, craft beer bars and beer-focused restaurants spread across the the 31-mile Gold Line.

Currently, the Gold Line runs from East L.A. through downtown and across some of the San Gabriel Valley. Here are a couple dozen highlights to hit within a short stroll of a Gold Line station.

Gold line stops from East to West: Little Tokyo / Arts District | Pico / Aliso | Union Station | Chinatown | Heritage Square | Highland Park | Del Mar | Memorial Park | Allen | Arcadia | Azusa Downtown

Union Station

The Metro Gold Line runs in two directions from L.A.s grand train station. If youre starting your pub crawl here, as we suggested on our Metro Red Line beer crawl, visit the stations Traxx restaurant, grab some barbecue with your brew at the nearby Spring Street Smokehouse or start with the famous french dip sandwich at Philippe the Original.

Then, choose which direction on the Gold Line is next. Head toward Little Tokyo and East L.A., or through Chinatown and into the San Gabriel Valley.

Traxx at Union Station is a good place to get beer and cocktails before hopping on the Gold Line. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Traxx | 800 N. Alameda St., No. 122, Los Angeles | (213) 625-1999 | www.traxx.la

The neon sign says it all at Philippe the Original. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Philippe the Original | 1001 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles | (213) 628-3781 | www.philippes.com

Spring Street Smokehouse | 640 N. Spring St., Los Angeles | (213) 626-0535 | www.sssmokehouse.com

The short route to Little Tokyo / Arts District

The first stop in this direction is the reopened station between Little Tokyo and downtowns Arts District. Northwest from the station along 1st Street, youll find Far Bar. The bar and restaurant offer a deep craft beer selection  including a long list of Japanese beers in bottles and on draft  and an even longer list of whiskeys. A block away on 2nd Street, Wolf & Crane offers a few local brews, a hip atmosphere and DJs spinning tunes several nights a week.

Head southeast from the station and youll find a cluster of craft breweries in the Arts District. Temple Street is home to one of the newest: Boomtown Brewery. Though Boomtowns tasting room isnt yet open for regular hours, the brewery is pouring in its events space on weekend evenings; check the brewerys site before planning a visit. Angel City Brewery is just three blocks south of the station on Alameda Street, and its the oldest in the Arts District. The blocks around the brewery are lively with shops, restaurants and bars  many offering craft or, in the case of the popular Wurstkuche, imported brews.

Head a few blocks southeast from Angel City and youll find Arts District Brewing Co. The brewpub features a long list of house-made brews and guest beers, and food from chef Neal Frasers Fritzi (both in an attached dining room and via an order window inside the bar area). There are also pub games from darts to cornhole to throwback coin-op Skee-Ball lanes like you used to play at Chuck E. Cheese's. Half a mile west of Arts District Brewing is Mumford Brewing, where the hoppy beers in the airy tasting room are some of downtowns best.

A small sample of the rotating draft offers at Far Bar in Little Tokyo. (Shane Sato) (Shane Sato )

Far Bar | 347 E. 1st St., Los Angeles | (213) 617-9990 | www.farbarla.com

Wolf & Crane | 366 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles | (213) 935-8249 | wolfandcranebar.com

Boomtown Brewery | 700 Jackson St., Los Angeles | www.boomtownbrew.com

Bug juice 2016 from Angel City Brewery. (Angel City Brewery) (Angel City Brewery)

Angel City Brewery | 216 Alameda St., Los Angeles | (213) 622-1261 | angelcitybrewery.com

A beer at the new Arts District Brewing Co. in downtown L.A. (Julie Verive / For The Times) (Julie Verive)

Arts District Brewing Co. | 828 Traction Ave., Los Angeles | (213) 519-5887 | 213dthospitality.com/project/artsdistrictbrewing

Mumford Brewing, half a mile west of the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles (Mumford Brewing)

Mumford Brewing | 416 Boyd St., Los Angeles | www.mumfordbrewing.com

Pico / Aliso

After Little Tokyo, the Gold Line turns east and crosses the L.A. River into Boyle Heights. The next station on the line is near two more young breweries: Indie Brewing Co. and Dry River Brewing. The latter produces mostly barrel-fermented ales, and though Dry Rivers on-site tasting room is not yet open, a stones throw away is Indie Brewing Co.s newly open tasting room. The pair represent an exciting contrast of brewing styles, with Indie focusing on clean and often lower-alcohol brews, and Dry River producing beer that is complex, sour and funky.

Pint pouring at Indie Brewing Co. (Jason Flynn)

Indie Brewing Co. | 2350 Sunrise St., Los Angeles | (323) 354-4285 | indiebrewco.com

Dry River Brewing | 671 S. Anderson St., Los Angeles | (213) 375-5235 | www.dryriverbrewing.com

The long road through Chinatown

If you opt for the 20-mile journey into the San Gabriel Valley northeast of downtown, your first stop on the northbound train from Union Station is Chinatown and the Melody Lounge. Its easy to miss the Hill Street bar, but drop into the low-key space for a wonderful selection of craft beers skewed toward locally brewed favorites. There are sandwiches, often DJs spinning and occasionally, karaoke. The nearby Pok Pok restaurant is better known for its cocktail program, but the restaurant does offer a few craft beer taps if youre looking to match brews with your Thai food.

A Chinese sign at the Melody Lounge in Los Angeles. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times) ( Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Melody Lounge | 939 N. Hill St., Los Angeles

Pok Pok | 978 N. Broadway, Los Angeles | (213) 613-1831 | pokpokla.com

Heritage Square

Two stops up the line from the Chinatown station (skip the Lincoln/Cypress station) and a half-mile walk down Figueroa Street, is Footsies bar. The dive-y spot has cheap well drinks, a serviceable selection of craft brews, a pool table and the all-important patio.

Footsies | 2640 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles | (323) 221-6900

Highland Park

Two stops past the Heritage Square station and youre into Highland Park, amid a cluster of popular drinking destinations along Figueroa Street. A quick two-block stroll takes you to the stylish ETA cocktail bar, which offers a handful of local craft brews  often including sought-after IPAs from Beachwood Brewing. Across the street is the stunning, recently refurbished Highland Park Bowl. While the bowling alley has been around for decades, it isnt the lanes of your youth  theres a wood-fired pizza oven, some serious cocktails, a dozen craft beers on tap, and the clientele to match. Even if you dont bowl any frames, Highland Park Bowl is worth a stop just for the people watching. A few blocks farther along (southwest) Figueroa Street is the Greyhound Bar & Grill, which serves lunch, dinner and brunch (on the weekends) alongside a long line of craft beers on tap and some great happy hour deals (4-7 p.m. every day).

ETA | 5630 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles; (323) 274-4755; www.etahlp.com

Its not just a bowling alley at Highland Park Bowl. There are also a wood-fired pizza oven, some serious cocktails, a dozen craft beers on tap, and the clientele to match. (Danielle Bernabe)

Highland Park Bowl | 5621 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles | (323) 257-2695 | highlandparkbowl.com

Fans enjoy a game and beers inside the Greyhound Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) ( Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

The Greyhound Bar & Grill | 5570 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles | (323) 900-0300 | www.the-greyhound.com

Del Mar

Keep on the rails past Highland Park and into Pasadena, and theres another dense cluster of beer bars and restaurants. Just steps outside the Del Mar station south of Old Town Pasadena is the Los Angeles outpost of San Diegos gargantuan Stone Brewing Co. The Stone Company Store offers beer to go, growler and crowler fills, beer-based barbecue sauces and a wide selection of Stones core brews and special releases. Walk south on Raymond Avenue from the station and youll find Congregation Ale House. The Pasadena chapter of the mini-chain of pubs serves sausages and flatbreads and pours a wide selection of craft beers from across the country, as well as house beers made a little farther down the Gold Line at the Congregation Brewpub in Azusa.

Stone Company Store | 220 S. Raymond Ave., No. 103, Pasadena | (626) 440-7243 | www.stonebrewing.com/visit/outposts/pasadena

Congregation Ale House | 300 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena | (626) 403-2337 | congregationalehouse.com

Memorial Park

The next stop brings you into Old Town Pasadena. Lucky Baldwins on Raymond Avenue has been serving pub food and beer (more than 60 on tap!) for more than 20 years, and its still a great spot to get Belgian imports and local craft brews. (It also has a great patio.) Another take on pub grub and craft brews (and patio seating) is the nearby Kings Row Gastropub on Colorado Boulevard. Then there are Slaters 50/50 and DogHaus, both fast-casual spots serving burgers and hotdogs along with craft beers on draft.

Just blocks from the Memorial Park station are Der Wolfskopf and the Blind Donkey. The former is styled as a German beer hall, with the sausages and imported brews to match, while the latter is a wonderful whiskey bar with 10 well curated taps of craft beer (with lots of local options). Harlowes French Dip is a new restaurant from chef Tony Alcazar (the Bottle Room) that serves up traditional Los Angeles-style French dip sandwiches and the craft brews to wash them down.

Lucky Baldwins Pub | 17 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena | (626) 795-0652 | www.luckybaldwins.com

Kings Row Gastropub | 20 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena | (626) 793-3010 | www.kingsrowpub.com

Slaters 50/50 | 61 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena | (626) 765-9700 | slaters5050.com

Patrons dine at Dog Haus in Pasadena. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

DogHaus | 93 E. Green St., Pasadena | (626) 683-0808 | www.doghaus.com

Der Wolfskopf | 72 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena | (626) 219-6054 | www.derwolfskopf.com

The Blind Donkey | 53 E. Union St., Pasadena | (626) 792-1833 | www.theblinddonkey.com/pasadena

Harlowes French Dip | 43 E. Union St., Pasadena | (626) 535-0985 | harlowesfrenchdip.com

Allen

Once youve traveled east of the Memorial Park station, the beer destinations thin out, but there are still some worthwhile stops farther down the line. The first is Lucky Baldwins Trappiste on Colorado Boulevard half a mile south of the Allen station. Similar to the Old Town Lucky Baldwins location, the Trappiste pub puts an even heavier emphasis on Belgian imports and Belgian-style brews, as well as a wide selection of Craftsman Brewings beers and other local favorites.

Lucky Baldwins Trappiste | 1770 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena | (626) 844-0447 | www.luckybaldwins.com

Arcadia

Two stops down the line and youre in Arcadia near Matt Dennys Ale House. Comfort food and California craft beer are on order here.

Matt Dennys Ale House | 145 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia | (626) 462-0250 | www.mattdennys.net

Azusa Downtown

The third stop past Monrovia, and just one stop short of the end of the Gold Line, is the midcentury downtown of Azusa, and the brewpub location of the Congregation Ale House chain. One of L.A.s often overlooked craft breweries, Congregation makes a variety of beers ranging from an American amber ale to potent Belgian strong ales. The house brews are solid, and the list is filled out by 20 additional taps of guest beers. So you can always find something to sip.

Congregation Brewpub | 619 N. Azusa Ave., Azusa | (626) 334-2337 | congregationalehouse.com

ALSO

How to plan a beer crawl along the Metro Red Line

A look at Hawthorne's first brewery and tasting room

Republique's new wine director is now one of the most influential Latina sommeliers in the country
Rex Tillerson, Donald Trumps pick for secretary of State, came under withering fire Thursday for what critics claimed was an insensitivity to human rights abuses around the world.

Several senators, both Democrats and Republicans, said they were disturbed by his unwillingness during testimony Wednesday to acknowledge government abuses in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Russia and elsewhere.

Plans to hold a second round of hearings were scrubbed after a rocky first day that saw several testy exchanges between Tillerson, former chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp., and committee members.

Advertisement

A vote has not been scheduled, but Tillersons confirmation does not appear in jeopardy in the GOP-controlled committee or full Senate.

But his answers on human rights  rather than his personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin  led a key Republican on the committee, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, to refuse to say if he would vote for Tillerson.

When Rubio pressed Tillerson to condemn Putin for what he said were countless killings of political dissidents, journalists and others, Tillerson said he did not have enough information to do so.

Human rights groups echoed those concerns, noting that recent administrations have all emphasized human rights as a core part of U.S. foreign policy.

Tillersons commitment to human rights in the U.S. and abroad is in serious question, Margaret Huang, director of Amnesty Internationals U.S. branch, said Thursday. His rhetoric suggests that under his leadership the State Department would not pressure human rights violators even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

In his testimony, Tillerson refused to characterize atrocities in Syria, where Russian-backed Syrian forces have bombed civilians, as war crimes.

He declined to condemn Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for a well-documented campaign of extrajudicial killings of supposed drug dealers. An estimated 6,000 people have been killed.

And he also would not criticize Saudi Arabia, where women and political dissent are repressed.

Rex Tillerson, Trumps pick for secretary of State, seeks to allay fears about his long-running ties to Russia 

Tillersons claims that he cannot pass judgment on these countries abuses until he has access to U.S. intelligence briefings ignores the U.S. governments own previous findings, said Sarah Margon, Washington director of Human Rights Watch.

She said it suggests that Tillerson is either ill-informed or apathetic to human rights issues worldwide.

Activists at the hearing wearing T-shirts with the hashtag #ExxonKnew also objected to Tillersons views on global warming. In his testimony, he acknowledged that climate change was real but said U.S. knowledge of the full impact was limited.

Democratic senators introduced documents that they said showed Exxon scientists had expressed concern about global warming three decades ago, while executives from the multinational energy company supported climate change deniers.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said he would not vote for Tillerson.

In instance after instance after instance  presented to him, there was no moral clarity, Merkley told reporters Thursday. He said Tillerson lacked a breadth of perspective needed to serve as secretary of State.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter

ALSO

Ben Carson at confirmation hearing: I see the federal housing agency as a tool for healing division

Trumps pick for CIA chief could be caught between career spies and the president who mocked them

Trump alleges leaks by U.S. spy agencies, says thats something Nazi Germany would have done
A bobcat in Simi Valley with a severe case of the skin disease mange has died, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

Bobcat 332, a 3-year-old male that Santa Monica Mountains park officials have been following since 2015, was found dead at the southern edge of the valley on Dec. 19, said park spokesman Zach Behrens.

Since we often see mange accompanied by rat poison in animals systems, B-332s blood tests will be sent to a lab for analysis, he said in a statement.

Advertisement

Questions on the connection between Southern California wildlife suffering from the parasitic skin disease mange and rat poison were rekindled in 2014, when the majestic mountain lion P-22 was photographed with a severe case of the disease.

Mange also produces skin lesions and has contributed to the deaths of scores of bobcats and coyotes, The Times reported in 2014.

Its caused by a microscopic mite that burrows into the skin and causes itchiness and lesions. The afflicted animal loses fluids and nutrients through the skin. Complications including infection, starvation and hypothermia eventually lead to death.

The connection between exposure to anticoagulant rodenticide and mange is not fully understood, but many animals who have suffered from mange were also found to have eaten poisoned rats.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
A City of Industry shoe distributor has issued an apology and recalled a combat boot after a customer discovered the sole left a swastika imprint.

In an letter addressed to the public, Conal International Trading Inc. apologized to anyone who was offended by the Polar Fox boots imprint.

This was in no way intentional, it was an obvious mistake made by our manufacturers in China, the company wrote. We never intended to have any swastikas design on our shoes.

Advertisement

The apology came after a Reddit user shared photographs of the work boot this week showing the sole and the swastika imprint it had left behind.

There was an angle I didnt get to see when ordering my new work boots, the Reddit user said.

The boot, according to the company, was recalled immediately.

We will not be selling any of our boots with the misprint to anyone, the company said. We would never create a design to promote hate. We dont promote hate at our company.

Although images of the shoe disappeared from Amazon, where it was sold, that didnt stop users from leaving a flurry of comments poking a dig at the design. By Thursday afternoon, the listing was removed entirely from Amazon.

Founded in 2002, the company distributes shoes throughout the U.S. and the Americas at affordable and competitive prices, according to its website.

We insist to use good materials and keep eyes on inspection process to our production lines in manufacturing, the companys website said.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

ALSO

Former Sonoma County sheriffs deputy accused of beating man during domestic dispute call

Hunt underway for armed and dangerous suspect in deadly Anaheim motel shooting and kidnapping

More than 40% of California no longer in drought, data show
Firefighters were battling a large blaze at a fire station in Buena Park on Thursday morning, authorities said.

The fire began around 3:30 a.m. at Station 61 in the 8000 block of Western Avenue, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. The building is across the street from Knotts Berry Farm.

More than 60 firefighters were working to keep the flames from spreading, Kurtz said. The fire burned a large portion of the station and destroyed one of the trucks inside.

Advertisement

Buena Park - All Firefighters out of the station safely. 1 truck destroyed inside fire. pic.twitter.com/q6PdH3Olob  OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) January 12, 2017

Buena Park- Making progress on fire. Cause under investigation. No injuries reported. Regular service to area will not be affected. pic.twitter.com/gBbcUkyRL0  OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) January 12, 2017

No injuries were reported, Kurtz said.

The nine people who live in there are all accounted for. All are safe, he said.

Firefighters expect to knock down the fire by 7:30 a.m. The cause is under investigation.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini
Kevin ONeills phone rang about 2 a.m. Wednesday, about two hours earlier than hed expected.

The Pacheco Creek had flooded about 8 miles north of Hollister, Calif., and dozens of rural homeowners and their livestock in San Benito County were trapped.

We knew the creek was going to peak  but we didnt anticipate it to this level, said ONeill, the countys emergency services manager. I think it was just too much rain up in the mountains for the creek to handle.

Advertisement

With the help of the San Jose Fire Department, authorities spent Wednesday morning rescuing nearly 60 residents from their flooded homes while another 50 were able to make it out of town on their own, ONeill said.

Some homes were inundated with up to 3 feet of water. Cows were stranded on grassy islands surrounded by floodwaters.

It was that kind of day across Northern California as officials began assessing the damage from the most powerful series of storms in recent years.

The storms drenched the Bay Area and created blizzard conditions in parts of the Sierra Nevada over the last week. The storms dramatically boosted the Sierra snowpack  a key source of water for California  to 158% of normal and made a significant dent in the states six-year drought.

But the weather systems also left a path of destruction. The storms are being investigated as likely causes of at least four deaths.

Numerous Northern California and Nevada rivers flooded, forcing thousands to flee their homes. While the storms were beginning to taper off Wednesday, officials said they are still on high alert.

The ground is saturated, said Edan Weishahn, a meteorologist in the National Weather Services Reno office. They cant handle any more water, so any more we get, its all runoff into the streets.

In Guerneville in Sonoma County, the Russian River flooded from the combination of melting snow and more than 12 inches of rain that have fallen since early last week across the region. Hundreds of Sonoma County residents were displaced as the waters peaked at 37.7 feet, said Jennifer Larocque, a spokeswoman for Sonoma Countys Transportation and Public Works department.

The last time the Russian River eclipsed that level was during a major storm that began on New Years Eve 2005 and sent rain onto the Rose Parade in Southern California days later.

In Sacramento, a tornado ripped across a suburb for about half a mile early Wednesday morning, damaging trees and homes but not injuring anyone.

In the northern Sierra Nevada, where some mountain peaks have received 12 feet of snow in a week, residents were told to stay indoors Wednesday as heavy snowfall was again expected overnight. In Washoe County on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, a snow emergency was issued for the first time in a decade, and residents were told to stay inside, the National Weather Service said.

We havent had a break between our very wet weather that we got early this week and another round of precipitation we had last night. At this point, it just seems like theyre all running together, Weishahn said.

Snow piled high snapped tree limbs, knocking out power to some Lake Tahoe residents for more than a day amid the strongest storm seen in years.

Even Southern California felt some impacts from the wet weather. On Wednesday afternoon, the patio on a hillside home in Laurel Canyon collapsed amid the rain.

The earth underneath the home, in the 8100 block of Gould Avenue, was saturated and gave way, sending a 9,000-pound slab of concrete and a retaining wall sliding 20 feet down to Laurel Canyon Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

No one was injured, but the building was red-tagged, displacing the residents, officials said. Homes on either side of the property were yellow-tagged by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, meaning residents can stay in the homes but cant go into the backyards until the city determines its safe.

Though it was raining Wednesday, inspectors said its too soon to determine if the patio collapse was caused exclusively by the weather, said Building and Safety Department spokesman Dave Lara.

It doesnt appear that other portions of the property have had that kind of issue with the rain, but were going to have one of our soil engineers take a closer look, he said.

The situation closed Laurel Canyon Boulevard, creating a traffic nightmare.

While 38 of Californias 58 counties were under a flood watch or warning Wednesday, some parts of Northern California are beginning to recover.

On Wednesday afternoon, Caltrans announced that about 30 miles of Interstate 80 cutting through the Sierra Nevada had reopened after crews managed to clear several feet of snow and broken tree branches from the Donner Pass.

About 63 miles of Highway 49 that have been closed could be reopened on Friday, said Caltrans spokeswoman Liza Whitmore.

In Sonoma County, the Russian Rivers waters are expected to recede by 8 p.m. Thursday, Larocque said. About 90 county roads have been closed since the rainy onslaught began over the weekend, and 40 have already reopened, she said.

We are already preparing for the recovery phase and debris removal, Larocque said.

In Yosemite National Park, Highway 140 reopened Wednesday.

Another storm isnt forecast for Northern California until early next week, according to the National Weather Service.

The series of storms dumped hundreds of billions of gallons of water into the states reservoirs and built up the Sierra Nevada snowpack above its historical average. California is on pace for one of its wettest years in history, though forecasters caution one long dry spell could diminish these early months of gains.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

ALSO

Will a surf gang allow the integration of Palos Verdes Estates waves on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Southbound 15 Freeway in Riverside area closed after shots fired during pursuit

Did developer-linked donations violate campaign finance laws? State watchdog agency will investigate
A California appeals court tossed out a law that banned grand juries from determining whether police officers involved in fatal shootings should face criminal charges.

The 2015 law sought more transparency in shooting investigations by shifting charging decisions from closed-door grand juries to prosecutors.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday that lawmakers cant restrict grand juries constitutional authority to issue criminal indictments.

Advertisement

To allow the Legislature to restrict this constitutional role in part would be to concede the power to restrict it in its entirety, Justice M. Kathleen Butz said in the ruling.

The California Legislature adopted the law after grand juries in New York and Missouri declined to indict officers who fatally shot unarmed black suspects, decisions that led to nationwide protests and unrest.

Supporters of the law said the secret nature of grand jury decisions can create the impression that the process is unfair and erode trust in law enforcement, particularly when the outcome seems to conflict with witnesses or cellphone video.

The law left the decision to file charges in deadly police force cases to prosecutors, who have been accused of using grand juries to avoid political fallout from their charging decisions.

The office of the state senator who wrote the law, Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, did not immediately have comment.

The appeals court said the Legislature could seek a constitutional amendment banning grand juries from investigating deadly police use-of-force cases or revise the procedural rules that make those grand jury investigations secret.

Prosecutors who challenged the law said grand juries gave them power to force witnesses to testify and could involve more thorough investigations.

Grand juries are composed of community members who weigh evidence presented by prosecutors behind closed doors.

Instead of banning the use of grand juries in deadly police force cases, transcripts of their investigations should be made public, said Mark Zahner, CEO of the California District Attorneys Assn., which opposed the law. He said that could make the process even more transparent than an investigation by a prosecutor.

Our position was always that theres no backroom, sneaky skullduggery going on in these things, he said.

The ruling came in the case of a fatal June 2015 shooting by South Lake Tahoe police. El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson challenged the law by seeking a grand jury investigation of the shooting.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno
A hiker was found dead late Wednesday after he apparently fell off a winding trail in the San Gabriel Mountains in Altadena.

The Los Angeles County coroners office identified the hiker as Lee Tracy, 71, of Altadena.

Firefighters found his body 10 feet off the Sam Merrill Trail, said Capt. Keith Mora of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The five-mile path leads to Echo Mountain in the Angeles National Forest.

Advertisement

Los Angeles County Sheriffs Lt. Irma Chevalier told the Associated Press that Tracy was hiking with a friend when he apparently tripped and fell. His friend notified authorities, she said.

The Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau is investigating Tracys death.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.
A man was killed late Wednesday after crashing into a minivan during a high-speed chase with deputies in a Fresno neighborhood.

Firefighters found Eric Deshaun Willis, 32, dead inside the wreckage of a mangled Chrysler 300, according to Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriffs Department.

Advertisement

The chase, which lasted just 30 seconds, began just after 11 p.m. when a sheriffs deputy saw the Chrysler speeding on Bullard Avenue.

The deputy tried to stop Willis, but he zoomed away.

During the short pursuit, with speeds topping 100 mph, Willis struck a minivan at the intersection of West and Bullard avenues, he said.

The crash flung Willis car into a light pole.

The driver of the minivan suffered minor injuries to his head and arm during the crash.

A handgun was found in Willis car, Botti said.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

ALSO

Hiker dies after falling off Altadena mountain trail

Blaze erupts at Buena Park fire station, destroying at least one truck

City of Industry shoe company recalls boots after Reddit user finds swastika design on soles
During his campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised voters a big, beautiful wall, an Obamacare replacement immediately and a new era for a Veterans Affairs agency that had failed service members.

He acknowledged Wednesday that none of it would be so simple.

Trump, who was often content to gloss over details while campaigning, is quickly grappling with the complexities of governing. Though Republicans will have majorities in the House and Senate and control of the White House for the first time in 10 years, fissures have begun to emerge on how to deliver on their campaign promises.

Advertisement

Repealing the Affordable Care Act, a Trump priority and the animating force within the GOP since the law passed six years ago, has run into roadblocks since Congress convened last week. The debate centers on whether to repeal immediately without a replacement plan, which would leave millions of Americans without healthcare.

Trump said he would produce his own plan as soon as his Health and Human Services secretary takes office  something that could take weeks  just one day after demanding that Republicans both repeal and replace the health law as soon as next week. He promised that both parts would happen together.

Itll be repeal and replace. It will be essentially simultaneously, he said, calling such a move very complicated stuff.

Republican leaders have considered a more staggered approach where they would pass repeal legislation now that would allow them as much as two years and perhaps more time to develop a replacement.

We need to do this right. We need to make sure there is a stable transition period so that people do not have the rug pulled out from under them, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said. This is how we will keep our promise.

The strategy is already in jeopardy. Resistance is growing among Republicans to take a first step toward repeal, approving a procedural budget package. The move had been expected later this week, but some lawmakers are worried that it will set a repeal in place before an alternative is ready. A preliminary whip count showed the budget vote was in trouble.

You cant repeal it and replace it quickly. Thats an oxymoron, said Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), one of the earliest Trump backers in Congress. He wants us moving it through so we can put it on his desk right away.

Trump once again offered no details about what his plan might look like, other than promising to produce something far less expensive and far better than the current law. As importantly, Trump provided no indication of how he plans to get support from congressional Democrats, who will be needed to pass any replacement to Obamacare.

He said simply that the repeal and replacement would probably happen on the same day. It could be the same hour.

And after months in which he blasted the Obama administration for mismanagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs, his opening remarks included a surprise announcement: David Shulkin, a VA undersecretary, is his choice to lead the department.

The selection came as a shock to veterans groups and represented a considerable setback to the network of nonprofits funded by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. Trump had earlier left the impression he would be cleaning house at the department to implement a free-market approach favored by the Koch organizations that could shift a considerable amount of the care provided by VA facilities over to the private sector.

Shulkin has been an outspoken critic of such an approach, making him a favorite target of the Koch-funded nonprofit Concerned Veterans for America. In a blog post in April, the group characterized Shulkins performance taking questions from a congressional committee as a show of incompetence and reflective of whats wrong with the VA.

But Trump, who embraced much of the Koch-backed organizations reform plan during the campaign, passed over contenders for the VA post who favored the blueprint championed by Concerned Veterans for America.

Trump appears to have balked amid warnings from mainstream veterans groups representing millions of former soldiers against abandoning the reforms implemented by the Obama administration in favor of an approach more oriented toward privatization.

And on the border wall, Trump reminisced about the call-and-response at his rallies of Whos gonna pay for it? Mexico! But he backed off of his pledge that he would demand Mexico pay for the wall right away, saying he was impatient to begin construction but that talks with Mexico might take longer.

I want to get the wall started, he said. I dont want to wait a year and a half until I make my deal with Mexico. And we probably will have a deal sooner than that.

Trumps dilemma is not uncommon for presidents-elect, said Martha Kumar, director of the White House Transition Project.

In a campaign, its black and white: Your proposals are good and the other guys arent. And you lay out things that really arent practical, she said. Is it better to just stick with what you said during the campaign, or is it better as you learn more to make changes?

The challenge can be more pronounced for someone with as little governing experience as Trump.

You have to make compromises. Its the only way you do it, Kumar said.

michael.memoli@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikememoli

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @lisamascaro

Times staff writers Noam N. Levey and Evan Halper contributed to this report.

What Trump made clear at his news conference and what he left murky

Democrats and their allies wont let Obamacare go down without a fight

Donald Trumps newest branding endeavor: the economy
An Arizona state trooper stopped to help at a car wreck along a remote highway Thursday when he was shot and wounded in an ambush by a man who was bashing the officers head against the pavement until a passing driver shot the man to death, authorities said.

The trooper suffered a severe wound to his shoulder and upper chest, but he is expected to recover at a hospital.

My trooper would not be alive without his assistance, Department of Public Safety Director Ralph Milstead said of the good Samaritan who stopped.

Advertisement

The drama unfolded at an early-morning rollover wreck on Interstate 10 in the desert west of Phoenix, where a woman was ejected and killed. Authorities think the man who shot the officer was driving the car that crashed.

Officials said that they were trying to determine exactly what happened and added that the investigation faces major hurdles with the trooper seriously injured and two of the others involved dead. No identities have been released.

A separate driver reported gunfire, and a trooper was responding to that call when he spotted the wreck and stopped, Milstead and DPS Capt. Damon Cecil said.

The officer was putting out flares when the suspect opened fire and then physically attacked the wounded trooper, Milstead said. Both Milstead and Cecil said the trooper was ambushed.

The man was on top of the officer and getting the better of him, slamming the troopers head against the pavement, Milstead said. Thats when the passing driver showed up and asked whether the trooper needed help.

He said yes, and the passer-by went back to his vehicle, got his gun and told the suspect to stop the attack, Milstead said. When he didnt, the driver shot him.

Investigators were trying to determine how the rollover happened and whether the suspect was involved with the initial report of gunshots, officials said. Investigators plan to speak with the person who made that call.

Milstead said he feared the worst when he headed to the hospital to check on the wounded trooper.

Hes incredibly fortunate to be here with us today, the director said.

Westbound Interstate 10 was closed most of the morning, and traffic heading for California and western Arizona was detoured to other highways.

ALSO

Majority of police in the U.S. say their jobs have gotten harder

Dylann Roof hears from his victims relatives: Youre Satan himself, and instead of a heart, you have a cold, dark space

Republican-led Senate takes first step to repeal Obamacare

UPDATES:

11:45 a.m.: This article was updated with more information on the troopers condition and more details on how the events unfolded.

This article was originally published at 9:45 a.m.
Retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, President-elect Donald Trumps pick to head the Pentagon, took little flak at a relatively brief Senate confirmation hearing Thursday that focused in part on his views of social shifts underway in the military.

Mattis signaled that he doesnt intend to reverse Obama administration decisions that opened combat positions to women, gave gay and lesbian service members protection from discrimination, and lifted bans against transgender men and women serving openly in the military.

Ive never cared much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with, he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Advertisement

He also said that civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition, even though he will need an exemption from the law because of his recent service.

Mattis, 66, retired in 2013 after serving more than four decades in the Marines. Federal law bars anyone from heading the Defense Department who served in the military in the past seven years.

Mattis, a popular figure at the Pentagon and in Congress, received little resistance from committee members during the 3-hour hearing. The Senate voted 81-17 to approve his waiver and the House is expected to follow suit on Friday. The full Senate is likely to easily approve his confirmation.

Quizzed on his plans to defeat Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, he said the U.S.-led coalition air attacks and other operations that President Obama began in mid-2014 need to be put on a more aggressive timeline.

He described Russia as a strategic competitor, not a partner, citing U.S. opposition to Moscows aggressive military interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump has repeatedly praised, is trying to break the NATO military alliance created to oppose the Soviet Union during the Cold War and expanded ever since.

The United States, he added, must use diplomatic, economic, military and alliance steps, working with our allies, to defend ourselves where we must, Mattis said.

If confirmed, he said he would continue to use military overflights and other tactics to ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where China has engaged in growing territorial and maritime disputes with its neighbors.

I believe that were going to have to manage that competition between us and China, he said.

Mattis said the Pentagon must work with other agencies to boost capabilities for cyberwarfare and establish a strategy to deter adversaries from attacking U.S. computer networks.

I realize its a new domain, but that doesnt give us an excuse not to address it on an urgent basis, he said.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who heads the committee, asked Mattis if the United States has a strong enough military to deter Russia and China. No, sir, Mattis, a career Marine, responded.

I think its under the biggest attack since World War II, sir, and thats from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea, he said.

Trump has vowed to boost defense spending to build more warships and planes, and to increase the size of the Army, after years of congressional budget cuts and the closing of bases overseas.

Mattis, a retired four-star general, was asked if he foresaw disagreements with Michael Flynn, the retired three-star general whom Trump has picked as his national security advisor. Flynn reportedly opposed the nomination of Mattis for the top Pentagon post.

Mattis replied with a smile that he did not.

As you know, you need different ideas to be strongly argued, he said. You dont want the tyranny of consensus, of group-think.

Saying the Trump Cabinet included a healthy mix of rivals, he added, Its not tidy. Itll be respectful, of that Im certain. And I dont expect anything but the best ideas will win.

How Trumps cabinet picks compare to Obama and Bushs nominees 

If confirmed, Mattis would be only the second military officer to lead the Pentagon so soon after shedding his uniform.

In 1950, President Truman nominated Army Gen. George Marshall to head the Defense Department at the outset of the Korean War. Marshall already had served as secretary of State, and Congress granted him the exemption to run the Pentagon.

Both Republicans and Democrats have said Mattis merited an exception, citing his years of service as a combat commander, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mattis, nicknamed Mad Dog, is best known for leading Marines in the battle of Fallouja in Iraq in late 2004, when Marines fought house-to-house for six weeks to oust entrenched Sunni insurgents.

The battle saw the heaviest urban combat for U.S. troops since the Vietnam War. More than 90 Americans were killed and nearly 600 were wounded.

Since retiring, Mattis has served on multiple corporate boards, including U.S. defense giant General Dynamics Corp. and embattled blood-testing company Theranos Inc.

He quit the Theranos board in recent weeks. General Dynamics, maker of nuclear submarines and battle tanks, said in a financial disclosure that Mattis intends to step down from its board if he is confirmed.

ALSO

Trump was at home for his news conference  both literally and figuratively

Trump alleges leaks by U.S. spy agencies, says thats something Nazi Germany would have done

Trumps pick for national security advisor praises some Democrats, but is mum on policy details

UPDATES:

5:05 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect the Senate voting to grant Mattis a waiver.

10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Mattis during his hearing.

This article was originally published at 4 a.m.
Neil Gorsuch could fall somewhere between his hero, Justice Scalia, and former boss, centrist Justice Kennedy By David Savage Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was resting midway down a Colorado ski slope last year when his cellphone rang with the news that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died. I immediately lost what breath I had left, Gorsuch recalled in an April speech, and I am not embarrassed to admit that I couldnt see the rest of the way down the mountain for the tears. Now, as President Trumps pick to replace Scalia on the high court, Gorsuch is seen by many on the right as a fitting replacement for the iconic jurist that Gorsuch considered a lion of the law. Like Scalia, Gorsuch, 49, who serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, is a well-respected conservative who believes judges should decide cases based on the law as it was understood when passed, not on how they think it should be. Hes a clear, impassioned writer, albeit without Scalias flare for biting sarcasm. But Gorsuch also evokes the qualities of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, for whom Gorsuch worked as a law clerk. (If confirmed, Gorsuch would join three justices who previously clerked on the high court, but he would be the first ever to serve alongside the justice he or she worked for.) Like Kennedy, 80, Gorsuch is a Westerner with a polite, congenial manner who at times has won praise from liberals. He may be more conservative than Kennedy when it comes to expanding individual rights, but he seems to lack Scalias fervor for overturning liberal precedents from decades past. Which way Gorsuch skews could be pivotal for the future of the court. Conservatives clearly hope hell be more like Scalia than Kennedy, a centrist swing vote who has often joined liberals on issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Some conservatives have even expressed hope that Gorsuchs personal history with Kennedy might enable him to draw the Reagan-appointee back toward the right. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump chooses Neil Gorsuch, a conservative seen as likely to be confirmed, for Supreme Court By Michael A. Memoli President Trump nominated federal Judge Neil M. Gorsuch on Tuesday to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of the late Antonin Scalia, choosing from his short list an appeals court judge from Denver seen as most likely to win Senate confirmation. Because Scalia was a stalwart conservative, Trumps choice is not likely to change the balance of the court. But it does set the stage for a bruising partisan fight over a man who could help determine law on gun rights, immigration, police use of force and transgender rights. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump administration is radicalizing Democratic voters, creating a challenge for the party, Rep. Adam Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) As protests spread over policy announcements from the Trump administration, Democrats must work to encourage participation in politics, but face a danger of the party becoming too radicalized, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday. The radical nature of this government is radicalizing Democrats, and thats going to pose a real challenge to the Democratic Party, which is to draw on the energy and the activism and the passion that is out there, but not let it turn us into what we despised about the tea party, Schiff said. During a meeting with reporters and editors in the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau, Schiff also discussed his role as the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee under a Trump administration and how Democrats will manage in the minority. Ever since the election, party leaders have been debating: Did we lose because we were too far to the left and we had too small a tent, or did we lose because we are too mainstream and didnt energize the base? Schiff asked. We are obviously having that debate, but theres a whole new element, which is the reaction to the Trump administration that makes this different in kind, certainly different in intensity, than I think weve ever seen after an election, he said. The more radical the administration is, the more radicalized our base becomes, which just feeds the Breitbart crowd, and who knows where that ends. Democratic leaders have to channel public reaction to Trumps actions into progress, rather than deadlock, Schiff said. Reaction to Democrats seen as working with the Trump administration has been strong. Monday night, for example, protesters marched on Sen. Dianne Feinsteins home and office voicing fears she would back Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. The senator from California announced Tuesday that she would oppose Sessions. Several groups calling themselves indivisible have popped up in cities across the country as focal points for efforts to organize. We have two of the most capable strategists as the head of our House and Senate Democrats, Schiff added, referring to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Democratic leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. If anybody can grapple with this, they can, but its going to be a challenging and moving target day to day. I just hope that we can channel that energy in a way where we can provide a check on this administration because Ive never been more worried about the countrys future than I am right now, he said. Schiff said part of his role as the ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee will be pushing back when the Trump administration puts out inaccurate information about the intelligence community and its findings. Trump has repeatedly dismissed or sought to minimize the intelligence communitys findings that Russia sought to intervene in the 2016 election to benefit him. Schiff said hes concerned about what else the administration might be willing to dismiss. I think that will be kind of a new frontier, he said. How do we contradict a president making representations about what the intelligence community has to say when the information is classified? Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump administration signals that some temporary bans on entry into the U.S. could become permanent By Brian Bennett  Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting those convicted of crimes and those in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated The Trump administration doubled down Tuesday on its commitment to transforming the nations border law enforcement, signaling that some of the temporary bans on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries are likely to be made permanent and elevating a deportations official to run the top immigration enforcement agency. Administration officials, led by newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, moved to allay the havoc that marked the roll-out of the ban and another on refugees. They briefed reporters and planned to head to Capitol Hill later today in an apparent effort to smooth relations after reports that lawmakers and other stakeholders were left out of the crafting of the executive order on toughened vetting at border entry points. In a news conference, Kelly and other top Homeland Security officials conceded some problems, including poor communication. But they insisted that all court orders were followed over the weekend, rebutted reports that some legal residents were denied access to attorneys at airports and said they everyone detained by border agents was treated with dignity and respect. The vast majority of the 1.7 billion Muslims that live on this planet, the vast majority of them have, all other things being equal, have access to the United States, Kelly told reporters. And a relatively small number right now are being held up for a period of time until we can take a look at what their procedures are, he said, seeming to acknowledge that mostly Muslims have been affected by the ban. The moves signaled that the White House remained committed to remaking border law enforcement even in the face of widespread confusion and condemnation of President Trumps order. Kelly said for the first time that the some of the restrictions that caused confusion and sparked protests over the weekend could be extended well into the future. Some of those countries that are currently on the list may not be taken off the list anytime soon, he said. Trump also named a longtime deportation officer, Thomas D. Homan, as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homan, who will oversee the execution of Trumps immigration enforcement order, was most recently in charge of the agencys 5,000 deportation officers, a force Trump said he would triple to 15,000. Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting not only those convicted of crimes, but also people in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated, those who receive an improper welfare benefit and even those who have not been charged but are believed to have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House tries to ban the word ban, hours after president uses it himself By Noah Bierman This is not a ban, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) President Trump used the word ban in a tweet as recently as Monday to describe his new executive order suspending travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and halting the refugee program for several months. But facing backlash from many directions, the White House adamantly insisted Tuesday that the word is verboten. This is not a ban, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. When we use words like travel ban, he said later, that misrepresents what it is. Its seven countries previously identified by the Obama administration, where, frankly, we dont get the information that we need for people coming into this country. In fact, people from the seven banned countries  Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya  cannot enter the United States under the order. Spicer appeared to be making a renewed effort to distinguish the order from the all-out ban on Muslims entering the country that Trump proposed during the campaign. Many around the world see the newest policy as an outgrowth of that proposal. Trump himself conceded a religious connection when he said in an interview on Friday that he wanted to make it easier for Syrian Christians to enter the country. And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that the order sprang from a group he formed at Trumps request to create a legal framework that would accomplish the campaign goal of a Muslim ban. But amid confusion and worldwide criticism in recent days, the Trump administration has tried to temper some of the more incendiary rhetoric around the proposal. Even the words extreme vetting, a favorite Trump slogan, were called into question by Spicer on Tuesday. Calling for tougher vetting [of] individual travelers from seven nations is not extreme, he said. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country. But changing the ban branding around the program at this point will be difficult. Heres Trumps tweet from Monday: If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 And Spicer himself used the term ban as recently as Sunday: Sean Spiceer today: This is not a Muslim ban. It is not a travel ban.



Sean Spicer in White House press release, Jan. 29: pic.twitter.com/axTM1m66nM  Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 31, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Senate confirms Elaine Chao as secretary of Transportation By Associated Press Elaine Chao testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Jan. 11, 2017. (Zach Gibson / AP) The Senate has confirmed Elaine Chao to serve as Transportation secretary in the Trump administration. The vote was 93 to 6 on Tuesday. Chao is an experienced Washington hand. She was Labor secretary under President George W. Bush and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Chao would be a lead actor in pursuing Trumps promise to invest $1 trillion to improve highways, rail service and other infrastructure projects. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Speaker Paul Ryan defends Trumps immigrant and refugee ban, as Congress grumbles about being left out By Lisa Mascaro "What is happening is something we support... we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff," Paul Ryan says of travel ban pic.twitter.com/iX6YkOLkLl  CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2017 House Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday stood by President Trumps temporary ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations and indicated that he was confident the administration could fix the confusing rollout without action from Congress. What is happening is something we support, said Ryan, whose office was the target of a sit-in by protesters opposed to Trumps order. We need to pause and we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff so we can guarantee the safety and security of our country. Congress was blindsided by Trumps executive action -- Ryan learned about it as the public did when the White House announced it Friday afternoon. Many GOP lawmakers have raised concerns. During a private meeting in the Capitol basement Tuesday, Republican lawmakers were counseled on how to handle protesters and office sit-ins happening across the country. Its regrettable that there was some confusion on the rollout of this, Ryan said. No one wanted to see people with green cards or special immigrant visas, like translators, get caught up in all of this. Ryan also said he was concerned the ban could be used as propaganda by terrorist groups. The rhetoric surrounding this could be used as a recruiting tool, and I think thats dangerous, he said. Still, Republicans leaders as well as rank-and-file GOP lawmakers largely agreed with the presidents move to halt refugee admissions for 120 days, and to temporarily ban citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, unless they are Christians or other religious minorities. The president was well within his right to issue an executive order, said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the House Rules Committee. Do I feel let out? I feel like everybody was left out, he said. I wish they communicated it. I wish they had gotten more information to people. I wish they had measured three times and sawed once. Lawmakers have shown little appetite for Congress to get involved, and suggested the chaos that erupted at airports over the weekend was just part of a learning curve at the White House. I support the thrust of the executive order, said Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who nevertheless said the administration should have been better prepared and will need to get your act together. Last year, Ryan had strongly condemned Trumps campaign-trail call for a Muslim ban. In recent days, Ryan, like other congressional leaders, was forced to dial up the administration with his questions and concerns about the order, conferring Monday with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. I am very pleased and confident that he is, on a going-forward basis, going to make sure that things are done correctly, Ryan said. Pressed on whether Congress would have a role, Ryan did not indicate any immediate legislative action. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democrats boycott Senate committee votes on Price, Mnuchin By Jim Puzzanghera Senate Democrats speak with reporters after boycotting Finance Committee confirmation votes. (JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images) Senate Democrats on Tuesday boycotted a committee vote on two of President Trumps top Cabinet nominees -- Tom Price to lead Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury secretary. Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blasted the Democratic move as he sat in a hearing room with only Republicans on the dais. They ought to be embarrassed. Its the most pathetic treatment Ive seen in my 40 years in the United States Senate, Hatch said. I think they should stop posturing and acting like idiots, he said. At least one Democrat needs to be present for the committee to vote on the nominations, Hatch said. He recessed the hearing until further notice, saying he hoped a vote could take place later Tuesday. But asked mid-afternoon if he thought the committee would be able to meet Tuesday, Hatch said it doesnt look like it. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the committees top Democrat, said Price and Mnuchin have misled the public and held back important information about their backgrounds. Until questions are answered, Democrats believe the committee should not move forward with either nomination, Wyden said. This is about getting answers to questions, plain and simple, he said. Ethics laws are not optional, and nominees do not have a right to treat disclosure like a shell game. Today @SenateFinance Democrats refused to move forward with nominations of Mnuchin & Price.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 The litany of ethics revelations regarding @RepTomPrice are strong evidence that he cannot be allowed to have control of #Medicare.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Mr. Mnuchin continued to fail to come clean on shady foreclosure practices that hurt Americans.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Liberal groups cheered the boycott while Senate Republican leaders decried it as Democratic obstructionism. They are manufacturing issues on a daily basis to drag this process out, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) said of the confirmations of Trumps nominees. I dont see how they can explain to the American people how it is appropriate to prevent the administration from getting up and getting started, he said. Democrats have said Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive, misled the committee in his response to a written question about foreclosures at Pasadenas OneWest Bank while he ran it from 2009-15. Democrats pointed to a report Sunday by the Columbus Dispatch that Mnuchin denied that OneWest engaged in so-called robo-signing of mortgage documents. The paper said its analysis of nearly four dozen foreclosure cases in Ohios Franklin County in 2010 showed that the bank frequently used robo-signers. The Columbus Dispatch cited a foreclosure involving a mortgage signed by Erica Johnson-Seck, a OneWest vice president who said in a deposition in a 2009 Florida case that she signed an average of 750 documents a week. Barney Keller, a spokesman for Mnuchin, said Monday that several courts had dismissed cases involving allegations of robo-signing by Johnson-Seck. The media is picking on a hardworking bank employee whose reputation has been maligned but whose work has been upheld by numerous courts all around the country in the face of scurrilous and false allegations, Keller said. Democrats also have problems with Price, a six-term congressman and former orthopedic surgeon who has distinguished himself in conservative circles for his staunch opposition to the Affordable Care Act and his plans to slash federal healthcare spending. His nomination has become among Trumps most controversial, in part because of his hostility to government safety net programs, including Medicaid and Medicare. Democrats have also been increasingly critical of Prices extensive trading in healthcare stocks while he has been in Congress, and in some cases while he has pushed legislation that would benefit his portfolio. Price has denied any wrongdoing. Also drawing criticism is Prices purchase of discounted shares in an Australian biotech firm, Innate Immunotherapeutics, which he was offered through a private deal not available to general shareholders. Price also denied that this was improper, and Senate Republicans have rallied to his side, saying he did not violate any ethics rules. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he and the other Democrats on the committee want Mnuchin and Price to explain their lies either in person before the committee or in new written answers. I want them to disclose this information that they seem not to want to disclose, Brown said. 12:10 p.m.: This post was updated with additional comments from Hatch as well as from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Sherrod Brown. 8:00 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information and background. 8:07 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House aides who wrote Trumps travel ban see it as just the start By Brian Bennett (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Even as confusion, internal dissent and widespread condemnation greeted President Trumps travel ban and crackdown on refugees this weekend, senior White House aides say they are only getting started. Trump and his aides justified Fridays executive order, which blocked travel from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days and halted refugees from around the world for 120, on security grounds  an issue that they say they take seriously. But their ultimate goal is far broader. Trumps top advisors on immigration, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior advisor Stephen Miller, see themselves as launching a radical experiment to fundamentally transform how the U.S. decides who is allowed into the country and to block a generation of people who, in their view, wont assimilate into American society. That project may live or die in the next three months, as the Trump administration reviews whether and how to expand the visa ban and alter vetting procedures. White House aides are considering new, onerous security checks that could effectively limit travel into the U.S. by people from majority-Muslim countries to a trickle. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Why corporations cant risk keeping silent about Trumps immigration ban By David Pierson Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz said the Seattle coffee company is developing plans to hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years. (Richard Drew / Associated Press) Corporate America generally prefers to stay quiet about partisan politics. Pick one side of a hot-button issue, the thinking goes, and youll risk losing customers on the other side. But like so many norms before it, President Trump has turned this one on its head. A growing number of companies are deciding its a bigger risk to their investors and bottom line to stay quiet than it is to protest Trumps ban on refugees and travel from seven Muslim-majority nations, betting vocal opposition to the executive order scores them a moral and fiscal victory. While it was possible for companies to take a wait-and-see approach leading up to Trumps inauguration, many firms can no longer ignore the White Houses policy given the effect the order is already having on employees either stranded or fearful of traveling. Only a week ago it seemed foolish to speak out against a president who has admonished individual companies on social media such as Carrier, Boeing and General Motors. Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Companies, mostly in technology but increasingly in other sectors, have decided that its not enough just to speak out against the immigration order. They believe that they must also take headline-grabbing action. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Op-Ed: Trump is taking the Bannon Way, and it will end in disaster By Jonah Goldberg Bannon has said hes a Leninist' but hes really more of a Trotskyist because he fancies himself the leader of an international populist-nationalist right wing movement, exporting anti-'globalist' revolution. In that role, his status as an enabler of Trumps instinct to shoot  or tweet  from the hip seems especially ominous. The Bannon way might work on the campaign trail, but it doesnt translate into good governance. Its possible  and one must hope  that Trump can learn this fact on the job. But what if he doesnt? He could put the country in serious peril.  Jonah Goldberg Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump will leave LGBTQ protections in place By Associated Press (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The White House says President Trump will leave intact a 2014 executive order that protects federal workers from anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In a statement released early Tuesday, the White House said Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community and that he continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election. The Trump administration has vowed to roll back much of President Obamas work from the last eight years and had been scrutinizing the 2014 order. The directive protects people from LGBTQ discrimination while working for federal contractors. The recent statement says the protections will remain intact at the direction of Trump. Here is the text of Obamas executive order, signed on July 21, 2014: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 121, and in order to provide for a uniform policy for the Federal Government to prohibit discrimination and take further steps to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Amending Executive Order 11478 . The first sentence of section 1 of Executive Order 11478 of August 8, 1969, as amended, is revised by substituting sexual orientation, gender identity for sexual orientation. Sec. 2. Amending Executive Order 11246 . Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, as amended, is hereby further amended as follows: (a) The first sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex, or national origin. (b) The second sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (c) Numbered paragraph (2) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (d) Paragraph (d) of section 203 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. Sec. 3. Regulations . Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall prepare regulations to implement the requirements of section 2 of this order. Sec. 4. General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an agency or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Sec. 5. Effective Date . This order shall become effective immediately, and section 2 of this order shall apply to contracts entered into on or after the effective date of the rules promulgated by the Department of Labor under section 3 of this order. Update 6:45 a.m.: This article was updated with the text of the 2014 executive order. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump fires Justice Departments top official after she refuses to defend his refugee ban By David Lauter Sally Yates. (J. David Ake / Associated Press) President Trump fired acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates on Monday, just hours after she announced that the department would not defend his controversial executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain countries. Yates has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States, the White House said in a statement. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. The move came after Yates sent a letter to Justice Department lawyers saying that she questioned the lawfulness of Trumps executive order. My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts, Yates wrote. At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful, she wrote. Consequently, for as long as I am the acting attorney general, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so. Yates was a holdover from the Obama administration. But because Trumps nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has not been confirmed and no other senior Justice Department officials have been appointed, firing her was expected to cause significant problems within the department. Among other issues, Yates is the only person in the department currently authorized to sign warrants for wiretapping in foreign espionage cases involving the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Trump replaced Yates with Dana J. Boente, a three-decade veteran of the Justice Department who was appointed in 2015 by former President Obama as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia. 6:37 p.m.: The story was updated with Trumps decision to fire Yates. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

U.S. service member killed in Yemen identified as Navy SEAL from Illinois By Jeanette Steele The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed the death of a U.S. servicemember in a raid in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda, marking the first American combat death under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. A Navy SEAL from the Virginia-based elite unit known as SEAL Team 6 was killed Sunday during an unusual nighttime raid that put U.S. troops on the ground against Al Qaeda leaders in the middle of war-torn Yemen. The fallen sailor was identified Monday as Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, 36, of Peoria, Ill.. Three other Americans were wounded in the raid and an MV-22 Osprey had to be destroyed after the aircraft suffered a hard landing and couldnt fly. Another U.S. service member was injured in that crash. The raid marked the first known counter-terrorism operation and first confirmed combat fatality under President Trump. Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Protests against Trumps ban on certain immigrants continue across the country By Ann M. Simmons Protesters rally at Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 29, demonstrating against the immigration ban imposed by President Trump. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) After a weekend of turmoil at many of the nations airports following President Trumps executive order to suspend the U.S. refugee program and temporarily prohibit entry to citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations, federal officials said all people being detained on arrival to the U.S. had been released. But that hasnt put a stop to demands to lift the travel ban. Protests continued to be held and organized throughout the country  incluidng in New York, New Orleans, Colorado and Connecticut. According to Ground Game, an online platform for organizing, at least a dozen demonstrations were planned for this week in what the group described as a fight against Islamophobia and Fascism. Calls to rally, demonstrate and protest swept social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. In Louisville, Ky., a rally was planned for Monday evening at the Muhammad Ali Center, in what organizers said would be a gathering for American values and to voice support for our nation and our city, which was founded and is strengthened by immigrants. In Hattiesburg, Miss., there was call to join a peaceful vigil in solidarity with refugees, immigrants, and Muslims on the University of Southern Mississippi campus on Monday evening. Declaring that Jersey City stands with our Muslim and immigrant community, organizers in that New Jersey city called on people to come to a pedestrian mall on Monday to stand in solidarity and peace as we show our strength in diversity as one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Other demonstrations were planned for later in the week in cities nationwide, including Tuesday in Tuscon, where organizers encouraged people to stand in solidarity with Senator (John) McCains strong public statement opposing the executive order banning refugees and Legal Permanent Residents from Muslim countries! Similar actions were planned on Tuesday at the South Carolina State House in Columbia and at the Worchester City Hall and Common in Massachusetts, while organizers in San Francisco, under the banner #NoBanNoWallSF, urged residents to join the resistance against Donald Trumps racist and exclusionary Executive Orders on Saturday. We will not allow our country to be divided by hate and religious persecution, read a statement from #NoBanNoWallSF posted on Facebook. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Obama carefully weighs in on refugee ban, says he is heartened by public response By Michael A. Memoli (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) Former President Obama has offered his first public comment on the conduct of his successor, saying through a spokesman that he is heartened by public demonstrations against the Trump administrations controversial move to temporarily ban refugees and block all admissions from seven countries. President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country, Kevin Lewis, a spokesperson for the former president, said in a statement emailed to reporters Monday. In his final official speech as President, he spoke about the important role of citizen and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy--not just during an election but every day. Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. Lewis also said in the statement that Obama fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion. Trump aides deny that his executive order, released Friday, involves religious discrimination. The order temporarily blocked travel to the U.S. by residents of seven predominantly Muslim nations, but left many of the Islamic worlds largest population centers unaffected, they note. The order also included an exception for believers of minority religions in those countries, a provision that Trump explicitly said would help Christians. Obamas statement is notable less for its content than for the fact that it was issued at all. It reflected the delicate balance he feels he must strike between showing a degree of deference to the new president and speaking out on issues he sees as critically important. The statement tiptoed around the content of the order, focusing more on the former presidents interest in citizen engagement. Obama said before leaving office that he expected to choose carefully when to comment on the actions of his successor and would focus less on normal functioning of politics and more on certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake, as he put it in his final news conference. Mondays statement did point, though, to comments Obama made at a news conference in November 2015, when he called the idea of a religious test for immigration policy shameful and not American. We dont have religious tests to our compassion, he said at the time. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

GOP-led Congress worries about its role in the Trump era By Lisa Mascaro Its what congressional Republicans had long dreamed about: a majority in both chambers to advance conservative policies and a president from the same party to sign them into law. But the Trump White House isnt turning out exactly the way they envisioned. The GOP establishment is experiencing whiplash after a week of President Trump bulldozing through the norms of policy and protocol  dashing off executive orders without warning, escalating a diplomatic crisis with the countrys closest southern neighbor, triggering global confusion with a new refugee policy and generally hijacking party leaders agenda and replacing it with his own. Rather than the hoped-for collaborative new relationship between the White House and Congress, GOP officials complain that Trump is brushing aside their advice, failing to fully engage on drafting tough legislative packages like tax reform and Obamacare, and bypassing Congress by relying on executive actions, something they frequently complained about under President Obama. At the same time, Trumps unilateral moves continue to blindside Republicans and direct the national focus toward topics many in the party would rather avoid, whether thats how to pay for building the border wall with Mexico, warming ties with Russia, investigating false claims about voter fraud or, most recently, implementing sweeping new policies on refugees and visas. In the name of party unity, many Republicans so far have refrained from publicly attacking the new president. But for some, the new refugee policy crossed the line, signaling the first major rift in their already fraught partnership. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Washington state sues Trump over immigration order By Mark Z. Barabak President Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends all immigration for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Opening a new legal front, lawyers for the state of Washington filed suit Monday seeking to block President Trumps executive order temporarily banning foreign refugees from entering the United States. No one is above the law, not even the president, Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson said in announcing the federal lawsuit. And in the courtroom, it is not the loudest voice that prevails. Its the Constitution. Over the weekend, a federal judge in Brooklyn issued an order curtailing portions of Trumps executive order, issued Friday, which temporary halts migration from seven predominantly Muslim countries for at least 90 days and also closed the nation to refugees for at least the next four months. Other challenges are pending. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle was the first taken by a state attorney general, and its provenance was no surprise. Washington state and others along the West Coast voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November and have emerged as a hotbed of anti-Trump sentiment. We will not yield, said Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who joined Ferguson at a Seattle news conference. We will not be leveraged. We will not be threatened. We will not be intimidated. We will not be bullied by this. Trumps order, which has sparked demonstrations across the country, brought an outpouring of objection from Insleys Democratic colleagues around the country. President Trumps recent executive orders that divide and discriminate do not reflect the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution or the principles we stand for as Oregonians, said Gov. Kate Brown. A single executive order does not define who we are as a country, said Connecticut Gov. Daniel P. Malloy. We are a nation of immigrants and must continue to fight for the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breath free. In Massachusetts, another state that voted overwhelmingly for Clinton, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker joined the chorus of Democratic criticism, saying the travel ban would undermine the international relations forged by the states business, academic and healthcare communities. The confusion for families is real. The unexpected disruption for law-abiding people is real, Baker said. Thankfully, the federal courts will have an opportunity to straighten this out and it is my hope they do so, and do so quickly. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

How a top conservative radio host took on Trump, lost his audience and faith, but gained a new perspective By Mark Z. Barabak Charlie Sykes, right, interviews Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) before Wisconsins 2016 primary (Morry Gash/Associated Press) For nearly 25 years, Charlie Sykes was one of the most powerful and influential voices in Wisconsin. He cheer-led policies that turned this historically progressive state into a model of conservative governance. He made and destroyed political careers, using his perch on Milwaukee talk radio to help vault figures such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker to national prominence. But for the moment Sykes was speechless. He sank into the brown leather banquette of a suburban steakhouse. He stammered. He sighed. When youve devoted your whole life to certain beliefs and you think now they have been undermined and that you might have been deluded about things, he began. So. So. Um... In 2016 Sykes emerged as one of Donald Trumps most prominent critics, a stance that outraged listeners, strained longstanding friendships and left him questioning much of what he once held true. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Pentagon compiling a list of Iraqis who aided the U.S. military and wants them shielded from Trumps travel ban By W.J. Hennigan The Pentagon is compiling a list of Iraqi citizens who have worked with the U.S. military and is recommending that they be exempt from President Trumps temporary ban on entry to the U.S. by people from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries, according to the U.S. military. The move could potentially shield tens of thousands of Iraqi interpreters, advisors, and others who have assisted the American military from the presidents controversial executive action that blocked visitors from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Monday that the list will include names of individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to helping the United States. Even people that are doing seemingly benign things in support of us  whether as a linguist, a driver, anything else  they often do that at great personal risk, he said. So people who take these risks are really making a tangible signal of support to the United States, and thats something that will, and should be, recognized. The list would not require any changes to the presidents order, but rather serve as guidance to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House in implementing the new policy. White House spokesman Sean Spicer later pushed back against blanket exemptions. We recognize that people have served this country, we should make sure that in those cases theyre helped out, he said. But that doesnt mean that we just give them a pass. Trump, who signed the order at the Pentagon on Friday, did not consult Defense Secretary James N. Mattis or Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the temporary suspensions of entry to visitors from the seven nations, according to U.S. officials. The executive action put the U.S. military in a difficult position because it works closely with the Iraqi government on a range of issues, including the fight against Islamic State, which necessitates travel between the two countries. For instance, Iraqi military pilots train to fly F-16 fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Its not clear those pilots, who are active in the fight against Islamic State, could arrive in the U.S. for the training. 1:10 p.m.: This post was updated with White House response. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump signs order on rulemaking: For every regulation added, agencies have to cut 2 others By Noah Bierman (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump signed an executive order Monday designed to fulfill his campaign pledge reduce red tape for businesses. The two-page order requires that when a federal agency proposes new regulations, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed. We want to make the life easier for small businesses and big business, Trump said Monday from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where he met with nine representatives of the small-business sector. Trump said he hoped to see up to 75% of federal regulations eliminated during his presidency. Regulation has been horrible for big business, but its been worse for small business, Trump said. He also reiterated his promise to gut the Dodd-Frank Act, the financial regulatory overhaul that was passed after the financial crisis. Dodd-Frank is a disaster, he said. Were going to be doing a big number on Dodd-Frank. Consumer advocates who backed the law say that eliminating it would help Wall Street and other players in the financial sector at the expense of consumers. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

U.S. diplomats to protest Trumps travel ban order By Tracy Wilkinson Protesters of President Trumps immigration order block traffic at LAX. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A number of U.S. diplomats are condemning President Trumps ban on some Muslim immigrants and visitors, saying the abrupt order does not make the U.S. safer and will only stoke anti-American fervor overseas. The complaint, being made through the State Departments so-called dissent channel, echoes criticism coming from human rights attorneys, legal experts and lawmakers from both political parties, as well as world leaders. It is significant because it represents the viewpoint of the men and women who must carry out Trumps unconventional and often provocative foreign policy. A policy which closes our doors to over 200-million legitimate travelers in the hopes of preventing a small number of travelers who intend to harm Americans ... will not achieve its aim of making our country safer, said a draft version of the memo that was circulating Monday and was reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. It was first reported by ABC News. Moreover, such a policy runs counter to core American values of non-discrimination, fair play and extending a warm welcome to foreign visitors and immigrants. The White House was quickly dismissive of the dissent and seemed to suggest the diplomats should quit if they disagree with a policy. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the diplomats raising of opposition does call into question whether or not they should continue to work in the State Department. It was not clear how many officials would sign the memo. Dissent channel memos are in theory not made public. The mechanism is designed to allow diplomats to offer an alternative policy without fear of retaliation. Acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner confirmed the existence of the memo but declined to comment on its contents. The dissent channel is a longstanding official vehicle for State Department employees to convey alternative views and perspectives on policy issues, he said. "... It allows State employees to express divergent policy views candidly and privately to senior leadership. The agency is still waiting for a boss. Trumps pick for secretary of State, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week. The last time a dissent-channel memo was reported publicly was last year, when about 50 diplomats protested Obama administration policy in Syria, which they described as inaction. 12:20 p.m.: This story was updated with White House comment. 8:40 a.m.: This story was updated with comment from a State Department spokesman. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump to announce his Supreme Court choice Tuesday -- in prime time By Michael A. Memoli (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump will announce his first Supreme Court nomination in prime time on Tuesday, he tweeted this morning. I have made my decision on who I will nominate for The United States Supreme Court. It will be announced live on Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. (W.H.)  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 The announcement was moved up two days amid the continued fallout from the executive action Trump signed temporarily banning refugee admissions from some countries. Trump had tweeted last week that he would announce his high-court decision Thursday. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network on Friday, Trump said his administration was doing some final vetting of his choice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, and that the pick would be from among the list of 20 names he issued during the election campaign. I think the person I pick will be big, big, he said. I think people are going to love it. I think evangelicals, Christians will love my pick. And will be represented very fairly. Times Supreme Court reporter David Savage profiled each of the leading contenders: Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The move could prompt a major clash with Senate Democrats, who have warned the president against a choice outside what they consider the mainstream. Some are threatening to block any choice in retaliation for Senate Republicans refusal to even hold hearings on President Obamas choice to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland. Democrats 2013 change to Senate rules that allowed most nominations to advance with a simple majority vote exempted Supreme Court nominations, meaning that Democrats could potentially filibuster the choice. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to rule out any further rule change in an interview last week, though Trump urged him to consider doing so. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

As Hollywood gathered at the SAG Awards, some entertainers joined LAX protest Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Advertisement

This New York doctor went to visit family in Sudan, and now hes stuck By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Dr. Kamal Fadlalla (Dr. Kamal Fadlalla / For The Times) Dr. Kamal Fadlalla, a hospital resident who has been working in New York for the last 20 months, was stuck in Sudan on Sunday, having gone there to see his family earlier this month. He had left Jan. 13, was due to return Feb. 4 but tried to return on Friday after hearing about President Trumps executive order on immigration, which suspended entry for people from seven countries, including Sudan. He made it past passport control, all the way to the gate at the airport in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. One hour before departure they called my name, he said, and summoned him to the ticket counter, along with other New York-bound Sudanese passengers. When I got to the counter, they said there was a notice from Customs and Border Protection that ... they had to offload us from the flight. I was shocked. Fadlalla, 33, hoped for a reprieve as other passengers gathered, all stuck. One family, they came back from Dubai, she was a mother of three or four kids. She was waiting overnight at the Dubai airport. There were also two passengers turned back from New York, he said. It was a very tough night on me, He stayed for several hours, then returned to his mothers home in Madani, two hours south. Fadlalla is a second-year resident in internal medicine at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn. He is hoping to specialize in hematology and oncology. The Committee for Interns and Residents found an attorney to represent him, he said, but he had not received any news about how a New York federal judges ruling late Saturday, which halted the deportations of people who had arrived in the U.S. with valid visas, could affect him. I dont know what Im going to do. My vacation is going to end and I have to join the hospital next week. Its going to be tough on me, Fadlalla said. I dont know for how long Im going to stay here. I dont know what Im going to do. My visa is valid for three months. Im really stuck. I have my house there, my utilities, my work, my patients, my colleagues. It was my life for the past 20 months. And Im stuck here. Fadlalla is from northern Sudan, and describes himself as a moderate Muslim. He said the executive order wont make the U.S. safer by barring valid visa holders like him because, Ive been through the whole process of visa interviews. He had planned to take board exams next year, and if he misses them, his schooling will be delayed. He had wanted to stay and work in New York, too. All my life is there. Now Im stuck here. I dont know what to do, he said. Its going to really affect my life, my patients, my colleagues and their work schedule. He said the executive order has shocked others in Sudan, too. Theyre talking about human rights. Everybody knows the United States is about freedom, he said. Everybody knows America is a free country, a country of chances for everybody. Still, people have hope in those protesting at airports all over the United States and attorneys who have volunteered to help immigrants and refugees, he said. He said the order is especially worrying for aspiring Sudanese medical residents who have been preparing to match with a hospital in March to study in the United States. A lot of my colleagues who are preparing for exams are really, really worried about this, Fadlalla said. Im really worried about the future of these young people. They study a lot and spend a lot of money, a lot of effort to enter the United States. Im concerned about my future and my colleagues future. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Californias congressional Republicans hold their fire on Trumps refugee order 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 country. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) released a statement Sunday night saying that some tweaks are needed, but that 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, Nunes said. 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. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) told the Washington Post that the executive order 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 Sunday on Twitter 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 as well as an end to the executive order. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced she would file two pieces of legislation 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 on 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 on 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 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Legal moves come too late for Iranian man who arrived at LAX after Trumps order By Matt Hamilton Ali Vayeghan arrived at 7:15 p.m. Friday from Tehran. He was going to stay with relatives, then go to Indiana, to join his wife, who arrived in the U.S. four months ahead of him, and his son. But he never emerged from customs. His niece said he was put on a plane to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. The ACLU was trying to prevent his deportation but arrived with paperwork 45 minutes too late. The family spoke to him by phone after he landed in Dubai, where he was waiting to be put on a flight to Tehran. Hes literally crying in the airport in Dubai, Ali Vayeghans niece, Marjan Vayghan, said. On Sunday afternoon, a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered authorities to transport Vayeghan back to the U.S. and admit him under the terms of his visa, which is set to expire Feb. 14. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee said in her order that Vayeghan had demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in establishing that removal violates the Establishment Clause, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and his rights to Equal Protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution. But by the time the order came down, Vayeghan was on a plane bound for Tehran. Federal judge in LA has issued order allowing Iranian man deported from LAX yesterday to be admitted to US pic.twitter.com/yPth0xEQpv  Matt Hamilton (@MattHjourno) January 29, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

The political climate is a hot topic at the Screen Actors Guild awards The Actor statue watches over the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium. (Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) Stars on the red carpet and at the winners podium tonight in Los Angeles are not keeping their mouths shut on current affairs. The 23rd Screen Actors Guild awards are being held at the Shrine Auditorium. Heres what they have had to say so far: I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France, and Im an American patriot, and I love this country, and because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus, accepting her award for her role in Veep We need to vote. Had we all voted, we wouldnt be here. You dont like it, you dont have nothing to say if you didnt vote. Get a clipboard, get organized and get in it. Dont sit back on the sidelines. Get in it. This is a fight for the country right now. Its worth fighting for.  Courtney B. Vance, nominated for his performance in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story For the first time ever in my lifetime, Ive been concerned about where its going to go. It doesnt seem to be that its going to go in a very positive direction.  Claire Foy, nominated for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix series The Crown Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Green card holders will not be blocked by Trumps order, Homeland Security says By David Lauter (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) The Trump administration backed away from one of the most controversial parts of its new executive order on immigration Sunday evening, saying that permanent U.S. residents in most cases will not be affected by the new rules. Since the president issued the order Friday, confusion has been rampant over the effects on permanent residents, noncitizens who hold so-called green cards that allow them to live and work legally in the U.S. Many were stopped and detained at airports for many hours on Friday and Saturday and, in some cases, reported that they had been threatened with being returned to their home countries. An undetermined number of other green card holders were stopped from boarding U.S.-bound planes. Late Sunday, however, the secretary of Homeland Security, retired Gen. John Kelly, issued a statement changing the policy. Statement By Secretary John Kelly On The Entry Of Lawful Permanent Residents Into The United States  https://t.co/Es1qivoR3J pic.twitter.com/hffMK2MOQC  Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 29, 2017 I hereby deem the entry of lawful permanent residents to be in the national interest, Kelly wrote. Green card holders from one of the seven countries covered by the 90-day ban will still need to request a waiver to gain reentry to the U.S. if they have traveled abroad. But unless officials have significant derogatory information about a green card holder that indicates a serious threat to public safety and welfare, lawful permanent resident status will be a dispositive factor in deciding the case, Kellys statement said. A White House official, briefing reporters about the change in policy, said that about 170 people have applied for a waiver to the ban so far, and all 170 have received a waiver and have been allowed to enter the U.S. The seven countries affected by the ban are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Uber fights immigration order -- and #DeleteUber hashtag -- with $3-million legal fund for drivers By Tracey Lien Hours after Lyfts co-founders announced a $1-million donation to the American Civil Liberties Union to defend the

Constitution, Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick pulled out his pocket book as well. Kalanick promised in a Facebook post that the company would create a $3-million legal defense fund to help drivers affected by the Trump administrations move to restrict immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. The fund will help drivers with immigration and translation services. Kalanick also said the San Francisco ride-hailing company will provide 24/7 legal support to drivers stuck outside the country and compensate them for lost earnings. Drivers eligible for assistance were directed to contact the company via an online form. Although the announcement was greeted with some support on Facebook and Twitter, many saw it as too little too late. The company had come under fire a day earlier for advertising on Twitter that it was operating at New Yorks Kennedy International Airport during a taxi strike protesting the executive order. That gaffe, coupled with Kalanicks involvement in a panel advising President Trump on economic issues, helped spawn the Twitter hashtag #DeleteUber, which encouraged customers to delete the app from their phones in protest. You are 20 hours too late, one person wrote in response to Kalanicks Facebook post. Still deleted my account today, wrote another. Though Kalanick issued a statement on Saturday opposing the executive order, it didnt stop thousands of Twitter users from adopting the trending the #DeleteUber hashtag to decry Ubers actions. They accused the company of attempting to profit from the strike and prioritizing business interests over a moral imperative. Celebrities also jumped on the bandwagon, with actor and activist George Takei on Sunday tweeting to his 2.9 million followers: Lyft donates $1mil to ACLU while Uber doubles down on its support for Trump. #DeleteUber. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

75-year-old grandmother from Iran tells the story of her detention at LAX By Alene Tchekmedyian Siavosh Naji-Talakar of Phoenix hugs his grandmother Marzieh Moosavizadeh after she was released from detention at LAX early Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Marzieh Moosavizadeh and her grandson follow a routine when she visits almost every year from Iran. The 75-year-old, who travels in a wheelchair and speaks little English, struggles to find direct flights to Phoenix, where he and his family live. So they meet in Los Angeles and he escorts her on the last leg of her trip. This time was different. Moosavizadeh landed at Los Angeles International Airport a day after President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

GOP senators call executive order a self-inflicted wound. Trump calls them wrong and weak By Matt Ballinger McCain and Graham in 2013. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona released a statement Sunday saying that confusion at U.S. airports shows that President Trumps executive order on immigration was not properly vetted. Such a hasty process risks harmful results, the Republicans statement read. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation. It went on: Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. The president responded on Twitter: The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong - they are sadly weak on immigration. The two...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 ...Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

At least 600 people wait to greet Syrians arriving in Phoenix By Nigel Duara Elijah Chavez and Brandi Hernandez protest in Phoenix (Nigel Duara/Los Angeles Times) A Phoenix-bound British Airways flight was scheduled to arrive from London at Sunday evening carrying several Syrians. A protest of about 600 people was waiting at a Phoenix international airport terminal for the flight to arrive. The outcome when these people arrive is uncertain at best, said Tanveer Shah, an Arizona attorney in private practice who volunteers with the ACLU. Shah said Syrians on board the flight would, in the best case, walk off the plane without a problem. But given the outcomes in other cities on Saturday and Sunday, Shah said it was incumbent on civil liberties attorneys to be there when the plane arrives. We have staff attorneys here ... who are prepared to file emergency pleadings, Shah said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

When Muslims got blocked at American airports, U.S. veterans rushed to help By Matt Pearce (G. Morty Ortega / Getty Images) Jeffrey Buchalter was reflooring his foyer in Chesapeake Beach, Md., and listening to MSNBC over the weekend when he heard the news: An Iraqi who had worked with American forces as an interpreter had been stopped from entering the U.S. under a new executive order on immigration from President Trump. The story stopped him cold. Buchalter, an Army veteran who works as a law-enforcement instructor at the Department of Homeland Security, had served multiple tours of duty as a military policeman in Iraq, service that cost him dearly. He was decorated for injuries sustained from gunfire and improvised explosive devices. Exams revealed hed suffered herniated discs, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, and he spent 2  years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center trying to get right. But he was still alive, and now the married father of two children. And he believes thats thanks in part to the work of Iraqi interpreters who acted as guides during his work in their country. So he told his younger daughter and son they were going to take a trip: a two-hour drive to Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., where, for the first time in his life, Buchalter would join a protest. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Demonstrators against Trumps immigration limits  and a few who like them  surge through LAX By Javier Panzar The crowd at LAX is getting bigger and bigger. pic.twitter.com/dJ281TETXj  Javier Panzar  (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Thousands of people filled the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday afternoon to call for the release of an unknown number of people being detained by immigration authorities. Filling the arrivals section of the terminal and spilling into the street outside, the throng chanted, Let them in, and Love, not hate, makes America great. Jacob Kemper, a 35-year-old Army veteran who fought two tours in Iraq, said he was infuriated to think soldiers he fought alongside might be denied entry to the country. I really dont care about religion, but I really hate oppression, he said, holding a sign that read, I Fought Next To Muslims. Shay Soltani, a network engineer, fled the Iranian revolution 40 years ago and still has family members in Iran. She doesnt know if she will be able to see them again. As she and hundreds of others marched through the airport, she said she was horrified by Trumps order. I am so hurt by this, she said. He is against freedom of speech and the constitution and everything I believe in as an American. Meanwhile, about a dozen counter-protesters popped up on the other side of the street, holding signs that said X-treme vetting and Keep Refugees Out. They said they were tired of immigrants entering the U.S. illegally, which they said jeopardizes the safety of American citizens. Chanell Temple, 63, of Los Angeles said she was sick of watching immigrants here illegally steal benefits and services from American citizens, specifically veterans and homeless people who need aid. I worked out here for 40 years and they are coming here and taking everything away, said Temple, a former bookkeeper who said she lost her job and healthcare after she was fired for an inability to speak Spanish. Raul Rodriguez Jr., coordinator of a group called America First Latinos, said he was concerned about what he considers a surge in crimes committed against Americans by those who are in the country illegally. They are lawbreakers. They have violated federal law and they need to be deported, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Silicon Valley execs speak out against immigration ban By Tracey Lien Technology executives are speaking out against President Trumps executive order on immigration, highlighting how the ban hurts their businesses. Leaders of companies that include Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Dropbox and Twitter denounced it over the weekend. Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do, said Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a memo to employees. In my conversations with officials here in Washington this week, Ive made it clear that Apple believes deeply in the importance of immigration  both to our company and to our nations future. General Electric Co. chief executive Jeff Immelt said Sunday that businesses with global operations must balance working with the new administration while also supporting their workers and partners. We have many employees from the named countries and we do business all over the region, Immelt said in a statement. These employees and customers are critical to our success and they are our friends and partners. We stand with them and will work with the U.S. administration to strive to find the balance between the need for security and the movement of law abiding people. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

LAX protest grows as families wait Meg Heatherly, 27, of Los Angeles holds a Shame sign during a protest at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

L.A. city attorney barred from seeing detainees at LAX By James Queally Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer said he was repeatedly denied access to federal detainees or an attorney who could discuss the situation with him at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Federal officials have declined to discuss the LAX detentions or respond to Feuers criticisms. While he was at the airport, Feuer said he was approached by a woman who claimed her father, suffering from Parkinsons disease, was among the detainees. It is those kind of real stories that are at stake because of this outrageous action by the feds. It is time not only for officials in my position, but all Americans, should find this a breathtaking violation of rights.  Mike Feuer Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democratic attorneys general from 15 states condemn Trump immigration order By Ann M. Simmons California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general from states across the country have condemned the Trump administrations executive order suspending acceptance of refugees and have vowed to oppose it to ensure that as few people as possible suffer from the chaotic situation that it has created. In a communique Sunday, the group said: As the chief legal officers for over 130 million Americans and foreign residents of our states, we condemn President Trumps unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful Executive Order and will work together to ensure the federal government obeys the Constitution, respects our history as a nation of immigrants, and does not unlawfully target anyone because of their national origin or faith. The executive order places an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and prohibits citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering as refugees for four months. It also places a suspension on admissions of other citizens of those countries. The legal officials represent 15 states. They include California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his contemporaries in Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country, and no president can change that truth, the attorneys general said in the statement. They praised the decision of multiple federal courts to order a stay on some aspects of the order. We are confident that the Executive Order will ultimately be struck down by the courts, the statement said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

13 people who had been detained at LAX have been released, source says By James Queally Protesters at LAX on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Thirteen people who were detained Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airports Terminal 2 were eventually released, a law enforcement source told The Times. Each of them held green cards, which grant permanent residency in the U.S. The source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation at the airport, could not provide detention figures for the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which has been the center of protest activity. Thats where protesters were gathering Sunday. Nurse Jamie Shoemaker, 51, of Los Angeles held an American flag in one hand and carried a sign that read, Muslims are welcome here, racists and fascists are not. She called Trumps order un-American. This is not the country I want, she said. This is not the country I grew up in. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democrats in Congress drafting legislation to repeal Trumps refugee ban, pressuring GOP for support By Lisa Mascaro Sen. Chuck Schumer becomes emotional speaking against Pres. Trump's immigration order, calling it "mean-spirited and un-American." pic.twitter.com/NkhUdpaNyV  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 29, 2017 Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Democrats will introduce legislation as soon as Monday to stop President Trumps actions temporarily banning refugees and arrivals from certain Muslim countries. House Democrats are taking similar legislative action, and lawmakers from both chambers will rally Monday evening at the Supreme Court to protest Trumps orders. This executive order was mean-spirited and un-American, said Schumer, the New York Democrat, choking up as he stood with immigrants and refugees at a press conference Sunday. It must be reversed immediately. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats are exploring legal options, including an amicus brief in support of the ACLU lawsuit against the actions. The chances of passing a bill through the Republican-controlled Congress are slim, as most GOP leaders and lawmakers have not objected to Trumps ban. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that while he was personally opposed to a religious test on admissions, it was best left to the courts to resolve the issue. Its hopefully going to be decided in the courts as to whether or not this has gone too far, McConnell said on ABCs This Week. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) expressed his support Friday for Trumps action. A handful of Republicans, though, are uneasy with Trumps orders, and have spoken against them. Schumer noted that just few more Republicans would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold for advancing Senate legislation. Maybe we can pass something in Congress, Schumer said. Its up to Republicans. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Emotional reunion at JFK airport after release of elderly Sudanese man from immigration detention By Barbara Demick Tears and hugs at JFK's international arrivals as a detainee is released, reuniting father with son. More families wait, cheering. pic.twitter.com/WrVpoocWjY  Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 29, 2017 For those immigrants temporarily detained under a new Trump administration executive order at New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, attorneys have put a priority on getting some of the older detainees released to their families. One small victory for the lawyers was the case of Yassin Abdelrhman, a 76-year-old green card holder from Sudan who had been detained after a trip home to visit family. He was released about noon on Sunday after being detained for 30 hours. Soon, he was reunited with his sons. He is a strong individual, but he has some health challenges, said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who had been working on their case. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will not attend Oscars Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi after winning an Oscar in 2012. ((Allen J. Schaben/ Los Angeles Times) ) In a statement to the New York Times today, Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said he no longer planned to attend this years ceremony. Farhadis film The Salesman is nominated in the foreign language film category. Farhadi had initially hoped to attend despite the prohibition on visitors from Iran. But he said he had decided the possibility of this presence is being accompanied by ifs and buts which are in no way acceptable to me even if exceptions were to be made for my trip. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

How an Iranian Fulbright scholar got into the U.S.: We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer By Barbara Demick Iranian students in front of a makeshift law office in JFKs Terminal 4. (Barbara Demick / Los Angeles Times) Perhaps nothing encapsulates the chaos emanating from President Trumps executive order better than what happened with Ukrainian Airlines Flight 232. The regularly scheduled flight to Kiev had to turn around on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport early Sunday after a federal judge issued a stay of a deportation order of dozens of foreigners, including a 32-year-old Iranian linguist who is a doctoral candidate and former Fulbright scholar. With just minutes to spare, Vahideh Rasekhi -- helped by volunteer lawyers and her smart phone  managed to prevent the flight from taking off. She had arrived Saturday afternoon, but was blocked from entering the United States by the executive order barring arrivals of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Libya. Around midnight, she was put on the Ukrainian Air flight to return to Tehran, via Kiev. We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer, said Mehdi Namazi, 29, a friend who has been waiting for her at the airport. The lawyers were showing officials a copy of the order issued a few hours earlier by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn. It was all very confusing. They were arguing as the plane was taxiing, Namazi said. According to one lawyer, Melissa Trent, Rasekhi herself was walking up and down the aisles arguing for the plane not to take off. She knew that if the plane left she would never get back to the United States again, Trent said. Rasekhi spent most of Sunday in detention with other Iranians, but was released into the United States at around 3 p.m.. A dozen Iranian friends had been waiting inside the airports Terminal 4 amid a clutter of discarded coffee cups and half-eaten donuts in front of a diner that had been turned into a makeshift law office. Another Iranian student was waiting for her parents, who were taken into detention after arriving on another flight I havent seen them in 3-1/2 years. They dont speak English. But Im hopeful, said the student, who gave her name as Sahar. The students were both furious at the way their country had been targeted by Trumps order and touched by the outpouring of support from the volunteer lawyers. We see two different Americas here. There is this order banning us, and than there are all these people here who came to the airport. If it werent for these volunteers, she would have been deported, said Namazi. Im very depressed. We feel betrayed by this country that we invested so much energy and hope into. We are all graduate students, professors, PhDs, engineers. To say this is for national security, it doesnt add up, said Tahmineh Tabrizian, 33, another friend of Rasekhis. She said her own parents had planned to come to the United States and had spent $14,000 on tickets and visas and would now have to cancel their trip. Rasekhi, who has lived in the United States for a decade, was a Fulbright scholar at UC Santa Barbara and received a masters degree at Fresno State University, according to a resume supplied by one of her friends. She had been studying for a PhD at Stony Brook University on Long Island. She had gone to Tehran over the Christmas break to visit her parents and was on her way back to resume her studies when she was detained. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Protests begin again at LAX on Sunday morning By Genaro Molina Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Protesters in Tel Aviv compare Trump immigration order to Israeli refugee policies By Joshua Mitnick Demonstrators in Tel Aviv protest U.S. President Trumps new immigration order. (Joshua Mitnick / Los Angeles Times) Holding signs reading Refugees Welcome and chanting No Ban, No Wall, Sanctuary for All, several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Sunday to join protests in the U.S. against President Trumps new immigration policy. Mia Zur Szpiro, a 36-year-old filmmaker, said she felt compelled to demonstrate because her parents survived the Holocaust. We are a country of immigrants, and to me it was astounding that this [order] was passed on Holocaust Memorial Day, she said. Its wrong to stereotype, and its wrong to send people who are in need back into the face of danger and the risk of death. Elliot Vaisbrub Glassenberg, a protest organizer and migrant rights activist, compared the new U.S. policy to Israeli policies toward tens of thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese migrants who crossed into the country illegally from Egypts Sinai desert. The policies that Trump has enacted are no worse than the policies that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has enacted for years here  such as not allowing any non-Jews to be given refugee status in Israel, except for a select few. Togod Omar, a native of Sudan who was at the protest, said he applied for political asylum in Israel three years ago, and is still waiting. He said Sudanese friends hoping to be resettled in the U.S. were upset by the new executive order. Trump doesnt understand whats going on in Sudan, Omar said. You cant punish the Sudanese people for what the Islamic government is doing. You cant banish someone because of their religion. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

President Trump hits majority disapproval in record time, Gallup finds By David Lauter Days until achieving MAJORITY disapproval from @Gallup



Reagan: 727

Bush I: 1336

Clinton: 573

Bush II: 1205

Obama: 936



Trump: 8. days. pic.twitter.com/kv2fy0Qsbp  Will Jordan (@williamjordann) January 29, 2017 President Trumps actions during his first week in office have appeared to be aimed at the voters who already supported him, not at reaching out to the rest, and thats taken a rapid toll on his support, which was already historically low. Gallup, which has measured job approval for presidents for decades, shows Trumps approval so far at 45%, with 48% disapproving. Thats an average of several days polling. The daily trend lines are not kind to the new administration. As of Saturday, 51% of Americans disapproved of Trumps performance. Thats a record for the speed of getting to majority disapproval. By comparison, President George W. Bush hit majority disapproval six months into his second term, in June 2005, and remained in negative territory for the rest of his tenure. President Obama did not hit 51% disapproval until August of 2011, during the crisis over the federal debt ceiling that summer. His approval rebounded later that year, but he had a second period of majority disapproval during late 2013 and much of 2014. He ended his term with widespread approval and 37% of Americans disapproving. Trump Job Approval: Approve 45% (-1); Disapprove 48% (+3). Get the full trend https://t.co/BjTUhf0NAM.  GallupNews (@GallupNews) January 27, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Hundreds of travelers were caught in limbo over rushed visa ban By Brian Bennett (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Hundreds of travelers were blocked from entering the U.S. or prevented from boarding flights in the hours after President Trump signed his order banning arrivals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In the order, Trump temporarily suspended refugee admissions and banned travelers from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Scores of people from those countries were aboard airplanes flying toward the U.S. when Trump signed his executive order on Friday afternoon, setting off waves of confusion among border officials and the traveling public. Upon landing at U.S. airports, 109 people from the listed countries were detained by immigration officials and prevented from entering the U.S., officials said. The department had approved 81 waivers to the new travel ban by Saturday afternoon, the official said, but at least some of the people detained on arrival were sent back to their countries of origin. Court orders issued Saturday evening required U.S. border officials to stop returning people who had already arrived with valid visas. It is unclear how many people were deported before the orders were issued. It is also unclear if the Trump administration has fully complied with those orders. In addition to the people who arrived in the U.S. and were detained, as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, an additional 173 travelers from the listed countries had been stopped from boarding flights to the U.S., a Homeland Security official said in a statement. The department did not make an official available to describe the actions and the agencys response. As many as 3,250 travelers may have been inconvenienced by the new visa restrictions, officials for the department said in a statement Sunday. Yesterday, less than 1% of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive every day were inconvenienced while enhanced security measures were implemented, the statement read. The department will comply with court orders, the statement said. But no evidence was given to confirm this. Lawyers seeking to meet with detainees at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington and at San Francisco have said that they were blocked by officials on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security will comply with judicial orders, faithfully enforce our immigration laws, and implement President Trumps executive orders to ensure that those entering the United States do not pose a threat to our country or the American people, according to the departments statement. All of the visa holders and travelers from the listed countries blocked from entering the U.S. since Friday already had gone through multiple steps of security screening that checked their biographical information and travel history against U.S. terrorism databases. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House seems to back down on part of new vetting policy By Christi Parsons The White House on Sunday appeared to back down on a key part of President Trumps tough new immigration order, signaling that travelers trying to enter the country from seven banned countries will be allowed in if they hold green cards. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that these legal permanent residents are exempt from the travel ban moving forward, even though over the weekend other administration officials said the rule did apply to them. The apparent reversal came amid a national controversy over the new Trump order that temporarily halts the entry of all refugees to the U.S. and any traveler from seven majority Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Federal judges across the country have blocked parts of the presidents executive actions since they came down on Friday, mostly preventing the deportation of some travelers who ran into the first wave of implementation over the weekend. The back-and-forth over the green-card holders reflected a generalized confusion about the new order, which also bars Syrian refugees from entering the United States indefinitely. Lawyers for some of the affected immigrants said border agents seemed uncertain about the new rules and were disagreeing with one another about which travelers were affected and which were not. Further complicating the picture was a statement from the Department of Homeland Security asserting that its agents would enforce all of Trumps orders while also complying with judicial orders. As some of the orders block deportation, that left individual officers to try to figure out which priorities to honor. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Op-Ed: Trumps cruel, illegal refugee executive order By Erwin Chemerinsky Protesters demonstrate at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Saturday. (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images) Barring individuals fleeing persecution from entering the United States is simply inhumane. Adding irony to injury, Trumps executive order was issued on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which should have been an occasion to atone for turning away refugees during the 1930ssome of whom then died in concentration camps. For example, in 1939, the United States turned away the St. Louis, a boat filled with refugees, many of them German Jews. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 254 passengers from the St. Louis died in the Holocaust.  Erwin Chemerinsky Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Lyft pledges to donate $1 million to ACLU following Trumps immigration order By Tracey Lien (Richard Vogel / Associated Press) Tech executives had been mostly quiet for the first week of Donald Trumps presidency  but that changed after his controversial executive order restricting refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. Executive after executive spent Saturday tweeting and posting messages to Facebook decrying the administrations actions. Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green went a step further: On Sunday, they announced they would donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union over the next four years. Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft and our nations core values, the co-founders wrote in an email to Lyft customers. We stand firmly against the actions, and will no
Last year, California became the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags when voters passed Proposition 67. Last week, Michigan became the seventh state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bag bans.

Sadly, it joins a clique of states with Republican-controlled legislatures that have taken the environmentally backward step of stamping out the spread of grassroots plastic bag bans by communities concerned about this destructive plastic menace.

Missouri, Idaho, Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana and Florida are the other states that have adopted the preemption measures pushed by bag manufacturers, which are the main opponents of the local bans. Although such efforts are certainly not good for the environment in landlocked states, theyre particularly distressing in states adjacent to waterways, such as Florida and Michigan. Very few of the 100 billion single-use plastic bags used in the United States each year are recycled. And their lightweight nature and T-shirt design mean they are uniquely able to escape the trash can and wreak environmental damage. Single-use plastic bags are consistently among the top five forms of litter found in beach cleanups. Worse are the bags that remain in the ocean, where they break down into small bite-sized pellets that are harmful to sea creatures. There is a reason that Californias coastal cities pioneered the local prohibitions on single-use plastic bags that led eventually to a statewide ban.

Advertisement

Why would these seven states take a stand against localism to protect one small industry that may not even have factories there? Its not about sound environmental policy. Instead, these are partisan political moves by state lawmakers to stop communities from enacting policies Republicans view as hostile to business. When the Missouri Legislature adopted its preemption in 2015, for example, it also banned cities from adopting living wage ordinances. Both are typically liberal policies that conservative politicians find objectionable.

Cities and counties, by contrast, are driven to adopt bag bans more by practical community concerns than ideology. The scourge of plastic bags is an issue for local governments, because thats who has to deal with the cleanup costs. In California, the pre-ban yearly bill for taxpayers was about $428 million.

The intent of preemption laws is to halt the momentum of local bans before they grow into a statewide movement, as happened here. Californians saw through the industrys flimsy arguments that bans are costly, unsanitary and ineffective (theyre not). Hopefully, the citizens in these seven preemption states  and any others that consider adopting similar laws  will see through the motives of their lawmakers and fight successfully for the right to decide whether to ban the bags in their own communities.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
If Americans learned anything from president-elect Donald J. Trumps press conference Wednesday, it was that the scope of his business enterprises makes it exceedingly difficult for him to separate his personal interests from those of the nation. Trump assured his listeners that they shouldnt worry about financial conflicts or ethical dilemmas because he was going to step aside and let his sons run the familys Trump Organization. But while that might mean he wont be making certain corporate decisions, it doesnt ensure that he wont craft policies as president designed to increase the worth of his holdings.

Trump made it clear he has no intention of selling off the business or placing it in a true blind trust because, well, it would be hard to do, it would cost him money and besides, federal conflict-of-interest laws dont require a president to divest, so he wont. Thats a rather petulant position to take. Trump sought out the presidency amid serious questions by ethics experts over how he would assure the public that he has only one loyalty: to protect and advance the interests of the American people. Unfortunately, he did little to assuage those concerns during the campaign  and wouldnt even release his tax returns so that voters could understand the extent and nature of the problem.

Advertisement

Under the arrangement laid out by his tax attorney, Sheri Dillon, at Wednesdays press conference, the president-elect will sign over control of the business to a trust under the care of his two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric. In addition, the Trump Organization will undertake no new foreign deals, and any new domestic deals will be vetted by an in-house ethics advisor. Those deals will occur without Trumps knowledge or input.

Yet Trumps conflicts of interest remain. He presumably will continue to receive income from the family business, and non-detailed financial statements of how it is faring. And not only does he already know exactly what the Trump Organizations current holdings are, both foreign and domestic, but all he needs to do to learn what new deals are in the works is read the newspaper. That means hell be aware of how revisions to the tax codes, which he has promised, will affect the familys real estate and hotel businesses. And whether a change in policies toward the Philippines would affect his existing deals there with businessman Jose Antonio, who was recently appointed Philippine trade envoy to the U.S. To offer just two examples.

Federal policies, existing and future, have untold intersections with the Trump Organization. This is unprecedented territory for the White House, and the nation. But as long as the Trump family stands to gain privately from the public policy decisions of President Trump, the nation will be justifiably skeptical of where their presidents loyalties lie.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
If anyone thought that election to the highest office in the land had changed Donald Trump, the president-elects news conference Wednesday was a depressing spectacle.

As he did on the campaign trail, Trump berated the media, hurled exaggerated accusations and trafficked in vague promises  incredible people are going to do tremendous things. He shouted down a CNN reporter. He praised himself in the third person. (No ones ever had crowds like Trump has had.) He acknowledged for the first time that I think it was Russia that hacked Democratic email accounts even as he minimized the possibility that Russia might be trying to undermine American interests. And then he seemed to back off his assertion that Russia had done the hacking.

The prevailing tone was one of defensiveness and self-justification. Asked if he was concerned that the American people might resent his refusal to release his income taxes, Trump replied: No. I dont think so. I won.

Advertisement

The format of the event in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York resembled a campaign rally more than a news briefing. And its original purpose  an explanation by Trump about how he would resolve conflicts of interest created by his vast business empire  was largely subcontracted to a lawyer.

Its understandable that Trump was outraged over the publication by BuzzFeed News of a dossier containing allegations that Russia had been cultivating Trump and had amassed compromising information about him. The assertions in the dossier were incendiary, occasionally salacious and entirely unverified. But at the news conference, Trump also heaped contempt on a reporter for CNN, which had merely reported that a two-page synopsis of the allegations was presented to Trump and President Obama by intelligence officials. Your organizations terrible, Trump told CNN reporter Jim Acosta. (BuzzFeed, by contrast, was deemed a failing pile of garbage.)

Trump also turned his wrath on the intelligence community, defending a tweet earlier in the day in which he had written: Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to leak into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany? Yet it isnt even clear that the intelligence community was the source of the dossier, which reportedly has been in wide circulation in Washington.

As for admitting error, Trumps aides probably breathed a sigh of relief when he finally said that Russia indeed was responsible for hacking Democratic emails  although it was a perfunctory admission reminiscent of his concession that Obama was born in the United States. And by the end of the news conference he was already backtracking, saying: But you know what? It could have been others also.

We had hoped that as Inauguration Day neared, Trump would recognize that as president he needed to speak and act with greater care. Wednesdays undisciplined news conference was not encouraging.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
On Thursday, the Senate holds hearings to confirm Ben Carson as the Department of Housing and Urban Developments new secretary.

As a physician, Carson had to abide by the Hippocratic Oath of ethics. The oath calls on doctors to remember the basic humanity of their patients and the ravages of disease on their economic stability. It reminds doctors to respect the knowledge of experts who have gone before and to emphasize the role of caregiver.

Carson should renew that oath if his nomination is confirmed and he assumes office at HUD.

Advertisement

The outgoing HUD secretary, Julian Castro, aptly characterized HUD as the Department of Opportunity. But HUD is also Americas Department of Mercy. As much as any part of the federal government, the agency works to soften the hardest edges of poverty for families, seniors and veterans. To preside over HUD is to support the life chances of more than 30 million vulnerable Americans.

How will [Carson] cut housing voucher and infrastructure programs that already turn away the majority of eligible people and communities?

At its heart, HUD is a safety net that provides emergency shelter, private-market housing vouchers and long-term housing for very poor seniors and families. It looks out for rural families as well as urban ones. Under President Obama, HUD led the effort that reduced veteran homelessness by 47% since 2010.

The departments mission also goes beyond alleviating poverty. It is a mortgage lender, helping middle- and working-class families build wealth and stability through homeownership. In 2016 alone, its Federal Housing Administration helped more than 1.2 million Americans obtain mortgages to purchase a home, and its efforts have been central to easing the ravages of the foreclosure crisis that precipitated the recession of 2008.

When homes, communities and livelihoods are devastated by floods, wildfires or other natural disasters, HUD works with FEMA to help with the rebuilding. During Obamas two terms, HUD invested more than $18 billion in disaster recovery efforts in California, Texas, Louisiana, the Northeast and other areas. With the intensifying weather extremes that characterize global climate change, this wing of the agencys mission already faces new levels of strain.

Above all, the agency operates at the center of an issue that defined the 2016 campaign and election: the chronic adversity facing workers left behind by advanced manufacturing, the knowledge economy and global trade. Such workers live not only in Trumps rural strongholds but in urban communities of color, like Carsons hometown of Detroit.

HUD must be part of the new administrations answer to that challenge, financing infrastructure to modernize poor communities. With investments in wireless access, sewage lines, lead abatement and neighborhood parks, HUD has been a linchpin of federal efforts to bring communities into the contemporary economy.

We know little about Carsons and Trumps housing policy positions, but their approach to taxes and to the safety net indicates that Trumps HUD is likely to be defined by cuts across all of these programs. Before Carson is confirmed, senators should ask him the questions he will face over and over as the new president and the new Republican Congress assume control of HUDs purse strings: Who will lose housing? How will he cut housing voucher and infrastructure programs that already turn away the majority of eligible people and communities?

If Carson fails to defend the beneficiaries of the agency he is tasked to lead, he will find himself in a position similar to that of President Reagans HUD Secretary Sam Pierce, who implemented nearly $20 billion in cuts to HUDs subsidized housing programs. By the end of Reagans terms, nearly 10 million additional Americans had fallen below the poverty line and more than 2 million people had become homeless, despite rising federal spending overall and dramatic tax cuts for the wealthy.

Carson has said he wants to make HUD a springboard rather than a hammock. If he becomes the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, he will learn anew what he surely saw personally in his youth, watching his mother work several jobs: There is no hammock for those trapped in American poverty or homelessness. Indeed, a sick bed is a closer analogy. We truly hope that Carson will return to his doctors oath to do no harm to the people and communities who need HUDs help to get by and then get ahead.

Michelle Wilde Anderson is a professor at Stanford Law School and Shamus Roller is executive director of the National Housing Law Project.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
There are two quite different stories about why there is a prescription drug crisis in the United States, and why opioid-related deaths have quadrupled since 1999. At some level, you are probably aware of both. Earlier this year, I interviewed people in the New Hampshire towns worst affected by this crisis  from imprisoned addicts to grieving families. Even the people who were living through it would alternate between these stories, without seeing that, in fact, they clash, and imply the need for different solutions. Thousands of lives depend on which of these tales is correct.

Heres the first story. It has been endorsed by some excellent journalists and broadcasters, from Sam Quinones to HBOs John Oliver. It goes, in crude summary, like this: Starting in the late 1990s, a handful of pharmaceutical corporations promoted prescription opiates as the solution to Americas physical pain. Large numbers of people then started to take these drugs  and because Oxycontin and Percocet and the rest have such powerful chemical hooks, many found themselves addicted. Big Pharma is like the drug-pusher in a Reagan-era public service announcement, waiting at Americas metaphorical playground gate with a drug you cant resist.



For the record: This article originally stated that a meta-analysis published in a Canadian medical journal found no significant risk of addiction for patients prescribed opioids. Actually, thats how the physician Gabor Mate summarized existing research. This article was also changed to clarify the risk of addiction after exposure to strong opioids in a hospital setting, adding the word systematically.

This narrative leads to a clear solution: Restrict prescription opiates and prevent addicts from taking them. Since the drug caused the problem, ending access to the drug humanely will end the problem.

Advertisement

Blunt restriction of prescription drugs will actually increase deaths, just as the war on illegal drugs has.

Although this is a coherent story, put forward by serious and thoughtful people, there are some key facts that dont fit. Heres one: Doctors in many parts of the world  including Canada and some European countries  prescribe more powerful opiates than their peers in the United States. In England, if, say, you get hit by a car, you may be given diamorphine (the medical name for heroin) to manage your pain. Some people take it for long periods. If what weve been told is right, they should become addicted in huge numbers.

But this doesnt occur. The Canadian physician Gabor Mate argues in his book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts that studies examining the medicinal use of narcotics for pain relief find no significant risk of addiction. Ive talked with doctors in Canada and Europe about this very issue. They say its vanishingly rare for a patient given diamorphine or a comparably strong painkiller in a hospital setting to develop an addiction.

Given that really powerful opiates do not appear to systematically cause addiction when administered by doctors, we should doubt that milder ones do. In fact only 1 in 130 prescriptions for an opiate such as Oxycontin or Percocet in the United States results in addiction, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Heath.

So whats really happening? The second, clashing story goes, again, crudely, like this: Opiate use is climbing because people feel more distressed and disconnected, and are turning to anesthetics to cope with their psychological pain.

Addiction rates are not spread evenly across the United States, as you would expect if chemical hooks were the primary cause. On the contrary, addiction is soaring in areas such as the Rust Belt, the South Bronx and the forgotten towns of New England, where people there say they are lonelier and more insecure than they have been in living memory.

This phenomenon isnt new. After a collapse in peoples sense of status, meaning or community, an addiction epidemic often follows. In England in the 18th century, for example, huge numbers were driven out of the countryside into urban slums. Then came a mass outbreak of alcoholism  it was called the Gin Craze  and many drank themselves to death. At the time, commentators blamed the evil booze peddlers. If only they hadnt sold the gin in the first place, they said, none of this would have happened; gin hijacks people and destroys them.

When we look back, we can see that gin couldnt have been the true source of the problem. Gin is legal today, and it is not causing social collapse. It was a symptom, a way of trying to survive in an unbearable environment. Gin caused problems, certainly. But if gin hadnt been invented, people would have turned to another intoxicant, or simply been suicidally depressed.

It might seem as if these two stories are compatible. Cant we argue that distress has made more people vulnerable to addiction  and that Big Pharma was responsible for stepping in with a dangerous drug?

But acting on the drug pusher story will only make things worse. The first victims would be the vast majority of users who do not develop an addiction, and who would be plunged into needless pain.

The consequences would be even more shattering for those rare few  1 in 130 cases  who do have an addiction problem. Doctors have explained to me that when they have to cut off patients abruptly, the distress the patient is trying to numb is still there, so they buy illegal drugs on the black market. Oxycontin is mostly not available from dealers, so many will end up using contaminated street heroin instead, which is far more dangerous.

Blunt restriction of prescription drugs will actually increase deaths, just as the war on illegal drugs has.

If, however, you act on the second story, you come to a different solution  one that has been tried with remarkable success.

In the 1980s and 90s, the Swiss had a serious opiate epidemic. They tried harsh crackdowns on sellers, and the problem got worse. They tried herding addicted people into a park and letting them use street drugs there, which produced scenes of chaos.

Then, starting in the early 2000s, Switzerland assigned addicted people to clinics where they were given opiates under supervision by a nurse. Crucially, they were also given extensive social support to turn their lives around, including therapy and help finding a job or housing. They gave you the drug, and at the same time, they dealt with the underlying pain that made you feel you needed the drug in the first place.

Patients can stay on that program for as long as they like, theres no pressure to cut back, but almost everyone chooses to stop after a few years. One of the psychiatrists in the clinic in Geneva told me why. Its because their lives get better, so they are in less psychological distress. Since the program began, there have been zero overdose deaths on legal opiates in Switzerland. None. Thats why 70 % of Swiss people voted to keep this approach.

We cant solve the opioid crisis if we continue to simplistically blame the drugs, or the people who supply them. Thats a misunderstanding of what is really going wrong. Every day that we refuse to act on the second, more sophisticated story, another 78 Americans overdose on opiates.

Johann Hari is the author of Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION

Is soy milk really milk?

Will 2017 be the year the anti-vaccination movement goes mainstream?

Ben Carson should approach HUD the way he did medicine: First do no harm
Many Republicans always insisted that their aspiration to Make America Great Again did not mean Make America White Again. Perhaps more are like Speaker Paul Ryan; six months ago Ryan called one of Donald Trumps bigoted slurs a textbook example of a racist comment, but five months later found himself compelled to support the bilious billionaire; Ryan continues to both support the president-elect and maintain his own opposition to racism. If these claims are true, then Republicans have an opportunity to prove they reject bigotry: stand against the nomination of Jefferson B. Sessions for U.S. attorney general.

As he seeks to enter a Cabinet that will undoubtedly be the wealthiest in American history, Sessions seems among the most humble of the nominees. A faithful United Methodist in Alabama, as was George Wallace, Sessions is nothing if not a Southern gentleman. When Trump flew to Mobile on his pre-Christmas thank you tour, Sen. Sessions met him on the tarmac, accompanied by a welcome party of white Southern belles in hoop skirts. Anyone familiar with Gone With the Wind might imagine the greeting these fairest flowers of Alabama offered the two septuagenarian white men, aflame with their crusade to Make America Great Again.

But it was a black Southerner older than either of them who summed up the moral challenge that the Sessions nomination presents us. Quoting the prophet Jeremiah, the civil rights veteran from Alabama asked the simple question, Can a leopard change its spots? This is a question for the Senate and for the nation this week as we look toward the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Advertisement

To ask Jeff Sessions to take on this responsibility would be like hiring a blind bus driver.

Often conservatives insisted that they held their noses as Trump stoked racial fears and resentments on the campaign trail. Likewise, many white people  especially evangelicals and Catholics  expressed outrage that their embrace of a candidate endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan and spouting racial invective was somehow equated with racism. One generous analyst opined that many who voted for Trump were like the customer who only wants HBO but the cable company bundles HBO in the premier package with STARZ and Cinemax, which may or may not interest the customer; many who voted for Trump did so for reasons other than bigotry but were compelled to buy the whole bundle. The nomination of Sen. Sessions for attorney general is the moment we figure out who was buying what on Nov. 8.

When Ronald Reagan nominated a much younger Sessions for the federal bench in 1986, Congress had recently approved a national holiday to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. As a U.S. attorney in Alabama, Sessions had brought charges against Albert and Evelyn Turner, lieutenants of Dr. King who risked their lives for voting rights in Alabama. Sessions prosecuted Mr. and Mrs. Turner on voter fraud charges that could have resulted in a total of 250 years in prison. The evidence was flimsy; they were quickly acquitted of all charges.

This did not appeal to a nation celebrating the civil rights movement as a stride toward the more perfect union we had yearned to become. Sessions was infuriated. He told the Judiciary committee that he still believed he was right to bring the charges, but that he knew it was clearly the spring board for opposition to his nomination. I am not a racist, he insisted. I am not insensitive to blacks.

A quarter-century later, Sessions insists the same. And he is sincere. But he still doesnt understand the basic definition of racism, a fault which, however understandable it may be in a white Southerner of his generation, must disqualify him for the position of chief law enforcement officer in a nation committed to equal protection under the law. This is a man who not long ago called the Voting Rights Act a piece of intrusive legislation.

Many important issues in Sessions record bear consideration, but voting rights betrayed his unrepentant racism a quarter-century ago and still do today. Since the 2013 Shelby County vs. Holder decision gutted the Voting Rights Act, Sen. Sessions has effectively blocked essential legislation to restore voting rights protections for 1,294 days longer than Sen. Strom Thurmond filibustered the 1957 Civil Rights Act. Instead, Sessions has championed voter suppression laws like the one we brought suit against in NC NAACP vs. McCrory. The federal court ruled in our favor, overturning that law. North Carolinas voter suppression law targets African Americans with almost surgical precision, the court ruled. These are the laws Sessions celebrates.

Racism in America today does not require white supremacists that yell the N-word, wear robes, and burn crosses. Racism is perpetuated through systems of power that consistently privilege white people while discriminating against people of color and other minorities. One of the principal tasks of the U.S. attorney general is to challenge institutional racism at every level of American society. To ask Jeff Sessions to take on this responsibility would be like hiring a blind bus driver.

If Republicans believe Trumpism isnt simply a whitelash against Americas first black president, this is their week to prove it. Surely many support Trump for reasons of their own, but Jeff Sessions does not have to be part of the package. Stop Jeff Sessions and confirm an attorney general who has demonstrated a commitment to the constitutional principle of equal protection under the law.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II is president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church and architect of the Moral Mondays movement.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or 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
The Justice Departments internal watchdog launched a sweeping inquiry Thursday into how the FBI handled its Hillary Clinton email probe, including Director James B. Comeys controversial decision to publicly discuss the case in ways the former Democratic nominee has complained contributed to her loss.

The inquiry by the Justice Departments inspector general, likely to keep open the wounds of the bitter 2016 presidential race, will focus on whether policies or procedures were not followed by the FBI and Justice Department.

Of particular focus will be the letter sent by Comey to Congress just 11 days before the Nov. 8 election that disclosed that his agents were reviewing newly discovered emails possibly pertinent to the then-closed investigation on Clintons handling of classified material while serving as secretary of State.

Advertisement

The disclosure immediately refocused negative public attention on Clintons actions. Then Comey made a second surprise announcement a few days later, revealing that the new emails had no impact on the status of the case, which had concluded with no criminal charges.

The FBI directors statements and a July news conference at which he discussed the details of the case were criticized at various times by members of both political parties as being inappropriate and violating long-standing guidelines that prohibit the public release of information about investigations, especially if such disclosures might affect the outcome of an election.

Comey supporters say he was merely trying to maintain transparency and keep Congress informed under extraordinary circumstances.

But dozens of former federal prosecutors denounced the decision to send a vague letter to Congress before his investigators had adequately reviewed the new information.

Clintons campaign blamed Comeys letters for halting her momentum in the polls and helping in Donald Trumps victory.

This is highly encouraging and to be expected given Director Comeys drastic deviation from Justice Department protocol, said Brian Fallon, who served as press secretary on the Clinton campaign. A probe of this sort, however long it takes to conduct, is utterly necessary in order to take the first step to restore the FBIs reputation as a nonpartisan institution.

Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said Thursday that the inquiry was spurred by numerous requests for his office to examine the matter.

Such inspector general investigations most often result in reports detailing findings and recommendations, and occasionally a public rebuke. If investigators uncover criminal activity, they may refer matters to the Justice Department for prosecution.

Horowitz, a presidential appointee, does not serve a fixed term and his office operates largely independent of the Justice Departments leadership, though he reports to the attorney general and can be fired by the president, who must explain such a decision to Congress.

The FBIs handling of the Clinton investigation came under renewed criticism this week as national security officials testified at a hearing regarding intelligence findings of Russias efforts to hack into Democratic Party files in order to embarrass Clinton and help Trump.

Asked about alleged contacts between Russia and Trump allies, Comey said he could not confirm or deny the existence of any FBI inquiry into the matter, especially in a public forum. That brought a sharp rebuke from Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), noting the irony of the statement. Clinton supporters similarly complained of an FBI double standard that they said kept any possible Trump-related investigation a secret, but disclosed the details of Clintons case.

In a statement Thursday, Comey said he was grateful for the inspector generals review and pledged that the FBI will cooperate fully with him and his office. I hope very much he is able to share his conclusions and observations with the public because everyone will benefit from thoughtful evaluation and transparency regarding this matter.

Rob Storch, a spokesman for Horowitz, declined to comment beyond his offices statement. The inquiry is expected to take at least several months to complete.

Comeys letters were not the only public disclosures that raised eyebrows among Clinton supporters and will be investigated by the inspector general. Horowitz said his office will also seek to determine whether improper considerations influenced the FBIs publication on its website just days before the election of 15-year-old reports regarding an investigation into President Clintons highly controversial decision to pardon fugitive financier Marc Rich.

The Hillary Clinton campaign questioned the timing of the release, though the FBI said at the time it was simply complying with a public information request. The Rich files were released as news organizations were publishing reports on other aspects of the Clinton email investigation and a nascent one into potential problems at the Clinton Foundation, a global charity.

Horowitz said he would examine whether the FBI or Justice Department improperly released information that should have remained private. Democrats were particularly irked by leaks that they said were orchestrated by FBI agents seeking to bolster Trumps campaign.

Our citizens must be able to trust that the FBI, our chief federal law enforcement agency, is nonpartisan and does not insert itself into the electoral process, Reps. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), ranking members of the House Committee on Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement Thursday. We are pleased that the inspector general is following up on our request to investigate and review these allegations and look forward to receiving a full review of these matters.

Another target of the inquiry will be Comeys top deputy, Andrew McCabe, and whether he should have recused himself from overseeing the Clinton investigation. McCabes wife received campaign donations in a 2015 run for state office in Virginia from a political action committee run by a close Clinton ally. Republicans said that McCabe should have stepped aside.

But criticism of the FBIs handling of the case has focused mostly on whether Comey acted properly in discussing the investigation in public forums, and it will probably be the most consequential aspect of Horowitzs inquiry.

Comey held a news conference July 5 to announce that he and his agents were recommending that the Justice Department not seek charges against Clinton or her aides for sending and receiving classified information on the private system. The FBI director said agents found no evidence that they had intended to do so, a key element of a potential prosecution. In saying charges were not warranted, however, Comey sharply criticized Clinton and her aides as being extremely careless in how they handled classified material.

While Republicans decried Comeys rationale, Democrats largely hailed his decision to not seek charges. However, the roles reversed on Oct. 28 when Comey sent a bombshell letter to Congress informing lawmakers his agents were reviewing the new emails, discovered on the computer belonging to former Rep. Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of Clintons close aide Huma Abedin.

The FBI was investigating whether Weiner may have violated federal laws while exchanging sexually explicit texts with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. In examining the computer, the FBI noticed emails related to the Clinton investigation.

But most of the emails turned out to be duplicates or unrelated to the inquiry.

Follow @delwilber on Twitter

del.wilber@latimes.com

ALSO:

Tracking down guns used in crimes and terror attacks is still surprisingly low-tech

Aspiring agents learn from mistakes of FBIs shameful investigation of Martin Luther King Jr.

How these Brooklyn prosecutors work to get innocent convicts out of prison
Donald Trump on Wednesday displayed his essential political character: He is a man apart, rebelling against both the political party he defeated and the one he ostensibly leads.

That positioning, and its appeal to disgruntled voters, helped to secure him the presidency. The question now is whether playing by his own rules will work as well in the White House.

In his first full news conference in almost six months, Trump put his independence and refusal to follow Washington convention on vivid display.

Advertisement

He deepened his public war with the intelligence agencies that in nine days will be among his most important national security guides.

He gratuitously insulted a Republican senator who could prove to be a daunting enemy when it comes to Trumps own goals.

He laid down demands on replacing Obamacare that his partys House and Senate leaders have indicated they cant attain and refused to take steps even many Republicans have said are necessary to limit conflicts between the interests of his business and the United States.

All that comes as Trump wraps up a transition that has achieved some goals but has conspicuously not expanded the political support that was only barely enough to allow him to defeat a highly unpopular Democratic nominee.

He stands to begin his presidency with the lowest poll ratings ever for a newly elected president. Far from using the pre-inauguration honeymoon period to consolidate support, Trump has diminished his standing by some measures.

But if his news conference demonstrated anything, it is that Trump at this point sees no need to change his course.

Most striking was his treatment of the intelligence community, which has aroused Trumps ire with its unanimous declaration that Russia sought to interfere in the November election in order to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton and assist him.

Any other president-to-be would tread carefully before criticizing the nations spy agencies en masse. Impugning the intelligence community and weakening its standing can pose dire problems in the event of crisis, and openly warring with those who hold the nations secrets is rarely beneficial. (That might have been obvious on Wednesday, the day after publication of articles detailing how the nations intelligence leaders had briefed Trump and others on alleged Russian efforts to gather damaging information about the president-elect.)

Yet Trump started the day by blaming the agencies for allowing this fake news to leak into the public and equating the alleged actions with those of a heinous regime.

One last shot at me, he tweeted. Are we living in Nazi Germany?

In his news conference he repeated that the leak was something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do.

Although he initially acknowledged that Russia might have been behind the theft of Democratic emails that damaged Clinton  something he had previously not conceded  he later suggested that other countries could be to blame.

Far from calibrating his views on Russian leader Vladimir Putin, he heaped praise on him and the relationship he hoped they would create, another backhanded confirmation of his distrust of the intelligence communitys judgment.

If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia, he said.

Trumps acceptance of Putin has enraged many in his party, who condemn Russia for its election activities and Putin as a despot.

But Trumps lack of ideological predictability has been part of his political appeal; adopting positions at odds with his party greatly aided his reach into normally Democratic voter groups, including the white working-class voters who helped him reverse years of GOP failures in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Still, a more typical incoming president would have at least softened that approach once elected, out of self-interest. Republicans, after all, will provide the bulk of the support for anything he hopes to accomplish.

But rather than establishing a sense of common purpose, Trump continued Wednesday to strong-arm his party colleagues. He went out of his way to denigrate one Republican leader, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Lindsey Graham. Ive been competing with him for a long time. He is going to crack that 1% barrier one day, Trump said, bringing up Grahams unsuccessful presidential campaign.

Trump similarly set himself apart from his partys leaders as he vowed to produce a plan to immediately repeal and replace President Obamas healthcare law. Republicans on Capitol Hill dont currently have a plan that they agree on, and they have talked about delaying any replacement for Obamacare for at least two years lest they be blamed in the 2018 election for the resulting tumult.

Trump, who will not be on the ballot until 2020, said Wednesday he wanted immediate action, including approval of a replacement.

It will be, essentially, simultaneously, he said. Will most likely be on the same day or the same week, but probably the same day, could be the same hour.

Trump also set up a separate conflict with his accusations that the nations drug industry had been getting away with murder.

Pharma has a lot of lobbies and a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power and theres very little bidding on drugs, he said, repeating a campaign argument in favor of giving the government power to negotiate prices for drugs used in federal programs such as Medicare. Republicans have been the ones blocking that idea.

Alienating himself from Republican Washington does not mean Trump has gone soft on Democrats. On Wednesday he recounted in some detail his electoral success and mocked Clinton as too soft on Russia, the opposite of the argument he had made during the campaign.

Do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Does anybody in this room really believe that? he asked. Give me a break.

Yet Trumps days of being able to use Clinton as a foil are receding, and his transition has not expanded his appeal. Less than 4 in 10 Americans in separate polls this week by Quinnipiac University and the nonpartisan Pew Research Center approved of the way he was handling his transition. A majority of Americans retain an unfavorable view of him.

In the Quinnipiac poll, Trump lost ground between November and January in assessments of his leadership skills, his feel for everyday Americans, his demeanor and his intelligence.

Trump on Wednesday was reveling in a different reality.

Theres a great spirit going on right now, a spirit that many people have told me theyve never seen before, ever, he said.

He said he would be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created and that he had assembled one of the great Cabinets ever put together. He reminded listeners that nobody has ever had crowds like Trump has had.

All of that may be true. But if it isnt, an uncertain future beckons.

For more on politics 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

ALSO:

Obama offers emotional final speech to the nation: Yes, we did. Yes, we can.

Who are Trumps friends? One is Thomas Barrack, who could influence his policies on the Mideast

Updates on California politics

Live coverage of the Trump transition
At a recent breakfast gathering, Sue Dunlap, the president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, detailed the potential effects of a GOP-led effort to strip the groups affiliates across the country of federal funding.

It was a gloomy scenario for Planned Parenthood supporters, but attendees, according to Dunlap, were able to find some solace: The national outlook may be bleak, but surely in the Democratic bastion of California, the organization would be fine.

Dunlap corrected them: Not only was Planned Parenthood in California not immune, it may have more to lose than its nationwide counterparts.

Advertisement

My message was, actually, while women all across the country will be affected by this defunding, California is going to be impacted differently, and perhaps more so, Dunlap said.

In California, Planned Parenthood finds itself in uncommon territory. Nationally, the healthcare provider has become a controversial symbol of the fraught debate over abortion. But in California, the organization has enjoyed dependable support for decades from the states most powerful politicians.

The federal proposal to dry up money for Planned Parenthood could have major implications in the Golden State. The state organization estimates it could lose $260 million in federal funds. That poses a thorny question for state leaders: In a time when many Democratic priorities appear under threat, should they step in to save Planned Parenthood in California?

Planned Parenthoods footprint here is substantial. The organization serves nearly one million patients and three of the states regional organizations are among the largest Planned Parenthood affiliates in the nation.

Nearly 90% of patients in the state are low-income and receive some form of care subsidized by federal Medicaid funds. House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed last week that Republicans will seek to bar the organization from Medicaid as part of their effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. (No federal dollars currently go to Planned Parenthoods abortion services.)

A patient gets an implant, a form of birth control, by a family nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles. (Christina House / For The Times )

If Planned Parenthood were to be stripped out of the Medicaid program, that would be huge, said Dinah Stephens, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. That would essentially tell all of those 90% of patients that they can no longer use their insurance card with Planned Parenthood.

Its been decades since Planned Parenthood in California last found itself on such shaky ground, when Republican Gov. George Deukmejian made several cuts to the states family planning programs.

His successor, GOP Gov. Pete Wilson, however, supported abortion rights and created a family planning program that, with the help of federal Medicaid dollars, subsidizes the care of nearly half of Planned Parenthoods low-income patients.

Planned Parenthood performs a variety of services, including contraception, testing for sexually transmitted infections and examinations to determine whether a woman is pregnant. It also offers abortions, and in its vociferous advocacy for access, it has become a proxy for the battle over abortion rights.

In California, that debate has been relatively muted, largely because residents tend to support abortion rights. A 2015 survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found nearly 70% of respondents believed the government should not restrict access to abortion.

That, coupled with Democratic dominance in Sacramento, has made Planned Parenthood a force in state politics. Many Democratic lawmakers turned to social media to lambast Ryans defunding vow.

Defunding #PlannedParenthood would hit rural CA hardest. Thats why we just donated - Hope you can too! #StandWithPP https://t.co/gQccMftw5K  Mike McGuire (@ilike_mike) January 10, 2017

Politicians tout their high ratings on the groups legislative scorecard, which evaluates a members support of the organization based on how they vote on certain bills, and are cautious not to run afoul of Planned Parenthoods legislative agenda. Last year, then-state Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego) warned colleagues on the Senate floor about a pending bill to expand parental notification regarding sexual health education.

Planned Parenthood is opposed to this bill, and has made it a score-card vote. So beware if you vote, he said. The bill was defeated.

A stroll through Planned Parenthood Los Angeles downtown headquarters reveals its far-from-underdog status. A donor wall lists some of the luminaries in California philanthropy, including the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation and Lyn and Norman Lear. Framed photographs of top-tier politicians, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and state Senate Leader Kevin de Leon, hang throughout the complex, a former garment factory converted into an administrative hub with an attached clinic.

Dunlap acknowledged her organization has enjoyed support from the states ruling party, but she noted that backing hasnt always come with a price tag. Thats a different test of support for Planned Parenthood. And a different test of what it is to be pro-choice.

The potential price tag comes at a time when numerous interest groups  including immigrant rights supporters, healthcare advocates and environmentalists  are all feeling vulnerable in the incoming Trump era. Prioritizing which cause to champion is a more daunting task than usual for Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature, particularly as Brown calls for fiscal austerity as a budget deficit looms.

Planned Parenthood leaders are currently grappling with what kind of help theyll need from California  and when to ask for it. The organization is hesitant to press the state to backfill the $260 million in federal funds it anticipates losing, in part because its leaders dont want to give opponents the argument that federal money is unnecessary because states could step into the gap.

The first strategy is to continue federal funding by defeating this in the [U.S.] Senate, said Kathy Kneer, president of Planned Parenthood California. If that fails and [litigation to block the defunding] fails, then we need state of California to protect their investment in womens health by continuing to fund Planned Parenthood.

For now, Kneer, said, they want politicians just to say they acknowledge how devastating this would be if we lost federal funds.

Updates from Sacramento 

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a 2018 candidate for governor, said he believes cities and the state should be prepared to backfill lost funds, calling the issue a litmus test for Democrats.

Other state leaders have asserted support for the organization, but stopped short of vowing funds.

Theyre an important part of our overall healthcare system. Anyone should be concerned if their funding is cut, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said. At this point, were just taking in information.

De Leon called supporting Planned Parenthood part of my core values, but cautioned its a little too early to react this soon.

Brown made no explicit reference to Planned Parenthood in his budget proposal released this week, which is in keeping with his overall position not to lay out contingency plans for potential actions by the federal government.

Congress should do its job and continue funding basic healthcare for women, said Gareth Lacy, a spokesman for Brown.

Members of the Legislative Womens Caucus called on Californians to oppose the congressional efforts but have not yet introduced legislation proposing state support.

We need to make sure were not putting something forward that could harm the effort ultimately, said state Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who once served on the board of Planned Parenthood San Diego.

In the meantime, Kneer said her goal was to rouse supporters from the sense that California would be immune to Planned Parenthoods national troubles.

We live in an overwhelmingly blue, pro-choice state. People think were protected here, she said. Our challenge is to make sure [people know], no, everybody in California needs to be worried.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics.

ALSO

Californias budget deficit is back, Gov. Jerry Brown says

Assembly panel recommends Becerra for state attorney general after he promises to protect California against federal intrusion

Updates from Sacramento
It was allegedly Gods will that a 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a Burbank home more than a year ago, according to court testimony.

Thirty-year-old Timothy Aguilar Andrade of Hesperia was in court Monday for a preliminary hearing. Hes charged with the Aug. 23, 2015, murder of Brandi Carrasco, who was found with several cuts to her body and a stab wound to the neck in a home in the 1900 block of Richard Street, police said.

Andrade has pleaded not guilty to the murder.

Authorities said the two were in a relationship and had been staying at the home.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Testimony from Burbank police detective Jamal Childs said the two had been in an argument that day regarding a cellphone. He testified that Andrade initially denied the argument or even being in a relationship with Carrasco.

Childs said the Hesperia man told authorities that he didnt even know who she was before eventually recanting.

Andrade claimed he didnt recognize Carrascos name because she used multiple Facebook accounts, according to the detective.

When asked by police if he knew what happened to the woman, Childs testified Andrade had told them she went home.

He kept making references to sending her home, touching her with the love of God, touching her with Gods healing hands, Childs said.

According to Childs testimony, Andrade claimed God had told him to make Carrasco right with God because she was impure from drug use. The 30-year-old told authorities he didnt mean for her to get hurt.

Despite telling this to police, Childs testified that Andrade had not explicitly said he stabbed or murdered Carrasco  that he referenced God whenever he was confronted with the crime.

Police initially looked at the Burbank homeowner, Brian Thomas Lowe, as a suspect. Although Lowe testified Monday he called the police when he found the body, authorities said he was initially uncooperative and gave conflicting statements.

Several domestic violence calls were made to Lowes residence, and he had even pleaded no contest to an assault charge, according to testimony.

The Burbank man said the calls were a result of lies told to police by his ex-girlfriend.

Lowe also admitted to having been in a sexual relationship with Andrade, meeting him about a month prior to the murder through a Craigslist ad soliciting sex. The homeowner said they had sex only twice.

However, Lowe said the reason he gave differing statements to police was that he felt threatened. According to him, Andrade had confronted him on the day of the murder to be quiet or his family gets it.

Lowe testified Andrade had held a knife when making the threat.

I was afraid for my family  that harm could come to them, he said.

But it was mentioned in court that this was the first time Lowe mentioned Andrade holding a knife.

But the Burbank man made no mention of a weapon initially, according to a statement he gave to police. However, according to Childs, Lowe told police he thought Andrade had a gun.

When confronted by the change in his story, Lowe said he believed Andrade was holding a knife and that it was the image he had in his head.

He testified that his memory of the day is not clear anymore. Lowe also mentioned that he, his ex-girlfriend, Carrasco and Andrade had been smoking methamphetamine the day of the murder.

After hearing testimony from Lowe and Childs, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Dorothy Shubin said Tuesday there was enough evidence and testimony for the case to move forward.

Andrade faces life in prison if convicted and has been held in lieu of $1-million bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 25 for arraignment.

--

Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
The Little Brown Church has grown up.

Laguna Presbyterian Church, with its majestic sanctuary adorned with stained-glass windows and familiar chimes, will celebrateits 100th anniversary this year.

While the name and structures have changed throughout the years, one thing remains constant: a congregation dedicated to following Christ, studying Scripture and reaching beyond ourselves to those who are in need whether its spiritual, physical, relational, said Rev. Jerry Tankersley, elected senior pastor in 1972.

These roots were planted before the turn of the 20th century, when the church, then called Community Presbyterian Church of Laguna Beach, was in its infancy.

In the 1890s, Sylvanus Ferris and his wife, Sabra, held an adult Sunday school for vacationers on the porch of their beachfront cottage, according to the church website. As the group expanded, congregants gathered in the former Village Meeting Hall, which housed an art gallery and community theater.

In 1914, with more visitors discovering Laguna Beach, the congregation sought help from the Rev. Paul Stevens, a Presbyterian missionary who oversaw the construction of Laguna Chapel, known as The Little Brown Church.

The one-story building, which sat on property of the current sanctuary at 415 Forest Ave., was built on two lots that cost $250 each, according to the church website.

Under the leadership of the Rev. A.W. Prewitt, Community Presbyterian Church of Laguna Beach was formally organized in 1917 with 15 charter members.

Among them was Anna Hills, an impressionist painter who helped found The Art Assn., forerunner to the Laguna Art Museum. With her sister Nellie Ford Hills, she oversaw the churchs Sunday school and womens missionary society.

In 1925, church leadership appointed the Rev. Raymond Brahams to its top post with the goal of building a new sanctuary to seat everyone who lived in Laguna at the time.

Brahams suggested the Spanish colonial architecture and oversaw the design. The new church, built for $26,500, was dedicated on March 18, 1928.

In 1949, under the new leadership of Dallas Turner, a south wing, dedicated to Christian education, was added. It housed a summer vacation Bible school attended by thousands of Laguna children.

A roller-skating program attracted 100 children every week. Jim Hind, a longtime congregant, skated on the large cement playground.

You have to realize, Hind said on the website, that we were a very isolated community then. We had the beach, Saturday morning movies and roller-skating.

In a follow-up interview Hind, 75, who grew up in this church, said, Its always been the center of my familys life, the center of my life.

Name Change

In the last 60 years the church added a preschool, expanded outreach to the community and, in 1983, changed its name from Community Presbyterian Church of Laguna Beach to Laguna Presbyterian Church.

Church leaders voted for the name change because they recognized the parishs influence extended beyond Laguna.

Laguna Presbyterian has become an outreach hub of the community in times of need, such as the aftermath of the 1993 Laguna fire. For days after the blaze that destroyed more than 400 homes, the church coordinated housing referrals, offered counseling and served as a drop-off point for clothes and other items.

That was a transformative moment for the city, Tankersley said. Together we were able to respond, which shows a church that is spiritually healthy.

In 2008 and 2009, the congregation met in the fellowship hall as crews restored the church to ensure the long-term stability of the sanctuary, bring it up to seismic standards and preserve historical elements, such as the Judson and Ferris stained-glass windows, pillars, arches and tower.

The project included replacing the roof and foundation, upgrading the sound system, lighting, air circulation and reconfiguring pews to improve sightlines.

Workers removed and cleaned every piece of stained glass before returning them into place.

History of giving

The church contributes financially to several Laguna nonprofits, such as the La Playa Center, Friendship Shelter and Laguna Food Pantry.

Volunteers serve meals at the Alternative Sleeping Location, ashelter, donate Christmas gifts and provide food to the Laguna Food Pantry.

Every year at hospitality night, hundreds of volunteers inside the churchs kitchen cook tamales for people celebrating the arrival of the holiday season.

It flows out of who God is and what the mission of God is, said Tankersley, part of the current pastoral staff that includes the Revs. Steve Sweet and Kathy Sizer.

Lorna Cohen has been a member for 20 years. She first heard about Laguna Presbyterian in 1993 while walking with friend Peg Donner.

She kept mentioning the Lord, said Cohen, who had been raised Methodist.

Cohen had no interest in joining the church, but Donner invited her to a womens retreat.

I had not been around such a sweet, loving community, Cohen said. There was a gentle sweetness.

And she joined.

My faith became the center of my life, she said.

The church will be marking the anniversary with events throughout the year, including a September dinner at the Hotel Laguna.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
Laguna Beach City Halls schedule of being closed every other Friday since late March will continue for at least the next year after the City Council on Tuesday extended what had been a trial program for a 9/80 workweek.

In this scenario, employees work eight, nine-hour days and one eight-hour day over two weeks, equating to 80 hours.

Department heads reported positive feedback with the altered hours and many customers who work outside of town said extended hours make it easier to conduct business either before or after work, according to a city staff report.

A handful of residents, however, said its inconvenient when City Hall is closed every other Friday.

What we have is anecdotal evidence, resident Mike Morris said. We dont have data. If we have not done a poll, ascertain who has been affected positively or negatively, I dont think its the right way to make decisions for employees or residents.

Resident Judie Mancuso suggested the council consider other options, such as employees working staggered shifts while keeping City Hall open five days every week.

In Costa Mesa, employees began a 9/80 schedule this week. However, workers there will work staggered schedules to keep City Hall open and staffed Mondays through Fridays.

In cities of this size, with the staff we have, the fear is true and real that if we were to cut out half of staff every other Friday we would not be able to service the people who are coming in, Laguna City Manager John Pietig said.

Pietig said 30 of 34 county cities employ 9/80 schedules, adding that Laguna had trouble attracting potential employees and keeping existing workers before the council last year approved the trial program.

Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Boyd commended the schedule thus far.

I dont see that it has slowed us down, Boyd said. People, the last few months, have gotten used to the fact. Employees are really happy. I think they work better.

Councilman Steve Dicterow agreed with Morris that having data is essential for determining whether this type of schedule should continue.

Ive been bothered by this, Dicterow said. The purpose of City Hall is to be open for residents. I think it is problematic to be closed one day out of 10.

Dicterow directed staff to conduct customer-satisfaction surveys and analyze retention rates and report back to the council in a year.

If a holiday falls on a closed Friday, then eight hours will be deposited into an employees vacation leave bank to avoid closing City Hall an additional day, the staff report said.

Customers who need to register for recreation classes and/or drop-off or pick up maps or other documents can do so at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center when City Hall is closed on Fridays.

Staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
About three months ago, Costa Mesa officials tabbed longtime city employee Raja Sethuraman to helm the Public Services Department while they continued to search for a long-term replacement.

This week, they announced theyd found their candidate: Sethuraman.

His years of government service and institutional knowledge combined with his commitment to be a team player made it an easy choice, City Manager Tom Hatch said Wednesday. He works hard to find solutions to complex problems and our City Council and residents are in good hands with him at the helm of public services.

During an interview in City Hall, Sethuraman called the promotion an incredible opportunity.

Im very grateful for getting this position and to serve our residents in this capacity and also to lead this incredible department that does so much in terms of capital projects and service to the community, the 50-year-old Irvine resident said. Im proud to be a part of this and to lead this department.

Since coming to the United States from India in 1988, Sethuraman has worked in the transportation field  both in the private sector in Pasadena and Irvine and as a traffic engineer with the Port of Long Beach.

When a job opened up in Costa Mesas Transportation Services Division in 2000, he leapt at the opportunity. He became that divisions manager in 2008.

During his time in transportation services, Sethuraman managed a number of high-profile projects, including improvements to the Fairview Road-405 Freeway interchange, construction of the Susan Street offramp from the 405 and various work along Adams Avenue and Harbor and Newport boulevards.

Sethuraman was named interim head of the Public Services Department in October. He took over from another interim, James Ross, who had filled the position since June.

Ross was chosen for the role following the departure of former Public Services Director Ernesto Munoz, who left the city last June to join a private asset management firm.

The Public Services Department is responsible for transportation, maintenance, engineering and facilities. As Sethuraman noted, its a wider range of topics than his previous position.

We have a very motivated staff so Im really lucky in that way, he said. Everybody wants to do their best for this community.

Sethuraman says hes excited to roll up his sleeves and tackle some larger capital improvement projects in the city  such as the reconstruction of the fire station on Royal Palm Drive and the planned new central library in Lions Park. He also looks forward to bringing more staff members aboard to help fill out the departments ranks.

The staff that we have is really behind me and motivated and theyre doing an amazing job, he said. In the next few months, we hope to add more staff and be of a better service to the community.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter: @LukeMMoney
Ten Years Ago

As an extensive construction project at La Canada Presbyterian Church continued in January 2007, a shiny new look for the church campus was becoming more apparent to passersby after workers started placing sheets of copper scale asphalt shingles on the roof that also hugged the curved entrance to the narthex. The project got underway in the summer of 2005; church officials estimated it would be completed by April 2007.

Twenty Years Ago

Violent winds pounded La Canada Flintridge, creating emergencies and uprooting approximately 200 trees within the city limits. Residents and businesses were left without power, including telephone service, and streets were blocked by debris. Signs in the commercial corridor sustained damages, including a large billboard in the 1000 block of Foothill Boulevard that toppled over onto the rooftop of a business. One resident, Andy Becwar of Old Landmark Lane, found a car hed recently purchased crushed underneath a tree.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Thirty Years Ago

The owner of a prominent La Canada plumbing business made a crime report to the local sheriffs station stating his company had lost at least $64,000 through a forgery and embezzlement scheme. The crime was discovered when the bookkeeper was on vacation and the business owner studied a bank statement and looked at the canceled checks that had been enclosed in the envelope with it. He found checks that had been made out to cash, then endorsed by the bookkeeper, who had not returned to the office as expected following her scheduled days off. The business owner told a sheriffs deputy the thefts could be traced back two years, from the start of his bookkeepers employment with him, and that he anticipated an auditor would find further discrepancies and losses.

Forty Years Ago

After agreeing with city planners to forgo installing a 24-foot pole sign, Winchells gained approval to move forward with plans to put a new Winchells Donut House on Foothill Boulevard, at Belaire Drive.

Fifty Years Ago

Longtime La Canada resident and developer Philip Kirst announced plans to create a new, $1.75-million shopping center on just over 4 acres fronting Foothill Boulevard at Oakwood Avenue. The need for the complex came about because the state was buying up properties to make way for the construction of the 210 Freeway and included in those purchases was a smaller shopping center where Alexanders Market had been the anchor store. Gelsons Market now occupies the site that Kirst built for the replacement Alexanders in his Plaza de La Canada.

Sixty Years Ago

Rudys Flintridge Inn, a large, bustling restaurant on the 700 block of Foothill Boulevard where today sits a strip center occupied by Ichiban, Jersey Mikes and Penguins, announced it would host the La Canada Piano Festival. The event would feature nearly 200 pianists and 15 opera stars performing over a period of 14 hours, beginning at noon on a Saturday in January 1957. The artists would provide continuous performances on four pianos occupying four of the restaurants dining rooms. An optional dinner buffet would be available to guests for $1.50 per person.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.
Attorneys representing former school administrator Christine Castillo in a gender discrimination lawsuit against La Canada Unified School District are demanding a formal apology from Supt. Wendy Sinnette and calling on the district to create a maternity leave policy for administrators.

The Los Angeles law firm Geragos & Geragos released on Friday the findings of an internal LCUSD investigation  conducted in response to an April 2015 grievance submitted by Castillo  which states district officials focused on managing news of a then-unmarried Castillos pregnancy and were later annoyed by the administrators repeated inquiries regarding maternity leave.

The district lacked a policy to govern maternity leave by administrators, which likely contributed to this reaction, the LCUSDs findings also state.

The former La Canada Elementary School principal alleges she was retaliated against by Sinnette and former Associate Supt. of Human Resources Patty Hager after she announced with now-husband La Canada High School Principal Ian McFeat in August 2012, one month after being hired, she was pregnant.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

In an interview Monday, Castillo said she and McFeat had waited to break the news until the timing felt right, until shed had a chance to meet with LCE teachers and parents, adding some of her own family members hadnt yet heard the news when she met with Sinnette.

I would definitely say right after that meeting I felt like it wasnt the same vibe at all, because it had been inviting before that, she recalled. "[Ian and I] looked at each other and our hearts sank.

Castillo said her difficulties with Sinnette and Hager continued up to the Dec. 19, 2012, birth of daughter Alissa and in the years that followed, as she sought lactation and other accommodations related to child-rearing.

She said she tried to find ways to work from home when her doctor told her to reduce her hours in the weeks leading up to the delivery, but was denied. In the year following Alissas birth by caesarian section, Castillo was informed shed have to attend multiple out-of-town trips and could not bring her daughter, still breastfeeding at the time.

All the solutions Id tried really hard to come up with, reasonable solutions, they were denied, she said, recalling meetings with Hager. It was ugly meeting after ugly meeting of no understanding, and I knew there was no point in convincing her.

It was ugly meeting after ugly meeting of no understanding, and I knew there was no point in convincing her.  Christine Castillo

According to the lawsuit, Castillo filed the April 2015 complaint after learning the La Canada school board was considering not reelecting her for the upcoming academic year. That May, with the districts internal investigation results still pending, she received an annual performance evaluation from Sinnette with what she said were unprecedented low marks. She was told the low marks were given for her lack of responsiveness and failure to return emails.

My evaluations were always well above average, she said of previous reviews. "(But) when I got my final evaluation after the complaint it was mind blowing. It was like suddenly I was in the red zone.

A couple of weeks later, when Castillo visited the district and was told summarily the investigation had determined no discrimination had occurred, she demanded to see a full report of the findings, the lawsuit indicates.

Instead, she was called in to speak with Sinnette and was told she was being reassigned to a teaching position and needed to clean out her La Canada Elementary School office.

It was just out of the blue, Castillo recalled. It just happened so quickly. I didnt get to say goodbye to my students or teachers. I just fell off the face of the earth.

In August 2015, four months after her grievance had been filed, Castillo received a summary report on the investigation findings. The document claimed officials were not displeased with the pregnancy.

Ms. Sinnette concentrated on logistical issues when you and Mr. McFeat first gave the news of your pregnancy, and this gave the impression she was displeased, the results section begins. The investigatorfound no evidence that either Ms. Sinnette or Ms. Hager personally disapproved of your pregnancy.

Further, the report indicates Castillos negative evaluation was due to concerns about staff morale and an increasingly negative climate at LCE and that Sinnettes reassignment notice was made for non-discriminatory reasons, including the principals failure of leadership, lack of presence at school, failure to respond promptly to communications, failure to follow through on commitments and over-reliance on delegating important tasks.

Officials noted in the findings that LCE staff was challenging and that independent investigator Susan Wooley had noted in her report Castillo had been the schools third principal in nine years.

Following receipt of the investigation findings, Castillo sought legal advice at Geragos & Geragos.

Ben Meiselas, an attorney working with Mark Geragos on Castillos case, said he considers LCUSDs behavior toward the administrator discriminatory, whether or not they see it that way.

An employer should never tell you theyre annoyed by your pregnancy. An employer should never tell you that the community would look down on your pregnancy, the attorney said in an interview Friday. We hope the lawsuit sends a message to other communities and school districts and other superintendents and governing boards who are thinking of making the same mistake.

Meiselas said his client hopes to someday be able to return to school administration. He said they also aim to ensure LCUSD develops clear policy regarding maternity leave for administrators.

Jeff Davis, the districts current assistant superintendent of Human Resources, said the district currently follows its maternity leave policy for teachers, which allows six weeks of leave for a standard delivery and eight weeks for caesarian deliveries.

Further time, up to 12 weeks, is available on an unpaid basis under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or on a partial-pay plan stipulated by the California Family Rights Act, passed in the years since Castillos pregnancy, which allows employees to earn their salary minus what the district must pay for a substitute teacher or administrator.

Although LCUSD school board members are precluded from discussing legal matters, Board President Dan Jeffries said in a statement Monday the board will continue to support Sinnette as Castillos case moves forward.

The board is unanimous in our strong support for Wendy and we are confident that all decisions and actions taken by Wendy are in the best interests of the students, teachers and staff of the La Canada Unified School District, Jeffries said.

Still, Meiselas said his firm is demanding Sinnette make amends to Castillo.

One of the things weve called for is for Supt. Sinnette to issue a formal apology, to acknowledge the rights of women to maternity leave and to acknowledge the rights of women who are pregnant, he said. And if she doesnt issue that apology, weve called on the governing board to terminate her contract.

--

Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Members of the La Canada Flintridge Sister Cities Assn. invite members of the community to learn more about the newly formed nonprofit group in a special meeting to be held Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. at La Canada Flintridge County Club.

Incorporated in 2016, the group has been working to develop a formal relationship between La Canada and a city outside the United States, under the auspices of Sister Cities International. Start-up funding helped send six local high school students to the Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. in July.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

With participation from the city, the association aims to expose local residents and students to meaningful travel opportunities and help build partnerships and promote peace and understanding while engaging in fun programs and activities.

Tickets to the event, which include dinner and complimentary wine, cost $50 and can be reserved online at lcfsistercities.org/annual_meeting. For more information, visit lcfsistercities.org.

--

Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Sunday morning, I was heading to Starbucks for a cup of black tea and to work on my sequel. I could barely hear my cell; it was under the passenger seat.

Hello, I said.

It was one of my former students, Arthur Khachatourians. Joe, Armen and Sarkis have a fundraiser at Anoush Restaurant in Glendale. Come.

A fundraiser at 7:30 a.m.?, I thought. Regardless, I flipped a U-bop and headed south on the Glendale Freeway.

I pulled into the parking lot. Most of the doors to the restaurant were locked. The only entrance was in the back. There was a guy built like a Mack truck with a sinister stare waiting for me. He looked like Clemenza, Vito Corleones muscle.

Hey! Wheres Armen? I asked

Follow me, he replied.

We walked through a narrow corridor and through the kitchen. I felt as if I was Luca Brasi and was about to meet Sollozso. If youve seen The Godfather youll know how that turned out. The big guy opened the door and I walked in.

Undoggone believable! There must have been 15 banquet tables laden with Armenian delicacies and bottles of vodka. The smell of cigarettes was aromatic; it reminded me of a bygone era.

There were 60 or more men of various professions watching a live feed from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the contested territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Stephan Sarssyan, an expatriate and former UCLA student, was explaining how previous contributions helped build schools and provide for orphan children. Many of the men gathered were former students of mine. I was pleased to see that their lives are being well lived.

Armen and Arthur signaled that I sit at their table. They poured three shooters of vodka, and we drank to this extraordinary initiative, Gateway Foundations fourth annual Xash Fundraiser.

Sarkis and Armen Kiramijyan along with Robert Tingilian established the Gateway Foundation, a humanitarian endeavor with the expressed purpose to aid families of fallen soldiers, build schools, support childrens centers, and advocate for other charitable initiatives.

Sarkis, a member of the Yale clinical faculty of Interventional Cardiology, spoke. We gather to celebrate the new year and strengthen our community through service to our culture, our people, and our homeland, Sarkis said. Theres more to life that our normal routine. There is an emotional connection that defines who we are.

Armen, a principle attorney at KAASS Law, added, Raising funds is incidental to this gathering of men who come together to strengthen the Armenian spirit. Early Sunday morning and feasting on xash honors our traditions.

Xash, for which the fundraiser was named, is a traditional Armenian soup of boiled cow hooves. The brew forms a thick gelatin. Arthur Khachatourians explained, Xash is served during the cold Armenian winter. Traditionally, the steam emitted from the soup is channeled upward by a large piece of lavash; subsequently, the xash warms you twice.

My clan, the Abruzzese from Abruzzo in Southern Italy, serves a similar and traditional winter meal, scatone. Think perciatelli: Pasta is drowned in red table wine and sprinkled generously with black pepper. I have vivid memories of sitting with my uncles and cousins at my nonnas kitchen table. Outside, the snow was piled to the top of the window.

I understand the intention of Sarkis and Armen to keep the Gateway Foundation void of politics; however, regardless of circumstance or endeavor, the world has political innuendos. If youve studied the Armenian Genocide and the contention between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, youll understand the inferences depicting Armenia as a tiny Christian nation midst an expansionist ideology of unfriendly nations that span from Kyrgyzstan through Turkey to the Aegean Sea. A nation solvent in infrastructure with a viable culture is self-sustaining.

Xash was a remarkable experience. The traditions and brotherly love depicted by Sarkis, Armen, Arthur, Robert and the others gathered at Xash-2017 were a testament to the strong and vibrant Armenian people.

--

JOE PUGLIA is a practicing counselor, a retired professor of education and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at doctorjoe@ymail.com. Visit his website at doctorjoe.us.
Eighty-eight years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in a modest Atlanta home. Now the house where he lived until age 12 will partly reopen Monday after being closed since August.

We had some minor repairs that needed to take place, says Judy Forte, superintendent of Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. There was wear and tear from foot traffic.  It needed some tender love and care.

Repairs were limited to the first floor, she said, and more are needed on the homes upper floor. Indeed, the house built in 1895 typically draws about 20,000 visitors in a four-hour stretch on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Advertisement

On the Monday holiday, the first floor of the house will be open, but not for ranger-led tours. The 30-minute guided tours resume after the holiday.

Kings birth home at 450 Auburn Ave. N.E. is one of a series of buildings that comprise the historic site, which also features the Visitor Center, historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (where he was baptized and ordained as a minister), grave site, Freedom Hall (part of the King Center) and historic Fire Station No. 6.

Planned celebrations include a day of service at the historic site Saturday and a celebration of Kings life from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in attendance.

For those who plan to immerse themselves in Kings legacy, theres a new civil rights landmark to see in Atlanta too.

Last October, a plaque was dedicated at the site of the Atlanta Student Movements protest on Oct. 19, 1960. Students launched a sit-in to desegregate a restaurant at Richs department store, now the site of the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center. King and others were arrested, but their actions inspired more lunch counter actions.

Info: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the King Center at 450 Auburn Avenue, NE

ALSO

Free admission to national parks on MLK Day. Here are 101 things to do when you get there

Will 2017 will be the year of magical travel? With low airfares, a boffo new concept in hotels and bargains, signs point to yes

Remembering the Freedom Rides 50 years later

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
When President Obama leaves office, part of his legacy will swim on. In a remote and almost inaccessible national monument about 1,300 miles from Honolulu, a recently discovered species of fish was named for the 44th president: Tosanoides obama.

Scientists described the new yellow and pink species as a coral reef fish, according to a research paper published in December. It was first spotted during a government expedition last June to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a vast expanse of sea dotted by small spits of land in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Among the islets is Midway Atoll, site of an epic World War II battle.

Advertisement

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle presented Obama with a photo of the new fish last August when he visited the national monument, which during his tenure he expanded, making it larger than Texas, California and Montana combined.

Travel agent Mark Grantham of Galapagos Travel in Aptos, Calif., told me Papahanaumokuakea is the most magical wildlife place he has ever seen. He operated excursions to the remote archipelago, a bird lovers paradise, until cuts in government funding eliminated tourism to the atolls.

This isnt the first fish named for Obama.

In 2012, new species of freshwater fish found in creeks in five Eastern states were discovered. The rare colorful darters were quickly named for Obama, former presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as former Vice President Al Gore, Scientific American reported. All were cited by scientists as champions of the environment.

Earle and Obama will be featured in A Sea of Hope: Americas Underwater Treasures premiering Sunday on the National Geographic Channel.

ALSO

Free admission to national parks on MLK Day. Here are 101 things to do when you get there

Three new hotels (including the largest Holiday Inn Express) come to Honolulus Waikiki area

7 great cruise deals for 2017

Old-school SNL pros Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz team up for Las Vegas show

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
As Mila Selyamieva sees it, the bureaucratic brutality with which pro-Russia officials in Yalta moved to demolish restaurants, shops and hotels along the Black Sea helped kill her husband.

Selyamieva and Alexander Strekalin were among thousands of business owners ordered to give up property  in their case a waterfront restaurant  after Russias annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March 2014.

Strekalin, a 75-year-old ex-military officer and former deputy mayor of Yalta, vehemently resisted, even warning pro-Moscow officials that he would self-immolate to protest such government action.

Advertisement

They told him, Go, grandpa, do whatever you want, Selyamieva said recently during an interview near her apartment building in the Black Sea resort of 80,000. All they wanted was to seize the beach for their own shady deals.

In September, Strekalin doused himself with acetone and flicked a lighter near the sunlit Primorsky beach, suffering fatal injuries. Hundreds of people showed up for his funeral, turning it into an impromptu protest against what many described as the result of Ukrainian and Russian corruption.

Mila Selyamievas husband, Alexander Strekalin, immolated himself on Sept. 2 to protest the demolition of his waterfront restaurant. A month after Strekalins death, the Yalta City Council said the demolition was illegal. (Denis Sinyakov / For The Times) (Denis Sinyakov / For The Times )

As part of Crimeas transition to Russian legislation after the annexation, pro-Moscow authorities scrutinized property rights for each land lot, building and business, paralyzing or destroying hundreds of enterprises, according to activists and some officials.

Ukraines Justice Ministry announced in December 2014 that property held by at least 4,000 businesses and organizations in Crimea were seized by pro-Moscow officials and their proxies, who often fielded armed, masked men and brandished fake documents sanctioning the takeover.

Pro-Russia authorities said in 2015 they nationalized about 250 strategic objects, including a film studio, wineries, energy companies, natural gas fields, banks and telecommunications firms, transportation infrastructure and churches that belonged to the Ukrainian government, oligarchs, businessmen and religious groups.

The confiscated properties were privatized, authorities said, to compensate for the unspecified losses incurred by the disruption of the peninsulas economic ties with Ukraine. One property, an oil storage facility near the city of Sevastopol, was returned to its Ukrainian owner in June after an unexpected court ruling.

Mila Selyamieva with a photo of her husband, Alexander Strekalin, being blocked by policemen as he tried to protect his property. (Denis Sinyakov / For The Times) (Denis Sinyakov / For The Times )

To many residents, the expropriations resemble Russia in the 1990s, when mobsters and fledgling oligarchs strong-armed oil fields, businesses and real estate, or  to some extent  the brutal nationalization that followed the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

Denis Builov, a 36-year-old sailor from the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, said he had trouble obtaining foreign visas necessary for his travels and had to bypass bans on bank transfers to Crimea to withdraw his salary.

Corruption is still there, but its gotten more complicated. Its harder to reach an official you need, Builov said in an interview.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine neglected Crimea for decades and has allocated more than $12 billion to build roads, schools, ports  and military bases. While the Kremlin is often criticized for Russias faltering economy and corruption, Putin has also warned Ukraine about venality within the government.

I ask you to seriously energize your efforts to purge the halls of power of corrupt officials, of people who discredited themselves with doubtful connections, Putin told security officials in August 2015 after sacking 60 Crimean officials, including five regional ministers.

In June, Sergei Aksyonov, the pro-Russia head of Crimeas government, announced an upcoming total demolition of 6,000 waterfront restaurants, shops and hotels that were built without proper permits or that blocked access to public beaches. The demolition list was not made public, and several properties were razed at night  as was Strekalins restaurant, although his wife insists they had proper permits.

The announcement upset many in southern Crimea, a subtropical region popular for many years as a vacation spot. Many businesses have the required permits and licenses, but tens of thousands of Crimeans who also depend on tourists do not: They rent out rooms in their houses and their hotels and restaurants are often built and operated without permits and licenses.

Many work here under black sails, including me, Valentina, a 53-year-old who runs an unregistered cafe in her beach house outside Yalta, said in an interview, referring to tax-dodging businesses. If they crack down on us, the bang [of public outcry] will be loud.

A view of seaside buildings in the Crimean town of Yalta, where many residents run cafes that are not registered. Critics say a crackdown will benefit corrupt officials. (Denis Sinyakov / For The Times) (Denis Sinyakov / For The Times )

Some property owners, activists and Ukrainian media say that regional leader Aksyonov and his inner circle are using the privatization and crackdown to expropriate Crimeas most valuable assets.

Oleg Zubkov, the owner of private zoos and an outspoken supporter of the annexation, said that after he refused to share his profits with one of Aksyonovs deputies, his businesses went through 150 court hearings and authorities ordered him to pay some $46,000 in fines.

Zubkov said every businessperson he knows suffers from venal pro-Moscow officials.

I have not seen happy businessmen who are content with how things have been after the annexation, he said in a phone interview.

Likewise, Vladimir Garnachuk, who briefly served as assistant to Crimeas pro-Russia deputy prime minister in 2014, said in an interview in Moscow that the government is plundering the peninsula like a war trophy.

Garnachuk heads Clean Coast Crimea, a nonprofit that monitors the peninsulas seaside. In a series of reports released after the annexation, the organization unveiled what it called multiple legal violations by development companies affiliated with Aksyonov, his relatives and business partners, including illegal construction in protected areas or on public property, use of undocumented workers and massive pollution.

Aksyonov did not respond to requests for comment.

A month after Strekalins death and the resulting public outcry, the Yalta City Council overturned the demolition order. The decision, however, has not eased his widows pain.

He died for nothing, Selyamieva said. He died because of these animals.

Mirovalev is a special correspondent.

ALSO

Russia begins to draw down its forces in Syria

Rex Tillerson, Trumps pick for secretary of State, seeks to allay fears about his long-running ties to Russia

Who, us? Kremlin says it doesnt engage in kompromat, but history suggests otherwise
Its a Russian word suddenly known to many Americans  kompromat.

A mashup of the Russian-language terms for compromising and materials, this pithy figure of speech encompasses a whole range of spycraft  entrapment, surreptitious videos, blackmail  that might seem more at home in a Cold War spy novel than as a serious news topic as a U.S. presidential inauguration draws near.



For the record: An earlier version of this article mentioned the disclosure of the existence of a dossier  unverified by U.S. intelligence  reportedly assembled by Russia on President-elect Donald Trump. The dossier was purportedly compiled by a former British intelligence official. An earlier version also referred to the wrong year for the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was 1991, not 1989.

Kompromat is a dark art dating back decades, from the spy-versus-spy days of the old Soviet Union to Vladimir Putins newly resurgent Russia. The targets  at least those who are known  have included foreign diplomats, politicians, business figures and dissidents of all stripes.

Kompromat has been a staple feature of Russias politics since at least the early 1990s, said Daniel Treisman, a professor of political science at UCLA, whose work focuses on Russian politics and economics and comparative political economy. These days, most of the embarrassing materials are generated by Russias security services, which leak secretly recorded videos or tapes to media sources.

Advertisement

A man walks past the headquarters of the FSB, or Federal Security Service, the successor agency to the KGB, in central Moscow on Dec. 30, 2016. (Vasily Maximov / AFP/Getty Images )

The aim, according to analysts and historians: to discredit and control.

Its basically making use of anything that a person wouldnt want to have found out about themselves  you can release it if they dont behave the way you want them to behave, said Olga Oliker of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The kompromat phenomenon burst into messy view late Tuesday with the disclosure of the existence of a dossier  unverified by U.S. intelligence  purportedly compiled by a former British intelligence official on President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump forcefully denied any impropriety and blasted reports about the dossier as fake news put together by sick people.

Putins government, unsurprisingly, vehemently denied that any such activity goes on  ever.

The Kremlin does not collect compromising materials, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

History suggests otherwise.

In 1999, Russias prosecutor-general,Yuri Skuratov, launched an investigation into corruption in the administration of then-President Boris Yeltsin. After parliament rebuffed Yeltsins attempt to fire Skuratov, a grainy video surfaced on state television of a man, identified as the prosecutor, cavorting with two prostitutes. Skuratov was initially suspended but later got the ax, just as he claimed to be moving in on high-level corruption.

Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov attends an annual meeting of opposition and human rights activists in Moscow on Dec. 12, 2016. (Pavel Golovkin / Associated Press)

More recently, Mikhail Kasyanov, a former Putin crony, got a taste of kompromat. According to media reports, Kasyanov was being flagged as a possible competitor to Putin in next years presidential election. But in the spring of 2016, video was broadcast on a state-controlled, pro-Putin television channel that purported to show Kasyanov and a female opposition activist having sex and speaking contemptuously about other opposition figures.

The Russian online tabloid Life News regularly publishes sensational and scandalous reports. Treisman said the publication is believed to have sources within Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB, the successor agency to the KGB.

In its classic form, as with Skuratov and Kasyanov, kompromat often takes the form of embarrassing information of a sexual nature  sometimes the result of entrapment.

To this day, foreign diplomats are warned to beware of honey traps  enticement to perform intimate acts, often in hotel rooms, that are then surreptitiously recorded on video.

Its a long-standing spy technique that was widely used during Soviet times so there is a certain degree of skill and tradition, but its not a technique that is exclusive to the Russians, said Chris Chivvis, associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center and a senior political scientist at Rand Corp.

And such information is often collected solely on spec  compiled but never used, kept on hand just in case.

It could be financial, sexual indiscretion, but it could be other things as well  things that seem unpatriotic, Chivvis said.

It can involve corruption, or finances, or a broad range of personal behavior, he said.

While its probably best known in connection with the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, kompromat also had a heyday in the post-Soviet era  with a powerful boost from technology, analysts said.

Its different now than during the days of the Soviet Union, both in the way its released and the way its used, said Oliker, who is a senior advisor and director of CSIS Russia and Eurasia program.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, she and others said, there were huge amounts of information that had been amassed by Kremlin-accountable spy agencies using a formidable system of domestic surveillance.

Old KGB records came out, and people who were building businesses and running for office could be compromised, Oliker said.

Sometimes blackmail or public shaming is involved. A spouse might be told of an affair, for example, or discrediting information could be posted on the Internet so it would be the first thing a Google search turned up.

Its still very commonplace for Westerners visiting Russia to get phone calls to offer companionship, said Oliker. And sometimes, she said, the would-be entrapment comes from private organizations other than the government.

What appears in apparent kompromat operations is often as murky as it is salacious. In 2009, a senior British diplomat in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg abruptly stepped down and left Russia after a video appeared online purporting to show him cavorting with a pair of prostitutes. At the time, the British Foreign Office said little other than to confirm his resignation.

Some cases of suspected kompromat can involve little more than a verbal indiscretion. In 2014, American diplomat Victoria Nuland, a senior Europe envoy in the Obama administration, was secretly recorded using an expletive directed at the European Union, while talking on the phone with the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. A recording of the intercepted call was then gleefully tweeted out by an aide to Russias deputy prime minister.

Using proprietary information against ones enemies, of course, is not an invention of Putin, or even of his former employer, the KGB.

My guess is that its older than Russia, said Oliker. Its as old as states and statehood, I think, as a tool used by human beings. But if youre talking about a society where you have a tremendous amount of surveillance in general, youre particularly well set.

Special correspondent Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow contributed to this report.

ALSO

Kremlin says purported dossier on Trump is just pulp fiction

Trump alleges leaks by U.S. spy agencies, something Nazi Germany would have done

Russia begins to draw down its forces in Syria
Contraception, cohabitation, divorce, remarriage and same-sex unions: Theyre issues that pain and puzzle Roman Catholics who want to be true to both their church and themselves.

Now those issues are about to be put up for debate by their leader, a man who appears determined to push boundaries and effect change.

On Pope Francis orders, the Vatican will convene an urgent meeting of senior clerics this fall to reexamine church teachings that touch the most intimate aspects of peoples lives. Billed as an extraordinary assembly of bishops, the gathering could herald a new approach by the church to the sensitive topics.

Advertisement

The run-up to the synod has been extraordinary in itself, a departure from usual practice that some say is a mark of the popes radical new leadership style, and a canny tactic to defuse dissent over potential reforms.

Within a few months of his election last year, Francis directed every diocese in the world to survey local attitudes on family and relationships and report back to the Vatican, a canvassing of a sort that few of the faithful can recall previously. The results are being tallied and synthesized behind the walls of the Vatican.

The exercise reflects Francis desire for less centralized and more responsive decision-making, mirroring his own self-described evolution from a rigid, authoritarian leader as a young man into one who consults and empathizes. His training as a Jesuit has taught the pope to cast as wide a net for information as possible, analysts say.

Taking the public temperature also brings tactical advantages. Nobody at the Vatican will be surprised to learn that vast numbers of Catholics disobey its ban on premarital sex and birth control, or that some are in gay partnerships. Setting down those realities irrefutably on paper, however, could strengthen a bid by Francis to soften the churchs official line and put pressure on bishops inclined to resist, including some in the United States and many in Asia and Africa, conservative areas where the church has been growing.

It is telling the pope and the Vatican what they already know. But its what the Vatican in the past has not wanted to hear, author and Vatican expert John Thavis said.

Its strategic, but its also a genuine effort to find out what the voice of the church really is on this, Thavis said. Its very much Pope Francis who wants less of a top-down model  the bishops preaching the rules and doctrine down to the faithful  and more of a dialogue.

Hardly anyone expects the pope to propose sweeping changes to Catholic doctrine at the synod in October despite widespread criticism that the modern world has left the church behind. Indeed, Francis has unequivocally upheld heterosexual marriage and procreation as Gods established, sanctified ideal.

But liberal reformers have been excited by the Vaticans shift in tone under Francis. His remark regarding gays, Who am I to judge? has gone viral, as has his warning to the church not to obsess over small-minded rules and contentious subjects such as abortion.

So, although Francis almost certainly will not call for ditching the churchs policy of denying communion to Catholics who have divorced and remarried, his emphasis on pastoral care and compassion could offer local priests a work-around, with greater flexibility to address individual circumstances. That would fit with the popes vision of the church as a field hospital that triages peoples spiritual wounds rather than aggravates them.

Likewise, Thavis said, Francis has hinted that same-sex unions, though not marriage, could serve a practical purpose, if not a sacred one, by legally protecting the children of such relationships. This month, in an event that made headlines, the infant daughter of a lesbian couple was baptized in a cathedral in Francis native Argentina, apparently with the Holy Sees tacit assent.

When he was cardinal in Buenos Aires, he really had a go at priests who wouldnt baptize the children of single mothers, said Catherine Pepinster, editor of the Tablet, a Catholic weekly in Britain. He takes it back to a human place. Its more about the person than about sticking to the letter. Hes willing to find a way through things.

But analysts warn that Francis global popularity could fuel inflated expectations of the changes he is able, or wants, to deliver.

Although hes unquestionably the man at the top, disgruntled underlings can ignore or seek to thwart his injunctions. Conservative bishops in the U.S., most of them appointed by Francis conservative predecessors, have grumbled about the direction Francis is taking and oppose relaxation of traditional strictures on marriage and family, said Massimo Faggioli of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

The Catholic Church is not a military dictatorship where, if they dont obey, you can send the army. Its very difficult for a pope to force bishops to do what you want them to do, Faggioli said.

Some jockeying is already underway.

Prelates in Germany, Switzerland, parts of the U.S. and a few other jurisdictions who favor a softer line have published their survey findings to bolster the case for change. The German bishops reported that many of their parishioners view the churchs teaching on sexual morality as unrealistic, its prohibition on artificial contraception as incomprehensible and its treatment of remarried divorcees as pitiless.

That the Germans also publicized their results in English clearly meant they were trying to influence public opinion in a worldwide manner, said Robert Gahl, who teaches at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

The Vatican has reportedly requested church officials in Ireland, England, Wales and other places not to release their findings out of concern over stoking division.

The survey asked 39 lifestyle questions in each diocese  including whether unmarried couples living together was common, whether same-sex unions were legal, how many children were being raised in non-traditional families, and what programs effectively conveyed Catholic teaching on such matters.

Although the Vatican told bishops to distribute the questionnaire as widely as possible, apparently not all complied. In the U.S., the National Catholic Reporter found that many dioceses posted the survey online for parishioners to fill in, but others did not seem to notify laypeople at all.

The Los Angeles Archdiocese put a simplified version of the questionnaire on its website in English, Spanish and Korean and invited parishioners to participate. The results have been kept secret.

There was no pretense of this being a scientific, neutral study, Gahl said. Its like a massive global brainstorming.

While the published results from Western countries show large-scale rejection of Catholic dogma on sex and marriage, little is known of the response in Asia and Africa, where conservative views are more likely, analysts say. That could complicate reforms by Francis, who wants to broaden the input and influence of those growing regions.

Some critics also demand more participation by women in the discussion, so that crucial decisions on marriage, sex and family life are not made exclusively by a group of single, celibate, childless men.

The extraordinary synod in October is the first half of a two-phase process. Bishops will discuss the findings of the survey and air proposals to deal with them. They will then settle on new guidelines at an ordinary synod next year.

The two-step process should give prelates time to reflect and adjust to reforms proposed by Francis, author Thavis said.

But the pope would need to tread carefully, maintaining a tricky balancing act between ordinary Catholics who desperately want change and those among their leaders who spurn it.

The pope is the pope, and I think we can expect that even more conservative bishops will listen to what he says, Thavis said. In the end, it comes down to a policy that could be changed without causing people to leave the church or causing people to slam the door on the way out of the synod.
The U.S. military acknowledged Thursday that 33 Afghan civilians were killed and 27 others wounded in a battle in northern Afghanistan in November involving U.S. and Afghan forces.

The deaths occurred as U.S. warplanes launched airstrikes during an operation aimed at capturing Taliban commanders in Kunduz province, the military said in a statement announcing the findings of a two-month investigation.

During the joint U.S.-Afghan operation that began Nov. 2 in Boz-e Kandahari village, Taliban fighters opened fire from inside civilian buildings, prompting U.S. warplanes to carry out airstrikes to protect the soldiers, the investigation found.

Advertisement

The military said its forces acted in self-defense.

The civilians who were wounded or killed were likely inside the buildings from which the Taliban were firing, the military said in a statement. In addition, a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded, which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

The military said its investigation determined that U.S. forces used the minimum amount of force required to protect the ground troops.

Two U.S. soldiers and three Afghan army commandos were killed in the operation, along with 26 Taliban militants, including three commanders, the military said. Several other U.S. and Afghan soldiers were wounded.

Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, said Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Nicholson said he wanted to assure the Afghan government that we will take all possible measures to protect Afghan civilians.

The operation came as the U.S. military stepped up efforts to help Afghan troops secure the city of Kunduz, Afghanistans fifth largest and the capital of Kunduz province. The Taliban had briefly seized it in the fall of 2015 and has threatened to recapture it in recent months.

In October 2015, a U.S. airstrike in the provincial capital hit a hospital belonging to the Doctors Without Borders medical charity, killing 42 people. The Pentagon later disciplined 16 soldiers for mistakes that led to the airstrike, though none faced criminal charges.

Thursdays announcement did not assuage the anger of victims families. Reza Taimory, a 29-year-old farmer whose house was destroyed, lost seven members of his family in the attack, he said.

Why did the Americans target civilians? Taimory asked. If theres justice, then I want them to be followed and punished.

Special correspondent Faizy reported from Kabul and staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

ALSO

United Arab Emirates says 5 diplomats killed in Afghan blast

An overloaded boat, packed with dreams: Hundreds of migrants plucked from a hazardous journey across the Mediterranean

Two countries, one economy: A Mexican town whose chief earners are in the U.S. worries what happens if theyre sent home
No diplomat wants his or her country to be stepped on. Indias foreign minister took that sentiment to another level.

Sushma Swaraj lashed out at Amazons Canadian website after learning from a Twitter user that the online retailer was selling doormats in the design of the Indian flag.



For the record: A previous version of this article misspelled Amazon Indias Amit Agarwals last name as Agrawal.

In a series of tweets Wednesday night, Swaraj demanded Amazon apologize and pull the products off the site, or face a visa ban against its foreign employees in India.

Advertisement

Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017

The feisty minister, who has an outsize social media presence, got results. Within hours, Amazon had withdrawn the doormats from its site. The company apologized Thursday, saying the product was from a third-party seller and would no longer be sold on any of its other websites.

At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments, Amit Agarwal, country manager for Amazon India, wrote in a letter to Swaraj.

India has stiff laws against desecrating the flag that have occasionally gotten others into hot water as well.

Chris Martin, frontman for the band Coldplay, provoked anger in November when he appeared to have the tricolor flag tucked into the back of his pants during a concert in Mumbai. One politician accused Martin of disrespecting the flag and hurting the sentiments of Indians.

An Indian cricket supporter waves the Indian flag at a rally in Kolkata on March 18, 2016. (Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP/Getty Images )

Disrespecting the flag is punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine, under a 1971 law. And as in many cultures, placing ones foot on something is particularly offensive in India, where Hindus customarily apologize if their feet touch another person.

It is a particularly jingoistic time in India, where the Supreme Court recently ruled that all moviegoers must stand for the national anthem before films. Several people have been arrested and some beaten by other patrons for not doing so.

Swarajs supporters took to Twitter to express their pleasure with her stand. Retired army Maj. Gaurav Arya said Swaraj had upheld the honor of the national flag.

Others called it an overreaction, noting that the website sells Canadian flag doormats too.

@SushmaSwaraj Ma'am, you have upheld the honour of the national flag. Cannot express my depth of gratitude. Thank you @adgpi https://t.co/sSBm3uJHup  Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) (@majorgauravarya) January 11, 2017

Dear petulant nationalists including @SushmaSwaraj . Amazon Canada sells Canadian flag doormats also. No one's flipping out about that. pic.twitter.com/XwpGXf2xF5  Vinay Aravind  (@vinayaravind) January 11, 2017

It was a sensitive matter for Amazon, which is spending billions of dollars in a bid to become the dominant e-commerce portal in South Asias largest economy. Amazon India has gained ground against local rival Flipkart and now sells more than 80 million products on its website less than four years after its launch.

Among them, by the way, are British flag floormats retailing for upward of $60.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

ALSO

In India, 19 moviegoers arrested for failing to stand when national anthem played before film

Trump still says hell make Mexico pay for his border wall, but can he really?

Who, us? Kremlin says it doesnt engage in kompromat, but history suggests otherwise
The Taliban released a video Wednesday showing an American and an Australian who were kidnapped in August, the first time they have been seen since their abduction.

The two men, an American identified as Kevin King and an Australian identified as Timothy Weekes, were abducted outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, where they worked as teachers.

U.S. officials said in September that American forces had launched a rescue mission, but the captives werent at the raided location.

Advertisement

In the video, sent to media by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the pair appear pale and unshaven. They say they are speaking on Jan. 1. In the video, apparently delivering a message on behalf of the kidnappers, they ask U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to offer a prisoner exchange to secure their freedom.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said U.S. authorities were studying the video and could not confirm its authenticity. He declined to comment on the case, citing privacy considerations, but he added: Taking and holding civilian hostages is reprehensible and we condemn such actions in the strongest terms.

Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement saying the Australian government has been working closely with other governments to secure the release of an Australian man kidnapped in Afghanistan in August 2016. Citing a request for privacy from the mans family, and in the interests of his own safety and well-being, Australian officials would not comment further, it said.

More world news 
North Americas largest produce industry groups have unveiled a plan aimed at ridding abusive labor conditions from supply chains, in a closely watched effort prompted by growing demand from consumers to know more about the food they eat.

The so-called Ethical Charter is an attempt to get thousands of growers, distributors and retailers to follow basic values governing the treatment of workers, many of whom toil on large export farms in Mexico.

The two-page draft, while containing few detailed proposals, calls for industry players to respect all laws and principles inspired by international expectations. The principles would be met, in part, through ongoing education and by reaching out to laborers, the plan says.

Advertisement

It pledges to create transparent and accessible channels for laborers to communicate workplace complaints. And it commits to integrating social responsibility goals with purchasing practices.

Aware that our industry can attract vulnerable workers, we expect adherence to the law, the charter reads. We believe that workers deserve to be treated with dignity, and we are committed to respecting workers rights and protecting worker safety.

Much of the produce consumed in the United States, including 50% of the tomatoes, comes from Mexico, where a 2014 Los Angeles Times investigation found widespread labor abuses at export farms.

The plan, drawn up by the Produce Marketing Assn. and the United Fresh Produce Assn., is getting a mixed, sometimes harsh, reaction from labor and consumer groups, and comes amid signs of continuing supply-chain troubles.

In November, Mexican authorities rescued 81 laborers at a farm operated by a large exporter that supplies tomatoes and other vegetables to U.S. retailers including Walmart and Kroger.

Industry critics said they were hoping for a proposal with clear enforcement mechanisms.

Without audits by trained inspectors, for example, any plan to raise worker standards cant be taken seriously, said Emily Miggins, a former sustainability manager at Safeway.

Its Ethical Charter lite, Miggins said, suggesting it was a public relations ploy. This is exactly what I would say is the definition of greenwashing.

Others said the draft charter set a low bar for worker standards. This proposal falls way short of providing consumers with anything they can feel good about eating, said Erik Nicholson, national vice president of the United Farm Workers union.

Peter ODriscoll, executive director of the Equitable Food Initiative, a certification program, said the way the industry spells out its plan to develop education and verification programs will be key.

Thats where well find out if it fundamentally changes practices or not, he said.

Tom Stenzel, president of the Washington, D.C.-based United Fresh Produce Assn., stressed that the plan is a work in progress and that the organizations look forward to getting feedback during a comment period ending Feb. 20.

He likened the effort to improve labor conditions to the way the industry mobilized to improve food safety a few years ago through third-party verification programs.

Our intent is to look at these principles  then start creating kind of a benchmarking approach, he said.

But Stenzel said verification mechanisms would not be imposed on association members under the draft plan. Businesses would decide on their own whether to use independent monitors to meet the ethical goals. We know a lot of them will, and some who wont, he said.

Since The Times investigation, the Mexican government and industry players have pledged reforms, most notably by establishing a social responsibility alliance to improve the lives of 1 million farmworkers.

While some progress has been made at individual farms, a business-as-usual approach still exists at some agribusinesses.

Mexicos human-rights commission is investigating the November raid at a tomato farm in the northern state of Coahuila. The federal attorney generals office charged two people with human trafficking and described inhumane conditions at the farm.

Laborers lived in overcrowded housing, received meager food portions and had their wages illegally withheld, according to Alternative Answer, a human-rights group based in San Luis Potosi. Jesus Carmona, the groups president, said workers implicated a controversial labor contractor who provides cheap labor to many large export farms.

Critics say it is evidence of the industrys unwillingness to impose standards on these contractors.

What happened at this farm is the result of current industry practices, where you have growers looking the other way, allowing this to continue with impunity, Nicholson said.

A Walmart spokeswoman said the retailer receives little, if any produce from the agribusiness, Grupo GR, and stressed the retailing giants commitment to social responsibility, citing its prominent role in helping draft the ethical charter.

This is an industry-wide issue that requires a collaborative approach, which is why we are working hard with multiple stakeholders to help combat this problem, the spokeswoman, Marilee McInnis, said in a statement.

A Kroger spokesperson said the retailing group, which includes Ralphs, receives produce from Grupo GR, but not from the farm in Coahuila.

Officials from Grupo GR, which has farms across Mexico, denied any connection to human trafficking.

These practices cannot be tolerated, said Mario Steta, an executive for Driscolls, the worlds largest berry distributor, who has taken a lead role with the social responsibility alliance. We would like to see a stronger focus by government and industry to make sure this doesnt keep repeating.

richard.marosi@latimes.com

Twitter: @richmarosi

ALSO

Back wage measure for farm workers challenged

Why cheaper food in 2016 was not necessarily good news

Trumps deportation vow spurs California farmers into action
A criminal investigation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that may involve discussion of a secret deal that would benefit him and a newspaper owner and gifts from a Hollywood producer could be serious enough to threaten his hold on power, analysts say.

The corruption investigation involving Netanyahu this week gained intensity when Israeli media reported that a tape exists in which Netanyahu and newspaper owner Arnon Mozes may have been discussing a financial deal for Mozes that involved favorable coverage of Netanyahu.

The prime minister, who denies any wrongdoing, was questioned by authorities twice last week on suspicion of improperly accepting gifts, including a steady supply of high-end Cuban cigars and champagne provided by film mogul Arnon Milchan.

Advertisement

Though Netanyahu and media tycoon Mozes, owner of Yediot Aharonot newspaper, clashed repeatedly in public over the papers criticism of the prime minister, police apparently obtained recordings of a conversation in which the two discussed a deal in which Mozes would ensure favorable coverage of the prime minister, according to reports in the Haaretz newspaper and Channel 2 television.

In return, Netanyahu reportedly offered to push legislation to limit the power of Yediot Aharonots main rival, Israel Hayom, a free newspaper known for its favorable coverage of the prime minister and owned by U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

Israeli-American movie producer Arnon Milchan, left, is flanked by then-Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he announces his donation of $100 million to establish a new Israeli university, at a news conference on March 28, 2005, in Jerusalem. (David Silverman / Getty Images )

After years in which the prime minister has been able shake off accusations by the Israeli press about cozy relations with wealthy Israeli and foreign benefactors, the criminal investigation has created a significant possibility that Netanyahu could be charged in the case, analysts said.

Though the prime minister is not legally obliged to step down in the event of an indictment, such a situation would probably trigger overwhelming political and public pressure for his resignation and destabilize his coalition, they said.

These are the most serious allegations since he first became prime minister, said Avraham Diskin, a political science professor at Hebrew University. If hes indicted, it would be an earthquake. Anything would possible, including an early election.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and Wednesday told a meeting of politicians from his Likud Party, Now that Im aware of all the details, I can say: There will be nothing because there was nothing.

In the week since he first faced police questioning, politicians from the Likud Party have come to his defense. His coalition whip, David Bitan, told reporters that he would support Netanyahu remaining in office even if there is a criminal indictment.

Corruption scandals have tainted a string of leading Israeli politicians over the last decade. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is serving a 19-month sentence after being convicted of bribery, stepped down in 2008 before his indictment.

Netanyahus coalition government partners have remained mostly silent. But on Tuesday, Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, the leader of the center right Kulanu party, signaled a possible break with the prime minister, telling a conference that gifts are appropriate for politicians only at weddings.

Aviv Bushinsky, a former spokesman for Netanyahu, said the negative publicity from the investigation and the distraction of handling the legal case will make it harder for the prime minister to manage the coalition government.

Netanyahu knows hes not as strong as he was in dealing with the other parties, Bushinsky said in a phone interview. Its not the end of Netanyahus career in the short term, but its another brick in the wall that is falling apart among people who are fed up with a prime minister that draws so much noise and embarrassing stories.

According to the media reports, the meetings between Netanyahu and Mozes occurred in late 2014, around the time Netanyahus coalition government disintegrated and the prime minister called an early election. The discussions were recorded by Netanyahus chief of staff, Ari Harow, and were held at a time when Netanyahu was publicly attacking Mozes repeatedly in social media over Yediot Aharonots coverage.

The media reports said that in the recordings, Mozes, whose newspaper had suffered from competition from Israel Hayom, offered to hire journalists of Netanyahus choosing. The two also reportedly discussed a law to require that Israel Hayom charge readers for its papers. Despite hours of talks, the negotiations never developed into a deal, according to the reports.

An attorney representing Mozes declined to comment on the reports about the meetings. Jacob Weinroth, the prime ministers attorney, told reporters Friday he was not worried about the criminal investigation.

Were not talking about money and were not talking about a loan, Weinroth said.

Some legal commentators have said that even though a deal did not come to fruition, the mere discussion of exploiting the prime ministers political power in the legislature to gain favorable coverage constitutes an offense.

This is an invalid connection between a government and newspaper,' said Eliyahu Matza, a former Israeli Supreme Court justice in an interview with Israel Radio. Its forbidden in every way. This is against journalistic ethics; its against democratic values. Is there a criminal element? Yes, I think so.

Mitnick is a special correspondent.
All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced.  19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc.
Blood the most useful thing to live life often donated by several donors to provide patients a new life. Usually, blood banks store blood, taken from donors. But, a new study shows that those blood samples which were being stored from a long time could increase the harmful amount of iron into the bloodstream of patients body.

A recent study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) recommends that FDA(Food and Drug Administration) should reduce the storage period limit from six weeks to five weeks. Although latest research shows transfusing old blood has no impact on patient outcomes but it as not examined on the oldest samples available for transfusions. The real problem arose when they studied on the more than 5 weeks old blood samples. This report first appeared in the journal of EurekAlert.

MD, professor of pathology & cell biology at CUMC and medical director of the clinical laboratories at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Dr.Steven Spitalnik said in a statement,"Our recommendation will be controversial, but we think we have real data to support it".

In United Stated, almost 5million patients receive red blood transfusions each year. It's just become the most common practice performed in hospitalized patients. As old the blood is stored up, its blood cells tends to become damaged and as the red blood cell damages, it releases harmful irons. Mail Online report says, US FDA will discard those blood samples which is more than six weeks old.

For their experiment, researchers took 60 healthy volunteers and divide them into six groups. Those volunteer groups were transfused with 1 to 5 or 6-week old blood and then being monitored for 20 hours after transfusions. 7 out of the 9 volunteers could not metabolize their damaged cells who received six weeks old. A large amount of iron found in their bloodstream. On the other hand, a similar response was found in only one volunteer who received five weeks old blood.

Although, none of them were harmed by the transfusions but excess iron can increase blood clots and enhance the risk of infections, according to their previous studies. Dr. Spitalnik thinks that excess iron could lead to serious complications for hospitalized patients.

However, the rate of impact from the six weeks old blood is very small but, since millions of Americans receive blood transfusions every year, even only one percent of difference could affect a large number of patients. It is true fact that 10 to 20 percent of stored blood are more than 5 weeks old. The U.K, the Netherlands, Ireland and National Institutes of Health have limited blood storage to 35 days. Dr. Spitalnik is hopeful that soon it will be achieved throughout the United States without affecting the blood supply.
Samsung CEO Lee Jae-Yong has been interrogated for his involvement in South Korea's infamous political corruption scandal. Lee, also known as Jay Y Lee, was questioned at Seoul's prosecutor office as a suspect.

The Korean tech giant was accused of giving away donation to some non-profit organizations managed by President Park's close aide, Choi Soon-sil. The donation was allegedly used as an exchange for a political support of a dubious merger, BBC wrote.

Prosecutors accused that Samsung disbursed 2.8m euros ($3.1m; 2.5m) to a company co-owned by Choi and her daughter, in return for Park's support for the merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries, Samsung's affiliate.

While arriving at prosecutor's office, Lee on Thursday apologized to the public for not being a good example as a company leader. Previously, two Samsung executives were questioned by the special prosecutors. But they received treatments more like witnesses than suspects.

Lee has presented the evidence to politicians over the scandal during the hearing, but this questioning is the first time for him as a suspect. At that time, Lee denied the accusation related to bribery as parliament members alleged that Lee tried to lobby to get the money to vote in favor of the takeover.

Choi and her father Choi Tae-min have a close relationship with Park. Park's father was former South Korean president Park Chung-hee who was assassinated in 1979. Choi established a church called the Eternal Life Church in the 1970s, which combined elements of Buddhism, Christianity, and native Korean religion Cheondism. It also included shamanism.

The relationship between Choi and Park has been raising a concern as Choi exerted heavy influence on Park, as CNN reported. Even former leader Roh Tae-woo in the 1990s stated that Park was heavily manipulated by Choi.

Meanwhile, media and opposition parties blamed Choi for abusing her relationship with Park by forcing companies to donate money to organizations she runs.

The scandal risked Park's presidency as she was impeached in December last year.
Sony currently makes use of LCD displays for its devices. Now a new rumor suggests that the company is planning on launching a premium Xperia smartphone with OLED display next year.

Sony hasn't exactly been experiencing a good time especially when it comes to the smartphone market. The company's Xperia line-up, when initially launched, did quite good. However, as time passed by, the Xperia line-up didn't particularly manage to compete with other major players such as Samsung, LG and Huawei. It appears like Sony hasn't given up yet. The Japanese company hopes to bring about certain changes in the coming years.

A new report published by GSMarena suggests that the Japanese company is preparing a premium smartphone launch thereby, adding to its Xperia line-up of products sometime next year. Sony fans can expect quite a few amount of changes as Sony's mobile division will continue to exist as part of the Japanese conglomerate. The report was first spotted on Japanese online publication, Nikkan which suggested that Sony is planning a Xperia premium smartphone launch which will most likely feature an OLED display.

If rumors are to be believed, Sony will be running amidst the big league as even Samsung's high-end devices are reported to feature an OLED display. The South-Korean manufacturer has been employing OLED panels in its Galaxy S and Note lines for years now.

Other Android smartphone makers have also chosen OLED displays. What's more, GSMArena reported, even Apple is rumored to make the switch from LCD to OLED display with its anniversary iPhone device. What may not necessarily work out in Sony's favor is the fact that by the time the company launches its OLED display Smartphone, many other Smartphone companies may have already conquered this particular region.

That way, the company will possibly have to make some serious changes in terms of other features in order to attract users in offering something unique. We will probably have to wait for more updates as no official confirmation has been shared by the company themselves as of yet.
Vampire bats are known to suck blood from animals. Now, the nocturnal animals have a new menu on its list - human blood!

Vampire bats typically prey on animals such as birds but this time it seems that it is not content with its former food and looked for a new menu. This behavior of bats sucking human has raised health concerns especially for the victims.

A team from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil led by Enrico Bernard examined samples of 70 vampire bats' faeces from the hairy-legged species, D. ecaudata. These bats are usually found existing in Catimbau National Park in north-east Brazil.

Bernard's team discovered that three samples from the 15 samples where they were able to get DNA contain traces of human blood.

"We were quite surprised. This species isn't adapted to feed on the blood of mammals," Bernard said.

Generally, these vampire bats species aim at big birds during night-time, sucking the blood of about a spoonful from one animal. They were able to modify the fat which is the major ingredient of bird blood in contrast to the thicker mammal blood that is rich in protein, News Scientist reported.

The researchers are certain that human disturbance in the national park has driven the vampire bats to attempt on the blood of mammals.

According to the researcher's note published in Acta Chiropterologica, "The record of humans as prey and the absence of blood from native species may reflect a low availability of wild birds in the study site, reinforcing the impact of human activities on local ecological processes."

Mail Online reported that aside from traces of human blood found in the faeces samples, there are also traces of chicken blood. Researchers also believe that these type of vampire bats intrude through small holes in the roof or windows or just target people sleeping outside their home especially campers.

The species' new habit became a concern because it could spread disease since vampire bats are main transmitter of rabies. Besides, there are always outbreaks in Brazil. Previous studies discovered that they carry the hantavirus that could cause a fatal respiratory disease in humans. More information about how vampire bats bite humans will help evaluate the public health risk.
Takata is already facing serious product problems that have been discovered by The National Highway, Highway Traffic Safety Administration with its airbag. The automotive parts company has been supplying airbags to automakers like Honda and it is believed to be a substandard product which worsens over time. Deaths and Injuries all over the world have been recorded due to its explosion accompanied with hot metal shrapnel.

Although other automakers are using auto parts made by Takata, Honda and Acura are the most badly affected by the faulty product. According to reports from Engadget, Honda Motor Company is recalling another 772,000 Honda and Acura vehicles with faulty airbags in the US. There are already 10.7 Honda and Acura vehicles affected including the models of the year 2005-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2006-2011 Honda Civic, 2007-2012 Honda Fit, and 2010-2012 Honda Insight.

Unfortunately, Honda has been no stranger to the Takata recall. The company is the largest customer of the auto parts maker and has recalled more than 10.7 million Honda and Acura vehicles. Out of the 11 deaths due to airbag explosion, 10 came from Honda and the other one from Ford.

For Takata alone, the company is fined $1 billion financial penalties for criminal misconduct in the US. Justice Department officials are also looking into charges of wire fraud by faking test data. As per reports from CBS News, the front passenger seat air bag inflators are the main culprit behind the mandatory recall of the vehicles in the US which started last year with an initial 2.2 million product recall. However, there are still no announcements of recall procedures to other nearby regions.

Although Honda is not the only one affected by a recall of Takata product as even Toyota uses their products for their vehicles. Automobile users must be vigilant in knowing the manufacturer of their vehicle and their reputation in making good, high-quality products.
A new law was passed by the Federal National Council in United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protect domestic products from imports which are sold for less than what is fair market value.

The anti-dumping law will add indirect taxes to correct prices and allow UAE companies to sue over such unfair practices. This law is applied to products imported from countries outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The aim is to set standards for fair competition between local and foreign products and increase local revenues through fees, which could be imposed on such imported products.

These imported products are subsidised by the country exporting them, and can be sold at prices lower than those for domestic products.

The Minister of Economy will fight against dumping

At the Federal National Council (FNC) session on Tuesday, Sultan Al Mansouri, the Minister of Economy, declared that his ministry could investigate cases related with dumping.

Al Mansouri said the law allows the Government to impose countervailing duties to counteract artificially low prices that are a result of subsidies. Fighting against dumping is a priority to protect local markets, and the countries that use dumping in their commercial practices will have to face the consequences.

GCC countries are bound by a law to fight dumping

Al Mansouri stated that the six GCC countries are bound by a law issued in 2010 to fight against dumping. The UAE also signed an anti-dumping deal with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1997.

The minister also added that GCC countries are investigating offenders to protect new and growing industries. These Gulf countries depend a lot on oil but they want to diversify their economies by creating their own industrial platforms.

Cheap imported goods have destroyed many local industries, thus, the right legislation is extremely important to fight against this and protect local economies.
ANM: De vineri temperaturile incep sa scada / Care vor fi maximele la sfarsitul lunii noiembrie si cat de mari sunt sansele sa avem zapada la iarna
Geneva LIVE: 2017 Toyota Yaris GRMN

Mar 8, 2017, 3:30pm ET

Toyota\'s supercharged Yaris wants a piece of the Fiesta ST\'s market share.

Toyota has introduced a hot-rodded version of the Yaris during the Geneva Auto Show.

Called Yaris GRMN, the hatchback gets a four-cylinder engine that uses a supercharger to provide over 205 horsepower. That means it's more powerful than the Ford Fiesta ST, its closest rival. The four-banger spins the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

The extra power is complemented by a revised suspension system and bigger brakes on all four corners. Visually, the model adopts a more muscular look defined by a specific front bumper with a black air dam and red trim, a roof-mounted spoiler, and a rear diffuser with a central exhaust tip. 17-inch alloy wheels come standard.

Like the standard Yaris, the WRC-inspired model gets a revised front bumper that brings it in line with Toyota's current design language. Out back, it receives horizontal tail lamps that stretch into the hatch. The cabin benefits from a more modern infotainment system and improved materials, according to Toyota.
Jan 11, 2017, 3:05pm ET

Mercedes-Benz hints at AMG-tuned EVs

The company\'s \'EQ\' sub-brand could eventually get AMG performance enhancements.

Mercedes-Benz has dropped a few more hints pointing to AMG-tuned electric vehicles.

The German automaker last year revealed the 'Generation EQ' crossover concept, inaugurating a new EQ sub-brand for its future EVs. Earlier reports suggested a Tesla Model S-fighting sedan is also under development, further fueling hopes of an AMG edition in the spirit of the SLS AMG Electric Drive.

"Electrification will find its way into AMG, and for me it's not impossible that you'll have a fully electric version or an AMG variant of an EQ," Mercedes-Benz R&D head Ola Kallenius told Car and Driver.

In the near term, Mercedes-Benz' 48-volt hybrid technology is expected to make its way into AMG's high-performance V6 and V8 engines. The extra voltage could power electric compressors to supplement exhaust-driven turbochargers, but full details are being kept under wraps for now.

In the longer term, Kallenius suggests enthusiasts may not be mistaken in looking to the electric SLS AMG as "a preview of what the future could look like."

Image by Ronan Glon.
When Pennsylvania's governor travels around the state to discuss heroin and opioid addiction, there is, unfortunately, always a new anecdote to relay.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday stopped in the Lehigh Valley to discuss updates in the fight against heroin and opioid addiction. He was joined by, from left, state Rep. Dan McNeill, state Sen. Lisa Boscola and Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com)

At his stop Wednesday in Bethlehem Township, Gov. Tom Wolf mentioned that real estate agents were being warned about the theft of prescription medications during open houses or when a home was being shown to buyers.

Couples will claim to be interested in a home, and while one person walks around the property with an agent, the other person will raid a medicine cabinet, Wolf said.

Wolf estimated it was his 28th or 29th visit around the state to talk about the seemingly never-ending fight against drug addiction, and he knows it will not be his last.

Across the river, New Jersey Gov. Christ Christie announced on Tuesday he was dedicating his last year in office to fighting drug addiction in the state.

"Our friends are dying. Our neighbors are dying. Our co-workers are dying. Our children are dying. Every day. In numbers we can no longer ignore," Christie said in his speech before a joint session of the Legislature.

Wolf or members of his administration have visited the Lehigh Valley a handful of times over the past few years to discuss different issues surrounding addiction. Last summer, it was to highlight $20 million in new funding for addiction treatment.

At New Directions Treatment Services off of Brodhead Road, the governor said Wednesday he is focusing on the demand side of the addiction battle. That includes addressing limitations in drug addiction treatment, gaps in providing care, and the stigma so many addicts face before, during and after they try to get clean.

New Directions offers drug/alcohol addiction, mental health and dual diagnosis treatments. That includes about 1,000 patients receiving methadone or suboxone treatments for opioid addiction, said Mairead Desmond, executive director of the center.

Jason Snyder, special assistant to the secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services, has been very public about his own addiction to prescription pain pills, as well as the loss of both of his brothers to heroin overdoses.

On Wednesday, Snyder spoke about meeting a woman who was sexually abused and whose mother is an alcoholic. The woman began injecting heroin when she was 12, and had tried drug rehabilitation eight times, Snyder said.

"The likelihood of treating just the addiction is low," Snyder said.

Programs must "treat the whole person," Snyder said, addressing emotional trauma and mental health issues, as well as tackling the physical aspects of drug dependency.

Sending addicts to prison or jail also doesn't address the underlying issues of addiction, officials said on Wednesday.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said there are plenty of criminal laws to handle drug addicts, but "the insurance coverage is just not there" for treatment.

He spoke about parents calling him after they discover drugs or learn their child using drugs, and begging for police to arrest their son or daughter. Northampton County has both drug and mental health courts to help guide defendants to treatment, Morganelli said, but some health insurance coverage only lasts for 30 days.

"It doesn't solve the problem," he said. "We have to cut the need for it."

Wolf noted that prison inmates use to have their Medicaid coverage terminated once they were in jail. When the prisoner was released, it would take 90 days to re-institute the coverage -- too long for an addict who became clean behind bars.

Now Medicaid accounts are suspended while someone is incarcerated, Wolf noted, so when a person is released they can immediately be covered.

While the state focuses on rehabilitation programs, state law enforcement is still fighting against the influx of heroin and prescription pain killers.

This week, Pennsylvania State Police reported troopers seized 32 pounds of heroin, with an approximate street value of $10.9 million, statewide in just the last three months of 2016.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The price of beauty apparently can be steep.

One man is charged and the other implicated in the December theft of Rogaine hair replacement products and ROC facial cream from a CVS at 3605 Airport Road in Hanover Township, Northampton County, Colonial Regional police report.

Lex Maysonet, 44, of Hanover Township, Lehigh County, admitted to his role in stealing beauty and hair-regrowth products on Dec. 19, 2016, from a Hanover Township, Northampton County, CVS, Colonial Regional police report. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Jonathan William Vazquez, 37, of the 600 block of East Fifth Street in Bethlehem, was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge James Narlesky on charges of retail theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft, court records say. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail, records show. His preliminary hearing is tentatively set 2:30 p.m. in Narlesky's court.

Lex Maysonet, 44, of Hanover Township, Lehigh County, has yet to be arraigned in this case. He was was charged Jan. 2 with a different retail theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance, court records say. He remained Thursday morning in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is tentatively set 9 a.m. Thursday in District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez's South Bethlehem courtroom.

Police were called just after 11 a.m. Dec. 19 to the CVS for a report that Vazquez stole three containers of Rogaine in one isle then walked to another isle and placed them in a black book bag held by Maysnoet, police said. Maysonet then stole 18 containers of facial cream, police said.

Vazquez then walked to the front of the store and spoke with an employee while Maysonet walked out without paying for the products, which were valued at $659.22, police said. They drove away together in a silver Acura hatchback, police said.

The men, wearing the same clothes, returned the next day to the store and were detained by police, court papers say. Maysonet admitted taking the facial cream and said Vazquez stole the hair-growth products, police said.

Police did not explain why Vazquez wasn't arraigned until Wednesday. Maysonet will be arraigned next week, police said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 35-year-old Lehigh Township man faces new charges and old after he was pulled over for a traffic violation heading to work at 1:41 p.m. Saturday in Lower Saucon Township, police say.

Michael Gardner, 35, of Lehigh Township, faces drug and receiving stolen property charges as well as a parole warrant after his arrest Jan. 7, 2017, in Lower Saucon Township. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Michael Gardner, of the 3500 block of Dogwood Avenue, was arrested in the driveway of a Friedensville Road home where he was working, township police said.

He had an outstanding warrant from Pennsylvania State Parole, as well as "a large number of" empty wax packets, syringes, marijuana and a crack pipe, police said. A game trail camera in the vehicle was reported stolen in October from a nearby property, police said.

Gardner was most recently released from prison on May 31, records show. He was in Lehigh County Jail on a retail theft charge. In 2008, he was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison in a violent 2007 robbery.

It wasn't immediately clear on what charges the parole warrant encompassed.

Gardner was arraigned before District Judge Robert Hawke on charges of possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property, court papers say. Bail was set at $20,000 and he remained Thursday morning in Northampton County Prison, records show.

A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 9:45 a.m. Feb. 15.

While at the Lower Saucon property, officers identified other workers as they came out of the house, police said. One of the men, Jonathan Estrada, 32, of Allentown, was found to have an outstanding warrant out of Bergen County, New Jersey, police said. Estrada was taken to Northampton County Prison, where he remained on Thursday morning, records show.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A gun recovered from a Bethlehem woman's vehicle is consistent with a weapon described by a victim who says he was accidentally shot on the city's South Side, police said.

Bethlehem police investigating claims a man was shot Monday, Jan. 9, 2016, on South Side seized these firearms and related items following a foot chase, according to a news release. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Melanie Frances Santos, 24, of the 800 block of Atlantic Street, was arraigned before Senior District Judge Joseph Barner on Thursday on five counts each of carrying a firearm without a license and illegal possession of a firearm, both felonies.

Police picked up Santos on Tuesday and held her on a probation violation. She was arraigned via video from Northampton County Prison with the judge setting bail at $25,000.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Monday, city officers were dispatched to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill for a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. Police later identified the patient as Earl Perkins, 26, of Irvington, New Jersey.

Perkins told police he was shot while walking in the area of East Fifth and Atlantic streets. He said a woman he only knew as "T" shot him accidentally with a revolver-style handgun, and then his girlfriend took him to the hospital for treatment, according to court records.

Officers then began searching around Yosko Park and found Santos standing next to a Hyundai in the 800 block of Laufer Street. She took off running, with officers in pursuit, according to police.

Melanie Frances Santos (Courtesy photo)

Santos was arrested at 3:22 p.m. while running through back yards. While running, she allegedly dropped a loaded Ruger .357-caliber revolver that officers seized from a back yard.

Inside the Hyundai, police observed the barrel of a rifle sticking out from under a blanket in the back seat, they said. Investigators secured the vehicle and obtained a search warrant that turned up: a Marlin .308 lever-action rifle with scope; a Marlin .30-30 lever-action rifle with scope; a Ruger .22-caliber revolver; a Remington XP100 7mm bolt-action pistol; and three rifle scopes, as well as various boxes of ammunition.

Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio said no one had been charged in the shooting, which remains under investigation. However, police did say a Ruger Single Six .22-caliber revolver style handgun recovered from the Hyundai was consistent with the gun described by Perkins as the one that caused his gunshot wound.

Investigators also are trying to determine where Santos obtained the weapons, DiLuzio said.

A check on the Hyundai revealed it was registered to Santos' sister. The sister told police she removed her license plate from the vehicle and her sister affixed her own plate to it.

Various documents also were seized from the car, including Northampton County Adult Probation paperwork belonging to Melanie Santos. Police said Santos violated convictions of criminal trespass and false imprisonment stemming from a December 2015 arrest, which prohibited her from owning firearms.

In the December 2015 kidnapping incident, Santos and another woman traveled to a home in the 800 block of Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem and forced their way inside. The pair were accused of stealing a TV, computer and other items totaling $900, according to court records.

The victim told police the two women chased her through the house and attempted to kidnap her.

In February 2016, Santos was accused of giving a man crack to smoke, cutting him and then hitting him with a car when he refused to pay her.

Santos is tentatively due back in court for a preliminary hearing Jan. 30.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Minister for Health Simon Harris did not visit Portlaoise's A&E because it was particularly busy, but heard heartfelt concerns of staff and councillors, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan.

The Laois Fine Gael TD accompanied his party colleague, Minister Harris around the hospital yesterday, January 9, and to his meeting with ten Laois councillors afterwards.

The short notice of the meeting, at only two hours notice, was the Health Minister's choice he said.

The meeting took place at very short notice, a random visit, which in the circumstances the minister prefers, Minister Flanagan said.

Neither A&E nor Maternity were visited.

He visited Medical and Surgery, and Outpatients. He didnt have an opportunity on this occasion to visit the maternity but has committed to return.

However he did have an opportunity of engaging with a cross section of staff which I think he found particularly useful, he said.

He said that staff spoke honestly about concerns.

Some did, I thought that was very important, he said.

Minister Harris then met ten councillors and Laois' three TDs in private.

The minister had an opportunity of engaging and in particular, of listening to the very genuine and heartfelt concerns of the elected representatives of the people of Laois.

The important thing was that everybody in the room seemed to be be beating the same drum, the message was made quite clear to Minister Harris , I felt that he felt that this was an important engagement, he said.

Asked if he is now hopeful that Portlaoise will be better resourced, and that services be retained, the Minister pointed to the HSE's investments there last year.

Over the past while, it has been consumed in negative stories, that is a pity.

We need to acknowledge the great work being carried out by over 600 people at Portlaoise hospital.

The visit this morning of the Minister certainly impressed him and will have a bearing on the next stage of the process now which is the publication of the HSE report, the Laois TD said.

He said it was a first that a government minister came to meet councillors in Laois.

I cant recall in my time as a member of Dail Eireann where a minister came to what in effect was a meeting of Laois County Council, organised by Cathaoirleach Tom Mulhall, he said.

Sean Fleming TD said the meetin was constructive but he believed the enemy was the HSE.

It is clear the HSE has an agenda against Portlaoise. That attitude was damaging Portlaoise the most, he said.

Deputy Fleming said the HSE has cast a cloud ouver the hospital.

The Fianna Fail TD praised the mprovements in maternity and said the link with the Coombe hospital should be replicated.

Dep Brian Stanley said it was positive that downgrade was a certainty.

It is positive that he is coming to this with an open mind and the HSE's report is not a done deal.

It is simply one of the things to consider.

He said prison issues must be considered and the shortage of capacity must be considered in Portlaoise and elsewhwere.
Minister for Health, Simon Harris said he was pleased to visit Portlaoise hospital last Monday and thanked them for the work.

I wanted to primarily visit the hospital to thank frontline staff and management for how hard they have been working over a sustained period of time.

People know that January is a very busy time in our health service. Portlaoise had a high number of people on trollies and the work done in the hospital to really try and deal with that situation is something I am very very grateful to staff and management for.

It is a hospital that remains extraordinarily busy and I know that it has been through a challenging time in terms of attendances. I was glad to be able to thank the staff directly for their work, to hear their views and why they felt it was so busy, he said.

The Fine Gael Minister admitted that the hospital's future was the big concern.

What I wanted to do was say very clearly to staff, very clearly to patients and the public, through their public representatives, that no decision has been made in relation to Portlaoise," he said.

The Minister said he has read in local and national newspapers commentary that suggests that certain things are a fait accompli.

There is no fait accompli here. There is no decision made. I am very impressed with the significant progress that Portlaoise has made in recent months and years, in relation to the maternity services. Indeed the Hiqa report, that was published not that long before Christmas, did show that significant progress had been made, where there had been a network between the Coombe Hospital and Portlaoise.

He thanked the staff for bringing about significant improvement which was helped, he said, by Government resources.

Whatever change happened, he said, there must be more consultation.

I believe it is very important that there is significant consultation with the people of the midlands because this a regional hospital.

I think the views of GPs should be heard as well. The HSE have a report that has been submitted to the Department. Yes, there will be consideration between the Department and the HSE to stress test all of those issues. But there is more to the process than just that report, there has to be the views of the GPs. I am aware they have made a detailed submission, and that has to be considered.

There are also the views of the Prisons. I am aware that there are almost 1,000 prisoners here in Portlaoise who rely on health services. They may expand in the future. People also need to take on board population, the census, future growth levels. There is a significant body of work to be done here.

Let me say this - I want to see the maximum amount of services possible to be safely provided in Portlaoise hospital, he stated.

Minister Harris said the engagement he had with local representatives and, indeed Oireachtas representatives, at the request of Charlie Flanagan is an initial engagement.

He said he would also be led by medical advice.

I have to do what is right by the interest of patients and what is safe to do, but I am approaching this by wanting to maximise services in Portlaoise Hospital and nothing else.

The HSE is understood to have recommended downgrade while Hiqa said the A&E is currently unsustainable. The Minister said he has a duty to the public.

I am aware of what the HSE has said and have read the Hiqa report, and I am also aware of my duties as Minister for Health to the people of the midlands in relation to their health services. That is why I correctly and accurately say no decision has been made.

I have heard very carefully the comments in relation to Hiqa, where Hiqa doesnt determine a view where services are to be provided, but does talk about resourcing and levels of staffing that need to be reached. I think that is a very fair point.

We saw an awful lot of our hospitals at real stretching points on many occasions throughout last week, and likely again this week. Trolley numbers are still unacceptably high. The point is if you were to reduce capacity in any one hospital, where would that capacity go. What I would need to be convinced of in any one hospital before I make any decision is that there is adequate capacity in our health service, he said.

He said he did not wish to see a decision made in isolation in one hospital.

The HSE is in charge of operational matters. I am in charge of the health policy of this country and it is me who will make policy decisions on the future direction of health in consultation with colleagues in government and in the Oireachtas.

I do hear a very unified voice from the public representatives and TDs in Laois. There are a range of issues here and I absolutely understand why the people of Portlaoise and the midlands and the staff want a degree of certainty, but I have to balance that with absolute determination that the decision I make is the right decision. It is that balancing act between giving people that certainty about future services as quickly as possible, whilst being absolutely sure that any element of any plan is stress tested.

The HSE have done a substantial body of work and I thank them for that and I thank Dr Susan OReilly for her report, but there are other voices that need to be heard and there needs to be consultation. The issue of capacity also needs to be addressed.

This is a process. I am going to get it right. I am going to go through the process as quickly as possible but I am not going to be pushed into any knee jerk policy.

He said there is no capacity to make up for a downgrade in Portlaoise, or any other hospital.

What I have to truthfully say is that there isnt any spare capacity to shut down the ED in any hospital today and just expect people to turn up in another ED with spare beds and staffing. I think the dogs in the street know that is the situation.

Any plan to reconfigure any services in any part of the country has to be cogniscent of the need to create capacity, staffing and patient safety.

He said he has a myriad of issues to consider in relation to Portlaoise.

These are complex matters and that is why I am determined to get it right. It does involve a painstaking process, rather than yes no answers.

We understand why people want a degree of certainty but I have to balance that with knowing the decision I make is the right decision.

He said he saw Dr O'Reilly's proposals as as part of the process, a very important part, but there are other elements.

Its not at this stage about accepting or rejecting, it's about making sure I have all the pieces and I dont want to make a mistake, I dont want to get this wrong, he said.

Minister Harris could not say when he would reach a decision.

I cant honestly give a timeframe now, I hope to be in a position to give a timeframe within a few months, but there is a body of work that needs to be done.

In fairness to the HSE, I expect the HSE will have done research into how capacity can be dealt with in the group, that needs to be scrutinised, he said.

Minister Harris said he wanted the plan submitted by Laois doctors scrutinised also. He said population must be considered.

My colleague, Minister Coveneys plans to grow certain parts of the country and try to disperse parts of the populations from just cities into towns and particularly the midlands, all of these things need to be factored in, he said.

Minister Harris plans to return to Portlaoise in the not too distant future for a second more comprehensive visit, before he decides on the hospitals direction.

I want to come back and view the maternity services, I will meet further with the Oireachtas members, the councillors and with the GPs, he outlined.

He was asked how he can ensure Laois peoples lives will not be at risk, if the A&E is closed, and they have to travel to another hospital outside the county.

Every and any decision that will be made, in my tenure as Minister for Health, at all times would have to keep patient safety at the absolute fore, so the idea that any decision will be taken that will in any way endanger a life, will simply not be the case.

I will be following very close clinical and medical evidence on that before I make any decisions.

He agreed that Portlaoise hospital needs increased funding.

Portlaoise has seen increased funding in recent years, and a significant increase in staffing and in budget, a new day unit which I just visited today, a new minor assessments unit which will formally open later this year, theres a proposal in place for a new outpatients dept on a green field site which is currently being considered by the capital committee of the HSE.

So there is significant investment in Portlaoise, but theres further investment required, we have delivered the largest health budget in the history of the State, larger than even in Celtic Tiger times, and the HSE group level now has to distribute that to the individual hospitals and I expect that as the budget has increased overall, that the budget for all our hospitals including Portlaoise will also increase, he said.
Status Orange Alert for Snow-ice Warning for Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo Status Yellow warning for Snow-ice Warning for Munster, Leinster, Galway and Roscommon

Met Eireann has warned of widespread sub-zero weather and wintery showers.

The forecaster forecasts widespread sleet and snow showers on Wednesday evening and early tonight, some heavy with isolated thunderstorms. It says they will continue later in the night over Ulster, but will become scattered elsewhere, with dry, clear spells developing. Lowest temperatures plus 1 to minus 2 degrees Celsius, with icy stretches and some lying snow. Northwest winds will be strong and gusty.

Met Eireann says tomorrow, Friday, will be a cold, blustery day with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers mostly affecting western and northern counties and the snow may become mostly confined to high ground during the middle of the day. Afternoon temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees Celsius, in fresh to strong and gusty northwesterly winds.

Friday night night will be cold and frosty after dark, with some icy patches. Lowest temperatures plus 2 to -2 C., coldest in the eastern half of the country, where the frost will be sharp or severe. Cloud will increase in Atlantic coastal counties later in the night and temperatures will rise there.

The cold snap is expected to be short lived as the weather will change over the weekend. Frost and icy patches are expected to clear early on Saturday. A few bright spells, but rather cloudy in the main, with some scattered patches of rain and drizzle Top afternoon temperatures 6 to 9 C. Mild and misty overnight with some rain in places.

Sunday will be misty and mainly cloudy day, with rain in many places. The rain will be persistent over eastern and northern areas, but scattered elsewhere. Top temperatures 9 to 11 C. Misty and mostly cloudy overnight, with patches of drizzle and light rain, here and there. Lowest temperatures 4 to 7 C.

Temperatures around normal on Monday ranging 6 to 10 C. Some rain or drizzle about, but some dry spells too. Drying out overnight, but turning cold and frosty, with temperatures set to fall below freezing.

Present indications suggest that Tuesday and Wednesday will be cool dry days, with occasional sunny spells, but there is a risk of a return to frosty conditions at night.
Legends of Irish music and song The Fureys will be taking to the stage of the Dunamaise Arts Centre this Friday, January 13.

The Fureys have been entertaining audiences worldwide for 38 years, audiences that have included former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Former Irish President Mary McAleese and the late Pope John Paul while Tony Blair has publicly stated his favourite peace song of all time is the Fureys Green Fields of France. Recently Ireland President Michael D Higgins attended their concert in Dublins National Concert Hall.

The band was formed in 1978 literally by accident. George, Paul and Davey were playing in Denmark with their own band called the Buskers and Eddie and Finbar, while touring in Germany were involved in a road accident.

When George and Paul got news of the accident they immediately travelled to Germany to be with their brothers. They then decided that they should all be playing together and this was the start of the Fureys.

The Fureys are responsible for some of the most stirring music ever to capture the public imagination. Their folk based music has received standing ovations in some of the biggest concert halls of the world and they credit their musical ability to their parents, Ted and Nora, who were well known musicians themselves.

They encouraged their sons to play music from a very early age and there was live traditional music in their house almost nightly.

Renowned for their hit songs I will love you, When you were sweet 16, The Green fields of France, The old man, Red rose cafe, From Clare to here, Her father didnt like me anyway, Leaving Nancy, and Steal away, plus many more, their emotive songs stir many emotions.tears and laughter, sadness and joy.

The band take to the stage at 8pm this Friday, call the Dunamaise on 057 866 3355 for tickets.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland are delighted to announce that the nominations for the Irish Restaurant Awards 2017 are now open.

The public are able to choose their favourites across 20 categories including Best Restaurant, Best Casual Dining, Best Chef, Best Seafood Experience, Best World Cuisine and more.

Nominations can be made via www.irishtimes.com/ irishrestaurantawards until 12 noon, Wednesday 25th of January.

The Irish Restaurant Awards showcase the true talent that Irelands hospitality industry has to offer by acknowledging outstanding performers in the sector. Growing steadily from its humble beginnings back in 2009, the awards are now a five-month long process consisting of online public nominations, judging panels, mystery guest inspections and regional and national events.

This year, there are 20 categories in which the general public can nominate. These categories are made up of 15 Main award categories, including an exciting new category Pub of the Year, and five National award categories.

Main categories are as follows:

Best Restaurant

Best Chef

Best Restaurant Manager

Best Hotel Restaurant

Best Casual Dining

Best Gastro Pub

Best Newcomer

Best Customer Service

Best Wine Experience

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine

Best World Cuisine

Best Cafe

Best Kids Size Me

Local Food Hero

Pub of the Year (NEW!)

National Categories

Best Cocktail Experience

Best Private Dining & Club Restaurant

Best Cookery School

Best Seafood Experience

Best Digital Marketing

In the first stage of the judging process, online nominations are given a weighting of 30%, while the remaining 70% is made up from a regional judging panel assessment. Both of these results are combined and reviewed by an independent auditor (BDO) to give an overall county winner per category. These winners will be announced at a number of regional events held in March.

Each county winner then goes forward to the Regional and All-Ireland stage whereby they will then each receive a mystery guest inspection. They will be assessed on their menu, customer service, and the overall dining experience from the moment the booking is made until the customer receives the bill.

National Categories will not receive a mystery guest inspection. They will be judged by the National Academy with the exception of Best Cocktail Experience which will be judged by the Bartenders Association of Ireland at a live competition.

The All-Ireland final of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2017 takes place on Monday, 8th of May 2017 in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin.

Start nominating now!
In September 2015, amid widespread public outcry over the UKs lack of a response to the Mediterranean refugee crisis, David Camerons Government agreed to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020 under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

Yet, the latest Home Office figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request show that, in the two years to June 2016, just under 3,000 refugees have actually arrived in the UK. In other words, an average of less than 1,500 refugees are being resettled each year. This is far below the 4,000 per year necessary to reach the Governments 20,000 goal. In other words, unless the number of refugees being resettled increases drastically, the Governments pledge will be broken. Yet, seemingly in denial about the very real possibility of not fulfilling this promise, the Government remains adamant that it is on track to resettle 20,000 refugees by 2020.

However, there was a glimmer of hope in the form of Section 67 of the Immigration Act. Under the so-called Dubs Amendment the Government has the ability to relocate as many unaccompanied asylum seeking children as it sees fit; the exact number is, potentially, infinite. This afforded the Government another opportunity to lead the way in offering a comprehensive, substantive and compassionate response to the crisis. Yet, the most recent figures suggest that just 750 children have been resettled in the UK; a far cry from the 3,000 figure stipulated in the original amendment, and contrary to the spirit in which the amendment was passed in the House of Lords. Lord Dubs himself has called it a betrayal.

This response seems even more woeful when set against a backdrop of continued conflict in the Syria. In some parts of the country the most recent ceasefire is not holding. Yesterday reports emerged that the 100,000 trapped in the besieges villages of Wadi Barada have suffered 19 days of continuous airstrikes at the hands of Hezbollah and the Assad regime.

However, British forces have the capacity to provide substantive humanitarian aid to the besieged areas via airdrop. Wadi Baradas proximity to the Lebanese border means it is possible to use JPADS parachute to remotely guide aid packages into besieged Syrian areas from the safety of Lebanese airspace. However, this is a concept Government officials have repeatedly rejected.

Yet, if the British Government is not willing to conduct airdrops they must find an alternative means of doing their part to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis; accepting child refugees is a good place to start.

Finally, the United Kingdom is a modern, developed country which has the capacity to do more to help those suffering in this crisis. All is required, is more political will power. Indeed, nothing condemns us more than a lack of vision, determination and outright compassion.
ITS a case of showbiz and politics colliding for one Limerick TD, who has been making waves since he stepped out over the New Year with a very familiar lady.

Tom Neville, who is more likely to hit headlines for his speeches in the Dail, set tongues wagging this week when he went public with his girlfriend Jenny Dixon.

Jenny is a familiar face for Fair City viewers, having starred as regular character Kerri-Ann Boyle for a number of years.

A trained actor from Croagh, Neville spent the New Year on a relaxing mini-break with Dixon in Milan, Italy.

He confirmed the relationship, telling the Limerick Leader that the two are going out for a couple of months.

The pair met at the Limerick-based Richard Harris International Film Festival last year, where Jenny was on hand to present the inaugural Style Award to Richard Harris granddaughter Ella.

With their shared passion for acting, the two hit it off after the event.

The stunning actress, who has a BSc in Zoology, used to work as a science teacher before deciding to follow her dreams in the arts.

Fair City character Kerri-Ann is married to Decco, and the on-screen pairs proposal and wedding was one of the principal storylines of the last year.

Having spent some time in LA, Ms Dixon has said in the past that she attended several parties at Hugh Hefners Playboy Mansion.

However, the actress has been conquering closer shores in recent years, with her character on Fair City taking a more central role in the last year.

Toms star has also risen in the last year, having securing a seat in the county Limerick constituency in last years elections.

He followed his father Dan Neville into politics, and famously said on his election that he has been having politics in his Cornflakes since he was 10 years old.

Of his acting career, he was shortlisted for a monologue award for his 2015 rendition of the Trainspotting Choose Life monologue.

In it, he depicted Mark Renton, originally played by Ewan McGregor in the film.

Mr Neville previously won the award for a monologue from the film Contact.
THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is to appeal the undue leniency of the sentences imposed on two cousins who broke into the County Limerick home of a man who subsequently died.

David Casey, aged 33, of Carragh Park, Coolock, Dublin 17, and Michael Casey, aged 22, of Clonlong Halting Site, Southill were each jailed in early December.

The Limerick Leader has learned that legal papers were filed by the State on Tuesday indicating the DPP intends appealing the sentences.

Both defendants have admitted breaking into the home of John ODonoghue at Toomaline, Doon on August 27, 2015.

The 62-year-old, who lived at the house with his sister, Christina, died from a heart attack shorly after he returned home to discover there were intruders at the house.

During a sentencing hearing, Sergeant Michael Reidy said attempts to resuscitate Mr ODonoghue were unsuccessful and that he was pronounced dead at the scene.

While a post mortem showed Mr ODonoghue suffered from heart disease, State Pathologist, Prof Marie Cassidy said the stress of what happened could not be a ruled out as a contributory factor in his death.

The defendants, the court heard, were apprehended by gardai a short time later and both expressed remorse and regret when informed Mr ODonoghue had died.

Sgt Reidy said the defendants and another man had targeted several houses in East Limerick  including that of Mr ODonoghue  on the same day in what he described as an organised operation.

Last month, Judge Tom ODonnell sentenced each of the defendants to four-and-a-half years imprisonment, suspending the final twelve months.

Afterwards, members of the ODonoghue family expressed their disappointment with the sentences imposed.

The appeal is likely to be heard by the summer.
EVICTIONS of dozens of residents from the Strand apartments in Limerick city, following their acquisition by a vulture fund which is selling them for a profit, have been branded as morally reprehensible and absolutely appalling by local deputies.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, who has been called upon by residents to stop the evictions in his own constituency, declined to comment when contacted by the Limerick Leader until he has all the facts on the case.

Fianna Fail deputy Willie O'Dea told the Leader that his sympathies are with the residents, and he is prepared to support them in any protest.

Its absolutely appalling. If it was an Irish landlord Id be appalled, but I am absolutely gobsmacked at the idea that a vulture fund, which has absolutely no interest whatsoever in this country, can come in and do that, he said.

Labour deputy Jan OSullivan said she condemned the move by another faceless vulture fund to evict upwards of 30 innocent families from their apartments in the Strand complex.

She said that the Labour Party tried to introduce a Housing Bill before the Dail towards the end of last year, which would have specifically protected the rights of all tenants if the landlord decided to sell the property - irrespective of the number of units involved in the sale process.

However, the Bill was narrowly defeated. Another Bill on the same issue, which may have protected the tenants rights in this case, has yet to be made law, she added.

We cannot continue to countenance the situation whereby law abiding tenants who are paying their rent on a weekly or monthly basis can be thrown out of their homes simply because a vulture fund or landlord wants vacant possession prior to the sale of the property, said deputy OSullivan.

With a severe housing shortage throughout the country exacerbating the homeless crisis, the forced eviction of multiple families by these vulture funds is just not acceptable and must be resisted.

She added that the failure by the Minister for Housing & Local Government Simon Coveney to commence legislation in this area is reprehensible.

These vulture funds are now capitalising on the vacuum that exists in terms of legislation protecting the rights of tenants, she said, describing their actions as nasty and underhand behaviour.

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney told TheJournal.ie that it is unquestionable whether the new law can be applied retrospectively to the Limerick case given that the eviction orders have already been issued.

The legislation was passed just before Christmas  but the commencement order has yet to be made effective. Minister Coveney described the new law as a huge change and very important change in Ireland.

- For more on this story, see the weekend editions of the Limerick Leader
THE MOTHER of a young man whose body was recovered from the River Shannon in Limerick has spoken at his funeral Mass of how her son was failed by the mental health service.

In a soul-stirring address from the altar of St Munchins Church in Limerick this Wednesday, Majella Cosgrove said her son had been failed by the very system that was supposed to help him.

At the end of the funeral Mass for the 30-year-old gentle soul Ms Cosgrove of Clareview took her place at the pulpit. She straightened her spine. She strengthened her soft voice.

This has been very difficult to write, and the next part, I am conscious and aware that it might be difficult for people to listen to, Ms Cosgrove stated after thanking all those who have been on this journey with us.

Derek, Ms Cosgrove explained, had suffered a psychotic episode about three years ago. He was diagnosed with depression.

He had been doing so well over the past year. He was determined to get work - he was sending out CVs everywhere and he had just started an online course, she explained.

Derek, Ms Cosgrove told mourners, wanted to be more alert during the day so he could concentrate, and this resulted in a change of medication which led to sleepless nights, anxiety and fear.

Did the people who jumped from the Twin Towers on 9/11 want to end their lives? Would you say that they died by suicide? Ms Cosgrove asked aloud.

She said the answer was the same for my Derek who jumped because he was more terrified of the flames - the flames which were inside his own head which family and friends could not extinguish.

Hes at peace now, she said, turning to her left where the coffin of her son stood.

Continuing her address, Ms Cosgrove described mental health as a condition that is stigmatised.

We have services here in Ireland that are supposed to support us - the mental health service, which Derek and I trusted and they let us down. Derek is gone. He was failed by the very system that was supposed to help him.

Derek entered the River Shannon on December 16 last. Crews from Limerick Marine Search and Rescue who had been carrying out searches throughout Christmas and over the New Year, located his body shortly before 2.30pm this Monday.

In society, we are all affected by suicide, Ms Cosgrove continued. We hear the helicopters and it sends chills down us. We see search and rescue boats. We see candles, flowers placed on bridges. Why are Irish families suffering in silence? What can we do? Why is it being accepted? Why does our mental health service not have proper supports in place? Why is medication not more closely monitored? Why is funding not a priority set by our government?

Is the answer a simple one? Is it because people suffering with mental health issues have no voice? They have no voice. They have no power.

The mother then turned to her left once more and uttered the words: Sleep well,Derek.

There was absolute silence. Then a rapturous round of applause.

Mourners sat knee-to-knee the breadth of the Catholic Church situated on the banks of the River Shannon. The chief celebrant, Fr Donal McNamara, PP, St Munchins, had encouraged them to remain seated throughout the Mass.

Derek was a father, a son, a friend, a gentle soul who never raised his voice. He was a chef and he made the best cup of tea.

While Derek had no sense of direction, he always seemed to find his way home to his mother.

Derek, mourners heard, was intellectually gifted - he loved maths.

He was such a charmer. He had a smile that could light up a room and, my God, could he pose. I saw some photos lately that I had never seen before and, probably, as a mother, I should never have seen them at all, Ms Cosgrove smiled to soft ripples of laughter.

When someone you love passes away, its natural to remember the bad along with the good. Derek was like Peter Pan in lots of ways - he never grew up. He found it difficult to take responsibility and wasnt the most reliable person. He needed a lot of support and it was hard on his family and friends, and a big part of that was to do with his illness.

Derek Cosgrove is deeply regretted by his son Simas, mother and father Majella and Henry, brothers Ricky and Glenn, sister-in-law, uncles, aunts, extended family and friends. He was laid to rest in Castlemungret Cemetery.

If you have been affected by this article please contact the Samaritans (116 123), Console (1800 201 890) Aware (1890 303 302).
We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.
The revenue department had come under much criticism from youth organisations for issuing an order raising the retirement age to 60.
Waking up to real coffee How India ditched the instant addiction to savour the best home-grown brewsat home /news/talking-point/waking-up-to-real-coffee-111646912233111.html 111646912233111 story

Two years of savouring a medium-roasted coffee with nuances of wild flowers and honeysuckle from MS Estate, Chikmagalur, Karnataka, and I admit to turning into a coffee snob. In my defence, so are increasing numbers of people across the country, a critical mass that seems set to acknowledge Indias status as the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world.

That last factoid comes from Tuhin Jain, co-founder of Bonhomia, which offers single-serve gourmet coffee capsules and coffee machines to go with them. The hills of Chikmagalur, Coorg and Kodaikanal are lined with estates and plantations offering A-grade quality coffee beans, most of which are exported. Major multinational brands, including Nestle Nespresso and Lavazza, use Indian beans," he says.

Over the last five years, Indian roasters and young, third-generation planters have tried to restore pride in indigenous coffee by using local high-quality beans to create rich, complex flavours while educating consumers about roasts, grinds and brews. And thus, slowly and steadily, single-origin and artisanal coffees from India have inched their way into the gourmet club at home.

Tuhin Jain, co-founder of Bonhomia.

The breakthrough, for the domestic market, came when cafe chains such as Starbucks (which opened its first store in India in 2012) started providing freshly ground coffee, roasted by trained baristas. A good barista works like a mixologist: He or she knows how much to roast, what grain to grind the beans into, etc." says Jain. Building on the groundwork of the home-grown Barista and Cafe Coffee Day chainswhich also witnessed an expansion around the timea new generation of coffee entrepreneurs sought to take control of the coffee-is-cool culture, introduced hitherto-missing nuances and looking at taking the experience to the consumers home.

The hitch lay in the heavy equipment, priced at Rs5-6 lakh, used by the baristasthe percolators available werent appealing to the new coffee connoisseuras also the low awareness about the kind of coffee to buy for home use. Noting the rapid expansion of coffee consumption in India, as well as the high quality of beans grown in the country, we decided to leap into the market in 2012. We created single-serve capsules full of top-quality Indian coffee, individually sealed in nitrogen pouches to ensure they remained completely fresh," says Jain. We also launched coffee machines and milk frothers (akin to Swiss giant Nestles Nespresso machines) starting at less than Rs10,000. Cafes across the country use a five-bar (a pressure measure) machine, but ours are 19-bar machines, built to apply the perfect pressure to extract every last drop of flavour and texture from the coffee."

The capsuleseach available for Rs35-50, in packs of five and 10are retailed in leading supermarkets such as Natures Basket and Foodhall, as well as online on Amazon, and Bonhomias own online portal, with orders coming in from across India, including tier II and tier III cities such as Pune, Hyderabad and Ludhiana. These capsules are also used by luxury hotel chains such as Oberoi Vilas, Park Hyatt and The Ritz Carlton.

The Flying Squirrel core team.

Kunal Ross, co-founder of Theindianbean.com, an online single-origin coffee brand based in Mysuru and Mumbai, too has tried to ease the process of extracting a good cup of coffee. Early last year, we launched the cloth filter to go with our coffee. It is super-quick and portable. All one needs to do is take one tablespoon of coffee and pour 150ml of water over it. After steeping in a vessel for 2-3 minutes, strain it through the cloth filter," he says. This has reduced the brewing time drastically.

Both the single-serve capsule coffee machines and the cloth filter offer ease of use and cleaning, making them attractive to customersmostly well-travelled, working professionals from double-income family groups. There is such a variety (of things) that you can do with the Bonhomia machine," says Gurugram-based Gurbani Singh, co-founder of Bonjour Chocolates. I just keep it stacked in one corner and you can opt for a cold coffee or an espresso at any given point of a day. Even a layman can use it."

She first came across Bonhomia coffees at Grub Fest, one of the largest food festivals in Delhi-National Capital Region, where they had adjoining stalls. I love their hazelnut variant and have about 100 capsules at home at any time. Its very neat and easy to maintain," says Singh, who is planning to serve Bonhomia coffees with her new savoury line, as well as desserts such as the apple cinnamon tea cake.

A view of Halli Berri Cottages. Photo: Nimish Jain.

Southside Story

In the experimental township of Auroville, the Spaniard Marc Tormo has been offering organic, single-estate coffees since 2008. He first came to India as a tourist in 1992, and kept returning, sometimes to visit the slums of Kolkata and sometimes working on incense and marbled paper in Auroville. Between his travels, he started a coffee shop with his sister in Spain; like many Western European nations, coffee plays a huge part in the social fabric there. Returning to Auroville with his wife just after marriage, Tormo realized that India was producing high-quality, shade-grown beansunlike, say, in Kenya and Braziland began to explore the possibilities of sourcing single-estate coffees.

The struggle for Tormoshared by many other Indian coffee roasters and brewerslay in convincing plantations to part with their A-grade beans for the domestic market. The question I was asked was, Why should we sell to you? And my answer always was, you are Indian, let the Indian coffee drinker enjoy indigenous, good-quality coffee and I will pay you a good price for that," says Tormo, who stayed on farms to understand the growing and post-harvesting process.

The coffees on offer at his shop, Marcs CafeRoast and Taste, and at www.marcscoffees.com, are the Buma Devi, Jaivik Greens and Kaveri blends from Coorg, the Julien Peak from a UTZ Certified farm nestled in the Shevaroy hills of Tamil Nadu (UTZ Certified is the worlds largest programme for sustainable farming of coffee and cocoa) and the Deccan Bold from Andhra Pradesh. The coffee board has divided the coffee regions of south India in 13 denominations, with each having its particular geography and unique traits. My aim is to have at least one single-estate coffee from each region," says Tormo.

Back in Delhi, in the by-lanes of Said-ul-Ajaib, where history meets urban chaos, lies the Blue Tokai roastery and cafe, the first outfit to do profile roasting in Delhi. As soon as you enter the cafe, a heady aroma of coffee envelops the senses, giving you an instant caffeine kick. In the next room, shut out by the sound of whirring machines, a team of roasters is busy controlling temperatures, duration and humidity to extract the oils and best flavours from the beans sourced from estates in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Run by Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana, Blue Tokai has become a one-stop shop for those who want freshly ground coffee as well as roasted beans. The idea came to the couple in 2012, when they moved from Chennai to Delhi. Used to freshly ground coffee at the local coffee houses, Chitharanjan, an economist, was disillusioned by the lack of options in Delhi. He wasnt keen on the coffee available at cafe chainsmany, he says, would use beans roasted months earlier.

Ideally, coffee should be consumed within three weeks of being roasted as, after that, the flavour compounds start breaking down. The store-bought coffee passes through a long supply chain before reaching the customer and becomes stale," says Chitharanjan.

Blue Tokai has moved on from being a mere e-commerce startup into wholesale, supplying to a host of eateries and hotels such as The Park Hotel and Oberoi, and to hordes of individual customers online. The couple opened a roastery in Mumbai in July and plans to start stand-alone cafes in the near future.

Indian Bean, which offers Appa Washed Arabica from Coorg, Malnad from the BR Hills, Karnataka Kaldeva from Baba Budangiri, Karnataka, and more, offers the option of customizing your roast. So does the Flying Squirrel, which offers single-origin artisan coffee.

I ask the guys at Indian Bean to customize a dark roast for my espresso from beans which come from the Nilgiris," says Pawan Sadhna, who runs a gourmet store for the Japanese community in Delhis Sultanpur, Wakaba Japanese Food Co. I used to ship A-grade Indian coffee beans abroad, while working with the Shipping Corporation of India, so I know what good beans are like. I used to wonder why we Indians dont use our own local beans. Then an international buyer told me that the Indian roasting process is not as good, and that is critical to a good cup of coffee." With ventures like the Indian Bean offering state-of-the-art roasting, consumers like Sadhna have found the perfect way to brew a good Indian cup of coffee.

When Ashish DAbreo and Tej Thammaiah set up Flying Squirrel two-and-a-half years ago, they knew the ace up their sleeve was the latters three-generation-old estate in Pollibetta, Coorg, from where they could source the best green beans; they have just launched their first cafe in Bengaluru.

What gives the coffee a unique flavour is cross-cropping. We grow our coffees amid citrus patches, vanilla plantations, spice patches in heavily shaded areas or the more forested parts," says DAbreo. The freshly picked cherries (as the pits inside the red/purple berry are called) are pulped, semi-pulped, fermented or sun-dried, based on the desired flavour profile. Then, depending on the kind of coffee and grain size that the customer has ordered, they draw up roast plans. Proprietary profile-roasting curves are used to balance the sweetness, acidity and fruitiness for each variant. The minimum order size at Flying Squirrel for a customized roast is 2kg; orders are pouring in from within India, as well as from the US, Australia and UAE.

The ABC of Coffee

Education plays a huge role when it comes to single-origin coffees. India has always been a tea-drinking nation. But there are people who grew up on instant coffee and want to take their love for a good cuppa to the next level," says DAbreo. So, ventures like Blue Tokai, Flying Squirrel and Indian Bean consciously carry information on their websites, blogs, and in the roasteries, to create awareness among consumers on what constitutes a good cup of coffee.

In sync with hipsters everywhere, the Indian consumer wants to know morewhere the coffee is coming from, for instance, its traceability," says Tormo. To that end, Blue Tokai packages carry the name of the sourcing estate, the kind and date of roast, along with artwork by a folk/tribal artist.

As social consciousness about food and drink grows among consumers, they want their coffee to be ethically sourced as well. Halli Berri, grown on the Kambihalli Estate in the Baba Budangiri in Karnataka since 1948, is now an entirely women-owned concern. We provide AAA-grade coffeethat is, (with the) Rainforest Alliance Certified sealin our effort to producing a conscious coffee," says Tejini Kariappa, co-founder and director of Halli Berri Coffee and Cottages, which retails at Natures Basket and on Amazon, and is served exclusively at Indigo Deli and other gourmet set-ups. We also support a migratory bird project, as we get nearly 296 species here. The iron-ore content in the soil reacts with the plants here, giving the coffee a unique flavour. Sunalini Menon, master cupper, has said in the past that our coffee leaves a sweet honey residue on the palate."

At the Bonhomia office in Ansal Plaza, Delhi, and at their workshops, terroir is a big part of the conversation. The conditions that the coffee plant is grown in play a huge role in the kind of note it deliversspicy, floral, fruity. How often has the plant been watered, what altitude has it been grown at, the temperature that it has been farmed at, all these details impact the coffee flavour, just like wine," says Jain.

The comparison with wine ends right there, howevercoffee is believed to be seven times more complex. While wine has 200-400 notes, coffee has 1,200. A layman can only pick up three-four of these," says Ross.

One of the roadblocks coffee makers encounter frequently is a snobbishness about blended coffeesa carryover, perhaps, of whiskies, or an assumption that the add-on is chicory. Blends can also be single-origin, hailing from one particular region. At times, there is a need to balance out an estates flavour profile by blending flavours from other estates in that particular region," says Abhijit Shetty, who co-founded the Seven Beans Coffee Co. in 2012 to bring together the flavours of Indian beans from seven plantations in Chikmagalur with Italian roasting techniques, in collaboration with roast master Dante Cagliari.

The Froth in the Cup

Given the increasing demand for artisanal coffees, are brands seeing a growth spurt? This is a niche segment. The growth is slow but the traction is great. We get a lot of repeat customers," says DAbreo. These ventures are not investing too heavily in marketing as they consider this an affordable luxury product, with most coffee packs being priced between Rs290 and Rs650 for 250g.

The more niche you get, the less you do. That has always been the method of luxury brand management," says Kariappa. I am honestly not looking at Halli Berri becoming an overnight sensation, but am looking at building my consumer base day by day, and understanding what drives the same." And it is already happening, with Halli Berri seeing a high percentage of consumer retention, and more coming their way through referrals.

With the single-serve capsule category being the fastest growing format in the coffee industry internationally, Bonhomia, too, expects to grow in the next couple of years. The market for single-serve Nespresso-format coffee is currently estimated to be well north of $10 billion (around Rs68,060 crore) globally. We hold a first-mover advantage in the Indian market, which is estimated at around Rs200 crore," says Jain.

Before the roast

The secret to great coffee lies in the way it has been processed. There are two methods of processing coffee: dry and wet.

The former is the older method, born out of limited water resources. The freshly picked cherries are simply spread out on huge surfaces to dry in the sun. In order to prevent the cherries from spoiling, they are raked and turned throughout the day, then covered at night or during rain to prevent them from getting wet," explains an article on the website of the National Coffee Association USA. This process is repeated for several weeks till the moisture content of the cherries drops to 11%.

The wet method involves removing the pulp from the cherry. The bean is dried with the parchment skin on and passed through water channels. The heavier, high-quality beans are separated from the lighter, lower-quality ones, and placed in individual fermentation tanks for a day or two. The beans are then rinsed and dried.

Once processedeither by the dry or wet methodcoffee beans are milled and exported to be roasted and ground.

The perfect cup

How will you know if the coffee you have bought is freshly ground or not? When brewed, your coffee should have a dark-to-golden crema, a foamy layer on top, a smooth texture, and not leave your throat dry," says Bonhomias Tuhin Jain.

Flying Squirrels Ashish DAbreo adds: When you pour hot brewing temperature water on the coffee, it should bloom. Thats a very important sign."
Karan Johar is one man army, he is doing what not!!! The person who himself is a complete man is definitely Karan Johar. He is producer, director, actor, host, judge, presenter, designer as well. So, it's not surprising when Karan has got a special invite from the prestigious World Economic Forum annual meeting this year.

As per a source, "The global event will take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from . At the same event, Karan has been invited as a 'cultural leader', an honour which is a first for a Bollywood personality.This year, the theme of the event is 'Responsive and Responsible Leadership', and Karan has been sent an invitation for the same. Karan is likely to leave for Switzerland early next week."

On which Karan said, "I am honoured to be invited as one of the cultural leaders on this prolific platform. Representing my country and reflecting my ethos and the sentiments of my land on a global level is always exhilarating and empowering. Also, it's a solid meeting ground of minds and personalities, which I am looking forward to engulf and experience fully."

Also Read:

LGBTQ slammed Karan for spreading fear against coming out

Vin Diesel alongwith Deepika will grace the couch of 'Koffee With Karan'
After a black hole devours a star, it shoots out planet-size "spitballs" that can approach within a few hundred light-years of Earth.

When a black hole devours a star, it spews planet-size "spitballs" of regurgitated gas tumbling through the galaxy  and some of these globs can come within a few hundred light-years of Earth, new research shows.

Supermassive black holes lie at the center of almost every galaxy, including the Milky Way. The massive cosmic bodies have a powerful gravitational force that pulls in nearby wandering stars, tears them to shreds and, as a result, spews out a stream of hot gas that can clump together to form planet-size objects, according to a statement from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).

"A single shredded star can form hundreds of these planet-mass objects," Eden Girma, an undergraduate student at Harvard University and lead author of the study, said in the statement. "We wondered: Where do they end up? How close do they come to us? We developed a computer code to answer those questions." [Images: Black Holes of the Universe]

Black holes are strange regions where gravity is strong enough to bend light, warp space and distort time. [ See how black holes work in this SPACE.com infographic (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor)

The researchers found that these "spitballs," whose closest emissaries might reach within a few hundred light-years of Earth, weigh as much as several Jupiters. However, the objects are very different from planets, as they are made solely of leftover star material and form much more rapidly.

"It takes only a day for the black hole to shred the star (in a process known as tidal disruption) and only about a year for the resulting fragments to pull themselves back together," CfA researchers said in the statement. "This is in contrast to the millions of years required to create a planet like Jupiter from scratch."

The "spitballs" travel at speeds of about 20 million mph (32 million km/h), and would therefore take roughly a million years to reach Earth's neighborhood after being launched from a black hole, officials said in the release. However, most of them leave our galaxy entirely; the researchers estimated that almost 95 percent of them would be propelled to other galaxies, where similar tidal-disruption processes are thought to exist.

"Other galaxies, like Andromeda, are shooting these 'spitballs' at us all the time," study co-author James Guillochon, an astrophysicist at the CfA, said in the statement.

Scientists plan to survey the "spitballs" in the future using instruments such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (currently under construction in Chile) and the James Webb Space Telescope (set to launch in 2018), which will have a better chance of detecting the faint glow of the objects hurtling through space. However, it will still be difficult to distinguish a cosmic "spitball" from free-floating planets, the researchers noted.

"Only about one out of a thousand free-floating planets will be one of these second-generation oddballs," Girma said in the statement.

Girma presented the study findings at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, held Jan. 3 to Jan. 7 in Grapevine, Texas.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
In the not-too-distant future, scientists may be able to create human sperm and egg cells in a lab dish. That possibility brings hope for treating infertility, but also poses significant ethical dilemmas  from "embryo farming" to designer babies, some researchers argue.

In a new paper, researchers at Harvard and Brown universities discuss the theoretical implications of creating sperm and egg cells in a lab dish, referred to as "in vitro gametogenesis," or IVG. It's currently feasible to perform IVG in mice, as has been shown in several remarkable experiments that were published in recent years, said the paper's authors, Dr. Eli Adashi, a professor of medical science at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; I. Glenn Cohen, a professor at Harvard Law School in Boston; and Dr. George Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School also in Boston.

IVG is not yet possible in humans  just from a scientific standpoint, many technical barriers remain before human gametes could be made from other human cells, the authors said. Even so, the technology could arrive sooner than we think, and so it may be wise to ponder some of the regulatory and ethical questions raised by IVG now, they said. [Conception Misconceptions: 7 Fertility Myths Debunked]

"With science and medicine hurtling forward at breakneck speed, the rapid transformation of reproductive and regenerative medicine may surprise us," the authors wrote in their paper, which was published today (Jan. 11) in the journal Science Translational Medicine. "Before the inevitable, society will be well advised to strike and maintain a vigorous public conversation on the ethical challenges of IVG."

What is IVG?

IVG is the generation of sperm and egg cells in a lab dish from pluripotent stem cells, or cells that are capable of becoming any cell type in the body, the paper said. These could be embryonic stem cells, which are found in embryos during early stages of development, or so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), which are "adult" cells (such as skin cells) that have been reprogrammed so they are once again capable of becoming any cell type. Hypothetically, IVG could create human sperm and egg cells from adult skin cells.

Scientists have recently reported key successes with IVG in mice. In 2016, scientists in Japan reported that they could recreate the entire cycle of mouse egg production in a lab dish. They started with either embryonic stem cells or iPS cells from mice, and reprogrammed them into so-called primordial germ cells, which are the precursors of sperm or egg cells. Then, they mixed these cells with other cells that support the development of mouse eggs, creating a sort of ovary in a dish. They added various hormones and other compounds to the dish, and eventually found a way to coax the cells into developing properly to become egg cells. These egg cells were fertilized with sperm, and resulted in healthy baby mice pups.

Also in 2016, researchers in China said that they had created sperm-like cells from embryonic stem cells that were taken from mice. For these experiments, the researchers first turned embryonic stem cells into primordial germ cells and then cultured these cells with testosterone and other hormones, which prompted the cells to develop into immature sperm cells.

Other studies suggest that similar feats with human cells might be possible. In 2009, researchers at Stanford University reported that they had transformed human embryonic stem cells into germ cells, which could theoretically give rise to sperm and eggs (although the researchers did not let the cells develop for long enough to become sperm or eggs).

"These findings suggest that experimental refinements likely will permit derivation of functional eggs and sperm from [human stem cells] in the not too distant future," Adashi, Cohen and Daley wrote in their paper.

IVG in people

In people, IVG could revolutionize the way that doctors perform in vitro fertilization (IVF) to treat infertility, Adashi, Cohen and Daley said. Currently, women who have fertility problems may undergo IVF, which involves several weeks of hormone injections to stimulate the production of eggs, and then a procedure to retrieve the eggs, which is done at a doctor's office. IVG would eliminate the need for these steps and would also eliminate the need to find an egg donor if a woman couldn't use her own eggs, they said.

What's more, with an abundant source of egg and sperm cells, researchers could more easily study the process of embryonic development and certain diseases, they said.

But IVG could also lead to new ethical problems. For example, clinics might create scores of eggs or embryos for their clients. "IVG may raise the specter of 'embryo farming' on a scale currently unimagined, which might exacerbate concerns about the devaluation of human life," they said.

In addition, couples might create a large number of embryos in order to choose the best traits for their child. (Currently, IVF usually generates just a handful of embryos, which doctors can screened for certain diseases before choosing which ones to implant..) "IVG could, depending on its ultimate financial cost, greatly increase the number of embryos from which to select, thus exacerbating concerns about parents selecting for their 'ideal' future child," they said.

IVG might even one day allow people to create "single-parent babies," in which cells from one person are used to produce both sperm and egg. However, it's not yet clear whether cells from a male can produce eggs (and vice versa), or whether a baby with just a single parent would have the same health problems that can arise from having closely related parents, they said. [Controversial Human Embryo Editing: 5 Things to Know]

Finally, it might also be possible for people to become parents without their knowledge, if sperm and egg cells could be created from shed skin cells, they said.

Still, in the near future, the biggest impact of IVG will likely be to enhance the scientific understanding of reproductive cells, the researchers said. Any applications of it could be much further out.

The authors note that some of the concerning scenarios raised in their paper would require a deeper understanding of human genetics than we currently have in order to be made possible. "Nevertheless, even at this stage, it is worth contemplating the ethical issues raised by such a possible future," they said.

Original article on Live Science.
Timmy Joe Elzinga captured this image of light pillars in northern Ontario on Jan. 6, 2017, at 1:30 a.m. local time.

Despite appearances, aliens have not descended upon a snowy scape in Ontario, Canada. Rather, an Earthly phenomenon is the cause of a ring of brilliant shafts of pastel-colored lights, captured in the wee hours of the morning by Timmy Joe Elzinga using his smartphone camera.

It was 1:30 a.m. local time in northern Ontario on Jan. 6 when Elzinga spotted the phenomenon.

"When I first saw these light beams shooting through the sky from my bathroom window, I was sure they were the northern lights," Elzinga told Live Science in an email. "I was able to capture these images both because the lights were so bright and pronounced and because I'm a bit of an amateur photographer." That experience, he said, led him to use "the manual settings on my phone to adjust the time the aperture was open to 8 seconds."

Elzinga said he wasn't aware of this light-pillar phenomenon until he saw it firsthand. [7 Things Most Often Mistaken for UFOs]

Light pillars like these seen in northern Ontario can lead to UFO reports. (Image credit: Timmy Joe Elzinga, YouTube

Ice from high altitudes explains the pillars that Elzinga saw, NASA said. During some cold, wintry nights, flat ice crystals that normally reside higher up in the atmosphere come fluttering closer to the ground, according to NASA. These whimsically wobbling ice crystals are sometimes referred to as crystal fog. When the crystals reflect ground lights from nearby cars and other bits of civilization, the result can be glorious: columns of light called "light pillars."

"The pillars are not physically over the lights or anywhere else in space for that matter  like all halos, they are purely the collected light beams from all the millions of crystals, which just happen to be reflecting light towards your eyes or camera," said Les Cowley, a retired physicist and atmospheric optics expert, on his site Atmospheric Optics.

The light pillars are so strange-looking that people often mistake them for UFOs, according to EarthSky.org. "There are said to be a lot of UFO reports caused by light pillars over Niagara Falls, where the mist from the rush of descending water interacts with the city's many upward-facing spotlights," EarthSky reported.

The beams resemble so-called sun pillars, which appear as columns of light extending from the sun due to light reflecting off ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, according to NASA.

And Elzinga saw quite a show.

To capture the northern Ontario pillars, Elzinga said he got creative.

"I also opened the window and removed the screen so I could get an unobstructed view, and I used the ridges in my bathroom window's track as a make shift tripod so I could avoid motion blur," he said. "I ran outside to see if I could get some more images and even went for a drive, but the light pillars seem[ed] to look best right from my area of town."

After 45 minutes or so, the lights were too dim for Elzinga to see them, he said.

Original article on Live Science.
A quick scroll through Instagram may leave you with the impression that full lips are in style at this very moment, but a new scientific analysis of fashion models says that the trend is surprisingly absent.

One explanation for the results may be that the fashion industry is no longer driving beauty trends  instead, its possible that celebrities may be the new driving factor instead, according to the study.

Recently, women seeking cosmestic procedures have shown a preference for fuller lips, according to the study, which was published today (Jan. 12) as a research letter in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

The researchers, led by Dr. Prem Tripathi, a resident in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery at the University of California, Irvine, attribute the rise in this preference in part to changes in the demographics of both consumers and of models and celebrities, as well as to the low cost and safety of injectable lip fillers. [7 Plastic Surgery Myths Revealed]

However, the fashion industry has often played a role in what women seek from cosmetic procedures, the authors wrote in the study. Because tastemakers mold opinions through the media, and in particular, through print media, the researchers decided to look for evidence of trends in lip size in the pages of Vogue magazine, according to the study.

In the study, researchers analyzed the lips of fashion models who appeared in Vogue magazine between 1960 and 2011. They included images in which the model's face had the following characteristics: It spanned at least one-third the height of the page, the model's lips were "at rest"  in other words, the model wasn't smiling or pouting, for example  and the lip shape wasn't altered with makeup. There were a total of 353 images in the study.

By digitally scanning the images, the researchers were able measure the size of the models' upper and lower lips, as well as compare the size of the upper lip to the lower lip.

They found that, from 1960 to 2011, neither the upper nor the lower lip increased in size over time, and the ratio of upper-lip size to lower-lip size also didn't change. The average upper-lip to lower-lip ratio was 0.68, which corresponds to a 47 percent larger lower lip compared to the upper lip, the researchers added.

The researchers noted that their findings were not what they expected. "If the frequently cited trend toward fuller lips truly exists, why is this not quantitatively seen in Vogue?" they wrote. Indeed, "a cursory glance through [the magazine] leaves the reader with a variety of shiny, lip-center images of fashion models," they wrote.

Factors such as sampling error, magazine choice and magazine editor preference may play a role in the studys findings, the researchers said. But its also possible, however, that the fashion industry may not be the driving factor in this trend in women's preferences, they said.

Though the fashion industry has been an authoritative source on trends in the past, its possible that celebrities now play a bigger role in influencing cosmetic trends, the researchers wrote.

Rather than drawing inspiration from the fashion industry, "celebrity images in mass media highlighting the overfilled lip may now serve as the very platform from which patients cultivate their cosmetic ambitions," the researchers wrote.

Originally published on Live Science.
Anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that President-elect Donald Trump asked him to lead a new government commission on vaccine safety. But science on this issue is already clear; numerous studies show that vaccines are safe and effective, and that serious side effects are rare.

On Tuesday (Jan. 10), Kennedy met with the president-elect at Trump Tower, and later told reporters about the new commission. However, the Trump administration did not confirm that such a commission was in the works. A spokesperson for Trump said only that the president-elect was "exploring the possibility of forming a committee on autism," according to The New York Times. This response may reference the proposed, but discredited link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Members of the medical community quickly expressed strong concerns about the possibility of a government committee on vaccine safety, headed by an anti-vaccine advocate.

"Claims that vaccines are linked to autism or are unsafe when administered according to the recommended schedule have been disproven by a robust body of medical literature," Dr. Fernando Stein, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Dr. Karen Remley, executive vice president of the AAP, said in a statement. "Vaccines are safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines save lives," the statement said.

But how do doctors know this?

First, the United States requires that all vaccines undergo extensive testing on safety and effectiveness before they can be brought to market, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And once vaccines are on the market, there are several systems in place to monitor the safety of the treatments within the general population. [5 Dangerous Vaccination Myths]

These studies do show that, like all medicines, vaccines come with a small risk of side effects, but these side effects are rarely serious. What's more, the alternative of not vaccinating a child also comes with risks, because vaccines prevent diseases that can be dangerous and sometimes fatal, the CDC said. For each approved vaccine, researchers have determined that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Here's a look at some of the data behind vaccine safety and effectiveness:

Over the past two decades, childhood vaccines have saved the lives of 732,000 U.S. children and prevented more than 300 million kids from getting sick, according to a 2014 study from the CDC.

Nearly 90 percent of vaccine side effects are not serious, according to the CDC.

More than 20 rigorous scientific studies have shown that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism, according to the CDC. The original study that claimed to find such a link has been discredited, and was retracted.

A 2011 report from the National Academy of Medicine reviewed more than 1,000 vaccine studies and concluded that serious reactions to vaccines are extremely rare.

The MMR vaccine can cause fevers, and some children who develop a fever can have a seizure; these are called fever-triggered seizures. However, studies show there is one case of fever-triggered seizure for every 3,000 to 4,000 children who receive this vaccine. And these seizures almost never cause harm over the long term, the 2011 review said.

About one in 10 children who is infected with measles develops an ear infection, and such infections can result in permanent hearing loss, according to the CDC.

For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from the disease, the CDC said.

Two doses of the measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, the CDC said.

In rare cases, the rotavirus vaccine, called RotaTeq, is linked to the development of a serious intestinal disorder called intussusception. A 2014 study found that for every 65,000 children who received this vaccine, there was one case of intussusception.

A 2011 study found that the rotavirus vaccine had prevented 65,000 U.S. children from being hospitalized with rotavirus since 2006.

A 2012 study found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is linked with an increased risk of fainting. The study, which included nearly 200,000 girls who received at least one dose of the Gardasil HPV vaccine, found that there were 24 cases of fainting per 1,000 people on the day of vaccination. For comparison, there were an average of four cases of fainting per 1,000 people when studied months after vaccination.

The HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, and during the next four years, the rate of HPV infections among teen girls decreased by 56 percent, despite a relatively low vaccination rate in this age group, according to a 2013 study. (HPV infections in women increase the risk of cervical cancer.)

Studies on the safety of the chicken-pox vaccine found that about 3 percent of children had a mild, chicken-pox-like rash after the first dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. On average, these children had two to five lesions, compared with the typical 250 to 500 lesions found in children who contract the actual illness, according to the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), a nonprofit organization funded by the CDC that creates and distributes educational materials on vaccines.

Although chicken pox is usually a mild disease, it can cause serious complications, including bacterial infections of the skin, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and blood stream infections, according to the CDC. Before the introduction of the chicken pox vaccine, there were about 4 million cases of chicken pox in the United States per year, and of these, an estimated 11,000 people went to the hospital with complications and 100 people died from the disease, the IAC said.

After the introduction of the chicken pox vaccine, cases of the disease fell nearly 80 percent in the U.S. over a decade, according to a 2012 study.

Original article on Live Science.
ZURICH: Muslim parents in Switzerland has no legal ground for keeping their daughters out of mandatory swim classes with boys at their co-ed school from now as Switzerland has won a case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) obliging to send their children to mixed swimming lessons.

Aziz Osmanoglu and Sehabat Kocabas, both are Turkish and Swiss nationals, refused to send their two daughters to swimming lessons at their school in Basel for religious reasons.

The parents, who have been pressing this case for nearly a decade, argued that sending their children to swimming lessons with boys contravened Article 9 of the ECHR - the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. But the court on Tuesday rejected the argument, stating that "school played a special role in the process of social integration."

Earlier, in 2008, school officials in Basel, Switzerland, ordered a Muslim couple to enroll their daughters in a mandatory swimming class, despite the parents objections to having their girls learn alongside boys.

The officials offered the couple some accommodations: The girls, 9 and 7 at the time, could wear body-covering swimsuits, known as burkinis, during the swimming lessons, and they could undress for the class without any boys present.

But the parents refused to send their daughters to the lessons, and in 2010, the officials imposed a fine of 1,400 Swiss francs, about $1,380. The parents, Aziz Osmanoglu and Sehabat Kocabas, who have both Swiss and Turkish nationality, decided to sue.

On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights upheld the Swiss officials decision, rejecting the parents argument that the Swiss authorities had violated the freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, which the court enforces.

ALSO READ:

Cold snap across Europe, claims atleast 20 lives

IMF calls Europe for upfront unconditional debt relief for Greece
The Texas Attorney Generals Office is prosecuting a case against Jesus Chuy Garza, Webb County Court at Law II judge, according to statements obtained by the Laredo Morning Times.

No details on the case have been released.

The case was not initiated by the Webb County District Attorneys Office. It is being prosecuted by the Attorney Generals Office, said Yanira De Leon, spokeswoman for the District Attorneys Office.

An FBI spokeswoman directed a Laredo Morning Times inquiry about the case to the Texas Attorney Generals Office. The office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Oscar O. Pena, an attorney for Garza, said Wednesday he could not yet comment on the case.

Garza has served as Webb County Court at Law II judge since 1993. The court handles only civil and family cases, most commonly divorce and paternity suits.

Before becoming a judge, Garza served six years as justice of the peace and one year as a municipal court judge.

A relative of Garzas said they were instructed by attorneys not to give comment. The relative said an announcement could made Thursday morning.

Garza could not be reached for comment. Associate Judge Roel Canales was presiding in Webb County Court at Law II on Wednesday.

LMT staff writer Judith Rayo contributed to this report
Webb County Sheriffs Office

Webb County Court at Law II Judge Jesus Chuy Garza was indicted Wednesday on charges that he solicited a loan from a woman who was involved in a case before his court.

Garza, 57, was charged with one count of gift to public servant by person in his jurisdiction, a Class A misdemeanor. A judge issued a warrant and a $2,500 bond for his arrest. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar said Garza turned himself in at the jail at about 3 p.m. Thursday. He posted bond 30 minutes later.
If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option.
Local News, Crime, National & World News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 12 2017

Defendant swore allegiance to al-Qaeda leaders and attempted to travel to Yemen to join al-Qaeda affiliate.

Central Islip, NY - January 11, 2017 - Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, Justin Kaliebe, an American citizen and resident of Babylon and Bay Shore, New York, was sentenced to 13 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release with special conditions (including computer monitoring, a prohibition on contact with jihadists, search conditions, mental health treatment and a curfew, among others) following his February 8, 2013, guilty plea to both counts of a felony information, which charged him with attempting to provide material support to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2339A(a), and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, also known as Ansar al-Sharia (collectively, AQAP), in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2339B(a)(1).



The sentencing was announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office; and James P. ONeill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).



According to the court filings, including sentencing memoranda, and evidence introduced during a sentencing hearing, Kaliebe attempted to travel from the United States to Yemen for the purpose of joining AQAP and waging violent jihad. During numerous meetings and recorded conversations and email correspondence with undercover law enforcement officers, Kaliebe explained that he had been searching for an opportunity to travel abroad and fight jihad for two years  long before Kaliebe first approached the undercover officers about his plans to join a terrorist group. Kaliebe repeatedly expressed his desire to travel to Yemen in order to join AQAP and to help carry out its violent extremist agenda.



Kaliebe also demonstrated extensive knowledge of terrorist organizations, including AQAP and al-Qaeda, and current and former leaders of those terrorist organizations. For example, Kaliebe referenced, and at times quoted, Anwar al-Awlaki, the now-deceased former member and senior leader of AQAP, as well as Omar Abdel Rahman (the Blind Sheik), Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of al-Qaeda, and Usama Bin Laden. Further, Kaliebe demonstrated detailed knowledge of various terrorist attacks that were carried out by AQAP in Yemen, as well as other attacks carried out by al-Qaeda around the world.



According to a June 4, 2012 recorded conversation, which was admitted into evidence during the sentencing hearing, Kaliebe observed that the crime that they would charge people like us with was conspiracy to kill, maim and kidnap in foreign countries, a reference to a federal criminal statute that has previously been used to charge other individuals who departed or attempted to depart the United States in order to fight jihad abroad.



Later, during that same conversation, Kaliebe stated that, once he arrived in Yemen, he expected to fight the Yemeni army and those who are fighting against the Sharia of Allah . . . whether its the U.S. drones or the, their puppets, in the Yemeni army . . . or, who knows, if American agents or whatever, U.S. Special Forces . . . who they got over there. When asked if he was afraid to die, Kaliebe responded I wanna . . . . Its what anyone would want, any believer would want. During another recorded conversation described in the governments sentencing memorandum, which took place on July 9, 2012, Kaliebe stated that he had been inspired by several sheiks, including Sheik Usama, who showed how he could bring an entire nation to its knees.



Beginning in approximately July 2012, Kaliebe saved money to finance his travel to Yemen, which he then used to apply for and purchase a United States passport, and to purchase an airline ticket to Oman, from where he intended to travel by land to Yemen. During a recorded meeting on July 30, 2012, Kaliebe stated that he was saving money as a means to go to Yemen to fight jihad.



On December 26, 2012, Kaliebe sent an email in which he swore his loyalty to the leaders of AQAP and al-Qaeda, respectively, writing, I pledge my loyalty, allegiance and fidelity to the Mujahedeen of Al-Qaa'idah in the Arabian Peninsula and its leaders, Shaykh Abu Baseer Nasir Al-Wuhayshi and Shaykh Ayman Al-Zawahiri, hafidhahum Allah! May Allah accept this from me and may he allow me to fight in his cause til the day that I leave this dunya [this world].



On January 18, 2013, Kaliebe reaffirmed his commitment to jihad, telling an NYPD Intelligence Division undercover officer, in a recorded conversation, which was also admitted into evidence during the sentencing hearing, that he understood theres a way out, but for me, the only way out is [martyrdom]. Additionally, Kaliebe paid homage to several terrorist leaders, telling the undercover law enforcement officer that:



[My] standard is Abu Dujana. [M]y standard is Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. My standard is Sheik Anwar Al-Awlaki and Sheik Usama, both who bore witness to the truth with their blood.Finally, Kaliebe stated, Oh Allah, please allow me, please allow me and my brotherto fight jihad in your cause oh Allah. Oh Allah, please give us one of the two victories, victory on the ground or victory through [martyrdom.]



On January 21, 2013, Kaliebes efforts culminated in an attempt to board a flight to Muscat, Oman at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York. He was arrested at the airport by members of the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD Intelligence Division. Thereafter, on February 8, 2013, Kaliebe waived indictment and pled guilty to attempting to provide material support to AQAP and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. Kaliebes co-conspirator, Marcos Alonso Zea, who also attempted to travel to Yemen to join AQAP and, once his own attempt failed, assisted Kaliebes efforts to join the terrorist group, previously was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Honorable Sandra J. Feuerstein.



This case is a sobering reminder that the call to violent jihad can reach deep into our local communities. Even when given the opportunity to abandon his plan to join al-Qaeda, this defendant made clear his intentions to commit himself fully to terrorism, stated U.S. Attorney Capers. If not for the vigilance and commitment of our dedicated investigators, he might well have succeeded in empowering a dangerous enemy. Mr. Capers expressed his sincere appreciation to all the members of the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force and the New York City Police Department, Intelligence Division, for their work on the investigation.



With this sentence, Justin Kaliebe is being held accountable for his attempt to travel overseas to join Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula and engage in violent jihad, said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. One of our highest priorities is to protect our country by identifying, disrupting, and holding accountable those who provide or attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.



Providing material support to terrorists is a serious crime that should have serious consequences. Todays sentencing of Justin Kaliebe shows just that. Kaliebe set out to provide material support to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in 2013 by attempting to travel to Yemen, after making plans months in advance. He didnt get past JFK thanks to the hard work of the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD Intelligence Division, stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.



Kaliebes commitment to join al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was as alarming as it was sinister. And early in 2013, Kaliebe was arrested at John F. Kennedy airport trying to fulfill his dream of joining the jihad in Yemen. Thankfully, Kaliebe was met at the airport by NYPD detectives and FBI agents investigating his support of this terrorist groups agenda. Thanks, as always, to those on the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force and at the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District for their investigation of this case and many others, stated Police Commissioner ONeill.



The governments case is being prosecuted jointly by the Offices National Security and Cybercrime Section and the Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Seth D. DuCharme and John J. Durham are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Kelli Andrews of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section.



The Defendant:

Justin Kaliebe

Age: 22

Babylon and Bay Shore, New York
Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 12 2017

The New York State Police, Troop L, is currently investigating an attempted murder 2nd/assault 1st.

The State Police is requesting information from anyone who witnessed the incident. Please contact the New York State Police at (631) 756- 3300. All calls will remain confidential.

Update - January 17, 2017 - The victim from the stabbing on the Southern State Parkway on January 11th, has died as a result of his injuries. Sumeet Singh, age 21, of Franklin Square, NY, succumbed to his injuries while being treated at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola.

The original press release and earlier update is below.

Update - January 12, 2017 - The New York State Police have a suspect in custody regarding the stabbing victim found on the Southern State Parkway entrance ramp at exit 15 last night. The defendant, Camari Hurley, age 23, of Franklin Square, NY, has been arrested and is being charged with Attempted Murder 2nd Degree(Class A Felony) and Assault 1st Degree(Class B Felony).

Anyone with information regarding this incident please contact the New York State Police (631) 756-3300. All calls will remain confidential.

The original press release is below.

Long Island, NY - January 12, 2017 - The New York State Police, Troop L, is currently investigating an Attempted Murder 2nd/Assault 1st. On Wednesday, January 11th, 2017, at approximately 9:20 PM, a 21-year-old man was found on the Southern State Parkway, Corona Avenue (exit 15) westbound entrance ramp, with multiple stab wounds. The man was transported to an area hospital where he is listed in critical condition. State Police do have one suspect in custody and the investigation is currently under investigation. State Police are being assisted by the Nassau County Police Department.



The State Police is requesting information from anyone who witnessed the incident. Please contact the New York State Police at (631) 756- 3300. All calls will remain confidential.
Family & Parenting, School & Education, Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 12 2017

A.G. Schneiderman announced an agreement with the North Babylon Union Free School District to ensure educational access for students regardless of their immigration status.

North Babylon, NY - January 12, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced an agreement with the North Babylon Union Free School District to ensure educational access for students regardless of their immigration status. Among other reforms, the district agreed to retain an ombudsman who will provide internal oversight over enrollment policies within the district; to develop new enrollment materials and procedures; and to provide additional training to staff involved with the student enrollment process.

North Babylon Union Free School District joins 23 other school districts across New York State that have entered into agreements with the Attorney Generals Civil Rights Bureau to ensure that all students are able to enroll in public school regardless of immigration status.

Education lies at the core of our American democracy, and every child  no matter where they were born  deserves the chance to go to school, said Attorney General Schneiderman. I am pleased that the North Babylon District has agreed to work with our office to ensure that all students are able to enroll and attend school there, regardless of the circumstances under which they arrived here or their immigration status. We will continue to work with school districts across New York State to ensure that every child is treated equally and has full access to an education that will allow them to become contributing members of society.

In October 2014, the Attorney General and the New York State Education Department (SED) launched a joint review of enrollment policies and procedures of school districts in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland Counties  counties that had experienced a significant influx of unaccompanied minors from Central and South America  in order to determine whether those districts were impermissibly discriminating against students or prospective students on the basis of immigration status.

Following the joint review with SED, in August 2016 the Attorney General opened a formal investigation into the North Babylon Union Free School District. The investigation found that in the spring and summer of 2016, the district repeatedly delayed and denied the enrollment of an unaccompanied minor seeking to attend high school within the district.

In March 2016, the sixteen year-old youth had entered the U.S.  after fleeing El Salvador due to violent conditions in that country  and was detained by federal immigration authorities until he was released to an aunt who resided within the district. When the aunt sought to enroll the youth in May 2016, the investigation found, she was told by a district employee that the youth could not enroll until the following school year, despite SED guidance that required school districts to immediately enroll any student seeking enrollment.

Following this, in August 2016, the investigation found that the district ultimately refused to enroll the youth on the ground that he was not a district resident, because his mother lived outside the boundaries of the district and, should the youth or his mother desire him to return to El Salvador, he would be permitted to do so.

The investigation found that the district stated this as the basis of its enrollment denial despite the fact that representations made by the youths mother, through his aunt, specifically referenced the level of violence in the youths country of origin as one of the principal reasons why the youth no longer resided with his mother and had traveled unaccompanied from Central America to the U.S.

The investigation also found that as late as August 2016, the districts enrollment materials, which were publically available on its website, did not meet the requirements of state education regulations concerning student enrollment. The investigation also found that the district lacked internal policies and procedures governing how its enrollment process would be conducted; how employees involved in that process, or interfacing with prospective enrollees, should execute the process; or how residency determinations would be made by relevant district personnel.

The agreement entered into between the Attorney General and the district requires the district to do the following:

Modify district enrollment materials;

Develop new enrollment procedures governing the activity of district personnel responsible for enrollment;

Develop training materials addressing permissible and impermissible inquiries in the enrollment process, as well as annual training for relevant district personnel;

Hire or designate an enrollment ombudsman responsible for enrollment throughout the district; and

Maintain records of district denials of student enrollment, and regularly report to the Attorney General concerning such denials and decisions, for two years.

Eilleen Buckley, Supervising Attorney at the Long Island Advocacy Center, said, As advocates for students across Long Island, our organization is acutely aware of the needs of immigrant students and unaccompanied minors who came to New York with the dream of a better life and a meaningful education. We commend Attorney General Schneiderman for his tireless efforts to ensure all students on Long Island and across our state receive equal educational opportunities, regardless of their immigration status or national origin.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Justin Deabler, Ajay Saini, and Diane Lucas of the Civil Rights Bureau, with the assistance of bureau support staff and Bureau Chief Lourdes M. Rosado. The Bureau is part of the Division of Social Justice, which is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Alvin Bragg.
US Africa Command announced that it launched an airstrike against Shabaab, al Qaedas branch in Somalia, while US advisors accompanied Somali and African Union forces in a counterterrorism exercise on Jan. 7.

AFRICOM described the offensive under the guise of a self-defense strike, as it did on nine other occasions in 2016, when it was really another skirmish in a decade-long military operation against Shabaab.

According to AFRICOM, US advisors accompanied a combined force of Somali and African Union troops on a raid in Gaduud, a town just north of Kismayo in southern Somalia. The area is a known hotbed for Shabaab, which has taken over nearby towns and villages.

AFRICOM said the combined military force was conducting offensive operations to disrupt al Qaedas branch in Somalia.

During a counterterrorism operation to disrupt al-Shabaab, the combined partner forces observed al-Shabaab fighters threatening their safety and security, AFRICOM said. The US conducted a self-defense strike to neutralize the threat, no enemy fighters were killed.

AFRICOM described Shabaab as a group of violent extremists who endanger the safety and stability of the Somali people.

The US military has described airstrikes launched during other offensive operations against Shabaab targets such as training camps and IED factories as self-defense strikes and defensive fires missions. Last year, AFRICOM described nine such operations as defensive in nature. The Department of Defense has even justified airstrikes on Shabaab training camps, such as the one in Raso on March 5, 2016, as defensive operations. The last announcement of a self-defense strike in Somalia took place on Sept. 28, 2016, when combined forces raided a Shabaab IED factory near Galcayo and killed nine fighters.

The US military has been launching airstrikes and naval bombardments, as well as special operations raids against Shabaab and its predecessor, the Islamic Courts Union, since 2006. Many of these raids were in direct support of military operations, such as airstrikes and naval bombardments in 2007 that supported Ethiopias invasion to depose the Islamic Courts Union.

The Long War Journal has recorded 30 such operations against Shabaab or the Islamic Courts since 2006 (see list below). The number of US military operations in Somalia may well be higher, however, it has been difficult to track strikes against Shabaab as there are multiple actors involved in targeting the group, including Kenyan and Ethiopian sources. The US military has not released statements for every encounter. Additionally, for a long period of time, Iranian news outlets muddied the waters by attributing every nearly every action against Shabaab in southern Somalia as a US drone strike. Verifiable press reporting has also been inconsistent.

AFRICOM has loosely defined targets such as IED facilities and training camps as counterterrorism operations, when in reality these are military operations since they are often launched against well-defended and well-defined targets in areas under direct Shabaab control. Like other al Qaeda branches, Shabaab controls a significant amount of territory and operates a military, intelligence and services, and governs areas it controls. AFRICOM planners are clearly aware of this, and, as the last two missions attest, air assets were on station to quickly strike Shabaab fighters.

US operations targeting Shabaab since 2007:

Jan. 7, 2017  US forces launched a self-defense strike near Gaduud during a counterterrorism operation to disrupt Shabaab. No Shabaab fighters were killed.

Sept. 28, 2016  US forces kill nine Shabaab fighters during a raid on a Shabaab IED factory near Galcayo.

Sept. 26, 2016  US forces kill four Shabaab fighters during raids on training camps near Kismayo.

Sept. 5, 2016  The US launched two self-defense strikes near Tortoroow after a large Shabaab force attacked a a Somali-led counterterrorism operation. Four Shabaab fighters were killed.

Aug. 30, 2016  US forces killed two Shabaab fighters after they attacked a Somali counterterrorism force near Gobanale.

June 21, 2016  US troops conducted a self-defense strike against Shabaab, killing three. The operation was conducted after it was assessed the terrorists were planning and preparing to conduct an imminent attack against US forces.

May 31, 2016  Somali troops, backed by US forces, killed Shabaab member Mohammed Dulyadeen, a.k.a. Mohammed Kuno and Kuno Gamadere, during an operation near Gaduud.

May 27, 2016  The US killed Abdullahi Haji Daud, a senior military commander for Shabaab, in south-central Somalia.

May 13, 2016  The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control.

May 12, 2016  The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control.

May 12, 2016  The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control.

May 9, 2016  The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control.

March 31, 2016  The US killed Hassan Ali Dhoore, a dual hatted al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who also served in the Amniyat, in an airstrike.

March 10, 2016  US special operations forces targeted a Shabaab training camp in Awdigle raid.

March 5, 2016  The US military announced that it launched an airstrike which targeted a Shabaabs Raso Camp north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The US justified the strike on al Qaedas official East African branch by saying that fighters there posed an imminent threat. More than 150 Shabaab fighters are said to have been killed.

Dec. 2, 2015  US killed Abdirahman Sandhere, a.k.a. Ukash, a senior Shabaab leader, and two other associates in an airstrike.

March 12, 2015  The US military confirmed that it killed Adan Garaar, a senior official in the Amniyat and a key operative responsible for coordinating al-Shabaabs external operations in a drone strike.

Feb. 3, 2015  US troops targeted and killed Yusuf Dheeq, the head of the Amniyat.

Dec. 29, 2014  US forces killed Tahlil Abdishakur, the leader of the Amniyat, in an airstrike in Somalia

Sept. 1, 2014  The US military killed Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of and emir of Shabaab, also known as Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubayr, in an airstrike south of Mogadishu.

Jan. 25, 2014  A US airstrike killed Sahal Iskudhuq, a senior Shabaab commander who served as a high-ranking member of the Amniyat.

Oct. 23, 2013  A US drone strike killed Anta Anta the mastermind of al Shababs suicide missions.

Oct. 5, 2013  US special Operations Forces targeted Shabaabs external operations chief Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir (Ikrima), but fails to capture or kill him. A Swedish and a Sudanese Shabaab fighter were killed.

Jan. 2012  A US airstrike killed Bilal al Berjawi, a British national of Lebanese descent.

Sept. 2009  US special operations forces killed Saleh ali Nabhan, a top al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who was involved in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings

May 2008  A US airstrike killed senior Shabaab and al Qaeda leader Aden Hashi Ayro.

March 2008  A US airstrike targeted a safe house in Somalia.

Spring 2008  The US killed Aden Hashi Ayro and Sheikh Muhyadin Omar in an airstrike in the spring of 2008. Before his death, Ayro was the leader of Shabaab.

June 2007  US targeted Saleh ali Nabhan, a top al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who was involved in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings

Jan. 2007  The US military targeted Abu Taha al-Sudani (or Tariq Abdullah), Qaedas leader in East Africa, and either Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, both who . Fazul is al Qaedas operations chief for East Africa, while Sudani is the chief strategist and ideologue. Sudani is thought to have been killed in that airstrike (Shabaab said he was killed in an airstrike in 2007.)

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
As the sun rises above the mountains in Afghanistan, North Atlantic Treaty Organization military personnel begin to stock their convoys with weapons and ammunition for the sole purpose of delivering equipment to Afghan government forces.

After the troops load their fortified vehicles, they drive out from behind the guarded green zone gates toward dangerous territories to deliver their cargo.

A Luke thunderbolt deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, March 26 to October 13, 2016, to join these NATO supply missions.

Capt. Cameron Taylor, 310th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, assisted convoy supply missions as a convoy commander and managed the weapons and ammunition branch.

I worked for the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan, Taylor said. We provided assistance to the Afghans while meeting with their governments upper echelon to determine their needs.

To successfully supply the Afghans, convoy teams navigated many obstacles.

No two missions were the same, Taylor said. There were always different people with different personalities going on these convoys. We would take different routes and sometimes our Blue Force Tracker navigation device would malfunction leaving us to use a map and compass.

Navigating Kabul is dangerous, and surrounded by foreign people, Taylor had to constantly watch his surroundings.

The dangers of Kabul include vehicle, born improvised explosive devices, the Taliban and small arms fire, Taylor said. The biggest threat when stuck in traffic is the children who come forward to sell eggs, scarfs and other miscellaneous items. We were briefed on the possibility of the Taliban using children as bombs.

In the deployed environment, teamwork was crucial to the success of the mission.

The teamwork was rough at first, Taylor said. However after we started hanging out after each duty day, we started building a friendship. You make bonds in that type of environment and it creates something unique that is different than anything else. I met a lot of friends that Ill never see again, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Properties / Homes

Jan 12, 2017 | By Staff Writer

When the recession hit America, Detroit was pummeled. The city famously filed for bankruptcy in July 2013 with debts of US$18 billion making it the largest municipality bankruptcy filing in US history. But after Michigans Governor Rick Snyder encouraged its creditors to take a haircut, the city was able to pull itself out of bankruptcy and today, thanks to a number of deep pocketed investors, optimism is returning to the market.

There has been an exuberance of investors, developers and residences following the emergence from bankruptcy of the City of Detroit, says Nanci Rands of Hall & Hunter Realtors, Christies International Real Estate. The commercial market is more active than at any time in the past 20 years. Among the investors is billionaire Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans (US second largest mortgage lender), who has purchased over 80 heritage properties in Downtown Detroit. Some now house tech firms such as Microsoft and Twitter. The latest, purchased for US$30 million, he plans to turn into a mixed-use development.



Municipal efforts have also boosted development. Early in 2013, mayor Mike Duggan launched Detroit Future City, a planning blueprint that aims to revamp the citys economy and transform empty land. The combined push seems to be working. The latest figures in the housing market show that Metro Detroit has seen a 13.3 percent bounce in home and condo sales and a 9.3 percent increase in median sale prices from US$149,000 in June 2014 to US$162,000 in June 2015. In July 2015, the National Association of Realtors placed Detroit at number 10 on its Hotness Index, which identifies the top 20 markets in the US where buyers are being proactive and homes are being sold quickly.

Within Detroit the Downtown area is seeing the most development. New skyscrapers are shooting up on levelled or vacant lots and historic buildings are being restored. The heritage buildings such as the 1920s carved stone Securities Trust Building in the Financial District or Gilberts Capitol Park are of particular interest to young buyers looking for an authentic Detroit home. The citys taxes are high (in 2013 a US$150,000 home carried a tax burden of US$4,988. A home of the same value in New York would be taxed US$1,087) but people are finding loft and studio spaces at prices that are unimaginable elsewhere in the world, says realtor Nanci Rands. Detroit, once again, holds an interest for real cross section of the marketsingles, couples, overseas buyers, she says.

One group of overseas investors who have shown particular interest in Detroits renewal are the Chinese. Property portal Juwai.com listed Detroit is one of the top four places for the Chinese to invest in the US. Some overseas buyers have been particularly attracted to foreclosed homes, but these properties are not always as much of a bargain as they seem as buyers have to cover the back taxes and the properties are often so derelict they need to be rebuilt.

Suburban properties offer a more attractive option. In return for spending a little more time commuting, buyers can find a six-bedroom lakeside property for less than the price of a Singapore apartment. Metro Detroits most wanted area is South Oakland county, which includes Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Bingham Farms and Orchard Lake. Birmingham is the hottest ticket for people looking to buy luxury properties. With its terrace-lined restaurants, cupcake shops and village market, it is as close as you can get to a bucolic life near the city.

Birminghams market slowed during the recession, but a number of new projects are now being launched. A two-bedroom,two-bathroom apartment at 400 Old Woodward with state-of-the art features including a facial recognition security system is currently priced at US$2,250,000.

118 Waterfall in Quarton Lake, a four- bedroom, five-bathroom mansions comes replete with views of the lake and its own waterfall and is listed for US$4,995,000.

Youre seeing new subdivisions again thats really what drives the market. When you see subdivision, thats a sign of significant growth, says realtor Kendra McConnell Hurd of Coldwell Banker Weir in Birmingham. And price growth has already reached pre-recession levels says Doug Hardy of Sothebys International Realty. With certainty the property values for Detroit and Metropolitan Detroit have significantly increased over the past four years and now exceed their prices before the recession. Metro Detroit is clearly on the rise and according to billionaire investor Dan Gilbert, the growth is set to continue. Its only gaining momentum, he said recently about his plans for launching new and renovated properties in the city: Its not like the announcements are going to stop.

Detroit at a glance

Due to the arrival of companies like general dynamics, delphi and borgwarner, half a million more jobs have been created in Detroit since the economy hit rock bottom in 2010.

Michigan and Canadas us$70 billion trade relationship will be boosted with a second bridge from Detroit to Windsor scheduled to open by 2022.

Detroit neighbourhood initiative is a new mortgage programme that helps buyers purchase in neighbourhoods where traditional lenders are no longer available.

Text by Claire Turrell

This Story was first published in Palace Magazine
Disgraced former children's entertainer Rolf Harris allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old girl, a blind woman and several teenage schoolgirls, a court in London heard today.

Southwark Crown Court heard how Harris, who lived in Bray, is accused of seven counts of indecent assault, and one alternate charge of sexual assault spanning a period of 30 years beginning in 1971.

One of the alleged victims was as young as 12, while the oldest was 42.

Harris was allowed to appear via video link, as a result of his age and health, and was wearing a dark suit and grey tie.

The 86-year-old bearded former Animal Hospital presenter looked relaxed as the charges were read out against him.

In an unusual move, on opening, prosecutor Mr Jonathan Rees, QC, told the jury of seven women and five men about Harris' previous trial and subsequent imprisonment.

Harris continues to maintain his innocence in respect of all 12 previous offences and pleaded not guilty to the eight fresh charges.

Each of the new alleged victims contacted the NSPCC or police in the wake of the widespread publicity of the first trial.

Facing the jury Mr Rees said: Most if not all of you will recognise Mr Harris as someone who, for well over 50 years, has been an artist, popular entertainer and television presenter of international standing.

However, on July 4, 2014, following a trial that received widespread publicity, Mr Harris was convicted of 12 offences of indecent assault."

Referring to the new trial, he said: "One notable feature of the case is that none of these assaults is alleged to have happened in private.

Whether it was Mr Harris celebrity status that apparently made him so brazen is something that you may wish to consider.

The earliest charge of indecent assault relates to alleged events at a youth music festival that was held at the Lyceum Theatre in London over two days in July 1971.

The court was told the alleged victim, who was 14 at the time, recalled Harris looking at her in a 'smirky way' and putting his hand up her skirt as she approached him for an autograph while her parents were present.

In another charge, Harris allegedly assaulted a blind and disabled woman at a hospital after telling her: Has anyone told you what a good-looking woman you are?

The court heard Harris attacked the woman after taking his wobble board and didgeridoo to perform at the hospital.

His youngest alleged victim was 12 years old.

The prosecution told the court that, in plain sight of her mother, Harris leaned down before signing the girls autograph book and said let me give you a cuddle while putting one arm around her back and one up her skirt.

Another alleged victim, who was 16 at the time, claims she was told she was a bit irresistible before Harris cupped her breast.

In 1983, after a live edition of Saturday Superstore on the BBC at White City, a then 13-year-old alleges Harris slid his open right hand, over her clothing, across her body and under her right breast.

As he did so, the court was told, he quietly said to her do you often get molested on a Saturday morning?

Harris also stands accused of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old woman at a concert in 2002.

The final accusation of indecent or sexual assault relates to an incident in April or May 2004.

At a wrap party for a TV programme, it is alleged that Harris pushed the victim against a screen using his body weight and grabbed hold of her breasts, and proceeded to rub his crotch against her.

The court was told Harris did not say anything at the time and, despite there being lots of people around, no-one reacted.

The alleged victim recalled telling a group of women at the party after the incident that he was a dirty old man.

Late in the afternoon, the prosecution called its first witness, the alleged victim from count one.

Speaking via video link she described how she went over to where Harris was signing autographs, where he grabbed me from behind by the waist and sat me on his lap.

When asked where Harris touched her, she said: It was in the vaginal area, as close as you could get, but his hand wasn't there for long at all.

The witness said she ran straight over to her father and told him straight away.

She told the court her father immediately went to speak to Harris but she was unsure what was said.

The jury was shown a picture of the alleged victim with Harris, taken at the Lyceum at the time of the incident.

The picture was placed in a scrapbook that was kept by the victims parents.

On cross-examination the defence, led by Mr Stephen Vullo, QC, began to question why either her or her father would keep such an image if the indecent assault took place.

The trial continues.
Thiruvananthapuram: Additional Chief secretary Paul Anthony who landed in a nepotism row on Thursday handed over his resignation letter to Chief Secretary SM Vijayanand. Meanwhile Chief Secretary made it clear that a final decision have to be taken by government.

In his letter to the Chief Secretary, Paul Anthony said that it was the righteous thing to step down from the post, since a case was registered against him.

Chief Secretary on Thursday handed over the letter to Industries Minister AC Moideen. The Vigilance then filed an FIR against Paul Anthony as the third accused in connection with a nepotism case involving former Industries Minister EP Jayarajan.
2017: Year of Market and Economic Extremes

Now that another New Year is upon us, it's time to reflect on what the coming months might unfold. Normally when market analysts try their hand at predicting the year ahead it involves either wild guessing or linear extrapolation based on prevailing trends. I tend to eschew both methods and instead focus on comparing past events in comparable time frames. This method is based on something known as Kress cycle "echo" analysis and was pioneered by my late mentor, Samuel J. Kress.

The year 2016 was filled with ups and downs, but was mainly a torpid year with stock prices stuck in a dull trading range for much of the spring and summer. It continued a theme of directionless and no progress from the prior year, which, combined with the after-effects of the preceding slow-growth years, culminated in a disaffected mindset on the part of the masses. The result was clearly seen in the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

One of the most reliable of the long-term market rhythms (or "echoes") is the 10-year (decennial) pattern. This is often erroneously referred to as a "cycle" despite not fitting the technical definition of one. The 10-year rhythm was famously expounded by the late market analyst Edson Gould and by Edgar Lawrence Smith in his book, Tides in the Affairs of Men.

The seventh year of the decade tends to be tempestuous and often sees extraordinary volatility. It's a year filled with extreme ups and downs and not uncommonly witnesses both a major high and a major low within the year. In recent decades, the seventh year has witnessed the market making impressive strides, yet not without its share of turmoil. Crashes, mini-crashes and panics are quite common in the seventh year (e.g. September 1987, October 1997, February/August 2007). It will do us well to keep this in remembrance as we enter what promises to be a year filled with tremendous opportunity for making money in the stock market - in both directions.

For 2017, the 10-year rhythm equates to 2007. As you recall, 2007 was a momentous year characterized at once by great volatility alternating between great fear and euphoria. It was the year that saw the last major stock market top and also the onset of the credit tsunami which overwhelmed the market the following year. If the decennial pattern holds true, 2017 should witness both a meaningful rally to new all-time highs as well as a decline of potentially major proportions later in the year. In short, it could turn out to be a big year for the bulls as well as the bears.

Now what about the economy in the coming year? Year 2016 ended on a positive note, with the last meaningful economic news in late December being the revelation that U.S. consumer confidence had hit a 15-year high. The Consumer Confidence Index hit 113.7 in December, exceeding economists' expectations of a 109 reading. The reading was the highest since August 2001. Rising sentiment among consumers implies an optimistic economic outlook in the wake of Donald Trump's election win. The following graph is courtesy of the Trading Economics website (www.tradingeconomics.com).

For many in the middle class, Trump's win has provided a reason for genuine hope for the first time in years. Whether this hope will ever be fulfilled is a matter for conjecture. What's important from a market perspective is how consumers and investors respond to that hope. To that end the appropriate question to ask is, "Will 2017 be the year that retail investors finally return from the sidelines?"

For the year-seven decennial pattern to repeat, as it has in the three prior decades there must be not only a continuation of rising consumer confidence, but an acceleration in investor optimism as well. To this end, it would seem necessary that small investors return from the sidelines and put their money back into the stock market. After years of being stuck in the bomb shelter of low-yielding bonds, this important group of participants is no doubt feeling the urge to grow their money.

To that end, the stock market is beckoning to them - especially with so many major indices at or near all-time highs. The fact that the man who they believe represents their interests as an economic class will be in the White House will serve to stimulate their confidence in the economic outlook. History shows that when consumers feel good about their intermediate-term economic prospects they are more likely to invest in stocks.

Here is what investor sentiment currently looks like according to the Rydex Ratio of investor sentiment. We should ideally see a major spike higher in this ratio sometime this year, ideally by late summer, to let us know that the historical pattern for Year Seven is on track for being repeated.

Whether or not 2017 will prove to be the exception to the "rules" of the decennial "echo" established in the prior decades remains to be seen. We are certainly living in exceptional times, so it's possible that 2017 will in effect throw the historical playbook out the window. But as the last several years have resonated to the tune of the Kress cycle echoes to some degree or other, I have to assume that there will be at least some validity to the decennial rhythm for 2017. Remember, while history doesn't always repeat it does usually rhyme.

Mastering Moving Averages

The moving average is one of the most versatile of all trading tools and should be a part of every investor's arsenal. Far more than a simple trend line, it's also a dynamic momentum indicator as well as a means of identifying support and resistance across variable time frames. It can also be used in place of an overbought/oversold oscillator when used in relationship to the price of the stock or ETF you're trading in.

In my latest book, Mastering Moving Averages, I remove the mystique behind stock and ETF trading and reveal a simple and reliable system that allows retail traders to profit from both up and down moves in the market. The trading techniques discussed in the book have been carefully calibrated to match today's fast-moving and sometimes volatile market environment. If you're interested in moving average trading techniques, you'll want to read this book.

Order today and receive an autographed copy along with a copy of the book, The Best Strategies for Momentum Traders. Your order also includes a FREE 1-month trial subscription to the Momentum Strategies Report newsletter: http://www.clifdroke.com/books/masteringma.html

By Clif Droke



www.clifdroke.com

Clif Droke is the editor of the daily Gold & Silver Stock Report. Published daily since 2002, the report provides forecasts and analysis of the leading gold, silver, uranium and energy stocks from a short-term technical standpoint. He is also the author of numerous books, including 'How to Read Chart Patterns for Greater Profits.' For more information visit www.clifdroke.com

Clif Droke Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




How Debt Differs in China, the US and Japan

Unlike advanced economies, China remains better positioned to overcome its debt challenges, due to the nature of is debt, level of development and economic fundamentals. Change is coming  but after fall.



In recent months, China has managed to stabilize growth. Nevertheless, stabilization has required capital controls, continued lending and repeated interventions. Due to efforts to stabilize the renminbi, for instance, Chinas foreign-exchange reserves fell to $3 trillion last month; the lowest since spring 2011.



Some observers have concluded that China has opted for a path that proved so costly to Japan in the 1990s and the US in 2007. Yet, realities are a bit more complex.

Dramatic (local government) credit surge



Certainly, Chinese credit surge has been extraordinarily rapid in historical terms. In 1994, Japans plunge was preceded by decades of lending. In 2007, the US recession was fueled by a massive debt pile that had accrued in three decades. In China, debt involves local government debt, which accumulated after the 2009 stimulus package.



During the Great Recession, Chinas huge stimulus boosted confidence, supported the infrastructure drive, and prevented a global depression. But excessive liquidity led to speculation in equity and property markets.



As lending continues to boost state-owned enterprises (SOEs), Chinas private debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio surged to 205 percent in 2015, which exceeded the ratio in the US (166%) and came close to Japan (214%).



These figures should be understood in the context, however. Since Chinas government debt is low (16%), its total debt was less than that in Japan (281%) and the US (247%).



The most far-reaching differences, however, involve different levels of economic development.



Japan and the US are advanced economies, which enjoy relatively high living standards, but suffer from low growth and secular stagnation.



Unlike Japan and the US, China is an emerging economy and its growth rate remains over 3 times faster than that of the US and its growth potential remains substantial in the next 5-15 years, given peaceful regional conditions.

Savings, trade balance, external debt and debt plans



Domestic savings rate is vital cushion in times of deleveraging. In the past four decades, Japans savings rate has plunged dramatically (from 40% in 1970s to 18% today). Recently, it has enjoyed trade surplus, but only after substantial depreciation of the yen. In the US, domestic savings rate is low (17%) and the country has run trade deficits for 40 years.



In China, the reverse prevails. Until recently, savings rate has been relatively high (close to 50%), and trade balance remains on the surplus.



Total internal debt must also be seen in the light of external debt (foreign debt), which is the total debt a country owes to foreign creditors. In emerging markets, high external debt has typically triggered major crises. Yet, China has little external debt (8% to GDP), unlike the US (100%) or Japan (171%).



Unlike major advanced economies and other large emerging economies, China is also seeking to reduce its debt pile, by converting short-term bank debt into long-term bonds and redirecting credit to the private sector and households. In contrast, the US lacks a credible, bipartisan and medium-term debt-cutting plan, while Japan has opted for a huge monetary gamble, which is boosting its national debt.

Expect change  but after fall



Nevertheless, China can no longer rely on credit-fueled growth. So will things change and if so, when?



While economic reforms have been initiated in the past half a decade, they are likely to be fully implemented by the 19th Central Committee, which will be elected in the fall. Since economic change will not be sustained without political consolidation, leadership transition is likely to precede reform implementation.



Chinas current credit target (13%) remains twice the growth rate (about 6.7%). As long as the gap between credit-taking and growth rate is substantial, it will continue to penalize the quality of growth.

Dr Steinbock is the founder of the Difference Group and has served as the research director at the India, China, and America Institute (USA) and a visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more information, see http://www.differencegroup.net/

The commentary was originally released by The European Financial Review on December 7, 2016 http://www.europeanfinancialreview.com/?p=12062

 2016 Copyright Dan Steinbock - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Obamas Deplorable Last Hurrah

On Tuesday evening, Obama delivered his self-styled farewell address - as demagogic and duplicitous as all his others.



A separate article discussed what he left unexplained - the enormous harm he inflicted on humanity at home and abroad throughout his tenure.



His farewell address included a recitation of democratic rights he abhors - among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, freedoms he spent eight years destroying at home and abroad.

(S)triv(ing) together (for) a common good, a greater good was polar opposite his ruthless agenda - raping, destroying and pillaging one country after another, responsible for millions of casualties on his watch.



America is exceptional, he blustered - only in its unprecedented wickedness, worst of all under eight appalling Obama years.



Saying our founding creed (was) to embrace all, and not just some is polar opposite US policy throughout its sordid history - exterminating its native people, enslaving Black Africans, institutionalizing wage slavery under Bush/Cheney and Obama, mass incarcerating millions in Americas global gulag.



Obama: We reverse(d) a great recessionunleashed the longest stretch of job creation in our historyopen(ed) a new chapter with (Cuba), shut down Irans nuclear weapons programtook out the mastermind of 9/11, (and) secured the right to health insurance for millions.



Fact: Protracted Main Street Depression conditions festered throughout his tenure because he took no corrective action - letting rich and powerful Americans amass greater than ever wealth at the expense of exploited ordinary people.



Fact: The vast majority of jobs created continue to be rotten low-pay, poor-or-no-benefit ones. Most households need two or more to survive. Homelessness, hunger and deprivation reached record levels on Obamas watch. Over 100 million working-age Americans have no employment.



Fact: According to annual US intelligence community assessments, Iran had no nuclear weapons program to shut down.



Fact: Obama didnt kill Osama. He died of natural causes in December 2001 - widely reported at the time.



Fact: Americas illegal embargo on Cuba remains unchanged with no prospect of it being lifted.



Fact: Obamacare enriched drug companies, insurers and large hospital chains at the expense of providing affordable healthcare for all Americans.



Obama: America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.



Fact: America is the worlds most reviled pariah state, more than ever under Obama and his neocon infested administration.



Obama: I committed to President-Elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me.



Fact: Pro-Hillary dark forces continue going all out to undermine Trumps legitimacy - a White House sponsored coup attempt to deny him the office he won or make his tenure untenable.



Fact: The latest despicable tactic calls Trump a virtual Manchurian candidate, manipulated by Russia to serve its interests - despite no evidence suggesting it, more lies to delegitimize him.



In response, Trump tweeted BuzzFeed Runs Unverifiable Trump-Russia Claims #FakeNews



The online news site BuzzFeed on Tuesday published a letter containing salacious allegations - which even the website acknowledged were unverifi



FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!



Trump has 19.4 million Twitter followers, numbers increasing daily, a huge audience hes able to reach, media scoundrels and others unable to distort his messages.



Obamas Tuesday evening address was a exercise in undeserved self-adulation and duplicity - ignoring the horrors he inflicted on humanity for eight, long horrific years.



With few days remaining in his tenure, who knows what further viciousness he intends before leaving office.

By Stephen Lendman

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com

His new book as editor and contributor is titled Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

He lives in Chicago and can be reached in Chicago at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.



Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Monday through Friday at 10AM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on world and national topics. All programs are archived for easy listening.

 2016 Copyright Stephen Lendman - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




RICHMOND  New jobs and economic development are key to hauling schools in Southwest Virginias coalfields out of a dire financial situation, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Thursday.

Bringing more jobs to far Southwest Virginia and diversifying the economy  a region still dependent on a coal industry long in decline  is essential to help schools that are facing enrollment declines, school closures and rapidly disappearing state funding dollars as residents and their children flee the region in search of jobs elsewhere.

I empathize with those communities, McAuliffe said. The one thing Im trying to do is continue to focus on economic development in these parts of the commonwealth where jobs have been lost.

Editorial: If this happened in the urban crescent, we bet Virginia would do something Besides having to deal with declining enrollment and declining state funding, school officials in Wise County last year found themselves confronting yet another problem: Buzzards.

In an address to Virginia school leaders Thursday, McAuliffe stressed the importance of quality schools in luring new jobs to the state.

At the Virginia Association of School Superintendents conference, McAuliffe said Virginias excellent schools were the tipping point in a California companys decision to bring jobs to Virginia in the near future. The company that the governor will announce next month was deciding between locating in the commonwealth or Georgia. Virginias schools were the clincher, the companys business leaders told McAuliffe.

For K-12 schools in the coalfields, that creates a chicken and egg situation, the governor acknowledged after his speech. Companies want to locate in areas with strong schools, but areas need investment dollars from businesses and real estate and property taxes from employees to fund local schools.

Without those jobs, the picture looks bleak.

As the coal industry in Southwest Virginia has slipped into free fall with mines closing and unemployment rising, families have abandoned the area in search of new jobs across the country. But in the past year, the situation has become disastrous for local schools as coalfield school districts collectively faced a 3 percent enrollment drop in about six months.

Fewer students dont translate to lower overhead schools costs, but it does mean less state funding. Schools in Wise County, Norton, Dickenson County and elsewhere are scraping by with less by consolidating schools, delaying building repairs, teaching from outdated textbooks and by not replacing retiring teachers.

Former Norton superintendent Keith Perrigan said relying on increased economic development in the coalfields is not an immediate solution.

We have plans to improve our workforce and to bring jobs to our area and we understand thats our role for the future, but we need a hand-up, not a handout, but a hand-up, until we can get to that point, said Perrigan, now superintendent in Bristol.

Wooing businesses is rarely a quick process. Oftentimes, when a company decides to relocate or open a new facility somewhere it scouts dozens or hundreds of sites and negotiate possible performance agreements with several localities. Once the company settles on a location, it still has to construct a new building or revamp an old one and hire new workers or relocate the current staff to work in the location.

Craft brewer Ballast Point began eyeing Botetourt County as the location for a new brewery in March 2015, but the brewery wont be completed and wont open until later this year, at the earliest. Deschutes Brewerys expansion to Roanoke will take even longer and company officials started considering Roanoke before Ballast Point.

In the fall, eight superintendents from coalfields schools, led by Perrigan, decided theyd had enough and formed a coalition to reach out to state legislators with a plea for help.

They call for the General Assembly to help struggling school districts by approving a 2 percent raise for teachers, reinstating a budget provision that doesnt penalize school districts for unanticipated enrollment losses and offer a cost of competing adjustment similar to what Northern Virginia districts receive because of the higher cost of living. The coalition also asks the state to consider other long-term strategies to reduce school inequity across the state.

More than 35 school boards, local governments and chambers of commerce support the coalitions proposal to fight for more school funding for coalfields schools, and Perrigan estimates that number will rise to more than 50 supportive entities by the end of the month. The superintendents association has not endorsed the resolution but it is supported by the Virginia Education Association, a statewide group representing teachers.

The governors proposed budget amendments dont cut any K-12 programs but do cut overall spending this year by a little more than 1 percent.

About half of the savings come from eliminating the states share of a 2 percent raise for teachers. Another chunk of savings comes from updates to enrollment projections. Statewide, there were about 2,600 fewer students enrolled last fall than expected, with about 9 percent of the losses coming just from the eight school districts in the coalfields.

After the enrollment adjustments, the proposed amendments set aside about $1.5 million less for the coalfield districts this year. Almost half of the enrollment savings come from districts in Southwest Virginia, from Alleghany County down to Pittsylvania County and west.

Perrigan said he understands the link between funding and enrollment but it shows how severe the enrollment crisis is in these areas.

Next week, superintendents from districts throughout Southwest Virginia will meet with members of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees in Richmond to plead for additional funding.

Despite an almost $1.2 billion state budget shortfall, Perrigan is still hopeful the General Assembly will pass a budget amendment addressing some of the coalitions concerns.

While McAuliffe didnt present any immediate solutions to alleviate the schools funding concerns, he vowed to continue searching for businesses to relocate in the coalfields and in Southside  where manufacturing jobs once ruled supreme. He also said state officials can certainly consider tweaking the funding formula for schools because the quality of education should not vary across the state.

We are a commonwealth and weve got to understand that and we need to make sure every part of the commonwealth, in good times and bad, that were all working together, he said.

Staff writer Sara Gregory contributed to this report.
STUART-A Rural Hall woman will spend more than a year in prison after being sentenced on forgery and other charges in Patrick County. Alyson Paige Harris (also known as Alyson Paige Solgado) of Rural Hall, North Carolina, was sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison, with one year and six months active and 43 years and six months suspended on conditions including probation, good behavior and payment of $2,843.41 in restitution. (The restitution was $3,343.41 before she paid $500 in court on Wednesday.)

Harris was accused of forging and passing checks to get survivors benefits money direct-deposited at a bank for her children. She pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery, three counts of uttering and three counts of obtaining money by false pretense. During the trial, Harris claimed she had permission from her children to write the checks, according to testimony and comments Patrick County Commonwealths Attorney Stephanie Vipperman made in an interview. The offenses allegedly happened on Feb. 2, 12 and 16 of 2016.

Harris lawyer, Caitlin Reynolds, argued that a mental health condition of Harris contributed to the offenses and that Harris is addressing that condition. Reynolds also noted that Harris is employed, that she has been cooperative with the commonwealth, and that her mother testified for the defense.

Vipperman argued, among other things, that the prosecution has given Harris a break by not charging her for as many checks as it could have.

Judge Martin F. Clark Jr. said he counted more than 100 previous convictions of Harris for such things as forgery, uttering and petit and grand larceny. He added that Harris still owes $21,000 from previous court cases.

Judge Clark noted that Harris mother said in a victim impact statement that she loves Harris but it would be nice not to have to hide her (the mothers) purse because her daughter will steal from her.

Your mom has endured this for years, Clark said.

In the current cases, Clark told Harris that she had stolen from your own children.

He sentenced her to five years in prison on each of the nine charges, for a total of 45 years.

PATRICK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

In other Patrick County Circuit Court cases, the prosecution dropped a charge of rape against William Castleberry Wright of Greenville, South Carolina, in an offense alleged to have happened on May 22, 2015.

Vipperman said in an interview Wednesday that the alleged victim did not want to pursue the matter at this time in the interests of her mental and emotional health.

Also in Patrick County Circuit Court, Bruce Alan Walker (also known as Bruce Allen Walker) of Bassett, who had pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance (on April 10, 2014), had a hearing, including consideration of his presentence report. A representative of a mental health support services agency and Walkers employer testified in his behalf. Judge Clark ordered that Walker serve a weekend in jail and that he come back to court in six months for final judgment.

Walker allegedly sold 10 hydrocodone/acetaminophen pills for $60 for the pills and $10 gas, Vipperman said in an interview.

In another case, Joshua Lance Hall of Mount Airy, North Carolina, who had pleaded guilty to sale of a schedule 3 controlled substance, received a sentence of 10 years in prison, with 60 days active and the balance suspended on conditions including supervised probation, good behavior and payment of $100 restitution to the Patrick County Sheriffs Office.

Hall allegedly sold 38 hydrocodone pills for $100 on May 26, 2015.

Richard Darren Cobbler of Spencer recently pleaded guilty to felonious hit and run in an incident on Nov. 21, 2015. A judge ordered a presentence report and set sentencing for March 13.

Anthony Brian Mitchell, who was charged with felonious grand larceny, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of petit larceny, a misdemeanor. He received a sentence of 12 months in jail and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and $35 restitution, among other conditions. The offense allegedly happened May 30, 2016.

In another case, the prosecution dropped one count of felonious sale of schedule 3 controlled substance against Matthew Paul Holt of Stuart.

Holt also was charged with an additional count of felonious sale of schedule 3 controlled substance and pleaded guilty to an amended charge of misdemeanor possession of a schedule 3 controlled substance. A judge took that case under advisement under certain conditions (including drug treatment and supervised probation) and set a court hearing for Dec. 11, 2017.

Holt also was charged with felonious sale of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance and pleaded guilty to an amended charge of felonious possession of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance. A judge took the case under advisement under certain conditions (among them drug treatment, supervised probation and $274 restitution). The judge set a court hearing for Dec. 11, 2017.

The offenses allegedly happened in February and March 2014.

HENRY COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

Cory Brent Parsons of Martinsville pleaded guilty Tuesday in Henry County Circuit Court to grand larceny in an incident on July 18, 2016. He received a sentence of 10 years in prison with eight months active and nine years and four months suspended on conditions including two years of supervised probation and payment of $195 restitution.

Rodney Taylor Martin of Fieldale pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine in an incident on April 19, 2016. A judge deferred judgment for a year on certain conditions and set a court hearing for Jan. 24, 2018.

HENRY COUNTY GENERAL DISTRICT COURT

A judge recently found probable cause to believe Jeremy Caleb Tuggle of Martinsville committed the crime of grand larceny, and sent that case to Henry County Circuit Court. The offense allegedly happened on Sept. 29, 2016.

A judge found probable cause to believe Amber Nicole Stultz of Martinsville committed the crime of entering a house with intent to commit larceny in an incident Nov. 14, 2016, and sent that case to Circuit Court.
1. STATES LOOK TO CHANGE LAW ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND TAX RETURNS

Lawmakers in Hawaii and several other states want to prevent presidential candidates from appearing on their states' ballots unless the candidates release their tax returns.

The Hawaii bill would require candidates to release five years of federal and state tax returns to qualify for the ballot, state Rep. Chris Lee said Wednesday. Similar proposals are circulating in California, Massachusetts and New Mexico.

"It's a reasonable step since every modern president has released their tax returns and put their assets into a blind trust to make sure the only interest they have is the interest of our country and its people," Lee said. "I think we're in a very dangerous climate in which that could change."

Lee consulted with lawyers who assured him it's legal, and if the bill passes it will undergo a thorough review from the state attorney general, he said.

Lee is still working out details on the Hawaii bill, but he plans to include a way to make the tax returns public. In the Massachusetts bill, that state's Secretary of State would be required to make the tax returns public within a month of each vote.

Trump has interests in 500 companies in about 20 countries, according to a disclosure document released in May.

California state Sens. Scott Wiener and Mike McGuire are planning to introduce similar legislation, saying financial information should be made available to voters to build critical public trust.

2. VOLKSWAGEN REACHES DEAL IN EMISSIONS SCANDAL

Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany were indicted in the U.S. on Wednesday in the VW emissions-cheating scandal, while the company itself agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion  by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

In announcing the federal charges and the plea bargain, Justice Department prosecutors detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside the German automaker to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

Prosecutors may have trouble bringing the executives to trial in the U.S. German law generally bars extradition of the country's citizens except within the European Union. Privately, Justice Department officials expressed little optimism that the five VW executives still at large will be arrested, unless they surrender or travel outside Germany.

VW admitted installing software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the U.S. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit.

U.S. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences in testing and real-world emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the so-called defeat device but finally admitted it in September 2015.

3. MOON MUCH OLDER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT

It turns out the moon is older than many scientists suspected: a ripe 4.51 billion years old.

That's the newest estimate, thanks to rocks and soil collected by the Apollo 14 moonwalkers in 1971.

A research team reported Wednesday that the moon formed within 60 million years of the birth of the solar system. Previous estimates ranged within 100 million years, all the way out to 200 million years after the solar system's creation, not quite 4.6 billion years ago.

The scientists conducted uranium-lead dating on fragments of the mineral zircon extracted from Apollo 14 lunar samples. The pieces of zircon were minuscule  no bigger than a grain of sand.

4. BATTLE FOR SYRIAN TOWN TOUGHER THAN EXPECTED

Nearly two months into the assault, Turkey has become bogged down in an unexpectedly bloody fight to retake the Islamic State group's last stronghold in northern Syria. It has been forced to pour in troops, take the lead in the battle from its Syrian allies and reach out to Russia for aerial support.

The fight for al-Bab underscores the precarious path Ankara is treading with its foray in to Syria, aimed against both IS militants and Syrian Kurdish fighters. The assault on the town had already driven a wedge between Turkey and the United States, and now the realignment toward Moscow  which supports the government in Syria's civil war  further tests Ankara's alliance both with Washington and with the Syrian opposition.

The battle itself has proven grueling.

Nearly 50 Turkish soldiers have been killed in its Syria operation, most of them since the al-Bab assault began in mid-November  including 14 killed in a single day. The militants have dug in, surrounding the town with trenches, lining streets with land mines and carrying out painful ambushes and car bombings against the besieging forces. Each time Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters have thrust into the city, they've been driven out. More than 200 civilians are believed to have been killed since the attack began Nov. 13. Mud and cold rain have only made it more of a slog.

5. TRUMP CONCEDES RUSSIA'S ROLE IN ELECTION HACKING

In a combative and freewheeling news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said for the first time Wednesday that he accepts Russia was behind the election year hacking of Democrats that roiled the White House race. Looking ahead, he urged Congress to move quickly to replace President Barack Obama's signature health care law and insisted anew that Mexico will pay the cost of a border wall.

Trump's transition has been shadowed by U.S. intelligence assessments that Russia not only meddled in the election, but did so to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. After spending weeks challenging that idea, Trump finally accepted at least part of the intelligence conclusions.

"As far as hacking, I think it was Russia," Trump said, quickly adding that "other countries and other people" also hack U.S. interests. Still, he kept needling the intelligence agencies, saying it would be a "tremendous blot" on their record if officials were leaking information from his classified briefings.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a statement later that he had spoken with Trump Wednesday evening and told him he does not believe any leaks came from the intelligence community.

6. EASTERN EUROPE SEES LOWEST TEMPERATURES IN DECADES

Authorities dug out stranded residents as heavy snow blanketed Eastern Europe Wednesday and people struggled with travel delays, power outages and subzero temperatures. Homeless people and migrants were among those most at risk.

The recent cold snap has now been blamed for at least 73 deaths, and seen the lowest temperatures for decades in some parts.

Poland, the country hit hardest by the deep freeze, reported two more deaths Wednesday as havoc spread to many countries across the region.

In Kosovo, police said a homeless man was found dead, apparently from hypothermia, the second cold-related fatality reported in that country. As temperatures plummeted to minus 25 Celsius (minus 13 Fahrenheit), there were power outages in many areas. Meteorologists said it was the coldest weather since 1963.

Snow continued to cut off communities in southern Albania where the death toll since the cold snap began stood at nine, most of them homeless people. Army helicopters and emergency authorities were distributing aid to remote mountain areas, while military and civil heavy vehicles helped clear snowbound roads.

In Romania, blizzards closed more than 130 roads and caused huge delays and cancellations on the railways.

7. MAINE COLLEGE TO UNVEIL RARE PHOTOGRAPH OF LINCOLN'S INAUGURATION

A Maine college is set to unveil a rare photograph of President Abraham Lincoln's inauguration from 1861.

The Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick acquired the photo at auction in October and will unveil it Thursday.

It's the first inauguration to be captured by photographers, and took place just six weeks before the start of the Civil War.

The image shows a crowd gathered around the Capitol to see Lincoln being sworn in. It's believed to have been taken by Scottish-American photographer Alexander Gardner, and is one of only three known copies. The others are in the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution.
weed filer from AP.jpg

Agawam is the latest Massachusetts community considering a moratorium on retail mariju. The timeout is necessary for planning purposes, accoridng to officials in Agawam, which voted against the legalization of recreational pot.(, File

(David Zalubowski / AP File Photo)

AGAWAM -- Agawam is the latest Massachusetts community considering a moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments to allow time to plan for the state's new pot law.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Agawam City Council will consider an ordinance to amend the city code to implement a moratorium through Dec. 31, 2018.

The ordinance, sponsored by Mayor Richard A. Cohen and Councilor Richard M. Theroux, would give officials time to undertake a planning process and develop zoning regulations for retail pot shops in Agawam.

In November, Massachusetts voters approved Question 4, a statewide ballot initiative that legalized weed for recreational use.

The ballot initiative, which was approved by 53.7 percent of voters and took effect Dec. 15, allows adults 21 and over to possess limited amounts of pot and grow up to a dozen plants in their homes.

However, the state Legislature voted Dec. 28 to delay sales of recreational marijuana for six months. That means pot shops that were originally slated to begin selling marijuana products on Jan. 1, 2018, will have to wait until July 1 of next year.

The state treasurer was expected to begin making appointments to the Cannabis Control Commission, the panel charged with regulating marijuana in Massachusetts, by March 1 of this year, but that that date has also been pushed back six months to Sept. 1.

Other key dates in the rollout of the new law are as follows:
The body of a 20-year-old who was reported missing in Enfield earlier this month has been found.

Zachary Poirier

The body of a 20-year-old who was reported missing in Enfield earlier this month has been found.

Zachary Poirier's body was found Thursday morning down an embankment near Diamond Drive, Enfield Police confirmed to WFSB.

He was found with assistance from the Connecticut State Police K-9 unit. His death is being treated as a suicide.

Bobbie Jo Thibideau reported her son missing on Jan. 7 after not hearing from her son for two days.

"Nobody really knows what happened, we just know that he walked out," Thibideau told WFSB in an interview conducted before her son's body was found. "This is every mother's worst nightmare, and I'm hoping he's just hanging out with friends, but this is so unlike him."
AGAWAM -- Three Agawam police officers fired in connection with a use-of-force incident are demanding that the City of Agawam release a video of the episode that led to their termination, John D. Connor, the attorney representing the officers, said Wednesday night.

The demand came after Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni's office notified Agawam officials that criminal charges would not be filed against the officers in connection with a call they responded to at Six Flags New England on June 19.

That's when David P. Desjardins, 27, of Baltic, Connecticut, was taken into custody after a violent struggle with police at the amusement park, Connor said. The trouble continued at Agawam police headquarters, where a camera recorded Desjardins fighting with officers again, according to the lawyer.

"Having received word that the district attorney found no wrongdoing on the part of these Agawam officers, there is no reason to withhold the video from release," said Connor.

He is representing Sgt. Anthony Grasso and Officers John P. Moccio and Edward B. Connor in their appeals before the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. The officers are seeking full reinstatement and back pay.

Attorney Connor, who is not related to Officer Connor, didn't indicate when he learned of Gulluni's decision, but he has stated repeatedly that his clients would be exonerated once the video goes public.

Mayor Richard A. Cohen fired the veteran cops, who had a combined 70 years of experience, on Oct. 19, following internal and external investigations. The case was then sent to Gulluni's officer for further review and possible prosecution.

Throughout the incident, Desjardins was "very intoxicated and extremely violent," Connor said. The trouble started after a bartender at Wahoo's Tiki Bar in the Hurricane Harbor Water Park refused to serve more alcohol to Desjardins, who wouldn't leave and required multiple officers to subdue him, according to the lawyer.

"This violent behavior reignited at the station during the booking process, requiring officers to use reasonable force to bring the arrestee under control," Connor said, noting that the only person injured during the incident was a police officer.

"We're glad that there's a videotape that demonstrates that these officers acted appropriately at all times," Connor said. The public may find the video a bit "graphic," he said, but it clearly shows Desjardins assaulting Grasso and Officer Connor before police delivered any baton strikes.

At one point in the video, Desjardins is seen delivering a "vicious elbow strike to Sgt. Grasso's face," Connor said, followed immediately by a punch to Officer Connor's face. The video then shows Desjardins placing Grasso in a life-threatening headlock, Connor said.

"Under the department's 'use of force policy,' the use of a baton was both authorized and appropriate under these circumstances." Connor said. "I think what the public needs to know is that Sgt. Grasso, who had recently undergone cervical fusion surgery, was placed in a headlock by Mr. Desjardins, and that only after this occurred was he forcibly subdued."

The officers' termination was a "great injustice," Connor said. "By releasing the video, we can set the record straight and firmly establish that these officers acted appropriately."

Hearings for the officers before the state Civil Service Commission were held this week in downtown Springfield. A final evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31.

Update: The video has been released. Watch below:
Live 155

Design of the $19.9 million Live 155 being built at 155 Pleasant St. in Northampton, to include 70 apartments and 2,600 square feet of retail space

(Photo courtesy of HapHousing)

NORTHAMPTON -- HAPHousing has begun construction of a four-story, $19.9 million building to house 70 rental apartments and 2,600 square feet of retail space at 155 Pleasant St., where a single-room lodging house once stood.

According to Peter Gagliardi, the HAPHousing president and CEO, construction is scheduled be completed in a year, with occupancy slated for March 2018.

"HAPHousing is excited to contribute to the revitalization of Pleasant Street," he said.

Gagliardi said the development would be called "Live 155," with 27 studio apartments and 43 one-bedroom apartments.

Private and public organizations contributed financing. Gagliardi said they are: the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, Community Economic Development Corp., MassHousing, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp., BankESB and the city of Northampton.

In a statement, BankESB President and CEO Matt Sosik said his lending institution "could not be happier to play a role in bringing the Live 155 project to fruition."

"This project represents such thoughtful and well-planned growth and will bring much-needed affordable housing to the area," he said. "Live 155 certainly would not be possible without the hard work of so many people that are deeply committed to meeting the long-term housing needs of our community."

"I commend HAPHousing on this important milestone for Live 155 and am proud of the city of Northampton's collaborative role in supporting the project through a combination of Community Development Block Grant, Community Preservation Act and MassWorks funding," Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz said.

Gagliardi said Western Builders of Granby is the general contractor, Northampton Architect Peter Frothingham, in partnership with LDA Architecture & Interiors of Cambridge are architects, and Goggins Real Estate will be the leasing agent.
fungi alley.jpg

(Mary Serreze photo)

HADLEY -- A group of "beginning farmers" -- that is, those in business for less than five years -- have been awarded state grants to expand their operations.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources will provide $55,550 through a matching grant enterprise program, the Baker administration announced Tuesday. Several of the farms are local.

Fungi Ally is a wholesale and retail mushroom-growing outfit at 311 River Drive in Hadley. The group sells fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms, and mushroom extract. Its members teach people how to grow mushrooms, and they sell starter kits. Fungi Ally received $5,500 to expand its cultivation operation.

Sage Farm in Montague will use $10,000 for grain storage, a livestock trailer, and animal housing. Teddy Smiarowski III in Sunderland will invest in farm equipment with the help of $10,000. Yellow Stonehouse Farm in Westfield will devote $10,000 to barn repairs.

The grants require a financial investment from the farmers themselves, and come packaged with technical and business assistance.

The program has provided nearly a half-million dollars to five dozen farms across Massachusetts since 2010, according to state agriculture commissioner John LeBeaux, who said new farmers make valuable contributions to state and regional food systems.

"New farmers bring innovative ideas and enthusiasm to the agricultural industry, and this program helps ensure a sustainable future for Massachusetts farms," said Gov. Charlie Baker.
SPRINGFIELD  Kevin Cavanaugh took the witness stand Wednesday in Hampden Superior Court and freely admitted he has been downloading and viewing some heinous child pornography from his Palmer home.

Kevin Cavanaugh

He was fine with a conviction on two counts of possession of child pornography. In fact he had been willing to plead guilty to those crimes in a previous hearing.

But Cavanaugh, 53, was fighting two counts of dissemination of child pornography.

At the end of a jury-waived trial, Judge Richard J. Carey's verdict supported the defense argument that Cavanaugh didn't intend to share the files he downloaded: Carey found Cavanaugh guilty of the two counts of possession of child pornography and not guilty of dissemination of child pornography.

Carey sentenced Cavanaugh to four to five years in state prison on one of the possession of child pornography counts and 10 years probation after the state prison sentence on the second count.

There are a number of conditions of probation, such as no contact with children under 16, sex offender counseling and no use of the internet.

Cavanaugh had been out of prison about five years after serving a 20- to 25-year sentence from 1987 for rape. The state Sex Offender Registry Board, where Cavanaugh is listed as an offender in the category deemed most likely to reoffend, also lists 1986 convictions of assault of a child with intent to commit rape and aggravated rape.

Assistant District Attorney Jane E. Mulqueen said in her closing argument Cavanaugh was not a credible witness when he said he didn't know files he downloaded on his computer could be accessed by other people who have the eMule file sharing application.

He had testified he downloaded eMule onto his computer and that's how he accessed child pornography.

Mulqueen said Cavanaugh would know other people could download files he had put on his computer because of the nature of file sharing applications. She said he would have known eMule is a "peer to peer" application.

"He knew he could get and he could give," Mulqueen said.

Cavanaugh testified he knew he could get content through eMule but he did not know other people could access files he had downloaded on his computer.

Defense lawyer Joe A. Smith III in his closing argument said child pornography is "one of the most unpopular and detested" matters that come before a court.

"This appetite he admits is wrong," Smith said of Cavanaugh's viewing of child pornography.

He said in all interviews with police as well as in court, Cavanaugh never admitted he had the intent to disseminate the child pornography. Smith said under the prosecution's theory, any person who downloads child pornography through a file sharing network would be guilty of dissemination. Carey had questioned Mulqueen as to how she could prove intent to disseminate in the case.

State Police Lt. Michael Hill testified at the trial he discovered files in March 2015 that had been downloaded by a certain computer that was ultimately traced back to the house in which Cavanaugh lived. Among those files was a 53-minute video depicting a girl of about 8 to 12 years old with adult men performing various sex acts upon her. The testimony by Hill gave graphic details of the content of the video.

State Police Trooper Jeffrey Perry testified about his part in the investigation and about questioning Cavanaugh on the night of May 5, 2015 with Trooper Robert Smith.

When police first got to the home on Main Street in the Bondsville section of Palmer, Cavanaugh waived his Miranda rights and agreed to talk with the two troopers.

Audio recordings of two separate interviews that night were played as evidence at the trial.

At first, Cavanaugh is heard saying he downloaded adult pornography. He said he types in "just basic anal/oral" in the search category. He said he does large downloads and looks at the files later, deleting what he doesn't want.

Cavanaugh then said he possibly types in "young" as a search word, looking for pornography with girls 18 or 19 years old.

He said he didn't view child pornography, saying there are some "pretty disgusting things" available for download.

Cavanaugh, told by the troopers they would see what search words he entered, said he typed in "raped," kidnapped," "defiled," and "tortured." He said he typed in "PTHC," (preteen hard core), but did not know what it stood for until recently.

Asked by the troopers if he was abused as a child, Cavanaugh said he was but he did not want to talk about it.

"How much trouble an I in?" he asked the troopers, who told him it was serious.

As the troopers relayed to him other search words they saw Cavanaugh had entered, which were clearly a search for child pornography, Cavanaugh said, "I get a little curious (about) what's on there."
15977293_1648687375145197_1881373048470659659_n.jpg

Kevin Lopes, of New Bedford

(Facebook)

Massachusetts State Police have released the identity of the man who died in a crash on Route 495 in Raynham Wednesday.

Kevin V. Lopes of New Bedford was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the crash. He was 37 years old.

Lopes was driving north in the right lane 495 near exit 8 when his Honda Accord veered across all lanes of travel and struck a bridge abutment off the left side of the roadway.

A pair of off-duty firefighters from Wareham and Attleboro fire departments who were driving by were the first to respond to the scene and extricated Lopes from his vehicle. They performed first aid and resuscitation efforts while awaiting emergency medical services.

When EMS arrived, Lopes was transported to Morton Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The cause of this crash remains under investigation with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, and detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. State Police were also assisted on scene by Raynham Fire and EMS.
Landowners willing to enter into a contract with Fish, Wildlife and Parks to allow public elk hunting on their property would be eligible for free elk hunting licenses under a bill that revises a measure already on the books.

House Bill 96 had its initial hearing in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee in Helena on Tuesday, prompting several questions from legislators along with support from a variety of groups.

The bill is an attempt to provide hunter access to elk while also giving landowners an incentive to provide access, said Rep. Zach Brown, D- Bozeman, who sponsored the bill.

BRETT FRENCH [email protected]

Full Story: http://helenair.com/news/natural-resources/bill-would-give-landowners-free-elk-tag-for-every-public/article_36f4330d-5b51-5758-bef0-5e18caaa51e2.html
Missoula is your opportunity to Live Rich Quick.

Missoula often appears on "livable city" lists. And with good reason. Here you can gaze out your window and see mountains. You can take your kids camping on the weekend. You can sip a local microbrew riverside. Missoula is a family-centric, outdoor-minded, river community with a major university, experienced workforce and an entrepreneurial energy you can feel. It adds up to a life so rich that calling Missoula merely "livable" is almost laughable.

http://www.missoulapartnership.com/relocate-or-expand/overview-assistance-services/
The energy-efficient architecture is designed to produce more energy than its users need

Vincent Callebaut envisions Belgiums industrial zone as an amazing energy-generating community

Designer Vincent Callebaut presents an amazing green facelift to the century-old warehouses at Belgiums former industrial site Tour & Taxis in his latest designs for a mixed-use eco-neighborhood. His masterplan transforms the 40-hectare post-industrial site into a sustainable community draped in greenery that generates more energy than its residents need. His futuristic design is part of a greater vision to help European cities transition their built environments towards a post-carbon future.

by Lucy Wang

Full Story: http://inhabitat.com/vincent-callebaut-envisions-belgiums-industrial-zone-as-an-amazing-energy-generating-community/
Montana State Universitys Extended University and the Montana Institute on Ecosystems are offering an online non-credit class called Montanas changing climate.

The course will explore three key aspects of Montanas climateagriculture, forests and water resources, as well as the Montana Climate Assessment, an effort that is currently underway to describe past and future climate trends that affect different sectors of the states economy.

Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/news/16654/msu-offers-class-on-montana-s-changing-climate-via-distance-learning
NorthWestern Energy and the Missouri-Madison River Fund announce funding awards for eleven public recreation improvement projects on the Madison and Missouri Rivers where the company operates nine hydro facilities.

A combination of $62,481 from NorthWestern and $363,123 from the the Missouri-Madison River Fund will be combined with $150,424 from agency and private partners to complete eleven projects totaling $576,028. In addition, NorthWestern Energy will contribute more than $427,000 for operation and maintenance efforts at over 30 existing recreation sites in 2017 as required by the Project 2188 (Madison-Missouri River) FERC License.

"Recreation facilities and opportunities will be enhanced on the Missouri and Madison rivers through completion of 11 competitively selected projects in 2017," said Jon Jourdonnais, Leader  Hydropower License Compliance. "NorthWestern Energy and its employees are proud to continue to lead this collaborative private-public effort to improve recreation facilities and opportunities on these great rivers for all Montanans."

2017 funded recreation projects include:

* Replacement of the boat ramp at McAtee Fishing Access Site on the Madison River;

* Construction of a maintenance building and installation of an electric gate at Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls;

* Paving of the entrance road at Black Sandy State Park on Hauser Lake;

* Completion of a new drinking water system at Palisades Recreation Area on the Madison River;

* Printing of an updated bathymetric map of Hebgen Lake;

* Improvements to sections of a recreation trail at West Bank Park in Great Falls;

* Construction of a trailside shelter along the south shore of Cochrane Reservoir in Great Falls;

* Installation of new information kiosks at four Fishing Access Sites along the Missouri River;

* Upgrades to the Causeway Fishing Access Site at Hauser Lake;

* Rehabilitation to one section of the historic walking bridge in Fort Benton.

The Missouri-Madison River Fund, a $6.6 million trust fund for public recreation, was created through the collaborative efforts of NorthWestern Energy; Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Bureau of Land Management; Madison, Gallatin, Broadwater, Lewis & Clark, Cascade and Chouteau counties; and numerous other public and private partners. This year marks the 11th year in which earnings from the trust have been awarded to recreation improvement projects through the River Fund program. Since 2007, nearly $4.7 million has been awarded by the River Fund and the utility in support of 97 projects which, when combined with agency and private partner contributions, totals nearly $7.5 million in recreation enhancements in the Missouri-Madison Corridor.

Created as a public-private partnership to meet public recreation needs along the Madison and Missouri rivers, the River Fund supports ongoing efforts to protect and enhance recreation from Hebgen Reservoir downstream to Fort Benton, excluding the Toston and Canyon Ferry hydroelectric plants and the river segment between them. River Fund awards for qualifying projects will continue on an annual basis, with grant awards in December.

A list of projects can be found under the "River Fund" tab at http://www.missourimadison.com, a website dedicated to the Missouri-Madison Comprehensive Recreation Plan. More information about NorthWestern Energy and its hydroelectric facilities can be found at http://www.northwesternenergy.com.

About NorthWestern Energy (NYSE: NWE)

NorthWestern Energy provides electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 701,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. More information on NorthWestern Energy is available on the companys website at http://www.northwesternenergy.com.

Media Contact:

Butch Larcombe

(866) 622-8081

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Travis Meyer

(605) 978-2967

[email protected]
CAT 2022 Cut Off for IIMs & Top MBA Colleges for Admission 2023: Check Expected Overall & Sectional cut offs

CAT exam 2022 Result will be released in the first week of January 2023 for all the 3 slots of CAT 2022 exam. CAT 2022 exam date is November 27, 2022. After assessing your CAT 2022 percentile score, you would be searching likely Cut Offs for IIMs and other top B-schools. So, you are at the right place as this article by MBAUniverse.com experts will help you find out:

CAT 2022 Cut offs as announced by 20 IIMs for MBA admission 2023

CAT cut offs in top MBA colleges in India like FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IMT, IMI and others accepting CAT Cut Off for MBA admission 2023

MBA Colleges Cut off that match your CAT Scores and Percentile for admission 2023

Please note that the CAT 2022 Cut Offs, shared below are prepared by MBAUniverse.com Experts after consultation with all IIMs and Top B-schools. So read carefully, and make the best use of your CAT Score. The CAT cut off and calculation of percentile process has been revised by IIMs as under:

All percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.995 are rounded off to 100

All percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.985 but strictly less than 99.995 are rounded off to 99.99 and so on

Top 10 IIM CAT 2022 Cut Offs for Admission 2023

Minimum CAT cut offs as used by all the 20 IIMs to shortlist the candidates for final selection round are given below. The CAT 2022 Cut off for IIM admission 2023 are based on latest data sourced from the IIMs so that you can use it with confidence. Below are shared the top 10 IIMs CAT cut offs for admission 2023 (Based on Previous Year Cut offs)

CAT Cut off For Top MBA Colleges

Following are the CAT cut off for top MBA colleges in India with expected CAT cut offs in the different percentile range for admission 2023.





Top B-School CAT Cutoff: CAT 80 Percentile & Above

Below are the top B-School CAT Cutoffs for admission 2023. The CAT cut offs in these MBA colleges is 80+ percentile

CAT Cut off For MBA Colleges: CAT 70 Percentile & Above

Following are some of the best MBA colleges with CAT Cut offs in percentile range of 70 and above:

CAT Cut off For MBA Colleges: CAT 60 Percentile & Above

Following are some of the best MBA colleges with CAT Cut offs in percentile range of 60 and above:

B-School Cat Cut off Admission Status Shiv Nadar University Greater Noida 60-70 Opening Soon New Delhi Institute of Management - NDIM New Delhi 60-70 Opening Soon Jindal Global Business School 60-70 Opening Soon Institute of Management Technology, Hyderabad 60-70 Open | Apply Now Chetanas Institute of Management and Research - CIMR Mumbai 60-70 Opening Soon Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida 60-70 Open | Apply Now NTPC School of Business - NSB Noida 60-70 Opening Soon Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management - VJIM Hyderabad 60-70 Opening Soon Praxis Business School 60-70 Opening Soon Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar 60-70 Opening Soon Jaipuria Jaipur: Jaipuria Institute of Management 60-70 Open | Apply Now Delhi School of Business 60-70 Opening Soon EDII Ahmedabad 60-70 Opening Soon IIMS Pune: International Institute of Management Studies 60-70 Opening Soon IPE Hyderabad: Institute of Public Enterprise 60-70 Opening Soon JIMS Rohini Delhi 60-70 Open | Apply Now PSGIM Coimbatore 60-70 Opening Soon

CAT Cut off For MBA Colleges: CAT 50 Percentile & Above

Following are some of the best MBA colleges with CAT Cut offs in percentile range of 50 and above:

B-School Cat Cut off Admission Status FIIB Delhi: Fortune Institute of International Business 50-60 Opening Soon Jaypee Business School Noida 50-60 Opening Soon Sir Padampat Singhania University Udaipur 50-60 Opening Soon Firebird Institute of Research in Management 50-60 Opening Soon GBS Kolkata: Globsyn Business School, Kolkata 50-60 Opening Soon IMS Ghaziabad: Institute of Management Studies 50-60 Opening Soon Jaipuria Institute of Management (Jaipuria) Indore 50-60 Open | Apply Now NSB Academy 50-60 Opening Soon XIME Chennai: Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship 50-60 Opening Soon XIME Kochi: Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship 50-60 Opening Soon Jaipuria Ghaziabad 50-60 Opening Soon RSB Chennai 50-60 Opening Soon Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, New Delhi 50-60 Opening Soon Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication 50-60 Opening Soon Pune Business School 50-60 Opening Soon BULMIM New Delhi 50-60 Opening Soon SJIM Bangalore 50-60 Opening Soon IES Management College And Research Centre, Mumbai 50-60 Opening Soon IMS Unison University Dehradun 50-60 Opening Soon ITM Navi Mumbai: ITM Group of Institutions 50-60 Opening Soon MET Mumbai 50-60 Opening Soon RV Institute of Management 50-60 Opening Soon SCMS Cochin: SCMS Cochin School of Business 50-60 Opening Soon UPES School of Business: UPES University 50-60 Opening Soon AIMS School of Business 50-60 Opening Soon SRM School of Management Chennai 50-60 Opening Soon Vivekanand Business School (VBS) 50-60 Opening Soon

New IIMs CAT cut offs for Admission 2023

CAT 2022 cut offs for admission 2023 in new IIMs as announced is higher. However the expected CAT cut offs 2023 in new IIMs may not go as high as in top IIMs.

New & Baby IIMs IIM CAT 2022 cut off percentile IIM Raipur 93 IIM Ranchi 93 IIM Kashipur 93 IIM Nagpur 90 IIM Visakhapatnam 85 IIM Amritsar 85 IIM Bodhgaya 93 or below IIM Jammu 93 or below IIM Sirmaur 93 or below IIM Sambalpur 93 or below

CAT Cut offs: Difference in Admission Policy and Actual Application

CAT Cut off 2023 for admission in IIMs and other top MBA Colleges carry two different aspects in their admission policy. For example, top IIMs announce their admission policy with low CAT score cut off percentile requirement but the actual CAT score cut off percentile is much higher at the time of shortlisting. Therefore there is a difference in MBA Colleges Cut Off 2023 as announced in their admission policy and CAT 2022 exam Cut Off Marks as actually applied by these B-schools at the time of shortlisting for final admission round.

CAT 2022 score cut offs in IIMs and other prominent MBA Colleges are announced by each of them for MBA admission 2023. Although, IIM Cut off 2022 for CAT percentile score as announced by the 20 IIMs including IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta among others, reflect the minimum CAT 2022 cut offs required category wise and to be considered for shortlisting, the actual CAT score cut off in all the IIMs may go much higher. .



Similar is the case at FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, MICA Ahmedabad, XIM Bhubaneswar among other MBA colleges accepting CAT Score with cut off percentiles. The actual CAT Cut Off for top MBA Colleges for MBA admission 2023 may go higher than their threshold CAT cut off requirement.

Admission to the flagship MBA/PGDM 2023-25 programmes in number of top MBA colleges is based on CAT 2022 score cut offs. CAT 2022 test takers searching for MBA admission while looking for the suitable MBA colleges where they can apply, should refer the above relevant information on how good the B-school is, alongwith the idea of CAT score requirement for shortlisting.


Morgan County Veterans Day Parade slated Nov. 11 Audio Article The Morgan County Veterans Day Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 11. The parade will form at the Commons, in McConnelsville, at 9:30 a.m. and set out at 10 a.m. The American Legion Post 24 will render honors at the monuments at the Commons, Riecker Building, the Square, at...

A concert with two purposes Audio Article Wednesday, Nov. 30, a concert with dual purposes is being held at the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Ohio. Its a thank-you to healthcare workers, who can attend for free, and its a benefit for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. In September 2021, Rick Shriver contracted COVID-19. He collapsed...

BOE reminder of early voting hours and polling location change Audio Article Remaining early voting hours at the Morgan County Board of Elections are as follows: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov, 2 through Friday, Nov. 4; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m....

Lions Club announces annual Wreaths Across America Audio Article On Saturday, Dec. 17, the Chesterhill Lions Club will be joining with National Wreaths Across America in the laying of wreaths at each of the seven cemeteries located in Marion Township. The mission is to honor the local veterans who have served our nation so their families can rest assured...

Governor DeWine awards $6.7 million for domestic violence survivor programs Audio Article Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced that he is awarding $6.7 million to support the work of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) to offer mobile and health advocacy services and temporary residential services for domestic violence survivors across the state. The announcement comes during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month....

CDC committee vote wont change Ohio school vaccine requirement Audio Article Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA has released the following statement: The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine to be added to the formulary or schedule of vaccines for children does not mandate this vaccine for school children. Ohio law determines...
by Philip Rosenstein , January 11, 2017

NBC won the battle for viewers during President Obamas farewell speech in Chicago on Tuesday night. ABC was able to squeeze in at second place with the 18-49 demographic, while CBS was runner-up in total viewers.

Total viewers on NBC reached 8.9 million for the Presidents address, a number that increased to 10.5 million when This Is Us came on at 10 p.m. ET, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers.

ABC had 5.6 million viewers tuned in to the farewell speech, with CBS beating its rival with 6.7 million.

The ratings shares in the advertiser-coveted demographic came in at 2.5/8 on NBC during the address, while ABC managed a 1.3/4 and CBS had a 1.1/3.
by Thom Forbes @tforbes, January 12, 2017

Verizon is putting the squeeze on heavy data users, giving customers who are on unlimited data plans and habitually use more than 200 gigabytes a month or so to choose another plan or be disconnected.

Because our network is a shared resource, and we need to ensure all customers have a great mobile experience with Verizon, we are notifying a small group of customers on unlimited plans who use more than 200GB a month that they must move to a Verizon Plan by February 16, 2017, Verizon spokesperson Kelly Crummey tellsArs Technicas Jon Brodkin.

Were not talking peanuts.

Depending on how much data a customer uses, the customer could start paying significantly more with a new plan, Crummey tells the Los Angeles Times Samantha Masunaga. Current unlimited data customers generally pay about $49.99 a month, she said. A plan with 100 GB monthly costs about $450 a month.

advertisement advertisement

Digital Trends Lulu Chang offers the news in the form of an intervention.

So heads up, friends. If youre used to streaming Netflix for hours on end from your phone, and youre a Verizon customer, you may just need to find a different way to entertain yourself, or be willing to spend more than a pretty penny on your phone bill.

But there may be hope for the occasional binge data user.

It's not clear whether you'd find yourself on the wrong end of a disconnect notice if you had one particularly crazy month, writesEngadgets Chris Velazco. Crummey tells him the carrier is specifically looking at users whose usage works out to an average of more than 200GB a month  in other words, Verizon is targeting for people with a pattern of seriously heavy data use.

Velazco points out that the new limits constitute a very bad break for people who live in rural areas or otherwise use Verizon's mobile network as their main Internet connection. It doesn't help that Verizon's detection and communication process is nearly opaque  not to mention frustrating  to customers on the outside looking in.

Infuriating to some, actually.

This is pretty much the worst move a service provider can make, for a number of reasons (it also isnt the first time Verizon is doing this). For starters, the company itself admits that its only a small group of customers on unlimited plans who use more than 200GB a month, Abhimanyu Ghoshal posts on The Next Web under a hed calling the move BS.

Um, those are your most loyal customers right there, Verizon. Do you think theyll ever want to ditch your service and switch to another? Secondly, if its a small group, why is it so difficult for a multibillion-dollar company to continue to honor the contract it has with those few customers?

The LATs Masunaga points out that T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint still offer unlimited data plans, and at much lower prices than Verizon's 100-GB plan  but after certain usage thresholds, those three providers warn, the speed of the data could slow. And to get AT&Ts plan, you also have to subscribe to its DirecTV service.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports both Verizon and AT&T have some other fine-print price hikes in mind.

Verizon has increased the price it charges subscribers to upgrade to a new device or add a phone to a new line. AT&T is nudging up the price of its unlimited data plans, which are no longer available but are still held by certain longstanding customers, writes Nathan Olivarez-Giles. The upgrade bump from $20 to $30 will help cover the ongoing cost of building out its network, Verizons very-busy Crummey tells him. But you can avoid the upgrade fee entirely if youre an enterprise or government customer or buy your phone elsewhere.

Think all of this is confusing? Find all of these fine-print details maddening? The Journals personal tech columnist, Joanna Stern, endeavors to [make] sense of smartphone plan madness in a piece posted on its Web site yesterday.

T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have better deals than ever before, the subhed tells us.

Thats the good news.

 but only if we pay attention to the details, it continues.

The kind of details that can also turn a $59.95 Verizon FiOS direct-mail come-on into an amount about three times that when you factor in everything you have with Optimum, presumably.
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, January 12, 2017

Guys are guys the world over, and that means no matter where you go, you can probably trick them into telling you stuff they shouldnt by posing as a hot chick online.

Thats the eternal truth behind an embarrassing intelligence breach recently admitted by the Israel Defense Force, an organization not known for taking such things lightly.

According to the IDF, the militant Islamist group Hamas succeeded in eliciting some classified information  though no major secrets  from male soldiers by posing as attractive young women and striking up conversations online through dating apps and social media.

Hamas used stolen photos of real women and models to create fake social media profiles, then engaged dozens of IDF soldiers in flirtatious conversations. The goal was to persuade them to download a video messaging app  perhaps with the promise of more explicit communication  that would allow Hamas to monitor their smartphones.

advertisement advertisement

The app was malware that gave Hamas access to an individual's smartphone camera, microphone, address books, video and photo libraries, emails and Whatsapp conversations. Among other things, this would yield information on IDF deployments in the Gaza area.

The IDF also revealed Hamas operatives behind the fake profiles used Hebrew slang to make them seem more realistic. The IDF made the disclosures as part of an educational campaign alerting soldiers to the dangers of interacting with strangers on social media.

Over the last decade, social media has turned into a virtual battleground, exploited by nation states and terrorist groups alike for intelligence gathering, as well as propaganda and disinformation.

To cite one example among many, back in 2015, Air Force General Hawk Carlisle revealed that USAF destroyed an ISIS headquarters after being tipped off by a social-media post. Similarly, ill-advised social media posts by ordinary Russian soldiers proved that Russian forces were deployed to eastern Ukraine in 2014-2015.
by Sara Guaglione , January 12, 2017

MPA has recorded the largest increase in print and digital audience since the Magazine Media 360 Brand Audience Report began over two years ago. The print and digital audience, which is measured and reported by GfK MRI, grew 5.5% compared to the previous year.

According to the MPA's November 2016 report, total audience  across print, Web, mobile Web and video  has reached 1.9 billion, up 9.2% compared to the same month a year ago. This is the second-highest percentage gain from the report in 2016.

In the latest report, 71% of brands were up in print and digital audience, compared to a year ago.

Nearly half of them were up by double digits.

The remainder of the brands in the report experienced relatively flat or a decrease in print and digital audience, according to MPA.

advertisement advertisement

The digital part of the reports print and digital metric includes electronic issues of the magazine, such as an issue read on a magazine distribution service like Texture, an e-reader, or the magazine app version on a tablet or smartphone.

The top five magazine brands with the most total audience  across print, Web, mobile Web and video  for November 2016 were ESPN The Magazine, People, Forbes, Allrecipes and Time.

The top five magazine brands with the greatest percentage growth in total audience for November 2016 compared to a year ago were The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, Harpers Bazaar and Marie Claire.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, January 12, 2017

Im not going to give you a question. You are fake news, sneered President-elect Donald Trump as CNNs Jim Acosta tried to ask a question at Trumps first press conference since well before the November 8 election.

Acosta interrupted Trump after the President-elect and incoming Press Secretary Sean Spicer leveled a vicious attack on BuzzFeed and CNN. They reported the President-elect was notified, in his intelligence briefing last week, that Russian intelligence officials may have compromising financial and personal information about him.

The 35-page report, which BuzzFeed has produced in full, puts forward details about the information, or in Russian -- kompromat. If accurate, it could be used to blackmail the incoming president of the United States.

advertisement advertisement

The Trump transition vehemently denied Russia has any compromising information, first at the conference itself, then in follow up interviews later in the day.

The fact that BuzzFeed and CNN made the decision to run with this unsubstantiated claim is a sad and pathetic attempt to get clicks, Spicer said prior to Trump taking questions.

CNN never published the report, while BuzzFeed was clear their reporters were unable to substantiate the findings in the dossier.

On CNN later that day, Kellyanne Conway and Anderson Cooper clashed when discussing what happened earlier. Conway contended that labeling CNN fake news was completely appropriate. Cooper was more detailed: The Trump camps conflation of BuzzFeeds publication of the report with CNNs coverage that Trump was briefed on the compromising information was unfair.

In short, it created a false story line.

Interestingly, historically adversarial news outlets have come to CNNs defense.

Though we at Fox News cannot confirm CNNs report, it is our observation that its correspondents followed journalistic standards, Shepard Smith said on air. Neither they, nor any other journalists, should be subjected to belittling and delegitimizing by the president-elect of the United States.

Smith communicated the essence of the problem with how the Trump campaign approached this issue. While it is impossible to know exactly what happened in the intelligence briefing last Friday, the inability of Spicer or Trump to differentiate between the BuzzFeed approach and CNNs reporting suggests difficult times ahead for the news media.

The Trump administration should expect journalists to stand by the ethics of their trade. To an extent, BuzzFeed toed that line by publishing an unsubstantiated report  while offering key caveats. CNN chose not to publish the report.

The Trump campaigns inability to appreciate the distinction suggests inevitable future clashes with the press  as well as a fundamental disrespect for one of the bulwarks of American democracy.

While the Fourth Estate must remain professionally accountable, it is crucial to demand accountability and accuracy from the incoming administration. Or as the Declaration of Independence noted: "Freedom of the press is an institutional necessity to achieve a properly representative government."
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, January 12, 2017

AT&T and Verizon are violating net neutrality principles by exempting some companies' video streams from consumers' data caps, outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler told lawmakers this week.

The carriers' zero-ratings initiatives -- which AT&T calls "sponsored data" and Verizon calls "FreeBee Data 360" -- "present significant risks to consumers and competition," Wheeler said in a letter to lawmakers.

"These sponsored data offerings may harm consumers and competition by unreasonably discriminating in favor of downstream providers owned or affiliated with the network providers," Wheeler continued.

His letter comes almost two months after Democratic Senators Ed Markey (Massachusetts), Ron Wyden (Oregon), Al Franken (Minnesota), Bernie Sanders (Vermont), Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) and Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin) urged the FCC to definitively state that broadband providers violate net neutrality by zero-rating their own content, or unaffiliated content, but excluding competitors.

advertisement advertisement

The net neutrality rules broadly prohibit carriers from engaging in conduct that hinders the ability of consumers and content companies to reach each other online. When the FCC published those rules, it said it would take a case-by-case approach to evaluating whether data caps -- and exemptions from them -- are harmful.

AT&T pioneered "sponsored data" in 2013, when it allowed companies to pay for their data to be exempted from consumers' monthly caps. Since then, other Internet service providers -- both wireless and wireline -- have launched their own versions of zero-rating services.

AT&T also now allows wireless customers who purchase DirecTV to watch video through a mobile app, without counting those streams against customers' data caps.

Last January, Verizon rolled out FreeBee Data, which lets companies arrange for their mobile content to be zero-rated. The company also zero-rates video streamed from its Go90 mobile app.

T-Mobile -- which still has some subscribers who pay for data by the byte -- also zero-rates video from numerous companies through its "Binge On" program. T-Mobile doesn't charge companies to participate in Binge On.

Consumer advocates have raised concerns about all three programs, but the FCC only views the offerings by AT&T and Verizon as problematic.

"Unlike T-Mobile, which charges all edge providers the same zero rate for participating in BingeOn, AT&T imposes hefty per-gigabyte charges on third parties for use of Sponsored Data," Wheeler tells lawmakers. "The structure of Verizon's FreeBee Data 360 program raises similar concerns."

AT&T's program is particularly troubling to the FCC, because DirecTV offers full-length video. "DIRECTV Now may be more likely to be viewed by mainstream consumers as a substitute for, and thus a direct competitor to, major providers of video programming delivered over the Internet -- such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sling TV, or Hulu," the FCC's Wireless Bureau said in a separate report released this week. "It is less likely that as many consumers would view the existing version of go90 as a serious competitor to those services."

Despite the critical report, the carriers aren't likely to change their approach, given that the FCC will soon have a Republican majority; the two existing Republican commissioners have already vowed to repeal the net neutrality laws.

AT&T senior vice president Joan Marsh has already responded to the FCC's report by contending that the company's zero-ratings scheme favors consumers. "It remains unclear why the Wireless Bureau continues to question the value of giving consumers the ability to watch video without incurring any data charges," Marsh blogged. "This practice, which has been embraced by AT&T and other broadband providers, has enabled millions of consumers to enjoy the latest popular content and services -- for free. We hope the government continues to support a competitive marketplace that lowers costs and increases choice for consumers.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 12, 2017

Google has introduced a new version of Accelerated Mobile Pages it calls AMP Lite. The new Web page format will take up to 45% fewer bytes than the standard AMP page to support slower network connections.

AMP Lite, which compresses images and image data, will roll out globally for "bandwidth-constrained users" in countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia and for those with low ram devices. The changes may modify fine details of some images, but do not affect other parts of the page including ads, according to Software Engineers Huibao Lin and Eyal Peled.

The change will optimize external fonts by using the amp-font tag, setting the font loading timeout to 0 seconds so that pages display immediately regardless of whether the external font was previously cached or not, Google's engineers wrote in a post.

advertisement advertisement

Google also made improvement to image optimizations by AMP Cache. Changes made for AMP to optimize image delivery range from removing invisible or difficult to view data, reducing color and quality of images without affecting visuals, and converting images to WebP format, which leads to a 25% reduction in bytes and no loss in quality. A few other more techie changes are described by Lin and Peled.

Automating processes will become the best part of the change, according to Itai Sadan, CEO of Duda. "This means a site's images may [render] blurry and any custom font will default to whatever the browser can handle, stripping down the quality of a Web site's design even more, but all of this just speaks to how important load times are on mobile for increasing user engagement and how far the industry still has to go to match the needs of what Google sees from its users," he said.

The challenge becomes meeting Google's requirements for load times while adding back to the full functionality of Web pages, he said.

Google introduces AMP for ads in July 2016. The project initially focused on slow-loading Web site pages and then migrated to ads.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 12, 2017

In a defeat for Apple, a federal appellate court has revived a lawsuit accusing the company of violating antitrust laws by charging monopoly prices for iPhone apps.

The ruling, issued Thursday by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, restores a class-action complaint centered on Apple's app-store business model, which involves a 70-30 revenue split with developers. (Last year, Apple tweaked that formula to allow developers who offer subscriptions to retain 85% of their app's revenue after the first year.)

In a complaint initially brought in 2011, a group of iPhone users characterize Apple's 30% commission from developers as a fee charged to consumers. The users claimed that Apple was only able to charge the 30% mark-up because it controls distribution of iPhone apps.

advertisement advertisement

"In a competitive environment, where developers could sell their apps on their own websites without charging Apples 30% mark-up and discount retailers could obtain volume discounts and sell for far less than a 30% profit, Apple would be under considerable pressure to substantially lower its 30% profit margin," the complaint alleges. "In a truly competitive iPhone apps distribution environment, Apples 30% margin would be simply unsustainable."

U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California dismissed the lawsuit in 2013, ruling that the developers -- and not iPhone users -- are the ones who pay the 30% commission.

The complaint "is fairly read to complain about a fee created by agreement and borne by the developers to pay Apple 30% from their own proceeds -- an amount which is passed-on to the consumers as part of the purchase price," Gonzalez ruled. Therefore, she said, the consumers weren't "direct" purchasers of the apps.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit reversed that decision. "Apple is a distributor of the iPhone apps, selling them directly to purchasers through its App Store," the judges wrote. They added that because Apple is a "distributor," the consumers are entitled to sue the company "for allegedly monopolizing and attempting to monopolize the sale of iPhone apps."

This case isn't Apple's first brush with antitrust law. Several years ago, the company was found to have orchestrated a price-fixing conspiracy with book publishers, resulting in higher ebook prices.
Fibromyalgia causes significant musculoskeletal pain, as well as changes in the ability to sleep, think, and remember. Doctors often consider fibromyalgia to be a type of arthritis. As with typical arthritic conditions, it causes pain. Unlike arthritis, however, it does not cause significant damage to muscles or joints. Fibromyalgia can affect anyone, but it is most common in women aged 4075 years, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Medications are available for treating fibromyalgia, but there is evidence to suggest that exercise, movement and body awareness, and muscle strength training may also all help. Yoga combines all of these approaches, and it may relieve pain and muscle stiffness.

4 yoga poses for fibromyalgia Many yoga poses could potentially benefit a person with fibromyalgia, but Shoosh Crotzers book  Yoga for Fibromyalgia recommends some specific poses. However, before embarking on this type of exercise, it is best to talk to a doctor. All of these poses have different variations to suit a persons ability. 1. Standing forward bend, or Uttanasana Share on Pinterest To do the standing forward bend: 1. Stand with the feet hip-width apart. 2. Bend forward from the hip joints. 3. If possible, place the fingertips or palms on the floor. People who cannot reach the floor with the hands can place the palms on the tops of the thighs or calves instead. After staying in this position for 3060 seconds, slowly roll the body up until standing straight. Anyone with a bad back may prefer to keep a bend in the knees. 2. Bridge pose, or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Share on Pinterest To do this pose: 1. Lie on the floor on the back. 2. Bend the knees, putting both feet flat on the floor. 3. Straighten the arms and, if possible, clasp them together beneath the body while exhaling and lifting the tailbone off the floor, keeping the buttocks tightened. 4. Hold this pose for 3060 seconds. 5. Exhale while slowly rolling the lower back and spine toward the floor. To protect the neck and reduce discomfort while lying face-up on the floor, place a rolled-up blanket under the shoulders. Anyone with a history of neck injury should avoid this pose. 3. Cobra pose, or Bhujangasana Share on Pinterest The cobra pose can stretch tired legs and open up the chest muscles. To perform this pose: 1. Lie face-down on the floor with the hands under the shoulders and the palms on the floor. 2. Pull the elbows back toward the body. 3. Inhale and push into the palms, straightening the arms until the upper body lifts off the floor. Do not lift the feet or pelvis off the floor. 4. Feel the stretch across the chest and in the lower back. 5. Hold the position for 1530 seconds, then release the pose and return to the starting position. People should not do this pose during pregnancy or if they have a headache, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a back injury. 4. Corpse pose (Savasana) Share on Pinterest Follow the steps below to do the corpse pose: 1. Lie flat on the back. 2. Breathe slowly in and out and visualize healing breath filling the body. 3. On breathing in, imagine the energy coming in to refresh the body. 4. When exhaling, feel the tension and pain flowing away. 5. Remain in the pose until ready to stop. Practicing these poses daily may enhance a sense of well-being.

What the research says As well as being a form of exercise, yoga is a self-care tool because it involves relaxation, meditation, and deep breathing. It is a meditative movement form in which a person carries out a series of coordinated movements while focusing on breathing, relaxation, meditation, or a combination of these activities. Similar practices include tai chi and qigong. Researchers have carried out several studies looking at the potential benefits of yoga for people with fibromyalgia. A 2011 study investigated the effects that an 8-week course of yoga and meditation had on 11 people with fibromyalgia. Following the study, participants had more days when they felt good. They were also less likely to miss work for reasons relating to fibromyalgia. However, the participants did not report a reduction in the incidence of pain and fatigue. A 2013 analysis of three research studies found that yoga helped reduce sleep disturbances, fatigue, and depression while also improving quality of life. However, the authors noted that there is insufficient evidence to confirm a link between yoga and reduced symptoms of fibromyalgia. In a 2010 study , researchers recruited 53 females with fibromyalgia and asked half of them to participate in an 8-week program while the remaining participants joined a waiting list for standard care. This program included meditation, breathing exercises, gentle poses, and yoga based instructions for coping with symptoms. The participants who completed the program reported significant improvements in measures of pain, fatigue, and mood relating to fibromyalgia. People practice yoga as an alternative remedy for many health issues. How does it work?

Types of yoga Many different types of yoga exist. Some focus on slow, controlled movements, while others can be as intensive as a hard run. The types of yoga include: Hatha yoga is the most common type of yoga that classes in the United States teach. Restorative yoga is a low intensity, rejuvenating practice. It incorporates assistive devices, such as blankets, bolsters, and blocks. Ashtanga yoga is an intense and challenging style that involves practicing a specific series of poses in the same order. Bikram yoga involves progressing through 26 poses in a heated room. Vinyasa yoga is a continuous, flowing type of yoga that can be physically challenging. Doctors have not defined a specific type of yoga that is best for people with fibromyalgia. Anyone practicing yoga should take into account any personal physical limitations, especially if they plan to engage in intense exercise or want to exercise in hot temperatures. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), while research regarding the effectiveness of yoga in relieving fibromyalgia symptoms is promising, there is not enough evidence to confirm that yoga can help people with this condition. Can essential oils help treat fibromyalgia? Learn more here.

Other health benefits of yoga Share on Pinterest Regular yoga practice may help reduce stress. Activities that enhance a persons overall health can be helpful for people with fibromyalgia. Studies have suggested that yoga may help reduce stress and boost both physical and mental health. According to a review article in Health Psychology Review, yoga appears to reduce the amount of cortisol that the body releases. Cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in the bodys stress response. Other psychological benefits of yoga may include a more positive affect, greater self-compassion, and increased mindfulness, all of which may help reduce stress.

Other approaches for fibromyalgia Tai chi is another movement-related practice that may help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms. Like yoga, tai chi combines the practices of meditation, slow and controlled movements, and deep breathing. According to the NCCIH , people with fibromyalgia who participated in hourly tai chi sessions twice a week for 12 weeks found that their sleep, mood, and overall quality of life improved. Additional approaches may include the following: Sleep, rest, and relaxation can benefit a person with fibromyalgia. They can try going to sleep at a regular time and avoiding excessive daytime napping, which can interfere with a good nights sleep. Regular exercise can help decrease fibromyalgia-related pain. Moderate forms of exercise that may be beneficial include swimming, riding a bicycle, participating in water aerobics, and walking. Overly strenuous exercise may worsen the pain. Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles at various specific points on the body to encourage blood and energy flow through the body. While it may help, there is a lack of conclusive evidence that acupuncture will always benefit people with fibromyalgia. Massage therapy involves using the hands to manipulate muscles and soft tissues, and it can help relieve stress and anxiety in people with fibromyalgia. As with most medical conditions, healthful self-care measures  such as eating nutritious foods  can help a person with fibromyalgia have a better quality of life. How can diet help manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia? Find out here.
Recurrent pregnancy loss occurs in up to a quarter of all pregnancies. However, new research suggests that a dose of progesterone may help women to successfully carry the pregnancy to term. Share on Pinterest New research suggests that progesterone treatment may prevent recurrent miscarriage. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a clinical condition that occurs when a woman has two or more failed pregnancies within the first 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), between 15-25 percent of all pregnancies are affected by RPL. Potential causes include genetics, age, hormonal disorders, lifestyle choices, and a variety of uterine disorders. However, the ASRM estimate that nearly 50 percent of all RPL cases have unknown causes. New research from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago, examines the role of progesterone in helping mothers to carry a pregnancy successfully to term. The findings were published in the international journal of the ASRM, Fertility & Sterility. Researchers were led by Dr. Mary D. Stephenson, who is the Dr. Theresa S. Falcon-Cullinan Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and director of the University of Illinois Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Program.

Studying progesterone in women with poor endometrial health Dr. Stephenson and team examined women who inexplicably lost two or more pregnancies between 2004-2012, at more than 10 weeks into their pregnancies. Researchers used an endometrial biopsy to exclude women who presented other conditions, such as endometritis, glandular-stromal dyssynchrony, or maturation delay. After the biopsy, 116 women were included in the study. Using an endometrial function test specially designed by study co-author Dr. Harvey J. Kliman, researchers assessed the endometrium of these participants to see if it was healthy enough to keep an embryo. The endometrium is the tissue lining the inside of the uterus, where the embryo implantation usually takes place. It plays a crucial role in providing nutrients for the fetus and supporting the pregnancy. In their tests, the team examined a molecular marker for endometrium health called nCyclinE, which is a glandular epithelial nuclear cyclin. Abnormally high levels of the marker indicate that the pregnancy is likely to fail, while normal levels suggest that it is likely to succeed. Of the 116 women, 59 had high levels of nCyclinE and 57 had normal levels. The women with high nCyclinE levels received treatment with natural micronized progesterone, administered vaginally, whereas those with normal levels made up the control group. The women were administered 100-200 milligrams of progesterone every 12 hours, and the treatment was initiated 3 days after a surge in the luteinizing hormone indicated that ovulation was due to begin.
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.

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 Americans - such as access to health care and environmental exposures - rates 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 eosinophils - a 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 treatment - instead, other targeted therapies may need to be considered and researched as a treatment option for those black patients with difficult to control eosinophilic asthma.

This research was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health (Grant Nos. U10 HL098096, U10 HL074225, U10 HLA074227, U10 HLA074231, U10 HLA074204, U10 HLA074212, U10 HLA074073, U10 HLA074206, U10 HLA074208, U10 HLA074218, R21 HL118588); the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology/Association of Specialty Professors; the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science (Award No. KL2RR029878); and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Grant No. UL1TR000050).

Article: Race is associated with differences in airway inflammation in patients with asthma, Sharmilee M. Nyenhuis, MD et al., Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.10.024, published online 6 January 2017.
Advertisement

"Self- or participant-directed care has been a model of successful public policy development and implementation - a movement coming from the grass roots and developed through the combined efforts of federal and state governments, philanthropic organizations, professional and advocacy organizations, and committed social and health care researchers," statesEditor-in-Chief Robert B. Hudson, in the issue's introduction.The new publication explores the evolution of the self-directed care movement in LTSS, as told by many of the principals who helped to shape and grow it. It examines many of the implementation challenges as self-direction moved from a controlled experiment to a national option, as well as the major changes in the environment that have shaped its development.Among the expert authors is Kevin Mahoney, who is currently the director of the National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services."It has been nearly ten years since a major journal devoted a full issue to participant self-direction in long-term supports and services. A lot has happened in that time. It is appropriate that this attention comes as a new administration and Congress debate future directions and priorities."A total of seven articles are included, starting with a look at the evolution of participant-directed care in home and community-based services in the U.S. and a review of recent trends in demand and availability. The issue also documents changes in federal legislation, regulation, and practice that have encouraged the growth of self-directed LTSS.Another piece makes international comparisons between programs in Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S. - and highlights significant differences in terms of eligibility, policy, and process between the approaches taken in each of the countries. The final article focuses on where the field of participant- directed care is likely to go next from its current status in the American health care system.Source: Eurekalert


Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.
Advertisement

Research shows there are a number of barriers to overcome to improve vaccination rates, including a lack of strong recommendations from physicians and parents not understanding that this vaccine protects against several types of cancer."Parents rely heavily on the recommendations of their child's health care provider for appropriate vaccination, and the medical community simply isn't consistently recommending the HPV vaccine like they do other public health prevention vaccines. This represents the No. 1 barrier to HPV vaccination and must change to reduce the burden of HPV-associated cancers in our community," says Electra Paskett, PhD, associate director for population sciences at the OSUCCC - James.In an effort to overcome these barriers, NCI-designated cancer centers have organized a continuing series of national summits to share new research, discuss best practices, and identify collective action toward improving vaccination rates.The original joint statement, published in January 2016, was the major recommendation from a summit hosted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer in November 2015, which brought together experts from the NCI, CDC, American Cancer Society and more than half of the NCI-designated cancer centers."We have been inspired by the White House Cancer Moonshot to work together in eliminating cancer," adds Paskett. "Improving HPV vaccination is an example of an evidence-based prevention strategy we can implement today to save thousands of lives in the future."The updated statement is the result of discussions from the most recent summit, hosted this summer by the OSUCCC - James. Nearly 150 experts from across the country gathered in Columbus to present research updates and plan future collaborative actions across NCI-designated cancer centers.Paskett notes that, like all vaccines used in the United States, HPV vaccines have passed extensive safety testing before and after being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine is given in childhood in order to given the child maximum protection against HPV infection before transmission contact occurs."As a global community, we need to unite around HPV vaccination as a true means of cancer prevention. I am a cancer control researcher but I'm also a parent of three boys. The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention and our best defense in stopping HPV infection in our youth and preventing HPV-associated cancers in our communities. Don't let your kids become our cancer patients."Source: Eurekalert
The love for Punjabi culture is infectious and if you ask anyone to describe their Punjabi friend, then chances are they will unanimously shout FUN, good food, a big heart, oodles of warmth and fuzzy hugs, crazy dance moves and forever smiling, as those are some stand-out traits of Punjabi people. Besides India, Canada is a hub where a mini Punjab resides.

 YouTube

Something stupendous happened recently when Gurdeep Pandher, a Punjabi author and a resident of Whitehorse met the mayor and did something that any fun Punjabi friend would do. He taught the Mayor how to tie a turban and taught him a few Bhangra moves as well!

 YouTube

Mr. Dan Curtis, the Mayor of City Of Whitehorse, will go down in history as the first Canadian Mayor to learn how to tie a turban.

 YouTube

He seemed to enjoy the whole process and was pretty keen to understand how it works.

 YouTube

Thats not all, Gurdeep then taught him a few Bhangra moves.

 YouTube

The jolly good fellow that he is, Mr. Dan confessed that it was one of the most memorable moments of his life and he had a lot of fun.

 YouTube

 YouTube

Canada is rich in Punjabi spirit and this is proof.
Kerala is known to have the highest literacy rate and until now we believed it to be true and were jealous AF. However, after looking at this image, all you peeps can go and take a sigh of relief and feel happy about your college or university.

Reportedly, Vimal Jyothi Engineering College in Kannur, Kerala, fined a student for laughing in the hostel. If that reason wasnt weird enough, the receipt issued by the hostel further cracked people up and left them rolling on the floor laughing, because the receipt read Laffing.

Having said that, this isnt the only gemstone dug from the mines of this engineering colleges hostel as another student was fined for what it looks like T.V. cable connection. Well, here the reason seems legit, but again their mastery over the English language was something hard to ignore. The receipt read T.V. Kabel Canting and the researchers are still trying to decipher what it actually meant.

 Facebook

Although, this receipt is of the year 2013 and the person fined might be laughing his ass off right now, we cant help but ask this question  Why would anyone be fined for laughing unless they snort incessantly and scare others? We mean, did his laughter expose other students to some deadly nuclear gas or any reaction? Why

After this incident, now Rakhi Sawant is scared that she might soon be fined for Chitting.

Source: India Today
A while ago we took a shadowy trip down the Deep Web (Also called the Dark Web) and shed some light on what really goes on there. However, there were a few things we missed out while talking about what can be bought from the Dark Web. Since the Deep Web is actually bigger than the basic Internet we all use every day, there are a bunch of goods and services (some weird and some downright crazy) that can be bought anonymously. The Deep Web was developed by the US Government and since then a ton of unregulated marketplaces have emerged where anyone can buy pretty much anything. Here, we list down some of the weirdest things for sale that we came across on the Deep Web

1. Credit Card Numbers

There are specific Dark Web sites that sell stolen credit card numbers at an incredibly low price. They sell these credit cards in batches of 100 and the reason why they are sold in bulk because there is a high chance that many of them have already been cancelled.

2. Fake Passport and Identity Cards

 4Chan

You can even buy yourself a fake passport and there is a website that claims it sells identification documents from virtually every country. If you are interested in getting yourself an American Passport, be prepared to shell out thousands of dollars.

3. Organic Weed

 4Chan

I personally have friends who have used this service and they only like to buy the best. Apparently, you can buy organic weed from the Netherlands and if you are interested in other varieties, apparently every strain and potency of ganja can be found on the Deep Web.

4. Stolen Netflix Accounts

 Netflix

If you are too cheap to pay Rs 500 per month to watch original Netflix content, fear not as you can buy plenty of stolen Netflix accounts for just Rs 70.

5. Fake College Degrees

 4Chan

Are you looking to get a new job and want to have impressive credentials? You can buy yourself a fake degree to fool your future employers. It will get delivered to your home and you can have it framed as well.

6. Ricin

 Wikipedia

Ricin is one of the most toxic poisons you can find that occurs naturally and a size of a few grams of table salt can kill a human being. Ricin can be mixed with your food and it can be bought on the Deep Web. It is available on a Deep Web site called Dark Market Reloaded. A 20-year-old man from the US was imprisoned for 9 years as he was caught selling the deadly poison.

7. Plastic Explosives

 4Chan

A journalist from Sabotage Times managed to talk to a Dark Web seller and was able to acquire huge quantities of C4 plastic explosives. Damn son!

8. A Private Jet

 YouTube

The Daily Mirror managed to find a Gulfstream Jet on sale and it was available for a relative bargain of $200,000. The jet was available for sale on Silk Route but were sure you can find other jets for your needs.

9. Rocket Launchers

 YouTube

Apart from your regular guns and ammunitions, The Armory (a weapons Deep Web site) sells rocket launchers on their marketplace. You can also get yourself a knockoff AK-47 or a grenade launcher. However, The Armory assures that they do not sell to known terrorist organisations (because terrorists like to reveal who they work for, right?)

10. Child Spirits

 4Chan

Now this is when things get really weird. You can buy ghosts and spirits of deceased children. The fuck? How does one even put a value on a childs spirit? I mean do I go and say Can I have a dead childs spirit for 100 bucks, please? Damn, the internet is weird.
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.
Alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos travelled to Berlin on Wednesday, 11 January, at the invitation of the German Minister of State for Europe, M. Roth, for bilateral consultations. He also had meetings with Mr. T. Nord, Federal MP and member of the Die Linke party, and with the Chairman of the German United Services Union (Ver.di), F. Bsirske. At the end of his visit, Mr. Katrougalos gave an interview to the Greek programme of Deutsche Welle and met with Greek press correspondents in Berlin.

During his meeting with the German Minister of State for Europe, which took place in a very good atmosphere, the discussion focused on issues of bilateral, European and international interest, in which there was significant convergence of views and appraisals. Messrs. Katrougalos and Roth both reconfirmed their intention to continue and further deepen their cooperation.

Moreover, the Alternate Foreign Minister stressed to his German collocutors the need to promote a progressive agenda on both a political and social level in order to revive European citizens' interest in the fundamental values, the ideals and the vision of the EU and to reverse the extremist nationalist and populist trends appearing in Europe. Mr. Katrougalos also highlighted that there is a need for a new policy alternative to the forces insisting on ineffective austerity policies that lack a social dimension and do not respond to the concerns of European citizens. The German Minister of State for Europe and Messrs. Nord and Bsirske largely agreed with the above views.

Finally, the Greek and German sides reaffirmed their readiness to intensify contacts on all levels.
HARBOR BEACH  The Harbor Beach Board of Education chose its officers for the year at its recent meeting.

Al Booth was voted school board president.

Last years president, Ron Hiller, was elected vice president. Paul Hunter was elected treasurer and Nancy Krueger became secretary.

High School Principal Michael Hugan said he was in the second round of teachers observations, and he felt they were going well.

He reported 175 students attended the recent Christmas Dance.

We had a great time at that, he said.

He also said there were 217 students registered in the high school.

Elementary Principal Tumara Johnston said her observations and meetings are finished and she would start her walk-throughs this week. More than 140 people attended the elementary Christmas program and she felt it was a great success.

Grades K-5 will be working on a program titled Think Before You Speak. The principal showed a small poster diagraming the word Think: T=Is it true? H=Is it helpful? I=Is it Inspiring? N=Is it Necessary? K=Is it Kind?

The program will be based on social skills and will be presented by her on a weekly basis at the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) Assemblies. These ideas will then be reinforced in the students classrooms.

Johnston went on to say Pie With the Principal went well in December. The program consists of parents and community members meeting with the principal on a monthly basis. As the name implies the group will enjoy pie. More importantly, they will discuss ways to help children recognize and deal with bullying. The next Pie With the Principal is set for Jan. 25.

Attendance in K-5 is 161 students. Another 114 students are registered in grades 6-8, bringing K-8 attendance to 275.

In discussions:

 At the next board meeting, Michigan Leadership Institute (MLI) representative Charles Andrews will address the board on finding its new superintendent. Current Superintendent Lawrence Kroswek will be retiring at the end of this school year, and MLI has been contracted to help find a new leader.

 The board agreed on new contracts for school employees Patricia Kramer and Marilee Schock. Kroswek explained, unlike most employees, their contracts are based on a calendar year and not the more common fiscal-year contract. Therefore, it is necessary to renew the contracts each January.

 The board discussed annexation of Kipper School, a topic which had been discussed before. Kroswek explained to the board when the process officially begins, they will have no longer than 120 days to finalize it. He went on to say, We have to get the ball rolling on this.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 18.
AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides various specialty insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. It operates through two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment offers property insurance products for commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, and onshore energy installations; marine insurance products covering offshore energy, cargo, liability, recreational marine, fine art, specie, and hull war; and terrorism, aviation, credit and political risk, and liability insurance products. It also provides professional insurance products that cover directors' and officers' liability, errors and omissions liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, crime, professional indemnity, cyber and privacy, medical malpractice, and other financial insurance related coverages for commercial enterprises, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and other professional service providers. In addition, this segment offers accidental death, travel, and specialty health products for employer and affinity groups. The Reinsurance segment offers reinsurance products to insurance companies, including catastrophe reinsurance products; property reinsurance products covering property damage and related losses resulting from natural and man-made perils; professional lines; credit and surety; and motor liability products. This segment also provides agriculture reinsurance products; coverages for various types of construction risks and risks related to erection, testing, and commissioning of machinery and plants during the construction stage; marine and aviation reinsurance products; and personal accident, specialty health, accidental death, travel, life and disability reinsurance products. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.
National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, and savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services comprise credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment comprises investment solutions, trust services, banking services, lending services, and other wealth management solutions. The Financial Markets segment offers corporate banking, advisory, and capital markets services; and project financing, debt, and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance products; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and investment solutions, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and monetization. It provides its services through a network of 384 branches and 927 banking machines. National Bank of Canada was founded in 1859 and is based in Montreal, Canada.
WSP Global Inc. operates as a professional services consulting firm in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, and internationally. It advises, plans, designs, and manages projects for rail transit, aviation, highways, bridges, tunnels, water, maritime, and urban infrastructure for public and private clients, construction contractors, and other partners. The company also provides engineering and consultancy services, such as decarbonisation strategies, digital building design, structural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services; and long-term operational management support services, including first feasibility studies; and advisory services, such as technical, financial, and environmental issues, as well as engineering design and energy simulations. In addition, it works with and advises businesses and governments in various areas of environmental consultancy, including environmental, social, and governance matters. Further, the company provides engineering and environmental services to companies operating in upstream exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, and downstream refining and distribution; and a range of consulting and engineering services, such as strategic studies, concept design, and productivity analysis to the food and beverages, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, automotive, and chemicals industries. Additionally, it offers strategic advisory services comprising planning and advisory, management, and technology and sustainability services. The company was formerly known as GENIVAR Inc. and changed its name to WSP Global Inc. in January 2014. WSP Global Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
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...
Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis set out positions at odds with the campaign statements of President-elect Donald Trump on Russia and Iran at his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday to become the nation's 26th secretary of defense.

Mattis also pledged to keep in place the current policies opening up all military occupational specialties, including combat jobs, to women and allowing gays to serve openly.

Trump has expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested working with the Kremlin to combat terrorism, but Mattis used his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee to warn against Russian aggression in Crimea, Ukraine and Syria.

"History is not a straightjacket, but I've never found a better guide for the way ahead," Mattis said, pointing to the failures of U.S. policy since World War II in improving relations with the Soviet Union and now Russia.

"Right now, the most important thing is that we must recognize the reality" of Putin's continuing adversarial policies, he said.

Mattis said he would seek to bolster the NATO alliance and "defend ourselves where we must" against Russia. He said he had discussed Russian aggression with Trump and "he's shown himself to be open" on the issue, but "he understands where I stand."

On Iran, Mattis said the U.S. has no choice but to continue with support of the nuclear deal to rein in Iran's nuclear programs, which Trump has suggested he may want to renegotiate or scrap.

"It's not a friendship treaty, but when America gives its word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies" to police the agreement, Mattis said.

Under questioning from Sens. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, and Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, Mattis said he would support the current policy on women in combat roles and gays serving openly.

"I have no plan to oppose women in any aspect of our military," Mattis said. On gays in the military, Mattis told Gillibrand, "Frankly, senator, I've never cared about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with."

Mattis elaborated on the issue of women in combat in his written responses to advance questions from the committee.

When asked whether Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's previous decision to open combat arms units was based on "an adequate review" of military analysis, Mattis wrote, "I believe that Secretary Carter appropriately carried out his duties. I have not personally reviewed the data and analysis that Secretary Carter had available to him before he made a decision on this issue. For that reason, I cannot characterize whether the review was adequate."

In response to a question on whether the occupational standards developed for ground combat occupations reflect "actual, regular, and recurring duties," Mattis pledged to "study the rationale and implementation of occupational standards across each of the Services. I will regularly consult with the Committee on the basis for occupational standards."

In other remarks prepared for the committee, Mattis said his primary mission at the Pentagon would be allow the State Department to negotiate from a "position of strength" to avoid conflicts in an era of rapidly evolving worldwide threats.

"I will work to make sure our strategy and military calculus are employed to reinforce traditional tools of diplomacy, ensuring our president and our diplomats negotiate from a position of strength," he said.

Mattis also said that Trump must avoid a go-it-alone approach on employing the military and instead work through allies and partnered local forces to carry out missions.

"We must embrace our international alliances and security partnerships. History is clear: Nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither," Mattis said in what could be seen as an endorsement of the same general strategy carried out by President Barack Obama.

His remarks appeared aimed at easing the concerns of senators over Trump's campaign remarks suggesting that the U.S. might reduce commitments to NATO and alter relationships with key Asian allies Japan and South Korea.

Mattis also showed deference to civilian control of the military in seeking a waiver from Congress to allow him to succeed outgoing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Current law bars military officers from accepting cabinet posts until seven years after retirement. Mattis stepped down as head of U.S. Central Command in 2013.

"Civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition," he said, and "if the Senate consents and if the full Congress passes an exception to the seven-year requirement, I will provide strong civilian leadership of military plans and decisions."

"I recognize my potential civilian role differs in essence and in substance from my former role in uniform," said Mattis, who served 41 years in the Marine Corps.

The Senate panel later voted 24-3 to grant Mattis the waiver, signaling that he was headed for easy confirmation before the full Senate. Voting against were Gillibrand; Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts; and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. Later in the day, the full Senate approved the waiver by a vote of 81-17.

Mattis had agreed to testify on the waiver Thursday afternoon before the House Armed Services Committee following his Senate hearing, but his appearance was abruptly canceled Wednesday, reportedly by the transition team for President-elect Donald Trump for reasons yet to be specified.

House Democrats immediately threatened to vote "No" as a bloc against the waiver. Since World War II, only one defense secretary has been confirmed under a waiver -- Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army chief of staff during World War II.

"This is a major issue affecting civilian control of the military, and Congress has a responsibility to consider it carefully with hearings and a mark-up," said Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington state Democrat and the ranking HASC member.

Mattis, a legend in the Corps for his plain talk and lead-from-the-front style, was soft-spoken and reserved in his exchanges with the committee, in contrast to his "Mad Dog" image promoted by Trump.

To bolster Mattis' credentials, he was introduced to the panel by a bipartisan team of former senators who earned respect on both sides of the aisle during their long careers.

Former Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat who served as either chairman or ranking committee member, and former Sen. William Cohen, a Maine Republican who served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton, both said that a Defense Secretary Mattis would honorably fill the role.

In his opening remarks, McCain said, "I, for one, could not be happier" to be presiding at the hearing, which is the first step in the confirmation process. "Our nation needs Gen. Mattis more than ever."

In their questioning, committee Republicans depicted Mattis as a strong leader who would push for major increases in defense spending and reverse what they see as a military strategy under the Obama administration that projected U.S. indecision and weakness.

"You are going to be confirmed by a strong bipartisan vote" in the full Senate, Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who ran against Trump in the primaries, told Mattis. "Thank you for your willingness to come back and pull this country back from the precipice."

Cruz sought Mattis' support for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, made by Lockheed Martin with major facilities in Fort Worth, Texas. Trump has questioned the huge cost overruns on the F-35 and suggested that the F-18 Super Hornet might be an adequate replacement, but Mattis said that the F-35 "is crucial for our own air superiority in the future because of its stealth" and advanced avionics.

He said continued production of the F-35 is also crucial to U.S. allies. "To them, it's an all-in situation," Mattis said.

Trump has doubts about the overall cost of the F-35, but "he just wants the best bang for the buck."

Mattis tended to avoid definitive answers to many questions, saying he would need more time to consider a response and promising to get back to the committee, but he put down markers on a range of issues:

Russia and Iran

Mattis lumped Russia together with other threats as posing a significant danger to the shaky world order brought about mainly by the efforts of the U.S. after World War II. "I think [stability in the world] is under the biggest attack since World War II -- from Russia, from terrorist groups and with what China is doing in the South China Sea," he said.

McCain said, "I've watched three presidents commit themselves to new relationships with Vladimir Putin. All three have been an abysmal failure."

Mattis responded that "I think right now the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with [in] Mr. Putin. We recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, and that we take the steps, the integrated steps -- diplomatic, economic, military and the alliance steps --- working with our allies to defend ourselves where we must."

"I'm all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to," Mattis said. "There's a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and an increasing number of areas where we're going to have to confront Russia."

On the Iran nuclear deal, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and critic of Trump, said that during the campaign Trump "gave his word to the American people" that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was a "terrible deal" and vowed that "I'm going to change it because it's terrible."

"It's not a deal I would have signed, sir," Mattis said in response, but the U.S. is now committed with its allies to the deal and must abide by it. Mattis said he would back increased focus on Iran by the intelligence community to detect any effort to cheat on the agreement.

He also said that Iran is a "destabilizing" force in the region and he would work with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford on new strategies to counter Iran's influence. One way would be to work with Arab partners in the region on collaborative anti-missile defense, Mattis said.

ISIS and North Korea

Mattis told the committee that he backs the current strategy to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria by taking the strongholds of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, but said he would look for ways to intensify and accelerate the campaigns.

Once ISIS is defeated in Mosul and Raqqa, the U.S. will still have to assist in guarding against terrorism by the remnants of ISIS and assist in promoting political stability in Iraq and Syria, he said.

"Our principal interest in Iraq is to ensure that it does not become a rump state of the regime in Tehran and party to Iran's quest for regional hegemony -- a quest that poses a threat to peace and stability," Mattis said in written testimony to the committee.

He was less clear on how to proceed in Syria's civil war. "It does not lend itself to a one or two paragraph answer," Mattis said. "It is necessary to define the problems posed by the conflict, and to establish what level of priority we must assign to solving those problems in the midst of dealing with our other challenges."

On both Iraq and Syria, Mattis said he would be guided by a single principle: "The most important thing to know when you go into a shooting war is how you want it to end."

On North Korea, Mattis said that the U.S. "must cooperate closely with our allies in the region, in particular the Republic of Korea and Japan, and work with other states with important interests in the situation, including Russia and China" to rein in North Korea's threats and provocations. He also called for bolstering U.S. homeland and regional anti-missile defenses.

"We need to continue to strengthen our homeland and theater missile defense capabilities while working with our allies to strengthen their military capacity to deter and, if necessary, respond to aggression by North Korea," he said.

At the hearing, Mattis declined to be drawn out on whether Trump had drawn his own "red line" by saying of North Korea's threat to test launch an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that "it won't happen." When asked whether the U.S. should shoot down an ICBM test launch, Mattis said, "I don't think we should take anything off the table."

Force of the Future

In his management of the Pentagon, Mattis said, "All personnel policies will be designed to bring troops home alive and victorious." To do that, "It is imperative to disaggregate functions that add value, including those that increase the lethality of the force and help the department achieve its aims, from functions that are duplicative and unnecessary."

How that plays out in terms of pay, headquarters staff reductions, and reforms in the way the Pentagon buys weapons will have to await his review of Pentagon processes, Mattis said.

Mattis said he was open to making U.S. Cyber Command a full, unified combatant command. "I've got to look at the breakout," Mattis said, but "philosophically, I'm OK with it."

Under questioning from the newest SASC member, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, Mattis indicated that he would retain the Defense Innovation Board and the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) initiatives of outgoing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to forge closer ties to the high-tech community and speed DoD acquisitions of the latest in cutting-edge equipment.

Mattis said he "absolutely" agrees that the DoD must adapt to change, adding, "We should embrace any area where we have that opportunity" to coordinate and collaborate with Silicon Valley and the high-tech communities in other areas.

On women in the military, Mattis said that he would be guided by strict adherence to standards. "The standards are the standards and, when people meet the standards, that's the end of the discussion on that," he said.

"Today, over 15 percent of today's active-duty force is female. Our military could not accomplish its missions without these women. As we ask more from our female enlisted members and officers, we owe them more as well," Mattis said. He noted that as a commander he had not hesitated in putting women on the front lines with men.

Not a 'Mad Dog'

In Iraq, Mattis' call sign was "Chaos" and in his long career in uniform he acquired a reputation for colorful, to the point, and sometimes expletive-laced quotes. Mattis said to his troops in Iraq, "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

Along the way, Mattis acquired the nickname "Mad Dog." Trump has taken to calling him that, but the lifelong bachelor sometimes called the "warrior monk" told the committee that the "Mad Dog" moniker was not to his liking, and his friends never call him that.

When asked about the "Mad Dog" nickname by Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, Mattis said: "Senator, first I assure you that that nickname was given to me by the press, and some of you may have experienced similar occasions with the press where perhaps they didn't get it quite right."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis will begin the Senate confirmation process Thursday to become the next defense secretary amid high expectations that he can make the military great again while also serving as a brake on the new commander-in-chief.

Mattis will go before a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee as only the second defense secretary nominee since 1947 who will not know for sure whether he will be legally permitted to take the job. Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army chief of staff during World War II, was the first defense secretary granted a waiver in 1950.

Current law bars military officers from taking cabinet posts until they have been retired for at least seven years in the interests of maintaining civilian control of the military.

Mattis retired in 2013 as head of U.S. Central Command and would need a waiver from both the Senate and House to take the Pentagon post. He has widespread support in Congress, and the waiver was considered a formality -- until Wednesday.

Mattis had agreed to testify on the waiver Thursday afternoon before the House Armed Services Committee following his Senate hearing, but his appearance was abruptly canceled Wednesday, reportedly by the transition team for President-elect Donald Trump for reasons yet to be specified.

House Democrats immediately threatened to vote "No" as a bloc on the waiver. "This is a major issue affecting civilian control of the military, and Congress has a responsibility to consider it carefully with hearings and a mark-up," said Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington state Democrat and the ranking HASC member.

"The idea is that if we don't hear from him, we aren't voting for him," Smith said, but the Trump transition team brushed off the threat.

A spokeswoman for the transition team, Alleigh Marre, said in a statement that Mattis is focused on "following the constitutional process for confirmation" and testifying before the Senate.

"If confirmed, he looks forward to working with both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, which play critical roles in supporting our forces and ensuring civilian control of the military," Marre said, The Washington Post reported.

The 66-year-old Mattis, who led a battalion in the Persian Gulf War, a task force in Afghanistan, and the 1st Marine Division in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, will go before a SASC panel stacked with enthusiastic supporters and with the even more enthusiastic support of Trump, who refers to him as "Mad Dog" and calls him "the real deal."

However, Mattis has made plain, now and in past statements, that he is at odds with Trump on a range of issues:

Trump said during the campaign that "torture works" in the interrogation of terror suspects. Mattis has told Trump that it doesn't and is against the law.

Trump has railed against cost overruns for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and said he would consider replacing it with F-18E/F Super Hornets. Mattis has backed the F-35.

Trump has supported Israeli settlements on the West Bank and questioned the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mattis has said that Israel risks becoming an "apartheid" state without the two-state solution.

Trump pledged during the campaign to renegotiate or scrap the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to rein in Iran's nuclear programs. Mattis has said that Iran's "malign influence" must be checked, but the deal should stay in place.

Mattis' ability to act as a check on Trump was a focus of the committee hearing Tuesday on the waiver. The panel is expected to take a vote Thursday on the waiver for Mattis following the hearing on his qualifications.

At the waiver hearing Tuesday, Eliot Cohen, director of the Strategic Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University, said he backed the waiver and hoped that Mattis as defense secretary would serve as a brake on Trump.

"In such a setting, there is no question in my mind that a Secretary Mattis would be a stabilizing and moderating force, preventing wildly stupid, dangerous or illegal things from happening," Cohen said. Over time, Mattis could work with Trump "to steer American foreign and security policy in a sound and sensible direction."

Sen. John McCain, the committee chairman and an Arizona Republican, interjected: "One can only hope."

In his various posts in the military, and in retirement, Mattis has testified frequently before the House and Senate with a candor rarely shown by many of his colleagues in uniform.

His previous statements on Iran, Russia, China, counter-terrorism, women in combat, sexual assault, and Trump's pledges to boost the size of the Army and the Marine Corps, are expected to figure prominently in the questioning.

Senators are also expected to focus on the perennial topic of reforming the Pentagon's cumbersome and costly acquisition process for new weapons systems. Senators have been known to excel at lambasting "waste, fraud and abuse" in acquisitions -- unless the particular weapons system in question is made in their state.

The Center for a New American Security drew up a list of potential questions for Mattis that includes:

What do you believe are the necessary political complements to our military effort to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

What is your view of President Vladimir Putin, his strategic calculus, and the threat Russia poses to Europe and the West

What role should the U.S. military play, if any, in dealing with this broader challenge from China in the South China Sea?

Do you still believe that it is not possible at this moment to walk away from the Iran nuclear deal?

Will you maintain the current policy opening all military occupational specialties to women or do you intend to roll it back?

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
The U.S. Army's chief of staff said Thursday he is prepared to brief the incoming Trump administration on plans to increase modernization and add more soldiers to the ranks.

"We do want to be bigger," Gen Mark Milley told an audience at an Association of the United States Army breakfast. "We, the Army, think our capacity needs to increase ... we think our capability -- the technical capability of our systems and formations -- needs to increase, and we think our readiness needs to increase."

The Army, like the rest of the U.S. military, is poised to reverse a persistent trend of deep cuts to end strength and modernization under the Obama administration with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump next week.

"We fully understand that it's an expensive proposition," Milley said. "We know specifically what we need to do, and we are prepared to discuss that when asked by the new administration."

The Army's top priority continues to be readiness, he said.

"In many of the ways we measure readiness, we have made some significant improvements," Milley said. "Our equipment statuses are better than they were, our training is better now -- we have got units rotating through decisive-action rotations at the [combat training centers and] a lot of home-station training.

"We are not there yet; we are not at the level of readiness that we need to be at to fully execute the national strategic plans to the level that I would be comfortable with," he said.

Manning Levels

The top challenge to maintaining readiness, Milley said, is that many units do not have the number of available soldiers they are required to have.

"Manning has been the biggest problem area, dragging readiness back," he said. "We are still significantly challenged on the manning front with a significant amount of non-availables, so we have got to work hard at that."

Currently, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2017 has directed the Army to make sure its active force end strength is at 476,000 by Oct. 1, Milley said. This is a shift from the Obama administration's original request for the same period, which had the active force decreasing to 460,000.

"If we do get additional people, the very first thing we need to do is improve the manning levels in the existing organizations because our formations are under-strength," he said. "We set a target of 95 percent, depending on the unit, but when you take out your 10 percent of unavailables, you take our your day-to-day activities that strip people out of training, you find units going to training sometimes down around 80 percent or, in some cases, even lower."

But Milley warned that the Army will need additional funding if it is required to grow its end strength.

"So if by example we did have additional people, it's important to get the money with the people -- because when you just get additional people or additional end strength but we don't have the money, that leads you down the road of a hollow force," he said.

Modernization

Milley also said that increasing modernization "is going to be a major effort this year."

"The other piece of it is modernization, of course, which is nothing more than future readiness, and we have got to pick the pace up there," he said. "We intend to do that this year and next, to try to recoup some of the lost years of modernization accounts we have had over the past 15 years."

Milley said he had made a list of modernization priorities, but he would not be specific nor would he rank them in any order of importance.

"Ground mobility is a big deal," he said. "We have introduced some programs, and we are working on that especially with our light force; we want to give them ground mobility capabilities there."

Protecting the Army's helicopter fleet is also a priority, Milley said.

"Aviation is very vulnerable against a near-peer, high-end threat," he said. "It's one thing to fight guerrillas and terrorists where you have almost exclusive freedom of the air, but it's another thing to fight some near-peer, higher-end threat. So protection of our aviation is a big deal, and we have a variety of creative initiatives going on to protect rotary-wing aviation, extend their range with engine improvements etc."

The Army also wants increased lethality, Milley said. In the long term, the service is "looking at non-traditional kinetics, such as railguns and lasers."

In the short term, the Army wants more "munitions that give us extended range for a variety of our firearms platforms, specifically artillery, both rocket and tube artillery," he said.

Electronic Warfare

Ensuring that the Army's command and control systems can withstand enemy electronic warfare and cyber-attacks is another important modernization priority, Milley said.

It's highly unlikely that the Army will have the freedom of action in the electromagnetic spectrum it has enjoyed for the last 15 years of war, he said.

"The probability of that happening against a near-peer is zero; you are just not going to have that kind of freedom of action," Milley said.

The Army is working on ways to harden its radio, GPS and mission command systems so units can continue to operate in areas where the electromagnetic spectrum is under attack, he said.

"You have heard me many times talk about the various challenges around the world, and if you are paying close attention to the Senate confirmation hearings, you will see those challenges repeatedly asked in questions to the nominees," Milley said.

"They are serious challenges; they are challenges that our nation, regardless of who is in the White House, is going to have to come to grips with. And our part of that, as an Army, is to be ready."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related Video:
Social Media

You can follow us on different types of social media by clicking the links below:
#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...
JACKSON, MI -- The unique talents of antique dealer Kathy Nottoli and her two daughters, Rachel Miller and Stephanie Zieman, created a even more unique business called Mosaic Vintage Rentals.

Although they each already have full time jobs, Nottoli said, "It's just fun! We do something we love."

The University of Michigan rented over 100 different tea cups and saucers for a tea party it hosted.



Here are five things you probably didn't know about Mosaic Vintage Rentals:

* MVR rents wooden chairs, upholstered furniture, wooden doors, whiskey barrels and other items for weddings, parties, corporate events and photographers.

Business Info

Address:

707 W. Franklin St., Jackson

Type of Business:

Vintage rentals

Owners:

Kathy Nottoli & Rachel Miller

Number of Employees:

3

Serving Community:

Since 2012

Business Hours:

By appointment only.

Contact Info:

Phone: 517-936-9312; Website:

; Facebook:

; Instagram:

; Pinterest:

* They fill rquests by clients for items they don't have - which involves searching for the perfect piece.

* While the business is not in the habit of selling items, they do sell lace linens and dollies to clients wishing to make their event even more unique

* Delivery is available for orders over $100.

* Clients can rent selected pieces as a group when a client states they want the entire look for their event.

If you'd like to suggest a Jackson-area business for this feature, please contact reporter Leanne Smith at lsmith12@mlive.com or 517-262-0720.
[January 11, 2017]

Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo Returns to Singapore, February 14-15, 2017

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rising Media, Inc. and 3DR Holdings revealed program details for the upcoming Inside 3D Printing Singapore, taking place at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on February 14-15, 2017.

Inside 3D Printing is the largest professional 3D printing and additive manufacturing event series worldwide. The Singapore event, now in its fourth year, has established itself as the premier professional 3D printing seminar and expo in Southeast Asia. Last year's Inside 3D Printing Singapore event hosted more than 2,700 attendees.

In addition to its exhibition hall, Inside 3D Printing Singapore also features a seminar program focusing on the latest developments, technologies, and applications in 3D printing. The seminar and expo is free to attend for all preregstered attendees.







To register, please visit inside3dprinting.com/singapore.

Confirmed exhibitors include:

Creatz3D

3D Printing Studios

Formlabs

DMP Electronics

Eye2Eye

Invest in Saxony-Anhalt

Shonan Design

Uni-Stat

3D Printing Technology Association ( Hong Kong )

If your company is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting in Singapore or at an upcoming event, please contact [email protected].

About 3DR Holdings

3DR Holdings, LLC invests in media properties related to 3D Printing, Robotics and Frontiertech.

About Rising Media

Rising Media is a global events and media producer excelling in Internet and technology-related events and content. Events include Inside 3D Printing, RoboUniverse, Virtual Reality Summit, Data Driven Business, Building Business Capability, Predictive Analytics World, eMetrics Summit, Conversion Conference, AllFacebook Marketing Conference, Search Marketing Expo, Affiliate Management Days, Influencer Marketing Days, Future of Immersive Leisure, Global Classifieds Summit, and Web Effectiveness Conference in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, India, China, Korea, Singapore, Australia, Brazil.

For more information, please visit www.risingmedia.com.

For press inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Christoph Rowen

+852 9190 4412

[email protected]
business I don't see Trump's views affecting Indian drug cos: Biocon CMD Following US president-elect Donald Trumps explosive speech last night where he lambasted the domestic pharma companies for outsourcing work, pharma stocks are likely to be in limelight today.
business India Inc hails Chandrasekaran's elevation as Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, the man at the helm of Tata Consultancy Services for nearly 7 years has now been elevated to head Tata Sons. Here's what his contemporaries have to say about him.
you are here:
business Techno Electric shares gain 5% on sale of wind power assets Techno Electric & Engineering Company shares rallied 5 percent intraday Thursday after sale of wind power assets by the company.
business Trigyn Tech locked at 5% upper circuit on IT project from US GSA Shares of Trigyn Technologies were locked at 5 percent upper circuit at Rs 111.50 on Thursday after its subsidiary received IT contract from the independent agency of United States government.
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,
All the grand old homes have names, and Bellamore is no exception.

The historic home, located at 408 N. Green St. in Morganton, is grand once again due to owners Michael Smith and David Stevensons efforts to restore and preserve this important piece of local history, part of which dates back to 1840.

Built by state Senator and Supreme Court Justice Alphonso Calhoun Avery, the house, formerly known as the Avery-Summersette House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stevenson said a newer part of the home was added in 1876.

Smith and Stevenson were honored with one of Preservation North Carolinas 2016 Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit in recognition of their dedication to preserving historic structures across the state. They were given the award at a special ceremony held in Greensboro on Oct. 8, 2016.

Twelve of the awards are given each year to those who have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion, and/or significant participation in preservation, according to www.presnc.org.

Stevenson said they were nominated by volunteers with the Historic Burke Foundation, including Renda Hopkins and Lynn Galvin.

It was a big honor, Stevenson said. We didnt realize how big of a deal it was until we got there and realized there had been between 1,200 and 1,500 nominees.

In addition to Bellamore, Stevenson and Smith have restored Bridgewater at Lake James, a structure dating back to the 18th century built by Overmountain Man Peter Rust that was once two separate log cabins, and the Halsey-Chappell House in Edenton from 1894.

Stevenson, who serves as president of the HBF, said hes always had an interest in history, particularly historic structures.

Ive been a preservationist pretty much all my life, Stevenson said. I started as a young boy. I was a Tar Heel Junior Historian back around 1976. I feel that preservation is good for the economic growth of the county, and adds to the overall ambience of the city. When you come in and see homes that are well taken care of, it speaks volumes about the community.

He said the first thing that attracted him to the Green Street house was its incomparable woodwork.

The house has chestnut, tiger-maple, walnut, heart-pine, knotted-pine, Stevenson said. Some of it is irreplaceable.

He said its one of the few homes in Morganton built in the Second Empire Victorian style, another example being the Morganton Federal Savings and Loan building.

Smith and Stevenson bought the house in 2014, despite the fact it was in a seriously dilapidated state at the time.

It had five active leaks in the roof, Stevenson said. It was amazing to me that it survived. We came over with pans in the months before we actually took possession so we could catch the water and try and keep it from getting any worse before we bought it.

Smith elaborated.

You could see the bathroom from the bottom floor, Smith said. The upper-level walls were caving in. There was so much rotten wood that the porch was literally coming loose from the house. It was pretty much a total renovation as far as re-plastering, re-painting, new electrical, plumbing, (etc.).

They described some of the problems they encountered dealing with 19th century craftsmanship.

All of the interior walls are three layers of brick thick, with plaster over top of it, Smith said. In several places, the water had eroded 2  to 3 inches back into the brick, so we had to chisel out and find solid brick again to be able to plaster back over it.

The front stairwell of the house is an architectural feat all by itself.

The house is actually holding the stairwell up, Smith said. As they built the house, they cantilevered the steps to make a free-standing staircase. Our contractor said if we could even find somebody to do something like that nowadays, it would probably cost in excess of $100,000.

They salvaged some large chestnut beams from the porch, one of which they gave to Jimmy and Mary Lou Furr. The Furrs live at Swan Ponds, Averys birthplace. They gave another beam to former Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen.

Two years and approximately $250,000 later, the pair is only now finishing up with the massive project.

The biggest part took six to nine months, Stevenson said. We really tried to maintain the integrity of the historic structure.

He praised the contractors they hired to help them with the restoration.

We had really good workers, Stevenson said. We had a crew of sometimes 18 people here a day for months and months, because it was too much for two people to try to do alone.

They named the house Bellamore to signify the significant amount of love it takes to redo a historic home.

Smith explained the unusual sideways orientation of the house.

Everybody asks why this house sits sideways on the property instead of facing Green Street, Smith said. We were told this was pretty much the end of town at that particular time. He (Avery) built it this way because he could actually sit on his porch and see the courthouse from his front yard. There was nothing developed past this point.

The pair opens Bellamore for periodic tours, mostly to raise funds for the HBF.

Smith said he has found preserving the house fulfilling.

When you do something like this, its a labor of love, Smith said. To be recognized for doing something thats going to benefit generations to come is pretty awesome.

Tammie Gercken can be reached at tgercken@morganton.com.
The last time I interviewed Ben Affleck, about his smart, spirited CIA thriller "Argo," he shared the outcome he dreads most when making a movie: "Everybody walks bovine-like through the turnstile going, 'Yeah, it was OK. Yeah, it was OK.' And you stamp a 'B' Cinemascore on their head and that's the goal."

Those words  so admirable and on-point in this age of regularized mediocrity  take on particularly haunting resonance when considering "Live by Night," Affleck's fourth directorial foray that, despite a promising pedigree, lush Prohibition-era atmospherics and Affleck's stellar track record behind the camera, can best be described as OK.

This isn't to condemn Affleck's intentions: He clearly hasn't set out to make the kind of banal, impersonal multiplex fodder he decried. Indeed, "Live by Night," which, like Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town," is based on a story by Dennis Lehane, is precisely the kind of stylish, temperamentally mature film most of us wish Hollywood would make more of.

There's so much going for "Live by Night" that it's difficult to tease out what, exactly, is wrong with it. Affleck plays Joe Coughlin, a disillusioned World War I veteran who returns to his home town of Boston devoid of any moral code other than self-interested survival. The son of a well-connected policeman (Brendan Gleeson), Joe's a natural candidate for membership in the local Irish mob. But he's not a joiner, preferring to pull easy, modestly lucrative bank and poker-game heists with his Italian partner Dion (Chris Messina). Joe's refusal to pledge allegiance to either tribe is complicated, as these stories tend to be, by the presence of a woman  in this case, a jazz-baby straight out of the femme fatale textbook, played by Sienna Miller with a mantle of class resentment as thick as her Irish brogue.

Maybe it's those lilting Irish cadences, or maybe it's just the hats, but an air of make-believe  not to mention the ghosts of other, better movies  fatally haunts "Live by Night," which eventually sends Joe to the west coast of Florida, where he seeks his fortune in bootleg rum and a burgeoning casino business on Longboat Key. Attracted to the region's pluralistic culture (a lively roux of Cuban, African-American and Native American cultures), Joe becomes the unofficial mayor of Tampa. The only question is whether his undoing will come by way of his criminal activities, his gangland rivals, the perorations of a newly minted evangelical preacher (Elle Fanning), her sheriff father (Chris Cooper) or an emboldened Ku Klux Klan.

Shot in rich amber tones by Robert Richardson, "Live by Night" looks terrific, and Affleck is as proficient as ever with crime-driven action, including shootouts, old-timey car chases and some spirited nightclub scenes. If, as his own leading man, he doesn't bring much zing to the role of Joe, he fills out the suit with convincing, square-shouldered heft.

And he's cast the rest of the movie well: Cooper and Fanning are both excellent in their supporting roles. But Zoe Saldana, as a slinky Florida local, is little more than set dressing in a story that can't help but invoke memories of "Miller's Crossing" and "The Godfather Part II," with touches of "Boardwalk Empire" thrown in for good measure.

The visual and performative elements are polished enough in "Live by Night," but it lacks any sense of urgency. Affleck, who adapted Lehane's novel, gives himself one or two important speeches about immigrants, intolerance and the American Way, but never elevates a generically basic plot into a truly original or compelling story.

Somber, well-judged and admirably ambitious, "Live by Night" nonetheless falls short of being essential, its familiar moving parts heading predictably toward a conclusion that feels mechanical and preordained. It's OK, from a filmmaker who's capable of far better.
While the economy may be booming in some sectors, some Americans are worried about the rise in health care costs.

To help combat these worries, Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge, which operates the local hospitals in Morganton and Valdese, will not have a rate increase for patients for the second consecutive year. In fact, costs for many procedures will be reduced as well, according to CHS Blue Ridge President and CEO Kathy C. Bailey.

Last year marked the first time in 16 years that Blue Ridge didnt raise rates, said Bailey. Weve been holding our costs down in the hopes we wouldnt have to raise them in 2017, and we did it.

Since Bailey became CEO in 2013, she has increasingly pushed the hospital system to be a good community partner.

By not raising our rates, we hope it will help improve the health of our community by encouraging everyone to participate in preventive medicine, she said.

Letting patients know the costs of procedures is part of an initiative Bailey started in the last couple of years to increase hospital transparency and hopefully strengthen the communitys trust in its local hospitals.

Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge is part of Carolinas HealthCare System, a partnership which helped Blue Ridge keep down costs. Bailey cautioned that comparing hospitals solely on price, even for like procedures, provides an incomplete picture. Often, these comparisons dont take into account the differences between healthcare systems, the healthcare coverage held by the patient and the patients own medical condition, she said.

We are continuing our efforts to provide greater transparency and recommend that patients weigh all factors before making a healthcare decision to ensure they receive care that meets their expectations, Bailey said.

Blue Ridge has started providing a written estimate of charges for surgical and imaging services performed at the hospital. The estimate provides the patients out-of-pocket expense.

Patients also need to be aware that certain services are not included in the hospital bill, including charges from:

 A private physician

 Emergency department physicians

 Radiologists

 Pathologists (laboratory physicians)

 Anesthesiologists

 Ambulance services  EMS or private ambulance

For more information on getting estimates for procedures, contact Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridges Pre-Services Team at 828-580-7515.
Hitting the sauce and then hitting the streets led to charges for a man who wrecked his car Wednesday afternoon in Morganton.

Eldridge Dwayne McCrimmon, 38, of 4551 Rainhill Drive in Morganton , was charged with driving while impaired, open container and careless and reckless driving, according to State Trooper J. Gouge with the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

McCrimmon was driving an SUV south on Conley Road in Morganton with his 18-year-old daughter when he crossed over the center line, lost control of the vehicle , hit a utility pole and overturned, Gouge said.

The pole was snapped in half due to the vehicle 's impact.

The daughter was transported to Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge in Morganton with minor injuries, according to Gouge.

McCrimmon refused treatment by Burke EMS.

Speed is suspected to be a factor in the wreck as well, but black ice was not, said Trooper E.J. Phillips with NCHP.

The guy told me he was coming home from picking up his daughter from school and he has no idea what happened, said Jerry Zimmerman, deputy fire chief with Brendletown Fire and Rescue. He did tell me he had been drinking today.

Zimmerman sa id the two were lucky the injuries weren't severe .

Phone and cable lines were affected, but not electricity, according to Dean Presnell, a system technician with Charter Communications , who was out on the scene helping to assess damages. He was not sure as to how many people were affected, but knew phone and cable services would be back up shortly a fter the vehicle was removed.

Responding agencies were Brendletown Fire and Rescue, North Carolina Highway Patrol, Burke EMS and Burke REACT.

Staff Writer Jonelle Bobak can be reached at jbobak@morganton.com or 828-432-8907.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
A Vancouver price correction is expected to contribute to more moderate home price growth across the country, according to a comprehensive report.



But that doesnt spell the end for the countrys former hottest market.



If were to call for an 8.5% correction in Ottawa or Montreal, that would be a huge deal. It would represent a market crash because the price appreciation has been moderate. In Vancouver, when you see prices rising at the rate they have been rising in the mid to high 20s, 8.5% in that context seems moderate, Phil Soper, president of Royal LePage, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. Think of it this way, in relative terms, rather than rising by 26% youre going the other direction by 8.5%, in market terms thats a significant market turnaround. It is a significant change but its not unexpected.



The brokerage expects the home price appreciation gap to narrow in 2017, with traditionally hot markets to trend to more historical norms, according to its 2017 real estate report, released early Thursday.



That includes Vancouver, which is forecasted to experience home price depreciation.



But Toronto is trending in the other direction.



Like Greater Vancouver, the Greater Toronto Area markets we studied in our House Price Composite are seeing double-digit year-over-year home price appreciation across the board.



"However, these two regions, often grouped together as Canadas booming real estate markets, are on divergent paths, Soper said in the report. Unlike Vancouver where a price correction is underway, there is no relief in sight for the GTA  forward momentum and supporting fundamentals in the region are that strong. And it is worth noting, Toronto area home prices are much lower that those on the west coast.



As for Alberta, it seems the hard-hit market has weathered the worst of the economic storm.



What consumers dont realize when they read a report like ours is how hard the market was hit. What they dont see is the volumes were down 20%, Soper said. It was a very hard-hit market but the province went into the oil crisis with the tightest reno market, the youngest population, the lowest unemployment rate. So if there was any province in the country that could handle a downturn.






New Yorks governor wants the state to be able to ban people from working in the financial services sector for egregious conduct.



New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a legislative proposal to allow the states Department of Financial Services to ban what he calls bad actors from the industry for egregious and deceptive behavior, HousingWire reported.



Cuomo cited Wells Fargos recent fake-account scandal as the kind of thing that might get a person banned from the industry under the proposed rule.



New York is the financial center of the world and we have zero tolerance for those who seek to defraud customers and undermine the system, Cuomo said. The excesses and systematic abuse at the center of the Wells Fargo scandal is unacceptable and New York, in its role as a regulator, is seeking to take bold steps to crack down on this unacceptable behavior.



Cuomos proposal would require adding a section to New Yorks Financial Services Law that would disqualify people from the banking or insurance industries if, following a hearing, the superintendent of the DFS finds theyve done something so severe as to have a direct bearing on their fitness or ability to continue participating in the industry.



DFS has responded to new technologies to protect consumers and encourage innovation through existing laws, said DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo. This proposal will provide DFS with additional tools to allow responsible state regulation of Fintech companies while combatting predatory practices by bad actors including payday lenders.





Related stories:

PHH slapped with $28 million fine over shoddy origination and servicing practices

New York regulator probing Caliber Home Loans
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

It started out as a hunting trip in west Texas with an experienced guide at the helm.

It turned into a shootout that left two people hospitalized.

The violence took place Friday, Jan. 6, in Presidio County, near the Texas-Mexico border.

MEXICO VIOLENCE: U.S. diplomat shot in Guadalajara

A group of hunters led by 26-year-old Walker Daugherty of Chloride, N.M., stopped for the night at Circle Doug Ranch near Candelaria, not far from the border.

Then, law enforcement and family members say, gunmen opened fire on the camp from multiple directions. Daugherty fired back to stop the gunmen from stealing an RV the hunters were using.

Daugherty and 59-year-old Edwin Roberts of Pensacola, Fla., were each shot; the guide in the stomach and Roberts in the arm.

ASSASSINATION: Top Mexican prosecutor in border city killed

Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez told The Albuquerque Journal there's no evidence the shots were fired from across the border and such incidents are rare.

Daughterty's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his hospital costs. Daugherty has no health insurance. Through Wednesday afternoon, $23,055 had been raised toward the goal of $30,000.

For now, Dominguez said, the shooting remains under investigation as law enforcement tries to sort out what went on.

>>>Click through the above gallery to see photos of the Texas-Mexico border taken from the air.
Midlanders may notice a new figure on the West Texas horizon: a man pushing a 120-pound cart. The man is Chris Andrews, who is stopping in the Tall City this week as he journeys across the country.

Andrews, 23, has already walked alone for nearly 150 days to highlight the importance of face-to-face interactions. At various stops, he interviews locals and shares the message of his project, called Lets Talk.

Theyre good opportunities to speak to people about how they navigate the pervasive digital age today, Andrews said in a phone interview Tuesday. I want to walk around a busy area of Midland and see how they view this message.

Andrews traveled 1,865 miles from the Washington, D.C., area before first reaching Midland on Dec. 16. After taking a flight to visit family members for the holiday season, he returned to this region Wednesday to continue walking.

'Let's Talk' Chris Andrews to speak at Midland County Public Library Date: Today Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m. Location: Centennial branch See More Collapse

Being home with them is a luxury, Andrews said. But parts of me  my body and mind  are still in the mode of the journey. When I take a couple of steps after the break, I think I will realize how lucky I am to be on this journey.

While in Midland, Andrews wants to share the purpose of his trip with the public. Hes scheduled to speak 5:30- 7 p.m. today at the Midland County Public Library Centennial branch.

Edward McPherson, education and program coordinator, said the library system welcomes the chance to give the community access to Andrews perspective.

This is an opportunity to chat with somebody doing something unusual for a bigger cause, McPherson said. We are geographically isolated in the Permian Basin, and we can take advantage to connect with the outside world  someone who might not think like us.

Midlander Read Johnston said the Lets Talk message sparked his interest. He provided accommodations in December after meeting Andrews through the travel website Couchsurfing. He also invited Andrews to explore local sites and share his viewpoint during a movie night.

Old-timers in Midland used to sit in coffee shops for hours and hours  I know my dad did, Johnston said. With younger generations, a lot of people are pressured to go from one thing to another. They dont have time to sit down and talk.

Andrews first became interested in learning about personal interactions a year and a half ago. He noticed he was consumed with his phone but not connecting with the people around him.

After doing research, I saw a shift going on in the way we use devices these days, Andrews said. We lose patience and empathy in the digital age. Face-to- face is the most significant way we can be in contact.

Andrews decided to walk across the country to gain attention for his cause. But before he took his first step, he made some preparations.

Six months before, I started getting into the rhythm, Andrews said. I did a 100-mile hike, but it was nothing like going out there and pushing a cart for 30 miles a day for months and months.

Andrews also mapped out his path, which was designed to head westward while avoiding the norths low temperatures. He made changes to the route along the way.

I like to talk to locals, and I get a chance at a gas station to ask, Is this road better than that road?, Andrews said. I trust local advice.

Andrews originally planned to walk across much of Oklahoma but decided going through urban areas would allow him to reach more people. He then altered his course to visit Dallas and Midland.

Andrews is accustomed to meeting new people. After growing up in South America, he lived in the United States, attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and completed long-distance walks in Europe.

On a technical level, [living abroad] gave me the skills to be able to go on a journey like this  to start a stove, ration food or grind in the rain for hours, Andrews said. But it wasnt on the scale of this.

Despite previous experience, he still faced challenges on his newest journey. At the start, he struggled to push the cart uphill in humid Virginia weather. More recently, he endured unfavorable conditions in Texas.

I was on the interstate outside of Abilene during the week when there was snow and cold weather in December, Andrews said. It was a challenge because I was sleeping outside. I was knocking on doors, asking people if I could pitch a tent on their lawns.

Andrews said strangers have been generous, which helped as he spent months without seeing familiar faces. Even when he wants to connect with others, hes learned how to use technology in moderation.

I hope my journey inspires people to be more interactive, Andrews said. I think about it more since starting the journey. When I take out my phone, I think about sending a message or checking my email. I hope people will measure it more.








"After I left the last treatment center, I knew what made me happy," Selena explains, "and it was a connection." But on the advice of her doctor, Selena's planned philanthropic visit to Kenya to see the schools she was helping to raise
New members inducted into Institute of ...
Kewin Mill Road Damage View Photos

Update at 3:40 p.m.: North Tuolumne Road has reopened, according to the Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency who reports that it was closed just before 12:30 p.m., between South Knox Drive and Ponderosa Hills, due to hazardous road conditions.

Updated at 11:20am: The Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency reports that North Tuolumne Road will be closed until 4pm today, between South Knox Drive and Ponderosa Hills, due to hazardous road conditions.

Original story posted at 9am: The storm system is leaving behind a mess along several notable roads in Tuolumne County.

The Community Resources Agency reports that Italian Bar Road (Columbia side) is closed to through traffic starting at the end of the pavement to Lost Dutchman Mine Road. Residents are advised to use the alternate access via Twain Harte and South Fork.

Marshes Flat Road has experienced a sizeable washout that has compromised the road. The roads department has closed the road from Highway 49 in Moccasin to the top of Kelly Grade.

Italian Bar Road (Twain Harte side) is experiencing a washout located 1,300 ft. from South Fork Road, and there is only one traffic lane open for approximately 50 ft.

Kewin Mill Road is reduced to one lane due to the culvert washout near East Brookside Drive.
A Palm Bay woman who police say was doused with gasoline while she lay in bed and set on fire by her husband, and the son who came to her aid, have both died.



Daisy Tapia, Erik Montes died at ORMC



Tapia's estranged husband, Edgard Fuentes, was sought by police



Montes' wife, daughter treated for smoke inhalation

Neighbor recalls woman running out of burning home with girl in her arms



Daisy Tapia, 61, and her son, 32-year-old Erik Montes, died at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Thursday afternoon, Palm Bay Police said. Both had been taken there after being found in their Palm Bay home in critical condition.

Tapia's estranged husband, Edgard Fuentes, 64, was being sought by police for nearly 12 hours after the 1 a.m. house fire. He was located  suffering from severe burns to his lower body and hands  at an Interstate 95 rest stop south of Malabar Road after a motorist spotted him. Fuentes was airlifted to a hospital.

Fuentes is accused of doused Tapia with gasoline while she was in bed and setting her on fire, police Lt. Mike Bandish said. Montes heard her scream and tried to intervene and stop him from lighting the fire. A struggle ensued, and Fuentes lit her on fire  seriously burning her and Montes, police said.

Fuentes now faces first-degree murder charges.



Montes' wife and their young daughter were taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne for smoke inhalation, according to Bandish.

Earlier, it was reported that two children were treated for smoke inhalation, but that turned out to be incorrect, officials said.

A neighbor told News 13 she heard a woman screaming as she came out of the home in the 500 block of Ixora Road with a young daughter in her arms.

"She was holding a baby, the little girl, and she was just frantic, just completely frantic," Dawn Walters said. "She wanted a blanket for her daughter. She kept asking for a blanket for her daughter. So I don't know if she was burned or not."

Palm Bay Fire officials confirmed that the house fire was a crime scene, and arson dogs have been called in to help with the investigation of the 1 a.m. fire.

"I can't believe someone can be this cruel to another person," Bandish said.


A well-worn Texas adage suggests, If you dont like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change.

In this case, if you dont like the record heat experienced Wednesday, wait until Friday for a healthy dose of freezing rain and ice.

On Wednesday afternoon, the high temperature at the Plainview Herald was 79 degrees, besting the record daily high of 74 set in 1922. According to Mesonet readings from the area, Abernathy, Aiken, Olton and Silverton also posted afternoon highs of 79. Floydada and Plainviews Mesonet site were close behind at 78 while Hart and Tulia recorded highs of 77 degrees.

In a hazardous weather outlook for the region, the National Weather Service warned of an elevated fire danger Wednesday due to high temperatures and gusty winds.

The hazards will shift this weekend thanks to a one-two combination punch coming from a cold front and upper-level storm system.

A period of rain and freezing rain is expected late Friday through Saturday, the NWS statement reads. Significant ice accumulations are possible across the far southern Texas Panhandle and northern portions of the South Plains and Rolling Plains. By Sunday, temperatures will likely warm sufficiently for the precipitation to change to all rain, with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall possible.

The precipitation is expected to begin Friday morning in the form of occasional light freezing drizzle, before temperatures warm to above freezing in the afternoon, the NWS advises. As much deeper moisture arrives Friday night and Saturday morning, temperatures are likely to dip to near or below freezing over much of the region, resulting in freezing rain at times. While Plainview, Hart, Olton, Hale Center, Abernathy and Petersburg should see minor ice accumulations, heavier accumulations of up to a quarter-inch are expected for Lockney, Aiken, Floydada, Kress, Tulia, Silverton and northward.

The anticipated heavy rain brings the treat of possible minor flooding this weekend.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Barraged by questions about Russia, Donald Trumps pick for secretary of state promised a far more muscular approach toward the Kremlin on Wednesday, abandoning much of the president-elects emphasis on improving ties between the Cold War foes. Instead, Rex Tillerson suggested the outgoing Obama administration responded too softly to Moscows takeover of Ukrainian territory.



The surprising shift in tone by Tillerson, a former Exxon Mobil CEO and Russian Order of Friendship recipient, reflected the difficulty Trump will have in convincing Democrats and Republicans to broach a broad rapprochement with President Vladimir Putins government. Calling Russia a danger to the United States, Tillerson said he would keep U.S. sanctions in place and consider new penalties related to Russian meddling in the presidential election.



Although he said he hadnt read last weeks classified assessment by the U.S. intelligence community, Tillerson said it was a fair assumption that Putin would have ordered the operation that purportedly included hacking, propaganda and internet trolls to harm Hillary Clintons candidacy and advance Trumps. But in a puzzling revelation, the oil man conceded he hadnt yet talked with Trump about a Russia policy.



Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests, Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He added that Trumps administration would be committed to the defense of Americas NATO partners, an obligation the president-elect called into question during the campaign if allies failed to meet defense spending pledges.



While his prepared statement reflected some of Trumps desire for improved ties, Tillerson quickly pivoted under pressure from both sides of the aisle. On Russias 2014 annexation of the Crimea region, he said, That was a taking of territory that was not theirs.



Still, he criticized President Barack Obamas sanctions on Russia, which ended up costing Exxon hundreds of millions of dollars. And he declared that he would have responded by urging Ukraine to send all available military units to its eastern border with Russia and recommending U.S. and allied support through defensive weapons and air surveillance, to send a message to Moscow.



That is the type of response that Russia expects, he said in a response to questions from Sen. Marco Rubio, Tillersons toughest GOP inquisitor. If Russia acts with force, Tillerson said, they require a proportional show of force.



Trump offered a sharply different account of Ukraine during the presidential campaign and never proposed a show of U.S. military force in Ukraine. In an August interview, he claimed Russia would not enter Ukraine, not seeming to know Russian troops were already there. He suggested Crimea didnt count because the peninsulas people preferred being part of Russia, restating Putins reason for taking the territory in 2014.



Like Trump, Tillerson vowed complete support for Israel, which he called Americas most important ally in the Middle East. He said the new administration would undertake a full review of the Iran nuclear deal to deny the Islamic republic the ability to acquire an atomic weapon. He said that might only be possible if Iran can no longer enrich uranium, which the accord permits under strict constraints and without which Tehran wouldnt have made the deal.



Some of the questioning reflected the traditional friction between a Congress that wants to prescribe foreign policy and an executive branch that traditionally seeks to maintain broad flexibility in its international affairs, tinted by Tillersons vocal opposition to economic sanctions as a business leader.



Addressing some of Congress most experienced architects of U.S. economic pressure, Tillerson called sanctions a powerful tool in deterrence that could, however, also project weakness if applied poorly.



He said neither he nor Exxon had lobbied against sanctions. But the company did try to influence sanctions legislation on Russia two years ago, congressional records and data from the Center for Responsive Politics show, and Tillerson made numerous White House visits, to no avail. Given a second chance on the subject, Tillerson sought to clarify his answer by saying he had expressed concerns related to security in shutting down an Exxon operation newly prohibited under the sanctions.



TIllerson represents a break in a longstanding tradition of secretaries of state with extensive military, legislative, political or diplomatic experience. Yet his supporters point to Tillersons lengthy career as a senior executive in a mammoth multinational company as proof he has the management and negotiating skills to succeed in the State Departments top post, particularly when facing tough foreign governments.



Its brilliant what hes doing and what hes saying, Trump said of Tillerson during a news conference in New York that occurred as Tillerson was testifying. He ran incredibly Exxon Mobil. When there was a find, he would get it.



His Exxon experience, however, has been criticized by Democrats for possible conflicts of interest because of the companys far-flung business dealings. Tillerson, who stepped down as CEO at the end of 2016, said he understood being secretary of state meant different responsibilities. He pledged to be a steward for U.S. national interests rather than corporate ones.







Associated Press Richard Lardner contributed to this report.






HARTFORD  The state Board of Physicians on Wednesday recommended that four medical conditions be added to the list of those eligible for medical marijuana, the first step in the approval process.



The board unanimously supported adding rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, shingles, and neuropathic pain and/or spasticity associated with fibromyalgia to the list of 22 conditions already approved for medical marijuana prescriptions. The board rejected petitions for three other conditions at the same meeting.



The vote is just advisory, but Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris said it will be a significant factor as he and agency staff determine which conditions to include when writing draft regulations.



The proposal would then be reviewed by the attorney general before going to the legislature for a vote, a process that likely will continue into next year.



The six members present for the meeting  Deepak Cyril DSouza was not present and one seat remains vacant  largely focused on pain relief when discussing the benefits of medical marijuana for each condition, although noted research has also found the drug have other positive effects for some of the diagnoses.



The board must first decide whether a condition is debilitating, then must agree that research has shown marijuana to have positive effects, including decreased inflammation. Members must also consider side effects such as harming brain function or development.



Regina Walsh, speaking in support of a petition from her father, George Walsh, said her father has found little success from other treatments for his shingles, and the family would like to see if topical marijuana would perform better.



Shingles is the one thing that is taking him down, and the medication that he goes on has contributed to further weakness, Walsh, of North Canaan, said of her 95-year-old father.



The board did limit the cases of fibromyalgia to only cases in which patients experience neuropathic pain and/or spasticity, a muscle control disorder, because there is no test for fibromyalgia, and a diagnosis comes after eliminating other possibilities.



The board members, who have a broad range of backgrounds in the medical field, expressed concern that doctors could simply prescribe for a condition like fibromyalgia to avoid frequent visits while testing other options.



They also said they wanted to make it available for those with debilitating pain as an alternative to opioid painkillers, especially as Connecticut and the nation battle an opiate addiction epidemic.



We have so many patients now having that diagnosis, and the standard opioids cant be the only option for them, said Linda Barry. So what do we do?



The board didnt support petitions for eczema, osteoarthritis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema.



The members said they couldnt see the benefits of medical marijuana for emphysema and eczema, and were also split on whether the latter qualified as a debilitating condition. The board agreed that osteoarthritis can be debilitating, particularly when it affects a patients spinal cord, and that medical marijuana could be beneficial in those cases.



They expressed concern, though, that the condition as referenced in the petition was too broad, noting it is another diagnosis that isnt affirmed by a single test. They also said medical marijuana wouldnt be appropriate under the states regulations for those with osteoarthritis in their hands or other parts of the body.



Only one person spoke during a public hearing prior to the votes, expressing opposition to any expansion of the list of conditions for medical marijuana. Joseph M. Samela Jr. said he was worried about misuse and abuse among patients, which could affect brain development or lead to increased incidents of driving under the influence.



Currently 15,115 residents are prescribed medical marijuana statewide from 591 physicians. A separate set of conditions, approved last year, allows minors to receive prescriptions for diagnoses.



msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino






This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Marijuana can be an effective medicine in some cases for treating pain, nausea, muscle spasms and other conditions, but the drug that is wafting into the mainstream is not harmless, and more research is needed, the nations top scientists concluded in a landmark report released Thursday.

The nonprofit National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued its report, The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids, summarizing the body of research into the efficacy of medical pot. The 395-page paper stands as the most official medical review of the botanical drug, which an estimated 8 percent of American adults used in the past month.

Chief among the findings, researchers criticized the U.S. governments continued listing of marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has no established medical use and a high potential for abuse. Pot ranks above prescription opioids, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, that were linked to more than 180,000 deaths from 1999 to 2015.

Cannabis Schedule 1 designation impedes the advancement of ... research, the study found. It is often difficult for researchers to gain access to the quantity, quality, and type of cannabis product necessary to address specific research questions on the health effects of cannabis use.

Echoing the response to the report by medical marijuana advocates in the Bay Area and around the country, Berkeley-based physician and cannabis specialist Dr. Frank Lucido said, Our government should de-schedule marijuana.

The National Academies commissioned the review of research in reaction to the swift expansion of medical and adult-use pot laws in America. Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized medical pot, and eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational use.

The growing acceptance, accessibility, and use of cannabis raise important public health concerns and there is a clear need to establish what is known and what needs to be known about the health effects of cannabis use, the report stated.

The review involved 16 experts, including UCSF oncologist Dr. Donald Abrams, and was paid for by federal, state, philanthropic and nongovernmental organizations. The committee considered more than 10,700 published studies and arrived at nearly 100 research conclusions, among them that marijuana can help certain patients who use it.

More for you Study Links Medical Marijuana to Fewer Traffic Fatalities

Parts of the report undermine critics of legalization. It found cannabis can in some cases treat chronic pain, the nausea and vomiting associated with cancer treatment, muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, and sleep disturbances. Unlike with legal tobacco or alcohol, studies show cannabis does not cause lung, head or neck cancer, the report found.

However, the report also diminishes some claims of pot advocates, finding, for instance, that there is not sufficient evidence that cannabis or its compounds can treat cancer, epilepsy or schizophrenia.

The study found limited evidence of a link between heavy cannabis smoking and a highly curable type of testicular cancer. There is also limited evidence of a link between pot smoking and heart attack or stroke.

Some opponents of broader access to marijuana celebrated the report, including Kevin Sabet, director of the antilegalization group Project Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

This is a damning report for legalization advocates, to be perfectly honest, Sabet wrote in an email. This report is a wake-up call to all Americans who have been sold the false promise that marijuana use is not harmful across multiple health outcomes.

Cannabis is a mixed bag, in many respects. Maternal cannabis smoking could be linked to lower birth weight, the review found, but there is little evidence it causes pregnancy complications or later negative outcomes in offspring.

The scientists found some evidence of a link between pot use and certain mental health conditions like schizophrenia, but the link might be explained by other variables. Speaking of the report in general, review committee chair Marie McCormick said, There are a lot of questions, particularly around determining causality.

The report buttresses calls for age restrictions on cannabis use, such as those in place in California, as scientists are fairly certain that teens who smoke weed increase their risk of developing problem cannabis use  defined as use that negatively affects school, work or relationships or is difficult to stop.

Pot also might be a gateway drug to tobacco, alcohol or other drug use, the report said, but there is limited evidence and its not clear whether marijuana use is the cause or merely correlated.

The report is likely to increase pressure on lawmakers to reschedule marijuana. Arizona physician Dr. Sue Sisley, who has tried for years to gain federal approval to study cannabis as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in humans, said it was unsurprising the National Academies did not find evidence cannabis can treat cancer or epilepsy.

The federal government has systematically impeded efficacy studies, she said.

Lucido said the review was clearly limited by federal research barriers. For epilepsy, its a slam dunk, he said of prescribing cannabis. That definitely helps. Ive seen over 100 kids with seizure or autism, and a lot of them are doing much better with cannabis than multiple harmful medications in the past. It doesnt work for everybody, but its been miraculous for some of the kids.

While more intensive research must be done, the report refutes critics claim that theres no current basis to legalize weed, said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The focus ought to be on the data we do have and do know, Armentano said. Were hopeful that the publication of this report may encourage lawmakers to act different in the future.

David Downs is the San Francisco Chronicles cannabis editor. Subscribe to the Chronicles enhanced cannabis coverage by emailing ddowns@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @davidrdowns

Marijuanas mixed bag

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a review of research on marijuana, summarizing findings from more than 10,000 published studies. Find the report at: www.nap.edu/read/24625.

Here are some of the main findings:

Cannabis can in some cases treat chronic pain, nausea, muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, and sleep disturbances.

The molecule cannabidiol can treat social anxiety disorder.

Marijuana does not increase risk for head, neck or lung cancer.

Cannabis improves airway dynamics and lung volume with acute use.

Pot probably treats traumatic brain injury.

Teens who use marijuana are at risk for developing problem cannabis use later in life.

Pot use prior to driving increases the risk of being in a collision.

There is a potential link between heavy cannabis use and psychoses, but causation has not been proved.

Smoking marijuana during pregnancy may be linked to lower birth weight.

Long-term pot smoking is associated with more frequent bronchitis.
Elizabeth Conley/Staff

Construction of a new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema location is slated to begin this spring at LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch.

The new 37,000-square-foot theater complex will feature eight auditoriums and seat about 900 people. It's expected to open in the spring of next year.
Oakland schools Superintendent Antwan Wilson bypassed the school board and imposed a hiring freeze and spending limits, saying he has the authority and obligation to oversee the districts $500 million budget.

The superintendents responsibility is to manage the budget, he said. It is my job.

The school board, however, was expected to take up a measure authorizing immediate action to curtail spending Wednesday night, but the item was pulled from the school boards agenda during the public meeting.

Wilson said that he implemented a spending protocol to help offset a projected shortfall of about $30 million next year based on a spending plan that exceeds projected revenue. Spending freezes would affect the purchase of supplies, for example, and hiring would be limited to essential positions, including teachers.

During Wednesdays meeting, Wilson outlined a comprehensive budget plan to cut spending by up to $11 million this year through the hiring and spending limits and another $20 million next year through cuts to central administration and at school sites. He recommended cutting spending at school sites by $4.5 million next year, in addition to a $5.5 million loss because of declining enrollment, including the loss of 400 students this year.

The superintendent, who is leaving at the end of the month to head up the Washington, D.C., school system, downplayed the cuts, saying that the district has to make difficult decisions every budget year, although more so this year.

In addition to declining enrollment, an expected loss of at least some federal funding under the Trump administration and a smaller increase in state funding will contribute to the districts woes, he said.

The budget season always forces us to look at a harsh reality, he said. This year, the pain feels more pronounced.

School board President James Harris said there are 17,000 students out there who are choosing to go to schools in other districts or to private schools and the district needs to figure out how to attract more of them to city schools.

How do we reinvigorate the public school system, Harris said. Unless we ask critical questions about the budget, we wont get there.

The board is not expected to vote on a final budget until June.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: jilltucker
You can learn a lot about a queen from the contents of her coffin.

In her frisky, adventurous new biography of Queen Victoria, Julia Baird offers not only an inventory of the items with which the queen wished to be buried but also the exact placement she specified for them.

Of course her treasured husband, Prince Albert, would be represented; Victoria had spent much of her life draped in black, showily mourning his death. So Alberts framed photograph and a cast of his hand were duly buried with her.

But John Brown, a Scotsman who became both Victorias employee and constant companion, took pride of place. A leather case holding photographs of Brown and a lock of his hair was to be placed right in the queens hand. Browns handkerchief was to be laid atop her, while Alberts was merely to be included in the large collection of burial accouterments.

She also wanted photographs of all her children and grandchildren, and to be adorned with 10 rings, including five from Albert, and one that had belonged to Browns mother.

As Baird notes, this information isnt new.

But she was nonetheless asked to remove it from the book by the senior archivist of the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle. Those archives hold extremely rare material to which Baird was privy. And in exchange for access she agreed to remove any Royal Archives material she was asked to from her finished book.

More Information Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire By Julia Baird Random House, $35 See More Collapse

But when asked to remove the results of her independent research, she refused.

It was the object of this book to hack through myths, not hew to them, she writes.

When Baird goes after those myths, her alternative versions are exhilarating.

She describes how and why young Victoria, born in 1819, had to be a fighter from the start: Not long after she pulled the first fistfuls of air into her lungs, there were rumors that her wicked uncles were planning to kill her.

She details the wretched behavior of those uncles, all sons of the famously mad King George III, who gradually cleared a path for her.

This book shows how Victorias girlish naughtiness turned into a regal, willful, complex nature that other biographers have tended to simplify.

Its also very astute about the way the man she deemed pure perfection, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (her cousin), would undermine that nature during their years together.

Baird brings a strong feminist awareness to the ways in which Victorias letters, edited by two men, have been censored to excise the full range of her personality, and also to the subordinate role any wife was expected to assume when Victoria was a young bride.

But Victoria the Queen describes the 20 years of Victorias marriage to Albert as the weakest period of her reign.

It presents her as working tirelessly but too deferentially to sustain her authority. It was only after Alberts death  and the years of numbing grief that had the English wondering whether their queen was still able to fulfill her responsibilities  that she could recover her grip, return to politics, deal with prime ministers she either liked (Disraeli) or detested (Gladstone) and win back her subjects loyalty.

It helped that she fell happily in love with John Brown, the Scottish servant who doted on her, teased her and never dreamed of treating her with condescension.

If theres one thing missing from the book, its Bairds thoughts on why Victoria let herself become submissive to Albert for so long, but perhaps the answers to that are too obviously linked to the loss of a father so early in life.

In any case, she adored being coddled, and Baird says she got that from Brown. And as many witnesses attested, she also got a lot of shocking back talk and loved it. And however he earned the nickname the Queens Stallion (a chapter heading here), Victoria seemed to love him for that, too.
Cook's Country magazine, a publication of America's Test Kitchen, includes a two-page spread on "South Texas breakfast tacos" in its February/March issue, with a sidebar about tacos in San Antonio.

The story gives a recipe for Texas Breakfast Tacos, which includes bacon, onions and seeded jalapenos, along with a recipe for flour tortillas and a lightly cooked salsa roja. And it includes variations for breakfast tacos with chorizo and breakfast tacos with potato.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Sometimes plain-old sweet just isn't enough.

This week a clever Whataburger fan from Texas put a new spin on the popular "You vs. the guy she tells you not to worry about" meme trending online.

Cody Cashell, who appears to be from Stephenville, a small town about an hour southwest of Fort Worth, snapped a photo of two sweet tea canisters inside a Whataburger  one labeled as standard "sweet tea," and the other with a hand-written "double sweet" note, stuck on with a green "jalapeno" sticker.

RELATED: Police: Man flees after crashing into Whataburger on West Side

"You vs. the guy she tells you not to worry about @Whataburger," Cashell said on his Twitter account.

The tweet has garnered dozens of retweets and likes

Click through the slideshow to see other popular "you vs. the guy she tells you not to worry about" memes.

RELATED: WhataWedding: Guy dances with a bag of Whataburger at his own wedding

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
Albany

A helicopter ferrying Gov. Andrew Cuomo from Albany to New York City was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday afternoon in Newburgh.

Cuomo's office said that after delivering his State of the State address in Albany, the governor's State Police helicopter began to fill with fumes that smelled like smoke just before 4 p.m. The pilot made an emergency landing at Stewart Airport.

"The cause of the issue is being investigated and the helicopter is currently undergoing maintenance," Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said. "The governor and two aides were on board, along with security and the pilot. No one was injured and everyone has been safely transported back to the city."

Cuomo's office has sought a new State Police helicopter that would be used in part to help transport him around the state. A request for a new chopper was denied last year by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office.

Cuomo's father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, once had to make an emergency landing after his state aircraft filled with smoke: The elder Cuomo's plane ended up at an airport in Williamsport, Pa., in 1988 due to an electrical malfunction.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

DANBURY - In the months preceding the November elections, the citys Latino community was inspired, leaders agree.

Some immigrants with permanent legal status completed their citizenship papers in order to vote for the first time. Others were hopeful that campaign promises of immigration reform would lead to fuller integration into American life.

With the election of a president who took a hard line on immigration issues, that optimistic spirit has taken a hit. But the drive for a better life is still alive among Danburys immigrants, one of the citys young Latino leaders said Thursday.

There is a sense of disappointment about the election, but there is also a sense of renewed commitment, said Carolina Bortolleto, a co-founder of the statewide advocacy group, CT Students for a Dream. This has motivated a lot of people to get involved in speaking out.

With the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump a week away, Bortolettos group and its allies are planning a mobilizing event on Sunday to embolden the immigrant community.

The Sunday afternoon event, at the Ecuadorian Civic Center on West Street in downtown Danbury, is part of a national Day of Action planned in about 50 cities. The event is in response to Trumps campaign promise to build a wall on the Mexico border, triple the number of federal immigration agents and reverse President Obamas amnesty policies for immigrants already in the United States.

President-elect Trump has said many things, and he has backtracked on things, so we dont know what is going to happen, said Bortolleto, a Brazilian native whose group pushed successfully for a provision in Connecticut law that qualifies certain undocumented students for in-state college tuition.

Whether deportations increase or not, our goal is to empower the community to know their rights, she said. That is important, no matter who is president.

The Sunday event will be the second immigrants event in as many days.

Bortolletto is part of a recently formed coalition in Danbury that is hosting a Saturday afternoon community-building event with food and music.

The newly formed Greater Danbury Justice Coalition, which grew out of a December vigil, aims to equip people with ways to make the city a welcoming place for all residents.

The coalitions Potluck for Justice and Compassion is planned from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Harambee Center on West Street.

Times of urgency make it more important to build community, and times of urgency make it more conducive to building community, Bortoletto said. With any kind of social change, there is always going to be doubt because of the obstacles, but more than that there is always going to be hope.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342.
BRIDGEPORTSomething was amiss on Sheridan Street Wednesday night.

Around 7 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting on Sheridan, just off the Ogden Street Extension. A few minutes later, they heard of a stabbing reported just a few doors down the block.

The gunshots were never confirmed.

But within a half hour two women arrived at the Bridgeport hospital with non life-threatening knife wounds, according to police dispatch reports.

Initial reports indicated that the women were jumped at a house party. Police are investigating.
GLENVILLE  A Scotia man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly having child pornography, State Police at Princetown said Wednesday.

Robert Nold, 53, was charged with felony counts of possession of child pornography and promoting child pornography, trooper said.

Princetown investigators and the State Police Computer Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at Nold's home on Dec. 30, 2016 after they were alerted to the possible possession of child pornography on his computer, trooper said.

Nold was arraigned in Glenville Town Court and released on a $20,000 bail pending a Jan. 24 court date.
Albany

Less than a week after adopting rules providing a scaffolding for its reconstituted Standing Committee on Ethics and Governance, the state Senate on Tuesday agreed to change the composition of the committee and add protections that will prevent any one of the chamber's three conferences from being singled out by investigations that carry the taint of politics.

On Jan. 4, the chamber passed rules that called for an eight-member committee that would "consist of an equal number of members from each of the two major political parties as defined by the election law." The committee will have the power to investigate potential ethics transgressions by members and make referrals to the bicameral Legislative Ethics Commission, which can recommend sanctions.

The Senate's 24-member mainline Democratic conference  who had not seen the draft rules until the evening before their adoption  objected, noting that the change appeared to be an effort to add a representative of the seven-member Independent Democratic Conference to the panel, thereby giving the "majority coalition" of the chamber's 32-member Republican conference and the IDC a five-vote majority on that committee.

The state Assembly's rules, in contrast, call for an equal representation of the chamber's conferences on its ethics panel.

Also, the initial Senate rules did not call for the agreement of at least one member of each conference when it votes to take an action such as the initiation of an investigation.

Under the amended rules adopted Tuesday, the ethics committee will now consist of nine members  three apiece from the mainline Democrats, the IDC and the GOP. This change countermands rules for other committees that require the IDC to be represented in proportion to its overall membership in the 63-member chamber, or one in nine. And at least one member of each conference will have to be part of an Ethics and Governance Committee majority signing off on any action.

"We are pleased with the final composition of the Senate Ethics Committee and thank the Senate Republicans for working with us to achieve equal representation for all Senate Conferences," said mainline Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy.

The Ethics Committee has been moribund for the better part of the past decade.

Sen. Tom Croci, R-Long Island, took over as chair after former Majority Leader Dean Skelos' arrest in May 2015 and spent last year studying how to transform it into a relatively more robust body on the Assembly model.

change countermands rules for other committees that require the IDC to be represented in proportion to its overall membership in the 63-member chamber, or one in nine. And at least one member of each conference will have to be part of an Ethics and Governance Committee majority signing off on any action.

"We are pleased with the final composition of the Senate Ethics Committee and thank the Senate Republicans for working with us to achieve equal representation for all Senate Conferences," said mainline Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy.

The Ethics Committee has been moribund for the better part of the past decade.

Sen. Tom Croci, R-Long Island, took over as chair after former Majority Leader Dean Skelos' arrest in May 2015 and spent last year studying how to transform it into a relatively more robust body on the Assembly model.
Albany

Leaders in the minority community are looking forward to a new vision for the Albany Chapter of the NAACP as a South End pastor takes the helm of the Albany civil rights organization.

David Traynham, pastor of New Horizons Christian Church on Catherine Street, recently was selected as board president of the NAACP chapter. Former President Bernard Bryan stepped down last year.

Traynham was elected to the post for a 2017-18 term.

"He has some vision that the branch will benefit from. Hopefully he'll take it to the next level," Bryan said. "He's a very dynamic leader. He has been very active in the community prior to this, so this is a very natural fit."

Traynham is well-known for his efforts to improve community-police relations through the Albany Law Enforcement Reconciliation Team initiative. Most notably, he worked with Albany police in enacting changes following the death of Donald "Dontay" Ivy in police custody in 2015.

"The relationships that I have built I think is going to be the biggest thing," Traynham said. "I'm looking at bringing everybody together and being a voice of reason for all people, and not just for African-Americans. We're looking for social justice for all people."

Traynham also worked with local and federal officials in Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, a national program aimed at reducing low-level arrests, racial disparities and recidivism.

He said he looks forward to continued work with Albany police leadership to ensure justice prevails.

"If something is covered by the law and we don't feel that it's right, we're going to do what we have to do get the lawmakers to get those particular laws changed," Traynham said. "That's one of the bigger pieces of the puzzle for us."

While Traynham said he's working to get acclimated to the new post, ensuring the bylaws of the organization are followed, minority issues to tackle in the future range from improving diversity in city departments like the Albany Fire Department to providing more education on employment opportunities.

"It's time for us to raise our voice and to find a way to remedy the problem," he said.

Carolyn McLaughlin, Albany Common Council president, said she looks forward to the outreach and educational aspect that Traynham will bring, such as teaching people about the election redistricting process or offering job opportunities.

"I really think that it's because he has such a broad reach in this community, and as a man of faith, he has compassion and demonstrated that compassion for all people," McLaughlin said. "Even though it's the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, he understands we are one community."

afries@timesunion.com  518-454-5353  @mandy_fries
Trump and populist European leaders are a profound threat to human rights, says a report by Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch, one of the largest and most influential human rights organizations in the world, published its annual World Report 2017, which examines the human rights practices in over 90 countries.

The centerpiece of the 687-page report is an essay entitled The Dangerous Rise of Populism, in which Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth openly criticizes Trump and European populists.

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Mirroring Meryl Streeps Golden Globes speech on Sunday, Roth implicates Trump without saying his name. He highlighted recent trends in the political sphere by indicting strongman politicians who portray rights as protecting only the terrorist suspect or the asylum speaker at the expense of the safety, economic welfare, and cultural preferences of the presumed majority. In other words, They scapegoat refugees, immigrant communities, and minorities, while truth is a frequent casualty.

Roth claims that populism has risen as a result of mounting public discontent over the status quo that is spurred by technological change, the global economy, and growing inequality. These occurrences are only enflamed by terrorism and a growing separation between the public and the government.

Invoking the golden rule, Roth writes, You may not like your neighbors, but if you sacrifice their rights today, you jeopardize your own tomorrow.

Later in the report, Roth directly criticizes Trump and his politics of intolerance, as well as Brexit and the refugee crisis.

Roth closed his report with a call for the reaffirmation of human rights values, calling upon civil society, media, governments, and the public to maintain societys fragile values. The best antidote, he writes, is for the public to demand a politics based on truth.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
Some schools in the Klein Independent School District received a grant before the fall semester ended. The Klein ISD Education Foundation awarded $76,800 in classroom and educator grants in December.

"The grants allow our teachers to take an idea that is outside of the box and not part of the district's standard curriculum and offer an opportunity for advance learning for our students," said Cindy Doyle, director of community relations for the district's education foundation. "The advance learning opportunities include new methods, materials, virtual tours, and STEM labs."

The mission of the nonprofit organization, which was established in 2000, is to generate and distribute resources to the Klein Independent School District to enrich, maintain, and expand programs needed to meet the district's stated mission of excellence in education.

"It is critical that the foundation has a strong relationship with the district because everything the foundation does is in support of the district," Doyle said. "Our sole purpose and mission is to support the educational mission of Klein ISD."

The organization aims to provide direction and support for innovative academic and enrichment projects and staff development activities for the Klein Independent School District.

The board is able to budget $150,000 for a school year. For the fall and spring semester of 2016-17, the foundation board budgeted $75,000 for teacher grants.

Continuing a 15-year tradition, the foundation presented the award as part of awarded grants to schools, teachers, and district staff twice a year. The foundation was proud to announce that the amount of grants given increased from the spring semester by $2,300 which allowed the foundation to fund 13 grants to 13 campuses, which included one $25,000 lead the spark grant, which is open to campus principals within Klein ISD to help support existing or new student programs.

"The bond between the Klein ISD Education Foundation and our district is significant and extraordinary," said Bret Champion, KISD superintendent of schools. "I love that the foundation works together with our district to make a positive impact on all students."

In order to be considered for a grant from the foundation, teachers have the option to apply for educator grants each semester. Foundation directors and district representatives judge the grants. Grants are awarded based on funds allocated by the Klein Education Foundation each semester.

"Once approved the grants become a reality for our teachers and their students," Doyle said. "Whether the grant benefits one classroom, an entire grade level, or an entire campus, the students now have an opportunity that they would have had otherwise."

The champions of the award learn of their accomplishment with a surprise visit from the Celebration Express bus that arrives at their campus.

Grant winners for the fall 2016 semester included the following schools: Eiland Elementary ($6,900), Grace England Pre-K Center ($6,300), Vistas High School Program ($6,700), Klein Forest High School ($7,500), Greenwood Forest Elementary ($2,000), Therapeutic Education Campus (TEP) ($1,700), and Hassler Elementary ($750).

The other award recipients include Klein Collins ($1,200), Klein Collins High School ($1,000), Kreinhop Elementary ($2,000), Hildebrandt Intermediate ($750), Northampton Elementary and Haude Elementary ($15,000), and French Elementary ($25,000).

The largest award, a $25,000 lead the spark grant, was presented to French Elementary. The sponsors for the grant were Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP. Principal, Carole Mason served as the grant writer. The grant supports the Fueling the Heart, Mind & Imagination program, which allows the elementary school to partner with Hildebrandt Intermediate and Klein Oak High School to support an integrated Fine Arts curriculum in their feeder pattern. The grant will provide the opportunity for students to attend professional performances and then return to their schools to perform original musicals. Students will have access to theater stages, costuming and puppetry to use for their performances through a partnership with Alley Theater.

Northampton Elementary and Haude Elementary were recipients of one of the largest awards. The sponsor for the $15,000 grant was Campus Kids, LLC. The grant will afford the opportunity for the collaboration between the two schools to help all students participate in learning to code with Ozobots and Osmos. Through this learning opportunity, students from each grade will participate in competitive challenges that might include designing a house, building a bridge or finding the pot of gold.

Klein Forest High School's $7,500 grant will benefit the campus's Career Technology Building (CTE) in the criminal justice department. The sponsor for the award was the Houston Northwest Medical Center and the grant writers were Josslynn Victorian, Christopher Smith, Keith Glazener, and Mickey Ethridge. The grant will fund a small CTE building that will be constructed for use in curriculum simulations. The school's architectural engineering students will create and design the building, construction technology students will build the freestanding structure, and criminal justice students will use the small building for demonstrations of tactical entry, search skills, and hostage situations.

The board hopes to increase the foundation's fundraising in order to increase funds that benefit KISD.

To date, the Klein ISD Education Foundation has awarded more than $1.5 million in educator grants to teachers in the Klein ISD.

"When our teachers receive grant funds from the foundation for their innovative thinking, we all win. Students win because the grants unleash new pathways for learning, and the district wins because KEF partners with us to create successful citizens that leave our system sealed with a purpose and direction for their lives," Champion said.

Klein Education Foundation

7200 Spring Cypress Rd.

Klein, TX 77379

832-249-4754

www.kleinisdeducationfoundation.net

Klein Education Foundation Social Media Accounts

Facebook: facebook.com/kleinisdeducationfoundation

Twitter: twitter.com/kleinfoundation

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/klein-isd-education-foundation

YouTube: youtube.com/user/kleinedufoundation
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Western-themed artwork of more than 300 students, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, in Huffman ISD was on display during the district's Rodeo Art Show Open House at Copeland Elementary School in Huffman on Monday, Jan. 9.

Judges from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo visited the district's art show Friday, Jan. 6, to view the student artwork, award ribbons and select pieces for display in the Hayloft Gallery at the NRG Center.

The pieces chosen by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will be judged along with select artwork by students from other districts. These student-artists will convene for an awards presentation at the NRG Center in March. Until final judging is complete, Huffman ISD art teachers requested the winning artists remain anonymous to uphold the integrity of the blind judging process.

The district has participated in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Program for more than three decades.

Participating in the program offers various opportunities for students at all levels including college scholarship opportunities for high school seniors and opportunities to attend art workshops at the Western Art Academy and the Glassell School of Art.

According to Hargrave High School art teacher Nani Heslep, the opportunity to participate in the program provides students the ability to explore the full potential of their artistic talents.

"Some kids are just now finding out that they can draw, or they'll draw something cute and say 'OK, it's finished,' and I'll say, 'No, it's not,' and I'll keep pushing them, making them work on it longer than they would expect," Heslep said. "When they're finished, they're surprised they could make something that is of that quality. They discover they have talents they didn't know they have. They're pushed to make works at levels they didn't realize, coming into it, that they could achieve. They surprise themselves."

Cassandra McGregor is a district volunteer. She offers her skills as a graphic artist to help with print work and promotional materials for the district's Rodeo Art Show. She views student participation in the Rodeo Art program as a way to provide experiences for students they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to encounter.

"In our district, we have kids who don't really get the opportunity to go to museums and see art, so that is one reason why the Rodeo Art Show is neat," McGregor said. "It brings the museum experience to the kids that wouldn't have had that opportunity.

"I think it's good community awareness for the arts and it stresses how important our fine arts are for our kids and our community."

McGregor's daughter, Sophie McGregor, has participated in the Rodeo Art program through Huffman ISD since she was in kindergarten. Last year, as a seventh grader, Sophie's art submission won Best of Show. For Sophie, the Rodeo Art experience is an interesting look into how others appreciate art.

"It's fun to draw something and see what everyone else draws and how the judges feel about it," Sophie said. "They all have different opinions, and it's fun to see what they like and dislike."

Sophie had the opportunity to attend the awards presentation and Glassell with fellow classmate and friend Lilly Barr who was awarded a gold medal for her artwork submission last year. Barr enjoys growing her artistic skills through participation in the Rodeo Art program. She feels that Rodeo Art also serves as an opportunity to provide others with an inside look at aspects of rural life.

"We get better with every year," Barr said. "It's also about drawing what's around you. We see horses, barns and things like that every day. People across the country don't always see that."

For more information about Huffman ISD initiatives, visit www.huffmanisd.net.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Liz Bias was surprised and encouraged when she learned that a federal judge had ruled that the city of Pasadena had been trying to mute the Hispanic voice in city elections.

"When I found out what had happened, I thought, 'Wow. It really happened, (the city) lost,' " she said.

Bias, 46, is a onetime community activist who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2011. She became frustrated with what she calls 'good ole boy' politics.

"Now we know they can be defeated, and it's time for a change," she said.

The lawsuit, filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund on behalf of Latino voters, charged that by changing the city's election process, Pasadena's leadership had attempted to diminish the Hispanic vote and as a result had violated the Voting Rights Act. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal agreed, ordering Pasadena to dump its current voting plan, which provides for six City Council members from districts and two for at-large positions. The city must revert in its next election to a plan used before 2014 in which all eight council members were elected from districts.

'Can't get people to vote'

That, some groups say, signals a chance for a more representative government in a city in which Hispanics form the majority. But some residents were less enthusiastic, pointing to the city's political history and to low interest in local politics and voting among some Hispanics.

"Maybe things will change, but Pasadena has always been that way," said Ethel Christina Castillo, a Pasadena-based musician.

Castillo, 43, didn't follow the trial and admitted she didn't know anything about it. She is encouraged at the ruling but said she'll wait and see.

Castillo, moved to Pasadena with her parents when she was 9 and is old enough to remember a nondescript building somewhere off of Red Bluff.

"When we first moved in, we would come down (Texas 225), exit Red Bluff and there was a KKK office right there, and we saw it every day," she said, referring to the white supremacy organization the Klu Kux Klan.

The fact that Hispanics have become the majority in the city hasn't seemed to register in ways that matter, she said.

"There is more of a Hispanic face now, but it seems like it's still the same," she said.

Juan Rodriguez, a barber at Choppers on Richey Street, lives in Houston, but grew up in Pasadena. Although he said he didn't "dig deep enough" into the trial, he doesn't believe the outcome will make a difference.

"I don't understand how they were trying to keep people from voting, because they can't get people to vote in the first place," he said.

Rodriguez, 34, whose ethnicity is Anglo-Hispanic, believes that the city is not so much racially biased as class-biased. When people make more money, they move to the more developed areas, he said.

"I don't think its about race, I think it's just a different type of people. But that's everywhere, not just Pasadena," he said.

He said he never experienced discrimination while growing up in Pasadena but added, "Everyone has there own experience."

'Makes me mad'

For many residents, Pasadena is a city divided. The north side, predominantly Hispanic, is marked by drainage problems, cracked roads and closing chain stores.

South of Spencer Highway, the community thrives with retail development and buzzes with road construction and other improvement projects.

"People say it's all white people (in south Pasadena), but I think it's a mix," Rodriguez said.

Choppers customer Jorge Estrada said the judge's citing of Pasadena's history of discriminatory attitudes toward Hispanics reflects Estrada's own experience as a business owner.

"I own several businesses and commercial properties, and I still feel I'm not treated right," he said. "I feel like I'm treated different because I'm Hispanic."

Estrada, 46, who said he lives on Preston "on the Mexican side," said he wasn't surprised that the judge cited tactics used to suppress Hispanic voting.

"I'm not surprised it's happening, but it makes me mad because I pay taxes like everybody else," he said.

"I have friends that have successful businesses, but they don't speak English and they feel the same because they don't have a vote, they don't have a word."

"It's the 'good old boy' mentality of Pasadena that needs to change," said another Choppers regular, Joe Alonzo.

Alonzo, 44, lives in downtown Houston but comes to Pasadena for his haircut. He formed an outsider's perspective of the city's ethnic dynamics from his father.

"My father was a radiologist, and when he would come to Pasadena to visit friends, in the early '70s, he would feel racism even though he was going to medical school," he said. "As he became more successful, he just stopped coming."

Castillo said she has no personal experience with discrimination in Pasadena but believes the city's history in how it addresses its minority population still resonates with Hispanic voters.

"My parents have always voted, but we knew that (white people) were up there," she said motioning upward, "and we're down here, keeping quiet."

Planning to register to vote

For some younger Pasadena residents, the lawsuit did shed light on how the city's voting process was manipulated.

"That's messed up," said Joey Rivera, 18. "I hope it (ruling) makes a difference."

Like Castillo, Melissa Espinoza, 24, and Sabrina Hernandez, 19, who work at a retail chain store at Pasadena de Paseo (formerly the Pasadena Town Square), did not follow the trial.

"I never was aware of this (lawsuit), but I don't find it shocking at all - it's Pasadena," Espinoza said.

Distrust runs deep, she said.

"My dad's answer to not voting is that it doesn't really matter what his vote is because they're going to choose to do whatever they want," Espinoza said.

She wondered why the city would labor to weaken the Hispanic vote.

"How can you keep control of the majority? Walk around and look at the culture that's around here. This is home for us," she said.

Both Espinoza and Hernandez said they planned to register to vote in the upcoming city elections.

Bias believes that resignation, not apathy, keeps Hispanics from voting in larger numbers and that the outcome of the trial should be a motivating factor for making their voices heard.

"People can't just sit in the back and not say anything," she said.
COLLEGE STATION  Capital Farm Credit has received a 2017 Partnership Award from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Dr. Doug Steele, AgriLife Extension director in College Station, said the partnership award recognizes vital alliances with agencies, organizations and others beyond the Texas A&M University System.

Presented Jan. 10, recipients were cited for dedicated collaboration and support that have significantly enhanced the outreach and impact of AgriLife Extension programs for the people of Texas.

As Capital Farm Credit tells its customers, they dont just make loans, and at AgriLife Extension, we know they also make investments, Steele said. This customer-owned cooperative has offered financial support of AgriLife Extensions educational activities for decades and has made a statewide impact, particularly in the 192 counties where Capital Farm Credit is chartered.

A sampling of recent sponsorships provided by Capital Farm Credit includes AgriLife Extensions Ranch Management University, Bennett Trust Womens Land Stewardship Conference, Master Marketers, a veterans program for ranchers and the 4-H Livestock and Equine Ambassador programs.

Longtime beneficiaries include the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program and the Texas 4-H Foundation, with special support of the Texas 4-H Roundup.

The list goes on and adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in AgriLife Extension education by Capital Farm Credit and its branch offices, as well as in AgriLife Extension educators, from the county to state level, Steele said. Capital Farm Credit is there with a guiding hand too, from providing speakers and serving on program committees to making significant donations for the Hurricane Ike recovery effort and other emergencies.

So not only is Capital Farm Credit a premier lender for rural Texas and Texas agriculture, it is a premier partner and friend of AgriLife Extension.

The Texas Association of Dairymen and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association also received 2017 awards. This years presentations occurred during the Texas A&M AgriLife Conference on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.
COLLEGE STATION  The Texas Association of Dairymen was honored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service with a 2017 Partnership Awards on Jan. 10 during the annual AgriLife Extension Conference in College Station.

The Extension Partnership Awards recognize vital alliances with agencies, organizations and others beyond the Texas A&M University System.

We are grateful for the engagement provided by the Texas Association of Dairymen, which significantly enhances our outreach and impact to clientele in the dairy industry, as well as the education of our youth, said Dr. Doug Steele, AgriLife Extension director.

That partnership was called upon when winter storm Goliath hit in 2015 and the association and AgriLife Extension personnel combined forces to work with affected producers and the media, according to the nomination.

Darren Turley, executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen in Austin, said the Texas dairy industry has benefitted greatly from the partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife.

Texas has continued to be one of the most progressive dairy states in the nation and that could not have happened without this partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife, Turley said.

In accepting the award, Willie DeJong, an association board member and owner of Hidden View Dairy in Dublin, said he moved to Texas 20 years ago from California and had never seen the type of support as that provided by AgriLife Extension.

It is truly an investment not just in an industrys future, but it is an investment in the education of all those involved, and I applaud the efforts, DeJong said.

As an advocate for the Texas dairy industry since 1991, the Texas Association of Dairymen has been steadfast in its support of AgriLife Extension programming for dairy producers and workers, as well as agricultural literacy for consumers and youth, the nomination stated.

With the associations underwriting of travel and other expenses, AgriLife Extension dairy specialists can cover the state, offering most programs at no charge.

Also, association leaders and staff have collaborated in the development of workforce training, particularly about humane animal handling, watershed protection and environmental stewardship.

The Texas Association of Dairymen leadership also recognizes the importance of the next generation, financially supporting the Texas 4-H dairy judging teams, including travel for judging teams to compete beyond the state level.

The association sponsors an annual award for an outstanding county agent and invests in the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program, including its new Emerging Leaders program.

AgriLife Extension and the people of Texas have a valuable partner in TAD as we both work to ensure an abundant, safe and high-quality food supply, Steele said.

Capital Farm Credit and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association also received 2017 awards.
Peter Hightower

U.S. Border Patrol agents working in Eagle Pass rescued an undocumented immigrant from the Rio Grande who was suffering from hypothermia.

Being a Border Patrol agent means more than just enforcing the law, said Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak. It means being able to handle any situation with the commitment to preserve human life.
New York

Breaking with presidential precedent, Donald Trump said Wednesday he will continue to profit from his global business empire after he enters the White House this month.

The Trump Organization, which will be run by the president-elect's adult sons and a longtime company executive, will pursue new deals in the U.S. but will not enter new foreign arrangements while he is in office, his lawyer said at a news conference.

Trump will put his business assets in a trust but will hand over the management of his international real estate development, property management and licensing company based in New York, said the lawyer.

Trump and the company are taking steps to assure Americans that he is "not exploiting the office of the presidency for his personal benefit," said Sheri Dillon of the firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Yet, the arrangement, which tracks closely with plans Trump has described in recent weeks, falls short of calls by some ethics experts  and the Office of Government Ethics  for him to sell off his businesses and put the proceeds in a blind trust overseen by an independent manager.

"Firewalls work in businesses, not in families," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight. "Trump's plan doesn't prevent his business interests from benefiting him or his family while he's in office or interfering with his presidential duties."

Dillon said the company will add an ethics adviser to its management team who must approve deals that could raise concerns about conflicts. And the company plans to donate money spent by foreign governments at his hotels to the U.S. Treasury, she said.

Trump himself was breezier in his comments. He said U.S. conflict-of-interest restrictions don't apply to presidents, and "I could actually run my business and run government at the same time."

But "I don't like the way that looks," he said.

"My two sons who are right here, Don and Eric, are going to be running the company. ... They're not going to discuss it with me."

"I hope at the end of eight years, I'll come back and say, oh, you did a good job. Otherwise, if they do a bad job, I'll say, 'You're fired.'"

The announcement, made at Trump Tower in New York during Trump's first news conference since July, appeared to walk back a broader promise he made last month in a Fox News interview and a tweet that the company would do "no new deals" at all while he is in office.

Although presidents are not subject to the same conflict-of-interest provisions as their Cabinet members and other government employees, they have typically followed those rules as a best practice.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Hundreds of area children and families in need will be able to visit the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, thanks to a $12,000 grant by Bankwell to the aquariums Childrens Opportunity Fund.

The restricted fund ensures the aquarium is available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. The aquarium works with social-service agencies in the area to identify underserved youth and families who could benefit from its educational and entertaining aspects, as well as the safe-space it provides.

Bankwell sponsors the IMAX movies, National Parks Adventure, now showing daily at the aquarium, and Dream Big, the first STEM-focused IMAX movie, opening daily Feb. 17.

Bankwell, headquartered in New Canaan, is a commercial bank with nine branches and a loan production office that serve the personal and business banking and lending needs of customers throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties.

AEDs donated to fire department

Norwalk Hospital recently donated two automated external defibrillators to the New Canaan Fire Department and one to St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan.

The gifts were made possible through the generosity of Thomas Ayoub, the hospitals chief of medical staff, and his wife, Christine Dombrowski, a certified nurse midwife. Their son, Peter Ayoub, a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, is a volunteer firefighter with the New Canaan Fire Department.

AEDs are portable electronic devices the treat life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy to stop arrhythmia and allow the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting nearly 400,000 people each year, according to Matt Soicher, director of EMS at Norwalk Hospital. Using AEDs and performing CPR immediately can greatly enhance a victims chance of survival.

At the library

The dangers of corruption: Sarah Chayes, a senior fellow in Carnegies Democracy and Rule of Law Program and author of Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security, will be the guest speaker for the 10th annual Anita Houston Lecture on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the librarys Adrian Lamb Room.

For over 50 years, until her death in March 2007, Houston was so prominent an advocate for the United Nations and international cooperation among nations that she was designated by official town proclamation on her 90th birthday as New Canaans Ambassador for World Affairs. In tribute to Houston for her long service as chairwoman and member of the U.N. Committee of New Canaan and head of her U.N. Study Group, friends and family started a fund for an annual lecture series on topics related to international affairs and the United Nations.

Chayes, a former award-winning journalist for National Public Radio, as well as a military adviser, will speak about her experiences in the Middle East.

Her work explores how severe corruption can help prompt such crises as terrorism, revolutions and their violent aftermaths, and environmental degradation. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, courtesy of Elm Street Books.

Test prep help: Since high school juniors received their PSAT scores in early December, many are wondering how to plan next steps. The SAT and the ACT have undergone major overhauls in the past year, leaving the college admissions landscape even more complicated. The biggest question remains, how should students interpret their PSAT scores when designing their testing plan?

Test prep experts recommend planning ahead to help alleviate stress. As founder of local test prep company Carnegie Pollak, Lynn Carnegie has helped prepare Fairfield County students for standardized tests for more than 30 years.

Carnegie will give a presentation at the New Canaan Library on Thursday at 10 a.m. to help students and parents navigate the changing landscape of standardized testing.

To regster, go to newcanaanlibrary.org. The library is at 151 Main St.

Carnegie will answer questions about when to begin test preparation, how to choose between the SAT and ACT, and when to take SAT Subject Tests. There will also be time for questions at the end of the session.

A Plastic Ocean documentary: Join other environmentally concerned individuals as New Canaan Library hosts a screening of the documentary, A Plastic Ocean. This eye-opening and award-winning film addresses the devastating impact of trash in our ecosystems, and in particular, plastic in our oceans.

The film is being released globally on Thursday as part of an unofficial Plastic Oceans Day, a worldwide screening campaign. The showing will be at 6:30 p.m. in the librarys Adrian Lamb Room.

According to the global organization Plastic Oceans, every year humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic, half of which is designed for single use, and each year around 8 million tons of it ends up in our oceans. Plastic Oceans is working to challenge the worlds collective perception that this indestructible substance can be treated as disposable.

Sporting license buyers beware

Anglers and hunters should be aware of at least two active non-Department of Energy and Environmental Protection websites where one can, purportedly, purchase a fishing license, hunting license or receive hunter education training: Fishinglicense.org and Hunting-license.org

Hold off on donations to P2P

Person-to-Person is in the process of conducting a comprehensive inventory in the Darien Clothing Center. During that time  due to the generosity of so many in the community  the center will be unable to accept any new donations of clothing, household items, toys, etc.

P2P, a nonprofit that provides low-income individuals and families living in lower Fairfield County with basic emergency services, will begin accepting donations again starting Jan. 23.
NEW CANAAN  Eleven Wesleyan students were looking for a night of fun when they took MDMA, otherwise known as molly in February 2015. What they got was 108-degree temperatures, causing them to be hospitalized.

U.S. attorney for Connecticut Deirdre Daly charged the Wesleyan students who sold the molly with distributing controlled substances. At least two faced jail time.

It was really precedent-setting, said Bridgeport attorney Ed Gavin. Normally, the federal government doesnt get involved if a kid is smoking a joint in his dorm. Deirdre Dalys logic was it was a public health concern.

Gavin agrees with Dalys logic and has seen cases against dealers increase in the past few years. Even gifting someone with drugs can be viewed as distribution or even manslaughter if the user dies from an overdose.

Distributors are always being charged on a public health basis, Gavin said. Prosecutors are going after individuals, even if theyre younger because theyre concerned.

This has trickled down to New Canaan. Mark Lynch, 57, of Parade Hill Road, is facing manslaughter, possession and distribution charges after providing the heroin that led to his sons fatal overdose. The charges reflect a shift in the legal system where prosecutors are shifting their focus from addicts to the people supplying the drugs.

With possession of small amounts of narcotics going from a felony to a misdemeanor, courts are more attuned to the needs of people with drug addictions. Initiatives like diversionary programs allow addicts facing possession charges to attend drug education classes and do community service to have charges dismissed.

Throwing these people in jail for two to three years, taxpayers pay $150,000, Gavin said. Then they come out and are in the same position. People are realizing that locking up people is costly and theyre better off getting treatment.

Many judges are also willing to show leniency toward a defendant if they are getting treatment, often letting them defer court dates while they complete an approved program. Patients, with the courts approval, can choose between intensive inpatient programs or outpatient programs that allow them to live outside the hospital while they receive treatment.

Typically judges will, with court permission and sufficient proof of inpatient treatment, tend to allow defendant with an open case to stay inpatient until they finish treatment, said Stamford-based attorney Mark Sherman. That seems to be an unspoken rule because the courts typically want to encourage sobriety, especially when accused is making a commitment to inpatient. Thats essentially jail but with added bonus of resources you need to rehabilitate yourself.

Sherman said courts focus on individual cases to deem whats best. He said generally, judges want to see recovery and have been sensitive to the wave of opioid abuse. But the problem lies in addicts being charged as distributors when they sell small amounts to support their own habits.

If you have someone selling for the sole purpose to make money, theyre the people who are going to get punished the most, but the people that are selling small amounts of opiates to support an addiction, its really critical that defense attorneys explain that to judges and prosecutors to distinguish them from profiteering dealers, Sherman said. Initially, all charges look the same on the front of a file, but a defense attorney really needs to drill down and construct a narrative about a client that shows an addiction struggle and get leniency in the system.

Right now, the mandatory minimum sentence for selling up to one ounce of heroin in Connecticut is five years.

The mandatory minimum that were established by lawmakers predate the recent popularity of opiates, Sherman said. It doesnt take into consideration how addictive and widespread this problem is, so we have young kids facing felony mandatory minimum jail time and thankfully, prosecutors have the discretion to look at cases and reduce charges where they see fit which they do.

This search to target distributors has also led to police using people facing drug charges as informants, offering defendants lighter penalties in exchange for them offering information on dealers.

The police, and I dont begrudge them for this, but they lean very hard on people arrested for opiates to be concealed informants so they can get to the source of the drugs, Sherman said. Sometimes that can be very helpful for a defendant, but sometimes can be very dangerous and that really should be discussed with lawyer before any decisions made.

Sherman said being an informant can lead to potential retaliation from dealers, putting an already vulnerable defendant in danger.

Another area of concern is when an addict goes to jail according to Dr. Eric Collins, physician-in-chief at Silver Hill Hospital. Collins said in his experience, courts have been very willing to work with hospital patients in treatment, whether it be one of Silver Hills inpatient programs, outpatient programs or a residential program where patients live on the grounds but have a lower level of treatment.

We dont have complete control and there are situations where the legal system wont be flexible if the charges are purely drug-related, Collins said. But Ive never seen a case where they didnt work with us flexibly to accommodate someone in treatment...Its case-by-case. In certain situations and circumstances, the court might not be entirely flexible, but by and large patient problems with legal consequences are usually well accommodated for treatment.

But the problem arises when someone is in prison and cant get help for their addiction. Some may not be able to continue the medications they were on for detox when they enter a correctional facility. After going through withdrawal in prison others are likely to come out and possibly overdose when they begin to use again.

Most criminal justice settings dont make it possible or easy for patients to continue on methadone treatments, Collins said. Thats a major concern and theres some people pushing for maintenance for the criminal justice population with a once a month shot.

This shot of naltrexone blocks the opioid receptors so the drug doesnt get into the nervous system and users dont feel high. While Collins said it isnt recommended for everyone, it may help prevent overdoses once users are out of prison and at the highest risk for overdose.

Despite this treatment option, many addicts in prison may still struggle to access methadone, often used to treat opioid addiction, as well as access things like therapy which may help them deal with their addiction.

But things are improving as attorneys, prosecutors and judges learn more about an increasingly sweeping epidemic.

The courts arent here to throw addicts in jail, Sherman said. Thats not their purpose, thats not what they can do and I dont think theres enough bandwidth in the state to even put all addicts in jail. Thats not what they want to do.

ekayata@hearstmediact.com; @erin_kayata
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Jan 5 under the baton of conductor Vassily Sinaisky. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has just concluded its first tour in China, from late December in Guangzhou, Changsha, Shanghai to Beijing on Jan 5. The orchestra, which is composed of around 85musicians, performed Elgar's Enigma Variations as well as music of Tchaikovsky, Pablo de Sarasate and Dvorak under the baton of conductor Vassily Sinaisky.

"I have performed in China with London Philharmonic Orchestra and Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra many years ago. I am surprised to see that there are many young people come to our concerts during the tour," says the conductor, who has been with CBSO for nearly 20 years. "We see lots of children come to our concerts. Their parents want their children to get classical music knowledge, not just for education but also for moral sense, which is very good for the future."

Based at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, CBSO, which was founded by Birmingham's civic leaders as away of restoring the city's confidence immediately after the World War I, gave its first symphonic concert in 1920 and performs more than 100 concerts each year in Birmingham, around the UK and overseas.

"CBSO also manages three symphonic choruses, a community choir, a youth orchestra, and a music teaching program every year.We would love to bring our music teaching program to China in the future. It's vital to train the next generation musicians," says Stephen Maddock, chief executive of CBSO, who has been with the orchestra for 18 years.

As the sponsor of CBSO's tour of China, the University of Birmingham, according to its vice-chancellor, Sir David Eastwood, also has a strong musical connection with China. The first original Chinese violin composition, titled Difficult Road (Xing Lu Nan), was composed in 1919 by the university's famous geology alumnus Li Siguang (1889-1971).

The university's relationship with China dates back to the foundation of the university. The first Chinese student joined the university in 1907 and there are now more than 14,000 Chinese alumni.
Jan. 13, 1937: County commissioners appointed three sheriffs deputies  Bill Shook, Hoyt Curry and George Boswell.

--Issac Willhoilt of Floydada died on his 105th birthday will at the home of his son in Burkburnett, where he was staying for the winter.

--Jury members for the second week in the 64th District Court were dismissed by Judge C.D. Russell since no cases have been scheduled.

Jan. 13, 1967: Although more women are entering the field as band directors, Petersburg High Buffalo Band Director Barbara Lovett says the idea still appears to be a novelty to many.

--Plainview High School and Booker T. Washington High School will become fully consolidated as of Sept. 1, 1967, with all students in grades 9-12 at Booker T. Washington transferring to PHS. That decision came Thursday night at a meeting of the Plainview School Board.

--Plainview Jaycees began picking up and tabulating community attitude survey forms today. The survey has been in the works for the last two months and is expected to take several more weeks to complete.

Jan. 13, 1977: The City Council meeting Tuesday night featured a host of private citizens expressing their sentiments on everything from the rabbit ordinance to the need for a four-way stop at 11th and Holliday.

--Three new directors have been elected to the board of Hale County State Bank  Jess West, Norvene Owen and John C. Anderson. That expands the board to 13 members. J.B. Wheeler, bank president for the past 13 years, was named chairman of the board, succeeding R.V. Payne.

--According to the High Plains Irrigation Survey, released by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, almost 10,000 additional acres in Hale County were under irrigation in 1976 as compared to 1975.

Jan. 13, 1997: A photo shows Judy Chambliss wearing protective eyewear and hearing protection during a practice round at a local indoor shooting range.

--A noon Tuesday, State Rep. Pete Laney (D-Hale Center) will join legislative colleagues in taking the oath of office on the House floor inside the Texas Capitol in Austin.

--A photo shows inmates from the J.B. Wheeler Prison Unit applying coats of paint to the walls of the Hale County Senior Citizens Center. The inmates painted the entire facility as part of the prisons continuing efforts to give back to the community.
An international symposium on Confucius and Saadi in Contemporary: The Cultural Giants and Their Culture kicked off on Jan 8 in Baoding, North Chinas Hebei province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Co-sponsored by the Research Center for Social Development of Islamic Countries of Hebei University and Iran Tehran Book City, organized by the School of Journalism and Communication of Hebei University, an international symposium on Confucius and Saadi in Contemporary: The Cultural Giants and Their Culture kicked off on Jan 8 in Baoding, North Chinas Hebei province.

A total of 120 participants, including experts and scholars from China and Iran, had an in-depth study focusing on the similarities and differences in thinking and values between Confucius and Sadi, one of the most famous poets in Iran,.

Yang Xuexin, vice president of Hebei University, delivered the keynote speech. From his point of view, Confucius and Saadi are outstanding representatives of eastern civilization. The culture and civilization they have advocated for reach people all over the world.

Mohamed Raisuli Almas, cultural counselor of the embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran in China, said that the people of China and Iran are diligent and peace loving, the collision of the two cultures will complement each other. The great thinkers such as Saadi and Confucius will lead the way to peace, friendship and harmony.

The seminar has offered a solid platform to better understand the two cultural giants. Scholars believe that Confucius and Saddi may have differences in specific ideas but the core of their ideas is interconnected.

Saadi was one of the major Persian poets and literary men of the medieval period. He is not only famous in Persian-speaking countries, but has been quoted in western sources as well. He is recognized for the quality of his writing and the depth of his social and moral thoughts. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest poets of the classical literary tradition.

Confucius was a Chinese politician and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius' thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known in the West as Confucianism.
Political uncertainty in 2017, marked by a backlash against the status quo, will complicate efforts to tackle the challenges of global warming, cyberwarfare and rapid technological change, the World Economic Forum warned.

A Swiss special police officer observes the surrounding area from atop the roof of the Davos Congress Hotel ahead of the Annual Meeting 2016 of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 19, 2016. [Photo\Agencies]

Following Britain's vote to leave the European Union and the election of the politically untested Donald Trump as the next US president, there is "evidence of a growing backlash against elements of the domestic and international status quo," the WEF said in its annual Global Risks Report, which was presented in London on Wednesday ahead of the organization's Davos forum. The report's findings are based, in part, on the perceptions of around 700 international experts from business, academia, civil society and government. They rated extreme weather events and large-scale forced migration as the most likely risks the world might face in 2017, with terrorist and cyber attacks also figuring in the top 10.

The WEF titled a news conference to present its report as "Under-Employed, Under-Inclusive and Under Threat: the World in 2017", which gave a succinct flavor of its findings.

Cecilia Reyes, chief risk officer of Zurich Insurance Group, a contributor to the report, said 2016 had been a year of momentous political change.

"It is a world where change is happening at an unprecedented scope and speed," she said.

The report's authors acknowledged a widespread anti-establishment trend that blames globalization for rising inequality and the loss of jobs. But they suggested that managing rapid technological change was a bigger challenge to labor markets, noting that 86 percentalmost nine in 10of jobs lost in the US was the result of technological innovation, rather than trade competition.

The risks report will provide a basis for discussion at the around 400 sessions in Davos, where participants will this year discuss "responsive and responsible leadership".

This year's gathering, from Jan 17-20 in the Swiss resort, will be attended by a record 3,000 political, business and media leaders. It will be opened by President Xi Jinping, the first Chinese leader to attend the annual event.

Richard Samans of the WEF's managing board, urged greater public-private cooperation in helping meet global goals, including those on climate change.

"There's not anywhere near enough money in the coffers of developing countries to meet these goals," he said.

John Drzik, president of the Marsh Global Risk and Specialties consultancy, raised the specter of increasing cyber attacks linked to the introduction of artificial intelligence products, including home devices.

The spread of AI in the workplace was also a politically volatile issue, he said, with companies introducing technologies that threaten both blue- and white-collar jobs.

"They must think carefully how to deploy them," he said.

The author is a senior editorial consultant for China Daily UK
A teenager accused of fighting with a police officer will remain in jail on $500 bail after being accused of interfering with a homicide investigation Wednesday night at a volatile scene in north Harris County.

Raychard Brown, 17, appeared Thursday in probable cause court in downtown Houston after being charged with interfering with the duties of a public servant.

Police responding to a report of shots fired in 1100 block of Verde Trails Drive around 8:50 p.m. found two groups of people fighting.

In the middle of the melee, they found a 17-year-old lying in the road. He had been hit by a car and possibly shot. The teen, whose identity has not been released, died.

Investigators said a man later called 911, saying he had run over someone as he sped away from the fracas. Afterward, deputies determined at least one person had fired gunshots after the vehicle that hit the victim. Five to six bullet casings were found on the ground.

Detectives are trying to unravel the events that led up to the disturbance, shooting and apparent hit-and-run collision. The person or people who fired gunshots have not been found. There were about 70 people at the scene. The driver of the car is being interviewed.

"This a pretty complicated investigation," said Sgt. Ben Beall, a homicide investigator with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

As officials tried to break up the unruly crowd, Brown apparently got into a confrontation that ended with the assault of a Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constable.

Brown was accused of creating a disturbance nearby, and the altercation ensued when a deputy confronted him. Investigators said Brown and the officer went to the ground before the fight was broken up.

The deputy had minor injuries and was checked out at the Texas Medical Center as a precaution, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.

In magistrate court Thursday, Brown said little except that he planned to ask for a court-appointed lawyer.

brian.rogers@chron.com

twitter.com/brianjrogers
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Construction of a major element of the Google Fiber network has been placed on hold, pending review by local officials, City Manager Sheryl Sculley told the City Council in an email Wednesday.

She said that installation of a major part of Google Fibers infrastructure has been put on hold because of constraints of several municipally owned properties.

The decision to halt the massive infrastructure project comes after months of complaints from residents in a Northeast Side neighborhood upset that Google was allowed to install a so-called fiber hut in their tiny Haskin Park. Those residents joined with their counterparts from District 3, who faced planned huts in a park and on a vacant lot between two homes.

Sculley wrote that it became evident that we needed to re-evaluate the remaining hut placement locations after the first two were completed in neighborhood parks.

Googles plans originally called for 40 huts, but the company was ultimately able to reduce that number to 17 before construction began.

Now, the remaining 15 sites  which include a police substation, four other parks, five fire stations, two libraries and three vacant residential properties  are on hold and being reviewed. Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni, who is overseeing the citys team now monitoring fiber installation, told the San Antonio Express-News last week that he and his colleagues had already determined that park and residential sites werent suitable.

Sculleys afternoon email to the council comes on the heels of an inquiry from Mayor Ivy Taylor sent earlier this week.

For more on this story, visit www.expressnews.com or read the Thursday edition of the San Antonio Express-News.
An elderly man who was in bed when a stolen vehicle came crashing into the back of his North Side home died Friday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office confirms.

Jack Weatherford was pronounced deceased at 3:50 a.m. as a result of pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high blood pressure, according to the medical examiner.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Archdiocese of San Antonio, preparing for the vigil and funeral of Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Flores on Monday and Tuesday, has announced the route of his funeral procession.

Flores, the first Mexican American bishop in the United States, died this week from congestive heart failure and pneumonia. He was 87.

Archdiocese spokesman Jordan McMorrough said the procession will leave San Fernando Cathedral at about 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, and make its way to San Fernando Cemetery No. 2 on the citys West Side on a route that will take it south on Flores Street, past the Bexar County Courthouse, then west on Guadalupe Street to the cemetery at 746 Castroville Road.

Guadalupe Street becomes Castroville Road where the cemetery is located.

The route to the cemetery will be at a pace to allow people to pay their respects to Archbishop Flores as the procession passes, a statement from the archdiocese said.

Flores funeral Mass is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the cathedral. Video screens and 1,000 seats will be set up under a tent on Main Plaza to supplement cathedral seating.

The archbishop will lie in state beginning at 11:30 a.m. Monday. A Mass for the Dead presided by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller will be said at noon Tuesday.

Several groups will lead the praying of rosaries every half-hour from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday. Monsignor Lawrence Stuebben will preside over a 7 p.m. vigil service Monday with a homily by Father David Garcia.

Visitation will continue from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday before a brief closure to prepare for the funeral Mass, the archdiocese said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A San Antonio freelance photographer is recovering from injuries suffered from a motorcycle crash on an Interstate 10 exit ramp early Thursday.

Kody Melton, a freelance photographer with the San Antonio Express-News, said he was heading home from downtown on the Loop 410 westbound exit from I-10 around 12:30 a.m.

He said he came in "a little too quickly" and lost control of his motorcycle. The motorcycle slid into the guardrail of the exit ramp and flipped over, falling about 40-feet, according to a report from KSAT-TV.

Melton broke his upper and lower right arm and suffered severe road rash on his back.

RELATED: Texas State student gets 40 years in fatal I-35 wrong-way crash

"I'm just trying to process it all," Melton said. "I'm a little shocked. I didn't expect the night to go that way."

He said he's been riding dirt bikes his entire life, but he's only been riding street motorcycles for about a year. He said he recently bought the Harley Davidson Sportster 883 Iron he crashed.

But despite the wreck, Melton said he's "definitely" going to keep riding.

In addition to shooting event photos for mySA.com, Melton is also a resident photographer with the Esquire bar and the restaurants Downstairs and El Mirador. He won't be able to take photos for another few weeks, the nurses told him.

RELATED: SAPD: Suspect at large after road rage shooting on I-35 near Live Oak

He'll remain in University Hospital for a couple more days while he recovers. Friday he had surgery on his arm and shoulder. His family has established a GoFundMe account to help cover medical and other expenses while he recovers over the next six weeks.

Melton's best friend, 28-year-old David Galindo, who also rides motorcycles, said he's glad it was the motorcycle that went over the guardrail and not Melton.

He said yesterday was the first day Melton wore a full-face helmet  usually he wears a half-skull helmet  and that it saved his life.

He said riding motorcycles "is always a risk."

"You always risk yourself and you just have to be smart and drive defensively. It's just one of those things."

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
A state appeals court on Thursday rejected the city's procedural challenge to a lawsuit that could force Houston's mayor and city council members to revert to three two-year terms, from the two four-year terms voters approved in November 2015.

The Texas First Court of Appeals ruling did not address the merits of the underlying case, which centers on whether the city's ballot language was misleading.

Rather, the court's decision marks an incremental step in what is likely to be a lengthy appeals process that plaintiffs hope could trigger municipal elections as early as this fall.

Austin election lawyer Buck Wood, however, said he considers November mayoral and city council elections improbable, given the speed with which courts typically move.

Plaintiffs' attorney Andy Taylor welcomed Thursday's ruling and criticized the city for challenging the trial court's jurisdiction over the case, calling the move "frivolous and arrogant."

"The city should apologize to the voters for trying to avoid a trial on whether their chosen ballot language was deceptive," he said.

The appellate court's ruling affirms state District Judge Randy Clapp's decision last year to reject Houston's procedural challenge, which sought to get the case thrown out.

Clapp was not considering the substance of the case at the time, though he tipped his hand by calling the city's ballot language "inartful" but not "invalid."

Mayoral spokeswoman Janice Evans said Thursday the city attorney's office is considering whether to appeal the procedural decision to the state Supreme Court.

If the trial court's 2016 procedural decision holds, the case likely would return to Clapp for a hearing on the substance of whether Houston's term limits ballot language obscured the nature of the vote by asking whether voters wanted to "limit the length for all terms."

The city welcomed the case's probable return to trial court.

"The court clarified important jurisdictional and procedural issues in this case," Evans said in an email. "If not appealed, plaintiffs will now have to prove their case before the Honorable Randy Clapp."

Taylor, too, said he looks forward to a trial on the merits, adding that he hopes to resolve the appellate battle before the city's August deadline to call a November municipal election.

"If we're unable to obtain a final ruling by the August deadline, our backup plan is to ask the court to schedule a municipal election as soon as possible following the November election, but certainly well ahead of the November 2019 election cycle," Taylor said.

Wood, who is not involved in he case, challenged the notion that the court would call for mayoral and city council elections as part of the remedy in this case, even if it were to find the ballot language misleading.

Instead, Wood said, the court likely would require the city to call a new term limits referendum.

"The issue of whether or not there's going to be a city council election is a separate issue altogether," Wood said. "(The plaintiffs) would have to file a separate lawsuit."
Illinois turns hair stylists into snitches; tells them to spy on their customers and report to law enforcement

Service professionals working various positions in Illinois will now be required to complete domestic abuse prevention training as part of their licensing requirements. The new law, which just went into effect on Sunday, impacts hair stylists, barbers, cosmetologists, estheticians, hair braiders and nail technicians. Although workers wont be required to report violence, they are protected from any liability under the law. Some believe this is a deliberate effort to take advantage of the intimate relations between the service professionals and their clients.

The required training aims to teach beauty professionals how to spot signs of abuse. The new law could prove to be a great aid for rescuing sex trafficking victims from their captors, but that appears to be the only potential upside. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is a federally run department which will be enforcing the new state law, but the Department of Homeland Security runs the Illinois Department of Human Services, which handles domestic abuse in the state.

The trusted relationships between beauty workers and their clients are now questionable in Illinois. State Rep. Fran Hurley believes that the openness and freeness of those relations puts the employees in position to see something that just isnt quite right. Its easy to give away information that should be kept private when you are enjoying a conversation with someone you trust. Illinois is ready to take advantage of that information with the some 88,000 beauty professionals intended to complete the training program within the next two years.

Some clients do have a tendency to open up about the on goings of their personal lives. Sometimes they reveal so much information that they are too embarrassed to go back again. While the hour-long training sessions wont make any barbers an instant expert in domestic abuse, it does help raise awareness in two separate areas.

Anything you say can and will be used against you

No, you are not being read your Miranda rights, but that statement applies just about everywhere. Everything you say and do is subject to scrutiny. The more information you give away, the more opportunities exist for unforeseen circumstances to arise, which may impact you negatively. We live in a world where people will try to bring you down. You can read the news on any given day and you will find stories pertaining to job loss and fallout  because somebody decided to open their mouth.

Sources:

BlacklistedNews.com

NPR.org
No pushover when it came to her three children, Rosa Aurora Guajardo made them go to school even if they told her they were sick.

She did not play around when it came to education, her son Oscar Guajardo Jr. said. Shed kick us in the butt, tell us to go school and amount to something.

When her children started college, followed by graduate school, Guajardo and her husband continued their support.

Whatever we needed, my mom and dad somehow, some way  came up with the money, Oscar Guajardo recalled.

Guajardo died Jan. 7 at 87.

Raised on the near West Side, Guajardo attended Lanier High School until she was forced to drop out to help support her family.

Marrying in 1950, Guajardo worked at an H-E-B cosmetics counter before joining her husband in the family business, Guajardos Grocery & Meat Market on Guadalupe Street.

Dad was the butcher, Mom , Oscar Guajardo said.

Working until 6 or 7 in the evening, Guajardo returned home to make her children dinner while her husband closed the store.

She also took classes to earn her GED when her youngest was in middle school.

More Information Rosa Aurora Guajardo Born: Nov. 21, 1929, San Antonio Died: Jan. 7, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Husband Oscar Guajardo Sr.; infant daughter Eileen Guajardo; parents Guillermo and Martina Ramirez. Survived by: Daughters Elena Guajardo, Elaine Guajardo and her partner Dan Barrett; and son Oscar Guajardo Jr. and daughter-in-law Patti. Services: Visitation from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a rosary, both today at Porter Loring Mortuaries, 1101 McCullough; Mass at 1 p.m. Friday at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 223 E. Summit. See More Collapse

Guajardo left the store a few years before it closed, starting as a cashier at a cleaning supply business and moving on to work for the City of San Antonio and, later, at the University of Texas Health Science Center in the registrars office.

My mom stopped working at the store because she saw the writing on the wall and she wanted us to have health insurance, Oscar Guajardo said.

After her husband closed the grocery in the mid-1980s  the small business couldnt compete with the larger grocery stores  the couple continued to work for a few more years before beginning to travel, taking bus trips to various locations, including New Mexico, where their son lived at the time.

As she aged, Guajardo took pride in her appearance, dressing nicely and having her hair done every week, something she couldnt afford in her younger years.

When we were around, she sacrificed to make sure we had everything, Oscar Guajardo said.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
Heres a first.

Looking for some good news? Head over to Camelot II.

Much to everyones surprise, the trash service pilot program there has worked. After more than a year, the streets and alleys are mostly clean. Residents are paying their bills. And now annexation is on the horizon, courtesy of the nearby city of Converse.

All thats left to complete the sweep is for state lawmakers to allow Bexar County to require landlords in unincorporated areas to provide trash service. Step it up, Bexar County delegation. The clock is ticking on the legislative session. This should be a bipartisan priority.

Some history before we look forward.

For years, Camelot II, way out on the far Northeast Side, has wasted away in a bureaucratic no-mans land. It feels like part of the city, but its not. Its in unincorporated Bexar County, but its also in the citys extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Depending on perspective, this bit of geography was used as either a reason or an excuse to not mandate trash service in Camelot II. Bexar County said it couldnt because Camelot II is in the citys ETJ. The city said Camelot is outside its borders. It didnt help that many Camelot landlords didnt have trash service at their properties.

The neighborhood was a landscape of rotting and slopping waste. Kids would play in it. At one point, a neighborhood school wouldnt let children play outside during recess out of concern about rats.

But in late 2015, the county and city launched a pilot program. The city provided trash service to about 600 homes. Billing went through CPS Energy. The county would cover any unpaid bills. Officials held their breath over this modest experiment. Would Camelot II residents use their trash cans and pay their bills? There was plenty of unstated skepticism.

More than a year later, the answer is a resounding yes.

The alleys and streets are mostly clean and clear.

So far, Nobody is in arrears, San Antonio Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni said.

In the past, the county would have to do expensive emergency cleanups. Not any longer. Taxpayers are saving money, and the Camelot II area is cleaner.

That means the pilot programs only true failure is the limitation of its success. It served one subdivision when the regional need was far greater. In an area screaming for lasting solutions, the pilot was temporary.

Enter annexation, the holy grail for Camelot II.

Many homeowners, but not all, in Camelot II had been clamoring for annexation for years. But who wants to annex an area with low property values that is plagued with crime and covered in trash? Not the city of San Antonio, which, citing costs, dropped the Interstate-10 East corridor, including Camelot II, from its annexation plan last year.

If the story ended there, it would have been a bitter disappointment. Fortunately, it goes on.

In a complicated agreement with the city of San Antonio, the city of Converse will annex much of the I-10 East corridor, including Camelot II. The agreement will span years and involves San Antonio giving up commercial turf to help Converse cover the costs of increased services for its residents, old and new.

In a place like Camelot II, the agreement eventually means mandatory trash service, better police response times and even the possibility of streetlights.

I think we are going to be better off in a city situation than a county situation, quite frankly, said Janice Gray of the Montgomery Area Neighborhood Association.

She thought many residents in Camelot II would prefer Converse over San Antonio because of its lower tax rates.

The trash was a symbol of neglect, and there are big principles in this momentum. While announcing the agreement, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor made a profound statement of community ideals.

Disinvestment and lack of hope that characterizes some parts of our community creates dead-ends, she said. We have found a way forward for our community, our region.

Amen. To honor that stated ideal, two more actions must happen.

The city and county should extend the pilot program to other neighborhoods, including the Glen, a subdivision near Camelot II. The annexation plan is going to take time, and trash problems exist in other areas. The pilot has worked. Replicate it where needed.

State lawmakers should prioritize holding landlords accountable for trash in Bexar County. A bill could be bracketed by population or density. If these two actions happen, we will never have a neighborhood covered in trash again.

Lets not celebrate limited success in Camelot II when we are capable of so much more.

jbrodesky@express-news.net
Having a college diploma and advanced degrees doesnt mean youre intelligent. It just means you have a substantial amount of formal education. And if you never get out of your bubble and expose yourself to different points of view, you could be as dumb as a box of rocks no matter how many degrees you have.

Many of us probably look back on our immigrant grandparents, with their sixth-grade educations and hardscrabble lives, and consider them to be among the wisest people we ever knew. And I bet all of us have run across individuals who spent many years piling up degrees but somewhere along the way lost their common sense. And then there are those politicians who look good on paper but failed Leadership 101 because they never bothered to study something really important: fellow human beings.

Finally, if you spend any time around Ph.D.s, you know that  in a world run by folks who can take the complicated and make it simple  many in academia often take the simple and make it complicated.

We accept all this, right? We know it like we know our own names, because life has taught us as much.

So why have some critics of President-elect Donald Trump decided to attack him and assorted members of his so-called Billionaires Cabinet on the flimsiest of grounds  their relative lack of formal education?

In Washington, Democratic senators raise legitimate concerns about whether Sen. Jeff Sessions, who is Trumps pick for attorney general, is fully committed to protecting civil rights for all  not just for white men. They also want to know whether Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice for secretary of state, is too friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Democrats can also ask Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has been tapped to head the Environmental Protection Agency, how he can be trusted to shepherd a government bureaucracy that he has sued, and to try to elicit from fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder, Trumps pick for labor secretary, his rationale for opposing increases in the minimum wage. All fair areas of inquiry.

But in the media and at the grass roots of the progressive movement, where anything goes and where what some people call the politics of personal destruction is alive and well, pummeling Trump and his Cabinet choices for supposedly not having a sufficient amount of formal education is considered fair game.

And so it is that Shaun King, a columnist for the New York Daily News, recently chided Trump for being the first president of the United States in 25 years to not have a graduate degree of any kind. He also took note that Tillerson doesnt have the same level of education as John Kerry. The current secretary of state has a law degree, and the CEO of Exxon Mobil never went to graduate school.

King also singled out Betsy DeVos, Trumps pick for education secretary, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, his choice for energy secretary, as academic underachievers. So too Steven Mnuchin, Trumps pick for treasury secretary.

Education matters, wrote King. It is often on college campuses where people are challenged with new ideas, new cultures, and opposing viewpoints that dont quite match their own.

Whats dangerous is the combination of stupidity and elitism.

Lets just look at one example. Tillerson doesnt need defending, but you would imagine that someone who has successfully run one of the worlds largest oil companies has picked up a thing or two along the way. Kerry, you could argue, has repeatedly failed the test of moral leadership  as when he pushed through the Iranian nuclear deal, did little to stop the spread of the Islamic State, and scolded our ally Israel over its settlements.

Absent inheritance and lottery tickets, people tend not to fall backward into piles of money. Usually, they earn it. Intelligence and competence take many forms.

Politics can get rough. But this whole line of attack is, well, not smart.

ruben@rubennavarrette.com
I dont know that anyone expected the government of Mexico to write a giant check to the U.S. Treasury.

U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind.,

chairman of the Republican Policy Committee

Well, actually, voters shouldnt be faulted if that is precisely what they thought was going to happen in the case of that border wall promised by candidate Donald Trump on his road to becoming president-elect. But, it turns out, U.S. taxpayers will be paying for that wall  if, indeed, it ever gets built.

Reports of this drew a response from Trump in a tweet: 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!

But Americans should have little faith that Mexico will pay any for this wall. It has said it wont. And if Trump, as promised, resorts to dunning one of this nations largest trading partners by somehow tapping into remittances sent by immigrants to their families in Mexico, this might have legal issues  theft of funds without due process, among them. And if the Trump administration tries other means, these might actually spark congressional opposition, not to mention reciprocal charges from the Mexican government.

In other words, the campaign pledge that motivated his followers made no sense when Trump made it and makes even less sense when examined under the glare of logistics, pragmatism and reality.

Speaking of pragmatism and reality, the U.S.-Mexican border is already among the most secure in the world, net migration from Mexico is at net zero, and a border between allies should no more resemble a fortification than the border between the U.S. and Canada. Unless, of course, the purpose is to make an enemy of a friend. Thats the likely outcome.

Congress should not allow any taxpayer funds for this atrocious idea.
It was only a matter of time before Toyota found itself in President-elect Donald Trumps Twitter crossfire. He recently blasted the automaker for its plans to manufacture the popular Corolla sedan in Mexico. This has followed attacks on other automakers.

In his tweet, Trump said the Toyota plant was in Baja, Mexico. He was wrong. It will be in Guanajuato, Mexico. A small mistake, perhaps, but also a reminder that our next president should stop tweeting. The attack on Toyota is ludicrous.
Isnt it nice knowing that our Legislature is meeting to decide what potty people shall use?

Were getting a lot of bang for our buck.

Mike White

Trump side effects

Re: GOP Plan: Taxpayers will fund the border wall; Trump insists Mexico will pay U.S. back, front page, Saturday:

Donald Trump wants to go through with his border wall even though most of us do not want to waste hundreds of millions. Perhaps an immigration bill that was suggested by both parties back in 2000 would be constructive.

Trump ignored data linking Vladimir Putin to hacking, even though intelligence professionals in the National Security Agency, CIA and FBI concluded it was Russia. Why not take the advice? Instead, he blames the Democratic National Committee?

Meanwhile, on the Saturday Editorial Page, a cartoon shows GOP elephants chanting Lock her up to Hillary Clinton, while in the next panel they echo the same refrain, this time to a beauty representing ethics.

This is the GOP Congress at work on its top priority. Soon it will hand out huge tax cuts to the wealthiest, just as W. did 15 years ago, which did not add jobs.

This party that usually wins because of its power (redistricting, fake news, etc.) and big contributions has now given us a Trump presidency with all the negative side effects that our country will have to endure.

Adam Castillo

Diplomatic deja vu

Re: Trump acts like Putins puppet, Kathleen Parker, Other Views, Sunday:

Regarding the Russians trying to interfere with our elections, isnt this exactly what the Obama administration tried to do to Israel?

John P. Ashjian

Alamo plan a shame

Re: Time to honor Alamo sacrifice with sacrifice; Set aside limits threatening the experience, Gary Foreman, Opinion, Sunday:

As always, I agree with Gary Foreman. I, too, am alarmed and disappointed at what Im hearing from the Alamo design team. They want to do this on the cheap, without listening to anyone, and dont seem to have a clue about what people like Foreman have been advocating for years. Its shocking.

The idea to place the museum in an old Woolworths is infuriating. The post office is the right place for the museum. I thought that had been agreed upon. We dont want some little museum carved out of a defunct five-and-dime.

All the things I thought were understood to be essential, it seems, are being discarded by this group. Im furious at what Im hearing, disappointed beyond measure. This is like Frost Tower, promised to be tall and iconic, and we got short and boring. San Antonio deserves a real tower and real Alamo experience, and it seems we are getting neither, and thats a shame.

Shannon Deason

Alamo plan superb

Re: Time to honor Alamo sacrifice with sacrifice; Set aside limits threatening the experience, Gary Foreman, Opinion, Sunday:

The new plan for the Alamo represents an excellent vision for a museum at Alamo Plaza, and despite all the brainwashing by the Express-News, the study concluded that a faux wall should not be built. The overall significance of the site is well expressed by the current plaza, and the details of the battle would be better presented with scale models, film and a mural at the museum.

The idea of moving the Cenotaph is folly. The sculpture was commissioned for the Texas Centennial in 1936, the result of decades of effort to provide an artistic tribute to the events at the Alamo. It stands on the ground where the bodies of the Alamo defenders were piled and burned. Some of the other proposals, such as closing Alamo Street, might have merit but require a lot more study and thought.

The solemn antiquity of the chapel, combined with the laid-back charm of the plaza, has made the Alamo an inspiration to millions. Those who have worked for improvements should feel very satisfied. The carnival sideshow will soon be gone, replaced by a great new museum. That is a big enough bite for now.

Bill Sandidge

New energy course

Re: Climate change hysteria misleads, Lamar Smith, Another View, Dec. 28:

Rep. Smith once again argues that the worlds scientists are wrong, and any regulations to reduce the extent of man-made climate change would be expensive. He is wrong on both counts.

The good news is that you dont have to believe the overwhelming scientific evidence to agree on an energy policy with those who do. The worlds economy has concluded it is good business to move aggressively away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, especially wind, solar and batteries.

The cost of these new technologies has dropped dramatically over the last few years. Globally, the investment in new electric capacity favors renewables 2 to 1 over fossil fuels. China, already the dominant manufacturer and user of solar panels, just announced it is investing $320 billion over the next three years in renewables. Statoil, the Norwegian oil and gas company, just sold its Canadian tar sands assets and bought the rights to build a huge off-shore wind farm near New York.

Ever-cheaper batteries are opening a huge market opportunity in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.

And there are more U.S. jobs in solar than in oil and gas extraction, and the gap continues to increase. The list goes on.

The U.S. is being left behind. Rep. Smith should drop his no-win battle with the worlds scientists and focus on growing jobs and making our country competitive in 21st century energy technology.

John Fehlauer
Communist China throws nine villagers in jail for protesting the government

The village of Wukan is in the Guangdong province located in Southern China. It is a small but mighty town of 13,000 fiercely independent people. The residents were best known for their powerful grassroots movement of 2011 which included shopkeepers, tradespeople, grandparents, students and a large host of residents who took on the Chinese government and won. After weeks of protests, which garnered international attention, the village of Wukan won the right to elect their own leadership after years of being the brunt of fraudulent management and tryannical government land grabs with no remuneration.

In 2012, Lin Zulian, a staunch advocate for regaining the stolen land, was elected as Wikans village chief. After four years, in June of 2016, the Chinese government arrested Zulian on bogus corruption charges. The Wukan population was outraged and they came back into the streets to protest in earnest because, as reports Aljazerra.com, they believed that Zulian was physically forced to make false confessions. These loud and outspoken protests were tolerated for a time, as well as being monitored. In September, 2016, Chinese authorities again came to the sleepy village in force with rubber bullets, riot shields and tear gas. Included in their assault was a pre-dawn raid where thirteen people who were thought to have plans for protesting, were forcibly extracted from their beds. Nine others were arrested for physically taking part in the protests.

As reported by Yahoo.com, those nine protesters have just been handed out jail sentences that will last from 2 to 10 years. They are officially charged with illegal demonstrations, disturbing traffic and intentionally spreading false information. Wukan residents are also being warned about their use of social media. Chinas cyber police are continuing to monitor their posts, just as they have been doing since the days of the first successful protest.

BBC news reports that the once thriving democratic stronghold has been crushed by the Chinese authoritarian regime who say they are doing this because village leaders continue to fabricate rumors [and] instigate mass gatherings. Riot police are in place on Wukan roads using loudspeakers and shouting for people to turn themselves in. After tasting freedom and right to protest illegal and repressive government actions, one villager lamented, I see no hope at all. A cold cast of fear has replaced the joyous ring of freedom in Wukan.

Sources:

Aljazeera.com

News.Yahoo.com

YouTube.com

BBC.com

(Photo Credit: Aljezeera.com Bobby Yip/Reuters)
After an intense search in Trumbull before sunrise Thursday, police have a Bridgeport burglary suspect in custody.

Around 5:30 a.m,, Bridgeport and Trumbull police searched for the man in the area of Manor Drive in Trumbull, along the banks of the Pequonnock River, according to dispatch reports.

About 45 minutes later, the man was taken into custody near the White Plains Road exit of Route 25.

Bridgeport Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said the suspect being sought was wanted for a burglary attempt at a Madison Avenue business.

The suspect was pursued into Trumbull where he crashed a stolen minivan he was driving, and taken into custody after a lengthy foot chase, Fitzgerald said, adding no other suspects were being sought.

The name of the suspect and any arrest charges have not yet been released.

State Police and a K9 unit from Milford joined in the coordinated search that was directed by Bridgeport police.

Bridgeport police pursued the burglary suspect into Trumbull, where according to police reports, he crashed his car into a tree in the vicinity of White Plains Road.

The man then fled from the scene, crossing the swollen waters of the Pequonnock River, into Trumbull backyards.

The vehicle had substantial damage, leading police to believe the man may have been injured.

Police searched across the area that included Route 25 and the Merritt Parkway.

The suspect was taken into custody about a mile from where he fled from the crashed vehicle.

He was taken to St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport to receive medical attention.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

GREENWICH  Chris von Keyserling, a member of the Representative Town Meeting and an outspoken commentator on town affairs, is facing a criminal charge of fourth-degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor.

Von Keyserling was arrested Wednesday on a warrant issued in connection with an incident that took place Dec. 9 on Parsonage Road, according to the arrest report. He was arrested at Town Hall.

His lawyer, Phil Russell, described the charge on Thursday as unrealistic.

Von Keyserling, 71, of East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob, was released on a $2,500 bond and given a court date of Jan. 25.

Reached by phone, von Keyserling deferred comment to his attorney, Phil Russell. Its a sad situation, von Keyserling said.

Russell said the incident in question, at the Nathaniel Witherell Home, could not be described as sexual or aggressive in nature. He said the charge stemmed from a jocular moment with a woman at a gathering at the town-owned senior facility.

In almost 30 years of practicing law in this town, I would say Mr. von Keyserling is the one person I would never suspect of having any inappropriate sexual predilections, Russell said, noting his client is in his 70s.

There was a playful gesture, in front of witnesses. It was too trivial to be considered anything of significance. To call it a sexual assault is not based in reality, the lawyer said.

Von Keyserling will enter a plea of not guilty at his upcoming court appearance, his lawyer said.

According to the arrest warrant on file at Superior Court, the incident began when von Keyserling had a brief political discussion with a 57-year-old female employee at the Witherell. The discussion turned acrimonious, according to the court papers, and the woman went to her office.

The encounter continued in the office, and when the woman rose to leave, she was pinched on her rear end by von Keyserling, according to the affidavit.

She later told investigators she detected an evil look in his eyes when they had a brief verbal exchange as she was leaving the office.

The woman reported the incident to the administration at the Witherell. On Dec. 16, she decided to pursue the matter with police.

Police reviewed videotape of the office. According to the affidavit, it was unclear where von Keyserlings hand was when the woman walked past him.

The sequence of events documented on the video was consistent with the womans account, according to court papers, and she was seen pointing a finger at von Keyserling in a disapproving, agitated manner on the video.

Robert.Marchant@scni.com
After the co-owner of retailer L.L. Bean expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump, the future leader of the United States urged his 19.6 million Twitter followers to buy the company's goods.

Trump tweeted:

"Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean."

The unprecedented endorsement came less than two hours after Linda Bean said on a talk show early Thursday that anti-Trump groups are browbeating American businesses, an effort she called "un-American." "It's a case of bullying," Bean said on Fox and Friends. "I'm not going to back down. I never back down."

Bean, a granddaughter of L.L. Bean founder Leon Leonwood Bean, contributed $30,000 to a pro-Trump super PAC called Making America Great Again LLC between August and October of last year, according to recently amended federal filings. Another $15,000 was contributed by Maine resident Diana Bean, the name of Linda's sister.

The PAC, which also goes by Making Maine Great Again, ran a spate of TV and radio ads in the state toward the end of the campaign.

It was not until this month, however, that Linda Bean's support for Trump burst into public view, when the Federal Election Commission alerted the group that it had erroneously formed as a traditional PAC, which can legally only accept donations up to $5,000.

That prompted Grab Your Wallet, a boycott effort against companies that carry Trump brand products or have other connections to the president-elect, to add L.L. Bean to its list . Organizers have said they will not take L.L. Bean off its website until Linda Bean is ejected from the board.

The company has asked for the boycott to be dropped, saying that the corporation has no connection to the PAC.

"We are deeply troubled by the portrayal of L.L.Bean as a supporter of any political agenda," executive chairman Shawn Gorman posted on Facebook on Jan. 8. "L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions."

Katherine DeCelles, a Harvard business professor who focuses on ethics, said no White House leader in modern history has used their platform to hawk products.

"It's unprecedented," she said, "for someone of his power voicing his support or being against particular companies."

Federal employees are legally forbidden from endorsing private firms. Though the president is exempt from the rule and the president-elect is not a federal employee, such endorsements are largely frowned upon in America's highest office.

In 2009, after a coat company used a photo of President Obama in an ad campaign, Ben LaBolt, a spokesperson for the Obama administration, told the New York Times that, "the White House has a longstanding policy disapproving of the use of the president's name and likeness for commercial purposes."

Amanda Schreyer, an advertising and social media lawyer in Boston, said Trump's tweet broke no laws Thursday. He's entitled to free speech (but could face lawsuits if he distributes false information about a company and hurts their profit).

"It's just poor form," she said, "and for hundreds of years, it has been understood that the ruler of the land shouldn't be picking and choosing which companies to endorse or otherwise."

Since the election, Trump has made a practice of praising and chastising private companies. Last month, he slammed air conditioning company Carrier for moving jobs from Indiana to Mexico. He also has criticized several automakers for offshoring jobs and Boeing for the cost of its new Air Force One.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Illustration courtesy of SC Bodner Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Illustration courtesy of SC Bodner Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Illustration courtesy of SC Bodner Show More Show Less 5 of 5









The Carlyle Group, one of the worlds largest private equity firms, has become a partner in an upscale apartment complex thats about to start construction on the Museum Reach.

The firm is joining Indianapolis developer SC Bodner Co. Inc. in building a $40 million, 220-unit apartment building at 120 W. Ninth St. just north of downtown, said Steve Bodner, the companys president and principal. Construction is expected to start next week and last 20 months, he said.
Ty Pozzobon, the 25-year-old professional bull rider found dead Monday, died by suicide, the Calgary Herald reports.

The publication reported that Pozzobon, who was at his home in Merritt, British Columbia visiting family, was suffering from depression due to multiple concussions.

It came as a shock to everybody simply because although the family knew he was suffering depression and anxiety, he was still moving forward day-to-day, making plans, making coffee dates, signing contracts, a family friend told the Herald.

RELATED: Report: Professional bull rider Ty Pozzobon dies at 25

On Tuesday the family released a statement on Pozzobon's death and referenced the concussion issue.

"It's important that people know about the implications of head injuries as a result of concussions," said Leanne Pozzobon, the bull rider's mother.

The Professional Bull Riders organization released a statement Tuesday saying they would recognize and celebrate Pozzobon this weekend in Chicago.

PBR Medical Director Dr. Tandy Freeman told the Herald he last evaluated Pozzobon for a concussion before the end of the 2014 season.

I cant speak to what was going on with Ty at this stage," Freeman said, according to the report. "The last that I saw Ty, he was the same guy I had been acquainted with for several years.

RELATED: Family releases statement on professional bull rider Ty Pozzobon's death

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Rider Relief Fund, the organization that provides financial assistance to riders injured in the competitive sport of bull riding.

The native of Merritt, British Columbia, leaves behind his wife Jayd, along with his parents, Luke and Leanne, and his sister Amy. He was planning to return to Texas where his wife lives, the Calgary Herald reported.

Staff writer Chris Eudaily contributed to this report.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
Morocco has banned burqas from being manufactured or sold, speculated to be for security reasons. Shopkeepers have been given written notices to get rid of their burqa stock within 48 hours.

Reports

Although it has not been formally announced by the government, reports have said that shopkeepers and burqa manufacturers have been given written warnings to stop manufacturing or selling burqas within 48 hours.

A picture of the written notice from the Interior Ministry to shopkeepers has been circulating online. According to Morocco World reports, the notice reads that shopkeepers are required to get rid of their burqa stock within 48 hours, or they would be confiscated.

The ban only applies to the full face covering burqas and not the hair-covering headscarves that the majority of Muslim women in the country.

We have taken the step of completely banning the import, manufacture and marketing of this garment in all the cities and towns of the kingdom, a senior interior ministry official said, according to the Moroccan Le360 news site.

The news site speculates that this instruction has been given for security reasons since bandits have repeatedly used this garment to perpetrate their crimes. There has been no information as to whether this production and sale ban will be extended to women wearing the burqa.

Responses

The ban has received various responses from the Moroccan people. Some Moroccans have called the ban pathetic, while others have welcomed it, saying the burqa is foreign to Moroccan culture.

Morocco, which is a Muslim-majority country, alongside other muslim-majority countries, has been trying to encourage more moderate practices of Islam, warning against the dangers of extremist expressions of religion. Extremist religious belief remains rare in the country.

The Interior Ministry did not respond to any requests to comment on the ban.
A HARARE woman has been exposed for lying to her husband that she was never married when she had a previous union.

Shingirai Ruwange only found out after 10 years of marriage that his wife, Barbra Buure, was once married and had a son.

This matter came to light at the Harare Civil Court where Barbra applied for a protection order against Shingirai who had been abusing her.

Shingirai is very abusive as he assaults and insults me.

He chased me away from our matrimonial home and I want to go back home because my children are there and I want to have access to them.

He accuses me of giving him an STI whilst he is the one who infected me, said Barbra.

She added:

He is lying that he never knew I was once married because at one time he bought uniforms and paid school fees for my late son.

Before we got married, I told him that I was once married.

In response, Shingirai said:

I dont oppose the granting of the protection order but I am not comfortable with her coming back to our matrimonial home, after what happened five years ago.

She was married before and had a child, but she never told me.

Both the husband and the child are late, and I also found she was taking some medication, which she was using on her own, without my knowledge.

Magistrate Sharon Mashavire, who presided over the matter, granted the protection order in Barbras favour.

She ordered Shingirai to maintain peace all the time.

 HMetro

Breaking News via Email
WASHINGTON  In a letter to lawmakers, more than 760 retail companies, including hundreds of convenience store operators, voiced their opposition to any legislation that would repeal debit swipe fee reform. The letter was sent as discussions on Capitol Hill are ongoing about a financial reform package.

Last year, House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) included a repeal of the Durbin Amendment that reformed debit swipe fees in his Financial CHOICE Act. His repeal efforts were endorsed by the major credit card networks and banks. Hensarling has publicly stated that he plans to reintroduce a version of that legislation over the next few weeks, which will look similar to the previous bill. He has not confirmed whether it will include a repeal of the Durbin Amendment.

In their letter to lawmakers, the merchants state, We are writing to urge you to not bring forth legislation to repeal financial reforms that are critical to U.S. businesses and our customers. The debit card fee and rule reforms prescribed in Section 1075 of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act have provided significant relief to Main Street businesses from anti-free market practices employed by global credit and debit card brands.

This relief would vanish if the Durbin Amendment is repealed because the debit market would return to an anti-competitive, opaque system dominated by Visa, MasterCard and the largest banks. Repealing the 2010 law would dismantle the substantial progress debit reforms have made in correcting in part an otherwise non-functioning, and non-transparent card acceptance marketplace in the United States, stated the merchants.

The retail company letter followed a similar letter sent to the new Congress last week and signed by NACS and 170 national and state merchant groups.

Its critical that members of Congress continue to hear from businesses in their districts on how a repeal of debit reform would negatively impact their employees and customers. To reach out to your member of Congress, visit the NACS grassroots portal and ask them to oppose any legislation that would repeal the debit reforms we fought so hard to achieve.
Apparently no one in the UK has gotten the memo that they lost their empire in the middle of the last century and are no longer in the position to push anyone around.

The Telegraph has written up what could easily be misread as a perfectly sensible move by the UK financial services industry: a pointed set of demand now that Prime Minister Theresa Mays promised Brexit trigger date of no later than the end of March is getting closer. Admittedly, that could slip if the Government loses its appeal of a high court ruling that Parliament must approve the Governments Brexit plan. But as well see soon, the real issue isnt timing but continued British fantasies about the Brexit process and their degree of influence over it.

Here are the key sections from the Torygraph piece:

The City has ratcheted up the pressure on the Government by issuing a series of demands that banks and other financial firms want from a Brexit deal with Brussels, including a transition period to stop markets from falling into a tailspin. An influential lobby group chaired by veteran banker John McFarlane, the chairman of Barclays, has published a list of what it calls key priorities for ministers to consider in looming negotiations with the EU over the UKs future relationship with Europe. The list from TheCityUK includes calls to maximise access to EU markets, a two-stage transition arrangement, and a plea to allow the clearing of euro-denominated derivatives  a 470bn-a-day industry- to stay in the UK. To avert the potential chaos, the CityUK wants an agreement on a staged transition to be struck at the start of Article 50. This would involve an initial bridging period spanning the UKs exit to the ratification of the countrys deal with the EU, and then an adaption period that would allow companies to adjust to the new rules.

Yes, and Id like a pony.

One wonders if the trigger for this peculiar wish list is the well-publicized departure of Britians most senior EU diplomat, Ivan Rogers, who issued a not-all-that-coded attack on the Governments muddled thinking. But demands like the ones that the banking industry is making are prime examples of the behavior that led Rogers to quit.

Lets review, yet again, why the procedural demand is not going to happen (and do not forget, shape of the table issues are often impact substance):

European officials have said from the very outset they are not negotiating before the UK starts the Article 50 process. Numerous EU officials, from Merkel on down, have consistently delivered this message. There has been only the occasional pro-UK whinge from secondary players like Poland, and even those have been few and far between. And these leaders have kept their ranks closed. Theyve given her and her sidekicks the cold shoulder when theyve tried to initiate discussions. That means no transition deal. Read the language carefully: a staged transition to be struck at the start of Article 50. Struck means agreed to. That means it has to be settled before the Article 50 two year clock starts ticking. The Europeans have made clear that the UK will get no special breaks. Again, Merkel and anyone in any position of authority has said no cherry picking and stressed that any UK arrangement needs to fit within the parameters set by other existing arrangements. May has committed the UK to a hard Brexit. Again, from the get-go, European leaders said for the UK to preserve access to the single market, it needs to accept the four freedoms, and one of those is freedom of movement, meaning immigration. But May has made restricting immigration one of her boundary conditions. Theres no overlap of negotiating position. The British have no friends across the Channel. The UK has repeatedly been high-handed and abrasive in its dealings with the EU and UK leaders have repeatedly dissed the EU. Making Boris Johnson Foreign Minister was yet another provocation. Theres no good will, and little in the way of friendly backchannels. The EU has good political reasons to make Brexit painful: pour decourager les autres.

The Financial Times account places more emphasis on the content of the banking industrys request. Notice the British bankers are now pushing for demands they see as more modest:

The City of London has retreated from demanding continued access to the single market in any post-Brexit deal with the EU, according to its principal lobbying group. In a list setting out its priorities for the forthcoming EU negotiations that was published on Thursday, TheCityUK abandoned the idea of fighting to retain the financial passport, which allows companies to sell their services throughout the single market from a single location. Previously its desired outcome was for the UK either to remain in the EUs single market, or to strike a special agreement preserving existing passporting rights. But Theresa Mays administration has shown little interest in pursuing such a deal. TheCityUK is now pinning its hopes on building a deal around equivalence, a relatively new legal concept embedded in some but not all EU financial regulation. This allows companies from markets that are deemed to have equivalent regulatory standards to trade freely across borders with each others customers under their home countrys laws and regulations. Miles Celic, the groups new chief executive, said that a bespoke deal tailored to the needs of the UK should be achievable. It would protect London as a market and those European customers using it, he said. Thats an advantage not only for the UK, but for the EU too.

Yves here. Recall we had said passporting would never happen because the EU would not grant it.

There are two astonishing assumptions in this little spiel, one explicit, one implicit.

The first is the idea that the EU is on board with preserving the City of London. Huh? All advanced economies regard promoting their banks as a strategic priority. The Continent would love nothing better than to take a piece out of the City. It means more jobs, not just banking but new office construction, and relocation of the related support professionals, like lawyers and accountants.

Here is another remark that reveals how much the Brits are stuck in their own echo chamber:

It also said that the UK should not surrender the right to clear euro denominated derivatives, a demand that some fear Brussels may level. Its a critical part of the broader ecosystem, and one that makes it efficient, said Mr Celic. It is in everyones interests to leave it in place.

The ECB already had determined that Euroclearing had to take place in the Continent. The only reason the UK was able to beat that threat off was the European Court of Justice ruled against the ECB, on the basis that it could not discriminate against an EU member. With the UK out of the EU, the ECB can forge ahead.

And does the lobbying group think that no one in the Government or public remembers that less than a month ago, the ECB made clear it is going to play hardball on Euroclearing? As we wrote on December 16:

A raft of stories at the Financial Times verges on funny, in that they affect consternation that EU bureaucrats are intent on taking a big chunk out of the Citys business. It was obvious that this would happen and we said so repeatedly over the summer. Yet its been astonishing to see Brexit boosters, the few that wander into Naked Capitalism and the ones who are well represented in Fleet Street, act as if the UK somehow has the upper hand. As weve written, Brexit fans have chosen to ignore repeated, crystal clear, and surprisingly unified warnings from EU leaders that they will give the UK no quarter if it really does go through with a Brexit. The current cause celebre is that France and the ECB are working to expedite a plan to move Euroclearing from the UK to the Continent in the event of a Brexit.And the new wrinkle is the Europeans plan to set the process in motion more or less contemporaneously with the UKs planned date for invoking Article 50.

So the only way for the Brits to keep Euroclearing is to trade something the Eurocrats regard as valuable, yet we see nothing of the kind in their thinking.

The implicit assumption in the banking lobbyist thinking is that the EU and UK could agree on an equivalence deal when the EU doesnt have all its financial service regs on that basis. The Financial Times article mentions that commercial lending and insurance are not covered, for instance. Moreover, this would be tantamount to the UK giving up sovereignity, since the EU retains the upper hand. The EU can withdraw the right to operate under equivalence rules with a mere months notice if they deem the other countrys regs to be not equivalent. Bank of England governor Mark Carney is making less than happy noises about the idea because it could result in, per the Financial Times, Britain losing influence and even control over its own markets.

So what is the lobbyist proposal? Again from the pink paper:

TheCityUK argues that issue can be dealt with by the UK negotiating a long term deal that would establish the principles on which equivalence was founded and also creating a mechanism to resolve disputes.

This is tantamount to asking the EU to overturn its legal system to accommodate British bankers. Na ga happen.

The EU is a civil law system. Rules and regulations are set forth in great detail. Judges will interpret them but in theory, their rulings dont have precedential value (in practice they do but not remotely to the degree they do in the Anglo common law system). The idea of having only some rough and ready guidelines and winging it is not even remotely how the EU does things. Weve commented repeatedly that Eurocrats are rigid, literal-minded, and procedural. Thats actually served as a plus for them since it produces the predictability theyve needed to keep a now 27 member nation group functioning at all.

There are some smaller discussion items that are just as barmy but we wont belabor them.

And in case you think that Theresa May is just posturing so as to force the Brexit camp to come to its senses, thats a major misreading. Shes consistently taken an aggressive posture that has emboldened the hard-liners and created wildly unrealistic expectation in the general public. As Janan Ganesh wrote in the Financial Times yesterday in Theresa May is decisive over Brexit but we choose not to listen:

Mrs May has been as plain as any prudent prime minister could be about her favoured model of exit. Only the dedicatedly obtuse could not infer her priorities from the speech she gave to Conservative party conference in October. Cross-reference it with her earlier interviews and her work as home secretary, and it is clear that she craves the restoration of national control over immigration more than she craves anything else. She also resents the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. These imperatives do not imply so much as demand withdrawal from the single market, and make a place in the customs union tricky to retain, too. None of this amounts to a strategy or a guarantee of success and her remarks have preserved some latitude at the edges. She might try to buy preferential market access for sectors of the British economy and to smooth the transition to exit with interim arrangements. She will certainly pursue a trade deal with Europe upon departure. But the core of the matter is a prime minister set on a hard not soft exit, even as she rejects these terms like a precious musician miffed at their brute pigeonholing as rock or soul.

The Brexit preliminaries are already showing troubling parallels to the Greece-Trokia talks of the first half of 2015: two sides with little trust in or liking of each other, the smaller party with a grossly inadequate negotiating team, both in skill level and staffing, yet grossly overconfident about its bargaining leverage. Yanis Varoufakis did at least have the right economic assessment, even if he had the politics all wrong, and he also understood he was playing a game of chicken. The Tories dont even seem to recognize that they are also adopting that strategy. Nor do they recognize, as the Greeks learned, when the other side refuses to steer away, the weaker party bears the brunt of the impact.
By Zainab Calcuttawala, an American journalist based in Morocco. Originally published at OilPrice

Former oil executive Rex Tillersons history of politically damaging oil dealings in the Middle East could jeopardize the future of a united Iraq as he assumes the position of U.S. Secretary of State with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20th, pending a Senate confirmation vote.

Under Tillersons management in 2011, Exxon Mobil approved oil contracts with Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), which spans almost 80,000 kilometers in northern Iraq, provided disputed territories are included in the calculations. These lands hold an estimated 45 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

This strategic business move, which helped insulate the American oil major from the financial effects of the collapse of $25 billion in development contracts for West Qurna it had signed with the Iraqi government in 2009, affirmed the independent vision the KRG had been pushing in its domestic and international political agenda.

Part of the process of building our region has to do, of course, with dealing with oil, signing contracts, negotiations with various countries, Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdistans president, told Reuters in 2014. The Exxon deal represented a big victory for [the Iraqi Kurds] because it affirmed the groups economic ascension, apart from Baghdads volatility since the U.S.-led toppling of Saddam Hussains authoritarian regime in 2003.

However, the new agreements with Erbil undermined the U.S. official position of supporting a unified Iraq and irked neighboring Turkey, which, to this day, vehemently opposes Kurdish militant factions pushing for political self-determination for those who belong to the minority group.

As Reuters reported in 2014, Baghdad has only been able to maintain its gravity as the central gatekeeper for multinational oil companies looking to drill within Iraqi territory by holding hostage the nations largest reserves in the south. If energy firms truly longed for a footprint in Iraqs southern assets, they would have to avoid Erbil and fully embrace the internationally recognized regime in Baghdad.

Oil concessions in the coveted fields became official in 2009 and 2010, but continued instability and tough contractual terms made profitability possible in rare conditions, causing several multinationals, including Exxon, to lose interest. Soon, Exxon began sending out feelers to the KRG after Tillerson met with those in-the-know regarding the geopolitical realities of investing in war-torn Iraq.

To Ali Khedery, a well-connected American of Iraqi descent who had spent decades in Baghdad, Exxon needed to look north. The Shiite militias, neo-Baathist insurgents, al Qaeda sleeper cells and Iranian troops who occupied areas surrounding the southern fields would cause security costs to skyrocket  especially if the domestic political structure collapsed.

Areas under the KRGs control were more peaceful, more predictable, and overwhelmingly pro-American, Khedery advised at the time.

Talks ended with Exxon in control of six drilling blocks located in various parts of the autonomous region: one close to Turkey, another near Iran and three just on the border between Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq  a fact that jeopardized fragile domestic relations after news of the deal leaked.

Nouri al-Maliki, the Prime Minister of Iraq at the time, wrote furious letters to the Obama administration, demanding the White House push one of the most powerful American corporations to abandon the freshly minted deals.

An anonymous American diplomat told Reuters that Exxon had given the State department less than a days notice before the signing of the contracts to deal with its political fallout. Unsurprisingly, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey was livid after hearing the news, promptly dropping a few F-bombs as a major cornerstone of the American vision of a unified Iraq stood haphazardly on one leg.

Tillersons savvy business maneuvers served his company and shareholders well, although it was at the expense of the U.S. governments long-term goal of leaving Iraq in one piece. The feasibility of such a goal overall is debatable, however, the oil executives strategy shows an indifference to political and social interests, in contrast to expected norms of corporate social responsibility.

Before Tillersons Senate confirmation hearings began last week, he promised the State department to sell off 611,000 additional Exxon shares before assuming his sensitive position in the incoming Trump administration. Still, he is set to receive $180 million as part of a retirement package after he leaves the oil giant after 10 years as CEO.

The defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) has given the KRG fresh political capital to leverage in post-ISIS negotiations regarding the (potentially) independent future of the region. How will Tillerson manage to balance the effects of deals he had arranged just five years ago with the long-standing position of the American government affirming a single Iraq?
Ultra-fast, ultra-sensitive platinum selenide gas sensors (Nanowerk News) Researchers from the Graphene Flagship, working at the AMBER centre in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland in collaboration with researchers from University of Siegen, Germany, and University of Vienna, Austria, have demonstrated ultrafast and highly sensitive gas sensors using platinum selenide (PtSe 2 ). This material  a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)  has promising potential in different areas of nanoelectronics, including optoelectonics as well as sensing.

The Graphene Flagship is dedicated to the development of new technologies based on graphene and related layered materials, such as TMDs. Layered materials have several different properties; some, such as boron nitride are insulators, while TMDs are typically semiconductors. As the family of layered materials grows, the investigation of new materials leads to more freedom to choose the materials with the best properties when designing for specific requirements.

This research, published in ACS Nano ("High-Performance Hybrid Electronic Devices from Layered PtSe 2 Films Grown at Low Temperature"), demonstrates the potential of PtSe 2 in a range of applications, and presents this little-studied material as an excellent candidate for further investigation.

Gas sensors are in demand for a range of different applications. PtSe 2  a little-studied transition metal dichalcogenide  shows excellent promise for high performance gas-sensing and photovoltaics, with CMOS compatible fabrication. (Image: Trinity College Dublin)

The new TMD was created using a metal conversion method, in which thin platinum film is converted into PtSe 2 by thermally assisted conversion in selenium vapour at 400C. PtSe 2 now joins the growing class of stable TMDs. Georg Duesberg, from Trinity College Dublin, is the principal investigator of the study.

He said We performed a screening study of materials, to check a few different material combinations. The conversion of metals is helpful in the quest for new materials, because it is simple to do. Of the other combinations that worked, many immediately oxidised, so they were not stable. We were very lucky to find a sweet spot with this material, and to be able to synthesise it on a large scale.

One of the benefits of PtSe 2 is the method of fabrication, which is compatible with silicon chip fabrication.

We grow PtSe 2 at 400C which makes it potentially suitable for so-called back end of line (BEOL) processing. This means that it can be combined with existing device architectures to add new functionality, said Niall McEvoy, a researcher at Trinity College Dublin who performed the growth experiments.

BEOL processing comes after the actual fabrication of integrated circuits of a silicon chip, It is crucial that the temperature is less than 450C, to preserve the functionality of the integrated circuit.

This is very interesting for the Flagships push towards industrial applications, added Duesberg. This potentially can be grown on top of a chip. You can imagine using this material for the Internet of Things, sensors and so on.

To demonstrate possible applications for the new material, the researchers tested its performance in sensing NO 2 .

All of our homegrown materials are tested as gas sensors. PtSe 2 showed excellent results, high sensitivity, excellent response time and nearly complete recovery, said Kangho Lee, a researcher at Trinity College Dublin who performed the gas sensing experiments.

Gas molecules adsorbed onto the surface of the PtSe 2 change its conductivity, lowering the resistance. The researchers found that the PtSe 2 had extremely high sensitivity, measuring 100 ppb NO 2 at room temperature.

The sensor was also extremely fast to respond to the gas  detecting low quantities of gas in only seconds  and recovering completely within a minute when the inert atmosphere was restored.

"TMDs complement graphene in sensor applications. They share the extreme sensitivity based on the layered nature, and the bandgap allows different readout principles with potentially low power consumption, said Sanna Arpiainen, a senior researcher at VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland and the deputy leader of the Graphene Flagships Sensors Work Package.

For commercial sensing applications, the sensor must be responsive only to specific gases, so that changes in environmental conditions can be monitored. McEvoy is optimistic that the PtSe 2 can be treated to have the selective sensing properties needed.

With some added processing steps, to engender selectivity, PtSe 2 could potentially be used in a wide array of industrial chemical sensing applications, he said.

A potential route to selective sensing could be the addition of chemical groups that are responsive to the chosen gas.

In selectivity, the problems are similar to graphene gas sensors, which were also first demonstrated with the direct adsorption of NO 2 but now rely on specific functionalisation. In some cases, this may be directly applicable to TMDs, added Arpiainen.

The researchers also demonstrated a photovoltaic effect in the material in a photosensitive Schottky barrier diode, suggesting potential for use in solar cells. In this early stage, PtSe 2 appears to be a very promising material for a variety of functions, not least because of its compatibility with chip fabrication.
Topological defects make metal-free nanocarbon promising for zinc-air batteries

(Nanowerk Spotlight) The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the core process  but also the bottleneck  for the cathode reaction of energy-conversion devices like certain types of fuel cells and metal-air batteries.

"In spite of substantial advances, ORR electrocatalysis greatly suffers from its complex pathway, high overpotential, sluggish kinetics, and poor durability, thereby limiting the energy efficiency and power capability of prototype devices," says Prof. Qiang Zhang, a researcher from Tsinghua University, China, leading a group focused on advanced materials for efficient electrocatalysis and energy storage. "Nanocarbon materials are very promising alternatives for the noble metal catalysts, especially platinum, that have been used to boost this reaction. But previous works haven't yet figured out the exact active sites in nanocarbon materials and their specific roles during ORR and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). It makes our research trial and error."

Recently, Prof. Zhang and co-workers from Tsinghua University, Queen Mary University of London, and Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reported a novel heteroatom-doped and edge-rich graphene mesh and revealed the critical importance of edge and topological defects in the activity origin of metal-free nanocarbon materials for oxygen electrocatalysis, both experimentally and theoretically (Advanced Materials, "Topological Defects in Metal-Free Nanocarbon for Oxygen Electrocatalysis").

Nitrogen-doped graphene mesh for ORR/OER. (Image: Tsinghua University)

"We developed a very cheap and scalable process to fabricate graphene with nitrogen doping and topological defects," Cheng Tang, the first author explains. "Direct carbonization of a ternary composite with sticky rice, melamine, and Mg(OH) 2 templates leads to few-layered graphene with abundant in-plane holes."

Impressively, a high current density approaching 6.0 mA cm -2 and a low overpotential similar to commercial 20 wt% Pt/C can be obtained in both alkaline and acidic conditions using this graphene catalyst. In addition, the durability is superior without any obvious current change after 10 h test even in 1.0 M KOH.

A primary Zn-air battery constructed using this catalyst can deliver a current density of ~6.0 mA cm -2 and a peak power density of ~3.0 mW cm -2 . Besides, a remarkable OER activity comparable with Ir/C is obtained with a low overpotential gap of 0.90 V between ORR and OER, making it the best bifunctional metal-free catalysts ever reported.

"With more control tests, we found that the pore-derived topological defects seem to be more important than the nitrogen doping for a higher activity, different from previous reports," says C. Tang. "Then we try to support our idea using density function theory calculations."

Calculation results show that the N-doped moieties present a higher overpotential than pristine graphene nanoribbons, but those moieties with five-carbon ring or seven-carbon ring defects exhibit more enhanced activities. A nitrogen-free configuration with adjacent pentagon and heptagon carbon rings is revealed to exhibit the lowest overpotential for both ORR and OER.

"It is different from previous results, but important for a thorough understanding of the activity origins of nanocarbon catalysts," notes Prof. Zhang.

After a comprehensive review of recent advances probing the activity origins and underlying mechanism, including dopants, edges, and defects in carbocatalysis, Prof. Zhang and co-workers found that despite different active sites, they can modify the charge/spin distribution on the sp 2 -conjugated carbon matrix analogously, leading to optimized intermediate chemisorption and facilitated electron transfer.

This work has been published in the January 9, 2017 online edition of Advanced Materials ("Nanocarbon for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis: Dopants, Edges, and Defects").

As next steps, the scientists will move to further elucidate this point and improve the performances of such graphene catalyst towards practical applications in metal-air batteries or fuel cells.

"Specific heteroatom doping at defective edges is expected to be the most effective strategy to alter electron structures and achieve optimal ORR activities for metal-free electrocatalysts," concludes Prof. Zhang.

Provided by Tsinghua University as a Nanowerk exclusive
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
Tomfry - Fotolia

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau requested an en banc review in November by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. If granted, the decision of the three-judge panel finding that the CFPB's structure is unconstitutional would be reevaluated by a full panel of 11 judges. More importantly, however, by requesting the en banc review, the Court of Appeals' decision is stayed.

In other words, the ruling which permits the president to remove at will Richard Cordray as director is not enforceable until the full panel of the court rejects the en banc request or renders an actual decision. This is particularly significant since most agree that President-elect Trump would replace Director Cordray immediately if  consistent with the three-judge panel decision  he is removable at will. However, since that decision is now on hold, Cordray can only be removed for cause unless and until the Court of Appeals reaffirms its prior opinion.

In terms of the CFPB's ultimate prospects for success, it is important to note that the prior decision was a 2-1 split with one of the judges finding that the Court did not need to breach the issue of the CFPB's constitutionality. Importantly, all three judges who decided the case were nominated by former President George W. Bush. Of the remaining eight judges on the full panel, seven were nominated by President Barack Obama or former President Bill Clinton. Obviously, that represents a dramatic political shift from the three-judge panel that ruled against the CFPB.

This raises the prospect that if the Court were to hear the case en banc and rule on party lines, Cordray would not be removable except for cause. Thus, Cordray could remain at the CFPB until 2018  right around the time of new congressional elections. The outcome of this case may have a great impact on the extent to which President-elect Donald Trump can have an impact on the CFPB prior to midterm elections. After those elections, it is anyone's guess what might transpire.

Ari Karen is a partner at Offit Kurman and CEO of Strategic Compliance Partners.
(Natural News) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has just been selected by President-elect Trump to head a commission that will investigate the issue of vaccine safety. What this really means is that the era of mercury in vaccines may soon come to an end in America.

Donald Trump, as you may already know, is very well informed on the dangers of vaccines. In fact, during the very first presidential debate, the liberal media tried to destroy Donald Trump by claiming he was anti-vaccine (thereby implying that vaccines are always good and never cause harm).

Not only did Donald Trump respond by saying he personally knows people whose children were damaged by vaccines, but then Sen. Rand Paul and Ben Carson also chimed in and both agree that vaccines, as currently pushed by government, are far too dangerous.

What makes vaccines so dangerous? A toxic heavy metal known as mercury, for one thing. Astonishingly, its still used in flu shots given to pregnant women and young children.

Note: You can stay informed on vaccine issues with our daily news updates at Vaccines.news.

You need to get informed on this issue: Its about to explode on the political scene

As an informed critical thinker, you need to get up to speed on the vaccine issue. One of the best books written on vaccine science was compiled and written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Its called Thimerosal  Let the Science Speak: The Evidence Supporting the Immediate Removal of Mercury  a Known Neurotoxin  from Vaccines

Here, I present selected excerpts from the book, its foreward and executive summary sections. Read this, forward this and understand above all that no one in the lying mainstream media will ever report these crucial facts. The entire mainstream media is run by Big Pharma presstitutes who lie, deceive and propagandize for the benefit of the vaccine companies (drug manufacturers). They will never knowingly report the truth on this subject, no matter how many children are maimed or murdered by vaccines. (See many examples of fake news from the mainstream media at NewsFakes.com)

In addition to the excerpts below, I encourage you to read more from this book by buying it at BN.com (dont buy from Amazon.com, as Amazon revenues subsidize the Washington Post, a discredit pro-vaccine propaganda mouthpiece for the corrupt state).

What follows is all from the book. I have personally selected the paragraphs to present here.

Foreward by US Congressman Bill Posey

(Excerpted from the book)

Hundreds of parents from across the country have contacted me in recent years, describing their children as developing normally up to the time of receiving a particular vaccination.

In 2004 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that certain infants receive the annual flu vaccinemost of which contained Thimerosal. Over the next decade the CDCs annual flu vaccine recommendations were expanded to include annual flu vaccines for infants, children, adults, and the aged.

The continued use of mercury, a known neurotoxin, raises particular concern for populations that are most vulnerable to neurodevelopmental harms, mainly a fetus in utero, infants, young children and the aged. When we speak of the health and safety of our children, our future generation, we speak of a societal responsibility, which we are privileged to bear.

During the writing of this book, I was approached by a CDC researcher who felt personally led to expose instances of research misconduct within the CDC, particularly with regard to a 2004 Pediatrics article, Age at First Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination in Children With Autism and School-matched Control Subjects: A Population-Based Study in Metropolitan Atlanta. As this book discloses, this is not the first instance of CDC conduct to come under scrutiny. Regrettably, studies on the relationship between vaccines and autism have been subject to misconduct including data manipulation and false reporting.

Many of the CDCs own studies have demonstrated a link between increased Thimerosal exposures and the development of vocal and motor tics, which are generally recognized as autismlike features. This alarming association has been downplayed to the public. Sadly, public health agencies insistence on Thimerosals safety has effectively inhibited objective investigations into research misconduct and conflicts of interest within health agencies and the vaccine industry.

 US Congressman Bill Posey

From Mark Hyman MD

(Excerpted from the book)

There is no debate that mercury in any form is toxic. Scientists may debate the differences in toxicity between different forms of mercury, such as ethylmercury (which is an ingredient in Thimerosal) or methylmercury (from fish). But all would agree that mercury is a potent neurotoxin.

The arguments put forth that we cannot remove Thimerosal from vaccines are invalid. Thimerosal has already been removed from nearly all vaccines except the multidose flu vaccine in the United States. This was based on government recommendations and a call to action from many agencies and health organizations, as is well documented in this book.

However, Thimerosal still remains in nearly all the pediatric vaccines used in the developing world. There are effective alternative preservatives already in use (2-phenoxyethanol), and new ones can be developed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned mercury as a topical antiseptic (remember Mercurochrome?). And any medical products containing Thimerosal or mercury cannot be thrown in the garbage. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers them hazardous waste. Does it make any sense that even though Thimerosal is not safe to put on your skin, or to throw in the garbage, it is safe to inject into pregnant women and babies?

We should practice the precautionary principle in medicine and avoid doing harm whenever possible. And given the simple fact that mercury is toxic, I can come to no other conclusion than this: we should immediately remove Thimerosal from vaccines and all other products used in medicine.

 Mark Hyman, MD

From Martha R. Herbert, PhD, MD

(Excerpted from the book)

This book advocates one specific step to improve vaccines: removing a known neurotoxin (mercury, in the form of Thimerosal) from the list of ingredients. To make a strong case for taking this step, the book presents voluminous evidence of:

The toxicity of Thimerosal

Its ineffectiveness even in the bactericidal role it is supposed to play

Safer alternatives to Thimerosal that are already available

A history of the calls of scientists and high-level governmental and international agencies around the world to remove Thimerosal entirely from vaccines

Implementation of this course of action in some other countries

It argues that removing Thimerosal entirely will improve both vaccines themselves and peoples trust in them.

That mercury is toxic cannot be disputed. To say otherwise is to pick a fight with the periodic table and the fundamental principles of physical chemistry. Consider the organization of electrons in atoms. Mercury is a large, heavy atom with more orbitals than lighter metals, like copper or zinc, and has a greater capacity to pick up and exchange electrons. The specific ways it can do this are not as tightly determined as in lighter atoms, making it a biochemical wild card. Mercury is thus a metabolic poison because it can insinuate itself into situations where it doesnt belong. In particular it can substitute itself for lighter metals like zinc and selenium around which critical ancient enzyme systems are designed. This grossly cripples the specificity of enzymes and rates of reaction, and can spread chaos in the networks of metabolic processes, which try to generate workarounds to this logjambut at great cost to biological and energetic resources, and often without success. This chaos may disrupt development as well as ongoing function throughout life.

Moreover, while claims have been made that the ethylmercury in Thimerosal is safer than the much better-studied methylmercury, these claims are based on weak, questionable evidence and poorly chosen assumptions. As reviewed in Chapters 4-6 herein, available data suggests that the toxicity of these two forms of mercury is at least comparable, and that ethylmercury may leave the blood more quicklyonly to persist more stubbornly in organs and tissues of the body, particularly the brain.

Furthermore, mercurys toxicity can be even worse in the presence of aluminum, which is also an ingredient in many vaccines and has toxicity issues of its own (Chapter 11).

This all being the case, why are we still putting mercury in vaccinesor in any medical product (roughly 169 consumer products including eyedrops and nose drops still contain Thimerosal)and how can we bring ourselves to stop doing this?

When it comes to mercury, not only is it clearly toxic, even at very low exposures but our bodies derive no physiological benefit from it whatsoever. Nevertheless, one out of six children in the United States is born with levels of mercury high enough to be put at risk for neurological complications like learning disabilities, motor skill impairments, and short-term memory loss.

We can be exposed to mercury by eating fish (particularly those predators high on the food chain), being downwind of coal-fired power plants and other coal-fired industrial processes such as cement kilns, being near mines, being downwind of trash incinerators that burn hazardous and medical waste, breaking mercury-containing devices such as older thermometers, and having dental amalgams. People, including infants and pregnant mothers, can also be exposed to mercury through vaccines. In the United States, this exposure comes mainly from influenza vaccines. Although Thimerosal was removed from mandatory childhood vaccines in the United States, cumulative exposure is still high due to regular Thimerosal-containing flu shot administration starting in pregnancy and infancy.

To take mercury out of vaccines is a different matter. It is used as a preservative in multidose vials, even though it doesnt actually do that job so well (Chapter 10), and we have safe and effective alternatives (Chapter 12). Companies making vaccines could either change the preservative or shift to single-dose vials, which actually will not increase societal costs as much as has been claimed

By exposing the population to unnecessary mercury in vaccines, we are gambling with population health through the same intervention that we use to protect it.

it is clear now that mercury is something to which no one should be deliberately exposed. As such, it is an error to include it in vaccines or indeed in any therapeuticsand in these domains it is an error within our grasp to correct, and prudent to do so. We tend to take a long time to correct errorsit took seventy-five years to get the lead out of gasoline. Lets do a better job this time. So many considerations and pieces of evidence are compiled in this one comprehensive volume. I hope and implore that it moves us all to do whatever it takesmake whatever adjustments necessaryto correct this error, because it CAN be correctedindeed MUST be correctedso lets just DO IT. THEN we can focus more effectively on the harder problems lying ahead.

 Martha R. Herbert, PhD, MD

From RFK, Jr.:

People who advocate for safer vaccines should not be marginalized or denounced as anti-vaccine. I am pro-vaccine. I had all six of my children vaccinated. I believe that vaccines have saved the lives of hundreds of millions of humans over the past century and that broad vaccine coverage is critical to public health. But I want our vaccines to be as safe as possible.

There is a broad consensus among research scientists that Thimerosal is a dangerous neurotoxin that should be immediately removed from medicines. Several hundred peer-reviewed scientific publications by the worlds leading research scientists, public health agencies, universities, and teaching hospitals have confirmed that Thimerosal is a potent neurotoxin that has never been proven safe for medical use and for which cost-effective alternatives exist.

Indeed, the evidence of Thimerosals neurotoxicity is so overwhelming and the lack of any safety data so complete that anyone who is willing to read science and who believes in the capacity for scientific methods to determine empirical truths must conclude that Thimerosal causes serious brain damage.

For many years, Ive been puzzled by the bland and apparently baseless insistence by public health regulators and members of the press that it is safe to inject mercuryone of the worlds most neurotoxic elementsinto young children and pregnant women. Over the past three years, Ive engaged a crack team of respected scientific researchers to review the voluminous peer-reviewed literature related to Thimerosal and human health. Not surprisingly, that team was unable to find even a single publication that credibly demonstrates Thimerosals safety. Meanwhile, reams of toxicological, pharmacological, epidemiological, animal, and human studies have implicated Thimerosal in a range of neurological disorders. In fact, there is a virtually unanimous scientific consensus among the hundreds of research scientists who have published peer-reviewed articles in the field that Thimerosal is immensely toxic to brain tissue and should not be injected into children.

Public health agencies and government officials have repeatedly declared Thimerosal-preserved vaccines to be safe. Among the most important examples of these statements is a widely known report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published in 2004. The report purported to refute any link between Thimerosal exposure and autism. However, this conclusion was based almost entirely on epidemiological studies, which are unable to prove causation. Furthermore, the epidemiological studies have many flaws, and their authors possess significant conflicts of interest.

Exposure to Thimerosal increased beginning in 1989 and rose sharply during the early 1990s as new vaccines were added to the US childhood vaccine schedule. This increased exposure to mercury via vaccines coincided closely with increased case reports of neurodevelopmental disorders, including a dramatic increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases and a rise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).16 17 According to various studies, the prevalence of ASDs rose in the US from a historical rate of approximately 1 in 2,000 through the 1980s to as high as 1 in 166 children by the early 2000s.1819 Attention problems reported by pediatricians offices rose from 1.4 percent of patients in 1979 to 9.2 percent by 1996, according to one study, with other studies also documenting a steady upward movement in rates of ADD and ADHD from 1970s baselines.

Although Thimerosal now only appears in trace amounts in vaccines on the US childhood immunization schedule, the potential threat to childrens neurological health continues today in the form of seasonal flu vaccines, preserved with Thimerosal, that are administered to pregnant women and babies.

Recent CDC figures confirm ADHD prevalence has remained as high as nearly 1 in 10 children.28 29 The prevalence of any developmental disability in US children went up from 12.84 percent in 1996 to 15.04 percent by 2008.30 ASD statistical rates, for their part, have soared higher still. In March 2012, the reported prevalence (as of 2008, in 8 year olds) stood at 1 in 88 children; in March 2013, the prevalence figure (as of 2011-2012, between the ages of 6 and 17 years) came in at a staggering 1 in 50 children, with 1 in 31 boys affected, though this report was based on a less-reliable survey of parents. Most recently, in March 2014, a more reliable figure of 1 in 68 was reported (as of 2010, in 8 year olds).

Based on this books analysis, we are calling for policy and industry shifts that will lead to Thimerosals removal from all remaining vaccines within a year. Vaccines are unquestionably one of the greatest achievements in medical science. They have prevented countless terrible illnesses. We hope that the elimination of an unnecessary mercury-containing ingredient in vaccines will ease future doubts about vaccine safety. Restoring faith in the vaccine regimen while maintaining or increasing vaccination rates is critical in the United States and especially in developing nations, where Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines are still very much in use.

Get the book and keep reading youll be amazed

Read more by buying the book at BN.com (dont buy from Amazon.com, as Amazon revenues subsidize the Washington Post, a pro-vaccine fake news rag run by deceptive globalists).
The Environmental Protection Agency says it issued the new guidelines, called PAGs - for Protective Action Guides - to protect Americans after a nationally significant nuclear disaster. But for months, dozens of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Public Citizen, Riverkeeper and Physicians for Social Responsibility USA have been urging the agency to shelve the plan. They say the PAGs could deliver excessive doses of radiation leading to increased risk of cancer and other health effects.

EPA officials say they knew they needed to create these guides after seeing what happened in Fukushima, Japan in 2011. A Tsunami knocked out the coolant system of a nuclear reactor, spilling massive amounts of radiation.

We hope that these kinds of incidents never occur, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the EPAs Office of Water Joel Beauvais said. But the Fukushima incident in Japan helps make clear to everyone that we really need to be prepared in advance.

He adds that the PAGs are a source of information or guidance that can help local officials to plan in advance and to have some guidance that can help to give them a point of departure for taking action in an emergency situation.

But Daniel Hirsh, Director of U.C. Santa Cruzs program on Environmental and Nuclear Policy, says the new EPA rules contradict themselves in several places, leaving many questions about public safety. He insists the Safe Drinking Water Act has been an effective guideline for emergencies in the past, and sees no need for the new guidelines.

For decades, we have used the Safe Drinking Water Act to respond to emergencies, Hirsch said. If you go over the Safe Drinking Water Act, for example, in Flint, Michigan, with lead, we provide people with bottled water. We bring in tankers. We put in filters. And what this is now saying is that if it was plutonium or strontium or cesium at Flint, Michigan, and it was a thousand times higher than the Safe Drinking Water Act levels, we would not protect them.

NBC Bay Area first reported on the EPAs plan last fall. Since then, the EPA has made changes to the language of the water guidelines. The original document called for using the PAGs for any radioactive incident, even a spill from a laboratory or a truck on the highway, and it allowed for the higher levels for several years.

Since then, the agency has revised the guidelines.

Beauvais told NBC Bay Area that the PAGs would be used for one year or less, and only for a nationally significant nuclear disaster.

Daniel Hirsch isnt satisfied, and admits he doesnt trust the agency. He points to this chart, obtained by filing a lawsuit against the EPA, which reveals that for many radioactive substances, the new guidelines would allow for a lifetime dose in a months time.

The chart compares the new PAG guidelines to the Safe Drinking Water Act levels, known as MCLs. The vertical lines depict different radioactive materials, or radionuclides. When you reach the horizontal yellow line, you are getting a lifetime of exposure in one year. For those radionuclides that pass the top horizontal bar, the new guidelines would allow you to get a lifetime of exposure in a single month.

Hirsch is stunned by the doses shown in the chart, and cant believe that this has happened in the final weeks of the Obama administration.

Theres a technical phrase for the few days before an inauguration, and its called midnight mischief, Hirsch said. All sorts of bad stuff gets shoveled out at the very end. If they were proud of this it wouldnt be occurring in the last few days before they are out of office.
Residents along Lover's Lane in rural Hollister are crossing their fingers hoping for the sun to peek through the clouds on Thursday so that their waterlogged town in San Benito County can have a chance to dry out.

The forecast looked promising. After almost a week of battering rains, which caused the Pacheco Creek to flood and spill across their farmland swallowing homes and prompting 49 rescued and 59 evacuations early Wednesday morning, the showers looked they would be lighter than in the past several day. And beginning on Friday, the sun was supposed to shine through Sunday.

Flooding from the Pacheco Creek in Hollister caused homes, trees and cars to be swallowed up by muddy waters. People and animals had to be rescued. This is a video compilation from the the scene.

Meanwhile, county officials checked 25 of the 50 homes thoroughly on Thursday to see if they were all safe enough to move in, and the answer was yes. The rest of the homes would be searched throughout the day, according to San Benito County Office of Emergency Manager Kevin O'Neill. He was estimating the damage to be in the millions, a dollar amount the county would likely seek help for from the state or federal governments.

[stringer]Dramatic Images: Flooded Homes, Farmland in Hollister Area

The news about no-home damage was uplifting for residents including Steven Vail, among the dozens evacuated.

When he opened the door to his home on Wednesday, the water came rushing in.

"Once it got higher, my refrigerator tipped over and started floating around my house," he said. "It was just a disaster."

The flooded-out town, located at the northern end of what is considered Central California, posed an odd sight in California, which has been stricken by drought for the last half-decade.

The NBC Bay Area chopper flew overhead, showing dramatic images that seemed more similar to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana than the Golden State, which has been bone dry the last five winters.

Aerial video showed entire homes swallowed up by muddy waters, cars getting stuck and horses and cattle being escorted to safety.

But there was a bright spot. At some point in the afternoon, a rainbow appears in the sky.

NBC Bay Area's Kris Sanchez, Shawn Murphy and Matthew Ulrich contributed to this report.
A wanted homicide suspect was caught trying to cross into Mexico at the San Ysidro Border Crossing Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said.

Victor Manuel Valdovinos, 31, a U.S. citizen, walked up to the San Ysidro pedestrian border crossing at approximately 3:20 p.m. Monday, CBP officers said.

Valdovinos gave authorities his valid California birth certificate and an expired California driver's license, according to officers.

Authorities ran a routine query of law enforcement databases during the inspection and discovered a possible match for an active warrant out for his arrest.

When officers took his fingerprints, they confirmed the man was Valdovinos and that he did indeed have an outstanding warrant for a homicide charge as well as a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon, according to CBP officers.

The warrants were issued out of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, in Northern California. Bail had been set at $1 million.

Valdovinos was arrested and booked into the San Diego Central Jail to await extradition.
Former San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr has decided to try his luck in the NBA.

No, he won't be dishing to Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, but he will be a guard of sorts, as the Golden State Warriors have hired him to be a security adviser for the team.

The Warriors say they're happy to have Suhr on board.

"Chief Suhr is an expert on public safety, security issues, event planning and operations, VIP protection, risk assessment and other matters related to the safe and secure operation of a major public venue," the team said.

Suhr, who spent a total of 35 years in law enforcement, was named San Francisco police chief in 2011 but resigned last May amid scandals involving officers' use of force and exchanges of racist and homophobic texts within the department.

The former chief likely will be returning to the city soon, as the Warriors are slated to begin playing at the new 18,000-seat Chase Center in Mission Bay at the start of the 2019-2020 season.
PG&E joined forces with more than 100 workers from Southern California to restore power to the Peninsula following storm-related outages.

"Our out-of-the-area crews are staging, gathering supplies and equipment as they head out to the Peninsula and restore storm-relate damages," PG&E Spokesperson Andrea Menniti said. "We have areas for them to shower. We have food. We have all of their equipment here. In addition to that, we don't have tents here necessarily for them to sleep, we are putting out-of-area crews in hotels."

The crews are from Southern California Edison and drove to the Bay Area with about 80 additional trucks and heavy equipment Sunday to start work the following day, according to Menniti.

While not affiliated with the utility company, Menniti said they have partnerships with other utility companies to give or receive additional resources during additional need.

Currently PG&E support staff as well as the Southern California crew members are based out of a temporary site at Half Moon Bay Airport.

Menniti did expect the storm restorations to be completed within the week.

"As of now for the entire Bay Area, 97 percent of customers have been restored, so we will have crews here until all of our storm related outages have been resolved," Menniti said.
At a Senate hearing Thursday, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson didn't guarantee that money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development would not benefit President-elect Donald Trump or his family if were leading the agency.

Warren wanted assurances that "not one dollar" of federal housing money going to the Trumps by Sen. Elizabeth Warren at the hearing on whether to confirm Carson as secretary of housing.

Carson said he didn't intend to benefit an individual American, but wanted to if an extraordinary program benefited millions and a particular individual were to receive $10, "am I going to say 'no, the rest of you Americans can't have it?'"

Warren replied that she appreciated the good faith of what he was saying, but "the problem is that you can't assure us that HUD money  of multimillion dollar varieties will not end up in the president's pockets."

While Carson's celebrated neurosurgery career leaves no doubt about his medical credentials, his lack of experience in government and public policy has raised questions about his qualification to serve as Trump's housing secretary, which Warren and other Democrats on the Senate Banking, House and Urban Affairs Committee explored Thursday.

He addressed those concerns head on as he introduced himself the hearing.

"There is an assumption that you can only do one thing, and that we have these very limited brains," Carson said. "I find that particularly humorous," he said, citing his working knowledge of brains.

If confirmed, Carson, a former rival of Trump's for the Republican presidential nomination, would lead the sprawling agency with 8,300 employees and a budget of about $48 billion.

Carson told the committee about growing up in inner-city Detroit with a single mother who had a third-grade education. She worked numerous jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

"I understand housing insecurity," he said, and credited his mother with showing him the importance of perseverance and hard work.

"You know the person who has the most to do with determining where you live is you. It's not somebody else, it's not the environment," he said she once told him.

Carson said he sees HUD as part of the solution to America's divisiveness, and that the department could play a role, referring often in his remarks to the idea of people as "human capital" who should be encouraged to contribute to society.

"The things that we have been doing, and the programs, they're life saving. They're a safety net. Do I think we can do better? Absolutely," Carson said, adding that he wants to focus on "developing the potential of our people."

But Democrats in the GOP-run Senate have been questioning his experience and priorities. Warren told Carson in a letter that the agency needs a strong, capable leader who believes in its mission.

"There is relatively little in the public record that reveals how you would further HUD's mission to 'create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all,'" Warren said.

Among the dozens of questions in the letter: What does Carson think about the condition of public housing? Should ending homelessness among veterans be a priority? How would he ensure equal access to HUD programs to same-sex couples and others.

Several former HUD secretaries, Democrats and Republicans, wrote the committee in support of Carson, saying they believe Carson will listen to staff to help fulfill HUD's mission of affordable homes and inclusive communities. The letter was signed by Henry Cisneros, secretary under President Bill Clinton, and Mel Martinez, Alphonso Jackson and Steven Preston, who worked for President George W. Bush.

The soft-spoken Carson, the only black major-party candidate in 2016 presidential race, grew up poor. He attended Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School, and was the first African-American named as head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

In 1987, at age 35, Carson pioneered surgery to separate twins joined at the back of the head. In 2013, he entered the national political spotlight when, during the National Prayer Breakfast, he railed against the modern welfare state. President Barack Obama was sitting just feet away.

Carson had said little publicly about affordable housing, homelessness and other HUD-related issues. Last summer, he criticized an Obama administration fair housing rule as government overreach.
A Suffolk Superior Court judge has ordered Exxon Mobil to hand over documents related to a Massachusetts probe into whether the company misled the public about the impact of fossil fuels on the climate.

Wednesday's decision is a win for Attorney General Maura Healey, who's trying to determine if the company deceived investors and consumers by hiding what it knew about the link between burning fossil fuels and climate change.

An Exxon Mobil Corp. spokesman said the company is reviewing the decision to determine its next steps.

The legal battle began last year when Healey and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, both Democrats, demanded documents from the Irving, Texas,-based firm dating back to 1976.

A related case is pending in Texas. Briefs in that case are due Feb. 1.
A business proposal that would bring a sex shop to downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, is raising some eyebrows.

The adult store would fill a vacant storefront on Manchester Street, less than a block from Elm Street.

Yikes, said Jean Cairney who works in Manchester.

Its a gut reaction that many people share.

Not happy, said Manchester resident Kelly Suydam.

The woman behind the proposal says its not a sex shop but an intimate products store.

Sophia Raymond wouldnt go on camera Wednesday, but posted a Facebook video defending her business.

Its not just about sex, she told her Facebook audience. Its about helping people in all aspects of it.

She says her store, Provocative Indulgence, would host workshops on everything from self-love to senior citizen sex.

I do feel that carrying these products can be integral for helping relationships and helping women to be more confident and more in control of their sexuality, Raymond said.

During her 25 years on Elm Street as the owner of Benton Shoe, Susan Baroff has seen a lot of businesses come and go. Shes glad to hear that one of the citys many empty storefronts is getting attention.

I dont have a problem with it as long as theyre respectful neighbors, Baroff said.

The proposal goes before the zoning board Thursday night.

If approved, it will become the second store of its kind in the city.
A federal judge has struck down a right-to-work law in Lincolnshire aimed at organized labor, ruling that federal law preempts the local ordinance.

The Pioneer Press reports that Judge Matthew Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois wrote in his ruling that only states have the power to enact laws that prohibit union security agreements.

So called "right-to-work" legislation allows people to work for a company in union-protected positions without having to join the union or pay the complete share of union dues.

In 2015, Lincolnshire approved its ordinance, which doesn't apply to public-sector jobs like firefighting or police service.

Kennelly ruled that the municipality lacked the authority to enact its law because the National Labor Relations Act exemption for states and territories didn't apply to Lincolnshire.
A federal judge is being asked to rule on how former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock spends remaining campaign money as he awaits trial.

Gatehouse Media Illinois reports federal prosecutors this week asked U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough to weigh in on the matter at an upcoming hearing.

The 35-year-old Republican from Peoria is accused of misusing government and campaign money for personal use and faces 24 criminal counts.

Last month, his attorneys told Myerscough there was about $400,000 left. Prosecutors say they aren't opposed to allowing him to use that to pay for his legal bills but want Schock to give advance notice.

Schock's attorneys say that's inappropriate.

Schock has said he's innocent and that any questionable spending resulted from "honest mistakes.
A suburban family facing a heartbreaking struggle says they quickly learned how dangerous the world of sex trafficking can be.

Now, theyre warning other families that situations like the one they faced could hit closer to home than many may expect.

Plainfield mom Danyell never thought shed know anything about sex trafficking, but one day in September she came face to face with it. Her 20-year-old daughter, Alyssa, left home and said she wasnt coming back.

Alyssa had just had a baby in June and was suffering from post-partum depression, so Danyell was instantly worried.

She left her two kids here, Danyell said. I mean she just doesnt do that.

Danyell later learned her daughter had been lured to Philadelphia by an alleged trafficker, who had been communicating with the young woman for months.

He had groomed her quite well, Danyell said.

Alyssa returned home, only to go back to Philadelphia again. But this time, she couldnt leave.

He preyed on her fear of him harming her children, Danyell said.

Thats a common tactic, according to Cook County Assistant States Attorney Lou Longhitano, who heads human trafficking prosecutions in Cook County. Longhitano says victims first are recruited, then seduced and then reality sets in.

When they try to leave, Longhitano said, all kinds of different force and coercion is thrown at them.

Longhitano isnt involved with Alyssas case but has handled cases like hers since 2010. He says the idea that trafficking happens only in the inner city is a fallacy.

Of the 129 cases hes prosecuted, roughly half have some connection to the suburbs.

From Naperville to Lombard to Joliet to Oakbrook, he says there is no place safe. Victims are lured from the suburbs and trafficking happens in the suburbs.

Theres demand there, Longhitano said. People want to buy sex and they dont want to have to drive all the way to Chicago.

Danyell found out her daughters alleged trafficker's name and realized what danger she was in. He had a previous conviction on federal prostitution charges.

If hes done it once, Im sure hes still doing it, she said.

So Danyell went to work, constantly calling law enforcement, insisting her daughter was with the alleged trafficker against her will. He let her go in October after roughly three weeks.

Alyssa is now back with family and safe. Danyell is committed to telling their story as a warning.

I would never have thought this would happen in our home, she said. That doesnt happen to us. But, it does.

EDITORS NOTE: NBC Chicago is only identifying the victims by first name for safety concerns.
A man was killed and at least 13 other people were wounded in shootings Wednesday across the city, according to Chicago Police.

The homicide happened during a mass shooting about 6 p.m. in the 4200 block of South Talman in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side, where a group of gang members ambushed another group of men before opening fire, according to police and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th). The four who were struck tried to flee, but they made it only to the parking lot of a vacant business at the southwest corner of Archer and Western, where an 18-year-old man who had been shot in the head died, officials said.

Two more men were taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, with an 18-year-old shot in the back and a 22-year-old shot in the face, according to police and fire officials. The fourth victim, a 25-year-old man, was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital with an arm wound. Lopez said an assault-style weapon was used in the attack.

Wednesdays latest shooting happened at 11:34 p.m. in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. A 20-year-old man was sitting in the back seat of a parked vehicle in a gas station parking lot in the 2800 block of West 59th Street when another male walked up and opened fire, police said. The man was shot in the groin area and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

About 10 minutes earlier, a 21-year-old was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, stopped at a light in the 2100 block of West Chicago in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood when someone fired shots from a dark-colored SUV nearby, police said. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the left shoulder and showed up at Norwegian American Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

About 4:15 p.m., a 16-year-old boy and 21-year-old man were sitting inside a vehicle in the 5700 block of South Racine in the South Side Englewood neighborhood, when another vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire, police said. The man suffered gunshot wounds to the left shoulder and back and was taken to Stroger Hospital. The boy was shot in his left finger and taken to St. Bernard Hospital. Both of their conditions had stabilized.

An hour earlier, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the back in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Someone opened fire from a passing vehicle as he stood outside about 3:15 p.m. in the 3500 block of West 16th Street, police said. He was in serious condition at Mount Sinai.

Just before 2 p.m., someone fired shots at a 28-year-old man as he drove through the 5200 block of South Marshfield in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side, grazing his forearm, police said. He declined medical attention.

About 9:30 a.m. in the West Side Austin neighborhood, a 26-year-old man was shot in the forearm and a 29-year-old man was grazed across the hip in the 1300 block of North Lockwood. Both of their conditions were stabilized at Mount Sinai, police said.

Earlier Wednesday, a 31-year-old man was critically wounded in another Gage Park neighborhood shooting. He was walking about 2:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of West 55th Street when someone in a white vehicle shot him in the leg and chest, police said. The man was listed in critical condition at Stroger Hospital.

The days first shooting happened about 12:45 a.m. in the Fernwood neighborhood on the Far South Side, where a 20-year-old man heard gunfire in the 10100 block of South Parnell and realized hed been hit in the leg. His condition was stabilized at Roseland Community Hospital, police said.

Five people were shot in the city on Tuesday. At least 96 people have been shot across Chicago in the first 11 days of the new year, leaving 13 dead.
The Chicago Archdiocese has announced two of its schools will close this year.

St. Joseph School, in Homewood, and St. Louis de Montfort School, in Oak Lawn, will not reopen for the 2017-2018 school year due to "declining enrollment and financial difficulties over the past several years." Both schools will officially close on June 30.

St. Joseph School currently has 64 students while St. Louis de Montfort School has 133 students.

"Despite best efforts to restore the schools to viability, finances and enrollment have not improved," the archdiocese said in a statement.

The archdiocese said it plans to work with the affected families to find alternatives for the students attending both schools.

"The Archdiocese of Chicago remains committed to providing strong Catholic schools throughout Cook and Lake Counties," the statement read. "The Archdiocese is engaged in a thoughtful process to plan for the future and is diligently working to ensure that every Catholic school is strong, vital and sustainable.
Four people were shot, one fatally, possibly with an assault rifle, in Chicagos Brighton Park neighborhood Wednesday night on the citys South Side, officials confirmed.

We believe an assault rifle was used because weve recovered almost 30 [bullet] casings on 42nd and Talman, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, said, adding that he believed gang members were "killing for sport" in his community.

All four people shot were in the same vehicle near the intersection of West 42nd Street and South Talman Avenue, officials say, with the survivors being transferred to Stroger Hospital. One was in good condition while the other three were critical. Officials said the shooting, which happened around 6 p.m. not far from Shields Elementary School, was gang related.

"There's no rhyme or reasontheyre killing for sport to say they killed that gang member or that gang memberfor bragging rights of saying they killed people, Lopez said.

Lopez addressed reporters as rain pelted the black umbrella he held above himself and activist Andrew Holmes. He said a group of gang members in a white van cornered some young men who were also possibly gang members and ambushed them.

Alderman speaking at scene of fatal shooting- says gang members in his community "killing for sport" @nbcchicago pic.twitter.com/ASiaQ6fHfq  Trina Orlando (@TrinaOrlando) January 12, 2017

I guarantee you somebody in that car knew who was shooting at them, Holmes said.

The victims drove from where they were shot to the intersection of Western and Archer avenues where the car, riddled with bullets, came to a stop, officials said.

This is proof positive that weapons of war like assault weapons and assault rifles with cartridges this thick do not belong in our streets, he said.

The shootings come just days after the Chicago Police Department announced its strategy to stem the tide of shootings and murders in 2017 through a multipronged policing policy and implementing new technology. According to police, there were 762 murders, 3,550 shooting incidents and 4,331 shooting victims in 2016.

Police were investigating Wednesday night and no one was in custody.
Multiple police departments are investigating what is believed to be a rash of robberies at Mexican restaurants and stores through the Chicago area.

Police say the suspect has robbed locations in Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, Mount Prospect and two stories on Chicagos South Side. All of the businesses were Mexican restaurants or grocery stores.

The first robbery happened in Mount Prospect on Dec. 7. Victims say a man entered the restaurant and looked at a menu before pulling out a gun and demanding cash.

A few weeks later a string of robberies, one after another on the evening of Dec. 30, were reported. A waitress at Mariscos Miramar in Elk Grove Village told NBC 5 the suspect ordered tacos before displaying a gun and robbing the eatery.

When she opened the cash register he walked around here and then put a gun to her side and told her dont look at mejust give me the money, Solangel Mendivil, a manager at the restaurant said.

The owner of Nuevo Mexico in Des Plaines offered a warning for other business owners.

All those who have businesses especially small stores should not keep a lot of cash up in the cashier box, Jorge Escobedo said. Instead they should put them in another place to hide them, because that's what this person is taking from register.

A grocery story in the 100 block of North Salem in Schaumburg was also robbed on Dec. 30, the same day as the other two stores were robbed.

As soon as I was about to close the register, I looked at him and he already had the gun pointed at me and told me dont scream, or move, or Ill shoot you, Eliba Pacheco, a cashier at the store, told NBC 5. And I backed away from the register.

Police say they are also investigating robberies that appear to follow the same pattern in the Gage Park neighborhood in Chicago.

Two restaurants were robbed at gunpoint, one on Dec. 6 in the 5400 block of South Kedzie Avenue, the other on Dec. 27 in the 2500 block of West 51st Street, police said.

An investigation was ongoing.
Opening Day is still a little under three months away, but that doesnt mean that Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon isnt already designing lineups for the regular season.

In fact, with the departure of Dexter Fowler, the Cubs manager is hatching an interesting scheme for the lead-off position. Instead of having a traditional guy good at getting on-base, like Ben Zobrist, Maddon instead has a more unique approach to the number one job:

Put Kyle Schwarber there.

During an interview at his annual Thanksmas event on Wednesday, Maddon said that he is considering batting Schwarber in the lead-off spot, saying that he didnt want to move Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo from their spots (second and third, respectively) in the batting order.

I do like Schwarber leading off, Maddon told reporters. I do like it. I still like KB two, (and) if you ask Anthony he likes hitting third.

If Maddon keeps that lineup intact against right-handed pitchers, it would raise all sorts of interesting questions throughout the rest of the lineup. Where would newcomer Jon Jay, who was signed to play center field and bat against right-handed hurlers, bat? Would Addison Russell, who drove in 95 runs last season, move up in the lineup or stay in the six or seven spot?

When the team reports to spring training in Arizona next month, well likely get some clarification on those questions, but one thing is clear: these are the kinds of decisions that Maddon has proven he is adept at making during his two years in Chicago.
A man who was pardoned after being convicted twice in a rape and double murder case when he was 14 has filed a lawsuit against the city of Peoria and its police department.

In 1977, Savory was arrested for the murders of his best friend, 14-year-old James Robinson, and the rape and murder of Robinson's sister, 19-year-old Connie Cooper, in their Peoria home.

"It was like I was in the twilight zone," Savory said. "I walked into school and the next thing I know, I was in jail."

"The suit alleges that these officers, acting individually, jointly and in conspiracy violated Johnnie Savorys civil rights by framing him for these crimes," Savory's attorney Flint Taylor said Wednesday.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, claims that police officers coerced Savory, now 54, into giving a false confession during his interrogation.

"They interrogated him for 31 hours," said Jon Loevy, another attorney representing Savory. "This is just a 14-year-old boy, who had no chance against grown men - sophisticated interrogators - who forced a false confession from him."

That confession was key to the first of two convictions, both of which the Peoria County State's Attorney stood behind.

"Johnnie Lee Savory is a mean double murderer and he is right where he belongs," State's Attorney Kevin Lyons said.

Savory spent more than 30 years behind bars, but a lack of the victims DNA on a key piece of evidence won him a pardon from Governor Quinn before he left office in 2015.

"Somewhere, something went wrong, so the people who did the wrong must answer for it," Savory said. "If they truly want people to believe they were law abiding officers and prosecutors, they should apologize because DNA dont lie, blood dont lie."

The crime remains unsolved, as Savory and his family - including new daughter Nia - try to move forward.

"Peoria needs to heal," Savory said, "but it needs to heal from those who committed the crime against me."
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is brewing up some powerful coffee in his Minnesota hometown.

Ellefson, a co-founder of the thrash metal band, will debut Ellefson Coffee Co. in the small, southwestern Minnesota town of Jackson on Monday. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports a grand opening is planned this spring.

Ellefson was born and grew up in Jackson, about 125 miles southwest of Minneapolis. He befriended local coffee shop owner Susan Reiter and worked with her to create a coffee blend called Urban Legend.

Ellefson and Reitner rebranded her shop. The store also features a "Museum of Deth," with displays from Ellefson's collection and memorabilia from other artists.

The 52-year-old Ellefson calls it "a true honor" to have a coffee brand in a shop on his hometown's main street.
A suspect was in custody in Wisconsin on Wednesday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a former state senators daughter in Oak Lawn who worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (3rd), the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Marianne Viverito, 55, was found in the basement of a home in the 5100 block of West 105th Place about 3:15 a.m., according to Oak Lawn police and the Cook County medical examiners office. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy Wednesday showed she died of multiple stab and incise wounds and her death was ruled a homicide.

A person was being held in Wisconsin on a murder warrant issued by the Cook County states attorneys office, police said. The name was withheld pending formal charges upon the suspects return to Illinois.

Officers went to the home after a request for a well-being check from an out-of-state police agency concerning a woman who may have been injured in a domestic fight, police said.

When officers arrived, they found blood on the ground and inside the home, police said.

Division Chief Randy Palmer, a spokesman for the Oak Lawn Police Department, said Tuesday evening that a suspect had been identified. He declined to specify which police agency in which state called for the well-being check.

Marianne was a beloved and trusted member of my staff, and has been a part of my team during much of my tenure in Congress, Lipinski said in a statement. She has helped countless of my constituents solve challenges theyve faced with the federal government with a smile, good nature, and humor. As with me and my staff, I know that these constituents will miss her greatly.

Viverito was the daughter of former state senator and current Stickney Township supervisor Lou Viverito. He could not be reached on Tuesday afternoon.

This appears to be an isolated incident and the public is not in any danger at this time, a statement from police said.

Ald. Mike Zalewski, whose 23rd Ward office on Archer is adjacent to Lipinskis office, said he and his staff were devastated upon hearing the news of Viveritos death.

Were lucky to be able to call them friends, Zalewski said.

Oak Lawn police are investigating along with the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.
For at least the 12th time in six weeks, a delivery driver was robbed while on the job in Chicago Wednesday morning.

Around 11:25 a.m., a United States Postal Service mail carrier was delivering a package near the 7300 block of S. Wabash Ave. in the city's Park Manor neighborhood, according to police.

Two unknown black men approached and stole an unknown amount of mail and packages, authorities said, before fleeing westbound in a gray Pontiac sedan.

Further details and a description of the suspects were not available. No one is in custody and authorities continue to investigate.

Wednesday's incident is the second time in the past 24 hours, and the third time in as many days, that a delivery truck was robbed on Chicago's South Side.

At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, an unmarked delivery driver was at the rear of the vehicle in the 8400 block of S. Hermitage Ave. in the city's Gresham neighborhood when he was approached by two unknown black men, according to police.

One of the suspects displayed a firearm and announced a robbery, police said, and both removed bags containing packages from the truck before fleeing eastbound in a black minivan.

Both suspects are described as black men standing around 5'10," one weighing approximately 190 pounds and the other between 210 and 215 pounds. Both were wearing black hooded sweatshirts, officials said.

Another robbery occurred in the city's Englewood neighborhood on Monday, as a postal worker was delivering mail.

These incidents bring the number of times a letter carrier or delivery truck driver has been robbed to 12 over the last six weeks.

Previous robberies occurred as follows:

Nov. 30 : Police said a FedEx truck was stolen around 11:30 a.m. in the 7400 block of S. Vernon Ave. in the Park Manor neighborhood, then later located about a half-mile away in the 7400 block of S. Evans. FedEx said in a statement that no injuries were reported and it could not confirm if any packages were taken from the truck.

: Police said a FedEx truck was stolen around 11:30 a.m. in the 7400 block of S. Vernon Ave. in the Park Manor neighborhood, then later located about a half-mile away in the 7400 block of S. Evans. FedEx said in a statement that no injuries were reported and it could not confirm if any packages were taken from the truck. Nov. 30 : Two men approached and robbed a UPS driver just before 9 p.m. in the 8500 block of South Prairie in the Chatham neighborhood, according to police. The thieves showed a gun and then grabbed at least three packages out of the back of the truck before they got away, according to UPS. The driver was not injured in the incident.

: Two men approached and robbed a UPS driver just before 9 p.m. in the 8500 block of South Prairie in the Chatham neighborhood, according to police. The thieves showed a gun and then grabbed at least three packages out of the back of the truck before they got away, according to UPS. The driver was not injured in the incident. Dec. 8 : A 32-year-old driver was delivering packages in the 700 block of E. 80th St. in Chatham when an armed offender approached the truck, police said. The suspect displayed a handgun and stole the driver's personal items before fleeing. The driver, who was not injured, fled the scene and called police. It was unknown if any packages were stolen.

: A 32-year-old driver was delivering packages in the 700 block of E. 80th St. in Chatham when an armed offender approached the truck, police said. The suspect displayed a handgun and stole the driver's personal items before fleeing. The driver, who was not injured, fled the scene and called police. It was unknown if any packages were stolen. Dec. 19 : Officers responded to a call of a robbery in the 4900 block of W. Kamerling Ave. in the North Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, where a 51-year-old man reported that three male suspects approached him after he exited a delivery truck. One of the offenders showed a handgun and announced a robbery, police said. During the robbery, the suspect fired the gun and the victim fled, returning later to find that items were missing from the truck.

: Officers responded to a call of a robbery in the 4900 block of W. Kamerling Ave. in the North Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, where a 51-year-old man reported that three male suspects approached him after he exited a delivery truck. One of the offenders showed a handgun and announced a robbery, police said. During the robbery, the suspect fired the gun and the victim fled, returning later to find that items were missing from the truck. Dec. 19 : A driver was making deliveries in the 5100 block of S. Princeton Ave. in Fuller Park, according to police, when four men approached and one displayed a handgun. They took the driver's personal belongings and stole the truck, police said. Officers later found the vehicle abandoned in the 5400 block of S Shields Ave with items missing.

: A driver was making deliveries in the 5100 block of S. Princeton Ave. in Fuller Park, according to police, when four men approached and one displayed a handgun. They took the driver's personal belongings and stole the truck, police said. Officers later found the vehicle abandoned in the 5400 block of S Shields Ave with items missing. Dec. 28 : Around 9:14 a.m., a 46-year-old FedEx driver was making a package delivery in the 7500 block of S. Green St. in the city's Gresham neighborhood when a two men drove up and parked alongside her truck, according to police. One of the men got out of the car, approached the driver and displayed a handgun, authorities said, forcing the driver to toss him her keys. He then fled the scene in the delivery truck, officials said. Officers spotted a truck matching the description a few miles away, where the truck collided with a car in the intersection of W. 67th St and S. Wentworth Ave. before continuing to drive southbound. The truck then hit a fence and came to a stop, police said. After a brief foot chase, officers were able to apprehend the suspect, a 15-year-old boy, according to police. He was taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash, authorities said, and charged accordingly. A spokesperson for FedEx confirmed that the truck was recovered with all packages still inside.

: Around 9:14 a.m., a 46-year-old FedEx driver was making a package delivery in the 7500 block of S. Green St. in the city's Gresham neighborhood when a two men drove up and parked alongside her truck, according to police. One of the men got out of the car, approached the driver and displayed a handgun, authorities said, forcing the driver to toss him her keys. He then fled the scene in the delivery truck, officials said. Officers spotted a truck matching the description a few miles away, where the truck collided with a car in the intersection of W. 67th St and S. Wentworth Ave. before continuing to drive southbound. The truck then hit a fence and came to a stop, police said. After a brief foot chase, officers were able to apprehend the suspect, a 15-year-old boy, according to police. He was taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash, authorities said, and charged accordingly. A spokesperson for FedEx confirmed that the truck was recovered with all packages still inside. Jan. 3 : Around 12:50 p.m., a USPS letter carrier was robbed at gunpoint in the 7900 block of S. Manistee Ave. in the South Chicago neighborhood, police said, when a suspect approached the victim outside of the delivery vehicle. The offender fled with packages and US Mail.

: Around 12:50 p.m., a USPS letter carrier was robbed at gunpoint in the 7900 block of S. Manistee Ave. in the South Chicago neighborhood, police said, when a suspect approached the victim outside of the delivery vehicle. The offender fled with packages and US Mail. Jan. 4 : Another letter carrier was robbed around 1 p.m. in the 2200 block of E. Van Vlissingen, according to a statement from the USPS, which is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved. The suspects were described as two black men between the ages of 28 and 30 years old. the first, who was armed with a handgun, stands at 6'0" tall with a medium build. He was unshaven with hanging black dreadlocks above the shoulder, the USPS said, and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect stands around 5'6" with a large build and was also unshaven with hanging black dreadlocks above the shoulder. He was wearing a green and brown camouflage sweatshirt, according the USPS alert. Anyone with information is asked to contact Chicago police.

: Another letter carrier was robbed around 1 p.m. in the 2200 block of E. Van Vlissingen, according to a statement from the USPS, which is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved. The suspects were described as two black men between the ages of 28 and 30 years old. the first, who was armed with a handgun, stands at 6'0" tall with a medium build. He was unshaven with hanging black dreadlocks above the shoulder, the USPS said, and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect stands around 5'6" with a large build and was also unshaven with hanging black dreadlocks above the shoulder. He was wearing a green and brown camouflage sweatshirt, according the USPS alert. Anyone with information is asked to contact Chicago police. Jan. 5 : Around 8 a.m., a driver was returning to his truck after making a delivery on the 3100 block of S. Normal Ave. in the Bridgeport neighborhood when he was approached by an armed male who demanded his keys to the truck. The driver complied and handed over his keys to the suspect, who fled the scene southbound, according to police.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says he'll propose a state-funded program to test houses in eastern Connecticut to get a better handle on how many homeowners are experiencing failing foundations.

"We need more people to come forward," Malloy told NBC Connecticut on Wednesday night.

But Tim Heim, head of CT Coalition Against Crumbling Basements, said that is not enough and is calling for a federal investigation into crumbling foundations.

Heim said he is unsatisfied with the state investigation and wants to know what state, town and insurance companies knew about crumbling foundations.

"We dont need testing," Heim told NBC Connecticut. "We need emergency funding for the victims today."

Malloy said Wednesday that having a more accurate count could help the state in persuading the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide financial assistance to help fix what's considered to be a naturally occurring event.

He also told NBC Connecticut that federal government should play a part in fixing homes.

"I think the state needs to play a role but I also think the municipal government needs to play a role and really what I think is the federal government should play a much larger role," Malloy said.

Hundreds of eastern Connecticut homeowners have filed complaints about crumbling foundations. The problem has been traced to a quarry that produced a concrete mix containing an iron sulfide mineral that has apparently reacted with oxygen and water. The reaction has led to severe cracks in foundations that are very expensive to repair.

Malloy is expected to unveil his new two-year budget Feb. 8.
Workers from Connecticuts hotel industry took part Thursday in a training session on how to spot potential victims of human trafficking.

The Connecticut Lodging Association, the Department of Children and Families, law enforcement and New Haven based anti-trafficking group Love 146 hosted the training, which is among the first of its kind for the industry in Connecticut. It follows a new state mandate requiring all lodging industry employees be trained to spot victims, traffickers and activities associated with the underground sex trade.

We are perceived as one of the places where human trafficking is easily accessible and we want to dismiss that myth Ginny Kozlowski, the executive director of the Connecticut Lodging Association, said.

Experts said that with more trafficking advertised online and carried out in hotels and not on the street, its often hotel and motel workers, not the police, who are the first, and sometimes only, line of defense for people being sold for sex.

If they know how to spot the red flags then theyre going to be able to know what to look for and what to report to law enforcement, Erin Williamson, survivor care program director of Love 146, said.

Those red flags can include rooms where multiple guests are coming and going, adults checking in with children who appear malnourished or disheveled and multiple pornography rentals to rooms where children are present.

Officials from the state Department of Children and Families said the number of Connecticut youth who are potential victims of human trafficking is rising.

They saw approximately 133 children referred in 2015 and preliminary numbers for 2016 estimate about 195 children referred to the agency.

This really provides an opportunity to train the hotel, motel and lodging folks across the state and help them partner with us to find people across the states, Tammy Sneed, director of Gender Responsive Adolescent Services at DCF, said.

Leaders at the training said that with more hotel workers in the state armed with information on what to look out for, theres a hope that one day they can bring this dangerous criminal industry to an end.

We will have reduced the number of people that are victims of human trafficking, not only here, but across the country, globally, Kozlowski said.

To learn more about Love 146, visit love146.org.
Loomis Chafee, a private boarding school in Windsor, Connecticut, says a law firm hired to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct at the school found reports of employee sexual misconduct from as far back as the 1940s until the early 2000s.

We, along with the entire Board of Trustees and the school community, apologize unreservedly to those affected. We know that no action that we take today will erase the deep pain caused, but we do hope that our commitment to confront all such behavior now and in the future may bring some healing, Christopher Norton, chair of the board of trustees for Loomis Chaffee, and Sheila Culbert, head of school, wrote in a statement released to the school community.

The law firm, Cowdery & Murphy, conducted the investigation and found the alleged misconduct ranged from sexual advances to sexual abuse. While investigators found individuals credible, they could not fully investigate some of them for a variety of reasons, according to the statement from the school.

None of the reports investigated involved incidents of misconduct toward today's current students, the statement from the school says.

School officials said administrators were not aware of the abuse two faculty members were accused of and provided them with reference letters.

They reported another faculty member to Windsor Police, school officials said, and another staff member pleaded guilty to a crime related to allegations of inappropriate relations, according to Loomis Chaffee.

As we considered the report and its findings, it is clear that the school should have handled some situations better. We did not report every instance of misconduct; we provided references for a small number of employees who had violated boundaries with students; and when we became aware of past abuse, we did not always follow up with an investigation, Norton and Culbert said in the letter. Finally, our reporting mechanisms and training for students and faculty around these issues were minimal.

They went on to apologize and said they are committed to protecting students from potential future sexual misconduct and have provided training sessions on boundary issues, sexual misconduct and mandatory reporting.
Less than a month after moving in, 26-year-old Chance Jackson lost almost everything he owns in the Harbour Landing condo fire the day after Christmas in New Haven.

It wasnt until I heard the fire trucks and it made it something surreal, Jackson said in an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut. I looked out the window and the lady screamed get out the house now, the roof is on fire.

Jackson, who did not have renters insurance, returned to the condo complex Wednesday for the first time since the day after the fire.

Hurts, he said, looking up at the shattered window to his old bedroom. We worked so hard to get this, and its been taken away from me.

At first, Jackson said he wasnt too concerned by the smell of smoke.

Usually, we do smell like burning fire wood, he explained. Everybodys unit has a fire place in it.

But then he stepped into his bathroom.

My whole bathroom is covered in black smoke and Im like oh my god my whole unit is on fire, Jackson said.

Jackson is one of 21 people displaced by the fire that destroyed 13 units at the condo complex by New Havens City Point. Nobody was seriously hurt.

I got my laptop, my iPad and that was about it, he said. Im just happy to be alive you know.

In the weeks since the fire, an organization Jackson volunteers with has started to help him move forward after the devastating fire.

Here is a guy that was back at work the day after the fire, said Jack Walker, a volunteer with the Pizza People.

Once a month, Walker, Jackson and other volunteers distribute pizza from Modern Apizza and other items to the less fortunate and homeless on the New Haven Green.

We are a group thats all about helping others and we wanted to do something for Chance, Walker said.

After seeing the photos Jackson posted on his destroyed condo on Facebook, Walker launched a fundraising campaign.

This is a guy who lost everything, Walker said. Were about raising as much money as we can to replace some of the things he lost.

As Jackson looks to relocate form his moms couch into a new home, he cant thank the Pizza People enough.

Humbling to be honest, he said. I dont know where Id be without them.

Next Tuesday is the first time this year the Pizza People will hand out toiletries, clothes and of course, pizza, on the New Haven Green.

Jackson plans to be there with them.
The Gilbert Schools unique, decades-long arrangement with Connecticut, appears to be in jeopardy.

Going back to the beginning of last century, the Gilbert School in Winsted has served the role of public school for students and families in Winchester.

Of the 555 students at the school, 480 are local students that have their $13,000 tuition covered by the town.

Why shouldnt our children in Winchester have the same opportunities as other kids have in other towns? asked Cheryl Bartley, whose twelve-year-old son may attend Gilbert in the Fall.

They have a seamless school system. Pre-k through six (grade). They know where theyre going to go to middle school. They know where theyre going to go to high school.

The limbo of the agreement goes back two budget years when Winchester fell on hard budget times. The State of Connecticut assumed control over the school system and appointed a receiver, who has since left that position.

Administrators at Gilbert said they owe it to students and parents to negotiate a new agreement.

We want a long term contract, to be honest about it, said Antony Serio, the Superintendent and Head of School. I want to see the local board reinstated and let us negotiate with the Winchester Board of Education.

Taxpayers cover the entire cost of tuition to the Gilbert School. For the 2016-17 school year, the total amount for tuition came to $6.7 million. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Education directly pointed to tuition as the main issue thats gotten in the way of a long-term contract.

Abbe Smith with the Connecticut Department of Transportation said in a statement, We had sought to negotiate a fair and fiscally responsible short-term contract that would not tie the towns hands with a tuition increase it could not afford. We remain open and willing to negotiating a fair and fiscally responsible contract that serves the needs of Winchester students and the Gilbert School.

For now, the state and Winchester are working off of an expired agreement struck two years ago.

Principal Alan Strauss, Connecticuts reigning Principal of the Year, said he needs continuity to manage the school properly and that starts with a new agreement.

Were in this business to help kids. Thats the bottom line, Strauss said. We cant help kids as much as we could if we knew where we were going pre-k to twelve.
Statement for the Record before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

The Honorable Mike Pompeo

January 12, 2017

Senator Dole, thank you for your kind words. But more importantly, thank you for the great service you have performed for Kansas and for America both in your life as an elected official, as a soldier in WWII and as a patriot who worked so hard to build the memorial to honor those who fought in that war. Every Kansanand I think its safe to say, all of your former colleagues here in the Senateknow that they have benefitted from your wit, your patriotism and your kindness. I know that I have.

Senator Roberts, thank you too for your kind introduction. I am especially grateful for your guidance over the years, not simply because you are the Dean of our Kansas Congressional delegation, but due to your insights as the former Chairman of this committee. As Chairman, you provided critical leadership during a pivotal and challenging period of American history  during the early years of the Global War on Terrorism and the Iraq War  and I hope I can continue to count on your advice and counsel.

Chairman Burr, Vice-Chairman Warner, Senators  I thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as the nominee for the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Should I be fortunate enough to be confirmed by the Senate, I hope to visit you more often from Langley than I have from across the Capitol. I mean this not as a criticism of relations between the two Houses of Congress, but a recognition of how much value I would place on relations between the CIA and its Congressional overseers.

I want to thank the members and staff of this Committee for their attention to my nomination over the last few weeks. Since I first joined the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in the 112th Congress, I have felt a special appreciation for the hard work that goes into Congressional oversight. The tremendous honor we have in overseeing the intelligence community is only tempered by the sobering burden of grappling in secret with the many national security challenges facing our country.

I would like to thank President-elect Trump for nominating me to serve in this role and for the faith he has shown in me. It is an honor to be selected as the next steward of the premier intelligence agency that is the CIA. I look forward to working with Senator Dan Coats, nominee for the Director of National Intelligence, and supporting him in his critical role, if we are both confirmed.

I want to thank my patient and patriotic wife Susan, and my son Nicholas, each whom I love dearly. They are both supporting me here this morning. The two of you have been so selfless in allowing me to return to public service first as a member of Congress and, now, if confirmed, back working with warriors who keep America safe. I cannot tell you how much it means to have you sitting with me today.

I am also grateful to the people of the 4th Congressional District of Kansas, who have entrusted me to represent them in the House of Representatives since 2011. I am proud to have earned and kept their trust, and have cherished every minute of service to my constituents.

That said, having been a Member of the House Intelligence Committee and an overseer of our nations intelligence enterprise, I understand full well that my job, if confirmed, will be to change roles from policymaker to information provider. My job will be to stay clearly on the side of intelligence collection and objective analysis of our national security challengespresenting factual intelligence and sound judgments to policymakers, including this Committee. I have spent the majority of my life outside the realm of politics  as a cavalry officer in the United States Army, then as a litigator, and then running two manufacturing businesses. Returning to duty requiring hard work and unerring candor is something that is in my bones.

***

Today, I would like to first briefly sketch some of the specific challenges facing the U.S.; second, address trends in intelligence I have seen from my post on HPSCI; and finally, describe what I see as the CIAs role in addressing these challenges.

Threat Environment

First, as many have noted, this is the most complicated threat environment the U.S. has faced in recent memory. The litany is now familiar:

As Director Clapper acknowledged at the beginning of 2016: there are now more Sunni violent extremist groups, members, and safe havens than at any time in history.

ISIS remains a resilient movement, has metastasized, and shockingly has controlled major urban centers in the Middle East for well over two years. Whereas a few years ago, we focused on stemming the flow of foreign fighters going to Syria and Iraq, today, the concern is making sure they, and those they inspire, are prevented from expanding their reach, returning home, or slaughtering more innocent people.

Syria is a failed state and has become one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the 21st century. This conflict has led to the rise of extremism, sectarianism, instability in the region and Europe, and the worst refugee crisis the world has faced in recent memory.

Iran  the leading state sponsor of terror  has become an emboldened, disruptive player in the Middle East, fueling tension with our Sunni allies.

Russia has reasserted itself aggressively, invading and occupying Ukraine, threatening Europe, and doing nearly nothing to aid in the destruction of ISIS.

As China flexes its muscles and expands its military and economic reach, its activities in the South and East China Seas and in cyberspace are pushing new boundaries and creating real tension.

North Korea has dangerously accelerated its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, with little regard for international pressure.

In an increasingly inter-connected world, the cyber domain presents new and growing challenges. Using evolving cyber tools, state and non-state actors continue to probe U.S. systems, exploit vulnerabilities, and challenge our interests.

Intelligence Trends

Intelligence is vital to every national security issue facing the United States. As some have said, it is the lifeblood of national security and is more in demand than ever.

Intelligence enables better-informed decisions by reducing uncertainty; it is critical in seeking to avoid strategic or tactical surprise, and to giving our armed forces superior domain awareness.

We rely on intelligence from around the globe to keep danger from our shores. High quality precision intelligence enables our military efforts.

More and more, intelligence is critical to making effective other elements of national power including sanctions against weapons proliferators, cyber criminals, perpetrators of war crimes, and terrorist financiers.

We share capabilities and intelligence to improve relationships in furtherance of our national security objectives. Foreign governments and liaison services are vital partners in preventing attacks and providing crucial intelligence. It is important that we thank our foreign partners for standing with us.

As we face a deteriorating global picture, the U.S. needs to redouble its efforts by ensuring we have more intelligence, not less. Indeed, senior Intelligence Community leaders worry that recent budget cuts will have a silent, corrosive effectweakening the fabric of the intelligence community. If confirmed, as Director, I intend to be an advocate for a strong and vibrant intelligence community and for CIAs centrality in that community.

There are at least five long term trends making the urgency of recognizing and supporting intelligence critically important.

First, the Intelligence Community finds itself a potential victim of a longer term negative budgetary trend. Given the vital role of intelligence in national security, and given the increasing threats we face, this makes little sense.

Second, technological advancement across the globe, even by non-hostile countries, is challenging the U.S. advantage, as commercial technologies spread into the hands of those who wish us harm. The world is gaining on the U.S.

We have long seen this dynamic with the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile technology, but increasingly in the cyber domain, countries thought to be unsophisticated, such as North Korea, have overcome what appear to be low technological barriers of entry to engage in offensive cyber operations. The U.S. must continue to invest wisely to maintain a decisive advantage.

The effects of dislocation, lack of governance, and the rise of non-state actors threaten our national security and present critical challenges to the Intelligence Community. This is creating new targets for CIAs intelligence collection and analysis that compete for attention with the usual state suspects and bad actors.

Finally, the insider threat problem has grown exponentially in the digital age. Counterintelligence is a perennial issue and we must be increasingly aware that those within our agencies have access to millions of files. By the same token, the use of digital assets by foreign actors creates intelligence opportunities.

7

CIAs Role

I want to talk in more detail about todays challenges. The greatest threats to our national security have always been the CIAs top priorities. And the CIA has always been at the forefront of Americas comprehensive efforts to meet these threats. Since September 11, 2001, the CIAs activities have been extraordinary. As the tip of the spear in the war on terrorism, the CIA has put tremendous pressure on our enemies, reducing their freedom to plan, communicate and travel.

The CIA has always played integral roles in Americas fight against radical Islamic terror. It sounded warning bells before 9/11 of al Qaedas growing global reach. CIA officers were the first into Afghanistan to lay the groundwork for the military effort that struck a major blow to al Qaeda and drove the Taliban from power. From understanding and tearing apart al Qaeda in Iraq networks, to the hunt for bin Laden, the CIA has been at the forefront of the fight every step of the way.

My outline above of hard targets and challenges merely skims the surface of the potential threats facing the United States. If confirmed, it will be the CIAs mission to bring other pressing problems, risks, and challenges from regions and countries that dont always make the front page to the attention of senior policymakers. Indeed, if we are doing our job, we will help U.S. policymakers act early to prevent such problems from becoming front page news.

It will also be the CIAs mission, and my own, to ensure the Agency remains the best in the world at its core mission: discovering the truth and searching out information.

In this complex threat environment, we must gather intelligence from the most elusive targets and in the most difficult environments. We will need to rely on liaison services and new relationships, which are critical to gathering information around the world. Even so, U.S. intelligence must continue to expand its global coverage to keep up with these threats. While intelligence sharing relationships with our friends and allies are important, they cannot replace our own unilateral recruiting and operations. To protect America, the CIA must continue to be the worlds premier espionage service.

One obvious emerging area for increased focus  both unilaterally and in conjunction with our partners  is the cyber domain. The internet  and the connectivity of our world, systems, and devices  is a borderless, global environment, easily and frequently exploited by sophisticated adversaries like China and Russia, as well as by less sophisticated adversaries like Iran and North Korea, non-state actors, terrorist groups, criminal organizations, and hackers. While NSA and Cyber Command play leading roles, cyber has become critical to virtually every intelligence operation and CIA must continue to operate at the forefront on this issue.

As the President-elect has made clear, one of my top priorities, if confirmed, is to assist in defeating ISIS. Radical Islamic terrorism is both a symptom and a catalyst of the terrible conflicts raging in the Middle East that have created both a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe. The enduring capability of al Qaeda and its affiliates, the rise and resilience of ISIS and Islamic extremists in Libya and across the Middle East, and the brutality of al Shabaab and Boko Haram, should remind us of the need to maintain an aggressive counterterrorism posture. It is also critical to address what manifestations of this threat and ideology emerge  beyond ISIS and al Qaeda.

We must also be rigorously fair and objective in assessing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. As the deal permits domestic enrichment and other nuclear research and development, U.S. policymakers will need increased intelligence collection and insightful analysis. While as a Member of Congress I opposed the Iran deal, if confirmed, my role will change. It will be to drive the Agency to aggressively pursue collection operations and ensure analysts have the time, political space, and resources to make objective and methodologically sound judgments. If confirmed, I will present their judgments to policymakers.

The same goes for Russia. It is a policy decision as to what to do with Russia, but I understand it will be essential that the Agency provide policymakers with accurate intelligence and clear-eyed analysis of Russian activities.

The Agency must also serve as the nations sentinel for new and emerging threats and trends, monitoring the convergence of rogue actors and capabilities, and sources of instability that can spread across the globe and undermine U.S. national security. This means that the Agency needs the means, capabilities, reach, and awareness to understand and convey where threats are emerging and how U.S. interests may be vulnerable. This requires constant innovation, analytic rigor, and operational flexibility  hallmarks of the CIA.

As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I fully appreciate the need for transparency with the Congressional oversight committees. If the Intelligence Community does not secure the support of the appropriate Congressional authorities for its activities, the legislative backlash from controversial intelligence failures and controversies can be severe and counterproductive.

We owe it to our constituents to get to the bottom of intelligence failures  as this Committee did with the pre-war Iraq intelligence. But we owe it to the brave Americans of the intelligence community not to shirk our responsibility when unauthorized disclosures to the media expose controversial intelligence activities, or when Edward Snowden, from the comfort of his Moscow safe house, misleads the American people about the NSAs surveillance activities.

I cannot stress strongly enough how proud of the CIAs workforce Americans would be if they could peek behind the curtains, as the Committee gets to do, to see them in action. The incredible talent, bravery, and ingenuity these patriots put on the line every day in defense of our country are constant inspirations to me.

On my first visit out to the CIA headquarters a few years ago, I was walking through an analytical targeting cell. I saw a woman who appeared as though she had not slept for weeks, poring over a data set on her screen. I stopped, introduced myself and asked her what she was working on. She said she thought she was just hours away from solving a riddle about the location of a particularly bad character that she had been pursuing for months. She was not about to abandon her post. She had her mission and its completion would make America safer. A true patriot. In the past years, I have come to know that there are countless men and women just like her working to crush our adversaries with world class intelligence operations.

As these quiet professionals grapple with an overwhelming series of challenges in this increasingly uncertain world, they deserve our support and our respect. When we ask them to do difficult things, they should not have to wonder whether we will stand beside them if things go sideways. We should have their backs. Full stop.

When there are intelligence failures, operations that go off the rails, or controversial disclosures, if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed, I pledge to come to the Committee in a timely fashion  and be as forthcoming as possible. But I believe that leaders of the Intelligence Community and Congress owe it to the young men and women who risk their lives for us to do our utmost to keep mistakes from being politicized.

This past weekend, I visited Arlington National Cemetery. Ive done this many times, but on this visit, I paid special attention to the markers that commemorate CIA officers who have perished ensuring our freedom and working to meet Americas intelligence demands. From Afghanistan to Korea and from Lebanon to Africa, and in so many places most Americans will never know, Agency officers put their lives at risk. Too often, because of the nature of their work, we know little about these men and women and what they do. What we do know, is that they were prepared to give so much for each of us. We know the sacrifices of the families of each CIA officer as well. As I walked among these heroes, I was reminded of the sacred trust that will be granted to me if I am confirmed. I will never fail it.

I am honored to have been nominated to lead the finest intelligence agency the world has ever knownworking to keep safe the people of the greatest nation in the history of civilization. If confirmed, I will be sworn to defend the United States Constitution for the third time in my life  first as a soldier, then as a member of the House of Representatives, and, now, to work for the President and with each of you.

I look forward to your questions today.
An Amber Alert has been issued for three young children who may be in the Houston area, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Three young children: two-year-old Jason Frausto, three-year-old Aaliyah Frausto and and five-year-old Isac Frausto may be with Doris Camerena, DPS officials said.

Jason is described as Hispanic. He weighs 30 lbs and is two feet tall.

Aaliyah is described as Hispanic. She weighs 30 lbs and is two feet, six inches tall.

Isac is described as Hispanic. He weighs 45 lbs and is three feet tall.

The three young children may be in grave or immediate danger, DPS said.

Texas DPS

Police said Camerena, who is described as a 24-year-old Hispanic woman, may be driving a gold 2011 Chevrolet Cruz with Texas license plate "FGJ6333."

Police say camerena was last heard from in Houston.

DPS asks anyone with information to call 832-627-1138.
Rescue groups in North Texas and authorities in Sevier County, Arkansas, are trying to find out why a couple left dozens of dogs and cats to die at a home in southwest Arkansas.

In early December, authorities found the animals at a home in the 100 block of Bradley Chapel Road in Horatio, Arkansas. Many of them were severely malnourished, and at least eight of them had been shot and killed.

Authorities have charged Brian Moore with eight counts of animal cruelty after they said he confessed to shooting the dogs. His alleged accomplice, Whitney Smither, fled to Indiana. The couple worked for the Ark-La-Tex Animals Rescue Group in Texarkana.

Officials at the rescue said the pair had permission to pull animals for rescue from shelters, but the rescue now realizes Moore and Whitney were taking more animals than they were authorized to for an extended period of time.

"My mistake was trusting Whitney," said Whitney Harrison, a member of the rescue group. "We didn't know she was pulling so many aniimals."

The City of Fort Worth worked with the rescue group from January to November before they severed ties. During that time, Ark-La-Tex pulled more than 161 animals from the shelter, but the city does not know how many animals the couple got their hands on.

"When you meet these dogs for the first time you make promises. You promise them that there will be an end to their pain," said Kristi Cameron, whose been rescuing and fostering dogs for 15 years.

Cameron cannot help but feel guilty about the dog she left with Moore and Smither in September. She said the young couple seemed nice, but they seemed new to animal rescue.

"I kind of gave them some advice," Camerson said. "Keep plenty of money in the bank account, don't take too many animals."

"As time went on, I kept seeing them pull more and more dogs," she said. "That's a red flag."

Ark-La-Tex rescue is gathering information to give to authorities in hopes that it leads to charges against Smither.

Fifteen animals recovered at the home were returned to North Texas. They're receiving support from Dallas DogRRR, and some of them have already been adopted.

If Brian Moore is convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.
The City of Dallas saw two varieties of its bonds downgraded Wednesday because of ongoing Dallas Police and Fire Pension funding problems, according to a city news release.

The S&P Global Ratings agency downgraded the city's general obligation bonds from AA to AA-, with a negative outlook. The agency also downgraded the Dallas Convention Hotel Development Corporations bonds from A to A-, with a negative outlook, the city said.

The city's Downtown Dallas Development Authority bonds saw it's A rating unchanged.

According to the news release, S&P said "the continued deterioration in the funded status of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension negatively affects the City's creditworthiness."

More than $500 million has been withdrawn from the fund since August.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings used his own money to sue the pension fund to stop the withdrawals, which he says pose a major threat to city finances.

The pension's board is now allowing some small withdrawals from the fund.

The Police & Fire Pension problems are blamed on a combination of risky investments over the past 10 years that returned far less than expected, coupled with benefits that were more generous than the fund could afford.

Experts have warned that the pension could be insolvent in as little as 15 years.

Despite the bond downgrades, Elizabeth Reich, the city's chief financial officer, said Dallas is thriving.

Dallas is a thriving City, our economy is strong, and our residents want safe neighborhoods and effective City services," Reich said.

Reich also added the downgraded didn't come as a surprise and that the city agrees the pension issues are a threat to the city's financial health.

"We need a legislative fix, and look forward to working with the State Legislature to provide a secure, stable retirement for our public safety workforce, and to reaffirm the Citys sovereign immunity," Reich said.

"We will continue to work to reach agreement with the Pension system," she said.

NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff and Ashleigh Barry contributed to this report.
The meeting at Jill Stone Elementary school to discuss the possibility of using eminent domain to aquire property for a new school was over before it really started.

"On behalf of the district, I don't think we did a good job," said Scott Layne, director of operations at Dallas Independent School District, at the Wednesday night meeting. "I offer an apology."

Layne and School Board President Dan Micciche told the crowd of residents and business owners that a proposal to build a new school where small businesses sit down will be tabled. The proposed new school was supposed to alleviate overcrowding at Jill Stone and Hotchkiss Elementary Schools.

It was supposed to be part of a bond package passed by voters in 2015 to relocate or rebuild some of Dallas ISD's schools.

"These guys are going to go back to the drawing board and do it right," Micciche said. "It's not going to happen, and if it happens, it will be one of those things that will bascially be over my dead body."

Some business owners in Northeast Dallas near Abrams Road and Skillman Street received letters from DISD expressing a desire to purchase their properties or use eminent domain to aquire them, if necessary. District officials said the letters should not have contained that language, since eminent domain is a last choice.

"It's you that needs to clean up the process and communicate better with our homeowners," one woman told Layne.

Layne told the crowd he met with realtors on Wednesday and asked them to come up with alternative sites for a new school.

"When they said eminent domain, you immediately think you can't fight this, you don't have a chance," said Jim Reynolds, whose wife owns a business that was threatened with eminent domain.

Reynolds said they did fight.

"Yeah, we did. In numbers," he said.

The meeting ended an hour after it started, with a new direction.

"The community has given input and does not want the school at that location," said Micciche. "We've got to do it the right way and we're going to get it right."
Students were released from Fellowship Academy in Kennedale after an approximately two-hour lockdown that was prompted by a nearby police search. [[410442495,R]]

Arlington police pulled over four people in a reported stolen car around 3 p.m. Three people were immediately taken into custody, but a fourth person ran from police, according to an Arlington police spokesperson.

As of 5:30 p.m., students were being released to their parents, even though police are still searching for the person who fled.

Police believe the person may be armed after they found an empty handgun magazine in the car.

Since the school is near the area where the person fled, police had advised them to go into lock down.
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price asked a federal judge on Wednesday to postpone his corruption trial, adding another legal twist and potential delay to the years-long case.

Prices trial was finally set to start next month after numerous delays.

His attorneys argue it should be postponed again after one of Prices co-defendants, his former political consultant Kathy Nealy, was granted a separate trial and is now unable to testify in his case.

Prosecutors accuse Price of accepting about $1 million in bribes that were paid by county contractors and then funneled through Nealy.

Last week, Judge Barbara Lynn separated Nealys case because of questions about immunity she received when she cooperated with the FBI and testified for prosecutors in another corruption case involving former Dallas city leaders.

Prosecutors said in court that Nealy was granted immunity in that case, but they never put the agreement in writing, explaining whether it was broad immunity covering any potential crimes she had committed, or something more narrow, the judge said in her order.

With Nealys case split, a third co-defendant, Prices assistant Dapheny Fain, also is set to go on trial with Price.

Her attorneys also asked for a delay in the trial.

As even the most cursory examination of the indictment reveals, Ms. Nealy is central, indeed essential, to the accusations against defendants Price and Fain, their attorneys said. It is, after all, she who deals with the businesses for whom she consults on the one hand and the elected official on the other. Without the assertions about Ms. Neely, no crimes are alleged.

Prices and Fains attorneys said its unlikely Neelys lawyers would allow her to testify since her case will not have been resolved by then.

Prosecutors did not immediately file a response but opposed separating Nealys case.
Dallas police retirees have formed their own association to fight for promised benefits as the citys public safety pension crisis flares up.

The parking lot and side streets were jammed with cars for a special meeting of the new association Wednesday.

Former Dallas Police Sergeant Pete Bailey said Dallas voters have supported public safety benefits in the past and he believes they would support a tax increase now to avoid asking retirees to repay benefits already received.

So anybody right now today that would stand up and support in any measure, a claw back, from the mayor, regarding the pension benefits for public safety personnel, is going directly against the will of the taxpayers and the voters of this city, Bailey said.

The city faces an estimated $7 billion liability between the pension fund and a pending police and fire back pay lawsuit.

The Pension Fund investments failed to produce the returns necessary for generous interest promised in Deferred Retirement Option Plan accounts.

City Council Member Philip Kingston, also a current member of the pension board, said retirees must share in the possible solutions.

There are components of their benefits that will be cut under any formulation of a settlement, and its just brutal. Its a horrible thing to do to somebody, Kingston said. We dont have any choices. The things were debating now come down to the difference between having a pension system and not having a pension system. And I cant overstate the critical nature of the problem at this point.

State lawmakers created the Dallas Police and Firefighters Pension Fund and they have told city leaders to bring a solution settlement to the current session of the Texas Legislature. Mayor Mike Rawlings said he was in Austin this week talking with lawmakers.

And weve got a good plan, a plan that can right this ship in the coming years, and take care of benefits for our younger officers, and take care of benefits for our older officers, as well, Rawlings said.

In that plan, city leaders have offered to add $1 billion to the troubled pension fund, but through installments over 30 years. The city plan includes a list of benefit reductions and increased contributions from current employees and retirees.

I dont know if were going to get everybody in, but were doing everything we can to make sure we can find common ground on this. Now, were not there yet, Rawlings said.

Bailey said the retiree group endorsed a 10 point education plan on the pension crisis, which it will share with taxpayers and officials.

The money is available, Bailey said. There are alternative sources of funding available to the city that they are not willing to recognize.

Rawlings said one plan from a state lawmaker to add an additional $1 billion from the city would reduce other city services by 57 percent, which Rawlings said he is unwilling to do.

Kingston said all groups must be more willing to reach a deal.

So, people sticking to their guns and negotiating a tough way? Fine. Do all you need to do until you finally realize, the reality is, weve got to come to some sort of compromise in order to save the system. Because otherwise, its gone, Kingston said.

The Pension Board meets again Thursday morning.
An emergency call a 911 dispatcher in Texas recently answered turned out to be from the dispatcher's daughter who was reporting that their house was burning.

Layla Wray was working an overnight shift in Madison County, north of Houston, when her 14-year-old daughter called to say the fire began on a back porch.

Wray maintained her composure during the call early Saturday and told the teen to remain calm and that firefighters were en route.

Wray's daughter, son and husband were not hurt but the home was destroyed.

Her only moment of agitation came when her children starting bickering and she told them to stop.

Sheriff Travis Neeley told KTRK-TV in Houston that Wray did a "fantastic job" in calming her daughter while dispatching firefighters as her own home burned.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday and told him the intelligence community did not leak information about an unverified memo that sparked a firestorm of controversy when it was published online, NBC News reported.

"I emphasized that this document is not a U.S. Intelligence Community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the IC," Clapper said, referring to the intelligence community. "The IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions."

The 35-page privately-prepared memorandum published by BuzzFeed on Tuesday includes claims that the Russian government has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for five years, among other allegations. (BuzzFeed is partly funded by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

"I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security," Clapper said.
In yet another aftershock from the chaotic presidential campaign, the Justice Department inspector general opened an investigation Thursday into department and FBI actions before the election, including whether FBI Director James Comey followed established policies in the email investigation of Hillary Clinton.

Democrats have blamed Comey's handling of the inquiry into Clinton's use of a private email server, and his late-October public letter about the case, as one reason for her loss to Republican Donald Trump.

Workers are now putting final touches on preparations for next week's Inauguration Day festivities, and the new probe will not change the election results. But it revives questions of whether the FBI took actions that might have influenced the outcome.

IG Michael Horowitz, the department's internal watchdog, will direct the investigation, which comes in response to requests from members of Congress and the public.

Comey said he was pleased about the review and the FBI would cooperate fully with the inspector general.

"I hope very much he is able to share his conclusions and observations with the public because everyone will benefit from thoughtful evaluation and transparency regarding this matter," he said in a statement.

One part of the review will concern Comey's news conference last July in which he said the FBI would not recommend charges against Clinton for her use of a private email system during her tenure as secretary of state. Trump repeatedly criticized that practice, contending it put national security secrets at risk.

Trump also declared at raucous rallies during the campaign that he would seek a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton and that she would be in jail if he were elected. But he said after the election that he did not intend to seek a new investigation of her.

Comey, during his announcement in the summer, broke protocol when he chastised Clinton and her aides as "extremely careless" in their email practices. It's highly unusual for federal law enforcement officials to discuss a criminal case that ends without charges being filed.

Comey reignited the email controversy on Oct. 28 when he informed Congress that agents would be reviewing a cache of emails between Clinton aide Huma Abedin and Clinton for any new evidence related to Clinton's handling of sensitive State Department material.

That move boiled in the campaign for nine days, before Comey announced on Nov. 6  two days before Election Day  that the inquiry had found no new evidence of wrongdoing.

Clinton and her aides have said the disclosure of the "new" emails, found on a laptop belonging to former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, Abedin's estranged husband, hurt the candidate in several battleground states. Trump won the election in part with narrow victories in Democratic-leaning states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Comey's statements prompted outrage from Clinton and other Democrats who said they needlessly placed her under fresh suspicion when the FBI didn't even know whether the emails were relevant.

Court documents released last month said the FBI had been trying to get a look at thousands of Clinton's emails on the disgraced former congressman's computer to see if anyone had hacked in to steal classified information. Weiner's laptop was initially seized by agents for an investigation into his online relationship with a teenage girl in North Carolina.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who leads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote Thursday on Twitter that he supports the IG's review "of what happened at the (hashtag)DOJ and (hashtag)FBI during the Clinton investigation."

Horowitz's broad investigation will also look into allegations that the FBI's deputy director should have been recused from participating in certain investigative matters and allegations that department officials improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign.

It will also delve into decision-making related to the timing of the FBI's release of Freedom of Information Act documents in the days before the election and the use of a Twitter account to publicize them.

Asked about the new investigation, Attorney General Loretta Lynch told The Associated Press in Baltimore that "we let them conduct their review before we make any statement about that." She added that "obviously everyone's going to await the results of that."
Berkeley police say a suspect who fled to Southern California is in custody in the case of two stabbings, one of which was deadly and whose victim, a young woman, became the first homicide of the year.

Sgt. Andrew Frankel said Wednesday that 24-year-old North Hollywood resident Pablo Gomez Jr. was arrested by Burbank police on Saturday and is being held at a Los Angeles County jail.

Frankel said Gomez will be interviewed and brought back to Northern California to face homicide and aggravated assault charges in Alameda County. Police say they have no motive yet in the case and would not say if the suspect knew the victims.

Gomez is suspected of stabbing two young women on Friday. One woman was found at a home in on the north side of the Berkeley campus. She was taken to the hospital with serious stab wounds but is expected to recover.

The investigation led officers to another address on Ashby Avenue where they found a violent scene and eventually discovered the body of a second victim.

The victim, Emilie Inman, a 27-year-old teacher at Sienna Ranch in Lafayette, had been missing since Friday. Berkeley police identified her on Wednesday.

Chris Lauf, the nature centers director, wrote in a statement on the center's website that he had received many messages from families of current and former students who remembered her as a passionate and creative teacher who challenged her students and coworkers to be their best selves, to live life bravely and beautifully.

Gomez was a UC Berkeley student and a Chicano/a Studies major.

Gomez was involved with the Alliance for Climate Education from 2012 to 2015, said ACE Executive Director Matt Lappe. He added that Gomez's suspected connection to the stabbings is a total shock.
A missing deaf couple from Southern California accompanied by a snowshoer were found alive Wednesday, huddled in a bathroom for warmth after recent snowstorms stranded them in an Oregon national park.

Stacy Valle and Jason Hoang, both 27, were found alive after their families feared theyd never see them again, family confirmed to NBC4.

Family notified park officials that the couple along with a back-country snowshoer were due back Monday, according to the National Park Service.

Major snowstorms and the risk of avalanches forced the three to bunker down in a heated bathroom in Crater Lake National Park until help could arrive.

Park rangers finally rescued the travelers, who werent hurt, after snow stopped them from reaching the trio in Rim Village.

Snowstorms in the park along with downed trees began with a bout of severe weather Jan. 7, forcing the closure of all roads.

NBC4 spoke with the couples family Wednesday evening, who were waiting for the safe return of their loved ones to the Los Angeles area.

"I'm happy but until they come here physically I'll be even happier," said Lilo, Valle's friend. "Over the moon!"
What's the best way to pass your time while standing in a ride line at Disneyland Resort?

You can A) decide which Disney characters best represent each of your friends or B) discuss all of the hilarious anecdotes from the last time you enjoyed the ride or C) play Imagineer and decide all of the park icons you'd make FASTPASS attractions.

And if you've ever participated in C), chances are solid, as solid as a certain stone that holds a certain sword, that you've named the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Toy Story Mania as potential FASTPASS-ready attractions.

Get excited, imaginary Imagineers, for it turns out Cinderella was right: "A dream is a wish that your heart makes," or, in other words, your hope will come to (fast)pass: Disneyland Resort announced on Wednesday, Jan. 11 that the respective Disneyland and Disney California Adventure rides will soon join the popular FASTPASS program.

The FASTPASS program, in short? It allows theme park guests to secure a pass, for a specific time period later the same day, to return to a busy ride and join the shorter FASTPASS queue.

Current FASTPASS attractions at the pair of parks include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Soarin'.

The news of both the Matterhorn and Toy Story joining the FASTPASS family, which kicked off at the park (as well as at the Magic Kingdom) in 1999, isn't the only fresh word from the Anaheim destination: A new "Disney MaxPass" will launch "(l)ater this year," and will include "unlimited downloads of (guests') high-resolution PhotoPass images" as well as the chance to handle FASTPASS times via "mobile booking."

The Disney MaxPass will be available through the Disneyland App. Price? You'll spend a tenner a day for all of your photo-downloading, FASTPASS-arranging needs.

The park points out that the bustling FASTPASS kiosks, the line-up of six or seven automated pass-giving stands seen in front of the FASTPASS rides, will stay put (and will remain free to use, with no additional charge). There will now be 16 FASTPASS attractions found throughout the resort, says Disneyland.

It's a big announcement for Matterhorn mavens and those who dig the rack-up-the-points thrills of Toy Story, but it isn't the world's best-known theme park's only reveal for the week. Dates for the upcoming Food & Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure were announced, as well as a Southern California resident park-hopper deal.
A former U.S. Border Patrol agent who gunned down a man during an off-duty noise-related confrontation near his Hemet home was convicted today of second-degree murder.

John Richard Demery, 42, shot 27-year-old Adam Thomas of Moreno Valley in the predawn hours of Nov. 8, 2014.

Following six days of deliberations, a Murrieta jury found Demery guilty of the murder count, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Monterosso scheduled sentencing for March 3 at the Southwest Justice Center.

Demery, who's being held at the Southwest Detention Center, is facing 40 years to life in state prison.

According to the District Attorney's Office, Demery had been disturbed on several occasions by a vehicle, its tires screeching, speeding through his neighborhood in the area of Cornell Street and Toledo Drive.

The ex-patrolman was first bothered by the noise on the evening of Nov. 7, 2014, and called Hemet police, who told him they would handle it, prosecutors said.

About 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 8, the defendant heard the sound again and decided to investigate, taking his flashlight, camera phone and personal handgun, later telling investigators that he anticipated trouble.

Demery wanted to take a picture of the license plate of the car causing the disturbance, prosecutors said. Instead, he ended up in a heated verbal altercation with Thomas, who had parked his car on Cornell.

During the argument, Demery pulled his pistol and shot Thomas five times, investigators said. According to prosecutors, Thomas was unarmed but had taken a fighting stance -- though he never swung or tried to get physical with the defendant.

The victim died at a hospital a short time later, and Demery was taken into custody without incident.

He was placed on unpaid leave in the months immediately following the shooting but was discharged in 2015. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he was an agent for six years, working much of that time at the Border Patrol's Murrieta station.
Part of a major route between the San Fernando Valley and West Hollywood remained closed Thursday due to the collapse of concrete foundation for a hillside house above the road.

Laurel Canyon Boulevard was closed between Gould Avenue and Kirkwood Drive as building safety inspectors assessed the risk of further collapse sending more debris down the slope, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

The couple renting the house on Gould Avenue said they became aware Tuesday of a crack in the concrete foundation beneath the back deck, said Brett and Adria Copeland. As a precaution, the couple left to stay at a hotel.

Emergency responders Wednesday found a slab of concrete weighing an estimated 9 tons hanging precariously at the top of the slope, prompting authorities to shut down traffic below. At 2:30 p.m., the slab with sewer pipes suddenly slid down to the edge of the roadway, fracturing into pieces, some of which landed in the southbound traffic lane.

It appeared that the concrete slab had been undermined by water that saturated the hillside, said Glenn Miyagishima, Chief of LA City Fire Battalion 5.

Authorities indicated both directions of travel on Laurel Canyon Boulevard at this point would likely remain closed at least until engineers make an assessment, and that would not occur until after forecast storms pass through the area.

Brett Copeland, a musician with the band "Fire," said he was looking forward to a quiet night home after playing a gig Monday, but with rain in the forecast, did not feel comfortably staying another night.

"Something told me 'Hey, don't take a chance,'" said Copeland, as his wife nodded in agreement.

Inspectors red-tagged the house where they were staying -- meaning no entry -- and on the adjacent homes, hung yellow precaution tags.

The woodsy canyon, a famed counter-culture haven in the 1960s, has steep hillsides that have been succeptible to slides that can send dirt, rocks and debris onto the road. In 1978, mud, rocks and debris washed down the hillsides, damaging at least one home and collecting cars that were carried down the canyon.

Wednesday's hillside problems followed a wet start to the year in Southern California, raising the threat of landslides and flooding. December marked downtown Los Angeles' wettest month in six years.

More rain is expected late Wednesday through Thursday morning in Los Angeles County.

NBC4's Patrick Healy contributed to this report.
A flash flooding warning was issued for mountain burn areas northeast of Los Angeles as another round of wet weather arrived in California.

Flash flood warnings were issued early Thursday afternoon for the Fish and Reservoir burn areas in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles. The warning, indicating that mud and debris flows are possible, was in effect until about 4 p.m.

Showers arrived overnight and soaked the region through Thursday morning. This one last impulse from the "atmospheric river" that has flooded northern and central parts of California will bring significantly less rainfall to the region  San Bernardino should expect the highest amount at 0.82 inches. An estimated 0.57 inches should drench Los Angeles, 0.57 inches in Valencia, 0.23 in Malibu and 0.54 inches in Temecula, according to NBC4 Forecaster Fritz Coleman.

Previous rainfall has left the ground and infrastructure saturated, so there is still a threat of street flooding during the Thursday morning commute. Thursday's rainfall could also trigger mud and debris flows in recent burn areas across Los Angeles County.

Part of Laurel Canyon Boulevard was shut down Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday after a home's concrete foundation fell down a hillside in the Hollywood Hills. The home was red-tagged and there was significant traffic backup on the well-traveled road that links the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood.

GOLD LINE UPDATE: Crews on scene to remove debris from right of way. pic.twitter.com/rMXvirUI2f  Metro (@metrolosangeles) January 12, 2017

A large tree fell onto a train on the southbound tracks of the Metro Gold Line between the Fillmore and South Pasadena stations in Pasadena Thursday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Policing Division. Northbound tracks could still be used, so Metro Gold Line service continued by alternating trains using the northbound track. A bus service was also implemented to speed up delays caused by the incident.

The much colder storm is expected to bring snow to the Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara mountains. The much colder storm will bring snow levels four to eight inches above 5,500 feet Thursday morning. On Thursday night, the snow level will drop one to two inches about 3,500 feet. Snowfall near the Grapevine near Interstate 5 could cause delays or closures and motorists should prepare for winter driving conditions.

Rim of the World Unified School District, which includes five schools located near Lake Arrowhead, cancelled classes Thursday due to the snow.

Beachside communities were also preparing for another day of potential flooding from the king tides, which is a predictable high tide event that occurs when there is an alignment of the gravitational pull between the sun and the moon. Tides are expected to peak up to 7 feet high.

Thursday's highs will be near 50 to the low 60s in the desert, the coast, downtown Los Angeles and the valleys. The mountains will have temperatures up to the 30s.

The weekend in Southern California will be partly cloudy and dry with normal temperatures.

The series of storms, produced by a converyor belt of moisture called an atmospheric river, caused flooding and led to evacuations in some parts of California.

State officials opened a Sacramento dam for the first time in more than a decade and thousands of people remain under evacuation orders in Sonoma County as stormy weather continues to lash Northern California and Nevada. Engineers opened several of the Sacramento Weir's gates early Tuesday.

A series of storms already has added 33 billion gallons of water to Lake Tahoe since Jan. 1.
One day after her husband delivered his farewell address in Chicago, Michelle Obama bid her own farewell, taking the talk show stage one last time as the sitting first lady. During her appearance on the Tonight Show Wednesday, she shared how emotional it has been to say goodbye after eight years in office.

The Obamas have become world-class figures during their time in the White House, but the first lady made sure not to forget her roots while talking with host Jimmy Fallon. She took time to show appreciation for her mother, Marian Robinson, who lived with the family in their Washington, D.C., home. She thanked her mom for helping raise Sasha and Malia, now 15 and 18.

Obama also shared stories behind some of the most iconic White House photos.

In one picture taken inside a freight elevator at an Inaugural ball in 2009, Barack Obama shares a private moment with his wife, who is wearing his tuxedo jacket over her gown. Several Secret Service agents stand nearby, looking anywhere but at the first couple.

We still travel with all these people, the first lady said of the agents and staffers in the photo. Its like a romantic moment  and the fellas.

Fallon and Obama then reflected on another special photo, one taken from behind the president standing next to the Easter bunny. The most iconic ear profile shot in the land, Obama quipped.

Barack Obama shaped a legacy during his two terms as president  and the same can be said for Michelle Obama as first lady. With her passion for education and combating childhood obesity, she launched the Reach Higher and Lets Move campaigns, two initiatives she said she will absolutely carry on.

I will continue to stay involved in these issues for as long as I live, she said. I didnt take these on because I was the first lady. I took these on because they meant something to me.

However, she's going to first take a much-needed vacation and see how long it takes before I get bored.

Fallon and Obama also took some time to pen a few thank you notes. Obama thanked her husband "for proving you're not a lame-duck, but my very own silver fox."

Fallon thanked the first lady for brining a whole new meaning to the right to bear arms,' as a photo of Obama showing off her toned biceps in a pink sleeveless dress appeared on screen.

Without missing a beat, Obama replied: You are welcome.

But it was about more than just outward appearance, as Fallon continued to thank Obama for always promoting physical fitness.

"And, hey, since you like exercising so much, how about running for president," Fallon said, ending the segment to vibrant cheers and applause.

A first-lady worthy send-off wouldn't be complete without a few other special guests. Comedians Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld, who donned a crisp bow tie, joined the duo for a game of Catchphrase.

"For you this is just a little talk show game, not to me," Seinfeld said of his suit.

And finally, musical guest Stevie Wonder capped off the show by serenading Obama with a special medley of "Isn't She Lovely" and "My Cherie Amour.
Police are investigating after a body was pulled from a canal on the border between Miami-Dade and Broward County early Thursday morning.

Officers responded shortly after 4 a.m. after reports of a person being seen trying to open car doors in the area near Northwest 202nd Street and 67th Avenue, an area that has had recent burglaries reported.

Police from Miramar spotted a person running from the scene and jumping into a canal.

That person never surfaced and their body was eventually recovered. Police have not released any additional information on the victim or their investigation into the original call, saying it's not yet known if the victim had any involvement in criminal activities.

The death investigation is being handled by Miami-Dade Police.
A 27-year-old Sunrise man is behind bars after police alleged beat his girlfriend early Sunday morning  including waterboarding her while she was unconscious.

Freddy Elias is being held on four counts, including attempted murder, false imprisonment and several battery charges. He is being held on no bond based on the attempted murder charge.

According to the redacted arrest affidavit in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Elias arrived at the Hollywood home of his girlfriend around 3 a.m. and began arguing with her about another man being in the home.

Elias then allegedly broke her cell phone before grabbing her by the neck and shoving the victim to the ground and putting a sock in her mouth. The victim choked until she lost consciousness.

After that, police say Elias dragged the victim into the shower and held a towel over her face and filled a pot of water four times and poured it over her face while threatening to kill her. The victim eventually got away and went outside, where a neighbor helped her call police.
A judge dropped charges Wednesday against a Miam-Dade Fire captain who was arrested for pointing a gun at a police officer.

Nicholas Marian, 55, was granted Stand Your Ground immunity in a bizarre encounter with a Miami Shores police officer. Fellow firefighters who had been rallying behind Marian were at the courthouse celebrating the ruling.

The fire captain was arrested in March of 2016 for drawing his shot gun at an officer who knocked on his front door. Police responded to Marian's home after getting a complaint about an erratic driver in the neighborhood.

Marian's pick-up truck matched the description of the vehicle involved. When the officer knocked on his door, Marian opened it while holding a shotgun.

The firefighter argues that he always answers his door with the gun in hand as a means of protection because he lives in a rough part of town.

Prosecutors asked the judge to deny the request for immunity, claiming among other things that Marian pointed the shotgun for more than a second and knew they were police officers.

Marian was elated to have the case dismissed. "It's 1,000 lbs just lifted off my shoulders," he said.

Shortly after his arrest, Marian was relieved of duty with pay pending the outcome of the case. It's unclear if he will be reinstated.
Broward County released Wednesday the identity of the fifth person who was gunned down in last week's airport attack.

Relatives of four of the victims had identified their slain loved ones days after the deadly rampage. Wednesday, 69-year-old Mary Louise Amzibel of Ohio was identified by Broward officials along with Michael John Oehme, 57, Terry Michael Andres, 62, Shiley Wells Timmons, 70 and Olga M. Woltering, 84.

None of the victims were South Florida residents.

On Friday, accused lone gunman Esteban Santiago opened fire in the baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. Five people were killed and six others were wounded in the shooting.

Broward Health Medical Center said Wednesday that three patients, two of whom were gunshot victims remain hospitalized. One was in good condition, one in serious condition and the other in critical condition. Their identities have not been released.

Santiago appeared in federal court Monday and is being held without bond. His next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17.
It was supposed to be the best day of their lives - but a Florida couple's wedding day ends up with cops crashing the party.

Jennifer Jones says everyone was enjoying her wedding in Punta Gorda until the maid of honor had a little too much to drink.

Jones says right after the ceremony, her friend Amanda Willis got drunk and started asking people for their car keys.

"She was a mess. I mean, she drank almost a whole entire bottle of fireball, said one of the guest, Robert Templeton.

"She was drunk within 20 minutes to a half an hour," Jones told NBC affiliate WBBH-TV.

At one point she stole the best man's car keys, hoped in his car and almost ran him over. Guests had to wrestle the woman out of the car.

"She went back insidegrabbed up the big bottle of Captain Morgan and just guzzled it, said Jones.

Deputies say Willis claimed to be having an asthma attack and started shaking like she was having a seizure. They took her to an area hospital, where they say she exposed herself to deputies, assaulted two EMTs and kicked over her bed pan.

This is the ninth time Willis has been arrested in Florida. She remains in a Charlotte County jail.
An Arizona man who served in Iraq with the suspect in the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting and happened to be in the airport when the gunfire erupted said he and his friends had given the alleged gunman the nickname "Zombie," according to a new report.

Luis Ortiz-Sanchez said he and his wife were on their way home from vacation last week and were in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on their way back to Phoenix when Esteban Santiago allegedly opened fire in a baggage claim area, 12 News reported.

Ortiz-Sanchez and his wife Alejandra were waiting to go through security when the shooting began.

"Like a second, 'Bang, bang,' then everybody looked back, we see the TSA and we start running," he told 12 News. "We heard...we heard the shot."

Ortiz-Sanchez said his military training helped him to a certain point.

"I told my wife to stay low, close to the wall," he said. "When you train, you know whats going to happen, because you know that you are in this training. But in real life, you dont expect that and less in the airport, when were supposed to be safe."

Authorities say Santiago shot and killed five people and wounded six others in the airport. He remains jailed without bond on federal charges.

Ortiz-Sanchez said after he and his wife were safely in a hangar, a friend in Iraq texted him a picture of Santiago.

"They told me 'Hey, Zombie is the shooter and I said No, its not -- its not true," he said.

Ortiz-Sanchez said he and Santiago served in Iraq together and he had last seen him in the spring of 2011. He said Santiago used to talk a lot about zombies, so that's how he earned his nickname.

"He read a lot about zombies and how to kill zombies," Ortiz-Sanchez said. "One time he told me 'Hey, this is the way that you kill zombies.' And I said 'Hey, I dont care about that because youre never going to see one.'"

Ortiz-Sanchez said he wonders if Santiago was having mental issues.

"If I could ask him a question, I would ask him about the Soldiers Creed. He knows the Soldiers Creed and he knows that we joined the military to protect the people in the United States and to protect the Constitution," he said. "Why are you going to shoot innocent people?"
Consider this your wake-up call. Any student interested in joining a magnet program in Miami-Dade Public Schools for next school year needs to act quickly to get in on the action. The deadline is January 15th. Thats this Sunday.

"Talk to your child, make sure that they know what theyre getting themselves into and that theyre going to love what they do, but with all the choices that we have, theres going to be something for everyone," said Rafael Villalobos, principal at Ferguson High School in Kendall.

Miami-Dade Public Schools has more than 500 choice and magnet programs spread throughout its grade levels.

Ferguson High has one of the more unique offerings, a veterinary sciences program which teaches students how much hard work goes into taking care of animals. Theyve practically got a farm on the campus.

"The animals teach them something, they teach the animals things, its a symbiotic relationship, its a beautiful thing, they work really hard, they get in the ring with the animal," said teacher Erin Abramoff.

The kids in the program learn all aspects of animal husbandry, from milking goats to grooming cattle to feeding everything. They are responsible for the overall health and well-being of the animals, they learn from real veterinarians who periodically visit, and they bring the animals to FFA competitions.

"What I really like about this program is everything is hands-on, everything is student-run," said student Nicholas Herdocia.

"Everybody thinks, ok, agriculture, its animals, but its much more than that," added student Jessica Casarreal.

Her colleague, Bernie Forteza, explains that the veterinary program provides skills that are useful in every class.

"It really develops their public speaking skills and actually adding more work to our schoolwork, it helps us manage our time," Bernie said.

You could say the program grooms students for college and careers beyond the veterinary world.

"A lot of our students are able to go to amazing universities and really do flourish because theyve had this experience," Abramoff said.

Ferguson isnt the only school with a veterinary program. The point is, students have lots of choices these days, so its time to break out of the herd mentality and investigate the options.

Note: the deadline for magnet and choice applications in Broward County Public Schools is February 8th.
A man arrested for a rash of shootings in Dania Beach that left two people dead including an 8-year-old boy was ordered held without bond during his first appearance in a Broward County court Thursday.

Arvis Brown, 19, is facing multiple charges including murder, attempted murder and aggravated battery. He was arrested in Tallahassee last month and was brought back to Broward last week.

Authorities say Brown is responsible for the Dec. 28 shooting that claimed the life of 8-year-old Rasheed Cunningham Jr. and sent two adults to the hospital. Detectives believe the boy's relative, Brandon Cunningham, was the intended target.

Brown has also been charged in the Christmas shooting of 25-year-old Christopher Jordan. Authorities said Brown targeted Jordan after he believed him to be a suspect in the 2011 murder of Brown's brother.
Officials from the United States and Cuba will meet over the next two days to discuss stopping the trend of human trafficking.

The meetings in Washington D.C. will include representatives from the FBI and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice and Homeland Security  as well as various Cuban officials from agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It will be the fourth such meeting between the countries on the subject, as they continue to work on efforts to prosecute trafficking and protect victims.
The son of a Miami-Dade police officer was killed in a collision in Southwest Miami-Dade.

A crowd of mourners gathered Wednesday to honor the life of 23-year-old Darius Roberts.

He died Tuesday night after his motorcycle was hit by a Ford Focus.

Roberts devastated mother stood in the crowd of sadness at the vigil, talking about her son.

Good kid. Kind-hearted, very loving," said Shenetha Roberts, mother.

The tragic accident happened at the intersection of Southwest 112th Avenue and Cutler Road.

Roberts was riding his motorcycle when he was struck and killed.

Honestly, I didn't want him to have that motorcycle. I would tell him be careful, his mother said.

Roberts mother is finding strength with her oldest son by her side at the vigil.

He had a smile that if you were having a bad day, he smiled at you and you couldn't help but smile. Im going to miss him," said Roberts older brother Ronnie.

Grief is handled differently by everyone.

The 23-year-olds father  a Miami-Dade police officer -- did not attend Wednesdays vigil.

The death of his son is still too hard for him to face up close.

Those who attended the vigil say the end of this Roberts life was too sudden and too early. They wanted him around longer, but the light from the candles at the vigil is a reminder that won't be.
What to Know Coyotes often follow routines, so if you encounter one, you should avoid the area next time

Police believe the animal that attacked the man walking his dogs was rabid

It was taken to animal control to be euthanized, authorities say

Police say a 66-year-old man was attacked by a possibly rabid coyote while walking his dogs on New Jersey's popular Columbia Trail.



The Long Valley resident was walking the trail in Washington Township, Morris County, with his sister, another person and a total of six beagles when the coyote attacked one of the dogs Wednesday morning, authorities say.



The man went to intervene, and the coyote bit him in the buttocks and lower calf, police say. He was able to beat the animal off with a stick.



The coyote was still at the scene when police arrived, and it was taken to animal control to be euthanized, authorities say.



The victim's injuries were relatively minor.

Rabid animal sightings in the tri-state have been somewhat commonplace in recent years, with reports of wild, feral and domestic animals contracting the disease.

According to the Humane Society, rabid animals can display a range of symptoms including foaming at the mouth, aggression and disoriented behavior.

In coyotes, activity during the day can be an indicator of the deadly zoonotic virus as the species is typically nocturnal.
Prosecutors are asking the mayor's office to petition the State Department for a waiver of immunity for the Sudanese diplomat accused of rubbing against a woman on the subway Monday.

Mohammed Aballa Ali Mohammed, 49, was caught rubbing up against a 38-year-old woman on a No. 4 train out of Grand Central at around 10 a.m. Monday, according to authorities. But when officers took him into custody and brought him to the Transit District police station for processing, he presented papers affirming his diplomatic status and was released.

Now prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney's office are asking the mayor's office to petition for waiver of immunity so that they can pursue charges against him.

In a letter to the Mayor's Office for International Affairs, Nitin Savur writes that "there is reasonable cause to charge Mohammed and sufficient evidence to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt" for forcible touching and third-degree sexual abuse, both misdemeanors.

Savur continued: "I hereby formally request on behalf of the New York County District Attorney's Office that the Office of the Mayor petition the State Department to seek a waiver of immunity to allow prosecution herein."

According to the DA's office, two police officers spotted Mohammed on the subway platform staring at women's buttocks, and then follow one of them onto the no. 4 train.

While on the train, the officers saw him repeatedly rub himself against the back of the woman, who turned around each time to glare at him, according to prosecutors. She was boxed in and couldn't move away from him, while he allegedly had enough room behind him that he didn't need to be pressed up against her.

After he was arrested and taken to the Transit District 4 stationhouse, he presented ID cards from the Department of State and United Nation. After police verified that he was the diplomat to Sudan and that he had diplomatic immunity, the arrest was voided and Mohammed was released, prosecutors said.

The Vienna Convention, an international treaty, protects diplomats from charges while overseas, according to New York attorney Daniel Arshack .

"One of the elements of the convention is that diplomats of a certain level will not be charged with crimes while they are clocked with their diplomatic status in a foreign country," he said.

The Sudanese Mission to the United Nations has not responded to calls or email requests for comment.
What to Know StudentsFirstNY released a report Thursday detailing the eight worst districts for middle school options in New York City

East and Central Harlem are the worst districts for middle school options, five of eight worst districts are located in BK neighborhoods

None of the schools within the eight worst districts achieved the citywide average proficiency in reading or math

If you're a parent in East or Central Harlem, your education options are slim  both neighborhoods house the worst districts for middle schools in the city, according to a new report released Thursday by StudentsFirstNY.

The education advocacy group analyzed middle school data to determine eight community districts in New York City where students failed to meet basic proficiency standards. These areas are considered "Middle School Deserts", where families have no quality schooling options.

StudentsFirstNY estimates there are nearly 17,000 students in these failing schools, and another 56,000 zoned elementary school students will soon attend them.

East Harlem's District 4 is the worst district for middle schoolers, where only 30 percent of students achieved proficiency in reading on the 2016 state test and 21 percent achieved proficiency on the statewide math exam. Central Harlem's District 5 isn't far behind, with less than a quarter of students achieved proficiency in reading and just 14 percent in math.

Although several of the city's most in-demand elementary schools are in Brooklyn, so are a majority of deplorable middle schools. Five of the city's eight middle school deserts are within nine Brooklyn neighborhoods, including the hip Bushwick and Williamsburg.

Middle school students in East New York, Cypress Hills, Ocean Hill and Brownsville achieved an average math proficiency level of just 14 percent.

None of the middle schools within the eight districts achieved the citywide average proficiency in reading (37 percent) or math (32 percent).

Despite the dismal numbers for 2016, New York City schools performed five points higher than the 2015 national average in reading proficiency and hovered around the 2015 national average of 33 percent in math.

"This report is riddled with inaccuracies, contradictions and a fundamental misunderstanding of where students attend middle school," said a spokesman for New York City's Department of Education. "It ignores the unprecedented investments and progress we've made in improving middle schools citywide."

The report doesn't recognize that fewer than 60 percent of students living in the eight districts attend middle schools within their district, the spokesman said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's helicopter, en route back to New York City from upstate, made an emergency landing at Stewart Airport when it began filling with fumes, his office says.

Cuomo was flying back to New York City after delivering speeches upstate in Syracuse and Albany Wednesday, the final two stops of this week's series of addresses meant to outline his 2017 agenda.

Just before 4 p.m., the helicopter began filling with fumes that smelled like smoke, according to spokesman James Allen.

Cuomo and two aides were on board, along with security and the pilot. They landed safely at Stewart, about 60 miles north of Manhattan. No one was hurt, and everybody was safely transported back to the city.

3 days, 6 States of the State, 149 proposals, 9 hours of speeches, 1,260 miles & 1 emergency landing. Nothing can slow our progress.  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 11, 2017

"The cause of this issue is being investigated and the helicopter is currently undergoing maintenance," Allen said.

The governor tweeted: "3 days, 6 States of the State, 149 proposals, 9 hours of speeches, 1,260 miles & 1 emergency landing. Nothing can slow our progress."

A similar thing happened to Andrew Cuomo's father, Mario, when he was governor in November 1988: a state-owned airplane carrying the elder Cuomo was forced to make an emergency landing at a small airport in Pennsylvania when it began filling with smoke, according to The New York Times.

Described as a "troubled aircraft" that had been overhauled the year before at a cost of about $700,000, the crippled chopper in that case was guided by a network of air traffic controllers and another plane flying nearby from Pennsylvania.

Cuomo fils has been trying to purchase a $12.5 million state police helicopter that would also transport him around the state, citing an aging fleet. But state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli blocked the request for a non-bid purchase late last year.
What to Know Republicans took the first step in repealing President Obama's signature health care law during a late-night "vote-a-rama"

Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, will testify Thursday

Michelle Obama made her final appearance on "The Tonight Show" as sitting first lady

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Dismantling of Obamacare Begins

The Senate passed a measure early Thursday to take the first step forward on dismantling President Barack Obama's health care law, responding to pressure to move quickly even as Republicans and President-elect Trump grapple with what the replace it with. The House is slated to vote on the measure on Friday, though some Republicans there have misgivings about setting the repeal effort in motion without a better idea of the replacement plan. The 2010 law extended health insurance to some 20 million Americans.

Trump Pick for Defense Secretary Testifies

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis will testify Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is expected to broadly approve his nomination. Having retired in 2013, he would be the first career military officer to serve as defense secretary in more than a half-century. Although he is best known as a battle-hardened combat officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, he also has worked behind the scenes with senior civilian officials at the Pentagon.

Michelle Obamas Tonight Show Farewell

One day after her husband delivered his farewell address, Michelle Obama bid her own farewell, taking the talk show stage one last time as the sitting first lady. During her appearance on the Tonight Show Wednesday, she shared how emotional it has been to say goodbye after eight years in office. The first lady also surprised people who thought they were recording goodbye messages for her and penned a touching thank you note to her husband. In the middle of a busy transition, the president made time this weekend to serve as a groomsman in the wedding of a longtime friend.

U.S. Intelligence to Trump: We Didnt Leak

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday and told him the intelligence community did not leak information about an unverified memo that sparked a firestorm of controversy when it was published online. At a Trump Tower news conference earlier in the day, Trump said he believed the agencies leaked the 35-page memo, which includes claims that the Russian government has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for years, among other allegations.

Trump Gives Press Conference

Trump held his first news conference since his election, during which he announced he would not be divesting himself of his businesses interests, evaded a question on whether he trusted the U.S. intelligence agencies and vowed that Mexico would eventually pay for the wall on its border, among other things. Here are the top moments from the news conference and the tense moment Trump called CNN fake news and got into a shouting match with a journalist.

Whats Your States Favorite Netflix Show?

According to Fortune, more than half of Americans use the streaming service Netflix for access to both movies and TV episodes, and in recent years, many subscribers have turned to Netflix originals for some fresh content. So which binge-worthy series was most likely to be streaming in neighborhoods near you? Cable TV looked at state data from Google Trends in 2016 to identify the top Netflix original series for each state.

"Ninja Warrior" Saves Choking Man

A former contestant on NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" saved the life of a choking man in upstate New York. The incredible moment was captured on dash cam video.
Public and private health insurance would have to cover birth control in New York even if President-elect Donald Trump repeals "Obamacare," under legislation proposed Wednesday by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

The bill would codify into state law the Affordable Care Act mandate for cost-free contraception and expand upon the federal requirements to provide cost-free coverage for all birth control methods, including vasectomies and emergency contraception like Plan B. It also would allow access to a year's worth of contraception at one time and prohibit insurance companies from reviews that can limit or delay contraceptive coverage.

"The Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act will ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the birth control method they need to stay healthy and effectively plan for their future, no matter what happens in Congress," Schneiderman said.

California enacted a similar provision in 2014, followed by Illinois, Maryland and Vermont in 2016. Schneiderman, a Democrat, first proposed his bill in 2015; it passed the Assembly but stalled in a Senate committee.

"States are looking to their coverage mandates because of the very palpable threat that contraceptive coverage will be eviscerated at the federal level," said Elizabeth Nash, a policy analyst with the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which follows reproductive health issues and laws.

The New York Health Plan Association, an industry group, said the legislation would create new insurance mandates that would drive up costs.

"Requiring coverage of emergency contraception, a year's worth of contraception, and voluntary sterilization procedures for men and women is inconsistent with existing coverage requirements," said Paul Macielak, president of the Health Plan Association. "And saying New Yorkers should have 'cost-free' access to the coverage ignores the actual costs of the services."

The cost of services would be borne by all insurance premium payers or by the government in the case of Medicaid, said Leslie Moran of the Health Plan Association.

Christa Christakis, executive director of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District 2, said the public health benefits of contraception include preventing unintended pregnancies and decreasing the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer. Schneiderman's bill would address barriers that continue to keep women from obtaining contraceptives and using them effectively, she said.

Trump said Wednesday that he's committed to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.
The 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl who was raped, tortured and killed at her adoptive mother's house had been abused or neglected in at least three homes during her short life, according to an attorney.

A lawyer for Grace Packer's birth parents told The Associated Press they lost custody of the girl over allegations that other adults were sexually abusing their children.

Grace was adopted by adoption worker Sara Packer when she was a toddler. In 2011, Sara Packer's husband at the time, David Packer, pleaded to statutory sexual assault after he was charged with indecent deviate sexual intercourse with a girl who was 9 at the time of his arrest.

Packer told NBC10 during an interview last year that Grace was not the girl he was sentenced for sexually assaulting. The Northampton County District Attorney's Office told NBC10 Wednesday however that Grace was the girl who he molested.

"I can't discuss any information about that," David Packer told NBC10 during a second interview Wednesday. "As the law stands, regardless of the circumstance, the victim has those rights not to be identified. I'm not going to comment either way but my lawyer will be looking into the fact that numerous people are breaking the law with speculation and rumors about Grace."

Authorities near Philadelphia this week charged Sara Packer and her boyfriend Jacob Sullivan with killing Grace in a "rape-murder fantasy" carried out over many hours.

The girl was beaten, raped as her mother watched, poisoned and then strangled when they found her still alive hours later in a stifling attic last July, authorities said.

"It sounds like this poor girl went through hell," said lawyer David Tornetta, who had fought for the birth parents to keep their three young children.

He called them good people who perhaps lacked the money and skills to care for them. When he learned this week that their middle child, then called "Susan," was the girl found killed and dismembered, he wondered if he had done enough for the family.

By the time Sara Packer reported her daughter missing in July -- telling police the teen may have run away -- she no longer wanted her, prosecutors said. She and Sullivan started planning her death as soon as Grace returned from a long stay with an out-of-state relative, they said.

"She was unwanted. They wanted to ship her out. ... And when that failed, they plotted to kill her," said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, who oversees major crimes prosecutions in Bucks County.

Packer, 41, and Sullivan, 44, were arrested on murder and other charges last weekend after they were found unconscious from an over-the-counter overdose in what authorities called a joint suicide pact.

Sara Packer's public defender did not return phone messages this week. Sullivan apologized as he was led into court from the hospital, telling reporters he was "sorry for what (he) did."

Investigators in several northeast Pennsylvania counties are now trying to determine how many foster children Sara Packer and her ex-husband, David Packer, took in before he went to prison in 2011 and whether any other children were abused.

Sara Packer, by then an adoptions supervisor in Northampton County, lost her $44,000-a-year job amid her husband's arrest on sex crimes. She was never charged, but there was some concern she was aware of the abuse and didn't stop it, Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said.

Grace was last seen alive at a family picnic July 4. Her mother raised suspicions when she failed to drop off a promised photograph of her daughter to police and moved without telling them, taking Grace's 12-year-old biological brother, whom she had also adopted, in tow.

Hunters found Grace's body in a wooded area in Luzerne County on Oct. 31.

Sara Packer and Sullivan are due in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 20.
In his first press conference since July, President-elect Donald Trump repeated some false and misleading claims on jobs, health care and his tax returns.

Trump falsely claimed that there are 96 million really wanting a job and they cant get [one]. There are roughly 96 million people not in the labor force, but that includes retirees, students and others who dont want jobs. Only 5.5 million of them want work.

Trump said that you learn very little from a tax return. But experts told us theres plenty of information to be gleaned from tax returns  such as potential conflicts of interest, charitable giving habits and effective tax rates.

Trump claimed that some states have seen health insurance coverage on the Affordable Care Act exchanges increase by 100 percent. Only Arizona has an average increase that high, and 84 percent with marketplace coverage in 2016 received tax credits to purchase insurance.

Trump continues to oversimplify the rise of the Islamic State by blaming President Obama for leaving at the wrong time from Iraq. President George W. Bush set the withdrawal date. More important, there were numerous factors in the rise of the terrorist group.

Trump claimed that nobody even talked about it when hacked emails showed that Hillary Clintons campaign got debate questions in advance. Actually, there was plenty of press coverage when it was revealed that former CNN contributor Donna Brazile shared questions with Clintons campaign.

General Motors might be attracted to the platform as a way to sell a more profitable electric vehicle, while Amazon could use the basic platform for logistics.

Trump hasnt held a press conference since July 27, 2016, during the Democratic National Convention. The purpose was to discuss how he would arrange to handle his business affairs while he is president. Trump will take the oath of office on Jan. 20.

But the Republican president-elect was asked a variety of questions on a host of issues, including Russian hacking, the Affordable Care Act and his cabinet appointments. In several cases, Trump repeated some of the same claims that he had made during the campaign.

Trump on Jobs

Trump wrongly claimed, once again, that there are 96 million really wanting a job and they cant get [one]. There are roughly 96 million people not in the labor force, but only 5.5 million of them currently want a job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Trump cited the statistic in the context of a border tax on these companies that are leaving [the U.S.] and getting away with murder.

Trump, Jan. 11: And if our politicians had what it takes, they would have done this years ago. And youd have millions more workers right now in the United States that are  96 million really wanting a job and they cant get. You know that story. The real number  thats the real number.

According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 95.8 million people not in the labor force in December. But Trump is wrong to lump them all in as really wanting a job. According to BLS, only 5.5 million of them currently want a job. Those not looking for a job include millions of retirees, teenagers and stay-at-home parents. For example, there were 18.3 million people age 75 and older who were not in the workforce in December, BLS says.

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump argued that the real unemployment rate was higher than the official one, because he said it did not include those so frustrated by the labor market that they simply gave up looking for work. Indeed, the labor force participation rate has been on the decline, and the Congressional Budget Office attributed some of that recent decline to workers so discouraged by the slow recovery from the recession that they stopped looking for work. But CBO estimated about half of the decline was due to long-term structural trends, mainly aging baby boomers reaching retirement age.

The Tax Returns, Again

Trump said that you learn very little from a tax return and that the only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters.

But experts told us theres plenty of information to be gleaned from tax returns  such as potential conflicts of interest, charitable giving habits and effective tax rates. And polls show that a majority of Americans say Trump should release his tax returns.

Trump was asked if he would release his tax returns to prove that he has no business dealings in Russia. He responded: Im not releasing the tax returns because as you know, theyre under audit. That was Trumps stance during the campaign as well.

Also during the campaign, when he was facing questions about releasing his returns  something many 2016 presidential candidates and every major party nominee since the late 1970s had done  Trump claimed that theres nothing to learn from his tax returns. He repeated a version of that claim in his press conference, claiming, you learn very little [from] a tax return.

When we wrote about this in May, experts cited several details voters could learn from a candidates tax returns, including sources of income, deductions taken, potential conflicts, overseas income and how a candidates tax proposals could affect his or her personal tax situation.

Joseph J. Thorndike, director of the Tax Analysts Tax History Project, wrote in a May 12 blog post on taxnotes.com that [r]eturns can shed light on the way a candidate lives his life. It can tell us about charitable giving as well as personal borrowing and investment activity. Returns can also illuminate the complicated business arrangements that often provide the bulk of a candidates income, especially for a real estate mogul like Trump.

And the returns tell us a lot about how candidates conduct themselves in the gray areas of the tax law, Thorndike wrote.

Trump also claimed in his press conference that reporters were the only ones that cared about his tax returns. A reporter followed up: You dont think the American public is concerned about it?

Trump replied: No I dont think so. I won, when I became president. No, I dont think they care at all. I dont think they care at all.

Polls show that, in fact, the American public does care. A Pew Research Center poll, conducted Jan. 4-9, found 60 percent of respondents said Trump has a responsibility to release his tax returns.

Those who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic more strongly supported this view: Seventy-nine percent said Trump had a responsibility to release the returns, while 38 percent of Republicans or those learning Republican had that view.

Other polls have shown similar results. A CBS News poll conducted Dec. 9-13, 2016, asked whether it was necessary for Trump to release his tax returns. Sixty percent responded that it was necessary. A Quinnipiac University poll taken Aug. 18-24, 2016, asked likely voters: Do you think Donald Trump should publicly release his tax returns, or not? Seventy-four percent said he should release them, including a majority (62 percent) of Republicans.

President-elect Donald Trumps press conference turned argumentative when he denied a CNN reporter a chance to ask a question at the end of a response criticizing the release of a Jan. 10, 2017, Buzzfeed report.

Premium Cherry-Picking

Trump claimed that under the Affordable Care Act, some states have over a hundred percent increase in premiums. Actually, only one state has an average increase in exchange premiums that high: Arizona.

Premiums on the ACA exchanges  for individuals who buy their own insurance  have jumped up an average 25 percent from 2016 to 2017 among the 38 HealthCare.gov states, and thats substantially higher than the 7.2 percent average increase from 2015 to 2016.

The variation in the change in premiums among states, and even within states from county to county, is also substantial, with Arizona, at the high end, seeing a 116 percent average increase, while Indiana, at the other extreme, has an average 3 percent decrease. The median increase is 16 percent.

These figures, which do not include subsidies available to lower-income individuals, are for the average second lowest-cost silver benchmark plans for a 27-year-old, and theyre part of a report released by the Department of Health and Human Services in October.

As the chart below shows, some states had average premium changes in the single digits, others in double digits, and Arizona had the distinction of a triple-digit average increase. As we wrote before, the wide disparity on the numbers makes the report ripe for cherry-picking.

At least one county had a nearly 100 percent increase (see Table 13 of the report). In Medina County, Texas, the average increase is 99 percent, from an average $201 monthly premium to $399. Texas overall, however, had an 18 percent average increase.

Massachusetts, which has a state-based exchange (not the federally run HealthCare.gov), saw an average 3 percent decrease, while Minnesotas state-based exchange had an average 59 percent increase  again, showing the contrast across the country. Adding in four state-based marketplaces plus the District of Columbias  for which HHS had data  brings the nationwide average increase down to 22 percent.

The vast majority of Americans who buy coverage through the exchanges get tax credits, which shelter them from these premium increases. The credits cap the amount a person must contribute toward a benchmark plan based on income. The HHS report says 84 percent of the 10.4 million Americans with marketplace coverage in the first half of 2016 received tax credits, and that 77 percent of current enrollees can find plans for $100 or less, after factoring in tax credits. An estimated 7 million Americans buy their own insurance but do so outside of the exchanges.

Trump on Obama Creating ISIS

Trump continues to oversimplify the situation by placing the entirety of the blame for the creation of ISIS on Obamas decision to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Trump, Jan. 11: I mean if you look, this administration created ISIS by leaving at the wrong time. The void was created, ISIS was formed.

This is yet another variation on Trumps campaign claim that Obama founded ISIS, and Clinton was a co-founder.

Back when we wrote about that false claim in August, experts told us the expansion of the Islamic State cant be pinned on the troop withdrawal alone  if at all. Blaming Obama for the timing of the troop withdrawal also ignores that President George W. Bush had signed the agreement and set the date for that withdrawal.

Trump himself supported withdrawing troops from Iraq as early as 2007, telling CNN in a March 16, 2007, interview that the U.S. should declare victory and leave, because Ill tell you, this country is just going to get further bogged down.  [T]his is a total catastrophe and you might as well get out now, because you just are wasting time.

Experts have pointed to a variety of actions that could have contributed to the rise of ISIS, including: the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003; the decisions by the U.S.-led provisional coalition government in 2003 to disband the Iraqi army and dissolve and ban the Baath Party, which drove Sunnis into militant groups; the rule of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose Shia government further ostracized Sunnis; the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011; the weakening of the Iraqi army, which abandoned posts in 2014 rather than fight ISIS; and the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011.

Debate Questions

Trump claimed that nobody even talked about it when WikiLeaks released emails from the Clinton campaign showing that Hillary Clinton got the questions to the debate and didnt report it.

Not so. There was plenty of press coverage in October when emails allegedly obtained from the account of Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, revealed that former CNN contributor Donna Brazile shared several town hall and debate questions with members of Clintons campaign.

According to the emails, Brazile sent multiple questions to the Clinton campaign before a CNN town hall in mid-March last year, and she sent at least one question to Clintons campaign prior to a Democratic debate earlier that month.

However, there is no evidence that Clinton herself received any questions.

Trump: We talk about the hacking and hackings bad and it shouldnt be done. But look at the things that were hacked, look at what was learned from that hacking. That Hillary Clinton got the questions to the debate and didnt report it? Thats a horrible thing. Thats a horrible thing. Can you imagine that if Donald Trump got the questions to the debate  it wouldve been the biggest story in the history of stories. And they wouldve said immediately, You have to get out of the race. Nobody even talked about it. Its a very terrible thing.

Politico and others reported that the hacked emails showed that Brazile sent an email on March 12, 2016, to Clinton campaign Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri with the subject line, From time to time, I get the questions in advance.

In the email, Brazile wrote heres one that worries me about HRC, referring to Clinton. She then provided the text of a question about the death penalty. Clinton was later asked a similar question by an audience member introduced by TV One host Roland Martin, who was the co-moderator of the CNN town hall on March 13.

The emails show that Brazile wrote that she would send a few more questions to the campaign, which she did. According to Politico, an additional email shows that Brazile forwarded the campaign at least two more town hall questions  one about unions and another about income inequality. Clinton was asked the question about unions, and Sen. Bernie Sanders was asked about income inequality in the town hall.

There were also multiple news reports on another instance of Brazile tipping off the Clinton campaign to a potential question the day before a Democratic debate between Clinton and Sanders on March 6 in Flint, Michigan. In that email, Brazile tells Podesta and Palmieri that one of the questions directed to HRC tomorrow is from a woman with a rash. Brazile added: She will ask what, if anything, will Hillary do as president to help the ppl of Flint.

During the debate, Lee-Anne Walters, whose children experienced health problems after exposure to contaminated water in Flint, asked Clinton and Sanders will you make a personal promise to me right now that, as president, in your first 100 days in office, you will make it a requirement that all public water systems must remove all lead service lines throughout the entire United States, and notification made to the  the citizens that have said service lines.

What we dont know is whether Clinton, herself, was ever made aware of the questions, as Trump claimed.

In her reply to Braziles email about the question on the death penalty, Palmieri indicated that that was a question that Clinton was already prepared to answer because she had heard it before.

Hi. Yes, it is one she gets asked about. Not everyone likes her answer but can share it, Palmieri wrote. She then asked another campaign official to forward to Brazile Clintons standard response on the death penalty.

CNN cut all ties with Brazile, the acting DNC director, on Oct. 14, three days after the first press reports on the controversy.

We are completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor, a CNN spokeswoman said in a statement.

FactCheck.org is a non-partisan non-profit organization that will hold candidates and key figures accountable during the 2016 presidential campaign. FactCheck.org will check facts of speeches, advertisements and more for NBC.
Americans weren't the only ones tuning into Donald Trump's first press conference since being elected president  people around the world watched for clues on how the new administration would impact their lives.

"We don't care [about Trump], as long as life's good in Russia," Irina Smirnova, a 39-year old Moscow resident, told NBC News.

"I had to grin several times," a professor of American Studies at Heidelberg University in Germany told NBC News' partner ZDF. "But in regard to the power of the office you choke on the laughter. Trump's speech reminded of a sitcom, which at the end was more like a horror comedy."

Click through for more reaction from other countries.
A New Jersey man charged with murder in the shooting death of a woman whose body was found inside an Atlantic City apartment where they both lived has been arrested.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says 43-year-old Joseph McCoy was arrested last Wednesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, without incident.

McCoy also faces two weapons possession charges stemming from the shooting of 23-year-old Jacqueline Hoyle. She was found dead Dec. 20 in an apartment along N Tennessee Avenue. An autopsy determined that she died of a single gunshot wound, and her death was ruled a homicide.

Authorities have not said what may have sparked the shooting or discussed the relationship between the two.

McCoy remained in custody Wednesday pending extradition proceedings. It was unclear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. [[238427591, C]]
A day after a patient attempted to kill himself inside a South Jersey emergency room, the hospital said it was immediately improving its security in hopes of preventing future shootings inside its facility.

Camden County investigators had yet to get a chance Thursday to talk to the 72-year-old man who shot himself in the head after bringing a gun to the treatment area of Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center along Haddon Avenue in Camden Wednesday morning, said Camden County Spokesman Dan Keashen.

The hospital currently has no metal detectors, Lourdes said in a statement to NBC10.

"We are implementing enhanced security measures immediately on all of our campuses," the statement said. "We are also developing a long-term plan to enhance security through thoughtful policies and procedures."

The Emergency Department remained open as the hospital says it alerted patients and visitors of the incident.

The man remained in critical condition Thursday, said the hospital.

"No staff, patients or visitors were in danger," the hospital said.

Camden County police continued to investigate the incident Thursday and no charges were filed.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A Somers Point Police officer is accused of attacking his girlfriend, illegally using his badge to get into her hotel room, firing a gun during an argument with her and retaliating against a fellow officer who was a witness in a case against him.

Officer Samuel Clerico, 49, of Egg Harbor Township was indicted Tuesday on nine criminal counts after being charged with official misconduct, terroristic threats, aggravated assault, witness tampering and other related offenses.

Clerico was arrested three times in connection to four alleged incidents between December, 2015 and September, 2016.

Investigators say the first incident occurred on December 15, 2015 in Absecon, New Jersey. Clerico illegally used his police badge to get inside a hotel room where his girlfriend was staying, officials said. The next day Clerico allegedly fired his police weapon while arguing with the woman in Egg Harbor Township.

Only two days later on December 18, 2015, Clerico allegedly retaliated against a Somers Point Police Sergeant who was a witness in the case in Linwood, New Jersey.

Officials say the latest incident occurred on September 19, 2016 in Egg Harbor Township. Clerico allegedly attacked his girlfriend and tried to get her to recant the statement she made to police about the December 16, 2015 incident.

Clerico is currently suspended without pay as the investigation continues.
President Barack Obama awarded a teary-eyed Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Thursday, praising the vice president as an "extraordinary man with an extraordinary career in public service."

Obama said he's bestowing Biden, who appeared visibly stunned, with the nation's highest civilian honor for "faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country and a lifetime of service that will endure through the generations."

"For the first and only time in my presidency, I will bestow this medal with an additional level of veneration, an honor my three most recent successors have reserved for only three others: Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and Gen. Colin Powell," Obama said at a White House ceremony billed as a tribute dedicated to honoring the outgoing vice president.

Taking the podium, a surprised Biden said he had "no inkling."

The vice president said he doesn't deserve the honor, but knows "it came from the president's heart."

Biden praised his wife and children for their support throughout his career, and praised the Obama family for their dedication to country and service.

"I was part of the journey of a remarkable man who did remarkable things," Biden said.

With Biden by his side, Obama says the tribute will give the Internet one last chance to joke about the "bromance" the two share.

He honored Bidens lifetime of public service, including his decades in the Senate and eight years as president, from the Violence Against Women Act, diplomacy, his cancer moonshot, and Its On Us campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses.

Obama says his choice of Biden was the "best possible choice, not just for me, but for the American people."

Listing the influences in Biden's life, from the nuns who taught him in grade school, to his Senate colleagues, to his parents, the president commended the "Biden heart."

"His work does not capture the full measure of Joe Biden, I havent even mentioned Amtrak, aviators, and 'literally,' he quipped.

Noting that Biden's career is "nowhere close to finished," Obama says his vice president will go on to have an impact domestically and internationally.
More than six decades after his death, a U.S. military veteran who served in the Korean War was finally buried at home in San Diego.

The body of U.S. Army Major Jack Griffith was laid to rest with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans Wednesday morning.

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.

On Wednesday, a military funeral honors team helped move the coffin, covered in an American flag, from the Hearst to Fort Rosecrans Cemetery.

At the ceremony, Griffith was awarded full military honors posthumously.

His nephew, Jake Griffith, said the return of his body and the ceremony Wednesday was something he never thought he would see.

"Its overwhelming to our family to have the remains recovered  all the efforts that went into it  to finally come back and have him come here and rest in San Diego, his hometown," he said.

He said his uncle, Jack, had been a story to him his whole life. His father --Jack's brother -- died five years ago knowing his brother's body would likely never be brought home.

"It's amazing what our government does to bring back our fallen soldiers," Griffith said. "This is 65 years later, and they spent a lot of money, spent a lot of time and resources, to bring him and many others back."

Last year alone, DNA technology helped identify 166 Korean War veterans. There are still more than 7,700 Americans unaccounted for.

Last week, San Diego International Airport's runway came to a brief standstill when Griffith's body finally returned home in a long overdue homecoming.
Good news in San Diego: wait times for 911 calls have greatly improved in the past few months.

They are now exceeding the national standard but that wasn't always the case.

Less than a year after promising to improve a troubled 911 system, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) says they are now consistently meeting or exceeding the national standard.

The national standard is a wait time of 10 seconds or less, 90 percent of the time.

Back in April, only 67 percent of calls in San Diego met that standard.

But since November, that standard has been met.

Last spring, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said increased call wait times were the result of budget cuts, staffing shortages and an increase of non-emergency calls.

SDPD Captain Jerry Hara told NBC 7, since then, among other things, they have increased dispatcher's base salaries, hired and retained new dispatchers and addressed staffing issues.

Now they would like to improve wait times on their non-emergency line.

70 percent of the calls on the non-emergency line is answered in less than 2 minutes, but say we can get that down to even under a minute that would be great, Hara said.

If you do call the non-emergency line, to report something like graffiti or a pothole, keep in mind that the busiest hours are from noon to 6 p.m., where wait times are the longest.

If you'd like to view San Diego's 911 monthly performance stats, you can find that information here.
UC San Diego students can now grab a bite to eat on campus at any time of the day: the universitys first-ever 24-hour dining hall opened Wednesday, complete with a new menu featuring kosher and halal dishes.

UC San Diego celebrated the grand opening of its Oceanview Dining Hall on Scholars Drive North, also known as Oceanview Terrace. Its the first and only dining hall in the University of California system to offer 24/7 service.

After going through extensive renovations, the eatery features three kitchens, a 24/7 coffee bar and a gelato bar. In addition to items like stone hearth pizzas and salads, the dining halls new menu now boasts halal and kosher dishes  making it also one of the UC systems first dining halls to feature this type of cuisine.

Dishes include a Berbere Beef Meatball and Rotisserie Harissa Chicken, both kosher and $6.

The kitchen is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Muslim Student Association, the Union of Jewish Students and Housing, Dining, Hospitality, as well as UCSDs Thurgood Marshall College.
The family of a 21-year-old driver struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver with a blood-alcohol level four times the legal limit last September struggled in court as they relieved the moment they first realized they lost their loved one.

At a preliminary hearing for suspect Paul Schenk, law enforcement authorities and witnesses recounted witnessing the violent head-on crash and responding to the scene.

Schenk is facing several charges in the death of 21-year-old Racheal Guarneros-Callahan, including Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while Intoxicated, 2 counts of Felony Child Endangerment, DUI Causing great bodily injury as well as Driving with a Measurable amount of Alcohol and injury to a child under 5 years old. He previously pleaded not guilty.

Sandra Khoury, the victim's sister, recalled that the day of the crash, the family was waiting for an emergency helicopter to airlift their loved one to the hospital.

Khoury said they finally realized Mercy Air was not coming -- because her sister had already died.

"I think just reliving everything," she said. "Just remember being on the side of that road, and seeing those cars up there. It's like, this is not going to be over until it's over."

The crash happened on Sept. 12 when Schenk picked up his 5-year-old and 4-year-old from school, Deputy District Attorney Callie Bright said in court. He put his 5-year-old in the front seat and 4-year-old in the back seat without seat belts, according to Bright.

At the time of the crash, he drove with his kids in the back seat with a blood-alcohol level approximately more than four times the legal limit, at 0.33, according to Bright -- the equivalent of 17 drinks.

Bright said Schenk crossed the shoulder near Vista Ramona Road and E Old Julian Highway and over-corrected, smashing into the victim's car head-on at approximately 4:30 p.m.

The impact of the crash instantly killed Guarneros  Callahan, 21. Family members say she had just finished work at the Riviera Oaks Resort and was on the phone with someone when the collision occurred.

"She was just a beautiful person," Khoury recalled. "She just had a big heart and just doted on her family. My daughter, her niece, and her other best friends. So it's just a huge hurt."

A San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy happened to hear the crash come over his radio on his way to another call and was the first on scene. He got out and went to Guarneros-Callahan's car first, worried it may burst into flames

"I jumped in the backseat and pulled her seat belt off, and that's when I noticed the steering wheel was wedged in her chest," the officer testified.

When he went around to the Ford involved in the crash, he found the driver wedged between the seat and steering wheel.

"He just kept saying, 'I messed up,'" the officer recalled during testimony.

CHP Officer Brian Kattke, who responded to the crash soon after, said that when he first arrived on scene, he spoke to Schenk, who he identified as the driver in court.

"His first statement to me though was a question," Kattke testified. "He asked, "am I going to jail?'"

Kattke said he did not respond, but the question lead him toward a different path in his further questioning and investigations: that some other factor may have been involved in the crash besides driver's error.

When he returned to get a more detailed statement later, Kattke testified that he could smell alcohol coming from Schenk from two to three feet away.

"At that time I noticed his eyes were red, I could smell some alcohol in his breath," Kattke testified. "I then asked him if he had been drinking alcohol, and he replied, 'yes.'"

Schenk's attorney, Paul Pfingst, has argued that his client is a veteran with a 21-year service career pulling wounded warriors from combat. Because of his past, he suffered mentally, Pfingst has argued.

However, the victim's family told NBC 7 that's an excuse that means nothing to the family.

Six days before the crash, Schenk went to VA Hospital in San Diego asking for help, but was turned away, according to Pfingst.

"In addition to regular mental health appointments, we offer our Psychiatric Emergency Clinic which is a walk-in clinic for Veterans in distress or if feel they need urgent care," a partial statement from the VA San Diego read.

The 4-year-old involved in the crash was ejected from the backseat and had to be airlifted to Rady Children's Hospital, where he received stitches for his injuries; the 5-year-old was taken to Palomar Hospital.

Bail was previously set at $2 million.

A judge will decide after hearing testimony at the preliminary hearing if the case should go to trial.

If convicted, Schenk could face 18 years in prison.
Authorities are asking for the public's help to find a suspect in connection to an armed robber in Vista.

The incident occurred on Tuesday around 7:15 p.m. near the Bank of America ATM on Bobier Drive in Vista, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO).

The suspect approached the victim and demanded money at gunpoint. He then ran away towards the Vista Royal Lodge trailer park near the bank ATM, SDSO said.

He is described to be approximately 30-years old, around 5-feet 9-inches. He was last seen wearing a long green hooded coat and tan pants.

SDSO said he was carrying a black semi-automatic handgun, similar to a Glock.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Vista Sheriff's Station at (760)940-4551 or Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Authorities are asking for the publics help to identify a suspect wanted in connection to three bank robberies across San Diego.

The latest attempted robbery occurred on Wednesday afternoon at approximately 1:43 p.m. at the Wells Fargo bank on the 9900 block of Scripps Ranch Boulevard.

According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), the suspect gave a demand note to the bank teller and said he had a gun. When the teller did not comply, the suspect ran away.

He was described to be approximately 5-feet 9-inches tall, around 180 pounds and in his 20s. He was wearing a black and red beanie, a red hooded jacket and dark colored pants.

Although the suspect stated he had a gun, SDPD says no weapon was seen.

The FBI and local law enforcement agencies identified the man as a suspect in two other robberies in the San Diego area.

One robbery was reported at the US Bank on Federal Boulevard on Jan. 3 and another on Dec. 28, 2016 at the Wells Fargo Bank on Garnet Avenue.

Surveillance video captured the suspect on two separate robberies.

Anyone with information is asked to the FBI at (858)320-1800.
Police have made an arrest in the stabbing death of a 23-year-old woman in Northwest Washington.

Waliyatou Amadou died Sunday after she was found in the hallway of a building on the 1400 block of W Street NW, D.C. police said. She lived less than a half-mile away, on Clifton Street NW.

On Wednesday, police arrested 27-year-old Deangelo Thorne and charged him with second-degree murder while armed.

Amadou's death is the third homicide in the District this year.

Amadou's father once worked as a driver for the Embassy of Togo, the West African country from which her family hails. An embassy official said the family once lived at the embassy, which is located along Massachusetts Avenue's Embassy Row.
Police believe the man and woman found dead Tuesday evening in a home in Greenbelt, Maryland, died in a murder-suicide.

Meena Anil Menon, 44, and a man were found dead about 6 p.m. on the 6000 block of Springhill Drive.

Greenbelt police said in an update Wednesday afternoon that they believe Menon was killed by a 37-year-old man she lived with.

That man then killed himself, police said. He will be identified pending notification of his family.

Police said Menon's cause of death is unknown, and an autopsy will be conducted.

Police did not immediately release additional information.
Go here to see a larger version of the street closure map.

If you're planning on driving in D.C. in the days surrounding Donald Trump's inauguration Jan. 20, expect major road closures downtown and near the National Mall.

Here's what will be closed and how you can get around, according to the Metropolitan Police Department:

Inaugural Ceremony and Parade

The following restrictions will go into effect at 3 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 (unless otherwise noted) and will last until about 6 p.m. Jan. 20.

Street and Bridge Closures

 14th St. Non- HOV Bridge  Open to all traffic. ALL traffic diverted to I-395.

 14th St. Bridge HOV (North and South)  Closed to all traffic

 Theodore Roosevelt Bridge  Open to all traffic (traffic diverted north on Potomac Freeway)

 Memorial Bridge  Closed to all traffic. Pedestrians and Emergency Vehicles Only

 Key Bridge  Open to all traffic

 Chain Bridge  Open to all traffic

 South Capitol St. Bridge  Open to all traffic

 Southeast/Southwest Freeway  Open to all traffic

Rock Creek Parkway  Open to traffic north of Virginia Ave (Holiday traffic schedule is in effect throughout the park)

 Clara Barton Parkway operating under Holiday schedule (2 way traffic all day)

 11th St. bridges  Open to all traffic

 Sousa Bridge  Open to all traffic

 East Capitol St.  Open to all traffic but roadways around RFK may have increased bus and pedestrian traffic in the area

 Benning Road  Open to all traffic

 New York Ave.  Open to all traffic

 3rd St. Tunnel  Closed to all traffic (Closure at 6 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20)

 9th St. Tunnel  Closed to all traffic

 12th St. Tunnel  Closed to all traffic

 E St. Tunnel  Closed to all traffic

 Independence Ave/Maine Ave from 12th St., SW to Memorial Bridge  Closed to all traffic

 Ohio Dr. from Inlet Bridge to 23rd St  Closed to all traffic

 Ohio Dr. from Independence Ave to Rock Creek Parkway  Closed to all traffic

Red Zone  Street Closures

Vehicle traffic will be restricted to authorized vehicles only, with proper vehicle placards.

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement) Start: noon, Wednesday, Jan. 18. End: 1 a.m., Monday, Jan. 23.

 Zei Alley NW from 15th St NW to 14th St NW

 H St NW from 18th St NW to 12th St NW

 H St NW from 5th St NW to 3rd St NW

 Pennsylvania Ave NW from 18th St to 15th St NW

 New York Ave NW from 15th St NW to 12th St NW

 G St NW from 18th St NW to 17th St NW

 G St NW from 15th St NW to 12th St NW

 G St NW from 6th St NW to 3rd St NW

 G Pl NW from 5th St NW to 4th St NW

 F St NW from 18th St NW to 17th St NW

 F St NW from 15th St NW to 3rd St NW

 E St NW from 18th St NW/E St Expy to 17th St NW

 Pennsylvania Ave NW/E St NW from 15th St NW to 3rd St NW

 E St NW from N Capitol St NW to Columbia Cir NE

 Pennsylvania Ave NW from 15th St NW to 3rd St NW

 D St NW from 18th St NW to 17th St NW

 D St NW from 9th St NW to Louisiana Ave NW

 Indiana Ave NW from 7th St NW to D St NW

 Louisiana Ave NW from Constitution Ave NW to 1st St NW

 Louisiana Ave NW from D St NE to N Capitol St NW

 Massachusetts Ave NW from N Capitol St NW to 2nd St NE

 C St NW from 18th St NW to 17th St NW

 C St NW from 7th St NW to 1st St NW

 Virginia Ave NW from 18th St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 Constitution Ave NW from Virginia Ave NW to Louisiana Ave NW

 Madison Dr NW from 15th St SW to 3rd St SW

 Jefferson Dr SW from 15th St SW to 3rd St SW

 Independence Ave SW from 17th St NW to Washington Ave SW

 Independence Ave SE from 1st St SE to 2nd St SE

 Washington Ave SW from Independence Ave SW to D St SW

 LEnfant Plaza SW from Independence Ave SW to Frontage Rd SW

Including around US Postal Service and LEnfant Plaza

 C St SW from 14th St SW to 12th St SW

 D St SW from Washington Ave SW to 1st St SE

 18th St NW from I St NW to Virginia Ave NW

 17th St NW from I St NW to Independence Ave SW

 17th St NW/Connecticut Ave NW/Jackson Pl NW from I St NW to Pennsylvania Ave NW

 16th St NW from I St NW to H St NW

 15th St NW/Vermont Ave NW/Madison Pl NW from I St NW to Pennsylvania Ave NW

 15th St NW from I St NW to Independence Ave SW

 Raoul Wallenberg Pl SW from Independence Ave SW to Maine Ave SW

 14th St NW from I St NW to C St SW

 13  St NW from Pennsylvania Ave NW

 13th St NW from I St NW to Pennsylvania Ave NW

 13th St NW from Madison Dr NW to Jefferson Dr SW

 12th St NW from I St NW to C St SW

 11th St NW from F St NW to Pennsylvania Ave NW

 10th St NW from E St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 9th St NW from E St NW to Independence Ave SW

 8th St NW from E St to D St NW

 7th St NW from E St NW to Independence Ave SW

 6th St NW from G St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 5th St NW from H St to D St NW

 4th St NW from H St NW to D St NW

 4th St NW from Pennsylvania Ave NW to Independence Ave SW

 3rd St NW from H St NW to Madison Dr NW

 2nd St NW from C St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 1st St NW from D St NW to Louisiana Ave NW

Green Zone  Vehicle Restricted Zone

Vehicle traffic will be restricted to residents or businesses within the restricted area. National Guard personnel will assist with verifying traffic entering into the Green Zone.

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement) Start: 7 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 19. End: 1 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 21.

 K St NW from Washington Cir NW to 11 St NW

 Pennsylvania Ave NW from Washington Cir NW to 18th St NW

 I St NW from 23rd St NW to 20th St NW

 I St NW from Pennsylvania Ave NW to 18th St NW

 I St NW from 12th St NW to 11th St NW

 H St NW from 23rd St NW to 18th St NW

 H St NW from Pennsylvania Ave NW to 18th St NW

 New York Ave NW from 12th St NW to 11th St NW

 H St NW from 12th St NW to Massachusetts Ave NW

 Massachusetts Ave NW/Columbia Cir NW from H St NW to 2nd St NW

 G St NW from 23rd St NW to 18th St NW

 G St NW from 12th St NW to 7th St NW

 G St NW from 3rd St NW to Massachusetts Ave NW

 G Pl NW from 10th St NW to 9th St NW

 F St NW from 23rd St NW 18th St NW

 F St NW from 3rd St NW to N Capitol St NW

 E St NW from 23rd St NW to 18th St NW

 E St Express Way from 23rd St NW to 18th St NW

 E St NW from 3rd St NW to Columbia Cir NW

 D St NW from 23rd St NW to Virginia Ave NW

 Virginia Ave NW from 23rd St NW to 18th St NW

 Virginia Ave NW to E St NW

 C St NW from 23rd St NW to Virginia Ave NW

 Constitution Ave NW from 23rd St NW to Virginia Ave NW

 Henry Bacon Dr NW from Lincoln Memorial Cir. NW to Constitution Ave NW

 Daniel French Dr SW from Lincoln Memorial Cir. SW to Independence Ave SW

 Homefront Dr from 17th St NW to Independence Ave SW

 Independence Ave. SW/Kutz Bridge from 23rd St NW to 15th St SW

 C St SW from 9th St SW to 7th St SW

 Maryland Ave SW from 7th St SW to Independence Ave SW

 C St SW from 12 St SW to 2nd St SW

 D St SW from 14th St SW to Virginia Ave SW

 Virginia Ave SW from 9th St SW to 4th St SW

 D St SW from 4th St SW to 2nd St SW

 E St SW from 7th St SW to North Carolina Ave SE

 North Carolina Ave SE from E St SE to 1st St SE

 School St SW from 6th St SW to 4th St SW

 Frontage Rd SW from 7th St SW to Tunnel

Including northbound and southbound routes to D St SW and 12th St Expressway

 Maine Ave SW from 9th St SW to 12 St SW

 Maine Ave SW from 9th St SW to 14th St SW

 Maine Ave SW from 9th St SW to Independence Ave SW

 Ohio Dr SW from Independence Ave SW to Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW

 Washington Cir NW from K St NW to 23rd St NW

 23rd St NW from K St NW to Independence Ave SW

Lincoln Memorial Cir. NW between 23rd St NW and Independence Ave NW

 22nd St NW from K St NW to Virginia Ave NW

 22nd St NW from C St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 21st St NW from K St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 20th St NW from K St NW to Virginia Ave NW

 20th St NW from C St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 19th St NW from K St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 18th St NW from K St NW to I St NW

 18th St NW from Virginia Ave NW to Constitution Ave NW

 17th St NW/Connecticut Ave NW/Jackson Pl NW from K St NW to I St NW

 17th St NW from K St NW to I St NW

 15th St NW from K St NW to I St NW

 15th St NW/Vermont Ave NW/Madison Pl NW from K St NW to I St NW

 14th St NW from K St NW to I St NW

 14th St SW from C St SW to Maine Ave SW

 13th St NW from K St NW to I St NW

 12th St NW from K St NW to I St NW

 12th St SW from C St SW to Maine Ave SW/395

 12th St SW from Independence Ave SW to Frontage Rd SW

 11th St NW from K St NW to F St NW

 10th St NW from H St NW to F St NW

 9th St NW from H St NW to F St NW

 9th St SW from Independence Ave SW to Frontage Rd SW

 8th St NW from H St NW to G St NW

 7th St NW from H St NW to F St NW

 7th St SW from Independence Ave SW to Frontage Rd SW

 6th St NW from H St NW to G St NW

 6th St SW from Independence Ave SW to Frontage Rd SW

 4th St SW from Independence Ave SW to E St SW

 3rd St SW from Independence Ave SW to E St SW

 2nd St NW from Massachusetts Ave NW to D St NW

 2nd St SW from Washington Ave SW to E St SW

 1st St NE from New Jersey Ave NE to D St NE

 New Jersey Ave NE from Massachusetts Ave NW to D St NE

 Washington Ave SW from Independence Ave SW to E St SW

 Washington Ave SW from Independence Ave SW to S Capitol St SE

 N Capitol St NW from Massachusetts Ave NW to E St NE

 S Capitol St SE from D St SE to E St SE

 1st St SE from D St SE to North Carolina Ave SE

Capitol Hill

U.S. Capitol and Metropolitan Police will enforce closures on Capitol Hill. Vehicle traffic will be restricted to authorized vehicles only, with proper vehicle placards. No public parking will be available.

The following street closures will go into effect beginning 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19:

 Washington Ave SW from C St. SW to Independence Ave SW (Northbound Only)

 East Capitol St. from First St to Second St.

Additionally, the following closures will be effectiving beginning 11 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19:

 Louisiana Ave NE between Columbus Circle and Constitution Ave NW

 Delaware Ave NE between Columbus Circle and D St. NE

 1st St. between Columbus Circle and D St. SE

 North Capitol St. between E St. NW and D St. NE

 New Jersey Ave NW between D St. NW and Constitution Ave NW

 D St. between New Jersey Ave NW and 2nd St. NE

 1st St. between D St. NW and Washington Ave SW

 C St. NW between 2nd St. NW and Second St.NE

 2nd St. NW between C St. NW and Constitution Ave NW

 2nd St. NE between Massachusetts Ave NE and C St. SE

 C St. SE between 2nd St. SE and 4th St. SW

 D St. between 1st St. SE and 4th St. SW

 Washington Ave SW between South Capitol St. and Independence Ave SW

 Independence Ave between 3rd St. SE and 4th St. SW

 3rd St. between E St. SW and D St. NW

 Constitution Ave between 2nd St. NE and 3rd St. NW

 Maryland Ave NE between 1st St. NE and Constitution Ave, NE

 2nd St. SW between Washington Ave SW and E St. SW

 South Capitol St. between E St. SW and D St. SW

 I-295 South on-ramp from Washington Ave SW

 I-395 North off-ramp onto Washington Ave SW

 I-395 North off-ramp onto C St. NW

 I-395 South on-ramp from 2nd St. SW

 I-395 South off-ramp onto 2nd St. SW

 I-395 North on-ramp from Washington Ave SW

 I-295 North off-ramp onto Washington Ave SW

Streets will reopen after the parade, which is expected to end about 5 p.m.

Lincoln Memorial Event

The following closures and restrictions will be in effect near the Lincoln Memorial beginning at 4 a.m. Jan. 19 until the event concludes about 6 p.m.

Street and Bridge Closures

Vehicle traffic will be restricted to authorized vehicles only, with proper vehicle placards.

 Constitution Ave (23rd St. to 15th St.)  Closed

 23rd St. NW (Virginia Ave. NW to Independence Ave. SW)  Closed

 Henry Bacon Dr. NW  Closed

 Lincoln Memorial Cir.  Closed

 22nd St. NW (C St. to Constitution Ave. NW)  Closed

 21st St. NW (Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave. NW)  Closed

 20th St. NW (C St. to Constitution Ave. NW)  Closed

 19th St. NW (Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave. NW)  Closed

 18th St. NW (Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave. NW)  Closed

 Virginia Ave (18th St. to Constitution Ave.NW)  Closed

 17th St. NW (New York Ave. NW to Independence Ave. SW)  Closed

 Independence Ave SW (23rd St. to 17th St. NW)  Closed

 Daniel French Dr. SW  Closed

 Ohio Dr. SW (Independence Ave. SW to Inlet Bridge)  Closed

 West Basin Dr. SW (Ohio Dr. to Independence Ave. SW)  Closed

 Rock Creek Parkway (Virginia Ave. SW to Ohio Dr. SW)  Closed

 Parkway Dr.  Closed

 Memorial Bridge  Closed

 Theodore Roosevelt Bridge -- *10 a.m. on Jan. 19, all traffic will be diverted to the Northbound Potomac River Freeway

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement) Start: 10 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18. End: 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19

 Constitution Ave from 23rd St NW to 15th St NW

 23rd St. NW from Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave NW

 22nd St. NW from C St NW to Constitution Ave NW

 21st St. NW from Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave NW

 20 St. NW from C St. to Constitution Ave NW

 19th St. NW from Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave NW

 18th St. NW from Virginia Ave to Constitution Ave NW

 17th St. NW from New York Ave to Independence Ave NW

 Independence Ave NW from Ohio Dr. to 17th St. NW

 Ohio Dr. NW from Independence Ave NW to Inlet bridge

 West Basin Dr. NW from Ohio Dr. NW to Independence Ave NW

 Rock Creek Pkwy from Ohio Dr. NW to Virginia Ave NW

 Lincoln Memorial Cir.

 Parkway Dr. NW from Ohio Dr. NW to Lincoln Memorial Cir.

Union Station Event

The following restrictions and closures will be effective in the area surrounding Union Station from 12 to 11 p.m. on Jan. 19.

Street Closures

Vehicle traffic restricted to authorized vehicles only with proper vehicle placard.

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement) Start: 1 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 19. End: 1 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20

 Massachusetts Ave NE (North Capitol St. NE to 3rd St NE)  Closed

 Columbus Cir. NE (All Lanes. All Directions)  Closed

 Louisiana Ave NE (North Capitol St. NE to Columbus Cir. NE)  Closed

 1st St NE (K St NE to Massachusetts Ave NE)

o Only local traffic with garage passes and identification

 G St NE (North Capitol St. NE to 1st St NE)  Closed

 G Pl. NE (North Capitol St. NE to 1st St NE)  Closed

 H St NE (North Capitol St. NE to 3rd St NE)

o May be subject to temporary closures from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

 2nd St NE (I St NE to Massachusetts Ave NE)

o Only local traffic with garage passes and identification

 G St NE (2nd St NE to 3rd St NE)  Closed

 F St NE (2nd St NE to 3rd St NE)  Closed

 E St NE (2nd St NE to 3rd St NE)  Closed

Washington Convention Center

The following restrictions and closures will be effective in the area surrounding the Washington Convention Center beginning Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. until the events conclude at approximately 11 p.m. on Jan. 20.

Street Closures

Vehicle traffic restricted to authorized vehicles only with proper vehicle placard.

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement) Start: 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. End: 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 22

 7th St NW from O St NW to Massachusetts Ave NW

 9th St NW from O St NW to New York Ave NW

 New York Ave NW from 6th St NW to 10th St NW

 Massachusetts Ave NW from 6th St NW to 10th St NW

 K St NW from 6th St NW to 10th St NW

 Mt Vernon Pl NW from 7th St NW to 9th St NW

 L St NW from 7th St NW to 9th St NW

 M St NW from 7th St NW to 9th St NW

 N St NW from 7th St NW to 9th St NW

 8th St NW from O St NW to N St NW

 McCullough Ter from N St NW to M St NW

 Public Alley between 9th St NW and 8th St NW from O St NW to N St NW

Vehicle Restricted Zone

Vehicle traffic restricted to residents or businesses within the restricted area.

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement) Start: 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29. End: 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 22

 L St NW from 6th St NW to 7th St NW

 L St NW from 9th St NW to 10th St NW

 M St NW from 6th St NW to 7th St NW

 M St NW from 9th St NW to 10th St NW

 N St NW from 6th St NW to 7th St NW

 N St NW from 9th St NW to 10th St NW

 Blagden Alley NW from N St NW to M St NW

 Blagden Alley NW from 9th St NW to 10th St NW

 Shepherd Ct NW from M St NW to 10th St NW

 Naylor Ct NW from O St NW to N St NW

 Naylor Ct NW from 9th St NW to 10th St NW

Emergency No Parking Only

No restrictions on vehicle traffic within the designated area

Parking Restrictions (Posted Emergency No Parking with Ticketing and Towing Enforcement)

o Start  6 a.m., Friday, Jan. 20

o End  6:00 am, Saturday, Jan. 21

 6th St NW from O St NW to K St NW

 10th St NW from O St NW to K St NW

 O St NW from 6th St NW to 7th St NW

National Cathedral - Jan. 21

The following restrictions and closures are in effect for the area surrounding the National Cathedral beginning at 7:30 a.m. until around 12 p.m. on Jan. 21.

Street Closures

Vehicle traffic restricted to authorized vehicles only with proper vehicle placard.

 36th St NW from Woodley Rd to Lowell St NW

 35th St NW from Woodley Rd to Lowell St NW

 Woodley Rd from 34th NW to Wisconsin Ave NW

 Wisconsin Ave. from Woodley Rd to Massachusetts Ave NW

 Massachusetts Ave from Wisconsin Ave. to Garfield St. NW

 Pilgrim Rd from Garfield St NW to Massachusetts Ave NW

 Entrance to St. Alban School on Garfield St. NW

 South Rd at Wisconsin Ave NW

All street closures are subject to change.

Virginia Vehicular Restrictions

 I-395 HOV northbound lanes will close at 9 a.m. on January 21. HOV lanes on I-395 will re-open southbound upon the conclusion of the Inaugural address

 I-395 main lanes and I-66 will be open to all traffic

 Memorial Bridge will be open to pedestrian traffic and authorized vehicle traffic only

 Key Bridge, Chain Bridge, Woodrow Wilson Bridge and the American Legion Bridge will be open to all traffic

 North Washington St. at Montgomery St. (City of Alexandria City) to Reagan National Airport will be open

 The George Washington Memorial Parkway will be open in both directions

 Traffic will be allowed to exit Washington Reagan National Airport onto northbound or southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway

Maryland Transportation Information

Officials do not anticipate road closures or restrictions in Maryland but discourage individuals from driving into the District. Drivers are encouraged to use mass transit. The Maryland Department of Transportations State Highway Administration (SHA) is supporting Inaugural activities through the following:

 SHA crews and Maryland State Police may temporarily close ramps from primary interstate roads onto secondary roads to manage congestion;

 The Maryland State Police will tow immediately any abandoned or illegally parked vehicles along state and interstate routes;

 Be prepared for stopped traffic;

 Rest areas in Maryland, including the Chesapeake House, Maryland House and the northbound Laurel Rest Area, will be open 24-hours a day between January 17-20

 SHA is working with other agencies in Maryland, as well as Virginia, the District of Columbia and the federal government to ensure safety along Maryland highways and provide up-to-the-minute information

Please use the Maryland State Highway Administration website: www.roads.maryland.gov The Maryland Transit Administration is offering special MARC service on Inauguration Day and their release is here. SHA will deploy extra highway response technicians to help clear disabled vehicles and crashes.

DC.gov

Go here to see a larger version of this map.

Public Transportation

Those attending Inaugural events are encouraged to use public transportation due to the street closures in and around the Capitol Grounds and the National Mall. Metro will run special rail service on Inauguration Day to support large crowds traveling to and from the National Mall and other events.

Metro is making its final plans for Inauguration Day. News4 Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss reports.

Inauguration Day, Jan. 20:

Metrorail

 Metrorail will open at 4 a.m. and close at midnight. Peak fares will be in effect from 4 a.m. until 9 p.m. After 9 p.m., off-peak fares will be in effect.

 Five of Metro's 91 stations -- Archives, Mt Vernon Square, Federal Triangle, Smithsonian and Pentagon - will be closed due to enhanced security measures.

 For 17 consecutive hours -- from opening until 9 p.m. -- trains will run frequently on all lines, including "Rush Plus" service on the Yellow Line between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt.

 Riders planning to use Metro are encouraged to purchase their SmarTrip card in advance to avoid long lines on Inauguration Day. (Each rider age 5 or older needs his/her own SmarTrip card to enter and exit the system.) Before Jan. 13, visit wmata.com/inauguration to purchase a special $10 one-day pass good for unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus trips on Inauguration Day.

 Metro recommends that riders plan their trip to the National Mall without transferring between lines. There is a station near the National Mall on each Metro line.

Metrobus

 Metrobus will operate "Saturday Supplemental" service (Saturday schedule with additional trips on selected routes). Check wmata.com for details.

 About 50 routes will operate with detours due to Inauguration events and road closures. Expect delays and detours. Please allow additional time.

 Routes that normally cross the National Mall will turn around at special locations outside the secure area; use Metrorail instead. Visit wmata.com/inauguration for information.

 Temporary bus stops will be marked around the security perimeter of the event where bus routes will end.

MetroAccess

 MetroAccess paratransit service for customers with disabilities will operate identical hours to rail and bus schedules.

 MetroAccess customers are encouraged to plan extra time to travel due to increased traffic throughout the service area. Due to road closures, MetroAccess vehicles will only be able to drop off customers several blocks from the National Mall and parade route.

 MetroAccess vehicles will not be permitted access to streets that are closed. All MetroAccess users should be prepared for detours and extended travel times.

Parking

 Metro has approximately 60,000 parking spaces in 29 lots and 22 garages throughout the Washington region for private motorists to park on Inauguration Day. Many of these facilities are located near major highways, such as I-95/I-495 (Capital Beltway).

 Tour buses are not permitted to park at Metro stations or use Metro bus facilities or roadways. Follow tour bus instructions on dc.gov.

 Regular weekday parking rates will be charged as you exit the garage and may be paid by credit card.

 Parking facilities at Metro stations may reach capacity early on Inauguration Day. Have a backup plan in the event that your selected parking facility is full.

Metro's website is wmata.com. For important real-time updates regarding Metro service and parking availability, follow @wmata, @metrorailinfo and @metrobusinfo, and sign up for Metro Inauguration Alerts by texting POTUS to 90360.

For Metro travel information by phone, call (202) 637-7000 [TTY 202- 962-2033].

Charter Buses

Transportation and security planners anticipate up to 1,500 private buses carrying approximately 100,000 participants to Washington, D.C. for the Inaugural events. Parking is only available at RFK Stadium and must be reserved in advance at http://goground.com/pi2017/home. From RFK Stadium, passengers will be able to take Metrorail, walk, or, in limited cases, take shuttle buses to the Inaugural events.

Charter buses will not be able to park and/or drop off passengers at any Metro station in Washington D.C., Virginia or Maryland. All transportation providers planning to travel to the District of Columbia during Inauguration Week with chartered buses, motor carriers, etc., must obtain a trip permit from the District Department of Motor Vehicles if they do not have apportioned tags and must reserve parking in advance. Parking for charter buses is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pedestrian Routes

Pedestrian routes to the National Mall are listed below and a pedestrian map is attached:

 H St. NW from Massachusetts Ave. NW to Pennsylvania Ave. NW

 I St. NW from New York Ave. NW to Pennsylvania Ave. NW

 K St. NW from 9th St. NW to Washington Cir. NW

 18th St. from K St. NW to Constitution Ave. NW

 19th St. from K St. NW to Virginia Ave. NW

 Virginia Ave NW from 23rd St. to Constitution Ave. NW

 Constitution Ave. NW from 23rd St. to 7th St. NW

 Arlington Memorial Bridge from Virginia, around Lincoln Cir. to Constitution Ave. NW or Independence Ave SW

 Massachusetts Ave. from E St. NW to 3rd St. NW

 3rd St. NE and Massachusetts Ave. NE to D St. SE to New Jersey Ave. SE to I St. SE/SW to 7th St. SW

 East Capitol St. NE from 19th St. NE to North Carolina Ave. SE 3rd St. SE to I St. SE/SW to 7th St. SW

 M St. SW from 4th St. SW to I St. SW to 7th St. SW

 7th St. SW from I St. SW to Independence Ave. SW

 12th St. SW from Maine Ave. SW to Independence Ave. SW

 Independence Ave. SW from 23rd St. SW to 7th St. SW

National Mall access points (Includes Bag Checks):

 Constitution Ave. NW at 7th St. NW, 12th St. NW and 17th St. NW

 Independence Ave. SW at 7th St. SW, 12th St. SW, 15th St. SW, and 17th St. SW

The following streets are pedestrian routes to the Inaugural Parade:

 H St. NW from Pennsylvania Ave. NW to 7th St. NW

 I St. NW from Pennsylvania Ave. NW to New York Ave. NW

 K St. NW from Washington Cir. NW to 9th St. NW

 Arlington Memorial Bridge from Virginia, around Lincoln Cir. to Constitution Ave. NW

 Virginia Ave. NW from 23rd St. NW to Constitution Ave. NW

 Constitution Ave. NW from 23rd St. NW to 7th St. NW

 Independence Ave. SW from LEnfant Plaza SW to 17th St. SW to Constitution Ave. NW

 East Capitol St. NE from 19th St. NE to Massachusetts Ave. NE to E St. NE/NW

 I St. SE from New Jersey Ave. SE to 7th St. SW to Constitution Ave. NW

 M St. SE from First St. SE to 4th St. SW to I St. SW to 7th St. SW

For pedestrians walking to the National Mall, Union Station is the recommended east/west divide on the north side of the parade route. It is 3.0 miles from Columbus Cir. NE to 7th St. and Independence Ave. SW (going around the U.S. Capitol) and 3.1 miles from Massachusetts Ave. NE to 12th St. and Constitution Ave. NW (going around the White House) using these pedestrian routes.

Recommended Metro exits for individuals with tickets include Capitol South, Eastern Market, Union Station, NoMa-Gallaudet U (New York Ave.), Judiciary Square, Gallery Pl.-Chinatown, Federal Center SW or LEnfant Plaza. Additional information on the Inauguration ceremonies is available at http://www.inaugural.senate.gov.

Viewing the Inaugural ceremonies from the National Mall does not require tickets. However, bags will be checked. The non-ticketed area of the National Mall begins at 4th St. NW, and extends past the Washington Monument to 17th St. NW. The Washington Monument viewing area will be restricted to the grounds between 17th St. NW and 15th St. NW.

Capital Bikeshare Corrals / Bike Parking / Streetcar / Circulator

Capital Bikeshare will establish two corrals on Inauguration Day to serve members attending the Inauguration and Inaugural Parade Capital Bikeshare Corrals will be operational at:

 17th St. and K St. NW

 4th and E St. SW

Bike parking will be free at 16th St. and I St. NW.

DC Streetcar will operate from 4 a.m. Fri., Jan. 20 until 2 a.m. Sat., Jan. 21.

Bikeshare stations in the National Mall area will be closed Jan. 19 and 20.

Riders are subject to any losses or damage for bikes left at closed stations.

D.C. Circulator will suspend service on four routes; Union Station- Navy Yard, National Mall, Rosslyn-Dupont and Georgetown-Union Station.

For more information on Capital Bikeshare, visit http://www.capitalbikeshare.com.
A man who draped himself in the American flag and jumped over the White House fence on Thanksgiving Day in 2015 was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation.

Joseph Caputo of Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in September to entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

At his sentencing Thursday, prosecutors had planned to request three years probation and a ban from the District of Columbia.

While under probation, Caputo will have to stay away from D.C. and "any facilities, sites or people under Secret Service protection," said a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

Caputo must also be interviewed by the Secret Service and, if ordered, undergo a psychiatric evaluation by a Secret Service psychologist, the spokesman said.

Caputo, now 24, scaled the fence Nov. 26, 2015 while carrying in his mouth a binder with a self-authored, "re-written" Constitution. Once over the fence he shouted "I love my country" and complied with Secret Service officers' demands to get on the ground.

The main point was the binder, Caputo said. It seeks to restore the Constitution to its original intentions and enhance it based on the social parameters of our day.

Caputo's lawyer argued Caputo's actions were intended to call attention to deficiencies in the Constitution and protected by the First Amendment, so the charge against him should be dismissed.

He actually composed a rewritten Constitution that addressed changes to the existing Constitution which included some term limits for political office and included some changes for the educational system and just things that a conscientious young man might want to see change in the future, attorney Stephen Seeger said.

A judge disagreed, saying Caputo's arguments "border on frivolous." There is "no First Amendment right to express one's self in a nonpublic area like the White House," U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper wrote.

Caputo isn't the only person to successfully scale the fence in recent years.

In September 2014, a Texas man managed to get over the fence, enter the executive mansion and run deep into the building. The man, Omar Gonzalez, was found to be carrying a folding knife and was ultimately sentenced to 17 months in prison. The security breach prompted officials to put up a second, shorter barrier several feet in front of the fence and to restrict people from entering the space in between the two barriers, but a month after Gonzalez was arrested, another man also got over the fence.

In 2015, a second layer of steel spikes was added to the fence, but Caputo still managed to get over it.
EDITOR'S NOTE, 3/28/17: Prosecutors have dropped charges against Angelo Lamont Jackson.

Police have identified the second man who was fatally stabbed Tuesday inside the Westfield Wheaton mall in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Police said Thursday that Kevin Siloe Moya Cruz, 22, of Wheaton, died in the incident. A day earlier, they released the identity of the other victim, Angel Alfredo Gomez-Pineda, 24, of Silver Spring.

A teenager was charged in their deaths.

Cruz and Gomez-Pineda were stabbed after they were involved in a fight on the lower level of the mall, near the Hollister clothing store, police said.

Police said in an update Wednesday that four young men broke bamboo sticks that were in a planter inside the mall and wielded them against a young man.

The conflict died down, but then the man who had been attacked with the sticks returned with a knife, police said.

Officers were called to the mall about 3:15 p.m., where they found the victims with life-threatening stab wounds.

A teenage girl who said she worked in the mall said she saw a "kid" who was attacked. His friends were trying to help him, she said, declining to give her name.

"What I saw was a whole bunch of police officers. They were everywhere. They had every intersection of this mall locked down," another apparent witness, D'Aaron Dixon said.

At least one person was questioned in the case and searched. Video shot from Chopper4 showed police stopping drivers as they tried to leave the mall parking lot. Officers searched their backseats and trunks.

Police announced Wednesday that they had arrested and charged 17-year-old Angelo Lamont Jackson, of Montgomery Village.

Jackson is charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder.

Police spokesman Capt. Paul Starks said he was unable to confirm whether the stabbings could be gang-related.

The mall, also known as Wheaton Plaza, is located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton, Maryland.

This story has been updated from an earlier version after police released corrected information.
The one thing everyone can agree on about the 2016 presidential election: there were a lot of bruised feelings on all sides.

Now, were just days away from the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump. Many have heard about planned protests and boycotts, but thats only part of the story.

Across the country and in the Washington region, which voted heavily Democratic, there are many citizens excited about -- and looking forward to -- attending the Trump Inaugural.

Patrick Mara is executive director of the tiny Republican Party in the District of Columbia. It may be outnumbered 10-to-1 in the District, but these days, hes getting lots of phone calls from the Washington region and nationwide.

"There are lots of people looking to obtain inaugural tickets to the ceremony and balls," he said. "Theyre primarily interested in Trumps message of job creation, bringing jobs back to the U.S.A. Trump really spoke to them."

Although there has been many news accounts of assorted protests scheduled for Jan. 20, supporters of the new president also are planning to be in Washington for his inauguration.

"Im bringing my six-year-old daughter," said Prince William County Realtor Pat Sowers. "Its a peaceful transfer of power. I want my daughter to witness a peaceful transfer of power."

Sowers, 43, once met Trump in Atlantic City when Sowers was just a teenager.

"Donald Trump was not my first choice. I think hell do a fine job," said Sowers, who liked Jeb Bush and voted in last years Virginia primary for Marco Rubio.

Sowers is a lifelong resident of Northern Virginia. He grew up in part on his grandparents farm in Centerville. "There are 300 houses where my grandparents farm was," he said, noting how the area is quickly changing from rural to suburban and even to urban.

Rev. Mike Edwards is pastor of the Heritage Baptist Church in Prince William. His large congregation in Woodbridge hosted Donald Trump Jr. just days before the Nov. 8 election.

Edwards told News4 that many citizens were excited about attending the inaugural.

Across the Potomac River, Maryland Republican Party Chairman Dirk Haire also is juggling more requests for inaugural and parade tickets than he can possibly accommodate.

"At the state party, we have received a significant number," he told us. "Were oversubscribed, to the chagrin of many of our supporters." Haire said there is a "high degree of excitement, particularly among the Trump volunteers."

Haire, who works in Washington as an attorney and lives in Edgewater, said the state party is sharing logistical information provided by the Greater Washington Board of Trade on how to get around the District on Inauguration Day. "Most of our population lives within a two-hour drive," Haire said.

But hes telling people it probably will be best to park in the suburbs and take Metro trains to the heart of the city.

The immediate Washington region may have largely supported Democrat Hillary Clinton, but Republicans and Independents  and even some Democrats  say the inauguration should be a good civic moment for the whole country, protests and all.

"It is the inauguration of a President," Mara said. "Its happened 57 times before. Its a big deal for the country. It shouldnt be seen as a partisan event. Its an American event."
EDITOR'S NOTE, 3/28/17: Prosecutors have dropped charges against Angelo Lamont Jackson.

A 17-year-old high school junior has been charged with stabbing two men to death inside a Maryland mall after police say they fought.

Angelo Lamont Jackson, of Montgomery Village, Maryland, was arrested Wednesday in the deaths of two men in their 20s at the Westfield Wheaton mall.

Angel Alfredo Gomez-Pineda, 24, of Silver Spring, and Kevin Siloe Moya Cruz, 22, of Wheaton, died after they were stabbed inside the mall Tuesday afternoon.

Jackson was arrested Wednesday afternoon after police identified him on surveillance video footage of the attack, police said. Officers recognized him after having had previous contact with him.

Speaking at her home on Thursday, Jackson's mother, Charlene Young, said her son had nothing to do with the crime.

"This is mistaken identity," she said. "That's some gang stuff -- MS-13. That's nothing to do with my son. I know where my son was at. I have proof where my son was at at the time when this incident happened."

The two men were stabbed after they were involved in a fight on the lower level of the mall, near the Hollister clothing store, police said.

Four young men broke bamboo sticks that were in a planter inside the mall and wielded them against a young person.

The conflict died down. Then, the person who had been attacked with the sticks returned with a knife, police said.

Officers were called to the mall about 3:15 p.m., where they found the victims with life-threatening stab wounds.

The victims were pronounced dead later in the day.

Two people have died after they were stabbed Tuesday afternoon inside the Westfield Wheaton mall in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Jackson appeared in court Thursday. His lawyer said the 11th grader at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville said he is innocent.

Jackson was charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder. He was held without bond because a judge considered him a possible danger to the community.

In court, prosecutors said Jackson had a juvenile record, with a second-degree assault conviction in 2014 and an attempted robbery charged.

At the family's home, Jackson's brother Arnold said his younger brother had been in trouble before but never would endanger someone's life.

"My brother's a good dude. He makes jokes. He a goofball. A killer? A murderer? That can never be my little brother," he said.

Police in Montgomery County are searching for a young man who they say stabbed and killed two people at the Westfield Wheaton mall. Investigators say the suspect got into a fight with a group of young people who had bamboo sticks. News4s Pat Collins reports.

Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office spokesman John McCarthy said he could not confirm whether the crime was gang-related.

If Jackson has an alibi, he will have the opportunity to raise it as a defense as the case proceeds to trial.

He could serve life in prison.
An 80-year-old woman who disappeared in Virginia while on a road trip has been found safe in West Virginia.

Catherine Hemlepp and her husband were driving separate cars from Pennsylvania to South Carolina when he lost track of her on Old Dominion Road in Fairfax County, Virginia, at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Police say someone was able to get in touch with Hemlepp at midnight, and she told them she was staying at the Shenandoah Motel in Winchester. But, police say the hotel does not exist. Investigators checked hotels in the City of Winchester and Frederick County, but they were not able to find her.

On Thursday, investigators found Hemlepp at a Best Western in Bridgeport, West Virginia, about three hours from Winchester. Police say a purchase made on her credit card helped them locate her.

Officers are on their way to West Virginia to bring her back to her husband.
Donald Trump's choice as secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, denied Wednesday that he had pressed the U.S. to avoid sanctioning Russia over foreign-policy disputes. The record, though, is not so clear.

The nominee testified at his confirmation hearing that "I have never lobbied against sanctions personally" and "to my knowledge, Exxon never directly lobbied against sanctions."

There's ample evidence, though, that the company was active in seeking to protect its interests in Russia. As a bill to impose sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region moved through Congress in 2014, Exxon sought to influence the outcome, according to congressional records and data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog on money and politics. President Barack Obama signed the measure into law later that year.

Given a second chance on the subject at the Senate hearing, Tillerson sought to clarify his answer by saying his opposition came after sanctions were imposed and that he expressed security-related concerns.

Tillerson has spoken of his almost two-decade relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the time, his company's stake in a lucrative offshore drilling project with the Russian state oil company Rosneft was under threat. He made numerous White House visits, to no avail.

The new U.S. sanctions banned the transfer to Russia of advanced offshore and shale technology, and Exxon was ordered to stop drilling in the Kara Sea, leaving the site's potential riches untapped. Tillerson's main partner, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, was added to a U.S. sanctions blacklist.

Tillerson has spoken publicly of his desire to see the sanctions lifted, which would benefit Exxon.

At Exxon's 2014 shareholder meeting, Tillerson said, "We always encourage the people who are making those decisions to consider the very broad collateral damage of who are they really harming."
Police in Maine are asking for the public's help with finding a missing 16-year-old girl.

Bridgton police say Felicia Gesimondo-Granger was reported missing Wednesday morning.

She's described as 5'1", weighs about 150 pounds with brown eyes and brown/blonde hair. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and a grey hooded coat with red stripes.

Anyone with any information on her whereabouts is asked to call Bridgton police at 207-647-8814.
A Massachusetts man was arrested in New Jersey one day after his father was found dead in Blackstone.

Bay State authorities had named 48-year-old Glenn Armstrong a person of interest in the death of his 83-year-old father, Walter, who was found dead during a well-being check at his Summer Street home around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Thursday the younger Armstrong was being sought for questioning in what they believed to be a homicide.

Around 8:30 p.m., Early's office announced that police in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, had taken Armstrong into custody on a Massachusetts warrant for failing to submit DNA.

Armstrong was driving the 1995 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, owned by his father, that was missing from the scene, according to authorities. Police say it ran out of gas in the area and he was taken into custody in the parking lot of a hotel.

Early said before the arrest that Armstrong may be in the New Jersey area, where he has ties. But the DA also noted ties to Rhode Island, New York and Florida. He has served jail time in the past.

The DA's office is working to bring Armstrong back to Worcester County.
The driver who was operating the bus that rolled over with 22 middle school students on board Wednesday has multiple driving infractions.

According to Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles records, 54-year-old Mitchell Valburn of Everett had five speeding tickets, one accident, and violations for failure to stop and making an improper turn. At one point he was slated to have his license suspended, but paid fines before that happened.

A spokesperson for First Student, the company Valburn works for, had released conflicting information saying that he has a clean driving record. Valburn has been licensed to drive a bus in the state since 2006.

The rollover happened after a collision involving a pickup truck on Interstate 95 southbound near Route 20 in Weston, Massachusetts.

The injured students - sixth through eighth graders at Sudbury's Curtis Middle School - were taken to the hospital for evaluation of minor injuries. Some complained of back or neck pain, but none were seriously hurt.

"We are so grateful it appears none of our students were seriously injured," Sudbury Public Schools Superintendent Anne Wilson said.

Thursday, school officials said they were monitoring the students for signs of trauma and will provide resources for students and families.

The pickup trucks driver stayed on the scene after the crash, according to Massachusetts State Police.

An investigation is underway, and it's unclear at this time whether either of the drivers will be cited or charged.
President-elect Donald Trump spoke out against a social media campaign encouraging shoppers to boycott Maine-based retailer L.L.Bean.

The founder's granddaughter, Linda Bean, contributed to a pro-Trump PAC, but New England shoppers said that won't stop them from supporting the company.

"It isn't fair that we make a judgment about what someone's personal decision was because they're attached to a company," said Mark Murphy.

"I think that it's a New England company, and I think we should stand by LL Bean," said Denny McNeice.

Last week, the Associated Press reported that Bean donated $60,000 to Make America Great Again, LLC, a PAC supporting the president-elect.

"I think she probably made a mistake and sending it to the wrong place," said McNeice.

Trump thanked Bean Thursday morning with a tweet speaking out against the proposed boycott.

Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean. @LBPerfectMaine  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

"Thank you to Linda Bean of LL Bean for your great support and courage," Trump tweeted. "People will support you even more now. Buy LL Bean."

"It's good to appreciate what people do for you," said Murphy. "Somebody does something nice for me, I say saying 'thank you' is a pretty good idea."

"L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions," the company said in a statement. "Simply put, we stay out of politics. To be included in this boycott campaign is simply misguided."

Trump's tweet Thursday morning came after Bean's appearance on Fox News. She said the campaign to boycott is a bullying tactic toward her and the company.
A Willimantic police investigation into an armed home invasion on West Avenue early Thursday morning led to the arrest of a city resident on gun charges, police said.

The home invasion happened sometime after 1 a.m. Thursday and police officers were called to the house at 75 West Avenue around 2 a.m.

A victim who lives in the home sustained several cuts to the face. He was treated at Windham Hospital and said he is in a lot of pain.

Willimantic police said there is no danger to the public and this is an ongoing investigation.

"This is an isolated incident, this home invasion," Lt. Stan Parizo, of Willimantic Police, said. "This is a targeted incident within the city. There is absolutely no danger to the city residents.""

Thursday evening police said the investigation led to a home on Trapella Road. While there, they recovered a .38 caliber pistol and made an arrest.

Jonathan Cotto-Rubert, 31, was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held on a $100,000 bond. Cotto-Rubert was also wanted by Mohegan Tribal Police on two felony arrest warrants, according to Willimantic police.

If you have any information related to the home invasion, please contact the Willimantic Police Department.
Norfolk churches' silver expert honoured by the Queen

A Norfolk man who works with the countys churches in the specialist areas of silver and furnishings has been made an MBE in the Queens New Year honours list.
Paul and Debbie Williams' Spanish fish and chip shop to feature on Channel 5 show

A THATCHAM couple who upped sticks and moved to Spain to open a fish and chip shop will be featured on tonights (Thursday) episode of Channel 5s Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun.

Paul and Debbie Williams escaped the grey skies of Britain to open Our Plaice in the Sun' in September 2015, serving classic fish and chips to ex-pats and locals in the resort town of Albir, about four miles from Benidorm.

The fly-on-the-wall series, which will be broadcast at 8pm, will follow Mr and Mrs Williams as they launch the shops new delivery service, in an effort to improve business during the quiet summer months when many of the ex-pat community fly home.

Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, former Merchant Navy chef Mr Williams admitted to feeling a bit nervous ahead of his first TV appearance.

They came to film us in July (2016) on the same day we started delivering, he said.

The cameras were with us for 10 hours of the day, from 10am until we closed.

It was a bit frightening, I must admit, and there were a few teething problems, but hopefully well come across all right.

The semi-retired couple, who live on Benidorms biggest campsite, Camping Villamar, say they are loving life in the Spanish sun, despite business being slow when their regulars head back to Blighty as temperatures rise.

Its lovely, said 54-year-old Mrs Williams.

All our customers are fantastic.

And the weather, the way of life  its mostly al fresco, so youre outside eating and drinking rather than having to spend your whole time huddled indoors.

Mr Williams, aged 60, added: Our children still live in England so, because we only open Tuesday to Friday, we can still fly back and see them at the weekend if we need to.

Its perfect really.

We were lucky that we didnt have to come over here and work but I just didnt want to give up work  you need something.

To do it for yourselves is really wonderful.
Employees will stage four days of walk outs as dispute rumbles on

AWE workers in Aldermaston and Burghfield will be striking for four days this month in an ongoing row over proposed pension changes.

The dispute centres around the threat to close the defined benefit pension scheme and substitute it with what unions are describing as an inferior alternative.

Six hundred employees, members of Unite, the UKs largest union, will be staging the walk outs for 48 hours from Wednesday January 18 and again for 48 hours from Monday January 30.

AWE bosses plan to close the defined benefit scheme on January 31 and replace it with a defined contribution one, where the final retirement income is not guaranteed.

Unite regional officer Bob Middleton said: It was in the House of Commons in the early 1990s that the then-Tory government made copper-bottomed promises to AWE workers regarding the future of their pensions, once they transferred to the private sector.

The four days of strike action later this month are not being taken lightly. It is not a political strike, but one taken reluctantly by our members who have no desire to see thousands of pounds wiped off their retirement incomes.

Unite members have voted by 92 per cent for strike action and by 97 per cent for industrial action short of a strike. They have already held two days of strike action on November 14 and December 6, 2016.

Currently, AWE scheme members pay ten per cent of their salary into the scheme and the employer pays 26 per cent.

Under the AWEs new proposals, employees will be able to pay from three per cent to eight per cent or more; with AWE paying from nine per cent (if an employee pays three per cent) to 13 per cent (if an employee pays eight per cent or more).

AWE plc, which employs about 4,000 people, is a consortium of two American-owned companies Lockheed Martin and Jacobs Engineering, and UK-listed Serco.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Demonetisation did not impact Indias bulging inbound tourism market, data released by the tourism ministry show. Despite the widespread cash crunch since Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped old high-value notes on November 8, 2016, tourists have continued their love affair with India  thanks to e-visa!

In December 2016, a total of 1,62,250 foreign tourists arrived in India on e-tourist visa, registering a growth of 56.6 per cent, with travellers from the UK topping the charts at 22.4 per cent, followed by the US (16.4 per cent) and Russia (7.7 per cent), according to a release by the tourism ministry.

During the year, a total of 10,79,696 tourists visited India using e-visa compared to 4,45,300 during 2015  a growth of 142.5 per cent.



The government had launched an electronic visa scheme in November 2014, which is now offered to citizens of 161 countries arriving at 16 international airports in India.

Ease of e-visa and growing numbers of corporate travellers contributed to the growth in inbound travel, said Jaideep Ghosh, partner and head  tourism and hospitality at KPMG.



Echoing similar sentiments, Aloke Bajpai, CEO of ixigo, a travel search marketplace, said a major reason for the jump in foreign tourist footfall is the e-visa facility.

With investment in infrastructure and advanced connectivity, India is on the path to becoming a foreign tourists dream holiday destination, he noted.



Among the countries availing e-tourist visa, the share of China in 2016 was highest at 5.3 per cent. New Delhi occupied the first slot in the top 10 airports where tourists arrived on the e-facility at 36.6 per cent.

CHENNAI: Demonetisation did not impact Indias bulging inbound tourism market, data released by the tourism ministry show. Despite the widespread cash crunch since Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped old high-value notes on November 8, 2016, tourists have continued their love affair with India  thanks to e-visa! In December 2016, a total of 1,62,250 foreign tourists arrived in India on e-tourist visa, registering a growth of 56.6 per cent, with travellers from the UK topping the charts at 22.4 per cent, followed by the US (16.4 per cent) and Russia (7.7 per cent), according to a release by the tourism ministry. During the year, a total of 10,79,696 tourists visited India using e-visa compared to 4,45,300 during 2015  a growth of 142.5 per cent. The government had launched an electronic visa scheme in November 2014, which is now offered to citizens of 161 countries arriving at 16 international airports in India. Ease of e-visa and growing numbers of corporate travellers contributed to the growth in inbound travel, said Jaideep Ghosh, partner and head  tourism and hospitality at KPMG. Echoing similar sentiments, Aloke Bajpai, CEO of ixigo, a travel search marketplace, said a major reason for the jump in foreign tourist footfall is the e-visa facility. With investment in infrastructure and advanced connectivity, India is on the path to becoming a foreign tourists dream holiday destination, he noted. Among the countries availing e-tourist visa, the share of China in 2016 was highest at 5.3 per cent. New Delhi occupied the first slot in the top 10 airports where tourists arrived on the e-facility at 36.6 per cent.
By Reuters

DUBAISINGAPORE: Saudi Arabia has cut February term crude supplies to refiners in India and Southeast Asia, seeking to comply with an OPEC deal, but it has held most of its exports to the rest of Asia steady for a second month, industry sources said on Wednesday.

State oil giant Saudi Aramco reduced February term supplies of mainly heavy crude to Indian refiners Reliance Industries and Hindustan Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), as well as to Malaysia's Petronas, four sources familiar with the matter said.

Aramco has also cut oil supplies to another southeast Asian buyer for a second month in February, one of the sources said.

That means some major oil companies in Europe and the United States could see reductions of up to 18 percent in their term volumes for February, the source said.

"Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are focusing their cuts on U.S. and European customers as they target excess inventories and protect market share in Asia," Energy Aspects analyst Virendra Chauhan said.

Saudi Aramco and the other companies could not be reached for comment. Details on the amounts of the supply reductions could not be confirmed.

Saudi's February supply reductions to a handful of Asian refiners mark the start of cuts to a region left untouched in January at the onset of the OPEC output deal.

The producer maintained strong exports to Asia in January to protect its market share there and because it gets higher netbacks on sales to the East than it does for other regions.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first half of 2017 to reduce a global supply glut and support prices.

World's top exporter Saudi Arabia cut oil output in January by at least 486,000 bpd to 10.058 million bpd.

Still, Saudi Aramco kept February supplies to most North Asian refiners at full volumes for a second month, trade sources said.

One North Asian refiner received extra crude above its contractual volume for a second month, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

"I think the Saudis won't touch volumes to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Southeast Asian demand is small when compared to North Asia," a Singapore-based crude analyst with a European oil company said.

DUBAISINGAPORE: Saudi Arabia has cut February term crude supplies to refiners in India and Southeast Asia, seeking to comply with an OPEC deal, but it has held most of its exports to the rest of Asia steady for a second month, industry sources said on Wednesday. State oil giant Saudi Aramco reduced February term supplies of mainly heavy crude to Indian refiners Reliance Industries and Hindustan Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), as well as to Malaysia's Petronas, four sources familiar with the matter said. Aramco has also cut oil supplies to another southeast Asian buyer for a second month in February, one of the sources said. That means some major oil companies in Europe and the United States could see reductions of up to 18 percent in their term volumes for February, the source said. "Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are focusing their cuts on U.S. and European customers as they target excess inventories and protect market share in Asia," Energy Aspects analyst Virendra Chauhan said. Saudi Aramco and the other companies could not be reached for comment. Details on the amounts of the supply reductions could not be confirmed. Saudi's February supply reductions to a handful of Asian refiners mark the start of cuts to a region left untouched in January at the onset of the OPEC output deal. The producer maintained strong exports to Asia in January to protect its market share there and because it gets higher netbacks on sales to the East than it does for other regions. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first half of 2017 to reduce a global supply glut and support prices. World's top exporter Saudi Arabia cut oil output in January by at least 486,000 bpd to 10.058 million bpd. Still, Saudi Aramco kept February supplies to most North Asian refiners at full volumes for a second month, trade sources said. One North Asian refiner received extra crude above its contractual volume for a second month, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. "I think the Saudis won't touch volumes to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Southeast Asian demand is small when compared to North Asia," a Singapore-based crude analyst with a European oil company said.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: In a freak incident, an 18-year-old girl studying pursuing a pre-university course, died when she tried to fake a suicide in front of her parents by hanging. The incident took place in Byatarayanapura on Wednesday evening.

The girl Keerthana was upset after she was questioned by her parents about coming back home late after the classes. Keerthana threatened her parents that she would commit suicide if they go on with their interrogation on the matter. However, her attempt to fake a suicide by hanging resulted in her death.

Keerthana was the daughter of Ramesh, a businessman. She was studying in a private college on Mysore road.

The police said that the incident took place at their house around evening after she returned home from the college. Reportedly, Keerthana returned late after attending classes regularly and she was questioned over this.

Upset over this, she tried to hang herself in front of her parents. They rushed her to a private hospital but she was declared brought dead. Byatarayanapura police are investigating the case.

BENGALURU: In a freak incident, an 18-year-old girl studying pursuing a pre-university course, died when she tried to fake a suicide in front of her parents by hanging. The incident took place in Byatarayanapura on Wednesday evening. The girl Keerthana was upset after she was questioned by her parents about coming back home late after the classes. Keerthana threatened her parents that she would commit suicide if they go on with their interrogation on the matter. However, her attempt to fake a suicide by hanging resulted in her death. Keerthana was the daughter of Ramesh, a businessman. She was studying in a private college on Mysore road. The police said that the incident took place at their house around evening after she returned home from the college. Reportedly, Keerthana returned late after attending classes regularly and she was questioned over this. Upset over this, she tried to hang herself in front of her parents. They rushed her to a private hospital but she was declared brought dead. Byatarayanapura police are investigating the case.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Two months after demonetisation, the situation seems to have returned to normal in the city. There are no queues outside ATMs as was the case till December. However, Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes continue to remain scarce when compared to Rs 2,000 notes, and the high value notes continue to be a problem when it comes to tendering change.

Location: Jayanagar Time: 2.30pm

Status: No cash

Vijay Kumar, a private firm employee from Canara Bank Layout said, We are not getting Rs 100 and Rs 500 currency notes. It would be good if the banks make some arrangements to ensure smaller denomination notes are made available in ATMs.

Voicing similar opinion, Subitha Kumar from Shantinagar said, We have been struggling ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation. None of the ATMs in this area have Rs 100 notes and its impossible to swipe cards for transactions below Rs 100.

Ashok Kumar from Kumaraswamy Layout said the situation changed for better after the Enforcement Directorate and CBI registered cases against bank authorities and others for cash diversion. This is one reason why there is enough cash in ATMs. In fact, some banks are also disbursing the maximum limit of Rs 24,000 per week per person, he added.

However, the plight of small-time workers is hardly any better. Rajeshwar, a daily-wage employee from Vijayanagar said, We are not getting our salaries on time and many like me do not know how to do cashless transactions. We dont even know what internet banking is. Even now, we go in search of ATMs that are operational to get hold of some cash. What do we do if we want to withdraw Rs 700? I have not seen Rs 100 or Rs 500 notes in any of these ATMs. It is mostly Rs 2,000 that they disburse.

When Express spoke to a bank official from Canara Bank, he said, The availability of cash is no more an issue. We have Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes in plenty beside Rs 2,000 notes. About 92 percent of our bank ATMs in Karnataka have cash. The 8 percent of the ATMs that are out of cash are due to technical reasons and not due to lack of cash. As for the Rs 2,000 being more available in comparison to Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes, the fact is that people are still reluctant to accept the Rs 2,000 notes and hence are unhappy when they receive them.

BENGALURU: Two months after demonetisation, the situation seems to have returned to normal in the city. There are no queues outside ATMs as was the case till December. However, Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes continue to remain scarce when compared to Rs 2,000 notes, and the high value notes continue to be a problem when it comes to tendering change. Location: Jayanagar Time: 2.30pm Status: No cashVijay Kumar, a private firm employee from Canara Bank Layout said, We are not getting Rs 100 and Rs 500 currency notes. It would be good if the banks make some arrangements to ensure smaller denomination notes are made available in ATMs. Voicing similar opinion, Subitha Kumar from Shantinagar said, We have been struggling ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation. None of the ATMs in this area have Rs 100 notes and its impossible to swipe cards for transactions below Rs 100. Ashok Kumar from Kumaraswamy Layout said the situation changed for better after the Enforcement Directorate and CBI registered cases against bank authorities and others for cash diversion. This is one reason why there is enough cash in ATMs. In fact, some banks are also disbursing the maximum limit of Rs 24,000 per week per person, he added. However, the plight of small-time workers is hardly any better. Rajeshwar, a daily-wage employee from Vijayanagar said, We are not getting our salaries on time and many like me do not know how to do cashless transactions. We dont even know what internet banking is. Even now, we go in search of ATMs that are operational to get hold of some cash. What do we do if we want to withdraw Rs 700? I have not seen Rs 100 or Rs 500 notes in any of these ATMs. It is mostly Rs 2,000 that they disburse. When Express spoke to a bank official from Canara Bank, he said, The availability of cash is no more an issue. We have Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes in plenty beside Rs 2,000 notes. About 92 percent of our bank ATMs in Karnataka have cash. The 8 percent of the ATMs that are out of cash are due to technical reasons and not due to lack of cash. As for the Rs 2,000 being more available in comparison to Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes, the fact is that people are still reluctant to accept the Rs 2,000 notes and hence are unhappy when they receive them.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A youth from the north-east, working in Bengaluru, was slapped and assaulted with a rod by neighbours allegedly over a vehicle parking issue. However, members of the north east community have termed it a racial attack.

Though the incident happened on the night of December 26, a video capturing it was released by an association of the north-east community to the police.

The victim Jerry (24) is a native of Mizoram and works as hairdresser in a spa. The neighbours who attacked Jerry have been arrested.

According to police, the incident took place on December 26 around 2 am following a quarrel over vehicle parking on Sampanna Road, RS Palya, Banaswadi.

The accused had a verbal duel with the victim who stayed in the neighbourhood over parking his motorycle outside their house.

The trio slapped and beat up Jerry and threatened him with dire consequences.

The arrested are Clifford Wilson (80), retired security officer, Carlton Wilson (56), former school principal, and Lynn Wilson (54), assistant manager with a private bank. All are residents of RS Palya.

The police have registered a suo motu case under IPC sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) reference with 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Hemanth Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner of Police (East) said, Three persons have been arrested and further investigations are under way.

The incident comes close on the heels of two other cases, including the molestation of a north-east girl in Kammanahalli on New Years Eve and the mysterious accident involving a youth from Arunachal Pradesh on January 7 which left him in coma.

Rini Ralte, co-ordinator of Northeast Solidarity Forum, said, The boy told me that he was there to celebrate Christmas and rushed down on hearing the sound of a vehicle falling. He went to check if it was his.

Ralte alleged that without provocation, one of the neighbours started hitting Jerry. He was crying and begging them not to hit him as he had done no wrong, but other neighbours supported the man and all started hitting him. The accused persons even threatened to kill Jerry.

One neighbour called the police who also blamed the boy, she alleged, adding that Jerry didnt want to file a complaint. The video, which was shot by one of the neighbours, was sent to Ralte, who forwarded it to the Banaswadi police.

BENGALURU: A youth from the north-east, working in Bengaluru, was slapped and assaulted with a rod by neighbours allegedly over a vehicle parking issue. However, members of the north east community have termed it a racial attack. Though the incident happened on the night of December 26, a video capturing it was released by an association of the north-east community to the police. The victim Jerry (24) is a native of Mizoram and works as hairdresser in a spa. The neighbours who attacked Jerry have been arrested. According to police, the incident took place on December 26 around 2 am following a quarrel over vehicle parking on Sampanna Road, RS Palya, Banaswadi. The accused had a verbal duel with the victim who stayed in the neighbourhood over parking his motorycle outside their house. The trio slapped and beat up Jerry and threatened him with dire consequences. The arrested are Clifford Wilson (80), retired security officer, Carlton Wilson (56), former school principal, and Lynn Wilson (54), assistant manager with a private bank. All are residents of RS Palya. The police have registered a suo motu case under IPC sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) reference with 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Hemanth Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner of Police (East) said, Three persons have been arrested and further investigations are under way. The incident comes close on the heels of two other cases, including the molestation of a north-east girl in Kammanahalli on New Years Eve and the mysterious accident involving a youth from Arunachal Pradesh on January 7 which left him in coma. Rini Ralte, co-ordinator of Northeast Solidarity Forum, said, The boy told me that he was there to celebrate Christmas and rushed down on hearing the sound of a vehicle falling. He went to check if it was his. Ralte alleged that without provocation, one of the neighbours started hitting Jerry. He was crying and begging them not to hit him as he had done no wrong, but other neighbours supported the man and all started hitting him. The accused persons even threatened to kill Jerry. One neighbour called the police who also blamed the boy, she alleged, adding that Jerry didnt want to file a complaint. The video, which was shot by one of the neighbours, was sent to Ralte, who forwarded it to the Banaswadi police.
Ashmita Gupta By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Did their protest in support of the traditional Tamil sport, Jallikattu, cost the students of the prestigious College of Engineering, Guindy, their popular campus techno-cultural festival?

On Wednesday afternoon, within hours of the students assembling, holding placards and protesting within the University campus seeking repealing the ban on Jallikattu during this Pongal festival, an issue that has gained traction in the political and social circles, the student representatives allegedly received a message from the dean of the college, informing them that the campus techno-cultural event, Techofes, and all symposiums scheduled by various departments stand cancelled.

Techofes is the annual cultural festival of the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), held in mid February, which draws about 40,000 students from more than 250 colleges across South India.

According to some students and alumni, the message from the dean, P Narayanasamy, was received around 2 PM.

"Good morning my dear students. There are so many ways to represent your concern about Jallikattu. Instead if you boycott the classes then I will not be in a position to support you and you may have to meet the consequences. It has been decided in HODs meeting, all symposiums and Techofes 2017 stand cancelled," (sic) it read, alleged the students.

According to the students, this was sent to all the representatives of the departments and students' president of CEG. The matter gained further attention after students informed alumni members who enquired about the details of the events and symposiums scheduled for this edition in the Facebook group, CEGAM (CEG Alumni meet).

A final year student from the Department of Mechancial Engineering said that the event is an important cultural fest for the students. More importantly, "Symposiums conducted by every departments are very important. It is a technical fest where students come up with innovations, and facilitate industry-academia interaction. They should not cancel symposiums," said another concerned student.

It has also led to the students harden their stance over Jallikattu. "The college officials came during the protest and said we should have taken prior permission at least a fortnight earlier to stage a protest. Since we did not take permission, they got furious and cancelled the events. We accept the cancellation but we do not want the ban on Jallikattu, a traditional sport which has been going on for centuries," said one of the students who was part of the protest.

Even if sought, it was unlikely that the authorities would grant permission for such a protest, noted another student.

However, speaking to Express, CEG dean Narayanasamy denied sending the message. "We are not cancelling the event because of the protest. This is false information spread by the students. As we are unable to secure sponsorship from the companies for fest and the symposiums, we might cancel or conduct the event in a smaller way depending on the funds. There is a meeting of the heads of departments scheduled on Thursday evening to discuss this," he said.

CHENNAI: Did their protest in support of the traditional Tamil sport, Jallikattu, cost the students of the prestigious College of Engineering, Guindy, their popular campus techno-cultural festival? On Wednesday afternoon, within hours of the students assembling, holding placards and protesting within the University campus seeking repealing the ban on Jallikattu during this Pongal festival, an issue that has gained traction in the political and social circles, the student representatives allegedly received a message from the dean of the college, informing them that the campus techno-cultural event, Techofes, and all symposiums scheduled by various departments stand cancelled. Techofes is the annual cultural festival of the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), held in mid February, which draws about 40,000 students from more than 250 colleges across South India. According to some students and alumni, the message from the dean, P Narayanasamy, was received around 2 PM. "Good morning my dear students. There are so many ways to represent your concern about Jallikattu. Instead if you boycott the classes then I will not be in a position to support you and you may have to meet the consequences. It has been decided in HODs meeting, all symposiums and Techofes 2017 stand cancelled," (sic) it read, alleged the students. According to the students, this was sent to all the representatives of the departments and students' president of CEG. The matter gained further attention after students informed alumni members who enquired about the details of the events and symposiums scheduled for this edition in the Facebook group, CEGAM (CEG Alumni meet). A final year student from the Department of Mechancial Engineering said that the event is an important cultural fest for the students. More importantly, "Symposiums conducted by every departments are very important. It is a technical fest where students come up with innovations, and facilitate industry-academia interaction. They should not cancel symposiums," said another concerned student. It has also led to the students harden their stance over Jallikattu. "The college officials came during the protest and said we should have taken prior permission at least a fortnight earlier to stage a protest. Since we did not take permission, they got furious and cancelled the events. We accept the cancellation but we do not want the ban on Jallikattu, a traditional sport which has been going on for centuries," said one of the students who was part of the protest. Even if sought, it was unlikely that the authorities would grant permission for such a protest, noted another student. However, speaking to Express, CEG dean Narayanasamy denied sending the message. "We are not cancelling the event because of the protest. This is false information spread by the students. As we are unable to secure sponsorship from the companies for fest and the symposiums, we might cancel or conduct the event in a smaller way depending on the funds. There is a meeting of the heads of departments scheduled on Thursday evening to discuss this," he said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A day after announcing that they are resuming operations, the Greater Hyderabad Cab Drivers and Owners Federation on Wednesday sought the support of government officials. Burning the Uber and Ola managements in effigy, the association said their demands need to be met with immediate effect. Pointing to the increase in number of cabs in a year, he said it has become difficult to make ends meet.

They alleged state is encouraging both MNCs and their ideas, but does not care about plight of drivers. The launch of Uber Moto recently by IT Minister KT Rama Rao is disappointing, they shared. Strict rules with regard to incentives, where they are not provided unless the target is met with, and low rates are adding on to their misery, said representatives.

HYDERABAD: A day after announcing that they are resuming operations, the Greater Hyderabad Cab Drivers and Owners Federation on Wednesday sought the support of government officials. Burning the Uber and Ola managements in effigy, the association said their demands need to be met with immediate effect. Pointing to the increase in number of cabs in a year, he said it has become difficult to make ends meet. They alleged state is encouraging both MNCs and their ideas, but does not care about plight of drivers. The launch of Uber Moto recently by IT Minister KT Rama Rao is disappointing, they shared. Strict rules with regard to incentives, where they are not provided unless the target is met with, and low rates are adding on to their misery, said representatives.
A Sharadhaa By

Express News Service

With the Shivarajkumar and Sudeep-starrer The Villain getting close to its shooting schedule of January 21, the makers have managed to build some curiosity surrounding the films heroine. Initially, Tamannaah Bhatia was the choice of director Prem but since then several big names of Bollywood have been doing the rounds. According to our sources, now Amy Jackson has been signed up to play the female lead.

The actress is currently shooting for 2.0 which features Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. The Villain team is waiting for Amy to complete her commitment after which they plan to make an official announcement, our sources say.

It is not the first time that Prem has successfully brought popular heroines from Bollywood to Sandalwood; Mallika Sherawat and Sunny Leone being the leading ladies who have scorched the Kannada screen. With Prem confirming his association with a few technicians who are currently working in Shankars 2.0, the possibilities of roping in Amy cannot be ruled out.

The British model, who started her career in Tamil with Madrasipattnam, established herself in Tamil, followed by the Telugu industry. The actress got her first Bollywood break in Ekk Deewana Tha after which she featured in Singh is Bling. Her last outing was Freaky Ali.

With CR Manohar producing the mega budget film, it is believed to be made in Tamil and Telugu too.

With the Shivarajkumar and Sudeep-starrer The Villain getting close to its shooting schedule of January 21, the makers have managed to build some curiosity surrounding the films heroine. Initially, Tamannaah Bhatia was the choice of director Prem but since then several big names of Bollywood have been doing the rounds. According to our sources, now Amy Jackson has been signed up to play the female lead. The actress is currently shooting for 2.0 which features Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. The Villain team is waiting for Amy to complete her commitment after which they plan to make an official announcement, our sources say. It is not the first time that Prem has successfully brought popular heroines from Bollywood to Sandalwood; Mallika Sherawat and Sunny Leone being the leading ladies who have scorched the Kannada screen. With Prem confirming his association with a few technicians who are currently working in Shankars 2.0, the possibilities of roping in Amy cannot be ruled out. The British model, who started her career in Tamil with Madrasipattnam, established herself in Tamil, followed by the Telugu industry. The actress got her first Bollywood break in Ekk Deewana Tha after which she featured in Singh is Bling. Her last outing was Freaky Ali. With CR Manohar producing the mega budget film, it is believed to be made in Tamil and Telugu too.
Kumar Vikram By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Treming BJP lawmaker Sakshi Maharajs reply not satisfactory, the Election

Commission on Thursday censured him for his controversial remark indirectly blaming Muslims for population growth. The poll panel advised the saffron leader to be more careful while making statements during the election time and warned that otherwise it would take stern action.

"Considered your reply and has not found it satisfactory because in the Commission's considered view, supported by observations of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal No 37 of 1992 Abhiram Singh vs C. D. Commotion, any statement to the effect of promoting enmity between different classes of society in connection with election on the grounds of religion made during electioneering or otherwise is violative of the MCC," said the EC. "Now, therefore, the Election Commission hereby, Censures you for violating the aforesaid provisions of MCC.... expects that you, being a reputed political leader, shall be more circumspect in your public utterances during election time," said the EC.

Issuing a warning, the EC added, "You may also take note that in case of any violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in future, the Commission shall take stern actions against you, using all powers available to it."

The EC observed that his remarks have (the) effect of promoting enmity between classes of society... and prima facie violates the Model Code of Conduct which came into force on January 4 following the announcement of the Assembly polls.

At a 'sant sammelan' in Meerut last week, Sakshi Maharaj had said there are problems in the country because of population growth. "Hindus are not responsible for that. Those responsible are the ones who talk of four wives and 40 children."

The saffron leadership had distanced itself from the remarks saying neither the party nor the Centre supported Sakshi's view.

NEW DELHI: Treming BJP lawmaker Sakshi Maharajs reply not satisfactory, the Election Commission on Thursday censured him for his controversial remark indirectly blaming Muslims for population growth. The poll panel advised the saffron leader to be more careful while making statements during the election time and warned that otherwise it would take stern action. "Considered your reply and has not found it satisfactory because in the Commission's considered view, supported by observations of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal No 37 of 1992 Abhiram Singh vs C. D. Commotion, any statement to the effect of promoting enmity between different classes of society in connection with election on the grounds of religion made during electioneering or otherwise is violative of the MCC," said the EC. "Now, therefore, the Election Commission hereby, Censures you for violating the aforesaid provisions of MCC.... expects that you, being a reputed political leader, shall be more circumspect in your public utterances during election time," said the EC. Issuing a warning, the EC added, "You may also take note that in case of any violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in future, the Commission shall take stern actions against you, using all powers available to it." The EC observed that his remarks have (the) effect of promoting enmity between classes of society... and prima facie violates the Model Code of Conduct which came into force on January 4 following the announcement of the Assembly polls. At a 'sant sammelan' in Meerut last week, Sakshi Maharaj had said there are problems in the country because of population growth. "Hindus are not responsible for that. Those responsible are the ones who talk of four wives and 40 children." The saffron leadership had distanced itself from the remarks saying neither the party nor the Centre supported Sakshi's view.
Hemant Kumar Rout By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Pinaka rocket, which has now transformed into guided Pinaka, was successfully test fired from a defence test facility off Odisha coast on Thursday.

Defence sources said the Mark-II version of Pinaka rocket was test fired from Launch Complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea at about 12:15 PM.

All the mission objectives were successfully met during the trial. All the radars, electro optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the weapon all through the flight path, said a defence official.

The guided Pinaka has been combinedly developed by Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).

Pinaka Rocket Mark-II, which has evolved from Pinaka Mark-I, is equipped with navigation, guidance and control kit and is converted to a guided Pinaka. This conversion has facilitated enhancement of its strike range and considerably improved its accuracy.

The rocket was fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL). The rocket launcher can fire 12 rockets with 1.2 tonne of high explosives within 44 seconds and destroy a target area of four sq km at a time. The quick reaction time and high rate of fire of the system gives an edge to the Army during a low-intensity conflict situation.

The weapon's capability to incorporate several types of warheads makes it deadly for the enemy as it can even destroy their solid structures and bunkers, the official said.

The performance of earlier version of Pinaka was lauded during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising enemy positions on mountain tops. The Mark-II version of the rocket is expected to be inducted in the armed forces very soon.

ARDE Director Dr KM Rajan, RCI Director BHVS Narayana Murthy, ITR Director Dr BK Das and Director of Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) R Appavuraj monitored the launch operations while the armed forces team witnessed the flight test.

Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Director-General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Dr G Satheesh Reddy was present during the mission. DRDO Chairman Dr S Christopher congratulated the teams participated in the successful mission.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has also congratulated DRDO, industries involved for development of the rocket and armed forces for the successful flight test of guided Pinaka.

BHUBANESWAR: Pinaka rocket, which has now transformed into guided Pinaka, was successfully test fired from a defence test facility off Odisha coast on Thursday. Defence sources said the Mark-II version of Pinaka rocket was test fired from Launch Complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea at about 12:15 PM. All the mission objectives were successfully met during the trial. All the radars, electro optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the weapon all through the flight path, said a defence official. The guided Pinaka has been combinedly developed by Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL). Pinaka Rocket Mark-II, which has evolved from Pinaka Mark-I, is equipped with navigation, guidance and control kit and is converted to a guided Pinaka. This conversion has facilitated enhancement of its strike range and considerably improved its accuracy. The rocket was fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL). The rocket launcher can fire 12 rockets with 1.2 tonne of high explosives within 44 seconds and destroy a target area of four sq km at a time. The quick reaction time and high rate of fire of the system gives an edge to the Army during a low-intensity conflict situation. The weapon's capability to incorporate several types of warheads makes it deadly for the enemy as it can even destroy their solid structures and bunkers, the official said. The performance of earlier version of Pinaka was lauded during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising enemy positions on mountain tops. The Mark-II version of the rocket is expected to be inducted in the armed forces very soon. ARDE Director Dr KM Rajan, RCI Director BHVS Narayana Murthy, ITR Director Dr BK Das and Director of Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) R Appavuraj monitored the launch operations while the armed forces team witnessed the flight test. Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Director-General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) Dr G Satheesh Reddy was present during the mission. DRDO Chairman Dr S Christopher congratulated the teams participated in the successful mission. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has also congratulated DRDO, industries involved for development of the rocket and armed forces for the successful flight test of guided Pinaka.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir has directed the employees and officials of government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to attend the main Republic Day function in Jammu, winter capital of the State, and warned them of disciplinary action in case they remain absent from the function.

In a circular issued by Additional Secretary to J&K Government Subash Chibber, the officials of state government and PSUs stationed at Jammu were directed to attend the Republic Day function in winter capital as a part of their official duty.

The main Republic Day function of the State will be held in MAM Stadium, Jammu where Governor N N Vohra will take the salute. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and other cabinet ministers and legislators are expected to attend the function.

The State has two capitals  Srinagar (summer capital) and Jammu (winter capital). Since it is winter, the capital of the State is in Jammu and seat of governance is also in Jammu. The capital will shift to Srinagar during summer.

The government directed all Heads of the Departments and Chief Executives of the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to ensure their own participation and also of the employees subordinate to them in the Republic Day function.

The failure by officials and employees to attend the R-Day function will be construed as dereliction of the duty and disobedience of the government instructions, warned the government order.

It further warned that disciplinary action as admissible under rules shall be initiated against those, who fail to attend the R-Day function in Jammu.

The government order disclosed that despite clear instructions of the General Administration Department (GAD), many officials of the state government and PSUs did not attend the function on January 26, last year.

It (the absence of officials) was viewed as seriously by the government and the officials were warned to remain cautious on this account in the future, adds the official circular.

SRINAGAR: The PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir has directed the employees and officials of government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to attend the main Republic Day function in Jammu, winter capital of the State, and warned them of disciplinary action in case they remain absent from the function. In a circular issued by Additional Secretary to J&K Government Subash Chibber, the officials of state government and PSUs stationed at Jammu were directed to attend the Republic Day function in winter capital as a part of their official duty. The main Republic Day function of the State will be held in MAM Stadium, Jammu where Governor N N Vohra will take the salute. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and other cabinet ministers and legislators are expected to attend the function. The State has two capitals  Srinagar (summer capital) and Jammu (winter capital). Since it is winter, the capital of the State is in Jammu and seat of governance is also in Jammu. The capital will shift to Srinagar during summer. The government directed all Heads of the Departments and Chief Executives of the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to ensure their own participation and also of the employees subordinate to them in the Republic Day function. The failure by officials and employees to attend the R-Day function will be construed as dereliction of the duty and disobedience of the government instructions, warned the government order. It further warned that disciplinary action as admissible under rules shall be initiated against those, who fail to attend the R-Day function in Jammu. The government order disclosed that despite clear instructions of the General Administration Department (GAD), many officials of the state government and PSUs did not attend the function on January 26, last year. It (the absence of officials) was viewed as seriously by the government and the officials were warned to remain cautious on this account in the future, adds the official circular.
Aishik Chanda By

Express News Service

KHARAGPUR: The air in the bustling industrial town of Kharagpur in West Bengal is calm. Residents say its the calm before a storm. The gunning down of Telugu don A Srinivas Naidu alias Srinu Naidu at a Trinamool Congress party office on Wednesday has rekindled fears among the towns residents of intensified gang-war that has hounded them for decades.

In a bid to control the railway scrapyard generated from one of Indias largest railway workshops in Kharagpur, rival factions of the Telugu mafia have shed a lot of blood on the towns streets, some in broad daylight. The town elected state BJP President Dileep Ghosh in April 2016 Assembly elections and witnessed its first-ever communal violence in October.

REPLUG: All for the ward, say the Don and his councillor wife

Though not linked directly with the mafia, bigger names such as Srinu Naidu and his godfather turned bete noire Basab Rambabu were kept in preventive detention during that period. On the other hand, the municipality is controlled by the Trinamool Congress. Srinus wife A Pooja Naidu is a Trinamool councillor and ironically in her Ward number 18, her husband was shot dead.

Also Read: Kharagpur strongman Srinu Naidu killed in attack on TMC office

The TMC has demanded a probe into the role of Dileep Ghosh into the murder. However, many fingers of the towns residents point at Srinu Naidus rival Rambabu, who was attacked allegedly by Srinus men in 2011. Though initially it may seem a political murder as it happened inside a Trinamool party office, old rivalries will be taken into account during investigation, a senior police official told

Express.

Basab Rambabu, the biggest name in the Telugu mafia of Kharagpur carefully knit a godfather-like image among the more than 2 lakh Telugus of the town, but many are now vexed with the blood-spilling as it is they who are the major sufferers of this political-mafia hotch-potch. The young, educated and unemployed Telugu boys of Kharagpur are most affected by the gang-war between factions of the Telugu mafia. They are the foot-soldiers, ready to sacrifice their lives for their leaders, V Mohan Rao of Malancha area said.

Rambabu was arrested in 2001 from Hyderabad in connection with double murders of CPI leaders and brothers Manas and Narayan Choubey but was released on bail from Midnapore Jail after serving few years of the sentence. However, the don came under attack in 2011 allegedly by the men of Srinu Naidu, who had extended his control over the scrapyard during Rambabus absence. The scrapyard mafia emerged over buying the scrap en masse during auction and selling it to auxiliary industrial units of the town.

Vexed with gang-war and communal violence, the towns residents fear peace days are light years away. Earlier, Telugus had come in search of a living from Uttar Andhra (northern coastal AP). Now, no educated Telugu wants his son or daughter to live here. Many work in IT firms of Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The peace of the city has been lost, said V Venkat of Nimpura area.

KHARAGPUR: The air in the bustling industrial town of Kharagpur in West Bengal is calm. Residents say its the calm before a storm. The gunning down of Telugu don A Srinivas Naidu alias Srinu Naidu at a Trinamool Congress party office on Wednesday has rekindled fears among the towns residents of intensified gang-war that has hounded them for decades. In a bid to control the railway scrapyard generated from one of Indias largest railway workshops in Kharagpur, rival factions of the Telugu mafia have shed a lot of blood on the towns streets, some in broad daylight. The town elected state BJP President Dileep Ghosh in April 2016 Assembly elections and witnessed its first-ever communal violence in October. REPLUG: All for the ward, say the Don and his councillor wife Though not linked directly with the mafia, bigger names such as Srinu Naidu and his godfather turned bete noire Basab Rambabu were kept in preventive detention during that period. On the other hand, the municipality is controlled by the Trinamool Congress. Srinus wife A Pooja Naidu is a Trinamool councillor and ironically in her Ward number 18, her husband was shot dead. Also Read: Kharagpur strongman Srinu Naidu killed in attack on TMC office The TMC has demanded a probe into the role of Dileep Ghosh into the murder. However, many fingers of the towns residents point at Srinu Naidus rival Rambabu, who was attacked allegedly by Srinus men in 2011. Though initially it may seem a political murder as it happened inside a Trinamool party office, old rivalries will be taken into account during investigation, a senior police official told Express. Basab Rambabu, the biggest name in the Telugu mafia of Kharagpur carefully knit a godfather-like image among the more than 2 lakh Telugus of the town, but many are now vexed with the blood-spilling as it is they who are the major sufferers of this political-mafia hotch-potch. The young, educated and unemployed Telugu boys of Kharagpur are most affected by the gang-war between factions of the Telugu mafia. They are the foot-soldiers, ready to sacrifice their lives for their leaders, V Mohan Rao of Malancha area said. Rambabu was arrested in 2001 from Hyderabad in connection with double murders of CPI leaders and brothers Manas and Narayan Choubey but was released on bail from Midnapore Jail after serving few years of the sentence. However, the don came under attack in 2011 allegedly by the men of Srinu Naidu, who had extended his control over the scrapyard during Rambabus absence. The scrapyard mafia emerged over buying the scrap en masse during auction and selling it to auxiliary industrial units of the town. Vexed with gang-war and communal violence, the towns residents fear peace days are light years away. Earlier, Telugus had come in search of a living from Uttar Andhra (northern coastal AP). Now, no educated Telugu wants his son or daughter to live here. Many work in IT firms of Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The peace of the city has been lost, said V Venkat of Nimpura area.
Vikram Sharma By

Express News Service

MUZAFFARNAGAR : The talk in UPs political circles is how much of the Muslim vote Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will get. The question is beginning to ring louder after the boss lady handed 97 party tickets to candidates from the community last week. However, if the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 are any indication, it is Akhilesh Yadav who will get their support.



Muslims constitute 42 per cent of the population in Muzaffar-nagar.

Sixty-five people were killed in the riots and over 50,000 people were hounded out of their homes. Three years on, they still live like refugees in slum-like conditions in resettlement colonies. The riot victims say they would not trust the BSP as it might embrace the BJP in the post-poll scenario.



Also, they remember that Mayawati did not bother to pay a visit to Muzaffarnagar after the riots. Have you seen Mayawati or other BSP leaders doing anything for riot victims except paying lip service? BSP does not seem to care for Muslims, said Ghulam Mohiuddin, a riot victim resettled in Shamli.



At another riot-hit village called Phugana, a villager Muhammed Shafiuddin said he remembers that Mayawati chose not to visit Muzaffarnagar. This is evidence enough to say that the BSP does not care whether we live or die. All these years, she was in Delhi while we were suffering in the refugee camps. Now at election time, she is trying to win our confidence, he said.



In another resettlement locality called Loi, Muhammed Saleem said Akhilesh Yadav is the communitys obvious choice although his administration could have done more to help the victims back to their old life. However, many of us got plots, loans and other assistance from the government. But there are many who are still living without a shelter above their heads. At least Akhilesh Yadav sympathises with us. Other parties like the BSP never bothered, he says.



Few Muslims in the resettlement localities seemed impressed with Mayawatis gambit of giving a large share of her party tickets to Muslims. Yes, she may be giving tickets to Muslims but what if she gets into a post-poll alliance with the BJP? That is not acceptable to us, said another riot victim Haji Anwar.



Amidst the bigger parties, smaller players like the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi also see an opportunity. Grassroots MIM workers are going from village to village trying to urge people not to vote for the Samajwadi Party. However, locals here seem wary of the MIM as there has been speculation that Owaisi is trying to strike a deal with the BSP.

MUZAFFARNAGAR : The talk in UPs political circles is how much of the Muslim vote Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will get. The question is beginning to ring louder after the boss lady handed 97 party tickets to candidates from the community last week. However, if the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 are any indication, it is Akhilesh Yadav who will get their support. Muslims constitute 42 per cent of the population in Muzaffar-nagar. Sixty-five people were killed in the riots and over 50,000 people were hounded out of their homes. Three years on, they still live like refugees in slum-like conditions in resettlement colonies. The riot victims say they would not trust the BSP as it might embrace the BJP in the post-poll scenario. Also, they remember that Mayawati did not bother to pay a visit to Muzaffarnagar after the riots. Have you seen Mayawati or other BSP leaders doing anything for riot victims except paying lip service? BSP does not seem to care for Muslims, said Ghulam Mohiuddin, a riot victim resettled in Shamli. At another riot-hit village called Phugana, a villager Muhammed Shafiuddin said he remembers that Mayawati chose not to visit Muzaffarnagar. This is evidence enough to say that the BSP does not care whether we live or die. All these years, she was in Delhi while we were suffering in the refugee camps. Now at election time, she is trying to win our confidence, he said. In another resettlement locality called Loi, Muhammed Saleem said Akhilesh Yadav is the communitys obvious choice although his administration could have done more to help the victims back to their old life. However, many of us got plots, loans and other assistance from the government. But there are many who are still living without a shelter above their heads. At least Akhilesh Yadav sympathises with us. Other parties like the BSP never bothered, he says. Few Muslims in the resettlement localities seemed impressed with Mayawatis gambit of giving a large share of her party tickets to Muslims. Yes, she may be giving tickets to Muslims but what if she gets into a post-poll alliance with the BJP? That is not acceptable to us, said another riot victim Haji Anwar. Amidst the bigger parties, smaller players like the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi also see an opportunity. Grassroots MIM workers are going from village to village trying to urge people not to vote for the Samajwadi Party. However, locals here seem wary of the MIM as there has been speculation that Owaisi is trying to strike a deal with the BSP.
Abhijit Mulye By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: Even as the dates for 10 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur, were announced on Wednesday,  voting on February 21 and results on February 23  the BJP and Shiv Sena appear not ready to forge an alliance as their leaders continued to target each other.

City BJP president Ashish Shela announced that his party is positive about the alliance and the talks would begin on Wednesday. However, he took potshots at the Sena.Transparent administration is what BJP looks for in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, he said.

Relations between the two parties which have shared power in the corporation for past 20 years have been strained in past couple of years after the BJP started raising the issue of corruption in the corporation.

And Sena president Uddhav Thackeray attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi without naming him. Ive stopped saying mitron while addressing people in Hindi as people now run away when they hear this word, he said while criticising demonetisation.

I hope well start talks for alliance though I have not received any formal communication in this regard yet, Thackeray said when asked about alliance. We shall participate in the talks but, also keep preparing ourselves (to contest polls independently), he added later.

Thackeray as well as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke in favour of the alliance on Tuesday. While the BJP has empowered district units to decide about the alliance, the Sena wants a uniform decision for all polls, including the zilla parishad and panchayat samities.

The BJP has conducted at least three pre-poll surveys in past two-three months. According to sources, an internal survey has predicted 90 seats for the BJP if it contests independently. A survey conducted by the home department has predicted 65-70 seats for the BJP while an independent agency appointed by the chief minister put the figure at 85-90. The half-way mark in the corporation is 114.

Senas best performance was 99 seats, in 1997, when it ruled the state. Given its performance in the municipal council polls, the BJP has high hopes now. But it will have to contest more seats.

MUMBAI: Even as the dates for 10 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur, were announced on Wednesday,  voting on February 21 and results on February 23  the BJP and Shiv Sena appear not ready to forge an alliance as their leaders continued to target each other. City BJP president Ashish Shela announced that his party is positive about the alliance and the talks would begin on Wednesday. However, he took potshots at the Sena.Transparent administration is what BJP looks for in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, he said. Relations between the two parties which have shared power in the corporation for past 20 years have been strained in past couple of years after the BJP started raising the issue of corruption in the corporation. And Sena president Uddhav Thackeray attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi without naming him. Ive stopped saying mitron while addressing people in Hindi as people now run away when they hear this word, he said while criticising demonetisation. I hope well start talks for alliance though I have not received any formal communication in this regard yet, Thackeray said when asked about alliance. We shall participate in the talks but, also keep preparing ourselves (to contest polls independently), he added later. Thackeray as well as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke in favour of the alliance on Tuesday. While the BJP has empowered district units to decide about the alliance, the Sena wants a uniform decision for all polls, including the zilla parishad and panchayat samities. The BJP has conducted at least three pre-poll surveys in past two-three months. According to sources, an internal survey has predicted 90 seats for the BJP if it contests independently. A survey conducted by the home department has predicted 65-70 seats for the BJP while an independent agency appointed by the chief minister put the figure at 85-90. The half-way mark in the corporation is 114. Senas best performance was 99 seats, in 1997, when it ruled the state. Given its performance in the municipal council polls, the BJP has high hopes now. But it will have to contest more seats.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a rare gesture, newly appointed Chief of Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a MiG-21- fighter jets, which generally dubbed as flying coffins after jets dismal flying record. Flying solo by the Chief, is considered as an indication towards instilling confidence in the IAF personnel over the credibility of the aircraft. Dhanoa flew the same type of aircraft during Kargil Operations and carried out many night strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

According to India Air Force official, its a rare for an air force chief to fly solo. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa made this flying during his visit to Utarlai, one of air forces forward airbase in bordering district of Rajasthan. Flying solo in MiG-21 Type-96 aircraft is his first such flight after taking over as the chief of air force. Dhanoa, who is visiting the forward air base in the western sector from January 12 to 14, will assess operational readiness and review the morale of the personnel stationed there.

Dhanoa was awarded Yudh Sewa Medal during his flying during Kargil operations.

The MiG-21 is the oldest fighter fleet in the IAF inventory and efforts are on find its replacement. Recently concluded deal with France to buy 36 Rafale, which will fit into the category of medium aircraft.

NEW DELHI: In a rare gesture, newly appointed Chief of Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a MiG-21- fighter jets, which generally dubbed as flying coffins after jets dismal flying record. Flying solo by the Chief, is considered as an indication towards instilling confidence in the IAF personnel over the credibility of the aircraft. Dhanoa flew the same type of aircraft during Kargil Operations and carried out many night strike missions in the mountainous terrain. According to India Air Force official, its a rare for an air force chief to fly solo. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa made this flying during his visit to Utarlai, one of air forces forward airbase in bordering district of Rajasthan. Flying solo in MiG-21 Type-96 aircraft is his first such flight after taking over as the chief of air force. Dhanoa, who is visiting the forward air base in the western sector from January 12 to 14, will assess operational readiness and review the morale of the personnel stationed there. Dhanoa was awarded Yudh Sewa Medal during his flying during Kargil operations. The MiG-21 is the oldest fighter fleet in the IAF inventory and efforts are on find its replacement. Recently concluded deal with France to buy 36 Rafale, which will fit into the category of medium aircraft.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Making it clear that the documents seized during the raids of Sahara and Birla business houses had no evidentiary value, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the plea for a court-monitored SIT probe into bribery allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A new bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy noted that the case based on random materials like loose sheets, papers, e-mail print outs is merit less as they are inadmissible materials having no evidentiary value under the law to order registration of FIR and investigation. The new bench was constituted as Prashant Bhushan, lawyer for the Common Cause, had sought recusal of the then Chief Justice of India-designate, Justice J S Khehar, on the ground that his file for elevation for CJI was pending with the executive headed by the Prime Minister.

In view of the materials placed on record and peculiarity of the facts and circumstances, no case is made out on merits to direct investigation against various political functionaries, officers etc. The interim applications are found to be merit less and are dismissed, the bench said. The court pointed out that there must be some cogent, reliable and admissible evidence.

Otherwise the process of law can be abused to achieve ulterior goals, it said while dismissing the NGOs plea. Common Cause, an NGO, had filed a fresh affidavit with the Supreme Court in 2013-14 seeking a court monitored SIT probe into the raids on two business houses-- Sahara and Aditya Birla. Documents seized during the raids at these corporate houses had indicated massive pay-offs to various politicians including the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

During the hearing, the court also referred to the order passed by the Income Tax Settlement Commission in the Sahara group matter and said the commission has also found prima facie that materials recovered from the group were not genuine and fabricated.

Meanwhile, Bhushan argued that there cannot be any other case where there was so much of evidence to order probe. If this court held that even this is not a fit case to order investigation when such documents have been recovered and persons involved (in allegedly making the entries) have admitted it before the IT department, then I wonder what will be a fit case, he said. SC refusing to order an indepth inquiry is a setback to anti corruption campaign and a black mark on apex courts record, he later tweeted.

NEW DELHI: Making it clear that the documents seized during the raids of Sahara and Birla business houses had no evidentiary value, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the plea for a court-monitored SIT probe into bribery allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A new bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy noted that the case based on random materials like loose sheets, papers, e-mail print outs is merit less as they are inadmissible materials having no evidentiary value under the law to order registration of FIR and investigation. The new bench was constituted as Prashant Bhushan, lawyer for the Common Cause, had sought recusal of the then Chief Justice of India-designate, Justice J S Khehar, on the ground that his file for elevation for CJI was pending with the executive headed by the Prime Minister. In view of the materials placed on record and peculiarity of the facts and circumstances, no case is made out on merits to direct investigation against various political functionaries, officers etc. The interim applications are found to be merit less and are dismissed, the bench said. The court pointed out that there must be some cogent, reliable and admissible evidence. Otherwise the process of law can be abused to achieve ulterior goals, it said while dismissing the NGOs plea. Common Cause, an NGO, had filed a fresh affidavit with the Supreme Court in 2013-14 seeking a court monitored SIT probe into the raids on two business houses-- Sahara and Aditya Birla. Documents seized during the raids at these corporate houses had indicated massive pay-offs to various politicians including the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. During the hearing, the court also referred to the order passed by the Income Tax Settlement Commission in the Sahara group matter and said the commission has also found prima facie that materials recovered from the group were not genuine and fabricated. Meanwhile, Bhushan argued that there cannot be any other case where there was so much of evidence to order probe. If this court held that even this is not a fit case to order investigation when such documents have been recovered and persons involved (in allegedly making the entries) have admitted it before the IT department, then I wonder what will be a fit case, he said. SC refusing to order an indepth inquiry is a setback to anti corruption campaign and a black mark on apex courts record, he later tweeted.
Pradip R Sagar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Nearly three months after an Indian soldier 'inadvertently' crossed over Line of Control, Pakistan for the first time has admitted its presence in their captivity and said that soldier will be released soon.

Sepoy Chandu Lal Chavan from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control on September 30, a day after Indian forces carried out the surgical strike on terror launch pads located in PoK.

Confirming developments, minister of state for defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre on Thursday said Pakistan has assured release of Chandu Lal soon after an enquiry.

"Pakistan for the first time has admitted that he is there, alive & he crossed LoC inadvertently," Bhamre said.

Bhamre also disclosed that Indian DGMO has raised the issue with his Pakistan counterpart for around 15- 20 times after the incident for the safe and secure release of the Indian soldier. And last time both DGMOs discussed the matter on Tuesday, said junior defence minister.

An Indian soldier strayed across the de-facto border with Pakistan after heightened tensions following a surgical strike India said it carried out against terror launchpads. the source said.

"Such inadvertent crossing by soldiers and civilians on each other sides are not unusual on either side Normally they are returned through existing mechanisms, a source said.

But Pakistan had been at a constant denial of capturing any Indian soldier despite the issue was raised at multiple platforms.

NEW DELHI: Nearly three months after an Indian soldier 'inadvertently' crossed over Line of Control, Pakistan for the first time has admitted its presence in their captivity and said that soldier will be released soon. Sepoy Chandu Lal Chavan from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control on September 30, a day after Indian forces carried out the surgical strike on terror launch pads located in PoK. Confirming developments, minister of state for defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre on Thursday said Pakistan has assured release of Chandu Lal soon after an enquiry. "Pakistan for the first time has admitted that he is there, alive & he crossed LoC inadvertently," Bhamre said. Bhamre also disclosed that Indian DGMO has raised the issue with his Pakistan counterpart for around 15- 20 times after the incident for the safe and secure release of the Indian soldier. And last time both DGMOs discussed the matter on Tuesday, said junior defence minister. An Indian soldier strayed across the de-facto border with Pakistan after heightened tensions following a surgical strike India said it carried out against terror launchpads. the source said. "Such inadvertent crossing by soldiers and civilians on each other sides are not unusual on either side Normally they are returned through existing mechanisms, a source said. But Pakistan had been at a constant denial of capturing any Indian soldier despite the issue was raised at multiple platforms.
Online Desk By

The INS Khanderi was launched on Thursday in Mumbai, marking another milestone in India's efforts to strengthen its naval fleet. Here are ten things you need to know about the second Scorpene class submarine built in India.

The first Scorpene submarine, INS Kalvari was launched in April 2015, but is yet to be commissioned into the Indian Navy. India had signed a deal for six Scorpene class submarines and INS Khanderi is the second to be built.



Building the submarine: INS Khanderi was built at the shipyard of Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai under an agreement with French naval defence firm DCNS.



How was the submarine built: Different parts of the submarine were built outside the hull and then inserted into the vessel. Called modular construction, the process is less time-consuming than the methods adopted earlier.



Delayed launch: The construction of six Scorpene submarines under Project-75 has been reportedly delayed by four years. Even the launch of INS Khanderi was reportedly scheduled for December last year, but the 'undocking' was postponed after the frigate INS Betwa keeled over at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.



Use in the Indian Navy: Though the submarine was launched today in Mumbai, its commissioning into the Indian Navy is scheduled for December this year, since the vessel needs to undergo tests before it can be combat-ready.



Stealth: The stealth features of INS Khanderi are reportedly unmatched by many submarines.



Name: The submarine is named after a 17th century Maratha island fort.



Surveillance capacity: The Scorpene class submarine can gather intelligence, conduct surveillance just like any other modern submarine.



Warfare: The submarine can launch torpedos and tube-launch missiles against land, sea, and underwater targets.



Underwater capability: The 'air independent propulsion system' technology of the diesel-powered Scorpene submarines will allow them to remain underwater for longer periods.

The INS Khanderi was launched on Thursday in Mumbai, marking another milestone in India's efforts to strengthen its naval fleet. Here are ten things you need to know about the second Scorpene class submarine built in India. The first Scorpene submarine, INS Kalvari was launched in April 2015, but is yet to be commissioned into the Indian Navy. India had signed a deal for six Scorpene class submarines and INS Khanderi is the second to be built.Building the submarine: INS Khanderi was built at the shipyard of Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai under an agreement with French naval defence firm DCNS.How was the submarine built: Different parts of the submarine were built outside the hull and then inserted into the vessel. Called modular construction, the process is less time-consuming than the methods adopted earlier.Delayed launch: The construction of six Scorpene submarines under Project-75 has been reportedly delayed by four years. Even the launch of INS Khanderi was reportedly scheduled for December last year, but the 'undocking' was postponed after the frigate INS Betwa keeled over at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Use in the Indian Navy: Though the submarine was launched today in Mumbai, its commissioning into the Indian Navy is scheduled for December this year, since the vessel needs to undergo tests before it can be combat-ready.Stealth: The stealth features of INS Khanderi are reportedly unmatched by many submarines.Name: The submarine is named after a 17th century Maratha island fort.Surveillance capacity: The Scorpene class submarine can gather intelligence, conduct surveillance just like any other modern submarine.Warfare: The submarine can launch torpedos and tube-launch missiles against land, sea, and underwater targets.Underwater capability: The 'air independent propulsion system' technology of the diesel-powered Scorpene submarines will allow them to remain underwater for longer periods.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Delhi police anti-terror wing special cell has arrested commander in chief of KCP (Poirei Meitei) on Thursday early morning along with a woman.

According to the police, accused has been identified as Khoirom Ranjit alias Rocky alias Great Macha. Accused was arrested from a house situated in east Delhi Mayur Vihar area. Ranjit is Commander-in- Chief of KCP. Cops have also arrested one woman residing with him.

"He is wanted in various sensational terror attack in Manipur. He came to Delhi to meet someone along with a woman. We will produce him in court in afternoon," a senior police official said. KCP is involved in various crimes including terror attacks. This group is divided into multiple cadres, was mainly active till 2012.

NEW DELHI: Delhi police anti-terror wing special cell has arrested commander in chief of KCP (Poirei Meitei) on Thursday early morning along with a woman. According to the police, accused has been identified as Khoirom Ranjit alias Rocky alias Great Macha. Accused was arrested from a house situated in east Delhi Mayur Vihar area. Ranjit is Commander-in- Chief of KCP. Cops have also arrested one woman residing with him. "He is wanted in various sensational terror attack in Manipur. He came to Delhi to meet someone along with a woman. We will produce him in court in afternoon," a senior police official said. KCP is involved in various crimes including terror attacks. This group is divided into multiple cadres, was mainly active till 2012.
Hamsini Hariharan By

No other relationship is perhaps more consequential than the one between the United States and China. The curious dynamics between a US on relative decline and an ascendant China has caught the attention of policymakers and scholars alike. What has been the result of Obamas rebalancing strategy that in many ways is seen to be targeted towards containing China? As Donald Trump takes over the reins of power, uncertainties surround political predictions on what course the USChina relations will take.



George W Bush had bequeathed an ambiguous foreign policy towards China. While it began as a hardline stance focused on supporting Taiwan, the 9/11 attacks marked a turnaround Bush, now committed to the War on Terror, allowed China to take the lead on North Korean issues. The first term of the Obama presidency, with Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state, tried to focus on Asian affairs. With the Pivot to Asia policy, he recognised that US foreign policy had neglected Asian affairs during Bushs presidency.

In 2011, it was repackaged as Rebalance to Asia. The US planned to allocate 60 per cent of its airforce and naval resources to the Asia-Pacific. In the same breath, Obama also stepped up engagement with friendly countries in the region including Japan, Philippines and India. The largest issue of contention currently remains Chinas approach to the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Allies in the region expect the US to take up a stronger role in the conflict. Freedom of Navigation Operations were intended to assert maritime rights in international waters and also contest Chinas anti-access/ area denial (A2/AD) capabilities.



Chinas declaration of an Air Defence Identification Zone over the East China Sea in 2013 was an interesting turnaround. The US immediately flew two B-52 bombers in the area to indicate its rejection of this zone but advised private airlines to comply with the zone unlike the Japanese government that forbade its airlines from falling in line with the identification zone. This could perhaps be seen as the first indication of a US that was looking to accommodate China in the Asia- Pacific.



While Obama was intent on playing a larger role in Asia, it was hindered by US interests in other parts of the world, particularly in West Asia. The Philippines unilateral move to take up the South China Sea conflict to the Permanent Court of Arbitration and Japans stronger policy under Shinzo Abe (particularly the amendment of the Japanese Constitution to allow the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force more flexibility) indicates a cognisance of these countries to look at other avenues than merely relying on America to counter China. Indeed, Obamas relations with Philippines have visibly soured since Rodrigo Duterte took over leadership, even as Duterte tried arguing that he intended a separation of foreign policy rather than a severance of ties.



In order to lift America out of the economic slump, Obama required massive economic changes. China played an important role in this as it purchased large amounts of US sovereign bonds. In some ways, Obama continued with the base that Bush had laid in his second term as president. The USChina Economic Dialogue was expanded to the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Negotiations for the US-China Bilateral Investment Treaty also began in order to improve trade between the two countries. This is not to say that the US has only been accommodating China through the Obama presidency. One of the key areas of contention has been the realm of cybersecurity. High levels of mistrust have ensued since Edward Snowdens revelations about the PRISM programme which led to allegations of US spying on China. After five PLA hackers were indicted in 2014, Beijing suspended the US-China Cyber Working Group.

In June 2016, Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping inked a pact on cybersecurity which meant to increase lines of communication but the effectiveness of this agreement is unclear.



In the realm of climate change, Obama can finally claim to his credit that significant progress was achieved. As his term draws to a close, Obamas final trip to Asia saw him sign the Climate Change Agreement along Xi at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou. This was indicative of the fact that the two largest economies in the world have managed to find c o m m o n i s s u e s o f cooperation.

The US is still the most preeminent military power in the world, and has influence across the global like no other country has. However, the same US, under Obamas presidency, seems to have recognised the limitations of American power in preventing the rise of another superpower. It is also important to remember that China is not Russia. Obama has taken these factors into consideration and looked to engaging with China and working with it in ways that could provide benefits for America. Instead of focusing on a scenario of strategic competition which America can ill afford, Obama has set the base for competitive coexistence or even peaceful coexistence in Asia.

Despite President-elect Trumps aggressive campaigns raising fears of a trade war with China, the nature of USChina relations portends that he and his team will most likely find ways to accommodate Chinas concerns in Asia and try to reduce chances of confrontation. What it will mean for the rest of the world remains the question.



(With Monish Tourangbam, Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations and Coordinator of the North East Studies Centre, Manipal University)

No other relationship is perhaps more consequential than the one between the United States and China. The curious dynamics between a US on relative decline and an ascendant China has caught the attention of policymakers and scholars alike. What has been the result of Obamas rebalancing strategy that in many ways is seen to be targeted towards containing China? As Donald Trump takes over the reins of power, uncertainties surround political predictions on what course the USChina relations will take. George W Bush had bequeathed an ambiguous foreign policy towards China. While it began as a hardline stance focused on supporting Taiwan, the 9/11 attacks marked a turnaround Bush, now committed to the War on Terror, allowed China to take the lead on North Korean issues. The first term of the Obama presidency, with Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state, tried to focus on Asian affairs. With the Pivot to Asia policy, he recognised that US foreign policy had neglected Asian affairs during Bushs presidency. In 2011, it was repackaged as Rebalance to Asia. The US planned to allocate 60 per cent of its airforce and naval resources to the Asia-Pacific. In the same breath, Obama also stepped up engagement with friendly countries in the region including Japan, Philippines and India. The largest issue of contention currently remains Chinas approach to the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Allies in the region expect the US to take up a stronger role in the conflict. Freedom of Navigation Operations were intended to assert maritime rights in international waters and also contest Chinas anti-access/ area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Chinas declaration of an Air Defence Identification Zone over the East China Sea in 2013 was an interesting turnaround. The US immediately flew two B-52 bombers in the area to indicate its rejection of this zone but advised private airlines to comply with the zone unlike the Japanese government that forbade its airlines from falling in line with the identification zone. This could perhaps be seen as the first indication of a US that was looking to accommodate China in the Asia- Pacific. While Obama was intent on playing a larger role in Asia, it was hindered by US interests in other parts of the world, particularly in West Asia. The Philippines unilateral move to take up the South China Sea conflict to the Permanent Court of Arbitration and Japans stronger policy under Shinzo Abe (particularly the amendment of the Japanese Constitution to allow the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force more flexibility) indicates a cognisance of these countries to look at other avenues than merely relying on America to counter China. Indeed, Obamas relations with Philippines have visibly soured since Rodrigo Duterte took over leadership, even as Duterte tried arguing that he intended a separation of foreign policy rather than a severance of ties. In order to lift America out of the economic slump, Obama required massive economic changes. China played an important role in this as it purchased large amounts of US sovereign bonds. In some ways, Obama continued with the base that Bush had laid in his second term as president. The USChina Economic Dialogue was expanded to the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Negotiations for the US-China Bilateral Investment Treaty also began in order to improve trade between the two countries. This is not to say that the US has only been accommodating China through the Obama presidency. One of the key areas of contention has been the realm of cybersecurity. High levels of mistrust have ensued since Edward Snowdens revelations about the PRISM programme which led to allegations of US spying on China. After five PLA hackers were indicted in 2014, Beijing suspended the US-China Cyber Working Group. In June 2016, Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping inked a pact on cybersecurity which meant to increase lines of communication but the effectiveness of this agreement is unclear. In the realm of climate change, Obama can finally claim to his credit that significant progress was achieved. As his term draws to a close, Obamas final trip to Asia saw him sign the Climate Change Agreement along Xi at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou. This was indicative of the fact that the two largest economies in the world have managed to find c o m m o n i s s u e s o f cooperation. The US is still the most preeminent military power in the world, and has influence across the global like no other country has. However, the same US, under Obamas presidency, seems to have recognised the limitations of American power in preventing the rise of another superpower. It is also important to remember that China is not Russia. Obama has taken these factors into consideration and looked to engaging with China and working with it in ways that could provide benefits for America. Instead of focusing on a scenario of strategic competition which America can ill afford, Obama has set the base for competitive coexistence or even peaceful coexistence in Asia. Despite President-elect Trumps aggressive campaigns raising fears of a trade war with China, the nature of USChina relations portends that he and his team will most likely find ways to accommodate Chinas concerns in Asia and try to reduce chances of confrontation. What it will mean for the rest of the world remains the question.(With Monish Tourangbam, Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations and Coordinator of the North East Studies Centre, Manipal University)
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam meets his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu at the Interim Government Complex (IGC) in Velagapudi on Thursday to seek release of Krishna water through Telugu Ganga project for drinking needs of the residents of Chennai, the AP government is getting ready to demand funds it had spent on maintenance of the Telugu Ganga Canal.

A senior minister said both AP and Tamil Nadu governments entered into an agreement for bearing the expenditure of the Telugu Ganga Canal that takes water from Kandaleru Reservoir in Nellore district to Poondi reservoir on the outskirts of Chennai city on a 50-50 basis, the Tamil Nadu government should release the funds.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will come and request release of water to Telugu Ganga and we will ask for the funds we spend on the maintenance of the canal. It could be around Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore, the Minister said.

he Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, who wrote to AP CM on January 7 for release of Krishna water, is now coming to call on his his Andhra Pradesh counterpart to take the issue directly.

In his letter, Panneerselvam said that as per the Inter-State Agreement signed by both the states in 1983, an annual volume of 12 TMC ft (excluding evaporation loss) should be realised at the Tamil Nadu border to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai City, in two spells.

While, 8 TMC ft of water is to be supplied between July and October, the remaining 4 TMC ft. from January to April.

However, he said that, a volume of only 0.99 TMC ft has been released at the Tamil Nadu border during the period from October to December, 2016 and wanted the Andhra Pradesh government for the immediately release agreed volume of water from Kandaleru reservoir.

VIJAYAWADA: When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam meets his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu at the Interim Government Complex (IGC) in Velagapudi on Thursday to seek release of Krishna water through Telugu Ganga project for drinking needs of the residents of Chennai, the AP government is getting ready to demand funds it had spent on maintenance of the Telugu Ganga Canal. A senior minister said both AP and Tamil Nadu governments entered into an agreement for bearing the expenditure of the Telugu Ganga Canal that takes water from Kandaleru Reservoir in Nellore district to Poondi reservoir on the outskirts of Chennai city on a 50-50 basis, the Tamil Nadu government should release the funds. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will come and request release of water to Telugu Ganga and we will ask for the funds we spend on the maintenance of the canal. It could be around Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore, the Minister said. he Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, who wrote to AP CM on January 7 for release of Krishna water, is now coming to call on his his Andhra Pradesh counterpart to take the issue directly. In his letter, Panneerselvam said that as per the Inter-State Agreement signed by both the states in 1983, an annual volume of 12 TMC ft (excluding evaporation loss) should be realised at the Tamil Nadu border to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai City, in two spells. While, 8 TMC ft of water is to be supplied between July and October, the remaining 4 TMC ft. from January to April. However, he said that, a volume of only 0.99 TMC ft has been released at the Tamil Nadu border during the period from October to December, 2016 and wanted the Andhra Pradesh government for the immediately release agreed volume of water from Kandaleru reservoir.
By Online Desk

KASARGOD (KERALA): Actor Alencier Ley Lopez who shot to fame through 'Njan Steve Lopez' and 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram' staged a protest at the New bus stand here yesterday. He staged this performance of his to mark the recent attack of the BJP and other right-wing organizations on Malayalam director Kamal.

Draped in a 'mundu' and playing rattle toys, Alencier sang poetic verses agitating the Sangh Parivar's growing attacks against artistes in Kerala. Retorting to the Sangh Parivar's demands that the artistes must leave the country if they do not believe in patriotism, the actor was heard singing  I am proud of my country, I am proud of the next country even, still they ask me who I am.

His performance was structured around the theme of a man finding his place similar to his name, carrying a sack bag to reach America riding on buses. In the end, the actor is seen wearing a US flag around his waist and singing The love for 'underwear' is not patriotism, taking a dig at the right-wingers.

Here's the YouTube video hosted by Malayalam news channel Media One:

When asked about this unique form of agitation, Alencier told the mediapersons that his performance was not a protest but defense. 'I am an actor. If I am cold, I will pull a blanket over me. If it is hot, I will switch on the fan. But my country is turning out to be a place where I am being asked to go to Pakistan or Gujarat because of my name. It is a pity that we are living among people who don't understand the meaning of our Mahabharata.'

Alancier Lopez who is a theatre and film artiste is also popular for his roles in 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram',

'Kammattipaadam' and 'Kismath' (2016).

Last month, director and head of State Chalachitra Academy Kamal was at the receiving end of a BJP allegation for his comments over national anthem in cinemas during the International film Festival of

Kerala.

KASARGOD (KERALA): Actor Alencier Ley Lopez who shot to fame through 'Njan Steve Lopez' and 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram' staged a protest at the New bus stand here yesterday. He staged this performance of his to mark the recent attack of the BJP and other right-wing organizations on Malayalam director Kamal. Draped in a 'mundu' and playing rattle toys, Alencier sang poetic verses agitating the Sangh Parivar's growing attacks against artistes in Kerala. Retorting to the Sangh Parivar's demands that the artistes must leave the country if they do not believe in patriotism, the actor was heard singing  I am proud of my country, I am proud of the next country even, still they ask me who I am. His performance was structured around the theme of a man finding his place similar to his name, carrying a sack bag to reach America riding on buses. In the end, the actor is seen wearing a US flag around his waist and singing The love for 'underwear' is not patriotism, taking a dig at the right-wingers. Here's the YouTube video hosted by Malayalam news channel Media One: When asked about this unique form of agitation, Alencier told the mediapersons that his performance was not a protest but defense. 'I am an actor. If I am cold, I will pull a blanket over me. If it is hot, I will switch on the fan. But my country is turning out to be a place where I am being asked to go to Pakistan or Gujarat because of my name. It is a pity that we are living among people who don't understand the meaning of our Mahabharata.' Alancier Lopez who is a theatre and film artiste is also popular for his roles in 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram', 'Kammattipaadam' and 'Kismath' (2016). Last month, director and head of State Chalachitra Academy Kamal was at the receiving end of a BJP allegation for his comments over national anthem in cinemas during the International film Festival of Kerala.
By Express News Service

KASARGOD: A major violence broke out here on Wednesday night when the CPM and the BJP workers clashed and set vehicles on fire. According to the police, the violence started when a group of DYFI workers, who were taking out a march to celebrate the Supreme Court verdict on compensation to endosulfan victims, allegedly attacked a BJP worker. Later, they burnt a car of another BJP worker. In retaliation, the BJP workers started targeting the CPM workers in the region.

A police team along with fire force rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Senior police officers took stock of the situation and additional police force has been deployed. Meanwhile, the CPM leaders alleged that the clash erupted after BJP workers started pelting stones at the march. A meeting of the police higher officials with the District Collector will decide whether to clamp prohibitory orders in the town.

The district has been on turmoil during the past couple of days after Sangh Parivar called a hartal on January 3 to protest against the attacks allegedly by CPM activists. The BJP and the RSS had been alleging police excesses on their leaders ever since the LDF government assumed power in the state.

KASARGOD: A major violence broke out here on Wednesday night when the CPM and the BJP workers clashed and set vehicles on fire. According to the police, the violence started when a group of DYFI workers, who were taking out a march to celebrate the Supreme Court verdict on compensation to endosulfan victims, allegedly attacked a BJP worker. Later, they burnt a car of another BJP worker. In retaliation, the BJP workers started targeting the CPM workers in the region. A police team along with fire force rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Senior police officers took stock of the situation and additional police force has been deployed. Meanwhile, the CPM leaders alleged that the clash erupted after BJP workers started pelting stones at the march. A meeting of the police higher officials with the District Collector will decide whether to clamp prohibitory orders in the town. The district has been on turmoil during the past couple of days after Sangh Parivar called a hartal on January 3 to protest against the attacks allegedly by CPM activists. The BJP and the RSS had been alleging police excesses on their leaders ever since the LDF government assumed power in the state.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: After Trinamool Congress, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now come to haunt Biju Janata Dal as the probe agency on Thursday cracked down against lawmakers of the ruling dispensation in connection with the chit fund scam in the Seashore Group of Companies.



The premier investigating agency raided the office and house premises of BJD MP RK Jena and legislator Pravat Biswal as part of the searches across 25 places in the State and outside.



Sources said, the CBI teams raided the house and office of BJD MP Jena at Balasore while Biswals houses in MLA Colony at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack's Mahanadi Vihar were also searched. The house of Saroj Sahu, a /former aide of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, was also searched by the probe agency.

The agency sources said, a private MBA college in Balasore and its promoters house also came under the raids. Jena is on the advisory board of the educational institute.



The BJD MP, also a successful industrialist, who has also been served summon may appear before the agency on Thursday. His office in Balasore was raided and he was quizzed in December.



Jenas Supratik Group had apparently extended a loan of Rs 18 crore to Seashore Group during 2010-11 and while the latter had paid back, it still owes some money to the former. This dealing had brought the MP under the scanner of the agency. Before being an MP, he also was CEO of Balasore Alloys from 2007 to 2011.



Biswal, on the other hand, has been under radar of the CBI over a land deal by his wife with Seashore Group chief Prashant Dash. Besides, tourism projects undertaken by the chit fund firm in Cuttack and the MLAs role had also led to suspicion of financial transactions.



As far as Saroj Sahu is concerned, the former officer assistant of the CM, had been quizzed by the CBI for his alleged links with the Ponzi company.



The Seashore Group scam is estimated at about Rs 1000 crore. The CBI, ED as well as Economic Offences Wing have confiscated assets of the firm in the past.



Currently, two TMC lawmakers Tapas Paul and Sudip Bandyopadhyay are in jail in Bhubaneswar after being arrested by CBI over the Rose Valley scam.

BHUBANESWAR: After Trinamool Congress, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now come to haunt Biju Janata Dal as the probe agency on Thursday cracked down against lawmakers of the ruling dispensation in connection with the chit fund scam in the Seashore Group of Companies. The premier investigating agency raided the office and house premises of BJD MP RK Jena and legislator Pravat Biswal as part of the searches across 25 places in the State and outside. Sources said, the CBI teams raided the house and office of BJD MP Jena at Balasore while Biswals houses in MLA Colony at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack's Mahanadi Vihar were also searched. The house of Saroj Sahu, a /former aide of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, was also searched by the probe agency. The agency sources said, a private MBA college in Balasore and its promoters house also came under the raids. Jena is on the advisory board of the educational institute. The BJD MP, also a successful industrialist, who has also been served summon may appear before the agency on Thursday. His office in Balasore was raided and he was quizzed in December. Jenas Supratik Group had apparently extended a loan of Rs 18 crore to Seashore Group during 2010-11 and while the latter had paid back, it still owes some money to the former. This dealing had brought the MP under the scanner of the agency. Before being an MP, he also was CEO of Balasore Alloys from 2007 to 2011. Biswal, on the other hand, has been under radar of the CBI over a land deal by his wife with Seashore Group chief Prashant Dash. Besides, tourism projects undertaken by the chit fund firm in Cuttack and the MLAs role had also led to suspicion of financial transactions. As far as Saroj Sahu is concerned, the former officer assistant of the CM, had been quizzed by the CBI for his alleged links with the Ponzi company. The Seashore Group scam is estimated at about Rs 1000 crore. The CBI, ED as well as Economic Offences Wing have confiscated assets of the firm in the past. Currently, two TMC lawmakers Tapas Paul and Sudip Bandyopadhyay are in jail in Bhubaneswar after being arrested by CBI over the Rose Valley scam.
K Ezhilarasan By

Express News Service

CUDDALORE: In a show of dissent mixed with the Indian ingenuity that finds ways around inconveniences, cadres of Naam Tamizhar party managed to subvert the Supreme Court and conduct Jallikattu at Thirumanikuzhi village near Cuddalore on Thursday morning. Police were left scurrying to arrest the organisers and seize the bulls after they learned of it from news broadcasts of the event.

Police of Thirupathiripuliyur near Cuddalore, in fact, struggled to find the place where the Jallikattu was held, and by the time they reached the spot, the party cadres had it all wrapped up. The only thing left to do was to arrest the cadres there. The cops also managed to seize the bulls from a vehicle in which they had, by then, been sent off to another village.



So, how did the party cadres pull off this subterfuge?

A cadre of Naam Tamizhar party said, We had been making arrangements for the past one week. We set up a fence and also a Vadivasal (the entrance through which the bulls come into the arena). When a few village people asked us about the arrangements, we said it was a set for a film shooting.

He said the place was also quite remote and not near residential areas, and therefore did not draw much attention.

Besides, even cadres of the Naam Tamizhar party who decided to organise the event kept the plan to themselves, disclosing to other partymen in the district only last minute.

We had arranged to bring in 16 bulls from the villages in Dindigul district. The owners of the bulls are experts in the taming of bulls in the Jallikattu. More than 50 of them came here, bringing along their bulls in lorries and mini-load vehicles. We had also arranged for sportswear for the participants with the Tamil words Yeru Thazhuvuthal (the name for Jallikattu used in Sangam literature which means embracing the bull) printed on them. All these things happened just a day before the event. Nobody knew about it, another party man said.

Only on Thursday morning did we inform the other party cadres about the planned Jallikattu, and the village people gathered on the spot after hearing of it, he added.

The Jallikattu began around 8.30 am and went on till 10 am. In all, six bulls entered through the vadivasal as the excited crowd cheered. A thrilling man-versus-beast clash followed, as the bull-tamers and animals wrestled for control. In the end, man always wins. The winners were rewarded.

Much like in the movies where cops appear on the scene only after the entire fight sequence is over, the Thirupathiripuliyur police landed on the spot after all the action was done and dusted, and arrested the party cadres. In all, 28 people, including four party functionaries, were arrested. State coordinator of the party Anbu Thennarasan, district president of the party Sami Ravi, treasurer VM Balaji and block secretary Narayanan were among the arrested.

By that time, the vehicles ferrying the bulls back to their villages had left the spot. Police passed the information to police stations en route to Panruti and managed to block a mini-load vehicle that was carrying four bulls in another village. Police seized the vehicle and the four bulls.

Speaking to Express, Anbu Thennarasan said, Yeru Thazhuvuthal is the proud Tamil cultural identity. Corporates that want to destroy the indigenous breed of bulls is behind the Jallikattu ban. Dairy business barons are behind this. Against all these hurdles, we are striving hard to protect our bulls and Tamil culture. We are ready to face any case legally. The authorities should lift the ban and allow Tamil people to conduct Jallikattu.



CUDDALORE: In a show of dissent mixed with the Indian ingenuity that finds ways around inconveniences, cadres of Naam Tamizhar party managed to subvert the Supreme Court and conduct Jallikattu at Thirumanikuzhi village near Cuddalore on Thursday morning. Police were left scurrying to arrest the organisers and seize the bulls after they learned of it from news broadcasts of the event. Police of Thirupathiripuliyur near Cuddalore, in fact, struggled to find the place where the Jallikattu was held, and by the time they reached the spot, the party cadres had it all wrapped up. The only thing left to do was to arrest the cadres there. The cops also managed to seize the bulls from a vehicle in which they had, by then, been sent off to another village. So, how did the party cadres pull off this subterfuge? A cadre of Naam Tamizhar party said, We had been making arrangements for the past one week. We set up a fence and also a Vadivasal (the entrance through which the bulls come into the arena). When a few village people asked us about the arrangements, we said it was a set for a film shooting. He said the place was also quite remote and not near residential areas, and therefore did not draw much attention. Besides, even cadres of the Naam Tamizhar party who decided to organise the event kept the plan to themselves, disclosing to other partymen in the district only last minute. We had arranged to bring in 16 bulls from the villages in Dindigul district. The owners of the bulls are experts in the taming of bulls in the Jallikattu. More than 50 of them came here, bringing along their bulls in lorries and mini-load vehicles. We had also arranged for sportswear for the participants with the Tamil words Yeru Thazhuvuthal (the name for Jallikattu used in Sangam literature which means embracing the bull) printed on them. All these things happened just a day before the event. Nobody knew about it, another party man said. Only on Thursday morning did we inform the other party cadres about the planned Jallikattu, and the village people gathered on the spot after hearing of it, he added. The Jallikattu began around 8.30 am and went on till 10 am. In all, six bulls entered through the vadivasal as the excited crowd cheered. A thrilling man-versus-beast clash followed, as the bull-tamers and animals wrestled for control. In the end, man always wins. The winners were rewarded. Much like in the movies where cops appear on the scene only after the entire fight sequence is over, the Thirupathiripuliyur police landed on the spot after all the action was done and dusted, and arrested the party cadres. In all, 28 people, including four party functionaries, were arrested. State coordinator of the party Anbu Thennarasan, district president of the party Sami Ravi, treasurer VM Balaji and block secretary Narayanan were among the arrested. By that time, the vehicles ferrying the bulls back to their villages had left the spot. Police passed the information to police stations en route to Panruti and managed to block a mini-load vehicle that was carrying four bulls in another village. Police seized the vehicle and the four bulls. Speaking to Express, Anbu Thennarasan said, Yeru Thazhuvuthal is the proud Tamil cultural identity. Corporates that want to destroy the indigenous breed of bulls is behind the Jallikattu ban. Dairy business barons are behind this. Against all these hurdles, we are striving hard to protect our bulls and Tamil culture. We are ready to face any case legally. The authorities should lift the ban and allow Tamil people to conduct Jallikattu.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: With just two days left for the Pongal festival, agitations were staged across the State on Wednesday demanding that the traditional sporting event to be allowed to be held during Pongal.

Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said he was confident that the Supreme Court would reinstate Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the promulgation of an ordinance reinstating Jallikattu.

Former chief minister, J Jayalalithaa, was firm on protecting the rights of the State on every count whether it was inter-State water disputes, FDI in retail trade etc. This government will continue to march on the path shown by her. We will not back out in our efforts to resume Jallikattu. I assure the people that we will protect our culture and tradition, Panneerselvam said.

Reacting to DMKs working president MK Stalin protesting, Paneerselvam said, By organising any number of agitations for Jallikattu, the DMK (part of the UPA regime) cannot wash its hands off the sin of having issued a notification in 2011 to include bulls in the list of performing animals.

AIADMK general secretary Sasikala, in her letter to the Prime Minister, said, Bulls specially reared for the purpose are tamed by ardent youth and this sport is not in the least cruel to animals, unlike sporting events involving horses and camels.

CHENNAI: With just two days left for the Pongal festival, agitations were staged across the State on Wednesday demanding that the traditional sporting event to be allowed to be held during Pongal. Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said he was confident that the Supreme Court would reinstate Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the promulgation of an ordinance reinstating Jallikattu. Former chief minister, J Jayalalithaa, was firm on protecting the rights of the State on every count whether it was inter-State water disputes, FDI in retail trade etc. This government will continue to march on the path shown by her. We will not back out in our efforts to resume Jallikattu. I assure the people that we will protect our culture and tradition, Panneerselvam said. Reacting to DMKs working president MK Stalin protesting, Paneerselvam said, By organising any number of agitations for Jallikattu, the DMK (part of the UPA regime) cannot wash its hands off the sin of having issued a notification in 2011 to include bulls in the list of performing animals. AIADMK general secretary Sasikala, in her letter to the Prime Minister, said, Bulls specially reared for the purpose are tamed by ardent youth and this sport is not in the least cruel to animals, unlike sporting events involving horses and camels.
By Express News Service

VELLORE: He is supposed to be the guide, guardian and philosopher, for the position of the principal demands it. If one goes by the statement of two students of his college, he is unprincipled to lead them.

The district police have launched an investigation into the complaints lodged by two students of Government College of Education, Katpadi, that their principal had stabbed them. In the meantime, the principal also lodged a complaint against the two students for threatening him on Wednesday evening.

The injured students  Jagan, 25, and Rajan, 26,  claimed Principal (in-charge) S Parthiban had stabbed them when five of them went to meet him around 5 pm to seek permission to organise Pongal celebrations in the college.

While Jagan got injured on his hands, Rajan received cut injuries on his waist. They were admitted to Government Medical College in Vellore. Meanwhile, at around 8 pm, Parthiban lodged a complaint with Virudhampattu police, stating that the students had pushed him down from his chair following an argument. He stated that the incident occurred in his chamber in the college.

According to official sources, the strength of a first year Bachelor of Education (BEd) is 72 while that of a second year is 97.

Since several months, the students have been staging various protests against fee hike, the appointment of teachers and the like.

Sources said, owing to these protests, there was no cordial relationship between student union members and college administration.

P Pakalavan, Superintendent of Police said, they were investigating into the authenticity of the both the complaints. The principal in his complaint stated that he had asked the students as to why they want to celebrate the festival as it was a holiday. Hearing this, the students suddenly started shouting at him and ran away from his chamber. We are also inquiring with the students.

VELLORE: He is supposed to be the guide, guardian and philosopher, for the position of the principal demands it. If one goes by the statement of two students of his college, he is unprincipled to lead them. The district police have launched an investigation into the complaints lodged by two students of Government College of Education, Katpadi, that their principal had stabbed them. In the meantime, the principal also lodged a complaint against the two students for threatening him on Wednesday evening. The injured students  Jagan, 25, and Rajan, 26,  claimed Principal (in-charge) S Parthiban had stabbed them when five of them went to meet him around 5 pm to seek permission to organise Pongal celebrations in the college. While Jagan got injured on his hands, Rajan received cut injuries on his waist. They were admitted to Government Medical College in Vellore. Meanwhile, at around 8 pm, Parthiban lodged a complaint with Virudhampattu police, stating that the students had pushed him down from his chair following an argument. He stated that the incident occurred in his chamber in the college. According to official sources, the strength of a first year Bachelor of Education (BEd) is 72 while that of a second year is 97. Since several months, the students have been staging various protests against fee hike, the appointment of teachers and the like. Sources said, owing to these protests, there was no cordial relationship between student union members and college administration. P Pakalavan, Superintendent of Police said, they were investigating into the authenticity of the both the complaints. The principal in his complaint stated that he had asked the students as to why they want to celebrate the festival as it was a holiday. Hearing this, the students suddenly started shouting at him and ran away from his chamber. We are also inquiring with the students.
CHENNAI, TIRUCHY: It was proud moment for Mohanur, a town panchayat on the banks of the Cauvery, when word got out that TCS boss Natarajan Chandrasekaran had been picked as chairman of Tata group.

Better known as Chandra, he hailed from Mohanur, part of Namakkal district, and studied in a Tamil medium school till Class X after which he moved to Tiruchy for higher studies.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran



Their family had farm in Mohanur, which his lawyer-dad Srinivasan Natarajan had to manage and wanted Chandra to help out. After his bachelors in applied sciences from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Chandra went home to see whether I could take up agriculture as a profession. After four-five months, I realized that agriculture was not my cup of tea, he told Livemint about four years ago. He then thought of becoming a chartered accountant, but had missed an academic year.

Chandra then went on to join the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchy (now National Institute of Technology) to take up a masters programme in computer applications. He was part of the first batch of MCA grads who passed out in 1986.

In the final year of college, he took up a project with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). After college, he joined TCS as a software programmer. That was the only job he took in his 30 years of professional life.

He served at TCS at various levels, including stints in California, the UK, and Stockholm. He is said to have built a new team from scratch in the US, working against extreme deadlines.

As head of global sales, he set up operations in various countries including Latin America, China, Uruguay, Mexico and Hungary.

According to sources in NIT, Tiruchy, Chandra was honoured with the distinguished alumnus award about two years ago. He had turned emotional during the event while visiting his classroom and hostel, recalled N Anantharaman, professor in Chemical Engineering and former secretary the alumni association. TCS has been supporting NIT-T by funding its research.

CHENNAI, TIRUCHY: It was proud moment for Mohanur, a town panchayat on the banks of the Cauvery, when word got out that TCS boss Natarajan Chandrasekaran had been picked as chairman of Tata group. Better known as Chandra, he hailed from Mohanur, part of Namakkal district, and studied in a Tamil medium school till Class X after which he moved to Tiruchy for higher studies. Natarajan Chandrasekaran Their family had farm in Mohanur, which his lawyer-dad Srinivasan Natarajan had to manage and wanted Chandra to help out. After his bachelors in applied sciences from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Chandra went home to see whether I could take up agriculture as a profession. After four-five months, I realized that agriculture was not my cup of tea, he told Livemint about four years ago. He then thought of becoming a chartered accountant, but had missed an academic year. Chandra then went on to join the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchy (now National Institute of Technology) to take up a masters programme in computer applications. He was part of the first batch of MCA grads who passed out in 1986. In the final year of college, he took up a project with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). After college, he joined TCS as a software programmer. That was the only job he took in his 30 years of professional life. He served at TCS at various levels, including stints in California, the UK, and Stockholm. He is said to have built a new team from scratch in the US, working against extreme deadlines. As head of global sales, he set up operations in various countries including Latin America, China, Uruguay, Mexico and Hungary. According to sources in NIT, Tiruchy, Chandra was honoured with the distinguished alumnus award about two years ago. He had turned emotional during the event while visiting his classroom and hostel, recalled N Anantharaman, professor in Chemical Engineering and former secretary the alumni association. TCS has been supporting NIT-T by funding its research.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre is learnt to be considering a proposal put forward by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to do away with the scheme of providing subsidy to poor Muslims to go on Haj pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina.

Union minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has set up a six-member committee to look into the matter, it is learnt. The panel is expected to examine whether giving subsidy has any benefits. It will also look into the issue of whether the pilgrims can travel to the Muslim holy shrines in Saudi Arabia by paying less in case subsidy is withdrawn, sources added.

HYDERABAD: The Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre is learnt to be considering a proposal put forward by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to do away with the scheme of providing subsidy to poor Muslims to go on Haj pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina. Union minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has set up a six-member committee to look into the matter, it is learnt. The panel is expected to examine whether giving subsidy has any benefits. It will also look into the issue of whether the pilgrims can travel to the Muslim holy shrines in Saudi Arabia by paying less in case subsidy is withdrawn, sources added.
By PTI

LONDON: A 9mm double-barrel gun designed like an iPhone has placed police in Europe on high alert after authorities received a warning that it could be flooded illegaly into the continent when it goes on sale in the US. The "iPhone Gun" which has been preordered 12,000 times, is disguised as an iPhone  but can transform into a lethal weapon at the touch of a button. It is believed the weapon will be imported to European criminals within days, as officials struggle to control the borders amid terror fears, The Evening Standard reported.

The device will go on sale for around 330 pounds  half the price of an actual iPhone 7. Belgian police, who are already on high alert following a spate of terrorist attacks in Europe in recent months, were issued a warning about the gun, the report said. An alert sent to Belgian police at the weekend said that although no copies had yet been found, the weapons were expected to turn up on European streets soon. "To the eye, nothing can distinguish it from a mobile telephone," said the Belgian police alert, reported by Derniere Heure newspaper.

"Most people possess a smartphone, meaning that it can pass completely overlooked." Created by Minnesota-based manufacturer Ideal Conceal, the gun goes on sale in the US next week. The company said on its Facebook page: "Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment. In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight." In July last year, a passenger travelling through Stansted Airport in Essex was stopped by police for carrying an iPhone case designed to look like a gun.

LONDON: A 9mm double-barrel gun designed like an iPhone has placed police in Europe on high alert after authorities received a warning that it could be flooded illegaly into the continent when it goes on sale in the US. The "iPhone Gun" which has been preordered 12,000 times, is disguised as an iPhone  but can transform into a lethal weapon at the touch of a button. It is believed the weapon will be imported to European criminals within days, as officials struggle to control the borders amid terror fears, The Evening Standard reported. The device will go on sale for around 330 pounds  half the price of an actual iPhone 7. Belgian police, who are already on high alert following a spate of terrorist attacks in Europe in recent months, were issued a warning about the gun, the report said. An alert sent to Belgian police at the weekend said that although no copies had yet been found, the weapons were expected to turn up on European streets soon. "To the eye, nothing can distinguish it from a mobile telephone," said the Belgian police alert, reported by Derniere Heure newspaper. "Most people possess a smartphone, meaning that it can pass completely overlooked." Created by Minnesota-based manufacturer Ideal Conceal, the gun goes on sale in the US next week. The company said on its Facebook page: "Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment. In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight." In July last year, a passenger travelling through Stansted Airport in Essex was stopped by police for carrying an iPhone case designed to look like a gun.
By Associated Press

TEHRAN: The first of 100 Airbus planes that Iran purchased following its nuclear deal with world powers arrived in Tehran on Thursday, heralding a new chapter for the country's ageing and accident-prone fleet after years of sanctions.

The Iran Air A321 jet touched down after a flight from Toulouse, France, where the headquarters of the European consortium are located. The 189-seat plane is the first of 100 purchased under a December deal worth $18 billion.

Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi told reporters at an airport ceremony that the plane would be used for domestic flights, Iran's Press TV reported. The semi-official ISNA news agency quoted him as saying another two Airbus jetliners would be delivered in the next two months.

Iran is hoping to rapidly upgrade its fleet now that sanctions have been lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord, in which Tehran pledged to curb its uranium enrichment.

Most of Iran's ageing fleet of 250 commercial planes was purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and as of June, only 162 were operational, with the rest grounded because of a lack of spare parts.

Iran Air, whose website lists a fleet of 43 planes, offers direct flights to over 30 international destinations, including London.

The company recently sealed a separate agreement to buy 80 planes from Boeing, beginning next year.

The election of Donald Trump, however, has cast doubt over the future of the deal. He repeatedly criticised the nuclear agreement on the campaign trail but has not said what he plans to do about it once in office.

Akhoundi said Iran hopes the U.S. "continues to remain true to its commitments" under the new administration.

"We hope that America's political community has reached a level of maturity and accountability to create an atmosphere so that the world can accept and hope that peace can be reached through dialogue," he said.

The Boeing deal is Iran's biggest with an American company since the 1979 revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover. It calls for 50 Boeing 737s and 30 Boeing 777s to be delivered over the next decade.

Iran Air is also expected to seal an order for 20 turboprops from European manufacturer ATR.

TEHRAN: The first of 100 Airbus planes that Iran purchased following its nuclear deal with world powers arrived in Tehran on Thursday, heralding a new chapter for the country's ageing and accident-prone fleet after years of sanctions. The Iran Air A321 jet touched down after a flight from Toulouse, France, where the headquarters of the European consortium are located. The 189-seat plane is the first of 100 purchased under a December deal worth $18 billion. Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi told reporters at an airport ceremony that the plane would be used for domestic flights, Iran's Press TV reported. The semi-official ISNA news agency quoted him as saying another two Airbus jetliners would be delivered in the next two months. Iran is hoping to rapidly upgrade its fleet now that sanctions have been lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord, in which Tehran pledged to curb its uranium enrichment. Most of Iran's ageing fleet of 250 commercial planes was purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and as of June, only 162 were operational, with the rest grounded because of a lack of spare parts. Iran Air, whose website lists a fleet of 43 planes, offers direct flights to over 30 international destinations, including London. The company recently sealed a separate agreement to buy 80 planes from Boeing, beginning next year. The election of Donald Trump, however, has cast doubt over the future of the deal. He repeatedly criticised the nuclear agreement on the campaign trail but has not said what he plans to do about it once in office. Akhoundi said Iran hopes the U.S. "continues to remain true to its commitments" under the new administration. "We hope that America's political community has reached a level of maturity and accountability to create an atmosphere so that the world can accept and hope that peace can be reached through dialogue," he said. The Boeing deal is Iran's biggest with an American company since the 1979 revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover. It calls for 50 Boeing 737s and 30 Boeing 777s to be delivered over the next decade. Iran Air is also expected to seal an order for 20 turboprops from European manufacturer ATR.
By AFP

LUXEMBOURG: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday told the European Union it must keep a united front in negotiations with Britain over its exit from the bloc.

"We are absolutely in agreement that we cannot let ourselves be divided," she told a news conference after talks with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

"The 27 (member states) must act together in the negotiations, but first we await the answer about how Britain wants to design its exit."

Merkel will visit neighbouring Belgium later Thursday, where she will receive an honorary university doctorate and hold talks with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.

Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June last year, but the rest of the bloc has refused to hold any negotiations on their future relationship until Britain formally triggers its departure.

EU nations have warned Britain cannot expect to keep all the benefits of membership of the single market while being able to limit the bloc's signature freedom of movement for people.

On Wednesday, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, whose country has just taken over the EU's rotating six-month presidency, rejected suggestions that Britain may be able to play on divisions to extract concessions.

"I have rarely been at a discussion on any other subject where the 27 member states have basically the same position," he said.

LUXEMBOURG: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday told the European Union it must keep a united front in negotiations with Britain over its exit from the bloc. "We are absolutely in agreement that we cannot let ourselves be divided," she told a news conference after talks with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. "The 27 (member states) must act together in the negotiations, but first we await the answer about how Britain wants to design its exit." Merkel will visit neighbouring Belgium later Thursday, where she will receive an honorary university doctorate and hold talks with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June last year, but the rest of the bloc has refused to hold any negotiations on their future relationship until Britain formally triggers its departure. EU nations have warned Britain cannot expect to keep all the benefits of membership of the single market while being able to limit the bloc's signature freedom of movement for people. On Wednesday, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, whose country has just taken over the EU's rotating six-month presidency, rejected suggestions that Britain may be able to play on divisions to extract concessions. "I have rarely been at a discussion on any other subject where the 27 member states have basically the same position," he said.
Express News Service

COLOMBO: The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) has challenged the claim of C.V.Wigneswaran, Chief Minister of the Tamil-majority Northern Province, that the charge of step-motherly treatment of Muslims in the matter of re-settlement is baseless.

In a letter to the Chief Minister dated December 27, 2016, the President of the MCSL, N.M.Ameen, said that the CMs contention that out of the 4307 families which had obtained lands between 2013 and 2016, 73.02 percent were Muslim, 25.66 percent were Tamil, and 1.32 percent was Sinhalese, was misleading.

He pointed out that by 2013, there were very few Tamils left to be resettled, as government and the international community had prioritized Tamils resettlement after the war ended in 2009. Hence, in the settlement program which took place after 2013, the percentage of Muslim families appeared to be high, he said.

But the fact is that there are still thousands of Muslim families to be resettled in their former homes in the Northern Province, Ameen said.

Speaking to Express on Thursday, another MCSL official, Hilmy Ahamed, said that the LTTE had expelled 100,000 Muslims from the Northern Province in 1990 in an inhuman act of ethnic cleansing. And in the last last 26 years, that displaced population had swelled to 300,000. Out of these, about 40 percent had gone back to their former homes and lands in the North. Of the rest, some do not want to go back, but thousands are keen to go back and reclaim their rights.

Ameen requested the Northern Chief Minister to enlighten the MCSL about his plans to resettle those forcibly evicted in 1990.

He drew the attention of the Chief Minister to the fact that some extremist Buddhist groups are preventing the return of the Muslims to their lands in Mannar district in the Northern Province on the specious plea that they have encroached on the Wilpattu Wildlife Reserve in Puttalam district outside the Northern Province.

Earlier, on December 27, Chief Minister Wigneswaran had given statistics to show that Muslims had not been discriminated against in the matter of post-war resettlement.

He said that among the 4307 families which had obtained lands between 2013 and 2016, 73.02 percent were Muslim, 25.66 percent were Tamil and 1.32 percent were Sinhalese.

Up to December 2015, 26,668 Muslim families had applied for resettlement. Out of these 24,040 families were resettled and 2801 families remained to be settled.

Out of the 2801 families to be resettled, 1570 were in Jaffna and 1231 were in Vavuniya. In Mannar, which has always had a large proportion of Muslims, all those who sought resettlement had been resettled.

Wigneswaran pointed out that many Muslims had not applied for resettlement because they had settled in the South Sri Lankan district of Puttalam. If and when they apply they will be resettled in the North, he assured.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had objected to the Central government in Colombo appointing a special committee or Task Force to oversee Muslim and Sinhalese resettlement in the North.

The Task Force had as members, Central Ministers D.M.Swamnathan (Resettlement), Faizer Musthapha (Local government and Provincial Councils), Rishad Bathiyutheen (Commerce), and Duminda Dissanayake (Agriculture). There was no one from the elected Northern Provincial Council.

The all-Central government Task Force was formed following complaints by Muslim and Sinhalese leaders that Muslim and Sinhalese displaced families were subjected to step-motherly treatment by the Tamil-dominated Northern Provincial Council and administration.

COLOMBO: The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) has challenged the claim of C.V.Wigneswaran, Chief Minister of the Tamil-majority Northern Province, that the charge of step-motherly treatment of Muslims in the matter of re-settlement is baseless. In a letter to the Chief Minister dated December 27, 2016, the President of the MCSL, N.M.Ameen, said that the CMs contention that out of the 4307 families which had obtained lands between 2013 and 2016, 73.02 percent were Muslim, 25.66 percent were Tamil, and 1.32 percent was Sinhalese, was misleading. He pointed out that by 2013, there were very few Tamils left to be resettled, as government and the international community had prioritized Tamils resettlement after the war ended in 2009. Hence, in the settlement program which took place after 2013, the percentage of Muslim families appeared to be high, he said. But the fact is that there are still thousands of Muslim families to be resettled in their former homes in the Northern Province, Ameen said. Speaking to Express on Thursday, another MCSL official, Hilmy Ahamed, said that the LTTE had expelled 100,000 Muslims from the Northern Province in 1990 in an inhuman act of ethnic cleansing. And in the last last 26 years, that displaced population had swelled to 300,000. Out of these, about 40 percent had gone back to their former homes and lands in the North. Of the rest, some do not want to go back, but thousands are keen to go back and reclaim their rights. Ameen requested the Northern Chief Minister to enlighten the MCSL about his plans to resettle those forcibly evicted in 1990. He drew the attention of the Chief Minister to the fact that some extremist Buddhist groups are preventing the return of the Muslims to their lands in Mannar district in the Northern Province on the specious plea that they have encroached on the Wilpattu Wildlife Reserve in Puttalam district outside the Northern Province. Earlier, on December 27, Chief Minister Wigneswaran had given statistics to show that Muslims had not been discriminated against in the matter of post-war resettlement. He said that among the 4307 families which had obtained lands between 2013 and 2016, 73.02 percent were Muslim, 25.66 percent were Tamil and 1.32 percent were Sinhalese. Up to December 2015, 26,668 Muslim families had applied for resettlement. Out of these 24,040 families were resettled and 2801 families remained to be settled. Out of the 2801 families to be resettled, 1570 were in Jaffna and 1231 were in Vavuniya. In Mannar, which has always had a large proportion of Muslims, all those who sought resettlement had been resettled. Wigneswaran pointed out that many Muslims had not applied for resettlement because they had settled in the South Sri Lankan district of Puttalam. If and when they apply they will be resettled in the North, he assured. Earlier, the Chief Minister had objected to the Central government in Colombo appointing a special committee or Task Force to oversee Muslim and Sinhalese resettlement in the North. The Task Force had as members, Central Ministers D.M.Swamnathan (Resettlement), Faizer Musthapha (Local government and Provincial Councils), Rishad Bathiyutheen (Commerce), and Duminda Dissanayake (Agriculture). There was no one from the elected Northern Provincial Council. The all-Central government Task Force was formed following complaints by Muslim and Sinhalese leaders that Muslim and Sinhalese displaced families were subjected to step-motherly treatment by the Tamil-dominated Northern Provincial Council and administration.
Express News Service

COLOMBO: The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) met the US Ambassador Atul Keshap here on Wednesday and apprised him of the issues facing the Muslim community in the light of a recent resurgence of Sinhala-Buddhist extremism with the tacit support of a section of the government.

Briefing Express on the meeting, MCSL member and media personality Hilmy Ahamed said that the Ambassador was concerned about the fate of the post-war ethnic reconciliation process and said that he, along with some other envoys, was talking to various sections of the government about the need to keep the process on track.

While several incidents involving hate speech were worrying the Muslims, the one which brought all Muslim political leaders together and which led to the MCSL to seek an audience with the American Ambassador, was the Wilpattu Forest Reserve encroachment issue raised by a band of anti-Muslim Buddhist nationalists and misinformed environmentalists.

Even as the Muslims were pointing out that they had not encroached on the Wilpattu forest reserve and that the hamlets they were occupying were outside the park and were also lands which they had been cultivating since 1906 with government permits, President Maithripala Sirisena issued a gazette notification on December 30, 2016, extending the land area coming under the Wilpattu National Park nullifying the Muslim settlements.

This shocked the Muslims who were trying to get back to their own lands to rebuild their shattered lives, wrote Latheef Farook, a well-known commentator on Muslim issues, in The Colombo Telegraph.

The gazette notification covers the villages of Marichichukaddy, Karadikuli and Palaikkuli in the Musali South area of Mannar district, while the Wilpattu National Park is entirely in Puttalam district. The Muslims had lived in these villages for generations with valid title deeds. In 1990, they were expelled from here en masse by the LTTE.

MCSL official Ahamed said that these places look like forests now because no one was living there after the Muslims expulsion in 1990. But the existence of dilapidated buildings and mosques are a testimony to Muslims having lived there before. There are Muslims peasants with land titled dated 1906. There is a mosque constructed in 1940.

When the Muslims tried to return to their lands after the war in May 2009, racist elements created many controversies distorting facts and giving an ethnic twist to prevent them from returning to their lands. The Muslims suspect it was under the influence of such elements that President Sirisena may have issued his 30 December 2016 order, Farook writes.

When the Musali South Muslims were cooped up in refugee camps in Puttalam district from 1990 onwards, the earlier Mahinda Rajapaksa government acquired a major part of their traditional lands under various pretexts, Farook says.

According to Ahamed, any area with vegetation with a height of six feet and above could be deemed forest land and taken over by the forest department. The lands of the Muslims which showed heavy overgrowth because of 26 years of neglect, were deemed forest lands and taken over.

First around 40% of their traditional lands in the Musali South was acquired. This was followed by the acquisition of another 30 percent of their land without any consultation or consent to put up Security forces Establishments.

Muslim owned lands were acquired for a naval agricultural project. A Navy Regional Commanding Office was established in two prominent villages and the Muslims were prevented from entering their own lands, dwellings and other properties.

COLOMBO: The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) met the US Ambassador Atul Keshap here on Wednesday and apprised him of the issues facing the Muslim community in the light of a recent resurgence of Sinhala-Buddhist extremism with the tacit support of a section of the government. Briefing Express on the meeting, MCSL member and media personality Hilmy Ahamed said that the Ambassador was concerned about the fate of the post-war ethnic reconciliation process and said that he, along with some other envoys, was talking to various sections of the government about the need to keep the process on track. While several incidents involving hate speech were worrying the Muslims, the one which brought all Muslim political leaders together and which led to the MCSL to seek an audience with the American Ambassador, was the Wilpattu Forest Reserve encroachment issue raised by a band of anti-Muslim Buddhist nationalists and misinformed environmentalists. Even as the Muslims were pointing out that they had not encroached on the Wilpattu forest reserve and that the hamlets they were occupying were outside the park and were also lands which they had been cultivating since 1906 with government permits, President Maithripala Sirisena issued a gazette notification on December 30, 2016, extending the land area coming under the Wilpattu National Park nullifying the Muslim settlements. This shocked the Muslims who were trying to get back to their own lands to rebuild their shattered lives, wrote Latheef Farook, a well-known commentator on Muslim issues, in The Colombo Telegraph. The gazette notification covers the villages of Marichichukaddy, Karadikuli and Palaikkuli in the Musali South area of Mannar district, while the Wilpattu National Park is entirely in Puttalam district. The Muslims had lived in these villages for generations with valid title deeds. In 1990, they were expelled from here en masse by the LTTE. MCSL official Ahamed said that these places look like forests now because no one was living there after the Muslims expulsion in 1990. But the existence of dilapidated buildings and mosques are a testimony to Muslims having lived there before. There are Muslims peasants with land titled dated 1906. There is a mosque constructed in 1940. When the Muslims tried to return to their lands after the war in May 2009, racist elements created many controversies distorting facts and giving an ethnic twist to prevent them from returning to their lands. The Muslims suspect it was under the influence of such elements that President Sirisena may have issued his 30 December 2016 order, Farook writes. When the Musali South Muslims were cooped up in refugee camps in Puttalam district from 1990 onwards, the earlier Mahinda Rajapaksa government acquired a major part of their traditional lands under various pretexts, Farook says. According to Ahamed, any area with vegetation with a height of six feet and above could be deemed forest land and taken over by the forest department. The lands of the Muslims which showed heavy overgrowth because of 26 years of neglect, were deemed forest lands and taken over. First around 40% of their traditional lands in the Musali South was acquired. This was followed by the acquisition of another 30 percent of their land without any consultation or consent to put up Security forces Establishments. Muslim owned lands were acquired for a naval agricultural project. A Navy Regional Commanding Office was established in two prominent villages and the Muslims were prevented from entering their own lands, dwellings and other properties.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's tweet following his farewell address to the nation has become the most popular post on the presidential account.

Obama tweeted from the @POTUS account last night: "Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believe_not in my ability to create change, but in yours."

Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believenot in my ability to create change, but in yours.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 11, 2017

As of midday, the message had been retweeted more than 500,000 times. Twitter spokesman Nick Pacilio says that outperforms his previous top tweet, a message posted after the Supreme Court's June 2015 decision to overturn state bans on gay marriage.

The @POTUS account has more than 13 million followers.

Obama's personal @BarackObama account has more than 80 million followers.

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's tweet following his farewell address to the nation has become the most popular post on the presidential account. Obama tweeted from the @POTUS account last night: "Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believe_not in my ability to create change, but in yours." Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I'm asking you to believenot in my ability to create change, but in yours.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 11, 2017 As of midday, the message had been retweeted more than 500,000 times. Twitter spokesman Nick Pacilio says that outperforms his previous top tweet, a message posted after the Supreme Court's June 2015 decision to overturn state bans on gay marriage. The @POTUS account has more than 13 million followers. Obama's personal @BarackObama account has more than 80 million followers.
By PTI

WASHINTON: Wild vampire bats, thought to exclusively feed on bird blood, have been found feeding on humans for the first time, raising concerns of disease spread, scientists say.

Researchers analysed 70 faecal samples from a colony of hairy-legged vampire bats, D ecaudata, living in Catimbau National Park in north-east Brazil.

They found that three samples out of the 15 they managed to get DNA from had traces of blood from humans.

"We were quite surprised. This species is not adapted to feed on the blood of mammals," said Enrico Bernard from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil.

The bats typically target large birds at night-time, sucking a spoonful of blood from a single animal as a meal.

They are adapted to process fat, the main component of bird blood, as opposed to the thicker, high-protein blood of mammals, 'New Scientist' reported.

However, human encroachment may be driving the species to try new blood. The park is now home to several human families and the bat's usual prey, such as guans and tinamous, are

disappearing due to deforestation and hunting.

Researchers also found that most of the samples they tested contained the blood of chickens, commonly kept on farms

in the area.

"They are adapting to their environment and exploiting the new resources," said Bernard.

Previously, common vampire bats were found to start feeding on invasive wild pigs.

The species' new habits are a concern since it could spread disease, researchers said, adding vampire bats are a major transmitter of rabies, and there are often outbreaks in

Brazil.

The research was published in the Journal Acta Chiropterologica.

WASHINTON: Wild vampire bats, thought to exclusively feed on bird blood, have been found feeding on humans for the first time, raising concerns of disease spread, scientists say. Researchers analysed 70 faecal samples from a colony of hairy-legged vampire bats, D ecaudata, living in Catimbau National Park in north-east Brazil. They found that three samples out of the 15 they managed to get DNA from had traces of blood from humans. "We were quite surprised. This species is not adapted to feed on the blood of mammals," said Enrico Bernard from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil. The bats typically target large birds at night-time, sucking a spoonful of blood from a single animal as a meal. They are adapted to process fat, the main component of bird blood, as opposed to the thicker, high-protein blood of mammals, 'New Scientist' reported. However, human encroachment may be driving the species to try new blood. The park is now home to several human families and the bat's usual prey, such as guans and tinamous, are disappearing due to deforestation and hunting. Researchers also found that most of the samples they tested contained the blood of chickens, commonly kept on farms in the area. "They are adapting to their environment and exploiting the new resources," said Bernard. Previously, common vampire bats were found to start feeding on invasive wild pigs. The species' new habits are a concern since it could spread disease, researchers said, adding vampire bats are a major transmitter of rabies, and there are often outbreaks in Brazil. The research was published in the Journal Acta Chiropterologica.
By AFP

MEXICO CITY: While Donald Trump is still days away from becoming US president, Mexico is already gearing for tough negotiations, refusing to pay for a border wall while rejecting protectionist threats.

President Enrique Pena Nieto and Trump gave a glimpse of things to come on Wednesday as the neighbouring countries face a new and complex era in their relationship.

Pena Nieto said his government will seek "open and complete negotiations" with the next US government and that "everything is on the table," including security, immigration and trade.

But, he said, "at no time will we accept anything that goes against our dignity as a country, and our dignity as Mexicans."

Drawing applause at an annual meeting with Mexican ambassadors, Pena Nieto continued: "It is obvious that we have some differences with the next government of the United States, like the issue of the wall that Mexico of course will not pay for."

Trump -- who has angered Mexicans by calling migrants from their country "rapists" -- boasted at a news conference hours earlier in New York that Mexico has been "so nice" to him.

But the Republican billionaire said his administration will quickly begin work on the wall and make Mexico reimburse the United States through a tax or another unspecified form of payment.

"I could wait about a year-and-a-half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which we'll start immediately after we get to office, but I don't want to wait," Trump said.

The cost of building a wall -- which might end up being more fence than wall, analysts say -- has been estimated at up to $25 billion.

While the Republican billionaire did not mention his previous threat to tap into the remittances Mexican migrants send back home, Pena Nieto said he would work to "maintain the free flow of remittances," which reached $24 billion in the first 11 months of 2016.

The Mexican currency plunged to a new record low after Trump's press conference, falling 0.9 percent to trade at 22.20 pesos per dollar.

- 'Fears and threats' -

Trump, who takes office on January 20, also renewed his pledge to impose "a major border tax" on companies that ship jobs to other countries like Mexico.

The real estate tycoon claimed credit for a recent announcement by auto maker Fiat-Chrysler of plans to boost investments in the United States as well as Ford's decision to cancel a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico.

The auto industry is vital to Mexico, which is the world's fourth exporter, with the majority of vehicles going to the United States, which is Mexico's main export market.

Pena Nieto rejected any attempt to influence foreign investors "on the basis of fear or threats."

But he said Mexico was ready to discuss the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada, which Trump wants to renegotiate. The pact represents $531 billion in annual two-way trade.

Pena Nieto issued his own demands to the incoming administration, renewing calls for the US government to stop the illegal trafficking of guns from the United States to Mexico, which the southern neighbor has blamed for fueling drug violence for years.

Pena Nieto also said the United States needs to block the flow of illegal funds to organized crime.

- 'Fascinating' change looms -

But analysts warned that negotiations on the wall and NAFTA will take a while if not years, as they have to clear hurdles in the US Congress and with the countries involved in the process.

In an attempt to start off on the right foot, Pena Nieto brought back his former finance minister, Luis Videgaray, as foreign minister last week.

Videgaray had resigned in September, a week after a political firestorm over his role in arranging Trump's controversial pre-election meeting with Pena Nieto.

But Videgaray's previous contacts with the Trump team are now seen as an asset.

"This is a man who certainly has strategic vision, he is a negotiator, he is a transactional politician by nature," Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, told AFP.

"This is going to be complex, fascinating negotiations," he said.

Luis de la Calle, a Mexican analyst who was among the negotiators of the NAFTA deal in 1994, said many US lawmakers will want to protect businesses in their home states, noting that Mexico is the main export market for California and Texas.

"Mexico must negotiate like a serious and responsible country," de la Calle told AFP, adding that the government "must be willing to leave the negotiation table in case that what the United States offers is unacceptable for Mexico."

MEXICO CITY: While Donald Trump is still days away from becoming US president, Mexico is already gearing for tough negotiations, refusing to pay for a border wall while rejecting protectionist threats. President Enrique Pena Nieto and Trump gave a glimpse of things to come on Wednesday as the neighbouring countries face a new and complex era in their relationship. Pena Nieto said his government will seek "open and complete negotiations" with the next US government and that "everything is on the table," including security, immigration and trade. But, he said, "at no time will we accept anything that goes against our dignity as a country, and our dignity as Mexicans." Drawing applause at an annual meeting with Mexican ambassadors, Pena Nieto continued: "It is obvious that we have some differences with the next government of the United States, like the issue of the wall that Mexico of course will not pay for." Trump -- who has angered Mexicans by calling migrants from their country "rapists" -- boasted at a news conference hours earlier in New York that Mexico has been "so nice" to him. But the Republican billionaire said his administration will quickly begin work on the wall and make Mexico reimburse the United States through a tax or another unspecified form of payment. "I could wait about a year-and-a-half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which we'll start immediately after we get to office, but I don't want to wait," Trump said. The cost of building a wall -- which might end up being more fence than wall, analysts say -- has been estimated at up to $25 billion. While the Republican billionaire did not mention his previous threat to tap into the remittances Mexican migrants send back home, Pena Nieto said he would work to "maintain the free flow of remittances," which reached $24 billion in the first 11 months of 2016. The Mexican currency plunged to a new record low after Trump's press conference, falling 0.9 percent to trade at 22.20 pesos per dollar. - 'Fears and threats' - Trump, who takes office on January 20, also renewed his pledge to impose "a major border tax" on companies that ship jobs to other countries like Mexico. The real estate tycoon claimed credit for a recent announcement by auto maker Fiat-Chrysler of plans to boost investments in the United States as well as Ford's decision to cancel a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico. The auto industry is vital to Mexico, which is the world's fourth exporter, with the majority of vehicles going to the United States, which is Mexico's main export market. Pena Nieto rejected any attempt to influence foreign investors "on the basis of fear or threats." But he said Mexico was ready to discuss the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada, which Trump wants to renegotiate. The pact represents $531 billion in annual two-way trade. Pena Nieto issued his own demands to the incoming administration, renewing calls for the US government to stop the illegal trafficking of guns from the United States to Mexico, which the southern neighbor has blamed for fueling drug violence for years. Pena Nieto also said the United States needs to block the flow of illegal funds to organized crime. - 'Fascinating' change looms - But analysts warned that negotiations on the wall and NAFTA will take a while if not years, as they have to clear hurdles in the US Congress and with the countries involved in the process. In an attempt to start off on the right foot, Pena Nieto brought back his former finance minister, Luis Videgaray, as foreign minister last week. Videgaray had resigned in September, a week after a political firestorm over his role in arranging Trump's controversial pre-election meeting with Pena Nieto. But Videgaray's previous contacts with the Trump team are now seen as an asset. "This is a man who certainly has strategic vision, he is a negotiator, he is a transactional politician by nature," Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, told AFP. "This is going to be complex, fascinating negotiations," he said. Luis de la Calle, a Mexican analyst who was among the negotiators of the NAFTA deal in 1994, said many US lawmakers will want to protect businesses in their home states, noting that Mexico is the main export market for California and Texas. "Mexico must negotiate like a serious and responsible country," de la Calle told AFP, adding that the government "must be willing to leave the negotiation table in case that what the United States offers is unacceptable for Mexico."
'Yes we can, yes we did': Teary eyed Obama radiates optimism in farewell address

Washington D.C. [U.S.], Jan. 11 : United States President Barack Obama said goodbye to his nation today in an emotional address enriched withwisdom and optimism, asserting that he would never give up on his vision for change and reminding Americans that they made him a better leader.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580624 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580624 173O212O198O32)

"This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it," Obama said from a packed hall of supporters in his adopted hometown."After eight years as your President, I still believe that," he went on. "And it's not just my belief. It's the beating heart of our American idea -- our bold experiment in self-government."As he spoke before a loud crowd of supporters, Obama was interrupted often with screams of "I Love you Obama." A protester holding a "Pardon All of Us" sign, chanting of "four more years" drowned out the shouts.Acknowledging his successor Donald Trump, saying he was committed to a peaceful transition of power, Obama warned that going forward Democrats shouldn't fall in line with their commander-in-chief."Democracy does not require uniformity," Obama said. "Our founders quarreled and compromised, and expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -- the idea that for all our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one."Obama further urged Americans to work harder to understand each other's struggles."Brown kids will represent a larger share of America's workforce" in the years ahead, Obama proclaimed, calling for better rules that will help the children of immigrants succeed.He warned that "laws alone won't be enough" in resolving persistent differences between Americans."Hearts must change," he said.The President stated that African-Americans and minorities must view with empathy "the middle-aged white man who from the outside may seem like he's got all the advantages, but who's seen his world upended by economic, cultural, and technological change."And he urged whites to regard the protests of minorities as a fight "not demanding special treatment, but the equal treatment our Founders promised.""Regardless of the station we occupy, we have to try harder," Obama said. "To start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own."Obama then turned his address towards his family, and in a voice quivering with emotion, called on his wife and two daughters, thanking them for their constant love and support."Michelle -- for the past twenty-five years, you've been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend. You took on a role you didn't ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humor. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. You've made me proud. You've made the country proud," he said.Declaring to the world how proud he was of his daughters - Sasha and Malia, Obama stated that under the strangest of circumstances, they have become two amazing young women, smart and beautiful, but more importantly, kind and thoughtful and full of passion."You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that I've done in my life, I'm most proud to be your dad," he added.The cheers of the crowds almost refused to die down when Obama turned his attention to Vice President and good friend Joe Biden, saying that he had gained a brother in him."To Joe Biden, the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware's favorite son: you were the first choice I made as a nominee, and the best. Not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother. We love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our life," the President said.He ended his address by reiterating the slogan from his campaign, "Yes We Can. Yes We Did," to a thunderous applause that refused to die down.
Sorry, that page not found!



Please visit our Home Page for latest updates
Celebs bid good-bye to President Barack Obama

Washington D.C.[USA], Jan. 11 : United States President Barack Obama bid farewell to his nation today in an emotional address enriched with wisdom and optimism.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580625 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580625 173O212O198O32)

"Tonight, it's my turn to say thanks," began Obama, promising "the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected president to the next.""To all who serve, it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your commander in chief," he told the crowd. "Yes we can, yes we did."Celebs-both national and international- took to their social media to thank the POTUS for the 'incredible legacy'.-Priyanka ChopraWhat an incredible legacy.. #FarewellAdress #Obamas-Ellen DeGeneres@POTUS @BarackObama I love you more than I have space on Twitter to describe. #ObamaFarewell-Sophia BushOh Mr. President... it has been my honor to work in this administration. Thank you ... #ObamaFarewell #MyPresident-Gina RodriguezYes we can. Yes we did. @POTUS-Kerry WashingtonYES WE CAN #obamafarewell-Shonda RhimesHere to show our love for our Potus. #obamafarewell-Sharon StoneFrom here with the Young Senator from Chicago to tonight. #obamafarewell. We will miss you.-Michael KellyIt breaks my heart to say goodbye to you good Sir.Thank You!#obamafarewell #yeswedid @POTUS-Michael MooreYoung people you will soon outnumber all of us and that can only be a good thing... #ObamaFarewell
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar wants a debate on Uniform Civil Code before replying to Centre's questionnaire

Patna, Jan 11 (theBIharPost/IBNS): The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has refused to give its view over the contentious Uniform Civil Code (UCC) saying it should be first debated with various religious groups and community before implementation.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580626 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580626 173O212O198O32)

The state government made its stand clear at a meeting of the State Cabinet held on Tuesday evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.The state governments stand comes after the Union law ministry sent a 16-point questionnaire seeking the formers views over UCC.After a review of the issue, the cabinet was of the opinion that the matter has not been discussed or debated at any of the communities or groups which operate under separate civil till now, additional secretary, cabinet, UN Pandey was quoted as saying in English daily Hindustan Times on Wednesday.Since none of the religious streams have advocated for change or amendments in practices governing marriages, divorce, succession, or right to property rules, the decisions on various points related to possibility of introducing UCC cannot be arrived at without knowing views of stakeholders, the cabinet note by state law department said.The development comes amid growing bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Kumar.http://thebiharpost.com/IBNSimage:Nitish Kumar Twitter
Jammu Kashmir: Opposition stage walkout from Legislative Assembly

Srinagar , Jan. 11 : Pressing on their demand of judicial probe into civilian killings during the recent prolonged unrest in Kashmir valley, the opposition today staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580628 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580628 173O212O198O32)

As soon as the house met for the question hour this morning, opposition members including those from Congress and National Conference raised the issue and created ruckus.With the Speakers' continuing the business and receiving no attention, the opposition members ultimately staged walkout from the house.The Jammu and Kashmir minister for Finance Dr. Haseeb Drabu is scheduled to present the annual budget for the the financial year-2017-18 this afternoon.
'Acche Din' will come only when Congress comes to power in 2019: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi , Jan. 11 : Continue to tear into Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his demonetisation drive, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said for the first time in the history, the Prime Minister of India is being ridiculed all over the world for taking an incompetent and ill-planned decision.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580628 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580628 173O212O198O32)

Speaking at the Jan Vedna convention here Gandhi said, "For the first time in the history, the Prime Minister of India is being ridiculed for taking such as incompetent and ill-planned decision."He said the demonetisation move was not RBI's decision but a 'personal decision' of Prime Minister Modi."Today they (BJP) have weakened every institution. For the first time in history Prime Minister of India is being ridiculed. The Prime Minister needs to spend some time with the poor, farmers of the country and ask them why suddenly people are running to villages? Today I read in newspaper that Prime Minister said he will transform India," he said.Praising his party's 'good governance', Gandhi said the nation was well aware with what the Congress did in the last 70 years, and that they understand the blood and tears that the party leaders have given for this country."The Bharatiya Janata Party and our Prime Minister are in the habit of saying that what Congress did in the last 70 years, but people of the country know very well what the congress did. People of the country understand the blood and tears that our leaders have given for this country. I can name state after state where Congress workers and leaders have sacrificed their sweat and blood. We do not need to explain what we did or didn't do for last 70 years," he added.In yet another potshot directed towards the Prime Minister, Rahul added that demonetisation is just a excuse as the Prime Minister knows that he cannot hide himself in the name of Yoga, Skill India and Make in India.."Acche din are only going to come when Congress party is going to come in power in 2019. People of country are wondering when are 'Acche din going to come'. I'll tell them it will come when Congress comes to power again. Our friends in the media are under constraints. They come to me and say they want to say something but can't. 2 1/2 yrs back, Prime Minister Modi asked everything to join Swacch Bharat, the drama continued for a few days; then Make in India, Skill India," he added.Further attacking the Government, Gandhi asked as to why there is sudden fall in the automobile sector and demand for MGNRA suddenly surged."The Prime Minister needs to ask himself why suddenly auto sales have fallen. Automobiles sale has dropped by 60%. We have gone back 16 years. Prime Minister Modi must ask why has the demand for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNRA) suddenly surged, why are people migrating for villages instead of cities?," he added.
India, Canada sign three MoUs in energy, infrastructure

Gandhinagar (Gujarat), , Jan. 11 : India and Canada signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) at the 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit' in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Wednesday, calling for multi-stakeholder engagement in the areas of energy, infrastructure, innovation and research.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580629 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580629 173O212O198O32)

The first MoU was signed between the Kinectrics International Inc. (KII), Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU) and the Security Solution Business Integrator (SSBI ) to set up a first-of-its-kind conductor testing laboratory at GFSU.This high-end testing lab will allow India's power-based industry partners to save time and money by accessing forensic lab facilities in India rather than in Canada.The lab will also provide the necessary infrastructure for the Gujarat-based university to deliver new forensic-based education including forensic-related R&D work for the electricity grid.A Letter of Cooperation was also signed between Ultra Electronics ?Forensic Technology Inc. and Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU) for the exchange of faculty and key technical personnel for joint lectures and research programs.This association will enable graduate students from both institutions to develop and enhance technical capabilities in the discipline of ballistic forensics.And a MoU between a Canadian Consortium of companies and ?the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) was signed for the promotion and development of a Petroleum and Petrochemical complex with storage facilities.Under the agreement, both parties will examine the possibility of cooperative studies that analyze business conditions and promote exports between Canada and Gujarat.Canada's Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi, is leading a strong business delegation to the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit where Canada is a country partner.Sohi met with Prime Minister Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, his counterpart the Minister of Urban Development, Housing, and Urban Poverty Alleviation, M. Venkaiah Naidu and several other Indian Ministers as well as business leaders.He addressed the inaugural session of the summit and delivered a key-note address on "Smart and Livable Cities: Opportunities and Challenges."Many Canadian business representatives are attending the summit to explore opportunities and new partnerships with Indian counterparts, including through the Smart Cities Initiative.Minister Sohi's visit is the fourth visit to India by a Cabinet Minister of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Government, a reflection of the importance of Canada's relationship with India.
Informatica partners with Ingram Micro Cloud in India

New Delhi , Jan 11 (ANI-BusinessWireIndia): Informatica, a leading provider of data management solutions, today announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Ingram Micro, a global cloud service provider.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580629 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580629 173O212O198O32)

Through this relationship, Infomatica's suite of cloud data management products will be available to Ingram Micro Cloud's extensive channel partner network in India.As cloud computing continues to gain increased market traction in India, businesses need the right solutions to ensure data quality when moving between on-premise systems and the cloud.Informatica's cloud-based data management solutions will enable Ingram Micro Cloud resellers to address the growing need for high-performance data integration and help customers achieve a trusted 360 degree customer view, while increasing agility and end user productivity."Partnering with Ingram Microenables us to bring the value of cloud data management to enterprises in the region, more efficiently. Informatica provides the industry's only unified integration cloud that enables companies to easily and cost-effectively harness the increasingly voluminous datasets moving to SaaS apps, such as Salesforce," said SVP Partner Ecosystem Informatica, Rodney Foreman."With Informatica Cloud Data Management solutions, our value added resellers can help organizations unify data from different sources with prebuilt connectors and benefit from a consistent and accurate view of their customers across multiple systems and applications," said Director Cloud Sales Ingram Micro India, Harish Laddha. (ANI-BusinessWireIndia)
Dalai Lama calls Bihar's alcohol ban move a 'good decision'

Patna, Jan 11 (TheBIharPost/IBNS): Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has described the liquor ban as a good decision taken by the Bihar government.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580630 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580630 173O212O198O32)

He made this observation while addressing Buddhist devotees during the Kalchakra puja being organized at Bodh Gaya. More than 200,000 Buddhists from over 80 countries are attending the Kalchakra puja.Drinking is not good. Alcohol is the root-cause of all problems, the spiritual leader said and reminded his devotees how Buddha had said consumption of even a drop of alcohol is sin.He said Tibetans dont drink much but people from other foreign countries indeed do that.If possible please given up drinking, he appealed.Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised Bihar chief minister for imposing total prohibition in the state and asked people to back this daring reformative move.The Bihar state government has planned to form worlds longest human chain on Jan 21 to promote alcohol ban in the state.Quite all parties, including Modis BJP which had been quite critical of the existing liquor laws has announced to participate in the human chain programme except Hindustani Awam Morcha headed by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Minister of Railways invites non Railways stakeholders to roundtable discussion on environment and housekeeping issues of Indian Railways

New Delhi, Jan 11 : The Ministry of Railways organized a Roundtable discussion on Wednesday inviting various non-railway stakeholders on Environmental and Housekeeping Issues.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580631 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580631 173O212O198O32)

Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu was the Chief Guest and Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain was the Guest of Honour. Chairman, Railway Board, A. K. Mital, Member Rolling Stock, Railway Board Ravindra Gupta, other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also present on the occasion at Rail Bhawan.Over 50 experts and professionals from various organizations like The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SHAKTI), Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Council for Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), RITES, World Resources Institute (WRI), Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), De3lhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Triveni, in the relevant domain participated in the discussion and provided valuable inputs towards Indian Railways current programme and initiatives in the field of Environment and Housekeeping.Speaking at the Roundtable discussions, Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu said that as a modern responsive organisation we cannot afford to work in isolation and we must tune ourselves to emerging trends in our economy and society.Roundtable discussions with external stakeholders will help in gaining perspectives, exchange knowledge and improving our workings. Managing operations with sustaining environment is a challenge, he added.Prabhu also said that Ministry of Railways is working on mainstreaming sustainability in our strategy.Minister of State Rajen Gohain said that Railway is the most environment friendly modes of transport.We are conscious of green issues and taking measures to go green wherever possible, Gohain said.
Arvind Kejriwal won't be CM of Punjab

Chandigarh, Jan 11 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday clarified that he will not be the Chief Minister of Punjab in case his Aam Aadmi Party wins the polls in the north Indian state.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580632 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580632 173O212O198O32)

I am the Chief Minister of Delhi. I cannot become Punjab Chief Minister, Kejriwal said while addressing a rally in Badshahpur village.He hinted that in case his party comes to power then the Chief Ministrer will be someone who belongs to Punjab.Fuelling speculations, AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday told people of Punjab that they should cast their votes by thinking that they are voting for Delhi Chief Minister and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal.Sisodias comments triggered speculations about AAPs choice of candidate for the Punjab CMs post.Speaking at a public meeting here, the Delhi deputy chief minister said: You should vote for us thinking that you are voting for Kejriwal.Attacking Sisodia over his remark, Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Badal tweeted: .@ArvindKejriwal will never protect the interests of Punjab. His track record speaks for itself. He betrayed Punjab on SYL.He said: We are Punjabis first anything else later. The sacrifices made by the brave punjabis for attaining the state of Punjab would be in vain, if an outsider becomes CM of our State.
People will ban Modi Sarkar:Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Jan 11 : Attacking the Centre over the note ban issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the people of India will 'ban' the Narendra Modi-led government soon.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580632 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/west-bengal-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580632 173O212O198O32)

Within hours of announcement of demonetisation I raised my voice. Why did they introduce Rs 2000 notes after banning Rs 1000? People will ban Modi Sarkar soon, the Chief Minister said.She questioned the Centre why the situation in the state has not normalised after 50 days since the ban was announced on Nov 8.She asked: Are 50 days not over? Why are restrictions on withdrawal limit still in place?She said probe agency the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has become Conspiracy Bureau of India.
Trinamool Congress ask President to intervene to stop 'super emergency'

New Delhi, , Jan. 11 : Continuing their fight against demonetisation, the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday asserted that everyone is deeply affected by it and asked the President to intervene to stop this national emergency.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580633 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580633 173O212O198O32)

"On the first day of winter session of Parliament on November 16, our chairperson and the Chief Minister of Bengal Mamta Banerjee led a delegation on the subject of demonetisation and the pain and suffering it was causing to millions across the country. TMC's 46 MPs were also part of the delegation which went to meet the President," TMC leader, Derek O' Brien said.He added that around 35 per cent of job losses have been reported in the micro and the small scale industries, saying that the Prime Minister is accountable and responsible for the 120 deaths happened because of this move."Jobs are being lost across the country whether it's fishermen, farmers, plantation workers, housewives, students, retailers or traders. Everyone is deeply affected by demonetisation. We brought this to the notice of the President. After outlining the grim situation and the acute crisis, after sharing it with the President, we call this a super emergency," O' Brien said.The Trinamool Congress led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has opposed this move, he added."The TMC is not scared by these dirty tricks of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the government. We are deeply thankful to the honorable President, who himself has expressed his strong views on this subject. We have again asked him to intervene to stop this national emergency," O' Brien said.Mamta Banerjee appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee to save the nation by setting up another government as the ruling dispensation is incapable of running the Centre.
Woman onboard complains of breathlessness, dies on way to hospital

Mumbai, (Maharashtra), , Jan. 11 : A woman, around 34-years-old, died while traveling to Varanasi from Mumbai, in a Spicejet flight SG 704.





(Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580633 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 11 January 2017, 1667580633 173O212O198O32)

She was not feeling well and around 9:45 a.m. she called out the flight attendants for aid. An inboard doctor examined her condition.The flight landed at around 10:15 a.m. and she was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital where she was declared dead.
Migrants battling exposure as freezing temperatures grip Europe, warns UN agency

New York, Jan 11 : Sounding the alarm over the situation of thousands of migrants, asylum seekers and others enduring extreme cold conditions across Europe and Eastern Mediterranean, the United Nations migration agency has appealed for immediate action to save them from freezing to death.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580635 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580635 173O212O198O32)

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least six individuals three migrants in Bulgaria, one in Greece and two refugees in Lebanon have succumbed to the harsh winter that has struck the region with some of the heaviest snowfall and the most severe icy temperatures in years.Deaths due to exposure have also been reported in the Italian capital Rome and of those in transit across the Balkans.It is imperative that the world respond to the dangers exposed by these extreme weather conditions with food aid, shelter and other resources in the short term and long term, William Lacy Swing, the IOM Director General, said yesterday, recalling the carnage in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.Last year, the deadliest year ever for migrants recorded by IOM in the region, at least 5,000 migrants lost their lives as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea with hopes of reaching European shores.This extreme weather at the start of 2017 has brought particular fear for the lives and well-being of 15,500 migrants and asylum seekers, housed in camps on Greek Islands, including many in places that have been hit hard with snowfall. Families with children are most at risk.Additionally, some 6,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey are reported to be without adequate, winterized shelter out of a total refugee population of about three million.IOM also reported that more than 7,500 people are currently stranded in Serbia, living in accommodation without adequate winter protection. Also, in makeshift refugee settlements in Lebanon, some 100 incidents of tents collapsing were reported.Photo: IOMSource: www.justearthnews.com
Top UN peacekeeping official pushes for endorsement of DR Congo political accord

New York, Jan 12 : Addressing the Security Council, the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations on Wednesday urged the international community to push for a swift endorsement of the so-called 31 December political accord in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and to put in place a transitional government of national unity.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580636 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580636 173O212O198O32)

The signing of the 31 December accord gives hope for a peaceful resolution of the political impasse, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herv Ladsous, told the 15-member Council.He warned that failure to sign the agreement facilitated by Confrence Episcopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO) mediators, and reached in DRCs capital, Kinshasa, on 31 December 2016 could delay elections and increase the risk of renewed political crisis and increased violence in the country.Regional and international actors should maintain strong support for the implementation of the accord and the holding of elections, as soon as feasible, Ladsous said.The accord builds on an initial political agreement between part of the opposition and the majorit prsidentielle reached in October under the auspices of the African Union facilitation. It aims for a peacefully managed transition consistent with the democratic principles enshrined in the countrys Constitution.In addition to political developments in the country, Ladsous addressed recent human rights violations and acts of violence that occurred on 19 and 20 December. At least 42 people were killed and 140 others injured in clashed between national security forces and demonstrators.The senior UN official called on the Congolese Government to initiate a full investigation into the events that led to the excessive use of force and loss of life during that time period, and to ensure that those responsible are held to account.He went on to cite the ongoing volatility in the security situation in eastern DRC. In addition to the threat posed by foreign armed groups, namely the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the Forces dmocratiques pour la libration du Rwanda (FDLR), the activities of militia groups are on the rise in many parts of the country. This increase in levels of armed violence is driven in part by the escalation of deep-rooted and long-standing conflicts between ethnic communities, he noted.Ladsous said that the UN Secretariat and the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the country (MONUSCO) remain committed to working in support of the accord and the Congolese, and will present to the Security Council recommendations for how to best attain this goal.Photo: MONUSCO/John BompengoSource: www.justearthnews.com
World Bank sees 'moderate' pick up for global economy in 2017 despite weak investment

New York, Jan 12 : Global economic growth is forecast to accelerate moderately to 2.7 per cent in 2017 after a post-crisis low last year, the World Bank said in a report released on Wednesday.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580637 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580637 173O212O198O32)

After years of disappointing global growth, we are encouraged to see stronger economic prospects on the horizon, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in a news release.Now is the time to take advantage of this momentum and increase investments in infrastructure and people. This is vital to accelerating the sustainable and inclusive economic growth required to end extreme poverty, he added.The World Banks Global Economic Prospects January 2017 said that growth in advanced economies is expected to edge up to 1.8 per cent in 2017. Growth in the United States is expected to pick up to 2.2 per cent, as manufacturing and investment growth gain traction after a weak 2016.Fiscal stimulus in major economies particularly in the United States could generate faster domestic and global growth than projected, although rising trade protection could have adverse effects. But because of the outsize role the United States plays in the world economy, changes in policy direction may have global ripple effects, added World Bank Development Economics Prospects Director Ayhan Kose.President of World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim (right), visits family members who are beneficiaries of the solar home systems in Barisal District, Bangladesh. Photo: World Bank/Dominic ChavezGrowth in emerging market and developing economies as a whole should pick up to 4.2 per cent this year from 3.4 per cent in the year just ended amid modestly rising commodity prices.Nevertheless, the outlook is clouded by uncertainty about policy direction in major economies. A protracted period of uncertainty could prolong the slow growth in investment that is holding back low, middle, and high income countries.In emerging market and developing economies, which account for one-third of global gross domestic product (GDP) and about three-quarters of the worlds population and the worlds poor, investment growth fell to 3.4 per cent in 2015 from 10 per cent on average in 2010, and likely declined another half percentage point last year.Slowing investment growth is partly a correction from high pre-crisis levels, but also reflects obstacles to growth that emerging and developing economies have faced, including low oil prices for oil exporters, slowing foreign direct investment for commodity importers, and more broadly, private debt burdens and political risk.Commodity-exporting emerging market and developing economies are expected to expand by 2.3 per cent in 2017 after an almost negligible 0.3 per cent in 2016, as commodity prices gradually recover and as Russia and Brazil resume growing after recessions.In contrast, commodity-importing emerging market and developing economies should grow at 5.6 per cent this year, unchanged from 2016. China is projected to continue an orderly growth slowdown to a 6.5 per cent rate. However, overall prospects for emerging market and developing economies are dampened by tepid international trade, subdued investment, and weak productivity growth.Growth is projected to ease to 6.2 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific, pick up to 2.4 per cent in Europe and Central Asia, return to positive growth and expand by 1.2 per cent in Latin America and Caribbean, recover modestly to a 3.1 per cent in Middle East and North Africa, pick up modestly to 7.1 per cent in South Asia, and to 2.9 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa.Photo: World Bank/Peter KapuscinskiSource: www.justearthnews.com
As millions suffer water shortages in Syria, UN looks to keep potable supply safe

New York, Jan 12 : The United Nations expressed concern on Wednesday about fighting in the Wadi Barada area of west Damascus, which in addition to displacing thousands of people, has also restricted water supplies to some 5.5 million people in and around the Syrian capital.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580637 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/middle-east-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580637 173O212O198O32)

Addressing reporters in New York, UN Spokesperson Stphane Dujarric said the Organization and its partners are working with water authorities to implement an emergency plan to meet around 30 per cent of the daily needs of people.Support includes providing water-quality testing equipment and chemicals needed to undertake necessary quality tests, and pre-positioning medicines and kits in case of cholera or other waterborne diseases.The UN continues a public campaign to raise awareness on safe water practices and safe water sources to prevent diseases, which remains the main concern, Dujarric said.Severe water shortages began in late December, when fighting damaged infrastructure located in the rebel-held territory.Speaking earlier this month, Jan Egeland, the UN Senior Adviser on Syria, noted that to sabotage and deny water could constitute a war crime.Meanwhile, in northern Syria, more than 36,000 people have been evacuated to the western countryside of Aleppo and Idleb Governorates, according to the UN. An additional 11,000 people have been moved to different areas of Aleppo city, including areas which had previously been under siege.The UN and our national and international humanitarian partners continue efforts to scale up our response in Aleppo to do all we can to ensure that the people of Aleppo receive the aid they need, Dujarric said.Photo: UNICEF/Muhannad Al- AsadiSource: www.justearthnews.com
US deploys radar in response to North Korean missile threat

Washington [USA], Jan. 12: The Pentagon has deployed high-tech radar to surveil any potential threat of North Korean long-range-missile launch in the coming months, according to a U.S .defence official.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580638 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580638 173O212O198O32)

It is the first time that the U.S. military is responding to Pyongyang's claim that it could launch an intercontinental ballistic missile directed towards American shores, reports the CNN.The sea-based X-band radar (SB-X) is able to track the long-range launches and provide crucial data.The radar, whose home port is in Hawaii, has been deployed several times in the past to monitor North Korean missile activity. But it can only remain at sea for a certain, undisclosed, period of time, so military officials try to calculate the most significant times, the official said.Generally the SB-X is sent north of Hawaii and stationed about halfway to Alaska for the optimum spot to track a potential North Korean missile launch headed for Alaska, Guam or the West Coast of the United States.According to the official, additional surveillance assets are also being identified to monitor activity on the Korean Peninsula.The SB-X radar will increase the US ability to collect that type of missile data.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his New Year's Eve speech had said the test launch of an ICBM is in its final stages.However, the U.S. officials continue to say they do not believe the North Koreans have mastered the technology needed for the missile to re-enter the atmosphere.
Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone to rock to Nucleya's tunes!

New Delhi, Jan. 12: The much awaited Hollywood action flick 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' has given the Indian fans yet another reason to rejoice.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580638 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/bollywood-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580638 173O212O198O32)

People have been waiting for Vin Diesel to join Deepika Padukone in India for the promotions of the flick and finally the day is here!The two will be arriving in aamchi Mumbai today, after completing their London promotional tour.As per the schedule, they would be attending a special event at High Street Phoenix Courtyard, 5:00 pm onwards.It doesn't end here, the latest musical sensation and the much loved, DJ Nucleya has been roped in to make the stars and the fans groove to his electrifying beats! This crowd event is open to all those who are waiting to grab a sight of the actors!On the same note, DJ Nucleya has built up his name as one of the biggest electronic music artists in the country.
RSS history does not need certificate from Congress: BJP

Mumbai, Jan. 12: Coming down heavily upon the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his comments over Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the history of Sangh did not need a certificate from his party.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580640 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580640 173O212O198O32)

"May be Rahul Gandhi should first read a little bit about the RSS, its history, to realise how threatened the then Congress Party was that constantly tried to defame RSS and despite that, the RSS continued to work in national interest of this strong nation of ours. The history of the Sangh is not something that needs a certificate of the Congress Party," BJP spokesperson Shaina NC told ANI.Rubbishing Gandhi's claims of Prime Minister Narendra Modi spreading fear in the country, Shaina NC said it was not fear, but faith that the people of the country have shown in the Prime Minister."There is a difference between fear and faith and the earlier Rahul Gandhi realises that, he'll have a political career. Until then, he better accept the fact that the people of the country have accepted Prime Minister Modi, have shown faith in his leadership and good governance model. Probably, that is the area of contention for drowning Congress Party," she said.Rahul Gandhi, yesterday, said Prime Minister Modi has spread a sense of fear across the country, adding that both the RSS and the BJP are also spreading hatred through demonetisation."We told the farmers not to fear anybody, but what did Narendra Modi do? Instill fear in the minds of people. Farmers fear that their land will be taken from them. Wherever he goes, whichever state it may be, he creates fear and the people then convert fear to anger," said Gandhi, while addressing the Congress Working Committee convention at the Talkatora Stadium here.
1965, when India decisively frustrated Pakistan's designs under Shastri's leadership

By I. Ramamohan Rao





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580641 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580641 173O212O198O32)

New Delhi [India], Jan.12 : Wednesday January 11 was the 51st death anniversary of India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who led the nation during the India-Pakistan War of 1965, a conflict in which India decisively frustrated the designs of Pakistan's then martial law administrator and President Ayub Khan.It was a difficult period in independent India's history. The country had lost its first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru in May 1964, and it was busy shoring up its borders with China. Before it could decisively strengthen its borders, President Ayub Khan of Pakistan decided to attack India. He undertook a trial run in the Rann of Kutch in the early part of 1965, but before he could achieve anything, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson intervened and affected a cease fire.Ayub Khan lost patience and decided to attack India in the Akhnoor Sector with the aim of cutting off Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. India counter-attacked in the Lahore sector and reached the outskirts of that city.India took possession of the Haji Pir pass and other vital areas bordering the Ichhogil Canal like Burki on September 22.During the war, the Soviet Union offered to bring about a ceasefire and a settlement through a meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan in Tashkent.The negotiations were held from January 4 to January 10 and both sides were assisted by then Soviet Prime Minister Alexi Kosygin.Following the agreement, both countries agreed to withdraw their forces to positions held on August 5. India also agreed to withdraw its forces from vital areas like Haji PirAfter signing the agreement, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri suffered a heart attack and died. President Ayub Khan was one of the pall bearers bringing his body back to India.Who was the winner in the 1965 war?India had to withdraw from vital sectors like Haji Pir; it also lost its Prime Miinister who had led the country during the war. On Wednesday, the nation recalled the contributions of Lal Bahadur Shastri.Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao is a former PIO of the Government of India. He can be reached on his e-mail raoramamohan@hotmail.com
Ontario Fertility Program celebrates first anniversary

Toronto, Jan 12 : The Ontario Fertility Program (OFP) celebrated its first anniversary in the presence of Premier Kathleen Wynne at the YMCA in Young and Wellesley on Tuesday.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580642 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580642 173O212O198O32)

Premier Wynne, along with other participants of the OFP, discussed the progress made in the field of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and related services.Premier Wynne said that since the launch of the program in 2015, Ontario government has provided funding to more than 6,500 people to avail the services.In IVF, the egg retrieved is fertilized by a sperm outside the body. The resulting embryo is then implanted in the uterus.Wynne said that one cycle of IVF costs more than $10,000 if paid for privately. When the cost of drugs is added to this, it becomes unaffordable for many of the roughly one in six Ontario couples experiencing infertility.Asked how she planned to resolve the deficiency in health care funding in Ontario, Wynne replied that the federal government needs to increase the healthcare grant to the provinces but also admitted that it becomes difficult for the federal government to fulfil the requirements of all the provinces.Wynne pointed out that with only 20 percent for healthcare provided by federal government, the provincial governments financial accountability officer had to juggle between priorities when faced with spending 73 percent on the provinces healthcare needs.When asked if Trumps presidency would hurt Ontarios economy, Wynne replied that Ontarios economy, Canadian economy and American economy are all interlinked and therefore it was too early to say what would be the result.There was no clear example in each sector. Michigan and Ontario are part of the same scheme, she said.When asked to comment about the number of clinics where people can avail IVF facilities, Wynne replied that there were 18 clinics in Ontario where they could receive a funded IVF cycle.Sarah, an expecting mother who had partnered this program, said that her pregnancy was made possible through invitro vitro fertilization or IVF.(Reporting by Asha Baja)Image of Premier Kathleen Wynne by Asha Bajaj
Facebook-WPP launch Creative Ambassador Program in India

Mumbai (Maharashtra) , Jan. 12 : Aimed at educating WPP creative agencies and unveiling new possibilities of leveraging the platform, Facebook recently hosted the Creative Ambassador Program in Mumbai.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580642 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580642 173O212O198O32)

The main motive of the program was to educate WPP Creative agencies in a scaled way and to empower them to develop award winning, mobile first creatives that exceed their clients' business objectives.As the adoption of mobile accelerates in India, it is transforming the way people are discovering, experiencing, sharing and connecting with people, ideas and organizations that matter to them.With the Creative Ambassador Program, Facebook is focused on helping partners develop ideas that intrigue and engage for the mobile world.The program was launched in Asia-Pacific in June last year and has been rolled out in Hong Kong, Singapore and now in India."Mobile is the future of consumer and brand interaction. Nowhere is such opportunity more evident than in Asia and in particular, India with smartphones fast becoming the device of choice for spending," says Ranjan Kapur, WPP Country Manager for India.Umang Bedi, Managing Director, Facebook India and South Asia said, "Creative agencies have always been at the forefront of every award winning creative work and we see great potential in working together to make rich creative expressions on Facebook and Instagram.""The Creative Ambassador Program will help us bring together and educate creative talent to leverage the Facebook targeting tools and personalized marketing at scale to build brands and produce best in class work in a mobile-first world," he added.The two-day program was run by Facebook's Agency team, Creative Shop team and Blueprint team.It kicked off with a deep dive into different segments of the creative journey with Facebook and Instagram on the first day, and was attended by top creative directors, planning directors, copywriters and client leaders from WPP agencies across India.Day two of the program included partnering with the Blueprint team to run Blueprint Live, a bespoke version especially for Creative Agencies that helps them to come up with "the big idea" and creative concepts.Scott Spirit, WPP chief digital and strategy officer says, "WPP agencies are constantly reinventing ways in which clients can reach out to their audiences. By partnering with Facebook, WPP agencies will have access to the latest technology and knowledge that will enable them to help clients stay ahead of the curve."This global programme was co-created by Scott Spirit, Global Head of Strategy for WPP and Edel Horgan, APAC Lead on WPP for Facebook.The partnership program will be expanded to Australia this year, followed by New York to ensure people are up-to-speed on everything Facebook and Instagram has to offer and ensure creative agencies never miss out on new opportunities.
Flightstats clarifies: 'Bloomberg misquoted about Air India being third worst airlines in the world'

New Delhi , Jan.12 : Flight data services and applications leader Flightstats on Thursday issued a clarification with regard financial software, data, and media company Bloomberg portraying India's national carrier Air India as the third worst airline in the world.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580643 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580643 173O212O198O32)

In a statement, Flightstats Vice President, Aviation and Distribution Jim Hetzel said, "Thank you for your correspondence. Please know that FlightStats is an aviation data company first and foremost and reports flight status and performance data from trusted sources that include airlines, airports, GDS systems, civil aviation authorities and positional data sources. We stand by our data, collection systems and reporting based on these data sources and our validation methodologies. That said, we would be happy to work with Air India with regards to that data that we have sourced to compare with your own data and would be pleased to integrate a direct source of Air India status information as part of our system as we do with many airlines around the globe."Hetzel further said, "We understand that a recent article by Bloomberg has portrayed Air India in a negative light and we want to assure you that FlightStats by no means endorsed their portrayal of your performance. While we do highlight exceptional performers, we do not, and have not, highlighted low performance or maintain a list of worst performing airlines. Bloomberg requested and was provided a list of 122 international carriers with their accompanying arrival on-time percentage for the year of 2016. All data is reported using the industry standard A14 metric, which measures the percentage of on-time actual gate arrivals within 14:59 of scheduled gate arrival.""Our data, which was a measure of 97.7% of your arriving flights, indicated that 61.29% of AI's flight arrived within the A14 threshold. Bloomberg applied its journalistic license to invert the A14 result to highlight the percentage of delayed flights being 38.17% and indicated that the number was a predictor to future delays. This is not how we would portray airline OTP; nor were we given access to the Bloomberg article prior to its publication. Please note we are making a formal statement about this on our website as well as via our social and media channels. We certainly understand your concern and would be pleased to work with Air India to understand where differences exist to ensure the highest degree of accuracy for both of us. Our goal is to be factual and unbiased. We understand that numerous factors impact OTP performance; most of which are not in control of the airline," he added.Three days ago, Bloomberg had issued a report in which it listed the ten worst international airlines of 2016. They were as follows:10. Hainan Airlines - 30.3 percent9. Korean Air - 31.74 percent8. Air China - 32.73 percent7. Hong Kong Airlines - 33.42 percent6. China Eastern Airlines - 35.8 percent5. Asiana Airlines - 37.46 percent4. Philippine Airlines - 38.33 percent3. Air India - 38.71 percent2. Icelandair - 41.05 percent1. El Al - 56 percentAt that time, Hetzel had said that the data was stitched together from 500 different sources.Responding to the finding, Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar indignantly said on January 10, "We totally disagree with the report published by FlightStats about AI. Initially it seems that the report is fabricated so AI management will investigate the report till the end."Air India, which is in expansion mode, has been struggling to make profits. It is already chasing an unattainable operating profit target of Rs 1,086 crore by March 2017, which means that the company will have to make Rs 11 crores as profit daily if it is to make a turnaround.The national carrier's operating loss was Rs.161 crore in the first three quarters of 2016-17 -- reducing the daily loss from Rs 4 crore every day to Rs 58 lakh. The company also has a target to make its first net profit by 2022.
Vin Diesel 'so honored' to be in India for 1st time

New Delhi , Jan. 12 : While Deepika Padukone is super excited about her Hollywood debut, co-star Vin Diesel is uber thrilled about his first trip to India thereby fulfilling his childhood dream.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580643 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/bollywood-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580643 173O212O198O32)

The lead actor of 'xXx : Return of Xander Cage', who is 'honored' to be in the country, took to Instagram to share a snap with the beautiful Miss Padukone.He wrote alongside, "So honored to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and @deepikapadukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander."After promoting the film in London, the Mastani of Bollywood will now be hosting Vin and director DJ Caruso over the course of promotions in Mumbai.Directed by DJ Caruso, the flick is all set to hit the big screens on January 14.
India one of the five fastest growing aviation markets globally: Venkaiah Naidu

Vijaywada, Jan 12 : India, one of the five fastest growing aviation markets globally, is currently the ninth largest market, aiming to be the third largest by 2020, said Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu while speaking at the Aviation Summit which began in Vijaywada on Thursday.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580644 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580644 173O212O198O32)

An infrastructure revolution is on the anvil. With New Civil Aviation Policy, aviation sector set to play a key role in this transformation, said Naidu..Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapati Raju along with other Union Minister Y.S. Chowdary were present at the inauguration of the Summit.Nearly 200 companies from four nations, including India, are participating in the Summit, which has been organised by FICCI, with support from Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India and Energy, Infrastructure and Investment CRDA Department, and Government of Andhra Pradesh.There will be an airshow and flying display too.Image: V. Naidu Twitter
Jet Airways introduces direct daily flight between Mangaluru and Delhi

Mangaluru, Jan 12 : Jet Airways will introduce a new daily service between Mangaluru and New Delhi, offering business travellers from the South Indian port city and commercial hub connectivity with the national capital.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580645 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/travel-india-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580645 173O212O198O32)

The new daily flight, being introduced with effect from January 16, 2017, will also connect Mangaluru to a whole host of destinations across North, Northeast India and even internationally, via New Delhi.The new flight also links Mangaluru to key international business centres such as London, Amsterdam, Singapore and Hong Kong and popular tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Kathmandu and Dhaka through New Delhi.Mangaluru, an important seaport and a major commercial center in Karnataka with the states second busiest airport, is fast gaining prominence as a business hub and a tourist gateway.Both for explorers as well as for those looking to relax and unwind, Mangaluru provides easy access to several nearby leisure destinations including resorts and beaches of Northern Kerala such as the famed Bekal beach.Aside from housing several educational institutions, the city is also located in close proximity to Manipal - a globally renowned educational destination for higher education and professional courses preferred by students worldwide.Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, said: Jet Airways is delighted to introduce the new service between Mangaluru and Delhi. While we already have one of the most extensive domestic networks in the industry connecting 46 cities, were constantly striving to enhance it further for greater convenience of our guests. Jet Airways has already established itself as a prestigious brand in the competitive domestic sector and Im confident the introduction of the new service will further cement our place as the airline of choice in the Indian skies.The outbound leg of the new service, flight 9W 763 will depart Mangaluru at 0820 hrs and land at Delhi at 1110 hrs. On its return leg, flight 9W 764, will depart Delhi at 1500 hrs and arrive in Mangaluru at 1750 hrs.The flight will also facilitate daily cargo movement between Mangaluru and Delhi of nearly five tonnes.As part of the launch, Jet Airways is offering an inaugural oneway Economy fare of INR 4929 and a special, return fare of INR 9,698 from Mangaluru-Delhi-Mangaluru.The airline will deploy the Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft on this route.Jet Airways currently operates daily flights to Abu Dhabi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Dubai, and Mumbai from Mangaluru.
Star World launches a brand new season of Homeland

Mumbai, Jan 12 : The current geopolitical issues have everyone at the edge of their seats. And even as the world watches with bated breath as events unfold, the brand new season of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning series Homeland brings to life these very events on television.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580646 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/bollywood-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580646 173O212O198O32)

Set to air on Star World and Star World HD from Jan 16, 2017 onwards, on the same day as the U.S., Homeland is back with season 6 as it follows Carrie Mathisons adventures in New York City.Season 6 picks up several months after Carrie has thwarted the terrorist attack in Berlin and has moved to New York City to provide aid to mistreated Muslims living in the U.S.The sixth season is set during a post-election period with a woman president-elect who seduces the press, spars with the C.I.A. and stirs international political dramas before she even takes office.While Homeland previously cooked up some fantastical terrorist plots in its far-flung locales, its homecoming has forced it to stay grounded.We were not going to tell a story about a terrorist attack on New York City, said Alex Gansa, the shows co-creator and show runner.Claire Danes added by saying, Carrie will always be in the middle. The pace isnt going to get any slower; the questions arent going to get any simpler and the characters arent going to get any less complex.Developed by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, the political thriller is based on the original Israeli series Prisoners of War by Gideon Raff.The show stars Claire Danes, Rupert Friend, F. Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Marvel and Mandy Patinkin among others.Homeland Season 6 will be aired from 16th January 2017 onwards at 9 PM, only on Star World and Star World HD
Tata Sons likely to get its new Chairman today

New Delhi , Jan 12 : Tata Sons may today announce the name of its new Chairman, with officials saying the selection of a replacement for the ousted Cyrus Mistry is imminent.





(Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580646 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 12 January 2017, 1667580646 173O212O198O32)

As per CNBC-TV18, a person close to the developments had reported of an unscheduled board meeting on Thursday at 5 pm, adding that the five-member selection committee is likely to have zeroed in on a "well-known insider" for the top job.Ratan Tata has been serving as interim Chairman since the Tata Group removed Cyrus Mistry on October 24.According to sources, the Tata Sons Board may create a new position of Vice-Chairman and expand the top deck.The USD 103-billion conglomerate had earlier set a February deadline to finalize a Chairman for holding Tata Sons.People familiar with the matter said the five-member selection committee comprising interim Chairman Ratan Tata, TVS Group Chairman Venu Srinivasan, Bain Capital's Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, had held several meetings in recent weeks to zero in on a new pick.
3 Newport County teams are one win from playing for a title

The playoffs are underway, and there are teams still alive, while others have been eliminated.
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - January 12, 2017) - Are you interested in making an adventurous resolution this year that makes a difference in your community? This is the event for you! Take on an extraordinary challenge and register for Make-A-Wish Rope for Hope, Presented by Canadian Western Bank, the national signature fundraising event for Make-A-Wish Canada.

"As we enter year six of our Rope for Hope fundraising event, we are humbled by the love and support we have received in communities from coast to coast," says Jennifer Klotz-Ritter, president & CEO, Make-A-Wish Canada. "Participation is a win-win for everyone involved. While you check off another item on your bucket list, money raised at each event helps Make-A-Wish grant even more unforgettable experiences for children with life-threatening medical conditions. We thank Canadian Western Bank (CWB) for joining us again as the National Presenting Sponsor and for its continued support of this event and our mission."

Rope for Hope is an exhilarating event where individuals raise a minimum of $1,500 for wish-granting efforts in exchange for the opportunity to rappel down a city building. Rope for Hope events are scheduled to take place in more than 10 Canadian cities, starting in May through October 2017. The events are open to the general public and those interested should sign up at ropeforhope.ca. Please note that registration is free for a limited time and spaces are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are a variety of ways to participate: as an individual, in a team, as part of a fundraising group to send your boss/teacher/fearless leader down the building or by sponsoring another participant or the event itself.

"We're incredibly proud of our partnership with Make-A-Wish," says Jeff Bowling, CWB's Calgary-based senior vice president and regional general manager who is a local Make-A-Wish board member and has rappelled for three consecutive years. "Rappelling down a high-rise is thrilling for sure, but the best part of the experience is seeing these kids get the wishes they've been dreaming about. To know you've helped bring joy into their lives and the lives of their families is an incredible feeling."

Story continues

In 2016, Make-A-Wish Rope for Hope exceeded its fundraising goal, raising more than $1.4 million. The goal for 2017 is $1.6 million.

Announcing the 2017 National Fundraising Contest

Rope for Hope participants are encouraged to set high fundraising goals this year for the chance to win an incredible travel prize! Participants who raise $3,000 or more will automatically be entered into a draw for a trip for two to beautiful Costa Rica, courtesy of Monograms, part of the Globus family of brands, and WestJet.

For full contest details and to claim your 2017 spot for Make-A-Wish Rope for Hope, Presented by Canadian Western Bank, please visit ropeforhope.ca.

Click here to view the official Rope for Hope promotional video.

About Make-A-Wish Canada

Make-A-Wish Canada is a dynamic wish-granting organization that brings hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Along with the national office, eight (8) regional chapters grant magical wishes to children in need from coast to coast. Make-A-Wish Canada is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International. Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting organization in the world, making dreams and wishes come true for more than 350,000 children since 1980. For more information, please visit makeawish.ca.

About CWB Group

CWB Group (CWB) is a diversified financial services organization serving businesses and individuals across Canada. Operating from its headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta, CWB's key business lines include full-service business and personal banking offered through 41 CWB branches and Internet banking services provided by Canadian Direct Financial (CDF). Highly responsive specialized financing is delivered under the banners of CWB Equipment Financing, National Leasing, CWB Maxium Financial and CWB Optimum Mortgage. Trust Services are offered through Canadian Western Trust. Comprehensive wealth management offerings are provided through CWB Wealth Management, which includes the businesses of Adroit Investment Management, McLean & Partners Wealth Management and Canadian Western Financial. As a public company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), CWB trades under the symbols "CWB" (common shares) and "CWB.PR.B" (Series 5 Preferred Shares). Learn more at cwb.com.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Mostly cloudy and windy. High around 75F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy. Thunderstorms becoming likely late. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible.
mattis

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing Thursday on whether to confirm Gen. James Mattis as the next defense secretary, and plenty of interesting bits came out of the roughly three-hour session.

The retired four-star general gave frank and concise answers on everything from cybersecurity policy to what he expects will be the biggest threats to the United States.

Shortly afterward, he was approved for a waiver for the requirement of a seven-year gap between being active duty in the military and serving in the civilian role at the Pentagon.

Mattis thinks the US needs to be more aggressive in going after ISIS

When asked whether the US could confront the terror group in its capital of Raqqa, Syria, Mattis said he believed the US could, but he added that the anti-ISIS strategy needed to be reviewed and "energized on a more aggressive timeline."

He told committee members, "We have to deliver a very hard blow against ISIS in the Middle East so there is no sense of invulnerability or invincibility there." For the US, according to Mattis, that means attacking ISIS's main areas of strength so it cannot pop up elsewhere.

He mentioned Russia as the biggest threat

Despite President-elect Donald Trump's restraint on calling out Russian aggression and cyberwarfare, Mattis didn't pull punches in his assessment of Moscow.

"Since Yalta, we have a long list of times that we've tried to engage positively with Russia," Mattis said. "We have a relatively short list of successes in that regard." He praised NATO and its effectiveness and added that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "trying to break" that alliance.

Russia and the US can work together in some areas, Mattis said, but in many others, Putin remains a strategic competitor or an outright adversary.

"I have very modest expectations about areas of cooperation with Mr. Putin," Mattis said.

Story continues

Mattis says he wouldn't roll back the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" or the change on women in combat roles

In the past, Mattis has not really been a fan of women being integrated into combat roles such as infantry. He was asked about this repeatedly  at times having his speeches quoted to him  and asked whether he would reverse the 2013 policy.

"I've never come into any job with an agenda, a preformed agenda of changing anything," he said. "I assume the people before me deserve respect for the decisions they've made."

That answer did not satisfy Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, however, and she continued to press him. In the end, Mattis told her: "I have no plan to oppose women in any aspect of our military. In 2003, I had hundreds of Marines who happened to be women serving in my 23,000-person division. ... I put them right on the front lines with everyone else."

He was also asked about protections for LGBTQ service members.

"Frankly, senator, I've never cared about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with," he said.

He says the Iran deal isn't perfect but should remain intact

Mattis called the Iran nuclear deal imperfect but said he supported the US keeping its end of the bargain. His answer was a break with the president-elect's, who has promised to rip up the deal with Tehran.

"I think it is an imperfect arms-control agreement  it's not a friendship treaty," Mattis said. "But when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies."

Later, he said, "It's not a deal I would have signed."

Mattis says cyberwar is a big problem that still has no clear doctrine in place

Mattis was asked interesting questions on cyberwarfare, which were especially pertinent in the wake of Russian hacks of Democratic Party officials and the hacks' effects on the presidential election. Mattis said he did not believe the US has anything resembling a sophisticated cyber doctrine.

In other words, there is no strategy in place for the US to respond to cyberattacks as there is for other physical attacks such as a nuclear strike or an attack on a NATO ally.

Mattis said a comprehensive plan needs to be developed to address this shortfall because "cyber cuts across everything we do today."

"Because of the cyber domain, it's not something the military can do in isolation," he added.

NOW WATCH: The Air Force's legendary C-5 plane is so enormous it can transport a submarine





More From Business Insider


Biomedical engineers at Duke University have recruited an unlikely ally in the fight against the deadliest form of brain cancer -- a strain of salmonella that usually causes food poisoning.

Clinicians sorely need new treatment approaches for glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. The blood-brain barrier -- a protective sheath separating brain tissue from its blood vessels -- makes it difficult to attack the disease with drugs. It's also difficult to completely remove through surgery, as even tiny remnants inevitably spawn new tumors. Even with the best care currently available, median survival time is a dire 15 months, and only 10 percent of patients survive five years once diagnosed.

The Duke team decided to pursue an aggressive treatment option to match its opponent, turning to the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium. With a few genetic tweaks, the engineers turned the bacterium into a cancer-seeking missile that produces self-destruct orders deep within tumors. Tests in rat models with extreme cases of the disease showed a remarkable 20 percent survival rate over 100 days -- roughly equivalent to 10 human years -- with the tumors going into complete remission.

The results appeared online on December 21, 2016, in the journal Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics.

"Since glioblastoma is so aggressive and difficult to treat, any change in the median survival rate is a big deal," said Jonathan Lyon, a PhD student working with Ravi Bellamkonda, Vinik Dean of Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, whose laboratory is currently transitioning to Duke from Georgia Tech, where much of the work was completed. "And since few survive a glioblastoma diagnosis indefinitely, a 20 percent effective cure rate is phenomenal and very encouraging."

Previous studies have shown, quite accidentally, that the presence of bacteria can cause the immune system to recognize and begin attacking tumors. However, follow-up clinical trials with genetically detoxified strains of S. typhimurium have since proven ineffective by themselves.

To use these common intestinal bacteria as tumor-seeking missiles, Lyon and Bellamkonda, working with lead co-author Nalini Mehta, selected a detoxified strain of S. typhimurium that was also deficient in a crucial enzyme called purine, forcing the bacteria to seek supplies elsewhere.

Tumors just so happen to be an excellent source of purine, causing the bacteria to flock to them in droves.

Then, the Duke engineers made a series of genetic tweaks so that the bacteria would produce two compounds called Azurin and p53 that instruct cells to commit suicide -- but only in the presence of low levels of oxygen. And since cancerous cells are multiplying so energetically, the environment around and within tumors has unusually low oxygen.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

"A major challenge in treating gliomas is that the tumor is dispersed with no clear edge, making them difficult to completely surgically remove. So designing bacteria to actively move and seek out these distributed tumors, and express their anti-tumor proteins only in hypoxic, purine rich tumor regions is exciting," said Ravi Bellamkonda, Vinik Dean of Duke's Pratt School of Engineering and corresponding author of the paper. "And because their natural toxicity has been deactivated, they don't cause an immunological response. At the doses we used in the experiments, they were naturally cleared once they'd killed the tumors, effectively destroying their own food source."

The researchers tested the modified bacteria by injecting them directly into the rats' brains. While this may sound like an extreme delivery option, the first course of action usually performed with glioblastoma is to surgically remove the primary tumor, if possible, leaving the opportunity to directly deliver therapeutics.

The treatment worked in 20 percent of the rats, causing complete tumor regression and extending their lives by 100 days, which translates to roughly 10 human years.

In the 80 percent that did not survive, however, the treatment didn't change the length of time the rats survived. After testing for common signs of resistance to the anti-tumor compounds and finding none, the researchers concluded the ineffectiveness was likely due to inconsistencies in the bacteria's penetration, or to the aggressive tumor growth outpacing the bacteria. But every rat showed initial signs of improvement after treatment.

"It might just be a case of needing to monitor the treatment's progression and provide more doses at crucial points in the cancer's development," said Lyon. "However, this was our first attempt at designing such a therapy, and there is some nuance to the specific model we used, thus more experiments are needed to know for sure."

The researchers now plan to program their bacteria to produce different drugs that cause stronger reactions in the tumors. These will be more difficult to implement, however, as other drugs are not as specific to tumor cells as those used in this study, making potential side effects more of a concern.
A new study from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health suggests modifying federal health guidelines related to the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission because current standards could miss some people who should be on it.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a measure that has proven to be highly effective in preventing HIV transmission during unprotected sex. While not entirely foolproof, studies have shown taking daily doses of tenofovir disoproxil-emtricitabine, or Truvada, is 92 percent effective in preventing HIV infection when taken correctly and consistently.

Since 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended PrEP for gay or bisexual men who have had condomless anal sex or been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the past six months. The CDC also has recommended PrEP for HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) and who are in a relationship with an HIV-positive partner.

The UCLA study, which was published in the January issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, suggests that those guidelines do not go far enough, because they omit important characteristics that could put someone at high risk for becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Working with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the researchers have developed an online risk assessment calculator, available today, which could fill that gap.

"To the best of our knowledge, this PrEP Calculator is the first of its kind to be based on real-world data," said Robert Weiss, co-author of the study and a professor of biostatistics at the Fielding School. "We hope that our PrEP calculator will allow more MSM to make a more-informed decision before deciding whether or not PrEP is right for them."

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is one of the largest HIV testing providers in Los Angeles County for gay, bisexual and MSM, with approximately 13,000 individual clients served annually, said lead author Matthew Beymer, a post-doctoral scholar in the department of medicine, division of infectious diseases, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Between January 2009 and June 2014 the center collected data on various behavioral risk factors for HIV among clients at each visit. Center personnel used behavioral data and HIV test results to determine what characteristics distinguished MSM who were HIV-negative when the study began and subsequently tested positive for HIV during a follow-up visit from those who remained HIV-negative through the follow-up visits.

Using these data the researchers built an HIV-risk algorithm, which they use as a standardized mechanism for recommending PrEP to clients of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Unlike the CDC guidelines, they asked important questions about a number of factors that could put one at higher risk for becoming infected, including substance use, number of sex partners, age and race or ethnicity, and other partner-level factors.

The researchers found that if all individuals who had a risk score greater than or equal to five on the test's scale  51 percent of those who used the calculator  had been given PrEP, then 75 percent of HIV infections would be averted during follow-up, assuming adequate regimen adherence and near complete effectiveness.

This made the researchers' model better than the CDC guidelines because it took into account behaviors that aren't considered in the current guidelines.

Based on these findings, they developed the risk calculator. The researchers will then assess whether men who have sex with men find it useful in determining if they should start taking PrEP. Even as late as September 2016, 20 percent of the Los Angeles LGBT Center's clients were unsure if PrEP was right for them, Beymer said.

"The findings from this study will allow MSM to determine their overall risk for HIV based on their own data and previous data collected at the Los Angeles LGBT Center," Beymer said. "Ultimately, this HIV risk score can be used by the client to determine if PrEP is right for them."

Beymer said that a limitation of this calculator is that it may not be appropriate for heterosexual and trans individuals, injection drug users, or people living outside of Los Angeles. In addition, it does not consider situations in which HIV-negative men are in long-term relationships with HIV-positive men.
Replacing biomass and kerosene cookstoves used throughout the developing world with clean-burning ethanol stoves may reduce hypertension and cardiovascular risk in pregnant women, according to new research published online, ahead of print in the American Thoracic Societys American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

In Randomized Controlled Ethanol Cookstove Intervention and Blood Pressure in Pregnant Nigerian Women, researchers report that the frequency of developing hypertension and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) were decreased in pregnant women who cooked with ethanol, rather than with traditional cookstoves fueled by wood or kerosene. Systolic blood pressure (the top number) did not change significantly.

Although previous studies found that exposure to household air pollution increased the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, no randomized, controlled trial had investigated whether clean-burning fuel would reduce the incidence of hypertension in pregnant women, said lead study author Christopher O. Olopade, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and family director of international programs at the University of Chicagos Pritzker School of Medicine.

Dr. Olopade and his colleagues enrolled 324 pregnant women living in Ibadan, Nigeria, in their study. Women who smoked or lived with a smoker or who cooked for a living were excluded from the study. None of the women enrolled were hypertensive (defined as systolic blood pressure  140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure  90) when they enrolled and were randomized into the study between the 16-18th weeks of pregnancy.

Half of the participating women who previously cooked with firewood or kerosene were randomly assigned to cook with ethanol. The other half continued to cook with either wood or kerosene. Blood pressure was recorded during six patient visits.

By the end of the study, the researchers found:

6.4 percent of those cooking with wood or kerosene became hypertensive compared with 1.9 percent of those cooking with ethanol.

8.8 percent of those cooking with kerosene became hypertensive compared to only 1.8 percent who were randomized from kerosene to ethanol.

Mean diastolic blood pressure was 2.8 mmHg higher among those cooking with wood or kerosene than those cooking with ethanol.

Mean diastolic blood pressure was 3.6 mmHg higher among those cooking with kerosene than those cooking with ethanol.

Dr. Olopade said the findings support the call by the World Health Organization to remove kerosene as a home cooking or heating fuel. All participants were informed about the harmful effects of smoke exposure, and women cooking with either fuel were encouraged to cook outside or in a well-ventilated room.

The results of our study add to the evidence that vulnerable populations, especially pregnant women, would gain important health benefits from stoves that burn clean fuels, Dr. Olopade said. Additional studies are still needed to determine how much of a reduction in exposure levels will result in significant and sustained health benefits.

The United Nations Foundation, Richard and Susan Kiphart, Project Gala and the Shell Foundation provided support for the study.

Source: https://www.thoracic.org/
Research carried out by Plymouth University into the experience of dementia in farming and farming families, and its impact on their businesses and home lives, has identified four areas of concern which need to be addressed if dementia in the countryside is to be managed. It is the first time that research has addressed this issue in farming.

The year-long study was undertaken by Dr Claire Kelly and Dr Richard Yarwood from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at Plymouth University with support from Ian Sherriff, Academic Partnership Lead for Dementia at the University and Chair of the Prime Minister's Rural Dementia Friendly Task and Finish Group.

It was funded by the Seale Hayne Educational Trust with support from the Farming Community Network.

The four areas of concern identified by the study were: the farm environment; a reluctance to ask for help; support services, and; changing rural communities. The areas of concern emerged after listening to farmers and their families about their experiences of dementia and how it impacts on their business and home lives. Sixteen farmers from across Devon were interviewed, along with seven professionals from different organisational perspectives working with, and supporting, farmers living with dementia.

Concerns about the farm environment related to the hazardous nature of farms themselves, with opportunities for people to be crushed by animals, fall into slurry pits and be trapped in or under machinery. The interviews showed that it can be hard for farmers affected by dementia to maintain standards of animal health and welfare, and that running a farm while at the same time caring for a family member living with dementia can lead to enormous strain on other family members.

The interviews also showed that farmers can be reluctant to ask for help, which can lead to isolation and a desire to hide problems from the outside world. Farmers were often concerned about what might happen to the farm but reluctant to take steps to address the issue. The unique social and economic context of farming means that often, farmers continue working long after the state retirement age. As a consequence health issues such as dementia, which show increased prevalence amongst older populations, can be particular issues for farm businesses. As farms are generally homes as well as businesses, this can also lead to additional strain and financial pressures on the wider family if plans to hand-on the business to the next generation have not been made.

Linked to this is the fact that few had made plans about what would happen to their farms when they stopped farming. There was a lack of knowledge about crucial legal steps such as setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney to cover when they were no longer able to run the farming business. Few had kept their wills up-to-date.

Dr. Claire Kelly said: "Farming and the farm itself are more than merely business interests; they are an important part of lifestyle and identity. There is therefore justifiable fear that a diagnosis of dementia can lead to the loss of the farm, the home and everything that is familiar. Taking over financial responsibility for the farm can take many months to sort out if someone becomes incapacitated but in the meantime, the farm needs to continue to function as a business, so fodder needs to be bought, animals bought and sold, etc, which can be very difficult if the farm business is solely in the name of the person living with dementia."

Many farmers were unaware of the support and help available to them. Some organisations strive to provide help but are stymied by this lack of awareness and/or joined-up thinking between relevant agencies such as the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Rural Payments Agency, Trading Standards and Social Services. Often there is no engagement by these agencies until a formal diagnosis of dementia is made, which can sometimes be quite late on when the farm is already in crisis.

The cost of accessing services was also an area of concern, in that the cost in time and money of taking people to and from appointments can be particularly prohibitive for farmers, especially in remote rural areas.

Dr. Richard Yarwood said: "There was a perception that types of support are often urban-focused and inappropriate for people who have lived and worked outdoors all their lives and been very independent. Pride, a tradition of self-reliance and the desire for privacy often prevent people from asking for help."

Underlying these concerns was one regarding changes in rural communities. Farming is an isolated job and has become more so as the composition of rural communities has changed. Fewer people living in the countryside work on the land and consequently, a reliance on the availability of community help may be misplaced as many community members lack knowledge of farming. Equally, some farmers may not know members of their local community, decreasing the likelihood that they will seek help there.

Based on the research the team from Plymouth University have made the following recommendations:

Where possible farmers should plan ahead for the eventuality of ill health (including dementia) or retirement. This should include Lasting Powers of Attorney, succession planning and so on. There is a need for joined up thinking and working between statutory agencies, dementia support organisations and rural communities, with initiatives such as dementia friendly parishes. Farmers can be reluctant to ask for help, fearing a loss of privacy, yet they need help to network with each other. Mutual support and experience-sharing is a particularly valuable way for farmers who are reluctant to engage with formal agencies, to gain access to farming-specific help and information on living well with dementia. Allowing farmers to share experience with other farmers in other areas of the UK, for example, would provide that mutual support without having to share information with those close to home or on neighbouring farms. There is a need for all agencies working with farmers to undergo dementia training. Agencies working with farmers can become dementia friends. Lessons can be learnt from initiatives to combat farming stress. Main concern is for farmers and their families to recognise issues and seek support.

Ian Sherriff commented: "Dementia is a growing health problem, with an anticipated increase in the number of cases of 156 per cent between now and 2051, according to statistics from the Alzheimer's Society. This equates to two million people, and the burden will fall on rural areas where there are significantly higher proportions of elderly people. The burden will impact farming businesses, communities and the rural economy, yet little is known about how this impact will manifest itself and what kind of specialist care networks will need to be in place to tackle it. Our research has gone some way to identifying and addressing concerns, and we are looking forward to working with the farming community and the agencies and organisations that support it, to implement our recommendations."

Source: University of Plymouth
A new paper published in the American Journal of Hypertension suggests that a woman's blood pressure before pregnancy is related to her likelihood of giving birth to a boy or girl.

The possibility of predicting the sex of the baby in early pregnancy has long been a topic of public fascination, spawning numerous theories of maternal characteristics associated with the presence of a male or female fetus, none of which has been conclusively supported by robust scientific evidence. These observations raise the possibility that there may be underlying differences that relate to a woman's likelihood of sex-specific fetal loss and hence her likelihood of delivering a boy or girl. However, little is known about such factors in humans.

Researchers here established a unique pre-conception cohort consisting of young women who were planning to have a pregnancy in the near future and used the model to evaluate the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy health and the sex of the baby.

Participants underwent baseline medical assessment at recruitment and then, whenever they subsequently became pregnant, were followed across the pregnancy up to delivery through their clinical care.

Beginning in February 2009, researchers led by Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, and an investigator with the Lunendfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, recruited 3375 women in Liuyang, China. Of these, 1692 women were assessed for blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose. After the exclusion of 281 women who were potentially pregnant at their baseline assessment based on back-dating of the length of gestation at delivery, the study population for the analysis consisted of 1411 women who were assessed at median 26.3 weeks before pregnancy

Their pregnancies resulted in the delivery of 739 boys and 672 girls. After adjustment for age, education, smoking, BMI, waist, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose, mean adjusted systolic blood pressure before pregnancy was found to be higher in women who subsequently had a boy than in those who delivered a girl (106.0 vs. 103.3 mm Hg). Indeed, higher maternal blood pressure before pregnancy emerged as an independent predictor of subsequently delivering a boy.

According to Retnakaran, this "suggests that a woman's blood pressure before pregnancy is a previously unrecognized factor that is associated with her likelihood of delivering a boy or a girl. This novel insight may hold implications for both reproductive planning and our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the sex ratio in humans."
An updated version of Honda Mobilio MPV has been has been revealed in Indonesia.On the outside, the new car has slimmer headlamps, with LED daytime-running lights. It comes with a lot of chrome across the grille and the front bumper, which has also been resigned to look angular with inserts for fog lamps.The facelift unveiled in Indonesia is expected to carry forward the same engine from the old car, but with additional features like hill start assist and vehicle stability control.It is the second time the car has received an upgrade since its launch in 2014. A mild upgrade of refreshed interiors was introduced in select international markets, similar to how Honda introduced changes in the Amaze and Brio. However, in India the Mobilio has remained the same since its launch.It is not known yet if the Mobilio facelift will head to Indian shores.Mobilio's sales figures dropped drastically to 3,396 units in the year ending November 2016 from 16,380 units in the year before that. The unsold 2015 and 2016 models now have discounts up to Rs 2 lakh to push sales.
Ford Motor Co is betting on one of its most distinctively American models, the Mustang muscle car, to boost the company's sales and profits in China.



Ford began selling the Mustang in China in early 2015, and it is a niche vehicle, selling at a rate of about 3,000 cars a year. Still, that makes the Mustang, which starts at 399,800 yuan ($57,670) the top-seller in a sporty car segment against more expensive vehicles like the Audi TT and the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Mustang last year outsold the Chevrolet Camaro from General Motors Co by nearly 15 to one.



With styling that harks back to 1960s Detroit muscle cars, the Mustang stands out in a Ford lineup dominated by practical sedans and sport utility vehicles. Ford's sales in China grew by 50 percent in 2013 and 20 percent in 2014, but in 2015 the pace slowed to 3 percent. In 2016, Ford added the Lincoln luxury brand to its China lineup and expanded sales by 14 percent.



Industry analysts said Ford's China market profits and profitability were relatively healthy, with operating margins for Ford's joint ventures with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co Ltd and Jiangling Motors Corp in the 14-16 percent range over the past three years.



But competition in the world's largest car market continues to heat up as global automakers, from GM to Volkswagen AG to Toyota Motor Corp, add more models to product ranges. Indigenous Chinese automakers, too, are launching models that can compete more head-on with global carmakers' products.



Ford officials said the company's China operations did not have specific profit objectives but were trying to keep margins in their current "healthy" range.



"In terms of having a pricing power on your brand, you want people to be choosing your brand for rational reasons, but if you could also (combine) that with emotional reasons, that's when you get some pricing power," Peter Fleet, Ford's executive in charge of sales and marketing for the Asia-Pacific region told Reuters.



The Mustang and the F-150 Raptor, a high-performance version of Ford's F-150 large pickup truck, provide the emotion, he said.



The formula works for Dong Zirui, a 27-year-old small rental car business owner in the northeastern China city of Tangshan who bought a Mustang late last year.



"The Mustang is a rear-wheel-drive car," said Dong who decided to buy the Mustang when he spotted photos of it online. "It's a savage when you try some drifting stunts with the car." But Dong said he can fit his wife and young son in the car when he needs to.



Dealers say the Mustang brings in two types of buyers to Ford stores: younger drivers, mostly younger than 30 years of age, from upper-middle-class families, who have recently finished their studies and have financial support from their parents, as well as drivers in their 30s and 40s who have work or life experience outside China.



"Ford has a cleaner sheet in China, so there might be an opening for those halo cars to help the company improve its brand image," said James Chao, Asia-Pacific chief for consulting and research firm IHS Markit Automotive, referring to China being a relatively young market.



As Chinese consumers typically make car purchasing decisions based on word-of-mouth advice from their family and friends, Mustang buyers can be influential opinion leaders for Ford.



Guo Xin, a 30-year-old rally car racer and stunt driver for films and commercials in Beijing, said he liked the Mustang so much that in 2011 he helped form a Mustang Club of China which now has some 2,000 members.



"Growing up I used to see the Mustang in movies," said Guo who drives a 2006 Mustang and also owns a 1966 Mustang.



Guo's classic Mustang would turn heads even in Detroit. But he cannot take it out on public roads. Used cars brought in from outside China cannot be registered in the country.
While other automakers are marketing their new cars, Volvo is using this year's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) to unveil a typical family of four from Sweden.At NAIAS Volvo is continuing the trend started by Honda and Toyota at last week's 2017 CES, namely one of talking about technological innovation in terms of the people who are going to be using it.That's why rather than a new sedan or SUV, the Swedish brand introduced the world to the Hains, a family from Gothenburg in Sweden and the first family selected to take part in the company's truly real-world autonomous vehicle research program, Drive Me."We do things differently at Volvo Cars - we always have," said Hakan Samuelsson, President & CEO of Volvo Car Group. "Our main focus has always been on people and making their lives easier. Technology should improve the consumer experience, making mobility safer, sustainable and more convenient."Volvo has emerged as an early leader in the race towards the industry's ultimate goal of autonomous cars and safer roads. However, with the pace at which technological innovations are coming, there is a fear that all companies involved, from automakers to parts suppliers and even tech companies like Google could forget why they're in the race to begin with.As Bob Carter, Toyota's senior VP for automotive operations, said during his CES address: "With all the talk about advances in automobile technology, it's easy to lose sight of why we make cars in the first place. They're for people."That's why Volvo is taking a holistic approach to its autonomous driving development. It is trying to understand how self-driving cars can benefit the entire community and needs to understand as much as possible around the area of handover -- that moment where the car takes control or where the driver needs to step in to correct a car's technological shortcomings."The aim of the Drive Me research project is to focus on how to enhance people's lives and have a positive impact on society," said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Car Group."We want to learn more around how people feel when they engage and disengage autonomous drive, what the handover should be like, and what sort of things they would do in the car when it's driving them to their destination."
The Price-to-Sales ratio determines the amount investors pay for each dollar of revenues generated by the company.



If the Price-to-Sales ratio is 1, it means that investors are paying a dollar for every dollar of revenues generated. So it goes without saying that a stock with a Price-to-Sales ratio below 1 is a good bargain, as investors need to pay less than a dollar for a dollars worth.



Also, a stock with a low Price-to-Sales ratio is a more suitable investment choice than one with a high ratio.



Among a host of valuation metrics that are at disposal, Price-to-Sales has emerged as a convenient tool to determine the value of stocks that are incurring losses or are in an early cycle of development, generating meager or no profits.



Though a loss-making company with a negative Price-to-Earnings ratio falls out of investors favor, its Price-to-Sales ratio could indicate the hidden strength in its business. This underrated ratio is also used to identify recovery situations or ensure that a company's growth is not overvalued.



Price-to-Sales can be preferred over Price-to-Earnings, as companies and managements can fiddle with earnings figure using various accounting measures. However, sales are harder to manipulate and are relatively reliable.



However, one should keep in mind that a company with high debt and a low Price-to-Sales ratio is not an ideal investment pick. The high debt level will have to be paid off at some point, leading to further share issuance and a rise in market cap and ultimately a higher Price-to-Sales ratio.



In any case, the Price-to-Sales ratio used in isolation cant do the trick. One should also analyze other ratios like Price/Earnings, Price/Book, Debt/Equity before arriving at any investment decision.



Screening Parameters



Price to Sales less than Median Price to Sales for its Industry: The lower the Price-to-Sales ratio, the better.



Price to Earnings using F(1) estimate less than Median Price to Earnings for its Industry: The lower, the better.



Price to Book (common Equity) less than Median Price to Book for its Industry: This is another parameter to ensure the value feature of a stock.



Debt to Equity (Most Recent) less than Median Debt to Equity for its Industry: A company with less debt should have a stable Price-to-Sales ratio.



Current Price greater than or equal to $5: They must all be trading at a minimum of $5.



Zacks Rank less than or equal to #2: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks are known to outperform irrespective of the market environment.



Value Style Score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Style Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best opportunities in the value investing space.



Here are five of the 13 stocks that passed the screen:



Louisiana-Pacific Corporation LPX is a manufacturer and seller of construction products primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structures, as well as light industrial and commercial construction. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and a Value score of B. Also, the 35 year EPS growth rate for the stock is estimated at 5%.



Central Valley Community Bancorp CVCY is the bank holding company for the Central Valley Community Bank that provides various commercial banking services to individuals, business and professional communities in the central valley area of California. This Zacks Rank #2 company has a 35 years EPS growth rate of 8% and a Value score of B.



Validus Holdings Ltd. VR is a provider of reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It has a 35 years EPS growth rate of 9%. The stock currently has a Value score of B and Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Citizens Financial Group Inc. CFG is the bank holding company for Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania that offer retail and commercial banking products and services in the U.S. The stock currently has a Value score of B and a Zacks Rank #2. Citizens Financial has a 35 years EPS growth rate of 19.6%.



TCF Financial Corporation TCB is the bank holding company for TCF National Bank that provides various financial products and services in the U.S. and Canada. It currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and a Value score of A. TCF Financial has a 35 years EPS growth rate of 8.5%.



You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.



The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your trial to the Research Wizard today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.



Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.



Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.



Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.



Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free 



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



TCF Financial Corporation (TCB): Free Stock Analysis Report



Central Valley Community Bancorp (CVCY): Free Stock Analysis Report



Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX): Free Stock Analysis Report



Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (CFG): Free Stock Analysis Report



Validus Holdings, Ltd. (VR): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
: Industry peers on Thursday lauded the appointment of TCS chief N Chandrasekaran as the Chairman of Tata Sons saying he has "broad enough shoulders" to assume responsibility of being the "custodian of an Indian Icon".IT industry veteran N R Narayana Murthy said as the new leader at the helm of USD 103 billion salt-to-software conglomerate, Chandrasekaran will have to face challenges but he has shown at TCS that he is capable of handling those.Also Read: Natarajan Chandrasekaran, TCS Chief, Named Tata Sons Chairman Outlining the task ahead of the new Tata Sons chief, Murthy said: "How do you demonstrate your uniqueness in a market that is not growing as fast as you think. How do you make yourself multi cultural?"He, however, said: "As Chandra has demonstrated to all of us, at TCS, as long as you are able to inspire your people to do extraordinary things, then I think you will be in a position to handle these challenges."Congratulating Chandrasekaran on the new role, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said in a tweet: "You are now custodian of an Indian Icon. You have broad enough shoulders to assume that responsibility!".ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar said Chandra has led TCS to become a global technology major.Also Read: Avid Photographer, Long-distance Runner: Things to Know About Natarajan Chandrasekaran "His global experience, deep business acumen and long association with the Tata Group will prove invaluable in his new role. I have interacted closely with him over the years, including in government-industry forums. He is always warm, engaging and insightful. I wish him all the very best," she added.RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka said Chandra's appointment brings closure to India's most bitter board saga."No one better than him to lead the 'kohinoor' of India's business. Tata Chairman, Chandra a man of grit, determination and vision. He will take Tatas to greater heights," he said.Bank of America President and Country Head Kaku Nakhate termed Chandrasekaran as a "great visionary"."I have worked closely with Chandra for several years now and know what a great visionary and leader he is. The Tatas could not have found a better person than him to lead the group. My congratulations to Chandra," he said.Describing him as a phenomenal person, Kotak Mahindra Bank Vice Chairman Uday Kotak said, "I have a very high personal regard for him. My best wishes to him."Bank of Maharashtra ED R K Gupta said: "As a lender to the Tata group, we are delighted with the appointment of N Chandrasekran, as Chairman for Tata Sons."Under his leadership, TCS emerged as a global force to reckon with, he added."Mr. Chandrasekaran is the best man to navigate the conglomerate to newer heights. We wish him success in all his future endeavours," he added.
Mumbai: Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the Chairman-designate of Tata Sons, on Thursday said he will reach out to everyone as he will look to bind the USD 103-billion group, create shareholder value and run business on ethics and values Tatas are known for.



Chandrasekaran, 53, who headed Tata Group's most successful company, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, expressed his gratitude to interim Chairman Ratan Tata and the board for giving him the responsibility.



"It's a huge honour and privilege to be appointed first to the board of Tata Sons and now to be Chairman of Tata Sons.



It's a privilege and is a huge responsibility," he told reporters shortly after the Tata Sons board chose him as Chairman.



Chandrasekaran, the first non-Parsi Chairman of Tata Group, said the conglomerate has had many tall leaders who have steered it through challenges and business ups and downs.



"They have had phenomenal leaders who have contributed to making the Group what it is today. While I feel very honoured, I also feel overwhelmed because I don't think anyone can easily get into this job. This position requires several leadership qualities and compassion and I feel I will grow into this role over a period of time," he said.



The responsibility, he said, requires "binding the Group together (and its) the three-tier structure" with the "phenomenal" work that Tata Trusts - the majority holders of Tata Sons - has done very silently over a century in contributing to the society.



Interestingly, his predecessor Cyrus P Mistry was sacked for "growing and untenable trust deficit between Tata Sons and the Tata Trusts."



Chandrasekaran said Tata Sons did pioneering businesses and stood by the operating businesses in "good times and more importantly, in bad times."



"We all have a purpose and I look forward to working with everybody, building relationships not only for my business performance but to bring the business performance, to create shareholder value which is fundamental with ethos and values which the Group is known for," he aid.



Stating that he would need a lot of support, he said said it is not one man's job and needs a collective leadership. "I will reach out to everyone."



Tata Group, he said, is not just pioneer but also in multiple business and has held "the highest importance to running business on ethics - in terms of value."



It lives in the hearts of people of this country. "They touch people in nook and corner of the country and the common man always says 'Tata humara company hai' (Tata is our company). So it is that kind of heritage that makes it such a special group," he said.



He said he wants to reach out to the larger Tata Group and its employees that he is "really privileged to have the opportunity to be with them."



"Finally, I would like to show my gratitude for the board of Tata Sons and Mr Ratan Tata for placing their confidence and faith in me to lead this group," he said as he went on to thank business community for showing their support and appreciation to him.



Earlier, in a statement he said Tata group is at an inflection point said his aim would be to help progress the conglomerate "with the ethos, ethics and values that the Tata group has been built on".



"It will be my endeavour to help progress the group with the ethos, ethics and values that the Tata group has been built on."



He further said he is "humbled and honoured to be chosen to lead a truly great institution that occupies a unique position in the hearts of people in India and the world".



"I am proud to have been part of the Tata family for over 30 years and assuming this position is a great privilege," he added.



Popularly known as Chandra, who was the chief of the group's crown jewel TCS also thanked the Tata Sons Board and Ratan Tata "for their confidence in me to lead this trusted institution that has a rich heritage"
President Michelle Obama 2021-2029



President Sasha Obama

2029-2037



President Malia Obama

2037-2045 #ObamaFarewell yall ain't going  OG Petty Wap (@ogsammiegee) January 11, 2017

Sasha Obama missed her dad's farewell address because of an exam. I need to remember this the next time that a student asks for a deferral.  Duane Bratt (@DuaneBratt) January 11, 2017

For those wondering...per the @WhiteHouse: Sasha Obama stayed in DC because she has an exam at school in the morning. #educationmatters  Kenneth Moton (@KennethMoton) January 11, 2017

2017 study motivation: sasha obama missing her dad's presidential farewell speech because of an exam the next morning  lila (@gwencstacy) January 11, 2017

I hope Sasha Obama does well on her test today  Sasha Gilthorpe (@sgilthorpe) January 11, 2017

Sasha Obama missed her father's speech because of a big test at school; that basically tells you who @potus & @flotus are as parents.  Amy Davidson (@tnyCloseRead) January 11, 2017

i hope Sasha Obama gets an amazing grade on her exam tomorrow  rebecca (@thatssobecca) January 11, 2017

The one thing that caught the attention of people across the globe while Barack Obama was delivering his final speech in Chicago, was the absence of his 15-year-old daughter Sasha Obama.Twitteratis who were nagged by the unexplained absence of Sasha, the President's youngest daughter, soon began searching for her using the hashtag #whereissasha after the 15-year-old was not found seated along with Michelle Obama and Malia Obama in the audience at McCormick Place in Chicago.Among the theories, Sasha was on an elite anti-terrorism mission or looking for President-elect Trump's tax returns, CNN reported.Later a senior administration official said Sasha missed the speech because she has an exam in the morning. Sasha, is a sophomore at the prestigious private school, Sidwell Friends in Washington DC.In his speech, Obama praised his two daughters as his proudest achievement. "Malia," Obama said, gesturing to his 18-year-old eldest daughter, "...and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women. "You are smart and you are beautiful but more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful -- and you are full of passion. And bore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. "Of all that I have done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad," Obama said.Soon after the authorities revealed that Sasha Obama stayed back in Washington DC to prepare for an exam, Twitteratti were all praise for her. In fact, her dedication towards education inspired many and several social media users took to Twitter to wish her well for her exam.
Natural progesterone could help women who have suffered two or more unexplained miscarriages to have a successful pregnancy, according to a study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility.



Around 25% of pregnant women suffer a miscarriage during the first trimester of pregnancy. For some women, unexplained miscarriages occur repeatedly with each of their pregnancies.



To help these women have successful pregnancies, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA studied the effect of administering micronized natural progesterone two days prior to ovulation on a group of 116 patients who had previously suffered two or more unexplained miscarriages.



Natural progesterone is a so-called "bio-identical" hormone with the same molecular structure progesterone produced by the ovaries. "Traditional" synthetic hormones, on the other hand, present certain chemical differences.



Progesterone plays an essential role in preparing the uterus for egg implantation and then maintaining gestation.



The scientists found that natural progesterone, administered vaginally, led to a higher birth rate in the women studied. In fact, over two thirds of pregnancies were successful in women who received the treatment, compared to less than half for those who didn't.



The study suggests that analyzing endometrial health in cases of repeated pregnancy loss could prove useful. It is possible to detect abnormal endometrial development by examining the expression of a molecular marker called nCyclinE. In the future, this kind of test could be used to establish which women could benefit from progesterone treatments and at what dose.



A further clinical trial is required to validate the study's encouraging initial findings.



The study is published in Fertility & Sterility, the international journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
"We value immensely our relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, an most importantly our Indian customers and employees," Agarwal said.

Following a stern message by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over sale of doormats depicting the Tricolour, Amazon on Thursday expressed regret for "offending" Indian sentiments and informed her about removal of the product from its Canadian website.In a letter to Swaraj, Vice President and Country Manager of Amazon India Amit Agarwal said, "I am writing in connection with the products that carried the Indian flag, as referred to in your tweet...""Amazon India is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extent that these items offered by a third-party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments."He also said Amazon remains steadfastly committed to India, as evident by CEO Jeff Bezos's announcement last year of company's plans to invest $5 billion in India.On Wednesday, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.The minister had also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.After the strong protests, the e-retail giant on Thursday removed the offensive article from its Canadian website.In a series of tweets, Swaraj had expressed her anger at the sale of such an offensive doormat by Amazon, which is seeking a big presence in India."Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. "If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj had said in her tweets.Tweeting Agarwal's response to Swaraj, the MEA Spokesperson said, "In response to EAM @SushmaSwaraj's tweet, @amazon writes to her, expresses regret at hurting Indian sensibilities, pulls offending item."In his letter, Agarwal also explained that a third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada."These products were not available in India. After learning of the products' listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplaces or websites," he further said.Agarwal also offered to meet Swaraj to discuss the issue and Amazon's broader relationship with India.
The CISF jawan (Balveer) lost his cool following a dispute over leave and fired from his rifle, Superintendent of Police Dr Satyaprakash said while adding that he has been arrested.

CISF DG and IG in Aurangabad (Bihar), where a CISF jawan shot 4 other jawans. pic.twitter.com/6GyjzZp0d1  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

A CISF jawan reportedly opened fire on his colleagues, killing three of them and critically injuring another at their unit at a thermal power station in Aurangabad district in Bihar on Thursday.Officials said the incident was reported at about 12:30 AM at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd (NPGCL) unit where the force is deployed for security duties to guard the facility.The accused jawan has been identified as constable Balveer Singh who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while the deceased personnel have been reported to be two personnel in the ranks of Head Constable (HC), an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) while another HC is critical."Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his other colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident. While three have been killed in the firing, one another is critical and has been rushed to a nearby hospital," they said.A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit is deployed in the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility.They said the incident took place when Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said.NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.While the SP said senior officials have rushed to the spot, the CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.The incident came days after a BSF Jawan Tej Bahadur and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Constable Jeet Singh uploaded a video on a social networking site alleging poor food quality and facilities being provided to them.Soon after Tej Bahadur's video went viral the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday has sought a report from the home ministry.Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral, one CRPF jawan Beeru Ram was injured in an accidental firing.(With PTI inputs)
DMK announces state wide protest in Tamil Nadu over #Jallikattu  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea on lifting the ban on Jallikattu.The petition seeks the SC's intervention to pass judgment on Jalikattu before Saturday.The court said it was "unfair to ask bench to pass an order".This comes at a time when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam vowed that the traditional bull baiting game will be allowed this year on occasion of Pongal.Refusing to pass the order, the apex court said no one can ask the court to fasten its processThough the draft of the judgement is ready it's not possible to pass verdict before Saturday, the court said.Reacting to the court's decision, the Tamil Nadu government said that everyone in the state wanted the sport to happen.AIADMK leader CR Saraswati said,"We are requesting the Supreme Court to change their mind. Everyone in Tamil Nadu wants this sport."The DMK called the order disheartening.DMK leader Manu Sundaram said,"We are extremely disheartened by the decision.There is still a window of opportunity for Jallikattu. The Centre and state government can pass the ordinance if they wish for it to take place."Tamil Nadu government sources told CNN News18 that they will ask the Centre to pass an ordinance to allow Jallikattu to happen.DMK leader Kanimozhi asked the Centre to intervene and said that the Tamil Nadu did not act in time."The bulls used in Jallikattu are not hurt. they raised with a lot of love, like family. It is part of our culture. Why is Jallikatuu being singled out for animal cruelty? An elephant being kept in a temple can also be seen as animal cruelty, but no one says anything about that."
New Delhi: The chief of Manipur's proscribed Kangliepak Communist Party was arrested on Thursday along with a woman from east Delhi's Mayur Vihar area.



Delhi Police's Special Cell arrested Khoirom Ranjit aka Rocky aka Great Macha, who is wanted in connection with various terror attacks in Manipur, said a senior police officer.



He was arrested along with a woman identified as Inugbam Sanatombi Devi, he added.



Meanwhile, Three cadres of NSCN(IM) and one sympathiser was apprehended from different locations of Thoubal district following three search operations by Manipur police commandos, a police officer said.



In a search operation conducted at Tuisem village by state police commandos on Wednesday led by SP M Pradeep, at around 3 am, seven persons were apprehended for failing to provide authentic identity papers. Three of them turned out to be former members of NSCN (IM), the officer said.



They have been handed over to Pallel Police station for verification, the officer said.



Four SSBL guns and one weapon were recovered during the operation, the sources said.



In another operation carried out yesterday at Khangshim village in Thoubal district, one sympathiser and a captain of the militant outfit was also arrested.



The duo has been identified as Hongsha, 32, and self-styled Captain Ashang Hongsha, 42, of the same village, the police officer said. Hongsha was in constant touch with cadres stationed at Dimapur Hebron Camp, the officer added.



The commando team also recovered one .38 pistol with four live rounds and one mobile handset.








Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863. In the remembrance of the great Indian monk, who continues to inspire millions, this day is celebrated as National Youth Day or Yuva Diwas. National Youth Day began with the motive to motivate and inspire the youth of the country. On his birthday, we get you some of the best quotes from the great spiritual mind that can encourage you.
Bengaluru: One of EDM's pioneer, DJ David Guetta, who was all set to kickstart his India tour from Bengaluru is no longer performing in the city. The Sunburn concert, scheduled for tonight, has been scrapped with the organisers citing "law and order situation" following the molestation incident during New Year's Eve as the reason.



The DJ is on a four-city tour which was expected to begin from Bangalore and then move to Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi.



"Due to the present law & order situation in Bengaluru following the events that transpired around New Year's Eve, the authorities have recommended against holding the David Guetta concert scheduled today in the city.



"We at Sunburn tried our very best to make it happen but the authorities understandably are not prepared to take any chances. Hence today's concert, unfortunately stands cancelled," Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said in a statement.



Mohandas Pai, a prominent Bengalurean and former CFO Infosys, too strongly reacted to the development. Its a very bad reaction. Bangalore is a peaceful city, he said, adding, Home Minister makes the remarks which he should not. Police should know how to handle the situation.







Shailendra Singh, founder of India's Sunburn Festival shared his views as soon as the news was out. Its painful, and financial loss for us, he said.



The organisers said they hope to "reschedule" the concert if they get permission from the authorities and the artiste but there is no clarity at the moment.



However, other shows in Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad are on as per schedule.



Reacting to the developments, Seemanth Kumar Singh, IG, Bengaluru said that since there were APMC elections being held in the state, there was no way that a large-scale event of the magnitude of David Guetta could be held without proper police protection.



"The permission was sought only two days ago. We didn't have enough manpower to handle a large crowd owing to the elections," Singh added.



Singh rejected allegations that the cancellation of the concert was owing to law and order situation and demanded a clarification from the organisers over the issue.



"None of our police officers told them that it was a law and order issue. They need to tell us who told them," Singh added.



(With Inputs from PTI)
Mumbai: Hollywood actor Vin Diesel, who got a 'desi' welcome in India on Thursday morning, says he dreamt of exploring the country and is glad that his dream has finally come true.



Diesel, along with his xXx: Return of Xander Cage co-star Deepika Padukone and director D.J. Caruso, was welcomed with dhol, 'tutari' and 'tilak'. They arrived to a typical desi fanfare of women dressed in traditional Marathi nauvari (nine-yard) saris and yellow turbans.



Taking time out from his packed schedule, Diesel took to Instagram to express his views.



He posted: "So honoured to be here in India for the first time. The xXx Global tour has been great and now I and Deepika Padukone are going to share this film with her country today. As a child, I always dreamed of visiting India... Thank you Paramount for making this dream come true. Xander."



Diesel's two-day India trip has a lot of things planned. He is promoting xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which is releasing in India on Friday -- before anywhere else in the world.



The actors, along with other members of the film's cast and crew, have been on an extensive worldwide promotional spree to promote the film. They visited London and Mexico before coming to India.



The movie is a new instalment in the xXX series after the 2002 film xXx and the 2005 entertainer xXx: State of the Union. It also stars Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.


It's almost Makar Sankranti, dil ki patang dekho #UdiUdiJayehttps://t.co/rtB4ezKAnz  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) January 12, 2017

With just a day left for Makar Sankranti, people are obviously busy doing everything to spread the cheer. Interestingly, the makers of Raees have done their bit too to make the festive occasion a lot more special. They have released their festival song Udi Udi Jaye.The song which features Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira Khan celebrate Gujarat's biggest kite flying festival.Crooned by Sukhwinder Singh, Bhoomi Trivedi and Karsan Sagathia, Udi Udi Jaye show just how great Mahira and SRK look together. While the Pakistani actress looks phenomenal in a traditional outfit, SRKs intense looks are hard to ignore.Mahira looks gorgeous as she performs traditional Gujarati steps in a red-yellow ghagra choli and SRK looks perfect in a white pathan suit. From garba to lighting sky with lanterns, they do it all.The story of Raees is set in the 1980s and SRK essays the role of a Gujarati bootlegger. The film has been directed by Rahul Dholakia, and will be released on January 25.
Lucknow: Unfazed by ongoing feud within the Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is busy planning the campaign strategy for the upcoming election.



Sources say an aliance between the Akhilesh-led faction of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress is being worked out. A key aspect of this tie-up could well be the enhanced participation of Akhilesh's wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav and Congress's star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi.



Both women are not new to electoral politics  Dimple is a lawmaker from Kannauj and Priyanka has been the campaign incharge for her mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and brother Rahul. However, it will be a bigger and more intense role for the two in the upcoming polls. Sources close to Akhilesh say that the CM and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will very soon announce an alliance. Dimple and Priyanka will likely grace the event.



The decision to rope in Dimple and Priyanka for campaigning has larger political calculations behind it. Priyanka has a star value and is known for her sharp political sense and ability to connect with voters. The Congress party has been for years now urging for a larger role for her in politics. Priyanka, however, has chosen to limit her participation family bastions Raibareli and Amethi.



Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Amarnath Agarwal says that if Priyanka Gandhi goes in for an aggressive campaign, it will indeed be a big boost for the party's poll prospects. The decision, however, rests entirely with Priyanka.



Dimple Yadav, on the other hand, comes across less politically aggressive, who fits the portrait of an ideal wife and bahu in Indian politics. She has been content with occupying the back seat; someone for whom politics may be a task at hand but family remain priority. It is this persona, which many believe attracts voters, especially women.



Lucknow-based senior journalist Suman Gupta says Dimple looks and behaves like a common bahu of a normal Hindu family. "As husband and wife, Akhilesh and Dimple stand out as an ideal couple. She gives a sense of completeness to Akhilesh. In politics, the image of an ideal, happy couple can bring in lot of dividends."



Dimple's tryst with electoral campaign is not knew. During 2014 elections, she had taken time out to venture out of her constituency to campaign for a few other seats. This time, it's different. With her husband embroiled in a power tussle with father Mulayam weeks before polls, it will be a challenge to build the momentum.



While Akhilesh and Rahul together hope of reaping electoral gains through a "secular alliance", it's Priyanka and Dimple who will shoulder the burden of an electoral campaign.
Nokia today confirmed its presence at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017. Held in Barcelona every year, the event mostly hosts flagship smartphone launches. Nokias caretaker, HMD Global, Thursday sent media invites for its MWC event on February 26.After the recent launch of Nokia 6 in China, the brand is expected to introduce its next Android smartphone at the event. Of course, Nokia will showcase the Nokia 6 in all glory at MWC.HMD Global was recently reported to launch a budget variant called Nokia E1 with Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box soon. While there were no official confirmations of the same, the MWC event might provide some clarity.The Nokia E1 is speculated to be powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor with 2GB of RAM. There will be a 13MP rear camera along with a 5MP front camera.The first Android smartphone, Nokia 6, also runs the new Nougat version and comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD 2.5D Gorilla Glass display. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory.It is a dual-SIM smartphone powered by a 3,000mAh battery, which is non-removable. On the camera front, there is a 16MP f/2.0 camera with PDAF along with dual-LED Flash. On the front, there is an 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera. Nokia has paid attention to the audio front and provides Dolby Atmos powered dual amplifier speakers.HMD has developed a unique strategic partnership model that will see it working with some of the worlds leading technology companies including Nokia, FIH Mobile Limited (FIH) and Google. The HMD Global team is headed by CEO Arto Nummela and President Florian Seiche.
Ryanair has overtaken Lufthansa to become Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, figures on Tuesday showed, allowing the Irish budget carrier to snatch the crown from the German rival for the first time.



The Lufthansa group -- which includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss, and low-cost Eurowings -- said in a statement it had carried a record 109.7 million passengers in 2016, up 1.8 percent on the year before.



But it was not enough to beat Ryanair, which last week announced a 15-percent jump in passenger numbers to 117 million.

While the German flag carrier remains ahead of its no-frills competitor in terms of revenue, "these numbers show that passengers are increasingly tempted by Ryanair's offer," Hamburg-based aviation expert Cord Schellenberg told AFP.



"This should be a wake-up call for Lufthansa," he added.



A Lufthansa spokesman however downplayed the significance of being relegated to second place by passenger numbers, saying it was "just one figure among many".



"We want to grow in a profitable way," he said.



But the battle for dominance in the skies is far from over.



Faced with stiff competition from low-cost carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet, Lufthansa has set out to strengthen its own budget subsidiary, Eurowings.



It reached a deal late last year to lease 33 aircraft from struggling Air Berlin that will be operated by Eurowings.

And last month Lufthansa announced it was taking full control of Brussels Airlines, which is set to be incorporated into Eurowings.



"Together, this should bring us another 11 to 12 million passengers annually," the Lufthansa spokesman said.

Ryanair for its part is keeping up the pressure, notably by adding new routes and bases in France, Germany and eastern Europe.



The Irish airline has particularly rattled Lufthansa with its plans to start flying from Frankfurt airport this year -- Lufthansa's home base.



"Ryanair will continue to improve the customer experience, and fares will continue to fall," spokesman Ronan O'Keeffe told AFP, adding that the group had set itself the goal of transporting "over 200 million customers a year" by 2024.
Bamako: Five Malian soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine in the centre of the country.



The explosion occurred between the central Segou and Mopti regions.



"We have lost five men. Their vehicle set off a mine. They were all in the same vehicle," a Malian military official told AFP yesterday.



Another Malian military source confirmed the blast and blamed "terrorists" for the killings, without naming any group.



Explosive devices and ambushes have been frequently used against Malian and UN forces, which arrived in 2013 to fight Islamists.



Northern Mali fell to jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda from March 2012. These forces were driven out of key towns by a French-led military intervention the following year.



Barely a week goes by without attacks on security forces despite a peace pact signed following lengthy negotiations between the government, groups backing it and ethnic Tuareg rebels.
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday held his first news conference since winning the election, and CNN's Reality Check Team vetted his statements.The team of reporters, researchers and editors across CNN listened throughout the event and analyzed key statements, rating them true, misleading or false.By Kate Grise, CNNTrump and his aides are denying new reports of the President-elect's possible ties to Russia. Carter Page is a former Trump adviser whose reportedly close ties to Russia have been called into question during the campaign. The FBI looked into allegations that, while in Russia last year, Page had meetings related to individuals under US sanctions."Carter Page is an individual whom the President-elect does not know and was put on notice months ago by the campaign," Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Wednesday.Trump, however, does at least know Page's name.In an interview with The Washington Post editorial board in March, Trump named "Carter Page, Ph.D.," as one of the people he was considering for his foreign policy team.On March 21, Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed those people, including Page, to CNN.Page founded an investment company, Global Energy Capital, and has worked as an investment banker in London and Moscow.Page has denied the allegations that he met with sanctioned Russian officials, telling The Washington Post, "All of these accusations are just complete garbage."He told The New York Times in March he had been sending policy memos to the campaign.In a September appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager, said Page was no longer involved in the campaign and "not authorized" to speak with Russian officials on behalf of the Trump campaign.It's unclear whether Trump knows Page personally, but it's evident Page was involved in the campaign as an early adviser. We rate Spicer's claim that Trump does not know Page misleading and his claim that Page was "put on notice" as true.By Lisa Rose, CNNTrump claimed he has no business ties with Russia, and punctuated his point by declaring that if he wanted to build in Russia, he could effortlessly find partners for a venture."I have no deals in Russia," Trump said. "I have no deals that could happen in Russia because we've stayed away. ... We could make deals in Russia very easily if we wanted to. I just don't want to because I think that would be a conflict."It would be much easier to verify Trump's claim if his tax returns were public information. But because he hasn't turned over his IRS records, we'll have to look at prior comments he's made and news stories about his international business interests.As recently as 2013, the President-elect was negotiating a deal with Aras Agalarov, a Russian billionaire, to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, according to a Washington Post investigation.Agalarov told the Post that although the plan to bring the Trump brand to Moscow didn't pan out, he hoped his family can partner with the Trumps at some point in the future.While Trump claimed that it would be a piece of cake to build one of his signature monoliths in Moscow, he has been trying unsuccessfully to cut a deal in Russia for three decades.In 1987, he visited the Soviet Union with his first wife, Ivana, and announced plans to develop a luxury hotel there. Nine years later, he filed paperwork to trademark the name Trump Tower in Russia and subsequently registered other business names such as Trump International Hotel and Tower, and Trump Home, according to a CNN Money report."Russia is one of the hottest places in the world for investment," Trump said during a 2007 court deposition. "We will be in Moscow at some point."Trump's declaration that he and his company have stayed away from Russia is also dubious. He journeyed to Moscow in 2013 for the Miss Universe pageant, schmoozed with a clutch of oligarchs at a nightspot and ultimately collected $14 million from Russians who invested in the beauty contest, according to The Washington Post.Trump's son, Donald Jr., made a half dozen business trips to Russia in 2007 and 2008 on behalf of the Trump Organization, according to the travel industry publication eTurboNews."In terms of high-end product influx into the US, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets; say in Dubai, and certainly with our project in SoHo and anywhere in New York," Trump Jr. said in the eTurboNews story. "We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."Indeed. The President-elect earned nearly $100 million when he sold a Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch named Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2008. During a press conference in July, Trump said that the sale of the mansion was his one and only link to Russia."That was a number of years ago," Trump said at the July press conference. He then conceded, "I guess probably I sell condos to Russians, OK?"It is true that there are no Trump-branded properties under construction in Moscow or elsewhere in the country but there is no way to verify the President-elect's claim that he is completely clear of business links to Russia without seeing his tax returns. His statement that Russia doesn't interest him is in contrast with decades of business trips and talk of grand plans for Moscow.His remarks aren't outright false but we cannot give his claims the green light because he hasn't disclosed his tax returns. Our verdict: misleading.By Jen Christensen, CNNTrump said the US government "is the worst" when it comes to the nation's vulnerability in being hacked."If you look at the retail industry, if you look at the banking industry, various industries, out of 17 industries -- they put this in a category of an industry -- the United States is last in terms of protecting, let's say hacking defense," he said.That claim is true, according to a 2016 US government cybersecurity report from SecurityScorecard.On a list that included 17 private industries, including retail and health care, the startup put the US government at the very bottom. The government is vulnerable to hacking, the report suggests, as it struggles with overall network security issues, software patching problems and malware infections. The problem, in part, stems from the large size of federal agencies; however, the report says, the upside is that those agencies may have larger budgets and larger security teams to deal with a hack attack.Hacking has been a problem for the US government before. In July 2015, thieves stole data from Office of Personnel Management computer systems that included Social Security numbers of over 21.5 million people.President Barack Obama addressed the issue at a news conference last month."Our economy is more digitized, it's more vulnerable, partly because we're a wealthier nation and we're more wired than other nations," Obama said.By Eve Bower, CNNRepeating a claim he has made several times in recent weeks, Trump appeared certain when he said, "I have a no-conflict-of-interest provision as president."Specifically, he added, "I could actually run my business and run government at the same time."The reality is much less clear-cut. Though there are a number of laws designed to prevent conflicts of interest for other public servants -- and do not apply to the President -- there are other constitutional and federal statutory provisions that may indeed be interpreted to restrict the business dealings of the President.Nine such provisions were recently outlined in a memo from the Congressional Research Service. The provisions include both restrictions on gifts and other benefits the president may receive and financial disclosure requirements.One key question concerns a part of the Constitution known as the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the president from receiving gifts from foreign governments. Because courts have not interpreted this provision in detail, it is unclear whether the various interests of the Trump Organization could become a conflict for the President-elect.Because the truth is far more nuanced and uncertain than Trump portrays it to be, we rate this claim misleading.By Patrick Gillespie and Tami Luhby, CNNTrump cited a false statistic to cast the job market as weaker than it truly is."Ninety-six million really wanting a job and they can't get. You know that story. The real number. That's the real number," he said in defense of his plan to implement a border tax to keep American companies from moving jobs outside the US.Here's the real deal on that stat: Some 93.8 million people are not in the labor force, but the vast majority of them don't want a job, according to the most recent quarterly data from the Atlanta Federal Reserve. Some 44 million are retired, 15.3 million are disabled, 13.3 million are taking care of a family member and another 13.2 million are in college or job training. They are listed as not wanting a job.In addition, about 1.8 million are listed as marginally attached -- people who are not in the labor force who have looked for a job sometime in the past year -- and nearly 4.1 million are not marginally attached but want a job.Some economists argue that the official unemployment figure -- 7.5 million in December -- understates the true state of the job market because it only counts people who are out of a job and have looked for work in the past four weeks.What is the 'real' unemployment rate?A wider measure of unemployment includes people who've left the labor force but want a job, and part-timers who want full-time positions. Altogether, these three types of job-seekers total about 16 million, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.Because 16 million is a far cry from 96 million, we rate Trump's claim as false.By Daniella Diaz and David Wright, CNNTrump insisted that Americans "don't care at all" about his unreleased tax returns.Trump was asked if he would release his tax returns to prove that he doesn't have business and financial ties to Russia that could be used as leverage against him."I'm not releasing the tax returns because, as you know, they're under audit," he said.Trump's comments are directly contradicted by most major public polls on the issue. A CNN poll from October found that 73% of registered voters surveyed think Trump should release his tax returns for public review, including about half of Republicans at 49%.We rate Trump's claim as false.
Olszyna: US troops and tanks began streaming into Poland on Thursday as part of one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the Cold War, an operation that Russia angrily branded a "threat".



The Atlantic Resolve mission will see more than 3,000 American soldiers and heavy equipment deployed in Poland and nearby NATO partners Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary on a rotational basis.



The outgoing US administration of President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of an armoured brigade to the region after 2014 to reassure eastern allies after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.



The operation has sparked immediate anger from Russia, with the Kremlin describing it as a "threat" on its "doorstep".



"This is unprecedented for Poland," Michal Baranowski, Warsaw office director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States think-tank, told AFP.



"We have not had this level of a rotational presence since the Cold War."



Baranowski said the arrival of the US troops, along with NATO's coming deployment of four multi-national battalion groups in Poland and the three Baltic states, "changes the security calculus on the alliance's eastern flank" by creating a much-boosted deterrent.



"These forces will have a 'trip wire' function  no longer will it be possible for Russia to have a quick victory for example in the Baltic states on the cheap," Baranowski said.



"It will not be able to have just a regional conflict because the NATO allies will automatically be affected  and that's a very big change," he added.



But the operation comes a week ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested his Republican administration will seek to ease tensions with the Kremlin.

According to Stanislaw Koziej, a retired Polish brigadier general who served as national security chief from 2010-15, the arrival of the US brigade has "somewhat calmed concerns about the direction the US will go after the arrival of the new president".



"If he really wanted to, the president-elect (Trump) could comment on the deployment, but since he hasn't, that's calmed the air," Koziej said.



US troops entered Poland at the Olszyna border crossing with Germany on Thursday and headed to the brigade's headquarters in the nearby Polish town of Zagan.



Heavy equipment, including 87 Abrams tanks and over 500 personnel carriers including military-equipped Humvees were to follow.



"This operation threatens our interests and our security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today.



"This is even more pronounced when a third party (the United States) reinforces its military presence on our doorstep in Europe."



Russian deputy foreign minister Alexei Mechkov described the deployment as a "factor destabilising European security".
3677 Grove Ln, Fauquier, VA 20144

$2,600,000

5 Beds

5.1 Baths

8,300 Sq Ft

This property is the home of the owners of Barrel Oak Winery. It is for sale in conjunction with the sale of the winery itself but cannot be sold before Barrel Oak Winery is sold. The home is a 830...
After months of discussion, the staff of Campbell County Public Schools will receive a bonus.

The bonus was approved unanimously Wednesday at the January meeting of the Campbell County School Board. According to Superintendent Bobby Johnson, full-time school employees  excluding administrators  will receive a bonus of $500, and part-time employees will receive $250.

They need to be adequately recognized and compensated, Johnson said Wednesday.

The bonus will be applied to the February paycheck for Campbell County school staff members.

Though Johnson did not have a final figure available for the bonus, he estimated it would cost about $600,000. Johnson said the bonus will be paid for with an estimated $300,000 in additional Virginia Lottery funds, not originally budgeted for, to be disbursed in February and minor budget reallocations generated by asking staff members to trim budgets under their supervision by 0.75 percent.

Teacher and support personnel pay has been a topic of discussion for months in Campbell County.

The bonus comes after a one-time, $600,000 bonus for staff members was denied by the Campbell County Board of Supervisors in October, who opted instead to tap those funds for needed maintenance projects within the division. The school board had requested $350,000 from remaining funds, unused from last year, and state revenue of $150,000 to $200,000 not budgeted for.

The bonus is part of a larger, ongoing conversation about pay raises within Campbell County.

In March, the General Assembly passed a budget that included a 2 percent cost-of-living raise that required a local match. That raise later was rescinded when state revenue came in below projections.

In May, the school board trimmed its annual budget request by nearly $1 million at the direction of the Board of Supervisors, which eliminated the possibility of a raise for staff members.

While school board members, in general, were enthusiastic about the bonus, member R. Leon Brandt Jr. noted he felt it didnt go far enough to lift teacher pay in Campbell County, which is the lowest in the region with a starting wage of $37,644 for teachers with only a bachelors degree.

Brandt previously called the bonus proposal a token, a phrase he repeated Wednesday.

I still call it a token, but I'm glad we could at least do this, Brandt said.

He added he hopes for a significant pay increase for staff members in the coming school year.

Other members echoed Brandts hopes for a pay raise in the budget, which will be considered in March. On Wednesday, the school board added a second March meeting  scheduled for March 27  to allow for further discussion before the budget is submitted to the Board of Supervisors.

The school board also reorganized Wednesday, unanimously electing Scott Miller as chairman, and Barry Jones as vice chairman. Miller, in his fourth year on the board, previously was vice chairman.

Miller said the position of vice chairman had prepared him to step into the new role, and he looked forward to serving as a spokesperson for the school division to the community.
Reports suggest Italy's flagship airline, Alitalia, is about to announce up to 1,600 new redundancies (AFP Photo/Alberto Lingria) (AFP/File)

Rome (AFP) - Alitalia needs "drastic and courageous" action, its chairman said Thursday after a government minister blamed poor management for a looming crisis at the carrier, which is 49 percent owned by Etihad Airways.

Reports that the country's flagship airline is about to announce up to 1,600 new redundancies have turned the spotlight on Etihad's de facto control of Alitalia, which was rescued from bankruptcy in 2014 by the Gulf carrier.

Economic Development minister Carlo Calenda, who met Etihad and Alitalia executives earlier this week, criticised them for airing the possibility of redundancies without first outlining a strategy to get the long-struggling company back on track.

"The situation at Alitalia tells us that the company has been poorly managed," Calenda told Radio Anch'io. "It is a totally private company that has significant organisational problems."

The minister went on to say that management mistakes should not "fall on the shoulders of the employees."

Alitalia's chairman, former Ferrari boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, said redundancies could not be ruled out.

"We need a drastic and courageous plan," he told reporters in Rome, playing down tensions with the government while also emphasising that Alitalia had to address its high cost base relative to leaner low-cost rivals.

"What is important is that after so many years, we have to have the courage to change the business model," Montezemolo said.

He said a plan for the airline's future would be ready in two three weeks.

"The business plan will outline what has to be done to arrive at our objectives," he said.

"It may be that there will be redundancies, we will see and, on this, reach an agreement with the government, on the basis of a detailed plan."

Etihad announced last month that it was cutting staff across its businesses in response to intensified competition and a weaker global economy.

Story continues

- Nationalist ire -

Alitalia unions welcomed Calenda's crisicism of how the airline is run.

"We have been trying to point out for some time now that the solutions to this company's problems cannot come uniquely through cutting staff numbers and salaries," said Emilliano Fiorentino, the National Secretary of the Fit-Cisl union.

The fate of Alitalia in its partnership with Etihad has also become an issue for Italy's nationalists.

"Calenda has finally woken up and asked to seek Etihad's plans - we have been demanding for two years that the Arabs share their plans for the Italian company," said Jonny Crosio, a Senator for the far-right Northern League.

Etihad's 49-percent holding in Alitalia is one of a number of strategic stakes it holds in partner airlines around the world.

It owns 29 percent of Air Berlin, 40 percent of Air Seychelles, 19.9 percent of Virgin Australia, three percent of Irish carrier Aer Lingus and 24 percent of India's Jet Airways.

The company has expanded rapidly since its launch in 2003. It now operates a fleet of 125 planes and made net profit of $103 million last year on sales of just over $9 billion.
The Campbell County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Campbell County Youth Advisory Council, with other high school students, will hold an intergenerational National MLK Day of Service Project from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Historic Courthouse, lower level, 732 Village Highway, Rustburg, according to a news release from the county.

Members of the council and other students will teach seniors how to use their electronic devices, Facebook and email.

Older adults at the event will teach high school students how Campbell County operated before modern technology. The goal is to work together to empower local citizens.

To register to participate or for more information, call (434) 332-9876 or email rsvp@campbellcountyva.gov.
The League of Women Voters will host a free talk on An in-depth exploration of hydraulic fracturing at noon Jan. 17 in the Lynchburg Public Librarys community room, according to a news release from the voters league.

Sue E. Delos, a professor and researcher from the University of Virginia with expertise in polymer chemistry, chemical biology and biochemistry, will give a PowerPoint presentation that explores all aspects of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The program will include the most current information available on fracking for oil and gas, including the Environmental Protection Agencys December 2016 report on how fracking affects the water supply.
RICHMOND  When Theodore Kahn asked a group pushing a controversial bathroom bill which restroom he should use, they didnt give a clear answer.

Kahn, a transgender man, asked the question at a news conference Thursday during which Del. Robert G. Marshall promoted his bill, HB1612, which allows a person only to use bathrooms and locker rooms in government buildings that correspond with the sex on his or her original birth certificate. The bill also would require schools to contact parents of a student asking to be treated as a sex other than that on his or her original birth certificate.

A handful of Lynchburg-area residents, including Liberty University professor Judith Reisman, joined Marshall, R-Prince William, in calling for support and asking the bill be given a fair hearing from Republicans.

The legislation is similar to North Carolina legislation HB2 that caused national controversy last year and is related to a U.S. Supreme Court case involving Gloucester County schools. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has said he would veto bills passed on controversial social issues.

Were talking about men. I dont know about the female who wants to dress up as a man. Thats sad and whatever. She isnt the issue. The issue is the guy who wants to be a female who defines himself as a female, Reisman, a research professor at LU, said after the news conference. We are concerned about men who put on a wig and who put on a dress and rape  women and girls. Thats the major concern, and it ought to be.

Reisman said she was speaking in her individual capacity.

Kahn said those fears are unfounded, and he has the same rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as anybody else.

This whole idea that boys are going to say that they identify as women just so they can go in a womans bathroom: Maybe you should be more concerned about the boys that are lying to get in the womens bathroom than about transgender people who just want to pee, Kahn said.

Travis Witt, who splits his time between Bedford County and Mineral, where hes a pastor, said opposing sides need to discuss the issue but said he hasnt reached out to anyone on the other side. From his experience, he said in an interview, it always turns into a yelling match.

My perspective is this: there should be an alternative; male, female, choice. And that eliminates this issue of saying I get to choose wherever I want to go to the bathroom, said Witt, who represents 5th Congressional District Republicans on the GOP State Central Committee.

Marshall said the bill would permit a third option but not mandate it.

Claire Gastanaga, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said providing a third option might be appropriate, but she said a transgender man is a man, a transgender woman is a woman and they should be treated as such under the law. The ACLU represents Gloucester High School student Gavin Grimm in a lawsuit taken to the Supreme Court because the county school board would not let the transgender man use the mens restroom.

If a third option is offered, Gastanaga said, it should be for anybody who feels their privacy is compromised, not designated for people who are transgender.

What theyre trying to do is write trans people out of existence, Gastanaga said. Theyre basically trying to say theres no such thing as trans. You cant be trans. You dont exist if youre trans. You dont exist in the law if youre trans. You dont exist in reality if youre trans. And were not going to let that happen.

Marshall said the bill will die quietly on an unrecorded vote without public pressure. He accused Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, for holding related bills back for political purposes last year.

Every bill that dealt with this was sent to a star chamber for execution, quietly, Marshall said.

Recorded votes are not required in House of Delegates subcommittees and committees.

The bill was referred to the Committee on General Laws. It will go through the legislative process like all of the other bills introduced, Howell spokesman Christopher West said.
Thank you, Meryl Streep.

I often have been annoyed by Hollywood stars who use award shows to make political statements, although I have made exceptions for those who support causes that I also happen to support. Call me human.

I would have been delighted by Streeps pitch for press freedom and the Committee to Protect Journalists even if  full disclosure  I were not a member of its board.

Streep, who supported Trumps Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, criticized Trump in her speech for mocking a New York Times reporter with a disability. Trump denies that he was mocking the reporter. Yet videotape appears quite clearly to show him entertaining a rally crowd by mocking the reporter.

Of course, Trump responded to Streep by ignoring her, right? After all, a president-elect has more important things to worry about than the displeasure of a Hollywood star, right? Yes, Im kidding. After all, were talking about Donald Trump, long-time believer, as one of his biographers put it, of counter-punching even the mildest attack.

Trump, who has praised Streeps talents as excellent in the past, lashed back this time with typical Trumpian excess. In three tweets the next morning he called the winner of Golden Globes, Academy Awards, Emmies and numerous other awards over her nearly four-decade career one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood and a Hillary flunky.

Considering the source, Streep should consider all that a compliment.

But she also had a more serious message about the rise of intolerance as a campaign tool. You and all of us in this room really belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now, she told the audience at the event which is held by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, repeating a joke told earlier by fellow actor Hugh Laurie, Think about it, Hollywood, foreigners and the press.

She then called on the famously well-healed Hollywood Foreign Press [Association] and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists because we are going to need them going forward, and theyll need us to safeguard the truth.

Yet, as partisan as the Trump-Streep clash may sound, it is important to note that the CPJ is nonpartisan in its advocacy for press freedom.

The organization protested the 2010 court order that exposed Fox News reporter James Rosen to possible prosecution as an alleged aide, abettor and/or conspirator of an indicted leak defendant, simply for doing his job as a journalist. Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder later called that order his biggest regret.

CPJ also protested the Obama administrations order of New York Times reporter James Risen to testify against a defendant or go to jail. The administration eventually ended its pursuit of that case, too.

In a tough 2013 CPJ report on President Barack Obamas administration and the press, still posted on the CPJ.org website, Leonard Downey, a former executive editor of the Washington Post, criticized the Obama administrations war on leaks and other efforts to control information as the most aggressive Ive seen since the Nixon administration, when he was one of the editors involved in the Posts Watergate investigation.

As Risen pointed out in a recent New York Times op-ed, if Trump decides as president to throw a whistle-blower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the FBI to spy on a journalist, he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama.

Obama himself has bristled at that notion. It was in response to pressure from both parties in Congress that the administration became so aggressive in its pursuit of leaks, Team Obama points out. As a result, over the past eight years, the administration prosecuted nine cases involving whistle-blowers and leakers, compared to only three in all previous administrations.

But if that much of an increase in prosecution comes from an administration that strongly defends press freedom, what can we expect from the administration of a man who herded reporters into pens in the back of rallies so he could more dramatically call the media dishonest, disgusting, slime and scum.

Trump often has been compared to such autocrats as Vladimir Putin or Silvio Berlusconi. Lets hope he doesnt try any harder to imitate them in office. Press freedom, like many other fine things in life, often goes unappreciated until its gone.

Page is a Chicago Tribune columnist. Email him at cpage@chicagotribune.com.
Washington (AFP) - Amazon on Thursday unveiled plans to create 100,000 US jobs over the next 18 months, as President-elect Donald Trump presses the business world to boost activities on American soil.

The US tech and retail giant's plan to bring its American workforce to over 280,000 is the latest -- and largest -- of a string of job-creation announcements as Trump prepares to take office on a promise to boost US jobs and curb offshoring.

"These new job opportunities are for people all across the country and with all types of experience, education and skill levels -- from engineers and software developers to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training," an Amazon statement said.

Amazon made no mention of the president-elect, but Team Trump swiftly took credit for the plan, which came on the heels of similar initiatives by Japan's SoftBank, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler and air conditioning manufacturer Carrier.

"The president-elect was pleased to have played a role in that decision by Amazon," said spokesman Sean Spicer, noting that it followed a meeting in which Trump urged tech firms to keep jobs and production inside the United States.

Amazon said that "many" of the new full-time jobs would be in new "fulfillment centers" or warehouses where goods are stored for consumer delivery. It also pledged to add 25,000 who are veterans or military spouses.

"These jobs are not just in our Seattle headquarters or in Silicon Valley -- they're in our customer service network, fulfillment centers and other facilities in local communities throughout the country," said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

The world's largest retailer has often faced criticism over working conditions in its warehouses.

In Britain, Amazon has been assailed for its labor policies, particularly after it emerged that some of its workers were unable to cover the cost of their commute, and resorted to sleeping in tents outside the warehouse.

Story continues

- 'Advanced logistics' -

The initiative comes with Amazon expanding from its origins as an online retailer to a diversified tech company offering streaming video and music, cloud computing, and home automation through its artificial intelligence program Alexa.

Bezos said new workers will be needed "as we open new fulfillment centers, and continue to invent in areas like cloud technology, machine learning, and advanced logistics."

Amazon's job creation move comes even as the firm invests in technology to allow for speedier deliveries, which could include automating some functions in its warehouses. It also has been laying out plans for delivery by drone, which in some cases could be fully automated.

Amazon has more than 300,000 employees worldwide, and also uses 45,000 "robotic units" for its operations.

The company recently announced plans to boost its brick-and-mortar presence with a handful of stores, including one in New York City. It has also demonstrated a concept high-tech grocery store with automated checkout.

The company boasted that it also helps stimulate jobs and the economy through its Amazon Marketplace, which allows people to sell goods over the online platform, and Amazon Flex, which allows people to drive and deliver on a part-time basis.

Bezos and Trump exchanged barbs during the 2016 presidential campaign but the Amazon founder was among technology executives who met the president-elect last month in New York.

During the campaign, Trump warned Amazon could have "a huge antitrust problem" and accused Bezos of using the Washington Post, which he owns, to work against him and to push policies that help Amazon avoid taxes.

Bezos, who also owns the private space firm Blue Origin and at one point offered Trump a seat to outer space, congratulated his fellow billionaire after the election, tweeting, "I for one give him my most open mind and wish him great success."
Writer: Ours is a broken world

As a part-time participant of Facebook, mainly to keep informed about friends and family across the globe, a real eye-opener happened to me recently.

Facebook, at times, reminds its users of previous posts, and you then have a choice as to whether or not you want to post this again. This particular post I placed about four years ago, received maybe a dozen comments and/or shares. I did decide to post it again and it soon had traveled across the globe, with comments in several different languages. I started counting and had to stop at 250 shares. This is the post:

PEOPLE WERE CREATED TO BE LOVED. THINGS WERE CREATED TO BE USED. THE REASON WHY THE WORLD IS IN CHAOS IS BECAUSE THINGS ARE BEING LOVED AND PEOPLE ARE BEING USED. The 14th Dalai Lama.

LYA HALE

Lynchburg

Time to go, Rep. Goodlatte

It is time for U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte to go.

Ben Franklin said, Guests, like fish, begin to stink after three days. After 14 years and his latest foray against open government, Goodlatte has overstayed his welcome. And he is not even a guest. He is a protector of the members of the swamp in Washington.

Are you hiding something, sir? Or have you simply no concept of ethics in public office? If you are really an honorable public servant, we deserve your resignation.

WILLIAM CONNER

Lynchburg

Thanks for a clean campaign

Congratulations to Republican and Sen.-elect Mark Peake and thanks to Democrat Ryant Washington for a clean campaign in the Virginia Senate District 22 race.

The only negative campaigning I noted, personally, was from the independent candidate who received 7 percent of the votes. That speaks to me.

BILLIE CARTER

Appomattox

Thanks for coverage

Thanks to The News & Advance, especially reporter Alex Rohr, for extensive coverage of the special election and candidates for Virginia Senate District 22. Such important news was sadly missing from local television news.

CARLA HEATH

Lynchburg

Who really loves America?

OK, let me see if I have this straight: Vladimir Putin hates America. Right? Donald Trump loves Vladimir Putin. Right? America just elected Donald Trump president of the United States of America. Right?

This country has just gone into the toilet.

VINCENT HOVDA

Lynchburg
Work to revamp a taxiway at Danville Regional Airport is expected begin in March, said the citys director of transportation services.

About $3.1 million in grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Virginia Department of Aviation will pay for upgrades at Taxiway A at the airport off U.S. 58.

Taxiway A provides airplane access to the primary runway at the airport.

The work will include milling, resurfacing, narrowing the taxiway from 50 feet to 35 feet in width and replacing the taxiway lights. About 5,500 feet  slightly more than a mile  of the taxiway will be rehabilitated.

A portion of the project paid for by the state will entail taxiway intersection maintenance in the south end of the field to support turning movement requirements for large corporate jets, said Marc Adelman, the citys director of transportation services.

It has been about two decades since the taxiway has been rehabilitated, Adelman said. The FAA recommended the improvements to the taxiway after its condition was rated as fair to poor.

It was just time, he said, adding that there is significant cracking and deterioration. The works purpose is also to meet FAA design standards.

Work should start in March and be complete by the fall, he said. Apac-Atlantic Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina, will be the contractor for the project.

About $2.77 million from the FAA and $340,000 from the Virginia Department of Aviation will pay for the project, for a total of about $3.1 million. Danville will pay a local match of $86,152 for the rehabilitation.

The airport sees about 19,000 flights annually making up a mix of operations including flight training, business aviation, people flying cross country and those flying for recreation, Adelman said. A total of 129 jets accessed the airport in 2015, and 88 used it in 2016 through August, Adelman said.

Danville City Council will vote whether to approve an ordinance appropriating the grant money and local matching funds for the project at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Municipal Building.
With the impending closure of the Timken Companys Altavista plant in August, officials from multiple levels of government, nonprofits and workforce development agencies are coming together to help transition employees to new opportunities.

Opened in 1991, the facility manufactures ball bearings for sport utility vehicles and four-wheel drive trucks and employed 125 people when Timken announced in March 2016 it was relocating the Altavista manufacturing operation to Lincolnton, North Carolina.

The first round of layoffs happened the week before Christmas, and a second round of layoffs will occur in March, followed by the last group of employees departing in August, according to Campbell County Economic Development Director Mike Davidson. Timken did not provide the numbers of employees being let go during each wave of layoffs.

In the days after the announcement, officials from the Virginia Employment Commission, Region 2000 and other groups met with Timken management to establish a timeline for the closure and create a plan to help workers.

It was a very accurate and detailed discussion about how we can work with the company, to work with the pending dislocated workers so they can get the maximum benefit from the company and from us, Altavista Economic Development Director Dennis Jarvis said in December. The company has been very forthright with the employees and explaining to them whats going on.

Despite the gloomy news of the plants closure, Jarvis said the strong reputation of Timkens workers coupled with expansions from other local manufacturing operations such as Abbott Laboratories will ease the job search for many laid-off employees.

For every one job at Timken, theres an equivalent of two openings for them to look at within driving distance right now, Jarvis said. The individuals are concerned, but the work ethic and training of the Timken employee is one of the reasons why they wont stay idle very long. We were contacted early on from companies as far west as Botetourt about being able to come in and recruit.

Coordinating the effort to help displaced workers is the regions Rapid Response team, a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Labor that provides states with resources to assist employees and businesses during layoffs. Mark Brickey, Rapid Response coordinator for the central Virginia region, is leading the team to connect workers to the resources they need to find a new job, get workforce training to change career paths or get health care coverage.

We want to be able to assist those individuals so when their last day comes, and their feet hit the concrete, they know where to go so they can transition to something else as soon as possible, Brickey said.

In November, Rapid Response held a meeting for employees at Timken where they could talk with representatives from VEC about filing for unemployment insurance, learn about their educational options through Central Virginia Community College and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act and participate in career building workshops. It is unclear how many workers attended the meeting.

According to Brickey, Timken has been very open to helping its employees find new opportunities after the factory closes. The company also is planning a job fair for employees in the future, allowing outside companies to come in and recruit Timkens employees, he said.

Timken has been such a joy, he said. In [my] line of work, you see what employers care and which ones dont.

A major player in helping workers is VEC, which is responsible not just for unemployment benefits but connecting workers to open jobs and assisting them in their search. Lynchburgs VEC Employment Security Office Manager Kimberly McIvor said the goal is to make the transition time between jobs for Timken employees as short as possible.

Were really hoping that some of [the employees] may not necessarily need all of our services because we want to get them back to work as quickly as possible, she said. For those who that doesnt happen, we want to get them connected as quickly as possible so if they are unemployed for any length of time, it is as short a duration as possible. Thats what our focus is always when we hear of closures or major layoffs, to assist them through that transition and get them back to work as quickly as possible.

For workers who want to change careers and need more education, the Region 2000 Workforce Center is helping connect workers to funding through the dislocated worker program. Staff will provide work readiness assistance to develop resume writing and interview techniques, help workers identify their interests and potential new career paths and fund on-the-job training or further education.

What were trying to do is, for each person that has been laid off, is meet them where they are, Region 2000 Workforce Center Workforce Development Program Coordinator Alvin Jones said. Some of them might have a job coming out of it, so we can do the on-the-job training, but some of them might be thinking about switching careers, so we want to do everything we can possibly do to help them be successful with that whole transition.

Another organization partnering with Rapid Response to help Timkens dislocated workers is Enroll Virginia, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting people with signing up for health insurance coverage if it is not available to them through an employer.

Even though Timken is offering their employees a year of health insurance coverage after the closure, according to Enroll Virginia Education and Outreach Coordinator Amber Poron, the group still came to talk with employees about options for the future.

We come in and share with [employees] what their options are because a lot of the people in those seminars have been under their employers insurance for quite a long time, she said. We go in and share information with them so they can come in and sit down with us. A lot of times, they might not need us right away.

Enroll Virginia provides free services to anyone in the community who needs assistance signing up for health insurance, not just workers who have just been laid off recently.

We take everybody on a case-by-case basis, and we look at all of the different vectors and see if they would be eligible for health care through the federal marketplace or if they are eligible for a tax credit that would reduce their monthly premium, which is based on their taxable household income, she said. We help them from start to finish and discuss what options and help them go through an application.

As far as the physical factory building, both Altavista Economic Development and Campbell County Economic Development are working together to sell the building and try and find a new employer to fill the space. Officials said another company is considering purchasing the building, but no other information can be disclosed.

The [building] is still relatively new, Jarvis said of the building constructed in 1991. We will make sure that facility doesnt sit fallow within a year so we can pick that up and hopefully heal those wounds for those people.

No employees of Timken could be reached for comment.
Soca surprises at Eyeslam concert

The weekly concert, now in its fifth consecutive year, was launched on January 6, and featured riveting performances from some of the biggest names in soca, including Sekon Sta, 5Star Akil, Jaiga, Preedy and Salty, who delivered their 2017 soca offerings at the packed Shade Nightclub, Bon Accord.

The Eyeslam Concert Series is a collaborative effort between TSTT and Slam 100.5fm and provides a forum for soca fans to witness their favourite soca acts in a more intimate setting.

Camille Campbell, VP marketing, TSTT , said in a media release that sponsoring the event is in keeping with the companys mandate to promote and support local culture.

We have always been consistent with contributing to the prosperity of TT s indigenous arts and culture. At TSTT , we believe that its extremely important to support our indigenous music, as well as our Soca ambassadors, who continue to catapult soca on the worlds stage. Eyeslam continues to be tremendously successful and we are very happy to play a part in making the event possible again this year. Slam representative, Lisa Guichard, said the Slam team has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the concert series is bigger and better this time around.

We now have a total of seven free events - with two new inclusions.

We have also seen the introduction of a Tobago event, along with the newest inclusion, Eyeslam Ultra to be held at the Radisson Hotel on February 8.

The concert series will end in our recent tradition of the Slam street party Must Meet At Rust Street on February 15. Guichard also praised bmobile for its continued support and commitment.

The support of bmobile from the inception of the Concert Series, five years ago, has been invaluable to the growth of the campaign. Throughout the Carnival season, socaholics will have the chance to be a part of the bmobile Eyeslam Concert Series which hits venues across the country, including, Woodford Cafe, Chaguanas, VAS Lounge, Port-of-Spain and Hutt Shuts, Tacarigua.

Some of the artistes carded to hit the Eyeslam stages are Blaxx, Ricardo Drue, Third Bass, Impulse, KI, Rupee, Teddyson John and reigning Soca Monarch, Voice.
Keep child marriage law

According to Mohammed, puberty begins when a girl starts to menstruate.

Mohammed, the first Opposition Senator to contribute to debate in the Senate yesterday on a bill to amend the Civil, Muslim, Hindu and Orisa marriage acts, and the Matrimonial and Property Act, in order to make the age of marriage 18 years across the board in TT, said: The Holy Koran informs us about it. Marry women of your choice. Make the trials of the orphans easy until they reach the age of marriage. The age of marriage is defined in Islamic religion as the age when puberty starts. The age of puberty varies according to climatic conditions, he said.

No change has been made to the Holy Koran and since Prophet Mohammed came to this Earth, Mohammed said, from then to now the lifestyle of the Muslim has not changed. While the study of sociology shows changes in the lifestyles of people, Mohammed said, not in the case of Islam, because God tells us in the Holy Koran the habit of God does not change. The Council of Islamic Scholars, which he chairs, he said, supports the law as it is. The current law allows for girls to be married from 12 years.

The council does not agree with, and believes that the criminalising of the solemnising of marriage under 18 and the fine of $50,000 and seven years imprisonment for the offence was oppressive to Muslims.

The proposed Bill, Mohammed said, does not say which of the two phases - the contract and the consummation - in the Muslim marriage was offensive. He said that while the contract can be done at any time during childhood, including infancy, he said, the marriage can only be consummated after the individual has reached puberty.

He condemned the Romeo Clause in the Childrens Act which decriminalises sexual activity between children saying that it was responsible for the problems among secondary school children.

He questioned what the Attorney General was doing about it. He said that while statistics show that from 1987 to 2007 there were only 16 Muslims marriages, he said, it was still advisable to retain the law as it is so as not exclude isolated cases.

Meanwhile, at the start of his contribution, Independent Senator Ian Roach said he was forced to look at the definition of puberty which was defined as that, period during which adolescent reaches sexual maturity and becomes capable of reproduction. Limiting the definition of puberty to someone who is not fully developed for the institution of marriage with all its responsibilities including sexual intercourse, which for a child is slave labour, Roach said, means we are missing the point.
Family: Dumas did not suffer stroke

A source close to the family told Newsday Tobago that Dumas complained of feeling unwell on Monday evening at his Plymouth family home and as a result was rushed to the Scarborough General Hospital where he remains warded and is said to be receiving round-the-clock monitoring.

The source dispelled rumours that Dumas suffered a mild stroke and was unable to talk as a result, explaining that doctors were still in the process of analysing his condition before the family is given a full report.

In giving an update on his condition at yesterdays post Executive Council media briefing, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Secretary of Tourism and Transportation and Deputy Chief Secretary Tracy Davidson Celestine said she has not been authorised to give any information.

I do not have the authority to do such but, what I can say is that we are keeping him in our prayers at this point in time, she said.

Dumas is the current Education Officer of the Tobago Council of the Peoples National Movement (PNM) prior to which he was elected to the House of Representatives on November 5, 2007 as the Member for Tobago East.

He was appointed Minister of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development in November 2007. Prior to this, Dumas served in the Senate as an Opposition Senator during the 6th Parliament, and as a Government Minister during the 7th and 8th Parliaments.
Chamber supports Williams

In a press release, the Chamber said they believe firmly if similar measures undertaken by the Acting CoP are initiated throughout all of TTs public institutions, the effect could make a huge difference in the way business is conducted in this country.

In an unprecedented move, at a time when the overwhelmingly high crime rate and its devastating effects remain our biggest challenge in TT, the action taken by the Acting Commissioner of Police can only be hailed as a step in the right direction, the Chamber release stated. The Chamber further stated, until and unless we foster a culture of positive work ethic and productivity across all our institutions, we will continue to find ourselves throttled by inertia and ultimately accomplishing very little or nothing at all.
oscar vazquez

Army veteran Oscar Vazquez delivered a powerful testimony against Donald Trump's attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, arguing the Republican senator would not protect immigrants in the United States.

The testimony came as Democrats and civil-rights advocates wage a confirmation battle to block Sessions from the nation's top law-enforcement post.

Vazquez was born in Mexico, and immigrated to the US with his mother at age 12 when they crossed the border into Arizona.

During his testimony, he made indirect criticism of Sessions' hardline stance against immigration reform, particularly his opposition to the DREAM Act, a proposal that would open a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants.

"Our country's top law-enforcement officer must be someone who understands that immigrants make our country stronger," Vazquez said.

"We need an attorney general who will protect the American people from those who will do us harm, but who would also show mercy to those who deserve it."

Vazquez said his undocumented status initially prevented him from joining the military, and only became a citizen following a lengthy legal battle that involved leaving his American wife for a year to re-immigrate to the US. After gaining citizenship, he joined the Army as a paratrooper and served two tours in Afghanistan.

"I was following in the footsteps of countless other immigrants who have proudly served the United States," Vazquez said.

He continued: "In Afghanistan, I fought side by side with my Army brothers. We wore the same uniform, wore the US flag on the same shoulder. It mattered more that we were willing to die for each other and our country than where we came from."

Vazquez, now living with his family in Texas, said he plans to join the US Army Reserve, and said he felt he was "living the American dream." He insisted to the Senate Judiciary Committee that other undocumented immigrants must be shown similar leniency.

Story continues

"Having legal status changed my life," Vazquez said. "I can't imagine what it would be like to have that taken away from me."

Watch Vazquez's testimony below:

NOW WATCH: Trump answers reporters' questions in his longest news conference since winning the election





More From Business Insider


Trump: 'I'll Very, Very, Very

Probably Do It Again'
The author of the explosive dossier dogging Donald Trump less than 10 days before his inauguration has been named as a former British intelligence officerbut the investigative firm he co-directs won't confirm or deny his involvement. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that the document was prepared by Christopher Steele, a former Russia expert in Britain's spy service who founded the Orbis Business Intelligence research firm in 2009. The New York Times, in a look at how the dossier came to light, reports that Steele was hired by Washington research firm Fusion GPS, which was hired by a wealthy GOP donor in the fall of 2015 to compile anti-Trump material. After Trump became the presumptive nominee, the GOP donor no longer needed the research firm's services, but wealthy Democratic donors stepped in, and Steele continued to send monthly memos detailing alleged Russian efforts to both compromise Trump and assist his campaign, per the Times' sources. In other coverage:





The Guardian looks at John McCain's involvement, which apparently included clandestine efforts to obtain the dossier after hearing about it from a diplomat during a conference in Canada. "Upon examination of the contents, and unable to make a judgment about their accuracy, I delivered the information to the director of the FBI," McCain said in a statement Wednesday.

The AP reports that it has been unable to contact Steele. A neighbor of the former spy, who lives outside London, says Steele and his family are away and it's not clear when they will return.

Intelligence chiefs are defending their decision to take the very unusual step of attaching a summary of the unverified dossier to last week's briefing on Russian hacking, the Washington Post reports. "Part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Wednesday. He said he spoke with Trump and expressed dismay at the "extremely corrosive" leaks in the press.

Early Thursday, Trump tweeted that Clapper had called him "to denounce the false and fictitious report that was illegally circulated." He added: "Made up, phony facts.Too bad!"

Politico looks at how Democrats are dealing with Trump's Russia troubles. So far, senators have been more restrained than House members, some of whom have started referring to Trump as "Moscow Donald."

The New York Times reports that Trump is facing a backlash from Jewish groups for wondering if we "are living in Nazi Germany" when he was criticizing intelligence agencies' handling of what he called "fake news."

At the Intercept, Glenn Greenwald calls the dossier "farcical" and warns that this episode could backfire badly for Democratic operatives and others treating the dossier as gospel. He warns that if it is proved false, it will "forever discredit ... future journalistic exposes that are based on actual, corroborated wrongdoing."

(Read more Donald Trump stories.)
Sorry, Lena Horne, but stormy weather may be just what California's been looking for. The Golden State has been getting bombarded with precipitationrain, snow, hail, sleetmaking even Los Angeles feel "more like London than Southern California," the Los Angeles Times notes. But for a parched state that's been plagued by a drought lasting more than five years, this wet weather is not only good for 2017it could bring an official end to the drought altogether. The Weather Network reports a "great improvement," particularly in California's northern third, and the first third of January has been "exceptional" for rainfall and snow accumulation. About 42% of California is now drought free, the AP reports (a more specific breakdown can be found at the US Drought Monitor). The prospect of an end to the drought is "kind of a nice thing to think about," a state climatologist tells the Times.

But Mother Nature still has a lot of work to do. The unpredictable weather patterns that often come with La Nina conditions, expected to last throughout the winter, mean there's no guarantee the storms will keep raining their soggy gifts down. And semantics could complicate a declaration of "this is the end," as there's no set parameter to gauge if a drought has indeed come to a close (it would officially be deemed over if Gov. Jerry Brown pulls or changes a January 2014 emergency drought order he issued, per the Mercury News). Still, there's reason to be hopeful: Last week alone, the storms dumped more than 350 billion gallons of water into the state's thirsty reservoirs, boosting water levels to long-forgotten marks. "It's early. We'll see where we are in March or April," a Natural Resources Agency rep says. (The drought has affected the state's trees.)
The beginning of the New Year brought significant cheer to the auto sector, with record U.S. and China sales figures for 2016. General Motors Company GM and Ford Motor Co. F also revealed details of their 2017 outlook and capital deployment plans.

Meanwhile, Penske Automotive Group, Inc. PAG turned its focus to acquisitions and Tesla Motors, Inc. TSLA started lithium-ion battery cells production at its Gigafactory. Among other developments, Toyota Motor Corporation TM announced plans to invest $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years.

Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories

1. 2016 Sales Figures

U.S. auto sales hit a record 17.55 million vehicles in 2016, exceeding the prior years record of 17.47 million vehicles. Sales on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) basis surged to 18.43 million units in the month from 17.83 million units in Nov 2016.

Meanwhile, General Motors and its joint ventures in China reported a 7.1% year-over-year increase in sales for 2016, taking the figure to a record 3,870,587 vehicles (read more: General Motors Stock Up Post Record 2016 China Sales).

General Motors currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Further, Ford and its joint ventures reported a 14% year-over-year rise in China sales to a record 1.27 million units in 2016, driven by strong demand for an expanded vehicle lineup (read more: Fords China Sales Rise in December on High SUV Demand).

Ford currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

2. Guidance and Capital Deployment Plans

General Motors expects 2017 adjusted earnings per share in the range of $6.00 to $6.50, up from the 2016 estimate of $5.50 to $6.00. The automaker also expects adjusted EBIT and adjusted EBIT margin to remain stable or improve, based on higher revenues. The company is expected to generate around $6 billion of adjusted automotive free cash flow. The upbeat outlook is based on strong performance in North America and China along with growth in the GM Financial business.

Story continues

The company also expects to benefit from cost efficiencies, improvement in South America and a strong product launch strategy. The board of directors at General Motors approved a hike to the existing share repurchase authorization by $5 billion to $14 billion (read more: General Motors Reveals 2017 View, Bumps Up Buyback).

Ford reaffirmed its 2016 pre-tax profit guidance of around $10.2 billion, which points to a decline from the 2015 level of $10.8 billion. The company expects 2017 results to be strong, albeit slightly softer than 2016 due to higher investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. However, cost efficiencies of over $3 billion are expected in 2017. Further, results are expected to improve in 2018 due to gains in the core business.

Concurrently, Ford announced a dividend of 15 cents per share for the first quarter of 2017 as well as a supplemental cash dividend of 5 cents per share. Ford plans to distribute around $2.8 billion to shareholders in 2017, subject to approval by the company's board (read more: Ford Affirms Guidance, Announces Supplemental Dividend).

3. Penske Automotives Acquisitions

Penske Automotive has signed a deal to acquire CarShop, the leading retailer of used vehicles in UK. The company expects CarShop to generate annual revenues of around $340 million along with earnings accretion of around 7 cents to 9 cents per share annually. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, subject to certain conditions. Penske Automotive expects this acquisition to complement its existing core auto retail business.

The company also completed the acquisition of CarSense, a stand-alone specialty retailer of used vehicles in the U.S. The company expects this acquisition to generate annual revenues of around $350 million along with earnings accretion of around 7 cents to 9 cents per share. Penske Automotive expects this buyout to diversify its business and help expand its customer base. It will also help the company to capitalize on the highly fragmented used automotive retail segment.

Penske Automotive currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

4. Toyotas Investment Plans

Toyota announced plans to invest $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. The investments will be utilized to fund the construction of the companys new North American headquarters in Texas and to upgrade a few plants to meet the rise in demand for fuel efficient vehicles (read more: Toyota to Pour Billions into U.S. Over Next 5 Years).

Toyota currently has a Zacks Rank #3.

5. Teslas Gigafactory Update

Tesla has initiated lithium-ion battery cells production at its Gigafactory in Nevada in collaboration with Panasonic Corp. The cylindrical 2170 cells will be used in Tesla's Powerwall energy storage products. These cells have been jointly designed by Tesla and Panasonic. Tesla intends to start producing batteries for the Model 3 sedans later this year (read more: Tesla's Gigafactory Starts Battery Cell Production).

Tesla currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Performance

Auto stocks recorded mixed performance over the last week. General Motors posted the maximum gains among the stocks listed below over the last week as well as six months. Meanwhile, Ford lost the most during both periods.

Company Last 1-Week Period Last 6 Months GM +2.3% +24.0% F -3.8% -5.8% TSLA +1.2% +2.3% TM -1.1% +12.6% HMC -1.6% +15.8% HOG -2.7% +16.9% AAP +0.8% +6.0% AZO -0.1% -1.1%

Auto-Tires-Trucks Sector 5YR % Return

Auto-Tires-Trucks Sector 5YR % Return

Whats Next in the Auto Space?

Some automakers will report their Europe auto sales for December and full-year 2016 in the coming week.

Where Do Zacks' Investment Ideas Come From?

You are welcome to download the full, up-to-the-minute list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buy" stocks free of charge. There is no better place to start your own stock search. Plus you can access the full list of must-avoid Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells" and other private research.See the stocks free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (PAG): Free Stock Analysis Report



Ford Motor Company (F): Free Stock Analysis Report



Tesla Motors, Inc. (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report



Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord (TM): Free Stock Analysis Report



General Motors Company (GM): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Scientists have long cautioned that stress is bad for the heart, and a new study provides insight into precisely why. In the Lancet, researchers lay out a chain of events: When people feel stress, the amygdala area of the brainit processes emotions such as fear and dangerfires up with extra activity to help them cope. The problem is that the amygdala sends a signal to bone marrow to generate more white blood cells, and those blood cells in turn cause arteries to become inflamed, explains the BBC. That inflammation can then result in heart attacks and strokes. Researchers based their findings on two studies, the larger of which tracked nearly 300 people for about four years. The pattern seemed clear: Those with higher amygdala activity were more likely to develop heart disease of some kind.

"While the link between stress and heart disease has long been established, the mechanism mediating that risk has not been clearly understood," says study leader Ahmed Tawakol of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, per Live Science. A link between stress and higher activity in bone marrow and arteries had previously only been recorded in animals, but the new research suggests it applies to humans as well, reports Reuters. The takeaway: "Reducing stress could produce benefits that extend beyond an improved sense of psychological wellbeing," says Tawakol. Those at increased risk of heart disease should look into stress-reduction techniques, he adds. (Almost half of all heart attacks are silent.)
The Taliban released a video Wednesday showing an American and an Australian who were kidnapped in August, the first time they've been seen since their abduction. The two men, an American identified as Kevin King and an Australian identified as Timothy Weekes, were abducted outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, where they worked as teachers. US officials said in September that American forces had launched a rescue mission, but the captives weren't at the raided location. In the video, sent to media by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the men appear pale and unshaven, the AP reports. They say they're speaking on Jan. 1.

In the video, apparently delivering a message on behalf of the kidnappers, the men ask President-elect Donald Trump to offer a prisoner exchange to secure their freedom. State Department spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment on the case, citing privacy considerations, but he added: "Taking and holding civilian hostages is reprehensible and we condemn such actions in the strongest terms." Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement saying the Australian government has been "working closely with other governments" to secure the release of a kidnapped Australian. (A video released last month shows a kidnapped American, her Canadian husband, and the two children they had in captivity.)
The US military's investigation into a November firefight with the Taliban has shown that 33 civilians died in the raid during which American troops fired on Afghan homes, reports the AP. The inquiry followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from airstrikes called in to support Afghan and US forces who came under fire in the northern village of Buz-e Kandahari. Two senior Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation. According to a US military statement, the investigation "determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded" as troops responded to fire from "Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions."

After the raid, Kunduz residents carried more than a dozen corpses of the dead, including children and family members of the Taliban fighters, toward a local governor's office in a show of rage. "Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives," said Gen. John Nicholson, commander of US Forces in Afghanistan. However, the US military statement added that its investigation "concluded that US forces acted in self-defense" in the joint Afghan-American raid in the village. A government official in Kunduz urged the United States to compensate the victims' families, who he said not only lost their loved ones but also saw their homes and property destroyed. (Read more Afghanistan stories.)
Europe is welcoming the largest US military deployment in the region since the Cold War. Some 87 tanks, 144 armored vehicles, and 4,000 soldiers are expected to reach Poland in the coming days, with many already in place, before they're spread across Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as part of a NATO commitment in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, reports the Guardian. Denmark, Spain, Norway, Poland, and the UK are also contributing to the force, which will conduct military exercises and rotate every nine months as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, reports the BBC.

But with a week before Donald Trump becomes president, the future of the force remains unclear. Trump has suggested he may not stick to NATO guidelines to defend all members. He also desires a warmer relationship with Russia than President Obama allowed, and the Kremlin has called the deployment a threat to its national security. A Russian security official tells Sputnik that "Trump and his new military advisers may well review [these] tactics," which he described as a "PR attack." The subject will likely come up Thursday during a Senate confirmation hearing for Trump's pick for secretary of defense, James Mattis. (Read more NATO stories.)
When secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson testified before the Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, he faced the toughest scrutiny from Marco Rubio. The pair had a a number of testy exchanges, with Rubio skeptical that the ExxonMobil chief would be as tough as he needed to be on Russia in particular. As Quartz explains, this raises a potentially serious problem for Donald Trump's nominee: The committee has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, meaning if Rubio votes against Tillerson, that could prevent the committee from sending his name to the full Senate for a final vote. (The GOP's Lindsey Graham also sounded a bit skeptical, notes CNN.) "Im prepared to do whats right," said Rubio after the hearing, per Real Clear Politics. "I'm not analyzing it from a partisan standpoint."

All of which sets up three scenarios: The most likely seems to be that Rubio will vote yes, content with having made his point about Russia. The second is that he'll vote no and Republicans will find a Democrat on the panel to flip. The third scenario is perhaps the least likely, but also "fascinating," writes blogger Allahpundit at Hot Air: In this case, the committee votes against Tillerson, but Mitch McConnell, under pressure from Trump, sends his name to the full Senate anyway. The Senate then has a tough decision: "Do they defer to the committee by voting no on Tillerson, knowing how angry Trump will be? Or do they make Trump happy by voting to confirm," which sets a precedent for ignoring committee judgments and thus makes "plum committee assignments" less valuable than they used to be. (Read more Rex Tillerson stories.)
In case you were wondering how Paris Jackson feels about a white British guy playing her father, well ... she is not a fan. Michael Jackson podcast The MJCast, which had previously called for a boycott of Joseph Fiennes-starring Urban Myths, tweeted at Paris Wednesday asking for her thoughts. She didn't hold back, replying that Fiennes' casting as her dad makes her "want to vomit." She added that she's similarly upset with how her godmother, Elizabeth Taylor, is portrayed in the TV special, and that she finds both portrayals "shameful."

Sky Arts, which is running Urban Myths, responded with a statement to Mashable noting that the series is meant to be "a light hearted look at unlikely stories involving a range of cultural and historical figures" and that "Sky Arts puts the integrity of the creative vision at the heart of all of its original commissions and casting decisions are made within the overall diversity framework which we have set." Fiennes himself has defended his role in the show, calling it "just a satire" and insisting it's "colorblind" and doesn't "[promote] stereotyping." See Fiennes as Michael here. (Read more Michael Jackson stories.)
Anders Behring Breivik says even he is "shocked by many of the things I have written" over the nearly six years he's spent in Skien prison for his 2011 massacre of 77 people. The Norwegian neo-Nazi says he's become "stranger" and "a lot more radical" since his crimes, but that's no reason to keep him isolated. In fact, Breivik says solitary confinement is to blame, per Reuters. "I've sat in a cell 23 hours a day" with no one to criticize or correct his ideas, Breivik said Thursday during a state appeal of a 2016 ruling that deemed Breivik's isolation "inhuman." But attorney general Fredrik Sejersted told a judgewho earlier received a Nazi salute from Breivik, per the Independentthat Breivik only hopes to spread his ideology to other inmates.

Solitary confinement keeps Breivik from doing just that. And though he's also subject to frequent strip searches, Brevikdescribed as Norway's most expensive prisoneris still treated better than many other criminals, Sejersted says. He's kept in a three-room cell with a personal gym, TV, PlayStation, computer (but no Internet access), books and newspapers "to compensate for the fact that he cannot make contact with other inmates," says Sejersted. "That is far from violating human rights." Breivik's lawyer, however, says his client's isolated treatment not only violates the European Convention on Human Rights but has also made Brevik "mentally vulnerable," per the Local. A decision is expected next month. (Read more Anders Behring Breivik stories.)
Sorrento, Fla., is not home to the country's most avid reader, though it would appear that way based on the East Lake County Library's records. They show that a man by the name of Chuck Finley checked out 2,361 books over a nine-month period last year, including some he apparently sped through and returned the same hour he checked them out, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Impressive, right? Er, not so much. In reality, Finleyreportedly named after the former Los Angeles Angels pitcher of the same namewas as fictional as the characters in those books, invented by branch supervisor George Dore and library assistant Scott Amey, who gave him a fake address and driver's license number. The reason: to "save" books.

After the county inspector general's office was tipped off about the scheme, Dore reportedly explained that libraries are told to get rid of books that remain untouched on shelves for lengthy periods, and sometimes have to repurchase them later when demand picks up. To avoid such a hassle, many libraries use "'dummy patron cards" to check the books out, Dore told investigators. Amey was disciplined, but the inspector general's office has recommended that Dore be dismissed over what Atlas Obscura labels the "dork misdeed of the year." It also points out that Finley could have been named after a character's alias in the espionage TV series Burn Notice, though the investigator's notes suggest it was the ball player. (Read more Florida stories.)
Jimmy Carter, who's been working for decades to eradicate Guinea worm disease, says only 25 human cases of the illness were reported worldwide in 2016. When the Carter Center joined the battle to eliminate Guinea worm disease in the mid-1980s, there were about 3.5 million cases in 21 countries, the former president said Wednesday. For the first time, Mali reported no cases of the tropical disease, leaving cases in just three countries: Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, the AP reports. The majority of these16were reported in Chad, Carter said at a news conference in Atlanta. Diseases such as Guinea worm were once considered uncontrollable. Now, health officials know, "they can be eliminated, they can be eradicated," Carter said. "And we can prove that by the progress that we've made."

The illness often spreads when people drink water contaminated with the worm's larvae. The worm grows to about 3 feet long inside the body, slowly emerging through a painful blister. Teaching people to filter water is a key strategy to fight it, as is encouraging people to cook their fish and stop throwing raw fish guts to dogs, which may spread the disease. "That's one of the challengesthat one size does not fit all with this problem," notes Dr. Donald Hopkins, the center's special adviser for Guinea worm eradication. The fact that there were no reported cases in Mali is a significant milestone toward the goal of wiping out the disease, he adds. From a logistical standpoint, it's easier to monitor cases in three countries instead of four. Hopkins said that in theory, the disease could be eliminated within the next year or so. (Read more disease stories.)
As part of Poland's bid to get a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has been meeting with officials from countries such as Belize or San Escobar," he told reporters. One slight problem: San Escobar does not, in fact, exist. A spokeswoman says he was thinking of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a two-island Caribbean nation known as San Crisobal y Nieves in Spanish, reports the Guardian. Still, he is a foreign minister and the internet has not let the mistake pass unnoticed. The fictional San Escobar now has a Facebook page, a flag, and banknotes, and the beaches look lovely. On the bright side for Poland, the BBC notes that one tweet declares that San Escobar "fully supports Poland's candidacy to the Security Council." (Read more gaffe stories.)
If theres a living embodiment of American capitalism, Warren Buffett is it.

Born and raised, and now growing old in Omaha, Nebraska, Buffetts life story has become something of a well-worn tale by 2017. At 86, Buffett is the energetic grandfather anyone interested in business or investing has adopted as their own.

Becoming Warren Buffett, a new HBO documentary set to debut later this month, covers much of the ground Buffett enthusiasts will have tread before in their reading about the billionaire investor. But its sure to please both the hardcore Buffett enthusiasts and the newcomers to his story.

Becoming Warren Buffett is a cross between a Buffett biography and a Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting  a breezy life story peppered with classic Buffett one-line pearls of wisdom on business and life.

We learn about Buffetts discontented childhood, his overachieving in school, his rejection from Harvard business school, and the modest beginnings of his investment career. Readers of Alice Schroders Buffett biography The Snowball will remember the anecdote about the time Buffett picked up a high school date in a hearse.

We learn that the halls of Berkshire Hathaways modest Omaha headquarters are decorated with old New York Times covers from days when the markets crashed. Just as a reminder that anything can happen in this world, Buffett says.

Buffett tells us that he doesnt have a mind which relates to the physical universe very well, instead preferring to think, write, and speak in the abstractions of business and numbers.

Sometimes, there arent any good answers with human problems, Buffett says. Theres almost always a good answer with money.

As a family man, Buffett was far from perfect, and Becoming Warren Buffett doesnt go particularly easy on him.

When Warren and Susies three kids  Susie, Howard, and Peter  were young, the Buffetts ate dinner together. But as Susie says, Physical proximity to Warren doesnt always mean hes there with you.

Story continues

Warren Buffett with his children, from left to right, Howard, Susan, and Peter.

And for the most part, Buffett was utterly useless as an assistant in making the home. When Susie was laid out with the flu and needed a pot near the bed in case she couldnt make it to the bathroom before getting sick, Warren brought her a colander.

He was there, physically, his daughter Susie says. But he was upstairs reading all the time. I always told my mother we had to talk in soundbites.

For the uninitiated viewer, all of the charm that has made Warren Buffett into the nearly mythic figure he is today is evident.

Buffetts quirks  including his morning trips to the McDonalds drive thru to buy only what he can afford with the exact change in his car  are on display. Most all of the characters from Buffetts life  his wife Susie, Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger, Fortune reporter Carol Loomis, each of his children  make an appearance.

The Salomon Brothers fiasco in the early 1990s, in which Buffett stepped in as the firms chairman & CEO following a bond-trading scandal, in many ways accelerated his rise to the public standing he has today. This is billed as both a formative moment and as the culmination of his reputation-building finally paying off  without Buffett and his reputation, Salomon would likely have failed.

In the end, the film in many ways echoes Mungers comments about what the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting extravaganza is all about.

Celebration is part of what makes people work well together, Munger says.

Its a celebration.



Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MylesUdland

Read more from Myles:
A bisexual man who feared for his life in Ghana will lose his fingers and a toe after walking hours through snow and freezing weather on Christmas Eve toward what he hoped would be refuge in Canada, the Canadian Press reports. According to CBC, 24-year-old Seidu Mohammed arrived in the US in 2015 but was denied asylum and detained for a year. Upon his release and facing deportation, Mohammed and another Ghanaian man headed for North Dakota and the Canadian border. They walked for up to 10 hours through waist-deep snow and below-zero temperatures. They lost their hats and mittens, and their arms and feet froze, but they somehow made it into Canada. After multiple tries, they flagged down a trucker who called 911.

The two men have been hospitalized since. CTV News reports both will have their fingers amputated due to severe frostbite, but Mohammed will also lose a toe and possibly his hands and arms. Mohammed can't sleep from the pain and doesn't know what he's going to do. But he also knows he made the right choice. "The journey was worth it," he tells CBC. "To go back, I lose my life." The men have applied for refugee status in Canada, and Mohammed hopes to stay and work. The odds he's allowed to do so aren't good. An agreement between Canada and the US states that refugees can only apply for asylum in the first country they enterin Mohammed's case, the US. (With $1.5 million, the "Schindler" of Canada has saved 200 refugees.)
Less than 24 hours ago, Fiat Chrysler was anticipating hitting its 2018 financial targets. On Thursday, the automaker came under fire from the EPA, per Reuters, with the agency alleging Fiat Chrysler cheated on diesel emissionsjust a day after six Volkswagen honchos were indicted in that company's own scandal. In Fiat Chrysler's case, the EPAwhich was to announce its findings in a Thursday morning conference callbelieves the automaker's software permitted emissions beyond what's allowed by the law, in more than 100,000 SUVs and trucks sold since 2014. This reported violation "can result in harmful pollution in the air we breathe," an EPA assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance tells the AP.

USA Today reports that the EPA has the ability to fine up to $44,539 for any vehicle that flouts the Clean Air Act, meaning Fiat Chrysler could have to cough up around $4.5 billion. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shares were halted Thursday morning after the company's biggest intraday plummet since it began trading on the NYSE in 2014, with shares falling as much as 18% before settling at a 16% decline right before trading stopped just after 11am EST. Reuters' sources say Fiat Chrysler contests the EPA's take, but a statement offered by the automaker and cited on Bloomberg contends all of Fiat Chrysler's diesel vehicles meet "applicable regulatory requirements" and that the company will work with "the incoming administration to resolve this matter fairly and equitably." (Read more vehicle emissions stories.)
It could finally be tunnel time at Stonehenge. NBC News reports that the 1.3 million annual visitors to the famous landmark have been dealing with increasing traffic on a nearby highway for years. Officials first proposed a tunnel to cut down on noisy and unsightly traffic yards away on the A303 nearly 30 years ago, but it never materialized. Now the British government has finalized plans to build that tunnel, according to the BBC. The 1.8-mile tunnel would include four lanes and cost an estimated $1.7 billion. The secretary of England's Department of Transport says the tunnel will reduce traffic and travel times near Stonehenge.

But the tunnel remains controversial, with Stonehenge fans weighing in on both sides. One supporter says tourists will "once again be able to hear the sounds of skylarks" instead of traffic. And UNESCO, which lists Stonehenge as a World Heritage Site, is in favor of the tunnel. But the Council for British Archaeology is against it, the Guardian reports. The council's president says the area around Stonehenge is the "world's most significant and best-preserved stone-age landscape." That's why the Stonehenge Alliance also opposes the current tunnel plan. The group wants the tunnel length increased to at least 2.7 miles to reduce disruption to the immediate area. Officials are accepting public comment on the tunnel through the beginning of March. (Read more Stonehenge stories.)
On the Grab Your Wallet website, you'll see scores of companies the site's founders found they "could no longer in good conscience shop at" because of ties to Donald Trump; the site encourages other people to boycott these companies, too. But when GYW added LL Bean to the list after finding out Linda Bean, who serves on her company's board, donated money to the Trump campaign, Trump himself stepped in, Reuters reports. "Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean," he tweeted early Thursday, including the Twitter handle @LBPerfectMaine, a separate company owned by Bean that features a restaurant and boat tours, per the Boston Globe. The boycott against LL Bean started last week, and the Maine-based company immediately tried to step away from Linda Bean's politics.

The company said in a Sunday Facebook post it was "disappointed" about the boycott, as Bean herself is just one of more than 50 family members involved with the company who "hold views and embrace causes across the political spectrum, just as our employees and customers do." It also reminded the public that more than 5,000 workers are employed by the company and that, as a company, "we stay out of politics." Meanwhile, people are now "freaking out" about Trump's tweet, per the Huffington Post, with some saying the president-elect was acting in an unpresidential way (read: like an ad agency) by promoting a retail brand via Twitter. Others agree with Bean herself, who appeared on Fox & Friends Thursday and said the boycott against LL Bean was "bullying." "I'm not going to back down. I never back down, if I feel I'm right," she said. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
A 47-year-old French man and a Swiss woman he met on Tinder were having sex during their second date when the man slipped his condom off without telling the womanand now he's been convicted of rape. Switzerland's highest court determined that the woman, whose lawyer calls this conviction "a first for Switzerland," would not have consented to sex with the man had she known he was not wearing protection, the Local reports. He was given a 12-month suspended sentence over the June 2015 incident, the Independent reports.

Broadly notes that this is the same controversy swirling around Julian Assangetwo women accused him of intentionally taking off or tampering with condoms, without consent, during sex. Doing so is against the law in the UK, which found there were grounds for him to be extradited to Sweden to face rape charges over the incident. As an expert explains, though, "a lot comes down to what can be proved in court. ... A jury would have to determine that he didn't have a reasonable belief in consent and just went ahead and did it anyway." (A sex-assault survivor penned a powerful letter to her assailant.)
Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director broke with the president-elect on Russia and torture during a confirmation hearing Thursday. CNN reports Rep. Mike Pompeo said "absolutely not" when asked if he would bring back the use of enhanced interrogation techniques if ordered by the president. It was a surprising answer considering Pompeo was supportive of techniques like waterboarding while in Congress, calling them constitutional and CIA agents who used them "patriots." Now Pompeo says he'll "comply with the law" passed by Congress banning such techniques, according to ABC News. Though NBC News notes Pompeo added that Congress could always change the law. Despite Trump advocating for the use of torture during the campaign, Pompeo was the fourth of his nominees to come out against it during hearings.

When asked about Russia, Pompeo said "it's pretty clear" the country tried to affect democracy in the US by meddling in the election. He said he believes intelligence reports that state Russia tried to help Trump get elected by "discrediting" Hillary Clinton. He also chastised Russia for invading the Ukraine and not helping fight ISIS. He included the country on a list of the greatest threats to the US, along with terrorism, China, Iran, and North Korea. (Read more Mike Pompeo stories.)
Kigali (AFP) - The remains of Rwanda's last king, Kigeli V, arrived in the country Monday after a court battle between his relatives over where he should be buried, an official said.

King Kigeli died in October, aged 80, in the United States. He had been living in exile in the suburbs of Washington since 1992.

His death prompted a spat between relatives living in America and those in Rwanda over where he should be buried and a US court ruled last week in favour of those in his home country.

"We are very happy to have him back in his country of birth," said James Vuningoma, executive secretary of the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture (RALC), who was at the airport when the king's remains arrived.

However Kigeli's Royal Council said in a statement that the king had not wanted to be buried in Rwanda "as long as the current government administration that was hostile to his majesty in life was still in power."

The council had backed the relatives living in the US, while the government backed the king's half-sister who wanted his remains to be brought to Rwanda.

Born Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa, King Kigeli came to power in 1959 and was forced to leave the country the following year after clashing with the Belgian colonial power. In 1961, the monarchy was abolished.

The king began a life of exile in east Africa, including in Kenya and Uganda, before leaving for America.

For decades he spoke of returning to his tiny, landlocked east African homeland. However he only wished to do so as king, arguing for a constitutional monarchy much like that in Britain.

However authorities were only willing to have him back as a private citizen.

His family welcomed the repatriation. Family member Medard Rutijanwa told AFP it was "a feeling of joy, of great joy because we have waited for a long time".

Rutijanwa added that the late king should be buried in the coming days in Nyanza, the African country's former royal capital.

His body has for the moment been transferred to the King Faisal hospital in Kigali, according to Vuningoma
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
(Adds ministry sourcing and comments)

SAO PAULO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government is drafting a decree to allow 100 percent foreign ownership of local airlines, a Transportation Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, a move that could attract investors to a recession-beaten industry.

Newspaper Valor Economico, citing three unnamed aides to President Michel Temer, earlier on Thursday reported that the presidential decree would boost regional aviation with subsidies favoring smaller planes such as those made by Embraer SA .

The regional plan is not necessarily related to the decree, the ministry spokesperson said, adding that next week the government could announce investments in several airports.

The foreign ownership decree may be published by the end of January, according to Valor.

Foreign ownership of Brazilian airlines was the subject of intense debate last year. Legislative uncertainty left investors wondering if the government would pass rules to shore up the industry during Brazil's prolonged recession.

The spokesperson said the text was still being reviewed by the ministry's legal department, after which it would go to the chief of staff's office and then to Congress.

Spokespeople for the president and officials of the civil aviation agency Anac did not return requests for comment.

In March, former President Dilma Rousseff issued a decree lifting the limit on foreign ownership of airlines from 20 percent to 49 percent. Lawmakers raised that to 100 percent during a congressional review. Temer in July vetoed the provision, leaving the original 20 percent limit in place.

Valor reported that the new decree's language about foreign ownership was "quite simple" and provided far more details about proposed subsidies for regional routes.

The draft proposal calls for subsidies of about 1.2 million reais ($380,000) per route between select cities in less-populated northern states covering the Amazon rainforest, according to the report.

Story continues

The measure would subsidize up to 60 seats per flight, Valor reported, giving Embraer regional jets with about 70 seats an economic advantage over larger planes from global heavyweights Boeing Co and Airbus Group SE.

Valor also reported a proposed investment of 300 million reais in 58 regional airports this year, down sharply from 7.2 billion reais in a plan announced by Rousseff in 2012 that got little traction.

($1 = 3.17 reais) (Writing by Ana Mano; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Richard Chang)
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 York:

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) will acquire 48 per cent stake in IT consultancy GlobalLogic from private equity firm Apax Funds.

No financial details of the deal were disclosed. Apax funds will retain an equal stake to CPPIB in the company, a statement said.

Founded in 2000, San Jose-based GlobalLogic is a product engineering services company with over 11,000 employees worldwide. It has a significant presence in India with engineering centres at Hyderabad, Noida, Gurgaon, Nagpur, and Bangalore.

This is a compelling opportunity for CPPIB to back a highly successful management team in what is a rapidly growing and evolving software engineering services sector, CPPIB Managing Director, Head of Direct Private Equity, Ryan Selwood said.

CPPIB looks forward to working with the GlobalLogic management team and Apax on the companys next phase of growth, he added.

GlobalLogic has seen significant returns from early investments in customer focus and in building differentiated capabilities to drive digital transformation for a number of large customers, said Rohan Haldea, Partner, Apax Partners.

Apax had acquired GlobalLogic in 2013 for USD 420 million from a group of financial investors, including a PE fund managed by Goldman Sachs, Westbridge, New Atlantic Ventures and Sequoia.

In the past three years with Apax, weve enjoyed a 20 per cent plus compound annual growth rate (CAGR), consistently outperforming the broader product engineering services (PES) market, said Shashank Samant, CEO, GlobalLogic.
New Delhi:

After holding lecture series on "nationalism" and "azaadi", teachers at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi have now decided to conduct a new series on "democratisation of social justice" following continuing unrest on campus.

The decision to hold the new series has been taken by the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) in protest against the recent show-cause notices issued to faculty members for addressing protest gatherings by students.

The venue of the lecture series will remain the same as earlier- the administration block, even as the varsity authorities have declared any protest or demonstration in that area to be liable as a violation of norms.

"JNUTA announces the organising of public lectures on the theme 'Democratising Social Justice', from January 18 to 25 to give a clear message that teachers of JNU would not be cowed down by threats and intimidation," JNUTA president Ajay Patnaik said.

"Further, we would like to assure the JNU administration that our constructive resistance in all forms against any of its undemocratic and authoritarian move would continue unabated. "We will oppose all efforts to intimidate, threaten or persecute individuals including teachers and students from any institution across the world which is done to silence voices of dissent," he added.

Repeated notices have been issued to students and five teachers, since the gherao of the administrative block in October, to enforce a ban on protests in a 20-metre radius of any of the administrative or academic buildings on campus. Nine students are also under suspension for allegedly "disrupting" an Academic Council (AC) meeting last month.

JNUTA had conducted a month-long series of lectures on "nationalism" following arrest of three students in a sedition case last year. The next series was on "Azadi: Different Meanings of Freedom".

Meanwhile, JNU students were on strike today demanding the suspension of students be revoked and decisions taken in the council meeting be rolled back. The student union has also given a strike call for tomorrow while the teachers will be on strike on January 17.
Noida:

In the wake of prevalent cold waves engulfing the entire North Indian region, the Noida District Magistrate ordered on Thursday that all schools in the city will remain shut till Jnauary 15.

Cold wave condition intensified over north India after heavy snowfall in neighbouring Uttarakhand and icy winds blew through many places in Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday, morning temperate plummeted to 2 degree celsius.

The relative humidity level oscillated between 54 and 100 per cent.

The maximum and minimum temperatures on Friday are likely to hover around 17 and 3 degrees Celsius, respectively, the weatherman said.

Also Video: Delhi experiences coldest night of season as mercury dips to 2 deg C

Also Read: Northern India, Mumbai reel under cold wave, sub-zero temperatures recorded in Haryana


New Delhi:

Union minister and LJP president Ramvilas Paswan was admited to the ICU of a private hospital in Patna after he complained of breathlessness on Thursday.

Paswan was rushed to Paras Hospital in the capital city and was being treated by senior doctors.

Paswan's younger brother and Bihar LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras said that the minister complained of breathlessness and was taken to the hospital around 8.30pm where doctors were examining him.

As the news of Paswan's admission in the hospital spread, LJP supporters started gathering outside the hospital on Bailey road here.

Paswan, Union minister for food and consumer affairs, earlier arrived in Patna on a four-day tour of the state during which he had some political engagements in Patna, Khagaria, Begusarai and Mokamah before hosting Makarsankranti feast in Patna on January 15.

LJP spokesman Ashraf Ansari said that the minister's wife and MP son Chirag Paswan are with him in the hospital.

Sources said that Paswan may be airlifted to Delhi for further treatment.

(With inputs from PTI)
New Delhi:

Bollywood actress Lisa Haydon, who was last seen in Karan Johar's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', is expecting her first child.

Interestingly, the diva got married to beau Dino Lalvani in October 2016 in Phuket.

Their wedding was indeed a hush-hush affair.

The expecting mother Lisa took it to Instagram to announce the news of her pregnancy.

The 'Queen' actress, who is currently holidaying in Australia, shared a picture of herself dressed in royal blue bikini as she flaunts her baby bump.

Haydon captioned the image as, "Humble Beginnings".

Humble beginnings YYYz A photo posted by Lisa Haydon (@lisahaydon) on Jan 11, 2017 at 8:42pm PST

Isn't that adorable?

On the work front, Lisa recently took the internet with a storm with her sensuous photo shoot with Hrithik Roshan.

Also Read: Lisa Haydon to marry boyfriend Dino Lalvani

Besides, she will also be seen in Milan Luthria's upcoming directorial 'Baadhshaho', starring Ajay Devgn in the lead.

"She plays a very strong character in my next and the responses from people about her casting has been electric! Lisas role is her careers most challenging yet," Milan stated in one of his interviews.

'Baadshaho' is scheduled to release September 1.









For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

After impressing the audience with the budding bromance, superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan is all set to come together on the silver screen.

The two Khans will be sharing the screen space in Salman's upcoming movie 'Tubelight'.

Reportedly, SRK will be seen playing a cameo in the Salman starrer.

Though, the reports of King Khan being a part of 'Tubelight' have been rife for a while now, the rumours got rife after Bollywood trade analyst Komal Nahta reportedly confirmed the news.

Nahta tweeted about the same on micro-blogging site Twitter on Wednesday, and wrote, "Confirmed news,guys. Absolutely great news. ShahRukhKhan wil play an important cameo in.... hold your breath... Salman Khan's Tubelight!!!!".

While, his tweet created a buzz in the tinselvile, Komal deleted that post after some time raising the mystery quotient about Shah Rukh's appearance in 'Tubelight'.

Notably, 'Tubelight' director Kabir Khan had earlier refuted the reports of roping in the 'Dilwale' star for his movie.

Though, an official confirmation about the same is still awaited, if the reports turned out to be true, Salman-SRK will be sharing the silver screen after 10 years.

They were last seen together in Shah Rukh Khan's 2007 release 'Om Shanti Om' in which Salman had a guest appearance.

Besides, the two Khans also created a history on small screen television after they made an appearance on popular reality show Bigg Boss 9.

Salman and Shah Rukh will once again be seen on the grand finale of the tenth season of Bigg Boss, where the latter will be coming to promote his upcoming movie 'Raees'.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Television actor Karan Mehra is over the moon these days as he is all set to welcome his first child.

Sharing his happiness about this new phase of his life, Karan admitted that it was a big surprise for him.

"I am really very happy. It was when I came out of the BB house she broke the news to me. It was a big surprise for me. We dont plan all these things. We had anyways decided to extend our family soon and now thats what it is all about! There were too many speculations that kept doing rounds again and again. We needed to put up the post on social media because we wanted to put the speculations to rest. And yes, we need all your good wishes for this journey," Mehra told a leading daily.

Also Read: Confirmed! Bigg Boss 10 ex-contestant Karan Mehra's wife Nisha is pregnant

The former Bigg Boss 10 contestant even shared a love-filled picture of himself with wife Nisha Rawal on Instagram, to share the news of the beginning of this new story of their lives.

He wrote, "With the grace of God we have been able to achieve many things in life but creation of life itself is an overwhelming feeling. Here's to the beginning of another beautiful story...our pregnancy."

With the grace of God we have been able to achieve many things in life but creation of life itself is an overwhelming feeling. Here's to the beginning of another beautiful story...our pregnancy YS A photo posted by Karan Mehra (@karanhunt) on Jan 9, 2017 at 7:59am PST

Earlier, Karan's wife Nisha too took it to Instagram to announce her motherhood.

She had shared a picture of herself flaunting her baby bump and requested people to maintain the pregnancy.

This will be the first child of Karan and Nisha who have been married for four years now.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the annual VTB Capital

An unverified document alleging Russia has for years been cultivating President-elect Donald Trump as an asset included a claim that Trump "agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue" in return for Russia's feeding of hacked documents to WikiLeaks.

Those claims have not been independently verified. But Russia's annexation of Crimea and incursion into eastern Ukraine in 2014 was condemned by mainstream Republicans and Democrats, and it prompted the Obama administration to impose sanctions on the Kremlin.

Geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer, president of the political risk firm Eurasia Group, said it was therefore likely that Russian President Vladimir Putin "certainly would angle for Trump backing off Ukraine."

"Trump, as president-elect, has already made a number of Ukraine statements that adhere extremely closely with the official Russian line," Bremmer said.

Classified briefing materials provided to President Barack Obama and Trump by US intelligence officials last week indicated that Russian operatives claimed to have potentially damaging personal and financial information about Trump, according to CNN. Those materials included a summary of the unverified 35 pages of memos, which were subsequently published in full by BuzzFeed.

The intelligence community gleaned the information from a former British intelligence operative who provided the FBI with a series of memos in August 2016 detailing, without verification, how Trump, his advisers, and Kremlin officials regularly exchanged information before and during the presidential campaign, according to CNN.

The memos in the dossier claim that Trump  in return for Russia's feeding the documents it hacked from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, to WikiLeaks for publishing  "agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue and to raise defense commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe to deflect attention away from Ukraine."

Story continues

That claim has not been independently verified. But ahead of the Republican National Convention in July, the Trump campaign, then led by Paul Manafort, gutted the GOP's policy platform on Ukraine that called for increasing sanctions on Russia and arming the Ukrainian military against pro-Russian separatists.

Paul Manafort

Manafort served as a top adviser to a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine between 2004 and 2012. Secret ledgers uncovered by an anticorruption center in Kiev and obtained by The New York Times revealed that the political party earmarked $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments to Manafort for his work between 2007 and 2012.

The Washington Post reported at the time the policy was altered that Trump staffers stripped the language calling for the US to provide "lethal defensive weapons" to the Ukrainian army and replaced it with softer language calling for "appropriate assistance."

In an interview during his campaign, Trump would not condemn Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

"The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were," he said.

In his March 2014 speech about the annexation of Crimea, Putin said, "In people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an inseparable part of Russia."

Trump has given no indication so far, however, that he would "raise defense commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe to deflect attention away" from Putin's activities in Ukraine.

Trump has been heavily critical of NATO and said last July that the US would help in defending the Baltics from Russian aggression only if the Baltics "fulfill their obligations to us."

NOW WATCH: These are the biggest risks facing the world in 2017





More From Business Insider


New Delhi:

After much uproar and protest by India over Amazon selling doormats depicting Indian tricolour, the e-retail giant removed the offensive article from its Canadian website on Thursday.

An Amazon spokesman, based at its headquarters in Seattle told The Washington Post that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website.

Taking strong exception to Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj asked the e-retailer on Wednesday to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

The minister also asked the Indian embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada.

ALSO READ | Sushma Swaraj chides Amazon Canada for selling doormats with Tricolour, warns of stern action

Swaraj through Twitter expressed displeasure over the tricolour doormat sale, sooner tweets went viral and led to an outrage on the social media by Indians and people of Indian-origin.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Delhi Police on Thursday arrested two terrorists from Mayur Vihar area. One of them is a commander-in-chief of insurgent group Kangleipak Communist Party Meitei, who was also wanted in terror attacks in Manipur.

The two terrorists were wanted by security forces in many cases. Police have arrested the two terrorists with the help of intelligence reports.

Police and additional personnel rushed at Naoremthong about 6 km from the state capital. Two CRPF troopers were seriously wounded when suspected insurgents attacked a group of paramilitary personnel in Manipurs Imphal West district on Jan 7, 2017.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Aurangabad:

A CISF personnel allegedly opened fire at his colleagues, killing four of them at the Navinagar Power Generating Company premises in Bihar's Aurangabad district.

Superintendent of police Satyaprakash said the CISF personnel Balbir was apparently angry over leave issues and fired at his colleagues from his service rifle, killing two of them on the spot at the company campus.

Two others injured by him in the incident were declared brought dead by doctors of Narayan Medical College and Hospital in neighbouring Rohtas district where they were rushed, the SP said.

The incident was reported at about 12:30am on Thursday.

The accused CISF personnel, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested, Satyaprakash said, adding senior police officials have rushed to the spot to probe the incident.

The four CISF personnel who were killed have been identified as Bachcha Sharma, N Mishra, Arvind Kumar and GS Ram, he said.

Officials said, "Preliminary information states that Balveer opened fire on his colleagues, using a service rifle, in an alleged fratricide incident".

Balveer allegedly used his INSAS rifle to shoot his colleagues who had assembled to leave for the shift change and after the first hit, he was overpowered by others present around.

It is understood that Balveer had come back after a two-month yoga course and had some issues related to leave, they said. The CISF has ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident.

CISF has been deployed for security at the under-construction thermal power project, a joint venture of NTPC and Bihar government.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

France pressed for "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India and vowed to work with New Delhi to get terrorist Masood Azhar proscribed by the UN Security Council.

Without naming China which has blocked a proposal at the UNSC to sanction JeM chief Azhar, French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said, "The international community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat."

On the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in September last year after an attack on Uri army camp, Ayrault said a country has a "right to defend itself" in the wake of such threats.

"France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism," the French minister, who was on a visit to New Delhi, told PTI in an interview.

Clearly referring to Pakistan without naming it, he emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism "originating from their territory or territories under their control". "We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said.

The French minister, who was on a four-day visit to India primarily to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, was asked about his views on the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army in September last to target terror camps based across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself," he replied.

With regard to China blocking sanctioning of Azhar, he said, "We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached." He noted that Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the Committee's list of terrorist organisations and "therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested". That's why France not only supported but also co-sponsored this request, he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Pakistan military authorities have committed to release the Indian soldier Chandu Chavan, who accidentally strayed across the Line of Control (LoC) last year, Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said on Thursday in Mumbai.

"They (Pakistan) have admitted that Chandu Chavan is alive, and that they will soon release him after inquiry, which is nearing completion," Bhamre said after the launch of second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi, at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in south Mumbai.

"We are trying at the level of DGMO (Director General of Military Operations), to secure his release. So far, the DGMO has spoken to their Pakistan counterpart at least 15 to 20 times," the minister said.

"The last time such talks took place was two days ago. They (Pakistan) said that the inquiry is getting over and Chandu Chavan will soon be released," he said.

Incidentally, Chavan hails from Bhamre's Lok Sabha constituency. "I have been in regular touch with his family," the minister said.

On September 30 last year, Chavan had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Thursday censured BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his controversial remarks indirectly blaming Muslims for the population growth and warned that it would take stern action against him using all powers available to it if he violates the model code again.



The poll watchdog said it did not find the MPs reply satisfactory, because in the Commissions considered view, supported by observations of the Supreme Court, any statement to the effect of promoting enmity between different classes of society in connection with election on the grounds of religion made during electioneering or otherwise is violative of MCC.



The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on January 4 when the Commission announced schedule for Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.



Standing by his remarks, Sakshi Maharaj had told the Commission that the statement was not made in a public or an election meeting but at a saints conclave and hence could not be considered violative of the model code.

Exclusive Video | Population control remark: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj says he did not name any religion



Now, therefore, the Election Commission hereby, censures you for violating...MCC and Supreme Court decision...and expects that you, being a reputed political leader/MP, shall be more circumspect in your public utterances during election time.



You may also take a note that in case of any violation of MCC in future, the Commission shall take stern actions against you, using all powers available to it, the order said.

ALSO READ | Sakshi Maharaj on EC notice: Didn't mean to hurt sentiments of any community

At a sant sammelan in Meerut last week, Sakshi Maharaj had said there are problems in the country because of the growth of population. Hindus are not responsible for that. Those responsible are the ones who talk of four wives and 40 children.

ALSO READ | FIR filed against Sakshi Maharaj for population control comment on Muslims



The BJP MPs remarks had come days after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties and candidates cant seek votes in the name of religion or caste.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the plea seeking to allow Jallikattu, a bull-taming sport played during Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu.

The Court while turning down the plea termed it unfair of the petitioner to ask the bench to pass an order .

The Apex Court had banned Jallikattu in 2014 on grounds of animal cruelty which later led to the protests from political parties across the state. Later, in November last year, SC dismissed the state governments plea for a review of its 2014 judgment.

The present verdict is likely to be pronounced next week. This will concern the validity of a central notification allowing Jallikattu to be held in 2017. The court had reserved its verdict in this regard on December 7.

ALSO READ | AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan writes to PM Modi, urges him to promulgate ordinance on Jallikattu

VK Sasikala, AIADMK general secretary had also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard demanding Centre to promulgate Jallikattu ordinance for conduct of the bull- taming sport.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Sahara chief Subrata Roy's plea seeking more time to pay Rs 600 crore to the capital markets regulator Sebi.

Subrata Roy is out on parole since his mothers death in May. He had sought more time for payment citing demonetisation and economic slowdown.

In November, the apex court had asked Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore and had given a deadline of February 6 for the same. The court had also warned that if Roy fails to pay the money, he would have to surrender.

"This court had given so much indulgence to you and spent so many man hours in your case and the controversy started in 2012 and we had given so many chances and we are in 2017. You have still time to deposit," the Supreme Court told Kapil Sibal, who is Sahara's lawyer.

However, the apex court allowed Sahara to transfer Rs 280 crore lying in its London account to Sebi.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

Donald Trumps secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson has said he does not support blanket travel ban against Muslims even as he asserted that the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but in the war of ideas.

I think whats important is that we are able to make a judgement about the people that are coming into the country. And so no, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people, the 64-year-old former ExxonMobil CEO told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

But clearly, we have serious challenges to be able to vet people coming into the country particularly, under the current circumstances because of the instability in the parts of the world that its occurring, he said.

Its a huge challenge and I dont think we can just close our eyes and ignore that. We have to be very clear-eyed about recognising that threat and developing a means to deal with it, Tillerson said.

President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to temporarily ban Muslim travel and immigration to the country after a wave of terrorist attacks carried out or inspired by the Islamic State in Europe and the US.

He has since walked back that promise, instead of saying he would ban immigration from countries where terrorism is prevalent.

Tillerson, however, said he would require more information on how the government would approach constructing a registry of Muslims before he would consider lending his support to creating one.

I would need to have a lot more information on how such an approach would even be constructed. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well other groups that are threats to the US, he said.

Tillerson said the US must win the war against Islamic terrorists, not just on the battlefield, but must triumph in the war of ideas.

Tillerson said that because of his past work, he has travelled extensively to Muslim countries.

Ive gained an appreciation and recognition of this great faith. Thats why I made a distinction that we should support those Muslim voices that reject this same radical Islam that we reject, he noted.

Now, this is part of winning the war other than on the battlefield. I mentioned we have to win it, not just on the battlefield. Weve gotta to win the war of ideas and our of our greatest allies in this war is going to be the moderate voices of Muslim, of people in the Muslim faith, who speak from their perspective and their rejection of that representation of what is otherwise a great faith, he said.

My expectation is that were going to be able to re-engage with our traditional friends and allies in the region. Not just in the middle east but I think as you pointed out there are large Muslim populations in South East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, other important countries in that part of the world where we have serious issues of common issues as well, he said.

Radical Islam, he said, poses a grave risk to the stability of nations and the well-being of their citizens.

Tillerson said eliminating ISIS would be the first step in disrupting the capabilities of other groups and individuals committed to striking Americas homeland and allies.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Dhaka:

Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia appeared in court on Thursdary regarding two graft cases in which she has been accused of embezzling funds amounting to 31.5 million Bangladeshi Taka. Further, she faces the prospect of life imprisonment if found guilty.

The BNP chief was scheduled to continue her defence statement in the case over the Zia Charitable Trust. In the case, the investigating officer was set to provide fresh testimony, bdnews24 reported. Meanwhile, a prosecution witness gave his statement before the court in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

On Thursday, the court fixed January 26 for holding further hearing in the case. Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge's Court 3 fixed the date in response to a time petition filed by the BNP chief, the report said. The two cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) were being heard at Dhaka's Third Special Judges Court set up at a temporary location at Bakshi Bazar.

Also Read: Zia gets bail in 9 cases including sedition

In 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against six including Zia and her son Tarique Rahman. It alleged that the defendants had embezzled 21 million Bangladeshi Taka from funds meant for the trust, which reportedly came from a foreign bank.

In 2011, the anti-corruption watchdog sued the BNP chief and three others for embezzlement of 31.5 million Bangladeshi Taka (USD 4 lakh) of the Zia Charitable Trust. ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, also an investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Apple's encryption fight with the FBI in 2015 brought to light a growing conflict between the mandates of government  the stated need for surveillance powers to monitor potential threats  and Silicon Valley  the need for encryption to ensure individual privacy.



One conservative congressman, at least, is firmly on the side of Silicon Valley.

Despite several impassioned investigations on national security, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said that there is no problem with the way encryption is today  and that the demands of government are not "anywhere close" to a solution that would satisfy most citizens' privacy concerns.

"We have advocates that want us to change the law. It might solve a problem for the FBI director, so that he can spy on America more, so he can quickly get whatever he wants whenever he wants it," Issa told CNBC. "We do not have a problem today. We have a request from law enforcement and intelligence to help them with their problem, which is that you and I, in being able to enforce our Fourth Amendment rights, they feel their job's harder."



Issa spoke to CNBC from technology trade show CES in Las Vegas this month, where he used his expertise in car and home alarms to discuss, among other things, the internet of things and the sharing economy.

Issa suggested that with encrypted messaging, like WhatsApp, widely commercially available, consumers should get a simple one-page, comparable description of their different privacy options, as is customary with a loan. But it must be done in a way that doesn't stifle innovation, he said.



"Educational campaigns to consumers are very often hogwash  it's a very large amount of money to educate a very small fraction of people," Issa said. "Data disclosure of what is being kept and where it's being kept needs to be made uniform and as simple as possible. ... Those are all areas where the Trump administration can do much of it, and Congress can do some of it."

Issa also said enabling the best technology will be a key mandate for the new U.S. Congress.

Making America's manufacturing technology top-notch, avoiding harmful encryption standards and creating clearer privacy disclosures should be top tech priorities for Congress, Issa said.

In particular, the U.S. should be recruiting engineers that can make America the best place in the world to manufacture a car, Issa said. Issa has introduced legislation to require high-skilled H-1B immigration spots to be reserved for companies that cannot fill the slots with American workers.
New Delhi:

In what appears to be somewhat a miraculous incident, a statue of the Virgin Mary is reported to have shed tears in front of its owner in Acapulco, in the state of Guerrero in south-western Mexico.

The bizarre incident has come in the scrutiny of the investigators and is being carefully probed by Catholic Church miracle investigators.

As per a report in British newspaper Daily Mail, the plaster statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe began to weep in front of its owner after she had finished her prayers at her home in Acapulco.

Nicknamed la Morenita, the saint is a Mexican version of the Virgin Mary. Her shrine became one of the Catholic Church's most worshipped sites after she appeared to a peasant in Mexico City nearly 500 years ago.

Church leaders are investigating claims made by Guadalupe Hernandez, whose statue of the virgin apparently sheds real tears.

Images and videos of the statue with tears seemingly rolling down its cheeks have astonished devout followers who have flocked to Acapulco to worship it.

Speaking on the incident, owner Guadalupe told British newspaper Daily Mail that, 'It was midday and I stood in front of her and I spoke to her. I finished my prayer and looked at La Morenita and I saw her crying.'She added: 'It is a gift from God, I do not know why and I do not know what is behind it, but, well, we will wait.'

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
(Corrects to add dropped word "with" in headline)

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Canada's AltaGas is in talks to merge with WGL Holdings Inc, the parent of natural-gas utility Washington Gas, in a deal worth $5 billion-$6 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

WGL's shares rose 6.8 percent to $81 in late-afternoon trading on Thursday, while AltaGas's stock was down 1.3 pct at C$33.65.

A deal could be announced this month assuming that the talks do not fall apart, or see another bidder, the report said. (http://on.wsj.com/2jcr9kM)

Regulatory or political pushback could be a potential obstacle to any deal, one of the people familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

WGL was weighing options in November, including a sale after receiving takeover interest from Spain's Iberdrola SA. (http://reut.rs/2ilgi3H)

AltaGas and WGL were not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Vishaka George in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
This flat, orange robot parks cars, using space more efficiently: China will account for 40 percent of the global industrial robot market by 2019 (AFP Photo/Johannes EISELE)

Wuzhen (China) (AFP) - Flat, orange robots glide under stationary cars and ferry them to empty Chinese parking bays, using space more efficiently and, their creators say, reducing driver stress.

It is one of a number of elegant -- and expensive -- mechanical solutions China is turning to as it faces an ageing population, which, even in the world's most populous country, is making workers harder to come by.

With an eye on the rising numbers of cars on Chinese roads, Hikvision has been testing a robotic parking system in Wuzhen, 130 kilometres (80 miles) west of Shanghai.

"The technology and scale of the industry is still at a very early stage," said Wu Yonghai, the company's head of robotics.

"This is about finding a solution to the car parking problem."

Most firms in the sector focus on industrial robots rather than service robots, the kind which might sweep an apartment floor or act as a companion for elderly people.

With China's labour force shrinking under the impact of the now abandoned one-child policy, the world's second-largest economy is turning to machines to try to fill the gap.

The working-age population -- defined as those from 15 to 59 -- fell for the first time in decades in 2012, according to official figures, and has declined ever since. It is expected to carry on falling until at least 2030, and economic growth is also slowing.

China decided to allow couples to have a second child starting last year but the looming labour shortage will take decades to address, if at all.

The country is already the world's largest market for the mechanical helpers and it will only get bigger, according to the International Federation of Robots, which estimates China will account for 40 percent of the global industrial robot market by 2019.

"The country is facing lots of problems, one of which is a rapid increase in labour costs," said Wang Hesheng, a professor of robotics at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Story continues

"At the entire state level, China takes the robotics strategy very seriously," he told AFP as half a dozen students tinkered with drones and other devices in a robot laboratory.

The government is investing heavily in robotics research, Wang added, and his students have access to the latest imported robots, including one from leading German robotics firm Kuka.

Chinese appliance giant Midea took over Kuka this year in a deal worth $5 billion, despite protests from German politicians that key technology is being lost to China.

As demand surges, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the nation's robot makers to take a larger chunk of the domestic market, currently dominated by foreign players.

But it will be a long time before robots become part of everyday life, given the cost and technical challenges.
BROOKFIELD  After opposition from parents, the superintendent will revise his budget proposal for the 2017-18 academic year to preserve the district-wide world language program.

But the Board of Education is still considering reducing Spanish class time for fifth and sixth grade.

The board had looked at cutting the world language program in kindergarten through second grade because of a lack of certified Spanish teachers. But Superintendent John Barile told parents at a special board meeting Wednesday night that he wants the district to keep the program for next academic year.

He said the district would continue to search for a Spanish teacher for kindergarten and first grade. These grades have been without a Spanish teacher this academic year because officials have struggled to find a qualified candidate.

Parents had been vocal against the proposed program cut, creating a petition on Change.org that garnered more than 160 signatures and sending more than 60 emails to board members.

Several of the estimated 75 parents and teachers at Wednesdays meeting said they were grateful the program would not be cut from kindergarten through second grade.

Francisco Sinta, a native Spanish speaker who has two students in the district, said it was essential for students to learn another language at a young age.

Room for Spanish, social studies

Learning a language not only allows you to speak a different idiom, he said. But it also allows you to understand the culture you are studying or allows you to be more open to different cultures I believe when the kids start younger, its easier for them to learn a different language and learn the different cultures.

But school officials are still faced with the challenge of balancing Spanish and social studies class time in fifth and sixth grade.

When the world language program was implemented about five years ago, the district cut into social studies time to make room for Spanish class in fifth and sixth grade. But because of new social studies frameworks, teachers need more time for this subject, administrators said.

The administration has also found that analytical thinking, objective reading and other social studies skills and knowledge have declined.

Assistant Superintendent Maureen Ruby said this is because the students have half the social studies time they used to, taking the subject two to three times a week instead of every day.

(Students) were less prepared, Ruby said. They dont have the higher-level thinking skills that come from a regular engagement on a daily basis with this content.

Whisconier Middle School Principal Deane Renda proposed three options to work Spanish and social studies into the day.

In the first model, world language would be taught during social studies time, giving 35 hours of Spanish and 105 hours of social studies a year.

The second model would cut art, technology education and music to make time for 53 hours of world language and 105 hours of social studies each year, and the middle school would need to hire one new teacher.

Options kind of stink

The third option would give an equal 122 hours to each subject, but would take time from language arts, math, science, art, physical education, technology eduction and music. The district would also need to hire three teachers.

School board Vice Chairman Paul Checco suggested cutting from the students extended learning time instead.

All three of these options really kind of stink, he said. You look at the learning hours and you say. what do we steal from to maintain the Spanish program? And Im all for maintaining the Spanish program.

But Renda said students with special needs use extended learning time for extra help.

If we didnt have that block, those students would then have to be pulled from their classes to get services, he said.

Officials are also considering restructuring the fifth grade, so that students have three core teachers instead of five. This model is similar to that of other schools, where the fifth grade is part of the elementary school, and administrators said it would help students transition to the middle school.

The board will continue this discussion next week before it submits its 2017-18 budget proposal to the first selectman at the end of the month.
DANBURY  A Western Connecticut State University professor is researching the impact Kentucky barn dancing has in treating veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Psychology professor Robin Gustafson taught a student a year ago who was interested in helping veterans with PTSD. That led to a conversation with a friend in Kentucky, Deborah Denenfeld, who cited anecdotal evidence that a community dance project she had organized was making an impact.

Gustafson saw the potential for quantifying that impact with a research project.

Denenfeld began the barn-dancing effort, Dancing Well: The Soldier Project, five years ago in Fort Knox, Ky., and continued it in Louisville, Ky. The dancing sessions attempt to reconnect veterans to their community through outings, companionship and even physical closeness.

Even relearning how to touch peoples hands without panicking can be a struggle for veterans, Gustafson said.

Gustafson will begin collecting data in late January for about 10 weeks, measuring three main variables at the before and after points. These nonmedical measures will include sociability, connectedness, optimism and more.

She will conduct her research about the Kentucky dances from Danbury, but hopes the results can apply to Connecticut veterans, as well.

I think what we learn from it will come to Danbury, Gustafson said. Deborah has the skills to begin a dancing program, but these positive effects can be found in other areas, as well. It doesnt have to be dance.

About 90 people have participated in the dancing sessions, which are held twice a year.

Gustafson said she hopes for a research publication, or at least a conference presentation. Her research background is in cognitive psychology, nondeclarative learning and technology and learning

I think shes running a good program, and I want to give her good evidence that what shes doing is working as well as it looks like its working, Gustafson said. Connectedness is a big problem for recovering veterans, and I hope we can address it.
TRUMBULL  Tim Herbst, the take-no-prisoners Republican first selectman of Trumbull, isnt keeping his ambitions for higher office bottled up any longer.

Without much fanfare, he filed exploratory papers with the state Elections Enforcement Commission this week for a potential 2018 run for statewide office, including governor and treasurer.

Herbst, 36, lost a close race for treasurer to Democrat Denise Nappier in 2014 and has been eyeing a return to the statewide arena ever since.

He joins Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and Fairfield Republicans Peter Lumaj and Tony Hwang in kicking the tires on a run for higher office. Lumaj ran for secretary of the state in 2014 and Hwang is a state senator.

I think Tim is one of several really talented and hard-working candidates that we have, said J.R. Romano, the state GOP boss and a Trinity College friend of Herbst. Being the party chairman, I have all these candidates that make me look good because of how well they run their cities and towns.

Herbst said he was tied up in budget meetings Wednesday night and not available to comment. He is scheduled to appear on the Sunday political talk show Face the State on WFSB-Channel 3 to discuss his future, he said.

Democrats, with whom Herbst has tangled locally and in Hartford, wasted little time maligning his latest trial balloon.

We are absolutely shocked that, after years of trying to use his office as first selectman as a political steppingstone, Connecticut's most ambitious junior Republican is once again gunning for higher office, said Michael Mandell, the state Democratic Partys executive director. We cant wait to find out which statewide office he is running for this time.

Herbst and Mandell sparred on Twitter last month over dueling open records requests by Herbst and Democrats.

It started when Herbst used the states Freedom of Information Act to compel four Democratic state senators to release their mileage reimbursement receipts, which he said they use to pad their pensions from the state. Democrats then requested a cost-breakdown for Herbsts mileage deep dive, questioning whether he used town resources for political purposes.

The tiff added yet another chapter to a long-running soap opera between Herbst and Democrats. In December, Herbst evicted the towns Democratic treasurer and former state Sen. Anthony Musto from his town hall office, saying that Musto frequently works from his law office or home.

Herbsts public squabble with Trumbull resident Al Barbarotta, a contractor friend of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, has fueled the tensions.

In 2015, Barbarotta won a $20,000 settlement from the town after he claimed in a lawsuit that Herbst strong-armed a local day care center to renege on a $100,000 contract with Barbarottas company.

Barbarotta is currently at the center of a federal grand jury investigation into contracting work by his company, which has helped Malloy with fundraising.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
BJP calls Pakistan media allegations on Om Puri's death outrageous

Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz,Bollywood,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS) A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson has rejected as "outrageous allegations" comments doing the rounds in the Pakistani press that actor Om Puri, who died recently, was "murdered as part of a political conspiracy".

BJP spokesperson Shaina NC said the Pakistani press needs to exercise restraint. "First, Om Puri was our national treasure. His death is none of their business. Secondly, even if they make it their business they should get their facts right and not make wild outrageous allegations supported by absolutely ridiculous arguments, she said.

The spokesperson further said: "We in India believe in a free and fair press. Not a free-for-all press."

Reports in print and television media in Pakistan claimed that Om Puri was "smothered to death with a pillow." There was some speculation in India at the time of Om Puri's death that he may not have died of a heart attack, as stated. An unverified report said his body had been found naked with an injury mark on the back of his head.

Some reports in the Pakistani press, without giving any evidence, said that Salman Khan and Fawad Khan are likely to be killed next.

The claim of "murder" by the Pakistani media is based on the assertion that Om Puri was against the Narendra Modi government.

However, this is not true. Om Puri had spoken out against boycotting of Pakistani artistes after the Uri attack in Jammu and Kashmir in September last year and he had once spoken against sacrifices by Indian soldiers. But he later regretted those remarks ("Did we force them to join the army?"). He has not said anything against the Modi government.

He was also subjected to vicious trolling because of the remarks on Indian soldiers.

On a television show when Om Puri was queried about his comments on the soldiers and asked whether he was anti-national, he got very emotional and said he would never participate in a television debate again.

He explained that during another television debate he was asked a question. "I was answering. In the middle of my answer, they asked me about soldiers and in irritation I said what I did. It was wrong. Terribly wrong of me to disrespect our soldiers. I pronounce myself guilty," he said.

He said being sorry was not enough and he was willing to go to jail because of the comment if the government decided to punish him. Later, he visited the families of soldiers killed in the Uri attack and offered help to the children.

About banning Pakistani artistes, he said that "people in our country are angry. Let the Pakistanis stay away for a while. But the Indian government is quiet over the issue. Let the Indian government decide to send back all artistes, entrepreneurs and people visiting their relatives from Pakistan.".

He had also recalled his own pleasant visits to Pakistan. "I've been to Pakistan six times. Each visit has been pleasant and rewarding. Everywhere I went, I was accorded great respect and love," he told this correspondent a month ago.

He had also expressed respect for Modi. "We may not agree with some of his policy decisions. But we cannot deny his integrity and honesty of purpose," he had said.

--IANS

Subhash/hs/bg
Iraqi forces gain ground into IS stronghold in Mosul

Burkina Faso,Terrorism, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mosul, Jan 12 (IANS) The Iraqi government forces on Wednesday extend its grip in the eastern side of the Islamic State (IS) stronghold in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, as fierce clashes continued against the terrorists, the Iraqi military said.

In the eastern front, the elite forces of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) recaptured the neighbourhood of 7th Nisan and cleared the adjacent neighbourhood of Sukkar, amid fierce clashes with the terrorists, Xinhua quoted a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command as saying.

The battles in the two neighbourhoods left some 40 terrorists killed and three booby-trapped cars destroyed, the statement said.

The CTS commandos also freed al-Maliyah and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings, leaving dozens of IS terrorists killed and two of their car bombs destroyed, the source said.

The recapture of 7th Nisan, al-Maliyah and other nearby neighbourhoods will pave the way for the troops to seize the eastern bank of the Tigris River, which will be crucial to launch next phase of attacks on the western side of Mosul.

In the southeastern front, the Iraqi federal police and army soldiers continued their advance into al-Salam, Palestine, Sumer, Yarimja and Sahiron amid heavy fighting with IS terrorists, leaving dozens of them killed and destroying a car bomb and two vehicles carrying terrorists, the statement said.

In the northern front, the army soldiers backed by international aircraft continued their heavy battles in al-Hadbaa and nearby areas, leaving dozens of IS terrorists killed and wounded, along with destroying seven booby-trapped vehicles destroyed, it added.

--IANS

sku/
Abe in Philippines, to meet Duterte

Japan,Politics,Diplomacy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Tokyo, Jan 12 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday arrived in the Philippines on a two-day visit where he will meet President Rodrigo Duterte, on the first leg of a tour that will also include Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Abe arrived at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport and immediately headed towards the Malacanang Presidential Palace for a welcome reception and a bilateral meeting with Duterte, Efe news reported.

During the meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss "counter-terrorism cooperation, drug rehabilitation projects, infrastructure development, maritime cooperation, and development projects," the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

This is Abe's third visit to the Philippines, and comes three months after Duterte's official trip to Japan.

Abe is also expected to meet local businessmen before leaving for the southern city of Davao, where Duterte was mayor for more than two decades and earned the nickname "The Punisher" due to his tough and controversial campaign against crime.

Both leaders will meet again on Friday in Davao, a city that until now has never been visited by any foreign head of state and where Abe will also attend a conference of businessmen, before he visits the University of Mindanao.

Following this, the Japanese prime minister will conclude his visit to the Philippines and continue on his Asia-Pacific tour before returning to Tokyo on January 17.

--IANS

ksk/bg
China to build research centre in South China Sea

China,Defence/Security,Diplomacy,Environment/Wildlife, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Beijing, Jan 12 (IANS) China announced on Thursday a five-year plan to develop clean energy and open a research centre in the South China Sea - which could escalate tensions in the hotly-contested waters.

The move, announced by the State Oceanic Administration, adds to Beijing's increasing assertiveness over the world's busiest sea trade route.

According to the plan, focus will be on developing renewable energy developing relevant technology and utilise island renewable energy, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Resource assessment and building of public service platforms in the South China Sea and island regions will be the focus, the maritime department said.

China and other five littoral states, including Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam, lay claim to the Sea through which trade worth $5 trillion passes annually.

China, which claims 80 per cent of the water body, has built artificial islands on features that dot the mineral-rich sea and sent its sole aircraft carrier into the water.

The US has challenged Beijing's claims, calling the the sea as international waters.

Beijing's claims were rejected by an international tribunal last year in a case brought by the Philippines after the Scarborough Shoal was forcibly occupied by China.

The ruling has had little effect on China which termed it as "illegal".

However, the new President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has reversed his predecessor's policy, by suggesting that the dispute could be resolved mutually.

--IANS

gsh/rn
Assam refinery dispatches 2,281 tonnes HSD to Bangladesh

Assam,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Business/Economy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Guwahati, Jan 12 (IANS) A Railway rake containing 2,281 tonnes of High Speed Diesel (HSD) has been to dispatched from NRL's Marketing Terminal in Siliguri to Parbitipur Depot of Bangladesh Petroleum on Thursday.

The consignment containing 42 wagons will travel over 516 km including 253 km in India and 263 km in Bangladesh on the existing railway line through Rangapani, Singabad and Rohanpur to reach Parbatipur in Bangladesh.

It may be mentioned here that India and Bangladesh had last year entered a new era of petroleum trade with a goodwill train flagged off by Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on March 17 last year from Numaligarh Refinery Limited's Siliguri Marketing Terminal to the neighbouring country.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) have signed a Sale-Purchase Agreement which includes joint initiative for construction of a 131-km pipeline, with a capacity of 1 million metric ton per annum (MMTPA) from Siliguri to Parbatipur.

Prior to the construction of the pipeline, the rail rake mode of transportation of product from Siliguri to Parbatipur is also an effective mode of transport with minimum loss and pollution.

--IANS

ah/pgh/dg
2 new suspects in Belgium accused of Paris attacks

Belgium,Terrorism, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Brussels, Jan 12 (IANS) Two men in Belgium have been accused of allegedly having links to the 2015 Paris attacks, the federal prosecutor said on Thursday.

The suspects allegedly supplied Khalid El Bakraoui, the suicide bomber who launched an attack on the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels in 2016, with the false documents used in the preparation of the attacks in the French capital in November 2015 that killed 130 people, Efe news reported.

A judge specialising in terrorism charged and issued an arrest warrant against Farid K. for suspected involvement in the activities of a terrorist group and for forgery and use of false documents, according to a statement released by the prosecutor's office.

A second suspect, identified as Meryem E.B., was also charged with forgery and use of false documents and released on conditional bail.

The prosecutor's office said it did not plan to release further details due to an ongoing investigation.

--IANS

ksk/dg
Trump team man talks tough on South China Sea islands

Hong Kong,Politics,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Hong Kong, Jan 12 (IANS) President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of State has set the stage for a potential showdown with China over the South China Sea, saying that China should be denied access to the artificial islands it has built in the disputed waters.

Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of oil giant ExxonMobil, told his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that China's activity in the waters, which see $5 trillion in ship borne trade a year, was "extremely worrisome," CNN reported.

China responded saying that countries in the region have come to consensus which the countries outside the region should respect.

The comments during his day-long testimony before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee look set to inflame tensions with China, which claims much of the South China Sea as an integral part of its territory.

He also compared China's territorial claims to Russia's military intervention and the annexing of Crimea in 2014.

"Building islands and then putting military assets on those islands is akin to Russia's taking of Crimea. It's taking of territory that others lay claim to," Tillerson said.

"We're going to have to send China a clear signal that first, the island-building stops, and second, your access to those islands also not going to be allowed."

Tillerson added that the Obama administration had neglected to tackle the problem, saying the "failure of a response has allowed them to just keep pushing the envelope on this".

Analysts said Tillerson's testimony, combined with his future boss's earlier pronouncements, signalled that a Trump administration is poised to take a much tougher stance on China.

Since winning the presidential election, Trump has lashed out at China on Twitter, made clear he is serious about wringing a new trade deal from Beijing, and upended US policy toward Taiwan -- an issue of deep sensitivity for China.

In response to Tillerson's remarks, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang appeared to say Thursday that the US should stay out of the dispute.

He said China and other claimants had returned to a "dual track" approach to try and "resolve the issue peacefully", and that the situation in the South China Sea has "cooled down."

Lu was referring to the Philippines, which mellowed down after challenging China's claims over the South China Sea in an UN-appointed court. The ruling was delivered in favour of Manila in 2016.

The new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has moved closer to Beijing, and threatened America with snapping military ties. The Philippines and the US are long-time ally.

"We hope countries outside the region will respect this consensus that is in the interest of the region and the world."

Under Obama, the US has repeatedly called for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and sailed and flown its assets near the islands China controls -- drawing repeated warnings from China.

China has reclaimed more than 3,000 acres of land in the Spratly Islands since 2014, turning reefs and sandbars into islands equipped with airfields, ports and weapons.

--IANS

gsh/vt
Killed Indian student's family welcomes Oklahoma crash ruling

United States,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Diaspora,Education, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) The family of a 23-year-old Mumbai student killed in Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade crash in 2015 has welcomed a ruling by a US court here giving life time jail to the woman behind the accident.

Adacia Chambers, 26, crashed into a crowd at the Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade killing four people, including MBA student Nikita Prabhakar Nakal.

Chambers was sentenced by Payne County District Court this week after pleading no contest to the four counts of second-degree murder and 39 counts of assault and battery, reported Oklahoma Television station Koco on Wednesday.

Many victims said they are thankful that they won't have to go through the turmoil of a trial, according to the report.

"It doesn't fix it, but hopefully it closes the doors so people can move forward, if that makes sense," said Nakita Prabhakar, the Indian victim's mother. Prabhakar's boyfriend said he's glad to see Chambers go to prison.

"It does help to some extent. It doesn't help a lot. The healing takes a lot of time for the family, especially going through all of the pain," Bhardwaj Bara said.

"I don't think it's going to be any time soon that I will feel any better, but it's a continuous process," he added.

Chambers' attorney, Tony Coleman, said in a press conference that she was suffering from a clear case of mental illness. However, Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas dismissed it as an excuse.

"I find it really offensive to equate mentally ill people with criminal acts and use that as a defense or an excuse," Thomas said.

Chambers' father, Floyd, expressed sympathy for the victims. "From the bottom of my heart, my heart goes out to those victims," he said, adding, "I hope they have a speedy recovery, and they don't let the loss of loved ones bring them down in life."

--IANS

soni/rn
Tatum joins 'Triple Frontier', Hardy in final talks

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Los Angeles, Jan 12 (IANS) Actor Channing Tatum has signed on to star in the upcoming thriller film "Triple Frontier", while actor Tom Hardy is in final talks to be a part of the project.

The film, which is backed by Paramount Pictures, is touted to be a South American crime thriller, reports variety.com.

With Tatum joining the project, this marks the biggest step towards the movie getting a green signal since it was announced that Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal were developing the project in 2009.

Bigelow has since left the project as director, and was replaced by J.C. Chandor.

Boal is still serving as a writer and producer.

The film is set in the notorious border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil where the Iguazu and Parana rivers converge -- making "la triple frontera" difficult to monitor and a haven for organised crime.

--IANS

sas/rb/bg
Of course, Mexico won't pay for wall: President Nieto

Mexico,Politics, Thu, 12 Jan 2017 IANS

Mexico City, Jan 12 (IANS) Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has reiterated that his country will not pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border, within hours of US President-elect Donald Trump doubling down on his campaign pledge to force the Latin American neighbour to do so.

"It is evident that we have some differences with the new government of the US, like the topic of the wall, that Mexico, of course, will not pay," Nieto said on Wednesday during a speech in front of foreign diplomats at the National Palace.

Nieto had similarly refuted the notion following a September meeting with then-candidate Trump in Mexico, Politico reported.

The Mexican President's latest comments once again stood in direct contrast to those of Trump, who on Wednesday continued to insist that his campaign pledge to make the neighbouring nation pay for a border.

"In order to get the wall started, Mexico will pay for the wall. But it will be reimbursed," Trump told reporters on Wednesday during his first press conference in over five months.

"It will happen. Remember this, OK?"

During the campaign, Trump visited Mexico to meet Nieto, CNN reported.

And although Nieto did not agree to fund Trump's wall at the time, afterward, Trump told supporters stateside that even though people in Mexico "don't know it yet", Mexico would pay for the border wall.

--IANS

ksk/dg
Taliban key commander among 12 killed in Afghanistan

Israel,Terrorism, Fri, 13 Jan 2017 IANS

Kabul, Jan 13 (IANS) A Taliban key commander Mawlawi Atiqullah was among 12 killed after aircrafts pounded terrorists' positions in Garmsir district of the southern Helmand province on early Thursday.

The strike was conducted when the terrorists were organising attacks on government interests, Xinhua quoted a statement of provincial government as saying.

Poppy-growing Helmand province has been the scene of fighting between Taliban and government forces over the past couple of years.

The terrorists have been pushing to overrun the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, a key city in southern region of Afghanistan.

--IANS

sku/
TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Anti-Christian pressure is rising most rapidly in South and Southeast Asia, according to the annual Open Doors World Watch List, released today.

The rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party to power in India has unleashed a religiously motivated nationalist fervour, according to Open Doors researchers responsible for compiling the World Watch List. This index ranks the 50 countries where approximately 215 million Christians experience high levels of persecution due to their identification with Christ.

Five of the six countries whose underlying scores rose most sharply during the past year are in South and Southeast Asia: India, Bangladesh, Laos, Bhutan and Vietnam.

"A stand-out trend is that religious nationalism is driving the Asian countries up the list," said Dr. Ron Boyd-MacMillan, Director for Strategic Research at Open Doors International.

Since the Hindu nationalist BJP won national elections in India in 2014, the pace of anti-Christian violence has accelerated in the country's north, where as many as 40 million Christians live.

THE TOP 10

North Korea again ranks No. 1 on the 2017 World Watch List, for the 16th consecutive year. Open Doors rates Pyongyang's dictatorial regime as unmatched in its hostility to religion.

Within the top 10, Somalia moved up 4 places to No. 2. The intensely tribal character of Somali society means any Muslim who converts to Christianity is immediately detected and that is enough to get you killed.

Overall, the top 10 on the WWL 2017 have been constant. Nine of the top 10 also were among the top 10 on the previous year's list: North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Eritrea.

In Iraq and Syria there were fewer reported incidents as most Christians have fled from IS held areas but the pressure on Christians is still very high.

At No. 9, Yemen is the only newcomer to the top 10, displacing Libya. Yemeni Christians are caught in the middle of a civil war between the Saudi Arabia-backed loyalists and Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

OTHER TRENDS AMONG THE TOP 50

The average score for all 50 countries increased slightly compared to 2016. Nearly a quarter of that increase is attributable to increasingly authoritarian regimes in eight countries in the Middle-East and Northern Africa. Countries like Egypt, Jordan and Algeria are really cracking down on extremists.

Extremism has a freer hand in sub-Saharan Africa, where Islamic militancy is going main stream. Money is flowing to Islamic politicians and schools, among other elements of society.

ABOUT OPEN DOORS AND THE WORLD WATCH LIST

For over 60 years, Open Doors has worked in the world's most oppressive countries, empowering Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs.

The Open Doors World Watch Research unit surveys five areas of Christian life: private; family, community, national, and within the church. Separately, it measures violence against Christians.

Open Doors' research methods and results have been independently audited by the International Institute for Religious Freedom.

SOURCE Open Doors Canada

For further information: Contact Monica Ratra at 905-636-0944, [email protected]
VANCOUVER, Jan. 12, 2017 /CNW/ - VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. (TSX-V: "VRB") (the "Company") is pleased to announce it has signed a memorandum of understanding "MOU" with leading UK technology company C-Tech Innovation Limited (C-Tech) to collaborate on the development of a vanadium electrolyte "VE" plant in Canada. Direct VE capacity is the main consideration in the Company's preliminary economic assessment "PEA". C-Tech will assist in recovery optimization and beneficiation of VanadiumCorp electrolyte directly from magnetite concentrate.

C-Tech is an innovative research and technology company focused on preparation of VE for use in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB). Under the MOU a test plant capable of producing battery-ready electrolyte will be established in Quebec, Canada. C-Tech will also collaborate with VanadiumCorp (along with other consultants) on a commercial-scale VE plant.

The MOU will allow the companies to collaborate on a number of key strategic initiatives including:

The development of vanadium electrolyte production and other specialty high purity vanadium materials using C-Tech's highly efficient electrochemical processing technology from VanadiumCorp's mineral claims located in the mining center of Chibougamau, Quebec .

. The development and commercialization of efficient and environmentally friendly mineral extraction and processing technologies to enable the direct production of vanadium electrolyte from unrefined raw materials, including the simultaneous removal of contaminant metals.

Pursue reasonable efforts to enter into a definitive agreement within 12 months from the effective date of signing for the MOU.

The general process & production development outline for The Lac Dore Vanadium Project:

Commence initial testing of VanadiumCorp VTM, V205

Demonstrate recovery and economics with C-Tech electrochemical pilot plant

Commence scaled up commercial vanadium electrolyte manufacture with C-Tech production plant

Ged Barlow, MD of C-Tech Innovation comments, "VanadiumCorp is executing plans to put together a low cost vertically integrated supply chain for VE manufacture. C-Tech is excited to be part of this innovative business model and looks forward to capitalizing upon its manufacturing and purification technologies in the expanding VE market."

Adriaan Bakker, CEO of VanadiumCorp states, "VanadiumCorp's aim is to mitigate VE costs with direct process, unique supply, low cost power and vertical integration into VRFB technology. The objective of our partnership with C-Tech is to reduce total VRFB cost and accelerate commercialization."

C-Tech Innovation delivers innovative products and processes for electrochemical and advanced thermal applications. This includes unique electrochemical processes for use in energy and environmental applications, such as metal recovery, water treatment, chemical synthesis, fuel cells and batteries.

C-Tech's expertise with flow batteries, and electrochemical production of VE allows for a vertically integrated process flowsheet, test production and necessary production infrastructure. C-Tech has developed a proprietary electrochemical process for the production of VE in VRFBs. Approximately 42% of the total cost of a VRB battery is attributed to VE specifically. VE is thus the critical component that stores electrical energy indefinitely at megawatt to gigawatt scale and ideal for storing renewable energy and many other applications such as EV charging stations and remote off grid power. VRFBs manage the intermittent nature of renewable energy most efficiently compared to competing technologies. Increasing grid stability, modernization, security and managing power for later use are all possible with the VRFB. With 100% reusable VE as the sole electrolyte, VRFBs typically last longer than 25 years and represent a "green" energy storage technology. The lower risk operation of VRFBs makes them ideally suited for commercial operations where safety is of paramount importance. The cost reduction potential of directly processed VE for VRFBs could offer significant advantages.

VanadiumCorp is focused on the development of its 100% owned Lac Dore Vanadium project. The project will incorporate local "green" processing for high-purity vanadium electrolyte, which forms a key component of flow batteries. Favorable metallurgy, low impurities such as silica and no superficial oxidation allow for a direct purification process unique to VanadiumCorp.

More information on company activities and vanadium redox batteries, including global installations, can be found on The Company's website at www.vanadiumcorp.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE VanadiumCorp Resource Inc.

For further information: contact Adriaan Bakker, President and Chief Executive Officer at 604-385-4485 or [email protected]

Related Links

www.vanadiumcorp.com


THE FT. LAUDERDALE SHOOTINGS

By Chuck Baldwin

January 12, 2017

NewsWithViews.com There was another mass shooting in a gun-free zone: this time in the Ft. Lauderdale airport in Florida. As I have said repeatedly, the most dangerous place in the world to be is in a gun-free zone. An example is the heavily gun-controlled city of Chicago. In a place where very few good guys are legally allowed to possess a firearm, some 762 people were murdered during 2016. Thats over two per day. And true to form, the mass shootings in Ft. Lauderdale make no more sense than any of the other mass shootings in this country--except that they took place in a gun-free zone, of course. Heres what weve been told: A 26-year-old Hispanic guy flies all the way from Alaska to South Florida. But after he arrives in Ft. Lauderdale, he decides to go into an airport bathroom, take out the handgun he had lawfully checked onto the plane, and without saying a word start shooting people in the baggage claim area, killing five. After he runs out of bullets, he calmly lies down on the floor and waits for authorities to take him into custody. Authorities never fire a shot. The man was a U.S. veteran who was a member of the Alaska Army National Guard and had served a tour of duty in Iraq. Now get this: last November, the man walked into an FBI office in Anchorage and told them that the Army had forced him to submit to mind control programs that included pumping him full of ISIS videos. He also said that the military was trying to force him to fight FOR ISIS. He further said that he was sickened and guilt-stricken at the numbers of innocent children in Iraq that the U.S. military was killing through all of its drone, missile, and bombing attacks, to the point of it affecting his emotional stability. Of course, we are told he was dismissed as a wacko and drummed out of the Army. His family testified to the mental and emotional changes that this man had undergone after his tour of duty in Iraq. By the way, he worked as a security guard and carried a handgun in the performance of his duties. As happens so very often in these mass shootings, initial reports from eyewitnesses said there were multiple shooters at the scene, but authorities later declared the man acted alone. This happens in almost every mass shooting. Again, nothing about this story makes any sense. But I get it: this was another "deranged" madman, so nothing has to make sense. How convenient. Or, as many Muslim-hating Christian writers and talking heads are now saying, the guy was a Muslim terrorist. So, THAT explains it. Brains in neutral; think no further. Based on a photo of the alleged handgun used by the shooter, the gun looks to be a Walther PPS 9mm. This gun has a single stack magazine and holds seven or eight rounds. These are not high-capacity magazines by any stretch. Early reports said that the shooter did NOT reload. Later, however, reports said he did reload. By the number of people hit, it seems obvious that the shooter did reload at least once--if he was the ONLY shooter, that is. If the shooter only reloaded once (as some eyewitnesses say), this was still an extraordinary display of handgun accuracy. A total of thirteen people were shot, and five of them were killed. That means this man fired sixteen shots and thirteen of them hit a person and five of the thirteen were kill shots. That was very good shooting given the fact that people were not standing still. They were moving and moving quickly. They were panicked; they were running; dodging; weaving; diving; seeking cover; etc. Granted, one of the five killed was elderly, which would have impaired her mobility. But unless some of the others had physical handicaps, they would have certainly been able to move fast enough to make themselves difficult targets. You handgunners know how difficult it is to be accurate with a short-barreled handgun when shooting in a no-stress environment at a stationary target. Throw fast moving targets and the stress of shooting at live human beings into the mix, and accuracy becomes extremely difficult. For a real-life comparison, an investigative study by the New York Times found that in actual, real-world shootings, from a distance of zero to six feet, police officers hit the bad guys only about 40% of the time. Did you get that? Trained police officers from a distance of zero to six feet (thats called bad breath range) only hit their targets four out of ten times. See the report: A Hail Of Bullets, A Heap Of Uncertainty If this shooter in Ft. Lauderdale was truly alone, his accuracy ratio was MUCH higher than trained police officers, and he would have been shooting at much greater distances. If he reloaded once, his accuracy was 81%. If he reloaded twice, his accuracy was 54%. As you can see, we are supposed to believe that this man was much, much better with a handgun than professional police officers. And before you cite the mans military training as making the difference, unless the soldier is in Special Ops or has a duty-specific need for advanced handgun training, the primary weapon a soldier or Marine is trained with is the battle rifle, and their training with a handgun is minimal. Of course, the presence of a second or third shooter at the Ft. Lauderdale airport would significantly help explain the number of killed and wounded. If the shooter truly acted alone, it is much more plausible that he reloaded more than once--which brings to surface another problem. In the length of time that an active shooter is calmly walking around shooting people and taking time to reload his handgun, how is it that NO airport security personnel managed to get there in time to engage the shooter? By the time any police officer or security personnel arrived, the shooter was out of bullets, had dropped his handgun, and was lying prostrate on the floor waiting to be taken into custody. Come on! You folks have flown in and out of these big international airports. They are crawling with armed security. But somehow, this man was able to calmly walk around shooting people, even taking enough time to ostensibly execute several reloads, and NO ONE arrived in time to engage the guy. Ladies and gentlemen, neither scenario makes any sense. NONE! Watch this though: as sure as anything, more restrictions (or even a total prohibition) will be placed on the transporting of firearms on commercial airliners (except for government employees and their bodyguards, of course). Plus, this shooting also provides momentum for the anti-gun zealots in Washington, D.C., (in both parties) to squelch a certain effort by pro-gun members of Congress to pass a national concealed carry reciprocity bill that appeared inevitable given the results of the November elections. All bets are off now. Here we go again. The one common denominator of all of these random mass shootings is more and more gun control and less and less freedom. This will also fuel the accusations by anti-gun leftists against our military combat veterans that they are mentally ill. A PTSD diagnosis of combat veterans is a tool of big-government toadies to deny veterans their Second Amendment liberties. No doubt, this shooting will be used as justification for denying more combat veterans of their right to keep and bear arms. They will say this shooter in Ft. Lauderdale was just another mentally ill war veteran, and, therefore, they will tend to adjudicate more and more war veterans as being mentally ill. But the vast, vast majority of our combat veterans are NOT mentally ill. What they are is grief-stricken and guilt-ridden at the acts of horror that they have both witnessed and been forced to participate in by a blood-thirsty, conscienceless Congress and war department. This is easily understood when one recognizes that we are losing far more combat veterans to suicide than we are to enemy fire. Confirming once again that war, to those who are sent to fight them, is absolute hell, newly released Pentagon statistics show that suicide--not combat--is the leading killer of US troops deployed to the Middle East. According to a report in USA Today this week, of the 31 troops who have died as of Dec. 27 in Operation Inherent Resolve, 11 have taken their own lives. Eight died in combat, seven in accidents and four succumbed to illness or injury. These new numbers confirm a trend thats been in place since the beginning of the prolonged occupation of the Middle East. Earlier this year, the DoD released a similar report from 2014 that revealed some startling numbers. In all of 2014, a total of 55 US troops, in both hostile and non-hostile situations, lost their lives in foreign occupations. The number of soldiers who killed themselves was nearly 5 times that amount. According to the DoD report, in 2014, there were 269 deaths by suicide among active component service members (compared to 259 deaths by suicide in 2013). In war, human lives become units to be traded as a commodity to aid in the expansion of the State. When they are no longer deemed useful, these human lives are then tossed out like yesterdays garbage. Treating human beings in such a brutal and inhumane manner is not without consequence. Not only are active duty soldiers tragically ending their own lives at an increasing rate, but once they finish their service, these numbers skyrocket. In a 2012 report put out by the Veterans Administration, it was estimated that up to 22 veterans a day kill themselves. That is 8,000 lives a year--almost one per hour. The report goes on to say: If you really want to support the troops youll stop supporting wars of aggression in distant lands in which Americans are forced to kill people who pose no threat to the US. If you really support the troops youll stop blindly standing up for your government whose proven track record shows that they do everything but support the troops. If you really support the troops, youll educate yourself on who is behind these wars, why they are waged, and how US foreign policy actually creates enemies. ISIS would not exist had the US not remained hell bent on overthrowing the Assad regime for the benefit of special interests in DC. Pledging blind obedience and unquestioning support for wars that ones government illegally wages at the expense of our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers, is the antithesis of what a free person should do--and anything but supporting the troops. See the report: The Biggest Killer Of US Troops In The Middle East Is Not ISIS  Its Suicide As for the Ft. Lauderdale shootings, it has all of the earmarks of another MK-Ultra-type false flag event. It might absolutely scare us silly if we really knew how many Manchurian candidates the government has walking around out there. Folks, I do NOT trust federal authorities (or their puppets in the mainstream media) to tell us the truth about much of anything. Most everything the federal government tells us is a deliberate, bald-faced lie. The reports about mind control programs conducted by the U.S. military and CIA are well documented. It makes sense to me that this man could have been truly subjected to mind control programing that included being programmed to commit acts of terrorism on behalf of ISIS. After all, our military Special Ops and CIA have been actively and deliberately working on behalf of, and in support of, ISIS for years. It also makes sense to me that this man could have been overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and shame at the reality of watching hundreds--maybe thousands--of innocent little children being killed in the U.S. bombing raids in Iraq to the point that--coupled with the mind control programming he had been subjected to--he wound up doing exactly what the U.S. government had programmed him to do. Eyewitnesses may have also truly seen a second or third shooter: a specially trained killer whose job was to make sure the patsy fulfilled his assignment and to also make sure there was a sufficient death toll. A man who then simply disappeared like a ghost into thin air leaving the mind-controlled patsy to take all of the blame. These highly skilled, professional killers have no problem disappearing after a killing, because they have all of the backup they need from whichever government is sponsoring them. Just how many of these mass killings are indeed the work of wicked and murderous assassins within our own government who manipulate distraught, disillusioned, mind-controlled patsies in order to saturate the country with more and more fear and anger, we will never know. Each time one of these tragedies happens, liberals are left with more and more fear and anger against guns; and conservatives are left with more and more fear and anger against Muslims. All the while, the New World Order neocon globalists who are the masterminds behind these brilliant conspiracies achieve their desired objectives with the attitudes and reactions of both liberals and conservatives. Conspiracy or no conspiracy, this much is an absolute fact: gun-free zones are great places to get shot. [If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link.] [I also have many books and DVDs available for purchase online. Go to Chuck Baldwin Live Store]  2017 Chuck Baldwin - All Rights Reserved Share This Article Click Here For Mass E-mailing

Chuck Baldwin is a syndicated columnist, radio broadcaster, author, and pastor dedicated to preserving the historic principles upon which America was founded. He was the 2008 Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party. He and his wife, Connie, have 3 children and 9 grandchildren. Chuck and his family reside in the Flathead Valley of Montana. See Chuck's complete bio here.



E-mail: chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com Website: ChuckBaldwinLive.com Home

The reports about mind control programs conducted by the U.S. military and CIA are well documented. It makes sense to me that this man could have been truly subjected to mind control programing that included being programmed to commit acts of terrorism on behalf of ISIS.
After three-straight years of record sales, automaker Rolls-Royce has unveiled its newest car called the Dawn. Rolls-Royce North America President Pedro Mota called the vehicle the companys sexiest Rolls-Royce ever.

Just look at it, I think its absolutely gorgeous, I can see you driving this in the south of France or on PCH right now, Mota told FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo on Thursday.

The Dawn is customizable depending on the customers needs and preferences.

We try to make a unique car for a unique customer, Mota said. Our customers tend to be entrepreneurs, individual people that dont need to justify to anybody the reason why they rewarded themselves for that success.

But owning the luxury carmakers sexiest vehicle comes with a hefty price tag of just under $400,000.

Related Articles
Daniel Ortega has been sworn in for a third consecutive term as Nicaraguas president, with his wife Rosario Murillo as the new vice president, giving a married couple the reins of power for the first time in the Central American countrys history.

Ortega, a 71-year-old former rebel fighter, took the oath in Managua with the presidents of Venezuela, Bolivia and Taiwan in attendance.Ortega and Murillo were elected in November with 72.5 percent of the vote, but with a high rate of abstentions. Their party won 71 of the 92 seats in parliament.Nicaragua could face economic challenges in Ortegas third five-year term amid a steep drop in aid from Venezuela, which has funded many social programmes.A law is also being considered in the US that could block Nicaraguas access to loans from international lending organisations, pushed by US legislators claiming a critical of a lack of government transparency.
The widow of an activist executed after protesting against Royal Dutch Shell's oil production in Nigeria has won access to legal documents for use in a legal case for damages against the oil giant that she says she plans to launch in the Netherlands.

A U.S. judge in December told Shell's U.S. lawyers to give Esther Kiobel documents about Shell's activities in Nigeria, according to her lawyers and a court transcript obtained by protest website royaldutchshellplc.com and seen by Reuters.

Kiobel alleges that Shell was complicit in the execution of her late husband, alongside author and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, by the Nigerian military in 1995 because it provided support and funding for the army in its crackdown of opposition to a Shell-led joint venture in the Niger Delta.

Shell said in a statement that it denied the allegations, previously made in a lawsuit against Shell in the United States.

It made no comment about the possibility of legal action in the Netherlands or the December court ruling on the documents.

Kiobel previously gained access to the documents and deposition transcripts she is now seeking but only for use in the U.S. lawsuit.

Kiobel's lawyers said a court order prevented her from using the files in other legal actions or publicly discussing the contents.

Nonetheless, in an October filing Kiobel's lawyers said they sought the documents as part of their aim of proving cooperation between "the Nigerian junta and Shell in committing human rights violations".

The previous U.S. case was unsuccessful because the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that claims could only be taken in the United States if an alleged transgression was guided from inside the country.

Kiobel's Dutch lawyer, Channa Samkalden, said the Dutch civil case would be filed in the next couple of months. Any damages are likely to be immaterial for Shell, analysts said, as Dutch courts rarely make the kinds of multi-million dollar awards common in the United States.

Marco Simons, a lawyer with environmental group Earth Rights in Washington who has seen the documents because he represented Kiobel in the U.S. lawsuit, said the material to be turned over would support the lawsuit against Shell in the Netherlands, where the courts have already agreed to hear other cases involving Shell's overseas activities.

"It would be extremely critical to have access to all of this evidence," he said.

Reuters has not seen the documents and cannot independently verify what Simons says about the relevance of their content.

Shell's law firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, which asked the court to reject Kiobel's request, did not respond to requests for comment. (REUTERS)




Donald Trump attacked US intelligence agencies and the media Wednesday as he denied explosive allegations about his ties to Russia, but admitted for the first time that Moscow had likely meddled in the US election.Just over a week before he takes office, Trump said he had ceded "complete" managing control of his global property empire to his two adult sons but stopped short of making a full divestment, earning a swift rebuke from an ethics watchdog and Democratic Party opponents."It doesn't meet the standards that the best of his nominees are meeting and that every president in the last four decades has met," said Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics."He needs to get rid of his business interests and he needs to put them in what's called a blind trust," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren told Bloomberg TV. But the hour-long press conference, his first in six months, focused firmly on the unsubstantiated claims that his aides colluded with the Kremlin to win the US election, and that Russia has compromising information on Trump.The president-elect accused CNN of generating "fake news" and slammed BuzzFeed as "a failing pile of garbage" after it published a dossier with the allegedly incriminating material, drawn up by a former British intelligence agent hired to do "opposition research" on Trump."It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen," he said, referring to allegations of lurid behavior in a Moscow hotel room.- 'Nazi Germany' -The 70-year old Republican billionaire suggested it may have been released by the intelligence agencies, which would be a "tremendous blot on their record."Trump dodged questions about whether his campaign had contacts with Russian intelligence, instead tearing into reporters whose outlets reported on the allegations of the existence of compromising material."I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news," he told a CNN reporter, igniting a fresh raft of questions about his respect for constitutional guarantees about the free press.The US intelligence community concluded Moscow interfered in the November election in a bid to tip the race in Trump's favor.But intelligence chiefs last week presented Trump, as well as President Barack Obama, with a two-page synopsis on the potentially embarrassing but unsubstantiated allegations involving Russia, according to CNN and The New York Times.US intelligence chief James Clapper late Wednesday expressed his "profound dismay" to Trump over the leaks."This evening, I had the opportunity to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss recent media reports about our briefing last Friday," Clapper said."I expressed my profound dismay at the leaks that have been appearing in the press, and we both agreed that they are extremely corrosive and damaging to our national security," he said, adding that he did not believe that the US intelligence community was the source.-'No dealings with Russia' -Even before the new allegations became public, Democrats and Trump's Republican allies had become increasingly uneasy about Russia's role in the election, with calls for an independent investigation growing.The Kremlin has dismissed the dossier as a "total fake" aimed at damaging bilateral ties.Trump began the press conference muted and disciplined, but became increasingly agitated as questions piled up."I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals in Russia. I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we've stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia," Trump said.The president-elect finally admitted for the first time that he believes Moscow likely meddled in the US election.But while secretary of state-designate Rex Tillerson, also seen as close to Moscow, called Russia a "danger" during his confirmation hearing, Trump may have fanned the flames by downplaying Moscow's role."As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I also think we've been hacked by other countries, other people," he said.Trump aides bristle at the suggestion that Russia weighed in behind Trump, seeing it as an effort to delegitimize his election victory.Trump again refused to back away from his openness towards Russian President Vladimir Putin.- The dossier -"If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability," Trump said. "I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there's a good chance I won't."Without corroborating its contents, BuzzFeed published a 35-page dossier of memos on which the synopsis reportedly presented to Trump is based.The memos, which had been circulating in Washington for months, describe sex videos involving prostitutes filmed during a 2013 visit by Trump to a luxury Moscow hotel, supposedly as a potential means for blackmail.They also suggest Russian officials proposed lucrative deals in order to win influence over the real estate magnate."The Kremlin does not have compromising information on Trump," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of committing t...

Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of committing treasonable felony against Nigeria.Kanu made reference to the December 31,1983 military coup that led to the installation of Buhari as Head of State, while praying trial Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the 11-count treason charge the government entered against him and three other pro-Biafra agitators.The said coup ousted the democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari. Moving his preliminary objection to the charge, Kanu, through his lawyer Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said: My lord it was Buhari that committed treasonable felony in 1983 when he spearheaded a coup that overthrew a democratically elected government, not my client.The defendants queried the competence of the charge, saying there was nothing in the proof of evidence before the court to support treason allegation against them.They argued that FG failed to establish a prima-facie case against them to warrant their trial.In a seven-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Ahmed Sadiya, the defendants, said there was nothing contained in the proof of evidence to show that IPOB, people merely exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to self determination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, is an unlawful society/organisation.Kanu said the only evidence the prosecution attached in support of treason allegation against him was an extra judicial statement he made to the Department of a state Service, statement made by the prosecution witnesses, and highlight of alleged Radio Biafra broadcasts.He told the court that Radio Biafra was duly registered and operated under the United Kingdom Laws.The IPOB leader is facing trial alongside Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.All the defendants, through their respective lawyers, urged the court to not only quash charges, but to also discharge and acquit them. Meanwhile, government lawyer, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, in his response, asked the court to dismiss the defendants objections which he said lacked substance.Labaran urged the court to in-line with the provision of section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, refuse the applications and okay witnesses to commence their evidence-in-chief against the defendants. My lord I listened carefully to adumbrations of the 1st defendants counsel and I ask myself, if he has this kind of defence, why then is he afraid of trial, Labaran added.Meantime, the defendants have applied for a stay of further proceeding on the matter to enable the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal to hear and determine appeal they have lodged against their trial.The defendants went before the appellate court to challenge the December 1, 2016, ruling of the trial court that denied them bail. They are equally challenging decision of the trial Judge to conduct secret trial on the matter.Likewise, counsel to the 4th defendant, Mr. Maxwell Okpara filed a motion asking the court to protect his life. Okpara alleged that security operatives at Kuje prison where the defendants were remanded, have been collecting his personal details. My lord they have been gathering my details. Whenever I visit my client they will force me to fill a form and supply them with my personal information, including my village and home address.I can only appear before this court is I am alive, Okpara added.Trial Justice Nyako has fixed February 10 to determine whether to quash charges against the defendants or not. Kanu and his co-defendants were dressed in white with shawl like Israeli Rabbis on their head.Scores of protesters also stormed the court premises chanting pro-Biafra songs, with most of them also dressed in jewish apparels. The protesters who were barred from gaining access into the court, brandished placards and several Biafra insignia and flags.It will be recalled that Kanu had on December 12, threatened that he would in the course of the trial, expose secrets he said would sink Nigeria. The defendants equally alleged plot by FG to import foreigners to testify against them.FG had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, alleged that the quartet conspired to commit treasonable felony contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014. FG alleged that they committed the offence along with others now at large, on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015, in Nigeria, London and United Kingdom.It told the court that the defendant conspired among themselves to broadcast on Radio Biafra which is monitored in Enugu and its environs, preparations they were making for states in the South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and Benue states, to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a view to constituting same into a Republic of Biafra.Whereas FG identified Kanu as the arrow-head behind the hate broadcasts, it fingered Onwudiwe as the National Coordinator of the IPOB movement.Kanu who was hitherto the Director of Radio Biafra and Television, has been in detention since October 14, 2015, when he was arrested by security operatives upon his arrival to Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom.
The Chinese government on Wednesday announced a fresh $40 billion investment in the Nigerian economy.

The Chinese government on Wednesday announced a fresh $40 billion investment in the Nigerian economy.The Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Wang Yi, made the disclosure at a bilateral meeting with his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja.The minister said China had already invested up to $45 billion in the Nigerian economy.He said, Nigeria and China are strategic partners. Our relations have been developing well. China has already invested or financed a total number of $22billion projects here in Nigeria, another $23billion projects are ongoing.In addition, we are also following up another over $40billion of investments which is in the pipeline.Compare with the size, population and markets of our two countries, our cooperation still have large potential to be deepened.He also pointed out that to achieve further development and prosperity, Nigeria and China need to strengthen political mutual trust and deep complementary between the two nations.He stressed the need to further expand practical cooperation and deepen strategic partnership between the two countries.He expressed confidence that his visit would be a successful one and play a dual role in further strengthening the strategic partnership between China and Nigeria.
Peatlands are carbon-rich ecosystems that cover three percent of Earth's land surface, but store about a third of all soil carbon (AFP Photo/Laudes Martial Mbon)

Paris (AFP) - A swampy forest in central Africa the size of England covers previously unknown carbon stocks equivalent to three years' worth of global CO2 emissions, scientists revealed Wednesday.

Draining these peatlands for agriculture, or reduced rainfall due to climate change, would release massive amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases, they warned in a study published in Nature magazine.

"We found 30 billion tonnes of carbon that nobody knew was there," said Simon Lewis, co-lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Leeds.

"If the Congo Basin peatlands were to be destroyed, it would release billions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere," he told AFP.

"Keeping that carbon locked up" should be a priority, he added.

Peatlands are carbon-rich ecosystems that cover three percent of Earth's land surface, but store about a third of all soil carbon.

Most peat -- dense, dark-brown muck composed of decaying plants -- is located in Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia, but the tropics hold large stores as well.

Until the mid-20th century, it was often cut into bricks, dried and burned as a fuel.

More recently, however, scientists have understood that peatlands, which are at least 30 centimetres (a foot) thick, harbour vast stores of carbon in the form of the greenhouse gases that are driving global warming.

The Congo Basin peatland average about 2 metres (six feet) in thickness.

Most climate change in caused by burning oil, gas and coal to power our economies, but a tenth of global emissions come from land use, mainly deforestation and agriculture.

In Southeast Asia -- notably in Indonesia -- vast expanses of peatland have been stripped of wetland forests and drained to make way for commercial crops, especially palm oil.

That process not only releases CO2 and nitrous oxide -- another potent greenhouse gas -- into the atmosphere, it also creates health-wrecking pollution when forests are burned.

Story continues

- Haven for gorillas -

The Congo Basin's Cuvette Centrale peatlands -- astride the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- "are currently relatively undisturbed," said Emma Stokes, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Africa programme.

"But palm oil is starting to happen in Africa," she said by phone, referring to the possibility of peatlands being sacrificed to make the way for plantations.

"It is not an immediate risk, but we can't all sit back and not worry about it," she said by phone.

And while there is some concern among climate scientists that global warming many be decreasing the area's rainfall, there is not enough evidence so far to know.

Simon, who discovered the massive peatlands and helped map its contours, explained how a 145,500 square kilometre (56,000 square mile) patch could escape notice for so long.

To start with, the buried organic matter does not form near rivers, which are often the only transport arteries in sparsely populated tropical forests.

"You have to trek deep into the swamp to find it," Simon said.

"Also, you can see peat from space."

But you can distinguish ground cover. So once Simon and his colleagues realised that certain vegetation only grew on top of peatlands, they used satellite images to help map the Cuvette Centrale's contours.

A small portion of the peatlands -- some 4,500 square kilometres (1,750 square miles) -- is already protected as part of the Republic of Congo's Lac Tele Community Reserve.

Stokes, who lives nearby, is in discussions with the government about extending its boundaries, she said.

"The area is home to some of the highest densities of gorillas in the world," she said.

Forest elephants -- also threatened -- and many water birds also find haven there, partly because it is so remote from human population centres, she added.
Interpol - the worlds largest police organization - has told Al Jazeera that they have identified cases where member countries have not c...

Interpol - the worlds largest police organization - has told Al Jazeera that they have identified cases where member countries have not complied with their rules on international wanted alerts.The disclosure comes in Interpol: Red Alert!, a People & Power documentary on Al Jazeera, which follows allegations that member states have used Interpols wanted notice system to target political opponents. In testimony gathered by People & Power, individuals describe how some countries have been able to pursue them across borders on apparently politically motivated charges.Each of Interpols 190 member states can request that Interpol circulate a Red Notice informing countries across the world that an individual is wanted for serious offences. In 2015 Interpol issued over 11,000 Red Notices. Countries can also use Interpol systems to circulate Diffusions Notices, which are described as less formal than Red Notices and are also used to request the arrest or location of an individual.Member states are expected to abide by Interpols constitution, which states that its strictly forbidden for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.Speaking to People & Power during Interpols 2016 General Assembly in Bali Indonesia, Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock stated that while such non compliance with Interpols rules was the exception rather than the rule, Interpol took every case very seriously.Questioned on which member states might be serial offenders when it comes to non-compliance with Interpol rules, Stock did not identify the countries concerned, saying that if Interpol identified non compliance the organization provided feedback to the member country.Stock also stated that he has introduced a task force to review every request for a notice even more intensively.Stocks comments on Red Notices  a crucial crime fighting tool  follow pressure from critics and activists for Interpol to filter out politically motivated wanted alerts before Interpol issues the notices through their secure data bases.The UK-based NGO, Fair Trials International, has been among the voices calling for Interpol to do a tougher job at reviewing wanted alerts before they are circulated.Interpol has been allowing itself to be used by oppressive regimes across the world to export the persecution of human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents by circulating these global wanted alerts from them, claims Jago Russell, chief executive of the NGO Fair Trials International. It has to get used to saying no to member countries. I think it can be done and I think Interpol has to do it to maintain its reputation.In addition to filtering out abuse of wanted notices before theyre circulated, critics have also called on Interpol to make it easier to challenge information held by the global policing organization.If individuals believe they are the subject of a politically motivated wanted alert, they can contact an organization called the Commission for the Control of Interpols files (CCF). However, this body has come under fire over the length of time it takes to settle cases, and claims of a lack of transparency.At their General Assembly in November last year, member countries agreed changes to the CCF which they say will strengthen the integrity of Interpols information processing mechanisms.Nina Vajic, the CCF Chairperson, said that while this could mean a more streamlined process in gaining information held by Interpol, the policing organization still has to rely on member countries to co-operate and provide data.Each Interpol member country has a National Central Bureau (NCB) who provide information for an Interpol wanted alert. The Commission will always have to rely on the willingness of the NCBs to co-operate, because according to the principle of national sovereignty, the national bureaus remain owners of that data, she told Al Jazeera.
Notwithstanding the threats by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, to resume hostilities in the ...





Notwithstanding the threats by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta region, a team from the Presidency, led by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, will commence a confidence-building visit to the region on Monday, January 16.The visit, which was initially scheduled for Tuesday, January 10, was suspended soon after the Avengers, angry at the apparent refusal of the Presidency to dialogue with the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, announced its plan to restart bombing of oil installations, last Saturday.A source at the Presidency confided in Vanguard: The Vice President was taken aback by the threats, but he had since been reassured that the discontent in the region was caused by the same notion that will be created if the planned visit is cancelled.His first port of call is Gbaramatu kingdom, the home base of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State.The team will also visit Bayelsa, Eket and other parts of the region to obtain first hand information on the pains of the people of Niger Delta. Deputy Governor of Delta state and Chairman, Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, DSACAOFV, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, who spoke to Vanguard, appealed to militants not to go ahead with their threats to resume hostilities, as the federal government was not against dialogue.The dialogue option has not been exhausted, so there is no need for militants to bomb critical national oil assets as a way of expressing their grievances. The Delta State Advocacy Committee is still working has been working behind the scene to ensure that peace reigns in the region and we are certain that the Federal Government is committed to the dialogue process, he added.The deputy governor, who hails from Gbaramatu Kingdom, the heartbeat of the current agitation, asserted: There is really need for the militants and all stakeholders in the Niger Delta to exercise patience, as the federal government is determinedly appraising the issues with a view to addressing the problems holistically.Meanwhile, PANDEF, Thursday, urged militants and stakeholders to maintain the ceasefire deal and remain calm, saying that it could only pursue dialogue with the federal government in an atmosphere of peace.
The House of Representatives is set to grant Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh asylum in the Nigeria as part of efforts to broker peace and ...

The House of Representatives is set to grant Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh asylum in the Nigeria as part of efforts to broker peace and ensure smooth transition in that country.The lower chamber will today debate a motion on granting asylum to Gambia leader after losing December election to opposition leader, Adama Barrow.The motion sponsored by Rep Mohammed Sani Zorro (APC, Jigawa), came under matters of urgent national importance and was supposed to be taken yesterday, but was postponed.Zorro introduced the motion as an urgent need to grant Yahya Jammeh a safe haven in Nigeria.He said if such action could lead to Jammeh relinquishing power to the president-elect, Nigeria should consider the option.When Speaker Yakubu Dogara put the motion to a voice vote, the majority of the lawmakers shouted nay, but the speaker ruled in favour.
Former welterweight champion, Floyd Mayweather has said that he was interested in a fight with Conor McGregor and offered the mixed martial arts star $15million to fight him.Mayweather, who retired in 2015, told ESPNs First Take program, that only a McGregor bout could tempt him to end his exile from the ring.Responding to a question on if he would consider a rematch with Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao, he said: Only thing Im probably interested in is the Conor McGregor fight.Im a businessman and it makes business sense. I believe in what me and (business adviser) Al Haymon talk about every day  I believe in working smarter, not harder.Mayweather also claimed there were initial talks with McGregors representatives, but it stalled.We tried to make the Conor McGregor fight, he said.They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed $100 million. That was my number.We are willing to give him $15 million and then we can talk about splitting the percentage  the back end  on the pay-per-view.But of course, were the A side. How can a guy talk about making $20 or $30 million if he has never made $8 or $9 million in a fight? He added.
Olisa Metuh, a former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked the federal high court, Abuja, to subp...

Olisa Metuh, a former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked the federal high court, Abuja, to subpoena Sambo Dasuki, ex-national security adviser (NSA), to testify in his trial.At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Emeka Etiaba, counsel to Metuh, reminded Okon Abang, the judge, of a pending subpoena before the court to invite Dasuki as the next witness.However, Abang advised that both the defence and prosecuting counsel to liaise with the authority holding Dasuki to release him to appear in court.He said it was only after the defence and prosecution had approached the relevant authority and they refuse to release Dasuki, that they can come back to him.But Tochukwukwu Onwugbufor, counsel to the second defendant, said it was the duty of the court to issue a subpoena to anyone to appear in court.The defence team filed the subpoena on December 2, 2016.It was premised on the grounds that since the allegation against Metuh revolved around Dasuki, it was important for Dasuki to be a witness in the matter.Meanwhile, following the stalling of the case on Tuesday due to the ill-health of Metuh, the defence, at Wednesdays sitting presented a medical report from the National Hospital with details of his health condition.The defence team told the court that Metuh was unable to appear in court because he was admitted at the National Hospital for complications arising from spinal cord injuries.Etiaba said the medical experts handling the defendants ailment were unable to give the specific date for his full recovery due to the nature of the ailment.He asked the court for a three-week adjournment for the defendant to recuperate and also seek further medical attention.Onwugbufor told the court that he had seen the medical report and that he was suffering the same ailment as the defendant.He said he was able to get the right medical care only in London, and urged the court to look at the defendants case with compassion since his condition was even more critical than his.According to him, what Metuh is suffering is excruciating and requires expert attention to ensure full recovery.Prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, said he was not opposed to an adjournment, adding that the prosecution sympathised with the defence and wished the defendant quick recovery.We have been served with the medical report of the defendant and we have little or nothing to say since the record speaks for itself. All we can say is that we extend our sympathy to the defence, he said.With regards to the request for a three-week adjournment, we are taking them by their word since the medical report did not give an indication about how soon the defendant will be discharged.It only says his management will continue until he gets well and I am not opposed to the adjournment.Abang adjourned continuation of hearing in the matter till February 21 and February 24.
The Federal Government on Wednesday said it would no longer recognise Taiwan as a country but rather pledged support for One China. The ...

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it would no longer recognise Taiwan as a country but rather pledged support for One China.The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, stated this while answering questions after a joint news conference with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.Mr. Onyeama said Nigeria had withdrawn all diplomatic relations with Taiwan as a country, adding that Taiwanese office in Abuja would be shut down and be relocated to Lagos.According to him, Nigeria has communicated Taiwan and they are moving to Lagos as soon as possible.Taiwan will stop enjoying any privileges because it is not a country that is recognised under international law and under the position we have taken internationally we recognise the people of China.Taiwan will not have any diplomatic representation in Nigeria and also they will be moving to Lagos to the extent that they function as a trade mission with a skeletal staff.Chinese Government does not oppose trading with Taiwan as long as there is no formal contact with the Government that will suggest recognition of Taiwan as sovereign country, he said.According to him, China does not oppose relationship with Taiwan in the level of trade but not on government to government level.The minister, however, said that Nigeria was not pressurised to take the decision, noting that the development was a bit of anormally on the side of NigeriaHe said Nigeria recognised the Peoples Republic of China as country because Nigeria was one the leading African nations that fought for China to reclaim its seat at the UN Security Council from Taiwan.He said the step being taken was to right the wrong that one could not specifically say how it came.It was not very clear how it got into Nigeria system  an arrangement for the Taiwan for a trade mission.And in grating the right of the trade mission it did not accurately reflect the nature of relationship between Nigeria and Taiwan, he said.Mr. Onyeama said the country took the decision to remove any iota of doubt in the mind of the Chinese people.He said on the issue of building trust, the international community had embraced one China and China is a member of the United Nations and we dont want to leave any doubt on the issue.The minister stressed that Nigeria would adhere to it completely and there is no ambiguity at all.He said Nigeria as a nation would do everything to realise the One China Policy as well as any effort that would promote the peace and well being of the Peoples Republic of China.According to Onyeama, China is one of the countries that have been in full support of reforms in the UN that would see Africa having two seats at the UN Security Council, as such deserved to be supported in her unification drive of One China. (NAN)
The Federal Government has rejected 165 citizenship applications submitted by foreigners.
After several weeks of denial over the involvement of Russia in the U.S. presidential election, incoming President Donald Trump has finall...

After several weeks of denial over the involvement of Russia in the U.S. presidential election, incoming President Donald Trump has finally conceded that the Russians actually carried out the hacking.Mr. Trump, who spoke at his first press conference since election on Wednesday, however denied that he had links with Russia over the hacking to sway the election in his favour.When asked by a reporter as to what he would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the hacking, he responded: He shouldnt have done it. I dont believe he will be doing it more.As far as hacking, I think it was Russia. But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people, he said.He promised to protect the U.S. cyber space when he assumes presidency on Jan. 20, berating the Democratic Party for doing a poor job in defending its systems.And were going to put those minds together, and were going to form a defense. And I have to say this also  the Democratic National Committee was totally open to be hacked.They did a very poor job. They could have had hacking defense, which we had. And I will give Reince Priebus credit because when Reince saw what was happening in the world and with this country, he went out and went to various firms and ordered a very, very strong hacking defense.And they tried to hack the Republican National Committee, and they were unable to break through. We have to do that for our country. Its very important.The President-elect, however, dismissed reports that Russia had his dossiers, saying they would have released it if they had.Well, you know, President Putin and Russia put out a statement today that this fake news was indeed fake news. They said it totally never happened.Now somebody would say, oh, of course hes going to say that  I respected the fact that he said that. And I will be honest, I think if he did have something they would have released it. They wouldve been glad to release it.He also, in a rare case, condemned Mr. Putins action, saying hacking is bad and that he should not be doing it.He shouldnt be doing it. He wont be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when Im leading than when other people have led it. You will see that.Russia will respect our country more. He shouldnt have done it. I dont believe that he will be doing it more now.Mr. Trump described Mr. Putins likeness for him over Democratic Hillary Clinton as an asset.Well, if Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability because we have a horrible relationship with Russia.Russia can help us fight ISIS, which by the way is number one tricky. I mean, if you look, this administration created ISIS by leaving at the wrong time. The void was created, ISIS was formed.If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what folks? Thats called an asset not a liability. Now I dont know that I am going to get along with Vladimir Putin, he said.Mr. Trump also said he would present a replacement for the Affordable Care Act very soon, insisting that it is a disaster.Were going to have a healthcare that is far less expensive and far better. Okay.According to him, he would distance himself from his businesses.On the possible conflict of interest with his business and the nomination of close family members, Mr. Trump argued that there was no subsisting law against his actions.The conflict-of-interest law, however, does apply to his cabinet nominees, which is something that could become thorny  in particular given their wealth.The Office of Government Ethics has been very aggressive in pointing that out, and some hearings have already been delayed, in part, because of incomplete filings.The President-in-waiting also insisted that he was going to build the wall between U.S. and Mexico.On the fence, its not a fence. Its the wall. You just misreported it. Were going to build a wall.NAN reports that other issues Trump addressed ahead of his inauguration included tax cuts, cabinet members screening and immigration policy, among others.
NEW YORK-- Four men have been indicted on charges accusing them of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act involving the attempted sale of an $800 million high-rise building in Vietnam, Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement this week.

Three of the defendants -- Dennis Bahn, Ban Ki Sang and Malcolm Harris -- have also been charged with money laundering, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. A fourth, John Woo, has been charged only with conspiracy to violate the FCPA.

For a little more than two years beginning in March 2013, authorities say Bahn and his father Ban attempted to bribe an unnamed foreign official in connection with the sale. The building was built and owned by Keangam, a South Korean company where Ban was a senior executive.

Keangam, in debt and needing to raise capital, hired Bahn at the behest of his father, authorities said. Bahn, who worked in New York as a broker for the building, known as Landmark 72, could have potentially earned millions in commissions from a successful sale, authorities said.

Bahn and Ban attempted to bribe the foreign official in exchange for the official convincing his Middle Eastern nation's sovereign wealth fund to purchase the property. Harris purportedly represented the official, authorities said.

Through Harris, Ban and Bahn agreed to pay a $500,000 bribe upfront to the official and an additional $2 million when the sale was completed, authorities said. Woo helped Ban and Bahn obtain the bribe money, authorities also said.

But Harris allegedly scammed the pair. Harris, who did not actually represent the official, instead spent the $500,000 on himself, including for rent at a luxury apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, officials said.

As Ban and Bahn spent the next year awaiting completion of the sale and Keangam's finances worsened, Bahn allegedly defrauded his firm's creditors into believing the sale of Landmark 72 was imminent. As part of that scheme, authorities say Bahn forged emails from the foreign official. Keangam eventually went into receivership.

Bahn, 38, of Tenafly, was arrested there this week. Woo, 35, of Edgewater, is also in custody. Ban, of South Korea, and Harris, of New York, remained at large Tuesday.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
chrome.jpg

A Google Chrome security hole means consumers need to take action to protect their private information.

You take a lot of steps to keep your private information safe online -- we hope.

Perhaps you use different logins and passwords for all your accounts. You search for "https" to make sure a site is secure. You type carefully so you don't end up on an impersonation website, and you never open strange emails, click on uncertain links or download documents or images from questionable senders.

But if you use Google Chrome as your internet browser, you might reveal your private information without even knowing it.

Even your credit card information.

Bamboozled learned of this security flaw from Viljami Kuosmanen, a 23-year-old computer tech guy based in Finland, who reported his findings on Twitter.

The problem is with Chrome's auto-fill feature. The feature automatically adds your information -- such as your name or address --to online forms using information you've previously filled out on other online forms.

It's a convenience so users won't have to type and retype the same information over and over again.

But with Chrome, there's behind-the-scenes coding that shares more auto-fill info than some online forms request, Kuosmanen found.

"The issue I found with Chrome's implementation of this feature is that it will fill fields hidden from view of the user, without giving any indication of what information has been shared with the website," Kuosmanen said in an email interview.

So when you use auto-fill with a Chrome browser, it will fill in all of your stored information -- even information that's not asked for by the website via the boxes, or fields, shown on the form.

What's the big deal?

"Consumers might get targeted by malicious websites or emails using this attack vector to reveal sensitive information like the full contact information, credit card details or passwords belonging to the user," Kuosmanen said.

He's most worried about identity theft, something Mitch Feather of Creative Associates, a Madison-based cybersecurity and infrastructure consulting firm, said is a real problem.

"If the consumer does not follow sound password practices, then the actor may be well positioned to access any number of the consumer's online accounts," Feather said.

Here's how it works.

Say you've filled out a form on a retail website and you included your credit card information. Later that day, you sign up for a free newsletter or for coupons from a different site. You start to fill out the form, but if your auto-fill is active, the boxes are automatically completed for you. There is no box to complete for your credit card information, so you think you don't have any reason to believe that information is being transmitted to the website.

But if you use Chrome, it will share all of your stored information, including your credit card number, your expiration date and your CVV -- that three digit code on the back of your credit card.

Kuosmanen created this video to show how it works.

As you can see, after only inputting a name and email address, the auto-fill also added a phone number, address and company name to the code. If the user's auto-fill also had credit card information stored, that would be been added to the code, too.

Try it for yourself. Kuosmanen also created a web page so you can see what information might be saved in your auto-fill, and therefore transmitted when you use auto-fill for an online form on a Chrome browser.

We did it, and our credit card information was stored there. That was a surprise.

It's bad enough to imagine a legitimate company getting unneeded personal information about you given the number of companies that have been the victim of hacks or data breaches.

What's worse is that if you fall prey to a fake website created by a scammer, and you complete a form -- perhaps to make a purchase, or to fill out a survey, or for just about any reason -- the bad guys will have your name, address, phone, password and all the credit card information they need for a shopping spree or to steal your identity and open new accounts in your name.

Kuosmanen said Apple's Safari browser has a similar problem, but it's not as glaring as Chrome's.

"Safari users get a more detailed prompt about the information to be auto-filled which the user needs to confirm, which is slightly better than Chrome's simplified prompt, that doesn't tell the user anything about the information they're about to share," he said.

He said the Mozilla Firefox browser has better protections.

"In Firefox, you have to right click an input field and then select an identity to use. So a Firefox user auto-fills each field," Kuosmanen said.

We reached out to Google and Apple to ask about these security flaws.

A Google spokesman said the company is aware of the Chrome issue and working to address it.

Apple said it would have a statement about Safari, but it didn't respond in time for publication.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

To protect yourself, choose not to use auto-fill. You can reject it as you start to complete online forms.

Or, disable auto-fill altogether.

You can do that by going to "settings," selecting "show advanced settings," and unchecking the auto-fill option.

To see what auto-fill information lives in your version of Chrome, click "manage autofill settings" and you can remove any information you don't want shared.

To shut it off for Safari, choose "Safari," then "preferences," then click "AutoFill." You can disable it -- it's automatically enabled unless you deselect it. And you can also click "Edit" to see what information is stored there. You can then delete what you don't want available.

"In general it's good to be aware of the possibility of web forms having hidden fields, which may or may not be filled and sent, even without you clicking on anything on the web page," Kuosmanen said. "Just don't share any personal details, especially using auto-fill profiles on sites you don't completely trust."

Feather, the Madison cybersecurity expert, said disabling all auto-fill functions on all browsers is the safest action. You should disable the storage of passwords, too.

"But don't just rely on your browser settings," Feather said. Think before you click."

Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com.

Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
camden_barbershop.jpeg

Two people are in critical condition after a shooting involving police in the apartment above the VIP Barbershop at 2748 Federal St. in Camden Wednesday.

(Rebecca Everett | For NJ.com)

CAMDEN -- A woman who was shot Wednesday and a man who was shot by police are in critical condition after a domestic violence incident on Federal Street.

Officers shot Jose Antonio Fernandez Ventura, 38, who was allegedly armed with a gun when they responded to the Federal Street apartment at 11:31 a.m., according to the Camden County prosecutor's office. Ventura was holding the gun and approaching the woman when he was shot, police said.

Authorities have not said whether they believe the woman was shot by Ventura or the officer who was aiming for him.

That officer, who has not been named, is on administrative leave per department policy while the prosecutor's office conducts a use of force investigation.

Two officers carried the injured woman out of the apartment by her wrists and knees and put her in the back of a cruiser, according to a video of the incident posted on Facebook.

The video, taken from the doorway of the VIP Barbershop at 2748 Federal St., had been viewed over 93,000 times and shared nearly 1,900 times on social media, with some commenters wondering why police didn't wait for an ambulance.

At the barbershop Thursday, barber Jason Gonzalez said he had seen the video circulating online. He heard several gunshots from the upstairs apartment during the incident, he said, but did not know the people involved.

Camden Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said it has been the department's policy for about two years to take a person with a serious gunshot or stab wound to the hospital in a cruiser if an ambulance is not on scene.

"To preserve and save that life, we get them to trauma unit as soon as possible," he said. "If it's a serious, penetrating wound, then the most critical factor is time. The time the person is losing blood and the time it takes to repair that."

It may not look pleasant to see a person carried that way, but he said waiting for a gurney would waste precious minutes.

Generally ambulance response times are "amazing," he said, but if it's a busy time, it could be four or five minutes before an ambulance arrives. "That could be the difference between life or death," he said.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement that both the woman and Ventura were taken to Cooper University Hospital. Thomson said he could not comment on the mode of transportation because of the ongoing investigation.

Philadelphia has had the same policy for a number of years, a spokesman said.

Before implementing it in Camden, Thomson said the department consulted with doctors at Cooper University Hospital. While officers wouldn't move someone with a complex injury, like a person hurt in a car accident, moving someone with a penetrating wound is not likely to cause more damage.

Thomson said the policy has paid off. Emergency room physicians have told officers in some instances that their quick transportation of an injured party likely saved their lives.

Among those transported in cruisers with gunshot wounds are those who have been shot by officers, he said. As soon as officers ensure that the person is not a threat, he said, they will do everything they can to save the person, including personally taking them to the hospital.

"We do this for everyone," he said.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The column that says we all prefer the devil we know

--

Good morning!

--

"The Bridgeton Police Department is proud to announce the implementation of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) for it's officers. We tested and evaluated several BWCs from multiple manufacturers. The Bridgeton Police Department has selected and will be phasing in the WatchGuard Vista HD Body Worn Cameras to its officers beginning on Jan. 11, 2017.

"We believe that the use of these cameras will significantly benefit both the community and our officers. The Bridgeton Police Department prides itself on transparency and openness to the public.

"The picture below depicts the actual Body Worn Camera that will be visible on the officers of the Bridgeton Police Department."

- Bridgeton Police Department

The Bridgeton Police Department is proud to announce the implementation of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) for it's officers. ... Posted by Bridgeton Police Department, NJ on Wednesday, January 11, 2017

--

"We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and good start to the New Year. Speaking of the New Year, we start 2017 with best wishes to Councilwoman Gladys Lugardo-Hemple who was voted in as city council president last evening; always a strong advocate for the community, it promises to be a year of progress. It will also be a busy year for Mayor Kelly as he goes full stride in representing Bridgeton and doing the people's business as president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. There's the local stuff on the ground, but there's also 'representing' at the state and federal level. We're always mindful of just how many lines lead back to Bridgeton from both Trenton and DC; whether resources to help residents through creating affordable housing, helping with home rehab repairs, doing historic preservation, things related to improvements in our park inventory, etc... we'll be well-represented by Mayor Kelly and Council President Lugardo-Hemple. Good things ahead for 2017"

- City of Bridgeton

--

If you know me, you know I love history. If you really know me, you know I especially have a love of local history. With that being said, I couldn't resist sharing this.

--

"The Pennsville Township Historical Society's Quarterly Meeting

"Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017

"Topic: Brandywine Amusement Park

"Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Pennsville native, Bill Liebknecht. Bill graduated from Pennsville Memorial High School in 1980, has a bachelor's degree in anthropology, and a master's degree in public history. Bill is an archaeological principal investigator/regional manager employed by Dovetail Cultural Resource Group located in Wilmington, Delaware. He has directed numerous archaeological investigations, including investigations in our region. Bill will talk about the Brandywine Springs amusement park, the Chalybeate Spring and Pavilion that were located in the amusement park in New Castle County, Delaware.

"For 150 years, amusement parks have attracted people - young and old. There were two very popular amusement parks in our region: one in Pennsville, Riverview Beach Park, which operated for 55 years (1914 to 1969) and one just across the river in Delaware, Brandywine Springs, located at Newport Gap Pike (Route 41) and Faulkland Road which operated for 38 years (1886 to 1924).

"In the early days (1820 Thru 1886), Brandywine Springs was known for its mineral springs and hotel accommodations. In 1826 a large stately four-story 100 room hotel was built in the cool and wooded site of the Chalybeate spring to provide lodging for those 'taking of the waters.' The hotel lured wealthy aristocratic guests and politicians who came from the city looking for the respite of the country and to enjoy live music, the area's best food and plush accommodations.

"The hotel was successful for many years until business fell off by the 1850s. The hotel building was destroyed by fire 1853. A smaller hotel was built and later enlarged. In 1886, Richard Crook leased the hotel and property. During the next 15 years Crook created new interest in the Brandywine Springs location when he added amusement park rides. He built a dance hall, a pool hall, and other amenities. Brandywine Springs Amusements Park drew hundreds of people from surrounding states. The amusement park had its pinnacle years between 1900 and 1920. However, by 1924, the advent of the automobile and competition from other parks caused the Brandywine Springs amusement park to close, after which, it basically sat unused, fell into neglect, and was largely forgotten for decades until archaeologists and local historians began to unearth its rich past.

"This meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Senior and Community Center, 69 Spruce Street, Pennsville, N.J. on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

"Light refreshments will be available following the meeting and presentation. For more information call Don Walton 856-381-2510 or Email historyofpennsville@gmail.com."

- Pennsville Township Historical Society

--

MY KIND OF TOWN: Where you need to be the change you want to see in the world

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- New Jersey's high school graduation rate improved again in 2016, despite a graduation scare in the wake of new requirements for standardized testing.

Statewide, 90.1 percent of students graduated within four years, a slight increase over the 89.7 percent graduation rate for the Class of 2015. New Jersey has improved its graduation rate every year since 2011, when 83 percent of students graduated, the state Department of Education said.

"We commend the efforts of our students and educators in achieving this tremendous accomplishment," acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington said.

Click here to use the search tool to find the graduation rate in any public high school, charter school or school district and compare it to others across the state.

County vocational schools with selective enrollment or special academies for a school district's top students posted some of the state's highest graduation rates, including more than a dozen schools with 100 percent.

The Class of 2016 was the first to graduate under new requirements for standardized testing. Students were asked to prove their proficiency in English and math on the new PARCC exams or through a variety of other tests, including the SAT and ACT.

Dismal passing rates on the computerized PARCC tests left some seniors scrambling to take alternative tests during the second half of their senior year to prove they were ready to graduate. By the end of the year, 91 percent of graduating seniors used at least one test other than PARCC to meet the state graduation requirements, in some cases because they weren't enrolled in a course that required a PARCC test.

Future high school students, beginning with current eighth graders, will be required to pass PARCC, fueling concern that many students may miss the mark.

The new requirements will "more honestly demonstrate a graduate's preparedness for college, career and community experiences beyond high school," Harrington said.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.
wheelchair

New Jersey has proposed new regulations for private schools for students with disabilities. (Zeevveez | Flickr)

TRENTON -- State officials are proposing new rules to crack down on spending, high salaries, luxury cars and nepotism at New Jersey private schools that educate students with disabilities at taxpayers' expense.

The new regulations were discussed last week at the state Board of Education meeting in Trenton, where several private school officials addressed the board to say the changes were unnecessary and would hurt some of the state's most vulnerable students.

"To say that our members are frustrated and deeply disappointed is an understatement," said Gerard Thiers, executive director of ASAH, an association representing the private schools.

There are 159 approved private schools for students with disabilities teaching about 9,900 students statewide, state education officials said. Many of schools teach K-12 students with autism, severe physical or mental disabilities or other learning or behavior challenges that public schools are unable to handle.

The proposed rule changes come more than three years after an investigation by The Star-Ledger found many of the private schools spend taxpayer money in a way that would never be tolerated in public schools.

The newspaper's review of 8,000 pages of financial audits from private schools found some school directors were paid more than $225,000 a year. Some school officials were driving luxury vehicles - including BMW, Lexus and Mercedes cars - charged in part to taxpayers.

The report also found nearly one-fifth of the schools had instances of nepotism, including cases were multiple relatives held high-paid administrative positions or the schools did business with food, bus rental or other companies controlled by family members or associates.

Under New Jersey's current system, public school districts can pay the approved private schools to take students they are not equipped to teach. The school districts pay an average tuition of $65,000 per student in taxpayer funds to the private schools each year, state officials said.

The revised regulations would cap salaries for the private school employees, limit the amount of money schools could charge for food and travel and set new rules for when school officials can get cars funded by taxpayers.

The state will also require private schools, which are often small and family owned, to disclose when relatives are working at or doing business with the school.

"It's a disclosure. It's not a prohibition," Kevin Dehmer, chief financial officer for the state Department of Education, told the state Board of Education last week. "What we're trying to prevent is bringing in a family member and paying them double a similarly compensated person in the school."

Among the regulation changes proposed by the state:

The private schools must disclose when relatives work for the institution or when they do business with "related parties." Schools also must develop a nepotism policy similar to those in public school districts.

The maximum allowed salaries for employees at the private schools will be frozen for seven years. Under the current system, the maximum salaries are based on the top salaries in the state or the country, depending on job title.

The maximum travel budget for a school will be $20,000 a year. That includes money for sending teachers to conferences and training sessions.

The maximum percentage of a student's tuition used to cover administrative costs would be lowered from 25 percent to 22.5 percent in 2021.

Limits will be placed on how much taxpayer money can be used to pay sick benefits, administrative positions, retirement pay and student meals.

State officials said the new regulations would create more transparency and place reasonable limits on how taxpayer money is spent at the private schools.

Bruce Ettinger, executive director of Spectrum360, was among the private school officials who asked the state board to reject the new rules at the board's Jan. 4 meeting.

"You need to realize there's some serious consequences," said Ettinger, whose school has locations in Livingston and Verona serving students with autism and other severe disabilities.

Ettinger objected to the proposed salary caps in the new regulations. Spectrum360 is already struggling to hire occupational therapists and physical therapists under the current cap of $72 and $74 an hour.

The school often has to pay specialists more than the cap because of the severe disabilities of its students, Ettinger said. He cited a case where he had to pay a specialist $135 an hour to work with a student who had severe problems swallowing.

The new limits on the school's travel budget would also make it difficult to send staff to conference and specialized training sessions annually. Other private school officials echoed his concerns, saying students with the most severe disabilities will not get the services they need.

"This is hurtful to the children. This needs to be looked at. It's unrealistic. It doesn't apply to public schools. You have to be able to competitively get the specialists you need," Ettinger said.

ASAH, the non-profit group representing the private schools, is asking the families of students with disabilities to write to the state Board of Education or come to the Feb. 1 board meeting to speak out against the proposed regulations.

The state Board of Education has not scheduled a vote on the new rules.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.
In the movie "Paterson," the main character, whose name is Paterson, is a bus driver in Paterson who crafts poems in his spare time, when he isn't working or walking his bulldog, Marvin.

When Paterson (Adam Driver) and his wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) go on a movie date, they head to a theater "in the mall."

And yes, the movie, nominated for the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes film festival in May, was not only filmed in Paterson, but is also chock full of Paterson references. So news that Fabian 8 Cinema -- the theater in Paterson's Center City Mall, and the only theater in the city -- will soon be screening the film seems all too perfect, except for the fact that the movie opened two weeks ago, on Dec. 28. The Paterson Press reports that the film will arrive at the Main Street theater for a one-week stay on Friday, Jan. 27.

It was actually another town in northern New Jersey, Rutherford, that saw an early screening of the film at the William Carlos Williams Center for the Performing Arts. The theater's board quickly seized on the connection between Williams, author of the epic poem "Paterson" -- who serves as an inspiration to Driver's amateur poet in the film -- and Rutherford, his hometown, and contacted director Jim Jarmusch's production company to make the screening happen. Jarmusch and the movie's producers attended the screening on Dec. 12.

Adam Driver and director Jim Jarmusch discuss their film #Paterson, which centers on a poet named Paterson living in Paterson, New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/D7HhJ8Ayol -- IMDb (@IMDb) January 4, 2017

Yet another irony is that after the single Rutherford screening, the upcoming run at Paterson's mall theater will so far be the one place the limited-release movie can be seen in New Jersey. "Paterson" is currently only available in a small number of theaters in the region -- Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York City and Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia.

Tom Arnold, the Fabian 8's manager, told the Press that he had requested the film be screened at his theater on its opening date in late December, but was denied.

"They said it was only being distributed to the top markets that show independent films," Arnold said. He learned on Tuesday that the movie would at long last be coming to Passaic County.

Joining Arnold in his efforts to bring the movie "home" were local government and civic leaders including Paterson Councilman Andre Sayegh, who was at the Rutherford screening. He had asked Carter Logan, a producer of the film in attendance who had also scored the movie, to help get the ball rolling on bringing the film to Silk City.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
NEWARK -- A 21-year-old man was convicted Wednesday on charges stemming from the 2014 robbery of a teenage boy who had just visited his grandmother on Mother's Day, officials announced.

According to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray, a jury convicted Mario Lyn, of East Orange, of second-degree robbery and conspiracy in connection with the incident.

Lyn and another man, Elijah Jordan, also 21, approached a 14-year-old boy who had just left his grandmother's house, and was on his way to see his mother for the holiday, said Assistant Prosecutor Meredith Mona, who tried the case. After the young boy agreed to let the two use his cell phone, prosecutors said they led him to the side of a house, and stole his jacket, sneakers, and cell phone.

"The jury considered all of the evidence in this case and reached a fair verdict guaranteeing justice for the victim," Mona said in a statement.

The other defendant, Jordan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery on June 8, 2016, authorities said. He has also pleaded guilty in two other, unrelated cases, and is expected to get 10 years in prison for his roles in all three cases when he is sentenced on Jan. 27, prosecutors said.

Lyn will be sentenced on Feb. 24, officials said.

Both men will have to serve 85 percent of their respective sentences before they are eligible for parole, officials said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 11, 2017) - Entree Gold Inc. (ETG.TO)(NYSE MKT:EGI)(EKA.F) ("Entree" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first of two tranches of the non-brokered private placement announced on December 15, 2016 (the "Financing").

The Company has issued 17,309,971 units at a price of C$0.41 per unit for gross proceeds of C$7,097,088. A second tranche of 1,219,513 units is expected to close on or around January 16, 2017.

Each unit (a "Unit") consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.65 per share for a period of 5 years. No commissions or finders' fees are payable in connection with the Financing. The securities issued in connection with the Financing are subject to a hold period expiring May 12, 2017.

Net proceeds from the Financing are expected to be used to support the restructuring of Entree's business into two well-funded, separate publicly traded companies as announced on October 3, 2016, for the advancement of the Company's flagship assets in Mongolia and Nevada, and for general corporate purposes.

Stephen Scott, President and CEO commented, "We are very pleased with the success of the Financing and the strong support from both existing and new shareholders. We also look forward to providing ongoing updates as we implement Entree's refreshed corporate strategy."

Director and officers of the Company and their associates acquired an aggregate 1,144,902 Units on the same terms and conditions as other subscribers. Other insiders of the Company and their associates acquired an aggregate 5.5 million Units, including 914,634 Units acquired by Sandstorm Gold Ltd. Following closing of the first tranche, Sandstorm holds 23,900,380 common shares of the Company, or 14.03% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares. The insiders' participation is exempt from the formal valuation and shareholder approval requirements provided under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Holders in Special Transactions. The exemption is based on the fact that the market value of the insiders' participation or the consideration paid by such insiders does not exceed 25% of the market value of the Company.

Story continues

The Company will be filing a material change report in connection with the transaction less than 21 days before the expected date of the closing of the transaction, and considers the shorter period to be reasonable given the nature of the transaction and the fact that all necessary approvals have been obtained.

The Units and Warrant Shares have not been, and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. federal and state registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States.

ABOUT ENTREE GOLD INC.

Entree Gold Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company balancing opportunity and risk with key assets in Mongolia and Nevada. As a joint venture partner with a carried interest on a portion of the Oyu Tolgoi mining project in Mongolia, Entree has a unique opportunity to participate in one of the world's largest copper-gold projects managed by one of the premier mining companies - Rio Tinto. Oyu Tolgoi, with its series of deposits containing copper, gold and molybdenum, has been under exploration and development since the late 1990s. Additionally, Entree has also been advancing its Ann Mason project in one of the world's most favourable mining jurisdictions, Nevada. The Ann Mason project hosts the Ann Mason copper-molybdenum deposit as well as the Blue Hill copper deposit within the rejuvenated Yerington copper camp.

Sandstorm Gold, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill Resources are major shareholders of Entree, holding approximately 14%, 10% and 8% of issued and outstanding shares, respectively.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws with respect to the Financing, anticipated closing of the second tranche of the Financing, anticipated use of proceeds, corporate strategies and plans; the potential spin-out of Entree's U.S. assets into a separate public company; and other matters that may occur in the future.

While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of Entree's future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions, commodity prices, legal proceedings and negotiations and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the status of the Company's relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia, Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill Resources. Important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, whether the size, grade and continuity of deposits and resource and reserve estimates have been interpreted correctly from exploration results; whether the Company has sufficient funds to spin-out its U.S. assets into a separate company; the Company's ability to obtain all necessary regulatory, court and shareholder approvals of a spin-out of its U.S. assets into a separate company and list that company on one or more stock exchanges; whether the results of preliminary test work are indicative of what the results of future test work will be; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; actions by Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill Resources and/or Oyu Tolgoi LLC and by government authorities including the Government of Mongolia; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as power, water, skilled labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; and misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements.

In addition, there are also known and unknown risk factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk in Mongolia; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures; discrepancies between actual and anticipated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; global financial conditions; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; future prices of copper, gold, silver and molybdenum; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals, permits or licences or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; environmental risks; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; as well as those factors described in the Company's most recently filed Management's Discussion and Analysis and in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2015, dated March 30, 2016 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.
The US government on Thursday charged Fiat Chrysler with having hidden software on diesel trucks which then spewed excess emissions (AFP Photo/Mandel NGAN) (AFP/File)

Rome (AFP) - Shares in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles skidded more than 15 percent on the Milan Stock Exchange on Thursday as officials in the United States accused it of cheating on diesel emission rules.

The stock was repeatedly suspended from trading on the Milan bourse after it shed by as much as 16 percent. Just before 1600 GMT it was showing a loss of 15.7 percent at 8.83 euros.

On Wall Street, where the stock is also listed, it fell by 12.9 percent.

The Environmental Protection Agency said the undisclosed software on the 2014 to 2016 models of Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks sold in the United States allowed the vehicles to emit more nitrogen oxides than permitted.

The company already is facing two class-action lawsuits over use of the defeat software.

Just the day before, US officials said that German rival Volkswagen would plead guilty to three criminal charges and pay a total $4.3 billion in fines to settle a much bigger emissions cheating scandal, known as "dieselgate".

The US Justice Department charged VW with conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Clean Air Act for using defeat devices on its diesel vehicles that evaded emissions standards.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2017 / Greenfield Farms Food, Inc. (Greenfield or the Company) (OTC PINK: GRAS) is excited to announce the acquisition of Angelo's Pizzeria in Blanchester, Ohio. This now marks the Company's fourth restaurant in the area surrounding Dayton, Ohio when added to the Company's Carmela's Pizzeria locations.

"We are excited to add this additional brand to Greenfield Farms Food and our Carmela's Pizzeria restaurants. Angelo's provides another vertical for our expansion and a step toward positioning Greenfield as a holding company of multiple brands in the Hospitality Industry," commented Chief Executive Officer, Ron Heineman. "We continue to look for the right opportunities for further expansion and in a recent Form 8-K filing, we disclosed the completion of a capital event to assist with that goal."

About Greenfield Farms Food, Inc.

Greenfield is a publicly-traded, nominally capitalized company, operating through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Carmelas Pizzeria CO, Inc. Now operating under two brands, Carmela's Pizzeria and Angelo's Pizzeria, the Company's restaurants include pizza buffets, alcohol service, delivery, carry-out, and catering, depending on the location.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey to the public the Company's progress, business opportunities, and growth prospects, they are based on managements current beliefs and assumptions as to future events. However, since the Company's operations and business prospects are always subject to risk and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this news release might not occur, and actual results could differ materially from those described, anticipated, or implied. For a more complete discussion of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Story continues

Contact Information:

Greenfield Farms Food, Inc.

Ron Heineman, CEO

513-602-3268

SOURCE: Greenfield Farms Food, Inc
Linda Bean

L.L. Bean has said that it aims to stay out of politics. A tweet from President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday morning, however, has further fueled a controversy the Maine-based brand has faced over the last week.

On January 6, it was revealed that Linda Bean, granddaughter of the company's founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, had donated $60,000 to a pro-Trump PAC during the candidate's campaign, according to The Associated Press.

On Thursday morning, Trump published a tweet thanking Linda Bean for her support.

Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean. @LBPerfectMaine  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

According to the Office of Government Ethics, executive-branch employees are not permitted to "suggest that the agency or any part of the executive branch endorses an organization (including a nonprofit organization), product, service, or person." However, that rule does not apply to the president or the president-elect, the New York Times reported.

It was later revealed that the PAC that Bean donated to, Making America Great Again LLC, was not registered to accept individual donations over $5,000 and is currently facing scrutiny from the Federal Election Commission. According to the AP, the PAC opened its books on Thursday to show that Bean had donated only $30,000 to the effort, not $60,000 as it had previously claimed.

The FEC told the group it could face an audit or punitive action if it didn't respond, according to a letter obtained by the AP. In response, the group said it would seek to reregister as a super PAC that is allowed to raise unlimited funds from individual donors. The PAC's chairman, David Jones, told the AP that he thought it was already registered as such.

Story continues

LL Bean

The incident has subjected the Maine-based L.L. Bean, which is famous for its water-resistant shoes and outdoor gear, to scrutiny. The brand is now facing a boycott by the Grab Your Wallet group, which has advocated avoiding products made by companies that support Trump, companies with owners who have publicly supported Trump, and companies that sell Trump products.

"The reality is that there are serious repercussions for a company's brand and bottom line when consumers learn it does business with the Trump family or helped to fund Donald's rise to political power," Shannon Coulter, cofounder of the Grab Your Wallet movement, told the AP.

Bean responded to the boycott on Thursday in an appearance on Fox Business Network.

"It's bullying me personally," Bean told host Maria Bartiromo. "They want to control how we spend our money, what we buy, where we buy it. That's un-American."

Bean also told Fox Business that she won't resign from L.L. Bean's board and that her son, who serves as vice chairman, has noted an increase in fan letters and a "slight uptick" in business since the reports.

L.L. Bean responded to the boycott on Sunday in a Facebook post written by its executive chairman, Shawn Gorman, who said that Linda Bean is one of more than 50 family members involved in the company.

"No individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company that L.L. built," Gorman wrote, referring to the company's founder. "L.L. Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions. Simply put, we stay out of politics. To be included in this boycott campaign is simply misguided, and we respectfully request that Grab Your Wallet reverse its position."

Campaign finance reports show that people linked to the company frequently donate to both Democratic and Republican causes, according to the AP.

L.L. Bean did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

NOW WATCH: 'You are fake news': Watch Trump attack a news reporter during his first press conference as president-elect





More From Business Insider


Getty Images

By Mandi Woodruff, Magnify Money

Ive never had much patience for rewards credit cards before. It always seemed counterintuitive to spend thousands of dollars, earn a few bonus points, and then strap myself to a high-fee, high-interest debt trap in the process.

That all changed when the Chase Sapphire Reserve card hit the market last fall. Chase dangled a carrot so juicy that I (and reportedly hundreds of thousands of others) couldnt look away: a 100,000-point bonus offer good for $1,500 in travel, plus some of the best travel reward benefits of any major credit card to date. (Heads up: That sign-up offer will be cut in half on Jan. 12.)

The catch: I had to spend $4,000 in under three months and be cool with a stomach-turning $450 annual fee.

For me, the math worked out. With the other fringe benefits offered by the Reserve card (including a $300 annual travel credit) the net annual fee can actually be less than $150 a year.

So, I set myself a lofty goal: I would use my Chase Reserve bonus miles to finance a two-week honeymoon abroad. Im no mile runner and Ive never booked an international trip using credit card points before, so this was a daunting challenge.

In the end, my fiance and I managed to book roundtrip flights from New York City to two cities in Italy and one city in Spain for a grand total of $246.32.

Heres how I did it:

My strategy:

I had excellent credit to start with.

The underwriting process for this card is no joke. You will likely need to have an excellent credit score (think 680 and above) to qualify. Also, beware the 5/24 rule.

I never carried a balance.

The only way I would make this sign-up bonus worthwhile is if I was hypervigilant and never kept a balance on my card. No balance means no interest charges, and no eating into my rewards benefits. This is important to know because the Chase Sapphire Reserve card does not come with the cushion of a 0% introductory APR for new customers. Even with my 750+ credit score, I was still stuck with a 16% APR.

Story continues

I made the card my official wedding and travel card.

I am actively planning a spring wedding, which means Im basically bleeding cash all the time. It took less than a month to put $4,000 on the card and nab the 100,000 point sign-up bonus. I immediately paid off all expenses with savings from my wedding fund. From there, I used the card mostly for travel and dining because I earned 3 points for each dollar spent. With this strategy, I had well over 120,000 points when it was time to book our trip.

We doubled our points by opening a second Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Once I qualified for the sign-up bonus and paid the card off, I asked my fiance to sign up for the same card. For the next few months, we shifted all of our spending to his Chase Sapphire Reserve card to meet the $4,000 spending requirement. Voila  another 100,000 points in the bank!

What I learned is that earning those points was a lot easier than turning those points into the international vacation of my dreams. But now that Ive done the hard work, Im sharing everything I learned with you.

I maximized my points by redeeming them for travel, rather than cash back.

It may be tempting to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for cash back. At the moment, every one Chase point is worth one cent when its redeemed for cash. With 200,000 points combined, we could have redeemed those points for $2,000 (as a statement credit or a cash deposit into our checking account). But Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents when redeemed for travel (you can book travel directly through the rewards portal, or book with partner airlines). By redeeming for travel, we could potentially increase our points cash value by a whopping 50%  from $2,000 to $3,000. In the end, we nearly tripled our points value, and Ill explain how later.

Combining points with a partner/spouse

Next challenge: Combining all of our Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Points earned on all Chase credit cards are called Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can access your points by going to the Ultimate Rewards site. Because we had separate accounts, we had to take a few steps to combine our loot.

-First, log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account.

-On the upper right-hand of the screen, where there is a tally of your rewards points, hover with your mouse.

-A drop-down menu will appear.

-Select the tab called Combine Points.

-Select Add Household Member.

Photo: Mandi Woodruff

Youre allowed to share points with up to one household member, which is convenient if youre sharing points with a partner or spouse. All you need is their credit card number and name. I returned the favor and added my fiance as a household member on my account. Now, we can transfer points to one another anytime.

Transferring points to a single Chase Ultimate Rewards account.

To combine points, go back to the same Combine Points tab from the previous step. Enter the number of points you want to transfer and select the account you want.

Instantly, the points appeared in my Chase rewards account. I was pleased with the speed.

Photo: Mandi Woodruff

We could now use up to 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points if we wanted with just a couple clicks.

Booking our flights

Start looking for deals 3-4 months out.

When youre booking an international trip with reward points, the more flexibility you have with dates and timing, the better your chances will be to nab a great deal.

With an early April wedding date, I began shopping for flight deals the first week of January, giving us a three-month window. We kept our dates flexible  looking for a departure of anytime during the last three weeks of April.

Wait until youre sure you want to book before transferring points.

United Airlines is one of the Chase rewards airline partners (there are seven in total, including Virgin Atlantic and Southwest Airlines) which means you can transfer points 1:1 to United to book flights. This was great for us because United has tons of European flights. But I wanted to know exactly how many points wed need, so I didnt transfer my points to United until the very last minute. I highly recommend this. Once you transfer Chase points to United, you cant transfer them back.

Navigating the United Saver Award tool

To shop for awards flights on United.com, go to the main website. Check the box for Saver Award travel. That will show flights in terms of points/miles instead of dollars. The beauty of having flexible dates is the website will show you flight availability for the next two months all in one place. You can easily pick the window of time that has the best deals.

Blue dots vs. blue dashes: What the heck?

Photo: Mandi Woodruff

On the United flight page, youll see a calendar of dates first. Some dates will have blue dots and some will have a blue dash. Some will have both. These are important indicators. Dates with dots on them mean there are business class seats available on those dates. Dates with a plain dash mean there are only economy seats available for people booking with points.

Unfortunately, we couldnt find any amazing deals on business class tickets during our time window. To shop different dates, just toggle from one date to the next on the calendars.

Rewards hack: Score a FREE flight to a second destination

If youre using Chase rewards points to book flights on United, youve got to know about this hack. You can actually get a FREE second flight when you book an international round-trip ticket. Im not kidding. With this perk, we were able to add an additional flight to Barcelona for 0 points, which added massive value to our trip overall. The story behind this amazing perk is that United simply allows award customers to book an extended layover even if its very extended. Our stop in Barcelona will be four days!

Photo: Mandi Woodruff

In total we booked three flights for a 16-day trip to Italy and Spain in April.

NYC > Rome

60,000 points (30,000 points per person for economy seats)

Florence > Barcelona

0 points

Barcelona > NYC

60,000 points (30,000 points per person for economy seats)

Boo: Hidden fees

We didnt quite get away with free flights to Europe. Fees, including some international airport taxes, are not covered by points. In total, we had to pay an additional $246.32 ($123 per person) in fees.

Still, less than $300 for round-trip international flights for two people? Ill take that deal any day.

We also got an amazing value for the points we used. A similar itinerary would have cost roughly $1760 per person on United.com. That means we got $3,520 worth of value for only 120,000 points, which is a rate of nearly 3 cents per point. That is DOUBLE the value we would have achieved if we booked a flight through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. And its nearly triple the value we would have achieved by redeeming those 120,000 for plain old cash back.

The best part: We still have over 100,000 points left to use on hotel stays during our honeymoon or a future trip.

Grand total: 120,000 points

Photo: Mandi Woodruff

If I had redeemed those points for cash back, I would have netted just $1,200. I got way more value by redeeming them for flights to Europe.

But we werent ready to celebrate quite yet

The scary part: Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to our airline

Like I mentioned, we waited until we were sure we wanted to book with United and knew exactly how many points wed need before we transferred our points. Once we had our itinerary all ready to go, I opened a new tab and went to the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal again.

In order to transfer points to a partner, you have to have an account with that partner. I signed up for a United MileagePlus account and had my member ID ready to go.

On the middle of the Chase Ultimate Rewards landing page is a section called Ways to Redeem. Here, you can see all the ways you can redeem points. Go to the bottom and select Transfer to Partner. Select the airline or hotel you want. This is when you can link your accounts using your membership ID for the airline or hotel.

Once your accounts are linked, all you have to do is punch in the number of points to transfer. I transferred exactly 120,000 to my United MileagePlus account.

Photo: Mandi Woodruff

The longest 30 minutes ever

The Chase website says points are usually transferred instantly, but after 10 minutes they still werent showing up in my United account. I called United, waited 15 minutes on hold, and finally was transferred to the booking department.

I was told points could take up to 72 hours to hit my account. I briefly panicked. What if the deal was gone by then?

Luckily, I learned United is able to put a temporary hold on seats if you ask. They offered to hold my reservation for all three flights until my points showed up.

Just as I was giving them the details for our flights, the points appeared in my account. It took roughly 30 minutes in all. I hung up and finalized the booking directly on the site.

Now, it was time to celebrate.

Hope this helps you get the most out of your Chase Sapphire Reserve points!

Mandi Woodruff is Executive Editor of MagnifyMoney.com and co-host of the Brown Ambition Podcast.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
By Lawrence White LONDON (Reuters) - HSBC's ambitions to establish an investment banking franchise in China have hit a roadblock, with the bank still waiting for approval for its partnership with a state-owned fund more than a year after it announced the venture. The partnership is a key part of the bank's ambition to grow annual profits in the fast-growing southern region of China from $100 million (81.50 million) to $1 billion in the medium term, and as growth in China slows, HSBC has delayed other expansion plans it said would help achieve that goal. HSBC announced on Nov. 2, 2015 the proposed venture with Shenzhen Qianhai Financial Holdings Co Ltd, with HSBC set to own a majority 51 percent stake while foreign peers are currently capped at a maximum of 49 percent in Chinese partnerships. The bank is expected to get the go-ahead for the venture eventually, sources familiar with the matter said, but the delay has reduced the advantage HSBC could have stolen over rivals as China relaxes rules on foreign players in its markets. A spokesman for HSBC in Hong Kong said the bank continues to seek the required approval, declining to comment on the timing. The proposed HSBC-Qianhai firm would be able to trade as well as underwrite stocks and bonds for Chinese firms, unlike foreign rivals who operate under more restrictions. "HSBC a year ago was saying 'here we go', it was all guns blazing but we are still waiting...," said a Hong-Kong based consultant who works with the bank. HSBC did not publicly set out a timeline for when it expected to receive the go-ahead but the process is taking longer than analysts expected. Chirantan Barua of Bernstein research wrote in April last year that he expected approval by the July-September quarter. The HSBC joint venture has had the longest wait of any pending Sino-foreign securities joint venture, and two such ventures have received approval since HSBC submitted its application, according to data compiled by Hong Kong consultancy firm Quinlan & Associates. LOSING THE EDGE Qianhai is a free trade zone in Shenzhen, a fast-growing city neighbouring Hong Kong that China has earmarked for development as a financial hub. HSBC has a potential edge over foreign bank rivals in China thanks to its ownership of a Hong Kong-based banking subsidiary, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, allowing it to own and control its planned new Chinese joint venture. But now banks including Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse are set to raise their stakes in their securities joint ventures to the current 49 percent limit in anticipation of being able to have majority control soon, sources told Reuters on Monday. On December 30, China unveiled plans to allow more foreign investment in banking, insurance, securities and credit-rating firms, paving the way for HSBC's rivals to enjoy controlling stakes despite the lack of a Hong Kong base. CHINA STRATEGY DELAYED The slow progress of HSBC's investment banking ambitions comes alongside other setbacks in China for Europe's biggest bank. Decelerating economic growth in the country has delayed HSBC's plans to hire 4,000 new staff and do more business in the country's southern region. HSBC in June 2015 announced it would invest in China's southern Pearl River Delta region, banking on the country's rapid growth and its own Hong Kong heritage to reinvigorate profit growth after years of restructuring. But HSBC has since revised its ambitions for the scale and speed of that investment as China's growth slowed. Gulliver said in February last year the bank's plans to hire 4,000 new staff in the region will happen over five years instead of three. "The June update... was prior to changing views on where the renminbi would be, and China's GDP has slowed, so all we are saying is the redeployment will take longer," Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver told Reuters by phone in August. HSBC in April last year took analysts and investors on a tour of its operations in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), in a sign of how important the investment there is to the bank's strategy. "HSBC's foray into the PRD is not a choice but a necessity to stay relevant as Hong Kong connects with the mainland," Bernstein's Barua wrote in a report following that April trip. (Reporting By Lawrence White, additional reporting by Michelle Price and Sumeet Chatterjee in Hong Kong; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Missing the New Mexico filing deadline for property damage lawsuits could spell the end for your civil case, so pay attention to the statute of limitations.

If you've had your property damaged as a result of someone else's careless or intentional action in New Mexico, you might be thinking about filing a civil lawsuit over what happened. If so, it's important to understand the statute of limitations and how it applies to your potential case.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a "statute of limitations" is a state law that puts a strict time limit on your right to have a civil court consider your lawsuit. Miss the deadline, and you effectively lose the right to bring your case to court. Every state has passed these kinds of laws, with time limits that vary depending on the kind of case being filed.

In this article, we'll explain the statute of limitations that applies to property damage lawsuits in New Mexico, the consequences of missing the deadline, and a few rare situations in which you might be able to extend the time limit.

The Property Damage Lawsuit Filing Deadline in New Mexico

In New Mexico, the statute of limitations filing deadline is the same whether your potential lawsuit involves damage to real property (your house, some other building, or your land) or personal property (including vehicle damage). Specifically, New Mexico Statutes section 37-1-4 gives a potential plaintiff four years to file any civil lawsuit "founded upon...injuries to property."

So, a vehicle damage claim after a car accident must be brought within four years in New Mexico, and the same deadline applies to a lawsuit filed by a homeowner claiming that physical damage to the exterior of her house was caused by a neighbor's negligence.

The four-year "clock" typically starts running on the day of the incident that led to the damage, although, in an attempt to push the filing deadline back, the property owner could argue that the damage -- or the cause of the damage -- could not reasonably have been discovered right away.

Missing the Filing Deadline in New Mexico

If you try to file your New Mexico property damage lawsuit after the applicable time limit has passed, you can count on the defendant (the person you're trying to sue) filing a motion with the court, asking that the case be dismissed. And the court is certain to grant the dismissal unless rare circumstances make an extension of the deadline appropriate (more on these rules later). So it's crucial to pay attention to (and comply with) the New Mexico statute of limitations for property damage cases, even if you're fairly certain you'll be able to resolve the situation without resorting to a lawsuit.

Extending the Lawsuit Filing Deadline in New Mexico

For most kinds of civil lawsuits in New Mexico, including cases over property damage, a number of situations could serve to extend the lawsuit filing deadline set by the statute of limitations.

For example, special rules usually apply if, at the time the property damage occurs, the property owner is:

a minor (that means under the age of 18, in the eyes of the law in New Mexico), or

an incapacitated person (having been declared mentally incompetent or not of sound mind, by a court or other authority, for example).

These are considered "legal disabilities" by the New Mexico civil courts, and once the period of legal disability ends -- meaning the property owner turns 18, or is declared legally competent -- he or she will have one year to get their lawsuit filed, according to New Mexico Statutes section 37-1-10.

Another potential exception to a strict application of the statute of limitations deadline: When the defendant (the person who is alleged to have caused the property damage) "shall have been or shall be absent from or out of the state or concealed within the state" of New Mexico before a lawsuit can be filed against him or her, the period of absence or concealment probably won't be counted as part of the time limit for filing suit. This rule can be found at New Mexico Statutes section 37-1-9.

Other circumstances may affect the New Mexico statute of limitations, and how the time window is calculated. If you have questions about the statute of limitations as it applies to your potential property damage lawsuit, an experienced New Mexico attorney will have the answers. Learn more about Finding an Excellent Lawyer.
A SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 aircraft taxis on the tarmac after landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport in Mumbai November 26, 2012. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

By Anshuman Daga and Tommy Wilkes

SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's SpiceJet (SPJT.BO) is set to seal an order for at least 90 new 737 jets from Boeing (BA.N), two sources said on Thursday, as the low-cost carrier targets an expansion to tap into the South Asian nation's booming air travel market.

The announcement for the 737 MAX aircraft - which includes at least 42 of the narrowbody jets SpiceJet had previously agreed to buy from Boeing in 2014 - is expected as early as Friday when SpiceJet's chairman holds a press event in New Delhi, the sources, who were familiar with the matter, said.

One of the sources said the SpiceJet order could be for as many as 100 new planes. Boeing last week posted an order for 100 737 MAX jets from an unidentified customer.

The sources declined to be identified ahead of Friday's press announcement.

An agreement with SpiceJet, which has a current fleet of 40 planes, would be a much-needed boost for Boeing in India, as its rival Airbus (AIR.PA) has won record-sized orders with InterGlobe Aviation's (INGL.NS) IndiGo, India's biggest budget airline, as well as a recent deal with GoAir.

SpiceJet and Boeing did not respond to requests for comment.

India is the world's fastest growing aviation market and among the most attractive for planemakers seeking a new wave of growth. Indian passenger numbers are increasing by more than 20 percent annually thanks to low prices and rising disposable incomes.

SpiceJet has been in talks with Boeing and Airbus since 2015, and it is expected to have secured a discount from the roughly $10 billion cost of 90 737 MAX jets based on list prices. Airlines typically get discounts from list prices when placing large orders.

Under chairman Ajay Singh, SpiceJet has been rebuilding its business since almost collapsing after running out of cash in late 2014.

The airline has grown its market share and returned to profitability but it remains far smaller than market leader IndiGo.

Despite soaring passenger numbers, Indian carriers have struggled to achieve consistent profitability because of fierce competition, regular price wars and high operating costs.

(Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Tom Hogue and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A major shareholder in Saudi airline Flynas says the discount carrier has reached a deal to buy $8.6 billion worth of planes from European plane-maker Airbus.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company announced the deal Thursday, though it did not say how many aircraft or what type were involved. Kingdom owns just over a 34 percent stake in the Riyadh-based airline.

Airbus declined to provide details other than to confirm that a formal announcement was expected Monday. Flynas could not be reached for comment.

Flynas is a low-cost airline previously known as Nas Air that flies to domestic Saudi and regional destinations.
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 in the area 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


ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara named a new and smaller government team on Wednesday, with few changes to top positions, according to a statement read on state-owned television. Adama Kone and Abdourahmane Cisse - finance and budget ministers respectively - held onto their jobs, as did Agriculture Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly. But Thierry Tanoh, the former CEO of pan-African Ecobank, replaced Adama Toungara as energy minister. Amadou Kone takes over as transport minister from Gaoussou Toure. Trade minister Jean-Louis Billon also lost his post. Marcel Amon-Tanoh, who was appointed interim foreign affairs minister when Albert Toikeusse Mabri was dismissed in November, will keep that post in the new cabinet. Despite a two-day mutiny at the weekend that led to the dismissal of the heads of the army, police and gendarmes, Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi and Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko both kept their jobs also. The new cabinet has 28 ministers and a secretary of state compared with 35 posts previously. It includes seven new members. Ouattara named Amadou Gon Coulibaly, a close adviser and senior figure in his RDR party, as prime minister on Tuesday. (Reporting by Joe Bavier and Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Ransom Ran Dennis Varney, 78, of Broken Bow, died Jan. 8, 2017, at Great Plains Health in North Platte.

Ransom Varney, along with his twin brother Michael Varney, was born May 14, 1938, at the Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Norfolk to Edgar and Dorothy (Welte) Varney. The family lived in Norfolk until early 1939, when they moved to Ainsworth for Edgars work. In 1941, they moved to Broken Bow to be closer to Dorothys family. It was at this time Edgar took a job as a pharmacist with Dr. Landis at Landis Drug.

Ran and his brother Mike were the first of four boys born to Edgar and Dorothy, with Tim coming along four years after the twins and Matthew four years after Tim. Ran attended Broken Bow grade school, junior high and high school, graduating with the class of 1956. Ran enjoyed every aspect of school, participating in sports, music, art and academics. After graduation, Ran first attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in engineering. He continued on this path until January 1958, when he decided to join Mike at Chadron State College, where he graduated in 1961 with a business

degree.

During the summer 1961, Ran worked for the State Department of Roads and even though he enjoyed this work, it was at this time he made the decision to follow in his fathers footsteps and attend pharmacy college. Ran started Pharmacy College in Lincoln in 1961 and became a registered pharmacist in 1965, a career he loved and practiced for the next 50 years. Ran started working at Varney Rexall Drug following graduation. Ran worked closely with his parents in 1973, when they purchased the former Meston Motor building, demolishing it to erect a new structure at the junction of state highways 2 and 21. This new Varney Rexall Drug Center opened in April 1974. In 1978, Ran purchased the business from his father and made significant changes to the business to meet the changing needs of pharmacy. In 1988, Varney Rexall became Varney HealthMart. Ran sold the business to Marge Trythall in February 2005. Ran and Marge had worked side-by-side since she joined the staff in 1981. Ran was extremely pleased to be able to sell the business to Marge and to be able to keep it as an independent-owned pharmacy. After selling the business, Ran continued practicing pharmacy as a relief pharmacist at Barmore Drug in Lexington, Right Drug in Callaway and at Holcomb Pharmacy in Broken Bow.

One of Rans many interests was music. During his college years, he organized and played in two rock n roll bands, the Challengers and the Kountdowns. The posters said it best when they advertised the chilling sounds of the Challengers. He shared his love of music with his brothers, Tim and Matt, who also played in the bands. One of the highlights of his rock n roll years was playing with musician Del Shannon and his band while performing in South Dakota.

Anyone who knew Ran was aware of his love of the railroad and anything related to trains. He and his twin Mike spent many hours traveling to and photographing trains, depots and any railroad activity. Whenever the two of them could get away at the same time, they would be following trains to photograph. Their pictures have preserved an era we will never again experience. Special friend and railroad author Francis GSchwind and Ran spent many afternoons and weekends doing what they referred to as chasing trains.

In 1980, Ran and Nancy Ferguson started their lives together. Their home was always filled with family, pets, friends, pets, commitment to each other and did we mention pets? Many homeless dogs and cats found a forever home with them. Ran and Nancy completed each others lives.

Ran loved Broken Bow and strived to contribute to it through his involvement in many civic and professional organizations. A few of them included the Broken Bow Chamber Board, the Jaycees, the CNCS Board of Directors, the Loup Basin Health Department Board of Directors and the Knights of Columbus. Ran belonged to many pharmacy professional organizations and enjoyed attending pharmacy conventions, trainings and seminars. Ran was elected to the Custer County Board of Supervisors and served District 3 from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2014. He loved this experience and was especially pleased to serve alongside his former classmate, Larry Hickenbottom. Ran spent his entire life with the St. Joseph Catholic Church family. His unwavering faith was a part of who he was.

Ran was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include Nancy; his brothers, Mike (Joy) Varney, Tim (Mari) Varney and Matthew (Nancy) Varney. Ran especially loved his nieces and nephews, Mark (Sheila) Varney and family, Jeff (Cathy) Marsh and family, Jeff (Shari) Prince and family, David (Michele) Varney and family, Dr. Bob (Stephanie) Bossart and family, Myron (Julie) Cunningham and family, Jeff Varney and Patrick (Nikki) Varney and family.

Memorials are suggested to St. Josephs Catholic Church or the Custer County Foundation.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today, Jan. 12, at St. Josephs Catholic Church, Broken Bow, with Father Jim Hunt officiating. Burial will be at St. Josephs Catholic Cemetery. Govier Brothers Mortuary, Broken Bow, is in charge of arrangements.
A North Platte man has been charged with felony child abuse after his infant child suffered several fractured ribs and a fractured skull.

James Kevin Coleman Jr., 31, was charged with four counts of felony child abuse in an arrest warrant issued by County Attorney Rebecca Harling.

This is the second time he has been accused of child abuse. In 2009, he pleaded no contest to third-degree assault in connection with injuries to another infant.

Colemans most recent case began June 4, when North Platte police were called to Great Plains Health. Colemans 2-month-old baby had been brought to the hospital. A bruise on the childs leg alerted a doctor, as the child was not yet mobile, said Investigator John Deal. X-rays revealed several fractured ribs, and more X-rays were sent to Colorado Childrens Hospital for examination. Medical professionals at the Denver-area hospital found more fractured ribs. They also found a non-displaced skull fracture, which occurs when a bone fractures in a single place, without moving far enough to change its initial alignment.

The injuries were in different states of healing, Deal said, which indicated to doctors that they were not caused at the same time, or in the course of one incident.

Knowing about Colemans previous case, authorities requested medical records for another of his children, who is 2 years old. They learned that child also had been taken to the emergency room and the family doctor numerous times as an infant. Although doctors had some concerns at the time, nothing was conclusive to child abuse, Deal said, so they didnt contact law enforcement.

Authorities determined that the children were in Colemans care when all of the injuries took place.

In the April 2009 case, Lincoln County sheriffs deputies were called to Great Plains Health, where a 3-month-old had a massive skull fracture. At the time, Coleman, the childs father, said he noticed the fracture while he was feeding the baby at night and alerted his then-wife. Authorities noticed other bruising, but Coleman denied knowing of any other incidents, except that the child had screamed as Coleman switched arms during the feeding. Professionals at Childrens Hospital Colorado later likened the injuries to those from being thrown or dropped.

According to court records, Coleman pleaded no contest to third-degree assault that October and was sentenced to a year of probation. On July 20, 2010, court records show a satisfactory release from probation.

In the current case, a court official said Coleman paid 10 percent of $75,000 bail and was released from custody. The children were placed in their mothers care, with instructions to not let Coleman around them, Deal said.
At a panel live-streamed on Yahoo Finance Wednesday, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon cited the US military as doing the best job in the world of training people who arent ready to enter the workforce.

You know who does the best job in the world of training kids who are probably not prepared to be part of a team and train and stuff like that, they probably dont show up on time, and a lot of them didnt finish high school? The United States military, Dimon said at JPMorgans Forum on Career Education and Economic Opportunity.

Dimon added: They take these kids, give them a haircut, teach them how to be on time, teach them how to be a team. Theyre kind of ready to do a lot of things.

The JPMorgan CEO has put his money where his mouth his. JPMorgans military recruiting team has hired roughly 11,000 veterans since 2011. We hire a lot of these veterans because they do such a good job, Dimon states.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon

An increasing number of military veterans have found a place in corporate America because of the Veterans Jobs Mission, which JPMorgan co-founded in 2011 to increase the veteran employment rate.

The Mission launched the program, 100,000 Jobs Mission, for companies to collectively hire 100,000 military members by the end of 2020. As of November 11, 2016, more than 360,00 veterans have been hired and more than 230 companies have joined the coalition.

When the Veteran Jobs Mission began, in 2011, male veterans between the ages of 18 to 24 in particular had a tough time finding jobs, with an unemployment rate of 29.1%. The unemployment rate for veterans in that age group dropped to 8.9% in 2015, though it did go up again to 15.1% in 2016.

While its clear that employers are starting to value veterans experience more, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also sat on the panel, argued that many public school graduates arent prepared for the military itself.

The public school system is so bad these kids physically cant pass the physical test, and cant read, and cant do the math, Bloomberg said. The military, like the rest of the workforce, wants the best and brightest candidates, Bloomberg said, adding: Unfortunately, if you dont get that basic education, none of this stuff works.

Story continues

More from Omil Xia:

How Chipotle can turn things around in 2017

The US consumer will be in particularly good shape in 2017: UBS

4 undergrad business programs more selective than Harvards MBA
WASHINGTON  The incoming Trump administration is looking to "unleash the potential" of private investors to boost the national transportation networks that underpin the U.S. economy, Transportation Secretary-designate Elaine Chao told lawmakers Wednesday.

Economic gains are being "jeopardized" by aging infrastructure, rising highway fatalities, growing congestion and a failure to keep pace with emerging technologies, Chao testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Northwest Indiana is already familiar with the type of private-public partnerships Chao was talking about. The Indiana Toll Road was leased to foreign investors in 2006. That lease was bought out of bankruptcy by another group of investors two years ago.

A private company also has control of the right-of-way for the former Cline Avenue Bridge and says it plans to build a toll bridge there. And before the Illiana Expressway stalled, private investors were solicited to put upfront money into the road in exchange for a cut of tolls and state revenues if necessary.

Chao, 63, is expected to be easily confirmed by the Senate. She was labor secretary during George W. Bush's administration and deputy transportation secretary under President George H.W. Bush. Her husband is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.

But she hasn't been immune from criticism. Unions say that as labor secretary, she mostly sided with industry when enforcing labor and safety rules.

For transportation, Chao advocated using "innovative financing tools" that can "take full advantage of the estimated trillions in capital that equity firms, pension funds and endowments can invest." She said private investment should be encouraged with "a bold, new vision."

She didn't detail those incentives, but a paper written by two economic advisers to President-elect Donald Trump recommends providing $137 billion in tax credits to infrastructure investors. His advisers predict that will generate about $1 trillion in investment over 10 years.

But transportation experts note that investors are interested only in transportation projects that produce revenue, such as toll roads, and there are relatively few large projects like that. They say states need financial aid from the federal government to help with a growing backlog of maintenance and repair projects for aging highways, bridges and transit systems. Providing tax incentives also runs the risk of providing a windfall to investors for projects that would have been built anyway.

Trump repeatedly promised during the campaign to spend $1 trillion on roads, bridges, railways, airports and other types of infrastructure. It's one of the main ways he said he would create jobs. But he has said little about this since the election.

Republican congressional leaders have said they'll wait to see what Trump proposes before tackling a public works bill. Trump has said he expects to be occupied early in his administration with cutting taxes and repealing President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Infrastructure isn't expected to be dealt with until late spring.

Democrats at the hearing tried to pin Chao down on controversial issues like whether to privatize the nation's air traffic control operations and whether she would enforce a deadline for railroads to install train control systems that can prevent many derailments and collisions. Chao said those decisions would be up to the Trump White House or that she hadn't been briefed on the issues yet.

As transportation secretary, Chao would be responsible for regulating auto, truck, train, transit, pipelines and aviation safety. The department frequently faces pressure from industry to relax safety rules and block new ones.

Chao, who has been associated with conservative think tanks, is likely to lend a sympathetic ear to industry pleas for less regulation.
GARY  Indiana University's Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy has added a fourth discipline to its offerings in an effort to focus on the academic background students need to enter the burgeoning health care-related fields.

Department Chairman Nelson De Leon, a chemistry professor, said creating the program was motivated by the requirements graduate schools have for students pursuing professions in health care, whether medicine, dentistry or pharmacy.

"Biochemistry is more attuned to that type of goal," De Leon said.

A survey of students last school year regarding a biochemistry degree found that "overwhelmingly they said they were very interested," De Leon said.

He said the degree also will prepare students for lab technician and similar jobs.

The degree will require chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics classes, as well as core general education classes. Both bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees will be offered, with the B.S. degree requiring more science courses.

"It's a very rigorous degree," De Leon said.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved IUN's bachelor's degree program in biochemistry last fall.

"There's an entire mechanism to get a new degree put together," De Leon said. Curriculum committees at IUN and IU Bloomington reviewed the program, the university Board of Trustees approved it, and finally the state Commission for Higher Education gave its approval.

"It took us less than a year, because I think everyone saw this was a good degree to have," De Leon said.

Students can sign up for the major now, and the full slate of four classes specific to the degree will begin being offered in the fall.

Preparation includes getting laboratories ready, including with new equipment. One necessary purchase was a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, which allows for the investigation of organic molecules.

De Leon said the department is working with the IU architect's office to prepare space for the device in the department's Marram Hall headquarters.

The science program received a boost recently when Assistant Professor Tia Walker secured funding from the National Institutes of Health for research related to the causes of multiple sclerosis, with the hope of contributing to better therapies.

The grant also will provide for the hiring of several undergraduate researchers.

De Leon called it "an exciting opportunity" to involve IUN and students in significant research.

De Leon has been at IUN 25 years, about seven as department chairman, and said recent additions of new faculty like Walker have helped adding the new biochemistry degree possible.

"It's going to be a lot of fun getting this degree going," he said.
A summer day in 2022 will bring a dramatic change to western Lake County's landscape, when the South Shore Line's West Lake Corridor will begin operations, if plans for the commuter railroad's extension go according to schedule.

Five trains destined for Chicago will head north, and one will come south from the city, during morning rush hour, and the same number will run in the opposite directions during evening rush hour. Twelve more trains will shuttle passengers between Munster and Hammond during non-peak hours, and 20 trains will make the Munster-Hammond run on Saturdays and Sundays.

The project would create 11 at-grade road crossings, require shifting some hike and bike trails, and create severe-rated noise levels at some locations that would be reduced to moderate or less by mitigation measures.

The plan to merge the new line with the old at a Hammond Gateway station will allow full service from the start, South Shore President Michael Noland said at a presentation on the project last week.

"We're going to full service day one, including weekend service," Noland said.

The impact on the natural and built environments is described in a draft Environmental Impact Statement, published last month and available at www.nictdwestlake.com.

Land, air and water

The environmental impact statement reports no significant impact on air quality. The project would impact eight acres of wetlands and 1.5 acres of the 100-year floodplain.

West Lake would have no impacts on threatened or endangered species, and no substantial adverse affect on land- or water-based wildlife, according to statement.

Rails and trails

West Lake Corridor's use of the old Monon Railroad right-of-way has implications for the Monon hike and bike trail and, to a lesser degree, the Erie Lackawanna trail, requiring moving portions of them and relocating the Monon trail bridge over the Little Calumet River.

The preferred route would overlay about 5,000 feet of the existing Monon trail between Fisher Street in Munster and Douglas Street in Hammond, and about 320 feet of the Erie Lackawanna trail near downtown Hammond, according to the EIS.

Crossing the railroad to get to or from the trail would be limited to at-grade street crossings, according to the EIS.

The railroad would cross the Pennsy Greenway trail at the Maynard Junction flyover in Munster, which begins north of Superior Avenue and continues to Fisher Street. A culvert or similar structure would provide clearance for the trail under the rail flyover.

Roads and bridges

The project would create 11 at-grade road crossings, with the highest projected traffic volume per lane at the crossing of 173rd Street in Hammond, in the area of the South Hammond Station.

But, the rail crossing "would not substantially impact traffic operations," according to the EIS. "The traffic queue would clear in 35 seconds and the gates would only close twice in the a.m. peak hour and once in the p.m. peak hour."

The 173rd and Harrison Avenue intersection would see substantial impact, and the all-way stop "may not support the projected traffic growth," according to the EIS.

The project would also include reconstruction and raising of the bridge over Broadmoor Avenue in Munster.

The project would also lead to substantial road reconfigurations in Hammond, including several closures and other realignments to accommodate the railroad as it negotiates its way to the Hammond Gateway Station, to be located west of the current station about half way between Sheffield Avenue and the state line.

Noise and vibration

Among the most common concerns expressed by area residents has been noise. While the electricity-powered trains are quieter then their diesel alternative, the railroad will run close to residential properties along much of its route.

The draft EIS includes a noise analysis using Federal Transit Administration standards. In all, the EIS concluded that the preferred plan would produce a "severe" impact at 145 homes and a "moderate" impact at 290, if no mitgating steps are taken. Forty-three insitutional properties would see severe or moderate impact.

But, with mitigating steps, "it is expected that all impacts would be reduced below the severe noise threshold," according to the draft EIS. "Similarly, noise control measures would also eliminate or minimize the predicted moderate noise impacts."

The mitigating measures would include placement of warning horns at railroad crossings, directed at road traffic. That would make it unnecessary for the horns on the trains themselves to be sounded as they approach intersections  and pass by homes nearby the tracks.

Also, three-foot tall noise barriers would reduce noise along sections of the rail line. The relatively low noise barriers would be adequate "since the accoustical center of the trains is approximately two feet above top-of-rail," according to the draft EIS.

Other design features, including landscaping, would be used to help reduce noise.

The study also projects railroad-caused ground vibration. It found one site exceeding FTA criteria, a residence on Lyman Avenue next to a proposed track turnout switch. A decision on mitigation will be taken during the upcoming engineering phase of the project, according to the EIS.

History and culture

Architectural and archeological studies are also part of the report. The industrial property that would need to be acquired includes one building deemed historically significant by National Register of Historic Places criteria  the century-old OK Champion building at 4714 Sheffield Ave., in Hammond.

"The O.K. Champion Building is significant ... for its association with Hammonds manufacturing industry, the role the company played in the development and prosperity of the local community, and as a pioneering Hammond industry," according to the environmental impact statement.

Otto Knoerzner founded the Champion Potato Machinery Company in 1897 after inventing the Champion Potato Digger, according to the environmental impact statement.
For Barack Obama, the past eight years have been quite a whirlwind as the president of the United States. With his presidency drawing to a close, his farewell address on Tuesday struck a note of hope , just as he did back in 2008 when he was elected.

Speaking in Chicago, Obama covered a range of topics from what he'd done during his presidency, to highlighting threats against democracy such as inequality and race divisions.

With the inauguration ceremony for Donald Trump due in just over a week, questions are now starting to emerge over what the future holds for the outgoing president. Will Obama stick to his political roots or venture into other fields?

"He's fifty five (years old), this guy's young. Politically, he still has life  he'll be writing and so forth," Peter Trubowitz, professor of international relations and director of the U.S. Centre at London School of Economics, told CNBC Wednesday.

"The thing I expect him to do is focus his attention actually to almost go back full circle to life as a community organizer  I don't mean as a community organizer."

After Obama finished college, he relocated to Chicago where he helped rebuild communities hit by the closure of locally-based steel plants, and even after he went on to complete his law degree, he continued to stay active in his community.

"But I think one of the things that he would acknowledge is that the Democratic party right now is in trouble at the local level  both at State governorships and in State legislatures."

"The party needs to be rebuilt at that level, and I think that's a place where he could invest his time and his energy and get payoff."

When looking back at previous presidents, since leaving office former Republican president George W. Bush has kept a relatively low profile, yet has made some public appearances at events.

Bill Clinton, meanwhile, has got active in supporting charitable organizations, made public appearances and most recently helped support his wife and former Democrat presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, with her 2016 electoral campaign.

Story continues

However, it seems Obama has his own thoughts on what he'll do when he leaves office. In April 2015, Obama spoke to a group of middle school students at a Discovery Education Webinar event in Anacostia, Washington, D.C. Looking back at how his desire to go into the political field progressed over time, Obama told the audience that when he leaves, he wants to "find ways to help people".

"Eventually I had the opportunity to run for President. But I'll be done being President in a couple of years, and I'll still be a pretty young man  not compared to you guys, but I'll still be pretty young," Obama said at the time.

"And so I'll go back to doing the kinds of work that I was doing before, just trying to find ways to help people  help young people get educations, and help people get jobs, and try to bring businesses into neighborhoods that don't have enough businesses."

"That's the kind of work that I really love to do."




When it comes to the U.S. steel industry and international trade, the talk is usually about imports.

The focus is on which countries are shipping steel to the United States, at what price, if they've gotten subsidies, are dumping it below price, and whether the U.S. government will impose tariffs meant to deter dumping. Domestic steelmakers like U.S. Steel, Chicago-based ArcelorMittal USA and Fort Wayne's Steel Dynamics have pursued a number of trade cases against foreign steelmakers as steel layoffs have mounted and mills have been idled.

But U.S. steel mills also export metal to foreign countries. For instance, in 2011 ArcelorMittal's Burns Harbor steel mill sent 18,000 metric tons of Northwest Indiana-made steel through the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor to Macedonia in southeastern Europe.

Most of the exports, however, go to North America neighbors in Canada and Mexico.

"While the majority of our domestic steel production stays in the United States, ArcelorMittal does ship to locations throughout North America from our U.S. facilities," ArcelorMittal USA spokeswoman Mary Beth Holdford said.

The main reason why U.S. steel gets exported is that the auto industry is one of its biggest customers, and automotive plants are spread across North America. About 27 percent of steel shipments last year went to the automotive industry, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda and Toyota operate 16 automotive plants in Canada, employing 120,000 workers and producing $83 billion worth of goods. Ford has announced plans to move all its small car production to Mexico because it's hard to turn a profit on such a low-margin vehicle when they're made in the United States, according to Ford CEO Mark Fields.

In anticipation of higher demand, ArcelorMittal recently restarted a blast furnace at ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor West in East Chicago to produce raw metal that will be finished at AM/NS Calvert in Alabama for auto plants across the South and in Mexico. ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal said during the company's third quarter conference call that much of that steel made in East Chicago would end up in auto plants in Mexico.

Exports to Mexico and Canada account for nearly 90 percent of all steel exports out of the United States, according to the American Institute for International Steel.

Canada bought 389,371 net tons of steel made in the United States in September, while Mexico imported 324,661 net tons of steel made in the United States. America also exported 19,364 net tons to the European Union in September, a 9.5 percent increase over the same period in 2015.

Canada acquired 3.59 million tons of American-made steel over the first nine months of the year, while Mexico purchased 2.77 million net tons of steel from U.S. mills.

Overall U.S. exports were down 8.5 percent through the end of September, as compared to the same period in 2015.

Economic growth in both Canada and Mexico has been slow lately, with Mexico experiencing its slowest quarterly growth in two years in the third quarter. Canada's economy contracted in the second quarter and only grew by 0.2 percent in August, according to the American Institute for International Steel.

The trade association, which claims to be the only association representing the U.S. steel industry that supports free trade, cautioned the election could have an impact of the flow of steel and other goods between borders. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed tariffs of 35 percent to 45 percent on products coming out of other countries, such as cars made in Mexico.
The U.S. International Trade Commission has determined imports of steel plates from Brazil, South Africa and Turkey have been hurting U.S. steelmakers, a decision that will result in tariffs of up to 94 percent.

ArcelorMittal USA, Nucor and SSAB from Lisle, Illinois, requested the tariffs on cut-to-length steel plates. The United States plans to impose tariffs as high as 50 percent on imports from Turkey, 74.52 percent on imports from Brazil and 94.14 percent on imports from South Africa.

The tariffs on carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate are meant to offset dumping, or when foreign countries sell steel for less than it's worth here with an eye toward gaining long-term market share.

Steel mills in Northwest Indiana make cut-to-length plate, which supports an estimated 4,591 jobs nationwide. U.S. steelmakers sold about $4.7 billion worth of the plate in 2015 while U.S. customers bought an estimated $5.8 billion worth of it, according to the International Trade Commission.

It's typically used in cranes, bulldozers, bridges, machine parts, light poles, railroad cars, ships, and electricity transmission towers. Brazil, South Africa and Turkey shipped an estimated $52.4 million worth of cut-to-length steel plates to the United States in 2015. A separate trade case is pending against other importers of cut-to-length plate.
A new musical version of the popular young adult fiction book "The Lightning Thief" will be hoping to steal hearts off-Broadway this spring featuring rising stage star Chris McCarrell.

McCarrell, who played Marius in the recent Broadway revival of "Les Miserables" as well as Nibs in "Peter Pan Live!" will play Percy Jackson, a modern-day teen who finds himself on a quest to find Zeus' lightning bolt.

"It's really going to push the envelope of (the) magic of theater. The world is so epic and it is so grand and it doesn't seem like you could portray that onstage, but that's really where the magic of theater comes in," said McCarrell.

The musical, written by Joe Tracz (Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events") and Rob Rokicki (the musical "Strange Tails") will play at the Lucille Lortel Theatre starting in March. It's recommended for ages 7 and up. Tickets are $65-$85.

"The Lightning Thief," written by Rick Riordan, has been adapted into a motion picture franchise and a graphic novel in 2010. In 2014, it was turned into a one-hour musical by Theatreworks USA, but this new version runs into two acts, has a larger cast and will have a live band onstage.

The work, which adapts the stories of Greek mythology for a contemporary setting, is rich material for any actor, and McCarrell is relishing all the twists and turns facing him.

"When musicals are written for the sake of musicals, sometimes the world isn't fleshed out completely," he said. "So I really enjoy when behind that two-hour world there is this universe of hours of reading and hours of characters and movies and books and series. I always love when there's a universe behind the musical."

McCarrell didn't have time to read the book when he found out there would be auditions for the show the next day. He got the job the same day and immediately jumped into the world of Percy Jackson.

"It's going to be so crazy to get this guy to come out of me because there's so much of him already there," he said. "This story has so much gunpowder in it. If we hit it right, I think it could make some explosions happen."

McCarrell, a 2013 graduate of Baldwin Wallace University's music theater program, said he always hoped for a career onstage in the world of off-Broadway. When he came to New York, he just happened to start with a meaty Broadway role  Marius in "Les Miz."

"My dream was always to be an off-Broadway actor that would sometimes get snatched up by Broadway. But I always wanted the backbone of my career to be off-Broadway," he said. "This is what I grew up dreaming about  doing superhero, demi-god shows off-Broadway down in the West Village."
School grades throughout the Region dipped in a report released by the Indiana Department of Education Wednesday.

Region educators say the decline, nearly across the board, has nothing to do with the school corporations and how they are educating, but more a failure of the state to solve problems associated with the ISTEP test.

They also said a "hold harmless" law enacted last year to prevent school ratings from dropping, and teachers losing out on bonuses due to lackluster student results on the revised ISTEP, during the 2014-15 school year was not extended.

None of the 31 districts in Jasper, Lake, LaPorte and Porter counties received an A this year. None improved the letter grade in 2016 over 2015. In 18 districts, scores dropped a grade level. They remained the same in the rest of the districts.

"We have been an A forever, and this year we got a B. A lot of schools did and it is frustrating," said Lake Central School Corp. Superintendent Larry Veracco.

Veracco, like many superintendents, said he doesn't believe evaluating a district solely on a test taken over two days provides an accurate reflection of a school district.

"We have always embraced accountability. They have to base these evaluations on us on more than a two-day test," Veracco said.

"First of all, I think it is a function of the A-F grading system and a function of the test itself," said Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent E. Ric Frataccia.

Valparaiso's district grade dipped from an A to a B.

"Last year, we had the hold harmless law because the test was so messed up," Frataccia said. "We did not have that this year. It is not apples to apples comparing 2015 to 2016."

Merrillville Community Schools Superintendent Jeffery Studebaker said the system is "clearly not functioning in the way it was designed."

"We want it to be a fair indicator of how students are doing," he said.

Merrillville, which dropped from a B to a C, is developing its own internal grade card that officials believe will give educators a better picture of how their students are doing, and in what areas improvements need to be made, Studebaker said.

"We are pleased that our districts accountability grade held steady despite Indianas shift to a new assessment aligned to its College and Career Ready Standards," said Michigan City Area Schools Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins.

Michigan City received a C for the third year in a row.

"Still, a single letter grade does not reflect the steady progress we have made in recent years thanks to our students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators and community partners," she said. "Our high school was less than one percentage point away from a B rating this year. Weve made great strides at Michigan City High School thanks to such programs as early college, AP and honors programs, dual credit and support for freshmen who are struggling."

School City of Hammond Superintendent Walter Watkins said the test was more challenging than in previous years, adding that the higher standards, including a higher rate of growth, attributed to Hammond maintaining a C grade.

Yearly changes to the test make it challenging for educators and students alike, he said.

"Despite the challenges the state imposed, we do well," Watkins said.

Three of Hammond's schools were named state Title I distinguished schools, with one receiving the state title.

"The schools aren't the issue right now with the grades," said Tim Somers, superintendent of Tri-Township Consolidated School Corp. in LaCrosse. "I don't believe the grades are indicative of how the schools or students are performing."

Somers also has issues with the ISTEP test and expectations that all students, regardless of ability, are taking the same test.

Nevertheless, he said, the district, which dropped from an A to a C, will make its adjustments, depending on what the state wants.

School districts have 30 days to appeal their grades to the Department of Education.
EAST CHICAGO  Police are investigating after the discovery of human remains with facial injuries late Thursday morning near the train tracks along Chicago and Euclid avenues.

The body was first discovered by a train employee traveling west on the CSX tracks, according to East Chicago police Lt. Marguerite Wilder.

When police arrived at 11:30 a.m., they found the body in a sitting position near the train tracks with what "appeared to be trauma to the facial area of the body," Wilder said. It's unknown if it's from blunt force or some other cause, she said.

Fire and police personnel assisted the Lake County coroner's office in removing the body.

East Chicago police Detective Justin Orange is the assigned investigator. Orange can be reached at 219-391-8318.

If anyone has any leads or information that can assist in the investigation or identification of the person, they can remain anonymous by calling 219-391-8500.
INDIANAPOLIS  A Gary man sentenced to death for murdering his wife and two stepchildren in 2007 may lose a final chance for state court review of his case because he refuses to sign a document required to seek post-conviction relief.

Attorneys for Kevin Isom, 51, asked the Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday to overrule Lake Superior Judge Samuel Cappas, who last year concluded that Isom's refusal to sign, on multiple occasions, meant that he was forfeiting any opportunity for post-conviction proceedings.

"This is a death penalty case. Here we have a heightened need for due process. We simply, as a state, our values do not want us to allow someone to proceed to execution because of a missing signature," said Anne Kaiser, deputy state public defender.

According to court records, Isom refused to sign the document because he believed his attorneys were incompetent to represent him, and persisted in his refusal even after being offered other attorneys at no cost to him.

Deputy Attorney General Kelly Loy urged the high court's five justices, who unanimously affirmed Isom's three murder convictions and death sentence in 2015, not to reward Isom's efforts to postpone final justice.

"There is no incentive for a capital defendant to quickly proceed through collateral review. In fact, the incentive is the opposite, and that is to delay the proceedings," Loy said.

That argument appeared to resonate with Justice Robert Rucker, a Gary native, who suggested Isom is trying to game the system.

"He doesn't make the rules. Either you sign it, or there are consequences," Rucker said. "It seems to me that he wants to be in control of how the rules are written, and I have trouble with that."

On the other hand, Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Justices Steven David and Mark Massa each asked what harm there would be in allowing Isom's post-conviction petition to proceed absent his signature.

"I think it's pretty clear he does want to go forward. He just doesn't want to sign that until he gets the lawyer he wants," Massa said.

David suggested he would be much more comfortable denying post-conviction relief if Isom explicitly declared he had no interest in proceeding, as others awaiting execution have done in the past to speed their path to the death chamber.

"It seems like we're almost being asked to resolve an internal conflict between the state public defender's office and your client. Not our lane," David said to Kaiser.

Kaiser responded that she believes Isom has mental illness that prevents him from fully understanding that failing to sign the document could end his legal remedies in Indiana's courts.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide in a few months; after that, Isom likely will be able to seek federal court review.
INDIANAPOLIS  Lake County election officials could be forced to consolidate up to a quarter of the county's 523 voting precincts under legislation debated Wednesday by an Indiana House committee.

House Bill 1147, sponsored by state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, would require leaders of the county election and registration board to determine how many "small precincts" are in Lake County, whether they could be combined with adjacent precincts and how much money the precinct mergers might save.

The proposed statute defines a small precinct as having fewer than 600 active voters. Lake County has an estimated 140 small precincts  significantly more than any other county in the state.

Under the plan, county election officials then would have one month to devise a precinct consolidation program, or the Indiana Election Commission would step in and do it for them.

Slager believes Lake County could save up to $100,000 per election, or $200,000 every election year, by reducing the costs of poll workers and equipment through simply matching the 1,200 voters-per-precinct standard generally used throughout the state.

"The purpose of this bill is to save the taxpayers what could be a significant amount of money," Slager said. "For the most part, in those really small precincts they're sitting on their hands most of the day. There's just not that much activity."

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, and other Democrats on the House Elections Committee, suggested that consolidating local polling places could make it more difficult for voters, especially the elderly and those without transportation, to make it to the polls.

In response, Slager pointed out that Lake County voters can cast their ballots up to 30 days ahead of Election Day at numerous early voting sites, vote absentee by mail or request their ballot be brought to them if they physically cannot get to the polls.

"The last thing I would ever want to do is disenfranchise anybody from being able to vote. Period," Slager said.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly enacted a similar law in 2014 that expired while it was tied up in a court battle over whether the statute was impermissible special legislation because it applied only to Lake County.

Last year, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled 4-1 that while the law was indeed special legislation, it nevertheless was constitutional given Lake County's excessive number of small precincts compared with the rest of the state.

The committee likely will vote later this month on whether to advance this year's consolidation requirement to the full House.
VALPARAISO  The Indiana Dunes Tourism Board has a new makeup and direction in the wake of the heated controversy over refurbishing and privatizing the 86-year-old pavilion at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Developer Chuck Williams, who is behind the pavilion project, has been replaced on the tourism board by the Porter County Board of Commissioners. So has former Portage Mayor Doug Olson.

Neither Williams nor Olson sought reappointment, but Porter County Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, said he would not have supported their return anyway.

Biggs, who was just elected back to the Board of Commissioners after a 16-year absence, said while campaigning he heard from lots of people angry over the way the pavilion project was handled and the tourism board's role in the process.

Biggs said he was disappointed the tourism board was not more in tune with the feelings of the public on the issue, especially considering one of its members was involved in the project.

"I think everyone involved in that should have known better," he said. "I heard my constituents loud and clear that they would like to see changes."

Those changes came this week in the form of the appointment of Portage attorney Patrick McEuen and the return of Jesse Harper to the board.

Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, told him the two new appointments mean reconstituting the board to focus more on putting "heads in beds" at hotels in the county and promoting county venues and the county as whole.

Indiana Dunes Tourism Executive Director Lorelei Weimer said her office's mission is to attract visitors to the county and get them to extend their stay once there.

The dunes are the state's top tourism attraction, drawing in 3 million visitors a year  80 percent of them from outside Northwest Indiana, she said.

The bureau already had been working to get these visitors to spend money elsewhere in the county through an effort known as, "shake off the sand south of the dunes," Weimer said.
Some eastbound South Shore commuter service lines have been restored with a limited number of trains operating from Chicago, an NICTD spokesman said Thursday night.

Trains 15, 119, 19, 121, 123 and 101 will operate from Chicago. The westbound Train 22 will be the only one operating between Michigan City and Millennium Station.

All other services for tonight have been cancelled, said John Parsons, spokesman for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

Earlier in the day, trains kept losing contact with ice-covered overhead wires, forcing NICTD to suspend services until weather conditions improved. Eight out of the district's nine westbound morning rush-hour trains were affected. Crews worked to return passengers on stopped westbound trains to their originating stations.

Some trains lost power and others were underpowered, Parsons said. Trains that lose power also lose heat, he said.

Parsons said one train lost heat and was stuck west of the Torrence Avenue bridge and the Hegewisch station in Chicago. That train was returned to the Hegewisch station, and passengers were able to enter the station for a break, he said.

Metra was honoring South Shore tickets Thursday, and updates on delays were to be posted at mysouthshoreline.com, according to a NICTD alert.

Freezing rain Thursday also wreaked havoc for drivers, causing temporary closures of the Indiana Toll Road.

Indiana State Police shut down the Toll Road in both directions in Lake County early Thursday after icy conditions caused multiple crashes. All lanes were reopened about 7 a.m., though police cautioned ramps might remain slick.

Indiana State Police for the Lowell Post also responded to slide-offs and spin-outs on Interstate 80/94 throughout the morning.

A freezing rain advisory for Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties and Chicago's south suburbs expired at 9 a.m., though the National Weather Service warned some slick spots might remain on roads. A freezing rain advisory for LaPorte County was extended until noon, according to the National Weather Service.

Sidewalks, driveways and parking lots covered in ice posed a risk to anyone walking.

A wintry mix of precipitation is possible during several weather systems expected through Monday morning, forecasters said. The additional precipitation could create a flooding risk.
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson said Wednesday it's a "fair assumption" that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized Moscow's alleged campaign to disrupt the U.S. election.



At a hearing that was interrupted at least three times by protesters, the former Exxon Mobil (XOM) CEO initially said he was not in a position to make that determination.

But Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida pressed him. "Mr. Tillerson, you've engaged in significant business activities in Russia, so I'm sure you're aware that very few things of a major proportion happen in that country without Vladimir Putin's permission."

"I think that's a fair assumption" that he would have known about the campaign and authorized it, Tillerson responded.

In a prepared statement, Tillerson said the United States must be "clear-eyed" about its relationship with Russia, which poses a danger today.

"It has invaded Ukraine, including the taking of Crimea, and supported Syrian forces that brutally violate the laws of war. Our NATO allies are right to be alarmed at a resurgent Russia," Tillerson said in the prepared statement.



Tillerson said the absence of American leadership had opened the door to this behavior and sent unintentional signals.

President-elect Donald Trump has faced criticism over flattering remarks he has made about Russia and Putin , and for his denial until recently that Russia was behind cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee and other U.S. targets.

The U.S. intelligence community concluded the Russian state acted to disrupt the U.S. democratic process during the 2016 election, in part to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton 's chances of being elected.

Rubio, a 2016 presidential contender who frequently sparred with Trump, asked Tillerson whether he would advise the president-elect to sign a bill that imposed mandatory visa bans and asset freeze sanctions on actors who engage in cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure and democratic process, regardless of what country they hail from.

Story continues

Tillerson said it is important to deal with those attacks on a country-by-country basis, taking into consideration all other elements of the relationship with the nation, including trade and national security ties.

Rubio said he found that answer "troubling" because it implies he may advise the president not to impose sanctions on a country with which the administration was trying to improve relations.

Trump has frequently said he will seek to improve relations with Russia.

Asked whether Trump agrees with his views on Russia's involvement in Ukraine and in Syria's civil war, Tillerson said he and the president-elect "have not had the opportunity to discuss this specific issue or the specific area."

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez said he would have thought Russia would have been at the top of their conversation considering recent developments.



"Has that not happened?" Menendez asked.

"That has not occurred yet," Tilleson responded.

Tillerson added that to his knowledge, Exxon Mobil never lobbied against sanctions on Russia.

Menendez, a long-time member of the Foreign Relations committee, said Wednesday that Exxon had in fact lobbied "aggressively" against Russian sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine and last year against related legislation, employing lobbyists to support these efforts.
Ben Carson said he would continue to work toward relocating families from East Chicago's West Calumet Housing Complex if confirmed as the new secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, told Carson during a U.S. Senate hearing more than 300 families have had their lives upended because of lead and arsenic contamination in the soil at the complex. The two previously spoke about East Chicago in Donnelly's office, the senator said.

"Can I have your commitment that HUD will continue to be part of the leadership of this effort and to dedicate the resources necessary to get this right for the residents and for the local officials of our town?" Donnelly asked.

Carson replied, "Absolutely. Whenever we're in a Superfund situation and lives are in danger and our children are in danger of being poisoned, I believe that becomes an emergency, and we will push very hard to complete that process."

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Carson, a neurosurgeon and a former Republican presidential candidate, to lead HUD.

The West Calumet Housing Complex and Carrie Gosch Elementary School sit within the first of three residential cleanup areas in the USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago.

Though the Superfund site is named after USS Lead, which once operated at 5300 Kennedy Ave., the West Calumet public housing complex was built in the footprint of another lead smelter built in 1912 by International Lead Refining, a subsidiary of the Anaconda Copper Co.

After the city moved to demolish the complex, West Calumet residents were ordered to relocate. Residents of more than 1,000 private properties in the Calumet neighborhood's other two cleanup zones have not been told to move, and the Environmental Protection Agency began removing contaminated soil from their yards last summer.

Carson defended his experience and credentials during much of his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, The Associated Press reported.

In November, Donnelly joined other area elected officials in a letter urging HUD Secretary Julian Castro to quickly review the city's request for up to $8 million in emergency demolition dollars to tear down the West Calumet property, saying the dollars are central to providing a long-term solution to address the public health crisis.

Residents and community activists criticized the city's request for demolition dollars, arguing any request for dollars should be focused on helping residents still living there to safely relocate. About half of the West Calumet families living at the complex have moved out with the assistance of HUD.

Donnelly in a news release said he and his staff have been in regular contact with local, state, and federal officials, including HUD and EPA, both on the ground and in regional and national offices.

Times Staff Writer Lauren Cross contributed to this report.
HOBART  Charges have been filed against a 53-year-old Merrillville man accused of stealing a donation jar Dec. 28 from a Speedway gas station.

Allen L. Edwards turned himself in Monday, the same day the Hobart Police Department circulated surveillance photos of Edwards stealing the Children's Miracle Network jar to the media and via social media, according to Hobart police Lt. James Gonzales.

Edwards allegedly entered a Speedway gas station near 61st Avenue and Interstate 65 at 9:53 p.m. Dec. 28 and engaged the clerk in conversation.

Police said once the clerk walked away, the man reached over the counter and grabbed the donation jar before exiting the gas station.

Following the release of the surveillance photos, several people called the police department positively identifying Edwards as the suspect, Gonzales said. Police also compared surveillance footage with a previous booking photo to identify Edwards as the suspect.

In speaking with police, Edwards alluded to the fact the clerk told him he could take the jar, a claim the employee subsequently denied to police, according to a probable cause affidavit. Edwards also told police there was only about $5 worth of change in the jar.

Edwards has been charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor.
Two semi-trailer drivers were injured after one veered off the roadway along southbound Interstate 65 south of Ind. 2, striking another semi-trailer parked on the outer shoulder.

The crash occurred about 4:40 p.m. Wednesday about five miles south of the Lowell exit, forcing the closure of all southbound lanes for several hours as Lake County's hazmat team cleaned up the approximately 90 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled due to the incident.

Luis Ortiz, 57, of Mississippi, was southbound on I-65 when, for unknown reasons, he braked, veered off to the right and lost control before his semi-trailer hit another trailer parked on the outer shoulder, according to a preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police. The driver of the parked semi-trailer, David Hill, 37, of Comer, Georgia, told police he was situated on the outer shoulder to use his cellphone, according to state police.

After hitting the semi-trailer, Ortiz's Volvo semi jack-knifed, blocking all lanes of traffic. Ortiz was transported to Riverside Memorial Hospital in Kankakee, Illinois, with serious injuries while Hill was transported to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville with injuries that were not life threatening.

All lanes have been reopened.

Its unclear if the crash was weather-related. Lake and Porter counties were under a dense fog advisory until 9 p.m. Tuesday.
When Callie Heynemans friend, Sarah Meyer, came back to Fort Wayne for a visit in July, attending the Allen County Fair was definitely on the agenda.

Heynemans photo of Meyer, A Night at the Carnival, took first place in the Outside the Region category of The Times End of the Year Photo contest.

Meyer, 21 and a Los Angeles resident, did some modeling, said Heyneman, 18, about her fellow graduate of Carroll High School in the northwest part of Allen County. Heyneman took the photo of her friend at the carousel with a lighted Ferris wheel in the background.

Ive been taking photos for six years, said the graphic design major at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne who is minoring in photography. I do photography, wedding as a side business.

After viewing her photos from the Allen County Fair, Heyneman said there were a few I really, really fell in love with and decided to enter The Times contest.

I shared the photo with other people who liked it, she said.

Nearly 1,300 people submitted photos in one of five categories for the contest, and more than 3,000 people voted online for their favorites. Other categories were Region, Cubs Victory Celebration, Indiana Bicentennial and Local Sports. The winning photos can be found at nwi.com/digital/photos.

Winners will receive a poster of The Times' front page featuring the Cubs World Series title. Winning photos also will be published in The Times this week and will be considered for publication in the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority promotional materials.
A Michigan City woman faces two felony battery charges after allegedly causing serious injury to her boyfriend's groin Thursday at an apartment on the city's north end, police said.

Tara Pegues, 36, was charged with felony domestic battery and felony aggravated battery. The charges were filed Monday.

According to the probable cause affidavit in LaPorte Superior Court 1, police were dispatched to an apartment in the 600 block of Spring Street.

Officers approaching could hear a woman screaming from inside the residence, then heard a male and female state clearly that everything was fine and they could leave, police said.

Eventually, Pegues opened the door and her 38-year-old boyfriend was trying to convince officers that nothing physically had occurred, police said.

Officers went elsewhere in the residence to further the investigation and saw Pegues in the kitchen getting ice from the refrigerator freezer. She had scratches on her left shoulder, she said.

When officers went back to the living room, they saw her boyfriend sitting on the back of a sofa with an apparent injury to his groin, police said.

He was taken away by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

At the hospital, police said, the man told them he and Pegues had been drinking and the argument started when she accused him of cheating on her.

The man also said he tried leaving, but when he got to the front door, she grabbed him by his groin and injured him severely enough to draw blood, according to police.

He gave no further explanation for that injury and could not explain a laceration running from his neck to right cheek.
A mere day after he pleaded guilty to battering his wife, a smiling Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington embraced and greeted friends in the parking lot of a Merrillville restaurant before heading into a celebratory gathering, which included other elected and public officials.

A mere month and two days after the guilty plea, Washington's smile beamed again as a majority of his fellow council members publicly elevated him in both power and prestige, electing him council vice president Tuesday.

The smiles are documented in photos. The disgusting support shown to an admitted wife batterer in the name of political allegiances is now burned into the public record for all time.

Any Lake County residents disturbed by these facts should be stirred to action. It's time for anyone in this county with a mind for justice and right to attend the next Lake County Council meeting  scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 14 at the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point  and speak out against County Council members Eldon Strong, Christine Cid, Dave Hamm and Washington himself for voting to further empower an admitted wife batterer. Council meetings offer a public comment period at the end, and it's time for all who see a problem with this to speak out.

Those who can't attend should be ringing the County Council office phone off the hook at 219-755-3280, calling upon Washington to resign his council post and lambasting Strong, Cid and Hamm for voting to further empower him. Residents rankled by this course of events also can and should write letters to those council members, voicing their displeasure.

Letters can be sent to the Lake County Council as a whole or to individual members at 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point, IN 46307.

No thinking, decent person can afford to remain silent. Council members aren't elected by voters and each paid nearly $30,000 per year annually  for part-time work  to insult us in such a fashion.

For those new to this issue, or those who have forgotten, consider the timeline of indecency and embarrassment, which stretches back about year and led to Tuesday's outrageous council vote.

In December 2015, Washington was booked into the Lake County Jail and charged with two felony counts of strangulation and one count of domestic battery in an incident involving his wife and another woman who lived in his Merrillville home.

Merrillville police allege Washington hit the other woman with a piece of wood trim and then strangled her. Police reported Washington's wife said she attempted to intervene to stop the incident, and Washington ultimately knocked his wife down, hit her, bit her and attempted to strangle her.

Washington's wife also told police such abuse had occurred in front of the couple's children.

Guilty or not, Washington owed it to his constituents to resign after the arrest and filing of charges. Instead, he chose to drag his government office and constituents through the embarrassment of pending domestic violence charges for the next year.

Fast-forward to a little more than a month ago. On Dec. 8, 2016, Washington pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery of his wife. A deal with prosecutors dismissed the felony charges, thus allowing Washington to hold on to his public office.

The very next evening, Friday, Dec. 9, Washington attended a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres party at a Merrillville restaurant.

Several Lake County public officials, some who thought better of attending the gathering, said Washington had invited friends and political allies to the gathering to celebrate his plea to lesser charges.

Then, nearly a month to the day later, the Lake County Council voted 4-3, installing Washington as the council's vice president.

And Washington, an admitted wife batterer, continues to smile at all of us.

Lake County residents must now decide what sort of expression they'll display in response to this inappropriate glee expressed by an admitted batterer and emboldened by elected officials who value political allegiance over moral compass.
For more than 40 years, bobcats in Indiana have been protected from hunting and trapping.

Bobcats are usually hunted to obtain their pelts, which are then sold. In the mid-1900s, bobcats were hunted to near extinction and in 1969 obtained a spot on Indiana's endangered species list.

A few months ago, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources proposed a bobcat hunting and trapping season. This month the Natural Resources Commission will be holding a hearing Jan. 17.

Opening the hunting of bobcats may undo 30-plus years of progress. Bobcats are still a protected species and play a vital role in our ecosystem. They keep rodents away and keep prey populations in check, which can prevent the spread of diseases carried by their prey.

Please contact the Indiana DNR and tell them you don't want bobcats hunted and trapped.

Dustin Thibideau, Cedar Lake
A Brooklyn man shot dead by police was laid to rest Wednesday as his family demanded a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. NY1's Rocco Vertuccio reports.

Saying goodbye is not always easy. For friends and family of James Owens it is especially difficult because of the way he died.

"It didn't have to end this way," said family friend Silas Butler. "It should have been more of a solution to this problem."

Owens was a 63-year-old emotionally disturbed man who was shot and killed by cops last week in the Canarsie home he shared with his sister. According to police, it happened after Owens lunged at them with a 13-inch knife. They say officers shot him three times after a Taser was not effective.

"What kind of damage could he have done to the police?" asked family friend Jean Wilder. "He's walking with a cane."

Owens' sister had called 911 that night because she said her brother was acting erratically.

"She called 911 to take him to the hospital for help, not to have please come to shoot and kill him," said attorney Sanford Rubenstein.

Owens' shooting was one of three police shootings during a 30-hour period last week.

At Owens' wake and funeral Wednesday, the family said they wouldn't have peace without justice first.

"They didn't follow protocol," said Rubenstein. "Protocol was to isolate him. Not to shoot and kill him."

The family wants a grand jury to investigate how police responded. Until then, prayers will have to do.

"We just asking for your prayers that the family gets through it we just need prayer right now," said family friend Cynthia Reed. "It's a difficult situation."

The Brooklyn district attorney will not comment about the case yet going to a grand jury. The office will only say the case is still under investigation.
NEW YORK - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will have a place in the Donald Trump administration as a cyber security expert.

Trump's transition team announced Thursday that Giuliani will provide his team with insight on "private sector cyber security problems and emerging solutions."

Giuliani was a staunch Trump supporter and attack dog during the campaign, speaking at the candidate's rallies and speaking out against Hillary Clinton.

The former mayor has led his own security consulting firm, and worked on cyber security issues for a major law firm.

Trump also announced an upcoming series of meetings with corporate executives from companies that have faced cyber security issues.

Cyber security has been a sensitive topic for Trump, especially after U.S. intelligence agencies said last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a cyberattack against Clinton to tilt the election toward Trump.

Clinton was embarrassed repeteadly after Russian hackers accessed and released emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton's campaign chairman.

Trump has downplayed the significance of the hacking, initially casting doubts that Russia was behind the cyber attack and then insisting it had no effect on the election. He also has shifted blame from Putin to the Democrats, saying their cyber security should have been better.
Transit workers gathered Wednesday to commemorate a co-worker killed by a G train in a Brooklyn subway tunnel back in November. NY1's Jose Martinez spoke with a co-worker who survived the impact of being crushed by a train. He filed the following report.

Jeffrey Fleming says he will never forget the night of November 3.

"That changed my life forever," he said.

That night, his fellow track worker, Louis Gray, was fatally pinned against the wall of a Brooklyn subway tunnel by an oncoming G train.

"Someone told me to look to my right. And I see him running, and I started running," Fleming said. "The train just came out of nowhere. That was it."

On Wednesday night, transit workers and Gray's loved ones held a memorial for the 53-year-old father of three, who became the third track worker killed in the last decade.

"We put our lives on the line every night to walk on those tracks," Fleming said. "You don't know what's going to happen. Expect the unexpected. And that night was the unexpected."

Gray was killed as he and Fleming set up lights in a curving section of tunnel between the Fort Hamilton Parkway and Church Avenue stations. They had been putting up the lights to alert train operators that workers would be in the tunnel.

"Yes, we should have been better protected," Fleming said. "There has to be a change."

All of Fleming's ribs were shattered. He is not yet letting himself think about going back on the tracks.

"No time soon. No time soon," he said.

The vigil came as the Transport Workers Union angles to get pay raises for thousands of transit workers. The union's contract with the MTA expires on Sunday, and during its public push for a new deal, the union has repeatedly emphasized the need for more worker protections.

"We deserve to be well-paid, well-compensated for the work that we do and the hazards that we face," said John Samuelsen, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100.

For Gray, one of those hazards cost him his life. The NTSB continues to investigate what went wrong.

"At the end of the day, we just have to work harder to make sure this never happens again," said Javier McKenzie, an MTA construction flagger.
BEIRUT  Nearly two months into the assault, Turkey has become bogged down in an unexpectedly bloody fight to retake Islamic States last stronghold in northern Syria. It has been forced to pour in troops, take the lead in the battle from its Syrian allies and reach out to Russia for aerial support.

The fight for al-Bab underscores the precarious path Ankara is treading with its foray in to Syria, aimed against both Islamic State militants and Syrian Kurdish fighters. The assault on the town had already driven a wedge between Turkey and the United States, and now the realignment toward Moscow  which supports the government in Syrias civil war  further tests Ankaras alliance both with Washington and with the Syrian opposition.

The battle itself has proven grueling.

Nearly 50 Turkish soldiers have been killed in its Syria operation, most of them since the al-Bab assault began in mid-November  including 14 killed in a single day. The militants have dug in, surrounding the town with trenches, lining streets with land mines and carrying out painful ambushes and car bombings against the besieging forces. Each time Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters have thrust into the city, theyve been driven out. More than 200 civilians are believed to have been killed since the attack began Nov. 13. Mud and cold rain have only made it more of a slog.

The battle for al-Bab has been mostly about killing civilians and destroying the city, whether by Daesh or the Turks, said Mustafa Sultan, a resident of al-Bab and a media activist who has been covering the fight. He used the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

The town is almost half destroyed. Daesh takes cover in hospitals, schools and these end up getting targeted, he said. The Turkish military says it takes great care not to harm civilians, halting operations that could endanger non-combatants.

Capturing al-Bab is essential to Ankaras goals in Syria.

Turkey, which for years supported the Syrian opposition drive to oust President Bashar Assad, has recalibrated its priorities toward fighting Islamic State militants who turned their terror against the Turkish state and thwarting Kurdish aspirations for autonomous rule along Syrias border with Turkey.

If al-Bab is retaken, it would break the Islamic State presence near the border and plant a Turkish-backed presence between Kurdish-held territory to the east and west, preventing them from linking.

For the U.S., the al-Bab assault risks causing direct confrontation between Turkish troops and Syrian Kurdish forces, which are leading a U.S.-backed offensive toward the de facto Islamic State capital, Raqqa. Washington supports and relies on the Kurds in the fight against Islamic State the past two years.

Last month, Ankara protested to Washington that its NATO ally was providing no help in al-Bab. A day later, Turkey said Russia carried out three airstrikes in the al-Bab area.

In the short term, Turkey is likely to sending a message to the United States before President-elect Donald Trump takes office that it has other options if Washington keeps backing the Syrian Kurds, considered by Ankara as terrorists linked to a Kurdish faction that has carried out bombings in Turkey.

In the long term, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be exploring his options with Russia, which currently holds the key to Syria militarily and diplomatically. Russia helped Assads forces crush the opposition enclave in the northern city of Aleppo in December. Then Moscow and Ankara joined to broker a ceasefire, which is supposed to lead to negotiations later this month.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday the U.S. has seen no indication of Russian-Turkish coordination, only independent Russian airstrikes in al-Bab.

I dont think the United States is very worried about Erdogan flipping from NATO to Moscow, but they are worried about Turkeys general drift into instability and rash decisions. Erdogan bungling his foreign policy to the point where he must turn to Putin for help is certainly part of that broader concern, said Aron Lund, a fellow at the New York-based Century Foundation.

Following Turkeys protest, U.S. officials said discussions with Ankara continue over al-Bab, an important effort against Islamic State. Turkey said on Dec. 30 that the U.S.-led coalition carried out an airstrike in the al-Bab region.

The offensive has also revealed how unprepared Turkish-allied Syrian rebels are for a protracted fight against Islamic State.

Ankara increased its initial deployment of 600 soldiers  which included special forces and mechanized battalions  to at least 4,000 today, according to Metin Gurcan, a former Turkish military adviser who served in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Iraq and is now an independent security analyst. Turkish troops now outnumber the Syrian opposition fighters who were supposed to be the primary ground force, Gurcan wrote in Al-Monitor.

He said some Syrian fighters have withdrawn, and because of their lack of discipline in the field, Turkish commandos are now engaged in front-line fighting against IS.

Unlike the Islamic State-held town of Jarablus, which Turkeys allies entered almost without a fight in August, the militant group prepared to defend al-Bab. Islamic State fighters have taken positions on hilltops, used drones and have repeatedly shown a capability in waging pitched battles.

After Turkish troops and Syrian fighters secured a strategic hilltop on the towns edge in late December, Islamic State launched a surprise counteroffensive, killing 14 Turkish soldiers and over two dozen Syrians.

One Syrian opposition commander said there were three different battles around the hill. We had to pull out more than once because they encircled us and we had many martyrs, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss battlefield details.

Another battle on the eastern side of al-Bab lasted 15 hours, starting from hilltops and ending in a valley at close range with dozens killed and many damaged armored vehicles. Sultan, who arrived afterward, was startled by the silence as bodies were cleared away.

The Turkish-backed fighters, who number around 2,000, have repeatedly entered al-Bab and each time are driven out by the militants, estimated to number around 3,000, said Sultan. The fighters frankly are afraid of the mines, which cause most of the deaths, Sultan said.

Al-Bab had a prewar population of 60,000 and its not known how many remain there. Despite the tight Islamic State seal, some still try to escape.

A resident who goes by the name of Abul-Ful for fear for his safety said his sister and her family fled Monday after Islamic State fighters took over their farmland north of the town to use as base. The family of seven moved from one farm to the next undetected until they reached shelter in a village north of al-Bab.

She was lucky, Abul-Ful said. He said his older sister was killed 10 days earlier as she tried to escape with her family. While hiding in farmland, they were caught in crossfire: Islamic State fired on Turkish-backed forces, then moved, and Turkish artillery responded, hitting the family and killing her.

Her family buried her at the spot where she died, then continued their escape, he said.
SANTA ANA  A man was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of being a serial shoplifter  repeatedly terrorizing retailers and their employees in at least eight Orange County cities for about a year by brandishing a replica gun and swiping high-end merchandise  to feed a heroin addiction, police said.

Hector Maldonado Ibarra, 29, was arrested after police served a search warrant at his Santa Ana home, discovering thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and drug paraphernalia, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.

Inside the home, police found: Gucci and Michael Kors handbags. Childrens clothes. Perfumes. They were all stolen, Bertagna said.

Police also found a syringe and bent spoon for injecting heroin.

The detective said this guy did (the thefts) on almost a daily basis, Bertagna said. He was selling the merchandise to feed his heroin addiction.

Ibarra, who police said as a long criminal record including felonies, is suspected in 18 shoplifting cases since at least March last year, Bertagna said. Law enforcement officials from around the county, including Anaheim and the Orange County Sheriffs Department, are working with the District Attorneys Office to create one unified case against him.

He should be arraigned Thursday or Friday, Bertagna said.

For now, Ibarra is being held on suspicion of petty theft and assault with a deadly weapon  a charge that Bertagna said led to his capture.

Santa Ana police had five shoplifting cases since March of last year, each unfolding in similar ways, Bertagna said. Police now suspect Ibarra of being the culprit.

In March, for example, Ibarra is suspected of going into a Marshalls department store on First Street in Santa Ana, brandishing a gun and taking off with merchandise, Bertagna said. There was a partial suspect profile at the time and not much else.

In some cases, he would use his kids to help in shoplift, Bertagna said.

A Santa Ana program to further investigate cases with little information led a detective to chat with the Marshalls loss-prevention team  essentially security guards. They told detectives they suspected Ibarra of doing this at several Marshalls and T.J. Maxx department stores, Bertagna said.

This detective took it the extra mile and the loss prevention team was the glue that tied all these cities together, Bertagna said. This is a very complex case.

A task force was set up to investigate all the crimes, some of which were caught on video. But there was one problem: no one had identified him.

It took us a while to figure out who he was, Bertagna said. He wasnt getting caught even though he would go back to the same stores.

Eventually, Bertagna said, a store in Costa Mesa was able to get his name and shared it with the Santa Ana detective. But even then, tracking him down proved difficult.

He used a lot of fake names and addresses, Bertagna.

On Nov. 23, Ibarra pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex to get something to eat at a nearby food truck, Bertagna said. The manager was using a leaf blower in the parking lot and Ibarra became upset.

The manager told him he didnt belong there, Bertagna said. So Ibarra went to his car to get his gun and struck the man with the butt of the gun.

And broke the mans cheek bone, Bertagna said.

Investigators were able to track him down and served a search warrant for that incident Tuesday. The manager was able to identify Ibarra in a lineup, Bertagna said.

More cases could surface as police continue to investigate, Bertagna said. The man was also out on bail on charges of a separate theft and assault of his girlfriends son. His criminal history includes petty, grand and vehicle thefts and second-degree burglary, Bertagna said.

Ibarra is being held at Orange County Jail. His bail is $300,000, Bertagna said.

He is not a good guy, he added. The detective believes this is just scratching the surface of what this guy was doing.

Contact the writer: 714-796-6979 or chaire@scng.com
The newest movie villain to haunt your nightmares is a pasty demonic spirit who looks like Voldemort and dresses like the Grim Reaper. Stalking his victims, he jumps out of closets and photobombs their pictures, making them see things that arent real, until they go mad with homicidal rage.

His name? The Bye Bye Man.

That moniker sounds like something a toddler would dream up. And although the horror film of the same name is not quite as silly as that, it isnt much better. The derivative work doesnt deliver scares so much as a few starts, all while ripping off such genre classics as Candyman and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The luckless victim at the center of the story is Elliot (Douglas Smith), a college kid who has just moved into a creepy off-campus rental with his best bud, John (Lucien Laviscount), and girlfriend, Sasha (Cressida Bonas). Life seems perfect until Elliot makes the mistake of looking in the bedside table of this fully furnished haunted house. Obsessively scrawled inside the drawer is the mantra of the movie: Dont think it. Dont say it.

It is revealed when Elliot pulls back the drawer lining to see the comically non-terrifying name. The Bye Bye Man, he says, out of idle curiosity, not realizing that he has sealed his fate.

As it turns out, anyone who says the name gets a visit, and the more friends and acquaintances a person tells, the more people the spirit haunts. The Bye Bye Man is basically a fatal virus. It spreads fast when the afflicted person cant keep his or her mouth shut.

Elliot and his friends start having weird visions and hearing chilling noises. Huge scratches appear on the walls that only Freddy Krueger could have made. (Speaking of Freddy, some of the score sounds a little too much like Elm Street.) Of course theres a mysterious backstory to all this that isnt too hard for Elliot to track down at the local library. If only he werent so forthcoming with the poor librarian.

The Bye Bye Man had a relatively modest budget, and it shows in the special effects, which tend to be more funny than scary. Even a conscious effort to suspend disbelief is undone by the hammy dialogue and stilted delivery, especially from Bonas (best known as Prince Harrys ex-girlfriend), who struggles with an American accent. Her inexperience is balanced by a cameo from veteran actress Faye Dunaway, who seems to be the only one in on the joke.

Director Stacy Title earned an Academy Award nomination for the 1993 live-action short Down on the Waterfront, and she re-teamed with her fellow nominee, writer Jonathan Penner, for this. Penner adapted the script from a story by Robert Damon Schneck with a much more ominous title: The Bridge to Body Island. The dialogue does the story no favors, but the movie is at least smartly edited to maximize the surprise factor. Its also not nearly as gory as most horror movies, which explains the PG-13 rating.

That could open it up to a wider audience, but should it? Dont think it. And definitely dont see it.
SANTA ANA  An explicit photo that sparked an investigation into a respected Newport Beach physician after it was discovered on the doctors computer by a Best Buy technician wasnt by itself child pornography, an FBI agent acknowledged Wednesday during courtroom testimony.

FBI agent Tracey Riley, the first law enforcement investigator to examine Dr. Mark Albert Rettenmaiers computer, told a federal judge that she had no doubt that the physicians computer contained child pornography, because the first image she saw was of a well-known underage victim.

But to meet federal guidelines for child pornography, the photo would have to be found to depict intercourse, bestiality, masturbation, sadomasochistic abuse or lascivious exhibition of genitals.

The photo  which authorities say depicts a nude pre-pubescent girl on her hands and knees on a bed wearing a choker-type collar around her neck  was allegedly found about five years ago in an unallocated section of Rettenmaiers computer, where deleted files are stored.

Riley testified that she believed the choker meant the image was right on the edge of depicting sadomasochistic abuse.

Rettenmaiers attorneys are asking a judge to throw out the photographic evidence, alleging that it was discovered by Best Buy technicians improperly acting as paid FBI informants.

Federal prosecutors have argued that the government wasnt aware of the search ahead of time. Best Buy officials say their technicians have no relationship with the FBI, but do have a legal and moral obligation to report any possible child pornography they run across during repairs.

U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney is allowing Rettenmaiers attorneys to call witnesses as part of a series of hearings this week to explore the FBIs relationship with some Best Buy Geek Squad technicians, who apparently received FBI payments for tips, as well as the actions taken by federal investigators.

The hard drive from Rettenmaiers computer was sent to a Best Buy repair center in Kentucky after he had trouble booting it up. Riley, an agent assigned to an FBI office in Louisville, testified that she was called when a technician found the photo on the computer. The hard drive was taken by the FBI, and the investigation handed off to federal investigators in Orange County.

The first witness called by Rettenmaiers defense attorneys was Tami Loehrs, a computer expert who testified that it is impossible to tell how files stored in the unallocated section of a computer got onto the machine.

Such files could have been unwittingly placed in the online cache of a computer during a web search and later automatically deleted and sent into the unallocated data files without the user ever knowing the files existed, Loehrs said.

Federal prosecutors did get Loehrs to back away from her initial claim that proving Rettenmaier knew of the photo would be impossible. She admitted that improbable would be a better way to describe it.

Testimony resumes on Thursday.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident, a senior administration official said Thursday.

The repeal of the wet foot, dry foot policy is effective immediately, according the official. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S.

The U.S. and Cuba planned to issue a joint statement later Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity in order to detail the change ahead of the announcement.

The official said the Cubans gave no assurances about treatment of those sent back to the country, but said political asylum remains an option for those concerned about persecution if they return.

Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. Donald Trump could undo that rule after becoming president next week. He has criticized Obamas moves to improve relations with Cuba. But ending a policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to come to the United States without a visa also aligns with Trumps commitment to tough immigration policies.

The wet foot, dry foot policy was put in place in 1995 by President Bill Clinton as a revision of a more liberal immigration policy. Until then, Cubans caught at sea trying to make their way to the United States were allowed into the country and were able to become legal residents after a year. The U.S. was reluctant to send people back to the communist island then run by Fidel Castro, and the Cuban government also generally refused to accept repatriated citizens.

The Cuban government has in the past complained bitterly about the special immigration privileges, saying they encourage Cubans to risk dangerous escape trips and drain the country of professionals. But it has also served as a release valve for the single-party state, allowing the most dissatisfied Cubans to seek better lives outside and become sources of financial support for relatives on the island.

Relations between the United States and Cuba were stuck in a Cold War freeze for decades, but Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro established full diplomatic ties and opened embassies in their capitals in 2015. Obama visited Havana last March.

U.S. and Cuban officials were meeting Thursday in Washington to coordinate efforts to fight human trafficking. A decades-old U.S. economic embargo, though, remains in place as does the Cuban Adjustment Act which lets Cubans become permanent residents a year after legally arriving in the U.S.

The official said that in recent years, most people fleeing the island have done so for economic reasons or to take advantage of the benefits they know they can receive if they make it to the U.S.

The official also cited an uptick in Cuban migration, particularly across the U.S.-Mexico border  an increase the official said reflected an expectation among Cubans that the Obama administration would soon move to end their special immigration status.

Since October 2012, more than 118,000 Cubans have presented themselves at ports of entry along the border, according to statistics published by the Homeland Security Department. During the 2016 budget year, which ended in September, a five-year high of more than 41,500 people came through the southern border. An additional 7,000 people arrived between October and November.

The influx has created burdens on other countries in the region that must contend with Cubans who have yet to reach the U.S. border, the official said.

The Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, which was started by President George W. Bush in 2006, is also being rescinded. The measure allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to seek parole in the U.S. while on assignments abroad.

People already in the pipeline under both wet foot, dry foot and the medical parole program will be able to continue the process toward getting legal status.

The preferential treatment for Cubans reflected the political power of Cuban-Americans, especially in Florida, a critical state in presidential elections. That has been shifting in recent years. Older Cubans, particularly those who fled Castros regime, tend to reject Obamas diplomatic overtures to Cuba. Younger Cuban-American voters have proven less likely than their parents and grandparents to define their politics by U.S.-Cuba relations. Exit polls show President Barack Obama managed roughly a split in the Florida Cuban vote in 2012, and Trump in November won the same group by a much narrower margin than many previous Republican nominees.

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Michael Weissenstein in Miami and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
FULLERTON  Police are asking for the publics help locating a 30-year-old man they suspect of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl on Dec. 21.

Rigoberto Arevalo Cubias is described as an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador. He is about 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Details about the attack were not made available. But based on several weeks of investigation, officers say theyre prepared to arrest Cubias on suspicion of sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child under the age of 10 years old, a felony, Sgt. Jon Radus said.

Cubias has an outstanding $50,000 warrant for a DUI from 2014, Radus said. Police say they believed he has a fraudulent California drivers license, and that he has been known to use several aliases, always with his last name.

Detectives believe Cubias knows he is wanted by police and is on the run, Radus said in a statement. He has discarded his previously owned vehicle and cellular phone in what detectives believe is an attempt to elude capture.

Anyone who knows anything about Cubias whereabouts can call the Fullerton Police Departments Detective Carin Wright at 714-738-6754. Anyone who wants to report information anonymously can call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227).
GENEVA  The chief of the United Nations warned Thursday against a quick fix to end decades of division between Cyprus ethnic Greek and Turkish communities, even as U.N.-hosted talks headed to a new phase as three key foreign ministers met to help address security issues on the Mediterranean island.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underscored that tough work remains before success can emerge from the months of talks seen as the best chance to restore unity to a country divided since a pro-Greek coup and subsequent Turkish military invasion over four decades ago.

Were not here for a quick fix, Guterres, flanked by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, told reporters during a pause in Geneva talks. Work will continue toward a solid and a sustainable solution for Cyprus that will be a symbol of hope in a world where so many conflicts are emerging, where so many problems do not seem to come to an end.

You cannot expect miracles and immediate solutions, he said.

Guterres said Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anasastaides and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci made progress on issues like territory, property and relations with the European Union since they started meeting in Geneva on Monday.

The arrival of Foreign Ministers Boris Johnson of Britain, Nikos Kotzias of Greece and Mevlut Cavusoglu of Turkey brought talks about security  a key issue for both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots  to the table for the first time in years of peacemaking efforts.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini were also participating in the talks.

Kotzias said the foreign ministers from Turkey, Greece and Britain  Cyprus so-called guarantors  could meet again later this month to reach a breakthrough on security, seen as pivotal to any final deal. He said a new ministerial meeting could take place on Jan. 23, though no other diplomats or EU or U.N. officials publicly confirmed that possible timetable.

One diplomat involved in the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to provide details publicly, said a framework decision for a process going forward was likely to emerge later Thursday.

Kotzias says the main point of disagreement continues to be Turkeys insistence on keeping troops in Cyprus and the right to militarily intervene, which Greece opposes.

We believe, and rightly so, that the guarantee system must be abolished, Kotzias told reporters.

He said Greece favors a plan to cobble together an international team of observers under U.N. Security Council auspices to oversee the implementation of a peace accord. Any deal should foresee the swift withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, he said.

Turkey stationed about 35,000 troops in northern Cyprus in 1974 when it invaded following a coup by Greek Cypriots hoping to unify Cyprus with Greece. The minority Turkish Cypriots see Turkeys military might as their sole insurance against any Greek Cypriot hostility if a peace deal unravels, and insist on keeping the troops as part of a final accord.

Greek Cypriots see the Turkish troop presence as a threat and an instrument of Ankaras influence on the island. They insist that Turkey, which isnt an EU member, should neither keep troops on Cyprus, which is part of the 28-nation bloc, nor have the right to intervene militarily there.

As the security talks got underway, Anasastaides floated the possibility of the creation of an international police force, without specifying who or how it might be set up or lead, a diplomat who attended the session said on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to provide details about the talks.

Cavusoglu insisted that Turkish troops and intervention rights remain in place as part of a peace accord, said an official familiar with his comments. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to disclose details of the conference.

The foreign ministers hoped to make progress that could pave the way for their prime ministers to join, a possible signal that a wide-ranging accord also involving issues like governance, property and territory could be on tap. Britain is a former colonial overseer in Cyprus, and today operates two military bases on the island.

Any final accord would go before voters in both the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus thats recognized only by Turkey and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south. Guterres acknowledged that referenda are not an easy challenge.
Pregnant women with Zika risk giving birth to babies with microcephaly, a deformation that leads to abnormally small brains and heads (AFP Photo/VANDERLEI ALMEIDA)

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazil's 2015-2016 zika scare has largely dropped out of the headlines, but one year on, thousands of parents are struggling as they learn to care for brain-damaged babies.

Brenda Pereira, 23, weeps in dismay as she leaves the doctor's room with her four-month-old daughter Maria Fernanda in her arms.

The pediatrician has just told her that Maria Fernanda's case of microcephaly is worse than previously thought.

The zika disease, spread by mosquito bites, causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads.

"I hope she will be able to speak. That she will be as normal as possible," says Pereira.

"That is why I bring her to the doctor: to try to make her fit into society. Because people do not see our children as people."

Brazil has confirmed 2,289 cases of babies born with microcephaly in the epidemic that started in 2015. Authorities say there are 3,144 other suspected cases pending confirmation.

Since most of those babies are no more than a year old, Brazilian doctors' experience of treating them is limited.

In cases like Maria Fernanda's, the doctors do not have answers to all the parents' questions.

"If the doctors do not know, then how can I?" she says. "I have learned to live with her because I must."

- No disability payments -

Pereira, from Rocinha, Rio's biggest slum, only learned her baby had the condition after Maria Fernanda was born.

The baby's father abandoned her, she says, because he did not want "a sick daughter."

Pereira had to leave her job to care for the baby 24 hours a day. She moved in with her own mother, leaving her other daughter, aged six, with relatives.

She struggles to pay for the physiotherapy sessions Maria Fernanda needs to stimulate her.

Maria Fernanda does not qualify to receive child disability welfare payments from the state, because Pereira's own mother is above the $70-a-month earnings threshold. She works selling bags of ice on Ipanema beach.

Story continues

"I have had to put my whole life on hold and live for the baby. But as far as the government is concerned, you have to be extremely poor in order to receive a subsidy," Brenda Pereira says.

"Brazil is not equipped to deal with such a major illness."

- 'Where is the government? -

In Rio de Janeiro, last year's Olympic host city, the State Brain Institute was overwhelmed by microcephaly cases and had to set up a special walk-in clinic.

For Brenda and 400 other families from the surrounding state, it provides scans and other costly tests for free.

But back at home, life looking after a child with microcephaly is hard.

Alzira Meneses has to travel 155 kilometers (nearly 100 miles) to the Rio clinic with her six-month-old son Arthur.

She says there is only child brain specialist in her home town Cabo Frio.

Meneses, 35, has failed to get Arthur an appointment due to strikes by healthcare workers against spending cuts in the economic crisis.

She is unemployed and receives no public welfare subsidies.

"Where is the government? Where is it?" she asks angrily.

- Praying for strength -

The Rio clinic also provides counseling sessions for families.

The coordinator of the clinic, Fernanda Fialho, says psychological support for the families is needed almost as much as research into the illness.

"It is very important because there is no treatment for microcephaly. What these babies need is someone who is psychologically sound to look after them."

In the nearby waiting room, Arthur's father plays with him.

Unlike some babies with microcephaly, Arthur is able to breastfeed and does not need to be fed through a tube. But he is starting to have sight problems.

"We pray a lot. We ask God to give us the strength to accept it," Meneses says.

"We do not know what might happen. There is no use in asking yourself what tomorrow brings."
YORBA LINDA  Orange County sheriffs deputies got wet and muddy Tuesday afternoon while pursuing burglary suspects through rain-soaked Yorba Linda.

Three men and a woman in their 20s, from the Los Angeles area, were arrested on suspicion of burglary, resisting arrest, conspiracy and possession of stolen property Tuesday after someone tipped deputies off to a suspicious vehicle parked in the 5200 block of Sunset Lane, not far from Imperial Highway, Lt. Mark Stichter said.

Around 12:15 p.m., deputies received a call about the parked four-door vehicle and two men running from a house. When officers arrived, the woman, Audesi Butler, 20, was in the car and arrested, Stichter said.

Deputies then set up a perimeter  with the help of the Sheriffs Departments helicopter and police dogs, the Placentia Police Department, and the Orange County Transportation Authority  and went to look for the remaining suspects.

Deputies quickly arrested two suspects; the final suspect was found hiding in a residents yard, Stichter said. The three arrested men: Edward Carter, 22; Semaj Jackson, 23, and Patrick Pollard, 23.

Deputies recovered jewelry and collectors coins from the suspects, who are suspected of burglarizing the house on Sunset, and returned the property to the owner, Stichter said.

(The deputies) were muddy, Stichter said. It was raining, and they were looking in peoples yards. But they were diligent, we set up a perimeter, and they caught them.

Contact the writer: 714-796-6979 or chaire@scng.com
JERUSALEM  As inauguration day draws near, U.S. allies in the Middle East, alongside Palestinian leaders and American diplomats, are warning President-elect Donald Trump to forget his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

A top government minister in Jordan, Israels pro-Western neighbor, said the embassy move from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem would have catastrophic consequences, inflaming religious passions and rallying extremists in the region.

The Palestinians have also called the move a red line that would dash hopes for a two-state solution to their long-running conflict with the Israelis.

Palestinian leaders are now pleading with Trump not to do it. They have asked mosques around the world to offer prayers this Friday against the move.

This is a message of protest, said Mohammad Shtayyeh, a senior Palestinian official and former peace negotiator.

The call for prayer is to say we dont accept this, he said, signaling how quickly the issue had moved from the diplomatic realm to the sectarian street.

The Palestinians also want churches to ring their bells Sunday in protest of the proposed move.

Shtayyeh said that if Trump moved the embassy to Jerusalem, the Palestine Liberation Organization would consider revoking its recognition of the state of Israel. If such a threat is carried out, it would mark the collapse of the 1993 Oslo peace accords.

Advocates for the embassy move say that Trump should not be cowed by threats of possible violence. Israels ambassador in Washington, Ron Dermer, has said the move would send a strong message against the delegitimization of Israel and of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

In Israel, speculation is rife that a move could happen on May 24, the national holiday of Jerusalem Day, which marks the citys reunification after the 1967 war.

But some U.S. diplomats, including former Middle East peace negotiators, say the move would do little to advance U.S. interests in the region.

It was and is a symbol of American policy, which has always been that the status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations, and any effort to move it unilaterally would be disruptive and dangerous for everyone, said Philip Wilcox, the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem from 1988 to 1991.

Its playing with fire, Wilcox warned. It would quite likely incite acts of Palestinian violence and terrorism, not only there but everywhere. It would alienate other Muslim states and make our role in trying to preserve some stability and peace more difficult. It would alienate the international community. And all it would accomplish is the goodwill of the Israeli right wing.

Every U.S. administration has wrestled with the embassy issue since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, when Israel captured the eastern Arab half of Jerusalem from Jordan in six days of fighting.

Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal, undivided capital. In election after election, U.S. presidential candidates have vowed to relocate the American Embassy, then demurred once in office. Every embassy in Israel is in Tel Aviv.

But Trumps transition team has signaled that he may actually carry out his promise. Trumps bankruptcy attorney, David Friedman, the designated U.S. ambassador to Israel, has said he expects to take up his post in Jerusalem. Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway called it a major focus.

Jerusalem is like no place else, its history sacred and bloody. The city has been seized, razed, lost and fought over for 3,000 years. It is not only a center of three world religions, but it also remains a disputed city today, divided between the occupied Palestinian villages and refugee camps in the east and the Jewish neighborhoods in the west.

For most countries, the United States included, the final status of Jerusalem awaits a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who want the eastern half as the capital of a future state of Palestine.

Moving the U.S. Embassy from seaside Tel Aviv would likely be interpreted by many as a tacit acknowledgment that the United States recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the whole city.

Behind the diplomatic optics, the practical needs of a modern-day U.S. embassy revolve around security. After a string of embassy bombings elsewhere, Congress embraced the idea of American missions as fortresses to protect diplomats. It passed regulations mandating a 100-foot perimeter.

If Trump decides to relocate the embassy, he has several options.

The most costly would be starting from scratch on a site already leased by the U.S. government. That could take four years or longer.

Or it could be as simple as erecting a new sign on the U.S. Consulate that already exists in West Jerusalem and calling it the embassy.

It could even be a virtual embassy, with the Trump administration announcing that all ambassadorial duties will henceforth be conducted in Jerusalem  and the ambassador could meet people in the lobby of the King David Hotel, for example, if he wished.

Until recently, the Arab governments have been mostly silent on the prospect. Diplomats confessed that they did not really believe that Trump was serious about moving the embassy; they thought it was just a campaign boast.

Now the Palestinians are taking what they see as a threat seriously.

This is something huge, said Majdi Khaldi, a senior adviser on diplomatic affairs to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He warned of a tsunami if the embassy were moved.

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, he said.

Jordans usually low-key minister of information, Mohammed al-Momani, said that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would have catastrophic consequences and be a gift to extremists.

Jordan plays an outsize role in Jerusalem, serving as custodian of Islams holy sites in the Old City, including the golden shrine of the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, considered the third-holiest in Islam.

These Muslim sites are built upon the site that Jews consider the holy of holies and the place where their first two temples, now destroyed, once stood. Today, Jews pray at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.

The Obama administration opposes the embassy move. Secretary of State John F. Kerry has warned of an absolute explosion in the Middle East if it happens.

Not only could it stoke violence, Kerry told CBS that moving the mission would have profound impact on the readiness of Jordan and Egypt to be able to be as supportive and engaged with Israel as they are today. Jordan and Egypt have peace treaties with Israel.

Among Israelis, there is broad support for moving the embassy to West Jerusalem, where Israels parliament, supreme court and government ministries are all located.

Alan Baker, an Israeli diplomat and former peace negotiator with the Palestinians, said: This should not be a problem for the Palestinians, but they are turning it into a problem and turning the whole of Jerusalem into a problem. Its a tactic of fear, they threaten fire and brimstone, so everyone is afraid.
Boeing announced internally on Tuesday a new round of employee buyouts for engineers company-wide and warned that layoff notices will follow later this month to engineers in Washington state, where the company has a large presence.

Management did not cite a target for the number of projected job cuts.

In November, the company said it would shift some 2,400 jobs away from its Huntington Beach facilities over four years. A consolidation plan would mean the transfer of 300 Huntington Beach jobs to its Seal Beach facility and 1,600 positions to its plants in Long Beach and El Segundo.

An additional 500 jobs will move to St. Louis. And 400 will move to Huntsville, Ala., from Huntington Beach and other facilities around the country.

A company spokesman at the time said the company expected about 500 jobs would be eliminated company-wide by 2020 as a result of the contraction.

The news comes after company Vice Chairman Ray Conner and the new chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Kevin McAllister, warned in December of the need for more cuts in 2017.

John Hamilton, BCA vice president of engineering, sent a memo on the job cuts to all BCA engineering employees, managers and executives.

As we enter 2017, our plan calls for us to reduce our Engineering staff, Hamilton told employees. I realize some of this news is unpleasant.

Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said similar announcements will be coming for other work groups, such as production workers, as plans are finalized.

Well be notifying employees as different areas and functions within BCA finalize their plans, Alder said.

Hamiltons memo says details of a buyout offer will be sent Friday to engineering employees in eligible skill classifications. Those who accept the offered buyout will end their employment April 21.

The buyout package will be offered to employees in Southern California, Washington state and South Carolina.

Hamilton said there will be two additional rounds of buyouts and layoffs in engineering later this year.
The California Legislature entered the New Year by hiring former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder to lead the states legal charge against the Trump administration. The justification is that he will safeguard the values of the people of California.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said that bringing in Holder shows that were very serious in protecting the values of the people of California against any attempt to undermine the policies that have made us the fifth-largest economy in the world.

The better description of events, though, comes from Republican state Sen. Ted Gaines of El Dorado, who said were putting a disgraced, unelected individual in charge of protecting California against possible federal overreach.

My Democrat colleagues are spending millions attempting to safeguard the values of Californians based on tweets and phantom proposals. What about the 4.2 million California voters who supported Trump?

While the election of Donald Trump sent thousands across the state into a frenzy of protests and cry-ins, the Democratic legislative leadership pulled a political fire alarm, almost immediately looking for an outside lawyer who would, according to one headline writer, stand up to Trump.

But thats misleading. What Holder will do is largely try to help Californias government break federal law and violate federalism whenever and wherever possible.

Immigration will surely be one of the battlefields. Trump aims to enforce federal law while state and local governments refuse to cooperate with the federal government in enforcing Americas laws through the establishment of sanctuary cities.

America has always welcomed immigrants, but theres a process  the rule of law  that must be respected. If Sacramento legislators and city councilmembers dont like federal immigration law, they have every right to press for change. California has the largest representation in Congress among the 50 states. It is not without a voice in Washington.

Expect bitter clashes over global warming and environmental rules, as well. The Trump White House could be a hurdle to Californias destructive climate change efforts that are hurting the economy, taking away job opportunities and dropping an undue burden on the poor and middle class.

Another skirmish could erupt over Sacramentos request that the Obama administration authorize a permanent ban on new offshore drilling on the fossil-fuel rich West Coast. If the president issues an executive order to that effect before he leaves office, Trump will surely countermand it with his own order, triggering Holder to tie it all up in the courts.

The entire Holder-to-California enterprise is a colossal waste. Sen. Patricia Bates, a Republican from Laguna Niguel, rightly points out that California already has an attorney generals office charged with defending the state and its laws. The office, she notes, has 4,300 employees and a budget of $830 million. Funding Holder and his legal team is yet another abuse of taxpayers. Couldnt Xavier Becerra, likely the next state attorney general, harass Trump enough on his own?

Holders hiring is also, as Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley says, a distraction from the very real problems facing everyday Californians. Those very real issues demanding attention include tax and regulation relief, a severe housing shortage, the march of productive Californians leaving the state, an ominous pension crisis and a coming energy crunch.

Rather than playing the role of adolescent rebel, the states Democratic leadership would be better off engaging in a bit of introspection. It would realize that the charitable hiring of Holder is just another California welfare program.

Kerry Jackson is a fellow at the Center for California Reform at the Pacific Research Institute.
SAN FRANCISCO  A California appeals court tossed out a law that banned grand juries from determining whether police officers involved in fatal shootings should face criminal charges.

The 2015 law sought more transparency in shooting investigations by shifting charging decisions from closed-door grand juries to prosecutors.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday that lawmakers cant restrict grand juries constitutional authority to issue criminal indictments.

To allow the Legislature to restrict this constitutional role in part would be to concede the power to restrict it in its entirety, Justice M. Kathleen Butz said in the ruling.

The California Legislature adopted the law after grand juries in New York and Missouri declined to indict officers who fatally shot unarmed black suspects, decisions that led to nationwide protests and unrest.

Supporters of the law said the secret nature of grand jury decisions can create the impression that the process is unfair and erode trust in law enforcement, particularly when the outcome seems to conflict with witnesses or cellphone video.

The law left the decision to file charges in deadly police force cases to prosecutors, who have been accused of using grand juries to avoid political fallout from their charging decisions.

The office of the state senator who wrote the law, Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, did not immediately have comment.

The appeals court said the Legislature could seek a constitutional amendment banning grand juries from investigating deadly police force cases or revise the procedural rules that make those grand jury investigations secret.

Prosecutors who challenged the law said grand juries gave them power to force witnesses to testify and could involve more thorough investigations.

Grand juries are composed of community members who weigh evidence presented by prosecutors behind closed doors.

Instead of banning the use of grand juries in deadly police force cases, transcripts of their investigations should be made public, said Mark Zahner, CEO of the California District Attorneys Association, which opposed the law. He said that could make the process even more transparent than an investigation by a prosecutor.

Our position was always that theres no backroom, sneaky skullduggery going on in these things, he said.

The ruling came in the case of a fatal June 2015 shooting by South Lake Tahoe police. El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson challenged the law by seeking a grand jury investigation of the shooting.
SAN DIEGO  With one justice calling the judges decision highly unusual, the 4th District Court of Appeal here on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a case of an Orange County Superior Court jurist who sparked public backlash in 2015 when he decided to reduce the sentence for a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old relative.

In a ruling that caused national outcry and prompted a recall effort, Judge M. Marc Kelly in April 2015 shaved 15 years from a mandatory minimum sentence for Kevin Jonas Rojano-Nieto, convicted in December 2014 of sodomizing the girl.

Prosecutors said Rojano-Nieto, 19 at the time, sexually assaulted the young relative after she wandered into a Santa Ana garage where he was playing video games.

The crime carried a mandatory sentence of 25-years-to-life in prison under Jessicas Law, approved by California voters in 2006. But the judge determined that punishment was unconstitutional and reduced the sentence to 10 years.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas appealed the ruling, calling it illegal. Kelly, in a response to the recall effort, said he acted within his judicial independence.

The ruling played out more than a year before a case with similarities exploded into a national uproar: This past summer a Santa Clara County judge, with ties to Stanford University, sentenced Brock Turner, once a Stanford University swimmer, to six months in jail for sexual assault  a sentence many deemed too lenient.

In the Orange County case, now set before a three-member appeals court panel, Deputy District Attorney Matt Lockhart on Wednesday said Judge Kelly considered factors for his lighter sentence that were not supported by evidence.

The judge, in his nine-page sentencing analysis, said Rojano-Nieto almost immediately stopped and realized the wrongfulness of his act.

But Lockhart noted that Rojano-Nieto took the time to lock the door when the little girl wandered into the garage. He also took time to remove her pants and underwear and covered her mouth when she cried out for her mother, he said.

How is that snapping out of it early on? Lockhart asked.

Attorney Christopher Nalls, representing Rojano-Nieto, said Kelly used careful consideration when determining that the punishment in this case was cruel and unusual under the state and federal constitutions.

Its hard to imagine what the trial court could have done to make more of a thorough, reasoned judgment here, he said. It would shock the conscience to throw this young man in prison forever.

Associate Justice Joan Irion, who said Judge Kellys decision was highly unusual for a trial court, added that judges do have the authority in certain circumstances to not follow sentencing requirements set by legislators or voters. The panel must decide whether the punishment for this case is so exquisitely rare that it rises to the level of being unconstitutional.

The justices are expected to issue a ruling within 90 days.

Kellys decision prompted a grassroots recall effort fueled by victims advocates. But the movement fizzled after organizers failed to gather enough signatures to put the recall on the June 2016 ballot.

Victims advocates have said they were angered by Kellys wording in his sentencing analysis.

While the crime was serious and despicable, the judge wrote, it does not compare to a situation where a pedophile preys on an innocent child. The judge said there was no violence or callous disregard for the victims well-being.

Kelly has said he came to his conclusion after carefully looking at many factors of the case and was moved by appeals for leniency from the victims family members.

The judge, in his response to the recall effort, said he has been a respected judge for 15 years and has a reputation for being tough on crime.

A former gang prosecutor appointed by Gov. Gray Davis in 2000, Kelly now presides over family-law matters in Orange County. Kelly was re-elected in 2012 for a term that expires in 2019.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com
Fake news?

The Register just sunk to a new low by publishing Russia may have ugly intel on him, Trump told [News, Jan. 11] as the top story on the front page. This sentence alone, The summary is based on memos generated by political operatives seeking to derail Trumps candidacy, should have been enough to scrap the story. The following words found in the article prove it to be codswallop: unsubstantiated, not corroborated, claims, unverified defamatory material, not yet been vetted, alleged and supposed.

 Joe McCarthy, Yorba Linda

Farewell, Obama

Re: Forceful, tearful Obama says goodbye in emotional speech [News, Jan. 11]: Wow! What a remarkable farewell address! I have never been prouder of President Obama, his gracious statesmanship, his ability to rise above petty (and heart-hurting) name-calling, and his impressive record  despite Mitch McConnell and others trying to crush him at every opportunity.

When Obama first took office, our nation was in its worse financial situation in nearly 80 years. Now the Dow is pushing 20,000. Millions of Americans were without jobs or health insurance. Now millions more have jobs and insurance. When he was inaugurated, we were still reeling from 9/11. President Bush didnt think it was worth his time to go after 9/11s evil mastermind. But President Obama did  and wiped him out.

He proved that whats important in governing honestly and well is not ones race, cultural background or personal finances, but a love for our nation, its Constitution, and the wellbeing of all its people, rich, poor of whatever state or background.

Thank you, President Obama. I look forward of many more years of patriotic service from you, as we have had from other presidents, such as Carter and Clinton.

 Bonnie Compton Hanson, Santa Ana

Hollywood double standard?

Re: Meryl Streep should stick to acting [Letters, Jan. 11]: Three letters said that Hollywood and actors should not be in politics. The actors use their stardom as a bully pulpit for their liberal politics. Donald Trump was a reality TV star  he has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. I didnt hear or see any complaints from conservatives when he used the bully pulpit.

 Lupe Ramirez, Anaheim
Not that long ago all of us watched the same three television networks, listened to the same radio stations and read the same daily newspapers. If there was an event big enough to generate coverage, all of us knew about it; but if the big three decided something wasnt newsworthy, it was pretty much buried forever.

Now, thanks to the internet, smartphones and cable television, everything has changed. Anything can get attention, if enough people share it on their Twitter or Facebook feed, and the networks are often chasing those stories, rather than breaking them.

Typically, the recipe for coverage is for someone to do or say something so provocative that users are motivated to post links to the story, and then all of their friends participate in the pile-on.

If youre a conservative, youre looking for liberal villains. If youre a liberal, youre on the prowl for conservative villains.

Thats how it works, and all of us know it.

Which is why Ill never understand how common it is for partisan controversialists to first say something totally outrageous, and then get upset when they get trolled for it on social media.

You cant have your cake and eat it too.

But thats exactly what some media gluttons want.

Take Newsweeks Kurt Eichenwald, for example. Last year he tweeted that President-elect Donald Trump was institutionalized in a mental hospital for a nervous breakdown in 1990.

Which is definitely fake news.

When he was asked about it in subsequent interviews, Eichenwald dismissed his tweet as a joke and said that theres a really long story behind it.

In describing one particularly disastrous appearance of Eichenwald explaining his tweet on Fox News, host Tucker Carlson said, I am not calling anyone a liar, but I am saying Im concerned about your behavior on this show tonight.

As you can imagine, the Twitter warriors came out in force.

Eichenwald is even pursuing criminal and civil charges against one of the Twitter trolls who took offense to his attack on Trump. Eichenwald, who suffers from epilepsy, claims that someone writing under the name @jew_goldstein sent him a flashing-strobe-light image with the words You deserve a seizure for your post.

Here in Orange County, Orange Coast Community College Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox went on a post-election tirade in her human sexuality class where she declared the election to be an act of terrorism and Trump to be a white supremacist.

She then tried to get all of the Trump supporters to stand up in front of the shaken class and insisted, Living in Orange County is scary when you know youre surrounded by so many people that are so hateful.

Thankfully, the whole thing was caught on tape and the video went viral on the internet.

It didnt take long before the bully professor heard from more Trump supporters than she ever imagined.

In response, Coxs labor union, the Coast Federation of Educators, AFT Local 1911, went after the student who posted the rant online and tried to get the school to punish him, with the possibility of expulsion on the table.

Their efforts were unsuccessful.

And finally, a Sacramento State history professor drew a ton of heat when he said that climate change deniers should not be able to use modern technology.

In a Dec. 27 op-ed for the Huffington Post, Professor Joseph Palermo wrote, Ive always believed that people who dismiss science in one area shouldnt be able to benefit from science in others.  If Trump and his cohort believe the science of global warming is bogus then they shouldnt be allowed to use the science of the Internet for their Twitter accounts, the science of global positioning for their drones, or the science of nuclear power for their weaponry.

Not long after that, he went on Fox News to defend himself, and it didnt go well. Now hes saying that he has received 50 negative emails and had to block 200 people from his Twitter account due to abusive tweets.

But if these would-be opinion makers really dont want to hear from internet trolls, they should stop behaving like trolls themselves. When you make outrageous statements to get a rise out of people, can you really be shocked when it works? After all, one mans opinion is another mans abuse.

John Phillips is a CNN political commentator and can be heard weekdays at 3 p.m. on The Drive Home with Jillian Barberie and John Phillips on KABC/AM 790.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican nominated for attorney general, came under sharp attack from black leaders Wednesday over his record on minorities, as Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a luminary of the civil rights movement, charged that he could set back racial progress by decades.

We need someone as attorney general whos going to look out for all of us, and not just some of us, Lewis, a Democrat, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on the second and final day of testimony for Sessions nomination.

The emotional testimony from Lewis and other black leaders provided some dramatic moments at the hearing, but there was no indication that it would slow Sessions confirmation in the Senate, which appears all but certain.

Republican members on the committee came to his defense at the hearing and said that he was being unfairly tarnished over accusations of racial insensitivity that have dogged him since the 1980s.

They produced witnesses, including several black conservatives, who vouched for Sessions character and professionalism and said they were confident that he would enforce the law no matter what his personal views were.

Larry D. Thompson, a friend of Sessions who worked with him in the 1980s when both were federal prosecutors, said the senator had a commitment to both strong law enforcement and equal justice for all.

The days testimony highlighted the strong racial undertones of Sessions nomination. Three decades ago, the Senate rejected Sessions for a federal judgeship over questions about his failed prosecution of African-Americans in a fraud case and racially insensitive comments he was reported to have made. He acknowledged using words like un-American to describe the NAACP.

Black leaders say that those accusations still resonate with them and that his votes as a senator in more recent years in opposition to a number of civil rights bills have given them more reason to question his record.

About a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus, along with civil rights leaders, turned out at Wednesdays hearing in support of Lewis and two other black Democrats  Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana  as they voiced their opposition to Sessions nomination.

Booker broke with Senate tradition by testifying against a fellow senator, a decision that he cast as a matter of conscience and country.

He alluded to Sessions opposition to immigration and his support for voter-identification laws that disproportionately affect minorities and the poor.

He will be expected to defend voting rights, but his record indicates that he wont, Booker said. He will be expected to defend the rights of immigrants and affirm their human dignity, but his record indicates that he wont.

Lewis, who protested segregation alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was beaten severely during a march in Selma, Alabama, said Sessions pledge to enforce law and order harked back to the era in which he grew up.

Those who are committed to equal justice in our society wonder whether Senator Sessions call for law and order will mean today what it meant in Alabama when I was coming up back then, Lewis said.

Lewis urged senators to focus on those views.

It doesnt matter how Senator Sessions may smile, how friendly he may be, how he may speak to you, he said.

Democrats challenging Sessions nomination also released a letter from 103 black ministers and religious leaders, who wrote that the senators unswerving hostility to the very rights he would be tasked with protecting had made him unfit to be attorney general.

Republicans, however, countered with their own testimonial. Just as Lewis was about to testify, Trump transition team members circulated photographs showing Sessions and Lewis marching together over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a confrontation there between civil rights marchers and the police.
Running your fingers over what retired IRS special agent Raymond Sherrard says is one of the most coveted police badges ever made is to step back in history.

But its not the history youd expect.

Wyatt Earp, Elliott Ness, J. Edgar Hoover step aside.

Our most famous cops arent officers at all. Theyre movie actors.

This thick silver, gold and blue metal badge was worn by Jack Webb, the plain-talking cyborg-like police officer on the 1960s television series Dragnet.

Sure, Sherrard  who carried a gun and went after one of the biggest drug bosses in Los Angeles history  has his own stories to tell. And well get to those in a minute.

But for now, lets enter an era when Hollywood and law enforcement got along, when it wasnt unusual for a police chief to give a very real badge to a pretend cop and even go so far as to give that actor a very real gun.

FBI HAT TRICK

People collect all kinds of things, from porcelain pigs to toy trains. But there are few things more coveted than military hardware or its close cousin  law enforcement paraphernalia.

And there are few cops more dedicated to badge collecting than Sherrard.

How dedicated?

Sherrard, now 72, writes for Police Collector News, the leading police insignia collectors journal, and has published three books on badges: Badges of the United States Marshals, The Centurions Shield  A History of the LAPD, Its Badges and Insignia, and three volumes of The Encyclopedia of Federal Law Enforcement Patches.

This retired agent is in the midst of writing two more books, one on the history of the Treasury Department, the other on prop badges.

Sherrard has consulted on several movies including Midnight Run, The Untouchables, The Rock.

He also has more than 10,000 badges, believed to be one of the largest collections in the nation.

If that sounds like a lot of worthless junk, consider that Sherrard has bid up to $35,000 for a single badge.

Wait, theres more.

On a recent afternoon at his home in Huntington Beach I put on the certified hat of Hoovers, ahem, number two man, Clyde Tolson.

Ah, if hats could tell stories my head would spin.

While the hat is out of the closet, I check out a collection of black and blue raid jackets in the closet: FBI, IRS, LAPD.

But what catches my attention is a tattered brown leather diary the size of my hand. The ink is black, the letters cursive, the handwriting hurried and tiny, but legible. The words are written by a postal office inspector and there is nothing especially exciting or remarkable, except that this man truly did his job in snow, rain, heat and gloom of night.

And he did it outdoors and on horseback.

The year  1891.

TAKING DOWN DEALER

Sherrards study is stuffed with badges, another room is stuffed with badges, a cabinet in his dining room is stuffed with badges.

But its not just about heavy metal. There also are thousands of soft patches and Sherrard reminds me that behind each badge and patch is a man or woman dedicated to service.

Sherrard grew up on the southside of Chicago and he points out it wasnt far from where gangster Al Capone ran booze and led his mob.

Mom was a single mother, money was tight and they lived in the back room of a store. Eventually, they made their way to Long Beach where Sherrard earned a bachelors degree in psychology. He planned to become a Marine and fight in Vietnam, but he wasnt accepted because of a medical condition. Still, both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service offered him jobs.

Sherrard chose the IRS job because it paid $50 more a month. For 28 years until retirement, he loved every day.

The cases were complicated, often took years before a conviction and usually involved several jurisdictions. Sherrards biggest case involved one Thomas Tootie Reese, a Los Angeles drug dealer police to this day call the black Al Capone.

As a special agent, Sherrard carried a badge and a gun. But like many police details, his job was less than glamorous. The IRS was to try and bust Reese on income tax evasion. That meant going through Reeses garbage.

But Reese proved a worthy adversary.

In 1972, Reese was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of distributing cocaine. A federal appeals court threw out the conviction.

Four years later, the IRS charged Reese with income tax evasion. He was acquitted. Two years after that, the feds hit him with drug distribution charges. He was found not guilty.

Finally, in 1984, Reese was convicted of 20 counts of possession and distribution of cocaine and heroin. This time, the sentence stuck.

Its over. This time I was wrong, Reese said. We dont have no defense. I was there with the merchandise. I sold them. Im relaxed more now. Ive accepted my fate.

A decade later, Sherrard, too, retired.

Sort of.

HOLLYWOOD BLING

Thousands of steel, chrome-plated and brass badges glisten in Sherrards family room for a photo shoot. The badges hail from hundreds of agencies around the country. But the ones collectors covet are ones like Jack Webbs.

It seems everyone likes a Hollywood police officer. Sherrard even collects the prop flip cases  complete with photo ID.

Theres a young Johnny Depp, aka Donnie Brasco, in the film by the same name about an undercover FBI agent.

Theres an aging David Janssen as a treasury agent, Jim OHara, in the television series OHara, U.S. Treasury.

There are the badges for TVs Adam 12, Martin Milner as veteran cop Pete Malloy and Kent McCord as rookie Jim Reed.

Theres even actor Harry Morgans badge as Dragnet Officer Bill Gannon.

But it appears that the only actor to be given a weapon by Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker was badge number 714, Jack Webb as Joe Friday.

As I hold Webbs badge, I can practically hear his staccato speech in one particularly famous episode: Its awkward having a policeman around the house.

Friends drop in, a man with a badge answers the door, the temperature drops 20 degrees.

Sherrard looks over the array of badges, two of which are his own.

He smiles. And he understands.

Contact the writer: dwhiting@scng.com
HONG KONG  Taiwan scrambled F-16 fighter jets and dispatched a frigate to the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday after China sent its sole aircraft carrier into the waterway, Taiwans official Central News Agency reported.

The transit of the aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, came amid rising tensions between Taiwan and China after President-elect Donald Trump broke decades of protocol by speaking on the phone with Taiwans president, Tsai Ing-wen, after his election victory. Tsai leads a political party that has traditionally supported Taiwans formal independence from China.

Tsai, who is visiting Central America this week, made two calls to officials in Taiwan seeking updates on the Liaonings transit, the Central News Agency reported, citing Alex Huang, the presidents spokesman. Chinas decision to send the carrier through the waterway that separates it from Taiwan reflects an early foreign policy challenge for Trump.

Its a show of force, and I think it is intended in part to intimidate, and thats worrisome from the U.S. and Taiwans point of view because we dont know how much more they are going to ratchet up these pressures and tensions, said Bonnie S. Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. If the Trump administration does see this as a test of U.S. resolve, I suspect theyll push back pretty forcefully.

China sent the carrier, which had been conducting exercises in the South China Sea, into the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday morning. Taiwans response was the third time in three days that air forces in the region had scrambled jets in response to Chinese military activity, after Japan and South Korea deployed fighters on Monday. Those actions occurred when a squadron of six Chinese bombers and two other aircraft flew over the waters that separate Japan and South Korea and over the Sea of Japan.

Taiwan, considered by Beijing to be Chinese territory, has been governed separately since 1949, when the forces of the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek fled to the island after their defeat on the mainland by the Communists. China views any assertion of Taiwans separateness from the mainland  like Tsais call with Trump  as an affront to its claim of sovereignty.

Since 1979, the United States has recognized the government in Beijing and broke off formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan as part of the One China policy. In the wake of the Trump-Tsai call, China warned the incoming president against making changes to that policy after he takes office Jan. 20.

Liu Zhenmin, a Chinese vice foreign minister, said Wednesday that the Taiwan Strait was an international waterway and that it was normal for the Liaoning to pass though it. The passage would not have any effect on cross-strait relations, he said in remarks carried in the Chinese news media.

Mark C. Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters in Washington in response to a question about the Liaonings passage through the strait that the United States wouldnt have a problem with countries sailing their vessels in international waters as long as it was done in accordance with international law.

It also was not the first time the Liaoning had sailed through the strait: It passed through in November 2013 on its way to the South China Sea after having been commissioned only the year before.

In that instance, the carrier kept to the western half of the strait, closer to mainland China. In a statement on Wednesday morning, Taiwans Defense Ministry said that the Liaoning was also staying to the west of the straits middle and urged citizens to remain calm. A transit on the eastern side, closer to Taiwan, would be viewed as much more provocative.

Euan Graham, the director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, said that for the Chinese, traveling through the strait was a logical way to move from one area of fleet operations to another along its long coastline. In order for warships based in northern ports, like the Liaoning, to return home from southern waters, they must either pass close to Japanese islands or transit the Taiwan Strait. Geography forces a very binary choice, he said.

Graham said it was important to see how the Liaoning conducted its passage. If it had aircraft on deck and was conducting flight operations, that would be seen as more provocative than if it passed through the strait with the aircraft in its hangar bay, he said.

The Liaoning, commissioned in 2012 and built from a Soviet hull, is Chinas first aircraft carrier. In past decades, the United States has shown its resolve to defend Taiwan by sailing carriers through the Taiwan Strait. In 1995, the aircraft carrier Nimitz transited the strait amid heightened tensions after Beijing conducted missile exercises in the waters.

Chinas military decision-making is highly secretive, but it would seem inconceivable for the Liaoning to pass through such contested waters without approval from the president, Xi Jinping, who is also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, which controls the military. And the Chinese military media has described the aircraft carrier as embodying Xis plans for a stronger navy, capable of projecting force far beyond Chinas territorial waters.

Last Thursday, the front page of Peoples Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military, featured a report about the aircraft carriers latest journey under the headline, Were sailing under the leaders attentive gaze, a clear tribute to Xi.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, said in a news conference Wednesday that the Liaonings passage was part of the ships scheduled training in the western Pacific, which had begun on Dec. 24.

Ma also said that the Taiwan-China relationship in the coming year would face increasing uncertainty, looming risks and challenges.

He added that Taiwans government and independence forces there had seriously threatened the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, accusing them of engaging in separatist activities and warning that China would resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The aircraft carriers passage was part of a cluster of recent acts by the Chinese military that have raised hackles in the region.

Last month, a Chinese warship seized an underwater drone belonging to the U.S. Navy about 50 miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines. The drone was returned after the Obama administration publicly chided China over the seizure. On Monday, Japan said it had sent fighter jets into the air after Chinese bombers and surveillance planes flew over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan.

When China was militarily weaker, Japan considered that area to be its backyard, said Ni Lexiong, a naval affairs researcher at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. This was a way of telling Japan that if there ever is conflict, the location of any future battle space wont be decided by you and America. We have the initiative. So Japan, dont think of meddling further afield in Taiwan or the South China Sea.
President-elect Donald Trump made an important concession about Russia. He criticized U.S. intelligence officials. He sparred with reporters and denounced fake news.

And that was all before he arrived at the ostensible reason for holding his first formal news conference since July: his plans to extricate himself from the operations of his vast business holdings.

Here are the highlights from the whirling, hourlong news conference in Trump Tower.

Top 10 key moments

 Trump said that after his briefing on Friday with U.S. intelligence officials, he now thought Russia was behind the effort to hack his election opponents. As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, Trump said.

 Later in the news conference, Trump wavered slightly when pressed. But you know what, it could have been others also, he said when asked why he had been so critical of U.S. intelligence officials.

 He harshly criticized the publication of unverified reports that claimed Russia has salacious information about his behavior and finances. I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies let any information that turned out to be so false and fake out, he said. Explaining his Twitter post comparing the United States to Nazi Germany, he said of the leaks: Thats something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. Trump added that BuzzFeed is a failing pile of garbage that would suffer the consequences for publishing the uncorroborated report.

 Trump said he was untroubled by the intelligence reports that have been made public, which said Russia preferred him over Hillary Clinton and that President Vladimir Putin ordered the election meddling to benefit him. If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks: That is called an asset, not a liability, he said. He added that a strong relationship could allow the two nations to work together on difficult international issues.

 When asked whether he had a message for Putin, Trump said: He shouldnt be doing it. He wont be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I am leading it. He added: Theres no reset button. Were either going to get along or were not. But he did not address a question about whether he or anyone on his campaign staff had had contact with Russia during the campaign.

 Trump swatted away allegations included in the uncorroborated reports. He said he instructs aides any time he goes abroad to ensure that there are no cameras spying on him. He also added, apparently referring to a detail in the report about supposed sex videos with prostitutes, Im also very much of a germaphobe, believe me.

 Addressing the topic the news conference was supposed to cover, Trump said he would not divest from his vast business holdings as he takes office. Instead, the president-elect will turn over the operations and control of those holdings to a trust controlled by his eldest sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

 Donald Trump said that he had considered letting the Affordable Care Act implode on its own and letting Democrats take the political hit he said would follow. But he said he had decided on a more forthright strategy: repeal and replace almost simultaneously. Trump was short on details, but clearer in his intention to try to keep Democrats responsible. We dont want to own it politically, he said.

 The president-elect said he had asked David J. Shulkin, a current undersecretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs, to lead the agency. Trump said his team had interviewed at least 100 people in the search for a secretary.

 Near the end of the news conference, Trump got into a shouting match with Jim Acosta of CNN, who tried to press the president-elect into taking a question. Since you were attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance? Acosta asked. To which Trump replied: Your organizations terrible, and dont be rude, before dismissing the request once and for all: You are fake news. (CNN was the first to report that Trump and President Barack Obama had been briefed by intelligence officials on the uncorroborated documents, but the network did not publish them.)

Pushback on the Russia report

 Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, spoke first to address the publication of the unverified reports by BuzzFeed on Tuesday. Spicer called the reports a frankly outrageous and highly irresponsible attack on Trump and a sad, pathetic attempt to get clicks. Spicer said the documents were not an intelligence report and were categorically false.

 Vice President-elect Mike Pence followed Spicer and amplified his condemnation of news reports by BuzzFeed and other news outlets, which he said were irresponsible and aimed at discrediting Trumps legitimate election victory.

 Trump began by thanking news organizations that did not report what he called the nonsense that was released. He said he has great respect for freedom of the press, and all of that.

 Trump said that the document was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, which would be a tremendous blot on their record.

 He went on to cast blame on the Democratic National Committee for the hacking. He praised the Republican National Committee for having better defenses and commended Reince Priebus, his incoming chief of staff, who was the committee chairman.

Business plan details

 Sheri A. Dillon, a lawyer for Trump, took the stage to describe how her client would turn over his business assets to a trust. President-elect Trump wants there to be no doubt in the minds of the American public that he is completely isolating himself from his business interests, she said, adding that Trumps sons will make all decisions for the company without any involvement whatsoever from Trump. She said Trump would resign from all positions he holds with the Trump Organization, as would his daughter Ivanka.

 Dillon said no new foreign deals would be allowed during the presidency and new domestic deals would be subject to strict restrictions. He will only know of a deal if he reads about it in the paper or sees it on TV, Dillon said, referring to Trump. She also said an ethics adviser would be appointed to the management team of the Trump Organization.

 Dillon argued that selling Trumps business would prove more difficult and create more ethical quandaries than the plan that the Trump Organization had chosen. A totally blind trust, she said, would likewise be impossible under the circumstances. And, she added, President-elect Trump should not be expected to destroy the company he built.

 Dillon laid out what amounts to the Trump administrations interpretation of the Constitutions Emoluments Clause, which prohibits government officials from taking payments or gifts from a foreign government. No one would have thought when the Constitution was written, that paying your hotel bill was an emolument, she said. To avoid any appearances of violations, Dillon said Trump had pledged to donate to the U.S. government all profits made by his hotels from payments by foreign governments.

 Asked about his tax returns, Trump said he was still not releasing them because they are under audit. He said that the American people did not care about the documents anyway. The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters, Trump said.
MOSCOW  The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed as a total fake allegations that Russian intelligence agencies collected compromising information about President-elect Donald Trump  a denial that was echoed by much of Russias establishment.

But when President Vladimir Putins spokesman went further  saying the Kremlin does not engage in compromising material  it was widely greeted by the rolling of Russian eyes.

Gathering kompromat, the Russian word for potentially embarrassing information that can offer leverage, has a long history reaching back to Soviet days.

It was raised to a high standard by the KGB, the predecessor of Russias Federal Security Service and the agency where Putin and many of his closest allies started their careers. One sex tape toppled a prosecutor general on an anti-corruption crusade. Others have targeted opposition politicians.

And Russia, said one Federal Security Service colonel, has not lost its taste for kompromat despite the flat-out denial by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Without a doubt we gather kompromat.  In the Kremlin, theres piles of it, as there are in all the security agencies, said Gennady Gudkov, also a former legislator who was forced out of parliament for his opposition to Putin. As a rule, the special services collect information on everyone, like a vacuum, picking up anything and everything.

This in itself does not confirm the allegations, summarized in a classified report U.S. officials said was delivered to President Barack Obama and Trump last week, that Russian intelligence services have compromising material and information on Trumps personal life and finances.

But the deep roots of kompromat add another layer to the probes into the credibility of the reports about a Trump dossier.

Trump himself rejected the allegations, first in tweets and then during a news conference in New York. Its all fake news, he told reporters. Its phony stuff. It did not happen.

Russias strong denials are directly at odds with the report and were reminiscent of previous Kremlin rebuttals after U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia had a hand in hacking web accounts of the Democratic Party and top campaign figures for Hillary Clinton. Russia, however, has made no attempt to hide its support for Trump, whom many Russian leaders see as less adversarial than Clinton.

Nikolai Kovalyov, a current legislator and former director of the Federal Security Service, said that agents would not have collected material on Trump while he was visiting Moscow in 2013 to help run a Miss Universe pageant.

Who is interested in gathering compromising material on a man who came here to organize a beauty contest? Kovalyov said. I can tell you from my professional experience that Russia does not have such practices.

Gudkov disagreed. If Trump stayed in a hotel room equipped with surveillance equipment  a plus room, Gudkov said spy agencies call them  there is every reason to believe his actions could have been recorded, he said.

Jonathan Eyal, director of international security studies at the London-based think tank Royal United Services Institute, said that it would be inconceivable that Russian intelligence wouldnt try to gather information on Trump if he came there.

Among the allegations contained in the report is that surveillance captured Trump in a hotel room with prostitutes. This has not been confirmed.

Before the trip to Russia in 2013 mentioned in the report, Trump said: I told many people be careful because you dont want to see yourself on television, cameras all over the place. Not just Russia, all over. Does anyone believe that story? Im also very much of a germaphobe by the way. Believe me.

Sex tapes, and their use as leverage, have a long, long history in Russian politics.

In 2010, hidden-camera videos of opposition politicians and journalists having sex or doing cocaine in various hotel rooms were leaked online. The targets included opposition politician Ilya Yashin, satirist Viktor Shenderovich and others.

Yashin blamed the Kremlin.

Last year, five months before parliamentary elections, a tape emerged with opposition politician Mikhail Kasyanov, leader of the RPR Parnas party, having sex with a woman who was not his wife. The video helped lead to a schism in the party that it did not recover from.

Its the ABCs of the work of any secret service, to get information which is important for operations, including political ones, said Alexei Kondaurov, a former lawmaker and major general in the Soviet-era KGB.
As the Trump presidency nears, one looming concern is what it will mean for freedom of the press. During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly said that he wanted to change libel law to make it easier to sue the press for large amounts of money. He referred to the press as dishonest, disgusting and scum. Since his election, Trump has ignored usual protocols concerning use of a press pool. What will it mean to freedom of the press when Trump has all of the powers of the presidency to use against it should he choose to do so?

One thing President Trump will not be able to do his achieve his goal of changing libel law. To begin with, libel law is determined by each state; there is no federal law of libel and it is highly unlikely that Congress ever would create one.

More importantly, the Supreme Court long has held that the First Amendment limits when there can be liability for libel. In fact, the restrictions on defamation recovery that Trump complains about are a result of Supreme Court decisions. The court has held that a public official or a public figure can recover for defamation only by proving with clear and convincing evidence that the statement was false and that it was uttered with actual malice; that is, the speaker knew the statement was false or acted with reckless disregard of the truth. There is no indication that any justices on the Supreme Court want to reconsider this long-established law. Nor should they. As the court explained: Debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.

But Trumps repeated advocacy for changing libel law reflects troubling concerns. It is another example of his frequently expressed hostility to the press. During the campaign, he mocked the disability of a New York Times reporter, Serge Kovaleski, and repeatedly lashed out at reporters such as Megyn Kelly of Fox News and Katie Tur of NBC. He threatened to sue the New York Times for publishing his income tax return and the women who accused him of sexual harassment. He constantly has shown an inordinate sensitivity to criticism, whether from reporters or in the form of satire, such as on Saturday Night Live. The Trump campaign denied press credentials to media that criticized him, including the Washington Post, BuzzFeed and Politico. His statements about libel law also reflect his lack of understanding of the law and the First Amendment.

The president has enormous power to intimidate and even persecute the press. Ironically, the Obama administration was one of the most aggressive in history in bringing legal actions against the press. As New York Times reporter James Risen said: So if his campaign is any guide, Mr. Trump seems likely to enthusiastically embrace the aggressive crackdown on journalists and whistleblowers that is an important yet little understood component of Mr. Obamas presidential legacy.

For example, the Espionage Act of 1917 is a broadly written federal statute that allows for criminal prosecutions of those who disclose national security information. Since its enactment, 12 prosecutions have been brought under it for disclosures of information and nine of those were during the Obama administration. Leaks of information have been crucial in informing the public of government abuses, whether Watergate or the revelation of torture at Abu Ghraib or the existence of massive illegal surveillance by the National Security Agency.

The Obama administration has threatened reporters with jail for not revealing their sources. There is no First Amendment right for a reporter to keep a source confidential. Many states, like California, have shield laws that allow for this, but there is no such law at the federal level. This gives the president a powerful tool to harass and intimidate the press.

More generally, there is the question of access to information, including how the Trump administration will handle requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Presidential administrations have varied greatly and there is every reason to fear that the Trump administration will be more secretive than most.

Perhaps Donald Trump as president will have a different attitude toward the press than Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. But if history is a guide, a president who is highly sensitive to criticism and who is disdainful of the press is a recipe for great concern, as was demonstrated most vividly during the Nixon presidency.

The stakes are enormous. As Thomas Jefferson said, Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. Or as James Madison put it: A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both.

Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Irvine School of Law.
Up until a few years ago, the Mexican border city of Juarez was considered one of the most dangerous in the world due to the violent drug trafficking cartels operating in the area. Today, Juarez is a much safer place, but theres still some trafficking going on, involving something just as addictive as illegal drugs  Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Lets face it, the whole of the United States is obsessed with glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and things are apparently not much different south of the border. The American company first started operating in Mexico in 2004, setting up shop in virtually every major city, Juarez included. People absolutely loved them, so when Krispy Kreme decided to shut down its operations in Juarez due to the violent drug war that was taking place in the city, they had to come up with alternative ways of getting their hands on their favorite sweet treats. When boarding a plane out of Mexico City, its not uncommon to see people holding boxes of Krispy Kreme boxes for family and friends in places that dont have their own shops. But what if you dont have anyone to bring you such gifts, or if you need a constant supply of delicious glazed doughnuts? You turn to the local doughnut black market, of course.

Yes, there is such a thing as a Krispy Kreme black market in Juarez, and its apparently booming. Local entrepreneurs with U.S. visas drive to El Paso, Texas and buy dozens of boxes of doughnuts, which they later sell to doughnut junkies back home at a slightly higher price. Whereas most Krispy Kreme fans saw the closing of the local shop as a tragedy, these people saw it as an opportunity to fill a void, and supplement their income while making many people happy.

The Los Angeles Times recently wrote an article on the Krispy Kreme Familia, the main American doughnut supplier in Juarez. Sonia Garcia told the newspaper that one of her sons drives to El Paso several times a week, buying around 40 boxes of doughnuts, for a$5 each. Back in Juarez, Sonia and her other son sell them at two different locations, for $8 a box, a 60% markup, that people dont seem to have a problem with. The Krispy Krem Familia has a popular Facebook page where they let customers know when they restock and what type of doughnuts they have available. They also do home deliveries if the order is large enough.

Sonia runs her business out of the trunk of her sedan, which is decorated with a trademark Krispy Kreme Donas banner to make it more visible. People sometimes stand in line to get their hands on a few delicious treats, and the Mexican entrepreneur lets them choose their donuts from her stock. The Krispy Kreme Familia doughnut shop is open every weekday from 5 in the evening, until stock runs out, which usually doesnt take very long.

Some of Sonias regular customers are so addicted to Kripy Kreme doughnuts that they dont even realize it. I dont come here that often, local Juanita Gabriela Gaytan told the LA Times. Well, maybe two or three times a week.

Its not that Mexico doesnt have its own delicious desserts. Theres the popular churros, the fritter-like bunuelo and the sopapilla pastry, but when it comes to doughnuts, they just cant nail the texture and the flavor of American products. Sonia Garcia says that Mexican imitations are always hard and dry compared to original Krispy Kreme. I dont know why, but these are just softer and better, she added.

Selling A few dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts every day doesnt sound like a very profitable business, but Garcia says that it has helper put her son through engineering school, which she would have otherwise struggled with.

While trying to find some new information on the Krispy Kreme Familia, I learned that they are not the first, nor the only Krispy Kreme dealers in Juarez. A 2014 article on Mexican online newspaper Norte Digital talks about Mauricio Chavez and Vanessa Gavaldon, the owners of a similar unofficial business. They started selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Juarez, after seeing one of their friends regularly traveling to El Paso to buy them for himself.

Two years ago, their Facebook page already had over 8,000 fans and they sold around 70 boxes of doughnuts per day. We were the first to bring the doughnuts from El Paso to Juarez, but there are already others who sell them. Our advantage is that we bring them fresh daily, while others sell them for up to four days, Vanessa said at the time.

Both Sonia Garcia and Vanessa Gavaldon say that Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts are the most popular. I guess that makes sense.
Marketing company Firespring wanted to offer its nonprofit customers a handy way to process payments.

Student loan and finance company Nelnet wanted its internal divisions to transfer payments conveniently.

Now the companies, both with operations in Lincoln and Omaha, are combining their payments operations and widening the scope to include all businesses with payment management needs and software developers in the payments industry.

Tuesday, Nelnet Inc. announced that it acquired Firesprings payment system, called PaymentSpring, for an undisclosed amount of money. The combined business, under the PaymentSpring brand, is launching a new combined website.

We can really work with any type of business that has a need for payments, said Cory Mann, senior vice president for PaymentSpring. Our goal is to make it a national leader in the payment space.

With the acquisition, one employee came to Nelnet from Firespring. Seven people have been added since the purchase, Mann said. Others who worked on the PaymentSpring project were retained by Firespring.

In all, the combined operation has 60 people, about 15 in Lincoln and 45 at a Nelnet office at 120th Street and West Center Road in Omaha.

Firespring CEO Jay Wilkinson said the objective in 2014 was to create the first payment technology that would work through mobile devices, personal computers, point-of-sale computers and any other method.

We wanted to radically change the broken payment industry, he said, which ripped off clients by requiring different software for different payment methods.

PaymentSprings system handles all such methods, Wilkinson said, and Nelnet, through its decade-old Nelnet Transaction Solutions division, has the financial resources and the broad client base to expand PaymentSprings reach nationally and internationally.

Besides having a website that lets businesses sign up for payment services, PaymentSpring offers consulting services for businesses on how to incorporate payments into their growth strategies, Mann said, while continuing its work with nonprofit organizations.

PaymentSpring and Nelnet Transaction Solutions have been integrating over the past few months, leading up to the launch of the new website and announcement of the acquisition, Mann said.

PaymentSpring President Mike Phelan said in a press release that Nelnet and Firespring have similar values, making the acquisition a perfect fit. Both companies have a passion for serving nonprofit organizations and for supporting the startup ecosystem.

steve.jordon@owh.com, 402-444-1080

Correction: A headline on a previous version of this story incorrectly listed where Nelnet Transaction Solutions is based.
By Pawel Sobczak and Lidia Kelly WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's centrist opposition ended a month-long blockade in parliament on Thursday after securing a reversal of plans to curb media access to proceedings but without resolving a dispute with ruling conservatives over the 2017 budget. Opposition MPs had blocked the podium of parliament's plenary hall, protesting at the Law and Justice party's (PiS) move to restrict journalists and accusing it of passing the 2017 budget in a side-room without a legal quorum. In last-minute negotiations on Wednesday, PiS rejected the centrists' appeal to delay the reopening of parliament after the Christmas and New Year recess to allow time to settle the budget stand-off. The conservatives, however, on Monday scrapped planned curbs on journalists covering legislative proceedings. "Considering that we have been able to bring back media access to parliament, we are suspending our protest," Grzegorz Schetyna, leader of the centrist Civic Platform (PO), which the PiS ousted from power in the 2015 election, told reporters. Laying bare mounting political divisions in Poland, the parliamentary confrontation deepened fears for democracy in the European Union state. Poland's western EU allies have accused the eurosceptic PiS of pushing the country in the direction of authoritarian rule by seeking more state control over the media and judiciary. The PiS rejects opposition accusations that it passed the 2017 budget illegally in December, after shifting the vote to a small auxiliary room to sidestep the opposition's occupation of the plenary hall over media rights. In a threat that could escalate its conflict with the opposition, the PiS threatened deputies with fines and even jail terms over the sit-in. "Financial penalties in line with (parliamentary) rules are appropriate for those who occupy the plenary hall," Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told public radio. "Preventing the parliament speaker from fulfilling his duties is a crime according to the penal code ... and carries a penalty of a 10-year jail term." In December, PiS MPs moved the budget vote when opposition lawmakers blocked the speaker's access to the podium. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said parliament's rules should be reworked to prevent similar situations in the future. After a brief reopening of parliament on Wednesday evening, authorities postponed further sessions until Jan. 25. The agenda ranges from pensions for soldiers to environmental issues but no votes on major policies are immediately scheduled. (Reporting by Pawel Sobczak and Lidia Kelly; writing by Justyna Pawlak; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Banning teenagers from the mall might sound like a horror element added to a 1980s movie, but some shopping centers around the country are doing just that after a spate of violent fights over the holiday shopping season.

Teens (and parents) in the Omaha area, no need to fear: Malls and shopping centers arent following suit here. They say theyve got rules in place  and security  to prevent bad behavior. Police say the majority of calls to local malls are for shoplifting rather than violence or other mayhem.

Still, after fights and disturbances elsewhere around the country involving teens the week after Christmas, some malls across the country are cracking down, upping security and implementing new rules.

Some shopping center operators are instituting curfews or total bans on unaccompanied minors, prompting outrage from young shoppers and their parents and also sparking the ire of civil rights activists who say such bans are unfair and illegal.

Mall and shopping center operators in Omaha say they havent implemented any blanket policies. Oak View Mall and Westroads Mall, owned by General Growth Properties based in Chicago, each have a code of conduct warning against certain behaviors, such as disruptive profanity; vulgar or threatening language; and unnecessarily blocking walkways, roadways or storefronts.

Violations of the policy are handled by on-site security and, depending on the violation, may involve the local police department, said Kevin Berry, a spokesman for General Growth.

One of General Growths malls  Beachwood Place in Beachwood, Ohio  banned teens without adult supervision during certain times after police were called to the mall the week after Christmas. Pepper spray was used to disperse a large crowd at one point, according to CNN.

The Ohio policy bans teens from the mall after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays unless they are accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old. One adult may accompany up to four young people.

Food courts, nationally, also have attracted groups of loitering teens who sometimes get unruly. But locally, Westroads new food hall, Flagship Commons, which opened in late 2015, hasnt required its own security and hasnt dealt with the fighting and disruptive loitering seen at some traditional food courts outside of the area.

The food hall offers sushi, ramen, a bar and other upscale food compared with the fast food offerings of a typical food hall  perhaps discouraging teens from hanging around.

We have been very comfortable with the security provided by Westroads Mall, and have not had any issues since opening Flagship Commons last year, Flagship Chief Executive Nick Hogan said in a statement.

Phillip Anson, a spokesman for the Omaha Police Department, said the majority of policing done at local malls is related to shoplifting. If there are incidents or fights, they are usually handled by in-house security, he said.

A spokesman for Red Development, which owns the Village Pointe and Regency shopping centers, didnt respond to questions about their policies.

Johanna Boston, chief marketing officer at Nebraska Crossing, said the outlet mall in Gretna also hasnt had any problems related to security.

We really are fortunate that we do not and have not experienced these types of incidents, Boston said. She attributed that to the centers location outside of Lincoln and Omaha.

Nationally, some shopping centers havent been so fortunate. Along with the Ohio ban on teens after the melee in December, the Arden Fair mall in Sacramento, California, also banned teens. Its move drew strong criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union, which claims such a move is discriminatory and violates California law.

Michael Risher, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU in San Francisco, said a similar ban at a Fresno mall in 2007 was reversed after the ACLU, along with the City of Fresnos attorney, wrote letters to complain.

The California Supreme Court has said that while some kids may behave that way, you cant ban all children from a business, Risher said. I cant imagine that more than a tiny percentage of minors are creating problems in these malls.

But officials at Arden Fair disagree, along with security staff at the estimated 100 other properties that have instituted periodic bans on unaccompanied teenagers.

A spokeswoman for Arden Fair defended the new policy, which mall officials describe as a pre-emptive action designed to ensure the safety of everyone at a mall that in recent years has experienced brawls after Christmas. This season, guards and Sacramento police officers were staged at mall entrances, enforcing a blanket ban on minors not accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Like Omaha, other malls near Sacramento said they hadnt seen problems and hadnt issued bans on teens.

Stephanie Cegielski, vice president of public relations for the International Council of Shopping Centers, said about 100 malls in the United States have reportedly used curfews or bans periodically throughout the year.

Thats a relatively small number, given that the trade group representing owners of malls and shopping centers has 53,000 members in the United States. Still, she said the number of holiday incidents appears to be on the rise, with a disturbing number of mall fights around the country this holiday season.

The day after Christmas 2016 saw a series of fights that broke out, mostly among young people. Some of this comes from the long holiday weekend and teenagers maybe being bored and then going to the mall to cause some mayhem.

This report includes material from the Tribune News Service.
Police have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with the Wednesday shooting of a Nebraska Furniture Mart worker that they believe occurred during a robbery.

Ryan Blaha was booked on suspicion of first-degree felony assault, two counts of attempted felony assault, three counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony and robbery. Police announced the arrest late Thursday.

Blaha shot Jared Clawson, 37, early Wednesday and fired upon two of his coworkers, police allege.

Clawson, who was critically injured, told police he had been shot three times by a man who, after firing the shots, drove away to the north in a sport utility vehicle. Police had searched for a 1995 to 2001 green Ford Explorer.

Police said the assailant used a shotgun in the attack.

The shooting occurred in a parking lot on the south side of the Marts electronics building. When police arrived, they found Clawson on his hands and knees near a loading dock on the side of a trailer. He is a building engineer at the store at 700 S. 72nd St.

The two other co-workers, both men, are ages 36 and 32.

The 36-year-old was walking into work when someone shot at him, according to a police report.

In a phone interview, the 32-year-old man said he dodged gunfire in the parking lot when someone in an SUV drove through, firing about 20 shots.
When police arrived to a shooting outside Nebraska Furniture Mart early Wednesday, they found an employee on his hands and knees near a loading dock on the side of a trailer.

Jared Clawson, 37, said he had been shot three times by a man who drove away to the north, but he was unable to offer more information because he was having difficulty breathing, police said. Clawson, a building engineer at the central Omaha store, had been hit by rounds that an assailant fired from a shotgun, police said.

He was critically injured in the shooting about 4:40 a.m. outside the store at 72nd Street and Rose Blumkin Drive.

Clawson is a super nice guy, company officials said.

A Nebraska Medical Center representative said Wednesday night that she was unable to release an update on Clawsons condition. Police had not announced an arrest late Wednesday.

The assailant left the scene in a 1995 to 2001 green Ford Explorer, police said. The sport utility vehicle was last seen northbound after the shooting.

Mart Chairman Ron Blumkin said Clawson is a longtime employee in the companys facilities management department. Hes a skilled technician, Blumkin said.

Blumkin said store officials do not know the circumstances of the shooting.

Theres no firm proof if it was targeted, random  at this point we dont know, Blumkin said. The Mart has security cameras focused on its parking areas, he said, but I dont know if the cameras caught any or all or parts of it.

Clawson was reporting for work when the shooting occurred, Omaha store director Scott Baker said.

As a building engineer, Baker said, Clawson works with heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical system and anything else necessary with the companys building complex. He is married and has children, Baker said. He lives in La Vista, police said.

A super nice guy, he said. He knows a lot. Hes really a good, hard-working employee.

Clawson was shot in a parking lot on the south side of the Marts electronics building. Baker said the store opened at its normal hour as police continued investigating.

Police, he said, reviewed the stores security video.
A man and woman were shot to death early Wednesday in north Omaha, about 75 minutes and a bit more than a mile apart.

Omaha police said there was no apparent link between the killings, which were the citys second and third homicides of the year, and the department had not announced arrests.

[Also on Wednesday: Employee shot outside Nebraska Furniture Mart]

Darnesha Mitchell, 27, was shot about 1:15 a.m. Police found her inside a home at 3302 Fowler Ave., though it was not clear whether she was inside the house, where a large number of people had gathered, when she was shot.

Police found shell casings in the street in front of the house, Lt. Kyle Steffen said.

Mitchell was taken in extremely critical condition by an ambulance to Creighton University Medical Center. Paramedics performed CPR en route. She was declared dead at the hospital.

Mitchell was at her brothers home, said Breanna Abbott, a former neighbor. A sister also was present during the shooting.

Abbott called Mitchell a phenomenal woman who worked hard serving food to the elderly.

She would try to help out people as much as she could, Abbott said. Shes just an amazing person.

A relative reached by The World-Herald declined to comment Wednesday.

About a mile north, near 36th Street and Laurel Avenue, police found DAngelo Branchs body about 2:30 a.m. His relatives think the 28-year-old was walking either to or from the home of his mother, who lives a block away.

Paramedics declared him dead at the scene.

A neighbor told police that he spotted a silver PT Cruiser driving east from the scene after the shooting.

Branch lived at his mothers house, said his oldest sister, Carlisa Branch. He was shot multiple times, Carlisa said, but relatives do not know if the shooter or shooters encountered him on foot or in a vehicle.

He commonly walked to get around, especially to go to the home of his brother, who lived nearby.

Branch was one of 10 siblings, Carlisa said.

DAngelo Branch had many nieces and nephews who adored him, Carlisa said. At family gatherings, she said, he would act as the DJ  controlling the music playlist.

He was the life of the party, Carlisa said.

Of the shooting, she said, In Omaha, we hear about this type of stuff all the time. Its hard when it happens to somebody that doesnt hurt anybody at all.

The First Responders group will hold prayer walks near the killing scenes beginning at 5 p.m. today near 32nd and Fowler.
COUNCIL BLUFFS  For the third straight year, the Senior Corps program at Connections Area Agency on Aging will send snack and comfort items to U.S. troops overseas in honor of the national Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

The agency will collect items from Jan. 16 to Feb. 10 to send with the Iowa Cookie Crumbs Feb. 14 shipment to various military units, said Terri Wilson, director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, one of the volunteer groups participating in the project.

I just think its a good thing theyre doing, she said. It works good for us, because we do the collection and give it to the Cookie Crumbs, and they already have a mechanism for getting things sent.

A member of the Iowa Cookie Crumbs, Wilson also has a son in the U.S. Army stationed in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Cookie Crumbs focuses on military units in remote areas or aboard ships and does not have access to the items in stores.

The soldiers really do appreciate getting the boxes from home, Wilson said.

The Cookie Crumbs 2016 Operation Holiday Cheer shipment in November included 116 boxes sent to military personnel, she said. The Senior Corps project is an effort to replenish items as the Cookie Crumbs begin 2017 shipments.

Snacks needed include beef jerky, canned or packaged meat or fish, crackers, nuts, energy bars, hard candy, small chocolate bars, Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops, individually wrapped red licorice, energy drink mixes, Kool-Aid single-serving packets, small cans of fruit with pop-top lids, cough drops, small cans of Pringles, snack crackers, sunflower seeds, trail mix, M&Ms, instant oatmeal and soup, instant cocoa and coffee, tea bags, etc. Snacks should be in small individually wrapped packages.

Comfort items needed include tube socks, emery boards, combs, cotton balls, bandages, boot laces, hand wipes, lip balm, calendars, hand sanitizer, stationery and envelopes, foot powder, tampons, nail clippers, eye drops, metal silverware and decks of cards. Handmade cards are especially appreciated.

If a church or organization would like to do a collection, I would be more than happy to pick it up, Wilson said.

Items can be dropped off at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 300 W. Broadway, Suite 240, or at The Center, 714 S. Main St., in Council Bluffs. Postage donations are accepted.

Checks can be made out to Iowa Cookie Crumbs and sent to the address above. For more information or to request pick-up of donations, contact Terri Wilson at 712-328-2540 ext. 1056.
30 chickens die in fire at Pottawattamie County barn

A barn fire early Thursday in northwest Pottawattamie County killed 30 chickens, fire officials said.

No people were injured, said Shawn Kelly, the Missouri Valley, Iowa, fire chief.

The fire was reported around 4:40 a.m., and it took firefighters about 90 minutes to bring the fire under control.

With no fire hydrants in the area, Kelly said, firefighters were forced to truck in water.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The fire occurred at 32004 145th St. in Pottawattamie County, Kelly said, but the location is part of a Harrison County fire district.
The Salvation Armys Tree of Lights Campaign in Omaha raised more than $2.7 million, exceeding its goal of $2.5 million.

In addition, more than $150,000 was raised in Council Bluffs.

Though last years campaign goal was set higher, at $3 million, Jeff Beckman, executive director of development, said that included grant funds, which were taken out of the campaign total for this year.

We are using a new formula to better track what gifts are actually a part of the campaign, he said.

Last years campaign brought in about $2.6 million, he said.

With this new formula, we are well ahead of where we were last year, he said.

About half of the organizations annual funds come from the two-month holiday campaign. Contributions go toward providing food, housing, youth and behavioral services, adult services and anti-human-trafficking programs.

Of every dollar donated, 87 cents goes directly to programming, said Susan Eustice, a spokeswoman for the organization.

Divisional Commander Maj. Greg Thompson thanked all the donors whose gifts help the Salvation Army serve more than 100,000 people in the metro area each year.

That need continues to grow, he said.

The Tree of Lights Campaign provides critically needed funding, yet community support is needed throughout the entire year, Thompson said.

Beckman also encouraged donors to give year-round.

Omaha is unique in that philanthropy seems to rise as the need rises, he said. Im confident the community will continue to respond.
LINCOLN  Those who profit from human trafficking or hire the exploited for sex would face up to 50 years in prison under a proposal introduced Wednesday in the Nebraska Legislature.

Legislative Bill 289 raises penalties for sex trafficking to a minimum of one year in prison and a maximum of 50 years. It would apply to those who engage in trafficking as well as those who hire people forced into prostitution.

Under current law, the penalties for the offenses range from no prison time to a maximum of four years. State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, sponsor of the bill, called the current penalties a slap on the wrist to those who engage in despicable crimes.

The bill calls for even harsher penalties for those who involve minors in sex trafficking.

Everybodys really serious about coming together and saying were not accepting this in Nebraska anymore, she said.

The legislation is endorsed by Attorney General Doug Peterson, the Womens Fund of Omaha and the Nebraska Family Alliance.

Those who use force or the threat of harm to coerce minors into sex trafficking would face 20 years to life in prison, compared with the current maximum of 20 years. And anyone convicted of inflicting physical harm on victims of sex trafficking could be locked up for as long as 50 years, from the current maximum of four years.

Pansing Brooks said other states that have significantly increased penalties have seen sex-trafficking activity sharply decrease.

In a related bill, Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue introduced LB 280, which would allow victims of human trafficking to obtain address confidentiality through the Nebraska Secretary of State.

Some of the other bills introduced Wednesday:

 School aid. All Nebraska school districts would get a share of state aid under LB 265, introduced by Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson. The bill would provide a base amount of aid for each student in a district. The amount would start at $1,500 per student in the 2018-19 school year, increasing to $5,500 by the 2022-23 school year. The proposal would mean more money for rural districts in general, while urban ones would lose. Currently, state school aid goes to districts with the greatest need and smallest amount of property tax resources.

 Automatic voter registration. Nebraskans applying for or renewing a drivers license would be automatically registered to vote under LB 290 introduced by Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha. Current law allows people to register to vote through the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, though they must opt in. Vargas bill would require people going to the DMV to opt out. The change also would apply to those applying for or renewing applications for public assistance programs through the Nebraska Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.

 Cybersecurity. School districts could issue bonds and raise the property tax levy for cybersecurity projects under LB 247 introduced by Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln. Districts currently are allowed to do so for projects that address environmental hazards, accessibility barriers and other safety hazards.

 Seat belts in school buses. A bill sponsored by Omaha Sen. Robert Hilkemann would require all school buses in Nebraska purchased after Jan. 1, 2018, to be equipped with lap-shoulder belts for each student. Hilkemann introduced a similar bill two years ago, but it failed to advance out of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. LB 279 would not require school districts to retrofit their existing buses with belts.

World-Herald staff writers Martha Stoddard and Emily Nohr contributed to this report.
LINCOLN  State senators on Thursday called Gov. Pete Ricketts proposed budget a good start but expressed concerns about how his planned cuts could affect students and some of the states most vulnerable people.

His plan, unveiled during his annual State of the State address, would close a budget gap projected at nearly $900 million through June 30, 2019, without raising taxes.

The shortfall equals about 6.3 percent of the budgeted and projected state spending during that same period.

Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer of Norfolk said he believed Ricketts proposal was reasoned, without taking a hatchet to any one area.

Overall, he was pretty close to being on track, he said. I think the citizens expect us to tighten the reins and meet our obligations, and thats what the governor is proposing.

I appreciate that it was not a unilateral approach, Scheer continued. He worked with every one of his directors and found out specifically where reductions could be made and, in some cases, there were additional dollars.

Ricketts plan prioritizes the Department of Correctional Services and state aid to schools. It cuts payments for those who care for abused and neglected children, Medicaid recipients, and developmentally disabled and mentally ill people, and proposes cuts to higher education.

Under Ricketts plan, state aid to K-12 education would grow by 2.7 percent on average.

Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte, chairman of the Education Committee, said he can work with that proposal.

I think they got more than they ever thought they would get  if they get it, he said. Im going to wait and see what we bring through the committee after the forecasting board makes its report in February.

The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board meets next month to update the official forecast of state tax revenues and possibly revise its estimates.

While the governors proposal is about half the growth projected for the two years under the current school aid formula, Ricketts called the formula flawed. Ricketts said senators should be prepared for claims that his proposal doesnt fully fund education.

Scheer said K-12 education should be pleased it was spared.

Thats sort of like going in and asking your boss for a raise and you were sort of hoping for a 10 percent raise, but you walk out with a big frown if you got 5 percent? he said. I dont think so.

John Lindsay, a lobbyist for the Omaha Public Schools, said the education community understands the state has fiscal problems and is willing to help out. But he said educators dont want to see cuts so deep that they hurt student achievement.

He said school officials will be looking more closely at the state aid proposal, especially at the changes that would be made in the distribution formula.

When you revise the formula, its a matter of winners and losers, he said.

It could be worse, said Michael Baumgartner, executive director of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. I think well be able to work our way back up from this.

Some states, including Iowa, are facing more austere proposals, Baumgartner said.

Sen. John Stinner of Gering, chairman of the Nebraska Legislatures budget-crafting Appropriations Committee, said he is concerned how cuts to the University of Nebraska and the community colleges could affect tuition for students.

Under the governors proposal, NU would get a $12.2 million, or 2.1 percent, cut in its budget for the first year of the budget period. About half that amount would be restored in the second year.

Meanwhile, community colleges would see a 3 percent cut in the first year and flat funding for the second year.

Its up to those universities to run as efficiently and effectively as they possibly can without a (tuition) increase, because there is a burden that goes back to the students, he said. That is the reality.

Stinner emphasized that the governors proposal is just a proposal and that the Appropriations Committee will work to go through it once theyre finished with Ricketts plan for the current fiscal year.

The governor last week announced plans for cutting the previously approved budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Its a proposal, Stinner said. Lets treat it as a proposal.

While the governors budget generally would not reduce services or cut people off from benefit programs, it would cut the rates paid to doctors, hospitals, therapists, developmental disability providers, public health departments and others who care for people getting state benefits.

Thats always a concern when we go after those who provide services to the most vulnerable in our society, said Omaha Sen. Burke Harr.

Harr noted that he looks forward to working with Ricketts and having full and fair debate in areas where they may disagree.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha called proposed cuts to provider rates very bad.

The developmental disability community depends upon those providers, and those providers are the core. Theyre the wheels on the car. As we start to deflate those tires, were going to lose those people, he said.

Sen. Kate Bolz of Lincoln, was also skeptical about the governors proposal. She said she doesnt know how to justify income tax cuts that would benefit some of the richest Nebraskans while making budget cuts that impact middle-class Nebraskans. Some examples include cutting higher education, which could drive up tuition costs, or human services programs.

There are more questions than answers, she said.

Bolz also raised concerns about reducing payment rates to health and human services providers, when those providers already report that state reimbursement does not cover their expenses.

In addition to being a senator, Bolz works as the executive director of the Nebraska Association of Service Providers.

The governors plan focused on state spending cuts now and tax cuts in the future. His proposal includes easing property taxes for farmers and ranchers, starting in 2019, and reducing the top individual income tax rate, starting in 2020.

Scheer called the cuts now and tax reduction later strategy wise. Groene said that the governors property tax plan isnt fast enough for him and that he will introduce his own proposal this year.

Ricketts income tax proposal, which would reduce the top individual income tax rate from 6.84 percent to 5.99 percent, would take effect only if state tax revenues were projected to grow by more than 3.5 percent that year.

Harr said lawmakers need to proceed with caution with that proposal.

We had projections this year weve fallen almost $1 billion short of, he said. So we have to be careful in using projections to determine tax cuts.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb said Ricketts plan is modeled after Kansas, where Gov. Sam Brownback overhauled the state budget and slashed personal income taxes.

She said the governor did not deliver bold plans for public education, clean energy, health care and prisons.

Modeling our state after Kansas is a lose-lose (situation) for everyone, she said. We need a hard hat revolution to create jobs, keep young people from leaving our great state, and to ensure working-class families can stop treading water.

Jack Cheloha, who lobbies for the City of Omaha, said he was concerned about the proposal to eliminate the $1.8 million annual funding for storm water management grants. The grant program was created to help Omaha with its federally mandated sewer upgrade project.

That is a problem, he said.

Nebraskas chapter of Americans for Prosperity, meanwhile, praised Ricketts for focusing on cutting taxes and controlling spending.

Matt Litt, the groups state director, called Ricketts address right on target. Ricketts was a founder of the Nebraska chapter of Americans for Prosperity.

Our states projected nearly $1 billion shortfall was brought about by years of unchecked spending, Litt said, later adding: We applaud Gov. Ricketts for pledging to tackle our budget crisis while providing Nebraskas workers and families with the tax relief they need.
In his 21-year career, Omaha Fire Capt. Pete Andrews has found himself battling more than flames.

The president of the Omaha Association of Black Professional Firefighters said hes also fought against perceptions that exclude black people.

Its fighting through years of imagery which says this guy should be a firefighter, but this guy isnt quite firefighter material, he said.

On Wednesday, Andrews was one of three people given awards by Douglas County and the City of Omaha for service embodying the ideals of Martin Luther King Jr.

Douglas County Sheriffs Capt. Wayne Hudson and Omaha City Councilman Franklin Thompson were also recognized for furthering diversity and inclusivity at the event honoring King.

Hudson serves on the boards of several nonprofits with aims such as womens advancement and combating domestic violence. But a particular interest of his is connecting law enforcement and communities of color, he said. Coming from north Omaha, he said hes passionate about outreach with kids in that area.

All they need is just an opportunity, just a chance to show what they can do, he said.

Andrews said its important that black people see others that look like them in leadership.

He has often advocated for increasing diversity in the Omaha Fire Department so the organization is more representative of the racial makeup of the city.

Its a good thing for the City of Omaha when people look up and see others reflected in city government like themselves, he said. It makes them feel part of it.

Thompson said he was completely surprised and very honored.

He said America is making progress in one way, and slipping in another, toward the ideals King espoused.

Thompson, a UNO associate professor in education, sees progress in attitudes about race. The number of people who believe that some races and ethnic groups are superior to others is dwindling, he said.

Were starting to see each other really as people, he said. But (King) was also about service, and putting others before yourself, and building up other people. Weve spent so much effort on the race part of it, weve forgotten about the other part.

Thompson sees society as becoming more narcissistic and materialistic. He encouraged people to do the hard work of researching and understanding power, privilege and disadvantages.

You cant just be a good person, Thompson said. You have to be a good person with knowledge and skills.

Both Andrews and Hudson said it was significant to them that their awards were based off the work of the civil rights leader.

If it wasnt for all the things done by Martin Luther King or other civil rights leaders, we wouldnt have a black captain of the Sheriffs Office, Hudson said. I just hope were making them proud of what were doing.

World-Herald staff writer Christopher Burbach contributed to this report.
BRUSSELS, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A planned EU-Canada free trade deal received backing from a committee of the European Parliament and Germany's top court on Thursday, increasing its chances of entering force later this year.

The European Union and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in October, but only after opposition from a region of Belgium and hesitation in Austria and other countries.

CETA, along with the larger planned EU-U.S. Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), has proved contentious and drawn criticism from trade unions and environmental and other groups.

More than two years since the negotiations concluded, CETA still needs approval from the European Parliament. It is expected to give its verdict in February.

The parliament's environment, public health and food safety committee voted 40 to 24 for a motion saying the 751-seat parliament should back the deal.

Parliament's trade committee is the lead body responsible for CETA, but before it holds a vote in January, other committees are allowed to offer their opinions.

The employment committee recommended in December that the deal be rejected, saying it risked job losses and increased inequality.

Even after the European Parliament vote, CETA would only enter force provisionally, most likely in the form of import tariff removal, as it also needs approval from the parliaments of the EU's 28 member states and Belgium's regions.

Supporters say CETA will increase Canadian-EU trade by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12 billion euros ($12.8 billion) a year and Canada's by C$12 billion ($9.2 billion)

Germany's Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected emergency attempts by activists to stop Berlin endorsing the accord before ratification by the national parliaments.

In October the Court had given the government the green light to approve CETA, but activists argued that the government had not met the court's requirements.

"With the decision published today the Second Senate of the Constitutional Court has established that the German government has implemented the requirements set by the Court before endorsing the agreements on the signing and initial implementation of CETA," said the Court.

Story continues

The main focus of protests against CETA is the system to protect a foreign company's investments against state intervention. Critics say its arbitration panels to rule on disputes allow multinational companies to dictate public policy, such as on environmental standards.

Campaign group Transport & Environment said lawmakers had missed a vital opportunity to red-flag CETA over a flawed investment tribunal system and toothless environmental provisions.

($1 = 0.9403 euros) ($1 = 1.3070 Canadian dollars) (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Its never too early to look ahead when it comes to winter weather forecasting in the Omaha area.

Thus, today and Friday get brief mentions  high temperatures in the lower 20s and overnight lows around 10 to 15 degrees  and Saturday, too  a high around 30.

The focus is on Saturday night, when a strong weather system should start moving into southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, bringing freezing precipitation with it.

By Sunday in the Omaha area, there is a 50 percent chance of a mix of freezing rain, sleet, rain, snow and ice.

And that gumbo of precipitation is expected to continue into Monday, leaving a significant impact on the region and creating travel problems and possible power outages throughout eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Sunday and Mondays highs will be around the freezing mark  32 to 34 degrees  and overnight lows are to be in the mid- to upper 20s.

The National Weather Service office in Valley said its still too early to get specific about how much precipitation may fall.

The icy storm looks like such a sure thing that the weather service office in Topeka, Kansas, has already issued a winter weather advisory for Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon for northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri.

The advisory warns that up to three-quarters of an inch of ice could occur.

Bryon Miller, a meteorologist at the Valley office, said the Omaha area is more likely to receive ice and not snow due to warm air aloft and colder air below. Rain will fall, changing to ice or sleet as it reaches colder conditions at ground level, he said.

Freezing rain and not snow during winter is more common in locations to the south of the Omaha area, he said.

Its not a certainty, Miller said about an ice-only storm Sunday into Monday in the Omaha area. Were still several days out.

Well have some type of precipitation, Miller said, so its definitely something to prepare for.

A KMTV meteorologist, Ryan McPike, said the storm is moving out of California and heading toward Texas, where it will then push north armed with plenty of moisture and arrive in the Omaha area by Sunday.

This is going to be a huge deal for us, McPike said. We could be talking about an icy mess for the Monday morning drive to work.

Travel could be tricky in many locations and dangerous in others, officials said.

In Missouri, the Department of Transportation is discouraging travel tonight through Sunday.

Ice is the most difficult storm to fight, said Missouri maintenance engineer Becky Allmeroth in a statement issued Wednesday. With large areas of (Missouri) expected to get a half inch or more, it can cause downed power lines and potential roadway closures. Motorists should avoid travel this weekend if at all possible.

Brian Edwards, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., echoed those concerns. People traveling between Omaha and points south, like Oklahoma City or St. Louis, may want to stay put this weekend because of ice, he said.

Its not going to be safe at all, he said.

Next week in the Omaha area, Tuesday and Wednesday will warm up into the mid-30s to around 40 under mostly sunny skies, forecasters said.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Thursday that its investigation into a November firefight with the Taliban in northern Kunduz province has shown that 33 civilians died in the raid during which U.S. troops fired on Afghan homes.

The probe followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from airstrikes called in to support Afghan and U.S. troops who came under fire in the provinces village of Buz-e Kandahari, which targeted two senior Taliban commanders.

The two Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation.

According to a U.S. military statement, the investigation determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded as troops responded to fire from Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions.

After the raid, Kunduz residents later carried over a dozen corpses of the dead, including children and family members of the Taliban fighters, toward a local governors office in a show of rage.

Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, the statement quoted Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. On this occasion the Taliban chose to hide amongst civilians and then attacked Afghan and U.S. forces.

I wish to assure President (Ashraf) Ghani and the people of Afghanistan that we will take all possible measures to protect Afghan civilians, Nicholson added. We will continue to assist the Afghan security forces in their efforts to defend their country.

The Taliban briefly overran the city of Kunduz, the provincial capital with the same name, in October 2015, in a show of strength by the insurgents that also highlighted the troubles facing local Afghan forces, 15 years after the U.S.-led invasion of the country. The Taliban captured and held parts of Kunduz a year earlier as well, before the city was fully liberated weeks later with the help of U.S. airstrikes.

In the 2015 operation, a U.S. Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship attacked a Kunduz hospital run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, killing 42 people. Sixteen U.S. military personnel, including a two-star general, later were disciplined for what American officials described as mistakes that led the strike. Doctors Without Borders has called the attack a war crime and demanded an independent investigation.

After the firefight last November, Ghani criticized the Taliban for using women and children as a shield during the raid in Buz-e Kandahari. He also announced a local investigation had been started.

The U.S. military statement further added that its investigation concluded that U.S. forces acted in self-defense in the joint Afghan-American raid in the village.

As an indication of the ferocity of the fire faced by friendly forces from the Taliban-occupied houses, two U.S. soldiers and three Afghan Army Commandos were killed, it said. In addition, four U.S. soldiers and 11 commandos were wounded.

The raid also killed 26 Taliban fighters and wounded around 26 other insurgents, the U.S. military said.

The investigation concluded that U.S. air assets used the minimum amount of force required and that the civilians who were wounded or killed were likely inside the buildings from which the Taliban were firing. In addition, the U.S. military said a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded, which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

It has been determined that no further action will be taken because U.S. forces acted in self-defense and followed all applicable law and policy, the statement concluded.

NATOs combat operations ended in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a move that put Afghan forces in charge of the countrys security. Since then, Afghan forces have suffered heavy casualties battling the Taliban, who have tried to expand their footprint across much of the country. NATO and U.S. casualties have been few.

Copyright 2017, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in The World-Herald on Jan. 12, 2013.

* * *

A sudden, fierce blizzard slashed across Nebraska 125 years ago today. On Jan. 12, 1888, a howling northwest wind swept across the Great Plains with no warning. The temperature fell to between 30 and 40 degrees below. The storm raged for 12 to 18 hours. Blowing and drifting snow smothered the landscape. An estimated 230 people perished, including 40 to 100 in Nebraska. People collapsed and died within yards of their doors, unable to hear pots being pounded to guide them to safety. Ice sealed nostrils in minutes.

Freezing eyelids tore.

Snow depths werent extraordinary, but hurricane-like winds caused blinding whiteouts. Arctic air flash-froze the landscape. At Valentine, Neb., the temperature was 30 degrees at 6 a.m., 6 degrees at 2 p.m. and 14 below at 9 p.m.

Historians rank the Blizzard of 1888 as among the most severe to hit Nebraska.

None is more anchored in Nebraska lore. The blizzards place in history is immortalized in a haunting mosaic near the ceiling of the Great Hall in the State Capitol.

The nightmare mega-storm is sometimes called the Schoolchildrens Blizzard because it caught so many children away from home on a Thursday. Acts of heroism by parents, children and teachers became legendary, especially 19-year-old Minnie Freemans exploits.

Freeman was a teacher at a sod schoolhouse about six miles south of Ord, Neb., in an area known as Mira Valley. She linked her pupils with twine and led them through the blinding storm to safety at a farmhouse after gale winds blew off a corner of the schools tarpaper-and-sod roof.

Storm stories gathered by the Nebraska State Historical Society and subsequent books chronicled how the blizzard caught people off guard. Most accounts agree that the early hours that day were unseasonably warm. Cattle were in fields. Schoolchildren played outside during noon recess. Men worked outdoors without coats.

Then the wind changed direction and a great mass of thick, blinding snow rolled across the Plains.

John Craig was a 7-year-old farm boy who lived nine miles southeast of Leigh, Neb. He was in a country school when the cataclysmic cold front dropped in about 2 p.m. He later wrote:

With the suddenness of a clap of thunder, the sheer front of the blizzard crashed against the schoolhouse like a tidal wave, shaking the wooden frame building and almost lifting it from its foundation.

Many teachers kept their students for two nights until rescuers arrived. One teacher had children ring the school bell day and night to let people know they were safe. Church bells in ONeill, Neb., tolled and mill whistles sounded at one-minute intervals to guide people lost on the prairie to safety.

It took a few days before the scope of the natural disaster became apparent as word of tragedies and heroics trickled in to newspapers.

Seattle writer David Laskin reconstructed the storm in The Childrens Blizzard in 2004:

For years afterward, at gatherings of any size in Dakota or Nebraska, there would always be people walking on wooden legs or holding fingerless hands behind their backs or hiding missing ears under hats  victims of the blizzard.

Decades later, storm survivors organized a club and met annually to commemorate the storm. The club published a book of blizzard stories in 1947.

They called it, In All Its Fury.

* * *

Tales of tragedy and triumph

Bravery came from women, men and beasts caught in unexpected situations during the storm. Some efforts were successful; others resulted in the lifeless bodies of children and parents, cradled by the snow.

A reluctant folk hero

Minnie Freeman was a reluctant folk hero.

Freemans actions quickly symbolized the countless acts of bravery that surfaced in the wake of the Blizzard of 1888, despite her attempts to dismiss national acclaim for leading her pupils to safety when the storm struck central Nebraska.

A musician composed Thirteen Were Saved,  a song honoring Nebraskas Fearless Maid. She received more than 80 marriage proposals. The State Education Board gave her a gold medal. A wax bust of Freeman was exhibited across the nation.

Accounts vary of how many children were in Freemans sod schoolhouse at Mira Valley near Ord. Some say 13, others 17. A few say 16.

Newspaper accounts detailed Freemans matter-of-fact explanation of what happened during the storm:

I took a ball of stout twine I had in my desk and tied the children together, fastened one end to my arm and waited for an opportunity. Then the roof blew off. We started. It was about three-quarters of a mile to the nearest house, and the wind blew in our face ... but we finally got through. I really do not think I am deserving of so much credit.

The youngest student was 5. Freeman described the journey:

I told them we would all have to stick together. If anyone was to stop to rub cold hands, all would stop. We went two by two, with strict orders to keep hold of the one just ahead.

Freeman said that walking into the wind toward the farmhouse where she boarded kept her from wandering off course. Visibility was four or five feet.

Somehow or other we managed to struggle to that house, where hay was put on the floors, covers brought out and all the children taken care of for the night. Parents were desperate. They thought all had perished. When they found all were saved, they called it providential. It must have been because not far away a farmer froze to death trying to get to his house from the barn only 150 feet away.

Three years later, Freeman married farmer Edgar Penney. They had two sons, and she was politically and socially active. According to obituaries, she was Nebraskas first Republican national committeewoman, first president of the Nebraska American Legion Auxiliary, an officer of the Nebraska League of Women Voters, president of the Nebraska Federation of Womens Clubs and a member of the committee that selected a new state seal. The Penneys kept their legal residence in Fullerton, Neb., after moving to Chicago in about 1923. Penney was president of a chemical company.

Minnie Freeman Penney died in Chicago in 1943. She was 75. A three-paragraph obituary in The World-Herald was printed on the comics page near Joe Palooka,  Blondie and Orphan Annie.

Lost children, lost limbs

Other Nebraska teachers werent as fortunate as Minnie Freeman.

Lois May Royce, a country schoolteacher near Plainview, tried to lead three students to her boarding house about 200 yards away after determining that the school fuel supply would not last the night.

The group lost its way in the storm. The children  ages 9, 9 and 6  died. The next morning, Royce crawled to a nearby farmhouse. She suffered severe frostbite to her feet, and they were amputated weeks later. Royce eventually learned to walk with artificial limbs, married in Iowa and moved to California.

Emma Shattuck, a teacher near Emmet, found refuge in a haystack, where she remained for two days until discovered by a farmer. She was so badly frozen that both legs were amputated. She later died of her injuries.

Tragedy amid a party

Omaha partied Jan. 12.

Hundreds of people in 400 sleighs and cutters paraded through Omaha and crossed the frozen Missouri River  while a brass band played  to dinner and dancing in Council Bluffs, then a town tucked into the hills far east of the river.

The revelers were celebrating the early completion of a Douglas Street bridge to the Bluffs.

The storm hit shortly after 4 p.m. and caused anxiety among the partiers worried about returning to Omaha across the windswept prairie west of the Bluffs and a river known to have holes in the ice below the bridge.

At least two Omahans died in the blizzard. Cigarmaker Ferdinand Eller froze within a block of his boardinghouse at 24th and Leavenworth Streets. Wixell Beck, 8, left Walnut Hill School to walk a quarter mile home at 3:30 p.m. He wandered lost onto the prairie and froze.

Four years ago, Opera Omaha reintroduced the storm to Nebraskans with the world premiere of Blizzard Voices. The oratorio featured dramatic dialogue by Nebraska poet Ted Kooser.

The day after the blizzard, the Omaha Republican newspaper treated the storm with a one-line comment:

The local ice crop is assured.

Dog saves his master

Omaha Indians Charley Stabler and Rough Clouds were hunting and trapping muskrat and beaver along Beaver Creek near Genoa, Neb., with Stablers dog, Bear Claws. The young men took shelter under a tree, and snow drifted over them.

Stabler awoke the next morning. Rough Clouds was dead. Bear Claws was missing. Stabler could not break out of the tomb of ice and snow.

About noon Jan. 15, Stabler heard his dog whining and digging over his head. They both dug frantically and broke through the crust of snow. Stabler, with the dog at his side, crawled toward a dim light in the distance and fell against a farmhouse door. The farm family took him in and cared for his frozen hands and feet.

Bear Claws went on to the Omaha camp where he whined and whimpered until some of the men followed him to the farmhouse. The dog later led the men to the place where Rough Clouds body lay. Tracks in the snow showed that the dog had made many trips back and forth, trying to bring help to his master and friend.

Whose fault?

An intoxicated man in Falls City, Neb., froze his hands so badly while attempting to walk to his house three miles south of the town that they were amputated. The mans attorney sued the saloonkeeper for $5,000.

Trees point way to safety

Wilhelm Glaubius hitched horses to his wagon and drove to a country school southwest of Wisner, Neb. He loaded children and teacher Howard Miller aboard and headed for safety. Glaubius left a note written in German on the door, telling parents that he was taking the children to his home. Glaubius became lost, however, until a lull in the storm provided sight of a grove of trees around his house.

Mom dies looking for sons

Mary Masek of Milligan, Neb., walked nearly two miles to a country school to locate her sons, Charles and Thomas. Finding the school empty, she started back. Her frozen body was found huddled near a cottonwood tree, a short distance from a neighbors farmhouse.

Older sister tried to help

In Dodge County, Neb., two daughters of the widow of Peter Westphalen started home from a schoolhouse. Their bodies were found lying close together in an open field drifted with snow. The older girl, 13, had taken off her wraps and put them on her sister, 8.

Saddle provides shelter

Mark C. Rich, who later lived in Council Bluffs, was riding horseback in Horse Camp Draw on the Sidney-Deadwood Trail south of the Black Hills in Dakota Territory.

He dismounted, took the saddle off his horse and stood it on end against a large bush. Dressed in an overcoat, mittens, overshoes over his boots and a waterproof slicker, Rich wrapped in the saddle blanket and lay in the shelter of his saddle.

He unfastened one of the bridle reins from the bit, fastened it to the end of the other rein and tied it around an arm to keep the horse from wandering away.

Snow drifted over Rich but he survived and continued his ride to the Z-Bell Ranch about 12 hours later.

Cow leads the way home

A girl named Mary was out with the family cows in an Antelope County, Neb., field of corn stubble.

One of the old cows led the herd, and when it was time to take the cattle in, Mary would hold the old cows tail to walk home and the others would follow. The old cow started for home when the blinding storm hit. Mary grabbed the tail and was safely guided home.

Blind mare finds the way

Theodore Peterson of Oakland, Neb., had been to the mill at Lyons to grind wheat for flour when he was caught in the storm. He was driving a wagon hitched to an old blind mare and another horse. The blind horse had been over the road many times without seeing it, so Peterson loosened the reins and let her find the way home.

Hotel provides chance of a lifetime

Van Nostrand, the cemetery sexton in Tekamah, Neb., guided his two daughters and four other girls from the town school to the local Brookings Hotel, where the children camped on the floor of the upstairs parlor.

Ella Sloan Young later wrote: It was a long time before we got to sleep. Six little school girls getting to have a slumber party was the chance of a lifetime.

Feeling his way

Frank Carney was a 20-year-old night telegraph operator for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway at Irvington. His office was a boxcar parked on a spur along Papio Creek.

Carney later wrote: By 9 (p.m.) the blizzard was howling down the Pappio valley and the old boxcar, which stood ... broadside to the wind, was groaning and swaying on its tracks at every blast until I was afraid to stay there longer, expecting that at any moment it would roll down into the creek with me and a red hot stove in it.

Carney telegraphed the train dispatcher in Fremont and received permission to leave his post and walk a half mile to the depot. Carney blindly stumbled along the rails.

It was like trying to see with my face pushed into a snowdrift.

He feared not being able to see the light in the depot agents window and walking to his doom in the countryside. So every few steps, Carney reached out to the north side of the track to see if he could feel the depot platform.

Father, sons pass each other along fence

William Hagemeister, 12, and his brother Frank, 15, started home from their country school four miles west of Bradshaw, Neb., after school was dismissed at 3 p.m.

They followed a row of trees and a fence about a half mile east and a mile south to the family farm. Their worried father had started north to find the boys.

He was on the east side of the fence and we on the west side. We must have passed each other, not many feet apart, but we did not see each other. We arrived home about the time father reached the schoolhouse. He got back safely, too.

A boy and girl who had to walk a mile and a half northwest perished.

Whistle of wind guides rescuers

Townspeople came to C.W. Senifts grocery store in Pickrell, Neb., to rescue children from the hilltop schoolhouse about three blocks away.

They took rolls of rope and followed the Lincoln-Beatrice telephone line that paralleled the highway near the school.

They couldnt see from pole to pole but the whistle of the wire in the wind guided the men. They fastened rope to each pole and followed the line back to the store from the school.

Compiled from contemporary newspaper accounts, the book In All Its Fury and Nebraska State Historical Society records.
Stalemate is not new to OPS board

On my first day on the Omaha Public Schools board in January 2007, we voted more than 120 times in an attempt to elect a president.

It was a 12-member board at the time; the vote was 6-6 time and time again. We quit at about midnight after having started at 7 p.m. We elected John Langan on the first ballot at the next meeting and functioned well for a good number of years.

I wish this board well (OPS board has 2 weeks to resolve deadlock, Jan. 11 World-Herald). It can be done.

Nancy W. Huston, Omaha

NU needs to take long look at its budget

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has proposed budget cuts, including a 2.3 percent cut to the University of Nebraskas current-year budget (With early budget plan, Ricketts stresses urgency, Jan. 6 World-Herald). NU President Hank Bounds believes that a 2.3 percent budget cut would be significant and painful.

Im concerned about the possible solutions to this shortfall in the next budget. Someone is suggesting an increase in the state sales tax rate from 5.0 percent to 6.0 percent. That doesnt sound like a great solution to an economic climate that is already affected by many taxes, fees, regulations and other government oversight.

I wonder why there is so little emphasis on containing the growth in the cost of education, as set by the budgets allowed by the NU Board of Regents.

For example, why is UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green being paid roughly 26 percent more than his predecessor, Harvey Perlman?

At the same time, the regents approved a 2.5 percent increase in tuition. I would ask Bounds if he considered how significant and painful the tuition increase was to a student.

It doesnt sound like the regents or the president were concerned about the students and taxpayers in making those decisions.

Larry Riesenberg, Omaha

Stothert made the right call

After reading the Jan. 9 World-Herald editorial about La Vistas Multisport Complex (New questions about financing), it is clear that Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert made the right decision in rejecting the developers smoke-and-mirrors financing proposal.

As the taxpaying citizens of La Vista and Sarpy County are discovering, regardless of what they were told, they are the majority funder of first resort, not last.

The editorial rightly pointed out the litany of current taxpayer leeches that were the result of overpromised but underdelivered developments in Bellevue, Council Bluffs and Ralston.

As for Baxter Arena, Omaha is not without sin. However, it is claimed that Baxters shortfalls will be covered by a private donor.

Kudos to Stothert for resisting the shiny object disease suffered by the surrounding communities. She demonstrated good judgment guided by common sense and a respect for the taxpayers of Omaha.

J.B. Duncan, Omaha

No one represents his viewpoint

After reading the Jan. 10 World-Herald article Speaker: Its not about winning, I am left feeling completely unrepresented by my elected representatives at both the state and federal levels.

The Nebraska Legislature is as partisan as I have ever seen it, and the same applies at the federal level. Neither one of Nebraska U.S. senators has expressed an idea that I would consider representative of my beliefs and philosophies.

The only point of commonality that I have had with Sen. Ben Sasse has been his disdain for President-elect Donald Trump. Otherwise he does not appear to care what I think or want.

Former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford made a concerted effort to be open and bipartisan. Its too early to know how Rep. Don Bacon will represent his congressional district.

It seems to me that we should consider changing the term representative for these aforementioned officials to unconnected.

Daniel G. Weidner, Omaha

Those using ACA deserve specifics

Sen. Deb Fischer wrote in The World-Herald on Jan. 7 that I will not leave (Nebraskans who are benefiting from Obamacare) out in the cold. I will fight for patients with preexisting conditions. I will fight for all Nebraskans.

That sounds great in theory, but the hundreds of thousands of Nebraskans who benefit from the health insurance protections of the Affordable Care Act deserve specifics.

Republicans have tried to repeal the ACA for years but have never put forward a replacement plan with details that show how Nebraskans with preexisting conditions will still get covered and insurance companies will still cover basic preventive services that everyone needs.

I challenge Nebraskas members of Congress to stop spouting talking points about the Affordable Care Act and give us details about an immediate replacement plan. The health plan has helped thousands of Nebraskans get insurance for the first time. Congress cannot allow them to fall back through the cracks of our health care system.

Youve had plenty of time to figure out a replacement. Delay is not an option.

Shelli Gronenthal, Omaha
DEBATE: Punjab assembly elections 2017: Will Kejriwal manage to win 'the land of five rivers'?

Debates

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

One Tuesday, Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, appealed to potential voters in Punjab to assume that they are choosing Arvind Kejriwal to become CM when they vote for the party. He made the statement during a public rally in Punjab's Mohali and reiterated the same whilst he spoke to the media.

Sisodia's statement is being looked at as a hint of Arvind Kejriwal shifting base from Delhi to Punjab. Opposition parties, however, claim that they are not surprised and this move of the AAP was expected. "Punjab won't vote for Kejriwal. We are not surprised," said Sukhbir Singh Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 12:09 [IST]
'4 wives, 40 children' comment: EC pulls up Sakshi Maharaj

India

oi-Anusha

The Election commission on Thursday censured controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj after he refused to apologise over a communally insensitive comment. The ECI rapped the BJP MP for violating the model code of conduct and also for violation the order of the Supreme Court which had held illegal seeking votes in the name of religion, language and caste.

The censure from the EC comes a day after Sakshi appeared in person to submit his reply following a notice that was issued to him.

"Expect that you being a reputed political leader, you shall be more circumspect in your public utterances during elections", the EC told the BJP MP. Sakshi had courted controversy over his statements on population explosion while referring to a particular community at a rally in Meerut. The Congress had sought the EC's intervention over Sakshi Maharaj's statements in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Following this remark, the ECI had slapped a notice on Sakshi. The ECI had prima facie found that his statements were violative of both the model code of conduct as well as the verdict of the Supreme Court.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 16:24 [IST]
Rahul comparing party symbol to Guru Nanak is 'shocking': SAD

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Chandigarh Jan 11: Slamming Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for comparing the Congress party symbol 'Hand' with the hands of Guru Nanak, Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday described the analogy as 'shocking' .

Former Union Minister and senior Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa lamented that Rahul chose to compare the "killer hand of the Congress party and the holiest image of Guru Nanak Dev's hand of benevolence" in his speech at a Congress convention at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"Rahul Gandhi's speech had grievously hurt the religious sentiments of the devout believers and followers of Guru Nanak Dev ji the world over," Dhindsa said.

Calling upon Congress leaders, including Amarinder Singh to "express their strongest disapproval of Rahul Gandhi's sacrilegious statement", Dhindsa said: "This is the most horrendous comparison which no one in his senses would ever dare to draw."

Citing the Congress election symbol the 'Hand', Gandhi said, "The Congress symbol is in Lord Shiva's picture. The gods in every religion are showing the Congress symbol."

"When I see the image of Guru Nanak Dev ji, I see the Congress symbol, 'Hand', in his hand," Rahul said.

Reacting angrily, Dhindsa said: "Has he lost his mind, really? Was he even in his senses when he made that most shocking speech? It is too shocking to even believe that Rahul Gandhi actually compared the bloody hand of his party with the divine hand of Guru Nanak Sahib."

"Rahul should also have remembered that the Congress hand is spattered with the blood of thousands of innocent Sikhs who follow the teachings of the great Guru and dedicate their lives to his great legacy. Does he know how Guru Sahib had actually shown blood dripping from the food offered to him by the tyrant Malik Bhago. The same is true of the Congress symbol of 'Hand'," Dhindsa said.

He said that "it was beyond anybody's wildest imagination that the Congress party and its leaders would once again indulge in such outrageous acts of disrespect to our great gurus and their legacy."

"All Sikhs in the Congress party should openly declare their opposition to this comparison. They must dissociate themselves from this remark and must demonstrate that their first allegiance is to the great Gurus and not to the Gandhi family or its scion, Rahul," Dhindsa said.

He said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders had earlier compared the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, with their party manifesto and had even put the AAP party symbol broom along the sacred image of the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib.

IANS
Comedian Atul Khatri's joke on seatbelt becomes one on him as Mumbai Police responds

'Two-finger test' should be banned in matrimonial dispute cases too, says Maharashtra doctor

Blow for 'Don' Dawood: Centre gets nod to take over his properties

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Jan 12: In a major blow to Dawood Ibrahim, a tribunal has given the go ahead to the Centre to take over two of his properties in Mumbai. The appellate tribunal for forfeited property passed the order under the provisions enshrined under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act.

[Also Read: UAE puts Dawood Ibrahim's properties under scanner]

The two buildings in question are the Dambarawala building and Shabnam guest house in Mumbai. Both the guest houses had been declared illegal and were seized by the government in 2002 and 2005.

Dawood's brother Iqbal Kaskar had moved the Mumbai high court in 2015 against the seizure of the Dambarwala property. There were 27 other appeals also filed against the seizure of the guest house by various tenants.

[Also read: Dawood Ibrahim has 50 prime properties in 10 countries]

In its order the tribunal noted that the buildings had been purchased using money earned through smuggling and other illegal activities. The tenants, however, argued that they cannot be acquitted since they have been paying rent.

The tribunal, however, noted that the claimants to the property were unable to provide any proof that the property was acquired through legal sources. The tribunal noted that the property held was in the name of Amnia Bi, Dawood's mother.

The property was acquired through the illegal money earned by Dawood, the tribunal further noted.

OneIndia News
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump held his first news conference since his election in November. This is a transcript from the press conference.

Thank you very much. It's very familiar territory, news conferences, because we used to give them on an almost daily basis. I think we probably, maybe won the nomination because of news conferences, and it's good to be with you.

We stopped giving them because we were getting quite a bit of inaccurate news. But I do have to say that, and I must say that, I want to thank a lot of the news organizations here today. Because they looked at that nonsense that was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, which would be a tremendous blot on their record if they, in fact, did that, a tremendous blot, because a thing like that should never have been written, it should never have been had, and it should certainly never have been released.

But I want to thank a lot of the news organizations for, some of whom have not treated me very well over the years, a couple in particular, and they came out so strongly against that fake news and the fact that it was written about by primarily one group and one television station.

So, I just want to compliment many of the people in the room. I have great respect for the news and have great respect for freedom of the press and all of that, but I will tell you, there were some news organizations, with all that was just said, that were so professional, so incredibly professional, that I've just gone up a notch as to what I think of you, OK? All right.

We've had some great news over the last couple of weeks. I've been quite active, I guess you could say, in an economic way, for the country. A lot of car companies are going to be moving in. We have other companies.

Big news is going to be announced over the next couple of weeks about companies that are going to be building in the Midwest. You saw yesterday Fiat Chrysler (Milan Stock Exchange: FCA-IT), big, big factory going to be built in this country as opposed to another country.

Story continues

Ford (NYSE: F) just announced that they stopped plans for a billion-dollar plant in Mexico. And they're going to be moving into Michigan and expanding very substantially an existing plant.

I appreciate that from Ford. I appreciate it very much from Fiat Chrysler. I hope that General Motors (NYSE: GM) will be following, and I think they will be.

I think a lot of people will be following. I think a lot of industries are going to be coming back. We have to get our drug industry coming back. Our drug industry has been disastrous. They're leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but they don't make them here, to a large extent. And the other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drug industry, because they're getting away with murder.

Pharma. Pharma has a lot of lobbies and a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power, and there's very little bidding on drugs. We're the largest buyer of drugs in the world, and yet, we don't bid properly. And we're going to start bidding and we're going to save billions of dollars over a period of time, and we're going to do that with a lot of other industries.

I'm very much involved with the generals and admirals on the airplane, the F-35. You've been reading about it. And it's way, way behind schedule and many, many billions of dollars over budget. I don't like that, and the admirals have been fantastic, the generals have been fantastic. I've really gotten to know them well, and we're going to do some big things on the F-35 program, and perhaps the F-18 program, and we're going to get those costs way down, and we're going to get the plane to be even better, and we're going to have some competition and it's going to be a beautiful thing.



So we've been very, very much involved. And other things. We had Jack Ma. We had so many incredible people coming here. They're going to do tremendous things in this country, and they're very excited. And I will say, if the election didn't turn out the way it turned out, they would not be here, they would not be in my office or anybody else's office.

They'd be building and doing things in other countries. So there's a great spirit going on right now, a spirit that many people have told me they've never seen before, ever. We're going to create jobs. I said that I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created, and I mean that.



I really  I'm going to work very hard on that we need certain amounts of other things, including a little bit of luck, but I think we're going to do a real job, and I'm very proud of what we've done, and we haven't even gotten there yet. I look very much forward to the inauguration, it's going to be a beautiful event. We have great talent, tremendous talent, and we have all of the bands or most of the bands from the different segments of the military. And I've heard some of these bands over the years. They're incredible.

We're going to have a very, very elegant day. The 20th is going to be something that will be very, very special, very beautiful. And I think we're going to have massive crowds, because we have a movement. It's a movement like the world has never seen before. It's a movement that a lot of people didn't expect. And even the polls, although some of them did get it right, but many of them didn't, and that was a beautiful scene on November 8 as those states started to pour in, and we focused very hard in those states and they really reciprocated. And those states are going to have a lot of jobs and they're going to have a lot of security, they're going to have a lot of good news for their veterans.



And by the way, speaking of veterans, I appointed today the head secretary of the Veterans Administration, David Shulkin. We'll do a news release in a little while and tell you about David. He's fantastic. He will do a truly great job. One of the commitments I've made is that we're going to straighten out the whole situation for our veterans.



Our veterans have been treated horribly. They're waiting in line for 15, 16, 17 days. Cases where they go in and they have a minor, early-stage form of cancer and they can't see a doctor. By the time they get to the doctor, they're terminal. It's not going to happen. It's not going to happen.



So, David is going to do a fantastic job. We're going to be talking to a few people also to help David. And we have some of the great hospitals of the world going to align themselves with us on the Veterans Administration, like the Cleveland Clinic, like the Mayo Clinic, a few more that we have, and we're going to set up a group.

These are hospitals that have been the top of the line, the absolute top of the line.

And they're going to get together with their great doctors, Dr. Toby Cosgrove, as you know, from the Cleveland Clinic, has been very involved. Ike Perlmutter has been very, very involved, one of the great men of business.

And we're going to straighten out the VA for our veterans. I've been promising that for a long time, and it's something I feel very, very strongly. So, you'll get the information on David, and I think you'll be very impressed with the job he does. We looked long and hard. We interviewed at least 100 people, some good, some not so good, but we had a lot of talent, and we think this selection will be something that will, with time, with time, straighten it out and straighten it out for good, because our veterans have been treated very unfairly.

Okay, questions? Yes, John.

Reporter: Mr. President-elect, thank you so much.

Trump: Thank you.

Reporter: Appreciate it. A couple of aspects of the intelligence briefing that you received on Friday that we're looking for further clarification on.

Trump: Sure.

Reporter: First of all, did the heads of the intelligence agencies provide you with a two-page summary of these unsubstantiated allegations? And secondly to that, on the broader picture, do you accept their opinion that Vladimir Putin ordered the hack of the DNC and the attempted hack of the RNC?

And if you do, how will that color your attempts to build a relationship with a leader who has been accused of committing an act of espionage against the United States?

Trump: First of all, these meetings as you know are confidential, classified, so I'm not allowed to talk about what went on in a meeting, but we have many witnesses in that meeting, many of them with us.

And I will say, again, I think it's a disgrace that information would be let out. I saw the information. I read the information outside of that meeting.

It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen. And it was gotten by opponents of ours, as you know, because you reported it and so did many of the other people. It was a group of opponents that got together, sick people, and they put that crap together.

So, I will tell you that not within the meeting, but outside of the meeting, somebody released it. It should never have been  number one, shouldn't have even entered paper, but it should never have been released.

But I read what was released, and I think it's a disgrace. I think it's an absolute disgrace. As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people.

And I can say that, you know, when we lost 22 million names and everything else that was hacked recently, they didn't make a big deal out of that. That was something that was extraordinary that was probably China.

We have much hacking going on. And one of the things we're going to do  we have some of the greatest computer minds anywhere in the world that we've assembled.

You saw just a sample of it two weeks ago up here where we had the six top people in the world. They were never in the same room together as a group. And we're going to put those minds together and were going to form a defense.

And I have to say this also  the Democratic National Committee was totally open to be hacked. They did a very poor job. They could have had hacking defense, which we had. And I will give Reince Priebus credit, because when Reince saw what was happening in the world and with this country, he went out and went to various firms and ordered a very, very strong hacking defense. And they tried to hack the Republican National Committee and they were unable to break through. We have to do that for our country. It's very important.

Reporter: Mr. President-elect  [inaudible question]

Trump: Well, you know, President Putin and Russia put out a statement today that this fake news was indeed fake news. They said it totally never happened. Now, somebody would say, "Oh, of course he's going to say that." I respected the fact that he said that.

And I'll be honest, I think if he did have something, they would have released it. They would have been glad to release it. I think, frankly, had they broken into the Republican National Committee, I think they would have released it just like they did about Hillary and all of the horrible things that her people, like Mr. Podesta, said about her. I mean, what he said about her was horrible. If somebody said about me what Podesta said about Hillary  I was the boss, I would have fired him immediately, or that person, because what he said about her was horrible. But remember this  we talk about the hacking, and hacking's bad, and it shouldn't be done, but look at the things that were hacked. Look at what was learned from that hacking, that Hillary Clinton got the questions to the debate and didn't report it? That's a horrible thing. That's a horrible thing. Can you imagine that if Donald Trump got the questions to the debate, it would have been the biggest story in the history of stories, and they would have said immediately, "You have to get out of the race." Nobody even talked about it. It's a very terrible thing.

Reporter: Mr. President-elect. Thank you, Mr. President-elect. On that intelligence report, the second part of their conclusion was that Vladimir Putin ordered it because he aspired to help you in the election. Do you accept that part of the finding? And will you undo what President Obama did to punish the Russians for this if given a chance?

Well, if Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia. Russia can help us fight ISIS, which by the way is, number one, tricky. I mean, if you look, this administration created ISIS by leaving at the wrong time. The void was created, ISIS was formed. If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks, that's called an asset, not a liability. Now, I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there's a good chance I won't. And if I don't, do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Does anybody in this room really believe that? Give me a break.

REPORTER: Can you make clear whether during your visits to either Moscow or St. Petersburg you engaged in conduct that you now regret and that a reasonable 



No 



REPORTER: Reasonable observers say that you are potentially vulnerable to blackmail by Russia or by its intelligence agencies.



Let me just say what I do. When I leave our country  I'm a very high-profile person, would you say? I am extremely careful. I'm surrounded by bodyguards. I'm surrounded by people.



And I always tell them anywhere, but I always tell them, if I'm leaving this country, be very careful, because in your hotel rooms, and no matter where you go, you're going to probably have cameras. I'm not referring just to Russia, but I would certainly put them in that category. And number one, I hope you're going to be good anyway. But in those rooms, you have cameras in the strangest places, cameras that are so small with modern technology, you can't see them and you won't know. You'd better be careful or you'll be watching yourself on nightly television. I tell this to people all the time. I was in Russia years ago with the Miss Universe contest, which did very well. Moscow, the Moscow area, did very, very well. And I told many people, be careful, because you don't want to see yourself on television. Cameras all over the place. And again, not just Russia, all over. Does anyone really believe that story? I'm also very much of a germophobe, by the way, believe me.

REPORTER: How do you plan to disentangle yourself from your business? But first, I have to follow up on some of these Russia remarks. Based your comments here today, do you believe the hacking was justified? Does Russia have any leverage over you, financial or otherwise? And if not, will you release your tax returns to prove it?

So, I tweeted out that I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals in Russia. I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we've stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia. As a real estate developer, I have very, very little debt. I have assets that are  and now people have found out how big the company is  I have very little debt, but I have no loans with Russia at all. And I thought that was important to put out. I certified that.

So, I have no deals, I have no loans and I have no dealings. We could make deals in Russia very easily if we wanted to. I just don't want to because I think that would be a conflict. So I have no loans, no dealings and no current pending deals. Now, I have to say one other thing. Over the weekend, I was offered $2 billion to do a deal in DubaI with a very, very, very amazing man, a great, great developer from the Middle East, Hussein Dumak (sp), a friend of mine, great guy, and was offered $2 billion to do a deal in Dubai, a number of deals. And I turned it down. I didn't have to turn it down, because as you know, I have a no-conflict situation because I'm president, which is  I didn't know about that until about three months ago, but it's a nice thing to have, but I don't want to take advantage of something. I have something that others don't have. Vice President Pence also has it. I don't think he'll need it. I have a feeling he's not going to need it. But I have a no conflict of interest provision as president. It was many, many years old. This is for presidents because they don't want presidents getting  I understand, they don't want presidents getting tangled in minutiae. They want a president to run the country. So I could actually run my business. I could actually run my business and run government at the same time. I don't like the way that looks, but I would be able to do that, if I wanted to. I would be the only one that would be able to do that. You can't do that in any other capacity, but as a president, I could run the Trump Organization  great, great company  and I could run the country. I'd do a very good job. But I don't want to do that. Now, all of these papers that you see here  yes, go ahead.

Reporter: Do you believe the hacking was justified and will you release your tax returns to prove what you're saying about no deals in Russia?

Well, I'm not releasing the tax returns, because as you know, they're under audit.

Reporter: But every president since the '70s has 

Gee, I've never heard that. I've never heard that before. You know, the only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters, OK?

Reporter: You don't think the American public is concerned about that?

No, I don't think so. I won. I mean, I became president. No, I don't think they care at all.

I think you care. I think you care. First of all, you learn very little from a tax return. What you should do is go down to federal elections and take a look at the numbers. And actually, people have learned a lot about my company, and now they realize my company is much bigger, much more powerful than they ever thought. We're in many, many countries and I'm very proud of it. And what I'm going to be doing is my two sons, who are right here, Don and Eric, are going to be running the company. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. They're not going to discuss it with me. Again, I don't have to do this. They're not going to discuss it with me. And with that, I'm going to bring up Sheri Dillon, and she's going to go  these papers are just some of the many documents I've signed turning over complete and total control to my son.

[Break as Trump's attorney speaks about his business relations being turned over]

REPORTER: Thank you Mr. Trump. American news. What is your response to your critics that say not only do you but also your Cabinet is filled with conflicts of interest and do you plan to set an example in the future to make sure that your Cabinet and everyone throughout your administration 

TRUMP: Great question. I really think that when you watch what's going on with what's happening and why I was just watching, as an example, Rex Tillerson, I think it's brilliant what he's doing and what he's saying. I watched yesterday, as you know, our great senator who is going to be a great attorney general, and he was brilliant. And what people don't know is that he was a great prosecutor and attorney general in Alabama, and he was brilliant yesterday. So I really think that they are  I think we have one of the great Cabinets ever put together. And we've been hearing that from so many people. People are so happy.

You know, in the case of Rex, he ran incredibly ExxonMobil, when there was a find, he would get it. When they needed something, he would be there. A friend of mine who is very, very substantial in the oil business, Harold Hamm, big supporter, he said there's nobody in the business like Rex Tillerson. And that's what we want. That's what I want to bring to government. I want to bring the greatest people into government, because we're way behind. We don't make good deals anymore. I say it all the time in speeches. We don't make good deals anymore. We make bad deals. Our trade deals are a disaster. We have hundreds of billions of dollars of losses on a yearly basis. Hundreds of billions with China on trade and trade imbalance, with Japan, with Mexico, with just about everybody. We don't make good deals anymore. So we need people that are smart, we need people that are successful and they got successful because, generally speaking, they're smart. And that's what I put. I'm very proud of the Cabinet. I think they're doing very well. It's very interesting how it's going. But it's  I think they're doing very, very well.

REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President-elect. I want to ask a few questions on Obamacare. Can you be specific on what guidance you're giving congressional Republicans on the timeline for repeal and replace, whether it needs to be simultaneous or a delay?

TRUMP: Finally, Obamacare.

REPORTER: I want to ask you if you 

TRUMP: Uh-oh.

REPORTER:  have outlined a plan for what you want the replace package to look like, would it guarantee coverage to those who have gotten health insurance through the Obamacare law?

TRUMP: You will be very, very proud, not only as the media and reporters, but you're going to be very proud of what we put forth having to do with health care. Obamacare is a complete and total disaster. They can say what they want. They can guide you any way they want to guide you. In some cases they guide you incorrectly. In most cases you realize what's happened. It's imploding as we sit. Some states have over 100 percent increase. And '17  I said this two years ago, '17 is going to be the bad year. It's going to be catastrophic. Frankly, we could sit back  and it was a thought from a political standpoint  but it wouldn't be fair to the people. We could sit back and wait and watch and criticize and we could be a Chuck Schumer and sit back and criticize it and people would come  they would come begging to us, please, we have to do something about Obamacare. We don't want to own it. We don't want to own it, politically.

They own it right now. So the easiest thing would to be to let it implode in '17 and, believe me, we would get pretty much whatever we wanted but it would take a long time. We're going to be submitting as soon as our secretary's approved, almost simultaneously, shortly thereafter, a plan. It will be repeal and replace.

It will be essentially simultaneously. It will be various segments, you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week, but probably the same day. Could be the same hour. So we're going to do repeal and replace. Very complicated stuff.

And we're going to get a health bill passed. We're going to get health care taken care of in this country. You have deductibles that are so high that after people go broke paying their premiums, which are going through the roof, the health care can't even be used by them because the deductibles are so high.

Obamacare is the Democrats' problem. We're going to take the problem off the shelves for them.

We're doing them a tremendous service by doing it. We could sit back and let them hang with it. We are doing the Democrats a great service.

So as soon as our secretary is approved and gets into the office, we will be filing a plan and it was actually pretty accurately reported today, The New York Times, and the plan will be repeal and replace Obamacare. We're going to have health care that is far less expensive and far better. OK.

REPORTER: Sir.

STAFFER: Which one, Mr. President-elect?

TRUMP: Well, I was going right here. Go ahead. Then CBS.

REPORTER: President-elect Trump, when you look at all the meetings you've had with Carrier and Softbank and Alibaba, do you conceive of making this a program, maybe sitting inside of Commerce? And then my follow-up question, how soon will we see the program on capital repatriation and cuts?

TRUMP: Well, if I could save jobs. For instance, I was doing individual companies and people said, "Well, that's only one company." Like, we did a good job with Carrier and I want to thank you, United Technologies, which owns Carrier. But we saved close to a thousand jobs. And they were gone. And Mike Pence and his staff really helped us a lot. But those were  that was a tough one because they announced a year and a half before that they were leaving.

It's always tough when they're building a plant, a little tougher than before they start or before they make an announcement. I want to thank United Technologies. But we've been meeting with a lot of companies.

But what really is happening is the word is now out that when you want to move your plant to Mexico or some other place and you want to fire all of your workers from Michigan and Ohio and all these places that I won, for good reason, not going to happen that way anymore.

You want to move your plant and you think, as an example, you're going build that plant in Mexico and you're going to make your air conditioners or your cars or whatever you're making and you're going to sell it through a, what will be a, very, very strong border, not a weak border like it is  we don't even have a border. It's an open sieve. You're going to sell through a very strong border. Not going to happen. You're going to pay a very large border tax.

So if you want to move to another country and if you want to fire all of our great American workers that got you there in the first place, you can move from Michigan to Tennessee and to North Carolina and South Carolina, you can move from South Carolina back to Michigan, you can do anywhere, you've got a lot of states at play, lot of competition, so it's not like, oh, gee, I'm taking the competition. You've got a lot of places you can move. And I don't care as long as it's within the United States. The borders of United States.

There will be a major border tax on these companies that are leaving and getting away with murder. And if our politicians had what it takes, they would have done this years ago and you'd have millions more workers right now in the United States, that are 96 million really wanting a job and they can't get. You know that story. The real number. That's the real number. So that's the way it is. OK, go ahead.

REPORTER: A question about the Supreme Court and the border security, but I also want to ask you about something you said on Twitter this morning: Are we living in Nazi Germany? What were you driving at there? Do you have a problem with the intelligence community? On the Supreme Court, what's your timeline? You said a while ago you were down to four. Have you conducted those yet? What's your timeline for nominating? On the border fence, it now appears clear U.S. taxpayers will have to pay for it upfront. What is your plan to get Mexico to pay for it?

TRUMP: I got it. Anything more? [crowd's laughter]

TRUMP: On the fence. It's not a fence, it's a wall. You just misreported it. We're going to build a wall. I could wait about a year and a half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get to office. But I don't want to wait. Mike Pence is leading an effort to get final approvals through various agencies and through Congress for the wall to begin. I don't feel like waiting a year or a year and a half. I'm going to start building. Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us and they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall.

That will happen, whether it's a tax or whether it's a payment. Probably less likely that it's a payment. But it will happen. So remember this, OK, I would say we are going to build a wall and people would go crazy. I would then say who is going to pay for the wall? And people would all scream out, 25, 30,000 people, because nobody has ever had crowds like Trump has had. You know that. You don't like to report that but that's OK. OK. Now we agree. Finally, he agrees.

But I say, "Who is going to pay for the wall?" And they will scream out, "Mexico!" Now, reports went out last week, oh, Mexico is not going to pay for the wall because of a reimbursement. What's the difference? I want to get the wall started. I don't want to wait a year and a half until I make my deal with Mexico. And we probably will have a deal sooner than that. By the way, Mexico has been so nice, so nice.

I respect the government of Mexico. I respect the people of Mexico. I love the people of Mexico. I have many people from Mexico working for me. They are phenomenal people. The government of Mexico is terrific. I don't blame them for what's happened. I don't blame them for taking advantage of the United States.

I wish our politicians were so smart. Mexico has taken advantage of the United States. I don't blame the representatives and various presidents, et cetera, of Mexico. What I say is, we shouldn't have allowed that to happen. It's not going to happen anymore. So in order to get the wall started, Mexico will pay for the wall. But it will be reimbursed. OK?

Supreme Court judge. So as you know, I have a list of 20. I've gone through them. We've met with numerous candidates. They're outstanding in every case. They were largely recommended and highly recommended by Federalist Society. Jim DeMint was also very much involved in this group, which is fantastic and he is a fantastic guy so between Leo and Jim DeMint and some senators and some Congress people, we have a great group of people.

I'll be making the decision on who we will put up for Justice of the United States Supreme Court, a replacement for the great, great Justice Scalia. That will be probably within two weeks of the 20th. So within about two weeks probably the second week, I consider the first day because we'll also be doing some  some pretty good signings. And I think what we'll do is we'll wait until Monday.

That will be our really first business day as opposed to doing it on Friday, because on Friday people are going to have a very good time at the inauguration. And then Saturday as you know we're having a big church service and lots of good things are happening. So our first day, and you will be invited to the signings, but we'll be doing pretty good signings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and then also the next week. And you're all invited.

But on the Supreme Court, I'll be make that decision and it will be a decision which I very strongly believe in. I think it's one of the reasons I got elected. I think the people of this country did not want to see what was happening with the Supreme Court. So I think it was a very, very big decision as to why I was elected.

[ inaudible ]

I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. I think it's a disgrace. And I say that and I say that.

And that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. It's a disgrace. That information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public, as far as BuzzFeed, which is a failing pile of garbage, writing it, I think they're going to suffer the consequences.

They already are. And as far as CNN going out of their way to build it up  and by the way, we just found out, I was coming down, Michael Cohn is a very talented lawyer, good lawyer in my firm. Was just reported that it wasn't this Michael Cohn were talking about. All night long, Michael Cohn. I want to see your passport.

He brings his passport to my office. I say, wait a minute, he didn't leave the country. He wasn't out of the country. They had Michael Cohn of the Trump organization was in Prague. It turned out to be a different Michael Cohn. It's a disgrace what took place. It's a disgrace and I think they ought to apologize to start with, Michael Cohn.

Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, not you. Not you. Your organization is terrible. Your organization is terrible. Let's go. Go ahead. Quiet. Quiet. She's asking a question. Don't be rude. Don't be rude. Don't be rude. No, I'm not going to give you a question. I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news. Go ahead. Go ahead.

REPORTER:  with the sanctions that they put on Russia after the hacking.

TRUMP: I don't think he went too far.

REPORTER: What do you think of Lindsey Graham's plan for a bill to send you tougher ones?

TRUMP: Plans to send me a bill for what?

REPORTER: Tougher sanctions.

TRUMP: I haven't heard Lindsey Graham is going to do that. Lindsey Graham, I've been competing with him for a long time. He's going to crack that 1 percent barrier one day. I didn't realize Lindsey Graham was still at it. It's all right. I heard he's a nice guy actually. I've been hearing it. I've been hearing it. Go ahead. Yeah, go ahead. You've been waiting.

REPORTER: As far as we understand, the intelligence 

TRUMP: Stand up.

REPORTER: Ian Pannell from BBC News.

TRUMP: Another beauty.

REPORTER: Thank you. As far as we understand it, intelligence community are still looking at the allegations. It's false news, as you describe it. If they come back with any kind of conclusion with any of it stands up, if any of it is true, will you consider your position, would you think 

TRUMP: There's nothing they can come back. Yes, yes, go ahead. Go ahead.

REPORTER: Can you 

TRUMP: Go ahead.

REPORTER:  public state news and all the problems seen throughout the media over the course of the election, what reforms do you recommend for this industry here?

TRUMP: Well, I don't recommend reforms. I recommend people that are  that have some moral compass. You know I've been hearing more and more about a thing called fake news and talking about people go and say all sorts of things. I will tell you some of the media outlets that I deal with are fake news. More so than anybody. I could name them, but I won't bother. You have a few sitting right in front of us. So they're very, very dishonest people.

But I think it's just something we're going to have to live with. I guess the advantage I have is that I can speak back. When it happens to somebody that doesn't have this, doesn't have that kind of a megaphone, they can't speak back. It's a very sad thing. I've seen people destroyed. I've seen people absolutely destroyed and I think it's very unfair. So all I can ask for is honest reporters. Yes.

REPORTER: I just want to follow up on the questions about the U.S. intelligence community and be very clear about what you're saying. Do you trust your U.S. intelligence officials and what do you say to foreign policy experts who say you are actually weakening national security by waging this war of words against that community?

TRUMP: Intelligence agencies are vital and very, very important. We are going to put in Mr. Pompeo and others, you know the senator, Dan Coats, we're going to put in outstanding people. Within 90 days they're going to be coming back to me with a major report on hacking.

I want them to cover this situation. I also want them, however, to cover maybe most importantly, because we're hacked by everybody. You know the United States, our government, out of a list of 17 in terms of industries, it's the worst, number 17 in terms of protection.

If you look at the retail industry, if you look at the banking industry, various industries, out of 17 industries they put this in the category of an industry, the United States is last in terms of protecting, let's say hacking defense. Like we had a great hacking defense at the Republican National Committee. That's why we weren't hacked. By the way, we were told they were trying to hack us but they weren't able to hack.

I think I get some credit because I told Reince and Reince did a phenomenal job. But I said I want a hacking defense. The Democratic National Committee did not do that. Wait, wait, wait. Let me finish. Within 90 days we will be coming up with a major report on hacking defense.

How do we stop this new phenomena, fairly new phenomena, because the United States is hacked by everybody. That includes Russia and China and everybody. Everybody. OK. Go ahead. Go ahead.

REPORTER: You said just now that you believe that Russia indeed was responsible for the hacking of the DNC and John Podesta's e-mail, etcetera.

TRUMP: But you know what, it could have been others also.

REPORTER: Why did you spend weeks undermining U.S. Intelligence community before simply getting the facts and then making a public statement.

TRUMP: I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press. I think it's pretty sad. First of all, it's illegal. You know, these are  these are classified and certified meetings and reports. I'll tell you what does happen. I have many meetings with intelligence. And every time I meet people are reading about it. Somebody is leaking it out. So there's  maybe it's my office. Maybe my office.

Because I have a lot of people, a lot of great people. Maybe it's them. And what I did is I said, I won't tell anybody. I'm going to have the meeting. And I won't tell anybody about my meeting with intelligence. And what happened is I had my meeting. Nobody knew. Not even Rhona, my executive assistant for years.

She didn't know. I didn't tell her. Nobody knew. The meeting was had. The meeting was over. They left. And immediately the word got out that I had a meeting. So I don't want that. I don't want that. It's very unfair to the country. It's very unfair to our country what's happened. That report should have never  first of all, it shouldn't have been printed because it's not worth the paper it's written on. I thank The New York Times for saying that. I thank a lot of different people for saying that. But I will tell you that should never ever happen. OK.

REPORTER: Thank you, Mr.President-elect. Can you stand here today once and for all and say that no one connected to you or your campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign and, if you indeed do believe that Russia was behind the hacking, what is your message to Vladimir Putin right now?

TRUMP: He shouldn't be doing it. He won't be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading it than when other people have led it. You will see that. Russia will respect our country more. He shouldn't have done it. I don't believe he will be doing it more now. We have to work something out. But it's not just Russia.

Take look at what's happened. You don't report it the same way. Twenty-two million accounts were hacked in this country by China. And that's because we have no defense. That's because we're run by people that don't know what they're doing. Russia will have far greater respect for our country when I'm leading it. And I believe  and I hope, maybe it won't happen, it's possible, but I won't be given a little reset button like Hillary.

Press this piece of plastic. The guy looked at her like, what is she doing? There's no reset button. We're either going to get along or we're not. I hope we get along. But if not, that's possible, too. But Russia and other countries and other countries including China, which has taken total advantage of us economically, totally advantage of us in the South China Sea by building their massive fortress, total. Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, all countries will respect us far more, far more than they do under past administrations.

I want to thank everybody. So this is all  just so you understand, these papers, because I'm not sure that was explained properly. These papers are all just a piece of the many, many companies that are being put into trust to be run by my two sons and I hope at the end of eight years I'll come back and I'll say, "Oh, you did a good job." Otherwise, if they do a bad job, I'll say, you're fired. Goodbye, everybody. Goodbye.





More From CNBC


'Delhi may get relief from pollution after Nov 5': Safar chief

Voting for MCD elections in Delhi to be held on December 04, results on December 07

Delhi Stinks: As sanitation workers' strike enters 8th day, AAP busy with Punjab polls

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Jan 12: The strike by a section of sanitation workers in Delhi over the delay in payment of salaries entered the eight day on Thursday.

The workers staged a protest outside the office of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, asking their demands to be fulfilled.

Delhi: Sanitation workers' strike enters 8th day; workers stage protest outside East Delhi Municipal Corporation. pic.twitter.com/ARv8fb8SR1  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Since the time the Aam Aadmi Party has taken over the reins of the national capital for the second time in 2015, strikes by sanitation workers have become an annual affair.

As a result of the ongoing protest by sanitation workers, several areas of Delhi like Jhilmil Colony, Patparganj and Laxmi Nagar, are reeling under huge piles of garbage.

While on one hand the AAP says the payment of salary is the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the civic body states that the entire burden can't be shifted on it.

The three MCDs are controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The AAP government led by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has often accused the rival party councillors of siphoning of funds meant for salaries of workers.

Garbage menace angers green body

The National Green Tribunal has rapped both the Delhi government and the civic body over garbage menace in the capital city.

The NGT has sought a detailed report by Friday over the budget allocated by the government for salaries of sanitation workers.

"In the tussle between the government and the MCD, the general public is made to suffer," said a statement issued by the NGT.

On Thursday, the NGT directed the Delhi government to pay salaries to the MCD sanitation workers.

In the midst of the crisis, the entire machinery of the AAP, including its chief Kejriwal, is busy preparing for the upcoming Punjab polls. The Punjab Assembly elections will be held in single phase on February 4,

OneIndia News
Demonetisation: IT raids a pre-cursor to big political shake-up in TN?

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In December 2016, former chief secretary of Tamil Nadu P Ramamohana Rao issued a veiled threat when he said that if Jayalalithaa was alive would anyone have had the guts to enter the house of a chief secretary. Rao, whose house was raided by the Income Tax officials stopped short of saying that the raids could have been staged-managed by someone from within the ruling party.

[Also read: Would this happen if Jaya were around: Ex-Tamil Nadu chief secy]

The message from Rao was clear: that he would take all down if he was going down himself. These statements must be read in the context of the ongoing investigations by the Enforcement Directorate against Parasmal Lodha who had helped sand mining baron Sekhara Reddy from Tamil Nadu launder money.

There are a couple of questions that the ED has been posing to the accused in the case. Did Reddy known that his clout and money power fund the last assembly and 2014 parliamentary elections?

Election funding under scanner:

The ED probe is focussed around the links between Lodha, Reddy and a few politicians from Tamil Nadu. When Lodha was arrested in December from Mumbai, the ED had found that he had helped Reddy convert a huge chunk of cash in demonetised notes.

Lodha, who hails from West Bengal was a frequent visitor to Tamil Nadu. He is said to have been close to Reddy and investigators suspect that is this link that had led up to the politicians. Today investigators are studying this very closely and many from the ruling party in TN are under the scanner.

There is a lot of talk within the bureaucracy about Reddy's role during the previous elections. Reddy, who has monopoly over the sand mining contracts is alleged to be in control of several influential persons in the AIADMK. The ease with which he bagged these contracts is another topic of discussion among the TN bureaucracy, who wonders who the trail would lead up to.

The ED would be questioning Lodha and Reddy together soon to find out about this trail.

In this context it would also be pertinent to point out to the IT rainds conducted in April 2016 at the residence of Karur-based businessman Anbuthan. The raids gave the deparment plenty of information through the seized documents. The laptop, cellphone and other documents that were seized during the raid revealed several big names which included politicians from Tamil Nadu. After the arrest of Lodha, it was found that he too had alleged links with Anbuthan.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 13:52 [IST]
Novel COVID-19 antibody test gives results in 20 minutes

Covid-19: List of states that have made negative RT-PCR test mandatory

Guided Pinaka rocket successfully test-fired

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 12: India on Thursday successfully test-fired the Guided Pinaka rocket from Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur in Odisha.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman S. Christopher congratulated the scientists, industry and the armed forces for the successful flight test of the new rocket version.

The Guided Pinaka is a modified version of the Pinaka rocket, equipped with a navigation, guidance and control kit. This conversion has considerably enhanced the range and accuracy of Pinaka, an official statement said.

The radars, electro-optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the vehicle all through the flight-path.

"The test-firing has met all mission objectives," an official statement said.

The Guided Pinaka is developed jointly by Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).

Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister G. Satheesh Reddy was present during the test-firing, which also had a team from the armed forces witnessing the test.

IANS
China expanding its military bases in its quest to end global dominance of US: IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria

Tejas far better, advanced than China-Pak JF-17 fighter: IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria

Pak's plan was brilliant, but didn't factor in India's air power: IAF chief on Battle of Longewala

On officerss allegation in rape case, IAF Chief says no two finger test done

IAF chief Birender Singh Dhanoa flies Mig-21 fighter jet

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 12: Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a Mig-21 fighter jet, officials said.

The Air Force chief flew the Mig-21 aircraft at a forward base in Rajasthan, IAF sources said. The flight lasted about half an hour long.

Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa after his MiG 21 T-96 solo sortie today in Barmer(Rajasthan) pic.twitter.com/K6C0x9J5az  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (retired) flew the indigenous fighter jet Tejas last year, becoming the first air chief to fly the indigenous fighter. He had also flown a Gripen aircraft at the Saab facility during an official trip to Sweden last year.

IANS
Indian soldier who strayed across LoC held in Pakistan to be released soon

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Mumbai, Jan 12: A soldier from Maharashtra, Chandu Babulal Chavan, who had strayed across the Line of Control into Pakistan last year is alive and likely to be released soon by the neighbouring country, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said here on Thursday.

"Pakistan has admitted that Chavan is alive. They will soon set him free after an inquiry that is nearing completion," Bhamre told media persons here after the launch of Indian Navy's second Scorpene submarine, Khanderi.

He said India is making attempts at the levels of Directors-General of Military Operations to secure Chavan's release and the Indian DGMO and Pakistan DGMO have discussed the matter at least 20 times, the last being just two days ago. Bhamre said Pakistan has informed India that the probe against Chavan is getting over soon after which he would be released.

Chavan, 23, hails from Bohivir village in north Maharashtra's Dhule district, which happens to be within the Lok Sabha constituency of Bhamre. Serving the Indian Army's 37th Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir, Chavan had unknowingly crossed into Pakistani territory with a weapon September 30 last year and was capture by their troops near Mankote.

After hearing the news of his capture, his aged grandmother suffered a heart attack and died a few days later. Bhamre said since then, he has been in regular touch with his family who are his constituents.

IANS


Voting for MCD elections in Delhi to be held on December 04, results on December 07

NGT pulls up government over garbage mess in Delhi

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 12: Irked over the garbage menace in Delhi due to East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) sanitation workers' strike, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday pulled up Delhi government, civic bodies and the Centre.

The Tribunal has sought an explanation for the menace and asked the government and civic bodies of their plans to deal with solid waste. "In a tussle between government and corporations, you have made the general public suffer," NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

Over the matter of pending salaries of the East DMC employees -- the cause of their strike, the Tribunal sought explanation from all municipal corporations, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government.

"The NGT sought detailed report regarding how much budget MCD received from Delhi government and why it could not give salaries to its sanitation employees," said Balendu Shekhar, East DMC's counsel.

He said the NGT also asked about the transportation system of the garbage. "What is the plan of Delhi government to deal with the waste? Why have you failed as a government to deal with the issue," Swatanter Kumar asked the Delhi government.

The Tribunal also asked the Ministry of Urban Development what has it done till date for sanitation of Delhi. In another matter, the Tribunal has issued notice to other states asking why them segregation, collection and disposition of municipal solid waste is not in place.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 17:29 [IST]
No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Pranab Mukherjee lauds economic development of Kenya

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 12: President Pranab Mukherjee has lauded the recent economic development of Kenya, an official statement said on Thursday.

"Kenya has become one of the fastest growing economies of Eastern Africa. It has established itself as a hub for financial, commercial, tourist and transportation services," said President Mukherjee on Wednesday during a banquet hosted in honour of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking on the Indian commitment to the development of Kenya, Mukherjee said: "India stands ready to assist Kenya further in her human resource development and capacity building efforts."

"India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and our training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans," the President added. Welcoming the "Kenyan business houses to explore the opportunities" in the flagship schemes of Indian government, Mukherjee said, "India is one of Kenya's leading trade partners and the second largest foreign investor. The presence of more than forty premier Indian companies in Kenya bears testimony to the complementarities of our two economies."

"India's Technical and Economic Co-operation programme and our training and scholarship initiatives under the India-Africa Forum Summit have benefited many young Kenyans. India stands ready to assist Kenya further in her human resource development and capacity building efforts," he said.

The Kenyan President is paying a state visit to India from January 10 to 12.

Recalling the historical political ties between the two nations, President Mukherjee said, "Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the founding President of Kenya, was an esteemed friend of the leaders of India's Freedom movement." "Your state visit to India this year, the first state visit from Kenya since February 1981, reflects a new momentum in our bilateral co-operation," he said.

Reciprocating the sentiments expressed by President Mukherjee, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lauded the role of the Indian community in Kenya, whom he described as part and parcel of Kenyan society. Kenyatta said the Indian community, encouraged by Prime Minister Nehru, were an integral part of Kenya's freedom struggle.

He called for increased contacts at the highest level so that people and business leaders get inspired to take relations to a new level. On Wednesday, Kenyatta was accorded a ceremonial welcome and was presented an impressive Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt.

Later during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyatta held high-level discussions on common issues and agreed to focus on operationalisation of bilateral defence cooperation.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 18:20 [IST]
Railway to invest Rs 1,000 cr on new tracks beyond Agartala

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Agartala, Jan 12: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has invested around Rs 1,000 crore to extend the railway line beyond Tripura capital Agartala and up tothe state's southern temple city Udaipur, a top official said here on Thursday. The NFR would start two pairs of passenger train services on the newly constructed Agartala-Udaipur route from January 20, fulfilling the long-pending demands of the people of southern Tripura.

According to NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma, the passenger trains would run six days a week, except on Sundays. "The NFR has invested over Rs 1,000 crore to extend the 44.76-km railway lines up to Udaipur (district headquarters of Gomati district). We have completed laying of railway tracks up to Udaipur before schedule of March 2017," NFR Chief Engineer Harpal Singh told IANS over phone from Guwahati.

He said: "The railway line would be extended up to south Tripura district headquarters Belonia by this year end or early next year. By March 2019, southern Tripura's last border town Sabroom would be connected by railway network."

Singh said that two major tunnels would be constructed for the Belonia and Sabroom lines. The Indian government has been extending railway line up to Tripura's border town Sabroom to get access to Bangladesh's international Chittagong sea port, which is just 75 km from Sabroom.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: "After the Indian Railways extends its rail line up to Sabroom, it would be very easy to connect with the Chittagong international sea port in southeast Bangladesh."

"After extending the railway line to Sabroom, Tripura and the entire northeast India would be linked with southeast Asia very easily," Sarkar told IANS. The extension of the erstwhile metre-gauge track up to Agartala brought Tripura capital city on India's rail map in October 2008. Subsequently the metre-gauge track was converted into broad-gauge track.

The long-awaited passenger train services between Agartala, New Delhi and Kolkata began on July 31 and October 8 last year respectively. NFR Chief Engineer Singh said that the single track 227-km metre-gauge link -- Badarpur (south Assam) to Agartala -- was converted into broad-gauge track earlier last year at a cost of Rs 2,016 crore.

The NFR is now laying a broad-gauge track for the 112-km Agartala-Sabroom line -- to be completed by March 2019 -- at a cost of Rs 3,351 crore. Sabroom, 135-km (by traditional road) south of Agartala, is southern Tripura's border town adjoining Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the NFR has already undertaken work to lay a 15-km rail track to connect Agartala with Bangladesh's railway station Akhaura, an important rail junction there. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Bangladeshi Rail Minister Majibul Haque jointly laid the foundation stone here on July 31 last year for Agartala (India) - Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project.

IANS
Reluctant or poll phobia? Rahul's elevation to Congress' top post postponed again

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Jan 12: On Wednesday, we saw Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi speaking strongly against the Centre over the issue of demonetisation at the party's Jan Vedna Sammelan in Delhi.

[Also Read: Rahul comparing party symbol to Guru Nanak is 'shocking': SAD]

However, party leaders remained silent on the question of elevation of Rahul to Congress' top post. When reporters asked senior Congress leaders like Renuka Chowdhury about when would Rahul become Congress' President, they simply avoided the question.

"He (Rahul) is our vice president and he is leading the party," Chowdhury told reporters.

A section of Congress wants Rahul to take over the post of the party's president. But, there are also reports that many veterans of the grand old party of the country are not 'confident' about the 46-year-old politician's 'leadership quality'.

Last year, the party's apex decision making body nominated Rahul to the top post, but subject to the official endorsement of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Political pundits say the entire nation is waiting for the official announcement to be made by the Congress about Rahul taking over the reins of the party.

Earlier, it was said that Rahul himself was reluctant to succeed his mother as the party president. Now, as we see him leading the Congress in all the issues, especially protests against Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the issue of note ban, it is difficult to understand the delay maintained by the party in announcing his elevation as the head of the organisation.

Or is it because, like in previous occasions--especially before elections--Congress never went ahead with appointing Rahul as its chief, as they fear voters won't accept him as the face of the party?

The country is gearing for assembly polls in five states. The elections for the five states--Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand --will begin on February 4. Counting of the votes will take place on March 11.

OneIndia News
Set up redressal mechanism against private TV channels: SC to centre

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the centre to consider setting up a complaint redressal mechanism against content and news shown on private television and radio channels. The Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, was told that the self-regulatory mechanism by private channels has not worked.

While the Bench refused to comment on whether the self-regulatory mechanism has worked or not, it directed the centre to consider setting up of a statutory mechanism to receive citizen's complaints against a programme on a TV channel or radio.

Further the petitioners also sought from the SC a directive to allow private FM and community radio stations to broadcast news. The Bench directed the centre to file its response in this regard within four weeks.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 13:45 [IST]
You don't talk to me: Sonia Gandhi told Smriti Irani in Parliament over 'rashtrapatni' row

DGama's family says, 'absolutely no connection' with firm linked to Irani's family

Smriti Irani slams Rahul for 'derogatory remarks' against PM

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Jan 12: Union Minister of Textile Smriti Irani on Thursday lashed out at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly attacking the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation.

Irani said,''Rahul Gandhi making derogatory comments against PM and trying to save his political legacy is natural''.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the BJP and RSS of instilling 'fear' among the people and 'wrecking the economy' through demonetisation. The Congress leader was speaking at the party's day-long national convention, called in the wake of demonetisation in New Delhi.

OneIndia News
SP feud: How Mulayam scripted his son's political rebirth

India

oi-Vicky

Lucknow, Jan 12: It looks like a well-scripted feud aimed at telling the Samajwadi top brass that Akhilesh Yadav is boss. All through his five-year tenure, Akhilesh has been accused of not being able to take independent decisions and relying too much on his father.

Also read: UP assembly election 2017: 4 reasons why Muslims will not vote for SP

Today Akhilesh looks re-branded for public consumption, he is the guy who has taken his father and powerful uncle head on. The SP gives out selective leaks to the media in which it is said that Akhilesh refused to agree to any of his father Mulayam's terms. He over-steps jurisdiction and ousts his uncle Shivpal-one of the founding fathers of the party.

Akhilesh re-branded:

There were times during the past five years when Akhilesh has been given a dressing down by his father in public. He never retorted. Mulayam, who is a master at political scripts wrote this one too to ensure that his son does not just have a clean image, but is considered a strong leader in the eyes of the public.

Throwing Shivpal out of the cabinet would have never been possible, unless Mulayam wanted it. Akhilesh did exactly that with his father's backing. Mulayam also wants the party to move out of its 'rowdy' image where votes are won through muscle power. He wants it to be about clean governance.

In this context, it was necessary for Mulayam to stage a fight between his son and uncle and of course insider-considerd-outsider, Amar Singh. Shivpal and Singh were considered to be corrupt by the public and hence it became important for Akhilesh to take them on with the help of the father.

Today, Akhilesh in the public eye is a crusader against muscle power and corruption. He is considered to be boy who has grown up and can stand up against his very powerful father. He is considered to be independent and a leader who can call the shots.

Political observers point out that Mualayam has created an image for his son which is positive. People think that Akhilesh can take on his family for the welfare of the state. Mulayam has also managed to ensure in the public eye that it is Akhilesh and not Shivpal who calls the shots.

Time is running out

While the script may have worked wonders, the big question is whether Akhilesh is wasting precious time. The poll process has been set into motion and the SP is still sorting out the so-called feud.

Akhilesh needs to hit the road and tell the people how he has emerged as a strong leader who fights his own family for the sake of the state.

While all other parties have started announcing their list of candidates and are hitting the campaign trail, Akhilesh continues to be involved in this battle with his uncle.

Experts say that it is clear that the feud has been scripted. Akhilesh should now leave it at that and go to the people. The script was written to make him seem like a strong leader Now with that now achieved, he needs to get to work right away. Will he hit the campaign trail or is he waiting for his father's instructions on this one too?

OneIndia News
Trade union wants SBI branches be shut down till cash flow improves

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Chennai, Jan 12: State Bank of India can shut down its branches till the supply of cash gets normalised and staff are not put to risk to face the ire of banking public, a top union leader said.

"We have suggested to the SBI management to down the branch shutters till the supply of cash gets normalised. It is better to close down the branches for some time than the staff face the ire of the public for no fault of theirs," D. Thomas Franco Rajendra Dev, Senior Vice President of the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), told IANS.

Dev wondered how his comrades in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are saying that cash supplies there are better but such views are not heard from his comrades in other states. "It is strange that Reserve Bank of India is not divulging as to the amount of cash supplied state-wise and bank-wise. What is the big secrecy to be safeguarded after the cash has been distributed to states and banks?"

According to Dev, in many SBI branches cash is being rationed amongst the account holders. The RBI has been issuing empty statements about currency supplies being comfortable and currency being sent to rural areas whereas in reality it is not so, Dev charged. He said people in Tamil Nadu will not be able to celebrate Pongal festival properly due to cash crunch.

IANS
UP assembly election 2017: 4 reasons why Muslims will not vote for SP

India

oi-Vicky

Lucknow, Jan 12: The Mulsim vote in Uttar Pradesh which is crucial to the prospects of any party are unlikely to vote for the Samajwadi Party -- thanks to the never ending family feud. The Muslim vote which accounts to 20 per cent of the entire electorate is likely to go to the Bahujan Samaj Party, political observers say.

Also read: Mulayam: SP won't be allowed to split, no change in party symbol

Muslims are complaining that they have been let down by the SP which had made several promises in 2012. Most of the promises are not fulfilled and the ongoing family feud is adding to the problem, the community has complained.

Abid Masood, a resident of Azamgarh tells OneIndia that the divide in the family has in fact helped the BJP. "We need to look for a secular party and the BSP is our only hope. Moreover the rift is beyond repair and this is going to hurt the party a lot," he also said.

Unfulfilled promises:



Muslims have been accusing the SP of not fulfilling the poll promises made in 2012. There are a host of other issues too which have upset the Muslims. Let us take a look at four of them:

The SP had promised 18 per cent reservation to Muslims. However, this promise remains unfulfilled. Muslims say that they will teach the SP a lesson as they feel cheated and manipulated by the party and especially its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

With most surveys suggesting that Mayawati's BSP is expected to do well, Muslims feel that their vote should not be wasted on SP. The BSP has already declared its list in which 97 candidates are Muslims.

The handling of the Muzzafarnagar riots by the SP government is another issue raised by the Muslims. The SP is likely to take a hit in Western UP over this issue.

Lastly, the rift in the SP has left Muslims wondering if they should vote for the party. The feud is beyond repair and this would hurt the SP where the Muslim votes are concerned.



OneIndia News
UP assembly election 2017: 'Behenji ko aane do' will be BSP's USP

India

oi-Anusha

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's birthday is generally a gala affair for the party. Collecting funds for the party had been the priority all these years, but with the Moral Code of Conduct in place in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the party has something new to offer. The BSP will launch its video series campaign for the elections on Mayawati's birthday on January 15, marking her birthday.

In Kailash Kher's voice, the BSP's video campaign series will have 'Behenji ko aane do' (Bring Mayawati back), as its tagline. For the first time in the party's history, social media will be used to woo voters. Mayawati has time and against refrained from using the social media stating that her voters belong to the poor and backward classes who do not have access to social media and have much larger serious concerns.

But this time around, given the success the BJP and the SP have had on social media campaigning, the party has changed its stance. While it is unlikely that Mayawati will launch the social media campaign herself, the party is keen on marking her birthday with its launch. The BSP is looking to start off the campaign with the tagline on Twitter, facebook, Youtube etc.

The video series has taken a cue from BJP's 'Na gundaraj, na bhrashtachar, abki bar BJP sarkar' (no hooliganism, no corruption, a BJP government this time) and SP's 'Kaam bolta hai' (the work speaks for itself). The party is hoping that it is able to strike a cord with their tagline and campaign.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 11:48 [IST]
20 arrested TN for brazen violation of SC ban on Jallikattu

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

Following a OneIndia report showing villages in Tamil Nadu brazenly organisaing Jallikattu, despite the Supreme Court ruling to the contrary, 20 people have been arrested in Thiruvathipuram village in Cuddalore.

OneIndia had accessed videos of a political party in Tamil Nadu, Naam Tamilar Katchi, organising Jallikattu in Thiruvathipuram The party led by actor-turned-politician Seeman gave two hoots about the ban on Jallikattu. The video shows youngsters dressed in black trying to tame a bull.

And this is just one instance of the event being organised. Many such videos are emerging from the state, especially the Madurai belt where Jallikattu is being organised in brazen violation of the SC order. The events are being organised despite the Tamil Nadu government still trying to get clearance for the same by urging the Union government to pass an ordinance.

Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu): Naam Tamilar Katchi party workers organise #Jallikattu despite SC's ban; later detained by Police pic.twitter.com/JlEbzOvxar  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

[Also read: Last hope dashed: SC says can't pass order on Jallikattu now]

It may be recalled that the SChad rapped the Tamil Nadu government in 2016 as well when Jallikattu was organised despite ban in various villages. The then Jayalalithaa-led Tamil Nadu government had denied any such event.

OneIndia News
Delhi govt to start online yoga classes for Covid patients in home isolation from today

Fashion and fitness influencer Anjali Kapoor gets nostalgic while sharing her memories of yoga

Some countries want to patent Yoga, but it belongs to India: RSS chief

Happy International Yoga Day 2022: Wishes, Quotes, Images, WhatsApp Status to share with your loved ones

Yoga fever grips Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Bhopal, Jan 12: On Thursday, both Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh paid their ode to yoga, one of India's ancient practices. A large number of yoga enthusiasts in both the states took part in public functions with great gusto.

In Chhattisgarh more than a lakh yoga practitioners attempted five world records in Bhilai, early in the morning.

The event also saw the participation of popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev and chief minister of the state Raman Singh.

Chhattisgarh: Five world records of Yoga being attempted by more than one lakh people in Bhilai, Baba Ramdev attends. pic.twitter.com/cUTJlsEiGO  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Baba Ramdev perform Yoga in Bhilai city. pic.twitter.com/kawA30ywQS  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

In the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan participated in a mass Surya Namaskar session in Bhopal.

Mass 'Surya Namaskar' session in Bhopal, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attends. pic.twitter.com/GiIItsB2BV  ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2017

Over the years, yoga has gained tremendous popularity both in the national and the international platforms. Every year, we celebrate Yoga Day on June 21. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi practices yoga on a daily basis.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 13:55 [IST]
In a case of bad karma Taliban outs Pakistan on what India had always said on Azhar

Afghanistan: Taliban key commander among 12 killed

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kabul, Jan 13: A Taliban key commander Mawlawi Atiqullah was among 12 killed after aircrafts pounded terrorists' positions in Garmsir district of the southern Helmand province on early Thursday.

The strike was conducted when the terrorists were organising attacks on government interests, Xinhua quoted a statement of provincial government as saying.

Poppy-growing Helmand province has been the scene of fighting between Taliban and government forces over the past couple of years.

The terrorists have been pushing to overrun the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, a key city in southern region of Afghanistan.

IANS
Donald Trump denounces 'fake news' about Russian connections

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New York, Jan 12: US President-designate Donald Trump denounced on Wednesday the publication of "fake news" about his and his campaign's alleged links to Russia.

At his first news conference at Trump Tower, he complimented the media like The New York Times that did not publish the reports because they questioned their veracity.

The reports attributed to a person formerly with British intelligence were published by Buzzfeed, a web media, whose editor himself expressed doubts about them.

Trump spoke about the various businesses like Fiat and China's Jack Ma that were planning to invest in the US after his election and said that he would next focus on bringing back pharmaceutical manufacturing to the US.

This is a sector that is important to India, one of the largest pharmaceutical producer.

He said that good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country would be an asset to the US in fighting the Islamic State terror organisation, which he alleged was a creation of the Barack Obama administration because it failed to block it.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 6:14 [IST]
Donald Trump hits out at CNN reporter during press conference

International

oi-PTI

New York, Jan 12: Donald Trump on Wednesday got into a shouting match with a CNN reporter during his press conference as the President-elect refused to allow him a question and slammed the news network as "fake news".

Trump engaged in a war of words with the CNN reporter over the release of an unverified dossier by BuzzFeed, which he termed as "failing piece of garbage". With Trump looking to call on other reporters, CNN journalist Jim Acosta yelled out, "Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?"

"Not you," Trump said, adding that, "Your organisation is terrible!" The reporter pressed on saying, "You are attacking our news organisation, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?"

Trump countered by telling him "don't be rude". "I'm not going to give you a question," Trump responded. "I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news!" the President-elect asserted.

Trump dismissed as "nonsense" the media claims that Russia has compromising information on him, saying the allegations may have been leaked by US intelligence agencies and it would be a "tremendous blot" on their record if they did that."

"It's frankly outrageous and highly irresponsible for a left-wing blog...to drop highly salacious and flat-out false information on the Internet just days before he takes the oath of office," he said, referring to BuzzFeed.

"The fact that BuzzFeed and CNN made the decision to run with this unsubstantiated claim is a sad and pathetic attempt to get clicks," he said during the press conference.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 10:50 [IST]
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson on Wednesday expressed views on climate change that differ significantly from those of President-elect Donald Trump .

"I came to the conclusion a few years ago that the risk of climate change does exist and that the consequences of it could be serious enough that actions should be taken," the former Exxon Mobil (XOM) CEO said at his Senate confirmation hearing.

Tillerson said the type of work that should be done on climate change is the largest subject of public debate, and the world's ability to predict the effects of greenhouse gas emissions is very limited.

He did not directly respond to a question as to whether human activity is causing climate change.

Trump said he would keep an open mind about climate change during a November interview with The New York Times. But he has made a number of statements, including during the Times interview, that cast doubt on climate change science and humans' role in global warming.

In 2012, Trump suggested on Twitter that climate change was a hoax created by the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing less competitive. He later said the tweet was a joke, and during a debate with Hillary Clinton, denied ever having said it.

Tilllerson said he feels free to express his views to Trump on global climate change agreements. However, he noted that Trump has pushed an "America first" policy, suggesting U.S. participation in international climate pacts may be subject to considerations about their impact on American business.

"There is important considerations as we commit to such accords, and as those accords are executed over time. Are there any elements of that that put America at a disadvantage?" he said.

Trump threatened during the campaign to "cancel" the Paris Agreement, a pact among about 200 countries to take action to curb climate change. In the Times interview, he said he has an "open mind" on this issue, too.

Story continues

Exxon Mobil, the world's most valuable publicly traded energy company, has been accused of misleading the public and investors on the risks of climate change. An investigation by Inside Climate News chronicled Exxon's research into climate change decades ago and its subsequent funding of efforts to block government action to curb fossil fuel emissions.

Tillerson declined on Wednesday to answer Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine 's questions about whether Exxon misled the world about climate change.

Exxon has in recent years acknowledged the risks posed by climate change.

Surveys show the overwhelming majority of the scientific community believes humanity is the primary cause of global warming.







More From CNBC


Obama cries while talking about gun violence

"We're going to boost gun safety technology. Today, many gun injuries and deaths are the result of legal guns that were stolen or misused or discharged accidentally. In 2013 alone, more than 500 people lost their lives to gun accidents -- and that includes 30 children younger than five years old", Obama had said while unveiling a new set of executive actions aimed at limiting gun violence in a press conference from White House. Image courtesy TV screenshot.

Mission to kill Osama bin Laden

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton along with members of the national security team, receive an update in the White House's Situation Room regarding the mission to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011. Image courtesy: White House photographer Pete Souza.

Nobel Peace prize

President Barack Obama looks at the Nobel Prize medal during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Raadhuset Main Hall at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Not seeing eye to eye

The President talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a lunch with other foreign leaders to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed

Obama had advocated for health care reform during his first years in office. This had created political tension between him and Congress for the remainder of his term. On March 23, 2010, Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law.

Second inauguration

President Barack Obama takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., right, in a public ceremony at the U.S. Capitol before thousands of people in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2013. Roberts administered the oath in an official ceremony at the White House, Jan., 20, 2013. Image source: White House/Sonya Hebert.

Sending Hillary Clinton to Middle East

President Barack Obama talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton about his decision to send her to the Middle East while attending the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 20, 2012. From left are: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; Jake Sullivan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State; and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Unconventional diplomacy

Obama had called the beer summit' to de-escalate the tense situation after an African-American Harvard Professor was arrested outside his home by a white police officer who was responding to a burglary report. Obama had said that police had acted in a stupid way during the incident. Image courtesy: White House photographer Pete Souza.

BP oil spill

Obama at a 2010 briefing on the BP oil spill at the Coast Guard Station Venice in Venice, Louisiana. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.
Nepal, India work towards banned Indian currency crisis

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kathmandu, Jan 12: Nepal and India are set to sort out the crisis situation faced by tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers after the November 8 demonetisation of high-value Indian currency notes. A team led by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Deputy Governor Chintamani Siwakoti is in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.

Last week, the Indian Finance Ministry wrote to the Nepali authorities to propose a date for sending delegates to New Delhi to discuss and devise the modalities for facilitating exchange of the banned Indian currency for the new notes.

Responding to the letter, the Nepali side requested that the meeting be held on Thursday in New Delhi. It is expected that two sides will sort out the crisis that Nepal is facing following the November 8 ban on Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes by India, a source said.

Siwakoti will hold talks with senior officials at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and, if required, with Finance Ministry officials. During the meeting, according to Nepal's central bank, Nepali delegates will also request the Indian government to allow exchange facility through the banking channel.

"We will ask them to provide exchange facility for up to Rs 25,000 in the banned denominations," Siwakoti told local media ahead of his visit.

The Siwakoti-led panel has already come up with a suggestion to ease the process of exchanging the banned currencies in Nepal -- including a software developed to facilitate and authenticate the exchange and other modalities.

Nepal has over 36 million banned Indian currency notes within its banking channel, according to NRB sources. The NRB proposes to collect the demonetised notes from Nepali citizens and send them to the RBI for verification before offering an equivalent exchange in Nepali currency.

As per the NRB, Nepali citizens have to open bank accounts in a bilateral financial institution and deposit the demonetised bank notes to receive the equivalent exchange directly in their bank accounts.

The Nepali delegates, according to Siwakoti, will also query about the status of new currency bills of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 in Nepal. The technical team will also request the government to increase the annual quota of Indian currency supplied to Nepal. Currently, India supplies Rs 6.2 billion in cash to NRB every year.

Tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers employed in India as security guards, daily wagers, domestic help and others who receive salary in cash were hit hard by the demonetisation move.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 17:34 [IST]
US says 33 civilians killed in Afghanistan

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kabul, Jan 12: The US military said on Thursday that 33 civilians were killed during a joint operation in northern Afghanistan last year, as it released details of its investigation into the incident. Twenty-seven other civilians were wounded in the village of Boz in Kunduz city during the operation to capture Taliban leaders who were plotting to seize the provincial capital of Kunduz, Khaama Press quoted Afghan and US military officials as saying.

During the incident on November 3, both forces carried out a ground assault against the Taliban when they came under fire from the armed group, prompting a call for air reinforcements.

"To defend themselves and Afghan forces, US forces returned fire in self-defence at Taliban who were using civilian houses as firing positions," the US military said.

"Regardless of the circumstances, I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives," said General John Nicholson, Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan.

Afghan special forces planned the raid against the Taliban hideout in Kunduz with the help of a small group of American military advisers. But the insurgents swiftly engaged them, opening fire from multiple civilian buildings, the US military explained in its investigation.

"US and Afghan forces were forced to request aerial fire support from US platforms in self-defence. Aerial fires were also used to suppress Taliban who were firing on US medical evacuation assets as the dead and wounded were evacuated," it said.

The statement further said that no action will be taken because it has been determined that US forces followed all applicable law and policy during the operation.

The fire exchange killed two US soldiers and three Afghan commandos while 26 Taliban militants, including their leader, were also killed and around 26 wounded, it added.

The US military also said that a Taliban ammunition cache was struck and exploded which also destroyed multiple civilian buildings and may also have killed civilians.

--IANS

soni/vt
Rajasthan: Woman branded witch, beaten up

Jaipur

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Jaipur, Jan 12: A woman in Dungarpur district, some 500 km from here, has lodged a complaint with police that she was branded a witch and was harassed, tortured and beaten up badly. The woman, a resident of Dovra police station area in Dungarpur district, has alleged in her complaint that four persons, including two women, branded her a witch and beat her up until she fell unconscious.

"They also thrashed my husband, who tried to stop the four persons from beating me," she said. "We are investigating the matter," a police official of Dovra police station told IANS over phone.

Rajasthan has an act in place, according to which branding a woman as a witch, forcing to drink or eat any inedible substance or parading her naked or with painted face, or any similar act, which is derogatory to human dignity, has been made a punishable offence.

The act makes it amply clear that an ostracised woman can also not be displaced from her house or removed from other properties.

For any such sub-human behaviour, the act provides for rigorous imprisonment for a term, which shall not be less than three years and may extend up to seven years, or be slapped a fine, which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees, or both.

But the law has failed to curb such incidents so far and several cases of women being branded witches and harassed have been reported in the state in the last few months.

IANS
Shootout at TMC office: The inside story

Kolkata

oi-Vicky

Kolkata, Jan 12: On Wednesday assailants opened fire at the Trinamool Congress party office at Kharagpur, West Bengal in which two persons died and three others were injured. The two persons who died have been identified as Srinivasa Naidu and Dharma Roy.

Also read: Gunmen open fire inside TMC's Kharagpur office , 5 injured

The deceased, Srinivasa aka Srinu, the husband of Pooja Naidu, a councillor is said to be a muscleman and there was an attempt on his life a few months ago. He, along with three others had visited the TMC office to meet the councillor when gunmen arrived at the spot and opened fire. The attackers first hurled crude bombs before entering the office and opening fire.

The TMC is tightlipped about the incident, but preliminary investigations by the police suggest that the incident was a fall-out of business rivalry. Srinu was involved in a lot of railway work, police sources say.

Srinu's files indicate that he was an accused in several murder and robbery cases. The police say that he controlled the scrap iron trade in Kharagpur before he made his foray into real estate.

The police say that they suspect the shootout could have been a result of rivalry due to the real estate business. There is no political angle that we have come across as yet, the police officer also said.

Srinu was accused in the murders of three businessmen in Kharagpur. He is also accused of looting cash meant for an ATM. He had joined the TMC in 2015. His wife Puja who won the Kharagpur municipality poll on a BJP ticket later switched to the TMC.

The police say that Srinu started dealing in scrap iron in 2006. He took control of the auctioning process and in the bargain ousted one Rambabu also a scrap dealer accused of murder.

OneIndia News
Ex-LG's nepotism charges based on lies: Satyendra Jain

New Delhi

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 12: Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Thursday dismissed nepotism charges against him and the Delhi government, calling them "baseless" and defamatory. Jain said that by making such allegations after his retirement, former Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung seems to be campaigning for the upcoming elections in Punjab.

"There is an attempt going on to unnecessarily defame Aam Aadmi Party. This is being done keeping the Punjab elections in mind," Jain told reporters here. "He (Jung) is no more the Lt. Governor of Delhi. He should refrain from making such statements. It's like he is campaigning for the elections," he added.

Jung on Wednesday accused Jain and the AAP of "nepotism and gross favouritism" in making appointments of his daughter Soumya Jain and Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwal's wife.

Jung alleged that Agarwal was first appointed as a resident doctor and then an Officer on Specia Duty (OSD) in Jain's office without following due procedure.

"Within 2-3 weeks (of his appointment), he (Agarwal) was sent on a tour to China," Jung told India Today channel.

Jain responded that Agarwal was never sent to China and that his passport will prove that. "He (Jung) is openly lying. All his allegations are based on lies," he added. On charges of appointing his daughter as an advisor for Mohalla Clinics project, Jain said: "Soumya was working as a volunteer. She was not appointed at any post. She worked without any payment."

The former Lt. Governor alleged that Soumya took payment for the job but later returned it. Jain also dismissed charges of irregularities in appointment of contractual employees at the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). "All appointments were made against old posts. No new posts were created."

"DCW has done more work in the last two years than it did in 20 years. If you have to do work, you need people," he said. Jain said that Jung was sensationalising issues. "Let the inquiry happen and truth will be revealed," he added.

IANS
Sky News 04 Nov 2022

South Korea said it has scrambled 80 fighter jets after detecting around 180 North Korean warplanes near the military border..
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson on Wednesday said he does not support restricting travel or immigration to the United States by Muslims.



"I think what's important is that we are able to make a judgment about the people that are coming into the country, and so no, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people," Tillerson said during a Senate confirmation hearing.



President-elect Donald Trump vowed to temporarily ban Muslim travel and immigration to the country after a wave of terrorist attacks carried out or inspired by the Islamic State in Europe and the United States.

He has since walked back that promise, instead saying he would ban immigration from countries where terrorism is prevalent.

Tillerson said the United States must win the war against Islamic terrorists not just on the battlefield, but must triumph in the war of ideas.

"One of our greatest allies in this war is going to be the moderate voices of Muslim, people of the Muslim faith who speak from their perspective and their rejection of that representation of what is otherwise a great faith," he said.

Tillerson said he would require more information on how the government would approach constructing a registry of Muslims before he would consider lending his support to creating one.

"I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed. And if it were a tool for vetting, then it probably extends to other people as well  other groups that are threats to the U.S.," he said.

Trump has not formally called for the creation of a database of Muslims living in the United States. However, he has expressed his openness to the possibility  though in somewhat unclear terms  when questioned about the prospect by reporters.

Asked in November during an appearance on ABC News' "This Week" whether he would rule out such a database, he said "No, not at all."

"We want to go with watchlists. We want to go with databases. And we have no choice," Trump said.







More From CNBC


 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
Marijuana plants for sale are displayed at the medical marijuana farmers market at the California Heritage Market in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on July 11, 2014. REUTERS/David McNew/File Photo (Reuters)

(Reuters) - A pair of lawmakers want to make Rhode Island the ninth U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana and the first to do so through the legislature rather than with a ballot initiative, they said on Tuesday.

State Senator Joshua Miller and state Representative Scott Slater, both Democrats, want to prevent Rhode Island residents from simply buying the drug in neighboring Massachusetts, which approved recreational use in a November ballot.

"Our constituents think it is time for lawmakers to pass this legislation, and we should listen to them," Miller said in a statement. "If we fail to pass the bill this year, we will lose significant ground to Massachusetts."

Democrats control both chambers of the state legislature and Governor Gina Raimondo, also a Democrat, has said she would be open to the idea of legalization.

The proposal, which has not yet been formally submitted in the legislature, would allow adults aged 21 and above to use the drug for recreational purposes and impose a 23 percent tax on the drug.

A similar effort in Vermont last year failed and earlier efforts to legalize the drug in Rhode Island also were unsuccessful.

Lawmakers in Massachusetts and Maine, the only other northeastern state to legalize the drug, have moved to delay the sale of the drug in their states.

Massachusetts lawmakers late last month delayed until July 2018 when legal recreational pot sellers can being doing business, and Maine legislators were preparing similar moves to delay the sale of the drug.

An October poll by Gallup showed that 60 percent of Americans now support the legalization of recreational use of marijuana. Even more approve of the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical use, a step that 28 states have taken.

The drug remains illegal under federal law, and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has sent mixed signals about his views on it.

(Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Reuters Studio 24 Feb 2021

U.S. President Joe Bidens nominee to be director of the CIA, William Burns, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that he saw..
Tesla denied the allegations in a regulatory filing on Wednesday, saying it has complied with the agency's information requests.

Business Insider 28 Apr 2021
BANG Showbiz 08 Sep 2022

Jane Fonda says she feels stronger than she has in years as she battles cancer for the third time.
Mediaite 20 Aug 2022

An associate of Rudy Giuliani's tried to get him the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a "general pardon" before Trump left office,..
Michigans Republican-led Senate Oversight Committee is taking the first steps to launch an investigation into the states..

WXMI - Scripps 20 Oct 2021
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque:

The demand for Japan hedge fund is both slow and fast at the same time, said Alex Kinmont, CEO of Milestone Asset Management. Speaking at the latest Opalesque Japan Roundtable, Kinmont pointed out that the big U.S. endowments have scarcely moved into Japan, with the exception of allocations to activists, "so that's where you have the fast and slow".

Kinmont further explained, "Activists have the fast money and everybody else is scrapping over smaller and slow to move allocations. Europe and Asia have had their own issues. Asia will continue to suffer probably from a stronger dollar, and Europe really looks a mess. UCITS formats are good for long-only strategies but regulations and costs are quite unfriendly to hedge fund strategies."

He added that he is not optimistic that there will be a lot of demand for hedge funds from Europe: "My hope is that U.S. allocators will diversify beyond activists."

Pent-up demand for Japan managers as universe has been shrinking

However, Rory Kennedy, COO of Rogers Investment Advisors, said from his perspective he still sees significant demand for Japan-dedicated managers with good track records.

Kennedy explained that going back 10 years, Japan was seen as a strategic allocation......................

To view our full article Click here
From The National

The United Kingdom has Brexit. The United States, an incoming president Trump. And Israel now has Elor Azaria. It may not have the same ring, but ultimately the turning point could prove as decisive.

Two fallacious narratives have greeted the army medic's manslaughter conviction last week, after he was filmed firing a bullet into the head of a wounded and helpless Palestinian, 21-year-old Abdel Fattah Al Sharif.

The first says Azaria is a rotten apple, a soldier who lost his moral bearings last March under the pressure of serving in Hebron. The second -- popular among liberals in Israel -- claims the conviction proves the strength of Israel's rule of law. Even a transgressing soldier will be held accountable by the world's "most moral army."

In truth, however, the popular reaction to the military court's decision was far more telling than the decision itself.

Only massed ranks of riot police saved the three judges from a lynching by crowds outside. The army top brass have been issued bodyguards. Demands to overrule the court and pardon Azaria are thunderous -- and they are being led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Azaria is no rogue soldier. He is "everyone's child," according to much of the public. The unexceptional nature of his act is vouched for by the complete indifference of his colleagues as Azaria pulled the trigger. Polls show overwhelming support -- 84 percent -- for Azaria among 18- to 24-year-olds, the age of Israel's conscript army.

The trial, meanwhile, reflected not the law's sanctity -- it is 12 years since the last soldier, a Bedouin, was convicted of manslaughter. It revealed only the growing pressures on Israel. Cameras in phones are making it harder to cover up soldiers' crimes. By prosecuting Azaria in a case where the filmed evidence was unequivocal, Israel hopes to ward off war crimes investigations by the International Criminal Court.

As Israeli columnist Nahum Barnea noted, Azaria's defense team also erred. Riding a wave of populist indignation, they accused Azaria's superiors of lying and bullying. Prosecutors had already reduced a murder charge to manslaughter. The court would probably have settled for convicting a repentant Azaria of misusing a firearm. But given the defense's framing of the case, the judges had to choose: side with the soldier or the army.

Like Brexit and Trump, Azaria's trial exposed not only a deep social fissure, but also a moment of transition. Those who see a virtuous system punishing a rotten apple are now outnumbered by those who see a rotten system victimizing a hero.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Former Attorney General Eric Holder this morning announced the formation of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), to combat gerrymandering, euphemistically referred to as "redistricting." Holder will head the group, supported by soon to be ex-president Obama, among many others, including Congressman Mark Schauer (D-MI) and representatives of the Democratic Governors Association.

The event was held in a crowded room at DC's Center for American Progress (CAP). It consisted of Holder's announcement and discussion of NDRC's formation followed by a one-on-one follow-up interview by CAP president Neera Tanden. She compared this country's map of electoral districts to a "complicated jigsaw puzzle" and the many blatant partisans drawing them up as "kids guarding candy jars." These districts are drawn up at every level from federal (congressional) to state to city to town.

The basic stimulus for the formation of NDRC, said Holder, was the upcoming US census, on the basis of which, every 10 years (most of the time) electoral districts are drawn up. Quoting Tom Paine at least, among many others who have reiterated the statement, Holder said that "voting is a basic right without which all others are useless." We all know that lives were sacrificed or at least offered up to spread the franchise as far as it can go: beyond property-owning white men to all white men to women to Native Americans and to blacks, the most sinuous path of all, the one most often threatened and interfered with, by gerrymandering among many other devices I have written about before (see my book "Grassroots, Geeks, Pros, and Pols . . . " [Columbus: CICJ Press, 2012]).

Holder called the recent 2016 election the worst impediment to voting rights so far, hardly reflecting the voters' choice, which was adamantly reflected in HRC's popular vote total that exceeded Trump's by nearly 3 million votes. Something is rotten, rippled through the audience.

The former Attorney General noted a fact most of us are aware of: that in 2012 Democratic Representatives amassed 1.4 million more votes than did Republicans, and yet the latter occupy a "huge majority" of the seats. Those up for grabs every two years are few. Incumbents retain their seats 97 percent of the time, with only 10 percent of the seats in realistic contention, according to CAP. Politicians choose their constituents rather than the inverse situation that democracy requires. In 2014 Democrats lost 1,000 elected positions to the GOP.

Holder pinpointed gerrymandering as the principal cause and a dire situation that has attracted the attention of President Obama and should in turn involve all of us who want to fight for fair elections. We can participate at many levels, including joining the politics dance ourselves by running for office. As Obama noted in his farewell speech the other day, all it takes is a clipboard and some signatures [and chutzpah, he didn't add].

The goal, of course, is to win back our democracy out of the hands of the alt-right, who have already taken the initial steps to gut Obamacare, after unsuccessfully trying to eliminate the Office of Congressional Ethics. Electoral districts are largely drawn up by state legislatures, with some input from the public. The GOP holds a trifecta, both governorship and control of both legislatures, in 25 states, compared with 11 by Democrats. The rest of the systems are hybrid.

Holder called the NDRC's resistance agenda the "first of its kind." The focus will be on states and down-ballot races, a strategy obviously tried and true for the Tea Party and its successor, the alt-right, as obstructionism has been and also will be, if legislators are wise enough to form needed pluralities or majorities. The Democrats' mistake has been focusing too much on presidential elections rather than farther down the ballot, where huge power is concentrated.

Key states where NRDC's work will begin are Virginia and North Carolina, where "the greatest impact is possible." The Tar Heel State's electoral map has been drawn up on the basis of racial considerations "with mathematical precision," wrote the judge who ordered fairer divisions. New maps will be drawn up for a special election scheduled for 2017, according to CAP. Racial quotas in Virginia's districts were also overruled in 2015 because of "packing" most voters of color into 12 out of a total of 100 districts in the state's House of Delegates." (The opposite illegal activity, "cracking," involves spreading minority voters throughout districts in such small numbers that no elected official will reflect their interests. This motivation accounts for the current map of electoral districts' resembling the "complicated jigsaw puzzle" Tanden had earlier mentioned.)

Other states will also be considered, both controversial and otherwise, said Holder; in all 50, voters will be reminded of the importance of their votes. He framed his words as a clarion call for reform before considering questions from Tanden and then the audience.

All of this GOP ingenuity culminated in its iron grip on our governments despite the huge population shifts in progress, noted Holder to Tanden. We must get back to our democracy as it existed in the thirties, forties, and fifties, he said, when Democrats were concerned with all levels of government.

As far as actions we can take to keep the census clean, that area is already enmeshed in a hive of GOP activities that involve what Holder called "blocking and tacking," both efforts that obstruct an accurate census. We must make redistricting "a sexy thing," a project greatly enhanced by Obama's involvement and needing to progress rapidly. The newly formed NDRC website (https://signforgood.com/NDRCPac) has already collected a sizable amount of funding in less than 24 hours. Further outreach will extend to publics at airports and other venues where [if it's not too late] the public will be convinced to work hard to preserve all of the achievements of the Obama administration.

"This is not a time for despair and defeat," Holder told the audience, later more directly invoking the hope in Obama's signature exhortation "Yes, we can."

The GOP governing philosophy has no place in the twenty-first century, he said. The 2013 Shelby County v Holder Supreme Court decision, which gutted the most vital sections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, was "a result of ideology and naively extreme." With section 5 in place, the Department of Justice was able to effectively oppose many attempts at violating voting rights between 1965 and 2013. "We must break the mold . . ., " he said. "We will work with the establishment but be lean and mean, taking "guerilla actions." And if we're consistent, we can have a serious impact in 2020--2021. Progressives are looking for ways to fight back. Race-based gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

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 Alon Ben Meir Website



Trump and Netanyahu

(Image by abc.net.au) Details DMCA



President-elect Trump's appointment of David Friedman (known for his support of the settlements) to be the US ambassador to Israel, his appointment of Walid Phares (a Maronite Christian known for his pro-Israel track record and distaste for the Palestinians) as his Middle East adviser, and charging his son-in-law Jared Kushner (who is a staunch supporter of Israel and was recently appointed as Senior Adviser to the President) to take the lead in the search for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all suggest there could be a major change in US policy toward the conflict.

These appointments, coupled with Trump's campaign promise to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, may well translate to unfettered support for settlements and the annexation of more Palestinian territory. Should this come to pass, it will jeopardize the prospect of a two-state solution and the future of Israel as a viable Jewish state, not to mention the endless violence that would ensue.

We are already hearing the alarm bells from various Arab capitals. The victory of the Palestinians on the passage of UN Resolution 2334 that condemns the Israeli settlements has now been overshadowed by a sense of deep trepidation, while stirring major concerns among moderate Israelis and Europeans who don't know what to expect and how troublesome the situation may become.

Many members of the Israeli government feel emboldened by these developments. Education Minister Naftali Bennett has called for the annexation of the third largest settlement Ma'ale Adumim, a few minutes' drive from East Jerusalem, which would virtually cut the West Bank in half and prevent the rise of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state. He further implored Netanyahu to rule out the establishment of a Palestinian state during his first meeting with President Trump, stating "The next few weeks present a unique window of opportunity for Israel."

For Netanyahu, Trump as president is simply heaven-sent. He believes that even though he won't succeed in convincing Trump to shred the Iran deal because of the international repercussions which Trump cannot dismiss, the Trump administration will leave him to his own devices to expand the settlements and gradually render the prospect of a Palestinian state unfeasible by creating irreversible facts on the ground.

The irony here is that many of those who claim to care about Israel's future security and well-being do not want to acknowledge that the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are not a fading phenomenon. Yes, Israel can build another 100 settlements and annex much of the West Bank, but what then? Will the Palestinians, the Arab world, and the international community simply sit on their hands and do nothing?

Those unflinching supporters of Israel should be true to themselves and answer -- where will Israel be in 10 or 15 years? Will it be a Jewish state? A democratic state? An apartheid state? A bi-national state? What legal system will be in place to govern the West Bank? Will it be civilian or military? Will there be two different laws, one for the Palestinians and one for the settlers?

What is the vision of the detractors who oppose the creation of a Palestinian state about the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians? What does Netanyahu mean when he repeatedly invokes the Jews' claim to the entire "land of Israel?" Does Bennett have any clue what will happen following the annexation of Ma'ale Adumim, or the annexation of Area C which represents 61 percent of the West Bank?

What will be the reaction of the Arab states? Can Netanyahu count on their cooperation during the next Palestinian uprising, which is bound to erupt once their hope for a state is dashed completely? What will be the outcome of the next Gaza war, and what will be the extent of the collateral damage?

Yes, Israel can reoccupy Gaza and decapitate Hamas' leaders (as Israel's Defense Minister Lieberman recently retorted), but is Israel willing to govern over 1.8 million Palestinians? At what cost, in both blood and treasure? If not, what happens when the next round of rockets rains down daily, terrifying every Israeli?

Can Israeli technology and anti-terror capabilities that Netanyahu boasts about bring peace? How, one might ask? Will the Arab states simply forget about the Palestinians' plight only because they are currently collaborating with Israel on matters of security and intelligence-sharing to lessen Iranian threats?

Finally, have Netanyahu, Bennett, and their like considered the international outcry, condemnation, and sanctions that would ensue, and how isolated Israel will be? Have they thought about what Jews around the world would be subjected to? Anti-Semitism will intensify and Jewish businesses and organizations will be seen as "fair targets" for terrorism.

The young generation of Jews will be further alienated, whose immigration to Israel is already in decline. They will no longer view Israel as a safe haven for Jews but as a major liability, and do not want to enlist in the IDF and be assigned to oppress the Palestinians and deny them the right to be free.

What many Israeli madmen and women in and out of the government (like Netanyahu, Bennett, Lieberman, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Culture Minister Miri Regev, and their cohorts) refuse to realize is that they can manipulate, maneuver, manage, or mar the Palestinians only up to a point -- but they cannot control them indefinitely. Netanyahu in particular skillfully uses fear tactics and takes advantage of Palestinian incitement to justify his claim that they are not interested in peace.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall's writings on the "bottom-up" revolution have real potential to show people that they can hold power accountable and improve justice. A book on this subject could help to repair the economic, legal, social, and political fabric of the United States."



Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, former editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and Scripps Howard News Service.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"We need a more Open digital world -- that's good for business, the economy and the future of humanity. To get there is going to take "bottom-up" effort and Rob Kall's book is an exciting roadmap for how that can happen."



Rufus Pollock, author of "The Open Revolution", Founder of Open Knowledge, and formerly Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob's bottom-up consulting for Thought Technology over the years to help us incorporate bottom-up thinking in our business and product development has been very valuable. It is a truly disruptive technique, well worth considering, which is well explained in his book."



Hal Myers, PhD, President, Thought Technology, Ltd. Member of the Board of Directors for the Ten to the Ninth Foundation (formerly Singularity University)
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall has been in on the modern bottom-up revolution from the ground floor. While the last two years have put the dangers of social media and connectivity at the forefront of our national debate, Rob Kall knows as well as anybody the infinite positive potential of our new world."



Jesse Lee, former White House Director of Rapid Response and Social Media Director for Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall's book is amazing. He's created a real breakthrough, visionary how-to for a sustainable, quality future. Like Saul Alinski's Rules for Radicals, this book is destined to become a classic must-read for all those concerned with social, economic, and environmental justice in today's interconnected world. Story shapes the world and our world needs new stories if we are to survive and thrive. The story of the bottom-up evolution and revolution is one that can change individuals, groups, businesses, religions, and governments for the positive as it shows how bottom-up inclusiveness, connectedness, collaboration, empathy, innovation, and freeform creativity can help unleash the great potentials for good inherent in our very nature. If you want to improve things in your world and the world, first read this book, then apply the suggestions. Change is sure to come."



Pamela Jaye Smith, mythologist and author of InnerDrives, Power of the Dark Side, Symbols* Images* Codes* and award-winning writer-producer-director
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Humans have spent 99 percent of our developmental time in the wild kingdom, which tutored us in what Rob Kall calls bottom-up values?small, local, interdependent, respectful, egalitarian and decentralized -- and which the world desperately needs in order to balance out some of the darker impulses of top-down values. His faith that bottom-up values represent a critical re-balancing act for humanity, if not an outright better mousetrap, is compelling and hard-won, and I offer him a high-five for his courageous inquiry into the deep wisdom inherent in our age-old intimacy with natural rhythms, native intelligences, and interconnectedness."



Gregg Levoy, author of Callings and Vital Signs
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall's book, Bottom-Up, offers a compelling vision of a way of being in the world, bringing insights from different cultures and fields together while offering concrete steps to make the vision a reality. This is one of the rare books that, once you read it, will change the way you see the world and your relationships."



Helena Norberg-Hodge, author of Ancient Futures, Producer and co-director of the film The Economics of Happiness, Founder of Local Futures and cofounder of the International Forum on Globalization
Reprinted from www.strategic-culture.org



CIA Lobby Seal

(Image by theglobalpanorama) Details DMCA



Never has the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency so blatantly involved itself in an American election. However, the agency has a rich history of interfering in the elections of other nations, including Russia. The conclusions of an undisclosed CIA secret report on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election has been summarily dismissed by the Director of National Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and several retired U.S. intelligence officers as deeply flawed and a propaganda tool concocted by the highly-politicized CIA director John Brennan and his cronies.

Brennan and his clique have upped the ante by claiming, without a shred of evidence, that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally directed the hacking of computer systems linked to the U.S. election. NBC News, which has a long history of cooperation with the CIA going back to the days of RCA/NBC chairman David Sarnoff and his close friend CIA director Allen Dulles, dutifully reported Brennan's outrageous claims as -news -.

It is clear those former CIA officials who have lent credence to Brennan's report would not have done so unless they received clearance from Brennan and his CIA to go public with their unfounded charges against Russia. Those who have echoed Brennan's unfounded findings of election interference by Russia include former acting CIA director Michael Morell; former CIA and National Security Agency director Michael Hayden; former CIA director Leon Panetta; former CIA clandestine service agents Robert Baer; Evan McMullin -- a failed 2016 independent presidential candidate - and Glenn Carle. However, for every ex-spook Brennan pulls out of his hat to accuse President-elect Donald Trump of being a -Russian agent -, there are many more who have claimed that the CIA's -proof - of Russian interference in the 2016 election is pure malarkey.

Brennan and his cabal of dark players know fully well that it is the CIA that has pioneered in the art and science of election manipulation. In 1996, it was Russia that bore the brunt of CIA election manipulation with its agents-of-influence in Moscow and other large cities, namely the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and George Soros's Open Society Institute and Foundation, engaged in political dirty tricks aimed at undermining the electoral chances of the Russian Communist Party presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov.

The CIA, Soros's operatives, and the NED printed and distributed fake campaign flyers claiming to have originated with the Zyuganov's campaign. The flyers advocated returning Russia to Stalinism and re-launching the Cold War against the West. The CIA and Soros dirty tricks operatives also announced to the press phony Zyuganov news conferences where no one showed up. The dirty tricks team also canceled reservations made by the Zyuganov campaign at hotels and public meeting halls. The CIA and their allies also helped to manipulate election returns and shaved votes from Zyuganov's total, particularly in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. This helped the favored U.S. candidate, Boris Yeltsin, achieve a second-round victory of 54-to-40 percent over Zyuganov. In 2012, then-President Dmitry Medvedev said, -There is hardly any doubt who won [the '96 election]. It was not Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin -.

The CIA has been at the election manipulation game since its inception in 1947. In February 1948, a formerly Top Secret CIA document spelled out the efforts to be taken by the United States and its ambassador in Rome, James Dunn, in preparation for the April 1948 Italian election. Wheat shipments were to be increased from the United States to Italy to prevent a reduction in bread rations just prior to the election. U.S. military equipment was to be sent to Italy in the event martial law had to be declared if the Italian Communist Party, which had been in a coalition government with the Christian Democrats since 1944, was successful at the polls. Assisting this military effort was the political indoctrination of many Italian military officers and non-commissioned officers at military schools in the United States.

The CIA also directed a sharp stick at the Italian electorate, warning that Italians could not -combine the advantages of aid from the West with that of political safety and benefits from the Soviet Union -. The CIA was worried that if the Soviet Union returned control of the city of Trieste to Italy and renounced Italy's war reparations to the Soviet Union prior to the April election, the Italian Communist Party would reap the electoral benefits and be victorious.

The CIA's political dirty tricks in Italy began in earnest when it covertly directed $1 million, contained mostly in -bags of money -, to Christian Democratic politicians led by Prime Minister Alcide de Gaspari. The CIA used its front newspapers in Italy to publish forged letters, allegedly written by Italian Communist Party leaders, in an attempt to embarrass them publicly. Similarly, the CIA attempted to blackmail Italian Socialist Party leaders who were part of a Popular Front coalition with the Communists. The blackmail eventually led to a split within the Socialist Party ranks between party leader Pietro Nenni and anti-Communist leader Giuseppe Saragat. The CIA's manipulation paid off when the Christian Democrats won 48.5 percent of the vote and formed a new government without Communist participation.

When, in 1978, it appeared that the Christian Democrats, led by former Prime Minister Aldo Moro, were prepared to enact a -historic compromise - to share political power with the Italian Communist Party, the CIA instructed its agents-of-influence within Italy and the Vatican, the so-called -Gladio - network, to arrange for Moro's kidnapping and assassination and blame it on the leftist Italian Red Brigades. The CIA's psychological operation designed to blame radical Communists for Moro's death was successful when the Italian electorate voted overwhelmingly for a CIA-linked Christian Democratic faction opposed to any accommodation with the Communists. The CIA showed that it was not averse to political assassinations to achieve its electoral aims in other countries.

The CIA's involvement by hook and by crook in the 1948 Italian election was repeated in numerous nations around the world. In 1964, the CIA ensured that the Chilean Popular Action Front (FRAP) Socialist presidential candidate Salvador Allende was defeated by the Christian Democratic leader Eduardo Frei. The CIA pumped $3 million into Frei's campaign, mainly to generate anti-Allende propaganda. Allende lost the race with 38.6 percent of the vote to Frei's 55.6 percent. In 1970, Allende won the presidential election with a slim 36.4 percent of the vote against the CIA-backed former president Jorge Alessandri. The CIA set about immediately to undermine Allende and on September 11, 1973, a CIA-backed military coup resulted in Allende's assassination. The one thing that separates the CIA from other intelligence agencies that seek to influence elections, is that the CIA's hands are always dripping with blood.

The 1956 election in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) saw an unpopular United National Party led by pro-Western Prime Minister John Kotelawala lose to the leftist Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by Solomon Bandaranaike. Although the Kotelawala government had received the largesse of CIA aid funneled through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, it was not enough to save it from defeat by Bandaranaike's socialists. The CIA merely set about the undermine Bandaranaike's government with the icing on the cake being the prime minister's assassination in 1959, allegedly by a Buddhist monk who hid a revolver underneath his robes prior to a meeting with the prime minister at his private residence. The assassin's two conspirators received life sentences, while the trigger puller, Somarama Thero, was baptized as a Christian two days before his hanging. The CIA's MK-Ultra psychological operations program had already mastered in the science of creating programmed assassins.

Time and time again, the CIA has successfully engaged in election manipulation in parliamentary elections, presidential elections, popular referenda, and local and regional elections. The CIA is now directing its wealth of election chicanery toward the American electorate to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of the Trump presidency. For the sake of democracy everywhere, the CIA must be abolished.

Tags: CIA FBI Chile Italy Russia Sri Lanka US

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 Robert Reich Blog

Tyrants don't allow open questioning, and they hate the free press. They want total control. That's why Trump's so-called "news conference" on January 11 -- the first he's held in six months -- wasn't really a news conference at all.

Consider:

1. Trump refused to answer questions from reporters who have run stories he doesn't like, or from news outlets that have criticized him. This is a blatant attempt to control the news media by making them reluctant to run negatives stories about Trump for fear they'll be frozen out.

2. He loaded the audience with paid staffers who cheered his statements and jeered at reporters. Never before has a president-elect or president held a news conference larded with paid staffers, designed to give the impression that the media are divided between those who support him and those who criticize him.

3. He continued calling the media "dishonest." This is part of Trump's continuing effort to discredit the press and to reduce public confidence in it.

4. He condemned individual news outlets. Trump criticized CNN for dispensing "fake news," called Buzzfeed "a pile of garbage," and sarcastically called the BBC "another beauty."

5. He repeatedly lied, and the media in attendance weren't allowed to question him on his lies. A sampling of Trump lies from his "news conference":

(1) "It's very familiar territory, news conferences, because we used to give them on an almost daily basis." Wrong. His last news conference was July 27.

(2) Trump claimed credit for Chrysler and Ford announcing more production in the U.S. Wrong. Sergio Marchionne, the Fiat Chrysler chief executive, said Chrysler's plan had been in the works for more than a year and had nothing to do with Trump. Marchionne credited the decision to talks with the United Auto Workers.

Analysts say Ford's decision to expand in Michigan rather than in Mexico had mostly to do with the company's long-term plans to invest in electric vehicles. It's easier for companies to find highly skilled workers to build new products, such as electric cars, in the United States than in Mexico.

(3) "When we lost 22 million names and everything else that was hacked recently, [the press] didn't make a big deal out of that." Wrong. The Chinese hack of 22 million accounts at the Office of Personnel Management was front-page news.

(4) "The Democratic National Committee was totally open to be hacked. They did a very poor job. " And they tried to hack the Republican National Committee, and they were unable to break through." Wrong. FBI Director James B. Comey said there was evidence that Republican National Committee domains were also targeted but none of the information that may have been obtained was leaked. Comey said that the Russians "got far deeper and wider into the [DNC] than the RNC," adding that "similar techniques were used in both cases."

(5) "I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we've stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia." Wrong. Trump repeatedly sought deals in Russia. In a 2008 speech, Donald Trump Jr. said "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets," and "we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
The polls said that Clinton would win the popular vote: she did! The RealClearPolitics average of polls said Clinton would get 48.2% of the votes and Trump would get 46.1. This was the popular vote, not the Electoral College.

How did it turn out? Clinton garnered 48.2 percent of the popular vote, while Trump earned just 46.5 percent.

But Clinton did not win by enough to overcome the misrepresentation of the Electoral College, which gives rural conservatives states more the 3 times the electors, per citizens, than the states where most of us live, states like California and New York, for instance, which have 1 in 5 of all citizens and yet are drastically underrepresented in the Electoral College.

States like Montana and Wyoming have 3 electors, or 350% more than Cali and NY, based on number of citizens and so this misrepresentation benefits Republicans. In the Senate it is even worse: Wyoming and Montana, with 3% the population of California, have twice as many Senators and votes.

This makes it easy for corporate money to buy elections by spending in these small states and ignoring those where most people live. Why spend 38 million to buy votes in California, when for 1.3 million, you can buy twice as many in Wyoming and Montana?This discrepancy is the key to how the oligarchs rule: they use this inequality of voting power to buy elections.

It was designed by the slave owners who wrote the Constitution to allow them, with fewer citizens, to rule, and it worked: the first 7 Presidents were all large slave owners.

The Electoral College misrepresentation is much less but enough, in 2 of the last 3 Presidents, to overturn the actual election results. So Trump, tho losing by nearly 3 million, was able to win the Presidency, a situation in any other country which would be called a coup but which is institutionalized in the US.

How then did the FBI report of new emails effect the election?

Let us look at the average of polls from RCP, before and after the Comey letter told the media that " the FBI "has learned of the existence" of emails that it previously did not review. In response to this new information, the FBI will now "allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information."

let us recall that the FBI has a history of hating Clinton. I quote from a Guardian article: "Deep antipathy to Hillary Clinton exists within the FBI, multiple bureau sources have told the Guardian, spurring a rapid series of leaks damaging to her campaign just days before the election.

Current and former FBI officials, none of whom were willing or cleared to speak on the record, have described a chaotic internal climate that resulted from outrage over director James Comey's July decision not to recommend an indictment over Clinton's maintenance of a private email server on which classified information transited.

"The FBI is Trumpland," said one current agent

Now to the question of whether the Comey statement moved the polls (they were the focus at the time):

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

From The Hill



Director of National Intelligence James Clapper

(Image by theyeshivaworld.com) Details DMCA



Just as the first casualty of war is said to be the truth, the first casualty of the new Cold War is irony. Our most prominent journalists seem to have missed the Orwellian irony of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) asking Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper at Friday's Senate hearings if Julian Assange has any credibility. Assange has maintained that the hacked or leaked emails of Democratic Party officials did not come from the Russian government, or any other government.

As is well-known, Clapper lied to Congress about a serious violation of the constitutional rights of tens of millions of Americans. This lie is a crime for which he actually could have been prosecuted. In March 2013, Clapper falsely answered, "No, sir" to the question, "Does the NSA [National Security Association] collect any type of data at all on millions, or hundreds of millions of Americans?"

He later admitted that his answer was untrue.

Clapper lied again in Friday's testimony, saying that Assange was "under indictment" for "a sexual crime." In fact, Assange has not been indicted for anything, and the government of Sweden has never even charged him with a crime. (He was initially questioned by Swedish police but allowed to leave the country.)

In reality, he is a political prisoner, and the United Nations Working Group on arbitrary detention has found that he has been arbitrarily detained since 2010 by the United Kingdom and Sweden, and ordered his release and compensation.

He has offered from the beginning of his political persecution to cooperate with the Swedish authorities in any investigation, and to be interviewed at any time in London. He could not safely return to Sweden without guarantees that he would not be sent to the U.S., where he currently faces a high likelihood of imprisonment (even before any trial) for having published leaked documents that exposed U.S. war crimes and other embarrassments.

For years, neither Sweden nor the U.K. would agree to that because, it appears, their foreign ministries are collaborating with the U.S. government to keep him imprisoned.

For anyone on a jury who had to weigh the testimony of Clapper against that of Assange, it would be a no-brainer. Not only is Clapper a proven and serial liar, but in 10 years of WikiLeaks revelations, Assange has never been shown to have lied about anything.

That said, it is entirely possible the Russian government was involved in the hacking of emails here, and that Assange and WikiLeaks would not necessarily be able to identify the original source of the leaks, which is very difficult to do.

However, we the people have yet to be presented with evidence that Russian hacking is what actually happened.

But the media has become so distracted with the festivities at America's new 1950s theme party, hating on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia like there's no tomorrow, that the lack of evidence has become almost irrelevant to the big media conversation.

The DNI report released on Friday, supposedly to provide the public with evidence that the Russian government had indeed hacked emails in order to influence the U.S. elections, contained no actual evidence that they did so. There was a lot of evidence that Trump was the preferred candidate of Putin and his government. But we didn't need evidence for this; pure logic would have sufficed.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
On December 27, 2016, a small group of Veterans for Peace, Hawaii Peace and Justice and Hawaii Okinawa Alliance were at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with our signs to remind Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama that the best gesture of condolences for casualties caused by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor would be Japan preserving Article 9 "No War" of its constitution.

Mr. Abe, as the first sitting Prime Minister of Japan, came to the Arizona Memorial to express condolences for the deaths of 2,403, including 1,117 on the USS Arizona during the December 7, 1941 Japanese Imperial Military forces attack on the Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and other US military installations on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Mr. Abe's visit followed the May 26, 2016 visit of President Obama to Hiroshima, Japan, the first sitting U.S. President to go to Hiroshima where President Harry Truman ordered the United States military to drop the first atomic weapon on humans causing the deaths of 150,000 and 75,000 in Nagasaki with the dropping of the second atomic weapon. When President Obama visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, he did not apologize for the United States dropping the atomic bombs but instead came to honor the dead and call for a "world without nuclear weapons."

During his visit to Pearl Harbor, Prime Minister Abe did not apologize for the Japanese attack on the United States, nor for the carnage the Japanese wrecked in China, Korea, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. However, he did offer what he called "sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls" of those who were lost on December 7, 1941. He said the Japanese had taken a "solemn vow" to never again wage war. "We must never repeat the horrors of war again."

Prime Minister Abe emphasized reconciliation with the United States: "It is my wish that our Japanese children, and President Obama, your American children, and indeed their children and grandchildren, and people all around the world, will continue to remember Pearl Harbor as the symbol of reconciliation, We will spare no efforts to continue our endeavors to make that wish a reality. Together with President Obama, I hereby make my steadfast pledge."

While these statements of acknowledgement, of condolence or sometimes, but not too often, apology from the politicians and heads of government are important, the apologies of citizens for what their politicians and heads of government have done are in their name, in my opinion, the most important.

I have been on several speaking tours in Japan, from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern island of Okinawa. At each of the speaking events, I, as a U.S. citizen and as a U.S. military veteran, made an apology to the citizens of Japan for the two atomic bombs my country dropped on their country. And at each venue, Japanese citizens came up to me to thank me for my apology and to give me their apology for what their government had done in World War II. Apologies are the least we can do when we as citizens can not prevent politicians and the government bureaucracy from taking actions that we disagree with and that result in unbelievable carnage.

How many apologies must we, as American citizens, make for the chaos and destruction our politicians and government have caused just in the past 16 years? For the tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of deaths of innocent civilians in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

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).
IN JANUARY, 1961, Dwight Eisenhower delivered his farewell address after serving two terms as U.S. president; the five-star general chose to warn Americans of this specific threat to democracy: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." That warning was issued prior to the decade-long escalation of the Vietnam War, three more decades of Cold War mania, and the post-9/11 era, all of which radically expanded that unelected faction's power even further.

This is the faction that is now engaged in open warfare against the duly elected and already widely disliked president-elect, Donald Trump. They are using classic Cold War dirty tactics and the defining ingredients of what has until recently been denounced as "Fake News."

Their most valuable instrument is the U.S. media, much of which reflexively reveres, serves, believes, and sides with hidden intelligence officials. And Democrats, still reeling from their unexpected and traumatic election loss as well as a systemic collapse of their party, seemingly divorced further and further from reason with each passing day, are willing -- eager -- to embrace any claim, cheer any tactic, align with any villain, regardless of how unsupported, tawdry and damaging those behaviors might be.

The serious dangers posed by a Trump presidency are numerous and manifest. There are a wide array of legitimate and effective tactics for combating those threats: from bipartisan congressional coalitions and constitutional legal challenges to citizen uprisings and sustained and aggressive civil disobedience. All of those strategies have periodically proven themselves effective in times of political crisis or authoritarian overreach.

But cheering for the CIA and its shadowy allies to unilaterally subvert the U.S. election and impose its own policy dictates on the elected president is both warped and self-destructive. Empowering the very entities that have produced the most shameful atrocities and systemic deceit over the last six decades is desperation of the worst kind. Demanding that evidence-free, anonymous assertions be instantly venerated as Truth -- despite emanating from the very precincts designed to propagandize and lie -- is an assault on journalism, democracy, and basic human rationality. And casually branding domestic adversaries who refuse to go along as traitors and disloyal foreign operatives is morally bankrupt and certain to backfire on those doing it.

Click Here to Read Whole Article
Traffic Information in China Market size, Demand and supply 2016-2021 Proposal

Development and Market of Traffic

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=897392

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/development-and-market-of-traffic-information-in-china-2016-2021-proposal-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, December 13, 2016: Market Research Hub (MRH) has announced the inclusion of a new market research study to its comprehensive collection of research reports. The 49-page research study, titled Development and Market of Traffic Information in China 2016-2021 Proposal, is an in-depth analysis of the industry size, share and structure. In the 12th Five-Year Plan period, Chinese traffic information industry has developed rapidly. 21 provinces or regions have built road and waterway traffic information system; 36 cities have built urban intelligence traffic system; all prefecture-level cities could use 12328 traffic service and supervision call.Request for Sample Report:With the increasing investment of traffic infrastructure construction, the input of traffic information industry has also maintained fast growth. In 2015, the investment of traffic information industry reached over RMB85 billion.By 2020, according to the 13th Five Year Plan, the level of information share and opening data will improve a lot, the ability of using big data in main business will be significantly enhanced, and the traffic information system will play a significant role in the development of integrated transportation.Railway industry plays an important role on social development, which could improve the traffic condition and motivate regional economy. At the end of 2015, national fixed investment of railway was around RMB800 billion, railway mileage was 120 thousand km including 20 thousand km of high-speed rail. Railway mileage in west of China was 48 thousand km, which increased 10%. In 2015, the number of railway locomotive of China was 20 thousand set. The railway passenger volume was around 3 billion people, the passenger turnover volume was 1200 billion people in 2015, the total freight volume was 3 billion tonnes, and the total freight turnover was 2,400 billion tonnes.Browse Full Info with TOC:The Aim of Report: To provide readers with comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Chinese traffic information industry; To analyze traffic information industry in different regions; To analyze the future trend of traffic information industry; To analyze industrial size of the industry; To reveal opportunities for traffic information industry in China.Benefit from the Report: Obtain latest info of traffic information industry, such as market size, key players, etc.; Discover market potential in different regional markets; Find out how Chinese traffic information market will change and how your business can be involved in; Keep informed of your competitors/their activities in China; Learn about key market drivers, investment opportunity;During the 13th Five Year Plan, the investment will reach RMB4000 billion, the network of railway has to cover 80% county-level division and the cities that have at least 200 thousand people. The network of high-speed railway has to cover 90% regional administrative centers and the cities that have at least 500 thousand people. There are numerous opportunities for railway industry in the future.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel : +1-518-621-2074Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :
Bakery Products Savory Biscuits Market in Venezuela Outlook to 2020 Growth and Forecast Industry Analyis

Bakery & Cereals Market

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=903055

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=903055

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/savory-biscuits-bakery-and-cereals-market-in-venezuela-outlook-to-2020-market-size-growth-and-forecast-analytics-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, December 23, 2016: A latest report by Global Market Direct has been added to the broad database of Market Research Hub, titled Savory Biscuits (Bakery & Cereals) Market in Venezuela - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics. Savoury Biscuits - includes all forms crackers (Hard, dry savory / salted biscuits, generally hard or crisp), crispbreads (flat and dry type of bread madeup of mostly rye flour), bread sticks, toast etc (mostly bread substitutes).Request for Sample Report:Savory Biscuits (Bakery & Cereals) Market in Venezuela - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Savory Biscuits market of Venezuela. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Savory Biscuits and its variants Bread Substitutes, Cheese-Flavored Crackers, Plain Crackers and Other Crackers.Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency of Venezuela and Volumes are represented in M Kilograms.Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2012 to 2015 and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable.Make an Enquiry:The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or planning to venture in to Venezuela's Savory Biscuits (Bakery & Cereals) market. The comprehensive statistics within the research handbook provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting.Note: Certain content / sections in the research handbook may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data.This is an on-demand research handbook and will be delivered within 2 working days (excluding weekends) of the purchase.Key Findings- Overall Savory Biscuits (Bakery & Cereals) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2020.- Sales Value and Volume analytics for variants of Savory Biscuits; Bread Substitutes, Cheese-Flavored Crackers, Plain Crackers and Other Crackers- Value terms for the top brands.- Distribution channel sales analytics from 2012-2015.Browse Full Info with TOC:SynopsisSavory Biscuits (Bakery & Cereals) Market in Venezuela - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Savory Biscuits market of Venezuela. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Savory Biscuits and its variants Bread Substitutes, Cheese-Flavored Crackers, Plain Crackers and Other Crackers. The research handbook also provides analytics on Sales by Brands and by Distribution Channel.ReasonsToBuy- Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Savory Biscuits (Bakery & Cereals) market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.- Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends.- Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns.- Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:
Global Lead-Acid Battery Sales Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis 2016

Market Research Hub

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=904530

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=904530

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-leadacid-battery-sales-2016-market-research-report-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, December 30, 2016: The latest report focusing on the Lead-Acid Battery market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The Global Lead-Acid Battery Sales Market Report 2016 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Lead-Acid Battery market. It is entitled as Global Lead-Acid Battery Sales 2016 Market Research Report.Request for Sample Report:The report provides a basic overview of the Lead-Acid Battery industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.The report then analyzes the global Lead-Acid Battery market size (volume and value), and the sales segment market is also discussed by product type, applications and region.Make an Enquiry:The major Lead-Acid Battery market (including USA, Europe, China, Asia (Ex-China), etc.) is analyzed, data including: market size, import and export, sale segment market by product type and applications. Then we forecast the 2017-2022 market size of Lead-Acid Battery.The report focuses on global major leading companies providing information such as company profiles, sales, sales revenue, market share and contact information.Finally the marketing, feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.Browse Full Info with TOC:With 211 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview 152 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Lead-Acid Battery 263 Global Lead-Acid Battery Sales, Sales Price and Market Size (Volume and Value) 2011-2016 Analysis 414 USA Lead-Acid Battery Sales, Sales Price, Market Size (Volume and Value) and End Users Analysis 495 Europe Lead-Acid Battery Sales, Sales Price, Market Size (Volume and Value) and End Users Analysis 566 China Lead-Acid Battery Sales, Sales Price, Market Size (Volume and Value) and End Users Analysis 637 Asia (Ex-China) Lead-Acid Battery Sales, Sales Price, Market Size (Volume and Value) and End Users Analysis 708 Global and Major Regions 2017-2022 Lead-Acid Battery Sales Price and Market Size (Volume and Value) Forecast 789 Major Lead-Acid Battery Companies Analysis 8810 Global Lead-Acid Battery Production Analysis 13911 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Lead-Acid Battery 14312 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Lead-Acid Battery 14913 Conclusion of the Global Lead-Acid Battery Sales Market Report 2016 152Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:
United States Lip Make-up Market Value (USD m) and Growth 2010-2020 Forecast Analytics

Market Research HUb

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=904751

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=904751

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/lip-make-up-make-up-market-in-united-states-outlook-to-2020-market-size-growth-and-forecast-analytics-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, December 30, 2016: The latest report focusing on the Lip Make-Up market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the Lip Make-Up system market. It is entitled as Lip Make-Up (Make-Up) Market in United States - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics.Request for Sample Report:Lip Make-Up encompasses cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, heal, protect, and beautify the lips. Usual rage includes Lip Liner (Lip Pencil), Lipstick, Lip Gloss and others. Lip Make-Up (Make-Up) Market in United States - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Lip Make-Up market of United States. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Lip Make-Up and its variants Lip Gloss, Lip liner, Lipstick and Other Lip Make-Up.Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency of United States and Volumes are represented in M Units.Make an Enquiry:Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2012 to 2015 and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable.The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or planning to venture in to United States' Lip Make-Up (Make-Up) market. The comprehensive statistics within the report provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting. This is an on-demand research handbook and will be delivered within 2 working days (excluding weekends) of the purchase.Note: Certain content / sections in the research handbook may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data.Browse Full Info with TOC:Key Findings- Overall Lip Make-Up (Make-Up) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2020.- Sales Value and Volume analytics for variants of Lip Make-Up; Lip Gloss, Lip liner, Lipstick and Other Lip Make-Up- Value terms for the top brands.- Distribution channel sales analytics from 2012-2015.SynopsisLip Make-Up (Make-Up) Market in United States - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Lip Make-Up market of United States. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Lip Make-Up and its variants Lip Gloss, Lip liner, Lipstick and Other Lip Make-Up. The research handbook also provides analytics on Sales by Brands and by Distribution Channel.ReasonsToBuy- Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Lip Make-Up (Make-Up), market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.- Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends.- Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns.- Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:
Residential Construction in Iran: Market Industry Forecast to 2020

Market Research Hub

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=849548

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/residential-construction-in-iran-to-2020-market-forecast-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, December 30, 2016: The latest report focusing on the Residential Construction market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. It is entitled as Residential Construction in Iran to 2020: Market Forecast. Trimetric 'Residential Construction in Iran to 2020: Market Forecast' contains detailed historic and forecast market value data for the residential construction industry, including a breakdown of the data by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition).Request for Sample Report:The databook provides historical and forecast valuations of the industry using the construction output and value-add methods.SummaryThis report is the result of Trimetrics extensive market research covering the residential construction industry in Iran. It contains detailed historic and forecast market value data for the residential construction industry, including a breakdown of the data by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition). 'Residential Construction in Iran to 2020: Market Forecast' provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the residential construction industry in Iran. It is an essential tool for companies active across the Iranian construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.ScopeOverview of the residential construction industry in Iran.Historic and forecast market value for the residential construction industry by construction output and value-add methods for the period 2011 through to 2020.Historic and forecast market value by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) across the residential construction industry for the period 2011 through to 2020.Browse Full Info with TOC:Reasons to BuyThis report provides you with valuable data for the residential construction industry in Iran.This report provides you with a breakdown of market value by type of construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition).This report enhances your knowledge of the market with key figures detailing market values using the construction output and value add methods.This report allows you to plan future business decisions using the forecast figures given for the market.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections (AIDS) - Therapeutics under Development H2 2016

Market Research Hub

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=905723

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=905723

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infections-aids-pipeline-review-h2-2016-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, January 03, 2017: A recent forecast report focusing on the HIV AIDS Market has been added to the wide portfolio of Market Research Hub (MRH). It is entitled as, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections (AIDS) - Pipeline Review, H2 2016. Latest Pharmaceutical and Healthcare disease pipeline guide Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) Pipeline Review, H2 2016, provides an overview of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) pipeline landscape.Request for Sample Report:HIV is a virus which attacks the immune system, and weakens ability to fight infections and disease. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, body rash, joint pain, muscle pain and swollen glands. The most common ways HIV is spread are by having vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom with someone who has HIV/AIDS, sharing needles or syringes with someone who has HIV/AIDS, being deeply punctured with a needle or surgical instrument contaminated with HIV and getting HIV-infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions into open wounds or sores.Report HighlightsGlobal Markets Direct's Pharmaceutical and Healthcare latest pipeline guide Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) Pipeline Review, H2 2016, provides comprehensive information on the therapeutics under development for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease), complete with analysis by stage of development, drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The guide covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases.Make an Enquiry:The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) pipeline guide also reviews of key players involved in therapeutic development for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections (AIDS) and features dormant and discontinued projects. The guide covers therapeutics under Development by Companies /Universities /Institutes, the molecules developed by Companies in Pre-Registration, Filing rejected/Withdrawn, Phase III, Phase II, Phase I, IND/CTA Filed, Preclinical, Discovery and Unknown stages are 2, 1, 17, 43, 45, 2, 108, 75 and 6 respectively. Similarly, the Universities portfolio in Phase III, Phase II, Phase I, Preclinical and Discovery stages comprises 2, 15, 15, 51 and 67 molecules, respectively.Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) pipeline guide helps in identifying and tracking emerging players in the market and their portfolios, enhances decision making capabilities and helps to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. The guide is built using data and information sourced from Global Markets Directs proprietary databases, company/university websites, clinical trial registries, conferences, SEC filings, investor presentations and featured press releases from company/university sites and industry-specific third party sources. Additionally, various dynamic tracking processes ensure that the most recent developments are captured on a real time basis.Note: Certain content / sections in the pipeline guide may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data.Browse Full Info with TOC:Scope- The pipeline guide provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease).- The pipeline guide reviews pipeline therapeutics for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources.- The pipeline guide covers pipeline products based on several stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages.- The pipeline guide features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which comprise, product description, descriptive licensing and collaboration details, R&D brief, MoA & other developmental activities.- The pipeline guide reviews key companies involved in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects.- The pipeline guide evaluates Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) therapeutics based on mechanism of action (MoA), drug target, route of administration (RoA) and molecule type.- The pipeline guide encapsulates all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects.- The pipeline guide reviews latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease)Reasons to buy- Procure strategically important competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies.- Recognize emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage.- Find and recognize significant and varied types of therapeutics under development for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease).- Classify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic.- Develop tactical initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies.- Plan mergers and acquisitions meritoriously by identifying key players and its most promising pipeline therapeutics.- Formulate corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections (AIDS) (Infectious Disease) pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics.- Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope.- Adjust the therapeutic portfolio by recognizing discontinued projects and understand from the know-how what drove them from pipeline.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:
(Adds quotes)

ABU DHABI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has cut its oil production to slightly below 10 million barrels per day and plans a deeper cut in February under an agreement among global producers to reduce output, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Thursday.

"The market first of all is extremely healthy - we had to cut deeply to get below 10," Falih told reporters at an industry conference.

"And of course it is low demand season in Saudi Arabia so the combination of deep cuts and low demand in Saudi Arabia have kept our production in the month of January below 10. It is below 10 today and it will be below 10 by the end of the month."

Saudi output was about 10.45 million bpd in December, according to a Reuters survey of shipping data and information from industry sources.

Falih added, "We have also cut our nominations for our customers worldwide significantly for February. Saudi Aramco has just announced to their customers what they should expect in February and it is going to be even a deeper cut than in January. So we are committed."

Asked if the agreement would need to be extended beyond six months, Falih said producers would watch the oil market and only intervene if necessary.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers are very serious in complying with the agreement, he told reporters at an industry conference.

(Reporting by Rania El Gamal and Maha El Dhana; Writing by Andrew Torchia)
Global Bakery Market 2016 Kellogg, PepsiCo, Castane, Baker Delight and McKee

Bakery Market

http://bit.ly/2ji25WR

http://bit.ly/2jCJdFr

The Global Bakery market report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Kellogg, PepsiCo, Castane, Baker Delight and McKee and more.The Market Research Store report offers majority of the latest and newest industry data that covers the overall market situation along with future prospects for Bakery market around the globe. The research study includes significant data and also forecasts of the global market which makes the research report a helpful resource for marketing people, analysts, industry executives, consultants, sales and product managers, and other people who are in need of major industry data in a ready-to-access format along with clear presentation of graphs and tables.The report comprises the current size of the Bakery market. It also provides with different types of product segments of the global market. Furthermore, the Bakery market research report gives an in-depth information about the overall market and various product segments and their growth trends. The future market forecasts about the global Bakery market are also covered in the research report. In addition, the overall market potential is further described in the report along with different countries around the globe.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The latest and the newest trends of the Bakery industry are also included in this report. Moreover, overall global market size, the market size by product segment, growth rates of the global market along with and different product segments of the market, and various product segments with their value and volumes evaluation are also included in the research report.The Market Research Store report offers the global market potential rates of the Bakery market along with various product segments. The research report provides an overview of the current market situation, historic development, and future outlook of the Bakery market. It also tracks the industry developments trends and identifies the global market opportunities. The report helps to plan and develop precise marketing, market expansion, market-entry, and other business strategies through identifying the major market prospects and opportunities.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The data in the report is clearly presented which can be easily integrated into presentations and internal reports.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
PACS and RIS Market Opportunity Analysis; Adoption of Cloud based PACS by Healthcare Organization and Hospitals

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pacs-ris-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1232

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Driven by the technological advancements in the medical and healthcare industry encouraged by governments across the world, the global market for picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and radiology information systems (RIS) are likely to witness substantial growth over the forthcoming years.According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), the total opportunity offered by the worldwide PACS and RIS market was US$2.2 bn in 2015. Expanding at a healthy CAGR of 7.0% during the period from 2016 to 2024, the market is likely to increase to US$3.9 bn by the end of 2024.In this blog post, analysts at TMR answers some important queries about the global PACS and RIS market:Browse Full Report on PACS and RIS Market:What are the main trends in the global PACS and RIS market?The transition from manual records to electronic medical records (EMR) is the key trend in the global PACS and RIS market. The increasing adoption of EMR systems in hospitals, clinics, and offices has been fueling the demand for PACS and RIS across the world. Apart from this, the rise in digitization, together with viewing and consulting of patients at remote places by medical professionals, is also projected to accelerate the adoption of PACS and RIS in the medical and healthcare industry.PACS, as a product, is witnessing a higher demand than RIS. This trend is likely to remain the same with the demand for PACS rising at a CAGR of 7.20% between 2016 and 2024. Hospitals are expected to remain the key end user of PACS and RIS; however, ambulatory surgical centers will present the most lucrative growth opportunities in the forthcoming years.Which of the regional markets is likely to dominate this market?North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa are the main regional markets for PACS and RIS. On account of the presence of a highly advanced medical and healthcare infrastructure, the market for PACS and RIS is witnessing a tremendous rise in North America.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Supported by a wide ranging application in cardiology and oncology, the North America market for PACS and RIS is expected to emerge as the key contributor to the global market in the coming years. Asia Pacific and Europe are also anticipated to witness a robust rise in the demand for PACS and RIS over the next few years.What are the key strategies adopted by leading companies for the development of their businesses?At the forefront of the global PACS and RIS market are Fujifilm Holdings Corp., Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, McKesson Corp., and Siemens Healthineers. These players primarily rely on technological advancements for the development of their businesses. A shift in their focus towards mergers and acquisitions, to improve their global presence, can be witnessed in the coming years.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Medicinal Salicylic Acid Market 2021: Analysis and Information for Every Aspact of the Industry

Medicinal Salicylic Acid

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/853499-global-and-chinese-medicinal-salicylic-acid-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/853499-global-and-chinese-medicinal-salicylic-acid-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=853499

Medicinal Salicylic AcidThe 'Global and Chinese Medicinal Salicylic Acid Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Medicinal Salicylic Acid industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Medicinal Salicylic Acid manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Medicinal Salicylic Acid industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Medicinal Salicylic Acid industry.Request for Sample Report @Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Medicinal Salicylic Acid Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Medicinal Salicylic Acid industry covering all important parameters.Complete Description of Report @Key Points in Table of ContentsChapter One Introduction of Medicinal Salicylic Acid Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Medicinal Salicylic Acid1.2 Development of Medicinal Salicylic Acid Industry1.3 Status of Medicinal Salicylic Acid IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Medicinal Salicylic Acid2.1 Development of Medicinal Salicylic Acid Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Medicinal Salicylic Acid Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Medicinal Salicylic Acid Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact InformationChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Medicinal Salicylic Acid Industry8.1 Global and Chinese Macroeconomic Environment Analysis8.1.1 Global Macroeconomic Analysis8.1.2 Chinese Macroeconomic Analysis8.2 Global and Chinese Macroeconomic Environment Development Trend8.2.1 Global Macroeconomic Outlook8.2.2 Chinese Macroeconomic Outlook8.3 Effects to Medicinal Salicylic Acid IndustryContinued...Get it now @Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories. WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTD Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Plant Growth Hormones-Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis of Top Key Player Forecast To 2021

Plant Growth Hormones Industry

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/851461-global-and-chinese-plant-growth-hormones-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/851461-global-and-chinese-plant-growth-hormones-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/check-discount/851461-global-and-chinese-plant-growth-hormones-industry-2016-market-research-report

www.wiseguyreports.com

WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Plant Growth Hormones-Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis of Top Key Player Forecast To 2021Report summaryThe 'Global and Chinese Plant Growth Hormones Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Plant Growth Hormones industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Plant Growth Hormones manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Request for Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comFirstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Plant Growth Hormones industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export.The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Plant Growth Hormones industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Plant Growth Hormones Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Plant Growth Hormones industry covering all important parameters......Table of ContentsPlant Growth Hormones Industry Research Report 2016Chapter One Introduction of Plant Growth Hormones Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Plant Growth Hormones1.2 Development of Plant Growth Hormones Industry1.3 Status of Plant Growth Hormones IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Plant Growth Hormones2.1 Development of Plant Growth Hormones Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Plant Growth Hormones Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Plant Growth Hormones Manufacturing Technology.Leave a Query @Chapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact Information.CONTINUEDFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comCheck Discount on This Report @CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPh: +91 841 198 5042
Bar Glue Market Consumption by Type, Application and Sales 2016 Analysis and Forecasts To 2021

Bar Glue Industry

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/851462-global-and-chinese-planting-bar-glue-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/851462-global-and-chinese-planting-bar-glue-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/check-discount/851462-global-and-chinese-planting-bar-glue-industry-2016-market-research-report

www.wiseguyreports.com

WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Bar Glue Market Consumption by Type, Application and Sales 2016 Analysis and Forecasts To 2021Report summaryThe 'Global and Chinese Planting Bar Glue Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Planting Bar Glue industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Planting Bar Glue manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Request for Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comFirstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Planting Bar Glue industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export.The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Planting Bar Glue industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Planting Bar Glue Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Planting Bar Glue industry covering all important parameters......Table of ContentsBar Glue Industry Research Report 2016Chapter One Introduction of Planting Bar Glue Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Planting Bar Glue1.2 Development of Planting Bar Glue Industry1.3 Status of Planting Bar Glue IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Planting Bar Glue2.1 Development of Planting Bar Glue Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Planting Bar Glue Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Planting Bar Glue Manufacturing Technology.Leave a Query @Chapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact Information.CONTINUEDFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comCheck Discount on This Report @CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPh: +91 841 198 5042
Global Positive Photoresist Industry, 2016 Market Research Report

Positive Photoresist Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/853771-global-and-chinese-positive-photoresist-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/853771-global-and-chinese-positive-photoresist-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=853771

Positive Photoresist MarketDescriptionThe 'Global and Chinese Positive Photoresist Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Positive Photoresist industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Positive Photoresist manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Request for Sample Report @Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company.Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Positive Photoresist industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.The report then estimates 2016-2021 market development trends of Positive Photoresist industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Positive Photoresist Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Positive Photoresist industry covering all important parameters.Leave a Query @Table of ContentsChapter One Introduction of Positive Photoresist Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Positive Photoresist1.2 Development of Positive Photoresist Industry1.3 Status of Positive Photoresist IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Positive Photoresist2.1 Development of Positive Photoresist Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Positive Photoresist Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Positive Photoresist Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact Information......Chapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Positive Photoresist Industry6.1 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Capacity, Production, and Production Value of Positive Photoresist6.2 2016-2021 Positive Photoresist Industry Cost and Profit Estimation6.3 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Market Share of Positive Photoresist6.4 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Positive Photoresist6.5 2016-2021 Chinese Import and Export of Positive PhotoresistChapter Seven Analysis of Positive Photoresist Industry Chain7.1 Industry Chain Structure7.2 Upstream Raw Materials7.3 Downstream IndustryChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Positive Photoresist Industry8.1 Global and Chinese Macroeconomic Environment Analysis8.1.1 Global Macroeconomic Analysis8.1.2 Chinese Macroeconomic Analysis8.2 Global and Chinese Macroeconomic Environment Development Trend8.2.1 Global Macroeconomic Outlook8.2.2 Chinese Macroeconomic Outlook8.3 Effects to Positive Photoresist IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Positive Photoresist Industry9.1 Positive Photoresist Industry News9.2 Positive Photoresist Industry Development Challenges9.3 Positive Photoresist Industry Development OpportunitiesChapter Ten Proposals for New Project10.1 Market Entry Strategies10.2 Countermeasures of Economic Impact10.3 Marketing Channels10.4 Feasibility Studies of New Project Investment.Buy now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Startup launches "the brain" for business

To miss messages in WhatsApp, files exchanged in Slack, notes made in Evernote, spreadsheets in Google Drive, photos in Dropbox. it's hard to deal with all those tools, and remembering where is the important information for workday.To solve this, NewAgent app has functionalities that work like a memory that retains and finds the information in seconds.When people use the app to communicate and connect other tools, the work becomes simpler. Information can be accessed fastly, it's just to type in the search field what is needed to find a file, a message or a content.Information sharing is very easy. All you have to do is chose a group, a person or even the whole company to publish a content.It is also possible to organize the contents with menus for not so dynamic information such as manuals, procedures, company history, etc.NewAgent is now available and can be accessed on: newagent.comNewAgent is a communication tool that makes information-flow among teams easier and smarter.Paulista, 2300, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, 01310300+55 11 28447778newagent@newagent.com
The Mountain Man is Back  and His Brides in Jail

The Mountain Man's Dog by Gary Corbin

www.garycorbinwriting.com

www.garycorbinwriting.com

www.anotherreadthrough.com

** For immediate release **January 11, 2017Please forward to appropriate partiesThe Mountain Man is Back  and His Brides in JailAward-winning Local Author Announces New Oregon-based Mystery, Book-signing TourPortland, OR, January 11, 2017  Award-winning Camas author and playwright Gary Corbin has announced the release of his third novel, The Mountain Mans Bride, and will embark on an immediate two-month, five-stop book-signing tour in the greater Portland area.The Mountain Mans Bride will be officially released to bookstores on February 8, 2017, although it is available for pre-order on Amazon.com and on the authors web page ().The Mountain Mans Bride is the second in his Mountain Man Mysteries series from Double Diamond Publishing of Camas, WA. A third novel in the series, The Mountain Mans Badge, is expected in 2018.The Mountain Mans Bride sees the return of rustic forester Lehigh Carter battling crooked cops, greedy politicians and violent thugs in the fictional town of Clarkesville in Oregon Cascade Mountains. Lehighs simple honesty causes his nemeses to underestimate his resolve as he fights to clear first his own name, then that of his fiancee, Stacy McBride, as they are accused of murdering the deputy who once made their lives miserable. As Lehigh continues his investigation, his doubts about Stacys innocence multiplyparticularly when she appears to make romantic overtures to her ex-fiancee, attorney Paul van Paten, a leading member of the conspiracy against Lehigh. Cooperating with the only honest cop he knows in the county, Detective Gentleman Jim Wadsworth, Lehigh plays a high-stakes game of legal chicken to infiltrate the conspiracy and discover the truth behind Jared Barkleys murder.Book TourTo help promote the book, the author will kick off a five-stop bookstore tour starting at a local favorite, Another Read Through, on the hip N. Mississippi Ave strip in Portland, February 9 at 6 PM. Corbin will sign books and read excerpts from his books, which will be available for sale at the event.I love local bookstores, and Another Read Through was one of the first to put my books on its shelves, Corbin says. Its a great local bookstore that supports local independent authors. And its close to other great shops and restaurants, so people can make an evening of it  get dinner, have a glass of wine, maybe shop nearby. On all counts, Another Read Through is perfect for a book launch.Other stops on the tour include: Feb. 18  Backstory Books, SE Foster Rd., Portland Feb 25  Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA March 18  Jans Paperbacks, Aloha, OR April 6  Annie Blooms, SW Capitol Highway, Portland (with Kelly Garrett, author of The Last to Die)Other Books by Gary CorbinGarys other published works include: Lying in Judgment (2016): A man serves on the jury of a murder trial  for the crime that he committed! Lying in Judgment was selected as Book of the Week on Bookworks.com July 11-17, 2016 and an Indie Spotlight featured novel on literarylightbox.com in Winter 2016-17. The Mountain Mans Dog (2016): Rustic forester Lehigh Carter never suspected that adopting an injured stray on the highway would entangle him in the complex world of crooked cops and power-hungry politiciansor force him to flee into the forest in fear for his life. Lying in Vengeance (2017, forthcoming): Two months after serving on the jury trying a man for the murder that he committed, Peter Robertsons worst nightmare comes to fruition: Christine, his beautiful and charming fellow juror, uses his dark secret to blackmail him to kill again.For more information, contact:Gary Corbingary@garycorbinwriting.com503-312-1336Elisa SaphierOwner, Another Read Through3932 N Mississippi AvePortland, OR 97227503 208 2729Gary Corbin is a writer, editor, playwright, and actor in Camas, WA, a suburb of Portland, OR. Lying in Judgment, his Amazon.com best-selling legal thriller, was released in early 2016. Lying in Judgment was selected as Bookworks.com Book of the Week for July 11-18, 2016 and is one of six novels worldwide featured in the Literary Lightbox Indie Spotlight for Autumn/Winter 2016-17.1031 NW Ivy DrCamas, WA 98607
PDF Compressor Announces Limited Time Software Giveaway

PDF Compressor Giveaway

http://www.pdfcompressor.net/giveaway.html

Today PDFCompressor.net is thrilled to announce a limited-time giveaway. Their exclusive software will be available for download from January 15 through February 1, 2017, at no cost.PDF Compressor works by converting scanned PDF files into smaller files. According to PDF Compressor, their software offers a 23% compression ratio that takes 30MB files and converts them into 8MB files without sacrificing content or quality.Since scanned PDF files are derived from images with large file sizes, they can quickly consume storage space. In addition, sending e-mails with large PDF attachments can be difficult.PDF Compressor eliminates both problems with one streamlined, easy to use, fast program. Users can also choose to save their files to the original folder without overwriting the original versions, and they can also opt to save PDF files to specified folder paths.In addition, PDF Compressor automatically removes restrictions from protected files.The software is now available for download at the PDF Compressor website, and it will be available for free until February 1st, 2017. Details are available atFounded in 2014, PDF Compressor offers a fast and easy way to compress scanned PDF files from large size to small size without sacrificing content quality.PDF Compressor, ltd.2-22, 6#, Xushimiao Street, Xi'an, Shaanxi710003 ChinaMaggie Lewissupport@pdfcompressor.net18655437323
Global DRAM Market: Industry Analysis, Demand, Trend and Forecast to 2027

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/978

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/dram-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/wlan-market

Industry News: In May 2016, Samsung brought a new 6GB DRAM chip for mobiles. In April 2016, Samsung started the production of Industrys First 10-Nanometer Class DRAM. In December 2015, Micron Technology, Inc. announced the partnership between Nanya Technology to license theMicron 1x and 1y DRAM technologies. In November 2015, Micron Technology, Inc. announced the production of 8GB DDR4 NVDIMM in persistent memory category.Market Scenario:DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is a subtype of RAM and used to run data or command for computer processor. As the technology is growing and all organization adopting modern equipments such as personal computers, servers, workstations to eliminate the human errors and complete the task on time. Market for DRAM is growing rapidly. In the past decade, demand for DRAM has increased tremendously as modernization is taking place in various sectors. Currently this market has been valued at US $XX billion and expected to reach market size of US $XX billion by the end of forecasted period. Currently DRAM market is growing with the CAGR of XX%.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of DRAM Market: Samsung (South Korea) SK Hynix (South Korea) Micron Technology Inc. (U.S.) Kingston (U.S.) Winbond (Taiwan) Nanya (Taiwan) Powerchip Semiconductor (Taiwan) Qimonda (Germany) Transcend Information (Taiwan) Elpida Memory, Inc. (Japan)Market Segmentation:Segmentation by Type: Asynchronous DRAM, FPM (Fast Page Mode) DRAM, EDO (Extended Data Output) DRAM, BEDO (Burst Extended Data Output) DRAM, SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) and RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) among others.Segmentation by Memory: 2 Giga Byte, 4 Giga Byte, 8Giga Byte & others.Segmentation by Application: Consumer electronics (Personal Computers & Mobile Devices), gaming and consoles among others.Segmentation by DRAM Category: Component DRAM and Module DRAMAccess Report Details @Study Objective of DRAM Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global DRAM Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the DRAM market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type, by memory size, by application and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global DRAM Market.Regional Analysis:Asia-Pacific is dominating the market of DRAM with the market share of XX% due to the rise Chinese DRAM market. The total market size of DRAM in Asia-Pacific has been valued at US $XX billion and expected to grow US $XX billion by the end of forecasted period. North America stand as second biggest market with the market share of XX% and has been valued at US $XX billion in the year 2015. Europe stand as third biggest market with the market share of XX% and has been valued at US $XX billion.Related Report:Global WLAN Market Information, By Component (Controller, Router, Switch, AP), By Technology Standards (802.11a/b/g, 802.11n, 802.11ac), by Location (Indoor, Outdoor), by Application vertical (IT, BFSI, Healthcare, Hospitality, Government) - Forecast 2016-2027Know more about this report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
By Rania El Gamal and Florence Tan DUBAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has cut February term crude supplies to refiners in India and Southeast Asia, seeking to comply with an OPEC deal, but it has held most of its exports to the rest of Asia steady for a second month, industry sources said on Wednesday. State oil giant Saudi Aramco reduced February term supplies of mainly heavy crude to Indian refiners Reliance Industries and Hindustan Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), as well as to Malaysia's Petronas, four sources familiar with the matter said. Aramco has also cut oil supplies to another southeast Asian buyer for a second month in February, one of the sources said. That means some major oil companies in Europe and the United States could see reductions of up to 18 percent in their term volumes for February, the source said. "Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are focusing their cuts on U.S. and European customers as they target excess inventories and protect market share in Asia," Energy Aspects analyst Virendra Chauhan said. Saudi Aramco and the other companies could not be reached for comment. Details on the amounts of the supply reductions could not be confirmed. Saudi's February supply reductions to a handful of Asian refiners mark the start of cuts to a region left untouched in January at the onset of the OPEC output deal. The producer maintained strong exports to Asia in January to protect its market share there and because it gets higher netbacks on sales to the East than it does for other regions. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first half of 2017 to reduce a global supply glut and support prices. World's top exporter Saudi Arabia cut oil output in January by at least 486,000 bpd to 10.058 million bpd. Still, Saudi Aramco kept February supplies to most North Asian refiners at full volumes for a second month, trade sources said. One North Asian refiner received extra crude above its contractual volume for a second month, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. "I think the Saudis won't touch volumes to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Southeast Asian demand is small when compared to North Asia," a Singapore-based crude analyst with a European oil company said. (Additional reporting by Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI, Osamu Tsukimori in TOKYO, Mark Tay in SINGAPORE, Jane Chung in SEOUL, Reem Shamseddine in KHOBAR, Emily Chow in KUALA LUMPUR, and Meng Meng and Chen Aizhu in BEIJING; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Global Carrageenan Market Share, Size, Growth and Analysis by 2027

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/704

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/carrageenan-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/juice-extractors-market

Market Overview:Carrageenan (also known as carrageenin) comes under the family of linear sulphated polysaccharides which are extracted from red edible seaweeds and are broadly used in the food industry. The basic properties of Carrageenan are thickening, gelling and stabilizing and suspending agents in milk and water system. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry applications such as dairy products and meet product as they are having a strong binding of food proteins. Carrageenan mostly found in the Atlantic Ocean near the shore of UK and North America. Carrageenans are classified into three types namely; Iota, Kappa and Lambda.The global Carrageenan Market is expected to reach at US$XX billion by 2027 and is estimated to reach XX million mt by 2027 at a CAGR of XX% over the forecast year.Request a Sample Copy @Market Growth Influencer:Global Carrageenan Market has seen a potential growth in the past few years. As on 2011, carrageenan had the estimated global sale of US$ 640 million where Philippines was the biggest producer of industrial carrageenan and China is the major exporter to the US and European market. Commonly used sources in carrageenan are E. spinosum (Eucheuma denticulatum) and E. cottonii (Kappaphycus alvarezii, K.striatum), together they provide about three quarters of the global population. Increasing demand for food product, dairy products and meet products have driven the carrageenan market across the globe. As large population prefers non vegetarian food however, there is a huge demand is generated from meet product segments. Apart from this the key challenges may occur in the carrageenan market are increasing concern over inflammatory and gastrointestinal disorders among the consumers which has considerably hindered the carrageenan market. Moreover, the availability of substitutes such as agar, a jelly like substance (obtained from algae) has made the carrageenan market down.Browse Full Report:Key Players:The key players present in the Carrageenan Market includes FMC, Marcel Trading Corporation, ACCEL Carrageenan Corporation (ACC), Rico Carrageenan, Xieli, Gather Great Ocean, Global Ocean, LONGRUN, Greenfresh, Brilliant, TIC Gums, MCPI, CEAMSA, TBK, Cargill, ISI, CP Kelco, Karagen Indonesia, Gelymar, Danisco, CEAMSA, Shemberg, and among others.Market Segmentation:As per the MRFR, the global carrageenan market is segmented into product types and applications.The carrageenans are classified into three types: Iota Carrageenan Kappa Carrageenan Lambda CarrageenanThe application segmented is classified into: Food Industry Pharmaceutical Industry Other Domestic UsesRegional Analysis:Europe and Asia-Pacific are considered as the key market for global carrageenan market. Increasing demand for processing food and meet products in APAC region has witnessed the huge demand for carrageenan and in Europe the dairy products are given so much of preferences which have anticipated the demand for this particular product. The Asian countries such as China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Russia and several others have projected to drive the market because of the wealthy and emerging economy. And China is considered to the largest market in APAC region because of the strong industrialization. These factors has resulted the Carrageenan Market to have a commendable growth in future. North America is considered to the largest market for carrageenan. Middle East & Africa is one of the most preferred meet and processed food consumption region.Related Report:Global Juice Extractor Market Information-by type (Masticating, Centrifugal, Cold-press, Citrus Juicer and others), By function (Non-Drip Spout, Automatic Pulp Ejection, Reverse, Others), by blade material (Stainless Steel, alloy, iron and others) and by Region - Forecast to 2022Know more about this report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
The study covers the Phenolic Resins Market taking into account the sales of registered companies in the market

https://goo.gl/sWnYlc

http://www.mrrse.com/phenolic-resins-market

Phenolic resins are essentially synthetic polymers formed by the reaction of phenol and formaldehyde under the influence of heat. Phenolic resins have several desirable physical properties such as high heat resistance, high tensile strength, good moldability, light weight and low toxicity of smoke. Phenolic resins are employed in a variety of applications such as wood-adhesives, laminates, molding compounds, rubber, and insulation among others. Owing to the favorable physical and chemical properties, phenolic resins have found application in niche segments such as mass-transit, and off-shore oil drilling, which requires materials with high heat resistance.On the basis of product type, phenolic resins can be segmented into resol resins, novolac resins and others. Resol resins are manufactured under basic conditions with excess formaldehyde, while novolac resins are manufactured under acidic conditions with excess phenol. North America, Asia Pacific and Europe are the main markets for phenolic resins and account for over 90% of the total demand for phenolic resins.Sample Copy of the Report @Resol resin was the largest product segment for phenolic resins in 2012 with a global market share of over 48%. A Novolac resin also accounted for a significant proportion of the global demand and is the fastest growing product segment, deriving demand from the growing molded composites market as well as the laminates market. The applications of phenolic resins have become specialized over the years due to the emergence of other color stable thermostats such as PVS and melamine, and are often custom manufactured to suit the end application.Wood-adhesive was the largest application segment for phenolic resins and is expected continue in that position in the foreseeable future. The remarkable growth in the building and construction industry in the Asia Pacific and improving scenario in North America has propelled the demand for wood adhesive. Laminates, however, is expected to be the fastest growing application for phenolic resins, owing to the demand for decorative laminates and industrial laminates world-wide. Molding compounds is another application which is expected to register high growth with the increase in application scope. Use of phenolic molding compounds in automotive, marine and off-shore applications has contributed to the growth in this segment. The incremental usage of phenolic molding compounds in automotives in order to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle mass is a driver for phenolic molding compounds.Read Complete Report @In 2012, Asia Pacific had the highest demand for phenolic resins followed by North America. These two geographies cumulatively accounted for more than 65% of the global demand. Asia Pacific is host to several manufacturing countries such as China and India. Moreover the rising dispensable income of the region has attributed to the consumption of phenolic resins through various end-industries. Rest of the World regions are expected to grow at the swiftest pace, primarily owing to the high growth opportunity of the applications in this region.The phenolic resins industry is highly fragmented and dominated by regional players. Some of the major global players include BASF SE, Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., and Georgia Pacific Chemicals LLC among many others. There are several medium sized players in the regional markets.Growth and expansion initiatives have been undertaken by various companies to thrive in the market. BASF SE expanded its production capacity by 50% at the Ludwigshafen manufacturing facility in order to cater to the high growth tire market. Georgia Pacific Chemicals LLC and Kolon Industries Inc, expressed their intent to invest in new production facilities of phenolic resins, while Hitachi Chemicals invested in a new plant in Thailand in anticipation of demand growth from the automotive sector.About MRRSEMRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.Corporate Office State Tower 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207,United States
Bedeck The Bedroom With Bunk Beds

Bedeck The Bedroom With Bunk Beds

https://www.furnishframe.com/blog/Bedeck-The-Bedroom-With-Bunk-Beds/

If you are running out of space to sleep in a small room, then bunk beds are the ideal choice. Bunk beds occupy little space which makes it fit for all kinds of homes. It creates a small playing area for kids and it also add uniqueness to the decor. Bunk beds are the adorable furniture in your home. Kids can enjoy bunk beds with their friends and cousins, which in turn strengthens their relationship. You can have a private space to sleep instead of sharing the bed. While purchasing bunk beds, you should consider a few things.Space: If you are living in a small house, then bunk beds are the best furniture ever for your small room. Its advantages are matchless. Bunk beds add elegance to the surroundings. If you are looking for bunk beds to suit large rooms, then you can choose from a pool of bunk beds which are available in different sizes. Make sure that upper part of bunk bed should not be closer to the ceiling.Functionality: You can choose bunk beds with drawers and bookcases. Bunk beds with stairs are the popular models across the globe. Contemporary bunk beds feature a desk with the storage box. You can also customize the bunk beds for a wide range of purposes. If you love to have a small private space with all the facilities, then you can choose bunk beds, which are second to none. You can find bunk beds for adults, kids, women. For adults, bunk beds are provided with drawers to store their files and other things. For women, bunk beds are designed to store their valuables, jewelry, and cosmetics. For kids, bunk beds are designed with shelves to accommodate their books and other stuff. Contemporary Bunk beds feature different types of ladders which are sturdy and are designed to address the safety concerns of the children. If you are a wild sleeper, then choose the bunk bed which has a side support on the upper bunk.Style: To match the modern day style, Bunk beds are designed in copious styles. We help you to choose bunk beds from the popular styles available in the world.Futon Style: For teen rooms, this kind of bunk beds is the ultimate choice. You can use it as a sofa during the daytime and as a bed during the night time.Trundle: This kind of bunk bed has an additional bunk near to the floor. Trundle bunk beds will not occupy extra space as you can push the extra bunk underneath the lower bunk. You can draw it out during the bedtime. For a three sharing room, trundle bunk bed is a boon.Standard type: You can find different types of Bunk beds which include Twin bed over a twin bed, full bed over a full bed, and twin bed over a full bed with elegant designs.Loft bunk bed: This kind of bunk beds feature a bed which spread over a drawer, desk. This kind of bunk beds is ideal for smaller spaces.So choose the bunk bed which best suits your home. Make sure that your bunk bed should address all the safety concerns. Browse Furnishframe for a myriad of branded bunk beds at affordable prices.Landing in Furnish Frame to shop different kinds of furniture is the right thing you have done in the day. We help you realize your dream to furnish the home and office area with sleek and gorgeous furniture sets. Under a single roof, one can happily shop different kinds of furniture without traveling to different places. Furnish Frame feature a wide range of collection of furniture sets which include Living room furniture, Dining & kitchen furniture, Bedroom furniture, Office furniture, Bathroom furniture, Decor furniture, Outdoor furniture, and Baby &kids furniture.3701 Algonquin Road, Suite 330, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008, USA
Third Party Logistics (3PL) Market to Experience Exponential Growth

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/3PL-market

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-free-sample/1512

3PL Market (Third Party Logistics Market) Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $1,110 billion by 2022, registering a CAGR of 5.16% during the period 2016-2022. Major volume of goods transported across the world is done through roadways and waterways which constitutes for close to two-thirds of the global 3PL market.Access Full Summary at :3PLs constitutes outsourced activities related to logistics, warehousing and distribution. These services go beyond logistics and include value-addition to the entire process from procurement of goods to the distribution of furnished products to the customers establishing an effective and efficient supply chain. 3PL services are used by retailers and manufacturers to focus on their respective core competencies by outsourcing secondary services. Moreover, advanced IT solutions like EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory), etc., are enhancing the growth of 3PL market.The global 3PL market is poised to witness significant growth during the forecast period owing to increase in e-commerce industry and trade activities around the globe, inclination of manufactures and retailers towards enhancing their core competencies for enhance profitability. Moreover, varied government rules and regulations in different countries make manufacturers uneasy which is increasing the demand of 3PL expertise companies to deal with them. However factors like lack of control on outsourced activities and risk to reputation or business due to inefficiency of 3PL service provide is hampering the growth of this market.Download PDF copy at:Key findings of Third Party Logistics (3PL) Market:1. Asia-Pacific region is projected to occupy the highest market share, registering a CAGR of 6.67%.2. Roadways and waterways are expected to be the major mode of transportation used by 3PL companies.3. Developed countries, including China, are using double decker goods train to increase the quantity of goods transported.4. Almost 50% of the services providers are under dedicated contract carriage and domestic transport management.Increase in free trade agreements between the countries is evolving the market of 3PL companies. Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest as well as fastest growing geography at a CAGR of 6.67% over the forecast period. More than half of the 3PL market in Asia pacific was occupied by China in 2014, while India is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 8.13% during the forecast period.Growth in the trade activities around the globe and increase in the e-commerce industry has increased the demand of the 3PL companies. Technological advancement and use of IT solution is expected to drive the market in the forecast period. The key companies profiled in this report are FedEx Corporation, DB Schenker logistics, Kintetsu World express, Kuehne+Nagel Inc., Penske, C.H. Robinson, Geodis, DAMCO (The Maersk Group), Panalpina World Transport Ltd., and Yusen Logistics Co. Ltd.About UsAllied Analytics LLP provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". Allied Analytics LLP has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Sona Padmanabhan5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 (U.S. &Canada)Fax: +1(855)550-5975E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com
Global Price Comparison Websites (PCW) Market Growth and Challenges

Market Research Hub

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=910682

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=910682

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-price-comparison-websites-pcw-market-size-trends-and-forecasts-2016-2020-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

Albany, New York, January 12, 2017: The latest report focusing on the ICT Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Websites Market. It is entitled as Global Price Comparison Websites (PCW) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020).Request for Sample Report:Scope of the ReportThe report entitled Global Price Comparison Websites (PCW) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020), provides analysis of the global price comparison website market, with detailed analysis of market size and growth, penetration, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides the regional analysis of the price comparison website market of the UK, with analysis by value, segments, penetration, etc.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global price comparison website market has been forecasted for the years 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth pattern, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.Make an Enquiry:Majority of the market is concentrated in the UK and major companies in the market are also UK based. Gocompare, Moneysupermarket, uSwitch and Confused.com are key companies in the UK price comparison website market. The company profiling of these companies has been done in the report, which includes business overview, financial overview and respective business strategies of the companies.Country CoverageUKCompany CoverageEsure Group Plc (Gocompare.com)MoneySuperMarket.com Group PlcZoopla Property Group (uSwitch)Admiral Group PLC (Confused.com)Executive SummaryA price comparison website is a search engine, which people use to compare the prices of different products. These websites are also called comparison shopping website, price analysis tool, comparison shopping agent, shopbot, etc. Along with prices, many other categories for comparing the products, such as features, quality, etc. are being added on these websites.Price comparison websites provide many benefits to both consumers and the suppliers. Consumers get convenience, increased choices, saving of time, etc., while suppliers are benefitted by increased visibility, new customers, etc.The price comparison websites can be segmented into Insurance, Energy and Others. Insurance segment includes motor insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, etc. Energy segment comprises of gas, electricity and others. Other products included in the market are broadband, mobiles, digital TV, etc.Browse Full Info with TOC:The price comparison website market is expected to increase at a significant growth rate during the forecasted period (2016-2020). The global price comparison website market is supported by various growth drivers, such as increase in smartphone users, increased internet penetration, increasing switching market, etc. Yet, the market faces certain challenges, such as issues related to reliability and trust, lack of knowledge, etc.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:
Non-Lethal Weapons Market to Reach $9,656 Million, Globally, by 2022

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/non-lethal-weapons-market

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-free-sample/1711

Non-Lethal Weapons Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $9,656 million by 2022, registering a CAGR of 8% during the period 2016-2022. Directed energy weapons segment is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. North America is expected to be the leading region in the global non-lethal weapons market throughout the forecast period.Access Full Summary at :The popularity of non-lethal weapons for handling critical riot situations has significantly increased, owing to factors such as minimal causalities, availability of cost-effective & advanced products, high efficiency to incapacitate targets, and others.Increasing budgetary expenses in defense sector, proactive research & development initiatives by market players, funding from government organizations, rising incidence of civil unrest, and other factors drive the market growth for non-lethal weapons industry. In addition, the adoption of non-lethal weapons, such as TASER, pepper sprays, and smoke bombs has increased among law enforcement agencies worldwide due to supportive government regulations and availability of low-cost products. Moreover, developments are under pipeline to introduce advanced weapons in directed energy weapons segment. For instance, Governments of U.S., China, and India have taken initiatives to develop advanced active denial systems to control riots. Increased awareness about benefits associated with the use of non-lethal self-defense weapons has fueled the demand for non-lethal weapons among civilians. However, stringent regulation and variations in weapon laws in specific regions limit the growth of non-lethal weapons industry.Download PDF copy at:In 2015, explosives, gases, and sprays accounted for maximum revenue shares in the overall non-lethal weapons market size due to their high demand, and availability of low-cost products. The latest developments in this segment are expected to boost the non-lethal weapons market growth. For instance, in July 2014, General Dynamics Corporation launched a 66-mm grenade system, Medusa and flashbang grenades. In 2014, Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC) tested the first-of-its-kind multicolored smoke bombs used for signaling by the U.S. army. In addition, in 2015, the directed energy weapons segment was the fastest growing segment, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 9% during the forecast period due to increasing scope of applications and technological advancements in this sector.The chemical non-lethal weapons segment dominated the global market in 2015. Furthermore, acoustic non-lethal weapons segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 9% during the forecast period due to increasing military expenditures, inclination towards mass crowd repellent weapons, and continuous technological improvements in product features.In 2015, law enforcement agencies segment generated the highest revenue in the global market, followed by the military segment. Moreover, personal application segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of over 8% during the forecast period due to factors such as increased number of violent crimes & homicide rates, increased awareness about personal safety and availability of low cost products.North America accounted for majority of the global market share in 2015, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Introduction of advanced non-lethal weapons technologies, such as active denial systems, coupled with increased awareness among consumers is expected to boost sales in this region.Key findings of the Non-Lethal Weapons Market:1. In 2015, explosives, gases, and sprays segment dominated the overall non-lethal weapons market in terms of revenue, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 7% during the forecast period.2. Acoustic non-lethal weapons segment is expected to grow at a remarkable CAGR of over 9% from 2016 to 2022.3. Directed energy weapons segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 9% during the forecast period.4. Law enforcement agencies segment is projected to generate the highest revenue in the market during the forecast period.5. In 2015, North America generated the highest revenue among all regions in the global non-lethal weapons market.General Dynamics Corporation, TASER International, Inc., LRAD Corporation, and Chemring Group PLC. are some of the prominent players in the market. Market players have focused on technological advancements of products, and partnerships & acquisitions for expansion in the market. For instance, in January 2016, Taser International, Inc. announced the launch of its latest non-lethal self-defense weapon, TASER Pulse, for personalized application segment to expand its customer base and increase product offerings in non-lethal weapons market. In April 2016, Safariland, LLC announced its partnership with ECM Technologies to expand its presence in South Africa.About UsAllied Analytics LLP provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". Allied Analytics LLP has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Sona Padmanabhan5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 (U.S. &Canada)Fax: +1(855)550-5975E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com
Rapeseed Oil Market by Regions, Manufacturers, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022

http://www.credenceresearch.com/report/rapeseed-oil-market

http://www.credenceresearch.com/sample-request/57707

According to a new market report published by Credence Research, Rapeseed Oil Market - Growth, Share, Opportunities, Competitive Analysis, and Forecast 2015 - 2021, the demand for rapeseed oil is perched to witness high demand due to rising awareness regarding the health benefits of rapeseed oil among the people.The most valuable agricultural crops worldwide are known to be oilseeds and their products. Large numbers of products are processed from oil crops which are used for various applications in the market such as oil, cosmetics, lotions, biodiesel etc. Rapeseed oil is produced from rape crop which is cultivated in most of the regions globally. It ranks third in global production of marine and vegetable oils and fifth in the production of oilseeds. The health benefits of rapeseed oil have led to high demand in food, production of biodiesel and various other applications in the market.Browse Full Report at:Global rapeseed oil market is anticipated to experience high demand during the forecast period due to medical benefits provided by this oil. The growing demand for biofuels has led to huge demand and production of biodiesel. Rapeseed oil is used on a large scale in production of biodiesel which thereby accounts for high production of rape crop in the world. Biodiesel accounts for second largest share of global rapeseed oil market. The major factor driving the demand for global rapeseed oil is, increase in global consumption of oil by the food industry. The other applications such as biodiesel, feed, etc are also expected to contribute to the growth of rapeseed oil in the market.Misconceptions regarding the use of rapeseed oil in food have therefore created hurdles in the growth and expansion of this oil in the market. Rapeseed oil was reported as toxic due to erucic acid content in the oil which led to structural changes in heart tissues. However, with the advent of technology and several refining procedures the content of erucic acid was proved to be very low. This cleared the path for growth of global rapeseed oil in the market.Europe accounted for larger share of global rapeseed oil market in 2015. Rape is the third largest crop cultivated in UK. Therefore, demand and supply of rapeseed oil is high in the region. The residents of Europe consume rapeseed oil for food as well as for other applications. Asia Pacific is expected to be second fastest growing market for rapeseed oil. Countries like China and India highly contribute to the demand for rapeseed oil for various applications. North America and Middle East demonstrate steady growth for rapeseed oil in 2015 but is projected to increase during the forecast period.Moreover, evolution of food and biodiesel industries has led to high demand for rapeseed oil. The awareness and importance of rapeseed oil for health and pollution free environment has boosted demand for rapeseed oil in various food hubs and industries. Biofuel industries are expected to generate high sales and demand in the near future due to rapid acceptance of biodiesel in many regions globally. Hence, emerging markets and major players are focusing on creating awareness for benefits of rapeseed oil among the population to serve many applications in the global market.Free Sample:Credence Research is a worldwide market research and counseling firm that serves driving organizations, governments, non-legislative associations, and not-for-benefits. We offer our customers some assistance with making enduring enhancements to their execution and understand their most imperative objectives. Over almost a century, weve manufactured a firm extraordinarily prepared to this task.105 N 1st ST #429, SAN JOSE,CA 95103, United States
The Freight Forwarding Market is Forecasted to Dominate the Saudi Arabia Logistics Market in Coming Future

https://www.kenresearch.com/automotive-transportation-and-warehousing/logistics-and-shipping/saudi-arabia-logistics-market-report/77655-100.html

www.kenresearch.com

The global market of logistics & warehousing services has shown a robust growth over the past few years owing to the increasing globalization and expanding retail & FMCG market. Also, the rising e-tail market worldwide has also positively impacted the market size of logistics industry. The companies operating in e-commerce sector requires warehouses and logistic partners in every country of the world in which they are operating.Rising government support in all the countries to improve trade relations with other countries, improving infrastructure (roadways, railways, airports and seaports), modern technologies, increasing number of logistics and warehousing service providers has driven the size of the industry.Asia pacific has majorly contributed to the revenues of the global logistics & warehousing market. The demand for logistics and warehousing services in emerging economies in the region such as India, China, Singapore and others has accelerated owing to the expanding industrial activities and government support in these countries. China is the major contributor to the growth in this region due to the presence of a large manufacturing base. India, on the other hand, is one of the most promising markets, which has attracted the government as well as logistics players to make massive investments in the country.Saudi Arabia logistics market has shown an impressive growth rate in 2015 owing to the expanding manufacturing & retail sector, rising expatriate population, growing number of foreign companies and increasing value of exports and imports in the countrySaudi Arabia has established itself as a leading country in logistics & Warehousing Industry under the GCC region. The kingdom is one of the fastest growing countries in the logistics and warehousing industry at the global level.Logistic services in the country have been successful in connecting different export and import markets of various countries across the world. Furthermore, over the past five years, billions of dollars have been invested by the government of Saudi Arabia towards development of logistics infrastructure. Saudi Arabia has been the foremost nation in the Middle East to focus on logistics.The freight forwarding sector is the leading segment towards the revenues of the logistics and warehousing industry. The logistics industry encompasses with several components such as transportation, warehousing, and value added services of which transportation forms the major proportion of the industry in India closely followed by value added services and warehousing.Saudi Arabia logistics & Warehousing industry has number of leading players in the organized market such as DHL, DB Schenker, Aramex, Panalpina, UPS, TNT , Fed Ex and others. The market in the country is majorly driven by e-commerce industry and rising trade volumes in the country.The rising demand of cold chain logistics in the country due to the increase in the consumption of meat & animal food has triggered the size of the logistics industry. The warehouses and fleet required for transportation of cold chain products are costlier than the logistics requirement for other products.For more information on the market research report please refer to the below link:Contact:Ken ResearchAnkur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communicationsquery@kenresearch.com+91-124-4230204Ken Research is a Global aggregator and publisher of Market intelligence research reports, equity reports, data base directories and economy reports. Our market research reports provides market sizing analysis, insights on promising industry segments, competition, future outlook and growth drivers in the space.KEN RESEARCH PVT. LTD. 27A, TOWER B-2, SPAZE I TECH BUSINESS PARK, SOHNA ROAD, SECTOR 49GURGAON, HARYANA - 122001, INDIA
Global Double Offset Butterfly Valve Market Demand, Research, Trends, Growth and Industry Overview 2016-2021

Researchbeam

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-double-offset-butterfly-valve-outlook-2016-2021-market/request-sample

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-double-offset-butterfly-valve-outlook-2016-2021-market

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-double-offset-butterfly-valve-outlook-2016-2021-market/purchase-enquiry

http://www.researchbeam.com

Research Beam added a report on Global Double Offset Butterfly Valve Market Outlook 2016-2021SUMMARYGlobal Double Offset Butterfly Valve Market Outlook 2016-2021 provides detailed market and segment level data on the Global and Chinese consumption of Double Offset Butterfly Valve. The report provides historic, forecast and growth patterns by company, country and type/application from 2016 to 2021.This report delivers an extensive overview of Global Double Offset Butterfly Valve Market with a focus on China. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies. It also helps the companies to better understand the trends of Soups market to seize opportunities and formulate crucial business strategies.Get Sample Copy of Report:With this report, you will get access to:1. Market overview including definition, industrial chain (upstream & downstream), manufacturing technology details and the costs analysis from the aspects of raw materials, labor costs and depreciation.2. Value and volume consumption status and trends of the market, including Global and Chinese top players capacity & production, price & production value, cost & profit and market shares from 2011 to 2016.3. Worldwide supply/demand pattern of Double Offset Butterfly Valve by country or region (North America, China, EMEA, Asia except China), and by application/type.4. Growth, trends and forecast of 2016-2021 Double Offset Butterfly Valve market and some important proposals for new investment of Double Offset Butterfly Valve Industry before evaluating its feasibility.Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 Global and Chinese Double Offset Butterfly Valve industry covering all important parameters.For More Information About This Report:Table of Contents:Chapter One Description1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Findings of IndustryChapter Two Brief Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Industry Chain StructureChapter Three Development and Trends3.1 Key Manufacturing Technologies3.2 Issues and TrendsChapter Four Cost Structure4.1 Bill of Materials (BOM)4.3 Labor Costs4.4 Depreciation Costs4.5 Manufacturing CostsChapter Five Worldwide Key VendorsChapter Six Market Overview6.1 Global Market Size6.2 Chinese Market SizeChapter Seven Market Status7.1 Market Competition Status by Key Vendors7.2 Regional Market Competition Status China North American EMEAAsia except ChinaChapter Eight Consumption Pattern8.1 Regional Consumption8.2 Global Consumption by Application8.3 Chinese Consumption by ApplicationChapter Nine Market Forecast9.1 Market Size Forecast9.2 Regional Consumption Forecast9.3 Global Consumption Forecast by Application9.4 Chinese Consumption Forecast by ApplicationChapter Ten Development/Trends10.1 Policies and Events10.2 2015 New SituationChapter Eleven Investment Feasibility AnalysisGet Discount on Report Purchase:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.5933 NE Win Sivers Drive, #205, Portland, OR 97220U.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452UK: + 44-845-528-1300, India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb:
FORE International OB & HR Conference 2016- the 5th FORE International Conference.

https://www.news-pr.in/fore-international-ob-hr-conference-2016-5th-fore-international-conference.html

FORE School of Management, New Delhi organized its 5th FORE International Conference in the OB&HR area i.e., FORE International OB and HR Conference (FIOHC) 2016, on November 24-25, 2016. The conference theme was Riding the New Tides  Navigating the Future through Effective People Management. The conference brought together the corporate and the academia who shared their experience on the theme. The conference in its different events like Inaugural, Plenary sessions, HR Leaders Conclave, and Technical tracks, etc., delved into real life anecdotes, shared ideas, talked about the trends in the industry, presented research papers and business case-studies making it a truly enriching endeavor for all the participants belonging to both corporate and academia.The ball started rolling with a pre-conference workshop on Theory Building on November 23, 2016, where the resource person was Dr. Stewert Clegg, Professor, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. He talked about data analysis, interviews, audio and video recordings and role of focused groups during the workshopNovember 24, 2016 of FIOHC 2016 began with auspicious lamp-lighting ceremony in the Inaugural Function and Conference Theme was introduced by the convener of the conference, Dr. Prachi Bhatt. Dr. Bhatt was joined by esteemed dignitaries on the dais and she invited Dr. Jitendra Das, Director, FORE School of Management, New Delhi for his Welcome Address. He introduced and welcomed Dr. Stewert Clegg, Professor, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, Chief Guest of the inaugural function. He also welcomed Col. (Dr.) S. P. Wahi, Guest of Honour of the function. He is the member of the Executive Board of FORE and Former Chairman - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Dr. Jitendra Das in his address said Some of the changes happening in the OB & HR sector are not visible. It is important to understand the changes and disruption happening due to technology, he said. Col. (Dr.) S. P. Wahi in his special address shared his experience and said Leadership is ability, not a position. Given his experience as a corporate leader, he shared a very realistic and contemporary definition of leaders attributes. Dr. Bhatt then invited Dr. Clegg for his Keynote address on People and Management in the corporation after the Global Financial Crisis. Dr. Cleggs address covered interesting topics including economic neoliberalism, recent historic events, digital age and changes after global financial crisis. "In 2014, the richest 1% of the people in the world owned 48% of global wealth, leaving just 52% to be shared between the other 99% of adults on the planet, he stated.As per FORE International Conference tradition, Co-conveners of FIOC 2015 along with the dignitaries unveiled the conference book entitled 'Competing through Operations Excellence'. The function ended by extending token of appreciation to the dignitaries followed by a Vote of thanks by Dr. Prachi Bhatt.Inaugural function was followed by three parallel technical tracks with 8 to 9 with papers/cases were presented in each track. After paper presentations, had an opportunity to interact with the guests during the lunch break.The gathering reconvened for the Plenary Session on New Trends in HR. Dr. Bishakha MAjumdar, Convener welcomed the esteemed speakers, i.e., Mr. Soumen Chatterjee, Global Lead-Strategic HR and LOB People Practices, HCL Technologies, Ms. Shaaista Quettawala, Head - HR, Bain & Company, Gurugram and Mr. S. Y. Siddiqui, Chief Mentor, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Gurugram. Mr. Chatterjee talked about the innovation in HCL and said, "Today most leaders are suffering with the dichotomy of business - whether to optimise current business or re-invent and innovate." Ms. Quettewala focused on Design Thinking and added, People don't stick to a company because of compensation, foreign trips or promotions. They do because they identify with the values of the company. Mr. Siddiqui, who also was session chair, looked back on the changes in the field during his expansive career and revealed how he took HR from a support function to the Board Room in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. This session ended with an interesting Q & A round.Then followed by a tea and a networking opportunity, participants reconvened for the HR Analytics workshop conducted by Prof. Ashok Kumar Harnal, Operations Area at FORE School of MAangement. SHRM Workshop on HR Certification was conducted by SHRM facilitator and provided valuable takeaways, and information for participants interested in HR certification. That brought the exciting day of activities to end on a high note.Dr. Rishikesha T. Krishnan Director, IIM Indore started Day 2 of FIOHC 2016 with his Keynote Address. He talked about the concept of The Rider, The Elephant, and The Path by Heath Brothers. The heart is an Elephant, the conscious mind is the Rider, and the environment is the Path. You have to direct the Rider, motivate the elephant and shape the path to sustain change, he said to a huge round of applause.Later, HR Leaders Conclave: The Next Big Idea started as schedule, where Dr. Priyanka Jaiswal, Convener, welcomed the speakers. Mr. Ashwini Mehra, Former Dy. Managing Director & Corporate Development Officer, State Bank of India, Mr. Ravi P. Singh Director (Personnel), Power Grid India Ltd., Ms. Veena Swarup Former Director, Engineers India Ltd., Delhi, Mr. Prakash Rao, Founding Member and Vice-President, Multi-Process HR Outsourcing, People Strong, Gurugram, were the other leading corporate speakers on the panel. Dr. Yasho V. Verma, Former Chief Operating Officer, LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd and also Board Member of FORE played a very important role of Session Chair of the concalve. Dr. Verma started the discussion with the challenges posed to the generation to come. Mr. Ashwini Mehra added, "HR is heart of any organization. Companies where people management is done efficiently tend to excel. Global competition, innovation has brought the need for revamp and e-HR is leading the way. Dr. Ravi P. Sharma stressed on the importance of employee relationship as he offered examples from his role as the Director of Power Grid India Pvt. Ltd. Ms. Swarup concluded the conclave by talking about Business Strategy. Major challenges that employees will face is a good work - life balance. To come up with a well defined roles and variety at work will be another challenge, she said. Mr. Prakash Rao, the next speaker of the conclave, took the discussion to another interesting side of HR i.e., Neuroscience in HR, Artificial Intelligence and Destructive Technology. Future work forces should be customer-centric, knowledge intensive, networked, highly productive, process excellence and a member of an agile team, he stated. At the end, Dr. Verma, encouraged Questions from the participants and concluded the discussion of the conclave acknowledging the changing environment and critical role of HR professionals.Three parallel technical tracks for case and paper presentation followed the lunch.In the Valedictory function of FIOHC 2016, Prof. Subir Verma, convener, presented the conference summary and thanked all those involved in organising FIOHC 2016, including thanks to the team conveners of FIOHC 2016 i.e., Dr. Prachi Bhatt, Dr. Priyanka Jaiswal and Dr. Bishakha Majumdar. Also, three best paper award and one best business case award was announced and a prize-money of Rs.10,000 each, were distributed to the winners. The conference ended with the Valedictory function in the presence of honourable dignitaries. Dr. Jitendra Das, Director, FORE School of Management, in his address appreciated the overwhelming participation of corporate and academia and research scholars in FIOHC 2016. He also mentioned about the upcoming FIOHC 2016 Book to be published by Emerald group of publishing, India. Chief Guest of the Valedictory Function was Mr. Suresh D. Tripathy, Vice-President  Human Resource Management, Tata Steel India, Jamshedpur. Dr. Vinayshil Gautam, Sr. Managing Director & Principal Economic Adviser Protiviti India Member Pvt. Ltd, and Member, Executive Board, was the Guest of Honour. Dr. Gautam made a Special Address on the occasion where he reminded that HR has been defined differently in different times. The future lies in dealing with managing people's skills. We need to understand that no individual is hired - it is the skills which are hired, he said. Mr. Tripathy in his Valedictory Address talked about digitalization and hinted to what lies ahead. Prepare yourself for the tide, foresee it, he said. Mr. Tripathi also added "Job descriptions are fluid now. Going forward, only few employees will be part of the core teams, rest will be on contractual work for their skills. Managing people is a challenge but also an opportunity. The event ended with Prof. Subir Vermass Vote of Thanks, followed by networking session and tea.Source:News-pr.in is a self-made ocean of current news, press release and updates coming from varied nooks and corners of the global society. With the sheer assistance of numerous news suppliers, we serve our readers with hottest news and happenings.C 21 A Anand Vihar, Uttam NagarNew Delhi, Delhi, India 110059
Breast Pumps Market Poised for Steady Growth in the Future

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-967

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-967

www.futuremarketinsights.com

"Breast Pumps Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, a new report by research and consulting firm, Future Market Insights (FMI) forecasts the global breast pumps market to increase at 5% CAGR through 2026 and surpass US$ 2 Bn in revenues. The report offers 10-year forecast and analysis on the basis of product, technology, application, and region. Key companies profiled in the report include Koninklijke Philips N.V, Pigeon Corporation, Jarden Corporation, Goodbaby International Holdings Ltd., Medela Inc., Ameda Inc., Hygeia Medical Group II, Bailey Medical, Handi-Craft Company, Mayborn Group Limited, and Linco Baby Merchandise Works Co., Ltd.Breast pumps havent undergone the same level of innovation as other medical devices, prompting the Make the Breast Pump Not Suck hackathon at MIT Media Lab in 2014. The hackathon received massive media coverage, bringing daunting challenges associated with breast pumps to the limelight. While breast pumps have enabled women to maintain their milk production and provide nutritious feed to their babies in their absence, using the pumps has been a complicated affair. High cost, deafening loud motors, and difficulty in cleaning numerous parts has forced many women to wean.Request For Report Sample:The winners of M.I.Ts hackathon presented interesting, futuristic ideas that could change the breast pumps landscape for the better. Hands-free, discrete, and easy to clean  the winning products incorporated features that women have been yearning for a long time. Manufacturers looking to gain a competitive edge need to work on including these features in their offerings.Global Breast Pumps Market: Challenges and OpportunitiesGlobal demand for breast pumps will continue to grow, as the percentage of working moms increases, especially in developing countries. Breast pumps use as a life-saving device for infants who cannot feed directly from the breast is also expected to contribute to global demand.According to FMIs report, double electric breast pumps are witnessing higher demand than single electric- and manual- breast pumps. Ease of use and faster expression of milk are the key factors driving demand for double electric breast pumps. Overall, demand for breast pumps is higher from individual consumer (s) vis-a-vis hospitals.Send An Enquiry:High Demand Expected in Emerging EconomiesNorth America and Western Europe are the two largest markets for breast pumps globally, with the former accounting for nearly 35% revenue share of the market in 2015. Developing economies promise myriad growth opportunities to manufactures, as the breast pumps market in these region is still in its infancy. According to FMIs report, the Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) breast pumps market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 7.1% CAGR, whereas the Eastern Europe breast pumps market is expected to increase at 4.5% CAGR. Russia is the most lucrative market for breast pumps in Eastern Europe, and is projected to increase at 4.6% CAGR during the forecast period.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Cloud IAM Market Size, Growth, Innovation Driven By Industry Demands And Forecast Research Report 2017

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/908961

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

This report studies Cloud IAM in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCA TechnologiesIBM CorporationEMC CorporationIntel CorporationMicrosoft CorporationDell Inc.OktaSailpoint Technologies Inc.Onelogin Inc.Ping Identity CorporationCentrify CorporationMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Cloud IAM in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoAccess ManagementUser ProvisioningDirectory ServicesSingle Sign-On (SSO)Password ManagementAudit Compliance and Governance ManagementSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Cloud IAM in each application, can be divided intoSmall and Medium BusinessesEnterprisesGet Sample Copy of This Report:Table of ContentsGlobal Cloud IAM Market Research Report 20171 Cloud IAM Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Cloud IAM1.2 Cloud IAM Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Cloud IAM by Type in 20151.2.2 Access Management1.2.3 User Provisioning1.2.4 Directory Services1.2.5 Single Sign-On (SSO)1.2.6 Password Management1.2.7 Audit Compliance and Governance Management1.3 Cloud IAM Segment by Application1.3.1 Cloud IAM Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Small and Medium Businesses1.3.3 Enterprises1.4 Cloud IAM Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Cloud IAM (2011-2021)2 Global Cloud IAM Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Cloud IAM Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Cloud IAM Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Cloud IAM Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Cloud IAM Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Cloud IAM Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Cloud IAM Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Cloud IAM Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Cloud IAM Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Cloud IAM Production and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Cloud IAM Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.4 North America Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 Europe Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 China Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 Japan Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Southeast Asia Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 India Cloud IAM Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)4 Global Cloud IAM Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Cloud IAM Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America Cloud IAM Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.3 Europe Cloud IAM Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.4 China Cloud IAM Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.5 Japan Cloud IAM Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.6 Southeast Asia Cloud IAM Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.7 India Cloud IAM Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)5 Global Cloud IAM Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Cloud IAM Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global Cloud IAM Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global Cloud IAM Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global Cloud IAM Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)6 Global Cloud IAM Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Cloud IAM Consumption and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)6.2 Global Cloud IAM Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:ContactTel: +1-518-621-2074E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizWebsite:MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
FMI seeks a positive long-term outlook on global agar market and anticipated global value of agar to surpass US$ 357,091.6 by 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-330

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-330

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Agar being used as an essential natural ingredient in food and beverages; in technical application; in bacteriological and many other sectors is propelling the demand for agar. Future Market Insights (FMI) estimates global agar volume to surpass 10,968.8 tonnes by 2016 end and represent market value of over US$ 220,838.5.In global market, the demand for agar is dominated by food and beverage segment which especially includes bakery and dairy products. Companies dealing in agar products are promoting agar as an ingredient which has natural and health benefits. Apart from its wide application in food and beverages industry, its application is also increasing in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, media culture and medical analytics.Request Free Report Sample@Food and beverage industry is the largest segment which are preferring agar as a thickener and stabilising agent and is expected to account for over 84.0% value share in 2016. Moreover, food and beverage segment is expected to reach 9,216.8 tonnes in 2016  an increase of 1.5% over 2015.The form segment includes strips and powder. With powder segment registering significant revenue generation and estimated to account for 63.5% value share in 2016. FMI estimates global consumption of agar powder to surpass 6,969.7 tonnes by 2016 end, an increase of 1.7% in 2016 over 2015.In terms of consumption, Western Europe is the largest consumer with the total consumption estimated at 3,012.7 tonnes in 2015. Among all the regions, APEJ is predicted to observe robust growth over forecast period 20162026.Send An Enquiry@Agarmex, New Zealand Manuka Group, Hispanagar, Acroyali Holdings Qingdao Co. Ltd., Industrias Roko, S.A, Neogen, Merck Group, Agarindo Bogatama, Setexam and Norevo Gmbh are the major companies identified across the value chain in the global agar market. Companies are also emphasising on research and development for application of agar in technical applications.Long-Term outlook:FMI seeks a positive long-term outlook on global agar market and anticipated global value of agar to surpass US$ 357,091.6 by 2026. Volume-wise, the global agar market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 2.6% through 2026.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Specialty Silicas Market to Register a Strong Growth By 2020

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3424

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3424

Specialty silicas are chemical compounds that are made predominantly from silica or silicon dioxide (SiO2). Specialty silicas are found in shape of chunks, sawed or trimmed blocks, round pebbles, and other shapes. Specialty silicas are widely adopted in food and beverages industry, footwear manufacturing, rubbers and production of green tires.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the basis of silica type, the global silicas market can be segmented as precipitated silica sol, silica gel, and fumed silica. Precipitated silica sol is the largest market segment of specialty silicas market owing to the increase use of it in automotive tyres manufacturing. Based on the various end user applications, the market can be segmented in three different categories namely chemicals, rubber, and food and beverages. Rubber was the largest market segment of specialty silicas in 2013. It is expected that rubber will be also the fastest growing market segment in the forecasted period owing to the increase adoption of silica rubbers in environment friendly automotive tyres. The demand of Silica sol is mainly expected from growing end user industries such as paper coatings and semiconductor polishing market.Increasing global concern over environmental sustainability coupled with different labeling regulations by the government in different part of the world is the major driver of this industry. Moreover better performance specification of green tires made up of specialty silicas such as higher resistance, less rolling friction enhance vehicle fuel economy, and increasing consumption of processed food and beverage, are some of the dominant drivers of the global specialty silicas market.Asia Pacific is the largest market of the specialty silicas followed by Europe and North America. The growth is highest in Asia Pacific region owing to growth of the sizable Chinese market especially in automotive industry. China accounts for more than half of the total market share of specialty silicas in Asia Pacific. It is then followed by India and Japan. Middle East and Europe are the other two fasted growing market of specialty silicas attributed to growing export-oriented manufacturing industries in this region. North America specialty silicas market is heading towards maturity and a below average growth is expected from this region.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in global specialty silicas market include, Akzo Nobel NV, Cabot Corporation, Ecolab Incorporated, Evonik Industries AG, Gujarat Multi Gas Base Chemicals Private Limited, Imerys SA, Oriental Silicas Corporation, Solvay SA, and Zhuzhou Xinglong Chemical Industry Company Limited.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa achieves since 8 years prestigious Travelife Gold Certification

www.travelife.org

www.travelifecollection.com

http://www.cyanhotels.com/

The Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa in Amoudara, Crete has achieved the internationally recommended Travelife for Hotels & Accommodations Gold Certification since 8 years. Travelife, the sustainable tourism certification system, has assessed the Apollonia Beach Resort & Spas performance in responsibly managing its socio-economic and environmental impacts.To gain a Travelife Gold certification the Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa is assessed against 150 sustainability criteria and after two years, this will be reviewed. The assessment criteria includes environmental issues, such as minimising the amount of energy, waste and water. The social criteria recognises positive actions for employee welfare, working with the local community and businesses, child protection and human rights. They must also show how they are protecting local traditions and wildlife.Travelife is an international certification system, promoting sustainability within the tourism industry. It helps tour operators, hotels and accommodations to manage and monitor their social and environmental impacts, as well as communicate their achievements to customers. It is an easy to use sustainability system which provides members with a practical framework to improve their business.For more information about the Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations please visit:orApollonia Beach Resort & Spa is located directly on the long and sandy beach of Amoudara, just a few kilometres away from Heraklion only a few minutes away from famous archaeological sites (like Knossos) and landscapes of natural beauty.With 334 rooms, bungalows and suites - that make up the five-story main building and 3 bungalow complexes - the hotel offers all the comforts necessary for an enjoyable accommodation and a memorable vacation.Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa is a member of Cyan group of hotels. The hotelgroup was founded in 1977 and represents three hotels. The Apollonia Beach Resort & Spa - 5 * star with 334 rooms, the Santa Marina Beach - 4 * star with 208 rooms and the Sitia Beach City Resort & Spa - 5 * star with 161 rooms. The workforce consists over 350 employees. The hotels situated at Ammoudara in Heraklion and Sitia.Contact info:Cyan group of hotelsP.O. Box 32, Gazi 71414Heraklion, CreteGreeceTel.: +30 2810 821602Fax: +30 2810 821433E-mail: marketing@cyanhotels.comWeb:Cyan group of hotelsP.O. Box 32, Gazi 71414Heraklion, CreteGreece
CVD Coating Technology Market is Anticipated to Register a Double Digit Growth Rate During the Forecast Period 2016-2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=15377

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) is an atmosphere controlled coating process carried out at high temperatures and is usually carried out in CVD reactors. It is mainly employed for surface coating process to produce high purity bulk materials that are used across various industries. Ongoing technological advancements and innovations in the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology are anticipated to supplement the growth of global CVD Coating Technology Market over the forecast period. The CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology has excellent resistance against wear and possesses good adherence properties and gives coating thickness up to 20 micrometers.Download Research Brochure PDF@Global CVD Coating Technology Market : Drivers & RestraintsThe global CVD coating technology market is primarily driven by the demand for advanced coating process from the various industries such as, semi-conductor industry, automotive industry and aerospace industry among others, to fulfill the need for effective protective coatings to minimize corrosion and increase the durability and resistance to wear and tear. Furthermore, coatings based on CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology in automotive parts such as, pistons, crankshaft and valve trains helps in reducing the friction, which in turn helps in increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles by nearly 10% and reduces the carbon emissions, thus, fulfilling the regulations for emissions set by the government. Apart from the automotive industry, the demand for CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology in the semi-conductor industry for coating of micro electronic systems is further augmenting the demand for CVD coating technology market globally. On the plus side, macroeconomic factors such as, rise in disposable income of middle-class population has witnessed rise in consumer spending on consumer electronics and vehicle purchase, which in turn is propelling the growth of automotive industry and consumer electronics industry benefiting the global CVD Coating technology market. Some notable trends in the CVD Coating technology market are the technological innovations and significant spending on developing the existing CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology for instance, CERATIZIT a leading hard metal cutting tool manufacturer and wear protection solution provider has developed the worlds first multi-layer CVD coating technology for further enhancement of service life of hard metal cutting tools. However, the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process are carried out at very high temperatures and the process cant be carried out for several metal such as TiAIN (Titanaluminiumnitrid), for which PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) is used, which might hamper the growth of global CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology market.Global CVD Coating Technology Market : SegmentationThe global CVD coating technology market is segmented on the basis of CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process types, applications and region:On the basis of CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process type, the global CVD coating technology market is segmented into:APCVD (Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition)LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition)MOCVD (Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition)PACVD (Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition)LCVD (Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition)PCVD (Photochemical Vapor Deposition)CVI (Chemical Vapor Infiltration)CBE (Chemical Beam Epitaxy)On the basis of applications, the global CVD coating technology market is segmented into:AutomotiveConsumer ElectronicsMetal Cutting ToolsDecorativeAerospaceCVD Coating Technology Market : Regional OutlookBased on geographies, the global CVD coating technology market is segmented into five regions North Americas CVD coating technology market, Latin Americas CVD coating technology market, Europes CVD coating Technology Market, Asia-Pacifics CVD Coating Technology Market and Middle East & Africas CVD Coating technology market. Among the aforementioned regions, Asia-Pacific region is estimated to be account for dominant share in the global CVD coating technology market, owing to the rapid industrialization in the region, with a promising automotive industry growth and an attractive consumer electronics market, the Asia-Pacific market for CVD Coating technology market is anticipated to be dominant throughout the forecast period registering highest growth rate as compared to other markets. Asia-Pacific is followed by Europe and North America for global CVD coating technology market. Overall the global CVD coating technology market is anticipated to register a double digit growth rate during the forecast period.Global CVD Coating Technology Market : Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the global CVD coating technology market includes Richter Precision Inc., Sulzer Ltd, Ti-Coating, Inc., ENDURA Coatings, sp3 Diamond Technologies, CemeCon AG Germany and CERATIZIT among others.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data on CVD coating technology market . The CVD Coating Technology Market also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The CVD Coating Technology Market research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technology and applications.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Pellet Fuel Market is driven by Increasing fossil fuel prices and environmental concerns : 2024

Pellet Fuel Market, Global Pellet Fuel Market, Pellet Fuel Industry Analysis, Pellet Fuel Market Size

http://bit.ly/2iivjTZ

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pellet-fuel-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Pellet Fuel Market: OverviewIncreasing fossil fuel prices and environmental concerns have laid a direct implication on the pellet fuel market. According to a recent article published in Biofuel, Bioproducts and Biorefining (Biofpr) (2009) the wood pellet production in Europe was more than 10 million metric tons. The EU 2020 policy regarding the greenhouse gases emission and use of renewable energy resources are likely to create a positive impact in the pellet fuel market. Increasing natural gas and crude oil prices can serve as an important factor towards the use of pellet fuels. As per the biomass magazine the demand for the pellet fuels are directly related to the natural gas prices.Download the Exclusive Report Here :Pellet Fuel Market: SegmentationSegmentation of the pellet fuel market can be done on the basis type of feedstock, grade, applications and location of pellet fuel using countries. Pellet fuel is made with the help of compressed biomass. On the basis of the feedstock pellet fuels can be classified as wood pellets, corn pellets, and grass pellets. Wood pellets are the most widely used types of pellet fuels. Wood pellets are prepared by the compression of the left over or the recycled woods.The Wood pellets are mainly available as standard grade and premium grade. Standard grade contains 3% ash content and premium grade contain less than 1% ash content. Corn pellets are similar to wooden pellets in terms of cost to heat production ratio. Although the technology for the development of the stoves to use grass pellets is still in development phase, but there are many types of grasses that can be converted to pellet fuel. Some of the grasses that can be used for the production of pellet fuel are reed canary grass, switch grass and miscanthus. Pellet fuels are used in pellet stoves, pellet baskets and furnaces as a source of fuel.Pellet Fuel Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographical segmentation can be done on the basis of the location of pellet fuel consuming countries. Some of the major pellet fuel consumer countries include the United States (North America), Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Denmark Austria, Netherlands and Russia (Europe), Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand (Asia Pacific). In Belgium, Netherlands and United Kingdom the pellet fuels are mainly used as fuel for large scale power plants. In Denmark and Sweden the pellet fuel is mainly used in the small scale power plants and residential heating systems. As per the report published by the European Union, the United Kingdom (4540000 tons), Denmark (2500000 tons) and Netherlands (2000000) tons are the three largest pellet fuel consumers in Europe.Development of high efficiency pellet fuel stoves, low green house gas emissions, low cost of feedstock (corn, grass, wood), supportive government policies and depleting fossil fuel reserves are the main factors that are acting as the drivers for the development of the pellet fuel market. High costs associated with designing of pellet fuel stoves and chimneys are the main restraints to the pellet fuel market. Recent government policies encouraging the use of clean and renewable sources of energy, depleting and unevenly distributed fossil fuel reserves can act as the opportunities for the development of the fuel pellet market in future.Major pellet fuel producing companies include German Pellets Louisiana, Enviva Pellets Northampton LLC, Enova Energy Group, Bear Mountain Forest Products and Farm Renewable Fuels.Browse the Full Brochure at :The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:-Market segments and sub-segments-Market trends and dynamics-Supply and demand-Market size-Current trends/opportunities/challenges-Competitive landscape-Technological breakthroughs-Value chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:-North America (U.S. and Canada)-Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)-Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, -Luxembourg)-Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)-Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)-Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Waterborne Coatings Market Is Expected To Generate Huge Profits by 2020

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3460

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3460

Waterborne coatings are green substrates using water as solvent to dissolve a resin, making them environment friendly and easy to apply. These coatings usually contain approximately 80% of water with minimum quantities of other solvents such as glycol ethers. As per the U.S. and European regulations of waterborne coatings to have a VOC content less than 3.5 gallons of water, these are considered eco-friendly in nature. Various types of coatings such as water-soluble paints, water-dispersible paints, latex paints and water-based alkyds are used for a variety of applications including automotive, industrial, architectural, wood, and packaging.A sample of this report is available upon request @Significant investments from certain large scale companies such as BASF SE, AkzoNobel, and Valspar among others to expand in quite a few countries of Asia Pacific and Latin America have been witnessed. Demand for green coatings in these regions have still been in the development and are anticipated to have a huge potential in the near future. Moreover, focus on R&D activities in the green coatings industry coupled with product innovation has also contributed to the growth of the market.Growing demand for non-hazardous, eco-friendly, low VOC green coatings from the end-user industry are expected to boost the demand for waterborne coating over the next few years. In addition, growth of the automotive and construction industry has also been the current growth factors for waterborne coatings. However, increasing use of other better performing green substrates such as powder coatings is expected to hamper the growth of the waterborne coatings market.North America was the largest consumer for waterborne coatings. However, future market growth is expected to be from Asia Pacific. Green coatings are expected todominate the market over the next few years due to the expansions by the major manufacturers in emerging economies such as China and India in the region.Request to view Table of content @AkzoNobel, Asian Paints Limited, BASF SE, Hempel A/S, Jotun A/S, Masco Corporation, PPG Industries Inc., Rpm International Inc., The Valspar Corporation, and Tikkurila OYJ among others are some of the key players involved in the waterborne coatings industry.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Multipack Bottles Market is Expected to Exhibit High CAGR During the Forecast Period 2016-2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14438

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The demand for multipack bottles is increasing for initial product promotional offers and to ease transportation of fragile bottles. Multipacks can consist of four or more bottles. Different packaging styles are used depending on the type of bottled product and used packaging material. Nature Multipack by NMP systems GmbH is the latest innovation in multipack bottles market. This technology involves bonding of bottles with the adhesives. The multipack is provided with handles and the bottles can be oriented as per the manufacturers marketing requirements. As compared to the conventional methods of packaging, this method uses less material and enhances the look. Danone waters collaborated with NMP systems GmbH to implement this technology.Download PDF Brochure:Multipack Bottles Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe increasing e-commerce sales of food and beverages is the major driver for the growth of multipack bottles market. The manufacturers now provide promotional offers for their newly launched products. Products are promoted through purchase with purchase strategy. Thus, the marketing strategy leads to the sale and packaging of multiple units and it boosts the global multipack bottles market growth. If the products are fragile as in food and beverage industry, multipack bottles facilitates ease in transportation. Moreover, food or beverage packing is a part of advertising and multipack bottles enhances the look of the product to attract the consumers. The innovative packaging technologies in pharmaceutical industry is expected to boost growth of global multipack bottles market.Multipack Bottles Market: SegmentationOn the basis of material, the global multipack bottles market can be segmented as follows:-Paper and PaperboardShrink WrapPlasticAdhesivesCartonCorrugated BoxContainerOn the basis of packaging style, the global paperboard multipack bottles market can be segmented as follows:-Neck-thru styleOver the topBasket Wrap with Neck-thruCluster ClipCluster SleeveOn the basis of packaging style, the global shrink film multipack bottles market can be segmented as follows:-Print registered filmNested PackPad SupportedTray SupportedLabel OrientationCarry HandlesOn the basis of end users, the global multipack bottles market can be segmented as follows:-Beverage IndustryPharmaceutical IndustryRetail and Consumer Products IndustryMultipack Bottles Market: Region Wise OutlookThe global multipack bottles market can be divided into five regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America and Europe holds major share in the global multipack bottles market. The mature retail outlets and food processing industries contribute to the growth of multipack bottles market in these regions. Europe holds significant share in global alcoholic beverages market, which is anticipated to propel the global multipack bottle market in the region. North America accounts for significant share in the global pharmaceutical market. The export of pharma products to the developing economies is also increasing, which is expected to increase the share of North America in global multipack bottles market. MEA is anticipated to project moderate CAGR over the forecast period, due to the expansion of beverages industry in the region. APAC is anticipated to project higher growth in the global packaging industry owing to increasing e-commerce sales and retail outlets, and is expected to have significant share in global multipack bottles market over the forecast period. The growth rate of retail packaging is increasing in Latin America, which is expected to propel the growth of multipack bottles market in the region.Multipack Bottles Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global Multipack Bottles market are as follows:KHS GmbHWestRock CompanyZAMBELLI PACKAGINGMultiscience GmbHMulti-Pack Solutions LLCPolypackAbout TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Paints and Coatings Market to Exceed US$ 158 Billion by 2021

Paints and Coatings Market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/paints-and-coatings-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/paints-and-coatings-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

Florida, January 12: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Paints & Coatings Market by Resin Type (Epoxy, Acrylic, Polyurethane, & Others), by Technology (Waterborne, High Solids, Powder, Solvent Borne, & Others), by Application (Architectural & Paints) - Global Forecasts to 2020The global paints and coatings market is expected to reach $125.0 billion by the end of 2015 and further increase to $153.6 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9% over the next five-year period of 2015 through 2020.Browse Full Report here:A coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. The purpose of applying the coating is protective, decorative, functional, or both. The coating itself may be an all-over coating, completely covering the substrate, and cover parts of the substrate.The paint and coating market segmented in High Solids/Radiation Cure, Powder Coatings, Waterborne Coatings, and Solvent Borne Technologies. Also for the automotive sector it segmented for Aviation, Medical & Healthcare, Residential, Commercial uses.This report provides: An overview of the global market for paints and coatings and related technologies. Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020. Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for paints and coatings. Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications. Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.Download Free Sample Report:REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include AkzoNobel N.V., Asian Paints Ltd., Bergers Paints India Ltd., Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke Von Robert Murjahn Stiftung & Company, Diamond Vogel, Dow Corning, Helios Group, KCC Corporation, Masco Corporation, PPG Industries etc. company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The market has been segmented as below:Paints and Coatings Market: by Product Segment Analysis High solids/radiation cure Powder coating Waterborne coating Solvent-borne technologies Others (including specialty coatings, etc.)Paints and Coatings Market: by End-user Analysis Automotives & aviation Medical & healthcare Residential Commercial Others (including other industries, special purpose, etc.)Paints and Coatings Market: by Regional Analysis North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the WorldReasons to Buy this Report Obtain the most up to date information available on all active and planned coating industry globally Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of coating industry and unit capacity data Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Website:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f344977%2f387c4e50-375c-4a69-9da7-1ff59907ca83

President-elect Donald J. Trump's secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson has been a bit of an enigma when it comes to his views on climate change. Unlike the nominees to head the Environmental Protection Agency, or the Department of Energy, he does not neatly fall into the climate denier camp.

In fact, under his tenure as CEO of ExxonMobil, the company acknowledged the need to address global warming, endorsed a carbon tax and publicly supported the Paris Climate Agreement.

However, these moves came after decades of work to research the science behind climate change and then suppress, confuse and distort that science to protect the company's business interests.

SEE ALSO: A guide to Trump's alarming cabinet full of climate deniers

Currently, at least two state attorneys general are investigating Exxon for its role in a climate disinformation campaign, along similar lines to inquiries that led to historic settlements with the tobacco industry in the 1990s.

The revelations that have emerged about ExxonMobil's historical knowledge of climate science, specifically the fact the burning oil and gas was causing global climate change, is known by the hashtag #ExxonKnew.

It's shameful Tillerson refused to answer my questions on his company's role in funding phony climate science. Bottom line: #ExxonKnew  Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) January 11, 2017

Against this backdrop, the confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Tillerson was seen as a good opportunity to get him on the record regarding his views on climate change, and what his agenda on the issue would be were he to get the job.

His answers are likely to disappoint climate activists  who marched to the Senate in T. Rex costumes to protest his nomination  and scientists alike.

Story continues

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia asked Tillerson about Exxon's decision to fund organizations that put out misleading information about climate science.

Tillerson dodged the questions, specifically whether the allegations from investigative reporting by the Columbia Journalism School, Los Angeles Times and InsideClimateNews are true.

Senator, since I am no longer with ExxonMobil I am not in position to speak on its behalf, I would have to defer to them," he said.

Kaine asked whether Tillerson was unable to answer the question because of a lack of knowledge or if he was refusing to answer it.

"A little of both," was the reply, which was met with chuckles in the room.

Tillerson's views don't align with scientific community

During the first morning of his confirmation hearings, Tillerson was also asked about his personal views on global warming.

The risk of climate change does exist and the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken," Tillerson said, noting that the most disagreement concerns what those actions should be.

When pressed further, however, Tillerson said:

The increase in the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect, our ability to predict that effect is very limited.

Climate scientists would disagree with the latter part of that statement, considering that the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have long been predicted to  and are in fact already causing  global average temperatures to increase, sea levels to rise, precipitation extremes and heat waves to grow more frequent and extreme, along with other widespread impacts.

Sea ice loss contributed to a record warm fall of 2016 in the Arctic.

Image: noaa

Katharine Hayhoe, a climate researcher at Texas Tech University, clarified that climate models make projections based on emissions scenarios rather than predictions.

"Projections of the climate impacts associated with a given scenario, pathway, or amount of emissions, however, are based on physics and chemistry, the fundamentals of which have been understood since the work of Tyndall and Foote in the 1850s, she said.

"To say that we don't understand the impacts or effects that a given scenario or amount of continued fossil fuel use will have on our planet was a correct statement to make in the 1800s. In 2017? Not so much."

The Pentagon and intelligence community has even concluded that climate change is a major concern and a national security priority.

Michael Mann, who directs the Earth Systems Science Center at Penn State University, said Tillerson's statement on climate science is "indefensible."

"It is the overwhelming consensus of the worlds scientists that our the burning of fossil fuels is not just having 'an effect,' but (a) is most likely responsible for all of the warming we have seen over the past half century and (b) is already having damaging impacts on all sectors of our economy," Mann said in an email to Mashable.

"Moreover, our ability to project future warming is not 'very limited,'" he said.

"Climate models have proven extremely skillful in predicting the warming that has already been observed and, by many measures (e.g. Arctic sea ice loss, melting of the major ice sheets) it is proceeding faster than climate models predicted," he added.

"If anything, uncertainty is breaking against us, not with us, which belies Tillersons implications to the contrary."

Similarly, David Titley, the director of the Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk at Penn State who previously led the U.S. Navy's climate change task force, also found Tillerson's skepticism about climate science's predictive capabilities to be problematic.

"The ability of climate scientists to predict the future is significantly more skillful than many other professions (economics, intelligence, political science) who try and predict the future," he said in an email to Mashable. "When viewed from a risk management perspective, climate science has given plenty of useful, actionable information for decision-makers to use for many years."

"...While Tillersons statement may be technically correct for small spatial scales and small timescales, it is very misleading in the sense of what climate models and climate scientists can and do [to] inform policy makers about future projections."

As for U.N. climate negotiations

Tillerson, who worked at Exxon for his entire 42-year career, rising from the position of engineer to CEO, said the U.S. should stay engaged in the United Nations climate negotiations process.

Members of Greenpeace protest the nomination for Secretary of State of nominee Rex Tillerson during his confirmation hearing, on Wed., Jan. 11, 2017.

Image: Sipa USA via AP

I think its important that the US maintain its seat at the table on the conversations that address the threats of climate change, Tillerson said regarding engagement in the U.N. climate talks.

However, he stopped just short of specifically endorsing the Paris agreement, saying at one point, No one country is going to solve this alone.

Speaking of the Paris Agreement, Tillerson said: I think were better served by being at the table than leaving the table.

Trump has pledged to "cancel" the agreement, meaning that he would pull the U.S. out of it, which could deal a significant blow to international progress to rein in global warming.

The Paris Climate Agreement, which went into effect in November, is the first global agreement on climate change that includes pledges from all countries of the world to reduce their emissions of global warming pollutants such as carbon dioxide.

Its encouraging that Tillerson recognizes that climate change requires a global response and that the U.S. must be at the table," said David Waskow, director of the International Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Waskow added:

Tillerson said President-elect Trump has solicited his views on climate change. Trump himself has, in the past, dismissed human-caused global warming a "hoax."

The president-elect has asked for my views on climate change, Tillerson said.

Ultimately the president-elect, he was elected, and I will carry out his policies.

BONUS: Gov. Jerry Brown says California will build its 'own damn satellite' under Trump




Global Poultry Vaccines Market 2017 : Ceva Sante Animale, Heska Corporation, Indian Immunologicals Ltd, Lohmann Animal Health, Merck Animal Health

Poultry Vaccines

http://bit.ly/2ij7bQQ

http://bit.ly/2janQe2

A market study based on the "Poultry Vaccines Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Poultry Vaccines Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Poultry Vaccines industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Poultry Vaccines market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This ReportBoehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany)Ceva Sante Animale (France)Heska Corporation (US)Indian Immunologicals Ltd (India)Lohmann Animal Health (US)Merck Animal Health (US)Merial Ltd. (US)Protein Sciences Corporation (US)Virbac SA (France)Zoetis Inc. (US)The report studies the industry for Poultry Vaccines across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Poultry Vaccines market & dynamics of demand and supply of Poultry Vaccines into consideration. The 'Poultry Vaccines'research study covers each and every aspect of the Poultry Vaccines market globally, which starts from the definition of the Poultry Vaccines industry and develops towards Poultry Vaccines market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Poultry Vaccines market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Poultry Vaccines market. The geographical segmentation of the Poultry Vaccines industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Poultry Vaccines is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Poultry Vaccines market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Poultry Vaccines market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Poultry Vaccines market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Poultry Vaccines production volume, data regarding demand and Poultry Vaccines supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Poultry Vaccines across the globe.About Us :Business worldwide are a trusted brand in the research industry with capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business worldwide, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us :Business WorldwideUnited States
Smart Healthcare Products Market  North America to Dominate the Market by 2023

Smart Healthcare Products Market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/smart-healthcare-products-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/smart-healthcare-products-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

New York, January 12: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Smart Healthcare Products Market By Product Type (Electronic health record, Smart RFID cabinets, Smart pills, Smart Syringes) and By Industry Verticals (Inventory management, Monitoring management, Health data storage and exchange)  Global Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2022The smart healthcare products market is expected to exceed more than US$ 57 billion by 2023 growing at a CAGR of more than 8% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:Smart system includes various functions such as controlling, actuation and sensing. These are used to analyze and describe a situation and take any decision based on the present data in adaptive manner or predictive manner so that it performs smart action. Smart system also depends upon network capabilities, energy efficiency and closed loop control. In the healthcare division smart healthcare system tools guide to enhance treatment, diagnostic tools and quality of life for patients. At the same time it is also reducing the costs of community healthcare organization. Cochlear implants, artificial pancreas and artificial organs are smart miniaturized devices which having key development in the smart health care system. There are various smart healthcare products available in the market such as Withings aura, AMI bolt, Wello iPhone case, HAPIfork, wireless smart gluco monitoring system, sound hawk, iBGStar blood glucose meter and more.The smart healthcare products market is segmented on the lines of its product segment, industry vertical and regional. Based on product segmentation the smart healthcare product covers electronic health record, smart RFID cabinets, smart pills and smart syringes. The smart healthcare products market is segmented on the lines of its industry vertical like inventory management, monitoring management and health data storage and exchange. The smart healthcare products market is geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.Download Free Sample Report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for smart healthcare products and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for smart healthcare products.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Epic Systems Corporation, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., eClinicalWorks, CapsoVision, Inc. Medtronic, Olympus Corporation, Becton Dickinson and Company, Terumo Corporation, Stanley Healthcare, and TAGSYS. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Smart Healthcare Products Market has been segmented as below:By Product TypeElectronic health recordSmart RFID cabinetsSmart pillsSmart SyringesBy Industry VerticalInventory managementMonitoring managementHealth data storage and exchangeBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Global Submerged Arc Welding Machinery Market 2017 : Air Liquide SA, Panasonic Corporation, ARCON Welding LLC, Hobart Brothers Company, Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Submerged Arc Welding Machinery

http://bit.ly/2j3DVzK

http://bit.ly/2jGRb0n

A market study based on the "Submerged Arc Welding Machinery Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Submerged Arc Welding Machinery Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Submerged Arc Welding Machinery industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This ReportMiller Electric Mfg. Co. (USA)Bernard (USA)Air Liquide SA (France)Panasonic Corporation (Japan)ARCON Welding, LLC (USA)Hobart Brothers Company (USA)Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (USA)Carl Cloos Schweisstechnik GmbH (Germany)Daihen Corporation (Japan)Denyo Co., Ltd. (Japan)ESAB (UK)Kemppi (Finland)Kiefel GmbH (Germany)Kobe Steel Ltd. (Japan)The report studies the industry for Submerged Arc Welding Machinery across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market & dynamics of demand and supply of Submerged Arc Welding Machinery into consideration. The 'Submerged Arc Welding Machinery'research study covers each and every aspect of the Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market globally, which starts from the definition of the Submerged Arc Welding Machinery industry and develops towards Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market. The geographical segmentation of the Submerged Arc Welding Machinery industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Submerged Arc Welding Machinery is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Submerged Arc Welding Machinery market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Submerged Arc Welding Machinery production volume, data regarding demand and Submerged Arc Welding Machinery supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Submerged Arc Welding Machinery across the globe.About Us :Business worldwide are a trusted brand in the research industry with capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business worldwide, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us :Business WorldwideUnited States
Neurodiagnostic and Monitoring Devices Market in the US 2016-2020: Analyzing Key Vendors - Cadwell Laboratories, Compumedics, Natus Medical, Nihon Kohden

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=768116

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=768116

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Albany, NY, Jan 12: Neurodiagnostic and monitoring devices are used to monitor and record electrical activity in the brain, muscles, spinal cord, and other nerves. These devices are primarily used for diagnosing chronic brain disorders, such as sleep disorders, brain tumors, epilepsy, brain dysfunction, head injuries, encephalitis, strokes, and dementia.The neurodiagnostic and monitoring devices market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 8.63% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the neurodiagnostic and monitoring devices market in the US for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electromyography (EMG), Transcranial Doppler, Intracranial pressure monitor, and Cerebral oximeters.The market is divided into the following segments based on product:- EEG- EMG- Transcranial Doppler- Intracranial pressure monitor- Cerebral oximetersGet a Sample Research PDF with TOC:Technavio's report, Neurodiagnostic and Monitoring Devices Market in the US 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Cadwell Laboratories- Compumedics- Natus Medical- Nihon KohdenOther prominent vendors- Blackrock NeuroMed- Cadwell- Delsys- Electrical Geodesic (EGI)- Elmiko- LifeLines Neurodiagnostic Systems- MEG International Services- Mega Electronics- Motion Lab Systems- Neurovirtual- Nonin Medical- Philips- Zynex NeuroDiagnosticsMarket driver- Cost-effectiveness and portability- For a full, detailed list, view our reportEnquiry at:Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Mobile Biometrics Market to 2025-Industry Analysis, Applications, Opportunities and Trends |The Insight Partners

http://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/mobile-biometrics-market

http://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPTE100000314

http://www.theinsightpartners.com/discount/TIPTE100000314

Mobile biometrics are the biometric security tools embedded in smart phones of today's generation. This technology has become more prevalent method of accessing mobile devices. Apple was pioneer in integrating this technology with its mobile phones and tablets. Earlier, the application of these biometric devices were limited to medical and R&D purposes. But now the technology has been used in multiple industries and is anticipated to witness further advancement in coming years.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Mobile Biometrics Market to 2025 @The report aims to provide an overview of Global Mobile Biometrics Market along with detailed segmentation of market by components, authentication type, verticals and five major geographical regions. Global mobile biometrics market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period due to rising concerns for security and increasing penetration of mobile phones across the globe.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Mobile Biometrics Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global mobile biometrics market To analyze and forecast the global mobile biometrics market on the basis of components, authentication type and verticals To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall mobile biometrics market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM), which are later sub-segmented across respective major countries To evaluate market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend To provide exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions To profiles key mobile biometrics players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @Some of the important players in mobile biometrics market are 3M Cogent, ImageWare Systems Inc., Fujitsu, Apple, M2SYS, Mobbeel, BioEnable Technologies Pvt. Ltd., NEC, Applied Recognition, Inc. and Precise Biometrics AB.About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Public Safety LTE Devices Market Growth, Trends and Opportunities over Forecast 2016-2020

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=768114

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=768114

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Albany, NY, Jan 12: LTE is widely used among enterprises as well as public safety agencies for communicating with convenience. Due to the bandwidth limitations of traditional voice-centric LMR networks, public safety agencies are interested in leveraging commercial cellular network technology to support the growing requirement of broadband applications. Considering its booming network, spectrum flexibility, and performance metrics, LTE has emerged as the leading entrant for public safety mobile broadband networks.The global public safety LTE devices market to grow at a CAGR of 18.52% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global public safety LTE devices market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from sales of public safety LTE devices, sales of Enhanced Node B (eNB), handheld devices, routers, and modules.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- APAC- EMEA- North America- South and Central AmericaGet a Sample Research PDF with TOC:Technavio's report, Global Public Safety LTE Devices Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Alcatel-Lucent- General Dynamics Mission Systems- Harris- Motorola Solutions- RaytheonOther prominent vendors- Airbus- Airspan Networks- Cisco Systems- Ericsson- Huawei Technologies- ZTEMarket driver- Rise in demand for emergency communication solutions- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Cross-border security issues- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend- Rise in number of devices supporting LTE and LMR networks- For a full, detailed list, view our reportEnquiry at:Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Global Auxins Market: Recent Industry Trends and Projected Industry Size by 2020

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4663

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4663

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Plant growth regulators, also known as plant hormones are chemicals occurring in low concentrations, which promote plant growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the plant. Various plant growth regulators such as cytokinins, auxins, and mepiquat chloride are used in certain agriculture and pharmaceutical applications.Request for Sample Report:uxins are widely used in positively influencing root initiation, bud formation, and cell enlargement. They also promote the production of other hormones and in conjunction with cytokinins, they control the growth of fruits, roots and stems, and convert stems into flowers. Due to the current trend in revival of herbal medicines, demand for medicinal plants is on the rise leading to destructive harvesting which in turn led to reduction and even extinction of several rare medicinal plants. Auxins have proved to increase the productivity and growth characteristics of numerous plants. Thus, the growing demand for herbal medicine at a global level is expected to drive the demand for auxins. Owing to these factors, demand for auxins is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period.Auxins are produced within the plant itself. Hence, certain PGR manufacturers use raw materials in the form of various higher plants such as vascular plants, and microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi from farmers, chemical companies, and R&D labs which are later used for manufacturing plant growth regulators.Request for Table of content:Companies such as BASF SE, DuPont, Bayer Crop Science and Redox Industries Ltd. are some of the key industry players present in the plant growth regulator industry. Post the production of auxins, they are distributed through various supply channels such as vendors and wholesalers and are provided to various pharmaceutical companies and institutes. The major industry players in the auxins market are Crop Care Australasia Pty Ltd,DuPont,NuFarm Ltd,Redox Industries Limited, Xinyi (H.K.) Industrial Co. Ltd and Sichuan Guoguang Agrochemical Co. Ltd. among others.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Photographer and Stylist Rubina Ratnakar Launches Her Official Website

http://rubinaratnakar.com/

(January 12, 2017) - Rubina Ratnakar has just launched her own official website, which displays here creative works in the interior design and event planning industry. As a long-timer in the industry, she has many projects to show in her vast portfolio. Her website is a catalog of her works and shows her creativity in the best possible way.Based in Bethlehem, PA, Ratnakar is a wife and a mom. She is a woman of many talents, and many skills. She is a stylist as well as an interior design specialist, a fashion stylist as well as a food stylist, a photographer as well as a model and a blogger as well. She has her Twitter handle (@RubinaRatnakar) through which she likes to share everything that catches her eye, from daily inspirations and discoveries to decoration ideas, to favorite recipes.In the last few years, Ratnakar has worked with some of the top names in the photography, architecture, designing and event planning industry. She does professional makeup for brides and models, plans corporate events, weddings, and other special events. Her attention to detail and smooth execution make her a reliable and helpful creative person. For everything beautiful and creative, she is the person to go to.The official website of Rubina Ratnakar shows her vast array of works and is meant to serve as an online portfolio for her creative self. Clients can easily understand how she can be useful for them as a creative professional.Rubina Ratnakar is a model, stylist, photographer, event planner and blogger, and she has worked on different projects alongside top event planners, designers, photographers and architects. She is also a food & fashion stylist and interior design specialist.For more details and further enquiries, please visitRubina Ratnakar3430 Temple CourtBethlehem, PA 18020
Xanthan Gum Market: New Growth Opportunities By 2021 - PMR Report

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4843

www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4843

www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Xanthan gum is a microbial polysaccharide used as a thickener in several industries such as food and beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical. It is also known by other names such as bacterial polysaccharide, and corn sugar gum. Xanthan gum is manufactured by fermenting corn sugar with a bacterium named Xanthomonas Campestris. After the consumption of food containing xanthan gum, it swells in the intestine and stimulates the digestive tract. Xanthan gum also slows the absorption of sugar in the digestive tract and functions like saliva to lubricate the mouth of people who have Sjogrens syndrome. Xanthan gums are also used in drilling activities in the oil and gas sector. Food and beverage is the key end-use industry for xanthan gum and the bakery and confectionary industry accounts for the largest demand.A sample of this report is available upon request:The growth of end user industries is the key driver for the global xanthan gums market. Rising disposable income is propelling the demand for food and cosmetics, which is consequently boosting the demand for xanthan gums. The consumption of convenience foods that contain xanthan gums has also increased significantly in the recent past. The increasing population and a growing economically-active population in Asia Pacific is further increasing demand for on-the-go foods. Increasing government investment in healthcare is also boosting pharmaceutical sales across the globe, which is driving the xanthan gums market.A mounting demand for gluten-free foods is also driving the xanthan gum market. Xanthan gum is used in the gluten-free baking process for several products such as cookies, cakes and pancakes, muffins and quick breads, breads, pizza dough, and salad dressings. Among these, xanthan gum is used in large quantities in the preparation of pizza dough. The nutritional characteristic of xanthan gum further increases its acceptability, as it contains carbohydrates and fiber. One of the greatest restraints for the xanthan gum market is the availability of guar gum as a substitute. However, guar gum is mostly used in ice cream and pastry fillings, whereas xanthan gum finds its largest use in the manufacturing of bakery products. Another restraint for the xanthan gum market is that it is not suitable for people with certain allergies.Request for Table of content @:Asia Pacific dominated the global xanthan gum market in 2014 owing to increasing demand for bakery and confectionary products from countries such as China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Europe also has a large share in the xanthan gum market thanks to its large bakery and confectionary industries. Key players in the global xanthan gum market include Danisco, Cargill, Pfizer Inc, Jungbunzlauer, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), CP Kelco, and Fufeng Group Company Ltd.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Release Liner Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market by 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3531

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3531

Release liner is a carrier web material made up of paper or plastic. Release liners are coated on one or both the sides with release agent (chemical used to prevent one material from bonding to surfaces of another material). These releasing agents provide a releasing effect when kept in contact with any kind of stick materials. Adhesive (substance when applied to the surfaces of any materials binds them together and resists separation) and mastic (kind of gum) are of the stick material used for releasing agents. Release liners are available in different colors in the market; it can be a printed or non-printed release liner. Commercial coating companies are engaged in the manufacturing of release agent, providing unique solutions to their clients, based on a wide variety of substrates used to manufacture releasing agents. Commonly used releasing agents for release liner are cross linkable silicone and other coating materials that have low surface energy.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the bases of materials used to manufacture release liner, global release liner market can be fragmented into paper release liner (super calandered kraft paper, clay coated kraft paper, machine finished kraft paper and machine glazed paper), plastic film release liner and others (poly coated kraft papers and poly coated BO-PET film). Release liner can be used as pressure-sensitive labels and pressure-sensitive tape. Release liners have major application in label stocks industry and packaging industry. Other major application of release liners are in the field of graphic arts, envelopes, medical, tapes and hygiene.North America has the largest market share for release liner products, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The U.S. and China are the largest markets for release liner in the global market owing to increased food and pharmaceutical business in these countries. North America is expected to maintain its dominance in the forecasted period with Europe showing marginal growth. However, Asia Pacific region is expected to witness highest growth in the coming future owing to increasing domestic demand by the food and pharmaceutical industry in the developing countries such as India and China.Increasing demand from the end-user industry for better labeling is driving the global release liner market. Additionally, with increasing investment in the food and pharmaceutical industry, demand for better quality packaging is expected to increase, in turn demand for release liner is expected to increase. Also, with increasing population paired with rising international trade, demand for quality packaging and labeling is expected to increase, further increasing the demand for release liner products in the global market.Request to view Table of content @Owing to increasing demand from the food and pharmaceutical companies paired with increasing demand from the other end-user industry for better packaging and labeling. The multinational players operating in the market are influenced to invest in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific. Also, the regional players have increased their production to some extent to compete in the market. Global release liner market is dominated by multinational companies. However, there are some companies operating in the market, but at niche level. Some of the major companies operating in the global release liner market are Gascogne Laminates, 3M Company, Rayven Inc and Sil TechAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Short interest moves among solar and alternative energy stocks were mixed during the two-week reporting period that ended on December 30. Of the companies we watch, short interest fell on two of three solar stocks and on two of four alternative energy stocks.

The number of First Solar Inc. (FSLR) shares short dropped by 10.5% to 15.26 million, which represents about 19.9% of the company's float. Days to cover remained unchanged at seven. In the two-week short interest period, the stock's share price slipped by 1.4%. Its 52-week trading range is $28.60 to $74.29, and it closed at $35.00 on Wednesday, up about 4.8% for the day.

ALSO READ: The 6 Most Shorted Nasdaq Stocks

Investors continue trying to sort through the uncertainties in the alternative energy sector. In early December analysts at Morgan Stanley advised caution on growth prospects, and that remains good advice.

SunPower Corp.'s (SPWR) short interest increased by 6.2% to 18.05 million shares, or 30.8% of the company's float. In the short interest period to December 30, the share price fell 8%. The stock's 52-week range is $6.00 to $26.29 and it closed at $7.59 on Wednesday, up about 4.8%. Days to cover rose from 5 to 7.

During the two-week period, Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) saw a drop of 12.5% in short interest. Some 13.8% of the total float, 6.11 million shares, were short, and days to cover remained unchanged at five. The company's share price ticked up by about 0.2% over the two weeks, and shares closed Wednesday at $12.84, up about 2.1% for the day, in a 52-week range of $10.25 to $23.56.

ALSO READ: The Worst CEOs of 2016

FuelCell Energy Inc. (FCEL) posted an increase of 10.2% in short interest during the period. Some 3.74 million shares were short as of December 30. The stock closed at $1.95 on Wednesday, unchanged for the day, in a 52-week range of $1.60 to $8.88. Shares tumbled by nearly 8% in the short interest period, and days to cover remained unchanged at five.

Story continues

The short interest in Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) increased by 6.3% to 33.14 million shares. Days to cover rose from six to 10, and about 17.5% of the company's shares was short. In the two weeks to December 30, the share price dropped more than 12%. The stock's 52-week range is $1.18 to $2.28, and shares closed Wednesday at $1.26, up about 1.6% for the day.

ALSO READ: America's Most Hated Companies

The number of Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) shares short dropped about 19% to 6.56 million. About 5.7% of the company's float was short, and days to cover fell from four to three. The share price retreated by more than 12% in the final weeks of the month. The stock closed at $2.96, up 2%, on Wednesday, in a 52-week range of $2.15 to $4.80.

Pacific Ethanol Inc. (PEIX) saw short interest drop by 3.8% between the settlement dates to 1.41 million shares, about 3.7% of the company's float. Days to cover rose from two to three. The stock price dipped by about 2.1% in the two weeks. Shares closed at $8.60 on Wednesday, down 2.3% on the day, in a 52-week range of $2.41 to $10.95.

Related Articles
Scale Inhibitors Market is Expected to Gain Popularity Across the Globe

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3532

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3532

Scale inhibitor or antiscalants are chemical materials used in manufacturing industry to reduce or to check the formation of scale. Scale inhibitors are extensively used in various industries that include power generation plants, mining & construction, water & waste water treatment, oil & gas, food & beverage, and various environmental protection industries. The amount of formation of scale precipitate depends mainly on the temperature, operational pressure, water incongruity and mineral content within the water.A sample of this report is available upon request @Scales are the precipitates formed on surfaces of the various machinery and equipment that comes under regular contact with water. Scales are normally water-soluble precipitation solids that become fully or partially insoluble when the overall temperature increases. Oil and gas industry is one of the major end user of scale inhibitors. The water used in oil and gas industries is chemically treated with scale inhibitors such as phosphonates, to reduce or check the scale formation on machineries and equipment that are used during various production stages of oil and gas such as production wells, water and disposal wells, flowlines and surface equipment.On the basis of various chemical properties associated with scale inhibitors, the global inhibitor market is broadly categorized in four segments namely phosphonate scale inhibitor, carboxylate/acrylic scale inhibitor, sulfonate scale inhibitor, and other scale inhibitor. Based on the various end user applications, the scale inhibitor market is broadly categorized under power & construction industry, mining industry, oil & gas industry, water and wastewater treatment industry, food and beverage industry, and others. Phosphonate scale inhibitor is one of the most popular and extensively used scale inhibitors in various industries including food and beverages industry. It grasped the highest market share in 2013.Water & waste water treatment is one of the largest and fasted growing end user applications of the scale inhibitor market. The growing waste water treatment plants and upcoming government projects towards water and waste water treatment, such as Indias Namami Gange projects, coupled with rising potable water demand, due to ongoing surge in urbanization in emerging markets such as China and India is expected to drive the demand in water & water treatment sector of the market.North America is the largest market of scale inhibitors followed by Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Together, these three regions accounted for around 80% of the total scale inhibitors market. Country wise, the U.S. is the largest market of scale inhibitors in world. China, Japan and India are leading market in Asia Pacific. Rest of the World (RoW) that includes the Middle East, South America and Africa is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecasted period. Brazil and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are two of the fasted growing regional market of scale inhibitor in RoW.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in global scale inhibitor market include, Clariant International Ltd., Kemira Chemicals Inc., Ge Power & Water Process Technologies, BASF SE., Solvay Rhodia, Bwa Water Additives., Ecolab (Nalco Champion)., Akzonobel Oilfield Ashland Inc., Cytec Industries Inc., The Dow Chemical Company., Gulf Coast Chemical Llc., Henkel Ag & Co. and Innospec.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
BIPV Glass Market Sizing with Competitive Landscape by 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3831

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3831

Building integrated photovoltaic or BIPV modules are essentially panes of glass with photovoltaic cells embedded between two sheets of glass. Used for making roofs, skylights, facades, spandrels, and curtain walls of buildings, BIPV glass is ideal for making those parts of a construction which do not require a high degree of transparency, such as an atrium roof. Various advance technology such as thin-film PV, OPV and DSC offers light weight and flexible BIPV glass . BIPV glass allows the entry of natural light and provides both thermal and sound insulation. It filters out harmful radiation and produces clean and free energy. Along with the conventional roles of providing protection from noise and rain, BIPV glass facilitates electricity generation and offers light and thermal management, effective shading, and glare protection.A sample of this report is available upon request @Awareness about carbon footprint reduction and growing focus towards generation of electricity at lower cost from conventional and renewable sources act as key drivers for the growth of the BIPV glass market. The buildings sector accounts for the largest market share (over 80%) of the global BIPV glass market. BIPV modules act as key enabling technologies for zero net energy buildings. BIPV modules are being used extensively for the construction of educational, corporate, commercial, and residential buildings as well as hotels, hospitals, and retail outlets. The BIPV glass market is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period. Growing investments in the architectural segment would further help boost the growth of the BIPV glass market. On the basis of end users, this market is segmented into commercial buildings, residential buildings, and industrial buildings, among others.Global players, such as Suntech Power Co., Ltd., Pilkington Group Limited, and Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., in the BIPV glass market offer innovative BIPV glass products with emphasis on latest technology and better quality. Growing investments in research and development of BIPV products and introduction of new technology further boost the BIPV glass market.Asia Pacific is one of the most prominent markets for BIPV glass. With growing investments in domestic and institutional building construction, the demand for BIPV glass is also on the rise. Growing economies and increasing household income are some of the key triggers fuelling the growth of the BIPV glass market in Asia Pacific. In North America, the U.S. holds the largest market share of the BIPV glass market. The total number of zero-net energy buildings in the U.S. and Europe is growing exponentially. EU Directives demand zero energy capability for all buildings by 2021. Such initiatives by governments help boost the BIPV glass market in North America as well as in Europe. The global BIPV glass market is expected to exhibit a double digit growth rate during forecast between 2014 and 2020.Request to view Table of content @Major companies operating in the global BIPV glass market are Suntech Power Co., Ltd., Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., Onyx Solar, Ascent Solar, Canadian Solar, Hanergy, Hanwha Solar One, EMMVEE Solar Systems Private Limited, Ascent Solar, DuPont, First Solar, GE, Solar Frontier Pilkington, CENTROSOLAR Group AG, Power Film, Inc., Pythagoras Solar, and Sun Power.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Micronized PTFE Market: Drivers, Challenges, Historical and current Sizes by 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4858

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4855

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Micronized Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known as polytetrafluoroethylene micro powder, is used where higher surface lubricity and anti blocking properties are required. Micronized PTFE is prepared by the utilization of virgin PTFE resin or recycled PTFE scrap. In order to make micronized polytetrafluoroethylene, virgin or recycled PTFE scrap is irradiated via technologies such as thermal degradation and electron beam irradiation. After the irradiation, the PTFE resin is ground into micro powders.A sample of this report is available upon request:Micronized PTFE resin is used in a wide range of industries such as thermoplastic, coating, ink, elastomers and lubricant and grease, for the enhancement of physical and chemical properties such as tensile strength, wear resistance, lubricity, and flame retarding attributes. Improving infrastructure and increasing infrastructural spending, coupled with rising disposable incomes of the average consumer, is expected to drive the demand for coating market. This in turn provides strong growth opportunities for the micronized polytetrafluoroethylene market.Asia Pacific and North America are the key contributors to the growth of the global micronized polytetrafluoroethylene market where China and the U.S., respectively, occupy a majority chunk of the market share. Demand for micronized PTFE in these two countries is driven by a strong domestic production base of ink, coating, thermoplastic and elastomer industries.The ink industry is the largest consumer of micronized PTFE and the U.S. dominates the global printing ink market in both value and volume terms. Printing ink consumption in China stood at 305.7 thousand metric tons in 2005 and rose to 592.6 thousand metric tons in 2010, before further increasing to 1,046.9 thousand metric tons by the end of 2014. Strong growth in the packaging, e-commerce, and -books markets is driving the demand for printing ink consequently intensifying the growth of micronized PTFE.Japan, South Korea, and India, in that order, are the other major markets for micronized PTFE after China. Owing to continuous industrialization and the rise of the manufacturing sector, Asia Pacific is projected to reflect the highest growth during the forecast period. Rising innovation and developments in the micronized PTFE consumer industries for high-quality products is positively impacting the use of PTFE micro powders.On the basis of end-users, the global micronized polytetrafluoroethylene market is segmented into: Inks, coating, thermoplastic, elastomer, and others. The ink industry, followed by coating, remains the largest consumer of micronized PTFE globally.However, the thermoplastic industry witnessed the highest growth among all end-users. The global thermoplastic market is growing robustly thanks to an increasing demand from the automotive industry, advancement in the TPE processing industry, and replacement of EPDM and EPR. This in turn, is providing growth opportunities to the micronized PTFE market in the thermoplastic industry. Leading manufacturers of thermoplastics such as tyrenic block copolymer (SBC), thermoplastic olefins (TPO), thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), copolyester ether (COPE), and polyether block amide (PEBA) are continuously focusing on the development of bio-based thermo plastic  a factor that is again driving the growth of micronized PTFE market.Request for Table of content:Some leading global players operating in the micronized polytetrafluoroethylene market include: Shamrock Technologies, Inc, Daikin Industries Ltd., E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company, Solvay SA, Micro Powder, Inc, 3M, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd, Chenguang Research Institute of Chemical Industry, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited, Reprolon Texas, Guarniflon S.p.A, and Shanghai 3F New Materials Company Limited.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Flexible Glass Market Will Continue to Grow by 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3869

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3869

Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material which exhibits a glass transition. Glass can also take reversible transition in amorphous materials from a hard and relatively brittle material state to a molten or plastic state. Glasses are basically brittle in state and are optically transparent in nature. Most commonly known glass type is soda-lime glass (made up of 75% silicon dioxide (SiO2), sodium oxide (Na2O), lime (CaO) and various minor additives materials). Flexible glass is an ultra-thin glass having the properties of a rigid glass material. Properties such as strength, temperature stability and durability in a flexible nature are associated with flexible glasses. Additionally, flexible glass can also attain the property of plastics such as scratch resistance and rigidity. Flexible glass is majorly used to increase the strength and flexibility of the finished product, in turn increases the life of the products. Additionally, flexible glass also helps the electronic gadgets to reduce their weight, increases its attractiveness, making it handy and better or high quality products.A sample of this report is available upon request @Owing to the unique flexibility property of the glass, the flexible glass market can by bifurcated according to the end-user markets such as display market, OLED (organic light-emitting diode) market and Other gadgets markets (which are rollable, flexible and wearable in nature). Display market is expected to dominate the demand of flexible glass in the forecasted period owing to development of next generation gadgets. Other applications of the flexible glass are in the manufacturing of displays of cellphones and tablets.North America has the largest market for flexible glass, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The U.S. and China are the largest consumers of flexible glass and are expected to dominate the market in coming years. North America is expected to maintain its dominance in the forecasted period; Europe is expected to shoe marginal growth. However, Asia Pacific region is expected to witness highest growth in the forecasted period owing to the increasing domestic demand of cellphones and tablets in the emerging markets of India and china.Increasing demand of consumer electronics paired with advancement in the display technology is expected to increase demand for products such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and TVs. This is expected to increase the demand for flexible glass materials, driving the overall flexible glass market. Additionally, increasing demand for slim and scratch-resistant displays in the electronics products is expected to drive the flexible glass market to some extent. Also, with increasing disposable income consumers are demanding better quality electronic products such as smartphones, smartwatches, cellphones and other products; this is further increasing the demand for flexible glass, especially in the developing markets such as India, China and Brazil. According to the National Bureau of Statistics China, annual per capita disposable income of urban households in China increased from USD 2,271.0 in 2008 to USD 3408.5 in 2012. The overall annual disposable income in India medium household income increased from USD 1,366.2 billion in 2010 to USD 1,587.6 billion in 2013.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in the global flexible glass market are Corning Inc., Nippon Electric Glass Co. Ltd., Asahi Glass Co. Ltd., Schott AG, Abrisa Technologies, Tokyo Electron, Dupont Display, Universal Display Corporation, Materion Corporation, Kent Displays, Inc., LG Display Co. Ltd., Sony Corporation and LiSEC Group.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Australia Lime Market to Register a CAGR of 1.7% By 2024 - PMR Report

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11503

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/australia-lime-market/toc

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/11503

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

The lime market in Australia is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value over the forecast period, 20162024. The market has been segmented by product type and application. The application segmentation consists of mining & metallurgy, building materials, agriculture, water treatment and others of which the mining & metallurgy segment is expected to account for the highest share of the lime market in Australia throughout the forecast period, to account for 31.4% by 2024.A sample of this report is available upon request @Demand for energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions is expected to be a priority for lime manufacturers in the country over the forecast period. By product type, slaked/hydrated lime segment is expected to continue to dominate the market in terms of both value and volume throughout the forecast period. The segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 146.7 Mn and account for volume share of 68% in 2016. By application, mining & metallurgy and building materials, segments in the Australia lime market are expected to account for significant volume shares of 38% and 35%, respectively.Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Australia lime market in its latest report titled, Lime Market: Australia Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024.New South Wales is expected to be the largest market for lime in Australia throughout the forecast period. The market in the region is estimated to be valued at US$ 59.1 Mn by 2016 end. In terms of production, Western Australia is expected to be a major producer, contributing over 65% to the total lime production in the country, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 0.8% over the forecast period.Key players in the Australia lime market include Adelaide Brighton Ltd., Boral Limited, Sibelco Australia, Omya Australia Pty. Ltd, Wagners, and Lime Group Australia. Key players in the Australia lime market are focusing on enhancing their product portfolios. They are focusing not only on basic lime products but also on importing quicklime from ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries such as China to minimize a cost of raw materials involved in a lime production. Manufacturers are focusing on capitalizing on economies of scale to increase production, profitability, and offer cost-effective products in order to target cost-sensitive population in the region. Joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic collaborations in terms of production and distribution of lime have been the common strategies employed by these companies to achieve their production objectives.Request to view Table of content @The long-term outlook on the Australia lime market remains on the conservative side, with the market expected to expand at a modest CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value during the forecast period. The revival of the mining sector in the country, increasing demand from the construction sector, particularly in the countrys east coast region, and demand from the water treatment industry are some of the factors expected to sustain a growth of the lime market in Australia.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Smart Gas Market Worth US$ 14 Billion by 2024

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/smart-gas-market-report

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/smart-gas-market-report

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

New York, January 12: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Smart Gas Market By Technology (Meter Data Management (MDM), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Geographic Information System (GIS), Others); By Device Type and By End Users - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2024How Big is the Global Smart Gas Market?The Global Smart Gas Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 14 Billion by 2024 growing at a CAGR of more than 32% in the given forecast period.Download Free Sample Report:The enormous monetary and statistic development have incurred a sharp rise in the demand for natural gas globally. Conventional ways of management practices in organizations has made this field very competitive and has a major impact on Global Smart Gas Market. Companies are involved in innovating and discovering different type of alternate sources of energy that are used safely by the end user as per the requirement, to full fill the daily needs of everyone around the world when there is a power failure for a long time. This has opened up the new possibility of earnings for the Smart Gas meter producers. The gas companies around the world should have a safe and reliable way of transportation of its products. Changing the customary appropriation hones into cutting edge IT supported foundation would guarantee the advancement of Smart Gas supplies. Sustenance in the aggressive normal gas utility market can be accomplished because of the changing ecological and geographical patterns which request a progressed eco-friendly plan. Keen Gas innovation arrangements have the required driving potential to achieve the following preferred development stage in the gas utility division.How Big is the Global Smart Gas Market?The Global Smart Gas Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 14 Billion by 2024 growing at a CAGR of more than 32% in the given forecast period.The Major driving factors of Global Smart Gas Market are as follows: One of the most prominent drivers is the need to reduce carbon footprint and increase energy security of various economies.The Restraining factors of Global Smart Gas Market are as follows: High initial investment required for installing smart gas meters limits the markets path to an extent.The Global Smart Gas Market is segmented on the lines of its product, service, software, type and regional. Based on product segmentation it covers Traditional Metering System, Gas Warning Device, AMI Communication Module. On the basis of technology meter data management (MDM), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), geographic information system (GIS), and others. On end-users it includes residential and commercial & industrial.The Global Smart Gas Market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.Browse Full Report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Global Smart Gas Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Smart Gas Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets Global Smart Gas Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report Silver Spring Networks, Advanced MRF LLC, Badger Meter Inc., Capgemini S.A., CGI Group Inc., Comverge Inc., Cyan Technology Ltd., Elster Group GmbH, Itron Inc., EnerNOC Inc., General Electric, Master Meter Inc., Southern California Gas Company, MOXA Inc., ABB Group, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Quadlogic Meters Canada Inc. (QMC), Schneider Electric SE, Sensus Metering Systems Inc., SmartGAS Mikrosensorik GmbH, Spire Metering Technology. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Global Smart Gas Market has been segmented as below:By Device Type Traditional Metering System Gas Warning Device AMI Communication ModuleBy Technology Meter Data Management (MDM) Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Geographic Information System (GIS) OthersBy End-user Residential Commercial and IndustrialBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Neurostimulation Devices Market Expand at the Fastest CAGR of 12.7% during 2014 - 2020

www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/2824

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/neurostimulation-devices-market/toc

www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/2824

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Neurostimulation Devices  Deep Brain Stimulation Devices to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global neurostimulation devices market was valued at US$ 5,088.9 Mn in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7% from 2014 to 2020, to reach US$ 10,445.7 Mn by 2020.A Sample of this report is available upon request @Neurostimulation technology involves the use of microelectrodes to activate elements of the nervous system. It involves the use of a neurostimulation device  a battery-powered stopwatch-sized device  which is surgically implanted in the brain and delivers electric signals at scheduled time intervals to the nervous system. These electric signals develop tingling sensations (paresthesia) in the damaged nerve and helps chronic pain and neurological disorders. In chronic pain conditions, these electric signals block the pain messages from the damaged nerve from reaching the brain. These devices are gaining importance in the management of chronic conditions such neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain, Parkinsons disease, epilepsy, and depression. Neuropathic pain occurs due to nerve damage, while nociceptive pain arises from diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. These devices are mostly used in cases where systemic drug therapies are not effective.The global neurostimulation devices market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing prevalence of chronic pain and rising incidences of neurological diseases. Moreover, rising awareness about various neurological diseases, growing geriatric population, and increasing investments in research and development of innovative neurostimulation devices are also driving the market. However, availability of alternative treatment therapies for neurological diseases and side-effects of neurostimulation therapy inhibit the growth of the market. The global neurostimulation devices market is anticipated to grow from an estimated US$ 5,088.9 Mn in 2014 to US$ 10,445.7 Mn by 2020 at a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period.In North America, the neurostimulation devices market is growing due to increasing incidence of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinsons disease. Moreover, initiatives taken by various government and private associations for increasing awareness about various chronic pain and neurological disorders and rising investments in the research and development of novel neurostimulation devices in North America is driving the market in the region.The neurostimulation devices market in Europe is growing due to initiatives taken by various governments to improve healthcare facilities in the region. Furthermore, increasing incidences of chronic pain and neurological diseases and growing aging population are also boosting the growth of the Europe neurostimulation devices market. According to WHO, every year, neurological disorders affect one-third of the population in Europe, and approximately 1% to 2% of the population is diagnosed with psychotic disorders. According to the NHS England  a government organization primarily involved in the improvement of healthcare services in England  approximately 8 million people suffered from chronic pain in the U.K. in 2010, and the number reached 14 million in 2012.Asia Pacific represents the fastest-growing region in the neurostimulation devices market. This is primarily due to growing aging population in various countries such as India and China. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)  an organization involved in biomedical and health related research activities  approximately 110 million people in China were aged 65 years and above in 2011 and the number is expected to reach 330 million by 2050. In India, approximately 60 million people were aged 65 years and above in 2011 and the number is expected to reach 227 million by 2050.Request to view Table of content @Medtronic, plc, St. Jude Medical, Inc, Boston Scientific Corporation, and Cyberonics, Inc. are some of the leading players in the neurostimulation devices market. Other major players of neurostimulation devices market include Cochlear, Ltd., NDI Medical, LLC, NeuroPace, Inc., NeuroSigma, Inc., and MED-EL.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Teslin Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 -2024

Global Teslin Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16532

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Teslin is a high performance material which allows to bond with inks, adhesives, coatings and laminating films. Teslin is polyolefin based and is the leading synthetic paper available in the market. More than half of the volume of Teslin is aerated and makes the material to be microporous in nature. Teslin shows lower dielectric constant and emit less amount of particulates when flexed. Teslin is a good adsorbent and allows inks to set instantly. Teslin helps to create printed representation that is of superior quality and durability. They are available in few millimeter thickness and are extremely strong, reusable, secure and non-toxic. Teslin does not need any special treatment or processing for its disposal. Teslin is mainly used in the synthetic paper industry. Teslin materials are resistant to steam pressing and gamma irradiation. Teslin provides proper cushioning to protect embedded components in electronic labels. Teslin with wide range of thickness are available depending upon the technology by which it is produced.Teslin market can be segmented on the basis of the substrate which is used as Teslin SP substrate, Teslin TS substrate, Teslin SPID substrate, Teslin Digital substrate, Teslin IJWP substrate and Teslin HD substrate. Teslin products are also segmented on the basis of application as Teslin Security-Grade substrate, Teslin Food Grade Substrate, Teslin Blue substrate and LUMIT digital paper. The compatible print technologies for the standard Teslin products are segmented as offset technology, flexographic technology, gravure technology, thermal transfer technology and inkjet technology.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:The Teslin market is expected to witness a robust growth in the current year and is expected to follow the same trend in the forecast period (2016-2024). Synthetic paper industry is the major market driver for the Teslin material followed by tag and label industry. The declining market of ordinary paper has helped synthetic paper market to get boosted. In recent years. Consumer preference to paper alternative is expected to have a positive demand on the Teslin market. Banking sector is found to be a key market driver of Teslin .The products such as ID cards, brand protection labels, smart cards, RFID tags, baggage tags also drive the Teslin market.Companies have started to print on plastics to keep a competitive edge and this has triggered the use of Teslin material. Another growing field which use Teslin material is flexographic industry since it uses the property of Teslin to reproduce crisp and vibrant color. Digital photos and graphics are key market drivers of Teslin. Government regulations regarding food and beverage labeling have also influenced the Teslin market in a positive manner. The rising demand for emergency door hangers has helped the Teslin market to expand further.The global market for the Teslin material has been segmented into regions i.e., North America, Asia Pacific, Europe. Asia Pacific region is the key economy for Teslin with major consumption of Teslin materials from China, Japan and Taiwan followed by India. However the key players for Teslin manufacturers are based on US followed by European countries.Major players operating in the global Teslin market are PPG Industries, Inc, Ningbo Prime Import & Export Co., Ltd, Innox Higa Singapore Pte Ltd, Logo Tags, Xiamen Hunsen Industrial Co., Ltd, American Profol Inc.,Yupo Corporation, Tagleef industries,Nan Ya Plastics Corporations USA,Union Brothers , Shanghai Allecard Image Material Co.,Ltd, INLAYS INDIA PVT LTD, Knowell Corporation and R.Lamifilm Korea Pvt Ltd.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Mesenchymal Stem Cells - Advances & Applications: Market Study

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/301052

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThis global strategic report is produced for:Management of stem cell companiesManagement of regenerative therapy companiesStem cell industry investorsIt is designed to increase your efficiency and effectiveness in:Commercializing mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) products, technologies, and therapiesMaking intelligent investment decisionsLaunching high-demand productsSelling effectively to your client baseIncreasing revenue from MSC products and servicesTaking market share from your competitionMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myocytes, adipocytes, beta-pancreatic islets cells, and potentially, neuronal cells. MSCs are of intense therapeutic interest because they represent a population of cells with the potential to treat a wide range of acute and degenerative diseases.MSCs are advantageous over other stem cells types for a variety of reasons: they avoid the ethical issues that surround embryonic stem cell research, and repeated studies have found MSCs to be immuno-privileged, which make them an advantageous cell type for allogenic transplantation. MSCs reduce both the risks of rejection and complications of transplantation. Recently, there have been advances in the use of autologous mesenchymal stem cells to regenerate human tissues, including cartilage, meniscus, tendons, bone fractures, and more.This global strategic report explores recent advances in MSC research applications, research priorities by market segment, and the competitive environment for MSC research products. It also identifies trend and growth patterns within the MSC industry. Because it is important for pharmaceutical companies interested to understand underlying forces affecting the MSC market, this report also presents a range of topics that apply to these companies, including how advances in MSC research can reveal potential new drug targets, improve methods of drug delivery, and provide personalized treatment strategies.Download Sample Copy of Report atLiterature and data concerning the biology and differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has expanded rapidly over the past 10 years, with more than 13,000 publications now exploring aspects of MSC biology, behavior, and applications. In particular, MSCs appear to be an exceptionally promising tool for cell therapy because of their unusual characteristics, which partially mimic those of embryonic stem cells, while having advantages in terms of availability, expandability, transplantability, and ethical implications.Interest in therapeutic applications of human MSCs arises from their diverse ability to differentiate into a range of cell types, as well as from their ability to migrate to sites of tissue injury/inflammation or tumor growth. These localization properties present a promising strategy for targeted introduction of therapeutic agents through MSC gene therapy. In addition, MSCs possess strong immunosuppressive properties that medical researchers are exploiting for both autologous as well as heterologous therapies.Clinical Progress with MSCsAs mentioned, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have inspired a lot of activity over the past ten years as a novel therapeutic model for a wide range of diseases. Presently, MSCs-based clinical trials are being conducted for twelve types of disease conditions, with many completed trials showing their safety and efficacy.The clinical utility of MSCs are mostly attributed to their four key biological properties, which are their potential to:Migrate to sites of inflammation caused by tissue injury when injected intravenouslyTo get differentiated into different cell typesTo release different bioactive molecules having the potential of stimulating recovery of injured cells and preventing inflammationTo accomplish immunomodulatory functionsCurrently, there are 128 clinical trials involving MSCs are in progress in different parts of the world, including China, the European Union, the United States, the Middle East, and South Korea. Among these trials, 45 (35%) are exploiting MSCs for various disease indications. Currently, four major clinical trials using MSCs have reached Phase III. Stempeutics Researchs product candidate Stempeucel is being evaluated in two centers for treating critical leg ischemia. Prochymal is the product candidate from Osiris Therapeutics and it is being used for treating graft vs. host disease (GvHD). The company is also testing Prochymal for treating Crohns disease in another Phase III trial. The Australian company Mesoblast is testing an off-the-shelf mesenchymal precursor product candidate for treating patients with hematological malignancies.Since 1968, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been the gold standard treatment for blood cancer patients and others with genetic blood disorders. Each year more than 60,000 bone marrow transplantations are performed worldwide, and 58% of these procedures use autologous bone marrow and 42% of the cases use allogeneic bone marrow. Currently, the use of bone marrow is being replaced by the utilization of MSCs for some conditions.The majority of cell therapy products currently being marketed are meant to address musculoskeletal conditions, and most of these products use MSCs as a component.Report ObjectivesThe purpose of this report is to describe the current status of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) research, the ongoing clinical trials involving MSCs, late stage MSCs clinical trials, and the possible uses of MSCs in cell therapy. As MSC cell therapy is an integrated component of other cell therapies and regenerative medicines (RM), the report also gives a brief overview of the RM industry and overall cell therapy (CT) industry.Thus, the main objectives are to consider the following:Current status of global regenerative medicine (RM) industry in the utilization of stem cells in general and MSCs in particular.Current status of global cell therapy (CT) industry, the application of cell therapy in various disease indications, and the total number of clinical trials involving the different types of stem cells.Current status of MSCs in clinical trials, the dominance of MSCs in the ongoing clinical trials involving stem cells, the various applications of MSCs in different disease indications, and the number of clinical trials involving MSCs for different disease types.The number of companies involved in the development of MSCs, the clinical trials sponsored by major companies, and their sustained search for MSCs-based cell therapy products.Key questions answered in this global strategic report are:How many companies are currently supporting the RM industry?What is the current regional breakdown of RM industry?How many RM products have been approved?What are the types of diseases are currently being pursued by RM companies?What are the major financial events, partnerships and acquisitions in RM sector?How do the large pharma companies perceive the value and long-term prospects of RM and CT?What are the major anticipated RM clinical events in 2015-16?What are the major therapeutic opportunities for the big pharma in RM and CT?How many CT product candidates have reached the Phase III stage and what are they?What are the CT product candidates being developed for cardiovascular diseases, central nervous system, wounds, spine and orthopedics, diabetes and autoimmune diseases?What are the major commercially available cell therapy products?What is the total number of cell therapy clinical trials at the global level?What are the major cell types used in cell therapy clinical trials?What are the major indications addressed by cell therapy clinical trials?What are the major cell therapy clinical trials that have reached Phase III?How many cell therapy clinical trials failed in the past year and what are they?What are the contributions of MSCs to the cell therapy industry?What are the biological properties of MSCs?What do MSCs get differentiated into?What bioactive molecules do the MSCs secrete?What are the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs?What are the factors impacting the acquisition of MSCs?What are the various sources of MSCs?What are the ongoing clinical trials using bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMMSCs) for kidney diseases?What are the major clinical trials focusing on diabetes using BMMSCs?What are the major clinical trials involving BMMSCs for cardiovascular diseases?What are the major clinical trials focusing on liver diseases by BMMSCs?What are the brain-related diseases addressed by clinical trials using BMMSCs?How many clinical trials are conducted for intestinal diseases using MSCs?What are the details of clinical trials conducted for musculoskeletal diseases using MSCs?Number of clinical trials using MSCs derived from Whartons jelly for various diseases?What are the disease indications addressed by umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (UCBMSCs) in current clinical trials?What is the current number of clinical trials using MSCs?How many major clinical trials using MSCs have reached the Phase III?What are the MSCs-based cell therapy products available in the market?MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Potassium Persulfate Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 -2024

Potassium Persulfate Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16628

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) is also called potassium peroxydisulfate. It is a colorless or white triclinic powder found in the form of a crystals. It shows solubility in water, but in alcohol it is insoluble. Potassium persulfate is said to be a strong oxidizing agent, and is used widely for bleaching. It is known to be a stable compound at normal room temperature. Moisture is not absorbed by potassium persulfate and hence it can be easily stored for longer so that it can be used later.Some of the uses of potassium persulfate are circuit board cleaning; polymerization initiator; etching of circuit boards; enhancing the water purification treatment processes; aluminum and copper surface activation; disinfection; hair dye decolorization; low formaldehyde adhesive stick along with the speedy oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons and ethanol, modified starch, degradation by oxidation of harmful gases, and for the bleaching of pulp and textiles in the paper and textile industries, respectively; and oxidative desizing at low temperature.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Potassium Persulfate Market: Market TrendsPotassium persulfate is extensively used as an initiator and a strong oxidizing agent. It is one of the essential constituents of hair dyes, as it is a perfect agent for decolorization. Potassium persulfate is used as bleach activator and desizing agent. It is used for the oxidative degradation of toxic substances or chemicals in closed circular loops in water or a pool, making the process of water treatment easy. It can be used as an analytical reagent, plastic initiator, and oxidant, and in the process of the photofinishing of film. These applications make potassium persulfate an essential commodity in the market as it is used in many industries including cosmetics, water treatment plants, for bleaching purposes, etc.Though the toxicity of potassium persulfate is mild, continuous exposure to it may lead to major side effects on human health. Some of the adverse effects caused due by exposure to potassium persulfate may lead to cancer, issues related to ones reproductive systems, and even skin allergies in certain cases.Sodium sulfate is used as a substitute for potassium persulfate in certain analytical processes due to the similar qualities that are seen in both compounds.Keeping in mind the mild level of toxicity of potassium persulfate and its wide range of industrial applications, it is expected that the market may experience stable growth in the near future.Potassium Persulfate Market: Region-wise OutlookAsia Pacific, North America, and Europe are the key regional markets for potassium persulfate at present and are expected to retain the position even in the future. Currently, the market for potassium persulfate is developing considerably in Asia Pacific. Developing countries such as India, China, and Japan are known to have a vast market for potassium persulfate.Its applications in fields such as the water treatment, cosmetics, paper, and textile industries are the reasons for its extensive market in the above regions of the world.Potassium Persulfate Market: Key PlayersSome of the major key players operating in the market of potassium persulfate present around the world are Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, ABC Chemicals, ADEKA, BASF, Energy Chemical Co., FMC Corporation, Honeywell, KEMIRA, Suzhou Sunrise Chemical Co Ltd., The DOW Chemical Company, United Initiators, and VR Persulfates Pvt. Ltd.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
United Kingdom Hair Loss Treatments - By Market Trends and Forecasts 2020

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/864425-hair-loss-treatments-haircare-and-forecast-analytics

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=864425

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/864425-hair-loss-treatments-haircare-and-forecast-analytics

SummaryHair Loss Treatments - products which restore or correct hair loss (male-pattern baldness), excluding general hair tonics and cosmetic hair thickening products which do not entail any physiological change. Applied topically, these products stimulate hair growth, but only for as long as they are used. These products typically contain Loss Treatments (Haircare) Market in United Kingdom - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Hair Loss Treatments market of United Kingdom. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2017 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Hair Loss Treatments.Request a Sample Report @Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency of United Kingdom and Volumes are represented in M Units. Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2012 to 2015 and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable.The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or planning to venture in to United Kingdom's Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) market. The comprehensive statistics within the report provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting. This is an on-demand research handbook and will be delivered within 2 working days (excluding weekends) of the purchase.Key Findings- Overall Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2020.- Value terms for the top brands.- Distribution channel sales analytics from 2012SynopsisHair Loss Treatments (Haircare) Market in United Kingdom - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics is a broad level market review of Hair Loss Treatments market of United Kingdom. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Hair Loss Treatments. The research handbook also provides analytics on Sales by Brands and by Distribution Channel.Reasons to Buy- Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare), market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.- Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends.- Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns.- Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future.Buy now @Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1 What is this Report About?1.2 Definitions1.2.1 This report provides 2015 actual sales; while forecasts are provided for 2016  20201.2.2 Category Definitions1.2.3 Distribution Channel Definitions1.2.4 Volume Units and Aggregations1.2.5 CAGR Definition and Calculation1.2.6 Graphical representation of Brands1.2.7 Exchange Rates1.2.8 Methodology Summary2 United Kingdom Hair Loss Treatments Market Analysis, 2010202.1 Hair Loss Treatments Value Analysis, 2010202.1.1 Hair Loss Treatments Market by Value, 2010202.2 Hair Loss Treatments Volume Analysis, 2010202.2.1 Hair Loss Treatments Market by Volume, 2010203 United Kingdom Hair Loss Treatments Brand Analysis, 2012173.1 Hair Loss Treatments Brand Analysis, 2012174 United Kingdom Hair Loss Treatments Distribution Channel Analysis, 2012174.1 Hair Loss Treatments Distribution Channel Analysis, 2012175 Appendix5.1 About5.2 DisclaimerLCU Stands for "Local Currency Unit"Complete Report@Contact Us:Norah TrentPartner Relations & Marketing ManagerSales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTD75 Arlington Street, Suite 500,Boston, Massaachusetts - 02116United States of AmericaPh: +1-339-368-6938info@wiseguyreports.com
Nurse Call Systems Market driven by growing budget allocation for healthcare of elderly population across the world

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/nurse-call-system-equipment-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2173

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Nurse call systems are used in various healthcare institutions including acute care and, assisted living facilities for efficient patient-staff communication. Depending on the end-use, customers chose from various wired and wireless nurse call solutions for higher performance and scalability. Furthermore, healthcare institutions can make use of various equipment types including: nurse call buttons, nurse call intercoms, nurse call mobile systems and nurse call integrated communication systems. Healthcare facilities tend to deploy a combination of such equipment to offer comprehensive and efficient communication solution throughout the facility.This report aims to provide a comprehensive strategic analysis of the global nurse call systems market along with the market size and growth forecast for the period from 2012  2020. The key factors driving the growth of nurse call systems market include: rising demand for effective healthcare communication solution and optimized clinical workflow, increasing proportion of elderly population, and growing budget allocation for healthcare of elderly population across the world. The increasing need to reduce healthcare operational costs, and improve the overall quality of healthcare services has driven the growth of nurse call systems market. In addition, advanced capabilities such as staff/asset monitoring and reporting, wander management, and fall detection have led to the immense popularity of nurse call systems. Nurse call systems have offered a viable solution to achieve effective and efficient healthcare communication in various acute care facilities and assisted living centers.Read Full Report:This research study on the global nurse call systems market provides a detailed analysis of various equipment and technologies used in the nurse call systems and aims to explain the driving forces behind the rising demand for this equipment in various healthcare settings. The report also offers an in-depth analysis of various factors such as market drivers, restraints, and growth opportunities affecting the market dynamics. These factors enable the analysis of various trends that would impact the market during the forecast period from 2014 - 2020. The report includes a comprehensive coverage of the underlying economic and technological factors influencing the nurse call systems market. Furthermore, the report aims to provide strategic insights into the ecosystem of the nurse call systems market by applying value chain analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis. The market share analysis of key players in the nurse call systems market throws light on the prevalent competition in this market.Based on the equipment type, the nurse call systems market is segmented into: nurse call buttons, nurse call mobile systems, nurse call intercoms, and nurse call integrated communication systems. Based on factors such as budget, scalability, flexibility, and the ease of installation, customers choose a best-fit solution in order to cater to their requirements. The scope of healthcare communication plays a crucial role in the decision-making process for various nurse call systems solutions. Another factor that plays a key role in the selection of nurse call systems is the type of end-use segment. Nurse call systems are deployed in various healthcare settings including: hospitals, OPD clinics, ambulatory services, and assisted living centers. Depending on the end-use, nurse call solutions vary in terms of their communication technology, government compliance, and infrastructure costs.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Various factors that affect the growth of nurse call systems market in various healthcare settings have been identified in this report. The study provides a comprehensive assessment of various equipment types, communication technology, and end-use segments in the global nurse call systems market. The report aims to provide a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis of the nurse call systems market across geographies including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW).In addition, the report provides a competitive landscape of the nurse call systems market and identifies various business strategies adopted by the leading players. In addition, the report providers a detailed competitive analysis of two end-use segments namely hospitals/acute care facilities and assisting living facilities. Under the company profiles section, the report provides an overview of the companies operating in the market, strategies deployed by them in the bid to gain competitive advantage, annual revenue generated by them in the past two/three years, and recent developments. The companies profiled in this report include Rauland-Borg Corporation, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Ascom Holding AG, Azure Healthcare Limited, Stanley Healthcare Solutions, Tyco SimplexGrinnell, Cornell Communications, Inc., Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc., TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc., Vigil Health Solutions, Inc., and Critical Alert Systems LLC.The global nurse call systems market is categorized into the following segments:Nurse Call Systems Market, by Equipment TypeNurse Call ButtonsNurse Call IntercomsNurse Call Mobile SystemsNurse Call Integrated Communication SystemsNurse Call Systems Market, by Communication TechnologyWired Communication EquipmentWireless Communication EquipmentNurse Call Systems Market, by End-useHospitalsOPD ClinicsAssisted Living CentersAmbulatory ServicesNurse Call Systems Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the World (RoW)Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Geriatric Care Products and Devices Market Revenue and Value Chain Till 2020

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Geriatric-Care-Products-and-Devices-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016-2020/up46

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Geriatric-Care-Products-and-Devices-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016-2020/upcomingdetail46

www.sa-brc.com

Geriatric care products and devices market encompasses myriad of products assisting the elderly in day-to-day activities. These products range from mobility assistance such as canes and walkers to hygiene products such as diapers. This research segments the market broadly as follows:Mobility assistance devicesFall and wandering alarmsHearing aidsAdult diapersCurrently mobility assistance devices account for largest share of geriatric care products and devices market. This segment includes canes, walkers, rollators, wheelchairs, and motorized scooters. These traditional products are now armed with latest technology to enable better distant care. In 2013, Fujitsu launched a cane prototype at the Mobile World Congress. This new technology cane has a GPS device so that the elderly can find their way back home, and also keep physicians and relatives posted about their location. Automatic wheel chairs with wireless technology and motorized scooters are other new technology upgrades on the market segment. Fall and wandering alarms is the most rapidly evolving market segment. These portable devices are equipped with wireless technology to quickly alert emergency contact person about the current location. Fall and wandering alert devices are usually in the form of a pendent or bracelet, or can be attached to purse. Philips Lifeline is designed to automatically detect fall, and can contact nearest healthcare service providers. Such advances in technology have enables healthcare service provides to deliver better care and also improve life expectancy.Free Sample Report@Around 5 million individuals aged 65 years and above in the U.S. are suffering from Alzheimers disease. It is expected that by 2050, this figure would reach over 13 million, according to statistics published by the U.S. Census. Incidences of fall among elderly population are also rising rapidly. In the U.S. 2.8 million individuals aged 65 years and above are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries. Furthermore majority of the times, elderly who experience fall cannot call for help due to unconsciousness or confusion. With rapid increase in elderly population across the globe, it is expected that demand for elderly care products is expected to skyrocket in the near future.Japan has largest percentage of population with age 65 and above. In 2014 the percentage was 25.8%, which increased to 26.3% in 2015. Italy, Greece, Germany, and Portugal are other countries with highest elderly population. Europe stands out as the most attractive region for geriatric care products and devices market in the future. These countries possess necessary setup for wireless communication technology to enable effective emergency care. Affordability and favorable reimbursement policies have also supported the acceptance of these products in the market.Click For Request TOC@Philips Healthcare, Vitacall, Medical Guardian LLC, Bay Alarm Medical, LifeCall and LifeFone are some of the key players in the fall and wandering alarms segment.About UsSpearhead Acuity Business Research & Consulting Private Limited (SA-BRC) is a premium Life Science business intelligence and data analytics firm. SA-BRC team offers a wide range of business intelligence services to multiple stakeholders such as Medical Device Manufacturers, Service Providers (Hospitals, Payers, etc.), Suppliers, Group Purchase Organizations, Distributors and all other individuals in the entire value chain of healthcare industry. Our research and consulting capabilities extend across several sub-domains within the sphere of Life Sciences such as Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices, Veterinary Sciences, Wellness Products and Pharmaceuticals.Contact UsJohn Whitmore10685-B Hazelhurst Drive,Suite 17411Houston, Texas 77043,United StatesPhone: +1(832)-426-3701Email: sales@sa-brc.comWebsite:
Global Automotive Exhaust Systems Market - Asia-Pacific is Expected to Lead the Global Market!

http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/9dime7762/global-automotive-exhaust-systems-market-research-report-2016

http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=9dime7762

http://www.marketintelreports.com/purchase.php?id=9dime7762

www.marketintelreports.com

2016 Global Automotive Exhaust Systems Industry Report is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions of the Automotive Exhaust Systems industry, focusing on the main regions North America Europe AsiaAnd the main countries United States Germany Japan China.Check complete report @The report firstly introduced the Automotive Exhaust Systems basics: definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview; industry policies and plans; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Avail more information from Sample Brochure of report @The report includes six parts, dealing with:1. Basic information;2. The Asia Automotive Exhaust Systems industry;3. The North American Automotive Exhaust Systems industry;4. The European Automotive Exhaust Systems industry;5. Market entry and investment feasibility;6. The report conclusion.Order a copy of Global Automotive Exhaust Systems Market Research Report 2016 @MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.MIR intends to be a one-stop shop with an intuitive design, exhaustive database, expert assistance, secure cart checkout and data privacy integrated. It curates the list of reports, publishers and studies to ensure that the database is constantly updated to dynamically meet the targeted, specific needs of our clients.MarketIntelReports currently has more than 10,000 plus titles and 35+ publishers on our platform and growing consistently to fill the Global Intelligence Demand  Supply Gap. We cover more than 15 industry verticals being: Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, Building & Construction, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, Banking & Finance, Media and Government, Public Sector Studies.2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statespr@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343
Deep Brain Stimulator Market, 2016-2026 by Segmentation Based on Product, Application and Region

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1338

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1338

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Deep Brain Stimulation (DMS) is a neosurgical procedure which helps to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms. It involves the implantation of a battery-operated medical device called neurostimulator which sends electrical signals to specific parts of brain that control movement and affective disorders like pain, mood, weight and awakening. This procedure also helps in treating essential tremor, a common neurological movement disorder. DMS system consists of three components: a thin, insulated wire, called a lead or electrode that is placed into the brain, the neurostimulator which puts out the electric current and is generally placed under the skin near the collarbone and another thin, insulated wire, called an extension which connects the lead to the neurostimulator. The neurostimulator device is also referred to as brain pacemaker. FDA approved DMS as a treatment for essential tremor in 1997, for Parkinsons disease in 2002. Before this procedure, a neurosurgeon uses either MRI or CT scanning to detect the exact target area within the brain where the electric signals will generate the Parkinsons disease symptoms.Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing incidence of Parkinsons disease is the main driving force for the fast growth of deep brain stimulation device market. Deep brain stimulation does not involve destruction of any part of the brain and thus, has fewer complications than thalamotomy and pallidotomy.Moreover this electrical injection is adjustable and can be changed as the persons disease change or his or her response to medication change. No further surgery is needed to make the adjustments. All these has led to the growth of deep brain stimulation device market. However, with any surgical procedure there involves risk. The implantation of any foreign object in the body leads to increased risk of infection. If the battery fails then the device would stop working properly (the battery normally lasts 3 to 5 years).DMS placement may even lead to allergic reaction to the DMS parts. These may obstruct the deep brain stimulation device market to grow.Request Free Report Sample@Deep Brain Stimulator Market: SegmentationDeep Brain Stimulator Marketis segmented based on product type, application, end user and geography.Based on product type, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:Single Channel Deep Brain StimulatorDual Channel Deep Brain StimulatorBased on application, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:Parkinsons diseaseEssential TremorChronic PainDystoniaTourette syndromeBased on end user, deep brain stimulatormarket is segmented into the following:HospitalsAmbulatory Surgical centersNeurological clinicsDeep Brain Stimulator Market: OverviewGlobally deep brain stimulation devices market are the main causes of mortality. Parkinsons disease is the most common neurological movement disorder after Alzheimers. Deep brain stimulation devices market is expected to grow at a healthy rate during the forecasted period 2013-2019. Rise in the number of neurological movement diseases like Parkinsons disease, essential tremor, Alzheimers disease has led to the huge growth of deep brain stimulation devices market. Parkinsons disease includes symptoms like tremors, stiffness, rigidity and walking problems.Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Region-wise OutlookRegion wise, the global deep brain stimulator marketis classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America region has a sizeable market share in the global deep brain stimulation market. Countries like US, Canada, Europe, Germany, UK, France and Spain has led North American and European market of deep brain stimulation device to grow at a faster rate. Increasing awareness regarding the application of deep brain stimulation device contributes its larger share in this region. However, emerging economies like India and China with their growing disposable income and advanced technological awareness enabling them to enter into this market and contribute towards its growth.Request For TOC@Deep Brain Stimulator Market: Key PlayersKey players pertaining to Deep Brain Stimulator market includes Medtronic Inc., St. Jude Medical, Boston scientific. These companies hold huge amount of share in global deep brain stimulation devices market. Functional Neuromodulation, a startup backed by Medtronic and the National Institutes of Health, will advance its deep brain stimulation implant into a Phase III trial to treat Alzheimers disease patients. St. Jude Medical has received a CE mark for its latest neuromodulation technology-the Infinity Deep Brain Stimulation System to treat movement disorders. Key players across all locations use deep brain stimulation device market to treat Parkinsons disease, essential tremor thus, leading to the growth of this particular market.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Light Therapy- Market Size and Forecast Analysis 2016-2020

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Light-Therapy-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016--2020/up48

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Light-Therapy-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016--2020/upcomingdetail48

www.sa-brc.com

Light therapy market is gradually making its way from being popular in skin and aesthetic treatment, to treatment of depression and sleep related disorders. Light therapy or photo therapy has been used for treatment of skin disorders such as psoriasis, acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis and others. Certain studies have also shown that exposure to ultraviolet light has been beneficial in treatment of skin cancer. Light therapy for diabetic retinopathy has also been found beneficial in improving retinal blood flow which further helps in vision correction.The global light therapy market has been segmented on the basis of application as follows:DepressionSleep disordersRetinal disordersSkin disordersOthersFree Sample Report@Majority of the market for light therapy has been dominated by generic product manufacturers. China has become a home for low-cost photo therapy lamp, and other products manufacturers. Turnkey products are exported from China to companies in western countries, which further engage in branding and product promotion. Products are available for home use, as well for commercial applications in therapy centers. Various light therapy clinics have also evolved in the recent past for treatment of depression, and skin rejuvenation and acne treatment. Noctura 400 sleep mask manufactured by PolyPhotonix Medical Ltd. a U.K. based company is claimed to show positive results in 66% of the diabetic retinopathy patients. The CE market product reduces retinal thickness and intra-retinal cysts within three months of use.Light therapy market is mainly driven by growing tendency to opt for drugless therapy, mainly to avoid drug effects. Psychological treatment of depression, and sleep disorder through exposure to bright light has although not been fully supported by scientific data. Phototherapy has been beneficial in treatment of jaundice in neonatal. It helps in conversion of bilirubin in the body into water soluble byproducts, which can be easily excreted from the body. Publication of more studies on effect of phototherapy on treatment of depression and sleep related disorders would help the market grow rapidly in other parts of the world. Increasing disposable income and rising trend for cosmetic treatment has provided necessary traction for light therapy products in this segment. Light of varied colors such as red, blue, green and yellow have shown effective acne reduction and improved skin tone. Currently U.S., Europe and countries in South-East Asia such as Korea, Thailand and China are leading geographies in light therapy market. The Middle East and Africa contribute minimally to the market and also represent sluggish growth.Click For Request TOC@About UsSpearhead Acuity Business Research & Consulting Private Limited (SA-BRC) is a premium Life Science business intelligence and data analytics firm. SA-BRC team offers a wide range of business intelligence services to multiple stakeholders such as Medical Device Manufacturers, Service Providers (Hospitals, Payers, etc.), Suppliers, Group Purchase Organizations, Distributors and all other individuals in the entire value chain of healthcare industry. Our research and consulting capabilities extend across several sub-domains within the sphere of Life Sciences such as Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices, Veterinary Sciences, Wellness Products and Pharmaceuticals.Contact UsJohn Whitmore10685-B Hazelhurst Drive,Suite 17411Houston, Texas 77043,United StatesPhone: +1(832)-426-3701Email: sales@sa-brc.comWebsite:
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti National Youth Day Celebrated at JMA Pilani Rajasthan

Swami Vivekananda Jayanti National Youth Day Celebrated at JMA Pilani Rajasthan

http://jmapilani.org

http://jmapilani.org/

According to former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "Youth are a transformative force; they are creative, resourceful and enthusiastic agents of change be it in public squares or cyberspace."The ethereal sage Swami Vivekananda who was the original feminist and the first among spiritual leaders in modern times to speak for the masses is an icon not only in India yesterday but also India today and India Tomorrow. National Youth Day is celebrated on 12 January every year in India to commemorate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.Right from its inception, Smt Jamuna Mishra Academy  JMA Pilani has embarked on a rich tradition of celebrating various days of national and international significance. The school which is one among the top ranking schools in Pilani today celebrated the National youth Day on 12 January 2017 to commemorate the 154 birthday of Swami Vivekananda who became globally known after his famous address at Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893 which begins with the thundering lines Sisters and Brothers of America. After Miss Kushi of Class 9 read out the same speech in the school assembly, there was a resounding round of applause.The Thinker - Saint Swami Vivekananda played a stellar role in ending India's cultural isolation from the rest of the world thus becoming India's first great cultural ambassador to the West. As much as Swamiji wanted the westerners to learn spirituality from the Indians, he wanted Indians to learn from westerners not only science and technology but also humanism by adopting ideas of individual freedom, social equality and justice and respect for women.Principal Mrs Booma Natarajan conducted a quiz on biography of Swami Vivekananda. The celebrations ended with a career counseling session conducted by BK Birla Institute of Engineering and Technology BKBIET Pilani.For more details about JMA Pilani seeAbout JMA Pilani: Smt. Jamuna Mishra Academy (JMA) established in the year 2004 which has been making rapid strides in early childhood education is presently one of the most sought after schools at Pilani considered as Oasis in the desert state of Rajasthan well known in India today for one among top in world ranking BITS Pilani University as well as CSIR Laboratory CEERI and globally renowned Birla Science Museum. JMA Pilani is a Co-educational English Medium School with Experienced Teachers, Spacious Classrooms and Modern Amenities designed to impart Quality Education combined with All Round Personality Development and lay the Best Foundation for the Childs Future. JMA which started in 2004 with an enrollment of 60 students for the Nursery, LKG, First Junior and Class I has grown today till Class XII and enrollment of 900. While the school admits both boys and girls, the girl student enrollment has been steadily rising every year and is presently nearly 50% of the total strength. The school has NCC for boys and the school girls band has been winning laurels every year too. Yoga and Fine arts are not just part of school routine but a way of life for the students.Mrs Booma Natarajan, M.Sc., M.A., B.Ed.Principal, Jamuna Mishra Academy  JMANear Old Pilani Post OfficePilani Rajasthan 333031 IndiaPhone 91-1596-242314Email booma_pilani at yahoo.co.inWebsite:
>Will see a shift from mid to large caps in Mobile Imaging Services Market due to Advertisements Increasing Awareness About its Use

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1560

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/mobile-imaging-services.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Mobile imaging services comprise a group of devices and technologies that allow diagnostic imaging to be conducted in non-hospital settings and the results sent to physicians. This is especially convenient in situations where the patient is suffering from disorders that restrain their movement, or the patient is in a remote area and cant physically visit the hospital. The growing demand for home healthcare solutions is thus favorable for the mobile imaging services market. Hospitals themselves are also exhibiting increasing demand for mobile imaging services, as they present a cost-effective alternative over conventional fixed medical imaging equipment.Obtain the Upcoming Market Analysis of Mobile Imaging Services at:According to Transparency Market Research, the global mobile imaging services market was valued at US$10.7 bn in 2013. Exhibiting a steady 3.2% CAGR from 2014 to 2020, the market is expected to rise to a valuation of US$13.3 bn.How important will hospitals be to the mobile imaging services market in the coming years?Despite their obvious utility in healthcare dispensation to remote areas or in home-based healthcare settings, the primary driver for the demand for mobile imaging services is their increasing use in hospitals. While stationary imaging equipment has been the norm in hospitals for a long time, the impending obsolescence of many imaging devices in the face of consistent technological advancement has necessitated the use of cost-effective modern alternatives such as mobile imaging.Small hospitals are the key end users of mobile imaging services. These hospitals need to keep in touch with the contemporaneous technological scenario, but the relatively low volume of patients doesnt allow them to install advanced stationary equipment on a mass scale. In this situation, using outsourced mobile imaging services becomes a vital solution for hospitals operating in a certain budget range. This is the way the mobile imaging services market has shaped up in North America and Europe. The increasing sophistication of teleradiology technologies is likely to ensure it remains this way in the coming years.What is the key trend in the global mobile imaging services market?The launch of mobile imaging units by major hospitals is a key trend in the global mobile imaging services market. While it has increased the demand for mobile imaging equipment, the high transportation costs and frequent maintenance requirements may put many hospitals off the idea of establishing their own mobile imaging unit. The increasing ease of incorporating teleradiology solutions is also likely to count against the mobile imaging services market, especially with smaller hospitals.Read the Current Market Forecast of Mobile Imaging Services at:The increasing global geriatric population has led to the development of imaging solutions that dont require the patients to be physically present in the hospital, and home care solutions are already becoming common in North America and Western Europe, which are virtually the only markets for mobile imaging services at present. This is another key driver for the global mobile imaging services market.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Smart Agriculture Market - Persistent Demand For Improved Income Margins Obtained From Agriculture Sector Drives Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11561

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/smart-agriculture-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.co

The growth witnessed by the global smart agriculture market has been quite impressive in the past few years owing to the persistent demand for improved profit margins, combined with the advent of connected devices in the agriculture industry. As governments across developing economies plan initiatives to boost the penetration of connected devices in the agriculture sector, the demand for smart agriculture solutions is poised to surge in response.On the downside, the lack of awareness regarding the availability and benefits of the technology, especially across small farmers in emerging nations such as India, China, and Brazil is inhibiting the markets growth to an extent. Nevertheless, with the rising internet penetration, the connected technologies are expected to proliferate at a faster rate thus creating opportunities for companies looking to establish footprint in the smart agriculture market.PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @For the purpose of the study, the global smart agriculture market is segmented into sensor monitoring systems, smart detection systems, and global positioning systems, in terms of hardware. By services, the market can be segmented into implementation and maintenance, integration, and consulting.Regionally, the global market is spread across Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East and Africa. Among these regions, North America is forecast to dominate the global smart agriculture market through 2016. Besides this presence of prominent players in the region, the strong economy and government incentives have been aiding the expansion of the smart agriculture market in North America.The market also witnesses lucrative opportunities in Asia Pacific. The region boasts arguably one of the largest agricultural sectors in the world with immense untapped opportunities. Following the penetration of IoT in the agriculture sector, the demand for smart agriculture devices is expected to bolster in Asia Pacific in the near future.Market Insight can be Viewed @To study the competition prevailing in the market, the report profiles companies such as Trimble Navigation Limited, Cisco Systems Inc., SST Development Group, Inc., Vodafone Group, Salt Mobile SA, and others.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nano Metrology Market 2016-2027: Demand and Sales, Regional Analysis, Key Players Analysis and Prospects

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/770

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/nano-metrology-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/770

About Nano Metrology:Nano Metrology is a subset of metrology, which is concerned with the science of measurement at the Nano scale level. Nano metrology has an important part in order to produce Nano materials and devices with a high degree of accuracy and reliability in Nano manufacturing. A challenge in Nano metrology is to develop or create new measurement standards and techniques to meet the needs of next-generation advanced manufacturing, which will rely on nanometer scale materials and technologies. The requirements for estimation and portrayal of new specimen structures and attributes far exceed the capabilities of current measurement science. Foreseen advances in emerging nanotechnology industries will require revolutionary metrology with high determination and accuracy that has previously been imagined.Market Growth Factor:Nano Metrology Market is increasingly generating interest from industries which are expecting accurate and reliable tools in order to effectively monitor manufacturing processes and to improve quality systems. Thus this factor of accuracy will be a huge factor in the growth of the Nano metrology market.Request a Sample Report @Major Market Key Players Accu-scope, Leica,Olympus, Glenammer, Keison, Precision EformingApplications of Nano Metrology:Applications of nanotechnologies consist a source of complicated technologies and include sectors, from health industry, energy industry, food industry, computer science industry or transports industry. According to an inventory which was carried out in 2011 as part of the American initiative, nanoparticles and Nano materials can thus already be found in more than 1,300 commercial products.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 85 market data tables and figures spread in 110 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Nano Metrology Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027"Access Report Details @Nano Metrology market segmentation:Nano Metrology Market segmentation by product type Microscopes Practical size analysis equipment Sieves Chemical characterization Surface area analysis equipmentNano Metrology market segmentation by Application Energy Industry Food Industry Computer Science Industry Transport IndustryNano Metrology market segmentation by Techniques Type XPS (X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) Raman Spectroscopy Photoluminescence and Electroluminescence SpectroscopyMake an Enquiry for Report @Regional AnalysisEuropeThe Nano metrology market in Europe is expected to be one of the leading markets; Nano meteorology in recent years has faced explosive growth different types of applications.North AmericaThe North American market for Nano metrology is a market which is in the growing phase; the national metrology institutes of most industrialized economies are developing Nano metrology infrastructures, initially for dimensional measurements.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Intelligent Electronic Devices Market - Complying Systems With International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) IEC 61850-6 Standard.

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11489

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/intelligent-electronic-devices-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Intelligent Electronic Devices Market: OverviewMost of the nations worldwide are trying to raise their electricity production in order to complement the increasing industrialization and urbanization. This factor has significantly contributed to the rise of substation installation in order to deliver electricity to various remote parts of a nation. A substation is used to step up current and voltage or vice versa for transmitting electricity to long distances.Thus, a substation typically consists of equipment such as circuit breaker, transformer, capacitors and voltage regulators which perform transmission, distribution and protection of equipments from both the ends. This makes substation an important part of power system which needs constant monitoring and maintenance for smooth operation. Intelligent electronic device helps to monitor, control and protect the substation equipments from unpredicted faults resulting in disruption of power supply.PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @Intelligent electronic devices consist of a group of microprocessor controlled components such as switching, control and communication units. Switching units comprises devices such as protective relay, electrically operated on-load tap controller and electrical isolator which operate in substation to mechanically isolate the system in case of possible fault. Some switching units also continuously monitor and collect data which is fed to control units through communication devices. Communication devices comprises Ethernet cables, wireless transmission and power line communication carrier (PLCC). Today, most of the intelligent electronic devices manufacturers provide communication through Ethernet cables and wireless communication.Control units consists of a system which helps to monitor and control the remote terminal unit (RTU) or switching units in real-time. Further, it also collects historical data from switching units thereby providing detailed analysis to the operator. Intelligent electronic devices also consist of monitoring systems, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), human machine interface (HMI) and digital meters which help to provide additional information of overall health of substation systems.Intelligent Electronic Devices Market: Driving Factors and OpportunitiesFurther, with the introduction of smart grid system, the application of intelligent electronic devices is expected to increase in coming years. Some intelligent electronic device vendors also provide software which help to collate and monitor the overall condition of intelligent electronic devices. A major requirement for intelligent electronic devices vendors is to comply their system with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) IEC 61850-6 standard. Thus, the protocol is expected to create a huge impact on the market in producing a standardized product.The application of intelligent electronic device is expected to increase in transmission and distribution, collector and switching substation. Some vendors are also providing customized solution for gas insulated substation which also require monitoring of SF6 gas. The market for intelligent electronic device is also expected to increase owing to the automated and remote control of substation in remote areas.Market Insight can be Viewed @The application of intelligent electronic device is increasing in renewable energy installation such as wind farms and solar projects which require continuous monitoring of electrical equipments. The market can be segmented on the basis of hardware such as RTU, communication and control system. Further, the challenge faced in case of possible intrusion in wireless based communication can be a possible restraint for this market.Intelligent Electronic Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the prominent vendors providing intelligent electronic device are Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, Black & Veatch Corporation, Eaton Corp PLC, SUBNET Solutions Inc., Toshiba Corporation and ABB Ltd.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Electric Vehicle Battery Market - Fluctuating Crude Oil Prices Is The Major Factor Bolstering Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9073

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/electric-vehicle-battery-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Growing concerns related to decreasing oil and gas resources and degrading environmental conditions are having positive impact on the demand for electric powered vehicles. Moreover, subsidies and incentives on usage of such vehicles is another factor driving the market for electric powered vehicles. These vehicles depend on electric batteries to provide the primary or the secondary power. Thus any impact on the demand for electric powered vehicles will affect the electric vehicle battery market. An electric powered vehicle or battery electric vehicle use chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs for power. As all the power is derived from batteries therefore, it does not require any combustion engine for propulsion. Battery Electric vehicles include scooters, rail cars, bicycle, forklifts, buses and cars. The advantages in battery storage technology have also positively affected the electric vehicle battery market.PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @The segmentation of the electric vehicle battery market can be done on the basis of technology, application and geography. Technology segment deals with the different types of batteries used for manufacturing of electric vehicle battery. Major battery types include lead acid batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, zebra batteries and lithium ion batteries. Lead acid batteries are the most common and cheapest type of batteries. Nickel metal hydride batteries have higher energy densities than the common lead acid batteries and if used properly can have exceptionally long lives. The Zebra batteries use molten chloro-aluminate sodium as electrolyte. Lithium ion batteries use graphite anode and lithium cobalt oxide anode. These batteries are use to power the Battery Electric Vehicles, Hybrid Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Electric Vehicles.Regional segmentation of the electric vehicle battery market includes countries such as the United States and Canada in North America; Germany, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe. The government incentives on usage of battery powered vehicles are one of the main reasons behind the growth of North American and European electric vehicle battery market. Other prominent market includes Asia Pacific and Middle East. Asia Pacific market includes the countries such as Japan, China and South Korea. Increasing concerns related to energy security and incentives on use of battery powered vehicles are the major factor driving the Asia Pacific market. The Rest of the World segment still lags behind in the electric vehicle battery market. The Rest of the World Market includes countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.Decreasing crude oil reserves and concerns regarding degradation of the environment are the major factors driving the electric vehicle battery market. With decreasing crude reserves the demand for economical transportation technologies has attracted investment in this market. The governments of many major countries have encouraged adoption hybrid vehicles that utilize the electric battery. Many national agencies have enforced rules and provide attractive concessions on purchasing hybrid cars. Stringent environmental regulations in the European Union nations have encouraged wide adoption of the battery powered vehicles. The fluctuating crude oil prices are another major factor bolstering consumers to adopt such batteries. Expensive nature of electric vehicle battery is one of the major restraints to the market.Market Insight can be Viewed @Some of the major players in the electric vehicle battery market include companies such as SAMSUNG SDI CO. LTD., Quallion, Boston-Power, Inc. and LG Chem Power Inc.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Worldwide High-Growth Industry "Medical Tourism" by International Medical Service with Latest Medical Technology 2016 Edition

https://goo.gl/81EPgg

Albany, New York, Jan 12,2017"Medical Tourism Market Report: 2016 Edition" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect. Description-Medical tourism is a high-growth industry driven by globalization and rising healthcare costs in developed countries. People prefer traveling to developing countries for treatments in order to save cost. More than forty countries in Asia, America, Africa and Eastern Europe are serving millions of medical tourists annually. International medical service providers are in continuous race to get accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI).Get Sample Report With TOC @Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and India are the major destinations in the Asian medical tourism market. Thailand is more popular among Western European medical tourists for cosmetic surgery. Singapore and India specialize in complex procedures with India having a cost advantage and Singapore a technology advantage. The most common categories of procedures that people pursue during medical tourism trips are cosmetic surgery, dentistry, cardiology (cardiac surgery), and orthopedic surgery.The healthcare industry in Thailand has seen rapid growth in recent years, ahead of the country's GDP. In Thailand, medical costs are lower than in Singapore and also, it is a much more popular tourist destination. In this regard it is providing medical services, latest medical technology, medicines, and is further strengthening modern medicine, alternative medicine and biotechnology.The Malaysian government is aggressively promoting medical tourism. Through its Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia oversees tourism policies and tourism-related activities to realize its vision of making Malaysia an international tourism destination.Indian government is aggressively promoting India as a global healthcare destination. It has also started giving affiliation to the companies working in healthcare sector. Being one of the lowest cost and highest quality of all medical tourism destinations, it offers wide variety of procedures at about one-tenth the cost of similar procedures in the US.The Korean government is promoting the nation's growing medical tourism industry and is actively taking initiatives that are mainly geared to introduce the services and facilities of Korean hospitals to overseas expositions. However, Korea has yet to increase its standing among other Asian nations.This report gives an overview of the medical tourism industry with focus on Asia. It discusses the major medical tourist destinations like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India, South Korea and Turkey and their respective competitive advantages. The major healthcare organizations in Asia are also profiled in the later part of the report. Table of Content1. Market Overview1.1 Medical Tourism Industry Structure2. Medical Tourism - Market Analysis2.1 Global Medical Tourism Market2.2 Asian Medical Tourism MarketMarket ValueForeign Patients Inflow2.2.1 ThailandMarket ValueForeign Patients InflowBreakdown by Procedures2.2.2 SingaporeMarket ValueForeign Patients InflowForeign Patients by Nationality2.2.3 MalaysiaMarket ValueForeign Patients InflowForeign Patients by Nationality2.2.4 IndiaMarket ValueForeign Patients InflowForeign Patients by NationalityBreakdown by Procedures2.2.5 KoreaMarket ValueForeign Patients InflowForeign Patients by NationalityBreakdown by Procedures2.2.6 TurkeyMarket ValueForeign Patients Inflow3. Market Dynamics3.1 Growth Drivers3.1.1 Low Cost and High Saving3.1.2 Services and Accommodations3.1.3 Quality Checks3.1.4 Availability and Access3.1.5 Tourism and Leisure3.1.6 Growing Elderly Population3.1.7 GDP Contribution3.2 Key Trends3.2.1 International Certification3.2.2 Government Initiatives3.3 Challenges3.3.1 Language and Cultural Barrier3.3.2 No Legal Recourse3.3.3 Selection Criteria3.3.4 Ignorance towards Home Citizens3.3.5 Association between Safety, Health and Travel3.3.6 Social and Economic Factors3.4 Significant Developments3.4.1 Singapore3.4.2 Malaysia3.4.3 Thailand3.4.4 Indonesia4. Competitive LandscapeMarket CapitalizationOperational Bed GrowthMarket Share of Private Healthcare5. Company Profiles5.1 Raffles Medical Group5.1.1 Business Overview5.1.2 Financial Overview5.1.3 Business Strategies5.2 Bumrungrad Hospital5.2.1 Business OverviewResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Motion Controllers Market Driven By Immense Developments Of Automation Market Along With Rapid Globalization

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=8461

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/motion-controllers-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Motion Controllers control the velocity and position of machines. These controllers can be implemented with the help of both analog and digital computers. A motion controller comprises of load, prime mover, sensors and controlling machine for proper functioning of prime mover and load. Moreover, it is used to accomplish speed accuracy, increased position, fast reaction time, smooth movements, cost reduction, integrated automation, improved efficiency and consistency, elimination of hazards and better diagnosis and troubleshooting among others. These devices incorporate high force magnet materials, precise dimensional tolerance and innovative design machines. Motion controllers are widely used in printing, packaging, textile, assembly industries, semiconductor production and many other automation systems.PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @The key driving factors for motion controllers market are increasing venture by manufacturing companies and rising concern for industrial safety. Moreover, immense developments of automation market along with rapid globalization have collectively increased the demand for huge production capacity within limited time frame. Thus there has been a surge in implementation of automation systems in industries worldwide. Different geographical drivers are also accountable for the growth of this market. In addition, demand from developing countries, such as India, China and Brazil are expected to create opportunities for motion controllers market in the future. However, high manufacturing cost and lack of skilled workers are hindering the growth of the market. This challenge has to be addressed by manufacturers in order to ensure efficient applications of motion controllers.Global motion controllers market can be broadly classified on the basis of technology, application and geography. By technology, the market for motion controllers has been broadly segmented into computerized numerical control and general motion control. Usage of these controllers is much simpler in general motion control machines compared to computerized numerical control machines. The market can be subdivided by application into automotive, machinery manufacturing, logistics, aerospace and defense, electronics and semiconductor, food and beverage, medical, paper and printing, oil and gas and energy. Machinery manufacturing, logistics and electronics and semiconductor are the major sectors which are expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period from 2015 to 2021. The major reason is attributed to potential demand for process automation and industrial safety in these sectors. By geography, the global market for motion controllers has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World.In the present scenario, the market for motion controllers is dominated by Asia Pacific in terms of revenue, followed by North America and Europe. The major factor responsible for potential development of this market in Asia Pacific is huge adoption of these devices coupled with rapid technological advancement. However, North America and Europe is anticipated to grow at a significant rate in the future, primarily due to huge investment by manufacturing industries along with increase in industrialization.Market Insight can be Viewed @Some of the major players in this market are Schneider Electric (France), Siemens AG (Germany), Parker Hannifin Corp. (U.S.), Yaskawa Electric Corp. (Japan), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Moog Inc. (U.S.), Bosh Rexroth AG (Germany), Altra Industrial Motion Corporation (U.S.), Dover Motion Systems (U.S.) and Rockwell Automation (U.S.).Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Captive Panel Screws Market 2016 Industry Trends, Analysis, Overview, & Forecasts 2022

Captive Panel Screws

http://bit.ly/2j412tZ

Global Captive Panel Screws Market Research ReportThe MRS Research Group Captive Panel Screws report by QY Research represents an inclusive evaluation of the Captive Panel Screws Market and comprises considerable insights, historical data, facts,and statistical and industry-validated data of the global market.Additionally,it consists of estimated data that is evaluated with the help of suitable set of methodologies and assumptions.Click Here For Sample Research Report @The MRS Research Group report research highlights informative data and in-depth analysis of Captive Panel Screws market and its corresponding segments that are based on technology,geography, and applications.The report comprises precise information, comprehensive analysis in two ways qualitative and quantitative industry experts inputs, and information provided by industry analysts and industry participants involved in the entire value chain.The report highlights exhaustive study of major market and their present trends,along with corresponding market segments.The Captive Panel Screws report also provides data regarding various market factors and their impact on the overall market and its segments.Every market segment of the Captive Panel Screws industry is analyzed in a quantitative as well as qualitative way in order to provide the customers with a relative estimation of the global market. Essential information such as definition, the industry value chain and its analysis, and the trends are also explored in the MRS Research Group Captive Panel Screws report.MRS Research Group is the worlds giant collection of the Market research Reports. Where we specialized in global publisher, tailor made reports and specialists consulting. Global Publisher provides in-depth analysis of global and Chinese market. Tailor-made reports represent methodologies deliverable to proper insight of the client. While, expertise research specialist helps to provide strategic solution in specialists consulting.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Emerging The 5G Wireless Ecosystem will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025 - Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/804831

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/45

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

Worldwide Market studies the current scenario as well as future market potential of "The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2016 - 2030 - Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts"While LTE and LTE-Advanced deployments are still underway, mobile operators and vendors have already embarked on R&D initiatives to develop so-called 5G technology, with a vision of commercialization by 2020. 5G is essentially a revolutionary paradigm shift in wireless networking to support the throughput, latency and scalability requirements of future use cases such as extreme bandwidth augmented reality applications and connectivity management for Billions of M2M (Machine to Machine) devices.Although 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming. With large scale commercial deployments expected to begin in 2020, we estimate that 5G networks will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025.The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2016  2030  Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the emerging 5G ecosystem including key market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, use cases, vertical market applications, spectrum assessment, mobile operator deployment commitments, case studies, standardization, research initiatives and vendor strategies. The report also presents forecasts for 5G investments and operator services.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:Although 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming.Driven by regional, national government, mobile operator and vendor initiatives, we expect that over $6 Billion will be spent on 5G R&D and trial investments between 2015 and 2020.With large scale commercial deployments expected to begin in 2020, we estimate that 5G networks will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025.5G networks are expected to utilize a variety of spectrum bands for diverse applications, ranging from established sub-6 GHz cellular bands to millimeter wave frequencies.The report covers the following topics:5G requirements, use cases and vertical market applications5G market drivers and barriersAir interface and antenna technologies: new waveforms, millimeter wave radio access, MIMO, phased array antennas and beamformingSpectrum technologies: cognitive radio, spectrum sensing, aggregation and LSA (Licensed Shared Access)D2D (Device to Device) communications and self-backhauling networksComplimentary technologies for 5G: NFV (Network Functions Virtualization), SDN (Software Defined Networking), HetNet (Heterogeneous Networking), C-RAN (Centralized RAN), Cloud RAN, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing), drones and satellitesMobile operator commitments, case studies and 5G spectrum assessment5G Standardization and research initiativesCompetitive assessment of vendor strategiesR&D, commercial infrastructure and operator service forecasts till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:5G R&D InvestmentsNew Waveforms & Millimeter Wave Radio AccessMIMO, Beamforming & Antenna TechnologiesInterference & Spectrum ManagementC-RAN, Virtualization & Other Technologies5G Commercial Infrastructure InvestmentsTo Get More Signals And Systems Telecom Market Research Reports:Distributed Macrocell Base StationsSmall CellsRRHs (Remote Radio Heads)C-RAN BBUs (Baseband Units)Mobile CoreFronthaul & Backhaul Networking5G Operator ServicesSubscriptionsService RevenueRegional SegmentationAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:How much will vendors and operators invest in 5G R&D commitments?What will be the number of 5G subscriptions in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?What will be the key applications of 5G networks?What trends, challenges and barriers will influence the development and adoption of 5G?Which regions and countries will be the first to adopt 5G?Will 5G networks utilize new spectrum bands?Who are the key 5G vendors and what are their strategies?Will 5G networks rely on C-RAN architecture?What are the prospects of millimeter wave technology for 5G radio access networking?What will be the impact of 5G on the M2M and IoT ecosystem?Will drone and satellite based communication platforms play a wider role in 5G networks?List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)5G Americas5G Forum, South Korea5G Lab (TU Dresden)5G PPP (5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership)5GIC (5G Innovation Center, University of Surrey)5GMF (Fifth Generation Mobile Communications Promotion Forum, Japan)5GRUSAlcatel-LucentAlpental TechnologiesAmerica MovilARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses)AscentaAT&T MobilityAthena Wireless CommunicationsATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions)AVC Networks CompanyCableLabsChina MobileCisco SystemsCohere TechnologiesDT (Deutsche Telekom)du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company)EricssonEtisalatETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research)ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)FacebookFraunhofer FOKUSFraunhofer HHIFraunhofer-GesellschaftFujitsuFuture Forum, ChinaGoogleGSMAHiroshima UniversityHuaweiIEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)IMDEA Networks InstituteIMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group, ChinaIntel CorporationInterDigitalITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute)ITU (International Telecommunication Union)KDDIKeysight TechnologiesKT CorporationKumu NetworksLG UplusMegaFonMitsubishi ElectricMOEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan)MoogsoftMOST (Ministry of Science & Technology, China)MOST (Ministry of Science & Technology, Taiwan)MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, South Korea)MTS (Mobile TeleSystems)NEC CorporationNew Mexico Spaceport AuthorityNGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks) AllianceNI (National Instruments)NokiaNTT DoCoMoNYU WIRELESS (New York University)OfcomOptusOrangePanasonicQualcommRF DSPRohde & SchwarzSamsungSESSiBEAMSingTelSK TelecomSmall Cell ForumSoftBankSwisscomTAICS (Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards)Telecom ItaliaTelefonicaTeliaSoneraTelstraTIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)Titan AerospaceT-Mobile USATokyo Institute of TechnologyU.S. Department of CommerceU.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)U.S. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)U.S. NSF (National Science Foundation)UN (United Nations)University of KaiserslauternUniversity of OuluVerizon WirelessViterbi School of Engineering (University of Southern California)Vodafone AustraliaVodafone GroupVTT Technical Research CenterWWRF (World Wireless Research Forum)XilinxZTEAbout UsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:ContactTel: +1-518-621-2074E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizWebsite:MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 33% by 2020 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/804859

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/45

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

Recent research, new market study and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2016 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts" globally.Due to the bandwidth limitations of their traditional voice-centric LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks, public safety agencies are keen to leverage commercial cellular network technology to support their growing broadband application needs. Considering its thriving ecosystem, spectrum flexibility and performance metrics, LTE has emerged as the leading candidate for public safety mobile broadband networks. In addition, with the recent approval of the MCPTT (Mission Critical Push to Talk) voice standard as part of 3GPP Release 13, LTE has also become an attractive substitute for providing LMR-like voice services.The Qatar Ministry of Interior made headlines when it deployed a private 800 MHz LTE network in 2012. Since then, numerous public safety LTE networks have sprung up across the globe, including the UAE, China, Laos, Turkey and Kenya. Several early adopter LTE deployments are also operational in the United States, as part of the planned FirstNet nationwide public safety broadband network. While most initial public safety LTE investments are limited to small-scale networks, nationwide rollouts in the United States and South Korea are expected to trigger significant large-scale investments throughout the globe.The European market is largely dominated by MVNO arrangements, such as the UK Home Offices ESN (Emergency Services Network) program that will use EEs commercial LTE network to deliver prioritized mission critical voice and data services for the UKs public safety agencies. As part of the program, EE is enhancing its existing network with additional sites, satellite backhaul and a dedicated mobile core for first responders, among other investments.Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years. By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2016  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the global public safety LTE market, besides touching upon the wider LMR and mobile broadband industries. In addition to covering the business case, challenges, technology, spectrum allocation, industry roadmap, value chain, deployment case studies, vendor products, strategies, standardization initiatives and applications ecosystem for public safety LTE, the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for mobile broadband, LMR and public safety LTE subscriptions from 2016 till 2030. Also covered are public safety LTE service revenues, over both private and commercial networks. In addition, the report presents revenue forecasts for public safety LTE infrastructure, devices, integration services and management solutions.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a list and associated details of over 90 global public safety LTE network commitments (as of Q22016).Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years.By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.Following the Qatar Ministry of Interiors private 800 MHz LTE network deployment in 2012, multiple private LTE rollouts are underway by security forces throughout the oil rich GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, including the Abu Dhabi and Dubai police forces.Driven by nationwide public safety LTE network rollouts in the United States and South Korea, the North America and Asia Pacific regions will account for nearly 70% of all public safety LTE investments over the next four years.Almost all major LMR industry players are leveraging partnerships with established LTE infrastructure OEMs such as Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and Samsung, to offer end-to-end LTE solutions.Consolidation efforts are continuing to take place throughout the industry, particularly among the largest LTE infrastructure OEMs and public safety system integrators.To Get More Signals And Systems Telecom Market Research Reports:Topics Covered:The report covers the following topics:Business case for public safety LTE and mobile broadband services, including key benefits and challengesTechnology, economics, trends, commercial commitments and deployment case studiesList of public safety LTE engagements worldwidePublic safety LTE infrastructure, devices and applicationsIndustry roadmap, value chain and standardization initiativesSpectrum allocation, deployment models and funding strategiesProfiles and strategies of over 260 ecosystem players including public safety system integrators and LTE infrastructure/device OEMsTCO analysis of private and commercial public safety LTE deploymentsMilitary and tactical LTE deploymentsPublic safety LTE base station (eNB) form factor analysisExclusive interview transcripts from 5 key ecosystem players: Ericsson, Airbus Defence and Space, Sepura, Aricent and Parallel WirelessStrategic recommendations for vendors, system integrators, public safety agencies and mobile operatorsMarket analysis and forecasts from 2016 till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Public Safety LTE InfrastructureSubmarketsRAN (Radio Access Network)EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and PolicyMobile Backhaul and TransportRAN Base Station (eNB) Mobility CategoriesFixed Base StationsTransportable Base StationsRAN Base Station (eNB) Cell Size CategoriesMacrocellsSmall CellsTransportable RAN Base Station (eNB) Form Factor CategoriesNIB (Network-in-a-Box)VNS (Vehicle Network System)SOW (System-on-Wheels)Airborne PlatformPublic Safety LTE Management & Integration SolutionsSubmarketsNetwork Integration & TestingDevice Management & User ServicesManaged Services, Operations & MaintenanceCybersecurityPublic Safety LTE DevicesSubmarketsPrivate LTECommercial LTEForm Factor CategoriesSmartphones & Handportable TerminalsVehicle Mount Routers & TerminalsTablets & Notebook PCsUSB Dongles & OthersPublic Safety LTE Subscriptions & Service RevenueSubmarketsPrivate LTECommercial LTEPublic Safety User Subscriptions over Private Mobile BroadbandSubmarketsPrivate LTEPrivate WiMAXPublic Safety User Subscriptions over Commercial Mobile BroadbandSubmarkets3GWiMAXLTE5G & BeyondLMR SubscriptionsSubmarketsAnalogDMRdPMR, NXDN & PDTP25TETRATetrapolOthersLMR Data SubscriptionsSubmarketsP25 - Phase 1P25 - Phase 2TETRATEDSTetrapolOthersPublic Safety LTE ApplicationsSubmarketsVideo ApplicationszGIS, AVLS and MappingMobile VPN Access & SecurityCAD (Computer Aided Dispatching)Remote Database AccessTelemetry and Remote DiagnosticsBulk Multimedia/Data TransfersPTT & Voice over LTESituational Awareness ApplicationsRegional SegmentationAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:How big is the public safety LTE opportunity?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?How is the ecosystem evolving by segment and region?What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?Which regions and submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth?How does standardization impact the adoption of LTE for public safety applications?When will MCPTT and proximity services see large scale proliferation?What is the status of private LTE rollouts and public safety MVNO offerings across the globe?What opportunities exist for commercial mobile operators and MVNOs in the public safety LTE market?Is there a market for 400 MHz LTE networks?What are the prospects of tactical, vehicle-mounted and airborne LTE eNB platforms?How can public safety agencies leverage unused spectrum resources to fund private LTE networks?What strategies should system integrators and vendors adopt to remain competitive?List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)AaeonAbu Dhabi PoliceAccelleranAceAxisACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority)AculabAdaxADCOM911 (Adams County Communication Center)ADRF (Advanced RF Technologies)AdvantechAdvantech WirelessAeroflexAffarii TechnologiesAffirmed NetworksAgile NetworksAirbus Defence and SpaceAirbus GroupAir-LynxAirspan NetworksAirvanaAirwave SolutionsAjman PoliceAlcatel-LucentAltiostar NetworksAmdocsAniteAnritsu CorporationAPCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials)AppleARASKOMArcadyanArgelaAricentARItelArqivaArtemis NetworksAselsanASOCSASTRI (Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute)ASTRIDASTRO SolutionsAsus (ASUSTeK Computer)AT&TAthena Wireless CommunicationsAthonetATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions)Atlas TelecomAvanti Communications GroupAvayaAVIAviat NetworksAvtecAxell WirelessAxis CommunicationsAxis TeknologiesAxxcelera Broadband WirelessBAE SystemsBandRichBarrett CommunicationsBASE (Belgium)Baylin TechnologiesBayRICS (Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications Systems Authority)BayWEB (Bay Area Wireless Enhanced Broadband system)BFDXBilbao MetroBird TechnologiesBittium CorporationBlack Box CorporationBlackhawk ImagingBlacknedBluebirdBoise Police DepartmentBosch Security SystemsBrazilian ArmyBridgewaterBroadcomBrocade Communications SystemsBT GroupBTI WirelessC4iCalAmp CorporationCalgary Police ServiceCamden County Public SafetyCanadian Advanced Technology AllianceCasio Computer CompanyCatalyst CommunicationsCaterpillarCaviumCCI (Communication Components Inc.)CCI (Competitive Companies, Inc.)CCI (Crown Castle International)CCSA (China Communications Standards Association)CCTI (Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc.)CellvineCeragonChina MobileCiena CorporationCisco SystemsCITIG (Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group)City of CharlotteCity of Fort WorthCity of IrvingCity of New OrleansCity of OaklandCity of Pembroke PineCobhamCobham WirelessCodan Radio CommunicationsColorado Parks and WildlifeComba Telecom Systems HoldingsCommAgilityCommandWear SystemsCommScopeComtech Telecommunications CorporationCONET TechnologiesConnectemContelaCore Network DynamicsCoriantCorningCovia LabsCPqD (Center for Research and Development in Telecommunications, Brazil)CradlepointCSI (Cellular Specialties, Inc.)Dali WirelessDAMM Cellular SystemsDAP TechnologiesDAPage NotificationsDataNet SoftwareDatang GroupDatang MobileDellDeltaNodeDish NetworkDNK (Norwegian Directorate for Emergency Communication)Dongwon T&IDragonWaveDSC (Digital Special Communication)Dubai PoliceDurabook (Twinhead International Corporation)Dutch PoliceEA Networks (Electricity Ashburton)EADSEastcomEchoStar CorporationEden Rock CommunicationsEEEENA (European Emergency Number Association)EF JohnsonElbit SystemsElta SystemsEMC CorporationEricssonEricsson LGETELMEtherstackEthertronicsETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, South Korea)ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)EventideEXACOMExalt CommunicationsExelisEXFOExteNet SystemsFalu MunicipalityFederated WirelessFirstNet (First Responder Network Authority)FoxcomFraunhofer FokusFrench Armed ForcesFrench MOI (Ministry of Interior)FrequentisFujitsuGaltronicsGemtek Technology CompanyGENBANDGeneral Dynamics CorporationGeneral Dynamics Mission SystemsGenesis GroupGerman Armed Forces (Bundeswehr)Getac Technology CorporationGoodman NetworksGoodmill SystemsGoogleGovernor's OIT (Office of Information Technology), State of ColoradoGrant County Sheriffs OfficeGrenTech (China GrenTech Corporation)GWT (Global Wireless Technologies)Harris CorporationHarris CountyHFRS (Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service)HitachiHome Office, UKHoneywellHong Kong Police ForceHP (Hewlett-Packard Company)HQT RadioHTCHuaweiHughes CommunicationsHughes Network SystemsHytera Communications CompanyIAI (Israel Aerospace Industries)iBwave SolutionsiCOMIDF (Israel Defense Forces)ImtradexInmarsatInnerWirelessIntel CorporationIntel SecurityInterDigitalIntersecIntrepid Networksip.accessIPWirelessITELAZPIITU (International Telecommunication Union)JDI (JING DENG INDUSTRIAL)JMA WirelessJordanian Armed ForcesJRC (Japan Radio Company)Juni GlobalJuniper NetworksJVCKENWOOD CorporationKapsch CarrierComKathrein-Werke KGKBRKelrad SoftwareKenyan Police ServiceKeysight TechnologiesKirisun CommunicationsKisan TelecomKMWKodiak NetworksKPNKT CorporationKudelski GroupKyocera CommunicationsL-3 Communication Systems-WestL-3 Communications HoldingsLaos PoliceLA-RICS (Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System)Las Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentLemko CorporationLenovoLeonardo-FinmeccanicaLG CNSLG ElectronicsLG GroupLGS InnovationsLigado NetworksLijiang PoliceLiveViewGPSLockheed Martin CorporationLogic InstrumentMavenir SystemsMcWaneMegaFonMentura GroupMER-CellO Wireless SolutionsMetroPCSMiami Dade Police DepartmentMiami-Dade CountyMicrolabMilestone SystemsMIMOonMinistry of Industry and Information Technology, ChinaMitel Networks CorporationMitsubishi Electric CorporationMobileDemandMobilicomMobistarMODUCOM (MODULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS)Moscow PoliceMoseley AssociatesMotorola MobilityMotorola SolutionsMPS (Ministry of Public Security, China)MPSS (Ministry of Public Safety and Security, South Korea)MSB (Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency)MTI MobileMutualinkNational Rail, UKNATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)NCRIC (Northern California Regional Information Center)NEC CorporationNedaaNeptune MobileNet4MobilityNetasNetMotion WirelessNevada Department of TransportationNew Jersey ROIC (Regional Operations Intelligence Center)New Jersey State PoliceNew Jersey TransitNew Mexico DoIT (Department of Information Technology)New Postcom Equipment CompanyNew Zealand PoliceNewCore WirelessNexiusNextG NetworksNextNavNI (National Instruments) CorporationNokia CorporationNokia NetworksNorthrop Grumman CorporationnTerop CorporationNTT DoCoMoNuRAN WirelessNutaqO3b NetworksOceus NetworksOctasicOMA (Open Mobile Alliance)Oman Royal OfficeOntario Ministry of TransportationONTHEGODEVICESOpenSignalOptiwayPanasonic CorporationPanda Electronics (Nanjing Panda Electronics Company)Panorama AntennasParallel WirelessPennsylvania State PolicePeproPhiladelphia Police DepartmentPhonakPiciorgros (Funk-Electronic Piciorgros),Pikewerks CorporationPolaris NetworksPolice Federation of AustraliaPortalifyPotevio (China Potevio Company)PowerTrunkProductivity Commission, AustraliaProximusPryme Radio ProductsPSCR (Public Safety Communications Research)Public WirelessPureWave NetworksPuxing RadioPyramid CommunicationsQatar Armed ForcesQatar MOI (Ministry of Interior)Qigihar Municipal Public Security BureauQiqihar PoliceQualcommQuanta ComputerQucellQuortusRACOMRadio IPRadisys CorporationRADWINRAVEN Electronics CorporationRaytheon CompanyRCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)Reality MobileRedline CommunicationsRELM WirelessRF WindowRFS (Radio Frequency Systems)Rio de Janeiro Fire DepartmentRivada NetworksRohde & SchwarzRohillRoper IndustriesRosenbergerSafaricomSAIC (Science Applications International Corporation)Samji Electronics CompanySamsung ElectronicsSamsung GroupSANG (Saudi Arabian National Guard)Sao Paulo Military PoliceSapura Secured TechnologiesSaudi MOI (Ministry of Interior)Savox CommunicationsSelex ESSepuraSerComm CorporationSESSETARSevis SystemsSFRShanghai Police DepartmentSiemensSiemens Convergence CreatorsSierra WirelessSignalionSikluSimocoSiRRANSK TelecomSK TelesysSLA CorporationSLC (Secure Land Communications)Smith Micro SoftwareSOLiD (SOLiD Technologies)Sonic CommunicationsSonim TechnologiesSony CorporationSpace DataSpectra GroupSpiderCloud WirelessSpirent CommunicationsStar SolutionsState of LouisianaState of MinnesotaState of MississippiState of New JerseyState of New MexicoState of OklahomaState of TexasState Security Networks Group, FinlandStop NoiseSumitomo Electric IndustriesSunnada (Fujian Sunnada Communication Company)Surrey PoliceSwedish National PoliceSymantecTait CommunicationsTaquaTCCA (TETRA and Critical Communications Association)TCL CommunicationTCS (TeleCommunication Systems)TDIA (TD-Industry Alliance)TE ConnectivityTechosonic IndustriesTecoreTEKTELIC CommunicationsTelefonicaTelevateTELEXTelrad NetworksTelstraTeltronicTelumTESSCOTETRAtabThalesTI (Texas Instruments)TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)TITAN Communication SystemsT-MobileToshiba CorporationTropicoTurk TelekomTurkish National Police ForceTwisted Pair SolutionsU.S. ArmyU.S. CBP (Customs and Border Protection)U.S. CellularU.S. Coast GuardU.S. Department of CommerceU.S. Department of DefenseU.S. Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Department of StateU.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)U.S. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)U.S. NavyU.S. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)U.S. NPSTC (National Public Safety Telecommunications Council)U.S. NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)UAE MOI (Ministry of Interior)UbidyneUIC (International Union of Railways)UNIMO TechnologyUniversity of OttawaUppsala Ambulance ServicesUS Digital DeAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:ContactTel: +1-518-621-2074E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizWebsite:MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Penstocks Market in Global Industry : Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2016-2020

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=216051

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=216051

Albany, NY, 12 JAN : Penstock is a pressure conduit that runs between the turbine scroll case and the open water source. The open water can be a canal, river, free flow tunnel, surge tank or a reservoir. They are hydraulically efficient, as to conserve available head and structurally safe to prevent failure that would result in property and loss of life. Penstocks can be manufactured from a variety of materials however the flexibility and strength of steel makes it best suited material for the range of pressure fluctuations that arises in the turbine operation.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Designing and construction of penstocks are majorly governed by appropriate codes which specify certain practices and safety rules that have to be followed while designing the penstocks. Until a special penstock code is formulated, steel penstocks are fabricated in accordance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Codes. These codes are subject to periodic revision to keep it abreast of new developments in the materials, construction, design and inspection of pressure vessels. Current design standards and construction practices are developed gradually following the emergence of welded construction, and are the results of the enhancements in the production of welding-quality steels especially in welding processes and procedures, and in the testing and inspection of welds.The position and arrangement of penstocks are determined through the type of dam, location of the intake and outlet, relative location of the dam and the process of river diversion carried out during dam construction. Dams that require tunnel for diversion of the river flow during construction, the penstocks are positioned in the tunnels only when diversion has been discontinued and the intake of the tunnel has been plugged. Such type of arrangement was carried out for the first time in 30-foot lower Arizona and Nevada penstock on Hoover Dam. In low head dams, penstocks are manufactured in the centre of the dam. Large concrete dams have both longitudinal and transverse contraction joints such as Glen Canyon Dam. Steel type penstocks are required to provide the water tightness in the concrete and at the contraction joints.Enquiry @Penstocks that are fixed in concrete dams or are installed in tunnels are filled with concrete to transmit some of the radial thrust arising from internal water pressure. Typically, such penstocks are fabricated to resist the full internal pressure. In all cases, the shell poses sufficient amount of thickness to provide the sufficient rigidity required during handling and fabrication. Buried or embedded penstock shells are also provided with adequate stiffness to withstand any type of external hydrostatic pressure. In Shasta dam, the upstream portions of the long penstocks are mounted in the dam whereas the downstream portions are exposed above the ground.ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
Satellite-Based Earth Observation Industry Is Witnessing An Impressive Growth, With Around 260 Satellite Launches Expected Over The Next Decade

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=216069

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=216069

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Satellite-Based Earth Observation Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) is a process of using remote-sensing technique to gather information on the chemical, physical and biological aspects of the earth system. This technique allows the measurement of geophysical parameters of the earth from the orbit with the use of cameras and sensors. The gathered information can be effectively used to monitor and predict cloud cover and climate patterns, detect and assess damage during floods, tsunamis, and other natural disasters, agricultural and usage, petroleum and mineral deposits, availability of water sources. It also facilitates the management of earths natural resources in a resourceful manner. The satellite-based earth observation industry is witnessing an impressive growth, with around 260 satellite launches expected over the next decade.One of the main drivers in this market is the technological improvements in satellite imagery. Advanced image-enhancing equipments such as high-resolution cameras, and advanced remote-sensing technology have improved the quality of satellite-based earth observation images. This data is shared from various satellites and accordingly used by defense, science, research and development organizations, and private users. The U.S. based earth observation satellite operators GeoEye and DigitalGlobe, along with Europe-based SPOT Image share more than 60 % of the total revenues from commercial data sales.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The challenge for the imagery market is the initial high investment cost. Moreover, other challenges arising due to the incoordination among different databases still persist due to the isolation of various satellites from one another. All these challenges are expected to be resolved by the much anticipated technology together developed by the new upcoming formation Group on Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). This is a system of systems that will link the existing and the upcoming observing systems around the globe and fill in the loop holes of uncommon technical standards seen in the development of new observing systems.It will offer a single internet access point to all the users seeking EO data from existing data bases as well as the new up-to-date portals, thus, making the information and analysis to flow directly to the users across various domains. Demand for EO data is increasing from users such as surveyors, farmers, miners, fishers, engineers, and others decision makers, to pursue their business objectives. This technology is also expected to fuel growth for earth observations market in other areas such as land management, natural disaster response, insurance, real estate and tourism industry. Increased demand for EO data from public entities and private companies such as Google, Inc. for its use in mapping and location based services is further expected to stimulate the earth observations market growth.Demand for satellite-based earth observation market will be high from developing countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and South Africa who would be widening their native autonomous capabilities in the near future. United States, Europe, China and India are all important operators of remote sensing satellites. Leading operators and service providers in these regions are partnering with Geographic Information System (GIS) companies and manufacturers of mobile devices to provide individual consumers with advanced information products and services. Initiatives taken by the government to embrace EO, in addition to the collaboration among operators to expand their capabilities by means of technology transfer would be the major driving factors in the satellite-based earth observation market.With booming demand anticipated equally for complex and economical EO missions, the manufacturing and launch industries are likely to profit from the significant returns. Major trend is seen in increasing use of satellite-based earth observations in Maritime surveillance, for its ability to rapidly evaluate situations during extreme weather conditions and in war-time crisis. The key vendors include: Dettwiler & Associates Ltd., Deimos Imaging S.l., Skybox Imaging Inc., ImageSat International, PlanetIQ and Rapid Eye A.G.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report include- North America- Asia Pacific- Europe- Rest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis of- Market growth drivers- Factors limiting market growth- Current market trends- Market structure- Market projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this Report- This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics- It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth- It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow- It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future- It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors- It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments- It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Rapid Rise In The Global Demand For Nuclear Power Is Expected To Boost The Demand For Nuclear Power Industry And Thus Nuclear Power Safety Backup Market

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=216065

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=216065

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Nuclear Power Safety Backups Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Rapid rise in the global demand for nuclear power is expected to boost the demand for nuclear power industry and thus nuclear power safety backup market. New programs developed by governments worldwide are estimated to propel the demand for nuclear power industry. Post-Fukushima, several governments have recommended installation of backup generators for nuclear power plants to guard against floods and tsunami. Increasing number of countries worldwide is introducing energy generation from nuclear power plants as a part of their generation mix. This is expected to boost the demand for nuclear power safety backup devices for nuclear power plant in the future.The market for the global nuclear power plant safety backups can be segmented on the basis of the safety measures and geography. The global market for nuclear power plant safety backups on the basis of safety measures can be segmented as: a robust containment to prevent the release of radioactivity, a combination of active and passive to remove heat from the core of the reactor, and shutdown systems and thus shutdown the reactor safely.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety standards are likely to fuel an additional demand for nuclear power plant safety backup worldwide. The safety standards establish fundamental safety measures, requirements and principles to control radiation exposure, to restrict the likelihood of events in the future. Moreover, the safety standards fundamental safety measures requirements and principles to control the release of radioactive material to the environment and to mitigate consequences of such events in the future is expected to boost the demand for nuclear power plant safety backups around the world.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market for the nuclear power plant safety backup is rising and is expected to rise moderately in the future. The following underlying factors are the key drivers of growth in the global nuclear power plant safety backup market. The increasing share of nuclear power plants in the total power generation mix of the nations are the key drivers of growth in the global nuclear power plant safety backup market. Rapid rise in global demand for energy along with depleting fossil fuels is estimated to propel the demand for nuclear power plant safety backup measures and devices.Increasing efforts by governments of both developing and developed nations to raise public awareness of safety tests and reassure them of the safety of both existing as well as proposed plants. Deteriorating support for nuclear in the countries (the U.S, Japan, France, Germany) could impede growth in the nuclear industry. However, IAEAs safety standards are anticipated to boost the global demand for nuclear power plant safety backups.The global market for nuclear power plant safety backup is expected to rise significantly in the future. North America and Europe are estimated to hold the considerable share of the nuclear power plant safety backup devices and equipments. Asia Pacific is one of the key players in the nuclear power plant backup market. The market is expected to register moderate to high growth in this region on account of increasing demand for nuclear power plants in China, India, and Japan among others.Some of the key players in this industry segment include: Chubu Electric Power Company, Kansai Electric Power Company, Tohoku Electric Power Company, and Japan Atomic Power Company among others. The responsible agencies for the security of nuclear power plants include: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Defense Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR), Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (India) among others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report include- North America- Asia Pacific- Europe- Rest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis of- Market growth drivers- Factors limiting market growth- Current market trends- Market structure- Market projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this Report- This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics- It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth- It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow- It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future- It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors- It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments- It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Rising Incidence Combined With Increasing Prevalence Of Cancer Across The World Is The Major Factor Expected To Drive The Global Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Market During The Forecast Period From 2016 To 2024 Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.



Lymphobalstic lymphoma is also known as non-hodgkin lymphoma a type of cancer that primarily affects lymphatic system. The lymphatic system comprises organs such as the thymus, bone marrow, spleen, and the lymph nodes (or lymph glands). Lymph nodes are connected by a network of tubes called lymphatic vessels that contain lymph fluid and lymphatic tissue is also found in other organs such as skin, lungs and stomach. Prevalence of lymphoblastic lymphoma is high in teenagers and children compared to adults. According to National Cancer Institute (NCI), lymphoblastic lymphoma is the third most common childhood malignancy, and lymphoblastic lymphoma accounts for approximately 7% of cancers in children younger than 20 years. In the United States, in 2013 about 800 new cases of lymphoblastic lymphoma are diagnosed each year.



Lymphoblastic lymphoma is an aggressive lymphoma. This means that it is fast-growing and needs treatment straight away with chemotherapy. The primary symptoms observed in lymphoblastic lymphoma are enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged spleen, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, dyspnea and others. The types of lymphoblastic lymphoma are overactive bladder syndrome, chlamydia, cervical cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pelvic inflammatory diseases and others.



To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @ http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=216068



The lymphoblastic lymphoma is diagnosed by removing enlarged lymph nodes and examining with blood tests, x-rays and scans, lumbar puncture and bone marrow. The first line of treatment for lymphoblastic lymphoma consists of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell support and steroid therapy. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for lymphoblastic lymphoma usually treated more intensively than other types of lymphomas. The patients are primarily referred to a specialist centre for treatment and it is similar to the treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The three types of chemotherapies are used against lymphoblastic lymphoma market such as induction chemotherapy, consolidation therapy and continuing therapy. The potential complications of lymphoblastic lymphoma include opportunistic infections, neutropenic fever (admit the patient), bleeding, and tumor lysis syndrome.



North America was observed to be the largest market for lymphoblastic lymphoma treatment and the major reasons behind this is the increasing prevalence of genetic diseases and advanced diagnostic facilities. In the U.S., the incidence of lymphoblastic lymphoma is roughly 3000-3500 or approximately 1 in 50,000 in 2012. While currently it has peak the incident rate of 25 years old, decreasing in incidence with increasing age before increasing again at around 50 years old. Lymphoblastic lymphoma is slightly more common in males than females and an increased incidence in people with a family history of autoimmune diseases, particularly autoimmune thyroid diseases (namely Graves' disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis). Asia-Pacific were observed to be the most potential market as the developing healthcare facilities and acceptance of modern technology are enhancing the diagnostics of disease where the detection of lymphoblastic lymphoma is easily observed. The high investments were observed in the point of care sector of healthcare in the emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil, Mexico and others that are driving the market growth in these regions.



Some of the key players in this market are Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi SA, Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC, Eisai Inc., Amgen Inc. and BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Key players involved in the research and development are National Cancer Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center , St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Inc., Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospitals and others.



This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report include



- North America

- Asia Pacific

- Europe

- Rest of the World



This report provides comprehensive analysis of



- Market growth drivers

- Factors limiting market growth

- Current market trends

- Market structure

- Market projections for upcoming years



This report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.



Reasons for Buying this Report



- This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics

- It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth

- It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow

- It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future

- It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors

- It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments

- It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segments



Make an Enquiry of this report @ http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=216068



About ResearchMoz



ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.



bio based lubricantsMr. Nachiket

State Tower,

90 State Street,

Suite 700,

Albany NY - 12207

United States

Email: sales@researchmoz.us

Website @ http://www.researchmoz.us/

Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)

Tel: +1-518-621-2074

Follow us on LinkedIn @ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG



This release was published on openPR.



Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.
The Hemophilia A and B Asia-Pacific market will be valued at $699.1m and $112.9m respectively in 2022, growing from $444.9m and $76.3m in 2015, at CAGR of 6.7% and 5.8%

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=879379

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=879379

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Hemophilia A and B Therapeutics in Asia-Pacific Markets to 2022 - Growth Driven by Increasing Treatment-Receiving Pool, Launch of Long-Acting Replacement Therapies and Non-factor Therapy" to its huge collection of research reports.Hemophilia is a rare disease affecting more than 400,000 people worldwide. Hemophilia A is four times as common as hemophilia B, and more than half of patients with hemophilia A have a severe form of hemophilia. Males have a much higher chance of developing hemophilia because they only receive one copy of the X chromosome from their mother.The mainstay of treatment for hemophilia is to replace the missing factor VIII or factor IX, produced using plasma-derived or recombinant methods. Some patients develop inhibitors to factor VIII or factor IX treatment and need a bypassing agent, such as factor VIIa, to resolve bleeds. Patients of hemophilia A or B often require lifelong treatment to prevent and control bleeding episodes, and this therefore represents a lucrative market opportunity.The current marketed products landscape comprises replacement factor therapies, such as recombinant therapies and new long-acting recombinant products. The current pipeline shows strong promise, as it shows a gradual shift from short-acting recombinant factor VIII or factor IX to long-acting recombinant factor VIII, and from factor replacement therapies to non-factor therapies. Nevertheless, significant unmet need remains for products that can avoid the development of inhibitors in patients with hemophilia.Though late-stage pipeline for treatment of hemophilia seems promising, the main market restraint is likely to be low penetration of new long-acting recombinant therapies in India and China, owing to their high expected prices.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- The Hemophilia A and B Asia-Pacific market will be valued at $699.1m and $112.9m respectively in 2022, growing from $444.9m and $76.3m in 2015, at compound annual growth rates of 6.7% and 5.8%.- How will non-factor therapies contribute to the growth?- What will be the impact of the new long-acting recombinant factor VIII and recombinant factor IX products in the hemophilia A and B market sales?- The pipeline contains a range of molecule types and molecular targets, including both those that are well established in hemophilia A and B, and novel targeted therapies.- Which molecular targets appear most frequently in the pipeline?- Will the pipeline address unmet needs such as less frequently administered therapies and risk of inhibitor development for hemophilia A and B patients?- What are the most promising first-in-class targets for hemophilia A and B?- Will the current first-in-class targets have a broader therapeutic potential across the Asia-Pacific markets?- Various drivers and barriers will influence the market over the forecast period.- What are the barriers that will limit the uptake of premium-priced recombinant factor VIII and recombinant factor IX therapies in the assessed countries?- Which factors are most likely to drive the market in these countries?- Co-development deals are the most common form of strategic alliance in hemophilia A and B, with total deal values ranging from under $10m to over $280m.- How do deal frequency and value compare between target families and molecule types?- What were the terms and conditions of key co-development deals?Reasons to buyThis report will allow you to -- Understand the current clinical and commercial landscape by considering disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis, and the treatment options available at each stage of diagnosis, including a clinical comparison of marketed therapies.- Visualize the composition of the hemophilia A and B market in terms of the dominant therapies for each patient subset, along with their clinical and commercial standing. Unmet needs are highlighted to allow a competitive understanding of gaps in the current market.- Analyze the hemophilia A and B pipeline and stratify pipeline therapies by stage of development, molecule type and molecular target. There are promising signs in the pipeline that the industry is seeking novel approaches to treating hemophilia A and B.- Understand the potential of late-stage therapies, with extensive profiles of products that could enter the market over the forecast period, highlighting clinical performance, potential commercial positioning, and how they will compete with other therapies.- Predict hemophilia A and B market growth in the five Asia-Pacific markets with epidemiological and annual cost of therapy forecasts across India, China, Australia, South Korea and Japan, as well as individual contributions of promising late-stage molecules to market growth.- Identify commercial opportunities in the hemophilia A and B deals landscape by analyzing trends in licensing and co-development deals.Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.bio based lubricantsMr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Matte labels Market: Increasing Trend of Mergers and Acquisitions among Chemical Industry Manufacturers Have Led To Consolidations of the Supplier Base

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18182

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Matte labels is a perfect choice for applications that requires a durable waterproof labels, such as bath and body care products, test tubes, personalized bumper stickers, outdoor signage and water bottles. It is generally made up of different types of materials such as paper, polyester and can also be made from a wide range of adhesives. Matte labels is one of the prominent types of labels, owing to its cost- effectiveness, muted look and most importantly, because of their ability to be written on, after printing. The subtle or muted look make it different from gloss labels, and also remains attractive to the consumers, who want their labels to have some sort of aesthetic appeal to them.The reason behind muted look of the matted labels is because matte materials absorbs more of the ink, in comparison to the gloss materials, which is a significant advantage of matte labels over gloss labels. Furthermore, the ability to write on them after printing with a good enough quality makes them more demanding as shipping and mailing labels, household labels, food packaging labels and many more. Henceforth, preference for matte label is anticipated to continuously rise over the forecast period, thus fuelling more revenues in the global matte labels market.Download PDF Brochure atGlobal Matte labels Market: DynamicsGrowing demand for digital printing technology coupled with aesthetic visual graphics and robust growth of food & beverage industry are major factors, driving the growth of matte labels market. Increasing focus on sustainable packaging across ever growing presence of large retail chains, are further fuelling growth for matte labels market. Increasing inclination towards sustainable labelling and sustainable packaging amid increasing focus by big brand owners on carbon footprint and life cycle analysis is another prominent factor fuelling the demand in the matte labels market. Along with, relatively low cost of labels and growing need for bar codes labelling has drastically changed the overall packaging and labelling industry, also affecting the global matte labels market.The increasing trend of mergers and acquisitions among chemical industry manufacturers have led to consolidations of the supplier base, which in turn poses a major hindrance to the labelling manufacturers, owing to increased price of raw materials.Matte labels Market: SegmentationOn the basis of application, the global matte labels market is segmented into,FoodStorage/shipping/mailingPromo/office productsCosmeticsHousehold labelsKids labelsBar-coded productOthersOn the basis of types, the global matte labels market is segmented into,White matte paper labelsPolyester matte labelsMatte polypropylene labelsOthersOn the basis of printers, the global matte labels market is segmented into,Inkjet printersLaser printersOn the basis of printing technology, the global matte labels market is segmented into,Digital PrintingLithographic PrintingOthersMatte labels Market: Region Wise OutlookGlobal matte labels market is segmented into five regions namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Asia pacific region, is anticipated to witness higher growth rate among all the regions over the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the emerging economies like India and China, due to the increasing industrialization and urbanization in these countries. These economies are projected to grow at twice the rate of developed countries and tapping the best opportunities for the matte label market. Europe is also expected to contribute significantly to the global matte labels market between 2016 and 2024, due to major demand from food & beverage industry. North America is also anticipated to account for a significant market share over the forecast period, due to reviving economy and rising demand from household and cosmetic products. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are expected to witness sustainable growth over the forecast period. In Latin America, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico are expected to create market opportunities for companies involved in the matte labels market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Fluorescent labels Market: Expansion of Technology of Fluorescent Labels Coupled With the Recent Computer-Controlled Systems boosted the market Growth

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18185

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The development of techniques to detect biomolecules has been driven by the ability to improve the study of molecular structures. Before the technology of fluorescent labels, radioisotopes technology were used to sense the molecular compounds, but the advent of fluorescent label technology presented to be more safer, as it involves the use of fluorescent proteins as a means to label and detect biomolecules. Among the various methods of labeling technology, fluorescent labels are highly sensitive at low concentration and are not destructive for the molecular function.The expansion of technology of fluorescent labels coupled with the recent computer-controlled systems has boosted the consumers eagerness to see directly the behavior of living cells. Further, fluorescent labels has led to an increasing usage for labeling of nucleic acids and other biochemical. Fluorescent labels comes in multiple colors and serves various purposes across the industries varying from food and pharmaceuticals to industrial. Fluorescent labels are attractive and consumers are increasingly preferring such types of labels due to its bright color, which makes labels more appealing. Henceforth, the global market for fluorescent labels is anticipated to witness an impressive CAGR over the forecast period.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights atFluorescent Labels Market: DynamicsPackaging is termed as the collection of different constituents which frame the pharmaceutical product form the production time until it is used. The pharmaceutical packaging is constantly advancing and has experienced an exponential growth of around 5% in the last few years, and is expected to continue doing so. As fluorescent labels are largely preferred in pharmaceutical industry, demand is anticipated to continuously rise. Furthermore, tremendous growth of recent computer controlled systems for laser-confocal microscopy is another major factor for the growth of fluorescent label market. Materials such as Polyethylene terephthalate, Polypropylene, are growing at a faster pace as compared with other categories such as polyolefin-coated and calendared Kraft. This growth is attributed to the increasing demand for clear-on-clear labels for no label look application in segments such as pharmaceuticals, personal care and food products as well. Increase in production coupled with cost effective benefits offered by such types of materials are fuelling the overall demand in the fluorescent labels market across the globe. Nowadays, manufacturers are focusing on development of eco-friendly labelling materials.Fluorescent labels Market: Region Wise OutlookGlobal fluorescent labels market is segmented into five regions namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Asia pacific region, is anticipated to witness higher growth rate among all the regions over the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the emerging economies like India and China, due to the rapidly rising industrialization and urbanization in these countries. These economies are projected to grow at twice the rate of developed countries and tapping the best opportunities for the fluorescent label market. Europe is another prominent region for the florescent labels market due to major demand from pharmaceutical industry. North America, Latin America and Middle East & Africa are expected to witness sustainable growth over the forecast period. In Latin America; Brazil, Argentina and Mexico are expected to create impressive market opportunities for companies involved in the fluorescent labels market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Advanced Driver Assistance Market - Global Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends Forecast - 2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2914

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Advance driving assistance system (ADAS) is an overall system which helps driver in driving process and ensures safety at higher level.Request A Sample Of This Report:-Some of the most common ADAS features are adaptive cruise control (ACC), blind spot detection (BSD), park assist, lane departure warning system (LDWS), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), drowsiness monitor and others (night vision, driver monitoring system, forward collision warning, heads up display) provides convenience and safety.Currently, the market of advanced driving assistance system is expected to have a decent growth. The growth of this segment is mainly driven by the rise in safety regulations in developed countries such as Japan, China, and U.S., in past few years.Moreover, increasing focus on consumer safety and deployment of ADAS in low cost cars is also fuelling the growth of this market. However, complexity and cost pressure and environmental factors affecting the systems performance hindering the growth of ADAS market.North America is dominating the market attributed to stringent safety and environmental regulations. North America is closely followed by Europe, owing to mandatory application of tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in passenger cars, driver comfort and safety legislations.ADAS over the forecast period is expected to take the centre stage for safety and chassis systems in an automobile which aims to channelize research and development in various safety applications. Improving lifestyles, vehicle demand and changing buyers preferences are the most important drivers for the growth of ADAS market in Asia Pacific region. In rest of the world, the growth of ADAS market is largely driven by favorable policies in developing countries such as Brazil, UAE and Russia.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
End-of-line Packaging Market expected to show steady growth by 2021

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/end-of-line-packaging-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/end-of-line-packaging-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/end-of-line-packaging-market

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research published new report on ' End-of-line Packaging Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024' in it's databaseThe end-of-line packaging solutions mainly eliminate the requirement of regularly finding and training a new workforce. They also allow the employers to utilize the available workforce to more value-adding tasks, which results in reduced labor costs along with improved workplace.Get a copy of free Sample Report @Manufacturers are mainly focusing on innovative methods in packaging format and cost-effective solutions. This is one of the factors impacting the demand for customized integrated solutions in a positive way, which in turn is expected to offer cost-effective solutions by reducing labor costs along with innovative end-of-line packaging. End-use industries are experiencing high demand for customized end-of-line packaging solutions; hence, this segment is anticipated to witness growth in the near future. In addition, rising demand for the high degree of automation in packaging and its advantages of reduced labor and packaging costs is anticipated to boost the demand for end-of-line packaging solutions in future. Moreover, the need of the manufacturers to modernize manufacturing facilities is also anticipated to foster the demand for end-of-line packaging machinery.Request For TOC of Report @On the basis of technology, the global end-of-line packaging market is segmented as automatic and semi-automatic. Based on the function, the global market is segmented as standalone and integrated. The standalone segment is further sub-segmented as palletizing, carton erector, packing and sealing, stretch wrapping, labeling, and others. Based on the order type, the global end-of-line packaging market is segmented as standard and customized. On the basis of end-user, the global end-of-line packaging market is further segmented as pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, automotive, chemical, and electronics and semiconductor products. Of which, the pharmaceuticals segment is expected to witness the highest growth in future.Europe is expected to witness the highest growth in the global end-of-line packaging market in the coming years. This trend is followed by Asia Pacific and North America. Asia Pacific is anticipated to experience the highest growth in terms of revenue in the near future. In developing countries, the demand for end-of-line packaging solutions is anticipated to witness slow but steady growth mainly owing to increasing demand for the high degree of automation across various end-use industries. Latin America and the Middle East Asia are expected to witness slower growth as compared to other regions.Browse detail report @Some of the major players dominating the global end-of-line packaging market are Bosch Packaging Technology, IMA S.p.A., Krones AG, Pro Mach, Inc., and Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. Inc. Other key players influencing the global market are Combi Packaging Systems LLC, Festo Corporation, DS Smith Plc., and Gebo Cermex.About UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
New report: Nuclear Feedwater Heater Market forecasts for 2015-2021

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/nuclear-feedwater-heater-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/nuclear-feedwater-heater-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/nuclear-feedwater-heater-market

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research published new report on 'Nuclear Feedwater Heater Market: Global Industry Size, Share and Trends Analysis and Forecast, 2015-2021' in it's databaseA power plant component that is used to pre-heat water which is delivered to a steam generating boiler is known as a feedwater heater. Preheating of feedwater results in the reduction of the irreversibilities that are involved in steam generation, and therefore this improves the thermodynamic efficiency of the system. This in turn reduces operating costs of plant and also helps to avoid thermal shock to the boiler metal when the feedwater is injected back in the steam cycle. The pre-heating of water makes efficient improvements in the power plant by reducing the total energy required in the boiler in order to convert the water to steam.Get a copy of free Sample Report @The global feedwater heater market is segmented as low-pressure feedwater heaters and high-pressure feedwater heaters. Which type of heater is to be installed totally depends on the particular requirements of the plant.Presently, nuclear power generation is an efficient way of power generation as compared to coal power generation in terms of per unit cost and reliability of power supply. Though there are advantages of nuclear power generation, there also come concerns of lurching safety and efficiency improvements from todays manufacturers of nuclear power plants. Older plants, that is, plants before the 70s period, are not preferred for much time, and hence the demand for newer and more robust plants is in the picture. New nuclear plants are highly efficient and reliable as compared to older ones. Feedwater heaters will be an integral part of these new nuclear plants, adding more advantages to them. Using of feedwater heaters will add in the overall life of the fuel assembly rods in the reactor, which in turn will the cost saving of these power plants in the future.Request For TOC of Report @Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the major player in the global nuclear feedwater heater market, mainly owing to the major installations of these nuclear feedwater heaters in this region. This trend is followed by Europe. Also, rising energy requirement in this region is anticipated to boost the demand of nuclear power in the near future. In addition, countries such as China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, and Pakistan are also expected to witness considerable growth in nuclear feedwater heaters market in the future.Some of the major players dominating the global nuclear feedwater heaters market Thermal Engineering International Inc., Alstom, and Balcke-Durr. Other key players influencing the global market are Westinghouse, Foster Wheeler, and others.Browse detail report @About UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Turbocharger Market 2016 - Honeywell, Cummins, BorgWarner, MHI, IHI

Turbocharger

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-turbocharger-market-outlook-2016-2021-95405

https://goo.gl/9TVoAq

A turbocharger, or turbo (colloquialism), is a turbine-driven forced induction device that increases an internal combustion engine's efficiency and power output by forcing extra air into the combustion chamber. This improvement over a naturally aspirated engine's power output is due to the fact that the compressor can force more airand proportionately more fuelinto the combustion chamber than atmospheric pressure (and for that matter, ram air intakes) alone.Browse full report with TOC @This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Turbocharger from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Turbocharger market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Turbocharger, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Global Turbocharger Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Turbocharger market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.For sample request click onGlobal Turbocharger Market : Top ManufacturesHoneywell (USA)Cummins (USA)BorgWarner (USA)MHI (Japan)IHI (Japan)Global Turbocharger Market : Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificROW (Rest of the World)In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Turbocharger industry has been provided.In this report analysis, traders and distributors analysis is given along with contact details. For material and equipment suppliers also, contact details are given. New investment feasibility analysis and Industry growth is included in the report.Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USA
Multiparameter Patient Monitoring Equipment Market Trends, Size, Development and Forecast to 2020

www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/multiparameter-patient-monitoring-equipment-market

www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/Multiparameter-Patient-Monitoring-Equipment-Market/toc-sample

www.psmarketresearch.com/industry-report/healthcare

www.psmarketresearch.com

The global multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market is growing at a significant rate, due to increased chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. More than 35 million people are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Japan, Europe and the U.S. Private institutional nursing is providing ample opportunity to the growth of multiparameter patient in the coming years.North America leads the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market, due to increase in number of hospitalizations in the region. Additionally, strong economic growth has been reported in the developing countries such as, China and India due to large population base and increased healthcare investment. As a result, emerging economies are expected to support the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market to grow with a significant rate in coming years.Explore More bout Global Multiparameter Patient Monitoring Equipment Market at:The multiparameter patient monitoring equipments work by translating electrical signals into readable form and displaying them on the monitor. Multiparameter patient monitoring equipments centralizes the function of parameter measurement module, output, record and display to create a portable and compact device. It has a built in replaceable battery, which provides convenience for patient movement. The monitor of the device is equipped with a high resolution multicolor thin film transistor (TFT) light emitting diode (LED) screen. Multiparameter patient monitoring equipments are user friendly and could be operated by using few buttons and rotary knob on the front panel of device.On the basis of type of monitor, the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market can be categorized into low acuity monitors, mid acuity monitors and high acuity monitors. Low acuity monitors include ambulatory monitors and vital sign monitors. Mid acuity monitors include emergency care monitor and post anesthesia care monitors. High acuity monitors include critical care monitors, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible monitors and perioperative monitor. Steady growth in the use of low acuity products at home setups is driving the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market.Request Table of Contents:One of the major trends in the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market is increased adoption of portable multiparameter monitors. The growth of aging population increases the occurrence of chronic diseases and increased hospitalization, resulting in the expansion of the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market. High cost and low accuracy of equipments, economic crisis and unpredictable reimbursement policies are some of the major factors restraining the growth of the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market.Browse Other Related Report at:Some of the competitors in the multiparameter patient monitoring equipment market are GE Healthcare, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Guangdong Biolight Meditech Co. Ltd., Philips N.V., CAS Medical Systems, Mindray Medical International Limited, Spacelabs Healthcare, Omron Healthcare, Inc., Dragerwerk AG & Co., Larsen & Toubro Limited, Schiller Healthcare, and Contec Medical Ltd.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide market research reports, industry reports, business intelligence and research based consulting services across a range of industries.With the help of our professional corporate relations with various companies, our market research offers the most accurate market forecasting. Our analysts and consultants interact with leading companies of the concerned domain to substantiate every single data presented in our publication. Our research assists our client in identifying new and different windows of opportunity and frame informed and customized strategies for expansion in different regions.Contact:AbhishekExecutive  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)
Heart Attack Diagnostics Market : Advanced Technologies & Growth Opportunities In Global Industry By 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17996

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/heart-attack-diagnostics-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Heart attack diagnosis is associated with intensive care of patients battling with life threatening conditions, which requires sophisticated invasive monitoring devices and life support systems. Heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs due to reduced or total cut off of oxygenated blood supply to the heart muscle. It is one of the major causes of death observed worldwide and needs to be diagnosed rapidly and accurately. According to Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, about 735,000 Americans suffer from heart attack every year. Occurrence of heart attacks is increasing in adults as well as in geriatric population across the globe due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, high cholesterol levels, high BMI, and growth in tobacco and alcohol consumption. The demand for heart attack diagnostic devices has increased owing to rise in need for continuous monitoring of individuals, accessibility for patient, changing lifestyle, higher investments in R&D, and technological advancement. Further, various international organizations and government across the globe are creating awareness about monitoring devices among the population.For Any Queries Get Solutions With A PDF Sample :Several factors are responsible to propel the heart attack diagnostics market, but few factors are likely to continue to restrain the growth of the market in the near future such as the low Medicare reimbursements provided for the peripatetic cardiac outpatient telemetry electrocardiogram (ECG).The heart attack diagnostics market can be segmented on the basis of test, end-user, and geography. In terms of test, the market can be divided into electrocardiogram (ECG), blood test, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, coronary catheterization (angiogram), exercise stress test, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Among these, ECG has a wider application and contributes to tremendous growth of the market. End-user of this market includes hospitals, specialty clinics, and pathology among others.In terms of geography, the heart attack diagnostics market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of market revenue, North America is estimated to dominate the global heart attack diagnostics market owing to increased adoption of technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. The Asia Pacific market is projected to grow at a higher rate owing to high incidence of heart attacks and soaring death rates due to heart diseases.View exclusive Global strategic Business report :The heart attack diagnostics market is highly fragmented due to involvement of many recognized as well as emerging players in this market. Key players involved in the heart attack diagnostics market include Abbott Laboratories, Beckman Coulter, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, GE Healthcare, Life Sign LLC, Hitachi Medical Systems, and Schiller AG.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Emerging Opportunities in Automatic Passenger Counting and Information System Market with Current Trends Analysis

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=61750

https://goo.gl/0riWaO

https://goo.gl/CSwfpe

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/automatic-passenger-counting-and-information-system-global-industry.html

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com

Automatic passenger counting and information system is an electronic device utilized by many public transit vehicles which correctly records boarding and alighting data. Automatic passenger counting system can be used autonomously as well as being integrated into existing system structures. The automatically transferred counting data is processed by statistical tool. This device offers reliable and permanent data on the degree of utilization of vehicles used in public transit systems.Get a copy of free Sample Report @The global automatic passenger counting and information system market is mainly driven by growing demand for smart telematic solutions coupled with technological advancement is expected to positively affect on market within the forecast period. Additionally, government support and increasing urbanization are anticipated to fuel the growth in the years to come. However, high installation cost of the system may curb the market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, dynamic ticket pricing and increasing adoption of real time passenger information systems may open up new avenues for the growth of the market in the years to come.The report provides a compressive view of the automatic passenger counting and information system market based on system, devices, applications and region. The automatic passenger counting and information system market can be classified in terms of systems into passenger information display systems, passenger information announcement systems, emergency communication systems and others. Passenger information display system is the leading segment and expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period.Get in-depth TOC (Table of Contents) with Tables and Figures @Based on device, the market has been segmented into multimedia displays, networking and communication devices and sensors. In terms of revenue, multimedia display was the largest segment in 2014 due to increasing installation of passenger information systems. Some of the key application in automatic passenger counting and information system includes roadways, railways, waterways and airways. Railway application segment is expected to be fastest growing market in the near future.Geographically, the automatic passenger counting and information system market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, further bifurcation of region on the country level, which include U.S., Germany, UK, France, China, Japan and India. North America has witnessed significant growth of automatic passenger counting and information system in recent past years on account of technological advancement. North America is expected to exhibit moderate growth over the forecast period.Inquire more before buying this report @The report provides comprehensive view on the automatic passenger counting and information system market. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the automatic passenger counting and information system market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Some of the key players operating in the automatic passenger counting and information system market Alstom, Cisco systems, Inc., Eurotech SpA, iris-GmbH, Urban Transportation Associates, Inc., DILAX Intelcom GmbH, Hella Aglaia Mobile Vision GmbH, GE Transportation, Hitachi, Ltd and Siemens AG. The detailed description of players includes parameters such as company overview, financial overview, business and recent developments of the company.Browse detail report @This report segments the global automatic passenger counting and information system market as follows:Global Automatic Passenger Counting and Information System Market: System Segment AnalysisInformation Display SystemsPassenger Information Announcement SystemsEmergency Communication SystemsOthersGlobal Automatic Passenger Counting and Information System Market: Devices and Component Segment AnalysisMultimedia DisplaysNetworking and Communication DevicesSensorsGlobal Automatic Passenger Counting and Information System Market: Application Segment AnalysisRoadwaysRailwaysWaterwaysAirwaysGlobal Automatic Passenger Counting and Information System Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaAbout Us:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with the one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8138Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite:
Learn details of the United States LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology Market 2016 to 2021

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=544611&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-lifi-light-fidelity-technology-industry-2016-market-research-report.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/category/equipment-market-reports-115.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research reportUnited States LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.This market intelligence report examines extensively the trends in the global LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology market. It highlights the latest market state, the progress pattern in the previous years, and the prospects present for market participants in the near future. The research methods and tools employed in the achievement of this research publication are both secondary and primary. The market intelligence study also provides facts about the investments initiated by several organizations, institutions, government, and non-government authorities and regulatory bodies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The publication further presents a valuation of the facets that are likely to prevent or encourage the expansion of the global LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology market. The global LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology market has been examined scrupulously based on aspects such as application, technology, product, end user, and geographical segment. An examination has been carried out in the research report of the chief regional segments and their respective place and share in the LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology market. The estimated revenue and volume valuation of the global market for LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology has also been stated in the study.An estimate of the market attractiveness and the level of competition that new entrants along with their new products are likely to offer to the experienced products and players has also been delivered in the market research publication. The market report also discusses the new expansions, the innovations, branding techniques, marketing approaches, and products of the chief players operational in the global LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology market. The vendor landscape has been broadly scrutinized employing the Porters five forces and value chain analysis to deliver a strong conception of the market. The challenges and opportunities in the near future for the key participants have also been stressed upon in the research publication.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology1.2 Classification of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology1.3 Applications of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology1.4 Industry Chain Structure of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology1.5 Industry Overview of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology1.7 Industry News Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)TechnologyBrowse Complete Report with TOC @2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.2 BOM Price Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology2.7 United States Price, Cost and Gross of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology 2011-20163 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of United States Key Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of United States Key LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of United States LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology Key Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of United States LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology Key Manufacturers in 20154 Production Analysis of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology by Regions, Type, and Applications4.1 United States Production of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology by Regions 2011-20164.2 United States Production of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology by Type 2011-20164.3 United States Sales of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology by Applications 2011-20164.4 Price Analysis of United States LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 United States Capacity, Production, Import, Export, Sales, Price, Cost and Revenue of LiFi(Light Fidelity)Technology 2011-2016For Latest MarketResearchreports Visit @QYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Airships Market to Record an Impressive Growth Rate During the Forecast 2020

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=52726

https://goo.gl/lwDb3h

https://goo.gl/44W6QG

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/airships-market.html

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com

An airship is a power-driven aircraft which is lighter-than-air aircraft and navigated using the air under its own power engine. The first successfully navigated airship was invented in 1884 in France. Key raw materials used in the manufacturing of airships include, Dacron, Polyester, Mylar, and Tedlar bonded with Hytrel. The envelope of an airship form a single gas bag and helium is most commonly used gas inside envelops. Airships are extensively used for surveillance & reconnaissance, intelligence, communication, border patrolling, law enforcement, weather forecasting, and coast guarding.Get a copy of free Sample Report @The airships market is mainly driven by the low operational cost and high competitive advantages of airship systems. Rising need for persistent intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance in which airships are widely used, helps to drive this market. In addition, growing demand of airships for rapid communication and climatic research is expected to boost the demand of the airship market. However, operational risk and availability of alternatives such as aerostat systems are expected to hamper the growth of airships industry.The global airships market is segmented on the basis of the method of construction, by class, payload, application, and region. Based on different methods of construction of airships, the market is segmented as rigid, semi-rigid and non-rigid airships. Small, medium and large class airships are the class segment of airships market. The airships market can also be categorized on the basis of different payloads, such as electro-optics, communication intelligence, thermal imaging camera, electronic intelligence, surveillance radar and an inertial navigation system.Get in-depth TOC (Table of Contents) with Tables and Figures @The report provides a comprehensive view of the airship market we have included a detailed company market share analysis, product portfolio of the major industry participants. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the airship market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Application segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2015 to 2020 in terms of revenue (USD Million). Military, homeland security, commercial and environmental research are the application segments of airship market.Inquire more before buying this report @Major regional segments analyzed in this study include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. This report also provides further bifurcation of the region on the country level. Major countries analyzed in this reports are U.S., Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India, and Brazil. Geographically, North America is expected to lead the market during the forecast period due to the large demand from military and homeland security applications.Some of the key players for global airships market include Lindstrand Technologies, RosAeroSystems s.r.a., Skyship Services Inc., Westdeutsche Luftwerbung GmbH, Information Systems Laboratories Inc., GEFA-FLUG GmbH, Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd., and Airborne Industries.Browse detail report @This report segments the global airships market as follows:Global Airships Market: Methods of Construction Segment AnalysisRigid airshipsSemi-rigid airshipsNon-rigid airshipsGlobal Airships Market: Class Segment AnalysisSmall class airshipMedium class airshipLarge class airshipGlobal Airships Market: Payload Segment AnalysisElectro-opticsCommunication intelligenceThermal imaging cameraElectronic intelligenceSurveillance radarInertial navigation systemGlobal Airships Market: Application Segment AnalysisMilitaryHomeland securityCommercialEnvironmental researchGlobal Airships Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East & AfricaAbout Us:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with the one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8138Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite:
Europe Mass Cytometry Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/europe-mass-cytometry-market-research-report-forecast-2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=3402

ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Europe Mass Cytometry Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The Europe Mass Cytometry Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Mass Cytometry industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable).The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Mass Cytometry market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis of Key market segments and sub-segments Evolving market trends and dynamics Changing supply and demand scenarios Quantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecasting Tracking current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive insights Opportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughTo view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Europe Mass Cytometry Market Analysis by Countries : Germany France UK Russia Italy Spain BeneluxThe Major players reported in the market include: GE Healthcare (UK) Becton, Dickinson and Company (US) 3M Purification, Inc. (US) Merck KGaA (Germany) AB Sciex (US) Alfa Laval AB (Sweden) PerkinElmer, Inc. (US) Affymetrix, Inc. (US) Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA (France) Alfa Wassermann Inc. (US) Atoll GmbH (Germany) Beckman Coulter, Inc. (US) Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US) Flottweg SE (Germany) Fluidigm Corporation (US) Groupe Novasep (France) Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (Japan) Illumina, Inc. (US) Pall Corporation (US) ProMetic Life Sciences, Inc. (Canada) Repligen Corporation (US) SEPMAG Technologies (Spain) Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (US) Spectrum Laboratories, Inc. (US) Sysmex Partec GmbH (Germany) Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US)Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
China Tubular Bowl Centrifuges Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/china-tubular-bowl-centrifuges-market-research-report-forecast-2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=3393

ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title China Tubular Bowl Centrifuges Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The China Tubular Bowl Centrifuges Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Tubular Bowl Centrifuges industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable).The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Tubular Bowl Centrifuges market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis of Key market segments and sub-segments Evolving market trends and dynamics Changing supply and demand scenarios Quantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecasting Tracking current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive insights Opportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughTo view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:The Major players reported in the market include: GE Healthcare (UK) Becton, Dickinson and Company (US) 3M Purification, Inc. (US) Merck KGaA (Germany) AB Sciex (US) Alfa Laval AB (Sweden) PerkinElmer, Inc. (US) Affymetrix, Inc. (US) Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA (France) Alfa Wassermann Inc. (US) Atoll GmbH (Germany) Beckman Coulter, Inc. (US) Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US) Flottweg SE (Germany) Fluidigm Corporation (US) Groupe Novasep (France) Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (Japan) Illumina, Inc. (US) Pall Corporation (US) ProMetic Life Sciences, Inc. (Canada) Repligen Corporation (US) SEPMAG Technologies (Spain) Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (US) Spectrum Laboratories, Inc. (US) Sysmex Partec GmbH (Germany) Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US)Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Acute Lymphocytic/Lymphoblastic Leukemia Therapeutics Market : New Tech Developments And Advancements To Watch Out For 2024!!

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14927

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/acute-lymphocytic-lymphoblastic-leukemia-therapeutics-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

The major companies involved with the acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market are Biogen Idec, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, ERYTECH Pharma, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Genzyme Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, Pfizer, Inc. and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.For Any Queries Get Solutions With A PDF Sample :Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics market: TrendsIn terms of geography, North America is the leading market for acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market owing to the large base of leukemia patients. The American Cancer Society, estimates that in 2016 in the U.S, about 6,590 new cases of acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia would be diagnosed out of which 3590 would be males and 3000 would be females. The organization also estimated that during the same year, almost 1430 deaths would occur in the U.S. from acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia. Such growing base of leukemia population would further contribute to the growth of the overall acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market. However, other market such as Asia-Pacific tends to witness high growth in this market owing to the increased incidence of cancer cases in the recent years.Currently, the global acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market is highly lucrative, and is primarily driven by the growing incidence and prevalence of leukemia. Moreover, other factors such as high demand for improved cancer therapies; along with focused towards addressing the unmet medical needs are also driving the growth of this market. Furthermore, increasing burden of cancer among geriatric population and increased focus on retaining superior quality of life are some of the factors contributing to the growth of this market. However, rise in overall healthcare expenditure and patent expiries of antineoplastic drugs are some of the major factors; that might hinder the growth of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapeutics market in future.Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics market: Available treatmentsProper medications, including antifungals, antineoplastics, antimicrobials is necessary take as soon as the disease detects. Apart from this, radiation therapy, biological therapy and immunotherapy should be taken by patients of ALL.Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics market: CategoriesAcute lymphocytic leukemia can be categorized into two types, childhood acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia and adult acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia. Some of the signs and symptoms associated with acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia are weakness and fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, fever, paleness, shortness of breath, bone and joint pain, bruising, petechiae, swollen glands in the groin, neck and under arms,enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver.Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) also called as lympholastic leukemia is a cancer that starts from the early version of white blood cells called lympholastic in the bone marrow. Over production of cancerous lymphoblast is the main reason behind this type of cancer. ALL is characterized by the over production of cancerous lymphoblasts. When a person is suffering from ALL, lymphoblasts are generally overproduced in the bone marrow and constantly multiply, causing damage to the bone marrow by restraining the production of normal cells such as platelets and red blood cells (RBC).View exclusive Global strategic Business report :These lymphoblasts are also called as leukemia cells. As the number of lymphoblast increases in the bone marrow and blood, there is less room for healthy RBCs, white blood cells and platelets. This may cause anemia, infection and bleeding. The cancer can also spread to the brain and spinal cord.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Malignant Neoplasm Therapeutics Market : Emergence Of Advanced Technologies And Global Industry Analysis 2024!!

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14792

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/malignant-neoplasm-therapeutics-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Key PlayersFew of the key players identified in the global malignant neoplasm therapeutics market include F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Novartis International AG, Sanofi S.A., AstraZeneca plc, Eli Lilly and Company, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Pfizer Inc. Bayer AG, Amgen, AbbVie Inc and Celgene Corporation.For Any Queries Get Solutions With A PDF Sample :Malignant Neoplasm Therapeutics Market: Regional SegmentationOn the basis of region, the global malignant neoplasm therapeutics market has been segmented into six key regions namely North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is considered as one of the largest market of malignant neoplasm therapeutics owing to a strong presence of drug manufacturers in the region and availability of advanced healthcare facilities. In terms of value, the U.S accounts for a healthy portion of the global malignant neoplasm therapeutics market attributed to the growing demand for cancer treatment in the country. In addition, Europe is one of the other regions where the market is growing at a considerable rate and is expected to continue a similar in trend in the coming years.Over the years, the subject of oncology has received paramount attention from biomedical researchers, health care experts and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Owing to a severe need for effective treatment of cancer, heavy investments are being made in further research and development of the particular subject. Many of the pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis International AG and Pfizer Inc. are introducing a range of anti-carcinogenic drugs under their brand names promising to be more efficient. The global malignant neoplasm treatment market has become increasingly competitive in the recent years with more player joining in. Currently, most drug manufacturers offer two primary cancer therapeutic programs, namely cytostatic hormonal treatments and antineoplastics.Higher Prevalence of Malignant Neoplasm in Geriatric Population Driving the Market GrowthThe global cancer incidences have increased to a considerable number over the past few decades owing to a rise in the geriatric population, increasing life expectancy and changing lifestyle. In addition, factors such as advanced cancer diagnostics and early initiation of the treatment are fuelling the global malignant neoplasm therapeutics market. Development of targeted therapies are revolutionizing the conventional concepts of cancer treatment and are likely to get higher preference in the coming years. Moreover, a higher success ratio of these latest cancer drugs compared to traditional anti-carcinogenic treatment is expected to further drive the market growth in the near future. These latest drugs are capable of countering more than one type of cancer. For example imatinib, which was first developed for treating a single type of cancer was later found effective on multiple cancer types.Novelty in cancer treatment has significantly influenced the present treatment models. However, a complete cure for the disease is still not ascertained. Further, many of the advanced treatment models are often expensive and only available in developed regions of the world. In some case, delay in integration of the novel drugs into current treatment methods limit the options for the patient. Other factors such as price risk and credibility of the drugs are few of the other concerns for the market.View exclusive Global strategic Business report :Malignant neoplasm is believed to be one of the extended conditions of neoplasm. It is a form of cancer that develops an abnormal growth of tissues usually leading to the formation of a tumor. The primary cause of this disease is understood as damaging of DNA under certain circumstances that further escalates to a stage of cancer. The very beginning of malignant neoplasm is the occurrence of abnormal patterns of growth in the tissue known as dysplasia or metaplasia.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Mineral Waxes Market Analysis, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast- 2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3002

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

A new research report by Transparency Market Research offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Mineral Waxes market. The study, titled Mineral Waxes Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, is available for sale on the firms website.Waxes are solid material that melt and convert into liquid state at a slightly higher temperature. Sources of wax can be segregated into three segments: oil, mineral and plants & animals. Crude oil is the most dominant source of waxes moreover owing to higher demand for crude oil in other application segments, mineral waxes have been gaining acceptance and demand for mineral waxes has been surging across the globe. Lignite is the most dominant mineral used for the production of mineral waxes and this trend is anticipated continue for a foreseeable future. Ozokerite, peat and ceresin waxes are among other major mineral waxes sources.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :Environmental hazards associated with processing of crude oil coupled with volatile pricing of crude oil have led to decline in demand for crude oil based waxes. Moreover, high demand for crude oil for other more lucrative application segments has been the foremost factor driving demand for mineral waxes. Increasing demand for wax in the production of rubber is expected to drive demand for mineral waxes during the forecast period. High growth in cosmetics market is also expected to be among major factors driving demand for mineral waxes. Moreover, supply constraints related to major mineral sources such as lignite is expected to restrain mineral waxes market growth. Furthermore, availability of other wax sources such as plants, animals and insects are expected to restrain mineral waxes market growth.Asia Pacific dominates the global demand for mineral waxes and this trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. Asia Pacific comprises two of the largest and the fastest growing economies, India and China. China dominates the global production of mineral waxes and exports a major portion of the production. Moreover, high GDP growth in the emerging economies of India and China is expected to drive growth in several end user industries for mineral waxes including paper, rubber and cosmetic among several others. Furthermore, high demand for candles in India is expected to be among major factors driving demand for mineral waxes in Asia Pacific. Owing to the aforementioned factors, Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region for mineral waxes during the forecast period.North America is the second largest market for mineral waxes followed by Europe. Moreover, mineral waxes market in North America is profoundly dependent on imports from countries such as China. Poland is expected to be among major mineral waxes market in Europe. Moreover, Europe is anticipated to outdo North America in terms of mineral waxes market growth during the forecast period. Increasing demand for firelogs is anticipated to be a major factor driving demand for mineral waxes in North America and Europe. Demand for mineral waxes in RoW region is expected to be driven by increasing demand from developing economies of South America and Europe.Mineral waxes market is highly fragmented and dominated by several regional players across the globe. Owing to dominance of regional players, the market is characterized by high prices sensitivity. Low capital investment has increased the threat from new entrants mainly in the developing economies. The degree of competition in the mineral waxes market is high and is expected to remain high for the next six years. Some of the major players in the market include American Refining Group Incorporated, Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, Calumet Specialty Products Partners LP, International Flora Technologies Limited and Honeywell International Inc among others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends.Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Roofing Underlying Materials Market Analysis, Growth, Trends and Forecast - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13850

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

In the highly fragmented global roofing underlying materials market, the top five companies collectively held a meagre 13.5% of the overall market valuation in 2015, observes TMR in a recent market research report. The easy availability of raw materials, low initial investment, and a continuous rise in demand from the flourishing construction industry have encouraged the establishment of a vast number of small- and medium-sized companies globally in the past few years.To face the competitive pressures and gain an edge, companies are focusing on the expansion of their product portfolios and development of innovative materials that can be suitably applied to more than one type of roofing systems. Funds devoted to R&D activities are also constantly being increased and expansion across emerging economies is gaining increased emphasis.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :Some of the notable vendors in the market are Owens Corning, DuPont, IKO Industries Ltd., Firestone Building Products Company, and TAMKO Building Products, Inc., Carlisle, CertainTeed Corporation, and Braas Monier Building Group Services S.A.Rapid Urbanization across Emerging Economies Central to Development of Roofing Underlying MaterialsThe rapid expansion of population residing in urban settings across regions such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and parts of Middle East and Africa has led to the vast development of public and private infrastructure across the residential as well as commercial sectors in the past few years. The increasingly affluent consumer residing in urban dwellings is leading to an increased demand for new construction projects, naturally upping the consumption of a variety of roofing underlying materials. Asia Pacific is expected to solely account for over 43% in the global roofing underlying materials market by 2024.The market for roofing underlying materials is expected to gain the most traction across developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America from 2016 to 2024, with developed regions such as North America and Europe exhibiting sluggish rise in demand. The construction sector in North America and Europe has suffered considerably during the economic depression of 2008. Though the sector is steadily stabilizing and treading along a positive growth path in these regions, the number of new construction projects are still under check. Most traction for the roofing underlying materials markets in these regions will come from refurbishing and maintenance activities.Rise in Production Costs to Hamper Markets Overall GrowthAsphalt makes for one of the most critical raw materials for the manufacture of bituminous roofing underlying materials, which accounts for the second largest share in the global market in terms of product varieties. As a large share of industrially used asphalt is derived from oil and gas sources, its availability in the global market is largely dependent on the oil and gas industry, which is itself faced with enormous fluctuations in price and production capacities.Thus, the continuous availability of high quality asphalt is a big challenge for the manufacturers of bituminous roofing underlying materials. The continuous rise in the cost of manufacturing techniques is also leading to a substantial rise in overall costs of roofing underlying materials. High costs of products are expected to have a sizeable impact on sales of roofing underlying materials, especially across developing regions where the consumer is quick to switch to cheaper alternatives.Non-bitumen Synthetic Roofing Underlying Materials to Retain DominanceTransparency Market Research states that the global roofing underlying materials market will expand at a healthy 5.5% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. The market held an opportunity of US$27.99 bn in 2015 and is expected to rise to US$45.16 bn by 2024. In terms of product type, the segment of non-bitumen synthetic roofing underlying materials accounted for a share of over 35% in terms of volume in the global market in 2015. This segment is also expected to remain the dominant product segment from 2016 to 2024. In terms of application, the non-residential sector dominated in 2015, accounting for nearly 44% in the global market in 2015.This review is based on a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, titled Roofing Underlying Materials Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 20162024.For this report, the market is segment as follows:Roofing Underlying Materials Market: Product Segment AnalysisAsphalt-saturated FeltRubberized AsphaltNon-bitumen SyntheticRoofing Underlying Materials Market: Application Segment AnalysisResidentialCommercialNon-residentialAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Chassis Systems Market - Robust Infrastructural Development to Boost Demand Globally

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4794

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

According to a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, the global automotive chassis systems market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.1% during the period between 2015 and 2021. The report, titled Automotive Chassis Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021, projects the global automotive chassis systems market to be worth US$86.48 bn by 2021. The overall market stood at a valuation of US$65.50 bn in 2014.Automotive chassis system refers to the inner frame of a vehicle. Nowadays, consumers prefer aerodynamic and ductile automotive chassis systems. Aerodynamic chassis systems increase fuel efficiency of vehicles and have superior quality designing. Advanced features in chassis systems such as automatic fault detection alert drivers regarding any kind of malfunction in the system.Get a PDF Brochure for Professional Insights atThe report states that innovative product development and the introduction of advanced features in automotive chassis system have boosted the growth of the global automotive chassis systems market. Rapid expansion of the infrastructure sector particularly in regions such as Asia Pacific has further augmented the markets growth. However, high cost of research and development and the availability of non-standardized products in the market will restrain the overall market during the forecast horizon.On the basis of vehicle types, the report segments the global automotive chassis systems market into ICVs, LCVs, HCVs, cars, off road vehicles, defense vehicles, construction equipment vehicles, and farm tractors. Passenger cars hold the majority of the market owing to the growing demand from Asia Pacific and North America.The report studies the global automotive chassis systems market across four key regions: Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. Europe was the largest market for automotive chassis systems in 2014 due to the rising demand among customers for smaller and cleaner vehicles. During the forecast horizon, factors such as usage of upgraded aerodynamic designs and composite compounds for reducing weight of vehicles and downsizing of chassis will propel the growth of the market in the region.Asia Pacific has emerged as one of the most lucrative regions for the market due to the growing demand for automotive chassis systems across India, China, and Japan. In Asia Pacific, there is a growing trend of owing private vehicles due to rise in disposable income. Purchasing of vehicles has also become easier with easy availability of finance. All these factors will contribute towards the growth of the Asia Pacific automotive chassis systems market.Describing the competitive hierarchy, the report profiles some of the prominent players operating in the global automotive chassis systems market such as Robert Bosch GmbH, Benteler International AG, Continental AG, Magna International Inc., American Axle & Manufacturing, and ZF Friedrichshafen. The report offers detailed information about the key players including their company overview, financial overview, revenue, business strategies, and recent developments.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Tubular Bowl Centrifuges Sales Market Report Forecast 2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/global-tubular-bowl-centrifuges-sales-market-report-forecast-2016-2021

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=3465

ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Global Tubular Bowl Centrifuges Sales Market Report Forecast 2016-2021 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios.Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.This report provides comprehensive analysis of Key market segments and sub-segments Evolving market trends and dynamics Changing supply and demand scenarios Quantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecasting Tracking current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive insights Opportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughTo view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends.Geographies analyzed under this research report include: United States China Europe Japan India Southeast AsiaThe Major players reported in the market include: GE Healthcare (UK) Becton, Dickinson and Company (US) 3M Purification, Inc. (US) Merck KGaA (Germany) AB Sciex (US) Alfa Laval AB (Sweden) PerkinElmer, Inc. (US) Affymetrix, Inc. (US) Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA (France) Alfa Wassermann Inc. (US) Atoll GmbH (Germany) Beckman Coulter, Inc. (US) Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US) Flottweg SE (Germany) Fluidigm Corporation (US) Groupe Novasep (France) Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (Japan) Illumina, Inc. (US) Pall Corporation (US) ProMetic Life Sciences, Inc. (Canada) Repligen Corporation (US) SEPMAG Technologies (Spain) Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (US) Spectrum Laboratories, Inc. (US) Sysmex Partec GmbH (Germany) Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US)Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified analysis of major market segmentsTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.comPress Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Moisture Sensors Market Research 2017-2021: Sartorius, Mettler-Toledo, Ohaus Corporation, Thermo Fisher

Moisture Sensors

https://goo.gl/7l25PJ

https://goo.gl/YsR2Xs

http://www.bigmarketresearch.com

Bigmarketresearch added most up-to-date research on "Global Moisture Sensors Market Professional Survey 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Moisture Sensors in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringSartoriusMettler-ToledoOhaus CorporationThermo FisherMichell InstrumentsAMETEKGESplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Moisture Sensors in each application, can be divided intoFood processingPharmaceuticalEnvironmentalChemical industriesEnquiry about report @Fundamental of Table of Content7 Global Moisture Sensors Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Sartorius7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.1.2 Moisture Sensors Product Type, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Halogen Moisture Sensor7.1.2.2 Infrared Moisture Sensor7.1.3 Sartorius Moisture Sensors Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Mettler-Toledo7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.2.2 Moisture Sensors Product Type, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Halogen Moisture Sensor7.2.2.2 Infrared Moisture Sensor7.2.3 Mettler-Toledo Moisture Sensors Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Ohaus Corporation7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.3.2 Moisture Sensors Product Type, Application and Specification7.3.3 Ohaus Corporation Moisture Sensors Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Thermo Fisher7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.4.2 Moisture Sensors Product Type, Application and Specification7.4.3 Thermo Fisher Moisture Sensors Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Michell Instruments7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.5.2 Moisture Sensors Product Type, Application and Specification7.5.3 Michell Instruments Moisture Sensors Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.5.4 Main Business/Business OverviewGet Purchase Enquire on Global Moisture Sensors Market 2017-2021 @ at USD 2900 (Single User License):About us:Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us :Dhananjay Potle5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect :+ 1-503-894-6022Toll Free : + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Bills release multiple artist renderings of new stadium The morning of Oct. 27 was a day Buffalo Bills fans have been patiently waiting for  a reveal of what the new stadium will potentially look like. The team...

County officials, law firm representatives host public hearing on new stadium SEQR Erie County officials, representatives from Phillips Lytle LLP, power players for a new stadium and interested Buffalo Bills fans packed into one of the community rooms of the Brush Mountain...
The Port of Portland said Wednesday that its executive director since 2001, Bill Wyatt, will retire at the end of June, a move that some hope will set up a wide-ranging discussion about changes in leadership, governance and the overall mission of the agency.

Among the most pressing questions: whether Gov. Kate Brown and the nine governor- appointed Port commissioners will slot Wyatt's hand-picked successor into the lucrative and politically connected position.

The Port manages the airport, marine shipping terminals and industrial properties around the city. Billions of dollars of goods and millions of passengers pass through its facilities annually. It's a crucial player in economic development statewide, from travel and tourism to shipping Oregon-made products throughout the globe. Though the agency operates largely under the public's radar, it has become a lightning rod for environmental and community activists, as well as labor groups and exporters around the state.

In a news release announcing his retirement, the Port credited Wyatt with a series of accomplishments. The most visible to the public are those at Portland International Airport, which has added 10 international flights during his tenure, has made $2 billion in capital improvements, and garners rave reviews from trade publications and customer satisfaction surveys.

At the marine terminals, the news release cited the growth of auto shipping and the retention of jobs due to capital investments by tenants, but ignored the loss of container shipping at Terminal 6 and bitter disputes between longshoremen and the terminal operator chosen by the Port.

Bill Wyatt

The Port also highlighted the brownfield redevelopment project of the Reynolds Industrial Park in Troutdale, now home to 800 FedEx jobs. And it credited Wyatt with a number of environmental improvements.

"Bill has been a skilled, dynamic and admired leader and I know I speak for all of the Commission when I say how grateful we are for his unparalleled service," Port Commission President Jim Carter said in a news release.

Yet the Port and Wyatt have harsh critics. The agency has been locked in conflict, and often on the losing side, with environmental and community groups for decades. Bob Sallinger, conservation director of the Portland Chapter of the Audubon Society, called Wyatt's tenure "a stunning record of major failures" and described the agency's record on environmental issues as "abysmal."

Among other things, he pointed to the Port's unsuccessful efforts to rezone West Hayden Island as industrial land, its foot-dragging and criticism of efforts to clean up the Portland Harbor Superfund site, and its controversial and unsuccessful effort to locate a massive propane export terminal at Terminal 6.

"We had high hopes for Bill when he came in, but he hasn't delivered," he said. "It's going to take a lot more vision."

The Port's idled container shipping terminal has also been a source of contention around the state. The terminal lost its two main carriers, Hanjin Shipping and Hapag-Lloyd, in early 2015, forcing Eastern Oregon agricultural producers to pay as much as $1,000 more per container to truck their goods to Tacoma, Washington.

Kevin Mannix, a former state legislator and gubernatorial candidate, has proposed creating a new shipping authority to take over Terminal 6 from the Port and reestablish the service. He thanked Wyatt for his service and said he's been successful on many fronts, but suggested that the terminal was an essential element of the state's economic model and that the situation there had spun out of control.

He said Wyatt's departure provided an opportunity to change the makeup of the commission, which he believes should be appointed by county commissioners around the state, not the governor. And those commissioners should then look to hire an industry expert as executive director.

"It's a state port but it acts like a local port, as if its activities should reflect only local concerns," he said. "It's not fulfilling its function...Its mission should be rewritten to make it more accountable around the state and take it out of the patronage system."

Port leadership is seen by many as a product of the patronage system, and a handsomely paid opportunity at that. The executive director is selected by nine Port commissioners, who in turn are appointed by the governor. And the governor's office has had a revolving door with agency leadership.

Wyatt's predecessor, longtime Oregon legislator Mike Thorne, was appointed after his political ally, then Gov. Neil Goldschmidt, reappointed the entire port commission, which then selected Thorne for the job.

Curtis Robinhold

Wyatt was the chief of staff of former Gov. John Kitzhaber when he was selected for the job during Kitzhaber'ssecond term in office. And Wyatt, in turn, reached back into the governor's office in 2013 to select Kitzhaber's then chief of staff, Curtis Robinhold, as his deputy and heir apparent.

Robinhold's position was not posted, not announced and there was no search. The meeting materials Wyatt filed with commissioners before they considered the appointment said it was expected that Robinhold would fairly quickly assume the responsibilities of the Port's chief executive.

"While the commission will remain free to choose the next executive director," the agenda item said, "it is expected that the deputy will become the most qualified candidate."

The executive director and his deputy are among the best-paid positions in state government. Wyatt's current salary is $418,419 while Robinhold earns $315,977, according to Port spokeswoman Melanie Mesaros. Both are also eligible for annual bonuses, though Mesaros said she couldn't immediately find those figures Wednesday.

Given their typically lengthy tenure, Port leaders can expect healthy payouts from Oregon's Public Employee Retirement Fund. Thorne, for instance, currently collects annual pension benefits of $173,000.

Peter Bragdon, general counsel of Columbia Sportswear, former chief of staff for Gov. Ted Kulongoski, and a former Port commissioner, disputes the notion that anyone has been appointed to Port leadership as a reward for service. He said the Port needs a leader who can run a complex public enterprise amid constantly changing market conditions, whether it be shipping rates, auto imports, gas prices, trade tariffs and others factors. Wyatt, he says, was a good pick for the job and did an excellent job keeping all the Port's plates spinning.

In a letter announcing his retirement date, Wyatt said he was confident the Port will be in good hands going forward, and that the commission president would be announcing the selection process for his replacement in the next few days.

"While I expect it to be an open and competitive process, I'm very pleased that my Deputy Curtis Robinhold will be a candidate," he wrote. "I've known Curtis for over 20 years, and I am entirely confident of his capacity for this important work."

Critics are watching what Brown and the commissioners do next.

"We feel that is is critical that the governor conduct a full nationwide search for a new Port Director," Sallinger said in an email Wednesday. "To do otherwise (i.e. appoint Curtis Robinhold) would perpetuate exactly the kind backdoor, insider dealing that she assured voters she would avoid."

- Ted Sickinger

503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
Updated

Hillsboro Fire Department early Thursday said a roof had collapsed on a produce warehouse in Hillsboro on Southeast Fourth.

Five people escaped unhurt, spokesman Storm Smith said.

Workers are not allowed to sleep inside the building, but they sometimes do, he said. Smith was not able to confirm that everyone affected worked at the warehouse.

Roof collapse at produce warehouse SE 4th. 2 people sleeping there escape unhurt. pic.twitter.com/fJpEgmyn1F  Hillsboro Fire Dept (@HillsboroFire) January 12, 2017

Utility workers turned off water and gas service to the building because both substances were leaking inside, Smith said.

Utilities being shut off to building following roof collapse. Broken sprinkler lines & nat gas hazard. pic.twitter.com/8wkPb0ETKU  Hillsboro Fire Dept (@HillsboroFire) January 12, 2017

The building was constructed in the 1950s or '60s, when construction standards were not as strict as today, Smith said. There are no other buildings in the area that firefighters are keeping a particular eye on, he said.

In Bend, city warnings that heavy, accumulating snow threatened roofs turned into reality Wednesday when one building collapsed and one was seriously damaged, the Bulletin reported.

Bend firefighters responded to a report of a collapsed building Wednesday evening near the Old Mill District. The roof of the building appeared to have collapsed under the weight of 2 feet of snow. Earlier Wednesday, heavy snow threatened to cave in a wall of a FedEx distribution center in Bend, prompting the evacuation and closure of the building, with undelivered packages still inside.

A tweet from the Bend Fire Department said the FedEx building "could literally collapse at any time."

The building is still standing, but its north wall is bowed and an engineer told Bend fire officials that the structure is unsound.

In Ontario, the weight of all the snow, with the recent ice rain storms has ended up causing structural damage to many buildings around the Western Treasure Valley.

Among the damage, the Argus Observer reported, the collapse of Weiser Lanes, as well as roof collapses at Les Schwab, Girvin Hall at the Malheur County Fairgrounds and an onion shed on Southeast Fifth Avenue.

Other known collapses/roof damage:

* Ontario Fire Chief Terry Leighton confirmed the collapse of the old roller skating rink on Southeast Second Avenue, also known as Baker Storage.

* Ontario City Manager Adam Brown confirmed the building under the old water tower on North Oregon

* Brown also confirmed that Ore-Ida has had some parts of its building collapse

* The Bend-La Pine Schools announced an emergency closure for all schools after a gymnasium roof at a magnet school collapsed Thursday morning. No one was inside the gym.

Dude. So scary. Via @KTVZ: Drone shot shows the Highland Elementary School roof collapse #inBend due to snow load. Photo courtesy: Kyle Low pic.twitter.com/e2s0lWJogT  Ben Salmon (@bcsalmon) January 12, 2017

On Sunday, a large portion of the vacated Woodgrain Millwork facility collapsed under the weight of the mounting snow, the Central Oregonian reported.

-- The Bulletin and the Argus Observer in Ontario
grizzly bear, grIzzlies

FILE - This July 6, 2011 file photo shows a grizzly bear roaming near Beaver Lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. Federal officials will propose on Thursday, March 3, 2016, to lift Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park, opening the door to state-sponsored hunting of the animals following their decades-long recovery from widespread extermination.(AP Photo/Jim Urquhart, File)

(Jim Urquhart)

Grizzly bears once roamed the rugged landscape of the North Cascades in Washington state but few have been sighted in recent decades.

Federal officials want to restore the population, and on Thursday released a draft plan with four options, ranging from taking no action to varying efforts to capture bears from other locations and transplant them to 9,800 square miles of mostly public land surrounding North Cascades National Park.

Two of the alternatives envision a goal of about 200 bears within 60 to 100 years, while a third expedited option expects to restore 200 animals in 25 years.

The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not pick a preferred alternative. Instead they're seeking input over the next several weeks on what steps they should take to restore grizzly bears to their natural range.

The draft plan comes as the federal government is deciding whether to lift protections for more than 700 grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. Officials had planned to finalize by the end of 2016 a proposal to turn management of grizzlies over to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming officials and allow limited hunting, but a deluge of opposition is tying up a decision.

In Washington, the grizzly plan has stoked intense debate as federal officials sought input in 2015 as it developed its draft environmental impact statement.

Supporters said the shy, massive creatures -- a symbol of true wilderness -- should be brought back, that the population won't recover without help and their return would increase the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

Others said the animals should recovery naturally, while others worried about potential increased dangers to people and livestock and opposed the move over potential impacts to communities, ranchers, farmers and others.

Federal officials note that grizzly bears tend to avoid areas of human activity, and the animals would be relocated in remote areas, away from grazing allotments. They'll be radio-collared and monitored. Grizzly bears would likely come from areas in northwestern Montana or south-central British Columbia.

The bears are at risk of local extinction, and recovering them would enhance the population's survival, restore the animal as part of the area's cultural heritage and provide people the chance to experience the animals in their native habitat, federal officials say.

Without intervention, the animals could disappear. Individual bears are increasingly isolated and have limited opportunity to breed, the agencies said.

An estimated 50,000 Grizzlies once roamed much of North America. Most were killed off by hunters in the 19th and early 20th centuries and they now occupy only about 2 percent of their original range across the Lower 48 states.

They were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. And in the North Cascades, the population is estimated to be fewer than 20 animals, according to Fish and Wildlife Service.

The most recent confirmed sighting of a bear was in 1996 in the U.S. portion of the North Cascades ecosystem. A bear, however, was confirmed in British Columbia within 20 miles of the U.S.

The North Cascades ecosystem offers some of the best habitat to recover the animals, and a federal 1997 plan designated the area as one of five grizzly bear recovery zones. The others are in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

The 1997 plan called for an environmental review to evaluate a range of alternatives for recovering the North Cascades grizzly population but no funds were allocated until 2014. The environmental impact statement is expected to be finalized this fall.

Eight public meetings are scheduled in February. The public can weigh in on the draft environmental impact statement through March 14.

-- The Associated Press
By Scott Bruun

Big insurance company CEOs must love Andy Slavitt. Why wouldn't they? After all, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under Slavitt's leadership, is providing a legal loophole that will free America's big health insurance companies from having to cover America's sickest and most expensive patients.

Scott Bruun

In December, following extensive lobbying by insurance companies and America's Health Insurance Plans, the agency issued a new rule that provides impunity for insurance companies to drop coverage for lower-income patients on individual marketplace plans who rely on charitable assistance to pay for premiums. This move was aimed directly at patients with kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease.

Approximately 700,000 people have end-stage renal disease in the United States. Without dialysis treatments to remove toxins from their blood, these patients would die. Dialysis is lifesaving, and expensive - so expensive that insurers have been pursuing legislative and administrative loopholes at the state level to steer these patients onto Medicare. Insurers are emboldened to do this because, unlike any other chronic disease, federal law offers Medicare coverage to end-stage renal disease patients regardless of age or income. It's ironic that a federal law designed to protect the most vulnerable patients has now made them more vulnerable to insurance discrimination.

The new rule speaks at length of the "best interests of individual patients." And yet it seems to ignore that insurers are financially motivated to screen patients by restricting their options for paying premiums. By disallowing charitable premium assistance, insurers force lower-income end-stage renal disease patients to "choose" Medicare over private insurance.

There is a life or death difference between commercial insurance and Medicare for many patients. Patients on Medicare have less access to anti-rejection medication following a kidney transplant, the only "cure" for end-stage renal disease. Further, a 2013 report published by the National Institutes of Health shows that access to kidney transplants is nearly three times higher under commercial coverage than with Medicare. The same report noted African Americans with commercial insurance are 14 times more likely to receive a transplant than those on Medicare. This is especially troubling considering that African Americans, who make up less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, represent nearly one-third of end-stage renal disease patients. In other words, this discrimination, including the new rule giving insurance companies carte blanche to push patients onto Medicare, creates a disproportional negative impact on black Americans. Disease discrimination is, de facto, racial discrimination.

It seems like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has clearly taken a stand for insurance companies, vulnerable patients be damned. The wording used throughout the ruling is so slanted, in fact, one would not at all be surprised if the language were proposed by insurers. Chivalry may be dead, but cronyism certainly is not.

In what must be a rush to ram it through before arrival of the Trump Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also cut the normal public comment period in half. With the changes in department leadership that will ensue, it will be interesting to see where the centers' top brass lands. I have no doubt America's big insurers are always looking to hire top talent.

Scott Bruun, a former state representative from West Linn, is the executive director of the Chronic Disease Coalition, a Portland-based national patient advocacy organization, and is the advocacy committee chair for the Oregon chapter of the American Diabetes Association. The views expressed are his own.
L.L.Beans iconic boots. (Credit: Flickr user jimshooz7)

President-elect Donald Trump, whos known to criticize companies on social media, showed his support for L.L. Bean on Twitter on Thursday morning.

Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean. @LBPerfectMaine  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017

This may come as unwelcome news for the iconic mail-order outdoor apparel company and fifth- largest private employer in the state of Maine. #GrabYourWallet, an anti-Trump movement that started in October 2016, called for a boycott of L.L.Bean after it was revealed that Linda Bean, the granddaughter of the companys founder, raised funds for a PAC that supported Trump.

Linda Bean, who is one of 10 board members, donated $30,000 to a Making Maine Great Again PAC, the Associated Press reported, citing public filings.

Linda Bean could not be reached for comment.

On Sunday, L.L. Beans executive chairman Shawn Gorman released a statement on Facebook expressing disappointment in the boycott. We were disappointed to learn that Grab Your Wallet is advocating a boycott against L.L.Bean solely because Linda Bean, who is only one of 50+ family members involved with the business, personally supported Donald Trump for president, Gorman wrote. Gorman noted that the owners, employees and customers hold views and embrace causes that are individual and diverse.

Trump received one of Maines four electoral votes after winning the states 2nd Congressional District. It was the first time in the states history that the electoral votes were split.

Grab Your Wallets list includes dozens of companies, ranging from retailers such as Overstock.com (OSTK), Nordstrom (JWN), and Walmart (WMT) for selling Trump-affiliated products. The list also calls out companies where an executive or board member supported Trump or raised money for PACs affiliated with his campaign.

Story continues



Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.



Read more:
trump

President-elect Donald Trump blasted bombshell Tuesday reports that said intelligence chiefs briefed him about unverified Russian claims to have intelligence that could compromise him both personally and financially.

"FAKE NEWS," he tweeted. "A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT."

He later added a second tweet, posting an article from "LifeZette" seeking to discredit a report from BuzzFeed.

Trump was responding to a story first reported by CNN that said classified briefing materials given to President Barack Obama and Trump by US intelligence officials last week indicated that Russian operatives claimed to have compromising personal and financial information on the president-elect.

US intelligence gleaned the information from an ex-British foreign intelligence officer, who provided the FBI with memos in August detailing an attempted cultivation of Trump by Russia stretching five years. The British spy had collected the intelligence based on conversations he engaged in with Russian sources.

The findings were summarized in a two-page synopsis that was appended to the US intelligence community's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election but was not included in the declassified briefing released to the public Friday following Trump's briefing.

The material was not corroborated by intelligence agencies and could not immediately be verified independently. Obama, Trump, and other top lawmakers were the only ones to receive the version of the report with a summary of the British operative's memos.

The operative collected the information from Russian intelligence sources while he was doing opposition research for a project financed by anti-Trump Republicans. The information the operative collected indicated that Russia had compromising information on both Trump and Clinton but chose to release only information that was potentially damaging to the Clinton campaign.

BuzzFeed, which reported that the memos had been circulating around Washington for months, published the full dossier on Tuesday night, it said, "so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government."

Story continues

It contained many salacious claims, including that Trump's top lawyer, Michael Cohen, served as a liaison between Trump and the Kremlin, meeting with top Russian officials in Prague this past August.

Cohen responded to the claim on Twitter, posting that the story was "fake news" and that he'd "never been to Prague in my life."

He included a photo of the cover of his passport.

Mother Jones cited the dossier in a report on the alleged Trump-Russia connection in October. The author of that story, David Corn, said he chose not to publish the full dossier because he could not confirm the allegations.

Natasha Bertrand contributed to this report.

NOW WATCH: Watch Former CIA director James Woolsey explain why he wont advise the Trump transition team anymore





More From Business Insider


Trump was not briefed on document with explosive Russia allegations, official says

Donald Trump did not get briefed on a document summarizing explosive accusations about the president-elect's ties to Russia, a senior U.S. intelligence official with knowledge of the preparation told NBC News.

The summary of a 35-page dossier originally created as part of anti-Trump opposition research was included in material prepared for those briefing Trump, multiple officials told NBC. But it was not given to Trump's team, the senior official told NBC. The document was given to the briefers so that they could make the distinction between analyzed intelligence and "disinformation."

The senior official told NBC News that no investigations found any conclusive or direct link between Trump and the Russian government.

Trump on Wednesday said he has "nothing to do with Russia" and argued that he is the victim of political attacks after the reports that intelligence officials possessed briefing material with damaging accusations about ties to Moscow. On Twitter, Trump called the reports "unfair" and said, "Russia has never tried to use leverage over me." Trump claimed that he has "no deals, no loans, no nothing" with Russia, an assertion that is difficult to verify because he has not released his tax returns, unlike every president since Jimmy Carter.

Appearing Tuesday evening on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway dismissed the reports as having possibly originated with a Russian investigator or groups that wanted Hillary Clinton to win the election.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the allegations, calling them "an absolute fabrication and utter nonsense." Trump cited the Kremlin's denial on Twitter.
Matt Hansen will present a program on wildlife photography at the Midland Camera Club meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in room 304 of Midland Evangelical Free Church, 7221 N. Jefferson.

During the clubs Jan. 24 meeting, also from 7 to 9 p.m. at the same site, club members December holiday season portraits will be shown, and the clubs entries in a Photographic Society of America open category competition will be chosen.
Also on Facebook and Twitter . Any copyrighted material is included as "fair use" for critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s).

Today is New Year's Day in the Berber (Imazighn) calendar , and there are celebrations in Agadir, Tiznit and other majority Berber areas of Morocco. The presence of Berbers in Morocco predates the Arab/Muslim invasion of the country by eight centuries. Around three-quarters of Morocco's 30 million population are of Berber descent and the number of Berber speakers, either as a first language or bilingually with an Arab dialect, is estimated to be around 10 million. The Berbers mix observance of saintly and animistic cults with more orthodox Islam in a syncretic tradition known as Maraboutic Islam. My photo shows our Berber friend Hassan who has featured in several Overgrown Path posts . Hassan is an ace surfer from the Berber village of Tamraght , which is the surfing capital of Africa. I first met Hassan some years ago when he looked after me while I was sea kayaking in the big surf of Morocco's Atlantic coast. Back then Hassan was living in a hut on the beach with fishermen friends. He went on to become a respected surf instructor, and has just become a co-founder of Shaka Surf Morocco . Hassan spends his days on the beach in the region's year-round sunshine and his evenings and most of his nights partying with his clients who include many attractive young ladies. In my next incarnation I hope to come back as a surf instructor in Morocco.
Trump Russia memo as fake as play money you buy at a toy store, former CIA analyst says

President-elect Donald Trump called the unverified allegations about Russian information gathering on him "fake news" on Wednesday, and one former CIA analyst is backing him up.



The 35-page document, published by BuzzFeed on Tuesday evening, contains explosive allegations of his ties to Russia, as well as accusations of salacious activities .

"As a former CIA analyst, I can say with complete confidence  that those leaked memos are as fake as the play money you would buy at a toy store," George David Banks said in an interview with " Power Lunch " on Wednesday.

Banks, who is now executive vice president of the American Council for Capital Formation, didn't go into further details on why he came to that conclusion.

However, if one were to assume it was real, it would show that "Russian counterintelligence is in total disarray," he pointed out.

During his first postelection news conference on Wednesday, Trump blasted BuzzFeed as a "failing pile of garbage" and said the online media outlet "will suffer the consequences."

The Russian government on Wednesday called the report a "total hoax."

Tuesday evening, BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith tweeted an email he said to his staff that said, in part, that the site decided to publish the dossier so that Americans can make up their own minds. On Wednesday, BuzzFeed told CNBC it stands by its decision.

On Tuesday, NBC News reported that sources said briefing materials prepared for President-elect Donald Trump included damaging allegations about his dealings with Russians. The information was initially circulated among Trump opponents before being passed to U.S. intelligence agencies, according to NBC News.

Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal is a minority investor in BuzzFeed.



 CNBC's Matthew Belvedere contributed to this report.




BLOOMINGTON  A 22-year-old LeRoy man was charged Wednesday after allegedly forcing his way into a neighbor's apartment, demanding sex and ending up being cut on the face by the alleged victim.

Thomas Drake Price was jailed in lieu of posting $50,035 on charges of home invasion, residential burglary, attempt to commit criminal sexual assault, intimidation, unlawful restraint and criminal trespass to a residence.

The suspect and the alleged victim live in the same apartment complex and were acquainted, but they did not have a romantic relationship, McLean County States Attorney Jason Chambers said in court Wednesday.

Price reportedly knocked on the woman's door about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Chambers said. When she opened it, he pushed his way in, grabbed her wrist and demanded a sex act, the prosecutor said.

During a struggle, Price reportedly attempted to kiss the victim. At one point, he bit her ear and said he would bite if off if she didnt comply, Chambers said.

The victim ordered Price to leave, but he refused, Chambers said.

The woman was not seriously injured, but police noticed scratches and marks on the ear, face, neck and shoulder of the victim, he said.

While the two continued to struggle, the victim eventually was able to make her way to the kitchen and grab a sharp knife, Chambers said. She wounded Price and he eventually left, he said.

Officers followed a blood trail to his apartment, where he was found unconscious, police said.

Police officers reported an odor of alcohol, and Price said he had been on the phone all night and drinking beer, Chambers said.

Price is scheduled to return to court Jan. 20.
OTTAWA  A man identified as a transient carnival worker in LaSalle County was charged Thursday with multiple counts in connection with the death of a Streator woman and the alleged criminal sexual assault of a juvenile.

Carl E. Lenard, 38, was formally charged with eight felony counts, including three counts of first-degree murder in the death of Damaris Lopez Pacheco, 41, of rural Streator. He has to post $500,000 to be released.

Police officers from Streator and deputies from the LaSalle County Sheriffs Department found her dead Tuesday afternoon after receiving a report of a domestic dispute at her residence.

According to court documents, police were alerted at 4:07 p.m. when a boy ran to a neighbors house and reported the attack.

The youth was hospitalized at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Ottawa and is expected to recover, LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton said Thursday.

In addition to the murder charges, Lenard is charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13, one count of aggravated battery of a child under the age of 13, one charge of aggravated fleeing from a police officer and one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.

If convicted, Lenard could face up to 120 years in prison.

Officials have not yet commented on a possible motive.

After officers arrived at the scene, police began looking for Pachecos vehicle, a Lincoln Continental. A LaSalle County deputy spotted the vehicle near Ottawa and attempted to stop it.

A chase ensued, ending with the car colliding with an unoccupied vehicle at a Caseys General Store in Streator.

The driver, later identified as Lenard, was taken into custody and questioned on Tuesday and Wednesday, Templeton said.

Templeton said he did not know how long Lenard had been in the area, but said he arrived in Streator during the summer with a carnival; he could not say which one.

Lenard is due to be arraigned Feb. 9 in LaSalle County Circuit Court.
NORMAL  Gary A. Hoover, 80, of Bloomington, passed away peacefully in his sleep at 11:30 p.m. Friday (Jan. 6, 2017) at Heritage Health, Normal.

His memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremation rites have been accorded. Kibler-Brady-Ruestman Memorial Home, Bloomington, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Memorials may be directed to his son, Charles Hoover, P.O. Box 594, Oregon, IL 61061.

Gary was born Aug. 16, 1936, in Provo, Utah, the son of Robert and Sylvia Hoover. The family moved to California, where he lived until he graduated from San Jose State University. He married Wanda Lillemoe on June 23, 1962. They lived in Bellevue, Wash., until returning to southern California for one year. With two children, the family of four moved to Normal in 1969 with State Farm. Gary continued to work with State Farm in actuarial science, developing commercial insurance policies for the remainder of his career before retiring in 2000.

As an active member of the Twin Cities community, Gary was a past board president of the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Bloomington, the first board president of his condominium association, a founding member and past president of the Vladimir-Canterbury (Russia) and Cubamigos (Cuba) sister city organizations, board president of the local Compassion and Choices organization, and McLean County Arts Center board member and human resources committee chair. Gary was also a board member and mentoring committee chair of Senior Professionals; a member of the steering committee of the American Civil Liberties Union; and for The League of Women Voters, he was an observer of the District 87 board of education, as well as a member of the McLean County Jail Review Committee.

The League honored him a couple years ago with its Florence Fifer Bohrer Award for community service.

Gary was a member of Young Mens Club and SOBs (a book club founded in the late 1980s by the late Irving Tick). Gary was an active supporter of various music, theater and art organizations in the Bloomington-Normal community.

Gary was always physically active and lived life to the fullest, spending time with family and thoroughly enjoying his time with his large group of friends. In his later years, Gary traveled the world to roughly 80 countries with his best friend and soulmate, Judie Bey, of Bloomington; she survives. He always enjoyed himself and learned something new on every trip he took.

Gary is survived by a son, Charles (Sharon) Hoover, Oregon, Ill.; a daughter, Julie (Kelly) Block, Tolono; grandsons, Bailey and Dillon Hoover, Oregon, Ill., and Tristan and Tanner Block, Tolono; and brothers, John Hoover, Watsonville, Calif., and David Hoover, Springville, Utah.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Condolences and memories of Gary may be left for the family at kiblerbradyrruestman.com.
(Adds comment from Maine governor)

By Scott Malone

BOSTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted his support of Maine catalog retailer L.L. Bean after an activist group opposed to the U.S. president-elect called for a boycott of the company.

The boycott call began online last week after reports that a member of the Bean family that owns the company, best known for its rubber-bottomed hunting boots, had donated money to Trump's candidacy.

"Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L. Bean for your great support and courage," Trump said in a tweet early on Thursday. "People will support you even more now. Buy L.L. Bean."

The "Grab Your Wallet" website added L.L. Bean, based in Freeport, Maine, to a lengthy list of retailers it is urging Trump opponents to boycott because of their ties Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20.

L.L. Bean scrambled to distance itself from Linda Bean's donations, noting that she was one of more than 50 members of the founding family associated with the 105-year-old company, which described itself as politically neutral.

"Our owners, employees, and customers hold views and embrace causes that are individual and diverse," the company said in a statement late on Sunday. "We fully acknowledge and respect that some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors."

A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Trump's tweet drew responses from supporters and opponents on Thursday, some of whom vowed to boycott the company, others who said they planned to buy its merchandise.

Trump has taken on several prominent U.S. companies, including United Technologies Corp's Carrier air conditioning unit and General Motors Co for manufacturing products outside the United States.

His track record of pouncing on high-profile executives has left the leaders of corporate America wary of waking up one morning to find themselves Trump's latest target.

Story continues

Maine is politically divided. It has a split Congressional delegation and a two-term Republican governor, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton carried the state in the Nov. 8 election.

On Thursday, Governor Paul LePage, a vocal supporter of Trump, praised Linda Bean.

"It is reprehensible how progressives have bullied her and her family's company," LePage said. "I encourage Mainers and customers around the globe to continue their strong support of L.L. Bean." (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Thank you, Meryl Streep.

I often have been annoyed by Hollywood stars who use award shows to make political statements, although I have made exceptions for those who support causes that I also happen to support. Call me human.

I would have been delighted by Streep's pitch for press freedom and the Committee to Protect Journalists even if  full disclosure  I were not a member of its board.

Streep, who supported Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, criticized Trump in her speech for mocking a New York Times reporter with a disability. Trump denies that he was mocking the reporter. Yet videotape appears quite clearly to show him entertaining a rally crowd by mocking the reporter.

Of course, Trump responded to Streep by ignoring her, right? After all, a president-elect has more important things to worry about than the displeasure of a Hollywood star, right? Yes, I'm kidding. After all, we're talking about Donald Trump, longtime believer, as one of his biographers put it, of "counter-punching" even the mildest attack.

Trump, who has praised Streep's talents as "excellent" in the past, lashed back this time with typical Trumpian excess. In three tweets the next morning he called the winner of Golden Globes, Academy Awards, Emmys and numerous other awards over her nearly four-decade career "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood" and a "Hillary flunky."

Considering the source, Streep should consider all that a compliment.

But she also had a more serious message about the rise of intolerance as a campaign tool. "You and all of us in this room really belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now," she told the audience at the event, which is held by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, repeating a joke told earlier by fellow actor Hugh Laurie, "Think about it, Hollywood, foreigners and the press."

She then called on "the famously well-healed Hollywood Foreign Press (Association) and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists because we are going to need them going forward, and they'll need us to safeguard the truth."

Yet, as partisan as the Trump-Streep clash may sound, it is important to note that the CPJ is nonpartisan in its advocacy for press freedom.

The organization protested the 2010 court order that exposed Fox News reporter James Rosen to possible prosecution as an alleged "aide, abettor and/or conspirator" of an indicted leak defendant, simply for doing his job as a journalist. Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder later called that order his biggest regret.

CPJ also protested the Obama administration's order of New York Times reporter James Risen to testify against a defendant or go to jail. The administration eventually ended its pursuit of that case, too.

In a tough 2013 CPJ report on President Barack Obama's administration and the press, still posted on the CPJ.org website, Leonard Downie, a former executive editor of the Washington Post, criticized the Obama administration's war on leaks and other efforts to control information as "the most aggressive I've seen since the Nixon administration," when he was one of the editors involved in the Post's Watergate investigation.

As Risen pointed out in a recent New York Times op-ed, if Trump "decides as president to throw a whistle-blower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the FBI to spy on a journalist, he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama."

Obama himself has bristled at that notion. It was in response to pressure from both parties in Congress that the administration became so aggressive in its pursuit of leaks, Team Obama points out. As a result, over the past eight years, the administration prosecuted nine cases involving whistle-blowers and leakers, compared to only three in all previous administrations.

But if that much of an increase in prosecution comes from an administration that strongly defends press freedom, what can we expect from the administration of a man who herded reporters into pens in the back of rallies so he could more dramatically call the media "dishonest," "disgusting," "slime" and "scum."

Trump often has been compared to such autocrats as Vladimir Putin or Silvio Berlusconi. Let's hope he doesn't try any harder to imitate them in office. Press freedom, like many other fine things in life, often goes unappreciated until it's gone.
SPRINGFIELD  A banner hanging above the stage at Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois Springfield for Wednesday's Illinois House inauguration ceremony offered the members some advice.

Quoting President John F. Kennedy, it read: Let us not seek to fix blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

After the 99th General Assembly failed to enact a comprehensive state budget during its just-completed two-year term, theres plenty of blame to go around. Members of both political parties and both legislative chambers acknowledge that an end to the budget standoff is long overdue.

It remains unclear, however, how the Democratic-controlled 100th General Assembly will find enough common ground to approve a budget that also will satisfy Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who wants changes to the states business and political climate.

Despite a new crop of state representatives and senators taking the oath of office for the first time Wednesday in separate ceremonies, the lay of the land in Springfield is relatively unchanged.

On the Democratic side, long-serving House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both of Chicago, were easily re-elected to their positions, as were House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

Despite a monthslong campaign by the Illinois Republican Party to pressure Democrats to vote against Madigan, none did. The lone holdout among the 67 House Democrats was Rep. Scott Drury of Highwood, who voted present.

In accepting a 17th term in the position he has held for all but two of the past 34 years, Madigan laid out an agenda that he says would boost economic growth in the state without competing in a race to the bottom on issues like workers compensation and collective bargaining, a shot at Rauners policy agenda.

Madigan called for increased investment in higher education, which has been hard hit by the budget turmoil of the past two years, along with transportation and communication infrastructure.

The speaker also called for cutting the states corporate income tax rate in half while also ensuring that all businesses pay something. And in an op-ed Wednesday in The (Springfield) State Journal-Register, Madigan also promoted a tax surcharge on income of more than $1 million to fund education and an increase in the states minimum wage.

I believe we can grow the economy and create jobs without hurting middle-class families, Madigan said.

For his part, Durkin said Republicans would work with Democrats on their policy agenda if it includes things like paying down the states $11 billion backlog of bills, reforming the severely underfunded public pension systems, reducing unemployment and enacting truly balanced budgets.

That kind of bipartisan cooperation has been on display of late in the Senate, which held its inauguration simultaneously at the Capitol. Rauner presided until Cullerton retook the role of president.

After the oaths were taken and Cullerton and Radogno were re-elected, the Senate unanimously approved a change to the chambers rules that, going forward, will limit the Senate president and minority leader to five two-year terms in those leadership roles.

The move was a down payment on an ambitious budget compromise worked out between Cullerton and Radogno, which includes tax increases, six new casino licenses, reforms to the states pension systems and workers compensation laws, and a host of other initiatives.

State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said hes cautiously optimistic that the impasse can but brought to an end, but he said it will take continued pressure from rank-and-file lawmakers on leadership.

There has to be that communication there (between Madigan and Durkin) that presently is going on in the Senate between President Cullerton and Leader Radogno, Brady said. That has to extend over to the House. Jim Durkin has extended his hand to do that; I hope the speaker will accommodate.
Controversial Australian mother Sally Faulkner is trying to bring home her kids after the Lebanon abduction scandal. She needs money to do this and is eyeing her GoFundMe page to raise $20,000 for that purpose.

Faulkner made $150,000 from her controversial arrest memoirs. But she has spent the money for debt repayments and legal fees.

Faulkner is a mother to four-year-old Noah and six-year-old Lahela. Her attempt to abduct her children from their father Ali Elamine in Lebanon proved futile as she ended up in jail.

"These are MY babies I gave birth too and I will simply just NOT give up on them having their right to their mother," Faulkner posted on her Facebook page. "At one stage I had three sets of lawyers working on three different sets of legal issues."

Faulker is currently back in Australia without her children. What's worse, however, is the fact that she has agreed to drop custody claims and divorce her husband, in exchange for her freedom from the Lebanon jail. Faulkner now lives with her mother, according to Yahoo! News.

Despite the circumstances, Faulkner intends to bring back her two children by any means after the kidnap saga despite her financial status, News.com.au noted. Tanya White, Faulkner's friend, set up the GoFundMe page for her so she could fund her legal battle against her husband who brought their children to Lebanon in the guise of a holiday but never came back.

Meanwhile, Faulkner said the safety of her children is a big concern for her right now as she has not spoken to them in more than six months and they have been dumped into the war-torn Middle East, as per Mercury. The kids were left in the care of her estranged husband's mother who can only speak Arabic, making communication with the children impossible.

Faulkner also slammed the Australian government for not doing anything to help her in her battle. So, what are your thoughts on Faulkner's case? Sound off below.
Parents who show rudeness and lash out on the medical staff at hospitals or clinics might have to reconsider their behavior. A new study has revealed that their babies could receive low-quality care from the hospital workers as a result, thus lowering and delaying the chances of their children getting better.

The study, which has been published in the Pediatrics journal, followed 39 different NICU teams who participated in a training workshop. They were told that the research was about learning debriefing techniques and not an experiment on how medical staffers would respond to rudeness.

The teams encountered different cases of babies needing NICU care, such as breathing difficulties, severe jaundice or bleeding. Workshop actors who pretended to be parents made either rude or nice comments towards the doctors, nurses and hospital staff.

The researchers saw that teams poorly performed on their tasks after dealing with a rude parent. They became less flexible and helpful. They were also less coordinated mentally, which affected their service to the babies in the NICU.

Teams who didn't encounter rudeness from parents, on the other hand, were able to communicate better and also performed their tasks efficiently. They were able to manage their workload with ease, thus delivering better care for their patients.

Some teams were also given written and oral exercises on dealing with rudeness from patients' family beforehand. Researchers learned that the exercises helped the hospital staff handle rude encounters with parents better because they were prepared.

"As in all contexts, rude behavior is an ineffective approach to getting the best service," Dr. Sandy Hershcovis said, according to Reuters. Rude parents could be channeling their frustrations and fears for their children but the research highlights how hospital workers are also emotional humans vulnerable to attacks.

Working at a hospital NICU is as stressful as it is but the study is a fitting reminder that goes both ways. Doctors, nurses and hospital staff should be sensitive and respectful towards their patients and their families, while parents should keep their manners in check and temper their emotions to avoid negative encounters.
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
Back in August 2015 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Reportedly Looking to Create Original Netflix-Like Programming for Apple TV." In that report we noted that Apple was actually considering a direct run a Netflix and Amazon Prime by creating their own original content for Apple TV. Many in the Apple community had wondered for years why Apple wasn't trying to create original content or buy a studio to beef up Apple TV. Well it looks like Apple may take a bite out of the competition in the not-too-distant future." Well today we learn this is exactly what might be in the works.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Apple Inc. is planning to build a significant new business in original television shows and movies, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could make it a bigger player in Hollywood and offset slowing sales of iPhones and iPads.

The shows that Apple is considering would likely be comparable to critically acclaimed programs like "Westworld" on Time Warner Inc.'s HBO or "Stranger Things" on Netflix.

These people said the programming would be available to subscribers of Apple's $10-a-month streaming-music service, which has struggled to catch up to the larger Spotify. Apple Music already includes a limited number of documentary-style segments on musicians, but nothing like the premium programming it is now seeking.

The technology giant has been in talks with veteran producers in recent months about buying rights to scripted television programs. It also has approached experienced marketing executives at studios and networks to discuss hiring them to promote its content, said people with knowledge of the discussions.

In addition to TV, Apple indicated to these people that it is considering offering original movies, though those plans are more preliminary.

Executives at Apple have told people in Hollywood they hope to start offering original scripted content by the end of 2017.

Nonetheless, the entry of the world's most valuable company into original television and films could be a transformative moment for Hollywood and mark a significant turn in strategy for Apple as it starts to become more of a media company, rather than just a distributor of other companies' media. For more on this, read the full Wall Street Journal report here.

Last April we posted a report titled "With Amazon set to take Netflix Head-On, is Apple Far Behind?" We noted in that report that Amazon began blurring the line with their Amazon Prime TV content with Prime Music and it seemed to be a red flag for Apple to respond to.

It now appears that this could be the business model that Apple could be preparing. While I have no interest in a subscription to Apple Music, I would be willing to dish out a few bucks a month if Apple Music were to offer a steady stream of quality TV and original movie programming  and I don't think I'm alone on that one.

Apple has an advantage in the market and they should use it to keep their current fan base happy while winning over a new base of customers who are hungry for Mobile TV.

Lastly, here are a few of Apple's Latest Apple TV patents on record:

Apple Invents a FaceTime Virtual Noticeboard Application for Apple TV with Built-In Camera

A New Granted Patent Covers Apple TV Extending Siri's Services to Include Live TV & Sporting Events

Apple's Siri to Control Apple TV, Stereo Speakers working with Apple's Streaming Music Service

Apple Patent Shows that Real TV Channel Listing App for Siri is coming to Apple TV the Set-Top-Box and beyond

New Apple TV Inventions show Possible Future Features such as Broadcast TV & Presence Technology

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.
Last month Patently Apple posted a report titled "Flash in the Pan LeEco, who Likened Apple to Hitler, Lost Millions on Smartphones and is Dire Cost Cutting Mode." LeEco's ego maniac CEO who likened Apple to Hitler and told CNBC that Apple was outdated found that actually running a successful business takes discipline and innovation that matters rather than flash in the pan thinking that ran out of money because the banks strangled his business to stop widly spending. LeEco lost money on smartphones and are now seen as nothing but a flash in the pan. Xiaomi was another favored company by Wall Street seeing them as the next Apple. Hugo Barra, Vice President of International  whatever that means  told Bloomberg that they, little Xiaomi couldn't allow Apple to take ownership of smartphone design.

Xiaomi is just the latest to fall off the map of relevancy as they embarrassingly stated that they weren't going to stand by tradition and reveal how many smartphones they sold in 2016. A Xiaomi rep confirmed to TechCrunch that the company would not be disclosing its 2016 sales numbers.

Xiaomi is using the very same excuse that LeEco used, as in  Oh we grew too fast and that's why we're having problems. Funny, Apple's sales exploded with the iPhone and iPad and never used the excuse that the dog eat their homework. Apple had many times their combined growth and still reported to Wall Street and made money then and still hold 91% of the smartphone industry profits  because they're a professionally run company on a global scale.

Xiaomi, like LeEco, is just another company run by big mouths who took cheap shots at Apple and have now stumbled from being unable to manage their growth like true business leaders. The Steve Jobs wannabe CEO and co-founder Lei Jun, according to many, is a joke.





He recently wanted to show some Steve Jobs magic by introducing their new smartphone that was designed in-part by French designer Philippe Stark who lent a hand in designing the yacht for the late Steve Jobs. Jun's obsession over wanting to be like Steve Jobs is actually a little creepy.

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.
Trump is 'walking through a minefield blindfolded': Experts say his business plan is not enough

Donald Trump 's plan to separate himself from his business empire does not go far enough and could create major ethics and even constitutional problems on the first day of his administration, experts said.

A Trump lawyer on Wednesday told reporters in New York that Trump will separate from his global business assets by putting them into a trust run by his two eldest sons and a Trump Organization executive. The company will also hire an ethics advisor to clear any new domestic deals, and Trump will donate any hotel profits generated from foreign governments to avoid the appearance of gifts.

With this structure, Trump is "walking through a minefield blindfolded" when he takes office Jan. 20, said Norman Eisen, a former top White House ethics lawyer under President Barack Obama who has led calls for Trump to divest his businesses, along with former George W. Bush lawyer Richard Painter.

"The president-elect's disregard for ethics and precedent and the Constitution in his press conference today are going to precipitate an ethics and constitutional crisis from the day he's sworn in," he told MSNBC on Wednesday.

Many ethics experts had called on Trump to divest his business or give his assets to a truly independent trustee to avoid the potential for him or his family to profit from the presidency. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics, an independent executive branch agency, previously said the involvement of Trump's children would not go far enough to reduce conflicts.

The president is exempt from the main federal conflict of interest law, though the OGE says past presidents have always acted like they were bound by it. Sheri Dillon, a tax attorney at Morgan Lewis, contended that Trump did not even need to take the steps he announced Wednesday to reduce possible conflicts.

Dillon contended that divesting the business would have been too complicated and could have created even more conflicts. She also argued that a constitutional clause barring gifts from foreign officials should not apply to foreign diplomats staying at Trump's Washington hotel. Reports of officials wanting to be seen at Trump's hotel raised concerns that the transactions could be seen as gifts, violating the so-called Emoluments Clause.



Story continues

Eisen said, though, that this structure still leaves the possibility for emoluments violations or leaves the door open to running afoul of rules prohibiting bribery or insider trading, for example.

"This is a guarantee of scandal, corruption, controversy," he said, noting that action to check Trump's possible conflicts could come from all three branches of government.

Trump's involvement in his businesses does not matter if he continues to own them, added Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a public advocacy group. Trump "knows what he owns, and he knows how policy choices will affect his business," he said in a statement.

Trevor Potter, president of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, also said in a statement that "there is no reason why Trump would not be affected by the fortunes of a business he founded and still owns, which is run by his adult children."

Elizabeth Warren and Democrats in the Senate and House have already introduced a bill aimed to push Trump to divest his businesses . Still, it may not gain traction with Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress and Trump assuming the presidency in nine days.

Trump's attorney explains plans to avoid conflict of interest





More From CNBC


Fresco of the Council of Nicaea (325), from the Sistine Chapel, Vatican (1590) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

***

(August 1997)

***

James White, a professional anti-Catholic, wrote in his own public discussion list (of which I was a member) on 7-15-96:

***

I simply encourage everyone on the list to read any decent modern historical source, Roman Catholic or Protestant, on the subject of Nicea and the role of the bishop of Rome. The idea that the council was called by, presided over by (through representatives), or was merely conditional until ratified by, the bishop of Rome as the head of the church, is a-historical, untenable, and to my knowledge, not promoted by any serious historian in our age. Oh yes, there are many Roman Catholics who, for solely theological reasons, might promote this idea, but it is anachronism in its finest form, and shows to what length people will go to maintain a tradition.

My reply follows: ***

Following my detractors encouragement above, alas, it has been discovered (not surprisingly to us at all) that there exists at least one serious historian who does make a (slightly tentative) case for papal jurisdiction exercised at Nicaea.

That historian is Warren H. Carroll, who holds a Ph.D. in history from Columbia, and who founded Christendom College in Front Royal, VA, in 1977. He is currently writing a major multi-volume, copiously-documented and footnoted History of Christendom. His second volume is entitled The Building of Christendom (Christendom College Press, 1987). It covers the period from 324-1100 in the space of 616 pages, of which approximately 148 (roughly a quarter) consist of extensive footnotes and bibliographies. These considerations, in my mind, would strongly suggest a serious historian at work, by any reasonable criteria, whatever an anti-Catholic might think of him.

Anti-Catholics and other more ecumenical non-Catholics may want to claim that Carrolls motivation is solely theological, since he is an orthodox Catholic, and/or that his orthodoxy thereby disqualifies him as an objective, detached scholar. But this would be as silly as saying that because someone happens to be a conservative, orthodox Calvinist who defends Reformation Protestantism over against Catholicism, therefore his conclusions and arguments are, ipso facto, inherently suspect; or, by the same deficient reasoning, that conservative biblical scholars such as F. F. Bruce are not to be trusted because they deny the higher critical theories and hostile presuppositions of liberal scholars. Having a strong theological view by no means disqualifies anyone as a trustworthy scholar. In fact, quite the opposite: better to make ones bias (which everyone has) apparent up-front than to attempt to hide it or deny its existence. That said, lets see what Carroll has to say on this subject:

The recommendation for a general or ecumenical council . . . had probably already been made to Constantine by Ossius [aka Hosius], and most probably to Pope Silvester as well (9). . . Ossius presided over its deliberations; he probably, and two priests of Rome certainly, came as representatives of the Pope. (10) (p. 11)

[The rest is the material of two footnotes related to the above remarks]:

9. Victor C. De Clercq, Ossius of Cordoba (Washington, 1954), pp. 218-226; Charles J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, ed. William R. Clark (Edinburgh, 1894), I, pp. 269-270. De Clercq thinks that Ossius had already recommended the council to Constantine before the synod of Antioch [March or April 325], which merely joined in the prior recommendation; in view of the close relationship between Ossius and Constantine . . ., this would seem probable . . . That Pope Silvester I was informed from the first about plans for the Council of Nicaea there is no good reason to doubt, however much its likelihood may be downplayed by sectarian prejudice or in misplaced deference to ecumenism among the current generation of historians . . . We know that later, at the 6th Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (680), it was stated as accepted fact  though very much against the interest of the partisans of the episcopate of Constantinople, where the Council was held, who sought to build up their see as a rival to Rome  that Arius arose as an adversary to the doctrine of the Trinity, and Constantine and Silvester immediately assembled the great Synod of Nicaea (Hefele, loc. cit.) . . . Constantines personal role in the calling of the Council of Nicaea does not, from the available evidence, seem to be any greater than the personal role of Emperor Charles V in convening the earlier sessions of the Council of Trent . . . 10. De Clercq, Ossius, pp. 228-250; Hefele, Councils, I, 36-41; Timothy D. Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius (Cambridge, MA, 1981), pp. 214-215. De Clercqs arguments on this often controverted point are powerfully convincing; his conclusion, that Ossius representing Pope Silvester at Nicaea is only a possibility, is too modest or too cautious or both. The whole history of the calling of the Council of Nicaea, and the whole history of the Church in the empire for the preceding decade, suggest that Pope Silvester would have designated Ossius for this role. At the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus a century later, Bishop Cyril of Alexandria presided and signed the acts of the Council first, without reference to his role as chief representative of the Pope, and his signature was immediately followed by those of two bishops and a priest specifically designated as representing the Pope  just as in the acts of the Council of Nicaea, Ossius signed first as presiding officer without reference to his representing the Pope, followed by two priests identified as the Popes legates. The two situations are exactly parallel; yet in the case of the Council of Ephesus we know for a fact that Cyril of Alexandria had been designated the Popes representative. The whole creates a strong presumption that the same was true of Ossius at Nicaea. (pp. 33-34)

Also, the Encyclopedia Britannica (1985 ed.), informs us (under Hosius, v. 6, p. 77): Prompted by Hosius, Constantine then summoned the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325) . . .

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (ed. F. L. Cross, 2nd edition, Oxford Univ. Press, 1983, p. 668), a very reputable non-Catholic reference, largely concurs:

. . . from 313 to the Council of Nicaea [Hosius] seems to have acted as ecclesiastical adviser to the Emperor Constantine . . . it was apparently in consequence of his report that the Emperor summoned the Nicene Council. There are some grounds for believing that here he presided, and also introduced the Homoousion.

Finally, Catholic apologist David Palm, added in a letter of 7-16-97:

Here is a quotation from Gelasius [of Cyzicus] the Eastern priest-historian writing about A.D. 475, stating explicitly that Hosius the bishop of Cordova was in effect a papal legate at the council of Nicea. So much for the notion that the popes did not preside at the earliest councils. The translation is mine; its fairly literal but functional, I hope: Hosius himself, the famous Beacon of the Spaniards, held the place of Sylvester, bishop of great Rome, along with the Roman presbyters Vito and Vincent, as they held council with the many [bishops]. (Patrologia Graece 85:1229)

Furthermore, This Rock magazine (p. 27, June 1997), offers the following information:

The Graeco-Russian liturgy, in the office for Pope Silvester, speaks of him as actual head of the Council of Nicaea: Thou hast shown thyself the supreme one of the Sacred Council, O initiator into the sacred mysteries, and hast illustrated the Throne of the Supreme One of the Disciples. (From Luke Rivington, The Primitive Church and the See of Peter, London: Longmans, Green, 1894, p. 164)

The following is a reply from Dr. Warren Carroll, to a critical post by an Orthodox participant in my discussion list, dated 8-19-97:
Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of World Magazine, recently republished some of his remarks during a debate with the late Christopher Hitchens in 2007. I grew up reading World Magazine. It was a staple in my parents evangelical household. Each week when it arrived there was a mad dash to see who could get to it firstanyone over ten wanted their turn. Ive journeyed far in the ten years since I left home. When Olaskys reposting of his remarks popped up, I was curious. How does his work stack up now, read as an adult who has long left religion behind? So I took a look.

Maybe you learned that the Bible is a book of rules about what we should and should not do. Sure, the Bible has some rules that show us how the world works, but the Bible isnt mainly about rules and what we should do. Its about what God has done.

Look, I get it. I grew up being told that the Bible wasnt about rules, that Christianity was about a relationship, a love story between God and man. But there were still rules. We were forbidden from having sex before marriage, and our clothing was inspected to ensure that it met specific purity standards. Lying and stealing were wrong, of course, but so was homosexuality. Oh, and the Bible says women are to submit to their husbands. There are actually a lot of rules.

Olasky, I might note, is a longtime opponent of gay marriage. He very clearly believes in rules. Still, its convenient, I suppose, to pretend there arent rules. It makes Christianity look kinder, gentler somehow.

Im going to skip around here rather than addressing every point.

You dont like the warfare of the Israelites and the Amalekites. I agree it sounds horrible. But the Amalekites were the al-Qaeda organization of the time. God was saying these terrorists are so bad that you have to do what you normally do not do: kill civilians alongside combatants. Thats sad, and I dont like it, but the Bible depicts a God who shows great mercy at times. When He doesnt, Im not so quick to say hes wrong. The whole issue of warfare on civilians is a miserable one. Was it right for the U.S. and Britain to bomb German cities in WWII, leveling whole neighborhoods and killing men, women, and children, civilians? It was treating them like the Amalekites. Were the people who gave the orders, were the pilots and bombardiers, evil people? They did terrible things, but they thought that was the way to end a terrible war, and maybe they were right.

OMG there is so much equivocation going on here! If I remember correctly, U.S. and British bombing strategy during WWII involved consciously trying to avoid civilian targets when at all possible. The goal was to decrease Germanys ability to wage war by destroying their transportation and infrastructure. Now yes, we bombed whole cities in Japanand there are many people who think that was the wrong decision.

[Edit: Several readers have suggested that the above is an incorrect representation of U.S. and British strategy in Germany, and which did involve bombing civilian areas with the intent to decrease morale. I know we did this in Japan, not just in Hiroshima and Nagasaki but also in firebombing Tokyo, among others. I have read about U.S. efforts to target German infrastructure through their bombing campaign, but I would not be surprised to find that both U.S. and German forces went beyond this. I believe that targeting civilians is always wrong, and that bombing, when absolutely necessary, should target military infrastructure in such a way as to minimize civilian casualties.]

Even there, no one called for killing every Japanese man, woman, and child in the whole nation, a la the evangelical interpretation of the situation with the Amalekites.

[Edit: There were likely some who did call for this, fueled by racism against the Japanese. Had been ordered or attempted, however, I would term it a heinous act of genocide. In war, civilians often die either as collateral damage or in intentional efforts to decrease morale. These acts, whether right or wrong, are usually carried out with the intent of ending the war rather than with the intent of eradicating an entire population. Ill explain why I think this distinction matters in a moment.]

No, Olasky, we do not kill every woman and child we find in al-Qaeda encampments.

[Edit: Evangelical interpretations of the situation with the Amalekites often stand in contrast to interpretations by Jewish and mainline Protestant scholars, who tend to view the passages as memorizes of a longterm war between two tribal groups each bent on exterminating the other. Evangelicals interpret these passages as the direct command of God, not as something filtered through longterm cultural memory. This means evangelicals find themselves in the position of defending a command to exterminate every man, woman, and child, often justifying it, as Olasky does here, as necessary in a time of total war. When these same evangelicals view the war on terror as just such an existential war, there is a danger of them using these passages to justify the intentional targeting and murder of the wives and children of al-Qaeda terrorists or ISIS fighters.]

And now back to Olasky:

Heres a suggestion: Lets not immediately condemn God. Instead, we should read, study, and think. When we read Shakespeare and do not understand a word or the motivation of a character, do we immediately say, This is garbage. Shakespeare is an idiot? No, because Shakespeare has a lot of credibility. How much more credibility does the God of the whole universe have?

Um. Wait. Shakespeare was usually writing fiction. And regardless of whether he was writing fiction or nonfiction, he never wrote a story where he, Shakespeare was pulling all the strings in the story. This comparison is just weird.

Three decades ago Frank Salisbury of Utah State described the odds this way: Imagine 100 million trillion planets, each with an ocean with lots of DNA fragments that reproduce 1 million times per second, with a mutation occurring each time. In 4 billion years it would still take trillions of universes to produce a single gene-if they got lucky.

Olasky should read about the reformulation of the Drake equation.

Two reasons to the contrary: First, if the Gospels are fictional, their authors were idiots for giving women vital roles in the founding of a religion. Showing women as the first witnesses to the empty tomb would add to suspicion as to whether Christ truly rose from the dead. Overall, its worth comparing the positive New Testament view of women with the negative one that dominated ancient Greece and Rome.

Oh boy, this tired old argument! So actually, the early Christian audience was widely female. There were so many women involved in early Christianity, in fact, that in the early second century someone went back to the epistles ascribed to Paul and added the commandments for women to be silentpresumably a male church leader trying to rid himself of those troublesome women. But seriously, has Olasky ever read mythology? It was common to have women in key positions.

One wishes modern evangelicalisms view of women could rely a bit less on the whole women submitting to their husbands, women being silent in church bit. I grew up in a church squarely in Olaskys audience, and there was a huge controversy regarding a Bible club I was in regarding whether a woman could serve as a leader of a mixed-gender high school group, because those teenage boys were nearly men, and women were banned from teaching men in the church.

Some positive view of women right there.

Reason 2: Precision in specific detail shows that the first three gospels were composed soon after the death and resurrection of Christ. Heres a rough parallel: Five years ago, archeologists pulled up from the ocean bottom the USS Monitor, the famous Civil War ironclad. Experts were surprised to find undocumented braces on the gun turret and mustard bottles where the crew ate. If we found in some musty library a document asserting that the crew had added some braces and braced their taste buds by pouring mustard on otherwise inedible biscuits, we would be much more likely to give that manuscript an origin stamp of 1870 rather than 1970. Same deal with the Gospels: amazing specific detail.

Wait. Wait. No.

If we found a historical document that covered the Civil War and had multiple details and sounded as though it was written at the time, wed still spend time authenticating it. People can make pretty elaborate forgeries. One thing wed do is compare the claims in the text with what we know about the time, and about the people and events of the time. But I can tell you one thing for sureif it stated that a fire-breathing dragon rose from the ocean, tracked across the South, and sacked Atlanta, burning the city to a crisp, we would assume that at least some of what is in the document is wrong. For one thing, theres nothing to substantiate its claimsno other sources mention such a monster. For another thing, weve never had clear evidence of the supernatural. Im pretty sure even Olasky would through such a document out as fake, regardless of whether it was written at the time of the Civil War or decades or a century later.

I mean really, what do the mustard and braces in Olaskys story represent?

To my knowledge, the gospels dont reveal information that is not mentioned in other period sources and has been verified historically by non-documentary evidence. The gospels also make supernatural claims, and theres nothing supernatural about braces or mustard.

Ingersoll predicted, as did lots of others, the imminent demise of religion in general, or Christianity in particular. . . . So what happened? Why is Christianity so strong in the U.S. now? Why is it expanding rapidly in Africa and South America, and especially in China?

The last time I looked, Christianity wasnt the only religion undergoing growth. Besides, Islam survived this imminent demise of religion in general tooso does that make its truth claims correct as well?

I know that Christianity doesnt poison everything because I have four fine sons. Before I was a Christian I favored abortion. If I hadnt come to believe in God some or all of those sons would not exist. Christianity doesnt poison everything. In my own case and in the case of millions of people its the antidote to poison.

Um, okay. But just FYI, most people dont use abortion as birth control.

I like to read various works of Christian apologetics from time to time to make sure Im not missing something. Im not an atheist because I hate God (how would that even work?), or because I was burned by Christians (although I was). Im an atheist because at some point I realized I didnt believe there was a God. I grew up evangelical. I studied apologetics, I competed in it at tournaments. But when I read things like Olaskys remarks here, I come up empty.

There is nothing here at all convincing.

I have a Patreon! Please support my writing!
As Trump guns for Iran Deal, can its Reformists survive death of Hashemi-Rafsanjani?

01/12/17

By Farhang Jahanpour (source: Informed Comment)

Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani's death on Sunday January 8 in Tehran at the age of 82 marks the end of an era in Iran's post-revolutionary history. After the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, in 1989, Hashemi-Rafsanjani's death will have the most significant impact on Iranian politics.





Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani

(By Jalal Hajizadeh, Iranian daily Ghanoon)





Hashemi-Rafsanjani, usually referred to just as Hashemi, was one of the active opponents of the monarchic regime and one of the founding fathers of the new republic. No one else in Iran had occupied so many influential revolutionary posts as Hashemi.

He was born in Bahraman, a small village near Rafsanjan in Kerman province, one of nine children of a relatively well-off pistachio farmer. He was only 14 when he left his village for Qom to study in a religious seminary, and he studied with a number of leading clerics, including a fiery cleric who later led the Islamic revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini. In his youth, Hashemi took part in anti-Shah activities and was allegedly arrested seven times by the Shah's secret police SAVAK and altogether spent four years and 5 months in jail.

He played an active role during the revolutionary upheaval, and shortly after the victory of the revolution Khomeini appointed him a member of the Revolutionary Council. He survived an assassination attempt by the terrorist group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), in a massive blast in 1981.

After Saddam's invasion of Iran in September 1979, Hashemi was appointed commander in chief of the military, and he was the person who was actually running the war. When Iraqi forces were kicked out of Iran in 1982, most moderate politicians were in favor of ending the war, but Khomeini insisted that the war had to continue until Saddam was removed from power. In the end, it was Rafsanjani who convinced Khomeini to stop the fighting, saying that Iranian forces were not capable of continuing the war any longer. Finally, Khomeini accepted UN Resolution 598 in August 1988 that ended the war.

Hashemi was a key Iranian interlocutor in what came to be known as the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid-1980s, with its backdoor arms-for-hostages deals with the US that were encouraged by Israel and that tarnished the Reagan White House.

Hashemi was elected to the Iranian Parliament, the Majles, in 1980 and re-elected for six terms, two of them as Majles speaker. He was also a member of the influential Assembly of Experts that was in charge of selecting the supreme leader, from 1983 till his death, serving as its chairman from 2007 to 2011 when he was forced to relinquish the chairmanship due to his support for Mir-Hoseyn Musavi and the Green Movement in the 2009 presidential election. His support for the Green Movement increased his popularity among the people, and in the last election for the Assembly last year he received the highest number of votes in the country.

In 1988, when differences between the Majles and the Guardian Council, that was in charge of ratifying Majles legislation intensified, Khomeini formed the Expediency Council to arbitrate between the two and to have the last word in the dispute. Hashemi was appointed a member at its inception and he continued to be its chairman until his death. This gave him an influential position in the Islamic Republic, although during the last few years Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed many of his cronies to that body, including former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Sa'id Jalili, chief nuclear negotiator under Ahmadinejad and one of the country's most high-profile hardliners.

Shortly before his death, Khomeini set up a body to revise the constitution, which abolished the post of prime minister and replaced it with an executive president. After Khomeini's death when Khamenei was elected as Supreme Leader, Hashemi was elected president, and he started to rebuild the country after the devastation of the eight-year war with Iraq, giving him the title of "Commander of Reconstruction".





Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

(source: Kelid daily)



During his two terms as president and subsequently, Hashemi was a pragmatist and was genuinely in favor of interaction with the West, believing that the Islamic Republic could only survive if it gave up some of its revolutionary fervor. Unfortunately for him, his overtures to the West did not produce a positive response.

For instance, he helped free Western hostages in Lebanon, in return for Western support. According to Professor Gary Sick who served on the US National Security Council under President Carter, "The Americans promised that if the Iranians got the hostages out, the Americans would cooperate with Rafsanjani more closely than they had in the past and that they would begin to end the hostility between the two countries." He goes on to say: ""Rafsanjani kept his promise. He actually got the hostages out. But it came just as George H.W. Bush was engaged in another election campaign. He couldn't keep his promise, and he was defeated in that election. And the Clinton administration wasn't the least bit interested in pursuing it. That was probably one of the greatest disappointments of Rafsanjani's political life." [iranwire.com]

Hashemi offered the US firm Conoco the first oil contract to a foreign company since 1979, a major $1 billion deal to develop offshore Iranian oil and gas fields, only to be punished with new sanctions by the Clinton administration.

After Saddam's invasion of Kuwait, Hashemi persuaded the Iranian establishment to support the West's campaign to oust Saddam from Kuwait. Instead of being rewarded for his tilt towards the West, the Clinton Administration introduced its "dual containment policy" imposing more sanctions on Iran, and in 1995 declaring a near-total embargo on US trade with, and investment in, Iran.

In 2005 presidential election, Hashemi declared his candidacy, vowing to "play a historical role, to stop the domination of extremism." He spoke of his destiny "to serve the revolution until the last day of my life." However, he suffered a humiliating defeat against the populist hardliner Mahmud Ahmadinezhad who was supported by Ayatollah Khamenei.

In the 2009 election, Hashemi supported the Reformist candidate Mir-Hoseyn Musavi and the Green Movement, but in a rigged election Ahmadinezhad was declared the winner and Hashemi and his family became the targets of attacks by hardliners. He was forced to give up his chairmanship of the Assembly of Experts. He was prevented from preaching sermons at Tehran Friday prayers, a position that he had held for many years. His son Mehdi and his daughter Fa'ezeh were jailed partly due to their support for the Green Movement.

In 2013 once again he declared his candidacy for the presidential election, but the Guardian Council disqualified him from running. So he and the former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami put their support behind Hassan Ruhani who won the election in the first round.

Hashemi's death will be a blow to moderate and reformist politicians in Iran, because he was someone on whom they could count. However, although his absence might embolden the hardliners during the lead up to the next presidential election in May 2017, ultimately it may encourage the Reformists to take the matter into their own hands and push for real reforms. His death might expedite the battle that has to come sooner or later between the Reformists backed by the vast majority of the people and the hardliners. It would be good if President Rouhani could lead that battle, although he lacks Hashemi's charisma.

Indeed, Hashemi's funeral has already provided an opportunity for massive demonstrations, with anti-regime and Reformist slogans being chanted by those who took part in his funeral, which some officials have estimated at over two million. [payvand.com]

Among the slogans that were chanted by the mourners were "Our message is clear: House arrests must end" (referring to the house arrest of Mir-Hossein Musavi and Mehdi Karrubi, the two Reformist candidates in the 2009 election). When the loudspeakers were trying to drown out the slogans of the people with calls of Allah-o Akbar (God is great) the shouts of the people rose higher with the refrain "O Hossein, Mir-Hossein", and "Loudspeakers are yours; the voice of justice is ours!" [twitter]

This shows that the desire for change and reform in Iran is as strong as ever and that people seize any opportunity that they get to express their opposition to the hardline policies of the clerical regime. Under these circumstances, the least helpful step by foreign powers, including the incoming U.S. Administration, would be to try to interfere in Iran's domestic policies. Any sign of foreign interference will provide an excuse to the hardliners to describe the movement of the Iranian people as being inspired from outside, and would also unite Iranians behind the mullahs. The Iranian people should be trusted to take charge of their own destiny, with some moral support for outside.
mSecure password manager review TechRadar Pro

Updated In our mSecure password manager review, we take an in-depth look at this password manager to help you decide if its the most secure way to handle your sensitive data.
Wild Apricot is a membership management software package that lets nonprofit associations and clubs keep tabs on their members, bill them for dues and events, and keep them informed. You can be quickly up and running and can import your spreadsheet-based databases with just some minor fiddling around. While it has good financial reporting tools as well as email marketing, it's not as social media savvy as NationBuilder (Visit Site at NationBuilder)(Opens in a new window) and not as cohesive or feature-packed as an all-in-one platform as are our Editors' Choice winners ClubExpress ($24.00 Minimum Monthly Hosting Fee at ClubExpress)(Opens in a new window) and Zen Planner ($117/Month at Zen Planner)(Opens in a new window) .

Pricing and Plans

Wild Apricot comes with no setup charges and starts out as a free solution for organizations of 50 contacts or less with one administrator. All plans include a 30-day free trial and the same feature set, with no capabilities reserved for premium features as opposed to a solution such as ChamberMaster (39.00 Per Month at ChamberMaster)(Opens in a new window) . You get membership management, the website builder, mobile apps, and a responsive mobile website, event and email management, and online payments at every tier.

The $40-per-month Group tier gives you up to 250 contacts and five admins, followed by 500 contacts and 10 admins at the $70-per-month Community tier, and then 2,000 contacts and 25 admins in the $130-per-month Professional plan. There are also plans for large enterprises, including the $240-per-month Network tier (5,000 contacts and unlimited admins) and the $270-per-month Enterprise tier (15,000 contacts and unlimited admins). All plans come with a 10 percent discount if you pay annually and there are volume pricing discounts for organizations with multiple chapters. Wild Apricot also offers an application programming interface (API) that lets organizations create programs to automatically retrieve or update data stored in the Wild Apricot database. For instance, an organization could use the API to build a program for updating payments in Wild Apricot by using information stored in an external accounting system or vice-versa.

Membership and Events

Membership management in Wild Apricot is defined by simplicity. As with MemberPlanet (Visit Site at memberplanet)(Opens in a new window) , the many features available to Wild Apricot clients are built on top of the contact database, which lets you keep tabs on members, prospects, donors, and others. By using tags, you can search the database with custom queries such as prospects who haven't yet attended a meeting. You can send that group a customized email inviting them to an event without bothering those who regularly show up.

There are public-facing pages and an internal page set that can be viewed only when a paying member signs in. These member-only pages can have a directory, member renewals, newsletters, and other content designed specifically for those who have joined the organization. While the granular page permissions and topic-specific channels aren't as detailed or configurable as those in ClubExpress, the general member management functionality in Wild Apricot is on par with what you'll find in aMember Pro ($179.95 at aMember)(Opens in a new window) it covers the basics, in a more simplified and bare-bones experience than that of slightly higher rated tools such as ChamberMaster and StarChapter (Visit Site at StarChapter)(Opens in a new window) .

The event coordination feature of Wild Apricot lets you promote, offer discounts (such as "Early Bird" registration), and remind attendees to show up. You can also now set up events consisting of multiple sessions occurring on different days using the new "multi-session events" feature. For example, you might host a training course consisting of 10 sessions held on every other Saturday. On an Events page, you can hit the "edit sessions" or "add repeating sessions" buttons at the bottom of the page to configure multiple sessions.

The native Android and iOS apps are for admins and event managers, and are geared towards registering attendees at events and updating the contact database. It lets admins add new people to the database when they show up for events, collect the fee for the event, and register them as ongoing members. The mobile app also now inclues support for credit card payments using the Square Chip Card Reader ($29.00 Per EMV Card Reader at Square)(Opens in a new window) . Using Square, you can accept credit card payments from your mobile device and record those payments in your Wild Apricot account.

Editing Templates and Email Campaigns

As soon as you name your organization's space, Wild Apricot's content management system generates the basic pages and a series of templates, including an event calendar and a membership application form. Then you jump in and set up any additional pages you might need, such as a blog or a newsletter, and link the pages together the way you'd like. The company has also recently rolled out content management enhancements to its slideshow generator tool. You can now link each image in your slideshow to a separate destination, and display a caption along the bottom of each image.

If you edit an underlying template, other pages that connect to it also inherit those characteristics, such as the placement of a calendar or links to a blog. The templates are engineered to auto-scale to different hardware, which means an optimized experience for those accessing via mobile devices. Everything from membership applications to event registrations can be done on a smartphone without having to develop any additional code. Wild Apricot has also introduced a number of new fully-responsive website themes and email templates, which are also mobile-friendly and responsively readjust to device screen size.

Another key feature needed to keep in touch with your membership is email campaigns. Wild Apricot does not limit the number of emails you can send for a particular membership level, unlike NationBuilder. Emails can be sent to the entire membership, or just to a select few, such as those with memberships expiring in the next 15 days. There are numerous templates built in; you can pick the one you need and then customize if desired. The system also tracks whether an email has been opened, read, or generated a response (such as clicking on a link).

Financial management data can be exported to Microsoft Excel ($99 Per Year at Microsoft 365 for Business)(Opens in a new window) or imported into QuickBooks . Recurring payments are enabled, allowing your members to pay their dues automatically. You can link other actions, such as sending a thank you email after a donation or a welcome email to a new member, to specific activities. On the administrative side, each transaction is maintained on the member's profile page. Donation pages can include features such as a progress bar, showing how close your organization is to its fundraising goal.

There are financial reports built in that are on the basic side, such as payment and donation summaries and overdue dues. Custom reporting is accomplished by exporting the data to Excel or Quickbooks, though. Since other parts of Wild Apricot can be customized to each organization, it would be great to see more flexible financial reporting built in.

Widgets and Help

You can embed Wild Apricot widgets into other websites, such as a calendar, membership application, or WordPress site. So you can display an event you are managing in your Wild Apricot site into a WordPress page. This capability was discussed in depth on the Wild Apricot support forums and the company appears to be open to their customers' suggestions. There is a Wishlist Forum where organizations using Wild Apricot discuss their needs with the product team.

The online help system is well-organized, and packed with short videos to help you understand the various features of Wild Apricot. There are longer webinar recordings that discuss the major features in detail, plus Wild Apricot holds live demos and webinars frequently. There are monthly webinars that feature expert advice on engagement, membership recruitment, and other topics of interest to clubs and nonprofits. You can also watch recordings of previous expert webinars from the Wild Apricot website. These topics include raising money, having more effective board meetings, and recruiting volunteers.

A Solid Membership Management Tool

One issue that comes up frequently on Wild Apricot forums is managing an organization with multiple chapters. It's possible to do this but it gets tricky, especially since all the incoming payments flow into a single merchant account. That would require an administrator to separate out the payments intended for chapters rather than the umbrella organization, which adds a level of complication to the whole process. If you're trying to manage multiple chapters, you'll need to look to other packages. You could also set up a separate Wild Apricot membership for each chapter and an umbrella account for the national organization as a workaround, or wait for the developers to make this wishlist item a reality.

Overall, Wild Apricot is a solid membership management tool with a great tutorial system and good email marketing and financial reporting capabilities. It lacks the social media muscle of NationBuilder, and isn't as slickly put together as our Editors' Choices ClubExpress and Zen Planner, but for folks specializing in club-style organizations and events, it's very much worth a look.

Wild Apricot 3.5 (Opens in a new window) Check Price (Opens in a new window) Pros Flexible system for clubs, associations, and nonprofits.

Template-based website design gives you numerous options, including event planning and donations.

Excellent online help, with numerous videos. Cons The user interface resembles a content management system from last decade and can be a little confusing. The Bottom Line Wild Apricot fills in the gaps for clubs that can't be served by more targeted membership management solutions or that are too small to be served by more comprehensive tools.
There are many companies vying to build the industrial internet of things, but the systems involved are so complex that those vendors also need to cooperate. A new lab at National Instruments, in Austin, Texas, is bringing some competitors together.

The NI Industrial IoT Lab opened on Wednesday and will house testbeds for applications like predictive maintenance, time-synchronized industrial networking and microgrids for renewable energy. It will also be a place where companies can show off joint solutions to customers.

One of the aims of the lab is to show enterprises that IoT works, said Jamie Smith, director of embedded systems at National Instruments.

One of the barriers we face today is [gaining] wide industry confidence that these distributed industrial internet of things solutions are ready, Smith said.

The opening brought together Cisco Systems and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, known more as archrivals than as partners, as well as Intel, PTC, Real-Time Innovations, Analog Devices and the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC). Theyre all sponsoring the lab along with several other players.

Vendors will use the lab to showcase their products to customers but also will collaborate with others to make sure all technologies developed for industrial IoT can work together. Those include communications protocols, processing elements, software and more.

On Thursday and Friday this week, the lab will host a plugfest where vendors will connect their products using TSN (time-sensitive networking). TSN, based on IEEE standards, is designed for synchronizing the clocks in industrial equipment connected over Ethernet. It should allow enterprises to gradually replace specialized industrial networks with Ethernet, integrating IT with so-called OT (operational technology).

National Instruments makes compact, hardened systems that sit at the edge of an IoT network and collect, digitize, process and transmit information from a wide variety of sensors. The systems can also control equipment at the edge in real time using data collected there, Smith said.

The initial testbeds in the National Instruments lab came out of IIC, which was formed in 2014 to help bring together IT and OT systems.
(Adds quotes and details)

By David Alexander and Jonathan Landay

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's nominee to head the CIA sought on Thursday to repair damage from the president-elect's feud with U.S. intelligence agencies, saying he accepted their findings on Russian hacking, would not comply if ordered to renew use of harsh interrogation techniques and would always "have their backs."

Mike Pompeo's testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing appeared aimed at reassuring staff at the agency he has been picked to lead, even at the risk of contradicting or distancing himself from some of Trump's strongest criticism of the intelligence community.

Diverging from Trump's stated aim of seeking closer ties with Russia, Pompeo accused the Russian leadership of "aggressive action" in meddling in the November U.S. elections, of "asserting itself aggressively" by occupying part of Ukraine and of doing "doing nearly nothing" to destroy Islamic State.

Pompeo, a Republican member of the House of Representatives and a former U.S. Army officer, insisted that if necessary he would be ready to stand up to Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, and would shield CIA operatives against any effort to politicize its work.

"You have my commitment that every day, I will not only speak truth to power, but I will demand that the men and the women (of the CIA) ... follow my instruction to do that each and every day," he said.

For weeks, the Republican president-elect questioned the intelligence agencies' conclusion that Russia used hacking and other tactics to try to tilt the election in his favor - an unprecedented breach between an incoming U.S. leader and the intelligence operatives he will soon command.

Trump said on Wednesday that Russia was behind the hacking but that other countries were hacking the United States as well.

Asked about the hacking, Pompeo said he was very clear about what he called an "aggressive action" ordered by the Russian leadership, and accepted the U.S. intelligence report on the matter. "I've seen nothing to cast any doubt on the findings in the report," he said.

Story continues

Trump this week also furiously denounced intelligence officials for what he said were leaks to the media by intelligence agencies of a dossier that makes unverified, salacious allegations about his contacts in Russia.

By contrast, Pompeo voiced strong support for the agency, saying he has seen Central Intelligence Agency staff "walk through fire."

He said he understood it would be a problem "if folks were afraid there would be political retribution" and promised "to have their backs at every single moment. You have my word I will do that."

INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES

Pompeo also signaled he would stand firm if necessary against Trump on the issue of enhanced interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects. Such techniques, which were introduced under President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, are widely regarded as torture and their use has been banned by Congress.

Trump said during the election campaign the United States should bring back tactics such as waterboarding, which simulates drowning, although since the election he has said he has heard arguments against such methods.

Asked about the issue, Pompeo said that he would "absolutely not" restart enhanced interrogation techniques by the CIA if asked by the president-elect.

He noted it would take a change in the law for the CIA to use interrogation techniques that go beyond those permitted by the Army, adding he could not imagine that Trump would order the CIA to use illegal methods.

Pompeo, a conservative lawmaker from Kansas who is on the House Intelligence Committee, emphasized that he would be a neutral assessor of challenges and threats. In opening remarks he said he understood that if confirmed his role would switch from policymaker to provider of information.

Noting that the CIA does not make policy on any country, he added, "it is a policy decision as to what to do with Russia, but it will be essential that the Agency provide policymakers with accurate intelligence and clear-eyed analysis of Russian activities."

Equally, he said that he would drop the opposition he has had as a lawmaker to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. He said the CIA must be "rigorously fair and objective" in assessing the deal.

But he called the Iranians "professionals at cheating" and said he would work to improve U.S. capability to detect violations of Tehran's commitment to curb its nuclear activities.

He called Iran an "emboldened, disruptive player in the Middle East, fueling tensions" with Sunni Muslim allies of the United States.

Pompeo listed it among the challenges facing the United States along with what he called a "resilient" Islamic State and the fallout from Syria's long civil war.

Pompeo also named North Korea, which he said had "dangerously accelerated its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities." He said China was creating "real tensions" with its activities in the South China Sea and in cyberspace as it flexed its muscles and expanded its military and economic reach.

(Writing by Frances Kerry and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Howard Goller and Frances Kerry)
A medical supply driver who killed a 22-year-old Corona woman when he plowed through a red light at 100 mph and struck her while under the influence of alcohol and drugs was sentenced Thursday to 17 years to life in state prison.

Eduardo Alvarez, 27, of Corona was convicted in November of second-degree murder, two counts of DUI with injuries and one count of driving under the influence of drugs resulting in great bodily injury.

About 30 people were on hand at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta as Riverside County Superior Court Judge Elaine Kiefer imposed the required prison term for the second-degree murder conviction.

Alvarez crashed his 2004 Nissan Maxima into the 2010 Mazda 3 carrying Courtney Ferranto and her boyfriend, 22-year-old Jacob George, on the night of Aug. 9, 2015, at the intersection of Promenade Avenue and Sixth Street in Corona.

Deputy District Attorney Kim Dittrich said witnesses saw Alvarez driving 80-90 mph where the posted speed limit was 35 mph.

Witnesses also saw the defendant drive at a high rate of speed into the bike lane in order to go around two cars stopped at a stop light, Dittrich wrote in a trial brief. The defendant ran that stop light and continued to drive on Sixth Street at speeds ranging from 84 to 124 mph.

As Alvarez sped east toward Promenade, Georges Mazda approached the intersection southbound on a green light, according to the prosecutor.

She said Alvarez ignored the red signal ahead of him and rocketed into the intersection, broadsiding the passenger side of the Mazda at such velocity that the impact crumpled the passenger-side door, pushing it 3 feet inward, where Ferranto was sitting.

Ferranto and George  who escaped with minor injuries  were extricated from the wreckage by Corona firefighters. She lingered on life support for nearly two days before succumbing to her injuries.

Alvarez had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend minutes before the crash and apparently was racing home to his mother.

The defendant was tested for drugs and alcohol, and the results revealed that he had a blood-alcohol level of .17 percent  nearly twice the legal limit to drive  as well as marijuana and cocaine in his system, according to court papers.

Alvarez, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, was employed as a courier for San Bernardino-based LifeCare Solutions and delivered medical equipment throughout San Bernardino County.

As part of his training, the defendant received instruction on the dangers of drinking and driving and was required to undergo regular urine analysis to screen for the presence of drugs. According to Dittrich, a search of Alvarezs vehicle yielded unisex synthetic urine that he apparently had used to conceal substance abuse on his drug tests.
A 74-year-old Escondido man who pleaded not guilty to gunning down three family members and wounding a fourth last week as the victims slept in a Fontana apartment is being held without bail at a Rancho Cucamonga jail, court records show.

Zafar Ali, who originally had been identified as Ali Zafar, was charged last week with three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and discharge of a firearm, according to San Bernardino County court records.

He is expected back in West Valley Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga next Wednesday.

Fontana police say Ali shot his family members while most of them slept in an apartment in the 14500 block of Village Drive around 3 a.m. Jan. 4.

Two women and a man  identified in a criminal complaint as Farhana Anwer, Tehseen Sabir and Mohummad Sabir  were pronounced dead at the scene. A wounded man managed to escape and found refuge in a neighbors apartment. A woman also ran out of the apartment unharmed, police said.

Investigators said last week that the shooting may have been motivated by a longstanding family issue, possibly over money.

Officials say the shooting occurred in a two-bedroom apartment with a modified living room where people slept. Its unclear how many people lived in the unit.

Ali had arrived at the apartment only the night before and was visiting, police said; neighbors who live across the way from the family, however, said theyd seen him at the complex for at least two weeks prior to the shooting.

Ali is being held at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga without bail.

Contact the writer: bvalenzuela@scng.comTwitter: @BeatrizVNews
More than 20 hours after a man fired shots at a California Highway Patrol officer on the 15 in Lake Elsinore before a shootout in a residential neighborhood, the Riverside County Sheriffs Department on Thursday night, Jan. 11, acknowledged that the suspect in both incidents had been killed.

What ultimately ended with the suspect being killed began about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday when a CHP officer pulled over a man believed to be under the influence of alcohol on the southbound 15 near Indian Truck Trail, CHP Officer Dan Olivas wrote in a news release early Wednesday.

The driver complied, but once the officer began to speak with him, he became extremely uncooperative, making threats and furtive movements in his vehicle, Olivas wrote.

The CHP officer took cover behind a freeway barrier as the man got out of his vehicle and began shooting at the patrol vehicle, ultimately disabling it with gunfire.

A nearby CHP unit came to help and began chasing the suspect, who drove off and continued firing repeatedly as the pursuit went on, Olivas wrote.

The Riverside County Sheriffs Department was called to help and sent its own units as well as a helicopter, according to a sherrifs news release.

In the release, the Riverside County Sheriffs Department noted that the suspect had fired not only at pursuing units, but also at the helicopter, from the black Ford F-150 he was driving.

The man exited the freeway at Railroad Canyon Road and officers stayed with him through city streets until he stopped in the Tuscany Hills neighborhood.

Around 10 p.m., the man got out of his vehicle near the intersection of Villa Roma and Via Palmieki Court and fired at responding deputies with an assault rifle, according to a Riverside County sheriffs news release sent out shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday

Thats when deputies fired at the man for the first time.

After the man attempted to gain entry into a nearby home and also fired shots into a home, a SWAT team arrived. He fired shots at the SWAT team and was fired upon again.

Despite medical aid, the suspect succumbed to his injuries.

No CHP officers, deputies or civilians were injured during the chase.

The mans name was not being released until his family could be notified of his death.

The deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave. Their names were not being released either.

The result of the officer-involved shooting, which is being investigated by the Sheriffs Department, was difficult to come by.

Deputy Michael Vasquez confirmed the shooing about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, but he wouldnt say whether anyone was killed or injured or whether the gunfire missed.

A sergeant with the Riverside County Coroners Office could not confirm whether staff responded to an incident in that area Wednesday night. A Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman said the Sheriffs Department summoned firefighter-paramedics at 9:20 p.m. Cal Fire personnel were later told they could leave and never examined any patients.

It wasnt until the sheriff issued a news release at 7:11 p.m. Thursday that the public officially learned that the suspect was dead, and not simply hospitalized with an injury or on the loose armed with a gun.

The southbound 15, which was closed overnight for the investigation, was fully reopened by 7 a.m. Thursday.

Investigators remained into Thursday afternoon at the scene of the shooting, on Villa Roma near Villa Milano close to the Lake Elsinore-Canyon Lake border.

Asked whether the suspect was dead, one investigator replied, Im sorry, Im not authorized to say anything.

Two residents on an adjacent street said they heard gunfire but didnt know the suspect.

At noon Thursday, Villa Roma was closed to all but residents as patrol cars blocked off the street in the Tuscany Hills neighborhood, whose winding, hilly roads with Italian-sounding names are lined with newer, one- and two-story custom-built homes.

At one end, near Via Palmieki Court, investigators examined a black Ford SUV. Two forensic investigation trucks were parked nearby, and as a steady rain fell, two investigators huddled near surveying equipment under a green tent.

Meanwhile, detectives worked under two additional green tents in an elevated yard overlooking the house where the shooting happened.

A deputy in a patrol car blocking a road said he had been on the scene since 9 p.m. Wednesday and didnt know how long investigators would be there.

The Riverside County Sheriffs Department also served two warrants in Orange on Thursday, one day after a man fired shots at a California Highway Patrol Officer and was then killed in a shootout with sheriffs deputies in Lake Elsinore, officials said.

The warrants were related to the Lake Elsinore shooting, Riverside deputy Mike Vasquez said.

The first warrant was served at a private residence in the 1400 block of San Juan Street in Tustin and the second was served at a liquor store in the 500 block of Tustin Street in Orange, Vasquez said. Both the Riverside SWAT team and Orange Police Department officers were still at the liquor store late Thursday.

Vasquez would not say what kind of warrants were served  search or arrest  or how they related to the Lake Elsinore shootout.

Just before 9 p.m. Thursday, the Orange Police Department tweeted that Tustin Street, where the second warrant was served, was closed in both directions between Walnut and Mayfair streets, about one block, until further notice because of police activity. About 9:45 p.m., Orange tweeted that the street had reopened.

The FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force is assisting the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, said Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman. She she deferred questions about the investigation to Riverside because the Sheriffs Department is the lead agency.

Staff writers Anne Millerbernd, Alex Groves and Chris Haire contributed to this report.
Newly elected Rialto City Councilman Rafael Trujillo apologized for attempting to hold a meeting at City Hall on Dec. 30 that was listed on Facebook as the first Rialto Sanctuary City Community Meeting.

His remarks were at the start of Tuesday nights regularly scheduled City Council meeting. And they came prior to remarks from more than 20 speakers, most of whom blasted the effort.

In addition to the apology, Trujillo said that the attempted meeting was a lesson learned.

The sanctuary city status is a gesture  largely symbolic  to protect immigrants who are in the United States illegally.

Related: Sanctuary district? Maybe, San Bernardino school district says

The Dec. 30 meeting was set to take place inside the city administration building, which is closed on Fridays. Trujillo and four other people, including newly elected Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez, showed up, said Robin Hvidston, California coordinator for The Remembrance Project, a Texas-based organization that is a voice for those affected by immigrants who are in the United States illegally.

The meeting did not occur, Hvidston said in an interview outside council chambers Tuesday night.

Hvidston said she was among about 18 people who came to find out what was going to be said and to participate.

Trujillo called police and five officers responded.

They were very courteous and professional, Hvidston and others among the 18 said.

I am reasonably sure that it is not the intent of Rialto to pursue being a sanctuary city, said Hvidston, an Upland resident and executive director of We the People Rising, a Claremont-based group involved with immigration issues.

But I think Trujillo should be censured. He needs to earn back the trust of Rialto residents, she said.

There was no motion to pursue a path to censure Trujillo during the council meeting.

Under questioning from Councilman Ed Scott, City Manager Mike Story said that no council member had talked with him about the possibility of Rialto pursuing sanctuary city status, nor had anyone spoken to him about getting meeting space in City Hall for a committee dealing with that issue.

Luis Nolasco, 26, a Rialto resident, said he was among those who asked Trujillo to begin discussions about the possibility of Rialto becoming a sanctuary city.

In remarks to the city council, Nolasco said he was disappointed that the Rialto City Council was caving in to comments, mostly from people who did not live in the city.

Members of The Remembrance Project came from cities as far away as Torrance, Brea and Orange.

Other people from the organization were at the Victorville City Council meeting, which was also being held Tuesday night, Hvidston said.

Contact the writer: jsteinberg@scng.comTwitter: @JamesDSteinberg
Two weeks ago, just days after his 87th birthday, my father-in-law was admitted to the hospital. While we work to bring him home, there have been daily visits. The hospital staff is slowly getting to know him, but one challenge has been finding ways to engage the mind while the body heals.

Amid the hubbub of hospital routines, its easy to lose track of the person inside the patient; easy to forget to ask questions other than how a patient feels, particularly when the voice is weak and listening requires leaning in and encouraging the conversation.

Yesterday one of the nurses surprised by asking thoughtful questions, encouraging him to talk. For this gesture, she was repaid with a story about his adventures as a young man traveling around South America, and the interesting people and situations he encountered there. She then said something that I have often repeated: Everyone has a story to share.

This simple gesture  listening  connected the two of them, and helped ground him in who he is and distract him from the routines of medication, physical therapy and chronic pain.

When we think about sharing stories, we often jump to campfire or fairy tales, but reminiscences are stories too; so too are shared histories with family and friends.

Those stories that my husbands best friend ought not be telling our teenage sons about their own adventures?

My kids listen eagerly, silently filing them away to retell to their friends and maybe  hopefully  their own kids someday. Will they get all of the details right? Do we? How often do we share an experience with someone, only to later recount it to each other and find that the details dont entirely match? No matter.

What does matter is the experience, and the sharing, and that connection that is made when we see ourselves in someone else. These real-life stories are often the inspiration for fictional stories, and memoir, and poems, essays and songs. Shaping our experiences into a story is how we preserve our memories and pass on what weve learned  for better or worse  with the next generation; these stories give us a way to frame and make meaning from our lives.

The Inlandia Institute is no stranger to publishing personal stories: Carlos Cortes memoir, Rose Hill: An Intermarriage Before Its Time, delves into his unconventional upbringing and his parents marriage; Julianna Cruzs childrens chapter book, Dos Chiles Two Chiles, tells how she learned her family history while cooking New Mexico green chilis with her grandfather; and Arthur Littleworths No Easy Way was written in longhand with his nondominant hand after a stroke because he knew that Riverside school integration was a story in dire need of preservation.

The latest publication is the Why Nots memoir, While Were Here We Should Sing, which reads as a series of reminiscences about eight folk-song singing women braided together to tell the longer story of their long musical friendship, made all the more urgent by the deaths of two of their members.

One thing all of these authors have in common is the desire to preserve stories that are in danger of being forgotten or never learned to begin with. Listening to a persons story offers some hope of it living on after the person dies.

When a story is held in the air, person to person, there is an intimacy that is difficult to achieve in print. It is an art form in itself, the ability to recount in detail to bring an event or a person back to life, even if just briefly.

There is an equal measure of danger, though. It takes a great deal of trust, because if you arent truly listening, you wont retain it. You must be willing to give the storyteller your full attention, to listen with your whole body and mind and not let it drift.

It deserves the same attention you would give a film, or a book, or the radio  actually, it deserves more. Dont look at your phone or check the clock. Im guilty of that too, but there will come a time where that particular storyteller can no longer share their story, and if you arent listening now, it may soon be too late.

Last year around the holidays, my 95-year-old grandmother was visiting and I learned some family stories I had never heard before. No matter how often you talk, there are always more stories. This year, she is still with us, but I worry with each visit that it might be our last.

In the end, arent our stories are all that we have?

Riverside poet Cati Porter is executive director of the Inlandia Institute.
California Highway Patrol officers and Riverside County sheriffs deputies were engaged in a SWAT situation Wednesday night, Jan. 11, in Lake Elsinore that resulted in an officer-involved shooting.

UPDATE: SWAT situation in Lake Elsinore began when suspect fired at CHP officers

Sheriffs spokesman Deputy Mike Vasquez at 10:20 p.m. confirmed that an officer-involved shooting had occurred but could not say whether anyone was injured or killed. The shooting occurred near the intersection of Villa Roma and Villa Milano, off Summerhill Drive near the Lake Elsinore-Canyon Lake line. Vasquez advised people to stay away from the area.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Departments active incidents page indicated paramedics were dispatched to Villa Milano.

Earlier, CHP Officer Mike Lassig confirmed that the sheriffs SWAT team had been dispatched to an situation that followed a pursuit.

Caltrans officials around 10:10 p.m. announced that southbound Interstate 15 was shut down between Indian Truck Trail and Bundy Canyon due to police activity.

Scanner traffic indicated that shots had been exchanged between a man and officers after a pursuit on Interstate 15 and Lake Elsinore city streets. Scanner traffic also indicated that the suspect took hostages, but by 9:55 p.m. the hostages were safely in custody.

Homes in the area were evacuated during the incident. Residents who live on Villa Milano were waiting in their cars at 10:35 p.m. to be allowed back on the street.

George Hernandez, 35, who lived on Villa Milano, said he heard multiple gunshots around 9 p.m. He saw deputies aiming guns somewhere down the street from his home.

At some point deputies came through his backyard before telling him he needed to get his family out of the area.

It was like nothing I had ever seen before, Hernandez said. It was like something out of the scene of a movie.

About 10:35 p.m. a deputy called Hernandez on the phone and told him he could walk to his home but that he would need to leave his SUV parked on Villa Valtelena.

At that time, numerous patrol cars lined Villa Milano. A cluster of sheriffs investigators stood in a huddle by a line of caution tape at the streets intersection with Villa Roma.

The street where the shooting occurred  part of the Tuscany Hills neighborhood  is comprised of mostly newer two-story houses. Residents mostly remained inside their homes as deputies walked up and down the street.
Shoe on the other foot

Re: Putin ordered cybercampaign to alter election, report says [News, Jan. 7]: Its interesting that the press is so concerned that the hacking of the Democratic party was intended to denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electoral prospects by publicly contrasting her unfavorably to Donald Trump. Isnt this the exact same thing the mainstream press has been doing blatantly for the last year against Donald Trump?

 Rick Logan, Hemet

Thanks, Russia

The liberal Democrats are blaming the Russians non-stop for hacking their emails. It is all the talk on the leftist news media. Its sort of similar to a bank robber blaming the cops for catching him  after he robs a bank, accepting no blame, and diverting the attention of his misdeeds. If it was the Russians, I only will thank them for exposing the corrupt, deceitful nature of those behind the scenes at the Democratic National Committee. Bernie Sanders shunned, and Donna Brazile was caught, and even admitted to, leaking questions to Hillary Clintons team that were to be asked of the presidential candidates prior to their upcoming debates. Instead of placing blame on others, Hillarys signature attribute, maybe the Democrats should explore ways to be more transparent and ethical, then incorporate them into their political practices. Just dont include their poster boy for truth and morality, Anthony Weiner, in the analysis and execution!

 Brad Willason, Redlands

A touch of class

Years ago, when Jimmy Carter was elected president, I was surprised to see a photo of him hanging in a restaurant I often visited. I knew the owner and was well aware of his heavy conservative leanings. I couldnt resist asking why he had a large picture honoring Carter hanging in a place of prominence. He looked at the photo, and then at me, and said, I am not honoring Mr. Carter. I am honoring the president of the United States. Why cant our current citizens exhibit the same philosophy of unity and support? It takes just a little humility to accept the vote of a democratic government and make the best out of the situation, regardless of your personal feelings. My restaurant friend demonstrated that he had that trait, very uncommon in todays culture  a touch of class. Those who refuse to participate in the inauguration demonstrate just the opposite.

 Larry Palmer, Norco
They raged against the Democratic establishment. Now they want to take it over.

Self-described progressives, many of whom backed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, claimed sweeping victories in last weekends California Democratic Party delegate elections. They hope to influence the leadership, policies and direction of the states dominant political party.

This is a ringing endorsement of the new direction the Democratic Party needs, not just in California, but nationally, said RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, which passionately campaigned for Sanders last year. Many new delegates are nurses, the association said.

Others are skeptical about whether the new delegates can dramatically change whats already a left-of-center party.

Theyre probably replacing like-minded people, said Renee Van Vechten, a political science professor at the University of Redlands.

Last weekends events mirror a tug-of-war at the national level for control of the Democratic Party, which suffered stinging setbacks in November. Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a favorite of progressives, is running for Democratic National Committee chairman against outgoing U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who is viewed as more of an establishment type.

Its not clear how many of the 1,100 state delegate seats up for grabs were won by progressives. But liberals statewide say their slates dominated in elections held in each of Californias 80 Assembly districts Jan. 7 and 8.

The district-level delegates  each district elects seven men and seven women  receive two-year terms and make up a third of the 3,200 or so delegates to the state partys governing body, the Democratic State Central Committee. The other two-thirds come from central committees in Californias 58 counties or are appointed by Democratic elected officials and nominees.

Delegates from all categories will gather in Sacramento at the state party convention in May to choose party officers. They also approve the party platform in even-numbered years, as well as official party endorsements of candidates, as needed.

The party enjoys far more power in California than in Washington, D.C., or in many states. Democrats make up a plurality of the states registered voters and hold all statewide elected posts, a supermajority in the Legislature, 39 of the states 53 House seats and both of its U.S. Senate seats.

Sanders inspired passionate support for his grass-roots campaign, which came close to upsetting Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. He campaigned vigorously in California, bringing attention to a state thats normally an afterthought due to its late-season primary.

When he came up short, many Sanders backers cited leaked DNC emails in accusing the party establishment of rigging the nomination for Clinton. Some were a rowdy presence at last summers Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Energized

Their anger intensified with Donald Trumps victory. Now theyre determined to take control of the party and advance a platform that includes universal health care, free college tuition and a rejection of corporate influence in politics.

Going into last weekend, progressives mounted a get-out-the-vote campaign encouraging Democrats to take part in the ADEM elections, which take place in January of odd-numbered years. Close to 200 people cast ballots in the 42nd Assembly District, almost five times the number who participated in the districts previous delegate election, said Joey Aszterbaum of Hemet, one of Sanders delegates in Philadelphia.

Aszterbaum said his slate of progressive delegates  hes on it  won every delegate seat in the 42nd District, which represents parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Progressive grass-roots democracy is showing itself all up and down this state to be the future of the Democratic Party, he said.

Nicholas Seider of Orange, who campaigned for Sanders, won a delegate seat in the 68th Assembly District in Orange County. He said he hopes the state party can be a model for Democrats nationwide.

Its clear that the voices in Orange County are changing and that the party is wanting new voices (to come) into the fold, Seider said.

More symbolic?

Progressive excitement for last weekends elections is good for Democrats, Van Vechten said. Unless you get people like this who are excited helping the party evolve, the party will fade into indifference or continue in disarray, she said.

That said, its not as if the state party is a bastion of conservatism. Top Democratic lawmakers are eager to fight Trump and the GOP congressional agenda, and the existing party platform already endorses single-payer health care and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

The platform also endorses the fight against climate change.

Last weekends progressive victory strikes me as more of a symbolic victory than anything with significant consequences, said Rob Pyers of the California Target Book, which studies legislative races.

Now, the delegates will have a voice in crafting the partys platform and voting to endorse candidates, and that second part carries some weight, because I think its a little more difficult for nonendorsed candidates to get contributions from sitting legislators.

Its also unclear how much California alone can change the partys presidential nomination process. Its the national party that makes rules for choosing the delegates to the (national) convention, and thats where the presidential candidate is chosen, Van Vechten said.

Boss Bauman

The new delegates influence potentially looms large in the race for party chair. Seeking to replace the retiring John Burton are state party Vice Chairman Eric Bauman and Kimberly Ellis, executive director of Emerge America, which helps Democratic women run for office.

Aszterbaum criticized Bauman as too close to drug manufacturers, especially with regard to Proposition 61, a Sanders-backed measure on Novembers ballot that sought to cap prescription drug prices.

I can tell you now that this flood of people coming in are against Boss Bauman, Aszterbaum said.

The state party took no official position on the ballot measure. Last summer, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a consulting firm registered to Baumans home address had been getting $12,500 a month from the pharmaceutical industry, which fought Prop. 61.

Bauman, a registered nurse who is chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, acknowledged that a consulting firm in which he is a partner did do work for pharmaceutical companies, but he denied any involvement with the ballot measure.

Theres not one person who ever heard me say a word about Prop. 61, he said.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com
Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Minister-designate, says the Ghanaian economy is bleeding seriously from revenue leakages.



He therefore promised to put stringent measures in place to block all the loopholes on the revenue side.



Speaking to the media after his nomination as Senior Minister by President Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr. Osafo-Maafo said, My first step will be to look at the revenue sources and make sure that we block all the loopholes.



That is the softest way which does not involve any expenditure. It rather involves looking at the system and blocking all leakages at the customs, airports, habours and everywhere that we have revenue.



He said the countrys economy was faced with a lot of problems, which needs urgent attention, stating that From all indications, we have a lot of serious problems with the economy. The figures we have seen so far is disturbing, and we need somebody with experience and exposure to link the economic ministries to make sure that we put the economy right, hence my appointment.



Mr Osafo-Maafo said currently Ghanas budget deficit is hovering around 8 percent, higher than the targeted 5 percent under the International Monitory Fund (IMF) agreement.



Our target for deficit agreed with the Fund by the end of year December is about 5 percent, but with the figures I am seeing the deficit is more than 8 percent which is serious, he said.



The Senior Minister-designate said the countrys debt-to-GDP is even worse, explaining that when the NPP was leaving government in 2008 under Kufours administration, the debt-to-GDP was 26 percent.



He said, Now we are over 72 percent debt-to-GDP ratio and it is serious. The limit to GDP is 70 percent, and when you are there, you are in serious trouble.



Mr Osafo-Maafo promised to work with other economic related ministries to improve the countrys economy for businesses to thrive.

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
The Ghana Agricultural and Rural Development Journalists Association (GARDJA) has described the 'one village, one dam' policy mooted by the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a laudable move that would help improve agriculture in the country.



The Association said it was shameful that about 40 years after the establishment of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority with the mandate to help construct irrigational facilities for farmers, more than 90 per cent of farms in 21st Century Ghana remained solely dependent on rain fed agriculture.



The Association, however, called on government to take a critical look at the policy proposal and make it clear what the "end game would be before rolling it out".



"This is because we have seen the collapse of irrigation schemes like the Aveyime Irrigation Project again after it was revived recently due to high costs of electricity to move water from the dam to the farms," it cautioned.



GARDJA stated this in a letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, which was jointly signed by Richmond Frimpong, President; Joseph Opoku Gakpo, Policy Director and Ernest Kofi Adu, Secretary General of the Association.



The Association said questions about where the source of water to fill the dams will come from still remain unanswered, and that was casting doubt on the feasibility of the initiative hence the need for government to take a second look at it, before the implementation of the programme.



The Association also noted with excitement, the portion of the new government's campaign manifesto which talked about increasing subsidies on fertilizers, seeds and agro chemicals; implementing block farming, setting up schemes to attract youth into farming, and increasing the number of agriculture extension agents among others.



GARDJA also expected the Nana Akufo- Addo's administration to do as a matter of priority, draw and implement a clear cut policy that would fix the broken link between production on the farms, and the available market for consumption of such food.



"Our team of agriculture experts will be available to lend our expertise in the drafting and implementation of such a policy if your government needs a helping hand," it proposed.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Sister of Trade Minister nominee Alan Kyeremanten, Bridget Darko, has passed away.



Bridget Darko died from injuries from the recent La Gas explosion. Her shop was located near the area the gas explosion occurred and she sustained her injuries when the fire resulting from the explosion extended to her shop.



Over ten other persons were confirmed dead with more than 40 injured in the explosion that occurred in December 2016.



Preliminary investigations have pointed to a gas leakage at the station which led to the explosion according to the Ghana National Fire Service.About Bridget Darko



Mrs. Bridget Darko is the Executive Director of Aid to Artisans, Ghana (ATAG), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was established in 1989 to support the development of the Craft Industry in Ghana.



She read Development Planning for her first degree, and has a post-graduate diploma in Industrial Management from KNUST, Ghana. She subsequently acquired an MBA (Finance) from University of Ghana and completed the Programme on Investment Appraisal and Management (Harvard Institute for International Development). She has since then participated in a number of other training programs.



She has had extensive work experience in both the public and private sectors.



She worked in the Cocoa Sector as a Projects Officer, and later joined the Ministry of Finance and worked with a team on its Private Sector Reform.



She left the Ministry to join ATAG in 1993, and has since headed the organization. She has assisted with the development of new products for the craft industry and search for new raw materials to sustain production. She has worked on the expansion of the external market for craft products, the infusion of new technology, including ICT into the industry, provision of credit facility for producers, industry collaboration with tertiary education and the enhancement of the human capacity and professionalism within the industry.



She is well traveled and has gained considerable experiences from her travels to USA, Canada, Holland, England, Israel, India, Honduras, Ecuador, Morocco, Bourkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Benin, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Senegal, etc.

After & Before (The shop where Bridget was before the explosion)

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
A 23-year-old woman from Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region, Sakina Mustapha, has been arrested for attempting to smuggle 96 parcels of a substance believed to be cocaine to an inmate of the Sunyani Central Prison.



The suspect, who was to deliver the parcels to the suspect, was arrested while loitering at the barracks of the prison.



The parcels were found in her purse after a search on her.



Briefing



The Brong Ahafo Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Prisons Service, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Johann Nartey, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, said the suspect visited the convict, who is serving a 10-year jail term with hard labour for narcotic offences, last Tuesday.



According to him, even though the demeanour of both the convict and his visitor appeared normal at the initial stages of the visit, their interactions later on aroused suspicion.



ASP Nartey explained that since the command had received a tip-off that a lady of her kind would visit the prison with cocaine, the officers put the two under surveillance.



After leaving the prison yard, Sakina, who is a regular visitor to the convict, was later found loitering around the barracks, looking agitated.



She was subsequently invited into the prison, where 96 pieces of the substance suspected to be cocaine wrapped in cigarette foils were found in her purse after a search.



ASP Nartey said after further interrogations, Sakina disclosed that the parcels were given to her by a lady friend of the convict whom she claimed not to know.



The suspect is said to have told officials of the prison that she received a call to meet the lady friend of the convict at an arranged location to collect the parcels meant for the inmate.



She is also said to have stated that she had no previous knowledge of the contents of the parcels she was carrying.



Intermediary



According to ASP Nartey, Sakina disclosed that the parcels were going to be delivered to the prisoner through an intermediary who was to meet her at the barracks to take delivery of the goods.



She, however, declined to mention the name of the intermediary, as well as the supposed source of the parcel and the caller, claiming that she did not know them.



He indicated that even though officials of the prison had called the woman with whom Sakina had communicated, she could not be reached after several attempts.



Sakina has since been handed over to the Sunyani Divisional Police Command for further investigations.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
MP for the Lawra Constituency in the Upper West Region Anthony Karbo is to become the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Kasapafmonline.com can confirm.



Privileged information available to Kasapafmonline.com suggests that barring any last minute change of heart and mind, the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will announce him for the position. He reports to Kwesi Amoako Atta, who was named Wednesday.



This medium can also state authoritatively that Madam Fatima Abubakar is the incoming Deputy Communications Minister, reporting to Madam Ursulu Owusu-Ekuful.



We can also report that the Deputy Finance Ministers position will go to messrs Kweku kwarteng and Charles Adu Boahen.



So far, 25 portfolios including six new ones have been named by the president. The nominated names are expected to be vetted by Ghanas parliament.

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
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has explained why new ministerial portfolios have been created under his administration.



The President has so far nominated 25 people to man various ministerial portfolios, out of which six are new creations.



The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has been split into two as Sanitation and Water Resources, and then Works and Housing. They are to be manned by Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Member of Parliament (MP) for Navrongo and Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, MP for Abuakwa South respectively.



The other new creation is Monitoring and Evaluation to be manned by Dr Anthony Akoto Osei; MP for Tafo Pankrono in Kumasi.



Others are Railway Development which is to be handled by Mr Joe Ghartey, MP for Esikado-Ketan in the Western Region and Regional Reorganization and Development to be managed by Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, MP for Okere in the Eastern Region.



On Tuesday, the President also announced the creation of the Senior Minister's portfolio to be handled by Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo and National Security to be handled by Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah.



At a press conference at the Flagstaff House Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo gave explanations for the creation of the new portfolios.



Regional Reorganization and Development



As part of its manifesto, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised the creation of new regions and election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.



It is for this reason that the president explained that the creation of the portfolio was ensure the restructuring of the governance system in the country.



We believe that the nearer a government comes to the doorsteps of our people, the more efficient and more satisfactory its outcome. That is why we are insisting on competitive politics in local government and we are going to create the conditions that will allow district chief executives, mayors, metropolitan chief executives, municipal chief executives now to be directly elected by the people they are going to govern.



It is by the same token, the process of devolution of power, will require that we look again at the regional structures of our country all in the aim of trying to promote rapid development in Ghana, he explained.



According to him, the Minister-designate would work to ensure the creation of four new regions from the Western, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Volta Regions respectively.



For us to be successful I think that it is important for the more efficient governance that we are seeking for Ghana that we succeed for these efforts of creating these regions. And for me it means that the NPP, we have to find amongst ourselves a heavy hitter, a major political hitter within ourselves who has the extensive experience and capacity in mass mobilisation, he added.



Railways Development



According to President Akufo-Addo, the development of the railway infrastructure in the country would go a long way to improve the economy by opening up the country for trade.



Expressing his dissatisfaction with the way the railway system had been abandoned following independence, the President pledged to do everything possible to find the money and rebuild our railway system in Ghana, adding that it would be one of the important capstones for determining the success or failure of his government.



If we are going to be serious about the economic development of our country, we have to open it up. And its a railway system that is efficient to connect us to the Sahel and hopefully will one day connect us to the larger West African project that is in view, he said.



Sanitation and Water Resources



According to President Akufo-Addo, the decision to split water and sanitation from the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing stemmed from the neglect of that zone.



A major challenge facing our country is access to water to our people. Indeed, water for all is one of our slogans for our 2016 manifesto. As much as that is a challenge, equal is the challenge of our environment, he explained.



He said one of the slogans for the NPP during its campaign was to provide toilets for all and for that matter he saw it necessary to create a portfolio that would concentrate solely in ensuring that the country was clean and that each household was provided with a toilet facility.



The structures we have for sanitation are not the best and that they require significant enhancement. We also made a slogan a toilet for all and these are matters we take very seriously and as a result I have decided that I need a steady hand, an experienced hand it think that it is better standing with sanitation.



Monitoring and Evaluation



It will be in the Office of the President and the Minister responsible will have the right to talk to everybody in all the Ministries to monitor and evaluate their performance.



The other two creations are National Security and Senior Minister.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Frank AnnohDompreh, Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri has dismissed reports that he has proposed for fresh Members of Parliament to be inducted in Dubai.



Thursday edition of Ghanaian Times published that "A proposal by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency, Frank Annoh-Dompreh for fresh MPs to have induction Seminars in Dubai has been met with sharp opposition by members of the Minority Caucus."



There was a statement on the floor by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu who announced an induction seminar for new MPs was scheduled to be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.



The seminar is to commence on Friday, January 27 and end on 31st January.



"But the pressures and the hustles in Accra makes the venue for the training not suitable, Mr. Annor Dompreh noted, as the Speaker, Professor Mike Oquaye welcomed suggestions from Members," portions of the publication read.



He noted that "The nature of the training demanded that it was held in a more serene environment, adding "if we could have it in Dubai or somewhere like that, it will be nice."



Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Hon. Annoh-Dompreh explained that he mentioned Dubai because the MPs were shouting "Accra-Dubai" as he was making his submissions before the House.



According to him, it was meant to be a joke.



He however stated emphatically that he never in anyway suggest that the fresh MPs should be flown to Dubai for their induction seminar.



What are we going to Dubai to do? I beg, if they will engage in opposition; they should do constructive opposition . . . That was not what I meant. If people are getting the wrong impression, I will take this opportunity and apologize to my people, my fans, the media. If they got the wrong context, I never [never] and I could never have thought about anything that we should fly Ghanas MPs to Dubai.



This negative propaganda and spinning wont help the progress of the nation. Nana Yaw, I never meant that we should take Ghanas fresh MPs to Dubai. I could have never had thought on that line.

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
There is going to be proper accountability for the one million dollars to be allocated each constituency in Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said.



According to him, unlike initiatives such as the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) which became the vehicle for corruption in the erstwhile administration, the authority that will be in charge of disbursing and supervising the utilisation of the one million dollars per constituency per annum will account for every dime to Ghanaians.



The idea of disbursing this amount came up during the campaign season ahead of the December 7 2016 general elections, an election the New Patriotic Party, led by Mr Akufo-Addo, won.



Speaking during the announcement of his third batch of ministerial appointments at the seat of government in Accra on Thursday January 12, Mr Akufo-Addo said: This money, the one million dollars per constituency, is being set aside for dealing with such issues of infrastructure and the particular needs of the constituencies. When you look at it on a national scale, it is a lot of money. We are talking on an annual basis of $275 million.



We are also saying that the authority that we intend to set upthe Northern Development Authority is going to be the vehicles for disbursing this money. There has to be accountability. We cannot afford the repetition of what happened with SADA that is not going to happen in an Akufo-Addo government, believe you me.

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
A Russian serial killer is considered one of the worst ever after confessing to the murders of 81 women.

Mikhail Popkov, a former Siberian policeman, was already serving a life sentence for the murders of 22 women between 1992 and 2010. While in prison, he has confessed to 59 further murders, of which 47 have reportedly produced charges.

That means, if we add them to the earlier 22, it will be 81 murders in total. We are quite sure about the 12 other cases, rkutsk police spokeswoman Karina Golovacheva told The Siberian Times. In the nearest future we can bring charges.

It is believed that he confessed gradually to his crimes as a strategy to avoid his inevitable transfer from his current prison facility to a penal colony.

According to earlier reports of the case, Popkov started his murder spree while he was a police officer, offering women rides before taking them to remote locations, sexually assaulting and killing them. When he was first detained in 2012, he expressed a desire to cleanse the streets of sex workers.

If the figure of 81 victims is confirmed, it will make Popkov the third most prolific serial killer in history, behind Colombian killer Luis Garavito, who murdered at least 138 people, and Pedro Lopez, who had 110 proven victims.

Source: The Age.

Photo: Siberian Times.
Filthy that Neighbours Dee Bliss is still very dead, despite producers teasing otherwise for fkn weeks?

Heres some consolation, if youre a Prison Break fan: MICHAEL SCOFIELD IS VERY ALIVE.

You heard us.

The ~dramatic~ first trailer for Foxs upcoming revival of the series shows Michael (Wentworth Miller) with a pulse and new set of tattoos in a Yemen jail.

How the fuck did he get there? It seems everyones favourite Fox River inmate wound up working for an organization that set him up, hence why hes behind bars once again. That explains exactly 0.001% of the questions we have, but its something.

This time around, its the job of bro Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) and his band of dodgy mates  including Sucre  to break Michael out so he can be reunited with the lurve of his life Dr Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies) and their v. cute son, who looks to be about 7 now.

Exec producer Paul T. Scheuring is very much enjoying watching fans lose their shit over the revelation that Michael didnt *actually* cark it at the end of S4, teasing that he may not be the same person you knew all those years ago.

Michael doesnt come out of the gates comprised, he said at the Television Critics Associations press tour. Is he Michael? Is this the Michael we knew all along?

Check out the full trailer:





The series returns on April 4, at 9pm, and our bodies are ready.

Source and photo: Fox.
(Adds FBI, VW comments, background, closing stock price)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay the largest ever U.S. criminal fine levied on an automaker to settle charges that it conspired for nearly 10 years to cheat on diesel emission tests, while prosecutors on Wednesday charged six current and former senior VW executives for their roles in the scheme.

The German automaker agreed on Wednesday to pay $4.3 billion in U.S. civil and criminal fines and pay California $153.8 million. In total, VW has now agreed to spend up to $22 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, U.S. states and dealers.

Among those indicted was Heinz-Jakob Neusser, former head of development for VW Brand, who was suspended in 2015. He was also previously head of engine development. Two other former heads of engine development, Jens Hadler and Richard Dorenkamp, were also indicted.

"It is now clear that Volkswagen's top executives knew about this illegal activity and deliberately kept regulators, shareholders and consumers in the dark - and they did this for years," said Andrew McCabe, the FBI's deputy director, at a press conference. "We can't put companies in jail but we can hold their employees personally accountable. We can force companies to pay hefty fines."

Five of the six current and former Volkswagen executives are in Germany and it is unclear if they will come to the United States to face charges since Germany typically does not extradite its citizens.

The indictment said the executives engaged in a 10-year conspiracy to cheat U.S. emissions tests and then cover up the excess emissions even as regulators questioned irregularities.

The Justice Department said that in 2006 VW realized it could not meet the tougher rules and VW engineers designed a system to detect when cars were being tested in the lab and then to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollutants when driven. VW executives destroyed documents and other evidence in an attempt to avoid detection, the Justice Department said.

Story continues

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch declined to say if any higher level executives could face charges. "We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy," she said.

Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller said in a statement the company "deeply regrets the behavior that gave rise to the diesel crisis" and vowed to continue changes in how the company operates.

One of the six charged, Oliver Schmidt, who was a manager in charge of VW's environmental and engineering office in Michigan, was arrested in Florida on Saturday. He faces a hearing Thursday in Miami to determine if he should remain jailed before trial.

A seventh VW employee pleaded guilty in September and agreed to cooperate.

VW will pay a $1.5-billion civil fine and $2.8-billion criminal fine. It will not be required to make any additional restitution payments.

According to the plea agreement made public Wednesday, the company has fired six employees, suspended eight and disciplined three who participated in misconduct. The criminal agreement still must be approved by U.S. District Judge Sean Cox in Detroit, while the civil consent decree needs approval from a federal judge in California.

The VW plea agreement says the automaker could have been fined as much as $34.1 billion for its criminal conduct under federal guidelines.

A person briefed on the matter said the Justice Department initially sought significantly higher fines but during intensive talks reached a deal.

The deal surpasses the $1.2 billion fine Toyota Motor Corp paid in 2014 for concealing safety defects from U.S. regulators.

FACES INDEPENDENT MONITOR

VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner than they were on the road, and that as many as 11 million vehicles could have similar software installed worldwide.

See graphic on emissions affair: (http://tmsnrt.rs/2fYcm9Q)

Last year, VW agreed to spend nearly $3 billion to offset the excess emissions and $2 billion to boost zero emission vehicles.

Many senior managers departed following the scandal, including chief executive Martin Winterkorn, and VW has been barred from selling diesels in the United States since 2015.

The automaker will also face oversight by an independent monitor for three years and has agreed to make significant reforms.

VW still faces lawsuits from about 20 U.S. states, lawsuits from U.S. investors and will spend years buying back or fixing nearly 580,000 polluting vehicles.

The company's board met for more than 10 hours Tuesday in Wolfsburg, Germany and two hours Wednesday before approving the deal. VW was in intensive talks with regulators in recent weeks to reach a deal before the end of the Obama administration. Without a deal by next week, a final resolution could have been delayed by months until the Trump EPA and Justice Department teams are in place.

Volkswagen, which may have topped Toyota in 2016 as the world's largest automaker, is eager to move past the scandal and focus on introducing new vehicles for the U.S. market. It's shares rose 3.4 percent on news of the settlement Wednesday to their highest level since the scandal became public in September 2015.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Andreas Cremer in Berlin, Joern Poltz in Munich; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski and Bernard Orr)
male-nurse-at-PA-hospital-fondles-female-patient.jpg

A female patient in for a radiology procedure at this hospital in eastern Pennsylvania became the victim of an alleged sexual assault by the male nurse performing the procedure.

(via LehighValleyLive.com)

A female patient in for a radiology procedure at a hospital in eastern Pennsylvania became the victim of an alleged sexual assault by the male nurse performing the procedure.

According to our sister website, LehighValley.com, and CBSPhilly.com, the radiology nurse at St. Luke's Hospital in Lehigh County allegedly fondled the woman's breasts, then exposed his penis to the woman.

He is identified as John Spanogle, 30, of Bethlehem. He was charged Wednesday with one count of indecent assault in the alleged incident that dates to last month.

Since the allegations arose, Spanogle is "no longer employed at the health network," according to St. Luke's. He had worked in the hospital's Internal Radiology department.

Following the radiology procedure, the female patient tells police Spanogle allegedly made inappropriate comments and then comments of a sexual nature to her. And once they were back in her hospital room, he allegedly fondled her and exposed himself, according to the published reports.

However, officials say they do not believe Spanogle molested any other patients.

Read more top-trending Pa. news:
PA-garbage-men-find-dead-body-in-alley.jpg

It was a shocking discovery early Wednesday morning along the regular route of trash collectors in western Pennsylvania.

(screen shot/WPXI-TV via Twitter)

It was a shocking discovery on the regular route of trash collectors in western Pennsylvania: Early Wednesday morning, the garbage men found a man's dead body while working their route in McKeesport, Pa.

As TribLive.com reports, the body was found in an alley. The man was likely the victim of a fatal shooting the previous night, police said.

The body was identified as Jesi Jefferson, 21, of McKeesport, was pronounced dead at the scene, TribLive.com reports, adding:

He was found on the ground near a wooden fence in an area shielded by shrubs, trees and fencing. Investigators believe Jefferson was a victim in the shooting reported Tuesday night.

The investigation continues, but there were no immediate suspects or witnesses to the shooting.

Read much more top-trending Pa. news:
salmon

(Shutterstock.com)

Scientists are warning that salmon caught anywhere along the Pacific Coast in North America might be infected with tapeworm.

What's a tapeworm? It's a species of invasive parasites that takes over the digestive tract, including Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense, or the Japanese broad tapeworm.

Yummy, right?

A study published Wednesday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's monthly journal Emerging Infectious Diseases said that wild salmon had been infected by the Japanese broad tapeworm, originally thought only to infect fish in Asia. Based on the newest findings, the researchers are warning that fish on the entire Pacific Coast of North America could be infected.

The good news is that it really only affects you if you're eating raw or undercooked fish. Cooking the fish to 145 degrees for 4 or 5 minutes will kill the larvae, according to the CDC, and adequately freezing the fish will do the same.

More on tapeworm

Species of tapeworm can grow to 30 feet long, according to the CDC. People with tapeworm infection may not know, because symptoms are usually mild or nonexistent. Those with tapeworm infections might have abdominal discomfort, nausea, loose stools and weight loss.

"Massive infections may result in intestinal obstruction" and painful inflammation of the bile ducts, Roman Kuchta, lead author of the study and a research scientist at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, told CNN Wire. "The infections can have a substantial emotional impact on patients and their families, because segments are evacuated over a long period of time. More severe cases may require specialized consultations and complementary analyses, which are costly."

It's also terrifying.

"The reason you know you have tapeworms is you look in your stool and you find bits of tapeworm floating in the water -- and that usually panics you enormously," Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who was not involved in the new study, told CNN Wire.

More on the study

In 2013, scientists filleted the musculature of 64 wild Alaskan salmon to check out their internal organs. They found larvae consistent with the behavior of tapeworms and identified them as the Japanese tapeworms.

Four species of Pacific salmon, according to the study, are known to carry the Japanese tapeworm infections: chum salmon, masu salmon, pink salmon and sockeye salmon. The salmon are exported on ice -- fresh and unfrozen -- to restaurants worldwide.

There was no mention in the study of infection in farm-raised salmon.
Why would anyone want to jump into a lake in mid-January?

For those who plan on leaping, tip-toeing or wading into ice-cold Pinchot Lake next weekend, it's for a good cause -- the 2017 Capital Area Polar Plunge fundraiser.

The 12th annual event offers a chance to raise money for the Special Olympics in our region. Participants can join teams, raise donations and don colorful costumes before taking a dip in the Pinchot Lake at Gifford Pinchot State Park on Jan. 21.

Rather stay warm and dry? Those who aren't looking to go jump in a lake can still support the plunge, and the Special Olympics, by registering as a "chicken." They can still join in all of the fundraising efforts, but they skip the whole "willing walk into painfully cold water" part.

Registration is $20, and each participant is required to raise at least $50 (registration cost included). For more information on how to donate or participate, visit Special Olympics Pennsylvania's website and the event page.

And if you do attend on Jan. 21, keep an eye out for me and the PennLive video team! I'll be taking a dip in the lake as well, and reporting from the icy shores of Pinchot Lake. See you there!
The mother of a transgender Mercer County man told 911 dispatchers that her son had put a razor blade to her throat and might have weapons on him before officers arrived at her home and killed him Friday.

The Sharon Herald newspaper was the first to report on and obtain the 911 recording. It reveals the frantic moments leading up to the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Sean Ryan Hake by City of Sharon police. Hake was in the process of transitioning from a woman to a man, his friends and relatives said. They said he had also been dealing with personal issues as of late.

Sean Ryan Hake. Photo via Facebook.

According to the paper, Hake's mother, Cynthia Loya, called 911 late Friday and told an operator: "My son's trying to kill me."

Asked if Hake had any weapons, Loya said, "Yes, he had a razor blade to my neck, and he tried to get me to take him to the store and take all my money."

"Where is he at right now?" the operator asks.

"He's in my garage, and I'm driving around. I'm supposed to pick him up. He's got the knife on him. He said if I call the police he'd slit his throat," Loya adds.

The operator told Loya not to return to her home before transferring the call to another operator, the newspaper said.

"Yeah, I don't know if he has a gun because I have weapons in the house, and I don't know if he has one or not," Loya then told the second operator.

The mother then adds that Hake was in the process of transitioning from female to male.

No additional details about the shooting have been released, and three Sharon police officers remain on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

Law enforcement officials in Mercer County and Sharon have yet to return PennLive's calls seeking comment on the case.

Elsewhere, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is calling for a "full accounting" of the incident.

Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, issued the following statement on Wednesday:

"As with any officer-involved shooting, it is imperative that the Pennsylvania State Police, the Sharon Police Department, and Mercer County District Attorney Miles Karson commit to full transparency and accountability in this case. The public deserves a full accounting of how and why Sean died. This must include the release of all relevant information, including but not limited to any existing video recordings, audio recordings, and the name of the officer who felt compelled to shoot Sean."

Shuford added: "Relations between the transgender community and law enforcement have long been fraught. In the wake of Sean's tragic death, we must insist that police and prosecutors respect transgender Pennsylvanians and work to build strong, positive relationships with the community."
* About 3,500 in total to arrive

* Kremlin says deployment threat to Russia (Adds background, comments from Poland)

By Anna Koper and Andrew Osborn

WARSAW/MOSCOW, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Poland on Thursday welcomed several thousand U.S. troops along with tanks and heavy equipment under a planned NATO operation to beef up its Eastern European allies, vexing the Kremlin, which said the troops' presence is a threat to Russia.

The largest U.S.military reinforcement of Europe in decades of around 2,700 troops, out of 3,500 planned, arrived as part of operation Atlantic Resolve, aimed at showing Moscow Washington's commitment to its allies.

"The main goal of our mission is deterrence and prevention of threats," U.S. Army Colonel Christopher R. Norrie, commander of the 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, said at a welcome ceremony in Poland's western city of Zagan.

Poland and the Baltic former Soviet Republics requested U.S. and NATO troops after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in 2014, fearing further military operations in the region by President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin, which has previously criticised NATO for its reinforcement in Eastern Europe, said on Thursday the deployment was an aggressive step along its borders.

"We consider this a threat to us," Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin's spokesman, told journalists on a conference call. "We are talking here about a third country stepping up its military presence in Europe near our borders."

MATTER OF INFLUENCE

Modernisation of the army has been a key priority for Poland's year-old government run by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which built its popularity partly on promising greater security capabilities.

On Thursday, Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said on the state TVP Info news channel that the NATO deployment puts an end to Russia's influence in the region.

"Even after 1989 we had to continuously wonder whether the Russians won't veto this or that action," said Macierewicz, who has been seeking better ties and contracts with the U.S. military.

Story continues

"Russia's veto power in Central Europe, in Poland, has ended once and for all."

Moscow, however, has already deployed in retaliation nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its European exclave of Kaliningrad, in a move the U.S. State Department said was "destabilising to European security."

The U.S. deployment to NATO's eastern flank includes more than 80 main battle tanks and hundreds of armoured vehicles. The military unit will rotate through several countries, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.

"Their arrival is just one small but meaningful example of how we are quickly building combat power here," Norrie said.

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Anna Koper in Warsaw; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Warsaw; Editing by James Dalgleish)
The structure near the tree line of the Landis' property doesn't look like much but, if they have their way, it could prove to be a headache for developers of the Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline.

"This is our property, this is our yard," said Tracy Landis, whose Conestoga Township home is in the pipeline's path. "We love living here and we want to protect it."

Taking a cue from the tactics Native American groups deployed in opposition to the Dakota Access oil pipeline, a group of protesters have erected two stands to block the Atlantic Sunrise's path. Once completed, the pipeline will transport 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas per day from shale fields to the north and west across central Pennsylvania.

It won't take much effort to tear the wooden structures down, but their builders hope the stands will be the focal point for a protest that could draw hundreds--or possibly thousands--to Lancaster County.

"It's not that these structures are going to stop them," said Mark Clatterbuck, of the group Lancaster Against Pipelines. "They will serve as the center of an encampment of people who will be there permanently."

The group completed the first structure, named "The Stand" for its similarity to a deer stand and for the obvious symbolism, back in October on a farm about a half-mile away with the blessing of a different landowner.

Williams Partners LP, the Oklahoma-based energy company behind the $3 billion project, announced an alternate route, through the Landis property, shortly thereafter and opponents responded in kind.

The map below shows the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline's path through Lancaster County and the location of the two stands.

Clatterbuck said the stands were built with volunteer labor and mostly donated supplies. Tracy Landis and her husband Eric helped pay for the stand on their property and they plan to fight any attempt Williams makes to claim any part of their land under eminent domain.

"We moved there for privacy," Tracy said, "and we're going to do everything we can to fight this because nobody should have the right to steal your property to make a profit off it."

Landis considers herself a "realist." Although she opposes pipelines in principle, she said she understands why they are necessary. In this case, she said, the company should target existing rights-of-way and not land that families like hers live on.

Atlantic Sunrise is one of several pending pipeline projects in the state that energy producers need to carry the glut of new gas to hubs in the east. Supporters say the existing infrastructure must be upgraded to allow for the continued growth of the industry.

"Pennsylvania is going to benefit tremendously from having the additional infrastructure that will allow more gas to make it to market," said Williams spokesman Chris Stockton. "There's an economic benefit when that happens."

In addition to the roughly 200 miles of new pipeline, the Atlantic Sunrise project calls for the creation of two new compressor stations and various other infrastructure components to help push gas from the Marcellus Shale fields to markets along the eastern seaboard. Once complete, newly extracted gas would flow into Williams' existing 10,500-mile Transco pipeline that runs from New York to the Gulf of Mexico.

Pipelines have long proven controversial to environmentalists and property owners due to the disruption caused by their construction and the possibility of leaks. However, there are few alternatives and there have been many high-profile accidents involving rail transport of crude oil.

Last month, federal regulators found that the environmental impacts of the Atlantic Sunrise project would be "reduced to less-than-significant levels" through Williams' mitigation efforts. That report was the next step toward a final decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Stockton said Williams plans to begin construction in the second quarter of this year, sometime in the spring or summer, although that timetable is dependent on various approvals. In addition to FERC, various elements of the project also fall under the purview of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State Historic Preservation Office.

As for the permanent protest encampment in Lancaster County?

Opponents of the Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline have built a second wooden structure at an alternative route proposed by the builders.

The company, Stockton said, will monitor its rights of way and work with local officials to ensure the construction is completed safely.

"If there are protesters, certainly it's their right to protest as long as it's done safely," he said. "We're not going to do anything that's going to jeopardize the safety of anybody."

Unlike with the protests in North Dakota, Stockton said, the company will not be building on a Native American reservation. (Another difference: The Dakota Access Pipeline will carry crude oil, although it's clear the type of fuel being carried isn't the source of the protest.)

"We have tried to approach this in a very collaborative way and demonstrate great flexibility, as well," Stockton said, noting several modifications to the route. "You're not always going to make everyone happy and they're going to oppose you for a number of reasons."

Clatterbuck, a Martic Township resident who works as a religion professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey, said the route the pipeline takes is less important than the environmental impacts, including the clearcutting of forest and the risk of future gas leaks.

"The point isn't which of our neighbors we want to have this pipeline," he said. "It's just: we don't want your pipeline."

About 200 protesters showed up for the dedication of the first stand in October. The group will hold a second event, with a community bonfire, to celebrate the completion of the second stand on Sunday.

In addition to the local opposition, Clatterbuck said he's been in contact with some of the activists who've participated in the Dakota Access encampment. He expects at least some protesters from out of state to join although it's difficult to predict how many people could be drawn to a similar effort along the Conestoga River.

Protesters have already had several run-ins with crews working on the various pipeline projects crossing through the county. In 2015, Clatterbuck faced a disorderly conduct charge for filming the out-of-state license plates of Williams subcontractors. That charge was ultimately dropped.

"We're committed to nonviolent civil disobedience to stop this construction," he said, "if it comes to that."
WILLIAMSPORT - A Delaware County man has admitted his role in a bath salts, synthetic marijuana and incense distribution network based in Philadelphia and Bloomsburg.

George R. Beatty, 27, of Wallingford, on Wednesday pleaded guilty in U.S. Middle District Court to a charge of conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs.

After leaving Bloomsburg University in 2007, Beatty said he was hired by co-defendant Paul Chomiak to manage an airbrush studio in Philadelphia.

He would receive through post office boxes in Philadelphia the illegal substances, mostly from Hungary but also from Romania and the United Kingdom, Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel said.

It was Beatty's job to repackage the contents and ship them in boxes marked not for human consumption to Symplegades Requiem, a store Chomiak owned in Bloomsburg, he said. He was paid $10 an hour and earned $27,200, the prosecutor said.

Beatty, who remains free pending sentencing, checked into a drug treatment facility in August 2011 but before he did also was shipping packages to a co-conspirator in South Carolina, Rocktashel said.

Beatty and Chomiak are among 12 defendants in the case. Chomiak pleaded guilty in October 2014 to two conspiracy counts, one of which charged money laundering. He has not been sentenced.

Lindsay Lee-Lampshire of Kalamazoo, Mich., also has pleaded guilty and admitted she used her business to facilitate the Internet marketing and distribution of bath salts and the other substances.

Among those awaiting trial in the case is Bloomsburg lawyer Clyde Kevin Middleton, who allegedly provided legal advice and acted like a business manager for the operation.
Snowden.jpg

This June 9, 2013 photo provided by The Guardian newspaper in London shows Edward Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the U.S. National Security Agency, in Hong Kong. The Guardian newspaper says that the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ repeatedly hacked into foreign diplomats' phones and emails when the U.K. hosted international conferences, even going so far as to set up a bugged Internet cafe in an effort to get an edge in high-stakes negotiations. (AP Photo/The Guardian, File)

Former US intelligence worker and "whistle-blower" Edward Snowden will address University of Pittsburgh students via a video stream from Russia where he continues to live in exile, a student newspaper reports.

The Pitt News says the event will take place Feb. 1 with 450 free tickets being made available to students and 50 being reserved for Pitt Program Council (PPC) members and select VIP invitees.

According to the paper, students can obtain free tickets for the event by going to the WPU Ticket Office. Doors for the event, where Snowden will lecture and answer questions from Pitt students, will open at 7:30 p.m. and a stand-by line will be allowed in at 8:15 p.m.

Student Niki Iyer told the paper that the 25-member student committee decided to bring Snowden as a lecturer because of "his relevancy, our current political situation and he's Edward Snowden."

Snowden has addressed other colleges and universities around the country and world via video stream recently, often discussing surveillance and cyber security issues.

This as Snowden remains both a fugitive and a highly controversial figure years after his leaks of classified information concerning government and NSA surveillance of cell phones and several other global surveillance programs to the public.

Snowden has since fled the country and is living in an undisclosed location in Russia. He has asked President Barack Obama to pardon him. Obama has said he's unable to do so.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correctly refer to Niki Iyer as a University of Pittsburgh student.
Update: Victim's mom tells killer, "You hunted my son like an animal."

A Dauphin County jury on Thursday afternoon convicted Glenn E. Walker III of first-degree murder for the March 2016 slaying of the nephew of Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter.

Judge Deborah E. Curcillo immediately sentence the 20-year-old Walker to life in prison.

The jurors deliberated about 12 hours over two days before reaching a verdict. Police said Walker shot John Carter, 36, in the back as Carter fled following a fight on Green Street.

Check back with PennLive for more on his story.
Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter expressed profound sadness at the events that led to the conviction Thursday of Glenn Walker III for the murder of John Carter, the chief's 36-year-old nephew.

The police chief issued the following statement Thursday afternoon.

Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter

"This is a tragedy for everyone involved," said Carter upon learning of Walker's conviction on charges of first-degree murder. "My heart goes out to both families.



"A 20-year-old man is facing the rest of his life in prison, and another family has lost a beloved son," he said. "Everybody loses."

Carter called for an end to gun violence plaguing American cities and an end to the continued loss of too many young lives.

"As a community, we need to ask ourselves one question," he said. "What will it take to end such senseless violence?"
Update: Susquehanna Township has a hearing on the matter

Why drive to work when you can fly?

That's the philosophy of Donald Donagher, owner of PennCredit, a national debt collection company. The businessman has flown a helicopter from his Silver Spring Township home to his Harrisburg office on occasion over the past year. The city allows helicopters to land on property with the owner's permission.

"I land on the grass right next to the front door," he said of his office at the 13th Street exit off Interstate 83. "Then I walk 50 feet to the front door."

Now he'd like to be able to fly one of his two helicopters into Susquehanna Township, where he plans to relocate his office headquarters this year. And he'd like to fly to it fairly regularly.

His 35-minute drive would shrink to a mere six minutes to cover the 13-mile flight.

But first, he must secure an amendment to the township's zoning ordinance to build a helicopter landing pad. As it stands, private-use helipads aren't approved anywhere in the municipality. The amendment would allow Donagher, and others in the future, to apply for special expceptions to build helipads in commercial and industrial zones.

Donagher, 64, started the process to gain permission for helipads both in his hometown and Susquehanna Township about 20 months ago. He secured approval in Silver Spring Township in October and constructed a concrete pad near his home. He also constructed a helipad at his 77-acre ranch about one minute away from his home. Both helipads were licensed by PennDOT aviation this month.

And he's made some progress in Susquehanna Township, where the planning commission signed off on his plan to build a landing pad at 2704 Park Drive in a commercial office park. The next step? A public hearing at a township commission meeting 7 p.m. Thursday.

If the commissioners eventually agree with Donagher's plan, his helipad would be the first in the township. But it wouldn't be the first helipad in the area.

Instead, Donagher said there are about a dozen private helipads in the area, including one on top of the Capital View Commerce Center in Harrisburg. There are 280 private, medical and public ones across the state.

"It's kind of not that unusual," he said, while admitting his situation was unique in that he serves as his own pilot.

Donagher said he fell in love with flying after training seasonal in Florida and earning his pilot license. He has logged 500 hours and looks for any and every opportunity to break out his choppers. He owns a red R44 that cost about $600,000 and a black R66, which carries a $1.1 million price tag.

The next model up would cost $3.5 million and that's the kind the Pennsylvania State Police fly, Donagher said. But Donagher doesn't have any interest in upgrading.

Township Commissioners said they are keeping an open mind about his proposal, but some of them have heard concerns.

One resident owns a townhome near the commercial office park and was concerned about noise disruption, said Frank Lynch, the chair of the board of commissioners.

"I represent this ward and people just don't want helicopters flying in," he said. "They didn't sign up for that."

Two neighboring businesses also shared concerns about noise, worried that their employees would have to pause conference calls or stop seminars while a chopper lands nearby.

The helicopters also could pose a distraction to drivers along Interstate 81 right as they are trying to merge lanes, Lynch said.

But Donagher said the concerns are unfounded. The office park where Donagher wants to fly is more than 1,000 feet from the nearest home, he said, and his light helicopters aren't loud like military choppers.

Instead, Donagher said his helicopters register at about 81 or 82 decibels at 500 feet. That's not that much louder than a normal speaking voice, Donagher said, which registers in the low 70s. The traffic on the highway is louder and more distracting, he said.

Donagher already has an FAA-approved flight path along Interstate 81. He passes a few of his neighbors while leaving his home, but hasn't heard any complaints in two years, he said. He would not pass over any homes in Susquehanna Township.

"The helipad at my house in the middle of a neighborhood, no complaints," he said. "I have houses on three sides of me."

The trips to the office would be limited too, Donagher said. He would fly to work up to three times a week, and he can land in about 40 seconds and take-off in 20 seconds.

"So that's just three minutes a week," he said.

Donagher won't fly at all during at least four months a year when he lives in Florida, he said.

Other entities, such as state police or Life Lion could also use the pad, Donagher said. Likewise, if the helicopter is there and a need arises, such as a missing child or heart attack victim, Donagher said he would gladly spring into action.

Although Donagher's plans for the township are for a building on Park Drive, he may switch gears and move into a larger building across the street. He has a verbal contract to buy a building at 2800 Commerce Drive, he said. That location is more secluded with seven-acres of trees that could act as a noise buffer.

Although flying a helicopter to work may seem unusual, it's not even the most unique facet of Donagher. That distinction might be reserved for his 24-carat gold business cards.

Yes, real gold. And yes, he really hands them out.

He tucked two into the hand of Donald Trump during one of Trump's forays into Pennsylvania. The president-elect even asked Donagher where he gets them made. But Donagher didn't reveal his source. He didn't reveal the cost for the business cards to PennLive either.

"It's my outrageous marketing tool," he said. "No one else has these."

Besides flying, Donagher's passions include animals, helping children in need, and fighting breast cancer and domestic violence.

"That's where I like to spend my money," he said. "I came from nothing and I made out pretty well. So I spend it."

Donagher has dressed up like Santa Claus and used his helicopter to deliver money to emergency responders. For the past two years, he's worked with emergency responders in his hometown to shuttle needy children to a toy store where he gives each child $300 to spend.

He's also purchased police dogs and vehicles for the local police department.

The ranch that he owns near his home was initially designed to serve primarily as his helipad. But soon he began accepting rescue animals and now he has 9 horses, five goats, one sheep and 50 chickens. He transformed the property into the "Double D Ranch," with two full-time employees, where he invites children to see the animals.

And, of course, take a ride in his helicopter.
Dauphin County Courthouse

The Dauphin County Courthouse

A prisoner who smuggled a shank into the Dauphin County Courthouse was foiled before he could use the homemade weapon in an escape attempt that officials said could have turned into a bloodbath.



District Attorney Ed Marsico said Thursday that another prisoner alerted officials about the shank on Wednesday. Marsico said the prisoner with the shank, who was appearing before a judge for a trial, was disarmed before he could use the weapon.



"His plan was to use (the shank) against a sheriff's deputy and get the deputy's gun and escape," the DA said. He said the man is believed to have mental health issues.



Sheriff Nicholas Chimienti said the name of the armed prisoner is being withheld because the incident is still being investigated by county detectives. No charges had yet been filed. The man was later identified as Tylor Reynolds, 25, of Harrisburg.



The weapon involved was a 14-inch piece of heavy-gauge wire bent into a V-shape, Chief Deputy Sheriff Jack Duignan said. "It was in his shoe," Duignan said.



He said the prisoner, a state inmate, had been transported from the county prison that morning. Duignan said the prisoner who alerted deputies said he saw the shank-armed man take the weapon from his shoe and put it in his waistband. The armed prisoner also told the other prisoner what he planned to do, Duignan said.



"He was going to stab a deputy in the eye, take his gun and kill everybody he could possibly shoot and kill," Duignan said. He said the prisoner's plan was to start the attack as soon as he was unshackled, right before the jury entered the courtroom. Duignan said the prisoner had the shank on him when he was in the courtroom earlier in the day, but never had the chance to use it.



"He snapped out when we found the shank," he said.



Duignan said he thanked the prisoner who gave the alert. "He said it was just the right thing to do," Duignan said. "He said life is precious." That prisoner also was praised by Judge John F. Cherry and First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo.

Chardo said the prisoner with the shank was in the courthouse to be tried in an aggravated assault case.

The prisoner who tipped off the deputies "did the right thing. We took care of him," Chardo said. He said that man was paroled immediately after pleading no contest to a burglary charge. The man had already served a year in prison in that case, the prosecutor said.

Chimienti said a security review is being conducted in the wake of the incident to institute steps to prevent other prisoners from smuggling such deadly contraband.

Police catch man accused of wearing homemade explosives in Dauphin County
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (centre) flanked by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (L) and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci before a trilateral meeting in Geneva, on January 12, 2017 (AFP Photo/Pierre ALBOUY)

Geneva (AFP) - Rival Cypriot leaders, along with top diplomats from Turkey, Greece and Britain, agreed to push on with efforts to reunite the divided island and end one of the world's longest-running political rows.

The United Nations' new Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who hosted the historic conference in Geneva on his first foreign trip at the helm of the world body, said a deal was "close" but not to expect a "quick fix".

Guterres told reporters he was hoping for a breakthrough at the Geneva conference, which involved rival Cypriot sides as well as Greece, Turkey and former colonial power Britain.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.

Thursday's talks followed three days of negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci aiming to forge a united, two-zone federation.

"We are coming very close to what is the settlement," Guterres said during a pause in negotiations.

But he added that major work remained on how to implement and guarantee a lasting peace.

"You cannot expect miracles of immediate solutions. We are not looking for a quick fix," he said. "We are looking for a solid sustainable solution."

- 'Historic opportunity' -

Guterres, in office since January 1, was hosting top diplomats from Cyprus' so-called "guarantor powers", including British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and his counterparts Nikos Kotzias of Greece and Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Under a 1959 treaty, those nations were allowed to intervene to defend the island's sovereign integrity, which Ankara used to justify its invasion.

The conference in Geneva for the first time brought together the two Cypriot leaders with top diplomats of the three guarantor countries to discuss security and other sticking points that have blocked progress for decades.

Story continues

"The participants recognised that this is the time to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion," the UN said in a statement after the conference wrapped up late Thursday.

"This is a historic opportunity that should not be missed."

Johnson said "real progress" had been made in the talks.

"With continued commitment and political will I believe a historical agreement is within reach," he said in a statement.

Changes to or the possible elimination of the guarantor power arrangement has emerged as a key issue at the talks, along with the presence of some 30,000 Turkish troops on the island.

The Greek foreign minister restated Athens' position that the guarantor system should be scrapped and told reporters that Turkish troops should leave Cyprus on "a timeline agreed in advance".

Anastasiades also wants the Turkish troops out but Akinci is determined to keep a military presence.

Britain, which also retains military bases in Cyprus that are sovereign British territory, also said it was happy to do away with guarantor system if Cypriots asked, while Turkey insisted the arrangement must be preserved.

Cavusoglu however told reporters late Thursday that Turkish troops must remain on the island because "the reality is that Turkey's guarantorship is vital to Turkish Cypriot people".

Meanwhile, in the island's capital Nicosia, some 200 Greek Cypriots protesting outside the presidential palace chanted "Turkish troops out of Cyprus".

UN peacekeepers also safeguard a buffer zone between the two sides.

Kotzias said the sides were expected to set up a "team of experts" charged with the security file, with the three foreign ministers meeting again on January 23 to discuss the issue.

Cavusoglu however dismissed any meeting on January 23, saying: "The announcement of a date (by the Greek foreign minister) before reaching an agreement is not the right method."

The UN said technical talks involving guarantor countries would start on January 18, in parallel to negotiations between the two sides in Cyprus on outstanding issues.

After that, the high-level political conference will continue to review the outcome of the technical talks.

- Maps swapped -

Earlier in the week, Anastasiades and Akinci tackled thorny domestic questions like the composition of a unified government and land swaps.

In another first, they exchanged maps late Wednesday detailing their visions of how internal boundaries should be redrawn.

Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed in principle to return some of the land they have controlled since the failed 1974 coup.

The Greek Cypriot government said that the maps met the terms agreed during previous negotiations that foresees the Turkish Cypriot zone amounting to a maximum of 29.2 percent of the island, although disputes remain and a final version has not been agreed.

The sides have also discussed the island's relations with the European Union, with the UN seeking to create a unified nation that would be a full EU member.

While Cyprus has been an EU member state since 2004, Anastasiades' internationally recognised government exercises no control over the northern Turkish-ruled part of the island, and EU legislation is suspended there until a settlement is reached.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

The Yen slipped a little after a less-upbeat December assessment from Japans economy watchers

However, the previous month had marked 2016s highs, so there was probably room for a pullback

The Asia sessions general US Dollar weakness is already creeping back to USD/JPY

The Japanese Yen ticked lower against the US Dollar following the release of a slightly more downbeat assessment of economic conditions in the worlds number three economy.

The December Economy Watchers index out of Japan scored the economic outlook at 50.9. This was below Novembers 53.0 print. Current conditions, meanwhile, were assessed at 51.4. That was the same as the previous months revised score, but well below the initial assessment of 52.5.

This survey aims to get an accurate grip on Japanese activity by polling workers whose jobs tend to closely align to the economic cycle. These include retail employees, restaurant workers and the like. Decembers numbers were a clear step back, but its probably worth bearing in mind that Novembers assessment of current conditions was the highest score for 2016.

USD/JPY managed a mild rise just after the figures, in an Asian session that has been generally hard going for the US currency. President-elect Donald Trump failed to answer many of the markets burning questions about his policy agenda when he met the press in the US on Wednesday, with greenback weakness the result across the region.

That weakness already seems to be reasserting itself very soon after the figures, although USD/JPY did get up to 114.761 after the Japanese data, from 114.616 before their release.

Modest gains in a tough USD session. USD/JPY

Yen Ticks Down as Economy Watcher Sentiment Sours

Chart compiled using TradingView

How does your take on the markets in 2017s first quarter match up with ours? Take a look at DailyFX analysts forecasts here.

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research

Contact and follow David on Twitter:@DavidCottleFX



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from IG.
Women in the audience react after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked to donate his tie to be a dog collar during a question and answer at a town hall meeting in Kingston, Ont., Thursday, January 12, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Finance Minister Bill Morneau makes an announcement on housing in Toronto, Monday, October 3, 2016. The federal government is looking at creating a new benefit to help low-income Canadians who struggle to pay the rent each month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
John Furlong addresses a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday November 25, 2015. An indigenous professor has resigned from a sexual assault policy committee at the University of British Columbia after the school brought back Furlong to speak at an upcoming fundraiser. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
This picture posted on Dec. 11, 2016, by the Syrian militant group Ahrar al-Sham, purports to show Ahrar al-Sham fighters consulting a map in the countryside around the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Aleppo province, Syria. Nearly two months into the assault, Turkey has become bogged down in an unexpectedly bloody fight to retake the Islamic State groupAos last stronghold in northern Syria. It has been forced to pour in troops, take the lead in the battle from its Syrian allies and reach out to Russia for aerial support -- a move that tests its alliance with the United States and the Syrian opposition. (Ahrar al-Sham, via AP)
Boyne City Middle School to host viewing of new Rambler Fieldhouse

From 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Boyne City Public Schools will welcome students and community members to an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility.
Brazil's Petrobras to invest $19 bln in 2017



Petrobras to regain its investment capacity

RIO DE JANEIRO

Petroleumworld.com 01 12 2017

Petroleo Brasileiro SA expects to spend 30 percent more in exploration, production and refining projects this year, signaling that efforts to cut debt and preserve cash are helping Brazil's state-controlled oil company regain investment capacity.

Chief Executive Officer Pedro Parente told reporters at an event in Rio de Janeiro that capital spending at Petrobras could rise to $19 billion in 2017 from $14.6 billion in 2016. Investments could be maintained around those levels if Petrobras sticks to strict fuel pricing and preserves cash.

Petrobras will follow market guidelines and not macroeconomic policy instructions to set prices for gasoline, diesel and other fuel, he said. Cash of about $22 billion should be enough to allow Petrobras to undertake activities for more than two years, Chief Financial Officer Ivan Monteiro said at the event.

"Our cash and financial position is a source of tranquility for the time being," Monteiro said.

Their remarks indicate to a large extent the success of Parente in turning around a company that a year ago was thought by many analysts to be the target of a state rescue. During his seven months at the helm of Petrobras, Parente has stretched out over $10 billion in debt payments, revamped output, set off accident-reduction goals and overhauled corporate governance.

He faces several obstacles to turning around Petrobras, the world's most indebted major oil firm, including oil price volatility, a corruption scandal highlighting governance flaws, and the legacy of policies that forced the company to enter low-yielding, money-losing business segments.

One of his top priorities is to cut the company's $130 billion of debt, amassed after years of state-led policies overstretched the company.

According to Monteiro, debt-reduction steps are helping the company regain the trust of global investors and the ability to spend wisely on exploration and production. He expects the company's debt ratings, currently below investment-grade, to be upgraded at least once before the end of this year.

Preferred shares, the company's most widely traded in Brazil, shed 0.3 percent to 15.45 reais in late Wednesday morning trading. The stock is up almost 4 percent this year.

In September, Petrobras pledged up to $74.1 billion in capital spending for the 2017-2021 period, compared with a $98.4 billion target in the prior 2015-2019 plan.








A wide range of rounds is available to meet the varying needs of law enforcement. Here's a look at what's currently out there for purchase.

Cor-Bon DPX Handgun Ammunition

Photo: Cor-Bon

Cor-Bon DPX is a solid 100% copper hollow-point bullet that features a polymer nickel coated case with Ducta-Bright 7a. The nose is reshaped for quicker expansion and to provide deeper penetration. It improves low-light chamber checks and will ease extraction from a dirty chamber. Improvements to the DPX bullets include six cuts all the way through the ogive, meaning longer and sharper petals. These allow the copper bullet to fully expand, doubling the bullet's diameter. According to Cor-Bon, DPX maintains 100% of its weight after going through heavy barriers. DPX is certified lead-free, and can be used in California. www.corbon.com

Federal Premium HST Practice & Defend Combo Packs

Photo: Federal Premium

Federal Premium has joined personal defense ammunition and ballistically matched training loads in one package with its Practice & Defend Combo Packs. The company has combined HST loads for personal defense with American Eagle training rounds, which help to provide consistent accuracy, according to Federal Premium. The Combo Packs are available in 380 Auto, 9mm Luger, 40 S&W, and 45 Auto. The HST Practice & Defend Combo Packs offer 100 rounds of target ammunition and 20 rounds of HST Personal Defense. www.federalpremium.com

Hornady TAP SBR

Photo: Hornady

Specifically designed for short-barreled rifles, Hornady's new 5.56 NATO 75-grain TAP SBR bullet meets FBI protocol and is infused with technology from Critical Duty FlexLock pistol bullets. The TAP SBR utilizes a propellant developed specifically for optimal performance in barrels size 10.5 inches 11.5 inches, and is effective in both suppressed and unsuppressed rifles. Sound signature tests have shown reductions of 6 to 7 decibels compared to other loads, according to the company. In addition, the efficiency of the propellant results in a 15% to 20% temperature reduction, delivering a progressive burn rate. http://www.hornadyle.com/

Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense Rounds

Photo: Liberty Ammunition

Liberty's Civil defense ammunition features lower weight with twice the velocity and reduced recoil, according to the company. The Civil Defense Round's design increases energy transferred into the target while greatly reducing any over-penetration concerns. The product has received a 5-star rating from the NTOA. Liberty Ammunition supplies tactical ammunition to the U.S. military, American allies, and law enforcement. Liberty Ammunition currently offers 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 380 Auto, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 10mm Auto, 45 Long Colt, and .223 Rem in its Civil Defense line. www.libertyammunition.com

National Police Ammunition HELO SPEAR Ammo

Photo: National Police Ammunition

National Police Ammunition's new H.E.L.O (High-Expansion-Law Enforcement-Round) with patent pending S.P.E.A.R (Sintered Penetrating Expansion Assisting Rod) is a solid copper hollow point that bridges the gap between a barrier blind cartridge and a controlled expansion round. The HELO SPEAR uses a fluted sintered metal ballistic insert that passes barriers such as auto glass, drywall, plywood, and others while retaining 98% of its weight. According to the company, HELO SPEAR will only penetrate to its programmed depth, retaining 99% weight and expanding to twice its original diameter. The HELO with SPEAR ballistic insert will only be available to law enforcement in all major calibers for rifle and pistol. www.npee.org

Rio Ammunition Royal Buckshot

Photo: Rio Ammunition

The Rio Royal Buckshot cartridges are designed to provide a high velocity over long distances. The cartridges are loaded with true round-ball lead pellets for high stopping power and accurate flight consistency, according to the company. Rio Law Enforcement Ammunition offers a wide range of buckshot cartridges in 12-gauge standard and low recoil, as well as 20-gauge. www.rioammo.com

RUAG Ammotec .223 Rem. SWISS P Final SR 3.4 g / 52 gr

Photo: RUAG Ammotec

RUAG Ammotec's .223 Rem. SWISS P Final SR was specifically developed for short distance operations in urban environments. The disintegrating hollow point bullet deposits its full energy directly after penetration providing excellent stopping power on soft targets, according to RUAG. This waterproof round was designed exclusively for use in short-barreled carbines and can breach body armor Level NIJ IIIA. http://www.ruagswissp.com

SIG Sauer Match Grade Elite Performance Ammunition

Photo: SIG Sauer

SIG Sauer's Match Grade Elite Performance Ammunition line has added the 223 Rem and 308 Win loads. The .223 Rem Open Tip Match round features a 77-grain Sierra MatchKing bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2,750 fps and muzzle energy of 1,293 ft-lb. The .308 Win load uses a 168-grain Sierra MatchKing bullet with muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps and muzzle energy of 2,719 ft-lbs. The temperature-stable propellants in these cartridges ensure minimum velocity variations. All SIG Sauer rifle ammunition is precision loaded and electromechanically monitored. The shell case metallurgy in the SIG Match Grade OTM cartridges yields consistent bullet retention round to round, according to the company. www.sigammo.com

Speer LE Gold Dot G2

Photo: Speer

New Gold Dot G2 from Speer LE is now being delivered to law enforcement dealers. The Gold Dot G2 features exclusive Gold Dot construction and a structural-plated, pressure-formed core. Instead of a large cavity in the nose, Gold Dot G2 has a shallow dish filled with a high-performance elastomer. On impact, the material is forced into specially designed fissures to start the expansion process, as opposed to conventional bullet designs, which need target media to enter the hollow point and create expansion forces. The result is uniform expansion and more consistent penetration across barrier types, gun platforms, and barrel lengths. www.speer-ammo.com

UTM UTX Marker Rounds

Photo: UTM

The new 9mm UTX Marker Round utilizes UTM's Non-Lethal Training Ammunition technology. 9mm UTX Marker Rounds can be used with the appropriate existing conversion. UTX uses patented driving bands and a dual primer system, ensuring malfunction-free training, according to the company. The UTX also promises no plastic shavings or inaccuracies caused through smooth bore effect as well as controlled and consistent velocity. According to UTM, the driving bands and dual primer system help to improve the effectiveness of force-on-force, force-on-target, and tactical training. UTM's inertia technology (as opposed to bursting) allows glancing shots to mark, providing more consistent and reliable hit identification during force-on-force exercises. https://www.utmworldwide.com/utx/

Winchester Super Clean Ammunition

Photo: Winchester

Winchester is offering two airborne lead-free and downrange lead-free pistol target and training products as part of its Super Clean line. Both loads feature zinc core full metal jacket (ZFMJ) bullets with lead-free primers, which can be used for both indoor and outdoor ranges. These two new Super Clean productsa 9mm Luger 90-grain ZFMJ load with a muzzle velocity of 1,325 fps and a .40 S&W 120-grain ZFMJ that flies at 1,250 fpsare offered at affordable price points, which will allow for more high-volume training, according to Winchester. http://winchester.com
Photo: March Optics

Companies will be showing all sorts of firearms-related gear at the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas this month, including optics and sights well suited to police work. The following is a sampling of devices that may soon be on the wish lists of many law enforcement officers.

Advantage Tactical (www.advantagetactical.com) began making sights to help those with the most compromised vision improve their shooting. The Advantage Tactical Pyramid Sight (ATPS) system with its distinctive pyramid shape is completely customizable and is known for helping law enforcement officers with failing vision improve their qualifying scores. Now, the ATPS COSUB (co-witness and submachine gun) top picatinny-mounted sight system is available for use on an AK, any carbine with a picatinny, and submachine guns.

The Aimpoint (www.aimpoint.com) 3X-C Magnifier, which debuted at SHOT Show 2016, is now shipping to dealers. It can be used with all Aimpoint sights for long-range aiming or observation, or as a handheld 3X monocular. Aimpoint magnifiers use the red dot in Aimpoint sights as the aiming reticle, eliminating the need for re-zeroing when shifting between non-magnified and magnified aiming. The 3X-C is encased in a shock absorbing protective rubber cover that also creates an ideal ergonomic grip. Internal optical adjustments make aligning the magnifier and sight quick and easy.

The LaserBallistics Series of laser range finders from American Technology Network (ATN) (www.atncorp.com) can be used with any ATN Smart HD Scope or with any traditional rife scope as a standalone ballistic calculator. You can use ATN's Ballistic Calculator App on your smart phone or tablet. The Laserballistics 1500 Digital Rangefinder has an effective range up to 1,500 yards, and after being connected with your phone and Smart-HD scope, can adjust the reticle in only five seconds. It features Bluetooth connectivity, a mobile app for day scopes, ranging mode, fog mode, and speed mode.

You can expect to see multiple new Elite Tactical AR Optics and models from Bushnell (http://bushnell.com) at SHOT. From the Elite Tactical line, Bushnell will be debuting its LRTSi, SMRS, and DMR II-I models. From the AR Optics line you'll see the 3X Magnifier, Enrage Red Dot, Engulf Micro Reflex Red Dot, and Incinerate Red Dot. The Bushnell AR Optics 3X Magnifier is designed to perfectly pair with AR Optics TRS-25 by Bushnell, but it works with any red dot. The AR Optics 3X Magnifier mounts behind your optic and it comes with an ambidextrous flip mount so you can flip it out of the way when you don't need it.

At the C-More Systems (http://cmore.com) booth at SHOT, you'll see the STS2 and the RTS2, both of which are new and improved, and well suited for duty use. The STS2 is intended as a handgun optic. It is a small, compact sight with a 10-position manually operated push button intensity switch with previous intensity return and auto off. It has precision 1 MOA click adjustments for easy zeroing. The RTS2 works well on a carbine, with a larger lens than the STS2, in addition to all of the same features. Many new mounting options are scheduled to be available for both sights in 2017.

The all new Leupold (www.leupold.com) LTO-Tracker thermal viewer is compact at only 5.6 inches long and weighs less than 10 ounces, allowing it to be carried comfortably in a pant pocket. While hunters may find it handy, so will law enforcement officers. It runs on a CR123 battery that delivers 10 hours of continuous operation. Equipped with a 6x digital zoom and 21 degree field of view, this thermal device will detect subjects up to 600 yards away. The LTO has six color palettes to choose from and a user controlled reticle for greater viewing precision.

March Optics (http://marchoptics.com) will be showing its MAR1071 1 - 4.5 x 24mm scope at SHOT. It was designed for service rifle match shooters who shoot at various distances up to 600 yards. But this scope is also well suited for SWAT operations at close range. It features oversized tactical turrets for easy windage and elevation adjustments and high-quality ED lenses designed to provide exceptional image resolution.

Meprolight (www.themakogroup.com) is introducing the RDS Pro MIL-SPEC reflex sight, which can be mounted to any rifle platform using a Picatinny rail. It operates for thousands of hours on a single AA battery, with an automatic shut off/on sensor mechanism so it's always ready for use. In addition to being certified waterproof to 66ft, the sight is designed to perform under the harshest and most rugged conditions. Featuring a large display window with 30mm FOV for rapid target acquisition, the shooter can easily keep both eyes open. The clearly defined red dot features four interchangeable brightness intensities to fit any lighting conditionday or night. The RDS PRO is compatible with GEN II and GEN III NVGs as well as magnifying scopes.

The Vulkan 3 thermal biocular from Night Optics USA (www.nightoptics.com) is the newest addition to the company's Vulkan Series thermal imagers. It's designed to be much lighter weight for extended periods of use while still providing high performance. The Vulkan 3 features high-grade OLED displays and high-quality U.S.-made germanium optics as well as custom thermal cores for great imaging with rich contrast.

Night Vision Devices (http://nvdevices.com), formerly known as Night Vision Depot, is now offering refurbished MIL SPEC clip-on night vision weapon sights, complete with a one-year warranty. These AN/PVS-30s were exchanged by the U.S. Army with the factory for brand new systems. They are available to law enforcement for a fraction of the cost of a new system.

Trail thermal imaging rifle scopes from Pulsar (www.pulsar-nv.com) are made for hunters and first responders. The top Trail XP models include a robust thermal sensor with 640x480 pixel resolution, 17 m pixel pitch, and an AMOLED micro-display at the same resolution for clearly viewing even the smallest details at closer ranges. The Trail features 810 hours of battery life (1620 with extended batteries), on-board video recording with 8GB of storage, friendly remote control operation, and WiFi.

P4Xi 1-4x24mm from Steiner (www.steiner-optics.com) is a rugged riflescope designed for patrol and tactical situations. You can choose from five daytime and six nighttime illumination settings, with an off position between each setting. The P4Xi features a fast-action P3TR reticle and offers true 1X magnification for both-eyes-open shots and 4X zoom for situational awareness and versatility. Steiners N2 Injection System pressure seals 14-psi pressurized dry nitrogen into the scope to keep out water, dust, dirt, and fog.

Trijicon (www.trijicon.com) will be showing its MRO at SHOT. The Miniature Rifle Optic is a red-dot sight designed to be light and rugged, mount easily, and zero quickly. It has a large objective lens and shortened optical length to minimize the "tube effect." The MRO features a 2 MOA dot and eight brightness settings, including two that are night vision compatible and one for very bright conditions. According to Trijicon, it gets five years of continuous use on a single 2032 battery. The MRO is available with or without a mount.

TruGlo (www.truglo.com) will be showing two brand-new products at SHOT: the Tru-Tec Xtreme tactical carbine red-dot sight and the Tritium Pro Night Sights for handguns. Also on hand will be the Tru-Tec 20mm red dot sight, which recently received a recommendation from the NTOA. TruGlo's Tritium Pro night sights are being billed as a good fit for law enforcement use and training. They feature a front sight with a large white "FOCUSLOCK" ring and a U-notch in the rear sight to simplify alignment. In low light or complete darkness, the sights glow and transition to a standard 3-dot configuration.

Vectronix (www.vectronix.us) will be showing a variety of laser range finders and clip-on thermal imagers at SHOT, as well as its new High Resolution Thermal Viewer (HRTV). This lightweight, multifunctional, long-range binocular system features photo, video, and streaming capabilities as well as a laser range finder, laser pointer, and GPS receiver. It is also designed to provide increased situational awareness at any time thanks to the integration of three complementary long range video channels: cooled thermal, color day, and low-light level. The HRTV weighs only 4.4 pounds, including battery.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Even as Donald Trump repeated his pledge Wednesday that Mexico will pay for his wasteful border wall, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto again promised that, no, his country will not be funding the project.

In a meeting of Mexicos ambassadors, Pena Nieto pointed out the ways in which his government differs with the United States, especially when it comes the wall.

We have differences with the United States, like the wall that were not going to pay for, Pena Nieto said. We reject attempts to keep businesses from investing in Mexico on the basis of fear and threats.

Despite Trumps promise, the Mexican president said his countrys sovereignty and principles are not negotiable and that the wall will not be funded by Mexico.

Pena Nietos remarks come the same day that Trump again said that Mexico will eventually pay for the wall, even if the United States provides the initial money to start the project.

Were going to build a wall, the president-elect said. I could wait about a year and a half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get to office, but I dont want to wait.

Trump said that Mexico will reimburse the United States for the walls construction whether its a tax or whether its a payment.

Even though its unlikely that U.S. taxpayers will receive a full reimbursement for the money used to fund Trumps wall, the incoming president continues to stand by the promise that was central to his presidential campaign.

This is the same strategy Trump has used with respect to the Affordable Care Act, which he and Republicans in Congress have promised to repeal and replace. The repeal, which would kick millions off their insurance plans and blow up the deficit, will come right away; the replace part, he says, will come later on.

Later on, of course, almost always means never.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) tore apart Ben Carsons non-answer on whether or not any HUD money would go to Trump and his family to expose an incoming administration that is creating a climate of corruption.

Video:

Sen. Warren wanted assurances from Carson that not a single taxpayer dollar that Carson will give out will financially benefit Trump or family.

Carson answered, I can assure you that the things that I do are driven by a sense of morals and values, and therefore I will absolutely not play favorites for anyone.

Warren said that her question wasnt about Carsons good faith, but whether or not a single HUD dollar will be used to benefit President-elect Trump or his family.

Dr. Carson refused to give a straight answer, It will not be my intention to do anything to benefit any American. Its for all Americans.

Sen. Warren came back strong, Do I take that to mean you may manage programs that will significantly benefit the president-elect?

Carson continued do deliver non-answers, You can take it to mean that I will manage things in a way that benefits the American people. That is going to be the goal. If there happens to be an extraordinary program thats working for millions of people, and it turns out that someone that youre targeting is going to gain $10 from it, am I going to say, No, the rest of you Americans cant have it? I think logic and common sense probably would be the best way.

Warren laid the corruption issue out for all to see, The problem is that you cant assure us that HUD money  not of $10 varieties but of multi-million dollar varieties  will not end up in the president-elects pockets.

Carson never answered Warrens simple yes or no question, which was very telling. All Dr. Carson had to say was that he would make sure that no program dollars go the president-elect or his family. Its an easy answer. He also could have said that he doesnt believe that there will be a conflict of interest between the Trump real estate business and HUD.

The lack of a straight answer was an answer. The potential for corruption isnt going to be limited to the White House. The executive branch is going to be an ATM for the wealthy and the special interests. Carsons answers suggested that it would be fine with him if the Trump family made money off of HUD, as long as it fit his definition of common sense.

Sen. Warren is showing the American people what is coming. Ben Carsons refusal to answer told every citizen all that they needed to know.
The meme economy in 2016 was dominated by Harambe, Dat Boi, and Evil Kermit memes, but we've yet to see the first big meme trend of 2017  until now.

People have been trying to make #SaltBae (an objectively attractive Turkish chef who sprinkles salt on some tasty looking meat) happen.

Stop trying to make #SaltBae happen. It's not going to happen. Unless you count 4 million Instagram views as "happening." Some people might.

A meme known as "Cash me ousside / Howbow Dah" is about to blow up the meme markets, so I'd start selling #SaltBae and start buying Howbow Dah memes ASAP.

Cash Me Ousside / Howbow Dah

KnowYourMeme.com reports that the origin of the Howbow Dah meme is an image of a guest on Dr. Phil, a 13-year-old car thief whose mother called her "out of control." The video (which has accumulated more than 9 million views, take that #SaltBae) tells all:

When Dr. Phil asked the girl where her accent comes from, she replied "From the street," but the audience applauded her when she called them a group of "hos," before dropping what we can only assume will become her ironic catchphrase when she goes to prison: "Cash me ousside, howbow dah." The girl then threatens to fight her mother.

So why is "Cash me ousside / howbow dah" about to blow up the meme economy?

We honestly don't know. Nobody can predict the meme market. But there will be a huge spike in Google searches for it when people see the phrase "howbow dah" on their Facebook timelines. I definitely Googled it.

Follow Popdust on Facebook and Twitter for more reports on the ever-changing meme economy!
About a week ago, the landscape of late night comedy was shocked by reports that Conan O'Brien's long running late night talk show might transition from a nightly format to a weekly one. On paper the decision made some sense with the expanding late night field making it tougher to compete and newer weekly shows like Last Week Tonight and Full Frontal finding success. Yet the thought that Conan, the closest thing left in late night to an elder statesman, might lose his nightly showcase rattled many of his longtime fans. The reports were later amended by TBS to say there are no immediate plans to alter Conan's schedule and that the weekly format was just one of several ideas being floated to help the show survive against its competition. The news however raises the question exactly where the 20-plus year talk show vet fits within a world that is emphasizing digital traffic more and more.

It's hard to imagine another figure like Conan being able to rise up in late night the way he did. A young Harvard educated writer with no professional performance background plucked out of The Simpsons' writing room and given the reigns to NBC's Late Night franchise, succeeding the beloved David Letterman. Few performers would have the patience to find their footing on national TV, even as he faced constant cancellation threats. He eventually however found his niche by emphasizing his absurdist sketch characters like "The Masturbating Bear" and "Vomiting Kermit" as well as filmed remote segments featuring Conan interacting with strangers in unexpected locations. Perhaps the longest standing issue for Conan has been his past challenges to make his comedic sensibilities accessible to all. Many still point to this as a factor in his abrupt removal from hosting The Tonight Show as he struggled to compete with Jay Leno's blandly inoffensive approach, ultimately resulting in his predecessor reclaiming NBC's top hosting mantle.

In the over six years since TBS gave Conan a new, low pressure home, the comedian has largely been able to play to his strengths, creating a free-wheeling and goofier environment than he was ever allowed with The Tonight Show. But while this was occurring, his broadcast network rivals experienced an infusion of youth, appointing younger-skewing hosts like Jimmy Fallon or James Corden and launching a new generation of late night programming. What has come to define these new programs are their utilization of YouTube-friendly segments. Sometimes this means asking celebrities to cut loose from their manufactured personas in light activities like Fallon's Lip Sync Battles and Corden's Carpool Karaoke. Others like Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, and Stephen Colbert use the segments to deliver discussions or comedic rants on politics, informing the masses in painless and often sharable fashion.

Conan and his eponymous show now exists on something of an island; too quirky and bizarre for the masses, and not politically active enough to make headlines. His show's saving grace, from a network perspective, has been his continued usage of his remote segments. Content like his Clueless Gamer videogame reviews and travel episodes in Cuba and Berlin provide a plethora of viral content accessible to people who may never have seen Conan's show before. TBS has championed these segments enough that it is already developing a spinoff Clueless Gamer program in addition to Conan. It's clear that if the show's format was going to be altered as rumored, the network would likely push for Conan to emphasize this content over continuing his interview or sketch segments.

Maybe this is the natural evolution for a show like Conan, stripping away excess and allowing a more streamlined broadcast that emphasizes its strongest attributes? Fans are protective of Conan; especially given his history of being treated as the (literal) red-headed stepchild of late night comedy, but perhaps this could promote his long-term survival chances? As the bubble of late night content continues to expand, one can't help but sense an inevitable burst somewhere on the horizon. But despite the strangest path of any current late night host, Conan has asserted himself as a true survivor through every professional obstacle, and for that we are all lucky.
Watchdog and Public Service reporter

Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576.
Expansion of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center is unlikely within the next five years, according to Experience Columbia SC President Bill Ellen, as Mayor Daniel Rickenmann's administration champions other priorities. Read moreColumbia convention center expansion unlikely any time soon as NCAA rejects tournament bid
Sports Reporter

Derrek Asberry is sports reporter with the Post and Courier. He joined the newsroom in March 2016, after three years at the Aiken Standard where he covered the Savannah River Site. He enjoys New York Yankee baseball and poker.
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
There are five candidates vying for three open seats on Clemson City Council. We asked the two incumbents and three newcomers what they think is most important for Clemson's residents and council. Read moreMeet the candidates: 5 vying for 3 seats on Clemson City Council
WASHINGTON  Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany were indicted in the U.S. on Wednesday in the VW emissions-cheating scandal, while the company itself agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion  by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker.

In announcing the federal charges and the plea bargain, Justice Department prosecutors detailed a large and elaborate scheme inside the German automaker to commit fraud and then cover it up, with at least 40 employees allegedly involved in destroying evidence.

"Volkswagen obfuscated, they denied and they ultimately lied," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

Prosecutors may have trouble bringing the executives to trial in the U.S. German law generally bars extradition of the country's citizens except within the European Union. Privately, Justice Department officials expressed little optimism that the five VW executives still at large will be arrested, unless they surrender or travel outside Germany.

Still, the criminal charges are a major breakthrough for a Justice Department that been under pressure to hold individuals accountable for corporate misdeeds ever since the 2008 financial crisis.

ADVERTISEMENT

U.S. authorities are still investigating just how high the scheme went, and held out the possibility of charges against more VW executives.

"We will continue to pursue the individuals responsible for orchestrating this damaging conspiracy," Lynch said.

VW admitted installing software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the U.S. that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving. The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit.

U.S. regulators confronted VW about the software after university researchers discovered differences in testing and real-world emissions. Volkswagen at first denied the use of the so-called defeat device but finally admitted it in September 2015.

Even after that admission, prosecutors said, company employees were busy deleting computer files and other evidence.

The fines easily eclipse the $1.2 billion penalty levied against Toyota in 2014 over unintended acceleration in its cars. VW also agreed to pay an additional $154 million to California for violating its clean air laws.

The penalties bring the cost of the scandal to VW in the United States to nearly $20 billion, not counting lost sales and damage to the automaker's reputation. Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion civil settlement with U.S. environmental authorities and car owners under which it agreed to repair or buy back as many as a half-million of the affected vehicles.

Although the cost is staggering and would bankrupt many companies, VW has the money, with $33 billion in cash on hand.

ADVERTISEMENT

As for why the fine was so big, "the premeditation here was very significant and that was at a very high level in the company," said Leslie Caldwell, an assistant U.S. attorney general.

Volkswagen pleaded guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice and importing vehicles by using false statements. Under the agreement, VW must cooperate in the investigation and let an independent monitor oversee its compliance for three years.

The six supervisors indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit were accused of lying to environmental regulators or destroying computer files containing evidence.

All six are German citizens, and five remained in Germany. The only one under arrest was Oliver Schmidt, who was seized over the weekend in Miami during a visit to the U.S.

Schmidt was in charge of VW's compliance with U.S. environmental regulations. Those indicted also included two former chiefs of Volkswagen engine development and the former head of quality management and product safety. Prosecutors said one supervised 10,000 employees.

All six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by making false statements to regulators and the public. Three were also charged with fraud and clean-air violations.
AUSTIN  The Rochester police officer who shot a rural Lanesboro man in October, killing him, was justified in his decision to pull the trigger, according to an opinion released last week.

Kristofer Daniel Youngquist, 45, died following an hours-long standoff Oct. 23 with law enforcement.

Sgt. Steven Thompson, a Rochester officer and member of a tactical unit that responded to the scene, is not criminally liable for Youngquist's death, said Mower County Attorney Kristen Nelsen.

Her office was asked by Fillmore County Attorney Brett Corson to review the case "to avoid the appearance of any conflicts of interest" after the investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was completed, Nelsen said.

"After a thorough review of the entire case file, including all reports, photographs and interviews," Thompson's use of deadly force in the line of duty was justified, the opinion reads, citing a Minnesota statute that authorizes the use "when necessary to protect the officer or another from apparent death or great bodily harm."

ADVERTISEMENT

The incident began about 11 a.m. that day, when the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call reporting domestic violence at an address in rural Peterson, said Sheriff Tom Kaase. A family member of the victim  a former girlfriend of Youngquist  made the call, identifying him as the suspect.

After learning that law enforcement had been called, Youngquist went to his own residence, a camper in the 36000 block of Dogwood Road. Deputies found him there about noon, and stayed outside as they tried to speak to him about the alleged assault.

Youngquist repeatedly told them to leave, that he wasn't going to jail, and if they continued to deal with him he was going to end up shooting at them, saying "the only way he was going to leave would be in a body bag," the report says.

Two of his friends also tried to convince Youngquist to speak to the deputies; he refused, but did allow some contact with a negotiator via phone. He allegedly told them he was unable to take his own life, so he needed the police to do it.

Because of Youngquist's history and reported access to weapons, the Fillmore County authorities asked for help from the Rochester/Olmsted Emergency Response Unit, which provides resources to surrounding law enforcement agencies.

Thompson responded as part of a team in an armored vehicle; he was in the turret with a rifle, but was "vulnerable in various areas to rifle fire," the report says. En route to the property, the team learned Youngquist had come out of his camper carrying a rifle, and had started to scan the treeline while looking through a scope mounted on the weapon.

Youngquist emerged from and retreated back into his residence as the ERU entered his property; its officers watched as Youngquist pointed the rifle at them several times.

Authorities repeated requests for him to come out of the camper, and told Youngquist more than once to drop his rifle or he'd be shot. Youngquist raised the gun again, pointed the weapon at Thompson and put his eye to the scope, according to the BCA investigation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thompson fired once, hitting Youngquist in the head.

Thompson, a 19-year veteran of the department and a member of the ERU since 2007, was placed on standard administrative leave after the incident.

A team leader of the unit, Thompson "has very extensive experience both on the police department" and the tactical response unit, Rochester Police Chief Roger Peterson said.

The incident was the first Rochester police officer-involved shooting in nearly 10 years; the first for the ERU since its inception in 1983.
An affordable housing development in southeast Rochester took another hassle-free step through the public review process as it received another recommendation for approval Wednesday from the City Planning and Zoning Commission.

Developer Nate Stencil and his Sioux Falls-based Stencil Group have proposed a four-story, 135-unit apartment project near the intersection of Marion Road Southeast and 12th Street Southeast (U.S. Highway 14), a redevelopment that would take the place of the Wicked Moose Bar and Grill. At a meeting Wednesday, the planning commission recommended approval of Stencil's incentive development final plan for the project, known as Eastgate Apartments.

The plan still faces a final public hearing at the Rochester City Council, but in previous visits to the commission and the council, the project has received almost entirely positive feedback.

"It feels good when that happens," Stencil said after Wednesday's commission actions.

If approved by the council and constructed, Eastgate Apartments would add residences to an area of primarily business uses. It is a somewhat unusual site but one that could work well for the residents, Stencil said.

ADVERTISEMENT

"There's a real big need for more affordable type housing in the community and although it is surrounded by some more commercial structures it really is in a good location for transportation and getting around  plus the commercial in the area is in convenient locations for residents that live at the building," he said.

Since the project's initial reviews at the planning commission and city council, little has changed about the building and site design. Stencil had added an additional footpath on the site and amended some building materials for balconies on the apartments, noted Greg Johnson, a planner with Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department.

Stencil is working to secure bonding through the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, allocated by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. The bonding and finance package should be in place in late April or early May, Stencil said.

Previous application materials for the project have indicated Eastgate Apartments would have rents appropriate for workforce housing.

Also at the meeting:

Neighbors' concerns for a commercial development near 55th Street Northwest and Villa Road Northwest were corroborated by the planning commission. The commission voted to recommend denial of an amendment to the Chateau Circle Special District.

Developers David Maris and Chateau Circle, LLC. have had plans for the site for three years but a long process of public reviews and changing plans for the development have complicated the project. Potential tenants for the commercial site including Walgreens, BioLife and Starbucks have each cancelled plans to build at Chateau Circle due to delays in getting the project underway, said consultant Bill Tointon of WSB and Associates.

The developer has asked for an amendment to the special district that would leave final site plans, like building orientations, up to builders when tenants move into the site's five commercial lots. Neighbors argued the amendment would remove many of the protections the neighborhood had bargained for in the original special district language, like architectural styles.

ADVERTISEMENT

The commission voted 6-1 to recommend denial of the amendment on the basis that it would make building plans too ambiguous and potentially not in harmony with the previously approved special district language.

The Rochester City Council will hear the amendment request in another public hearing.
Goodhue

Exhibit features Norwegian immigration

RED WING  The Goodhue County History Center has a traveling exhibit titled, "New Land, New Life: Norwegian Immigration in Minnesota, 1825-1925," on display through April 1.

Learn the stories behind one of the earliest and largest ethnic groups to settle in Minnesota through this 20 panel exhibit created by the Ramsey County Historical Society and the St. Paul Sons of Norway Synnove-Nordkap Lodge.

Funding to create this exhibit came from the Sons of Norway Foundation and funds from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund as administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. One in five Minnesotans claim Norwegian ancestry.

ADVERTISEMENT

Winona

Warming Center open through March 31

WINONA  The Winona Community Warming Center is now open for protecting people from the cold.

With warm beds and personal care items donated from community members, the center should be open every day until March 31. It is in the basement of Community Bible Church in downtown Winona.

Dodge

K-M Lions honor Bob Melin

KASSON -- Bob Melin was presented the Melvin Jones award last week by the Kasson-Mantorville Lions for his involvement with the club.

He has been K-M club president and coordinated the Fly the Flag program. He is also an adviser for the K-M LEO club in the schools.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fillmore

Preston to adjust snow-removal schedule

PRESTON  The Preston City Council came to a consensus to leave it up to Public Works Director Jim Bakken try out a new early morning snow removal schedule.

He recommended cleanup from 4-8 a.m., before businesses open. He estimated it would cost the city about $700 per cleanup in overtime pay.

Mower

Commissioners approve watershed plan

AUSTIN  Mower County has officially put its support behind the Root River One Watershed, One Plan.

The Mower County board unanimously approved the Root River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and a joint powers agreement for Root River's One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) during its Tuesday meeting.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wabasha

Fundraiser aids mammography campaign

WABASHA  Saint Elizabeth's Auxiliary has completed payments on its mammography campaign.

The proceeds of the $14,500 check came from the Saint Elizabeth's Holiday Bazaar and Waffle Breakfast. The group's overall contribution was $24,500.

CEO Tom Crowley said a tomosynthesis mammography machine has been ordered with the money.
From his first local political campaign in 1994 to his latest in 2016, Paul Wilson says, he ran on a simple platform: good governance.

Wilson reflected on that concept  good governance  and his 22 years as an Olmsted County commissioner as he considered a new role in the community. He lost a November re-election bid to Gregg Wright and, for the first time in more than two decades, is considering where to serve next.

"I think when I say good governance, it's showing that there's going to be an appropriate outcome for what you're investing in, or what you're asking your board members to invest in, which is a decision to move something forward or to stop something," Wilson said in an interview.

"You've got to show that, to be accountable for that."

In his time as a commissioner, Wilson said his role was to be a steady voice, a listener and a representative who was responsive to constituents and county staff members.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wilson was also known as a consensus-builder. He is the only Olmsted County representative to have been elected president of the Association of Minnesota Counties, serving in that role in 2008. He likely won that role because of his ability to bring people together, said Amy Caucutt, a policy and legislative analyst for Olmsted County.

On the county board, his willingness to listen to all points of view was appreciated, said county board member Matt Flynn.

"He was clear on his points and he's respectful and he'd listen to your points," Flynn said.

Even when the commissioners did not agree, Flynn said it never hampered the working relationship he maintained with Wilson.

"Paul is a class act. Over the years, yeah, there were things we didn't agree on. But we didn't take it personal and after the subject was voted on or decided, we moved on.  That's one thing you shouldn't do in politics  you can't take this stuff personal. This stuff keeps on going and the next (issue) is always coming," Flynn said.

There have been several issues over the course of Wilson's career that tested his resolve and his resourcefulness as an Olmsted County representative, but perhaps none more significantly than a Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad proposal that would have introduced coal train traffic through Rochester and Olmsted County.

"It was the one issue in all my tenure that probably there wasn't anywhere to look for direction to help because nobody knew what to do," Wilson recalled. "The federal people didn't know what to do, the state people didn't know how to respond to give us any direction. We were in the lead."

Wilson and the county board took a "no build" position and held that line until the rail plans petered out around 2007.

ADVERTISEMENT

As president of the Association of Minnesota Counties in 2008, Wilson took the lead on another issue, one that affected counties statewide: the state required counties to jail felons who had 180 days or less to serve on their sentences, instead of keeping those inmates in state-funded prisons. Counties were not receiving adequate funds to pay for jailing the inmates, Wilson recalled.

In September of that year, Wilson led a coalition of more than 100 county commissioners and law enforcement officials to lay hundreds of jail jumpsuits on the steps of the Minnesota Capitol. The high profile event led to the desired change  the "short-term offenders" were removed from the counties' responsibility.

Through the big issues and the everyday work of being a county commissioner, Wilson kept a close connection to the people in his community.

The most significant memory of his first campaign, Wilson said, was of meeting an elderly woman while he was door knocking. When the woman answered the door, Wilson could smell freshly baked cookies, and the woman invited him to come and sit inside to talk.

"I think I sat there the whole afternoon and talked to her," he said with a laugh.

A connection with the people in Olmsted County was critical to understanding the county's greatest resource  its minds. The county's strength, Wilson said, is " the fact that we have such a reservoir of knowledge in this county, with the citizens we have."

That reservoir of knowledge, in the county population and in its staff and elected officials, helped accomplish significant tasks in the last year: establishing a county drug court, building the weapons screening and government center addition, levying a new tax for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, preparing to dredge Lake Zumbro, and other government projects.

There are challenges still out there in the community, though, and Wilson said he is studying where his next role will be. He seems decided on where it will not be  a higher office, for example, at the state legislature.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I think we're at the higher office," Wilson said of the county government.

"The county is the true people's government  it'll affect you from your birth certificate to your death certificate and everything in between."

Belinda Krenik, communications and strategic planning director at Olmsted County, said Wilson is getting offers "every day" from organizations where he could serve.

After a 22-year term in his last role, Wilson is in no hurry to pick his next.

"I think I will find a way to be involved. When that will happen  I'm going to take a little time and not be too worried about it," he said.
DODGE CENTER  Two people were seriously injured this morning in an explosion at a McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing facility in Dodge Center.

The blast occurred in the final paint building, said Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose, but the cause remains unknown.

"It's too soon," he said. "There are a lot of different variables right now."

Two employees who sustained "severe burn injuries" were taken by medical helicopter to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Rose said. Two others were taken by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Marys Campus.

The identities and conditions of the victims remains unknown, he said, but their families have been notified.

ADVERTISEMENT

Two more people were reportedly treated on the scene for minor injuries. All six of the injured were working in the paint booth where the explosion occurred, Rose said, but "most of the employees in that area were gone at training. My understanding is that the ones who were injured were the only ones in there."

A spokeswoman for Oshkosh Corp. , which owns McNeilus Cos., said five were injured.

The business employs 1,100 people in production, 350 in administrative services.

All employees were accounted for nearly immediately after the blast, which was reported at 10:32 a.m.

The building sustained "extensive damage," Rose said, but the smoke and smoke damage appeared to have been contained to that area.

"It's a full-on investigation right now," he said. "There's a lot of activity inside the plant."

A statement from MTM will likely not come before Wednesday; production employees were sent home for the day after the explosion, but other departments remained active. The status of operating hours on Thursday remains unknown.

William Gaw, of Kasson, has worked at MTM for 10 years. He said the explosion blew the steel doors off both ends of the shop, which he estimated is more than 300 feet long. He was working in the aftermarket area of the complex at the time of the blast, but he didn't hear the explosion.

ADVERTISEMENT

Personnel from the Dodge Center, Kasson and West Concord fire departments, Dodge Center, Hayfield and West Concord ambulance services, Kasson Police Department, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Transportation all responded to the scene, in addition to the Dodge County Sheriff's Office, Gold Cross Ambulance and Mayo One.

"All the responding agencies did a great job," Rose said. "We're a small community, and everyone did a great job handling this event."
ST. PAUL  More than 900 households and 260 businesses in southeast Minnesota will soon have access to high-speed internet thanks to state grants.

Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development announced Wednesday that $34 million in grants have been awarded for 42 broadband projects across the state. In southeast Minnesota, five projects received a total of $3.6 million in state funds.

Topping the list of locally funded projects is one that would bring high-speed internet access to rural Lanesboro. AcenTek was awarded nearly $1.8 million in grant funding for the $4.7 million project.

"We're very, very excited to get one of the grants," said AcenTek Chief Financial Officer Darren Moser.

The project calls for extending fiber-optic broadband to 431 households and 42 businesses in the Lanesboro area, including Whalan, Carrolton Township and Holt Township. Moser said absent the state dollars, it would be difficult for the Houston-based company to expand ultra high-speed internet to this rural area.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Without this state funding and the state support in this, it becomes essentially challenging to make a business case to make it happen," Moser said.

Other area projects funded include $764,663 to KMTelecom to expand high-speed internet access in rural Mantorville, $332,328 to New Ulm Telecom Inc. to boost access in Goodhue and Bellechester, $317,761 to New Ulm Telecom Inc. to increase access in Mazeppa and $416,640 to Winona County for broadband in the Pickwick area.

DFL Lt. Gov. Tina Smith said it is critical the state invest in bringing broadband to rural areas. In the case of the Lanesboro area project, the high-speed broadband is expected to benefit people who telecommute to Mayo Clinic and IBM in Rochester.

"This is just a major quality-of-life improver for telecommuters and also is really helpful for Minnesota companies like Mayo and others that are working hard to recruit people to move into a community," said Smith, who is also chairwoman of the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board.

Fillmore County Economic Development Authority Coordinator Sam Smith welcomed news that the AcenTek project in the Lanesboro area had received funding. Fillmore County Commissioners voted to chip in $75,000 toward the project in order to help boost the competitiveness of the application. Smith said these investments are needed in areas like Fillmore County where many residents do not have access to high-speed broadband. That is even more critical as the $5.6 billion effort to turn Rochester into a global destination for health care advances.

"With the advent here of Destination Medical Center and communities working to position themselves as desirable places to live, work and do business, internet infrastructure is going to be critical for that," he said.

Since the state's Border-to-Border Broadband Development Program was launched, $66 million has been awarded for broadband projects. A recent report by the Governor's Task Force on Broadband found that rural areas lag behind when it comes to access to high-speed internet. The state has set a goal of all households having access to broadband download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second by 2026. As of July, 71 percent of households in the state had internet that meets the state's goal compared with 53 percent of rural households.

The task force recommends lawmakers invest $100 million in internet infrastructure over the next two years. Several organizations, including the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, are expected to lobby lawmakers in the coming months to invest a hefty chunk of the state's $1.4 billion surplus into broadband.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bradley Peterson, a lobbyist for the coalition, said the group will not only be seeking dollars but also some changes to the program. The coalition will be pushing to get rid of language they say makes it too easy for incumbent internet providers to block proposed projects.

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to recommend a substantial amount of money go toward broadband as part of his budget. It remains to be seen how much the Republican-led Legislature will support for broadband.

House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee Chairman Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, said he expects some funding for broadband to pass this year. However, he said he expects Republicans will want to limit funding for one year to see how those dollars are used. He said there is also a concern about sinking large amounts of money into costly fiber-optic broadband when other technology, such as wireless, could expand coverage to far more people at a fraction of the cost.

He added, "You can cover way more people with just as good of service at a much lower price. That's an engineering solution, and politicians don't really understand that."
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS  Oscar Corral always expected he'd earn a college degree, and when he moved to the United States from Mexico at age 16, that dream didn't change. If anything, he believed his college prospects would be brighter here.

He didn't anticipate high school counselors would urge him to not bother taking the ACT or tell him that he would never be able to afford college. When he did make it to college, he didn't expect to confront cultural and academic challenges to graduation that many students of color face but that don't often get discussed.

Now in his third year at Inver Hills Community College, Corral recently changed his major for the third time, from engineering to political science and social justice, tacking on another year and pushing back his graduation further. The 22-year-old said had he received more information about college preparation and guidance before graduating high school, he would have realized his passion for social justice much sooner, saving him time and money.

"Me getting into college, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do," Corral said.

Corral's story is a familiar one to those who study the struggles of students of color trying to get into college and succeed there.

ADVERTISEMENT

Often, they don't get the guidance they need in high school, leaving them unprepared for college. When they do make it to college, high costs, unbalanced expectations and a tough time finding other students like them on campus are all factors that play out against them, said Minerva Munoz, director of TRIO Student Support Services, part of a national program that helps disadvantaged students succeed in college and bridges the achievement gap.

"They go through this kind of dissonance when they get here, not feeling like they belong," Munoz said.

Achievement gap

Data show how difficult that transition can be. Since 2008, Hispanic students have more than doubled their enrollment numbers in Minnesota colleges and universities. But graduating with a degree is another matter.

For instance, 41 percent of Hispanic students in Minnesota who started at a two-year institution in 2011 had graduated after three years. The other 59 percent had dropped out by that point, transferred or pushed graduation back. Sixty-six percent of white students graduate from four-year colleges within six years, but just 54 percent of Hispanic students graduate.

Experts say graduation rates are the best indication of how the achievement gap between white and minority students that starts in grade school later manifests in higher education.

In Minnesota, American Indian students have the lowest rates, next to black, Asian and Hispanic students. The on-time high school graduation rate for Hispanic students in Minnesota was 69 percent in 2015, about 20 percentage points lower than white students. Minnesota has the largest high school graduation gap between Hispanic and white students compared to other states.

Corral had a particularly challenging path in high school. At 16 and new to the country, he was sent back to ninth grade so he could learn English. When it came time to start looking into colleges, his counselor told him not to bother because he would have a hard time paying tuition.

ADVERTISEMENT

Corral and his younger brother, who's at the University of Minnesota, researched colleges and admission requirements on their own, and only ended up taking the ACT college entrance exam because they heard classmates talking about it. Corral said they were never told about ACT preparation classes or post-secondary enrollment options, a program popular in Minnesota that lets eligible students earn college credit while still in high school and can save needy students thousands of dollars in future college tuition.

Tuition barrier

Paying for college is the single biggest barrier keeping Latino students from graduating on time or at all, said Jens Manuel-Krogstad, a researcher at the Pew Research Center. "We asked Latinos in one of our surveys why they dropped out of college. The most common response they gave us was they had to start working."

Hispanic students sometimes feel obligated to start working, cutting their education short or forcing them to drop out and save money, he said.

Corral said societal pressures make many young Hispanics choose work instead of college, and he has lots of friends who took that route. But he says white students often turn that fact into a negative stereotype of Hispanics  "this label of like, 'Oh, you're Mexican so you're already predestined to do this stuff. People believe that."

Corral said he is especially aware of these stereotypes because he is "white-passing" due to the light color of his skin. But when his classmates and teachers hear his accent, he watches the change in how they treat him.

"Once they realize I'm Latino," he said. "Their attitudes change toward me. So, they start ignoring me more, and I don't think they do enough to engage with me or any other students to really help."

He said many people don't bother to try and understand where he's coming from and what it took to get this far in college, and the sacrifices required to keep going.

ADVERTISEMENT

Before each semester starts, Corral tells his parents that he might drop out and work to save enough to pay for a full year. That way he wouldn't have to constantly worry about making ends meet. Right now, Corral relies on a few grants and scholarships to get by, but when he registers for classes each semester he asks himself, "How am I going to pay for this?"

Financial aid fizzles

Financial aid for Hispanic students is usually more robust in the first and second year of college, and funds start to fizzle out as time goes on, said Munoz with the U's Upward Bound program. For low-income Hispanic students at four-year universities, Pell grant money starts to run out after five or six years, and students need to pay for school out of pocket if they take longer to graduate, she said.

"They now maybe have to work three jobs to make this happen  makes it seem so impossible that students do stop," she said. "Latino students who aren't able to finish up in two, three, four or even five years ... you just can't pay for school. It's impossible to pay for it out of pocket."

Oscar Corral has made the impossible manageable for the last few years, but it's getting tougher, he said. He works 25 hours a week at a sandwich shop and it all goes to tuition. Throughout college he's also worked odd jobs evenings and weekends, like catering events, cleaning buildings after hours and washing medical scrubs through a staffing agency. He had to turn down a job as an organizer for the DFL party this semester because the program required him to work 60 hours per week.

The decision to come back for a third year wasn't easy, Corral said. It meant losing funds from TuitionMatch-MN, a program that gives $3 for every $1 a student sets aside for tuition. That money dries up after two years and was Corral's biggest source of tuition money. Now he is left to come up with that and the rest of the cost on his own.

His parents help where they can, with money for gas and a room in their house, but it's not easy. Corral's father, the family bread-winner, fixes cars out of their garage like he used to do in their hometown in Mexico.

"My dream school is the U of M, but at the same time, I know that I might not be able to afford it," Corral said, noting that it's a financial challenge for his brother who's there now. Corral said he's planning to attend Augsburg because of its richer racial diversity and wider financial aid options.

Working during college is difficult for many students, and it takes valuable focus away from studies and makes it hard to find time for an internship or other important resume-building experiences, Munoz said.

"They've always had one foot in and one foot out in a sense, because they've been navigating two cultures," Munoz said. "Whereas their white middle-class counterparts get to fully immerse, not thinking about any of those things."

The students of color who succeed in white institutions are the ones who manage to find friends and mentors with their same background or race, Munoz said. Those who don't often dropout. This can be especially difficult for many low-income Latino students who aren't able to have the full college experience that involves living on campus, joining a fraternity or sorority, partying and making connections.

Latino students on college campuses are banding together around the Latino community and petitioning to uphold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a policy started by President Barack Obama protecting certain young immigrants from immediate deportation.

But finding a community on campus is still not enough to close the persistent gap between Latinos and whites in college, Munoz said.

"Even though we know that low-income students have it hard, that they have a tendency to dropout when it gets harder," she said, "we're still going to put up all these roadblocks."

Closing the graduation gap in college needs to start when those students are younger, researcher say. The on-time high school graduation rate for Hispanic students in Minnesota was 69 percent in 2015,which is about 20 percent lower than white students. Minnesota has the largest high school graduation gap between Hispanic and white students compared to other states.

While graduation rates aren't the best indication of how many Hispanics are getting degrees, experts say the concerns reflected in the data are real and Hispanic high school students still need better college preparation and resources. And then with consistent financial aid programs, more Minnesota Hispanics could be on track to leave college with a degree in-hand.
ST. PAUL  A group of 16 Minnesota residents gathered at the state's Capitol complex Wednesday for the first time to discuss how much they believe lawmakers should be paid.

The nine men and seven women were picked as a result of voters deciding in November that a council, rather than lawmakers, should set lawmakers' salaries. Though the meeting was largely introductory, council members, who hail from all over the state, talked at length about data practices requirements, salary and benefit breakdowns compared with other legislatures and communicating with lawmakers, which is banned until the council submits the salaries.

Here's a look at what the council faces:

How does Minnesota compare?

Currently, Minnesota legislators make about $31,000 for what the state considers a part-time job, though there are other benefits such as per diem and a pension. Lawmaker pay has gone unchanged since 1999

ADVERTISEMENT

The idea of citizens having unilateral control over lawmaker pay is relatively rare in the country. Only California and Washington have similar systems in place, though many other states do have some type of citizen involvement. Since the induction of their councils on lawmaker pay, Washington never has lowered salaries, though it has remained frozen for multiple years at a time. California, where members of the Legislature make over $104,000, only has reduced salary twice.

Talking points

Members of the council were confronted with murky legal situations repeatedly as they attempted to find their footing and understand the implications of the new law. Several portions of the constitutional amendment that created the council have no legal precedence, which made it hard for state attorneys to definitively answer many of the council's questions.

The complete ban of communication with legislators worried some, as they wondered whether a simple "hello" was enough to break the rules. Joseph Boyle, a council member from the Eighth District, used a conversation with a lawmaker in a hotel hot tub as an example  and a moment of comic relief  to illustrate chance interactions that could occur with lawmakers. Council member David Metzen, a former University of Minnesota Board of Regents member, proposed a motion that eventually passed saying members will report any significant interaction with lawmakers to the council chair and vice chair.

Sherrie Pugh, a council member from Minnesota's Third District, said she was worried some Minnesota citizens might be priced out of the job because of the large time requirement and relatively low pay. Members of the Legislature make just over 60 percent of the household median income in the state, which is about $59,000. In the past, lawmakers have raised concerns similar to Pugh's, saying, in reality, the job requires a full-time level of commitment, which isn't feasible for many.

"I think the salary is an obstacle, often, to women, especially if you are a female head of household," Pugh said.

For future meetings

Tom Stinson, who was voted to be chair of the council at the beginning of the meeting, said the bulk of the work on deciding what to pay lawmakers is still ahead of the group. But with another meeting already set for later this month, he said he believes the group is off to a good start. Council members said more information about lawmakers' benefits, such as their per diem and pension plans, was needed to properly assess how much to pay legislators.

ADVERTISEMENT

The council asked state staffers to compile information about the other jobs that legislators have and how salary and benefits are taxed. They requested they receive copies of lawmakers' compensation paperwork to better understand the full scope of how the Legislature handles pay.

A final report with salary amount is due to the Legislature by March 31. Salary changes will go into effect on July 1.
MINNEAPOLIS  On New Year's Day, as the Minnesota Vikings were playing the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium, protesters climbed into the rafters and unfurled a banner urging U.S. Bank to "divest" from the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

On that and other occasions, opponents of the pipeline have cast U.S. Bank and other banks as "investors" in the project. But U.S. Bank is arguably better described as a lender, or potential lender, to one or more companies working on the pipeline.

The pipeline project, which has inspired a months-long occupation of federal land by Native American protesters and their supporters, remains a point of passionate controversy. Critics say a break in the line could send Bakken crude oil gushing into the river, fouling the water supply for the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation just downstream.

The Army Corps of Engineers recently denied a permit for the pipeline to cross the Missouri River near the reservation. It's uncertain whether that decision will be reversed when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

The bank's financial ties to the project are fuzzy, as is the importance of any U.S. Bank lending in completing the pipeline. U.S. Bank is among many banks that have offered financing to Energy Transfer Partners, or ETP, one of the entities responsible for developing, owning and operating the Bakken Pipeline Project, which includes the Dakota Access Pipeline.

ADVERTISEMENT

Spokesman Dana Ripley would not discuss U.S. Bank's relationship with ETP, the extent to which it has lent money to ETP, or the bank's role  if any  in funding the pipeline. Citing the need to keep customer relationships private, Ripley declined to discuss the bank's relationship with ETP over the years.

ETP did not respond to inquiries about its dealings with U.S. Bank.

Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicate U.S. Bank is among a group of 24 banks that as of February 2015 had agreed to extend up to $3.75 billion in credit to ETP. It's unclear how much of that money ETP has chosen to borrow or, or how it might have used the money.

U.S. Bank committed to lend up to $175 million. Among the banks making equal or greater commitments were Wells Fargo, Bank of America, the Royal Bank of Scotland and JP Morgan Chase.

An SEC filing shows U.S. Bank has also extended a $100 million line of credit to Sunoco Logistics, which is involved with the pipeline project. Such lending is minor for U.S. Bank; at the end of last October, it had $271 billion in loans on its books.

Whether U.S. Bank could terminate any financing it may have provided to Energy Transfer Partners would depend on the terms and conditions of the loan. Details are unlikely to be made public.

Since at least 2010, U.S. Bank has served as a trustee in relation to debt issued by Energy Transfer Partners. A trustee handles administrative responsibilities, such as monitoring interest payments to bondholders and communicating with investors. The trustee is compensated for that.

U.S. Bank has also been a trustee for debt issued by other parties connected with the Dakota Access pipeline: Sunoco Logistics and Enbridge Energy Partners.
Rex Tillerson's testimony at Wednesday's Senate confirmation hearing for secretary of state offered some relief for those worried about a foreign policy meltdown under Donald Trump.

The former Exxon Mobil CEO got a bipartisan grilling about his close ties to top Russian leaders. Senators wanted to know if Tillerson could pivot from pursuit of oil in the Russian Arctic to protecting U.S. interests from a hostile Kremlin.

Not all his answers were clear. But he came across as well-informed and serious (in comparison with the president-elect's performance at a press conference in New York City). Most surprising, his positions often failed to track with those of Trump, including on Russia.

This raises an obvious and fascinating question: Will Trump even listen to Tillerson's advice? Nobody knows.

There was good reason why members of the Senate Foreign Relations committee gave Tillerson such a grilling. His close relationships with Vladimir Putin, and with Putin's key ally, the much-feared Igor Sechin, led to a half-billion-dollar joint venture for Exxon Mobil in the Russian Arctic. In 2013, Putin bestowed the Order of Friendship on Tillerson.

ADVERTISEMENT

In June 2014, after Russia had seized Crimea and was attacking eastern Ukraine, Tillerson was schmoozing with Sechin at an oil conference in Moscow. So senators wanted to know whether Tillerson would support continuing the sanctions imposed on Moscow for its Ukraine aggression  including sanctions on Sechin and the Rosneft state oil company he heads. Exxon Mobil reportedly lobbied to end those sanctions, because they froze the arctic deal.

The senators also wanted to know if Tillerson backed Putin's claim that Russia was legally entitled to annex Crimea. Trump has indicated he'd consider that claim and might drop the sanctions.

"No, Russia does not have legal claim to Crimea," Tillerson replied. "Russia was taking territory that was not theirs."

As for sanctions, he insisted Exxon had never lobbied to end sanctions over Ukraine, only to get a brief reprieve so they could wind up their Arctic-drilling operation. He also insisted he supported sanctions so long as they did not unduly penalize U.S. companies over European competitors (that reply is a bit wobbly). "Sanctions are an important tool," he added.

Where things really got interesting, however, was when Tillerson laid out why the Obama team should have responded more firmly to Russia's invasion of Crimea. Putin would move forward, Tillerson made clear, when he met no resistance, and stop when he did.

Tillerson said the Russian leader moved on eastern Ukraine because there was no firm military response to the taking of Crimea. Washington should have provided intelligence and air support to Ukrainian military forces, which should have been moved entirely to its eastern border.

At that time, Ukrainian forces were so weak such a move might not have worked, but the concept is clear: an act of force by Russia "required a proportionate show of force" to deter Russia from moving forward.

Russia, he says, has a long-term geographical plan to reestablish what it sees as its role in the world order. "If they don't receive a response, they will execute the next step of that plan," Tillerson said. That, he added, doesn't rule out cooperation where interests converge  as happened on Afghanistan  but "on other issues we may be adversaries."

ADVERTISEMENT

Tillerson said he supported NATO, along with enhanced NATO backing for the Baltic nations and Poland  states Moscow has been threatening. The oilman refused Florida Republican Marco Rubio's insistence that he brand Putin a "war criminal." But he said he was troubled by the Jan. 26 U.S. intel report on Russian hacking and that it was a "fair assumption" Putin was behind it.

Contrast that hard-nosed approach with the Trump news conference, where the president-elect finally admitted to Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee but blew it off  and refused to discuss the hacks in any broader strategic context.

Instead, Trump insisted the hacking was useful because it reflected badly on Hillary Clinton, and once again praised Putin. "If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset," he stated.

In other words, everything was about him, with no mention of Putin's strategic goal of undermining the United States.

Will Tillerson be able to persuade his boss to look at the big strategic picture? Will the oilman be able to convince Trump that Putin's flattery is meant as manipulation? Tillerson appears able to put Kremlin "friendships" into proper perspective, but we'll have to see him in action.

Ditto, for what impact he will have on his boss' thinking. Tillerson admitted that Trump had not yet discussed Russia with him, despite the centrality of that issue to the oilman's bio.

Even GOP legislators grasped the challenge Tillerson will face. Sen. Todd Young (R.-Ind.) asked how the secretary-designate would ensure that "the legs were not cut out from under him" by Trump tweets when he was visiting foreign capitals.

"It would be my expectation," Tillerson delicately replied, "that any way the president chose to communicate would facilitate the policy we'd agreed on."

ADVERTISEMENT

"Any contingency plan?" Young asked. Tillerson held up his cell phone and replied, "I have his number and he's promised to answer."

"Let's hope for the best," said Young.

Trudy Rubin is a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $92 million contract for the first phase of a beach and dune building project for northern Ocean County, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.

The Army Corps is working with the state Department of Environmental Protection, which announced the contract Wednesday with Weeks Marine, of Cranford, Union County.

Weeks Marine also won a $63.3 million contract in November to build and replenish beaches and dunes on Absecon Island.

The total contract for the northern Ocean County project is expected to reach about $128 million.

But the state is still working to secure about 141 access easements from property owners, the DEP said.

The project will cover about 14 miles of coastline to protect Bay Head, Berkeley, Brick, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and Toms River.

It and Absecon Island are the last projects needed to be completed for all 127 miles of the states coastline to have engineered beaches and dunes.

Both projects face lawsuits from beachfront property owners who feel their existing flood control is adequate.

When completed, all of New Jerseys coastal communities will be afforded the level of protection that comes with beach and dune systems that meet Army Corps engineering standards, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

Work is expected to start in the spring.

This represents one of the largest beachfill contracts in the history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss.

Work will begin with beach and dune construction in southern Mantoloking and all of Lavallette, Toms River, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park.

A total of 545 easements are needed for the project. Nearly 350 easements  or 64 percent  have been provided voluntarily, according to the state.

Another 54 easements were acquired through condemnation under the Eminent Domain Act, and the state is pursuing more that way.

Opponents include a group of homeowners in Bay Head who say the $5 million they have spent installing huge boulders between their homes and the ocean affords better protection than sand dunes. Those homeowners will be in court next week asking a state judge to exempt them from the dune project.

A privately owned beach and boardwalk company in Point Pleasant Beach is suing the state and federal governments, trying to prevent dunes from being built on its beaches near the Manasquan Inlet.

The federal government will pay for 65 percent of the project under the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, which funds projects Congress had authorized but had not been completed by the time Sandy hit in October 2012. New Jersey will pay for 35 percent of the project from the states Shore Protection Fund.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
OCEAN CITY  Plans for a real estate office at the corner of one of the most prominent intersections in the city were shot down Wednesday by the Planning Board citing traffic concerns.

In a 7-2 vote, the board denied Keller William Jersey Shores application for a 6,000-square-foot flagship building on a 115-by-90-foot lot on the southeast corner of Ninth Street and Bay Avenue, where there formerly was an Exxon gas station.

Im voting no based on the testimony from both the professionals and the owner, Chairman John Loeper said.

Loeper said he doesnt believe Keller Williams parking plan, which included the requisite number of spaces but included spaces where some cars would be blocked in, was functional for the amount of car traffic the business would generate.

Keller Williams Jersey Shore Realtor and broker Paul Chiolo said he is considering his next move, after spending months developing plans for a two-story, $2 million office.

Of course, were all very disappointed, and what were going to do is today Im going to reconvene with our attorneys and architects, and we are going to take into consideration all the comments made by the public and all the comments from the board and see what the next steps are, Chiolo said Thursday.

He was not sure whether he will appeal the decision or attempt to address the Planning Boards concerns with a new plan.

The corner lot has been the subject of controversy for several years after the Exxon closed and the site became overgrown. Chiolo announced plans for the flagship office in the summer and, in the fall, he purchased the property and cleared the lot.

Meanwhile, the gateway site was considered by Mayor Jay Gillian as a location for open space, similar to a what is being developed at a former gas station across the street. In August, City Council approved an ordinance allowing the city to take the property, and three other properties at the gateway, through condemnation.

At a December council meeting, Gillian backed off the idea, saying he did not want to interfere with private business.

City public information officer Doug Bergen said Thursday the city had no opinion on the Planning Boards decision. When asked if the city would consider purchasing the lot, Bergen said he didnt believe the land was for sale.

The high traffic volume in the area, from both pedestrians, bicyclists and cars, was one of the biggest concerns expressed by the Planning Board.

The development plan was not well met by residents who packed the meeting room Wednesday. Most cited the corners proximity to the Route 52 causeway and expressed concerns about safety of pedestrians and bicyclists coming off the bridges popular multi-use path.

Marie Hayes of Battersea Road said she is against the building because she wants to see an open gateway to the city.

Its too big. It has a terrible traffic pattern, she said, calling it a monstrosity.

West Atlantic Boulevard resident Michael Hinchman, who spoke against the plans at a recent council meeting, said that the building is overwhelming for the site. Hinchman threatened to appeal the plan if approved by the Planning Board.

But some Planning Board members felt the application was complete and met the standards.

I look at this exhibit and remind myself that this is the drive-in business zone. And thats an important part of this decision for me, because the Ninth Street corridor, as much as it would be nice to have all these parks and open space and everything else, its still the drive-in business zone, Dean Adams said.

According to city code, the drive-in business zone is intended to reserve certain areas in Ocean City for the location of commercial uses which by their nature require a large traffic volume to sustain their trade.
VINELAND  Students in the adult post-secondary dental assistant program at the John F. Scarpa Technical Education Center of Cumberland County will be offered a full refund after some complained they were unaware the program had lost its national accreditation, making it more time-consuming to get certified.

Superintendent Dina Elliott wrote in an email that a meeting was held in June to explain the programs credentials and certifications to prospective students. She said students can still get jobs and take the certification exam.

But student Amanda Martinelli, of Vineland, said students like her, who signed up later, were not told of the change. She said she did not learn about it until she began doing clinical placements.

According to the American Dental Association, dental assistants who take an accredited program can take the Certified Dental Assistant or Registered Dental Assistant exams as soon as they complete the program. Students in an unaccredited program must first complete two years of full-time work as dental assistants.

New CCTEC stays true to vocational mission VINELAND  Doug Bonner stood amid the roar of welding torches and grinned in delight.

Elliott said the program had been accredited by the New Jersey Board of Education. In May 2015, the school received a letter from the Commission on Dental Accreditation, saying the board was no longer an approved accrediting agency. Elliott said since the tech school was not a full-time school at the time, they also could not meet Middle States Association requirements for accreditation.

She said the new full-time school will have to be in operation for a few years to meet the requirements.

Martinelli said the lack of accreditation will affect her ability to get a good-paying job. She said had she known the program was no longer accredited, she would have instead enrolled in an accredited program at either Camden County College or the Cape May County Technical High School.

Martinelli said she specifically left county college because the 10-month dental assistant program would train her more quickly for a job.

Elliott said students can still work, and two students in the program are already employed. She said she will meet with each student and offer a refund if they want to leave the program.

There are 15 students in the current program.

Scarpa Foundation donates $1 million to Cumberland Tech Ed Center VINELAND  John F. Scarpa is so excited about what he sees at the new Cumberland County Tech

Students at Cumberland can also take the Infection Control and Radiation Health and Safety exams.

Elliott said the Cumberland program has a radiography component other programs do not have, which also makes graduates more marketable.

The important thing to report is that our students leave with a variety of employable credentials and upon successful completion of the state boards will be certified, she said.
Stockton University and area Greek communities are mourning professor emeritus and Greek Orthodox clergyman Demetrios J. Constantelos, 89, of Linwood.

One of the original Mayflower faculty at Stockton, Constantelos championed the value of Greek studies in the modern world. He helped found the Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies at Stockton and donated more than 3,000 books for the Constantelos Hellenic Collection and Reading Room in the Stockton library.

In an age of computers and high technology we should not allow ourselves and our children to impoverish linguistically and educationally by forgetting Greek and Latin, which have given form and substance to our literate and scientific civilization, he said in a 1994 letter to The Press of Atlantic City. There is no better way to study the influence of one culture upon another than through language and ideas.

His legacy includes winning the contest to name the school newspaper. He said he suggested The Argo because he thought of the students there as Argonauts  adventurers in search of wisdom.

Stockton President Harvey Kesselman sent a notice to faculty and staff citing Constantelos long tenure at the college as one its most renowned scholars.

He will be missed by generations of Stockton students, faculty, and staff, Kesselman said.

Tom Papademetriou, a professor of historical studies at Stockton and director of the ICHS, met Constantelos when he was chosen as his research assistant for a trip to Constantinople, Turkey. He said as a scholar, priest and professor, he was driven by a true sense of philanthropy  service to his fellow man.

He was a genuine loving person, Papademetriou said. He felt it was his duty to serve people.

Constantelos helped establish several Greek Orthodox parishes in South Jersey and kept working after retirement.

He would touch his forehead and say everything from here down is sick, but everything up here is still OK, Papademetriou said. He didnt stop. He still had two projects in the works.

Services will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 7004 Ridge Ave., Egg Harbor Township. A viewing will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday. A funeral Mass will be held at 8:30 a.m. (matins) and 9:30 a.m. (divine liturgy). Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Burial is at Laurel Memorial Park followed by a memorial luncheon at the Holy Trinity Community Center.
A Black Widow movie may not be on the horizon from Marvel Studios, but that isn't for lack of inspirational comic book material.

Marvel Comics' current ongoing "Black Widow" series from writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee, which debuted last March, is the latest and best example yet that perhaps a solo movie starring Scarlett Johansson as the Marvel Universe's No. 1 Russian spy turned Avenger wouldn't be the worst idea.

Waid and Samnee are no strangers to collaborating on a major Marvel comic book character. Their Eisner Award-winning run on "Daredevil" was a fan favorite that took a series that is usually known for being dark and gritty and made it surprisingly bright and fun. Waid and Samnee could have tried the same thing with the Black Widow, a character also known for working best in the shadows. They didn't. Instead their "Black Widow" series remains true to the characters' at times cold and lethal ways.

The title of "Black Widow's" first volume (which collects issues 1-6), "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted," by itself sounds like a great possible addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In that volume, the Black Widow is on the run from both those who would try to use the secrets of her dark pre-Avengers past as leverage and from her former S.H.I.E.L.D. allies, who she's forced to fight on more than one occasion.

We're also given a look into the Black Widow's training as a child to become an assassin, which gives this series some of its darkest moments.

The Weeping Lion, a new masked villain with a complex and creative secret origin, whose brawn is only outmatched by wits that enable him to always stay one step ahead of the Black Widow is also introduced.

In the most recent issue of "Black Widow, last December's issue no. 9, former Captain America sidekick Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, makes an appearance. The issue hints at a previous romance between the Black Widow and The Winter Soldier (himself once a Russian spy while being mind-controlled), while the two take on a threat from Black Widow's past.

The issue is a fun reminder that the Black Widow and Winter Soldier already have a history on-screen together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," the Black Widow tells Captain America that the Winter Soldier has been assassinating political figures for 50 years and even put a bullet through her to get to someone she was protecting. The pair have already exchanged punches in the last two Captain America movies ("The Winter Soldier" and "Civil War"). Waid and Samnee's current storyline even places a Nick Fury connection between the two. Who wouldn't want to see Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier in a Black Widow movie? The pieces are there to put such a film together.

Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson is set to become the first actress to lead a female superhero movie for Marvel Studios when she stars in the titular role of "Captain Marvel," which will arrive in theaters in 2019. If Captain Marvel is successful and can encourage future Marvel Studios films with heroine leads, the pages of her Marvel comic book have provided the Black Widow with more than enough source material to get a movie franchise started.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson pointed to two major projects as a sign the county is digging out of an economic crisis that has devastated the area and led to the highest foreclosure rates in the nation.

The Stockton University campus being built in Atlantic City and the Stockton Aviation Research and Technology Park in Egg Harbor Township were both bright spots in Levinsons annual State of the County address Wednesday at the Carriage House.

Levinson said the county needs to shift its economy away from gaming and hospitality. He credited his chief of staff, Howard Kyle, and the Atlantic County Economic Alliance for accomplishing that.

We finally have an organization that is working on economic development in the whole county instead of just a few areas, Levinson said.

The alliance, which meets once a month at the Hamilton Mall, is a nonprofit organization tasked with attracting, retaining and accommodating existing businesses.

Atlantic County to present annual Community Spirit Awards Atlantic County will present its annual Community Spirit Awards on Friday to four local resi

Forming the alliance was the first major goal outlined in the report prepared for the county by Angelou Economics in 2015.

We are off and running on our major initiatives, said Leo Schoffer, interim chairman of the alliance. 2017 is going to be a critical year. We need to build our membership. Were going to need the businesses of Atlantic County to join us.

But despite the progress the alliance has made, Levinson wasnt shy about the challenges the county faces.

He outlined three things that continue to hurt the county financially: the new bail reform law, generally high taxes in New Jersey and the PILOT bill that lets casinos in Atlantic City collectively pay $120 million a year in lieu of property taxes.

Atlantic City officials and county officials have fought over how much money the county should get when the PILOT takes effect.

The county wants 13.5 percent of the PILOT payments, reflecting its historic share. The city, however, says the county should get 10.3 percent, which reflects what it has received recently.

The difference is $40 million over the PILOTs 10-year lifespan.

The bail reform law will cost the county nearly $800,000 this year and is expected to go up, Levinson said.

Everyone including myself voted for bail reform, he said. But the devil is in the details.

Atlantic County had already decreased its jail population over the past eight years because of cooperation among the county, the Prosecutors Office and the jail.

The county has managed to weather these financial burdens by being frugal in other places, Levinson said.

Atlantic City Electric eyeing major upgrades in 2017 PLEASANTVILLE  Officials from Atlantic City Electric hope a major transmission project span

We know when to say no, he said, citing his veto of a raise for the county sheriff and a request from Atlantic City to fix up Browns Park on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

A Moodys Investors Service report published in December praised county officials for budgeting accuracy, strong monetary reserves and effective contingency plans.

Still, Levinson and other county officials are looking at the two major projects underway as a catalyst for the countys financial future.

The casinos are mobbed on the weekends, so people want to come here, he said. We finally got (the tech park) going. Youre going to see results.
ATLANTIC CITY  The man charged with killing his ex-girlfriend, Jacqueline Hoyle, 23, has been arrested in North Carolina and was awaiting extradition to New Jersey, officials said.

Joseph McCoy, 43, of North Tennessee Avenue, was charged after Hoyle was found fatally shot Dec. 20 in their apartment, {span}acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton wrote in a statement.{/span}

He was arrested Jan. 5 in Charlotte by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and is being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail under Abdul Salaam, according to a police report.

When Hoyles former roommate and friend Keturah Foster heard the news of McCoys arrest, she cried tears of joy knowing she could rest well.

I was so scared. I could barely sleep at night because he was still out there, Foster said.

Foster said Hoyle lived in the same apartment with McCoy while they were in a relationship. Two weeks before the killing, Hoyle broke up with McCoy and he moved out, she said.

The heartache is still there, but Im glad hes captured, Foster said.

The Atlantic County Prosecutors Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department issued a warrant complaint against McCoy on Dec. 22. According to the arrest report, McCoy was arrested at the Urban Ministry Center in Charlotte, an interfaith homelessness center.

McCoy was charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Wild set bail of $750,000 full cash, no bond.
Domestic abuse-related charges against Jeremiah Monell in August were dismissed in November at the request of his wife, whom he is accused of killing a month later, authorities said.

An indictment charging Monell, 32, with burglary of his estranged wifes home and criminal contempt was dismissed at the request of the victim, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said.

Webb-McRae declined further comment on the indictment and the case.

It is common for victims of domestic violence to seek to dismiss charges against their abusers, especially on a municipal level, said Nicole Morella, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence.

There was probably a great deal of fear, Morella said. Oftentimes, there are consequences and repercussions to the victim.

Monell is accused of fatally stabbing Tara OShea-Watson, 35, Dec. 19 in her Raymond Drive home in the Laurel Lake section of Commercial Township. Police searched for Monell for two weeks before he was found Jan. 2 in Folsom.

OShea-Watsons friends have said Monell physically abused her for at least a decade.

They also said there was a restraining order issued against Monell, whom OShea-Watson was trying to divorce.

A grand jury indicted Monell on Aug. 10 on charges of burglary and criminal contempt, county Superior Court records show.

The burglary charge states Monell entered the Raymond Street home April 26 and purposefully, knowingly or recklessly did inflict, attempt to inflict, or threaten OShea-Watson with bodily injury.

As for the criminal contempt charge, authorities alleged Monell also on April 26 violated provisions of the state Prevention of Domestic Violence Act contained in an order issued earlier by Commercial Township Municipal Court Judge Edward Duffy. That essentially amounted to a restraining order.

No information was available regarding the content of that order. State judiciary officials said restraining orders arent public records.

Superior Court records show Judge Robert Malestein signed an order Nov. 7 dismissing the indictment with prejudice. That means authorities couldnt again raise the case.

A Superior Court judgment of dismissal record also lists five original charges that were also apparently lodged against Monell as a result of the incidents April 26. Those charges include possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, harassment, criminal mischief and simple assault. No information was available about what happened to those charges.

Morella said the state must do a better job pursuing charges in domestic-violence cases on a municipal level.

In 2014, almost 80 percent of a total 43,000 municipal criminal domestic-violence complaints were dismissed, she said. In contrast, other disorderly-persons offenses are dismissed at a rate of 46 percent, she said.

Morella said charges are most often dropped because the victim fails to participate in proceedings.

Morella said state statute, unlike municipal law, does not allow a victim to drop charges in a domestic-violence case. The state must drop the charges, she said. However, that doesnt mean they anticipated what would happen, she said.

She said the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence is pushing for an assessment tool to identify high-risk offenders, hoping to curb the number of domestic violence victims who end up killed by an abuser.

OShea-Watsons slaying caused a two-week manhunt for Monell. He was apprehended Jan. 2 near a patch of woods at routes 54 and 322 in Folsom, Atlantic County, after a person who recognized him alerted State Police to his whereabouts, State Police said.

Monell is charged with murder and weapons charges, including possession by certain persons not to have a weapon, possession for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession.

He was being held without bail Thursday in the Cumberland County jail in Bridgeton.

Monell appeared before Superior Court Judge Cristen DArrigo on Monday, telling the judge he wants to represent himself in the criminal case.

Monell is scheduled to appear again before DArrigo at 9 a.m. Tuesday for bail proceedings and a preventive detention hearing.
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.
The rates of children getting flu shots are the lowest in four years, a trend that troubles experts as more cases of the flu are being reported in South Jersey

Flu cases have reached high levels in all New Jersey counties for the first time this year, but only about two of every five people in the U.S. have been vaccinated.

Experts say it is dangerous when the majority of people are not protected against the flu, particularly children.

A lot of these people get very complacent, and theyre not aware of how serious the flu can be, said Dr. Ricardo Barzaga, infectious disease consultant at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township.

Barzaga said the so-called mild and late flu season of last year may have deterred people from getting a flu shot ahead of this season. Other health experts said families may wait until the weather gets cold and friends, family, neighbors and coworkers start to fall ill.

The sicker people get, the more people actually start worrying about it, said Megan Sheppard, health officer at the Cumberland County Department of Health.

Sheppard said the department is still seeing children brought in for flu vaccines, and more adults are starting to come in as they notice the flu making its way through their community.

We always tell people that its never too late to get the flu vaccine, she said.

A runny nose, coughing, headaches, fatigue and fever can all be signs that someone has the flu, which is often treated with rest, hydration and over-the-counter medication. But children, the elderly and pregnant women can suffer more severe complications. They include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections and sometimes hospitalization. The flu can also exacerbate existing chronic health conditions. Death is rare, but New Jersey reported one death of a child last season.

Although the high-risk groups are more in danger of these consequences, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate vaccination rates among children are the lowest they have been in the past four flu seasons.

Although last years flu cases overall were not as severe as in previous years, Barzaga said he believes the state is getting hit harder now than at this time last year.

A Jan. 9, 2016, report from the state Department of Health showed flu levels were mild in most counties, and there were 162 flu-positive cases. This weeks report shows every county is experiencing high levels, and there are nine times as many flu-positive laboratory cases.

Atlantic and Ocean counties reported 60 and 148 positive cases, respectively, this season. Cape May County reported a single case of influenza A, and Cumberland reported three cases, also influenza A.

Linda Gilmore, Atlantic County spokeswoman, said the county has provided 1,122 vaccines this season. That is down from total vaccines given last year, but Gilmore said the county will be providing vaccines for the next several months.

Gilmore said one reason the county may be recording fewer vaccinations is people can now choose from more places to get their flu shots, including pharmacies, hospitals, private health providers, schools and workplaces.

More than half of all adults and about 38 percent of children got their early-season flu vaccines at doctors offices, according to the CDC, but about one in four adults gets them at a pharmacy.

In addition to more flu cases being identified now compared with this time last year, Sheppard said, health officials have noticed more early outbreaks of norovirus, or stomach bug, in schools this season.

That, combined with the flu appearing in South Jersey and low flu vaccination rates, could spell trouble for families in the coming weeks and months.

There still needs to be more education out there, more dissemination of news on these complicated side effects, because people simply dont know, Barzaga said.
Property owners along New Jerseys coast have had their homes raised to avoid flood waters like those that damaged homes during Hurricane Sandy.

But the home-elevation industry, which became a booming business after the 2012 storm, is wrought with problems, ranging from safety issues to funding delays that put projects on hold and left some homes literally up in the air.

Before October 2012, home elevation was a niche business, said Steve Hauck, owner of SJ Hauck House Movers in Egg Harbor Township.

The industry has since swelled, buoyed by federal money and stricter regulations on properties near the water, but house lifting is a dangerous, expensive and cumbersome process.

Just last month, one of Haucks employees, Jonathan Fitzick, 24, of Ocean City, was seriously injured after a house he was lifting in Wildwood partially collapsed.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident, which left Fitzick with a broken leg and head cuts.

In 2013, OSHA fined a contractor $8,000 for three serious violations after three workers were injured when a house collapsed in Little Egg Harbor Township.

Its definitely safety-sensitive work, said Tre McAllister, owner of another home elevation contractor, McAllister Building Group in Somers Point. The insurance that we have to have is so expensive, so that says it all.

Another obstacle for contractors and homeowners is dealing with the state agencies that process the federal money allocated for home elevation projects.

McAllister said about 70 percent of house lifting projects his company does are related to Sandy recovery, and thus eligible for funding through state programs, such as the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation Program.

Dealing with the program, which is managed by the state Department of Community Affairs, is awful, absolutely awful, said McAllister, because of delayed payments and red tape.

Its hard to function as a contractor when you cant get paid, said Hauck, who said his company has lifted more than 1,000 homes since Sandy.

The way the program was designed  I dont think it worked the way they envisioned it to work, he added.

Susan Marticek agrees. She works with residents affected by the storm as executive director of the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group.

The state grant was never set up to be the major part of peoples budget, Marticek said.

Some homeowners get stuck with their properties hoisted on cribbing for weeks or months, waiting for money to come in and work to be completed.

They get stuck in their recovery, and they dont have enough money to finish their project, Marticek said. Were now in year five, and, for a lot of people, theyre at a breaking point.

Im fearful we will have a lot of projects that were started but not completed, she added.

She also wonders about the safety of having houses on cribbing for long periods of time. Last year, a house on cribbing in Long Island tumbled over while the homeowner was waiting for funding to finish a home elevation project.

Your house is very vulnerable when its up on that cribbing, Maticek said. With the bad storms, everybody gets a little nervous.

The application period for RREM ended in 2013, but 2,622 homes are still in the process of being elevated, said Lisa Ryan, strategic communications director for the Sandy Recovery Division of Community Affairs.

Nearly 2,000 of those remaining projects are in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

DCA is diligently working to help each of the remaining applicants complete construction and close out of the program, Ryan wrote in an email to the Press of Atlantic City, adding the department regularly provides support to those enrolled in the program.

So far, about $336 million has been spent through the program on completing more than 4,000 home-elevation projects.

McAllister said the state is not always to blame for stalled construction. Sometimes, contractors misuse funds, or homeowners are paid by the state but dont use the money to pay their contractors, he said.

Marticek suggested inexperience with major storms may be to blame for problems with house lifting.

To me, this is New Jerseys first time at the rodeo, she said.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey's highest court ruled Wednesday that juveniles can't receive the practical equivalent of life sentences without parole unless the sentencing judge considers their age and its "attendant characteristics."

The state Supreme Court's unanimous ruling stemmed from appeals filed by two men who were both 17 when they were convicted of serious crimes and received lengthy prison terms. The decision means both men can seek re-sentencings.

Citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision, the New Jersey court found sentencing judges should take into account "how children are different" from adults and how those differences "counsel against sentencing them to a lifetime in prison."

One of the defendants received 110 years in prison  with 55 years of parole ineligibility  for his roles in two separate gang rapes. That meant he would have been about 72 before he could seek parole.

The other defendant took part in four armed robberies, including one where an accomplice shot and killed a victim. The defendant got 75 years overall with no chance for parole for more than 68 years, meaning he wasn't eligible for parole until he was 85 years old.

Alexander Shalom, a senior staff attorney with the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union who represented one of the defendants, praised the ruling.

"This decision is a watershed moment for the rights of juveniles nationally and an important step in ending mass incarceration in New Jersey," Shalom said. "These two men who were sentenced as teenagers will now be able to go before a judge and argue for their release before they've become old men."
ATLANTIC CITY  When it comes to carrying on after the violent death of a loved one, it takes someone who has been through the experience to understand what survivors deal with.

Richard Pompelio, director of the New Jersey Crime Victims Law Center in Newton, Sussex County, came to the All Wars Memorial Building recently to talk about the process of applying for victims-of-crime compensation.

But before Pompelio discussed that subject, he let the 30 people gathered in the room, many of whom were members of the Peace Amongst Youth organization, know he was one of them. Richard and his wife, Ann Pompelio, established the Crime Victims Law Center in 1992 after their 17-year-old son, Tony, was murdered.

In this state, the Victims of Crime Compensation Office pays money to and medical bills for crime victims, a surviving spouse or other relatives dependent for support on a crime victim.

Pompelio said having a child violently taken from a parent basically shatters the parents life. They are never the same, even if they can put the pieces of their lives back together.

The only way some people survive this tragedy is that they realize there are people who you love more than you hate your pain, Pompelio said.

Parents and siblings have been rocked by death after death in Atlantic City. Many said there need to be more grief counselors, not just for parents but for siblings and extended family members.

The parents were concerned the frequency of deaths and funerals in the resort was becoming normal and the surviving loved ones were not getting closure.

I dont see any reason why we cant get this funded through victims compensation, said Pompelio, who works free for victims families.

Several of the mothers who spoke started crying as they tried to communicate their thoughts, showing the pain of burying a child whose life has ended suddenly through violence does not cease even after years have passed.

Kellie Cors-Atherly, who started the Peace Amongst Youth organization, said three families told her after the meeting they planned to apply to see what they were eligible for as far as victims compensation.

I think it went pretty well. It served my purpose as far as awareness, said Cors-Atherly, whose son, Todd Mitchell, was fatally shot in December 2012 in Pleasantville.

Laura Trusty, 43, a Cape May County resident, wore a shirt remembering her son Kenneth L. Sandoz, who was murdered Dec. 22, 2014, in the city and whose case remains unsolved.

No one tells you what programs are available, Trusty said.

Domanique Townsend, 21, of Pleasantville, who is Cors-Atherlys daughter and the late Todd Mitchells sister, said she wanted to see more young people like herself attend future meetings of Peace Amongst Youth, which was originally called Broken Hearted Due to Gun Violence.

Not only are our parents losing their children, but were losing our brothers. Were losing our friends and cousins, Townsend said. If we dont all come together to help, then its not really going to make a difference with our youth.

The next meeting of the Peace Amongst Youth organization will be a Young Mens Night from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 27 at the AC Xclusive Multicultural Community Center, 820 N. New York Ave.

The program is free, because Latoya Dunston, the centers director, is donating use of the space for that night, Cors-Atherly said.
ATLANTIC CITY  The group hoping to build a Donald Trump museum here hopes to soon start accepting artifacts relating to Trumps former ownership of five city casinos.

Levi Fox, Trump Museum Committee member and founder of Jersey Shore Tours, said the group also plans to launch an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to cover the costs of creating a non-profit group to manage the project and the fees for temporarily storing artifacts prior to an exhibit.

Those with artifacts to donate to use in an exhibit or local stories to share can visit www.TrumpMuseum.org.

For any display to pop-up at all in 2017 will probably require thousands of dollars in public donations Fox said, but on the flip-side if a temporary exhibit in July and August generates enough of a buzz, a pop-up museum could evolve into a permanent institution for research and public historical education.

The group is also seeking anything related to marketing of Trump Castle, Trump Marina, or Trump Worlds Fair.
We thought it odd that Avalon would legally challenge a federal government decision about beach replenishment in neighboring Stone Harbor.

Sure, both share the same barrier island and their beach-fill projects are done in concert, so there could be an indirect effect on Avalon. But why wouldnt Stone Harbor file suit, since the decision deprived the borough of its preferred source of beach sand? Beats us.

Maybe Avalons lead role in the matter will become clearer in the U.S. District Court hearing, scheduled to start today, Jan. 12.

From our reading of the basis for the federal decision, Avalon has a tough case to prove. More importantly, the dispute is surely a harbinger of battles to come over coastal development and its protection, since 17 other coastal areas in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties are subject to the same law weighing on Stone Harbor.

In 2014, the federal government decided that Hereford Inlet  between Stone Harbor and North Wildwood  was part of the Coastal Barrier Resource System.

Later it interpreted that to mean the borough could no longer pump sand from the inlet for the beaches. Avalons beach-replenishment sand comes from Townsends Inlet, which isnt in the CBRS and remains available.

Nonetheless, its Avalon that is suing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers, alleging error in their decisions on Hereford Inlet.

The CBRS was created by the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982, which sought to reduce federal incentives to development on coastal barriers. To that end, it mandated the mapping of undeveloped coastal barrier areas and made them ineligible for most new federal expenditures and financial assistance.

Stone Harbor Point, the southern end of the island, is clearly undeveloped, and it, Hereford Inlet and the marshland back to the mainland were all included in two units of the Coastal Barrier Resource System.

This seems consistent with federal descriptions of the act and system. CBRA further defines a coastal barrier as all associated aquatic habitats, including the adjacent wetlands, marshes, estuaries, inlets and nearshore waters, as long as they contain few manmade structures. Maybe Avalon will claim that beach replenishment doesnt encourage island development.

Someday other areas along the N.J. coast might turn out to be similarly cut off from some federal funding they might otherwise get. Just in South Jersey, already included in the CBRS are Corsons Inlet between Ocean City and Sea Isle City; two areas south of the Cape May Canal; and six units along the Delaware Bay.

The mapping continues, too. Last month, the program added three new units in Middlesex and Monmouth counties.

An interesting aspect of the Avalon case against the federal agencies will be whether it grandfathers in prior sand-dredging practices or affirms the new restriction.

Either way, the trend in law and regulation is firm and inevitable: Barrier island development must be discouraged and possibly even reduced in many different ways. The property destruction by ocean and storms is too certain, and the costs too high, to be otherwise.
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.




LONDON, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

2016 marks a record in number of new partners and unique users across multiple verticals and market segments, resulting in 300% annual year-over-year revenue growth

Appnext, a leading mobile discovery platform, today announced that in 2016, it tripled its year-over-year revenue. With over 650 million unique users, interacting with Appnext-powered app recommendations, the company continues to adhere to its mission of helping mobile users discover and use apps they need at numerous contextual moments throughout their day. With 5 international offices opened in the past year (US, China, South Korea, Cyprus, Ukraine), Appnext has tripled its size reaching 110 employees worldwide.

Founded in 2012, Appnext provides thousands of mobile businesses with scalable technology solutions to grow, engage and monetize, while providing tangible user value to its partners that include leading utility apps, games, apps of brands, mobile websites, as well as OEMs and mobile operators. Integrated with over 12,000 apps and games, Appnext enabled in 2016 over 1.29B video views, 10M taxi rides, and 720K item purchases. Since 2014, when Appnext introduced the world's first self-serve platform, exclusively dedicated to app marketing, it has evolved to provide transparent end-to-end technology solutions to mobile publishers and app marketers of various sizes, and verticals.

Playrix, one of the leading game publishers in CIS and EU, recognizes Appnext as one of the top partners for its global launches and user acquisition efforts. "The Appnext platform provides unmatched transparency over campaign performance, giving us full control to optimize instantly as we see the optimal fit. Appnext offers comprehensive, yet easy-to-use campaign management tools that can easily serve as an industry benchmark." - Nikolay Sitnov, Head of User Acquisition, Playrix.

Elad Natanson, Founder and CEO, Appnext: "2016 was a defining year for Appnext, as well as for the entire mobile and ad tech industries. For the past five years, we've developed robust technology and data solutions, leveraged by thousands of partners worldwide. We are looking forward to 2017, ready to respond to the changing market needs, introducing a new line of innovative products to help users better experience life through mobile, and change the way we interact, discover and use apps.

About Appnext:

Appnext is a leading mobile discovery platform, helping millions of users experience apps at the right moments throughout the day. Our platform provides mobile publishers and app marketers with end-to-end technology solutions for premium monetization and app growth.

Leading mobile and in-app video advertising since 2012, Appnext has partnered with the top app, game, mobile web publishers, as well as OEMs and mobile operators to help them grow their mobile businesses by promoting apps. With a growing community of over 60,000 developers and 650M users worldwide, we've created a marketplace that connects publishers and advertisers directly and transparently, amplifying their monetization and advertising efforts. For more information, please visit www.appnext.com. Connect with Appnext on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts

Appnext:

Orit Sharon

orit@appnext.com

+972-3-7262993



SOURCE Appnext
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Calypso Technology, Inc., a leading provider of capital markets and investment management software, announced today it has launched a new Cloud Services Division featuring a comprehensive lineup of Cloud solutions.

In addition to their enhanced flagship Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering, which delivers Calypso's award winning cross-asset, front-to-back trading platform on the Cloud, they have developed Cloud-based enterprise apps that simplify regulatory compliance with a minimal IT footprint. They also offer a Cloud-based utility solution, which enables large third party service providers to manage the back-office operations of multiple clients simultaneously.

"Our goal is to provide our clients with solutions that meet their unique needs and allow them to focus on their customers rather than on their IT infrastructure," said Corinne Grillet, Chief Customer Officer and Head of the Calypso Cloud Services Division. "Financial institutions are increasingly embracing Cloud strategies to improve agility, reduce costs, and accelerate compliance, and they need a partner they can trust."

"This is a major turning point for our clients and our firm," added Calypso CEO Pascal Xatart. "There is no doubt that the Cloud will play a progressively bigger role in capital markets technology, and we expect our new Cloud Services Division to lead the industry transformation. We have taken care to ensure our range of Cloud services is flexible enough to align with the IT roadmaps of institutions of all sizes, which we believe distinguishes us from other vendors in our space."

All of Calypso's applications run natively on the Oracle Cloud, but the firm also supports a do-it-yourself option for clients who prefer to deploy the platform using another Cloud provider. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Oracle as the backbone of our Cloud solution," said Jean-Marie Gatty, Director of Calypso Cloud Services. "They are among the giants of Silicon Valley, and they provide a complete, integrated, agile, security-focused Cloud solution at every layer of the technology stack. They also provide the scalability required to support the complete spectrum of Calypso clients, from the largest utility providers to smaller regional banks. Working with Oracle allows us to increase the quality, productivity, and reliability of our services."

"The Cloud represents a huge opportunity for our partner community," said Dan Miller, senior vice president, ISV, OEM and Java Sales, Oracle. "Calypso's commitment to innovation with Oracle Cloud and track record of quality execution can help ensure our mutual customers receive Cloud-enabled software solutions ready to meet critical business needs."

Calypso enables a wide range of sell-side, buy-side, and clearing firms to consolidate disparate businesses onto a single platform, standardize workflows, achieve economies of scale, and enable enterprise-wide transparency of trading and risk.

Calypso was recently awarded the 2016 Technology Provider of the Year by Asia Risk Magazine. Calypso was the #1 selling Treasury and Capital Markets Solution for the seventh consecutive year in the 2016 IBS Sales League Table.

About Calypso Technology, Inc.

Calypso Technology, Inc. is a leading provider of cross-asset front-to-back technology solutions for financial markets. With 20 years of experience delivering software and services for trading, risk management, processing and accounting, the Calypso platform helps bring simplicity to complex business and technology challenges. Calypso solutions address needs for the capital markets, investment management, clearing, collateral, treasury and liquidity.

Calypso is used by over 34,000 market professionals in over 60 countries representing more than 200 financial institutions across Asia, Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Calypso Technology has over 700 staff in 21 global offices, with headquarters in San Francisco, California. "Calypso" is a registered trademark of Calypso Technology, Inc. in the United States, the European Union and other jurisdictions. Other parties' trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective owners and should be treated as such. www.calypso.com

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle's products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program  an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Media Contacts:

Calypso Technology

Chris Shayne

chris_shayne@calypso.com

+1-415-530-4147

Related Links

http://www.calypso.com/



SOURCE Calypso Technology
SANTA CLARA, California, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Bioscience Inc., a global drug discovery and development services company providing translational platforms to advance cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CVMD) research, expands its U.S. footprint in New Iberia, Louisiana.



CrownBio has expanded its CVMD services capacity by investing in facilities at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center (NIRC), the largest national primate research center in the U.S. Spread over a 100-acre site, the NIRC maintains accreditations with AAALAC, OLAW, and the USDA, and has multiple research capabilities that harmonize well with the efficacy and model development studies conducted by CrownBio.

These capabilities at NIRC support CrownBio's preclinical research service portfolio and help bring the most competitive value to CrownBio's clients. "The move to NIRC significantly increases our NHP capacity in the U.S. so that we can now provide high quality NHP study services with greater agility to our clients," said Dr. Jean-Pierre Wery, CEO of CrownBio.

"The addition of biomedical professionals from the private sector will enhance the work of the NIRC researchers," said Ramesh Kolluru, vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development at UL Lafayette. "This opportunity expands the region's reputation for innovation-based economic development through our public-private partnership with CrownBio, a global biopharmaceutical company."

"CrownBio's unique dysmetabolic NHP models spontaneously develop diabetes, obesity, and other associated comorbidities, and closely mimic the human disease states, thus making them indispensable translational platforms in late-stage preclinical research. The expanded capacity in the U.S. will enable us to execute multiple projects at the same time and bring these important translational platforms to our clients to enable their go/no-go decisions into the clinic," said Dr. Jim Wang, senior vice president of CVMD Research at CrownBio.

The expansion to NIRC came in response to increasing client demand and as part of CrownBio's growth strategy in the CVMD space. Dr. Wang added, "CrownBio's goal is twofold: to align operational excellence with client demand and to lead the way in CVMD preclinical research.

Dr. Francois Villinger, director of NIRC, said, "Our center in New Iberia has the research and analytical expertise and infrastructure in place to assist CrownBio to respond to the needs of its global clientele very quickly. We are committed to incubating and growing businesses in the biomedical arena supported by the strength of UL Lafayette's research in life sciences."

"The increased NHP capacity in New Iberia, enables CrownBio's current and future clients to engage with a robust and scientifically sound continuum of solutions as they progress through their preclinical drug discovery pipeline" said Laurie Heilmann, senior vice president of Global Strategy, Marketing, and Business Development at CrownBio.

About Crown Bioscience Inc.

Crown Bioscience is a global drug discovery and development service company providing translational platforms to advance oncology and metabolic disease research. With an extensive portfolio of relevant models and predictive tools, Crown Bioscience enables clients to deliver superior clinical candidates. For more information on CrownBio's growing portfolio of models and services for cardiovascular and metabolic disease research drug discovery, visit http://www.crownbio.com.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/351602/crown_bio_Logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.crownbio.com



SOURCE Crown Bioscience Inc.
Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes+ became available to the public on January 2, 2017, and sold nearly 90,000 lash enhancers in the first 24 hours! Contact your local Younique Presenter for advice on achieving unbelievable results with this new formula.

Since its inception in 2012, Younique has been committed to developing beauty products that combine innovative science with the best ingredients nature has to offer. The Transplanting Gel formula helps provide ultimate adhesion with conditioning and moisturizing effects. The new 3D Fibers are made of Nylon fortified with squalane, the essential ingredient in Younique Royalty Uplift Beauty Serum, to provide a nourishing base for smoother coating. Nature. Love. ScienceYounique's product development mantra creates perfection in the new Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes+.

* Averaged results observed in independent laboratory testing, when compared against bare lashes. Two coats provide up to a 900% increase in average volume.

About Younique

Younique is an international beauty brand with a mission to uplift, empower, validate, and ultimately build self-esteem in women around the world through high-quality products that encourage both inner and outer beauty and spiritual enlightenment while also providing opportunities for personal growth and financial reward. Our goal is to provide beneficial and innovative products that women can ultimately trust and feel confident using every single day. Younique is the first direct sales company to market and sell almost exclusively through the use of social media in 10 global markets. Learn more about Younique and Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes+ at www.youniqueproducts.com.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456582/Younique_MascaraCollage_English.jpg

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456652/younique_Logo.jpg

Related Links

https://www.youniqueproducts.com



SOURCE Younique
BRUSSELS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionbridge Technologies, Inc., today announced that Country Manager (Belgium), Rudy Tirry, has been re-elected President of the European Union of Associations of Translation Companies (EUATC). With a two-year term of office which began on the 1st January 2017, Rudy's new mandate is a continuation of his first appointment as president in 2015. The re-election shows Rudy's continuous involvement in contributing to the language industry, alongside a prominent body within the sector.

Commenting on the new appointment, Rudy Tirry said: "I look forward to continuing my role at the EUATC. It's an honour to have been elected President for the second time and to be offered the chance to help the association support national initiatives to promote professionalization in the language industry."

The EUATC is an umbrella body for national associations of translation companies throughout Europe. The EUATC provides a united voice for language services companies and promotes the highest standards of quality and business practice. It also helps to improve the training of linguists across Europe. Membership is not limited to EU-member states but also includes other European countries such as Switzerland and Turkey.

To learn more, visit www.euatc.org

About Lionbridge

Lionbridge enables more than 800 world-leading brands to increase international market share, speed adoption of products and effectively engage their customers in local markets worldwide. Using our innovative cloud technology platforms and our global crowd of more than 100,000 professional cloud workers, we provide translation, online marketing, global content management and application testing solutions that ensure global brand consistency, local relevancy and technical usability across all touch points of the customer lifecycle. Based in Waltham, Mass., Lionbridge maintains solution centres in 27 countries. To learn more, visit http://www.lionbridge.com.

Media Contact:

Danielle Killick

Text100

Lionbridge@text100.co.uk

Related Links

http://www.lionbridge.com



SOURCE Lionbridge Technologies, Inc.
DUBLIN, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Flexible Battery Market by Type, Chargeability, Application - Global Forecast to 2022" report to their offering.

The flexible battery market is expected to be worth USD 958.4 Million by 2022, at a CAGR of 46.6% between 2016 and 2022. The growth of this market is propelled by the increasing miniaturization of electronics devices, need for thin and flexible batteries in consumer electronics, and the growing demand for wearable devices. The market has been segmented on the basis of type, chargeability, application, and region.

Thin-film battery type is expected to hold a large share of the overall flexible battery market in 2016. Thin-film batteries are used widely in applications such as smart packaging, smart cards, wearable devices, and medical devices. With the advent of technology in these applications, there is a growing demand for thin-film batteries during the forecast period. The advancement in these applications is increasing the demand for thin-film batteries and thus driving the growth further.

The APAC region is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the flexible battery market. In APAC, China currently holds the largest market share and it is also expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. China is a developing economy and has a huge consumer electronics manufacturing capacity, which is one of the emerging applications for flexible battery.

One of the key restraining factors for this market is the development of flexible batteries which requires high initial investment, especially in the area of research and development and its manufacturing setup. It requires the implementation of sophisticated and expensive machinery along with the technology for manufacturing flexible battery. As the machinery and technology comes at high cost, it increases the requirement for investments.

Companies Mentioned:

Blue Spark Technologies, Inc.

Brightvolt Inc.

Enfucell OY Ltd.

LG Chem Ltd.

NEC Energy Solutions Inc.

Panasonic Corp.

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

Stmicroelectronics N.V.

Ultralife Corp.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights - Flexible Battery Market

5 Market Overview

6 Industry Trends

7 Flexible Battery Market, By Type

8 Flexible Battery Market, By Chargeability

9 Flexible Battery Market, By Application

10 Geographic Analysis

11 Competitive Landscape

12 Company Profiles

13 Appendix

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/x3rbwt/flexible_battery

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
LONDON, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Team led by Alex King, with an extraordinary track record of developing global consumer finance businesses, joins Future Finance to build upon the company's success

Current CEO and co-founder Brian Norton to become Executive Vice Chairman

Future Finance to accelerate expansion helping many more deserving students across Europe to access higher education

Future Finance, Europe's leading student lender, announces that it has recruited a team of five highly experienced senior executives, led by new CEO Alex King, to join the existing team and boost growth.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456941/Future_Finance_Brian.jpg )



Alex King and his team will join the leading student finance platform to maximise the Company's tremendous growth potential. In December 2016, Future Finance's total loan originations crossed the 50 million mark following loan demand of over 500 million during the past two years in the UK alone. The company has now provided funds to more than 7,000 university students in the UK and Germany, including 3,000 in the second half of 2016 alone. Future Finance is partnered with European Investment Fund and with more than 60 universities across Europe.

Brian Norton will assume the role of Executive Vice-Chairman and remain significantly involved in the business. Under Brian's leadership, and in just two years, Future Finance has grown from a concept to an operating business with a 50 million loan portfolio. During that period, the company has developed an advanced technology and underwriting platform, introduced strong regulatory and compliance structures and built a team of over 50 high-performing individuals who have contributed to the growth and success of the business.

On his appointment as Chief Executive of Future Finance, Alex King commented: "Future Finance has experienced phenomenal success and has huge potential to continue to grow. I am excited to be joining such a great team and a fast-growing, consumer-friendly business that is focused on ensuring that deserving students get the education they need."

Brian and Future Finance's Board of Directors are delighted to have recruited an exceptional leader and highly experienced team to deliver the next stage of growth. The new team brings significant experience to the company and a strong track record of growing global consumer finance businesses.

Adam Jiwan, Future Finance's co-founder and Chairman, added: "Future Finance has built a strong foundation for growth since launch and we are grateful for Brian Norton's enormous contribution to the business and look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role. We are thrilled that Alex and his team of four executives will be joining the Company to take it to the next level. Alex has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to build and scale FinTech businesses and products. We have high expectations that this team's past successes in the US, UK and China will be replicated at Future Finance."

Notes to Editors

About Future Finance

Future Finance, Europe's leading student lender, provides competitive tailored loans to students in the UK and Germany whose government loans and bursaries are not enough to cover the cost of higher education. Future Finance is facilitating access to education through its proprietary lending platform, which factors granular data on continuation, employability and earnings into its lending decisions, enabling it to lend to students who in many cases would not be able to obtain loans from banks.

Future Finance provides loans to undergraduates and postgraduates of between 2,500 and 40,000 each academic year to help them pay for tuition costs and living expenses. Loan periods are for ten years after graduation although borrowers can settle early at any time, with no early repayment charges, and reduce the amount of interest that they pay overall. Loans include up to four payment holidays of three months, which provide students with flexibility as they establish their careers.

Future Finance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the U.K. under the Interim Permission Reference Number 661722

SOURCE Future Finance
GETINGE, Sweden, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Getinge will issue its Q4 report for 2016 on Thursday January 26th at 13:00 CET, followed by a conference call at 15:00 CET, hosted by Joacim Lindoff, Acting President & CEO, and Reinhard Mayer, CFO.

We invite fund managers, analysts and the media to participate in the conference call. Please see details below to join the conference:

Swedish dial in number: +46 (0)8 5033 6574

UK dial in number: +44 (0)330 336 9412

US dial in number: +1 719-325-2202

Participant passcode: 5823854

Agenda

14:45 Call in to the conference

15:00 Review of the Q3 report

15:30 Q&A

16:00 End of conference

Two hours after the end of the conference call, a recorded version of the conference can be accessed for 5 working days on the following number:

Swedish dial in number: +46 (0) 8 5199 3077

UK dial in number: +44 (0) 207 984 7568

US dial in number: +1 719-457-0820

Code: 5823854

During the telephone conference a presentation will be held. To access the presentation, please use this link: http://www.livemeeting.com/cc/premconfeurope/join?id=5823854&role=attend&pw=pw1231

Alternatively enter the Live Meeting site and log into your meeting using the Meeting ID and Password below:

Live Meeting: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/premconfeurope/

Your Name: (Enter your name)

Meeting ID: 5823854

Meeting Password: pw1231

For more information, please contact:

Kornelia Rasmussen,

Executive Vice President Communications & Brand Management

Phone: +46 (0)10 335 5810

E-mail: kornelia.rasmussen@getinge.com

Lars Mattsson,

Head of Investor Relations

Phone: +46(0)10 335 00 43

E-mail: lars.mattsson@getinge.com

Getinge Group is a leading global provider of innovative solutions for operating rooms, intensive-care units, hospital wards, sterilization departments, elderly care and for life science companies and institutions. Getinge's unique customer offering mirrors the hospital's organization and value chain, and the solutions are used before, during and after the patients' hospital stay. Based on first-hand experience and close partnerships, Getinge provides innovative healthcare solutions that improve every-day life for people, today and tomorrow.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/getinge-group/r/getinge-group-announces-date-of-2016-q4-report-and-conference-call,c2164634

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Getinge Group
DUBLIN, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Dublin - Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Airfreight Forwarding Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

The global airfreight forwarding market to grow at a CAGR of 3.49% during the period 2017-2021.

The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global airfreight forwarding market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the volume of air cargo transported by vendors in the market. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is rising demand for integrated services. Freight forwarders provide customers with a wide range of integrated services. This includes not only the usual transport of cargo from source to destination but also a range of other services. These services include customs brokerage while exporting and importing, origin consolidation and destination deconsolidation services such as supporting government inspections, transloading, and contract logistics services.

According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is increase in trade agreements among nations. The resurgence of the global economy has resulted in the increased trade volumes between countries. The increasing imports and exports between nations have lowered the trade barriers because of the relaxation of government trade policies. Favorable government trade policies have resulted in an increased demand for freight forwarding services to keep pace with the increased freight transportation needs of importers and exporters. This provides an immense opportunity for the existing vendors to expand their base globally.

Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is increase in reshoring and nearshoring manufacturing. Manufacturers are reconsidering their offshoring policies. The advantages that drove offshoring, such as low labor and overhead costs, are diminishing rapidly, and companies are, therefore, shifting toward reshoring and nearshoring. Reshoring is the process of bringing offshore production back to the home country.

Key questions answered in this report



What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?

What are the key market trends?

What is driving this market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in this market space?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

Key vendors



Deutsche Post DHL Group

Kuehne + Nagel

DB Schenker

NIPPON EXPRESS

UPS Supply Chain Solutions

DSV

Sinotrans

Expeditors

Other prominent vendors



C.H. Robinson

CEVA Logistics

CJ Korea Express

DACHSER

Dimerco

GEODIS

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics

Hitachi Transport

Kerry Logistics

Logwin

NNR Global Logistics

Panalpina

Pantos Logistics

Pilot Freight Services

Bollore Logistics

Toll Holdings

Yusen Logistics



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jqzg79/global_airfreight

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
LONDON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- An agreement on the establishment in the UK of a global node for a standardized digital currency based on blockchain technology was formally signed at Central Hall Westminster on January 9. China's Puerbank Group delivered the new node that will function both from an operation as well as a technological viewpoint in line with a standardized system for digital currency. The group plans to collaborate with selected companies in the UK during the establishment of the node and in an interchange of various forms of assets valued at 5 billion yuan (approx. US$720 million). Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in the UK, the UK Research and Development Centre for Chinese Traditional Culture (UKCTC), The Thames Group, Singapore Shipping Group and Central Saint Martins attended the signing ceremony.

Puerbank Group has established a standard and a complete set of operating protocols for a digital currency and built the first large node for the currency in China. The group is gradually promoting its way of thinking in terms of how digital currencies should be managed as well as the technologies that should be deployed worldwide, and its token (the digital assets that circulate on the blockchain) as well as the business that has been built up around the use of the token has received wide support from many companies in China since its launch, laying a solid foundation for the global expansion of blockchain finance. In the UK, Puerbank Group plans to provide technologies that can be deployed to assist in the building of a digital asset module as well as to accomplish the exchange of assets between nodes within the country, and, at a point in the not too distant future, the exchange of digital assets worldwide.

"In many countries around the world, blockchain was one of the hottest topics of 2016. Blockchain-based private digital currencies developed fast, and at the same time, the competition among digital currencies quickly became so fierce that even the Bank of England announced its intention to run virtual currencies as a trial. As a result of these rapidly unfolding events, existing digital currency issuers quickly found themselves obliged to establish an effective operating system, especially in view of the need for asset safety and to provide a platform that would allow issuers to build a reputation. Puerbank Group believes that having a fully standardized system is the most effective way to enhance competitiveness among private digital currencies," said Mr. Seven, Chief Overseas Representative of Puerbank Group, when commenting on the development of asset digitalization.

In China, Puerbank Group first assembled some highly refined collector's tea and established the tea as the standard asset, and, on the back of the asset, issued a digital currency in full compliance with the standard that it had developed. The group named the currency Puyin. Then, through an open-source asset expansion program, the assets grew in volume and now have a value in excess of 100 billion yuan (approx. US$15 billion). Puerbank Group took steps to make sure that their technology was sufficiently robust to handle the high volume of assets swaps. The model proved highly effective in that available market resources were quickly mobilized, and a rapid, high-frequency, exchange of commodities started to take place, significantly promoting economic growth. This model can be localized to build nodes anywhere worldwide, and, by using the local node, manage a blockchain-based financial eco-system in tandem with localized "local currencies". Ultimately the model will be able to handle cross-border asset conversion and circulation through the exchange and settlement of these "local currencies" in combination with "tokens" such as Puyin.

At the same time that the node in the UK was established, a node in California's Silicon Valley was also put in place. The global blueprint of a digital currency backed by a standard has begun its infinite extension from two points connected by a single line. It will be not long before digital assets are quickly converted free of obstacles within a full-functioning infrastructure via a standardized digital currency. The world of commerce looks forward to that day.

CONTACT: Yufeng Wang, +86-18948780828, 2257722693@qq.com

SOURCE Puerbank Group
NACKA STRAND, Sweden, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Hexagon AB, a leading global provider of information technologies that drive productivity and quality across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications, today announced the following organisational changes:

Gerhard Sallinger has been appointed new Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Hexagon and Mattias Stenberg has been appointed President of PPM.

Mr. Sallinger has served as President of Hexagon's PPM division since 2001. In his new role, he will lead efforts to strengthen Hexagon's strategic alliances to better exploit the synergistic opportunities that exist across its businesses.

Mattias Stenberg, who has served as Hexagon's Chief Strategy Officer since 2013, succeeds Mr. Sallinger as President of Hexagon's PPM division. Mr. Stenberg has been with Hexagon in different roles since 2009 and has played a vital role in strengthening Hexagon's strategic direction.

"With more than 30 years of service and commitment to PPM's mission, Gerhard is the ideal candidate for this role. He has led the organization through tremendous growth and has been fundamental in developing strong customer relationships among PPM's key accounts," says Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollen. "As we look to the future, we remain focused on leveraging PPM's established technology leadership to open up new business opportunities and serve the growing needs of our customers. As a long-term member of Hexagon's group management team with knowledge and expertise across all aspects of Hexagon's businesses, Mattias is the ideal candidate to accelerate this expansion."

The organizational changes will be effective as of today.

For further information, please contact:

Maria Luthstrom, Investor Relations Manager, Hexagon AB, +46 8 601 26 27, ir@hexagon.com

Kristin Christensen, Chief Marketing Officer, Hexagon AB, +1 404 554 0972, media@hexagon.com

CONTACT:

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/hexagon/r/hexagon-announces-the-appointment-of-new-senior-vice-president-of-strategic-alliances-and-new-presid,c2165588

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/387/2165588/613987.pdf Press release

SOURCE Hexagon
UTRECHT, Netherlands, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Website offers people free platform in case of illness and death

The music that should be played during your cremation ceremony. The message you want to send to your partner or your children. The person you would like to donate your belongings to. People can now record their personal last wishes in case of illness and death online through http://www.what-i-wish.com.

On the easily accessible online platform, people can indicate the things they want to arrange and the affairs they want to take care of or not before they die. "It offers people the opportunity to record and describe in advance what has to be done in case they get ill or perish, allowing them to share this with their family and loved ones. If you don't, other people have to make these decisions after your death. That is a missed opportunity," says Jos Verspaget, who created http://www.what-i-wish.com.

He lost his wife a couple of years ago. A few months ago his mother died. Both had clearly described their last wishes. With both there was enough time to talk about these things and record them, but a lot of people only think about it when it's already too late. That's why Verspaget came up with the idea of http://www.what-i-wish.com.

Market research shows there is a great need for such a website. 84 Percent of the respondents indicated they will use the online platform. Everybody (100 percent) wants to leave a messages for their next of kin and 94 percent state that it's important for their relatives to be aware of their wishes regarding their funeral or cremation. According to Verspaget this feeling is universal. That's why http://www.what-i-wish.com is being offered in several countries.

The website has no ties with insurance companies, healthcare or funeral organizations, allowing people to indicate freely what they want. However, it is not a substitute for legal matters like a will or inheritance. It is meant for personal wishes and agreements, which are often more important to people.

People who register get to choose from a whole menu of options, varying from non-treatment statements to speeches, flowers or music during the service and from passwords, mailing list or other administration to personal messages.

SOURCE JFBV
HEIDELBERG, Germany, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Luxendo intends to use funds to drive the uptake of its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes internationally

Luxendo, a privately held start-up spun out of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and developing its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology for biomedical research, announces today that the total capital raised in the Series A is 8 million. This follows a funding extension which was led by Life Science Partners (LSP), Amsterdam, EMBL Ventures, Heidelberg and EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM).

Luxendo will use these funds to drive the international sales of its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes by expanding its international sales and marketing team. Luxendo also intends to invest in the production capacity needed to support its growth.

Luxendo launched two different microscopes Mu-VI- and In-Vi- SPIM in 2016. Both microscopes are based on the SPIM technology. This technology allows scientists to observe living organisms for extended periods of time without them being adversely impacted by photo-toxicity. Luxendo's microscopes are able to avoid sample phot-toxicity by just illuminating sequentially a stack of small slices of the organism that is actively being viewed.

The MuVi-SPIM microscope, equipped with two of the latest sCMOS technology cameras provides superfast 3D imaging (up to 140 fps, 512x2000 px) without the need of sample rotation. The InVi-SPIM microscope, equipped with an inverted optical setup, allows extremely gentle specimen handling and is therefore dedicated to cell culture and early embryonic development imaging.

Luxendo plans to introduce a new instrument for quantitative fluorescence imaging in 2017. This novel instrument is in its final development phase.

Andreas Pfuhl, CEO of Luxendo commented: "We are extremely happy that interest from potential academic and industrial customers around the world for testing our MuVi- and InVi- SPIMs is greatly exceeding our expectations. We are delighted that this high level of interest has persuaded our existing investors to commit the additional funds we need to expand Luxendo sales, marketing and service capabilities. By strengthening our organization we will be able to drive the sales of our microscopes and to ensure that we deliver first class customer support."

"Today more than 2.500 cell biology labs around the globe use confocal microscopes to conduct their research, however there is a rapidly growing interest in microscopes that use SPIM technology by scientists in both academia and industry" comments Stefan Herr, Managing Director at EMBL Ventures. "Luxendo's SPIM technology means that it is well placed to tap this rapidly emerging market. We are confident that Andreas and his team will ensure that Luxendo is able to gain a significant share of this market due to the clear benefits the Company's products deliver."

"SPIM microscopy allows researchers to see things they couldn't dream of before, such as imaging the entire embryonic development of an organism with subcellular resolution," says Joachim Rothe, Managing Partner at LSP, "We are convinced that Luxendo will become the leading supplier of this exciting technology to biomedical research labs around the globe."

"We are pleased that with Luxendo, the most recent SPIM technologies company to come out of EMBL is focused on making its products available to the wider scientific community as rapidly as possible. This increased Series A financing will help it speed-up this process" commented Jurgen Bauer, Deputy Managing Director of EMBLEM.

Luxendo's proprietary SPIM technology is a fluorescence microscopy technique combined with a high optical resolution. Only a thin slice (one to few micrometers) of the fluorescent sample is illuminated, and therefore highly reduces the photodamage and stress induced on a living sample that could occur with conventional laser scanning confocal microscopes.

-Ends-

Contacts



Luxendo Media contacts Dr. Andreas Pfuhl Citigate Dewe Rogerson Managing Director David Dible, Marine Perrier pfuhl@luxendo.eu luxendo@citigatedr.co.uk Tel: +49 6221 1873111 Tel: +44 20 7638 9571

About Luxendo

Luxendo is the most recent spin-off company from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The Company develops and internationally markets its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes which are based on its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology.

The Company currently markets the MuVI- and InVi- SPIM microscopes.

The MuVi-SPIM microscope allows fast 3D imaging of living objects such as spheroids and whole specimens for extended periods of time, and without the need of sample rotation.

The InVi-SPIM microscope allows extremely gentle sample handling. It is designed for fast 3D imaging of living objects such as cell cultures and developing embryonic samples.

Luxendo was founded in October 2015. The Company is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, and is funded by EMBL Ventures and Life Science Partners. To-date it has raised a total of 8 million.

For more information, please visit http://luxendo.eu/

About EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH

EMBLEM, established in 1999, identifies, protects and commercializes the intellectual property developed in the EMBL world, from EMBL alumni and from non-EMBL third parties. EMBLEM facilitates and accelerates the transfer of innovative technology from basic research to industry by working closely with industrial partners spanning the biotech, IT and mechanical/electrical engineering markets.

For more information, please visit https://embl-em.de/

About EMBL Ventures GmbH

EMBL Ventures invests throughout Europe in life-science companies with the aim to create significant commercial opportunities based on new therapeutic treatment modalities, next generation enabling technology platforms or innovations in the diagnostics and device area. EMBL Ventures manages over 120m on behalf of major European institutional and private investors and typically invests 3 to 8m as lead or co-lead investor.

For more information, please visit http://www.embl-ventures.com

About LSP

LSP is a leading independent European investment firm, providing financing for private and public life-science companies. Since the late 1980s, LSP's management has invested in a large number of highly innovative enterprises, many of which have grown to become leaders of the global life-science industry. With over $1 billion of investment capital raised to date and offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP is one of Europe's largest and most experienced specialist life-science investors.

For more information, please visit http://www.lspvc.com

About The European Molecular Biology Laboratory

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a Europe's flagship laboratory for the life sciences, with more than 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of structural, molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Founded in 1974, EMBL is an inter-governmental organization funded by public research money from its more than 20 member states. The Institute with over 1,600 employees operates across five sites: the main laboratory in Heidelberg, and outstations in Grenoble, Hamburg, Hinxton near Cambridge (the European Bioinformatics Institute EBI), and Monterotondo near Rome.

For more information, please visit https://www.embl.de/

SOURCE Luxendo
DUBLIN, Jan 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Mobile Virtual Reality" report to their offering.

This report provides a detailed analysis of market issues, technology issues, key industry players, and market sizing and forecasts for mobile VR hardware and content. Hardware forecasts include unit shipments and revenue for mobile HMDs, cameras, gamepads, and other VR-specific controllers. ontent revenue forecasts are segmented into gaming and media. All market data covers the period from 2014 to 2021 and is segmented by world region. The report also includes profiles of 26 key players in the mobile VR market.

This research estimates that more than 88% of all consumer-grade VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) sold in 2016 were mobile, and the firm anticipates that the mobile domination of the VR market will continue for years to come, with mobile HMDs constituting three-quarters of annual consumer-grade HMD shipments in 2021.

Only in the last few years has there been renewed innovation, ideas, and investment in consumer VR. Palmer Luckey is widely credited with giving the consumer VR space a kick start when he created the Oculus Rift. Since then, a host of other companies has entered the marketplace.



At the forefront of the consumer VR movement and the potential expansion of VR into broader enterprise applications is the most significant device of the 21 century - the smartphone. The world's most popular computing device is capable of delivering VR experiences to a mass audience, and opportunists are launching VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) and an ecosystem aiming to profit from mobile VR.



VR is defined as an artificial environment created with software and presented to the user in such a way that he or she can be made to believe it is real. There are two major categories for VR: consumer VR and enterprise/industrial VR.



Consumer VR can be further subdivided into two categories:



- Mobile VR, in which smartphones are used with HMDs for VR experiences

- VR experienced via personal computer (PC)-based, console-based, or all-in-one devices



This report examines the market and technology issues surrounding mobile consumer VR, with an emphasis on hardware, software, ecosystem, and use cases.



Key Topics Covered:



Section 1 Executive Summary



Section 2 Market Issues



Section 3 Technology Issues



Section 4 Key Industry Players



Section 5 Market Forecasts



Section 6 Company Directory



Section 7 Acronym and Abbreviation List



Section 8 Table of Contents



Section 9 Table of Charts and Figures



Section 10 Scope of Study



Companies Mentioned



Alibaba

AltspaceVR

Amazon

Baobab Studios

Bitmovin

Daydream

Facebook

Fibrum

Google

HTC

Imagination Technologies

Improbable

KnoxLabs

Leap Motion

Merge VR

NextVR

Pixvana

Samsung

Social VR

Unity

VicoVR

VisiSonics

Vroom

Wevr

nDreams

uSens

vMocion

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/tcwn4x/mobile_virtual

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
French tech start-up goes global as HR tech market matures

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PeopleDoc, the European start-up standout, grew its core business by 90% in its most recent fiscal year which ended December 31, 2016. The company expanded global operations and now has more than 500 clients using its solutions to provide app-like HR cloud services for 2.9 million employees in 165 countries. New or significantly expanded clients during the last year include BCD Travel, Biogen, Bureau Veritas, Canfor, Equinox, GoDaddy, IGT, EDF, Nestle, Omnicom Health Group, Total, Travelex, Solvay, Ubisoft and UMass Memorial. PeopleDoc also extended its perfect record of 100% client retention, a key measure of company health in the Software as a Service industry.

In 2016, PeopleDoc clients reported HR productivity gains of 30-80% and improved employee satisfaction. As enterprises have sought to reduce HR service costs and improve employee engagement, they are remaking their internal operations into digital service centers. The first wave of investment focused on implementing HR information systems to digitize employee data. Now companies are investing in HR Service Delivery solutions to use that data to provide employees efficient and personalized help while putting less stress on their HR resources. There is plenty of room for improvement: in a recent survey PeopleDoc conducted with Changeboard, 68% of HR leaders said their function still spends too much time on administrative tasks.

PeopleDoc growth was also fueled by the increasing popularity of user-friendly cloud solutions. By specifically designing for HR teams and end users, PeopleDoc solutions can be fully implemented in only eight to twelve weeks. Because HR teams can use PeopleDoc independently, they don't need to invest in customizing generic enterprise solutions or in ongoing coding, IT maintenance or hardware expenses.

With the growth of its client base, PeopleDoc has grown its ecosystem. It has documented integrations with more than 200 HR systems to share data and create more seamless processes for employees. PeopleDoc HR Service Delivery was a featured solution in the launch of the new SAP SuccessFactors App Center in Q4 2016. The company has expanded its relationships with HR consultants and systems integrators in 2016 including new relationships with Change Associates in the UK and with HR Campus in Switzerland.

"With the new PeopleDoc platform, HR Campus is enhancing its portfolio of solutions to help HR departments in Switzerland," says Marek Dutkiewicz, CEO and founder of HR Campus. "Fast and efficient HR processes, reduced lead time for employee requests and fully integrated HR document management are only some of the added values. This solution bridges an important gap in administrative HR systems of our clients."

PeopleDoc grew its employees to 165 adding offices or employees in Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Nordics. New executive hires included Edwin Neumann as Chief Financial Officer and Aimee Stone Munsell as Chief Marketing Officer, both based out of the global HQ office in New York.

An unusual story for the tech world, PeopleDoc began in Paris and grew next to North America before expanding into northern Europe. The company has raised $55M in capital making it one of the most funded startups in French history.

About PeopleDoc

PeopleDoc is on a mission to make the difficult job of HR easier. The PeopleDoc HR Service Delivery platform helps HR teams more easily answer employee requests on demand, automate employee processes, and manage compliance across multiple locations. PeopleDoc cloud solutions include case management, process automation and employee file management. 100% software as a service, PeopleDoc solutions integrate with existing HR systems, can be implemented in 8-12 weeks, and are designed for agile ongoing use by HR teams serving diverse workforces. PeopleDoc serves more than 500 clients with employees in 165 countries in nine languages with a 100% customer retention rate. More information is available at www.people-doc.com.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457023/PeopleDoc_Logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.people-doc.com



SOURCE PeopleDoc
PUNE, India, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Polyfilm Market by Resin Type (LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE, BoPP, CPP, PVC, BoPET, BoPA), End-use Industry (Agriculture, Packaging, Building & Construction, Consumer Goods, Medical) and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 167.57 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 4.0% from 2016 to 2026.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 108 market data tables and 44 figures spread through 185 pages and in-depth TOC on "Polyfilm Market"



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/polyfilm-market-4979094.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

Packaging is expected to be the fastest-growing end-use industry segment of the polyfilm market

Packaging is expected to be the fastest-growing end-use industry segment during the forecast period. The rigid packaging subsegment of the packing segment is expected to witness high growth. The PET segment is expected to lead the market, as PET is light in weight and reduces cost as well as environmental impact during transport. The demand for flexible packaging is expected to increase in food & beverage, tobacco, beauty & personal care, and tissue & hygiene in the coming years.

Ask for PDF of the Report at http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=4979094

Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) is the largest segment of the polyfilm market, segmented based on resin type

LLDPE is the largest segment of the polyfilm market, due the desirable properties of LLDPE when used individually or when mixed with other resin types. LLDPE is majorly used in flexible packaging, especially in food and textiles industries, in the form of extruded monolayer or in composites with PVDC, EVA, and other polyolefins as per application. For waste bags, stretch and shrink films LLDPE is coextruded with Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA). LLDPE replaces LDPE in films and finds increasing use in large retail unit packaging markets.

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing market for polyfilm, followed by Middle East & Africa. India and China have a major role to play, in terms of polyfilm demand. Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Philippines are also expected to witness high demand for polyfilms in coming years.

Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=4979094

Demand from packaging and agriculture end-use industry is the major driver of the polyfilm market

Rising population, improving food-packaging techniques, technological advancements in agriculture through the use of greenhouse films are the key factors expected to fuel the growth of the Polyfilm Market. Advancements in crop cultivation and increasing government subsidies in emerging countries has led to increasing usage of greenhouse films. The packaging industry There is a high demand for BoPET and BoPP-based films from the packaging industry, owing to the properties of these resins, including durability, light weight, inertness, and moisture or air resistance.

Key market players in the polyfilm market

The key players in the polyfilm market are Jindal Polyfilm (India), Formosa Plastics Corporation (Taiwan), Chiripal Polyfilm (India), Cosmo Films (India), Polyplex Corporation (India), Uflex Limited (India), Taghleef Industries (U.A.E), Vacmet India Pvt Limited (India), Garware Polyester (India), Max Speciality Films (India), and SRF Limited (India).

Browse Related Reports:

Medical Adhesive Market by Natural Resin Type (Collagen, Fibrin), by Synthetic & Semi-Synthetic Resin Type (Acrylic, Cyanoacrylate, Epoxy, Silicone, Polyurethane), by Formulating Technology (Water, Solvent, Solids & Hot Melt) - Global Forecast to 2019

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/medical-adhesive-market-41880473.html

UV Adhesives Market by Resin Type (Acrylic, Cyanoacrylate, Epoxy, Silicone, Polyurethane), Application (Medical, Electronics, Glass Bonding, Packaging, Transportation, Industrial Assembly) and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/uv-adhesive-market-161648812.html

Subscribe Reports from Chemicals & Materials Domain: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

Contact:

Mr. Rohan

MarketsandMarkets

701 Pike Street

Suite 2175, Seattle,

WA 98101, United States

Tel: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com





Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
"Simon is regarded as one of the very best to take a venture that isn't based in Europe and build its presence across the continent," Buchanan said. "He is the perfect person to accelerate our growth in Europe as Simon is superbly skilled at developing sales teams, creating mutually beneficial partnerships and managing projects of enormous complexity. I could not be more thrilled with Simon joining ROKT at this point in our development in the EMEA region and around the world."

Edelstyn will focus initially on Europe with ultimate responsibility for all ROKT business activities across EMEA. He plans to build off the company's rapid development in the UK market, where, in about a half year's time, ROKT has secured partnerships with leading e-commerce operators such as eBay UK and Ticketmaster UK as well as advertising relationships with several leading brands.

It is expected that under Edelstyn's leadership ROKT will increase the number and type of European-based e-commerce operators in its partnership network as well as broaden its offering for performance marketers there. Given his broad and deep experience, Edelstyn will also play a key role in furthering the company's dramatic growth globally.

Previously, Edelstyn served as Managing Director (MD), Europe for Outbrain, the content discovery platform, where he was responsible for domestic and international business development, sales strategy, market intelligence and product development. Before that he was Google's Director of Syndication, a post that saw Edelstyn establish and manage partnerships with top-tier ISP, content sites and portals across Europe for the syndication of search and monetisation services.

He joins ROKT from Somo, a London-based mobile marketing firm he co-founded. Somo helps major brands adapt the mobile medium into their marketing ecosystems. He began his career in business development and general management positions at BT and its joint venture BTLooksmart.

"It's been my experience that building a sizable footprint in Europe requires more than desire. To succeed there must also be a compelling value proposition brands and e-commerce operators cannot ignore, the technology to deliver on that and a high caliber team able to make it all happen," Edelstyn said. "I see that in ROKT and more. I'm tremendously excited to lead the effort to expand The Transaction Marketing Company in EMEA."

Edelstyn will be based at ROKT's London office.

About ROKT

ROKT brings significant upside to e-commerce site owners and businesses wanting to rapidly acquire new customers, with its innovative method that connects customers to advertisers with referrals from the world's leading online brands. ROKT's transaction marketing is built on its versatile platform that lets advertisers connect with customers when they're most receptive, just when they've made an online purchase with a trusted brand.

ROKT has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Melbourne, and Singapore as well as a presence in Auckland. For more information, please email info@rokt.com or visit ROKT.com

ROKT and the ROKT logo are trademarks of ROKT Pte. Ltd. Other marks belong to their respective owners.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456835/ROKT_Simon_Edelstyn.jpg

SOURCE ROKT
LONDON, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- Helps customer meet new data growth requirements through support of edge computing

- Standardized architecture enables quick and easy deployment virtually anywhere

- Includes power, cooling and security in a single enclosure, providing simplified management

Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, today announced it has collaborated with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) on HPE Micro Datacenter, introduced recently at the Gartner Data Center, Infrastructure & Operations Management Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. The collaboratively engineered converged infrastructure solution provides end-to-end IT infrastructure, networking, storage and management in a single, self-contained and easy-to-deploy architecture ideal for distributed IT environments.

Schneider Electric is leveraging its SmartBunker FX, an integrated and secure enclosure with UPS, power distribution, cooling and monitoring, with HPE storage, network and compute solutions to create HPE Micro Datacenter, a custom-designed and integrated architecture that supports edge environments. Designed utilizing Schneider Electric engineering and HPE consulting expertise creates an operationally-optimized solution. As a result, customers can reduce latency and quickly add capacity while providing a secure and easy to manage remote data center environment.

"The growing quantity of data - due in part to the growth of IoT and connected devices - is having a transformational effect on the data center market and the technologies needed to support it," said Kevin Brown, CTO, Schneider Electric - IT Division. "As data is becoming increasingly impactful to data center performance and business success, edge computing has emerged as a compelling solution to reduce latency, meet IoT processing needs and deliver greater availability and reliability. Micro data centers provide a turnkey solution for edge deployments, complete with all the necessary IT and compute components to meet new data growth requirements and deliver connectivity demand."

The software-defined HPE Micro Datacenter utilizes cloud-enabled HPE ConvergedSystems and HyperConverged, as well as IoT HPE Edgeline Solutions. Ranging in size between 23U and 42U, the enhanced solution, built within the Schneider Electric SmartBunker FX, incorporates IT with 1N and 2N power and cooling, environmental and security monitoring in a single-delivery platform. Complete with full remote management capabilities for the IT and physical infrastructure components, SmartBunker FX brings data center level availability and reliability to locations lacking dedicated IT space or that require additional levels of physical protection or security.

Available in custom configurations, HPE Micro Datacenter's physical features include:

Power: Symmetra UPS with remote management and 5-minute runtime, allowing for safe, remote shutdown.

Symmetra UPS with remote management and 5-minute runtime, allowing for safe, remote shutdown. Cooling: InRow self-contained, active DX cooling with monitoring, controls and display.

InRow self-contained, active DX cooling with monitoring, controls and display. Monitoring: StruxureWare Data Center software for remote management and real-time remote monitoring of temperature, power, cabinet access, fire and video.

StruxureWare Data Center software for remote management and real-time remote monitoring of temperature, power, cabinet access, fire and video. Security: Multi-point, 180-degree locking doors, NetBotz Rack Access proximity card locking systems and NetBotz Security and Environmental Monitoring.

Multi-point, 180-degree locking doors, NetBotz Rack Access proximity card locking systems and NetBotz Security and Environmental Monitoring. Safety: Fire-resistant heavy gauge steel construction with thermally insulated walls, sound attenuation and sealed cable entries.

Through engineered collaboration, Schneider Electric and HPE have developed a unique and mutually exclusive set of hardware and software-defined configurations that deliver an optimized solution that provides greater scalability and flexibility to meet the new demands of the cloud-enabled, hybrid IT environment of the future.

"Successful IT and facilities partnerships are at the core of enabling edge computing," said Rick Einhorn, vice president, Data Center Consulting, HPE. "The ongoing collaborations with Schneider Electric to provide true software-defined data centers where the work is done provides the solution enterprise is looking for."

The HPE Micro Datacenter is immediately available worldwide from HPE and channel partners. Pricing will vary by customer configuration. Visit the HPE Micro Datacenter website for more information.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management and automation. With revenues of ~27 billion in FY2015, our 160,000+ employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable. From the simplest of switches to complex operational systems, our technology, software and services improve the way our customers manage and automate their operations. Our connected technologies reshape industries, transform cities and enrich lives. At Schneider Electric, we call this Life Is On.

http://www.schneider-electric.com

Discover Life is On

Related resources:

Hashtags: #innovationateverylevel #datacenter #prefab #microDC #HPE #edgecomputing #efficiency

Follow us on:

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Schneider Electric TV, Schneider Electric Blog

Media Contact

Schneider Electric

Lavina Dsouza

Tel.: +44 7887 560218

lavina.dsouza@Schneider-electric.com



Media Contact

Spa Communications for Schneider Electric

Rory Flashman-Wells

Tel.: +44 1892 511413

rflashman@spacomms.com



SOURCE Schneider Electric
Latest version of Act! provides purpose-built mobile app Act! Companion, deeper integrations, and increased compatibility in order to maximize customer productivity and subscription value

DENVER, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiftpage, the maker of Act! and a leading provider of software and services that help small and mid-sized businesses grow, today announced the availability of Act! v19, their latest release of Act!, in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and International English. The new software will be released in French and German markets in the coming months.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456903/iPhone_Activities_with_Text.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456905/iPhone_Notes_with_Text.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456904/iPhone_Chris_Huffman_with_Text.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456906/iPhone_Notifications_with_Text.jpg

Designed to maximize productivity and subscription value, Act! boasts a new Connection: Act! Companion mobile app, along with various customer requested enhancements, including over 30 revamped standard reports, updates to the Web API resulting in deeper, more meaningful integrations and increased compatibility with Microsoft Office applications users rely on daily to run their businesses.

"This is an important release that positions both our business and our customers for future success as we continue on the journey to transform the way our users manage their businesses," said Lorcan Malone, president and COO of Swiftpage. "Our customers need mobile flexibility, so we developed the new Act! Companion mobile app and we retooled Act! emarketing to significantly increase performance and functionality."

Active subscribers will gain access to the Act! v19 upgrade, and will also benefit from new developments in Customer Success resources and Connections between Act! and other popular business optimization tools. Subscribers can take advantage of newly designed feature tours and expert technical support to help them get the most from this release.

Overview of v19 Release Benefits

Act! v19 offers new Connections for Act! Premium subscribers, performance improvements for Act! emarketing, and numerous customer-driven feature enhancements.

New Connection for Act! Premium Subscribers: Act! Companion mobile app

Now available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, Act! Companion is a native mobile app designed for both Android and iPhone that allows users to stay connected on the go. Users can get alerts for upcoming activities, easily capture notes during meetings, and email or call Act! Premium contacts directly from the app.

Improvements to the Web API

Users will benefit from more powerful integrations due to improvements to the Web API platform that allows deeper access to Act! Premium data and functionality.

Compatibility Updates

Act! v19 is now compatible with 64-bit editions of Microsoft Office 2016, 2013, and 2010. Users can now work seamlessly between the applications.

Act! emarketing Improvements

Performance improvements to Act! emarketing allow users to send emarketing campaigns up to five times faster than before. Users can now quickly and easily view campaign history for individual contacts, with a new history overwrite that ensures contact information is always up-to-date. Plus, users no longer have to worry about accidental sends with an all new confirmation dialogue box.

Customer-Driven Feature Enhancements

Act! v19 features 30+ refreshed standard reports with relevant fields, along with default filters and sort orders that help users retrieve information quickly and easily. New file types ensure any preexisting customer reports are not affected.

Find a complete list of features and benefits of Act! v19 here.

Social Media and Website Links

About the Act! Portfolio

Act!, the award winning customer & contact manager trusted by more than six million businesses globally, enables business owners to manage their relationships, interact and follow-up with their customers effectively and efficiently. Small and medium sized businesses rely on the Act! portfolio daily to run, manage and grow their business. Learn more at www.act.com.

2017 Swiftpage ACT! LLC. All rights reserved. Swiftpage, Act!, and the Swiftpage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Swiftpage ACT! LLC, or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Press Contacts  North America

Mallory Bowers

Swiftpage

(720) 490-4332

mbowers@swiftpage.com

Dave Feistel

LF|PR

(949) 502-6200 x 224

davidf@lfpr.com

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/180788/swiftpage_logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.swiftpage.com



SOURCE Swiftpage
The European Advertising Consumer Research Report 2016 delivers a broad view of attitudes and awareness of the European Self-Regulatory Programme for Online Behavioural Advertising ( The Programme ) across 15 European countries surveyed. The study was conducted by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of TRUSTe and the EDAA from 04  20 November 2016 with more than 15,000 participants.

Results show that awareness of the OBA Icon is growing in nearly every country where year-on-year data is available. In fact, in Great Britain - the largest digital advertising market in Europe - 34% of those surveyed (up from 13% in 2012) now recognise the Icon. Furthermore, those who have seen the Icon are choosing to find out more  in 14 out of 15 countries surveyed, at least 1 in 4 who have seen the Icon report they have clicked on it. The Programme continues to deliver positive results in terms of attitudes as well. When presented with information provided by clicking on the Icon and having the opportunity to manage their privacy preferences, more than 2 in 5 (44%) adults aged 18-50 across the 15 countries surveyed report being more favourable about the concept of OBA.

"The research shows the importance and effectiveness of the industry-led program that empowers consumers to exercise meaningful choice with respect to online behavioural advertising. This consumer-friendly alternative to ad-blockers is helping companies demonstrate their commitment to privacy and supporting the growth of the digital advertising market." says Chris Babel, CEO TRUSTe.

"This report comes as the European regulatory landscape for the online advertising industry poses significant uncertainty. Therefore, we are proud to demonstrate, through this report and the day to day operation of the Self-Regulatory Programme, that effective ad self-regulation can deliver value to consumers, businesses and regulators, and therefore should be an essential part of the regulatory toolkit" states Nick Stringer, EDAA Chair.

Summary of Key Findings [See infographic]

The positive impact in creating consumer awareness for the Programme is holding strong.

Among those surveyed across 15 countries:

Consumer awareness of the OBA Icon and Admarker is highest in Portugal (59%), Greece (52%) and Ireland (39%) followed by Great Britain (34%). In all four countries awareness increased significantly, with gains led by Portugal, where there has been a 19-percentage point increase since 2015. In Great Britain, awareness has risen steadily for four consecutive years and is up six percentage points since last year.

Results from newly added countries such as Romania, where the EDAA's awareness campaign was being run parallel to the research, suggest the Programme's awareness campaign has had a positive impact. Among Romanian adults aged 16  60 surveyed:

19% recall seeing the OBA Icon and Admarker

43% who are aware of the OBA Icon report they have clicked on it

When asked what the OBA Icon means, 1 in 5 (21%) correctly identified that clicking on the icon allows you to manage your privacy preferences; from a given list, this was also the top response provided.

Across the 13 countries where the research was also completed in 2015, awareness of the Icon with Admarker text increased 6 percentage points to 27% among 18-50 year olds.

Among adults questioned who have seen the Icon in either form (either with the Admarker text or the icon on its own):

In 14 of the 15 European countries, at least 1 in 4 surveyed said they have clicked on it. This is as high as around 2 in 5 in Bulgaria (45%), Romania (43%), Poland (41%), Spain (41%) and Greece (40%).

(45%), (43%), (41%), (41%) and Greece (40%). Gains in understanding the Icon's meaning is holding firm, with adults in 12 of the 15 countries who had seen the icon placing "manage your privacy preferences" in their top two choices for the meaning of the Icon. This is roughly in-line with the results in 2015 (11 of the 13 countries), but far above 2014 when only 4 of the 10 countries surveyed demonstrated this level of recognition.

Seeing the information provided by clicking on the Icon and the option to manage privacy preferences can lead to adults having more favourable attitudes towards the practice of OBA and increase the level of trust towards the brand being advertised.

Among 18-50 year olds questioned in the 15 countries surveyed in 2016:

44% say they are more favourable towards the concept of OBA when presented with information provided by clicking on the icon and having the opportunity to manage their privacy preferences

More than 1 in 5 in every country surveyed said this makes them trust the brand being advertised more. The positive effect for brands exceeded 1 in 2 surveyed in Bulgaria (55%) and 2 in 3 in Portugal (67%).

Research Methodology

The study was conducted online by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of TRUSTe and the EDAA from 4  20 November 2016 with 15,896 adults across 15 different European countries listed below. Interviews were carried out on Ipsos MORI's online i:Omnibus service using a quota sample of adults who are members of Ipsos' European Online Panel. For each country, data have been weighted to the known offline population profile of this audience according to age, gender, region and working status. The ages of adults interviewed for each country were as follows: Great Britain and France (adults aged 16-75), Belgium, Germany and Italy (adults aged 16-70), Spain and Sweden (adults aged 16-65), Romania, Hungary and Poland (adults aged 16-60), Finland and Republic of Ireland (adults aged 18-65), Portugal and Bulgaria (adults aged 18-55), and Greece (adults aged 18-50).

The following number of adults in each country report having seen the icon in either form (either with the Admarker or without it): Belgium  145 of 1,091, Bulgaria  230 of 1,000, Finland  154 of 1,001, France  197 of 1,100, Germany  126 of 1,077, Great Britain  408 of 1,100, Greece  549 of 1,000, Hungary  282 of 1,081, Republic of Ireland  411 of 1,001, Italy  129 of 1,082, Poland  136, Portugal  607 of 1,000, Romania  233 of 1,086, Spain  222 of 1,089, Sweden  106 of 1,100.

The eight countries where awareness of the OBA Icon with Admarker is significantly greater are Bulgaria, France, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain.

The 14 countries where at least 1 in 4 adults who have seen the Icon in either form report having clicked on it are Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania Spain and Sweden.

The 12 countries where adults who have the seen the Icon in either form place "manage your privacy preferences" in their top two choices for meaning of the icon are Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Comparison data is available for all markets apart from Belgium and Romania as TRUSTe and the EDAA conducted comparable research with Ipsos MORI in 2015. Certain findings from Great Britain are also trackable where TRUSTe ran comparable research carried out by Harris in 2012 and 2013.

About TRUSTe

TRUSTe powers privacy compliance and risk management with comprehensive technology, consulting and certification solutions. We have nearly 20 years' experience across all industries and a team of more than 150 professionals developing innovative solutions to address global regulatory and data protection requirements that govern the use of customer and employee information. Our award-winning Data Privacy Management Platform addresses all phases of privacy management including program development, data inventory, risk assessments, monitoring, and compliance reporting. Companies worldwide rely on TRUSTe to demonstrate compliance, minimize risk, and build trust. See www.truste.com

About the EDAA

The European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) is a non-profit organisation based in Brussels and is responsible for enacting key aspects of the Self-Regulatory Programme for Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) across Europe since its launch in October 2012. EDAA principally acts as the central licensing body for the OBA Icon and provides technical means for consumers to exercise transparency and control over OBA through the youronlinechoices.eu online consumer choice platform. EDAA is governed by EU-level organisations which make up the value chain of OBA within Europe and acts to ensure European consistency in approach. More information can be found at www.edaa.eu

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456820/TRUSTeEDAA_Logo.jpg





Related Links

http://www.truste.com



SOURCE TRUSTe
VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market will possibly attain a value worth US$ 1,491.0 Mn by 2016, up from US$ 1,255.0 Mn recorded in 2015. In-house robotic vacuum cleaner will remain a leading product type segment, whereas Europe will continue to be the largest regional market for residential robotic vacuum cleaner.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO )

Rising urbanisation is the primary factor fuelling the demand for robotic vacuum cleaner. In addition, vacuum cleaners are gaining higher traction since the past few years owing to busy lifestyle of people worldwide and lesser time dedicated to household chores. Increasing consumer inclination toward automated cleaning devices is another key factor driving the growth of the global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market. Robovacs or residential robotic vacuum cleaners are lightweight, compact, portable, and possess intelligent sensors for efficient cleaning. These features, in addition to time and energy efficiency, collectively escalate the demand in market.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-113

Consumers nowadays are highly concerned about indoor air quality and indoor air pollution management. This is anticipated to hold a positive influence on the demand. Greater emphasis on health and hygiene will remain an important factor impacting the adoption positively. Increasing prevalence of asthma and allergic conditions spur the sales of HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaners. Growing awareness about managing indoor air pollution and increasing adoption of automated home appliances in developing countries will be a major factor influencing the demand in near future.

Rising R&D investments and launches of innovative products, such as vacuum cleaners with spinning brushes, UV sterilisation, and security cameras are foreseen to strongly support the market growth. Discovery of stair-climbing robot cleaner is identified to create lucrative growth opportunities. In 2015, iRobot Corporation introduced an advanced robotic vacuum cleaner (Roomba 980) that has in-built adaptive navigation, visual localisation, and connected app control. It is designed for enhanced efficiency on carpets. However, higher costs and stringent energy-efficiency regulations are likely to challenge the market growth.

Preview Analysis on Global Residential Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Market by Revenue: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-residential-robotic-vacuum-cleaner-market

Based on the robot type, the global market for residential robotic vacuum cleaner is classified into in-house and outdoor robot segments. In terms of value, the in-house robot segment is projected to reach US$ 1,221.8 Mn, accounting for over 81% market share by the end of 2016. Outdoor robot segment, with merely 18% share in 2016, is likely to witness a stellar Y-o-Y growth of 29.5% in 2017 over 2016.

By the mode of charging, the global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market is segmented into manual charging and auto battery charging segments.

Based on geography, the market for residential robotic vacuum cleaner is fragmented into five key regional markets viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Europe will remain dominant with around US$ 665.0 Mn revenues and 44% market value share by 2016 end. APAC will continue to be another key market with over 18% market value share in 2016. MEA is identified to be the fastest growing region.

Speak with Analyst for any Report Related Quires: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-113

Some of the leading companies operating in the global market for residential robotic vacuum cleaners, include Neato Robotics, Inc., Yujin Robot, Co., Ltd., Robot Corporation, Dyson Inc., Ecovacs Robotics, Inc., Hayward Industries, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Philips Electronics N.V, Pentair plc, and Milagrow Business & Knowledge Solutions (Pvt.) Limited. Most of the key players are currently focusing on innovative product development to take over the competition.

Long-term Outlook: Over 2016-2021, the global residential robotic vacuum cleaner market is estimated for a robust CAGR of 12.0%, reaching a value beyond US$ 2.4 Bn by 2021 end.

More From FMI's Cutting-edge Intelligence:

Tablet Market Segmentation By Product Type - Detachable, and Slate Tablet; By Operating System - Android, iOS, Windows; By Screen Size - Below 8 inch, 8 inch and above; By End-Use - Consumer, and Commercial: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/tablet-market

Workstation Market Segmentation By Product Type - Tower Workstation, Mobile Workstation, Rack Workstation, Blade Workstation, All-in-One Workstation; By Operating System - Windows, Linux, Unix; By Application - Digital Content Creation, Economic/Finance, Engineering, Scientific, Software Engineering, Other Commercial: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/workstation-market

Mass Notification Systems Market Segmentation By Application - Interoperable Emergency Communication, Integrated Public Alert and Warning, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery and Business Operation; By Solution - In-building Solution, Wide-area Solution and Distributed Recipient Solution; By Product Type - Hardware, Software and Services; By End-user Vertical - Ommercial, Education, Energy and Power, Healthcare, Defence, Automotive, Transportation and Logistics and Government Institutions: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mass-notifications-systems-market

About Us

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

Browse More Electronics, Semiconductors, and ICT Market Insights

Contact Us

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,

Valley Cottage, NY 10989,

United States

T: +1-347-918-3531

F: +1-845-579-5705

T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790

Sales: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Press Office: Press@futuremrketinsights.com

Website: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com

SOURCE Future Market Insights
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- W. P. Carey Inc. (NYSE: WPC) announced today that it has priced an underwritten public offering of 500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.250% Senior Notes due July 19, 2024 (the "Notes"), which will be issued by its wholly-owned subsidiary, WPC Eurobond B.V. (the "Issuer"), and shall be fully, unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by W. P. Carey Inc. The Notes were offered at 99.448% of the principal amount and application for listing has been made by the Issuer with the Irish Stock Exchange plc (the "ISE") for trading on the Global Exchange Market and any listing is subject to approval by the ISE.

Interest on the Notes will be paid annually on July 19th of each year, beginning on July 19, 2017. The offering of the Notes is expected to settle on January 19, 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. W. P. Carey Inc. intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to reduce amounts outstanding under its senior unsecured credit facility, to fund potential future acquisitions and mortgage repayments, and for general corporate purposes.

J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Merrill Lynch International and Wells Fargo Securities International Limited acted as joint book-running managers for the Notes offering.

A registration statement relating to the Notes has become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The offering is being made by means of a prospectus supplement and prospectus. Before making an investment in the Notes, potential investors should read the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for more complete information about W. P. Carey Inc., the Issuer and the offering. Potential investors may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, potential investors may obtain copies, when available, by contacting: J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Attention: Head of Debt Syndicate and Head of EMEA Debt Capital Markets Group, 25 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JP, United Kingdom, telephone: +44-20-3493-0682; Merrill Lynch International, Attention: Syndicate Desk, 2 King Edward Street, London, EC2Y 1HQ, United Kingdom, telephone: +44-207-995-3966; or Wells Fargo Securities International Limited, One Plantation Place, 30 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BD, United Kingdom, telephone: +44-207-149-8481.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes 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. Any offer or sale of the Notes will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement relating to the offering and the accompanying prospectus.

W. P. Carey Inc.

W. P. Carey Inc. is an internally-managed real estate investment trust and a leading owner and manager of commercial properties, primarily net leased to companies on a long-term basis in the U.S. and Europe. Through its investment management business, the company also manages a series of non-traded real estate investment trusts and other investment vehicles.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, both as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the intent, belief or expectations of W. P. Carey Inc. and the Issuer, and may be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "should," "would," "assume," "outlook," "seek," "plan," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast" and other comparable terms. These forward-looking statements represent W. P. Carey Inc. and the Issuer's expectations and beliefs concerning future events, and no assurance can be given that the future results described in this press release will be achieved. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the companies. The factors and assumptions upon which any forward-looking statements herein are based are subject to risks and uncertainties which include, among others, risks associated with the offering of the Notes, including whether such offering of the Notes will be successful and on what terms it may be completed; the risk factors set forth in W. P. Carey Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, W. P. Carey Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2016 and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC; and other factors over which it has little or no control. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication may not occur. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication, unless noted otherwise. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, W. P. Carey Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

In the United Kingdom, this announcement is for distribution only to, and is only directed at, persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and fall within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Financial Promotion Order"); (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Financial Promotion Order; or (iii) are any other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated under the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement and any of its contents is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.

Institutional Investors:

Peter Sands

W. P. Carey Inc.

212-492-1110

institutionalir@wpcarey.com

Press Contact:

Guy Lawrence

Ross & Lawrence

212-308-3333

gblawrence@rosslawpr.com

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/326749/w__p__carey_inc__logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.wpcarey.com



SOURCE W. P. Carey Inc.
LONDON and LUXEMBOURG, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

New acquisition comes at the end of a year which saw ZEDRA grow rapidly

The acquisition strengthens ZEDRA ' s global presence in Europe and is a key move as Luxembourg remains a strategic place in the industry

ZEDRA's Luxembourg office to provide a platform for trust, corporate and fund services and structuring opportunities

ZEDRA has announced that it has acquired Interconsult, the Luxembourg International Consulting S.A ('Interconsult') in Luxembourg. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. Terms were not disclosed.

Interconsult was established in 1992 and as such one of the oldest corporate trust service firms in Luxembourg and is located in the centre of Luxembourg City. A founder member of Luxembourg International Management Services Association asbl, Interconsult is an internationally renowned service provider, providing corporate, administrative and fiduciary services to both corporate and private clients. Interconsult is also a member of Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association asbl, a non-profit association created in 2010 to represent, promote and protect the interests of the Luxembourg private equity and venture capital industry.

Interconsult will be fully integrated into ZEDRA's growing network of offices. The acquisition will increase ZEDRA's size to nearly 380 staff worldwide.

The acquisition is part of ZEDRA's growth plan to expand its business in carefully selected jurisdictions and adds to other recent acquisitions in the UK and the Netherlands. It will take ZEDRA's global presence to 11 jurisdictions.

The merger will add value to Interconsult's existing clients through ZEDRA's global business offering and network.

Interconsult's Managing Director, Federigo Cannizzaro di Belmontino will remain in his current position after the acquisition and he will continue to be supported by 20 local staff.

Federigo Cannizzaro di Belmontino has extensive knowledge and understanding of the Luxembourg market. ZEDRA can build on Federigo's wealth of experience to strategically grow its service offerings in Luxembourg going forward.

Further strengthening Federigo's team is Frank Walenta, who has recently joined Interconsult as its Commercial Director.

Frank Walenta, was previously responsible for corporate services in Luxembourg and then in Germany for an international corporate service provider. In his previous role he advised and managed SPVs and the German inbound business of in particular international corporate clients, private equity & venture capital funds, family offices and HNWIs. Frank has been a board member to many leading international companies and private equity funds.

"As we grow our offices and develop our operations, we need to be where our clients want to do business," says Niels Nielsen, Group Chief Executive Officer, ZEDRA, "Luxembourg is that place and therefore constitutes a natural extension for us. It will be a key part of our global network and an important hub for us to provide trust, corporate and fund trust services to our clients, irrespective of their domicile."

Frank Walenta, ZEDRA Commercial Director in Luxembourg added, "It's terrific to be back in Luxembourg. It's absolutely the place for us to be in order to help our clients to achieve more. The service offering of ZEDRA is of the highest quality and Interconsult is a great match for ZEDRA. We differentiate ourselves by our personal relations and our customisation."

Federigo Cannizzaro di Belmontino, ZEDRA Managing Director concluded, "We are delighted to be joining the ZEDRA Group with its established global network. The merger will strengthen ZEDRA's presence in the market and we look forward to being a part of ZEDRA as it continues to grow. We are confident that our long standing industry experience in Luxembourg is a perfect fit with ZEDRA's service offering in strategic places across the world."

For further information, please visit http://www.zedra.com

About ZEDRA

ZEDRA is an independent, global specialist in trust, corporate and fund services. The company was acquired from Barclays in January 2016 by an independent investor group, with an ambitious plan to grow the company, expanding and strengthening the services it offers to clients around the world. It currently has global offices in 10 jurisdictions, including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and Switzerland.

Based in offices across ten key jurisdictions, its 360-strong team of industry experts is dedicated to creating and delivering bespoke solutions for clients. The business is focused on the strong commitment of an experienced team, fostering an entrepreneurial approach to delivering exceptional client services.

ZEDRA has a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals and their families, international corporations, institutional investors and entrepreneurs. Under the ownership of a private independent investor group, ZEDRA have the flexibility, boldness and expertise to respond to complex needs whilst maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance in an ever-evolving regulatory environment.

http://www.zedra.com

SOURCE ZEDRA
BANGALORE and NEW YORK, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

With the Launch of the New Crowd Automation Platform, 99tests Enables Companies from Start-ups to Enterprises Access Fast, Affordable & Efficient Feature Level Testing.

An innovator in crowd-sourced testing solutions, 99tests has recently launched the most flexible and scalable test automation platform powered by crowd. The crowd-sourced automation platform can test each feature in real time and find bugs; the crowd of testers then write and execute test cases. The testers then write Automation scripts, which are executed in the Test Automation Framework.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456933/PRNE_99tests_Logo.jpg )



For companies who are looking to find bugs to make a clean launch, 99tests has Real Time Functionality Testing, whereas and when each feature is pushed by CI/CD, the 99tests platform finds the bugs in real time and gives the results back to developers and PM's. 99tests has successfully tested the NPCI app for cashless transactions.

Once the product is stable and released to the market, 99tests helps companies by writing test cases and executing them to ensure that all the features are working on Web, iOS and Android platforms. The platform recently helped Security Scorecard in their development sprint by offering QA support.

With the crowd-sourced model, companies can gain speed, coverage & testing expertise in a cost-effective manner.

The revolutionary platform makes it possible for companies to access domain experts from around the world and test their apps in varied test environments. "Our goal is to enable any software product team to achieve 99% test automation coverage," says Praveen Singh, the Founder & CEO of 99tests. With the new product launch, clients can find bugs in real time; get test cases written by the crowd. The crowd of testers then write automation scripts, which are executed by 99tests platform.

To learn more about crowd automation, visit:

https://99tests.com/

About 99tests:

99tests is a product of Preenos Crowd Technologies Pvt Ltd. The company is funded by Infosys Co-founder, Kris Goplakrishnan; Allianz CIO, Steve Coles and Founder of Beenos, Teruhido Sato. 99tests is a crowd test automation platform for testing mobile and web apps by top notch testers. With over 20,000 crowd testers from 160+ countries, 99tests has helped over 200 clients including companies like P&G, Intuit and Security Scorecard to test their software.

Media Contacts:

Tharika Tellicherry

Preenos Technologies Limited,

Email: [email protected]

https://99tests.com/



SOURCE 99tests
Maoli says the move further enhances Celebrity Motor Company reputation for offering the some of the world's finest luxury brands and the best service in the industry to the residents of Morris Counties. "I'm thrilled I can now offer customers something as exciting as the new Alfa Romeo experience."

The 106-year-old Italian luxury car maker, Alfa Romeo, has earned a reputation as one of the most desirable cars ever designed. It began selling cars into the United States in the mid-1950s, but, due to flagging sales, the company ceased exporting cars to the United States in 1995. However, under the aegis of new owner, Fiat Chrysler, which purchased the car company in 1986, the Alfa Romeo was reintroduced into the Unites States in 2008.

Maoli believes the new 2017 Alfa Romeo Spider 4c Coupe and Spider represent the automaker's renewed commitment to unmatched design and engineering excellence. "The Spider is a true 21st century automobile, both in its looks and performance."

This year, car maker is adding the Giulia, the Giulia Quadrifoglio, and the all new Stelvio SUV, which made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new models should hit the showroom floors during the first quarter of 2017.

"Italy is recognized as being a worldwide trendsetter and leader in design including fashion, interior design, architecture and food. How great is it to be able to sell Italian cars when you're Italian," says Maoli.

After a career in a number of industries, Maoli's first foray in the automotive retailing came in 2011 when he purchased Lexus of Route 10 from what was formally the Warnock Auto Group. He turned a failing Warnock group into a business success. Building on that achievement, in 2014, Maserati of Morris County was established. This continued the company's thriving expansion and support of luxury brands. Maoli then purchased the former JMK BMW, SAAB and Fiat in 2015, applying the same business principals to his new BMW of Springfield on Route 22 in Springfield New Jersey.

Maoli teases about the future of his growing automotive empire. "Stay tuned as there are more luxury brands to become a part of Celebrity Motor Company in the near future."

Contact: Larry M. Weiner, APR, Fellow PRSA

201-674-8247

[email protected]

SOURCE Tom Maoli
SEATTLE, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Health care focused crowd-funding platform, angelMD, announced today a new partnership with Denver-based startup hub, Catalyst Health Tech Innovation (Catalyst HTI). The partnership includes a dedicated space in Catalyst HTI's new complex, which is currently under construction and is expected to bring together innovative ideas and companies from across the medical information technology marketplace. angelMD joins a growing list of leading health and technology companies that have decided to join the exciting ecosystem at Catalyst HTI, including Kaiser Permanente, Hitachi Consulting, Prime Health, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and a host of digital health startups.

"We are looking forward to working with Catalyst HTI to accelerate digital health innovation in Denver and across the country," said Tobin Arthur, founder and CEO of angelMD. "Our partnership will be a valuable asset to drive change in how individuals, especially medical professionals, invest in the innovation taking place throughout the health care industry."

As one of the fastest growing technology markets in the US, Denver is also becoming a favored location for many startups from across the United States, including those in health IT. Denver has attracted a new and innovative culture that combines favorable cost of living, availability of talent and a great quality of life. angelMD's goal with this partnership is to tap into the innovation culture and add to the growing tech economy in the 'Mile-High City.' With a rapidly growing health care innovation sector, Denver is the ideal location for angelMD's unique expertise in health tech funding.

"angelMD will find the Denver community welcoming and engaging," stated Mike Biselli, president of Catalyst HTI." This is the perfect environment for them to thrive, and we are excited to embed their innovative investment marketplace operations within the Catalyst HTI community."

Based in Seattle, angelMD is redefining early stage healthcare investing taking it from a completely analog and amateur endeavor to one that is more digital, informed by data and leverages the strength of its growing network of experts. The platform connects medical startups, physicians, investors and industry with the goal of better outcomes. angelMD enables medical startups to create profiles on their site and develop exposure with potential investors, customers and acquirers.

Located in Denver, Colorado's River North District (RiNo), Catalyst HTI is a 300,000 square-foot industry integrator designed to bring digital health start-ups and established health care entities together under one roof. The building will cover an entire city block and be located on the west side of Brighton Boulevard between 35th and 36th Streets. Catalyst's goal is to bring together private enterprise (startups to Fortune 20), government, academic and non-profit organizations with healthcare providers and payers to accelerate innovation and drive real, lasting change.

The building project is scheduled to be complete in the first quarter of 2018.

About angelMD

angelMD is an investment platform and marketplace connecting innovative medical startups, physicians, investors and industry partners. Leading physicians from all over the US have joined the angelMD Scientific Advisory Board and Leaders Club to help source, evaluate and advise companies in biotechnology, medical device and healthcare technology. For more information, visit www.angelmd.co.

About Catalyst HTI

Catalyst HTI is an industry integrator, bringing together all of the relevant stakeholders in health-tech innovation  from single-person startups and Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations and healthcare providers  to build a community where collaboration and integration ultimately lead to accelerated innovation within the industry. Located in Denver, Colorado's burgeoning River North district and developed by Koelbel and Company, phase one of Catalyst HTI is slated to open in Q1 2018. For more information visit www.catalysthealthtech.com.

CONTACT:

Kent Sholars (angel MD) or Mike Biselli (Catalyst HTI)

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE angelMD

Related Links

http://www.angelmd.co


BOSTON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Still My President, a Boston based online retail store (www.stillmypresident.com) just launched its new apparel line, "We Go High." The line was created following Michelle Obama's memorable plea at the opening night of the Democrats nominating convention where she candidly spoke of the recent win of future president, Donald Trump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEs1J0e-2tw

Boston Based Online Apparel Company, launches its very political T-Shirts, creating a platform for millennials to help diminish their anxiety over the new President elect.

"...when someone is cruel or acts like a bully you don't stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high," said Michelle Obama.

In the ten days following the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, nearly 900 hate incidents across the U.S. have been reported, according to Southern Poverty Law Center. There are countless videos that have gone viral displaying this hate; on a physical and emotional level.

"We heard Michelle Obama's words, "we go high" and felt this is exactly how we want to conduct ourselves, by being better than some of the anger and hate that has been displayed throughout this election," said Berlhey Narcisse, Co-Founder of Still My President.

In the modern era of presidential politics, there has never been such mix emotions from people of all demographics, religions and backgrounds. As reported, Donald Trump's cabinet picks are worth a combined $13 billion dollars. This has many people wondering, what social class will Donald Trump represent? Protesters across the nation are partnering with demonstrations to take a stance during the upcoming Presidential inauguration over their reservations about whether or not he can lead this country.

"What makes this country great is the diversity in thought, color, religion and background, that all share the same values of respect for one another and the desire to come together and live in peace," said Kurt Faustin, Co-Founder of Still My President.

The "We Go High" movement is a deliberate stance in the face of ignorance, and a celebration of the legacy of dignity and respect for one another, that the Obamas left behind. Still My President is calling for American's to take selfie and hashtag "#WeGoHigh" on the day of the inauguration. A portion of the company's proceeds will be donated to reputable charity, Amnesty International. A grassroots human rights organization that "works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied," - www.amnestyusa.org

Interview request should be sent to [email protected]  media can also reach Co-founder Kurt Faustin at (617) 365-9699

Related Images

image1.png

image2.jpg

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE Still My President

Related Links

http://www.stillmypresident.com


PHOENIX, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BillingTree, a leader in healthcare payment technology, sponsors Wayne Newton's keynote at the upcoming 19th Annual HFMA Western Region Symposium January 15-18. Wayne Newton has been named one of the "Top Three Entertainers of the Century, in Nevada and Around the World," along with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

BillingTree works with organizations of all sizes in the healthcare industry and recently, announced the results of its first Healthcare Operations and Technology Survey which explored the key collection concerns of U.S. healthcare companies. The results showed healthcare organization collection processes were lagging behind their counterparts in other industries, relying primarily on manual paper-based payments over offering digital payment channels. BillingTree staff will be on-site to discuss how both providers and collectors can improve revenue cycle management while increasing compliance with payment solutions.

The 19th Annual HFMA Western Region Symposium is anticipated to be one of the largest HFMA events in the country. This year, for the first time, the meeting will bring together healthcare industry experts from 13 Western chapters in one location.

"Introducing 'Mr. Las Vegas' Wayne Newton is a fantastic way to kick-off the BillingTree team's attendance at this year's symposium," said Greg Mallin, BillingTree's Director of Business Development. "With more patient payment responsibility, 2017 sets the stage as one of the most challenging years yet for healthcare provider's receivables. BillingTree's support and participation at one of highest-profile annual healthcare events is an important opportunity to educate and serve the industry with knowledge, technology and the right tools to improve revenue cycles," he concluded.

About BillingTree

BillingTree is the leading provider of integrated payments solutions to the healthcare, ARM and financial services industry verticals. Through its technology-enabled suite of products and services, BillingTree enables organizations to increase efficiency and decrease the costs of payment processing while adhering to compliance regulations. Leveraging more than a decade of market experience, BillingTree is dedicated to growing payments with technology through an integrated omni-channel offering, suite of proprietary products and value-added services, and a Company-wide focus on delivering extraordinary customer service.

Contact: Contact: Dave Yohe Jamie Kightley VP of Marketing PR for BillingTree BillingTree IBA Tel: 602.443.5948 Tel: 561.228.1940 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE BillingTree

Related Links

http://www.mybillingtree.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that seven cities across the globe have been selected for the latest expansion of its Innovation Teams program. The program helps City Halls drive bold innovation, change culture, and tackle big problems to deliver better results for residents. Multi-year grants will be awarded to help cities create better results for a range of pressing problems  from tackling poverty and neighborhood revitalization to recruiting and retaining public employees. Cities include Be'er Sheva in Israel; Toronto in Canada, and Anchorage AK; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; and Durham; NC in the United States.

"Mayors must always be looking for new ways to improve the critical services that people depend on," said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City. "Our Innovation Teams program helps mayors do that by giving city governments around the world the capacity to make their innovative ideas reality."

Now in the third round of funding, the Innovation Teams program allows mayors to fund in-house innovation teams  or "i-teams"  which investigate complex local challenges, design solutions with clear goals, and rigorously measure progress to better improve citizens' lives. The newly announced cities join nearly 20 City Halls in the program, including Mobile, AL who is eliminating blight; Minneapolis, MN who is improving the quality of rental housing; and Syracuse, NY who is employing cost-effective measures to respond to aging infrastructure.

The seven cities were selected from a pool of municipalities with a demonstrated commitment to designing and delivering bold solutions to complex problems. Eligible cities with at least 100,000 residents and with mayors who have at least two years left in office were invited to apply. Bloomberg Philanthropies' i-teams expansion deepens the investment in the United States and Israel and, for the first time in the history of the program, introduces the program in Canada.

"Bloomberg Philanthropies' i-teams program has already demonstrated that approach can be successful in cities that range in size, structure, and geographic region," said Toronto Mayor John Tory. "The City of Toronto is proud to become the first Canadian city to join this impressive network of civic innovators and many of the most innovative City Halls in the world. We look forward to building on our existing strengths and capacities to combat serious issues impacting urban areas around the world."

New Innovation Team cities will receive up to $500,000 annually for up to three years. In addition to the grants, cities receive robust implementation support and opportunities to exchange lessons learned and best practices with peers in other cities. Newly formed i-teams will hit the ground running in each city no later than spring 2017.

"Innovation Teams bring 21st century problem-solving skills to City Hall," said James Anderson, head of Government Innovation programs for Bloomberg Philanthropies. "The teams implement creative solutions by breaking down silos within City Halls, engaging residents to jointly understand citizen needs, and testing ideas before taking them to scale."

The Innovation Teams Program is one of seven Government Innovation offerings at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Government Innovation equips mayors and other city leaders with the tools and techniques they need to solve urban challenges and improve citizens' lives. I-teams are currently hard at work in Albuquerque, NM; Boston, MA; Centennial, CO; Jersey City, NJ; Long Beach, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Mobile, AL; Minneapolis, MN; Peoria, IL; Seattle, WA; and Syracuse, NY; and Tel Aviv, Israel and Jerusalem, Israel.

Key Facts About the Innovation Teams Program:

The i-teams have developed 90 new innovations for their cities  In Mobile, AL , leaders utilized Instagram to geo-locate blighted properties while documenting the impact to residents of more than $83 million in lost market value for properties within 150 feet of a blighted structure

, leaders utilized Instagram to geo-locate blighted properties while documenting the impact to residents of more than in lost market value for properties within 150 feet of a blighted structure 95% of cities in the program said their i-team has changed the way their city approaches solving complex problems  Los Angeles' i-team worked with bilingual Angelenos who were facing eviction from their homes to develop solutions that empowered the city's most vulnerable communities

i-team worked with bilingual Angelenos who were facing eviction from their homes to develop solutions that empowered the city's most vulnerable communities 100% of cities in the program believe their i-team created solutions that will improve quality of life for local residents  Minneapolis is currently institutionalizing a pilot that helps improve the quality of privately held rental housing in North Minneapolis

is currently institutionalizing a pilot that helps improve the quality of privately held rental housing in To date, the i-team cities have secured $70 million in additional public and private sector matching funds to advance their work  Tel Aviv has secured private funding to support the team's mapping initiative, which involves identifying new spaces around the cityincluding government buildings and other public spacesthat could be opened up as childcare space

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

Media Contact:

Rebecca Carriero, [email protected], +1 212-205-0182

Alexis Weiss, [email protected], +1 347-486-1639

SOURCE Bloomberg Philanthropies

Related Links

https://www.bloomberg.org


Bluewolf Go enables quick implementations so customers can stay focused on their business goals. Available globally for a set price, Bluewolf Go works across the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, including Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, Field Service Lightning, Salesforce CPQ and Pardot. Bluewolf Go also provides customers with a path to innovate going forward as their business needs change through Bluewolf Beyond , an agency-style managed service that supports live cloud environments on an annual basis.

"For the past 16 years, we have focused our business on the Salesforce Platform. Our newest offering broadens our commitment to customers looking to get running on Salesforce quickly with scale, resources, and reinvented customer experience strategy to right-size technology and costs," said Eric Berridge, CEO, Bluewolf. "Bluewolf Go helps companies of all sizes achieve fast transformation and results, while prioritizing customers as the number one focus of their business."

The U.S. small and medium-sized business cloud adoption rate has risen 50 percent over the past four years, yet the consulting landscape today presents few options for these companies: implement Salesforce themselves, or partner with a potentially less experienced firm that may not prioritize customer experience at the core of every engagement. Bluewolf Go is innovating how companies can go live with Salesforce and achieve their business outcomes, including:

An interactive and self-guided purchase experience where clients can receive an immediate recommendation on timing and budget.

Pre-built solutions, based on Bluewolf's 16 years of Salesforce expertise, for companies with well-defined objectives to go live on Salesforce in 30 or 60 days.

Guided go-to-market frameworks, for companies less familiar with Salesforce, that address foundational functionality within Salesforce, including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Salesforce CPQ, Field Service Lightning and Pardot.

Reduced risk of deployments, while accelerating results, with Bluewolf Sightline, a patented technology-driven method designed to support ongoing innovation with Salesforce.

Bluewolf is recognized as a global leader in the Salesforce implementation ecosystem and has delivered end-to-end customer experiences for companies of all sizes including The Bay Club, T-Mobile, and new Bluewolf Go customers like Diener Precision Pumps, a Swiss quality manufacturer of precision gear and piston pumps worldwide.

"We greatly needed a system of record to give us quick insight and reporting of our global sales. With Bluewolf's credibility and breadth of services in the Salesforce space, they were the right partner to transform our sales operations immediately," said Mike Gann, IT Engineer, Diener Precision Pumps. "In just one month, Bluewolf Go delivered on its promise of a fast Salesforce implementation. We now have the transparency to make the most out of every customer moment and achieve our business goals."

"As a long-standing consulting partner with deep Salesforce expertise, Bluewolf is a leader in helping companies accelerate customer engagement on the Salesforce Customer Success Platform," said Don Lynch, SVP Worldwide Strategic Alliances, Salesforce. "With services like Bluewolf Go, Bluewolf continues to innovate how consulting services are delivered for organizations, providing a guided way to go live faster with Salesforce, so companies can focus on achieving customer success."

To learn more about Bluewolf Go's pricing and eligibility, visit: http://www.bluewolf.com/go

To learn how the best companies use Salesforce, download Bluewolf's Bluewolf's The State of Salesforce Report: http://sosf.bluewolf.com

About Bluewolf

Bluewolf, an IBM Company, is a global consulting agency that builds digital solutions designed to create results. Now. We're the proven Salesforce strategic partner for a reasonour technology-driven method combines our team's years of experience with cloud solutions that continually connect our clients with their customers. We specialize in leading cloud technologies like Salesforce, but our clients come to Bluewolf for so much more than our technical expertise. We serve a community of future-focused industry leaders dedicated to building the next generation of digital experiences. The way we see it, when business is done in real time on the cutting edge, it's always now. www.bluewolf.com

Salesforce, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Pardot and others are trademarks of salesforce.com, Inc.

Media Contact:

Tammy Chan

Bluewolf

+1 415-692-4400

[email protected]

SOURCE Bluewolf, an IBM Company

Related Links

http://www.bluewolf.com


LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadvoice, an award-winning provider of hosted voice, unified communications (UC) and SIP trunking services for businesses, has updated its mobile application for Apple iOS so that Broadvoice calls look and feel just like native cellular calls.

Broadvoice mobile apps for UC and cloud PBX give users total access to their office communications suite while on the go. The updated version of the iOS mobile app for Broadvoice now supports Apple's CallKit on iOS 10, which increases usability and convenience for mobile users.

For instance, if someone calls using the Broadvoice UC app when a user's iPhone is locked, they'll see his or her picture pop up on the lockscreen. Cloud PBX voicemails are now transcribed, which means users can read the message instead of having to listen to it. Users can also make Broadvoice calls directly from the native iPhone app's contacts, favorites and recents.

As a bonus, the integration also allows Broadvoice calls to interact with Bluetooth accessories as well as the Apple CarPlay software feature for hands-free phone conversations while driving.

"We're excited for how this integration adds to the amazing experience we provide for customers using our app on Apple devices," said George Mitsopoulos, Broadvoice COO. "Broadvoice calls now behave seamlessly within the iOS native UI, so that the experience feels just like making or receiving a traditional phone call. It's one more example of the technology investments we continually make in order to support efficient communications for businesses."

Broadvoice offers a flexible, smart portfolio of IP-based voice and data offerings, backed by its enterprise-class, geo-redundant IP telephony platform. This includes a full UC suite and cloud PBX services, including unlimited voice calling plans for businesses, throughout the continental United States and Canada.

For information on the Broadvoice Partner Program, please call 866-634-1394, or visit www.broadvoice.com/partners

About Broadvoice

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Broadvoice is a premier provider of cloud phone service, contact center solutions, collaboration and conferencing. Utilizing the latest cloud communications technology, Broadvoice helps businesses achieve higher call quality and faster internet speeds while reducing overall costs and improving efficiency. The company continuously delivers a full suite of secure, reliable, real-time communication solutions that help businesses connect with customers anywhere, any time and with any device. Broadvoice has been ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. Visit Broadvoice.com to learn more.

CarPlay is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

Media Contact:

Broadvoice

Cheryl McRae

818-671-2953

[email protected]

SOURCE Broadvoice
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CareRise, a leader in healthcare risk management and health information services, has announced today that it has joined the AHA|American Hospital Association as an associate member. AHA associate membership provides the opportunity to learn specifics about AHA's member hospitals to provide them with the latest technologies and resources, tools that will further enable those organizations in serving patients and their professional partners at higher levels.

"We are enthused and excited to join AHA. AHA will be valuable to our organization in this process, considering our plans and goals for our latest division CRI|CareRise Index, membership with AHA is key as it relates to expediency and relationships," said Tim Goux, founder of CareRise.

"We are elated to have CareRise|CareRise Index as an associate member of AHA, and we look forward to providing them education and resources specific to their service offering for hospitals," said Tony Spohn, AHA's Executive Director of Associate Membership.

"Americans today are seeking the best information possible as it relates to healthcare providers and services. For 16 years, we have been providing risk management services and assessments for healthcare facilities throughout the United States, and with CRI|CareRise Index, we have taken all of that technology, service and information up to extraordinary levels for all in the healthcare continuum. Naturally, hospitals play a key role within that stream, one that I have titled The Astronomy of Healthcare," Goux said.

About CareRise Holdings

CareRise is a specialty risk management company that provides clinically-driven, technology-enabled services to post-acute care/senior living properties and insurance companies, nationwide and internationally. To date, CareRise has won four U.S. Patents for its creations. For more information on CareRise, please visit www.careriseindex.com, www.carerise.com/TG, www.facebook.com/careriseindex.

For More Information on the AHA|American Hospital Association

Please visit www.aha.org

SOURCE CareRise

Related Links

http://www.careriseindex.com


NEW YORK, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) ("CIIX" or the "Company"), the premier financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors in both the U.S. and China, announces today that the new headquarters of http://www.ChineseCBDoil.com, the world's first Cannabidiol (CBD) health products online store in the Chinese Language, is to be located in Block E, 27th floor, Industrial Building, Shanghai, China. Besides, the Company is preparing to set up a wholly owned subsidiary in the Shanghai Free Trade Area and it will focus exclusively on the wholesale and retail business of supplying CBD oil health products to the nearly 2 billion Chinese people all over the world. ChineseCBDoil.com is expected to go live and online at the end of January 2017.

The research into the properties of CBD elements is expanding in the U.S. with the gradual opening up of its domestic cannabis industry. Researchers in China are also beginning to study the medical effects and edible use of CBD oil in the Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces. CBD is a non-toxic and non-addictive natural concentrate extracted from cannabis. According to some major research institutions and a CNN documentary, CBD has shown to be effective in treating epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, cirrhosis of the liver and to provide relief from hangover, anxiety and stress.

Once the headquarters of http://www.ChineseCBDoil.com in Shanghai opens for business, the office will start recruiting new employees after the Chinese New Year ends. The team will include professionals specializing in web design, e-commerce and marketing and will focus on selling CBD health products worldwide through online wholesale and retail processes.

Warren Wang, founder and CEO of CIIX, commented: "Recently, officials at the DEA (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency) have given differing interpretations as to the legality of wholesaling and retailing CBD oil in the U.S. Because the U.S has yet to make final policy, we believe it is a wise move to have http://www.ChineseCBDoil.com located in Shanghai, China. China has a consumer base of nearly 2 billion people and this large population affords an outstanding opportunity to be the provider of choice for CBD oil products to them. CIIX is very excited to be the world's first listed Chinese company promoting CBD health products that will help Chinese people improve their health status."

Mr. Wang further remarked: "Our cannabis "Yelp" style mobile application has just completed its design of Version 1.0. This is not only the first mobile application that provides a platform for Chinese people to review and discuss various cannabis products, but also the first marijuana social media mobile application designed for Chinese speakers. In accordance with our plan, the on-line application we submitted to the Apple store has already been approved. CIIX will continue to recruit employees in the new Shanghai headquarters to help further increase the data capacity and enhance our users' experience of the new cannabis "Yelp" style App."

About ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX):

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. ('CIIX'), founded in 1999 endeavors to be an innovative company; providing (a) real-time market commentary, analysis, and educational related services in Chinese language character sets (traditional and simplified), (b) support services to our various partners, (c) consultative services to smaller private companies considering becoming a public company, (d) advertising and public relation related support services, and (e) other services we may identify having the potential to create value or partnership opportunity with our existing services.

Subscribe and watch our video commentaries: https://www.youtube.com/user/Chinesefncom

Follow us on Twitter for real time Company updates: https://twitter.com/ChineseFNEnglsh

Facebook Like us to receive live feeds: https://www.facebook.com/Chinesefncom

Add us on WeChat at: Chinesefn or download iPhone iOS App: Chinesefn.

Chineseinvestors.com Inc.

14 Wall Street 20th Floor

New York, NY 10005

Office Tel: +1(800)958-8561



SOURCE ChineseInvestors.com Inc
TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizen Systems America Corporation, a leading manufacturer of world-class printing technology, is pleased to announce certification of its printer products with ERPLY, a recognized leader in the world POS marketplace.

With its home and birthplace being in Tallinn, Estonia, ERPLY began as a retail payment solution for small to medium-sized businesses to give the easiest and most powerful platform to manage inventory and shops across multiple locations and devices in 2010. ERPLY now helps large retailers and offers complete packages including POS technology, inventory control, billing, business reporting, and custom barcodes using a cloud-based back-end software and hardware.

With ERPLY's cloud-based software system as a recognized leader in the POS marketplace and Citizen's high-quality, value-priced POS printer products, the new established partnership brings the best of both worlds to retailers large, small, and everywhere in between. Citizen and ERPLY's comprehensive solution provides reliable hardware with flexible retail software infrastructure that works for enterprises of all sizes. Retailers worldwide can rest assured knowing both companies are multinational and ERPLY provides a support helpdesk team to assist them when needed. ERPLY also has a multi-channel ecommerce platform so merchants may sell online as well as offline.

ERPLY allows those using legacy systems to seamlessly transition to integrated information systems and infrastructure by dedicating its talented customer relations in the onboarding process. Citizen also allows a smooth conversion as its printers all come standard with ESC/POS emulations. "With extensive support and best-in-class product offerings, we are very excited to work with ERPLY in bringing retailers a comprehensive and valuable solution," states Glenn Williams, Vice President Corporate Strategy and Alliances for Citizen. "With increasing technological progress in the computer space, companies must co-innovate to solve problems for their customers and make their time count," says Sander Sebastian Agur, Vice President of Business Development at ERPLY. "This is why we are happy to announce partnership with Citizen, who represents a forward thinking hardware provider. Together with ERPLY, the relationship becomes an easy-to-use necessity for retail businesses."

ERPLY will join Citizen in its exhibit at the NRF Big Show in New York City, NY on January 15-17, 2017.

About Citizen Systems America

"Citizen Systems America" is the America subsidiary of Citizen Systems Japan - the electronic products affiliate of Citizen Holding Co. Ltd., Japan, the world renowned manufacturer of fine watch timepieces. Citizen headquarters is located in the greater Los Angeles area, California.

Citizen develops printers for point-of-sale, industrial solutions, barcode and label, portable and general thermal technology usage applications. Citizen products provide solutions for packaged and OEM printer mechanisms that are used in a variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, food service, healthcare, banking and many more.

For more information, please visit Citizen Systems America's website at: www.citizen-systems.com.

About ERPLY

ERPLY was founded in 2010 to give businesses the easiest and most powerful platform to manage their inventory and shops across a series of locations and devices. In just seven years, ERPLY has become a recognized leader in the POS marketplace through hundreds of features, mobile apps, dozens of supported languages and API. ERPLY has successfully transformed the retail software landscape with its cloud-based system that is supplanted legacy servers by way of true centralization, software update and phased out maintenance.

ERPLYs development team is based in Tallinn, Estonia, the birthplace of such successful companies as Skype and TransferWise, but its headquarters is based in New York.

ERPLY's customer base includes world leading retail shops, multi-chain outfits, ecommerce stores, and warehouses that take advantage of ERPLY's leading-edge inventory management and POS. ERPLY currently employs 150 staff in seven global offices, two U.S. based, and another five internationally across Europe, and, Australia. For more information, please visit ERPLY's website: www.ERPLY.com.

Editorial Contact:

Robin Pierce, Senior Director Inside Sales

Citizen Systems America Corporation

Directline: 310.224.7028

[email protected]

SOURCE Citizen Systems America

Related Links

http://www.citizen-systems.com


Leading mobile medical device company revolutionizing the hearing health industry will build upon soaring success of SHOEBOX Audiometry and expand beyond North America

OTTAWA, Ontario, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearwater Clinical Limited, a leading provider of medical-grade mobile devices and cloud-based data management solutions for the hearing health industry, today announced it has closed $6 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Whitecap Venture Partners, a Toronto-based early stage venture capital fund that invests in high growth companies in Information & Communications Technologies (ICT), Med Tech, and Food Tech. Whitecap Venture Partners will work closely with Clearwater Clinical on a number of strategic initiatives including product development, go to market programs, and future financing strategy. BDC Capital Healthcare Venture Fund is also participating significantly in the funding, and along with other investors brings the total capital invested in the company to date to $9.5 million.

Clearwater Clinical will be using the funds to scale the success of its audiology business unit and signature product, SHOEBOX Audiometry, the world's first clinically-validated tablet-based audiometer. The tablet-based testing platform is deeply integrated with the company's cloud-based data management system which enables customers to derive insights from clinical data and analytics that were previously unavailable on legacy solutions. Last year, the company saw triple-digit growth in both revenue and unit sales. Customers in a number of industries  including hearing care multinationals, industrial workplace testing, retail and pharmaceuticals  are deploying SHOEBOX Audiometry to scale their audiometry services. In addition, Clearwater Clinical will continue to promote the expansion of its service offerings, grow its overall sales presence throughout North America, and expand business initiatives into Europe.

"Hearing loss is the world's leading disability, affecting almost 640 million people globally, and yet there has been very little innovation to audiometers in the last 50 years. SHOEBOX Audiometry is satisfying an enormous need in the market by providing a simpler and more cost-effective approach to hearing testing," says Michael Weider, CEO of Clearwater Clinical. "At Clearwater, we believe that it is possible to leverage the power and portability of software defined diagnostics and tablet technology to revolutionize the hearing health industry and make it possible for every person on the planet to have access to a hearing test."

Through SHOEBOX Audiometry, Clearwater Clinical is transforming the way hearing testing is performed. This highly accurate, yet mobile product is being used to increase early detection of hearing-related conditions. SHOEBOX Audiometry makes it possible for almost anyone to perform hearing testing in any reasonably quiet environment.

"The global hearing market is ready for disruption and Clearwater is positioned to lead that effort," says Carey Diamond, Partner at Whitecap Venture Partners. "Under the leadership of accomplished entrepreneurs, Clearwater is blazing a trail with its novel approach to hearing testing. With this latest injection of funding, we anticipate Clearwater will continue to be a major innovator in this emerging space."

"The current audiology infrastructure is inadequate to meet the needs of the incoming wave of an aging population and hearing damage from ubiquitous personal devices," added Amine Benmoussa, Principal with the BDC Capital Healthcare Venture Fund. "The innovations incorporated into the SHOEBOX platform give Clearwater a clear advantage in this market and in potential new markets. Clearwater represents an excellent example of the Healthcare Fund's investment strategy. As an early investor, we have been impressed with the company's success so far and we look forward to supporting the team as they grow."

About Clearwater Clinical

Ottawa-based Clearwater Clinical designs and manufactures innovative medical-grade devices that enable effective, low-cost treatment of common medical conditions. Co-founded in 2005 by Dr. Matthew Bromwich, an ENT specialist, and led by CEO Michael Weider, the company is combining medical, technical and entrepreneurial expertise to be a leader in the mobile health (mHealth) transformation. Clearwater Clinical is comprised of two divisions  SHOEBOX Audiometry and MODICA.

SHOEBOX makes it possible to test the hearing of more patients, in more locations with less effort and exceptional efficiency. MODICA is a HIPAA-compliant medical camera app designed so that physicians can securely record, archive, manage, and share photos and videos directly from their iPhone.

Clearwater Clinical was recently recognized as an innovator in mobile, digital and connected healthcare in the 2016 Global Digital Health 100 Award List.

For more information about Clearwater Clinical, please visit www.clearwaterclinical.com

About Whitecap VP

Whitecap Venture Partners is a Toronto based early stage venture capital fund investing in high growth companies across three verticals: Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Med Tech and Food Tech. Its team of operators and investment professionals partner with entrepreneurs in verticals where they have deep domain expertise and can bring significant operational and strategic value to companies. Additional information is available at www.whitecapvp.com.

About BDC Capital

With more than $2 billion under management, BDC Capital is the investment arm of BDC, serving as a strategic partner to Canada's most innovative and high potential firms. It offers a range of equity, venture capital and flexible growth and transition capital solutions to help Canadian entrepreneurs scale their businesses into global champions. To find out more, visit bdc.ca/capital.

SOURCE Clearwater Clinical Limited

Related Links

http://www.clearwaterclinical.com


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With an increasingly complex college admissions process requiring high school students to get an earlier start, CollegeVine today announced the launch of a mentorship program especially for high school freshmen. The new 9th Grade program (www.collegevine.com/prepare/mentorship/) is designed to provide that first vital guidance by helping students successfully navigate high school and laying the foundation for a successful college process.

CollegeVine's 9th Grade Mentorship Program, which embraces its signature near-peer model, pairs each client with a personal college student mentor already enrolled at a top university and handpicked to challenge and inspire them. The program's three main componentsStructuring, Preparing and Mentoringare designed to help students establish strong academic and extracurricular profiles, meet all the requirements for admissions and grow as individuals.

The new 9th Grade program will complement CollegeVine's successful existing mentorship program, which provides near-peer mentorship to high school students further along in their journeys to transition to college.

"While we've seen tremendous success through our existing mentorship program with hundreds of clients now attending top universities, we've always believed that we could be helping far more students by guiding them earlier in their high school journeys," said CollegeVine co-founder Johan Zhang. "The addition of a 9th Grade mentorship program reaffirms our commitment to a truly holistic approach to college admissions guidance."

About CollegeVine

CollegeVine, founded as Admissions Hero in 2013, is a leading provider of one-on-one mentorship, college applications guidance, college essay assistance, tutoring, and test prep. The company features an expansive network of near-peer advisors at the nation's top universitiestheir experience representing more than 20 different majors, substantial extracurricular activities and far-ranging success. For more information, visit www.collegevine.com.

Press Contact:

Kristien Brada-Thompson, Priority PR

818-661-6368 x4 / [email protected]

SOURCE CollegeVine

Related Links

https://www.collegevine.com


LONDON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers in Mexico, plus the BrokerBASE and market data file that accompany it, investigates the importance of brokers in the distribution of non-life (P&C) insurance for business, public sector and not-for-profit customers in Mexico. This study first provides unique data concerning the size, segmentation and growth of the Mexican commercial non-life insurance market itself. It then quantifies the share of this market that is intermediated by brokers and, based on extensive primary research covering all significant broking entities, it ranks the leading 25 brokers in Mexico according to their approximate revenues derived from commercial non-life insurance, excluding income from other activities such as personal lines and employee benefits consulting.

This study provides unique data in the following areas:

- the value of commercial non-life insurance markets from 2011 to 2015 with a segmentation between commercial liability, motor, property, MAT and other premiums and with a split for 2015 alone by size of insured entity (i.e. micro, small, medium, large and very large customers);

- the distribution share of brokers in this market in both 2011 and 2015 and the revenues consequently generated by them in each year that represent the value of the market for commercial lines broking in Mexico;

- the approximate segmentation of commercial lines broking revenues by size of insured entity (i.e. again with a split across micro, small, medium, large and very large customers);

- the combined share of commercial lines broking revenues of the top three and top ten brokers in 2015 with this data broken out in the BrokerBASE for each of the top 25 brokers in Mexico;

- also for the top 25 brokers, the approximate segmentation of their total broking revenues in 2015 (expressed as a percentage range) between commercial lines, personal lines, employee benefits plus life / health insurance, and wholesale insurance / reinsurance;

- forecasts for 2019 for the value of commercial non-life insurance premiums, brokers' distribution share of this market and the revenues predicted to be generated by brokers in that year from commercial lines.

Moreover, the study can be used in one or more of the following ways:

- to quantify the size and structure of both the underlying commercial non-life insurance sector and the associated commercial lines broking market in Mexico;

- to understand how the value of both of these is likely to segment by size of insured customer;- to understand the competitive landscape for commercial lines broking in Mexico as defined by market concentration, the presence of international brokers and the business mix of the top 25 competitors;

- to identify the leading commercial lines brokers in Mexico, with coverage of competitors such as Aon, Grupo Ordas, Interproteccion, Lockton and Marsh Brockman y Schuh.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4143663/

About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On January 9, U.S. Representative Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL), introduced a bill (H.R. 377) to require the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress on the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. The following day, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced an identical bill (S. 38) in the Senate titled the The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act.

The House bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary and already has twenty cosponsors. The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has three original cosponsors.

Senator Cruz stated, "The U.S. has officially listed individual members, branches, and charities of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists, such as Hamas, al Qaeda, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but has not designated the organization as a whole. The intent of the Brotherhood is stated within its Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Brotherhood in North America; "The process of settlement is a Civilization-Jihad processThe Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers"

Rep. Diaz Balart shared with Coptic Solidarity, "Religious freedom is a fundamental right, yet the Muslim Brotherhood continues to incite violence and threaten others for their religious beliefs and practices. This bill would impose tough sanctions on a hateful group that has spawned extremist movements throughout the Middle East. The Muslim Brotherhood continues to support terrorist organizations that are responsible for acts of violence around the world. Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization is an important step in defeating terrorism."

Both Senator Cruz and Rep. Diaz Balart introduced similar bills in the 114th Session. The House version was passed by the Judiciary Committee but neither made it to a floor vote.

Coptic Solidarity applauds Senator Cruz and Congressman Diaz Balart for their persistence to ensure this important designation is made.

It is unconscionable that the United States still has not made this designation when countries such as Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, as well as Russia, have all declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization, and a report by the UK House of Commons reached a similar conclusion.

Coptic Solidarity president, Dr. George Gurguis, states "The Muslim Brotherhood poses a threat not only to Copts but to the entire Egyptian society and the West, and seeks to undermine the work of the last two revolutions." It is time for the U.S. Government to finally acknowledge the Muslim Brotherhood for what it is; a terrorist organization whose ideology inspired all murderous Jihadist organizations in the world, and which pursues a subversive strategy to establish an Islamic caliphate worldwide. Indeed, the war against Islamist terrorism cannot be won without combating the ideology behind it.

Coptic Solidarity urges individuals to send a message to their federal legislators asking them to: 1) Cosponsor S. 38 & H.R. 377 and 2) Support the bill when it is brought to a full floor vote.

Coptic Solidarity has provided a letter which individuals can submit directly to their federal legislators. Individuals can edit the letter and after providing an address, the message will be directed to the correct U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative.

Cosponsors of S. 38

Sen. Hatch, Orrin [R-UT]

Sen. Inhofe, James [R-OK]

Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]

Cosponsors of H.R. 377

Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]

Rep. Granger, Kay [R-TX-12]

Rep. Frelinghuysen, Rodney P. [R-NJ-11]

Rep. Weber, Randy K., Sr. [R-TX-14]

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-27]

Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]

Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]

Rep. Duncan, Jeff [R-SC-3]

Rep. Black, Diane [R-TN-6]|

Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]

Rep. Trott, David A. [R-MI-11]

Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4]

Rep. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND-At Large]

Rep. Barletta, Lou [R-PA-11]

Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-8]

Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]

Rep. Ross, Dennis A. [R-FL-15]

Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4]

Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]

Rep. Yoder, Kevin [R-KS-3]

Coptic Solidarity is an organization seeking to help minorities, particularly the Copts, of Egypt and we support those in Egypt working for upholding values of freedom, equality, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all Egyptian citizens. It advocates in cooperation with the affiliated organizations in Canada and in Europe (Solidarite Copte). For more information, contact Lindsay Vessey at 801-512-1713 or [email protected]

SOURCE Coptic Solidarity
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Bioscience Inc., a global drug discovery and development services company providing translational platforms to advance cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CVMD) research, expands its U.S. footprint in New Iberia, Louisiana.

CrownBio has expanded its CVMD services capacity by investing in facilities at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center (NIRC), the largest national primate research center in the U.S. Spread over a 100-acre site, the NIRC maintains accreditations with AAALAC, OLAW, and the USDA, and has multiple research capabilities that harmonize well with the efficacy and model development studies conducted by CrownBio.

These capabilities at NIRC support CrownBio's preclinical research service portfolio and help bring the most competitive value to CrownBio's clients. "The move to NIRC significantly increases our NHP capacity in the U.S. so that we can now provide high quality NHP study services with greater agility to our clients," said Dr. Jean-Pierre Wery, CEO of CrownBio.

"The addition of biomedical professionals from the private sector will enhance the work of the NIRC researchers," said Ramesh Kolluru, vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development at UL Lafayette. "This opportunity expands the region's reputation for innovation-based economic development through our public-private partnership with CrownBio, a global biopharmaceutical company."

"CrownBio's unique dysmetabolic NHP models spontaneously develop diabetes, obesity, and other associated comorbidities, and closely mimic the human disease states, thus making them indispensable translational platforms in late-stage preclinical research. The expanded capacity in the U.S. will enable us to execute multiple projects at the same time and bring these important translational platforms to our clients to enable their go/no-go decisions into the clinic," said Dr. Jim Wang, senior vice president of CVMD Research at CrownBio.

The expansion to NIRC came in response to increasing client demand and as part of CrownBio's growth strategy in the CVMD space. Dr. Wang added, "CrownBio's goal is twofold: to align operational excellence with client demand and to lead the way in CVMD preclinical research.

Dr. Francois Villinger, director of NIRC, said, "Our center in New Iberia has the research and analytical expertise and infrastructure in place to assist CrownBio to respond to the needs of its global clientele very quickly. We are committed to incubating and growing businesses in the biomedical arena supported by the strength of UL Lafayette's research in life sciences."

"The increased NHP capacity in New Iberia, enables CrownBio's current and future clients to engage with a robust and scientifically sound continuum of solutions as they progress through their preclinical drug discovery pipeline" said Laurie Heilmann, senior vice president of Global Strategy, Marketing, and Business Development at CrownBio.

About Crown Bioscience Inc.

Crown Bioscience is a global drug discovery and development service company providing translational platforms to advance oncology and metabolic disease research. With an extensive portfolio of relevant models and predictive tools, Crown Bioscience enables clients to deliver superior clinical candidates. For more information on CrownBio's growing portfolio of models and services for cardiovascular and metabolic disease research drug discovery, visit http://www.crownbio.com.

SOURCE Crown Bioscience Inc.

Related Links

http://www.crownbio.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns and Farmstays (PABBI), today announced the return of its popular 'Cabin Fever' promotion available to travelers who are ready to beat the winter blues.

"Whether you prefer the luxury of an old Victorian mansion or the country-living charm of a converted barn, Pennsylvania boasts more than 700 bed and breakfasts, country inns, and farmstays where travelers can pursue their happiness in cozy comfort," said Carrie Lepore, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Marketing, Tourism, and Film, Department of Community and Economic Development. "The 'Cabin Fever' promotion is a great way to start 2017, offering unique lodging options throughout Pennsylvania."

To kick off the promotion, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office has launched a sweepstakes through which one grand prize winner will receive a two-night stay at the Buhl Mansion Guesthouse and Spa in Sharon, plus dinner for two each night at Stonewall's Tavern and Ashley's Gourmet Dining Room at the nearby Tara - A Country Inn. Two runners-up will be awarded a $100 gift certificate redeemable at any PABBI member property. Enter the sweepstakes at visitPA.com though January 29, 2017. Winners will be notified in February.

During the month of January, travelers are encouraged to book a night stay with a participating bed and breakfast or farmstay in order to receive the second consecutive night at a discounted rate, or free, throughout the month. A list of eligible properties is available at www.painns.com.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to Pennsylvania. For more information, go to visitPA.com or call (800) VISIT PA, become a fan at facebook.com/visitPA, follow us at twitter.com/visitPA, check out photos at instagram.com/visit_pa, share photos at pinterest.com/visitPA, or watch us on youtube.com/visitPA.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heidi Havens, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Tourism Office

Related Links

http://visitPA.com


To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below.

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) Taiwan reiterated Thursday that its fishermen have the right to enter and fish in waters near the Japan-held Okinotori atoll in the western Pacific, and said the relevant government agency had dealt with the matter of five fishing boats being chased by Japanese patrol ships the previous day.
"As a health care company focused on helping people on their path to better health, we recognized that there was an urgent need in the marketplace for a less expensive epinephrine auto-injector for patients with life-threatening allergies," said Helena Foulkes, President of CVS Pharmacy. Over the past year, nearly 150,000 people signed on to a petition asking for a lower cost epinephrine auto-injector option and millions more were active in social media searching for a solution.

"In order to address this challenge," Foulkes continued, "we have partnered with Impax to purchase their epinephrine auto-injector at a price that is lower than similar brand or authorized generic epinephrine auto-injectors. We are passing these savings along to our customers and patients, making this product available at all CVS Pharmacy locations at the lowest cash price in the market."

The price of $109.99 for the authorized generic of Adrenaclick two-pack applies to both insured and cash-paying patients without insurance. This solution will be particularly beneficial for those insured patients who have consumer-directed health plans and have not yet met their deductible for the plan year. Additional cost reductions for the generic Adrenaclick are available for qualifying patients who use the coupon program offered through Impax which provides a benefit of $100 per pack.

"We are thrilled to work with CVS Health to increase access to our low-cost generic Adrenaclick epinephrine auto-injector," said Douglas Boothe, President, Generics Division, Impax Laboratories. "Families need and deserve an affordable option to treat severe allergies."

"We're encouraged to see national efforts to make epinephrine auto-injectors more affordable and more available to Americans across the country," said Cary Sennett, MD, PhD, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. "Partnerships that increase access to vital medications are key in helping those suffering from life-threatening allergies."

"Anaphylaxis is a rapid onset, life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. For these patients, having access to emergency epinephrine is a necessity. Making an affordable epinephrine auto-injector device accessible to patients will ensure patients have the medicine they need, when they need it," said Todd M Listwa, MD, FACEP, Novant Health.

The authorized generic of Adrenaclick is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved device with the same active ingredient as other epinephrine auto-injector devices. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) includes generic Adrenaclick among therapeutic options in an anaphylaxis emergency action plan.[1]

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 80 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

EpiPen is the registered trademark of Mylan Inc. Adrenaclick is the registered trademark of Lineage Therapeutics, Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Impax Laboratories, Inc.

Media Contacts:

Erin Britt

(401) 770-9237

[email protected]

Carolyn Castel

(401) 770-5717

[email protected]

[1] https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Libraries/Anaphylaxis-Emergency-Action-Plan.pdf

SOURCE CVS Health

Related Links

http://www.cvshealth.com


SARASOTA, Fla., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Masons Software, a leading provider of Integrated EDI and XML solutions for Microsoft Dynamics customers, announced today that its Vantage Point EDI solution is now Certified for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015. This certification means that the solution has met Microsoft Corp.'s highest standard for quality in partner-developed software. Vantage Point EDI is now the only EDI solution certified for Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Vantage Point EDI Certified for Dynamics NAV

Solutions that are Certified for Microsoft Dynamics NAV prove that the solution meets the highest level of development quality and compatibility with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and is delivered by an organization staffed with individuals are certified by Microsoft to deliver Dynamics related services. To achieve certification, solutions must pass rigorous development best practices and demonstrate compatibility with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. In addition, the Microsoft Dynamics partner must provide a referenceable group of Dynamics NAV customers who are successfully using the certified solution and recommend it to other Dynamics NAV users.

Andy Hafer, CEO of Dynamic Communities, Inc. states, "As we've seen Microsoft progress its product release schedule and evolve their go to market strategies, it's heartening to see partners like Data Masons make such a large commitment to keep pace and shared vision with Microsoft. Data Masons' non-embedded EDI solution provides a vital option in the community that supports the unique needs of Microsoft Dynamics NAV user companies. We appreciate Data Masons and their commitment to helping NAVUG member companies optimize their business, industry and technology investments particularly during this period of dramatic change."

"I congratulate Data Masons on achieving their CfMD for Dynamics NAV designation. I understand it's quite an involved process and this is great example of their long-standing, deep commitment to the Microsoft Dynamics community. They've been involved with the user groups since the very start and have always been a bedrock supporter of our mission and education for Dynamics users," states Mark Rhodes, Program Director for NAVUG.

For customers, Certified for Microsoft Dynamics helps identify Microsoft Dynamics solutions that have been tested for compatibility, meet high quality standards, and are successfully used by existing customers. This certification represents a significant step in elevating the standard for partner-developed software solutions for industry-specific business applications.

Thomas Hicks, CEO of Steiner Enterprises, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV customer, commented, "We chose Data Masons and Vantage Point for Mitchell Fabrics because the product is much easier to integrate, more reliable and more cost effective than traditional NAV EDI solutions built within the NAV product. Vantage Point allowed us to implement it cost effectively, and it's built to be extensible as our business grows, without the additional high costs associated with other EDI solutions."

Vantage Point EDI achieves the industry's tightest ERP integration for Microsoft Dynamics, while providing full automation of key EDI processes without requiring ERP platform customizations and per document transaction fees. The solution offers out-of-the-box integration for over 65 document types and support for EDI, XML and multiple other electronic data formats. Combined with Data Masons' compliance management services, the company helps Microsoft Dynamics customers worldwide turn EDI into a competitive advantage.

"We're dedicated to supporting the EDI needs of the Dynamics community, but we're also passionate about helping them see EDI less as a technology and more of an opportunity for their business. While our EDI solutions offer functional enhancements to complement their ERP investment, those enhancements can result in significant economical and operational gains. With this latest CfMD accreditation, we hope our partners, customers and perspective customers feel confident in knowing they have an EDI partner committed to advancing their business," stated Glenn McPeak, Principal, Data Masons Software.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer-relationship and supply-chain management solutions that help businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

About Data Masons

Since 1996, Data Masons has specialized in EDI Made Simple, offering advanced, turnkey EDI & XML solutions for Microsoft Dynamics 365, AX, GP and NAV. Data Masons' Vantage Point EDI solution provides a complete EDI processing platform that enables users to become more competitive through tight EDI integration and ongoing compliance - all without the need for expensive and disruptive ERP platform customization. Data Masons' compliance services, product flexibility, extensive EDI and ERP integration knowledge and partner-driven experience have made Vantage Point EDI the winning choice for high-performance business document integration at more than 1,500 customers across North America. Additional information about Data Masons and its solutions is available at http://www.datamasons.com and follow the EDI conversation at #EDImadeSimple.

Media Contact:

Heather Robinson

Data Masons Software

Phone: 941-347-4781

Email: [email protected]

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Related Files

datamasons_casestudy_mitchell_fabrics.pdf

Vantage_Point_Overview_002.pdf

Related Links

Vantage Point EDI - Certified for Dynamics NAV

Mitchell Fabrics Dynamics NAV Case Study - Data Masons Vantage Point EDI for NAV

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE Data Masons Software

Related Links

http://www.datamasons.com


ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) today reported financial results for the December quarter and full year 2016. Highlights of those results, including both GAAP and adjusted metrics, are below and incorporated here.

Adjusted pre-tax income for the December 2016 quarter was $923 million, a $524 million decrease from the December 2015 quarter, primarily driven by the new pilot agreement. For the full year, adjusted pre-tax income increased 4 percent year over year to $6.1 billion.

"Delta had a year of record-breaking performance in 2016  financially, operationally and for our customers  and it's an honor to recognize our employees' efforts this year with over $1 billion in profit sharing," said Ed Bastian, Delta's chief executive officer. "As we move into 2017, we are seeing our unit revenues turn positive which should return the company to margin expansion by the back half of the year. This will allow us to produce the solid returns and cash flows that investors rely upon from Delta."

Revenue Environment

Delta's operating revenue for the December quarter was down $44 million versus prior year. Passenger unit revenues declined 2.7 percent on a 0.9 percent increase in capacity.

"Delta's commercial strategies and capacity actions combined with improving demand continue to drive benefit as we transition back into sustained positive unit revenues. For the March quarter, we expect a unit revenue increase of flat to up 2 percent, stemming the declines that have been ongoing for two years," said Glen Hauenstein, Delta's president. "We will remain conservative and keep our capacity growth in check until we see a further firming of these revenue trends in the near-term and longer-term, a return to our 17-19 percent operating margin target."









Increase (Decrease)







4Q16 versus 4Q15







Change Unit



Passenger Revenue 4Q16 ($M)

YoY Revenue Yield Capacity

Mainline 4,385

0.4 % (2.8) % (3.1) % 3.3 %

Regional 1,399

(1.6) % (1.8) % (2.4) % 0.1 % Total Domestic 5,784

(0.1) % (2.7) % (3.1) % 2.7 %

Atlantic 1,084

(6.8) % (6.0) % (2.4) % (0.8) %

Pacific 559

(14.4) % (8.8) % (8.6) % (6.1) %

Latin America 547

5.0 % 5.2 % 1.2 % (0.1) % Total Passenger 7,974

(1.9) % (2.7) % (2.7) % 0.9 % Cargo Revenue 174

(9.8) %





Other Revenue 1,310

10.6 %





Total Revenue 9,458

(0.5) %







March 2017 Quarter Guidance

For the March quarter, Delta is expecting pressures on margins as the pace of change in unit revenue will not match the cost impact of higher fuel prices and employee wage increases. This margin pressure is likely to peak in the March quarter, and the company expects margins to expand beginning in the second half of the year.



1Q17 Forecast Operating margin* 11% - 13% Passenger unit revenue (compared to 1Q16) Up 0% - 2% Fuel price, including taxes and refinery impact* $1.68 - $1.73 CASM  Ex including profit sharing (compared to 1Q16)* Up 5% - 7% System Capacity (compared to 1Q16) Down 0% - 1%

*See note A for information about reconciliation of these projected non-GAAP financial measures

Cost Performance

Adjusted fuel expense2 declined $240 million compared to the same period in 2015, as 12 percent higher market prices were offset by prior year hedge losses. Delta's adjusted fuel price per gallon for the December quarter was $1.60.

CASM-Ex3 including profit sharing increased 10.6 percent for the December 2016 quarter compared to the prior year period primarily driven by the impact of the new pilot agreement ratified on December 1, 2016 with retroactive effect to January 1, 2016. Results for the December quarter include the full 2016 impact of the new contract totaling $475 million of expense, of which $380 million relates to the first three quarters of the year.

Non-operating expense declined $116 million for the quarter due to a $75 million loss in prior year for the write-off of Venezuela currency and $10 million of lower interest expense from Delta's debt reduction initiatives.

"Delta's cost and capital discipline has allowed us to consistently invest in our people and the customer experience, and do so in a way that keeps our unit cost growth manageable over time and generates sufficient cash flow for debt reduction and shareholder returns," said Paul Jacobson, Delta's chief financial officer. "We'll continue to take this balanced approach  investing across the business to drive future earnings growth, further strengthening our investment grade balance sheet, and returning cash to our owners  as we drive sustainability for the long term."

Cash Flow, Shareholder Returns, and Adjusted Net Debt

Delta generated $1.2 billion of adjusted operating cash flow and $640 million of free cash flow during the quarter. The company used this strong cash generation to invest $600 million into the business for aircraft modifications, facilities upgrades and technology improvements.

For the December quarter, the company returned $449 million to shareholders, comprised of $149 million of dividends and $300 million of share repurchases. Delta returned $3.1 billion to its owners in 2016 through dividends and share repurchases.

Adjusted net debt4 at the end of the quarter stood at $6.1 billion, a $500 million reduction compared to the end of 2015.

December Quarter and Full Year Results



GAAP Adjusted GAAP Adjusted ($ in millions except per share and unit costs) 4Q16 4Q15 4Q16 4Q15 FY16 FY15 FY16 FY15 Pre-tax income 952 1,533 923 1,447 6,636 7,157 6,071 5,865 Net income 622 980 604 926 4,373 4,526 4,017 3,709 Diluted earnings per share 0.84 1.25 0.82 1.18 5.79 5.63 5.32 4.61 Fuel expense (including regional carriers) 1,492 1,652 1,503 1,743 5,985 7,579 6,435 8,880 Average fuel price per gallon 1.59 1.75 1.60 1.85 1.49 1.90 1.60 2.23 Consolidated unit cost (CASM/CASM-Ex) 14.37 13.38 11.25 10.17 12.98 13.33 10.13 9.77 Operating cash flow 1,125 1,479 1,217 1,441 7,205 7,927 6,954 7,429 Total debt and capital leases 7,332 8,329 6,144 6,675 7,332 8,329 6,144 6,675

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 323 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta.

End Notes

(1) Note A to the attached Consolidated Statements of Operations provides a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in this release to the comparable GAAP metric and provides the reasons management uses those measures. (2) Adjusted fuel expense reflects, among other things, the impact of mark-to-market ("MTM") adjustments and settlements. MTM adjustments are defined as fair value changes recorded in periods other than the settlement period. Such fair value changes are not necessarily indicative of the actual settlement value of the underlying hedge in the contract settlement period. Settlements represent cash received or paid on hedge contracts settled during the period. These items adjust fuel expense to show the economic impact of hedging, including cash received or paid on hedge contracts during the period. See Note A for a reconciliation of adjusted fuel expense and average fuel price per gallon to the comparable GAAP metric. (3) CASM - Ex, including profit sharing: In addition to fuel expense, Delta believes adjusting for certain other expenses is helpful to investors because other expenses are not related to the generation of a seat mile. These expenses include aircraft maintenance and staffing services Delta provides to third parties, Delta's vacation wholesale operations and refinery cost of sales to third parties. The amounts excluded were $338 million and $213 million for the December 2016 and December 2015 quarters, respectively and $1.2 billion for both years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. Management believes this methodology provides a more consistent and comparable reflection of Delta's airline operations. (4) Adjusted net debt includes $38 million and $119 million as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, of hedge margin receivable, which is cash that we have posted with counterparties as hedge margin. See Note A for additional information about our calculation of adjusted net debt.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this investor update that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections or strategies for the future, may be "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections and strategies reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the effects of terrorist attacks or geopolitical conflict; the cost of aircraft fuel; the impact of rebalancing our hedge portfolio, recording mark-to-market adjustments or posting collateral in connection with our fuel hedge contracts; the availability of aircraft fuel; the possible effects of accidents involving our aircraft; the restrictions that financial covenants in our financing agreements will have on our financial and business operations; labor issues; interruptions or disruptions in service at one of our hub or gateway airports; disruptions or security breaches of our information technology infrastructure; our dependence on technology in our operations; the effects of weather, natural disasters and seasonality on our business; the effects of an extended disruption in services provided by third party regional carriers; failure or inability of insurance to cover a significant liability at Monroe's Trainer refinery; the impact of environmental regulation on the Trainer refinery, including costs related to renewable fuel standard regulations; our ability to retain management and key employees; competitive conditions in the airline industry; the effects of extensive government regulation on our business; the sensitivity of the airline industry to prolonged periods of stagnant or weak economic conditions, including the effects of Brexit; and the effects of the rapid spread of contagious illnesses.

Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause differences between actual results and forward-looking statements is contained in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2016. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which represent our views only as of January 12, 2017, and which we have no current intention to update.

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)





























Three Months Ended





Year Ended









December 31,





December 31,



(in millions, except per share data) 2016 2015 $ Change % Change

2016 2015 $ Change % Change Operating Revenue:



















Passenger:





















Mainline $ 6,575 $ 6,703 $ (128) (2)%

$ 28,105 $ 28,898 $ (793) (3)%



Regional carriers 1,399 1,422 (23) (2)%

5,672 5,884 (212) (4)%



Total passenger revenue 7,974 8,125 (151) (2)%

33,777 34,782 (1,005) (3)%

Cargo 174 193 (19) (10)%

668 813 (145) (18)%

Other 1,310 1,184 126 11%

5,194 5,109 85 2%



Total operating revenue 9,458 9,502 (44) NM

39,639 40,704 (1,065) (3)%























Operating Expense:



















Salaries and related costs 2,869 2,213 656 30%

10,034 8,776 1,258 14%

Aircraft fuel and related taxes 1,256 1,433 (177) (12)%

5,133 6,544 (1,411) (22)%

Regional carriers expense





















Fuel 236 219 17 8%

852 1,035 (183) (18)%



Other 854 799 55 7%

3,459 3,206 253 8%

Contracted services 511 473 38 8%

1,991 1,848 143 8%

Depreciation and amortization 472 451 21 5%

1,902 1,835 67 4%

Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs 466 418 48 11%

1,823 1,848 (25) (1)%

Passenger commissions and other selling expenses 419 402 17 4%

1,710 1,672 38 2%

Landing fees and other rents 367 329 38 12%

1,490 1,493 (3) NM

Profit sharing 193 380 (187) (49)%

1,115 1,490 (375) (25)%

Passenger service 233 208 25 12%

907 872 35 4%

Aircraft rent 81 67 14 21%

285 250 35 14%

Other 481 393 88 22%

1,986 2,033 (47) (2)%



Total operating expense 8,438 7,785 653 8%

32,687 32,902 (215) (1)%























Operating Income 1,020 1,717 (697) (41)%

6,952 7,802 (850) (11)%























Non-Operating Expense:



















Interest expense, net (93) (102) 9 (9)%

(388) (481) 93 (19)%

Miscellaneous, net 25 (82) 107 NM

72 (164) 236 NM



Total non-operating expense, net (68) (184) 116 (63)%

(316) (645) 329 (51)%























Income Before Income Taxes 952 1,533 (581) (38)%

6,636 7,157 (521) (7)%























Income Tax Provision (330) (553) 223 (40)%

(2,263) (2,631) 368 (14)%























Net Income $ 622 $ 980 $ (358) (37)%

$ 4,373 $ 4,526 $ (153) (3)%























Basic Earnings Per Share $ 0.85 $ 1.26





$ 5.82 $ 5.68



Diluted Earnings Per Share $ 0.84 $ 1.25





$ 5.79 $ 5.63



























Basic Weighted Average Shares Outstanding 732 778





751 797



Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding 737 785





755 804





























DELTA AIR LINES, INC. Statistical Summary (Unaudited)

















Three Months Ended

December 31,



Year Ended

December 31,



2016 2015 Change

2016 2015 Change Consolidated:













Revenue passenger miles (millions) 49,985 49,573 0.8%

213,098 209,625 1.7% Available seat miles (millions) 58,715 58,199 0.9%

251,867 246,764 2.1% Passenger mile yield (cents) 15.95 16.39 (2.7%)

15.85 16.59 (4.5%) Passenger revenue per available seat mile (cents) 13.58 13.96 (2.7%)

13.41 14.10 (4.9%) Operating cost per available seat mile (cents) 14.37 13.38 7.4%

12.98 13.33 (2.6%) CASM-Ex, including profit sharing - see Note A (cents) 11.25 10.17 10.6%

10.13 9.77 3.7% Passenger load factor 85.1% 85.2% (0.1) pts

84.6% 84.9% (0.3) pts Fuel gallons consumed (millions) 941 945 (0.4%)

4,016 3,988 0.7% Average price per fuel gallon $ 1.59 $ 1.75 (9.1%)

$ 1.49 $ 1.90 (21.6%) Average price per fuel gallon, adjusted - see Note A $ 1.60 $ 1.85 (13.5%)

$ 1.60 $ 2.23 (28.3%) Number of aircraft in fleet, end of period 966 926 40







Full-time equivalent employees, end of period 83,756 82,949 1.0%























Mainline:













Revenue passenger miles (millions) 44,601 44,231 0.8%

191,714 188,365 1.8% Available seat miles (millions) 52,153 51,646 1.0%

225,268 220,429 2.2% Operating cost per available seat mile (cents) 14.06 12.97 8.4%

12.51 12.84 (2.6%) CASM-Ex, including profit sharing - see Note A (cents) 11.08 9.87 12.3%

9.75 9.41 3.6% Fuel gallons consumed (millions) 790 794 (0.5%)

3,405 3,383 0.7% Average price per fuel gallon $ 1.58 $ 1.80 (12.2%)

$ 1.50 $ 1.93 (22.3%) Average price per fuel gallon, adjusted - see Note A $ 1.60 $ 1.91 (16.2%)

$ 1.63 $ 2.31 (29.4%) Number of aircraft in fleet, end of period 832 809 23























Note: except for full-time equivalent employees and number of aircraft in fleet, consolidated data presented

includes operations under Delta's contract carrier arrangements.













DELTA AIR LINES, INC. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended



December 31, (in millions) 2016

2015 Cash Flows From Operating Activities:





Net income $ 622

$ 980 Depreciation and amortization 472

451 Hedge derivative contracts (52)

(455) Deferred income taxes 332

558 Pension, postretirement and postemployment payments greater than expense 78

76 Changes in:







Hedge margin (18)

262

Air traffic liability (516)

(728)

Profit sharing 193

380 Other working capital changes, net 14

(45)

Net cash provided by operating activities 1,125

1,479









Cash Flows From Investing Activities:





Property and equipment additions:







Flight equipment, including advance payments (468)

(640)

Ground property and equipment, including technology (326)

(238) Acquisition of London-Heathrow slots -

(276) Net redemptions (purchases) of short-term investments 1,023

(29) Proceeds for sales of E190 aircraft 185

- Other, net 31

4

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 445

(1,179)









Cash Flows From Financing Activities:





Payments on long-term debt and capital lease obligations (306)

(407) Repurchases of common stock (300)

(425) Cash dividends (149)

(105) Fuel card obligation 225

2 Net proceeds from hedge derivative contracts 75

230 Other, net 9

8

Net cash used in financing activities (446)

(697)









Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents 1,124

(397) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 1,638

2,369 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 2,762

$ 1,972





DELTA AIR LINES, INC.





Consolidated Balance Sheets





(Unaudited)





















December 31,

December 31,

(in millions) 2016

2015





ASSETS

Current Assets:









Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,762

$ 1,972



Short-term investments 487

1,465



Accounts receivable, net 2,064

2,020



Fuel inventory 519

379



Expendable parts and supplies inventories, net 372

318



Hedge derivatives asset 393

1,987



Prepaid expenses and other 836

915





Total current assets 7,433

9,056















Property and Equipment, Net:









Property and equipment, net 24,375

23,039















Other Assets:









Goodwill 9,794

9,794



Identifiable intangibles, net 4,844

4,861



Deferred income taxes, net 3,077

4,956



Other noncurrent assets 1,733

1,428





Total other assets 19,448

21,039

Total assets $ 51,256

$ 53,134



















LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current Liabilities:









Current maturities of long-term debt and capital leases $ 1,131

$ 1,563



Air traffic liability 4,626

4,503



Accounts payable 2,572

2,743



Accrued salaries and related benefits 2,924

3,195



Hedge derivatives liability 688

2,581



Frequent flyer deferred revenue 1,648

1,635



Other accrued liabilities 1,632

1,306





Total current liabilities 15,221

17,526















Noncurrent Liabilities:









Long-term debt and capital leases 6,201

6,766



Pension, postretirement and related benefits 13,461

13,855



Frequent flyer deferred revenue 2,278

2,246



Other noncurrent liabilities 1,832

1,891





Total noncurrent liabilities 23,772

24,758















Commitments and Contingencies





















Stockholders' Equity 12,263

10,850

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 51,256

$ 53,134



Note A: The following tables show reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures. The reasons Delta uses these measures are described below.

Delta sometimes uses information ("non-GAAP financial measures") that is derived from the Consolidated Financial Statements, but that is not presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. ("GAAP"). Under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules, non-GAAP financial measures may be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results. The tables below show reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures used in this release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Forward Looking Projections. Delta does not reconcile forward looking non-GAAP financial measures because MTM adjustments and settlements will not be known until the end of the period and could be significant.

Pre-Tax Income and Net Income, adjusted. We adjust for the following items to determine pre-tax income and net income, adjusted, for the reasons described below:

Mark-to-Market ("MTM") adjustments and settlements. MTM adjustments are defined as fair value changes recorded in periods other than the settlement period. Such fair value changes are not necessarily indicative of the actual settlement value of the underlying hedge in the contract settlement period. Settlements represent cash received or paid on hedge contracts settled during the period. These items adjust fuel expense to show the economic impact of hedging, including cash received or paid on hedge contracts during the period. Adjusting for these items allows investors to better understand and analyze our core operational performance in the periods shown.

Restructuring and other. Because of the variability in restructuring and other, the adjustment for this item is helpful to investors to analyze the company's recurring core performance in the periods shown.

Virgin Atlantic MTM adjustments. We record our proportionate share of earnings from our equity investment in Virgin Atlantic in non-operating expense. We adjust for Virgin Atlantic's MTM adjustments to allow investors to better understand and analyze the company's core financial performance in the periods shown.

Income tax. We included the income tax effect of adjustments when presenting net income, adjusted. We believe that presenting the income tax effect of adjustments allows investors to better understand and analyze the company's core financial performance in the periods shown.

Operating Cash Flow, adjusted. We adjusted operating cash flow because management believes this metric is helpful to investors to evaluate the company's ability to generate cash that is available for use for capital expenditures, debt service or general corporate initiatives. Adjustments include:

















Hedge deferrals. During the March 2015 quarter, we effectively deferred settlement of a portion of our fuel hedge portfolio by entering into transactions that, excluding market movements from the date of inception, would provide approximately $300 million in cash receipts during the second half of 2015 and require approximately $300 million in cash payments in 2016. During the March 2016 quarter, we further deferred settlement of a portion of our hedge portfolio until 2017 by entering into transactions that, excluding market movements from the date of inception, would provide approximately $300 million in cash receipts during the second half of 2016 and require approximately $300 million in cash payments in 2017. Operating cash flow is adjusted to include the impact of these deferral transactions in order to allow investors to better understand the net impact of hedging activities in the periods shown.















Hedge margin and other. Operating cash flow is adjusted for hedge margin as we believe this adjustment removes the impact of current market volatility on our unsettled hedges and allows investors to better understand and analyze the company's core operational performance in the periods shown.



















Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

(in millions)

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015

Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP)

$ 1,125

$ 1,479

Adjustments:









Hedge deferrals

75

230

Hedge margin and other

17

(268)

Net cash provided by operating activities, adjusted

$ 1,217

$ 1,441





















Year Ended

Year Ended

(in millions)

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015

Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP)

$ 7,205

$ 7,927

Adjustments:









Hedge deferrals

(159)

358

Hedge margin and other

(92)

(856)

Net cash provided by operating activities, adjusted

$ 6,954

$ 7,429



Operating Cash Flow, adjusted. We adjusted operating cash flow because management believes this metric is helpful to investors to evaluate the company's ability to generate cash that is available for use for capital expenditures, debt service or general corporate initiatives. Adjustments include:

Hedge deferrals. During the March 2015 quarter, we effectively deferred settlement of a portion of our fuel hedge portfolio by entering into transactions that, excluding market movements from the date of inception, would provide approximately $300 million in cash receipts during the second half of 2015 and require approximately $300 million in cash payments in 2016. During the March 2016 quarter, we further deferred settlement of a portion of our hedge portfolio until 2017 by entering into transactions that, excluding market movements from the date of inception, would provide approximately $300 million in cash receipts during the second half of 2016 and require approximately $300 million in cash payments in 2017. Operating cash flow is adjusted to include the impact of these deferral transactions in order to allow investors to better understand the net impact of hedging activities in the periods shown.

Hedge margin and other. Operating cash flow is adjusted for hedge margin as we believe this adjustment removes the impact of current market volatility on our unsettled hedges and allows investors to better understand and analyze the company's core operational performance in the periods shown.







Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended (in millions)

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP)

$ 1,125

$ 1,479 Adjustments:







Hedge deferrals

75

230 Hedge margin and other

17

(268) Net cash provided by operating activities, adjusted

$ 1,217

$ 1,441

















Year Ended

Year Ended (in millions)

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP)

$ 7,205

$ 7,927 Adjustments:







Hedge deferrals

(159)

358 Hedge margin and other

(92)

(856) Net cash provided by operating activities, adjusted

$ 6,954

$ 7,429

Free Cash Flow. We present free cash flow because management believes this metric is helpful to investors to evaluate the company's ability to generate cash that is available for use for debt service or general corporate initiatives. Adjustments include:

Hedge deferrals. During the March 2016 quarter, we entered into transactions to defer settlement of a portion of our hedge portfolio until 2017. These deferral transactions, excluding market movements from the date of inception, would provide approximately $300 million in cash receipts during the second half of 2016 and require approximately $300 million in cash payments in 2017. Free cash flow is adjusted to include these deferral transactions in order to allow investors to better understand the net impact of hedging activities in the period shown.

Hedge margin and other. Free cash flow is adjusted for hedge margin as we believe this adjustment removes the impact of current market volatility on our unsettled hedges and allows investors to better understand and analyze the company's core operational performance in the periods shown.

Net purchases of short-term investments and other investing. Net purchases of short term investments represent the net purchase and sale activity of investments and marketable securities in the period, including gains and losses. We adjust free cash flow for this activity, net, to provide investors a better understanding of the company's free cash flow position core to operations.









Three Months Ended (in millions)



December 31, 2016 Net cash provided by operating activities



$ 1,125 Net cash provided by investing activities



445 Adjustments:





Hedge deferrals



75 Hedge margin and other



17 Net purchases of short-term investments and other investing (1,022) Total free cash flow



$ 640

















Year Ended (in millions)



December 31, 2016 Net cash provided by operating activities



$ 7,205 Net cash used in investing activities



(2,155) Adjustments:





Hedge deferrals



(159) Hedge margin and other



(92) Net purchases of short-term investments and other investing (967) Total free cash flow



$ 3,832

Fuel expense, adjusted and Average fuel price per gallon, adjusted. The tables below show the components of fuel expense, including the impact of the refinery segment and hedging on fuel expense and average price per gallon. We then adjust for MTM adjustments and settlements for the reason described below:

MTM adjustments and settlements. MTM adjustments are defined as fair value changes recorded in periods other than the settlement period. Such fair value changes are not necessarily indicative of the actual settlement value of the underlying hedge in the contract settlement period. Settlements represent cash received or paid on hedge contracts settled during the period. These items adjust fuel expense to show the economic impact of hedging, including cash received or paid on hedge contracts during the period. Adjusting for these items allows investors to better understand and analyze our core operational performance in the periods shown.

Consolidated:























Average Price Per Gallon







Three Months Ended



Three Months Ended







December 31,



December 31, (in millions, except per gallon data)



2016 2015



2016 2015 Fuel purchase cost



$ 1,461 $ 1,415



$ 1.56 $ 1.50 Airline segment fuel hedge gains



(11) 245



(0.01) 0.26 Refinery segment impact



42 (8)



0.04 (0.01) Total fuel expense



$ 1,492 $ 1,652



$ 1.59 $ 1.75 MTM adjustments and settlements



11 91



0.01 0.10 Total fuel expense, adjusted



$ 1,503 $ 1,743



$ 1.60 $ 1.85 Change year-over-year



$ (240)























































Year Ended



Year Ended







December 31,



December 31, (in millions, except per gallon data)



2016 2015



2016 2015 Fuel purchase cost



$ 5,579 $ 6,934



$ 1.39 $ 1.74 Airline segment fuel hedge gains



281 935



0.07 0.23 Refinery segment impact



125 (290)



0.03 (0.07) Total fuel expense



$ 5,985 $ 7,579



$ 1.49 $ 1.90 MTM adjustments and settlements



450 1,301



0.11 0.33 Total fuel expense, adjusted



$ 6,435 $ 8,880



$ 1.60 $ 2.23

















Mainline:











































Three Months Ended



Year Ended







December 31,



December 31,







2016 2015



2016 2015 Mainline average price per gallon



$ 1.58 $ 1.80



$ 1.50 $ 1.93 MTM adjustments and settlements



0.02 0.11



0.13 0.38 Mainline average price per gallon, adjusted



$ 1.60 $ 1.91



$ 1.63 $ 2.31

Non-Fuel Unit Cost or Cost per Available Seat Mile, Including Profit Sharing ("CASM-Ex"). We adjust CASM for the following items to determine CASM-Ex, including profit sharing for the reasons described below:

Aircraft fuel and related taxes. The volatility in fuel prices impacts the comparability of year-over-year financial performance. The adjustment for aircraft fuel and related taxes (including our regional carriers) allows investors to better understand and analyze our non-fuel costs and year-over-year financial performance.

Restructuring and other. Because of the variability in restructuring and other, the adjustment for this item is helpful to investors to analyze our recurring core performance in the periods shown.

Other expenses. Other expenses include aircraft maintenance and staffing services we provide to third parties, our vacation wholesale operations, and refinery cost of sales to third parties. Because these businesses are not related to the generation of a seat mile, we adjust for the costs related to these sales to provide a more meaningful comparison of the costs of our airline operations to the rest of the airline industry.

Consolidated CASM-Ex:























Three Months Ended

Year Ended







December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 CASM (cents)



14.37

13.38

12.98

13.33 Adjusted for:

















Aircraft fuel and related taxes

(2.54)

(2.84)

(2.38)

(3.07) Restructuring and other

-

-

-

(0.01) Other expenses

(0.58)

(0.37)

(0.47)

(0.48) CASM-Ex 11.25

10.17

10.13

9.77 Year-over-year change



10.6 %























































Mainline CASM-Ex:

























Three Months Ended

Year Ended







December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 Mainline CASM (cents)



14.06

12.97

12.51

12.84 Adjusted for:

















Aircraft fuel and related taxes

(2.40)

(2.78)

(2.27)

(2.97) Other expenses

(0.58)

(0.32)

(0.49)

(0.46) Mainline CASM-Ex 11.08

9.87

9.75

9.41

Adjusted Net Debt. Delta uses adjusted total debt, including aircraft rent, in addition to long-term adjusted debt and capital leases, to present estimated financial obligations. Delta reduces adjusted debt by cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, and hedge margin receivable, resulting in adjusted net debt, to present the amount of assets needed to satisfy the debt. Management believes this metric is helpful to investors in assessing the company's overall debt profile. Management has reduced adjusted debt by the amount of hedge margin receivable, which reflects cash posted to counterparties, as we believe this removes the impact of current market volatility on our unsettled hedges and is a better representation of the continued progress we have made on our debt initiatives.

(in millions)

December 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 Debt and capital lease obligations

$ 7,332



$ 8,329

Plus: unamortized discount, net and debt issuance costs

104



152

Adjusted debt and capital lease obligations



7,436



8,481 Plus: 7x last twelve months' aircraft rent



1,995



1,750 Adjusted total debt



9,431



10,231 Less: cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments



(3,249)



(3,437) Less: hedge margin receivable



(38)



(119) Adjusted net debt



$ 6,144



$ 6,675

Capital Expenditures, net. Capital expenditures, net is adjusted for proceeds for sales of E190 aircraft because management believes investors should be informed that these proceeds effectively offset the cash paid for these aircraft earlier in the year. This provides a more meaningful measure of cash outflows for capital expenditures.





Three Months Ended (in millions)

December 31, 2016 Property and equipment additions

$ 794





Proceeds for sales of E190 aircraft

(185) Capital expenditures, net

$ 609

SOURCE Delta Air Lines

Related Links

http://www.delta.com


WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of West Hollywood is encouraging residents and businesses to continue efforts to use less water and to promote conservation. Winter storms have brought rain and snow to Southern California; however, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a project of The National Drought Mitigation Center, much of Southern California is still experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions.

The U.S. Drought Monitor rates drought intensity on a scale of D0 (abnormally dry) to D4 (exceptionally dry). Nearly every region of California is still affected by scarce supplies of water.

West Hollywood residents and businesses are served by two water utility companies: Beverly Hills Public Works and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Both utilities encourage their customers to continue to use water efficiently.

As part of its efforts to encourage water conservation, the City of West Hollywood produced a 60-second public service announcement (PSA) video: Winter is Coming! But the Drought is Far From Over. Designed as a mock TV-series preview trailer, the Emmy Award-winning PSA is based on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones and takes viewers on a dramatic journey  instead of traveling through the mythical land of Westeros, viewers travel on a storybook tour of what a fictional West Hollywood may look like if the drought continues.

The City of West Hollywood offers tips for saving water on its website. For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/waterconservation.

Water conservation tips are also available at the following websites:

www.bewaterwise.com

www.ladwp.com/waterconservation

www.beverlyhills.org/living/recyclingandconservation/waterconservation

www.westbasin.org

For additional information please contact the City of West Hollywood at (323) 848-6375. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

SOURCE The City of West Hollywood

Related Links

http://www.weho.org


"I'm grateful and humbled by this election to the NAMI Orange County board of directors," said Dr. Sharma. "Sovereign Health is aligned with NAMI's core values of serving patients with mental health disorders. We're also staunch supporters, along with NAMI, in the fight against the stigma of mental illness. Our advanced diagnostic assessment processes, treatment of cognitive deficits and the utilization of cutting-edge technology allows us to reach and serve more patients in need of behavioral health treatment services."

"I and the entire NAMI Orange County board of directors welcome Dr. Tonmoy Sharma as our newest board member," said John S. Leyerle, President, board of directors of NAMI Orange County. "Dr. Sharma joins our committed board members, capable staff and dedicated volunteers in NAMI Orange County's mission to provide education, support and advocacy to persons with a mental health condition, their family members and mental health care professionals."

Dr. Sharma has been recognized with numerous awards, honors and grants for his work in advancing mental health and its treatments in the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia. In 2009, Dr. Sharma helped to found Sovereign Health, which now operates nine treatment facilities throughout the United States. Dr. Sharma also gave an impactful presentation earlier this year on cognitive deficits in addiction and mental health to a sold-out crowd in Costa Mesa, California. For more information about Dr. Sharma, click HERE for the Clinical Neuroscience Research Centre.

Sovereign Health provides treatment for mental health issues, including trauma, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and eating disorders. Sovereign's facilities are fully licensed and have been awarded Gold Seal accreditation by The Joint Commission, the highest level of accreditation available in the behavioral health field.

Founded in 1979, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

About Sovereign Health

Sovereign's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.

SOURCE Sovereign Health

Related Links

http://www.sovhealth.com


SAN FRANCISCO and STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that casualty risk management professional Timothy Ward has joined the firm's Stamford, CT-based EPIC Risk Solutions Practice as a Principal and Casualty Practice Leader.

Ward will be based in EPIC's Stamford, CT office and report to EPIC Risk Solutions principal, Mark Millard.

Over a career spanning 23 years, Ward has focused on assisting clients in a wide range of industries with their casualty risk management needs, specializing in the design, management, assessment and implementation of risk management and insurance programs; including risk identification and analysis, risk transfer utilizing insurance products and alternative risk financing strategies across a broad spectrum of exposures and risks.

Prior to joining EPIC, Ward was with Marsh & McLennan in a variety of casualty risk management and insurance placement roles. Most recently Ward was senior vice president and leader of the "national desk" within the casualty placement practice, based in New York. Working with a team of 13 insurance professionals, Ward led in excess of 350 complex transactions annually, focused on clients within the public and private Fortune 1,000 space.

In addition, Ward spent considerable time leveraging analytics to hone program design achieving optimized economic performance, collaborating with clients and prospects to structure enhanced casualty process flow, delivery of service, and evaluating insurers and TPA's who maintain the attributes and capabilities to help drive business forward.

"Our Northeast leadership team is very excited to have someone of Tim's caliber join our group," said EPIC's Mark Millard. "His background and experience, casualty risk management expertise and strong leadership skills will materially contribute to the future growth of EPIC Risk Solution and the service excellence we deliver nationally to EPIC clients with complex risk management needs."

As one of the nation's fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms, EPIC has been on an aggressive national growth trajectory, successfully competing against the large, institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model. Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has added multiple locations and new team members across the country, growing revenues from roughly $80 million to estimated run rate revenues of almost $250 million  a 212% increase.

Ward is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economic Management.

Timothy Ward can be reached at:

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

3 Landmark Square, Stamford, CT 06901

203-658-0514 direct

timothy.ward [at] epicbrokers.com

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence. EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit www.epicbrokers.com

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0112s2p-tim-ward-300dpi.jpg

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0308-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Related Links

http://www.epicbrokers.com/


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- If your New Year's resolution is to travel more, now is the perfect time for a quick and inexpensive beach vacation. Year after year, Puerto Rico continues to earn its reputation as the "Jewel of the Caribbean" and with no need for a passport, U.S. citizens can visit its beaches and extensive coastline to escape the winter months for a worry-free beach vacation.

With more than 270 miles of coastline to explore, Puerto Rico and its beaches have something to offer every type of traveler. Beachgoers can relax the day away with a swim in the ocean, a catamaran ride and surfing. For the more adventurous traveler, the island's beaches offer an ideal setting for snorkeling and deep-sea diving. Maintain your wellness resolution and say 'Namaste' on the island, as Puerto Rico's beaches are the perfect setting for a breathtaking sun salutation. Travelers can rise with the sun or take a sunset breath to truly get in touch with their inner-selves and the world around them all while burning a few calories.

In addition, Puerto Rico is home to numerous blue flag beaches. These beaches are recognized for their water quality standards, safety, environmental education and sustainable boating tourism by the Foundation for Environmental Education. Puerto Rico's blue flag beaches include: Escambron in San Juan, Carolina Beach in San Juan, Seven Seas in Fajardo and La Monserrate in Luquillo.

Ready to save? The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) has partnered with popular booking sites, giving travelers the chance to save on their Puerto Rico escape. Travelers can book on www.escapethecoldinpuertorico.com and save up to 60% on their hotel stay.

For those ready to book a Puerto Rico beach vacation, the following is current information to ensure a worry-free experience:

Puerto Rico continues to win the fight against Zika as cases have markedly declined since October 2016, however, the PRTC continues to encourage travelers to take following precautionary steps while visiting Puerto Rico's beaches:

Purchase and use an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)/para-menthane-diol (PMD), or IR3535.

Follow instructions on repellent label and be sure to apply at proper intervals, as directed.

When wearing sunscreen, be sure to apply sunscreen first, then repellent once sunscreen has dried.

Cover exposed skin with long sleeves and long pants, when possible, especially when traveling through rainforests and around standing water.

Keep all balcony doors and windows closed at night.

For travel tips and more information about the Zika virus in Puerto Rico, travelers are urged to visit: PuertoRicoNow.SeePuertoRico.com.

About Puerto Rico Tourism Company

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), founded in 1970, is a public corporation responsible for stimulating, promoting and regulating the development of the tourism industry. It markets Puerto Rico as a tourism destination through advertising, public relations and promotional activities; promotes tourism among visitors and local residents; provides visitor orientation and technical assistance to investors; evaluates tourism facilities and establishes standards of quality; and regulates and oversees gaming operations. PRTC has offices and representatives in the U.S. mainland, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456813/Puerto_Rico_Tourism_Intercontinental.jpg

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/360380/prtc___logo_logo_Logo.jpg

Related Links

http://PuertoRicoNow.SeePuertoRico.com



SOURCE Puerto Rico Tourism Company
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Expert System (EXSY.MI) today announced that it has appointed Louis Andre as the new CEO for Expert System USA, the Group's North American subsidiary serving the Federal, Intelligence and Law Enforcement sectors.

Louis Andre joins Expert System USA as CEO following a distinguished career in security and intelligence in both the public and private sector. Louis Andre was the first U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) senior to simultaneously serve as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff for the Agency. Then, as Senior Vice President for Intelligence Business Strategy at CACI International, he drove the company's growth in the intelligence market by developing forward-looking business strategies, refining corporate capabilities, and orchestrating capture activities.

At Expert System USA, he will lead the company through an important growth period as it consolidates a number of engagements with major U.S. federal agencies including the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense.

Stefano Spaggiari, CEO of Expert System, commented: "The world of Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Computing, especially where applied to the most sophisticated military and intelligence requirements, is experiencing a period of extraordinary development. Louis's deep experience is exactly what we need to strengthen Expert System USA's strategic positioning to take advantage of the opportunities available in the U.S. Government sector."

Louis Andre has worked extensively in the intelligence and defense fields where he acquired a reputation for applying exceptional knowledge and analytic tradecraft to a wide range of challenging threats in support of critical National Security missions. A former Special Forces officer with combat experience, Mr. Andre spent his public sector career at the U.S. DIA where he served in a variety of senior analytic and management positions, including Chief of the Global Analysis Division and Chief and founding member of the Counterterrorism Branch, the organizational precursor to the Joint Intelligence Task Force  Combating Terrorism and the Defense Combating Terrorism Center. He also served as the Research Director at DIA and as the Senior Civilian in the Directorate for Intelligence, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Among other achievements, he received the Presidential Rank Award for both Distinguished Executive and Meritorious Executive. Mr. Andre attended the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, the Federal Executive Institute, the Intelligence Fellows Program, and the Program for Senior Officials in National Security at Harvard University.

About Expert System

Expert System created Cogito, a text analytics technology that transforms the way organizations find, process, comprehend and use information. Cogito leverages proprietary artificial intelligence algorithms within a sophisticated semantic analysis engine to deliver business value and ROI by extracting actionable knowledge from internal and external information and automating business processes.

For more information visit www.expertsystem.com or follow us on Twitter at @Expert_System.

Expert System USA, Inc. located in Alexandria, VA serves the U.S. Public sector including Federal, State, and Local Government, Military, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Community customers.

For more information visit http://www.expertsystem.us/

SOURCE Expert System

Related Links

http://www.expertsystem.com


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairlead Integrated, parent company of Fraser Optics, announced today that it has appointed Luke Ritter as the chief executive officer. Ritter has assumed the top executive role at a critical inflection point in Fraser's business. Optical technology for national defense, homeland security, and law enforcement applications has never been more important to protect America.

Luke Ritter, the new CEO of Fraser Optics

"After a focused and comprehensive search process, I'm pleased to have found the best qualified professional to assume leadership of this world-class defense technology firm," said Jerry Miller, owner and CEO of Fairlead. "Luke is a Navy veteran who has a track record of strong leadership within the defense and homeland security markets. His deep industry knowledge, and security technology background, makes him uniquely qualified to lead Fraser successfully into the future."

Ritter joins Fraser Optics after serving most of the last 10 years as executive vice president in Ridge Global, a firm founded by The Honorable Tom Ridge, former Governor of Pennsylvania and first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.

"Luke is the natural choice from an impressive pool of highly qualified candidates," said Vice Admiral David Architzel (USN, ret.), chairman of the Fraser Optics Advisory Board, and president of Fairlead Boat Works. "He's proven that he can lead in the defense sector. And he's a great fit with each of the four 'critical leadership competencies' we evaluated as part of our selection process: strategic agility, business acumen, natural leadership, and mission-driven orientation. I'm looking forward to working with Luke to move Fraser forward as we enhance and support military and border security initiatives in the U.S. and internationally."

"It's truly an honor and a privilege to lead this exceptional organization full of dedicated and talented professionals," said Ritter. "We produce innovative, relevant and mission-critical equipment that is being used on the front lines, every day, to protect America. This is an amazing opportunity to build on past successes that any leader would welcome."

Ritter is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and holds an M.B.A from Old Dominion University. Prior to joining Fraser, he was executive vice president at Ridge Global, reporting directly to the Honorable Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and former Governor of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ritter joined Tom Ridge in 2007 when he merged the firm he had founded, Trident Global Partners, with Ridge Global. His professional experience includes senior executive assignments at multiple defense contractors serving the national defense and homeland security markets. Ritter, will split his time between Fraser's executive offices in Maryland, and the manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.

About Fraser Optics

Fraser Optics is a defense technology company that designs and produces stabilized optical technology products for the defense, homeland security, law enforcement, and commercial markets. Fraser Optics was founded in 1972 as Fraser-Volpe Corporation. Fraser's flagship product, the M-25 binocular, established the firm's position as the sole supplier of stabilized binoculars to the U.S. Army. For over 40 years, Fraser has continued to field innovative and compelling stabilized optical technology solutions to protect America. Current U.S. Government customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, the Department of Interior, and the Department of Homeland Security.

For media inquiries, contact [Ellen Cooper, [email protected]].

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE Fraser Optics

Related Links

http://www.fraseroptics.com


The InsMark Platinum Suite is the latest add to the "resource line-up" offered to FFR member offices. As FFR's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jud Imhoff explains, "Technology is a tool. A client relationship is priceless. With the addition of the InsMark arrangement, we are giving our member offices the tools to help them explain life insurance in a more visually-appealing, client-friendly way and still provide all of the required disclosures."

As 2017 starts, FFR celebrates its 30th year as an organization serving its member advisors. CEO Imhoff offers this perspective, "We started FFR with a framework that puts our member advisors' needs first and accepts they want and need their independence to be successful with their clients. Today, we align our decisions on technology, services, carrier choices, training, education and support around that framework. It keeps us nimble and relevant. We look at sales success as a result of focusing on the advisor and client needs, not the goal."

About First Financial Resources

First Financial Resources (FFR) is a producer group founded in 1987 and solely owned by its member advisors and based in Newport Beach, California. FFR provides its member advisors with access to insurance-based products, tools and resources for the high net worth and/or business client. FFR also focuses expertise, resources and training to elevate the professional knowledge of the advisor's staff. Insurance advisors interested in learning more about FFR membership may contact Tom Tous or Mike Bell at (888) 337-9378. To learn more about FFR, please visit www.ffrmembers.com.

About InsMark

InsMark is a leading industry provider of sales and marketing software tools and resources. Based in San Ramon, California, InsMark was founded in 1983 by Robert (Bob) Ritter. InsMark's product line utilizes a unique approach to illustrating all forms of cash value life insurance. Illustration design requires the coordination of three disciplines: actuarial, legal and creative presentation, and no system is good at mastering all three. InsMark deals solely with creative presentations -- leaving actuarial considerations to the insurance company. InsMark's linking technology allows its research and development staff to concentrate on the graphical and visual aspects of the presentation. Proving that this technique works, InsMark is the only illustration system consistently asked for by name by insurance producers in the field. For more information, visit www.InsMark.com

For Press Inquiries, contact Susan Hart, (949)223-2169 or [email protected]

SOURCE First Financial Resources

Related Links

https://www.ffrmembers.com


Washington, Jan. 12 (CNA) The recent conduct of air and maritime exercises by Chinese armed forces in the area around Taiwan is an example of by China showcasing its growing military strength and not a show of force directed at the government of Taiwan, according to former U.S. Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director Douglas Paal.
AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 11th consecutive year, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has earned recognition for its emergency response efforts from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), a leading electric industry organization.

FirstEnergy was honored with the "Emergency Assistance Award" as a result of sending about 600 line workers, contractors and support personnel to assist Florida Power and Light and Duke Energy after Hurricane Matthew caused large-scale power outages along the East Coast. Over a 10-day period in early October last year, FirstEnergy personnel were part of an effort that helped restore electric service to 1.2 million Florida Power and Light customers in Florida and 157,000 Duke Energy customers in South Carolina.

FirstEnergy also earned the "Emergency Recovery Award" for restoration efforts of its own customers following severe thunderstorms and flooding that caused more than 70,000 Mon Power customers in West Virginia to lose power in late June of last year. More than 1,000 company line workers, contractors, damage assessors and support personnel were part of the restoration effort. Despite accessibility issues with flooded substations and multiple transmission structures being damaged in inaccessible mountain areas, FirstEnergy crews were able to restore more than 90 percent of the customers within four days.

"The tireless work of FirstEnergy's crews to quickly and safely restore service to customers, and to lend assistance to neighboring electric companies, demonstrates the industry's strong commitment to customer service," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "FirstEnergy's dedicated crews who faced challenging conditions are greatly deserving of this recognition."

"Receiving both awards is a special honor because it means our employees used their considerable skills in difficult work environments to benefit our own customers, and those of other utilities," said Steven Strah, senior vice president of FirstEnergy and president of FirstEnergy Utilities. "What is most impressive is that the repairs were made with no accidents or injuries, which is a testament to our employees' commitment to safety."

EEI presents these awards to member companies to recognize extraordinary efforts to restore power or for assisting other electric companies after service disruptions caused by severe weather conditions and other natural events. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of electric industry experts following an international nomination process. The awards were presented January 11, 2017, during the winter EEI Board of Directors and CEO meeting in Florida.

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly and indirectly employ more than one million workers. EEI has dozens of international electric companies as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, while its generation subsidiaries control nearly 17,000 megawatts of capacity from a diversified mix of scrubbed coal, non-emitting nuclear, natural gas, hydro and other renewables. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy and its utilities on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp, @ToledoEdison , @IlluminatingCo , @OhioEdison, @MonPowerWV, @JCP_L, @Penn_Power, @Penelec, @Met_Ed, @PotomacEdison, @W_Penn_Power.

Editor's Note: A photo of Steven Strah, senior vice president of FirstEnergy and president of FirstEnergy Utilities, accepting the emergency response awards from EEI President Tom Kuhn is available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Related Links

http://www.firstenergycorp.com


TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Integrated today announced that Dr. Regina Benjamin, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States, will serve as the keynote speaker at EMPOWER 2017, the nation's premier care management conference. Now in its 14th year, EMPOWER brings together chief medical officers, medial directors and care management executives from health plans, ACOs and health systems serving vulnerable and at-risk populations. The conference will be held April 26 - 28 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

As America's Doctor, Dr. Benjamin provided the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. Dr. Benjamin also oversaw the operational command of 6,500 uniformed public health officers who serve in locations around the world to promote, and protect the health of the American People. In addition, Dr. Benjamin served as chair of the National Prevention Council  17 cabinet-level Federal agencies that developed the roadmap for the Nation's health  the National Prevention Strategy.

Some of the industry's leading experts will present at EMPOWER 2017, including Dr. James Prochaska, Founder of Pro-Change Behavior Systems and one of the originators of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, health economist at THINK-Health and Melanie Bella, Former Director, Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

"We are fortunate to be able to host an industry leading event like EMPOWER and attract the types of speakers we do, including Dr. Benjamin and Dr. Prochaska," said Sam Toney, MD, chief medical officer and executive vice president of clinical integrity at Health Integrated. "The depth of knowledge and experience they bring to EMPOWER is invaluable to the executives of the health plans who attend. In today's uncertain healthcare environment, it is important we provide information that can be taken back to the plans and acted on immediately."

Prior attendees have commented on the event's relevance in providing actionable information they can immediately use in the realms of quality, cost and regulation as they affect health plan operations and initiatives.

"EMPOWER is an excellent venue to explore challenges and solutions in managing populations, particularly those most vulnerable," said Robert Kritzler, MD, chief medical officer for Family Health Network and past EMPOWER attendee. "The networking opportunities, with other plan leaders and industry experts, are top notch and give me insights I wouldn't get at other events."

Registration is now open to health plan leaders and business partners at healthintegrated.com/empower. Space is limited.

About Health Integrated

Health Integrated leads the industry with Precision Empowered Care Management, enabling health plans to precisely manage their most vulnerable members. By combining actionable big data with a proven biopsychosocial model, they address the physical, psychological and social drivers impacting member health and satisfaction. As a result, plans enhance quality, achieve compliance and strengthen their financial performance, while empowering members to achieve better outcomes.

CONTACT: Katie Grimes, Health Integrated

(813) 388-4043

[email protected]

SOURCE Health Integrated

Related Links

http://www.healthintegrated.com


(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456949/PRNE_Gaidar_Forum_Image.jpg )



As before, the Gaidar Forum speakers will include Government members and leaders of the Russian regions, renowned Russian and foreign experts, politicians, journalists and business leaders. The 8th Gaidar Forum will focus on the analysis of the current economic situation and economic growth prospects, will cover financial and social policy issues, business climate and priorities of regional development in Russia.

The Gaidar Forum provides a unique intellectual platform and a meeting point for theorists and practitioners, the world leading scientists and politicians and influential representatives of global financial and business elites. Every year the leaders of economic thought, Nobel Prize laureates, top professors of leading global universities (such as Harvard, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and representatives of Russian political establishment come to Moscow and gather at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

The Forum discussions usually focus on the most acute current challenges, with a special emphasis on the issues connected with understanding of Russia's place and strategic role in the world.

On January 12, 2017, on the first day of the Forum, David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund will take part in the Panel Discussion.

The World Bank will present their Report "Russian Federation Systematic Country Diagnostic: Pathway to Inclusive Growth". The report will be presented by the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Cyril Muller and Deputy Chief Economist for the World Bank Group Ana Revenga. Marek Belka, a famous Polish politician and economist, to give a speech.

The second day of the Gaidar Forum, January 13, 2017, will begin with a panel discussion on the model of sustainable economic growth for Russia. This is the central topic, which has been on the agenda of the country's leading economic conference for the past few years. The attention of the participants of the discussion will focus on the perspectives for economic growth in the country for 2018-2024. Experts will also discuss the global financial system and the stability of Russian financial markets. How appropriate is the international experience in macroeconomic regulation for Russia? How to prioritize public expenditures based on monitoring of the effective use of budget resources? These and other questions will form the basis for a dialogue between the main representatives of the Russian economy.

According to Ivan Fedotov, the Executive Director of the Forum, Vice Rector of RANEPA, Director of AIRR: 'The Gaidar Forum has become a traditional place to discuss the Government agenda for the coming year. All key stakeholders will come to RANEPA: state corporations, development institutions, governors, the Government'. Anton Siluanov, the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, and Maksim Oreshkin, the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, will take part in the discussion. Elvira Nabiullina, Governor, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and Tatyana Golikova, Accounts Chamber Chairperson, have confirmed their attendance. The panelists also include Andrei Klepach, Deputy Chairman, Vnesheconombank (Chief Economist). Alexey Kudrin, Chairman of the Board, the Center for Strategic Research Foundation (CSR), Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation (2000-2011), will make the key speech.

On January 13, 2017, day two of the Gaidar Forum, Herman Van Rompuy, President, the European Policy Centre; President, the European Council (2009-2014); Prime Minister of Belgium (2008-2009) shall deliver a speech. Sberbank head Herman Gref and Rusnano chief Anatoly Chubais will take part in the discussion Technological Challenges and Economic Dynamics: What is Really Going on?

Topics for the third day will be: The New Tax Policy in Russia, Smart Cities Technologies, Islamic Finance, Open Scientific Infrastructure, University 3.0: The Future is Coming, Contours of the New Global Economy and Russia's Challenge to Respond.

PARTNERS

General partner: Gazprom. Financial partner: Otkritie Bank. Strategic partners: Gazprombank, Unilever, ACIG Group of Companies, Johnson&Johnson, Novartis Group in Russia, Masterard, Yegor Gaidar Foundation, MSD. Official partners: Microsoft, RVC. Partners: EY, Cotton Way, The Russian Brewers' Union, Tomsk region. Insurance partner: Rosgosstrakh.

General media partners: Russia 24, PH "Kommersant". General Internet Media: Gazeta.ru. General radio partner - Business FM. Strategic media partners: TASS, RT, RIA Novosti. Main media partners: Interfax Information Services Group, Prime Business News Agency CJSC.

Media partners: "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", Izvestia, Rambler News Service, Snob, The Moscow Times, Xinhua News Agency, PR Newswire, Agencia EFE, Radio "Echo of Moscow", Thomson Reuters, The Finmarket Information Agency, Polit.ru, BRICS Business Magazine, AK&M, Ekonomika I Zhizn', China Radio International, FederalPress, The National Banking Journal, The magazine "Region of development", "Banking", RAEX (Expert RA), "STRANA", Phoenix Satellite Television, The magazine "Moscow - Beijing. Two Countries - One Thing", RIA Standards & Quality, Business Excellence, Strategy Journal, Gosudarstvennaya Sluzba, Viable Healthcare, Bank Review, Financial One, Magazine "Banking", RAI - Italian Radio television.

Contact: Dmitry Sokolov

Head of Press

RANEPA/ Gaidar Forum

+7 (903) 788 38 02

[email protected]



SOURCE Gaidar Forum 2017
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- General Mills Big G cereals launch an instant win game for a chance to win $1 million in eBoxTops for schools. Unique codes are printed on the inside of specially-marked cereal packages. Five grand prizes will be awarded in the amount of $100,000 each and more than 1,200 additional prizes will be awarded for a grand total of $1,000,000 in donations to K-8 schools.

"This is the largest prize offering in the history of the program," said Audra Carson, who leads Box Tops for Education at General Mills. "We are excited to be able to continue supporting schools across the U.S. by funding supplies and programs that enrich students' lives."

Thirteen specially-marked boxes of cereals are included in the promotion:

Honey Nut Cheerios 12.25 oz. Lucky Charms 11.5 oz. Multi Grain Cheerios 12 oz. Walmart Cinnamon Toast Crunch Family Apple Cinnamon Cheerios 12.9 oz. Size Fruity Cheerios 12 oz. Walmart Reese's Puffs Cereal Family Size Chocolate Cheerios 11.25 oz. Walmart Honey Nut Cheerios Family Size Yellow Box Cheerios 12 oz. Walmart Lucky Charms Family Size Cinnamon Chex 12.1 oz. Walmart Cookie Crisp Family Size





Participating cereals are available at the following retailers: Walmart, Safeway Albertsons, Hyvee, Meijer and several other local grocery chains. For the official contest rules, visit 1millionboxtops.com. The sweepstakes runs through January 1, 2018.

This year, General Mills is celebrating its 20th birthday of the iconic Box Tops for Education program, and schools in the U.S. have earned more than $800 million in funding over the last two decades. The company has marked the occasion by introducing new earning opportunities via the Box Tops Bonus App, launching a crowd-funding type online Clipboard, and conducting three satellite media tours with nostalgic celebrities including Dave Coulier, Alyson Hannigan and Mario Lopez.

For every Box Top collected and submitted to the Box Tops program, schools receive 10 cents in unrestricted funding to help them with their basic operating needs and enrichment programs that might not be possible otherwise, such as field trips, textbooks, musical instruments, playground equipment, classroom technology, arts and cultural programming and so much more.

About Box Tops for Education

America's K-8 schools have earned more than $800 million through the Box Tops for Education program since it started in 1996, with approximately 33 million households participating last year. Schools can earn up to $20,000 annually through the Clip Program.

People can interact with Box Tops for Education through the Box Tops Bonus App, Clipboard, Facebook, and by subscribing to the program's email newsletter. Box Tops can be found on hundreds of products including those from: Cheerios, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Annie's, Totino's, Ziplock, Kleenex, Reynolds, Lysol and many more. For additional information and a complete list of participating Box Tops products, visit BoxTops4Education.com.

About General Mills

General Mills is a leading global food company that serves the world by making food people love. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Fiber One, Haagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2016 worldwide sales of US $17.6 billion, including the company's US $1.0 billion proportionate share of joint-venture net sales. For more information about General Mills, visit www.generalmills.com.

SOURCE General Mills

Related Links

http://www.generalmills.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GI Partners, a leading alternative asset manager, announced that is has completed the acquisition of 14200 Shady Grove Road, located along "DNA Alley" near Rockville, Maryland. The acquisition was made through DataCore, L.P. ("DataCore"), a fully discretionary core real estate fund managed by GI Partners on behalf of The California State Teachers' Retirement System ("CalSTRS").

The property, developed in 2003 and recently renovated, is comprised of approximately 635,000 square feet of Class A office and laboratory space and serves as a global vaccine research and development center for GlaxoSmithKline.

"The Interstate 270 corridor in Maryland continues to present attractive macro and micro trends relevant to the life science sector," commented Mike Armstrong, Principal of GI Partners and co-head of acquisitions for GI's direct real estate investment programs. "We believe in the use and opportunity for fundamental growth in the surrounding area."

CalSTRS and GI Partners created DataCore in 2012 as a core investment vehicle to invest in technology-advantaged real estate in the United States, including data centers, internet gateways, corporate campuses for technology tenants, and life science properties, located in primary markets and leased to industry-leading tenants. Since inception, DataCore has acquired approximately 3.6 million square feet of properties throughout the United States.

About CalSTRS

The California State Teachers' Retirement System, with a portfolio valued at $192.9 billion as of November 30, 2016, is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world. CalSTRS administers a hybrid retirement system, consisting of traditional defined benefit, cash balance and voluntary defined contribution plans. CalSTRS also provides disability and survivor benefits. CalSTRS serves California's nearly 900,000 public school educators and their families from the state's 1,700 school districts, county offices of education and community college districts.

About GI Partners

Founded in 2001, GI Partners is a leading private investment firm based in San Francisco, California. The firm currently manages over $13 billion in capital commitments through private equity and real estate strategies for recognized institutional investors, including some of the largest state and sovereign pension funds in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. GI Partners' real estate team invests across a number of property types and investment strategies, including industrial, apartments, and technology-advantaged properties, such as data centers, life science facilities, and corporate campuses. For more information on GI Partners, please visit www.gipartners.com.

Contact:

Chris Tofalli

Chris Tofalli PR

914-834-4334

[email protected]@tofallipr.com

Caroline Schimmelbusch

GI Partners | Investor Relations

+1 415-688-4800

[email protected]

SOURCE GI Partners

Related Links

http://www.gipartners.com


DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors launched its second annual Discover Your Drive diversity journalism program Jan. 7-11, hosting 13 college students and nine journalists from across the country at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. Students from diverse backgrounds participated in the program, which promotes diversity in automotive journalism and news coverage.

Discover Your Drive began Saturday and concluded Wednesday with an awards presentation recognizing students for their work at NAIAS as well as their social media presence during a scavenger hunt through Detroit. Students used the new, award-winning all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV, named 2017's NAIAS Car of Year, and OnStar technology to find their way around the city. They posted about their adventures on Twitter tagging @GM_Diversity using the hashtag #DiscoverYourDrive.

"We were blown away by the talent and creativity of these fearless students," says Leslie Gordon, senior manager, GM Diversity Communications. "Many of them had not been exposed to automotive journalism, had never been to Detroit or seen snow. But they brought with them the right amount of curiosity required to cover an event as massive and complex as the North American International Auto Show and they did so with grit and class."

One student demonstrated that drive by chasing a face-to-face interview with GM President and CEO Mary Barra on the auto show floor. Another coaxed GM North America President Alan Batey into a video that won the program's top prize: an all-expense paid trip to a national journalism conference.

Students Rushawn Walters and Nia Muhammad, both of Howard University, and Sarah Rahal, of Wayne State University, won the prize with "Jammin' with GM," a video story told through carpool karaoke, focusing on the all-new Chevrolet Cruze and technologies such as Apple Car Play, Android Auto, Teen Driver, Rear Seat Reminder and the car's fuel economy.

"As an aspiring student journalist from Detroit, getting the opportunity to learn more about what's in my backyard was a priceless gift," said Rahal. "This program gave me a network of people that are proficient in the industry and the knowledge to use it in the field. Discover Your Drive allowed me to believe that automotive news is a possibility for my future."

The students took part in a journalism workshop led by Ray Suarez, former host of NPR's Talk of the Nation. They also heard a panel on the state of diversity in newsrooms. The panel, moderated by award-winning journalist Ed Gordon, featured fashion critic Michael Quintanilla, formerly of the Los Angeles Times and San Antonio Express News; political journalist Patricia Guadalupe, a contributing writer to NBC Latino; Walter Middlebrook, Detroit News assistant managing editor; and Salvador Rodriguez, Inc. magazine's tech reporter.

Students attended news conferences and vehicle reveals, explored the auto show floor and interviewed auto experts. The professional journalists mentored the students and helped them produce news stories and presentations. The program ended with an awards ceremony at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

"As a diversity and business reporter, it's really great to see GM put its money and weight behind discovering and helping young journalists of diverse backgrounds get started with their careers," said Inc.'s Rodriguez, also a mentor.

Quintanilla, a returning mentor whose team won last year, says news organizations need to take note.

"This is the most original experience for college students that encourages them to consider automotive journalism while also promoting diversity in newsrooms," he said. "By diverse, I mean not only diversity in one's ethnicity but also in ideas and a promise from everyone involved to protect and uphold journalism's existence and the profession's commitment to tell accurate and honest stories."

Download photos and video

About the students:

Nia Muhammad of Chicago is a sophomore in TV/film and electronic studio at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

of is a sophomore in TV/film and electronic studio at in Sarah Rahal of Dearborn Heights, Michigan , is a journalism senior at Wayne State University in Detroit , a member of the honors Journalism Institute for Media Diversity program and managing editor of The South End, WSU's student paper.

of , is a journalism senior at in , a member of the honors Journalism Institute for Media Diversity program and managing editor of The South End, WSU's student paper. Rushawn Walters of Springfield, Massachusetts , is a journalism and theater arts senior at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and managing editor for its student newspaper, The Hilltop.

of , is a journalism and theater arts senior at in and managing editor for its student newspaper, The Hilltop. Dominique Sims is from San Francisco and is a mass media arts senior at Clark Atlanta University . She is the author of the award-winning blog Black Students Who Travel.

is from and is a mass media arts senior at . She is the author of the award-winning blog Black Students Who Travel. Ala'a Ibrahim of Houston is a multimedia journalism and business senior at University of Texas at Austin . She has interned at NBCUniversal and KXAN-TV and will soon be joining KUT & KUTX as a multimedia intern.

of is a multimedia journalism and business senior at . She has interned at NBCUniversal and KXAN-TV and will soon be joining KUT & KUTX as a multimedia intern. Oriol Brull comes from Barcelona, Spain , and is an advertising and public relations junior at the City College of New York in New York City . He has been a freelance automotive writer for a national Spanish magazine.

comes from , and is an advertising and public relations junior at the in . He has been a freelance automotive writer for a national Spanish magazine. Gabi Wy of Newburgh, Indiana , is a sophomore at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville . She will be an intern at the Evansville Courier & Press in January and features editor for The Shield, her university's student publication.

of , is a sophomore at the in . She will be an intern at the Evansville Courier & Press in January and features editor for The Shield, her university's student publication. William Cornelius of Oklahoma City is a broadcast journalism junior at the University of Oklahoma in Norman , Oklahoma . He shoots and edits long-form documentary and broadcast packages, does VOSOT (Voice Over/Sound on Tape) and writes for print and online publications.

of is a broadcast journalism junior at the , . He shoots and edits long-form documentary and broadcast packages, does VOSOT (Voice Over/Sound on Tape) and writes for print and online publications. Aaron Robert of Warren, Michigan , is an advertising and public relations sophomore at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan . He leads content creation for GVSU's Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, writing and editing blogs and designing graphics.

of , is an advertising and public relations sophomore at in . He leads content creation for GVSU's Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, writing and editing blogs and designing graphics. Nguyen Le is a native of Vietnam and a recent graduate in print journalism at the University of Houston . He wrote for the student newspaper The Cougar and was a movie critic for Cooglife Magazine.

is a native of and a recent graduate in print journalism at the . He wrote for the student newspaper The Cougar and was a movie critic for Cooglife Magazine. Jose Arredondo comes from San Antonio, Texas , where he is a junior at Texas A&M-San Antonio. He has written and photographed for the Big Stick, The Bugle Call, The Ranger and La Prensa newspapers and is currently an intern at Spectrum Sports News.

comes from , where he is a junior at Texas A&M-San Antonio. He has written and photographed for the Big Stick, The Bugle Call, The and La Prensa newspapers and is currently an intern at Spectrum Sports News. Dennis Lin is a native of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan . He is a senior double majoring in communications/advertising with a sports management minor and sales concentration at Michigan State University in East Lansing .

is a native of . He is a senior double majoring in communications/advertising with a sports management minor and sales concentration at . Michael Incavo is a native of Cleveland, Ohio . He is a journalism and public relations senior at Baylor University's Journalism Public Relations and New Media department in Waco, Texas . He has worked for local NPR stations and produced syndicated reporting features airing across Texas radio stations.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

SOURCE General Motors

Related Links

http://media.gm.com


(All Amounts in $US unless stated otherwise)

VANCOUVER, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - GOLDCORP INC. (TSX: G, NYSE: GG) today announced that the Company has entered into a share purchase agreement (the "Agreement") with Leagold Mining Corporation (TSXV: LMC-H) ("Leagold"), pursuant to which it has agreed to sell its Los Filos Mine in Mexico to Leagold (the "Transaction"). Under the terms of the Agreement, Goldcorp will receive estimated consideration of $438 million, consisting of $279 million in cash (subject to certain closing adjustments), $71 million in Leagold common shares, and retain certain tax receivables of approximately $88 million. The common shares issued to Goldcorp as consideration are expected to represent approximately 30% of the issued and outstanding shares of Leagold following the closing of the Transaction. By closing of the Transaction, Goldcorp expects to recognize a reversal of a 2015 impairment in mining interests at Los Filos of approximately $30 to $60 million on a pre-tax basis.

"The divestiture of Los Filos is consistent with our strategy of focusing on our core camps to drive increasing net asset value per share," said David Garofalo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Goldcorp. "We thank the team at Los Filos for their commitment and dedication and we wish them continued success as part of Leagold. We will work closely with the team at site to ensure a smooth transition and look forward to working with Leagold to continue to add value at Los Filos."

The Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017. Scotia Capital acted as financial advisor to Goldcorp.

About Goldcorp

Goldcorp is a senior gold producer focused on responsible mining practices with safe, low-cost production from a high-quality portfolio of mines.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Goldcorp and the Transaction. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the benefits, effects and gains expected from the Transaction, the completion of the Transaction generally and the timing thereof, future price of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc, the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, targeted cost reductions, capital expenditures, free cash flow, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, hedging practices, currency exchange rate fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Goldcorp, including with respect to the Transaction, to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Goldcorp will operate in the future, including the price of gold and other by-product metals, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. In respect of the forward-looking statement concerning the anticipated timing of closing of the Transaction, Goldcorp has provided it in reliance on certain assumptions that is believed reasonable at this time, including assumptions as to the conditions of closing of the Transaction being satisfied in a timely manner. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, gold and other by-product metals price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and mineral resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks, litigation risks, regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability), changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/or change in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions in which Goldcorp does or may carry on business in the future, delays, suspension and technical challenges associated with capital projects, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables, currency fluctuations, the speculative nature of gold exploration, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility, competition, loss of key employees, additional funding requirements and defective title to mineral claims or property. Although Goldcorp believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Goldcorp (including with respect to the Transaction) to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: yhe receipt of necessary competition, regulatory and third party approvals; risks related to the ability of Leagold to finance the Transaction; risks related to the inability or failure to satisfy the conditions to the completion of the Transaction; risks related to the devotion of management time and resources required to complete the Transaction, risks related to international operations, including economic and political instability in foreign jurisdictions in which Goldcorp operates; risks related to current global financial conditions; risks related to joint venture operations; actual results of current exploration activities; actual results of current reclamation activities; environmental risks; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of gold and other by-product metals; possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; accidents, labour disputes; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities and other risks of the mining industry, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Description of the Business  Risk Factors" in Goldcorp's most recent annual information form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Although Goldcorp has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as otherwise indicated by Goldcorp, these statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Goldcorp's operating environment. Goldcorp does not intend or undertake to publicly update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Goldcorp Inc.

Related Links

http://www.goldcorp.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )

Summary of the Green Packaging Market Report can be accessed on the website at:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/green-packaging-market

Rise in hygiene & health concerns among consumers boosts the demand for green packaging with applications in sustainable packaging. Moreover, stringent government regulations on nondegradable plastics and increase in demand for recycled packaging products have fueled the market growth. Furthermore, reverse logistics in packaging industry has eased the transportation of municipal wastes to recycle plants. Initiatives by multinational companies such as Dow Chemical Company, Henkel AG & KGaA, and Mitsubishi Corporation to promote sustainable development by forming a community called "Together for Sustainability" provides opportunity to the market. This initiative supports the United Nations Global Compact and Responsible Care to achieve sustainable development.

According to Eswara Prasad, Team Lead, Chemicals & Materials at Allied Market Research, "Bioplastic is a new ecological alternative to oil-based polymers with promising growth in pharmaceutical sectors."

The recycle content packaging segment is expected to grow with a CAGR of 4.92%. Bioplastics have flourished in healthcare and pharmaceutical applications, and are accepted as an alternative for polymer oil-based products. In addition, reverse logistics and increase in number of legislations for ecological packaging techniques have facilitated the recycle of municipal wastes.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

The European region is expected to continue to lead the market, followed by North America during the forecast period.

during the forecast period. German green packaging market is estimated with a CAGR of 5.10%.

The Middle East region is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.15%.

region is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.15%. The North American and Asia-Pacific regions jointly accounted for more than half of the total share in 2015.

Utilization of degradable raw materials has shown major growth in developed and developing nations. In 2015, Europe demonstrated maximum demand for bioplastics with the potential to witness significant growth in future. In addition, Asia-Pacific accounted for approximately one-fourth share of the total volume.

The prominent players profiled in the report are Amcor Limited, E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, Mondi Limited, Sealed Air Corporation, TetraPak International S.A., Ardagh Group Co., PlastiPak Holdings, Inc., Bemis Company, Inc., Uflex limited, and ELOPAK AS.

Summary of similar reports can be viewed at:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/food-&-beverages-market-report

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

Rahul Thakur

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: [email protected]





Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market Research
CLEVELAND, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) have expanded their collaboration to accelerate translation of innovative research efforts for Alzheimer's disease. Together, the two organizations will jointly market and administer a new award program for academic researchers. By leveraging their combined expertise, investment, and resources, Harrington Discovery Institute and the ADDF will advance Alzheimer's disease drug discovery projects of great promise in academic institutions nationwide.

"We are so pleased to enhance our partnership with the ADDF and further support groundbreaking Alzheimer's disease research," commented Dr. Jonathan Stamler, MD, President, Harrington Discovery Institute. "Millions of patients and families in the US and around the world are eager for effective treatments. The ADDF has shown a sense of urgency that has made us a better organization, and we share their commitment to advancing neurological discoveries of great promise."

The keystone of the collaboration is the ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award, which provides funding and drug development support to both MD and PhD scientists across the United States, to help advance discovery into the clinical realm. In addition to financial support of up to $600,000, ADDF-Harrington Scholars also receive hands-on direction from pharmaceutical industry leaders in Harrington Discovery Institute's Innovation Support Center, who have extensive experience bringing research to the market. ADDF-Harrington Scholars also have facilitated access to BioMotiv, the mission-driven development company associated with The Harrington Project.

Alzheimer's is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there are currently no drugs available to prevent or even slow its course. "Through our collaboration with the Harrington Discovery Institute, we are accelerating the development of effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias," said Dr. Howard Fillit, Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. "Our mission is to find cures for these degenerative diseases, and this partnership increases funding for innovative research and helps transform early discovery into medicines for patients who really need them."

The partnership between Harrington Discovery Institute and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation began in 2014. The renewed collaboration will extend for three years and will launch with a call for proposals this month.

Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF is the only public charity focused solely on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer's, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded over $100 million to fund more than 500 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs and clinical trials in 18 countries. To learn more, please visit: http://www.alzdiscovery.org/.

Harrington Discovery Institute

The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio  part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development  aims to advance medicine and society by enabling our nation's most inventive physician-scientists to turn their discoveries into medicines that improve human health. The institute was created in 2012 with a $50 million founding gift from the Harrington family and instantiates the commitment they share with University Hospitals to a Vision for a 'Better World'.

The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development

The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development (The Harrington Project), founded in late February 2012 by the Harrington Family and University Hospitals of Cleveland, is a $300 million national initiative built to bridge the translational valley of death. It includes the Harrington Discovery Institute and BioMotiv, a for-profit, mission-aligned drug development company that accelerates early discovery in to pharma pipelines.

For more information about The Harrington Project and the Harrington Discovery Institute, visit: HarringtonDiscovery.org.

University Hospitals

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of over 1 million patients per year through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 40 outpatient health centers and 200 physician offices in 15 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system's flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located in Cleveland's University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, dermatology, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at UH  part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is the second largest employer in northern Ohio with 26,000 employees. For more information, go to UHhospitals.org.

SOURCE Harrington Discovery Institute

Related Links

http://uhharringtondiscoveryinstitute.org


IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- McGlinchey Stafford LLP is pleased to announce James J. Eischen, Jr. has joined the firm's Irvine, Calif. office as a Member. Eischen, a seasoned health care attorney, will work within the firm's Health Care and Business Transactions practice groups.

James J. Eischen Jr.

Eischen has nearly 30 years of varied experience in business, health care, and real estate, and is a national authority and speaker within the direct/private medical law and communications fields. He is recognized nationally for his federal compliance experience, structuring consumer/patient financial contribution and reimbursement models for private/concierge medical groups and health care IT product developers.

"We are excited to welcome Jim to our Irvine office," said J-P Perrault, who heads McGlinchey Stafford's Business Transactions practice group. "His extensive knowledge of health care practice formation and structuring adds depth to our team. Additionally, his insight assisting companies with their health care options and incentives is key to our clients, as this is a challenge nearly every employer faces thanks to evolving federal regulations and guidelines."

Eischen's broad health care practice also includes life science company/start-up enterprise support, integrating physician and wellness models, navigating the corporate practice of medicine, and related compliance issues. He advises physicians, health plans, and business enterprises in matters connected to reimbursement, contracts, interdisciplinary health professional employment and labor issues, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. Additionally, Eischen is well-versed in the fast-growing membership-based connected care, direct primary care (DPC), and concierge medical practice enterprise models, and newer "connected care" models that are innovating U.S. primary care delivery.

Eischen also handles a wide range of health care business, including physician independent practice associations (IPAs) as well as physician practice purchase and employment transactions. He also works with companies that deliver wellness products and programs to ensure their compliance with reimbursement and privacy laws and regulations.

"My practice is focused on helping companies find ways to make health care work for them, and helping physicians structure their practices optimally for doing business in today's marketplace," said Eischen. "McGlinchey Stafford's client-first focus and commitment to innovative service are a natural fit for me and I look forward to leveraging the firm's national footprint as I continue to expand my practice."

Eischen received his J.D. from the University of California at Davis in 1987, and his B.A. from Creighton University in 1984.

McGlinchey Stafford's Irvine office, founded in 2013, has grown to 10 attorneys serving the firm's clients across the state in commercial litigation, consumer financial services litigation, health care, and labor and employment matters.

ABOUT MCGLINCHEY STAFFORD

McGlinchey Stafford is a full-service law firm providing innovative legal counsel to business clients nationwide. Guiding clients wherever business and law intersect, McGlinchey Stafford's 200 attorneys are based in 13 offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Washington, DC. To learn more about McGlinchey Stafford, visit www.mcglinchey.com.

SOURCE McGlinchey Stafford LLP

Related Links

http://www.mcglinchey.com


To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below.

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) With the arrival in Taiwan of a cold air mass from China forecast for Friday, the mercury in coastal areas in the north of the island is expected to plunge to as low as 12 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday, former Central Weather Bureau (CWB) Director-general Daniel Wu () said Thursday.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthtel, a member engagement software solution provider for the healthcare industry, announced the company has appointed Jeff Fritz to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With over 20 years of experience as a leader in both the healthcare and financial services technology industries, Fritz has a proven track record of achieving significant revenue growth for emerging software companies. In 2003, he created an innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution model for the consumer-driven healthcare industry with Lighthouse1 (now WEX Health). Jason McAthie, who led the CEO search, will be working closely with Fritz and will continue his duties as Executive Vice President.

"Our industry has been searching for a long time for ways to mobilize healthcare consumers that lead to better outcomes, and Healthtel is uniquely positioned to answer that need," said Fritz. "Better care starts with engaging members in better ways, and the dynamic Healthtel platform is architected to securely engage members more effectively than anyone else in the industry right now. Leading an organization with that kind of competitive position was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

Healthtel clients include some of the largest healthcare organizations in the world. The company partners with those clients to create innovative solutions that strengthen consumer engagement. Healthtel's Member Engagement Platform gathers and delivers actionable data that allows healthcare companies to optimize member programs and incentives, resulting in a more proactive approach to wellness and preventative care. The company's unique Campaign-as-a-Service (CaaS) model orchestrates innovative consumer engagement campaigns from a secure cloud-based system that is tightly integrated to key health systems. The result is flexible, compliant solutions that produce real-time actionable population health data, in-depth analysis and highly customized reporting for healthcare professionals.

"We are excited that Jeff Fritz has made this commitment to lead Healthtel into its next chapter," said Dan Bandt, founder of Healthtel. "His track record in the industry combined with the company's strong technology and vigorous performance to date makes Healthtel poised to experience not only strong growth, but a well-deserved position as the leading brand in its space."

About Healthtel: Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Healthtel is a member engagement software solution for the healthcare industry. Healthtel's unique Campaign-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform orchestrates engagement at every stage of the member experience. Learn more at Healthtel.net.

SOURCE Healthtel

Related Links

http://healthtel.net


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HouseCanary, a real estate analytics company leveraging data science to accurately value and forecast over 18,000 U.S. residential markets and 100 million properties, today announced its Series A funding round with $33 million in backing from prominent technology investors, including Hillspire (Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's family office), Alpha Edison, ECA Ventures and Raven Ventures.

The data-driven company is part of a wave of technology-fueled transformation sweeping the $36 trillion residential real estate industry, the nation's largest asset class. HouseCanary is using its massive data set, world-class predictive analytics, and intuitive visualization tools to allow investors, lenders and other real estate professionals to accelerate decision-making in an industry slow to transform because of fragmented and incomplete data.

"We are on a mission to help people make better real estate decisions," said Jeremy Sicklick, CEO and co-founder of HouseCanary. "We want to do for residential real estate what Bloomberg did for financial services  build a platform that will be a beacon of accuracy and transparency, enabling greater speed and confidence in residential real estate transactions."

DISRUPTING THE REAL ESTATE MARKET

Inaccurate real estate valuations played a significant role in the financial collapse of 2008. Before the recession, millions of homes were purchased, loans were made and mortgage-backed securities were issued at irrational valuations. These legacy real estate processes had been largely driven by intuition and augmented by incomplete, expensive and error-prone data, even at the most sophisticated institutions.

HouseCanary set out to change the paradigm by applying an exhaustive approach to ingesting, scrubbing, organizing and analyzing data on 100 million U.S. residential properties in an effort to create a single source of reliable, accurate insight. The result is the most comprehensive residential data set in the industry, combining sophisticated data architecture, advanced modeling, predictive analytics and machine learning to set a new standard in residential property valuation and forecasting accuracy.

Real estate investor Blackstone Invitation Homes, Sotheby's International Realty and the top three mortgage lenders are among the wide range of companies using HouseCanary analytical products to make better decisions and provide the same advantage to their clients. HouseCanary's customers span institutional investors seeking properties to fit their investment criteria, lenders looking to identify prime mortgage prospects, and real estate brokerage firms looking to build advisory relationships with their clients.

"People are incredibly frustrated with not being able to price homes correctly," said Mark Dyne, chairman of ECA Ventures and one of the original investors in Skype. "HouseCanary will enable investors, lenders, realtors and even homeowners to understand everything there is to know about a property and make investment decisions in seconds  and at a fraction of the cost. This company has all the ingredients to disrupt a multi-trillion-dollar asset class."

Leading the team at HouseCanary are CEO Jeremy Sicklick and the company's Chief Scientist, Chris Stroud. Prior to HouseCanary, Sicklick was a partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group. Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2007, he was tapped to value real estate assets for several developers and private equity clients. He soon discovered that the industry lacked any real standard for valuing properties. He partnered with Stroud, an economist and statistician who was writing his Ph.D. dissertation on Dynamic Models of Financial Risk at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Stroud delayed his Ph.D. to help Sicklick co-found HouseCanary three years ago.

"Data is behind virtually every significant industry transformation," Stroud said. "By systematically gathering and analyzing terabytes of data from every county in the United States and some 10 million U.S. Census blocks, HouseCanary has set itself up to be the trusted source for residential real estate information now and into the future."

ABOUT HOUSECANARY

Founded in 2014, HouseCanary's mission is to help people make better real estate decisions. Built on a foundation of great data, powerful models and predictive analytics, the HouseCanary platform aggregates millions of data elements, including more than four decades of property data and a rapidly expanding arsenal of proprietary data calculations and analytics, to accurately define and forecast values and market influences. HouseCanary is financed by a $33 million Series A. Its notable investors include Hillspire (Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's family office), Alpha Edison, ECA Ventures, Raven Ventures and others top investors including Egon Durban and Nikesh Arora. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.housecanary.com.

SOURCE HouseCanary

Related Links

http://www.housecanary.com


CLEVELAND, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its Strategic Plan to nurture an engaged campus, John Carroll University implemented 10 major OnBase by Hyland solutions  all hosted in the Hyland Cloud  in 10 months through a close collaboration with Hyland. The institution-wide rapid deployment of OnBase, a single enterprise information platform, replaces a portfolio of niche, locally developed custom-code applications to better support departments across the university.

All solutions  including graduate student petitions, new hire and annual evaluations, core curriculum review and IT change management  align with institutional goals of advancing a culture of data-informed decision making. The solutions are also strategic uses of technology to ensure excellence in all academic and administrative processes.

"In the past, John Carroll struggled with the support challenges of one-off, locally developed and difficult-to-use workflows," said John Sully, director of enterprise applications at John Carroll University. "Through our partnership with Hyland and the strength of the OnBase platform, we have quickly developed multiple, easy-to-use campus-wide solutions without significantly increasing IT support efforts."

John Carroll University, which enrolls about 4,000 students each year, rolled out its OnBase campus IT strategy in January 2016, starting small with a single solution critical to student services. After a successful launch of the Undergraduate Academic Petition Process solution in the Office of the Registrar, university IT staff began efforts to expand OnBase across campus.

By selecting OnBase hosted in the Hyland Cloud  a secure, privately managed, multi-instance cloud hosting architecture  John Carroll University has immense flexibility. Users do not need software installed on desktops or extensive training, freeing up valuable time. Users on campus also benefit from the browser- and platform-agnostic solution, granting access to faculty, staff and students on Macs, PCs and mobile devices.

"The great number of solutions and the timeframe in which they have been successfully implemented at John Carroll University demonstrates that every institution  no matter the size of students or staff  can leverage OnBase across campus," said Dave Vegh, director, higher education practice at Hyland. "By investing in a scalable enterprise solution, the university is able to better align with its Strategic Plan, enabling faculty and staff to increase accuracy and efficiency, and dedicate more time to serving students."

The John Carroll University IT staff currently has a waiting list of departments requesting OnBase solutions, and they anticipate completing a similar number of projects in the next 12 months.

"John Carroll University has been very pleased overall with the value and service we have received from our relationship with Hyland and our use of the OnBase product," said Mike Bestul, chief information officer, John Carroll University.

For more information about how institutions are leveraging one enterprise platform to empower students, faculty and staff, please visit OnBase.com/HigherEd.

About OnBase by Hyland

OnBase is a single enterprise information platform for managing content, processes and cases. Providing enterprise content management (ECM), case management, business process management (BPM), records management and capture all on a single platform, OnBase transforms organizations around the globe by empowering them to become more agile, efficient and effective. Enterprise cloud-based sharing capability for the OnBase platform is available with our complementary offering, ShareBase by Hyland.

OnBase is one of the most widely used ECM solutions for colleges and universities. Flexible, scalable and secure, OnBase fits specific processes across institutions. From admissions processing and review, including transcript capture and transfer course evaluation, to AP invoice processing, this end-to-end solution enables institutions to leverage existing hardware investments, integrate with student information systems and alleviate administrative burdens on IT. For more information about OnBase, please visit OnBase.com/HigherEd.

Media contact:

Laura Pegg

+1 440-788-5632

[email protected]

SOURCE Hyland Software, Inc.
MIAMI, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iguama, the fastest growing leader in cross-border e-commerce serving Latin America, today announced a $5 million Series A financing round led by technology venture capital firms Kibo Ventures and PeopleFund.

The company provides consumers in Latin America access to U.S. retail brands typically not available for purchase in local malls. Founded in 2014, the company is the first cross-border e-commerce shopping club where members receive competitive pricing on popular U.S. merchandise, exclusive deals, promotions, and savings on purchases from renowned merchants such as Nordstrom, BCBG, Target, Overstock, Juicy Couture and more. All local customs, taxes and shipping are handled by iguama, removing international barriers from customers and providing a seamless shopping experience.

"We are very excited to join forces with Kibo Ventures and PeopleFund," said Diego Fernandez, co-founder and CEO of iguama. "We are committed to expand our cross-border e-commerce platform to the rest of Latin America and eventually Europe as well."

"iguama has assembled a very unique and experienced team in technology, e-commerce and cross-border logistics," said Matias de Tezanos, co-founder and CEO of PeopleFund. "Cross-border e-commerce is becoming more and more relevant and Latin America is still an underserved market; iguama is very well positioned to become a very important and successful player in the region."

"iguama's cross-border e-commerce technology provides tremendous value to millions of Latin American shoppers looking to access the best U.S. merchants and get delivery of their purchases to their door," said Aquilino Pena, co-founder and Managing Partner of Kibo Ventures. "We look forward to working closely with the iguama team and supporting them in their vision of growing their brand and reaching millions of consumers in Latin America and Europe."

The company recently announced that Weihua Yan, an experienced e-commerce leader, has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Yan was previously co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of diapers.com, an e-commerce company acquired by Amazon.

About iguama

Established in 2014, iguama is the leading e-commerce cross-border shopping club where Latin Americans shop top quality U.S. brands and Stores at affordable prices. All of the complexity in cross-border transactions is handled by iguama, which include: local marketing, customer service, total in country calculation of price, efficient logistics and payment acceptance. Based in Miami, iguama is backed by technology venture capital firms Kibo Ventures and PeopleFund. For more information visit www.iguama.com.

About Kibo Ventures

With over $120M assets under management, Kibo Ventures is one of the most active Spanish Venture Capital firms in the digital space. Having made close to 40 investments, Kibo Ventures invests in companies with high growth potential and helps entrepreneurs with global ambition, a technology differentiation and scalable business models or in companies expanding into Spanish speaking countries where they can leverage on Kibo Ventures' network. Kibo Ventures has invested in prominent companies of the Spanish tech ecosystem such as Carto.com, Flywire, Job and Talent, Jetlore, Blueliv, iContainers, Omnidrone or Promociones Farma. Kibo Ventures has a very international profile, with companies based in Spain, US, UK and Germany and 35+ US/European co-investors. Kibo Ventures is backed by institutional and private investors including Telefonica, Caixa Bank, CDTI, EIF, FondICO and ROSP Corunna (Inditex Cofounder's family Office). For more information please visit http://www.kiboventures.com

About PeopleFund

PeopleFund is a global pioneer in value added investments focused on technology, Internet and media. We are uniquely positioned to add significant value to companies by leveraging our in-house management and technology expertise. Our investment approach allows us to partner and invest in early through growth venture investments, private equity and public companies.

By partnering with management and entrepreneurs, PeopleFund has generated industry-leading returns for our investors. For more information please visit http://www.peoplefund.com

SOURCE iguama

Related Links

http://www.iguama.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )



Need more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/in-vitro-toxicity-testing-market

Testing for presence of toxic compounds is an important step during the development of new products such as drugs, cosmetics, and food additives, which can save both time and developmental costs as well as reduce the probability of failure during later stages. In vitro toxicity testing is a procedure that helps examine the presence of these toxic compounds over an isolated part of the organism. The increase in number of R&D procedures, which require in vitro testing, ban on animal testing, and increase in awareness about the environmental concerns can boost the market growth.

According to Hemali Narkhede, Research Analyst at Allied Market Research "Cosmetics and household products segment would be the most lucrative segment for investment in the in vitro toxicity testing market for the new as well as existing players. This is attributed to the increasing demand for safe cosmetics and household products."

Absorption screening dominated the global in vitro toxicity testing market in 2015 and is expected to continue with its dominance throughout the forecast period. This can be attributed to the various applications of absorption screening pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and household products. However, toxic substances screening in IVTT is expected to be the fastest growing segment due to the increase in cases of lead poisoning and cancers that occur due to the mutation caused by the toxic chemicals, registering a CAGR of 15.85%.

Cosmetics and household products segment is the highest revenue contributor to this market owing to increase in adoption in various applications, such as to detect dermal toxicity, systemic toxicity, and ocular toxicity. However, food industry is expected to be the fastest growing segment owing to the high demand in U.S., China, and India, growing at a CAGR of 19.65%.

Presently, North America and Europe have the highest growth potential due to technological advancements and increased R&D initiatives in these regions. However, the market would gain traction in the developing regions of Asia-Pacific, due to the increase in urbanization & disposable income, rise in government funding, and growth in awareness about the advanced technologies. India and China are expected to be the fastest growing regions in the global in vitro toxicity testing market.

Summary of Similar Reports can be viewed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/life-sciences/diagnostic-and-biotech-market-report

KEY FINDINGS OF IN VITRO TOXICITY TESTING MARKET:

Cosmetics and household products segment is the highest revenue contributor throughout the analysis period.

Food industry segment is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 19.65%, among the end users.

Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period.

is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. U.S. was the largest economy market in 2015, and is projected to maintain its lead until 2022.

The key players profiled in this report include Agilent Technologies, Inc., BioReliance, Inc., Alere, Inc., Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., General Electric Company, Covance, Inc., Catalent, Inc., Eurofins Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. The data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact

Pankaj Kumar

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: [email protected]



Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market Research
A new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, " Infrared Detector Market by Type, Spectral Range and Application - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014- 2022, " projects that the global infrared detector market is expected to reach $466 million by 2022 with a CAGR of 9.7% from 2016-2022. In the year 2014, North America dominated the market and contributed more than 33% share of the overall market revenue followed by Asia-Pacific. The presence of key market players in U.S. and Asia-Pacific, rapid industrialization, primarily in manufacturing sectors, rise in demand for better security and monitoring systems, increased application of infrared detectors in residential & consumer electronics sector and increase in government initiatives in aerospace & defense sector have fueled the infrared detector market growth. However, high cost and limited accuracy in harsh conditions could restrict the market growth.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )



Need more information, Please visit: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/infrared-detector-market

The photo infrared detectors accounted for about 61% of the overall infrared detector market in 2014. Higher accuracy and fast response of photo infrared detectors led this segment to dominate the overall infrared detector market. However, thermal infrared detector segment is expected to register a CAGR of 11.6 % and demonstrate significant growth during the forecast period. This is due to the low cost and less maintenance as many renowned companies have launched advanced technology products. Moreover, North America has contributed significantly in the photo infrared detector segment.

Even though, North America contributed towards the maximum revenue share in 2014. Asia-Pacific is expected to show highest CAGR during the forecast period. This could be attributed to various factors including increase in the security concerns in residential and industrial sectors and numerous government initiatives. Moreover, improvement in aerospace & defense technologies has boosted the installation of infrared detectors in Asian countries, particularly in China, Japan, and India.

However, Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region throughout the analysis period. China has the biggest market for infrared detector manufacturers and consumers. Moreover, surge in manufacturing industry activities and increased expenditures in the emerging markets, such as Japan and India, to satisfy the exponential growth in security concerns have strengthened the market growth. Technological advancements for cost-effective infrared detectors in these nations offer lucrative opportunity for the infrared detectors market.

Summary of Similar Reports can be viewed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/semiconductor-and-electronics/semiconductors-market-report

Key findings of the study:

The photo infrared detector type led the overall infrared detector market revenue in 2014, and it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period

Long-Wave IR segment is expected to exhibit rapid growth

North America led the world infrared detector market, but Asia-Pacific is expected to lead the market in2022

led the world infrared detector market, but is expected to lead the market in2022 China led the overall Asia-Pacific infrared detector market with about one-third of the market shares in the region

The key players in the infrared detector market are dedicated to expand their business operations in the emerging countries with acquisition and product launch as a preferred strategy. The major players profiled in this report include Texas Instruments Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Omron Corporation, Excelitas Technologies Corp., Hamamatsu Photonic K.K., FLIR Systems Inc., Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Raytheon Company, Sofradir, and Nippon Avionics.

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. The data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.



Contact

Pankaj Kumar

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: [email protected]



Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market Research
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and PARIS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Europ Assistance has sold its International Health Solutions (IHS) affiliate to International SOS. International SOS is acquiring the African medical onsite service business of Europ Assistance, with a presence in countries such as Angola, Chad and Niger.

IHS services include medical staffing & medical supply services, as well as clinics at high standards of medical care which complement those of International SOS.

IHS clients will be serviced by International SOS in future and benefit from its expertise and scale, the world's leading medical & security services company operating from over 1,000 sites in 92 countries and receive 24 hour access to 27 International SOS Assistance Centres.

Over one hundred professionals will transition with the acquisition who we warmly welcome into the International SOS family. An integration team is in place and the process for a seamless integration is now starting. The transferring business will adopt the International SOS brand in due course.

Philippe Arnaud, President & CEO  Eastern-Europe, Central Asia, Middle-East & Africa at International SOS said: "We are delighted to welcome over one hundred professionals of International Health Solutions (IHS) to the International SOS family. Together we will work hard at providing a seamless integration for clients and employees alike. This acquisition will reinforce International SOS leading position as a provider of medical services to corporations and governments in the region and across the world."

Dr. Laurent Arnulf, Group Medical Director at International SOS for Europe, Middle East & Africa added: "Whilst transferring IHS services, from medical staffing services to clinics, we will make a point to keep the high standards of medical care which is equally the core added value of International SOS."

Emmanuel Legeron, Group EVP - Corporate Global Business Line at Europ Assistance said: "International SOS will give our IHS business new opportunities. It will enable them to access an unparalleled global reach and infrastructure of highest medical standards. The decision to sell onsite Medical Services in Africa is fully aligned with our "2020 We Connect Strategy", in particular in the redirection of our corporate service solutions towards corporate travel assistance and insurance offers. We are divesting from the medical onsite services business and entering in a close partnership with International SOS for the provision of site medical services to our clients in particular in Africa".

About Europ Assistance

About Europ Assistance - A pioneer in assistance with more than 50 years' experience behind it, Europ Assistance gives shape to its Care Services every day. Europ Assistance, founded in 1963, protects more than 350 million people around the world annually. More than 8,000 employees within 44 local companies are available 24/7 to respond to assistance requests from our clients. They are supported by a close-knit network of 750,000 providers to ensure an instant answer adapted to each situation and to the client's need.

About International SOS

International SOS is the world's leading medical and travel security risk services company. We care for clients across the globe, from more than 1,000 locations in 90 countries. Our expertise is unique: More than 11,000 employees are led by 1,400 doctors and 200 security specialists. Teams work night and day to protect our members. We pioneer a range of preventive programmes strengthened by our in-country expertise. We deliver unrivalled emergency assistance during critical illness, accident or civil unrest. We are passionate about helping clients put Duty of Care into practice. With us, multinational corporate clients, governments and NGOs can mitigate risks for their people working remotely or overseas.

SOURCE International SOS
OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- J-POWER Westmoreland, LLC, a subsidiary of J-POWER USA Investment Co., Ltd. ("J-POWER USA"), has secured an equity stake from Tenaska in the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station, a 925-megawatt (MW) natural gas-fueled power plant project near Pittsburgh. The transaction closed on Jan. 11.

"This acquisition is consistent with our strategy of investing in and developing high-quality power generating facilities which connect to reliable power markets, like PJM," said Mark Condon, president and CEO of J-POWER USA. "J-POWER USA will actively continue to look for opportunities to expand its North American power generation business."

The Tenaska Westmoreland project is owned by affiliates of Tenaska, Diamond Generating Corporation, which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corporation, and now J-POWER USA.

J-POWER USA is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Electric Power Development Co., Ltd ("J-POWER"), an independent power producer and the largest wholesale utility in Japan. J-POWER's relationship with Tenaska includes investments in natural gas-fueled power generating facilities in Texas and Virginia.

"We are pleased to have J-POWER USA investing alongside Tenaska as a partner in the Westmoreland project," said Dave Kirkwood, senior vice president in Tenaska's Strategic Development & Acquisitions Group. "Our relationship with J-POWER USA began over 10 years ago, and we have since built a strong partnership. This investment by J-POWER USA is representative of the bond we have formed over the course of the past decade."

Since its founding in 1987, Tenaska has raised approximately $14.4 billion in capital through bank facilities, capital market transactions, corporate facilities and equity, supporting the successful development of approximately 10,000 MW of natural gas-fueled and renewable power projects. Commercial financing for the Tenaska Westmoreland project, which includes five-year revenue hedging, closed in 2016.

Construction of the natural gas-fueled combined-cycle project is underway, with commercial operation targeted for 2018. When complete, Tenaska Westmoreland will serve the PJM Interconnection market, which coordinates the delivery of power in all or parts of 13 eastern states and the District of Columbia.

About Tenaska

Tenaska, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the leading independent power producers in the United States, with regional offices in Dallas, Denver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston and Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Forbes magazine ranks Tenaska among the largest privately held U.S. companies. Tenaska and its affiliates have developed approximately 10,000 megawatts (MW) of natural gas-fueled and renewable power generation and manage operations for approximately 7,000 MW of power generation consisting of nine power plants.

Tenaska formed Tenaska Pennsylvania Partners, LLC to build, own and operate the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station. An affiliate of Tenaska serves as the managing partner.

Tenaska affiliates also market natural gas and electric power and provide energy risk management services. Tenaska is involved in asset acquisition, natural gas fuel supply and transportation systems, and electric transmission development. For more information about Tenaska, visit www.tenaska.com.

About JPOWER

J-POWER USA Investment Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. with headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan. J-POWER USA, headquartered in the greater Chicago area, has a long-term strategy to acquire, develop, finance and operate power generation facilities in North America through its team of power professionals with a proven track record of successfully developing and acquiring power projects in the IPP sector.

J-POWER stock is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In the fiscal year ending March 2016, J-POWER had revenues of U.S. $6.9 billion and assets of approximately U.S. $22.6 billion. With approximately 25,000 megawatts of net ownership, J-POWER is one of the world's largest independent generators of electricity, owning 96 power plants in Japan with total generation of approximately 18,000 megawatts of installed capacity, and 36 international IPP investments totaling approximately 6,600 megawatts of net installed capacity.

SOURCE Tenaska

Related Links

http://www.tenaska.com


CLEVELAND, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- JumpStart Inc. was one of seven individuals and organizations recognized on Thursday, January 12, at the state's 32nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration.

The event, held at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Columbus, was sponsored by the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission. JumpStart CEO Ray Leach accepted the Economic Opportunity Award on behalf of the organization, which was selected based on its strong commitment on promoting greater diversity and inclusion in the venture capital investing community.

This commitment includes the launch of the JumpStart Focus Fund, a $10M venture capital fund dedicated to funding female and minority entrepreneurs in Ohio, as well as the organization's Core City: Cleveland program, which is designed specifically to assist entrepreneurs who live or work in underserved areas of Cleveland.

"(JumpStart) was the first major venture development organization to launch a fund specifically for minority and female entrepreneurs," read the state's award announcement. "JumpStart's pioneering efforts to focus on traditionally underserved communities has achieved international recognition, and now serves as a model for other communities to leverage investments for economic revitalization."

"On behalf of everyone at JumpStart, we are honored to receive this award," said Leach. "It's also important to point out that this work would not have been possible without the long-term vision of our state governmentparticularly the Ohio Third Frontierwho has been one of our largest and most valued supporters."

Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor was the featured speaker at the celebration, which also featured speeches from the four student winners of the 2016 Statewide MLK Oratorical Contest, held last April.

"Although much has changed during the past 50 years, Dr. King's lessons are timeless," said Taylor. "His unwavering commitment to nonviolence, justice and dignity for everyone is the legacy that Dr. King created and it is vital that we keep it alive. His legacy will always be a reminder that we must stand together and speak out against racism and hatred."

For a full list of event speakers and award recipients, click here.

JUMPSTART INC. unlocks the full potential of diverse and ambitious entrepreneurs to economically transform entire communities. For more information, visit www.jumpstartinc.org and follow @JumpStartInc on Twitter.

THE OHIO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY COMMISSION is housed in the Equal Opportunity Division of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, which provides centralized support for state agencies. For more information, visit das.ohio.gov/mlk.

THE OHIO THIRD FRONTIER is an internationally recognized tech-based economic development initiative that is successfully changing the trajectory of Ohio's economy. The $2.1 billion initiative supports existing industries that are transforming themselves with new, globally competitive products and fostering the formation and attraction of new companies in emerging industry sectors. For more information, visit weare.techohio.ohio.gov.

SOURCE JumpStart Inc.

Related Links

http://www.jumpstartinc.org


CINCINNATI, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that Mark S. Sutton has been elected to the Company's Board of Directors.

Mr. Sutton is chairman and chief executive officer of International Paper, a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper products. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as president and chief operating officer with responsibility for running the company's global business. Mr. Sutton joined International Paper in 1984 as an electrical engineer. He held roles of increasing responsibility throughout his career, including mill manager, vice president of corrugated packaging operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, vice president of corporate strategic planning, and senior vice president of several business units, including global supply chain, before being named CEO in 2014.

"We are delighted to welcome Mark to Kroger," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "Mark's deep experience in an end-to-end business and global perspective make him a valued addition to Kroger's Board of Directors."

Mr. Sutton is a member of The Business Council and the Business Roundtable. He serves on the boards of the American Forest & Paper Association and the International Advisory Board of the Moscow School of Management  Skolkovo. He also serves on the boards of Memphis Tomorrow and the New Memphis Institute.

Mr. Sutton is elected to serve until Kroger's annual meeting of shareholders in June 2017. At that time, he will stand for election by the shareholders.

Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,796 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering  a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service  in addition to 2,253 pharmacies, 787 convenience stores, 324 fine jewelry stores, 1,439 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Kroger is recognized as one of America's most generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.

Related Links

http://www.kroger.com


WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LEVICK, one of the world's leading independent strategic communications, public affairs, and business advisory consulting firms, today announced the acquisition of Chase Communications, a public relations and marketing communications firm co-headquartered in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In addition to its footprint in crisis, corporate, and public affairs, Chase Communications has a strong portfolio and expertise across several disciplines, including healthcare, real estate development, and public affairs. Chase Communications maintains strong ties to business, civic, and government entities in both the Greater Washington Area and California.

"Julie Chase is a longstanding professional colleague of LEVICK, and she and her company are well known for their high quality work, expert representation, and outstanding client service," said Richard S. Levick, Esq., Chairman and CEO of LEVICK. "We are delighted to welcome the Chase team to LEVICK, and know that our clients will benefit greatly from their experience."

"LEVICK has an exceptional reputation in Washington and around the world for the firm's work with major companies, countries, and crises in the highest-profile global matters," added Julie Chase, formerly president and CEO of Chase Communications. "The integration of our companies will be a tremendous value-add for all of the clients we will now jointly serve."

As a member of the LEVICK team, Ms. Chase will Chair the company's Real Estate Practice and play an important role as a strategist and advisor on large company accounts.

Julie Chase formed Chase Communications in 1997 to provide public relations and marketing communications services to a diverse client base in real estate and healthcare. She has more than 25 years of experience in these areas, providing strategic advice and counsel in the areas of media relations and training, marketing, crisis planning, public affairs, and event management.

LEVICK welcomes Chase's entire consulting team, including Felicia Brown, who will continue to manage the firm's San Francisco office, where her team provides strategic communications services to west coast-based clients. Prior to joining Chase, Felicia served as events director at the San Francisco Business Times for more than 20 years.

Chase Communications' Washington, DC office will integrate into LEVICK's office space and their San Francisco office will headquarter LEVICK's west coast presence, further enhancing LEVICK's growing North American presence (Washington, DC; New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto).

About LEVICK

LEVICK is one of the world's leading independent strategic communications consulting firms - an industry leader in the areas of risk and crisis management, litigation, business intelligence, public affairs, and corporate and real estate communications. With extensive experience ranging across multiple categories and industry sectors, LEVICK has represented companies and countries in the highest-stakes matters, from the Wall Street crisis to the Gulf oil spill; from the largest instances of cyber-espionage in U.S. history to the Catholic Church crisis, and in multiple U.S. Supreme Court cases. LEVICK sets industry standards in all of these sectors and our counselors routinely earn distinction as award-winning crisis communications and public affairs professionals. LEVICK has been honored as Crisis Agency of the Year and Litigation Communications Firm of the Year, as well as receiving dozens of other accolades from the most respected publications and organizations in the communications industry.

SOURCE LEVICK
HEIDELBERG, Germany, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Luxendo intends to use funds to drive the uptake of its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes internationally

Luxendo, a privately held start-up spun out of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and developing its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology for biomedical research, announces today that the total capital raised in the Series A is 8 million. This follows a funding extension which was led by Life Science Partners (LSP), Amsterdam, EMBL Ventures, Heidelberg and EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM).

Luxendo will use these funds to drive the international sales of its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes by expanding its international sales and marketing team. Luxendo also intends to invest in the production capacity needed to support its growth.

Luxendo launched two different microscopes Mu-VI- and In-Vi- SPIM in 2016. Both microscopes are based on the SPIM technology. This technology allows scientists to observe living organisms for extended periods of time without them being adversely impacted by photo-toxicity. Luxendo's microscopes are able to avoid sample phot-toxicity by just illuminating sequentially a stack of small slices of the organism that is actively being viewed.

The MuVi-SPIM microscope, equipped with two of the latest sCMOS technology cameras provides superfast 3D imaging (up to 140 fps, 512x2000 px) without the need of sample rotation. The InVi-SPIM microscope, equipped with an inverted optical setup, allows extremely gentle specimen handling and is therefore dedicated to cell culture and early embryonic development imaging.

Luxendo plans to introduce a new instrument for quantitative fluorescence imaging in 2017. This novel instrument is in its final development phase.

Andreas Pfuhl, CEO of Luxendo commented: "We are extremely happy that interest from potential academic and industrial customers around the world for testing our MuVi- and InVi- SPIMs is greatly exceeding our expectations. We are delighted that this high level of interest has persuaded our existing investors to commit the additional funds we need to expand Luxendo sales, marketing and service capabilities. By strengthening our organization we will be able to drive the sales of our microscopes and to ensure that we deliver first class customer support."

"Today more than 2.500 cell biology labs around the globe use confocal microscopes to conduct their research, however there is a rapidly growing interest in microscopes that use SPIM technology by scientists in both academia and industry" comments Stefan Herr, Managing Director at EMBL Ventures. "Luxendo's SPIM technology means that it is well placed to tap this rapidly emerging market. We are confident that Andreas and his team will ensure that Luxendo is able to gain a significant share of this market due to the clear benefits the Company's products deliver."

"SPIM microscopy allows researchers to see things they couldn't dream of before, such as imaging the entire embryonic development of an organism with subcellular resolution," says Joachim Rothe, Managing Partner at LSP, "We are convinced that Luxendo will become the leading supplier of this exciting technology to biomedical research labs around the globe."

"We are pleased that with Luxendo, the most recent SPIM technologies company to come out of EMBL is focused on making its products available to the wider scientific community as rapidly as possible. This increased Series A financing will help it speed-up this process" commented Jurgen Bauer, Deputy Managing Director of EMBLEM.

Luxendo's proprietary SPIM technology is a fluorescence microscopy technique combined with a high optical resolution. Only a thin slice (one to few micrometers) of the fluorescent sample is illuminated, and therefore highly reduces the photodamage and stress induced on a living sample that could occur with conventional laser scanning confocal microscopes.

-Ends-

Contacts



Luxendo Media contacts Dr. Andreas Pfuhl Citigate Dewe Rogerson Managing Director David Dible, Marine Perrier [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +49 6221 1873111 Tel: +44 20 7638 9571

About Luxendo

Luxendo is the most recent spin-off company from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The Company develops and internationally markets its Single Plane Illumination Microscopes which are based on its proprietary Single Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) technology.

The Company currently markets the MuVI- and InVi- SPIM microscopes.

The MuVi-SPIM microscope allows fast 3D imaging of living objects such as spheroids and whole specimens for extended periods of time, and without the need of sample rotation.

The InVi-SPIM microscope allows extremely gentle sample handling. It is designed for fast 3D imaging of living objects such as cell cultures and developing embryonic samples.

Luxendo was founded in October 2015. The Company is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, and is funded by EMBL Ventures and Life Science Partners. To-date it has raised a total of 8 million.

For more information, please visit http://luxendo.eu/

About EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH

EMBLEM, established in 1999, identifies, protects and commercializes the intellectual property developed in the EMBL world, from EMBL alumni and from non-EMBL third parties. EMBLEM facilitates and accelerates the transfer of innovative technology from basic research to industry by working closely with industrial partners spanning the biotech, IT and mechanical/electrical engineering markets.

For more information, please visit https://embl-em.de/

About EMBL Ventures GmbH

EMBL Ventures invests throughout Europe in life-science companies with the aim to create significant commercial opportunities based on new therapeutic treatment modalities, next generation enabling technology platforms or innovations in the diagnostics and device area. EMBL Ventures manages over 120m on behalf of major European institutional and private investors and typically invests 3 to 8m as lead or co-lead investor.

For more information, please visit http://www.embl-ventures.com

About LSP

LSP is a leading independent European investment firm, providing financing for private and public life-science companies. Since the late 1980s, LSP's management has invested in a large number of highly innovative enterprises, many of which have grown to become leaders of the global life-science industry. With over $1 billion of investment capital raised to date and offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP is one of Europe's largest and most experienced specialist life-science investors.

For more information, please visit http://www.lspvc.com

About The European Molecular Biology Laboratory

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a Europe's flagship laboratory for the life sciences, with more than 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of structural, molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Founded in 1974, EMBL is an inter-governmental organization funded by public research money from its more than 20 member states. The Institute with over 1,600 employees operates across five sites: the main laboratory in Heidelberg, and outstations in Grenoble, Hamburg, Hinxton near Cambridge (the European Bioinformatics Institute EBI), and Monterotondo near Rome.

For more information, please visit https://www.embl.de/

SOURCE Luxendo
VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Veterinary, pioneers in canine genetic testing, have launched a new test for feline breeders, under the Optimal Selection brand Powered by Genoscoper. Developed in partnership with Genoscoper Laboratories of Finlanda company specializing in highly-developed DNA testing for companion animalsit is the most comprehensive test of its kind on the market. Together, Genoscoper and Mars Veterinary are hoping to enable proactive and sustainable breeding programs by providing breeders with a more comprehensive view of each cat's unique genetic health and well-being.

The new Optimal Selection test is a simple swab-at-home kit that includes screening for more than 25 genetic mutations causing inherited feline diseases and testing for traits such as coat color and length and morphology. The results reporting system allows breeders to review the cat's extensive health analysis all on one easy-to-use online portal. This same reporting system features the Breeder Tool that enables the identification of potential mates based on a health results score for compatibility.

"We are excited to be working with our partners at Genoscoper to bring this first-of-its-kind disease testing panel to cat breeders," says Dr. Cindy Cole, General Manager of Mars Veterinary. Many inherited diseases may not become apparent until a cat is older and may have already had litters. For this reason, inherited diseases can persist in the feline population and even increase within a breed if a popular tom happens to be affected with a late onset genetic disease and the mutation is being repeatedly passed down. "This kind of tool enables breeders to work proactively to identify diseases in their litters. Ultimately it can help them to make informed choices and may reduce the likelihood of producing kittens with preventable genetic diseases."

Some cat breeds carry severe inherited conditions. Thanks to significant advances in the field of feline genetics during the last few years, DNA testing now offers important tools for breeders to maximize the health and longevity of their programs. The new Optimal Selection test provides breeders with a tool that bundles together the findings of various university research groups into a collection of over 25 mutation screens for each cat. Just as in humans, comprehensive DNA testing is an important part of the trend toward predictive, preventive, and personalized healthcare for cats.

Health testing in cats used to mean testing breeding stock for single mutations of interest in the breed. Fast-forward to 2017 and the new tools available to screen cats for inherited diseases and phenotypic traits have improved dramatically, providing a broader evaluation of a cat's genetic health status.

"While the use of genetic testing is not new to the world of feline breeding, the breadth of its application is so much wider now," says Jamie Christian, internationally respected cat show judge. "Genetics can provide breeders with the tools to enable smarter and more sustainable breeding decisions. Our hope in the cat breeding community is that through this kind of advanced testing, they will be able to increase their breed's genetic diversity. Breeders will be able to keep unwanted diseases out of the future generations, while maintaining the valuable traits associated with the individual breeds."

The Optimal Selection test is now available to breeders in the U.S. via the Mars Veterinary web site. For more detailed test information or to purchase, visit www.WisdomPanel.com/optimal_selection_cat or contact Mars Veterinary Customer Service at 888-597-3883, or [email protected].

About Mars Veterinary

Mars Veterinary is a business unit of Mars Petcare, the U.S. operations of the world's largest pet care company at the privately-held Mars, Incorporated. Its mission is facilitating responsible pet care by enhancing the well-being and relationship between pets, pet owners, breeders and veterinarians through valuable insights into pets as individuals. For the last decade Mars Veterinary has researched and developed state-of-the-art genetic tests for mixed-breed and purebred dogs, revolutionizing personalized pet care. For more information, visit www.wisdompanel.com.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders." This objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, WHISKAS, KITEKAT, BANFIELD Pet Hospital, WISDOM PANEL and NUTRO; Chocolate M&M'S, SNICKERS, DOVE, GALAXY, MARS, MILKY WAY and TWIX; Wrigley DOUBLEMINT, EXTRA, ORBIT and 5 chewing gums, SKITTLES and STARBURST candies, and ALTOIDS and LIFESAVERS mints. Food UNCLE BEN'S, DOLMIO, EBLY, MASTERFOODS, SEEDS OF CHANGE and ROYCO; Drinks ALTERRA, THE BRIGHT TEA CO., KLIX and FLAVIA; Symbioscience COCOAVIA.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars.

/ Trademarks  Mars, Incorporated 2017. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Mars Veterinary

Related Links

http://www.wisdompanel.com


ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the CEOs of 10 of Atlanta's leading corporations today jointly announced the launch of Engage, a mentorship-driven accelerator program and venture fund.

The Atlanta-based Engage accelerator is open to startups across the country, with a focus placed on mentoring and market access strategies. Applications will be available in early 2017, with programming scheduled to begin in the spring. Up to 48 startups could go through the program in the first three years.

Mayor Reed proposed the fund following his 2013 visit to Silicon Valley, where he met with venture capital funders and tech sector entrepreneurs. Mayor Reed recognized the need for a dedicated stream of funding for startups based in Atlanta, the State of Georgia and the Southeast region, to support entrepreneurs and emerging technologies as well as support the city's overall competitive edge.

"Atlanta is the Southeast's technology, innovation and entrepreneurship capital, with the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country," said Mayor Reed. "We must take advantage of these unique assets to further stimulate our growing ecosystem of start-ups and growth-stage companies, connecting them to capital, talent and mentorship. This new venture fund and accelerator program will offer an unmatched opportunity for entrepreneurs in Atlanta and the region, and I am confident its success will lead to greater interest and investment in our emerging technology companies."

The 10 corporations have committed a total of $15 million to the venture fund and will actively support the accelerator through mentoring, education and collaboration. Engage will offer programming and other services through its affiliation with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), which was established at Georgia Tech by the state of Georgia in 1980 to launch and build technology companies.

Following the trip to Silicon Valley, Mayor Reed asked for the support of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP), a coalition of leading CEOs and university presidents which supports important mayoral initiatives. The ACP focuses on critical issues facing the city, and one of its key priorities is furthering Atlanta's development as a leading technology hub with increased access to funding for startups in the area. In addition to getting direct support from the founding companies, Engage entrepreneurs will be connected to more than 30 companies that are ACP members. You can learn more about the ACP at www.atlprogress.org.

The founding companies contributing capital, expertise, time and resources in support of Engage include AT&T, Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Georgia-Pacific, Georgia Power Foundation, Inc., Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Invesco Ltd., The Home Depot and UPS. Executives from these firms will serve as mentors to the companies receiving financial support from Engage.

"The robust level of participation from the city's leading corporations will help ensure Engage's success by providing a world-class incubation program for high-potential start-ups," said Martin L. Flanagan, president and CEO of Invesco and a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress.

Educational programs, mentoring and follow-up services will be administered by ATDC at Georgia Tech, the state's technology incubator.

"Georgia Tech is committed to continue working with both large corporations and startups to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast," said Georgia Tech President G. P. "Bud" Peterson. "By engaging the business community to maximize our collective strengths, we can attract and grow new companies, foster economic development and retain talent in Georgia."

Each of the 10 founding companies committed $1.5 million to a venture fund that has been formed to make equity and equity-related investments into companies admitted to Engage. The fund will be managed by Tech Square Ventures.

"By combining mentoring from executives of Atlanta's top companies and experienced entrepreneurs with programming from ATDC, Engage will give entrepreneurs unparalleled market access and connectivity to help them bring their ideas to market," said Blake Patton, managing partner of Tech Square Ventures. Mr. Patton is former chairman of Venture Atlanta and a former general manager of ATDC.

For more information about Engage, visit www.engage.vc.

SOURCE Invesco Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.invesco.com


CHESTER, England, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Meadow Foods, the UK's largest independently owned dairy group and a leading supplier of ingredients to the food industry, today announced that John ("Jack") Anton, James Lambert OBE and Lindsey Pownall OBE have been appointed to the Meadow Foods Board of Directors.

Mr. Anton currently serves as an Operating Director of Paine & Partners, which made a strategic investment in Meadow Foods in September 2016. He previously was Chairman, CEO and co-owner of Ghiradelli Chocolate Company and prior to that was Chairman and co-owner of Carlin Foods Corporation. Mr. Lambert is currently the Chairman of a number of companies including Burton's Biscuit Co. and Wagg Foods Limited, and was previously founder, Chairman and CEO of R&R Ice Cream. Ms. Pownall most recently served as CEO of Samworth Brothers and is currently a non-executive Director of Tesco PLC.

"We are pleased to welcome Jack, James and Lindsey to the Meadow Foods Board. The addition of their complementary expertise, notably in food ingredient and food manufacturing, will help drive the continued development of our business," said Simon Chantler, Executive Chairman of Meadow Foods. "All three of these highly-qualified directors have a history of successfully growing leading food businesses globally, and we are confident that Meadow Foods will benefit from their experience as we continue to create new opportunities for our producer partners, customers and employees."

Dexter Paine, Chairman, CEO and a founding partner of Paine & Partners, added, "Meadow Foods has a strong leadership team and these new directors bring important additional expertise and fresh perspectives to the Company. Importantly, we believe that they will help guide Meadow Foods' strategies as the Company continues to grow organically and expand into new product lines and markets."

About Jack Anton

Mr. Anton joined Paine & Partners as an Operating Director in 2006 and was previously with the Paine & Partners' Predecessor Firm, which he joined in 2005. Mr. Anton brings over 35 years of experience leading organizations and acting as an investor in the worldwide food, consumer products and specialty ingredients industries. From 2001 through 2004, he was a Senior Advisory Director with Fremont Partners, a private equity firm, where he was instrumental in the acquisition and successful divestiture of Specialty Brands Inc. Prior to Fremont, Mr. Anton was Chairman, CEO and co-owner of Ghiradelli Chocolate Company. He led the acquisition of Ghiradelli in 1992 and was responsible for revitalizing the company's brand, marketing programs and growth prior to transitioning Ghiradelli to its new ownership. From 1983 to 1990, Mr. Anton served as Chairman and co-owner of Carlin Foods Corporation, a national food ingredient company serving the dairy, baking and food service industries. Prior to forming Carlin Foods, he spent nearly 20 years in management and executive roles at Ralston Purina and Nabisco Brands Corporations.

About James Lambert OBE

Mr. Lambert served as CEO and Chairman of R&R Ice Cream, Europe's largest private label ice cream manufacturer until 2015. During his time at R&R, the company completed a number of acquisitions including the ice cream division of Allied Frozen Foods, Nestle Ice Cream's UK business, Eskigel and YooMoo. R&R was acquired by Oaktree Capital Management and then by PAI Partners. Previously, he served in a number of roles for the predecessor company, Richmond Ice Cream, which he joined in 1987 as Managing Director. Before Richmond Ice Cream, Mr. Lambert worked at Herdwise, where he was appointed Managing Director and joint owner in 1985. Mr. Lambert was named EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014. Currently, Mr. Lambert serves as the Chairman of the Boards of Animalcare Group plc, Burton's Biscuit Co, Wagg Foods Limited and Whitman Howard, and non-executive Director of Story Homes.

About Lindsey Pownall OBE

Ms. Pownall was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Samworth Brothers, a Leicester, U.K.-based food manufacturer where over her four years as CEO, the company achieved significant top-line growth and strong returns, completed two acquisitions and recruited a new executive board. Ms. Pownall originally joined Samworth Brothers in 1995 as Commercial Manager of Walkers and Sons Ltd and later served in a variety of roles across a number of businesses as Sales Director, Marketing Director and Managing Director. In 2001 she joined the board of Samworth Brothers and went on to Chair the various businesses in the group. Ms. Pownall is currently a non-executive Director of Tesco PLC.

About Meadow Foods

Meadow Foods is the UK's largest independently owned dairy group and leading supplier of dairy ingredients to the food industry. Meadow Foods currently handles more than 500 million litres of milk each year direct from over 550 farmer suppliers from across the North of England, Midlands and North & West Wales. The company, founded in 1992, operates from factories in Chester, Peterborough and Holme-on-Spalding Moor and now employs more than 275 people.

About Paine & Partners

Paine & Partners is a private equity firm that focuses on complex investment opportunities in the fast-growing, dynamic global food and agribusiness sectors. Paine & Partners' team includes 25 investment, operations and finance professionals focused on investing globally across the food and agribusiness value chain. The firm currently invests through its $893 million Paine & Partners Fund IV, which is solely dedicated to food and agribusiness investing. For further information, see www.painepartners.com.

Meadow contact:

Louis Hill

The Source Partnership

Tel: 01829 720 789

Mob: 07788 928 191

[email protected]

SOURCE Meadow Foods
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Meetings Quest will continue its tradition of addressing the most relevant topics impacting meeting planners March 1415 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hosted by Meet AC and presented by Association News, Meetings Quest is the nation's longest-running series of educational and networking events for association, corporate, government and religious meeting planners and will be held at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa.

Through a series of entertaining and informative briefings, four industry experts will provide unique insights into maximizing every aspect of the attendee experience. Darrell Gehrt, vice-president and general manager of CrowdCompass by Cvent, will discuss the latest techniques for leveraging technology to engage your attendees before, during and after your events via gamification and social media. Kathy Armistead Olen, president of Atticus Brand Partners, will provide her "how to's" of booking the best talent at the best rates to create the best connection with an audience and leave them with indelible memories. Josh Randle, chief operating officer of the Miss America Organization, will share his thoughts on maximizing the production value of events using the Miss America Pageant as his prime example and focusing on the dichotomy between their telecast and the live events. And John Wentzell, president of venue management and food services and hospitality at Spectra, will share ways to utilize food and beverage selections and presentation to elevate events from the every day to the extraordinary.

As travelers' concerns are heightened by ongoing terrorist threats, event safety has become a top priority for meeting planners. A second educational session on crisis management and event security will feature Steven Hacker, author of the monthly "Association Doctor" column for Association News and the former president of the International Association of Exhibitions & Events. Hacker will provide an overview of the steps to take when organizing an event and will detail available resources for appropriately planning for the safety and security of events.

Click here to read more. For further information, please visit MeetingsQuest.com or call (877) 577-3700. Click here to watch the Meetings Quest video overview.

Tweet this: Educational sessions on how to elevate events and manage potential crises to be featured at @MeetingsQuest @Meet_AC bit.ly/2jgC1vd

Media Contact: Ann Shepphird

Phone number: (310) 577-3700

SOURCE Meetings Quest
NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "We are now urging the family of a Navy Veteran or a shipyard worker to adopt an all-hands-on-deck approach if their loved one has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma. We are appealing to a family in this specific situation to call us anytime at 800-714-0303 because we know we can provide vital resources families like this will need. Included in these resources we offer:

Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Victims Center

Instant access to some of the nation's most skilled and capable mesothelioma attorneys who have decade or more of obtaining the best mesothelioma compensation settlements-nationwide.

Information on the best medical treatment options and what specific medical doctors the diagnosed person should be talking to about treatment in any given state.

A customized report that will list various tips the family should follow to help their loved one with this rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure; the report discusses the importance of one family member being in charge. As the Center would like to explain anytime at 800-714-0303, it is vitally important to have the Veteran's wife or a very trusted son or daughter in charge or as the team leader. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com "

The Mesothelioma Victims Center believes that most families dealing with news that their loved has been has been diagnosed with mesothelioma often make ill informed choices when it comes to their dad. The average age for a person with mesothelioma is about 70 years old. When the family hears cancer, they may not realize how aggressive mesothelioma-actually is.

Further complicating matters is the fact that in many instances, by the time the person is diagnosed, they are already very ill.

The Center prides themselves on their passion to make certain that a Navy Veteran, or any type of worker associated with the US Armed Forces, who has been diagnosed receives the very best mesothelioma financial compensation settlement. To do this, the group provides on-the-spot access to the nation's most capable and skilled mesothelioma attorneys in the nation.

For families seeking more information for a US Navy Veteran, former shipyard worker, or person with mesothelioma call the Mesothelioma Victims Center anytime at 800-714-0303 for their unsurpassed free and very honest services. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

The states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a US Navy Veteran with mesothelioma could live in any state including New York, Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, etc.

High risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, shipyard workers, oil refinery workers, steel mill workers, manufacturing/factory workers, pulp or paper mill workers, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, machinists, miners, construction workers, insulators, rail road worker, roofers, or firemen. As a rule, these types of workers were exposed to asbestos in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's. US Navy Veterans make up about one third of US Citizens who are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "When it comes to obtaining the best mesothelioma settlement, the quality of the attorney matters, as we would like to explain anytime at 800-714-0303." http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mesothelioma.html

Contact:

Michael Thomas

800-714-0303

[email protected]

SOURCE Mesothelioma Victims Center

Related Links

http://mesotheliomavictimscenter.com


PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MetricStream, the market leader in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Apps, has announced the appointment of Steve Springsteel as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Mr. Springsteel brings over 30 years of domestic and international experience in operational and financial management. His accomplishments include the management of two successful IPOs, as well as multiple mergers and acquisitions. He also has extensive experience in SAAS and cloud businesses, raising equity and debt funding in the public and private marketplaces, as well as formulating and implementing complex business strategies.

Mr. Springsteel joins MetricStream from Actian, where he was CFO; responsible for all general and administrative functions (Finance, Legal, HR, IT, Facilities, Sales Operations) of the company. While at Actian, he helped double company revenues and successfully integrated four companies. Prior to that, he was CFO for MarkLogic, maker of an enterprise NoSQL database, and he also served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence for U.S. Venture Partners. Springsteel also held President and CEO positions at software firms including Chordiant Software, Verity and Sagent Technology. As Chairman, President and CEO of Chordiant, he steered the organization to profitability while more than doubling the company's bookings to record levels.

Commenting on the appointment of Mr. Springsteel as CFO, MetricStream Chief Executive Officer Shellye Archambeau said, "We are delighted to welcome Steve as MetricStream's CFO, where he will lead and execute the company's financial, legal and administrative strategies world-wide." She continued, "Steve brings over 30 years of proven experience in operational and financial management, and he will play a leading role in MetricStream's continued global growth and expansion."

About MetricStream

MetricStream is the market leader in enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management Solutions. MetricStream solutions are used by leading global corporations in diverse industries such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Energy and Utilities, Food, Retail, CPG, Government, Hi-Tech and Manufacturing to manage their risk management programs, quality management processes, regulatory and industry-mandated compliance and other corporate governance initiatives. MetricStream is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA (www.metricstream.com).

Media Contact:

Molly Palm

US: +1 (925) 451-1468

[email protected]

SOURCE MetricStream

Related Links

http://www.metricstream.com


At Chinese National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week last October, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing's booth was the only multinational company's accelerator program among the 4,600 attending incubation and accelerator programs represented and received visits from the Vice-Premier of China. Microsoft Accelerator Beijing also received visit from the Vice-Minister of Science and Technology of China, who once again recognized Microsoft Accelerator Beijing's efforts and achievements.

"The past four and a half years have witnessed the strong growth of Microsoft Accelerator Beijing, as well as the Microsoft Accelerator globally, since its beginning in 2012 in Israel. The goal of the Microsoft Accelerator initiative is to empower entrepreneurs around the world on their journey to build great companies," said Tzahi (Zack) Weisfeld, General Manager, Microsoft Accelerators. "Microsoft Accelerator has rolled out globally to 6 countries with 7 accelerators in operation. A total of 534 startups have passed through and 82% of them have received funding totaling US$2.1 billion, plus 3 IPOs and 38 acquisitions."

"Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has gained strong recognition among the startup and innovation ecosystem in China," said Bin Luo, CEO in Residence, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing. "Now we are not only one of the best accelerators in China but the connecting and sharing platform for startups and the innovation ecosystem in China. We are pushing the boundaries of the traditional accelerator model to include business development and leads generation, marketing and sales support, operations efficiency, and more. By integrating tightly into the business operation of startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing is empowering Chinese entrepreneurs to build great companies."

For the past four and a half years, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has accelerated 140 startups in China with 93% of them successfully raising funding during the enrolled period with total valuation reached of over 40 billion RMB and a growth rate of over 600%. 20% of the alumni have acquired new customers with the support of Microsoft Accelerator Beijing.

During the 5 months of the 8th batch program, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing hosted over 100 events including resource matching with multiple Chinese government organizations and associations, marketing and sales lead generation events targeting large enterprises and corporations, and joint marketing promotions with other accelerators in addition to training, media promotion and alumni events.

Microsoft now can accelerate Chinese startups faster by offering more internal resources.

To speed up the business of the 8th batch of startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has brought in more resources such as those offered by overseas funds including Sequoia, IDG, Fidelity International and Temasek. And for the first time, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing organized business development programs that directly engaged with global 500 companies as well as large enterprises in China, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, IBM, Intel, Foxconn, Accenture, Pactera, China Development Bank, and more.

By building strategic partnerships and flagship customers for startups, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing enables startups to expand both domestically and globally. And to be better prepared for IPOs, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing also invited KPMG for a special training on auditing for publish listing and full entrepreneurship skills.

With the 8th batch program, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing has focused more on cloud computing, big data, IoT, artificial intelligence, VR/AR and information security in the enterprise and business sector. Microsoft Azure has become the world top cloud computing platform for building intelligent, cross-platform apps and services. And graduates from Microsoft Accelerator Beijing have grown into the Microsoft Azure cloud ecosystem as well. Together, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing will be able to empower the Chinese digital economy in the long run.

SOURCE Microsoft Accelerator Beijing
JA BizTown in Chesterfield, Missouri, is a mini storefront city where fifth and sixth graders discover how the "real world" works by learning about economics, personal and business finance, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. The students run simulated businesses for a day while interacting with others in their respective employee roles.

"Purina is excited to share our passion for pets with students and provide inspiration for pet-related careers," said Steve Degnan, Chief Human Resources Officer at Nestle Purina PetCare. "Our new storefront at JA BizTown supports a global Nestle initiative called Project Opportunity, which focuses on job preparedness, apprenticeships, veteran transition to civilian jobs and other issues related to finding employment. As these students get older, we believe this experience will encourage them to consider pet-related careers and make Purina one of their top choices for employment."

Purina's new Pet Adoption Center storefront at JA BizTown allows students to have a variety of pet-related experiences  from pet owner to veterinarian. Students can "adopt" a plush toy dog or cat through a simulated Petfinder.com website. The pet, which is microchipped to demonstrate the importance of proper identification, plays a role throughout the experience at the Pet Adoption Center.

Students working as veterinary technicians and veterinarians perform a pretend medical exam and make Purina food recommendations based on the pet's profile, which includes their life stage and weight. Each student takes a pledge to be a responsible pet owner before taking home a mini plush version of their new pet, giving them a glimpse of the responsibility that comes with being a pet owner. Students can also play the role of nutritionist as they conduct an interview for the BizTown TV station about the role quality ingredients play in pet food.

"The Purina storefront has been very popular," said Lori Jacob, JA President. "JA BizTown reaches nearly 13,000 students annually, and we're thrilled that we can incorporate pets into our mini city and promote responsible pet ownership along with potential careers in a pet-related field. Purina has put a lot of effort into making this educational experience meaningful and relevant to the students' future."

For information about visiting JA BizTown, visit www.JASTL.org.

About Junior Achievement BizTown

Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy. Founded in 1919, with a presence in Greater St. Louis since 1943, Junior Achievement encourages confidence, and motivates young people to achieve their personal, educational and career goals through a range of programs led by volunteers from the business community. The organization served more than 153,000 students in the region during the 2015-2016 school year.

For more information, contact Lori Jacob, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis, at (636) 728-0707 ext. 200 or by email at [email protected]. Additional details about JA may be accessed online at www.JASTL.org.

About Nestle Purina

Nestle Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A., the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. To learn more about Project Opportunity and career opportunities at Nestle Purina, visit www.nestlepurinacareers.com.

SOURCE Nestle Purina PetCare

Related Links

http://www.jastl.org


DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mill Creek Residential, a leading multifamily investor and operator specializing in premier apartment communities across the U.S., today announced the hiring of David L. Reynolds as Chief Financial Officer.

An industry veteran with approximately 28 years of experience in public accounting and the debt and equity capital markets, Reynolds will be responsible for accelerating the finance, accounting and reporting infrastructure of Mill Creek Residential.

"David brings a measure of experience and exposure to all aspects of the capital markets that will significantly strengthen our position with the investment community," said Charles Brindell Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Mill Creek Residential. "His deep knowledge of real estate capital markets will play a substantial role in our growth as an organization in 2017 and beyond."

Prior to joining Mill Creek, Reynolds worked in real estate private equity for 14 years, most recently at Five Mile Capital Partners (FMCP). As managing director of FMCP for more than 10 years, Reynolds executed 20 value-add investments worth more than $1.9 billion.

Reynolds also spent 14 years in real estate investment banking at UBS Warburg and its predecessor companies, Kidder Peabody and PaineWebber, beginning as an associate and ultimately achieving the position of managing director. As an investment banker, he worked on more than 50 lead managed transactions, including initial public offerings (IPOs), common stock, preferred stock, and unsecured debt offerings. Additionally, he advised on approximately a dozen merger and acquisition transactions and took eight real estate companies through the rating agency process.

Reynolds started his career at Arthur Andersen in its audit division, with a focus on the the real estate industry. He has a Master of Business Administration in Real Estate and Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Additionally, he has a Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Commerce with a concentration in accounting from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, where he has been a guest lecturer annually since 2011.

About Mill Creek Residential

Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC is a national multifamily company focused on the development, acquisition and operation of apartment communities in targeted markets nationwide. The company proactively pursues development, acquisition and construction opportunities through its seasoned team of real estate professionals in 14 offices across the United States. Mill Creek is building its portfolio in many of the nation's most desirable apartment markets in Seattle, Portland, the San Francisco Bay area, Southern California, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Houston, South Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, New York, and Boston. As of Sept. 30, 2016, the company's portfolio comprises 65 communities representing more than 18,000 apartment homes that are operating and/or under construction. For more information, please visit www.MillCreekPlaces.com.

Media Contact

Peter Jakel

LinnellTaylor Marketing

303-682-3944

[email protected]

SOURCE Mill Creek Residential

Related Links

www.MillCreekPlaces.com


MERIDIAN, Idaho, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MJP International (OTCPK: MJPI) ("the Company" or "HEAL") today announced that the company will be adding new "HEAL" branded consumer products to its current line of offerings.

After lengthy discussions with Shenzhen Glory Industries Co. ("SGI"), the company has reached an agreement to purchase and distribute some of SGI's 20+ products which it manufactures in its facility.

The company will begin by selling heal-branded solar backpacks (which have a solar panel exposed on the outside), and portable/foldable solar panels which can be taken anywhere to charge a variety of devices on the go.

SGI's products can already be found at Walmart (France), Lidl, Carrefour and GoalZero in Europe.

"We plan to work on getting our products into Walmart here in the US, and Lidl (once their stores are open next year) given the fact that they have already been accepted at their locations in Europe. This is a unique opportunity for us to diversify from selling solar and wind products for people's homes and reach a new consumer base which is becoming increasingly aware of green energy solutions. We believe our new line of portable products will do well given the current favorable market conditions," said Mr. Christopher Hudson, COO of MJP International.

About Shenzhen Glory Solar Co.

The company was founded more than a decade ago and currently employs 300 individuals in its 38,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The company has attained the highest standards for certification which include CE, ROHS, FCC and PSE. SGI manufactures a myriad of different portable products all of which incorporate solar panels. SGI also manufactures flexible solar panels which can be used on vehicles and curved roofs as well as tempered glass solar panels.

About MJP International

MJP International is a company that specializes in green energy products and services, including rapidly advancing green technologies such as solar and wind installations. The company is built on the fundamental belief that green technology is the way to a clean, profitable and energy-rich future. MJP International continually pushes the envelope to find ways for clients to use green technologies in a cost-efficient and user friendly way, firmly believing that renewable and clean energy sources will continue to come to the forefront as viable and economical alternatives to fossil fuel. Investors can visit the company's website at http://www.mjpinternational.com.

SOURCE MJP International

Related Links

http://www.mjpinternational.com


WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA scientists are crisscrossing the globe in 2017  from a Hawaiian volcano to Colorado mountain tops and west Pacific islands  to investigate critical scientific questions about how our planet is changing and what impacts humans are having on it.

Field experiments are an important part of NASA's Earth science research. Scientists worldwide use the agency's field data, together with satellite observations and computer models, to tackle environmental challenges and advance our knowledge of how the Earth works as a complex, integrated system.

"At NASA we are always pushing the boundaries of what can be done from space to advance science and improve lives around the world," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "These field campaigns help us build better tools to address such issues as managing scarce water resources and alerting the public to natural disasters."

New Investigations

Three new field campaigns kick off this month. Scientists preparing for a future Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) mission will take to the skies above Hawaii to collect airborne data on coral reef health and volcanic emissions and eruptions. This airborne experiment supports a potential HyspIRI satellite mission to study the world's ecosystems and provide information on natural disasters.

Scientists working on a future satellite  the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission  sets sail in January from Hawaii. The month-long sea campaign across the Pacific on the research vessel Falkor will monitor the diversity of oceanic phytoplankton, microscopic plant-like organisms, and their impact on the marine carbon cycle. Novel measurements will be compared to existing satellite observations and used in preparation for the PACE mission.

In February, the SnowEx airborne campaign begins flights over the snow-covered forests of Colorado for the first of a multiyear effort to determine how much water is stored in Earth's terrestrial snow-covered regions.

Continuing Investigations

In addition to the new field campaigns, eight Earth science projects will continue this year. The second deployment of NASA's Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) mission begins in January with a 28-day flight around the world. ATom will gather measurements of more than 200 different gases, as well as aerosols from the air near the ocean surface to approximately seven miles altitude. The goal is to understand the sources, movement and transformation of short-lived greenhouse gases, such as ozone and methane, which are important contributors to climate change.

The Atmospheric Carbon and Transport  America (ACT-America) research team returns to the skies over the eastern half of the United States in January to continue tracking the movement of atmospheric carbon, the objective being to better understand the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases. Flights will originate from Louisiana, Nebraska and Virginia.

Three field campaigns are heading to the Arctic. In March, Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) will conduct its second set of airborne surveys of glacier heights around the edge of Greenland and coastal ocean conditions. The mission is providing the first comprehensive look at how glaciers and oceans change year to year.

Operation IceBridge returns in March to the Arctic for the ninth straight year to measure changes in the elevation of the Greenland ice sheet and sea ice extent. In the fall, the team also will begin its yearly measurements of land and sea ice in Antarctica.

This summer, the Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) will start the airborne component of its decade-long campaign that began last year to study the ecology of the fast-changing northern reaches of Alaska and Canada. A diverse suite of instruments will be flown to investigate the region's permafrost, carbon cycle, vegetation and water bodies and inform future satellite missions. Scientists will also go into the field to support the airborne measurements.

Two experiments head back to the Pacific Ocean this year. In February, the Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) project team will continue its airborne and in-water investigations in the Hawaiian Islands to assess the condition of threatened coral-based ecosystems. In the spring, CORAL will target the waters off Palau and Guam and the rest of the Mariana Islands. In October, NASA's second Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS-2) returns to the eastern tropical Pacific to recover instruments installed in September to investigate the oceanic and atmospheric processes that control changes in salinity.

On the other side of the world, two field campaigns are returning to the Atlantic Ocean. From its base in Namibia, the Observations of Clouds above Aerosols and their Interactions (ORACLES) study will use airborne instruments this fall to probe the impact on climate and rainfall of the interaction between clouds over the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and smoke from vegetation burning in southern Africa. The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) will take to the sea and air, for the third year, to study how the world's largest plankton bloom gives rise to small organic particles that influence clouds and climate.

To follow all of NASA's 2017 Earth science field campaigns, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/earthexpeditions

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


URBANDALE, Iowa and PETERBOROUGH, N.H., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With retention required for Iowa public school students not reading at grade level by the end of third grade, teachers are facing mounting pressure to support, motivate, and build successful readers and writers. At the Iowa Early Literacy Conference for PreK3rd Grade Teachers, teachers will learn fresh, new ways to address the standards, provide interventions, and instill a love of reading and writing in every student. The conference hosted by Staff Development for Educators (SDE) is being held January 2627, 2017 in Urbandale, IA.

The conference will provide teachers and administrators with research-based strategies and innovative ideas to improve literacy instruction. Teachers will learn how to build proficient and accelerated language skills in all learners, including struggling students, find time to teach and practice reading and writing every day, motivate students to engage with non-fiction texts, assess literacy skills, and support the developmental connection between reading and writing.

Administrators will learn new ways to support their teachers in this effort. They'll acquire strategies that will address the Iowa Core Literacy Standards (K3), help them pursue achievement of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, highlight the development of the 5 Critical Components of Reading, reduce the need for reading improvement plans, and lay out stronger literacy improvement measures.

"Iowa teachers we talk to want the same things. They are seeking help with differentiated, regular, and small-group reading instruction. They want to know how to initiate reading instruction early and through developmentally appropriate methods. They are looking for better ways to implement reading improvement strategies, introduce text and visuals to support comprehension, and foster activities that improve literacy measures," SDE program developer Mia Leonard-Solis says.

This new conference fulfills all these needs through 40 intensive sessions covering Writer's Workshop, guided reading, close reading, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics and phonic awareness, and opinion and informational writing.

The conference presenters are among the top literacy experts in the country. Some are authors and National Board Certified teachers. Others are nationally known consultants and practitioners. This year's keynoters include Pat Pavelka, a classroom innovator with more than 35 years of experience with early literacy, and Danny Brassell, Ph.D., a top literacy expert and best-selling author of 15 books. Also speaking will be Lori Elliott, Ed.D., a popular classroom technology advocate.

To register for this conference or learn about SDE's national conferences, upcoming PD events, or other professional development opportunities, visit www.SDE.com, call 1-800-462-1478, or email [email protected].

About SDE

SDE is one of America's leading providers of professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-Based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.

For more information about SDE, educators are encouraged to visit www.sde.com, or to call 1-800-462-1478.

SOURCE Staff Development for Educators
LYNDHURST, N.J., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Scarinci Hollenbeck (www.sh-law.com), a full-service regional business law firm, announced its further expansion with the addition of two attorneys to its Commercial Real Estate Law Practice. Matt Kane and Chris Dzwilewski have joined the firm as Partner and Counsel, respectively. Both attorneys, as well as three paralegals who are part of their team, are based in the firm's Lyndhurst office. They all worked together at Schwartz, Simon, Edelstein & Celso in Whippany, NJ before coming to Scarinci Hollenbeck.

Matthew I Kane and Christopher A. Dzwilewski, New Jersey Commercial Real Estate Attorneys

Partner Matt Kane, who has been practicing law for nearly 25 years, and Counsel Chris Dzwilewski, collectively handle hundreds of real estate transactions in the course of any given year. Their practice is focused on all types of real estate transactional work, with an emphasis on representing institutional investors attempting to liquidate large portfolios of distressed real property and non-performing loans, where borrowers/owners are in mortgage default. "When dealing with distressed real estate, it is essential that the title issues be addressed and resolved as quickly as possible so that ultimately the client can efficiently and timely dispose of the real estate, because time really is money," said Matt Kane.

"Bringing Matt and Chris to our commercial real estate law group is part of our overall plan to expand our offerings to meet the needs of our growing client base," said Russell Ascher, Executive Director of the firm. "We welcome Matt and his team to Scarinci Hollenbeck, and look forward to offering an even greater depth of services to the clients we represent."

About Scarinci Hollenbeck

With a growing practice of more than 60 experienced attorneys, Scarinci Hollenbeck is a regional alternative to a National 250 law firm. With offices in New Jersey, New York City, and the District of Columbia, we serve the niche practice areas most often required by institutions, corporations, entities, and the people who own and control them. Our Commercial Real Estate transactional group is made up of accomplished practitioners with many years of experience. We invite you to check the Commercial Real Estate group's attorney profiles for a list of representative matters. https://scarincihollenbeck.com/practices/commercial-real-estate/

Contact : Peter Moeller

Tel: 201-896-4100 x 3324

[email protected]

SOURCE Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
LONDON, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Two leading brands continue to dominate satisfaction scores. Where does your brand rank?

Few brands are earning high satisfaction scores in the European rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment market, but two long-time leaders continue to significantly outperform struggling rivals. Meanwhile, biosimilars are poised for huge market share gains if they can win over detractors.

Get the full story in FirstView NPS+ Rheumatoid Arthritis (EU5). Request sample pages

Based on a survey of 150 rheumatologists, the report builds on the respected net promoter score (NPS), comparing brand loyalty for 11 major RA treatments and highlighting ways you can improve your brand's healthand boost market sharewith easy-to-use KPIs.

Interested in the American market? Click here to see the US Edition.



Top Takeaways



Two brands dominate: In a market where only 4 of the 11 surveyed brands have a positive NPS, the two leading brands are way out front, scoring at least twice as high as the nearest competitor. These same two brands dominate the US market as well.

Biosimilars are struggling, but there's hope: Despite dismal satisfaction scores, biosimilars are recommended by high numbers of other brands' Promoters and Detractors, and are poised for massive share gains compared to most other brands.

Moderate satisfaction, low loyalty: Only about two-thirds of the rheumatologists surveyed are satisfied with available drugs, and few promote one brand exclusively. Loyalty scores and promotion patterns confirm their willingness to switch brands frequently.

"Passive" potential in the mid-market: Several brands have high numbers of "Passives" who are closely aligned with Promoters. Winning them over could help several middle-ranking brands push their NPS into positive territory. Find out which brand messages will be most effective.

Clinical concerns are the top priorities: Analysis of brand message effectiveness shows that safety, efficacy, and other clinical issues drive more brand recommendations, and resonate with more doctors, than cost concerns. The report reveals which messages are most effective.



Insight into 11 Major Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs



RoActemra (tocilizumab; Roche)

Benepali (etanercept; Biogen)

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol; UCB)

Enbrel (etanercept; Pfizer)

Humira (adalimumab; AbbVie)

Inflectra (infliximab; Pfizer)

Orencia (abatacept; BMS)

Remicade (infliximab; Merck Sharpe & Dohme)

Remsima (infliximab; Mundipharma, Napp, Kern Pharma, Biogaran)

MabThera (rituximab; Roche)

Simponi (golimumab; Merck Sharpe & Dohme)



A Report Based on Expert Knowledge

NPS+ Rheumatoid Arthritis (EU5) explores key issues affecting brand loyalty for drug manufacturers. You'll learn:



How satisfied the RA market is.

How loyal doctors are to your brand.

How many other brands your Promoters recommend.

Which other brands your Promoters and Detractors recommend.

How much market share your brand has among Promoters and Detractors.

How much market share you stand to gain by converting Detractors into Promoters.

Which messages Promoters, Passives and Detractors associate with your brand.

Your brand DNA: what doctors really think of your brandin their own words.



What is Net Promoter Score?

NPS is a customer loyalty metric developed by (and a registered trademark of) Fred Reichheld, Bain & Company, and Satmetrix. It was introduced by Reichheld in his 2003 Harvard Business Review article One Number You Need to Grow.



How does NPS work?



NPS measures overall brand satisfaction and loyalty by asking one simple question:

"How likely are you to recommend this brand to a colleague?"

Responses - given on a scale of 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely)are used to classify respondents into 3 categories:



Detractors are those who answer 0  6.

Passives are those who answer 7  8.

Promoters are those who answer 9 - 10.



How is NPS calculated?

The percentage of detractors - the percentage of promoters = NPS.

For example, 25% Promoters, 55% Passives and 20% Detractors give you an NPS of +5.

NPS can range from -100 (everybody is a Detractor) to +100 (everybody is a Promoter). The higher the score the healthier the brand.



What is FirstView NPS+?

NPS+ turns your Net Promoter Score into actionable information by answering key questions about brand loyalty.

Each NPS+ report examines doctors' relationships with the brands used to treat a major disease areameasuring brand loyalty and showing you how it affects your market share. NPS+ also examines "brand DNA", revealing in doctors' own words what brands mean to them.

Instead of one simple metric, NPS+ gives you a detailed picture of brand health that highlights areas for improvement, and helps you see exactly what steps you need to take next.



MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!

At FirstWord, we stand behind our reports. If you're not completely satisfied, we'll refund your money. Guaranteed.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3607567/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


TYSONS, Va., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, PenFed Credit Union is donating $25,000 to the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) Foundation in support of the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative. Through this donation, PenFed will help veterans and their spouses secure jobs and careers within Northern Virginia's technology sector.

"We have incredibly talented men and women transitioning out of the military in the D.C. Metro area every day, yet there are scores of unemployed and underemployed veterans. At the same time, Northern Virginia is home to world-class companies and some of the nation's top technology organizations. Through NVTC and the Veterans Employment Initiative, we are able to connect the two and, most important of all, serve those who have selflessly served our nation," said PenFed President and CEO James Schenck. "PenFed is proud to have donated $75,000 to VEI since 2015, and we look forward to continuing to support them and their mission to serve our veterans."

NVTC launched the Veterans Employment Initiative (VEI) in 2013 to accelerate veteran transitions to civilian life by providing better employment opportunities within Virginia's technology community. VEI connects veterans with jobs, internships, mentorships and education/certifications while also providing support to member companies in their efforts to recruit, hire, train and retain qualified veteran employees.

"We are grateful to the ongoing support PenFed has provided VEI over the last three years. Having this level of sustainable funding is immensely important to our ability to connect veterans with careers in our region's technology community," said NVTC President and CEO Bobbie Kilberg. "PenFed is truly making a difference in the lives of our veterans and in the business community of Northern Virginia."

PenFed donated over $6 million to charitable organizations in 2016 and intends to continue to support a myriad of organizations that are making a difference for veterans and their families.

"PenFed is committed to helping our nation's defenders and their families on many levels: from providing them rewarding jobs and careers at PenFed, to helping them do better through our financial programs and the PenFed Foundation, to opening doors to new careers at other great organizations within Northern Virginia," said Schenck. "These are the people who make America the greatest nation in the world, and there is no more noble cause than giving back to them in every way we can."

About PenFed Credit Union

Established in 1935 as the War Department Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the country, serving over 1.5 million members worldwide with more than $21 billion in assets. Its long-standing mission has been to provide superior financial services in a cost-effective manner, while being responsive to members' needs. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading mortgages, automobile loans, credit cards, checking, and a wide range of other financial services with its members' interests always in mind. PenFed Credit Union serves a diverse population, and no military service is required to join. We offer many paths to membership, including numerous employee groups and association affiliations. It's easy to apply. We invite you to come see why you belong at PenFed Credit Union. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an equal housing lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

About the Northern Virginia Technology Council

The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. Visit NVTC at www.nvtc.org.

About the NVTC Foundation

The NVTC Foundation is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit. The NVTC Foundation's purpose is to support unemployed Veterans of the United States Armed Services through the support of employment initiatives focused on Veterans, and to pursue other charitable and educational initiatives. Visit foundation.nvtc.org for more information.

SOURCE PenFed Credit Union
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, today announced it is now enrolling for its Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program (http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/master-science-nursing/) in North Dakota and Wisconsin. The online master's degree program is designed to meet the increasing need for a more skilled and educated workforce, including nurse leaders and nurse educators.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nearly 70,000 qualified nursing candidates were turned away from college nursing programs due to an insufficient number of faculty in 2014. Occupations requiring master's degrees are also projected to grow 18.4 percent through 2022, and of the 448,500 jobs projected to require a master's degree, 255,000 are within the healthcare and social assistance fields. Enrollment for the Rasmussen College MSN degree program in North Dakota and Wisconsin is immediately available with classes beginning in April.

"We are thrilled to expand enrollment for our Master of Science in Nursing degree program to North Dakota and Wisconsin  states where Rasmussen College has a strong local presence," said Dr. Joan Rich, vice president of the Rasmussen College School of Nursing. "Both states, like much of the country, are seeing an increasing need for nurses with master's degrees. According to labor analytics firm Burning Glass, there have been around 1,200 job postings over the past year in Wisconsin for nurses with a graduate or professional degree. That's up more than 430 percent from five years ago. In North Dakota, the number of job postings for nurses with a graduate or professional degree has increased by more than 330 percent since 2011. Rasmussen College is pleased to soon be able to help fill open positions in these states as well as contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession."

Rasmussen College MSN to Help Advance Nursing Profession

The Rasmussen College Master of Science in Nursing degree program is designed to prepare currently licensed registered nurses (RNs) who hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing to assume advanced nursing leadership roles and directly contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession in both educational and healthcare settings. Students have the opportunity to choose from two specializations: Nursing Education or Nursing Leadership and Administration.

The innovative and progressive curriculum is designed to help students unleash their potential and thrive as dynamic leaders. Content ranges from budgeting, scheduling and administration to instructional techniques, curriculum design and innovative teaching and assessment strategies. Classes include interactive learning as well as collaboration among peers and faculty that aligns with the evolving healthcare and education environments of today. The online environment and ability to take one class at a time also supports balance between school, work and family for nurses already in the field while still allowing them to graduate in as few as 18 months.1

"Our MSN students will be prepared to impact the current and future state of the healthcare industry," Rich said. "Students will graduate from our program with the confidence they need to be at the forefront of change and innovation for the nursing profession, nursing education and the communities we serve."

Rasmussen College first launched its Master of Science in Nursing degree program in October 2016.2 To learn more about the MSN program, visit http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/master-science-nursing/.

1Completion time is dependent on transfer credits accepted and courses completed each term.

2The Rasmussen College MSN degree program is not available to residents of all states. Please speak with a program manager to determine enrollment eligibility.

ABOUT RASMUSSEN COLLEGE:

Rasmussen College is a regionally accredited private college that is dedicated to changing lives and the communities it serves through high-demand and flexible educational programs. Since 1900, the College has been committed to academic innovation and providing a high standard of education while empowering students to pursue a college degree. Rasmussen College offers certificate and diploma programs through associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs online and across its 22 Midwest and Florida campuses. A pioneer in online education, the College is helping lead advancements in innovations such as competency-based education and comprehensive student support services that help working adults advance their careers. The College is also committed to providing a positive impact on society through public service and a variety of community-based initiatives. For more information about Rasmussen College, please visit www.rasmussen.edu.

Contact: Molly Andersen

Phone: 952-844-5647

Mobile: 903-920-4366

SOURCE Rasmussen College

Related Links

http://www.rasmussen.edu


TEL AVIV, Israel and ATHENS, Greece, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rivulis Irrigation Ltd. of Israel and Eurodrip S.A. of Greece announced today that the two companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement in an all-share transaction, creating a global leader in micro irrigation. Transaction closing is subject to satisfaction of certain conditions including, but not limited to, regulatory approvals. The merged company will have unparalleled market coverage with 18 factories around the world and 1,800 employees across 5 continents and 30 countries. Growers around the world will benefit from an extensive product and solution offering, consisting of trusted industry brands such as T-Tape, Ro-Drip, Hydrogol, D5000, Eolos, Compact, PC2 and Olympos. The merged company will be headquartered in Gvat, Israel and will be named Rivulis Irrigation, Ltd. Richard Klapholz, the current CEO of Rivulis Irrigation, will lead the merged company.

All current shareholders of the two companies - FIMI Opportunity Funds, Israel's leading private equity fund (FIMI), U.S. based Paine & Partners, LLC (Paine & Partners) and Dhanna Engineering of India - will remain shareholders of the merged company and will remain active on the Board of Directors, ensuring continuity and providing strong support for the success of the merged company. FIMI will maintain a majority stake and Gillon Beck, the current Chairman of Rivulis Irrigation and Senior Partner at FIMI, will serve as the Chairman of the merged entity. The company will continue to support both the Rivulis and Eurodrip brands, and will remain strongly committed to its mission of providing continuous innovation, and strong service to help growers to optimize yields sustainably and economically while addressing water and land scarcity.

Richard Klapholz, Rivulis Irrigation CEO, commented on the merger: "We are thrilled to have these two leading companies join forces to better serve the growing needs of the irrigation markets around the world. While benefitting from significant operational economies of scale, we will ensure that all commitments to our distribution business partners are maintained and further strengthened. Our goal is to ensure that our business partners will continue to be successful with the products and solutions of both companies - but now with a wider offering and stronger manufacturing base. I am looking forward to working closely with the Eurodrip teams around the world and I am certain that we will all benefit from their vast experience and their continued commitment and dedication."

Peter Berweger, Eurodrip Group CEO, added: "It has been a great honor for me to lead the Eurodrip Group over the past years and into this merger. With this transaction, we bring together two excellent micro irrigation businesses with complementary capabilities, and we are offering growers more choice and a wider product range to save water and enhance yield. The combined entity will have a truly global presence in all relevant irrigation markets, enabling strategic global growth and innovation that will benefit all stakeholders."

David Buckeridge, Eurodrip Chairman and Partner at Paine & Partners, said: "This merger reflects our continued belief in the potential for improving agricultural productivity around the globe. It has been a sincere pleasure to see how both companies share the same commitment to leading the transformation and development of drip irrigation globally. Paine & Partners remains fully committed to the success of the merged company and is excited to partner with FIMI to support that success."

Gillon Beck, the merged company's chairman, summarized: "The Rivulis management team has proven its turnaround skills in an astounding manner in the last two and a half years. Strengthened by the talent of the Eurodrip management, employees and owners, the joint team can now focus on a different type of development: merging the two companies into one efficient, market oriented, innovative and profitable global entity. With the help and long-time experience of our co-owners, I am confident in the company's success in this new phase and in its ability to assume a leadership role in the industry."

About Rivulis Irrigation: Rivulis Irrigation is one of the leading drip and micro irrigation manufacturers worldwide. With 1,000 employees and 11 factories in 25 countries, and a global distribution network of well over 1,350 dealers and OEM partners, Rivulis Irrigation is a major player impacting the growing move of agriculture to drip irrigation. Rivulis Irrigation was established in June 2014, when FIMI acquired the former John Deere Water division from John Deere. The Fund, together with the current management of the company and its employees, succeeded in turning the company around in an exceptionally short time, effectively leveraging the 5 decade long expertise of the original founding companies (Plastro, T-Systems and Roberts Irrigation).

About Eurodrip: Eurodrip S.A., established in 1979, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and supplies integrated drip irrigation solutions for agricultural and landscaping applications. Its products include integrated drip line solutions, flat and round drippers, blank tubes and other irrigation products. Eurodrip has a market presence in over 70 countries, with operating subsidiaries in the U.S., Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Peru, Mexico and Chile, and employs more than 700 people worldwide. In 2013, Eurodrip was acquired by Paine & Partners LLC, a value-driven private equity firm that focuses on complex investment opportunities in the fast-growing, dynamic global food and agribusiness sectors.

If you would like more information about this topic, please e-mail [email protected].

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Rivulis Irrigation Ltd.
HERZLIYA, Israel, January 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

SafeDK, the world leader for mobile SDKs management solutions, is announcing today an integration of its Android App X-Ray with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Mobile Center.

Most mobile apps use 3rd party SDKs to add functionalities such as advertising, analytics, social, and more. These SDKs often lead to certain malfunctions of the apps such as performance deficiencies, crashing, excessive battery consumption or malicious behavior. Based on the latest survey by SafeDK, Android apps use 17.6 SDKs on average. SafeDK's App X-Ray solution allows app publishers to uncover the 3rd party SDKs within any Android app, including their own app. It is available for a free trial at the SafeDK website and as an API for integration with external services, which now includes HPE Mobile Center. Using the SafeDK option, HPE Mobile Center users are able to scan their app and get valuable data and full visibility on which SDKs are integrated in their app, what are their rating in the SafeDK Marketplace, indication of deprecated libraries and so forth.

"Our X-Ray service has proven to be very effective for many in the mobile ecosystem, especially for app developers who wants to know what's going on in their app. It has become an integral part of the development cycle and deploy process," says Orly Shoavi, SafeDK's CEO. "Before any new version is released to the store, HPE Mobile Center customers can verify the state of their 3rd party SDKs, prior to deploying new versions, to determine if new libraries have been added or dropped."

"Ensuring high-quality mobile applications that operate on any device - especially apps with third party SDKs can be a complex process," said Raffi Margaliot (@raffima), Senior Vice President and General Manager, Application Delivery Management, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. "HPE Mobile Center empowers developers with powerful features that help ensure quality and security across a myriad of mobile platforms and devices. By leveraging HPE Mobile Center, in conjunction with SafeDK's solution, developers can confidently modernize their applications across multiple device type at scale and ensure they are continuously and effectively testing the 360 degree view of the mobile experience that the consumer will have."

About

SafeDK is a complete mobile SDKs management platform which enables app publishers to build better and safer apps. SafeDK covers the entire span of the app development cycle, from finding the top-rated SDKs in the SafeDK Marketplace, to ongoing monitoring and real-time control of SDKs . SafeDK was founded in September 2014 by Orly Shoavi and Ronnie Sternberg, and is headquartered in Herzelia, Israel. The company is funded by Samsung Next Tel Aviv, Marius Nacht, StageOne Ventures and top strategic Angel investors, including Leon Waisbein and Kaedan Capital.

SOURCE SafeDK
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120601/537255 )

Northwestern Memorial Hospital offers screening mammography and a full range of diagnostic breast imaging services, including 2D and 3D mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, breast biopsies and needle localizations. The Sectra PACS will be integrated with the existing IT infrastructure including the EMR, radiology PACS and VNA.

About Sectra Breast Imaging PACS

Sectra PACS features world-leading functionality for efficient mammography screening and diagnostic breast imaging workflows. True vendor-neutral, multi-modality capabilities enable display of breast images from any modality-including digital pathology and breast tomosynthesis-side by side with the mammograms. This provides a complete patient overview for the reading radiologist.

About Sectra

With more than 20 years in the business, Sectra develops and sells IT systems and services for radiology, pathology, women's health and orthopaedics. More than 1,700 hospitals, clinics and imaging centers worldwide use the systems daily, making Sectra one of the world-leading companies for handling digital images. For more information, visit www.sectra.com .

About Northwestern Medicine

For more information about Northwestern Medicine, visit http://news.nm.org/about-northwestern-medicine.html.

Contact: Andrea Sowitch, Vice President of Marketing

Sectra North America

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +1-203-925-0899 ext 268

www.sectra.com/medical



Torbjorn Kronander, President and CEO

Sectra AB

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +46-705-23-5227



SOURCE Sectra North America
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shippo, the leading API platform for shipping, today announced they are the first to launch USPS ePostage for general access. Through USPS' new ePostage program, Shippo enables any business to access USPS shipping services online. This is the first license of this type issued since 1999, marking an important step for USPS and Shippo as they drive innovation in shipping for ecommerce businesses, marketplaces and platforms globally.

Shippo works with more than 10,000 businesses including fast-growing, venture-backed companies such as Mercari, Weebly, GoDaddy, Dia&Co and GOAT to help them solve shipping challenges and optimize their operations. The partnership represents a major growth opportunity for USPS as they take advantage of Shippo's technology to onboard more businesses directly to USPS with a fast and efficient method. Currently, established marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy rely on ePostage for members of their own communities.

"When we founded Shippo, our goal was to improve the experience for any business who does shipping by making it more accessible," said Laura Behrens Wu, co-founder and CEO of Shippo. "Now with Shippo providing ePostage for public access, ecommerce businesses of any size can now directly connect with the USPS within minutes, and access valuable, timely information from a variety of other carriers, all from one place."

Ecommerce is the fastest growing trillion dollar market globally. In fact, global ecommerce has grown 15 percent year-over-year. With its rapid growth, shipping for online sales represents a significant business opportunity for the USPS. As the USPS sits high on the technology adoption curve, they recognize the need to work with leading and emerging technology companies to help them grow their digital and physical operations.

Through its current agreement, any Shippo customer can access the USPS directly, relying on a seamless and transparent process for shipping. Businesses of all sizes can sidestep the hurdles that often slow down their operations. This typically involves a heavy upfront investment of time and resources to integrate with carriers. By working with Shippo, customers gain instant access to multiple carriers, in addition to the USPS, through one integration. Today, Shippo supports over 20 shipping providers across North America, Europe, and Australia.

About Shippo

Shippo is the leading API and dashboard for shipping that empowers platforms, marketplaces, warehouses and ecommerce stores with the building blocks they need to succeed. The company processes millions of shipments per month for more than 10,000 businesses. With instant access to multiple shipping carriers for real-time rates, printing labels, automating international paperwork, tracking packages and facilitating returns, companies of all sizes trust Shippo to power their shipping. To learn more, visit goshippo.com.

SOURCE Shippo

Related Links

http://www.goshippo.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Signpost, artificial intelligence that turns prospects into promoters for consumer brands, today welcomes Chris Masino as Senior Vice President of Revenue. In this role, Chris will be responsible for driving revenue in new and existing markets, as well as increasing predictable revenue growth and profitability.

Chris brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, from driving global business to building and leading high-performance sales teams.

"Signpost leverages innovative AI technology and data science to improve a retailer's online reputation and keep their stores connected to customers in real-time with smarter and more relevant personalized communications. By automating the entire customer relationship lifecycle Signpost helps retailers increase revenue with new customers while improving lifetime value and loyalty of existing ones," said Chris. "I look forward to being a part of the team that uses the best-in-class artificial intelligence to change the future of marketing and communication."

Prior to joining Signpost, Chris was the Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Smartling, an enterprise global content management platform for brands where he drove the company's revenue and penetrated new market segments. Previously he ran Global Sales for Jive Software where he successfully helped grow the company through an IPO. He's also held senior sales leadership roles at Mercury Interactive, HP Software, EMC and CA.

"Chris is an experienced leader with a proven track record of growing and scaling organizations. His appointment rounds out our team of top executive talent in the country, all of whom are focused on providing a world-class artificial intelligence solution to local businesses, large and small," said Signpost's CEO, Stuart Wall.

About Signpost

With over 7,000 customers, Signpost's Mia is the future of communication for businesses with consumers. Powered by automated data collection and email marketing, Mia's artificial intelligence drives reviews up by 1.8 stars and revenue up by 10%. As one of Forbes' "Most Promising Companies" Signpost prides itself on a nearly perfect customer retention rate thanks to an industry-leading product.

Contact:

Mary McGuire

SHIFT Communications

Phone: (646) 756-3709

[email protected]

SOURCE Signpost
The campaign builds upon Silestone's continued commitment to innovation throughout its 26-year history to develop surfacing at the forefront of industry trends and design, making the material a fashion staple in architecture and design. The new alliance for Silestone and Ms. Crawford stems from her ubiquitous fashion influence expanding to the home space. Ms. Crawford said: "I have a tremendous passion for design, and I'm thrilled to partner with Silestone, whose surfacing materials bring a distinctive element to the fashion ensembles we create for our homes."

"The worlds of fashion and design are so closely intertwined, and we're honored to partner with one of the world's most celebrated supermodels for our 2017 advertising campaign," Eduardo Martinez-Cosentino, CEO of Cosentino North America. "Ms. Crawford represents the aesthetic Silestone inspires homeowners to create in their own spaces: fashion forward and elegant, with timeless appeal."

The new advertising campaign, which will first appear in March 2017 issues of top design and luxury lifestyle publications, will feature Ms. Crawford alongside the new Silestone Eternal Collection, also launching in 2017. Inspired by the world's most sought-after natural stones and marbles, the Eternal Collection's unrivaled aesthetic emphasizes Cosentino's dedication to providing beautiful surfaces that can outperform traditional materials while offering customers a luxury product free of maintenance and upkeep. As with all Silestone natural quartz products, the Eternal Collection is naturally non-porous and never needs to be sealed. It is easy to clean and has high scratch, stain and heat resistance.

About Cosentino Group

Cosentino Group is a global, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for architecture and design. As a leading company, Cosentino imagines and anticipates together with its customers and partners design solutions that offer value and inspiration to peoples' lives. This goal is made possible by pioneering brands that are leaders in their respective segments such as Silestone, Dekton, and Sensa by Cosentino. Technologically advanced surfaces create unique designs for the home and public spaces.

The group bases its development on international expansion, an innovative research and development program, respect for the environment and sustainability, and its ongoing corporate commitment to society and the local communities where it operates, education, equality and health & safety.

Cosentino Group currently distributes its products and brands in more than 80 countries from its headquarters in Almeria, Spain. Currently Cosentino is present in 32 countries with its own assets in 27 of them. The group has seven factories (six in Almeria and one in Brazil), one intelligent logistics platform in Spain and more than 120 commercial and business units throughout the world. More than 90% of Cosentino Group's financial turnover comes from international markets.

www.cosentino.com

www.silestone.com

www.dekton.com

www.ecobycosentino.com

SOURCE Cosentino Group

Related Links

http://www.cosentino.com


SANTA CLARA, Calif. and BONN, Germany, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With a vision to digitize global enterprises, T-Systems is on an Internet of Things (IoT) growth path: Deutsche Telekom's corporate customer arm, T-Systems, and Silicon Valley-based IoT company, Roambee, today announced a global IoT partnership to offer a real-time visibility solution for goods and assets in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Together, employing an "on-demand" pay-per-use business model, the two companies are delivering an end-to-end solution featuring real time visibility, tracking, and condition monitoring of shipments and assets in-transit and in-field. Roambee will provide pre-built Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications that include wireless portable sensor devices and cloud-based software, robust reporting, and predictive analytics. The solution will be provided on T-Systems' highly scalable platform, and offers access to a global infrastructure of highly-secured data centers and cloud solutions from a wide partner ecosystem.

Furthermore, Deutsche Telekom Strategic Investments recently led the Series B round by investing $3.1M in Roambee.

"Roambee's fast-to-deploy and to-scale solution adds a strong value to our IoT partner ecosystem globally. Combined with T-Systems' infrastructure and system integration expertise, we will now jointly enable and transform industries worldwide with IoT applications," said Anette Bronder, Director of T-Systems' Digital Division.

Paul Warrenfelt, T-Systems' SVP Sales and Service Management Region Americas and APAC, and Managing Director North America, also noted, "Any transformation to Industry 4.0 is incomplete without a scalable IoT solution, a secure cloud infrastructure, and a global deployment team. I am so excited about the amazing collection of products, services and technologies we are jointly bringing to market that will help enterprises improve efficiency to achieve operational excellence."

"With over 100 customers around the world, Roambee is experiencing significant momentum and business growth in the IoT market. Now with T-Systems as our strategic partner, we will be able to both scale our current customers worldwide, and win new customers jointly. We no longer have to worry about building our own global service infrastructure, which is needed to maintain the quality and rich experience of our services to our customers," said Roambee CEO and founder, Sanjay Sharma.

Roambee's solution includes compact, rugged wireless portable sensor devices called "Bees" and a cloud-based software platform. The Bees and software collect high volumes of data from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, sensor data, and external data streams to deliver machine learning-based predictive analytics to improve operational efficiencies, enhance customer engagement, mitigate risk, and provide measurable ROI. Benefitting a wide range of industries, the solution, as one example, allows for real-time monitoring of the temperature and location status of highly-sensitive pharmaceutical goods through the entire shipment with the use of actionable data and real-time alerts, and as such, enables counter-actions if deviations are reported.

Improving smart in-field asset monitoring requires the highest level of confidence in asset usage monitoring, reporting, and regulatory compliance. Roambee's core technology delivers all this, making it simple for businesses to increase efficiencies, improve risk management, and transform data into measurable value. Furthermore, T-Systems will operate the service from its high-tech data center in Germany, in accordance with the strictest data privacy regulations. Customers receive defined real-time event alerts and reporting, historical reporting, and actionable data analytics adhering to the highest data security standards.

Further information for the media at:

www.telekom.com/media

www.telekom.com/photos

www.twitter.com/telekom_group

www.instagram.com/deutschetelekom

www.t-systems.com

About Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies with more than 156 million mobile customers, 29 million fixed-network lines and around 18 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2015). The Group provides fixed-network/broadband, mobile communications, Internet, and Internet-based TV products and services for consumers, and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in more than 50 countries and has around 225,200 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 69.2 billion in the 2015 financial year  around 64 percent of it outside Germany.

About T-Systems

As one of the leading global ICT service providers, T-Systems supplies integrated solutions for business customers. These are based on global offerings in fixed-network and mobile communications, highly secure data centers, a unique cloud infrastructure built around standardized platforms and global partnerships, and top security in line with the strictest German data protection regulations, as demanded by our customers. With a footprint in more than 20 countries, 46,000 employees, and external revenue of 7.1 billion euros (2015), T-Systems is the ideal partner for digital transformation. Alongside traditional ICT services, T-Systems' portfolio also offers cloud access, custom infrastructure, and platforms and software from the cloud, alongside innovation projects in future business areas such as big data, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and Industry 4.0.

About Roambee Corporation

The Roambee Corporation (www.roambee.com) is a Silicon Valley company transforming enterprise logistics and asset management outside the four walls of global enterprise. Founded in 2013, Roambee is the first Internet of Things smart logistics and asset management company that delivers on-demand real-time visibility, tracking, and condition monitoring for goods and assets in-transit and in-field.

The company uses proprietary sensor, software, and cloud technology to deliver, report, and analyze data worldwide. With Roambee, customers gain greater control over their goods and assets, increased business efficiencies, and improved mitigation of risk. Roambee is backed by Deutsche Telekom and other Silicon Valley investors.

SOURCE T-Systems

Related Links

http://www.t-systemsus.com


SANTA ROSA, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As the calendar turns to a new year, Sonoma County Winegrowers (www.sonomawinegrape.org) are quickly closing in on its goal of becoming the nation's first 100% sustainable wine region by 2019. According to the latest Report Card published in the Sonoma County Winegrowers' 3rd Annual Sustainability Report, 85% of the county's vineyard acres have completed the sustainability self-assessment  the first step in achieving certification. In addition, 60% of the vineyard acreage in the county  more than 34,000 acres  has been certified sustainable.

Bolstering its position as the global leader for sustainable winegrowing, Sonoma County Winegrowers president, Karissa Kruse, today also announced the group will establish the Sonoma County Center for Ag Sustainability to enable winegrowers to identify and focus on the most challenging problems facing the local wine community to ensure its continued success and the preservation of Sonoma County's agricultural heritage. This announcement was made during the organization's 26th Annual Dollars & $ense Seminar and Tradeshow, one of California's oldest grower and vintner gatherings.

"We have long recognized that our job as farmers is to preserve and protect our agricultural legacy and way of life for future generations. The reality is that ag is on the brink of a crisis. Not only are thousands of acres of farmland being lost to development in California every year, but there are serious threats to the financial viability of our businesses due to increased regulations, rising labor costs, new overtime requirements, drought and more," said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, "Clearly, the status quo is not an effective strategy moving forward. We must look to lead on addressing these pressing issues and new ones that will emerge to ensure our continued success and the preservation of agriculture in Sonoma County."

The Sonoma County Center for Ag Sustainability will be a strategic think tank to help develop innovative ideas and strategies to strengthen and build upon the region's sustainability efforts and its 100-Year Business Plan to Preserve Agriculture. Understanding that it takes creative, thought provoking, and out-of-the-box thinking to solve some of the critical challenges facing Sonoma County's agricultural community, the Sonoma County Winegrowers are creating a groundbreaking program that will bring together a small, diverse group of thought leaders and experts from across various business industries, subject matters, academia, job functions and skill sets, and other unique backgrounds, to problem solve and develop new, fresh ideas that will advance farming not only in Sonoma County, but may also revolutionize grape growing and the larger wine industry across the globe.

As a first step, the organization hired a globally recognized leader in strategy facilitation, Professor George Day, to help facilitate and manage the strategic planning of the Center for Ag Sustainability. As the Geoffrey T. Boisi Professor Emeritus at The Wharton School of Business and Co-Director of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management, Dr. Day has consulted with some of the most recognizable corporations, including General Electric, IBM, Coca-Cola, Boeing, Best Buy, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. He is also the past chairman of the American Marketing Association.

The Sonoma County Center for Ag Sustainability will kick-off as a 2-year program starting in January of 2017. The first 6 months will be used to determine who will be invited to participate in order to create a diverse group of subject matter experts who can bring new thinking to one of the oldest professions in the world. In addition, the Sonoma County Winegrowers will develop the program and format in conjunction with Professor Day, as well as facilitate a retreat with the Sonoma County Winegrowers Board of Directors to better understand scenario planning and the 100-year business plan pillars. In June of 2017, the Sonoma County Center for Ag Sustainability will begin to meet every 4 months for a strategic planning session on the pillars of 100 Year Business Plan to determine insights, innovations and recommendations on moving the grape growers forward.

Throughout the 2-year program, the Sonoma County Winegrowers will share learning and progress broadly, which will culminate in a White Paper which will be published providing the insights and learnings to a global audience. These findings and ideas will also be incorporated into the Sonoma County Winegrowers strategic plan, marketing and branding efforts, and other areas of the organization that will guide their focus on the preservation of agriculture.

Incredible Progress Made Towards a 100% Sustainable Sonoma County

"The progress made in the past three years towards our goal for 100% sustainability in Sonoma County is nothing short of remarkable," said Kevin Barr, Sonoma County Winegrowers' board chairman and owner of Redwood Empire Vineyard Management Company. He added, "Sustainability is critical to maintaining our agricultural heritage and ensuring our vineyards thrive for generations to come, while also providing Sonoma County with a significant point of differentiation in the global marketplace for consumers."

According to the new Sonoma County Winegrowers' 3rd Annual Sustainability Report:

49,577 vineyard acres (85%) of Sonoma County's 58,235 vineyard acres have been sustainably self-assessed;

58,235 vineyard acres have been sustainably self-assessed; 34,654 vineyard acres (60%) of Sonoma County's 58,235 vineyard acres have been certified sustainable by a third-party audit; and,

58,235 vineyard acres have been certified sustainable by a third-party audit; and, More than 1,200 vineyard properties in Sonoma County are sustainable by either completing their sustainability self-assessment or receiving third party certification; and,

are sustainable by either completing their sustainability self-assessment or receiving third party certification; and, More than 40 wineries are certified sustainable.

As it closes in on 100% sustainability, the Sonoma County Winegrowers will continue to work with four sustainability programs, all of which offer certification from an independent third party auditor: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), Fish Friendly Farming, Lodi Rules, and Sustainable in Practice (SIP). Sonoma County's Winegrowers take a triple-bottom line approach to sustainable practices that measure grape growers' commitment to being socially responsible in how they treat their employees, neighbors, and community, environmentally conscientious with their farming and winery practices, and economically viable as a business.

In 2016, the group announced it was focusing its efforts on the social-responsibility component of sustainability with the relaunching of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation to provide resources and support for agricultural employees and their families. The Foundation has been working with a variety of community-based organizations and governmental agencies to identify existing resources, leverage available support and create new programs which will assist local farm employees and their families in the areas of affordable housing, childcare, education, healthcare, and workforce development.

"Sonoma County is blessed with great leaders in the wine community who have championed our sustainable efforts and embraced our vision to make sure we are leaders in all aspects of sustainability, especially social responsibility," said Kruse. She added, "We continue to hear from sommeliers, wine retailers, restaurants owners and wine consumers that the sustainable approach we're taking that emphasizes our people and community is becoming increasingly important throughout the country and around the world. Sonoma County is proud to be recognized as a sustainability leader in the global wine community."

Governor Jerry Brown recognized the Sonoma County Winegrowers sustainability commitment and their progress with the awarding of California's highest environmental honor, the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) in January of 2016. The GEELA program recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable contributions in conserving California's precious resources, protecting and enhancing our environment, and building public-private partnerships. The annual award is administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the Natural Resources Agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the State Transportation Agency, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the Health and Human Services Agency.

About Sonoma County Winegrowers:

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006 as a marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world's premier grape growing regions. SCW has oversight by California Department of Food and Agriculture which supports producer regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW's goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County's grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers and wine influencers around the world.

In January 2014, SCW committed to becoming the nation's first 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019. As of January 2017, 85% of the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County has gone through the sustainability self-assessment and 60% of vineyards are certified by a third party auditor. These sustainability efforts were recognized with California's highest environmental honor, the 2016 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).

SOURCE Sonoma County Winegrowers

Related Links

http://www.sonomawinegrape.org


DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is partnering with the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) to urge President-elect Trump to reverse the decision to grant Norwegian Air International a foreign carrier permit. The two groups will meet in the nation's capital for a Rally for U.S. Aviation Jobs on January 24.

In the final days of his administration, President Obama granted Norwegian Air International (NAI) a foreign carrier permit, placing tens of thousands of U.S. jobs at risk. "This decision is just another failed trade deal by the Obama administration, giving foreign companies an unfair advantage over U.S. companies," said Captain Jon Weaks, SWAPA President. "Only President-elect Trump has the power to reverse the lame duck Obama Administration's reckless approval of NAI before it takes effect on January 29."

The late-December decision to grant NAI a foreign carrier permit paves the way for NAI to execute on its flag of convenience (FOC) scheme. This permit allows for Norwegian to establish an Irish subsidiary in order to take advantage of Ireland's impotent labor, tax, and social laws. This is exactly the type of scheme that decimated the U.S. shipping industry and will be the catalyst for a race to the bottom in the U.S. airline industry.

Government affairs representatives from SWAPA and NJASAP continue to work every possible avenue to garner the attention of the president-elect and right this wrong. With the January 29 deadline looming, the groups believe that time is of the essence, and the time for action is now.

"The Obama administration has tilted the field of play in favor of a foreign competitor and put thousands of good-paying, middle-class, U.S. aviation jobs at risk. It will be up to the Trump administration to save them," said SWAPA Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Chip Hancock. Added Weaks, "President-elect Trump was elected on a pro-American worker platform and has already delivered wins for several American companies. It is our sincere desire that the president-elect will right this wrong by repealing this detrimental ruling."

Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 8,500 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, visit www.swapa.org. Rally Hashtags: #DenyNAI #MakeItRight #ReverseObama

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association

Related Links

http://www.swapa.org


SPEAR Physical Therapy's CEO and co-founder, Dan Rootenberg, PT, DPT, CSCS was honored to accept the Award at the PPS Annual Conference in Las Vegas on October 22 nd in front of hundreds of industry professional colleagues. The PPS receives multiple Jayne L. Snyder award nominations each year. Companies are nominated by both industry peers and by the PPS governing body. After thorough review by committee, the Award is ultimately given to the private practice in the United States that best demonstrated its ability to significantly impact and positively increase the visibility of the entire nation's physical therapy industry.

"SPEAR has elevated the reputation and exposure of the private practice physical therapist on a state, regional, and national level," said APTA President, Terry Brown, as he handed out the award.

Upon hearing of the award, Dr. Robert Meislin from NYU Langone Medical Center, who has recommended his patients to SPEAR for more than ten years, said, "This is a well-deserved honor for SPEAR and its growing team. In my eyes SPEAR epitomizes quality physical therapy and they take great care of my patients. I can't think of a more deserving practice."

The proof is in SPEAR's industry-leading 96.7% patient satisfaction rating, and the fact that 93.7% of their patients would refer friends and family. Rootenberg believes that SPEAR received this esteemed award not just because of these high marks, but also because of SPEAR's focus on self-actualization  not only in terms of getting patients "back to life" but also in terms of the personal and professional development of each team member. "Self-actualization is a fractal that permeates our organization and company culture," remarks Rootenberg.

"It sounds cliche, but every one of our team members pulls their weight and cares deeply about our patients and each other. We hire for that characteristic. This allows our leadership team to spend time out of the practice introducing our innovative leadership concepts to the entire physical therapy industry," he said.

Rootenberg spends countless hours thinking about leadership and technical excellence. "We have a culture by design, not by default, and this allows us to set the pace of progress for the industry."

In fact, the national physical therapy industry calls on SPEAR's leadership team to educate other practice owners on these concepts. Rootenberg was the keynote speaker at the first national PT practice "Peer2Peer Network" meeting, and the Board of Directors of the PPS utilized SPEAR's concepts at their annual retreat.

Dr. Charles Goodwin from Hospital for Special Surgery, another thought-leading NYC physician who has trusted his patients with SPEAR for many years, noticed the results of these concepts. "I was not surprised to hear that SPEAR won the Practice of the Year award. They have been my office's go-to choice for physical therapy for more than eight years, and they are synonymous with the term "physical therapy" to me and my staff," he said.

Watch a video of the award acceptance speech and about why SPEAR won the award: http://www.spearcenter.com/blog/how-we-won-the-practice-of-the-year-award/

About SPEAR Physical Therapy

SPEAR Physical Therapy is headquartered at 120 E. 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Founded in a single room in Manhattan in 1999, the company has now grown to eleven locations that treat over 15,000 patients a year. Watch an archived video on the history of SPEAR at http://www.spearcenter.com/our_story.aspx.

SPEAR is the highest-rated physical therapy practice in NYC, with a 96.7% patient satisfaction rating, and an average of 4.75-Star reviews online. Its quality of service and rapid growth has earned it significant praise in recent months, including ringing the NY Stock Exchange opening bell, being profiled in the NY Post's feature on democratic leadership, and being named the Nation's Top Physical Therapy Practice by the American Physical Therapy Association.

SOURCE SPEAR Physical Therapy

Related Links

http://www.spearcenter.com


CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The SpikeFli solution is now available to IT, Telecom Expense Management (TEM) firms and Telecom Dealers wanting to expand or improve their service offerings to include telecom cost analysis and management; all with a focus on reducing their clients costs, and creating management efficiencies.

Endless spreadsheets and human resources spent reviewing PDF or paper invoices are no longer required. Instantly identify trends, issues and areas for improvement.

Using their own corporately-branded (aka: white-label) version of SpikeFli, these firms can now manage inventory; produce executive level reports & presentations; instantly understand telecom billing or usage concerns; manage location & contracts for all assets; handle client service requests as they arise via internal CRM, and provide their clients and asset users with a professional PC & Smartphone portal to understand and manage telecommunications costs.

SpikeFli is currently able to manage telecommunications analytics for all major Canadian, and U.S. telecom providers. New carriers are being added regularly based on client needs.

SpikeFli's revenue model bills clients on a per account basis instead of per device, leaving more room for profit to grow their businesses.

About SpikeFli

SpikeFli Analytics Corp. is a privately owned corporation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, providing, access to Business Intelligence that has traditionally been controlled by the telecommunications industry. SpikeFli clients and partners are able to GET CONTROL of telecom spending with big-data analytics that predict, explain and save on telecom costs. Instantly.

SpikeFli.com

Contact:

Heather Pauls, President

[email protected]

1-844-297-4927

Related Files

Partners_trifold_Dec 2016_Final.pdf

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE SpikeFli Analytics Corp.
Designed to maximize productivity and subscription value, Act! boasts a new Connection: Act! Companion mobile app, along with various customer requested enhancements, including over 30 revamped standard reports, updates to the Web API resulting in deeper, more meaningful integrations and increased compatibility with Microsoft Office applications users rely on daily to run their businesses.

"This is an important release that positions both our business and our customers for future success as we continue on the journey to transform the way our users manage their businesses," said Lorcan Malone, president and COO of Swiftpage. "Our customers need mobile flexibility, so we developed the new Act! Companion mobile app and we retooled Act! emarketing to significantly increase performance and functionality."

Active subscribers will gain access to the Act! v19 upgrade, and will also benefit from new developments in Customer Success resources and Connections between Act! and other popular business optimization tools. Subscribers can take advantage of newly designed feature tours and expert technical support to help them get the most from this release.

Overview of v19 Release Benefits

Act! v19 offers new Connections for Act! Premium subscribers, performance improvements for Act! emarketing, and numerous customer-driven feature enhancements.

New Connection for Act! Premium Subscribers: Act! Companion mobile app

Now available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, Act! Companion is a native mobile app designed for both Android and iPhone that allows users to stay connected on the go. Users can get alerts for upcoming activities, easily capture notes during meetings, and email or call Act! Premium contacts directly from the app.

Improvements to the Web API

Users will benefit from more powerful integrations due to improvements to the Web API platform that allows deeper access to Act! Premium data and functionality.

Compatibility Updates

Act! v19 is now compatible with 64-bit editions of Microsoft Office 2016, 2013, and 2010. Users can now work seamlessly between the applications.

Act! emarketing Improvements

Performance improvements to Act! emarketing allow users to send emarketing campaigns up to five times faster than before. Users can now quickly and easily view campaign history for individual contacts, with a new history overwrite that ensures contact information is always up-to-date. Plus, users no longer have to worry about accidental sends with an all new confirmation dialogue box.

Customer-Driven Feature Enhancements

Act! v19 features 30+ refreshed standard reports with relevant fields, along with default filters and sort orders that help users retrieve information quickly and easily. New file types ensure any preexisting customer reports are not affected.

Find a complete list of features and benefits of Act! v19 here.

Social Media and Website Links

About the Act! Portfolio

Act!, the award winning customer & contact manager trusted by more than six million businesses globally, enables business owners to manage their relationships, interact and follow-up with their customers effectively and efficiently. Small and medium sized businesses rely on the Act! portfolio daily to run, manage and grow their business. Learn more at www.act.com.

2017 Swiftpage ACT! LLC. All rights reserved. Swiftpage, Act!, and the Swiftpage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Swiftpage ACT! LLC, or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Press Contacts  North America

Mallory Bowers

Swiftpage

(720) 490-4332

[email protected]

Dave Feistel

LF|PR

(949) 502-6200 x 224

[email protected]

SOURCE Swiftpage

Related Links

http://www.swiftpage.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 4A's, the leading trade association representing the advertising agency business, will host its fourth annual Data Summit on Feb. 7, 2017, in New York City. During the one-day summit, high-profile experts from agencies, brands and data firms will tell the story of how data now touches every part of the advertising industry, from information to strategic vision, networking to inspiration.

Through panel discussions and keynote speeches, industry leaders will explore how trends and innovations in data are also informing planning, creativity, media buying, strategy and talent.

"Following the success of previous years' half-day events, this year at Data Summit, we have a full day devoted to data, which is a critically important and transformative area shaping our business," said Nancy Hill, president and CEO of the 4A's.

Rishad Tobaccowala, strategy and growth officer at Publicis, will be the opening keynote at the event. Ari Schwartz, managing director of cybersecurity services at Venable LLP (and former special assistant to the president and senior director of cybersecurity for the White House), will close the event with a keynote on cybersecurity.

The 4A's Data Summit 2017 will host the following prominent speakers, among others:

Nina Abnee , chief client officer, Leo Burnett

, chief client officer, Eugene Becker , general manager, data solutions, Merkle

, general manager, data solutions, Merkle Jane Clarke , CEO, managing director, Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement

CEO, managing director, Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement Phil Cowdell , president, [m]Platform

, president, [m]Platform Tony Effik , SVP client strategy, NBCUniversal

, SVP client strategy, NBCUniversal Aaron Fetters , SVP marketing solutions, comScore

, SVP marketing solutions, comScore Sanjay Gupta , EVP, marketing, innovation and corporate relations, Allstate Insurance Company

, EVP, marketing, innovation and corporate relations, Allstate Insurance Company Arun Kumar , global president, Cadreon

, global president, Cadreon Luke McGuiness , GM, data monetization, LiveRamp

, GM, data monetization, LiveRamp Tina Moffett , senior analyst, Forrester

, senior analyst, Forrester Megan Pagliuca , CEO, Accuen

, CEO, Accuen Kathy Ring , CEO, Starcom

, CEO, Starcom Sharona Sankar-King , EVP and head of marketing science, BBDO New York

, EVP and head of marketing science, BBDO New York Nancy Smith , president and CEO, Analytic Partners

, president and CEO, Analytic Partners Alice Sylvester , partner, Sequent Partners

, partner, Sequent Partners Dan Taylor , managing director of global display, Google

, managing director of global display, Google Michael Wexler , director of digital insights and marketing effectiveness, Citi

For the full agenda, please visit: http://datasummit.aaaa.org/agenda/.

Data Summit 2017 will be held at Convene at 32 Old Slip in New York City. For further details, agenda and registration information, please visit: http://datasummit.aaaa.org/.

About the 4A's Data Summit

The 4A's founded the Data Summit conference in 2014 to provide a forum for thought leaders, marketers, agencies and data experts primarily working in the advertising industry. Speakers come from both inside and outside the advertising industry, and the Data Summit audience is made up of brand marketers, agencies, ad tech, media and data companies, in addition to senior leaders from holding companies.

About the 4A's

The 4A's is the catalyst for bringing together the right people in the right places at the right time to address the advertising industry's most critical business issues. It provides leadership, advocacy, guidance and community to its members and the industry at large, with proprietary access to the people, information and tools needed to make smarter management decisions. Its mission is to help agencies become more successful. Visit the 4A's at www.aaaa.org.

PR Contact:

Samantha Wolf

Havas PR

646-515-3574

[email protected]

SOURCE 4A's

Related Links

http://www.aaaa.org


STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Three immunology researchers share 2017's Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis, for which the prize money is 6 million Swedish krona. The research being rewarded deals with the discovery of regulatory T cells, cells that can be regarded as our immune system's security guards. They put a brake on cells that are overzealous and attack the body's own tissue. There are hopes that their discoveries will lead the way to new, highly effective treatment methods for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, MS and type 1 diabetes.

The Royal Science Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2017 Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis to

Shimon Sakaguchi, Osaka University, Japan,

Fred Ramsdell, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA

and

Alexander Rudensky, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA,

"for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases."

Autoimmune diseases arise when the body's immune system malfunctions, attacking normal tissue. Globally, these diseases cause great suffering and premature death for millions of people. Autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes and polyarthritis. The latter is a term used for rheumatic diseases in which multiple joints are affected.

There are great hopes that highly effective treatments for autoimmune diseases will be possible, based on new knowledge about the immune system that was gained over the last few decades. Three researchers are now being rewarded for their fundamental discoveries in the field: Shimon Sakaguchi, Fred Ramsdell, and Alexander Rudensky.

The Laureates' discoveries relate to regulatory T cells, which are the immune system's security guards. Their task is to keep an eye on other white blood cells that are overzealous in their task of defending the body from intruders and could harm things they should leave alone, such as healthy cells in joints, the pancreas or brain.

Even back in the 1960s, researchers were searching for suppressor cells in the immune system, but the research results were contradictory. Accordingly, over time, the consensus became that no such cells existed. Despite this, Shimon Sakaguchi persevered with the search and, after many years, he succeeded in identifying the cells that are now called regulatory T cells. Some years later, Fred Ramsdell approached the same area from a different direction; he isolated and identified the gene that is linked to severe autoimmune disease in a particular strain of mice. He also demonstrated that mutation in the same gene in humans, now known as FOXP3, causes a severe congenital disease called IPEX. Shortly afterwards, decisive findings were made, linking these two pieces of knowledge together. Alexander Rudensky, Shimon Sakaguchi and Fred Ramsdell each described how the FOXP3 gene is vital to a process that results in some T cells becoming security guards in the immune system. These are the regulatory T cells, which can prevent autoimmune reactions because they detect and suppress overzealous colleagues in the immune system.

A great number of clinical trials are now being conducted globally, with research teams testing various ways of using regulatory T cells to subdue the immune system's attacks that cause autoimmune diseases. The long-term vision is that of a breakthrough in the treatment of polyarthritis and other autoimmune syndromes, which could be treated more effectively than they are today.

Additional information, a video about this year's prize and illustrations for editorial use are available at:

http://kva.se/crafoordprize

www.crafoordprize.se

This year's Crafoord Prize

The Crafoord Prize is awarded as a partnership between the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Crafoord Foundation in Lund. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is responsible for deciding upon the Crafoord Laureates.

The prize is awarded in one discipline each year, according to a set schedule for Mathematics and Astronomy, Geosciences, and Biosciences. The prize for Polyarthritis is awarded only when a special committee has demonstrated that scientific progress in this field has been such that an award is justified.

The prize amount is 6 million Swedish krona to be shared equally between the Laureates.

The award ceremony will be held at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 18 May 2017, in the presence of H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria.

The Crafoord Days are 15-18 May 2017 in Stockholm and Lund. A detailed programme will be available at http://kva.se/events

Prize lecture: 16 May, Lund University.

Prize symposium: 17 May, Stockholm. Please register via http://kva.se/events

Prize ceremony: 18 May, Beijer Hall, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm.

The Laureates

Shimon Sakaguchi, Professor at Osaka University, Japan. Discovered and documented the occurrence of regulatory T cells by systematically investigating cells that develop in the thymus of young mice, in a series of experiments from 1985 onwards. Born 1951.

www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/laboratory/experimentalimmunology/

Fred Ramsdell, Head of Research at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA. Identified the faulty gene in some mice and children that are born with IPEX, a severe autoimmune disease, in 2001. This gene, FOXP3, has proven to be vital in the development of regulatory T cells. Born 1961.

www.parkerici.org/about

Alexander Rudensky, Professor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. Knocked out the FOXP3 gene in mice in 2003, so they were unable to form regulatory T cells and thus suffered from severe autoimmune diseases. At about the same time, Sakaguchi and Ramsdell independently presented evidence that FOXP3 governs the formation of regulatory T cells and, at a stroke, a dynamic new field of research arose. Born 1956.

www.mskcc.org/research-areas/labs/alexander-rudensky

More information about the Crafoord Prize

http://kva.se/crafoordprize

www.crafoordprize.se

CONTACT:

Contact

Klas Karre, Professor of Molecular Immunology,

Crafoord Prize Committee

Tel: +46 8 524 862 82

E-mail: [email protected]

Olle Kampe, Professor of Clinical Endocrinology,

Crafoord Prize Committee

Tel: +46 70 815 1400

E-mail: [email protected]

Jessica Balksjo Nannini, Press Officer,

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Tel: +46 70 673 9650

E-mail: [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/the-crafoord-prize/r/this-year-s-crafoord-prize-is-awarded-for-fundamental-discoveries-in-immune-regulation,c2164049

SOURCE The Crafoord Prize

Related Links

http://www.crafoordprize.se


Upon the newly released 2016 visitor arrival statistics, it was revealed that an astounding total of 3,068,909 tourists visited Israel, an overall increase in tourism of 3.6% compared to 2015. The United States played the biggest role with its 672,071 tourists, a 5% increase from 2015. In fact, the U.S is the biggest contributor to the success of tourism in Israel and this helped to balance the major 31% decline in tourism from countries such as Russia and most of the European countries.

Another surprising statistic describes how travelers from Asia have also surged with an astonishing 31% increase from 2015. The highest number of Asian visitors hailed from China and India.

This rate of change can be credited in large part to the 500 million Israeli shekels marketing budget available to the Ministry of Tourism this past year. This is the largest amount allocated to marketing the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has ever been granted. A significant portion of this budget was aimed at expanding to new markets such as China, India, and the Philippines. Another considerable portion of the budget was aimed toward expanding the appeal of Israel from strictly a biblical destination to an enticing vacation spot. While the majority of travelers continues to be religious pilgrims seeking to explore the holy sites, there has also been a boom in travelers seeking the exciting nightlife, pristine beaches, world renowned cuisine, and cultural melting pot that Israel offers.

Like much of the rest of the world, Israel is no stranger to terrorism. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to impact the region, as one can see with the recent attack on a group of soldiers in Jerusalem that could potentially be linked to ISIS. Yet, tourist buses continue to fill up with no sign of slowing down. Perhaps this is due to the incredible safety record that remains strong among tourists even though such conflicts continue to occur as well as the strong demand by tourists worldwide to experience this ancient land.

Reputable companies such as America Israel Tours are taking diligent measures to ensure the sustained record of traveler safety, which in turn leads to a continued increase in tourism. Safety procedures are being implemented daily. America Israel Tours also suggests calling ahead to assess the current conditions at each of the sites on the itinerary and consistently checking with the police and tourist office for potential updates.

Those who do not allow fear and alarming reports to overwhelm their sense of adventure find that they can continue to travel without regret. We certainly cannot ignore the current circumstances of our world, but when travelers venture out to their favorite destinations they are met with far more experiences of kindness and hospitality than danger and hate.

This article was written by Noam Matas, General Manager of America Israel Tours, 877-248-8687.

SOURCE America Israel Tours

Related Links

http://www.americaisraeltours.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As Tillerson exposed yesterday in front of the senate, US partners and rivals are changing with the incoming political administration. While future president Trump weakened the Sino-American relationship, Obama expelled Russian diplomats after the FBI alleged that Russia had interfered in the last elections. Following these news, ReportLinker has conducted a survey to answer three questions:

 What do Americans think of Trump's diplomatic relationships with China and Russia?

 Do they support Trump's diplomacy with China?

 And do they agree with Barack Obama's sanctions against Russia?

Results show that China (47%) and Russia (42%) are viewed as the main rivals of the United States.

When discussing Russia:

 More than half of Americans interviewed (57%) agree with Obama's sanctions against Russia

 35% of US respondents strongly believe Russia manipulated the elections' results

 And almost 60% of Americans are scared of Trumps' strong ties with Putin and Russia

When asked about China:

 Two third of respondents (62%) have negative views about the current situation between China and the US

 56% of Americans disagree with Trump's diplomacy with China

 And 81% consider Trump should re-negotiate trade with the country.

To see all the survey results on the US/Chinese relationship click here.

To see all the survey results on the US/Russian relationship click here.

Please let me know if you would like to receive infographics on the topic.



Best regards,

Intissar Guettou

[email protected]

T: +1 347 903 1913

About Reportlinker Insight:

Reportlinker Insight combines analysis and exclusive investigations. We cover innovations, social and economics megatrends to understand the world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.reportlinker.com/insight/.



SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


PITTSBURGH, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) released the following statement today in support of the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) announcement that it was requesting consultations with China regarding its continuing expansion of production in the aluminum sector. This ongoing expansion and overcapacity has resulted in injury to U.S. production and employment. The filing is the result of a cooperative effort initiated more than one year ago by the USW and Century Aluminum with the USTR to address global overcapacity in the aluminum sector.

"USTR's request for consultations is intended to eliminate the devastating effects China's actions to dominate world aluminum production have created for its competitors," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. "This is called 'serious prejudice' in trade law terminology.

"Fueled by supporting policies, China's massive expansion of industrial capacity in aluminum has increased its capacity by 22 million tons (or 130 percent) in the last eight years, helping to depress world prices of aluminum by more than 35 percent.

"As a result, U.S. producers cannot get fair market prices for their products. This has led to significant injury with numerous facilities closing and more than 6,600 highly skilled USW members laid off.

"Success in this case would give hope to the thousands of aluminum sector workers across the country that have either lost their jobs or are in fear of losing them in this distorted market. We worked with allies in Congress and partners in the American aluminum industry to bring the severity of the problem to USTR's attention and especially want to thank Senators Wyden, Schumer, Brown and Portman for their leadership. The staff of the USTR has put considerable time and effort into this case, as they have with many other important enforcement actions.

"As a result, USTR has studied the causes of China's massive, ongoing capacity expansion that has decimated production and our members' jobs. In 2008, there were 14 smelters operating in America. Today there are five. The loss of this production and the thousands of jobs it took with it can be directly tied to the predatory practices of Chinese state-directed entities.

"When China and other countries ignore rules in other sectors, the USW works hard to get relief through trade cases, and these have momentarily helped to stem the flood of steel imports and to slow imports of aluminum extrusion products.

"If the USW had been able to bring a traditional trade case against China, we would have done so years ago but unfortunately traditional trade cases are not effective for basic aluminum. China's massive, illegal subsidies have depressed world prices and made American domestic operations unprofitable, regardless of export levels. Only global action will be effective."

USW International Vice President Tom Conway said: "Some 60 percent of primary U.S. aluminum capacity has gone offline in the last nine months. U.S. domestic aluminum producers, workers and communities suffer as China continues to break its promises and undermine American jobs. This case deserves the attention and support of our trading partners and those who argue for further trade liberalization. China is not a market economy, and its actions in this sector and others are constant testimony to that fact.

"Every job counts. We have the most productive, efficient workers in the world. We can compete against anyone that plays by the rules, but we can't compete against governments. Chinese companies act primarily on behalf of and with the support of the state. That's not market economics."

President Gerard said, "China's free ride needs to end. Fifteen years ago, China became a member of the WTO and since then, it has enjoyed virtually unfettered access to the U.S. market. In return they limit our exports and undermine our economic interests. This case is part of a broader enforcement effort which we hope will increase with the next administration.

"We call on other aluminum-producing nations -- and, in fact, all nations concerned about China's overcapacity in this and many other sectors -- to join the U.S. government in this case. The WTO needs to act expeditiously and recognize that success in this case, as in other contexts that deal with China's failure to become a market economy, is vital to continuing support for itself as an institution. China's failure to become a market economy even after being a WTO member for more than 15 years is creating serious stresses in the international trading system, not to mention severe dislocations in many economies, developed and developing alike, for workers and businesses that operate based on the harsh discipline of the free market. If the WTO fails to sanction China's harmful economic approach, it will signal a need for America to reclaim control of its trade agenda. Too often, the WTO has acted against the interest of those seeking to enforce the rules of fair trade. This case provides an opportunity for the WTO to restore some of its legitimacy."

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries, including metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, mining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/.

CONTACT: Holly Hart (202) 778-4384

[email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Related Links

http://www.usw.org


PISCATAWAY, N.J., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ValueMomentum Inc ., a provider of software and services to the insurance, healthcare and financial services industries, announced today that its BizDynamics digital experience solution, has been profiled in a recently published report from research and strategic advisory firm Celent.

The Celent 2016 Global PC Portal Solutions report provides definition and functionality of a portal solution, technical considerations, transactional servicing features and common functionalities generally found across all portal solutions.

Commenting on the state of the portal market, Karlyn Carnahan, a research director with Celent's Insurance practice and author of the report, said, "As competitive pressures continue to increase, many carriers are investing in agent portal projects as one of their top priorities. Carriers recognize that an agent portal is a must-have and that a more robust portal increases both growth and retention."

The report notes that majority of the functionality enumerated by Celent in this report, is available out of the box with BizDynamics. Also included is a breakdown of BizDynamics' wide variety of client users which include insurers, TPAs, and self-insureds; and a comprehensive list of the lines of business supported which range from personal to commercial lines, including workers' compensation.

Noting BizDynamics' technology, the reports states, "BizDynamics is a modern Digital Engagement Platform built on cloud technologies from Microsoft. The platform provides extensive capabilities and framework around product catalog, rules, user experience designers, communication and collaboration workloads."

"While portals have been around for some time, the increased focus on the digital experience, optimizing distribution and ease of doing business, have drastically raised the expectations of the latest generation of offerings like BizDynamics," noted ValueMomentum's Vice President of Insurance, James Carlucci. "Agents and insureds alike expect a rich, multi-channel, and personalized digital experience whether in their personal or business online interactions. We've designed BizDynamics with those expectations in mind to help our clients provide customers, agents, and employees with a high quality experience across all touchpoints."

To obtain a copy of the complete ValueMomentum BizDynamics profile from the Celent report click here.

About ValueMomentum

ValueMomentum provides software and services to Insurance, Healthcare & Financial Services firms. Customers choose ValueMomentum due to the company's track record of delivering value and driving the momentum of customers' business initiatives. ValueMomentum accomplishes this by applying a time-tested formula of combining strong technology expertise with deep industry experience. For more information, visit www.valuemomentum.com .

SOURCE ValueMomentum, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.valuemomentum.com


MISSION, Kan., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VinSolutions announced today the availability of Rates & Residuals, a new upgrade to its Connect Desking tool that integrates Dealertrack's comprehensive lender data to help with more accurate, efficient and profitable deal making.

With the Rates & Residuals enhancement, dealerships now have the ability to structure deals for new and pre-owned vehicles by accessing incentives, rates and programs of both their captive and non-captive lenders, all within VinSolutions. VinSolutions' Rates & Residuals portal, powered by Dealertrack, returns the top retail and/or lease programs based on consumer credit scores. Access to the portal allows dealership personnel to quickly compare, select and build multiple deal structures in VinSolutions' desking product and optimize front- and back-end profits. The desking solution offers the opportunity to improve the customer experience with a more streamlined desking process that benefits both customers and dealers.

"At Cox Automotive, we're always looking for ways to help dealers succeed with their customers. This new desking capability is something we're pleased to offer and is the first of many exciting improvements in desking and deal management that will be coming in 2017," said James Maynard, vice president of product for VinSolutions. "Rates & Residuals combines accurate lender data from Dealertrack and deep customer insights from our Connect CRM to help make desking  a critical step in the sales process  more accurate and more profitable than ever."

To date, several dealerships have participated in a pilot program for Rates & Residuals, with the upgrade being made more widely available in 2017.

"Accuracy is paramount to our business model," said David Greenly, e-commerce director at Dorschel Automotive Group, a pilot location for the new desking add-on. "The integration of Dealertrack data within VinSolutions is an immense advantage for us as we strive to be more efficient."

Dealers interested in more information on the Rates & Residuals add-on to Connect Desking can visit VinSolutions at booth #1523 during the 2017 NADA Convention & Expo, January 2629, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

About VinSolutions

VinSolutions helps make every customer connection count by providing individual dealers and dealer groups with sophisticated yet easy-to-use software solutions that span the scope of dealership operations. With its cloud-based system, VinSolutions' all-in-one internal management, sales and service marketing solutions platform is accessible from anywhere an Internet connection is available, including mobile devices.

VinSolutions has been named to the Inc. 5000 every year since 2011 and has received numerous industry awards for its innovative products. VinSolutions is OEM certified by every major manufacturer and is Autosoft, CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds and Dealertrack DMS certified. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Mission, Kansas, VinSolutions is a Cox Automotive brand. Visit VinSolutions online at vinsolutions.com

SOURCE VinSolutions

Related Links

http://www.vinsolutions.com


DENVER, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wakely Consulting Group (http://www.Wakely.com), a premier consulting firm with deep expertise in healthcare reform, is announcing that Al Bingham, FSA, MAAA has joined the firm. Al is a significant addition to Wakely's roster of nationally recognized healthcare experts who are helping clients successfully negotiate the changes and challenges associated with healthcare reform.

Al Bingham was most recently the Director of the Office of Special Initiatives and Pricing in the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). He served as the senior actuarial advisor and Chief Commercial Actuary for CMS on various commercial insurance and ACA initiatives, including risk adjustment, health policy, insurance programs and insurance oversight activities. He formerly was Executive Director  Actuarial Services, East Regions for Kaiser Permanente (KP), responsible for all actuarial services for the KP eastern regions. Prior to Kaiser Permanente, he served in several senior actuarial consulting roles. His consulting experience includes actuarial and strategic work with health plans, health care providers, and large employers.

"Wakely has a reputation within CMS and elsewhere as the leaders when it comes to actuarial analysis of healthcare reform, risk adjustment, and to understand the drivers of success in the commercial market, and I'm very excited to join this team. I know of no other firm with the level of resources necessary to effectively analyze and evaluate health reform policy alternatives," says Bingham.

Ross Winkelman, Principal at Wakely, says, "We are absolutely thrilled to have someone of Al's caliber and experience join our team. People want to work with the best in their field, and we continue to attract top talent. Our clients appreciate the independent, top quality expertise."

About Wakely

Wakely Consulting Group is a nationally recognized health care financial and actuarial consulting firm serving health plans, government regulators, employers, health care providers, and other stakeholders in health care, managed care, and reform markets. Wakely assists clients with product pricing, feasibility studies, predictive modeling, actuarial certifications and filings, operational analysis, compliance, and other financial and management aspects of their business. Wakely has offices in Tampa, FL; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, MN; and Phoenix, AZ.

Media Contact:

Kelly Thompson

Phone: 612.800.6585

Email: [email protected]

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE Wakely Consulting Group

Related Links

http://www.Wakely.com


IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Healthcare Investors, a commercial real estate investment firm that specializes in the acquisition and management of healthcare-related properties, announced today that Wendie Newman has joined the company as executive vice president, asset management. In her new role, Newman will be responsible for oversight of the company's nationwide portfolio of medical office buildings, totaling 189 buildings and 7.6 million square feet.

Newman joins American Healthcare Investors from Ventas' (NYSE: VTR) wholly owned medical office affiliate, Lillibridge Healthcare Services, where she oversaw the company's medical office building assets in the Western United States, which included approximately 122 medical office buildings totaling 7.1 million square feet. Ventas is one of the largest healthcare real estate investment trusts in the country. Prior to Lillibridge, Newman held a similar role at Nationwide Health Properties, where she oversaw the company's national medical office building portfolio until their acquisition by Ventas, Inc. in 2011.

"Wendie Newman is an important addition to our executive team, bringing with her more than 25 years of senior level experience in the commercial real estate industry, with extensive experience in the medical office space," said Danny Prosky, co-founder of American Healthcare Investors. "Since our founding in 2012, American Healthcare Investors has quickly grown to become one of the largest managers of healthcare real estate in the nation with nearly $9 billion in assets under management. Adding an executive of Wendie's talent and experience strengthens our management team and will allow us to continue to provide exceptional service to our tenants, investors and clients."

Earlier in her career, Newman held senior positions with PM Realty Group, Sares-Regis Group and CBRE, where she was involved in various real estate activities including acquisitions, dispositions, asset management, leasing and operations for multiple commercial asset types.

Newman received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California, and a master's of business administration from California State University, Long Beach.

About American Healthcare Investors, LLC

American Healthcare Investors is an investment management firm that specializes in the acquisition and management of healthcare-related real estate. One of the world's largest managers of healthcare real estate, the company oversees an approximately 30 million-square-foot portfolio valued at more than $8.8 billion, based on aggregate purchase price, on behalf of multiple investment programs that include thousands of individual and institutional investors. As of September 30, 2016, this international portfolio includes more than 600 buildings comprised of medical office buildings, hospitals, senior housing, skilled nursing facilities and integrated senior health campuses located throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. The company and its principals have completed approximately $25 billion in aggregate acquisition and disposition transactions, approximately $15 billion of which have been healthcare-related. American Healthcare Investors is committed to providing investors with access to the potential benefits that healthcare-related real estate ownership can provide. For more information regarding American Healthcare Investors, please visit www.AmericanHealthcareInvestors.com.

SOURCE American Healthcare Investors

Related Links

http://www.AmericanHealthcareInvestors.com


COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle is now accepting reservations for its 26th annual Valentine's Day dinner Tuesday, February 14, from 4  9 p.m. The special experience, complete with hostess seating, tableside service and a fun cuisine of Sliders, Veggie Sliders, Chicken Rings, Gooey Butter Cake on a stick and other noteworthy menu items, is a yearly tradition for many couples, friends and families.

"Valentine's Day is a longstanding tradition for us. Many couples have fond memories of first dates here, some even met for the first time at a White Castle  and then there's the few who shared their wedding vows among friends and family in our dining room," said Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle. "This is a wonderful event for many of our guests who have shared memorable moments and family traditions at our restaurants over the years."

This fun alternative to a traditional dinner has been a popular staple for White Castle fans across the country. Reservations are limited and book quickly, so calling early is advised. Visit whitecastle.com to find information about the event hours and phone number to call to make reservations.

"Reservations fill up quickly at many locations," Richardson said. "We encourage Cravers everywhere to contact our regional offices as soon as possible to ensure they get a table. It's the ultimate way to 'share the love' on Valentine's Day  and we want craving fans everywhere to have the chance to experience for themselves."

White Castle team members encourage those who attend the dinner to take photos and post them to social media, using #whitecastle to share with Cravers located in all White Castle regions and across the globe.

White Castle also will celebrate its commitment to the community with a fundraiser for the Red Cross Disaster Relief through its Castle Shares initiative from February 1 through February 14. Guests have the opportunity to make a donation to the Red Cross for $1, $3 or $5 at all White Castle restaurants. All proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross Disaster Relief.

About White Castle

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain based in Columbus, Ohio, is celebrating 95 years as a family-owned business. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921 serving The Original Slider which was named the most influential burger of all time in 2014 by Time. All White Castle Sliders are made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states and has two dedicated Crave Mobiles that attended hundreds of events in 2015. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle signature products in grocery, club stores, convenience stores, vending operations and concessions across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military base exchanges around the world.

WhiteCastle.com is a culture center for Cravers, the chain's loyal and passionate fan base, connecting like-minded Slider enthusiasts from around the globe in a social media setting. For more information on White Castle and to see the Craver Hall of Fame, visit whitecastle.com.

SOURCE White Castle

Related Links

http://www.whitecastle.com


EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wpromote today announced that it has joined Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement dedicated to making the community a key stakeholder in every business by pledging 1% of employee time.

"Our employees are increasingly socially conscious, and joining Pledge 1% is the next way we're giving back to our community," said Michael Block, COO of Wpromote. "Our employee-led charity committee, Wprovide, has been a foundational part of our company for years, and we're always looking for ways to change more lives."

Through this initiative, Wpromote will expand its focus on helping non-profits grow both their online and offline presence. In October 2016, Wpromote introduced Wprobono: Digital Day in LA, which hosted local non-profits for an entire day of workshops, courses and discussions.

"The impact we make to our for-profit clients is tremendous, resulting in enormous revenue and job growth and impact across the country. For us to be able to create the same ripple effect in the non-profit world is incredibly exciting. Joining Pledge 1% is not just a symbolic act; we aim to impact community involvement, awareness and fundraising across every non-profit we work with," said Michael Mothner, Founder and CEO of Wpromote.

Wpromote joins an international network of entrepreneurs and companies who have committed themselves to philanthropic efforts, including Yelp!, Salesforce and Yahoo. Learn how Pledge 1% works here, and check out Wpromote's current philanthropic efforts here.

About Wpromote

Founded in 2001 by Michael Mothner, Wpromote is an award-winning online marketing firm headquartered in El Segundo, California with nearly 275+ employees and expanding rapidly. Named one of the Best Places to Work in the US by Ad Age two years running, Wpromote has helped hundreds of clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies grow their businesses online with end-to-end digital solutions. With unmatched experience in multi-channel, content-centric campaigns and unrivaled dedication to clients' results, Wpromote helps companies big and small act and move like large enterprises. For more information, visit http://www.wpromote.com.

About Pledge 1%

Pledge 1% is a movement spearheaded by Atlassian, Salesforce.org, and Tides to accelerate the integration of philanthropy into businesses around the world. Pledge 1% encourages and challenges individuals and companies to pledge 1% of equity, product, and/or employee time to their communities, because pledging a small portion of future success can have a huge impact on tomorrow. Pledge 1% offers companies turnkey tools and best practices, making it accessible for any company to incorporate philanthropy into their business model. To learn more or to take the pledge, please visit www.pledge1percent.org.

SOURCE Wpromote

Related Links

http://www.wpromote.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide derived from a bacteria called xanthomonas campestris through a pure-culture fermentation process. The xanthomonas campestris strain used to yield xanthan gum is non-pathogenic and non-toxic to animals and humans. Therefore, it is preferred over other substitutes in food applications. Xanthan gum is primarily employed in end-user industries such as oil & gas and food & beverage. Demand for xanthan gum is expected to increase significantly in the next few years considering the favorable regulatory policies regarding its use in food and beverages. Asia Pacific and North America dominates the xanthan gum market in terms of production and demand. Countries such as the U.S, Canada and China are expected to be the key consumers of xanthan gum during the forecast period. Antidumping duty on imports of xanthan gum from China and Austria is anticipated to hamper the market growth. Increasing demand for gluten-free products is estimated to offer major opportunities to the xanthan gum market in the next few years.



This report analyzes and forecasts the market for xanthan gum at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on volume (Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global xanthan gum market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for xanthan gum during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the xanthan gum market at the global and regional level.



The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global xanthan gum market. Porter's Five Forces model for the xanthan gum market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.



Global Xanthan Gum Market: Segmentations



The study provides a decisive view of the global xanthan gum market by segmenting it in terms of end-users such as food & beverage, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, personal care and others (including agrochemicals, lab research, paints and printing inks). The food & beverage segment is further bifurcated into: Bakery & Confectionery, Dairy & Ice cream, Meat & Fish, Beverages and Sauces & Dressings. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for xanthan gum in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.



The report provides the actual market size of xanthan gum for 2015 and estimated market size for 2016 with forecast for the next eight years. The global market size of xanthan gum has been provided in terms of volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in tons, while market revenue is in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on key end-users of xanthan gum. Market size and forecast for numerous end-users have been provided in terms of global, and regional level markets.



Global Xanthan Gum Market: Research Methodologies



In order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represented the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, Internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants' insights, and recognizing business opportunities.



Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as ICIS, Food Navigator, The United States International Trade Commission, Hoover's, Factiva and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market.



Global Xanthan Gum Market: Competitive Landscape



We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators to validate data and analysis. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.



The report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global xanthan gum market. Key players in the xanthan gum market are Fufeng Group Company Limited, CP Kelco, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, Inc., Jungbunzlauer Suisse AG, The Aurora Chemical, MeiHua Holdings Group Co., Ltd, Hebei Xinhe Biochemical Co., Ltd., DuPont-Danisco, Deosen, Solvay S.A., The Zoranoc Oilfield Chemical and FMC BioPolymer. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, SWOT analysis, business strategies, and recent developments.



The global xanthan gum market has been segmented as follows:



Xanthan Gum Market: End-user Analysis



Food & beverage

Bakery & Confectionery

Dairy & Ice creams

Meat & Fish

Beverages

Sauces & Dressings

Oil & gas

Pharmaceutical

Personal Care

Others (agrochemicals, lab research, paints, printing inks, etc.)



Xanthan Gum Market: Regional Analysis



North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

U.K.

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

ASEAN

India

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)

GCC

Nigeria

South Africa

Rest of MEA

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04603762-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com

__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


12 SHARES Share Tweet

It was an intriguing setting at the long-awaited news conference with Donald Trump, when CNNs Jim Acosta declined to simply remain there and take Trumps shots. The resulting tussle put the tycoons confrontational style on full show and, only nine days until the inauguration, maybe foreshadowed a time of irritable presidential news gatherings, expecting Trump to hold them on a regular basis, which is no promise.

Trump appeared to be especially vexed that one of his lawyers, Michael Cohen had been named in a record distributed Tuesday night by BuzzFeed that the site said was set up by a man who is comprehended to be a previous British knowledge specialist. The archive, compressed by U.S. knowledge boss amid briefings a week ago with Trump and President Obama, affirmed that Cohen met with Russian authorities in Prague the previous summer.

Cohen denied having ever made a trip to Prague, and CNN, which was first to report the Trump and Obama briefings however did not distribute the full, unconfirmed record, revealed Wednesday morning that the meeting included an alternate Michael Cohen.

Acostas last comment was that Trumps refusal to approach him was not suitable. Afterward, approaching White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer supposedly told Acosta that he was not fitting. Acostas kindred columnists sponsored him by the thousand, in any case, delineating at the end of the day the fracture between Trumps perspective of the media and the medias perspective of itself.
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
Imphal : Imphal Jan 8 (IANS) More than 500 loaded trucks and oil tankers were on Sunday escorted into Manipur capital Imphal from Assam by state and central paramilitary forces, beating a Naga-imposed blockade.

The 511 trucks loaded with fuel and other consumer items, building materials and medicines were escorted over 220-km throughout the mountainous National Highway-37 from Silchar district in Assam to Imphal.

Officials said that 531 more loaded trucks and oil tankers will be escorted similarly in the next trip.

A report aid supporters of Naga blockade in Manipur torched a truck loaded with rice bags near Kotland along the national highway on Sunday morning, but no arrest was made.

The United Naga Council imposed the indefinite economic blockade of the state on November 1 last year to protest the Manipur government's plan to create two new districts in the state.

The UNC claimed several "lands of the Nagas" -- where they have been traditionally the inhabitants -- would be usurped by the new districts.

Meanwhile, prices of consumer and other items have increased considerably, with traders maintaining that transporters are demanding extra fares since supply vehicles remain stranded for days at Jiribam district headquarters while waiting for armed escorts.

The Manipur government had requested the Centre to intervene and facilitate tripartite talks to end the blockade, but there is no response as yet from New Delhi.
New York, Jan 10 : Social media giant Facebook is planning to show ads in the middle of videos and share the revenue generated with the publishers -- giving them 55 per cent of the sales -- media reported.

"The company is testing a new 'mid-roll' ad format which will give video publishers a chance to insert ads into their clips after people have watched them for at least 20 seconds," Re/Code reported on Tuesday.

The ads can also pop up on videos that run for atleast 90 seconds.

The new format suggests that the social networking giant is relatively giving more importance to the time people spend watching videos, rather than the total number of videos they watch.

To give users even more ways to watch, Facebook last year rolled out the ability to stream videos from the social network to your TV through devices like Apple TV or Google Chromecast.
Detroit, Jan 10 : A former Volkswagen official in the US has been arrested on fraud charges in the diesel emissions probe, the media reported on Tuesday.

Oliver Schmidt, who headed Volkswagen's regulatory compliance office in the US from 2014 to March 2015, appeared in a court here on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Schmidt and other Volkswagen executives were accused of covering the automaker's emissions fraud from US regulators in a scandal dubbed "Dieselgate" by the media.

According to lawsuits filed against Volkswagen, Schmidt gave made-up technical explanations for over-standard emissions of the company's diesel vehicles since late 2014.

The Volkswagen Group acknowledged in September 2015 that they designed the "defeat device" to allow the vehicles to pass emission tests.

The arrest of Schmidt has brought the case into the executive ranks.
Riyadh, Jan 10 : Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested two human rights activists without presenting any charges, a rights group said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) said Ahmed al-Mshikhs and Essam Koshak were arrested on January 5 and 8, respectively, Efe news reported.

"These arrests are solely due to the two men exercising their legitimate and peaceful right to freedom of opinion and freedom of expression and conducting their work in the field of human rights," read the statement.

The GCHR said al-Mshikhs, founder of the al-Adalah Centre for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, is currently being held in prison.

Koshak, said the organisation, had had his detention extended and had not yet been released on bail.

The human rights group believed the arrests were related to the activists' online activities.

"GCHR urges the Saudi Arabian authorities to release them immediately," read the statement.

The organisation also demanded that the two men be allowed to exercise their right to freedom of speech and be no longer harassed by authorities.
Pune, Jan 11 : Pained by the death of his pet dog, a depressed 22-year old management student hailing from Chhattisgarh committed suicide here, police officials said.

The incident happened around 8.30 p.m on Monday night when the deceased, Kanwar Harshavardhan Raghav jumped out of the sixth floor flat of a relative in Thakkar Enclave, Rakshanagar area of Hadapsar.

He landed on the solid concrete ground and bled profusely as locals rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead shortly afterwards.

Hailing from a family of army officers, a suicide note in a diary was recovered from the flat in which he mentioned the loss of his pet dog Siska eight months ago and his deep agony after that.

Raghav was living in Pune since the past couple of years and was a first year management student at the Symbiosis Group of colleges.

Senior Inspector Vishnu Pawar said that in his suicide note, Raghav asked his parents' forgiveness for his extreme step and said nobody should be held responsible for his death.

He mentioned how he was deeply anguished after his dog died some eight months ago, how he was unable to bear the separation from his pet and hence decided to end his own life.

Raghav's body was handed over to his distraught family members on Tuesday and his last rites were performed later in the evening.
Kabul, Jan 11 : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday said five of its diplomats were killed in an attack in Kandahar city in Afghanistan.

A statement from the UAE Foreign Ministry said they were targeted while on a mission regarding development, humanitarian and educational projects in Afghanistan, Efe news agency reported.
Patna, Jan 11 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is in Bodh Gaya for the 34th Kalchakra puja, termed the liquor prohibition in Bihar as a good decision.

"Prohibition in Bihar is a good step," he said on Wednesday while addressing thousands of devotees gathered here from across the world for the ongoing Buddhist spiritual event, about 110 km from capital Patna.

The Kalchakra puja is among the most sacred events of the Buddhist religious calendar.

He said that during his short visit to Patna last month Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had informed him about his government's prohibition policy.

The Dalai Lama also reminded his devotees that Lord Buddha said consumption of even a drop of alcohol is a sin and how Mahatma Gandhi also tried to bring in prohibition.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has been living in India in self-imposed exile since 1959 when he fled his homeland after Chinese Communist troops took over Tibet.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Nitish Kumar's decision of imposing prohibition in the state and urged all political parties and people to back his move.

Modi has termed Nitish Kumar's decision of prohibition a "brave step" for social change.

"Taking an initiative for social change is very difficult, but Nitish Kumar has initiated it by enforcing prohibition. All people including political parties should back him for it," he said.

The Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance government enforced total prohibition on April 5 last year in the state. Since then, more than 16,000 people have been arrested on charges of either consuming or transporting liquor in the state.
What could you do to save money on your utility bill?

You have some options  like lowering the thermostat, unplugging items not in use, using a Kill A Watt device or replacing incandescent light bulbs.

Jan Rise, administrative services director for the Fremont Department of Utilities, has a host of tips.

They include:

Turn off lights, appliances and electronics off when not in use. Larger homes have rooms where operating TVs, radios, computers, and lights may be forgotten. For outdoor lights, install motion sensors or a combination of photo sensors to turn lights on and timers to turn them off.

Unplug idle power adapters and cell-phone chargers or use a power strip with a switch for convenience. Plug devices into the power strip which can be switched off when devices are not being used.

Replace at least five incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Energy Star labeled CFLs use 75 percent less energy and last six to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs do. Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and CFL bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same amount of light.

Set your thermostat a little lower. If you do this during the winter, youll reduce heating costs 2 to 3 percent for each degree of adjustment.

Changing your temperature from 72 to 68 degrees could lower your energy bill by up to 10 percent.

Lower the temperature at night or when youre away in the winter. If youre home during the day, leave it (the thermostat) at the level youre comfortable at, Rise said.

But if youll be gone all day or for a long period of time, the recommended temperature is 64 or 65 degrees for heating.

The thermostat also can be lowered to 65 degrees or lower before people go to bed, then turn it up to 68 degrees in the morning to take the chill off the house.

Dont believe a common misconception. The misconception is that the heating system must work harder to reheat the space to a comfortable temperature after a setback  resulting in little or no savings.

This belief has been dispelled by years of research by the U.S. Department of Energy and other organizations. The energy required to reheat a home is roughly equal to whats saved as the temperature drops to the lower setting.

The energy savings occurs during the temperature setback period; therefore, the longer your home remains at the lower temperature, the more energy is saved.

Get a digital or electronic thermostat. There are automated thermostats which allow you to use a seven-day-a-week calendar. You can input the time when they want to lower the temperature, like at bedtime, and then program the time when they want the temperature to be raised to the recommended 68 degrees or at their comfort level. Doing so can result in savings.

In the summer, a higher thermostat setting will save you money.

Use the auto setting. Set your thermostat to auto so the blower fan will not operate continuously.

Regularly change or clean filters in heating and cooling equipment. During peak heating or cooling season, change or clean filters monthly. A new filter may cost about $3, but can save you $5 or more per month.

Use ceiling fans. Energy Star states that you can raise summer air-conditioner settings by 3 to 5 degrees with no loss of comfort if you add ceiling fans. Switch reversible fans in winter, to pull cool air upward and force warm air back down.

Perform basic weatherization. This includes repairing holes and cracks that let in drafts and weather-stripping or caulking around doors and windows. It also includes plugging leaks and fixing gaps in insulation on ducts and pipes.

Wash most clothes in cold water. And always rinse in cold. Clothes washed in cold water fade less, have fewer wrinkles, and may save up to $100 annually on water heating.

Dont over-dry your clothes. Many clothes dryers have energy-saving moisture sensors that shut off the heat when the clothes are dry. If you dont have this feature, test a few loads and remember how long they take to dry. Running a typical drier for 15 minutes less per load can save you up to $35 per year. And remember to clean the lint trap after every load.

Unplug the old refrigerator or freezer you barely use. These old appliances can add up to 15 percent to your electric bill. You can save energy in your regular refrigerator by keeping the condenser coils clean, placing it in a well-ventilated, relatively cool spot, and keeping it full, but not overloaded. If your freezer is usually empty, you can improve cold airflow by storing some extra ice.

Think about energy when you shop. That includes shopping for a new TV, electronic device, appliance or building improvement. The easiest way is to look for the Energy Star label, which is issued to qualifying products by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Energy Star products use about one-third less energy than comparable standard products.

Check out a Kill A Watt device to test how much energy is being used when a power strip is shut off verses left in the on position.

Fremonts electric customers may check out a Kill A Watt device at the customer service office for two weeks, Rise said.

The device measures how much energy is used and the cost of having an appliance or other equipment plugged into an outlet.

Its pre-programmed with Fremonts electric rates to tell a customer how much it costs to use the appliance. It is available to customers free of charge.

It is our goal to help customers understand how much it costs to use electrical appliances and to keep equipment plugged into an outlet when not in use, Rise said.

Roughly 50 devices and appliances in the typical American household are always drawing power, even when they appear to be off, said the Department of Energys Berkeley Lab. It adds up.

About a quarter of all residential energy consumption is used on devices in idle power mode, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. That means that devices that are off or in standby or sleep mode can use up to the equivalent of 50 large power plants worth of electricity and cost more than $19 billion in electricity bills every year.
New Delhi, Jan 11 : Uflex, a global flexible packaging materials and solutions company, on Wednesday said its Rs 580-crore aseptic liquid packaging manufacturing plant will be up and running by April this year, with the solution sold under the "Asepto" brand.

Aseptic packaging -- derived from the word sterile -- ensures that food remains free from bacteria and other harmful micro-organisms for a period of at least eight months even under room temperature.

Made by laminating poly-ethylene with paperboard and aluminium foil, this multi-layered construction enables the carton to protect the contents from various factors responsible for spoilage, thereby preserving the product freshness and value.

"With our aseptic packaging manufacturing plant going operational, getting orders from existing clients for their liquid products will be a natural extension of our long-standing business relationship of several decades," said Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman and Managing Director.

At present the Indian aseptic liquid packaging market is growing at 17-18 per cent per annum and is expected to double in the next five years to approximately 20 billion packs per annum, the company said in a statement.

"Our capacity of 7 billion packs per annum will cater to 90 per cent of the domestic demand. In the Asia-Pacific region, the market growth is around 7 per cent and in India it is in double digits for 3-4 years," said Ashwani Sharma, President and CEO, New Business Initiatives.

"The plant is coming up on 21 acres of the 72-acre land parcel that Uflex has bought at Sanand, in Gujarat. Remaining land may cater to any future expansion of Uflex's existing business as well as for aseptic packaging manufacturing as the need be," added R.K. Jain, Group President.
Washington/Ottawa, Jan 12 : Soon after India threatened it won't grant visas to any Amazon official if the company did not withdraw an Indian flag-themed doormat from its Canadian platform, the e-commerce website removed the article from the online marketplace, a media report said on Thursday.

An Amazon spokesman at its headquarters in Seattle contacted The Washington Post to say that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday took up the cause on Twitter, responding to one of the hundreds of people who have petitioned her to demand action from Canadian authorities.

"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately," Swaraj said in a tweet.

"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," she added.

An image of the products was tweeted to the Minister, after which she asked the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, to raise the issue with Amazon.

"Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level," the Minister said in a tweet.

The Indian High Commission did not respond to a request for clarification on whether it had lodged a complaint with Amazon's Canadian offices.

Doormats featuring the Indian flag were made available on Amazon Canada site by two vendors -- Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL. They also offers versions with the American and Canadian flags. No laws in Canada prohibit these sales.

"Unlike US or Canada where people have shoes, underwear etc made of national flags, we indians respect our flag. Please remove this flag before this information goes viral and people stop using Amazon in india. This is hurting our sentiments," wrote a user named Soumitra Bhattacharya.

The product had been accruing one-star ratings from offended Indians.
Washington, Jan 12 : The US Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship", a media report said on Thursday.

The officials include Minister of State Security and leader Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Efe news reported.

"The North Korean regime not only engages in severe human rights abuses, but it also implements rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behaviour," said Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) John E. Smith.

The list also includes Kim Won Hong, the Minister of State Security, a body that Washington considers responsible for torture and inhumane treatment in the country's network of political prison camps.
New Delhi : Title: E=mc2; Author: David Bodanis; Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK; Pages: 336; Price: Rs 499 For what is the most famous and significant scientific equation ever, E=mc2 (c squared) appears rather simple. But in its five characters -- three letters representing significant physical forces or states, a number and a symbol, is the basic blueprint of our universe, the principle of its creation and eventual destruction, and basis of all our advanced modern technology, from lasers to computer chips.

While it is Albert Einstein who discerned it in 1905, in what became his Special Theory of Relativity, this equation actually came on foundations laid through centuries of path-breaking research before him, and was further advanced by some very famous scientists -- and many others, specially women, who never received their due.

And telling this engrossing story of boundless vision, stunning mental acrobatics, inspired thought, but also titanic egos and jealousy, massive class and gender prejudice, and sheer bad luck, in a most accessible way, is academician-writer David Bodanis.

In this new edition of his biography of this equation, Bodanis, recounting a touching tribute to his work since it came out 15 years ago, opines that its popularity may not lie in showing how the unparallelled genius that was Einstein made his staggering discovery but something else altogether.

This, the author contends, could includes Einstein's humility in admitting why his discovery came out this particularly simple way or his belief that this simplicity indicated that there was something deeper beneath our world's surface though he would not get into ascribing it to religion (he was both scornful of atheists and votaries of organised religions).

Above all, it could be Einstein's transcendental approach, with his work bringing "together ideas that vastly different researchers had begun to explore", having understood that they were "yearning for the same goal: to understand how the universe was built". And while he was conscious that it was unlikely they could succeed, he was also firm that the endeavour had to be undertaken.

Bodanis starts with a brief account of Einstein reaching his conclusion and announcing his discovery, before going on to deal with the evolution of the equation's five components, detailing the history of energy, the "equal to" sign, mass, celeritas, or the speed of the light, and that too squared (or multiplied by itself).

This is one of the book's high points, with not only the appearance of famous scientists like Michael Faraday, Issac Newton, Antoine Lavoisier, James Clark Maxwell, but also those whose contributions remain unpublicised -- like French philosopher Voltaire's mistress, Emilie Du Chatelet, who was one of the foremost intellects of her time and contested Newtonian science to ensure that energy of any object would be the product of its mass and velocity squared, not just mass and velocity.

Along with their profound discoveries, there is also much other key -- and interesting -- information beyond scientific matters, and also the human emotions, perceptions and relations that can advance or retard the pursuit of knowledge, as some scientists would learn.

Subsequently, Bodanis deals with the reactions to Einstein's equations, its consequential tie-up with radioactivity (with a rather interesting vignette of Einstein's meeting with Madame Curie), before shifting focus away from the scientist altogether -- for some time -- towards more experimental science. This deals with the effort to explore the atom and then split it, to get unbelievable amounts of energy.

This leads us to the competing projects during World War II, which had meanwhile started, to create a nuclear bomb (and Allied efforts to stymie the Nazis with plenty of commando action and even a possible James Bond moment or two), before a vivid, apocalyptic description of a bomb hurtling towards Hiroshima one August morning.

Bodanis then takes up e=mc2 into the skies, where we find it explaining black holes (with a prominent role of the Indian-born Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar) and revealing the apocalyptic end of our universe billions of years hence, before returning to tell the story of Einstein's final days.

But this book is not only a most accessible account (no other equations or complicated science) of a superlative scientific breakthrough, but also one of humans at their best -- and worst -- and, above all, the strange but effective universe we inhabit.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in )
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Apart from the dance and drama of Bollywood, Jess Gonchor is captivated by how the Indian film industry puts pieces of Indian culture into its storylines. The American production designer ("The Devil Wears Prada", et al) feels Hollywood can learn from the glitzy Hindi filmdom how to embrace its culture "naturally".

It is the larger-than-life canvas, splashed with music and dance sequences, that defines Bollywood for many. But for Gonchor, Indian cinema is a reflection of its diverse culture.

"The movies have bold moves... They embrace what is out there and is inevitable... And also about embracing the culture and representing India as it is. We can do something on the same lines... Maybe we can get the US to learn to take what is out there, what is naturally beautiful in itself, without changing anything," Gonchor told IANS over the phone from Los Angeles.

Since he speaks so fondly of the industry, how much does he really know of Bollywood?

Gonchor said he finds it very colourful. And even though he admits he's no expert on it, he feels it is "very saturated and bold".

Gonchor infuses life into different stories with his production designs. He entered the industry with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III" in 1993. But he came into the limelight with his work on Bennett Miller's "Capote", "The Devil Wears Prada", "No Country for Old Men", "Burn After Reading", "Foxcatcher" and "Hail, Caesar!".

He also went back in time to recreate the 1920 era for Ben Affleck's "Live By Night". The gangster drama, backed by Warner Bros, is slated to release in India on Friday.

"Live by Night", based on the award-winning best-seller by Dennis Lehane, narrates the story of a son of an honest Boston-Irish policeman who works his way up in the world of organised crime. It is a tale about family, friendship, fate, luck and loyalty.

Along with starring in "Live By Night", Affleck has written, directed and produced the gangster film. It also stars Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana and Chris Cooper.

Gonchor says creating a contrasting world of Boston and Florida in 1920 was fun, but challenging too.

"It was a wonderful experience to get to recreate the contrasting world that they are... It was challenging too. Most of the film is creating Florida and Boston in Los Angeles, and LA has changed. It is all modern and it is not even like what it was 10 years ago," said the Academy Award-nominated production designer.

Gonchor had one point clear when he picked the clean slate to draw upon -- and that was his desire to highlight harsh times as well as the goodness among people.

"We tried to create a sort of colder monochromatic vibe of what that time was," said Gonchor, who was born in New York in 1962.

Affleck has time and again emphasised that "Live By Night" is his homage to classics. Gonchor said he worked on Affleck's vision of the history, but with some customisation.

The film is creating a lot of Oscar buzz. What are his hopes?

"You certainly don't work for all these things, but you hope for some recognition in some way because you worked really hard on these things. But I try not to get caught up in all these things. It is nice if it happens... It is true that it is the journey not the destination that matters."

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in )
Washington, Jan 12 : US authorities have imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship".

"The North Korean regime not only engages in severe human rights abuses, but it also implements rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behaviour," Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) John E. Smith said on Wednesday.

The list includes Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister and Vice Director of the Workers' Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD), Efe news reported Kim Won Hong, the Minister of State Security, a body that Washington considers responsible for torture and inhuman treatment in the country's network of political prison camps.

The sanction list also includes the State Planning Commission and Ministry of Labour.

OFAC will also freeze the U.S.-based assets of the sanctioned officials and parties.

The US Department of the Treasury's announcement coincides with the State Department's report stressing that North Korea "continues to commit extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced labour, and torture."

Washington emphasised that these abuses take place in the country's prison camps, where it is estimated that "80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, including children and family members of those subject to persecution and censorship."
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 154th birth anniversary.

"We offer salutations to the great Swami Vivekananda and remember his powerful thoughts and ideals that continue shaping the minds of generations," the Prime Minister said in an official message here.
US , January 12 : Today our kids are more than ever held up with digital devices than ever. And of it the major space is occupied by the superhero cult, be it through cartoon series, movie franchises or mobile/tablet games.

We have different reasons and pacification for this culture settling among our children, like the lack of the parents time to engage with their kids, onset of nuclear families etc.

These views blind us from the potential downfall all our kids must be heading towards  because a study conducted at Brigham Young university finds that the superhero culture instills negative, aggressive sides to our kids than qualities like helping mentality.

Children who frequently engage with superhero content are more likely to be physically and relationally aggressive one year later; and seldom does these children fight for their friends as these superheroes show.

BYU Family Life professor, Sarah M. Coyne, author of this study decided to take this subject up to understand what exactly it was, that preschool-aged boys and girls took away from superhero culture; the results are shocking and point rather to the darker side.

"So many preschoolers are into superheroes and so many parents think that the superhero culture will help their kids defend others and be nicer to their peers," Coyne said, "but our study shows the exact opposite. Kids pick up on the aggressive themes and not the defending ones."

The study published this week in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology consisted of 240 children and their parents. The parents responded about the level of engagement their children had with superhero culture. Parents were asked how often their children watched superhero media and how much they identified with various superheroes.

Children were also individually interviewed, were asked to identify 10 popular superheroes, identify their favorite superhero and explain why they liked that superhero the best.

The various responses to as why they went in madly for these superheroes provided important insight in the study. Following were the responses:

10% noted some defending ability of the superheroes: "Because he shoots webs and he saves people."

20% of these children associated their favorite superhero with some type of violent skills. For example, "He's big and can punch" and "He smashes and gets angry."

While some were milder, others suggested blatant aggression. "Because he can smash and destroy everything, and he doesn't care because he's a big bully."

Another child stated that Captain America was his favorite superhero "because he can kill."

The remaining 70% of skills-related comments by children were benign in nature: "Because he is big and strong" and "Because he is cool and can fly."

These findings do not suggest that parents need to totally disengage their children from superheroes.

"Again, I'd say to have moderation," Coyne said. "Have your kids involved in all sorts of activities, and just have superheroes be one of many, many things that they like to do and engage with."

Dr. Coyne also tries to theorize as in why children may latch on to the violent behavior and not the moral behavior of superheroes.

A majority of the superhero contents are not created for pre-school or preliminary school kids, even though it's a totally normal scene these days for preschool students watching them.

These movies mostly contain complex storylines and concepts too big for kids. These contents always show the pattern of interweaving violence and pro-social behavior.

But preschoolers certainly cannot be expected to have the cognitive capability to pick out the wider moral message that is often portrayed and hence miss the cognitive part. All they see are the images (most of which are violent ones for thrill) and there is some additional desensitization associated with consuming violent media.

Last spring, Coyne authored a study on the effects of Disney Princess culture on young children, finding the perpetuation of stereotypes that could have damaging effects. The research received national and international media attention and trended worldwide on Facebook.

Even with all these the author also accepts the fact that completely eliminating superhero content is impossible and advocates prime moderation with these contents.

Story Source:Brigham Young University

For more parenting articles click here: Parenting
Tokyo, Jan 12 : The Japanese Coast Guard on Thursday rescued 26 North Koreans unhurt from a sinking cargo ship off Japan's southern coast.

The Coast Guard received a distress call from the ship on Wednesday night when it was some 60 km southwest of Goto islands in Nagasaki province, Efe news reported.

When the Coast Guard reached the ship around 3.30 a.m., the sailors had already abandoned the ship and were in lifeboats.

The ship sank at 5:45 a.m. when it was around 27 km southeast of Fukue island.

The Coast Guard also released a series of images showing the ship going under.

In 2015, at least 14 badly-damaged and overturned boats with almost two dozen bodies were found off Japanese coasts and authorities said they could be North Korean fishing boats that went adrift.
Wellington, Jan 12 : A man from New Zealand and his daughter arrived in Australia after drifting for nearly a month in the Tasman Sea in a small boat, officials said on Thursday.

On December 17, Alan Langdon, 49, and his six-year-old daughter, Que, set off from Kawhia for the Bay of Islands, both in New Zealand's North Island, but a storm damaged one of the two rudders of the six-metre boat, Efe news reported.

Langdon said that with just one rudder, the safest option was to head towards Australia, where they reached 27 days later at Ulladulla, which is 230 km from Sydney and some 2,600 km from Kawhia.

Langdon added they were never in any danger during their trip and had enough fresh water and supplies.

New Zealand police are investigating whether Langdon, who is involved in a custodial battle over his daughter with his former wife disobeyed a judicial order against taking his daughter out of the country without prior permission.

Langdon's former wife Ariane Wyler said she suspected Langdon would try to set off for Australia and urged the New Zealand authorities to get her daughter repatriated as soon as possible.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday dismissed nepotism charges against him and the Delhi government, calling them "baseless" and defamatory.

Jain said that by making such allegations after his retirement, former Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung seems to be campaigning for the upcoming elections in Punjab.

"There is an attempt going on to unnecessarily defame Aam Aadmi Party. This is being done keeping the Punjab elections in mind," Jain told reporters here.

"He (Jung) is no more the Lt. Governor of Delhi. He should refrain from making such statements. It's like he is campaigning for the elections," he added.

Jung on Wednesday accused Jain and the AAP of "nepotism and gross favouritism" in making appointments of his daughter Soumya Jain and Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwal's wife.

Jung alleged that Agarwal was first appointed as a resident doctor and then an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Jain's office without following due procedure.

"Within 2-3 weeks (of his appointment), he (Agarwal) was sent on a tour to China," Jung told India Today channel.

Jain responded that Agarwal was never sent to China and that his passport will prove that.

"He (Jung) is openly lying. All his allegations are based on lies," he added.

On charges of appointing his daughter as an advisor for Mohalla Clinics project, Jain said: "Soumya was working as a volunteer. She was not appointed at any post. She worked without any payment."

The former Lt. Governor alleged that Soumya took payment for the job but later returned it.

Jain also dismissed charges of irregularities in appointment of contractual employees at the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

"All appointments were made against old posts. No new posts were created."

"DCW has done more work in the last two years than it did in 20 years. If you have to do work, you need people," he said.

Jain said that Jung was sensationalising issues.

"Let the inquiry happen and truth will be revealed," he added.
London, Jan 12 : A former MI6 officer who is believed to have prepared a memo claiming that Russia has compromising material on US President-elect Donald Trump is now in hiding, the BBC said in a report on Thursday.

Christopher Steele has been widely named as the author of the memo -- which has been published in some US media -- that contains extensive allegations about Trump's personal life and his campaign's relationship with the Russian state.

Among the allegations are that Moscow has a video recording of Trump with prostitutes and damaging information about his business activities.

Steele, who runs a London-based intelligence firm, is believed to have left his home on either Tuesday or Wednesday, before he was publicly named, and was now "in hiding", the BBC report said.

It said that Steele had asked his neighbour to look after his cats.

MI6 officials considered Steele "extremely, highly regarded" and he was thought of as "competent".

Steele is believed to be a former member of the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 and is a director of Orbis Business Intelligence -- which describes itself as a leading corporate intelligence consultancy.

According to the report, Christopher Burrows, who is listed as a co-director of Orbis alongside Steele, refused to confirm or deny whether the firm had produced the memo on Trump.

The 35-page dossier on Trump -- which is believed to have been commissioned initially by Republicans opposed to the real-estate mogul -- has been circulating in Washington for some time.

But the allegations have not been independently substantiated or verified and some details have been challenged as incorrect by those who are mentioned.

Trump himself was briefed about the existence of the allegations by the US intelligence community last week but has since described them as "fake news" and "phoney stuff", accusing the American intelligence services of leaking the dossier.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a Mig-21 fighter jet, officials said.

The Air Force chief flew the Mig-21 aircraft at a forward base in Rajasthan, IAF sources said.

The flight lasted about half an hour long.

Former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (retired) flew the indigenous fighter jet Tejas last year, becoming the first air chief to fly the indigenous fighter.

He had also flown a Gripen aircraft at the Saab facility during an official trip to Sweden last year.
Jakarta, Jan 12 : Singapore deported eight Indonesians, who were detained by the customs authorities while trying to enter the country, for carrying photos linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group, officials said on Thursday.

Indonesia's counter-terrorism department is investigating the suspects, aged between 16 and 37, who claim to be preachers, Efe news reported.

The suspects are currently being held in Indonesia's Riau province (near Singapore) after being deported on Wednesday.

Photos of the IS flag, a homemade bomb and terror activities were found on the mobile phone of the leader of the group.

The suspects claimed they left Padang in Indonesia's West Sumatra province on January 3 for a preaching tour to Malaysia and southern Thailand, till they were stopped in Singapore on Tuesday.

Indonesia's counter-terrorism department detained more than a dozen people in December, dismantling two groups that were planning terror attacks.

Indonesian intelligence believes that around 500 Indonesian citizens have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the IS, out of which around 100 could have returned to the country.
Washington, Jan 12 : The family of a 23-year-old Mumbai student killed in Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade crash in 2015 has welcomed a ruling by a US court here giving life time jail to the woman behind the accident.

Adacia Chambers, 26, crashed into a crowd at the Oklahoma State University's homecoming parade killing four people, including MBA student Nikita Prabhakar Nakal.

Chambers was sentenced by Payne County District Court this week after pleading no contest to the four counts of second-degree murder and 39 counts of assault and battery, reported Oklahoma Television station Koco on Wednesday.

Many victims said they are thankful that they won't have to go through the turmoil of a trial, according to the report.

"It doesn't fix it, but hopefully it closes the doors so people can move forward, if that makes sense," said Nakita Prabhakar, the Indian victim's mother. Prabhakar's boyfriend said he's glad to see Chambers go to prison.

"It does help to some extent. It doesn't help a lot. The healing takes a lot of time for the family, especially going through all of the pain," Bhardwaj Bara said.

"I don't think it's going to be any time soon that I will feel any better, but it's a continuous process," he added.

Chambers' attorney, Tony Coleman, said in a press conference that she was suffering from a clear case of mental illness. However, Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas dismissed it as an excuse.

"I find it really offensive to equate mentally ill people with criminal acts and use that as a defense or an excuse," Thomas said.

Chambers' father, Floyd, expressed sympathy for the victims. "From the bottom of my heart, my heart goes out to those victims," he said, adding, "I hope they have a speedy recovery, and they don't let the loss of loved ones bring them down in life."
Imphal, Jan 12 : One person was killed and three others were injured in a militant ambush of a convoy of trucks and oil tankers moving long National Highway 37 towards Imphal capital city in Manipur on Thursday, officials said.

The unidentified person died on the spot. The injured were given initial treatment at a nearby hospital. As their condition became serious, they were later shifted to Imphal.

"Over 500 trucks and oil tankers were coming from Jiribam towards Imphal escorted by central paramilitary personnel. The gunmen opened fire at the trucks and other vehicles at Lukhambi," a state police official said.

Following this attack, all the vehicles were stranded on the highway as the drivers refused to ply without adequate security coverage.

Once some additional personnel arrived, the drivers moved on their vehicles towards Imphal.

The central leaders and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju are blaming the Manipur government for the ongoing economic blockade of the state imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC).

However, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh told IANS he had requested the central government to arrange a tripartite talks with the Naga organisations to resolve the crisis.

Both the Manipur government and the United Naga Council are imposing preconditions, and as a result the negotiations have not yet taken place.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that there is meaningful cooperation between the government and new Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar and all concerns of judiciary will be addressed.

He also cited the effects of the government's November 8 decision of demonetisation which had resulted in sharp decline in terror funding and other criminal activity.

"There is meaningful cooperation between the government and the new Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar and all concerns of judiciary will be addressed," the Minister said at a seminar, jointly organised by the Press Club of India, Indian Women Press Corps and the Supreme Court Lawyers' Conference.

Prasad asserted that independence of judiciary and media and individual liberty was sacrosanct for the government.

He also said that accountability of political establishment was a positive feature of democracy.

"The strength of democracy lies in bringing in positive changes like eliminating poll violence from Bihar by the efforts of the Election Commission," he said.

Defending demonetisation, he contended that it had resulted in "sharp decline in terror funding, hawala trade, supari killings and human trafficking, particularly of young girls as sex slaves, mainly from Nepal and the North East".

Indicating that the government would not hesitate to take steps to widen the tax base, he said that development was not possible without enlarging the tax kitty.

"There is only about Rs 5 lakh crore in the kitty of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for development and it needs to grow," he said.

He said that a new India, much stronger in its unity and integrity, was emerging, transcending the barriers of caste, creed and religion.

"Our government is transformative government and tools of technology are actively aiding the good governance. There are 110 crore Aadhar cards and 104 crore mobile connections today. Digital governance means faster delivery and even poor and illiterate people in rural areas are showing a new confidence in embracing the digital technology which has given a new vision of hope," said Prasad, who also holds charge of Information Technology.
Gandhinagar, Jan 12 : The eighth edition of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit, which concluded here on Thursday evening, saw the signing of more than 25,500 MoUs, the government said but declined to provide a figure of the quantum of investments.

In his address at at the closing ceremony, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the event would help establish Gujarat as the gateway to Indian economy. He extended all participants an invitation for the ninth edition of the summit in January 2019 and said the event was a regular feature now.

He said the summit would once again enhance Gujarat's reputation as an ideal investment destination, for delegates who came from across the world would go back home as brand ambassadors of the state.

"After seeing the reality of the state, they would definitely speak well about Gujarat and India," he added.

Rupani also noted that the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City would generate 10 lakh jobs in coming days.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the summit was a "great example for other states to create an environment for ease of doing business."

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel gave sector-wise figures of MoUs and informed that of the total, 25,578 MoUs signed during the past three days as many as 52 MoUs were worth Rs 4,000 crore and above. Compared to the previous edition of the event, this time 2500 more MoUs were signed, he added.

The high-profile summit witnessed over 74,000 registered delegates, including 2,734 international delegates from over 100 countries and 33,000 participants. There were 51 meetings of delegates with the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. As many as 350 VVIPs attended the event including Presidents of Rwanda and Kenya, Prime Ministers of Portugal and Serbia, Deputy Prime Ministers of Poland and Russia, 14 ministers and diplomats from 20 countries.
Patna, Jan 12 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told the Law Commission it is not possible to send a question-wise reply from the state government on viability of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

In a letter to Law Commission Chairman Justice B.S. Chauhan on Thursday, Nitish Kumar expressed his government's inability to form an opinion on the UCC in the absence of any specific or concrete information about its contours as also due to lack of consensus on it among religious groups.

Nitish has not only rejected the 16-point questionnaire sent to the Bihar government on implementation of the Uniform Civil Code but also urged the central government to not act in haste over the sensitive issue and hold debates on the matter.

"The questionnaire has been prepared in a manner so as to force respondent to reply in specific manner. There are leading questions with limited number of choices given as probable answers, which denies the respondent any scope to frame his own independent replies," he said.

Nitish said makers of the Constitution had thought of the Uniform Civil Code as something feasible in long run only with consensus of all stakeholders, mainly religious communities.

"The question is whether such a broad consensus exists at the moment in the society. Media reports suggest Muslim community have rejected possibility of UCC at this point of time. There is hardly any support or demand for Uniform Civil Code from any other religious group so far," he said.

He added that India has pluralistic fabric of society in respect of long standing religious practices, which has very often been codified as laws governing personal matters.

"For Uniform Civil Code, all such community laws will have to be scrapped," the Bihar Chief Minister said.

"The details of the proposed Uniform Civil Code have not been shared so far with the stakeholders for their comments. In the absence of any specific or concrete information about the contours of the UCC proposed by the central government, it will not be possible to form any opinion on the same," Nitish said in his letter.

He also pointed that idea of scrapping community laws and replacing them with Uniform Civil Code should be debated first in Parliament as well as in state assemblies and at other forums of civil society before the central government thinks of going ahead with it.

"Implementing UCC without consensus of religious groups, especially minorities would create social discord," he said.
Mumbai, Jan 12 : Global software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday appointed Rajesh Gopinathan as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Like his predecessor, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Gopinathan is the youngest CEO of the $16.5 billion IT major at the age of 46 years.

The now-54 Chandrasekaran, who was on Thursday as the new Chairman of the $103 billion Tata Sons group, was also 46 years old when he succeeded S. Ramadorai on October 6, 2009.

"Gopinathan takes over from Chandrasekaran from February 21, 2017," said the company in a statement here.

Prior to his appointment to the company's top post, Gopinathan was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President for nearly four years since February 2013.

"It is definitely a big shoe to fill. With continuous guidance from Chandrasekaran and support of the TCS team, I am confident of continuing this great journey that TCS is on," said Gopinathan in the statement.

The new CEO also clarified that the vision and roadmap of the company would remain the same as aimed earlier.

"Do not expect any major changes in TCS," he added.

Congratulating Gopinathan on his new appointment, Chandrasekaran said TCS' core strength was its strong leadership talent that was collaborative and aspirational.

"I have been privileged to lead this company of great professionals over the last seven years. I am delighted that the board has chosen Rajesh to lead this company into the future," he said.

"Rajesh has great understanding of the business and finance sides of TCS. I am confident that he will lead TCS to great heights," added Chandrasekaran.

Joining TCS in 2001 from Tata Industries, Gopinathan rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Business Finance before he was promoted as CFO in 2013.

According to the company, Gopinathan's responsibilities included financial planning, control, margin management and revenue assurance while heading the finance division.

Born in 1971, Gopinathan is an electrical and electronic engineer, graduating in 1994 from Regional Engineering College (REC) at Trichy in Tamil Nadu.

Gopinathan is also an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), the country's elite business school.

Gopinathan lives in this city with his wife Lekshmi and has a daughter and son.

In a regulatory filing to the BSE, the outsourcing firm also said it had appointed N.G. Subramanian as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Subramanian, who is President of the Financial Solutions, has also been appointed as a director on the company's board.
While some children dream of becoming policemen or firefighters, Spencer Wilson knew from a fairly young age that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up.

I think I went through that phase first, but then I wanted to be a lawyer, said Wilson, a Fremont native hired on at Yost Law Firm in early November. My Dad was lawyer, my great-grandpa was a lawyer and so I just knew it was something I wanted to do.

Wilson, a Fremont High School graduate, built on this skill set in high school where he was heavily involved on the Debate Team, where he competed nationally winning several tournaments.

After graduating from FHS, Wilson attended Creighton University, graduating in 2013 with a bachelors degree in political science before attending the University of Nebraska Law School, which he completed in 2016.

The past few months have been a whirlwind, Wilson said. After graduating from law school, Wilson passed the Bar Examination in July. He married his fiance, Claire, in October, and started work at Yost Law Firm Nov. 1.

Wilson knew upon graduation that he wanted to work for a smaller or medium-sized firm in Omaha, Lincoln or Fremont  it had to be within driving distance of Omaha Burke High School, where his wife teaches math, he said.

He also didnt want to get bogged down by the environment of a large-scale law firm.

I always knew I didnt want to work for a huge law firm, Wilson said while sitting in his office during a Tuesday interview. I felt like huge law firms kind of bleed their associates dry for billable hours, and they dont necessarily care about them that much. So I always knew that I wanted to work for a smaller law firm.

Wilson serves as a general practice lawyer, that thats just the way he prefers it. It presents no room for monotony and boredom.

I do all sorts of law  really just general practice, he said. The only thing I dont really do is bankruptcy stuff. Just this week alone Ive worked on an adoption, an LLC, a name change, Ive done some wills and powers of attorney and some juvenile matters  Its kind of fun being a jack of all trades with law.

The transition from law school into the working world has been pretty smooth, Wilson said. Prior to joining Yost Law Firm, Wilson already had connections with several of its partners. After two waves of interviews with the firms partners, Wilson was hired and given  in his mind  the best office in the joint.

They really did give me the best office, he said with a laugh. Im pretty much in a library on the penthouse level. I have two windows, a huge desk and meeting table. So its pretty nice.

While its early in his career, Wilson has thought about where he wants to end up down the line.

Long-term, I see myself staying here and hopefully one day becoming a partner, Wilson said. Eventually I just want to be one of the old guys down stairs who is bringing in the new guy like they did with me. I think in small towns you really have to take advantage of that, because when I was in law school for three years there wasnt another Fremont kid. I think when Fremont kids go to law school you really need to grab them up so they dont end up at huge firms in Omaha. Those are the places they will probably hate their lives, he added with a laugh.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Faced with a tough multi-cornered poll challenge in Goa for the February 4 assembly elections, the BJP is banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to give it the winning edge.

Informed sources said that though Laxmikant Parsekar is heading the BJP government in the state, the party is unsure of getting a favourable verdict by projecting him as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate.

Asked at a media briefing on Thursday whether Parsekar would be the party's Chief Ministerial candidate, party leader J.P. Nadda did not give a categorical answer.

"This (choice of CM) is for the BJP's parliamentary board to decide," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced its first list of candidates for Goa. Parsekar will contest from his traditional seat of Mandrem.

Informed party sources said that Parrikar continued to be the most popular face of the party in the coastal state. They said the party's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday, discussed the issue of Parrikar being projected Chief Ministerial candidate and subsequently broached the matter with him. But Parrikar is learnt to have declined.

According to the sources, Parrikar has assured the leadership that he would contribute in all possible ways for the party's success in the state.

Parrikar is also learnt to not have been keen on making another sudden shift -- this time back to state politics -- after having been made the Defence Minister in 2014. At that time, he was known to have expressed his desire to continue as Goa Chief Minister.

Parrikar is known to have an appeal across all sections in Goa and is credited with the party's success in the last assembly polls. He has emerged as the most popular face of the party in the state in surveys done by the BJP.

Parrikar has also been in the limelight after the cross-border surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in September last year.

The BJP faces a tough challenge Goa as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has emerged as a force to reckon with and the saffron party's present and erstwhile allies have come together in an alliance. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Shiv Sena and Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) have decided to contest the polls together. GSM has been founded by rebel Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Subhash Velingkar.

The Congress continues to be a potent force in the state but has not announced its Chief Ministerial candidate so far, while the AAP has announced Elvis Gomes, a former bureaucrat, as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

Modi, who is the BJP's chief campaigner, has a special affinity with Goa. It was in the state that he was declared chief of the party's election campaign committee ahead of the 2014 elections, that paved the way to his becoming the Prime Minister.

(Brajendra Nath Singh can be contacted at brajendra.n@ians.in)
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Amazon has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressing regrets at hurting Indian sensibilities, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday.

Swarup in a tweet said Amazon, in a response to Sushma Swaraj's tweet, expressed "regret at hurting Indian sensibilities" and added that they have pulled off the offending item.

A copy of the letter was also tweeted by Sushma Swarup in which Amazon said the items - doormats with Indian flag - were posted by a third party and they took it down.

"A third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada. These products were not available in India. After learning of the product's listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplace or websites," the letter said.

The letter said Amazon remains "steadfastly committed to India", and refered to its CEO Jeff Bezo's announcement to invest $5 billion in India.

It said Amazon values "immensely" its relationship with the Indian government, the country's entrepreneurs and innovators, Indian customers and employees.

"Amaon is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extend that these items offered by a third-party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same," it said.

"At not time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments," it said.

After being tweeted images of doormats featuring the Indian flag being available on Amazon Canada site by two vendors -- Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL, Sushma Swaraj had on Wednesday said Amazon must tender an unconditional apology and withdraw all products insulting the Tricolour, otherwise no Amazon official will get an Indian visa.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Invoking Swami Vivekananda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the youth to guide people to increase cashless transactions.

"The life of Swami Vivekananda shows what one can achieve at a young age. The work that the youth are doing today will impact the future of the nation," Modi said while addressing inaugural event of National Youth Festival at Rohtak in Haryana via video conference.

He expressed happiness over the theme - 'Youth for Digital India' for the festival celebrated on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's 154th birth anniversary, observed as the National Youth Day.

The Prime Minister also said the youth's support was needed to fight corruption and black money which has adversely affected the progress of the nation.

He said times have changed due to the influence of technology and the need of the hour is collectivity, connectivity, and creativity.

"The support from the youth in the fight against corruption convinces me that it is possible to bring a positive change in the nation," he added.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : After the BSF and CRPF troopers, now the video of the Indian Army's Lance Naik Yagya Pratap has surfaced, in which he has raised his voice against the service conditions, alleging the soldiers are being exploited by their officers.

This prompted the army to immediately issue a statement on Thursday that "individual grievances" cannot be ruled out in a large army and that the concerns raised by the soldiers are being addressed.

Lance Naik Pratap alleged that soldiers are being exploited by the army officers. He said he wrote letters to the President, the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Home Minister and the Supreme Court, after which his officers accused him of sedition and also threatened his court martial.

"I have been in the army for 15 years. I have been concerned about the exploitation of jawans in the army, I was gathering courage to raise my voice. All powers are with the officers... if we complain, they get angry and take action against us," Pratap says in the video.

"But ultimately I decided to raise my voice and wrote an application, dated June 15, 2016, to the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister and the Supreme Court."

"...When the PMO sought an answer, Brigade Commander tortured me. Any other soldier would have either committed suicide or would have done something wrong with the officers. But I did not do that. I am a soldier, and I felt it would not be right as it would taint my uniform," the soldier says.

"The officers tell us you will be court-martialled. I did not divulge any service details in the letter, then how is this sedition? This is my last letter. Jawans are taking dogs for walk, looking after children," he goes on.

The Indian Army soon after issued a statement saying the grievances of the soldier are being addressed through established mechanisms.

"Ours is a very large army wherein 'individual grievances' cannot be ruled out," an official statement from the army said.

"The army has an effective grievance redressal mechanism for addressing individual complaints, most satisfactorily. In the instant case of Lance Naik Yagya Pratap, cognizance of his communication has been taken and complaints made by him are being addressed through the existing mechanisms," the statement said.

Earlier, BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav's video became viral on social media, which had alleged that troopers are served bad quality food and at times they are forced to go the bed hungry. He also accused unnamed officers of illegally selling off the food supplies meant for the troopers.

This led to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar saying that he is personally monitoring and evaluating the conditions as far as food is concerned.

"In last two years, for the army, we have been continuously evaluating that whether satisfaction level for the food being served has increased or not. I am myself monitoring it," he said talking to the media on the sidelines of ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017.

In another video that went viral, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable Jeet Singh asked why the para-military force personnel are not provided facilities at par with their army counterparts when they are also performing similar tasks.

Jeet said: "We (CRPF personnel) do all kinds of duties inside the country like deployment for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Gram Panchayat elections. We contribute services in most places in the country. Despite doing all these duties, there is a big difference between the facilities provided to the Indian Army and the CRPF."
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged youths not to stop learning in life.

Modi was addressing the inaugural event of Ramayana Darshanam Exhibition at Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, in Tamil Nadu, via video conferencing on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's 154th birth anniversary.

The Prime Minister said, "the process of learning never stops".

He said January 12 was not an ordinary day as Swami Vivekananda's powerful thoughts continued to shape several minds.

"Today, India is a young country, and it should develop both spiritually and materially. The thoughts of Swami Vivekananda will always inspire the youth towards nation building," the Prime Minister said.

He also paid homage to saint Thiruvalluvar and social activist Eknath Ranade on the occasion.
New Delhi, Jan 12 : Three Manipuri militants of the proscribed KCP (Poirei Meitei) outfit were arrested following a joint operation by the Delhi and Manipur Police on Thursday, officials said.

The police said the arrested militants were identified as Khoirom Ranjit, a Commander-in-Chief of KCP (Poirei Meitei) cadre, Pukhrihongamibomcha, former cadre of Kanglei Yawol Kannalup (KYKL), and Inugbamsanatombi Devi, a close aide of Ranjit.

They were involved in a number of terror activities like lobbying of grenades, shootouts, killing, planting bombs, running extortion network by intimidating businessmen and politicians.

According to the police, Ranjit and Inugbamsanatombi Devi were arrested in an early morning raid from Mayur Vihar in east Delhi, while Pukhrihongbamibomcha was arrested later in a separate raid in Manipur after Ranjit told the police team about his hideout.

Two pistols and two hand-grenades were recovered from their possession, the Delhi Police said.

"Police conducted the raid following a tip-off by Manipur police about presence of Ranjit and his associates in Delhi," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

During questioning, Ranjit told the police he initially became an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of KYKL and was involved in delivering the extortion letters, ferrying vehicles, accompanying the KYKL cadres for arranging food and other logistics, and supplied the organisation information about the deployment of security forces in Manipur, Yadav said.

Ranjit was apprehended in 2007 by 15 Assam Rifles but released allegedly due to political influence.

He has also good contacts with a sitting legislator in Manipur. He later migrated to Nepal and set up his extortion network base under the banner of KCP-KK - Nigamba Group, Yadav said, adding the militant had earlier managed to extort Rs 70 lakh.

Ranjit also confessed to have planted a Chinese hand-grenade on July 20,2010 at the residential courtyard of doctor Aheiban Mukta Singh at Andro Bazaar in Manipur, the police officer added.

"During questioning, it was found Pukhrihongbom Ibomcha is a former cadre of KYKL, was active cadre of KCP (Poirei Meitei) group, who worked under Ranjit. Inugbamsanatombi Devi used to write extortion letters and collect the extorted money," Yadav said.
Kolkata, Jan 12 : BJP's West Bengal unit President Dilip Ghosh on Thursday dared the Trinamool Congress government to recommend a CBI probe into the killing of its party activist Srinu Naidu.

"I challenge them to go for a CBI investigation probe regarding the murder. Names of many Trinamool leaders would come up in the issue. It is a case of in-fighting within the party," Ghosh said.

Five Trinamool Congress activists were on Wednesday shot at inside the Trinamool's party offce at Kharagpur. Naidu and fellow activist V Dharma were declared dead at a Kolkata hospital on Wednesday evening.

Trinamool Congress' General Secretary Subrata Bakshi urged the police to look into the role of Ghosh, the Kharagpur MLA, in the incident as he allegedly threatened the deceased with dire consequences earlier.

But Ghosh dismissed the charges.

"These are baseless allegations. The state has turned into a safe haven for criminals under the TMC. The BJP has got nothing to do with it (the incident)," he said.
Vatican City, Jan 13 : Pope Francis on Thursday called for the protection of vulnerable child migrants, particularly those who undertake long and dangerous journeys alone.

"Young migrants, especially when unaccompanied, are especially defenceless. Let everyone offer them a helping hand," Francis tweeted.

His nine-language @Pontifex account has over 30 million followers.

More and more children are crossing borders on their own. Over 100,000 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in 78 countries in 2015- triple the number in 2014 - the United Nations said in a report in September.

Child migrants travelling alone are among those at the highest risk of exploitation and abuse, including by smugglers and traffickers, the report said.
The Park at South Market, New Orleans, LA We have pushed the boundaries while developing solutions for our partners and clients.

Tindall Corporation is pleased to announce their latest achievement, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institutes (PCI) Design Awards 2016. The Park at South Market District in New Orleans, La. was selected as a winner in the category Parking Structures.

I am extremely proud of our team, said Greg Force, President and COO of Tindall Corporation. We have pushed the boundaries while developing solutions for our partners and clients. This structure is just one example of what Tindall is capable of creating with high-quality precast. We look forward to a future of innovation and creativity in precast concrete technology and thank the PCI Design Awards panel of judges for this honor.

The Park at South Market in the heart of downtown New Orleans is a mixed-use development offering luxury apartments, shops, and a four-story parking deck. The architecture firm Eskew + Dumez + Ripple chose Tindall to create a look as distinct and vibrant as New Orleans itself. Unique finishes offered by Tindall transformed the structure into a high-performance work of art.

The PCI design awards recognize design excellence and construction quality using precast concrete. This 54-year-old awards program has showcased the design and construction communitys innovation and advancements by showcasing ideas and projects that demonstrate precast/prestressed concretes ability to achieve sustainable, cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing and quickly-constructed project. PCI serves as the technical institute for the precast concrete structures industry. Members include manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, architects, consultants, developers, educators, engineers, and students.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, Tindall Corporation is one of North Americas largest precast concrete companies with five locations providing design, manufacture, and installation of precast prestressed concrete structural systems, architectural cladding systems, and underground utility structures. In 2015, Tindall ranked 5th in Engineering News-Records (ENR) Top 20 Specialty Concrete Contractors in the United States list and 77th overall in ENRs Top 600 Specialty Contractors list.
Gables Residential, a leader in the development and management of multifamily apartment communities, welcomes Joseph Shea as Development Director for the Boston, MA market.

Joseph spent the last 14 years with Roseland, a Mack-Cali Company, as Senior Vice President/Operating Partner, responsible for the management of the Boston office. He was specifically responsible for the development of luxury, urban in-fill housing and mixed-use projects in the northeast. Prior to this, Joseph was a Partner with Arnold and Kangas, P.C., and Senior Counsel for Fleet Financial Group.

We continue to grow our presence in the Boston market and need a leader to spearhead our local development efforts, shared Jorgen Punda, Regional Vice President, Investments. Joseph has a background that offers the leadership and knowledge that we seek. We are excited to have him join our team and continue to drive our growth in the Boston market.

Joseph has a J.D. from University of San Diego and an A.B. from Boston College. He also is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and is a Massachusetts Licensed Real Estate broker.

# # #

About Gables Residential

Gables Residential is an award-winning, vertically integrated, real estate company and privately held REIT specializing in the development, construction, ownership, acquisition, financing and management of multifamily and mixed-use communities. Gables Residential owns, develops and manages communities in high-growth U.S. markets such as Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, South Florida, Southern California and metropolitan Washington, D.C. Gables also provides third party management services in the New York, Baltimore, Frederick, Tampa, Phoenix, Seattle, Charlotte, Central and North Florida markets.

Gables manages over 31,000 apartment homes and approximately 550,000 square feet of retail space and has received national recognition for excellence in development, construction, management, sales, marketing, learning and development, benefits and corporate accommodations. These achievements reflect the impact of our experienced and dedicated team members, our superior knowledge of the markets served, and our expertise in development and management.
The 2017 NAHB International Builders Show represents the thirteenth year that Palm Harbor Homes has built a home to display in Professional Builders Show Village.

Palm Harbor Homes in Plant City, Florida, is pleased to announce they are partnering with Golden Arrow Homes of West Palm Beach at this years National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders Show being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, January 10-12. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend this showcase of the latest trends in home building.

The 2017 NAHB International Builders Show represents the thirteenth year that Palm Harbor Homes has built a home to display in Professional Builders Show Village. This year, we are honored to have Golden Arrow Homes from West Palm Beach as our featured builder. Building this home for the Show Village has been a coordinated effort by many, and we are very appreciative of James Hall, Adam Altinok, and Aydin Isbasar with Golden Arrow for their participation this year, said Mark Kelly, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Palm Harbor Homes.

The home Palm Harbor and Golden Arrow have on display in Professional Builders Show Village this year is The Riviera II, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,740 square foot home designed for Millennial homeowners. It features quartz tops in the kitchen and baths, the latest in design features, and state-of-the-art fireplace, plumbing, and electrical systems. At the conclusion of the show, the home will be featured in one of the Golden Arrow Homes developments in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Golden Arrow Homes is extremely pleased to be taking part in the 2017 International Builders Show and Professional Builders Show Village in our home state of Florida showcasing the new Riviera II model from Palm Harbor Homes. This model will soon become the home of a very happy family in Palm Beach County, Florida. We welcome everyone to visit this magnificent example of a systems built home! said James Hall, President of Golden Arrow Homes.

Palm Harbor Homes is a division of Cavco Homes, Inc. Cavco and Palm Harbor Homes have been awarded the Manufacturer of the Year for the past seven years by the industrys national trade organization, the Manufactured Homes Institute. For more information, please visit http://www.palmharbor.com.

Cavco Homes, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, designs and produces factory-built housing products primarily distributed through a network of independent and company-owned retailers. The Company is one of the largest producers of manufactured homes in the United States, marketed under a variety of brand names including Cavco Homes, Fleetwood Homes and Palm Harbor Homes. The Company is also the leading producer of park model homes, vacation cabins, and systems-built commercial structures, as well as modular homes built primarily under the Nationwide Custom Homes brand. Cavco's mortgage subsidiary, CountryPlace Mortgage, offers conforming mortgages to purchasers of factory-built and site-built homes. Its insurance subsidiary, Standard Casualty, provides property and casualty insurance to homeowners. See http://www.cavco.com and http://www.parkmodels.com.

# # #

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Mark Kelly at 813.365.3807 or email at mkelly[at]palmharbor[dot]com.
Tecplot 360 2017 has major new capabilities. Customers weve talked to are very excited about this release. They see huge opportunities to not only increase the efficiency of their work but also improve the accuracy of their designs.

Tecplot, Inc., developer of the leading data visualization and analysis software for engineers and scientists, today announced the general availability of Tecplot 360 2017 Release 1.

Three major new capabilities are included in the 2017 release of Tecplot 360, including:

Chorus - a design space exploration tool that helps engineers discover trends and anomalies in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), or computational physics studies and enables them to simultaneously gain insight into the underlying fluid-dynamic phenomena that cause these variations  all in a single environment. Tecplot Chorus, originally released in 2012 as a stand-alone product, will now only be available with Tecplot 360.

PyTecplot - A new Python API in Tecplot 360. Python is a popular scripting language used by scientists and engineers to automate workflows. PyTecplot features an easy-to-use object-oriented approach to create plots and alter data. PyTecplot integrates fully with other Python-compatible tools.

SZL Server - a lightweight application that is installed on an HPC, data server or remote file store. The server side leverages Tecplots proprietary SZL technology to transfer only the data required to generate a specific plot. Data transfer is fast and secure, and no graphics card is required on the server side.

These new capabilities in Tecplot 360 are available only to customers who subscribe to Tecplots new, expanded maintenance plan, TecPLUS. Customers who are currently on maintenance (SMS) will be automatically upgraded to TecPLUS. A free trial of Tecplot 360 2017 R1, including all its new capabilities, is available for download on the companys website.

After many months of hard work, we are thrilled to be releasing these new capabilities in Tecplot 360, Tecplot President Tom Chan said. Tecplot Chorus will empower our customers to quickly explore large data sets composed of multiple solutions. Our new Python API, PyTecplot, enables customers to automate workflows across their entire tool chain. SZL Server will help our customers spend less time transferring their data and more time analyzing their results.

Chan continued, The customers weve talked to are very excited about this release. They see huge opportunities to not only increase the efficiency of their work but also improve the accuracy of their designs.

There are even more improvements in Tecplot 360 2017 R1:



Variable combining enables variables in data files that have the same meaning but different names to be combined.

Slice orientation can be set by selecting three points on the desired cutting plane or by interactively probing the three points.

A new algorithm of isosurface generation provides better visual results and improved performance.

Data files can be converted to the new SZL (.szplt extension) format in batch mode without consuming a Tecplot 360 license.

TecIO can now read SZL files as well as write them.

Loader improvements include a new TRIX loader for Cart3D users, and updates to CGNS, PLOT3D, FLOW-3D, and FEA loaders.

About Tecplot 360

Tecplot 360 saw a major overhaul in 2014, making it the fastest, most memory-efficient CFD post-processor available for desktop computers. When loading modern high-fidelity CFD solutions, benchmarks show 94% less memory usage, 6.75 times faster time to first image, and 50% smaller file sizes compared to earlier versions of Tecplot 360. Results vary depending on the size and type of data. CFD engineers are now able to load and analyze data once reserved for only the largest high-performance computing centers.

Tecplot 360 customers with current TecPLUS maintenance can upgrade to Tecplot 360 2017 R1 at no additional cost. Special pricing is available for Academic users upon request. A free trial of the software is available for new users.

The softwares industry-leading speed  both computational and rendering  is achieved through Tecplots proprietary SZL technology, which is a combination of deferred data loading, exhaustive parallelization, and many other code optimizations.

About Tecplot, Inc.

Tecplot, an operating company of Toronto-based Constellation Software, Inc. (CSI), is the leading developer of Visual Data Analysis (VDA) software for engineers and scientists.

CSI is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:CSU) that acquires, manages and builds software businesses that provide mission-critical solutions in specific vertical markets.

Tecplots products allow customers using desktop computers and laptops to quickly analyze and understand information hidden in complex data, and communicate their results to others via brilliant images and compelling animations. The companys products are used by more than 47,000 technical professionals around the world.

Since its founding in 1981, Tecplot has consistently delivered category-leading innovation to the engineering and scientific communities. Examples of this never-ending innovation include Tecplot 360 for lightning-fast analysis of CFD simulation and test data, and Tecplot RS for oil & gas reservoir simulation.

Tecplot has been awarded numerous Small Business Innovation Research contracts from DOD, NASA, DARPA, and the National Science Foundation. In 2012, the company was named a Red Herring Top 100 Americas Award winner.

Tecplot, which is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., has been named one of Seattle Business magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For four times in the past five years.

For more information, visit http://www.tecplot.com/360.
Savvy developers and real estate brokers will capitalise on this more focused US interest and start marketing to them accordingly

It has been a year of big shocks in 2016, with global economies being hit by several unexpected events: Brexit, Donald Trump winning the US election, and the Italian referendum.

While property market analysts attempt to make some sense of what has been a roller coaster year, propertytrader.ae  a leading Dubai real estate portal  offers five key trends which it believes will shape the real estate market in 2017, and in the years that follow.

Move over millennials  hello Generation Z

There was much talk of catering to the picky and hard to pin down millennial generation in 2016, but the truth is they are soon to be old news. It wont be long before Gen Z reaches the market, and according to the National Association of Realtors in the US they are a whole different breed of potential property buyer. Generation Z came of age during global recession, war, terrorism, and a stock-market collapse. So, what will they want? The answer is security in the form of home ownership. In fact, 97% of the Gen Z age group wants to own a home as soon as they can, according to a recent survey in the US.

The Trump effect

When Donald Trump becomes President of the US there could be dramatic repercussions on the real estate market in Dubai. In the hours after Trump won the election, propertytrader.ae site visitor statistics showed sudden increased interest in Dubai from America. Throughout 2016, the buyer search ranking of US visitors on the site was consistently at about fifth or sixth place. Now it is up to third place. I think savvy developers and real estate brokers will capitalise on this more focused US interest and start marketing to them accordingly, says Umer Ali, Sales Director, propertytrader.ae.

The Dubai Expo 2020 effect

Ever since Dubai won the bid to host the World Expo 2020, the local real estate market has been waiting to feel the full benefit of this prestigious event. Most now predict 2017 onwards will see things really kick in with the commencement of major infrastructure and real estate projects. The areas in and around Al Maktoum International Airport such as Dubai South, the main venue of the World Expo, and Al Furjan are already seeing a lot of development activity. Dubai is expecting to receive 25 million tourists for the event, and the emirates real estate industry must continue to strengthen its offering to deal with the influx of people. Expect developers to target delivering projects in 2018-2019...

Ready to launch

2016 has been of a year of project launches and cautious optimism in Dubai. Al Habtoor City and the Dubai Canal came to fruition, and after a relatively dry first three quarters of the year in terms of new project announcements, the past month has seen master developers announce projects worth more than Dh5 billion. This would suggest developers have confidence in the market's ability to absorb the supply  and the knock-on effect is bound to be new developments popping up at an increased rate. In the real estate market, confidence breeds confidence after all.

Affordable housing will finally be a thing

Online searches for affordable apartments for sale in Dubai have been soaring for a while  as seen in PropertyTrader site data  and it seems finally that Dubais real estate developers are getting the message. A raft of new projects has arrived, or are on the way, that will answer this need  including Dubai Properties Rahaba Residences, a brand new alternative for employers who are interested in housing all of their staff in one, central location in the heart of Dubailand. And since the market is keen to cater to the rising number of budget conscious expats  expect many more projects to be announced.
I hope that these students learned to walk in someone elses shoes today

On Tuesday, December 20th, Lexington Christian Academy students were visited by Dr. Alex Cist, a physician ethicist at Massachusetts General Hospital and faculty member of Harvard Medical Schools Center for Bioethics. Dr. Cist was welcomed by Ms. Irene Campbells Anatomy and Physiology classes, and shared the expertise in medical ethics consultation that she has amassed in a career spanning over 30 years.

Dr. Cist, also an LCA parent (Natalie 19, Katie 21), spent two full class periods with Ms. Campbells students, introducing role-playing scenarios and provoking insightful comments and discussions between the high schoolers. In these scenarios, Cist assigned students to take turns playing the parts of doctors, nurses, ethics consultants, patients and patients families. When Dr. Cist introduced varying ethical situations, the students learned to think and speak from the varying perspectives of those involved in some of the more complicated ethical issues in the world of medicine.

In one instance, students played roles related to a case in which a family urged doctors to use extraordinary measures to keep a patient alive, when this patient had explicitly wished against such action before slipping into a coma. In another situation, members of Ms. Campbells class debated whether a doctor should be allowed to conduct blood transfusions on a patient whose religious views forbid it. Both issues brought forth lively debate between the representatives.

Throughout the role-playing scenarios that played out in the classroom, Ms. Campbell hoped that her students would further their understanding of the many perspectives and obligations of those involved in medicine. I wanted to stretch my students, said Campbell. I wanted them to think critically, to learn to make decisions and respect decisions based on moral and ethical principles, and to be challenged in that way.

Dr. Cist was pleased with the conduct and responsiveness of the LCA students. From the exercises she introduced, Cist gave a small sampling of the lessons she has instilled in countless graduates of the Harvard School of Medicine during her tenure there, as well as some authentic glimpses of the ethical dilemmas that she and her peers face at Massachusetts General Hospital. I hope that these students learned to walk in someone elses shoes today, said Cist. Through this exercise, my goal was to express the importance of understanding, empathy and advocacy. Cist made it clear to Ms. Campbells class that even in the scientific field of medicine, the best solution to an issue can often be a subject of debate.

Lexington Christian Academy is an independent college preparatory school that exists to educate young men and women in the arts and sciences in the context of a complete commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Doug Rushing Realty "This course will help us do an even better job of directing our clients to the perfect piece of Mississippi land." Said Doug Rushing Realty Representative

As a leading real estate broker in Tylertown and McComb, Mississippi, Doug Rushing Realty, Inc., is always looking for ways to improve the service the company offers to its customers. With this goal in mind, Alan and Blake Bridevaux have recently completed a course in timberland investing, which equipped them with the skills they need to evaluate the value of Mississippi timberland.

The goal of the Realtors Land Institute course is to give real estate professionals an awareness of what makes a good timberland investment. The real estate agents from Doug Rushing Realty, Inc. learned about factors affecting Mississippi timberland values, as well as how to measure timber inventory and value pre-merchantable pine plantations. The agents also learned about marketing timber and reforestation, which has given them an understanding of the timber industry. Finally, the course offered advice on the tax advantages of investment in timberland in Mississippi, as well as information about the most effective timberland investment strategies. This knowledge allows the local real estate agents to recognize good timberland investments and enables them to evaluate Mississippi land for current and future use.

The course is aimed at both seasoned land professionals and commercial real estate agents and includes everything they need to successfully conduct timberland transactions. Although neither agent is now qualified to become a forester, they have both gained knowledge that can help them guide Mississippi land investors who are looking to invest in Mississippi timberland. According to Doug Rushing Realty, Inc. "This course will help us do an even better job of directing our clients to the perfect piece of Mississippi land."

Mississippi residents and people looking to invest in this beautiful state now have the perfect place to turn. With guidance from the qualified professionals at Doug Rushing Realty, would-be owners of Mississippi timberland can be sure that they have all the information they need to find a profitable investment.

About Doug Rushing Realty, Inc.

Operating in Tylertown and McComb, Mississippi, Doug Rushing Realty, Inc., brings more than four decades of experience and knowledge to your unique real estate needs. We provide not only our expertise of property and Mississippi and Louisiana real estate but also our practical knowledge. Our team of experienced local agents look forward to helping you find the perfect property that will both suit your needs and fit your budget.
HCPro, a division of BLR, is excited to announce the 2017 Credentialing Resource Center (CRC) Symposium, which is taking place April 67 in Austin, Texas.

The 2017 CRC Symposium delivers two days of engaging education and training taught by the industrys top credentialing and medical staff experts. During the event, medical staff professionals (MSP), physician leaders, and quality directors will learn actionable strategies for building compliant vetting processes and cultivating high-performing medical staffs.

With a dynamic learning structure, first-class faculty, and an unparalleled platform for networking with peers, the CRC Symposium is unlike any other industry event. Sessions are taught jointly by the entire esteemed faculty or a multidisciplinary subset to demonstrate how MSPs and medical staff leaders must collaborate to solve todays most urgent industry issues.

The 2017 Symposium features brand-new voices, fresh subject matter, and even more learning opportunities. Two inaugural eventsthe CRC Achievement Awards ceremonies and case study presentationprovide an up-close look at whats working for in-the-trenches MSPs and medical staff leaders.

We bring physician leaders and medical services professionals together to gain new insight into developing and maintaining credentialing, privileging, and competence assessment processes fit for the modern medical staff, said Sally Pelletier, CPMSM, CPCS, advisory consultant and chief credentialing officer with The Greeley Company, and veteran CRC Symposium speaker.

For more information, go to http://www.hcmarketplace.com/2017CRCSYMPOSIUM

About the Credentialing Resource Center

The Credentialing Resource Center is the premier destination for credentialing, privileging, and peer review expertise. Membership provides MSPs, quality professionals, and medical staff leaders with a collection of continuously updated tools, best-practice strategies, and compliance tips developed by industry experts.

For more information about the Credentialing Resource Center and its offerings, please visit http://www.credentialingresourcecenter.com or call 800-650-6787.

About HCPro

HCPro, a division of BLR, is the leading provider of information, educational, and advisory products, services, and solutions in the vital areas of compliance, regulation, and management to the U.S. healthcare industry. The company helps the healthcare industry make better decisions about regulation, compliance, and management through authoritative analysis, trusted interpretation, and best-in-class education and training. HCPro provides practical strategies and solutions that serve customers' organizations, their patients, and their communities. The companys market-leading brands include HCPro and HealthLeaders Media. Additional information can be found at http://www.hcpro.com.
We depend on advancements in technology to help us provide excellent hospice care and we have great partners.

HEALTHCAREfirst, the leading provider of Web-based home health and hospice software, billing and coding services, and advanced analytics, announced its partnership with Qualis Management, the nations first DME management company that enables hospices to effectively manage DME orders, costs, and utilization to provide the best patient experience.

This interface provides automatic transfer of demographic data from firstHOSPICE to the Qualis DME software. This saves valuable time for hospice staff by eliminating duplicate data entry, and it expedites the DME order process to more quickly accommodate patients. The interface will also include a bi-directional data feed that transfers equipment information back into firstHOSPICE, further reducing redundant documentation and increasing efficiency of clinical staff.

We are thrilled to partner with Qualis, said J. Kevin Porter, CEO of HEALTHCAREfirst. They have been great to work with as they share our philosophy of patients before paperwork. We know that these interfaces are meaningful in the day to day workflows of a clinician. We are looking forward to expanding our interfaces and interoperability as part of our strategic initiatives for 2017 and will continue to partner with the best in the industry.

Ray Thomas, President of Qualis Management said, We hear more and more from our customers that they are looking for ways to increase efficiency. We are excited to be a part of this solution to help hospices work smarter and not harder. It is partnerships like this that are positively impacting care delivery, and we are thrilled to be working alongside of HEALTHCAREfirst to bring these enhancements to our mutual customers.

As a customer of both HEALTHCAREfirst and Qualis, we are very excited about this interface, said Angela Sipe, Executive Director of State of the Heart Care in Indiana and Ohio. When we can respond to our patients more quickly and be attentive to their needs, they have a better end of life experience and the family feels more supported. We depend on advancements in technology to help us provide excellent hospice care and we have great partners.

The interface has been completed allowing customers to immediately take advantage of efficiency gains. For more information, customers can contact either company.

HEALTHCAREfirst

800-841-6095

marketing(at)healthcarefirst(dot)com

Qualis Management

866-787-3189

info(at)qualismanagement(dot)com

About HEALTHCAREfirst

HEALTHCAREfirst provides cloud based technologies and services to improve business and clinical operations for over four thousand home health and hospice providers across the United States. Based in Springfield, MO and one of the fastest growing providers of its kind, the company provides agency and clinical management software, revenue cycle management services (billing, coding and chart audits), CAHPS surveys, and advanced analytics, in any combination. HEALTHCAREfirsts breadth of solutions offers agencies a single source to improve patient care, create operational efficiencies, increase profitability and simplify CMS compliance. With HEALTHCAREfirst, agencies can focus on patients instead of paperwork. For more information call 800.841.6095 or visit the companys website at http://www.healthcarefirst.com.

About Qualis

Formed in 2005, Qualis offers DME management services to hospice organizations for Durable Medical Equipment, oxygen, and other medical supplies. The Qualis team works with each hospice  not as a DME supplier  but as a partner focused on improving patient care, lowering costs, and providing effective management tools.
Executive Director Greg Byrge

Wesley Homes Retirement Communities and Home Health Services welcomes Greg Byrge as the new executive director for Wesley Homes Lea Hill in Auburn, Washington.

As executive director, Byrge will oversee the 19-acre retirement community. The campus consists of Eby Lodge, the main apartment building; multiple independent living residences known as Village Homes; two condo-style Brownstone buildings; housing with services apartments; and The Arbor memory care apartments. Byrge will also be responsible for the newly built Wesley Homes Lea Hill Rehabilitation & Care Center on the campus.

During his tour of the Lea Hill campus, Byrge was pleased by how he was welcomed by the community.

In my short time here, said Byrge, Ive been very impressed by the people of Wesley Homes. The staff and residents alike not only believe in the values of this not-for-profit organization but also put those values into practice on a daily basis. Its quite unlike anything Ive seen in my career. Im eager to build upon the great reputation of the campus and develop the care center.

Byrge is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in Washington and Texas and is a Certified Health Care Administrator. He is a member of the American College of Health Care Administrators with over 16 years of experience in post-acute and aging services.

With a desire to improve the service quality for retirement communities nationwide, Byrge began a career in administrative consulting. He attended a convention where he met Wesley Homes Vice President of Marketing and Development Christine Tremain, who introduced Byge to Wesley Homes President and CEO Kevin Anderson.

I was impressed by how much Kevin really believes in the vision for the level of care and comfort provided by Wesley Homes communities, said Byrge.

Anderson is equally impressed by Byrge.

We are delighted to add Gregs vast array of senior services knowledge to Wesley Homes, said Anderson. With his outgoing personality, his enthusiasm and his positive demeanor, I know he is a great fit for Wesley Homes Lea Hill.

Before starting his career in senior services, Byrge joined the military as an U.S. Navy Operation Specialist, Air Directional Controller stationed in Long Beach, California. In 1992, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

His first job after the Navy was as an admissions and marketing coordinator at a skilled nursing facility. Shortly after beginning his career in long-term care, he managed a 134-bed nursing facility in Tennessee where he was promoted to regional vice president for five campuses.

Established in 1944 and affiliated with the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church, Wesley Homes operates two retirement communities - Wesley Homes Des Moines and Wesley Homes Lea Hill - and a home health agency - Wesley Homes Community Health Services.
Epharmix, a leader in evidence-based digital healthcare, announced Thursday that it is working with Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis to help prevent hospital readmission for the organizations most challenging patients. The participating program, the hospitals Stay Healthy Outpatient Program or SHOP, helps at risk patients avoid repeated hospital visits and ensures participating patients have access to the care they need at home.

"Technology at its best supports care providers and patients, said Dr. John Lynch, Vice President and Chief of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Tools like these lend support to our mission to take exceptional care of all our patients. Barnes-Jewish Hospital at the Washington University Medical Campus is the largest hospital in Missouri and the largest private employer in the St. Louis region. It consistently ranks one of the top hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2016-2017 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Ranking, Barnes-Jewish and Washington University ranked number 11 in the nation. The Stay Healthy Outpatient Program team will primarily be using Epharmix interventions focused on post-discharge and chronic condition management, including EpxHeartFailure and EpxCOPD.

Epharmixs clinically-validated messaging empowers medical personnel to remotely monitor their high- and rising-risk patients between visits. Epharmix improves outcomes for the most challenging patients and decreases workload through automated communication.

Epharmix is grateful to partner with a team that is both so innovative and committed to providing high-quality care for all patients, said Blake Marggraff, CEO of Epharmix. Barnes-Jewish is proof that large providers serving a diverse patient population can do right by their members and their employees while creating real value for themselves.

About Epharmix

Epharmix builds condition-specific communication tools to help care teams monitor high- and risking-risk patients. The text and phone-based system automatically collects biometrics and symptoms for 23 indications, from heart failure and diabetes to substance use and postpartum depression. Epharmix interventions are designed and piloted by 51 independent clinical researchers and 24 physicians across 10 academic institutions. Interventions align with a combined 42 quality metrics or national improvement initiatives, enabling revenue generation and cost savings in addition to greater staff efficiency.

For more information, visit https://www.epharmix.com

Video - https://vimeo.com/192490372

eBook - http://tinyurl.com/EpharmixResarch-BJH

Press Kit - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8XWUKPL0rO4ZDhENERqVlZZQzQ

Contact information

Email: joe(at)epharmix.com

Phone: 314-236-3129

###
Sungage has really made a name for itself offering fast, no-nonsense solar financing, and were very pleased to join their vendor group - Jason Higginson, APsystems Senior Director of Marketing

APsystems microinverters have joined the popular Sungage solar financing approved vendor list.

The partnership brings the APsystems advanced microinverter line to a powerful residential solar lending platform, in response to requests from leading national solar installers.

Sungage has really made a name for itself offering fast, no-nonsense solar financing, and were very pleased to join their vendor group, said Jason Higginson, APsystems Senior Director of Marketing. Support from solar installers made this partnership a smart move for both companies, and our customers nationwide will benefit.

Sungage Financial provides homeowners with easy, online access to low-cost financing for solar equipment. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Sungage Financial partners with leading solar installers and institutional investors to help homeowners save money on energy. For more information, visit http://www.sungage.com.

The company was founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Sara Ross, who was looking for an easy way to finance a solar energy system for her home. Ross, now Sungage CEO, built a business bridging the gap between homeowners, installers and financial institutions.

Sungage has continued to grow, focusing exclusively on delivering consumer-friendly financing options that make it simple for homeowners to go solar and save more money. The company has been profiled in leading journals including GreenTech Media, Bloomberg and the Boston Globe.

APsystems was founded in Silicon Valley in 2009, and was first to market with innovative solar products including the groundbreaking YC500, the first dual-module microinverter, and the YC1000 true 3-phase, four-module unit.

APsystems is the second largest supplier of solar microinverters and the third-largest MLPE provider in the world. APsystems microinverters have about 30 percent fewer components than competing brands, leading to higher reliability and lower costs at every point in the production and distribution chain.

Information on APsystems solar microinverter products can be found at http://www.APsystems.com.

________________

About Sungage Financial:

Sungage Financial provides homeowners with easy, online access to low-cost financing for solar equipment. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Sungage partners with leading solar installers and institutional investors to help homeowners save money on energy. An innovator in solar finance, Sungage launched the nations first secured solar loan program in Connecticut in 2013. The company is committed to helping homeowners save more through ownership. For more information, please visit http://www.sungagefinancial.com.
Southland Log Homes - Boy Scout Camp Southland is pleased to assist community organizations with structures that provide natural beauty, and that are both durable and sustainable

Southland Log Homes has supplied a log cabin that has been built at a Boy Scout camp in Ridgefield, CT. Southland partially subsidized the cost of the cabin, so that it would be affordable for the camp.

The Southland cabin, built in Sturges Park in Ridgefield, CT consists of a solid log structure with a wrap-around porch. The cabin will be made available, free of charge, to non-profit groups that support local youth.

Southland is pleased to assist community organizations with structures that provide natural beauty, and that are both durable and sustainable, said Ken Sekley, President and CEO of Southland. Southland Log Homes is a leader in providing a wide variety of solid wood structures for residential, commercial, and community uses."

Log cabin homes represent one of the most traditional and historic approaches to home building  yet, they are now on the cutting edge of the green construction movement. This is especially true for a Southland log home. The designs and materials supplied by Southland Log Homes provide not only a beautiful log cabin, but one that is also highly energy efficient, makes use of natural, renewable resources, and supports a healthy environment.

About Southland Log Homes: Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, Southland Log Homes was founded in 1978 and is the largest log home company in the United States manufacturing log cabin kits & log cabin homes. Southland operates model home sales offices and has authorized Southland dealers located throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Model log homes are located in Atlanta, GA; Baton Rouge, LA; Biloxi, MS; Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC; Christiansburg, VA; Columbia, SC; Dallas, TX; Danville, PA; Fredericksburg, VA; Greensboro, NC; Greenville, SC; Houston, TX; Northwest Indiana; Kansas City, MO; Lake City, FL; Louisville, KY; Macon, GA; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; Springfield, MA; and San Antonio, TX. For more information about Southland Log Homes, call 800-641-4754 or visit https://www.SouthlandLogHomes.com to view hundreds of log home plans & log cabin plans.
With local support and data centre from Hidora, Swiss developers can be sure that hosting of their applications and data storing are fully regulated by local government and laws.

Jelastic Inc., the cloud orchestration platform that combines PaaS, CaaS, Docker containers orchestrator and Elastic VPS offerings in one product with a single management panel, introduced Hidora as a new hosting partner from Switzerland. Hidora provides A-Level flexible cloud solution, ensuring high-performance, accessibility and security for business and service providers, including communication and development agencies, start-ups.

High quality is a well known brand identity of Switzerland, and it was always number one priority for Jelastic, as well as the reason to continuously enhance the platform. With local support and data centre from Hidora, Swiss developers can be sure that hosting of their applications and data storing are fully regulated by local government and laws,  said Ruslan Synytsky, Chief Executive Officer at Jelastic.

The chief aim of Hidora is to meet the companies' most pressing needs: first and foremost, optimizing the performance, reducing operational costs and simultaneously adapting it to changes in their fast-growing businesses, but also quickly deploying new applications and making them easy to manage, all while increasing staff efficiency.

"Hidora Flex Swiss Cloud opens new offering for companies, developers and system administrators, providing the most flexible platform to satisfy their highest demands. Partnering with Jelastic, we can provide an advanced technology with the support of Docker containers, popular application servers and technology stacks. DevOps can build, ship and run their applications with high-availability in a matter of seconds. What is more, Hidora will provide autoscaling feature - the best argument for customers who want to pay only for what they consume", commented Matthieu Robin, CEO and co-founder of Hidora.

Due to its powerful graphic interface, Hidora's customers can quickly and easily install and manage application environments. As there is no need in apps modification or code change, a new environment is ready and running in a matter of minutes, not hours. The platform offers a wide choice of the most popular application servers, including Java (Tomcat, Glassfish, etc.), PHP (Apache, NGINX, etc.), Ruby, Node.js, .NET and Python, as well as Docker containers.

To ensure users data security and confidentiality, Hidora contractually guarantees all data storing in Switzerland, proven by high standards of Swiss legislation. Recognizing the importance of qualified technical support, Hidora provides effective in-house service with fast response delivery to all customers. Finally, 100% of the power used by Hidora is generated from renewable sources in Switzerland. Hidora provides 14 days trial period for all customers.

About Hidora

Hidora SA offers a hosting platform that delivers an agile user experience, flexible billing and data security, providing an intuitive interface for building applications and deploying them smoothly on PaaS, as well as for creating virtual servers and Docker containers. Hidora Flex Cloud offers a wide range of software solutions and total control over their configuration.

Hidora's elastic model enables automatic horizontal and vertical scalability, adjusting the quantity of resources allocated to an environment to meet demand. With its head office in Geneva, its data centres are located exclusively in Switzerland, ensuring the highest data of protection which is regulated by Swiss legislation.

https://www.hidora.com

About Jelastic

Jelastic is a cloud platform for hosting applications that can be deployed on bare metal hardware or any IaaS. Currently, it is running as public, private and hybrid cloud on top of more than 50 data centers worldwide. The platform provides certified containers for Java, PHP, Ruby, Node.js, Python and .NET and the ability to use custom Docker containers. Jelastic offers agile deployment models without coding to proprietary APIs, flexible automatic scaling for stateless and stateful applications, collaboration, access control, monitoring, backup and disaster recovery, built-in billing and business analytics tools, while driving down TCO with high density and hardware utilization.

For more information, visit us at https://jelastic.com/
Herndon Mayor, members of Town Council and Chamber of Commerce celebrated with a ribbon cutting. Our positioning at the heart of the Dulles Tech Corridor makes Herndon a uniquely qualified location within the Commonwealth for All Traffic Solutions, said Herndon Mayor Lisa C. Merkel.

All Traffic Solutions, the leader in cloud-based traffic management solutions for law enforcement, transportation and smart cities, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new corporate headquarters in Herndon, Virginia on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Herndon Mayor Lisa C. Merkel officiated the event, which was attended by members of the Herndon Town Council, Herndon Chamber of Commerce, and the local media.

All Traffic Solutions has invested more than $100,000 to establish its new headquarters operation in Fairfax County. The new 4,336-square-foot facility is located at Worldgate Centre in the Town of Herndon. The company plans to add 25 employees in 2017 and create up to 86 new jobs over the next three years.

Our positioning at the heart of the Dulles Tech Corridor makes Herndon a uniquely qualified location within the Commonwealth for All Traffic Solutions, said Herndon Mayor Lisa C. Merkel. We are thrilled to welcome ATS to the town and look forward to working with them as they grow and expand.

Moving the All Traffic Solutions headquarters to Virginia comes closely on the heels of the companys recent $8M in Series A funding by venture capital firm Edison Partners.

As we embark on this exciting new chapter at ATS, our decision to establish our headquarters in Virginia was based on several significant factors, said Jim Weaver, CEO of All Traffic Solutions. Virginia is known for its business-friendly and robust startup environment. Also, the state is a major hub for transportation innovation. Equally important, the Dulles Technology Corridor, in particular, offers us access to some of the best tech talent in the country, which is key to our continued position as a leader in transportation technology.

Those wishing to learn more about All Traffic Solutions can visit their website at http://www.alltrafficsolutions.com.

For information on TraffiCloudTM, ATS cloud-based solution that allows users to remotely manage traffic and parking equipment as well as data from anywhere, go to http://www.alltrafficsolutions.com/solutions/trafficloud.

About All Traffic Solutions

Located outside Washington D.C. in Herndon, Virginia, All Traffic Solutions is consistently recognized as a leading innovator in the traffic safety industry for radar speed and variable message displays, imaging products and intelligent transportation systems, delivering groundbreaking levels of service and product capability. By integrating cloud technology into all of its products, All Traffic Solutions allows customers to manage all their equipment and data remotely through a browser, resulting in better traffic safety outcomes and initiatives related to vehicle-to-infrastructure solutions and smart cities.
"Cam Manufacturing is proud to be a part of the beginning of the composites industry in the U.S."

CAM Manufacturing, LLC, a fourth generation family owned business with more than six decades in composites manufacturing, is celebrating its 65th birthday this year. The company celebrates six decades of being a business leader in the composite field. While announcing the news, the CEO Irene Grabowski, and Founder Mr. Daniel Schmucker said that they are happy to be associated with a company that has registered such huge success as well as contributed greatly to the original development of the field.

We are pleased to have been one of the very first companies in the United States to partner with the Aerospace and Defense OEMs in developing this important technology, said Daniel as he registered some of the successes the company has achieved in the last sixty five years.

Daniel added that commitment to quality products and services have seen the company over the years attract big customers. He assured the customers and the public that the company is fully committed to its core values of excellence, quality and exceeding customer expectations. We listen to our customers, we appreciate their loyalty, and we will continue working hard in ensuring that their needs are meet and in all occasions aim at surpassing their expectations, said Daniel as he recognized the role the customers have played in the company success over the years.

As a fully Certified AS9100-C, ISO-9001, and Nadcap Accredited facility, we look forward to future partnerships as one of the most capable and experienced composite suppliers in the industry, said Daniel, while recognizing that the company has won several awards over the years for being the leader in manufacture of custom composite the aerospace, commercial, and defense industry.

CAM Manufacturing History

Cam Manufacturing today, began as a partnership with CEO, Irene Grabowski and Founder Daniel Schmucker several years ago. CAM Manufacturing traces its history way back to early 1950 with Daniel Schmuckers grandfather. At that time, Grumman approached the business to implement and research Reinforced Plastics; a new technology then. From that partnership, the company grew to become one of the first composite manufacturing companies in USA; and it grew to employ more than 100 employees. In 1981 it became the first company to be ISO 9001 system compliant.

In the subsequent years, the company participated in government sponsored trainings and in 1981, the quality systems were approved by the Government, Grumman, Lockheed, Boeing, and Gulfstream. This, according to Daniel, was a great milestone for the company, it was now a significant player in the industry having been recognized by the government and other big players in the aerospace, commercial, and defense industries.

The company was recognized as the leader in the composites field offering training to other companies as well as individuals. According to Daniel, a third generation family member, the company was delighted to have participated in passing the skills and knowledge to others. In 1993 the decision was made to move the company to Georgia. In 1996 I started a CNC machine shop that thrived and prospered. As my family business closed, I had the opportunity to get back into the composite business. The CNC machine shop was sold and I began the composite business once again. The previous company was called Schmucker Manufacturing LLC. Today CAM Manufacturing, LLC with partners CEO Irene Grabowski and Founder Daniel Schmucker are thriving once again in the composite industry.
Vidal Sassoons legacy lives on as the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation and Wellas Hairdressers at Heart announce the opening of the Spring 2017 Basic and Advanced Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program. Between January 9 and March 6, 2017, the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation and Hairdressers at Heart are accepting video applications for six Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Basic scholarships. Open to students enrolled in a cosmetology program at a qualified school, each Basic scholarship covers 50 percent of program tuition, up to $10,000.

For licensed hairstylists, the Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship awards 10 continuing education experiences. Valued at up to $5,000, including travel, the Advanced scholarships include a five-day advanced education course at a North American Sassoon Academy. Licensed hairstylists may submit a video application between January 16 and March 13, 2017.

Application information on both the Basic and Advanced Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education competitions  including previous scholarship winners and tips on creating a video application - is available at https://beautychangeslives.org/cosmetology/

As an artist, hairstylist, business legend and humanitarian, Sassoon elevated the craft of hairdressing while maintaining an unrelenting focus on lifelong learning throughout his career journey. We are so honored to celebrate Vidal Sassoons commitment to excellence and his passion for beauty and wellness education, said Lynelle Lynch president of the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation. And we are awed by the generous support Hairdressers at Heart has invested in supporting NextGen hairstylists.

Added Sal Mauceri, Senior Vice President North America Professional Beauty and Global Nail at Coty Beauty: Its our honor to invest in the education and continued learning for students and professionals who are the future stars of our industry.

The Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program was established in 2012 with a five-year, $1.5M commitment generously funded by Wellas Hairdressers at Heart initiative. The Basic and Advanced scholarships celebrate Vidal Sassoons lifelong commitment to professional education. Nearly 200 individuals have been awarded since the programs inception.

Prior to the creation of the Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Program, the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation honored Vidal Sassoon as the inaugural recipient of the Legacy award  an award that recognizes an industry icon for their commitment to lifelong professional education. Sassoons daughter, Eden Sassoon, accepted the Legacy award presented to her father posthumously in 2012.

The Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship Competition winners are selected by a panel of industry judges who consider applicants passion for the craft of hairstyling and their vision for using a career in beauty to change lives.

About the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation: With a mission to elevate, educate and empower, Beauty Changes Lives is uniting the industry and building awareness of the

extraordinary career opportunities in the beauty, wellness and massage therapy industries. Learn more at http://www.beautychangeslives.org or find us on Facebook.

About Hairdressers At Heart: Stylists are committed to being the best, perfecting their craft with every cut. Wella is here to advance the salon industry, one stylist at a time. Hairdressers At Heart is a program created to help stylists develop their talents throughout their career. Our goal is to be a vital partner to salons, empowering individual stylists and our entire industry. For more, visit http://www.hairdressersatheart.com/

About Coty Inc.: We celebrate and liberate the diversity of your beauty. Coty is one of the worlds largest beauty companies with approximately $9 billion in revenue. Its strong entrepreneurial heritage has created an iconic portfolio of leading beauty brands. Coty is the global leader in fragrances, a strong number two in professional salon hair color & styling, and number three in color cosmetics. Coty operates three divisions  Coty Consumer Beauty, which is focused on color cosmetics, retail hair coloring and styling products, body care and mass fragrances sold primarily in the mass retail channels with brands such as Cover Girl, Max Factor and Rimmel; Coty Luxury, which is focused on prestige fragrances and skincare with brands such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Hugo Boss, Gucci and philosophy; and Coty Professional Beauty, which is focused on servicing salon owners and professionals in both hair and nail, with brands such as Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professionals and OPI. Coty has over 20,000 colleagues globally and its products are sold in over 130 countries. Coty and its brands are committed to a range of social causes as well as seeking to minimize our impact on the environment.

About Sassoon Academy: Sassoon Academy offers its celebrated, industry-leading philosophy and courses worldwide through its renowned Academies, and instructional DVDs and books. All classes are developed and designed to be contemporary, relevant and forward thinking and are delivered with passion, commitment and technical excellence. The aim is to share the knowledge that is gained in the development of our craft and ensure that our students gain real commercial skills from our courses, as well as take away a piece of the culture that created Sassoon. To learn more about Sassoon Academy, visit http://www.sassoon.com or follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/SassoonAcademy, Twitter: twitter.com/SassoonAcademy and Instagram: @sassoonacademyofficial.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Wellas Hairdressers at Heart: Ross Boettcher, rboettcher(at)evokebrands(dot)com / 608.556.6999

Beauty Changes Lives: Susan Miller, smiller(at)5metacom(dot)com / 765-620-2007
HydroWorx 2000 therapy pool at the new Ohio Living Dorothy Love Sargeant Family Center for Aquatic Therapy & Rehab

On Monday, January 23 at 2 p.m. in the Amos Center, Ohio Living Dorothy Love will dedicate the Sargeant Family Center for Aquatic Therapy & Rehab. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will include hors doeuvres and a tour of the new space, with demonstrations of the aquatic therapy pool. Transportation will be provided from the Amos Center to the Sargeant Family Center.

Construction of the center began in June of 2016 and was funded by a $1.52 million capital campaign, Waves of Change, conducted by the Ohio Living Foundation. The campaign exceeded its goal of raising $1.4 million, demonstrating the strong support for this kind of therapy in the Sidney/Shelby County area. The project pairs nicely with the Rehab Studios that Ohio Living Dorothy Love opened in October 2015, offering comfortable, private accommodations to rehab patients as they recover from an injury, illness or surgery.

The rehab center, named for brothers and long-time supporters John and Robert (Bob) Sargeant who were honorary co-chairs of the capital campaign, features a HydroWorx 2000 therapy pool that provides a warm, soothing therapy environment that puts less stress on joints or painful areas. This is conducive to a faster, more successful recovery. The state-of-the-art therapy pool also features underwater cameras for observation by the therapist, moveable resistance jets, an integrated treadmill and rising floor for easy access. The project also included expansion of the therapy gym, doubling the size of the existing facility, and will offer a level of therapy not currently available in the area.

At Ohio Living Dorothy Love, we have been evolving and changing for more than 94 years and this is just another example of how we will continue changing to meet the needs of our community, said Tricia Atwood, Ohio Living Dorothy Love executive director. With advances in medicine and changes in healthcare, society is seeing more treatment options with shorter hospital stays. All of this creates a need for short-term rehabilitation where people can receive the specialized care and treatment they need to regain function and quality of life and return home quickly, where ever home may be. The new Sargeant Family Center for Aquatic Therapy & Rehab will do just that while meeting our mission to enhance the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of our residents and guests.

The center offers physical, speech and occupational therapy to both Ohio Living Dorothy Love residents and those in the Sidney/Shelby County area, providing personalized recovery plans using the latest equipment and innovative techniques. For more information, call 937.498.2391 or visit ohioliving.org. If you would like to attend the dedication event, please RSVP to Deb Sanders, director of sales & marketing at 937.497.6543 or dsanders(at)ohioliving.org by Tuesday, January 17.
MediExcel Executive Director, Tina Jenkins in the middle with Anett

Anett, 4, is like many girls her age who have an affinity for princesses and fairy tales. Unlike most girls her age though, Anett is dealing with a life-threatening autoimmune disorder that requires countless medical treatments and doctor visits. During one of these visits to MediExcellocated in Mexico, providing healthcare for San Diego employers Anett was referred to Make-A-Wish San Diego to receive a wish.

We worked with our medical team in Mexico to refer Anett, who otherwise would not have access to the wonderful work of Make-A-Wish San Diego, said Tina Jenkins, MediExcel Executive Director, I am delighted we could bring the vision of these two organizations together, in a cross-border collaboration, to make this wish possible for Anett.

MediExcel not only made it possible for Anett to receive her wish by making her referral, but also chose to fund Anetts wish for the ultimate Princess Shopping Spree. As a fun part of her wish experience, MediExcel surprised Anett at the Make-A-Wish office on Monday, January 9 to reveal that her wish will be coming truea wish for a shopping spree where she will dress up as her favorite princess and be accompanied by her very own princess escort.

Wishes like Anetts are more than just nice to have, said Chris Sichel, Make-A-Wish San Diego President & CEO, they represent an impactful part of treatment for wish kids and their entire family during a very difficult time in their lives.

MediExcel Director Anthony Llompart says the great work of Make-A-Wish San Diego is consistent with their companys mission of providing quality, innovative access to healthcare and restoration of health for its members. We are honored to support Anetts wish and excited to be able to do it in collaboration with an organization like Make-A-Wish San Diego, shares Llompart.

About MediExcel

MediExcel Health Plan is a California licensed, ACA compliant HMO, which specializes in cross-border healthcare. MediExcel offers covered health benefit services to employer groups and their employees in San Diego and Imperial County. Healthcare is delivered at its all-inclusive healthcare campus in Tijuana, MX and through its Medical Network in Mexicali, MX. For more information about MediExcel Health plan, please visit http://www.mediexcel.com.

About Make-A-Wish San Diego

Make-A-Wish San Diego grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions in San Diego and Imperial Counties to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1983, the San Diego chapter has granted more than 3,900 wishes to children in our community. In the coming year, the organization anticipates granting over 230 wishes for local children and hosting over 250 wish kids from other states to grant their wish in San Diego. At Make-A-Wish, the goal is simple: to come into a childs life during a difficult time and provide hope and a much-needed break from the daily challenges they are forced to face. For more information about Make-A-Wish San Diego, visit us online at http://www.sandiego.wish.org or call us at (858) 707-9474.

###
"Americaneagle.com conducted a thorough site audit that revealed to us how much more we could do with our site."

Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) is a fraternal benefit life insurance company, the third largest of its kind in the U.S. COF contracted web design and development company Americaneagle.com to review its website and add robust functionality to it after it was developed by another company.

Americaneagle.com began the project with a site audit. As a result of the audit findings, a large technical overhaul of the site was successfully completed. Americaneagle.com then enhanced the login and registration process using advanced logic and also developed new functionality such as member dashboards and custom functionality for COF regional member groups. Americaneagle.com made it possible for these group administrators to manage the site from the front end, allowing them to post their own news stories and calendar of events with event registration functionality, also developed by Americaneagle.com.

Joni Kazmierczak, VP of Business Analysis and IT at Catholic Order of Foresters, said, Americaneagle.com conducted a thorough site audit that revealed to us how much more we could do with our site. We are very happy with all the additional functionality the Americaneagle.com team added. With member dashboards, event registration and integration with our databases, the site is modern and provides more value to our users. We look forward to expanding upon this functionality to offer even more conveniences to our members and agents.

Mike Svanascini, President of Americaneagle.com, shared, At Americaneagle.com, we are involved in all areas of site strategy, design and development, so when Catholic Order of Foresters came to us for a site audit, we had the perfect team for the job.

About Catholic Order of Foresters

Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) is a Catholic life insurance company that helps members achieve financial security while supporting the Catholic community through fraternal outreach. COFs commitment to caring began in 1883 at Holy Family Parish in Chicago, Illinois, when 42 men saw the need to assist families who had lost the primary wage earner. Today, Catholic Order of Foresters has more than 119,000 members nationwide and is licensed in 32 states and Washington D.C. By offering each member unique added-value fraternal benefits, such as scholarships and tuition assistance, COF brings Catholic values to life. The home office is located in Naperville, Illinois. For more information, visit http://www.catholicforester.org.

About Americaneagle.com

Americaneagle.com, Inc., founded in 1978, is a leading Web design, development, and hosting company based in Des Plaines, Illinois. Currently, Americaneagle.com employs approximately 350+ professionals in offices throughout the country including Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. Some of their 7,000+ clients include Komatsu USA, FASTSIGNS, Stuart Weitzman, WeatherTech.com, Chicago Bears, and the American Dental Association. For additional information about Americaneagle.com, visit http://www.americaneagle.com.

Contact

Michael Svanascini, President, Americaneagle.com

press(at)americaneagle(dot)com

847-699-0300
We are committed to improving services for our current clients and we are determined on reaching and serving even more people who need us over the next ten years and beyond.

Sunday, January 15, 2017 marks ten years since Push to Walk opened its doors to the paralysis community. When Darren Templeton sustained a spinal cord injury, he completed traditional therapy, but wanted to continue to work on making progress. Local gyms rarely offer the accessibility necessary for an individual who uses a wheelchair to have unassisted access to all equipment. The only place the Templeton family found that provided one-on-one personal training for specialized populations was on the West coast. Determined to develop a place on the East coast, they opened Push to Walk in 2007.

In the nonprofits ten years, it has called three separate locations home. Outgrowing its first space in Bloomingdale after only eighteen months, it spent the better half of the last decade in Riverdale, New Jersey. Push to Walk began serving the spinal cord injury population and has since grown to serve those with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, and other forms of paralysis. Push to Walk moved to Oakland in October 2016 and expects even further growth in this larger, more functional 7,435 square foot gym space.

Push to Walk has had an amazing journey during its first ten years of service for its clients. While our history is important to us, we have our sights set firmly on the future for Push to Walk. We are committed to improving services for our current clients and we are determined on reaching and serving even more people who need us over the next ten years and beyond, Executive Director, David Font.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Lajam at (201) 644-7567 or slajam(at)pushtowalknj(dot)org. Donation opportunities are available on the Push to Walk website: http://www.pushtowalknj.org

#####

About Push to Walk

Founded in 2007, Push to Walk is an organization that provides individualized workouts and resources to people with spinal cord injuries and other forms of paralysis to optimize current quality of life and to prepare for future medical advancements. It is the only program of its kind in the New York- New Jersey area. Push to Walks rigorous one-on-one workout approach challenges clients to reach their personal goals and achieve maximum independence, leading to greater success and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. Push to Walk is only able to cover about 65% of its operating costs through client fees, and relies on grants and fundraising events to help make up the difference. A 501(C)3 non-profit, Push to Walk is located in Oakland, New Jersey. Visit http://www.pushtowalknj.org to learn more
SmartRecruiters, the Hiring Success Company, announced today a new customer, BIC, and the recent hiring of four key new team members: SVP of Commercial Sales Bob Memmer, VP of Demand Generation Prachi Gore, VP of Professional Services Matthew OConnor and Senior Director of Sales Development and Sales Operations Taft Love.

BIC, the iconic designer consumer goods company best known for making ballpoint pens, has chosen SmartRecruiters to enhance its global recruitment and hiring process and develop an easier hiring solution. Lisa Winterhalder, Director of Global HR Technology at BIC, commented, "We are very excited about the potential of this partnership. We expect it to elevate the way we recruit so that candidates clearly understand our company values and recognize that BIC is a great place to work. SmartRecruiters also has a reputation for quickly helping companies like ours implement technology so that we can hire in the best way possible."

This announcement of SmartRecruiters new customer win with BIC comes as the company also expands its leadership team to support growth with key roles in sales and marketing.

An important part of ramping up and preparing for 2017 has been making strategic additions to our organizations management team, said Jerome Ternynck, SmartRecruiters founder and CEO. Each new hire brings experience from various backgrounds that will enable SmartRecruiters to grow in the right directionin the new year and for years to come.

Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales Bob Memmer joins SmartRecruiters after serving as AVP of Commercial Sales with Salesforce.com, where he received the MVP of the Quarter Award and was involved with the integration of new product lines, building teams globally, enabling sales teams at scale and supporting the Salesforce Dreamforce tech conference. Prior to working at Salesforce, Memmer served as the Vice President of Sales with Jigsaw.

I joined SmartRecruiters because the current model of connecting talented people with companies that they would love to work for is broken, said Memmer. My main responsibilities in my new role will be to build out a velocity-based inside sales machine filled with amazing people customers love to work with, as well as expanding operations into new markets such as the UK, Europe and Australia.

Vice President of Demand Generation Prachi Gore comes to SmartRecruiters from ServiceSource, where she was responsible for driving demand in the enterprise segment and growing a small tactical team to deliver strategic, creative and impactful campaigns. Gores main responsibility in her new role at SmartRecruiters is to generate the pipeline needed to fuel rapid growth in the enterprise and mid-market segments.

SmartRecruiters is a company with people who share my values and a purpose beyond making money, stated Gore. The team really believes that by delivering an amazing experience through an easy-to-use but sophisticated product, they can impact the state of hiring.

The new Vice President of Professional Services, Matthew OConnor, joins SmartRecruiters after nearly 12 years of market creation with Salesforce. OConnor is a professional services leader with 16 years of experience in technology and strategy consulting, with involvement in transforming and building all functions of a professional services organization in emerging markets. In his new role with SmartRecruiters, OConnors core responsibilities include leading the global Professional Services organization and delivering high-value, consultative services to all of SmartRecruiters customers.

SmartRecruiters has the traits of a company ready to disrupt its industrya great product and leadership team, a vendor landscape that lacks innovation, and consumers desperate for a better solution. Add to that the fact that the ability to acquire top talent effectively is one of the few sustainable, competitive advantages in today's environment, and it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, OConnor explained.

Senior Director of Sales Development and Sales Operations Taft Love joins SmartRecruiters from PandaDoc, where he served as Director of Sales Development and Sales Operations. In addition to his background in sales, Love brings unique work experience to the table with a background in law enforcement. While in law enforcement, Love was the youngest officer to be a detective, supervisor and Special Response Team member. His focus was on fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes.

I joined SmartRecruiters for three main reasons: the market, the leadership and the team, said Love. Most companies are unhappy with their applicant tracking systems, and the industry is on the verge of major changes, which makes this a perfect time to join a visionary in the space. My priorities in my new role are optimizing the inbound lead follow-up process, improving the teams sales skills and shaking up a predictable outbound program.

About SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters Talent Acquisition Suite is used by high-performance organizations for making the best hires. It has full functionality for recruitment marketing and collaborative hiring built on a modern cloud platform with an open marketplace for third-party recruitment services. Unlike the first-generation applicant tracking systems it replaces, SmartRecruiters provides an amazing candidate experience. Hiring managers actually want to use the product, and recruiters love SmartRecruiters because the platform makes their jobs easier. Companies like Visa, Skechers, Atlassian, Equinox and Alcoa use SmartRecruiters to make recruiting a competitive advantage.

For more information, follow us at @SmartRecruiters, on LinkedIn or on https://www.smartrecruiters.com.
At SailTime, your boat is ready when you are. This recognition is a fantastic way for us to kick off what we believe will be our best year yet as we aim to grow our international presence with new bases in Europe!

SailTime, the worlds leading fractional boating membership program, with bases around the United States and Australia, today announced its inclusion in Entrepreneur Magazines 38th annual Franchise 500. It is the third major honor within the last year for SailTime, following their inclusion in the INC 500/5000 in August 2016 and Entrepreneurs recognition in 2017s 10 Hottest Franchise Categories in December 2016.

All of us at SailTime are incredibly excited to be named to Entrepreneur Magazine's prestigious Franchise 500, SailTime CEO Todd Hess said. This recognition is a fantastic way for us to kick off what we believe will be our best year yet as we aim to grow our international presence with new bases in Europe!

SailTime has enjoyed growth of 161 percent since 2012, expanding to 28 franchise bases in the United States and six bases in Australia. Their recent partnership with Beneteau, one of the biggest and most respected boat manufacturers in the world, provided SailTime franchisees the opportunity to offer Beneteau boats for both the membership program and the boat ownership program. Three Beneteau yacht dealers in North America integrated with SailTime in 2016, and corporate officials are heading to Dusseldorf, Germany on January 21st to discuss integrating the SailTime franchise with Beneteau dealers in Europe.

Beneteau has been a terrific partner with SailTime, so its only natural that wed take the success weve had stateside in 2016 and look to expand the partnerships with our European boating friends this year.

Over its 38 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for entrepreneurs. The key factors that go into Entrepreneurs evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. All franchises are given a cumulative score based on more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.

"Entrepreneurs in every industry must constantly improve and adapt, and our Franchise 500 list is full of success stories, says Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur. "No matter what their concept is, these companies  from booming newcomers to established industry dominators  tell us a lot about what it takes to keep up with current trends in the business world."

To view the full ranking and any of these related stories, pick up a copy of the January 2017 issue of Entrepreneur magazine on newsstands now, or visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500.

###

About SailTime:

Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, SailTime has more than 28 locally owned and operated fractional boating franchise bases throughout North America and seven bases in Australia. SailTime members share the use of a professionally managed boat through the use of a unique and proprietary online scheduling system. A monthly membership fee covers the slip fees, maintenance, insurance and operating costs. These memberships offer an attractive alternative to boat ownership. SailTime also offers a generous Owner Member Program where the owner receives a monthly income, as well as the benefits of membership and complete professional management of their boat.

SailTime also has a significant network of sailing schools, via bases that are certified American Sailing Association (ASA) and Royal Yachting Association (RYA) affiliates. The instruction provided at these locations has been a key component in providing a pathway for members to achieve their goals and dreams for the sport of sailing.

Visit SailTime online at https://sailtime.com

ABOUT ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA INC.

For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com, and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide.

To learn more, visit entrepreneur.com.
The solar energy system is expected to reduce Brandeis energy bill by an estimated $70,000 in the first year, and up to $2 million over 20 years.

Four solar project partnersCompetitive Energy Services, Kenyon Energy, Borrego Solar Systems and AEW Capital Managementtoday said they have developed a collaboration with Brandeis University on a solar energy system that will directly reduce Brandeis electricity costs. The system is expected to be operational in spring 2017.

Under the program, Brandeis will purchase solar energy from a 1.27 megawatt (MW) system installed on the roof of a property in Somerville, Mass., which is owned by an affiliate of AEW Capital Management. Through the utility billing mechanism known as virtual net metering, Brandeis will receive credits on its utility bill for every kilowatt hour (kWh) produced by the remotely located installation.

We hope this is the first of many opportunities to support new solar developments in Massachusetts, and hedge against the volatile, fossil fuel-based electricity market, said Mary Fischer, Brandeis Sustainability Manager. While we continue to investigate long-term, on-site solar for our campus, this agreement is an immediate opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and fiscal responsibility.

Fisher said that the system is expected to reduce Brandeis energy bill by an estimated $70,000 in the first year, and up to $2 million over 20 years.

The solar array will generate nearly 1.6 million kWhs of energy in its first year, enough to provide 3.5 percent of Brandeis energy needs. In Massachusetts, this amount of power is enough to offset approximately 34 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents over the next 20 years,1 the equivalent of eliminating 40 million vehicle miles or taking nearly 220 cars permanently off the road.

Brandeis has a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Kenyon Energy to finance the solar installation. The university will pay Kenyon Energy for the electricity generated by the solar facility at a cost significantly below its current utility rates. Brandeis is able to mitigate the risk of significant, unexpected future rate increases by contracting a predictably escalating rate through the PPA term.

Kenyon Energy, a national solar developer and financier, will own, operate, and manage the facility to ensure maximum energy generation for Brandeis across the systems lifecycle.

This project will bring tremendous benefit to Brandeis University, said Ray Gonzalez, President of Kenyon Energy. Were delighted to help diversify the Universitys energy consumption, reduce electricity costs and help Brandeis achieve important long-term sustainability goals.

Borrego Solarthe leading solar developer, designer, installer and O&M provider in Massachusettsbuilt and developed the array. Borrego Solar has installed approximately 150 MW of solar in the Commonwealth. Competitive Energy Services consulted Brandeis in its effort to go solar and facilitated the contracting of Borrego Solar and the site it developed for the array.

Brandeis and Competitive Energy have worked together on energy initiatives since 2013, and this project represents the culmination of months of investigation, analysis, and collaboration, said Zac Bloom, director of sustainability for Competitive Energy Services.

About Brandeis University

Brandeis University is a highly competitive private research university with a focus on undergraduate education. Founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community and named for Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, Brandeis embraces the values of academic excellence, critical thinking, openness to all, and making the world a better place. Brandeis is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), which represents the 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. Located just west of Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, Brandeis distinguished faculty are dedicated to the education and support of 3,600 undergraduates and more than 2,000 graduate students.

About Kenyon Energy

Kenyon Energy finances, plans, develops, and operates distributed and grid connected, solar power facilities delivering renewable electricity nationwide. Since 2009, Kenyon Energy has been a leading national provider of commercial, industrial and utility scale solar solutions developing a reputation as one of the industry's most reliable partners. Kenyon Energy and affiliates comprise a national, independent power producer providing direct, solar-generated electricity to municipalities, utilities and corporations. For more information about Kenyon Energy, please visit http://www.kenyonenergy.com.

About Borrego Solar

Established in 1980, Borrego Solar Systems Inc. is one of the leading designers, developers, installers and O&M providers of commercial and utility photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems in the United States with more than 290 megawatts (MW) of installations in operation and nearly 100 MW currently under construction. Borrego Solar is a market leader nationally in addition to having the largest market share in Massachusetts and New York. With more than three decades of experience, Borrego Solars PV systems are efficient, reliable and cost-effective. The companys mission is to solve the world's energy problems by accelerating the adoption of renewable energy. Its people are committed to excellence in every aspect of solar design, construction and operation. For more information, visit http://www.borregosolar.com.

About Competitive Energy Services

Competitive Energy Services is an independent energy advisory firm that provides strategic energy consulting services for commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers throughout the United States and Canada. CES manages energy procurement activities on behalf of clients for energy commodities and renewable energy systems ng unparalleled market insight and a powerful, multi-supplier competitive bid system. Other services range from energy risk management, budgeting and hedging strategies, to greenhouse gas accounting and climate action planning. For more information, please visit http://www.competitive-energy.com.

About AEW Capital Management

Founded in 1981, AEW Capital Management, L.P. (AEW) provides real estate investment management services to investors worldwide. One of the worlds leading real estate investment advisors, AEW and its affiliates manage $55.8 billion of property and securities in North America, Europe and Asia (as of June 30, 2016). Grounded in research and experienced in the complexities of the real estate and capital markets, AEW actively manages portfolios in both the public and private property markets and across the risk/return spectrum. AEW and its affiliates have offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Boston, Los Angeles, London, and Paris, as well as additional offices in nine European cities.
Both well-researched and factual, the legal resource page can serve as a starting point for accident victims who want to know what legal options are available to them and their loved ones.

Experienced attorney Kerry Steigerwalt has authored a client resource page on drunk driving and DUI accident litigation for LawyerShop. The resource page offers a rundown of various factors that may be considered in a drunk driving accident case.

Both well-researched and factual, the legal resource page can serve as a starting point for accident victims who want to know what legal options are available to them and their loved ones.

Various Aspects of DUI Accidents Explored

The LawyerShop article on DUI accidents is highly informative, breaking down various aspects of auto accident cases and drunk driving liability that are common in collisions. Each topic is clearly marked with headings, which helps people find the exact information they're looking for as it applies to their case.

Some of the topics covered in the DUI accident resource page include:



Statistics on drunk drivers and impaired driving

Legal damages that can be sought in DUI accident cases

What to consider regarding insurance and legal settlements

Third-party liability in drunk driving cases

Steps to take after an accident has occurred

How accident attorneys fight for their client's bet interests

Straightforward Explanations of Legal Issues

Many laws are written in dense, complicated language that is difficult to understand. Even after reading a law a few times, its meaning remains obscure and perhaps even indecipherable. This makes many legal matters frustrating, which is the last thing anyone needs as they recover from an injury or mourn the loss of a loved one.

Mr. Steigerwalt avoids confusion and misinterpretation thanks to clear, concise, and jargon-free language. All of the DUI accident topics are discussed and explained without legalese. Mr. Steigerwalt is able to render these complex issues in plain English thanks to his years of experience.

Connecting Injury Victims with Legal Help

By sharing this information on LawyerShop, Mr. Steigerwalt hopes to connect people to lawyers in their area. This is an invaluable resource for those in need of a lawyer but are unsure of where to turn. The attorneys in the LawyerShop network are known for their integrity and legal expertise, putting their clients first. It is Mr. Steigerwalt's hope that people who lack a voice and a proper advocate can find someone who will fight for them.

A Commitment to Injury Victims and Their Families

Mr. Steigerwalt knows his latest contribution to LawyerShop will empower accident victims who read it, providing guidance in their time of legal need. His dedication is such that he's been named a Senior Sectional Editor at LawyerShop. In the future, he intends to continue writing resource pages that can help save lives and serve justice.

About LawyerShop

LawyerShop is an exclusive directory of legal professionals who are based throughout the United States. LawyerShop helps users find experienced, distinguished attorneys who work in personal injury law, family law, and criminal law.

Learn about DUI Accident Lawsuits

To learn more about legal matters related to drunk driving accidents and auto collisions, contact an experienced lawyer. The law firm can be contacted directly by using the contact information provided below.

3559 Fourth Avenue

San Diego, CA 92103

(619) 272-4027

Originally posted by San Diego Injury Lawyer.
AANP is beyond excited at the results of the hard work and dedication shown by state association leaders and their members. We are thankful to Dr. Rothenberg, ND, Paul Herscu, ND, the MSND, and the naturopathic community for coming together to help...

On Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Baker (R-MA) signed a bill, S2335, to license Naturopathic Doctors in Massachusetts. Effective September 1, 2017, the bill will ensure the safe practice of naturopathic medicine in the state, increase citizens access to high-quality integrative health care, and allow patients to make more informed decisions about their health.

This moment is historic for the naturopathic profession and for health care. Massachusetts is the second state to gain licensure within the last two months. Pennsylvania achieved regulation in November, 2016. Over the course of 24 years, similar bills were rejected in Massachusetts. Fortunately, with support from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), members of the Massachusetts Society of Naturopathic Physicians (MSND) made tremendous strides leading to ultimate enactment of the bill.

I, along with my colleagues and friends at the MSND, am thrilled to join the ranks of providers in the state. We look forward to bringing naturopathic medicine to the citizens of Massachusetts, said Amy Rothenberg, ND, president, MSND. I applaud Gov. Baker and the legislative leaders who studied and vetted this profession for more than 20 years and came to understand the unique role that licensed Naturopathic Doctors can play. This bill allows the people of Massachusetts to access well-educated, well-trained Naturopathic Doctors for their expertise in both preventive medicine and natural integrative care. We are thrilled for this cap to our efforts.

Naturopathic Doctors play a pivotal role in integrative health care, especially when it comes to treatment of opioid addiction and chronic pain. In fact, members of Congress have made clear their interest in licensed Naturopathic Doctors becoming employed by the Veterans Health Administration. The AANP is currently working with the Agencys Office of Patient Centered Care to determine the role that Naturopathic Doctors could play.

Naturopathic medicine focuses on prevention of illness and whole-person wellness. Highly-trained Naturopathic Doctors utilize natural, noninvasive, and nontoxic therapies to treat the causes of illness rather than focusing exclusively on the symptoms. The guiding principle of naturopathic care is to work with the bodys inherent ability to heal itself, educating patients in the steps needed to achieve and maintain overall health. Enactment of S2335 will enable patients in Massachusetts to improve their quality of health.

While we celebrate licensure wins in every state, were overjoyed that Massachusetts residents can now visit a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, commented Jaclyn Chasse, ND, president, AANP. As a Massachusetts resident, its hard to convey in words the enthusiasm and triumph I feel witnessing the strong advocacy efforts that Naturopathic Doctors have poured into obtaining licensure here.

A top priority for the AANP is obtaining licensure in all 50 states by 2025. Each year, the AANP provides advocacy grants to state associations that are nearing this goal. Additionally, the Institute of Natural Medicine (INM) funds a full-time States Coordinator to guide naturopathic state organizations in educating policymakers and the public about the benefits of licensure.

The Institute vows to continue supporting these efforts, stated the INM president, Michelle Simon, ND, PhD. We are truly overjoyed to have helped catalyze the momentum we are now seeing. Indeed, 13 states are poised to advance legislation in the coming year.

States that currently regulate Naturopathic Doctors include AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, HI, KS, MA, MD, ME, MN, MT, ND, NH, OR, PA, UT, WA, and VT, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This is what were here for; to help states obtain licensure, commented Ryan Cliche, executive director, AANP. The AANP is beyond excited at the results of the hard work and dedication shown by state association leaders and their members. The AANP is thankful to Dr. Rothenberg, Paul Herscu, ND, MPH, the MSND, AANP members, and the naturopathic community for coming together to help push this bill over the finish line.

Those constituencies will gather in Washington, DC, in April to share information to boost licensure prospects for other naturopathic state associations, as well as to hold meetings on Capitol Hill to educate members of Congress about the benefits of state licensure and the role Naturopathic Doctors play in providing safe, effective, and affordable health care.

###

About the AANP:

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians is the professional association that represents licensed Naturopathic Doctors. The AANP strives to make naturopathic medicine available to every American, and to increase recognition of Naturopathic Doctors as the identified authorities on natural medicine. Learn more at http://www.naturopathic.org.
Mobile Growth Fellowship, the largest network of mobile user acquisition and growth experts, announced today that early-bird registration is now open for the third annual Mobile Growth Summit, taking place in San Francisco on February 1st and 2nd at the Mission Bay Conference Center. The event will showcase the largest and most successful mobile developers and publishers in the industry today.

Mobile Growth Summit is North America's largest mobile-only conference, featuring the single biggest collection of mobile industry thought leaders from User Acquisition, Monetization, and Engagement/Retention assembled all year. Additional details and registration are available at http://www.MobileGrowthSummit.com.

Speakers from Google and Liftoff will keynote the event, joined by more than 40 other expert speakers from the fields of mobile user acquisition and growth. Collectively, theyll address the most challenging topics facing the mobile industry today, including:



Video & Emerging Ad Units

Monetization Best Practices for 2017

UA Channels That Scale

How to Avoid Ad & Attribution Fraud

New ASO Secrets

Millennial & Gen Z Marketing Strategies

VR in Mobile

Bots and AI

Growth Strategies for Businesses of Various Sizes

Re-Engagement Strategies Focused on Conversions

Expert Mobile Predictions for 2017, and more.

The Mobile Growth Fellowship has grown to become the largest and most important collection of professionals who are helping drive innovation and advancement throughout the mobile industry, said Dave Westin, President of Mobile Growth Fellowship. This years Summit, our flagship event, will bring together a unique and diverse gathering of strategists and practitioners who are helping shape the future of the mobile ecosystem. Weve got a great speaker lineup and plenty of thought-provoking sessions planned, so I expect this years event to be even better than ever.

This years summit sponsors include: Google, MoPub/Twitter, Unity, Sensor Tower, Bidalgo, AdAction Interactive, Adjust, Appboy, AppsFlyer, Applovin, Aerserv, AdXperience, AdAction, Baidu, Blind Ferret, Fyber, Jampp, Kochava, Liftoff, Tenjin, Leanplum, Youappi, Herzwo and Women in Wireless.

We're excited to be involved in a conference that brings together senior executives for thought-provoking discussions and great networking opportunities, said Anand Ramesh, Head of Publisher Partnerships at MoPub/Twitter. From the diversity of speakers to their willingness to share insights that benefit others, the Mobile Growth Summit is truly a unique event, and we're delighted to be the premiere sponsor once again this year.

Event Details

Registration: To register for the Mobile Growth Summit, visit http://www.mobilegrowthsummit.com

Location: Mission Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens St, #251 San Francisco, CA

Dates: February 1-2, 2016

Speakers:



Owen O'Donoghue, iGaming Lead, Facebook

Eliza DeMarseilles, Mobile Marketing Engagement and Retention Lead, Staples

Larissa Fontaine, Director Global Head of Apps Business Development for Google Play, Google

Chris Akhavan, Chief Revenue Officer, Glu Mobile

SC Moatti, Founder of Products The Count & Reknown Author and Industry Leader

Vivian Chang, Sr Manager of Acquisition Marketing, RetailMeNot

Kathryn Wong, Senior Manager, Marketing, Walmart

Andreas Gross, Product Lead, Reddit

Emre Ertan, Head of Growth, Slice / Unroll.me

James Peng, Head of Mobile Acquisition, Match Group

Chang Fu, Head of Growth, Health IQ

Deniz Gezgin, Director of Digital Marketing, Topps

Ethan Smith, Chief Growth Officer, Yummly

Aurelie Guerrieri, Founder & President, Akila One

Wilson Kriegel, Chief Business Officer, PicsArt

Fabien-Pierre Nicolas, VP Marketing, App Annie

Jeet Niyogi, Marketing Director, WSOP, Playtika Montreal

Jorge Prado, Founder & CEO, The Fast Mind

Ewa Stochlinska, Senior Business Development Manager, HolidayPirates

Scott Bauer, Director of User Acquisition, GSN

Meredith Tretiak, Director of Mobile Growth & Innovation, Gap, Inc

Benjamin Webley, Senior Vice President, Ad Monetization & Business Operations, Zynga

Dave Westin, President, Mobile Growth Fellowship

Viki Zabala, CMO, Sirqul

More to come!

Networking Events: Networking events with open bars will take place at the end of both days. A Morning Networking Games Session at 7am on February 2nd.

About Mobile Growth Summit

The Mobile Growth Fellowship is the largest network of Mobile Growth professionals specializing in the areas of User Acquisition, Monetization, and Engagement/Retention. It is a non-vendor think tank aimed at exploring the latest trends in marketing, advertising and distribution for mobile applications. Founded in 2013, the fellowship aims to bring together the top decision makers at mobile application companies to foster strategic, forward- thinking discussions at its events and meetups. Membership and registration are free but restricted to non-vendor, senior level executives within the field.

# # #

Media Contact

Matt McAllister

Fluid PR & Communications

Managing Director

matt(at)fluidspeak(dot)com
Withholding funding for the UN will significantly jeopardize Americas influence and ability to steer the international agenda  potentially allowing other nations to take the reins.

The Better World Campaign and the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) issued the following statement today from Better World Campaign President Peter Yeo in response to proposed legislation to withhold funding for the United Nations:

Members of Congress and the incoming Administration have an opportunity to work with the new Secretary-General to achieve real reforms that will strengthen the United Nations ability to carry out its life-saving work around the world. Withholding funding for the UN will significantly jeopardize Americas influence and ability to steer the international agenda  potentially allowing other nations to take the reins.

Conditioning funding to the United Nations to persuade the Security Council to reverse its vote will not work. Such a step will be welcomed by our opponents and undermine U.S. foreign policy and Israeli objectives while crippling vital UN operations. The reduction of American influence that goes along with refusing to pay our dues will make it nearly impossible to garner support at the UN for the American position on North Korea, Iran, and Syria.

It is critical to remember that the initiator of Decembers Security Council resolution against Israel was not the UN, but 14 of its member states. In this case as in select others, the UN was the stage, not the actor.

Although imperfect, no other organization has the reach and impact of the UN. Each year, the UN provides food to 80 million people in 80 countries, assists over 60 million refugees and other people fleeing conflict, vaccinates 40 percent of the worlds children, and keeps peace through 120,000 peacekeepers  the worlds largest deployed military force.

Despite these many benefits, U.S. funding for the UN amounts to only 0.1 percent of the total federal budget. Working with our allies through the UN means that the U.S. can share the burden of solving global challenges  and doesnt need to go it alone.

Cutting funds for the UN is also out of touch with the wishes of the American people. A new poll by the Better World Campaign shows that bipartisan support for the UN remains high  88 percent of Americans support active engagement at the UN.

For decades, such an action has also been rejected by Republican and Democratic Administrations. In 2005, eight former U.S. Ambassadors to the UN, including those for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, signed a letter stating, Reforming the United Nations is the right goal. Withholding our dues to the UN is the wrong methodology. When we last built debt with the UN, the United States isolated ourselves from our allies within the UN and made diplomacy a near impossible task.

We appreciate the important role played by Senator Lindsey Graham, the bills sponsor, in supporting full UN funding since 2009, and we look forward to working with him closely on this and other initiatives.

We know from experience that staying engaged is the best way to advance American interests. Full UN funding is essential to ensure that the U.S. has the power to effect change.

##

About the Better World Campaign

The Better World Campaign works to foster a strong relationship between the U.S. and the UN to promote core American interests and build a more secure, prosperous, and healthy world. The Better World Campaign engages policymakers, the media, and the American public alike to increase awareness of the critical role played by the UN in world affairs and the importance of constructive U.S.-UN relations.

About the United Nations Association of the United States of America

The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is a 50-state grassroots organization dedicated to inform, inspire, and mobilize the American people to support the ideals and vital work of the United Nations. For 70 years UNA-USA has worked to accomplish its mission through its national network of Chapters, youth engagement, advocacy efforts, education programs, and public events. UNA-USA is a program of the United Nations Foundation.
Girls Health Day is designed as a platform for mothers and daughters to grow closer while learning more about healthy living, states Dr. Brandee Simon-Davis, Girls Health Day organizer and physician at Lakeview Regional Medical Center."

Lakeview Regional Medical Center, in collaboration with the Junior League of Greater Covington, will host its annual Girls Health Day on Saturday, January 28th from 9:30am until 12:30pm on the Lakeview Regional Medical Center campus. The theme Be Healthy. Be Happy. Be You. incorporates the topics of health issues for girls ages 8 - 14. This years health talks and demonstrations will include: social media and internet safety, internet crimes against children, puberty and changes to expect, CPR training, mental health, skin cancer & sun protection tips, how to take care of your skin, bullying & seat belt safety presented by Louisiana State Troopers, and a simulated surgical activity with a Da Vinci robot.

Girls Health Day is designed as a platform for mothers and daughters to grow closer while learning more about healthy living, states Dr. Brandee Simon-Davis, Girls Health Day organizer and physician at Lakeview Regional Medical Center. When girls are given the tools they need to be strong at a young age, they are empowered to make responsible and healthy choices.

Other activities will include free health screenings (blood pressure checks, BMI measurements, and vision testing) by local physicians, chair massages, Zumba, cooking demonstrations by Culinary Kids, and door prizes & giveaways.

For more information on Girls Health Day or to participate please call (985) 867-3900 or register online at lakeviewregional.com. The first 100 families to register will receive a complimentary bag. Admission is free!

Conveniently located on the North shore of Lake Pontchartrain just south of I-12 on 190, Lakeview Regional Medical Center (LRMC) is a 167-bed, private, acute care hospital that has been delivering award-winning, cost effective health care for over 35 years. Lakeview Regionals Emergency Department offers 24-hour care by a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary team of board certified physicians. The hospitals 750 highly trained employees are dedicated to providing the highest quality patient care through state of the art technology. The hospital is located on 53 lush acres at 95 Judge Tanner Blvd., Covington, Louisiana 70433. For more information about LRMC, please visit http://www.lakeviewregional.com or call (985) 867-3800.
Peter C. Blomquist, Partner, Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP The experience these three bring strengthens our Houston office and further enables us to provide value for our clients

Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP, a Texas-based, nationally recognized law firm specializing in civil litigation and trials, continues to expand its Houston office with the addition of three attorneys from another Houston law firm, including partner Peter C. Blomquist.

Peter Blomquist was previously a partner at Shannon Gracey where he opened and managed the Houston office for 11 years. In addition to commercial disputes of all kinds, Peter routinely handles the defense of large, catastrophic losses on behalf of transportation and logistics companies. While at his previous firm, he directed the firms Emergency/Rapid Response Team which frequently led him to travel to the scene of accidents and direct investigations from the moment the loss occurred through trial. Likewise, he handles a large number of labor and employment cases from the filing of EEOC complaint through litigation. He is primary Texas counsel for a Fortune Global 100 logistics company and has tried multiple cases to verdict throughout Texas.

Were thrilled to have Peter on our team, says managing partner Jeff Patterson. Hes an experienced trial lawyer who has maintained a stellar reputation with his clients.

In addition to Peter Blomquist, two more Shannon Gracey attorneys, Daniel Erwin and Matthew Gelina, join HDBDs Houston office as of counsel and associate attorneys, respectively.

Of counsel Daniel Erwin focuses his practice in general civil litigation, commercial litigation and business torts, insurance law, construction defect, professional liability, and products liability. He has a particular emphasis on cases involving personal injury litigation as well as transportation matters. He represents multiple Fortune 500 clients across the state and routinely handles complex, catastrophic losses.

Associate Matthew Gelina handles matters involving personal injury, insurance defense, transportation law, and employment disputes. Prior to HDBD and Shanon Gracey, Matthew worked as a negotiator for another Houston law firm. Before that, he worked for ten years as a claims adjuster for a major insurance company. Matthew graduated, cum laude, from South Texas College of Law in 2015. He earned his B.S. and B.A., magna cum laude, from State University of New York in 2003.

This move is another step forward for the firms growing Houston office, explains managing partner Jeff Patterson. The experience these three bring strengthens our Houston office and further enables us to provide value for our clients.

About HDBD

Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP is a Texas-based law firm specializing in civil litigation and trials, with offices in Dallas, Corpus Christi and Houston. The firms attorneys pride themselves on providing uncompromising excellence to their clients in a variety of areas, including products liability, commercial litigation, class action and multidistrict litigation, intellectual property, personal-injury defense, premises liability, labor and employment, insurance coverage, healthcare, construction, and dealer/franchise litigation. For more information about HDBD, visit http://www.hdbdlaw.com.
Dr. Mark DiRoma, DC Joining Healthsource has given me the opportunity to unite with like-minded professionals that are concerned with both the quality of care we extend to our patients and the future of our profession.

The city of Boynton Beach is about to get healthier.

A new HealthSource Chiropractic clinic opened on 1899 - 9N Congress Ave., formally known as MDR Advanced Medical Associates, and hopes to make its mark on the people of South Florida by getting them out of pain and putting them on a path of incredible health.

As with all 300+ HealthSource clinics across the country, the new Boynton Beach location will feature the latest in chiropractic care, a room devoted entirely to rehabbing injuries using patented Progressive Rehab techniques, and a Wellness program to keep patients living healthy the rest of their lives.

We really love that we can bring real health care to Boynton Beach, said HealthSource founder Dr. Chris Tomshack. Were not just about helping get rid of your pain, although we do that very well. Were about making sure that you stay healthy in every way. Were excited to make an impact.

Dr. Mark Di Roma, who will operate the clinic as HealthSources newest franchisee after practicing independently for 26+ years, said hes excited to join forces with Healthsource.

The healthcare industry has inundated Chiropractors with HIPAA and Compliancy standards that require more and more time, taking our focus away from patient care, said Dr. Di Roma. Joining Healthsource has given me the opportunity to unite with like-minded professionals that are concerned with both the quality of care we extend to our patients and the future of our profession. The Healthsource team provides my staff with the support and systems necessary to open doors to new ways of thinking, giving us perspective and purpose in both our practice and in life.

Since 2006, more than 8 million people have been treated by a HealthSource clinic, making HealthSource the world leader in chiropractic care.

We like being able to make that impact in peoples lives, said Tomshack. Our goal since day one has always been to make patients the focus of health care. We want to get people back to doing the things they love, without pain. For that to happen, the patients have to be our focus in every decision we make as health care providers.

About HealthSource

At HealthSource, our clinics have gentle, caring chiropractors that work side-by-side with licensed massage therapists and progressive rehab specialists to get patients feeling better again, quickly. Chiropractic care is about whole body wellness. We not only focus on back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, fibromyalgia and other common concerns, but also on prevention, wellness and nutrition. Spinal Decompression, a leading edge non-surgical and non-invasive technology, is available in many HealthSource clinics for patients with severe conditions.
On January 27, 2017, Shawn Kerendian, principal of Keystone Law Group, P.C. and senior associate, Lindsey Munyer, will speak on two topics at a seminar hosted by the National Business Institute (NBI). The seminar will take place at the Courtyard Marriott in Culver City from 8:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Registration for this event is now available through the NBI website.

The seminar, The Probate Process from Start to Finish, will cover handling probate from the initial notices through the estate closing. It is designed to be an "a through z" guide to probate that covers all of the important steps, including marshaling and valuing estate assets, locating and paying creditors, paying the beneficiaries, and laying the estate to rest. Shawn and Lindsey will be speaking on two topics: Tax Reporting and Post-Mortem Tax Matters and Probate Disputes & Litigation.

There are several packages available for this event. Professionals can register for just $359, with each additional professional charged at discounted rates of $349 for established professionals or $339 for new professionals. This registration will include the coursebook for the seminar. For professionals who want to have access after the event has ended, an Unlimited CLE Upgrade is available for $799. This covers the cost of the event with an additional 12 months of unlimited access to the seminar content.

Although it is a basic level seminar, it is suitable for all professionals that may be involved in handling the probate process, including:

 Attorneys

 Paralegals

 CPAs and Accountants

 Financial Planners and Wealth Managers

 Tax Planning Specialists

 Trust Officers

 Tax Preparers

A full outline of the course content is available on the NBI registration page. Completion of the course will also result in Continuing Education credits being issued for legal, financial planning, and accounting professionals.

About Keystone: Keystone Law Group, P.C. is a Los Angeles-based probate law firm that exclusively focuses on probate, trust and estate litigation and administration. Founded by Shawn S. Kerendian, the firms eight practicing attorneys represent trustees, executors, administrators, beneficiaries, heirs, creditors, guardians and conservators in all matters related to probate, trusts and estates. To learn more about Keystone Law Group, P.C., visit keystone-law.com.
In the past, our newspaper microfilm archive was only available at our physical location. Since January (2016), weve averaged 45,000+ image requests per month and users are from all over the world.

BMI Imaging Systems, a leading provider of microfilm scanning, document conversion and document management solutions, announced that Napa County Library has successfully deployed the Digital ReeL newspaper microfilm scanning solution.

The Napa County Library provides newspaper archives for the Napa Valley Register and the Weekly Calistogan.

In the past, the County received print copies of the newspapers, microfilmed the copies, and then offered a microfilm archive to patrons for newspaper research. The library staff hand-indexed the papers and would leverage a card catalog for search and retrieval. After issuing a Request for Proposal, the Library selected Digital ReeL because of the range of benefits it would provide and its competitive price.

The Digital ReeL platform hosts the Librarys digital newspaper records at BMIs datacenter and offers a custom, Napa-branded online portal for patrons searching the newspaper archives.

Hosting & Custom Web Portal

BMI Imaging not only digitally scanned all 1,200 microfilm rolls, but also uploaded the digital records to its secure data center.

We did not want a system that required heavy IT involvement, Halstead says. BMI offered a full service solution that included scanning, image processing, and web hosting; this made the experience a lot easier on our staff.

Additionally, BMI customized the Digital ReeL interface to reflect the Napa County brand. Halstead continues, There is continuity with the Library web site and the Digital ReeL interface. Patrons feel like they are in the right place when accessing our film archive through Digital ReeL.

Newspaper Articles & Photos Accessed All Over the World

Not every publisher grants permission to provide online access to its records. In the case of Napa County Library, the key newspapers had a common publisher that decided to enable the Library to provide online access.

Halstead exclaims, Weve been pleasantly surprised with the number of people accessing our records online. In the past, this newspaper archive was only available at our physical location. Since January (2016), weve averaged 45,000+ image requests per month and users are from all over the world.

Elimination of Physical Microfilm Repository

It is not uncommon for libraries to retain access to a physical microfilm archive after a digital alternative is presented.

Regular patrons and staff may be used to the physical microfilm and prefer the ability to browse back and forth and enjoy the serendipity that sometimes results.

One of the real testaments to the Digital ReeL solution is that staff and common patrons no longer use the physical microfilm. Halstead states, Staff and patrons approved the retirement of the physical archive because Digital ReeL offers a better experience. The ability to browse a digital roll and quickly locate articles and photos has been well received.

Additionally, future issues of the newspapers will be scanned and uploaded to Digital ReeL direct from hard copy. This will allow continuity of the local history on a go-forward basis.

Lessons Learned for Libraries Considering a Similar Project

Halstead concludes, We learned a lot about a newspaper microfilm digital scanning project. I would recommend libraries consider the archive and whether you will add new content to it or if it is a static archive. If you are a County Library, think locally. There may be an opportunity to add other County municipalities that have legacy newspapers.

Learn more about BMI solutions for Education, Libraries and Historical Archives.

About BMI Imaging

BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. has been at the forefront of the document management industry since 1958, first with microfilm and now with scanned images. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with an additional production and sales facility in Sacramento, BMI serves over 500 commercial companies and government agencies, converting an average of 3 million images per month. BMI consists of 60 production specialists and support staff, many having worked for the company for ten years or more.

BMI has developed a wealth of experience in several vertical markets (e.g. healthcare, government, education) and offers customized document management solutions in a competitive and changing marketplace. Scanning paper documents is usually the most visible task in achieving a full document solution. Identifying record types, determining indexing methods and leveraging content in existing legacy systems are all skills needed to modernize an agencys document management systems and processes. BMIs systems integration team has decades of experience to achieve this goal. Internally developed software tools, over 400 to date, are regularly employed to solve complex image and data challenges. Jobs that require analysis, data extraction, multiple service offerings and custom development are those that separate BMI from other providers.
Its no wonder that Ronald McDonald House is referred to as the house that love built'. Hope, healing and a home away from home when a child is sick, at little or no cost  thats exactly the kind of organization we want to support.

SureVest Insurance Group celebrates the beginning of a new charity campaign in its celebrated community involvement program by announcing a partnership with Ronald McDonald House Chapel Hill. On behalf of local families with seriously ill, hospitalized children, donations from the compassionate community are now being accepted at https://www.crowdrise.com/hope-healing-and-a-home-away-from-home.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMH) is an internationally renowned nonprofit organization which supports the families of children around the world who are hospitalized with serious injuries and illnesses. RMH Chapel Hill serves the entire state and has helped approximately 40,000 families since it opened in 1988. RHM provides a home away from home, where families may enjoy home-cooked meals, laundry, private rooms and playrooms for the kids. Providing parents and siblings with housing near to children receiving treatment means families are able to support each other during stressful hospital stays, maintaining everyones spirits. It also enables parents to communicate more effectively with their childrens medical teams and facilitates healing.

Its no wonder that Ronald McDonald House is referred to as the house that love built, said Chris Clark, managing member of SureVest Insurance Group. Hope, healing and a home away from home when a child is sick, at little or no cost  thats exactly the kind of organization we want to support.

The caring SureVest team is working hard to mobilize support for RMH Chapel Hill through a dynamic social media and email awareness campaign. They have also featured the initiative in their vibrant community magazine, which is delivered to thousands of households in and around Raleigh and the Charlotte/Cornelius area every month, helping customers and friends to live well and thrive. The electronic version of current and archived issues of Our Hometown may be enjoyed at http://www.surevestinsurance.com/Our-Hometown-Magazine_23.

SureVest is so passionately committed to strengthening their communities that the agency itself has pledged to donate $10 to RMH Chapel Hill for each and every referral they receive for an insurance quote for the duration of the campaign, with no purchase necessary. Readers who would like to have a donation made on their behalf may recommend friends and family members for a no-obligation quotation at http://www.surevestinsurance.com/Hope-Healing-and-a-Home-Away-from-Home_29_community_cause.

SureVest Insurance Group has made an ongoing commitment to positively impact the communities they serve by vigorously seeking out and supporting local worthy causes through their celebrated Agents of Change movement. Members of the community are invited to suggest ideas for future campaigns at http://www.surevestinsurance.com/Lets-Help-Our-Community-Submit-A-Community-Cause-Idea_40. To stay involved by keeping up-to-date with past and future initiatives, readers are invited to bookmark http://www.surevestinsurance.com/community-cause.

About SureVest Insurance Group

Serving the families of North Carolina from offices in Raleigh and Cornelius, SureVest Insurance Group has one simple mission: to provide the finest insurance and financial services in the industry, while delivering consistently superior service. The primary focus of owner Chris Clark and his team of caring professionals is to protect all the things which are most important to their clients (their families, homes, cars, etc.) and to help develop strategies for long-term financial success and security. The experts at SureVest Insurance Group may be reached by calling 866-632-1531. To learn more about the agency, please visit http://www.surevestinsurance.com/.
1 in 3 families in Snohomish County cant afford basic needs  thats nearly 250,000 people  and were working with Take The Next Step to help eliminate hunger and homelessness in our community

Solutions Insurance, a Washington-based firm that offers asset protection and financial consultation services to communities throughout the greater Seattle area, is joining local nonprofit Take The Next Step organization in a charity drive to provide critical services to regional underprivileged families.

The Take The Next Step organization is a faith-based, community-driven nonprofit that works to provide support, guidance, and basic needs to families and individuals in the region facing homelessness or hunger. TTNS has partnered with more than 50 local community organization to fulfill its mission of assisting those in need.

1 in 3 families in Snohomish County cant afford basic needs  thats nearly 250,000 people  and were working with Take The Next Step to help eliminate hunger and homelessness in our community, says Sean Vermeulen, founder and executive director of Solutions Insurance.

Solutions Insurance has planned a Rally Day to raise support for the cause on February 1st, and has worked to establish an online network of support for the event by reaching out to regional families and business owners over social media and email. Additional plans to generate support for the charity drive include a full page write up in the Solutions Insurance online magazine Our Hometown: http://solutionsinsuranceagency.com/magazines/.

The Take The Next Step Organization is the first nonprofit cause to be supported by the Solutions Insurance team since the firm became a new affiliate of the national Agents of Change charity support network. As part of their ongoing membership, Vermeulen and his team plan to assist a new charity in the Seattle region on a bimonthly basis.

Readers that want to join Solutions Insurance and the Take The Next Step organization and be part of the charity drive to eliminate hunger and homelessness in Snohomish County are invited to take action by visiting this page: http://solutionsinsuranceagency.com/causes/guiding-local-homeless-towards-brighter-future/. As the Solutions Insurance team support more causes in the future, charity event details will be listed on the agencys Community Causes page: http://solutionsinsuranceagency.com/community/.

About Solutions Insurance

As a Personal Finance Representative in CITY, agency owner Sean Vermeulen knows many local families. His knowledge and understanding of the people in his community ensures that clients of Solutions Insurance are provided with an outstanding level of service. Sean and his team look forward to helping families protect the things that are most important - family, home, car and more. Solutions Insurance also offers clients a preparation strategy for achieving their financial goals. To contact an expert at Solutions Insurance, visit http://solutionsinsuranceagency.com/ or call (425) 353-8000.
Cookies

What are cookies ?

How do we use cookies?

How to control cookies?

Managing cookies in your browser

see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis

block third party cookies

block cookies from particular sites

block all cookies from being set

delete all cookies when you close your browser

X

A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. For this purpose, Google Analytics uses"cookies", which are text files placed on your computer.The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website - standard internet log information (including your IP address) and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form - will be transmitted to and stored by Google including on servers in the United States. Google will anonymize the information sent by removing the last octet of your IP address prior to its storage.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website and compiling reports on website activity.We not use, and not allow any third party to use the statistical analytics tool to track or to collect any personally identifiable information of visitors to this site. Google may transfer the information collected by Google Analytics to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google`s behalf.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.You may refuse the use of Google Analytics cookies by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. The add-on communicates with the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js) to indicate that information about the website visit should not be sent to Google Analytics.Cookies are also used to record if you have agreed (or not) to our use of cookies on this site, so that you are not asked the question every time you visit the site.You can control and/or delete cookies as you wish. You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services.
In an effort to expand its childrens nonfiction publishing program, Sourcebooks has struck a deal with March 4th that will add 25 frontlist and backlist titles to its list.

Under the partnership agreement, Sourcebooks has acquired the physical, e-book, foreign, and audio rights in all existing March 4th titles as well as the Little Pickle Press brand name. March 4th was formed late last year by Rana DiOrio to house Little Pickle Press, which DiOrio founded in 2009, and other assets. With the transaction, Little Pickle Press will become an imprint of Sourcebooks Jabberwocky unit and will be overseen by Kelly Barrales-Saylor, editorial director of Sourcebooks childrens nonfiction program.

Little Pickle is known for creating books that relate meaningful, complex concepts to children. Its top seller is Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnne Deak, illustrated by Sarah Ackerley, which has sold more than 250,000 copies. Sourcebooks will take over distribution of the Little Pickle titles on February 1.

I could not think of a more natural fit than adding Little Pickle Press to our growing childrens business, said Barrales-Saylor. Little Pickle provides us with the opportunity to partner with a remarkably talented entrepreneur, as well as significantly expand our offering of books that inspire, encourage, and teach young readers.

DiOrio will remain CEO of March 4th but will work with Barrales-Saylor to find new projects for the Jabberwocky and Little Pickle Press imprints. New titles could as soon as spring 2018, Sourebooks said.

DiOrio told PW the deal with Sourcebooks came about when she started looking to raise a new round of financing for March 4th/Little Pickle. She also approached some potential strategic investors, including Sourcebooks founder Dominique Raccah, who brought up the idea of Sourcebooks acquiring the publishing rights to Little Pickle.

In addition to working with Sourcebooks to create new Little Pickle properties, DiOrio will focus on creating and acquiring content and developing video, film, and merchandise strategies in support of Sourcebooks and other partners.

There are opportunities for creating momentum and real change in this industry by having publishers band together to better support booksellers and authors, said Raccah. Ive greatly admired Ranas work for years. She has created something really extraordinary, and I am tremendously excited to join efforts with March 4th and the very talented Little Pickle Press authors.
Firebrand Technologies, a publishing technology vendor, has acquired the technology assets and brand names of Enthrill Distribution, the digital content distribution vendor founded in Canada in 2011.

The acquisition includes such Enthrill technology as PackaDRM, a social DRM software that will work on any device, and Endpaper Engine, an e-book delivery platform that works in conjunction with PackaDRM. The acquisition includes the Enthrill brand and other brands associated with the firm.

In addition, Enthrill CEO and cofounder Kevin Franco, will work as a consultant to Firebrand for the foreseeable future.

Firebrand Technologies director of Outreach and Education Joshua Tallent said Firebrand has been working with Enthrill and its distribution technology for two years. Firebrand uses Enthrill technology with its NetGalley (digital galleys) and Direct2Reader (direct publisher sales) distribution programs. He said the acquisition, will bring the Enthrill technologies in-house here at Firebrand.

Cofounded in Calgary, Canada by Franco, Enthrill is probably best known for creating physical giftcards that allowed bookstore consumers to give e-books or bundles of e-books as gifts. Enthrill technology also enables digital distribution for special e-book sales in the B2B marketplace as well as enabling direct publisher sales of e-books and the collection of consumer data.

Franco told PW that the acquisition of Enthrill technology marks the end of Enthrills physical store retail operations (which included a partnership with Walmart). Firebrand, he said, will use Enthrill distribution technology to continue to service institutional markets, corporate sales, special sales and bulk sales, under the Enthrill brand.

Enthrill dismantled the retail program earlier in 2016, Franco said. Although Enthrills staff, were affected by the dismantling, Franco said that they continue to support the business by working as consultants and will continue to help with ongoing operations [at Firebrand] as needed.
New stores prep for openings in North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; a beloved store in Illinois adds a new outlet, in New York; a California bookstore gets ready to change hands; and more.

Grand Opening for Quimbys in Brooklyn: Last month the 25-year-old Chicago bookstore, which specializes in zines, alternative magazines, and underground books, held a soft opening for its new store next to Desert Island Comics in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, N.Y. A grand opening is slated for Saturday February 4. In addition to champagne and hors doeuvres, the event coincide with the opening of the first major survey of works by sculptor and collage artist Eric Kirsammer.

City of Asylum Opens in Pittsburgh Saturday: Nonprofit City of Asylum, which has offered refuge to writers in exile for a number of years, will open a bookstore on January 14 inside the renovated Masonic hall, now called Alphabet City. The eponymous bookstore will share the 9,000 sq. ft. space with a broadcast studio and a wine and cheese restaurant, Casellula @ Alphabet City, to open January 28. Lesley Rains, who owned East End Book Exchange in Bloomfield, which she sold last June, is managing the bookstore on the citys North Side.

Bookmarks Signs Lease for Winston-Salem Bookstore: The literary nonprofit signed a ten-year lease late last month to build a 4,600 sq. ft. bookstore and meeting place. They will partner with Foothills Brewery, which is negotiating a lease on a contiguous 5,400 sq. ft. space for a bar and restaurant. Plans call for Bookmarks to break ground February 1 and open this summer.

Sale of Diesels Oakland, Calif., Location Moves Forward: Brad Johnson is getting closer to his $200,000 goal to purchase the store, which he plans to rename East Bay Booksellers. On Sunday, February 5, Johnson is hosting a thank-you party to introduce the bookstores lenders to each other and to sign loan documents.

Used Bookstore to Open in Ashland, Ohio: Wes Wyse, who owns Useless Junk in Sullivan, plans to open Ashland Books on March 1. The bookstore is an outgrowth of the book room in Useless Junk, which he has run for the past decade. The books have kind of expanded beyond what we can handle in the antique store, Wyse told Ashland Source.

NAIBA Rep of the Year Award Renamed to Honor Kristin Keith: Beginning with its annual Sales Rep of the Year award to be given in Cherry Hill, N.J., on October 7, the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association will be renamed in memory of rep Kristin Keith, who died on January 4 from Myelofibrosis, a rare form of leukemia. In 2013, Keith won the NAIBA Rep of the Year award for her dedication and enthusiasm for the book industry and book people.

U Book Store Closing Its Bellevue, Wash., Location: University Book Store is closing its 19,000 sq. ft. store in Bellevue on February 15 and looking for a smaller space on the Eastside. We believe our business, and the Trust which governs our operations, will be better served by leasing the space that our store currently occupies to another retail tenant, wrote CEO Louise Little in a press release. U Bookstore has six other locations in the Seattle area.
The Book Industry Guild of New York held its annual President's Night event at the Penguin Random House headquarters in New York on January 10. This year, the featured speaker was Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch, who spoke on his four-decade career in publishing, innovations in the industry, and what he refers to as the "great flattening," or the industry-wide struggle to keep revenues from flatlining in an era that shows a pronounced lack of industry sales growth.

Pietsch laid out for the audience his history in the publishing industry, from his start as an intern at David R. Godine in Boston to his 12-year stint as publisher of Little, Brown to his appointment as CEO of Hachette in 2013. Over the course of the address, Pietsch stressed the importance of marrying the literary side of the industry with the financial sidea lesson he first learned at Scribner in 1979.

"I remember very vividly the moment my boss said to me, 'Your credit is good here,'" Pietsch said. "And I understood for the first time that an editor is an investor who is being trusted with somebody else's money. We all think about editing as the task and interaction with the author, but you're an investor on behalf of somebody else whose money is entrusted to you."

After his time at Scribnerduring which he edited a posthumous Hemingway manuscriptPietsch spent stints at Harmony and Crown before joining Little, Brown. There, Pietsch said, he really began to understand the financial underpinnings of the industry.

Pietsch's appointment as HBG CEO in 2013 was a rarity in the industry since publishers rarely end up in that role. Pietsch noted that he believed his promotion to CEO was in part due to the unusually powerful position authors now hold within the American publishing industry, and the unique relations editors typically have with their authors. Since Pietsch took over as CEO Hachette has made a string of acquisitions,highlighted by the purchase of the Perseus publishing arm last spring. Given the flat market, acquisitions are the most effective way to grow and add scale, Pietsch observed.

Despite the turmoil in the industry caused by the explosion of e-books,Pietsch praised Hachette's commitment to the print book, which he believes is "indestructible." "We felt confident that print was here to stay," he said, in reference to Hachette's decision to invest in third-party distributors. "We made a big bet."

Pietsch also pointed to the origins of innovations in the industry, noting that the greatest recent innovations in the book business, superstores and e-books, were created by retailersBarnes & Noble and Amazon, respectivelyand not publishers. He is enamored with the increased marketing ability that comes with targeted marketing, transforming what was once a "blunt instrument" into something more precise. He also sees the furthering of global publishing as vital to continued growth, and singled out children's publishing in particular as giving him hope for the future.

When asked how he would advise young people entering publishing, Pietsch highlighted three areas: learn the financial side of the business (he is preparing a finance curriculum for his company currently); learn the full life cycle of the book, and pay attention to what those around you do to help it along; and know the basics of writing and communicating.

It would not hurt, he noted, to understand that publishing is a very time-intensive field. "It's a days, weeknights, and weekends business," he said.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Low-flow building water systems designed to conserve water pose potential health hazards because they may cause an increase in disease-causing organisms and harmful chemicals.

A new EPA-funded project led by Purdue University strives to help solve the problem.

The increasing occurrence of low flows in water distribution systems and building plumbing presents an emerging health concern. Opportunistic pathogens more easily multiply under low-flow conditions, said Andrew Whelton, an assistant professor in Environmental and Ecological Engineering and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering. Building designers, managers, and health officials need better information and models to predict health risks in plumbing systems found in all sorts of buildings, from schools, to homes, to health-care facilities.

The organisms include the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires disease; the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant pathogen associated with serious illnesses; and Mycobacterium avium, which causes respiratory illness, especially in immunocompromised people.

These opportunistic pathogens continue to cause waterborne disease outbreaks across the country, Whelton said. In fact, Legionella remains the most identifiable cause of waterborne disease in the United States.

Purdue will work with researchers at Michigan State University and San Jose State University to better understand and predict water quality and health risks posed by declining water usage and low flows. The group is funded with a $2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The three-year project, which begins this month, also will be funded with $1.1 million from non-federal sources including Whirlpool Corp., Citizens Energy Group, and the Avon Community School Corporation.

The research announced today will guide decision makers as they design, renovate, or manage plumbing systems to provide safe and clean drinking water, said Thomas Burke, agency science adviser and deputy assistant administrator of EPAs Office of Research and Development.

Building plumbing in the United States has been trending toward low-flow rates to conserve water, going from 4 gallons per minute in 1994 to 0.5 gpm in todays systems. However, while the flow rates have been reduced, the diameter of the plumbing pipes has not, causing water to age in the pipes.

In low-flow systems, we have discovered that the water that reaches your faucet is going to be much older by the time it gets to you, said Whelton, who described the problem during a recent conference, Dawn or Doom 16, at Purdue. A video of the talk is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv1EoUG0Hj4.

Whelton, the projects principle investigator, will work with a team that includes Jade Mitchell, an assistant professor in MSUs Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Janice Beecher, director of the Institute of Public Utilities Policy Research & Education at MSU; Joan Rose, the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research at MSU and the 2016 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate; Amirpouyan Nejadhashemi, an associate professor at MSUs Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; and Juneseok Lee, an associate professor and California Water Service Co. Chair Professor in San Jose States Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

"Lower usage and lower flows in water systems are raising engineering, economic, and public health issues, so an interdisciplinary approach is needed, Beecher said. This research is especially timely in terms of the urgency of optimal infrastructure investment with a focus on ensuring safe drinking water."

The team will include Purdue doctoral student Maryam Salehi and Amisha Shah, an assistant professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue.

This project is innovative because it will enable a wide variety of stakeholders, who are represented by our comprehensive research partnerships, to prioritize sampling of existing buildings. We will also identify conditions to avoid during plumbing construction or to promote during renovation, Whelton said. The results will allow water utilities and government agencies to better predict changes in tap water quality based on distribution system water quality and operations.

Wheltons existing plumbing technology testing facility will be expanded at Purdue to examine plumbing component impacts on drinking water safety. His team has previously identified evidence-based methods to decontaminate chemically contaminated building plumbing

We will develop the knowledge that identifies piping network design and operational conditions that can decrease microbial and chemical risks, Whelton said.

A Web-based decision support system also will be created.

Health risks in residential and commercial buildings caused by pathogen proliferation must be minimized through water infrastructure design, operation and maintenance decisions, and codes, he said.

The team will test hypotheses using various systems, including those in a residential home converted by experts from Purdue and Whirlpool Corp. into the most efficient domicile possible - a "net-zero" structure called the ReNEWW house; the National Conservancys Efroymson Conservation Center in Indianapolis, considered the most sustainable office building in the state; Avon Middle School North in Avon, Ind., and two office buildings in Michigan.

My colleagues and I designed the project to investigate drinking water quality where people live, where they work and where they send their kids to school. This was spurred by input we received from various stakeholders, including homeowners, parents, and government officials who have contacted us in the past for assistance, Whelton said.

The ReNEWW house has been equipped with energy- and water-saving features and solar panels that produce both electricity and hot water.

It is the perfect laboratory because we know all of the plumbing components, the flow rates and other system characteristics, and Whirlpool Corporation has been a tremendous partner.

Data from the research will be used to produce predictive water quality premise plumbing models.

The Purdue-Michigan State-San Jose State grant application included numerous letters from people who have benefited from the advice of researchers. Letters of participation and support were submitted by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, the United States Green Building Council, Indiana Rural Water Association, water utilities, architectural and engineering firms, and researchers from Canada, Denmark, Israel, and the United States. Support also was expressed by the American Water Works Association, Healthy Building Network, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Environmental Health Association.

We designed our project based on drinking water safety concerns from the public, industry, and government agencies. Our approach harnesses world-class expertise from industry and other academics, Whelton said. We have an amazing team and are eager to start working more closely with our project collaborators and supporters.

Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

Source: Andrew J. Whelton, 540-230-6069, awhelton@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: A YouTube video about the project is available at https://youtu.be/SYiACKtt7Ok. Additional interview clips, videos, and photos are available via Google Drive: https://goo.gl/vgkgfr. The materials were prepared by Erin Easterling, digital producer for the Purdue College of Engineering, 765-496-3388, easterling@purdue.edu.
Monsignor Anthony Marchitelli Dead at 72; Gentleman & Scholar His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of the New York Archdiocese, will be in Putnam County on Friday officiating over the funeral mass for the...

Election Day in Putnam County More than 74,000 Putnam residents are eligible to go to the polls next Tuesday, November 8, to cast ballots for a variety of federal, state,...

Putnam Valley Man Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter in Pac Crash A 74-year-old Putnam Valley man is facing charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated following a single-car crash in Mahopac. Carmel Police were summoned...
Turkey has changed its citizenship laws to encourage investment. Access to Turkish citizenship has been eased for foreign investors with the amendments made to Turkeys current citizenship law. The revised decree published today in the Official Gazette. Foreigners who meet any of the following conditions would be eligible to acquire citizenship under the new regulations.

- Proven by the Ministry of Economy to have made a minimum of US$2,000,000 of fixed capital investment

- Proven by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to have acquired an immovable property worth a minimum of US$1,000,000 with a title deed restriction of not to sell for at least three years

- Proven by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to have created jobs for at least 100 people

- Proven by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency to have deposited at least US$3,000,000 in banks operating in Turkey with the condition of not to withdraw for at least three years

- Proven by the Turkish Treasury to have bought at least US$3,000,000 worth of government bonds and provided they are not sold over the course of three years

The effective selling rate of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey as of the proving date will be used as a benchmark to determine the actual values of operations.
ATLANTA (AP)  The so-called "Ferguson effect"  officers backing off of policing out of fear that their actions will be questioned after the fact  has been talked about but never really quantified. A new study suggests the effect is a reality, with three-quarters of officers surveyed saying they are hesitant to use force, even when appropriate, and are less willing to stop and question suspicious people.

The nonpartisan Pew Research Center questioned at least 8,000 officers from departments with at least 100 officers between May 19 and Aug. 14 last year  most of it ahead of the fatal shootings of five officers in Dallas and three officers in Baton Rouge.

What it found was a significant fear among police about their safety and about carrying out some of the everyday acts of policing.

It also shows a stark difference in how white and black officers view the protests that have taken place after some of the high-profile shootings of black suspects in the past several years, with black officers believing the protests are genuine acts of civil disobedience designed to hold police accountable, while white officers are more skeptical of the protesters' motives.

"White officers and black officers have very different views about where we are as a country in terms of achieving equal rights," said Kim Parker, the director of social trends research for the Pew Research Center.

Some of the key findings:

 86 percent of officers said that fatal encounters between blacks and police have made policing more difficult

 93 percent said they're more concerned about safety

 76 percent said they're more reluctant to use force when appropriate

 75 percent said interactions between police and blacks have become more tense

 72 percent said they or their colleagues are more reluctant to stop and question people who seem suspicious

In 2014, a white officer in Ferguson, Mo., shot and killed black teen Michael Brown, setting off a movement drawing greater scrutiny of police use of force, particularly against black citizens. In the years since, other fatal encounters with police in such cities as Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Milwaukee, Chicago and New York have put officers under the microscope, especially as video has captured more of these events.

There has been a concern, largely shared in anecdotes, of officers holding back on stopping suspicious people or other policing out of concern that they'd be cast as racist. But the Pew survey provides the first national evidence that those concerns may be having a real impact on how officers do their jobs.

"Officers are concerned about being the next viral video and so that influences what they do and how they do it and how they think about it," said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He added that he doesn't believe it's rampant or that officers are turning a blind eye, "but I still have to believe it may be in a marginal-call situation where there's a reasonable suspicion on the bubble ... that those are the ones they pass up."

The survey also suggested a divide between police and the communities they serve on some social issues of the day.

For example, two-thirds of all officers say deadly encounters with blacks are isolated incidents, but 60 percent of the general public said they believe they are signs of a broader problem between police and blacks.

___

A link to the report: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/01/11/behind-the-badge

Lisa Marie Pane can be followed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/lisamariepane .
FLINT, Mich. (AP)  Flint officials, along with Michigan and federal officials, say the most recent test results show the level of lead in the city's water is dropping.

Officials also told a town hall meeting Wednesday that chlorine residuals have become "excellent" and that bacteria issues have become almost non-existent.

However, despite the improved water quality, there was no call for an end to bottled water distribution or removal of faucet filters.

Several people interrupted the meeting, saying they didn't believe the water safety claims.

Dr. Nicole Lurie of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted the water crisis isn't over. She said residents are still advised to use a filter but people ought to see "there are signs of progress."

The lack of water treatment to control corrosion caused lead to leach from pipes and old fixtures in some homes.
The Turkmen government has been proudly proclaiming its UN-recognized status as a neutral country for more than 20 years now. Ashgabat's policy of "positive neutrality" is, since September 2016, even part of the country's constitution.

But the policy is not always positive for Turkmenistan, and the current gas spat with neighbor Iran might be a case in point.

Turkmenistan has either greatly reduced or suspended entirely -- depending on which country you believe -- supplies of gas to Iran.

Each side has its own version of the problem. I'll mention their claims later; that is not so much the issue in this article.

The audience they are trying to reach to tell their respective sides of the story, and in Turkmenistan's case those being kept in the dark, is the focus of this work.

First, some necessary background.

Turkmenistan's first post-independence president, Saparmurat Niyazov, was the architect of the policy of neutrality in the early 1990s. The policy was never articulated very clearly, and to this day it remains vague; but essentially it meant Turkmenistan would not take sides in anyone else's conflicts; nor would it join any alliances, excepting multinational economic organizations, but would act as a mediator or at least offer its territory as a neutral venue for feuding parties to meet and try to resolve their problems.

A benefit of this policy, in theory, was that by courting good ties with all, neutrality would be a shield for the country, since no outside party would have any reason to be upset or angry with Turkmenistan.

That's what the Turkmen government has told its people for more than 20 years.

Now to the current Turkmen-Iran dispute.

'Inflated' Prices

Starting in the last days of December, Iranian news agencies including Mehr, IRNA, ISNA, Fars, Shana, and Press TV, cited various government officials and representatives of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) explaining the problems with Turkmenistan.

The general picture these officials and the media painted was that Turkmenistan was demanding payment for gas supplies in 2007-08, when Ashgabat used a freezing winter in northern Iran to demand nine times the previous price for gas. In any case, the price Turkmenistan was now demanding was incorrect and inflated.

On New Year's Eve, Iranian news agencies reported an 11th-hour deal was reached and there would be no cutoff, a new five-year agreement had been reached, and the issue of the debt would be discussed and resolved in the coming months.

Hours later, Iranian media reported Turkmenistan had "suddenly" suspended gas supplies to Iran.

Iran's Tasnim news agency interviewed NIGC spokesman Majod Bourjarzadeh, who said Turkmenistan had "reneged on the promise" and cut off gas supplies and that Turkmen officials "had gone on New Year' holidays" and could not be reached.

'Unreliable Partner'

The new Iranian media narrative has followed Bourjarzadeh's lead, and reports now have officials calling Turkmenistan an "unreliable partner" and generally blaming Ashgabat for the entire situation.

Turkmenistan did not respond until January 3, when the Foreign Ministry released a statement on its website calling reports in Iranian media "misleading" and saying the NIGC had "not made sufficient effort since 2013 to pay off its debt."

The ministry also claimed that during 2016 "the Iranian side was officially repeatedly informed of the adverse situation...and possible cuts in Turkmen natural gas supplies." The Turkmen statement says Ashgabat was forced to "limit" supplies, not halt them. There is no mention of the amount of Iran's debt.

The NIGC's response that same day, widely cited by Iranian media, said Turkmenistan had "time and again" violated the terms of gas agreement but had still been "compensated" by Iran. The NIGC also vowed to take the matter to international arbitration.

Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry responded once more on January 4, surprising many by revealing, at least according to the ministry, that Iran signed a "take or pay" contract for gas, that "the NIGC hasn't taken large volumes of the Turkmen gas for several years," and "at the same time, the company didn't pay any financial compensation to Turkmenistan."

So Turkmenistan is essentially demanding payment for gas Iran never received but said it would buy.

Tehran's version of the dispute with Turkmenistan is being disseminated by Iranian state media to the public.

But the government in "neutral" Turkmenistan can't tell its people because such a narrative runs contrary to the philosophy of positive neutrality. Turkmenistan's state media (the only media in the country) have not mentioned the problems with Iran. The statements from the Foreign Ministry, posted on the ministry's website, are unlikely to seen by Turkmenistan's citizens, who have limited opportunities to access the Internet and are unlikely to use such possibilities as exist to check their government's websites.

Caged In

Turkmen authorities have been telling the country's citizens for two decades that neutrality would make everyone their friend. Having to admit publicly that there has been a rift with a neighbor and partner Turkmen media has praised since the early 1990s would be difficult to explain.

Turkmen authorities have caged themselves in. Positive neutrality might be a means to avoid making enemies, but clearly it cannot resolve problems in which Turkmenistan itself is involved.

This is not the first example either. Neutrality failed to resolve a gas dispute with Russia in 2008 and 2009, and today Russia does not purchase any gas from Turkmenistan.

Neutrality has not prevented security problems across the border in northern Afghanistan from affecting the situation in Turkmenistan, one example being the sudden and unprecedented need to build up the military and spend state funds on massive amounts of new equipment.

But neutrality does make it impossible for the government to tell the people bad news that involves Turkmenistan, and this situation with Iran is just the latest example.

Iranian media have reported that power is being rerouted to alleviate the situation in northeastern Iran. Some officials go so far as to say that Iran can totally compensate for the power being lost due to the "suspension" of Turkmen gas supplies. This episode has given new impetus to projects already under way to provide northeastern Iran with domestic sources of power, ending forever the need to buy gas from Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan has only two customers for its gas: Iran and China.

And Turkmenistan might have just lost Iran as a customer, but that can't be explained by neutrality, so the Turkmen government can't tell its people about it.

RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, and my colleague and Iranian specialist Golnaz Esfandiari contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump is reviving long debunked attempts to link vaccines to autism, meeting with a vocal skeptic to discuss chairing a commission on vaccination safety  a move that alarmed child health experts.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday, and told reporters that he had agreed to lead the effort, whatever form it takes.

"President-elect Trump has some doubts about the current vaccine policies and he has questions about it," Kennedy said, adding that "we ought to be debating the science."

To pediatricians, there's nothing left to debate.

"Vaccines have been part of the fabric of our society for decades and are the most significant medical innovation of our time," Drs. Fernando Stein and Karen Remley of the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement Tuesday.

Scientists have ruled out a link between vaccines and autism. But Kennedy, the son of the late U.S. attorney general and senator, has long argued that vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal may cause autism, and has advocated for parents to more easily opt out of childhood vaccinations.

Trump also has voiced vaccine skepticism, on Twitter and during one of the primary debates when he said that autism has gotten "totally out of control." In that debate he went on to say, "I am totally in favor of vaccines, but I want smaller doses over a longer period of time."

A Trump spokeswoman said late Tuesday that while he "enjoyed" his conversation with Kennedy, he had not yet commissioned a panel.

"The president-elect is exploring the possibility of forming a commission on autism, which affects so many families; however no decisions have been made at this time," said Hope Hicks.

Those are views unsupported by scientific evidence and dismissed as conspiracy theory by experts who find their revival alarming. Vaccination prevents millions of deaths around the world each year. Once common childhood killers can return if support for immunization wanes: During a 2015 measles outbreak that started at Disneyland, many who fell ill were unvaccinated.

Repeated scientific studies in the U.S. and abroad have found no evidence that vaccines in general or those with thimerosal cause autism. That preservative has been removed from routine childhood immunizations; while it remains in some flu vaccines, there are thimerosal-free versions.

"The science has spoken. Thimerosal is a dead issue," said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a critic of anti-vaccine groups. "It is concerning. You have as a president-elect a science denialist."

Beyond thimerosal, research has discredited concerns that children get too many vaccines at once.

"Delaying vaccines only leaves a child at risk of disease," said Stein and Remley of the pediatricians' group. It's not just children who gain, they noted: Widespread vaccination lowers the spread of disease that also threatens the elderly or people with weak immune systems.

lt's not clear what Kennedy described as a "commission on vaccine safety and scientific integrity" would do.

Already, there is a National Vaccine Advisory Committee that advises the government on vaccine safety and other issues, in addition to regulation and oversight by scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offered to work with the incoming Trump administration "to share the extensive scientific evidence demonstrating the safety of vaccines."

___

Lemire reported from New York.
BEIRUT (AP)  Nearly two months into the assault, Turkey has become bogged down in an unexpectedly bloody fight to retake the Islamic State group's last stronghold in northern Syria. It has been forced to pour in troops, take the lead in the battle from its Syrian allies and reach out to Russia for aerial support.

The fight for al-Bab underscores the precarious path Ankara is treading with its foray in to Syria, aimed against both IS militants and Syrian Kurdish fighters. The assault on the town had already driven a wedge between Turkey and the United States, and now the realignment toward Moscow  which supports the government in Syria's civil war  further tests Ankara's alliance both with Washington and with the Syrian opposition.

The battle itself has proven grueling.

Nearly 50 Turkish soldiers have been killed in its Syria operation, most of them since the al-Bab assault began in mid-November  including 14 killed in a single day. The militants have dug in, surrounding the town with trenches, lining streets with land mines and carrying out painful ambushes and car bombings against the besieging forces. Each time Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters have thrust into the city, they've been driven out. More than 200 civilians are believed to have been killed since the attack began Nov. 13. Mud and cold rain have only made it more of a slog.

"The battle for al-Bab has been mostly about killing civilians and destroying the city, whether by Daesh or the Turks," said Mustafa Sultan, a resident of al-Bab and a media activist who has been covering the fight. He used the Arabic acronym for IS.

"The town is almost half destroyed. Daesh takes cover in hospitals, schools and these end up getting targeted," he said. The Turkish military says it takes great care not to harm civilians, halting operations that could endanger non-combatants.

Capturing al-Bab is essential to Ankara's goals in Syria.

Turkey, which for years supported the Syrian opposition drive to oust President Bashar Assad, has recalibrated its priorities toward fighting Islamic State militants who turned their terror against the Turkish state and thwarting Kurdish aspirations for autonomous rule along Syria's border with Turkey.

If al-Bab is retaken, it would break the IS presence near the border and plant a Turkish-backed presence between Kurdish-held territory to the east and west, preventing them from linking.

For the U.S., the al-Bab assault risks causing direct confrontation between Turkish troops and Syrian Kurdish forces, which are leading a U.S.-backed offensive toward the de facto IS capital, Raqqa. Washington supports and relies on the Kurds in the fight against IS the past two years.

Last month, Ankara protested to Washington that its NATO ally was providing no help in al-Bab. A day later, Turkey said Russia carried out three airstrikes in the al-Bab area.

In the short term, Turkey is likely to sending a message to the United States before President-elect Donald Trump takes office that it has other options if Washington keeps backing the Syrian Kurds, considered by Ankara as terrorists linked to a Kurdish faction that has carried out bombings in Turkey.

In the long term, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be exploring his options with Russia, which currently holds the key to Syria militarily and diplomatically. Russia helped Assad's forces crush the opposition enclave in the northern city of Aleppo in December. Then Moscow and Ankara joined to broker a ceasefire, which is supposed to lead to negotiations later this month.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday the U.S. has seen no indication of Russian-Turkish coordination, only independent Russian airstrikes in al-Bab.

"I don't think the United States is very worried about Erdogan flipping from NATO to Moscow, but they are worried about Turkey's general drift into instability and rash decisions. Erdogan bungling his foreign policy to the point where he must turn to Putin for help is certainly part of that broader concern," said Aron Lund, a fellow at the New York-based Century Foundation.

Following Turkey's protest, U.S. officials said discussions with Ankara continue over al-Bab, an important effort against IS. Turkey said on Dec. 30 that the U.S.-led coalition carried out an airstrike in the al-Bab region.

The offensive has also revealed how unprepared Turkish-allied Syrian rebels are for a protracted fight against IS.

Ankara increased its initial deployment of 600 soldiers  which included special forces and mechanized battalions  to at least 4,000 today, according to Metin Gurcan, a former Turkish military adviser who served in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Iraq and is now an independent security analyst. Turkish troops now outnumber the Syrian opposition fighters who were supposed to be "the primary ground force," Gurcan wrote in Al-Monitor.

He said some Syrian fighters have withdrawn, "and because of their lack of discipline in the field, Turkish commandos are now engaged in front-line fighting against IS."

Unlike the IS-held town of Jarablus, which Turkey's allies entered almost without a fight in August, the militant group prepared to defend al-Bab. IS fighters have taken positions on hilltops, used drones and have repeatedly shown a capability in waging pitched battles.

After Turkish troops and Syrian fighters secured a strategic hilltop on the town's edge in late December, IS launched a surprise counteroffensive, killing 14 Turkish soldiers and over two dozen Syrians.

One Syrian opposition commander said there were three different battles around the hill. "We had to pull out more than once because they encircled us and we had many martyrs," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss battlefield details.

Another battle on the eastern side of al-Bab lasted 15 hours, starting from hilltops and ending in a valley at close range with dozens killed and many damaged armored vehicles. Sultan, who arrived afterward, was startled by the silence as bodies were cleared away.

The Turkish-backed fighters, who number around 2,000, have repeatedly entered al-Bab and each time are driven out by the militants, estimated to number around 3,000, said Sultan. "The fighters frankly are afraid of the mines, which cause most of the deaths," Sultan said.

Al-Bab had a prewar population of 60,000 and it's not known how many remain there. Despite the tight IS seal, some still try to escape.

A resident who goes by the name of Abul-Ful for fear for his safety said his sister and her family fled Monday after IS fighters took over their farmland north of the town to use as base. The family of seven moved from one farm to the next undetected until they reached shelter in a village north of al-Bab.

She was lucky, Abul-Ful said. He said his older sister was killed 10 days earlier as she tried to escape with her family. While hiding in farmland, they were caught in crossfire: IS fired on Turkish-backed forces, then moved, and Turkish artillery responded, hitting the family and killing her.

Her family buried her at the spot where she died, then continued their escape, he said.
The official switching off of most FM stations to DAB started in Norway overnight.

Representatives from radio in Norway and around the world gathered to mark the occasion, throwing a switch from FM to DAB and DAB+.

National FM networks will be switched off region by region  starting in Nordland and progressing across the whole country throughout 2017. The final regions, Troms and Finnmark, will complete the process in December.

Todays digital switchover is a hugely important milestone for the radio industry, said Patrick Hannon, President, WorldDAB. The DAB platform is far more efficient than FM  offering both greater choice and clearer sound. With the start of the switch-over process, Norway is sending a clear signal across the world that the future of radio is digital.

Ole Jrgen Torvmark, CEO of Digital Radio Norway, said: This is a historic day for radio. We want to see radio continue its development on digital platforms, following the FM-technology that lifted radio from its beginning on AM. The Norwegian broadcasters are showing the digital possibilities today by launching five new radio stations, giving the listeners 30 national channels in total. The worlds first digital switchover is made possible through collaboration across Government, broadcasters and supply chain. Throughout 2017, the focus will be to help all listeners with the transition.

Other international markets are following Norways lead. Switzerland is planning for switch-over to begin in 2020 and a major promotional campaign to raise awareness starts this year. The North-Italian region of South Tyrol will start its FM switch-off in 2017.

A commitment to digital switchover has significant benefits for broadcasters, manufacturers and listeners, says Patrick Hannon. It provides certainty on the future and allows broadcasters and radio manufacturers to plan and invest accordingly. For listeners, this greater investment and innovation in radio means more choice  today in Bod consumers have access to 30 national stations on DAB+, compared to just five on FM.

While in the UK, the government has stated it will review the next steps for digital radio when its criteria for coverage and listening are met  expected to be achieved by the end of 2017. Germany and Denmark have both recently announced second national multiplexes, the Netherlands continues to make good progress, France has announced continued geographic expansion, Slovenia launched national services in 2016 and Belgium has announced plans for a federal DAB+ launch across Flanders and Wallonia in 2018. Outside of Europe, Australia is making some inroads.

As reported on Radio Today, Digital radio services are expanding across Australia with trials in Canberra and Darwin to be made permanent and digital radio to be added to Hobart and the Gold Coast over the next two to three years.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority, in consultation with the Digital Radio Planning Committee, has prepared a package of planning papers for the future development of DAB+ digital radio across Australia.

CEO of Commercial Radio Australia shared with Radio Today earlier this week on Australias DAB moves last year saying: Exciting progress in DAB+ digital radio with 27% of metro listening to DAB+ each week and significant progress in regional rollout with permanent services recently announced for Canberra, Darwin and Hobart.

The Norwegian switchover applies to national radio stations and commercial local radio stations broadcasting in larger cities. Community radio stations and smaller local stations will continue to broadcast on FM for five more years after national switch off, at which point licences will be reviewed.

Thanks to our partners and Radio Today UK for some of the content  read more here.

Join the conversation! Share your opinion in the comments section below.

Like RT on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, and join the newsletter for breaking news alerts, new job listings and exclusive subscriber-first articles in 2017.

Got a news story or tip-off for us, drop us a line: [email protected].
Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here.

OK
Four years ago, French forces intervened in Mali, successfully averting an al Qaeda-backed thrust toward the capital of Bamako. The French operation went a long way toward reducing the threat that multiple jihadist groups posed to this West Africa nation. The situation in Mali today remains tenuous, however, and the last 18 months have seen a gradual erosion of France's impressive, initial gains.

To ensure a significant new threat does not materialize in Mali again, France will need staying power  and support from other countries, including the United States.

The 2013 French intervention in Mali rid the country of what French security experts referred to as Malistan  a huge al Qaeda safe haven in the northern half of the country that had grown increasingly reminiscent of Afghanistan on the eve of the 9/11 attacks. Over the course of the first few months of that year, French Special Forces, operating in close coordination with traditional French army and air force and with the support of the French Navy, destroyed the al Qaeda safe haven and restored Mali's territorial integrity.

Subsequently, an African-led United Nations stabilization operation was deployed and French forces re-postured to focus on counterterrorism across a broader range of states including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, and Niger. The European Union meanwhile deployed a training operation to Bamako to help the Malian military rebuild so that it might eventually retake effective control of the North.

Training the Malian army and preventing the resurgence of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Mali, however, has been a tough and often frustrating task.

For one thing, several jihadist groups continued to operate in Mali.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was badly damaged by the initial French attacks, but some of its key leaders, such as Mokthar Belmokthar survived. Initially an al Qaeda battalion commander, Belmokthar broke away from AQIM and formed a group now known as al-Mourabitoun. Under Belmokthar's leadership, al-Mourabitoun first distanced itself from al Qaeda but has since returned to the fold. Some believe that Belmokthar was killed in Libya in a 2015 U.S. airstrike, but his battalion continues to operate in Mali.

Other groups, including the Movement for Unity and Justice in West Africa (known by its French acronym, MUJAO) and Ansar al Dine continued to operate around Gao and other northern Malian towns. In 2015, a new group known as the Macina Liberation Front emerged, seizing headlines with a number of attacks across the country.

In November 2015, al Qaeda, working in conjunction with al-Mourabitoun, stormed the Radisson Hotel in Bamako, taking 170 civilians hostage. This brazen attack on a key Bamako hotel (I, like many foreign researchers, have stayed there) was a clear sign that security was deteriorating.

Subsequently, AQIM claimed responsibility for attacks in other parts of Mali as well as neighboring countries. In early 2016, for example, the group targeted neighboring countries that had contributed troops to the UN stabilization mission in the North  Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. By some counts, AQIM and groups aligned with it have conducted over 100 attacks  albeit many smaller scale  in the last year alone. Meanwhile, it has continued its lucrative kidnapping for ransom operations.

Looking ahead, one factor that will likely impact AQIM's strength is the Islamic State's (ISIS) future.

The question now is whether ISIS' falling fortunes will benefit AQIM in Mali.

The jihadist milieu in Mali has always been a mishmash of small groups with short-lived alliances of convenience and shifting loyalties. When ISIS was on the rise in late 2014 and 2015, some Malian jihadist groups pledged allegiance. A split reportedly emerged within al-Mourabitoun, between those who wanted to throw their lot in with the newest global jihadist movement and those who did not (including Belmokthar). ISIS is now in retreat, including in Libya, where it has been chased from its stronghold of Sirte. The question now is whether ISIS' falling fortunes will benefit AQIM in Mali. It well may do so.

Another factor is that even though jihadists no longer control population centers in Mali, their persistence has helped undermine the broader state-building and reconciliation efforts that the country much needs.

There has been little progress on implementing the peace accord signed in Algeria in 2015. This is troubling because Mali's North-South conflict was what opened the door to the takeover of the North by al Qaeda and its associates back in 2012. More generally, Mali and many parts of the region remain a ripe culture for the growth of Salafi jihadist groups, due to socioeconomic factors and the continued activities of Wahabbists.

In light of this, French staying power in Mali will be a determining factor in al Qaeda's future prospects.

France maintains more than a thousand troops in Northern Mali and has continued operations there against jihadist groups, even as it extends those operations to a broader range of countries. As reported last week in the French newspaper Le Monde, French forces have killed several al Qaeda leaders and associates, including Abu Baher al Nasr, Ahmed Al Tilemsi (a pro-ISIS Mourabitoun leader), and Omer Ould Hamah.

Yet the French security services are under enormous strain elsewhere in the world, facing a mounting domestic terrorist challenge at home and the need to continue operations against core ISIS in the Levant as well as in Libya. Of course, the domestic French terrorism threat is ultimately what drives French operations in Mali and the broader region. France still may find it challenging to sustain its mission in Mali over the long term, especially if the broader security situation there erodes and the political front remains stalled.

Indeed, al Qaeda and its associates may well be betting that the French will eventually pull out of Mali. If they do, Mali and the region are likely to slide back to where they were before the French intervened in 2013  home to a large terrorist safe-haven that increasingly attracts adherents from elsewhere in the world.

Preventing this scenario should be a priority. The French thus need and deserve all the help they can get from the United States and their European partners. Supporting French efforts today may not be an easy sell. But the alternative may well be intervening there again  perhaps without French help  five years from now.

Christopher S. Chivvis is associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the non-profit, non-partisan RAND Corporation and author of The French War on Al Qa'ida in Africa, published by Cambridge University Press in 2015. He also teaches European Security at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

This commentary originally appeared on The Cipher Brief on January 12, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Roscosmos demands $36.7 mln from Khrunichev space center

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  Russian state corporation Roscosmos filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Commercial Court Center seeking recovery of 2.2 billion rubles (about $36.7 mln) from Khrunichev State Research and Production Space, a representative of the court told RAPSI on Thursday.

The lawsuit reached the court on January 11 with information regarding plaintiffs grounds for its demands not being available yet.

In January 2016, Roscosmos filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Commercial Court demanding 3.2 billion rubles (about $54 mln) from the Khrunichev Space Center which is responsible for the development of Proton and Angara space rockets. In November, parties claimed that they may settle the dispute.

In September, the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow gave former Khrunichev Centers Deputy Director General in charge of Economics Alexander Ostroverkh a five-year suspended sentence for embezzling 285 million rubles ($4.5 million). Ostroverkh admitted his guilt in full and cooperated with investigators, so he was the first person sentenced in this case.

In December, the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow began hearings in a criminal case against other high-ranking managers of the center over embezzlement of 360 million rubles (about $6 mln). Vladimir Nesterov, former director general of the space center, was charged in this case. Investigators believe that Nesterov created a criminal group to embezzle government funds from the center in 2007. It included Mikhail Yakushin, the centers chief accountant, Dmitry Dyakonov, head of the Ekopravo economic and legal consultancy, and several other unidentified persons.

The Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is one of the country's leading space enterprises. Currently the research centers main priority is construction of Proton and Angara space rockets. In 2014, it was revealed that enterprise faces financial troubles.
INDEPENDENT-MINDED SENATE: Sen. David Johnson, an Ocheyedan legislator who dropped his Republican affiliation in favor of independent status, is working to establish his place in the Senate committee structure.

He currently has one committee assignment afforded to him by minority Democrats, but he believes he should be granted more committee slots as a duly-elected representative of 60,000 constituents in northwest Iowa. Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, said this years Senate rules will acknowledge Johnsons committee appointment, but he does not intend to appoint him to any committees beyond what minority Democrats have decided.

Johnson, 66, does not agree with that approach and indicated Thursday he may launch a legal challenge if necessary.

I think it's unconstitutional to keep me off committees. Thats where the whole legislative process starts, so I see it as legislation without representation for the 60,000 people that I represent, he said.

Johnson previously served as a Republican for 18 years before he broke with the party when Donald Trump became the GOP leader. Johnson said Thursday he will not support GOP efforts to change Iowas collective bargaining law this session and accused Republicans of pulling a bait and switch maneuver on voters by pushing a legislative agenda that includes issues not promoted on the 2016 campaign trail.

TOP-DOWN REVIEW: The House Government Oversight Committee will take on a top-down review of state government at the direction of House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake.

Chairman Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said the committee will look boards and commissions, the Iowa Code and pretty much anything to do with state government.

Chairmen of the State Government and Local Government committees have approached Kaufmann about Oversight for a review of state licensure laws and rules with the goal of making that smaller and making it better, he said.

The review fits with Gov. Terry Branstads goal expressed in his Condition of the State speech to lawmakers Tuesday to make state government smaller and smarter.

We are committed to a smaller, smarter government that seeks innovative ways to provide services rather than blind adherence to the way things have always been done, Branstad said.

NATURAL GAS PRICES FALL: Natural gas prices recorded an 18-cent decline last week to close at $3.21/MMbtu. Home heating fell a penny from last week, ending with a statewide average of $2.07, according to a report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Propane prices were up two cents to a statewide average of $1.19 per gallon.

The price of global crude oil on the West Texas Intermediate fell $1.12 per barrel over last week to $52.12. Brent crude oil fell $1.37 to $55.06. One year ago WTI crude sold for $31.41 and Brent crude was at $30.14.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 10, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.36 across Iowa according to AAA. Thats a penny higher than one week ago and 49 cents higher than a year ago

Retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa rose a penny from the previous week to a statewide average of $2.50  47 cents higher than a year ago.

Wholesale ethanol prices were down three cents to close at $1.48.

NOT SO DRY: Iowa started 2016 with dry conditions, but extensive rains in August and September ranked this as the 19th wettest year on record, according to a report prepared by the Iowa department of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.

Stream flow levels were high to start the year from a wet fall in 2015, but fell to normal, or just above normal by summer. Rain became abundant statewide the second week of July and the wet pattern continued through late September, causing major flooding in north central and northeast Iowa.

Drought conditions occurred in late June, but improved throughout the summer and fall. Current conditions show 14 percent of Iowa is abnormally dry.

Adequate spring rainfall in 2017 will be critical across south central and southeast Iowa to recharge the shallow aquifers and prevent drought conditions from reoccurring.

SCHOOL REPORT CARD: The Iowa Department of Education says it is continuing to improve the Iowa School Report Card.

The report card includes information on student proficiency rates in math and reading, student academic growth, narrowing achievement gaps among students, college and career readiness, student attendance, graduation rates, and staff retention. Based on each schools performance over a two-year period, the report card assigns one of six ratings: Exceptional, High-Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement, and Priority.

Scores and ratings, which are updated annually, apply only to individual public schools. School districts and nonpublic schools do not receive ratings. For most measures, school ratings are based on data from the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years.

NO SESSION MONDAY: In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, The Iowa Legislature will not be in session Jan. 16.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Back when Speaker Upmeyers father was speaker, it was two books to the Iowa Code. Now that has more than tripled, House Government Oversight Committee Chairman Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, on plans to review the Code to remove unnecessary and outdated language. Upmeyers father, Del Stromer, served as speaker from 198182.
Prosecutors seek release of detained mayor Koshurnikov

MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI)  Prosecutors have asked Moscows Basmanny District Court to release Denis Koshurnikov, the mayor of Pereslavl-Zalessky allegedly involved in large scale embezzlement, from detention, RIA Novosti reported Thursday.

Investigators earlier filed a motion to extend Koshurnikovs detention until April 16.

In November, Koshurnikov, implicated in a criminal case on embezzling over one billion rubles ($15.5 million) from state-owned technology corporation Rusnano, was charged with abuse of office and put in detention.

Two other defendants, NTpharma top managers Yevgeny Sultanov and Rustam Ataullakhanov, have been charged with large scale embezzlement.

Investigators believe that in 2011 Ataullakhanov and Sultanov purchased a land plot from a firm belonging to Koshurnikov to give the appearance of handling of work on the project realization.

As the acquired plot is located within the national park Pleshcheevo, permit issuing for the construction was inadmissible. However, Koshurnikov, then head of Pereslavl region, gave such permit.

Investigators claim that Ataullakhanov as a founder of NTpharma has completed control over the company and ordered Sultanov to transfer funds to accounts of controlled firms. Ataullakhanovs lawyer said that his client has never been a founder of NTpharma and that there is no evidence of embezzlement. Ataullakhanov denies guilt.

According to case papers, Rusnano invested over one billion rubles in the construction of NTpharma pharmaceutical complex in Pereslavl-Zalessky, 150 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of Moscow, since 2010. The object had to be completed in September 2012, but the project company repeatedly rescheduled the facility commissioning.

Investigators along with the Interior Ministry and Russias Federal Security Service found that construction works at the object had not been conducted for years. However, funds received by NTpharma from Rusnano have been embezzled.

Therefore, the facility has not been put into service yet.

Sultanov and Ataullakhanov have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling funds allocated by Rusnano for the pharmaceutical complex construction. On November 18, Sultanov was placed under house arrest; Ataullakhanov was put in detention as well as Koshurnikov.
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on the website. The purposes of using cookies are defined in the Privacy Policy of RAPSI

If you agree to continue using cookies, please click the "Confirm" button. If you do not agree, you can change your browser settings.
Turning point of Russian legal business

Russian legal professionals may be allowed to run business. It means that they would be enabled to provide services on a full-scale basis, whereas their clients will enjoy the rights of consumers. It is especially interesting taking into account that an estimated 72,700 professionals are employed in legal services in Russia, according to Justice Ministry Registry. The annual value of legal services to the economy is 96.5 billion rubles ($1.6 billion at the current exchange rate), according to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).

At present the practice of law in Russia is limited to professional legal assistance services. Colleges, bureaus, law firms are established as not-for-profit organizations that have no right to distribute profit. Some legal professionals believe it is kind of a trick because professional services cannot be performed as a charity work whereas business and competitive market are major drivers for high-quality legal services.

Market requirements

Yury Pilipenko, the president of Russias Federal Chamber of Lawyers, said about prospects of turning the practice of law into a business addressing the 10th IBA Law Firm Management Conference held in Moscow on December 2, 2016.

It is necessary to introduce a new form of organization of legal practice that would allow professionals providing advice to businesses to have successful practice, whereas those who enter the legal services sector might operate as they are accustomed to. It is quite clear that the forms of organization of legal practice set forth in the federal law do not quite meet market requirements. Nevertheless, the issue is discussed, including the possibility to establish limited liability companies on the legal market. From my point of view it is a serious breakthrough, Pilipenko said.

He compared legal assistance with health care. A considerable amount of medical services is provided by commercial enterprises while medicine on a large scale is not deemed to be a pure business sphere, Pilipenko added. Law firms in Russia may be established as limited liability companies with certain restrictions, e.g. only specialists with a law degree may become stockholders, according to Pilipenko.

First of all, business models may be introduced in corporate law. The major issue here is that corporate law is currently not regulated by Russian legislation. Practically anyone can now provide legal advice or even act on behalf of a business entity in a commercial court. You will only need a law degree to participate in proceedings in administrative cases.

Those specializing in corporate law should have a choice whether to establish a law firm as a business entity (limited liability company, joint-stock company, etc.) or apply for a license to practice law. Licensed lawyers would have limited authority. For instance, a licensed lawyer would not be allowed to be involved in business operations, to provide legal services which are not covered by his/her license, etc. Finally, associations of lawyers would not be able to apply for a simplified taxation scheme.

Clients of licensed lawyers wouldnt gain much as well except for qualified assistance. In fact they wouldnt be considered to be clients because lawyers licensed to practice law would not be considered to provide services in the full sense.

Analysis of the court practice shows that clients of lawyers in Russia who complain of the quality of their assistance do not enjoy the rights guaranteed to consumers.

Monopoly for legal services

Meanwhile, there is a proposal in Russia to ban those who have not obtained a license to practice law from participating in court proceedings. At present lawyers without a license can participate in all proceedings, except those in criminal cases.

If this proposal is passed legal professionals would be stripped of an opportunity to run business. They would have nothing to do but apply for a license to practice law.

The issue of business and practice of law is rather controversial, Maxim Semenyako, a partner at Iusland Law Offices, says.

On the one hand legal profession constitutes a social institute, it does not implicate business activities On the other hand, developing business is an integral part of life. It would be unwise to refuse acknowledging this by saying that business is incompatible with our status... We should mind that the term business lawyer is now applicable to a lawyer who specializes in corporate law. I wouldnt say we are talking about commercialization of legal services market, Semenyako says.

The forms of organization of legal practice that were set forth in a law adapted more than ten years ago are outdated. They do not fit the standards of competitive and comfortable work anymore, Semenyako adds.

The greater part of Russian legal professionals side with the Federal Chamber of Lawyers, according to survey results.

It is rather difficult to find arguments based on legislative provisions against business models on the legal market, Tatyana Tereshchenko, who heads analytical department at Prime Advice Consulting Group, says. She adds that the federal law "On Legal Practice and Advocacy in the Russian Federation" and the The Code of Professional Ethics of the lawyers do not directly prohibit lawyers to engage in business.

Lawyers in Russia have to overcome legislative shortcomings at the moment, Vyacheslav Garlyupin from Pen&Paper says. It concerns especially big businesses when law offices are established as the branches of commercial entities, Garlyupin adds, pointing out the U.S. where a law firm can incorporate in different business forms.

Maria Mikheyenkova from Dentons law firm also says that regulation of the legal profession in Russia is outdated and does not meet the present-day requirements.

Mikheyenkova believes that legal services are provided to businesses mainly in the form of an expert advice. Thats the sphere in which commercial entities are generally involved, like joint stock companies and limited liability companies, as well as offices of foreign companies.

It appears that there is nothing criminal if performance of legal services is regarded as commercial activity, Mikheyenkova says. We are just speaking about an adequate reflection in the legislation of something that has already happened.

Pavel Netupsky
CHARLES CITY | A trial date has been set for a Charles City man accused of clubbing and choking someone during a robbery.

Donald Edward McIntyre, 36, has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of first-degree robbery.

His trial has been set for Feb. 28 in District Court in Charles City.

McIntyre, who was arrested last month, demanded money from someone before the attack at a residence in the 1200 block of E Street in Charles City on Dec. 27, 2015, according to court documents.

He's accused of hitting the person in the head with a club and then using the club to try to choke the person.

Police say the victim fought back and then offered McIntyre $100 if he would leave. McIntyre allegedly took the money and ran off.

Investigators say McIntyre was identified in a photo lineup, footprints at the scene matched boots seized from McIntyre's house and his DNA was on the club and a large knife that was dropped at the scene, the complaint states.

McIntyre was arrested at 1:41 a.m. Christmas Eve in the 1000 block of E Street in Charles City.

 Molly Montag
Since the end of the Cold War, paradox has characterized the United States' perception of North Korea. Pyongyang is at once a constant threat and a continual joke, its leaders a source of as much fear for the American public as derision. North Korea's missile and nuclear program is presented simultaneously as a dangerous example of the failure of nonproliferation regimes and as a duct-tape-and-bailing-wire operation, notwithstanding the flurry of missile tests and accomplishments that Pyongyang has touted recently. In his latest New Year's address, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the achievements that the country's nuclear and missile program had made over the past year and those that it would make in the year to come. His remarks proclaimed a country that had attained the status of a nuclear power in 2016 and was now prepared to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Yet the dual view of North Korea as fearsome and farcical  as a present danger and a recalcitrant remnant of a bygone era  endures. More and more, this contradictory assessment seems to reflect the lack of viable options that Washington has for dealing with Pyongyang. Despite the power disparity between the United States and North Korea, Washington has little ability to alter Pyongyang's behavior without accepting significant political or military repercussions in return. And because of this disparity, North Korea does not feel that it can abandon its nuclear and missile program and still be secure from the United States' whims. Each side has its own viewpoint and its own legitimate concerns, making compromise difficult if not impossible. Herein lies one of the dirty secrets of international relations: Rarely do countries achieve all their imperatives, and when interests clash, the solution is often managing the reality, not resolving the conflict.

An Evolving Situation

During the Cold War, the "problem" of North Korea was tied to the overall balance of power between the United States and the Soviet Union. Like the plains of Germany in the West, North Korea was a potential (and for a time, actual) front line in the East. The Cold War dynamic constrained North Korea's actions as well as the United States' responses. Faced with North Korean acts of terrorism abroad, the United States did not respond with punitive military action. The risk of escalation into another world war gave North Korea a buffer of security and limited the United States' aims in dispatching troops to fight the Korean War in 1950. But with the end of the Cold War, things began to change.

By the late 1980s, Pyongyang could see the writing on the wall for the Soviet bloc. Because the economically impoverished country depended on support from the Soviet Union and exploiting the Sino-Soviet rivalry, the end of the Cold War meant a decline in North Korea's importance to the international system and, in turn, its external assistance. To survive the transition, Pyongyang needed a way to either unify with the South sooner than later or deter Western attempts to undermine its government. Meetings between North and South Korea in the late 1980s yielded a tentative framework to rejoin the two states.

The 1990 reunification of Germany  another country divided at the end of World War II  offered hope for the process. But the Russian and Chinese desire to recognize South Korea in return for economic benefits shifted what ostensibly had been an internal political process between competing parties  in effect the resolution of a civil war  into a negotiation between sovereign nations, each with its own defined territory. In 1991, the United Nations simultaneously admitted North and South Korea, which most countries had previously recognized as a single country ruled by Pyongyang or Seoul, as coequals. Though Washington accepted North Korea as a U.N. member, it did not establish formal diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. The United States recognized North Korea's existence without formally recognizing the legitimacy of its government, a decision that still complicates relations between the two.

Washington has continued to tie recognition of North Korea to Pyongyang's past terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapons. So long as North Korea continues its quest for nuclear arms, the United States will not open talks to replace the armistice that ended the Korean War with a formal peace accord, nor will it engage the country to normalize relations. Pyongyang, meanwhile, insists that it is pursuing nuclear weapons in large part because Washington does not recognize its legitimacy.

From the Brink of War

The standoff gave way to crisis in 1993, when Pyongyang rendered its three-month notice to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. By the beginning of 1994, U.S. intelligence had determined that North Korea may already have gathered enough nuclear material for at least two bombs. Around the same time, North Korea announced that it would leave the International Atomic Energy Agency and appeared to take steps toward removing nuclear fuel from its Yongbyon reactor. The United States determined that under the circumstances, the only way to prevent North Korea from becoming a nuclear power was through military means by targeting the Yongbyon facility with cruise missiles and airstrikes. After reviewing and revising its options for such an intervention, Washington began planning to deploy more troops to South Korea and to evacuate U.S. citizens from the country.

By all expectations, the proposed pre-emptive strike on the Yongbyon facility would ignite a new Korean War. In fact, the United States anticipated that even a significant increase in its military presence in South Korea would be enough to provoke Pyongyang to strike first, a lesson the North Korean government learned by observing the buildup ahead of the first Gulf War. But the risk of a nuclear-armed North Korea was seen as so great that the potential of a million dead in South Korea was judged a viable if unfortunate cost. It was only through former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's interventions  and the clever manipulations of Kim Il Sung, then North Korea's leader  that the United States and North Korea avoided another war, by most accounts in the last hours of Washington's decision-making process. Undeterred by Kim's death a few months later, Washington and Pyongyang signed the Agreed Framework in October 1994, and for several years North Korea deferred major progress on its nuclear program.

A lesser crisis erupted at the end of the 1990s when North Korea conducted its first long-range missile test and the Agreed Framework collapsed. But it was the 9/11 attacks in the United States that changed the way Washington regarded the North Korean threat. Since that time, Washington has consistently found the cost of intervention in North Korea to exceed the risk of nonintervention, particularly in light of the global operations against first al Qaeda and now the Islamic State. North Korea is always treated as a future problem rather than a current one. The United States relies on sanctions and isolation as its primary tools against Pyongyang in hopes that North Korea will simply collapse under its own weight. So far, however, this strategy has not borne out. The North Korean government has endured, surviving even the death of longtime leader Kim Jong Il and the transition to his unproven son Kim Jong Un. In the past year and a half, moreover, the country has made rapid progress in both its nuclear and missile programs.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

Now a new crisis is approaching, one that will either offer the world a last chance to derail Pyongyang's nuclear missile program or force it to reckon with the reality of a nuclear-armed North Korea. Pyongyang has declared that it will test an ICBM this year. North Korea has already demonstrated, albeit with mixed success, its ability to launch intermediate-range ballistic missiles from mobile launchers and a rudimentary submarine-launched ballistic missile capability. Most defense assessments suggest that the country is nominally capable of striking a target as far as Guam, and perhaps even parts of Hawaii, Alaska or the U.S. West Coast. But these capabilities are unproven and unreliable, and given the limited number of North Korea's missiles, U.S. missile defense systems would likely intercept an attempted strike. At least, that's the public line: There is always room for failure. Should North Korea manage to carry out targeted reentry of a dummy warhead on an ICBM, it would lend considerable weight to its claim that it has the capacity to strike the United States (absent any defense system).

Assessments of Pyongyang's ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead vary, but the most prudent ones do not dismiss it out of hand. At this stage of testing, clinging to the assumption that North Korea lacks the wherewithal to achieve its goals using jury-rigged missile systems thrown together from spare parts is not a viable strategy for dealing with the country's nuclear weapons development. Though Pyongyang likely has a ways to go before it produces a demonstrable, reliable, nuclear-tipped ICBM  and even further until it has amassed the weapons to enable second-strike capability  it represents a potential threat nonetheless.

The Power of Mutually Assured Destruction

One of the ironies of the Cold War was that the race between Washington and Moscow for nuclear weapons in some ways obviated the potential for their use according to the Mutually Assured Destruction principle. During the conflict, each side kept a close eye on the other to ensure that neither party was gaining an advantage that would change the equation. In the decades since, the United States has maintained a strong stance against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. After all, the more countries that possess nuclear weapons, the harder it is to manage them and prevent their use.

But Washington's efforts have not been enough to stop the spread of nuclear arms. India and Pakistan have both solidified their positions as nuclear weapons states since the Cold War's end, while China has vastly improved its nuclear weapons program, particularly its delivery systems. Furthermore, no comprehensive agreement including all declared nuclear weapons states yet exists for managing the numbers and deployments of nuclear arms, though pacts between the United States and Russia provide a potential framework. If North Korea achieves its nuclear weapons goals, the situation could become all the more tenuous. South Korea and Japan may follow suit and develop their own arsenals in response, further undermining the global nuclear balance. And there are fears in the United States that Pyongyang may be either crazy enough to use its nuclear weapons  or perhaps sell them to a non-state actor  or too unstable to maintain positive control over its arsenal.

A Self-Perpetuating Cycle

These worst-case scenarios feed back into the United States' view of North Korea. The government in North Korea, according to Washington's logic, may not use the same cost-benefit analysis in assessing its national security that other nations do. Consequently, its leaders may consider the use of nuclear weapons a viable option, even in a first-strike capacity. If North Korea's leadership is crazy, then it may not realize or care that using nuclear weapons would provoke a much larger response and that the country would lose any war it started. If this is an accurate assessment, then the United States has little recourse to shape Pyongyang's behavior short of removing its leader.

Pyongyang has made it clear that it is no longer willing to use its nuclear program as a bargaining chip; North Korea's leaders see it as the only defense their tiny country has against the global hegemon. From Washington's perspective, talking will not bring an end to North Korea's nuclear program. Besides, discourse with leaders who are portrayed as illegitimate at best and delusional at worst is politically untenable (all the more so since conversation is often conflated with capitulation these days). At the same time, the cost of physical intervention is at least as high as it was in 1994, and the number of targets necessary to disrupt North Korea's progress has grown substantially in the interceding years. The problem for U.S. policymakers is that there is no real solution to the North Korea problem. It is easier to downplay North Korea's capabilities than it is to admit an inability to contain them.
MASON CITY | A Mason City man accused of inappropriately touching a child last year has been arrested.

Greg Courtier, 47, was charged with one count of felony lascivious acts with a child.

He's accused of touching a child's genitals on Feb. 14, 2016, in Mason City, according to court documents.

Courtier was arrested Wednesday at Fourth Street Southwest and South President Avenue.

In addition to the felony charge, he also was booked on a misdemeanor charge of failing to appear for a court hearing in an unrelated case.

He remained jailed Thursday afternoon on $11,000 bond.

-- Molly Montag
Jeremy Shapiro is Research Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He was a member of the U.S. State Departments policy planning staff, where he advised the secretary of state on U.S. policy in North Africa and the Levant. He was also the senior advisor to Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon. This piece is part of a special RCW series on Americas role in the world during the Trump administration. The views expressed are the authors own.

Donald Trump has a starkly different view of Russia than previous American presidents. Trumps mysterious relationship with the Kremlin and its leader has already created massive upsets in U.S. politics and in global affairs. But the president-elects more benign view of Russia does offer at least one intriguing opportunity. Maybe Washington and Moscow can finally agree on a new European security order and end the various frozen and not-so-frozen conflicts on Russias periphery.

This is an important task and a golden opportunity to bring peace and stability to a region that has suffered greatly from U.S.-Russia competition in recent years. Alas, contrary to indications, there is considerable reason to believe that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are precisely the wrong people to bring about such a change.

It Sucks to Be in the Middle

The last 10 years have seen a dramatic deterioration in U.S.-Russian relations. This has not been good for the United States, Russia, or the world at large. But it has perhaps been worst for the countries in between, those states sandwiched between Russia and the West. These countries have increasingly become geopolitical pawns of the Russian-Western confrontation. Their political and economic futures are held hostage to a larger struggle.

So frozen conflicts and not-so-frozen wars persist and even grow in and among countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, while Belarus stagnates. The region continually threatens to explode and rarely ever progresses economically or politically.

The solution to these conflicts has never resided in the various peace processes between the local parties. As long as the larger struggle persists, these various conflicts, to include the war in Ukraine, will never find a compromise, because Russia and the West will support their proxies and give them hope that they can emerge victorious against their local enemies.

The solution has always been for the United States and Russia to reach an agreement that both sides can accept on how to treat these countries. But in an atmosphere of profound mistrust, even paranoia, about the intentions of the other side, such an agreement has long seemed elusive -- even impossible. A drift into a new Cold War has seemed the inevitable result.

People Power and Donald Trump

One reason the United States and Russia have reached no agreement is the Western belief that the peoples of the region would never accept any compromise on their ability to independently determine their own futures and their own geopolitical alliances. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkos inauguration speech in 2014, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, contained a promise never to compromise on pursuing closer ties with the West. In a time of people power," many in the West believed that some of these countries would never accept the level of influence in their domestic affairs that the Russians were demanding.

Compromise between the West and Russia would not result therefore in stability, but rather in perpetual popular uprisings as these countries continued their struggle against Russia, with or without Western assistance. A solution, in this view, could never be found over the heads of the local populations. The only path to stability was therefore to support these countries in their aspirations to join the West, even in the face of determined Russian opposition and profound Western apathy.

This was always a questionable proposition. But even before Donald Trump takes office, his attitude toward Russia has already pushed local actors to accept that compromise may now be necessary. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Victor Pinchuk, a wealthy Ukrainian industrialist and a philanthropic pillar of Ukraines European aspirations, pre-emptively threw in the towel.

In contemplating Trumps new approach, Pinchuk advocated that Ukrainians make painful compromises for peace of the kind Poroshenko vowed never to accept, including eliminating the goals of EU and NATO membership. In other words, he now accepts the geographical calamity of Ukraines unfortunate placement next to Russia.

Pinchuk, of course, doesnt speak for all pro-Western Ukrainians. But his change of heart dramatically demonstrates how critical U.S. support for Ukraines Western aspirations has always been to Kyivs ability to resist infringements on its sovereignty. It turns out that even if Ukrainians were the main victims, the West and Russia were always the key actors.

Macho Is as Macho Does

This is the logic that leads people to believe that a new European security order may now be possible. So whats the problem?

In short, Trump and Putin themselves, and the likely dynamic between them after Trump takes office, is what stands in the way. Trumps views on Russia, and indeed on most every foreign policy issue, derive from his views about himself. Pay little attention to any of his many contradictory pronouncements on specific policies. His main goal is to create an image of himself as a strong leader and a winner who deserves and receives respect from whatever audience he finds himself in front of. Putin, while more subtle, has a similarly macho-based approach to policy.

In other words, what matters to both of them is not just that they win, but that they are seen as winning. However, in the zero-sum game of superpower competition, it will be very difficult for both of them to be seen as winning. The Kremlin and the Russian media rarely resist opportunities to gloat over American travails, and they held true to form both before and after Trumps election.

Putin has long based his domestic legitimacy in part on his resistance to the United States and his determination to secure the revival of Russias superpower status, particularly on Russias periphery. So if, for example, Trump concedes that Crimea is part of Russia, Putin will be very unlikely to not gloat and to claim victory in very public ways. Worse, because the existence of the American enemy helps justify the Russian economys dismal performance and sustain his popularity, Putin may not be able to afford a deal at all.

In this sense, much like Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama before him, President-elect Trump seems destined for disappointment with Putin. Unlike them, however, he is much less likely to react to the types of geopolitical humiliations that Putin likes to inflict with the grace that comes from a sense of ones own strength and purpose. Capricious and quick to offense, Trumps reactions may well create even greater competition between Russia and America within the countries in between. Perhaps in future years, we may find even pro-Western Ukrainians longing wistfully for Barack Obamas cool detachment from their problems.
Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
A former Delta Operator Gets Serious About Mindset and Attitude, Laying Down Some Truth and Wisdom.

Read Up.

The topic of mindset is subject to interpretation. To me, mindset and attitude are synonymous. One's mindset can be cultured, matured, and adjusted. The definition of mindset is a mental attitude, disposition, or mood that determines how we interpret and respond to situations. A proper mindset can assist us in acting decisively with little hesitation in day-to-day life.

Years ago, I fell into despair, as many Americans do, due to some life-altering events. The lens through which we view life can become distorted by domestic issues, financial strife, and overwhelming workloads. As a result, your mindset and attitude may end up in the crapper. For me, it was a combo platter, and my darkness, masked by a lot of faking, lasted for more than a year.

For one, I missed the camaraderie of being a part of a unit with such a level of intimacy with those surrounding you that can't be found in many places. That was coupled with a horrible support mechanism on the home front. When I found myself in a dark place, my self-diagnosis, with a little help from a Google search, concluded that I was depressed. My prognosis, naturally, was that depression is for pussies. I know now that depression is very serious and shouldn't be taken lightly, but that's what I plugged into my pea brain at the time.

I nearly capitulated to darkness. But something reminded me that life isn't objective. I knew that I couldn't simply go with the flow. Life is malleable. My remedy was to go for a run  not across Greenbow County like Forrest Gump. I just went out and burned up the pavement for a bit. I knew I needed an attitude adjustment. I needed to adjust my mindset  the mindset that was already engraved in my hard drive. I just had to dig into the recesses and adjust it. My timing was out of whack a bit, and I wasn't running on all eight cylinders.

Some time back, I was a part of a small group of individuals who had the mindset that there was and there is no second place. It wasn't shouted in some lame mantra nor was there any chest pounding. It's a fundamental mindset that resonates with certain people or groups of people. That mindset had become an ember, and I just needed to set fire to it again.

However, we're all hardwired differently. Not all of us can put our minds to achieving a grandiose task of epic proportion and succeed at it. Not all of us can light a match that ignites dark and scary thoughts either. Regardless, there's fire within us all that allows us to be whom we want to be. We can choose our own paths.

But following through and delivering is another story. Not only can a bad sequence of events put you in a downer of a mood, but it can spiral to the point where you question your self-worth. Don't look where you don't want to go. Before you buy a ticket to the pity party, remember that the world is bigger than you  and we  are.

The mind navigates the body. In other words, how you think will determine your attitude and mindset. The brain intuitively tells the body what to do  mindset, to what degree.

Maintain condition yellow. Stay out of the white. Stay switched on instead of switched off.

Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Take my own path and stay away from the sheeple.

Workout several times a week because a strong body equals a strong mind. My mindset preprograms how and what I'll attack in the gym the day before I get there.

Never be late, light, or out of uniform. If I'm not early, I'm late. And if I'm late, please come look for me because I'm probably face down in a ditch somewhere.

The best way to get out of an altercation is not to be there in the first place. But when things escalate, I'll put a fist through the face of the antagonist who closes the gap.

I will not draw my pistol with the intent to merely aim and give warning. If I've made the decision to draw, I'm dropping the hammer with precision and lethality.

Drive like the roads are a chess match. There are a lot of pawns on the board.

My mindset allows me to be introspective and to recognize my faults and weaknesses. It states, You can probably do better.

Treat my lady like the queen that she is. Worship the ground she walks on and make sure she's satisfied before I am.

Do what's right instead of doing the right thing. Innately, human beings know right from wrong. We should be good to others and do what's right instead of doing the right thing to appease someone of some higher power.

Train on the range with an objective and with intensity. Perform at the next level.

Don't plan to fail by failing to plan. Be prepared for whatever may come. I need to be prepared to save my life, someone else's life, or to kick someone's ass.

Check my anger. Though I will not be victimized, I should exercise keen intellect instead of rage when avoiding being victimized by some dumb c***. Mind you, there are a lot of them out there. And there's no cure for being a c***. I'll try at all costs to defuse a situation before I crush a dipsh*t's windpipe.

Limits begin where vision ends. We cannot outperform our self-image. Positive mental attitude goes a long way in training and in day-to-day life.

My mind says that everything is a competition, and I can do better at anything than anybody. Is that true? No. It doesn't have to be true.

Don't rest on my laurels. What's done is done. Yesterday doesn't mean shit unless you can perform tomorrow.

Don't underestimate anyone. Looks can be deceiving. Cunning and moxie rule the day.

Don't be a dick. It doesn't resonate well. I'd rather have assets than liabilities.

My mindset has directives that give me direction. I have jotted down some of these directives below. I'm willing to bet that you and I will parallel on some.

My mindset reminds me that my positives outnumber my negatives. I look forward to every tomorrow and remember what's good about the past. We shouldn't data dump the bads from yesterday, but learn from them. Fail quickly. When sh*t doesn't go our way, we need to learn from the past, prepare for the future, and perform in the present.

Attitudes and strong mindset can be contagious. A negative attitude can adversely affect those around you. Conversely, you can spread positivity by emitting a kick-ass pheromone of badassery.

About the Author

Pat (Mac) McNamara has 22 years of special operations experience, 13 of which were in the U.S. Army's 1st SFOD-D (Delta). He has extensive experience in hostile fire/combat zones in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. He trains individuals at basic and advanced levels of marksmanship and combat tactics. Based on his wide-ranging experience, McNamara emphasizes a continuous thought process and accountability, utilizing a training methodology that is safe, effective, and combat relevant. He retired from the Army's premier hostage-rescue unit as a sergeant major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting) and Sentinel.

www.tmacsinc.com
MASON CITY | A Mason City man was sentenced to up to 12 years in prison Monday on unauthorized use of a credit card and escape convictions, as well as a probation revocation on a domestic assault conviction.

Kristofer W. Voigt, 36, was sentenced to up to five years in prison for violating his probation on a felony conviction of domestic abuse assault by strangulation causing bodily injury.

MC man charged with domestic abuse MASON CITY | A 34-year-old Mason City man faces several charges following an alleged domesti

He was accused of biting the victim on the mouth and grabbing her throat and starting to strangle her on March 5, 2015, in Mason City.

Voigt was sentenced to another term of up to five years in prison for a felony conviction of escape from custody. He was accused of escaping from the Beje Clark Residential Center in Mason City on Dec. 4, 2015. A $750 fine was suspended.

He also was ordered to serve up to two years in prison on a misdemeanor conviction of unauthorized use of a credit card.

He was accused of using a stolen credit card to make four attempts to withdraw $300 from an ATM in Mason City.

A $625 fine was suspended.

 Mary Pieper
The state of Maryland isn't quite known for country music, but in the tiny fishing town of Deale on the Chesapeake Bay, two brothers took their experiences growing up with genuine, hardworking people and started carving a niche for themselves within the genre.
The weather outside may be frightful, but that shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying a sip of their favorite winter drink. Since health and well-being should be of importance all throughout the year, here are five healthy drink alternatives you can make right at home this season.
The Bow Truss Coffee Roasters location at 406 N. Wells St. in River North was closed Jan. 12, along with nine of the shop's other locations.Phil Tadros, the chain's founder, said he hadn't been able to pay staff. (Juliet Bartz / Blue Sky)

All local locations of Bow Truss, the Chicago-based upscale coffee roaster and cafe chain, were closed Thursday as the business scrambled to pay employees and rent.

Founder Phil Tadros confirmed nine Chicago locations closed this week, and said he's working to find funding and potential partners to reopen the shops soon. Another Chicago location had already been closed for the winter. Tadros was uncertain if the chain's store in Beverly Hills, Calif.  its only location outside Chicago  was open Thursday.

Advertisement

He said the business couldn't pay a majority of employees last week.

We needed to take a breather and pay people and regroup, he said.

Bow Truss employees said they closed stores early on Wednesday after many had paychecks bounce. According to their store managers, employees closed the Near West Side location at 900 W. Van Buren St. around 1 p.m. and the Loop location at 190 S. LaSalle St. around 4 p.m.

Advertisement

Krystal Smith, who was the store manager at the Near West Side location, said employees made the decision: "We're going to close down the stores, and we're not going to open up again until things are fixed, or until the company is not owned by Phil anymore."

The closures come about a month after Marcus Lemonis , the Lake Forest-based host of CNBCs The Profit and CEO of Camping World, said at the time he had paid several million dollars for a majority stake in Bow Truss. But only about $100,000 had changed hands as of Jan. 12, Lemonis and Tadros said.

The Bow Truss Coffee Roasters location at 406 N. Wells St. in River North was closed Jan. 12, along with nine of the shop's other locations.Phil Tadros, the chain's founder, said he hadn't been able to pay staff. (Juliet Bartz / Blue Sky)

Tadros, who founded Bow Truss in 2012, said he had been expecting more funds from Lemonis last Friday, which he was planning to use for health insurance, rent, payroll and other expenses. Tadros said he never received the money.

He said he's been contacted by restaurant groups and other potential partners looking to work with Bow Truss, and hopes an operational partnership will help pay the bills.

"I made the mistake of growing too fast," he said.

Lemonis said Thursday that he now has "zero interest" in partnering with Tadros after developing concerns about both finances and transparency. "I could not get clarity about what was happening," he said.

News of the closures was first reported by Crain's Chicago Business.

Bow Truss became the subject of a lawsuit in late October, when Tadros sued Chicago investor Alan Matthew, claiming he made false and defamatory statements about Tadros and his business. The suit alleged Matthew breached his fiduciary duties, publicly disclosed confidential documents and made false and defamatory statements about Tadros that damaged his reputation and his ability to obtain investments in the future.

When Lemonis' deal to buy Bow Truss was announced last month, he said he was aware of the "noise" around the coffee company.

Advertisement

"I am not anybody's judge or jury, but I do control who I do business with," Lemonis said in December. "Phil was always honest with me when I asked him questions  even tough questions  never lied to me, owned his mistakes, and that, to me, is a good sign.  He's a very, very smart guy with a lot of great ideas, and I hope that he can continue to add value."

mgraham@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @megancgraham
Indias strategy to beat Colombo port is flawed as there are likely to be too many domestic ports competing among themselves instead of targeting the competition, says Michael Pinto.

The government hasnt established a major port since Ennore was inaugurated about 15 years ago but, thanks to their benign encouragement, new ports continue to multiply.

Gangavaram, Kattupalli and Krishnapatnam came up in quick succession and now the talk is of Wadhwan in Maharashtra, Vizhinjam in Kerala and Colachel in Tamil Nadu.

Through reasoned argument, experts have shown the futility of setting up a port at Colachel, barely 35 km away from the upcoming port at Vizhinjam, but so far there is little indication that the government will heed their advice.

It is not clear whether this comes from a mistaken belief that more ports mean more cargo and, therefore, higher gross domestic product growth or whether Tamil Nadu wants to show that its coast is just as attractive for new ports as that of Kerala.

So major ports at Ennore, Chennai and Tuticorin (all in Tamil Nadu) have been asked to float a special purpose vehicle that will finance the establishment of yet another port at Colachel.

The governments reaction to the plea, that so many ports in such close proximity will only lead to sickness in the industry, has been to counter by referring to groups of ports at close range in other clusters.

The most frequently quoted example is that of Malaysia that established the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, exactly opposite the well-established port of Singapore even though Port Klang, another of Malaysias container behemoths, was already in existence at a relatively short distance.

This argument is deeply flawed.

Malaysia established PTP to compete directly with Singapore since Port Klang had demonstrated quite clearly that it could not fulfil this role.

Malaysia felt, quite rightly, that if it were to attract transhipment container cargo away from Singapore to its own country it could only be through a port that enjoyed the same locational advantages as Singapore.

So right across the sea from Singapore, almost equidistant from international sea route, the new port of PTP was born.

The case of Vizhinjam, Colachel and Cochin is entirely different.

A container terminal was established in Vallarpadam at CochinPort more than four years ago to act as a magnet attracting transhipment cargo from Colombo. Although volumes at Vallarpadam have grown of late, it is abundantly clear that it poses no threat at all to Colombo, which is the hub port of choice in the area, transhipping more than 65 per cent of Indias export-import cargo.

There are several reasons why Vallarpadam has not taken off as expected but, perhaps the most important one is Colombos single-minded commitment to handling trans-shipment cargo.

Barely 25 per cent of the containers they handle originate in or are destined for Sri Lanka. The rest are from outside, mostly from India.

To increase its attractiveness as a transhipment hub, Colombo has sacrificed its own income by slashing port charges that lines must pay. They have also spent huge sums to beef up handling infrastructure to make it comparable with the best in the world.

Vizhinjam, it is hoped, will do what Vallarpadam failed to do -- provide greater competition to Colombo in the transhipment space. Both its location and its draught eminently equip it to do this.

But Vizhinjam cannot rely on location and draught alone. To pose a real challenge will not be an easy task and will require immense marketing efforts as well as the establishment of state of the art handling facilities and infrastructure at truly competitive rates.

Vizhinjam will first have to win back Indian exim cargo now being transhipped in Colombo.

To challenge Colombos pre-eminence in this field is difficult enough when it is a straight fight between two ports for transhipment cargo. But if Colachel comes up, it will compete with Vizhinjam for the same market.

The last thing that a new port seeking to break into the big league of transhipment ports needs is another domestic port breathing down its neck and looking to attract the same cargo.

Instead of concentrating on attracting transhipment cargo from Colombo, Vizhinjam will constantly be looking over its shoulder to see what Colachel is doing and how that will affect its own prospects -- hardly the best way of mounting a serious challenge to a well-established player in a field where the barriers to entry are known to be high.

It is in the countrys interest to ensure that competition is confined to a foreign port that now caters to the bulk of Indian exim cargo and does not extend to another Indian entity.

Viewed in this light, there is simply no comparison between the Malaysian experience and the Indian proposal.

Unlike in India, the two ports of Malaysia dont compete with each other. There is no question of PTP eating into the cargo of Port Klang. Their sole rival is Singapore and the massive volume of transhipment cargo that it handles.

Malaysia eyed that cargo and established PTP to be a magnet for getting it to Malaysian shores. For the first 2-3 years of their existence containers handled by them were numbered in thousands.

All that has now changed and last year PTP handled more than nine million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), almost all of which otherwise would have gone to Singapore.

The lessons to be learnt and the priorities to be laid down are very clear.

Getting our trans-shipment cargo back to our shores from Colombo is a task that is difficult enough without complicating it further by making two Indian ports fight for the same cargo instead of concentrating, as the Malaysians did, on identifying one port for this purpose.

By spending a huge amount of public money on establishing a domestic rival poised to do exactly the same thing as Vizhinjam, we will only be hobbling our chosen instrument.

The writer is former secretary, ministry of shipping, Government of India.
Workforce has been cut down by 90.

2 business heads have exited.

Green-lighting Bollywood projects is halted.

Urvi Malvania reports on the restructuring expected at Disney India under new MD Mahesh Samat.

IMAGE: A scene from the Disney India-backed Dangal. The company feels the best course is to take a step back and re-evaluate its strategy in Bollywood film production.



Disney India is likely to spend much of this year restructuring operations. The decision, sources reveal, came on the back of some bets that went wrong.

As a result, the company felt the best course was to take a step back and re-evaluate the strategy in Bollywood film production.

Recently, Siddharth Roy Kapur, who had taken the reins of the company in January 2014, was replaced by Mahesh Samat, an old hand at the House of Mouse.

Industry sources reveal Disney India's workforce has been cut by 90 from 600. It is still not clear whether the layoffs will continue. Junior and mid-level employees have been given the pink slip.

Among the business heads, Disney had two exits past month. Nikhil Gandhi, head, revenue, and vice-president, media networks, will be leaving the company. So will Sameer Ganpathy, head, interactive services.

Media networks refer to the broadcast and distribution business unit while interactive services is the digital content services division. The broadcast division will now be headed by Vijay Subramaniam, vice-president, media networks, while interactive services unit will come under Abhishek Maheshwari, who heads consumer products in the country.

While queries to Disney India went unanswered, Andy Bird, chairman, Disney International, told Variety, "The staff reduction in India is part of the ordinary course of business. There is always re-balancing and re-calibration to reflect local market realities. We constantly look at the evolution of our company in every market we do business in."

In July-August 2016, the company decided to halt green-lighting Bollywood projects after the current slate is executed. At the time, it had only Dangal and Jagga Jasoos on its plate.

It is also not clear whether the company will continue to operate three brands for film production. It used to, until recently, release films under one of the three banners -- Disney, UTV Motion Pictures, and UTV Spotboy. By the looks of it, it seems two UTV brands may be retired as part of the restructuring process.

The theatricals division, which produced Beauty and the Beast (launched in October 2015), is also on hold.

Disney India will focus on Hollywood film distribution, consumer products and interactive services. The consumer products segment has seen growth in India on the back of increasing penetration of e-commerce and popularity of characters from the Disney stable.

While characters from the Mickey Mouse and Friends range continue to be popular among kids, those from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have also helped push consumer products. These include superheroes like Ironman, Captain America, Thor, The Avengers franchise and Guardians of the Galaxy. Disney also owns rights to characters from the Star Wars franchise since its acquisition of Lucas Films.
Following complaints from Indian airlines about lack of slots in foreign airports curbing the viability of overseas operations, the government may make peak-time allocation of slots an essential part of any bilateral signed in future. Arindam Majumder reports.

IMAGE: An Air India plane is given the ceremonial welcome at Newark airport in New Jersey to kick off the airline's Ahmedabad-Newark route. Photograph: Rediff.com.



India may make allocation of airport slots for its airlines an essential part of any bilateral signed in future. This is after hectic lobbying and repeated complaints by airlines that they were being overlooked in terms of peak-time slots.

According to sources, the civil aviation and external affairs ministries agree that countries showing interest in increasing seat allocations will be asked to provide slots to Indian airlines of their choice. "We are a big market in terms of passengers. Many foreign airlines want to expand in India. We intend to play to our strength," a civil aviation ministry official said.

"There is a consensus in the ministry that we need to be more vocal about our carriers," the official added.

Indian airlines complain lack of slots in foreign airports hampers scheduling and curbs the viability of their overseas operations.

Another official, however, said slot allocation, usually handled by airport operators, could not be part of bilaterals. "Most major airports are private. Allocation of slots is the airport operator's prerogative," he said.

India recently allowed Saudi Arabia to increase weekly seats by 8,000 from 20,000 now so long as Indian airlines use 80 per cent of their current flying rights.

"Saudi Arabia is a case in point how other countries can gain from an increase in allocations. Carriers from Saudi Arabia can now directly tap into traffic from India that was being diverted to Oman and Qatar," the second official said.

Indian airlines are rapidly expanding operations to the Middle East. IndiGo and SpiceJet have been adding flights to cities like Dubai.

"Finally, our efforts are showing results. It becomes unprofitable to operate flights at unearthly hours. There should be an equitable allocation of slots," said an executive with a private airline.

Air India, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo offer nearly 50 per cent fewer seats than foreign airlines operating in India. Till June, Indian airlines were offering 242,365 seats on flights to and from India, compared with 432,456 seats offered by foreign airlines.
Image: A file photograph of bank employees protesting the government's proposal to merge the State Bank of India's associate banks with SBI, and against the government's proposed move to privatise IDBI Bank. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters.

Banks Board Bureau chief Vinod Rai has proposed performance-linked incentives for bank employees, but the staff unions are dead against the idea. A Ganesh Nadar reports.

Earlier this month the chief of Banks Board Bureau, Vinod Rai, proposed a performance-linked incentive for public sector banks, saying that the compensation package across the board of public sector banks needs to be improved.

"Maybe we are not able to do much with the fixed part of compensation package but variable part we are hopeful that in the next financial year we will be able to introduce a far more attractive package which do have bonuses, ESOPs and other performance-linked incentives as part of the package," Rai had said.

But very clearly, he had spoken too soon. For bank unions across the country have shot down his proposal.

The All India Bank Officers' Confederation, in a statement, said this move was a prelude to introducing differential pay as also the concept of cost to company at a later stage

"Setting performance parameters at various levels of banking functions does not fit well into the banking environment as there are multiple functions for a few and specialist functions for another lot," AIBOC general secretary Harvinder Singh said.

Vice president of the National Organisation of Bank Workers Ashwini Rana said there were certain jobs in banks whose tangible gain cannot be measured especially assisting staff, and the introduction of performance linked incentives will lead to inequality, favouritism and discrimination.

The office-bearers of State Bank of India staff union in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu, too, have rejected this idea totally. SBI is the largest bank in India.

Union president S M Selvaraj, vice president S Gunasekhar and general secretary D Singaravelu spoke at length about their fears and what the proposal meant to the members of the union.

Singaravelu was emphatic that giving incentive to one person would demoralise the rest of the staff.

First they give lots of loans to get incentives and then let the loans become NPAs. Then they expect incentives for collections. This will be a loss-making exercise for the banks, he told this correspondent.

Selvaraj said, If they must implement this scheme, then it has to be given to the entire staff in a well-performing branch, because banking is a collective job.

IMAGE: The office-bearers of State Bank of India staff union in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu. Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com.

Gunasekhar added, A few years back, when we were losing business to private banks, the management approached the unions and asked us to help them with marketing and to improve our market share. We worked hard and achieved our goals. Today we are the biggest bank in the country. Now they are bent on weakening us by dividing the workforce.

He explained: Worldwide, performance is judged on a 70-20-10 basis where 70 is for experience, 20 is for feedback and 10 is for learning. This is how capacity-building is done. Here in SBI they have made it 70-30 where 70 for performance is decided by the system and 30 depends on the whims and fancies of the branch manager. This will lead to favoritism and destabilise the unions.

Do they realise that the promotion one gets after 10 years can be brought down to eight years by this scheme? That means the favourites of managers will get promoted over seniors.

Even superannuation, which is now at 60 years, will be linked to this and if they are not happy with you, they can use health as an excuse to terminate you at 58 itself. The last two years of your service can be cancelled depending on your performance.

Selvaraj said, They are trying to reduce the influence of staff unions. That is their only aim. As the Indian Banks Association has opposed this, the State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank have come out of the IBA to implement this proposal.

He repeated, We are totally against individual incentives, it must be given to the branch.

There is no transparency in the marking system, who is getting the incentive and why he is getting it, nobody knows. Only a collective incentive will strengthen the institution.

All three office-bearers signed off saying, We oppose this career development system totally. If you still want to give it, give it collectively.
Did you know that samosas, idlis and coffee were not originally from India?

Brush up your history and read on about the origins of some our tastiest foods.

Presenting seven foods believed to be from India, but aren't:

1. Pao



IMAGE: Vada pav, misal pav, pav bhaji, Mumbaikars love their pav. But is pav from their city?

Photograph: Rutvi Mistry/Wikimedia Commons

In several parts of India, people start their day with a pav or a fluffy kind of Indian bread bun for breakfast. Bakeries take pride in offering the perfect pav.

You have to thank the Portuguese for your daily bread.

The first Portuguese sailor to land in India was Vasco Da Gama at Calicut, Kerala.

They soon conquered Goa, and Mumbai too.

The Portuguese ate pao or pav for breakfast.

Since then pao/pav was added to our vocabulary and it is a staple food for some of us.

2. Idli

IMAGE: Idli vada, idli sambhar -- but idli is not Indian.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Charulatha Rao



We would love to believe that idlis first came from Tamil Nadu. But food historians differ.

Idlis, they say, came from far off Indonesia.

From Indonesia the idli ventured to India.

Some food historians disagree. They contend that the idli arrived with Arab traders who landed in South India.

The Arabs, according to them, made meat balls of rice and flattened them. That was the first version of the idli.

3. Biryani

IMAGE: Biryani finds its origins in either Central Asia or Persia.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Zaffran



Indians love their Hyderabadi, Lucknowi and Dindigul biryanis.

Historians say the dish originated either in central Asia or Persia.

In Persian 'biryan' means 'to fry or roast'.

4. Coffee

IMAGE: Kaapi's not from South India, mind it!

Jagadeesh Nv/Reuters

The word coffee belongs to Kaffa, Ethiopia.

In Europe, coffee was introduced by Marco d'Aviano, a wandering preacher of the Capuchin monastic order.

In 1683, on the eve of Battle of Vienna, Marco was credited with uniting Catholics and Protestants to fight against the Muslim Ottoman Empire. When the Ottomans lost the battle, they left behind bags full of coffee in their camps.

Coffee was too strong for Europeans. So they mixed milk and honey in it and had it.

The drink was brown like Capuchin robes. The people of Vienna named it 'cappuccino'.

Later, coffee travelled from Ethiopia to Arab lands and became a favourite drink of Arabs.

In India, coffee was introduced by Baba Budan of Karnataka.

Budan apparently smuggled some coffee beans from Yemen's Mocha island while returning from Haj.

He planted them on the hills of Karnataka. And the rest is history.

5. Samosa

IMAGE: Samosa=Persia?

Photograph: Jessica and Lon Binder/ Flickr.com

The word samosa is derived from the Persian word 'sanbosag'.

Amir Khusrow, sufi musician, poet and father of Qawali music, first mentioned samosa as an eatable and he lived during the days of the Delhi sultanate.

Then samosas were filled with meat.

Over the centuries, the meat in samosas was often replaced with potatoes by Indians.

By the way potatoes too aren't from India.

6. Potato

IMAGE: Potato, batata, Portuguese!

Photograph: Reuters

Ask any Mumbaikar what he calls the potato.

Batata. Not aloo.

In Portuguese, batata means potato.

Batata, like pao, was introduced by Portuguese in western India. By the British in Bengal. And by Moldovian priests in Ladakh.

The tuber is originally from Peru. Spaniards brought it to Europe and European mariners spread it about the world.

Today, potato is such a popular ingredient in Indian cuisine it's hard to believe it's not originally Indian.

7. Chillies

IMAGE: Chillies are also 'un'Indian.

Photograph: Babu/Reuters



Just like potatoes, chillies too were introduced by Portuguese.

It was not the Portuguese who found the ingredient first.

Spanish sailors discovered chillies in Mexico.

From Spain, chillies spread to other parts of Europe and that's how the Portuguese learned of its flavour.

When Portuguese landed in India, they brought chillies in their baggage, along with batata and pao.

>More FOOD features here!
Priyanka Gandhi will strike a deal with Mayawati and not Akhilesh, says Nazarwala.

Priyanka Gandhi is set to play a leading and decisive role for the debilitated Congress in the Uttar Pradesh elections.

A determined Priyanka is being projected with a clearly defined role and is strongly supported by Congress leaders.

Party veterans Raj Babbar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, P L Punia, Sanjay Singh, Rajiv Shukla, Pramod Tiwari, K L Sharma and many others are all slogging to revive the party in UP.

Congress grassroot workers are motivated this time. Prashant Kishor has a 500-strong hand-picked posse of committed surveyors-cum-campaigners. They are working overtime to promote the Congress in the state.

The Congress ticket is in demand for the first time in decades.

Haseeb Ahmad, general secretary of the Allahabad District Congress Committee, has launched a campaign through his Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp accounts.

Slogans like 'Vishwas hai Priyanka, meri aas hai Priyanka' ('We trust Priyanka, she is our only hope') are being raised by state party workers to draw the Congress high command's attention towards their long-pending demand of bringing Priyanka into active politics.

Also for the first time, Priyanka's photographs have started popping up in festival hoardings and newspaper ads of the party.

Rahul Gandhi's leg-work -- done with faith and humility -- has been underestimated by his rivals.

Yes, the 'khaat sabha' episode and his 'khoon Ki dalaali' remark evoked some ridicule. Yet, the resolute, resilient Congress vice-president's month-long journey from Deoria to Delhi has been reasonably successful.

All said and done, UPites have a fond weakness for the Nehru family.

Indira Gandhi is still held in high esteem. She promised 'garibi hatao' (remove poverty), and the UP voters trusted her.

Rahul is promising a loan waiver to the farmers. And the gullible UP farmers seem to have fallen for the bait. Thousands have signed petitions.

However, his bombshell threat of having proof of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'personal corruption' has been defused, for the time being.

But Priyanka is much smarter than her brother.

Gifted with a charismatic personality, she gabs cleverly, a la Indira Gandhi. She is, virtually, a recycled Indira Gandhi.

Priyanka knows how to deftly handle the print and electronic media. Even Arnab Goswami, the prime time pasha, has not dared to interview her till date despite her husband Robert Vadra's Haryana land-grabbing, and other things in her life including her controversial holiday home acquisition in Shimla.

A desperate Rahul and an over-hyped Akhilesh Yadav have been negotiating for a seat-sharing deal. The facade may not fructify as desired.

Sheila Dikshit's health does not permit her to continue campaigning for the Congress in UP. She tried to find an escape route by proposing Akhilesh as the leader if and when the alliance materialises.

Priyanka is likely to replace her.

If Priyanka has her way, she will gamble by siding with Mayawati.

Why would she latch onto a crumbling Samajwadi Party and commit political suicide?

She seems to have struck a secret deal with Mayawati for pre-election winnable-seat concessions, and post-election power-sharing!

Modi's call to make a 'Congress-mukt Bharat' faces this one obstacle.

However, with the Congress struggling to hold onto its double digits and avoid slipping further, Modi may or may not be too concerned about its fate.

Photograph: Pawan Kumar/Reuters
MASON CITY | Harold V. Schadt, 93, of Mason City, died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, at Heritage Care and Rehabilitation Center.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, Mason City, with the Rev. Dr. Michael Last, of St. Paul Lutheran Church, officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the Mason City Veterans Association.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Harold Schadt Memorial Fund in care of the family.

Major Erickson Funeral Home, Mason City, is in charge of arrangements.
Bereft of options when Keya Sarkar arrives at a charitable eye hospital in Santiniketan she is pleasantly surprised -- not just by the building but also by the patience of the tribals who await their turn and the overburdened doctors.

IMAGE: A man gets his eyes tested at a free eye-care camp set-up by a voluntary organisation in West Bengal. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters .



Most doctors' clinics in and around Santiniketan are afterthoughts of medical shops. So most of them are housed either below staircases behind the medicine shop or in some suffocating antechamber. The waiting room often comprises wooden benches placed on top of concrete slabs covering the drain in front of the shop.

Not used to such non-luxurious conditions at a time when one is already feeling wretched, I normally postpone medical attention till I can get to Kolkata. Thankfully, maybe because of the clean air that we breathe and the home-grown vegetables that we eat I do not fall ill too often.

Recently, however, when I had an eye infection and was not planning to go to Kolkata any time soon, I decided to ask around for good eye specialists. A friend suggested I go to a nearby eye hospital run by a charitable trust. Not used to getting charitable medical attention I was a little reticent because I thought it would be unfair to avail of subsidised attention when I could afford more.

Anyway, bereft of options I arrived at this charitable hospital and was pleasantly surprised.

The waiting room was large, airy, with lots of seating. The reception was friendly and efficient; the doctor's fee Rs 20!

Even though I was complaining of an eye infection I was first sent off to do a routine vision test.

As I waited in line I noticed that the old gentleman, who was having his eyes tested before me, was unusually quiet while the ophthalmologist kept trying out new lenses. His daughter or daughter-in-law, who was accompanying him, was shouting at him. "Please read what you see," she was shouting. She waited. The ophthalmologist waited. But the old gentleman refused to say anything.

The woman looked around helplessly, and then realising that I was waiting for my turn, said apologetically, "What to do. He can't see or hear."

Afterwards, as I sat in the large waiting room -- this time to see the doctor -- I noticed that most of the others, who were waiting, were tribals from around the area. Many of them seemed to have had come from far, but were waiting patiently for the doctor's assistant to call their number. They had their legs folded as they sat on the chairs and did not seem at all anxious about the length of the wait. Quiet different, I thought, from my experience in cities, where people are either incessantly talking on their phones as they wait or ask the assistants at regular intervals about how much longer it would take.

When the assistant called me in, the doctor was attending to an elderly gentleman. The doctor asked him about his problem. The gentleman said he could not see clearly. The doctor asked whether the fact that he couldn't see was with his specs or without. He said without. The doctor rebuked him and said, "You came to me with this problem and we gave you a prescription for your spectacles, but if you don't wear it how will you be able to see?"

"Why don't you wear them," she asked.

The patient replied that it was because it hurt his ears. Not wanting to digress, the doctor asked whether he could see with his spectacles. The gentleman kept quiet for a while and then said softly, almost under his breath, "I still see blurred."

The doctor looked exasperated and in an I-give-up tone said, "Wear your specs regularly and come back to report."

I finished my time with the doctor and walked out of the hospital. I could not help but think of the patience of these doctors. It must surely match that of their tribal patients.
The IAF has just 33 squadrons, 9 short of the 42 squadrons needed to tackle China and Pakistan together, says Ajai Shukla.

On December 28, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, the retiring Indian Air Force chief, declared in New Delhi that the IAF requires 200 to 250 medium fighters in addition to the 36 Rafale multi-role fighters that were contracted with French vendor Dassault earlier this year.

The 36-Rafale contract was signed for 7.8 billion (Rs 55,600 cror/Rs 556 billione).

Another 200 Rafales, or comparable fighters, would require 43.3 billion (Rs 310,000 crore/Rs 3.1 trillion), far beyond India's means given the current defence spending.

But ACM Raha did not hesitate to put the requirement on the table. 'We have just ordered 36 aircraft and we require more aircraft in the medium weight category to give (the IAF an) entire spectrum of capability,' he said.

The IAF currently operates just 33 squadrons against an assessed requirement of 42 squadrons needed to tackle China and Pakistan together.

Of these, 11 squadrons of MiG-21s and MiG-27s are operationally suspect, being long overdue for retirement.

Referring to this, ACM Raha stated: 'We have already used them for over four decades. It is time to retire them and get new aircraft... Over the next 10 years, we must have 200 to 250 aircraft. It has to be balanced out.'

'In the heavyweight spectrum,' the retiring air chief added, 'we have enough. But in the medium-weight category, we need more. Yes, about 200 will be very good.'

An analysis of the IAF's 'force mix' reveals that the shortfall in fighters is actually in the light fighter segment, not in medium fighters.

By 2022, when 11 squadrons of MiG-21s and MiG-27s would have to be phased out, there would be a dire shortfall of light fighters.

At best, 103 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft would have come in, leaving the light fighter segment with just five squadrons.

In contrast, there would be 14 squadrons (266 aircraft) in the medium fighter segment and another 14 squadrons (272 aircraft) of heavy fighters.

"The IAF needs to replace 11 squadrons of obsolescent MiGs. The replacement, therefore, must be a cheap-to-buy, cheap-to-operate, light-to-medium fighter. Since we cannot afford 200 Rafale-class fighters, and the Tejas production line is building too slowly, there is just one option: Set up a second fighter line to build fighters in the 20-tonne class in large numbers," says Pushpinder Singh, combat aviation analyst and the publisher of Vayu magazine.

The government is already moving down that path.

On October 7, the IAF wrote to several global aerospace giants, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Saab and Russia's Rosoboronexport, soliciting interest in setting up a production line in India to build single-engine, medium fighters.

Lockheed Martin, which is offering the F-16 Block 70, and Saab, which is introducing a new fighter, the Gripen E, are the current frontrunners, with both being marketed aggressively in New Delhi.

Over the last 15 years, the IAF has been framing its fighter aircraft requirements in terms of light, medium and heavy fighters.

In 2000, Air Headquarters stated that an ideal 'force mix' would be 200 fighters each in the light, medium and heavy categories. The rationale for this was never made clear.

Traditionally, an air force's 'force mix' has been based on aircraft roles, not their weight or size.

Air forces have calculated their need for 'air superiority fighters' that shoot down enemy aircraft to gain ascendency in the air, 'strike aircraft' that bomb enemy targets including airfields, roads and railways and even strategic targets, and 'close air support fighters' that strike enemy targets in the tactical battle area and carry out battlefield interdiction to prevent different components of the enemy's fighting force from coming together. Separately, they calculate their need for specialist aircraft for photoreconnaissance and electronic warfare, or jamming enemy radars to facilitate a mission.

Large air forces like the US Air Force still have super-specialist aircraft for each role.

The F-22 Raptor and the F-15 Eagle perform the air superiority role, while the strike role falls on the F-35 Lightning II (called the Joint Strike Fighter because it is a common strike aircraft for the USAF, Navy and Marine Corps).

The US Navy has separate fighter aircraft for combat operations off aircraft carriers, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which operates in tandem with an electronic warfare fighter variant, the F/A-18G Growler.

Smaller (and lower-budget) militaries increasingly use multi-role fighters that are capable of performing most roles, albeit slightly less proficiently than specialist aircraft.

Digital avionics allow pilots to switch from one role to another (anti-air to ground strike), while higher payloads allow aircraft to carry air-to-air missiles as well as surface attack bombs.

Consequently, equipping an air force with multi-role combat aircraft like the Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Gripen reduces the need for multiple types of aircraft in the fleet.

What does this mean in practical terms?

In earlier days, a 'mission package', say for striking an oil refinery deep inside enemy territory, might have required nine aircraft: Four ground strike aircraft, four air superiority fighters to protect them en route from enemy fighters, and an electronic warfare aircraft to jam enemy radars on the way. Now, with multi-role aircraft carrying bombs, missiles as well as jammers, four to six multi-role fighters could bomb the refinery, tackle enemy fighters and jam radars en route.

What is catered for separately are 'force multipliers' like air-to-air refuellers and airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft.

These facilitate rapid turnaround of fighters and greater airspace awareness, allowing air forces to do more with fewer fighters. While a Sukhoi-30MKI can do a three-and-a-half hour mission on internal fuel, the mission time can be doubled with air-to-air refuelling.

The IAF, however, is still transitioning from mission-specific to multirole fighters.

Its vintage MiG-21 fleet consists of air superiority fighters, except for the MiG-21 BISON, which has been upgraded with multi-role capability. The MiG-27 is a pure ground strike fighter, as is the Jaguar, though there are plans to upgrade Jaguars with air-to-air capability.

The MiG-29 was an air superiority fighter, but its on-going upgrade is providing it ground strike capability, making it a multi-role fighter for what remains of its service life.

Meanwhile, the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Tejas Mark I are multi-role fighters, as will be the Rafale.

With seven types of fighters already in the fleet (five types after the MiG-21 and MiG-27 retire), the IAF's most worrying problem in a future war would be the logistics nightmare of maintaining and repairing all these different aircraft.

This problem would be complicated further if the F-16 or Gripen are built in India.

Nor has there been a hardnosed reassessment of how many fighter squadrons the IAF really needs.

The figure of 42 squadrons was arrived at years ago, but has not been revised after the advent of high-performance, multi-role aircraft and a range of force multipliers.

Given the cost of modern fighters and the existing pressures on India's defence allocations, this issue will inevitably be revisited in the future.

IMAGE: A fighter jet lands on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Photograph: @IAF_MCC/Twitter
A Central Industrial Security Force jawan on Thursday shot dead his four senior colleagues with his service rifle in a fit of rage following a heated argument in Bihars Naxal-hit Aurangabad district, officials said.

The fragging incident was reported around 12:45 am at the Nabinagar Power Generation Company Ltd unit which is guarded by the force.

Constable Balveer Singh, hailing from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, fired about two dozen bullets, killing Head Constables Bachha Sharma and Amarnath Mishra on the spot, while Assistant Sub-Inspector G S Ram and Head Constable Arvind Kumar later succumbed to grievous injuries in a nearby hospital.

The CISF headquarters in Delhi issued a statement saying any issue related to service leave had nothing to do with the jawan taking the extreme step, adding he had availed this facility well above the limit.

He (Blaveer) had just returned from leave eight days ago on January 4 (and reported to the unit) and had not asked for leave again. There was no issue at all regarding his leave. In fact, he had availed more than two-and-a-half months leave on several occasions during the last one year, which is well above the annual normal leave authorisation. So, leave was absolutely not an issue in his case, CISF spokesperson Deputy Commandant Manjit Singh said.

Earlier reports suggested that the constable had an argument over leave issues following which he opened fire.

The police have registered a case of murder and are investigating. As soon as the investigation is complete they shall inform us about the reason behind this incident. We will update you in due course, he added.

The incident took place when the victims and some others had assembled for a shift change.

A heated argument ensued and the CISF jawan lost his cool, firing his rifle multiple times, Superintendent of Police Satyaprakash said.

He was quickly overpowered by other CISF personnel and handed over to police who arrested him. But before that could be done his targets lay sprawled on the blood splattered floor.

Sources said the trooper was sent for a special yoga session between November 10 and December 24 last year at the CISFs training institute in Deoli in Rajasthan. Following that he had gone on leave to his home before resuming duty on January 4.

The CISF unit in Nabinagar is deployed at the NPGCL unit as part of its mandate to secure the facility against threats from Naxals and other extremist elements.

NPGCL is a Joint Venture of the NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board.

The CISF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

IMAGE: The site where a CISF constable opened fire and killed four of his colleagues in Aurangabad district of Bihar on Thursady. Photograph: PTI Photo
With filing of nominations for the first phase of assembly polls drawing closer, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday asked his ministers and legislators not to worry about tickets as he fine-tuned with his close aides Samajwadi Partys strategy.

As his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and warring uncle Shivpal camped in New Delhi, waiting for the Election Commission to take up on Friday the dispute in the party over its cycle symbol, Akhilesh remained closeted with his close confidants at his 5 Kalidas Marg official residence to discuss the poll scenario.

Dont get trapped in the symbol dispute. It is before the EC and will get resolved tomorrow (Friday), he told party workers who had assembled at this residence for Janata Darshan.

Go to the masses. I will draw up my tour programme and will join you, Akhilesh, who replaced Mulayam as the SP president recently, directed his supporters, who aired their strong desire that he should be the chief minister again.

Akhilesh told his ministers and legislators that they should not worry about tickets.

You will get tickets, do not worry. Work hard for SPs victory, he told them during the 90-minute animated interaction.

All is well in the party, he told waiting mediapersons on coming out of the meeting.

Lok Dal offers symbol to Mulayam The Lok Dal on Thursday offered its symbol to embattled Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest the Uttar Pradesh elections in case the cycle symbol is frozen by the Election Commission due to feud in the party. Lok Dal is a registered, unrecognised party which its national president Sunil Singh claimed was formed by socialist leader Charan Singh in 1980. I met Mulayam Singh and offered him to contest the elections on our symbol (farmer ploughing the field) in case the cycle symbol is frozen. But he is hopeful that the feud will be settled and the symbol would not be frozen, Singh told reporters after the meeting. Asked whether he discussed any modalities with Yadav, Singh said Mulayam is a senior socialist leader and he is free to be the party president.

Senior SP minister and Akhilesh loyalist Rajendra Chaudhary said that the chief minister was giving final touches to the SP manifesto which was likely to be released soon after the symbol dispute is resolved by the EC.

The manifesto will focus on agriculture sector and welfare of minorities, he said.

Party insiders said Akhilesh was working on a new list of candidates, keeping out those facing criminal charges and accommodating deserving aspirants.

The two SP factions led by Mulayam and Akhilesh have staked claim over the party and its election symbol cycle ahead of assembly elections and the EC has decided to hear the matter on Friday.

Mulayam, in a surprise softening of stand towards his son, recently said Akhilesh will be the next chief minister, but his statement failed to iron out the differences between the father-son duo on contentious issues like party presidents post which Akhilesh does not want to give up.

Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on January 1, Akhilesh has been going whole hog consolidating his grip over the organisation by making new appointments and releasing list of candidates for the legislative council polls.

The seven-phase assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on February 11 and filing of nominations will start on January 17 before which the symbol dispute has to be resolved.

Party insiders said former ministers Narad Rai, Om Prakash Singh, Shahdab Fatima and Ambika Chaudhary might find place in the new list along with Arvind Singh Gope and Ram Govind Chaudhary.

Likewise, some tainted nominees, including Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansaris brother Sibghatullah, and Amanmani Tripathi, son of a murder convict, given ticket by Mulayam and Shivpal could be dropped.

While Atiq is a politician with criminal background, Ansari is gangster-turned-politician heading the Qaumi Ekta Dal, whose merger with SP was strongly opposed by Akhilesh, before he had to give in to pressure from Mulayam.

Mulayam had announced candidates for all but eight of the 403 assembly seats on December 30.

Later the Akhilesh camp had circulated through social media an unsigned list of 250 candidates.

Apparently to send the message that he was calling the shots as president of the SP, Akhilesh has cleared the names of three candidates for the biennial elections to UP upper House for Kanpur-Unnao (Teachers constituency), Allahabad-Jhansi (Teachers constituency) and Bareilly-Moradabad (Graduates constituency).

Akhilesh has already appointed heads of 11 district party units in Mainpuri, Moradabad, Fatehpur, Etawah, Farukhabad, Hardoi, Firozabad, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur.

The existing presidents of these district units were sacked with immediate effect to pave the way for new faces to demonstrate the chief minister's strengthening grip over the party.

Presidents in all these districts were dumped by Shivpal, who is state president of another faction of SP backed by Mulayam, his elder brother.

Photograph: PTI Photo
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Thursday refused to join issues with Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi over the use of social media by government officials, saying he would not like to comment on administrative issues.

I dont want to comment on administrative matters, he told reporters despite repeatedly being asked about Bedis comments favouring use of social media by government officials.

The chief minister is yet to react to the Puducherry LGs comment.

Bedi is known to be very active on Twitter, while Narayanasamy too has a handle on the social media site but not too active.

Narayanasamy said he met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Thursday and requested him to provide three more Indian Administrative Services officers in the rank of joint secretary to the Union Territory for appointment in Puducherry.

At present, there are 11 IAS officers posted in Puducherry.

Differences between the ruling Congress and Bedi came to the fore earlier this month after the government issued an order, directing all officers, heads of departments and employees of government-owned undertakings to immediately desist from using the social media such as Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook.

Later on January 5, Bedi had cancelled the order of Narayanasamy banning the use of social media for official communication.

Bedi had posted a copy of her order on her personal Twitter handle declaring the government circular null and void with immediate effect on the ground that it was issued in contravention of guidelines, rules and policies of the government.

A day after Bedi cancelled the order, eight of the 15 Congress MLAs in the Union Territory said they have sent a joint memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh complaining about her publicity mongering and rigidly autocratic style of functioning.
Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party president Ramvilas Paswan was admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Patna late on Thursday evening after he complained of breathlessness.

Officer on special duty to the minister R C Meena said that Paswan was admitted to the ICU of Paras hospital.

His younger brother and Bihar LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras said from the hospital that the minister complained of breathlessness and was taken to the hospital around 8:30 pm where doctors were examining him.

As the news of Paswans admission in the hospital spread, LJP supporters started gathering outside the hospital on Bailey road in Patna.

Paswan, Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, earlier arrived in Patna on Thursday on a four-day tour of the state during which he had some political engagements in Patna, Khagaria, Begusarai and Mokamah before hosting Makarsankranti feast in Patna on January 15.

LJP spokesman Ashraf Ansari said that the ministers wife and MP son Chirag Paswan are with him in the hospital.

Meanwhile, doctors attending the Union minister said he was stable and responding to the treatment.

Doctors at cardiology department of Paras hospital, Pramod Kumar and Ajay Sinha, joined by Doctor Sanjeev Kumar of AIIMS Patna, were attending to Paswan in the ICU.

Sanjeev Kumar said that Paswan suffered from Left Ventricular Failure caused by drop of oxygen in the body but is now stable and responding to treatment.

Paswans son Chirag said they would take him to Delhi on Friday.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Governor Ramnath Kovind and RJD president Lalu Prasad enquired about the health of Paswan.

Prasad, accompanied by his sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, who is Health Minister of Bihar, paid a visit to Paras Hospital to see Paswan.

Prasad told reporters that Paswan was stable now and he has talked to him.
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea urging it to pass judgment on bull taming sport Jallikattu before the harvest festival of Pongal on Saturday.

A bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi told a group of lawyers, who requested for the verdict, that it is unfair to ask the bench to pass an order.

The apex court, however, said that the draft of judgment has been prepared but it was not possible to deliver it before Saturday when Jallikattu is to be organised.

The court had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the Centres notification allowing the sport.

The court had earlier questioned the Centre for its January 2016 notification allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, saying that its 2014 verdict banning the use of the animals cannot be negated.

Supporting the tradition, the Centre has said that it could ensure that bulls are not tortured or subjected to alcohol before the sport.

Earlier, the apex court had observed that the country cannot import Roman gladiator-type sport as it is against the culture of compassion towards animals.

The court in its 2014 judgment had said that bulls could not be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.

The apex court had also dismissed the review petition against its 2014 verdict.

The apex court had also earlier declared Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009 as constitutionally void, being violative or Article 254(1) of the Constitution.

On January 8, last year the Centre had issued a notification lifting ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which was challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.

On July 26, last year the apex court had said that just because the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu was a centuries-old tradition, it could not be justified.

It had said if the parties were able to convince the court that its earlier judgement was wrong, it might refer the matter to a larger bench.

The Supreme Court had on January 21, last year refused to re-examine its 2014 judgment banning use of bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country.

The apex court had also stayed the January 8 notification of Centre.
Arrested Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Sudip Bandopadhaya was on Thursday denied bail by a Central Bureau of Investigation court in Bhubaneswar and sent to jail.

He was produced in the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate P K Mishra after the completion of his 10-day CBI remand in two phases.

The judge rejected his bail petition and posted the next hearing of the case to January 25.

The MPs advocate sought bail pleading that his client has all along cooperated with the investigating agency. The counsel also claimed that Bandopadhaya was ill.

Bandopadhaya claimed he was innocent and had no involvement in the scam.

The Centre and the CBI are trying to malign me because I raised demonetisation issue in Parliament, Bandyopadhyay told reporters.

He was arrested in Kolkata on January 3 on charges of alleged link with Rose Valley Group chief Goutam Kundu, now in jail, and brought to Bhubaneswar next day. He has been in the CBI custody since then.

Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of Rs 17,000 crore in different states including Odisha and West Bengal.

The CBI in its charge sheet against the ponzi scheme company in January last year had mentioned that the investors from Odisha alone had deposited Rs 450 crore with the Rose Valley Group.

Another TMC MP Tapas Pal has been lodged at a special jail at Jharpada in the same scam.

Photograph: ANI
CLEAR LAKE | Patricia Jean Pearce, 81, of Clear Lake, died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, at Opportunity Village.

Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 at Opportunity Village, 1200 N. Ninth St. W., Clear Lake, with Pastor Scott Sokol officiating. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery, Charles City.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to services Friday at Opportunity Village.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Opportunity Village. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com

Pat was born Sept. 12, 1935, in Iowa Falls, Iowa, the daughter of Milton and Eleanor (Hedlund) Pearce. She lived at home with her family until age 48 when she moved to Opportunity Village in Clear Lake to live. Pat loved spending time with her family which included Friday evening dinner with her sister, Pam, and any opportunity to see her nieces and nephews. She enjoyed movies, dances, shopping and the annual Opportunity Village walk. Pat also enjoyed the attention and companionship of the Village staff and residents. She took pride in working at the Village to earn her own spending money.

She was a member of the Evangelical Free Church in Clear Lake and attended services whenever she could.

Pat is survived by her sister, Pam Vala of Clear Lake; niece, Sheila (Lundy) Anderson of Fairfield; nephew, Kurt (Elizabeth) Vala of North Ferrisburgh, Vermont; great-nephew, Spencer Minette of Concord, New Hampshire; 1 great-niece, Ellie Anderson and 1 great-nephew, Rylan Anderson both of Fairfield.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents.

Arrangements: Major Erickson Funeral Home and Crematory, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, 641-423-0924, www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com
Forced out of Towns in the Sahel, Africa's Jihadists Go Rural

Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG) Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as International Crisis Group (ICG), Forced out of Towns in the Sahel, Africa's Jihadists Go Rural, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5877779d4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Jihadist groups have regrouped in the neglected hinterlands of Sahel countries and are launching attacks from them. To regain control of outlying districts, regional states must do far more to extend services and representation beyond recently recaptured provincial centres.

Rather than trying to hold towns or urban districts, these groups - which include al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Boko Haram, the Macina Liberation Front (FLM) and al-Murabitoun - are using bases in the countryside to strike at provincial and district centres, often forcing national armies to retreat and local state authorities to abandon immense rural areas to jihadist control.

At the same time, increasing international support has inadvertently reinforced the historical tendency of Sahel countries - which include parts of Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Libya and Chad - to focus relatively more on the political centre and neglect their vast territorial hinterlands. Unless these trends are reversed, efforts to minimise the threat from jihadist groups operating in this huge region will likely fail.

Jihadist armed groups have been operating in central and western Sahel since the 1990s. Over time, and despite limited efforts to block their rise, some groups grew and eventually took control of vast territories, as in northern Mali in 2012 and north-east Nigeria in 2014. The initial response was largely military and, with the help of regional and Western allies, Sahelian governments succeeded in chasing out jihadist groups from all the major towns that they had occupied and destroyed most of their heavy weapons.

But these military successes have not been accompanied by the return of government administration in "liberated" areas. African armies and their allies were often unable to restore security in the countryside, or even in the outskirts of some cities. Civil servants could or would not follow the military into still insecure zones, leaving vast areas run by skeleton administrations, and few, if any, public services. The state's persistent absence from the region around Lake Chad, along the Mali-Niger border and in central Mali, has allowed jihadists to establish and expand their presence there.

Furthermore, increased international support has had the side effect of reinforcing Sahelian countries' tendency to focus on the political centre, where governing elites and the bulk of voters live. This is because it is quicker, cheaper and more politically expedient to provide public services in cities and towns rather than to thinly populated and often nomadic rural settlements. The end result is the relative neglect of their vast territorial hinterlands. For example, access to public school varies dramatically between urban and rural areas and by region. According to Mali's last Demographic and Health Survey (2013), the male literacy rate is 69 per cent and female 47 per cent in urban settings (72 and 51 per cent in the capital, Bamako), but only 27 and 12 per cent respectively in rural areas (only 20 and 10 per cent in the Mopti region, the lowest in Mali even before jihadist groups started to shut down public schools).

After withdrawing from urban areas and dispersing in order to escape attack, jihadist groups have consciously adapted to the new situation. As shown by internal AQIM correspondence discovered in the Malian city of Timbuktu in 2013 and the intra-Boko Haram discussions and splitting of the group in June-July 2016, mounting pressure from regional armies has not robbed these organisations of their capacity to evaluate past failures and develop new strategies.

The spectacular assaults on West African towns and capitals carried out since 2013 (Bamako in Mali, Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and the beach resort at Grand Bassam in Cote d'Ivoire) are not, from this point of view, the most important change. More significant is the consistent attacks on local capitals and towns, which compel the armed forces to prioritise garrisons there and to abandon immense rural regions. For example, repeated jihadist attacks in and around Gao, Mopti and Timbuktu in Mali have forced government troops and peacekeepers to increase security in these cities and significantly limit the number of forward operating bases and patrols in rural areas. There are a few exceptions, like the Kidal region, where the French army's presence and numerous patrols prevent groups such as Ansar Eddine and AQIM from exerting full control. Yet this requires mobile and capable military forces that cannot be deployed everywhere. The jihadists can consolidate their control in this security vacuum.

Setting aside, for the moment, their territorial ambitions, the jihadists have opted for a more discreet occupation of neglected rural areas. They are not alone. Other armed groups, including ethnic militias, self-defence groups, transnational criminal groups, armed bandits, renegades from national armies and even separatist and autonomist movements, are also emerging to fill the security vacuum left by central states. Not all are opposed to the state, but each of them tries to find a niche in a complex and shifting local network of alliances. Depending on local configurations of power and interests, these groups fight jihadist groups, simply ignore them to avoid trouble, or even make alliances with them.

All these armed movements demonstrate a genuine capacity to understand and adapt to local circumstances, and do so better than less-motivated capital-based elites or foreign "peacekeepers". They are also unlike separatist groups that tend to downplay local tensions when they weaken their "nationalist cause", or transnational criminal networks that are mostly interested in transporting goods through territories. Instead, jihadist groups are willing to settle down and are developing an expertise in manipulating local intra and intercommunal tensions.

Jihadist groups use a mix of threats and persuasion to consolidate their position, providing limited services to some communities, most notably security and some rough rule of law. In central Mali, jihadist groups now offer protection to pastoralists and their herds, and give local groups the chance to contest natural resource exploitation by government representatives or their partners in local elites. They also suspended the collection of taxes by chiefs and governments. Similarly, a Boko Haram faction has forged partnerships with the Buduma, indigenous to the Lake Chad area, by chasing out the Hausa migrants who had taken control of the flourishing fishing sector. This local alliance allowed Boko Haram elements to find refuge on Lake Chad islands while regional armies were hunting down insurgents elsewhere.

In exchange for protection or other services, jihadist groups extend their influence, develop local roots, and recruit new affiliates. For instance, some of the young perpetrators who attacked Grand Bassam in Cote d'Ivoire on March 2016 reportedly came from Mali's rural Douentza district. State officials fled this area during the 2012 crisis and few have returned since, except for small military garrisons entrenched in towns along the only road connecting the region to Bamako. They are unable to prevent the FLM from developing its network in the vast and isolated rural countryside.

In areas where Crisis Group has conducted recent research, like central Mali, community leaders often noted they had long hesitated to turn their back on the state, unsuccessfully seeking protection and support from the capital before reaching agreement with jihadists. Unlike the region's governments, which are not well disposed toward nomadic communities and struggle to integrate them, radical groups are often ready to consolidate their networks and acquire intelligence by recruiting local people. Boko Haram, for instance, takes the time to approach communities in the Lake Chad Basin. The group can visit repeatedly, asking those willing to collaborate for an often symbolic donation and enlisting a few local young men.

The jihadists are most successful at establishing themselves among rural communities that were only recently integrated into countries, have a weak attachment to the state and are poorly represented in parliament or local government. These include nomadic groups and communities living in border areas with supposedly doubtful loyalties, such as the Fulani nomads of Hayre, the Tolebe Fulani along the Mali-Niger border, communities living in the mountainous borders in the Gwoza Hills along the Nigeria-Cameroon border and those in the Lake Chad marshes.

However, jihadist attempts to consolidate a presence are not always successful. For example, Ansar Eddine failed to establish itself in southern Mali, on the border with Cote d'Ivoire. These areas were better integrated into the state through a solid network of elected representatives and chiefs than in central and northern rural areas, which enables Ivorian and Malian security services to arrest its members.

Rather than being satisfied with retaking control of towns, Sahelian governments and their partners must reflect on how best to respond to the new strategies used by the jihadists to establish themselves in rural areas and extend their influence. Governments must invest in neglected rural zones and communities that feel marginalised.

A single response or general strategy is inadequate when faced with determined groups that are constantly adapting their own strategy. The regional grand strategies formulated for the Sahel as a whole must be adapted to local circumstances. It is imperative for governments to reconstruct their capacities to protect population groups, to peacefully regulate tensions around access to natural resources and to limit local elite corruption and capture of state resources.

Central governments must also start a discussion about local government structures to ensure better governance and representation of the most marginalised groups. They must resist the temptation to stigmatise entire communities, such as the nomadic Fulani in Mali and the Buduma in Niger and Chad, on the grounds that they are "collectively" favourable to the jihadist project. In particular, they must resist the temptation to arm communities that are reputedly closer to the government, against others that seem to be less loyal. Sub-contracting the anti-terrorist struggle to some communities is particularly liable to help jihadists establish themselves with those who are excluded, and can create future security problems.

The current situation of jihadist groups in the Sahel is a good illustration of the dynamics highlighted by Crisis Group's report Exploiting Disorder: al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Violent extremist groups tend not to create crises, but manipulate them. They ally with communities that feel the state is iniquitous and absent, or because they can help with conflicts about rights of access to critical resources.

Current programs aimed at preventing or countering "violent extremism" (P/CVE) lack clarity and too easily mask the complex dynamics of jihadist recruitment. Instead, local governments and their partners should focus on the classic problems of integration, political representation and the equitable sharing of natural resources. Such classic peacebuilding policies should not be framed as P/CVE, since it risks stigmatising communities and undermining the programs. To enable officials to return safely and rebuild the state, governments and their partners must invest politically and financially in neglected rural zones and give communities that feel sidelined a stake in society. If they don't, jihadist groups will remain a real threat for the foreseeable future.
Security Council's 'encouraging voice' very important to Colombian peace process, says UN envoy

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council's 'encouraging voice' very important to Colombian peace process, says UN envoy, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777ac940c.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - Highlighting that the Colombian peace process faced and continues to face a range of challenges but also offers "solid" opportunities, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the country today called on the United Nations Security Council for its continued attention and strong support to the country.

Noting, for example the failure to achieve the first benchmark of the ceasefire process - full concentration of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) combatants and militias in areas where weapons will be laid down by 1 January - as well as the apparent impossibility to destroy "unstable" ammunition spread in caches throughout the country by 30 January, SRSG Jean Arnault added:

"[However] in spite of this setback, last week, President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon and the FARC Secretariat reaffirmed their determination to do everything possible to meet the original goal of the comprehensive laydown of weapons by early June."

In a briefing to the Council today, he informed its members of the progress made over the last couple of weeks on matters such as the FARC members accessing the country's subsidized health system.

Further, emphasizing that with concerted efforts from all sides, the UN envoy said that advancing the ceasefire process was very much possible. He added that the timetable for storing of weapons under UN monitoring could also be adjusted without extending the overall 180-day timeframe.

Briefing the Security Council the on work of UN Mission in Colombia, Jean Arnault says unanimous support from international community will remain "a very significant success factor" in advancing the peace deal. Credit: UN News

On the legislative developments in the country, Mr. Arnault informed the Council that on 28 December 2016, the Congress passed an amnesty law excluding serious crimes. The law was ratified by President Santos two days later.

"The passage was a key request from the guerrilla organization and, besides paving the way for the release or conditional release of some 4,000 prisoners, it should facilitate the first key step towards the laydown of weapons," he noted, adding that next week, the Congress is expected to take up draft laws on establishing frameworks for truth, justice and reparation, including the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the Truth Commission and the Missing Persons Search Unit.

Mr. Arnault also updated the Council of work of the UN Mission in Colombia, which he heads, as well as that of the tripartite monitoring and verification mechanism which has now deployed to a number of locations at the local level.

In early October 2016, Colombian voters narrowly rejected the historic peace accord between the Government and the FARC-EP, meant to end the Western Hemisphere's longest running conflict. That deal was the culmination of four years of talks hosted in Havana, Cuba, between the two sides, and which led to a cessation of hostilities and agreements on key issues such as political participation, land rights, illicit drugs and victims' rights and transitional justice. The two sides signed a new agreement in late November.
UN agency renews call for protecting children after deadly attacks in Yemeni capital

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN agency renews call for protecting children after deadly attacks in Yemeni capital, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777bc640d.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - At least one girl has been killed and four others injured in attacks near a school outside the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, leading the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to renew its call on the people involved in the country's conflict to protect children and stop attacks on civilian structures.

Schools should be zones of peace at all times, a sanctuary where children can learn, grow, play and be safe, Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen, said in a statement. Children should never risk their lives only to attend school.

Since the escalation of the conflict in March 2015, the UN estimates that nearly 1,400 children have been killed and at least 2,140 injured with actual numbers likely to be much higher.

In addition to children casualties, nearly 2,000 schools in Yemen have been damaged or destroyed, or are being used for military purposes.

The attacks on 10 January in the Nihm district are the latest examples of children witnessing death, war and destruction instead of learning, said Mrs. Relano.
MASON CITY | A few dozen residents of a Mason City neighborhood lost power Wednesday morning when a vehicle crashed into a utility pole.

The crash happened about 11:50 a.m. on South Kentucky Avenue at 14th Street Southeast.

Police say the driver was going south when he lost control, swerved across South Kentucky and smashed squarely into a power pole on the east side of the road.

The impact splintered the pole. The front of the sport-utility vehicle was seriously damaged.

The driver of the SUV was not hospitalized.

Approximately 30-40 houses lost power as a result of the crash.

Alliant Spokesman Justin Foss said the pole was too badly damaged to be fixed so it had to be replaced.

Power was restored as of 2:10 p.m., according to Alliant's website, but the effort to replace the pole was expected to last hours.

"It did quite a bit of damage to that pole and there was a lot of equipment on that pole," Foss said.

Police asked city crews to put up barricades while utility crews were at the scene.
Migrants battling exposure as freezing temperatures grip Europe, warns UN agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Migrants battling exposure as freezing temperatures grip Europe, warns UN agency, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777bf140c.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - Sounding the alarm over the situation of thousands of migrants, asylum seekers and others enduring extreme cold conditions across Europe and Eastern Mediterranean, the United Nations migration agency has appealed for immediate action to save them from freezing to death.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least six individuals - three migrants in Bulgaria, one in Greece and two refugees in Lebanon - have succumbed to the harsh winter that has struck the region with some of the heaviest snowfall and the most severe icy temperatures in years.

Deaths due to exposure have also been reported in the Italian capital Rome and of those in transit across the Balkans.

"It is imperative that the world respond to the dangers exposed by these extreme weather conditions with food aid, shelter and other resources in the short term and long term," William Lacy Swing, the IOM Director General, said yesterday, recalling the carnage in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.

Last year, the deadliest year ever for migrants recorded by IOM in the region, at least 5,000 migrants lost their lives as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea with hopes of reaching European shores.

This extreme weather at the start of 2017 has brought particular fear for the lives and well-being of 15,500 migrants and asylum seekers, housed in camps on Greek Islands, including many in places that have been hit hard with snowfall. Families with children are most at risk.

Additionally, some 6,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey are reported to be without adequate, winterized shelter - out of a total refugee population of about three million.

IOM also reported that more than 7,500 people are currently stranded in Serbia, living in accommodation without adequate winter protection. Also, in makeshift refugee settlements in Lebanon, some 100 incidents of tents collapsing were reported.
Pakistan: UN expert calls for return of four disappeared human rights and social media activists

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Pakistan: UN expert calls for return of four disappeared human rights and social media activists, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777c4e40e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - A United Nations human rights expert today called on the Pakistani authorities to make it a top priority to locate, protect and return home four disappeared human rights and social media campaigners.

"I strongly urge the Government of Pakistan to take every step possible to locate the four missing activists, a first step toward reemphasizing its commitment to freedom of expression at the beginning of the year," said David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, in a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

According to the news release, the four men -Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed, Salman Haider and Ahmed Raza Naseer - went missing between 4 and 7 January. Mainstream media outlets had accused them of promoting blasphemy, a criminal offense in Pakistan.

"Free expression campaigners and experts have long called for the abolition of criminal blasphemy provisions in Pakistan, which may carry the death penalty," Mr. Kaye noted. "Not only are such laws incompatible with international human rights law, but they also facilitate threats by state and non-state actors seeking to target expression."

The Special Rapporteur stressed that "all States have an obligation to promote a diverse space and culture for expression, but such culture does not create itself."

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.
Top UN peacekeeping official pushes for endorsement of DR Congo political accord

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Top UN peacekeeping official pushes for endorsement of DR Congo political accord, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777c82412.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - Addressing the Security Council, the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations today urged the international community to push for a swift endorsement of the so-called 31 December political accord in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and to put in place a transitional government of national unity.

"The signing of the 31 December accord gives hope for a peaceful resolution of the political impasse," the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous, told the 15-member Council.

He warned that failure to sign the agreement - facilitated by Conference Episcopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO) mediators, and reached in DRC's capital, Kinshasa, on 31 December 2016 - could delay elections and increase the risk of renewed political crisis and increased violence in the country.

"Regional and international actors should maintain strong support for the implementation of the accord and the holding of elections, as soon as feasible," Mr. Ladsous said.

The accord builds on an initial political agreement between part of the opposition and the majorite presidentielle reached in October under the auspices of the African Union facilitation. It aims for a peacefully managed transition consistent with the democratic principles enshrined in the country's Constitution.
Cyprus talks 'on track' ahead of international conference  UN envoy

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Cyprus talks 'on track' ahead of international conference  UN envoy, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777ca440e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - As the United Nations-facilitated talks on Cyprus went into their third day in Geneva ahead of an international conference tomorrow, the UN adviser on the issue has said the discussions are "on track" and while there is still much hard work to do, an "historic" outcome could be reached as part of ongoing reunification efforts.

Espen Barth Eide, the UN Special Advisor Cyprus who has been facilitating talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, told reporters: "We are on track, we have dealt with some of the most difficult issues we have touched upon almost all of them, we have solved many of them and we are close to resolving some other issues."

Taking a break from the discussions, Mr. Eide said that he expected the delegations to present comprehensive maps to each other before the day was out - "a very important and historic moment. Never before have we had an exchange or presentation of maps created by the Cypriot delegations themselves [] with every sentence and comma written by Cypriots."

The UN Special Advisor credited Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci for their commitment to finding a solution over the last 18 months.

The issue of land is key, Mr. Eide explained, describing it as a "big part of the trauma" that has affected Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots since the division of the island in 1974.

If all goes to plan, the draft maps will then be placed in a UN vault and pored over by cartographers from the two delegations.

The so-called guarantor powers - Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom - are also set to arrive in Geneva Thursday to take part in the talks and the parties will be "able to really deep dive and get a good start on the discussion on security and guarantees." United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to open and chair the conference.

AUDIO: Listen to Espen Barth Eide, the UN Special Advisor on the divided Mediterranean island, speak to UN News

"I would like again to say that what is happening tomorrow, whatever outcome, is historic, because it is the first time in this process that the guarantor powers have actually met with the Cypriots to discuss this very contentious, traditionally very difficult issue of security and guarantees, basically the entire security setup that will surround a settlement in Cyprus," he said.

Sounding a note of caution, UN Special Advisor Eide said that although he believed that this was "the best chance" of a deal, he did not expect to leave the talks with everything agreed, or with a referendum date.
As millions suffer water shortages in Syria, UN looks to keep potable supply safe

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, As millions suffer water shortages in Syria, UN looks to keep potable supply safe, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777cdf40e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - The United Nations expressed concern today about fighting in the Wadi Barada area of west Damascus, which in addition to displacing thousands of people, has also restricted water supplies to some 5.5 million people in and around the Syrian capital.

Addressing reporters in New York, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the Organization and its partners are working with water authorities "to implement an emergency plan to meet around 30 per cent of the daily needs of people."

Support includes providing water-quality testing equipment and chemicals needed to undertake necessary quality tests, and pre-positioning medicines and kits in case of cholera or other waterborne diseases.

"The UN continues a public campaign to raise awareness on safe water practices and safe water sources to prevent diseases, which remains the main concern," Mr. Dujarric said.

Severe water shortages began in late December, when fighting damaged infrastructure located in the rebel-held territory.

Speaking earlier this month, Jan Egeland, the UN Senior Adviser on Syria, noted that "to sabotage and deny water" could constitute a war crime.

Meanwhile, in northern Syria, more than 36,000 people have been evacuated to the western countryside of Aleppo and Idleb Governorates, according to the UN. An additional 11,000 people have been moved to different areas of Aleppo city, including areas which had previously been under siege.

"The UN and our national and international humanitarian partners continue efforts to scale up our response in Aleppo to do all we can to ensure that the people of Aleppo receive the aid they need," Mr. Dujarric said.
Humanitarian crisis in Mosul could outlive Iraqi military operations, senior UN official warns

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Humanitarian crisis in Mosul could outlive Iraqi military operations, senior UN official warns, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777d0e40c.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

11 January 2017 - The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, reported today on the conditions in Mosul, a city witnessing one of the largest urban military operations since the Second World War, warning that a proper humanitarian response, conditions that created the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) could remain.

When the military operation to oust terrorists from the area began on 17 October 2016, 1.5 million civilians were living in Mosul. In the eastern part of the city, some 400,000 are now free of control by the ISIL.

However, the western part of the city, an area that is much more densely populated and home to 750,000, remains under ISIL control. Military operations to retake that part of the city are expected to begin in late February or early March.

"One of the exceptional aspects of the Mosul military operation was the decision by the Iraqi security forces to adopt a humanitarian concept of operations when they were developing their battle plans," said Ms. Grande.

The plan, she explained, prohibits artillery strikes, requires civilians to remain in their homes, and provides humanitarian exit corridors wherever necessary. Civilians in Mosul are at an extremely high risk - they represent 47 per cent of all casualties in the military operation so far.

"You would expect in a conflict like this that the number of civilian casualties would be around 15 per cent, a high of 20 per cent. What we're seeing in Mosul is that nearly 50 per cent of all casualties are in fact civilians," Ms. Grande said.

New arrivals at Khazer camp, a safe haven for over 6,000 Iraqis who have fled the fighting in Mosul, just 45 kilometres away. Photo: WFP/Alexandra Murdoch

"It's clear that this is because of direct targeting by combatants. They're being targeted by ISIL. They're being shot as they try and leave the city and they're being shot as they try and secure food and other resources," she explained.

Aid community fears possibility of siege in Western Mosul

Meanwhile, the humanitarian community is worried that a siege is a very real possibility. The Special Representative emphasized that a siege of 750,000 people would have enormous implications and that 90 per cent of efforts to break a siege fail. Given the statistics, stakeholders are working as hard as possible to deliver supplies.

Planning for the "massive" humanitarian response that began last February has enabled workers to reach 500,000 people. There are currently nine open camps, with an additional nine underway. The Special Representative underlined that the Iraqi Government had been instrumental in providing large amounts of assistance to its people.

Since ISIL's rise in Iraq, 4.5 million people have fled their homes. Depending on how the military operations in Mosul progress, another one million could end up displaced. And the return process, Ms. Grande noted, is quite difficult.

"When Da'esh is defeated in Iraq, that's a military success, but the humanitarian crisis is a legacy - it just keeps going," she said.

"As soon as Da'esh is defeated, there are a lot of people who need to get back home, to get back to their lives. If they don't, the conditions which led to the rise of ISIL will continue to be there. Humanitarians know that when Da'esh is defeated that the world's attention is going to go elsewhere and that it will be difficult for us to mobilize the resources necessary."

Collapse of Mosul dam another 'looming' risk

Ms. Grande then turned to the Mosul dam, another looming risk that has the potential to impact some 20 million people. The dam, she explained, has a strong potential for a catastrophic outburst and would be disastrous for both its capacity for damage as well as the unpredictability with which it would happen.

"Anyone who says a catastrophic outburst would be 'Biblical' - they are correct," asserted the Humanitarian Coordinator, who is a trained hydrologist with a specialization in the particular dam that is in Mosul.

In response to danger, UN agencies have created an early warning system with the Iraqi Government and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is developing an international response to assist the Government in the event of the dam's collapse.
Brazil: Police Abuses Feed Cycle of Violence

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 12 January 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Brazil: Police Abuses Feed Cycle of Violence, 12 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58777df74.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Torture and extrajudicial killings by police contribute to a cycle of violence in Brazil, undermining public security and endangering the lives of police officers, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2017.

Illegal killings make gang members less likely to surrender peacefully to police when cornered and motivate criminals to kill police whenever they have the opportunity. Human Rights Watch said. The killings also make community members less likely to report criminal activities or come forward as witnesses.

"The community's cooperation with the police is key to reducing the high levels of crime in Brazil," said Maria Laura Canineu, Brazil director at Human Rights Watch. "Turning a blind eye to police abuse not only denies justice to victims' families, it antagonizes communities and puts the police officers who patrol them at risk."

In the 687-page World Report, its 27th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth writes that a new generation of authoritarian populists seeks to overturn the concept of human rights protections, treating rights as an impediment to the majority will. For those who feel left behind by the global economy and increasingly fear violent crime, civil society groups, the media, and the public have key roles to play in reaffirming the values on which rights-respecting democracy has been built.

Police officers killed at least 3,345 people in 2015 in Brazil, according to the latest available data. While some police killings result from legitimate use of force, others are extrajudicial executions, as Human Rights Watch and other groups have documented.

Brazilian women and girls of child-bearing age face new health challenges from an outbreak of the Zika virus. Brazilian authorities should strengthen information and prevention programs, as well as provide better support for the families with children diagnosed with Zika syndrome, Human Rights Watch said.

Inhumane conditions in prisons and detention centers is an urgent problem. More than 622,000 adults are behind bars, 67 percent more than the prisons were built to hold, according to official data. Overcrowding and understaffing make it impossible for prison authorities to maintain control within many facilities, leaving detainees vulnerable to violence and gang activity.

Ninety-nine detainees were killed in prisons in the states of Amazonas, Roraima and Paraiba in the first eight days of January 2017, and 22 were killed in prisons in Roraima, Rondonia, and Acre in October 2016. In addition, eleven children were killed in two juvenile detention centers in the state of Pernambuco in October 2016.

More than 24,000 children are in juvenile detention, almost 24 percent more than the facilities' capacity. A bill under discussion would worsen overcrowding by raising the maximum detention period.

Torture and mistreatment of detainees, including children, is an acute problem, as Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented. The government's National Mechanism for the Prevention and Combatting of Torture found cases of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in "most, if not all" of the 17 jails and prisons it inspected between April 2015 and March 2016.

A positive step taken in 2016 was the expansion of "custody hearings" to all state capitals and some other jurisdictions. Such "custody hearings"carried out promptly after arresthelp judges determine who should be in preventive detention and who should be set free pending trial. Brazils Congress should pass a proposed bill to make such hearings mandatory throughout the country.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Boko Haram still a threat to refugees in Cameroon

Publisher IRIN Author Mbom Sixtus Publication Date 11 January 2017 Cite as IRIN, Boko Haram still a threat to refugees in Cameroon, 11 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587780ea4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Minawao refugee camp in the Far North Region, the poorest and least-developed province in Cameroon, is an inhospitable home for some 60,000 refugees of Nigeria's Boko Haram conflict. A further 27,000 live precariously, often among struggling relatives and friends, closer to the insecure border.

Ayuba Fudama pulls up the sleeve of his T-shirt to reveal a bullet wound on his arm then hikes up the front and turns around to show yet more scars.

"One shot came through here, and went out there," he says, pointing to a scar at the top of his chest, and the exit wound on his back, beneath his shoulder.

Fudama was shot a total of four times by Boko Haram militants during an attack on the village of Kawuri, in northeastern Nigeria in 2014. The raid left at least 52 people dead, and 300 homes destroyed.

"I was in the market when the Islamist terrorists hit. They killed eight people [in front of me], but I was able to run home. Unfortunately for me, some of them had got into our house and other houses in the village."

He doesn't remember much about being shot. It was some time in the afternoon. He thinks it was by two men. But he knows he was fortunate. He was rescued from dying in a pool of his own blood, finally getting to a hospital at 3 am.

"As soon as I was fairly recovered, I joined other Nigerians who were fleeing Boko Haram attacks [and running] into Cameroon," Fudama said.

New home

Fudama now lives in the Minawao refugee camp. The conditions for all refugees are tough. When Filippo Grandi, the high commissioner for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, visited Minawao in December, he was met with a delegation that presented a list of grievances.

They included complaints over insufficient food, water, and firewood. They criticised the lack of adequate health care, overcrowded classrooms, and the need for more clothes and blankets.

Minawao, 70 kilometres from the border, is arid and rocky. Forty-one percent of the camp's population are "food insecure", meaning they lack reliable access to enough food. The availability of land around Minawao is limited, so it's hard to cultivate to supplement rations.

UNHCR acknowledges the problems. In its Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2017, it notes that the camp operates at "three times its maximum capacity and the resulting congestion makes providing assistance in a manner aligned with international humanitarian standards, a key challenge".

There is, for example, no psychosocial support for refugees who have been the victims of Boko Haram violence, and child protection and gender-based violence mechanisms are weak.

Frustrations

UNHCR is also aware of the frustration of the refugees over a government policy that prevents them from moving freely out of the camp to find work in the local economy.

"We are living in the desert, and finding food, wood, and water sources is very difficult, but we don't want to fold our arms and depend on donations," says Bulus Musa, who fled Nigeria because members of his own family had joined Boko Haram.

Cameroon's strict encampment policy is due to very real security concerns. Since March 2014, Boko Haram violence has spilled across the border, with hundreds of attacks in the Far North Region that have killed 1,500 people and displaced 155,000, according to a November report by the International Crisis Group.

That has not only compromised access to refugees living outside the camp, but the perception that refugees could be sympathetic to Boko Haram, "has sometimes impeded their access to asylum and affected screenings and status determination procedures", says UNHCR.

Currently, 231 Nigerians, including 10 minors, are being held in detention in Maroua, the capital of the Far North Region, on suspicion of ties to Boko Haram. A further 18, including two minors, are being detained in the northern town of Mokolo, according to UNHCR.

In a survey by the agency in September, 71 percent of refugees said they were ready to go home. Those hesitating are largely from the remote and at-risk Nigerian border regions of Bama and Gwoza, which also lack basic services.

Tens of thousands of refugees have already voluntarily returned. There have also been deportations by the Cameroonian government. A tripartite agreement is in place between Nigeria, Cameroon, and the UNHCR for a managed, formal, return process.

Is the war over?

But mass repatriation hinges on the security situation. The Nigerian government insists that Boko Haram no longer holds any territory, although it can still launch hit-and-run attacks. The turn of the military tide is the result of a revamped Nigerian military, and the intervention of regional partners in a Multinational Joint Task Force composed of troops from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Boko Haram violence has forced more than 2.6 million people to flee their homes across the region.

Colonel Didier Badjeck, spokesman for Cameroon's ministry of defence, believes the war against the jihadists is almost over. That is despite a suicide bomb attack on the northern town of Mora on Christmas Day, and two recent attacks in the border town of Kolofata.

"We are at the level of trying to completely eradicate [their] remnants," he told IRIN. "The big problem now is that of handling refugees till it is completely safe to escort them back home."

But he worries that the conditions of the refugees in Minawao could help in their recruitment to the insurgency.

"The Cameroonian government's focus on a military response has been partly successful, but the structural problems that allowed this threat to arise have not been addressed"

"The help being given to refugees by donors is far below expectation," he said. "Poverty and hardship would make these refugees vulnerable and they may easily be recruited by Boko Haram."

According to the ICG, Boko Haram has been able to operate in the Far North Region through a network of local collaborators (there is an ethnic and cultural affinity with Nigeria's northeast) and by exploiting local grievances over the region's marginalisation by the government of Paul Biya, who has ruled for 34 years.

"The Cameroonian government's focus on a military response has been partly successful, but the structural problems that allowed this threat to arise have not been addressed," the report said.

The danger is not that the refugees are potential fifth columnists. The real threat, notes the ICG, comes from the absence of a government "hearts-and-minds" strategy in the region; to tackle head on inequality, and the ideological challenge that violent extremism represents.
Afghanistan: The High Price of Virginity

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Publication Date 11 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 563 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Afghanistan: The High Price of Virginity, 11 January 2017, ARR 563, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587783564.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Aisha was married to her cousin when she was just 15 years old. Six months after the wedding, her new husband summarily divorced her, claiming that she had not been a virgin when they married.

Now 17, Aisha said that her life had been utterly destroyed. Her husband, she said, had simply invented false accusations against her to get her out of the way.

"At first my husband said he trusted me because we had grown up together, but six months after we married he wanted to take another wife. When I told my father that my husband was arranging another marriage, the arguments began. Then my husband told everyone that I wasn't a virgin when we got married."

Aisha said that she had had no prior sexual contact with anyone and knew little about relations between men and women.

"I was very active as a girl, and I might have torn my hymen when I jumped or fell from somewhere. Now my husband has divorced me for a crime I myself knew nothing about," she continued, adding, "I don't want to get married again because if you are 14 years old and divorced, you have the same status as a widow. You won't be valued like a virgin is valued."

Virginity is highly prized in conservative Afghan society, seen as a symbol of modesty and family pride. Girls who are deemed to have had sex before marriage face public shame, divorce and even death.

Women and girtls also face invasive and degrading forced virginity tests to determine whether their hymen is intact.

Although President Ashraf Ghani has promised to ban these tests as part of official procedure, they are routine for women accused of anything that falls under the vague category of so-called moral crimes.

Suraya Subhrang, women's right's commission at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said that women suffered horrendously as a result of this emphasis that society put on virginity.

Describing what happened to some girls who were accused of having sexual experiences before their wedding night, she said, "In most villages, a girl who is found to not be a virgin is tortured, her clothes torn and hanged over her head, and she is forced to ride back-to-front on a donkey back to her parents' houses, and one of her sisters is taken [for marriage] along with their bride price. Afterwards, the girl's family kills the girl because of the insult to their honour."

As for the forced virginity tests, she said she had witnessed their distressing consequences.

"Those accused experience extreme mental trauma," Subhrang said. "We have traveled to different provinces and seen victims who were imprisoned after such examinations for their 'crime' of not being a virgin."

Quite apart from the anguish such tests caused, Subhrang pointed out that they were effectively inconclusive, as women often lost their hymens in childhood. She also noted that no medical examination could differentiate between consensual sex and rape.

Women who lose their virginity as a result of sexual assault can expect little sympathy. That was the experience of Madina, who recounted how she was attacked as a young girl after, she had been sent to stay with her aunt.

"During the night, my cousin raped me," she told IWPR. "When my aunt discovered this fact, she changed my [torn] clothes, warned me to keep this secret and told me that she would kill me if I told anyone. Many years later, my aunt came to our house one day to ask for my sister's hand in marriage for her son. I kept silent and didn't say anything."

Some time later, Madina got married herself.

"When my husband understood that I was not a virgin, he began beating me and said he wanted to kill me. However, my mother-in-law stopped him and told him that he shouldn't pollute his hands with the blood of a dirty girl. They took me back home and I had to tell my family the truth about how I lost my virginity. So my aunt's family paid back the marriage expenses to my husband. My family had to stay silent to save my sister, who was married to my aunt's son."

Under such circumstances, it's no surprise that many young women see preserving their virginity as a matter of life and death.

Mahtab Mehraban, a medical student at Kabul university, said, "Being a virgin is very important for me because this is our society's only criteria for modesty and goodness. Our people are ignorant and consider girls who have lost their virginity to be immoral."

"I have heard so much about girls facing dire consequences if they are not virgins," added fellow student Tahira Rahimi. "So my virginity is as important to me as life itself."

Elderly female relatives of a bridegroom often demand to see a bloody cloth on the wedding night as proof of the bride's purity. In the absence of blood, the bride is beaten and sent back to her father's house immediately.

However, doctors note that a failure to bleed the first time a woman had sex revealed nothing about her past sexual history.

Mozhgan, an obstetrician, said that hymens were frequently torn during childhood as a result of boisterous play. Some girls were born without a hymen while others just did not bleed the first time they had sex.

"In our traditional and religious society, it is unlikely that many girls would lose their virginity as a result of [premarital] sex due to the stigma and the heavy price which must be paid for such an act."

Young women do sometimes seek medical intervention to ensure that they bled on their wedding night.

Maryam Abid, a gynecologist, said that such procedures were easily carried out.

"Gynecologists suture and ligate the torn parts of a hymen two or three days before marriage and this ligation causes some drops of blood [following intercourse]," she said, adding that a more thorough repair was possible if carried out five or six months before the wedding.

Hamkar, another gynecologist, said, "I repair three to four hymens each month. There are some girls who don't have the money to pay me, but I still carry out the repair to save them from disgrace."

VICTIMS OF THE STATE

Quite apart from social prejudice, activists argue that laws governing co-called moral crimes are an abuse of women's rights and needed to be changed.

"Article 427 of Afghanistan's criminal law regarding fornication states that losing one's virginity before marriage is a serious offence and the 'criminal' should be punished for it," said Ashraf Baskhtyari, head of the Forensic Science Centre, an NGO that opposes forced virginity examinations. "In addition, according to articles 444 and 449, police are permitted to seek the help of experts to solve cases in which there is a need for a medical examination; therefore, the police force of Afghanistan sends the 'criminals' accused of sexual crimes to a forensic centre."

Women were often forced to take multiple virginity tests, even referred for the procedure by organisations they approached for help.

"[For instance], a girl who refuses to marry someone against her will might run away from home and go to a safe house to seek protection," Baskhtyari continued. "The safe house sends her to a forensic centre for a virginity examination, but if they conclude that there is an issue with her hymen, she is sent to the ministry of women's affairs, who send to another centre for a further forensic examination."

Jamshid Rasooli, the spokesman of the Attorney General, confirmed that women could be sent for up to four tests to determine whether or not they were virgins. These examinations usually took place in the presence of the police, the accused's lawyer, clinic staff and sometimes even medical students.

He gave an example of one case in which multiple tests were deemed necessary.

"Some time ago, someone was examined and found to still be a virgin," he said. "Later, the woman was sent to the Malalay hospital where the authorities said that there was a problem with her virginity. Because of these contradictory opinions, the accused was examined again in front of four doctors, the lawyer, and a policewoman."

Only after that was she given a document affirming that she was a virgin and should not be examined again.

Rasooli acknowledged that the process was extremely distressing and intrusive, and had little evidentiary value.

However, those responsible for carrying out the tests deny that women are examined in the presence of others without their permission, or that any internal examination was carried out.

Tarina Yadgari, the head examiner at Kabul's main forensic medical centre, said that her department had carried out 227 virginity tests in the past eight months, 70 of which had been requested by the women's families via a formal letter from the ministry of public health.

Yadgari said, "When the one being examined agrees, then the medical and law students can witness it, but it is not a digital examination and nothing is allowed to be inserted."

Public health authorities also downplayed the impact of such examinations.

Wahid Majrooh, the spokesman of the ministry of public health, said, "The ministry of health and the justice department consider the rights of the patient to be their priority and take into consideration all moral and legal ethics. In addition to the issue of confidentiality, they are examined by female doctors after giving their permission and the results are then reported according to professional standards."

Religious experts warn that although sex outside marriage was seen as sinful in Islam, families should not take the law into their own hands.

Shekeba Parsa, an Islamic studies lecturer at Kabul medical university, said, "The issue of virginity is mentioned in some verses of the holy Quran, but people are nonetheless still ignorant and follow their own customs and traditions. Usually when a family realizes that the girl is not a virgin on her wedding night, they start abusing her and send her back to her family without knowing the reasons why."

She added, "Even when a person is accused of fornication, the case must be proved by strong evidence as well as a confession, and only then, according to the law, the criminal should be whipped hundred times. The criminal should be punished by criminal law after proof is provided, but punishing somebody without any evidence is wrong."

But Ali Fakoor, from human rights NGO the Research Institute of Women and Children, said that virginity should be neither a matter for pride nor shame.

A person's value or level of modesty could be decided by many other criteria, he continued, noting that society had no similar sanction for men who visited prostitutes or had other extramarital relations.

He said, "If a girl has had sex and lost her virginity before marriage, she should not be blamed if her husband has also had sex. Only men who are virgins themselves have a right to ask their brides to be virgins, too."

This report was produced under IWPR's Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Afghanistan initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Afghanistan: Rising Addiction Rates Among Women

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Publication Date 12 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 563 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Afghanistan: Rising Addiction Rates Among Women , 12 January 2017, ARR 563, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587783a94.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Yagana spends her days and nights on the streets of Herat city, begging passersby for money to feed her drug addiction.

She doesn't know her exact age, although thinks she might be around 18 years old. She looks well into her thirties.

"When I got married, I was very young, maybe 12 years old," she told IWPR. "I did all the work around the house and got very tired. My brother-in-law noticed this and told me that if smoked some opium I would feel better. As I was so innocent, I started to smoke and eventually became addicted. When my husband realised this, he fought with his brother but it was useless as I was already an addict."

That was at least six years ago. Cast out of her house, she now sleeps rough and is constantly at risk of abuse.

"I am on the streets most nights and sometimes I fight with people passing by because they abuse me, and even tell me to go with them, which means they want me for sex."

Her husband has taken her for treatment at an addiction six times, but after each attempt she has gone back to using drugs.

"I told my husband and children not to try again because I can't stop while I am still alive," Yagana concluded.

Officials in Herat province warn that rates of female addiction are rising, with one estimate putting the current rate of drug use as high as one in every three women.

Health professionals say that a major reason is the influence of a husband or other male authority figure within the family. Poverty is also a factor, as drugs are cheap and easily available, fuelled by the influx of returning refugees from neighbouring Iran where addiction rates are also high.

Officials have registered between 60,000 and 70,000 addicts in Herat, out of which nearly 8,000 are women, although the real numbers may be much higher.

One of the problems is that accurate figures are hard to come by, although those working in the field say that anecdotal evidence clearly points to a growing problem.

Asif Kabir, head of Herat's public health department, estimated that addiction rates amongst women could be as high as 35 per cent. An extensive survey was needed to properly assess the situation, he noted, as the last ministry of public health study had been carried out in 2010.

Kabir said that 886 people had come to the Herat treatment centre during the last solar year, 240 of them women.

"We can compare the first six months of this [solar] year with the first six months of last year when 785 patients were admitted, of whom 120 were women."

Ghulam Jilani Daqiq, head of counter-narcotics in Herat province, also said he believed addiction rates among women were rising, highlighting the Kuhsan and Ghoriyan districts as areas of particular concern.

The most recent figures his department could draw on were from a 2012 UN study, which found a female addiction rate of 13 per cent. However, counternarcotic officials said they had themselves witnessed rising rates of addiction in the field, even though budgetary problems meant that they had been unable to carry out their own research.

Herat police spokesman Abdul Rauf Ahmadi said that his forces carried out arrests each day in the provincial capital, but most visible drug use was by men.

"Police investigations don't often lead to female addicts being brought in," he said. "Many woman use drugs at home, and this is cause for major research to be carried out."

LACK OF TREATMENT FACILITIES

Fatima (not her real name) began using drugs five years ago.

"My husband was a drug addict," she said. "One day he gave me some drugs, so I too became addicted."

Fatima, however, is one of the lucky ones. Having divorced her husband, she is now 20 days into an addiction treatment programme in an attempt to turn her life around.

Monizha Wahedi, head of the Shahamat addiction treatment centre, noted that women usually began using drugs due to a male addict in their immediate family circle. Once addicted, it was particularly hard for women to seek help as they were so often mostly confined to the domestic sphere.

She also said that rates were rising year on year.

"We have had 20 to 30 female patients and 10 to 12 child patients each month this year, which is more than the numbers last year, unfortunately," she said.

While 58 women and 43 children had been successfully treated at Shahamat in the first six months of this year, she noted that many others found it hard to give up drugs completely.

"We have had patients who have become addicted again after their treatment and have returned for even the third or fourth time," she said.

One of the issues is the scarcity of drug treatment facilities available for women.

Ghulam Jilani Daqiq, the head of counter-narcotics in Herat, told IWPR that there were four clinics and two hospitals treating addicts in the province. Just two of the clinics accepted women, each with capacity for 50 beds.

Officials say that this provision will increase when a new addiction treatment centre, currently under construction, is completed in the next few months.

Asif Kabir, head of public health in Herat, said that 510 places will then be made available, with almost half allocated for women.

But Herat provincial council member Mehdi Hadid still accused the government of dragging their heels when it came to action against drug addiction. More treatment facilities were needed for women, as well as greater public awareness about the dangers and consequences of drug use, he said.

Hadid agreed that the main cause of addiction amongst women was the influence of their husbands, adding, "Husbands get their wives addicted to drugs so that they share the burden of blame and so their wives don't ask for a divorce."

Dad Mohammad Wahedi, acting director of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in the western zone, said the problem among women was fuelled by the easy access to drugs in the province and the lack of targeted government action.

The AIHRC had done some work to try and raise awareness of the problem, but had had little impact, he continued.

"The government should arrest and punish those who sell drugs," he said. "If they ignore it the way they have done so far, it's not only the number of female addicts that will rise but also young people and adults in general."

This report was produced under IWPR's Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Afghanistan initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
MASON CITY | Tommy Allsup, guitarist and rock 'n' roll pioneer, has died.

The Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal reported Wednesday that Allsup, 85, had died.

Allsup gained fame in the early days of rock 'n' roll as he toured with another Lubbock musician, Buddy Holly.

Allsup was performing with Holly on the ill-fated Winter Dance Party tour that took Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on Feb. 3, 1959.

At the end of the night Holly, Valens, Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson took off from Mason City Municipal Airport bound for Fargo, North Dakota, the next stop on the tour. Their plane crashed in a field north of Clear Lake. All aboard were killed.

Allsup, who according to popular legend lost a coin flip for a seat aboard the flight, didn't learn of their deaths until the Winter Dance Party tour bus pulled into Fargo.

Allsup has been a regular at the Surf's annual Winter Dance Party weekend. He was scheduled to perform at this year's event, which runs Feb. 1-4.

"With the loss of Tommy comes the end of an era. He was the last remaining band mate of Buddy Holly who played on Buddy's last tour," said Jeff Nicholas, president of the Surf board of directors. "Tommy was a friend and supporter of the Surf Ballroom and the Winter Dance Party.

"He will very much be missed and remembered fondly by the entire Surf family."
Algeria: Authorities must adequately investigate death of jailed journalist after months in coma

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 11 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol MDE 28/5430/2017 Reference MDE 28/5430/2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Algeria: Authorities must adequately investigate death of jailed journalist after months in coma, 11 January 2017, MDE 28/5430/2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58778b044.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

On 11 December, British-Algerian freelance journalist Mohamed Tamalt, 41, died in custody in Mohamed Lamine Debaghine University Hospital in Bab El Oued, Algiers, over five months after his arrest on 27 June. He had immediately gone on hunger strike to protest against his detention, before entering coma in late August. Hundreds attended his burial in Bourouba cemetery in Algiers on 12 December, including human rights defenders and civil society activists.

Tamalt was serving a two-year prison term for "offending" Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, public bodies and officials in Facebook posts. His Facebook posts included a video with an allegedly subversive poem and images of President Bouteflika, which he also featured on his blog. Mohamed Tamalt was imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression, and

Amnesty International had called for his release.

On 26 December, Algeria's prison administration, the General Directorate for Penitentiary Administration and Rehabilitation, announced publicly that he died from an infection, citing the conclusions of an autopsy. Since he was admitted in hospital in late August, the prison and health authorities had not kept his family informed of his deteriorating health situation, nor did they inform his family of his death.

Amnesty International calls on Algerian authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough and independent investigation into the events from the time of his arrest up to his death, including his allegations of illtreatment. The organization also calls on Algerian authorities to ensure that if the investigation finds that he was subjected to such ill-treatment, those responsible face appropriate disciplinary and criminal measures, including being brought to justice in fair trials and if convicted subjected to penalties proportionate to the gravity of the offence.

Amnesty International calls on Algerian authorities not to use public insult laws to stifle criticism, and in particular to repeal Penal Code articles that punish criticism of officials of any rank and public bodies with imprisonment or high fines. The organization also urges the authorities to make defamation a matter for civil rather than criminal action. The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and

protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression made similar recommendations in 2012 following a visit to Algeria, which the authorities have failed to implement.

Return from exile

Originally from Algiers, Mohamed Tamalt sought asylum in the UK in 2007 after receiving death threats, linked to his publications, from members of the military establishment and intelligence apparatus. He wrote articles for Algerian dailies El Khabar and Echourouk as well as Al Wahda magazine before founding an online blog, Arab Context, in 2009. There, and on his Facebook page, he regularly published stinging criticism of corruption and nepotism among government officials, often questioning how they had acquired funds to allow lavish lifestyles for themselves and their relatives. He acquired a significant following on social media.

Though Tamalt acquired British citizenship, he decided to return permanently to Algeria in June 2016. He remained well-aware, however, that he continued to risk prosecution and imprisonment for his continuing scrutiny of Algerian officials, as he warned on Facebook days before his arrest.

After his arrest, he was allowed to contact consular representatives and was visited in hospital by the British authorities. However, so far as Amnesty International is aware, they did not intervene to ensure the protection of his rights, including access to effective remedies for the human rights violations he was subjected to, despite being pressed to do so by his British lawyers.

Arbitrary detention

His detention and trial were peppered with irregularities. The reports of his interrogation following his arrest were issued in a format containing the heading of the Department for Information and Security (DRS), an intelligence body which the authorities claim has been defunct since January 2016.

The court of Sidi Mhamed initially charged him with "offending" the President and public institutions under Articles 144 bis and 146 of the Penal Code. Although these offences do not carry imprisonment is a penalty, the court unlawfully ordered his pre-trial detention in El Harrach Prison in Algiers. This order breached Article 118 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that provides that pre-trial detention can only be ordered for offences punished by imprisonment or more severe penalties. The court then stood by its unlawful decision by refusing to release him on bail during a hearing on 4 July, prompting his lawyers to withdraw from the hearing in protest at his arbitrary detention.

When his lawyers raised the unlawfulness of his detention during a trial hearing on 11 July, the court added a new charge of offending public officers under Article 144 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison. The same day, the court of Sidi Mhamed sentenced him to the maximum term of imprisonment for the offence, and a fine of 200,000 Algerian dinars (about US$ 1,800).

According to Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Algeria is a party, no one shall be deprived of his or her liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law. To be considered lawful, deprivation of liberty must be compatible with international law as well as domestic law. In particular, the grounds and procedure established by law must conform to international law and the deprivation of liberty must be neither arbitrary nor violate the safeguards contained in Articles 9(2) to 9(4) of the ICCPR or other rights under the Covenant.

Deprivation of liberty is arbitrary when it is clearly impossible to invoke any legal basis justifying the deprivation of liberty, or when the deprivation of liberty results from the exercise of the rights or freedoms guaranteed by the ICCPR, including the right to freedom of expression.

Allegations of ill-treatment

During his appeal hearing on 9 August, Mohamed Tamalt told the court that following his transfer from El Harrach Prison to El Kolea Prison on 12 July, guards had beaten and insulted him, and his lawyers lodged an official complaint. However, the court disregarded his allegations of ill-treatment, did not open an investigation, and upheld his conviction.

Mohamed Tamalt went on hunger strike from the day of his arrest on 27 June to protest against his detention. On 22 August, he was admitted to hospital as his health deteriorated and he went into coma.

In September, his brother noticed a 7-centimeter stitched wound on his head, for which medical staff reportedly gave him no satisfactory explanation. He then lodged a complaint of ill-treatment with the judiciary requesting an independent medical examination, fearing that Mohamed Tamalt may have been beaten in prison. An investigation was officially opened, but neither his family nor his lawyers were informed of subsequent developments until they learned of his death.

Forty-seven members of opposition parties in Algeria's lower house of parliament, the People's National Assembly (APN), presented a motion calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the journalist's death, which the APN rejected on 25 December.

On 26 December, the Algeria Press Service (APS) official news agency cited the prison administration, stating that the autopsy conducted on the day of Mohamed Tamalt's death concluded that he had died from a "septic shock" proceeding from an infection, and ruling out allegations of ill-treatment in detention. The autopsy report stated that such infections are common among comatose patients who stay for prolonged periods in intensive care.

However, as the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture has explicitly noted, the absence of medical evidence does not prove that ill-treatment has not occurred. Marks of violence can fade with time, and some forms of ill-treatment leave few or no visible marks.

Furthermore, APS quoted the prison administration as threatening to take legal action in relation to "malicious attempts to exploit" the journalist's death. Amnesty International fears that this statement could deter victims of human rights violations including torture and other ill-treatment, their lawyers, and human rights defenders from informing the authorities for fear that they may be accused of

making false allegations or defaming public officials. This would directly undermine any efforts undertaken by the authorities to eradicate such violations in detention.

Family kept in the dark

After Mohamed Tamalt was admitted to hospital his family received no information from the prison or health authorities about his deteriorating health condition, they told Amnesty International. In addition, the authorities refused his lawyers' requests to visit him in hospital for several weeks after he was first admitted in hospital.

On 11 December, prison authorities, without having informed his family of his death, announced it in a public statement issued by APS. The statement said that he had undergone operations following a brain stroke in August, and in relation to a recent pulmonary infection. It stated also that the cause of death was a pulmonary infection - although the autopsy was not conducted until after this statement,

around 6pm on the day he died, and was done without consulting the family. The statement also falsely alleges that Mohamed Tamalt received a visit from his mother while in hospital. The prison and health authorities have yet to deliver the autopsy report or other medical reports to the family.

Between 21 and 25 December, the family lodged requests with local and national judicial authorities, as well as the Ministry of Justice and the prison administration, requesting his full medical file, in addition to Mohamed Tamalt's personal effects including his clothes, which they have yet to receive.

Long overdue reforms to the Penal Code

Algeria amended its Constitution in February without providing the required safeguards for the right to freedom of expression, and still leaves room for authorities to resort to public insult laws to quell dissent. Article 144, which includes penalties of imprisonment merely for criticizing government officials, is one of many Penal Code provisions that violate the right to freedom of expression. Other articles include prohibitively high fines for offending the President (Article 144 bis), public bodies (Article 146), criticizing court cases (Article 147); these and multiple similar provisions in the Information Code unduly restrict the right to freedom of expression and have a chilling effect, particularly on journalists, that generates a climate of self-censorship.

The UN Human Rights Committee, the body that monitors States' compliance with the ICCPR, has said that the mere fact that forms of expression are considered to be insulting to a public figure is not sufficient to justify the imposition of penalties. The Committee has stressed that all public figures, including those exercising the highest political authority such as heads of state and government, are

legitimately subject to criticism and noted the importance of ensuring uninhibited public debate about public figures in the political domain and public institutions. The Committee has specifically stated that laws should not provide more severe penalties for the defamation of heads of state, officials and state institutions as compared to ordinary members of the public.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
SUMNER | A Bremer County homeowner shot by an intruder at his Sumner residence returned fire, killing the suspect, officials say.

Bremer County Sheriff Dan Pickett said Thursday John Eimers shot and killed intruder Steven Anthony, 46, late Jan. 6 at Eimers' home, 1359 Whitetail Ave., Sumner. Sumner is about 30 miles southeast of Nashua.

The preliminary investigation indicates Anthony arrived at the Whitetail Avenue home shortly after 10 p.m. and asked to speak to Eimers.

Immediately following the discussion, Anthony attempted to kill Eimers by shooting him at close range with a handgun, Pickett said.

Officials on Wednesday searched the home of a Fredricksburg woman convicted of defrauding Eimers and his wife, Megan, of $134,000.

They would not say if that search was related to the investigation of the shooting at the Eimers' home.
The day after the election, I flew back to Germany. That, after an eight-month campaign for the U.S. Senate seat from my native Iowa.

I didnt dislodge the immortal Charles Grassley (which Id assumed I wouldnt), but I did make a dent in a calcified system that is corrupt and, yes, rigged  especially by an impenetrable media invested in protecting and perpetuating the big-PR-budgets two-party system.

I ran an honest and honorable campaign. Unlike another candidate for federal office, I did not denigrate minorities, promise to build walls rather than much-needed bridges, peddle naked lies, throw public temper tantrums, summon my supporters to acts of violence, or threaten to jail my opponents  nor did a video surface in which I boast about groping fellow citizens genitals. Donald Trump did.

With gaps, I have lived in Germany for 13 years and in 1997 earned a Ph.D. in modern history, focusing on the Midwests ties to Nazi Germany, the results of which can be seen at www.TRACES.org.

When I returned, friends asked how The Donald could have seized power. I lied and said I didnt know.

What I do know is that in a democracy, citizens discuss their shared problems and projects, then take action based on what a consensus will support.

In a dictatorship, one man or woman dictates what a given regime will do and, with few exceptions, that decree is carried out.

Except for the Amish, almost all Americans have seen The Apprentice: We know how The Donald structures both his inner universe and outer conquests. The man tolerates no dissent or critique and avenges all who dare to cross him.

I also know that in this age of instantaneous information and lightning-fast technological or social change, more peoples around the world are not only tolerating but directly supporting anti-democratic regimes.

A majority of Poles, for one, have elected right-wing zealots who quickly shredded the Polish constitution and most recently tried to ban the presss free access to legislative procedures.

Hungarian dictator Viktor Orban continues to spout racist, sexist, xenophobic tirades in Budapest, having closed opposing newspapers, legislated social corsets and treated refugees like human scum.

A paper-thin majority of voters of Great Britain chose to exit the European Union, though doing so will cost their island country billions of pounds and render an erstwhile empire even more irrelevant than its already become. Fuel to flame -- for some inexplicable reason the British media and, presumably, too many in the electorate still listen to one of its main cheerleaders and a Trump pal  the arrogant, idiotic Nigel Farage.

In the main, the Russians still blindly follow their hallowed leader, cynical killer Vladi Putin. Even their compatriots living in Germany seem unable to separate themselves from a blind patriotism that allows him to act out his ghoulish, theatrical farce as an elected despot.

Next door, Turkey continues to bleed. Since his self-orchestrated coup last July, Erdogan has booted more than 125, 000 from military and government administration and fired or suspended judges, police, teachers, etc., from public posts, plus tortured or murdered thousands more  even as a compliant world silently watches the whole tragedy unfold. Tis a modern Islamic version of the Nazis seizure of power in 1933  but we do nothing.

Yes, Trump soon will be in power in what has long been a democracy. Question is: Will it remain one?
With the state of Iowa facing budget woes, we have a suggestion for Secretary of State Paul Pate and others who might support his new voter verification plan: Forget about it.

Pate grabbed headlines last week when he proposed the so-called upgrade to the states election system that he said would guard against fraud. I want to make it easy to vote but hard to cheat, he said.

Changes would, according to a story by our Des Moines Bureau, take effect by 2020 and involve using electronic poll books statewide and requiring voter or signature verification both at polling places and for absentee ballots. Those lacking approved identification would be issued free ID cards with ID numbers. A registration ID number would be required for all voters requesting absentee ballots. Voters will scan IDs or voter registration cards upon checking in at polling places.

Secretary of State Paul Pate unveils proposed Election Integrity legislation DES MOINES  Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate recently announced his proposed legislation t

It would cost $500,000 up front to create the voter ID cards and another $35,000 annually after the initial start-up cost. Another $500,000 would establish a revolving fund to provide electronic poll books in all 99 counties, although 72 currently have some form of the books.

And as if the ID system and financing isnt complicated enough, other parts of the proposal would require that county auditors certify compliance to all laws and report suspected misconduct to Pates office, and ensure uniform, ongoing training for election staff and poll workers.

Maybe were spoiled in Cerro Gordo County where Auditor Ken Kline has established an efficient, smoothly operating system. He even developed the Precint Atlas system that uses a simple electronic process to help guide precinct staff through the voting process. It has proven so popular that it is in wide use around the state.

So, we wonder, whats the big need for anything new and perhaps improved, although not everyone agrees that it would be? Pate says it would instill confidence in the voting system. Like theres not now?

The Cedar Rapids Gazette, which partners with our Des Moines Bureau in covering the Statehouse, reported that of the hundreds of potential cases of election misconduct investigated by authorities, only 23 people were convicted in the last five years. Of those, 15 were for felony charges of election misconduct and eight were for misdemeanors.

Those low numbers seem to prove the system is doing its job now, that theres hardly a need for a major revamp.

Or as Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert said, Pates proposal appears to be a fix for a system that isnt broken and ranks among the top in the nation. He wonders if long lines at polling places wouldnt result, and fears that some costs would result in unfunded mandates for counties.

Predictably, Democrats criticized the proposal by Pate, a Republican. Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls, said it would suppress voter turnout with voter IDs disenfranchising older Iowans, younger Iowans and people of color  and that the plan would turn back the clock by making election policy a partisan issue.

That the issue immediately became partisan is predictable. But from a more commonsense standpoint, we do not see any pressing cause to spend $1 million or more to revamp a system thats already working very well as evidenced by extremely low cases of voter fraud. Or as one North Iowa legislator told us, who would want to risk going to jail just to vote? No one we know.

Thanks to hard-working auditors and loyal poll workers, Iowas system seems to be working well as it is.

We say let county auditors continue their good work, and put the $1 million toward education, social services, public safety or any of the myriad things that could use additional money.
Anaheim, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/13/2017 --Penhall Company's Seismic Services Director Elizabeth Wilson publishes article for upcoming AOA Apartment Owners Association, of California Magazine distribution.



A snip-it from the article reads: California is the golden state that enjoys beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches and a bit of a seismic activity complex. Californians wake up all too often to read shocking headlines about earthquake swarms, mega-quakes and inevitable devastation. Given the state's seismic history and the many scientific studies released over the last 3 years it is no big surprise that city agencies have started to focus on loss mitigation by way of regulation.



Cities all over the state are taking action in preparation for the next big shake-up. For example, San Francisco launched a mandatory soft-story retrofit program in 2013 and Los Angeles followed more recently in late 2015.



So the problem was identified and the regulation is put in place, but what next? Property owners of the over 18,000 soft-story buildings in Northern and Southern California are left with loads of questions and concerns.



The biggest question is "How much will it cost to retrofit my building"? 3 years ago the answer to that question was much more ambiguous, but thanks to San Francisco's Department of Building and Inspection, data was released that will shed some light on costs for those still waiting to retrofit.



According to sfdbi.org about 7 million dollars in construction costs for retrofits are already completed and with that data comes some helpful averages from San Francisco's current construction boom.



The public information and full data table including street name of San Francisco retrofit costs can be found at https://www.penhall.com/seismic-retrofit/san-francisco-soft-story/



Read full article by clicking here



About Penhall Company

Penhall launched operations nearly 60 years ago supporting southern California with a singular commitment to providing the highest level of services to its clients. Since then, Penhall has expanded its reach, scope and expertise, serving clients across the U.S. and beyond. Today, Penhall encompasses 41 strategic locations and employs more than 1,200 professionals, with current and ongoing expansion into Canada. We've dedicated that last 60 years to honing our specialized seismic, scanning and concrete services.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On January 21st, the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization will host a gathering of members from the religious community at the Churchs Fort Harrison in downtown Clearwater. Rev. Pat Harney, the Public Relations Director for the Church will officiate at the gathering where guests will discuss social challenges facing the Tampa Bay area.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96b6c4ae-7599-4cd6-91bb-bb40e522f47f



"We may be entering a new year, but we are certainly dealing with old challenges. This event is an opportunity for us to review what is happening around us, and how we, as a faith based community, will combine our forces to help straighten out areas that have drifted too far off the track," Rev. Harney said.

After brunch, attendees from dozens of area churches will break up into panels to address drug abuse, crime, failing schools, homelessness and human rights violations. Each panel will be facilitated by an activist or expert in the field.

The panelists will be asked to report on a suggested resolution to each specific topic which will be shared with all of the guests towards the end of the event. Anyone interested in one or more of these areas is invited to share with the diverse guests in brunch and dialogue. There is no charge for the event. Please contact Rev. Pat Harney at 727-467-6860 for more information.

The Fort Harrison:

Since its restoration in 1927, the Fort Harrison has been the home to many charitable organizations. The latest owner, the Church of Scientology, completed a top to bottom restoration of the For Harrison in 2009, and since then has hosted over 650 community events there, inspired by a quote from Scientology Founder, L. Ron Hubbard: A community that pulls together can make a better society for all."
A former president of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court who was sentenced to three years in prison on corruption charges is expected to be released six months early after the king reduced his sentence.

Ang Maltey was arrested on Aug. 16, 2015 for making personal use of an Audi sport utility vehicle confiscated from a convicted drug dealer.

The Kandal Provincial Court on February 12, 2016 sentenced him to three years in prison with one year suspended. While he was supposed to serve until August 2017, he will be freed from jail next month.

Ang Malteys name is on a list of 45 prisoners who will receive reduced sentences according to a royal decree issued by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

Justice ministry spokesperson Chin Malin told RFAs Khmer Service that the sentence reductions meet official requirements that include good behavior in prison and that the prisoners have served two-thirds of their sentence.

While the prisoners may have met the criteria, their release was criticized by civil society organizations that say it is another example of Cambodias judicial double standard.

For those who are former activists of the ruling CPP, they settle and reduce their sentences by interpreting the law differently, said Sum Chan Kea, a spokesman for the human rights group ADHOC.

For others who are not their supporters or hold different views, they use the same article of the law but with a different interpretation so that those people serve a more severe sentence, he added.

As an example, Sum Chan Kea raised the continuing imprisonment of four ADHOC workers and an election official, who the authorities arrested in the governments wide-ranging probe into an alleged affair by opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Kem Sokha.

Lim Mony, Nay Vanda, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, all workers for ADHOC (the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association) and National Election Commission (NEC) deputy secretary-general Ny Chakrya have been imprisoned since April.

They are also accused of attempting to pay hush money to Kem Sokhas purported mistress in the governments wide-ranging probe into the alleged affair that many inside and outside of Cambodia see as politically motivated.

Chin Malin denied the existence of a double standard.

We dont count whether they are politicians, non-politicians, human rights activists or any other activists, he said. The criteria must be met for all.

After a one-hour trial on Sept. 9, Kem Sokha was sentenced to five months in prison and an 800,000- riel (U.S. $200) fine for failing to appear in one of the cases related to the governments wide-ranging probe into his alleged affair with a young hairdresser.

Kem Sokha and a local Cambodia National Rescue Party official, Seang Chet, were granted royal pardons in the governments case against the CNRP leader, but the others involved in the case remain in jail.

Their case was expected to be considered during a meeting between leaders of the two parties, but the issue remains in limbo.

CNRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang told RFA that the meeting will cover a pair of topics: environmental protection and environment prior to election and suffrage for the nearly 1 million Cambodian migrants who work overseas.

We will use the two topics for the talks with the CPP to find any method or procedure to facilitate overseas Cambodian migrant workers so that they are able to vote in the 2018 general elections.

Reported by Maly Leng and Zakariya Tin for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.


Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at a session of the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in Beijing, Jan. 6, 2017.

A report issued by an international rights group on Thursday takes aim at strongmen leaders around the world, including Chinas President Xi Jinping, whom it contends have asserted their own authority as a guarantor of peace and prosperity over that of government accountability and the rule of law.

In its 687-page report which examines human rights practices in 2016 in more than 90 countries, New York-based Human Rights Watch said the outlook for freedoms of expression, assembly, association, and religion remains dire under Xi Jinping who will be in power in China until 2022 and possibly longer.

The report entitled World Report 2017: Demagogues Threaten Human Rights noted that in February 2016, Xi Jinping visited three major state media organizations and called on them to pledge absolute loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.

It also cited the Chinese governments passage of a cybersecurity law that HRW says will strangle online freedom and anonymity, further clampdowns on media outlets whose reports dont toe the Communist Party line, and other directives that tighten control over the internet.

China's Xi Jinping, like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, has pursued the toughest crackdown on critical voices in two decades, write HRWs executive director Kenneth Roth in the reports introductory essay.

The report said Chinese authorities continue to detain most of the more than 16 rights lawyers rounded up during a nationwide sweep of rights advocates in July 2015.

The report also noted the enforced disappearances of Hong Kong booksellers who sold publications that were critical of the Chinese government, and Beijings interference in a court case in the special administrative region last November that HRW says undermined judicial independence and the territorys autonomy.

The report went on to cite Chinas continued repression of ethnic minority Uyghurs in the countrys northwestern Xinjiang region and of Tibetans in its western Tibet region by restricting their political activities and peaceful expressions of ethnic and religious identities.

Worried as well that popular discontent would rise as economic growth slowed, Xi, too, has embarked on the most intense crackdown since the Tiananmen era, leaving his government even less accountable, Roth wrote, in a reference to the bloody suppression of students and other activists by the Chinese government in June 1989.

Despite anointing himself with a lengthening list of leadership titles, this strongman looks increasingly fearful, while not delivering on the Chinese peoples demands for cleaner air, safer food, a just judicial system, and an accountable government, he said.

North Korea, Cambodia, and Myanmar

North Korea continues to be one of the most repressive authoritarian nations in the world under seven decades of rule by the Kim family and the Workers Party of Korea, the report said.

Current leader Kim Jong Un has used public executions, arbitrary detentions, and forced labor to ensure obedience to the regime. He also firmed up travel restrictions in 2016 to prevent North Koreans from escaping and seeking refuge overseas, it said.

In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) significantly escalated persecution on political grounds directed at the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), rights workers, social activists, and intellectuals, the report said.

The actions have been intended to prevent the CNRP from winning in local elections in 2017 and national elections in 2018, which would unseat strongman Hun Sen who has ruled the country for 31 years.

The report noted that CNRP president Sam Rainsy remained in exile in 2016 after he decided not to return to Cambodia when the government said it would enforce a two-year prison sentence against him on trumped-up charges.

It also noted another such case of political retribution involving the CNRPs acting leader Kem Sokha who was convicted by a Phnom Penh court for disregarding a court summons to appear as a witness against two CNRP legislators on cooked-up charges.

Myanmar, which began what appeared to be a promising political transition last April with the election of the civilian-led government under the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been stymied by ongoing clashes between the national armed forces and ethnic guerilla groups in Shan and Kachin states, the report said.

The report called a security crackdown by armed forces in western Myanmars Rakhine state following deadly attacks on border guard posts last October the most serious humanitarian and human rights crisis to have occurred there since an October 2012 ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

The security sweep in the northern part of Rakhine has forced tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee their homes to neighboring Bangladesh, where some have accused Myanmar soldiers of committing atrocities against them, including murder, torture, rape and arson. The government and army have denied the charges.
Defying prohibitions against the import of South Korean products into communist-controlled North Korea, Chinese and North Korean traders are bringing large quantities of South Korean produced foodstuffs across the border after first covering boxes with Chinese markings, sources say.

The trafficked goods include food, cooking pots and other utensils, and a wide range of special sauces, Chinese sources working on the border told RFAs Korean Service.

Hundreds of boxes of a famous South Korean ramen noodle brand produced at a factory in China are brought into North Korea without any restriction, as long as their labels are written in Chinese characters, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

These South Korean products are not produced at all in North Korea and are purchased mostly by restaurants in [the North Korean capital] Pyongyang.

Simply by removing their trademark, most South Korean food products get through customs without difficulty, he said.

Among the most popular products brought into North Korea are sauce for Bulgogi, a Korean-style marinated and barbecued beef, and stone pots made for serving Bibimbap, a hot mixed-bowl meal of vegetables and cooked rice, sources said.

More expensive in poorer North

We obtain orders and sell dozens of stone pots for Bibimbap, which are widely used in South Korea, to restaurants in the North, a kitchen warehouse owner in the Chinese border city Dandong told RFA.

Also speaking to RFA, a Korean-Chinese businessman who frequently visits Pyongyang, said that high-end restaurants in the North Korean capital often have menus identical to those found in restaurants in the South.

The only difference is the price of the food, he said. It is more expensive in North Korea, and you have to pay in foreign currency.

South Korean food is in high demand in North Korea because South Korean films circulate widely in North Korea and have a huge impact, another source in China said.

Restaurant scenes and menus shown in South Korean movies and television shows provide useful examples for the managers of fine restaurants in the North, he added.

Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Hyosun Kim. Written in English by Richard Finney.
The U.S. military has said that its forces killed 33 Afghan civilians during an exchange of fire with Taliban fighters in November.

In a statement issued on January 12, the military called the incident regrettable and said it was caused because the militants were "using civilian housing as firing positions."

Twenty-seven civilians were killed in the incident, which took place in the village of Boz in Kunduz Province.

The killed included children. Some of the civilians were believed to have been relatives of the Taliban fighters.

At the time, the incident caused an uproar in Afghanistan and the head of the UN mission to the country said that "the loss of civilian life is unacceptable and undermines efforts towards building peace and stability in Afghanistan."

Based on reporting by AP and dpa
PRESS RELEASE

Mithra's North american Advisory Board for Donesta will meet in miami, Florida the 20th- 21st January 2017

Mithra has set up scientific advisory boards composed of international experts to support the development of Donesta, its product candidate for menopause based on Estetrol (E4).



The North American scientific advisory board, set up by Mithra, is aiming at gathering additional development guidance from international experts in the menopause field.

Liege, Belgium, 12 January 2017 - In order to support the development programme and to prepare its product candidate for a future introduction on the market, Mithra has set up a North American advisory committee. Composed of 7 acknowledged menopause experts from the USA and Canada, this committee will especially advise Mithra on the clinical relevance and the potential added value of E4 based product candidate for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms. The committee will work with Mithra to challenge the current and future development plan with the needs of the community at large.

This meeting will be chaired by Prof. Jean-Michel Foidart, member of Mithra's scientific committee.

Francois Fornieri, CEO of Mithra Pharmaceuticals: "We are extremely proud that we've been able to bring top tier Opinion Leaders together to help us with our development plan which is a key objective for Mithra. The interest these international experts show in taking part in this meeting reflects the continuous and growing need for safe and effective solutions in the menopause field. We expect our product candidate will bring more choices to women and hope it will allow to address the unmet medical needs they are confronted to".

A second Pan-European advisory board meeting will be organized in Lisboa, Portugal in February 2017 to pursue this world market analysis and support the development plans in the EU.

For more information, please contact:

Press

Julie Dessart

Chief Communication Officer

+32 4 349 28 22 / +32 475 86 41 75

press@mithra.com

Investor Relations

Francois Fornieri, CEO

+32 4 349 28 22

investorrelations@mithra.com

Consilium Strategic Communications

Jonathan Birt, Sue Stuart, Hendrik Thys

mithra@consilium-comms.com

+44 2 037 095 700

About Mithra

Mithra Pharmaceuticals SA, founded in 1999 as a spin-off of the University of Liege by Mr. Francois Fornieri and Prof. Dr. Jean-Michel Foidart, is a Euronext listed pharmaceutical company (MITRA) focused on Women's Health. Mithra's mission is to improve every stage of women's life with innovative and accessible pharmaceutical solutions. As such the Company aims to become a worldwide leader in women's health by developing, manufacturing and commercialising proprietary, innovative and differentiated drugs and complex therapeutical solutions in four therapeutic fields of women's health: fertility and contraception, menopause and osteoporosis, gynecological infections and female cancers.

Mithra has an approximate headcount of 141 staff members and is headquartered in Liege, Belgium. Further information can be found at: www.mithra.com

Important information

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

To subscribe to Mithra's newsletter, visit investors.mithra.com
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
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said dozens of suspected militants were detained and four of them killed in a special security operation in Chechnya on January 11.

"Four militants were annihilated during a special operation in the populated areas of the Kurchaloi district," while one member of the security forces was killed, he said.

One armed suspect escaped, taking advantage of the dark during the nighttime operation, but he was being tracked down, Kadyrov said.

Mines, explosives, ammunition, and weapons were reportedly seized from the detained militants, who Kadyrov described as a "gang."

Kadyrov said that some of the gunmen were close relatives of Isa Muskiyev, the so-called bloody emir killed in 2006. Before his death, Muskiyev and his brother are said to have killed 102 people from Chechnya's Kurchaloi and Shali districts.

The security situation in the North Caucasus region remains volatile. Unemployment and corruption are rife, pushing some young men to embrace radical versions of Islam.

Moscow has waged two wars against separatists in the predominantly Muslim region since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kadyrov is a former rebel fighter who is now loyal to President Vladimir Putin.

Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax
Dmitry Peskov isn't content to just lie.

For the Kremlin spokesman, a simple denial of an obvious fact is not sufficient.

No, Peskov needs to tell pants-on-fire whoppers with absolute gusto and glee.

Yesterday, for example, Peskov made the over-the-top claim that the Kremlin "does not engage in collecting compromising materials."

Really now?

He was, of course, responding to reports that Russia had collected compromising material on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

And if he stuck to that specific allegation, which after all, is still unsubstantiated, he would have been on more solid ground. His denial would be plausible.

But no. For Peskov, the art of the lie had to go a step farther.

He had to claim the Kremlin never gathers "kompromat" against opponents.

Which, of course, would come as a big surprise to people like opposition leader Ilya Yashin, anti-Kremlin comedian Viktor Shenederovich, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, and former Prosecutor-General Yury Skuratov -- just to name a few victims of Kremlin-backed kompromat campaigns.

And it's not just Peskov who does this.

Remember a couple years back when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said -- at the height of Russia's intervention in the Donbas -- that Russia wanted "peace and quiet" in Ukraine?

So why do they do this?

It's a power play, pure and simple.

Vladimir Putin's regime is sending a message that it has absolute impunity -- from responsibility, from repercussions, and indeed from facts themselves.

The Kremlin is telling its own people -- and the world -- that "reality is what we say it is."

"We create reality, we lie about it -- and you have to deal with the consequences."

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament's civil liberties committee voted overwhelmingly for visa liberalization for Georgia to the EU's Schengen zone.

The January 12 vote paves the way for a final vote in the parliament as early as February.

Before the visa-free regime enters into force the final translations and approval of the visa-suspension mechanism by both the European Parliament and EU member states must happen.

EU diplomats have told RFE/RL this could happen in March and that Georgians might be able travel to the Schengen zone with only a passport by April or May.

The suspension mechanism would allow for the lifting of visa regimes with all third countries, including Georgia and Ukraine, under certain circumstances once it is in place.

For Ukraine, negotiations between the council and the parliament on visa liberalization can take place only after the suspension mechanism is adopted.

But diplomats expect both the talks and subsequent votes to proceed rapidly and predict Ukraine could see visa liberalization roughly one month after Georgia.
The lowest temperatures in decades and a blanket of heavy snow in parts of the Balkans, Greece, and Eastern Europe are causing dozens of deaths, power outages, and travel delays.

Authorities have blamed at least 73 deaths on the extreme weather, the coldest since 1963, including at least 15 people who froze to death in the Balkans this week -- four elderly men in Bosnia-Herzegovina, six people in Serbia, two homeless men in Kosovo, and an elderly woman and two homeless men in Macedonia.

With nighttime temperatures dropping below minus 20 degrees Celsius, aid agencies warned on January 11 that homeless people and migrants are among the most vulnerable to the extreme cold, with dozens having died already.

The Missing Migrants Project, set up by the United Nations migration agency, has recorded 11 deaths in the Mediterranean region since the start of the year from hypothermia.

The agency said it was particularly concerned about more than 15,500 migrants and asylum seekers housed in camps without adequate facilities on the Greek islands, including many in places that have experienced heavy snowfall this week.

More than 7,500 people are also stranded in freezing conditions in Serbia, including dozens trapped near the Hungarian border.

"The situation is getting increasingly desperate as thousands are exposed to freezing conditions," Help Refugees co-founder Josie Naughton told Reuters.

Serbian authorities on January 11 urged all migrants to move to asylum centers during the cold spell. Hundreds of migrants have remained in makeshift shelters or have occupied abandoned warehouses and train wagons in Belgrade.

The Serbian government's refugee agency said that around 400 people had agreed to move off the streets since the weather worsened last week. It said no women and children were currently sleeping in parks or unofficial shelters.

But the Save the Children charity said about 1,500 migrants, including hundreds of unaccompanied children as young as 10, were sleeping in abandoned buildings.

Andreas Ring, Save the Children's Balkans representative, said the European Union had a duty to ensure safety for the migrants.

"The EU's failure to respond is leaving thousands of refugees and migrants, including unaccompanied children, literally out in the cold," she said.

Authorities say many migrants are reluctant to seek help, fearing they will be detained or blocked from moving on to Western Europe.

Greece sent a tank-landing ship to the island of Lesbos that is capable of housing about 500 refugees and migrants now living in camps where medical groups said conditions were "inhuman."

Schools were closed in Lesbos and the worst-affected areas of Serbia and Romania. Moldova border police temporarily closed seven border-crossing points with Ukraine because of heavy snowfall.

In Romania, blizzards closed more than 130 roads and caused huge delays and cancellations on the railways.

Swaths of northern and eastern Bulgaria were paralyzed by snowdrifts that blocked roads and left more than 100 towns and villages without electricity. The main highway linking the capital, Sofia, with the Black Sea port of Burgas was closed.

Bulgarian soldiers used heavy machinery to clear major roads, rescue stranded people and supply remote villages with food and water. The Energy Ministry said that it had turned down emergency requests for power from neighboring Greece and Turkey to avoid having to ration electricity for domestic customers.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
Human Rights Watch (HRW) warns that human rights are increasingly in danger as strongman leaders in countries such as Russia, Turkey, and China step up their repression of dissent and populist parties rise in the West.

The international rights group says in its World Report 2017 that the past 12 months have seen many authoritarian rulers further roll back the rule of law by tightening bans on protests and increasing controls over free speech.

At the same time, HRW says, 2016 saw the rise of populist leaders in the West who "treat rights as an impediment to their conception of the majority will."

In an introduction to the report, HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth cites "dangerous rhetoric" by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during his successful campaign that Roth says "breached basic principles of dignity and equality."

"The rise of Western populists seems to have emboldened several leaders to intensify their flouting of human rights," Roth writes.

He says that the Kremlin, for example, "has eagerly defended President Vladimir Putin's rule as no worse than the West's increasingly troubled human rights record."

'Foreign Agents'

HRW warns that Putin tightened control in the past year over an "already shrinking space for free expression, association and assembly and intensified persecution of independent critics."

"What's happening in Russia in terms of this general crackdown is not exactly new, of course, it really started around 2011, 2012, but the net for who the regime sees as its enemies has been widening," says Andrew Stroehlein, a spokesman for HRW in Brussels. "The list of so-called foreign agents, which is pretty much anyone the Justice Ministry does not like, has increased, and I think we are up to almost 150 nongovernmental organizations, so each year it compounds and increases."

Moscow began tightening controls on critics, opposition figures, and NGOs following antigovernment protests in Moscow and other cities over vote fraud during the 2011 State Duma elections and the 2012 presidential vote. The 2012 vote returned then-Prime Minister Putin to the presidency for a third term.

The HRW report notes that in Central Asia 2016 saw a brief flicker of hope that the death of long-term authoritarian leader Islam Karimov in September might lead to an easing of human rights abuses in Uzbekistan. But HRW says new President Shavkat Mirziyaev has maintained the authoritarian structures set up by Karimov despite his early promises to make improving the life of average citizens a priority.

"It is still an incredibly repressive place and torture is endemic [for prisoners] in custody of the security services," says Stroehlein. "You still have the incredibly abusive cotton harvest every year, you still have a security apparatus that causes absolute fear throughout the country, and it doesn't look like that will be disappearing anytime soon with the new leadership."

'Turning Toward The Dark Side'

HRW says the situation for human rights in Tajikistan has deteriorated sharply over the past 12 months.

"The authorities are really cracking down on the main opposition party, giving its senior leadership seriously lengthy prison terms, they went after human rights lawyers, they went after other people they perceived as their critics, and that is a significant turn toward the dark side in Tajikistan," Stroehlein says.

The government of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in June sentenced two leaders of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party (HNIT) to life imprisonment while several others received lengthy prison terms.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the rights group says both sides in the conflict in the east of the country disregard human rights as sporadic fighting continues there despite the 2015 Minsk agreement to create a lasting cease-fire and take steps toward a political settlement.

"It's worrying that the Ukrainian government authorities and the Russian-backed separatists in east Ukraine are both kind of doing the same thing in detaining civilians for collaborating with the other side and they hold them in this prolonged arbitrary detention, they deprive them of contact with lawyers, family, there is evidence of torture when people are held in this arbitrary detention as well, and that's both sides," Stroehlein says.

'Crushing Opposition Voices'

Surveying more than 90 countries, the report also notes that in Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "took advantage of a coup attempt to crush opposition voices" and arrest thousands as he blamed supporters of exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for a July coup attempt.

And in China, HRW says, President Xi Jinping "has pursued the toughest crackdown on critical voices in two decades" as Beijing worries popular discontent could rise as economic growth has slowed.

HRW's report argues that the rise of populism in the West could weaken global support for human rights just as strongman leaders elsewhere are stepping up their assaults on individual freedoms.

Roth argues that Trump's campaign rhetoric in the United States set forth a "policy of intolerance." He writes that Trump "stereotyped migrants, vilified refugees, attacked a judge for his Mexican ancestry, mocked a journalist with disabilities, dismissed multiple allegations of sexual assault, and pledged to roll back women's ability to control their own fertility."

Mounting Public Discontent

Since winning the vote in November, Trump and his cabinet nominees have sent mixed signals on whether the new administration might walk back some of the candidate's proposals, including a "great, great wall" he pledged to build on the Mexican border and a ban on Muslims entering the country.

Roth says that the appeal of populist political parties in several European countries and the United States "has grown with mounting public discontent over the status quo" as many voters blame open trade and open border policies for their economic difficulties.

"In the United States and Europe, the perceived threat at the top of the list is migration, where concerns about cultural identity, economic opportunity and terrorism intersect," he writes. "If the majority wants to limit the rights of refugees, migrants, or minorities, the populists suggest, it should be free to do so."

But Roth warns that "rights by their nature do not admit an a la carte approach."

"You may not like your neighbors, but if you sacrifice their rights today, you jeopardize your own tomorrow, because ultimately rights are grounded on the reciprocal duty to treat others as you would want to be treated yourself," he says.


Italy's foreign minister has said he hopes Russia will soon rejoin the Group of Eight (G8) world powers, which was pared back to seven powers after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

"We cannot but want resuming the G8 format with Russia and ending the atmosphere of the Cold War," Angelino Aliano told Rai 2 TV on January 11.

Italy, which has pushed to lift European Union sanctions imposed on Russia after it took over Crimea, "hopes" that the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will improve ties with Russia and make it possible for Moscow to rejoin the G8, Alfano said.

"We are at the worst moment in relations between the United States and Russia since the end of the Cold War," he told reporters in New York earlier in the week.

But Alfano added that he didn't know if a rapprochement with Russia would be possible before May, when Italy is scheduled to host the next G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily.

Unless the United States changes its stance toward Russia, Alfano said, it would be "premature" for Russia to rejoin the G8 without any evidence that it is complying with the Minsk peace accord with Ukraine.

Based on reporting by TASS and ANSA.en
A court in France has ordered former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj released from custody pending a decision on his possible extradition to Serbia.

The court in the city of Colmar ruled on January 12 that Haradinaj can remain under judicial supervision on bail while his case is being considered.

Haradinaj, 48, was detained on January 4 and is wanted in Serbia on suspicion of committing war crimes, including kidnappings and torture, when he was a guerilla fighter during Kosovo's 1998-99 independence war.

He has been tried twice and acquitted of war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

He was elected prime minister of Kosovo in 2004, but resigned after 100 days in order to face trial in The Hague.

Kosovar Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said on January 11 that Serbia's warrants for Haradinaj were "completely illegal and unjust" and "damaging the European [integration] process in the region."

With reporting by AFP and AP
Alpha Returns Group PLC

("Alpha Returns" or the "Company")

12 January 2017

Board Changes

The Board of Alpha Returns, the AIM traded investing company focusing on investments in high-growth Asian economies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Nigel Brent Fitzpatrick MBE, aged 67, as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect. Brent has over 20 years' experience as a corporate finance consultant and brings with him considerable quoted company experience, with current directorships including Acorn Growth plc, Lombard Capital plc, Powerhouse Energy Group plc and Vela Technologies plc. He has been instrumental in advising a number of companies on their acquisitions, funding and subsequent flotations. Mr Fitzpatrick was Chairman of Global Marine Energy plc, an AIM traded oil services company. He is also currently Chairman of RiskAlliance Group Limited and Aboyne-Clyde Rubber Estates of Ceylon Limited. He is a member of the Audit Committee Institute. In the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2012, Mr. Fitzpatrick was awarded an MBE for services to education.

In addition, Chan Cheong Yee (Quattro), an Executive Director of the Company, will act as Interim Chairman until the appointment of a Chairman in due course.

Quattro Chan, Interim Chairman, commented:

"I am delighted to welcome Brent Fitzpatrick to the board. Brent brings a wealth of experience to Alpha Returns especially in the area of corporate finance. We look forward to working with Brent to create value for the shareholders of Alpha Returns."

Additional information:

The information detailed below is disclosed in accordance with Rule 17 and Schedule Two (g) of the AIM Rules. Except as disclosed below, there is no other information which falls to be disclosed under these rules.

Mr Fitzpatrick holds no shares or options in Alpha Returns. He is or has during the last five years been a director or partner in the following companies or partnerships:

Current:

Aboyne-Clyde Rubber Estates of Ceylon Ltd, Acorn Growth Plc, Forward Catering (Yorkshire) Ltd, J Burdon & Partners Ltd, Lombard Capital plc, Low Wave Ltd, National Governors' Association, Ocean Park Developments Ltd, Path Investments plc, Pondermatters Ltd, Powerhouse Energy Group Plc, Powerhouse Energy UK Ltd, RiskAlliance Consulting Ltd, RiskAlliance Finance Ltd, RiskAlliance Group Ltd, RiskAlliance Management Services Ltd, Vela Technologies plc, Wakefield City Academies Trust, Wey Education Schools Trust.

Previous:

1812 Resources Ltd, Double V Ltd, Guscio plc, Halcyon Oil & Gas Ltd, NIM Engineering Ltd, Optometrics Corporation, Tim (My Life is Brilliant) Ltd.

Mr Fitzpatrick was appointed a director of:

NIM Engineering Ltd ("NIM") on 29 January 2004. The company was placed into administration on 20 March 2007. On 29 March 2008, the administration period ended and NIM became subject to a creditors' voluntary liquidation with an estimated deficiency as regards creditors of 3.2 million, of which 2.4 million was owed to its parent company. Mr Fitzpatrick was a non-executive director of the parent company and its representative on the board of NIM which was dissolved in January 2014.

Conferaccom Ltd and of Holly Benson Communications Ltd, both subsidiaries of Real Affinity plc, on 22 February 2008, as Real Affinity's board representative. He resigned as a director of Conferaccom on 14 August 2008 and of Holly Benson Communications and Real Affinity, where he was a non-executive director, on 1 October 2008. Conferaccom was placed into administration on 28 May 2008 and Holly Benson and Real Affinity likewise on 28 November 2008. The administration of Real Affinity was concluded in December 2009 with no dividend to unsecured creditors of 1.29 million. Holly Benson Communications was wound-up via a creditors' voluntary liquidation in November 2011 with no return to creditors; likewise Conferaccom in June 2015 with an estimated deficiency as regards creditors of 5.8 million.

Onyx Media Limited on 1 May 2003 and resigned on 15 June 2005. The company was placed into creditors' voluntary liquidation on 20 June 2005 with an estimated deficiency as regards creditors of 400,000. It was dissolved in April 2011.

Mr Fitzpatrick was appointed a director of Vela Technologies plc on 15 January 2013 following the approval of a corporate voluntary arrangement on 14 January 2013 which was completed on 29 August 2013.

-ends-

For further information:
A Libyan military chief has visited a Russian aircraft carrier off the coast of the troubled North African country.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar visited the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier on January 11. The carrier and accompanying ships are headed home from a mission off Syria's coast.

The ministry said Haftar was given a tour of the ship and had a video call with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss "acute issues of fighting international terrorist groups in the Middle East."

It is the strongest sign yet of Russian support for Haftar, who is allied with a parliament based in eastern Libya that is at odds with a government in the capital, Tripoli, that is backed by the West.

"This visit demonstrates who Russia backs. This is a sign of support to Haftar and this government in Libya, which does not control the entire territory of the country yet. There is no united country in Libya now," analyst Aleksei Malashenko of the Moscow Carnegie Center said.

Based on reporting by AP and Interfax
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary said Iran was a destabilizing force in the Middle East but that he would not tear up the Iran nuclear deal. Appearing before a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on January 12, James Mattis said the agreement was imperfect but that America has to "live up" to its commitment. (AP)
Colleagues of Pakistani activist Samar Abbas say that he is missing under unknown circumstances.

The Civil Progressive Alliance, which Abbas heads, said on January 12 that Abbas disappeared in the port city of Karachi on January 7.

Abbas's disappearance comes amid a spate of similar incidents in which four liberal bloggers were reported missing in several different cities between January 4 and January 7.

The Human Rights Watch monitoring group and the United Nations have expressed concern over the disappearances.

"No government should tolerate attacks on its citizens," David Kaye, the UN's special rapporteur on freedom of expression, was quoted as saying.

Talib Raza of the Civil Progressive Alliance said Abbas's disappearance seemed to be part of "an organized attempt to shut the progressive and liberal voices in the country."

Pakistan's Interior Ministry has said it is investigating the disappearances.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
A court in the Pakistani city of Lahore has stayed the execution of a murder convict who was judged last year to be suffering from mental illness.

The Lahore High Court on January 12 ordered the government to provide a new report on the mental health of Khizar Hayat, 55, a spokesman for Justice Project Pakistan told journalists.

Hayat was convicted of murdering a police officer in a land dispute in 2003.

His execution had been scheduled for January 17, but the court ordered a stay until January 30.

Earlier this week, Hayats mother, Iqbal Bano, urged President Mamnoon Hussain to pardon her son, saying he "doesnt know what is going to happen to him and hes not in a stable state of mind."

"My son needs medical treatment, not execution," she told the Associated Press.

A court medical board in July ruled that Hayat, who is a former police officer, suffers from mental illness.

Pakistan has executed 427 people since 2014, when the authorities reinstated the death penalty after a Taliban attack in Peshawar killed some 150 people, most of them schoolchildren.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
WASHINGTON -- Two leading national security picks for Donald Trumps incoming administration warned that Russia is seeking to disrupt U.S. and European institutions and advocated an aggressive military and intelligence approach to counter Moscow.

The comments by James Mattis and Mike Pompeo, Trumps picks to run the Pentagon and the CIA, respectively, contrast with the more conciliatory rhetoric toward Moscow that the Republican president-elect voiced throughout his campaign and after his election on November 8.

The two nominees spoke at separate Senate confirmation hearings on January 12, with both characterizing Russia as an aggressive actor that must be met with staunch U.S. resistance on the international stage.



Mattis, a former Marine Corps general, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to break up the NATO alliance and that Washington must confront Russian behavior.

WATCH: Mattis: 'We Have To Live Up To' Iran Nuclear Deal

Saying Russia has chosen to become a "strategic competitor," Mattis, 66, told lawmakers that he does not oppose cooperation with Moscow but that the United States must remain clear-eyed about its intentions and actions.



Asked about the main threats to U.S. interests, he said: "I would consider the principal threats to start with Russia."

ALSO READ: Elation Over Trump Melts Away As Russia Reacts To 'Hawkish' Tillerson







"Im all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to," added Mattis, who led Marine divisions in the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the 2003 invasion to topple Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

There are a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and an increasing number of areas where we are going to have to confront Russia, he said.



Citing his recent visit to the three Baltic states -- NATO members that were under Moscows domain during Soviet times -- Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona) said during the hearing that leaders there had pressed him to back a permanent U.S. military presence in the region.



A U.S. rotating force began deploying in Eastern Europe in January under a program known as the European Reassurance Initiative launched in conjunction with NATOs response to Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.



Asked by McCain whether Mattis supports a permanent U.S. military presence in the three countries -- Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia -- the retired general said he does.

After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mattis, 66, became head of U.S. Central Command in 2010, overseeing military operations in the Middle East until his retirement in 2013.

Since retiring, he has been outspoken in his criticism of President Barack Obama's policies in the region, saying they have contributed to the rise of extremism there.

He's also voiced tough positions on Iran, as well as Russia, something that puts him at odds with the conciliatory stance Trump has expressed toward Moscow.

Asked by lawmakers about the landmark deal that curtailed Irans nuclear ambitions in exchange for lifting crippling sanctions, Mattis criticized the agreement.

"Sir, I would not have signed it," he said.

During his election campaign, Trump drew fire from both Republicans and Democrats for questioning the U.S. commitment to NATO members who dont maintain sufficient defense spending. He has since voiced greater support for the alliance, saying it has boosted its counterterrorism efforts.

CIA Nominee: Aggressive Russia Has Done Nothing To Defeat 'ISIS'

Meanwhile, Pompeo told the Senate Intelligence Committee on January 12 that Russia "has reasserted itself, aggressively invading and occupying Ukraine, threatening Europe, and doing nothing to aid in the destruction and defeat" of Islamic State (IS) militants.

Trumps nomination of Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, comes amid a mounting furor over Russias alleged attempts to help Trump defeat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.



The U.S. intelligence community accuses Putin of ordering the hacking campaign, which included the theft and publishing of Democratic e-mails seen as damaging Clinton in the election.

Trump, who says he wants to improve ties with Moscow, has publicly questioned the intelligence findings, though on January 11 he acknowledged that Russia was likely behind the cyberattacks. He insists that the hacking had no impact on the outcome of the election.

In his testimony, Pompeo firmly backed the U.S. intelligence conclusions about Russian involvement, saying he attended last week's meeting at which top U.S. officials briefed Trump about their classified report on the matter.

"With respect to this report in particular, it's pretty clear about what took place here -- about Russian involvement in efforts to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy," Pompeo, 53, said.

He called the cybercampaign "an aggressive action taken by the senior leadership inside of Russia."

Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the hacks targeting Clintons campaign and other U.S. political organizations and personalities.

Mattis's nomination as defense secretary had attracted concern among some members in Congress, due to a U.S. law barring military officers from becoming the civilian head of the Defense Department within seven years of retiring from the military.

The nearly 70-year-old law was passed to ensure U.S. armed forces remained under civilian, rather than military, leadership.

The Senate committee ultimately voted 24-3 for a one-time exemption to the law.

Later on January 12, the Republican-led House Armed Services Committee voted 34-28 to grant Mattis the exemption.

Congress passed such a waiver only once before, for Army General George Marshall in 1950.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Central Intelligence Agency said that Russia had reasserted itself by invading Ukraine and "threatening Europe." In the opening statement of his Senate confirmation hearing on January 12, Congressman Mike Pompeo also said that Russia had done nothing to defeat Islamic State militants. He added that the "cyber domain" needed increased focus. (U.S. Senate live stream)
MOSCOW -- When U.S. secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson appeared before the U.S. Senate for his confirmation hearing on January 11, pundits and politicians in Moscow were watching closely for signals of the new administration's stance on Russia.

Reactions ranged broadly from upbeat pragmatism to an "I-told-you-so" warning that a Russia hawk could be entering President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet. Overall, the comments painted a much more sober take on a Trump presidency than the jubilation displayed by many in Russia after his surprise victory in November.

On the Vesti FM state radio station, prominent pro-Kremlin journalist Vladimir Solovyov chided those Russians who were expressing surprise at what many saw as a hawkish tone to Tillerson's comments.

"For our dear listeners I will for the 156th time, although it is fashionable to say 150th, repeat that Tillerson is not Major Vikhr [a Russian TV superhero], and Trump is not Colonel Isayev, Stierlitz [a fictional Soviet superspy akin to James Bond]. They are both patriots of the U.S. One will, if confirmed, become the secretary of state. The second will, if a few days pass well, move from the status of president-elect to the status of president of the U.S. They in no way intend to carry out promises they never made to Russia. For them, the priority is the United States and their policies.

"That is the reason why Tillerson is saying that Russia is not taking into consideration the interests of the United States. Because he is interested primarily in America's interests, not Russia's. Have no illusions. That is why, when some people were wildly overjoyed that Trump won and not Hillary [Clinton, the Democratic candidate] that was a question of taste, but we have to remember that there can be various lettering written on this little cake, but essentially this will not be pro-Russian politics. Perhaps there will be a little less hysteria, perhaps a little more, perhaps slightly better relations between leaders, perhaps a little worse."

WATCH: Rex Tillerson: Russian 'Illegal' Actions In Ukraine Required More Forceful Response

Leonid Slutsky, head of the Duma's International Affairs Committee, told the Interfax news agency that he thought Tillerson's testimony suggested Washington might be amenable to reaching a deal with Moscow over Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Russia in March 2014.

"If we look deeper, I was particularly interested by statements not only about sanctions, cyberattacks and so on -- they are to be expected -- but the ones on the question of Crimea. Tillerson, in particular, noted that the United States will only recognize the unification of Crimea with Russia in the event that the current situation around the peninsula can be regulated in a way that satisfies Ukraine," Slutsky was quoted as saying. "As we know Ukraine is a territory managed externally and the remote control is located in Washington. That is to say -- could this be the beginning of the process of presenting conditions for recognition instead of the categorical 'give back Crimea'?"

Aleksei Puskhov, a prominent Russian lawmaker, wrote on Twitter: "At the hearings, Tillerson voiced the position of the American political mainstream. Which again proves the artificial nature of the hysteria around Trump."

Aleksei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy radio, read out Tillerson's comments that, in 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, he would have supplied weapons and U.S. intelligence to Ukraine to defend against an incursion in the east of the country. Venediktov asked: "Who is this man? This is a man who bears the [Russian] Order of Friendship received from Igor Ivanovich Sechin and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin."

"Some people say the Republicans are going to be pragmatists. But I would say their pragmatism is in their strictness. We have just heard that from Tillerson and we will hear that from Trump. That is to say, 'Guys, the rules are that we are a great power, we are a superpower and you are either with us or against us.' Ever since this Trump story began I said this is what would happen. That's how it's ended up."

On January 12, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had "noted" Tillerson's stance on Crimea, but rejects it. "We are not in agreement with that formulation and will explain our position," the president's spokesman said in comments carried by Interfax.

Peskov declined to comment on Tillerson's assertion that Russia invaded eastern Ukraine and that it was necessary to supply Kyiv with weapons. "I would leave this without a reaction. We will explain to Secretary of State Tillerson all the relevant questions when they arise," he said.

The pro-Kremlin Vzgylad news and commentary website contrasted Tillerson's hearings in the senate with Trump's press conference the same day, the first since his election, noting the former's "hawkish" tone. "The speech by Tillerson, who was named the most pro-Russia of the possible candidates for secretary of state, sounded considerably harsher [than Trump's]."

Vyacheslav Nikonov, head of the parliamentary committee on education, described the statements from Trump and Tillerson as moderate in comments to the TASS news agency. "In general, if we compare them to what could have been said, these statements look entirely moderate." He said that Tillerson "was careful throughout, meeting the primary goal of getting confirmed by the Senate as secretary of state."He continued, saying that Tillerson had nonetheless "taken the maximum pro-Russian stance on the questions."

However, Nikonov rejected Tillerson's proposed condition for the recognition of Ukrainian Crimea as Russian territory. "Russia has absolutely no need for anyone to recognize Crimea. This is a part of Russia and no part of Russia requires recognition."


Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has said that the Kremlin hopes Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will "get along."

Dmitry Peskov spoke to reporters a day after Trump, who has praised Putin and said he will seek to improve badly strained relations between Russia and the United States, told a news conference that there was "a good chance" he will not get along with Putin.

"Moscow is genuinely hoping that our presidents will get along," Peskov said during a conference call.

"At least Trump has spoken of his readiness for dialogue," Peskov said. "This doesn't mean there's a readiness to agree about everything with each other. That is hardly possible and Moscow isn't expecting that, but dialogue is grounds for hope and could help us find a way out of many difficult situations."

During his first news conference since his election on November 8, Trump said: "Now, I don't know that I'm going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there's a good chance I won't."

Trump's victory has been clouded by U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusion that Putin ordered a hacking campaign that aimed to undermine U.S. democracy, discredit Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton , and help him win the election.

Peskov also said that Moscow will continue to "patiently explain" its position on the Crimean Peninsula -- which Russia annexed in March 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum considered illegal by a majority of countries -- to the United States.

He took issue with remarks by Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who said during a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on January 11 that Russia's annexation of Crimea "was a taking of territory that was not theirs."

"Definitely, we disagree with such wording and will offer our arguments in explaining our position," Peskov said.

Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS
In a new report, the World Bank has said Russia must diversify its economy, improve its investment climate, and make major infrastructure investments if it hopes to be competitive in the global economy.

In a report presented on January 12 at the opening of the Gaidar Forum, an annual gathering of businesspeople and economists sponsored by the Gaidar Institute and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the World Bank warned that Russia's competitiveness is eroding.

The bank's analysts predict Russias economic growth as 1 to 2 percent per year over the next few years, below the projected global average of 2.7 percent.

Russia needs major investment in transport, energy, public-utility, and social infrastructure, the report says.

"The infrastructure investment needs are staggering. ... estimated to be about $1 trillion -- 75 percent of Russias 2015 GDP."

"The infrastructure investment needs are staggering," the report says. "Russias public expenditure on infrastructure amounted to less than 1 percent of GDP a year in 2012-14, while the investment needs are estimated to be about $1 trillion -- 75 percent of Russias 2015 GDP."

Addressing the Gaidar Forum in Moscow, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that global competition was increasing as the global economy becomes more integrated. He also criticized the "sharp politicization of international economic relations" and the "use-of-force approach [and] sanctions that always run counter to economic considerations."

The premier identified "increasing technological backwardness" as the most serious problem facing the Russian economy.

Also addressing the Gaidar Forum, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said that "more than 1.5 million Russians" are working abroad.

"Today in the world it is hard to find a university, a company, where Russians are not present," she said, describing this as a "dangerous tendency." She added that the government must address the problem by "training human resources to work in the Russian economy" through competitive wages and conditions.

Russias economy has been hit hard over the last two years by low global energy prices and sanctions imposed by many countries after Moscows 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.

On January 10, the Russian Finance Ministry reported that the government spent almost 1 trillion rubles ($16.8 billion) from the Reserve Fund in December to finance the budget deficit.

At the end of 2015, the remaining balance of the fund was about $15 billion. The rest of the fund will be used to cover part of the deficit in 2017, the ministry said.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, Reuters, and RBC
Leading members of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement announced on January 12 that they are leaving the party and starting a new political force.

Former parliament speaker David Bakradze said the new force will start a "new phase of the fight" against the ruling Georgian Dream party, which was founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava said Saakashvili was responsible for the "dismantling" of the party, charging that the former president "does not radiate leadership anymore."

Twenty-one of 27 lawmakers representing the party in the South Caucasus nation's parliament quit the United National Movement.

The announcement came ahead of a party congress scheduled for January 20.

Saakashvili was swept to power in the peaceful 2003 protests known as the Rose Revolution and served as president of Georgia from 2004-13.

Georgian Dream defeated the United National Movement in a 2012 parliamentary election.

Saakashvili was stripped of Georgian citizenship in 2015 after becoming governor of Ukraine's Odesa region, a job he quit in November 2016.

He is now wanted in Georgia on criminal charges related to his presidency that he says are politically motivated.

Based on reporting by apsny.ge and civil.ge
12 January 2017

St Peter Port Capital Limited

(the "Company")

Board Changes

The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of a new director, Russel Michel, who joins the board as a non-executive director with immediate effect.

The Company also wishes to announce that Peter Griffin is stepping down as a director of the Company at this time.

Mr. Michel initially joined the Stenham Group in 1997 as Head of Channel Island operations. He has served as a director of Stenham Asset Management Inc. since November 1997 and Stenham Management Services (CI) Limited since inception in 2005 and was appointed Chairman of both companies in 2013. Prior to that he was a director of Lazard Fund Managers (CI) Limited and group financial controller at M.D.B. Holdings Limited. Russel is a Chartered Accountant who trained at Reads & Co.

Lynn Bruce, Chairman, commented: "I would like to thank Peter for his valuable contribution to the Company over the years since its inception in 2007 and I wish him well in his retirement. I am also very pleased to welcome Russel to the Board. I believe that he brings new and complementary skills to the Board and will provide valuable insight to help the Company conduct its strategic review."

Russel Andrew Peter Michel, aged 55, is, or has been, a director or partner of the following entities within the past five years:

Current Directorships and Partnerships: Directorships and Partnerships held in the previous 5 years: Stenham Management Services (C.I.) Limited Sam Global Opportunities Inc. Stenham Asset Management Inc. Sam Tantalum Fund Inc. Stenham Newco1 Limited Stenham Universal II Investment Holdings Inc. Stenham Investment Funds PCC Limited Stenham Investment Funds (Caymen) SPC Stenham Asia Investment Holdings Limited The Ballast Fund Stenham Growth Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Global Resources Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Managed Fund Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Gold Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Multi-strategy Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Helix Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Targets Skills Investment Holdings Limited Stenham KB Gateway Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Healthcare Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Opportunities Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Credit Opportunities Investment Holdings Limited Stenham Asset Management Holdings Limited Stenham Quadrant Portfolio Inc. Stenham Trading Inc. Stenham Trading Portfolio Inc. Stenham Universal II Portfolio Inc. Stenham Universal Portfolio Inc. Stenham Universal Investment Holdings Inc. The Scorpius Fund Limited

Mr. Michel holds 75,000 ordinary shares in the Company representing 0.17% of the ordinary share capital of the Company.

There is no further information required to be disclosed under Schedule Two, paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

For further information:

St Peter Port Capital Limited
Serbia's president has urged greater protection for the rights of Serbs in the Balkan region after meeting with a former Bosnian Serb leader who was convicted of war crimes.

The meeting between Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik on January 11 reflected a resurgence of Serbian nationalist sentiment in the region and was denounced by human rights groups.

Krajisnik spent 13 1/2 years in prison after being convicted by a United Nations tribunal of persecuting and forcibly expelling non-Serbs during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. He was released in 2013.

A 1995 U.S.-sponsored peace agreement made Bosnia-Herzegovina a union of Bosnian Serb and Muslim-Croat regions.

But that deal seems to be unraveling, with Bosnian Serb leaders calling for the secession of their ministate, the Republika Srpska, and joining it with Serbia.

Krajisnik, who now leads a nongovernmental organization called Association of Creators of Republika Srpska, said after meeting with Nikolic that Bosnia "has become an impossible country."

"The Serbian people are not feeling comfortable," Krajisnik said. "Nor do the Croats.... The situation in Bosnia is alarming."

Nikolic, who is strongly pro-Russian, said Serbs not only want their "status" protected, but are calling for the protection of Cyrillic and the Serbian language.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
VIDEO REPORTS

Several police officers in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have become Internet sensations after they jumped on cars to stop them.

Supporters of Kosovo's former prime minister Ramush Haradinaj called on France to release him from custody after he was arrested on a Serbian war-crimes warrant.

Viewers of a May 2016 report published by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service about a disabled six-year-old boy responded with assistance that has enabled him to walk and attend school.

Many respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow said theyll remember U.S. President Obamas negative remarks about Russia and its leadership, but some said hed performed his professional duties better than his Russian counterpart because his people live better. One person said shell remember Beyonce's terrific performance at his second inauguration. (Russian Service)

OTHER NEWS

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine for talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on January 15.

Russian legislators returned from recess by approving the first reading of a bill that would decriminalize assault in the family home.

Russian media reports that Ukraines radio and tv council has banned broadcasts of the independent, Russian TV station Dozhd (Rain) because of the stations repeated violations of Ukrainian legislation prohibiting entry to Crimea from Russian territory, and its broadcast of Russian advertising. (in Russian, Current Time TV)

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said dozens of suspected militants were detained and four of them killed in a special security operation in Chechnya on January 11.

Activists in St. Petersburg have protested the decision of the Russian city's government to hand over the landmark St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee voted overwhelmingly for visa liberalization for Georgia to the EU's Schengen zone.

Serbia's president Tomislav Nikolic has urged greater protection for the rights of Serbs in the Balkan region after a meeting with former Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik, who was convicted of war crimes.

A Czech investigative journal quotes local intelligence officers as saying they have no evidence that a lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump traveled to the Czech capital last year.

A Kazakh court has set a date for the high-profile trial of Bigeldy Gabdullin, a well-known journalist charged with extorting money from officials.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has signed decrees dismissing the current chief of the Dushanbe city administration, and appointing his eldest son, Rustam Emomali, head of the countrys anti-corruption agency, as his successor. (in Russian, Tajik Service)

Turkmenistans new international airport, unveiled in the capital city of Ashgabat only months ago, is suffering from settling at its foundations that is causing glass windows to crack and communications systems to fail. (in Russian, Turkmen Service)

Andrey Pivovarov, coordinator of the NGO Open Russia, called efforts by the Russian Orthodox Church to acquire St. Petersburgs St. Isaac's Cathedral, currently a museum, selfish, claiming it will afford the Church access to sizeable financial flows while holding the city responsible for maintenance. (Russian Service)

U.S.- based analyst Maria Snegovaya dismissed speculation that Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson will oversee a policy critical of Russia under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, telling an RFE/RL roundtable, Look at Rex Tillersons background. He has close ties with Sechin and an award from Putin. Russia expects energy cooperation and, most importantly, lifting sanctions so that Russian oil companies can use Western technology. (Russian Service)
DUSHANBE -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has appointed his 29-year-old son Rustam Emomali as mayor of the Central Asian country's capital, Dushanbe.

Rahmon's press service said on January 12 that Rustam Emomali replaced Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, who was mayor for 19 years.

All Ubaidulloev's deputies and the chiefs of Dushanbe's districts were also dismissed, the press service said.

Ubaidulloev, 64, remains chairman of the parliament's upper chamber, the Majlisi Milli. He is considered Tajikistan's No. 2 leader after the president.

Rustam Emomali had headed a state financial oversight and anticorruption agency.

His new appointment comes weeks after Rahmon's third daughter, Ruhshona Rahmonova, became head of the Foreign Ministry's International Relations Department.

In January 2016, Rahmon made another daughter, Ozoda Rahmon, his chief of staff. She had been a deputy foreign minister.

Several other close relatives of Rahmon occupy important official positions or control lucrative businesses.

Rahmon, who has nine children, has ruled the poor, predominantly Muslim former Soviet republic since 1992.

Rights groups and opponents say he tolerates little dissent and suppresses his critics.
ON MY MIND

In a provocative and insightful essay featured below, author and journalist Peter Savodnik argues that the roots of Vladimir Putin's behavior can be found not in his KGB past but in his belief in the Slavophile tradition and a desire to undo Peter the Great's opening to the West.

"Putins goal is not just a little more turf. Russia has a lot of that. His telos --his endgame -- is the destabilization, the overcoming, of the whole Western order," he writes.

In this sense, Savodnik argues that Putin's goals are not limited to securing a sphere of influence in the former Soviet space. They are civilizational. He wants total victory over -- and the destruction of -- the West.

I'm not sure if I buy this completely, but it is compelling given Putin's behavior since returning to the Kremlin in 2012. And there is some recent evidence to support that Putin has maximalist aspirations.

In an excellent reconstruction of Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election (featured in yesterday's Morning Vertical), Newsweek journalist Kurt Eichenwald reported that Putin was advised against such a move by key members of his inner circle -- including Sergei Ivanov (who was sacked in August) and Dmitry Medvedev -- who argued that it would be destabilizing.

But, according to the report, Putin was pleased as punch with the chaos the operation was generating.

If Savodnik is right about what is driving Putin -- and again, I'm not sure he is but I think his thesis merits consideration -- then there are some truly dark days ahead.

IN THE NEWS

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has acknowledged that Russian hackers intruded on servers of U.S. institutions, and again dismissed a classified document that purportedly details compromising information gathered on him by Russia.

Trump's nominee for secretary of state Rex Tillerson has portrayed Russia as a dangerous and destabilizing global actor that disregards U.S. interests, but said Moscow is "not unpredictable" and that Washington must improve its understanding of the Kremlin's thinking.

A top U.S. intelligence official has told President-elect Donald Trump that U.S. intelligence agencies did not write or leak a document alleging that Russian operatives have "compromising information" on him.

Newly appointed Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has rejected an offer from Russia to lift a travel ban against her if Canada removes economic sanctions and visa bans imposed over Moscows annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said dozens of suspected militants were detained and four of them killed in a special security operation in Chechnya on January 11.

Activists in St. Petersburg have protested the decision of the Russian city's government to hand over the landmark St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Georgia's president and government have condemned the demolition by Russian troops of a 19th-century church and Polish cemetery in the breakaway Abkhazia region.

2015 Nobel Literature Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich has quit the Russian PEN Center as part of a widening split within the rights organization.

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee voted overwhelmingly for visa liberalization for Georgia to the EU's Schengen zone.

WHAT I'M READING

More On The Trump-Russia Dossier

The Wall Street Journal has identified Christopher Steele, a former British MI-6 officer, as the author of the Trump dossier.

Reuters, meanwhile, takes a look at Steele's career.

And at Newsweek, veteran Russia correspondent Owen Matthews weighs in with "thirteen things that don't add up" in the dossier.

The Guardian has a nice little reconstruction of the backstory behind the dossier.

The New York Times explains what we know, what we don't know, and why different media are handling it the way they are.

Russia's Republic.ru offers its take.

In an editorial, Gazeta.ru speculates whether Trump might face impeachment over his ties to Russia.

In a column for Novaya Gazeta, political commentator Yulia Latynina speculates whether Trump will face his own "Watergate."

And in Vox, Matthew Yglesias argues that "beyond wild allegations, whats clearly true about Trump and Russia is disturbing."

Russia Reacts To Trump's Presser

Kevin Rothrock has a nice piece in The Moscow Times reviewing Russian reactions to Trump's press conference on Twitter.

And the Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta looks at Trump's press conference and his claim that Russia will have more respect for the United States during his presidency.

The Dark Art Of Kompromat And Honey Traps

In The Daily Beast, Michael Weiss looks at the Kremlin's historical use of honey traps.

And in The Atlantic, Julia Ioffe takes a look at the dark art of "kompromat"

The Tillerson Hearings

In The Washington Post, Josh Rogin weighs in on Rex Tillerson's Senate confirmation hearings.

As does Russia's Gazeta.ru.

Russia And The Crisis Of The West

Maxim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute, has a post on the Russia Files blog looking at the crisis in the West and Russia's role in it.

In The Globe and Mail, Mark MacKinnon argues that by intervening in the U.S. election, "Moscow wanted payback, not a President Trump."

Bolotnaya Five Years On

Sean Guillory of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies looks at the Russian protest movement five years after Bolotnaya

The Dostoyevskian Sources Of Putin's Conduct

Peter Savodnik has an insightful essay in Vanity Fair viewing the roots of Putin's behavior through the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Gas Games

Agnia Grigas, a fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of books The New Geopolitics of Natural Gas and Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire, has a commentary in Reuters arguing that "as Russia's gas market gets weaker, Europe gets stronger."

Homeless On New Year's

Novaya Gazeta has a feature on how Moscow's homeless spent New Year's Eve.
A top U.S. intelligence official has told President-elect Donald Trump that U.S. intelligence agencies did not write or leak a document alleging that Russian operatives have "compromising information" on him.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he spoke with Trump on January 11 after news broke that Trump received an intelligence briefing last week that included an unsubstantiated account of a Russian intelligence operative who allegedly obtained potentially embarrassing personal and financial information about Trump.

"I emphasized that this document is not a U.S. Intelligence community product and that I do not believe the leaks came from within the [community]," Clapper said, adding that the leaks were "corrosive and damaging to national security."

Moreover, he said, intelligence agencies had not sanctioned the account as "reliable."

According to the Associated Press, the dossier contains unproven information about close coordination between Trump's inner circle and Russians about hacking into Democratic accounts as well as unproven claims about unusual sexual activities by Trump, among other suggestions attributed to anonymous sources.

Trump was enraged by media reports about the dossier and called them "fake news." He also accused intelligence agencies of leaking the document.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
KYIV -- Ukraine has banned the prominent independent Russian television station Dozhd (TV Rain) from broadcasting in the country after a report identifying the boundary between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine as the Ukrainian-Russian border angered authorities in Kyiv.

A top international media freedom advocate called the move "very damaging."

The National Radio and TV Council (NRTC) on January 12 ordered Ukrainian broadcasters to stop airing reports by Dozhd within a month after the official publication of the decision, which was expected on January 16, the Moscow-based channel said.



It cited an official from a Ukrainian partner of the channel, Volya, as saying the reason for the ban was that Dozhd had violated a prohibition on advertising.

The Interfax news agency, however, cited council member Serhiy Kostynskyy as saying Dozhd had infringed on Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity when it aired an image showing the boundary with Crimea as the state border, suggesting that Crimea is part of Russia.



Russia seized control of Crimea in 2014, but Kyiv and most of the rest of the world continue to consider the Black Sea peninsula part of Ukraine.



Kostynskyy also claimed Dozhd had violated Ukrainian law by sending reporters to Crimea via Moscow instead of through the Ukrainian-controlled crossing point at the peninsulas northern end.



Dozhd Director Natalya Sindeyeva called the ban "a pity" and defended the stations use of the controversial map, explaining that Russian law requires that media use maps that denote Russias possession of Crimea.



"I hope that our Ukrainian viewers will find an opportunity to watch Dozhd through our website, our Smart TV applications, and other channels of distribution," Sindeyeva added.

Dozhd was retransmitted throughout Ukraine by some 90 broadcast providers and reached about 500,000 households, the station said.



Dunja Mijatovic, media freedom representative at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said on Twitter that the decision would be "very damaging for media pluralism in #Ukraine."

The NRTC has banned broadcasting of at least 35 Russian TV stations for infringing on national security and violating advertising regulations, according to Interfax. Dozhd reported that the number of Russian channels banned or restricted in Ukraine is more than 60.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkos administration declined to comment on the Dozhd ban.



But Dozhd, which has provided a platform for government opponents in Russia, found a rare defender in the Russian government when Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova came to bat for it on her Facebook page, writing: "I hope that the Kyiv authorities have not sunk to such censorship. But if this information is true, we will inform the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)."

Some on social media viewed Zakharovas remark as hypocritical, given what media freedom groups say has been a crackdown on news outlets critical of the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin.



"Leading independent news outlets have either been brought under control or throttled out of existence," international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in a report in 2016.



The organization ranked Russia 148 out of 180 countries on its 2016 press freedom index, saying: "While TV channels continue to inundate viewers with propaganda, the climate has become very oppressive for those who question the new patriotic and neo-conservative discourse or just try to maintain quality journalism." Ukraine was ranked 107th.



Dozhd has come under pressure from Russian authorities in recent years.



The station found itself in hot water on several occasions, such as after airing an interview with a Russian man who claimed to have fought alongside Russia-backed separatists in a conflict that has killed more than 9,750 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.



Two Dozhd journalists reporting in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in November were expelled for conducting what the separatists said was "illegal journalistic activity."



For Ukrainians, the Dozhd ban means one fewer Russian-language news outlet to balance out Russian state-run and state-controlled broadcasters that are beamed to TV sets and radios across much of war-torn, predominantly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.



That didnt appear to cause much concern among press-freedom advocates in Ukraine, where media rights groups have frequently accused Poroshenko and his government of suppressing independent voices.



Tetyana Popova, the former Ukrainian deputy information policy minister who resigned in protest last summer over the governments failure to investigate alleged abuses against journalists, told RFE/RL she does not believe the Dozhd ban is censorship. She said that "unfortunately, [Dozhd] broke the law" by airing Russian advertisements.



"They could do Ukrainian version without them. It wouldnt be hard," she added.



Press freedom defenders from the Kyiv-based Institute of Mass Information could not be reached for comment. Neither Detector Media nor Telekritika -- outlets that report on Ukraines media landscape and advocate for free speech -- remarked on the Dozhd ban, opting only to cover it as news.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a resolution supporting Montenegro's membership in NATO, sending it to the full Senate for a vote.

The committee backed the small Balkan state's bid to join the military alliance last year, but it did not come up for a vote in the full Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required for approval of new NATO members.

Committee Chairman Bob Corker said on January 11 he hoped for "swift action" in the Senate this year.

Senator John McCain assured Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic by phone that the U.S. Senate will ratify the accession agreement soon, the Montenegrin government press service said.

On January 10, Italy and Norway became the latest of 21 out of 28 alliance members that have already officially backed the agreement.

Montenegro's membership would represent the alliance's first expansion since Albania and Croatia joined in 2009. Although the country is a longtime ally of Russia, relations with Moscow have been uneasy recently, given its government's pursuit of closer integration with the West.

Montenegro also joined European Union sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Voice of America
English Latvian

Under sections 270, 273 and 296 of the Commercial Law and subsections 54 (2)1 and 54 1 of the Financial Instrument Market Law of the Republic of Latvia, pursuant to Company`s Articles, Regulations on the convening and course of shareholders meeting, the Management board of JSC DITTON pievadkezu rupnica (reg. No.40003030187) is pleased to invite shareholders to the extraordinary shareholders` meeting that will take place at the company's administrative building at Visku St. 17, Daugavpils, on 15 February 2017, at 9 a.m..

Agenda:

1. On participation of the company in action of the special Latgale economic zone;

2. Election (re-election) of the Council of the Company.

Registration of shareholders will take place on the meeting day on 15 February 2017 from

8 a.m. until 9 a.m. at the venue of meeting.

Only those shareholders, who on the 07 February 2017 - the record date for participation at the extraordinary shareholders` meeting of JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica - are registered with the number of shares by the Commercial Register Office in the registration file of the Company, have the right to participate in the extraordinary shareholders` meeting of the JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica on 15 February 2017.

Each shareholder may exercise the rights:

to the extent that an order under sections 274 (2), 276 (3) and 296 (4) of the Commercial Law, subsections 54 (2) 1 and 54 (2) 2 of the Financial Instrument Market Law provides within seven days from the day of publication of the notice and on the day of shareholders` meeting;

in pursuance of an order under sections 276 (4) and 283 (1) of the Commercial Law at least seven days before the stockholders` meeting and on the meeting day.

Additional information on shareholders` rights mentioned above is available of the website of the JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica www.dpr.lv .

The total number of voting shares is 7 400 000. All shares are of the same category. Each share is entitled to one vote.

The shareholders may participate at the meeting in a person or by delegating an authorized representative or a proxy.

Authorized representative of the shareholder, registered as a legal entity in Latvia, should provide a document justifying the identity and an original of the notary decision on the appointment as a legal representative or a statement on the granting of rights to represent the interests of this legal entity issued by the Enterprise Register not earlier than 5 days prior to the day of meeting (printouts from data bases of Lursoft or Firmas.lv shall be accepted as well).

Authorized representative of the shareholder, registered as a legal entity in a foreign country, should provide a document justifying the identity and a power of attorney granting authority to represent this legal entity, issued and certified under the law of the corresponding state.

Proxies should provide a document justifying the identity and the power of attorney certified according to the Laws of the Republic of Latvia, Articles and Regulations on the convening and course of shareholders meeting of the Company. Form of the power of attorney is available in the attachment.

Other pro forma procedures on the convening and course of shareholders meeting of the Company can be found on the Companys website www.dpr.lv .

In case, on 15 February 2017, the extraordinary shareholders` meeting of JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica will fail due to lack of quorum pursuant to Company`s Articles regardless of the reasons, the shareholders may postpone decision-making process on issues of the agenda announced in accordance with Company`s Articles. The reconvened meeting with the agenda mentioned before shall be held on 17 March 2017 at 9 a.m. in the administrative rooms of JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica at Visku St.17, in Daugavpils. The registration of shareholders will take place on the meeting day when the meeting is continued from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. due to order mentioned before.

The shareholders can become acquainted with the draft decisions on the considered issues and fulfil other procedure formalities starting from 26 January 2017 till 14 February 2017 including, and additionally, in case shareholders` meeting is adjourned - from 15 February 2017 till 16 March 2017 including, on working days from 9 a.m. until 16 p.m. in the secretariat of the Company at Visku St.17, in Daugavpils. Draft decisions will be available also on the website of JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica www.dpr.lv .

For more information, please contact by (+371) 65402333

Management Board

of the JSC Ditton pievadkezu rupnica
Barack Obama went home to say goodbye. A native of Hawaii (not Kenya, thank you very much), he matured in Chicago.

He entered politics there, and represented Illinois in the Senate before winning election to the presidency. Chi-town gave him a warm reception; Obama was not a product of the citys fabled machine. He was too indpendent to be part of an organization. The Virginia of the Byrds would not have been for him, either. They would have rejected him for obvious reasons as well. On Tuesday, Obama struck many of the right notes. The evening proved bittersweet. Even his critics wondered what might have been. Great potential went unmet.

In his farewell address, Dwight Eisenhower warned of the lure of the military industrial complex. George Washingtons farewell rates as a classic statement of republican principles. Both speeches earned admiration yet went unheeded. Successive presidencies, including Obamas, paid scant attention to either. Donald Trumps pre-presidential moves suggest that neither he nor his factotums knows what Eisenhower and Washington meant. Conservatism has lost its center.

The Obama who spoke on Tuesday resembled the Obama who campaigned in 2008 and 2012  and who came to national attention in 2004. He projected a pleasing presence and said things conservatives would applaud if they took off the ideological blinders. The content recalled The Audacity of Hope, a book that relies on American exceptionalism. Obama, too, sees a city on the hill.

His administration did not fulfill the hopes manifest on Election Night 2008 and on 2009s Inauguration Day. In some respects he did what he said he would  implementing Obamacare, for instance  yet without the expected collegiality. Opponents did not give him a chance, we must admit. The Times-Dispatch opposed his version of a national health system, but we concede with great unhappiness that Obama hatred went beyond hostility to socialism. Americas original sin had not been redeemed, despite Obamas election. Massive resistance continues to pollute souls.

Obamas greatest disappointments involved human rights and global progress. Although he delivered admirable speeches during his trips to Africa, he did not pursue human rights with the zeal associated with Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. He did not lift rhetoric from John Kennedy. A hungry world was waiting. A thirst went unmet. His relations with Israel redounded to Americas embarrassment. U.S.-Russia relations have returned to the worst days of the Cold War, although Vladimir Putin does not pose the existential threat Leonid Brezhnev did. Red China may not be Switzerland, yet it has come a long way since Mao. Its relationship with the U.S. is not special, however  and never will be. Obama bears neither full credit nor full blame for either development. His opening to Cuba seems belated but hum-drum. His foreign policy failures compounded the failures of George W. Bush, perhaps the worst post-war president. Americans want to know that restoration is not a comedy.

Obama campaigned vigorously for Hillary Clinton, to no apparent avail. The Obama who spoke Tuesday would have routed Donald Trump. Historical judgments of presidents must wait. Instant analysis does no good. Most presidential reputations improve over time. Obama will not join the ranks of Reagan or Franklin (or Theodore) Roosevelt but Americans will grow to appreciate his decorum. We wish his personal virtues had been twinned with the political acumen of the Rs. The coda belongs to him:

I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can.
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adherium Limited (Adherium or the Company) (ASX:ADR), a global leader in digital health technologies that address sub-optimal medication use in chronic disease, notes that the UKs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a Medtech Innovation Briefing (MIB) on Adheriums Smartinhaler technology platform, recognising the role that it can play in improving adherence to asthma medication.

Smartinhaler is Adheriums proprietary digital platform which monitors inhaler use by patients with chronic respiratory disease, especially asthma. Smartinhaler devices attach to prescription inhalers, providing reminders and analysis of inhaler usage, giving patients and healthcare professionals real-time data on medication use, allowing better disease management.

NICE is an independent organisation providing national guidance and advice to the UKs NHS on medical treatments to improve healthcare. MIBs provide clinicians with an up-to-date summary of innovative technologies, their uses and potential role in the treatment pathway, with input from clinical experts and patient organisations.

Todays MIB states that Adheriums innovative Smartinhaler technology platform allows real-time monitoring of adherence to asthma treatments, with valuable data being shared between patients and clinicians. It summarised key points observed from five randomised controlled trials in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, involving a total of 589 people with asthma (adults and children) using Smartinhaler in a community setting. Each trial showed that Smartinhaler devices were more effective than the current standard of care in improving adherence to asthma medication.

NICE also identified that use of Smartinhaler could potentially lead to a change in the approach to routine review, with data used to identify patients who need more frequent review, or who do not need to be seen in person for an annual review. Aiding clinicians understanding of patient adherence is key to reducing exacerbations of respiratory conditions and the expensive additional treatment that they require.

Adheriums initial patient focus for Smartinhaler is on poorly controlled asthma, particularly in children, and patients with severe persistent asthma. Asthma UKs Annual Asthma Survey Report, published last week, highlighted that two thirds of UK asthma sufferers are still not receiving the basic care they need to manage their asthma properly and that 82% of UK patients asthma is poorly controlled.

Dr. Louise Fleming, Clinical senior lecturer, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, commented: I have been using the Smartinhaler platform as standard practice for patients within my asthma clinic and have seen first-hand the benefits to patient care that this technology can make. Tracking and analysing a patients inhaler trends online and in real-time means that we can address and improve adherence, reducing asthma attacks and hospitalisations. This not only saves time and money, but also by putting the monitoring app directly in the hands of the patient, enables them to manage their condition more effectively, improving quality of life.

Garth Sutherland, CEO of Adherium said: NICEs briefing today is a key milestone in the adoption of digital health technologies by the NHS and other healthcare providers. Our trials have shown that Smartinhaler use results in a significant increase in medication adherence and a reduction in the days missed from school or work. With Asthma costing the UK economy over 1.1bn per year in medication costs and hospital admissions*, we look forward to bringing the benefits of our technology to as many patients as possible, improving their quality of life through better asthma management, as well as improving the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of treatment.

*Asthma UK, Annual Asthma Survey Report 2016

The NICE Medtech Innovation Briefing can be found here: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/published

ABOUT ADHERIUM

Adherium (ASX:ADR) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed company which develops, manufactures and supplies digital health technologies which address sub-optimal medication use and improve health outcomes in chronic disease. Adherium operates globally from bases in the USA, Europe and Australasia.

Adherium is a provider of digital health solutions to patients, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and contract research organizations. The Companys proprietary Smartinhaler platform has been independently proven to improve medication adherence and health outcomes for patients with chronic respiratory disease. Adherium has the broadest range of "smart" medication sensors for respiratory medications globally.

The Smartinhaler platform has so far been used in more than 65 projects (clinical, device validation or other) and has been referenced in 56 peer reviewed journal articles. Clinical outcomes data has proven that the Smartinhaler platform can improve adherence by up to 59% in adults and 180% in children and reduce severe episodes by 60% in adults, leading to improved quality-of-life and demonstrating a substantial gain over current best practice treatment. The Company has received FDA 510(k) notifications for clearance to market and CE Marks for its devices and software, which allows it to sell these devices into international markets.

www.adherium.com www.smartinhaler.com

ABOUT NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. It was originally set up in 1999 as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, a special health authority, to reduce variation in the availability and quality of NHS treatments and care. In 2005, after merging with the Health Development Agency, it began developing public health guidance to help prevent ill health and promote healthier lifestyles. Its name changed to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

In April 2013 it was established in primary legislation, becoming a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and placing it on a solid statutory footing as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. As an NDPB, it is accountable to the Department of Health, but operationally independent of government. Guidance and other recommendations are made by independent committees. The NICE Board sets strategic priorities and policies, but the day to day decision-making is the responsibility of the Senior Management Team.

NICE guidance is officially England-only. However, it has agreements to provide certain NICE products and services to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Decisions on how guidance applies in these countries are made by the devolved administrations, who are often involved and consulted with in the development of NICE guidance.

ABOUT MEDTECH INNOVATION BRIEFINGS

MIBs are commissioned by the NHS and produced in support of the NHS 5-Year Forward View, specifically as one of a number of steps which will accelerate innovation in new treatments and diagnostics. According to the MIB frequently asked questions (FAQ) document, new technologies are selected by the NICE Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) for MIBs based on:

Regulatory status, current availability, and degree of innovation

The level of NHS interest in the technology

The relevance to existing, in-development, or future NICE guidance

The proposed patient or system benefits

Whether there is sufficient evidence publicly available to summarize and critically appraise the technology

The MIB is intended to provide clinicians with an up-to-date summary of new innovative technologies, how they are used, and what their potential role is in the treatment pathway. A MIB also includes a review of relevant published evidence, opinions from clinical experts in the field, and the likely costs of using the technology. A MIB is not a treatment guidance document from NICE and does not constitute a guidance recommendation. MIBs are updated periodically, and are designed to be fast, flexible, and responsive to the needs of clinicians for information on promising technologies.

Enquiries:



At Adherium: Corporate North America Europe Julia Chambers James Hattersley Scott Fleming Head of Corporate Development Senior Vice President Senior Vice President M: +64 27 807 8153 Business Development Business Development E: investors@adherium.com North America Europe M: +1 610 955 5886 M: +31 646 876 989 E: jamesh@adherium.com E: scottf@adherium.com Media enquiries: Australia and New Zealand North America Europe Rudi Michelson Erich Sandoval Sue Charles/Rozi Morris Monsoon Communications Lazar Partners Instinctif Partners D: +61 3 9620 3333 D: +1 213-908-6226 D: +44 20 7457 2020 E: rudim@monsoon.com.au E: esandoval@lazarpartners.com E: adherium@instinctif.com




A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash., Jan. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hunt Mining Corp. (the Corporation or Hunt) (TSX-V:HMX) is pleased to announce the receipt of permits and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required for production at the Martha Project in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.



Water Usage Permit

The Corporation received the water usage permit on October 12, 2016 from the State of Santa Cruz Water Department (Recursos Hidricos de la Provincia). This permit allows for the use of up to 24,000 cubic meters on a monthly basis for ongoing production activities at the Martha Mill and Mine (Martha Project).

Use of Explosives Permit

The Corporation received the explosives permit from the Argentina federal agency on December 13, 2016. This permit will allow for the usage of explosives by third party contractors at the Martha Project and is to be renewed on an annual basis.

Environmental Impact Statement

The Corporation was issued the EIS on December 19, 2016 by the Department of Mines in Rio Gallegos, Argentina. The EIS permits the Corporation to operate, mine and produce silver and gold concentrate at the Martha Project. Under the terms of the EIS, the Martha Project will be subject to annual inspection of practices and will be required to demonstrate continued mining standards as dictated by the federal mining authority. With the receipt of this EIS, the Corporation has taken out an insurance policy covering liability in the event of any environmental damages.

The Water Usage Permit, Explosives Permit and Environmental Impact Statement are all required measures as the Corporation moves towards production at the Martha Project.

Klaus Triebel, Hunt Mining's Director of Project Development, is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 who has approved the technical and scientific aspects of this press release.

Additional information on the Martha Project and other Santa Cruz, Argentina projects can be viewed on the Company website at: www.huntmining.com.

About Hunt Mining

Hunt Mining Corp. has continued to develop its properties as an active and aggressive explorer in Santa Cruz since 2006. During that time, Hunt's wholly owned subsidiary, Cerro Cazador S.A., has completed exploration activity including 62,000 meters of HQ core drilling, 416 line kilometers of Induced Polarization geophysical surveys and more than 20,000 surface soil, sediment, channel, chip, and trench samples, beyond the historical work previous to the same properties. Hunt also owns a 100% interest in the Martha property, which includes the Martha Project, also located in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina.

Neither the TSX Venture nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. The Corporation has provided the forward- looking statements in reliance on assumptions that it believes are reasonable at this time. The reader is cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of the forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. All such forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Corporations control. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approval. The actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits, including the amount of proceeds, the Corporation will derive therefrom. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.
English German

Hamburg, 12 January 2017. The wine trading group Hawesko Holding AG (HAW GR, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) acquired a 51% interest in WeinArt Handelsgesellschaft mbH in Geisenheim as of 1 January 2017. WeinArt specialises in ultra-premium wines, particularly French vintages from the Bordeaux and Burgundy appellations. Moreover, WeinArt holds a 75% interest in the Rudesheim-based Grand Cru Select Weinhandelsgesellschaft mbH, which sells exclusive wines from the Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne regions as a wholesaler.

Sales figures for the two companies are in the low double-digit million euro range. The business development is expected to be stable in the coming years. The sellers are Tocos Beteiligung GmbH - the majority shareholder of Hawesko Holding AG - and WeinArt's managing director Nedjelko Mrcela. He will retain a 49% interest in the company.

Both Nedjelko Mrcela as well as Thomas Haenle, who is managing partner of Grand Cru Select, will continue to support the companies with their expertise and competence as managing directors. Nedjelko Mrcela said, "The Hawesko Group's majority interest in WeinArt is the right step at the right time, as the pooling of competences in the ultra-premium segment provides us with even greater opportunities for further sustainable development." Thomas Haenle added: "To be sure: our relationships with customers and producers will not change and we will maintain continuity."

Regarding the potential of the acquisition, Thorsten Hermelink, CEO of Hawesko Holding AG, commented, "With the interest in WeinArt and thus in Grand Cru Select as well, we are adding an important component - in accordance with our long-term strategy - to our expertise in fine wine in both the B2B and B2C segments. The individuality and character of both companies, especially with respect to relationships with customers and producers, will be maintained. Both WeinArt and Grand Cru Select as well as our existing B2B and retail brands will benefit from joining together. At the same time, we are strengthening our positioning of the Hawesko Group as the No. 1 in premium wines."

# # #

Additional information as well as the online shop of WeinArt at weinart.de.

Publisher:

Hawesko Holding AG

Elbkaihaus

22767 Hamburg

Investor Relations and Press Contact:

Thomas Hutchinson, Hawesko Holding AG

Phone: +49 (0)40 30 39 21 00

Fax +49 (0)40 30 39 21 05

E-mail: ir@hawesko-holding.com




A Charlottesville businessman is taking some responsibility for allegedly pilfering millions of dollars from a Richmond womans estate in the wake of her husbands death, but he also is shielding his wife, father and former business partners from blame.

In a lawsuit filed in Richmond last year, Lynne Kinder accused Albemarle County resident Victor M. Dandridge III of 13 counts of financial misconduct relating to his management of the Kinder estates assets following the unexpected death of Trey Kinder in 2005.

Lynne Kinder named Dandridge, his wife and several other defendants in the suit, each of whom were tied to a series of actions Dandridge allegedly took between 2007 and 2016 that diminished the Kinders assets from $6.9 million to $1.7 million.

In his response to the suit, Dandridge concedes that while he never intended to line [his] pockets with the Kinders money, he did reroute some funds to his sinking businesses to keep them afloat. He also acknowledges that while he disagrees with the amount of money in the original suit, he did lie to Kinder about the allocation of her assets to keep his scheme going.

Dandridge further states that every other party named in the suit, including his father and money management firm Thompson Davis, was not privy to wrongful conduct.

[Dandridge] states and avers that he is solely responsible and to blame for his despicable conduct and other defendants only fault would have been to have believed him, the response says.

In her original filing, Kinder claimed that when her husband died of a heart attack in 2005, Dandridge, his longtime friend, offered to help manage the familys assets. Dandridge told Kinder at the time that he owed it to Trey to look after the Kinder family, given his own acumen in financial management.

Kinder agreed, entrusting Dandridge with $6.53 million in assets, along with another $400,000 from a retirement account that was added later, according to the suit, which goes on to detail ways in which Dandridge deflected Kinders monies to different accounts and businesses, taking on investments that were riskier than those agreed upon by Kinder and Dandridge.

While Dandridge believes that certain of the losses suffered by Kinder were due to factors beyond his control, such as downturned market conditions, he nonetheless breached his fiduciary duty to Kinder by mismanaging her wealth. He continues to ask that only he be held responsible, and that the court determine how much he should repay Kinder and the basis of such amounts.

An attorney for Kinder did not comment on Dandridges response.
SOLON EIENDOM ASA

STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, HONG KONG, SWITZERLAND OR THE UNITED STATES

Solon Eiendom ASA - Intended dates for subsequent offering

(Oslo, Norway, 12 January 2017) On 14 December 2016, the extraordinary general meeting of the Company resolved that a subsequent offering of 666,666,666 new shares at a subscription price of NOK 0.15 per share directed towards eligible shareholders (the "Subsequent Offering") should be carried out. In the Subsequent Offering, eligible shareholders will receive tradable subscription rights.

The Company's board of directors has resolved that the subscription period in the Subsequent Offering shall commence on 13 January 2017 at 09:00 CET and end on 27 January 2017 at 16:30 CET, and that the trading period for the subscription rights shall commence on 13 January 2017 at 09:00 CET and end on 25 January 2017 at 16:30 CET. The above dates are subject to approval of a prospectus and may be subject to change.

Further information about the Subsequent Offering will be provided in due course.

DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA, Arctic Securities AS and SpareBank 1 Markets are engaged as managers for the Subsequent Offering.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Further information

Simen Thorsen

Chairman of the Board, Solon Eiendom ASA

E-mail: st@soloneiendom.no

Cell Phone: +47 918 86 886

Andreas Martinussen

Chief Executive Officer, Solon Eiendom ASA

E-mail: am@soloneiendom.no

Cell Phone: +47 400 00 405

About Solon Eiendom

Solon Eiendom is a Norwegian residential real estate development company focusing on the Oslo and Akershus region. Solon Eiendom was established in 2006 by founder Simen Thorsen and investor Tore Aksel Voldberg. The company has since its incorporation delivered 570 units with a corresponding sales value of close to NOK ~3 billion and sold more than 800 units with a total sales price of more than NOK ~4 billion.

Important Information

The release is not for publication or distribution, in whole or in part directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia).

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. It is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities, in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia Canada, Japan, Hong Kong or the United States. The issue, exercise, purchase or sale of subscription rights and the subscription or purchase of shares in the Company are subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company, DNB Markets, Arctic Securities nor SpareBank1 Markets assumes any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.

The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.